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wardenparker · 25 days ago

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Bones Full of Words, ch 11

Javier Peña x plus size reader Co-written with @absurdthirst

“He pleaded so much that he lost his voice. His bones began to fill with words.” ― Gabriel García Márquez, One Hundred Years of Solitude

Javier Peña had no way of knowing for certain the American journalist he sometimes sees sniffing around the embassy for her stories is also getting information about the narcos from the same girls that he is. After Helena is brutalized by sicarios, it is that same journalist who comes to take her away and look after her -- giving Javi reason to pause and reconsider his opinion of the woman he had previously not considered as anything more than eye candy.

He has no idea that once she has walked fully into his life, he will be battling with himself over whether or not he should stop her from walking out it of again.

Rating: E for Explicit! 18+ Word Count: 11.9k Warnings: *Blanket warnings for this series: sex work, time period appropriate sexism, cursing, alcohol, food/eating, talk of weight or size, fatphobia, internalized fatphobia, self-esteem issues, canon typical violence* Fluff, sass, flirting, two very similar people finally on the same page. Vaginal sex, unprotected sex. Summary: Booted back to the States after the DEA puts him on notice, Javi runs into an unexpected and familiar face at his cousin's wedding. Notes: We are finally explicit for sexy soulmate reasons!! ✨🎉🎆 We're almost at the end of this one, my dears! Most likely one more chapter and then the epilogue.

Ch 1 ~ Ch 2 ~ Ch 3 ~ Ch 4 ~ Ch 5 ~ Ch 6 ~ Ch 7 ~ Ch 8 ~ Ch 9 ~ Ch 10

Being back on Laredo is almost surreal. People know him, both from the somewhat reckless younger years spend here, and the scandal of leaving his fiancé at the altar, to the notoriety of hunting Pablo Escobar down. It didn’t matter that he hadn’t been there when the man had finally been shot down like the dog he was, he had been a part of it.

When he got the call, he had been in his second favorite place. The bar. Drinking and smoking, again, trying to not feel sorry for himself. Still on leave from the DEA, his hand slapped and his punishment was being left in limbo as he watched the news for anything Steve hadn’t told him.

“Javier.” His father’s voice finally cuts through his inner thoughts after the third time of having his name called. “You gotta get dressed, mijo.” The elder Peña insists. “Danny’s wedding is in an hour.”

Javi sighs as he blinks away the memories and looks over at the concerned frown on the elder Peña’s face. “Sure pop.” He doesn’t know why it really matters considering he’s not going to be wearing a suit. The event is very Texas, cowboy boots and jeans required, with the excepting of the happy couple.

“You should shave.” His father comments, more an instruction than a suggestion, as he moves through the living room and collects both his and his son’s forgotten coffee cups. “Three day stubble doesn’t look good on anybody. Your Ma told me that once.”

Javi sighs and swipes his hand over his jaw. He should shave, trim his mustache. “Yeah.” He agrees. “I’ll be ready in five minutes.”

“We have time.” Chucho chuckles. “I gotta look good too, you know. That takes longer.”

Javi snorts and slaps his father’s shoulder as he walks by. “Nah.” He teases. “You have natural beauty, pop.”

“Never hurts to put in a little effort, mijo.” Chucho reminds him, watching his son stride down the hall on long legs. Javi’s been adrift since he got sent home. He won’t talk about what happened and he doesn’t socialize with any of his old friends despite their best efforts. He needs to get out of the damn house, and his father is not above using his cousin’s wedding as a good excuse.

In the bathroom, Javi sighs as he stares a that mirror. The dark circles under his eyes have gone away, but there is a haunted look in them. Maybe since the day he put you on a plane to the States. That’s what Steve kept bugging him about since you left, telling him that he was an idiot for letting you go without working things out.

His cousin’s wedding is as much distraction as it is anything else. He spends his days on the ranch and not much of anywhere else, mostly to avoid the questions.

He turns away from the mirror and reaches into the bathtub and turns on the water. He might as well shower and get ready. His dad won’t leave him alone until he goes to the wedding and drinks at least two beers at the reception.

Besides, Danny had been insistent about wanting Javi to come. His older cousin had been a big influence on him and he had wanted to share this day with the man he privately called his hero. Not that he would ever say that to Javi’s face.

Stripping down, he steps into the shower and closes the curtain, groaning quietly at the heat from the water. He has spiraled. Closing his eyes, he leans against the wall.

When you had gone missing, he had gone to Don Berna and Judy Moncalo for anything they could give him. Willing to skirt the line of morality and legality for you had ended up biting him in the ass. He had gotten in too deep, trapped by that helping hand until they had turned on him. The bad thing is, as much as he regrets leaving Colombia in disgrace, he would do it again for you.

Murphy tried to help, in between being a pain in the ass. But the way everything ended up was just fucking ridiculous enough that there was no real way for him to help. So now he gets through each day at a time. Wondering if he’s ever going to figure out what the fuck comes next.

Cleaning up quickly, he steps out of the shower into the steaming bathroom and wipes the mirror clear. Staring at his reflection again. Licking his lips as he wonders what you are doing right now.

******

"Yes I promise to make it abundantly clear that I'm not your girlfriend." You roll your eyes in the hotel room's bathroom mirror as you carefully apply your lip liner. Make up isn't exactly a natural skill for you, but you've learned. "Nor will I cockblock you if you meet a cute girl. But if you bring somebody back to the hotel, I expect your ass to get a new room. I will not be locked out so you can get laid." He had begged you to come when the invitation came through. He'd been invited to the wedding of his best friend from his unit and he'd promised to pay every single dollar of the trip if you came as his plus one. As much as your brother wanted to be there to celebrate with his friend, he hated doing social things without a safety net.

"You're gonna love Danny." He promises, leaning against the door and grinning at you in the reflection of the mirror. He's wearing his white undershirt and his white dress trousers. "He's going to get drunk and call out 'Doc! Doc! I need an IV!'"

"And you will be nice to him because it is his wedding day," you remind him. After lip liner is lipstick, and you inspect yourself in the mirror. In the last few years you've lost weight and kept it off with a strict diet, and while you're not exactly thin you're definitely closer than you used to be. It's easier to be satisfied with your appearance, at least. The babydoll dress that you picked out for today looks cute with a pair of cowgirl boots and you've even been careful doing your hair.

It's just being in Texas that has you feeling on edge. Being so close to Javier's hometown.

“I’ve promised to make sure he’s sober enough to have a wedding night.” He snorts, shooting you a grin. “Does that count?”

"Yes, it is." Smoothing one hand down your dress, you do your best to mask your anxiety by shooing past your brother and heading out to grab your wrap and the happy couple's gift from your suitcase. "Are you ready?"

“Let me put on my blouse.” He huffs, moving over to where it is hanging up to keep it clean.

"I take the least amount of time to get ready of anyone in our family, I swear." It may or may not be true, but right now you feel like you sped through getting ready out of pure anxiety. Ever since you touched down on Texas soil this morning, you've been jittery.

“What’s got you all out of whack?” He frowns slightly as he pulls the blouse on and moves to the mirror to adjust.

"I'm fine," you huff, flopping down on the bed next to where you were just standing and dodging his skeptical eyebrow raise. "I'm fine, Michael."

“And that definitely means you are not fine.” He turns from the mirror and walks over to you, crouching down and taking your hands. He’s become a little bit of a worrier since you’ve come back from Colombia. “Talk to me, sis.”

"It's just...weird." Both of your brothers have doted on you since you came home, taking opposite strategies in helping you resettle yourself into a new life. Almost everything has changed for you in the last few years, but they have been there for everything. And since they've been there with you, they know everything, too. "It's...he's from here. I guess it's more awkward for me than I expected."

“Oh shit.” His face falls, feeling horrible about basically bribing you to coming with him. “I didn’t- we don’t have to go.” He promises you. “I can just go to the wedding by myself and come back and we can rent movies and eat pizza?”

"I said it's awkward, not that I'm going to abandon you to be a socially awkward wallflower." Even though you huff and roll your eyes at him, you reach out to give your brother a swift, tight hug. "I can manage. But you're taking me to the most absurdly Texas bar ever before we leave, so I can line dance and ride a mechanical bull. Then we'll go home and I'll be mopey for a week or two trying not to think about my soulmate. Deal?'

You’ve been hesitant to give anyone a lot of details about your soulmate, and that concerns Michael. You had always had an attitude about it, but he had assumed it was fear that your soulmate wouldn’t live up to your expectations. That somehow the universe would get it wrong and you wouldn’t have what mom and dad had. But when you had come home from Colombia, you had just said you had met him and parted ways. Refusing to tell him more than his first name, Javier. That secrecy had been even more worrisome, since you never normally kept secrets. “Okay.” He agrees, sending you a reassuring grin. “I think we can do that. But try not to mop on the bull, that could be bad.”

"No moping on the bull." The half-smile you offer your brother in thanks is the best you can do right now, but you know he understands. Or at least that he's doing his best to be supportive. Your brothers may have razzed you when you were kids but as adults you've gotten closer than closer. "I promise."

“Oh shit.” Turning back, Michael grabs a small pack off the bed, his medical bag. “Almost forgot the IV’s.” He huffs as he grins at you and holds out his arm for you to take. “Can’t be the ‘Doc’ if I can’t cure the hangover.”

"Dishonorable discharge if you forget. Obviously." You tease, and push yourself off the bed with determination. The Marine unit that your brother serves with means the world to him — they're his other family — and you won't disappoint him today by chickening out. You're just going to do your damnedest not to think about Javier Peña today.

******

Sitting with family, he’s surrounded by people. People who thankfully won’t ask him questions about his time in Colombia or his soulmate status. That one would be particularly bittersweet as he watches Danny exchange vows with his own soulmate.

The involved Catholic ceremony is anything but brief, leaving kids squirming and some adults stifling yawns, but all attention snaps to the couple for their vows and that eagerly anticipated first kiss of marriage. It stings for those of you without soulmates but no one would begrudge this beautiful couple their happiness. Not when it shines so brightly.

Javi ducks his head down, sighing softly but he claps with everyone else. Standing when the couple starts back up the aisle along with his pop. He didn’t really listen to the ceremony, lost in his own thoughts and thinking about the worn out letter in his wallet.

"Come on, mijo." Chucho shuffles down the pew to wave Javier out into the aisle as the church empties out. He's not looking to be late to the reception and miss out on getting a prime seat where he can watch all the action.

“Sure thing.” He sees someone who has been wanting to hear ‘war stories’ headed his way, so he is hot on his dad’s heels. “Fucking Budweiser is calling my name.”

"And you're gonna bring your old man one, too." The elder Peña chuckles, clapping his son on the back as they walk together.

Javi chuckles and nods. “Of course I will.” He snorts. “You’ll be too busy socializing.”

"Course I will." That makes his father laugh, and Chucho ropes his arm around his son's shoulder as they walk along to the truck, chuckling all the while. "You got you mother's quiet disposition, kiddo. I don't know what to tell you."

“Mom was better a reading people.” He points out, thinking about the woman most would have considered quiet. She was, until she had something to say, then she let you know it. “Just don’t want to talk about the same shit the entire time. This is about Danny today.”

"Could always try to talk to some new people," Chucho suggests when they get out to the truck. He climbs behind the wheel and Javi gets in beside him. "Danny's unit are all coming, and his girl— wife's work friends. You don't know any of them yet. Might be nice?"

“They are all kids.” Javi scoffs quietly. “I remember when Danny was running around taking his diaper off. Now he’s married.” He shakes his head. “I woke up old, pop.”

"Yeah, I know." He laughs again. "But at leas you're honest about it."

“Thanks, pop.” He rolls his eyes and reaches into his pocket for a piece of nicotine gum. He’s been trying to stop, but it’s been rough. “That makes you really old.”

"Yeah, I know." There is more laughter in the truck shared by the two men as Chucho pulls out onto the road again, and the older man just shrugs one shoulder as he shifts gears. They head to the outside of town to Danny's bride's family ranch with music playing and decent – if introspective – moods between them. Both Peñas find themselves think about their soulmates in the aftermath of the ceremony, though neither will push the subject.

“Do you ever regret finding mom?” Javi asks, looking out the window at the rolling grass and weathered fences. “I mean, if you had never known about her, it wouldn’t have hurt so much when she died.” Both men had mourned the loss of her heavily.

“Never.” His father’s answer comes immediately. There is not a single ounce of hesitation in his body. “But…I was lucky enough to love her and cherish her for almost fifty years.”

“Yeah.” His parents had been very early in their discovery of matching scars. “Do you ever think the universe gets it wrong?” He asks after another moment. “Soulmates, I mean.”

Chucho knows what his son is asking, but still he clenches his jaw and tuts, glancing over at Javier as he drives. “I think sometimes the right person can come along at the wrong time.” He says finally. “But we don’t always get a second chance, and that is the unfair part.”

Javi sighs softly, swiping is hand over his face and nodding. “Yeah.” He had told Chucho he had met his soulmate after coming back, but that you had left Colombia a few years before and there had been no contact. He had been disappointed in Javi but hadn’t said much. “Life’s not fair at all sometimes.”

“No.” Chucho agrees, and he shakes his head again as he pulls the truck into the field along with the other party guests. “It isn’t. But going through your life never taking another chance doesn’t help, either.”

“I don’t think she would want that.” He admits softly. “I think I’m more of a reminder about a horrible time in her life.” He had read your article, it was amazing and thought provoking, but he had read the unhappiness between the likes. The relief that it was over. He wouldn’t take you back to that place. Especially since it seems like you’ve fallen off the face of the earth since winning your Pulitzer.

“I’m not saying you have to take a chance on her, Mijo. Not if you don’t want to.” With the truck’s engine cut, Chucho huffs a sigh and turns to look at his son. “But you need somebody. Somebody to spend your time with and grow old with.” When Javi opens his mouth to object, Chucho holds up a finger. “And I don’t count, Javito. I’m gonna be gone soon enough and it’ll be you and the dog. That’s not enough.”

He’s right, even if Javi doesn’t like it. “You can grumble at me on the way home when you’re drunk.” Javi jokes and opens the door, wanting to shelve the conversation for now. “Let’s go celebrate the happy couple.”

The reception is very homegrown, with coolers of beer and dispensers of sangria on either end of a buffet of favorite foods and plenty of space to dance and drink and chat. It’s homey and welcoming, And the DJ is playing good music for everyone as they trickle in.

Javi lingers with his dad. Helping him choose a seat and putting on his sociable smile. He can be charming and engaging when he wants to be and he decides to grin and bear the inevitable questions and remarks about his work and his own botched wedding.

For the most part the other guests are family or close friends. They know the stories already or know that making Javi rehash his history is cruel. But there are always people who are curious and today that includes the first young woman to corner him at the drinks table.

Javi picks up two beers, turning and smiling at the younger woman who is obviously waiting for something. “The punch is good.” He offers, keeping that his cousin always makes the sangria his tía loves.

“Why don’t you grab me some?” The girl can’t be more than twenty-one, batting her eyelashes and sticking her chest out without an ounce of subtlety.

He wants to sigh, but he nods, moving over to the punch bowl and pouring her out a smaller cup of the fruity, spiced wine. “Here you go.” He offers.

“You’re not going to have one with me?” She pouts.

Javi moves down the table and bends down to pick up two beer bottles out of one of the coolers. “Beer.” He tells her.

“Gross.” Is the only comment he gets out of that and she’s gone again without further comment. Apparently off to find some people more to her taste.

He snorts to himself as he twists off the caps to the beers, thankful that his apparent bad taste in drinks had saved him from an awkward conversation. “Thank you, sweetheart.” He hums to himself as he tilts one bottle back for a sip before taking his dad his beer.

“She was cute.” Chucho offers, accepting the beer from his son, but chuckles when Javier looks dubious. “Too young. Obviously.”

“Obviously.” He drops down into the seat next to his dad and looks around, drinking the beer and smiling when someone glances over at him. “Good turn out.”

“Danny’s a good kid.” The commendation from Chucho is as warm and proud as if he had raised the boy himself.

“Can’t believe he’s grown.” Javi admits, glancing over at where Danny and some sailor are laughing and hugging. “And a Marine.”

"Give it a second before you go and say hi." Chucho grunts under his breath and motions for Javier to look to the right of where Danny and his service friends are laughing together. He's fairly certain that Javier won't want to spoil the day with running into Lorraine and the woman that tried to trap his son into marriage is standing nearby the group of men with another woman.

******

“So how you know everyone here?” The slim blonde gives you a friendly, wide smile and gestures around the hall. “I don’t guess I’ve seen you around town before.” Curiosity has always motivated Lorraine, and it’s rare that she has someone new to meet. Even if she’s avoiding the other side of the room right now, not quite brave enough to approach Javi.

"You wouldn't have." You clutch the glass of sangria that your brother had gotten for you and hold onto the little glass like an anchor. "It's my first time in Texas at all. I came with my brother." You motion to where Michael and his friends are chatting a few feet away. "He serves with the groom."

“Oh really?” She follows your finger and hums. “His uniform is different?” She gives a small laugh and shrugs. “I don’t know much about the military, but I think that’s the Navy?”

"It is." Small talk isn't necessarily your forte so you're glad to actually have something to focus on. Being proud of your brothers is at the top of the list. "He's green side." When she has no reaction to that term at all, you explain further. "He's the medical officer with their Marine unit."

“How interesting!” Her brows shoot up and she looks over at the group of men with a hum. “My husband, Randy, is a lawyer, I hear complaints about judges and bailiffs and court reporters.” She rolls her eyes and shakes her head slightly. “So you are keeping an eye on your brother tonight?” She’s already discreetly looked down at your left hand and didn’t spy any kind of ring, leading her to believe that you aren’t married. Randy has a brother that might find you attractive.

"He didn't want to come alone and I like to travel," you explain, laughing a little out of pure discomfort. Not that this woman is rude or anything, she's just a stranger. "Are you family? If you don't mind my asking, I mean. It seems like a tight knit community around here."

“Almost.” Her laugh is both slightly brittle and self-deprecating. “I was engaged to one of Danny’s cousins a million years ago.” She waves it away as if it’s not something that would prompt more questions. “But I’ve known Danny his entire life.”

"Family by association, then. That's really nice." It's sweet, and it reinforces your idea of the community around here being very close.

“Maybe.” She shrugs slightly. “I didn’t expect my ex to be here, but I guess we will have to have that awkward meeting at some point tonight.” She snorts. “Hopefully I’ll be a few glasses of sangria in by then.”

"Oh?" That sounds a bit like a plot point in a book to you, but your mind always has worked like a writer's more than anything else. Even when you don't write anymore.

“Yeah.” She glances around the room and spots Javi handing his father a beer before she looks back at you. “I thought he would still be in the jungle, honestly. But I guess that’s over now.”

"That sounds dramatic." Jungle is not exactly a place you want to be thinking about ever, but the conversational door is open and you can't just walk away from it, so you bite your tongue on anything but letting this woman talk.

“Javier can be dramatic.” She hums in agreement. “But I guess you have to be when you were trying to catch Pablo Escobar.”

Javier.

Your throat tightens and your legs turn to lead, heart pounding out of your chest so that your blood is screaming in your ears the second you realize who you have been aimlessly chatting with.

Javier's ex-fiancée Lorraine. The woman who drew his tattoos onto her skin to trap him into marrying her. The woman who made him so fearful of a soulmate connection.

Arguably? The woman who ruined your chance at a meaningful relationship with your own soulmate by abusing him out of his trust.

"I suppose it's easy to be dramatic when the people around you lie to you at every turn." You intone, still smiling and appearing as bubbly as ever, as if you were accusing Escobar of lying and not her.

She frowns for a moment, tilting her head as she thinks about your statement and tries to ascertain if you are insinuating something about her. “That’s an interesting way to look at it.” She agrees when your smile seems innocent. “I just want him to happy.” She tuts. “He’s been single since we broke up and I heard that he has been suspended by the DEA.” She drops her voice and leans closer, whispering that last part to not let her voice carry far. God forbid someone accuse her of gossiping.

"It might surprise someone how little a person's single status has to do with their exes." Trying not to frown or cross your arms, you clutch your cup a little harder. "People can be perfectly happy without being married. And there is often so much more than meets the eye behind government decisions." Without thinking, your instinct has been to jump to Javier's defense even though your mouth has run dry at the idea of him being in the same room after literal years apart. She said she saw him. He's here.

“Of course.” She smiles, a little uncomfortable with your sudden vehemence and she glances past you. “Oh darn.” She huffs. “My kids need my help.” She shoots you an apologetic glance and skitters by you to go help a little girl around seven years old with her plate at the buffet.

"Shit." Hissing under your breath, you manage to set your cup down on the table next to you and try to get yourself under control again. Maybe you'll just leave. Michael is fine, right? He's perfectly fine with his friends. You can just go back to the hotel and hide. Yep. Hide. Like a coward. That's exactly what you're going to do...

******

It was supposed to just a quick glance. A survey just to see where Lorraine was while he decides if he is going to speak to her here or not. He’s leaning towards not, just because he knows it will make tongues wag. His eyes flicker over in the direction his dad had indicated and he freezes, hand gripping the bottle tight in his fist when he sees you.

Not just you, a smiling version of yourself. You’ve lost weight, an observation that immediately makes him frown and wonder if you have been taking care of yourself. “Fuck.” He hisses, the ache that had been pushed down until it had become dull flaring to life in his chest.

“What?” Chucho asks, glancing back at Lorraine and not understand why his son would curse. “Just avoid her.” He councils, talking about Javi’s ex-fiancée.

That shakes Javi out of his stupor and he picks up the bottle and tosses back the rest of his beer. Pausing only to shake someone’s hand when they reach out before he stands up. “Not this time, pop.” He claps his father on the shoulder and moves through the crowd towards you.

In the second after you decide yep, time to run away back to the hotel room, you abandon your sangria cup and turn around to get Michael's attention but come face to face with an entirely different man. "Javier..."

His smile is lopsided, a little shy, and he scrubs his hands on the side of his jeans as he stares at you. The haunted look in your eyes that was there when he put you on that plane is gone, but you look like you’ve seen a ghost. “Small world.” He jokes, eyes roaming your face, apparently starved for the sight of you.

"Seems like it." It's a good thing you didn't pick up your drink because now your hands are shaking. It feels like all of you is shaking, in fact, and all you want to do is rush to his arms and hug him. He's clean shaven with his mustache trimmed neatly, dressed in possibly the most casual outfit you've ever seen – used to seeing him in suits around the apartment back in Bogotá. "H—how—um...how are you?"

He shrugs, looking around the room and then back at you. “Could be worse.” He admits before he frowns. “How about you?” He asks softly. “You look- good, real good.” His normal charm and smooth words with women falters and his tongue feels like sandpaper in his mouth. The only comfort is that you seem just as startled by his presence as he is with you.

"I've lost some weight." You shrug dismissively. The fact is, you're far more conventionally attractive this way but still self-conscious about your appearance. At least it's easier to get clothes that fit properly. "It's uh...it's good to see you." So fucking good. You had no idea how relieved you would feel until he was right in front of you again.

“What are you doing here?” He asks, unsure how in the world you ended up at the same wedding reception small town Texas as him. “I mean- it’s good to see you to, but how?”

"Danny." Taking a deep breath, you wish you had pockets to shove your hands into. "Apparently my brother serves with your cousin." You hadn't put it together before, because despite living in the same town, Javier and Danny have different last names. "So...the universe is having fun with us, I guess."

He chuckles quietly and shuffles closer to you. “Congratulations, by the way.” He murmurs. “Your article was amazing. You really deserved that Pulitzer and every other award you won.”

"It felt dirty." He is really the only person you can admit this to. He's closer to the thing than anyone else in the world. "It's what he wanted — for interviewing him to be worth that prize. But I couldn't not publish the story." Because you knew it would help him. To have all of that written down as clear as day. A first hand account of Escobar's cruelty. It helped fuel the US government's fire to get the mangey bastard. Which is bittersweet in its own right. "I watched the footage. It's...I'm sorry that..." You sigh softly. "You deserved to be there and it's shitty that you weren't. I'm sorry."

“My fault.” He can admit that, even as he shrugs away the sting of bitterness that needles through him every time. “I don’t regret it. I would do it again.”

"Whatever you did, you still deserved to be the one to shoot the bastard." A slight, soft sigh escapes. One of resignation if nothing else. "For both of us."

He hums in agreement, chewing on his gum and wishing he had a cigarette. “You didn’t read the interview Judy Moncalo gave?” He asks curiously, struck by the ‘whatever you did’ comment. Did you really not know?

"No." You admit quietly. "It, um...it made me too mad to read about you being sent home. So I didn't." What a horrible lie. It absolutely tore you up to read his name anywhere because you missed him so much, but you can't say that to his face.

He tics his brow up in surprise. He had the completely opposite reaction. It had taken everything in him to not constantly look you up. To keep tabs on you. He sighs and looks away again. “When you were….kidnapped, I went to Judy Moncalo and Don Berna.” He admits, shuffling slightly before he looks back at you. “I promised them a favor in the future if they could tell me where Escobar was holding you.”

"Oh god..." The air rushes out of you all at once and your eyes sting, but instead of drawing away from him you instantly give in to your first instinct when you saw him and end up throwing your arms around his shoulders to squeeze him tightly against you. "I'm so sorry," you murmur quietly, letting it all sink in and settle in your bones. He did it for you. To save you. "I can't—I—I'm so sorry and I'm so grateful."

He wraps his arms around you, holding you tight against him and he buries his face into your shoulder and neck, inhaling your scent. “Don’t apologize.” He grunts. “I would do it again.” He repeats. “In a heartbeat.”

"This is..." Sniffling back the tears that will stain his shirt and ruin your makeup, you still hold on to him like a lifeline for a few more seconds. "This is not at all what I thought this weekend was going to be like."

He chuckles, fully aware of that and feeling the same. “I understand.” He murmurs, pulling back when you do and looking into your eyes again. “You look like you need another drink.”

"I haven't even had the first one," you admit, motioning vaguely behind you at the cup you abandoned. "I got distracted meeting your awful ex-fiancée."

This time he winces. “I saw that.” He admits, shoving his hands in his pockets. “Guess that means that she wasn’t her normal charming self?”

“You dodged a bullet.” That is your honest assessment and you’re not afraid to give it.

That pulls a smirk out of him, glancing around to where Lorraine was seated with her kids. “I’d like to think so.” He admits. “Thought about kids with her at one point, now I couldn’t imagine.”

“I’m glad you didn’t.” You tell him honestly, before thinking better of yourself and tacking on: “If only for your sake.”

Licking his lips, he wonders why that added comments irritates him. Why he isn’t satisfied with it. He reminds himself that you had left Colombia and never reached back out again. You are only here because of a coincidence. “Yeah.” He nods, looking back towards the coolers and wanting another beer. “So where are you writing now?”

“I’m not.” A fact which nags and frustrates you, but you pick up your cup and nod toward the drink table. This is not a conversation to be navigated without some kind of assistance. In this case, that’s alcohol. “I got out of that game after the award.”

No wonder he hasn’t been able to find your articles. “Really? Can I ask why? You are an amazing journalist.”

The compliment warms something hollow in your chest, but you still shrug one shoulder as you start to walk together. “I don’t know what I expected, really. I should have known Escobar’s men would retaliate after what I wrote. Coming after me? I get that. It was coming after my mother that made me stop. No matter what, it’s not worth putting my family into that kind of danger.”

“What?” He turns and grabs your elbow, making you face him again. “You- what happened?” Anger and guilt swirls in his stomach. You were in danger and he didn’t even know.

“Everybody’s okay.” You sure him, seeing a flash of panic in the depths of his eyes. “I’m fine. My mom is fine. The guys they sent got busted. It’s okay.”

“No, it’s not.” He shakes his head and growls in frustration. He should have had someone watching over you. He hadn’t told the DEA about your soulmate connection between the two of you because he hadn’t wanted to cause any more undue stress. “Why didn’t you call me?”

Startled slightly by the vehemence of the question, you look away and have to take a steadying breath. “I…didn’t think you would want to hear from me.”

“Anytime you need anything, you can call me.” He softens, hating the way you tense up slightly under his hand. “I didn’t reach out to you because of the same thing.” He confesses.

