#SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP YOU'RE ONLY MAKING IT WORSE

[babybearnation]

i love it because i love you

⎇f1 drivers x gn!reader ; he talks about you in his native language (reactions) ⎇contains: arthur leclerc, charles leclerc, dino beganovic, zhou guanyu, kimi antonelli, max verstappen, mick schumacher, paul aron, pierre gasly, yuki tsunoda ⎇author's note: new content style round 3 :D full summary: he talks about you in his native language and you overhear but he doesn't realise you speak the language. native english speakers not included because i don't think it makes sense lol. ⎇content warnings: n/a ⎇word count: 1.2k

arthur leclerc:

horrified. straight horrified. not only did he not realise you were right behind him, he also didn't know you spoke french. he's blushing ferrari red and charles is laughing at him but he's frozen to the spot. he wants to run away and act like he doesn't exist, but he's stuck in place, stuck under your gaze like you're medusa and he's the idiot who fell into your trap.

when you come over and shoo everyone else away before whispering your responding confession to him in shaky french, he can't stop himself from leaning forward to kiss you. it's only a quick peck but soon he's pulling back and babbling apologies in such messy, frantic french that you literally cannot understand him now because you're still a newbie at the language.

it's adorable, really.

charles leclerc:

you think mans isn't just running off and finding the nearest hiding place? you're wrong. after hearing you respond to his confession of his feelings for you in damn near perfect french, he starts running away like a damn cartoon character. except, in true charles fashion, he's kinda fucking dumb, and he forgets that you can literally see him as he runs away.

when you open the door to his hiding spot and hit him with your best "seriously?" look, he flushes, avoiding eye contact and squeaking out a shy little apology. it makes you giggle and he perks up before he's asking you out, a sudden rush of confidence flooding his veins. when you say yes, he's tugging you into the hiding spot with him so he can kiss you, entirely unaware of how suggestive it looks.

yeah, he gets in trouble with his pr team for that one..

dino beganovic:

he's awkwardly chuckling and stammering out apologies in a mix of swedish and english because he isn't sure which language is the best option and all of his friends are laughing at him (fondly, of course) so he eventually just shuts up and meets ur gaze with a tight-lipped smile. you, of course, find this charming.

when you step forward and take his hands in yours before sharing that you feel the same way in adorably broken swedish, dino can't help but get shy all over again, prompting another round of laughter from his friends. it only gets worse when you lean up and kiss his cheek before promising to talk later and practically sprinting off.

he's bright red for the rest of the day.

zhou guanyu:

f1 is so european-centric that whenever guanyu hears another person speaking mandarin, he gets all excited. this time, however, he's mortified. he'd been yapping on the phone about you in mandarin before you'd appeared, prompting him to end his call. when you shakily confess your feelings to him in mandarin, he's shook.

he stammers and stutters before bowing to you, not knowing how else to express his gratitude and admiration for you. when you giggle at his actions, he looks up fondly before immediately launching into a rapid monologue in mandarin that you can barely understand. he seems to catch on and just sighs, shaking his head at his own stupidity.

"i like you, y/n. that's a decent enough summary of what i just said."

kimi antonelli:

honestly, he lowkey makes it worse? when he comes to realise you've overheard him and understood what he's been saying about you, he breaks and starts speaking only italian. luckily, you understand the language quite well, but it makes the entire situation so awkward. like.. there really is no denying that kimi likes you now.

luckily, you like him back and you say as much to him, prompting a very cute blush to spread across his face. he's still very much broken so he ends up responding in italian and eventually, the two of you have settled back into speaking casually the way you were before. it's only when someone notices you're speaking italian that kimi gets reminded of what you two said before and he gets shy again.

yeah, he ends up speaking exclusively italian all day because of it.

max verstappen:

oh boy, he's fucking embarrassed. it takes a lot to embarrass him or make him shy but you? you make him so flustered and giddy he forgets basically every english word ever and just speaks exclusively in dutch around you. it's very much a problem, then, when he discovers you speak fluent dutch. oh god.

when he asks if you've understood his dutch in the past and you hit back with some form of teasing over hearing his many admissions of his feelings for you, he gets embarrassed. when you kiss him, however, the old max returns and he's all confident again, kissing you back and claiming that you're his.

that doesn't mean you won't stop teasing him about this, though.

mick schumacher:

oh this sweet boy is horrified. he's almost positive he's going to get rejected when he discovers that you can speak german and that you've been hearing him consistently praise you over and over to his friends practically right in front of you. then again, that does explain why you kept blushing...

but when you share your feelings for him in slightly wonky german, he can't help but giggle and get all happy, shyly lifting his hands to his face in a weak attempt to hide his rapidly worsening blush. you end up blushing as well, and really, you're just a pair of cherries at this point with how red you both are.

but hey, you both get a partner out of this blunder, so who's upset?

paul aron:

estonian is not a common language to hear in amidst the world of f1. paul is aware of that. that's why, when his brother is supporting him at races, he freely speaks estonian to him, especially when he's talking about you. so when he overhears you talking to his brother in estonian, he's fucking terrified.

of course, before he can run off, ralf spots him, and so he's forced to confront you and the knowledge that you know about his feelings for you. rather than being upset, however, you shoo his brother away and shyly confess your feelings. paul goes speechless and decides to just kiss you as a response instead.

ralf never lets him live it down.

pierre gasly:

he's actually not as shy as the others when he learns that you can speak french and have spoken it this entire time. he thinks its cool and you two end up bonding over and speaking almost exclusively in the language... and then he forgets and starts talking about his feelings for you in front of you.

you giggle and pull him to one side before explaining your own feelings and even then, even after being so embarrassed that he'd slipped up so easily, he recovers quickly and starts flirting with you, making you laugh and smile.

and really, isn't that what he wanted to achieve?

yuki tsunoda:

you know that one clip of him where he calls swearing beautiful and then retracts it almost immediately? yeah, something similar happens when he discovers you can understand him when he's speaking in japanese. he's horrified, literally pale as a ghost, when you respond to his lovesick comment with a shaky expression of gratitude.

before he can run off and join a travelling circus or something, you're pulling him into a kiss, soft and tender. when you two part, he can't focus and the words "will you be mine?" slip out from his mouth (in japanese of course). when you giggle and respond in japanese, it's game over and he's running off, claiming he needs to do a lap of the paddock to calm down.

you find it so adorable that you really can't complain.

© all rights to babybearnation 2025.

[mahojelly92]

Eyes Wide Open

Word count: 1.5k

Content warning: rough smut, dom Schlatt, degrading language (but gentle aftercare)

Fem!reader, 18+ MDNI!!!

You groggily squinted your eyes up at Schlatt as you feel a pillow hit your face, the slap of the cold fabric jolting you awake from your slumber. Schlatt is hovering over you, frowning as he scans your scrunched face.

“C’mon, toots. Would you get up? It's almost noon.”

You groan and turn your head away from him, ignoring his pleas as you rest your face on the pillow again. It took everything in your power not to shove him off the bed right then and there.

Last night you partied with your friends till 2am. You stumbled home into your boyfriend's arms all drunk and delirious. Schlatt begrudgingly put you to bed after helping you get undressed, scowling at the alcohol lingering on your breath. He wasn't a fan of you staying out late, especially when there were creeps at the bars. You told him countless times before that you were safe with your girls and that you had a buddy system, but he was never convinced. Last night he almost lost his shit when he realized you came home alone. What the hell were you thinking? He was gonna let you have a stern talking to, but that all changed when he saw how much of a stubborn brat you were being.

Schlatt shakes your shoulder vigorously. “Do I have to ask again, bitch?” His annoyance cuts through his words. 

You groan and turn over, keeping your eyes shut as you frown and pull the blankets up over your face. He was probably just in one of his moods. And your headache was only getting worse with his berating. Can't he just let you sleep? It was Saturday. Ugh.

He shakes his head in defeat, taking in a deep breath and running a hand through his hair. 

“Alright. Fine. If that's how you wanna act, so be it.” His New York accent tinges his frustration and makes you shiver under the warm blankets. A few moments of silence go by and the bed sheets ruffle next to you. You thought this was the end of it and smiled triumphantly. Finally, some peace and quiet around here. 

Without warning, you feel a cold rush of air hit your body as the blanket is yanked off of you. Big hands wrap around your middle, making you squeal. Schlatt pulls your waist up towards him. Your ass is now in the air and you're on all fours. Something presses into your underwear, making your eyes snap wide open. 

His voice dangles in your ear, lowering to a husky growl. “Wide awake now, huh?” 

He smirks and digs into your hips, pushing you forward and making you groan. You feel a tight sting on your ass and jump. Schlatt laughs and whines in a mocking tone behind you. “Does my girl need some lessons in bedside manners?” He kneads your sore cheeks while you groan into the pillow. “What'd I tell you about coming home alone drunk, huh, sweetie?” His erection teases your clit through his shorts, making you whimper and arch your back. 

“Sorry.” You mumble through the fabric, scrunching your nose in pleasure. “It won't happen again.”

“What was that?” Schlatt retorts, only making you whimper louder. He pulls on your hair tightly, your head lurching up from the pillow as he bends down to whisper in your ear again.

“Say that again, doll.”

“I'm sorry, baby. I promise it won't happen again.” You whine at his mercy as your scalp tingles. 

“That's it. That's my good girl.” Schlatt then slides your underwear down your thighs, promptly massaging your folds. He pulls your head back just a little more and sinks his teeth into your neck. You cry out and rock your hips against his fingers, begging for more. 

“You're a little slut, aren't you?” he mumbles in between his burning kisses, “disobey me like that again and I'll fucking ruin you.”

His words sting your ears and you moan uncontrollably. 

“Jay, I love you. Please…” the words slip from your mouth like honey.

Just then, you feel something press into your pussy. You squeeze your eyes shut and yelp, your thighs trembling as his tip meets your entrance. 

“That's my girl. Take it.” He grunts as he inches forward, filling you up with his warmth.

“Please, Jay. Please!” You beg further as he leans down to squeeze your hips. 

“Please what, toots? Use your words.”

He was all the way in now, making your stomach churn with anticipation.

“Please fuck me, Jay.”

Schlatt chuckles. “Gladly, sweetheart.” He pounds into you, driving his cock into your pussy with every muscle in his body. You move your hands to grip the headboard in front of you, steadying yourself as you jostle back and forth from Jay's powerful thrusts. Your head lulls up and down with every movement. 

“Now… what's my girl gonna do….next time she… she goes out, huh?” He gasps and grunts hoarsely between words.

“Call you! I'll call you!” Your jaw hangs slack as your body surges with pleasure. Your stomach tightens and your legs shake uncontrollably.

You feel Schlatt abruptly pull out of you, leaving you aching and empty. He grabs the underside of your stomach and flips you around. Your back lands on the bed with a thump and he spreads your legs out wide. He repositions himself between you, his eyes glazing over with tenderness as he admires your fucked-out face. 

“You're such a good girl for me.” He sighs, his demeanor changing completely. “No wonder I keep you around, you little slut.” You chuckle weakly and pant heavily, relieved to get a break from his relentlessness.

That didn't last long, though, because he swiftly thrusts back into you, driving you to the edge faster than before. You moan his name and inhale sharply when he presses a firm hand against your stomach, making your head spin from the g-spot stimulation. You claw at his forearms desperately as your orgasm teeters on the edge. 

“I fucking love you. Don't you ever come home alone again, you hear me?” Schlatt coos. His eyes soften into putty as you come undone for him, your pussy contracting and pulsing around his cock. His breath quickens as he reaches his own climax, his thrusts becoming erratic as he feels you tighten around him. At the last second, he pulls out, making you violently twitch. He pumps himself and spurts thick ropes of cum onto your stomach. 

“My god…” you stare in awe at his throbbing dick releasing, your lips curling into a smile as you cling onto this blissful state for as long as you can. Schlatt stares at your face, mentally capturing your strained features evening out as you come to. 

You both lay there for a few minutes, tangled up in each other's limbs and breathing heavily. Your mouth hangs open as you stare at the ceiling, relaxing into the bed sheets as Jay begins to massage your inner thighs. 

“I really am sorry, Jay.” you speak up, your voice cracking a bit. You focus your eyes on a spot on the cieling fan. Your voice eases with Jay's gentle circles on your legs. “What I did last night was not right. I should've let you know.”

Jay grunts in response, gazing at your solemn face with the utmost adoration.

“I care about you, toots. If anything were to happen, it'd be on me. And you already know I worry sick about you as it is.” 

“I know, I know.” You nod, propping yourself up and looking at him. “And getting drunk isn't an excuse, either.” 

Your weary expression catches his attention, and his heart sinks at the regret in your eyes.

His arms leave your thighs and he pulls your back up. You lean forward and wrap your arms around him in a tight hug, mentally cringing at the cum squishing against your bellies, but nonetheless grateful for this moment. 

“It's okay, sweetheart. I love you.” Jay mumbles.

