#The waiting for episode 4 felt endless but it was SO worth it!!! | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

queen-of-writing-bad-things · 1 year ago

Text

Henry Danger Reader Insert | Captain Man x Reader: SEASON 4

Episode 10: Budget Cuts

~Swellview City Hall~

It wasn't very often that Ray, Henry and (y/n) were invited to a meeting with the Vice Mayor of Swellview, in fact, it never really happened at all.

Therefore, when they received the invitation to the grandest building in the entire city, they didn't hesitate to blow some bubbles and race over there to see what he wanted. Maybe they were getting a prize for being awesome or perhaps, in Ray's opinion, the city council had finally seen sense and had agreed to erect a statue of him in Swellview Park. Whatever it was, they needed to hear and that's why they were strolling through the halls and heading for his office.

"Okay, guys, you can wait right in here and the vice mayor will be in to see you shortly." The young lady accompanying them said as she showed the three into the spacious and rather luxurious office, second only to the one owned by the actual mayor. The girl was sweet enough, all prim and proper since she was the vice mayor's secretary and they gave her a polite smile in return as they stepped through the door, Ray firmly holding his fiancée's hand. God, it felt so weird but so good to say that.

"Sounds good.

"Yeah, shortly." Henry and Ray replied as they took in the fancy furniture and large mahogany desk with numerous stacks of papers on it. It was a relief that they wouldn't be waiting too long, their excitement for what they were gonna be discussing becoming too much for them, especially the couple, who had been giggling like teenagers ever since the proposal. It's like the honeymoon phase never ended for them and Ray had taken to kissing the ring or the place where it sat, the symbol of their promise and love, at every opportunity, even when they were in uniform and it had been removed for safety purposes.

"Would you like some bottled water while you wait?" The secretary smiled, clearly used to her job of meeting and greeting dignitaries and the like, but despite her warm, inviting gaze, the kind offer fell flat when she looked at Henry first. He was a teen, like he would ever drink something that wasn't soda or a milkshake. "Nah, thanks. Water's gross."

"Uh, yeah, I'll have some bottled water." (y/n) nodded, trying to make up for Henry's slight rudeness by accepting the girl's offer. Ray wasn't particularly bothered about getting hydration, why would he want to focus on a bottle of water when he could drink in her and kiss her temple whenever he felt like it. Yeah, he was smitten, completely floored by his sweet girl and his reinvigorated love was the new source of endless teasing from Henry, Schwoz and Jasper, like he cared. She was worth the teasing and he was on cloud nine.

"Sure, would you like it cold or room temperature?" The girl asked further, making the couple wonder why that be important, but whatever. It was nice to be asked, right? She was probably just being sweet and (y/n) didn't mind sweetness; it went with her own and she guessed that she and this secretary were gonna get on fine.

"Uh, well, why don't you surprise me?" The young woman suggested, eagerly anticipating the girl's triumphant return with whatever temperature of water she would choose. Variety was the spice of life and she didn't have the heart to quell that bright grin as she shuffled through the door, intent on bringing her a surprise. A really fucking big surprise. "Okay, I'll be right back."

"Yes, we'll remain right here," Ray smirked, glad that the stranger was out of the room since it meant he was able to turn to his fiancée and wrap his arms around her waist in a gentle kiss. She responded immediately, also less shy now that it was just them and Henry, who'd seen it all before, in the room, meaning he was free to chuckle against her lips when she stretched her neck for more. Jeez, talk about getting a room, just because he'd seen it all before, did not mean that Henry wanted to see it again and again and again and again, so much more frequently now that they were engaged. If he thought it was bad before, it was horrific now.

"Hey, lovebirds..." The kid called out to them, making them break apart and look at him with a bored expression. What now? Was it a crime to chase that honey-bubblegum explosion at every given opportunity? Come on, the man had asked his girlfriend to marry him, surely, he was allowed to kiss her when the urge took over, even if other things around them probably needed more of their attention than the other's lips did. "What do you think this thing is?"

"Uh, that's just a paperweight," Ray answered, observing the ridiculously ornate lump of marble sitting on top of a stack of documents. It was literally a hunk of polished stone and to top it all off, there was a golden eagle welded to the top, meaning the whole thing was probably a lot of money for something so dumb, but still, it did the job. Those papers weren't going anywhere and the hero was slightly salty that he had to stop exploring his sweet girl just to tell his sidekick something so obvious.

"Uh, are you sure?" Henry challenged, thinking that he knew better and just to prove that nothing was up, he lifted the weight off of the papers, which resulted in catastrophe. As expected, hundreds of papers flew into the air, mixing up financial contracts, speech drafts, and bullshit, bureaucratic agreements as they danced through the air, no doubt swept into a hurricane from the breeze of the cracked-open window.

"Shit, put it down! Put it down!" (y/n) hissed to the boy, who still had the eagle paperweight in his hand, but it was too late, the damage had already been done. Henry scrambled to clean up the mess he'd made, hoping that no one would notice how each was crumpled and jumbled, but it was no use. The door swung open wide, forcing Ray to yank his girl halfway across the room and into his chest so they looked loving and innocent, just as Vice Mayor Willard beamed at them.

"Ah, hello there, Captain Man. Good day to you too, Miss Danger and Kid Dang—"

"Oh, uh, your paperweight..." Ray stuttered as the vice mayor stared at his previously organised desk and the utter chaos that lay around it now. He looked at the heroes with a hint of blame in his eyes, but they were good at lying and Henry, the real culprit, was an expert at eating nuts and letting them do all the talking.

"It failed. Defective paperweights, am I right?" The woman giggled nervously, praying that her soft smile and the angelic appearance of Ray practically curling his body over hers would distract the man from any anger, lawsuit or foot-long bill coming their way and thankfully, it worked. The politician wasn't one for arguing with superheroes and he had bigger things to worry about, mainly the reason why he'd called to his office in the first place.

"Anyway, take a seat, fellas, uh, ma'am. We need to have a little chitchat." Vice Mayor Willard told them, pointing to three luxurious, red leather-lined chairs in front of his desk, prompting the heroes to follow him over so they could finally get down to business.

"This seat right here..."

"Let's chit the old chat as they say..." Ray and Henry babbled as they sat down, Ray on the right, (y/n) in the middle and Henry on the left since the boy would never get in the way of splitting those two up, even if it was just by a metre or so.

"I've called you here 'cause—" The man started, only to be interrupted when his secretary came bundling through the door, a mug and a bottle of water on a silver tray in her hand as she waddled in. She obviously didn't care about knocking, but then again, she seemed a little ditzy yet she was well-meaning and likely got away with most of her screw-ups. "'Scuse me, Vice Mayor Willard..."

"Miss Danger, your bottled water." The girl offered the mug and bottle to the superheroine, who had nearly forgotten about her request and shyly took it from the tray. Okay, she hadn't expected her to interrupt the business talk just to give it to her, but she still took it politely and unscrewed the cap, anticipating whether it would be cold or room temperature.

"Oh, right, thanks..." (y/n) smiled and unscrewed the cap, raising the bottle to her lips and taking a large swig without even taking it from the mug, meaning she didn't feel the scorching plastic and the equally hot liquid inside until it was running down her throat at just below its boiling point. She screamed in pain as the water burnt the entirety of her mouth, causing Ray to sit up in alarm, his hands flying help her in some way when she instinctively spat it out to stop the blistering on her poor, unsuspecting tongue.

"Sweet cheese, this water is boiling hot!" She garbled, feeling a flood of relief when her body instantly healed the scalded soreness and reverted her mouth to what it was moments before.

When Ray cupped her cheek to see if she was all right, the worst of it all passed, but that didn't mean her heart wasn't still thumping against her rib cage. The three looked at the secretary, wondering what on earth she could've done that caused the water to feel like it had been in a kettle, but even with Captain Man's glare on her, the girl merely shrugged.

"You said to surprise you with the temperature, so I put the bottle in the microwave." She explained dumbly, smiling as if she'd done a good job and not wounded a visitor in the vice mayor's office. It was just pure luck that (y/n) had happened to have super-regeneration and it had only hurt her for a second, but what if Henry was the one who liked water? If he had been the one to drink it, he wouldn't be able to talk for weeks. What a weirdo.

"This is Cassie, my niece." Ah, so that's why she wasn't in trouble. You can be crazy in the workplace if your uncle is the vice mayor, also known as the guy below the head honcho, the guy who practically ran City Hall since the real mayor was practically incapable. His name protected her and as such, she no doubt got away with a lot of crap because he was able to pull some strings and keep her from trouble, which hardly seemed fair when Cassie revealed how truly psychotic she was. "They took away my scissors!"

"That'll be all, Cassie." Vice Mayor Willard told his niece, who was being given some seriously weirded-out looks by Ray, (y/n) and Henry, and she skipped out the door, probably off to cause more injury and pain to others with her mania. Thank god she was gone, because Captain Man was protective over the people he loved at the best of times, but now that he was soon to be married to the love of his life. It only took a slight flare-up of anger to make him want to throw fists.

"So...vice mayor, what did you want to talk to us about?" Ray asked as he swallowed his instinct to teach Cassie a lesson, the only thing keeping him calm being his sweet girl's finger's laced with his. Right, they were here for a reason and the sooner they heard that reason, the sooner they could go back to the Man Cave and he could check if her mouth was fully healed with his tongue...

"Uh, well, uh, in one word...budget cuts." Vice Mayor Willard replied, making them freeze for numerous reasons. First of all, he couldn't count, but more importantly, budget cuts didn't sound like a statue or an award, in reality, they sounded much more negative than they had been anticipating. The regretful, slightly awkward hint in the politician's eye made (y/n) squirm and glance across at Ray to look at him with slight worry, which resulted in him kissing the back of her gloved hand, a sign that they had nothing to panic over. He hoped.

"That's two words." Henry pointed out, not that the vice mayor was interested. He was trying to put the message into words, but either way, they weren't gonna like it, so what was the point in sugar-coating it? Sugary words wouldn't soften the blow, so he just went for it.

"You see, boys, uh, ma'am, the City of Swellview is low on money." Vice Mayor Willard started, making them all frown. Okay, that definitely wasn't worrying to hear, that the city where they lived was struggling to pay for things when really, it should have plenty to go around. Swellview had a healthy population and plenty of tax-paying residents, investments and the like, so it shouldn't have been struggling, so to her, it came as a shock.

"What? How can the city be low on money?" (y/n) questioned with a scoff. She got the sense that the vice mayor was still getting used to having a female superhero working with Captain Man and Kid Danger, even though she'd been her fiancé's second sidekick for at least two years now. He kept forgetting to include her in his collective nouns and had to add an awkward "ma'am" after he addressed them and not her, and whilst it was nice to receive the respectful title, she couldn't help but feel like they were dealing with a clown.

"Two words. Our new High-Speed Railroad." The politician told them with a wide, proud grin on his face, which again made them all stop in confusion. Why did he need to count his words, especially since he never got the number right anyway? Also, high-speed railroad? To know that the city's money was gone because of that didn't sound good, but they still didn't know where they fit into all of this.

"He's terrible at counting words," Henry whispered to his friends, making (y/n) giggle before looking back to the vice mayor, who had stopped looking out of his window and was sitting on his desk, making their faces turn serious once more.

"You see, our new high-speed rail project is costing the taxpayers ten billion dollars." He went on, drawing flabbergasted scoffs from all three of them as they heard the stupidly tall figure. Ten billion whats? That was a dumb investment and something that Swellview didn't really need or know about because if the taxpaying citizens knew what their money was being wasted on, they'd all be up in arms, much like Henry was. "What?

"I know! Pretty stupid, right?" Vice Mayor Willard laughed, making their hearts lighten with relief at hearing that he thought it was ridiculous, they hoped that he would do something to stop it and keep the city's money going. But no, like all politicians, the man looked out for himself and no one else, because who cares about the people? They don't know what they want, they don't complain and therefore, they don't matter.

"Anyway, we're building it. So, that means we won't have money for other things, such as crimefighting...which is why we're cutting your budget by ninety per cent." Vice Mayor Willard smiled as if it would soften the blow, but all it did was stun and anger the superheroes more.

They stood bolt upright, the chairs scraping across the floor as they heard the devastating news, that they were gonna lose practically everything. They relied on the city's help because catching criminals wasn't cheap and they had a hungry rabbit to feed at home, but mainly it was the bad guys thing.

"Ninety?!" "Per?!" "What?" Ray, (y/n) and Henry gasped as they stood up, staring down at the smirking man, who clearly didn't see the big deal. They stood elbow to elbow, each hero wearing a confused and furious frown as they tried to wrap their heads around the stupid decision.

"What's he saying?" Henry asked the adults just so he'd fully understand the vice mayor's words. They dealt with the financial side of the Man Cave and the complexity of running it, he just turned up for work and got paid to kick criminal butt with a splash of sweeping on the side to cover their secret identities.

It was Ray and (y/n) who sat down every month and worked out what they had to spend and on what, well, she used her clever little brain and did all the sums, he just nodded, signed things off and kept kissing up her neck, the paperwork too dumb in his eyes. They wouldn't have much work to do now since there was nothing left to spend on anything, not even enough to cover the cost of electricity or water.

"He's saying that they're gonna take away nearly all the money we get from the city." (y/n) growled, resting her knuckles on the mayor's desk and glaring at him as she leaned forward, wanting the man to see the fury in her eyes. She knew how much being a superhero cost after years of totting up bills and figures for her boss, then friend, then boyfriend and now, fiancé.

They had employees to pay, machinery to run, materials to buy, vehicles to service and all of that needed green if they were gonna use them, which was why Ray had an agreement with the city that in exchange for keeping it safe, they'd give him a fat wad of cash every year to help him with that.

"Which we need to run our crimefighting operation," Ray added after his sweet girl, his anger running so high that he didn't even take the time to truly appreciate the way she bent over the desk, her hips and ass looking so damn perfect, but he couldn't concentrate when he had a problem that big, so he merely took a snapshot in his mind to mull over later. As if he wouldn't think about the view, he just wouldn't do it right now.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, okay, okay, there's some good news too." Vice Mayor Willard grinned and for a moment, they thought he was gonna tell them that this was gonna be temporary, a month or two at its longest, or perhaps that Swellview PD was actually gonna get off its ass and do some proper policing in for once and help them out, but it was wishful thinking. "Look, I got you guys three tickets to our new high-speed railroad."

"Yeah, give me those." (y/n) snapped and snatched the tickets from the mayor's hand, gladly doing what they were all thinking and ripped them in half, straight down the middle. They were worthless now, but that's what they were, to begin with, a load of shit from a bunch of arrogant, self-entitled men who ignored what the city truly needed and paid the building companies involved so they could line their own pockets instead.

"Nobody wants to ride a railroad," Henry added as the woman tossed the ticket confetti on the floor, something that she'd be totally against in her normal state of mind, but the vice mayor had pissed her off, so she didn't care about messing up his floors.

"Good, 'cause it won't be ready until the year twenty-fifty-nine. Ha! I'll be long dead by then." The politician chuckled, making their mouths drop like goldfish. They wanted to strangle him until he saw sense and gave them their money back, but they never got the chance to. Someone else had an agenda. A deranged agenda.

"ARGHHHHH!" Cassie screamed as she burst into the room completely unannounced again, only this time she was handling something a lot more deadly than bottled water. She stomped towards her uncle and the heroes with a vicious snarl on her face, but the most alarming thing of all was how she had a pair of scissors held high above her head and ready to plunge into whichever sucker crossed her path first.

Instinctively, (y/n) jumped in front of Henry and Ray jumped in front of her, ready to protect his best friend and sweet girl from the lunatic secretary after the episode with the boiling water and just as Cassie reached him, he grabbed ahold of her arm.

She wasn't particularly strong or experienced with fighting, nothing compared to the assholes he normally faced and so, he managed to get her to drop the scissors fairly easily by bending her arm awkwardly whilst her uncle yelled grumpily and Henry jumped in to help restrain her.

"Calm down! Calm down!" Ray grunted as she struggled in. His grip, (y/n) diving to grab the scissors in case she tried to pick them up again, but the whole thing seemed to be like one big joke for Cassie, who was giggling and twitching as the boys tried to get her madness under control. "You're tickling my wrists!"

"Just take her to the basement." Vice Mayor Willard sighed as two security officers came into the office and took her from the superheroes and they were obviously quite experienced and tired of dealing with the same, crazy girl. They dragged her out as per her uncle's instructions, taking the scissors from Miss Danger, which made (y/n) subtly hug Ray's arm. Cassie laughed manically and the sound freaked her out a little, like the laughter that was deliberately included in horror films to make people shiver. "Who would like some bottled water?"

"No one!" The woman yelled back instantly, feeling Ray's arm curl around her waist to provide her with some comfort as she recalled the beating of her startled heart after drinking the water from the secretary and had they been alone, he would've kissed the memory away, but they still had one problem. The vice mayor and his dumb budget cuts.

"Anyway, vice mayor, you can't cut our budget by ninety per cent," Ray stated with a nervous, disbelieving expression, seeing his girl and Henry nod out of the corner of his eye. He'd been in this game for too long, he knew how impossible it would be to work with no support, he'd have to throw in some of his own savings that came from his fake store, and that sucked so damn much. He had a wedding to save for now and despite him and (y/n) not looking at stuff seriously yet, he knew how much they cost and he had been hoping to start stockpiling in his bank account to give her the day she'd always dreamed of. Fat chance of that happening now.

"Sure I can! I'm the vice mayor, not the nice mayor." The politician cackled like a hyena at his stupid pun, but the joy didn't spread to anyone else. He went to sit back down, but they weren't finished pleading their case, not when they had so much at stake, so they followed him over, leaning over the leather chairs so they could beg.

"Yeah, but we need that money to run the Man Cave, you know, all that equipment." (y/n) argued, trying to make it clear that powering some of the most powerful computers in the world took a serious amount of electricity, so did the tubes, in fact, everything they used took a lot of power, even the auto-snacker. Schwoz's inventions were hardcore but essential to keep them going, but Willard didn't get that.

"And to buy fuel for the Man-Copter," Henry added, raising another excellent point. Gas was expensive and all of their vehicles took ridiculous amounts of it, especially the Man-Copter, their main mode of transportation. It was high quality, super-refined aviation fuel, similar to liquid gold, so now, their beloved helicopter was grounded.

"I mean, come one, how are we supposed to fight crime and keep the city safe if you take away all our money?" Ray pressed. He wanted him to understand how devastating this was, man to man, the need to protect his home and his family too important to just let it go. He was more than just the mask, he had a personal life, one that demanded keeping people safe and happy, not to mention the impending financial strain and he wanted to keep that separate from the troubles of Captain Man. More stress was the last thing anyone needed.

"Good questions, for which I have no answer. You boys, uh, ma'am, want some strudel?" Vice Mayor Willard grinned, offering them a plate of pastries like they'd solve all their problems, unlike him who wasn't going to do anything to help them. The three were about to smash his strudel to crumbs, rub the jelly all over his face until he gave them what they wanted, but then, they saw something freaky through the window, namely Cassie, who had escaped the basement and was climbing the side of the building like a goddamn ape. She glared crazily at her uncle, a pair of sharpened scissors in her mouth and they backed off, wondering if they should do something to save the man from her insanity, even if he was an asshole.

"I see you, Cassie." Vice Mayor Willard said as he munched on a slice of strudel, noticing the reflection of her pink shirt and blonde hair in the shiny metal on his desk, causing her to slowly sink back down since she'd lost the element of surprise. They were a fucking strange pair, clearly, madness ran in the family and Ray looked at his sidekicks in despair when he realised that arguing was useless. What were they going to do?

~Junk-N-Stuff~

So, for the first time in their history, Ray and (y/n) had called a team meeting, a clear sign of their crisis since normally, everyone went about their business and bounced off each other in a chaotic fashion that somehow ended with them working in perfect harmony.

Getting everyone together to talk through things was rare but in this case, extremely necessary as the couple had sat down to ponder over their situation before coming to the conclusion that some changes had to be made, even if they didn't like them. He hated being the asshole boss, he much preferred being a cool one and she wasn't one for cutting corners, but needs must and as such, Henry, Jasper, Schwoz and Charlotte were all sat on the couch as they prepared to go through their presentation.

"Okay, let's get started," Ray mumbled once everyone had gathered, his sweet girl wringing her fingers together with nerves and twisting her engagement ring at how they were gonna take their new rules. Some of them were stupid and highly unfair, having been thought up by Ray, but she saw no other way of saving what little money they had left. The only bonus of this situation was that she got to see Boss Ray, aka Hot Ray, in all of his tight shirt glory and prayed that her knees stayed strong as her gaze raked over his fucking huge arms and pecs as the material stretched over them, every muscle visible for her to enjoy.

"Right, so, today in the Man Cave, we're going to be talking about...Budget Cuts. Everyone's favourite topic." (y/n) smiled tightly as Ray flicked the first slide onto the screen through his PearPad. He stood about half a metre away from her, ignorant to her lingering stares as he thought that she was just looking at him because they were leading the presentation. Fuck, he'd never get used to seeing her wearing that ring, the delicate gold and diamonds telling everyone that she was his but not in a flashy, overstated, possessive way. It was subtle, pretty and everything she wanted in a ring, just enough to notice without having a huge rock sat obnoxiously on her finger.

"What does it mean? Charlotte?" He asked his helpers, focusing on the cleverest of the four as Schwoz contemplated the question, Henry looked lost and Jasper got distracted by his flying fidget spinner, the dumbest toy to hit the shelves for a while and he was hooked. Ray ignored him though, preferring to see what Charlotte wanted to say as she sank into her bean bag because she was smart and Jasper, well, he wasn't.

"That our budget's been cut?" Okay, maybe not that smart. Smart enough to state the obvious, but then again, that was exactly what had happened to them. They had been financially crippled and now, they needed to tell them how screwed they were.

"Yes, and since the City of Swellview isn't going to be giving us nearly enough money to fight crime anymore, let alone keep our bunny in carrots and straw, we're gonna need to make some changes around here." (y/n) announced, her head turning to look at her confused friends and then her doofus, who had drifted to her side during his questioning. She could smell his cologne and felt so tiny compared to his giant frame, so she had to tell herself to not jump on him there and then since they were leading the others and there were children in the room. She could whisper filth to him later, it was fine.

"Show them what you made me do to the schnack-machine," Schwoz told the couple, not realising that it was step two in Ray's schedule and he was just about to do that after taking one last look at his pretty girl. He missed the sight of the ring when she was in uniform, but she'd told him that she'd feel horrible if it got lost or damaged when she was punching people, so it was safely removed until they got home. There, he was free to admire and kiss it, watch her blush and hear her tell him how much she loved him, everything he adored, and the fact that he now had this stress looming over him triggered a sharp response.

"We were just about to talk about that! God!" The hero growled, making Schwoz button his lip and the teens roll their eyes. Someone had gotten up on the wrong side of bed and obviously without getting some before he did, leaving their boss grumpy and moody like a tired child, but luckily, his carer was on hand to quieten him down.

"Okay, calm down and go show them. Go on, Mr Grumpy-pants!" (y/n) soothed him, running her hands over his chest and pecking his cheek as he pouted, and the tightness of his shirt meant he could perfectly feel the metal on her finger trailing up and down his chest before she pushed him towards their tech. Aw, no fair, he wanted more, a lot more, but he still trudged over as instructed so he could present his idea.

"The auto-snacker is no longer free. As I will now demonstrate... Tuna Potpie." Ray pressed his fingertips to the machine's screen and said his order, (y/n) cringing when the automated voice repeated it along with a very steep price for something that was just tuna, peas and pastry. "Tuna Potpie, fifteen dollars."

"Fifteen dollars?!" "For a Tuna Potpie?" "Come on, dude!" The teens yelled, outraged that they were gonna have to pay luxury prices for a crummy meal and it wasn't like they were millionaires. Sure, they got decent money from their jobs but it would soon be frittered away when they started snacking and the fact that this guy was trying to justify that irritated them further.

"Well, tough tuna!" Ray snapped. He didn't like being an asshole, he hated upsetting his employees because they made his life so much better, but he had no choice. He could barely afford to keep himself and his girl living comfortably and they were in this shit with them, making sacrifices that they didn't like...and some that they did. Showering together would save water and therefore save money, at least that was their argument.

"(y/n), tell him!" Henry looked at the woman, who was standing rather awkwardly since they were all looking to her for reason and clear thinking with the hope that she'd bring her lover back to sanity, but for once, she sort of agreed with him. She hated it, thought it was wrong to overcharge kids for food but she'd worked the numbers over and over again, always reaching the same outcome and it was never good, leading to her playing with the ring on her finger - a new nervous habit.

"I'm sorry, guys, but we don't have enough money for employees to get free food anymore." The woman explained, making them all stop grumbling when they saw her remorseful face. She and her fiancé were gonna be eating instant noodles and drinking cheap soda instead of the romantic nights out he loved to treat her to, scrimping on everything if it meant they could struggle on, even if they had to push some things back a little further. They had each other, that was the main thing.

"Now, next. Going to the bathroom here will no longer be free." Ray moved on, returning to his girl's side and picking up her left hand so he could press yet another kiss to the gold there in an attempt to stop her from stressing. This was the new way and yes, even a basic human right had to be paid for by employees, sad but true.

""No way!" "What?" "Is that even legal?" They exclaimed, shocked that they'd actually agreed on that. Okay, maybe (y/n) had argued against that one and gave Ray a small glare at their reactions, which she had predicted to be bad, not that he had listened. She wouldn't take their money, in fact, she'd probably ignore the rule when he wasn't paying attention, even though logic told her that any dollars would be useful.

"You're gonna charge us to pee?!" Charlotte asked indignantly, mainly looking at the large man since she knew he was the ringleader and made the final decisions, but he didn't care how many mean looks he got. You sometimes pay for the bathroom on subway platforms, right? So, what was so different about paying in his Man Cave?

"Well, yeah! Stuff like water and toilet paper and cheese costs money." Ray grumbled, leaning against the supercomputer's console with his arms crossed over his fiancée's chest so he could her towards him and use her perfume to keep him calm, although one part of that sentence confused her. And everyone else, for that matter.

"Um, doof, who eats cheese in the bathroom?" (y/n) asked, leaning her head back to look up at him and his lips twitched a smile when he saw her angle her chin upwards just to see his face. He was tempted to press their lips together, given the proximity and how easy it would be, but he was also curious to know who had been leaving crumbs of cheddar or brie in his toilet, so he just settled for pressing a kiss to her jawline and letting his nose nuzzle her cheek. "That's what I want to know, sweet girl."

As the words rumbled against her skin, everyone turned to face Jasper, who amongst his friends, was well known for being a toilet cheese eater. Come on, he was the weirdest kid in the Man Cave, even if he did mean well, it was obviously him and seeing five pairs of eyes on him made him confess.

"Oh, I'm weird 'cause I like eating cheese in the bathroom?" He asked rhetorically, using air quotes and everything to show them that he didn't see anything wrong with taking a dairy snack into the bathroom for him. Some people took their phones or a magazine, he took cheese, no biggie. What they really should've focused on was how in the distraction of his secret being revealed, (y/n) had closed the gap and the couple were lost in the taste of each other, his finger stroking over her ring as she smiled into the kiss and dreamed about the time when she would have one more and he'd have one to match.

"Hey, guys, break it up. If we're really trying to save some money, then why don't we make Schwoz quit using our crimefighting budget to buy all kinds of crazy stuff for himself?" Charlotte stepped forward from her bean bag, making (y/n) pull away with a perplexed frown on her face when she heard her suggestion. Okay, she could kiss her needy man later, because what was news to her was how that little coconut head had been splurging their hard-earned cash with her knowing. Come to think of it, she had noticed the odd discrepancy here and there, small lumps of money not adding up in her calculations, but she just put it down to human error or the odd, unreported purchase by one of the kids, not Schwoz freeloading.

"He's been doing what now?" She growled, suddenly glaring at the little man as he shrivelled into the couch now that his dirty laundry was being aired too. Okay, everyone but the person who would kick his ass knew and for ages, Ray hadn't given it a second thought because it didn't really matter, they'd always had plenty of dollars in the bank and his girl didn't need to aggro. However, a repayment was well overdue and he was staring down the woman who'd actually make him pay it all back, her fiancé more than willing to let her take charge because what was his was hers. In his mind, they were equals.

"Yeah, Schwoz, you're always using the company credit card for your personal self." Henry accused the genius, giving him a glare too as he shied away and went pale to appear weak, innocent and that nothing was his fault. So he had spent a few thousand dollars on himself, was that really so bad? Misappropriation wasn't terrible, right?

"No, I don't do that." He denied, looking at the couple with big, round eyes to hint at his innocence, although it wasn't working very well with the woman, the only thing keeping her cool being the huge arms wrapped around her small figure. Ray wasn't particularly happy either, considering that his spending on himself had now resulted in them being out of pocket and scrambling for every cent they could find and his lies weren't fooling anyone.

"Oh, don't cha? Well, why don't I read out some of the things you spent our money on last month? I'm sure (y/n) would love to hear." Charlotte smirked, taking the PearPad that was sticking out from Ray's hand as he hugged the glaring woman and Schwoz gulped at the prospect of his secret purchases being revealed. Some stuff wasn't too bad, but other stuff was ridiculous and a sure-fire way of him getting scolded and he hated that he was the centre of everyone's finger-pointing. "Oh, why are you being mean to me?"

"Okay...last month, Schwoz charged three hundred and fifty dollars for a gym membership to someplace called 'Fatness to Fitness'." The girl read, prompting her friend to splutter at the ridiculous price and how she knew that it had probably been barely used since he signed up. No offence, but Schwoz was a midget and not buff at all, so it was easy to tell that he hadn't been doing press-ups or jogging. Plus, they had plenty of workout equipment for the heroes to maintain their physiques, and they wouldn't mind him borrowing it if it meant that their money was safe. Good thing Ray was holding onto (y/n) tightly, otherwise, she'd have stormed forward and throttled him and it took his lips pecking the side of her face to keep her still. "Three hundred whats?! Schwoz! What the hell?!"

"I need it, (y/n/n)! So I can get big muscles!" The little man whined as Ray dragged his girl to sit down properly on the computer's chair, where he could fawn over her in more comfort whilst Schwoz fidgeted from their accusations; it was Henry's turn to make a good point as they cuddled and the genius got more and more petulant. "Yeah, and how does you belonging to a gym help us fight crime?"

"Well, well, what if you, (y/n) and Ray get captured, I might have to spring into action!" Schwoz proposed, doing a few karate chops to reinforce his point that he could step in if they were taken down, but honestly, he couldn't do anything remotely forceful or intimidating and the heroes were too experienced to let some two-bit criminal get the better of them, leading to a series of scoffs. (y/n) snorted as she relaxed against her boyfriend, letting her ass press against him when his hands dropped to her waist and pulled her closer to where he needed her. She felt him adjust his position, something clearly making him squirm and breathe hotly against her neck before he cleared his throat to appear in control.

"Okay, and how many times have you actually been to this gym you joined?" The man asked dryly, his voice husky enough for his girl to pick up on it, but not for anyone else. They just assumed it was annoyance, not his desire to get her alone and it left the young woman thoroughly entertained under stony expression, particularly when she stood up to both stalk towards Schwoz and leave him jaw-clenchingly frustrated.

"I don't know, once." He shrugged, not revealing much information. It wasn't the best to hear that he'd only made the three hundred and fifty dollars worth it once, but it was better than nothing. Say that though, no one could remember a time when the funny, little man had left the Man Cave since he didn't mix very well with people and always had work to do, so that left an important question up in the air. "When?"

