#WILL NOTE HOWEVER THAT LAST NIGHT THERE WAS A REALLY SUDDEN LOUD THOUGHT??

[ssivinee]

「 Call Me Sirene 」

l. sophia x f reader ! ✎𓂃 You and Sophia are just from two completely different worlds. She's the rich, smart, and it girl on campus, while you're the kid no one really knows. Usually busy with work, you weren't aware that the two of you had been paired up on a project. When working on the project begins, feelings begin to go all over the place, and now you're mainly worried about Sophia getting involved in your world, especially when you start to fall for her.

word count ! 25.4 k

tags ! a tad bit of Manon x reader (fwb implications), tons of violence, blood, gore, drugs, underage drinking, alcohol, men being pigs, smut

author's note ! GUYS THIS IS MY FIRST TIME WRITING SMUT AND POSTING IT, SO PLS BE NICE. I also locked in for ya'll on this one, so enjoy! This is also kind of inspired by Weak Hero on Netflix since that's what I watched on my small writing break last week, so... yea :3.

On screen, living in Los Angeles seemed like a paradise available in the States. The portrayal had always been a place where anyone could make it big. 

However, that is only if you have luck with it. 

Because to the average person, that was all just a fantasy — unfortunately, you seemed to be one of those ‘average’ people. Well, maybe even less than average.

In your own dictionary, an average person meant a decent house, proper food every night, and a loving family. Yet life always seemed to be against you, like a magical force of the universe kept kicking you while you were down, pummeling you.

You’d felt that for as long as you could remember. Those days in your adolescence almost felt like a dream now — something you still held onto, even if it lived somewhere in the back of your mind.

These thoughts always spiraled first thing in the morning. You stared at yourself in the bathroom mirror, the ringing in your ears dulling the rest of the loud noise echoing through the house.

Hair tied into a messy ponytail, you washed your face after spitting out the minty toothpaste. A deep breath in — eyes shut — then you rushed out of the bathroom, heading back to your bedroom, doing your best to avoid both your parents.

Well. Supposed to be parents.

They were only fosters, after all — and terrible ones. Your ‘father’ was a drunk who constantly laid his hands on you and your ‘sibling.’ Meanwhile, your ‘mother’ was okay, but she had Borderline Personality Disorder, which made the sudden shifts in her behavior hard to endure.

You weren’t a bad kid, either — even helped pay for your mom’s medication when you could. You had accolades to your name, a scholarship at the academy where you studied. Frankly, they had nothing to worry about. But none of that seemed to matter.

Frantically looking around, eyes scanning for your black zip-up hoodie. After rummaging through the stack of laundry on top of a computer chair, you slipped the hoodie on and ran out of the house.

Walking to school wasn’t ever eventful — hoodie covering your head with wired earphones in and your head down. It was your way of staying unbothered, making sure no one noticed you.

You had hoped — just hoped — for a normal day at school, at least. But then your phone buzzed, and you froze.

Pulling out the phone, you read the message you assumed was coming.

??? We need you right now

“Sophia?” the professor called, glancing up from their schedule as the Filipina raised her hand, a kind smile gracing her lips.

“Professor Hardin wants to talk to you about the assembly tomorrow, so see him after all your classes, please.”

Sophia nodded and continued organizing her notes and papers for Playwriting. As usual, the theater major kept her focus, taking her academics seriously. She heard rustling behind her, followed by a small gust of wind, and turned to see Lara settling into her chair, an iced matcha drink in hand.

“Did she call my name yet?” The younger whispered out of breath, and as Sophia shook her head, “Lara?” 

“Here!” She excitedly announced as she took off her purse and put it right behind her.

“You were late just because of a matcha latte?” Sophia asked, eyes flicking to her with a knowing look. Lara immediately looked offended.

“First off, I was almost late. Secondly, it’s an iced matcha latte. You know I can’t function without it on early mornings.”

Sophia let out a chuckle, going back to jotting down her notes.

“What class is that for now?” Lara looked over, a bit concerned that she didn’t recognize anything on Sophia’s paper.

“It’s Playwriting, so don’t worry.”

Lara sighs in relief and takes out her iPad, then sips on her drink as the Professor begins the lecture. “Heard Professor Roland is giving out pair projects, so fair warning during your last class,” now Sophia sighs at Lara’s whispered warning, hating anything other than solo projects since she did the majority of the work every time.

The rest of the day passed uneventfully, but Sophia’s dread lingered — especially with the looming thought of finding out who her partner would be. By the time she sat down in the smaller lecture hall used for acting classes, her hands were clammy, clenched tightly in nervousness.

The Professor walked in and immediately put down his clipboard. 

“As you guys may have heard, you’ll be having a project that will be done in pairs. It’ll be due in a month, but it's for a thirty-minute mock play. How well your time is used, how much time is used, and the quality of the script will affect your grade.”

He moved in front of the desk and leaned against the table, listening as dramatic sighs filled the room. Sophia only shook her head, frustration bubbling beneath her calm demeanor. But the professor raised a hand to silence everyone.

“Now, now — I know some of you aren’t thrilled about the pairing, but I think you’ll enjoy this project. You’ll have creative freedom, with just a few limitations,” he continued, as papers were passed around outlining the project’s criteria.

“With all that being said, I’ll assign your partners now.”

Sophia sat straight, listening carefully while students around her reacted with either cheers or groans as their partners were announced.

She felt a glimmer of hope as the names of people she didn’t want to work with were called — maybe, just maybe, the universe would finally cut her a break?

“Sophia Laforteza and Y/n L/n.”

Her face reacted before her brain did — confusion and irritation flashing across her features.

Sophia was determined to at least talk to her professor about it. ‘Because who in the hell was that?’ She asked herself.

As if on cue, across town, you felt the burn in your knuckles as you stared down at an older man’s face. He looked shocked at your strength, clutching his aching jaw as he lay on the ground, propped up by one elbow.

“What the hell was that for!?” he shouted. You crouched down, wincing at the volume in his voice — your ears never did well with yelling.

“Shut up for a second,” you grunted as you gave him a forceful soccer kick to his abdomen. 

He let out a groan, curling over as you reached down and grabbed a fistful of his hair. You watched the fear settle into his eyes as he looked past you, desperate for help. His gaze landed on a woman leaning casually against the brick wall behind you, hands stuffed in her jacket pockets. The shades she wore hid the glint of amusement in her eyes.

“Can’t you help me?” He begged her.

Your grip tightened, yanking his head so he had no choice but to meet your gaze.

 “Didn’t we say you pay up when messaged?” You said calmly. He nodded quickly, looking like he was about to piss himself. 

“Then why has it been a week, and we still have nothing from you?”

He couldn’t respond, the panic taking over as you felt him trembling.  

“You know he gave you a chance to pay it back,” a husky voice chimed in beside you. You raised a brow at the woman stepping in — Manon, smirking like always. She hovered behind you and leaned in close, voice low. “But sadly, a week is our limit before we start terrorizing you.”

“Right?” Manon whispered in your ear, and your body nearly shuddered — but you stayed focused on the trembling man beneath you.

“This one’ll be visiting you every day until then,” she added, patting your shoulder. “But you wouldn’t want that, right?” He nodded frantically, eyes wide.

You were ready to throw in another punch, just to get it out of your system, but Manon pulled you back, steering you toward the car and practically shoving you into the driver’s seat of the ride you took care of like it was your own.

“Did you really have to push me in?” you muttered, exasperated. She slid into the passenger seat with that signature charming smile that always made it impossible to stay mad at her. “It was time to go before you started rocking his shit.”

“Isn’t that why you guys pretty much hired me for?”

She nodded, pulling a blunt from her bag and lighting it. After taking a long drag, she exhaled slowly out the window. “Yeah, but~” She turned to look at you, lowering her shades to the bridge of her nose. One hand reached over, her finger brushing lightly along your jaw.

“You know how you get when we meet clients like that. All hot and bothered.” Now, you rolled your eyes. Her ever-so-flirtatious actions never ceased, but it’s kind of why your friendship worked.

It was how you managed to find some kind of fun in your life.

She gave you a quick smooch on the cheek, then glanced down at her phone. “He said if you're finished, you can go.”

That was all you needed to hear before pulling off. You could feel Manon’s gaze lingering on you. “Make sure you at least remember to drop me off,” she teased, and you nod knowingly.

Falling into this lifestyle wasn’t something you planned. It just… happened. Not like you were proud of the job — but it paid way better than anything else you could get. It helped with saving money up for at least a small apartment, and your mom’s medication.

So what exactly was the job?

It’s a bunch of things, honestly, but your boss likes calling it being an ‘enforcer.’ Your boss was a businessman who sold many things, and it was your job to make sure those people paid up.

Thankfully, it never went beyond beating someone within an inch of their life — but the job did make you feel like someone else entirely. A double life, almost.

And even if you weren’t proud of it, you were guilty of enjoying it. That confession may sound crazy to the normal person, but with the environment you lived in, this was a way to release some steam.

Your whole life had been spent trapped in that shitty home, trying to survive as a perfect student. So when you were offered this gig in your second year of college, you were hesitant. But after shadowing another enforcer doing their job, there was a spark you felt.

After that, you never looked back.

You brought the car to a stop, double-parking in front of a run-down warehouse. Manon let out a relaxed sigh beside you. “You can take the car to school,” she said. “He’ll probably ask you to come back later anyway.” Before getting out, she leaned in and gave you a quick kiss on the lips, which didn’t even phase you — that was just her usual antics.

Rushing back to campus, your tires screeched slightly as you pulled into the nearest parking space on campus. You barely put the car into park before grabbing your bag and booking it across the lot and into the building, the wind breezing at your face, with Manon’s expensive scent lingering on you.

Reaching for your phone in your back pocket and glancing at the screen, you exhaled in relief — you’d make it to your last two classes at least. Your stomach growled, and you clutched it in embarrassment, but luckily, no one was around. The empty ache gnawing at you, so you made a beeline for the common area, weaving through multiple students and half-hearted conversations.

Inside, the faint smell of espresso and citrus snacks filled the air. You slid a few crumpled bills into the snack machine from your front pocket, buying a cold coffee and a small bag of chips. The annoyingly loud clink of coins echoed into the machine.

Meanwhile, across the lounge space, Sophia sat at the round couch near the window, her expression visibly irritated as she waved her hand in emphasis.

“I don’t understand why he grouped me with someone who barely even shows up to class,” she complained, arms folded across her chest. Her brows furrowed as she recounted the short conversation with her professor.

She had gone straight to him after class, hoping to reason her way out of the random pairing. But instead of hearing her out, he dismissed her concerns without so much as a second thought.

“You know we don’t prioritize attendance much,” he had said, “but Y/n does well in every single one of her classes.”

That answer didn’t sit right with her. Sure, professors didn’t assign much digitally — it was a performance-heavy major. Most of the work had to be done in person. Still, if you were barely there, how could your grades be that solid?

It didn’t matter, since she couldn’t trust his word for it, because she just couldn’t believe it at all. “This is so… UGH!” she groaned, throwing her head back in frustration.

Yoonchae, Lara, and Megan exchanged small giggles at her dramatics, clearly fond of the rare spirals Sophia has. “It shouldn’t be that bad,” Yoonchae offered with a soft shrug, the youngest of the four trying to ease the mood. 

She looked to the others for support. “She’s right,” Lara chimed in, crossing one leg over the other. “You’re Miss Sophia Laforteza — you’ll make it work.”

“Exactly,” Megan added, leaning back with a stretch, her elbows resting on the armrests of her seat. “Besides, Y/n can’t be that bad if she’s on a scholarship here, right?”

Sophia raised an eyebrow. “Yeah, but does anyone actually know anything about her?”

That question was met with synchronized shakes of the head. Sophia let out another groan, letting her head thunk softly against the back of the couch.

“Wait!” Megan suddenly perked up, her eyes darting across the room. “I think Daniella is friends with her. I’m pretty sure they hang out sometimes between classes.”

The group followed her gaze as she craned her neck, scanning the far end of the common room. Then her finger lifted and pointed subtly. “Bingo.”

Sophia followed the line of Megan’s finger and spotted a table tucked into the corner by the windows. You sat there, slouched slightly in your seat beside the Latina and, oddly enough, you looked like you hadn’t slept in days.

“Oh… she’s hot,” Lara blurted without shame. No one even flinched at the comment; Lara’s bluntness was the norm by now. But Sophia blinked, stunned by how not what she expected you were.

You had this quiet intensity about you — tired eyes that looked like they didn’t tolerate bullshit, with knuckles looking a bit pink in color. The hood of your zip-up hung loosely over your head, stray pieces of black hair framing your face. 

Your hoodie was unzipped low, revealing a plain white tank underneath, snug against your frame, and a tattoo of lilies peeked out across your right collarbone that reached toward your shoulder blades.

Your lips were plush, parted slightly in amusement at whatever your friend said beside you, and there was the faintest curl of a smile tugging at the corner of your mouth. You looked like someone who didn’t ask for attention. Which is technically a success if Sophia didn’t know who you were until this project.

“Should you go intro—” Lara began, but Sophia was already ten steps ahead, her heels confidently clicking across the marble floor as she strutted toward your table. “Oh no,” Yoonchae muttered, watching the possible trainwreck about to unfold with a sense of secondhand embarrassment coming over her.

You took another slow sip of your strong, cold coffee, the flavor biting against your tongue as the sound of approaching heels pulled your attention away from whatever Daniella had just said. You looked up, brows pulling slightly together at the sight of the one and only Sophia standing in front of you.

Daniella blinked beside you, just as confused, her head tilting slightly as she asked, “Uhm… hello?” more out of instinct than anything welcoming.

In the back of Sophia’s mind, she had come in ready to make demands, set the tone, maybe even give you a strong few words. But standing in front of you, with your unreadable expression and calm aura, she instinctively knew that wouldn’t go over well. Something about your posture warned her not to try it.

Her expression shifted quickly, the stoic look changing into a practiced, polite smile.

“I don’t mean to interrupt, but are you Y/n?”

You didn’t answer immediately — just stared at her for a moment. You could feel Daniella’s curious gaze flicking between you two, waiting to see where this was going. You finally gave a short nod.

Sophia cleared her throat. “We’re partners for Professor Roland’s project in Playwriting. I’m So—”

“I know who you are,” you said plainly, cutting her off with no hesitation. Your voice wasn’t rude — just firm enough for Sophia to believe her intuition was correct about being smart with you. “I’ll talk to him about the project first thing in class tomorrow. Just give me your number, and I’ll reach out.”

You pulled a pen and a tiny pad of yellow Post-it notes from your bag and slid them across the table with the casualness of someone used to giving orders. Sophia hesitated, lips parting slightly in surprise, almost scoffing, but bit it back. Instead, she scribbled down her number, leaning forward and murmuring, “If you’re even coming into class tomorrow.”

You weren’t phased at the comment, just staring right back at her. “I’ll act like I didn’t hear that.”

Sophia’s brows lifted slightly, more in relief than defiance, as she clasped her hands together, putting on her smile again. “I’ll leave you to it then.”

You watched her walk away quickly, her posture a little stiffer than what you’d assume. Across the lounge, her friends immediately perked up like a pack of gossiping birds, leaning in as Sophia dropped back into her seat with an audible sigh.

“That didn’t look too bad,” Megan commented, eyeing her curiously. “How’d it go?” Yoonchae asked, genuinely curious.

“She’s a bitch,” Sophia muttered under her breath as she slumped into her chair, pinching the bridge of her nose. “I can change her,” Lara said dreamily, already gazing across the room like she was mapping out an entire future with you.

“Okay, so it did go bad,” Yoonchae concluded, but Sophia shook her head. “It’s not even that… she’s just bossy!” Her voice pitched up, nearly too loud, and the group hushed her immediately.

“Ohhh, what I’m hearing is… you’ve met your match,” Lara teased, already grinning. “Love a good top,” she added with a smirk, half-joking — but only half. Megan let out a stifled giggle, covering her mouth.

“Not the time,” Sophia muttered, shooting them a glare while Megan and Lara both raised their hands in mock surrender. “Copy that,” Megan mumbled through her smile. “So what now?” Yoonchae asked again, chin resting on her hand.

“She said to give her my number and she’ll talk to Roland tomorrow.”

“That’s if she even comes in tomorrow.”

“That’s what I said!” Sophia huffed, pointing at Yoonchae like they were in sync. She slumped back again with a sigh. “I guess I’ll see how it goes.”

“Don’t forget any details, babe,” Lara said, casually chomping into her sandwich, eyes still flickering toward your table.

“That was odd,” Daniella muttered beside you, her fork hovering in mid-air. You just shrugged, eyes still lingering in the direction Sophia had disappeared. “I’m guessing Miss Perfect isn’t too thrilled about being partnered with me.”

That made Daniella chuckle, nudging you lightly with her elbow as she poked toward Sophia’s group with her fork. “It did seem like she was holding back.”

“Then she made a good decision.”

Daniella tilted her head, one brow raised, giving you that don’t be a menace look. “Be a little nice, please.” You stared at her like she’d just spoken a foreign language. “Am I not nice?” She didn’t even hesitate, “You can be a bit bossy sometimes.” She took another bite of her chicken, chewing with zero shame. “And honestly, you don’t want to make her your enemy. All your brains won’t mean shit if she decides to make your life hell.”

A slow smirk tugged at your lips. “I can handle her.” Daniella hummed, not convinced. “Sure~ you can.” Even if you weren’t at school every day, you knew plenty about Sophia Laforteza. The Filipina was rich, driven, smart, popular — basically a walking main character, and people liked her… or at least pretended to. 

“Oh, are you coming over for dinner tonight? My mom’s cooking.”

“What’s tía making?” you asked, instantly more invested in the conversation. “Vaca Frita.”

You let out a soft, involuntary sound — almost a moan — just from hearing it. But then your shoulders slumped, the responsible part of your brain taking over. “I’ve got work later. Can’t tonight.”

Daniella knew well enough not to push. “Your loss then, girl.” She checked her phone and jolted slightly. “Crap, I gotta head out — class starts in five. I’ll text you tonight?”

You nodded, watching her grab her bag and head out. You opened your chips, the crinkling bag filling the air as you leaned back, letting the salt hit your tongue.

The rest of your day passed without issue. You sat through your classes, sped through the majority of your notes, and eventually made your way to the parking lot just as the sunset tinted the sky.

As you walked out, Sophia and her friends were standing at the campus entrance, waiting for her chauffeur. She glanced around absently until her eyes landed on you. You’d pulled something from your backpack, likely your keys, right before a sharp beep echoed across the lot. Her head turned automatically toward the sound.

And then she saw you slide smoothly into the driver’s seat of a Lexus, shutting the door. “She owns a Lexus?” Sophia asked, barely hiding her surprise. Lara leaned forward, eyes tracking you as if she were witnessing a twist ending. “Well… she’s now officially even hotter in my eyes.”

“I definitely agree,” Megan chimed in, while Yoonchae snorted softly, shaking her head at the chaos that was her friends.

Without a care in the world, you made it to the warehouse—the usual weathered, run-down building squatting between two abandoned lots. You pulled into the large garage, parking among a handful of high-end cars that didn’t fit the look of the building.

You took off your hoodie, the heat causing you to sweat, with tattoos peeking through your white tank, and the scars along your arms could be faintly seen from the multiple fights you’ve been in all the years of working your job. As you entered the building, you saw thick with smoke, smelled cheap liquor, the scent of weed, and whatever stale cologne some of your other coworkers practically drowned their bodies in.

People were scattered across the room: gambling, arguing over cards, drinking, flirting, and lounging around like a normal day.

You spotted Manon near the office door, legs crossed, poised as she sat in her favorite chair. Of course, she’d be waiting for you. It was pretty much her usual thing to do when you guys worked together for the day.

“Did he say anything to you?” you asked, stepping closer. Manon’s eyes swept over you — a slow, deliberate drag — taking in the tank top, the ink, the tough skin. “He said he just wants a report on that guy.”

“Donovan,” you corrected.

“Yeah… Donovan,” she echoed, distracted as she walked up to you. Her eyes flicked to your lips as she hooked her arms lazily around your neck, pulling herself closer with a practiced ease. You leaned your head back with a sigh, already over her antics. “Not now, Manon,” you muttered, slipping out of her hold with ease. 

As your hand reached for the office door, her voice trailed behind you, sounding innocent and sweet. “Then later?” You glanced back, lips curving just slightly. “Maybe.” She evidently lit up at your words, and you pushed through the door before she could say anything else.

Inside, the boss sat at his desk, flipping through a mess of paperwork with the focus of someone who’d seen too much. You stopped in the center of the room, hands instinctively clasped behind your back.

“How did it go with Donovan?” he asked without looking up. “He’ll pay by the end of the day tomorrow,” you said plainly.

“And if not?”

“Then he’ll have a broken arm before midnight.” Your voice didn’t waver, and the way you spoke came out with normalcy. That alone made him smile. “And if he still doesn’t—Y/n?”

“Then I’ll deliver him to you personally.” Each line came out as if a soldier were speaking to their commander. But he liked that about you the most — you were his most reliable enforcer. “Now that’s what I like to hear.”

You rolled your shoulders, neck cracking as you stretched, and asked, “Anything else you need, Rai?”

“No. You’re done for today,” he said, eyes back on the papers. “Stick around if you want.” You nodded once and slipped out. The air outside the office felt colder, and the multiple AC units were working overtime to cool the concrete-covered place. You walked back to where Manon was — in the same seat, more secluded than the rest of the room.

Everyone knew that was her spot. She is Rai’s favorite woman after all, and unlike most women in this place, she didn’t earn her power by flirting her way up. 

Some might think Rai favored you both for the same reasons, but they’d be wrong. It wasn’t about attraction for both of you. It was about the consistency in how much money you make for him, the unwavering loyalty you gave him, and the usual great results. He’s seen it in the weekly reports he had for each of his workers.

It’s why the two of you were usually grouped together, allowed to use any one of his cars, and could even ask for help whenever. Both of you assumed that was the reason he had both of you partnering up during jobs often.

Being an enforcer also didn’t just mean beating up people for their debt, but also protecting the woman who worked with Rai. None of the women did anything crazy, but if they did, Manon wasn’t one of them. She’s just a terrifyingly amazing actress with a face that most men couldn’t resist falling for. 

Yet you were lucky enough to clearly see that Manon had a thing for you instead. 

Although she made it clear that she wasn’t interested in a relationship, at least at this point in her life, that didn’t mean she wasn’t attracted to you. Never stopped her from showing how bad she wanted you, either.

Like now, in the way she’s currently straddling your lap, knees pinning you in place, her face dangerously close, and that signature smirk was slowly spreading across her lips.

“Think you’ll be around tomorrow?” she asked, her voice soft between the light kisses she pressed along your jaw, then to the corners of your mouth. Her weight settled fully into your lap, your hands gripping her thighs with ease. It was Manon’s usual thing, and it was only up to you if the two of you would go any further.

“Probably not. I’ve got things to do for school,” you muttered, feeling her lips stall at your words. Manon pulled back just enough to pout, her eyes softening into that look, the one that always made you sigh without meaning to.