You let out a sigh of relief and almost melt into his arms. He rubs your back delicately and chuckles into your neck.

“Hopefully I wasn't too rough. Had to wake you up somehow, princess.”

You return his laugh, kissing his neck tenderly. “I'm glad you did, otherwise I would've slept ‘till next year.”

He squeezes you and pulls back. “C'mon. Let's get cleaned up before this shit dries on us.” He smirks, the corner of his eyes crinkling. 

You smile and bend down, licking the white smears of cum off of his stomach. He shutters and moans softly, his hands flying to your hair. 

“Not what I meant. But I'll take it.”

You both giggle breathlessly. You raise your head and lick your lips, smiling up at your boyfriend. “Delicious.”

He grins at you and stands up, taking your hand and leading you to the bathroom. 

a/n: blushing giggling kicking my feet rn

I would love to write more fluffy Schlatt content so please request any ideas you have!! 

[absurdthirst]

New Year, New Murder {Dave York x F!Reader}

Rating: Explicit

Word Count: 12.5k

Warnings: Arguing, lusting after a married man, murder daddy, assassinations, undercover role-play, crossing a line, infidelity (?), oral sex (female receiving), vaginal sex, unprotected sex, different positions, disgust, self loathing, abandonment, drugging, shooting, Dave being a charming bastard, lovemaking

Comments: Wanting to go into the field as an operative, you keep getting held back by your boss, Dave York. Handsome, married, he's everything you want and you hate yourself for it. Until you convince him to let you work a target with him on New Year's Eve and everything changes.

🎉🎉Happy New Year! I know it's late, but we were recovering 😂

Co-written with @storiesofthefandomlovers

**Follow @absurdthirst-writes and turn on notifications to stay up to date on all new fics.

|| MasterList || Dave York MasterList ||

Click Keep Reading only if you have read the Rating and Warnings and understand the warnings may not be complete to avoid listing spoilers. As AO3 says 'creator chooses not to use warnings'. You also agree that you're the right age to be consuming anything here.

“I have the schematics for the building, and it looks like the best exit point is at the north end corner, through the kitchens.” You know that you can count on Dave York to ask a million other questions and try to poke holes in the information that you are giving him, but this is rock solid. You don’t even turn back towards the four men that are sitting around the conference room. You know that they are watching closely. Every piece of intel that you can give can mean the difference between life and death. They know that you want them to come out on the other side of the op, hell, you want to be in the op. “The best possible plan you could have would involve five.” You point out. “Your four man team and a fifth.” Now you turn around. “A woman.” You add. “It’s New Year’s Eve. I would be the perfect cover for Dave.” Your eyes slide over to meet his dark eyes. You shouldn’t be attracted to him, he’s married and worse, he’s turned down every request for you to move to the field.You should hate him, but you find your stomach twisting with that familiar pull that can only be described as pure lust. 

Dave hums at your idea, his stomach twisting at the idea of you out there in the field. He doesn’t want to put his best techie at risk. You are the one in his ear on ops, the reassuring presence that lets him go home every time. You’re smart…and beautiful. Too beautiful. He watches you stand there, the screen behind you displaying the floor plan of the hotel. “I don’t think I need a woman. I will be just fine on my own.” He insists, tapping his fingers on the conference table.

“Of course.” You want to say something sarcastic but you just shoot him a tight smile and turn back towards the presentation. You had known he would turn you down, but you had a try.

You go over the details of the op, showing him the best exits in the building and how to blend in, discussing some of the attendees. Dave nods and takes mental notes, his eyes drifting along your form when you turn your back to him. When you're done, he dismisses the team and stands up, watching you as you shut down the screen. "You have a problem, sweetheart?" He asks, noticing how tense you are.

“Yeah, I do.” You spit out, before you shut your mouth again. It doesn’t make a difference, the team leader is stubborn. “Well?” He chuckles when you don’t say anything else as you pack up your computer with obviously irritated, jerky movements. “What is it?” The mere question pisses you off and you whirl around, eyes flashing angrily. “You know as well as I do that this plan would be better with a woman going in with you.” You hiss. “But for some damn reason, you think I couldn’t handle a little field work.”

Dave scoffs, watching you act like a teenager. “It would work better but then I’d have to focus on not only getting in and out without being noticed, killing the target, and not worrying about you. It’s impossible. You’d bring attention to us and I’d be worrying the whole night about your safety. I feel responsible for you.” He explains coolly even though his stomach twists at the idea of anything happening to you.

You snort and shake your head. “I’ve completed all the training.” You remind Dave. “I would be fine. And I’m not some overly sexy supermodel that would turn heads. But four men by themselves at this party would be unusual, having a woman in the mix would help.” You shake your head and turn back to packing up your equipment. “Nevermind. Be safe, have a good mission and see you next year.”

Dave frowns, not wanting you to be angry at him before the op. “You can come.” He announces before you leave the room. He knows this is what leads to you doing stuff behind his back. Talking to other agencies or teams to be out in the field and he’d rather have you with him so he can protect you.

You freeze, astonished that he had agreed to let you go. Turning and staring at him for a second. “What?” You demand and he rolls his eyes. “You can come on the op.” He repeats. “Dress nice.” He sighs. “It is New Year’s Eve after all.”

You nod, excited to prove yourself, and Dave sees your eyes light up. Fuck, that makes his stomach twist with desire. You’re too fucking beautiful. “I’ll pick you up at nine.” He says and you nod, eager to head home and start getting ready. Dave sighs when you practically skip out of the room. “Fuck.” He murmurs and rubs his cheek, unsure of how he’s going to keep you safe tonight. 

****

Dave knows he can’t just honk the horn for you to get in his car so he parks on your driveway and walks to the front door, ringing the doorbell before he adjusts his cufflinks while he waits for you.

Checking the mirror one last time to make sure that the knife you had strapped to your upper thigh isn’t visible, you try to ignore how much effort you had put into your appearance. Dave is a married man, you shouldn’t want him. He has a wife and two beautiful little girls, so the primping and the lipstick and push up bra you are wearing that match the lace panties under your dress are purely for yourself. That's the lie you tell yourself, anyway. Satisfied, you open the door to find Dave looking positively wicked in a black tuxedo that makes your cunt clench and your body tighten in need. “Hi.” You murmur breathlessly. “Let me get my bag.” You tell him, trying not to imagine this as a real New Year’s Eve date. 

Dave’s eyes drift down to your ass, a soft groan escaping his lips as he admires the dress you’re wearing. You look fucking gorgeous and he knows he can’t touch you. Not because he’s married. He’s divorced. Carol is the one who wanted it. Said she couldn’t handle him going off for days without contact with no explanation and he couldn’t explain it so she said they’re over. He was sad, mainly to lose the girls full time, but he sees them every weekend. He didn’t tell anyone at work, wanting the cover of marriage to get out of BS after work drinks and boring shit he doesn’t want to be involved in. You come back with your purse and he steps aside, letting you lock up your place before he escorts you to his car.

You try not to shiver when he puts his hand on your lower back. Bare skin because of the strategic cutout that you think looks amazing. His hand is warm and you can feel the calluses. It will be something you think about tonight when you are in bed alone with your vibrator between your thighs. “Carol isn’t too disappointed you have to work, is she?” You ask, mainly to remind yourself this man is taken so you don’t spin around and throw yourself at him.

Dave shakes his head before he opens the door, “she’s busy tonight and the girls have a babysitter.” He knows Carol has been seeing some guy at her gym. He’s already vetted him and doesn’t give a fuck that she’s already fucking someone else. He just doesn’t want the asshole around his kids if he’s dangerous. Either agency or civilian. Dave opens the door and you frown at his answer as you slide into the passenger seat. He shuts the door and rounds the car, getting into the driver's side.

“The guys are already there?” It seems now like they are going with your original plan that you had lined out. The team is already in place and you and Dave will arrive separate.

Dave pulls up at the hotel, reluctant to use the valet but he has no choice. There's no self parking and that would make him stick out even more. The valet takes his key and Dave tucks the card into his pocket before he rounds the car to help you out, offering you his hand.

“They are already in place.” Dave taps the comm he has in his ear that he turned off when he picked you up. 

You slide your hand into his, looking up at him with an adoring gaze since the extra valets are watching. It’s not an act, but you can finally not hide how you feel about him, even if he will just think you are one hell of an actress.

Dave hates how you look at him. Like he’s hung the moon and the stars. He’s not an idiot. He knows you have a crush on him and that’s what makes this so difficult. He doesn’t want to hurt you and he doesn’t want to see you get hurt. Yet he knows he’d destroy you. He escorts you into the hotel, following the signs to the ballroom where the event is being held and he squeezes your hand when you enter, “you want a drink, sweetheart?” He asks, knowing he will have a Coke but you can have a glass of champagne.

“I’ll stick with seltzer water.” You murmur softly. “It isn’t professional to get drunk on an op.” You know that sometimes you have to drink but a club soda will look like a drink in your hand. That will do.

Dave nods, impressed by your dedication. Most would’ve failed by now and already been grabbing a glass of champagne. He guides you over to the bar, his hand shifting to your back, and he gestures for the bartender to come over. “Coke and a Club soda.” He orders and the bartender walks off. “So…you see our person?” He asks, leaning in closer.

Instead of scanning the room like a novice would, you glance in the large mirror that is above the bar and gives an excellent view of the large ballroom. “Two o’clock.” You murmur softly, leaning in and looking like you are whispering something loving in his ear. “Grey suit with a maroon shirt and black tie.”

Dave glances in the mirror to the target, his hand rubbing your back as he leans closer and murmurs, "good eye, sweetheart. It's early. We need to wait until he has had a few more drinks before we strike. We need people to be drunk to believe that he fell off a balcony." He whispers, his lips brushing your ear.

You can’t help the soft sound you make, but you don’t think he hears it. It’s loud in the ballroom. The bartender slides your drinks in front of you and you take your club soda with a flirtatious smile. “Thank you.” You hum before you press closer to Dave. “Shall we mingle?” You coo.

Dave nods, his hand caressing your bare skin on your back as he throws some cash down for the drinks and he escorts you into the crowd. You are a natural and he hates how easy it is for you to excel at being in the field. He desperately wants to keep you safe but he’s being selfish wanting that.

Making sure to keep your expression almost bored, you glance around the ballroom. Taking note of the exits and the security that is placed around the room. “Oh darling, look.” You seem excited as you point towards the dance floor. “Cameras are pointed away from the balcony.” You murmur softly. “Dancing.” You say louder. “We should dance.”

Dave knows he should keep you at arms distance…literally…but he’s finding it hard to keep away from you. He takes your hand, escorting you to the dance floor where several other couples are and he pulls you close as the band plays a slow song.

You hum softly to the music as Dave pulls you close. The scent of his spicy cologne filling your senses and making you swoon slightly at the way he holds you. It’s possessive, even though it’s just for show. “A new year, new beginnings.” You murmur softly.

Dave allows himself a moment to pull you close. Your perfume hits his senses and he hisses under his teeth at the flowery scent. "Everything okay?" You ask and he nods, offering you a soft smile, "yeah. All good." He promises, rubbing your back and he squeezes your hand, spinning you around.

You laugh softly, not expecting the move but loving how he guides you around the dance floor. For a moment, he smiles and you can pretend he wants to dance with you and it’s not just a cover. A fairytale moment that has your heart pounding and you smile as you come back into his arms. “Mr. Stephens.” You use the fake name he had gotten the invitation under. “You are too smooth, sir.” You flirt. “Keep that up and you will find a girl breathless over here.”

He wishes his real name had fallen from your lips but you are doing a good job of keeping cover. He feels like he could fail at any moment when he has you looking into his eyes like that. “That’s my plan.” He flirts back, “keep you breathless all night long until you let me keep you.” He says, his words true but his tone is playful and flirty…an act that he is finding too comfortable.

You swallow slightly, hoping he doesn’t notice but you’re sure he will. Dave doesn’t miss anything. “Keeping me would never be the problem.” You try to keep your own tone light and flirty, but it comes out seductive.

Fuck, he wants to keep you. He really does. He murmurs your name, pulling you closer to conceal it, and your sigh puffs against his neck. It’s clear that he could take you as his own but he’s not selfish enough to do that. “Can you see him?” He asks, voice rough with some unknown emotion.

“Yes.” Your own voice sounds wrecked, like you are barely holding onto your sanity but your eyes swing over to the target. “He’s alone.” You murmur. “Drunk.”

“Good.” Dave murmurs, “we will leave him for another ten minutes and then the plan can go into action.” He taps his ear, acting like he’s scratching. “Ten minutes.” He says to the team before he mutes himself again and the song comes to an end. “Let’s make some small talk, make our way over to him.”

“Of course.” You let him lead you off the dance floor, his arm around your waist as you head towards a group of people. At these functions, no one knows everyone, not even the host, so it’s not unusual to introduce yourself.

Dave guides you over to a group, wanting people to see him and know him by a different name. “Great party, right?” One of the guys asks and Dave hums, a smile on his face, “perfect way to see in the new year. Doesn’t hurt that I get to see my girl all dressed up.” He winks at you and squeezes your waist.