“We didn’t exactly promise to keep in touch.” Which is as much your fault as his. Maybe more. You had been so determined to leave clearly and let him get on with his life.

“No, we didn’t.” He lets go of your arm and shrugs. “I— I should have called though. I was afraid that you would just remember the kidnapping .”

“There hasn’t been a single day of my life that I haven’t thought about it,” you murmur, eyes downcast and already missing the warmth of his small, reassuring touch. “But you saved my life.”

“I’m sorry it took so long.” He’s apologized many times, but he needs to again.

“Me too.” Although you’re not quite sure what to do with the fact that he’s here in front of you know. It feels like a joke being played on you by the universe at large — knowing how you still feel about him but having given that up years ago.

He turns and starts to guide you back towards the drink table. His hand comes around you and rests on your lower back.

It’s a searing sting and the most wonderful ache in the world all at the same time, reminding you of movie nights on his couch and navigating each other in the kitchen. The tantalizing promise of things that never came to be and now never would. At least he doesn’t hate you. That’s more than you could have asked for, as far as you’re concerned.

Javi barely resists the urge to caress your skin over the back of your dress. Biting his lip as he guides you and he wonders if he’s ever told you how pretty you are.

“Beer?” There’s no whiskey, otherwise you would have poured that for him instinctively. But it’s all you can do right now not to think about the heat of his hand ghosting over your back.

“Yeah.” He shoots you a grin. “We promised that we wouldn’t go overboard and stuck with beer for the reception.” He informs you. “Although I know Danny has a bottle of whiskey outside.”

“We?” The corner of your mouth ticks up in amusement. “Are you a wedding planner now?”

He snorts. “Nah. But I paid for the alcohol as a wedding present.”

“Hell of a lot nicer than my brother’s idea.” You snort and hand him a bottle. “Taking him out of buying a sexy music cassette was not a conversation I ever expected to have.”

“Oh fuck.” Javi chuckles. “Nothing wrong with making love to music, but that is personal preference, not a gift.”

“Not at all.” Laughing with him is soothing. Calming. And you’ll take this moment for whatever it is worth. “Which is why I banned him from buying the gift and got them some kitchen stuff instead. Michael said they like to cook together.”

“That’s a better idea. Danny likes to cook. He makes his mom’s recipes.” He smiles. “I remember someone else likes to cook too. Miss that.”

“It’s��actually what I do now.” Don’t read into it. Don’t read into it. He’s just being nice. “I got a job on the line at my dad’s old restaurant.”

“Really?” He looks impressed because he is impressed. Happy that you have found what makes you happy. “How do you like it?” He asks. “I know if you opened up a restaurant here you would make a killing.”

“It keeps me busy. And it makes me feel closer to my dad, so that’s always a bonus.” The comment about being here, though, feels like so much warmth coursing through your heart even though you’re sure he didn’t mean it to be. “Not too many Italian places in southern Texas?”

“Not like yours.” He huffs, rolling his eyes slightly. “You have a gift.”

It’s on the tip of your tongue to put him off. To deny the compliment. To dismiss it. But a split-second hesitation has the truth pouring out of you instead. “Thank you I— I loved cooking for you.”

He almost asks you to cook for him and his dad, but that would be rude – even for him. Instead he twists the cap off the beer you had handed him. “How long are you in town for?”

“We only planned on the weekend.” Suddenly you wish it was more. Running into Javier had been such a fear and now all you want to do is bask in it. “We got in this morning and we’re flying back Monday morning.”

He takes a sip of the beer and nods. “Time to recover from a hangover and get bored.” He jokes.

“Pretty much.” That had been the logic in the planning anyway. “I made my brother promise to hunt down the most gimmicky bar possible with me.”

“José’s.” Javi answers immediately and without any irony. “It’s this little country bar with a bull that services Budweiser and tequila shots.”

“It has a bull?” You perk up at that — it’s all you wanted out of this stupid little excursion and you don’t feel like hiding it. “Do they do line dancing too?”

He chuckles, “It wouldn’t be a country bar if it didn’t.” He promises. “It’s lively on Saturday nights and Sunday nights.”

“You should come.” The offer comes tumbling out of your mouth fore you can stop it, but you won’t take it back. Not when seeing him again feels relieving instead of awkward like you had been dreading.

He is very surprised that you offered, lifting a brow for a moment and searching your face to see if you are just being nice or if you mean it. “Sounds like a plan.”

"We never really had much time for fun in Colombia." You sip your sangria, humming softly at the sweet, tangy, alcoholic brew. Somebody has put some real thought into this recipe. "There was work to do."

“Plus, you never really seemed like you wanted be out in a social setting with me.” He hadn’t commented on it at the time, just taken it as further proof you hated him being your soulmate.

"I didn't figure you wanted to be out in a social situation with me." Rehashing those months together might not be pleasant, but apparently you're in a particularly honest mood this afternoon.

“When the clubs were filled with sicarios and informants who would snitch to narcos?” He shakes his head. “No. I didn’t. But under other circumstances? I wouldn’t mind it at all.”

"It's different now." For better or for worse, your circumstances in life have changed drastically. Both of you.

“Yes it is.” You’ve managed to finish your sangria, so Javi puts his beer down and refills your cup before handing it back to you. “We both are different now too.”

"Maybe not too different," you admit with a laugh, willing yourself to ignore the way your fingers burn when they brush his. "I'm still a stubborn pain in the ass sometimes."

He snorts, glad that hasn’t changed. “I almost didn’t recognize you.” He huffs, slightly disappointed by your weight loss, but that’s not any of his business. You just need to be happy with yourself.

"I know. I look different." Better, but different. But him? He looks as gorgeous as the day he brought you to the airport, which is making your stomach flip. "You look the same. Which isn't a bad thing at all."

He scoffs at that and shrugs. “You lie, but thank you.” He hums. “Have you eaten yet?”

"Why would I lie about that?" Even though you ask the question, you still shake your head. Before being snagged in conversation by Lorraine and then spotted by Javier, you had just been following your brother around like a tail.

“Come on.” He urges you towards the table that is groaning and straining under the weight of all the dishes. “You should try some of this food, all family recipes.”

"If I ever turn down family recipes, take me to a doctor because I am very unwell." The change of topic and focus is welcome, and you walk side by side with him in a moment of comfortable silence.

Javi can see the eyes on the pair of you, some of them assessing and some just curious. He catches his dad’s raised brow but he just points out the dishes to avoid discreetly.

"I'll have to apologize to my brother for ditching him later." You joke, passing over something Javier describes as Texas lasagna that just makes you long for your own homemade dish. "But he'll be fine."

“Do you want to go back over there with him?” He asks, suddenly unsure if you want to spend this wedding reception chatting with him. Maybe you had hoped to meet someone.

Glancing back, you can see over Javier's shoulder that your brother has not only one but two very attractive people captive to a story he's telling — one of them being another member of his unit that you know he has a crush on and the other being a beautiful woman close to his same age. "Nah." You decide, shaking your head and looking back at Javier. "He's fine. Unless..." A startling thought occurs and makes your stomach drop. "You'd rather I leave you alone?"

“No.” He’s quick to shake his head, frowning at the thought. “Not at all.” He promises. “I just didn’t want you to think you had to talk to me if you would rather mingle.” It feels like you are both going around in circles and he huffs at himself in amusement.

"No." Your answer is almost as quick as his, and your cheeks burn with a flutter of something like tension in your chest. Just because it's one-sided doesn't mean the flush of attraction isn't still there. "No, I mean—I'm good. I'd rather be here."

He flashes you a quick grin, lighting up his face and showcasing some of that Peña charm. “Sounds good, sweetheart.”

******

It's easy to lose track of time when you're actually enjoying yourself. Sitting and eating a meal with Javier again feels like coming home in the most sentimental of ways. It's comfortable and has your chest tightening with every laugh. You've found yourselves at a table in a corner away from the rest of the party where you can just sit and talk, and it's such a fucking relief. So much so that neither of you notice when your table is approached halfway through the reception.

Javi sees the edge of a floral dress come into view, pink shoes that match the large flowered peeking out from underneath. He knows who it has to be, she hasn’t changed that signature scent Estee Lauter perfume since they had been together. “Lorraine.” He acknowledges her, not even taking his eyes off of you.

"Javier." Her smile is pinched, looking down at the pair at the table with as much insatiable curiosity as judgement.

He wonders why she is here, but he glances up at the woman. Technically, she’s still beautiful, but he doesn’t see that. He sees the lies and manipulation she had tried to use to get her way. “What a pleasant surprise.” He lies, smiling at her.

"We would never have missed Danny's big day." She bristles at the implication that she ever would, in fact, but puts on a pleasant false smile instead. "I just came to say hello and see how my new friend was doing."

Her pointed gaze is directed entirely at you and you sit back in your chair with pure amusement. She came to be nosy, but that's fine. "I'm enjoying myself immensely," you tell her with a broad grin.

She stiffens slightly and looks between you and Javier, trying to decide if the two of you know each other. “He can be such a flirt.” She agrees. “Weddings are fun places to meet new people.”

“Yes.” You agree with a pleasant, if intentionally vacant, smile. “It was very good to meet you, Lorraine.”

Javi smiles slightly, seeing the confusion on her face, and he wonders if she had told you her name. “You know me, I’m sociable.” He lies, chuckling when you snort.

“That’s us.” You smother more chuckles with sip of sangria. “Always so sociable.”

Lorraine narrows her eyes slightly, lips pinched together and Javi wonders why she’s so irritated. “How’s Randy, Lorraine?” He asks mildly. “The kids? You’ve got two now, right?”

“We’re all wonderful.” She claims, with the right assurance of someone who is absolutely lying. “I’m surprised you remembered.”

He shrugs casually and picks up your now empty glass. “Trained to retain even the most useless information.” He quips before looking over at you again. “Need a refill?”

“Please? I may have to beg your tía’s sangria recipe off of you. It’s amazing.” There is so much familiarity, so much comfort, in the way you interact. It very obviously can’t be the first time you’ve met, which only makes Lorraine’s pinched frown deepen.

“Don’t count on getting the recipe.” Lorraine tuts, sending you a sympathetic look. “It’s a family recipe and she won’t get it out to just anyone.” Javier had been about to walk away, but her comment made him turn back. Only taking a second before he decides to open his mouth. “I’m sure she would count my soulmate as family.” He declares firmly.

The way the air is sucked out of the conversation is instant and smothering. A pin could drop and the sound would reverberate between them until the end of time. Lorraine's jaw unhinges in shock at the same instant that you have to force all the determination in your entire body into not reacting.

He said it. He said it out loud. He acknowledged it to his ex-fiancée. Instead of a stomach that flips with nerves or anxiety, you positively beam with pride.

"Your—?" Lorraine sputters, when she can finally breathe again.

“Soulmate.” He repeats with a nod, reaching out and placing his hand on your shoulder. He knows that he shouldn’t have revealed this so casually, he hasn’t even told his father, but it seemed fitting to acknowledge his connection to you to the woman who had tried so hard to convince him that she was his soulmate. “We discovered the connection in Colombia.”

A smirk slowly crawls across your face, tucking itself in the corner of your mouth. "In the jungle."

Javi watches a myriad of emotions play out over Lorraine’s face, the prominent one being utter disbelief, but he just hums. “I guess I should thank you.” He makes it sound like he had only put two and two together right now, even though it has been a thought in his head since meeting you. “If you hadn’t lied to me and tried to haul me to the altar, I would have never accepted the job in the DEA and gone to Colombia.” His hand squeezes your shoulder gently. “And I don’t know if now wouldn’t have been our first meeting instead of then.”

Your eyes close briefly against the thought — mostly because you're certain that you wouldn't have survived Colombia if not for Javier — and you reach to place your hand over his on your shoulder. You give it a firm, affectionate squeeze and when you open your eyes again you're looking up at him with such fierce fondness that it crashes over you like a wave. "Forget the drink," you decide, blocking out everything around you including Lorraine. "Dance with me."

His response is immediate, setting down the cup and turning his palm to hold yours. “Absolutely, sweetheart.” He murmurs, not using the endearment for Lorraine’s sake, but for the way you are gazing at him. Like you are his sweetheart, like he deserves that affection.

The dust left in the wake of your exit from the table might have choked her but you wouldn't care. The only thing you care about is the song that is changing over to something slow and sweet as you walk out to the dance floor together. Hand-in-hand as though all the fights and all the frustrations didn't matter at all.

Javi feels like there’s been some unspoken turning point. Facing you once you reach the dance floor, he shoots you a grin and pulls you against him. Fitting you along his lean body and humming when it seems like you just click into place, your hand on his shoulder and on his arm as he winds around you to guide you through the song. “Think she’s still trying to find her jaw on the floor?” He muses, even though he couldn’t care one bit what she thinks or how she reacts to the news.

"Probably." The giggle — actual, real, amused giggle — that bubbles out of you is as amused as it is aghast. It feels like you've floated up onto a cloud somehow. "You know she'll tell everyone, don't you?"

“Oh yeah.” He snorts, fully aware that everyone in the room will know within the next five minutes, maybe even before the song is done. Unless she’s somehow magically struck mute or decides that she’s going to keep it to herself. “Do you mind?”

"No." Surprisingly you don't mind in the least. Not even when the people who are going to find out are his family. His friends. His community. "No, I don't mind. It serves her right for sticking her nose in, and..." You shrug slightly but keep close to him as you turn slowly around the dance floor together. "And things are different now then they were then. There's no one to keep that secret from anymore."

“They are different.” He can agree with that. “Hell, I don’t know if I still have a job.” He admits. “I’ve been told to stay here until they call me to Washington.”

"The investigation will go as long as it needs to." Which stings in a particularly tender way, now that you know why he did what he did. "I wish there was something I could do to help."

“Actually…” he smiles softly at you. “This has helped a lot.” He confesses. “I will never doubt that I did the right thing.”

"I'm sorry it's cost you so much." Of course you won't claim to be sorry that he did it. That he saved you. But you do wish it hadn't cost him everything else in the process.

“Don’t know if it cost me much.” He has been thinking it, but he’s never said those words aloud. “I think you saved my soul.”

Whatever you expected him to say, that certainly isn't it, and you tilt your head slightly in utter surprise. "That's quite a thing to say."

“It’s true.” His fingers flex on your waist, bringing you closer just a bit. “I had forgotten what it was like to care about more than the job. Or my next drink, or next fuck.” He licks his lips and sighs softly. “I wanted you to stay, I just couldn’t say the words. Not when you wanted to leave so badly.”

"As long as we're being honest..." Moving together automatically and oblivious to any-and-everything else, you only find yourself drawn in closer to Javier as you move through the dance. Your hand on his shoulder squeezes a little tighter without realizing it. "I didn't want to leave you. I just couldn't handle staying in Colombia while he was still out there."

“Oh.” He hadn’t realized that but he can see why you would want to get as far away as possible from the man who had kidnapped and tortured you. “You would have stayed if we had killed him that day?”

Somehow, with all the people you had ever talked to about that night in so many different capacities, no one had ever asked you this question. And that might be why it startles the truth out of you so easily. “If you had wanted me to.”

“Yes.” He murmurs softly, looking into your eyes and wondering why the hell he hadn’t said anything about how special you had become to him then. “I’m selfish enough that I would have wanted you to.”

"We...weren't good at talking about things then." Not like you apparently are now. Maybe it's just that enough time has passed. Maybe it's that the pressure in your lives is so much less now. That the world doesn't seem to be pressing down on both of your shoulders as it falls apart at the seams.

“No, we weren’t.” He can admit that, even though he’s not great about talking now. But you should be the one he’s willing to make an exception for. “Maybe we just needed time.” He ponders. “Or maybe it’s needing to lose you to find out how much it would hurt.”

"It wasn't supposed to." The tempo of the song that's playing is slow and sweet and you swear it's lulling you into some kind of dream — or maybe it's the way Javier's hand is inching around your waist that's doing that instead. "It was supposed to let you live."

“That’s why I put you on that plane.” He agrees. “Because I wanted you to live how you wanted.”

You practically choke on the irony, shaking your head to banish the rising instinct of tears in the face of so much revelation. "Stubborn, self-sacrificing idiots." You almost manage to laugh, but not quite. "Both of us."

“Yeah.” He huffs, frowning slightly, but it’s a soft frown. “So what do we do now?” He knows what he wants, he knew it the moment he saw you, but he wants to know where you stand.

"I have no idea." The only thing you really know at the moment is that the song is ending but you don't want to let him go, and you're not too sure what to do with that information.

Javi hums, staring at you for a moment before the tiniest smirk starts to curl the edges of his lips. “Wrong answer.” He grumps, right before he reaches up and holds the back of your head and slants his lips against yours.

******

The sound of moaning coming from Javier Peña’s bedroom is not exactly unusual. It’s who is moaning that makes this particular evening so extraordinary.

Your back hits the doorframe as his bedroom door slams open, and maybe if you had been able to see where you were going, it might have been more graceful of an entrance. But it feels like you haven’t been able to stop kissing Javier since that moment on the dance floor. Behaving yourself on the drive back to the ranch had been excruciating and the second he threw the truck into park he had dragged you out of your seat to head into the house.

Javi chuckles into your mouth, pulling you away from the door and spinning you around so he can kick it closed. Not breaking contact for a second when he feels like he will die if he doesn’t slide inside you. Even at his most needy, he’s never been this frantic. If he didn’t think you might hit him, he would haul you against the door and fuck you right there. No he wouldn’t, your first time deserves more than that, but he feels like it.

The closed door means privacy at last and even though you could easily have pulled over to the side of the road at any time on your way back, there was an unspoken agreement here — that the first time you did this, no matter what else happened, you're going to do it right. "Javi..." Whining this name is definitely one more right thing, even if you're too far past the point of desperation to finish any kind of thought when one of his hands slides up your side to cup your tit over your dress.

“Yes.” Whatever your question is, whatever demand you have, the answer is yes. He grins when you gasp into his mouth, his fingers twisting around the tight little nub under your bra. Squeezing and kneading you before he moves to your zipper at your back, knowing he has to touch skin.

"That." You groan in deeply frustrated, tightly wound, near-relief as he tugs at your zipper and you start to pull the tails of his shirt free from his jeans.

He hums in agreement, knowing exactly what you mean as he immediately starts to unhook your bra, his tongue sliding against yours as he undoes it.

It's the first time in your life you've ever cursed buttons for existing, but you're fumbling with his shirt as his overlarge hands seem to span every inch of your skin at once and you're still craving more. Your fingers stumble over each nub of plastic, pulling his shirt open one by one, and your swear your cunt flips all over again when you find hot, bare skin underneath instead of an undershirt.

“Goddamn.” He shudders when your hand touches his stomach, nail scratching over a flat nipple. Your panties are next, pulling your clothes down to where you have to let go of him for them to fall so he can have more of you.

"Could not agree more." You manage to gasp out, shuddering with an almost painful lack of his hands on you. Having left your boots at the door, you're fully naked before him for the very first time but all you can think about is stepping forward to undo his pants and nudge him toward the bed.

You are soft, curvy. You might look at your body and see the stretch marks, the skin that isn’t as firm as you wish it to be. He just sees you and how fucking perfect you are. His cock twitches painfully when you bump against the bulge in his jeans and he groans when his fingers find the thatch of curls between your thighs.

The barest touch from his fingers is enough to make your knees wobble but you have a firm hold of his jeans and peel them away with shaky hands. Every new touch is too much and not enough, making you burn and ache in ways that you never knew possible. Too much, not enough, and completely perfect, that's the barely coherent thought in your head when you sink down to your knees in front of him and tasty the silky, salty weight of his cock on your tongue for the first time.

“Shit.” He hisses loudly, cupping your cheek and groaning when you hum around him. “Sweetheart- fuck….” His lashes flutter, watching you under hooded lids as you lick down the side of his length.

"Mmhmm." Your hum of agreement is low and indulgent as your fingers wrap around the base of him. The salty, musky tang of him fills your senses and wipes away the rest of the world in a way you never thought possible.

He’s imagined this scene more than once. A man who enjoys sex as much as Javier has imagined a lot of different things. This blows away everything he had ever thought of while his hand was wrapped around his cock. “Fuck.” He grunts again. “You are talented, sweetheart.”

A moment of cynicism might have had you convinced that he’s said that to every girl before you as well, but the thought never even occurred to you. It doesn’t matter what he’s done with or said to anyone else. The only thing that matters is that you’re finally here together — and that he already sounds even more wrecked than you had ever imagined.

It’s been a lot longer than you probably imagined since Javi had had sex, so he’s quickly closer than he would want to be. Rocking his hips back to pull his cock out of your greedy mouth. “Goddamn— I can’t- get on the bed.” He growls, wanting to make sure you enjoy yourself before he loses control.

The thin string of saliva and precum that pulls from the corner of your mouth is only barely thinner than the thread of your self-control at this point, but you manage to only whine a little when he pulls back and follow his direction to climb on top of his bed. As long as he comes with you, you’ll go anywhere he wants.

Kicking off the pants piled at his feet is the only thing left and then he can climb into bed with you. He pauses, staring at you for a moment before he frowns. “Condom?” He asks, wanting to know what you think. “I- had a physical when I got back. I’m clean.”

“I am too…” He doesn’t need to know that the work up you had when you got back to the US years ago was a new kind of torture or that you haven’t slept with any of the women you’ve dated since coming home. This is not the time for those details. All that matters is now. “I don’t—I don’t care. I just need you.”

Javi growls, jaw clenched and anyone who didn’t know him would think that he’s furious. That he’s about to lunge at you for reasons completely opposite what makes him spring forward and grab you. “Fuck.” He hisses, slamming his lips against yours again. “I’ve needed to hear that for so goddamn long.”

“For years.” All you can do is gasp. Moan. Beg.

So many fucking years have been wasted. So much time lost. Javi makes up for it. Learning your curves like he will be tested on your erogenous zones and only graded on those that are most sensitive.

His hands and mouth trace every inch of you, memorizing and committing to pleasuring every part of you in every way possible just as you do for him. It’s a glorious game of give and take where you are both the winners, never losing anything but breath and composure until he kneels between your spread legs and lunges all over again to kiss you while pushing inside your body at last.

He should have gone down on you. He had meant to. He had meant to lap at your clit and feel smug while you thrashed above him, but the soft stroke of your hand around his cock had driven him crazy. Just as interested in fucking him, your cunt is slick and damn near too wet as he slides through your folds and inside the heat of you. "Fuuuuuuuuuuck."

Your keening wail would have been heard across half of Bogotá, but the whimper that follows out is just for him as he stretches your pussy to hug the veiny length of him. In a world so full of noise and chaos no matter what the age, any lover with the ability to narrow your focus is worthwhile. But him? It feels like the rest of the world has ceased to be.

Javi’s eyes are closed like he is praying. Lips ghosting over your chin, your cheek, anywhere he can reach as he bottoms out inside you. “God.” He huffs silently, twitching and trying to resist the urge to start moving just yet.

“Nope.” You tease. You can’t help it. With one of your hands cupping his cheek, you squirm under him but hold his gaze. “Just me. Just us.”

He would snort, shoot back some sarcastic retort, but the look in your eyes stops him. The teasing mirth is mixed with real affection and he’s nodding with you. Melting into the realization that this is real, for both of you. “Just us.” He murmurs, leaning in to kiss you again. The passion is still just as fierce, but there is a complex layer of something else mixed in.

The shift in mood from hungry to almost reverent is palpable. From a desperate demand to a blossoming prayer. So that when he draws his hips back for the first time and slowly pushes them home again, you could nearly cry along with crying out.

He shudders a groan into your mouth, absorbing your sounds and sighing in response. Pulling you closer and wrapping his arms around you, holding you close while he slowly starts to rock in and out of you.

You melt into the mattress together, a mess of rolling hips and grasping limbs, sweat damp from the Texas heat and burning desire. Every cry is poured into more kisses, every moaned sound of encouragement swallowed up by the sweep of a tongue or nip of teeth. The heavy weight of him on top of you feels somehow like the missing end of your limbs, and you press in closer with every arch of your back — ink to ink, scar to scar, soul to soul.

Javi can’t get enough of you, every dip of his hips, every time you squeeze his cock tight, it’s like coming home. His nose presses against your pulse and he groans your name.

Waves of pleasure wash over you again and again, merciless in their tempo and determined to carry you away with them. So you cling to him. As if he were the anchor you did not know you needed to seek. As if he is the only thing capable of seeing you through this storm of emotions regardless of the fact that he’s caused them. He rocks into you at a steady tempo that has you sobbing his name, half moon marks biting into his shoulders when you crest that mountain of pleasure and fall apart for him.

It’s searing. Burning with how hot, how perfect it is. Making him crave the way you sob his name, gasping out in pleasure. The throbbing of your walls and the wet heat of your pleasure wrapping around him and drowning him in you. He only has one thought and it bursts from his lips when he pushes deep and gives in to the incessant need to fill you. “I love you.”

If it were any other person — any other — you would have teased. The instinct would have been too great. Professing to love someone the first time you cum inside them could be construed as so immature or inexperienced that it would have been easy to at least question it. But this moment is so honest and so vulnerable that you wrap your arms tight around him and stroke his sweat-slick back, pressing an earnest kiss to his lips instead. “I love you too.”

Acceptance, it’s something that he’s never thought he would be so fucking relieved to receive. You love him too. It’s not one sided, it’s not built up in his head with layers of guilt and yearning. It’s not twisting into falsehoods and teaming with expectations. It just is. He groans into your mouth and slides his tongue against yours when you open your mouth for him.

You lie tangled up in each other like that for as long as you can. Sharing kisses and holding onto each other like the other will evaporate if you let go. You’ve loved him since before you left Colombia. You have and you do. For it to be shared? Is your most far fetched dream come true.

He knows that a conversation has to happen, probably several of them. Right now though, he just wants to hold you. His fingers trace your shoulder and down your spine when you twist into his side. He had frowned when you didn’t throw your leg over his and had reached down to pull it up on his body. “That’s better, baby.” He hums before he had started his little teasing touches. “Fuck, I need a cigarette.” He chuckles.

“Same.” You laugh right along with him, snuggling into his side. “Except I can’t remember where I left my purse.”

“I’m trying to quit.” He admits. “But I think it doesn’t count if you share a cigarette, right?” The mood is light, almost playful and he feels more relaxed than he has in years.

"Definitely not." Your sage agreement comes with a kiss that you press to his chest. "I quit when I got back to the States but then everybody at the restaurant smokes, so I slowly picked it back up again."

“I’ve got a pack of cigarettes in my nightstand.” He motions towards the side closest to you. “Light us one up and we should probably have a long overdue talk.”

------

Master Tags: @pixiedurango @chattychell @winter-fox-queen @lady-himbo @artsymaddie @princess76179 @paintballkid711 @missminkylove @pedrosbrat @ew-erin @sarahjkl82-blog @sharkbait77 @justanotherblonde23 @lv7867 @recklesswit @mylittlesenaar @f0rever15elf @gallowsjoker @steeevienicks @athalien @sherala007 @skvatnavle @thatpinkshirt @jaime1110 @girlimjusttryingtoreadfanfics @goodgriefitsawildworld @greeneyedblondie44 @littlemousedroid @harriedandharassed @churchill356 @ajathegreats-blog @haylzcyon @beardsanddetectives @kirsteng42 @ladykatakuri @adancedivasmom @madiebear @tanzthompson @emilianamason @bigsdinger @xocalliexo @pedr0swh0r3 @avaleineandafryingpan @charlyrmv @avidreader73 @iceclaw101 @loveslide @elegantduckturtle @becsworld @julesonrecord @its-nebuleuse @itsrubberbisquit @mikeyswifie @guelyury @lizzie-cakes @for-a-longlongtime @vabeachazn @purplerain04 @weho2kcmo @madnessofadaydreamer

BFoW: @haileymorelikestupid @theorganasolo @missladym1981 @alexiamargot06 @southernbe @cloudroomblog @the-queen-of-sorrows

#Pedro Pascal #Pedro Pascal character fanfiction #Pedro Pascal fanfic #Javier Peña #Javier Peña x reader #Javier Peña x you #Javier Peña x female reader #Javier Peña x f!reader #Javier Peña x plus size reader #plus size reader #Narcos #Narcos fanfic #soulmate au #forced proximity #and they were roommates #enemies to lovers

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facelesssbirds · 1 year ago

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Cuddles || Genshin

A.N. Summary: How you (and them) cuddle. Characters: F!Reader, Neuvillette, Furina, Beidou (I promise Childe will be in the next one...) Rating: E - Everyone <33 P.S. If you have requests, I'd really appreciate it! I'm trying to grow my writing skills through fan fiction, because it brings a lot of joy to people, so... I'll do my best tysm!