“Will you come here for me then?” she asked, the tip of her finger lightly tracing your collarbone. You exhaled, already defeated. “Not until midnight. I’ve got a project I can’t skip.”

She inched in closer, just enough for her breath to ghost across your lips slowly. “Make sure to make time for me?”

You huffed a short laugh, head tilting back slightly as you looked at her. The absurdity of this woman who is so wanted by so many people, sitting in your lap like you were the only one who existed.

“I’d honestly rather be with you every day instead of working with my project partner, so…”

Her grin curled wickedly. “I’m not hearing a no, Y/n~”

You felt her body shift forward again, like she was daring you to stop her, and when her lips hovered over yours again, just close enough to taste, then whatever self-control you had cracked.

“I’ll make it work,” you whispered against her lips.

She kissed you then, soft at first. You felt her breath from her nose against your cheek as her lips melted into yours, the faint feeling of her lip gloss catching on your tongue when she deepened the kiss.

Her hands slid up your torso, nails grazing at your sides as you feel them through the thin fabric of your top, before curling around the back of your neck. She held you close, anchoring herself against you as her mouth moved with a slow rhythm. 

You wrapped your arms tight around her waist, pulling her flush against you with no space left. Her hips shifted a bit in your lap, “shit.” You could only whisper before locking lips again, and you swore you could feel her smirking.

Her tongue slipped past your lips, like she’d done it a hundred times — and yet, it always made your body heat up. The slow drag of it against yours had your fingers digging gently into the backs of her thighs, feeling every move, breath, and hum that vibrated from her throat into your mouth.

The kiss grew messy since Manon had a need for you, clearly less patient than when she first started. Her hands tangled in your tied-up hair as you tilted your head, kissing her deeper, harder. 

Eventually, she pulled back just a bit, breath shaky, her eyes still half-lidded as she looked down at you with a grin that showed her satisfaction. Her gloss was smudged, lips slightly swollen, and you knew you looked just as wrecked after all of it.

“Midnight, huh?” she whispered, fingertips tracing your jaw lazily. “I’ll be waiting.”

The comment had you chuckling as she slid off your lap. She grabbed her purse from the side of the chair, pulled out another blunt, and offered it to you with a lighter. You raised a brow, tempted since it had been a long day.

“For me?” you joked, and Manon tilted her head, her lips twitching at the corners. “Thought you might want a treat.”

“So what we just did wasn’t my treat?” you asked, more genuine this time, which had Manon giggling before pointing a warning finger at you.

“Don’t tempt me, Y/n. You know I’d take you right here, right now.”

You shrugged a shoulder in casual agreement—and yeah, you did know. She’d grinded on you during slow nights during jobs at the club, whispered filthy things in your ear just to see you react, and once even tried to convince you to fuck her in the back of one of Rai’s cars after literally beating two people up.

Now taking the blunt from her fingers, you perched it between your lips and sparked the lighter, letting the flame burn the edge. Manon watched, gaze hungry, as you took a pull, then grinned as you exhaled a thick cloud of smoke.

“Why are you so hot?” she asked, her voice sounding frustrated yet admiring.

You looked at her, the blunt resting soft on your bottom lip, a slow grin creeping across your face. In your head, the attraction people had toward you never quite made sense. Maybe it was some psychological bullshit. That’s what you liked to blame it on.

Sure, the tattoos and piercings screamed fuck-girl energy, and maybe the way you carried yourself didn’t help. But to you, you were just you. If that made any sense.

You took another drag, felt the burn in your lungs and the heat settle low in your gut, then puffed out a slow stream of smoke before handing the blunt off to Manon, who took it with a satisfied hum.

“So what about this project partner you clearly can’t stand?” she asked, taking a pull herself and letting the smoke drift lazily from her mouth.

“Just a prissy rich girl, honestly.”

“Is she hot?” she asked, deadpan. You cut her a look. “Of course you’d want to know.”

She just shrugged, unfazed. “It’s a valid question.” You rolled your eyes, but still, the question had you pondering. If you were being truly honest with yourself, she’s undeniably beautiful. That’s why people flocked around her and added the money, the intelligence, and the reputation into the equation; you aren’t stupid to not admit she’s hot.

“She isn’t ugly,” you muttered, finally admitting it. Manon cackled at that, familiar with your deflection. After working together for four years, she could read you like a damn book.

“So that’s a yes,” she teased, smug. “Fuck yeah, she is.”

“Yeah, yeah. Whatever.” You snatched the blunt from her fingers again, taking a deeper pull as she sat back, visibly entertained.

“You’re clearly about to have a rough few weeks, so good luck to you.”

‘...Yeah, good luck to me,’ you thought, watching the smoke swirl into the air as you took one last drag.

The next day, you walked into your Playwriting class wearing a black long-sleeve compression shirt tucked into your grey baggy sweats. Sophia’s eyes found you immediately as you strolled down the aisle of the small lecture hall, one hand gripping the strap of your book bag while you chatted with Professor Roland.

She watched from her seat, quietly observing the way he nodded along to nearly everything you said. He pulled out a paper, Sophia assuming it was the same one the class received the day prior, and handed it over without question. He was explaining a few things while you listened, head tilted in that way that made it look like you actually gave a damn.

Roland was one of the more chill professors anyway, so it didn’t surprise you when he let you off easy.

You glanced around the room, eyeing your seating options. It was still early, so only about half the seats were filled. That’s when you spotted Sophia, already looking at you, her lips pulled into a tight-lipped smile.

You chuckled under your breath at the expression and made your way over, figuring it’d be smart to sit next to your partner in case class time was given to work on the project. Sophia subtly shifted in her seat, leaning to her right like she was trying to physically distance herself from you.

“You’re here today,” she said, more sarcastic than she probably meant to sound. “I told you I would be,” you replied, setting your bag between your legs as you pulled out a notebook. “I don’t go back on my word.”

She didn’t respond, just glanced at you again—and this time, she didn’t stop. If she wasn’t going to talk to you, maybe she could get a read on who you were by just observing… It was also a good way of checking you out, but she wouldn’t say that out loud.

You gripped your pen, scribbling something down, and she caught sight of your handwriting, which, to her surprise, was actually rather neat. Her gaze then traveled to your hands, which looked strong. A little roughed up, your knuckles having gashes on them and looking a bit darker than the pink she saw the day before. She caught herself wondering what they’d been through to look like that.

You noticed and peeked over at her. “Am I distracting you?” you asked, amused. Sophia snapped her head away, clearly caught. “No, you aren’t.”

You scoffed quietly, fighting a smirk. “What do you want our play to be on?” she asked, tapping on her tablet like she hadn’t just been staring at you.

You shrugged. “You can pick. I’ll go with it.” That made her glance at you, brows slightly raised. “You sure you can handle it?”

You met her gaze with a certainty. “I know I can.”

Setting your pen down, you gave her your full attention. She hesitated, but then answered.

“Fine. A tragic love story.” You nodded once, lips slightly pursed. “I’m cool with that.”

Sophia went back to her tablet, and for the first time since she found out she was paired up with you, she didn’t seem so tense. She could already see the way you were scribbling ideas in your notebook, outlines of scenes, bits of dialogue, maybe even character notes. 

It surprised her how quickly she started to feel… not annoyed? Almost like she didn’t mind this. Then the realization hit her.

…You’d have to act this out… Together… Just the two of you.

She palmed her forehead, cursing herself under her breath. “Wait — how about—”

“No take backs,” you said smoothly, not even looking up from your notebook. Sophia gave you a side-eye, reluctantly amused. “I hate you.”

You grinned. “You don’t even know me yet.”

Yet, by the time class ended, Sophia had to admit that every idea you suggested was actually good. You worked fast and didn’t waste time, pretty much realizing that this was one of the reasons why you continuously passed your classes despite not coming into school. 

She still didn’t know what to make of you entirely, but she could work with this and maybe even enjoy it. “Hey,” she said as you both gathered your stuff. “Do you want to work on the project at my place after classes?”

You glanced over at her. “I can. But only for a few hours — I’ve got work later.”

“That’s fine,” she said quickly. “I’ll text you once all my classes end. Then send the address.” You tell her and she nods, slinging her purse around her arm.  You left her, making sure to meet up with Daniella off campus for the day since she texted you early enough about her many professors canceling classes.

With Sophia, back in the Common Area, she walked in to find her friends lounging in their spot. The second Lara spotted her, she raised her brows with a smirk. “Okay, details now,” Lara demanded.

Megan perked up, and even Yoonchae tilted her head in interest. Sophia rolled her eyes but couldn’t help the small smile creeping onto her lips.

“…It wasn’t awful,” she said, settling into the seat next to them.

“Ohhhh, not awful?” Lara teased, grinning. “We’re already making progress.” Sophia shook her head, reaching for her drink and hiding her face behind the straw.

“She actually does work!” Sophia cheered, throwing her hands up. Yoonchae giggled at the reaction, finding it dramatic for something so basic. “That’s one thing to be happy about,” she said, sipping from her bottle.

“Are you guys working on the project today?” Megan asked between slurps of her noodles. Sophia nodded. “Yeah, for like a couple of hours at my place. She’s got work, so I’m not sure how much we’ll get done.”

Lara leaned back with her iced tea, stirring it lazily with her straw. “I wonder what she even does for work?”

“Probably something with heavy labor,” Sophia replied absentmindedly. “It’s the only thing that makes sense, since her hands are so muscu—”

She froze when she caught the three of them staring at her with matching expressions. “What?” she asked, blinking.

“How long were you staring at her hands?” Megan asked bluntly, while Sophia felt the heat creeping up her neck. Lara squinted, a grin spreading across her face as she spotted the soft pink peeking beneath Sophia’s makeup. “You know, I don’t blame you,” she teased, “but it is kind of unexpected coming from you.”

Sophia rolled her eyes, but the smile tugging at her lips gave her away. While the girls were busy poking fun at her, across campus you were heading into the café near campus.

Your eyes scanned the tables and landed on Dani, who was sitting by the window, scrolling on her phone. Just before you reached her, you texted Sophia a simple ‘hey, it’s Y/n,’ so you wouldn’t forget to hit her up later for her address. She sent a quick thumbs-up reaction on the bubble before sliding into the seat across from Dani.

“You order yet?” you asked, dropping your bag onto the floor beside you. “I got garlic bread for us to split, iced chai for me, espresso for you.” You smiled, appreciative. “That works. Thanks.”

She waved you off like it was nothing. “So, how was work yesterday?”

“Easy,” you answered plainly. It had just been a chill check-in with Rai — nothing intense. “And Manon?” she asked, eyeing you over the rim of her cup. Your brow rose instantly. “What about her?”

The name had slipped out during one of those way-too-late conversations you and Dani tended to have. Which was the worst mistake ever since she didn’t even know what Manon looked like, but that hadn’t stopped her from being your number one shipper since.

“Did you guys… You know?” Her voice dropped like she was about to tell you a secret. Your eyes widened at the implication. “We didn’t do it yesterday,” you hissed, before you could accidentally announce it to the whole café.

“Right~” Dani smirked, all smug satisfaction, and you didn’t even have time to come up with a comeback before the server arrived with your order.

You grabbed a slice of garlic bread like it was your saving grace. “What about Sophia?” she asked after a few bites, but she was more curious this time.

“She’s gonna send me her address,” you replied, mouth still half full. “We’ll work on the project for, like, an hour or so. I’m not planning to overstay. Then I’ve got work later tonight.”

“Like… later later?”

“Yup~” you nodded, voice a little sing-songy.

Dani didn’t say anything, just leaving her knowledge of that again. She didn’t know everything about your job, not that you ever hid it from her, but she definitely knew what “later” meant. Someone was likely going to get hurt by you, she just didn’t know to what extent.

“Think working with her is gonna be a breeze, though?”

“Oh, not at fucking all. Have you met the girl?” you deadpan, and Dani bursts out laughing. “Hey, at least you get to experience the rich life for both of us,” she teases, and you just shrug, not entirely convinced that was a good way to think of it.

If anything, the idea of spending the next few weeks going between your job and someone else's luxury felt more suffocating. The anxiety had been bubbling beneath your skin all day, and getting Sophia’s address right after classes didn’t help. Her place was further than you expected, tucked away in some grand neighborhood that showed up on Google Maps.

If you tried commuting the whole way there and back, it’d be at least an hour each trip, more if traffic hit or the trains got backed up. And by the time you’d need to leave, buses would be packed with people going home from whatever crazy routine they had.

‘Shit,’ you muttered to yourself, slipping your phone into your back pocket. The only solution you could think of was borrowing one of Rai’s cars for the next couple of weeks. You didn’t love the idea since it felt like you were using his kindness, but you figured if you got the project mostly done ahead of time, maybe you wouldn’t need to use the car for a longer time.

After your last class, you texted Rai about taking the BMW, waiting by the edge of the warehouse until you got the simple text.

Rai Keys are in the box Don’t scratch her

You smirked, unlocked the silver car, and peeled out of the lot. What would've been an hour-long commute was shortened to about thirty minutes, the engine feeling more luxurious than expected, and low music from the stereo let your anxiety calm down a bit.

Then Google Maps made you pull up to the large gates. They were black and high—crowned by jagged tips cemented on top of a thick, pale concrete wall. The house behind them was humongous. Spanish-style architecture, with reddish roof tiles and tall windows that reflected the sun right through the dark-tinted windshield.

Your eyes flicked to the intercom. You pressed the button and leaned in, awkward and unsure. “How can I help you?” a woman’s voice asked through the speaker, calm and clipped.

“Uhm—yeah, I’m Sophia’s partner. For the project?”

“Full name?”

“Y/n L/n.”

A moment of silence, then a well-oiled gate started sliding open to your right. You drove in slowly, watching the path wind past perfectly cut hedges and a tiered fountain. Parking just in front of the entrance, killing the engine as the front door opened. An older woman in a maid uniform greeted you with a practiced smile.

“Please come in. Miss Laforteza should be down in a bit,” she said kindly, stepping aside to let you in.

The air inside was cool, air filled with a soft citrus scent and sparkling marble flooring that made you aware of every single scuff on your sneakers. The foyer was already the size of your entire house, and your gaze swept the curved staircase and twinkling chandelier.

Yeah, you were gonna need a minute to get used to this. Shifting in your stance, your fingers tighten around your bag strap as Sophia appears at the top of the stairs. Her hair was loosely tied back, and she was wearing lavender sweats and a snug white baby tee with ‘babygirl’ written in pale pink bubble letters.

The contrast from everyday polished heels and a designer outfit made your brows raise slightly.

“Didn’t think I’d see you in sweats,” you said, more amused than anything. Sophia rolled her eyes, but there was a small smile tugging at her lips. “I am home, so it makes sense to get comfy.”

She turned to the maid, politely asking for drinks and snacks to be brought to the library.

You blinked. “I mean... I’d say this is more than a house,” you muttered under your breath as she waved for you to follow.

“We can work in the library,” she said over her shoulder. You stared at her like she just said, ‘We can work on Mars.’

“Library?” you echoed, brows raised. “Yeah? Is that a problem?” Sophia glanced back, confused. “I guess not,” you replied quickly, trailing behind her. You weren’t really sure what the right response was. 

‘Oh, cool, I’ve got a library too. It’s called a public one, and I wait forty minutes just to use a computer over there.’ 

Every hallway turn just screamed wealth, and a little voice in your brain repeated poor over and over again.

When she opened the doors, the scent of paper greeted you instantly. Warm lighting glowed from sconces on the wall, giving the room a soft amber hue. Everything was dark mahogany—bookshelves stretching up the walls, thick wooden tables, chairs with cotton cushions, and old mirrors.

It didn’t feel warm temperature-wise, but it looked warm. You exhaled slowly, trying not to feel out of place. “All the books in here probably cost more than my entire scholarship fund,” you mumbled, shifting the strap of your bag.

Sophia giggled under her breath, then gestured toward one of the long tables. “Sit wherever. Do you have any ideas?” You nodded, already sliding into the chair and placing your notebook on the table, the exact same one she’d seen in class.

You flipped a few pages, landing on one that was scrawled with notes. Some scene concepts, bits of dialogue, and even sketched thumbnails of stage direction. 

Sophia glanced at the notebook, her brows lifting slightly as she skimmed the mess of notes. Only that it wasn’t a mess, the ideas just seemed to be scribbled and out of order. The lines were neatly sectioned, with little arrows pointing to rewritten ideas and stage cues. She blinked at a few of them, caught off guard.

“You wrote all this… already?” she asked, leaning in a bit more, her voice softer now.

You shrugged, tapping a corner of the book with the back of your pen. “Just what came to mind last night and in class. Didn’t know what kinda story you’d want, so I scribbled a couple of options. A revenge arc. A slow-burn. A dual-perspective thing. This one here’s more metaphorical, could be staged minimalistically since it’s just the two of us acting it out.”

Sophia didn’t answer right away. Instead, she reached out to scroll down on her own screen, silently clicking and pulling up a document. “Let’s… do the slow-burn one,” she murmured, still processing what you wrote down.

Your eyes stayed on her, noticing how she sat more relaxed. She wasn’t leaning away from you like she had in class. Instead, her eyes darted between your notes and her laptop as her fingers sped through each letter on the keyboard.

The door creaked open a few minutes later, and the soft clinking of glassware drew your attention. Her maid stepped in quietly, placing a polished silver tray on the end table. It had two tall glasses of mango juice, a porcelain bowl of salted crackers, and a plate of rigid potato chips. She nodded politely and stepped back out without a word.

“Thanks, Ate Mel,” Sophia called out, before glancing at you again. “In case you were gonna say you didn’t eat.” You smirked, reaching for a chip and flicking a brow. “Didn’t say that. Just wasn’t gonna ask for anything.”

She laughed, surprising herself with how natural it came out. “You’re not really what I expected,” she admitted, reaching for her own glass. The condensation already wet her fingertips.

“That makes two of us,” you quipped, then pointed to one of the sections in your notebook.

“So this—scene two—I imagined a turning point. There’s a moment where one of them is standing in a room full of people, but they only feel her. It’s crowded and loud, but everything dulls except the moment their hands touch. That kind of quiet tension.”

Sophia’s lips parted slightly, and she just blinked again, not quite sure how to respond to the imagery. She read over your note more carefully this time, mouthing a few of the lines. “This is… really good. Like, it’s layered. I didn’t expect you to be so detailed about it.”

You gave a short laugh, looking back at your notebook before murmuring, “Scholarship students kinda have to overcompensate, y’know? We don’t exactly get to breeze through.”

You didn’t sound bitter, but you did sound honest. Sophia studied you in the amber glow of the room’s lights, the way the light kissed the curve of your cheekbone, casting a soft shadow down your jaw. She thought of the way you walked into class like you didn’t care, only to show up with a notebook full of genius-level notes.

“I get it now,” she said quietly. You looked up. “Get what?” She tucked a leg beneath her and smiled, sincere this time. “Why you got into the school.”

You tilted your head but didn’t say anything. Just tapped your pen, smirking lightly under your breath.

Before you knew it, time went by quickly after she gave you such a generous comment. You filled up newer pages; she had opened and closed multiple tabs throughout the past few hours as well. The project, piece by piece, started shaping itself into something you both felt proud of.

Eventually, your eyes caught time on your phone, where it buzzed as a notification appeared from Rai. You started closing your notebook, brushing stray crumbs off your lap, and adjusting the waistband of your sweats.

Sophia noticed how your energy shifted from an easygoing project partner to this serious version of yourself. “You’re leaving?” she asked, watching as you slipped your notebook back into your bag.

“Yeah. Gotta bounce in like fifteen if I don’t wanna be late.”

“Work?” she guessed, leaning her elbow against the table, chin balanced on her knuckles.

You nodded. “Yeah. Late shift.”

Your voice lowered, in a tone that sounded more wary, like you weren’t happy about going, but you would anyway. Sophia stood with you as you slung your bag over one shoulder, following you out of the library. Neither of you said anything as you made your way down the long hallway, down the winding staircase again.

Outside, the early evening had cooled a bit, and the sky was a blend of lavender and gold. You headed for the car, and that’s when she saw the metallic silver BMW. Her brows twitched up subtly. 

It wasn’t judgment in her mind, but more like curiosity and surprise. You didn’t seem in need of money, but you also didn’t seem that rich to own two cars like that.

She didn’t say anything, though. Just walked with you out of the house with arms crossed loosely. You turned around before getting in. “Text me if you think of anything else, yeah?”

Sophia nodded, biting back the thought that was stuck on the BMW. Instead, she just asked, “Same time tomorrow?”

“Works for me,” you said, tugging the car door open. “Thanks for the juice, by the way.”

She smiled and leaned against the stone pillar door frame. “Don’t be late for work.”

You smirked at that and slid into the driver’s seat, the door shutting with a satisfying thud. As you pulled away, Sophia stood there a second longer, arms still folded as she waited for you to leave completely.

Almost hoping, any thought that lingered in her mind would go away as soon as you left her view. But you seemed to have a chokehold on many women’s minds.

While pulling up to a red light, your phone buzzed. Rai’s message popped up with an address attached. He added nothing else to it, but it didn’t take much to guess it was Donovan’s location. Your heart began beating rapidly as you turned onto the highway, weaving through traffic like muscle memory. The lines of each lane seemed blurry to your vision, and your grip on the wheel tightened.

You parked a block away, turned the car off, and walked slowly, realizing that you probably should’ve brought a hoodie for less attention. Hearing the asphalt scraping under your shoes, the faint sound of cars driving from the highway far behind you. 

You kept your head down, with eyes scanning each building as you walked down the sidewalk. Apartment complexes and ruined houses filled the street, and you were mentally making notes to start checking each door you passed—until he showed up first.

Donovan strolled into your view like he owned the block, a grin that made your skin crawl stretching across his face. His eyes locked on yours, noticing how smug he looked.

You stopped walking, arms folding across your chest. “What’s this?” you asked flatly, narrowing your gaze.

He let out a shrill, ugly laugh. “You know, it’s so~ sad that you’re such a pretty lady,” he said, and just as he spoke, three guys rounded the corner behind him. One was bulky, arms evidently thicker than your thigh. Another looked like a gym bro in his ‘off’ season. The last was leaner, but that may work in his favor. Assuming that he brought them here to scare and jump you.

“Maybe in another universe, this could’ve been different,” Donovan added, his voice dropping into something slimy. His tone and the way he implied something more, and the way his eyes stared at you for far too long. Your face showed pure disgust, head pulling back slightly like you could physically distance yourself from whatever the hell he thought that was.

That reaction was enough to piss him off. He licked his teeth, like it’d help his ego. “Have a good time with my friends.”

The three men spaced out, walking toward you with caution. You were standing dead center now, their footsteps echoing faintly off the pavement as they boxed you in.

You blinked, unimpressed. “What kind of movie are we filming right now?” you muttered, then gesturing lazily toward Donovan. “You really pulled a goon trio on me? What, Craigslist wasn’t hiring?”