"...Tomorrow." He confessed, prompting a series of groans from his friends as they proved their theory right and (y/n) clenched her fists in anger, walking over to the man to say something, anything that would make her feel better, but she kept quiet. She'd regret it in the end, regret any harsh words and whatever hurt they would cause, so just waited for Ray to spring up to stand beside her, an equally angry expression on his face as he pointed at his handyman and took her hand, which had a calming effect on both of them.

"All right, Schwoz. You're gonna pay us back every dollar that you spent on yourself." He instructed in a tone that told everyone he meant business. He didn't use it very often because he was quite a laidback guy and never felt the need to breathe down everyone's neck (apart from his girl's and for a very different reason), but he also kept everything under control and wasn't the sort of person you could walk all over. There was a fine line between being pushy and a pushover, but when it came to order, he sure as hell knew how to pull rank.

"No! I don't have enough money to pay it all back!" Schwoz whined. He had debated getting on his knees and begging for mercy but it wouldn't happen, not when his boss was running off annoyance and a hint of sexual tension.

"Well, here's an idea, go get a second job." (y/n) suggested with a faux-amused face. She figured that since the guy had been sponging off them for god knows how long, he could get off his butt and do some real work, earn some real money and pay them back honestly, y'know, like how most people pay off debts.

"Hey, my dad's looking for a handyman to do some work around the house," Henry mentioned, looking at Schwoz, who looked mortified at the thought of being reduced to a basic engineer. A solution had presented itself, but it sounded so below his skill level, going off and fixing up some random crap in a house, screwing in lightbulbs and repairing toasters, that was child's play to him. He should be just fine then, even if he did complain.

"Hush up, I'm not doing that!" The genius grumbled, prompting two very mean glares from the couple, who couldn't believe that he'd had this golden opportunity to pay them back practically handed to him, but he was still being an ungrateful little shit. Seriously, he could earn a few hundred dollars here and regain his dignity, that wasn't to be sneezed at.

"Hush up, yes, you are, Schwoz!" Ray countered in his mockery of the man's accent, making his girl's stern demeanour break for just a second as she giggled before regaining her straight face. No laughing, she was trying to be serious...but that big doofus sure knew how to make her laugh. Schwoz, however, kept whining and gave her a reason to frown again, not that her lover was having any of it. "But why—why would you—"

"Put on a disguise, drive over to Henry's house and you do any job that Henry's silly father wants you to do," Ray told him firmly and it was a pretty simple list. Jeez, Boss Ray really was Hot Ray and he instantly stopped Schwoz's babbling when his word became law, although he did let out a long groan of frustration. It sounded like a lot of effort, but then again, he'd spent a lot of money that technically wasn't his; it was only right that he balanced the fleeting pleasure of spree shopping with the pain of hard work. "And whatever money you make, you bring it back and you give it to me."

"Us." (y/n) corrected, looking at Ray with raised eyebrows. Okay, yeah, he was the boss, the head, the one that did all the shouting, but she was the one who did all the financing and budgeting, so she wanted to see the stolen cash too. Plus, she was the only one he listened to, so sometimes, everyone saw her as the boss, the level-headed one who kept things calm and under control with nearly as much authority as Ray, even if she felt like an employee with benefits sometimes.

"Okay, you give it to us!" Ray nodded, quickly changing his tune since he knew that she should know the figures as he did and not just because she was his sexy little accountant. He wanted her to be in charge with him, he wanted her to be his equal because that's what she was, very nearly his wife, the one who'd share everything with him. It only made sense that they acted like that now because let's be honest, they'd been like an old married couple for years.

"Maybe..." Schwoz mumbled under his breath, snatching the pair from their lovey-dovey thoughts with his cynical bitterness. Ugh, why'd they have to find domestic bliss in everything, including him being forced into boring, casual, manual labour? He would complain if it was anyone else, he'd have a go back and start shouting, but he was in the wrong and (y/n) wasn't gonna let him get away with that. "What was that, Schwoz?"

"Nothing! I didn't say nothing!" He stammered when she put her hands on her hips and looked down at him. He was one of the only people she could stare down at since her fiancé was a giant and her formally short cutie-patootie, Henry, was quickly catching up to him, Jasper too, but they knew that she was scary when angry and wouldn't dare talk back. Right, that was that sorted, Schwoz would pay them back as if that would solve all of their problems.

"Ray, (y/n), the vice mayor cut our budget by ninety per cent..." Henry stated and gave the couple a sympathetic look. He knew that they were trying their best, squeezing every penny they could from the stupidest things, but it wasn't gonna be enough no matter who they sent out to work or what they stuck a price on. Stress was eating them alive and for what? They were still short by a mere few hundred thousand dollars.

"So? We know, so?" Ray replied moodily, picking up his girl's hand so he could squeeze it and give her a smidge of comfort. It wasn't much, they were in deep shit with nearly no way out but they were struggling together, coping together and it made her smile that even though he was clearly getting worked up by it all, for all that he wanted to be affectionate and make her feel better if he could.

"So, you guys really think we're gonna make that money back by paying for snacks and by charging us to use the bathroom and by making Schwoz work part-time jobs?" Charlotte asked sceptically, calling their bluff. Everyone could see through their brave faces and it sucked that they were in the middle of a crisis so soon after the best happened of their lives but she had a point. They were finding a few dollars here and there, but nothing to keep them afloat.

"No...which is why we have another idea and when I say we, I mean Ray because I don't agree with it but whatever..." (y/n) muttered, turning to her fiancé with crossed arms and everyone wondered why he suddenly had that smarmy, misty spark in his eye that only came about when he was daydreaming about marrying (y/n), buying a house with (y/n), having kids with (y/n), growing old with (y/n) or when he had an idea. And he didn't have those very often.

"A way for us to make more money..." Ray smirked and ran his tongue against the inside of his bottom lip in a way that made him appear like a bit of a weirdo and (y/n) knew that he would be much better off running that tongue against someone else's lip...

"Why are you doing that with your tongue?" Henry asked in confusion, feeling a bit grossed out that he could see every swipe under his lip and for some reason, it looked disturbing. He didn't want to know where that tongue had been and preferred it to remain hidden in his mouth where he didn't have to notice or think about it.

"You leave his tongue alone..." (y/n) ruffled the boy's hair and grinned up at the handsome man, who poked his tongue out at her just enough so it passed through his teeth in a teasing matter. She stood on her tiptoes to peck his lips, drawing a series of groans from their friends when the tongue didn't retract, rather it stayed in place and made her giggle when she decided that a second wouldn't hurt. What? They were about to go on a demonstration mission, she wanted as many kisses as possible.

~Someone's backyard~

"Help, help, help! Please, help me!" A little girl screamed down to the people on the ground, namely her very concerned parents and some of her nosy neighbours. She had done the thing that most adventurous kids end up doing when their parents aren't looking, namely climbing the tallest tree in their garden and then getting stuck. Typical.

Her mother and father had panicked when they heard her panicked yells, running out to the garden to see her halfway up a fucking huge oak tree with no way down. Honestly, in theory, if you can get up there then you should be able to get down too, but whatever, they couldn't do anything about it now. Like most citizens in a pickle, they'd immediately dialled the Captain Man hotline and begged the weird-sounding foreign man on the line to send help quickly, because y'know, the actual police or fire department could never take time out of their busy schedules of doing nothing to do some people-saving.

"Don't scream at her!" The worried mother snapped at her husband. Her maternal instincts were screaming at her to do something and the fact that the girl's father wasn't climbing up there to help really created some friction. Shouting wasn't going to help anyone, especially not the little girl, but she was their world and they were helpless to get her down since neither of them were Tarzan and they didn't own a ladder, prompting the dad to snap back. "I don't know what to do!"

"All right, here we come!" And here came the professionals. Ray, (y/n) and Henry jogged onto the scene, all dressed up in uniform and ready to save the day, with a slight twist that was the brainchild of Ray and his genius. He'd explained it on the way over, which was a very expensive trip over in the Man Van, which drank fuel like nobody's business, and it was safe to say that Henry wasn't too pleased when he heard the finer details. It was a sucky plan and (y/n) agreed with him that it wasn't right, but at the end of the day, when all was said and done, Ray made the calls. "Okay, everybody calm down!"

"Look! It's Captain Man, Miss Danger and Kid Danger!" The dad exclaimed to his relived wife, who was over the moon to see that their daughter's salvation had finally arrived. They'd get her down in no time, safe and sound, no worries because that's what they did, they were superheroes, duh. "Please, our daughter's stuck up in a tree!"

"Help! Get me down!" The girl shouted above their heads as she squinted to see three red and blue blobs joining her mommy and daddy. Okay, she was a little pushy for someone who'd gotten themselves into bother and to be honest, a please would've been nice, but whatever, they could deal with it, no problem.

"Right, kid, why don't you go ahead and climb up the tree, grab the little girl and bring her back down here?" (y/n) looked at Henry since he was young and spry. Okay, she wasn't quite ready to pull the old card on people, she had way too much pride for that but she wanted to stay down on the ground and help her doofus deal with the inevitably angry parents when his idea came to fruition.

"Why can't you climb up the tree?" The kid grumbled, his eyebrows knitting together when he heard that he had been nominated to do all the donkey work. Yeah, he was the best at climbing trees since he was strong, young and light, but so was she technically and he needed a good reason.

"In this skirt? You serious?" She raised an eyebrow, gesturing to the red satin fabric that brush around her thighs and accentuated her figure in a way that always made Ray a tad protective. She was hot and if she went up there, every guy and girl around would be able to catch a glimpse of the safety shorts she wore underneath it, something that he was keen to stop because it was a sight only he was privileged to witness. Those soft thighs were private, goddamn it.

"All right, all right, I'm all over it." Yeah, that was a good enough reason for Henry, especially when he saw his boss give him a hard look as if to say "get your butt up the tree now, or else". He could climb the tree, no biggie, he didn't want any accidental exposure either and he always wore pants so he started climbing. Badly. He grabbed a low branch to help pull himself up and then tried o find a little knot when he could gain some underfoot traction to begin his ascent, only for smoother-than-it-appeared bark to make him slip.

"Are you?" Ray asked with an amused smirk as he saw his sidekick struggling and he shared a chuckle with his sweet girl. She folded her arms and rested her head on his arm whilst they watched the mom steady him and guide him back to the tree for a second go. Aw, caring seemed to be in her nature or maybe it was just her desperate need to get her daughter back safely in her arms with no broken bones.

"I'm going again" Henry replied strongly and this time, clenched his thigh muscles to ensure that he didn't stumble on the first few steps, meaning he was able to make it up to the next branch. And then the next and the next and the next until he was nearly at the girl, which was the perfect time for Ray to move in since the rescue was well underway. (y/n) couldn't say she liked it, but she also didn't like the idea of having an argument in front of two strangers because it would unavoidably end up in tomorrow's gossip columns, so she was resigned to playing along.

"Don't worry, Kid Danger will have your little girl down in just a few minutes." The woman smiled at the husband and wife politely as she picked up her head from against her fiancé's arm and instead, put her hand on his shoulder in a casual manner. Yeah, this was fine, no problem, just what they had to do now and two bright smiles should make it all seem natural.

"Thank you so much!" "Thank you, Captain Man, Miss Danger." The man and woman grinned at the couple, thinking that they were simply the loveliest, kindest, most generous people for helping their precious daughter and they knew that they were gonna have a long, happy life together from how adorable they seemed together. Well, they did think that until Ray opened his mouth.

"And while we're waiting, we can go ahead and settle up your bill," Ray said, returning the smile from both their kind eyes and the feeling of his fiancée squeezing his shoulder and kneading away the knots that had built up from carrying the weight of the world. Instantly, the happy, relived smiles evaporated and the couple were left facing two mortified parents, who couldn't believe what they were hearing.

"Our—our bill?" The mom reiterated, wondering if she'd heard the hero correctly. There had never been a bill before for anyone, Captain Man always provided his services for free because just the knowledge that he was making his city safer was enough payment for him. Being the first to receive a total from his PearPad didn't go down well with the citizens, but to be fair, Ray did have a good argument.

"Mm-hmm. Now, let's see, uh, we drove over here, that was a twenty-two-mile drive..." Ray muttered as he totted up the price of fuel, resources and time they were using for the rescue, which was a lot. The bill was gonna be ridiculously expensive and would surprise anyone who was given one because no one ever thought about how much Captain Man went through to keep the city safe, including Captain Man himself. When the city paid, he didn't have to care, but now that he was budgeting, he realised that a crippling cost for the average citizen. Oops.

"Are you charging us money?" "To rescue our daughter?" They exclaimed with incredulous tones and suddenly, they were cursing the moment they called that damn hotline. Screw Captain Man and Miss Danger, they were a horrible, selfish, ill-suited couple, who they hoped were either very unhappy together or broke up in the worst way. Assholes, charging a bill, who does that?

"Well, yeah." The hero shrugged, looking at his prettiest sidekick, who was acting as though she enjoyed taking money from innocent people who'd had the misfortune of having an accident or running into a criminal. They didn't like it, of course, they didn't, Ray had morals too and there was a reason why his services had been free for the twenty-something years he'd been working, but there was also a reason why he was charging now.

"I mean, come on, lady. You pay your gardener when he comes to garden your garden, don't cha?" (y/n) theorised the point that Ray had raised when they were making the journey to the house. Technically speaking, he was right; they were providing a service and in any other circumstance, the person providing their time and resources would expect a fair payment once they were finished, which could be extended to superheroes and any rescuing they did. How were they any different? Every other person the family called would get paid and just because they expected it to be free, didn't mean it had to be.

"And you pay your babysitter to sit with your babies," Ray added, backing her up with another example since he felt kinda strongly about this. Captain Man and Co had been privatised since the taxpayer was no longer paying for him, so maybe, if these people didn't want to pay, they should turn to the free police service and see how safely their daughter would be rescued with those clowns helping out. "So why would you complain about paying three superheroes for saving your daughter's life?"

"Okay, there's no way we're paying you to rescue our child!" The woman growled, practically standing toe-to-toe with (y/n) like she was ready to square off with her, her henpecked husband ready to back her corner too. A mother's ferocity was never to be underestimated, but (y/n) saw no other option; if they didn't want to pay, then there was only one thing for it. "No chance!"

"Fair enough..." The superheroine shrugged, just as Henry had reached the little girl and began to shake the branch she was clinging to, which was the opposite of what they wanted. They weren't working for free anymore, so no payment equalled no rescue, something that they should've explained to Henry before they sent him up the tree to get the girl. "Okay, she's coming down!"

"No, no, no, no, kid, wait! Just wait a—" Too late. Ray and (y/n) cringed as the girl thumped on the ground, slightly bruised but otherwise unharmed and her parents went to peel her from the grass whilst Henry clambered down after her. Great, there went their bargaining power, the only thing that would ensure that sweet dollar was now safely being asked if she was all right. Fabulous.

"Okay, our work here is done," Henry mentioned as the three heroes regrouped, but the couple wasn't happy. Not at all. They weren't leaving until they got what was rightfully theirs because y'know, normally people do that or if not, they sue and it was a mistake to underestimate Ray. He was the pettiest, most stubborn man alive (with a great ass) and he wasn't afraid to butt heads with anyone.

"No, it's not done." He told the kid firmly, putting an arm around his girl as she folded her arms and jutted out her hip and waited. She could be stubborn as well, which was why when they argued everyone knew about it. They could sit and hold a grudge for days if it suited them, until one of them finally cracked and the universe's natural order was restored, but together, they were a force of hardheadedness that was to be reckoned with. "What you talking about?"

"They refuse to pay!" (y/n) snapped and pointed at the mother and father, who weren't listening since they had their daughter back with them on the ground, but if they had anything to do with it, that wouldn't be the case for much longer if they could help it.

"So we're putting the girl back up in the tree!" Ray said, making everyone look at him with wide eyes, including his sweet girl, who hadn't been expecting that. She thought that they were just gonna stand there until they coughed up a couple hundred dollars, but putting a child in mortal peril seemed wrong and irresponsible, a step too far even for her stubborn ass. The parents immediately clutched their daughter harder as Henry turned to huddle up with his friends, intent on protesting since he couldn't be bothered to go back up there and he wasn't going to jail for child endangerment, no way.

"Doofus, think about—" "Come on, seriously—" The sidekicks argued, looking at their boss with those sensible expressions that they only wore when he was being dumb, but not even fluttering eyelashes and cutesy looks could change his mind.

"Girl...back in the tree!" He snapped and clapped his hands together, causing his sidekicks to groan as he stormed over and picked the girl up, stealing her from her parent's arms. Yeah, not Captain Man's finest moment, but hey, it worked. They soon paid when their child was shouting her lungs out from the highest branch, which Ray called a screaming success.

~A few days later~

Having no money sucks. Real bad.

The heroes and the Man Cave team had been on their extreme budgeting regime for a few days and holy shit, things were starting to get tough. Firstly, the things that were previously of good quality, for example, the toilet paper of the ingredients that were stocked in the auto-snacker had been swapped for cheaper alternatives. Cheaper didn't necessarily have to mean bad, in fact, when looked for properly, there were some great bargains around, but with Ray calling the shots, none of the new stuff could be called great, in any way, shape or form. He'd instructed his assistants to pick out the crappest, cheapest shit they could find, so that's what they were now using.

Secondly, everything was now really fucking hot. The Man Cave had turned into a sauna but with none of the comfort as Ray and his sweet girl had spent another few hours going over their bills as they sat up and stressed in bed one night, only for the doofus to see how much they were spending on the AC. Now, the only reason (y/n) hadn't cut the cost there was because she knew they needed it; their home was filled with machinery and gadgets that were on constantly, meaning they produced a hell of a lot of heat that they normally combatted by circulating cool air through the building. That used power, a shit ton of power, but it was necessary because y'know, otherwise, the place would be miserable and Colin would cook along with his carrots, but oh no, for Ray, that didn't matter.

The AC was gone and yeah, fair enough, it saved them a lot of money, but now the Man Cave was unbearably hot. The air made their skin sticky and their breathing difficult, especially at night when they were trying to sleep, so much so that they'd ditched their usual cuddling and curled up on their respective sides of the bed by themselves, the blankets kicked to the floor. And if that didn't make them miserable, then the lack of sex definitely did, something they'd attempted and abandoned after overheating in roughly ten seconds after wrapping their arms around each other.

"Ugh, it's so hot!" Jasper panted as he sat in a trash can filled with ice cubes with a fan on full blast so it could cool his face and Colin's fur. The poor bunny had to be moved from his hutch and was resting with Jasper in the can since he couldn't sweat nor pant and he'd been terrified of him overheating whilst (y/n) was out on a mission with the boys. Coming back to a dead rabbit would ruin her and Ray, to be honest, who secretly loved the creature underneath his tough-guy exterior and he was perfectly happy as the fan wafted his fur, which couldn't be said for Charlotte.

"Ughhhh, my stomach feels so bad!" The girl groaned from her place sprawled out on the couch and if Jasper could move, he'd probably run over and put a sick bucket in front of her in case she spewed. The poor kid was in agony from a serious case of food poisoning and it would probably be best if (y/n) magically appeared so she could assess the situation, not that she could do a lot if she'd eaten something bad.

"I'm back—-whoaaaa, schneezel! It's so hot in here! Why is so hot?" Great, more hot air. Schwoz, in some weird fur-lined leotard, shuffled into the room from the elevator and was instantly hit by the wall of hot air. Jeez, being so far underground meant the place was really well insulated and he wondered why the kids were enduring such extreme temperatures- they had air conditioning for a reason, he should know, he built it.

"Ray said we can't turn on the air conditioning 'cause it costs too much money," Jasper explained breathlessly as sweat trickled down his temples. He'd been drinking water nonstop and keeping an eye on Colin to make sure he wasn't dying too, following every rule in the How To Rabbit guidebook (y/n) had given him for when she wasn't there and shit, he was stressed. The bunny was his responsibility but he was cooking too, even in his trash can full of ice, he should've taken the day off.

"What's wrong with Charlotte?" Schwoz asked after the girl in question released another pained groan while she clutched at her swollen tummy. Her shirt was drenched with sweat too, not that she'd notice considering she was running a high fever in the midst of their self-made jungle climate and honestly, she was in really bad shape. She was warm yet shivery, loopy but still lucid enough to feel the rollercoaster happening in her stomach, every twitch and agonising clench as it tried to flush out the infection.

"I think she has food poisoning. I'm waiting on (y/n) to come back so she can help." Jasper replied. He was struggling on his own, he had a bunny in one hand and his friend in the other, plus, he was a teenager, what was he meant to do? Sure, he had the rabbit book, but no one had told him what to do for food poisoning and all he had been able to do for the last two hours was reassure her that help would be with them soon, either in the form of their friends or more ice cubes to cool them down.

"I do have food poisoning!" Charlotte snapped, knowing what he had since she'd researched all of the symptoms herself. Ugh, she needed a doctor or death, either one would be nice, much better than sticking to the couch from how clammy her skin was. "Ugh, I feel like I'm about to throw up."

"Oh, well, look at this. Henry's father gave me some food to take home. Do you want some Indian seafood chowder?" Schwoz smiled at the girl soothingly and crouched down next to her as he took the lid off of the Tupperware box given to him by Mr Hart. He knew that theoretically, a person can and should eat whatever they normally eat when they get food poisoning, y'know, to build up their strength and whatever nutrition they lose through vomiting, but he didn't know that anything that increases nausea isn't recommended. Indian seafood chowder, aka the oiliest, strongest smelling goop on the planet, certainly wasn't.

"NO! Get away from me!" The girl screamed in terror as he assaulted her nose with the fish, spicy smell and her guts did somersaults when the putrid stench wafted over her face, causing her to shuffle along the half-crescent to try and get away. Poor Schwoz, he was trying his best, but truthfully, he should've left it to the one he knew best and here she came. Just in the nick of time, the tubes dropped, bringing Henry, (y/n) and Ray back in the Man Cave, only it was like their usual entrance.

For once, (y/n) didn't have her arms wrapped tightly around her doofus, no, she had instead made the descent with Henry, the two of them huddled safely behind the glass of the left tube and for good reason. Ray had been forced to go solo for the slight hiccup of him holding a damn alligator. A real one. Not a fully grown, man-eating alligator, that would be stupid and reckless and unrealistic, thank god it was just a baby one, only big enough to snap your finger off if you got too close, a metre or so long. Saying that, it was still pretty scary though and he had been the only one brave enough to pick the thing up and carry it home, avoiding its snapping teeth and tendency to hiss when it got agitated.

"Hey, what's going on, gu—oh, man! It's hot in here!" Henry gasped like Schwoz had when the cool air from the tube suckage disappeared and he was left standing in the seriously warm room, causing him and (y/n) to promptly separate before they melted. At least she got to wear a skirt and a bodice, which was like built-in ventilation, he was covered completely from the neck down and so was Ray, not that he'd admit to being hot and bothered. "Yeah, well, get used to it!"

"Don't snap at him just because you haven't had any in three days..." (y/n) grumbled as she began to stomp down the stairs. It was difficult for her to, she was human too and seeing him waltz around their bedroom with a shiny, sweat-drenched torso didn't make anything easier, she was just looking forward to the day when the mayor said they could have their money back or when they won the lottery. A normal-ish life sounded pretty good to her, which wouldn't return until that happened and Ray dealt with the crocodilian.

"Arghhhhh! Why do you have an alligator?!" Schwoz screamed with Jasper and Charlotte when they clocked on to what their boss was carrying and all one million teeth it had. The genius cowered behind Jasper, who sunk lower in his trash can, leaving Colin upfront like a meaty appetiser for the creature to snack on before them. Honestly, what was the big deal? Sure, it was snappy but it couldn't eat them, not even close, it would merely hurt if they lost a finger.

"Because it crawled into the playground at Swellview Elementary School," Henry answered, still feeling a little miffed from the mission and all the shenanigans that had occurred on it. There were many times when he felt proud doing his job because he was making a difference and helping the community, however, today was not one of those times.

"Yeah, and guess who had to go capture it?" Ray growled, carefully angling the gator's mouth, the dangerous end, away from his girl since he noticed how she was warily leaning away from it and therefore, also leaning away from him. She wasn't in the best of moods, ranging from how hot it was to how they'd been teetering on the edge of desire for way too long, only for them to give up when the heat made movement impossible.

He wanted to turn the AC on and drag her to bed, but for five hundred dollars a day, there wasn't a chance in hell that he was gonna do it. Well, maybe if they got real desperate, which was the way they were heading.

"Us! And then Raymond charged the sweet, little kids eleven bucks to get him out." (y/n) growled, looking at her dumb man with semi-annoyed eyes.

"I would've got more but that's all they had!" Ray added dryly, knowing that it was a horrible thing to do and deep down, he felt guilty after making a bunch of children cry but the rule was for everyone and he was consistent. Perhaps too consistent.

"Well, why did you bring him here?" Schwoz asked indignantly, which Jasper strongly agreed with. He'd be one mouthful to a beast like that, a tasty little morsel before it moved onto the others and he knew that he wasn't gonna sleep tonight if that thing was gonna be creeping about, no way.

"Yeah, why didn't you take him to animal control?"

"'Cause there is no more animal control. The dumb vice mayor cut their budget too." Ray seethed as he checked put their newest guest. They could lock him in one of the spare rooms in the basement until they figured out a plan, not that anyone was thinking straight, not even the smart one.

"Guys, please don't let that alligator eat me," Charlotte whined as she looked at the gator and felt her tummy clench again, sending another wave of pain through her body as well as another wish for death. At this rate, she wasn't gonna make it, at least that's how she saw it and if she was to go, she didn't want it to be down an animal's throat. Luckily though, help had arrived and for the first time since arriving, (y/n) caught sight of her clammy skin, bloodshot eyes and smelt the faint stench of puke coming from the girl.

"Char, what's going on? What's wrong?" The woman asked gently, crouching down next to the girl's limp body with her cool hand pressed to her forehead and she had to fight the urge to flinch and how scorchingly hot she was. That couldn't be from just the lack of air conditioning, she was sticky and unresponsive behind the eyes with no sarcastic comment coming when Henry came over to comfortingly rub her shoulder. Poor kid was unwell and she hated seeing her in pain.

"I ate bad meat...from the auto-snacker." She whimpered as her friend's cool skin met her own and made her realise just how hot she was. (y/n) would have to wash her hands and get the girl some new clothes to wear but for now, she was content on checking how dehydrated she was, her doofus watching on with concerned eyes as he got the feeling he knew why.

"Come again? Why'd the auto-snacker have bad meat? It's usually fine." She frowned, glancing up at Jasper since he was the errand boy and the one who was sent out for restocking supplies.

"'Cause Ray told me to stop it with the cheapest meat I could find," Jasper replied, still boiling which meant he didn't give a shit about snitching on his boss, even when he was obviously jerking his head to signal that he needed to shut up. He was about to fall from favour with his sweet girl and he needed her more than ever right now, but the look in her eye told him that he was in trouble, and so did her cold tone of voice.

"What?!"

"So, what kind did you buy?" Henry asked as he left Charlotte's side, certain that he couldn't do anything to take away the pain or cure her, it was just one of those things that would pass with time.

"Expired." Well, that's just setting yourself up for failure. You can try to be as safe as you want but once the meat is old, you've got no hope and (y/n) wasn't happy. At all. Her head whipped around to glare at her fiancé and of all the stupid, reckless, empty-headed things he'd done over the years, this one took the biscuit.

His stare dropped to the floor in shame as he got a round of groans and expletives from his mortified team and okay, fine, he felt ashamed, the lowest of the low now that he'd been left to eating life-threatening garbage. And what hurt the most was that she didn't look angry, unlike the others, she simply looked disappointed and shook her head slowly. Knowing that he'd let her down, the last thing he ever wanted to do, was the cruellest blow of all.

"Really, Raymond? Is this what we're reduced to now? Sweltering from no air conditioning? Roasting our bunny alive? Babysitting alligators? Taking money from little kids? Poisoning ourselves with bad meat?" (y/n) asked him rhetorically, looking around at the utter chaos that had ensued the moment the vice mayor took away all their money. They were sweating, half-dying, forced to betray the people that gave them a pedestal to stand on and to top it all off, their personal lives were taking a blow too.

"Owwww, my gut!" And Charlotte was infected. What was more worth it? Sticking to the vice mayor's instructions or putting their foot down and telling him where to go? For Ray, the latter seemed much better.

"That's it! That does!" He yelled furiously as he took in her protest and he knew that they were correct, they had every right to complain because they weren't living, they were struggling and he'd had enough. He wanted to be able to buy nice things, save people properly and go home and have it off with his fiancée, and the resulting frustration from not having those things made him kick Schwoz's bag across the room. Temper, temper.

"We're not taking this anymore! We're gonna go downtown, we're gonna march right into the vice mayor's office and tell him that he better give us our full budget back or else...or else—"

"We're gonna put an alligator down his pants!" Henry yelled, fully pumped up from his boss finally taking a stand against the repressive bullshit of that sorry excuse for a politician. The only thing was though that sure, they wanted to scare the guy, maybe rough him up a smidge, but assaulting him with a live animal was a step too far, even for them.

"Yeah, we're gonna shove—a what down his what?" (y/n)'s smile dropped when she properly processed the boy's words after getting caught up in the excitement too. She was glad that Ray was taking responsibility and action and hearing him figuratively declare war on that asshole melted her disappointment and reignited her desire.

She probably would've been all over him if it wasn't for the literal alligator in the way, but it gave her a chance to look weirdly at Henry for his suggestion that they let said alligator chomp on the vice mayor's...thing.

"I don't know, (y/n/n), I'm hot, it's hot in here. Just put the alligator down, let's go!" Henry shook his head at whatever gobbledygook came out of his mouth and instead ran back up to the tubes as Ray gently put the not-croc safely on the cool tiles and took his sweet girl's hand in his own. This time they'd be able to ride in a tube together and it was nice to be "reunited", even if their friends didn't like the idea of being left alone with such a ferocious creature.

"Wait!" "What are we supposed to do with the alligator?" Jasper and Schwoz yelped when they saw the animal staying where it had been put, but that didn't mean it wouldn't charge at any moment. It was probably just biding its time and waiting to pounce when they least expected it, so they didn't want to be left alone, even if they were gonna offer Charlotte up as the first snack. What? The weakest goes first.

"Don't upset him!" Ray smirked when his girl wrapped her arms around his waist and quickly connected their lips, the first time they'd been able to do so in four or five hours. The tubes were cool thanks to the flowing air that circulated through them and the relief it brought was enough to make being in each other's arms enjoyable after days of stupid heat, so they weren't gonna waste it, making sure that they lingered for a few seconds. "Why?"

"'So he doesn't kill you." Henry joked as slapped his belt and his dumb remark made (y/n) pull back to protest. Ray was the one who protested first, her being able to feel the low rumbling of a groan rattling in his chest since she'd pulled back right when he was about to run his tongue along her bottom lip and explore deeper. She was killing herself too, her heart telling her to not pull away but she had to, Henry had left their friends quivering.

"Shut up. The alligator is too small to kill you, so just leave it alone, don't let it near Colin and you'll be fine. Oh, and turn the AC back on, get Charlotte a change of clothes and make sure she keeps drinking water at regular intervals. Bye-bye!" (y/n) instructed the boys, who took her directions very seriously as she, Ray and Henry disappeared up the tubes, leaving them alone to deal with things.

Yeah, who was the boss now? They could do as she said, cool air sounded nice and now they knew what to do, caring for Charlotte would be easy, they just hoped that monster stayed put. Or else.