Neuvillette is all seriousness and perfection in public, but when you get him alone, he devolves into a cuddly teddybear that just adores curling up on the couch with you, just lazing around.

That isn't to say he's opposed to days like this, where you've crashed his lunch break, he had planned to skip it completely, the overflow of documents from the court clerk's office standing tall and unrelenting at his desk.

"Neuvi!" You grinned, opening the door, "I brought lunch."

He looked up, only briefly, giving you a hint of a smile, "Oh? What'd you get today?"

He had long since learned that even kicking you out wouldn't deter you, and your insistence on making sure he got proper time to rest.

"Steak-Frites," You said, tossing a few bags onto his coffee table, "Nothing special."

He raised a brow, almost imperceptibly, "Oh? Then, ma trésor, why are you here so unannounced?"

You laughed nervously, wringing your hands behind your back, almost like a child who's been caught stealing from a cookie jar, your eyes darting to his, then away, a faint flush painting your cheeks.

"Well..." You trailed off, busying yourself with the cuff of your sleeve, "cuddles?"

He chuckled, a low rumbled, barely there as he stood from his desk glancing at the clock.

"I suppose I have time."

Furina is a clingy lover, you come to understand very early into the relationship, but despite her grandiose and facades, she's a private person. She didn't want her lover to be the subject of whispers and rumors, or scandals, no she wants you all to herself, safe and sound, thank you very much.

Still, when you're home alone, and she's just gotten back from a particularly interesting day at court, she'll hop down next to you on the couch, regardless of what you had been doing earlier, and snuggling into your arms. Then she'll talk.

You always enjoyed hearing Furina talk, it was where her passion shined out into the world, even when she was being particularly needy.

"And so I said, 'well you can't--'," Furina cut herself off, looking at something on the coffee table, she was snuggled right under your head, the book you had previously been reading discarded.

"Furina?" You probed quietly, your arms tightening around her waist.

She turns to look at you, scooting sideways, and pouts, "You had hot-chocolate without me!"

You chuckle, realizing what this is about, "Ma cherie, do you want some?"

She burrowed under the blankets, "Yes, please!"

"Well then, you know you're going to have to move... right?" You warned her, a amused smile creeping onto your face.

She pouts, again, this time more jokingly, "I will not! I am Lady Furina, the Hydro Archon and I will not move for you!"

You laugh along, gently moving her out of the way, so you can go to the kitchen and make your darling a nice cozy drink.

Beidou normally didn't do cuddling. Not that she was against it or anything, but the whole 'physical affection' thing came easy for her towards friends, it was entirely different with lovers. Not to say she was nervous, more-so she was just... unfamiliar with the concept.

As a girl who grew up on the sea, and with a love for the sea, work and friendliness ran in her veins, romance however was something of a mystery. She could flirt seven way to heaven and charm a man of his beard, sure, but that didn't make up for her absolute unawareness of the... fluff that came with love.

"Beidou--" You wined, coming out of the captains cabin just after the sun had risen. Today was supposed to be your and Beidou's day off, and you had planned to sleep in, and laze the day away. Naturally, you dearest, ever hardworking had derailed those plans.

Still, she looked up, smiling at you, and yelling your name. You waved back from above, yawning. Nonetheless she was beside you in a flash, "Good morning, sleepyhead-- you're up late."

You gave her a deadpan stare that conveyed, 'it's too early for this.' before nestling into her side, and arm wrapped around her waist.

"I wanted cuddles," You whined, it seemed that your day off had made you a bit bratty, "Its out day off, we should spend it... like, taking time off."

She laughed, hearty, "This is me taking the day off," She grinned, and you returned it with a smile, "But- I suppose, I can make an exception, just this once."

Your initial smile lit up, suddenly energized you tugged Beidou away from the crew. Perhaps a new experience wouldn't hurt?

#neuvillette x reader #genshin impact #neuvillette #neuvillette x f!reader #furina #furina x reader #furina x f!reader #furina x you #neuvillette x you #beidou #beidou x reader #beidou x you #I promised childe #you will get Childe son

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sailoryooons · 1 year ago

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T R I C K O R T R E A T

presented by BTS Fantasy and Fangs

Celebrate this Hallows' Eve with legends told by our most esteemed ghouls. Enter worlds of the unknown and lose yourself in these tales. But beware: one might lose themselves in these hallowed stories.

Rating: Works range from SFW and NSFW. Each work will have its own set of warnings.

Note: This collaboration features works written as general works and works that were assigned via a Secret-Santa style within the BTS Fantasy & Fangs server in which writers did not know who was gifting them a work!

LEGENDS COMING THROUGHOUT OCTOBER.

T R I C K S

☾ Title: Devil Town

☾ Pairing: Platonic OT7 x reader

☾ Summary: You take a chance and spend a month in Devil Town: a quaint little place nestled deep in the woods of The Unknown, where the air is always a touch chilly, things are never quite what they seem, and no one will tell you anything.

☾ Genre/AU: Autumn?? A lil spooky, a lil whimsy, a lil mystery; not quite angst, not quite fluff

☾ Rating: PG

as told by @park-jimin-isnt-real

Read Now

☾ Title: Handmaidens

☾ Pairing: OT7 x reader

☾ Summary: When the murder of handmaidens begin in Joseon, you are assigned to serve the throne – the seven imperial princes, sons of Lord Sihyuk. Despite your loyalty, your suspicions begin to rise about the killings. Can you escape the palace before it’s too late?

☾ Genre/AU: Joseon Era thriller/slasher

☾ Rating: TBD

as told by @eserethriddle

☾ Title: Have Mercy

☾ Paring: Demon!Jimin x Reader | Alpha!Yoongi x Reader | Demon!Jimin x Alpha!Yoongi

☾ Summary: As a crossroads demon, Jimin is no stranger to vile creatures. Summoned once more, Jimin is surprised to find one of the purest souls asking for his help. Not only does he accept her deal, but while watching over her, Jimin finds himself falling for the very soul he is meant to devour. Eager to confess, Jimin summons the sweet soul only for his plan to turn sour when someone far more evil finds her alone.

☾ Genre/AU: Angst | Smut | Strangers to Lovers | Demon AU | A/B/O AU

☾ Rating: 21+ | Dead Dove: Do Not Eat

as told by @sweetestofchaos

Title: The One who Saved Us All

Pairing: Kim Seokjin x Reader

Summary: It's the annual Halloween celebration in Seoul, where everyone from different walks of life get together and celebrate the history of the Vidyadhara. But when someone decides to cause some trouble, Seokjin's best-kept secret comes to life.

Genre/AU: Halloween, Fluff, Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Disaster?

Rating: Maybe M to MA 15+

as told by @quirkybtsarmy

☾ Title: Simply Meant to Be

☾ Pairing: pumpkin king!jungkook x fem reader

☾ Genre/AU: nightmare before Christmas au, romance, horror, smut

☾ Rating: m (18+)

☾ Summary: You aren’t sure how any of it can be real. This place…these creatures…this man.

You wake up next to a man you’ve never seen before with no memory of who he is or where you are.

But everyone in town seems to know you. You belong to the Pumpkin King. Scared and utterly terrified you run into someone who claims they can help you remember. And now you’re starting to wonder if that’s truly what you want.

as told by @caelesjjk

Read Now

T R E A T S

☾ Title: Blessed With A Curse

☾ Pairing: Werewolf!Jungkook x Hybrid!Reader

☾ Summary: When your company throws a mandatory Halloween party, you aren’t thrilled. You’re even less thrilled when a delusional coworker ruins the party and places a curse on everyone because her crush, the resident werewolf, Jeon Jungkook, rejected them. OR When a coworker gets rejected at the company Halloween party, things get crazy.

☾ Genre/AU: Smut, Werewolf AU, Hybrid AU, Modern Magic AU

☾ Rating: NC-17

as told by @sweetestofchaos for @jessikahathaway

Read Now

☾ Title: Bump In The Night

☾ Pairing: Bogeyman!Yoongi x f. reader

☾ Summary: The dark can be scary; full of strange, unseen things. Just when you think you’ve got a handle on your fear, the lights go out, and you face the reality that you were always right—you should fear the dark and especially what’s waiting in it.

☾ Genre/AU: Monster Under The Bed, Horror/Thriller, Angst, Smut

☾ Rating: MA

as told by @colormepurplex2 for @minisugakoobies

Read Now

☾ Title: Carmen

☾ Pairing: Vampire!Jimin x human!Taehyung

☾ Summary: Taehyung gets lured to an exclusive club by a strange, enchanting woman. What finds him there is much more intoxicating and dangerous.

☾ Genre/AU: Supernatural, Vampires, Smut

☾ Rating: Explicit/Mature

as told by @sailoryooons for @gimmethatagustd

Read Now

☾ Title: Fledgling

☾ Pairing: Jungkook x Namjoon

☾ Summary: Jungkook is tired of his dreary existence. So when a mysterious stranger offers him a way out of life as he knows it, he takes it without hesitation.

☾ Genre/AU: Vampire AU, horror, smut

☾ Rating: 21+ | Dead Dove: Do Not Eat

as told by @theharrowing for @sweetestofchaos

Read Now

☾ Title: Love As Soft As a Distant Star

☾ Pairing: Min Yoongi | Reader, Min Yoongi | Park Jimin

☾ Summary: You didn’t mean to fall in love with your husband and fellow Witches’ Councilmember Yoongi, but here you are: in love. (How gauche and not the thing. You’re co-workers, not lovers.) It’s particularly inconvenient since he is in love with someone else.

☾ Genre/AU: Witch AU, arranged marriage AU

☾ Rating: Explicit/Mature

as told by @vyduan for @colormepurplex2

Read Now

☾ Title: Lose Your Head

☾ Pairing: Park Jimin x F!Reader

☾ Summary: As a constable’s assistant you have several duties to him and the police force. Not only as his assistant, but as his dear friend. However, when an ominous summoning sends you and Jimin both to the town of Sleepy Hollow, you fear there might be more at play than either of you understand. And feelings that you’d hope to bury for life bubble to the surface...

☾ Genre/AU: Movie!AU, Thriller, SleepyHollow!AU, Smut, Romance. Rating: 21+

as told by @jessikahathaway for @/sailoryooons

Read Now

☾ Title: The Love Witch

☾ Pairing: witch!yoongi x demon!taehyung

☾ Summary: Despite being a popular romance blogger, Yoongi isn’t interested in finding love. He only summons a demon boyfriend to prove to his followers that it’s possible. He’ll send Taehyung right back to Hell once he’s done with him, obviously.

☾ Genre/AU: fantasy, strangers to lovers, fake dating (kinda), light angst, smut, fluff, humor

☾ Rating: 18+

as told by @gimmethatagustd for @theharrowing

Read Now

☾ Title: Passage

☾ Pairing: Captain!Yoongi x Dracula!Jimin

☾ Summary: For several years, Min Yoongi and the crew of the Magpie have sailed the perilous waters of the Pacific, surviving treacherous waves and other deadly threats in order to deliver goods to the West. Now, on his final voyage as captain, Yoongi is about to face a danger like none he’s ever seen before - and he may find it too tempting to resist.

☾ Genre/AU: horror, supernatural, angst, smut, Dracula!AU

☾ Rating: M(18+)

as told by @minisugakoobies for @vyduan

Read Now

Disclaimer: This is a collaboration put on for members of the BTS Fantasy and Fangs Server. These stories, characters, and festivals used here are not meant to represent any real or factual people, places, or things.

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bangtanficsforyou · 1 month ago

Text

Hello, Love! (JJK)- 03

Pairing: Jungkook x Reader

Genre: fluff, angst, probable smut (we don’t know yet lololol)

Rating: 18+

Summary: You had a plan when you returned home, seven years later. However, falling in love with your sister’s fiance wasn’t it.

Word count: 6.2K

Warning: for this chapter; there's some heavy mentions of drugs. Except, for that, there's so much happening 😩.

Fun fact: the picture in the middle is actually a screenshot of a scene from the movie this series is based upon 🤭

Series Masterlist

“Any update?”

“Sir, we haven’t heard anything back yet.”

Jungkook sighs, having expected that answer. “Keep trying to contact them, and as soon as you hear anything back from them, let me know.”

He emphasizes the word anything because at this point, he genuinely believes rejection would be better than being kept hanging. At least, a rejection would help him have a practical understanding of the scenario and remaining options.

“And how are the preparations for the party going?”

“Sir, we have arranged most of the things, if you like you can pay us a visit and inspect things yourself,” his manager replies.

“Yeah, maybe after my meeting with Mr. Han, I’ll drop by at the hotel,” Jungkook nods to himself, thinking that, that will be the ideal way to go about things. “Remember, everything should be perfect. If everything goes as planned, I’m sure Riya will be impressed.”

“Don’t worry sir, we will look after it.”

You wake up to the sound of your alarm.

You look around, taking in the room, and notice the soft blankets that are currently wrapped around you. For a moment, your mind feels blurry, having no recollection of last night whatsoever. However, once the memories come back to you, you relax into the soft mattress and sigh at the comfort.

Your eyes start drifting again and you feel this weird sense of giddiness at the thought of having slept so comfortably after ages. Unfortunately, you are stopped from going back to the world of dreams by a constant dribbling of a ball against the floor.

You frown and raise your head slightly to figure out what is causing the noise. From the slight space that the open door leaves, you see a young kid playing with a small ball.

The sight causes you to jolt awake.

You quickly grab your handbag, which was thankfully lying right next to your bedside. You shuffle through your bag and heave a huge sigh of relief upon finding the item you were looking for; a golf sized ball.

It’s safe, you think to yourself and put the ball back in its place.

Knowing that the drowsiness you were trying to lean into, is gone, you decide that it would be smart to utilize the time to reply to any texts or e-mails you might have received.

However, your face drops when you see the notification of several missed calls on your home screen. Your entire body freezes in panic, and you feel an overwhelming sense of fear take over your body.

You gulp and press the ‘call back’ button.

You don’t think that the call goes past even one ring before it’s picked up on the other side.

A very panicked and worried voice greets you. “Y/N, yǒu gēngxīn ma?” Y/N, any update?

You shake your head, “hái méiyǒu.” Not yet.

“Qǐng jǐn nǐ suǒ néng. Xùnsù de. Fǒuzé yīqiè dūhuì huǐ diào.” Please do whatever you can. Quickly. Or else everything will get ruined

“Wǒ zhèngzài jìnlì. Bié dānxīn, wǒ huì xiǎng bànfǎ de.” I'm trying my best. Don't worry, I'll figure something out.

As you cut the call, you’re left with nothing but a pile of emotions that you have no idea how to deal with. You rub your temples and try to take a few deep breaths in hopes that this feeling of being paralyzed would pass.

However, you give up within less than a minute, and at the very next moment, you find yourself shuffling through your bag again.

Open app

bangtanficsforyou

Hello, Love! (JJK)-03

New

4 days ago

Genre: fluff, angst, probable smut (we don’t know yet lololol)

Rating: 18+

Summary: You had a plan when you returned home, seven years later. However, falling in love with your sister’s fiance wasn’t it.

Word count: 6.2K

Warning: for this chapter; there's some heavy mentions of drugs. Except, for that, there's so much happening 😩.

Fun fact: the picture in the middle is actually a screenshot of a scene from the movie this series is based upon 🤭

“Any update?”

“Sir, we haven’t heard anything back yet.”

Jungkook sighs, having expected that answer. “Keep trying to contact them, and as soon as you hear anything back from them, let me know.��

“And how are the preparations for the party going?”

“Sir, we have arranged most of the things, if you like you can pay us a visit and inspect things yourself,” his manager replies.

“Don’t worry sir, we will look after it.”

You wake up to the sound of your alarm.

You frown and raise your head slightly to figure out what is causing the noise. From the slight space that the open door leaves, you see a young kid playing with a small ball.

The sight causes you to jolt awake.

It’s safe, you think to yourself and put the ball back in its place.

Knowing that the drowsiness you were trying to lean into, is gone, you decide that it would be smart to utilize the time to reply to any texts or e-mails you might have received.

However, your face drops when you see the notification of several missed calls on your home screen. Your entire body freezes in panic, and you feel an overwhelming sense of fear take over your body.

You gulp and press the ‘call back’ button.

You don’t think that the call goes past even one ring before it’s picked up on the other side.

A very panicked and worried voice greets you. “Y/N, yǒu gēngxīn ma?” Y/N, any update?

You shake your head, “hái méiyǒu.” Not yet.

“Qǐng jǐn nǐ suǒ néng. Xùnsù de. Fǒuzé yīqiè dūhuì huǐ diào.” Please do whatever you can. Quickly. Or else everything will get ruined

“Wǒ zhèngzài jìnlì. Bié dānxīn, wǒ huì xiǎng bànfǎ de.” I'm trying my best. Don't worry, I'll figure something out.

However, you give up within less than a minute, and at the very next moment, you find yourself shuffling through your bag again.

“Auntie, I only drink black tea,” one of Jungkook’s distant cousins declines politely.

Jungkook’s aunt only smiles in response and moves to the next person, offering them the milk tea.

“I am sorry, but I will have coffee,” comes the response.

Another polite smile from Shweta.

“I only drink black coffee.”

“Oh,” she responds and again moves on to the next person who so happens to be Jimin.

“I will have—“

“Shut up and drink it,” Jimin’s words are cut off immediately.

Jimin without a single protest picks up a cup and starts sipping on the tea. No matter what age, he knows better than to disobey his mother when she is annoyed.

“What’s wrong with a simple milk tea?” she mumbles to herself on her way back to the kitchen. “Back in our day,—“

Her words come to a halt when a loud bang of a door opening with more force than required, resonates through the entire living room. The sound catches everyone’s attention and the usually loud room goes quiet.

And then you walk in through the door.

You walk in without any awareness of the eyes on you and make your way straight to the dining table. Pulling out a chair, you take a seat. You grab a bottle of water and instead of pouring yourself a glass, you start drinking directly and empty the bottle.

Then, you look at the breakfast that has been arranged on the table and take two slices of bread and start spreading butter on them. Once done you look around for the salt pot and find it resting on the table, away from your reach.

“Salt.” You speak the one word sentence to the old lady that has the container right next to her.

Everyone in the room breaks out of their trance of watching you and albeit a little weirded out, go back to what they were doing.

The old lady passes you the salt pot and she too, returns back to the conversation she was having with Jungkook’s mother (who is also sitting at the same table, a few chiars away) before your wild card entry.

“It is too hot today to go out shopping. Can we not go some other day?”

“I know, but there are absolutely no chances of the weather getting better any time soon,” Jungkook’s mother replies, sighing at the thought of having to step out in this heat. “Plus, we don’t have much time.The wedding is right around the corner.”

The older lady hums in understanding. “But we should visit a few shops first just to compare the prices and quality of clothes.”

“Don’t worry about that,” reassures Jungkook’s mother. “We will go to Mr. Roy’s showroom in Amy Avenue. They will give us everything at discounted rates and we won’t have to worry about the quality at all.”

“But who will take us there? The place is pretty far!”

“What a coincidence!” You speak up suddenly, mid-chew. “I’m also going there. You guys can come with me.”

Another round of silence falls in the room.

“But dear, who are you?”

You look up at the old lady upon hearing her question.

First blink.

Second blink.

Third blink.

“Who are you?” You shoot her question back, instead of answering her.

The lady frowns, finding your tone rude. “I am Jimin’s grandmother.”

“I am Jimin’s friend.”

Jimin’s eyes almost pop out of his sockets at your sudden declaration. This is the first time he is getting to know about your existence. How can you be his friend?

Jimin’s mother steps out of the kitchen quickly at the mention of her son’s name. “You are Jimin’s friend? He never mentioned you before.”

You simply shrug as if to convey that it is not your business to wonder about the strangeness of Jimin not mentioning you before.

“So where do you stay?” Aunt Shweta queries further, finding her curiosity spike at the information of her son having a girl friend she has never heard of before.

“People’s Republic of China.”

“Make sure—“ Jungkook’s sentence is cut off mid way when the sound of your voice reaches his ears. “I’ll call you later.” He promptly cuts the call and rushes out of his room.

“Ch-China?” Shweta is perplexed, thinking she is hearing things wrong. “Jimin has never stepped out of this city.”

Jimin looks around in confusion having no clue whatsoever as to what he’s supposed to do. It is then that he sees Jungkook rushing out of his room. The moment his eyes lock with Jungkook’s, Jungkook puts a finger on his mouth asking Jimin to stay quiet and play along.

Jimin glares at Jungkook, realizing that he has somehow become the scapegoat, again.

“How did you two meet?” This time the question is aimed at Jimin, as his mother seems to be totally confused by this revelation. Since, when did his son start making girl friends from other countries? And how?

Jimin gulps, knowing he will have to face the MID (mother-investigation-department) later. “O-online?”

Jimin’s words come out more as a question than as an answer and this only heightens his mother’s confusion.

“Online?” She asks, reflecting her son’s unsurety.

Jimin looks at Jungkook who is thankfully hidden from Shweta’s view and as Jungkook nods, he looks back at his mother. “Yes, online.”

Shweta looks at Jimin with a look that clearly says that he has got a lot of explaining to do. She then looks back at you to ask you something, but decides otherwise upon realizing that you seem entirely focused on eating your breakfast.

And that marks the end of the conversation.

Everything resumes back to normal. Shweta heads back to the kitchen. Jungkook heaves a sigh of relief. Jimin convinces himself he shouldn’t murder Jungkook right before his wedding.

However, unbeknownst to everyone, two people in particular have taken a certain interest in you.

One, Tae Oh, Jungkook’s maternal cousin.

Two, Jeon Baek Hyeon, Jungook’s father.

There are a total of three cars. The one in which you’re currently seated in has you in the passenger seat, with Tae Oh and Jungkook’s mother in the middle row.

Jungkook takes a peek inside the car and sees that his mother is on the phone with someone while Tae Oh is listening to some music with his earbuds plugged in. He takes this opportunity to speak to you.

“Listen,” he whispers. “Please don’t let them know who you are.”

You look at him, over the rim of your sunglasses, which rest on the bridge of your nose. “Who am I?”

Jungkook looks at you as if the answer to that question should be obvious. “You’re Riya’s sister.”

You nod at him and with a click of a button, pull the windows of your seat up.

“I-Wha?—”, Jungkook knocks on the window, asking you to pull it back down.

You look at Jungkook and then look at the driver who is currently in the process of turning the engine on. Then you look back at Jungkook and shoot him a two-finger salute as a way of bidding him goodbye as the car takes off.

Jungkook stares at the now moving car and wonders as to what turn of events will this shopping day-out take.

In the fifteen minutes that the car has been on the road, you have finished an entire bottle of water. A fact that Jungkook’s mother finds concerning.

“Dear, are you okay?” she asks wondering if you’re drinking so much water because you’re not feeling well. With the sunglasses that you have on, she cannot even read your expressions properly.

You look at her through the rearview mirror. “I’m as okay as a squirrel with an acorn stash for winter.”

Jungkook’s mother is confused by your choice of words but decides that you must be intending to convey that you’re alright. She nods, although the worried frown on her face refuses to go away.

Tae Oh on the other hand, keeps stealing glances at you, through the rearview mirror. You’re the prettiest girl he has ever seen. When he realizes that you’re humming some song to yourself, he decides it’s his time to shine.

He clears his throat. “Auntie, you know right I was about to be the next big music idol?”

“Is it so?” Jungkook’s mother queries. As someone who is trained in classical music, she finds herself interested in this conversation.

“Yes,” Tae Oh confirms. “Unfortunately, the judges didn’t have the depth to understand my style of singing.”

“What song did you sing?” You ask, now looking back at him through the rearview.

“Wannabe,” he replies, feeling shy now that you’re directly speaking to him.

“By spice girls?”

“Yes,” he replies, sounding proud and confident about his ong choice. “Would you like a demo?”

“Sure.”

The clearing of his throat is the only warning Jungkook’s mother gets.

"Ha ha ha ha ha—YO, I’ll tell you what I want, what I really, really want!"

He starts aggressively beatboxing, but it’s not beatboxing so much as random noises that sound like a train derailing. He keeps going anyway, hands waving like he's orchestrating a symphony.

Suddenly, you join and start "beatboxing" along—by loudly spitting sounds that vaguely resemble a wet cat sneezing."Pfffsh—tch-tch—PFFFssh-tch-tch!"

Tae Oh, not realizing the absolute disaster unfolding, presses on, getting way too into the song. He sings the next line, stomping his foot like he’s a rockstar who just broke out his big hit. "So tell me what you want, what you really, really want!"

You are nodding along aggressively. "I’ll tell you what I want—what I really, really want!"

You both are absolutely butchering the rhythm, singing in completely different beats. Tae Oh continues dramatically, as if he’s hitting the high note of a power ballad. You are adding extra "ha’s" where they don’t belong. "I WANNA, (ha), I WANNA, (ha), I WANNA, (ha)!"

You try to match him but totally miss. "PFFFT—ha ha—PFFT—zigazig ahhhhh!"

Jungkook’s mother watches in utter disbelief, frozen in shock. Nothing could have ever prepared her for this. It's like a car wash you just have to see through to the end.

You both try to keep the song going, but at this point, you both are so off-key and off-beat that it’s devolved into a chaotic mix of random noises and misplaced beats.

"If you wanna be my lover—YOU GOTTA GET WITH MY FRIENDS!"

“Because—“

"FRIENDSHIP NEVER ENDS!" You both belt out, together.

“Nice try.” You give Tae Oh a nod of approval as the duet comes to an end, who smiles back shyly at you.

Jungkook’s mother reminds herself to close her mouth which was wide open during the entirety of your performance.

On a brighter side, at least now she’s assured that you aren’t feeling sick.

Jungkook sits in a sleek, modern reception area, fidgeting with a notepad in his hands. Dressed in a crisp suit, his leg bounces nervously as he mentally revises his speech for the upcoming meeting. His lips move slightly as he murmurs the rehearsed lines to himself.

"Right. I just need to be clear, confident... just ask directly, no big deal..."

The door to the office opens. A tall, authoritative man, Mr. Han, steps in, his eyes scanning the room before landing on Jungkook. Jungkook stands, straightening his jacket and putting on his best business smile.

"Jungkook, I presume?"

Jungkook bows slightly. "Yes, sir. It’s an honour to meet you."

They exchange firm handshakes. Jungkook gestures toward the chairs, and they both sit down. Just as Mr. Han opens his mouth to begin, Jungkook’s phone buzzes loudly. He glances at it – and realizes it's Riya. His brow furrows. He hesitates, then looks at Mr. Han.

"Sir, if you could please excuse me for a minute."

"Oh yes, absolutely."

Jungkook receives the call and speaks in a hushed tone. "Hey, Riya, I’m in the middle of—"

"Which guesthouse did you drop Y/N at?"

Both Riya and Jungkook speak at the same time, although somehow, Jungkook’s words get drowned out.

Jungkook blinks, caught off guard. "Uh... I brought her to my place."

A beat of stunned silence follows on the other end, as Riya waits for Jungkook to add that he's joking. When he doesn’t, she loses her cool.

"What?! You brought her home?! She’s a drug addict, Jungkook, you cannot trust her with anything!" she exclaims. "Where is she now?"

"Relax!" Jungkook speaks calmly, even though the revelation of you being a drug addict shocks him. But he can’t sound panicked, not while sitting right in front of Mr. Han. "She’s just taken my family shopping at your dad’s showroom in Amy Avenue."

Riya gasps sharply, followed by a barrage of words. "Shopping?! Jungkook, you idiot! Alpesh Uncle is at the shop today—if he sees her, we’re in serious trouble!"