He just smirked like he knew this was going to work in his favor. “A petite girl like you can’t do anything against them.”

You tilted your head, eyes sharp now. “Yeah? Well, this ‘petite girl’ also kicked the shit out of you yesterday.”

The lean guy twitched. He was losing patience, and you figured he’d be the one to start. He had a crazy look in his eyes, and he… licked his lips in an icky way.

His steps closed in quicker than the others, and before you could even sigh at the predictability of it all, his fist swung wide toward your face. He was clearly excited for a ‘beat down.’

It connected, which had your head snapping slightly to the side. You blinked, let the sting settle for half a second, then turned back to face him slowly. You licked the inside of your cheek and gave a smirk.

“I wanted you to hit me first,” you said calmly, voice flat. “If we get caught here, at least I can say it was self-defense.”

Your hand snapped forward, fingers wrapping around the lean guy’s wrist, pulling him forward just enough to slam your knee into his ribs. The second knee had him grunting, as he almost staggered away from your hold, and you stepped in closer to elbow him square in the temple. He dropped, his body thudding on the sidewalk.

You weren’t sure why people never just went in at the same time; that could be a way to win, but no one ever did. The biggest of the three hesitated, giving you a window. You went low, kicking one shin hard enough that he fell. You hear a tiny crack from his back hitting the pavement, but he caught himself with one hand, scrambling back up quicker than expected.

Maybe he didn’t stretch?

But you backed up, your breathing regulated as your chest rose and fell. Experience would be on your side every time. Being in multiple fights will have you bleeding, sobbing, and clawing for survival, especially as a woman in this job.

He lunged at you again, aiming for your waist this time, trying to lift you up, maybe slam you against a concrete wall. But your body twisted, and you slammed your elbow down into the base of his neck. His arms dropped enough for you to shove him off, and you followed it up with a sharp kick to his stomach. The heel of your sneakers is digging into his navel. He leaned over, holding onto his lower stomach.

You turned just in time to dodge a right hook from the burly one.

He was the real problem for you here. Having thick arms, bulky shoulders, and the kind of weight that could crack bone if hit in the right place. You ducked, using your smaller frame to slide around him and catch him off balance. You went for his knees, aiming a kick to the back of one. He faltered and gave you the opening to jump onto his back and wrap your arm around his neck in a tight hold. 

His hand shot back, trying to grab you, and he managed to elbow your side hard enough to make you gasp for air. But your grip held, wrapping your legs around his waist to keep you on. You counted seconds, about fifteen seconds, until his legs finally gave, and you released just before he blacked out completely. He just slumped onto the ground, looking like a drunk man after a crazy Saturday night party.

The second guy tried to sneak you from behind, but you turned around just in time. Gripping the front of his shirt, and headbutted him right to his nose, breaking, blood spurting instantly as you hear a gnarly crack. He staggered backward with a groan, hands covering his face, and you ended it with a kick to the side of his knee that buckled him flat to the ground.

All three were down, and you were breathing heavy, knuckles sore, the ache from that first punch settling into your jaw. You wiped the blood at the corner of your mouth with the back of your hand, turning your head slowly.

Donovan hadn’t moved, just standing there as he watched his plan fail within three minutes. Probably expected them to jump you fast and leave you crying for help.

“You fucking idiot,” you muttered under your breath, walking toward him. His cocky expression faltered as he tried acting all friendly now. He still thought he could talk his way out of it. “Hey, listen—”

You weren’t hearing any of it as your hand grabbed his wrist and twisted fast, too fast for him to register what was happening until you heard the pop out of its socket. He screamed and began panicking like the first time you met him.

You stepped in closer, inches away from his face, while fury coated your voice.

“You really thought that was gonna work?” you asked, twisting again just enough to make his knees buckle lower. “Three guys, on the sidewalk, taking me on? That’s your plan?”

“I—wait—Y/n, c’mon—”

You heard another crack as you took his other arm, faced his palms up, and punched his elbow with enough force that broke his arm. He dropped to the ground with a sharp sob, curling around the pain. His legs trembled beneath him.

“I should’ve done that yesterday,” you spat.

A few passing cars honked in the distance, someone muttered something on the opposite sidewalk, but no one stopped. No one was dumb enough to involve themselves in this area, but some people would be smart enough to call the cops. So you had to get out of the area as fast as possible.

Dragging him up by his shirt collar, you pulled his limp body to the passenger side of Rai’s BMW, opened the door, and shoved him inside like garbage. He moaned, trying to clutch his arm, but the two broken limbs made it impossible. You didn’t even care about any blood coating you… Or him, in all honesty, but you warned him, yet Rai wouldn’t be happy with his little stunt either way.

“Don’t bleed on the seats,” you warned.

You drove straight to the warehouse. The sound of your foot against the pedal and Donovan groaning quietly in the seat beside you, every bump had him sounding like a soundboard noise in pain.

When you pulled up and parked, you got out and walked to the other side. Ripped the door open and grabbed him by the collar again, hauling him out.

Rai stood near the entrance, cigarette between his fingers, already waiting. You tossed Donovan forward like trash day came early. “Here’s your boy,” you said, dusting your hands off. “He’ll need a doctor. Or don’t. Up to you.”

Rai blinked, exhaled smoke through his nose. “Broken wrist?”

“And both arms.”

“…Damn.” You just rolled your eyes. “Next time he pulls this shit, I’ll break his legs too.”

You spit right beside him, the metallic taste of blood leaving your mouth as you went over to the car to get your bag and walk home.

Two weeks went by, and Sophia could admit that everything had been going smoothly. You were both down to the final stretch of your project, with only the acting portion left to do at the end of the month.

And safe to say… she’d started liking having you around. Maybe not in a head-over-heels romantic way, but there was definitely something there. That she even believed to be mutual, especially in the way she would catch you staring sometimes.

She even caught herself changing in a way she wasn’t expecting.

Every time you came over, Sophia found herself preparing like she was about to go on a date instead of a project. She’d hop in the shower the second she got home, scrubbing her skin like she needed to get rid of every spec of dirt she felt on her body. Then she’d do her hair, careful to make it look effortless, like it was naturally that way, but still stylish. 

Her regular routine makeup would then follow next making her look much fresher rather than looking like the school air attacked her throughout the day. A touch more gloss, a little more highlight on her cheekbones. She’d make sure her lips looked much more plump to the point they were kissable.

And the comfy clothes got... comfier. Sweatpants were replaced with booty shorts that clung onto her thighs, tank tops cropped shorter with thinner fabric, just enough to maybe catch her bra peeking through.

Still, even with all that effort, seducing you wasn’t exactly the priority. That wasn’t what was on her mind when you were around.

Because during those late-night sessions and snacks in her house library, Sophia started noticing small things. The kind most people wouldn’t catch unless they were looking too closely.

Like the faint bruises, hidden under a layer of foundation, where a bluish shadow near your jaw could be seen. The purplish-yellow spots that faded around your knuckles. Tiny cuts near the corners of your lips, sometimes barely noticeable unless you stare blatantly at your lips.

She wasn’t stupid; you were clearly getting into fights. Multiple at that, and from the way you moved, you didn’t want her to notice.

Sophia knew better than to ask anyways. You weren’t close enough for her to pry, and she wasn’t sure what answer she’d even want from you if she did.

She wasn’t even sure if she should be concerned… because you being roughed up was the reason why this sexual attraction came up in the first place. Like Lara said, you were ten times hotter, and it almost made her feel guilty.

Sophia should act like a normal human being and care, maybe even ask if you were okay, but it just never came out.

While you sat cross-legged on the chair, scribbling down notes for the script, Sophia’s mind had drifted somewhere else. Once you glanced up, you caught her staring blankly at her laptop screen, eyebrows lightly pinched like she was deep in thought, but definitely not about the project.

Leaning forward slightly, you tilted your head to get closer to her line of sight. “Miss Sophia the First?” you asked, your voice teasing, just inches from her face.

She jolted in her seat, eyes growing wide. “Jesus,” she muttered, trying to play it off while she raked her fingers through her hair, smoothing it down even if it didn’t even need fixing.

“I didn’t mean to scare you,” you chuckled, watching her fiddle around longer than anticipated. “You didn’t,” she insisted, brushing it off way too quickly.

You tilted your head, unconvinced but amused. “Right. Totally.”

She kept her eyes on the screen, but you could feel something looming in the back of her mind. You weren’t sure if she wanted to talk about it, but you didn’t see the harm in asking.

“What were you thinking about?” you asked, leaning back, casually counting off the instances in your head. “This is what? The fifth time you’ve spaced out today?”

“It’s nothing,” she said with a quick shake of her head, though you could see whatever was still weighing in her mind through her hardened face.

“Nothing, in girl code,” you said, tapping your pen against your knee, “means there’s absolutely something. So spit it out, Lafortezza.”

She sighed like she didn’t want to ask. “What do you do for work?” she finally said, voice a bit too quick, the question had been rehearsed in her head several times before she just spat it out of her system.

You blinked at the sudden change. It wasn’t a surprise to normal people. You hadn’t exactly been subtle with the bruises. The makeup was there mainly for professors, so Sophia wasn’t who you were hiding it from.

“Just some dangerous stuff,” you answered vaguely, offering a shrug like it was no big deal.

“Is it boxing?”

“No.”

“Wrestling?”

“No.”

“Are you selling drugs?”

You snorted, caught so off guard by that one, you nearly gave yourself whiplash trying to look at her. “What—? No, Sophia. I’m not selling drugs.”

She frowned, her concern written all over her face. “Then why are you hurt every day?”

Her voice was softer this time, in a more careful tone. You felt your heartbeat quickening as her eyes searched yours. That worry she voiced was real as her eyes pleaded.

“I just work in a dangerous environment, Sophia. I promise, it’s nothing you need to worry about.”

“But what if you get hurt… like really hurt next time?” she asked, rubbing at her arm like she was comforting herself as much as she was asking the question. You smiled gently, touched by the concern. “Then I’ll deal with it,” you said. “This is the work I chose to do. So whatever happens, I have to handle it.”

She nodded slowly, her eyes dropping. She knew you were old enough to make your own decisions, but still, seeing the aftermath of whatever life you were living made her stomach twist a little more each time.

The secret was how it also riled her up, the vibe causing her to find you even sexier than the first time her eyes laid on you.

“I get it,” she murmured, backing off, letting it settle.

There was a pause before she cleared her throat, trying to move on. “Uhm, Lara’s having a party this weekend.”

You raised a brow. “Are you just telling me… or are you inviting me?”

She immediately started waving her hands in a panic, the words tumbling out fast. “I was gonna ask if you wanted to come!” You burst out laughing at her reaction, watching her release a huff into a pout. “I’d love to go. Just text me the details.”

A soft little “yeah” slipped from her lips, her face still slightly pink as she turned her attention back to the script, trying to bury her fluster in the keyboard.

You scooted your chair closer, peering over her shoulder to read what she was typing. The chair let out a small creak, and you leaned in without thinking, voice near her ear.

“Are all the stage directions written down?”

Sophia froze, her fingers pausing mid-keystroke. You were so close, like a literal inch from her face. Close enough that she could smell your perfume, which smelled of citrus, and feel the faint brush of your breath against her shoulder.

“Yeah,” she managed, voice shaky as her hands started fumbling across the keys. So much typing, backspacing, retyping again.

“And all the notes are in?”

“Mhm.”

“Cool. Email it in, then we’re done.”

There was a lightness in your voice that she hadn’t heard before. A kind of happiness she had never realized you were capable of expressing.

But then a thought hit her, this was almost over. The project, the only way to see you every day, the shared late nights, the quiet moments, and the banter were all about to end. After this, you’d go back to your usual schedule. Showing up in school only when it was necessary, and seeing you every now and then in the school’s common area instead of sitting next to you in class.

Sophia didn’t want that, and inviting you to Lara’s party was only a step into seeing you more often out of a serious setting. It was a way to keep you around, but only for one night, and that wasn’t enough.

She had to find another way. A way that made it clear she wanted to see you more, and hoped that maybe you wanted to see her more, too.

The two of you kept working, in silence, as you reached the final stretch. Luckily, just before the clock hit 10 PM, the document was attached to a quick email, your name typed on the subject line, and sent off to your professor for the night.

You started packing up your things in a slow manner, your hands moving absentmindedly as your attention drifted to Sophia. She closed her laptop and let out a quiet sigh, sliding down in her chair until her head leaned back and lightly touched the backrest.

“So, what are your plans for tonight?” you asked, the words slipping out without thinking.

She turned to look at you, caught off guard for a second. You couldn’t see her struggling not to say something like ‘oh, just lying in bed and texting the group chat about you.’

“I might watch a movie?” she finally spoke. “I’m not too tired yet.” You nodded, slinging a strap of your bag over your shoulder. “It is Friday. I’ll probably knock out later than usual anyway.”

“What are you planning on watching?” you asked, finishing up the last zipper of your bag. Sophia, not prepared for a follow-up question, blurted out the first movie that popped into her mind. “Train to Busan.”

You raised an eyebrow as you looked at her. “Train to Busan?”

She gave a half-shrug, trying to play it cool. You thought it seemed a little out of character for her, not seeing her as the horror type, but you did love that movie.

“That’s actually one of my favorite zombie movies,” you said with a hint of surprise in your tone. She perked up instantly, straightening in her chair. “You like zombie movies?” You nodded, sliding your phone into your pocket. “It’s one of my favorite genres for movies and shows. Like ‘Kingdom?’ Top tier.”

Her whole face lit up at the mention of the show. “I love ‘Kingdom’ too!”

You smile at her enthusiasm. “Well, maybe we can rewatch it together sometime.” She paused. Then, immediately asks, “Are you busy tonight?”

You shook your head, brow furrowing slightly at the sudden question. “Not really. Why?”

“Then why don’t you stay for a while?” she offered. “We can watch ‘Train to Busan’ tonight. ‘Kingdom’ can be for another day.”

You could tell she was trying not to sound too excited, but there was a look in her eyes that told you she really hoped you'd say yes. And honestly, you were pleased with the invite. You didn’t have any work tonight, so a quiet night in didn’t sound bad at all.

You gave her a small smile. “Yeah. I’d like that.”

Sophia stood up, stretching her arms up, and began to exit the library. Without hesitation, she cupped her hands around her mouth and yelled down the quiet hallway. "Can someone bring up ramen and mango juice again?!" she called out.

Her voice echoed down the hall before you heard a muffled ‘okay’ from the lower level of the house. Sophia turned back to you with a smirk. "Hope you can handle spice."

You scoffed, raising a brow. "I can." There was a tone of confidence that just made her grin wider. "Alright then! Add the whole packet of spicy sauce to both!" she shouted once more.

Then she led you to her room, walking further down the corridor. You trailed behind her, and the faint sounds of your footsteps could be heard until she opened a large white door. "Come on in."

The moment you stepped inside, you were hit with the soft scent of… jasmine? It’s subtle enough that taking a deep breath wouldn’t hurt your head. Your eyes begin to scan the room, seeing a minimalist aesthetic to it. The walls were a pure white, not a speck of dirt in sight. Some greenery in grey stone pots added some color to the room. 

Against one wall was a large vanity with a bunch of bulbs surrounding the mirror, its table full of high-end makeup brands and gold-handled brushes that were organized. It looked like a luxurious beauty store. A plush light pink egg chair is placed in front of it, and it looks extremely comfy.

Across the entrance of the room, her bed stands out from the entire space. It was king-sized, with a modern bedframe in white. Champagne-colored satin sheets shining due to the lights. Lying over the top was a massive, fluffy comforter in a baby blue that looked like it could swallow. The pillows were fluffed, unlike your wilting, lifeless pillows at home.

Facing the bed directly was a large flat-screen TV that was mounted on the wall. It legit looked like a Pinterest picture in real life. You couldn’t help but wonder if this room was purely for sleep or if she actually hung out in it like a normal person.

"Take a seat. Get comfy," she said, already sliding into the bed. She sank beneath her comforter with her head slightly peeking out while her hands reached for the remote like muscle memory.

She looked cute, but that wasn’t something that would come out of your mouth. Not to Sophia at least… yet.

You hesitated for a second before sitting on the edge of the bed, rigid and upright, looking stiff as a board. You didn’t know how to relax in a space this expensive. You were JUST getting used to the library after coming around for two weeks. Maybe you should’ve assumed every room you walked into would feel like a different dimension in the large house.

Sophia didn’t notice at first as she scrolled through the variety of movies and shows, finally clicking on Train to Busan. The lights had already been turned off before the movie started with the use of a damn remote, the only light now beaming from the large screen.

You stayed sitting like that for a good ten minutes, which you were somewhat used to since you would stand in front of Rai that way during reports to him. 

The room was quiet except for the movie, and you watched, but it wasn’t really registering. Because your focus kept drifting to how warm and soft the bed was under you. Meanwhile, Sophia was already snuggling in the comforter. 

Eventually, she side-eyed you and sighed. Your tense posture was physically stressing her out. You looked like you were about to fall off her bed and march out of the room.

"You look like you’re about to fall off," she said, deadpan.

You looked over at her, meeting her gaze briefly before looking back at the TV. "I’m good." She raised a brow, “You’re sitting like I’m gonna bite you.”

"I’m fine," you repeat, but your tone didn’t help you at all.

“Lie back,” she told you, her soft voice sounding like she’s coaxing you, and it was working. You hesitated because something about getting comfortable in her space felt... weird. Like the moment you let your guard down, it would change whatever dynamic you and Sophia had going on.

But you leaned back slowly after taking off your shoes, back finally pressing into the fluffy comforter. Your body feels like it melted straight into the bed. Your legs stretched out beside hers, your brain hyper-aware of where her body was, like a foot away from you under the covers.

Across both your faces, flashes flickered, in what felt like every scene of the movie, as the tensions began rising. People were starting to notice things were off as screams began to come from the back of the train. You could hear the sound of glass breaking and the frantic thump of feet as people ran. The moment always entertained you, no matter how many times it was watched.

You loved it because to you, this was ‘pure cinema.’

Sophia hadn’t moved much, but every now and then, you felt the comforter shift. What you didn’t know was her adjusting to get sneaky glances of you.

You stayed still, eyes glued on the screen, and didn’t say anything. Just as you got used to the position, the door cracked open, and one of the maids came in. She carried a large wooden tray in her hands, two steaming bowls of buldak noodles, and two glasses of mango juice with chopsticks beside them.

"Thank you," Sophia whispered as the tray was set beside the side table near her. She passed you one of the porcelain bowls with chopsticks. Both of you now sitting up as you ate, and the occasional sounds of slurping and coughing from Sophia could be heard.

She was the first to break the silence, reaching for her mango juice after her third bite, eyes watering slightly as she coughed some more into her elbow. “Okay, damn,” she muttered, fanning her mouth. “That spice isn’t playing around.”

You kept eating like it was nothing, taking pretty large bites, and the spice didn’t faze you. Your lips were a little red, but you weren’t huffing and puffing or asking for your glass of juice. Sophia stared, eyes narrowing. “How are you not dying right now?”

You looked at her mid-bite as the noodles drooped over your bottom lips and into the bowl, giving her a simple shrug. “This isn’t that bad.”

“Mild?!” she coughed again, immediately going for another sip of mango juice. “You’re not human.”

You chuckled, setting your bowl back on the tray and asking for your own drink, NOT because it was spicy but because the spice was making you thirsty. “I told you I could handle spice. Besides, this tastes like the pink one.”

Sophia groaned dramatically, setting her bowl down on her lap and leaning back into her mountain of pillows. “You said it so confidently, but I thought you were being cocky.”

You smirked, stretching your legs a bit further under the covers. “I was being for real.”

Her eyes were watery, but she was still adding humor while in slight pain. “I feel like my tongue’s been set on fire. I’m in physical pain right now.”

You couldn’t help but laugh, mixing with the low rumble of the movie’s background noise. Sophia grabbed her mango juice again while hissing to get cold air. “This better not be how I go out,” she said, taking a long sip. “Killed by ramen.”

You give a satisfied smirk, eyes flicking back to the screen. “Don’t worry. I’ll give you a eulogy.”

She threw a pillow at you, missing by a mile as it shot past your head and onto the floor. “You’re literally the worst.” But she was smiling, still with tears in her eyes and the slight sweat on her brow.

Time ticked by, and the silence was there again after both of you finished the ‘bowls of pain’ in Sophia’s words. While your attention stayed mostly glued to the movie of interest, Sophia just couldn’t stop looking at you. Her eyes would glance to the side every now and watch how the TV cast a glow across your features. Highlighting your cheekbones, casting shadows along your jawline, and each scene reflecting through your eyes.

But then, the movie reached that scene.

The one where the father, Seok-woo, held his daughter close as he sacrificed himself to save her. His face was bloody and broken after everything they’d been through on the train. Then cued the slow music, adding to the drama of the scene. You had watched the movie many times, to the point where you didn’t cry during the sad moments anymore. But as you watched, you heard a soft sniffle.

You turned your head slightly, finding a single tear streaming down Sophia’s cheek, a crystal-like path layered above her skin like glass. The light from the screen made it shimmer, and oddly enough, there was something heartbreakingly beautiful about it. Her lips trembled just a little. Her brows furrowed, her subtle expression twitching every time she hitched a breath.

You didn’t even think about anything, as your body moved on its own. You push yourself over to the right and carefully lean over the upper half of her body. Gently, your thumb grazed the tear off her cheek, as your other arm settled right beside her head as you hovered over her.

Sophia’s eyes widened, lashes fluttering as her lips parted like she wanted to say something, but nothing would come out properly.

Your hand, for some reason, caressed her cheek and kept its spot. Your fingers shifted slightly, brushing the side of her jaw now as neither of you looked away. Sophia was scared that if she did, none of this would be real.

The space between you felt thinner while the noise of the movie started becoming nothing but background sound as the two of you lay there, like time had paused.

Her breath was shallow, and yours wasn't much steadier. And in that quiet moment, her face leaned just a little closer. So did yours.

You couldn’t process pulling away, and instead, your body leaned in more comfortably as your hand lingered on her jaw, heart thudding loudly in your ears.

Then your lips connected, the soft bond of the kiss. Her lips were warm, pillowy, still tasting like a hint of mango and spice. There was a second where neither of you moved, just letting it all happen.

She tilted her head slightly, deepening it as her hand grasped your wrist, not wanting you to move away. You exhaled into the kiss, pressing in a little more as you let your body rest on top of hers, chest brushing against each other. The comforter shifted between your bodies as the two of you kept tilting heads wanting more, the flicker of the movie dancing across your closed lids and warm skin.

There felt like a shared illusion that time was holding still. Sophia’s thumb grazed along the inside of your wrist, slowly trailing down to your waist. Her breath was warm against your skin when the kiss finally softened again, slowing but not stopping, like neither of you knew how to break away from each other.

But then the TV let out a scream, maybe a line of dialogue, and just like that, you pulled away. You were both catching your breath, lying back down into your original positions as you stared at the screen with heavy breaths filling each other's ears.

Neither of you said a word.