~ Swellview City Hall was in the heart of the city, which kinda made sense since it was where all the local laws and important shit took place, however, it made getting to it a bit tricky.

Y'see, normally when speeding to the vice mayor's office, Ray would just turn on his blaring, flashing lights, put his pedal to the metal and cruise down the highway at lightning speed in one of his big, hyper-cars, and they'd get there in no time. Captain Man didn't stop for red lights, he was allowed to cut through traffic like a police officer, but only if he was in one of his registered vehicles, all of which used a lot of fuel over a very, very short distance.

To cut a long story short, the heroes still didn't have their budget restored, so they were still being careful with the few dollars they had and as such, Schwoz has allowed them the use of his personal car, which wasn't cleared for high-speed chases down the freeway. An now, the great Captain and his sidekicks were reduced to crossing town at an embarrassingly normal speed in an equally humiliating vehicle.

The dreaded minivan.

"I am so mad." Ray seethed, his fists clenched around the steering wheel so tightly that his knuckles were turning white under his gloves. He felt like a fool, driving around in the shittiest car in the world just because it had a great fuel-mileage ratio and even though (y/n) had explained the rationality of it all a million times and had soothingly placed a casual hand on his thigh, he was still whining.

"Stoplight," Henry mentioned the back seat as he looked ahead of them and it was just meant to be one of those passing comments, one that would stop the police from pulling them over if they got caught jumping the lights. They wouldn't see them, their uniform, no, they'd see the damn minivan and they'd waste ages sorting it all out, so Henry's comment was fair if slightly irritating for the guy driving.

"Yeah, I see it." Ray hissed, trying not to piss anyone off but his tone was straight up mean and it made his sweet girl look across at him with the same expression she would wear when scolding a child. Jeez, was the hand on the thigh not working or was it making it worse?

"All right, sweetheart, calm down. No need to get crabby." (y/n) told him gently and moved her hand to squeeze his knee as if it was a physical reminder to him that she was there.

It was all good, they were on their way to sort their problem out and they weren't leaving without what they wanted and he appreciated her concern, instantly feeling his frustration ebb away as he wasn't looking for an argument unless it was with the vice mayor. Rather, he picked up the hand on his leg and raised it to his lips, pressing a kiss to where the ring he'd given her would be if she was wearing it since it just so happen to be the left one and he couldn't help it either way. It was his thing now, even when it had to be taken off.

"Oh my god, you guys! That's Kid Danger! So cute!" Great, that's just what they needed. Their attention was suddenly on the left window as a sports car with a group of hot teen girls pulled up and they immediately noticed Henry sitting in the back, his arm casually resting on the door as he felt the cool breeze fanning him after getting all sweaty in the Man Cave.

They were leaning over their doors to get a good look at him, causing Henry to blush as the sun made their skin glow and he had never been more thankful for convertible cars. Damn, they were cute and in any normal situation he'd lay the flirting on thick, but anyone's style could be cramped in an RV.

'Hey, sup?" The kid grinned, making (y/n) look at Ray with an amused eye roll as he switched on his charm and they wondered if they were like that back when they were young.

"Hi, Kid Danger!"

"Why are you in that stupid car?"

"Bye!" Okay, maybe they weren't so cute after all. They could be pretty all they wanted, but personality makes up for more and for Henry, he quickly lost interest once they started poking fun at them. They were saved people from death and serious injury, what did they do? Bitch about people and go to dumb house parties, well done them.

"Yeah, why are we in Schwoz's stupid car? Why can't we take the Mans Am?" Henry asked curtly. He'd lost on a flirting moment because he happened to be in the lamest car on the planet and now he wasn't happy either, but if he heard the cost of running another vehicle, his eyes would water.

"Uh, because this car gets fifty-two miles per gallon. Do you know how many miles per gallon the Mans Am gets?" Ray snapped back and dragged his girl's hand back to his leg so he could focus on that and not punch someone or something. His cars looked cool and they got the ladies, even (y/n) had to admit that he looked hot driving, jaw clenched and eyes hardened, but they also went through some rigorous manoeuvres, including speeding, braking, sharp turns and the dread short yet frequent journeys, meaning their MPGs were terrible and costly.

"One," Henry muttered, knowing the answer but he just liked complaining. It made him feel better if a little stupid since heard all about how much (y/n) hated the Mans Am, her stating that one day she was going to ban it or modify it so its fuel tank didn't need to be refilled every few miles.

"Yeah, one mile per gallon! It's the most economically and environmentally tragic car I've ever seen." The woman rolled her eyes and buttoned her lip before anything else could come out. She could go on and on about the vehicle and had been known to but she could let it go for the sake of peace.

"Yeah, okay, I get it! You don't like the Mans Am, what's new?" Ray replied dryly, sparing her a glance as his tone turned sharp, meaning his words stung a little more than he meant them to and she retracted her hand. Fuck peace, if he was having a go, then so would she, their mutual stubbornness rearing its head once again.

"All right, don't get mad with me, jerk..." (y/n) muttered, turning to stare out of the window since friction was developing and the last thing they needed was an argument. Henry swallowed as everything turned silent for a moment, nothing but the sound of the vehicles around them and the tarmac underneath them making noise. He felt like he was in the backseat with his parents arguing up front and he didn't like it, not when he knew that neither of them meant to get short-tempered with the other over a damn car.

"I'm sorry, sweet girl, I didn't mean it. I just—I just want the vice mayor to give us our money back." Ray broke first, his heart clenching and his tummy turning when he saw how he'd turned her face away so he couldn't read her emotions. She could be crying, she could be glaring, she could be doing anything and he wouldn't know and that made him uneasy, knowing that they were still fresh to the engagement stage. It was highly unlikely but not impossible to suppose that she could call the whole thing off, say they're not ready for that kind of commitment and break his heart in the process, not that she ever would.

"Me too, doofus. I'm sorry too." (y/n) turned to face him once again, revealing that it was nowhere near as bad as he had worried it would be, she wasn't crying, she wasn't gonna do anything dramatic, she was okay, a product of her stubbornness. Ray broke out into a soft, relieved smile when he saw her giving him one and he happily brought her ring finger to his lips again to end the disagreement fully, the hand then settling on his thigh so he could drive and tranquillity fell over them again. Thank god for that, Henry didn't want to play referee and to make sure he wouldn't have to, he had the perfect way to settle their nerves.

"Y'know what, why don't we practice?" He proposed, making the adults look up at the rear-view mirror so they could look at him. What was he on about? Practice didn't make much sense to them but he was sweet enough to help them out and move on, so they humoured him.

"Practice?" Ray asked in a much gentler tone than before, him being careful not to ruffle any more feathers. He'd scared himself once with his vivid imagination and he didn't want to make his nightmares a reality so he just went along with it, his hand occasionally dropping to squeeze the one resting on his leg. Stupid fears, always getting the best of him.

"Yeah, like rehearse. You guys be you, y'know all gross and stuff and I'll be the vice mayor." Henry explained, making them nod slowly as they picked up what he was laying down. A little practice might do them good, they needed to sound sure of themselves and make a clear argument when they barged into Vice Mayor Willard's office, so why not? "Yeah, okay, all right, let's do it."

"Okay, we're gonna go in there, I'm gonna go "Listen, vice mayor!" Yeah, I'm gonna point at him and grab his throat!" Ray growled as he put on a tough-guy voice, but he was thinking too violently. They were being spontaneous and confident sure, but they also didn't want to get arrested, lord knows how crabby he'd get if (y/n) was put in a different cell.

"Okay, no throat-grabbing, sweetheart." The young woman stopped him before he got carried away, terrified that he was gonna do something stupid once they got there. She patted his leg and he looked over to see her frantically shaking her head and he swiftly dropped the idea, seeing that she was dead set against him roughing up the politician. Yeah, it would've been great to emphasise their argument, but the guy was protected by a legion of security officers and it's not like they could afford to be sued.

"No, I'll just point at him and I'll say "but we need that money!" Yeah! "To fight crime and to keep the City of Swellview safe!"

"If you say so."

"Yeah, I do, so you better give us our money back!" Ray snapped at Henry or Vice Mayor Willard as he was pretending to be and they were getting into it, shouting back and forth like the superhero was actually in the man's office, demanding his usual budget. (y/n) was loving it, seeing her doof cheer up and get all tough made her giggle as Henry kept arguing back, but there was one little thing spoiling her mood and that was that the minute they cleared the freeway bridge, the low sun was killing her eyes.

"Okay, just a minute, boys, I can't see a damn thing." She mumbled, causing them to quieten at her fingers stretched in front of her eyes to block the light, meaning it left Ray's thigh and caught his attention. Aw, she looked so cute glowing like an angel, but at the same time, he didn't want her in discomfort and he stopped talking to look over at her, Henry smirking in the back seat when he stroked her knee.

"Broke me out of character, sweet girl, you okay?" He asked with a smile, seeing that she could barely crack one eye open to notice the way he was looking at her, fully in love and twinkly-eyed.

"Yeah, yeah, just gonna put down the visor..." (y/n) replied and flipped the plastic down so it could shade her face, but the sun didn't matter, nothing did, not when a wad of crispy, bloody, stinky, yellowish string flopped into her lap, making her gag a and freeze. Dear God, what the fuck was on her skin? It was just one big lump, like spaghetti that had been left to dry out and was that chunks of food she could see? Ray wondered what she was holding and why she was shaking, Henry too when he saw her pale face in the rear-view mirror and they leaned towards her to see what was wrong. "What's that?"

"Oh, y'know, it looks like a bunch of used..." The young woman gulped and her stomach flipped as she looked across at her infused fiancée with worried eyes. Yeah, it was probably a good idea for her to start rethinking the fingerless gloves as the stringy stuff was sticky, almost as if it had once been wet and hadn't had the chance to dry out properly. God, she was holding it and the more it danced about in her face, the more she could smell its sourness and discern what it was.

"Dental floss?" Ray queried, recognising the nylon twine even in its tangled lump and it suddenly dawned on them what it had been used for and by whom. Schwoz, that dirty, little weirdo, he had been stashing it like how some people collected stamps or bellybutton lint and he just so happened to keep it tucked away in his visor, where no one would see it until it was too late. Couldn't he have mentioned that he kept his disgusting collection there? (y/n) would've stayed in the back if she had known and she began to tremble as Henry screeched.

"Oh my god, that floss was in Schwoz's mouth!" He shrieked, causing (y/n) to release a similar whimper and toss the offending lump into Ray's lap, not because she wanted him to be covered in the little man's cooties, it was just a reflex, one that caused him to yell in repulsion too.

The couple tossed it between them as the minivan swerved in its lane, causing cars around them to honk their horns as Ray involuntarily turned the wheel whilst trying to get rid of the damn thing. At one point, as they were yelling at each other, someone in the confusion tossed it back to Henry, who juggled the floss in panic before throwing it back into the front where Ray plonked it back onto his sweet girl's lap, who then threw it out of the window for some other sucker to deal with. Good riddance, but now, she desperately wanted to wash her hands.

"That dirty, batshit crazy, little freak..." (y/n) panted as they recovered from the shock of the floss jumping from one lap to another and for once, the touchy couple didn't automatically rejoin hands. Everyone had been infected, everyone had crust and ickiness on their fingers/gloves and no one wanted to swap or make it worse. Okay, first stop, wash hands, second stop, kick the vice mayor's ass, they could do that, they were gonna do that, no question about it...and possibly feed Schwoz to the alligator once they got home.

~Swellview City Hall~

With their hands damp from a quick yet thorough scrub in a dinky little sink, the three heroes stormed through the city hall, ignoring the protests of the secretaries, officers and other members of staff who said they could just barge in without an appointment. Yeah, they could do that, who had the blasters? That's right, they did and with some slight threats, they made it to the gilded doors of the asshole's office, allowing Ray to brutally shove them open with his super strength and they were ready to make some demands.

"All right, vice mayor, I've got some words to say," Ray growled as he headed the charge, but what he was greeted with wasn't what they were expecting. They had imagined that Vice Mayor Willard would be sitting at his big, dumb desk, eating strudel and signing papers, y'know just sitting on his ass like he normally did, but to their shock and horror, he was...indisposed. Cassie, being the loon she was, had captured him, tied him up and had dangled his body out of the open window, which was traumatic enough for anyone, but to make things worse, she was tempting fate by slashing at his shoes and occasionally the rope that was holding him with her favourite pair of scissors. Dear god, that stupidly thin rope was his lifeline and she was stabbing at him and it, making the heroes stop as they heard him scream for mercy.

"What's going on here?!" Henry demanded to know as Cassie thumped her fist against her uncle's shoes, either to get her anger out or to possibly make him fall, they didn't know. She had that deranged look in her eye from before, but things had clearly escalated and Willard was subjected to her mercy, something Crazy Cassie didn't have a lot of. "Somebody help me!"

"Vice Mayor Willard, is that you?" (y/n) asked carefully, taking a step forward to see if she could get a closer look, but when Cassie whipped around to manically laugh at the heroes whilst simultaneously glaring at them, she froze, her boots glued to the carpet. Ray's arm shot in front of her, a thick, tree trunk-like wall of indestructible muscle to protect her from the mania or projectile scissors; he'd met plenty of lunatics in his time and he'd be damned if his sweet girl got skewered by one, super-regeneration or not.

"Oh, hi, Miss Danger! Captain Man, Kid Danger! Can I get you some bottled water?!" The girl asked neurotically as she pointed her large, silver-plated scissors at them as if she was daring them to get close and see what she'd do once they were within reach. That made their anxiety shoot up, Ray blocking his more vulnerable sidekicks from injury as she gave them a grin and a glare all in one, her teeth bared in a smile that was also a snarl. "No!"

"Regular or room temperature?!" She went on, obviously too far gone for an attempt at reasoning with her and Henry groaned when he realised that they were dealing with a full-on psychopath, one that wasn't going to be listening to anything they said. See, this is what happens when you don't deal with weirdos properly, they snap, get homicidal and ruin everyone's day. "Neither!"

"Help me! Cassie's gone crazy!" Vice Mayor Willard yelled as he dangled, clearly freaking out as he saw the oblivious citizens walking to and from work below him. They were two stories up and he was gonna land on his head if he dropped, so he had every right to be scared shitless, although to be fair, Cassie had always been crazy, nothing new there. Still, Ray, (y/n) and Henry took one step forward, intent on marching forward, detaining the girl and freeing the man before he was killed along with any hopes of restoring their money, but it looked like Cassie had her own ideas.

"Ah, ah! Don't come any closer or I'll scissor the rope!" She hissed and opened the blades so the shitty twine was wedged between them, meaning one snip and it would all be over. Right, okay, they'd have to treat this delicately and be smart; as much as they hated the vice mayor, they didn't want him to die on their watch and not just because he was the guy who could repay them. Cassie just needed to be talked to...or tricked.

"No, no, no, no, no!" "No, no, no, move away from the rope! "No, no, no, no, no, don't scissor it! Look, Cassie, we just—we just wanna talk." Henry told her as Ray and (y/n) stammered. How did they do the nutjob negotiations on the TV? They got the perpetrator talking, made them see how they were making a mistake and then no one died, simple. They could do that, it wasn't like they had anything to talk about but they could improvise, anything to stop her from fraying the rope.

"Yeah! W-why don't you just tell us why you're so upset? Huh?" Ray proposed, thinking that if they knew why she was throwing her crazy hissy fit then they could maybe come to a deal. It had to be a damn good reason for her to attempt the murder of her own uncle, maybe she had reached breaking point, maybe he'd been cruel to her, or maybe it was just a passing fancy.

"Well, sure! I'm upset because my stupid uncle vice mayor said that from now on when I'm here at work, I have to pay for my lunches!" She screeched and clearly, the reminder of why she was so angry was too much for her to take, so she turned around and began cutting roughly, snapping a few threads that made her uncle wiggle against the wearing rope. The scissors were fairly blunt, thankfully, but they'd do the job eventually and seeing her hack away at it made the superheroes jump forward to try and stop her.

"No, Cassie, you cannot cut that rope!" (y/n) told the girl, her fingers stretched out as if she could take the scissors away from her. She didn't expect the girl to understand why she couldn't, she probably didn't see anything wrong in hurting those who'd wronged her, but she also prayed that somewhere, squashed deep down under Crazy Cassie, was Kind Cassie, the one who'd been nice enough to fetch her water, even if it had been boiling hot. It was wishful thinking though.

"I agree with Miss Danger!" Vice Mayor Willard shouted, who was hoping that the rope held his weight long enough for the heroes to pull him back up, but Cassie wasn't done, not even close to giving up.

"Yes, I can! Scissors can do anything!" She hissed, repulsing the heroine's soft words and returned to jerkily cutting the rope and screaming, which prompted Ray to get desperate. He could see that being nice was getting them nowhere and he wasn't going to watch a man die and lose his budget, neither was he gonna keep his friend and fiancée in a room with a psychopath, so he pulled a device out from his belt and cranked the knob. "All right, Cassie!"

"Uh, dude, I don't think that's such a good idea..." Henry whispered in his ear when he and (y/n) saw the actual, literal, fucking real, ticking time bomb in his boss's hand. They knew that they needed bargaining power, but this was a little extreme and they could cause a lot of damage, meaning they thought he was bluffing, right up until the timer showed that they had less than a minute. Shit...

"Don't worry, I got a plan," Ray told them, taking an extra second to gaze into his girl's eyes so he could silently communicate every comforting feeling he could give her. She looked worried and slightly nervous, but at the same time, her stare held the same kind of trust she always had and that told him that she trusted his judgement and his promise that he had everything under control, despite there being no time for an explanation or a kiss to chase any nerves away.

"'K, well, what's your plan?" Henry, on the other hand, didn't trust him. He knew that Ray could be dumb, he knew that he had a big head and sometimes, even when he thought he knew what he was doing, he didn't have a clue. To hell with (y/n)'s trust, that stemmed from love, not rationality or intelligence and he wanted to know what was going on so he could prepare for the worst.

"Just play along with whatever I say." Ray hissed back and Henry had no option but to comply. It provided no extra details but he had instructions, that was something. Maybe Ray wasn't very bright sometimes, but he was a dummy in love and the one he wanted to marry was standing thirty centimetres away from the bomb he was holding, so he must've been pretty confident that they were gonna be okay, or else he would have sent her away. Just a little faith, that's all he needed.

"What are you guys whispering about?" Cassie interrupted as she heard their brief conversation, which drew her away from the rope and made her drop the scissors onto the wooden desk. Well, that was a good start, she had stopped trying to kill someone, but now she was frowning at them and demanding answers.

"Uh, we're whispering about this...pulse grenade!" Ray snapped, showing the flashing bomb to the girl so she got a whiff of the danger she was in. There was less than a minute left of the timer, which made her and the sidekicks slightly nervous as the explosive energy inside heated up and caused the capsule to glow. "And in...forty-five seconds, it's gonna blow this whole room to smitheroons."

"Reens." Henry corrected, cringing when his boss's words went from firmly cool to slightly stupid since he got the last syllable wrong and ruined his imposing appearance. Poor Ray, he needed to start reading more and working on his vocabulary, he sounded so dumb sometimes... "What?"

"It's smithereens, doofus." (y/n) whispered in his ear, having heard the mistake too, not that it really mattered. They should've just moved on and rattled Cassie's nerves even more, but Henry and Ray couldn't let it go, not even when the latter felt her hot breath tickling his exposed neck.

"Hey! Can you please do something? I'm hanging out of a window, upside down!" Vice Mayor Willard yelled, interrupting their back-and-forth squabbling since he was getting lightheaded from all the blood rushing down and into his temples. The pressure was really getting to him, but they were rescuing him, he was in no position to be pushy and Cassie believed that too. Go figure. "You be quiet, Uncle Will!"

"Weirdo!" He yelled back, again not realising that throwing insults at the one attacking him wasn't very smart. Cassie literal had his life hanging by a thread and his cruel jibe made her return to her hysterical snipping, prompting the heroes to cry out to stop her.

"Hey, hey, hey, hey! Twenty-two seconds and then, kaboom!" Ray threatened, adding a lot of emphases to drive how that her time was slowly draining. Honestly, a person could survive a pulse grenade, well, they could if they were wearing blast-resistant super suits like they were, but that was hardly the point. They still stung and reduced furniture to cinder, so it's not like Cassie would get away scot-free and Henry wanted her to know that. "Don't make us explode you!"

"Just turn it off!" She whined, stomping towards them with the scissors in her hand so she could press the off switch herself, but Captain Man was too wise for those tricks. Like he was going to just turn it off when she was so spooked, his plan was working and all he needed was a little more fear. "I can't!"

"He can't! You better run, save yourself!" (y/n) told her menacingly, stepping forward to point a warning finger at the trembling girl, only for Ray's free arm to catch her waist. He didn't want her going too close to that crazy weirdo, even if he should've been focusing on the pulse grenade; her safety came first, Henry's too and he was all too aware that Cassie was still holding scissors, which made him lash out too. "Yeah, or you'll never have lunch ever again..."

"Seven...six...five...four...three..." They counted down together, (y/n)'s fingers coming down to hold onto Ray's hand as it rested on her hip, her breath caught in her throat as she waited for an explosion. Cassie wasn't taking any chances though, she was outta there, just not in the way anyone had expected her to leave; Rather than going through the doors and down the hall, she turned, screamed and dived out of the window, snaking down her uncle's body and clinging on tight now that she was in mortal peril too. At least she was away from the grenade's blast, or was she?

"Ah, Cassie, let go! You're gonna make me fall!" Vice Mayor Willard yelled as she clutched his torso, head, arms, anything that saved her from a concrete death below, not that he cared if she was to drop. The whole family affair was rather messy and the supers were more than happy to let them deal with it, but only when their problem was sorted too. It wasn't conventional, but with Cassie gone, they could move onto negotiations, which were looking to be in their favour considering the "stronger" party was hanging on for dear life. "Give me back my scissors!"

"Ra—I mean, Captain Man, why didn't the pulse grenade go off?" (y/n) asked, having to correct herself from using his real name since they weren't themselves right now, but her forgetfulness vanished along with her panic when she realised that they were fine, nothing was burnt and the crescendoing beeps were still going. That was odd because they were supposed to stop when the timer finished, wait a second...

"Oh, 'cause, see. I used my thumb here to make it look like there were only forty-five seconds, but I actually set it for two minutes and forty-five seconds" Ray grinned at her puzzled face, giddiness spreading through him when he realised that he'd stumped her for once, he'd surprised her and he'd done something clever, successfully. That was rare for him and (y/n) and Henry chuckled at his ingenious idea and how well it had worked because they would never have thought of that, which was probably why he was the boss and they were his sidekicks.

"I see what you did there, thumbed her!" Henry grinned as (y/n) stretched her neck to connect their lips, a well-earned reward for her hero after being so smart and he blushed under their praise, particularly hers. He loved making her proud and he loved the affection she showered him with in the aftermath, especially when she gave his cheek a tender stroke once she pulled away. It was nice, just the three of them enjoying their little victory - until it was broken by an asshole.

"Hey, hey! Come on! Can somebody please pull me up? Hello?" Vice Mayor Willard shouted when he heard them go quiet and again, he wasn't in a position for making orders. They'd rescue him whenever they felt like it, so the trio strolled over to assess the situation, Ray leaving his grenade on the desk for the time being as he bent over his girl to see the man and his niece dangling against the sandstone wall. Ha, karma's a bitch and he deserved it. "Come on, would ya help me?"

"Uh, see, we would help you, but..." Henry began, his tone light and airy to suggest that he was contemplating helping, rather than jumping into a rescue immediately. They were gonna drag it out until the last second, make it excruciating for the man as he flirted with death and since they were standing in his plush office, Ray took advantage of his fancy chair by taking a seat and guiding his girl into his lap to sit with him. He could get used to the soft, stuffed leather and armrests, feeling like he was sitting on a cloud with an angel smoothing his hair and kissing his forehead. Yeah, he could definitely get used to this.

"But since you cut our budget..." He said loud enough for the vice mayor to hear him, although it was a struggle to keep his voice steady when his sweet girl sank against his lower half and rested her head on his should, lips pressed against his pulse point for a few seconds before she took the strain away and spoke next.

"We have to charge money now for superhero...ing." The young woman smirked, only to lose her train of thought for a moment when his gloved hand came up to the back of her thigh and...sat there. It didn't move, didn't squeeze, nothing, it was a deliberate ploy to make her stumble like he nearly did and the mischievous glint in his eye revealed all. Thank god Henry was looking out of the window, otherwise, he'd see his gaze threatening to move his hand higher or her eyebrow twitching to suggest that she could tease him just as easily any time she wanted to.

"Well, how much to pull me up into my office?" Willard asked, drawing the hungry gazes back to reality and they straightened up. The Man Cave would be cool when they got back, the AC would be on and they could be alone with no worries at all, but only when they got back. Right now, they still had to fight to be able to afford such a luxury, the ability to stay in bed all afternoon and not melt, so they had to reign it in and stay smart, not mushy-brained.

"Uh, let's that'll cost you—" Henry pretended to mull over the idea like they hadn't been discussing it on the trip over there. They had their own mission but they didn't want him to know that, well, he didn't. Ray wasn't so subtle. The idea of going home was really getting to him. "Our full budget!"

"What? Ah, come on!" The vice mayor groaned as they all shared a fist bump, knowing that he wasn't going to like it but he didn't really have a choice when it came to giving an answer. He was dangling, they weren't, talk about twisting a man's arm.

"Yeah, Willard! If you wanna be rescued, you gotta give us our full budget back!" (y/n) screamed through the open window, even if it took her leaning over the back of the chair and pushing her boobs into Ray's face a bit like he was complaining, she wanted him to know she meant business. Her books better be full of that dollar by the end of the day, or she'd be throwing fists. Ray was proud of her now too and not just because she was hovering over him with her finer features centimetres away from his lips, so he couldn't help it when arrogance went to his head and he thought about getting a bonus for the inconvenience they'd been through. "Plus, ten per cent, sweet girl."

"Plus ten per cent!" She added on the end, smirking at his cheeky little addition. Okay, yeah, she wasn't gonna argue with that one, they deserved a little on top for going through all of those obstacles and taking the abuse of some disgruntled citizens who didn't like the extortionate bills they received. They drove to the office in a damn minivan with old dental floss, that was twenty per cent at the very least, but whatever, ten was fine...and not enough for Ray. "And a boat."

"And a nice boat!... Wait, what?" She whispered the last bit, sitting back so she could see Ray's smirk and the way he was giggling under his breath, which made her giggle too. That was the one vehicle they didn't have and didn't really need since they never went to the ocean or many lakes, but hey, a freebie was a freebie and they were gotten squeeze out what they could get because they could. The vice mayor was in their hands.

"A nice boat?! All right, fine, fine! You can have your full budget back!" Vice Mayor Willard snapped for a second, thinking that they were taking the piss and asking for too much, but then he took another look down and saw how he couldn't hand forever, so he gave in, sending the heroes into quiet cheers. They'd won, they'd beaten the system and regained what was rightfully theirs, making Henry fist-pump the air swiftly as Ray yanked his girl into an adrenaline-filled kiss, the movement rough and clumsy but everything they needed to celebrate the victory.

"Plus?" Henry asked, breaking them apart. Oh, yeah, he never agreed to their additions and that was part of the deal, not a couple of maybes, they wanted to see the goods delivered.

"Plus, ten per cent!" The politician admitted, making Ray's hands clench on his girl's hips as he heard that an influx of at least two hundred thousand dollars was coming their way, but it wasn't over, they still had one last thing. "And?"

"And a nice boat!" And with that groan, Ray leapt from the seat and plonked his girl onto the desk, their lips joined for a brief second before he yelled away to high-five his youngest sidekick, all of them laughing at how they'd triumphed and come out of the terrible time as a stronger, richer unit. Right, they just needed to yank him up now and get him to sign something, y'know, make it all official so he couldn't renege on his word, not that they let him do that. They'd just tie him up and dangle him again until he got the message; don't mess with Captain Man, not when he has a wedding to pay for.

"Okay, on C. A, B, C!" Ray yelled, using the least common counting method around, but whatever. They each grabbed the rope with him at the back, (y/n) in the middle and Henry upfront, pulling on the last letter with all their might to try and pull a grown man and his niece through the window, but, life just loves to throw curveballs.

"Ahhh! Great! Now, I'm holding onto a ledge without my pants on!" Willard snapped bitterly when the rope brought his clothing up and not his body, probably something to do with the fact that Cassie had tied it through his belt loops. Okay, that wasn't how they expected that to go, but no worries, they'd just have to go out onto the ledge and help him up with a touch more danger.

"Uh, you're pants are fine!" Henry stammered awkwardly since he was the unfortunate soul whose hands had caught the pants and he could definitely report that with a little stitching, they'd be good as new, which couldn't be said about the vice mayor. If he fell, it would take more than stitches to put him back together and he wasn't in a particularly generous mood anymore. "Ah, shut up!"

"We also saved one of your shoes!" Ray yelled back. They looked quite expensive too, soft, Italian leather, which was better than anything he owned and he'd want them safe if he was in trouble, not that the mayor cared. He could afford it and with Cassie hanging off of him, he couldn't bring himself to care.

"Oh, good!" "Hey, who wants some bottled water?" "Ah, Cassie, there's more to life than bottled water!" Jeez, families are weird. They just kept arguing and arguing and arguing, clearly hating each other the more the seconds passed and the heroes knew that they were gonna have to figure a way to get them to safety before they killed each other or they died of aggravation, but one thing was off. Above all of the shouting, (y/n) and Henry's ears suddenly made out a soft beeping, a really annoying, shrill blipblipblip that seemed to be getting more and more frantic, but they couldn't put a finger on what it was.

"Hey, what's that beeping?" Henry asked quietly, causing them all to look around the room for the source. Ray could hear it too now that they'd pointed it out, but his old ears struggled to pinpoint it, his brain forgetting one, very important thing he'd not done a few minutes earlier. Come on, surely he hadn't used up all of those brain cells on one idea, right? Of course, he had. "I don't know..."

"Oh, fuck..." (y/n) breathed out when her eyes landed on a flashing, almost deadly object that was still on the vice mayor's desk and still armed and primed for detonation. Ray looked at her in confusion as she went pale and he wondered why her skin suddenly looked so pale, but the worst thing of all was how her soft, sad eyes came to meet his and she reminded of his mistake way too late. "You forgot to turn off the pulse grenade—"

"Oh, no—" Yeah, oh, fucking, no. The heroes tensed as scorching light filled the room; the air got hot, their skin felt like it had been out in the sun for too long and their uniforms suddenly felt too tight as the pulse grenade incinerated the furniture around them. The ash from the wood and papers blackened their clothes and ruined their hair, making them each look like they'd been electrocuted as what few papers that had survived came fluttering back down. The sidekicks were staring at their genius of a captain, who was looking like his brain had gone with the blast as his shockingly white teeth stood out against his dusty face, knowing that he was the idiot who had forgotten to press the goddamn button. Oh, well, every cloud...

"Right...well...I'll see you in the shower when we get home." (y/n) told her dazed boyfriend as she cooly walked out of the door, leaving him to reboot his brain as she headed for the minivan. Oh, come on, she couldn't say that and just leave, he was running on one brain cell and it was screaming to run, now, must, find, soulmate, growl, grrrr.

He was practically like a caveman as he and Henry waddled after her, the kid too stunned to even process what was happening apart from that he was following the leader and that he was hungry for Chinese food. They got a few odd looks from the people rushing to see what was happening in the office, but that couldn't solely be blamed on their fried appearance, more like how the superhero was sprinting down the hall to find the tease that was leading him home.