Jungkook’s eyes widen as he realizes the gravity of the situation. Panic begins to creep in as he nervously rubs the back of his neck.

"Alpesh Uncle... oh no. Okay, okay, don’t worry! I’ll fix this."

"You better fix it."

He quickly ends the call, his heart racing, and looks back at Mr. Han, who’s been politely waiting. His expression has shifted from professional to slightly puzzled.

"Is everything alright?" Mr. Han asks.

"Sure, sir," Jungkook forces a tight smile, though his mind is racing. "How is Mrs. Han?"

"Mrs. Han?" Mr. Han looks perplexed by the sudden change of topic but answers anyway. "There’s some medical issue, you know, with her gall bladder. But the doctor was also wondering if it’s related to her knee—"

Jungkook nods, trying to seem interested as Mr. Han goes on.

"—there’s a lot of pus that's collected there—"

"Sir, can I meet you after two hours?" Jungkook suddenly blurts out, unable to hide the stress building inside him.

"Today? I’m sorry, Jungkook, but I’m really busy today."

"Sir, can you give me six million dollars?" Jungkook cuts to the chase, knowing why he's really there. But before Mr. Han can respond, Jungkook starts gathering his files and stands up. "I’m sorry, sir, I have to leave. It’s an emergency."

Mr. Han stares at him in utter confusion as Jungkook rushes out of the room, his footsteps echoing in the hallway.

Jungkook bursts through the hotel doors, adjusting his suit jacket as he hails a taxi. He jumps inside, running a hand through his hair, trying to make sense of the chaos he's just unleashed.

The sun hangs high over Amy Avenue, casting a warm glow on the busy street. Lively storefronts line the avenue, and the air is filled with the sounds of chatter and laughter. In the midst of the hustle, is you, who leads Jungkook’s family in a single-file line, a colorful chain of chaos and utter confusion.

You stand at the front, a beacon of energy and casual confidence. Your dark hair sways as you turn back to check on the group, your hands raised to maintain the chain. The family follows your lead, though not without fair share of difficulties.

"Come on, everyone! Let’s stick together! Hold hands tight!" You shout.

Behind you, Jungkook’s family members talk animatedly among themselves. The line weaves slightly, and a few members begin to pull away from the chain.

"Hey, don’t pull so hard! I’m not made of rubber!" Aunt Young grumbles.

"Watch out! We’re going to bump into a car!" Uncle Choi says, nervously.

The street is bustling, and the noise only adds to the jovial confusion. You glance over your shoulder, your eyes sparkling with enthusiasm.

"Just a little further! We’re almost at the showroom! You’re all doing great!"

You look at the entrance of the showroom which although is now visible, still remains a few meters away. You turn around and face your followers and address them. “You see that? That’s our destination. A few steps more and we will get there. Don’t stop now.”

You speak like a coach motivating their team on how to win a champion’s trophy.

As you all approach the entrance of the showroom, Alpesh Uncle steps out. Adjusting his glasses he squints at the screen of his mobile. “Lord knows, what happens to the tower.”

“C’mon, c’mon. Just a few steps more.” With the volume at which you’re speaking, it’s all thanks to the hustle of the market that your voice doesn’t reach Alpesh uncle.

“Hello? Hello? Is my voice audible?” Alpesh uncle speaks loudly into the phone but when he is met with silence, he removes the phone from his ear and waves it in the air in a zig-zag motion, hoping that it will catch the tower.

“Very good! Very good!” You encourage with your back facing the showroom, motioning your hands for the line to keep moving forward.

Alpesh uncle is about to go inside his showroom, having given up on trying to find the mobile tower when he spots Jungkook’s mother in the crowd. “Ah! Look who it is!” He exclaims cheerfully, and starts climbing down the small flight of stairs that connects the street to the showroom.

Now, the entire family’s attention has shifted to Alpesh uncle, the line has broken as everyone comes forward to greet him and you’re about to turn around when you feel a firm hand grip your arm and yank you with a swift tug.

Before you can react you come in contact with a hard chest and you look up to realize that it’s Jungkook, whose attention is fixed on his family and Alpesh uncle greeting each other, having totally missed your sudden disappearance.

“Let go!” You snap trying to free yourself from his grasp but his arms only tighten around you.

“Shh,” he looks at you, a sense of urgency in his eyes as he waits for Alpesh uncle to go inside along with his family. “Alpesh uncle is here and you cannot be seen by him.”

“But I need to go and talk to him,” you argue, although Jungkook pays no attention to your words even though you keep squirming in his hold. “Let me go!”

Jungkook watches as one by one everyone starts getting inside. He sees Aunt Young and aunt Shweta discussing among themselves and looking around, most likely searching for you, before they, too go inside.

It is only when he’s sure that it is safe that he releases you.

That was a close call.

Jungkook stands outside Riya's vanity van, his hands gripping the door frame as he leans in slightly. His eyes flicker to you, who sits a few feet away on a folding chair, quietly eating from a plate of food meant for the cast and crew and he couldn't help but feel a twinge of frustration. “There were full of mosquitoes there, she wasn’t eating—”

“So you could have gotten her food. What was the need for you to bring her home?” Riya argues, from where she’s currently sitting inside the van with her hairstylist brushing her hair.

“She’s your sister, Riya,” Jungkook points out as if that should make it obvious why he brought you home.

“Exactly! She’s my sister,” Riya agrees to Jungkook’s statement but refuses to acknowledge the emotion behind his words. “Just do what you’re told to do.”

Jungkook sighs, knowing there is probably no point in having this conversation. Not to mention the fact that he still remains unaware as to why you were supposed to remain hidden from Alpesh uncle. He somehow figured that no one from your family except for Riya knows about your return, but he has absolutely no idea why Alpesh uncle spotting you would have been such a big deal.

However, a shooting set is definitely not the place for that kind of conversation.

“Have you managed the funds yet?” Riya asks.

“I’m on it,” Jungkook replies, not mentioning that he left a very crucial meeting like a bride leaving the altar, right after receiving Riya’s call.

“Then please just focus on that.”

Jungkook sighs again and with a nod, takes his leave.

As he’s walking in your direction, he notices that you’re entirely focused on eating and he takes this opportunity to verify something.

He quickly changes his direction of walking and walks towards the parking lot. He unlocks his car and finds your bag lying on the passenger seat. He only has to unzip the first chain to find several small containers filled with pills.

A sick feeling spreads through his body and he quickly zips back your bag and places it exactly where it was before.

Slowly things start making sense to him.

The day when he met you at the hotel; you were completely absentminded and hardly bothered to pay heed to basic social cues. Whereas, when he drove you from the hotel back to his house, you were rather normal. You even remembered the fact that you both had met seven years ago.

Your odd behaviour could all be explained by you being under the influence of these pills.

Jungkook rubs his temples, feeling a headache surfacing.

After a few moments, he takes a deep breath, locks his car and heads back to the shooting set.

“Eat quickly we need to leave,” he takes a seat right next to where you’re sitting. However, now that he knows what he knows, it is like he has started to put the puzzle together and for some reason, a suspicion occurs in his mind when he realizes that you’re wearing your sunglasses. “Can you remove your sunglasses for a second?”

You stop eating and look up at him. “Why should I?”

“Just remove them,” Jungkook deadpans, running thin on patience.

You shrug and remove your glasses. Letting them hang from your shirt, you resume eating.

Jungkook watches you closely, and his suspicion is proven right when he notices that you’re blinking your eyes quite frequently. He does not recall this being the case when you were your normal self.

So, this fast-frequent blinking thing is a characteristic of the Y/N that comes out after popping the pills.

“Do you take drugs?” He asks you.

“Nope,” you reply, popping the ‘p’, not being phased by the question at all.

“Then what are those tablets that you take?” Jungkook refuses to back down.

You look up again, even in your high state looking slightly taken off guard. Although, nothing that derails you. “They are medicines,” you reply matter-of-factly, looking straight into his eyes.

Jungkook stares right back. “What medicines?”

“Dichlorosystrin, zincodestrin and oxidisulphide.”

“Are you ill?” he counters, trying to get you to admit that you do indeed take drugs.

“Nope.” You pop the ‘p’ again. “I feel weird sensations in my body and these pills control them.”

“What kind of sensations?”

“Sensations such as shivering, palpitating, irritability, trembling, sheepishness—”

“Just finish the food and then we will leave,” Jungkook cuts you off with much annoyance, understanding that you’re high and no matter what he says right now, you will always have an answer. You aren’t even in the right state of mind to understand the seriousness of the conversation.

You and Jungkook walk through the gates of the banquet hall of the hotel, where Jungkook is organising the surprise party for Riya. Jungkook walks a few steps ahead of you, while you follow his trail.

While Jungkook is scrolling through his phone, checking his mail, you rip open a packet of chips. The sound of which annoys Jungkook to no end.

You take a chip out and munch on it loudly. Jungkook turns around and glares at you. You almost collide with him not realising that he has stopped walking. However, upon noticing Jungkook’s glare, you look to your left and right, checking if it’s really you, he’s glaring at.

Before, you can ask him what’s wrong, he is walking again.

You don’t think much of it, resume your munching and follow Jungkook.

However, it couldn’t be more than ten steps before Jungkook is facing you again, causing your steps to halt as well.

“So you are sober now?” Jungkook snaps, unable to hold it in any longer. “Do you have any idea how many side effects those pills have?”

“There are plenty of them,” you reply, without missing a beat. “Memory loss, definitely a gain in appetite which is reduced considerably when you eat, increased thirst and if I pop in a lot of pills, my heart would race to 300 and when so much blood is being pumped, there will be nosebleeds and—“

—“and?” Jungkook waits for your next words with a bated breath, hoping you won’t say what he thinks you’re about to say.

“—and hypoglycemic shock, then coma, then death.”

Jungkook releases a breath, a mix of disbelief and sheer horror coursing through his veins. He looks at you and the look of pure calmness on your face as you say these things astonishes him to no end. How can you know about all of this in great detail and still choose to pop those pills? Most importantly, how can you speak about all of this so casually? You aren’t even high now!

“You’re addicted to those drugs,” he says, as if explaining the seriousness of the situation to you.

“Nope,” you deny. “I have formulated them 15 days ago. It takes 21 days to get addicted.”

Jungkook scoffs. “That’s what all drug addicts say,” he resumes walking, feeling undeniably frustrated that no matter your state, you refuse to take this seriously.

“I’m not a drug addict,” you mumble, voice soft and for the first time since he has met you, vulnerable. “I haven’t touched them in seven years.”

Jungkook looks back at you and some of his annoyance melts at the childlike expression on your face. He huffs and decides it’s for the best to focus on why he’s here.

“Jun!” Jungkook calls for his manager, who comes rushing towards him. “Is everything ready?”

“Almost, sir.” Yeonjun, or Jun as Jungkook likes to call him, replies.”Only the swing is missing it’s seatbelts. That will be organised by this evening. So we cannot make the swing fly yet. Except for that you can test everything out.”

Jungkook nods and stands nervously in front of the crew, his eyes darting from the large red swing (which looks like a loveseat) to the sky, where fireworks were meant to bloom on the big day. This is supposed to be a perfect dry run for Riya’s surprise, and he wants everything to go smoothly. He tugs on his shirt collar, feeling the weight of the moment and takes a seat on the two-seater swing.

“Jun, be Riya for the time being,” Jungkook pats the space next to him, motioning for Jun to take the seat.

“S-Sir, me?” Yeonjun is slightly taken off guard by his boss’ words.

“Yes you, Jun,” Jungkook confirms, with a small flicker of amusement.

Yeonjun follows his instruction and takes the seat. He crosses his legs, places his hands on his lap in a very ladylike manner and looks at Jungkook with a loving look.

“Okay, you didn’t have to go the extra mile,” Jungkook tries to seem stern but the wide grin betrays him.

Yeonjun only looks away and flips his non-existent long hair to the other side.

A loud cackle coming from you grabs both Yeonjun and Jungkook’s attention.

“Ma’am, you’re finding this very funny,” Yeonjun says with a grin of his own, breaking from his character. He also takes this as an opportunity to invite you to be in his place. “Why don’t you come and sit here?” he gets up and offers you the seat.

“There’s no—”

“Sir, it’s better this way,” Yeonjun insists. “Let the lady try.”

You look at Jungkook wondering if it’s okay with him. Only to realize that he’s also looking at you with the same look.

You put aside the chips packet and dust your hands, and make your way to the swing. The moment you’re seated Jungkook explains to the entire crew the planned sequence.

“Listen carefully, the music comes on first, then the drapes, then the flowers, fountains, then the crane will lift the swing up and finally the fireworks. Okay?”

Numerous ‘yes,sir’s are received from the crew.

“Cool. Let’s go. ‘Riya’,” Jungkook looks at you and only then does he realizes that you’re not listening to any of this. Instead you’re examining the ropes that attach the swing to the crane very carefully. “Y/N?”

“Huh?”

“We’re about to start.”

“Oh, Okay,” you nod and get ready for whatever it is that is about to happen.

Now Yeonjun takes over as he addresses the crew working under him. “First play the music,” he instructs, to which the guy inside the crane, who’s responsible for all the buttons and keeping things in sync, shoots a thumbs up.

You look around and notice the two large speakers that remain hidden from the party section and expect them to blast any second now. However, moments pass and nothing happens. You look at Jungkook who with each passing second looks more and more impatient and give him a reassuring nod.

The guy inside the crane repeatedly presses the button that is supposed to be connected to the speakers but the speakers remain dead.

Jungkook loses his patience and yells at the guy to be heard over the distance. “What is wrong? Start the music!”

At that very moment, a strange metallic groan echoes from the crane above.

“Why is the swing…?” Jungkook begins, but before he can finish, the swing lurches upwards, leaving the ground behind.

“Whoa, wait!” Jungkook yelps, one hand tightly gripping the rope of the seat as it lifts into the air. While the other instinctually comes in front of you, in a protective manner, trying to work as a makeshift belt. You do not notice that however, as you burst into laughter, your head thrown back in sheer joy.

“This wasn’t part of the plan!” Jungkook panics, eyes wide as he sees the ground getting smaller beneath them.

“This is awesome!” You exclaim between giggles, your hair flying in the breeze. “This is awesome!”

Jungkook isn’t listening. His breath quickens, as the swing refuses to be still. One moment it moves to the right. The other, it moves to the left. “Get us down!” he shouts.

Oh you don’t remember the last time you had so much fun.

Now the music starts to play.

“A little unsaid, a little undone,”

The swing rotates a complete three-sixty and you holler in excitement.

“Fleetingly it stays, in a twinkle it’s gone”

The crew starts putting a blanket underneath just in case either of you fall.

“Such a silly feeling.”

Just as Jungkook thought things couldn’t get worse, one of the drapes that is supposed to cover whoever is sitting on the swing from getting wet by the fountain, comes loose. It gets caught in the wind and wraps itself around his face. Blinded, he flailed his arms. “Help! I can’t see! I can’t see!”

“Hold still, hold still!” You say, unwrapping the cloth with care. As you peel it away, you notice the look of panic and distraught on his face. “You’re okay. Look at me. You won’t fall”

Jungkook, heart pounding, blinked rapidly, his vision clearing as your calm yet excited face came into view.

“There, better?” you query, your voice steady now.

Jungkook nods, his chest rising and falling with deep breaths. He leaned back into the swing, still slightly nervous but trusting your calmness. “You’re way too comfortable with this,” he mutters.

“Well yeah, I wasn’t expecting this,” you express, the laughter in your eyes contagious.

By now, although the swing is in the air, thankfully it has stopped moving.

“Well, are we getting down anytime soon?” Jungkook hollers to the crew below.

“Sir, we are trying,” comes Yeonjun’s reply. “The machine malfunctioned.”

You two hang in air in silence, both carrying two completely different moods. The quiet however gets disrupted when the fountains start, which is then followed by confetti of petals. With no drapes to cover the both of you, you two get wet.

You enjoy the flower petals falling on you, whereas Jungkook only feels cranky at his entire plan turning out to be a major disaster.

When the fireworks take off, you gasp and look behind you where the sky is lit with all sorts of beautiful colors.

The gasp catches Jungkook’s attention and he looks at you. You’re grinning wide, with your mouth parted and your eyes reflecting the fireworks. Although, he thinks the sparkle in your eyes might have everything to do with the joy you feel inside.

You notice Jungkook looking at you and can’t help but explain the rush of emotions you’re feeling. “I feel new sensations, as if fountains of cool water are breaking out underneath while fireworks are going off above, while we are swinging through it all.”

“I’m glad you had fun,” he smiles at you reluctantly. “But this whole thing is a mess. Nothing went according to plan.”

“Isn’t that the best part though?” You quip. “Had everything gone to plan, it wouldn’t have been much of a surprise. You too got a surprise, thanks to this mess.”

The corner of Jungkook’s mouth tug upwards and you can’t help but grin wider in response.

“You’re impossible, you know that?” He says but the tension in his voice has melted, replaced by something much lighter.

“Not as impossible as the chances of this being a success on the day of the party,” you say in a low voice, as if the words are not meant for Jungkook’s ears and look around innocently.

Jungkook lets out a laugh, this one free and genuine. In this moment, for some reason, the thought of all his efforts of impressing Riya, going down the drain doesn’t scare or disappoint him.

One thing he’s slowly learning about you; high or sober, you always have an answer .

A/N: *clears throat* just note the line about her mentioning this sensation about fountains of water underneath and fireworks above. Will come in handy later 🤭💓.

Also, I'm dropping my new fic "All that Sparkles" (Ceo Tae, Arranged marriage au) on my Patreon tomorrow! So if you'd like to check it out, you're most welcome 🤗❤️.

#jungkook x reader #jungkook angst #jungkook fluff #jungkook smut #jungkook scenarios #jungkook au #Jungkook series #Jungkook ff #jeon jungkook #BTS fic #BTS au #BTS smut #BTS fluff #BTS angst #Fic:hl #Fic: hello love

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tomionefinds · 3 months ago

Note

Hi! I’m looking for dark fics where Tom is like “You do not need them. You have me.” mindset. Can even be something where Tom gets rid of all of Hermione’s friends and family just so she’s completely alone with him? Thank you💓

Hi Anon:

Here are some. Wanting Hermione to himself is pretty Tom-coded behavior, just how he is, but these ones stand out for their level of obsession- Haus

The Golden Girl by AppleQueen37

M | Complete | 72K

In a world where there is no Voldemort, Hermione is looking forward to her education at Hogwarts. She meets new friends and even catches the attention of Tom Riddle. She doesn't think anything of this at first, but she soon finds, however, that Tom Riddle's attention is not something she wants to have.

Tom, Just Tom by Ciule

E | Complete | 118k

Lord Voldemort slithered out of the Veil on New Year's Eve in the year 2000. Still bent on world domination, he decided that Golden Girl Granger would be the perfect accessory on his arm.

gloss by peppershark

E | Complete | 93k

"Hermione.” That low, effortless bass thrums in her ear. Coaxing. Sweet as novocaine. “I wanted to explain.” Her glossy lips peel into a sneer. “Fuck off.” A high-school stalker AU set in the 2000s: heavy on possessive!Tom, dark romance

Infinite Spin by seollem

E | WIP| 110k

All the screens flashed black and white simultaneously, scoreboards blinking excitedly, the same glorious name at the top of each list. LordVoldemort. (90s Gamer AU)

The Times I Saw Her by NinjaFairy

E/Ma | Complete | 10k

I counted all the times I saw her, and wrote about it in my diary. I wrote her down again and again and again until my fingers were bled black with her. I wrote her down in ink, so that she could live forever on my pages.

#tomione #multichapter #angst #rated ma/e #tom:obsessive

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nicoline1998enilocin · 2 months ago

Text

Discovering Our Love

PAIRING || Tony Stark x Avenger!Fem!Reader

WORDCOUNT || 11.5K

SUMMARY || When Tony throws a party after an extended, challenging mission to celebrate its success, you and the other Avengers get wrapped up in a game of truth or dare, which turns out to be the start of the most fantastic love story you’ve ever witnessed: you and Tony. When you’ve gone without warning the next day, Tony can’t help but get distracted every time he thinks about you, the thought of you and your first kiss still fresh in his mind.

RATING || Explicit (E)

TAGS || Use of Y/N and an ungodly amount of nicknames. Avenger!Reader. Alcohol consumption. Friends to lovers. Idiots in love. Mutual pining. Kissing as a dare. Angst. Reader is described as tattooed and pierced. Explicit sexual content.

SMUT || Praise/Praise kink. Dirty talk. Oral (M receiving). Unprotected sex (wrap it before you tap it!). Creampie. Aftercare.

A/N || This was supposed to be a short drabble, and well… here we are! I hope you will all enjoy the combination of the five amazing drabbles worked into this story, as I really had fun writing it. I want to thank @ccbsrmsf1 for helping me out during the writing of this story; without your support, this never would have turned out the way it has now, and I love you! 🤍

A/N 2.0 || These drabbles are included in the story: Drabble #1 - Drabble #2 - Drabble #3 - Drabble #4 - Drabble #5

EVENTS @fandom-free-bingo Book Night || Singing karaoke together @fandom-free-bingo Pride || Kissing as a dare + Falling over @fandom-free-bingo Wild || Romantic and platonic @julybreakbingo Post-JBB || “You could-” “Do not suggest I sit in your lap.” + Terms of endearment that may sound silly and/or ridiculous to others + Caught in the act + “Take my hand.” + Holding hands underneath the table + “Never figured you for a cuddler.” + Kissing someone on the head/cheek before leaving @tonystarkbingo #8005 || Friends to lovers

GIF: @ccbsrmsf1 || Other graphics are made by @nicoline1998enilocin

Main Masterlist || Tony Stark || Summer of Drabbles

The night has fallen long ago over New York City and Avengers Tower; the stars illuminate the sky above you beautifully as you and the Avengers enjoy the afterparty of one of Tony's (in)famous parties following a long and challenging mission. Everyone has been enjoying their fair share of booze and snacks the entire evening, making the atmosphere relaxed and happy as everyone can let loose for a night without thinking about saving the world.

Everyone is seated in a circle, taking up large lounge benches or seats on the rooftop terrace, and you're sharing a seat with the man you've been crushing on for years: Tony Stark. His arm is draped across the back of the seat, his fingertips tracing small patterns on your bare shoulder, his other hand gently cupping a glass of whiskey as he looks around the rooftop.

Meanwhile, you're clutching your bottle of beer tightly with your hands, making eye contact with Natasha as she talks with Bruce while occasionally glancing over at you and Tony. The only one who knows about your crush on the man next to you is her, as she's been your best friend since childhood, and the two of you have been sharing everything for as long as you can remember.

As you take a sip of your drink, Tony looks over at you, his gaze slowly wandering over your soft smile and beautiful features. A blush creeps on his cheeks as he thinks about the fact that he's been madly in love with you ever since he caught you in his lab due to your clumsiness, and feeling you in his arms feels nothing short of right.

"Pookie, can you hand me a cup from the cabinet? If you can't reach it, there's a stool there as well," Tony says, and you chuckle at the nickname he has given you this time. It has become a habit for the two of you to use terms of endearment that may sound silly or ridiculous to others, but for you two, it's become a game to come up with the oddest nicknames.

"Coming right up, Honeybear," you say, making him laugh hard as his heart warms at the nickname. This morning, you volunteered to help him out in his lab, as all the other Avengers are gone for a mission, and you came back from one last night, giving you two all the time in the world together. At first, you try to reach it as you're standing on your tiptoes, but you can't quite seem to reach as you huff at the shortcoming.

Then, you spot Tony's stepstool and position it by the counter of his kitchen. This time, you're successful, but as you want to back down, one of the legs snaps off, and you're flying back with a shriek, your eyes closed, as you're waiting for the impact of the hard, concrete floor to hit. It never comes, though, as a pair of strong arms catches you while the cup shatters into a million pieces on the floor.

"Careful there, Bambi," Tony says softly with bright red cheeks as he looks at you, the shock still visible on your face. The light of his lab illuminates your features in a way that makes you look like an angel, and he can't help but notice how good it feels to have you in his arms, how it feels like you belong there. Most of all, he's in love. He's undeniably in love with you and knows he wants to be yours for the rest of your lives together.

As Tony is lost in his thoughts as he looks at the soft slopes of your cheekbones and your plump, pink lips, he is caught off-guard by you turning your head to look at him. As you do, he scoffs quickly as he tries to hide his burning cheeks to no avail, as it is clear to everyone at the party what's going through his mind. Everyone but you, that is.

You feel your cheeks heating, and you shift in your seat, the feeling of Tony's long fingers against your shoulder leaving a trail of goosebumps. There is nothing but silence among the Avengers as they look at how you both are acting right now, knowing damn well what's going on in both your heads. Then, Thor thankfully decides to break the silence by starting another story about something that happened on Asgard with Heimdall, and you're thankful that the attention has shifted away from you and Tony for now.

As you try to listen to Thor telling his story, you can't help but let your thoughts wander as well, and the subject of them is the moment you realize you have fallen in love with Tony and fell hard.

"Tony, come on! It's our song!" you shout as you hear the starting notes of 'Don't Go Breaking My Heart' in the karaoke bar you, Tony, and the other Avengers are at for the night, a bright smile on your face as you hear the song you and Tony always sing when you're singing karaoke together.

"Okay, I'm on my way! I'm not the fastest anymore," Tony fake complains, making you roll your eyes as you tug on his arm. The enthusiasm definitely rubs off on him. As you approach the stage first, you grab two microphones before getting into place and singing the first words of the song. While Tony usually doesn't like to sing in front of crowds like this one, he happily makes an exception for you, as he knows how happy it makes you.

The entire time, you find yourself dancing all over the stage, only having eyes for the man you're singing with. The song adds to the atmosphere, and when you grab Tony's hand to dance with you, a jolt of electricity goes through your entire body. Then, it all clicks in your brain. Over the last few months, you have been falling more and more for the man who's been your partner in crime, and it's not just a simple friendship. No, you're in love with Tony, and the realization makes you look at him in a different light, as you can't wait to grow old with him.

You're snapped out of your thoughts as you see Natasha standing up to grab a drink. She motions for you to follow her, and you do after excusing yourself from Tony, who smiles in understanding. He takes a moment to admire the way your dress hugs all your curves just right, and this time, it's his turn to shift his position now, needing to get more comfortable after the sight he just had.

"Two beers, please," Natasha says when she's at the bar, and then she immediately directs her attention to you.

"So, how are you enjoying your evening? You and Tony are nice and cuddly on the loveseat, huh?" she asks teasingly, which makes you flustered beyond belief, and you shake your head in disbelief. She may be your best friend, but she'd be crazy to think there might be anything going on between you two. He might be nice to you and a good friend, but that's all.

"It's fine, Nat," you say shortly, and she smirks as he shakes your head.

"So you're telling me you're not enjoying yourself at all with the man you're in love with?" she asks with a raised brow. Her smirk is unwavering as she looks at you with an almost piercing gaze.

"Let's not do this now, okay? I'm just going to enjoy my evening without feeling sad that he doesn't love me back, and probably never will, either," you tell her in a defeated voice, your gaze focused somewhere on the bar instead of at your best friend. She squeezes your hand softly after encompassing it, letting you know it will all be okay.

"I love you, Detka. Never forget that," she tells you, and you nod in response, a smile now gracing your features. If there's one person who can always make you feel better, it's her, and you're grateful to be able to call you her best friend, as there's no one else in the world you trust more than her. Well, except Tony.

After grabbing your beers, it's time for you and Natasha to head back to the group, where Tony is already awaiting your arrival. He misses having you by his side, as he feels an emptiness in his soul without you - like a piece of him is missing when you're not there. Luckily, you're already back, flashing a smile as you approach him.

"Hmm, is there still room for me on the seat, or shall I sit somewhere else, Smartie?" you joke, and Tony makes a bit of a scene as he scoots closer to you, his following words already on his tongue.

"Well, you could-" Tony starts, but you're quick to interrupt him, already knowing where he's going with it.

"Do not suggest I sit in your lap!" you say, a deep red blush covering your cheeks. It's become almost standard for him to suggest it, and even though you'd love nothing more than to take him up on his offer, you'd much rather do it when there's no one around to watch, and the thought alone has your thighs squeezing together for some relief.