You fluster prettily and slap his chest with one hand. “He flatters me.” You hum. “It’s nice, even though he knows he’s guaranteed to ring in the New Year with sex.”

Dave chuckles and leans in to softly kiss your hair, “I gotta treat her good. Kiss her real good when the clock strikes midnight.” He winks and the group chuckle, “you’re a lucky bastard.” One man chuckles. “So…how do you know Peter?” A woman asks, naturally nosey if Dave’s instincts are correct, inquiring about how you know the host of the party.

You have done extensive background checks on Peter Malwick, the person responsible for the party. You smile and turn towards Dave, curling into his side. “Our daughter, Mila, attends St. John’s with Stacy.” You play with the lapel of Dave’s jacket. “Sometimes the men go golfing together while we do the monthly charity bake sales.”

Dave caresses your back, a smirk on his face, “I got a birdie last time we went out and then I got to come home and sample one of my wife’s cupcakes. She’s a dream baker.” He leans in to nuzzle his nose against your cheek and the women in the group coo while the men appraise you. Dave has played this game many times but never with a partner and he finds it’s easier to play the crowd with someone else.

You hum, eyes slipping closed like this is a game you and Dave constantly play. It’s easy to act like you are in love with him. “That was a good day.” You giggle, like you are talking about more than golf or cupcakes. The woman who had asked about the two of you seems positively convinced and you turn your head to drop a kiss right at the edge of Dave’s mouth. “How about you?” You ask. “How do you know Pete?”

The woman goes to speak but her husband cuts her off with a look and he says “oh we are in the same business. He’s a close associate of mine.” He says vaguely and Dave hums, “he’s a very successful man.” The husband nods and pulls his wife close, squeezing her arm in warning.

You notice the move but you don’t say anything, smiling at the couple like nothing is amiss. “Sweetheart, I think I need another drink.” You shake your empty glass for effect. “Shall we go get another?” You look over at the woman with a shrug. “Vodka sodas are the drinks that have the least calories here.” You tell her.

She giggles and winks, “perfect.” Dave escorts you back to the bar and he orders you another club soda. “The stage is set. Just gotta wait for the right moment.” He murmurs, rubbing your back as he watches in the mirror.

“Yes, we do.” You murmur softly, looking over at him in complete adoration and lean into his touch. “It will come soon enough.” Your eyes watch as your target stumbles, spilling his drink. “Very soon.”

Dave hums, leaning closer to nudge his nose against your ear. “We will be here until midnight until we are able to take him out. We need to get him outside on the balcony when everyone is distracted.”

“Ringing in the new year.” You hum, smirking slightly. “Sounds like something I’m going to think about later.” You will go back to your house and spend the rest of the evening thinking about Dave inside you. How you wish you had spent New Year’s.

Dave hums, taking a sip of his drink after it’s set down on the bar. He leans closer to you, his free hand on your lower back as he watches your expression in the mirror. You look a little flustered and he wonders if it’s the op or his proximity. Deciding to test you, he leans closer to run his nose along your neck, breathing in the scent of your perfume.

Your cover slips, or perhaps you just lean into it. After all, you are supposed to be posing as his wife. Your breath hitches slightly and you want to turn your head to kiss him. You want to so badly your lips tingle, but you remind yourself that this is just an act. A farce to sell the fact that you are supposed to be here. “Dave.” You murmur breathlessly. 

He knows what you want right now and he can’t give it to you. If he kisses you, he won’t want to stop and he can’t put you in danger. He leans closer, his lips almost brushing your jaw and he presses a soft kiss to your cheek. “It’s almost midnight.” He murmurs, breath washing over your cheek, “and then we will get our target.”

You snap back to your senses and rock back an inch away from him. “Roger.” You murmur, swallowing harshly and turning your head back towards the mirror to keep an eye on the target while your stomach twists in disappointment. Ashamed of yourself for being upset that Dave kissed your cheek instead of your lips. You have to get away from him. The interview you had last week replays in your mind and you rethink your plan. Right now you just need to accomplish this mission.

Dave hums as he takes another sip of his drink, the clock ticking down and soon the band is announcing the countdown is coming up. “We will countdown, make sure everyone sees us and then we will follow him outside. The guys have already made sure he’s outside, smoking a cigar, so we can do this quickly.” He murmurs again.

“You’re the boss.” You remind him and yourself as you straighten up and reach for the drink that has been refreshed. You wish it did have vodka in it right now as you take a sip, but you know that drinking could jeopardize the mission as well as your sanity. The last thing you need is to beg Dave to fuck you in the bathroom or something. There is a room that has been rented under your alias names to complete the cover as a couple enjoying the New Year’s party, but you have no intention of actually using it. 

Dave can feel how tense you are but right now, he has your safety in mind, and that means he’s solely focused on the op. When the countdown is about to start, he takes your hand and guides you towards the balcony, stopping on the edge of the dance floor as the countdown starts. To anyone watching, you’re a couple cheering in the new year, and so that’s what Dave plays. “Three…two…one!” The cheers are loud but Dave surges forward to press his lips to yours, his hand cupping your cheek.

He’s kissing you. You melt into the kiss for a moment. Giving in to the need swirling in your stomach and you wrap your arms around his neck and pull him close. Letting him in when his tongue slides against your lips to demand entrance. Giving him every part of you while the confetti and streamers fall all around you and everyone starts to sing ’Auld Lang Syne’. 

He knows he shouldn’t kiss you like this but he indulges himself this one time. He pulls you close, pecking your lips as he tears himself away from you, knowing that he needs to complete this op. He takes your hand while everyone is cheering, escorting you to the balcony. Anyone watching would think he wants more than a kiss right now with the way his eyes darken but he’s shifting his focus as he opens the balcony door for you.

You try to control your breathing, snapping back into your operational mindset. The mission is the most important thing and you see the target leaning against the railing, a ring of smoke blowing up into the air from the cigar in his hand. There’s only a few moments to be had before revelers will spill out on the balcony and you need to take advantage of it. You feel Dave’s hand squeeze yours and you give him a small squeeze back. You’re ready. 

The target has already been drugged by Resnik who slipped by the target when he got his drink. He should be disoriented and that’s exactly what you find when you and Dave step out into the balcony. No one else is out there so Dave grabs you, dragging you closer to press his lips to yours as he walks backwards towards the target.

You know what Dave is doing, your eyes open and you’re surprised that he is letting you guide him towards the target. “Shit!” The target drops his cigar over the edge and bends down far over the edge for some reason even though it is falling down to the ground five stories below you. “Now.” You murmur against his lips, the perfect opportunity being created for you. 

He wastes no time spinning around and he slams into the target making him cry out as he goes head first over the balcony railing and a few moments later you hear the bang of his body hitting the concrete. Dave pulls away from you, shifting to look over the edge and he sees the twisted body of the target, blood starting to pour from his body.

“We should move.” You murmur, knowing that the team needs to disperse. None of you need to be around when the body is discovered. Resnik lifts his brows at you, surprised by the kiss the two of you shared but you don’t say anything else and he disappears into the shadows of the balcony.

Dave knows Resnik will handle the rest of the op so Dave takes your hand, “let’s go to the room. We need to have more witnesses that see us go to the room. To sell the story.” He murmurs, unsure if he really thinks it’s needed. If he was alone, he’d be gone already but right now, the kisses have muddled his mind and he needs a moment to reconvene…the room will give him that.

You don’t question him, but you giggle as soon as you enter the ballroom, starting to put on a show for anyone who might be looking. “Take me to bed, baby.” You coo, curling around him and sliding your hand up his chest. “I want to spend the rest of the night with you inside me.” 

Dave wants to indulge in those words, take you to bed and show you how good it can be, but he knows he can’t do that. He’d be risking you, making you his in a way that he’d never be able to forget, and he can’t cross the line but right now, he has to act like he is. “Come on baby. Wanna get you naked to celebrate the new year,”

Anyone who watches you would just see a couple eager to get back to their hotel room. Your steps swiftly carry you away from the ballroom and you are on the elevator before the first screams are heard when someone spots the broken body of the man  you had been contracted to kill. On the elevator, you know the cameras inside will be recording you, so you pull Dave close and wrap your arm around his neck to drag his lips down to yours for a kiss. Continuing your cover as the eager partygoers. 

Dave groans, pushing you up against the wall of the car without care. He knows this is for show and when you are in the room, he will ensure you are okay and he will wait until the appropriate time to sneak out with you. Resnik has orders to cut cameras on his order so you can sneak out. For now though, he slides his tongue into your mouth and grips your waist.

You let yourself get lost in the kiss, knowing that this will be the last time, the only time you get to have him like that. You grind against his hard body and feel him respond. Thrilled that even if he can’t have you, he wants you. Even if it is just physically. You tell yourself it’s for the camera but it’s a lie as you slide your hand down between you and squeeze his cock through his tuxedo trousers.

Dave hisses at your touch, knowing he shouldn’t allow you to do this but it feeds the dirty thoughts he has had about you all night. He’s imagined taking you somewhere, making you moan his name. His hand slides down to squeeze your ass, giving you a taste of your own medicine, and he chuckles when you whimper against his mouth as the doors open. “Come on.” He demands, voice raspy with desire as he takes your hand to drag you down the hall.

You feel like you are on fire, but you know that you can’t take it farther. When you get to the room, you will both revert back to your normal professional relationship, the acting will be over. Dave holds onto your hand even as he pulls out the key card and opens the door. He pushes you inside and you hear the door click behind you as you try to catch your breath.

Dave hears your panting and he snaps. He can't help himself. He spins around and grabs you, pushing you up against the door of the hotel room. His nose presses against yours, his eyes open as he stares at you, "tell me to stop." He demands, needing you to order him to stop when all he wants is to strip you down and do what he's imagined more times than he cares to admit.

Your gasp is breathless and eyes wide when he presses you against the door. His own eyes are dark and you can see the lust swimming in their depth, making your core burn and you can’t deny him. “Don’t stop.” You whisper, wanting him despite knowing that it’s wrong. You just want one night with him, then you will somehow figure out how to live with the shame. 

The permission makes him groan, his lips pressing urgently against yours again. His hands desperate as they grab you, already working on finding the zipper of your dress. It’s wrong. He shouldn’t do this. Shouldn’t touch you. Yet he can’t stop. His heart pounds, all composure thrown aside and he pulls the zipper down.

As soon as his hands start to strip you, your own become frantic. Pushing the tailored jacket of his tux over his broad shoulders and starting tugging on his bowtie. Impressed and frustrated by the fact that it’s real and not just a clip on. You want him naked, you need to feel his skin under your hands. Nearly ripping the buttons of his dress shirt. Your comms is pulled out of your ear and tossed aside, you don’t want the team to hear you. “Dave.” You moan when he finally pulls away to peel his shirt and jacket off while your dress falls to the floor. Leaving you standing in your heels, bra and panties with the knife strapped to your thigh. 

Dave trails his eyes along your form, loving how gorgeous you look in the matching set and he knows you well enough to know that you picked that out with him in mind. He smirks, licking his lips and taking in your figure. You fluster and he chuckles, toeing off his shoes to leave them by the door. “Go lay down on the bed, sweetheart.” He orders, “keep the heels on.” He says as he works on his pants.

You shiver slightly, obeying him and forgetting everything but how much you want this man. You watch as you lay back on the bed, propped up on your elbows as he strips out of his pants and leaves himself in his boxer briefs. You lick your lips and shake your head. “All of it.” You demand, wanting to see him. 

He nods, watching you as he pushes his boxers down. His cock is hard, leaking pre-cum as it bounces when he kicks his pants away. You moan and he smirks, reaching down to squeeze his cock. “You want this.” He states, knowing he doesn’t have a doubt of that. “Tell me what you’ve thought about with your fingers inside that pretty pussy.” He orders, pumping himself.

Your eyes are greedy as they roam over his body, drinking in the sight of him. He’s so sexy, even more so with his cock in his hand as he strokes himself. You can feel your pussy dripping with need and you clench around nothing. “You.” You admit shamelessly. “Fuck me. Over the desk in your office. In the gym showers. Sucking your cock when you come in from an op.” 

Dave chuckles, knowing that your thoughts have been filthy and hearing them spoken into the air has him twitching in his hand. “Take your panties off. And the bra. Wanna see all of you. Keep the heels on.” He demands again, his dark eyes trailing along your form.

You sit up to reach behind you so that you unclip your bra. Tossing it aside after sliding the straps down your arms. You lay back down and lift your hips, shoving the lace down and using the heel of your left shoe to hook the panties on and fling them off. You aren’t shy, spreading your legs for him to get a perfect view of your wet cunt. 

Dave groans, eying your bare cunt. It's obvious you wax and he fucking loves that. He steps closer, looming over you, and he moves so fast your gasp echoes when he surges forward to bury his face in your cunt.