All's well that ends well and Ray would wake up once he got under the cold water. And boy, was he gonna make it his mission to find the beauty in there waiting for him.

8 notes · View notes

mareastrorum · 1 year ago

Text

WIP Wednesday: The Fool and the Soldier, Ch. 4 (Ritual)

The Fool and the Soldier is now up on AO3, updated every other Friday. This is an off-week, so here is a snippet from next week’s chapter! Commentary on Chapter 3 will go up on Friday.

Fanfic Summary: Mollymauk Tealeaf survived the Mighty Nein's encounter with the Iron Shepherds on Glory Run Road, but a short time later, a spirit began hunting him, claiming that he stole his body. This Campaign 2 AU begins with Episode 26 and continues on from there.

Just a partial scene this week... for reasons... :)

Cree had not used the sewers to sneak out of Zadash in some time, but she led Otis through the paths with barely any issue. They easily dispatched some mutant beasts and an idiot that tried to jump them before reaching one of the Gentleman’s specially carved tunnels to exit the city away from the gates.

As they rushed, Cree could not calm down. The discomfort and doubt from her vision had given way to excitement and conviction. The Somnovem had spoken to her directly! All that waiting and attempting to reach them had been worth it after all. Lucien had needed time to recover from the failed ritual, and now that his soul was ready, they only needed to retrieve his body. Then he would be back for good.

Cree could bring him back.

She was certain they would succeed. They had to. Lucien had never liked the idea of fate, but she had faith that he had a great destiny, even before she became an acolyte of the Raven Queen. What else could explain all the close calls and strokes of luck and rare opportunities that they had encountered in their short lives so far? It could not be mere chance. Destiny was simply a direction. As long as they followed the Somnovem’s path for the Nonagon, Lucien would achieve his dreams. Cree believed in that wholeheartedly, and they were all finally returning to it.

Within an hour of leaving the Song and Supper Inn, the duo found a quiet grove of trees outside the city gates and away from any camps or wildlife. The thicket provided sufficient privacy that Cree did not think she would attract any guards, and there was a tiny clearing in the center. Otis patrolled around the area to ward off any potential threats, leaving her to work.

The moon had not yet risen, but the clear night sky filled with stars provided sufficient light for her work. Cree drew a thin ritual circle with powder chalk and ashes as she muttered the incantation the Somnovem had planted, a language she only barely understood. She had never heard it before, and she did not understand its structure nor how to speak it otherwise, but the meaning was burned into her mind nonetheless, even if she could not translate it.

It was pride and ambition. A hymn to dreams. Cree felt her blood sing along. Surely, this was what she was meant for.

As she finished the ritual circle, Otis had finished their checks and came to watch, their pupils gone wide to drink in what little light there was. Thankfully, the halfling did not ignite a torch, but stayed several feet away from the circle and remained quiet without her needing to ask. It was unlikely anyone would be so curious as to peek in, but at least Otis still remembered to follow her lead.

With her symbol of the Somnovem in hand, Cree stepped back from the circle and pulled two vials from her bag. She extracted a single drop from the vial of Lucien’s blood, which she carefully placed aside, to add to a vial of holy water. She used her magic to weave the water into the ritual circle, repeating her chant as she did so.

After a few seconds, the circle began to pulse with argent light, gradually shifting to crimson. Cree flinched as her sight suddenly filled with white. Once she peeked, the center space had filled with a vision of endless silver sparkles, as though she had opened a window into another world of a radiant sky filled with twinkling stars.

Cree gasped as a shimmering string suddenly grew from her coin, extending into the portal rapidly, disappearing into the distant horizon. She did not move her hand for fear of causing any interference with the thread, but she adjusted her neck and head to try to see more. She could vaguely make out shadows in the distance, but nothing definite. Towers of smoke and clouds of color. Countless constellations. It went on forever. So that was what the Astral Sea looked like.

After a few moments, Cree felt a faint weight pull on the string before it lurched back towards her and disappeared into the coin. But nothing appeared.

Cree stared at the sky before her, confused. Where was Lucien?

Did something go wrong?

#TF&TS #wip wednesday #critical role fanfiction #cree deeproots #otis brunkel

1 note · View note

tteokggukk · 5 years ago

Text

let’s fall in love for the night → kth

✳ pairing: taehyung x reader

✳ genre: college au, fluff, slow burn

✳ warnings: none! just pure fluff

✳ words: 9.4k

✳ a/n: hello! this was inspired by finneas’ song let’s fall in love for the night, which just really made me think of taehyung while listening. this is my first oneshot and also the first time i’ll be posting my writing so i’d really appreciate some feedback so i know how i can improve! thank you and i hope you enjoy!

S T O R Y P L A Y L I S T:

1. Let’s Fall in Love for the Night // FINNEAS

2. I Fall in Love Too Easily // Chet Baker

3. Realize // Colbie Caillat

4. Ain’t Together // King Princess

5. Lay Me Down // Sam Smith

6. Dreams // Fleetwood Mac

"It'll be fun, you know."

Kate says in an imploring tone at her hundredth attempt at trying to get you to join a party your other friends had planned. "It'll just be with people we know, and maybe a couple others but— you know how Justin is. Come on, please?" She looks at you with begging eyes while clutching onto different pieces of clothing she planned on trying out.

You were lying in your bed contemplating whether or not you should click on one more episode of (your favorite show) or give in and get out of your comfortable pajamas. Your best friend knew you didn't want to choose the latter, but you knew better that she never took no for an answer.

"I don't see what's more fun than being in bed right now," you groaned as you shut your laptop and stood up, walking over in front of the mirror as if staring at it would help you decide what to do. It’s been a while since you’ve last been to a party. Crowds and loud music were only fun to a certain extent, one that doesn't last very long, and you were pretty sure Kate was going to end up leaving you later in the night until she needed someone to hold her hair up while she puked in a bathroom stall.

But then again, winter break was only days from now and you'd be going off to travel with your cousins to places in Europe. It was a break you needed—a break from college and stress. All you could look forward to was the comfort of being around people you were free to be yourself around. Though this meant you wouldn't have any time to hang out with Kate and you certainly didn't want to leave without spending time with her, especially since you never come with her to parties anymore.

"Yet there you are getting ready anyway," You could hear her smile in victory as she spoke, making you roll your eyes.

"Just this once," you glance back at her before entering the bathroom to shower, silently regretting your decision.

Forty-five minutes later, you were done getting ready and Kate was waiting for you by the door frame of your shared dorm room. The only good thing about going out to party was that you always rocked the clothes you wore, and tonight you couldn't help but feel yourself in your tight black dress and combat boots. You took your keys from your drawer and you both headed out. You got in the driver's seat while Kate rode shotgun.

It was six in the evening, the sky faded into a deep blue mixed with purple and the stars were close to lighting up. The view nearly tempted you to drop the whole party and just go on a drive, until you remembered you were with Kate who was more than happy that you finally went with her after her endless invitations.

"I'm glad you listened to me for once," she says, head nodding to the sound of her music.

"I don't know if I should be happy or scared that I did," you chuckled, though you already knew your answer.

"Y/n, parties aren't so bad. You gotta learn to loosen up," Kate shakes your shoulder, "Plus, you need this. You haven't gone out much and had fun since Lance."

"I think I'm already a loosened up person, thank you very much," You glanced at her with a sarcastic smile, "And Lance? Lance who?"

Kate laughs at this, and from the corner of your eye you could see her shaking her head before looking out the window.

"You're over him, then?" She asks.

"It's been like, six months, Kate. At this point I'm just a loser if I haven't gotten over him," you laughed to yourself knowing full well how convincing you sound, you almost believed it.

Lance, that idiot cheater, you thought. You were over him, but that didn't mean there wasn't a slight pang in your chest at the mention of his name and at the thought of what he did. It wasn't him you were bothered with; it was the experience of being cheated on. It made you question your own worth, and sometimes even your existence.

But that was months ago, and right now there was really no time to get hung up over a guy. You've practically given up on whatever chances of love you thought you'd ever find when you broke up with him, you decided it was time to give some more time for yourself.

"I'm proud of you. Who knows, maybe tonight you'll meet your next prince!" Kate giggled a little menacingly, it almost scared you.

"Maybe."

You doubted it.

When you got to the house, it was exactly how you imagined it. Loud and trashed. You could already feel the bass from the blaring music being played and you weren't even out of your car yet. It made you feel slightly anxious, already sensing something stirring up in your stomach, your heart racing and your palms sweating.

Kate looks at you as if waiting for some kind of confirmation, probably sensing you didn't really feel okay. "You good?"

You didn't want Kate to feel guilty, nor did you want to kill the mood, so you decided to do what was best which meant having to go inside and get the night over with.

"Yeah, let's go."

When you both got out of the car, the noise only got louder and you could hear the sound of teenagers laughing. Before you could enter the place, you recognized a guy walking towards the two of you with a smile, first giving Kate a side hug before moving to you to give you one as well. It was Nick from your chemistry class and one of your friends. He gave you a surprised look and a smile before turning back to Kate.

"This is the first time in a while you brought y/n with you!" He says enthusiastically, "It's great you finally came!"

"It took me a lot of convincing," Kate says.

"I'm not gonna be here over the break, so I figured why not," You nod as you spoke. Nick was a good guy, he was smart and friendly, he pretty much knew everyone around the whole campus.

"It's good you could make it, Min-Jun's been wailing thinking you'd never come," Nick laughed. You gave Kate a look at the mention of Min-Jun's name, her eyes turning slightly wide. You could tell she knew something, but this wasn't the time and place to confront her. Nick places his arm around and you before telling you both to come inside and try the drinks.

It stuck in your head, though, the fact that you felt like Kate and the others had this all planned.

The house was huge and close to being crowded, but there was just enough space to walk in. You recognized most of the people from your batch and some of them looked as shocked as Nick to see you, though just as happy as they offered a wave while some even called your name.

"Where are the others?" Kate asked, referring to both your group of friends.

"They're over at the back, follow me." Nick leads you both to the backyard, revealing a huge pool surrounded by your friends along with some guys who also went to the same class as you but never had the chance to talk to. You made eye contact with one of them, specifically the tall, familiar guy who had black—maybe even dark brown hair, sharp eyes, wearing a black, rose printed dress shirt and black pants. He had the same classes as you but you couldn't recall a time you've ever had a proper conversation with him, the most you could remember was when he needed to borrow a pen or whenever he’d give it back. The eye contact might have been a little too long, so you quickly averted your attention to the others.

I didn’t know the Kim Taehyung went to parties with my friends.

Taehyung and his friends had a reputation for being popular with everyone. Unlike his friends who were more sociable and outgoing, Taehyung was much more reserved. He didn’t go out much either, nor did he date often, but his serious exterior gave off a mysterious aura that most girls (and even some guys) couldn’t resist.

Everyone else was visibly surprised to see you, and it’s safe to say it was a pleasant surprise as they all greeted you warmly, easing the anxiety you had previously felt. All that was gone by now and is replaced by the feeling of comfort around the people you knew.

Min-Jun caught your eye and even with the dim lighting you could tell he turned into a deep shade of red.

"Y/n! I can't believe you actually made it," Jen, one of your close friends, gave you a side hug.

"This is the first time I've seen you come to a party in years," Justin, the owner of the house and another one of your close friends, gives you a high five.

"Yeah, well, thank Kate," you grinned.

"Min-Jun, why are you suddenly so quiet?" Lucas teases, who also happens to be the guy Kate has a crush on.

"Shut up," Min-Jun bumps Lucas on the shoulder making Lucas laugh before he made his way to you, "Hey, y/n."

"Hey," you greeted awkwardly, forcing a smile. Honestly Min-Jun was a close friend of yours until he started creeping you out. He'd get jealous over Lance when you were still together and always indirectly told you how much you "deserved better" while you dated someone else. He was right, but you found that it felt too invasive and caused you to see him in a different light ever since, and not in a good way. It still didn't stop him from trying to make a move on you.

"Y/n, by the way, these guys are our friends," Justin points towards Taehyung and his friends as the three of them came forward to introduce themselves. "This is Jimin, Jungkook, and Taehyung, though you might already know them," Justin motions at them, each of them waving and saying "hi", "We have the same classes."

"Hey." You waved back.

"You look great," Jimin grins at you. He was cute, and you couldn't help but smile back.

"He's a massive flirt, so don't fall for that," Jungkook teases, and everyone laughs. Jimin shakes his head but laughs along while their friend, Taehyung, was just sipping on some coke.

"How come we never really see you around Justin's parties?" Jimin asks.

"I haven't really gone out to party in months," You told Jimin.

"What happened to your boyfriend? Was it Landon? Lee?" Taehyung asks, holding the can of coke in his hand.

Just as you were about to open your mouth, Min-Jun decided to race with you and answered, "Lance. They broke up like half a year ago, right?" He quickly spoke. Annoyed, you glared at him subtly, hoping he'd get the message.

"Right," was all you could say.

Taehyung just raised a brow and sipped on his coke again while he nodded his head. You were slightly disappointed at what impression you gave off to Jimin, Taehyung, and Jungkook— the girl who stopped partying solely because she broke up with her boyfriend, but right now what bothered you most was the way Min-Jun stood right next to you, beer in his hand, looking at you as if he had the right to speak for you. You didn't want to cause a scene, but man did this irk you.

"We should head back inside before we run out of drinks," Justin announces and everyone follows.

Before you got in the house, you could swear you saw Taehyung glancing your way. Or it might've been your imagination, so you decide not to think much of it.

In the kitchen, you waited for Kate as you stood next to the punch bowl while you watched as she flirted with Lucas. You took a glass of punch, leaning on the counter while looking around the place. Min-Jun wasn't in sight, what a relief, you thought, but you also saw Taehyung, Jungkook, and Jimin surrounded by quite the number of girls. Jimin seemed to be quite flirty, Jungkook only nodding his head while someone spoke to him, and Taehyung sat on the couch’s arm rest, just scrolling away on his phone.

Kate finally noticed you and walked over.

"Why didn't you tell me Min-Jun was gonna be here?" You asked, arms folded.

"Cause I knew you weren't gonna come if I did," She whined, "I'm sorry. The others wanted you to come too, you know."

"You know how uncomfortable I am around him, Kate."

"Look, I'm really sorry, okay?" Kate held both your arms, "I'll make it up to you, I promise."

From behind Kate, you could see Taehyung making his way over your area. He looked at you, causing your brows to raise so you looked back at Kate.

"Fine," you sighed.

"Yay! Thank you, y/n," Kate pulled you in for a hug. Taehyung was looking at you both before proceeding to fill his red cup with punch. Kate must've noticed him as well because she began to pull away from your short hug.

"Justin says we should all go to his room to play a game. The others are already there. You should come," she takes your hand and then looks at Taehyung, "Taehyung, you should come too!" Taehyung nods at this while gulping down the drink.

The three of you headed upstairs to the second floor. There were people playing games on different consoles while taking shots, people making out— it was like a whole 'nother party. Kate walked ahead into Justin's room while you lagged behind with Taehyung in front of you.

Taehyung looked at you as you scanned the area, "Weird how people get used to these things," he comments, making you look.

"My sentiments, exactly."

"Y/n, what are you doing?" The sound of the familiar, irritating voice pierces through your ears. Even through the loud music, his voice manages to be the most annoying sound.

Min-Jun's head pokes out from Justin's door frame. He looks at you then at Taehyung before stepping out to walk in front of you. Taehyung watches Min-Jun with eyes slightly squinted as if he's onto him.

"You're hanging out with him?" He asks.

You couldn't make a scene. This guy's never seen you angry, and you weren't going to risk for people to see that either.

"I was just heading inside," you smiled politely and walked past Min-Jun to head in Justin's room, Taehyung following behind you.

Everyone was sat in a circle and there was a bottle placed in the middle. You knew where this was a going and you weren't sure if this was a good idea. From what you could tell, everyone in the room was way more buzzed than you. Could you really handle this game without being drunk?

You sat on the empty space next to Jen, but Min-Jun found his way next to you. Taehyung sat opposite from you where he started talking to Jimin and Jungkook.

"Great, everyone's here. You know how the game works, spin the bottle and whoever it lands on has to go in the closet with the next person," Lucas explains.

"Seven minutes might not be enough though," Min-Jun whispered in your ear and smirked, making you very uneasy. You wished you could switch spots with someone else, but at least sitting next to Min-Jun could lower your chances of being paired with him.

Yet you weren't the only one who felt like strangling the boy next to you. Taehyung felt it too.

Several spins and unnerving whispers from Min-Jun later, the bottle finally landed on you. Your eyes went wide as everyone began chanting your name. Your luck has gone so well for the whole of the game, you thought for sure it would end without the bottle landing on you— but it did, and Min-Jun took this opportunity to quickly spin the bottle, thinking it would land on him and that he'd be the guy to enter the closet with you.

But it didn't land on him.

It landed on Taehyung.

You could feel the anger radiating off of Min-Jun as he tried to keep his cool. Taehyung gave you a look that seemed as if he was asking for your consent. All you wanted was to get as far away from Min-Jun as possible, so you stood up.

"Y/n's down for it!" They shouted. Even Taehyung's own friends started applauding.

Taehyung stared at you as you walked into the closet, him following behind but not missing the chance to send a mocking smirk at Min-Jun. The door closed behind the two of you and there was nothing inside except the closet lights, a bunch of coats, and just enough room for two.

"Seven minutes, you guys!" Justin slurred behind the door.

Silence.

"I really wanna get out of here," you sighed to yourself and ran your hand through your hair as you leaned on the walls of the closet.

"You wanna call it quits? I could talk to Justin," Taehyung asks, his hand already on the knob.

"No! No," You chuckled, slightly feeling bad, "Sorry, I meant this whole party."

Taehyung smiles shyly, "Oh, sorry."

He had a different aura now than he did earlier.

"Same though," He spoke quietly, "I was dragged here by my friends, as always."

You let out a breathy laugh, "I was forced to come here as well." You looked around the closet, realizing the whole purpose of getting in here was to have a seven-minute make-out session. Taehyung probably heard you gulp nervously, so he looked at you with a fond smile, "We don't have to do anything you're not comfortable with, don't worry."

What a relief.

Taehyung leans on the wall opposite you so he's facing you. "Maybe it's not my place to say, but your friend, Min-Jun, was it?" He starts, making your left brow raise, "Seems like he's been trying to impress you all night."

You snicker, "He makes me uncomfortable."

"You're good at hiding it, but I could tell," He gives you a sympathetic smile, "Sorry you have to put up with that."

You had to admit he was already extremely attractive from afar, but he's deadly up close. His skin looked so smooth and his eyes were so captivating. You noticed he had both a monolid and a double eyelid, then you shifted to his nose and noticed a little mole. His eye had it too, and so did his mouth.

It was like God put a whole constellation in him. It fascinated you.

You must've been staring at him for a long time, because he suddenly snapped his fingers in front of you. It took you by surprise and maybe it was cause of your facial expression, but this made Taehyung laugh.

And his laugh made you laugh.

"You're so annoying," you chuckled.

"Am I? Can I compete for most annoying with Min-Jun?"

"You know, something tells me you'd win," you say sarcastically, earning you a smile from Taehyung.

You were both silent for a moment until he started talking again.

"I know this seems too sudden, but do you wanna get out of this place?" He asks.

"Like, the closet?" You look at him, confused.

"No, out of this party. I know we don't know each other well but I really wanna go out and have more fun," He scratches the back of his head, "And something tells me it'll be exciting with you."

You felt the heat building up on your cheeks at his words. Maybe it was the punch talking, but for some reason you suddenly felt a little more confident. Whatever it was, you just had to blame the punch for the words that were about to slip from your mouth within the next few seconds.

"Do you wanna go on a date with me?" You blurted, "Just for tonight, though, then we forget it all in the morning."

You couldn't believe what you just did right now.

Taehyung only smiled, his eyes turning into crescents before saying the words, "I'd love to."

Seven minutes were almost up, but you and Taehyung rushed out of there as fast as you could. For a brief moment you could hear the others shouting 'Hey! It isn't over yet!'. Then you saw Min-Jun standing up in shock while Taehyung ran to the door, his friends Jungkook and Jimin shouting 'What's going on?' as you tossed your car keys to your best friend Kate, screaming 'I'm sorry!' before finally running to Taehyung, who was waiting by the door frame.

You took one last glance at everyone knowing full well you had a lot of explaining to do tomorrow, but you had to start running because Min-Jun, Kate, and Justin were suddenly following the two of you.

Taehyung took your hand as you both ran down the stairs, trying to squeeze your way out of the crowd. When you were near the door, you heard Min-Jun scream your name though you never bothered to look back. Taehyung held your hand tightly until you were both in front of his car. You quickly got in and rode shotgun and he immediately stepped on the gas, leaving no time for the others to catch up.

The feeling of your heart pounding in your chest and the rush of adrenaline caused by the chase was the most fun you've had in months, and it was all thanks to the guy who you barely even talk to in all your classes. You looked over at Taehyung who had on a wide, toothy smile, panting as he drove.

"That was crazy!" He shouted.

"That was actually fun!" You breathed out, "I can't believe we really did that."

"I know! The way you threw your keys at Kate! That was funny," he laughed and so did you.

You never expected the guy who looked so intimidating to be so spontaneous.

"So wait, where are we heading now?" You asked.

"Anywhere, we'll make the most out of this night," Taehyung grins, "I'm taking you on an adventure before this offer expires in the morning."

"I can't wait," You grin back.

You looked out the window. The sky had already turned black with stars scattered all around it, it was beautiful. You had been so occupied with the party you hadn't noticed it was already 10:45 in the evening, so there weren't much cars on the road. Taehyung drove fast but it didn't scare you, in fact it only excited you more.

"You wanna roll the windows down?" He asked.

"Can I?" You looked at him.

"By all means." He gave you a quick smile before turning his attention back on the road. You smiled and rolled the window down, feeling the wind run through your hair. The way the streetlights illuminated his face made you see him clearly, and though you'd never admit this to yourself you knew he made you flustered.

Taehyung drove for another ten minutes before pulling over at a nearby park. No one was around but it was an open park so you were both free to wander. You both got off the car and Taehyung ran to the slide, a big smile plastered on your face as you watched him. You sat on the swing adjacent to the slide and watched as he went for a second round before walking and sitting on the swing next to you.

"I'm sorry for asking about your ex," he spoke.

You hadn't even thought of it and it didn't bother you, but you found it heartwarming for him to apologize over such a small thing. "Oh don't worry, it didn't bother me. I don’t mind when people ask me questions about him. Thanks, though."

"What are your plans over the break?" You asked, changing the topic.

"Not much. I might go to my family, help them out with the farm," he looked up at the sky.

"You have a farm?"

"Yeah, a strawberry farm," he grinned at you.

"That's so cool, you should bring me some."

"Yeah, I should," He chuckled, "What about you? Any plans?"

"I'm not sure yet," You started kicking the sand on the ground. You lied only because you didn't really want people knowing you were going out of town for a few weeks, and it wasn’t important anyway you thought. You looked over at Taehyung, who was already looking at you.

“Well, I know we only promised this one night but if you ever get bored just know that you can call me.”

You smiled at him, which you found you’ve done quite often tonight, “Maybe I will.”

He started scrolling through his phone and you wondered if he was getting bored. Just as you were about to ask him what else he wanted to do, he stands up and puts his phone down while a song begins to play.

You recognize the song as one of your favorites, Chet Baker’s I Fall in Love Too Easily.

Taehyung was now standing in front of you, offering his hand. You stare at it first before asking, “What?”

“You asked me out on a date, so we’re dating.”

Before you could open your mouth to your defense, he beats you to it.

“For a night, yes, I know. Come on,” he says, his hands inviting yours to hold his. You tried to keep a serious look but you fail as a smile cracks on your face. You take his hand as you stood, then he takes both your hands and places them on his shoulders so he could place his on your waist and he begins to sway you both to the music.

“Didn’t know you had nice taste in music,” You muttered.

“Thank you. If you like it then yours must be wonderful too,” he grins.

It was just the two of you swaying in the night with nothing but the sound of your feet on the sand, the music playing, and the cars that would occasionally pass by. The moon and the stars along with the warm streetlights around the park gave just enough light for you to see him standing inches away from you. You realized the kind of person you’ve been missing out on after all these months. Why haven’t you had the chance to talk to him?

“If you don’t mind me asking, why’d you break up with Lance?” Taehyung asks after a minute of silence.

You look at him, not expecting him to be interested. Or maybe he just wanted to make conversation. You decide not to read into it too much.

“He cheated on me, to make things short,” You nod and his eyes go wide, “But I mean, we only dated for like—five months?”

“However long or short your relationship is doesn’t give him an excuse to cheat,” Taehyung stopped dancing now, his arms were crossed but you kept your hands on his shoulders. Cute, you thought, chuckling.

“What?” he asks.

“Nothing, you’re right. I wish he thought the same as you,” You smiled, “Come on, the song’s not over,” you place his arms back on your waist, earning a small smile from him.

“I’m sorry you had to go through that though,” he apologized.

“You sure do apologize a lot for things that aren’t your fault,” You told him, “But it’s fine. I got over him pretty fast, it’s just the experience of being cheated on that really stayed and bothered me.”

“Like a trauma?” He asked.

“Kind of, I guess.”

“Lance is dumber than I thought. I can’t believe he’d let go of someone like you,” He scoffed while you smiled to yourself. The song ends after a few seconds and Taehyung lets go, bowing in front of you. You copy him, making you both laugh, but the sound of your stomach growling makes him laugh even harder. Taehyung takes your hand again and leads you to the car.

“Let’s go get something to eat.”

Taehyung drove you to this small restaurant that he claims sells the best jajangmyeon which you had to try. You couldn’t object, you were hungry and you didn’t have time to play the guessing game when it came to restaurants. Plus, he just looked so happy talking about it, you didn’t want to burst his bubble.

“Wait here,” Taehyung told you before he got off the car. Maybe he was going to check the place first, or talk to the owner and ask if they were still open. You were surprised when you saw him walk to your side of the car and realized he wanted to open the door for you. His hand was extended out to you, waiting for yours to hold his.

“Thanks,” You told him, taking his hand.

“Don’t mention it.”

When you both walked into the restaurant, you almost felt bad because the staff was already packing up and cleaning, the smell of food already faint. But when the staff members saw Taehyung, they all lit up and so did he, greeting each one of them with a wave.

“Auntie, Taehyung’s here!” One of the staff members shouted.

Just then, a short, plump woman who looked like she was in her forties walked out of the kitchen and walked up to Taehyung. She had short, curly hair, and the crinkles in her eyes were evident with the way she smiled.

“Taehyung, it’s so nice to see you. It’s been a while since I’ve seen you here with your friends,” She spoke.

“Ah, yeah. We’ve all been busy with college, but I really missed your food,” Taehyung grinned.

“Well come on, sit down!” she motions for us to sit and offers us a table, “I’ll make you your usual.”

“Ah! For two please,” Taehyung puts two fingers up as he sits down before looking back at you.

One of the staff members began talking to Taehyung in a foreign language while placing down tissues and chopsticks on the table. Taehyung, whose face turned into a deep shade of red, nervously began talking in the same foreign language while picking up his chopsticks to rub them together. The staff member said something back to him, sending Taehyung what you could only assume was a teasing smile. This caused Taehyung to laugh anxiously before replying to the staff.

You looked at him in confusion, but also amazement. You found it so cool the way he was so friendly with the staff and how they were nice to him as well, it was even cooler when you heard him speak in Korean for the first time. You were mesmerized.

“That was so cool,” You spoke, sounding as if you’d been holding your breath the entire time.

“What is?” He asks, dumbfounded.

“Just now. The staff here knows you and you speak Korean? That’s amazing, your voice sounds so nice in Korean.”

His eyes widened, “Wait—you knew it was in Korean… did you understand what we were talking about just now?” Taehyung felt as if his heart was beginning to palpitate. It was an innocent conversation about how the staff member found you pretty and thought you were his girlfriend, and how Taehyung agreed that you were gorgeous indeed, however you two weren’t together.

“No, I just recognized the language. Plus, there’s a small Korean flag outside this restaurant. One would notice,” You spoke blankly, “Why? What was it about?”

“Oh,” was all he could say before coming up with an excuse, “He just told me that it’s late and we shouldn’t overeat or we’ll get nightmares.” That was a fast excuse, I deserve an award for that, he thought.

You may not have known him enough, but it was easy to tell he was lying by the way he wasn’t looking at you properly. Maybe it was a personal thing, so you decided not to push his buttons and pry. Soon enough, your food came and both your mouths were watering. It smelled delicious, and you couldn’t wait to dig in. Taehyung let you taste it first to see if you’d like it, and you did.

“Do you come here often?” You asked him.

Taehyung took a sip of water, “Yeah, I used to. I think the last time I went here was two months ago, with Jungkook and Jin, our older friend.”

“You’ve seen Jungkook and Jimin, right?” He asked to which you nodded. “We’d come here with four of our other friends, they’re all seniors in college now.”

“It’s nice that you have lots of friends.”

“Yeah, they’re great. You should meet them sometime, I have a feeling they’ll like you,” he says, giving you a grin you were starting to feel accustomed to. You smiled at the thought of him wanting you to meet his friends.

When you were both done eating, you took your wallet out and asked Taehyung how much the food was so you could split. No matter how hard you insisted to pay for your food, he was more persistent in paying for everything, so he did. Taehyung thanked the lady who owned the restaurant and so did you before you both walked back into the car.

“Are you up for some karaoke?” Taehyung asks.

“Yeah, of course! Let’s go,” You beamed.

The twenty-minute car ride was spent with you and Taehyung not-so-seriously singing to a bunch of songs from the 2000s as well as original soundtracks from cartoons you both watched as children. You’d laugh every now and then whenever Taehyung would try to copy the female voices and Taehyung would poke fun at you for trying to imitate voices with lower ranges.

Taehyung was enraptured with how you were able to hang out with him like he was an old friend of yours. You were fun to be around, and he wanted to take every opportunity he could to make this feeling of elation you caused to last because he knew things would probably change in the morning. Prior to your party-turned-date-night, he already had a hunch he’d have a great time with you. What he didn’t expect that as the hours passed, you were turning out to be so much more.

“We’re here!” Taehyung exclaimed after he finished parking, “Wait inside.” He got off the car and you laughed to yourself knowing he was going to open the door again for you. This time you took his hand before he could give you his. He looked surprised at first but not even half a second later that was replaced by a wide, boxy smile you found endearing.

As you walked in, you noticed how well-lit and alive the whole place was at night. You barely come to Karaoke Bars, the last time you went was in high school when you and a couple of your friends tried sneaking drinks but failed because you were minors. It wasn’t the most exciting experience, at least this time around you didn’t need to sneak around anything.

“For two, please.” You heard Taehyung tell the person behind the counter.

“Would you like any food and drinks?” The lady asks.

“Want anything?” Taehyung asks, looking back at you.

“Any is fine,” You told him, but really you’ve been eyeing the spicy wings on their menu. Taehyung looks at what you were staring at and quietly laughs to himself.

“We’ll take the spicy chicken platter and 2 bottles of fruity soju, please.”

This was the absolute bare minimum, yet your heart couldn’t resist leaping after hearing Taehyung order the wings you had your eyes on. Had he noticed? If he did, he was only making you fall deep without you even realizing.