"I wasn't, but if you're offering…" he jokes, but you shake your head as you get comfortable next to him, but this time he pulls you against his side to get comfortable while your head rests on his shoulder.

"I never figured you for a cuddler, Stark," Natasha says with a wink, even though it's well-known you two often cuddle up together during movie nights. It's not uncommon for you to fall asleep in his hold during said nights, leading to him carrying you to your bedroom and tucking you into bed. The way Tony's arm is wrapped around you makes you feel very safe; his warmth makes you feel even more comfortable now.

"It's hard not to be when I have my Cupcake by my side," he says before turning his head and placing a soft kiss on your hair. As he does, you and Natasha exchange looks for a moment, and a shy smile brightens your features as you cuddle even closer to Tony, which he happily welcomes. You two stay exactly like this for a while until Clint suddenly jumps out of his chair with an idea, and you immediately sit upright at the sudden movement.

"How about we play some Truth or Dare?" he says excitedly, and it's clear he's already had a few too many drinks - though, at this point, that's the case for most people. Not you, though, as you don't like to overdo it, and Tony has significantly dialed down the drinking after he hit a very low point in his life a few years back. Thankfully, you were there for him through it all, and he owes you his life.

Steve and Bucky nod, even though they're not sure how to play, and the other Avengers are cheering in excitement at the thought of what's about to come. Immediately, Natasha raises her hand as she wants to go first, and you can see the glimmer of mischief in her green eyes as she gets comfortable in her seat.

"Y/N," she says lowly, the corner of her mouth tugging up as she looks right at you. Your fingers are clutching your beer bottle again, and you feel Tony's fingers dig softly into your side as he hears your name. Between the options' truth' or 'dare,' you always tend to go the same route.

"Dare," you say confidently, precisely what your best friend had anticipated.

"I dare you and Tony to kiss," she says lightly as if she's discussing the weather with you. As the words sink in with you and Tony, the butterflies in your stomach go wild at the thought of feeling his lips on yours, the way his facial hair will scrape against your soft skin, and how his hands will feel perfectly on your body as you get lost in one another.

Before you realize what's going on, Tony is already on his feet with a large smile. His hand is extended towards you, and his eyes let you know he's excited about the thought of what's about to happen. As you look at Tony, you feel a surge of warmth and excitement flowing through your entire body. When you grab his hand, he swiftly pulls you up so that you're in front of him.

"Are you ready, Silly Goose?" Tony asks, and the nickname makes you chuckle as you nod. Everyone's eyes are on the two of you, while you and Tony only have eyes for one another as if you're in a bubble that you never want to leave.

"I'm ready, Frilly Moose," you answer with a completely straight face, and Tony can't help but step back to laugh out loud. It's a deep, rumbling belly laugh with you smiling right along with him while all the others look at you both as if they've seen a ghost.

Then, without warning, Tony straightens up before stepping towards you, his hands gently cupping your face as he leans in to kiss you. It's soft and sweet at first as if he doesn't want to take it too far, but when you step closer, you open your mouth to allow him to explore your mouth, just as you'll do with his. As you feel his tongue slip past your lips, a soft moan escapes, and Tony quickly swallows it as he takes his time with you.

It feels like it's lasting for an eternity, yet mere seconds simultaneously. Everything around you has completely disappeared as you lace your hands in his hair, and it's like your souls are connecting, forming an unbreakable bond between you both. When you pull away, Tony follows your lips, placing a few more pecks before finally allowing you to pull away.

As you look into his eyes, it's like a beast has been unleashed inside of him, and you're looking forward to seeing it come to the surface, but for now, it would have to wait. As you take a moment to catch your breath, your mind catches up with what's been happening, and you both blush like crazy. You've finally kissed the man you have been in love with for years, and it felt amazing.

"I- I don't think you were supposed to kiss me like that," you say softly, making Tony grin widely as he tucks a piece of your hair behind your ear.

"You kissed me back, Lovebug, so don't act like it was all me," he says in a playful tone, intensifying the heat in your entire body. The rest of the evening is going by in a blur, as you and Tony mainly have eyes for one another. While you two don't share any more kisses after this one, you're constantly touching each other and giving each other loving glances as you two bask in the glory of your kiss.

Once the party ends, Tony offers to bring you to your room, and you happily accept. As you're standing in front of your door, you're suddenly unsure what to say because you don't want the evening to end, especially after what happened between you.

"I—uhm…" you start, shyness taking over your entire being as you try to think of the right thing to say. It's challenging when he's so close that his cologne is taking over your senses, and his body heat radiates onto your skin.

"It's okay, Honeybuns," he whispers, tucking a piece of loose hair behind your ear, making your cheeks burn hotter. Instead of saying anything, you get onto your tiptoes to kiss his cheek softly, the stubble being an odd contrast to the softness of his skin. This time, as you look into his dark brown eyes, it's his turn to blush like crazy, his fingers gliding over the spot where you kissed him mere seconds ago.

"Goodnight, Tony," you say before turning around and opening the door to your bedroom, slipping inside as you need to get ready for some much-needed sleep. Even though you're in your room now, Tony cannot get himself to move quite yet, as it's like he's nailed to the floor while the evening's events rerun through his mind.

When he eventually does manage to get himself into his bed, he can't stop thinking about you, but what he doesn't know is that you can't stop thinking about him either and how amazing it felt to have kissed the man you've been in love with for the past few years.

It's been a short two hours of sleep for you when you're suddenly woken up to go on an emergency mission together with Natasha, and before you know it, you're in your tactical gear as you quickly put your hair up while on your way to the Quinjet. As you do, she brings you up to speed about what's supposed to happen - gathering information from an old but still intact HYDRA base.

"I'm gonna need you to take watch close by, as I could use your sniper abilities," Natasha says, and you nod. Your specialty is sniping, and you're pretty good during hand-to-hand combat, though you're more valuable regarding your spying and sniper skills. Natasha may be the better spy of the two of you; you're the one with a more versatile array of combat overall.

"Sounds good to me," you say as you're getting comfortable on the Jet, a determined look on your face as you prepare to fly. Then, the thought of not saying goodbye to Tony before your mission suddenly pops into your head, and the determination makes way for a wave of sadness. However, you quickly shove the thought aside, as you now have a mission to focus on.

A few hours later, it's Tony's turn to wake up to the sunlight streaming into his penthouse, his bed awfully empty as he's all alone. The first thought that slips into his head is you, and a smile immediately spreads across his face as he lets himself get lost in the daydream of kissing you on the beach. While he turns around to get more comfortable, he can't stop thinking about you, and even though he doesn't know it yet, you will be on his mind more and more the longer you're gone.

While Tony is still blissfully unaware of your absence, you and Natasha are already hard at work on your mission, which, at this point, mainly involves planning how to get into the building without being seen. However, this is quite a big ask of your mind right now, as it keeps wandering to Tony, which doesn't go unnoticed by your best friend.

"A penny for your thoughts, Detka?" Natasha asks, and you're snapped out of your thoughts as you look at her with a shocked expression. She can't help but chuckle as a deep, burning blush spreads over your cheeks and down your neck as you realize you've been caught.

"I—ugh!" you exclaim, falling back in your chair with a groan. Your eyes are closed as you rub your temples, wanting your mind to focus on the task at hand. Natasha looks at you with empathy, her mouth curled up in a sympathetic smile as she puts her hand on your bicep, rubbing soothing circles.

"If you want to take a break, it's okay. We can go over this later if that's what you want. I can tell there's something or someone else on your mind, and I think it's good to talk about it so you can get it out of your system," she says gently, slowing your heart rate. She has always had a calming effect on you, and you're more grateful now than ever for that.

"Thank you," you whisper before getting up and walking to the kitchen in the small safehouse you two are calling home for the next week. You make two cups of tea there while Natasha gets comfortable on the couch, ready for some much-needed girl talk.

"Now, spill!" she says as soon as you put down the mugs, and you can't help but laugh.

"Can I at least sit down first?" you ask, which makes her sigh impatiently, which only makes you shake your head with a smile. You love her to death, but when she gets like this, you sometimes wonder where the patient, tactical spy that was here not too long ago is. You wouldn't want it any other way, though, because you love her exactly the way she is.

"So?" The question hangs in the air as you try to figure out what to tell her. Or, more specifically, how to tell her that Tony has been on your mind almost constantly from the moment you said goodbye to him less than 24 hours ago. The kiss is still fresh in your mind, as it is what occupies your mind almost constantly.

"I'm madly in love, Nat; what else is there to say? I kissed Tony, and it felt fucking amazing, but now I'm already away from him, and we haven't even had the time to talk about it! Hell, I didn't even get to say goodbye to him for crying out loud!" Your voice starts trembling at the thought of leaving without so much as a goodbye, and your heart aches as you think about how it must be for him.

Less than 24 hours ago, your lips were locked in a soft but fantastic kiss, and now you're in the middle of nowhere with your best friend as you're supposed to be planning on how to get into the HYDRA base and get the information you need. As if that's not bad enough, you also are in a place where there's practically no reception, meaning there's no way for you two to reach one another.

"He's constantly on my mind; he's all I can think about when I go to bed, when I wake up, and every minute in between. But the fact that I can't talk to him bothers me most," you tell her, and a wave of sadness takes over your body as the thought sinks in. Your hands are clutched onto your mug to warm your hands, but to no avail - the ache in your heart only intensifies with every passing second.

Back at the Avengers Compound, Tony is about to find out about your absence as well, and it's about to hit him harder than he ever would have thought. All he wants is to hear your voice and touch your warm, soft skin with his fingers, making you giggle at the feeling of them tracing abstract figures.

"Has anyone seen Y/N by any chance?" Tony asks as he walks into the kitchen, where the Avengers - apart from you and Natasha - are seated to eat dinner together. Steve then informs him that you're on a mission, and his heart feels like it's dropping into his stomach.

"A- a mission? How long?" he asks softly, and Steve sends him an apologetic look as he lets Tony know you're gone for a week with Natasha. Without saying another word, he turns to go to his lab, where he has the most privacy. He can't stand to be around anyone right now, not when it felt like his soul was ripped apart with the news of your absence.

Once there, he lets himself fall into his rolling chair, a deep sigh escaping his chest as he shuts his eyes for a moment, letting his thoughts wander to you. As he does, he tries his hardest not to cry from the disappointment, as he hopes to finally be able to talk to you and get one of his favorite hugs from you after the long, tiring day he had. Instead, he's alone in his lab, thinking about the woman he loves but who's on the other side of the country.

Then, he gets an idea, and he could smack himself for not thinking of this sooner; he grabs his phone out of his pocket before quickly going to your contact, where he takes a moment to look at the photo he saved with it. Each time one of you calls the other, you'll see a happy, smiling selfie that was taken during the summer when all the Avengers went to the beach, which is a day he'll never forget.

His finger briefly hovers over the call button as he smiles to himself, wanting to savor the memory for a few more moments until it's time to put the phone against his ear. Each time he hears the dial tone, his heart starts beating faster, hoping he will hear your voice as soon as you pick up his call. It never comes, though, as it is quickly cut off before going to voicemail.

"Hi, you have reached my voicemail. Please leave a message, and I will try to call you back as soon as I can!"

The moment Tony hears your cheery voice, he lets the tears free. He can't even talk to the person he wants to talk to more than anyone, which breaks his heart. While he understands you're on a mission, it still hurts to be unable to talk, and he's just about to throw his phone against a wall when he hears the beep, letting him know he can leave a message.

"Hi, Sunflower," he starts off, his voice breaking as the nickname slips off his lips, tears flowing down his cheeks. He didn't realize your absence would hit him this hard, but it does, and he's unsure what to do with himself right now. He's no stranger to showing emotions, but without you there, he finds it difficult to control them.

"I- I wanted to tell you I really miss you! It's been a horrible day here at work, and I was hoping to get one of your hugs, but you're gone for a week, so… yeah! Uhm… I-I hope your mission goes well-" A sob tears through his body as he tries to get out the next words.

"Fuck! Uhm- I miss you, like I said, and please, come back in one piece, okay? I'll think about you when you're gone- it's all I've been doing, actually," he says with a chuckle as he wipes his tears away.

"Well, I'll see you soon. Stay safe out there, please. Bye," he quickly says before ending the call and throwing his phone onto the table, unable to hold that stupid thing any longer. For a moment, the thought of falling back into the habit of drinking himself to sleep as he wants to forget everything crosses his mind, but then he thinks about you again and decides against it. Instead, he asks JARVIS to bring Bruce - his best friend - to the lab.

"What's goin' on? I came as quickly as I could," Bruce pants, clearly out of breath from the sprinting to the lab. He briefly eyes Tony, and worry immediately settles in his stomach as he crouches in front of him.

"Hey, I'm here. You're gonna be okay," he tells Tony, who can't take it anymore. Sobs wreaks havoc in his body as he tries to fight the urge to do something he'll regret - especially when he thinks about how upset you would be if he did. He has worked hard over the past few years to get to the point where he is now, and he wants nothing more than to show you that he has done something to make you proud of him.

Bruce pulls Tony into a much-needed hug, and even though you're not giving it, he still appreciates his best friend being there for him, no questions asked. While Tony told him about his crush on you, he didn't go into the extent of his crush - or love, more specifically. He never would have thought he'd be this distraught over anyone going on a mission, but when all he needs is you, to hear you say that he's going to be okay and that you're there for him as you pull him into a comforting hug, he can't help but have a breakdown.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the country, you're completely unaware of what's going on at the Compound, and you won't be able to listen to his voicemail for a few more days until you're at a spot with enough reception. The entire time, Tony is worried sick as the hours tick by slowly, his mind constantly wandering to you and your safety.

Now, it's nearly three days since Tony left the voicemail, and you have some time to take it slow. This allows you to check any missed messages and calls, most of which aren't that important and can easily wait a few more days. Then, you see Tony's voicemail, and your heart skips as you press the button to listen to what he sent you. When you hear his voice, your heart feels like it shattered into a million pieces, and tears are brimming on your waterline.

"Hi, Sunflower." As soon as you hear the nickname, you get a huge smile on your face, even though you can hear that it took Tony a lot of energy to not burst into tears as he said it. Natasha looks at you and can tell that whatever you're listening to is not fun. Without saying anything, she pulls you into a hug while you keep listening to the voicemail, your heart being ripped apart with every second.

"I—I need to call him!" you tell Nat when his last words play on your phone. When you press the button to call him, your phone immediately tells you that the call isn't going through, which frustrates you to no end.

"Jesus, fuck! Why can't I just fucking call him?!" you huff in frustration, the bars on the top of your screen letting you know that your service is gone again. It must have been too good to be true, but at least you got to hear his voice for a few moments. The following few days, your mind wandered to the voicemail, making it difficult for you to focus sometimes, and you're glad the most important part of the mission was already done.

On the last night in the safe house, you and Natasha have a typical girls' night to get your mind off everything for a moment as you both pack some face masks, fluffy socks, and pajamas to wind down, and it's just like when you were growing up. This time, instead of talking about Tony, you ask her about her crush on Bruce, which makes her cheeks almost the same shade as her hair, and she blushes like crazy.

"So… How's Bruce?" you ask with a raised brow as you're sitting on the couch with a glass of wine in your hand - thankfully, the safehouses are always stocked with plenty of food and drinks. Natasha lifts hers as she avoids your gaze, which is not something she usually does, and it makes you very suspicious.

"What happened, Moy Petarda? Tell me everything!" you say as you lean forward, the wine almost spilling out of your glass as your eyes grow wide with excitement about what she will tell you.

"We- uhm- We may or may not have slept together after the party last week," she admits with a broad smile, and you squeal in excitement at her confession. She and Bruce have been pining after one another for as long as you can remember, and hearing about this is a nice distraction from your thoughts about Tony for now. As the night goes on, he pops into your mind, and you and Natasha drop his name occasionally, but it is mostly about her this time.

The next day, you feel a sense of relief in your entire body when you're back in the Quinjet, knowing you're finally going home to see Tony - and the rest of the Avengers - again. While Natasha is in the back, changing from her tac gear into some leggings and an oversized hoodie, you're supposed to pilot for the next few hours.

"I'm back. Do you want to get changed as well? And maybe make a phone call to the Tower?" she asks with a raised brow and a smirk, making you smile as you nod. You told her that when you're on the way back, you wanted to call Tony to let him know you're coming home and hear his voicemail, but you couldn't answer him sooner.

Within no time, you're also changed into a pair of leggings, a sports bra, and one of Tony's MIT hoodies, which you stole from him a while ago after you got cold in his lab. He never asked for it back since he loves the way it looks on you, and you're happy to wear it, as he has worn it to perfection. Then, it's time for your phone call.

Instead of calling the way you normally would, you decide to FaceTime him, as you really need to see his face after your mission. Back at the Compound, Tony is working in his lab when his ringtone fills the silence, and he quickly grabs his phone. Seeing your name on the screen makes him smile wide.

"Sugarcube! You're alive!" he says, and you immediately laugh loudly at the nickname, which makes the butterflies in his stomach go wild as the sound fills his lab.

"How're you, Tony? I heard your voicemail a few days ago, but I couldn't call or text you because we were so remote. I tried multiple times, but none of it went through," you tell him, and you see a wave of sadness come over his face.

"Honestly? I haven't been doing so well without you here. When I learned you were gone for a mission, I didn't really take it that well," he says with a sigh, and it's only now that you notice the dark circles and bags under his eyes, letting you know he hasn't slept much.

"Thankfully, Bruce was here for me; he kept me sane. And he gave me plenty of coffee as well," Tony says, making you smile at the thought that even though you weren't there, he still had someone to lean on in the meantime.

"I'm sorry I wasn't there for you, Petal, but I want you to know I'm proud of you for getting through it. I'm sure it must have been hell for you," you tell him, and he blushes at the praise he's receiving from you. He always enjoys being praised, but hearing it from you suddenly makes him feel something entirely different, which he stores away for now, as he wants to explore it with you eventually.

"It's okay. I'm glad to know you're alive and well, though. I missed having you around," he says, and you smile at his words. You missed being there, too, as it's never the same without Tony when you're anywhere but at the Compound.

"I can't wait to see you again soon, Sugarplum. We should land in about 5,5 to 6 hours, so I'm expecting to see you there," you say, and he agrees. Then, you two say your goodbyes after he tells you he'll be waiting by the hangar. You'll be looking forward to it the entire time you're in the air, and your heart is warming at the thought of seeing him again.

The rest of the flight goes by without a hitch, and—just like you asked—Tony is waiting for you at the opening of the hangar, ready to welcome you home after he couldn't stop thinking about you for the past week. The dark circles under his eyes have intensified with his lack of sleep. He's been practically living on two hours of sleep a night and endless cups of coffee, which has your heart sinking into your stomach at the sight.

"Hi, Sweetpea," you say as you reach Tony, who gives you a small smile and looks at you in his hoodie.

"Welcome back," he says, pulling you in for a hug without saying anything else. Your presence is everything he needs and more at this moment. He nuzzles his face into your hair, the softness of it calming his mind as your hands trace abstract figures over his back. Neither of you knows how long it lasts, but you enjoy every second.

"I have to go and shower, Tony. When I'm done, can I visit you in your lab?"

He looks at you with an adoring look, a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth as he does. Your cheeks heat at how he's looking at you, but you're also enjoying the butterflies in your stomach going wild under his gaze.

"I'm looking forward to it," he whispers as his fingertips glide over your cheek, where he desperately wants to place a kiss. However, he'd have to wait for that because little does he know you'll be kissing him soon enough. Once you're back in your room, you take your time to wash away all the dirt that was left from the mission, making yourself presentable for the man you love.

And then, it's finally time to see him, so you can finally talk about the kiss you two shared a week ago, which has turned your lives around in a way you could have only ever dreamt of. As you're slipping into one of Tony's shirts and a pair of leggings, you think about the moment you shared, and you feel the excitement coursing through your veins, hoping you'll finally kiss him again.

Your knuckles softly knock on the glass leading to his lab, and Tony turns around from his place at the kitchen counter, two cups in his hands as he does. Perfect timing.

"I made your favorite, Bubblegum," he says, and you raise your brow at the nickname, trying not to laugh at it. It sounds like he just made you bubblegum tea instead of using it as a nickname. You can't fight the smile wanting to escape, though, and you shake your head as you take the cup with a small 'thank you.'

"Would you believe me if I said you have been on my mind almost every second of every day when you were away?" Tony starts the conversation, and your interest is piqued. He has also been taking over your mind; you're not afraid to admit it.

"I most definitely would. But you have been on my mind a lot as well," you confess, which has him looking at you with an interested gaze.

"Oh?"

"Did you ever think about that drunken kiss we shared?" you ask in a wave of boldness, unable to wait any longer to talk about it. The question hangs in the air as Tony's eyes widen in surprise, and you pull your lip between your teeth in anticipation of his answer. To be truthful, it was all he could think about when you were gone, even going so far as pleasuring himself to the thought of kissing you, but that would be a secret he'd never share with anyone.

"Oh my god, yes! I've been waiting for that kiss from the moment I laid my eyes on you," he says with a breathy laugh, which has your eyebrows practically in your hair at the confession. Combined with that, there's some confusion, as you need clarification on what he's talking about. While you have a suspicion, you're also hesitant about thinking he might feel the same way you do about him.

While you're still standing at the counter, Tony puts his mug on one of the tables in his lab before walking over to you, caging you between his arms as a soft gasp escapes your lips. When he's this close, your height difference is obvious, and you're squeezing your thighs together for the slightest bit of friction as your panties are ruined from this simple move.

"Tony-" It's all you can say because other than that, practically every single thought has left your brain at the closeness of his face to yours. His breath is ghosting over his lips as he talks; his eyes are looking directly into your soul at this point, and you could melt into a puddle of goo right then and there if it weren't for the fact that you're still holding a cup of hot tea.

"I've been waiting for that kiss because I love you, Silly. I love you in a romantic and platonic way - like friends love one another - but also like lovers. You have been taking over my mind for the better part of the past few years, and ever since we kissed, since I had a taste of heaven, it's been all-consuming. I love you, Y/N, and I want you to know it. For years, I've been afraid to tell you, afraid it would ruin what we have, but I'm sick of tucking my feelings away."

"And ever since that kiss, there's nothing else I've wanted more than to kiss you again. To feel your lips on mine and your body pressed against me. Your hands laced in my hair as our tongues fight for dominance, and most of all, I want to hear those sweet, soft sounds you make," he tells you, and it takes a moment for you to comprehend what he told you. The fact that he confessed his undying love.

The next few moments go so fast that you're not sure how they happened because one moment, you were holding your tea as you looked at the man you love, and the next, your hands are laced in his hair as his mouth is capturing yours again, the kiss being everything you've been dreaming of and more, as well. His hands squeeze your hips as his cock rapidly grows hard in his pants, the need for you taking over his entire brain and functioning.

As you tilt your head a little, a soft moan escapes your lips, and Tony can't help but smile into the kiss at the sweet sound. The moment feels like it's lasting forever, and you're panting when you need to pull away for air. Your eyes are half-lidded as you look up at him, a dopey smile on your lips as you admire his beauty for a moment.

"I- uhm-" you say, a giggle escaping as you gather your thoughts.

"I love you too, Tony, like a friend and a lover," you tell him, and the deep laugh from Tony has the butterflies in your stomach going wild. You pull him closer this time, your hands cupping his cheeks as you close the gap, needing to feel his lips on yours again, even if it's just for a moment. When he pulls away, he finally gathers the courage to ask you something on his mind for a long time, but he never dared to ask.

"Go on a date with me, Pookiebear. I want to show you how a true gentleman can take care of you, and after… well, I guess we'll see what happens," he says with a wink, which sets your cheeks on fire. You nod, pulling your lip between your teeth as you try not to smile like a teenage girl who'd just been kissed by the boy she's been crushing on.

Then, just as you're about to say something, you hear a whirring noise behind Tony, which piques your interest. You peek your head around his broad back, and that's where you see one of his robots, Dum-E, making his way toward you with a small bouquet of red roses, and your heart melts at the sight.

"Thank you, Dum-E. These roses are beautiful," you say as you take them from him, and Tony shakes his head with a smile. His robot's timing is entirely off, but the thought behind it counts. After a few more moments, you have to go to the debriefing of the mission, but you're happily taking both the roses and the tea with you, but not before asking for more kisses with a broad smile.

"I can't wait to pick you up tonight, Dollface. It will be the best night of our lives," he says as he watches you go, a small wave coming from you through the large windows by the staircase that leads you away from Tony. On your way to the briefing room, you run into Natasha, eyeing your roses with a curious look.

"You just kiss a guy, and he gifts you roses, and I sleep with someone and not even so much as a single flower? I need to up my standards when it comes to men!" she jokes, making you laugh heartily as she does. You know Bruce knows how to treat a woman, and you don't doubt he's treating her like the queen she is.

"Well, I guess I'm just lucky like that," you say with a wink, which isn't untrue with a man like Tony. However, neither of you knows that Tony and Bruce have been planning a surprise for the two of you tonight, and they're looking forward to your reactions when it's time to see what you think.

The debriefing you two are attending with Steve - he has been holding down the fort from the Compound while you were in the field - is finished perfectly on time for you to get ready for your date with Tony. You're getting nervous and impatient, constantly checking the clock to see if it's time to go out for dinner. When it's nearing 7 PM, you're becoming excited as you wait for the elevator to come and pick you up.

You decide to put on a sleek, deep red gown that perfectly shows your curves. Your hair and makeup are kept simple so as not to take away from your natural beauty combined with the outfit. When the elevator doors open, you're standing eye to eye with Natasha, who has also prepared for the surprise Bruce and Tony prepared, though neither of you knows it yet.

"You look stunning tonight, Petarda," you say as you admire Natasha's outfit. A black velvet dress reaches the floor, her hair is put up in a simple ponytail that has her natural waves showing, and her makeup is done so that her features are accentuated beautifully, making her look like a goddess. You're sure Bruce won't be able to stop looking at her for the entirety they're going on their date.

"So do you, Detka; Tony is fortunate to be going out with you when you're looking like that," she says as she rests her hand on your arm, reassuring you. If you two growing up together has taught her anything, you can always use extra support when nerves are swirling through your body, and you're more grateful than ever to be by the side of the famous Black Widow.

"Thank you," you whisper, a blush warming your cheeks at her compliment. Then, the elevator stops and opens, revealing that Tony and Bruce are already waiting for you both to arrive, and they're not disappointed when they look over to the two of you. To them, it seems like two angels are walking on earth, and they're both going out with them for the night, making it one never to forget.

As you and Natasha walk over to your dates, they have to take a moment to pick their jaws up from the floor, as they have dropped from the moment the doors open.

"I- You- Fucking wow," Tony stammers as he lays his hand on your lower back, the warmth of his hand radiating onto your skin, which is showing through the low-cut back of the dress you're wearing. A soft kiss on your temple follows it, and Bruce and Natasha share a loving kiss, which sets their cheeks on fire, making them look adorable.

"Are you two ready?" Bruce asks when he finally manages to pull himself away from his date, and you're giving him a confused look at his choice of words.

"We have prepared a double date for tonight, Sweet Apple," Tony tells you, which has you smiling broadly and going on a date with your best friend and two handsome men. You would be insane to say no to that. Shortly after, you're all getting into the limousine Tony has brought out for the night, Happy being the driver of your night.

Once seated in the limousine, Tony immediately opens a bottle of the most expensive champagne he could get, handing everyone a glass before lifting his, toasting to a fun night with friends. The laughter that can be heard the entire ride fills your heart with warmth and love as these people make it memorable beyond words.

"Take my hand, Babydoll," Tony says as you've arrived at the restaurant, where - to no one's surprise - paparazzi are taking photos everywhere. It's a hotspot for celebrities and other wealthy or well-known people, meaning it is constantly crawling with cameras and flashing lights. Then, as all four of you are ready, Tony laces his fingers with yours, holding your hand as he guides you inside.

Dinner is spent in a private room, where you, Tony, Bruce, and Natasha can have some privacy while you enjoy your night out. Between the delicious food, plenty of laughter, and sweet moments with Tony as he whispers sweet nothings in your ear, you're also holding hands underneath the table, which calms your nerves during the evening.