You are completely surprised by the face that Dave is eating you out, you hadn’t expected it. You had expected him to want you to suck his cock. His tongue burns a path through your folds as you tangle your fingers through his short hair and you grind your hips down against his face. “Dave.” You moan, eyes closed as you shudder. 

Your moan has him squeezing his cock in his fist as he tastes the tang of your arousal. Fuck, you taste sweet and sour. He loves it. He groans into your flesh, lapping at it as you moan his name again.

He’s not trying to rush you towards an orgasm, or just get you wet enough to fuck. He’s tearing you apart with his tongue. Each stroke is designed to make your stomach clench and your toes curl as he licks into your aching core. You are already so turned on that every flick of his tongue makes your body jolt, so close to coming apart. “Fuck - I- I’m so close.” You pant out. 

Dave can’t believe how worked up you are and he loves it. He groans into your flesh, sucking your clit between his lips, and he desperately wants to hear you fall apart. He wants to taste you. He doubles down, sucking harder on your clit to push you over the edge.

Your thighs shake and with one more suck on your clit, you are screaming out his name for everyone on your floor to hear. Core twisting and flooding in pleasure, cunt gushing as you buck up against his mouth. 

Dave groans, lapping at your cum to work you through it. Your thighs squeezing his head and he loves it. He laps at you until you push his head away. He smirks, his chin shiny with your slick, and he squeezes his cock as he shifts to kneel on the foot of the bed.

“Fuck me.” You beg softly, needing to feel him inside you. You spread your legs enticingly and all of the reasons that you should push him away are forgotten with the dark look in his eyes. He wants you just as badly as you want him. “Dave, fuck me.” 

He can’t deny you when you beg so sweetly. He hisses and shifts to kneel between your thighs, gripping his cock. He pushes into you, walls fluttering to adjust to him and he loves the way your jaw drops. “You’re gonna take every fucking inch and every fucking drop I give you.” He demands, jaw clenched as he looms over you.

You mewl in pleasure as he notches the thick head of his cock at your entrance and starts to push into you. Mouth dropping open as he stretches you out, your hands slide up to his arms, nails digging into his biceps from how good it feels. It’s perfect, he’s perfect inside you, filling up all the emptiness and giving you so much pleasure from the slow and steady roll of his hips. 

He hisses at how your cunt grips him like a vice. It makes his eyes squeeze shut until he opens them, remembering that he wants to watch you take him. He groans your name as he starts to move faster, your tits bouncing with each rock of his hips. “Take it.” He demands, his hands gripping your hips.

You do take it, all you can do is take it. Moaning, you hold onto his shoulders and start to lift your hips up when he thrusts down into you. Wanting this to be more than just a passive experience. You want to move with him. To give back to him. Your walls clench around him when he twitches inside you and you smirk when he groans your name. 

He knows he should’ve stayed away from you but right now, all he can do is fuck you hard and fast. The sounds in the room are your moans and the slap of skin as he fucks into your tight cunt.

It’s everything you expected, everything you wanted from fucking Dave. It’s harsh and passionate, wonderfully rough. You kiss along his jaw and drag your nails down his back, down to grip his ass to feel as he pumps into you. “More.” you beg, “I want more.” 

He leans down to press his lips to yours, his tongue immediately sliding into your mouth. His fingers bruising until they slide up to squeeze your breast. “Feel so good, baby. Always knew you would.”

You moan, thrilled that he had thought about this. That he had imagined fucking you. It’s wrong on so many levels, but you can’t care when he’s hammering into you like he’s going to fuck you to death.

Dave loves how you take everything he gives. Your moans vibrate against his lips and he adjusts his hips, wanting to make you fall apart for him. He needs to feel your walls clamp down on him.

His hips snap forward again and again, the coarse hair surrounding his cock rubbing your clit and the next thrust pushes you over the edge. Your legs tighten and your back bows up, head pushing back into the plush pillow as you cry out. “Dave!”

His eyes roll into the back of his head when you clamp down onto his cock, soaking him, and your cry of his name echoes in the room. “Fuck.” He growls, working you through it. When you stop shaking beneath him, he pulls out of you and you whine. He wastes no time flipping you over, smacking your ass, “hands and knees, baby.”

Your face is pressed to the sheets but you don’t care. Gathering your knees under you to present your pussy and ass to Dave behind you. You want to feel him again and you whine. “Fuck me.” You beg breathlessly, hating how empty you feel.

Dave chuckles, caressing your ass, and he smacks it as you arch your back. He wastes no time squeezing his wet cock, positioning himself at your entrance, and he pushes into you. “Fuck, you’re so tight.” He growls when he sinks into you again.

You moan in pleasure, unable to articulate how good he feels. He feels incredible inside you. His cock scrubs against your walls and pushes against something incredible inside you from this angle.

Dave caresses your spine until he smacks your ass with his palm. He starts to move inside you, “fuck baby. You feel so good. Is this what you thought about? Imagined when you rubbed that little clit?”

“Yes.” You gasp out, the sound almost garbled as you moan right afterwards. He’s thick and heavy inside you, pushing just right to make your thighs shake up under you.

Sweat beads on his forehead as he fucks you harder, desperate to hear your cries of pleasure, and he chuckles when you whine, tits swaying with each thrust. “Fuck. Need you to cum again for me.” Dave demands, knowing you’ll be torn apart by him and that’s what he wants.

You don’t know how you’re supposed to cum when you’ve already had one orgasm. Usually you don’t have more than one, but he is determined. Grunting and panting behind you as he rocks into you. Making you whimper and whine as your body starts to tense up again.

Dave grunts, pushing into you harder and faster when he feels your walls fluttering. You’re close. He can feel it. “That’s it baby. That’s it.” He growls when you clamp down on his cock like he wanted. “Such a good fucking girl.” He hisses and pushes into you. He’s so fucking close. His eyes roll into the back of his head when he thrusts a half dozen more times and falls apart with a growl of your name, painting your walls with his cum.

The heat floods your core and you moan. Loving every throbbing pulse as he fills you up. It’s perfect and you close your eyes, panting softly. Boneless and limp from the pleasure

You collapse forward into the crumbled sheets and Dave smirks at how wrecked you look. You look like you need the night to recover and he chuckles, playfully smacking your ass before he leans down to kiss your shoulder as he slowly pulls out of you. “Fucking perfect.” He grunts as he shifts to flop down beside you.

Your head is pleasantly buzzing and you feel drunk even though you didn’t consume one drop of alcohol. “Happy New Year.” You murmur softly. “I could sleep for a week now.” You hum, giggling slightly. “Think they would let me keep the room?”

Dave chuckles, shifting to fold his arms behind his head, “maybe.” He is pleased that you are satisfied. He certainly is. “We will clean up and then we will get out of here.”

“Go home.” It’s like a bucket of cold water has been splashed on you. Dave is married. You had purposefully ignored that, or tried to, while he was buried deep since you, but now you can’t hide from it. “You better stop and pick your girls and wife up something nice since you’re away tonight.” You sit up and start to climb off the bed, standing on shaky legs.

Dave watches you stand up and he frowns. It’s on the tip of his tongue to tell you the truth but he can’t. He sits up, his stomach swirling with guilt and he shifts off the bed, reaching for his pants. He cannot put you in danger by keeping you and you wouldn’t want him. This was a one time thing. “Yeah.” He murmurs, “something nice.”

You make your way to the bathroom, needing to wash away your sin, but you can’t, it’s buried under your skin. Guilt nearly makes you retch, unable to look at yourself in the mirror as you start the shower.

Dave redresses, keeping his bow tie untied around his neck, and he shrugs on his jacket. He sits on the edge of the crumbled bed, wringing his hands together. He wants you to be his but his life…it’s too dangerous. He can’t allow you to come into this life.

You shower, scrubbing yourself from head to toe and the water is scalding hot. You won’t cry, you can’t - not right now. Not when he has given you exactly what you wanted. You just have to live with the guilt if it now. Getting out, you wrap a towel around your body, your face washed clean of all makeup.

Dave knows he should stay. He just fucked you. He wants to stay but he can’t. He leaves a note, hand steady as he tells you to spend the night. He will act like you’ve had an argument. After setting the note on the pillow, he grabs his comm and leaves the room with a soft click of the door that you won’t hear. He hopes you will quit and go find a safer job. A husband. A family. Live a normal life. He can never have that.

It takes you a few minutes to compose yourself, knowing that Dave has sharp eyes and an even sharper instinct. He will know if you have any kind of hesitation that something is wrong. When you open the door, you find that the entire point is moot, the room is empty. Your heart twists when you see the note on the bed and you don’t even reach for it. You know what it says. It says that this was a mistake. You swallow harshly and move over to your clutch, your encrypted phone inside. You pull it out and dial a number. Ringing once, it clicks - answered but not one greets you. “I accept.” You say calmly, sure now that you are making the right decision.

**** 

*One year later* 

“So any new year plans?” Dave is asked by the new techie and he sighs, “only a job. Good night to take out a target.” He smirks and the tech chuckles, “damn right. Too many distractions.” He says and Dave nods, his mind taken back to last year when he went on an op with you. His chest tightens and he sighs, “I’ll be ready. Just give me the details.” He says and stands up, leaving the conference room as his mind wanders. He has to focus. 

**** 

The party is in full swing when he arrives, dressed in a jacket and tie, this party isn’t as formal as last year and he knows his target will be trying to win over the donors. He’s a politician. One that fucked off the wrong people and now he needs to be involved in an accident on New Year’s Eve. Dave glances around the room, people laughing and dancing, and it’s eerily reminiscent of the night he spent with you. He hadn’t heard from you after he received your resignation in his email and he wanted to track you down but it was like you’d disappeared. He was worried but he figured you didn’t want to be found. You know how to do it and he respected that, knowing he was in no position to convince you to come back to the team. Right now, he wonders where you are. Do you have a boyfriend? A partner? Are you safe? happy? He hopes you are.

Watching the room, you sip your soda water, eyes roaming over the crowd. Your target is laughing in the middle of a group of people, the congressman fawning over the wealth and power of those grimacing slightly as he continues to run his mouth. You smirk slightly, rolling your eyes at the pretentious ass until you catch the sight of a ghost from your past. Freezing as he moves through the crowd, not spotting you, but he’s also not looking for you either. Dave. He must have been contacted for the politician too but you’ll be damned if you’ll let him take him down.

Dave snakes his way through the crowd, making his way toward the congressman and he remembers how much easier this was last year with you by his side. He has to make small talk when he’s alone. His drink is nearly empty and he smiles at people as he walks past them towards the group fawning over the congressman. He turns his head towards the bar, wondering if he should get another drink and wait for the crowd around the politician to disperse. That’s when he sees you standing there. He murmurs your name, his brow furrowing and he quickly makes his way to the bar.

You see Dave start heading towards the bar, towards you. Sighing softly, you know that he will probably approach you. Wanting to know what you are doing here. “Standby.” You murmur into your comms and click it off so your team can’t hear you, although you know they all have eyes on you. You are the lead after all.

Dave approaches you, gesturing for the bartender, and he doesn’t let the shock show on his face. He’s trained for this. For personal entanglements. “Never imagined I’d see you here. You got a boyfriend who works for Congress or something?” He asks softly, raising his eyebrows.

“Or something.” You arch a brow at him, picking up your soda and shake the ice in it. “What are you having, Dave?” You ask. “I should say I’m surprised to see you here, but I know the guest list and I’m not.”

He turns to the bartender who appears and he clears his throat, “Coke.” He orders and he glances down at your glass when the bartender walks off. “You- what the hell are you doing here?” He asks, confused and frankly pissed that you seem to be putting yourself in a dangerous situation. The congressman is involved with the fucking mafia.

Your eyes flicker over to him before you glance back at the mirror above the bar. It always plays into your favor when venues copy each other on design. “Same thing I assume you are doing here, Dave.” You hum, glancing back at him for a brief moment. “So don’t get in my or my team’s way.”

His frown deepens and he shakes his head, “you’re here in a fucking - you aren’t here for tech?” He asks and you smirk, turning to look at him. “I outgrew tech and another company saw my potential.” Your smirk pisses him off when combined with the fact that you are putting yourself at risk doing this job. “No. No. You aren’t - this is my target.” He growls into your ear.

You sense more than see your team start to move in. Reaching up and tapping your comms. “Stand down.” You murmur quietly. “He’s not going to hurt me.” Dave glances in the mirror, seeing three different men in suits stop from various positions around the room. You tap off the comms again and twist to look at your former boss and one time lover. “Seems like they wanted to make sure the poor congressman got exactly what he deserves.”

Dave clenches his jaw, pulling back from you and he watches the men retreat. “I can’t fucking believe this. I tried to protect you and you’ve gone into the lion’s den.” He hisses and shakes his head, “you don’t know what you’ve gotten yourself into.”

“I’ve been running ops for nearly a year, Dave.” You snort. “I think I’m well aware of the dangers of this life.” You see the bartender bringing his Coke over. “Well, this was fun, but let’s not do it again.” You hum as you push off the bar to turn and sashay towards the group of people the congressman was talking to. If you put an extra sway in your step, it was purely coincidental.