Sophia swallowed hard, eyes staring back at the screen as if nothing had happened, but her mind was clearly spinning. She wanted to ask or say something, like wanting to know what it meant, if anything. But she felt tongue-tied as her body remained still, as if she could pretend it didn’t just happen… or that it did, and she was still in it.

You couldn’t handle the silence or the weight that began to settle on your chest.

It felt like everything happened so fast. One moment you were watching, the next you were eating, then you were sucking each others faces off. For once, the confidence left your body, and you didn’t know how to function… and that in itself scared you more than any fight you had ever been in.

So, after a moment, you sat up. The warmth of the comforter was gone, and the shift in weight on the bed made Sophia subtly flinch as you stood up from your spot.

“I should head out,” you said, your voice trying to sound calm.

Sophia nodded, her expression unreadable. She wanted to say something to make you stay, or just talk about it, but nothing right came out. “Okay,” she said quietly, almost like it hurt to respond.

You grabbed your bag with unsure hands, walking toward the door like the air had turned thicker around you. You couldn’t even dare look back at her because you felt like a wuss for not speaking up for yourself.

Your thoughts were everywhere. Confusion and hope that almost made you start hyperventilating as you walked out of the room. Hope that Sophia feels it too, maybe of you not ruining something by crossing a line.

The hallway felt colder on the way out as your fingers clenched the strap of your bag tighter than usual, trying to stop thinking about it. But Sophia basically imprinted herself in your mind, her breath, her lips, the way she didn’t pull away.

Meanwhile, Sophia sat there long after you were gone, as the movie's ending credits began running. Her lips still tingled while admitting to herself that she wanted more. That much was obvious.

But she didn’t know what you wanted. And she was afraid to ask. Because rejection wasn’t scary. If anything, it was a part of life, but rejection from you made her assume it would crush her and take a long time to recover.

Her fingers brushed the spot you’d been just moments ago, where the warmth of your body still lingered even with a blasting AC in her room. It was stupid to hold onto it, because maybe the kiss was just a kiss.

Her thumb moved up toward her lips, pressing against the bottom softly—still able to feel the phantom weight of yours on them. 

She’d tried to make herself more noticeable, choosing risque ways like skimpier outfits at home, applying thick coats of gloss. But she hadn’t expected it to work, and had you kissed her in a way that felt so natural. Not how it somehow made her breath catch in her throat.

But what hit her harder than the kiss itself was how fast you left. The feeling was too much.

Sophia turned her head toward the TV again, only to realize the movie had ended and was now stuck on the menu. Her heart still beating quickly for her to even care, so she turns off the TV to let her thoughts simmer.

Maybe she’d misread everything. A heat-of-the-moment type of deal. But it didn’t feel that way when you wiped her tears and stayed hovering just inches over hers, gaze flicking between her lips and eyes like you couldn’t decide what part of her to focus on.

…Yeah, no matter what way Sophia tried to twist the narrative in her head, it just wasn’t helping her feelings. In fact, it was driving her mad in the way she tried denying her blooming crush for you.

She sighs, turning over to bury her face into the pillow that still smells faintly of you. Sophia knew she wasn’t going to sleep right away as she kept replaying the way you looked at her right before the kiss, and the way your breathing stuttered for half a second after your lips brushed hers.

You, on the other hand, speed walked without even thinking about what direction your legs were taking you at first. You weren’t the type to run away from your feelings. Especially, not when someone had just kissed you like that, and not when it felt that good.

Hell, you had made out with Manon multiple times, and that surely felt good. Even going way further than kisses, to her being completely undressed beside you.

But your head was spinning, and you didn’t know what to do with it. The chill of the night didn’t even bother you. Instead, it was waking you up, helping calm your body down before you could spiral any more.

You shoved your hands into your jacket pockets, heart still racing as you walked through the quieter streets of town and down the block toward your place.

The memory of her lips on yours wouldn’t go away, not even for a second. Yet you didn’t want it to.

Even stepping into your house didn’t do much. The usual clanking of your dad’s alcoholism would usually have you feeling irritated as your mother tried acting as if everything was normal, but you just walked upstairs to your room and shut your door.

Swinging your back against the wall, you took off your jacket and crashed onto your bed while your knees hung off the side. You were usually better at controlling yourself. It was quite literally part of your job to do so, or else you would go insane with the possibility of beating someone to death.

She didn’t know what kind of life you lived. Yeah, she was smart enough to figure out bits and pieces, but not the full scope of things. 

You were okay with being friends with her, but her getting involved with you could be dangerous. It made you think of the way you woke up sometimes with blood still under your nails, or how your ribs still ached if you pressed on them wrong. Even aspects of your life at home.

It was something you didn’t ever want to burden anyone with. The job and school were your escape for that reason.

So a kiss like that would scare the hell out of you. Because it felt too good and with a pristine person, which didn’t make you feel any better.

You hadn’t even said goodnight, and it made you want to punch yourself. 

‘What the hell am I gonna do?’

It had been five long days since you left Sophia’s room and shut the door. You couldn’t even fathom returning to school after that Friday. You did not want to avoid her, but also couldn’t fathom seeing her or saying anything.

Luckily, you were known to not show up on campus unless something important needed to be done, and there were two weeks before performances were happening. So, you stuck to what you knew best. Instead of staying home like a regular person, faking a sickness, or lying about classes to their parents, you buried yourself in work.

Rai didn’t question the sudden amounts of availability in your schedule. If anything, this was something that would work in his favor, giving you many of the dangerous jobs with your high success rates. It was basically back to normal, the late nights, money exchanges, and bloodied knuckles. One of the things on the list of priorities you’d have would be stopping by campus, and sliding assignments under the professor’s office doors in manila folders with your name neatly written across the top. 

You’d show up for about twenty minutes max, showing up to about six offices around the building, then go right back to the warehouse. Sometimes you’d sit around pretending to read, headphones in, jaw clenched tight enough to pop as your mind drifted to space.

Trying to get Sophia out of your head was literally mission impossible. It seemed like everywhere you looked or focused, on reminded you of her. Which made you want to scream at yourself because some things were just so far-fetched, your mind just clinging onto the idea of her.

Like when you saw a bunch of teens eating ice cream, one of them having a tall strawberry cone while walking home. THE COLOR PINK WAS MAKING YOU THINK OF HER.

So, you thought of distracting yourself in another way, and it was by doing what you were best at.

Hitting people, who deserve it, of course, extremely hard. And now with thoughts spiraling in your head, you lacked a tad bit of self-control, which was out of the norm for you.

But it seemed like out of the norm was the pattern for the past few weeks.

So when Thursday night hit the calendar, you and Manon had a drop scheduled at one of Rai’s partner clubs. These were clubs Rai did business with caution and the safety of his employees. This one in particular was one of those neon-lit places that always smelled like sweat, money, and a lot of perfume since women seemed to like the aesthetic of the place. 

It wasn’t your favorite location, preferring the clubs that took place on rooftops for fresh air, but this was a job that had to be done. It was all about business anyways.

Manon wore a black halter mini dress in the color black that looked sleek and showed enough skin, just the way Rai preferred her to wear during these meetings. You hated that part because even with the friends-with-benefits dynamic going on, she is still your friend. The men who bought from your boss rarely treated the transaction like it was purely business with you, now could you even imagine how Manon’s transactions would go with those kinds of men?

Your eyes were sharp the moment you walked in, trailing behind her so the customer wouldn’t notice, watching every movement of the client she was meeting. Rai had given you the rundown on this guy. He’s a new possible client and is trying out the product for the first time. Apparently, just a curious rich brat from uptown looking to "feel something real."

Well, you weren’t liking what he was beginning to feel. Although even if this place was one of Rai’s business partners, it was still open to the general public—no moves were made by you.

It started with him leaning in too close, whispering some things to her in her ear as she visibly shudders at the feeling of his breath, and not in a good way. He chuckled too much as he made obscure gestures with his hands.

Then he moved it to her hip, and you watched her shift uncomfortably. Manon gave a visibly forced laugh, eyes flicking up to you as she subtly took a step to the side to try and create some distance between them. The small look wouldn’t have been caught by him, but you noticed.

Your jaw locked as your knuckles twitched into a fist. She gave you the same look that she usually did when she figured a guy was gonna be a problem. So when you see her locking eyes with you, you give her the smallest nod and look over to the back. Manon received it well and knew what she had to do.

She played it perfectly by smiling sweetly, murmuring something about somewhere quieter. He followed, like the idiot you assumed he was. Guys like this were drunk on their own audacity instead of alcohol.

You followed behind them, and one of the club’s bouncers glanced your way, then looked away just as fast. Rai’s reputation was enough to keep people from asking questions. That and the fact that he paid the club well for instances like this.

Once Manon lured him into the narrow hallway near the back storage room, she stopped walking. He turned to face her, a tipsy grin on his face, thinking he was about to get lucky tonight.

That’s when you march past the two of them, grabbing him by the collar in the process as you walk further back.

Before he could get a word out, you slammed him into the wall. His head thudded hard enough to echo.

"Hey! What the—"

Your fist cut him off, a punch landing across his jaw. The second one then hit his nose hard, and it was too quick for him to even react properly. You didn’t stop, and without hesitation, your fists began a vicious beatdown on him. Like every thought about Sophia—the memory of her laugh, the way she looked at you before you kissed her, the sting of her silence after—was fueling each hit.

Blood began coating your knuckles, even staining your arm and the collar of your shirt as he jerked around after each hit. He tried to block it, tried to sputter out some sorrys, but you didn’t care to stop.

"Don’t ever—" You landed another punch. "—touch her—" And another. "—like that again."

It wasn’t even about Manon anymore. It was about every second of that kiss haunting you. The time that passed while pretending it didn’t mean anything when it meant so fucking much.

Eventually, Manon stepped forward, her voice cutting through the haze. "Okay. That’s enough."

You didn’t hear her.

"Hey—hey," she grabbed your wrist, firm but not rough. "It’s done. Come on." You were breathing hard, the man slumped on the floor, face engulfed in swollen flesh, with blood dripping from his nose and mouth. His groans were low, incoherent, and you looked down at your hand, bloodied and trembling slightly, then at Manon.

Her face wasn’t even angry, just worried.

You stayed silent, fists still balled, adrenaline pulsing as she led you through the back exit of the establishment. Manon looked over at you, eyebrows raised. "You good?" You exhaled through your nose, finally letting your muscles relax. "Yeah."

She tilted her head slightly. "You’ve been hitting harder lately."

"Just needed to let something out."

Her eyes lingered on you for a second too long. She knew you well by now and knew that even if someone touched her that way, you wouldn’t beat them almost half to death. This was about something completely different. 

You hated that even now, in the middle of blood and bruises, you still thought about Sophia. Because now, you were beginning to feel dirty when mixing those thoughts. She was too precious in comparison to the lifestyle you lived.

Manon did her best to lead you through the parking lot toward the car without anyone seeing you. If anyone did, they would call the cops at the slightest look at your hand. You willingly get into the driver's seat and start the car even before Manon takes a seat in the passenger seat.

Before moving, you get some baby wipes out of the center console, wiping all the fluid off your hands. Then you move the gear shift and begin reversing out of the spot before driving back to the warehouse.

The ride back was quiet, you had one hand on the wheel, the other still stained with dried blood, wrapped loosely in a towel, Manon kept in the glovebox. She was able to put it on during a red light, seeing your hands looking incredibly swollen as your veins popped through.

She waited a minute before speaking. "You gonna tell me what’s going on or do I have to guess?" You didn’t answer. "You don’t usually go that far… unless something’s seriously eating you." You gritted your teeth. Eyes locked on the road.

"It’s Sophia, isn’t it?"

Your fingers tightened around the steering wheel. She exhaled, not surprised at the name, but surprised at how much the woman affected you. "Did something happen?"

You didn’t say anything again. "Let me guess," she continued. "Something did. And now you’re pretending it didn’t." Your consistent silence was enough confirmation. Manon shifted in her seat to face you better, her voice softer this time.

"You don’t have to tell me the whole story. But whatever it is, bottling it up and using some poor bastard’s face as a punching bag isn’t gonna help."

You finally spoke, barely above a whisper. "I kissed her." Manon looked confused but tried to understand. "Okay."

"And then I left. Didn’t say anything. Haven’t talked to her since." She nodded slowly, processing. "Did she kiss you back?" You hesitated. Then nodded.

"Then why are you running from it like it’s a goddamn plague?"

Your jaw clenched. You didn’t have an answer you liked. "Because it felt like something," you admitted, voice tight. "And I wasn’t ready for that." Manon sighed, leaning back comfortably against the seat. "Life is all about never being ready for things like that, Y/n. You know that better than I do."

The rest of the drive passed in silence again. When you finally pulled into the lot outside the warehouse, Manon reached for the door but stopped.

"You should talk to her. Before it starts eating you alive, please. Miss Sophia may have won you over, but you're still my friend, and I care about you." You barely give her a nod, but she saw it.

“Good. Let me know when you do, because I want to hear all about the woman who was successful enough to have your heart in a bunch.”

She shuts the door, and you now begin sitting back, thinking about Manon’s advice. Seeing her likely was the best course of action, so you decide to face your problems head-on, like you usually do. You were going to talk to her at the party.

On Friday, you took the opportunity to give Rai a heads up, not be able to come in the next. You didn’t even have to tell him anything, you're still young and he knows the way ‘the youngins’ think, his words, not yours.

After work, you went home, just to lie in bed and think about everything that happened. Your thoughts were just a bunch of storms in your head, which almost got you to sleep for the night. But then you heard a loud crash of glass, followed by a woman’s voice yelling at the top of her lungs.

You jumped up immediately, mainly hoping your sister wasn’t anywhere near it since she would be home for the weekend. The second you cracked open your bedroom door, you saw Zaria, your seventeen-year-old sister, standing at the top of the steps, just listening to all the chaos coming from downstairs.

“Hey, why don’t you just wait in the room just in case?” you said gently, because yelling and making her do it wouldn’t help at all. She nodded without a word, already knowing the drill. If your dad saw her, she’d get dragged into it too, and you wanted to avoid that as much as possible.

You waited until her door shut, then crept down the stairs, trying to assess the situation. The crash was your dad falling straight onto the glass coffee table. Now it shattered beneath him, and he was clearly drunk as he lay there limp.

Meanwhile, your mother looked like she was in the middle of having an episode. It probably started as soon as he walked through the front door, triggering something from an old argument.

You rush back up and into their bedroom and grab her medication, your hands moving without even thinking due to muscle memory. When you ran back downstairs, she looked at you with eyes wide and on edge, but you gave her the softest smile you could manage.

“Mom, it’s time for your medicine, okay?”

At first, she shook her head no furiously, backing away slightly, but you’d been through this before. It was exhaustion and fear that made her uncooperative. In a gentle voice, you tell her, “Once you take these, you can go to bed. I’ll deal with Dad.”

You held out the pills in the palm of your hand, and after a long moment, she finally nodded.

“Alright,” she murmured, taking them and washing them down with water from the cup on the counter. Like a switch flipped in her head, she turned and headed upstairs, her movements a little shaky but steady enough.

You followed the walk under the archway that separated the kitchen from the living room and stood there, just staring at your father. Laid out across broken glass, out cold and acting like his useless self. At least there wouldn’t be yelling or any violence tonight. You sighed, rolled up your sleeves, and began fixing what you could.

It took all your strength to lift his heavy body and dump him onto the couch. He groaned at his landing, but you ignored it. Your only priority was to clean up the mess he made because it was going to be an eyesore.

You headed to a storage closet and pulled out a clear plastic trash bag. It was one of the unused ones for recycling plastic and metal. You picked up the larger shards of glass by hand, moving carefully, then grabbed the broom to sweep up the rest from the wooden floor.

You made a mental note to remind your mom and Zaria to wear slippers around the house until you could mop and vacuum again—just in case. After tossing the shards into the recycling bin outside, you finally trudged back upstairs and lay down, eyes wide open, trying your best to just breathe. 

You guessed it was enough to go to bed, because the next morning, you woke up abruptly from the sound of a large truck honking past your house.

Before realizing how much time had passed, you’d already taken a long shower, just relaxing your tense body against the hot water. You did some light makeup, mostly to cover the remnants of past fights still on your skin. The coverage is just enough to make you look more lively. Then you changed into something comfy but stylish enough not to look like your normal plain self.

Your phone buzzed just as you were tying your shoes.

Sophia see u there *location pin dropped*

You blinked at the message, no “hey,” or “r u still coming?” Her playful emojis weren’t there, causing the nerves to rack up as you stared at the address. Tapping on the pin she sent, you realize the party was happening just a few blocks from her place. You should’ve guessed that was the case since her friends are theeeeee rich girls on campus.

At least it’s a route you've come to be familiar with.

You walked down the warehouse to text Rai about borrowing a car again. Luckily, this man never cared due to the number of cars he owned, because he just gave you a thumbs up as a response. You chose the BMW you had used previously, and forty minutes later, you were pulling into the neighborhood, as you looked for the right house. You didn’t have to look hard, though.

Cars were already lined up along the front entrance of a house and even into the spacious lawn. Everyone parked like they were playing Tetris, and you knew it was going to be a pain to leave your spot, so you opted for a spot outside of the gate. Music was vibrating faintly through the pavement from the outside of the house. You then rolled up the windows all the way before parking, trying to psych yourself up while your stomach rolled with nerves.

The house itself reminded you of a modern version of Sophia’s home with the white, grey, and black colors spanning across the exterior of the house. Seemed like a rentable Airbnb for parties like this, but you could only assume this was actually Lara’s home.

A guard stood by the front door… of course, there was a guard. He didn’t move at first, just stared you down until you got closer. Then he glanced at his clipboard. “Name?”

You almost laughed, the moment feeling ridiculous like you were on a job at one of those nightclubs. But you said your name anyway, half-expecting to be turned away because this just wasn’t your kind of scene.

The parties you were used to were the ones at Rai’s warehouse, when all coworkers would become friends for the night.

Instead of being turned away, he gave a short nod and stepped aside. “You’re on the list.”

Of course you were. Sophia probably pulled some strings on that list. When stepping inside, immediately hit by the overwhelming bass of the loud music, scents of perfume, sweat, and weed mixing in the air. People were going in every direction, some teens doing shots in their little corner, guys doing way too much on the dance floor, and girls holding up their phones under the colorful lights to get the perfect angle for their stories. 

You had to blink a few times to adjust to everything happening.

Your job is probably much more chaotic, but it isn’t chaotic fun like this. This was much more anxiety-inducing than you expected. You took one step forward, and even before you could make any sensible movement, “Holy shit.” A blur of movement, as someone bumped into you, then paused. Sophia told you a bit about her friends for you to be able to recognize the younger girl, Megan.

Her wide eyes flicked over your face, a grin stretching across her lips. “Wait. Wait, Y/n?” You gave a half-smile. “Yeah.”

“I haven’t seen you for some time, Dani looks a bit lonely surrounded by all the dance majors,” she joked, nudging your shoulder lightly. “You clean up nice.”

“Thanks,” you said, chuckling once under your breath. She glanced around, then leaned in a bit. “Looking for Sophia?” You hesitated. “Sort of. But a drink would be nice first.”

“Kitchen’s through there,” she pointed down a hallway to your left. “Fridge is stocked with beers, seltzers, and everything.”

“Noted,” you nodded, already making your way through the crowd. You weave between people like until you reach the kitchen, which was still full, but not as packed as the main room. At least it had lighting that didn’t make you feel like you were in a music video. You tugged the fridge open, eyes skimming past lines of beers and hard seltzers.

None were for your taste, not exactly a big fan of the strong liquors. Then, rows of Buzzballs were near the bottom shelf. You grabbed one instantly, flipping the small blue ball-shaped can in your hand. Better than whatever beer and other options were in there. It was at least sweet to cut through the alcohol.

You cracked it open, letting the fizz rise, then took a long sip. It was helping the heavy feeling on your chest relieve itself, even if it was still there. You then begin looking around, realizing that somewhere in the crowd was the woman you came here for.

Sophia wasn’t the type to check her phone obsessively. At least, not until this past week.

When she sent you the text a few hours ago, she caught herself unlocking the screen just to stare at the “read” receipt under her last message, and she hated the feeling. Sophia Laforteza wasn’t someone who got nervous; if anything, she was headstrong.

But when she saw the little “read at 7:09 PM,” she clutched her cranberry vodka a little tighter. School should’ve been normal, she literally only met you recently. Yet every class was a blur, the corridors felt much emptier, and even her friends couldn’t get her out of the rut she was in. Sophia wasn’t able to focus on anything properly, and Miss Perfect was showing signs of cracking because of you.

Lara and Yoonchae were in their own little world beside her, laughing at something stupid, and for a second, Sophia managed a ghost of a smile. Then Megan appeared out of nowhere, swinging her drink around with so much energy as she leaned in.

“Guess who I just saw,” she grinned, her voice practically teasing. Lara was the first to bite. “Oh no. Who?” Megan swirled the cup, teasing the girls a bit. “Y/n.”

Sophia blinked, confused for a second until it hit her. Her heart did that annoying skip it always did when it came to you, and her eyes darted to Megan like they needed confirmation. “You saw her?” she asked, way too quickly.

Megan nodded, grinning widely. “She went to the kitchen and grabbed a Buzzball. Looked hot, by the way.”

Sophia couldn’t breathe for a second until Lara nudged her gently. Yoonchae, all sweet and too observant when it comes to the older, smiled knowingly. “I think someone’s happy.”

“I’m—” Sophia tried to speak, but her throat felt dry. She took another sip from her red solo cup, but it didn’t help.

What if you were just there for the party? To let loose, escape your job for the night. Meanwhile, you had just finished chugging the last of your first Buzzball, wiping the corner of your mouth with the back of your hand. Your shoulders are now less tense, making the haze of bodies and loud music less suffocating.

You reached back into the fridge and grabbed another. If you were gonna do this tonight, you needed all the liquid courage you could get. You popped it open and muttered to yourself, “Alright. You can do this. No big deal. Just a conversation.”

Just a conversation with the girl you kissed. Who hadn’t texted you anything else all week… Yeah, just a conversation. 

You stepped back into the crowd, scanning. Eyes weaving past couples who were grinding and suckin each other's faces off, people playing drinking games, someone hesitantly trying to do a backflip while people cushioned him. But then, just past the ‘dance floor,’ you saw her.

Sophia was in black jeans and a sleeveless cropped hoodie, holding a red cup while her hair was styled in that effortless, slightly messy ponytail that made your heart quicken because she looked that good without trying.

She looked up and saw you.

Just her eyes locking with yours, widening just a bit. Her eyes were so hopeful, and you could feel it from across the room. So you started walking before you could overthink anything. When you reached her, you didn’t waste time pretending, just blurting out the first thing that came to mind.

“Hey,” you said. “Can we talk? Somewhere quieter.”

Her voice caught a little, but she nodded. “Yeah. Yeah, of course.” She grabbed your hand lightly, barely even touching you, and led you upstairs. You kept your eyes forward while she didn’t even look back, but her grip on your hand was telling enough.