Bruce and Natasha also share sweet moments, such as kisses, feeding each other bites of their food, and having a good time overall, which makes you happy to see. If there's anyone who deserves to find love, it's Natasha, especially seeing how her life hasn't always been the easiest. Seeing her this happy and comfortable makes you feel proud of her, and you couldn't be happier to call you her best friend.

After dinner, when you're back at Avengers Tower, Bruce and Natasha quickly say their goodbyes before slipping away to his room, undoubtedly finishing the night off with fireworks, and you are hoping to do the same after the night you shared with Tony.

"Did you have fun tonight?" Tony asks as you're standing in the elevator that leads up to his penthouse, his body caging in yours as you're gently pushed against the wall with his face mere inches from yours. His breath ghosts over your lips as the question hangs in the air, and you nod, though you'd much rather kiss him than answer him with words right now.

Your hands glide into his hair as you pull him closer; the gap between you two now disappears as your mouth is locked with his in a hot, passionate kiss. Tony's fingers dig into your hips as the kiss becomes all-consuming in the best way possible, a fire inside your body roaring higher with every passing second. Until the elevator bell rings, letting you know you've arrived at Tony's penthouse.

With a chuckle, Tony pulls back, his forehead resting against yours. The moment has changed from a heated one to a funny, sweet one, and you both laugh while getting out of the elevator and into his large penthouse. You're trying to look at everything all at once, as you have never been here before, which is quite surprising when you think about it, but that would have to be a train of thought for another day.

"Would you like another drink?" Tony asks, but you shake your head. You only want him now, and you're not planning to wait any longer than you must. Based on the small smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth, Tony has the same thought and doesn't want to wait, instead showing you the way to his large bedroom. There are floor-to-ceiling windows that look out over the Manhattan skyline, showing New York City from a viewpoint you've rarely seen before.

"It's so beautiful," you say to Tony, who couldn't agree more. But he isn't talking about the view, of course.

His hands are on your waist as he stands behind you, your eyes slipping shut at the feeling of his large body against yours. Tony's lips place soft kisses on your head as you enjoy the closeness, but you want more. You want Tony. In a moment of boldness, you turn around as you step back enough to sink onto your knees, the carpet under your knees making it more comfortable. But it's not good enough for Tony.

"Here, put this under your knees, Cupcake," Tony says as he grabs a throw pillow, handing it to you as you try your hardest not to laugh. One moment, you were on your way to open his pants and suck his soul from his body, and now you're being offered a pillow to put under your knees, as he doesn't want you to sit on the floor like this. Tony is nothing if not a gentleman, and it only makes you love him more.

Once the pillow has found its place and you're comfortable, you reach for his belt, unbuckling it easily before popping the button and lowering the zipper. Then, you pull down his pants to reveal a glorious sight: Tony's cock is already half hard, the blue veins adorning it making it look delicious as they lead to the soft, pink tip that has you wanting to wrap your lips around it, needing a taste of him. On top of that, the length already has your mouth watering, and it's not even at its full potential yet, but what's grabbing your interest most of all is the thickness of it.

"Y-you're so… big," you tell him from your spot on the floor, and Tony can feel his cheeks heating as he blushes profusely at the compliment. Your hand can barely fit around it as you touch it for the first time, and a moan bubbles up at the feeling of his velvet skin, which is a stark contrast to the way his cock slowly firms up to total hardness under your touch.

"Hmm, you feel so good," Tony groans as he pulls up his dress shirt, giving him the perfect look at what you're doing. Your fingers gently work his cock from root to tip, as if you're trying to acquaint yourself with every inch of it, wanting to commit it to memory before wrapping your lips around his tip. When you do that, a whole new world opens for you and Tony, a feeling of euphoria running through your entire body as you do.

A deep groan rolls off his tongue as you slowly work more of him into your mouth, your thighs clenching as you do to give yourself some much-needed relief as well. The way you fit around him, the warmth of your mouth, has him on the edge sooner than he'd like. His hand gently guides you off his cock, and you pout when he slips from your mouth, a disappointed look on your features as you look up at him.

"Don't you dare use that pout on me, Missy, because you're not gonna know what hit you if you do," he says in a warning tone, and you're suddenly very eager to find out what'll happen if you do, but you're also too horny to worry about it for too long. It would have to wait for another moment, as you're more than happy to be filled with his cock in any of the holes he pleases to use tonight.

It doesn't take long for you and Tony to shed every last layer of clothing aside from your lingerie, and he's having a field day with every bit of clothing that falls from your body. With every inch of skin he reveals, he finds more tattoos that amaze him than the last. From simple flowers to larger, intricate patterns, it's all adorning your skin, and Tony feels nothing short of fortunate to be able to see them, as you usually hide them for professional reasons.

"I didn't think you could be more beautiful, but fuck, seeing all this artwork on your soft skin only makes you look like more of a work of art in my eyes, Gorgeous," Tony whispers as his fingers glide over the phoenix that reaches from your ribs and side down to your upper thigh, covering most of the skin with its feathers.

"If you like my tattoos this much, I can't wait to see your reaction when you find out another special secret, Tony," you say as you sit on Tony's lap, his back pressed against the headboard of the bed. You lean forward to mark small markings on his neck and shoulder and nibble on his earlobe.

"Hmm, I can't wait to see what it is," he says, and you smile against his jaw, the scruff of his facial hair tickling you as you place a few kisses there. When you pull back, you wiggle your brows in excitement and tease him a little, wanting to stretch the moment for as long as possible.

"If you remove my bra, you'll see what it is soon enough, Handsome," you whisper, and he doesn't need to be told twice. Within mere seconds, the fabric has been removed, and Tony's jaw is again on the floor as he tries to comprehend what he sees. As soon as his gaze falls on the small, silver rings adorning your nipples, his cock twitches underneath you, almost at the point of orgasm without needing stimulation as his mind goes wild at the sight.

But that's not all. You also have a small tattoo of Tony's helmet on your side, which was hidden by the band of your bra before. It's a full-color version of his helmet, surrounded by your favorite flowers. You got it a while ago as a joke after you lost a bet with Natasha, never really thinking he would see it, but now that he does, he can't stop smiling at the sight.

"Is that-" "Yes."

"I can't believe you have my helmet tattooed on your body, Firecracker! God, I didn't know you could get any more beautiful and special and amazing, but you just did, and fuck, I'm even more in love with you now!" he exclaims as he pulls you close, making you laugh heartily. For a moment, you were scared about what he would possibly think of it, but his reaction is even better than you could have hoped for, and you now realize you never should have been afraid to begin with.

Then, without warning, Tony flips you onto your back before pushing your panties aside, not wanting to wait any longer to be buried inside you. The stretch of Tony's long, thick cock is more than you have ever felt before, and even if he isn't fully inside you yet, it feels like you're already stuffed to the brim as your moans become nearly uncontrollable, your mind going blank and fuzzy with every passing second.

"So tight, Babygirl, feels so fucking good," Tony whispers in your ear as he slowly starts thrusting in and out of you, stretching you with the patience of a saint. Your back arches into him repeatedly, and the feeling of his chest against yours has you moaning softly, the closeness being something you're craving more with every thrust. Then, Tony reaches for your hand, lacing his fingers with yours as he places it above your head.

His lips capture yours as he finally bottoms out after taking his time stretching you. The warmth of his body and the soft hum of his arc reactor is a beautiful addition to the moment, making it even more intimate. He noses softly along your jaw as he lets his cock settle inside you for a while longer, your pussy still holding him with a tight grip.

"Hmmm, I'm so lucky to have fallen in love with you, Y/N," Tony whispers as his face is inches from yours. His eyes are focused on yours, and a smile tugs at the corners of his lips at his confession. It feels nothing short of right to confess your love for one another at every chance, as you've already dreamed of doing it for years.

"I love you too, Tony, now please make love to me; you're driving me crazy if you don't move soon," you plead with him, and he gives in to your pleas. The first stroke has you clenching around him again, and a breathy chuckle slips from his lips this time.

"If you want me to make love, you have to relax a bit, Little Mouse," he says, and you giggle at the nickname. It feels so out of place, yet so right at the same time, and it has precisely the required effect; you're relaxing, and he takes his time to make love to you. Seconds feel like hours as your breaths mingle and your pussy is taking him over and over again as if it's a dance that has your bodies moving in a beautiful rhythm.

Your free hand roams over his broad back, your nails digging into the scarred skin as the pleasure builds inside you, and he groans at the feeling as it adds to his pleasure as well. You're squeezing him as he is on the edge, too, wanting nothing more than to fall over the edge together.

"I-I'm close, Sweet Girl," Tony grunts as you dig your nails into a delightful spot for him, and your moans are also becoming more irregular as you're on the brink of your orgasm, needing a few more strokes in the right spot to get you there. Sweat adorns your body when Tony does precisely that, and you squeeze his cock like a vice as you cum with a shout of his name, your back arching into him as your gaze is focused on him.

"Fucking fuck! Oh, you feel so- fuck- amazing," Tony exclaims as his orgasm washes over him, his balls emptying deep inside you with a few last sloppy strokes. Your first time with Tony was nothing short of amazing, and after a soft whine, as he pulled out, you showed a broad smile at the thought of everything that just happened.

"Shall we take a bath together?" Tony asks after he manages to catch his breath again. You nod before pulling him close, capturing his lips in a passionate, loving kiss that sends your heart into overdrive from excitement. Then, Tony quickly runs a bath before grabbing some fruit from his fridge - the sight of him walking around butt naked has you giggling like a teenager again, and Tony can't help but smile at you.

The bath water perfectly soothes your sore muscles, and the scent of roses surrounds you as Tony joins you in the bath. The foam makes way for his body as he gets comfortable across from you. As you two share a bowl of watermelon pieces in silence, you can't stop smiling as your dream has come true. You've slept with the man of your dreams, and he's a true gentleman as he massages your sore legs.

"I love you, Y/N," Tony tells you as he works his magic on your calves.

"Being with you makes me feel happier than I have in a long time, and I realize that I have something worth living for and someone worth coming home to. That being said, what would you think of officially becoming my girlfriend? I should let you know; it does mean I won't let you go, ever," he quips, making you laugh heartily at his words. Being Tony's girlfriend sounds like heaven; you can't wait to tell everyone about it.

"I would love nothing more, Boyfriend," you say with a wink, and Tony smiles from ear to ear, the twinkle in his eyes giving away his excitement at the new nickname. That night, you sleep over at his penthouse, both still bare as you fall asleep in his arms. It's some of the best sleep you've had in a long time, and you're already looking forward to more of these same nights together.

The following morning, you're being woken by a combination of soft kisses all over your bare skin and the sun illuminating your boyfriend's bedroom in a golden hue, and you couldn't possibly think of a better way to start your day. A soft hum escapes as you turn onto your back, and Tony smiles as his lips keep tracing a path over your smooth skin down to his ultimate goal.

"Good morning, Angel," he whispers as he reaches your belly button, his eyes looking up to meet yours with a gaze that sets your insides on fire in the best way possible. Eventually, after he is done with his teasing, he buries his face between your thighs, giving you the perfect start of the day by gifting you a mind-blowing orgasm, and you haven't even had breakfast yet.

"Hmmm, this is a good way to wake up," you murmur after he crawls back up, capturing your lips with his as you taste your arousal on his lips and tongue. Then, it's finally time to get up and grab some breakfast. You put on one of Tony's oversized dress shirts, which is long enough to cover everything it needs to, and Tony is dressed in nothing but a pair of tight sweatpants as you two go down to have breakfast together.

As you're in the communal kitchen, you're sitting on the counter, swinging your legs back and forth as you watch Tony make some delicious pancakes - just like he has done countless times before for you. While they're usually reserved for when you come back from a mission, he decided to make them now as well, all while he keeps stealing more kisses from you.

Once the entire stack is finished, he comes to stand between your legs, and you wrap them around his waist, pulling yourself to the edge as his fingers dig into your thighs at the closeness of your body to his. Your hands are laced in his hair while your lips are locked in a passionate kiss, and you overlook that you now have an audience. Only when Natasha clears her throat do you pull away and look at the Avengers with a deep red blush on your cheeks, which Tony matches.

"Mornin', Lovebirds," she says with a wink before grabbing herself some breakfast, and you burst out into a fit of laughter at the fact that you've been caught in the act of kissing your boyfriend in front of everyone. However, over time, they definitely will get used to the level of PDA you and Tony share, quickly becoming the new normal.

It was only a matter of months before Tony proposed to you, and within a year of you and Tony becoming official, you're also officially Mrs. Stark. At first, you couldn't stop addressing each other as your fiancé/fiancée after his proposal, but when you married, you'd happily tell everyone you knew that Tony was your husband. To top it all off, you can now give each other the perfect nicknames - the tradition of giving each other silly and weird nicknames has continued through it all - as you're expecting your first baby.

"Hi, Daddy," you whisper to Tony as he caresses your belly, which has grown exponentially since you learned about the little one growing there.

"Good morning, Mommy. I can't wait for this little nugget in here to call you Mommy as well," Tony says, and you smile as you rub your belly alongside him. You can't wait for that moment to be here, either, but first, you're going to enjoy every second you can of them being small, as they only stay that way for a short period.

"I love you, Tony; I can't imagine my life without you, and I have to say, I've never been more grateful for a game of Truth or Dare in my life," you say, referencing the moment that started it all. Not many moments will top that night, but you definitely owe it all to Natasha, who has been by your side and couldn't be prouder of you and your husband.

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allzelemonz · 19 days ago

Text

Might As Well: Negan Smith X FTM Reader

Fictober Prompt: Day 4, Forced Proximity Pronouns: he/him, Reader referred to as ‘man’ and ‘guy’ Physical Sex: AFAB, neutral wording used except in warnings section Rating: E/Smut Warnings: Negan says trans people are hot, Negan being gay, Negan has a dick size fixation, Negan is his own warning, cave in, trapped together, trans reader, trans male reader, vaginal sex, mention of pregnancy possibility but nothing positive, brief masturbation, top Negan and bottom Reader, mention of Reader being thick, mention of future oral sex Summary: While scouting through a cave system, you and Negan get cut off from the others.

The cave-in happened without a lot of warning. Just enough rumbling for everyone to panic, not nearly enough to get Negan out. The rocks fell, filling the whole passage and leaving the rest of the scout team on the other side while you and Negan stand between the fallen rocks and a natural dead end. You can faintly hear Simon and Regina shouting at the rest to shut up, but nothing beyond that.

You look back at Negan, eyes searching for injuries on your boss. “You good?”

He nods. “Dandy, just fucking dandy.”

“Alright!” Simon shouts from the other side of the rocks. “We’re gonna need some tools, probably wood to prop up the cave, get the fuck back to the truck.”

Negan smirks, leaning against the wall. “That’s my Simon, getting shit done.”

“Still gonna be a while.” You run a hand along the rocks. “Shit’s pretty thick, boss.”

“It ain’t the only thing.” Negan mutters, tilting his head as he looks you over. “Would you be absolutely offended if I said I wanted to stuff whatever hole you got, man?”

“Funny, boss.” You mutter, still scanning the rocks to find some kind of opening.

“You think I’d joke about that?” Negan huffs. “You’re a good lieutenant, don’t get me wrong, but my first pick for you was husband. And since we got a while, well… we might as well, huh?”

You look back at him, finding his face oddly steady as opposed to that typical bullshit expression.

“Now.” He sighs, setting Lucielle aside and starting to unbuckle his belt. “Either I beat it to your handsome fucking face or I get to stick this uncomfortable problem between your legs. But I am gonna get off either way, cause you’ve had me hard for like an hour.”

You watch with a bit of a swirling mind as he pulls himself from his pants and starts to stroke.

“Feel free to jump in.” He groans lightly as his head rests back against the cave wall.

You feel a dryness in your throat, a throbbing below the waist, and the immediate image of your boss fucking you into the rocks beneath your feet.

“Okay…” Your voice comes out scratchy and low enough that, in the back of your mind, you wish it would always sound like that.

He pauses, smiling over at you. “Any boundaries I need to know about?”

You crinkle your brow, not fully expecting him to care about something like that.

“Look, man…” He sighs, shaking out his hand. “You ain’t the first guy in that situation I’ve had and you definitely won’t be the last. All I wanna know is if I can touch everything without a lotta grief or if I should just hold your hips and fuck.”

It surprises you for half a second before you realize that, of course, Negan has not only fucked the occasional non-traditional guy but knows how to make that fuck go over well enough that he can empty his balls. “Second one.” You mutter, unbuttoning your pants.

“I’ll keep that in mind. You okay on your stomach?”

You nod, carefully kneeling on the rocks and pulling your pants down your thighs.

“And as far as I’m concerned your dick would probably be huge.” He chuckles as he takes your hips and guides you to prop them up as you settle on your stomach. “You got the biggest balls kinda attitude, but it’s like you don’t give a shit and that’s hot as fuck for me.”

“Thanks…” You mutter quietly, trying not to feel any particular way about the small affirmation.

“Anytime.” He presses his tip up against you, dragging it gently. “Maybe we can find you a nice big dick so you can fuck me next time. One that suits you, gotta be at least eight inches and nice round nuts for a guy as hot as you.”

He presses in, sinking in one thrust as he groans and squeezes your hips. Your back arches on instinct, the filling sensation making everything throb and heat in seconds. Your hand goes to your mouth as he starts to move, not wanting to make anything echo through the other caves.

“Taking it like a champ.” Negan mutters. “Fuck, I can get real deep with you.” He grinds into you, his balls pressing firmly against your skin. “Ya gotta let me cum inside, baby, it’s too good. Dr. Carson’s got pills and shit, just say I can.”

You nod lightly. “It’s fine, boss.”

“Yeah…” He picks up his pace, hunching over you to get deeper. “That’s my guy, huh? Giving the boss everything he can.”

You press your head against the cool rock floor and bite deep into your hand to keep the sounds at bay. Negan’s good. He knows how to fuck and fuck good. Every shove forward now brings you close and it’s one final thrust that brings Negan over that gets you too. He floods you, warm and already leaking out around his dick as it’s settled as deep in you as it can go. You shutter and groan into your hand as your body milks him dry. The two of you lay for a moment, Negan lowers your hips to rest on the ground and hums into your neck as he rests lightly on top of you.

“Next time we’re stuck, I’m sucking whatever dick you got.” He mutters against your skin, giving you a small kiss. “I know there’s shit to make it bigger, and I’ll be damned if I can’t find something. You got no idea how much I wanna get my mouth around it.”

“You plan on getting us stuck in a cave again?” You mumble, a bit tired from the intensity as you lazily shift under him to get more comfortable.

“You could just come see me.” Negan smiles against your neck. “I’d suck you off anytime.”

#the walking dead #the walking dead x reader #the walking dead x trans male reader #twd #twd x reader #twd x trans male reader #negan smith #negan smith x reader #negan smith x trans male reader #x reader #x trans male reader #kinktober #kinktober 2024 #fictober #fictober 2024

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reneesghostinthelivingroom · 1 month ago

Note

eii, i LOVE your fics your writing is like SO GOOD.

Também tenho um pedido, vocês poderiam fazer um leitor Poly! Plastics X onde a leitora tem TDAH mas não faz nenhum tipo de tratamento porque os pais dela não levam o diagnóstico a sério então em algum momento ela começa a ficar sobrecarregada e brava consigo mesma por não conseguir se concentrar e por pensar demais então ela acaba se afastando um pouco da Plastics para não ser um fardo e isso fode um pouco a cabeça dela, nisso a Plastics vai percebendo aos poucos e correndo para fazer uma intervenção e ajudar a leitora.

Desculpe se fui muito específico, eu meio que me identifiquei e queria um pouco de conforto :/

Searching for Quiet

|| poly!plastics x fem!ADHD!reader

(i myself am poly)

|| Warnings; reader struggling with ADHD (descriptions of what she's going through), short drabble

|| Summary; when reader's ADHD becomes too much for her to manage on her own, she distances herself from the plastics. Not wanting to be a bother to them. The plastics don't let reader get away with that, though.

Requests open!