You both entered the room. It was square, and it looked slightly smaller than a studio apartment. Two songbooks were placed on a table in the middle of the room and there was a long couch that faced the television. For some reason, the magenta lighting made it feel like it was an intimate space.

Taehyung plopped himself onto the couch and took one songbook. You followed him and sat down, careful to leave a distance of at least one foot between the two of you.

"Here, you should sing," he hands you the songbook.

"I think I'm gonna wait for the soju first before I can sing, thanks," you placed the songbook on his lap, and as if on cue, a lady knocks in and walks into the room holding a tray of spicy chicken on a plate and two bottles of soju with two shot glasses.

Taehyung thanked the lady while you stared at nothingness, silently cursing this unlucky timing. He laughs while reaching over for the bottle of soju, opening one and pouring you both a shot.

"You said you needed one before you could sing, so here you go," he hands you a shot glass and you glare at him, taking the glass from his hand and downing it in one go. He raises his brow in amazement, letting out a breathy laugh before downing his shot.

"Give me that," you held your hand out for the songbook. You scanned the pages, looking for a specific song. You were the kind of person who wanted to relate to what you were saying, the kind who wished people could read between the lines and realize there was a meaning to whatever song you chose.

So you picked Realize by Colbie Caillat.

You looked at Taehyung hesitantly before standing up. Would he notice? Maybe he'll think it was just one of your favorites. Maybe he won't even think about it. Either way, there was no turning back now as you've already entered the numbers.

"I just want you to know, I am by no means a singer," you warned.

"In our date, there's no room for judgement," he grinned, visibly awaiting your performance as he watched you while he rests his head on his hand.

The lyrics popped up on screen and you began to sing.

Take time to realize

That your warmth is

Crashing down on me

Taehyung leaned forward from his seat the moment he heard your voice. You lied, he thought, you were most definitely a singer. His heart began to race for the nth time tonight, but this was different. You've got him wrapped around your finger, and he knew. Your voice was the final thing that trapped him into the pit of feelings he's been falling deeper and deeper into throughout the night. It didn't help that he was the type of person to really analyze every line from a song, wondering if there was some hidden message behind your song of choice.

He couldn’t help but wish that song was meant for him.

If you just realize what I just realized

Then we'd be perfect for each other and we'd never find another

He was captivated by you. When Taehyung realized he'd been thinking of you and just you, he had to snap out of it by downing a shot.

By the time the song ended, you felt your knees go weak and your hands were trembling. You took a shot of soju hoping it would calm your nerves and placed the microphone on the table. "I can't believe I just sang." I can't believe I just sang a song like that.

"I can't believe you lied to me," Taehyung tried to play it cool, "You have a beautiful voice."

Singing wasn't something you could easily do in front of people. As much as possible, you wanted to keep that hobby to yourself. You never really had the confidence to let people listen to you, but hearing those words from Taehyung felt like an affirmation. You were touched.

"Thanks," you gave him a soft smile, "That actually means a lot."

"You have to sing one more," he begged.

You raised a brow, "Are you serious?" Taehyung nods at this. You wanted to protest but his eyes made it impossible. How could you say no to him?

"Fine, but you're singing after me."

Before you sang for the second time, you made sure to drink another shot to get rid of your nerves. The next song you chose was Ain't Together by King Princess and you were hoping Taehyung would read the lyrics on screen and realize they were for him and not for the sake of singing.

When you were done, you found Taehyung staring at you. His eyes followed you even when you were already sitting down, you had to snap your fingers in front of him to get him back on earth. When you did, he suddenly dropped his head down the way participants would wake up after being hypnotized.

"Are you okay?" You asked.

He looked back up, only to reveal a smiling face before he reached for the bottle of soju and poured himself a shot, running his hand through his hair. Thoughts of you were devouring him. The alcohol was supposed to help, but it was only stopping him from suppressing his emotions.

"Never better," he told you.

I must be going crazy, he thought to himself.

"I've done two songs, Taehyung. It's your turn now," you handed him the songbook, your fingers accidentally touching. Taehyung took the songbook from you, his heart nervously pounding when he felt your index finger.

You watched his hands as he flipped through the pages, looking at every ring wrapped around on his fingers. Your eyed then trailed to look at his ears and noticed he was wearing several earrings as well. He always did, you figured, but they were way more noticeable now.

"What's your favorite song?" Taehyung asked, leaning on you a bit. Your faces were suddenly inches apart; you didn't notice how close you were getting as you were inspecting his accessories. Taehyung's eyes grew wide, so you quickly leaned back.

"Uhm, Dreams by Fleetwood Mac," you tried saying nonchalantly trying to ignore the warmth on your cheeks because of that brief moment.

"Oh, sorry, I don't know that. Any faves from Sam Smith?"

You laughed, "Lay Me Down, definitely."

"Perfect," he began typing the numbers and the song appeared on screen, "I actually know this song."

"Are you gonna serenade me?" You teased.

He stood up from his seat and held the mic in his hand. Funny how the microphone seemed to belong in his grasp. If he weren't majoring in (your major), he would probably do well as a performer.

"I intend to," He smirks, "I'm gonna make you fall in love with me with my voice, darling."

Those words sent your heart jumping and you had to restrain yourself from touching your cheeks to cool them. Thank goodness Taehyung's eyes were now fixated on the screen waiting for the lyrics to come out, or else he would've seen you fanning yourself with your hand trying to cool down.

Yes, I do, I believe

That one day I will be, where I was

Right there, right next to you

Your mouth dropped at Taehyung’s deep and velvety voice. You always knew his voice was deep—it was evident in the way he talked, you just didn’t expect he’d turn out to be an impressive singer.

And it's hard, the days just seem so dark

The moon, and the stars, are nothing without you

Your touch, your skin, where do I begin? Taehyung turned to face you as he sang, making you flustered. He might’ve been joking about making you fall in love with his voice, but right now you were certain that you no longer took it as a joke—you could easily fall for him right then and there. Maybe you already have. It was even harder to resist with the way he had his eyes set on you, only emphasizing how it was just the two of you in the room. His soulful voice made you feel something—an inexplicable leaping feeling in your chest.

Soon the song ended and Taehyung placed the microphone back on the table before sitting back down, the distance between you two measuring at only half a ruler. Maybe it was the alcohol kicking in, but you could swear you were within an ace of losing the filter from your mouth. All you needed was one more shot.

So you took one.

"You didn't tell me you were such a great singer," You spoke while you rested your elbow on the couch.

Taehyung laughed at this, though his laugh sounded deeper than it did earlier, "I told you I'd make you fall for me with my voice,” he says as he reaches for his shot glass.

"Is this how you get girls, then?" You teased, placing your glass back on the table. Cause it’s working on me.

He laughed again, shaking his head, "No."

"Then how?" The question comes out in a more serious manner than you had originally intended.

“Why?” He places his glass back on the table before looking straight at you, his warm eyes turning to an even darker, more alluring shade of brown. "Do you want me to show you?" He asks looking straight at you, head tilting coyly and his voice treacherously deeper than it normally sounds.

A small bead of sweat began to form on your forehead. Show you what, exactly? Though you were curious about his ways of picking up women, you weren't exactly sure if you were ready to find even more reasons to like him. For a split second you caught his eyes traveling down to your lips before making eye contact with you again. Perhaps your mind was playing tricks on you, or maybe it was the soju, but you almost felt him leaning into you.

Time was moving painstakingly slow, but before you could decide whether or not you wanted to find out what was going to happen next, you anxiously clear your throat and decide to shift the topic to the spicy chicken platter that you both have barely touched.

"I-is the spicy chicken here good? We haven’t even touched it and it’s probably getting cold."

Taehyung was only teasing and though he’d never admit it out loud, he noticed the way a blush formed at your cheeks and how flustered you were at his question. It has to mean something, he thought. He never imagined he’d ever relish in the fact that he had the capacity to affect you in that way.

He uncontrollably grinned to himself as he watched you take a bite from a chicken wing.

A few more songs and chicken wings later, you and Taehyung decided to get out of the Karaoke Bar and drive to a nearby beach to stroll around. You appreciated how consistent he was with opening the car door for you, even when you tried to argue that you could open it for yourself.

"It's a date, y/n. Even if it was storming, I wouldn't let my date open the car door for herself."

The way he reminded you each time that you were both on a date made you regret telling him it was something you could both forget in the morning.

It was cold and the breeze made it even colder. Thankfully, Taehyung had an extra jacket in his car to lend knowing your black dress wouldn’t be enough to keep you warm. As you walked you would breathe into your hands and rub them together to keep them warm. Taehyung noticed this, worrying your enjoyment would be compromised because of the temperature.

"Do you wanna go someplace warmer?" He asked.

"No, I like it here," you smiled.

He looked at you with much concern on his face, you had to convince him you were fine, really. Because you insisted so much that you were alright, he took your hand instead, placing it in his coat pocket. At this point your heart was leaping out of your chest, you found yourself questioning how he could make the absolute bare minimum feel like such a grand gesture.

"Your hands feel like ice,” He told you

“Say it,” You joked, referencing a film.

“You’re a—a vampire,” Taehyung played along, making the two of you laugh.

The whole night with Taehyung really got you thinking. It’s not like you were the type to easily fall for guys, but for some reason Taehyung was different. Nothing felt forced, and you could tell he was just being his genuine self around you. Though he’d call you his date, there was a certain comfort you felt around him, as if he’d been your friend for years—a sense of familiarity you’ve never felt towards anyone else.

“I see people doing this a lot in movies whenever the girl gets cold, but it never really occurred to me until now that it only helps one of your hands,” he comments, making you giggle.

“It’s a sweet gesture, s’all that matters,” you reassured him, making him smile to himself.

The two of you walked along the shore while Taehyung would tell you stories about his childhood and his friends, then he’d tell you jokes that made you laugh really hard, your stomach would ache. In turn you’d also talk about your childhood and how you wanted to be a singer when you were younger but eventually realized you wanted other things. Later on when you both got tired of walking, you decided to lie down on the sand. Talks of childhood memories transitioned to opening up to each other about your own individual worries about the future and random thoughts.

It was so easy to talk to him. It was true when he said there was no room for judgement on your date, and you absolutely loved how you could just be yourself, because now you were really wishing you two had been closer sooner.

“You know, you’ve always seemed a bit intimidating to me,” You spoke.

“I get that a lot,” He sighs, “But so are you.”

“I get that a lot too,” You smile followed by a small laugh, "I just never imagined I'd have this much fun with someone who I can only remember borrows pens from me."

Taehyung laughs, slightly embarrassed, "You have the best pens in class, you know that?"

"You're the only one who actually gives them back, thank you for that."

There was silence for a moment while you two stared up at the sky, the stars were almost fading.

“I wish we got closer sooner," you said quietly.

“Yeah, me too. I guess we just never knew how to properly approach each other,” He takes your hand and begins playing with your fingers, “But better late than never, right?”

“Right,” You smiled.

You wished this night would never end, but you could already feel your eyes drooping as a yawn involuntarily escaped your mouth. You hoped that Taehyung wouldn’t hear, afraid that he’d think it was time to bring you home, but he did and no matter how hard you tried to protest that you weren’t tired yet, he wouldn’t buy it. He laughed as you tried to hold back another yawn before finally helping you up.

“I’ll carry you, get on my back,” He offers, not taking no for an answer.

For the duration of the drive, you struggled to keep your eyes open. Taehyung found it adorable whenever you’d tell him to turn back and find some other place to hang out in, but it was already 4:30 in the morning and most shops and restaurants were closed. “You can sleep, y/n. I’ll still be here when you wake up,” He chuckles. He tried singing you to sleep, but his voice just served another reason why shouldn’t doze off so you could hear it.

The sky was already turning into a lighter shade of blue and the stars were long gone, why couldn’t time move slower?

The car ride was tranquil, just you and Taehyung sharing what a fun experience you both had and how you’ve both never had this much fun with anyone else. Something in you wished he would do something more, though you weren’t exactly sure what. The scenario from the Karaoke room floods back, making you feel slightly embarrassed from what you pictured would have happened. Forty-five minutes later, you finally reached your dorm building. Taehyung, staying as consistent as ever, opens the door for you one last time and walks with you ‘til you reach the outside of your dorm. You were slightly less sleepy now but couldn’t help but feel downhearted that your date had come to an end.

You stared at your room’s door, mentally groaning at all the packing you had to do for your trip along with Kate, who apparently had 86 missed calls and over 200 unread messages in your phone, would probably nag you while you were at it. You didn't really want to go in.

“So,” Taehyung starts, “Date’s over.”

You forced a small laugh to try and disguise the small disappointment you felt because it was over, “Yeah, guess it is.”

Taehyung digs his hands into his pockets, “I had a great time with you.”

“Yeah,” You nodded followed by a sigh, “Taehyung, thank you, really. I haven’t been my best self lately and this date with you was the most fun I’ve had in months. I hope you know this means a lot to me.”

Taehyung had no idea what to say. There were too many thoughts going on in his head and they were all about you and how much he appreciated this spontaneous date you just had, but he didn’t know how to piece them together to tell you how much it all meant to him as well.

A wave of confidence unexpectedly washes over you, "Don't take this the wrong way, but this is just a thank you for being the best date I've had in years." Taehyung watched as you moved closer to him. Your faces only centimeters apart now, you'd think you were the only one whose heart was beating faster than a person racing in a marathon. You stared at each other for only a second before you pulled him in for a hug. He was shocked, but he couldn't help but smile from ear to ear as he wrapped his arms around you. You wished that was enough for a goodbye, but deep down you knew it wasn't.

When you were about to turn your back and open your door, Taehyung took your hand and pulled you back so you were both facing each other.

"This has been overdue since we left that karaoke room," he spoke as he pulled you closer. He stared at your lips before glancing at your eyes to search for any sign of discomfort, but you wanted this just as much as he did you almost asked him to just kiss you already.

And so he finally did. And oh my god, he was a phenomenal kisser. You could both feel each other smiling through the soft kiss, but it wasn't long before you two had to pull away.

"I'll call you. You can keep the jacket," he smiles before letting go of your hand, "See you soon."

"Drive safe."

After he left, you quietly entered your room. You couldn't believe that actually happened. Of course everything just prodded more questions in your head, did he like you? Were you two going to keep this up or will you both really just forget the whole thing when the sun comes up? Immediately you began to regret telling him to forget it all in the morning.

You carefully got in your bed, trying not to wake Kate who was sleeping soundly on the other side of the room. The light from the sun slowly made its way into your dorm, your eyes closing while your thoughts drifted off to the image of your kiss with Taehyung, repeatedly playing in your head before falling asleep.

The date felt like a dream. Maybe Kate was right about finding your prince tonight, only he was much better than that.

It was Kim Taehyung, and you couldn't wait to see him again.

a/n: hello!! if you finished the story, feel free to leave comments so i know how what stuff to improve on!! i’ll be posting stories for fun (just as a “creative outlet”) but i’d also love to receive some feedback. if you liked it, please look forward to my next uploads!

also follow me on twitter for updates: tteokgukk ! thank you!

277 notes · View notes

softly-savage-mint-yoongi · 5 years ago

Text

Allotrope pt. 4

Genre: Idolverse Pairing: Kim Junmyeon (Suho) x f!reader Warnings: Angst. Internal struggles with Mental Health problems. Relationship struggles. Smut. Edging. Overstimulation (m!rec.), oral (m!rec.), no protection. explicit, soft sex. Words: 12.2k prev. / next.

You’ve always been an animal lover. Today, however, for the third day in a row, you’re cursing the existence of birds in particular as you roll over in bed. Lately, the window beside your bed has become a stage for their sing song voices. It’s been just enough to wake you from precious slumber the moment the sun just begins to creep into the sky.

You dread having to open your eyes, huffing in annoyance as you reach for your phone and cradle it to your chest for a moment. You felt the gentle vibration of a text message notification when you pulled it from the bedside table. Cracking one eye open, you lift it above your head and rest your thumb against the unlock.

Your background is simple but makes your heart flutter nonetheless. A pastel blue color with a single symbol of a tribal water droplet in white. His symbol, your idol. Your Water King.

Swinging your feet from under the comfort of your covers, you rise begrudgingly. Making your way to the bathroom, you remember today is… Wednesday. Although you don’t have work today, you look around your apartment and realize you’ve got a day of cleaning ahead of you.

For the last two and a half weeks since Junmyeon gave you his number, you’ve neglected to tidy up more than necessary. Instead, you’ve been too attached to your phone, talking, texting or video chatting with him. Constantly sending memes and jokes and book recommendations. It’s been wonderful, really.

Shoving your toothbrush in your mouth, you begin your day. While you brush, you check your messages. Two from him, one from Soohyun.

Junmyeon’s first text is longer, answering your question about seeing each other soon, and letting you know he will be coming back from overseas tomorrow (today) after an interview that will wrap up their schedule in North America. His second text promises that he can’t wait to see you when he returns, and wishes for you to sleep well with a kiss emoji.

It sets a smile on your face too broad to contain the foam of your toothpaste. You finish up and wash your face, making your way to the kitchen.

Waiting for your coffee to finish brewing a whole pot, you open Soohyun’s message. He’s asking if you want to visit the new restaurant in town for dinner. His offer assures you he has a connection who could get you in without the waitlist, but he needs to know asap. Word around town is their menu in its entirety is well worth the required reservation days in advance.

Automatically, you’re excited. Your mood lifts a bit at the idea of deliciously rumored food, and you can’t wait to confirm. Sending him a load of excited emojis and the word ‘yes’ in all caps, you go about your day with a happy bounce.

It starts off well, with a playlist of piano covers of EXO albums carrying through the apartment. The curtains are spread wide open to allow the bright sun in while you tidy up. With every chore that you complete, you relax that much more. Laundry folded, papers you no longer need shredded, trash out, all of it. You’ve even got a candle lit in every room and you’re on your third cup of coffee by noon.

At this hour, an anxiousness begins to creep in. You know on the other side of the world, where there’s a thirteen hour difference, Junmyeon is finishing his schedule for the day and is probably just getting back to his hotel room. Which means he’ll be texting you.

It makes you check your phone constantly, even though you’ve heard nothing from the device stuffed into the pocket of your tattered sweats- you have to check. It’s manic.

You’re not sure what to expect. Although the last week of nonstop contacting one another has been wonderful, it’s also been… difficult.

Sure, there have been way too many good things. Your favorite in particular is whenever you get to watch an episode of his latest drama, Rich Man Poor Woman. You cackle in delight every time he’s making a ridiculous face or you pause the feed at the perfect moment to catch a silly expression. You’ve made a handful of memes with the images, sharing every single one with him to tease him.

He called you once immediately after you sent one to complain loudly through the speaker of your phone, until your laughter made him chuckle. Most of them he would pout at but then find just as hysterical as you would- claiming your tearful laughter contagious. He knew you thought he was a wonderful actor and these would be safe from ever being released to the masses of the internet.

Other times there were quiet moments where he would read to you over the phone or video chat as you fell asleep. Or vice versa. Quietly whispered conversations from under your covers with him until one of you was too tired to continue. Sometimes it was just getting to know one another better over endless games of ‘this or that’, asking a plethora of random questions and discussing the answers of why either of you chose one versus the other. You both have quite the affinity for books it seems.

Two or three times over the last week there’s also been heated moments. Snapshots of abs, not revealing his face as the top of the picture showed him biting his lip only. Teasing innuendos or emojis from both parties, sometimes ending in laughs and sometimes more.

You’d both been afraid to do more yet- fearful of it somehow getting hacked. Only one phone call where you’d been too desperate, you had panted into your phones at each other about how much you wish the other were there. During such, you’d admitted how much the audio turned you on. You could hear the slick sounds of every stroke he took, and in turn he could hear the gentle buzzing of your vibrator as you brought yourselves to completion. His quiet moans and huffs of breath in your ear haunt you still. Strange how intimate a moment could be with an entire ocean separating you.

Occasionally, conversation turns to the heavier things that you both need to discuss. About your relationship, about what you are and where you are and where you’re going. Two days ago, the conversation had turned from a conversation to an argument. You’d both raised your voices, but not at each other. Out of frustration.

Often the questions ran along the lines of what are you? Or are you in an exclusive relationship? You’d both easily admitted you would like that, but then the what ifs about it. The insecurities and uncertainty. The pressure to be all that an exclusive relationship typically entails.

You’re under the impression Junmyeon struggles with it harder than you do, naturally. He’s an idol. He already under an intense amount of pressure. In your mind, he doesn’t need the additional pressure of having to be there for someone when he can’t be all the time. Can he commit to you like that? Normally you spin it much the same- you’re about to start your last year of college. Are you going to have time for him, too? What happens if the few times he’s available by chance, you’re not? How upsetting and frustrating that would be. Are you both mentally and emotionally strong enough… mature enough to understand that if you become an actual item there is a chance you might go months between seeing each other? What if the fans find out? What if that becomes not enough and one of you calls it quits because it’s driving you mad? What if something like that happened and if affected his performance as an idol? What if he couldn’t keep up the facade- a second is all it takes for someone to say something about his composure.

So, do you stay as you are? The hooking up when it works out for your schedules by random chance? You know that won’t work either because you hate it. You know he hates it, too. You like belonging to one another too much. You like being selfish.

Both of you struggle with all of it. It’s terrifying when you don’t know the answers to the what if questions. How can you commit without knowing how frustrating it’s going to be? Becoming someone’s partner means disappointment at missed holidays and birthdays, anniversaries. Lack of intimacy, which you both clearly need a healthy amount of at this point.

The most frustrating of all is that neither of you have an answer for those kinds of questions. It’s a vicious cycle.

You pull yourself from your thoughts with a sigh. So much for your unstoppable, fantastic day. You feel gross, having done all of your house chores and needing a shower. Even looking around your clean apartment wasn’t relaxing you how it should be.

You’re hopeful a shower might lift your spirit enough to save the day, but the spray and suds in your hair aren’t doing much good. Just as you step out, you decide to drain your hot water supply completely and run a bath to lounge in.

While it fills the tub, you brush your hair and pull it onto your head and refill your coffee cup, even going as far as to grab a bath bomb from your pampering supply for good measure.

For a few moments you watch as it fizzes and swirls the lavender, gold and cream colors around the steaming water. Goddess, the name of the bomb, and one of your favorites.

You’re too impatient for it to completely dissolve- balancing your coffee mug on the side of the tub as you get comfortable in the depths of vanilla scented water.

Intentionally- you left your phone on the kitchen counter. You want to relax. Instead of letting yourself hyper-fix on it, you focus on your coffee as it slips down your throat. You’re being warmed inside and out from the coffee and the water, slowly sapping the tension from your bones.

While you drink, you busy yourself deliberating about what you might want to wear tonight.

By the time you’re frowning at the coffee-stained bottom of your mug and your skin is prickling from the tepid bathwater, nothing has sufficed to distract your thoughts.

You feel lousy and terrible and kind of don’t even want to go to dinner because you know your shitty mood will ruin the evening. Soohyun knows your moods shift and fluctuate with the wind, and he wouldn’t judge you for cancelling, but you feel disappointed about it. How burdensome.

Pulling the plug on the drain, you pull your knees up to your chest and sit in the tub, watching the space between the water’s surface and the ring of purple foam grow wider slowly. The gurgling sound of the drain swallowing the last liter stirs you from your blank thoughts.

You stand and give the tub a quick rinse- then pat yourself dry with a fresh towel and grab your empty mug. There’s an uncomfortable feeling tugging at your chest the closer you draw to the kitchen, and your phone. Like you can’t reach it fast enough in hopes the unease will go away if you look at it.

Setting your mug down in the sink and letting some water run into the bottom, you side eye your phone. Sitting there right where you left it, incriminating and imposing beside the coffee pot. There’s a little text bubble icon on your lockscreen when you tap the screen and illuminate it, staring back at you. You don’t have to unlock it to know who it’s from. Swiping it from the counter in all of your stark naked glory, you carry it back to your bedroom and toss it onto your bedspread without checking it.

At least you can wear your favorite lounge clothes and curl up on your bed while you feel awful. After you dress, just to procrastinate, you even sit down at your vanity to put on some extra moisturizer and toner and use a spa roller.

Eventually, the feeling in your chest scalds to an unbearable degree. You can’t ignore it any longer, throwing yourself onto your bed like a petulant child.

Sure enough, the message is from Junmyeon. Luckily, it’s simple. A sufficient 'hello beautiful’ with a smiley face.

You can hear his voice saying it in your head, and it makes the corner of your lips tick upward just slightly. It makes you feel a little better. Junmyeon makes you feel a little better. He is good for you, and you know it…

But what about the rest of it? Your personal problems when your moods shift like the sands and your mental health status. The things that make you worry and fear and you want to keep from him for as long as possible so they won’t ruin whatever this is that you have with him.

He doesn’t deserve anything except the very best. What if he gets too close and you snap and then he goes running? Of course you don’t want that, it would only put you in a worse place. A place you’re doing your best to forget and move on from.

A slight pain in your jaw tears you from the cloud of your thoughts, realizing you were clenching it too tightly again. With practiced ease you release the tension, letting your mouth hang open and rotating the hinge. Idly, you check the time on your phone. Nearly one-thirty.

Staring at the device, you watch as the illumination dims. Just before it goes black completely, it lights up with a goofy picture of you and Soohyun. He’s calling you, and you fidget, hesitating to answer it.

The moment you decide to pick it up, you’ve already missed it.

Instead, you curl in on yourself and try to focus. You try to talk yourself into going to dinner still, but ultimately know your resolve is weak.

Before you move, forty minutes has gone by and there’s a knocking at your door.

The sound confuses you, and you swiftly move from your bed to check it. An oddly shaped Soohyun is staring back into the peephole, his nose looking far larger than the rest of his face, and it makes you laugh.

He is loud from the moment you unlock the deadbolt, swinging into your apartment in his work clothes. Only his apron is missing as he waltzes in and swings you up in a hug.

Immediately, you protest, “Get off of me, I’m clean!”

He grins at you, setting your feet gently back on the wood of your kitchen floor. “Good afternoon to you too, and thanks for picking up my call?” he chides.

It earns him a slap to the arm, but as usual nothing can bring down his mood and he only laughs at his own punishment.

While he settles, you turn away and gesture to the now cold coffee pot. He loves cold coffee anyway, excitedly nodding his head when you gesture to the machine in offering.

Soohyun is at home in your apartment, much the same as you are in his. You watch him silently as he flits about your kitchen, grabbing his favorite glass, adding ice and draining the last of the coffee from the pot.

Graciously, he sets the decanter in the sink and fills it with water before he joins you on the couch.

“What’s up?” you ask sheepishly. His awareness of you makes you anxious suddenly. It’s been like that for a long time, even with medication.

Your knees join your chest, not bothering to look up from the floor or hide your mood from him.

Soohyun sips the coffee, “I wanted to see if you wanted to come hang out back at my place before we go to dinner… if you were still interested.”

His voice and tone give nothing away. Perhaps there isn’t anything to give at all, because you know he is not judging you for anything. Although he doesn’t have the same struggles you do, he respects you enough and understands that you sometimes have trouble. He doesn’t love you any less because of it.

“I’m so-”

“Don’t say it.” he clips before you can finish the word.

Your mouth snaps shut and you turn, foolish. “Okay.” you say instead after a moment.

“Do you want me to leave? If it’s not a good time that’s fine, too.” he offers instead, posture relaxed.

You shake your head, “No, you’re alright. I don’t mind the company, as long as you don’t mind my mood.”

Soohyun takes a large mouthful in pause before asking, “I don’t mind at all. Did you want to talk about something?”

You’re about to reply when your phone rings from where you left it on the kitchen counter again to answer the door, and you’re up off the couch to answer it. It’s Junmyeon.

“Hello?”

“Hello beautiful.” His voice is tired and stressed as it meets your ear from the receiver. You walk back to the couch with it pressed to your skull. He must be so exhausted, but his care and affection for you makes you warm.

“Are you having a good day?” he asks, and you smile. Soohyun is listening to you intently, pretending to be vastly more interested in his own phone than your conversation.

You sigh, “It’s just been a normal day. How are you, you sound stressed…”

You strain to hear Junmyeon’s dark chuckle over the phone. It’s hard to concentrate on his voice with the background noise; a movie playing perhaps?

“Junmyeon?”

“I don’t know. They got what they got.” he answers cryptically.

You frown, “What does that mean? Are you alright?”

He sighs, “I’ll be okay. I just wanted to hear your voice before I try to go to sleep.”

“Are you sure?”

You can hear the laugh again. A laugh you’re coming to understand means the opposite of what a laugh usually means. An uninspired one.

“I have to be sure.”

You don’t press him on the issue, “Okay. Are you going to sleep now?”

He hums, “Yeah. We just reached cruising altitude.”

“That’s good. I hope you sleep well. I’ll see you when you get back, okay? I’m off tomorrow night.”

“Mmm.” your lover replies.

You think he’s going to say goodbye, but he chooses a different direction, “I want to come over.”

A smile stirs upon your lips, he sounds so sleepy.

“Junmyeon, I don’t know if that’s a great idea. What about the media?”

“I don’t care, I just want to see you…I will be careful.” he murmurs, voice sulky at your answer.

You laugh gently, “I want to see you, too. We’ll see. For now, please rest well. Get sleep.”

He hums again, “Okay, I’ll see you soon.”

“See you soon. Sleep now.”

Removing the phone from your ear, you end the call and look at Soohyun. He’s staring straight at you with a grin plastered onto his face.

You hold a single finger up to your lips, prompting him to grunt and sip at his drink, pointedly looking away. Just as you think is going to abide by your rule- he speaks.

“I see things are still about the same in that lane.”

Huffing a sigh, you dramatically wipe your hands down your face. You groan, “It’s complicated.”

Soohyun huffs this time, surprising you, “Do you know that you just keep saying it’s complicated every time someone questions you?”

Brows furrowing, you pull your lip between your teeth, “Well, it is.”

“Do you like it being complicated? Seems to me it’s pretty frustrating and stressful on both of you.” he laughs gently and he narrows his eyes at you.

“Of course not. I just don’t know how to fix it.”

Soohyun sets his now empty glass on the shiny wood of your freshly cleaned coffee table before turning to face you completely. “Sure you do.”

Now you’re just confused, “If I knew how to fix it, I would.”

He barks a laugh that only sounds a little patronizing, “That’s the thing. You do know how to fix it. You just don’t want to because you’re afraid.”

You know Soohyun isn’t trying to be arrogant or mean, but his words still sting.

With your silence, he continues, “You’re afraid of the unknown, Y/N. You always have been. You’re always thinking a dozen steps ahead for your future and the things that are unknown and you have zero control over are not welcome in that equation. It drives you crazy not knowing what is going to happen with your relationship.”

“We’re not in a relationship.” you quip sharply.

“But you want to be!” Soohyun smiles wide, voice rising just a bit with his exasperation. His hand sweeps out over the coffee table as he explains. “Don’t even try to tell me you don’t want that. I know you, and I’m hearing enough from Sehun that 'Myeon wants that, too.”

You roll your eyes defensively, trying to change the subject, “You and Sehun have gotten close.”

He smirks at you and tilts his head, and his gaze is unsettling to your nerves. “Besides, it takes both of us. I’m not the only one struggling with this.” you say just to fill the unnerving silence with word vomit.

“I know.” he nods slowly.

“So what if I decide I want to try it? What do I do if he doesn’t?” you ask with a pout. It calls attention to the lump in your throat when you say it- you hadn’t realized it was forming.

Soohyun looks at you fondly, “Have you been listening to anything that man has said over the last few weeks, my dear?”

Serving him a look that says he’s about to regret talking to you like a child, you wait.