Past the noise, the crowds of people, she opened a door to what looked like a spare bedroom. Unused with lights that were dim… a little moody actually, and once she stepped inside with you, she turned the lock behind her.

There wasn’t complete silence, but neither of you had spoken up yet. The bass of the music still vibrated through the floorboards, muffling everyone who yelled over the music. You could kind of hear her exhale. Hear the sounds of your drinks as you both sipped at the same time, nerves kicking all over again.

She stood near the dresser while you hovered near the edge of the bed. Neither of you moved an inch, but you wanted to get this over with. Manon was right, you were going to face the problem and end it, so you wouldn’t go crazy.

“I didn’t come here for the party,” you said, finally meeting her eyes. Sophia’s fingers tightened a bit around her cup. “I mean, technically I did,” you added. “But not for this party. I didn’t even plan on drinking.” You glanced at your half-empty Buzzball. “Clearly that didn’t last.”

A ghost of a smile tugged at her lips, but it faded quickly. “I came because of you,” you continued, heart pounding against your chest as you finally let out those words. “Because I’ve been trying not to think about that night. But that’s... not really working out for me.”

Sophia’s lips parted slightly, her breath shallow. She looked like she wanted to interrupt, but she held back her tongue, wanting to hear what you had to say for yourself. “I didn’t know if it meant something to you. I didn’t even know what it meant to me at first. But I keep replaying it in my head several times a day. And I haven’t been able to stop thinking about you since—even with you right in front of me.”

You laughed a bit, sounding dry and nervous. “I guess I just... needed to know if I was the only one feeling that way.”

Sophia finally moved then, stepping a little closer. Her eyes searched your face like she was making sure this was all reality and not her dreams. “You’re not,” she whispered just loud enough for you to hear.

And for a second, the tension grew stronger as she came a bit closer to you. She placed her cup down on the dresser, then reached out, brushing her fingers against yours.

“You left,” she said. “After that night, I waited every day for something. Anything even, because I thought I did something wrong.”

“I was scared,” you admitted, your voice barely audible. “You make me nervous.” 

“Good,” she murmured, stepping even closer. “You drive me crazy, you know.”

And just like that, there wasn’t much distance between the two of you anymore. It felt nice, seeing that you were getting somewhere, but your heart did feel like it was about to burst with how fast it was going.

Whatever happened next might be the liquor doing its thing, but neither of you seemed to really care. Drunk thoughts are real thoughts, right? Not that you were drunk, but the Buzzball was definitely helping this go smoothly.

Sophia’s breath hitched when your fingers brushed over hers. Her voice came out a bit louder than the first time she spoke. “You make me nervous, too.”

The confession made your chest feel tight and your skin feel too warm. You tilted your head at her, letting your hand slowly turn to lace fingers with hers. “Good,” you murmured, echoing her from earlier. “Then we’re even.”

There was a flicker in her eyes in some amusement, even maybe some disbelief. Her hand squeezed yours like she needed to make sure this was happening, that you were here, saying this, standing in this room with her, not just rushing out and disappearing again. The space between you started to shorten.

Then her eyes dropped to your lips, and back to your eyes, which could only make you feel giddy. ‘What the hell was even happening at this point?’

Sophia stepped forward, and her body was warm. You could feel the heat of her skin even with clothes still separating you. Her hand moved to your jaw, thumb brushing over your cheek like she was trying to memorize your face by touch.

And then, this time, she leaned in and kissed you. This kiss wasn’t as soft as the first one; you felt that she wanted to make it worth it. After what she went through, well, what both of you went through this week, you owed it to yourselves.

You kissed her back roughly and didn't want to let her go as your hands found the sides of her waist and pulled her closer and closer, like it still wasn’t enough. Sophia moaned against your mouth, and something about the sound made you feel dizzy.

She broke the kiss only to speak against your lips, voice husky and uneven. “I thought about this. Ever since I started to get to know the real you.” You swallowed hard, forehead leaning into hers. “Yeah?”

She nodded, her hands sliding around the back of your neck, fingers playing with the hair at your nape. “The way you kissed me that night.”

You let out a shaky breath, pressing your body flush against hers until she backed into the edge of the dresser with her cup on it. Her hands tightened around you as her back hit the wood.

“I’ve thought about you, too.” You kissed her again, harder this time, teeth just slightly catching her bottom lip. Her nails grazed your shoulders through your clothes, and her breath hitched again.

The buildup of tension, frustration, and longing seemed to be catching up as you wanted more of her. You slowly trailed your lips to her jaw, then down to the hollow of her neck, where her skin was already warm. She gasped softly, tilting her head back against the wall. You took your time there, letting your lips graze just enough.

“Screw it,” Sophia whispered breathlessly, her voice ragged. The grin that pulled at your lips was confident. Now this was what you were known to do, but it was different. It was with someone you genuinely liked this time.

You grabbed her by the hips, lifting her onto the dresser effortlessly. She gasped again at the motion, legs parting subconsciously to make space for you between them. Her hands rested on your shoulders, and you could feel them twitching to restrain herself.

Your lips met hers again, much more heated, as one of her hands tangled in your silky hair and the other gripped your shirt like she was holding on for dear life. You let your hand travel up the outside of her thigh, tracing over the denim seam of her jeans, and felt her shiver beneath you.

Sophia’s head tilted to the side, her lips brushing over your jaw. “If you’re trying to drive me insane, congratulations,” she muttered. You chuckled low in your throat, letting your thumb slide just under the hem of her top, grazing the bare skin of her waist. “I haven’t even started yet, and you're already needy.”

She looked down at you then, breathless, eyes heavy, lips red and swollen from kissing. “Then what are you waiting for?”

That was the breaking point. You crashed your lips onto hers again with a groan, hands gripping her thighs as you pressed into her, both needing it right now.

"Can I?" you asked, voice husky, while Sophia looked messy, but she still looked gorgeous in your eyes. She nodded, but you paused with hands on her waist, "Words, baby. I need words."

As you spoke to her, she felt herself being lifted and wrapped her legs around your waist, tight as you settled her onto the large bed.

"You can," your gaze softened, lifting her arms to help her remove the cropped shirt. But there was a shift in your eyes, they darkened as you roamed over her exposed skin, taking in her tan figure that was only covered by a red lacey bra.

Now you weren’t expecting to see such a risque look, but you definitely weren’t going to ruin the moment by saying anything. "Beautiful," you whispered, fingers tracing the curve of her waist. "I can finally show you how much I need you."

You leaned in, pressing your lips on her exposed collarbone, then lower, following the lines of her abs with your mouth. She gave under your touch, the way your lips felt on her just had her melting, wanting to surrender to you completely.

"We can go as slow as you need," you mumbled against her skin, but Sophia seemed to have other plans. "I don't want slow," she admitted, pulling you closer. "I want you."

There was now a smile on your swollen lips—not a playful grin, but something much dirtier. "Then lie back on the bed and let me take care of you."

She complied, watching as you leaned back further to pull your own shirt over your head, revealing more of your tattoos scattered across your ribs and shoulders. Now crawling back onto the bed after throwing your shirt somewhere in the room, you straddle her with a confidence that made her groan at the sight of you on top of her.

"You're so fucking gorgeous," you said, leaning down to kiss her again. "I can't believe you're mine for tonight."

Your words had her shudder a bit as your hands tugged on the waistband of her jeans. Slowly, you unbutton and unzip them to undress her completely, pausing to appreciate her entire body with both your eyes and mouth. "Fucking hell," you quietly sighed as your eyes didn’t stop trailing all over her body. You lick your lips at the sight of her perky breasts.

"Tell me what you want, baby," you whispered with urgency, your breath growing heavier. "Tell me what you need." 

"You," she spat, much more controlling than intended. "Everything. Your hands. Your mouth." You smiled against her skin, "So demanding."

Your lips trailed down her body, every kiss placed softly with intention. The feeling of your fingers exploring her hips had her body feeling on fire. You would caress over every curve until you made your way to her thighs, and she gasped at the touch.

You were on her inner thighs and gave them a kiss before shifting down your entire body. Arms hook under her legs, and she feels your firm hands grip her around the thighs. You didn't even need to do much, and she already felt her core aching, "God, Y/n," she hums lowly.

"Does that feel nice?" you asked, voice breathy and teasing as your fingers traced patterns on her inner thigh. "You like it when I touch you here?"

"Yes," she whined, not even noticing how she squirmed at the feeling. "How about here?" Your fingers inched higher, feeling your fingers right beside her pussy. She whimpers again at the feeling, not being able to trust a word to come out of her mouth.

You laughed softly, "I'll take that as a yes." Mouth replacing your fingers, giving little kisses until you got to her cunt. She sighs at first, your actions having her body relax into the bed. That was until she felt your tongue flick her clit, her body jolting in shock and a sudden moan came out.

She feels you smile as you sucked on her pussy again, "god if I knew how good you tasted, I would've done this a lot sooner instead of thinking so hard."

"Can you shut up a-" she was about to say, but you cut her off as you lick a long strip up her wet core, making her groan. "You're not in control right now, baby. I am."

She feels your tongue go in, and she almost shrieks at the feeling, covering her mouth with both hands. Not even a second on her lips, your hand lifted them off her face. "I wanna hear you," you hummed against her, sending vibrations all over her body, and relentless moaning came about.

"Fuck, Y/n. Feels too good," her breath hitched at the pleasure as she feels her body heating up, sweat beginning to cling to her skin. Her hands found your hair, needing something to anchor herself. You then moved your mouth away, the cold air grazing her wet core.

She looks down, about to complain about the lonesome feeling, until she sees you. Gosh, you looked sexy, gaze droopy as your mouth glistened, covered in her own juices. "I'm not done yet, baby. Don't worry," you said as you felt her tensing at the emptiness.

Your hands went to her pussy, rubbing slow circles around and she can't help but lean her head back. "Shit," she moans, it was slow but it had her throbbing. "You look so good like this under me, Fia," you grunted, and she feels your fingers tease her entrance.

Slowly, you pushed in a finger, and she arched her body up, while feeling the pumping in and out. She crumbles when she hears you speak, "Look at you reacting so well to my fingers." She whimpers as you took your other thumb, rubbing her clit at the same time.

"Y/n," she gasped your name. "More baby, please," she whines, and you sit yourself up a bit. Hands make their way up to her breast, fondling her hard nipples. "How pretty these are," you mumbled, then dove down. Your mouth latched onto them, tongue playing as they flickered while being coated in your saliva. She moaned, wanting more than this.

"Faster, please," she calls out and when looking down, your eyes stuck on her as she sees your lips curving upward despite the continuous sucking. You come up to her mouth, smashing your lips against her. She feels your pace quicken between her legs as she tries to moan, but it was muffled by your needy kiss.

Your fingers slipped in and out, her wetness helping with the quickened pace. "Feel how wet you are for me?" You mumbled against her lips, and she couldn't help but just kiss back in response as her brows furrowed.

"Fuck, fuck, fuck, Y/n," she begs, shifting her head to the side, the feeling becoming more overwhelming for her to resist. You knew exactly what that meant, moving back down to her pussy. Mouth returning to your spot, tongue sinking back into her core, tongue fucking her until she chokes up a moan. 

"This wet cunt, just for me, hm?" You hummed against her, the vibration adding another layer of sensation. "I've got you," you promised, two fingers joining her mouth in a rhythm that quickly had her cumming.

"Shit, Y/n," she came as your steady hands hold her while she trembled. Before she could fully recover, you moved up her body, capturing her mouth in a kiss that let Sophia taste herself on your lips.

Your eyes fix all over her face, a bit worried, “Feeling okay?” Sophia giggles at the newfound concern you have for her, finding it cute. “I’m more than okay,” she hears a sigh of relief as you lie down next to her, and she feels warm as you wrap an arm around her naked figure.

“What does this mean for us?” Sophia spoke up, unsure if that’s what she should’ve asked after the time you just spent together. You look at her as she stares at the dim ceiling, wanting to tell her the truth.

“I… I want this to be real. But my life is just completely different from yours, Sophia.”

You told her honestly, which made her turn towards you, shaking her head. You stop her from saying anything, “Involving you in my life could be dangerous for you.”

“Then teach me to fend for myself, trust me. Protect me, Y/n,” she told you with authority in her voice. You were slightly taken aback by her passion, but smiled at how badly she wanted this, just as much as you.

“Fine. I’ll do everything in my power, blood, sweat, and tears to make us work,” Sophia smiles at your words. Giving you another kiss before pulling away and just leaning on your frame, head resting on your chest.

“Can we stay like this for now?” She murmurs, and you nod, complying as both arms now wrap around her body, wanting this moment to never end.

“SO WHEN WERE YOU GONNA TELL US ALL OF THIS?” Lara yells a week later, sitting in the common room area of the building, as Sophia gives her friends the rundown of what happened at the party.

“I just wanted to see where this would all go before I told you guys, okay?” She confesses, gaze drifting toward you as you sat with Daniella again across the room. You laugh about Dani’s mom making fun of her again, which causes you to find Sophia’s eyes.

Smiling at her, you wave as her face goes bright pink. Since that night, you have been making an incredible effort for Sophia. Instead of focusing on your job, you had asked Rai to free up your schedule more. The excuse was that the semester was coming to an end and many exams would be approaching, not want to use Sophia just in case he would say no.

After the party, you had been in school every single day, sitting next to Sophia during classes you shared with her, sharing notes with each other, even bringing her mango juice you would buy every morning before school.

Life seemed to be heading in the right direction for you as well. You were extremely close to buying a good apartment that fit you, Zaria, and your mom with the money you had been saving for the past year.

Thankfully, Rai paid you well, and it wouldn’t take much longer. 

Wednesday night, you even visited the warehouse to report that a client handing over their payment properly, and told Manon about what happened on Saturday. You didn’t go into detail about it, feeling it would be a bit weird to explain how you slept with Sophia… with a person you had slept with in the past.

She was genuinely happy for you, joking a bit, “Well, now that you're off the market, can you introduce me to that Daniella friend of yours?” You nudged her arm and laughed, then talked more about how you felt about Sophia. Manon clearly saw how smitten you are with the Filipina.

She was also a girl’s girl and respected what was happening, so she wasn’t planning on pushing anymore boundaries.

On Thursday, you went over to Sophia’s house, and while spending time with her as she cuddled against your chest, you had told her everything about your life that you possibly could in that moment.

Your job, who you worked for, your situation at home, how you planned on moving out, Daniella being a childhood best friend of yours, and, yes, even about Manon. She stared up at you as you explained each thing, carefully listening to each topic. Sophia didn’t care so much about Manon after learning how emotionally unavailable you were with each other.

It also did help that she was asking soooo many questions about your feelings for her. She would ask when you first started liking her, what kinds of dates you would take her on, and how you would protect her at any moment. Each answer made her heart swell even more for you.

Now the two of you were in school on Friday, and Sophia now had to deal with her friends bombarding her about everything.

“How was it?” Megan asked excitedly as Lara calmed down in her seat. “It was amazing-”

“Are the two of you together now?” Lara butted in, leaning closer to Sophia as the older answered, “Not yet but we’re working on it.”

Megan and Lara were about to ask something again, but Yoonchae beat them both to it first. “Are you happy?”

Now that was a legitimate question that actually made the older smile, just nodding as she kept her head down, a bit embarrassed. Lara and Megan squeal at the reaction while Yoonchae sways in a rhythm, happy that Sophia wasn’t worrying about only being perfect in school anymore.

She now had to think about her feelings for you. If she loved you, when she had to worry about you, the memories she was going to make with you. They were all feelings that made love real and a beautiful thing.

Sophia wouldn’t jump the fence and say she did it out of right love for you, but she was sure that the feeling was close. Because, despite finding the roughed up version of you all hot, she was pleased to see you less hurt in the past few days and just healing up.

“Fia?” She heard to her left, and she looked up to find you. You had this goofy grin on your face, and all she wanted to do was squeeze your cheeks. “Ready for our next class?”

Sophia nodded and got up, collecting her belongings in the process as her friends watched the two of them. You held her hand and waved at her friends, while Sophia told them she’ll be going and how she’ll text them later tonight. “Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do!” Lara tells the two, and you chuckle as Sophia walks with her head down while you whisk her away to your last class.

Like the past couple of days, you sat down right beside her once you entered the classroom, getting comfortable as you got out your trusty notebook.

“Should we run lines tonight?” You whispered in her ear, and Sophia shuddered at the feeling. “Yeah, my place right after this?” You nodded as you gave her a small peck on the side of your forehead, making her smile like a high schooler who talked to their crush for the first time.

The class was pretty boring, you and Sophia focusing on taking down notes like the studious students you are. The hour passed by quickly, the professor already dismissing everyone and reminding them about the dates of their exams the following week.

Sophia dragged you to the entrance of the school, waving off the attention of random people trying to greet her, only glancing back to make sure you were keeping up before heading toward the parking lot. 

Luckily, her driver was already in front with the big black SUV, standing at the back passenger side like always. Loid, her driver, was dressed in his usual tuxedo and stayed quiet while giving you a polite nod as he opened the door for you both.

“Hey, Loid,” you greeted him with a small smile, sliding into the backseat after Sophia.

He bowed slightly. “Miss L/n.”

The car was comfortable, like usual, since you had been going to Sophia’s place time to time after school. The leather is light brown, the temperature is cool inside, and both of you stayed quiet, just soaking in the silence of the drive after the tons of yapping each professor did in school today.

Your hand found hers instinctively, and Sophia glanced at you, then down at your intertwined hands. Instead of saying anything, she just smiled softly to herself, eyes flicking back out the window. Without warning, Sophia pressed a gentle kiss to your cheek and rested her head on your shoulder.

You tried to play it cool, not wanting her to see the way your cheeks were heating up or how much you suddenly couldn’t stop smiling like an idiot. You were kind of obsessed with her at this point. And the fact that she hadn’t let go of your hand the whole ride only made you feel all warm inside.

By the time the car pulled up to her house, you had to mentally shake yourself out of your lovesick brain. The school play was already on Monday, and the two of you had to focus and make sure everything was perfect.

Because let’s be real, even when you called Sophia Miss Perfect, you were as well when it came to school, if you removed the fact that you didn’t show up much.

You played Aria, the daughter of a harsh politician, while Sophia played Gina, a girl from a poor family. Think Romeo and Juliet, but make it sapphic and kind of switching your roles in real life.

Gina and Aria weren’t supposed to love each other, and they weren’t even supposed to meet.

But of course, fate would do the exact opposite to them… and of course it ended badly.

You both went into Sophia’s room without saying much, the comfort between you two becoming natural now. She handed you a printed script with notes scribbled in pink pen, then plopped on the edge of her bed with her own marked-up copy that had purple ink instead of pink. The sunset streamed through her window, casting an orange hue on the white walls and floors of the room.

You ran through scenes quickly at first, blocking, line emphasis, and pacing. Sometimes she’d accidentally mix up her lines or stare at you for a little too long and get distracted, but it wasn’t like you were any better. You weren’t exactly immune to her entire existence, and the way she acted almost had you in awe.

Just almost, though, because you also had a slightly massive ego when it came to your own acting, but you wouldn’t even admit that to yourself. Things stayed lighthearted until the final scene.

You barely had to flip to the last page to know the dreaded ending came next. The final confrontation at the pier between Gina and Aria. You, standing behind her, acted torn between staying and finally choosing the life her family expected of her.

Sophia cleared her throat, sitting up straighter while you followed her actions, adjusting yourself because of how serious this was about to be. Sophia then said her lines, “If love is a curse, then I guess I was damned the second I met you.”

Her voice wavered slightly, but she did her best to keep going. “You’ve made my life so much better. Made me feel strong through everything that I was going though.”

You stepped forward slowly, moving according to the light blocking your scripts had assigned, and said your own lines. “Gina… I won't ever stop loving you. This is just the only way to keep you safe, away from my father.”

Sophia’s eyes flicked up at you, already glassy, the scene hitting harder than she expected, even if you two were the ones who wrote it. Her lower lip quivered, but her voice stayed strong.  “Then you might as well kill me. Because I’ll never feel safe without you.”

You exhaled slowly, stepping closer, watching her eyes closely as you delivered the final blow. “This is it for us, Gina. I’m sorry.”

That was the line that shattered her. Sophia’s breath hitched as a tear slipped down her cheek. Then another and another as tears just kept falling. Her chest rose and fell like she wasn’t getting air fast enough. 

“Fia,” you said softly, script falling to your side as you set it down on the bed. She sniffled, eyes squeezing shut for a second before she wiped at them quickly. You take a step toward her, reaching out for her hand. “You okay?”

“I’m fine,” she whispered, but the way her voice broke at the end said otherwise. “No, that was… honestly? That was incredible.” You swept away one of the tears, giving her a soft, crooked smile. “You just made me emotional with a line I’ve heard fifty times.”

Sophia laughed wetly, leaning into your palm, her body finally relaxing as she let her shoulders drop. “It’s just… I don’t know. Something about it hit harder this time.”

“Maybe it’s because you’re too good at this,” you teased lightly, trying to ease her emotions. “You practically made me forget we’re not actually Aria and Gina.”

You didn’t say anything at first to let her calm down, then you smiled once she stopped hitching her breath and leaned in. “Want to run it one more time?” you whispered. Sophia shook her head.

“No,” she whispered, pulling you a little closer. “I want something else.” She kissed you slowly as your lips helped her calm down. You wrapped your hand around her nape, softly caressing her as you moved back a bit. “We’re gonna do great, so we won't have to act that or more times than we have to.”

That actually made her laugh, and you guys decided that it was enough practice until the day of the pay. The weekend passed by quickly with the help of errands and cash drops for Rai. Surprisingly, there wasn’t any violence, and it was honestly manageable, calm for two days.

But Monday rolled around much more quickly because of that. By the time you got to school that morning, you were practically glued to Sophia’s side like a lost puppy. The nerves were kind of getting to you, not knowing what to expect during that period of class, and yet you weren’t scared. Sophia made you feel ready for what’s to come.

That comfort lasted until your playwriting professor walked in, a clipboard in hand and a too-early smile on his face.

"Alright, we’re on the fifth play today," he announced to the room, already eyeing the two of you. "Which means... Miss Lafoerteza and Miss Y/L/N, you’re up."

You felt Sophia go stiff beside you, then squeezed her hand for a bit of comfort. He continued, “Head backstage. We’ll give you five to get settled before curtain.”

You both stood up, her fingers briefly grazing yours before she tucked her script against her chest. The class watched you two shuffle toward the back with way too much interest in comparison to the previous plays for some reason. I mean, it was likely because of Sophia and her being popular.

Backstage, Sophia was already pacing in small circles, whispering lines under her breath so they would be stuck in her brain. You reached for her hand gently, “Hey.”

She turned, eyes wide, lips parted slightly. “You’re gonna kill it,” you said, squeezing her hand. “We’re gonna kill it. You know this. You could even do this in your sleep.” Her shoulders dropped slightly, but she was still tense.

“Sophia, look at me,” you said.