Started; september 24th

Finished; september 25th

~~~

The classroom felt overwhelming. Everyone was talking while they worked on their assignments. Everyone expect you. You couldn't focus on the paper in front of you. Your foot tapped impatiently, the noise around you feeling impossibly loud and overwhelming. Making your skin crawl. Even though in reality, it wasn't quite as loud as it felt. It was more of a casual buzz of conversations; but the way they mixed into each other and overlapped was not helping you.

As you continuously tapped your foot, you clicked your pen at the same rate. Usually repetitive motion of some kind helped your ADHD to focus on what you're doing and not the rest of the world. Today apparently wasn't the case. It was all too much.

Too loud.

Too crowded.

Regina, Gretchen, Karen and you all sat around the same four desks, you could hear your girlfriends talking with one another but couldn't pick up on what exactly they were saying. You did however focus on the gum in Regina's mouth, the tapping of Gretchen's nails on the desk, the subtle rocking Karen did in her chair.

You flinched as you thought of everything around you and that was your last straw. You needed to get out. Go somewhere quiet. Anywhere that wasn't here. Maybe under a staircase or the library if a class isn't in there.

Before you knew what you were even doing, you were out the door. The teacher had called your name but you didn't hear. Even if you had, it wouldn't have stopped youz

Taking off at a light jog through the halls, you rounded a few corners until you were at the library door.

You slowly opened the door and peeked your head in, only to find a class there so you closed the door again and headed to the nearest stairwell. The stairs were open underneath, so that's where you decided to hang out until you weren't overstimulated.

Settling down against the wall, you took a deep breath and sighed. Burying your face in your hands. You were there for maybe ten minutes before you felt a hand on your shoulder; causing you to flinch.

You were met with Gretchen's worried gaze," Y/N?" Her voice was soft as she sat with you and you relaxed a little in her presence," you okay, baby?"

You shook your head and leaned against her. You weren't as overwhelmed as before but you weren't 100% either.

"What's wrong?" Her voice was soft as she held you, trying to be as soothing as possible as the door to the stairwell opened. Regina and Karen ran over and relaxed when they saw you. Which made you confused so you looked to Gretchen for an explanation," we got worried when you ran out of class and searched the whole school for you."

"Do you need a hug?" Karen asked with a small smile, arms stretched out.

You couldn't help but smile as you nodded and stood, getting your hug from Karen who kept you close.

Regina stood off to the side, arms folded as she watched you and Karen while Gretchen stayed seated where she was.

"So. Gonna explain what all that was about?" Regina asked. Trying to seem annoyed to mask the worry she felt.

"I just- was overwhelmed by everything. I was frustrated and didn't want to worry you guys so I left." You explained in a mumble, burying your face into Karen's neck. You heard Regina sigh.

"That's stupid."

"Regina-!" Gretchen frowned.

"Ugh, not like that. I mean it's stupid you wouldn't just talk to us. We were right there. We could have helped."

You took in what she was saying. They could've, but there were so many things that held you back from asking for their help.

"It's just something to work on!" Karen said with a smile as her hands went to your shoulders, you looked into her eyes," right, baby?" She asked.

"Yeah... we- I'll work on it."

Gretchen got up and gave you a hug from behind while Karen wrapped her arms around you again. Then held her hand out to Regina, who rolled her eyes but came and joined the group hug.

Yeah. This helped. You made a mental note to try and start asking for help when you need it.

#x reader #fanfic #canon x reader #fem reader #wlw fiction #mean girls x reader #mean girls #regina george #regina george x fem!reader #regina george renee rapp #gretchen wieners x fem!reader #gretchen wieners x reader #regina x gretchen #karen x gretchen #karen x reader #karen shetty #gretchen wieners #poly!plastics x reader #poly!plastics

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discotitsposts · 6 months ago

Text

soft smells

spencer reid x reader who loves cooking and baking cooking and baking with spencer.

fluff! rated e for everyone!

i keep seeing cooking and baking inspo on pinterest 😫

this is the recipe for bruschetta i used.

(i wanna be his housewife so bad it’s insane)

You hear the front door open as you’re taking the tray out of the oven. You’re so excited for Spencer to try your latest creation, you’re not paying attention to your hands and accidentally touch the super hot tray.

“Ow!” You scream. Spencer runs in and sees you cradling your palm.

“Sweetheart, what happened?” He asks, concerned.

“I accidentally burned my hand.” You hiss at the searing pain. You reach for the freezer to ice your burn.

Spencer stops you, “Wait! Don’t ice it! Ice is the worst thing for a burn!”

Spencer makes you sit at the dining table. He grabs a few things from the medicine cabinet as you watch.

He takes a leaf from your aloe vera plant, and cuts the leaf open. He takes some of the gel from the leaf and rubs it gently on your burn.

You wince at the sensation.

He notices and says, “Trust me it will help.”

“I know.” You manage a smile.

He bandages up your palm and kisses it.

“Alright get more of those every hour.” He says smiling.

“More aloe?” You ask, confused by what he means.

“No, the kisses.” He hands you some medicine to help with the pain. You take it and go back to making your bruschetta.

You pick up the bowl you’d premade with the mixture of extra virgin olive oil, garlic, oregano , basil, onions, salt and pepper. Meanwhile, Spencer transfers the bread onto a cooling rack for you.

You brush the mixture onto the bread slices. It smells divine. Then you add the chopped tomatoes. It envelops Spencer’s nostrils and makes his stomach grow hungrier. He tries to steal a slice when you’re not looking.

“It’s still hot Spence. Unless you want your tongue to look like my hand I would put that back.” He sighs and puts the slice back.

You sprinkle basil on the bruschetta and tell Spencer to wait in the living room. He obeys silently. Stomach growling louder by the second.

In the living room, the soft smell of toasted bread and cheese fills his senses yet again. You’d added mozzarella on top and bring it into the living room some time later.

“Cooled off?” He confirms.

“Yes, try some.” He takes the biggest piece and takes a bite. He moans happily when the taste hits his tongue.

“Oh wow!” Is all he can say.

“Delicious. Nothing better.” You say wiping a crumb off your mouth. You look at Spencer whose face is covered in crumbs. His mouth is full. This is one of the funniest things in the world and you laugh.

He tries to say ‘something on my face?’ but all that comes out is,

“Thomeing o ma ace?”

“Yes!” You laugh so hard you can’t breathe and tears fill your eyes.

After he swallows, he kisses you.

“We should make food together more often.”

“As long as you don’t eat it all before it’s done.” You tease.

“As long as you don’t burn your hand first.” He fires back jokingly.

“Oh yeah? What should we make next?”

“Cake!” His eyes light up.

You giddily run with him to the kitchen to go make a cake. You make a strawberry cake together and Spencer decorated it with pink icing and white icing flowers. You slice up some fresh strawberries and add them on top.

It was the best cake Spencer had ever eaten. Even more so, since it was made with love.

the end

tags🍓-

(if you would like to be tagged in all future works you can let me know by commenting a 🍓!)

@whoisspence

@lemonadeinfuser

@fictionalobssed

@exoticisles

@in-another-april

@gallifreyan-idiocracy

#criminal minds #spencer reid #mgg #matthewgraygubler #criminal minds fanfic #spencer reid x reader #dr spencer reid #criminal minds fanfiction #spencer reid fanfiction

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thankspete · 11 months ago

Text

Reunion | dob

Word Count: 4.6k Rating: M Summary: Doesn't matter how long you've waited for it; it's always worth it. | Also on Ao3! Warnings: (the usual, minors dni etc) praise, oral (m+f receiving), unprotected sex (+creampie), marking??, pretty boy is always in charge <3, overstimulation, brief somnophilia + masturbation mentions, they're so in love, no use of y/n as always A/N: this is my belated x(xx)mas gift to u. mwah ⋅ ⋅ ── ✩ ── ⋅ ⋅

You couldn’t blame anyone but yourself, not really.

It was always like this. Maybe it would’ve worked if your back was flat against your mattress, in solitude at eleven at night. You always fell asleep, so content, within minutes. But succumbing to your desires, utilizing your free will to make yourself tremble and squirm during the daylight hours of three in the afternoon while he’s out there, so sexy and so unaware… it was over as soon as you turned the faucet to hot.

There was nothing like cumming in the shower; maybe it was the adrenaline of holding yourself upright at the risk of shattering the glass door or maybe it was the rough pulse setting of your showerhead. Who knows.

There couldn’t have been a better–more scorching–late spring afternoon after days of uncharacteristic gloom. Your late-morning was spent lounging by the pool, grazing on cubed pineapple and hiding greedy looks at Dylan’s body behind your sunglasses. It’d been nearly a week since you’d last had him; he was fresh off a red-eye from his sibling’s birthday celebrations on the east coast. The early flight, coupled with Tommy’s insistence on taking him to a show at a bar in the East Village last night, meant he was schlubbing around all day, falling in and out of a day-long nap. You could admit it was cute when he dozed off on the lounge chair, cap brim low on his face and chin on his chest, but it reached a breaking point when you were sprawled on the couch together, his large hand cupping your breast and a soft snore in your ear. His grip was loose, allowing you to slide easily from his arms, slink to your room, and grab your bathrobe.

Your skin felt warm when you stepped onto the cool tile, still deciding between waiting it out and dealing with the thud in your cunt. You stood beneath the stream, feeling the hot water funnel into the main line as the shower temperature quickly rose from frigid to steaming. You were focused at first, fingers diligently massaging shampoo into your scalp, but they roamed a little further while you scrubbed your torso. With a sigh, you reached for the chrome showerhead and twisted to change the water pressure. It’s quick, you thought. He’d likely still be asleep by the time you left the bathroom, so gorgeous but so unavailable.

And it was quick, but it also left your knees rattling and head spinning from the thick, waterlogged air. Tiny shockwaves are still traveling up your body when you step out onto the plush bath mat, intensifying as the cold bathroom air rushes past your skin, leaving goosebumps in its wake. A tiny whine escapes your lips as you shimmy into your fleece bathrobe and wrap a towel around your head. Looking at yourself in the mirror is a struggle of its own, a visible warmth spread across your face and a well-bitten bottom lip alerting you to the levels of your own arousal. You grunt when you step away, attempting to designate your urges to after dinner, and instead thinking about if you need to take anything out of the freezer to defrost.

“Hi,” Dylan’s soft greeting is a surprise when you step out of the bathroom into your shared bedroom. He’s lying on his side, head resting on his elongated arm and phone screen-down on the bed. His eyes look tired, but his silhouette glows in the light from the window. Dark green sweatpants hang low on his hips, exposing the elastic of his underwear.

“Hi.” You hang your hair towel up behind the bathroom door and begin to walk towards him. “Looking for me?”

“Mmhm.” You twirl a lock of his chestnut hair around your pointer finger, enjoying the length before he inevitably buzzes it all off. “S’boring out there, every episode of Curb is the same.”

“Yeah?” He shifts, sitting up to swing his legs over the side of the bed and face you. “You know what happened during the episodes you were asleep for?” Your hand is in his and he pulls it to rest on his cheek.

“Yeah.” He smiles up at you. “Larry David acts like an asshole, gets what he deserves, goofy end credits song, repeat.” You refrain from rolling your eyes as you settle into his lap, your knees on either side of his body.

“Hm. You’re right,” you mumble between pressing kisses into the scratchy skin of his cheek. One of his hands settles comfortably on your lower back. “That’s it? You came to find me because you were bored?”

“I missed you.” Dylan’s free hand travels up your thigh until he is forearm-deep beneath your robe. “Woke up an’ you were gone.” The water droplets on your skin provide no retaliation to his hot breath on your neck. Something about it makes you want to curve your spine to press your chest to his. Would he feel the rattle behind your breastbone? Could he feel the heat from between your legs, so deftly pressed against the lump in the front of his sweatpants? “Had a dream about you.”

You’re certain now you’re both on the same page, but you pull back and narrow your eyes at him anyway. “Just now?” He narrows his eyes right back at you, a playful smile teasing the corners of his lips. His eyes are a decadent shade of brown as they gaze sleepily into yours.

“Maybe it’s been recurrent.” He shrugs as if he has no clue what you’re talking about, but you catch a glint of mischief in his look. His hands are moving now, one groping your outer thigh and the other fiddling with the fabric rope keeping your bathrobe tied shut.

You almost fall into him at that moment. The flood between your legs only feels more and more apparent since you’d hooked the shower head to its mount and twisted the faucet tightly to the left. Instead of finding comfort against his mouth or alerting him to the wet spot you’re leaving in his lap, you blurt out, “You wanna tell me about it?”

“Would rather show you.” His lips lock onto yours, arms pressing your body into his, molding yourself around him. He’s diligent and in control, mouth firm and domineering against yours. His tongue is soft and wetter than yours, with access to it allowing you to taste a hint of sweetness and tobacco. His hands roam dutifully across the hems of your garment, pushing the fabric off your shoulder and loosening the belt around your waist. Dylan’s back falls to the bed, tugging you down with him. Your robe is splayed open now, caught on your shoulders and thighs. His mouth disconnects from yours to watch you, properly feel you softly grinding yourself against him. It’s almost enough to make you self conscious, but his gaze is always so soft when you’re at your most vulnerable. He doesn’t haphazardly grasp at your body as you lean over him; his hands are deliberately placed on your upper thighs, ghosting feather-light circles into your skin. The sensation makes you slightly ticklish, immediately sending electricity up your spine and goosebumps rippling across your skin. How he knew that would get your nipples pointed and directly in front of his face, you’d never know. You’re not being watched by Dylan, you’re being seen. “You like using me, huh angel?” It’s posed as a question, but you don’t need to answer. You just press your hands to his stomach, your center to the firm bulge in his pants. “Mine,” he says quietly to himself, greedily holding you by your hips and guiding your movements. It’s not enough, but you can feel a pool slowly form in your lower stomach as he works your cunt against his increasingly hard cock. His hips press harder into yours as he moves, fucking into you. You surrender control over your core to him entirely, letting him scrape his clothed cock into your swollen center, twitching when he’d move just right. Your nails leave crescent shaped marks as you hold tightly to his sides. You’re trembling, soft sighs escaping your lips with each swipe of his hips. “Is this really how you wanna cum, sweetheart? Like you’re a teenager again, can’t control yourself?” The condescension dripping from his tongue is almost enough to send you over the edge right then and there. “You just can’t help yourself, can you?” You whimper pitifully as he halts your movements and pushes you onto your back.

“Thought you’d take it as a compliment if I came on your pants.” Your breathing is shallow, eyes watching the way he leans over you, caging you onto the bed with his body.

“Mm.” Dylan’s thinking about it, even if he’s pretending to be preoccupied with touching you. The shift in his eye contact and slight bob in his throat is what gives him away. “Yeah… I have some other ideas, though.” He absentmindedly traces up your stomach, under your breasts, to your collarbone. “My dream, remember?” His tired eyes shine as they look down at you. He is deliberate in his touches, your skin sensitive and lower abdomen incredibly keyed-up.

“I’ve been so good,” you pant, letting your hands roam across the firmness of his chest to his shoulders, then his triceps. “Missed you.”

“I believe it,” he says off-handedly, too busy determining whether to attack your collarbone with his tongue or his teeth. “Thank you for picking me up from the airport this morning.” The sentence comes out muffled; he chose teeth.

“You’re so welcome,” you sigh. “But that’s not what I meant.” You hook your right knee around his thigh and he holds it in place. “You’ve been so busy snoozin’... I’m feeling a little neglected.” He licks his lips as he stares down at you. You’re looking up at him from beneath your lashes, seemingly too bashful for what stumbles from your mouth next. “Maybe it’s unfair, but I was hoping you’d fuck me when we got home this morning.” His eyes, calculating and a remarkably burnt umber color, remain steady as they bore into yours. He’s always so much better at this than you are. “Maybe in front of the mirror by the entryway.” You swallow. Your voice is small, mind distant with nothing but his body keeping you grounded in reality. “Or against the front door.” You guide his hand down your stomach, over your stubbly pubic mound to the dampness that has been accumulating for what feels like hours. It probably has been hours. His eyebrows shoot up. It was only seven in the morning when you’d gotten back, the golden warmth of sunrise peeking through the ornate crystal gaps in your wooden front door. Dylan looked beautiful in the light, especially with a duffel over his shoulder and raccoon circles around his eyes.

“Oh, sweetheart.” You feel yourself falling into your favorite dynamic as your senses become overloaded with him. Dylan is bigger than you’d think from afar, experiencing no issue trapping you between his arms and beneath his body; his gentle breathing, smelling faintly of spearmint and American Spirits, fans over your skin. He’s looking at you like you’re dinner, but something in his eyes tells you he’s going to savor it. “You’ve been so patient, haven’t you?” The hand you placed over your cunt is lazily spreading your pleasure between your folds, brushing past your clit and occasionally circling your trembling hole at excruciating intervals. His other hand travels everywhere, brushing wet hair from your face to ghosting around your neck and gently caressing your breasts. “All day, bet you were soaked for me the whole time, my good girl.” Your eyes roll back and you feel your chest cave in with your breath. “You could’ve said something, y’know.” It comes out almost like a purr and electricity zips up your spine.

“If you hadn’t passed out every fifteen minutes,” you bite. He pinches your nipple sharply between his pointer finger and thumb in response to your attitude, resulting in a yelp escaping your throat. Luckily, it’s the only punishment you get.

“Baby, you know what you want is always alright with me.” You swallow as you watch him intently, your eyes flickering between his eyes and lips, unsure of his next move. “You know how incredible it would’ve been,” he pauses his movements between your legs and shifts his arms to the sides of your head before continuing, “seeing you needing me, in my sleep, taking me like I know you can… to wake up to you messy, doe-eyed, and gagging all over me?” Your face is hot, you’re sweating, and you’re squirming under his firm gaze. “You’d like that too, huh? Be honest, my love. You trust me, don’t you?” His voice is satiny to your ears. Your vision is blurred by pure adrenaline and adoration. The dryness in your mouth prevents speech, but you nod weakly, ready to succumb to whatever he wants to do. “Say it.” His fingers press into your cheeks and puff your lips forward. “You’ll get anything you want as long as you keep talking, keep telling me how much you want it.” His hand rests gently on your mound, feeling like a promise.

“Yes.” It’s hoarse, but it’s there. “Yes, please.”

“I want to hear you, okay? I know you love it, angel, but I need to hear how good I can make my pretty girl feel.” His voice falls to a whisper. “You don’t know how hard it is to be away from you.” Dylan is always like this after returning from a trip, thoughts jumbled from lustfully depraved and tenderly sweet, fighting urges that exist somewhere in between. “No one is like you…” He loses himself in the kisses he’s pressing to your shoulder, your fingers tangled in the hair at the nape of his neck. “No one can make me feel the way you do.” His hands move sporadically across your torso, grasping at your skin haphazardly. “Not in this lifetime, anyway.”

You whine at his touch and words, head spinning but wholly devoted to him. “I love you.” It comes out quietly, a pledge kept solely between you two. A layer of static feels like it is embedded into the top layer of your skin. His fingers are gentle and precise; his pointer and middle finger nestle themselves comfortably around your clit, squeezing occasionally as he moves his fingers vertically. There’s no chance you’ll last under these conditions and there’s no way he doesn’t know it. You’re not in control of your movements against his fingers; you’d be embarrassed by the arhythmic pace of your hips, but you’re too honed in to his touch to care. You’re not even sure what you’re doing, but you know his eyes are illuminated by the light from the window and the look he’s giving you is all-consuming. You also know it feels good. “Dylan,” you whisper. You move your hands from his neck to his shoulder and bicep; he may like being scratched and squeezed, but it doesn't mean he wants a punctured jugular. “I don’t think–” A soft gasp bubbles up your throat. The sheer consistent repetitive movement of his fingers are increasingly enough.

“It’s okay… it’s okay.” Dylan’s mouth covers yours, almost overwhelmingly. His breath is hot as it mingles with yours, your tongue desperately needy in his mouth. The knee hooked around his thigh shifts to rest on his lower back. Your hand slides from his bicep, down the front of his chest rather clumsily until it reaches the elastic of his sweatpants. A frustrated rumble emanates from your chest. You’re surprised he’s had the self control to keep them on this long, especially given the tent he was pitching. Your hand breaches the drawstring, fingers dipping past the elastic of his underwear. “You wan’ me to feel you, sweetheart?” He nips at your bottom lip, already so raw you taste a metallic warmth slowly dripping into your mouth as soon as his teeth make contact. Something about the action and the sharp, but sweet flavor on your tongue feels carnal, your mind sinking to its most feral form. Your fingers dip entirely into his tight boxers, thumb spreading the stickiness from his slit to the bottom of his head. His hips jerk slightly to your touch and your second hand slinks to palm the hot girth in his pants. “Always so considerate, my girl’s always thinking of me.” You nod, out of breath and drunk on the feeling of his middle finger being smoothly inserted into your slick. When he’s successfully knuckle deep, he pulls out and reinserts, adding his pointer finger. You can’t control the sounds that leak from your mouth when he licks at the droplets of blood that have re-emerged from the cracks in your lips. “It’s okay, baby, don’t worry. Let go for me.” He taps his thumb on your bud and you grip tightly to his fingers. You feel ragged, tired from both incessantly thinking about being your boyfriend’s little fuck doll and actually following through on your shared desire. The pool in your lower stomach has only been expanding, tendrils of pleasure seeping up your back, through your limbs. There’s no way to hold on, not with his voice in your ear and his fingers in your cunt. “Promise next time it’ll be around my cock, but I need you to come now.” With a final flick at your clit, at his instruction, the dam breaks. Your hips flick forward, back arching to press your stomach firmly into him. The trembling in your thighs feels like it rocks through your whole body. His fingers fuck you through it, the squelching noises almost embarrassingly sinful. You’re leaking as Dylan pulls his fingers out from your center, coated in your own creaminess. He presses them into your mouth, watching intently as you circle them with your tongue. He seems satisfied by your method, pulling the fingers out and replacing them with a quick peck. Your chest rises and falls rapidly, brushing against his with each breath. “My girl,” he breathes. “My girl, my good girl.” His thumb gently caresses the upper part of your cheek.. “I love you. You’re gonna give it to me again, sweetheart.”

“Off,” you mumble as your hands shakily tug at his underwear. He assists, shooing your hands away to swiftly remove himself of his garments. You use the shift in his weight and attention to your advantage, pushing Dylan onto his back. He’s gorgeous–looking angelically warm in the afternoon light and body hair deliciously untrimmed. You swallow the saliva that floods your mouth as your vision hones in on the twitching, sticky cock resting on his stomach. It’s pure instinct, the way you lean over his lower half, tongue readily lubricating his tip. You pump your spit down his shaft until you’re able to get the first four inches into your mouth.

“I don’t think this was part of my dream, pretty girl.” His verbal attempt at protest is weak while his hand is firmly in your still-damp hair, steadying your head to take him further. In response, you reshift your tongue’s focus to his head, while your saliva-coated hands tug at the base of his cock and balls.

“It’s not a dream of yours to get head from me?” You look up at him for only a few seconds, caught in his lidded yet bemused gaze, before redirecting your attention back to your favorite plaything.

“Definitely not what I meant. You’re…” He trails off and pulls your head up by your hair. His hand moves to cup your jaw, his thumb wiping spit off your chin. “Come here. Would rather finish inside of you.” There’s nothing he can say that you won’t agree to. Especially not the most fulfilling way of feeling his. You clamber up his torso and he sits up to meet you in the middle. You unceremoniously fist his dick, swiping his head through your folds and beginning to press it into your core. From your perspective, playtime is over; no need to drag it out further when it’s already been a week without each other. “Eht–! Tsk.” His hand is on your throat, lifting you slightly as he pulls his head out from your quivering hole. It falls onto his stomach with a wet, heavy thud. “Let me.” Your jaw is slack, breath whizzing past your lips as your pussy clenches at the loss of his stretch. He lets go of your neck, moving his hand down to the hollow of your collarbone. Gently, he pushes your shoulder, body falling backwards onto the bed. He towers over you, perfectly silhouetted in front of the window. He pauses after placing his hands on your inner thighs and spreading you, one knee perpendicular to your crotch and the other pulled up by your shoulder. His fingers glide across the smooth skin of your inner thighs without purpose.

You jokingly rasp, “Won’t let me be in charge, but you haven’t decided what you’re gonna do to me?” He shifts his gaze from your little box, gaping and thumping for him, and narrows his eyes at you.

“Debating if I’m gonna break my promise or not.” Your heart nearly stops.

“What do you mean?” The fingers on your left hand tangle with his as you stare, wide eyed at his pretty, stubbly face. There’s no possibility he wouldn’t finish the job, not by now. He crouches further down the bed, head nearly resting on your lower stomach.

“You think you can handle three today for me, sweetheart?” Oh. His face is so close, you can feel his cool breathing against your warm dampness. You swallow the saliva that has built up in your mouth. “I’m sorry. I’ll get to it eventually, I swear.” His fingers spread you open and he leaves a soft kiss on your clit. “Jus’ missed you. Please?”

“Yes,” you breathe. He wastes no time pressing his flat tongue along the entirety of your slick. “Whatever you want.”

He groans in protest, the vibrations making you gasp. “Whatever you want.” Your hands find his hair, a little oily and just long enough that he looks ruggedly sexy when his beard is grown out. He’s going for the gold, suckling and circling your clit directly with his tongue, well aware that you’re sensitive enough to flood his mouth in under a minute if he plays his cards right. It’s an ego thing for him, knowing exactly how to take care of you. He’s certain no one could make you fall apart the way he can and today he would prove it to himself again. Prove it to you. “You’ve been so lonely without me, huh?” His tongue flicks slow down, but the pressure against your slit increases. “How many nights did you go to bed thinking the time difference fucked you over? Did you think of me when you couldn’t get me on the phone?”

“Dylan.” A wringing motion comes from deep inside of your gut, alerting you to your incoming orgasm.

“Answer me.” His stern voice cuts through the air and reverberates against your cunt. “I know your fingers aren’t enough. Were you left unsatisfied without me here to make you feel good?”

“Yes,” you pant. “I need you. All I can do is think about you when you’re gone. Please keep going, I need you.” He places his thumb right above your clit and pulls to stretch it upwards. With one final thick swipe of his tongue, he has your eyes rolling and fingers pulling his hair. His arms are wrapped around your thighs, pressing his face further into your flooding core as your hand holds him exactly where it feels best. He’s literally moaning into you as he laps you up, occasionally praising your receptiveness and taste. When you let go of his hair and begin to jerk your hips away from his face, he pulls away.

“Good?” He sits up and wipes his mouth on his forearm. You nod weakly, hands wobbly as you attempt to touch his knees. You’re pounding and leaking still, limbs incredibly heavy. With no hesitation, he presses his cock into your weary little hole, messy and slick from your cum and his spit. All of the air rushes from your lungs when he bottoms out.

“S-so sensitive, Dyl,” you whine.

“One more for me. You want it, don’t you?” You tighten around him as he pulls out and slowly presses back in. “Breathe. I’ll take you through it.” He reaches a comfortable pace, fast enough to override the overstimulated numbness but not painful in its force. Each deep thrust scrapes his pubic bone against your button, making you feel like you’re glitching in and out of existence.The pillow to your left disappears and, while still inside of you, Dylan lifts your hips to place it beneath you. You’re wide open for him now, hips tilted up as he changes his angle and begins to slap himself into you. “So good for me, taking me so well. You’re tired aren’t you, baby? Waitin’ on me all day…” Your noises only get louder as he pokes the fleshy roof of your cunt. “We’re almost done,” he coos. “You okay?”

“Yeah,” you hiccup. You’re holding onto his forearms, still trembling. “Please, faster. I need it but it feels, I feel so–”

“Okay, honey. Just trust me, alright?” Dylan’s lips purse and a glob of saliva falls from his lips to where your bodies meet. He uses a finger to spread it around, then holds your hips by the curvature of your lower back. He grinds you against him with each full-length thrust, his spit messily coating your point of contact. He doesn’t even pull out anymore, just pushing himself as deeply as possible inside of you. Your ankles link together behind his back, pressing him so deep you can feel a tingly pressure next to your cervix. It almost hurts, the feeling shooting between your pussy and your brain. He spits again, harder this time, directly onto your clit. The pace of his hips combined with a quick pinch of his fingers sends you over the edge without warning. Your final orgasm rips a small cry from deep in your chest, whole body vibrating as you clench around the hot girth inside of you. Tears leak from the corners of your eyes, your body feeling tight and loose at the same time, alive and dead. In purgatory, maybe. “Fuck.” He grunts and presses himself as deeply as he can, spurting hot stickiness as your orgasm milks him. “‘It’s like you were made for me, swear to God.” Your body relaxes as he claims you, filling you to satisfaction. He pumps into you a few times, coating your inner and outer cunt with his essence. His body covers yours completely, kissing you as he continues to lazily thrust. Your hands roam his back, arms, and hair as he continues to purposelessly move inside of you. It’s hard to take a deep breath; you’re still trying to address the trembling in your limbs and stretch in your core.

“Missed you.” It’s all you can muster. Your brain and body are composed of nothing but mush and Dylan.

“Missed you.” He’s smiling, eyes shining happily as they look at your weary face.

“Can we cuddle?” He nods and almost laughs, pressing a final kiss to your cheek. The air feels cold against you when he sits up and pulls out.

“Stay right there, gonna get a towel.” He squeezes your hand as he stands from the bed. You watch him saunter towards the bathroom and your eyes snap all the way open when he grabs the towel you’d been using for your hair.

“Dylan–!”

ermmm anyway so. ty for reading <3 as always, i'll love u forever if u like, rb, and/or lmk what u think :) (this is a sideblog so i cant respond to replies but i see them and ily)

#someone tell me how i feel ab this\#it's good i think but too fresh. might edit it some more in the coming days as i nitpick #dylan o'brien smut #stiles stilinksi x reader #stiles stilinksi imagine #stiles stilinksi smut #dylan o'brien imagine #dylan o'brien x reader

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xtaketwox · 4 months ago

Text

Fates Intertwined

Summary: Sometimes life is incredibly unfair. Other times, you realize that fate really does exist.

Rated: E

Word Count: 7344

Read on AO3

Special thanks to @itsthedoodle for beta reading!

@elucienweekofficial

Ten Years Ago

“Elain, we have to go.”

Graysen let out an exasperated sigh as Elain frantically felt around the bottom of the lake with her feet, ignoring her boyfriend’s impatience as she held her nose and dove under the water, feeling around for any sign of the bracelet.

She gasped, nearly inhaling water, when Graysen grabbed her by the arm and pulled her up.

“Elain,” he said, a frown on his face, “it’s gone. You probably lost it while we were on the boat. I have football practice tomorrow. If we don’t leave now, I won’t get enough sleep and then coach will be all over my ass.”

Elain’s eyes filled with tears as she nodded, accepting the bitter reality of having lost the only momento she had from her mother. Everything else valuable had been sold to make ends meet.

This whole trip to the lake had been a disaster. First it stormed on their way there and they very narrowly escaped an accident on the freeway. Then when they finally arrived at Graysen’s family cabin, the electricity was off, making the whole house muggy and boiling hot. When it finally did come back on, Elain got achy from the ice cold air flowing out of the window unit a/c. Since Graysen was treating her to a weekend away, she had tried to hide how miserable she was, but losing her mother’s bracelet was the final straw in this horrible weekend.

She bit her lip and pulled her arm from Graysen’s grasp as she trudged out of the water, not caring that the sandy mud stuck to her feet as she walked back toward the house.

Tears slid silently down her cheeks as she came to terms with the fact that the last piece of her mother was gone forever.

*****

6 years ago

Lucien sat on the lakeshore, arms wrapped around his knees as tears dripped down his face. It was the second anniversary of Jesminda’s death, and he wondered if a day would come when thinking about her didn’t send a stab of pain straight through his heart.

He knew his phone was probably blowing up since he had put it on airplane mode three days ago, but he couldn’t deal with anyone telling him they were sorry, or asking him what they could do for him, or telling him it’ll get better with time. He didn’t want it to get better with time. Sometimes it felt as if his grief was all he had left of Jesminda, and he didn’t want it to go away.