Dave watches you go, his dark eyes flicking down to your ass and the memory of slapping it when he was inside you hits him. He swallows a large gulp of Coke and his comm hisses. “holy shit. Was that - goddamn she’s an operator.” Resnik’s voice crackles in his ear and he growls, reaching up to turn off the comm. Leaning against the bar, he watches you flirt with the target and he grinds his teeth, watching in annoyance.

You are aware of the other team now that you know Dave is here. Their formation is typical of their team and you watch them as you laugh at the wildly unfunny joke the congressman makes, offering him a toothy smile and no one notices that the compartment of your ring opens to dump the poison in his drink when you grab his forearm and lean into him to give him a great view of your tits.

Dave notices the move. Shaking his head when he realizes the target has been taken out by you in a move that only a woman could accomplish. Dave huffs and strides over, making his move as he walks past the congressman and bumps his shoulder. “Shit!” The politician yelps as his drink falls to the floor, spilling on his shoes, and Dave smirks over his shoulder as he walks away.

“Asshole!” You call out, furious that Dave has ruined your chance. You have to back away from the target or it will be too suspicious. “Damn.” You hiss, wiping away an imaginary stain. “I better go try to get this out.” You don’t say anything else before you are turning and rushing off towards the bathroom.

Dave feels smug as you rush towards the bathroom and he follows you, stepping into the ladies room when it’s empty for everyone except you. He locks the door behind him and steps closer as you reapply your lipstick. “Poison. I thought you’d be more dramatic.”

“No need when he has an underlying heart condition.” You glance back at him for a moment before looking back at your reflection to meticulously coat your lips. “Less risk when they believe he has a heart attack. The poison doesn’t show up on a toxicology report.”

Dave hums, “true but it’s a little safe. I figured you’d be the kind of assassin that wants a little flair. You are sensible but this is your time to show off. Poison…it’s a little boring.” He shrugs one shoulder, his eyes dipping down to your lips. “I’ve missed you.” He confesses softly.

“You missed me so much you left after fucking me?” You ask, pressing your lips together and turning towards him. You had tried not to let his goading get to you, knowing his vanity and reputation was important to him, but you prefer to fly under the radar and have a solid record of kills.

Dave clicks his tongue, tilting his head, “I had to. I couldn’t - well, it’s a moot fucking point now, but I tried to stay away from you to keep you out of danger. I didn’t want you involved in this way. You could get hurt…or killed. I didn’t want to be the reason you got killed.” He confesses, “so I left before I got in too deep.”

You snort softly. “Whatever, it was for the best, considering that you are married.” You arch a brow. “Carol isn’t going to be pissed that you are ignoring her two New Year’s in a row?”

Dave chuckles, realizing why you are so angry at him. He leans closer and gently brushes his fingers over your shoulder. “I’m divorced. Have been for 2 years.” He reveals with a smirk when he looks at you in the mirror.

Your eyes widen slightly before you school your expression. “Liar.” You hiss, turning away from him. Brushing past him to open the door and Dave grabs your arm, making you yank away from him. Pissed off that he would mock you about this. 

He holds his hands up, “shoot me right here if you think I’m lying but you know me. I didn’t fuck you as a married man. I wouldn’t do that. I might kill for a living but I have some morals.” He says and you scoff, shaking your head. “I still think about that night.” He confesses softly, “a lot.”

Frowning, you watch him closely. He is a liar but you know that he’s not lying about this. His eyes are warm and honest, revealing. “I do too.” You admit. “I felt so fucking guilty because I wanted to do it again. That’s why I resigned.”

“I left you in that room because I was trying to protect you. I’m not a good man. I’ve done bad things and I- I didn’t want to hurt you. I’m divorced. I see my girls every week but Carol has already moved on. I haven’t moved on…from you. I don’t think I ever will.” He admits, “but I’ll walk away right now. You can have the target. I’ll leave and you won’t see me again…if you tell me that you don’t feel the same. That you don’t love me like I love you.”

“You should have trusted me to make my own decision.” You huff. “I know what you do, what I do.” You shake your head. “That shit didn’t matter to me. Just like being showy with my kills doesn’t matter.” You pause and bite your lip. “I’m blown with the target. And I can’t say I don’t love you.”

Dave swallows, his expression neutral but you know by his eyes that he’s surprised. He steps closer, his hands coming up to touch your upper arms. “I love you. I want you. I don’t want to spend every damn day wondering where you are. I want you to come back to the team. Be my partner.”

“You don’t mean that.” You murmur softly and he huffs. “You know I do.” He argues. “Come back to me.” He asks again, stroking your skin. “I want you beside me.” You sway slightly, inhaling his cologne and you hate how he still affects you, even if you love it. “We still have to accomplish the mission.” You point out.

“We can take care of the congressman. You flirt with him, make him sneak off away from security and take him to a private space. We will handle him when he’s alone. Can you do that?” He asks, eyebrows raised as he looks at you.

You scoff. “Dressed Iike this?” You reply, gesturing to your slinky dress. “I could get the man to follow me anywhere.”

Dave chuckles, trailing down your form, “you aren’t wrong there.” He winks and leans in to kiss your cheek, “it’s good to see you again, sweetheart.” He murmurs and pulls back, walking back towards the door to unlock it. “I’ll watch for your signal.” He says and slips out of the bathroom.

You take another moment, unsure of what to do but you trust Dave. He would never put your life in jeopardy. You adjust your tits in your dress and walk out of the bathroom with an air of confidence as you walk towards the congressman.

Dave makes his way through the crowd, his eyes watching you as you approach the congressman. You’re sexy, a small smirk on your lips as your hips sway and Dave swipes his thumb over his lower lip while he leans against the bar he approached.

Walking up the congressman, you practically purr as you wind your arm around his neck. “Miss me?” You pout playfully. “I had to go and make sure I was still pretty enough to get your attention.”

The congressman chuckles, wrapping his arm around your waist to pull you close. “I’m sure you could wear a trash bag and I’d like to see you.” The congressman flirts and you giggle, caressing his shoulder. Jealousy hits Dave but he pauses and reminds himself that you are on an op

“Yeah?” You continue to flirt and some of the group takes the opportunity to escape. Leaving just a few around the two of you. “What do you say that we find someplace quiet?” You hum, reaching up and tracing his lips. “Ring in the New Year in style.”

The congressman smirks, gesturing to his guards to leave you and him alone. The guards hesitate but nod and the congressman takes your hand, guiding you towards the private room in the back. Dave sees this and taps his fingers on the bar, slowly making his way through the crowd.

​​You pretend to be curious about the room. “Did you know this was here?” You ask, pulling away and admiring the sconces on the wall. Giving the teams time to draw in closer. “This is….private.” Turning towards him, you smirk suggestively and crook your finger. “Come here.”

The congressman smirks as he pulls you closer just as Dave opens the door. “Hey man, this is a private room.” The congressman argues and Dave reaches into his jacket. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t know-” He cuts himself off as he pulls the gun from his hidden holster and aims it at the congressman in the head, his silencer on.

“What the fu-“ he doesn’t get a chance to finish the comment as you quickly pull away, making him startle and Dave pulls the trigger. The congressman’s head jerks back and his body holds itself up for a split second before he is crumpling back to the floor, dead. “Goddamnit.” You mutter, knowing you have to burn the dress now, just in case there is blood splatter. “I liked this fucking dress.”

Dave chuckles, shrugging one shoulder as he works on holstering his gun. “You look better out of it. There’s a door back here that leads to the outside.” He says and takes your hand, stepping over the dead congressman to take your hand and he guides you to the secret door he saw on the plans.

You tap your comms and give the command for your team to disappear from the party and to head to the safe house. You will give them instructions later on, after you talk with Dave. “Where are we going?”

Dave guides you to the outside and smirks when you ask him, “gonna take you back to mine. It’s not the new year yet.” He reminds you, “we can have a drink and have our own countdown.”

“You gonna disappear this time?” You ask. Still annoyed that he hasn’t told you he had been divorced. You had felt horrible, disgusting, for a long time after that night.

Dave shakes his head, “no. Absolutely not. You’re staying in my bed.” He promises and you smirk, squeezing his hand. He knows he owes you more explanation and he definitely owes you an orgasm.

There is a car that is parked on a little alley next to the building and you know it’s Dave’s. He guides you to the passenger side and opens the door for you. Waiting until you are seated to close the door and round the front of the car to climb in beside you.

He pulls his comm out, tossing it into the tray holder after he opens the door and helps you into the car before he gets into the driver's side. He looks at you as he starts the engine, “should’ve taken you home before.”

“Like you haven’t taken anyone else home since you slept with me.” You wouldn’t blame him if he did. He was single and free to do whatever he wanted, with whomever.

Dave shakes his head, “I haven’t. I - I have been busy trying to prepare to leave the DIA and I - I had to track you down before I left. I have people after me. I’ve made enemies and I don’t want to put you in danger.”

“Yes you have.” You won’t deny it, anyone that is in this business makes enemies. “But it’s better to have someone watching your back too, isn’t it?” You ask. “Dave- I’m a great operative.”

Dave nods, “you are. I shouldn’t have held you back.” He confesses, “I should’ve helped you and let you grow but I was selfish.” He confesses as he drives to his home.

Your brow lifts in surprise at how he is owning up to his mistakes. “New Year, new Dave.” You hum, watching the streets pass by and you wonder where he lives now. Unless he kept the house in the divorce, but you doubt that.

He chuckles, adjusting his fingers on the steering wheel as he makes his way to his apartment. There’s cameras all over the complex but he knows how to manipulate them and how to avoid them. “Just telling the truth. Something new I’m trying.” He confesses with a chuckle.

You hum and look up at the stylish, neat building. “Are you sure you want to bring me here, York?” You ask, aware that he is placing a lot of trust in you.

Dave nods, pulling into his parking space, “I want you here.” He promises and you offer him a soft smile. He winks and cuts the engine, getting out of the driver side to come round to open your door. “You want a drink now that you’re off duty?” He asks, tilting his head as he holds out his hand.

“Sure.” You take his hand and climb out of the car. “I think we’ve earned one. Although, I’m going to need to get rid of this dress.”

“If you want, you can shower and borrow one of my shirts and some boxers….sweats too. Whatever you’re most comfortable in.” He promises and you smile, “thanks.” He makes sure to avoid the cameras as he guides you to his place on the top floor, key pulled from his pocket and soon enough, you’re standing in his living room.

It’s masculine, dark tones and leathers, but it’s clean. Dave is practical and you love that there is the hint of his cologne filling the apartment. “Very nice.” He said his girls visit on the weekends, so of course he wants a place for them. “Very you.”

Dave chuckles and walks over to the door down the hall, “shower is through there. What do you want to drink? Gin and tonic? Vodka soda? Whiskey?” He tilts his head, realizing he doesn’t know what you like to drink.

“Whatever you are going to drink.” You aren’t particular and you look over your shoulder as you start down the hall. “Bring it to me.” You order with a smirk and reach back to unzip your dress.

Dave smirks as you sway your hips when you walk down the hall. Your dress falling down to your ankles and you expertly step out of it, making Dave chuckle. You are a minx. Different from the mousy secretary that he met years ago. He prepares two drums of whiskey and he carries them down the hall to the bathroom where the shower is running.

It had been an invitation and you are glad that he decided to take you up on it. The water is hot and the bathroom surprisingly spacious for an apartment. You watch through the glass as he comes into the room and open the door to take the glass he offers before you tap the edge of your rim to his. “Cheers.” You hum before you pull your hand back to take a sip. You hum at the smooth burn as it slides down your throat and you meet Dave’s eyes through the glass of the shower stall. “Strip.” You order, wanting him to join you, but you want to see him first. 

Dave doesn’t argue. He sets his whiskey down and slowly unbuttons his shirt, stripping off while you stand under the water. “You want me?” He asks, wanting to be sure.

Your eyes run over the revealed skin and you feel your nipples tighten. “I do.” You admit shamelessly. He’s not married, he loves you, you are free to want him as much as you do. “I want you to fuck me right here in this shower.”

Dave eyes you as the water runs over your body. You’re just as fucking gorgeous and his cock is already half hard as he pushes his pants down along with his briefs, kicking them across the bathroom floor and he picks up his glass of whiskey. He has a sip and sets it back down, stepping towards you to slip into the shower.

Your own whiskey is set down in the empty soap dish, turning towards him when he steps into the stall so you can drag him towards you for a kiss. Wanting to feel that intoxicating, consuming sensation you have been craving since the last time he touched you like this.

Dave doesn’t deny you as he leans forward to press his lips to yours, his hands immediately finding your waist. His tongue pushes into your mouth, sampling the whiskey from your tongue, and he groans, cock pressing into your stomach while his hands slide lower to squeeze your ass.