When she did, you gave her a soft smile and leaned in, wrapping your arms around her in a long hug, and you felt her heart slow down against your chest. She melted into it after a second, exhaling every nerve she felt out of her body.

Then, from the front of the curtain, you heard your professor shout, “On my count — five, four...!”

The show finally began with everyone else having printed out scripts to follow along. Like you said, everything moved smoothly once you were on stage. The lights were hot as they blasted both of your bodies, the silence from the audience was a bit eerie, and somehow every line sounded better while standing on stage. You barely had to act at certain points. The story of Aria and Gina hits a bit close to home for the two of you.

And then came the ending. You swallowed thickly as you stepped forward, the final lines leaving your mouth as your voice cracked just enough to sting.

“This is it for us, Gina. I’m sorry.” You didn’t even realize you were crying until your line finished and your vision blurred. As the script had directed, you turned and went behind the curtains, and once you hit backstage, you wiped the tears off your face in frantic swipes.

Meanwhile, Sophia stayed on stage as planned. She stood there, center spotlight, with her expression wrecked, even in its silence. She stayed in character until the very end, even when she became shocked at the sight of tears rolling down your face for the first time.

Then the lights dropped and the class erupted in applause, even the professor too. She had barely made it back behind the curtain when he called both of you back out. “Miss Y/L/N, Miss Lafoerteza — stay a moment,” he said, staying seated behind the table with his clipboard and the most pleased expression you’d ever seen on his face.

“I have to say,” he continued, looking between the two of you, “this might be the most powerful performance I’ve seen for this project in years. Well-written characters. A plot with a lot of angst. Dialogue that hurt.”

The class nodded in agreement, still clapping. “And based on your script, commitment, and the full delivery of the story…” he paused, then smiling, “I’m giving both of you an A. No notes.”

You turned to Sophia, heart still pounding, and pulled her into a hug before anything else could happen. She was crying again from how much pressure she’d been holding in all month until now. Her arms wrapped around you tightly, face pressed against your chest, and you smiled through your own exhausted breath.

You pulled her backstage after the Professor told the next pair to prepare. Leaning back just slightly to cup her cheeks as her arms were wrapped around you, and kissed her softly. When you pulled back, her smile finally peeked through her tears. “We did it,” she whispered.

You laughed. “Yeah. We really did.” She sniffled, her makeup slightly smudged, and you grabbed the corner of your sleeve to gently pat under her eyes. “Don’t worry,” you murmured. “You still look perfect.”

She bit her lip at that, eyes fluttering a bit because of your touch. Then, before you could overthink it, you looked her dead in the eyes and asked, quietly, “Sophia… will you be my girlfriend?”

For a moment, her face went still. Then the smallest smile crept across her lips, one that slowly grew wider as her eyes looked glossier than normal.

“Yes,” she said softly. “Of course I will.”

[jinx-s-things]

Hey! 😘

This is my first ever request so sorry if it sounds weird. So I seen your post about starting Anora fics and I totally think you should

Ani x musician reader!!!

Like the reader is performing with their band or something like that then Ani notices the drummer and is instantly attracted.

That’s just an idea though you don’t have to write that if you don’t want to

Crazy little thing called love

Anora x musician fem!reader

Warnings: slight mentions of sex other than that I think it’s alright

Notes: I did change the reader to a guitarist instead of a drummer also thanks for the request.

The colourful lights were pulsing throughout the whole club as the loud music was thumping. Over in the corner in the dim light was Anora giving a lap dance to one of the men on the black leather couch’s. To some people It was a shitty job but it’ll do if she can pay the rent.

The tinsel in her hair fell across her face while her dark black hair was all over the place. Most of her makeup was sparkling and matched with her acrylic nails.

-

You stood outside of the club, the neon sign flashed in your eyes, cars drove swiftly past. You and your band walked in the door getting ready to set up. You were glad to get in from the chilly weather as it was freezing this time of night.

Once everything was set up the lights slowly flashed a nice shade of pink and purple as music started to play. You couldn’t help but notice a lady in the background talking to a man. Her eyes sparkled as she spoke.

She suddenly turned around and looked directly at you and a slight smirk appeared on her face along with a wink. ‘Had you imagined that’ you think to yourself, but you must have been so lost in thought that you didn’t even realise your band mate was now aggressively taping you. “Get it together Y/N, we might actually get payed this time” they whisper to you.

For several months you and your band have been playing at college gigs and not one single penny. You had lost hope this was gonna be the last time you ever play with your band at all before you leave. No money, no job barely any food it was awful.

It was a shame you did really enjoy being up on stage but there was no way you would manage to pay bills. Your apartment was atrocious anyway.

The whole thing went surprisingly well although the whole time you couldn’t take your eyes off of the dark haired lady that was now dancing on the pole.

Once the gig was over and everything was packed up some of your band members started to head out. You were just about to go when all of a sudden a hand lightly grabbed your shoulder. “So you must be the guitarist” they said, noticing the guitar hanging around your shoulder. You turned around and realised it was her. “Yeah I am” you answered not really knowing what to say. “You got a real smooth melody going on” the dancer spoke in a quiet tone, seductive even. “Thanks really appreciate it” Now you were face to face with her you could see how stunning she was.

She then spoke “I’m Ani, you?” Her smile widened as you blushed suddenly becoming shy. “Y/N”, you muttered. “Nice name, why don’t we get a private room to ourselves” Ani says, you nod and let her take your hand.

“First time here I guess?” She asks seductively while caressing her hands all over your breasts. “You guessed right” but before you could say anything else Ani pushed you onto a couch.

“Just lay back and enjoy baby”

-

It had been a couple of weeks but you hadn’t heard from Ani at all it was clearly just a spur of the moment, but what did you expect however she done it for free?.

You quickly pushed that thought away for now and got ready to go on stage. Things were going well enough and finally our band started getting recognition.

More crowds started arriving making their way to the little venue. We still were performing at small gigs in bars or usually clubs but it yet you grow nervous. “What are you going to do if you get famous one day?” You thought now getting angry “Yeah right”, sighing you slowly walk onstage.

The stage was very little since it was only a jazz club however it still managed to look spacious . Lights were a mixture of red and orange making it seem warm, Hushed chattering filled most of the room. On stage it was dim but you could just make out people in the audience.

While playing all you could think of was Ani, Ani, Ani! She drove you crazy. From one of the nearby tables you could see a lady by herself though that wasn’t uncommon but for some odd reason this intrigued you.

Ani could only focus on you the whole time, she didn’t mean to disappear from you but she got nervous . She sighed hoping that you would notice her. It had been a bad couple of days or even weeks she couldn’t tell anymore. Imaging a more better life preferably with you kept Ani positive.

She moved closer so she was more in the light cause she seen you looking in that direction. You closely look once more and immediately your eyes lit up.

After the performance was over you scurried down the stage, heart racing like never before running towards Ani. You paused when you got to the table, a small smile appeared on your face however still quite confused also maybe annoyed. “What are you doing here?” Ani stood up, “I came here to see you” she answered “look I’m sorry for disappearing like that from you, I knew from the first time that I seen you I had to get to know you . You don’t need to accept my apology but I just wanted you to know that I love you even though it has been a short time. Thinking of you kept me happy and I hope you feel the same.”

She took a deep breath out clearly feeling better after getting that off her chest . You blink not knowing what to think, the apology made your heart flutter . She looked up at you with a shy look on her face, nervously waiting for you to speak. You sigh and place an arm on her shoulder, “I forgive you” you say.

There was a feeling between the both of you. In that moment you knew you had to go for it. Slowly you leaned closer and gently grabbed her waist while lips touched. Ani’s lips felt soft as silk you never wanted to part from it and her scent was intoxicating.

Finally parting lips, warmth blossomed in Ani’s chest as did yours. They both smiled at each other feeling calmer than ever.

[crowsofdarkness]

Arranged-Chapter Four

*gif not mine. credit to owner*

Pairings: Mob!Bucky Barnes x Reader

Warnings: language, 18+ smut(ch 12 & ch 17), angst, fluff, mentions of death and violence. I will update the warnings with each chapter.

Summary: Reader would do anything to make her parents happy and that included agreeing to an arranged marriage. She never expected it to be to one of New York's most feared Mob Boss: Bucky Barnes. He is anything but loving towards Reader however when her parents are mysteriously killed, Bucky makes it his mission to find out who were at fault. And in the process, ends up coming close to losing Reader.

Authors Note: This was a story of mine on an old blog and I wanted to publish it on here. Since it's quite a long fic, I've decided to slowly updated it chapter by chapter. If anyone who is interested wants to be tagged, let me know!

My head rested against the headrest while my knee bounced with uncertainty of where we were going; all I knew was that we were headed to some lab but didn’t know what for. Steve was to my left and gave me a small smile to calm my nerves. 

It didn’t.

Bucky was on my right, eyes glued to his phone while typed furiously. I didn’t dare to look to see who or what he was texting. It wasn’t any of my business and to be honest, I was slightly afraid to find out what it would be. 

With the two large men on either side of me, I felt cramped and did my best to maneuver my small body hoping it would calm me. 

Again, it didn’t. 

I began chewing on my nails, something else I did when I was filled with nerves, and it was then that Bucky looked away from his phone and saw my worried state. 

“Are you alright?” 

I nodded. “Yep.” 

“You’re shaking the whole car,” he sighed while placing his metal hand on my knee. 

It calmed me for a moment. 

“Nervous habit, I guess.” 

Bucky hummed. “And the nail biting?” 

I placed my hands in my lap and let out a low breath. 

“Y/N, there’s nothing to be nervous about. I just have to meet with one of my workers then we can head back to the house,” Bucky explained. 

With a small nod, I felt the car come to a stop in front of a large building with a sign in front of it. 

Barnes Laboratory. 

“You own a lab?” I questioned looking at Bucky. 

He nodded. “Maybe one day I can give you a tour. But right now, I need you to stay in the car.” 

I didn't bother to argue, something about this whole meeting still was not sitting well with me because of the way Bucky’s demeanor changed this afternoon and last night.  

“Steve, stay with her,” Bucky demanded. 

We were left in the now quiet car and my eyes watched with slight worry as Bucky, along with two of his other guards, disappeared into the building. My mind raced with a million thoughts, wondering what he was doing there and who he was meeting with. 

“He’s alright,” Steve’s soft voice filled the car. 

“I’m assuming that you’re not going to tell me what’s going on in there,” I sighed while looking at him. 

Steve shook his head. “You know I can't do that.” 

“This marriage isn’t going to work if he keeps things from me.” 

“It’s better if you don’t know some things, trust me,” Steve insisted. 

Before I could retort back, Steve pulled out his phone and with a long sigh, he gave me a stern look. 

“I’m needed inside. Can I trust that you’ll stay in the car?” He wondered. 

Now my mind really began to wonder what the hell was going on inside because Bucky was adamant that Steve stay with me but now, he needed him inside?

“Yeah,” I nodded. 

“Good.” 

I kept a hard glance on Steve’s back until he disappeared through the same door Bucky had gone into a while ago. 

“This is ridiculous,” I muttered while crossing my arms over my chest. 

I couldn’t dwell on the sudden loud silence because my phone rang, my moms picture appeared on the screen. It had been a few days since I last spoke with either of my parents and I knew they were wondering how things were going between Bucky and I. 

“Hi mom,” I signed into the phone. 

“Hey sweetheart, we’re……things……Buck….treating..right?” 

Her voice was coming in broken and when I pulled my phone away, I realized that inside of Bucky’s car, I had absolutely no service. 

“Hang on. I can’t hear you.” 

I shuffled from seat to seat, hoping to get better service, but it only made it worse. My gaze fell to the outside and I began gnawing on my lip, Bucky’s words replaying in my mind. 

Stay in the car. 

“Honey….there?....Can’t hear..”

It’ll be a two minute conversation. I’ll be back in the car before Bucky even knew I didn’t listen. 

“Hey mom, can you hear me better?” I asked, the wind blowing the hair from my face once I stepped on the gravel ground. 

I made sure to stay close to the car, just in case. 

“Oh that's better! So, how are things?” 

I nodded even though she couldn’t see. “They’re good, I guess.” 

“You guess?” 

“It’s only been a day and a half, mom. I need more time to actually get to know someone,” I defended. 

My mother sighed. “You don’t have more time, Y/N. The wedding is in three days. Not to mention, you haven’t sent over any details!” 

My pulse began to quicken as I thought of the best way to break the news to my mom. 

“Bucky and I decided to do a courthouse wedding; sign the papers, have a nice dinner to celebrate. You know, simple.” 

“What?!” 

I grimaced while pulling the phone away, my mother shrill ringing in my ear. 

“I can’t believe you would do this to us, Y/N! After everything we did to set this up for you!” 

“Are you fucking-,” I began. 

“Watch your mouth!” 

I gnawed on the inside of my cheek and composed myself. “I didn’t get a say in who I’m marrying. The least you and dad can do is allow me to decide if I even want a wedding or not.” 

My mother kept rambling on about wedding nonsense but my attention had fallen elsewhere, lips parted in confusion. Bucky was now outside of the building, Steve close behind him, but what they were currently doing was what held my attention. 

Bucky had his vibranium fingers gripped tight on someone's shirt collar and pinned up against the brick of the building. There was a slight look of fear on this man's face as he nodded profusely to Bucky’s demands; ones that I heard each and every word of. 

“You’ve got one week, Banner. I need those vials in my possession by next Saturday at 10 a.m. If I catch wind of another test experiment, they won’t just be finding your experiment's body in the water. Understood?” 

“Y/N, are you even listening to me?”

My mothers voice brought me back slightly. “Uh, I have to go. I’ll call you later.” 

I pocketted my phone, not even giving her the chance to yell at me more. 

Steve did a quick once over of their surroundings and when it fell onto me, his face hardened and placed a hand on Bucky’s shoulder. 

Not only did I feel a wave of disappointment wash over me when Bucky’s eyes locked with mine, the look of anger that he held filled me with fear. I had yet again disobeyed an order from him, the first two times he was understanding. Who’s to say this time he will be? 

“Deal with him.” 

Bucky roughly handed off the worker to Steve, who disappeared back into the building. 

“I told you to stay in the car,” Bucky spat while closing the distance between us in just a couple strides. 

“Did you just threaten that guy?” I ignored his previous statement. 

Bucky’s eyes hardened, a deep scowl pulling at his lips. “Get in the car.”

His flesh fingers gripped my arm and began dragging me into the car. 

“Get your hands off of me,” I snapped. 

I did my best to break free from his grasp but Bucky was stronger than me and not the typical stronger a man his size would be. His strength almost felt double than normal as he lifted me into the car with ease

The door slammed behind him and I was suddenly pressed up against the other door, Bucky leaning over me slightly. His broad chest rose and fell with every deep breath and I could feel the warmth of it painting my lips. The fear that I felt dissipated, a new feeling crashing over me. 

Lust. 

The heat of his intense gaze, blue eyes boring into me, brought chills all over my skin. 

“Did you threaten that guy?” I repeated my question. 

Bucky’s jaw clenched. “That’s none of your business.” 

I raised a brow. “Isn’t it? You brought me here.” 

“I didn’t have a choice.” 

“I know the feeling,” I grumbled. 

Bucky shook his head with a scoff. “How many times are you going to bring up that you’re not happy with the situation?” 

I didn’t like the hint of annoyance in his voice so I sat up straighter, a little tough in the cramped back seat; Bucky’s size was taking up the majority of it. 

“Until I finally have a say in this relationship.” 

“You do. You’re the one that decided on not having a wedding,” Bucky retorted. 

I snickered. “Who would have thought that big old mob boss Bucky Barnes would want a big wedding?” 

Something flashed over his eyes and his breathing echoed throughout the small space of the car. 

“You’re such a smartass, you know that?” He sneered. 

I lifted my chin towards him, our lips meters apart now. “Get used to it, Barnes. Cause you have to deal with it for the rest of your life.” 

As hard as my heart was pounding from not only the slight fear of what I witnessed and heard prior but to how Bucky would react. 

His tongue rolled over his bottom lip, so slow, and his eyes danced all over my face. My hands lay on my stomach, itching to trace over his soft features, but I clasped them together hoping it would subside. 

There was this tension between us, something unknown, that began pulling us towards each other. I marveled at the way his bottom lip was so pink and plump, almost begging me to kiss them, taste them, devour them. 

Bucky, almost as if he could read my mind, lowered my body deeper into the seat and I felt his lips ghost over the crook of my beck, warm breath heating my core. 

“Boss, we need to go. Now.” 

Bucky didn’t bother to move, merely looked over his shoulder. Steve was peeking his head in the open door, a look of urgency in his eyes. 

“What’s going on,” Bucky asked while adjusting himself by fixing his suit jacket and sitting in his previous spot. 

“Stark. He’s at the house demanding to see you.” 

I noticed the way Bucky’s face fell for a moment before his strong demeanor returned. 

“Everything okay?” 

He ignored me, only keeping his attention towards Steve. “Tell the men to load up.”

Everything happened in a quick haze, Steve and the other two men jumped in the car and peeled out of the parking lot, my hand grasping for the headrest in front of me to steady myself. I didn’t know who this Stark guy was but I could tell by the way that Bucky’s breath was erratic and his hands shook with anger that this was going to be a closed door meeting. 

[sturns-mermaid]

WHISPERS IN THE LIBRARY

✧ wc: 1.4k

more of this au here | proofread by me :p | part one here

no warnings

Your mind was spinning. You had been to this library several times before studying day in and day out, and you had never seen them before. Maybe they were new to the neighborhood, or could this be some kind of coincidence? Willa’s voice interrupted your thoughts, blinking as you tried to regain your focus, running a hand over your face.

“Daddy, that lady’s staring at us,” her voice echoed in your ears. It sounded the same. Her little finger was pointing towards you, her face scrunched up in a pout as Matt put her arm down. “It’s rude to point, princess,” he chuckled, awkwardly giving you a small smile that said ‘I’m sorry’. You waved your hand in front of your face, feeling a little flustered. He looked even better in person. With a smile and outstretched hand, he said, “I’m Matt.” You shake his hand, your eyes meeting his, and you feel a sudden warmth spread across your body, your heart beating faster. Was this real? 

And then, as if everything fell into place, he was sitting across the library table with you. You had set your things down, and occasionally sipped your coffee, your studies long forgotten. Willa insisted on sitting down and having Matt read the new book to her; she perched on his lap as he quietly read the story. You watched and listened, but mainly looked at him. With his brown strands of hair falling over his face, he would smile up at you now and then. It felt so normal, just like your dream. You both would be in an apartment while he read Willa a bedtime story. She squirmed in his lap, beginning to fall asleep.

She looked so adorable, her eyelids fluttering shut. You checked your watch, seeing that it was 11:30 am, right about the time Willa would always take her nap in your dreams, anyway. “Typical,” you said out loud, hearing Matt say the same thing as he looked up from his watch. His eyes meet yours. You didn’t want to sound weird. How would you explain that you knew exactly when his daughter took her nap or her afternoon naps? He looked away, chuckling as he closed the book and set it aside, meeting your lingering gaze once more. “You’re interesting,” he whispered as he moved a stray hair from Willa’s face. 

You two had talked like you had been old friends like it was some kind of daily occurrence that happened every day. He told you how Willa had wanted to read outside of school and so he brought her to the local library. You told him about how you were studying to be a lawyer and were in college. You two seemed to get along well, considering you just met. Saying goodbye, he went home to make Willa more comfortable, leaving you in the quiet library.

The pen moved across your paper at a fast pace as you tried your hardest to finish your last set of notes before the library closed at 10 pm. You know you should go back to your dorm and get some sleep, but you worked your best during the night hours.

However, it seemed you had this gravitational pull as your head hit the wooden table and fell into a deep slumber, you had moved towards the back of the library, settling down at one of the tables where no one would bother you.

This was unfortunate because the librarian didn’t see you as she was closing up, leaving you in the dark library alone, except you weren’t alone, not really. You had Matt and Willa in your dreams, of course, and now that you saw them in real life, your brain worked up a pretty vivid dream for you that night.

“Babe, do you wanna help set the table?” you heard Matt call from the kitchen. Willa was coloring happily at the coffee table in the middle of the front room. You had been trying to type up a few notes on your recent case, and Matt was making dinner. He was a great cook, always leaving the house smelling spectacular, you loved watching him cook perched on the counter as you talked about your day. “Yeah, coming my handsome cook,” you replied playfully as you set your computer down on the table, making sure to close it this time.

Last time, Willa opened the webcam feature and took pictures of all her drawings and silly faces she made. You walk into the kitchen, spaghetti filling your senses, he made the best pasta and homemade meatballs, you loved every bite of it. He turned, handing you the stack of plates and silverware, and you leaned in, pressing a quick kiss to his lips, spinning around, and setting the table. He had a small round table perfect for the three of you, with Willa in the middle and you and Matt on either side, you couldn’t ask for anything else.

Your life was perfect, all three of you sitting down in Matt’s apartment eating spaghetti, watching as Willa made a mess all over her face, but that could all be gone in an instant. “She has a drool on her face,” a voice echoed through your dream, causing you to groan and squirm. “Has she been here all night?” another voice asked, your eyes fluttering open, seeing a group of teenage girls looking down at you. You sat up abruptly, wiping your mouth with the back of your hand and stretching. “I’m sorry…” You trail off, trying to grab your things and not make more of an embarrassment for yourself. “How the hell are we supposed to make friendship bracelets now?” one of them snickered as you stumbled out of the library. 

Well, this was embarrassing, not only had you fallen asleep at the library, but you also were super hungry and in need of coffee, you were walking back to campus when you checked your watch, seeing it was 10:45 am. You groaned as your stomach rumbled. You were starving after spending all of your energy on studying last night. You didn’t have the chance to eat anything, except for the few pieces of dark chocolate you stuffed in your bag.

It was almost like the universe answered your prayers right on the corner you saw a diner, you hadn’t been down this street much as it wasn’t the usual path towards campus, but you still had a few hours before your first class. You yawned, feeling your phone vibrate from your pocket, pulling it and seeing the screen name it was your mother as if this morning couldn’t get any more hectic. “Hello?” you grumbled, your voice rough from exhaustion.

You heard your mother sigh at her end. “It’s 11 am dear, why are you just getting up?” she asks, if you could already hear the tone of her voice, the judgmental tone she always used when talking to you. “Mom, I had a rough night…” You replied, feet dragging you closer toward the entrance of the diner. “Oh god, don’t tell me you were up partying!” she exclaims, her voice even more stern than it was before. “What? Partying, I don’t go to parties, Mom.” Finally reaching the door to the diner, you swung it open with the last bit of strength you had in you, the bell chiming loudly above the door.

“Look sweetie, I just think it would benefit you more at this age to settle down. Marry someone, have a family…” your mother continued even though you were half listening, not even sure how she got onto the topic that you dreaded the most.

“NO PHONES!,” you heard a voice shout, your eyes shooting up to be met with none other than Matt, the man from your dreams once more, his face turned in a scowl and his finger pointing at you. Dressed in flannel button-up, sleeves rolled up and a baseball cap on. “Can’t you read the sign?” he exhaled, pointing to a sign he had hanging behind the counter, not even registering it was you. “Uh Mom, I gotta go..” you mumble moving your phone away from your ear.