Proud of himself for getting a rise out of you, he answers, “I’m sure if you said you wanted that, he would be all in. From what I understand, you’re the only one who is letting the 'what if’ unknowns stop you.”

“But I-” you try.

“But nothing!” Soohyun comments loudly, holding up a hand, “Are you really going to let the unknown possibilities stop you from enjoying what’s right in front of you? I’ve seen enough and heard enough to know there’s a wonderful person standing in front of you. Someone who, by the way, could have anyone they wanted, and is choosing you and all of your crazy talk of the unknown bullshit.”

Stunned, you blink at him.

“I’m sorry.” Soohyun says, voice lowering, “It’s very frustrating for the people that love the both of you, too. It’s hard to watch your self torment stop you.” When you don’t respond right away, he adds, “It’s frustrating for Sehun and the others, too.”

“Won’t I regret it though if we don’t work out?” you ask him, face serious.

Soohyun coos at you, “I don’t know. You don’t know, and he surely doesn’t know, and you will never know.” You consider his words for a moment, “By the way- you’re never going to find out if you don’t do it, either. Do you want to be stuck wondering if there would have been regret if you never even take the leap to find out? You’re so set on getting answers that you stop yourself from even trying to answer the question, skipping it completely.”

Your eyes widen, and he makes perfect sense. He’s right- if you don’t try, you’ll never know. It’s a revelation, making you physically bring your hands to your mouth as you stare at him with your doe eyes.

He smiles at you, knowing he got through.

“Now that you understand, let me ask you something, you goof.” he snickers.

It earns him a playful smack on the leg.

“Have you enjoyed the last few weeks of talking to him, even though he hasn’t physically been here? Even if you’re not actively in conversation- do you still look forward to his texts and communication?”

You don’t need to answer him with words as the smile softens your tense features.

“Do you want to be with him?”

“Yes.” you murmur immediately, gaze resolute as it flicks up to meet the depths of Soohyun’s dark eyes.

“Okay. Then what happens if you let the unknown eat at you and let him go? You’ll still want to be with him, but you might have to see him with someone else someday. Surely then you’ll be wondering and regretting and hurt because you never found the answer.”

He pauses, but holds up a hand that he isn’t done. “Now, as your best friend, I can’t just sit here and be okay with that. It’s my job to talk some sense into you, Y/N. I am going to tell you right now, from my perspective, you have never been this invested in another person like this. Even your last real boyfriend didn’t have this big of an affect on you over, what was it… a year? Fourteen months?”

He looks at you pointedly, driving home his point. “From another outsider’s perspective, Sehun says much of the same.”

You cut in, “Oh my god, what are we to you two, a soap opera? Don’t you have anything better to talk about than someone else’s love life?”

He chuckles, pulling a laugh from you in return and resuming his monologue, “Shut up, we love to talk about you two. As I was saying, he can assure you that Junmyeon has never met someone like this, either. They’ve been best friends for long enough that his word has credibility.”

You’re softly smiling at him by the time he finishes, “He’s not the type of guy to be really into all of that.”

Soohyun claps his hands, “See, that’s my point. If you know he’s not the type to be creeping into people’s DMs and sleeping around a lot, why are you having such a hard time understanding how much you affect him, too?”

“I see it.”

“Then why are you hesitating and driving you both insane?”

You frown, picking at your fingernails, “I don’t want to hurt him.”

Soohyun’s posture freezes, his lips dropping to match your own expression. “Why do you think you’d hurt him?” he asks, but you feel like he knows the answer.

You stare at him pointedly before your gaze wanders to the kitchen and lands on the prescription bottle on the counter.

“Does he know?” Soohyun asks calmly.

Shaking your head, you reply, projecting your voice around the ball in your throat, “Why would I tell him?”

Your best friend smiles softly at you, quietly taking your hand that is closest to him and holding it so you’ll stop picking your nails, “It’s not my business how you handle that, but it might be worth considering to tell him about if you want a relationship with him. It might make it easier for him to understand you sometimes.”

You nod, not really sure what to say. Instead, “I don’t want to put that kind of pressure on him, either. He’s already under so much stress.”

Soohyun releases one breath quickly through his nose, “I think you are what relieves his stress- not just in that way, either!” he clarifies, “I think it might stress him out less to know and I imagine he would be understanding, but that’s just my opinion.”

“It’s still scary. When someone knows you that personally.”

He whispers, patting your hand, “It’s a sign of weakness to you. Y/N, I know I’m one of the only people who knows, but I think getting help and taking medication takes a lot of strength and not at all a weakness. Hell, it takes a lot of courage to admit it to yourself, right?”

Nodding, you lean into him, “Yeah.”

“Let me ask you one more time, do you want to be with him? Totally? Like exclusively?” he asks into your hair, pulling his arm around you.

You don’t care anymore that he smells like work and you’re clean. This time, you can’t get your voice through the weight of your throat, so you nod into his frame, rubbing your face against his shirt.

“Then do it, okay?” he presses his lips against the side of your head.

You nod again, just leaning into his warmth and letting the silence settle over you.

Eventually, Soohyun gently removes you, “Are you still going to be boujee and get some damn good food with me?”

His question makes you laugh. You know this man well enough to already assume he would ask you this once the conversation lulled. The feeling in your chest isn’t as heavy as it was before, and you realize that sulking around your apartment all afternoon isn’t going to do anything for your well being.

Instead, you allow Soohyun to talk you into wearing a dress that you hate but has always brought you good luck. He has enough time to shower in your bathroom and rummage through your closet for a pair of sweatpants and a hoodie of his that you swear you never stole while you do your makeup.

He buys you an iced americano from the cafe across the street from your apartment building before you’re comfortably weaving through the throngs of people on the subway system this afternoon.

It takes seven minutes to reach his apartment. Even though you hate it because of how congested the area gets, you admit there is a convenience for Soohyun to live in an apartment mere steps away from one of the busiest subway terminals in the city. Especially for someone who is perpetually pushing the clock to be on time.

The moment the door is unlocked, Mingho is standing in the entryway, meowing in greeting and running forward to twist herself back and forth between Soohyun’s legs with affection. Her spotted fur shines in the afternoon light cutting across the room from the living room window, and her purring grows in volume when he scoops her up to cuddle as he walks to his room.

Just as at home here as you are in your own apartment, you peek toward her food bowl and notice it’s empty. You look down the hallway from the kitchen to see her jump off of his bed just as you open the pantry and shake her food container.

“Thanks!” Soohyun calls to you from his room, already flinging his hoodie off to find an appropriate outfit for the evening.

Mingho winds herself between your legs as you place a scoop of food into her bowl. She immediately begins to eat, raising her rear into the air as you scratch gently down her back.

______________________________________

You wake with a groan. You remember walking into your apartment at midnight and falling into bed shortly after. While you had expected to be home after dark last night, you had hoped you would at least be home with enough time to get a solid eight hours of sleep before your brunch shift this morning. No such luck.

Rather, you’re ensuring you’re showered and decent and quickly standing in an impossibly crowded subway car so you can get to work on time.

You hadn’t bothered with breakfast this morning and are barely sipping on your coffee, still too full from the amount of food you had consumed with Soohyun and his friend Beomsuk last night. His friend Beomsuk… who was very tall and very handsome and very much interested in you.

On the ride home, Soohyun swore up and down he had no idea, and you were sure he was telling the truth. You had only kindly declined his invitation to bring only you back to the restaurant as a date under the guise of your busy schedule. You’re extremely cautious now, too afraid to confirm that you have someone special to you in the event someone would try to find out who that special person might be.

Shaking your head, you think back to how it might have swayed you differently before you met Junmyeon. Perhaps you would have let him whisk you off into the night or played with him. Now, nobody else on the face of the planet even compares.

The rest of the morning drones on slowly, just like that. The money is good, filtered through the hands of a crowd of business people having meetings over brunch and lunch. It’s still a little slow for your usual pace, but you don’t mind when you walk out into the afternoon sun with a wad of cash on par with your average for an early day shift.

Your stomach feels empty now, having worked off majority of the food baby. The cafe across the street from your building suffices enough, stepping into the shade and removing your sunglasses. Their bagels have always been delicious and fresh. You order one with your favorite flavor of cream cheese spread.

Walking up to your apartment door, you let the last half of the bread hang out of your mouth so you can use your hands to unlock your door. When the door clicks shut behind you, a tension you didn’t know you’d been carrying leaves your shoulders.

You kick off your shoes and use one foot to slide them neatly into place on the mat before tossing your trash into the bin in the kitchen. Even though you just showered, you smell a bit like food and old people’s cologne from walking through clouds of it over and over again at the restaurant.

While you’re in the shower, your phone rings. Obviously, you can’t answer it, but you hasten your routine. While you wrap your towel around yourself and wipe a hand over the fogged mirror, you check it. It was Junmyeon.

You swipe to call him back right away, pressing your thumb into the speaker button and setting it on your vanity as you dry yourself and find some comfortable clothes to wear. You don’t plan on going anywhere for the rest of the day.

“Y/N?” he says after the first ring. His voice sounds painful and sad.

“What’s wrong?” you ask immediately, staring a frown into the device.

There’s only the sound of him catching his breath for a moment, then, “I don’t know. I’m just really stressed out.”

“Where are you?” you ask. He said he was stressed when you talked to him yesterday, too.

“Out.” he murmurs.

You sigh, “Where? Do you want to come over here?” You wait for an answer while you pull on your panties and pull up the straps of your bra.

He sucks in a breath from the other end of the line, breathing hard. It sounds like he’s outside. “I don’t want you to see me like this.”

Instantly you pick up your phone, swiping the call to the edge of the screen so you can access your display. You type in your address into the message box and send it to him.

“I want to see you, even when you’re stressed out.” you say quietly, stuffing your head and arms through the wide holes of a thin camisole. Your legs follow suit in a pair of distressed denim shorts that hug your hips just right.

The notion that you care enough to want to fix it for him dawns on you. The realization that you want to do anything to make him smile and not be stressed and worried. You want to give him strength and support. Your heart is thunderous in your chest suddenly and your voice seems gone.

After the moment of panic passes and you calm enough to speak, you take a deep breath.

You ask when he says nothing, “Junmyeon?” You swallow and take the leap.

“Yeah?” he replies softly.

“How can I be a good girlfriend to you if you won’t let me try to help you when you’re not feeling your best?” The questions puts a halt to your breath, picking at your nails and furrowing your brow as you wait anxiously.

There’s silence on the other end of the line. Not even the sound of his breathing as you imagine he may have pulled his phone away from his ear to look at it suspiciously.

“How am I supposed to help you feel better and support you when you won’t let me?” you ask again, nervous by his lack of response.

He makes a sound like an unbelievable chuckle into the receiver, “…Does that mean what I think it means?”

You smile at the sound of his voice. It’s still small and shallow, but there’s not as much sadness to his tone.

“That depends on what you think it means.”

Junmyeon hums, “You’re willing to give us a real shot?”

“Do you want to?” you ask with a hint of apprehension in your throat.

“Yes.” he whispers immediately. The word sends such a sense of relief washing through your body you’re vaguely aware you have to blink several times to disperse the moisture pooling at the rims of your eyes.

“Then I guess that makes us together, doesn’t it?” you comment breathily, pulling your wet hair into a loose bun on top of your head.

You can hear him smile through the phone, swallowing a sound you can’t place, “What changed your mind?”

You sigh, picking up your phone and carrying it to the kitchen with you, “Did you know our best friends are wholly invested in our relationship and talk about us a lot?”

Junmyeon laughs loudly on his end, “I assumed as much. Sehun has been complaining a lot about us. In a good way though, like he really wants us together.”

“Hm…” you agree, “Same on my end.” There’s a sound from the other side of your front door, just down the hall.

“Hey Y/N?” he asks. His voice drops again, like he is tired.

A sound that tells him you’re still listening lulls through the phone. Waiting for his question, you pour yourself a glass of water and stare at the bottle of pills on the counter beside the coffee pot. The pills you’ll have to tell him about if you’re really trying to give this your all. It terrifies you.

“Can you open the door?” he asks unexpectedly.

Your head whips to the door not five feet from you- the sound was him? You don’t bother replying to him verbally, instead crossing the space easily to fling the door open.

“How did you get here so fast?” you gawk at him, checking the hallway for your neighbors before you pull him inside. There’s a dark hat and a pair of oversized black sunglasses hiding his face. He looks casual otherwise, wearing a branded baby blue hoodie, black athletic pants and a pair of black slides. In the middle of Summer.

He melts into you instantly, “Don’t kill Soohyun, okay?”

You know where he’s going with the remark, but you raise one brow at him expectantly.

“A week ago he may have told me the name of your apartment building just in case there was an emergency. He didn’t tell me what number though.” he says sheepishly.

“I see.” you say, not caring about it anymore. Junmyeon was here now, like you wanted him to be. He puts his shoes beside yours at the door and follows you into the kitchen, “Would you like something to drink?”

He removes his hat and sunglasses, shaking his hair free, “No, thank you. I just wanted to see you.” You take a mild sip and place your glass of water back on the counter.

Smiling, you don’t give in to him just yet. “Okay. I’m here, so now do you want to tell me what’s been bothering you?” you try, taking his hand and leading him to the couch.

He looks away from you, pulling his bottom lip between his teeth and rolling one string of his hood between his fingers idly, “The interview didn’t go well.” he finally whispers after a moment.

You frown, “What happened?” You lean toward him and Junmyeon reaches for you, pulling you to tuck against his side. He sighs and relaxes a little, pressing his cheek against the damp coolness of your hair.

You wait for him to tell you, letting your fingers play with the opposite string of his hoodie and pulling your feet up on the couch.

“Being an idol is one thing. Being in a relationship is another…it,” he pauses, trying to find the proper words to explain. Eventually, he gives a frustrated sigh, “You have to cater to the fans as an idol. I love our EXO-Ls, don’t get me wrong. But it doesn’t make me feel good to give them false hope, either.”

You remain silent, letting him get out his words before you comment.

“I can’t easily say fanservice comments anymore about marrying them or about loving them most in the universe. It feels like a really shitty and shallow thing to do, and it bothers me more than I thought it would.” he reveals.

“I understand.” you answer carefully.

He pulls you tighter, wrapping both arms around you, nearly tugging you into his lap, “But the interviewer asked us questions along those lines and I had a really hard time playing to it. I reacted poorly and we had to do a second take and I had to act like it was fine. It was embarrassing and our manager made the interviewer sign a nondisclosure about the incident.”

The explanation has your stomach dropping through the floor. You push up from his body and meet his eyes. He’s clearly upset but you’re not sure what you’re supposed to do in this situation.

“I had to have a meeting with SM about it. About you, and me.” you want to cry. There’s no way after all of the internal struggle to come to terms with wanting and trying to have a half way normal relationship, it’s going to be taken from you. Obviously he would have to choose being an idol. It wouldn’t even be a competition for you.

“Oh.” you croak, blinking.

He pulls you back forcefully, “I told them I’d be fine. I didn’t know I would react that way… it’s my first time even trying to have some semblance of normal.”

You’re worried but his sentiment makes your smile a little nonetheless.

“I’m not the only one going through this. I talked to the other member about it, too, and he gave me a lot of advice.” he adds.

Your brows furrow, “Someone else in your group is in a relationship?” It makes you feel much better knowing he wouldn’t have to choose between his career and you.

“Oh, sure. There are lots of labelmates that are in relationships, but yeah, another EXO member is.” he clarifies against your head.

Pouting, you ask, “Who?”

You can feel his smile against your temple, “I want you to guess.”

Scoffing, you accept his challenge, “Jongin or Baekhyun?” It was educated, considering their previous relationships. It was more than likely one of them.

“Nope.”

You think a little harder on it. Most of the others seem to shy or too busy. You think back to the last time you saw them, all at karaoke. Was anyone glued to their phone or giving away hints? You may have missed a clue when you went to the bathroo- oh.

“It’s Jongdae.” you state matter-of-factly.

Junmyeon stills, “How did you guess that?”

You laugh, “Last time, he made a comment about you and I being in a relationship right before you came out to find me and he said it in a weird way? Now that I think back about it, it was in a way that said he knew what it was like to struggle like we do.”

Junmyeon huffs, “I understand.”

You want to ask, now that it’s been brought up, “Is that why you knew we weren’t talking about anything weird in the hallway? Why you knew for sure Jongdae wasn’t into me?”

It’s his turn to chuckle softly, “Yes.”

You feel foolish, “I’m sorry I said you were jealous then.”

He laughs louder, smiling a bit more, “It’s okay. You’re right, I can get jealous. Especially when we were not exclusively together yet- the idea of anyone else being interested in you made me very frustrated.”

“But your own members though? That seems a bit unlikely.”

He pouts at you, “When Baekhyun and Jongin first invited you over I didn’t like it. I thought they might try to steal you from me.”

You laugh obnoxiously this time, covering your mouth, “I knew something was wrong! I felt you stiffen up!”

Both of you are grinning like idiots now, “Don’t worry. I’m happy to be friendly with everyone but I’m only interested in one person.”

“Oh?” he inquires, “Who might that be?”

Your grin is playful, “Oh just some guy. He’s like the leader of this band of chaotic singers or something, I don’t know.” You add a shrug to the end to emphasize your feigned nonchalance.

“I better make sure I let him know you’re mine, then, right?” he smirks with one brow cocked upward, face leaning closer to kiss at your lips.

You push back at him, making him lean back into his seat on the couch, “Later. Right now, I want to take all of that stress away for you.”

He pouts, “You don’t have to do anything, I’ll be okay.”

Shaking your head, you stand from the couch and make yourself comfortable between his knees on the floor, “I want to. You work so hard, let me take care of you, please.”

The way the words unfurl from your mouth has Junmyeon complying in no time at all. He quickly shuts up, letting your hands creep up his thighs slowly. It doesn’t take long for your fingers to wander, slipping beneath the fabric of his hoodie to grasp the waistband of his pants. You let them pause, heating with the warmth of his skin.

He smiles lazily at you, “You’re so pretty.” he whispers just audibly enough.

His compliment makes you smile, teasing him by laying your cheek against his thigh. You mouth rests just beside the place you want, letting him twitch to life from the anticipation alone.

You sigh, letting your chin turn upward gently to rest over the area, looking directly at Junmyeon. A grin tugs at your lips, feeling the proof of his growing arousal. His eyes are on your lips, his own pouted open.

At an agonizingly slow pace, you pull at his pants. He helps you guide them down, lifting his buttocks from the relaxing hold of your couch. You want Junmyeon to enjoy this. Enjoy it messily and without delay, throwing caution and propriety out of reach. You want him aching and swollen and ready to burst. You want to see him forget about his stress and fall up into cloud nine.

With these thoughts in mind you drag the athletic pants until they are around his ankles along with his boxers. You attention remains focused on him, almost all the way hard against his thigh just where your face was.

Gently, you let your fingers smooth back up and over his knees, your mouth quick to follow the path until you force his knees apart as best you can. So far, he seems to have no complaints about your control over him.

His breath hitches at the first touch of your warm fingers against his cock, loosely gripping around the base. It doesn’t take long for him to gain full rigidity in your soft grasp. Subconsciously, your lips pout, realizing this may not last as long as you hoped.

He laughs quietly, squirming in your grip.

“What?” you ask with a silly smile, eyes wide.

He smiles, lifting one hand to poke at your lip, “It shouldn’t be cute but you pouting at me in this kind of situation turns me on.”

You huff indignantly, instead angling yourself toward him and kissing the tip to shut him up. It’s super effective, and Junmyeon can only suck his lip between his teeth and stare as you set to work.

You’re determined to give him the best orgasm of his life, slowly sinking your wet mouth over him, letting your lips envelop him fully and lowering until he hits the back of your throat.

He moans softly, and you can hear the sound of his head falling back against the plush cushion. You want to smirk or look up and see his face, but you remain focused on your mission.

Slowly, you repeat the motion several times, listening intently to the increasing respiration of your lover. You let your nails softly scratch over his hip or abs while the other remains holding the base of him, occasionally pumping to match the rhythm of your mouth.

Too quickly for your liking, Junmyeon seems close. His abs are twitching beneath your palm, stuffed under his hoodie, and the muscles in his thighs are quivering slightly. His mouth spills beautiful sounds of pleasure as you take him deeper. Relaxing your throat, his length slides past with mild effort until your nose is pressed into his skin and he keens.

Swallowing once, he whimpers out a weak 'fuck’ with a ragged breath. You can feel his abs clench as he tries not to sit up and curl himself over your body to bring you closer.

His hands have behaved all this time until he collects a bundle of your hair and makes a soft fist, trying to control your pace.

Instantly, you’re rising off of him, forcing his hand from your head. You wipe your mouth with the back of your hand, giving him a stern look of pure mischief.

“No.” you say, “Keep your hands to yourself until I say so.” You like the authoritative sound of your voice, and love the look he serves you at your instructions. His eyes suddenly seem to sparkle.

He doesn’t say anything about it, apparently accepting your words as law. Rather, he licks his red bitten lips and lets his eyes flick down to the shining head of his cock, glistening with your saliva as if to ask what you’re waiting for.

As punishment, you purse your lips and blow cool air onto him gently. His answering hiss makes him get the picture and settle back against the couch. Immediately, you’re back on him.

The whine that pitches up his throat has your core clenching around emptiness, but you ignore it in favor of bringing him bliss. Hollowing your cheeks, you continue your onslaught, sucking and swallowing around him until he’s a shaking mess in your hold.

Before he can reach his high, you back off, gripping the base of him tightly. Junmyeon cries softly, “Wha… what don’t stop, please.” His head flops back to the couch cushion again and he puffs out his cheeks to catch his breath.

You shush him, letting the nails of your free hand drag a little harder against his hip and thigh to distract him as you kiss the head of his cock, angry and red.

He’s panting, stuffing a hand into his hair to sweep it back off of his forehead. He lifts his head, blinking rapidly down at you with furrowed brows, you can feel his hips flexing against your arm as he tries to create friction and control himself all at once.

“Please, sweetheart, I can’t.” he breathes.

You smile at him, reassuring, “Yes you can, just relax and calm down.”

Junmyeon tries his best for you, letting his body sag back into the cushion and breathing deeply with his eyes closed. His fingers jerk and flutter at his sides.

Once you think it’s safe, you resume slowly. Relaxing the tight grip you have of him, you let your mouth descend upon him again. You kiss, lick and tease him with gentle stimulation. The sounds you’re creating together are obscene, and it paints an instantaneous flush over your skin. You’re so warm and you can feel your own arousal pooling.

Junmyeon is having a hard time controlling his body from the small spasms of pleasure beginning to curl his toes. The most sinful groan drops from his lips as he feels you lips wrap around his wet, aching cock once more. Your pace is much slower but you don’t think he’s complaining.

The sound of your lips gliding over his slicked skin are tearing you apart and setting your body on fire. You can feel his thighs quaking and his hips softly lifting as he comes close to the edge again.

He dips his head back, “I need to come.” he warns, voice quiet and strained through the tension in his jaw.

So you ease yourself back off of him, kissing at his thighs while you wrap your hand tightly around the base of him once again. Fascinated with the strong feeling of his pulse from his cock, you go to war with yourself on what is better to stare at. His perfect manhood, angrily flushed and swollen, leaking and soaked from your mouth. Or his face, spun up in a tragic pout as his mouth hangs, seemingly unhinged from his jaw. His abs flutter when you pass your palm over them. He groans sourly but it still sounds so delicious.

“You’re so pretty.” you murmur back to him, mirroring his earlier sentiment to you with a saccharine smile. He tries and fails miserably to smirk at you, whimpering when you give him one tiny, shallow stroke up from the base.

“Too m-much.” he blurts out, hardly able to keep himself all the way seated against the couch holding his twitching form.

You feel powerful having reduced such a man to a mess of quivering whimpers, a mess of pleasure just for you. It makes you feel good, and it feels even sweeter to know Junmyeon will get the relief he so desperately needs. It feels like lightning courses through your being, vibrating with excitement as you smile, lowering your mouth over him again.

He cries out this time, an exclamation of pleasure and he cannot contain his jittery limbs anymore as his hand finds its way into your hair. He doesn’t try to control your head though- choosing instead to gently push the hair that has fallen into your eyes from your loose hairstyle as it dries. You allow it, cherishing it even more as you lift your eyes up to see he’s slouched over, head tilted against his own shoulder to watch you almost choke on his cock over and over again.

“P-please… oh,my god, please, I want to c-come.” he comments with lips apparently too loose to form words as sharply as he normally does.

Your fingers spread over his thighs, feeling them shaking as he pushes himself further back into your couch, reflexively raising his hips to bury himself impossibly deeper in your mouth.

You decide it’s enough, hollowing your cheeks and hastening your rhythm by just enough, sucking at his length lewdly until he’s moaning with every breath he takes. His body is hard and tense beneath you.

Flicking your eyes up to his, he whimpers, “Oh, god, yes… yes, fuck.”. You nearly choke as you try to take him back farther, your throat constricting around the bit of him that reaches. His eyes screw shut tightly and he mimics a face of pain until he releases the loudest groan you’ve ever heard from him, along with his impending release.

Even though the taste isn’t something you always enjoy, the act of giving a blowjob and seeing your lover fall apart in such an explicit way is something you don’t ever think you’ll dislike.

Junmyeon is a beautiful human being and a beautiful soul and you feel your own pleasure soaking your underwear as his orgasm rocks through him so completely. His body jerks, a tear spills from the corner of one eye, his lips are red and puffy and shiny as they split and release sounds that make you shiver with desire.

You feel triumphant when you rise, having brought him to such heights as he twitches with every inch you rise off of him until he slumps back and takes a single deep breath. A lopsided, easy grin is plastered onto his face, the apples of his cheeks dusted a warm rose. He’s looking at you through half-open eyes.

Your knee pops loudly in the following silence when you stand.You brush away his bangs from his forehead, dampened by a bit of sweat.

“Thank you.” he whispers reverently, taking your hand from his face to hold it to his chest.

His softness breaks a wide smile over your face. You feel so light and elated at having successfully released some of his tension. The urge to take care of him is strong, making it easier to ignore the desire to have him between your legs.

You rise from your place, “You’re welcome.” you whisper in reply. It feels like it would be too loud to talk at normal volumes in this space.

He reclines, moving a hand into his hair as he releases your hand, smiling to himself sweetly as he watches you move. With his eyes fixed on your form, he looks your way until you disappear into the bathroom. He can hear the water running and the sound of scrubbing. You must be brushing your teeth.

When you emerge from the hall with a damp cloth, you sit beside him again, letting the warmth run over first his thighs and then his softened manhood. Junmyeon twitches and sucks in a sharp breath but doesn’t move or say anything otherwise until you’re finished.

With warm and gentle hands he pulls the cloth from your fingers and toes off the pile of clothing tangled around his feet. The rag joins his pants on the floor, followed by his hoodie as he rips it over his head.

No words are said as he slowly clasps one of your wrists and guides you to sit, fully clothed, over his lap. His palms are warm where they settle against one hip and the opposite side of your ribs.

You make a sound of surprise as the flavor of his lips meets yours, unexpected yet delightfully fruity. Junmyeon grins, holding you so delicately in his arms. His kisses are slow and grow in depth as he sweeps his tongue along the seam of your lips.

Complying, your arms settle around his shoulders, fingers playing with the hair that sweeps across the nape of his neck, cupping his jaw softly, anywhere you can reach to caress your adoration for him against his skin.

He groans softly at the heat of your body pressed against him, and his fingers skim below the edges of your camisole, lifting slowly in a silent plea.

“It’s okay, we don’t have to.” you whisper against his lips, turning your head to press your cheek against his.

You feel more than see Junmyeon smile against your face, “I want to. I just need a minute to recover.” He laughs quietly.

Your heart leaps as you realize you can hear his smile in his voice. Lifting your head, you grin back at him with a nod. He wastes no time in slowly peeling your top off and flinging it to the floor with the rest of the clothing.

Junmyeon kisses you again, hungrily this time, as if the growing exposure of your soft skin is more than he can bear to control himself over. He cups the back of your neck, pulling you to lean into him smoothly until his mouth can reach your shoulder easily.

He kisses, some chaste, mostly open mouthed and warm, from the side of your neck, down your shoulder, pulling the strap of your bra down your arm until his trailing mouth reaches the joint. His hand slides up your side, over your ribs until he’s cupping the swell of your breast over the clothing.

In one smooth motion he pulls the cup down until he can easily grasp the fullness of it without clothing, and he moans softly as his mouth freely descends over your nipple.

You gasp and whine against him, pushing your chest further into his delicious mouth. His tongue, skilled and wet, rolls over the bud until it’s peaked. He releases momentarily to plant a kiss directly over it, making you shiver against him.

Impatient, you break out of his loose grasp, sitting up to reach behind you and fling the offending garment from your body. You smile against one another’s mouths, claiming each others breaths until his hands slide up the back of your thighs.

His fingertips skim beneath your shorts, and the touch of them against the swell of your ass under the fabric shifts something in the both of you. A sudden urgency to be connected as you pull back to look at his face and watch him looking at you with the same desire and fascination.

It registers in your mind that he’s half hard beneath you, stiffening with his need to be buried in your warmth. Junmyeon’s breathing comes shallow now as his blood begins to race faster for you. His fingers ghost over your hips hurriedly, fumbling for the button of your shorts.

The moment he pops it you climb off of his lap to shove them to the floor along with your panties. As you do this, he adjusts, moving to recline his shoulders against the arm of your couch in a split second. His hands and mouth can’t find your skin fast enough when you try not to hurt him in your attempt to climb back into his lap.

The angle of his body forces you forward until your breasts are pressed firmly against his strong chest. He plants a messy kiss to the side of your neck as his hands find your hips as he takes himself in his hand, guiding himself back and forth through your wetness.

The repeated motion pulls a whimper from you and a groan from him, sucking in a breath as you plant your palm against his chest and sit back. You can’t wait any longer, having been so desperate for him for what feels like hours.

The relief of his cock filling you with no trouble is so intense it spills a tear from your eye. Below you, Junmyeon moans, digging his heels into the couch harder to let you fall back into his chest.

Neither of you move for a moment, just breathing and enjoying the pressure of your bodies pressed together completely.

Junmyeon is staring at you, his eyes wide and bright as he looks between each of your own with a fondness you simply bask in. You’ve learned when he looks at you like this, he sees you as a flower that only blooms for him, with him, because of him.

He slides himself out, almost completely, before just as slowly raising his hips to bury himself back inside of you. His gaze remains on your face, mirroring your pleasure on his.

You compliment his rhythm with your body, meeting him softly thrust for thrust. Small sounds of pleasure slip between you but the intimate moment is mostly filled with the sounds of your mingled panting. It won’t take you long to reach your high, you can feel how tightly wound you already are.

Junmyeon’s cheeks are flushed, his forehead damp with a sheen of sweat again as he closes his eyes and kisses you. One of his hands curls over the back of your neck to keep your lips against his.

He gives a particularly deep thrust, using the other hand clutching your hip to push you harder onto his lap with a groan. Driving on like this, you’re close.

You lift your head to breathe, settling your forehead against his own and closing your eyes. Every thrust pushes a soft gasp past your lips as he works your bodies in unison.

“Can you come like this?” he asks on a whisper against your cheek, checking. He can feel that you’re close, but isn’t sure if it’s enough to push you over the edge.

You nod, feeling the edges of your orgasm beginning to creep in. The air is humid in the space around you, all of the skin between you sticky with heat. Junmyeon tilts you further into him, sinking lower onto the couch so he can angle his hips better.