Even though it has been a year, even though you’ve been upset at him and yourself, all of that melts away when he kisses you. Moaning into his mouth as he turns and presses you against the wall, you are already dripping wet and needing him inside you. Reaching down and wrapping your fingers around his cock to pump him.

He thrusts into your grip, unable to help himself and he devours your mouth. “Fuck, you’re so beautiful.” He groans against your lips, his hands coming up to squeeze your tits. “Gonna fuck you, make you mine again.” He promises and you squeeze his cock, making him groan your name.

You smirk against his lips and groan when he pinches your nipples, rolling them between his fingers. “Dave.” You pant breathlessly. “Fuck me. Now. I - I need you inside me.” He’s hot and throbbing in your hand, making you drip with need.

He can’t deny you anything when you beg him so sweetly. He releases your tits and grabs your thigh, lifting it and he shuffles closer. “Put me in. If you want it, take it.” He orders, leaning in to nip your jaw.

You don’t hesitate. Notching his cock at your entrance and wrapping your leg around his waist. Dave groans when he feels how wet you are and turns to press his lips to yours as he starts to push inside you.

He slides his tongue against yours as he pushes deeper, loving how you whimper and your fingers tangle in his hair. The water hits his back and you are pressed into the tiles as he stretches you out until he is fully inside you.

He feels so good inside you, so thick. Filling you up, and overwhelming your system with the way his cock scrubs up inside you. “Dave.” Your breathless cry of his name is muffled by the water, but he hears it. His lips twisting up into a smirk as he grinds deeper, twitching inside you as you clench around him. “Fuck.” Your arms wrap around his shoulders to hold on as he sets his feet to start moving inside you.

Dave growls, thrusting into you as you are pushed against the tiles. He loves it. He loves you. “Fuck, imagined this pussy so many goddamn times.” He confesses into your jaw, “thought about you so many times.”

You whine in agreement, knowing that despite your conflicted feelings, you had imagined that one night together so many times. You had thought about seeing Dave several times over this year, but you knew that if you did, you would sleep with him, and you hadn’t wanted to risk it. Now you are with him and there is no shame in it. “I love you.” You moan breathlessly, letting him press you against the cold tile wall.

He grunts, “love you too.” His words are washed away by the water, meant for only you and never the outside world. That’s too dangerous. He kisses you softly, rocking into you a little slower as he allows his emotions to show, allowing you to see his vulnerability.

It changes, it turns sensual. Emotional. His tongue slowly slides against yours and he groans into your mouth. Making you answer him in kind, your fingers tangling into his hair as you pull him closer. Giving everything you have to him and he reaches down to pull your other leg up on his hips, lifting you up against the wall as he kisses you.

He doesn’t fuck you hard. He’s slow and he kisses you deeply, passionately, wanting to show you how he feels. He murmurs your name when he pulls back to kiss your jaw, loving the way you clench around him. “That’s it, baby. Take all of me. Fuck. Your cunt is so perfect.” He murmurs, wanting to shower you with praise.

Your eyes slip closed and it’s like you are in a dream. The slow, sedate pace and the steam makes for a romantic air. Something different from the last time you had sex. “You’re perfect.” You counter, turning his head up and kissing along his throat as he rocks into you. “You fit me so well. Fill me up so good.”

“Not perfect. Far from it. But you are perfect to me. Beautiful. So fucking beautiful. Thought it from the first time you entered the office.” He promises, “and I- shit-” He hisses when your walls clench around his cock. “I wanted you from that moment.”

You know that he knew about your crush. “Me too.” You whisper in his ear. “Handsome, smart, rugged, I wanted you. I used to dream about working as a team with you, being lovers.”

“Dream came true baby. I am not letting you go. Gonna be mine. In every way.” He promises, “we plan, we kill, we fuck. We will be unstoppable.” He promises, starting to move a little faster. He wants to hear you fall apart for him, feel it, memorize it in case this is some crazy fever dream. “Fuck, I’m not letting you go now.”

You clench around him, making him growl out your name. Body strong and tightening underneath you as he ramps up the intensity of the thrusts. “No, you aren’t.” You agree, you won’t let him walk away this time. You kiss his lips again and grind down on his length. “Make me cum.” You order.

He doesn’t deny you. His fingers dig into your flesh as he fucks into you, pushing deep, and he grunts against your chin as he watches you. Your eyelashes flutter and he grinds into you, trying to find the spot that makes you fall apart around him.

It only takes him half a dozen thrusts to find it. Squealing in pleasure as your body lights up, his cock pressed deep against a spongy little spot deep in your pussy. “Right there?” He grunts, hissing the words through his teeth since you are so tight around him. “Right fucking there?” As if to prove it to himself, he rocks into that spot again and makes you moan. “Dave, fuck baby, more.”

He rocks into you, teeth gritted as he thrusts deep into the same spot over and over. “Fuck. I need you to cum for me.” He demands and your squeal makes his ears burn when you clamp down onto his cock, soaking him. “Fuck. You are - shit.” He curses, almost struggling to thrust into you with how tight you’re squeezing him. “Fuck, I love you.” He growls, thrusting to fuck you through it until he finds his own pleasure. He thrusts deep, burying himself as he starts to paint your walls with his cum.

“Oh god.” You whine at the feeling of his seed splashing against your womb, loving how full you feel. You hear the fireworks start to explode over the apartment complex and you smile, pressing your lips to his. “Happy New Year.”

Dave smiles against your lips, “happy new year. What a way to start the new year.” He chuckles and you grin, “with a bang.” Dave nudges his nose against yours and he knows he’s never going to let you go now. You are his. His partner in work and in life. “This is going to be the best year yet.” He promises and you hum, caressing his back as the water flows over you. A new year, a new start.

[sagescented]

I am not shitting you when I say the second part of this post is almost exactly, how I was nearly radicalized into the Tradwife subculture.

I started really struggling with my disability when my Husband and I married in 2015. It was made worse when I went to work for my emotionally and verbally abusive mother- which culminated in a complete breakdown of both my body and mind. I had to quit my job, and my Husband and I eventually decided I wouldn't be going back to work in general because it was becoming too hard on my body; I never wanted to be a homemaker. I was forced to be one by my own body.

And while all of this is going on, I was also finally exploring my "Femininity" as someone who was a tomboy growing up, was temporarily TransMasc for a bit, never really connected to it, and finally wanted to see what all the fuss was about. Especially because, secretly, I'd started liking these things in high school but had faced significant bullying from my mother and sister the second I started trying; you can imagine how quickly I shut that interest down and doubled down on my "hatred" of all things girly.

I've also always been into Vintage, ever since I saw a photo of my late paternal Grandmother, who I was named after, sitting on a fountain in full New Look inspired dress, holding my father as a baby. So all three of these things culminated in me finding the Vintage Homemaking community- and that was fun! It made my being a Homemaker more tolerable! I could have fun with it by romanticizing it!

From there, I found Gender Essentialism. I didn't quite agree with it all. But hey, it didn't sound so bad, actually, that the sexes were made "equal but different". And the rabbit hole just kept getting deeper ... And deeper ... And deeper.

And the absolutely insidious thing about it, is that once you dip your toe in? It's very hard to actually see how wild (or dangerous) the ideologies get the deeper you fall. It's intentionally designed to very slowly lure you in; to make the ideologies bite-sized, so that they're easier to digest- that way the next one they feed you seems like a logical progression, and not a far fetched neon warning sign screaming "Danger! Keep away! There be Nazis here!".

And honestly, thank fucking God I had friends who were like "hey, hold up, wait a minute", sat me down, and gently pointed out all the NeoNazi dogwhistles (and Lord let me tell you just how much of the rhetoric comes directly from WW II Nazi homefront propaganda. I wish I were joking). Without them I don't doubt that I'd've fallen for all of it hook line and sinker. But as it stands, I was only barely radicalized for maybe a year and a half- and I've spent every year since 2016 screaming at the top of my lungs about the danger of Traditionalism on Tumblr because of it.

Radicalization of any kind (but especially radicalization into the Alt-Right) is not a joke or something to scoff at. Anyone can be radicalized- and the more you think you're immune to it, the better a target you actually are for them.

TW: This post contains explicit discussions of white supremacy and the alt-right, including mentions of racism and antisemitism.

One of my most impactful recent library reads was Sisters In Hate by Seyward Darby, and I want to take a moment to encourage other white Americans to check it out as we prepare for next years' presidential election and all the shit it's going to kick up.

Sisters In Hate is a book about the role of women in American white supremacist movements and specifically in the alt-right. Darby does a really excellent job of showing just how critical white women are to these hate movements. The book also gives us a detailed look at what radicalization looks like and how that process can be different for different genders.

The book is divided into three sections, each of which follows a real woman through her radicalization into the alt-right. I especially want to draw Tumblr's attention to the story of Ayla, a self-proclaimed "polyamorous, raw foodist-vegan, feminist, pagan" whose radicalization started in college with natural living and homebirth and ended with her running a popular tradwife blog and speaking at the Unite the Right rally.

I think a lot of leftists and liberals feel that we're too smart, or too educated, or too savvy to fall for white supremacist recruitment schemes. We are not. Intelligent, college-educated, left-leaning people are radicalized every day. Some of them are less overtly hateful, like your college friend who starts voting Republican in their 30s. Some of them are like Ayla, and their radicalization takes them all the way to the other end of the political spectrum until they're openly and genuinely calling for a white ethnostate with the same passion they once used to advocate for feminism, racial equity, and queer rights. And we need to remember that any one of us intelligent, college-educated, left-leaning white folks could be in her position, which is why it's so important to learn about radicalization tactics so we can recognize and resist them.

I'm not gonna lie -- this book is hard to read. The text contains racial slurs, white supremacist rhetoric, antisemitism, and anti-Black racism. All of this is condemned by the author, but Darby doesn't shy away from showing just how vile this movement is. I had to take a lot of breaks from this book and read it over several weeks, but I'm very glad I did because I feel like I needed this information.

White supremacist recruitment efforts are going to pick up in the next year, especially if Tr*mp is the Republican nominee for president. Stay informed and stay ready.

[artxmus]

watching the snow with fox

the snow was pretty; reflecting the light of the morning back at you from where it gathered on the outside of the windowsill, inviting you to give in the coldness of it. you wished you could walk out to feel the snow against the bareness of your feet, against the wounds fox had scattered across your body to entertan an audience you've come to think about in passing thoughts that often drove you into a feeling you often thought might've been the start of madness. (and if it was, you don't think you'd be surprised, not with the life you've been forced into.)

you became all too aware of the feeling wrapped tightly and professionally around your abdomen. you almost felt as if you could feel every fiber of the bandage against your skin, and the stitches that pinched your wound, soon to be removed in a few days. it had only been freshly changed before fox had left you, a new routine since you'd been on the track to healing after the last show. you never asked where he went, and you never asked to leave the room he'd since kept you in (you knew better).

you stared at the bars just outside the glass, kept close together so you couldn't squeeze through. although you doubted you could even reach the bars, not with how thick the glass looked to be, or the way it was bolted shut. ─ not that you had any plans to try, with your injuries and kangaroo or rhino always outside your door, and cameras that watched your every move. (and then there was an odd part of you; one that didn't want to leave. ─ you'd blame it on all the drugs you'd been on for the pain, or maybe the pain itself.)

you didn't bother to turn towards the door when you heard it open; it was either rhino or kangaroo checking in on you as they often did, you assumed.

you were wrong ─ you realized when your visitor stopped beside you, the familiar orange fur of a tail threatening to brush against your arm. you hadn't moved from the chair you'd asked to have set in front of the window just before he'd left you alone (because it's not like you could risk opening your stitches).

the you before now would've been terrified to have him standing so close, so unpredictable and quiet. but right now, you didn't care, not when you stared out into the snow that piled around the bars and gathered in a beautiful pile of white. you wanted to touch it, reach out the window and hold it in your hand, feel the cold against your fingertips and falling between your fingers. you wondered what it would feel like to hold it to your face, feel it against your cheeks, you didn't care if it irritated the skin around your eye, threatened to fill where your new prosthetic will be.

you wondered when was the last time you touched snow. your life before you ended up as some pet to fox was a blur now, replaced by bright screens, chains around your wrists, and torture.

"are you in any pain?" he asked and you flinched; he noticed, of course he did, but he only waited for you to answer.

you knew he didn't keep you on so many pain killers just to stop the pain, but to keep you docile. (you're not sure if he did that because he couldn't be bothered to deal with you, or because he just couldn't have his pet make their injuries any worse. perhaps even both.)

"no," you whispered, so quiet that a normal person wouldn't have heard you, but fox did. you didn't know why you weren't, you often were when the pain killers wore off ─ maybe they hadn't yet. or maybe, sitting there, unmoving for however much time has passed, had made you numb.