So Lucien sat, watching the sun dip lower toward the horizon as tears streamed down his face.

He blinked when something glinted in his eye from near the waterline. Ignoring it, he turned his gaze back to the lake.

A breeze whispered past him, and the hair on his arms stood on end. He shivered and looked back to the waterline as something glittered again. He slowly stood and walked over, his heart beating strangely in his chest as he neared the water.

Wiping his eyes with his arm, he squatted down to peer down at the bit of gold sticking out. He brushed aside the sandy mud as the water gently lapped at his feet.

It was a bracelet.

Lucien picked it up, swiping it through the water to clear away the mud. There was nothing particularly special about it, aside from the fact it was gold. He turned it over and saw an engraving.

To the love of my life

Something tingled down Lucien’s spine at the words. Had the bracelet come from Jesminda?

He immediately scoffed at the idea, but he couldn’t take his eyes off the bracelet. He sat down, not caring that his pants were now getting wet and muddy, turning the bracelet over and over, his heart thudding rapidly in his chest.

The engraving meant this must have been special to someone. Unless perhaps they had thrown it in the lake to get rid of it.

He stared at the scrawling letters. He didn’t think so. He didn’t know why, but he knew that this had been precious to someone. If only there was a way to return it.

Maybe it really was a sign from Jesminda.

Maybe it was her last goodbye.

*****

Today

“How are you holding up?”

Elain lifted her shot and threw it back, wincing at the burn. She hated alcohol, but today seemed like a good day to get drunk. She lifted the empty shot glass toward Feyre.

“To Graysen.”

Feyre sighed, sitting next to Elain as she held up a hand to the bartender. When her shot glass was refilled, she tossed it back again. It was disgusting. How did people drink this for fun?

Feyre grabbed her wrist when she started to signal for a third shot. “Slow down. You’ll end up throwing it all up if you don’t.”

Elain wrenched her wrist away and turned around. “You’re no fun.” She stood, grabbing the bar when her vision temporarily blacked out. She couldn’t be drunk already.

When her vision cleared, she started walking toward the dance floor. She felt as if she were floating in a dream, but wasn’t sure if it was the alcohol or the shock of finding out Greyson had gotten married to the woman he had cheated with today.

“Elain—”

Elain waved off her sister. “I’m fine, Feyre. I just want to dance.”

Elain didn’t know how to dance.

Well. Not unless it was a waltz or one of the other dances her mother had insisted they learn when she was alive. Her mother had been convinced it was imperative for her daughters to know how to waltz, as if it were still the middle of the 1800s.

But all you had to do was sway to the beat. Elain tripped to the center of the dance floor, closed her eyes, and started moving. On any normal day, she would never do such a thing. The idea that people could see her and judge her dancing was enough to keep her safely on the fringes of any club, but today she didn’t care what anyone thought.

That could be the alcohol talking though.

The song was mostly just a repetitive beat. Elain tried to think of what it was called. EDM maybe. She laughed as she realized she was standing with her eyes closed at the center of the dance floor and instead of dancing to the beat, she was contemplating what style of music this was. Greyson would have teased her about it.

A stab went through her heart at the reminder that it didn’t matter what Greyson would have thought. He had left her two months ago, claiming he had fallen in love. He had kicked her out of their shared apartment, giving her a single day to find somewhere else to live. Thankfully, Feyre’s husband, Rhysand was filthy rich and so they had rooms to spare. Nesta, ever the lawyer, had tried to convince Elain to take legal action, since her name was still on the lease, but Elain had been too heartbroken to bother.

Now she kind of wished she had, but it was too late. She was alone and Graysen was married after telling her he wasn’t the marrying sort.

She had been so stupid.

Tears pricked at her eyes, but she forced them down and focused on feeling the music instead.

Time blurred as one song bled into the next. A voice in the back of her head told her she was going to regret her shoe choice in the morning, but she couldn’t be bothered to care.

A slow song started, pulling Elain out of her thoughts. She blinked, coming out of her head as she looked around and saw couples pairing up. With a pang, she turned to leave and ran straight into a broad chest.

When she looked up, her heart skipped a beat.

“Holy shit,” she mumbled. This was the most gorgeous man she had ever seen. His hair was coppery and long, his eyes a gorgeous shade of brown, and the smirk on his face should be illegal. Her gaze dropped to the broad chest in front of her, taking in what looked like a swimmer’s body with broad shoulders and a tapered waist.

It didn’t even register that she had cursed out loud until the man chuckled and took a step back. Heat rose to her face. It must be the residual effects of the two shots she had drank earlier because she never swore, at least not out loud.

“Sorry,” Elain mumbled, looking down.

A finger slid under her chin, tilting her head up so that her eyes met his. “I should be the one apologizing for not giving you space.”

Elain could only blink up at this man, rendered mute by his smirk. He was tall. Very tall. And very, very gorgeous.

He smirked again and dropped his finger to hold out his hand. “Would you like to dance?”

Only then did Elain remember they were in the middle of a dance floor. She nearly said no, feeling suddenly conspicuous, but then remembered where being compliant and safe had gotten her and instead took his hand, nodding.

He twisted her hand so he was holding it firmly in his, sliding his other hand to her lower back as Elain placed her hand on his shoulder.

“I’m Lucien,” he said, his breath whispering across her face. He smelled like expensive sandalwood cologne and mint toothpaste. “What’s yours?”

“Elain,” she said, wincing when her voice came out breathy. She cleared her throat and looked down.

“Tell me, Elain, why were you dancing all alone for two hours?”

Elain snapped her head up. “What?”

A corner of Lucien’s mouth tilted up, his eyes glittering with amusement. “I would apologize for watching you dance, but you were such a delight that I can’t find it in myself to feel shame.”

“I…what?” Heat rose on Elain’s face, flustered by the intense look in Lucien’s eyes. She wasn’t used to being the center of attention. Once upon a time she had been one of the popular girls at school, but after her mother’s death and her family’s subsequent fall into hard times, she had become more withdrawn. At times she had wondered if Graysen even noticed she was there. She had often told herself she liked it that way, had liked not being the center of attention, but the way Lucien’s stare made her heart flutter was making her rethink that stance.

Lucien smiled fully and Elain felt her breath catch. “I apologize if I’m coming on too strong,” he said. “I have to admit it’s been a very long time since I’ve dated and I’m a little bit rusty.”

“Oh?” Elain could keep the surprise from her tone. With a man as gorgeous as Lucien, she had expected him to be a player.

Lucien’s smile dimmed a bit as he said, “I lost someone very dear to me and it’s taken a long time to even think about dating again.”

A pang went through Elain’s chest. “I’m so sorry.” She lowered her eyes to his chest as she continued. “I lost my mother over a decade ago and my father passed just last fall. I would like to say the pain diminishes over time, but I haven’t found that to be the case.”

When Lucien didn’t respond, Elain looked up. He peered down at her with a frown, confusion in his eyes.

“I’m sorry,” Elain said in a rush. “I didn’t mean to make it all about me.”

Lucien shook his head. “No. I appreciate you telling me. You’re just the first person who hasn’t told me it’ll get better with time.”

Elain nodded. “Yes, well, in my experience, the only people who say that are people who haven’t lost someone close to them.” She gently squeezed his hand. “But if it helps, the amount of space that pain takes up in your life does grow smaller as time goes on. The pain will never go away, but the amount of time you spend dwelling on it decreases.”

The song ended and the DJ switched back to EDM. Elain stepped back, but Lucien held her hand, preventing her from pulling away.

“I know we just met,” he said, looking between her eyes, “but would you want to go somewhere quieter?”

A tingle went down her spine, the hair on the back of her neck standing on end. It was supremely stupid to go somewhere with a strange man when she didn’t know anything about him, but something told Elain this wasn’t your average chance meeting, that there was something special about Lucien.

She swallowed and nodded. “Let me just tell my sister.” She bit her lip. “And if you could leave your name and phone number with her, I would appreciate it.”

Lucien nodded, “Of course.”

Elain looked around until she spotted Feyre sitting in a corner, her travel water color set on the table in front of her. Elain smiled as she walked over. Leave it to Feyre to spend her night at a club painting. She looked up as Elain approached, surprise lighting up her eyes as she saw Lucien walking half a step behind Elain.

“Lucien?”

Elain turned, raising her eyebrows as shock registered on Lucien’s face. “Feyre?”

Feyre stood and walked over, giving Lucien a quick hug in greeting.

“You two know each other?” Elain ask, looking between them.

Feyre smiled, though there was bitterness at the edge of her eyes. “I met Lucien through Tamlin.”

Elain could only blink as she looked back at Lucien, reassessing whether she wanted to spend the evening with him. If he were friends with Tamlin, that definitely changed things.

“Yes well, I haven’t spoken with Tamlin for years. Not since I refused to tell him where you went.”

Feyre’s now-husband, Rhysand, had helped Feyre finally get free from Tamlin several years ago after he had destroyed her art studio in a fit of rage.

Feyre’s eyes softened as she smiled. “I never did thank you for that.”

Lucien shrugged. “Friendship only extends so far, and I’m sorry to say I ignored too many red flags with Tamlin. If anything, I should apologize for not helping you sooner.”

Feyre grabbed Lucien’s hand and squeezed it. “But you helped when it mattered most.”

She let go of Lucien’s hand and looked over at Elain. “Do you two know each other?”

Elain shook her head, glancing at Lucien and now feeling the creep of embarrassment. “No, we met on the dance floor.” She cleared her throat. “We are leaving. I just wanted to tell you and have Lucien give you his name and phone number.”

Feyre’s eyebrows rose as she glanced between them both. “I see.”

Lucien tapped at his phone. “Is your number still the same?”

Feyre shook her head. “No I changed it.”

Elain looked away as Lucien and Feyre exchanged numbers, her face growing hotter by the moment. The two shots had worn off and her common sense had returned. It was one thing to do something stupid with a stranger, but knowing Lucien was an acquaintance somehow made it feel even stupider. What if Feyre judged her for wanting to leave with Lucien?

When they were finished, Feyre turned, giving Elain a hug. “I can see the doubt on your face. I’m fine with it. Lucien’s a good guy, but if you want to back out, I can say it makes me uncomfortable.”

Elain squeezed her sister as relief flooded through her. She did still feel a bit unsure, but not about Lucien. Only about doing something so out of character. “My only worry was that you would mind.”

Feyre pulled away and said soft enough to avoid Lucien hearing, “I’m happy if you’re happy.”

Elain nodded. Feyre smiled. “That settles it then.” She turned to Lucien, placing Elain’s hand in his. “I expect you to show her a good time, Lucien.”

“Feyre!” Mortification hit Elain like a truck, her eyes widening at her sister’s statement.

Lucien laughed, squeezing Elain’s hand as he responded. “If I return her in a state less than perfect bliss, you have my permission to sic Rhysand and his minions on me.”

Feyre winked at Elain, speaking to Lucien. “I’ll hold you to that, Vanserra.” She made a shooing motion. “Now go on. The night is dwindling.”

Lucien bowed slightly, “If you insist.” He turned to Elain with a smile. “Shall we?”

Elain nodded, pressing a hand to her hot cheeks as Lucien pulled her behind him through the crowd. It was a relief when the cool night air hit Elain’s cheeks. Lucien gave his ticket to the valet and stood to the side, pulling Elain with him.

Elain couldn’t look at him, still mortified by Feyre’s brazen statement. She’d be lying if she said she hadn’t hoped this would ultimately lead to sex, but to say it so boldly…

“I hope you know, there’s no pressure to do anything tonight.”

Elain glanced over at Lucien, who was peering down at her with a wrinkle between his eyebrows.

“It was just a joke,” he went on. “I didn’t ask you to come with me because I expect anything from you.”

The knot in Elain’s chest eased at his statement and she nodded. She cleared her throat, determined to be brave. “I-I was just taken aback.” She forced herself to hold eye contact as she continued, “But I would be lying if I said I wasn’t hoping for sex tonight.”

Lucien’s eyes widened slightly, his lips lightly parting as he sucked in a breath. He rubbed his thumb over the top of her hand, sending a burst of awareness up her arm. “So long as you’re sure,” he murmured, his voice hardly loud enough for her to hear.

Elain’s eyes dropped to Lucien’s lips as she nodded. “I’m sure.”

Lucien’s throat bobbed as he nodded and turned to look toward the street. Elain also turned to wait for Lucien’s car. She smiled at how tense he was, feeling a surge of something new, perhaps pride, at rendering him speechless.

When the valet arrived with Lucien’s car, Elain’s eyes widened. “You drive a Porsche?”

Lucien tipped the valet and then held open the car door, shrugging. “Sometimes.”

Elain blinked at that as she sat in the car. Lucien shut the door and jogged to the other side. When he was inside, she asked, “How many cars do you own?”

Lucien laughed lightly. “Too many for one person.” He glanced at her before pulling into traffic. The car moved like a dream. “I’m hardly a car collector, but three cars is still too many for one person.”

“Which others do you have?”

Elain was relieved to have a safe topic to gather her wits after so frankly admitting to what she wanted. She had never done that with Graysen. He had said he wanted her to be open about what she wanted, but the truth was she didn’t like speaking about it. It had always felt unladylike with Graysen.

She wasn’t exactly a mouse in bed, she knew how to have a good time, but voicing her likes and dislikes had always felt too risky. What if Graysen had judged her. She firmly ignored the voice in her head that tried to say that that might have been the reason for Graysen’s cheating. She simply refused to take the blame for that.

And maybe in the end, Graysen had been right. She should ask for what she wanted. She was an adult, and even if her only experience came from Graysen, it wasn’t like she was didn’t know what she wanted.

The drive went faster than she expected, the conversation flowing easily from one topic to the next. She was surprised when Lucien pulled into a parking garage attached to one of the most exclusive apartment buildings in the city. Only the wealthiest people lived here.

She supposed she shouldn’t be surprised if Lucien had been friends with Tamlin. That man may have been an idiot but he had been a rich idiot.

Elain unbuckled her seatbelt and was surprised when the door opened and Lucien’s hand was there for her to grasp as she stood. “Thank you,” she said, smiling up at him. She squeezed his hand when he made to let go, liking the warm feeling traveling up her arm at the contact.

Now that they were here, and had been able to talk without awkwardness, Elain felt her hesitation melt away. Something about this felt right.

Lucien smiled down at her and then turned to walk to an elevator at the end of the garage. Once inside, he used a key to press the button for one of the middle floors. Her surprise must have shown on her face because he chuckled. “I’m rich enough for the building, but not for the top floor penthouse.”

Elain rolled her eyes at his wink, but couldn’t keep the smile off her face. “Well, then we may have to rethink the whole thing. Here I was thinking you were filthy rich.”

Lucien’s eyes dropped to her lips and Elain’s stomach flipped. “Oh, I think I’m probably rich enough.”

Elain bit her lip and Lucien swallowed. They both jumped when the elevator pinged and the doors opened into a foyer. Lucien strode out of the elevator, pulling Elain along behind him. He stopped abruptly by the couch in the living room and turned toward Elain. She couldn’t help her smile at how flustered he looked.

He cleared his throat. “Would you like a drink?”

Elain shook her head, her heart pounding as she looked Lucien in the eyes and said, “I want to have sex.”

As if her words had snapped the tether holding him back, Lucien tugged her forward, his large hand cradling the back of her head as he bent down and pressed his lips to hers.

A burst of awareness hit Elain as soon as Lucien’s lips touched hers, igniting a fire inside as she wound her arms around his neck, standing on her tip toes. Lucien’s tongue swept into her mouth, his other hand traveling down her waist to cup her bottom. Elain couldn’t stop the light moan as he gently squeezed.

She wound her fingers into his hair, scraping her nails down his scalp. Lucien moved his other hand down to her other side and lifted. Elain wound her arms around his neck, gasping lightly as she brushed against the bulge in his pants. Lucien turned and started walking. Elain brushed against him again, gasping at how sensitive she was. She grasped his hair hard, rolling her hips and moaning into his mouth.

Lucien spun abruptly, pressing her back against a wall as he moaned into her mouth. When she rolled her hips again, he squeezed her ass and wrenched his mouth free.

“If you keep doing that, then this will be over very fast,” Lucien said, his breath sawing in and out.

Elain bit her lip as she stared into his eyes and rolled her hips again. Something mischievous glinted in Lucien’s eye as he grabbed her legs and unwound them from his waist, waiting for Elain’s feet to hit the floor before he whispered in her ear, “Misbehavior will be punished.” He brushed a finger down her side and back up, before reaching behind to grasp the zipper to her dress and pull it down. “I am going to enjoy the taste of you.”

Elain shivered as the chill air hit her skin. She closed her eyes, hands grasping at nothing against the wall. Lucien pressed a kiss just below her ear, then her neck, sucking lighting as he slowly pulled her dress down until it fell to the floor, leaving her in her bra, underwear, and heels.

He sank to his knees, kissing her belly as he traced a finger around the edge of her underwear, hooking his thumbs inside and pulling down. Elain stepped out of the underwear and dress, both of which Lucien tossed to the side before spreading her legs. He sucked in a breath when he ran his finger through her and found her dripping wet, looking up at her as he licked his fingers.

Elain bit her lip against a moan when he held her eyes and lowered his head toward her clit. She closed her eyes, her head falling back against the wall when he licked once before sucking her clit into his mouth. Her knees felt weak.

Graysen had almost never done this, saying oral grossed him out, although he never seemed to have a problem asking her for a blow job. Lucien, however, was acting like sucking on her clit was his favorite activity. He moaned against her, heightening her already soaring pleasure. Her nails scratched against the wall as she scrabbled for something, anything to hold on to.

She pressed the heel of her palm against her mouth, trying to muffle the sounds coming out of her mouth, but she snapped her eyes open when Lucien pulled away, his hand closing around her wrist.

“I want to hear you,” he said, his voice low, a pleading quality to it.

Elain felt herself flush, but nodded, her stomach flipping at Lucien’s smile. He placed her hand on her breast before letting go of her wrist.

“Hang on,” he said, his eyes smoldering into hers as he lowered his head once again.

Elain gasped and squeezed her breast when Lucien once again swirled his tongue around her clit. Surprised by how good it felt, she brought her second hand up to squeeze her other breast as well, her legs going weak again as Lucien showed her no mercy, sucking and licking with abandon. His hands traveled up and down her calves and the backs of her thighs, his thumbs teasing her every time he reached the top.

Elain’s body grew more and more tense as Lucien’s tongue worked it’s magic. She had never felt like this, had never had an orgasm build this intensely without breaking. She didn’t know how to ask for what she wanted, couldn’t seem to form the words to tell Lucien she needed him inside her. All she could do was roll her hips.

Lucien seemed to understand what she was asking, his finger circling her entrance, moaning at finding her so pliant. He moaned again when he thrust a finger inside and Elain broke, screaming as she came. Lucien caught her as her legs gave out and she slid against the wall.

He wrapped an arm around her back and one under her knees, standing and cradling her to his chest as Elain melted against him, still twitching as aftershocks hit her. She had never come that hard before, not even when she gave herself an orgasm.

Lucien strode to the bedroom and set her down on the bed, planking above her and brushing away a strand of hair as he looked between her eyes. “Okay?”

Elain bit her lip against a smile and nodded. “Better than okay.”

Lucien smiled and then lowered his mouth to hers, his tongue sweeping back inside as he lazily kissed her, over and over. Elain scratched her nails through his hair, grasping lightly at the hair on the base of his neck as Lucien continued lazy assault on her mouth.

Elain loved kissing. It had always been her favorite part about sex because it was the only time Graysen would spend any amount of time kissing her. She loved the intimacy involved with kissing, the way it could be both sexy and sweet. Graysen had always claimed it wound him up so much, so she knew that kissing him meant they would have sex. And she had thought she didn’t mind, but now thinking back, she wished she had voiced her feelings more, had told Graysen she didn’t always want to have sex when she kissed.

Something must have changed in her energy, because Lucien pulled back, concern in his eyes. “Is everything okay?”

Elain closed her eyes a moment, shaking her head to clear away the residual thoughts of Graysen. She opened her eyes and smiled. “I’m wonderful.”

Lucien’s eyes narrowed as he looked at her. “Are you having second thoughts? Because it’s fine if you are.”

Elain shook her head. “Not at all.”

Lucien looked at her a moment longer and then sat back on his knees. “Something feels off. I mean it. We can stop now. I won’t be angry if you aren’t feeling it.”

Elain cringed, shaking her head. “That is definitely not it. I am very much feeling it.” She rubbed her forehead, hoping she didn’t completely ruin her chances with Lucien when she made her next statement. “I just…was thinking of how different you are to my ex.”

Lucien blinked at her a moment. Elain grasped his wrist in an attempt to stop him from leaving even though he was frozen. “I mean that in the best way possible.” Her desperation to make him understand so that he didn’t pull away completely overrode any anxiety she might have felt over being so open. “You’ve made me realize how little he ever gave me, how I shouldn’t have accepted it.”

Lucien frowned down at her. “What do you mean?”

Elain swallowed, tracing her thumb back and forth across Lucien’s wrist. “He never—that is he rarely—he didn’t like—” Elain closed her eyes and inhaled, trying to compose herself. “He never liked oral sex.” She opened her eyes. “Or kissing.” She sighed. “Or more exactly, kissing that didn’t immediately lead to sex. But you…” She didn’t try to stop her smile as she said, “You kiss like you enjoy it.” She looked down, flushing more as she added, “Enjoy me.”

After several silent moments, she looked up to see Lucien frowning down at her. She opened her mouth to say…something, but before she could Lucien said, “Your ex sounds like an asshole.”

Elain laughed. “He definitely was. I just wish I had realized it before he cheated on me.”

Lucien’s eyes bugged out. “He cheated. On you?” He shook his head, and Elain’s chest warmed at the look of utter disbelief and rage on Lucien’s face. “So he’s a moron and an asshole.”

Lucien glared down at her, though his eyes were distant, as though it weren’t her he was glaring at. Before she had time to process it, Lucien leaned forward, capturing her lips in a searing kiss. He peppered kisses along her jaw, sucking her earlobe into his mouth for a moment before he said, low in her ear, “We will not be having sex tonight unless or until you beg me. I want to hear every noise you make. I want to hear you scream. And if what I do doesn’t make you scream, I want you to tell me what I’m doing wrong. Because if the hall is any indication, there is a hellcat trapped inside of you, and she deserves to be free. Your ex didn’t deserve to lick your shoes, let alone make you feel like you need to hide yourself.” He pulled back to capture her eyes, his fingers tracing along her hairline. “Okay?”

Elain nodded, her heart skipping a beat at the look in Lucien’s eyes. “Okay.”

“I mean it.” Lucien looked between her eyes. “Please tell me what you want.”

“I want you to kiss me,” Elain said, her eyes dropping to his lips. “I want you to kiss me until I can’t breathe.”

Elain had expected Lucien to kiss her fiercely, but instead, he slowly lowered his lips to hers, kissing her sweetly. He lifted his head, tilting it before capturing her lips again. Elain wound her arms around his neck, pulling him on top of her and wrapping her legs around his waist.

Lucien seemed content to keep kissing her close-mouthed until Elain licked along the seam of his lips. Only then did he sweep his tongue in, and it occurred to Elain that he was making her take the lead. She shoved aside the anxiety that threatened to rear its ugly head, determined to just feel and enjoy without thinking. Lucien had told her he wanted her to let him know what she wanted, so she was going to.

She didn’t know how long they lay kissing, but Lucien did exactly what she had asked: he kissed the breath from her lungs. Eventually, she pulled away, gasping, her whole body on fire. “I need more.”

Lucien kissed along her jaw and down her neck. “Where do you need more?”

Elain grasped his hair when he lightly bit the juncture between her neck and shoulder. “Everywhere.”

Lucien hummed. “You need to be more specific.”

She grabbed his wrist and placed his hand on her breast. “Here. I need you here.” He gently squeezed before pulling the cup of her bra down and wrapping his lips around her nipple. Elain squeezed her hands tightly into his hair, her back arching as he sucked, his other hand pulling down the opposite cup and pinching the nipple.

Elain tried to writhe, but was pleasantly pinned by Lucien’s weight on her. Just when she was about to demand he switch sides, he popped off one breast and moved to suck her other nipple inside his mouth. The cool air hit her wet nipple, sending a shiver up her spine. Lucien pinched her at the same time he sucked her other, sending a burst of awareness straight to her clit. She moaned loudly and Lucien smiled against her.

“Touch me,” she moaned.

“I am touching you.”

Elain laughed at Lucien’s mischievous tone. “I need you to touch my clit.” Her face warmed at being so frank, but all embarrassment was gone the moment Lucien’s finger circled her, moving in time with his tongue on her breast.

Her hips rolled of their own accord as her muscles wound tighter and tighter. She felt empty and scrambled to catch her breath as a second orgasm neared. “I need—I need—” before she could get the words out, the cord tethering her to the world snapped and she was screaming as wave after wave of pleasure washed through her.

Lucien pulled his hand away as he leaned up to kiss her, as if he had read her mind, had known she wanted to be kissed as she came down from such intense pleasure. She moaned into his mouth, squeezing her legs and gasping as his erection pressed against her.

She only realized then that Lucien was still fully clothed. She’d had two orgasms and he hadn’t removed a single article of clothing. She pulled away, breathing heavily as Lucien licked and sucked his way down the column of her throat.

“I need you to take over,” she said, her voice breathy. “I need you inside me.”

“I didn’t hear you,” he said against her neck. “Could you repeat that?”

Before she had time to think it through, Elain grasped Lucien’s hair and pulled him away from her, glaring playfully into his eyes as she said, “I want you to take over and fuck me.”

She bit her lip against her crude language, but Lucien’s eyes sparkled as he smirked at her. “If that’s what you want.”

She nodded. “That’s what I want.”

Before she had time to think, Lucien sat back, pulling off his shirt and tossing it to the side. He held her gaze as he unbuttoned his pants, climbing off the bed only long enough to shuck off the rest of his clothes in one go before getting back on the bed.

Elain yelped when Lucien flipped her onto her stomach, pulling her hips up. She pressed her forehead into the bed, closing her eyes so she could simply feel.

“Hang on.”

Elain fisted the sheets on either side of her head, gasping when Lucien slid inside, her previous orgasms making her body just plaint enough that the stretch pulled a moan out of her as she grasped harder at the sheets.

“Are you ok?” Lucien’s voice was strained, his fingers digging into her hips as he held himself still.

Elain only barely had the wherewithal to nod her head, pushing back in an attempt to chase the friction she needed. Lucien began moving and Elain curled her toes as Lucien set a punishing pace, moaning into the mattress as her already overstimulated body barreled toward a third orgasm.

Time lost all meaning as Elain closed her eyes, her entire focus on the sensation of Lucien inside her. Sex had never been like this, never this good, never this intense, never this long. She certainly had never come more than once. If she had known what her sex life could have been like, perhaps she would have been the one to leave Graysen instead of the other way around.

She opened her eyes as her body tightened, tightened, tightened, threatening to be the hardest orgasm of her life. Her legs began shaking and she wasn’t certain she could have stayed upright if Lucien hadn’t had a death grip on her hips.

“God, Elain—” he choked out.

Her name was a plea on his lips, and the sound of it sent her careening over the edge, her orgasm breaking hard. Her entire body felt electrified, her vision going white as she screamed.

She hardly registered Lucien’s own scream before he fell on top of her, pressing her into the bed. Almost immediately, Lucien rolled to the side, pulling her back against his chest as he gasped for air. Elain could hardly move, her body still twitching in aftershocks as Lucien pressed kisses into her hair, breathing as if he had just run a marathon.

Elain wrapped her hands around the arm banded across her chest, closing her eyes as she tried to remember her name.

They laid there for so long that Elain shivered against the chill air of the apartment. Lucien let go of her just long enough to reach behind him and toss his comforter over both of them.

Elain sighed, snuggling down into the blanket as Lucien ran his hand lightly up and down her side before settling his hand on her hip. Before she could wonder what she should say now, she drifted to sleep.

*****

It took a few moments for Elain to gather her bearings when she woke up. For one terrifying moment, she thought it was Graysen behind her and she tensed, ready to leap from the bed. A moment later, however, the events of the previous evening came back and she relaxed.

Lucien breathed softly, his breath tickling her ear, his hand still resting on her hip. Nature called, so Elain carefully extracted herself from Lucien’s grasp, careful to move slowly so as not to wake him.

She padded softly to the adjoining bathroom. When she was done, she glanced around, noting the expensive stone counter and enormous shower. She tiptoed back into the darkened room and walked softly to the bedroom door in search of her underwear and dress.

Elain was surprised to realize the sun had risen, the light momentarily blinding her as she shut the door. She flushed pleasantly, a smile lifting the corners of her mouth when she spotted her dress crumpled in the hallway, her underwear tossed a few feet away. She slid both back on and then headed toward the kitchen.

She briefly considered simply leaving, but after the night Lucien had given her, she felt the least she could do was make breakfast. She was really more of a baker than a cook, but she could make scrambled eggs and toast well enough.

When she found the ingredients, she began cracking eggs into a bowl. when she turned to search for a skillet, sunlight glinted off of something, nearly blinding her. She closed the cabinet and stood, walking over to see what had caught the light.

The hair on her arms and the back of her neck rose as she peered down at the side table and saw a gold bracelet.

It couldn’t be…

She reached down with shaking hands to pick it up, covering her mouth when she turned it over and saw the inscription on the inside.

To the love of my life

“Good morning.” Lucien smiled as he exited the bedroom. When Elain turned to stare at him with wide eyes, his smile dropped, replaced with a look of concern. “Is something the matter?”

“Where did you get this?” Elain’s voice sounded hollow to her ears.

Lucien walked closer, peering at the bracelet in her hand. “Ah. I found it years ago on a lake shore.” He looked between her and the bracelet. “Why?”

Elain swallowed and then traced the lettering on the inside. “I lost this a decade ago.”

Lucien tensed, looking rapidly between the bracelet and Elain. “What?”

Elain looked up, unable to keep the tears from filling her eyes. “It was my mother’s. It…I lost it while I was swimming in a lake in high school. She—” She took a deep breath and closed her eyes. “She passed when I was younger and this was the last thing I had that hadn’t been sold to pay bills after her death.” She looked back down at the bracelet. “I never thought I’d see it again.”

When Lucien made no comment, Elain looked back at him, shocked at the haunted look on his face. He opened and closed his mouth a couple times before saying, “I went to a lake six years ago on the—” he swallowed, his adam’s apple bobbing, “on the anniversary of my fiance’s death.”

Elain’s heart cracked at the pain on Lucien’s face. He caught her eyes and continued. “I was sitting on the shore and it sparkled in the sun.” He reached out to run a finger along the inscription. “It felt like a message from Jesminda, like I was meant to find it.” It was Lucien’s turn to trace the inscription inside the bracelet. “It felt like her last goodbye to me.”

He pulled his hand back and looked at Elain. There was a ringing in her ears. It seemed crazy to suggest that perhaps they had been fated to meet, but…

She looked back at the bracelet as the odds of meeting the very person who had found her mother’s bracelet clanged around her now empty head.

“Perhaps I was meant to give it back to you,” Lucien said, closing Elain’s fingers around the bracelet.

Elain, the previous evening fresh on her mind, looked up at Lucien, “Or perhaps we were meant to meet. Perhaps—” she opened her hand and looked down.

To the love of my life

It felt too grand to say they were fated to be together, not after just meeting the night before. He would surely think her silly if she said such a thing.

“Perhaps this is the universe telling us something.”

Elain looked up at Lucien, the wonder in his eyes matching the emotion choking her up.

“It does feel a bit like our fates are intertwined,” he went on. He cleared his throat. Elain smiled as his cheeks reddened. “Not to put too fine a point on it.”

“I was thinking the same thing,” Elain said.

Lucien’s mouth pulled to the side. “So what does this mean? What do we do now?”

Elain slid the bracelet on her wrist, making a mental note to take it to have it sized smaller, and held out her hand. “Right now, we go eat breakfast.”

Lucien smiled and her heart skipped a beat when he slid his hand into hers and nodded. “Breakfast it is. We can figure out the rest later.”

Elain returned his smile and tugged him back toward the kitchen. “Exactly. We have plenty of time to figure things out, but for now let’s eat.”

#elucienweek2024 #elucien

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