Just enough so he hits a place he’s never hit before. A spot that spins you rapidly toward your release as he hits it a second time and you cry out his name.

“Oh, fuck.” you whine in his ear, one of your hands tangling your fingers in the back of his hair. He hisses, brow furrowing in concentration with your tightening heat.

He thrusts sharply, pace becoming fast and hard into your heat, making a mess of his lap where you drip around him. So long you’ve waited for him. The explicit sound of your activity, the heat of his skin, the smell of his cologne and sweat. The taste of him on your lips, the closeness of his body, all things that propel you to cloud nine suddenly as if having launched to the sky on a rocket.

Junmyeon can feel you before you make a sound, squeezing him so tightly, your thighs shaking, your breath holding in small pants that you release with a gasp each time. Your body freezes on top of his until you cry loudly against his hair.

It’s beautiful, he thinks. You’re beautiful, surrounding him and surrendering to him like this. Shaking in his arms as he drives his cock deep into your perfect heat, your fingernails digging into his shoulder and tightening in his hair.

It’s the sound of his name falling like a prayer, a blessing and curse, gasped from your lips all at once that rips his orgasm from him suddenly. He groans, freeing a breathe he didn’t realize he’d been holding until he’s panting right along with you, riding his high.

In the back of his mind he takes note of how tired his body feels, how deeply his thighs ache from exertion. You laugh above him, your bodies stuck like glue as you bend to kiss him, carefree.

“You okay?” he asks you on impulse.

Nodding, you dip your head to kiss him again, “Never better.”

You bask with him in the moment, the post-sex glow that has you both smiling at one another, not minding the sweaty mess you’ve become there on your couch.

The moment he softens and slips from your core, you grimace. The slick mess you’ve made begins to ooze down the inside of your thigh onto his, and you look at him with a frown.

“Shower?” he offers, still grinning.

__________________________________________

You sleep the best you have in ages. The birds don’t wake you as easily today. Instead, all of your own, your body wakes you with an uncomfortably full bladder.

The soft snores beside you gain your attention. Junmyeon, your boyfriend, is sound asleep. His face is relaxed and peaceful. The sun envelops your room from the window, like always, shining across the floor and spilling its warmth onto your bed.

His dark hair is pushed partially off of his forehead and up onto the pillow. From where his cheek rests against the soft white of your linens, his face squishes adorably, and you stifle a giggle so you don’t wake him yet.

You’re reminded of your wish, to see him in your bed, uninterrupted. To steal those first glances of him, his skin and hair glowing with morning sunlight while he still sleeps. You feel wonderful in that moment, eyes mapping his face and memorizing everything about this moment, down to the heat of his body beside yours in your bed. The comfort of him being here. The sense of peace.

A rhythmic vibration comes from your dresser. You realize, sneaking out of bed, it’s his phone, plugged in and charging from the outlet beside the furniture. Glancing at him, he doesn’t move.

Approaching the device, you stand in the sunlight heating your carpet. You flex and wiggle your toes over the softness, reveling in the warmth as you peek at his phone. A selfie of himself with Sehun is illuminating the screen, a phone icon tilting from left to right in the center with Sehun’s contact information below it.

For a moment you debate answering it until it’s too late and it stops. It’s only when it repeats and Sehun calls him a second time do you decide to unplug it and carry it quickly to to the living room to answer it.

“Hello?” you say gently into the receiver.

“Y/N?” Sehun breathes, sounding relieved.

You look back at your open bedroom door, leaning back to further look inside at Junmyeon, who hasn’t moved an inch.

“Yeah, is everything okay?” you ask, walking to the kitchen. You glance at your medication on the counter. You should take it- but you need to relieve your bladder before you drink anything.

Turning back to the living room, Sehun answers you in a rush, “I’m assuming since you answered, he’s with you?”

“Yeah, what’s wrong?” you ask, leaning against the wall and looking out of a window, down at the street in front of your apartment.

Sehun sighs, “He just up and left and didn’t tell anyone where he was going and oh, I don’t know, hasn’t answered any of our texts or calls.”

You feel guilty suddenly, “Sehun I’m so sorry.”

“Even Soohyun didn’t know if he was with you. He said he tried to call you but you didn’t answer either. He told me if you didn’t answer this morning he was going to go to your place.”

Quickly and quietly, you fly back to your bedroom, leaning down to check your phone.

Sure enough, you’ve got seven missed calls from Soohyun and one from an unknown number. Twelve text messages accompany the notification bar. Majority are from Soohyun, but you read two of them are from the unknown number, telling you it’s Sehun and asking if Junmyeon is with you. Checking why you missed all of their attempts to reach you, you see your phone is on silent, somehow.

You breathe in deeply, “I’m sorry, my phone was on silent by accident.”

The idol is silent for a minute, “Just tell me he’s okay.” he demands softly after a moment.

Junmyeon, having heard noise, stirs in the sheets. His body curls in on itself slowly, his dark hair disappearing beneath the white covers before he stretches back out, his bare arms reaching over his head with a groan.

“Yeah, I think he’s okay now.” you say quietly.

Junmyeon rolls over, facing you and squinting one eye open. He smiles at you but frowns shortly after, seeing his phone pressed to your ear.

He sits up, quickly rubbing his eyes and holding out a hand.

“Hang on, he just woke up.” you comment, passing the phone over to him before climbing back on the bed.

His arm curls around your waist as you curl up next to him. He kisses your hair and you can hear Sehun from the other line yelling at him.

“Yes, yes, okay, I got it. My bad.” he groans, still half asleep.

You’ve come to learn Sehun doesn’t just get mad- he gets concerned. Angrily upset, when it comes to Junmyeon, his best friend, his brother, his leader. You can hear the fear in his voice, answered by Junmyeon’s soft assurance that he’s okay and he is sorry for making him worry.

“I just needed some space away.” your lover comments with a sigh, rubbing the warmth of his palm up and down your arm.

While you listen, you shoot Soohyun a text that everything is fine and he doesn’t need to come over and you’re sorry your phone was on silent. The anxiety of the situation fizzles out and you relax just to notice you still need to pee.

With a pout from him, you extract yourself to use the bathroom while he finishes his conversation, slumped over and groggy, rubbing his face.

He’s still on the phone when you emerge, so you head for the coffee pot. Your hands work on autopilot to fill the decanter with water, pour it in, spoon in the grounds, get out cups and click the ‘start’ button.

Lost in thought, you pick up the imposing bottle of your medication where it rests beside the coffee pot. You reread the label over a few times, just as always, before unscrewing the safety cap and shaking one out into your palm. You make a mental note to order a refill soon, squinting one eye to look into the bottle and count how many are left.

Rough hands sliding around your waist startle you, dropping the bottle onto the counter and spilling some onto its surface.

#suho x reader #suho smut #junmyeon x reader #junmyeon smut #exo smut #suho angst #suho fluff #junmyeon angst #junmyeon fluff #exo fanfic #suho fanfic #junmyeon fanfic #exo fanfiction #allotrope #kpop fanfiction #kpop fanfic #kpop writers

192 notes · View notes

brokasteltranslations · 5 years ago

Text

Fate/Requiem: Chapter 4

Several days had passed since I had been relieved of my duties as the Reaper. No more work had come in from my master, Caren Fujimura, since the Kundry case, and I no longer received information on a preferential basis over the municipal network. I had been barred from the critical point where the Akihabara district barrier was located, and my access to Kanda Shrine and Yushima Temple, where multiple ley lines converged, had also been restricted. Stripped of my rank and duties, I was nothing more than another truant – and one dragging a nameless, powerless, useless Servant in tow to boot. A lone wolf not even worth employing as a guard dog.

Fortunately, Akihabara was a prime tourist destination, and as long as I wore my usual swimwear and windbreaker I would more or less blend in with the usual clientele. However, that did nothing to help me feel less out-of-place. Whatever I did, I just felt like running away and hiding in a hole.

I had received no more information on the Command Seal Hunter. It was worrying that the case had not yet been publicly acknowledged. My gut told me that it had not been quietly solved and faded away. It was merely biding its time.

Whispers of the “Woman with the Missing Hand” circulated Shibuya. It had become something of an urban legend among students.

Don't you know better than to cut that out? Keep repeating it and it'll become real, and then who'll have to deal with it? It'll be... actually, I suppose it won't be me. Not any more.

----

As a consequence of my newly-imposed freedom, I had taken to wandering the town aimlessly with Pran on a daily basis. Wherever we went, we found faint traces of Chitose's presence. It crossed my mind more than once to quit Akihabara for one of the other wards.

–

There were many things that seemed to draw Pran's interest, but over time I started to notice a broad pattern. It was live experiences that he seemed to enjoy - street performers, buskers, speed painters and the like were what most often caught his eye.

Thinking back to the episode with Kuchime, I tried taking him along to a shop geared towards those 'otaku'. It was crammed to the rafters with endless figurines of buxom girls, male-oriented toys and all manner of merchandise, to the point where I was almost sick of looking at it. However, none of it particularly seemed to resonate with him.

Maybe it's because they're all manufactured goods. Perhaps it's originality that appeals to him?

He stood by, a little sleepily, gazing into the distance as though squinting into the sun, watching faraway strangers. Only when we passed a shop selling astronomical telescopes did he exhibit a different reaction. He squatted down in front of a poster of the planets – clearly not hand-made – and stayed there for well over a minute.

“Do you know Jupiter?”

“This eye... it follows me.”

“Eye? Oh, you mean the Great Red Spot?”

“This planet's so big. It's so big...”

He shivered, then pulled the goggles resting over his head down over his eyes, and peered at the poster once more.

“A planet, huh? I'm surprised you know that word.” Had he picked it up from when I read The Little Prince to him? He had initially talked about coming from somewhere far away – perhaps he wasn't just making it up? Or maybe... no, was that even possible?

I chose my words carefully. “That's a very old photograph. From before the war. The Great Red Spot on Jupiter isn't there any more. It got smaller and smaller, and then it disappeared.”

He smiled gently at the poster.

“Maybe it went to sleep. I hope someone comes to wake it up.”

–

Before I knew it, the day of the Grail Tournament had arrived. I hadn't exactly been waiting with bated breath, but still I found myself in front of the Colosseum.

The colossal stadium was located on the outskirts of Akihabara, bordering the ocean. Its enormous silhouette threatened to overwhelm the surrounding cityscape. Towering arches, each easily the size of a skyscraper, rose high in three, four levels to form the thick exterior of the cylindrical structure and enclose the arena within.

This was a place of pure competition. The poets once spoke of the ancient Roman emperors giving their people bread and circuses; here was the circus reborn for the modern age, the manifestation of the people's right to entertainment.

–

I had ended up accompanied to the Colosseum by Pran and Karin. Koharu had, to my great chagrin, seen fit to furnish me with not one, not two, but a whole four reserved tickets – two Master-Servant pairs. Technically Servants had no need for tickets – after all, they could just assume their spiritual forms – but no-one willing to come to see the Grail Tournament in person could reasonably be refused a seat, and they were provided in pairs as a matter of course. That being said...

“How long's it been?”

It had been twenty minutes since the stadium had opened, and we were still waiting.

Enormous lines snaked from each and every one of the Colosseum's myriad entrances. At this rate, the tournament would probably have started before we got to our seats. Personally I hardly minded, but it must have bothered Karin, because she suddenly yelled out at the top of her voice.

“All right, fine! Flake out on me, see if I care! We're going in, you hear?”

“You really want to go in? You sure you don't want to wait a bit longer?” I did my best to keep my voice neutral.

“Damn right I'm sure! Never should've invited you anyway, you lousy no-show son of a...”

None of her messages had prompted a response, it seemed.

–

The individual keeping us waiting was the weary-looking guitar player, Kuchime.

Unsure what exactly to do with my four tickets, I had decided to start by offering them to people I knew. Karin herself had snatched the chance with typical zeal, but her partner Kouyou had been reluctant to join us, leaving me with one left over. However, a few days later the two of us had happened to stumble across Kuchime in a side-street in Akihabara, strumming away with his usual gloomy air and being flatly ignored by every passer-by. Karin had called out, probably taking pity on him.

“Hey, Kuchime, was it? Ever thought of checking out the Grail Tournament? Maybe the halftime show'll give you some tips on how not to make your customers run a mile.”

“Ain't got no need for that, little missy. I'm happy as long as I'm getting' through to people with ears to hear.”

“Think you're some kinda auteur, huh? Keep dreaming, idiot. Why don't you just go the whole way and die young while you're at it!”

I had watched blankly as she exploded at him unprovoked. Her tirade had ended with her snatching the ticket from my hands and thrusting it squarely into his unshaven face. Had she done it in a spontaneous surge of pity for this dishevelled musician, or had she been planning it all along? I may have been the Reaper, but even I wasn't so insensitive as to probe any further.

However, in the end, the chance she had taken came to nothing. She stalked towards the arena, fuming. I followed her, leading Pran by the hand.

–

Eventually, we arrived at our designated seats. The interior of the Colosseum was spacious, tall, and delightfully modern.

I now understood why the queues today had been particularly bad: the staff were conducting unusually extensive baggage checks and body searches on all attendees. I had even seen staff members flagging down particular individuals for Command Seal checks, and it was hard not to notice the guns at the hips of a number of security personnel dotted around the stadium.

I'm glad they didn't try to check my Command Seals. Maybe the reservations got us through...

In any case, it was gratifying to see that my warning to Hannibal hadn't gone unheeded. Although there was always the possibility that the organisers had gotten wind of the serial killings themselves, and acted of their own accord.

“Yo! Sorry we took so long.” Karin reappeared with Pran in tow. Both of their arms were piles high with soft drinks, packets of peanuts and other junk food. She tossed me a freshly-grilled hot dog.

“So this is the bread part, huh? Shouldn't be long until the circu- Yeowch! Aah! My tongue!”

“Circus? You mean the halftime show, right? Oh yeah, there was a stall selling some kinda porridge too if you want some. I tapped out though, seemed pretty weird.”

“Porridge, huh? How odd... Hey, who gave you those?!”

I suddenly registered Pran was decked from head to toe in tournament merchandise, complete with a little paper cap and a megaphone. He was ready for the show.

I couldn't stop myself from bursting out laughing, and soon both me and Karin were clutching our sides. She was so engrossed in the tournament now that it was hard to imagine she had been furious not twenty minutes ago. I could probably learn a lot from how quickly she rebounded.

Next to our seats on the very front row was a space to be kept open in case of emergencies. Fortunately, it was just large enough for Kouyou to squeeze in. Accommodating larger Servants was probably half of the reason it was there.

–

After a minute or so, the music playing throughout the stadium increased in volume and a rousing melody began to play. It seemed we'd timed our arrival perfectly.

The music faded away, and for a moment, the entire arena fell silent. Then, as if on cue, a voice rang out across the stadium. Below us, eldritch lights began to dance across the very front row where the patricii would have sat in the original Colosseum. A diminutive figure strode down to the aisle, and unfurled a pair of feathered wings. At the same time, the main screen cut to a close-up of a girl - a woman? - dressed in a plain white Grecian tunic.

“Good evening, my lovely little piglets!” Her greeting echoed around the Colosseum at amplified volume. “Welcome, one and all, to the ocean stage of the Grail Tournament! That's right! We're all setting sail for Okeanos, and I, the great witch Circe, will be your guide!”

She stoked the crowd's excitement, and they answered with a deafening roar… although I did pick up some rather crude jeers mixed in with the cheering.

“Thank you, thank you, my little piglets! I love you too! Now, before we meet all our brave warriors, I'd like to introduce our commentary team!”

Two burly men strode down the aisle to join her, waving to the audience.

“First, for the Ottoman Corsairs, we have a scallywag among scallywags! The Gentleman of the Caribbean! The one and only Blackbeard, Edward Teach!”

“That's me!” Blackbeard was greeted by deafening boos. He did not seem to care a jot.

“Sounds like you know him well! Let's move swiftly on!”

“Wait, that's all I get?!”

“Next, for the Carthaginian Alliance, we have the king of admirals! The man who saved the Roman Empire from the Ptolemaic Dynasty! Friend and advisor to Emperor Augustus, I give you Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa!”

Agrippa! The commander who led the Romans to victory at the Battle of Actium!

I expected him to bask in the applause of the crowd, but instead he rounded on the emcee.

“What is this? I never agreed to this! First you invite me to attend nigh on midnight last night, and now you expect me to commentate?! Explain yourself!”

“About that... Honestly, we wanted Eukleides of Alexandria, but he cancelled at the last moment. What are Foreigners like, right?”

“Some nerve on you, girl! You expect a general of Rome to commentate on the Carthaginians? And you! Yes, you, the Servant with the easel! You think capturing my face is funny, do you?!”

The sight of the irate Agrippa slowly being talked down by the witch emcee, and eventually taking a reluctant seat at the commentator's desk, drew no small amount of laughter from the audience.

“All right, everyone, make sure you have your channels all set to your favourite team! If you're feeling peckish, why not try some delicious kykeon?”

–

“Well, that sure was something.”

Karin was grinning next to me. I, for my part, was aghast. This was grotesque, a vulgar display that made a mockery of Servants' pride and nobility. It was difficult to tell how much was real and how much was acted, but the tastelessness of the ambiguity only made me feel more disgusted. The tournament itself hadn't even begun yet, and I had a feeling it was only going to get worse.

I guess the least I can do is watch it through. I probably won't be getting another chance.

My reasons for being here were twofold. Firstly, I wanted to see what I could learn about Koharu's mysterious Possession ability. I had also been deeply impressed by the way that, despite being aware of her naivety, she disapproved wholeheartedly of any wrongdoing, and the evident admiration with which she viewed her companions.

My second reason was that I wanted to see for myself the incredible power that Servants were permitted to wield here. I felt both awe and terror for Noble Phantasms. It was baffling to me that abilities so destructive might be allowed to be used freely.

The citizens of Mosaic City were different to Masters in the true sense. They were no magi, with magic circuits passed down from previous generations or developed through special training, and it went without saying that none of them possessed a Magic Crest. The mana that powered their magecraft originated from the Holy Grail, and was distributed throughout the city via ley-lines. This mana was more than enough to sustain a Servant in everyday life with no discomfort. However Noble Phantasms, which employed magecraft on a much larger scale and consumed vast amounts of mana, were another matter entirely. Activating them was highly challenging, and they could kill a Master unless attempted with extreme care.

Broadly speaking, the most common foes I encountered in my work were Masters who fought with little regard for their own lives, because they had found something they valued more.

Had the combatants in this Colosseum all reined their latent magical abilities to extraordinary levels? Or had the footage I had seen simply been enhanced in some way after the fact? I had come to determine the truth.

“Oh, there you are, Kouyou.”

In the formerly empty space in the midst of the cheering crowd, the enormous bulk of the Ogress had appeared. She sat with her belly pressed to the ground, trying to make herself as small as possible. Occasionally her eyes glanced sideways to meet with Pran's.

–

Feeling a little relieved, I turned back to the arena. The battlefield was enormous: a huge rectangular arena, two hundred metres on the larger side. Above each of the spectator seats floated semi-transparent screens that provided a closer view of the action.

Finally, the battlefield began to change. Cracks ran across the centre, and the stage began to fold in on itself with mechanical precision, forming a deep, wide basin. Water swirled in to fill it, and rocks rose from beneath its surface to form a maze of crags in the open water. Two galleys burst from the canals at either side of the stage, defying the current. They hung in the air for a second, like salmon poised mid-leap above a waterfall, and then crashed down into the water below with a mighty splash. A host of smaller boats and schooners followed them out, and quickly organised themselves into two fleets.

There was no magic in this, only the most cutting-edge stage equipment... although perhaps it was best not to think about the enormous, ominous shadow circling beneath the water's surface.

–

“Now, my little piglets, I think we've kept you waiting long enough! Let's get this naumachia started! We know you're tired of the same-old same-old, so this year we thought we'd change things up a little with a large-scale team-on-team battle! Which of our brave teams in Akihabara today will be crowned the conquerors of the high seas?

“First, we have the Ottoman Corsairs! For these terrors of the Mediterranean Sea, this man once more takes up the rank of Pasha! Ladies and gentlemen, I give you the great pirate of Barbary, the Redbeard, Heyreddin Barbarossa!

“And that's not all! Next we have his second-in-command! There's not a man west of Austria who doesn't know his name: the Grand Master of the Knights Templar, Jacques de Molay!”

The witch introduced each of the competitors one by one, stoking the crowd's excitement. Illustrious admirals and infamous pirates lined up upon the deck.

“And now, last but not least, someone you know very well! The mightiest commander of the navies of the far east - can you say “Hassou-tobi”? Our favourite natural-born Heike-killer, Minamoto Kurou Yoshitsune!

“Could this samurai be the most dangerous competitor on the field today? I'm sure the other side won't be showing much quarter, so look forward to some spectacular acrobatics!”

–

The pretty young warrior looked a little uncomfortable in responding to chants of “Ushiwaka!”, but eventually gave in and began to wave to the crowd. The sight broke me from my trance, and a young girl standing nearby caught my attention; she hadn't been introduced.

Could that be Yoshitsune's Master?

She was dressed in elegant traditional Japanese robes and heavy facial makeup, matching Yoshitsune, but she herself appeared to be nothing more than an ordinary citizen. Behind or beside the other Servants stood similar unassuming figures. More than a couple of them were wearing masks that obscured their faces.

Eventually, the oriental arrangement of Mozart's Turkish March playing throughout the Colosseum drew to a close, and was replaced with an unsettling, savage, African-style drumbeat. The Grail Tournament was as tasteless as ever.

–

“Now swivel your heads the other way, my adorable piglets! Little corkscrew tails to the east, and snouts to the west! Please give it up for the mighty heroes of the Carthaginian Alliance!

“Cast your eyes upon Rome's worst nightmare! At his back, the souls of three war elephants with whom he crossed the Pyrenees and the Alps! Ladies and gentlemen, the Lightning Commander, Hannibal Barca!”

The sight of Hannibal, cross-armed on the deck in traditional battle garments, was so wildly different from the garrulous old tourist I had met in Cafe Borges that I could hardly believe it was the same man. The mighty cheer from the crowd put not so much as a crack in his stern expression, and he harboured a menacing aura.

“And not to be outdone, his second-in-command: The Firebrand of Castile, El Cid!”

The witch continued with her introductions, each one punctuated with thunderous applause. I tuned them out. My attention was absorbed by a small figure on the deck, with a white coat draped across her shoulders. I followed her with my augmented vision as she stared keenly into the enemy ranks.

He stood a short distance behind her, head askew, hands on his hips. He seemed devoid of tension, as though this were nothing more than a routine warmup.

“And taking up the rearguard is someone I'm sure you all remember! None other than the warrior who took the Newbie Tournament by storm! Our proud Knight of the Round Table, Sir Galahad!”

–

With the introductions concluded, the galleys began to slip forwards, and each team assembled into their respective formations. Karin rapped on my knee with her megaphone, unable to conceal her excitement.

“I told you it was gonna be awesome! Dunno much about the pirates, but even I know Yoshitsune!”

“You expecting me to be impressed or something? You could hardly call yourself Japanese if you didn’t.”

I could not imagine it would be easy for this collection of pirates, outlaws to the bone that they were, to assimilate cleanly into everyday life in Mosaic City - although, of course, there were exceptions. Perhaps it was for the best that there was a place for them here, where they could put their talents to use while also entertaining the populace. However...

“I know it's just a mock battle, but don't you think this seems really one-sided? The Ottomans are obviously better at sea. Hannibal's famous for his war elephants, but he can't even use them on the water.”

“Haven't been reading up, eh Eri? Here's a flyer for you. See? Says right here the field will change halfway through, and turn into a land battle. There's your Carthaginian advantage.”

“Ah. I get it.” This was never supposed to be a fair battle, but a dramatic turnaround against overwhelming odds. The perfect script to drive the audience wild. I myself had to confess, I was looking forward to seeing Yoshitsune and Galahad face off – so much so that a part of me wished this were a real Holy Grail War.

“Yeah. Now I see.” I gazed around at the nearby spectators with dawning realisation. I felt as though I'd grown a little closer to understanding how these competitors could wield such extraordinary power, and the system that supported them in doing so.

----

“Eh?”

The back of my neck prickled. Someone, somewhere, was watching me.

I slid my gaze slowly around myself, careful not to let my reaction be noticed, but my stalker was impossible to discern through the interference of the crowd around me.

I'm being watched. No doubt about it. There's something else, too. A familiar, maybe?

The Borgia siblings' warning came to mind. Someone I'd previously crossed, out for revenge. As I looked around warily, hoping to forestall some impending attack, I noticed something strange: dotted throughout the crowd were spectators standing motionless, seemingly blind to the excitement around them.

Victims of the Command Seal Hunter? No, that doesn't seem right...

I focused, filtering out the auditory noise, following the sense of wrongness back to its source... and happened to catch a snippet of conversation from the row in front.

“You serious? A fire in Shinjuku?”

“Where? Tsunohazu? Kashiwagi?”

“Seems like it's around Hanazono way.”

Hanazono?

My old house was in Hanazono. Which was to say, Chitose's house was in Hanazono. I leaned forward a little, and stared at the woman in front's phone from over her shoulder.

“Eri, the hell are you doing?”

On the screen was a video someone had uploaded to the municipal network.

“What on earth...?”

A video of a building on fire. In real time.

A row of old wooden houses in Shinjuku wreathed in smoke. A human figure appeared from the billowing grey curtain, aflame from head to toe. However, they did not run or drop to the ground, but continued calmly into the next building, and even as their blood boiled and their skin charred with the flames' caress, began to feed the flames.

The video cut short - interrupted by a new upload of a public train brought to a standstill, flames licking at its roof.

As I watched, a buzz of concern began to spread throughout the crowd. It was hardly surprising; there were probably no small number of spectators here from Shinjuku. I turned around to see that Karin, too, was transfixed by her phone.

“What's wrong?”

“They say there's been some kinda 'pedestrian accident' in front of Shibuya station. A tram derailed and went across the cross... Oh. Ew. I'm not looking at that. Trains are stopped too. The hell's going on?”

Simultaneous incidents, all across Mosaic City.

“Ugh...”

I gripped my arm as a dull pain blossomed inside it. The stench of death was agitating the spirits. Black blood oozed out from beneath my hand, as their ire turned on my own body.

Just when I thought I'd gotten them under control...

This arena was no longer a place I should be. I was the greatest threat here, to the tens of thousands of spectators present and the partners by their sides. Right now, these simultaneous incidents concerned me.

Security here was tight, and more to the point, greater warriors than I could ever hope to be now thronged the main stage. This was perhaps the safest place in all of Mosaic City. My place was not here – as much as I had wanted to see Koharu fight, I no longer had time to worry about that.

“Eri, wait.”

Karin must have guessed my intentions as soon as I stood up.

“You're going? Just like that? Without me, again?”

“Sorry. I know I invited you out here and everything, but... there's something I need you to do.”

“What is it?”

I stared back at Karin for a moment, then looked down to the boy by her side.

“Kouyou, do you think you could take care of Pran?”

The ogress looked to Karin questioningly, then gave a slow nod.

“Consider it done. Just leave it to us, Eri.” Karin flashed her newly-recovered Command Seals, alongside an irrepressible grin. Just as I made to leave, Karin's phone buzzed with a notification, and she pulled it out.

“Who's texting people at this kinda time?”

She checked the screen and sighed.

“It's that Kuchime asshole. He says “Sorry.””

“That's all?”

“That's all.” She smiled, resignedly and a little sadly.

----

I left the seats behind and made my way to the outer hall. While still indoors, this was an airy, open space, with high arches modelled meticulously after Roman architecture. It extended far away in both directions, curving gently to match the shape of the arena. Shops lined the outer wall, still milling with a fair number of late customers. Here and there people clustered around screens outside the storefronts, drinking as they watched the matches unfold.

What's even the point of coming here?, I thought. You could be doing that at home!

–

As I hurried towards the exit, I organised the idea I'd hit upon earlier in my head: to whit, that the competitors in the Holy Grail Tournament were taking their mana from the crowd itself. Tens of thousands of pseudo-magi, all pouring mana into the Servants doing battle below. That was my hypothesis.

This Colosseum was not a post-war addition to Akihabara. It had been a part of this town since long before the world was restructured, and it was far too large an anomaly to be permitted to exist without a reason. And in ancient Rome, the battles that took place in the colosseums had been sacred acts; offerings made to the gods.

Heroic Spirits take on all of our thoughts, hopes and dreams. They draw power from them.

The greater the mark a Servant had left upon history, and the more fame they had earned, the more power they drew. Such was their nature – and as an unintended and tragic consequence, Servants were occasionally summoned with the strange and cruel skill, “Innocent Monster”.

How much of this do the Riedenflaus family realise, I wonder?

I couldn't help but wonder just to what extent thaumaturgical systems might be entwined with the structure of the Colosseum itself.

An unexpected voice called me to a halt.

“Erice, we need to talk. It's important.”

It was the first time I had seen Ms. Fujimura in several days. I wheeled around to find her standing in the dimly-lit outer hall, dressed like a librarian as always.

Why is she here? What could she possibly want to talk about?

I strode towards her, with the intention of grilling her on the events in Shibuya and Shinjuku.

As I opened my mouth, I heard an odd sound from the broadcast. As the camera focused on the Carthaginian flagship, the witch performing the commentary had yelped in shock. I spun around to look. Ms. Fujimura, too, focused on the screen.

What I saw defied comprehension.

Regardless of the fact that the enemy was still distant, Hannibal, the Carthaginian commander, whipped his blade from the sheath at his belt, and without a moment's hesitation thrust it deep into the chest of his second-in-command, El Cid.

“Gah!”

El Cid's face froze in an expression of disbelief. His Master rounded on Hannibal in his confusion. The Carthaginian pulled his bloodstained sword from his ally's chest, and without a care for the man's protests, swung his sword crosswise in a vicious slash.

Both El Cid and his master collapsed. Two heads flew from the boat, to splash down unceremoniously into the artificial sea.

#Fate/Requiem #Fate #translation #light novel

88 notes · View notes

randomthoughtsblogposts · 4 years ago

Text

Q: How will you know if he/she is your TOTGA?