"the snow is beautiful." you said. you don't know why you spoke; often you kept quiet, your brain so foggy from the drugs, you couldn't quite form a proper thought, outside of answering simple questions.

fox grunted, but he didn't reply to you. and then you felt his hand on your head, his nails in your hair and petting you. there was a tense in your shoulders at the touch, half expecting him to dig his claws into your scrap or pull your hair. ─ he doesn't; he pets your head and remains quiet, as if he were enjoying the moment.

you chance a glance up at him, and you notice he's not looking at you, his attention on the snow that fell outside. ─ perhaps he did find enjoyment in the moment, peace in the silence. you would've laughed at the ridiculous thought; someone so cruel finding peace in sitting with you, staring at the snow as he plays with your hair.

and yet, you relax, and you sigh, sitting back in your chair, and admiring the beauty of the snow you'll never get to touch again.

[anastasiaskarsgard]

I need part 3 nEOWWWW

When your friends don’t know best - part 3

Warning- cursing, nudity, violence etc 18+

“Oh my god! I’m so sorry! Are you okay? I had no idea…” you said as you practically ran up to Annie, looking her over.

"it could be worse," Annie said with a shrug as she sipped her champagne. "I mean he could be ugly."

You stared at your best friend like she’d completely lost her mind. “How can you be nonchalant about this? You're the one in danger if I misbehave for fucks sake!" You seethed at her. She was currently clad in a bikini laying out by the pool, like you were on vacation at a resort and not being held against your will.

“where do you think he goes all day anyways?" Annie signaled one of the bodyguards for more champagne and went over to the edge of the pool, dipping her feet in. "However he pays for all of this, is likely time consuming. He is insanely wealthy which comes with a lot of responsibility. Personally I think it's kind of romantic in like a dark way."

"you're insane." You bit out. You were having a hard time not hurting your friend yourself! Why was she on his side? “Why are you taking his side? Do you think I should actually take him seriously after what he,”

“Listen princess,” she cut you off once again,”I know this isn’t what you wanna hear, but you’re gonna have to accept it. If anyone comes looking for us, and if they actually find us, what are they going to do? I hate to break it to you, but this guy has the title and the type of money that laws don’t apply to them. Even if the police listen to our loved ones, the Marquis has an army. They’ll get themselves killed. If we escape, where will we go that he won’t find us? How will we get our papers and book flights to leave without him finding us? If anyone is insane, it’s you! So like I said, at least he’s not ugly.”

You knew she was right but you couldn’t admit it yet. You’d never felt so helpless and trapped in your life. You could feel the tears coming on, but before you’d let anyone see them, you spun on your heel and marched into the house. A few steps behind you were you're faithful guards, always staying close. Only giving you privacy in the bathroom, where they'd wait outside the door. You decided you'd take a bath and think.

You made your way through the massive estate, blind to the priceless antiques and art around you. At first you’d been impressed with his vast collection of priceless artifacts, until you’d realized he’d collected them all, just like you. Now whenever you looked at a famous painting or ancient vase, you imagined your face inserted into the scene. You imagined the Marquis in the background just out of sight, pulling the strings. It made you mad enough to spit.

Coming to the room that you'd been given, you informed your guards that you'd be bathing and they didn't say anything as usual. They just stood to each side of your bathroom door, staring straight ahead like you didn't exist. The first few days you’d been here, you’d begged them to help you escape, but they just ignored you.

You supposed they weren’t terrible since you didn’t think they’d told on you, but they didn’t help you at all either. You’d asked a maid to help you, and she’d told the Marquis. He’d told you this, by hooking Annie up to electrodes and shocking her until she’d thrown up all over herself.

That had shut you up until today, when you finally got to see Annie again, only for her to be on his side. You suppose you’d likely say the same to her, if the roles were reversed. She was practically a whipping boy and if you felt helpless, she must feel even worse. You needed to apologize after you had some time to gather your thoughts alone.

Making your way in the bathroom, you turned the water on and threw a bath bomb in the water. Undressing and taking your hair down, you stepped into the purple tinted water and tried to clear your mind so you could face your best friend and that man.

You gazed out the window at the setting sun and wondered if it was dinner time. You contemplated what you would wear, and what you could say to make Annie feel safer. It was your fault she was here.

So lost in the warmth of the water, and your thoughts, you didn't notice someone had entered the bathroom.

"it must be my birthday." The Marquis said in a low husky tone.

You're eyes shot open so fast that you wouldn't have been surprised if they had popped out of your skull. You sat up quickly, causing a large rush of water to spill out of the bath across the floor. You tried to cover yourself as much as possible, but when you locked eyes with the Marquis all your panic seemed to melt away.

"you're ok. You can trust me my love." He stated as he made his way to the side of the tub.

You couldn't explain it, but you believed him, and even though something in the back of your mind screamed danger, the longer you stared into his eyes, the less you felt like he was anything but safe.

You lowered your arms to reveal your chest and his eyes lit up in interest. You tried to think why he'd be interested in your chest but got nothing. You couldn't think and you couldn't look away, but you knew that something about that wasn't right. Your father had always said you were the most stubborn child alive, when you thought you were right, and you knew that was true.

A look of determination crossed your face and the Marquis couldn't help but chuckle. You could see the devotion and admiration in his eyes and it was flattering. This beautiful, wealthy powerful man wanted you, and you couldn't think of why that was a bad thing. Not with him right there.

Wait a minute. What were you thinking such nice things about him for? You forced your eyes away from his and stared down into the water at your toes.

Your toenail polish looked terrible. It was all chipped and your nails needed a trim. You also needed to shave your legs and underarms, but had not bothered keeping up with your appearance since you didn’t want him to like you.

You snapped your head to the side, remembering he was in the bathroom with you and wondered how you could possibly forget his presence like that.

Your eyes widened at the sight of a very naked man climbing into the large bath with you. When had he taken his clothes off? You closed your eyes, and searched the last few minutes and could only see his handsome face. When you opened them again and found he was only inches away from you, you didn’t handle it well.

You screamed.

You began to fight him but neither of you could find purchase in the slippery soapy water, so you both just tumbled around. You attempted to stand but fell on top of him twice, and realized he was laughing.

You tried to hold yourself off of him, but slipped again and he was no help since he was laughing so hard he had tears in his eyes. Finally becoming irritated you snapped, "what is so damn funny?"

He took another few seconds to calm before pulling you on his lap and snuggling up to you affectionately. "In all my years on this earth, no woman has been so silly as you. I have always been successful with women, so I suppose I find the futility of it all, very amusing." He smiled into your skin before kissing you on the forehead. "I've had more fun with you this last week, than I've had the past 100 years."

"why do you say shit like that? You're not old, nobody is that old." You snapped. You were getting really sick of his strange comments.

He smiled a huge toothy smile and you noticed he had fangs. Rolling your eyes, you reached out and poked his fang, only for it to cut your finger. "Jesus! Did they file those down sharp enough?" You shouted, putting your finger in your mouth. You’d heard of people having their teeth filed down to resemble predators, but you didn’t think someone of his status would participate in such a trend.

You glared at him only to be met with yellow eyes, with slit pupils like a snake. Your breath caught in your throat as your mind tried to find a logical explanation for green human eyes, to shift to yellow snake eyes but you were coming up with nothing. You could feel your fight or flight mode kicking in, but you just stared at him wide eyed and frozen.

"Do you see mon Cherie?" He whispered.

You shook your head that you did not, and he closed his eyes and chuckled. When he opened them again they were their usual green again. You wondered if you’d hit your head when you had been trying to get away from him, and then contemplated if he wasn’t somehow slipping drugs into your food.

You looked down so you didn't get trapped in his stare again and looked up again quickly. You weren't sure how you forgot you were both nude, but now you'd seen his dick and it was hard. Should that even matter at this point? He had fucking snake eyes for fucks sake, and you're scared of a dick?

"tell me what you are thinking." He purred.

You tensed at the sound of his voice. Frantically running through different responses, you finally settled on one “What are you?"

The silence was palpable. As the seconds, turned into minutes, you finally turned to look him in his eyes and ask again, only more firm, "tell me what you are Vincent."

You were worried you’d forget yourself again if you stared into his eyes too long, so you made to get up and put some space between you two. His arms reached up and pulled you close to him. You knew you couldn’t overpower him, so you allowed yourself to go limp and huffed out a long sigh.

He sighed too, and just as you began to try and get up again, he spoke into your ear. "I am a vampire. I have lived 400 years, but only 8 of them are worth mentioning. Those blissful years I spent in the company of my soulmate Arielle, whose soul now lives within you.”

Your mind came screeching to a halt as you searched for something to say. All you could come up with was “how?” You weren’t sure what you even wanted to know but were relieved when he began speaking again.

“Arielle wished to be a mother, and only those born vampire, are able to produce offspring. Since she was born human, she wanted to have children before she would allow me to turn her.” You pulled your face back to look into His face. “She was killed when she was 8 months pregnant with our daughter. She was burned alive by her own brother. She had told her family the truth about me, even though I advised her not to.”

“What did you do?” You asked in spite of the fact you were sure it was a terrible fate that fell on Arielles’ family.

“I destroyed them of course. Not only them, but every person that saw her burn and did not stop it. Every villager, servant and beggar that did not even question why such a perfectly pure soul, was destroyed, and I am not sorry.” He looked you in the eyes, “I’d do it again.”

And you knew without a doubt, that he was telling you the truth. You knew he was capable of destroying an entire village in his rage, and you thanked god, that he thought you looked like Arielle. “So I look just like your wife?”

“No you have many differences in appearance. Same color hair, but her eyes were a soft brown and she was not so tall. She was not so lean as you are either. She was beautiful as you are, just in a more common way.” He explained.

Your brows knitted in confusion. “Then why do you think I have her soul?”

“Because I can recognize it.”

“ my soul?” You asked again.

“Souls are very ancient living things. They are unpredictable. I can’t begin to tell you exactly how it works. Some you never see more than once, while others bounce from life to life without a pause between. I do not know why or how they choose to live, but I can recognize them, just like you can recognize your friends and family. When you are a vampire, there are additional senses you acquire over time.” He explained.

“So you have powers?” You asked.

“Maybe,” he smirked.

His eyes darkened and he’d never looked so attractive as he did now. He bit his plump lip and slowly brought his face closer to yours. “May I kiss you?”

“Only if you promise, not to bite me.”

His brow shot up incredulously, and he wrapped his big hands around your waist and sensually spoke into your ear, “I promise.”

You nodded, and before you could blink you were out of the tub and in the bedroom, in the Marquis strong arms.

The Marquis laid you on the bed gently and then got on his knees between your legs. “What are you doing?” You asked nervously, as he pushed your legs apart so he could fit between them comfortably.

“I’m giving you a kiss.” He smirked up at you, before leaning forward and taking your sex in his mouth, and devouring you like a man starved.

Clutching the sheets so hard that the corners came loose, you couldn’t help but to fall apart. Never had anyone made you feel this way, and you wondered if this was possibly one of his powers. While you wouldn’t call yourself a slut, you’d had your fair share of lovers over the years, but none came close to what he was doing. Maybe it was the hundreds of years he’d been alive. How many pussies had he eaten?

Your climax slammed into you so hard, and sudden you screamed for the second time that day. Your head spun and your legs shook uncontrollably. You’d read about legs shaking from orgasm, but had never thought it was true till this moment.

Suddenly you felt lips pressed to yours in the gentlest kiss. You’d reached up and ran your fingers through his hair as you pressed him into the kiss. You couldn’t help but taste yourself on his lips, but it didn’t gross you out. You wondered if he was going to fuck you now and were surprised when you realized you wanted him to.

“I was supposed to be getting you for dinner.” He mumbled, breaking the kiss. “Annie is waiting.”

“Oh my gosh, it’s been forever!” You shrieked as you wriggled out from beneath him and rushed to the closet. “I wanted to apologize to her and I’m making her wait now too?”

The Marquis chuckled as he watched you rush around the room getting dressed like the house was on fire.

You ran in the bathroom and picked up his clothes, rushing back to the bed and tossing them down beside him. Grabbing his underwear, you began to put them on him. “I must say, not many women have ever put my clothes on.” He mused.

“Stand up,” you ordered. He obeyed and you got his boxers in place. Grabbing his pants you shimmied then up his legs, before grabbing his undershirt. Slipping the shirt over his head and tucking it, you reached for his button down shirt and pulled it on, pressing it down, attempting to remove as many wrinkles as possible. You buttoned it and tucked it into his pants, before securing them with his belt.

“My god you have complicated outfits, but you always look amazing so I guess it’s the price we must pay,” you said as you smiled up at him. He was looking at you with the strangest look on his face, but you were in too much of a hurry to think about what it could mean. Grabbing his vest, you put it on, followed by his blazer. There were still a few accessories on the bed, but you figured you’d done well enough when you fastened his ridiculously expensive watch into place. “Okay, you’re not perfect, but good enough for me. Let’s go eat! I’m starving.”

You didn’t notice the look of amusement on the Marquis face as you dragged him out of the room barefoot as you were. The fact you’d chosen a $10,000 dollar Zuhair Murad beaded mini dress, and threw it on like it was an old hoodie, made you that much more endearing. He wondered if you were even aware of the couture designer. He was a personal friend of his and he tried to imagine the man’s reaction to witnessing one of his creations worn by a barefoot girl, dragging a French aristocrat through his home like a naughty puppy.