“Wait a minute, who was the-” you cut her off ending the call, not surprised if she were to keep talking. You shoved the phone back into your bag as you walked towards the counter, his facial expression softening as he realized who you were.

divder: @bernardsbendystraws

tags: @itsmaddielouis @oliviasthatgirl @brianna-grace12 @scorpio1205 @submattenthusiast @courta13 @mattsplaything @conspiracy-ash @anyaa2s @hazedsturns @eclipsturns @sofia-is-a-sturniolo-triplet-fan @immaqulate @t0riiiis @heartsonlyforchris @blushsturns @hearts4werka @mattsbows @sweetshuga @leoslaboratory @pair-of-pantaloons @riasturns

☕: @chrissweetheart , @ribbonlovergirl , @chrisissobabygirl

a/n: sorry for these cliff hangers, idk what I'm doing and I don't wanna make these too long lol

[internet1girl]

Chapter 2: Behind the Ice.

Pairing: Johnny Cage x Fem!Reader

Summary: A large and empty pyramid in a large and empty desert await both you and Johnny, what will happen now that the two of you are alone?

Word count: 10k Warnings/Notices: named!reader, angst, johnny being annoying, violence, gore depicted, reader is rude and mean, a few curse words here and there, flirty johnny, sexually suggestive

Previous part / Next Part

A/N: y’all I’m so sorry this has been sitting in my notes for weeks 😭 i’m such a procrastinator

Morning has descended onto Outworld. Gentle rays of sunlight illuminate the land below, casting out the darkness of the night. Birds from outside can be heard tweeting and chirping, a celebration of the moon handing over control to its solar counterpart.

The carriage is still continuing its journey towards the mission site, the two of you are now almost there.

Inside, you’re still fast asleep. Lost in the world of dreams, light snores can be heard slipping out of your parted lips. Johnny, however, has been awake for sometime. He was propped up in his seat, lazily scrolling through social media and letting out the occasional yawn as his body was ridding itself of the last vestiges of his fatigue.

He glanced up from his phone and took a look at you, still asleep and snoring lightly. A smirk graced his features. He had to admit, you looked rather cute while you were sleeping. Those light, barely audible snores coming from you made him chuckle, there was something so adorably funny about it.

Sunlight was streaming into the carriage. With the angle the vehicle was situated on, a ray of light fell right upon your sleeping body, specifically your face. The light of the ray gave your skin a lovely glow, almost as if it was emanating light itself.

Johnny couldn't help but admire you in this state. The way your skin shined and how the sunlight contrasted with your hair made you even more attractive in his eyes. You looked so pretty, a near-perfect example of a sleeping beauty.

Women like you were his weakness.

After a few moments of this, he sighed, a long and breathy exhale coming from him. Shaking whatever inappropriate thoughts he had out of his head, he leaned over you and lightly shook your arm, making sure to speak in a low voice.

"Wake up, sweet cheeks."

You were pulled from unconsciousness. The sudden transition from asleep to awake left you riddled with confusion. Your voice comes out slurred and slow as you begin to speak to him.

“Wha... Johnny? What are you..."

The sight of you like this made him laugh. That groggy and confused look on your face was so adorable to him, he really couldn’t resist the urge to taunt you a bit.

"Good morning, sunshine. Sleep well?"

"...Would've slept better if I wasn't woken up in the middle of the night..." You mutter, yawning loudly as you push your body up. You were awake for the day now, there was no going back to sleep. 

"Have you woken me up because you're bored again?”

Johnny smiled at how groggy and dazed you sounded, not-so-subtly staring as you sit up and stretch out your limbs. The yawn you let out was quite loud, it got a small laugh out of him. Leaning back in his seat and shaking his head slightly, he spoke up and answered you.

"Believe it or not, no. I didn't wake you up 'cause I'm bored. I just thought you should be awake when we arrive at our destination."

"We're here?!" You’re rather alert now, you practically splutter out your words as you shoot up in your seat.

Johnny let out another laugh at your rather hyper response. Your slightly messy hair, the bags under your eyes, your bewildered yet alert expression, it was such a sight for him.

"Not quite. We're pretty close though." He pointed out of the window at the now different scenery. "We should be there in a few minutes or so."

"Oh..." You slump back down in your seat, a sigh coming from you as the adrenaline starts to leave your system. You stretch a little and wipe the sleep in your eyes away with your finger. Surprisingly, you actually don’t look that messy for someone who slept in a literal box.

After another loud yawn, you turn to Johnny, your vision still slightly blurry. "How did you sleep?"

"Eh, fine. A little uncomfortable, but I've slept in worse places than this." He shrugged ever so casually, not at all showing concern about the day ahead of him.

“We have a big day ahead of us. I hope you actually did sleep."

Johnny chuckled heartily at your comment, amused that you appeared to be concerned about his sleeping habits. 

"Oh, I slept just fine, darlin'. You're worrying too much about me."

You scoff at his reply, a little baffled by his assumption. This man was so incredibly self-centred, it was all parts amusing and irritating.

"I am not worried about you. I only ask because I am concerned about how you will perform on this mission. I do not wish to mess this up for Liu Kang."

He smirked at you in response. You tried to claim that you weren’t worried for him, how cute! Though the truth, he didn’t buy your words. His ego was that large that the concept of anyone being anything less than obsessed with him was merely a fantasy.

"Aw, come on now. I'm the greatest damn fighter Earthrealm's got! You really think that the great Johnny Cage is gonna mess up an important mission like this?"

"If you're the greatest fighter Earthrealm has, then why was Raiden selected to represent us in the Mortal Kombat tournament?" You inquire with a slight snark in your voice, raising an eyebrow as you await an answer.

Johnny opened and then closed his mouth, both dumbfounded and speechless for the first time in a while. Your sudden comment about the tournament and how Raiden was Earthrealm's champion, rather than him, caught the man off guard entirely. He tried to come up with some quip to use against you, wanting to keep up his usual cocky demeanour, but he remained speechless.

A sly grin grew across your face, the sight before you was almost too good to be true. You prop your legs up on the seat adjacent and you cross your arms to your chest. To see this man, who normally couldn't stop talking, finally be rendered speechless and put in his place pleased you more than it should've.

"Yes... as I remember, you lost the first fight out of the five of us. Raiden bested you, didn't he?" 

You knew what you were doing. Smugness was practically dripping from your voice as you inspected your nails, still awaiting a response. To him, it was like you were pouring salt on a wound. It was like you were kicking him when he was already down.

He couldn't handle the taste of his own medicine.

Johnny closed his eyes and took in a deep breath, his jaw clenched tightly as your words rang in his mind. After all these months, he was admittedly still a little salty about how Raiden kicked his ass in the first round, it was still a bit of a sore spot for him. The great Johnny Cage loosing to some… farm boy. At times, he still couldn’t believe that it was real.

He could practically feel the smugness that was dripping from your words as you spoke of his defeat. Not to mention that you were now gloating about how he was beaten in the first round, too. How humiliating.

You start quietly snickering to yourself, the grin on your lips was growing wider by the second as you observed how pissy Johnny got when his ego was bruised.

"Lighten up, Cage. I'm only joking around."

Johnny narrowed his eyes at the sight of you and that smug grin of yours. Yeah, you were just messing around, he knew that. That was why he didn’t completely lost his cool on you. But that didn't mean that your words didn't bother him.

He clenched his jaw again before speaking in a rather terse tone.

"Yeah, yeah, joke all you like, princess."

You scoff and roll your eyes, brushing off his grumbly mood. The fact that Johnny could give but not take isn't your problem. No, not when you two have somewhere to investigate.

"We should be arriving soon. Stop sulking and focus on the task at hand."

Johnny grumbled slightly, he knew that you were correct about focusing on this mission. He had to swallow his pride and focus on the task at hand, despite how frustrated he was. He leaned back in his seat again and looked out of the windows, his expression remaining tense.

"Yeah, yeah… whatever.”

There's a silence between the two of you for a few minutes, only the trundle of the carriage being audible. You’re occupying yourself by looking out of the carriage window, staring at the outside world. Johnny had his gaze pointed downwards, fiddling with his hands and grumbling incomprehension under his breath. That fight was totally rigged, Liu Kang is LYING.

Suddenly, without warning, the carriage stopped. You and Johnny were both visibly caught off guard by this. Footsteps can be heard making their way from the front of the vehicle to the its interior's door. As suddenly as the carriage stopped, the door swung open.

You and Johnny hastily shield your eyes from the sudden onslaught of bright light. As both of your visions adjust to the light of the sun, your sight finally focuses on Geras in the doorway, now with the hood of his cloak down. His sepia skin looked smooth, like marble. His eyes were... a glowing blue?

“Jade. Johnny. Good morning. We have arrived at your destination.” He spoke to you confused two in that same usual rough and raspy, yet comforting voice.

Johnny perked up upon hearing that he’s finally here, after all this time. He laughed a little, cracking his knuckles and shaking his legs in preparation.

"Alright, sweet! We can stretch our legs now."

He turned to you, his tone is soft and his voice cheerful.

"You ready?"

"...Yes, I am." Your voice carried a hint of uncertainty to it but you nod in response, confirming that you’re good to go.

With that being said, the two of you exited the carriage. Geras graciously stood to the side as Johnny clambered out first, wildly rocking the vehicle in the process. Once he was on his own two feet, he loudly yawned and stretched his limbs out. He spent such a long time in those cramped confinements, he was grateful to be standing again.

Like the gentleman that he is, he turned around and dramatically bowed down, offering a hand out to you like a chauffeur would do to a starlet. And they say romance is dead!

Unfortunately for him, you didn't see it that way. No, instead of leaping into his arms like this was one of his movies, you simply suck your teeth and swat his hand away, giving him the stink eye as you walk down the steps of the carriage.

Johnny's attempt to be charming and act like the kind gentlemen he did back home was completely foiled by your brush-off. His hand hovered by his side for a brief moment. He looked over at you, a mixture of annoyance and slight confusion plastered over his face. He wanted to impress you, to show how nice and chivalrous he is, but instead he was greeted with a dismissive swat and a nasty glare? Ah, you must still be a little tired.

He sighed in defeat and muttered something under his breath, a bit more to himself than to you.

"Jeez... can't even try to be nice..."

You heard what he had to say, staring him down like you were looking at a bug. You didn’t respond, though. He wasn’t worth the waste of energy. Why focus on him when you have a mission at hand? Speaking of, now that you were finally out of the carriage, you look around and start to take in your new surroundings. 

It was hot, very hot. You could see the way sights in the distance had a little wave to them, it was that warm. A vast, barren desert with nothing but dry ground and sand in sight met the both of you. Dry ground, and a massive, ancient pyramid ahead up ahead.

Johnny was buzzing with anticipation. The sight before him was truly impressive, he couldn't help the tingle of excitement threading its way through his being. It was a chance for an actual adventure, like something he'd star in, and he was going to relish every minute of it.

However… the same couldn’t be said of you. The sight of that massive structure in the distance, looming over the horizon and sticking out like a sore thumb, sent a chill down your spine. It looked… terrifying. All dark and eerie. A small part of you did wish that Liu Kang had selected someone else for this. Better they meet a grim fate than you.

As you and Johnny both stood in awe of your new environment, Geras stepped away from the horses and walked into view.

"The source of this disturbance has been traced to this pyramid in the distance. When you are ready to leave, I shall be here. I wish the both of you luck."

Johnny turned to face Geras, nodding his head slightly in acknowledgment. He was so incredibly excited, he was bouncing around on his feet as he struggled to contain the adrenaline coursing through his veins.

"Thanks, Geras. We got this."

You also turn to Geras and nodded your head, calmly expressing your gratitude.

"Thank you, Geras."

You turn back to Johnny, the neutral expression on your face contrasted his jovial one. He looked like a kid in a toy store whilst you looked like you were going to war.

"Well... let's go.”

Johnny's excitement was only further fuelled by your calm but ready demeanour. He returned your stern face with a wide grin and an enthusiastic nod.

"Yeah, let’s go! Let's kick some ass and end whatever's happening!"

He started forward, his pace brisk as he began to jog to the imposing structure up ahead. Sighing, you took off as well, not before waving goodbye to Geras.

You walked quickly to catch up to Johnny, not thinking it wise to let him run off on his own. Just what have you gotten yourself into?

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*

You catch up to Johnny, slowing your pace as you take your place beside him. He couldn't deny slightly feeling a small tingle of something at the sight of you next to him. The way the accents on your uniform gleamed in the sunlight made you look even more breathtaking, the need to get a little closer to you started to gnaw at him.

He took the chance to get chatty, wanting to fill the silence with something. And what better way than something flirtatious?

"Hey, Jade. Can I ask you something real quick?"

"Ask." You didn’t even turn to face him as you responded, not considering it worth the effort.

Johnny slowed his pace ever so slightly as to keep you closer to him. Truth be told, he didn’t actually have a question in mind. He just wanted to hear your sweet voice, even if it was chastising him.

He took a second to generate an think of an actual question, his brown eyes flickering with speculation before finally landing on something. His voice was casual and his tone a bit cocky, but there was a small hint of genuine curiosity behind his words.

"So... you ever had a boyfriend?"

You turn to Johnny to give him a disapproving look, a scowl gracing your features.

"That is none of your business, dolt."

Johnny chuckled softly, his confident and casual demeanour failed to falter. Your cold response did nothing to deter him. If anything, he found it endearing how annoyed you got at him.

"Oh, come on, princess. I'm just tryna get to know you better, that's all."

You don’t say anything, instead you suck your teeth in irritation. The desert heat, as well as Johnny Cage in general, was evidently starting to get to you.

To Johnny, this was just too damn easy. You were all the entertainment he needed on this mission. The way your face screwed up whenever he said something stupid was money. You were just so cute!

He glanced to the side, finally taking note of the dry and hot atmosphere surrounding, and how uncomfortable it was getting. He felt a bead of sweat trickle down the nape of his neck, the inside of his uniform was starting to cling and stick to his heated skin.

"Damn... don't know about you, but it's getting hot out here."

"I'm aware..." You wipe the brewing sweat off of your forehead, mentally cursing yourself for not bringing any drinking water with you.

'What, princess? Can't handle the heat?" He laughed, teasing you again.

You brush a loose strand of hair out of your face, not responding to him.

He merely chuckled again in response to your silence, your lack of response did nothing to deter this little pest. That sly smirk remained on his face as he continued to tease you in the same mocking tone as before.

"Oh, c'mon now. Not gonna give me a witty comeback, darlin'?"

"How is it that you have a man's body but a boy's mind?" You turn to face him, finally replying. Your eyes were narrowed, your voice laced with irritation. 

In contrast, Johnny burst into a round of laughter. He liked the response he got, maybe a little too much. A small part of him did feel a little flustered that you were so observant about him, but he didn’t let this show. He stopped walking to catch his breath, managing to speak through his bouts of laughter.

"Oh, nice one, princess! l love a woman who can give as good as she gets."

You too stop walking, pausing your pace to look down at him with your arms crossed. Disdain darkened your eyes, you look at him like a parent about to scold this misbehaving child.

“Tch, imbecile…”

Johnny took a moment to compose himself before he stood back up and bounced around a little bit, still laughing a little.

"What can I say? I'm gifted, in many different ways." 

"Gods above, you're gross..." You mutter as you pick your stride back up and walk past him, the back of you hiding the nastiest of scowls forming on your face. The way he put emphasis on the word “many” made it painfully obvious what this devil was implying.

Johnny continued to laugh for a few more seconds before recovering from his little fit. He watched you walk past him, shamelessly drinking in the view that was the back of you.

He did eventually managed to calm himself down, though. Jogging a bit to catch up to you, he was walking by your side once more, en route to the massive imposing structure in the distance.

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*

After walking for about a mile more, the two of you finally reached the pyramid. Now standing outside the main entrance, you both look up at the gigantic building, taking all of the massive sight in.

The pyramid was a tall, imposing, ominous and incredibly ancient building. Having been long since abandoned, it was now in a state of decay. The paved floor of the main entrance was cracked, debris and rubble scattered all around the courtyard. The once pristine sandstone bricks were now green with mold and overgrown vegetation. A large, wide shadow was cast in the part of the desert it was situated in. not even the local wildlife dared to venture near this building.

Both you and Johnny were equally starstruck by the sheer presence of the pyramid. Neither of you had ever seen anything like this in your lives. You both couldn't help but stare up at the massive structure in awe. It was absolutely enormous and more than a little intimidating to look at. Despite its decay, it was still very impressively built, withstanding the test of time.

You two were stood right at the base, each of your gazes focused on the top of the building. The ominous darkness of the inside, where it was void of sunlight, was strangely captivating.

Johnny’s voice finally spoke, his tone soft and surprised.

"Damn... it's impressive. Creepy... but impressive."

"Indeed..." You mindlessly agree because yeah, he’s pretty much correct.

You stop ogling the massive structure and turn to the side to face Johnny, your facial expression and tone now deadly serious.

"We don't know what we're walking into, we must be ready for anything. If you need to take a minute to prepare yourself, that's fine. Let me know when you're ready to enter."

Johnny tore his eyes away from the structure to look at you, taking note of how serious you looked, a lot more than usual. It was a far cry from the annoyed and frustrated expressions that he had been working so hard to bring out just minutes ago. He found himself having to adjust to the sudden shift in atmosphere.

He nodded his head slowly, his own expression now also much more focused and serious.

"Yeah...yeah, I'm good."

He folded his hands together, cracking his knuckles before speaking again.

"Let's do this."

You nod your head at him, acknowledging his conformation. The tiniest of smiles graced your features.

The two of you make your way to and through the entrance of the pyramid, stepping over debris, overgrown vegetation and the bones of ancient corpses. Such a charming setting.

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*

The pyramid interior was what would be expected of such a building. Dark, unclean, creepy and with a musty smell in the air. Both the interior and exterior of the building were equal in the amount of eerie and ominous vibes that they emitted. Johnny felt a shiver run down his spine at the sight of his new surroundings, but he ignored it in an attempt to remain as calm as possible.

Thankfully, Liu Kang provided the pair of you with torches to combat the pyramid's darkness. Flicking them on and using the light streams to scan around the massive space, you and Johnny start to examine your surroundings.

You both slowly and carefully walk forward, keeping alert and on guard in case anything jumps out. The semi-flickering light of the torch seemed to throw shadows all over the place, which really didn’t ease the creepy atmosphere.

He spoke up after a moment, his voice still calm despite the dark surroundings.

"Sure is... charming in here."

You didn’t respond, you were busy shaking off the remnants of a cobweb that you accidentally stepped on, quietly wincing as you shake the string off of your boot. You can’t stand insects, and the realisation that this old pyramid was most likely full of them sent a shiver down your spine.

…Not that you want Johnny to know that. Why give him one more thing to tease you about?

Well, unfortunately for you, he did indeed take notice of your shaking off the cobwebs, and you wincing in slight disgust. He laughed quietly to himself, the sight of a big bad assassin being shaken by some tiny bugs was amusing to him.

"Pffft… you afraid of some little bugs, princess?" A taunt slipped out, in a rather mocking manner. He really couldn't help himself.

“…No." A lie. An unconvincing one at that.

Whatever, though. You have bigger fish to fry. After throughly shaking your boot clean, you make your way over to Johnny, standing by his side as you pull out a supposed map of the temple given to you by Liu Kang.

"Let's see... we should be right... here."

He glanced over the map, checking for his current location. A sly smirk on his face, he was tempted to tease you further about your arachnophobia but he very maturely decided to stop. He is on a mission, after all.

Speaking of, when you pointed it out your current location, he nodded his head and looked over at you in acknowledgment.

"Yeah... got it. Looks like we're right on track."

You begin explaining the plan you thought up, solely focusing on the map in your hands as well as the potential layout of the pyramid interior. Johnny, however, lost focus pretty much immediately. Instead, he switched his attention over to your lovely self, starting to blatantly check you out. He was shamelessly looking at your body, his gaze roaming all over. You were so close to him, he even caught a faint scent of your perfume. All of your words were going in one ear and out the other as you were diligently explaining your plan.

That was, until you snapped him back to reality.

"...So do you understand?"

Uh oh.

Johnny was too preoccupied with…assessing you to even have the faintest idea about what you were saying. It wasn't until you had asked if he understood the plan that he snapped out of his trance. He was so distracted by your…features that he had lost count of how long he had been staring at your body instead of the map in your hands.

He snapped his focus back to you, hoping his ogling hadn't been too obvious.

"...Huh?"

You frowned.

"And you weren't listening. Great." You sarcastically muttered, irritation starting to simmer inside of you.

Johnny mentally berated himself for getting too sidetracked by “analysing” your form instead of listening to a word of the plan. He scratched the back of his head awkwardly, trying to look apologetic.

"Uh... sorry, I was a bit..." He stopped himself before he said he was too busy checking you out. That would make things worse. "…Distracted. Got a little... distracted, looking at you."

Ugh, was he serious?

You were pissed, of course, but you couldn’t say that you weren’t somewhat expecting this. After all, this is Johnny "hi i'm a notorious womaniser" Cage you’re with.

You can’t be bothered to repeat your whole plan again, you only sigh and give him a disapproving look before carrying on.

"Right, you know what? It doesn't matter. Just... follow me."

You turn around and advance further within the building, slightly slamming down the soles of your boots on the hard floor as you make your way down a staircase.

Johnny could tell how annoyed and angry you were at his lack of attention. He really couldn't blame you, this was kinda his fault. He internally scolded himself not only for not listening but also for being shameless enough to be ogling you so blatantly to the point of being distracted.

He followed behind you in silence, the echoes of your boots against the stone floor being the only sound between you two as the both of you ventured down the staircase. He winced at your rather hard steps, knowing that they were a sign that you were rightfully pissed at him.

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*

So there the two of you were. Venturing down a staircase that led to the rest of the pyramid. You were in front, leading both yourself and Johnny further through the building. He was behind you, his focus solely on the darkness in front of him...

And also on your ass.

Well, he really was trying hard to focus on the task at hand and not get sidetracked once again, honest! But… it was proving difficult to do so. His eyes involuntarily found themselves roaming all over your back view, it was taking every bit of effort to keep them on the darkness ahead instead of your…features. God, the way your hips swayed with every step you took…

Thankfully for him, you didn’t notice his staring. Instead, you stopped walking and waved Johnny over, pulling out the pyramid map from your back pocket. You wanted to suggest where in the pyramid to head for. The innermost chamber, the near centre of the building, would be a good start in finding the origin of this disturbance, you thought.

You took a step towards him. The two of you were now close enough to the point where your shoulders were touching. Noticing this, he grinned at you, shooting you a wink to go with it. You don’t reciprocate his advances, you only roll your eyes in response, muttering under your breath about how much of a dog he is.

Johnny chuckled to himself upon seeing your beautiful eyes roll yet again. He really got a kick out of your annoyed reactions, finding them strangely cute in a way.