Well, for starters, let’s define what “TOTGA” means. TOTGA could mean 2 things: 1. The One That Got Away 2. The One That God Allowed Let’s talk about the first one, The One That Got Away. When you look it up on the internet, The One That Got Away means “A person who you were originally supposed to end up with but due to a cause of fate or by consequences caused by you, the relationship failed. And as time passed by, you keep on wondering about the “what-ifs”. Personally, I believe that you don’t have to be someone else’s “Ex” to be considered as The One That Got Away. It can be someone whom you shared a very deep connection. Someone who got to see your soul. Someone who you felt like they are your “endgame” because it’s what your gut is telling you. So, how will you really know if he/she is The One That Got Away? According to Thought Catalog (https://thoughtcatalog.com/chelsea-fagan/2013/09/8-signs-hes-the-one-who-got-away/), there are 8 signs that he/she is The One That Got Away: 1. You see his/her face on random strangers in the street. - Whether be it that you’re walking, or in a car struck in traffic, or just staring blankly, their face will just show up out of nowhere and you tend to look closely to make sure it is really them but you just end up realizing that it’s not. It’s just some random stranger who happens to share the same facial feature or physical built as them. 2. You can’t bring yourself to erase the evidence of your relationship. - Although things did not go the way you wanted it to be and knowing the fact that might make things worse, you tend to feel as if there are butterflies in your stomach whenever you open your previous conversations, your old photos together, and even just the scent of their perfume from clothes or hoodie that they gave you. No matter how hard you try, you just can’t seem to give it all up. 3. Part of you doesn’t ever want to move on. - I would like to quote Pacey Witter here. In Dawson’s Creek, Season 6, Episode 15, Castaways, Pacey said “It’s sort of always there.. Like white noise, or the secret service, or the threat of nuclear war, for that matter. Just somethin’ you get used to.” -- No matter how much you argue with yourself to move on, a part of you doesn’t want to and instead you let your feelings to be “something you get used to.” 4. Touching other people makes you feel a bit nauseous. - I feel like this is a little too delicate to discuss because it seems like this is about the s**. I mean, for those who were never in a relationship, it kinda seems unapplicable. (lol) but anyways, to simply put, it’s about how you get uncomfortable in doing PDA with other people (i.e. holding hands, hugging, kissing) or being really intimate with other because it feels embarrassing and remorseful. 5. Your friends know not to bring them up. - It kind of feels like one minute their advice for you seems endless but as time passed by, you’ll notice that it’s as if they are evading it or they become more cautious of what they will tell you. Sometimes, it comes to a point they don’t even react anymore when you tell them about your TOTGA because they know it’s not good for you. 6. You torture yourself with thoughts of all the things you did wrong. - To summarize this, I guess it’s safe to say this is where all the “what-ifs” come in. You spend hours of thinking what if you did things differently? What if you’re still together, would things be happier or would it be the worst? It’s going to be endless questions which will make you hate yourself for doing it or for not. 7. The news that they are with someone new absolutely crushes you. - No matter how long it has been and no matter how healed you think you are, you still can’t over the day you found out about it. It still haunts you up to this day and the pain is still there. 8. Moving on feels like pulling off a band-aid very, very slowly. - I guess, it’s when you realize that no matter how painful it has been, you still get pleasure from it. You choose not to detach yourself from them. You have accepted the fact that you will never be with them and you’re okay with it. If you’ve checked 8/8 of these signs, then definitely he/she is your The One That Got Away. Katy Perry said “In another life, I would make you stay, so I don’t have to say you were the one that got away.” -- Seems nice, right? But no matter how badly you want to be with them, one day, you’ll wake up and realize that it’s best that they got away because if it weren’t for it you will never be able to find the other TOTGA -- The One That God Allowed. The One That God Allowed is someone who will make you stop wondering about the “what-ifs” and instead make you appreciate about “What Is”. It’s someone who no matter what happens, will choose you over and over again, someone who sees you as a prize, not a possession. They will open your eyes in reality and make you understand that your love story isn’t like the movies because your love story is different. Your love story is written by God. With them, you will never have to doubt your self-worth because you don’t deserve to be just an option. They will love you unconditionally especially during your darkest days. But most of all, they will replace all the pain you experienced with the love that you deserve. If you have found your The One That God Allowed, please do not let go of them, ever. Be grateful that God has given you something wonderful, something you could consider as one of the best thing that has happened to your life and do not take them for granted. As for those who are still waiting for the one that God allowed, remember that it will always be worth the wait. Trust the process and continue to prioritize yourself, love yourself and improve yourself more because when the time is right and God knows you’re ready, you might just be surprised to meet the right one for you.

#totga #random thoughts #the one that got away #theonethatgodallowed

3 notes · View notes

kattegat-kittycat · 5 years ago

Text

Fates Entwined, part VI: Safe In A Dream

After your former clan was brutally murdered, you agree to an arranged marriage with Ivar to keep your social status. You may not always see eye to eye and sometimes even find yourself on different sides of one war or the other, but somehow you can never escape each other no matter how much you try to forget, deny and run. Somehow you always end up in each other’s faces. Sometimes quite literally.

A/N: As the fact checking goes, there actually was the possibility of mills and flour during the Viking age. I doubt that the mills in Ribe/Ripa actually date back that far, but well...

Don’t get me into the physical locations of all the Viking towns and stuff. It is incorrect in Vikings, so I don’t try to fix it now. Took me around seven hours from the German border to Ribe by bike, so I guess it would be about a day’s worth of travelling by horse. Anyhow.

There is a little teeny tiny bit of smut in the end, slightly dubcon, little fingering, little oral, nothing in the grand scheme of things, seeing that in Vikings there are people having sex and being raped all the time. I am not that comfortable with that, so, well, it is pretty vanilla.

As I will have to go back and rewatch a few episode to make sure I get the story woven into the series’ context at least a little sensibly, it might take a couple days (read: might be weeks) for me to update again. Just a heads up. I had this planned out a little differently first, but now I will probably have to wait for the series to end, so I know how to end this story.

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

On the edge of life.

After all these days are gone. The endless haze will rise. I close my eyes. I'm safe from all harm. I'm safe in a dream.I want you to stay. I want you to be there for me. 'Cause I need your love. I need your touch. I long for your embrace.

Entwined - Safe In A Dream

The people of Ripa had gladly accepted me back in their town and as head of the earldom. Many of them had stories to tell of my uncle ruling them with a hand harder than necessary. I was happy to be back in my hometown at the bank of the river leading through the marshes to the sea. It was beautiful and so much calmer than the hustle and bustle in Kattegat. It was softer than the fjord-environment; there were endless marshes and fields to be farmed and the sunrises were the most beautiful I had ever seen, I was sure of that. I also loved hearing the watermills at Neder-, Mellem- and Overdammen in the inner city, producing all the flour we could wish for.

My family’s estate had been ransacked, but with the support of a few helpful hands, we were able to rebuild it pretty quickly. I knew I would have to return to Kattegat in time to be back when Ivar came home, but I also had to think of my earldom now. Ripa was the oldest town in the north, and I was proud to be its earl.

I talked with my old teacher, Ole, about setting up a council to decide over all important matters in my absence and I trusted Ole to be its head. I was more than happy when he agreed to my suggestion. He had been my teacher when I was younger, so I knew I could place the fate of my home and my people in his hands. After a couple of weeks in Ripa, when I was sure peace could and would be held up even if I went away, I gathered the shield maidens Lagertha had sent with me and we made our way back to Hedeby.

But there were no signs of Lagertha or most of the inhabitants here. The town was uncharacteristically quiet considering the amount of warriors and shield maidens that usually roamed the streets and went about their daily businesses. As we drew closer, we realised that except for a few men guarding the town and the traders, villagers and farmers, the city was empty. We rode up to the Ting house, where I expected to find Lagertha or at least someone who could tell us, what had happened. As I had thought, all we found was her secondary, a woman called Ragnheiđur. She came toward us as we neared the house and greeted us calmly.

She was an imposing woman, broad shoulders and long blond hair, even for a viking warrior she was really muscular. She was as strong as most men and you could see the silent confidence in her every move. She had grown up in Hedeby and had been taken under Lagertha’s wing when Lagertha came here. As I trusted Ole with Ripa, Lagertha trusted Ragnheiđur with Hedeby, because she knew that she wanted the best for her hometown. Astrid was the person Lagertha trusted most, but Ragnheiđur was a close second. I also had to admit that it was a compliment to Lagertha’s tactical thinking that she had left some of her best fighters in Hedeby. Firstly, they could keep foreign forces at bay and second of all, it led people to underestimate Lagertha’s real military power. I made a mental note and then frowned. It only left one question:

“Where is Lagertha?” I asked Ragnheiđur, as soon as I was within earshot.

“Well, hello to you, too. I hear you had a successful journey to your hometown, Earl of Ripa.” Even though she had just shoved my nose into my own impoliteness, she was easy to laugh and did just that.

“I am sorry, there was a lot on my mind. Hello and greetings to you, Ragnheiđur. How come you are here to greet me and not Lagertha? I wanted to thank her personally for her help.”

Ragnheiđur shook her head, but smiled. She was young, but pretty unimpressed by my impatience. She herself was not the most patient person, so she knew how to take my blunt question.

“Haven’t you heard? Lagertha is now the reigning Queen of Kattegat. She overthrew Queen Aslaug who renounced her claim on the throne.”

I was about to just turn my horse around, but Ragnheiđur stopped me.

“It is about to get dark and you probably haven’t eaten. Please come in and sit with me before you leave for Kattegat. You won’t be able to change anything anymore. What has been done, is done.”

I gave her a stern look. “What has she done?”

Ragnheiđur’s face turned sad. “You know what happened. You know why she took the opportunity while you were away. You might not have been Aslaug’s greatest fan, but Lagertha knew you would try to stop her, when she wanted to kill the Queen.” She grabbed my horse’s reigns and petted its nose. “Come in and eat. You won’t change the past by endangering yourself. Don’t forget, you are important now.” She grinned at me as she spoke those words. She was so open and easy to listen to, I didn’t think twice and followed her advice.

I got off my horse and she gave its reigns to her servant girl, who brought it into the direction of the stables. I followed her into the Ting house and the shield maidens who had followed me to Ripa entered just behind us. It would probably be the last quiet evening for a while. The last evening I would not have to talk and act politics, because Ragnheiđur already started asking me about my hometown and if it still looked like I remembered it. As dinner was served, she suddenly turned a little quieter.

“Would you mind taking the princes with you to Kattegat when you are leaving?” she then asked.

“The princes?” I asked, a little confused.

“Yes, trust me, it is a long story.” And with that she started to recount the happenings of the last weeks, clearly marking her distaste in some of the events, but who was she to question her earl? I could see how I would have to treat around Lagertha in the future, because I, too, had sworn her allegiance, just like Ragnheiđur had. When I asked her if it caused her any problems, she smiled again.

“Of course we are not always of the same opinion, but in the end, I find it easier to follow Lagertha than any other earl or queen. I know who she is, I know what she wants, she doesn’t play unnecessary games. She is a just ruler. I am also in a unique position to learn a lot from her, about leadership, about life, about making hard decisions.”

I considered her words and felt relief wash through me. Maybe I had made the right decision, even if it hurt.

Ragnheiđur came to wake me up the next morning. “Y/N, you want to wake up. Margarete just freed the princes and they are getting ready to leave.”

I sat up in an instant, looking straight into her dark brown eyes, as I opened mine. “Gods, Ragnheiđur, you scared me.”

She just chuckled and grinned. “Haha, sleepy head, get dressed and get yourself ready, I’ll tell the princes to wait.” She gave me another look, then she left the house.

When I got out into the broad daylight, Ubbe and Sigurd stood beside their horses, obviously frustrated by the delayed departure, but waiting for me. Or at least Ubbe was, Sigurd was flirting with Ragnheiđur as best he could. She smiled at his jokes, but I could see that she wasn’t impressed. When Ubbe saw me, his face turned darker than before.

“Oh, nice, the traitor makes her entry.”

Ragnheiđur suddenly turned to him and gave him a shove. “Hey, you don’t get to talk about her that way! She is worth more than the two of you.”

I smiled ruefully. “Thank you Ragnheiđur, but he is kind of right. I did betray my promise to his brother.”

Ubbe threw me a dark look. “You know as well as I do, that I am talking about you turning your back on my mother and leaving her defenseless.”

I snorted. “You mean like you did when you came here? Don’t try blaming that on me.”

We stared each other down for a moment, until Ragnheiđur had enough. “You wanted to leave, Ubbe, now you are free to go. Don’t make a scene, just go.”

I expressed my gratitude to Ragnheiđur and then got on my horse, waiting for the princes to do the same. When I heard the sound of their horses following me, I could feel myself relax a little. We rode in silence for the first part of the journey, until Ubbe rode up next to me. Sigurd was still behind us and he didn’t make any attempts at riding up either. He seemed to be content where he was. Ubbe on the other hand had something to say.

“So, you made a pact with Lagertha to gain her support in your attempt at overthrowing your uncle. How did that go for you?” he asked way too sweetly. I wanted to slap him.

“Fairly well for the second part. Turns out, she didn’t really want my help though, but rather to get me out of the way.”

Ubbe’s eyes fixated on me. “So, you were not a part in the battle for Kattegat?”

“No, I got injured claiming Ripa and I only came back yesterday. And that was what Lagertha had hoped for. She knew I had no trouble leaving Kattegat to her, but I would not have let her kill your mother.”

“Why would she…”

“We are pretty similar. She did not only want her home back. She wanted revenge on the woman who took it from her.”

Ubbe objected: “Our mother has not stolen anything…”

Sigurd gave a humorless laugh from behind us. “My dear brother, you of all should know that our mother is far from perfect, she is manipulative and used to getting what she wants, whatever she needs to do for it. I mean, she came back to Kattegat, pregnant with you, driving Lagertha out of her own home. She used the trouble of a girl without a family to get her crippled son married. I am more confused that Y/N would have defended her than by the fact that Lagertha would want to kill her.”

It was the first time, I actually appreciated something Sigurd had said and I looked at him with surprise. “I was indebted to her. And while it might seem unlikely, I did like her. Not very much, but more than a little.” He threw me a sceptical look.

“You do realise she only used you, do you?” he asked.

I shrugged. “I cannot claim that I have been at a disadvantage because of that. I did not like the way she went about it, but I do think that she believed herself to be kind in helping me, even if it served her own ends.”

Sigurd snorted. “You really do like our brother. How very odd.”

We rode in silence again, until Ubbe said:

“So, I hear you’re an earl now.”

I snorted. “I guess I am. But don’t tell Ivar that I am more important than him.”

Ubbe burst into laughter. And Sigurd shook his head in amusement.

“So, I guess congratulations are in order?” Sigurd said from behind us.

I shrugged. “I only claimed my rightful title. And I got my revenge.”

“Like Lagertha?” Sigurd asked again.

“No. I killed all his heirs and loyal followers as well. You don’t want to keep around people who hold a grudge against you. Look where it brought my uncle. Or your mother.”

“That is cold blooded.” Ubbe remarked and I shrugged.

“It is war. There is no place for feelings in a war.”

Sigurd frowned. “Why do I still keep on being surprised by how similarly you and Ivar are thinking?”

“Thank you.” I smirked at Sigurd.

His frown went deeper. “That was not a compliment.”

Ubbe and Sigurd turned uncharacteristically quiet. Until Sigurd piped up:

“Should I feel guilty for not really feeling grief about the loss of my mother?”

Ubbe’s face turned dark. “We do not know that Lagertha killed her! Maybe she is still alive. All we have are speculations.”

I gave a nod. “I cannot see your mother any more. But then again, I could only see her future when I touched her.”

“So, what can you see, if you cannot see what is going on in Kattegat or with our mother?” Ubbe asked.

“Your brother. I can see your brother.” I answered solemnly.

“He is sitting in a dark room somewhere in England. Your father is still with him, but Ivar is sure that they are going to kill him. He is ready to die with your father. He cannot really understand their language, so he doesn’t know what is going on and Ragnar won’t tell him much. He is afraid of losing him, now that he spent some time with him.”

Sigurd rolled his eyes. “Precious little Ivar was probably a big help for father.”

“He was. Ragnar had to carry him through the woods, yes, but Ivar helped him kill the traitors in their midst who were ready to sell them out to the English.”

“How do we know you don’t just make that up?” Ubbe asked. It was not a vicious question, just a curious one.

“You don’t. I don’t even know how I know this. But I can tell you one thing, your brother will not come back the same person after this. I am a little afraid of what the news of your mother’s death might do to him. He will need his brothers after that.”

Sigurd’s voice turned bitter. “We don’t even know if Ivar comes back and if our mother is dead. But I am quite sure that our little momma’s boy could use some harsh reality to wake up and realise the world does not revolve around him.”

“That, Sigurd, is the problem.” My voice had turned sharp. “He is aware of that and that is why he will want to create a world that revolves around him.”

“Should you be speaking about your husband in that manner?” Ubbe asked more amused than actually affronted.

I cocked an eyebrow. “Ubbe, I will do anything to prevent my husband from going on an insane quest to prove his worth to the Gods. But to keep him safe, I have to face the harsh reality of who he is and who he could turn into.”

Ubbe’s piercing blue eyes met mine. “Is he your husband or your quest?”

I shrugged. “A little bit of both. But before all else, he is my life.”

“Well, good luck with that.” I heard Sigurd whisper.

When we arrived back in Kattegat, I found my fears proven right. Lagertha had crowned herself queen and killed Aslaug. But there was nothing, I could do or could have done. Even if I had been in Kattegat, there would have been no chance for me or the princes to help. The people of Kattegat remembered their former leader and Ragnar’s first wife and they supported her. Nobody had liked the etheral and distant Aslaug much, whereas most people still remembered how Lagertha had helped built the foundations for Kattegat to become what it was now. I looked at Ubbe and Sigurd and I could see in their faces that they understood as well. I wondered about Margarete, but Sigurd quickly explained to me that she would be coming back to Kattegat the next morning, at least that was what Ragnheiđur had told them.

I entered the longhouse behind the two princes and watched on as they witnessed what we already had suspected; there was no way to fight Lagertha. Ubbe tried to avenge the death of his mother in a fit of rage when he saw my visions had turned reality and became even angrier when he heard that they had been quick to burn her body as well.

I had held myself in the background, because I had no reason to fight Lagertha, but after the commotion had settled and Ubbe and Sigurd had left the longhouse, Lagertha stood up and came over to me. It was no leisurely stroll, it was a prowl, she was ready to pounce and rip my throat out, if I did anything wrong.

I took a knee and bowed before her. “My queen.” I addressed her and left no doubt where my loyalties lay.

“Y/N, for a moment there, I was confused as to what to think about you appearing with the sons of Ragnar.” She remarked, making sure beyond the shadow of a doubt that I was hers.

I stood and looked at her calmly. “We had the same road to travel, so Ragnheiđur suggested we travel together. Greetings from her and Hedeby, they extend you their congratulations.”

She gave an appreciating little nod. “Thank you. So, tell me, how did your voyage out west go?”

“The earldom of Ripa also extends its congratulations and is at your service should our help be needed.” I said and beamed at her proudly. She took my shoulder and drew me into a tight hug. Even though she touched my shoulder only lightly, I cringed a little in pain. The wound had healed up well, but it still gave me some pain and aches. Lagertha’s eyes followed her hand and noted the reaction.

“I am sorry my queen, I got injured in the battle.”

“That’s a small price to pay to restore the world as it should have been in the first place. We just followed our fates. So you were able to overcome the usurper and kill him?”

“Him and his whole kin. I do not believe in misguided clemency. He tried to erase my family from the world and so I erased his.”

“You probably don’t think it wise of me to keep the sons of Aslaug around?”

I smiled at her wearily. “I am in no position to question your judgement on the matter. And I am thankful as my husband is one of them.”

She gave a nod. “I know. So be assured that unless provoked, I could never kill any son of Ragnar. Also, I know them to act before they think and that makes them less of a threat. The only one not lacking their father’s vision is Ivar, but as long as you can convince him to refrain from going after me, you must fear no harm.”

“It will be hard work, but I will do my best.”

“Surely he will listen to you.” Lagertha said and left no doubt that he better do as she said.

“You haven’t really met my husband until now, have you?” I asked her, slightly amused.

She frowned. “Well, you better find a way to appease him, because I will not spare him if he makes an attempt on my life.” There was a definitive edge to her voice that told me how serious she was.

I bowed my head and gave a nod. “I am aware of that, my queen. I am, however, also aware of the fact that he can be very impulsive and please consider that he is the youngest of the sons and had a close bond with his late mother.”

Lagertha looked at me for a long time, then she gave a nod. “I will take that into consideration”, then she smiled, more to herself than at me, “Ragnar was impulsive as well, when he was young. But well, we don’t even know if they will come back. And then Ragnar will have to…”

“Ragnar will not be coming back to Kattegat.” I told her.

Her eyes narrowed. “And how would you know that?”

“I saw it. I am not as gifted a seer as Aslaug, but Ragnar will be handed to King Aelle. And you know that there is no love lost between those two.”

“And what makes you think your husband will survive if even Ragnar had to surrender?”

I smiled at that. “You really don’t know my husband.” There was a sense of pride that came with these words. Ivar was sly. He was cunning and he was stronger than people gave him credit for. But the less she knew, the better.

She gave me a pitiful smile, but I knew, I was right.

I found Margarete in the kitchen the next day, preparing food for the night. She seemed slightly scared, but mostly angry. There had been no love lost between her and Queen Aslaug, but at least Aslaug hadn’t played her for a fool and used her to her own ends. She resented Lagertha for playing her.

“Can you not free me from Lagertha? I do not wish to serve her, she tricked me into deceiving Ubbe and Sigurd.”

I shook my head with a sad smile. “I am afraid not. I have yet to prove my worth to Lagertha, also, I do not have the money or the means to buy you from her.”

Margarete made an impatient gesture. “What good was your becoming an Earl, when you don’t have any power?”

I lost my patience with the girl. “Margarete! You know how to get out of this! You were already on your way to convince Ubbe to marry you.”

Margarete looked at me with wide eyes. “How do you…?”

“I know these games. A lot of slaves have slept their way to freedom. I don’t judge you for it, people have to do what they can to be free.”

“Like marry Ivar the Boneless, gain military power and overthrow their uncle?”

It sounded almost as bad as sleeping your way to freedom. Well, to be honest, had Ivar not been Ivar, it would have been exactly the same. I still smiled at her.

“And this is why I like you. We are very similar in some regards.”

Margarete took a deep breath and looked at me levelheaded.

“But Ubbe has nothing to say in whatever Lagertha does. She might very well just kill him.”

I shook my head. “He is still a son of Ragnar and that means something to the people in Kattegat. She could never kill one of them, least of them Ubbe. He looks too much like his father. So go on, take your chance. You deserve more than this. But be careful, Margarete. I cannot save you, I hold no power in this town.”

Her head bobbed in understanding. As I was about to go, she grabbed my wrist.

“Thank you. For not judging me based on what I have to do. If you ever need my help…you know where to find me.”

I smiled at her. “Just promise me to be careful.”

I could feel the mood change in Ivar, when Ragnar was handed to Aelle. I mostly felt it through the flare of anger being lit in Ivar’s mind. I could feel the slow burn of hatred consume most of his thoughts and cloud his mind, as he set sail to Kattegat.

I wasn’t there when Ivar’s boat landed at the harbour and when he confronted and challenged Lagertha, I had been to Hedeby for the day and as I returned, I heard people talk and chatter. And then I felt his presence in the town. It was not only his own anger that seeped through the streets, but also the people’s apprehension as they all knew that Ivar coming home to the news of his mother being dead at the hands of Lagertha did not bode well. I heard from somebody that Ivar had been escorted out of the longhouse back to his old dwellings. So, I entered our home, unsure if this even was our home anymore. I took a deep breath and pulled aside the curtain dividing his space from the main room of the house. He was sitting on the bed and his head shot up, as soon as I entered the space. An unreadable grin spread across his face, splitting it in two, making it look like a horrible grimace.

“My wife. My beautiful moon… Tell me, how is your shoulder, love?”

I quickly touched my fingers to the scar on my left shoulder and knew from the calculating look in his eyes that he knew. I closed my eyes.

“How do you know?” I asked calmly.

He snorted and tilted his head. “It’s kind of a funny story…” And with that he took the helm of his shirt and pulled it over his head, revealing a scar that looked exactly like the one I sported and that had not been there before he had left for England. “I had a dream. I got hit by an arrow while conquering Ripa, a town that I had never seen before, but now know better than I care for. I woke up screaming in agony. So… if this is true, you probably went to Ripa.”

I gave a nod. Why did I feel my cheeks burst up in red hot shame, when I had nothing to be ashamed of? “Yes, I did.” I said in a little voice that didn’t even sound like me.

“Even though you promised me to stay in Kattegat.” And there was the accusational tone, I had been waiting for.

“Well, I am here now, am I not?” I countered and felt more like myself again.

His eyes glared at me like blue flames. “But you went to Ripa and endangered yourself.” He pressed at me through clenched teeth.

“I did what I needed to do. And now I am back here for you.”

“You could have been killed!” He screamed at me, which took me aback. I knew his low growling, his mocking, his sardonic undertones, his playful threats, but never had I heard him scream like this. He sounded more like a wounded animal than angry. That surprised me the most. Ivar wasn’t only angry, Ivar was afraid.

“But I wasn’t killed, that’s what matters.” I tried to soothe him.

“No, it is not! I cannot have you traipsing around getting yourself in danger!”

He had pushed me over the edge of my empathy. “And what is it to you?! You were in England trying to get yourself killed!”

“It matters because I don’t want to spend the rest of my life alone! I cannot lose you!”

“But I am supposed to lose you and be fine with it? I know you are planning to go back to England!”

That took him by surprise. “I…They killed my father! I have to go back to avenge his death!”

“Exactly!!!” I screamed at him. “As did I! I also had to avenge my father’s death! So what is the big difference?”

Ivar looked at me for a moment, before he growled. “You are mine!” As an afterthought he added: “Also, it seems like I get injured if you get hurt. So, you die, I die.”

I raised my eyebrows. “But that probably works the other way around as well!”

Ivar had become quieter and quieter. Now he looked at me, eyes wide with simple fear. “So…you don’t know what is happening to us?”

I calmed down instantly. Shook my head. Looked him in the eyes. “I don’t. Your mother was the only one who might have known.”

His face fell and he shook his head. “I cannot believe that my mother and father are both dead.”

I took a step toward him, still hesitant, still not sure how he would react. He looked up to me, his eyes glinting with moisture. When I was close enough, he took my wrist. His grip was painfully hard on my skin, as he tugged me toward him. His other hand took hold of my upper arm and he pulled me down onto the bed with him. His lips found mine before I could say or do anything, the kiss forceful and possessive. He pushed me down beneath him and shoved my dress and underskirt up to my hips, pushing it further up, until he had me pinned beneath him, dress up around my waist. I felt exposed until he kissed my stomach, his hands gliding beneath the folds of the fabric to my breasts. I wanted to protest, but I couldn’t find the words.

“Ivar…”

He growled as he bit into the flesh just beneath my right breast, then kissed it.

“You are mine, Y/N, you will always be mine.”

I sighed, my hand gripping his hair that had become longer and a little shaggy. I liked it and gave it a tug.

“And you are mine, but you cannot just do with me as you please!”

Ivar looked up at me, across my upper body, his eyes like those of a feral animal.

“Then tell me you don’t want this!” he growled.

For a moment, we stared at each other, Ivar motionless above my naked lower body.

I made a frustrated sound and wriggled out of my dress all the way just to unceremoniously drop it over the edge of the bed. Ivar looked up and down my exposed body, then his eyes caught on the scar on my shoulder. He touched its twin on his own body and compared the two with wonder. I was just as fascinated by the scar he should not have, so I sat up and asked him to turn around. It really went through. Just like my shoulder, his had been pierced through, he had the same identical scar on the back of his shoulder that I had. I swallowed hard and looked into his eyes.

“Ivar…”, he looked back with concern, “I am scared.”

At that, he took me into his arms, his skin feeling comforting on mine.

“I am as well. Do you understand now why I cannot have you getting yourself in danger? I don’t want us to die. It is bad enough that I have to fight the English and risk your life.” He placed a kiss on the spot where my neck met my shoulder and I sighed.

“Let us not argue about this any more. I have missed you, my husband.”

“Well, you kept yourself busy, that much is clear.” He chuckled. “If you hadn’t broken your promise, I would be immensely proud of you, my earl.”

I kissed his jaw. “Tell me about your vision, how was it?” I asked, genuinely curious.

“If I am being honest, it scared me. Seeing you, seeing you in danger, it was bad. Father threw an empty cup at me, because I did not stop screaming.” He smiled, almost fondly.

I kissed the side of his cheek, gently tracing his cheek with my fingers, then placed a kiss on his pulse point. I could feel the life humming through his veins, the life he shared with me, and suddenly, I felt possessive, too. I nudged him down onto the furs and almost jumped him, kissing his jaw, his throat, his collarbone. Ivar dragged me onto him and was only happy when I straddled his waist. He looked up at me and his hands reached for my breasts. He kneaded them, then sat up to put his mouth around one of my nipples that already stood at attention. He softly bit down, sucked, making me moan as a shiver ran down my spine. He had talked about women with his father and he was all too eager to try his hand at some of the things his father had mentioned.

As he sucked my nipple, his hand massaged my other breast, pinched the other nipple. I took in a sharp breath.

His brothers were sleeping in the adjoining rooms, only divided from us by a curtain. I had heard Ubbe and Margarete often enough to know what positions Ubbe favoured, but I did not want the same notoriety. As I thought about that, I missed Ivars second hand drifting down and slipping in between my legs. Only when he touched me in my most sensitive spot, I gasped. He rubbed a little, moved his fingers back and forth, always gauging my reaction. He smiled when I bucked my hips forward as he touched me, before he quickly turned us around, lying above me, hand still between my legs. He kissed my lips shortly, then kissed down my midline, until he was just below my belly button. He looked up to me, as if asking permission, and when I gave a slight nod, he slipped further down, parting my legs and suddenly sucking on my clit. I almost squealed at the sensation, but bit my lip instead, my hip pressing upwards. I could feel Ivar hum appreciatively against my skin and the vibration almost drove me wild. His slight attempt at a beard didn’t look like much, but it teased me even further, when his lips explored a little further and he found my entrance. His tongue darted in and out of me a few times, making me grab at his hair. He took that as the right direction and inserted one of his fingers into me, as his lips found their way back to my clit. He pressed his tongue up against it, then licked along all the while moving his finger in me. He added a second finger, which was enough for now. He went back to sucking and his fingers fucked me faster than before, my hips meeting his pace. As his tongue once again lapped at me, my hips stuttered and in spite of my former promise to myself, I loudly moaned his name and tugged on his hair as I came.

My eyes fell closed for a moment, but when he came to rest beside me, I looked into his eyes. He beamed with pride and licked his lips. Then he kissed me with the fervour, I had missed. I could taste myself on his tongue and sighed into the kiss, making him chuckle.

“Did that feel good?” he asked mischievously.

I beamed at him and let him have the glory. “No, not good. Amazing.”

I had never seen the joy that spread across his face before, not on Ivar, and it made my heart jump a little.

“Gods, Ivar, I do love you.”

He chuckled and nuzzled his nose in the crook of my neck. But I was more interested in something else. I slowly let my hands wander across his body, felt his abdominal muscles contract beneath my fingers, until I reached the helm of his pants. I heard his breath catch, but he did not stop me, as my hand dipped into the front of his pants and touched his almost totally hardened member. My hands closed around his shaft and started to move gently back and forth and I could hear the change in Ivar’s breathing. He did feel something. His hips started to move in time with my slow strokes, became a little more demanding after a while, as I felt his prick harden a little more. He moved with me and after a while I let my finger swipe over the tip and then pump him a little faster. Ivar’s breathing became eratic until the movement of his hips stopped and he gave it one violent snap of his hips and shuddered. There was only a few driplets, but Ivar still seemed content and happy. It wasn’t much in the way of a climax, but it was more than nothing. I looked at his face a little worried.

“Did I make you feel something?” I asked him, shyly.

He smiled back at me. “You always make me feel something.” He gave me a kiss.

“No, I mean… did that… did that feel good for you?”

He sighed, then hummed contently. “Yes, yes, that felt very good. One could even say…amazing.” A cheeky grin spread across his face, when I looked at him a little outraged, and his eyes only sparkled with humour, before he kissed me again.

“Y/N, I will never have sex like other people do, but this? This was enough. For once, pain has not been the predominant thing I have felt and that means a lot.”

I smiled a little smile. “Yes?”

“Yes.” He chuckled in my ear. It was one of the most beautiful sounds in the world. It was a pity that I would not hear it for years to come.