You looked back at the Marquis and smiled at his dopey looking face. He wasn’t so bad when he wasn’t being an overbearing, controlling psycho. Maybe Annie was right and you should just make the best of this whole situation. Maybe he’d even let her go.

[negativepeanuthoarder]

why does this thing always happen where you point out some godawful thing the mormon church actively does and then there's always SOMEONE in your comments trying to say 'well that's because of a few bad people on power trips, that's not how it's supposed to work!'

I do not care. I do not FUCKING care how it's supposed to be happening because it's being used for harm and abuse right now. Either acknowledge that or shut the hell up.

[cuubism]

so many triggering things in season 1. disappointing people? oUCH! making mistakes? DOUBLE OUCH. someone you care about being upset with you? kill bill sirens

so much about him makes more sense to me now

like on first watching, when hextech got shut down and he was going to kill himself i was like alright... that's a bit dramatic don't you think? but i think about it more and like... actually, I know how hard and fast that shame spiral can hit even when one thing goes wrong, never mind the cascade of things that go belly up for jayce at the beginning. which explains why he turns back around so fast too, he doesn't actually want to die, he just feels like he does in the moment -- and really all it takes is one person cutting through that well of shame to snap him out of it. even if they had both gotten kicked out of the academy and never actually worked on hextech at all I think that one moment of Viktor seeing him would have been enough to prevent Jayce from thinking of killing himself in the future, like a buffer against the 'everything about me is wrong' feeling

separately. when you're a highly anxious person, there are few things more attractive than someone who's willing to Take Charge And Make Decisions, especially if they're doing it when you can't. Assertiveness and confidence can be really attractive when they're things that you struggle with--so I totally get why Jayce was drawn so strongly to both Mel and Viktor. assertiveness is really attractive because it cuts through the part of your mind that's always wavering between a million possible decisions and afraid to commit to one. If Viktor had been as assertive and direct about their relationship as he was about breaking into Heimerdinger's lab, they would have already been dating for years by the time we get to the time skip 😂 if Viktor had been willing to make the first move Jayce would have folded so easy. but anyway

third utterly disjointed bullet point. no one knows Jayce's anxiety is as bad as it is. the ones who might be most likely to are his mom and Caitlyn, but even then -- trust me when I say you mask it as much as you can. and masking it actually works pretty well in my experience, unless they know you well people generally don't really clock it, even when you feel like everything is spilling out of you all over the place with every word you say. they might notice it a bit, but they don't realize how deep it goes especially when you've dedicated your life to working around it. in a work setting, you get really good at pretending everything's cool while just silently screaming internally 😂 I can imagine Jayce going home from one of those hellish council meetings, having a panic attack in a closet, then going back to lab the next morning and when Viktor asks 'how was it' just being like 'oh yeah cool. great. awesome. noooooooo problem 👍 🙃' Viktor's behind the scenes look at Jayce didn't really include the anxiety stuff because 99% of the time he only sees Jayce in environments that make him less anxious, a) The Lab b) hanging out with someone Who Gets Him. so Viktor might not even know about it, especially as his health gets worse and he starts becoming more focused on his own issues and insecurities.

but, you know, one of the hardest things to do if you have people pleasing tendencies is making decisions others don't approve of--so kudos to Jayce for even pursuing Hextech at all. respect, brother 🫡 the anxiety demons did not win on this day. they won on many other days but not this one 😂

thinking of Jayce as having anxiety really broke open my brain, and now as someone with anxiety I feel so bad for him in season 1 because if he has even half the issues I do I can tell you that poor boy's anxiety triggers were getting hammered on like fucking whack a mole all season. actually I'm shocked in retrospect that he didn't have a complete mental breakdown because the actual worst nightmare for a people pleaser is to have multiple people you respect and/or are beholden to all wanting contradictory things from you at the same time. I'd have changed my name and fled the country, personally.

[lith-myathar]

.

[moe-broey]

Idk I also just hate the future actually. My ass is Always living in the past or simply day to day 💪💪💪

[stormyoceans]

monica!!!

okay, like, i know we haven't gotten confirmation of anything yet

but i can't get the thought out of my head

what if xiao hai tops?

but like!!! babygirl neil. xiao hai being so gentle and careful and attentive. making neil a mess, watching him fall apart. giving him everything he needs, getting off on neil's pleasure, making him come so many times.......

anyway love you have an excellent day 🤍

MY ENTIRE WEEK GOT SO MUCH BETTER AFTER RECEIVING THIS SO THANK YOU

AND LIKE OKAY ALRIGHT LET'S TALK ABOUT THIS because see, one of the many reasons i love neil and xiao hai so much even if im usually not much into age gaps is that they don't adhere to the stereotypical trope of aggressive and experienced older top vs shy and naive younger bottom, but they also don't quite fully subvert it like in other shows such as kiseki: dear to me and minato shouji coin laundry. i just ADORE neil and xiao hai's dynamic because despite everything, despite the age difference and xiao hai being neil's fan, they feel so EQUAL. like yes, xiao hai is younger and less experienced, but he is also the more levelheaded and mature of the two, and while neil is the one actively pursuing him, whether that happens or not is all in xiao hai's hands

all this rambling to say that THEY ARE JUST SO VERS TO ME AND I LOVE IT SO MUCH. like neil whining for xiao hai's attention and being absolutely thrilled when xiao hai gently pushes him down into the bed and takes his time kissing and exploring every inch of neil's body, slowly learning what makes neil moan and arch his back and cry out in pleasure and not stopping until he is satisfied? OH YOU KNOW THAT HAPPENS ON A DAILY BASIS. but also we've seen xiao hai's dreams, no one can tell me that a part of this boy doesn't want neil to bend him over and just take him. AND THE AMAZING THING IS THAT BOTH WORK SO WELL!!!!!!!!! BECAUSE ULTIMATELY WHAT THEY BOTH WANT THE MOST IS TO BELONG TO EACH OTHER!!!!!!!!! AND NEITHER OF THEM IS NORMAL ABOUT THAT!!!!!!!!!!!

this is why im SO EXCITED to see what the show is gonna go with, because due to the nature of neil and xiao hai's dynamic we can't tell for sure which scenario is gonna happen!!!!!!! i wouldn't even be surprised if they actually go with both!!!!!!!

I SAID IT BEFORE AND I WILL SAY IT AGAIN THESE TWO ARE GONNA HAVE THE FREAKIEST VERSIEST MOST SATISFYING SEX EVER

[shootingatar]

Hahahaha!!!! Someone needs to show Kaito how cute his drunk bf was back in the day 🤭🤣

"Meitantei, have you ever gotten wasted before?"

Despite the oddly calm behavior KID was showing, Shinichi could smell the alcohol on his breath before the thief had even gotten within hugging distance. 'Well, at least he isn't drinking right before a heist again.' He thought as KID made his way to the bed, then dramatically allowed gravity to drag him down to the bed... KID sniffled a loopy giggle into the pillow.

A pillow that had been supporting Shinichi's head up until 3 seconds ago. 'Barou.' He didn't even have the will power to grumble as his head hit the mattress. And Shinichi was so exhausted that falling asleep wouldn't have been a problem either, except for one issue...

"KID, aren't you're forgetting something?"

"Hm, ar' you? I asske-" Whatever KID was attempting to say, was promptly cut off by a hiccup.

The worst part was that the drunkard then peaked up at him with the most innocently adorable, yet expectant expression on his face. As if he thought Shinichi would have an reasonable answer for the half sentence KID hiccuped and slurred out to him.

'Sh*t, it's too early for this!' Despite what his friends said, Shinichi did have limites when it came to solving and detecting.

But also he had a heart, not a very healthy one... but it was still there nonetheless. 'He said something earlier.' No, KID had asked something. Something that was important enough for him to come across town, the break through his window. 'So it most mean a lot to him to know, that apparently was a last minute decision on impulse... seeing as he's drunk now.' But the trick was that, whatever was viewed as important to his boyfriend, didn't always come across as necessary to others.

'So basically, it's something that'll make since to him in that moment, but only in context... to him.' Something that KID wanted to relete to?

"-tanteii I'm cold~"

"Then you shouldn't have left the window open."

Shinichi sighed in frustration as he tried to clear away the fog in his head. This wasn't working, he should probably go shut the window before they both got sick from being too lazy.

Throwing back the covers and somehow stumbling worse than his lover of a drunk, Shinichi made his way to the glass doors. For some reason, reaching up to shove the window down triggered a vague memory of him reaching up to open a hutch that was at the Mori's place. 'Reaching up, would probably mean that I was still Conan back then.' Which in itself brought back another flood of not so pleasant memories. The Black Organization, the fear of never having his old like back again... and Ran's constant frustration at Mouri wasting money on gambling or drinking.

'Drinking! That's it! He asked if I ever was... wasted?' The answer was unfortunately yes. However one particular time surfaced to his memory.

Shinichi promptly wished he could drown it.

'But hey, maybe KID needs to hear it.' Either way it seemed that Conan's mistakes, once again, was turning into a life lesson.

Once both were underneath the blankets, Shinichi rolled over to curl around KID with his arm laying across the thief's stomach. The hat wasn't needed anymore, so he lightly tossed the awkward object off their bed before pressing a kiss next to the other's ear.

"You still awake?"

Shinichi's answer was a gloved hand gently squeezing his hand. 'He must be more tired then he's letting on.'

KID never could shut up, not even in bed. And Shinichi loved it.

"Hm, alright then. Remind me to tell you tomorrow, I love you Kai. Rest well."

Kaitou KID in all his caped glory, was out cold and snoring before the last word dropped from Shinichi's lips.

Drunk Conan

[woednesdayaddams]

♱ continued from here

taciturn raven stood still, watching veronica’s every move. she couldn’t grasp the notion that, perhaps, the way she delivered her statement was, in fact, open to interpretations. “i,” cue the pause, not for dramatic reasons, but for utter confusion, “uh, this is me asking you to spare me from future events.” she finally managed to declare, after an awkward pause, “if i wanted you to turn me, i would’ve asked you to claw me. ripping my throat out with your fangs should assure my imminent end.”

[blapis-blazuli]

"Oh, Clay from Pokémon has a daughter? Did they mention who her other parent is?"

(Searching several threads and seeing multiple "eww but he's fat" and "eww but he's old" and "eww but he's ugly" comments later)

"...The internet was a mistake"

[edward-lygma-ballz]

WHEN WILL IT BE MY TURN

[eowyntheavenger]

Americans, these are things we are NOT saying in 2024:

"Voting blue won't solve anything." Yes it will: if enough of us do it, it will solve a problem called Trump's second term in the White House. We unfortunately live in a two-party system. If you refuse to vote, you're effectively voting for Trump. I shouldn't need to explain this to people, yet here we are.

"It doesn't matter who's president. Both candidates are the same anyway." No, they are REALLY not. Biden was never my first choice, and his shipments of arms to Israel are despicable, but don't try to tell me even for a second that a second Trump term would be the same for the world as a second Biden term.

"But voting blue won't fix [fundamental underlying problem in America]." Voting for Democrats cannot fix every issue, this is true. But by saying this and ONLY this you are discouraging people from voting by making them feel hopeless. Voting is one of many tools in our arsenal, not the only tool, but an important one, and it does matter.

"You shouldn't vote blue, you should do [other thing] instead." See above: you can vote and protest and organize at the same time. It's not either/or. You can do it all. Stop discouraging voters from exercising their rights under the guise of leftism.

"Voting is just legitimizing government power. It makes you part of the system." Literally just shut up. Women and people of color didn't fight for their voting rights to have you say things like this. If you live in America and you can legally vote, then you should fucking vote, and vote blue. There is no neutral option.

"Voting blue just makes you complicit in [this bad policy]." Inaction, and allowing Trump to have a second term, is worse for the entire world than any Democrat policy. Yes, even that one. Voting is not about finding a perfect unproblematic candidate. It is about choosing the lesser of two evils.

"Voting doesn't work because—" STOP IT. STOP DISCOURAGING PEOPLE FROM VOTING.

You know who wants you NOT to vote? Trump supporters, that's who. You should be suspicious of ANYONE who is suggesting that your vote doesn't matter, or that both candidates are the same, or that Biden's policy on XYZ means you shouldn't vote for him. Trump supporters aren't trying to get your vote by saying, "Vote for Trump!" They're trying to get your vote by DISCOURAGING YOU FROM VOTING AT ALL.

I don't like Biden either, but Trump is unequivocally worse. Voting doesn't fix everything, but it is the minimum fucking requirement of living in a democracy. Voting for president has real, tangible, immediate impacts on people's lives, and choosing not to vote is not the rebellion you think it is, it is just relinquishing your voice. So fucking vote. THIS IS A GROUP PROJECT AND DAMN IT WE ARE NOT FAILING BECAUSE OF YOU.