Focusing back on the map, you point to where the innermost chamber was depicted.

"I think we should head... here. This should be a good start in looking for whatever the source is."

He actually did try to focus on the map this time instead of you once again, but the two of you were so close that Johnny couldn’t help not saying something. His eyes flickered mischievously, and he started to whisper something into your ear.

"You know, Jade... you're really cute."

"You know, Johnny... you're really annoying." You banter back with him, but not in any way that suggests you share the same interest he has in you. Very much the opposite. 

"Ha! Oh, come on. You know you like it.”

Johnny’s tone had that cockiness to it that you couldn’t stand, he didn’t miss a beat and completely unfazed by how irritated you were with him. He nudged you slightly with his shoulder, a cheeky smirk plastered on his face as he did so.

"Ugh..." You roll your eyes again and let out a groan. His relentlessness astounds. 

"Annoying AND self-deluded..."

Johnny continued to smirk at you, the look in his eyes hungry. He was more than used to the your pissed off and frustrated reactions. That’s why he did what he did. You’re just so damn cute!

He leaned in closer with a smug expression, speaking in a low, sultry tone.

"But you know you love it when I get on your nerves, princess."

His everlasting pursuit of you, coupled with that sickly sultry voice, sent a feeling of disgust through your body. Rage was starting to simmer within your being.

You take a couple of steps back from Johnny, not wishing to be this close to this man-child anymore.

"Some may swoon for you, but I will not." Your tone was firm, unwavering. You weren’t going to fall for this womaniser’s tricks.

Johnny's smirk widened into a grin. He stepped forward again to close the newly established distance between the two of you, getting right back in your personal space.

"What, you think you're too good for me? Too good to flirt with little ol' me?”

He flashed you his pearly teeth for a second. His voice was cocky and arrogant, he leaned in towards you as he spoke next.

“C'mon... you know I can make you change your mind."

Of course, he was completely oblivious to the fact that he was only pissing you off more. Or maybe he wasn’t, and this was all just a game to him. But, once again, he got a little too close for comfort. You did nothing in order to stop him, though. A strong death glare was aimed right at him as the man smirked in your face.

Johnny snickered softly at your expression, the scrunchy look on your face was oh so strangely attractive to him. He closed in the distance a little further, noses only a few inches apart. He leaned in so that he could whisper something to you.

"You're so damn cute when you're angry, sweetheart."

You started to respond, but then you suddenly stop. Taking your attention off of Johnny, you whip your head to the right, looking at the darkness ahead.

There was a noise coming from ahead of you. It almost sounded like... footsteps? No, this couldn't be. The pyramid was supposed to be completely deserted, void of life. And yet... this mysterious sound still persisted. Cutting through the silence, this was something that sent a chill down the spine of both you and Johnny.

You push Johnny away by a couple of meters, looking at him with worry awash all over your face.

"Stop." You push Johnny away by a couple of meters, looking at him with worry awash all over your face. "Did you hear that?"

Johnny felt a pang of...something when you suddenly pushed him away. But whatever it was it quickly vanished from his mind when he heard an unexplained noise coming from the dark corridor.

"Yeah... l heard it."

He took a moment to compose himself, very subtly readjusting his pants before turning his attention on the darkness ahead.

"It seems to be coming from right... there."

When Johnny shined his flashlight in the perceived direction of the noise, a person came into view.

This person was tall, well built and clad in spiky, metallic, bone-like armour, complete with a skull shaped helmet. An appearance fitting of one of the soldiers who work under the infamous disgraced warlord, General Shao.

You and Johnny stood there in shock. Your eyes only widened when the whole area around you lit up. The sudden influx of light revealed that the two of you were standing in the entrance of a large room. Two more men were across from you guys, having just lit the sconces on the wall and illuminating a guard post/camp of sorts.

It's almost impossible to read Johnny's expression as he stares down at the men in front of him, his mind moving a mile a minute. His body language indicates that he is confused, curious, and also slightly on edge.

Finally, he spoke up in a stern, but playful tone. His eyes remain glued to the first man, the torchlight illuminating his body.

“…And just who might you be?"

“GET THEM!”

The first man was the one to bellow out, ordering his fellow soldiers to attack. His voice raw and deep, loud enough to shake your very bones. The other men grabbed their weapons and began to charge at you two, yelling out battle cries as they did so.

Before you could even react, Johnny immediately rushed forward and started to...fight them? Not only that, it seemed like he was actually winning. By a landslide, too. One unarmed Earthrealmer against three of General Shao's armed soldiers and yet... he was holding his own very well. Not just very well, extremely well.

You were shocked, utterly. Your expression was similar to that of someone witnessing something entirely fanatical. You knew that he was a martial arts star, yes. You also knew that he was one of Earthrealm's champions, of course. But, you had never actually seen him in action before. Well, real action.

Up until now, you were admittedly puzzled as to why Liu Kang was so keen on keeping Johnny around, and now you saw why. As he battled with General Shao's men, laughing to himself and letting out witty one-liners the whole time, you stood and watched, in pure disbelief.

A couple more minutes of this pass. By the time the fight was over, your jaw hung wide open. 

The three men were now dead, their bodies a mess of blood, guts and bone all strewn out on the floor. Johnny was now covered in their blood. 

He had a few bruises and cuts here and there, but overall he was fine.

Whilst he stood up and began to sort himself out, you start to speak.

"Johnny, what the fuck was that?!"

…Is what you would've said. However, because you were in such a state of shock, partially due to seeing three men brutally killed in front of you and partially due to seeing what Johnny was actually capable of, you weren’t even able to form a proper sentence. So, instead, you sounded more like:

"Wha...you just...how..."

Johnny turned to you and let out a laugh. He saw how you were staring at him, that utterly baffled expression all over your face. It was really cute to him that you were seemingly unable to form a coherent sentence. He slowly walked over , planting his hands on his hips as he spoke in an all-too-smug tone.

"Impressed yet, princess?"

"You...you just...how did you..."

You were still at a loss of words. This man who had the maturity of a child, this man who never took anything seriously, this man that she had always disliked from day one, just took down three large soldiers. Not only that, but like it was easy as well.

What was this?

Johnny’s grin persisted as he stopped in-front of you, clearly taking great pleasure in how amazed and dumbfounded you were. That agape mouth of yours made him snicker to himself, it was so funny!

"What? Surprised I know how to fight? You thought I was just some pretty boy who wouldn't last a round in a real fight?"

Minus the "pretty" part, yeah, that's exactly what you thought of him. Ever since the day you two met, you never pictured Johnny Cage as a skilled fighter that’s capable of besting literal soldiers.

To be proved wrong like this was a wild experience.

You, still completely starstruck, let out the breath that you didn't know you were holding on to. Whilst it was… something to see Johnny's true power, you were still on a mission. You need to concentrate.

"...Well done, Cage." You dryly and semi-reluctantly congratulated him, finding interacting with Johnny in any other way that wasn't belittlement to be extremely hard.

"You handled yourself well. Good…” This is so incredibly painful. ”…good job."

Johnny simply chuckled at your somewhat begrudged compliment, obviously taking great pleasure in your adverse reaction. He smirked, a gleam of arrogance filling his brown eyes as he spoke.

"Good? Really? That's all you can say? C’mon, admit it. You were blown away by those moves, weren't you?"

You chuckle dryly and half-heartedly, still in a state of shock. Composing yourself, you walk past him and over to one of the camps the men had set up, in hopes of finding some information. The splatters of blood that were now covering some of the furniture really weren’t helping your mood at all.

Thankfully, Johnny didn't see you mouth a "What the fuck?" when your back was turned to him. He didn't need another ego boost right now.

He was about to say something snide to you, but he noticed the serious air in your walk as you made your way over to one of the tables where the men had been stationed. Curious, he decided to follow you over, following behind and leaning back on the free spot next to you.

"Whatcha looking for, princess? Some sort of...info on why they're here?"

You ignore him. Not because you feel like being mean, but because you were still processing the bloodbath that you had just witnessed. Your mind was going at a mile a minute, you were still processing the fact that all of your assumptions about Johnny were wrong.

You rummage through the formerly alive men's possessions, their notes and their encampment. You were hunting for some sort of information about the pyramid and why Shao's men were here.

Johnny watched as you rummaged through the dead men's belongings, a sly little grin on his face. He was still taking a little too much joy in your baffled and dispirited state of mind after that little skirmish. He waited for you to either find something or get bored and move on, not saying a word the whole time. He didn’t show it, but a part of him also felt a spark of intrigue as to why these men were here.

And then you found it. Plans. Plans on some sort of magical machine and how it worked. You pretty quickly sum up that this machine was most likely the source of the disturbance. But just why were General Shao's men here in the first place? This can't be just a mere coincidence.

"Cage!"

You spin around to face Johnny with the notes still in your hand. Your eyes were wide with anticipation, you were eager to tell him about all that you had found out in just a few minutes.

“I…you...this pyramid…a machine...Shao..."

Maybe a little too eager. You were still so shaken up by Johnny's 3v1 that you found it hard to string a sentence together. All of your thoughts were coming out completely jumbled.

Johnny pushed himself off the table and turned his whole body to face you. He truly wanted to laugh again, your persisting bewilderment and shock was still so funny to him. He had no idea that you’d be this easy to impress! But, he pushed down the desire to ridicule you upon seeing the pieces of paper in your hand. 

"Woah, woah. Slow down. Take a deep breath and tell me what you found."

He gently placed his hands around your wrists. Surprisingly, this was effective in calming you down. You took a deep breath in, temporarily clearing and calming the raging storm in your mind to inform Johnny of your findings.

"These are plans. Drawings. Drawings of some sort of machine. These notes indicate that the machine is in the centre of the pyramid, where the innermost chamber is. Why it's there and what it does, I don't know. And why Shao's men were seemingly guarding this place, l also don't know..."

You start to falter a little, your thoughts start to get a little sidetracked. When Johnny saw this, his hands trailed up a little and gave your own a light squeeze, a strangely kind gesture that helped you carry on.

"...But, I believe we'll find answers if we keep searching this pyramid. There has to be at least something in this place."

Johnny listened intently as you spoke, his hands still over yours and his demeanour now serious, admittedly a weird sight to see.

"Then that's what we'll do. We'll scour this place, find answers and figure out why Shao's men here."

He released his grasp on you and walked forward, through the pyramid. Over his shoulder, his hand shot up, gesturing for you to follow.

"Come on."

First he just killed three of Shao's formidable soldiers, and now he was actually taking this mission seriously?!

Was this real?

You were still shocked by this sudden development. You stood there for a few seconds, watching Johnny walk away. Only then did you realise that you also must follow him, further into the pyramid. 

However, as you walked to catch up with him, something began to form within you. A feeling, small but still present, started to grow in your brain that would forever change the way you viewed Johnny Cage.

You were beginning to respect him.

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*

As the two of you silently walk through the pyramid, Johnny couldn’t help but notice your continued shock.

He turned to you and flashed a grin, finding it amusing that you’re still so visibly caught off guard. He nudged your shoulder and spoke up, his tone a lot more playful than before.

"What's got you so shook, Jade?"

His shone his torch on you, taking the chance to subtly check you out and run his eyes over every curve of your uniformed body.

Johnny’s sudden question had you realising that you were still in a state of shock. You quickly compose yourself. The back of your fingers brush a loose strand of hair away from your face, you clear your throat before responding next.

"How did you do that? Back there, with those men?”

"What? Fight those three?"

Johnny let out a small laugh when you questioned him. You were just so funny to him, even if it was unintentional. He grinned at you in an arrogant manner and shrugged his shoulders, torchlight illuminated the drying blood stains on his arms.

"Years of practice."

Your interest was officially piqued. Now, you were actually starting to somewhat take an interest in him. It dawned on you in this moment how little you knew about Johnny as a person. Just where did he learn to fight so well?

"Practice, you say?"

You smile at him slightly, for the first time in like, ever. The corners of your lips curl upward, the disdain you held for him starting to dissipate in the moment.

"Where have you trained?”

Johnny chuckled once more. A part of him was impressed that you were finally actually taking an interest in him.

“Well, princess, I’ve trained in a lot of places. There’s some Hollywood stuntman training. Various martial arts schools in loads of different countries. Oh! And, of course, I can’t forget the monks back at the Wu Shi!”

He was starting to get a little hyperactive, his steps now had a slight bounce to them. How could he not? He was talking about his favourite topic; himself!

You could sense that Johnny was gearing up to launch himself into a long tirade, but you did nothing to intervene. This time, you actually wanted to hear what he had to say.

He turned to face you again, a large smile on his face.

"Where did ya think I learned to fight, sweetheart?"

“I don’t know. Honestly, I never realised that you were that skilled."

Johnny laughed, slowing his pace a little. That smug demeanour of his started to come back in full force.

"Yeah, I know. Everyone's so distracted by this...”

He gestured towards his face, indicating his good looks.

“…They don't even notice that I'm also packing this."

He clenched his fingers into a fist this time, the gesture referring to his fighting skills.

You actually spare a chuckle a little at his humour, looking down as you crack a small smile. This man is so unbelievably ridiculous, despite how talented of a fighter he is.

Your efforts to conceal your reaction were ultimately pointless seeing as Johnny still saw the way that small smile graced your lips. He smiled too, he was actually pleased that you genuinely laughed with him. Usually, you either roll your eyes or scowl at him when he cracks a joke. To see you actually respond positively, even if you tried to conceal it, was…something!

He decided to push his luck a little and say something a bit more... flirtatious. He slowed his pace a bit more, his smile turning a bit more cheeky.

"You know... I'm also packing something else too."

Alright. Johnny had pushed his luck a little too far now. Your subtle smile quickly morphed into a scowl, your face slightly contorted in irritation. He just couldn't resist making some sort of sexual joke for five minutes, could he?

"By the Gods..." You groan, quickening your pace so that you were now ahead of him, leading the way further into the pyramid.

He didn’t take offence, though, Instead, Johnny just chuckled at your annoyed reaction. He always found you to be so cute when you got all irritated by him. Of course he called out as you stomped off, he couldn’t help it.

"What’s wrong? Not interested in finding out what I'm packing?"

The smirk on his face was wiped off by another sudden noise. Interrupting the silence, the sound of people running could be heard from the floor above. By now, Shao's forces that were stationed inside the pyramid were probably aware that they weren't the only people in the building. As such, each station around the site gradually started to mobilise in preparation, for possible confrontation with the intruders.

You were visibly caught off guard by the movement above, stopping dead in your tracks and looking up at the ceiling. After a few seconds, you turn to back Johnny, fear and dread darkening your face.

“Did you hear that? There's people above us."

Johnny walked over to you, slowly and quietly in order to overhear the running above. Gone was his usual cocky demeanour from seconds before, a much more serious one has taken it’s place.

"Yeah, I heard them. Sounds like there's a lot of them, too."

He turned to look at you, breath hitched and eyes darkening slightly.

"Think they've caught on that we're here?"

Your voice lowered to a whisper, the sudden pseudo presence of Shao’s men making you hyper-aware of your movements and surroundings.

"...If we’re quiet enough and stick to the shadows, then we should be able to reach the center of the pyramid without giving ourselves away to anymore of Shao's men. Got that?"

Johnny nodded in agreement, a small and determined smile gracing his features. Working under pressure like this was exciting for him, he felt like a ninja or some sort of action icon he would portray. There was something so childishly fun about this all.

"Yeah, I got it. Lead the way, princess." 

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*

Over the next few hours, the two of you made your way through the pyramid, as silently and stealthily as possible. You, specifically, were extra careful to not alert anymore of Shao's men to your presence, lest you and Johnny be forced to fight and meet an untimely fate.

This pyramid was such a large structure that by the afternoon, despite all their progress, you and Johnny weren't even halfway to the innermost chamber. However, sticking to the shadows did actually give you an opportunity to overhear Shao's forces discussing amongst themselves.

Piecing together what could be overheard so far, you gathered that the source of this particular disturbance was indeed the mysterious machine depicted in the notes you found, located right in the center of the pyramid. It seemed to be powered by some sort of rock or stone… though you unfortunately couldn’t pick up on anything else. Why General Shao's men were guarding this machine and why this machine was even there in the first place was still a mystery to you. Maybe, if you and Johnny keep advancing deeper into the structure, you would find more answers.

By now, the two of you were resting in a small, hidden room that had been found. Using your flashlights as a source of illumination, the both of you laid back against the walls and sought some rest for a little while.

Johnny let out a small sigh, stretching his legs out and resting his arms behind his head. The events of the day so far weighed heavy on his mind. From the long journey just to get here to spending all day sneaking around this dark and dusty pyramid, not to mention having to do all of this with you of all people… it was a lot. No offence, of course.

He glanced over at you, brushing the stray hairs out of your face whilst you rest against the wall adjacent to him. His eyes discreetly roamed over your tired form for a moment before he spoke.

"How much farther do you think we have left to go?"

"We are doing well. We get closer to the innermost chamber by every step. If we keep this up, we should reach our destination undetected."

You sighed, partially letting go of the stress that was weighing on your shoulders. You were committed to this mission, sure. But, it felt really good to let your guard down a little and take a break after hours of being on your feet. This was tiring work.

Johnny nodded in agreement, his eyes roaming over you once more. You didn’t notice how his gaze lingered on you a little longer than what was necessary. He couldn’t help it, the sight of your body was near-addicting to him.

"Yeah, but it's a lot of sneaking around. I'm tired of having to sneak around like a damn mouse. Wouldn't it be faster if we just kicked some ass and fought our way through?"

"That would be unwise. We would risk grievous injury, or worse. Sticking to the shadows is our best option."

Johnny chuckled, his lips stretching into a small smile. This was such a “you” response, always wanting to do the sensible thing and never daring to take risks.

"Yeah, sure sure. I get what you're saying. Sensible and safe. But don't you get tired of it? Don't you just want to let loose a little and be a bit reckless for once?"

"No." You reply bluntly, looking over at him with a disciplinary look. You would never dare admit it, but a part of you found it a little comical how immature Johnny was. You still can’t really believe that this was the same man that bested three of Shao's soldiers all by himself.

“Ah, you’re so stubborn, Jade…” A weak smile was on his face as he shook his head a little and turned away, losing himself in his own thoughts for a bit. A deep, breathy sigh escaped him as he turned to look at you once more.

"So, I'm guessing it's a “no” to being a little reckless and fun?"

You wordlessly scoff at his question, slowly shaking your head in disbelief.

A few moments of silence followed next. Seeing as there was not much to do, you allowed yourself to take note of how exhausted Johnny across from you looked. The fact that he still looked decently attractive after spending a whole day sneaking around an ancient structure didn't elude you, the slight softening of your facial features showed this. The dried blood stains littering his uniform actually complemented his appearance, in a weird way.

Did he always have such picturesque features?

A part of you did start to harbour some concern for the man, although you didn't let this show. Nevertheless, something in you was still promoted to ask him if he was alright.

"Are you... alright, Cage?"

Johnny's eyes widened a little in surprise, your mild display of concern for him took him off guard. This was so out of character for you, he really didn’t expect you to ask such a thing. He stared at you for a moment, studying your awaiting expression, He let out a small laugh.

"I'm fine, just a little tired, is all."

He gave you a small, tired grin, which was a little less cocky than the ones he usually gave. Exhaustion was shining through his slick face. You smiled back at him a little in response. Your nerves are eased knowing that there wasn't actually anything wrong with your companion. Only simple fatigue.

"I'm tired too. This is nothing some rest can't solve."

You quietly exhale and slumped your body down a little, the feeling of comfort starting to overtake you. Your eyes close, but you do’t fall asleep. The darkness of the back of your eyelids eased in clearing your mind.

Johnny, too. shifted his body a little to grow more comfortable again. 

He couldn't help but notice how... calm you seemed right now. It was a nice change from your usual serious and stoic demeanour, and admittedly, he found it to be pleasing. That smile of yours made you look even more beautiful in his eyes. ”She looks so… pretty when she's not glaring at me.”

After a few minutes of silence, your eyes open and you prop yourself back up. Your eyes settled back onto Johnny across from you, a thought coming to mind. You did hesitate, but eventually you gave in and took the first step in cracking the ice between the two of you.

"You know, Cage… my brother is actually a fan of yours..."

"Oh yeah?" The mention of your brother perked Johnny up a little. He chuckled, leaning forward slightly and resting one of his forearms against his knees, a silent invitation for you to carry on. He was quite intrigued to hear about your brother being a fan of his. He was actually a little more intrigued to hear that you have a brother at all.

Your smile returns. A tiny, breathy laugh slips past your lips before you speak next.

"Yes... he’s fond of that little film of yours. ‘Ninja Mine’, I believe it's called..?"

Johnny let out an exaggerated, and mock-offended scoff, pretending to be insulted that you were referring to his best work, or just any movie of his, as "little”.

"Ninja Mime. Please tell me you’ve not forgotten the name of one of the greatest movies in history."

You scoff also, but not in a way that indicates that you’re annoyed. No, Johnny’s arrogance actually got a genuine laugh out of you this time. Good on him.

"Yes, Ninja Mime." 

Your smile broadened a little before continuing.

“…Years ago, on one Halloween night, he was dressed up as your character. His whole face was covered in white paint, he ran around our home town in a karate uniform and a beret, yelling out “I am the Ninja Mine!”, so eager to get as much candy as possible..."

Your smile grew again, you were practically beaming now. The fond memories of your dear brother warmed your heart. Gone was that usual stoic expression, you were genuinely happy for the first time in a long time.

Your recollection actually drew a genuine, hearty laugh out of Johnny. Picturing your brother running around on Halloween, dressed up like all him, made the man laugh more than he'd care to admit. Hearing that he made other people happy with his work brought joy to him, this was one of the main reasons he entered the entertainment industry.

"Really? Your brother sounds like a pretty cool guy."

Johnny sat up, now fully invested in this conversation. He rested both of his elbows on his knees, leaning forward with a smile. It was actually really nice to hear about your life like this, and have some sort of positive interaction with you at the same time.

"What's his name?"

"His name is Hiroshi..."

The mention of your brother's name shifted your demeanour in a way that was very slight, but very noticeable. The bright twinkle in your eyes turned into a sliver of sadness. Your small smile morphed into a slight frown. Your gaze lowered itself to the floor as your nostalgia turned from sweet joy to bitter sadness.

There was so much underlying emotional baggage when it came to you and your kin, however that is not for Johnny to know yet.

He noticed all of this, raising an eyebrow as his expression changed also. That sudden sad look on your face was weird to him, Johnny couldn’t help but wonder if this was his fault. Did he say something wrong?

"…You alright there, Jade?"

His tone was light and cocky like usual, but this time it carried a hint of genuine concern. He made sure to be more careful with his actions now, looking over at you and reaching his hand out slowly, like he didn’t want to startle you.

You don’t respond, you’re too lost in your silent sulking as you lay back against the wall. Once joyful a few minutes ago, you were now drowning in remorse as the memories of your family were playing in your head. A small tear pooled from your eye and ran down your cheek, you were zoned out and became enthralled in the past.

After a few moments had passed, you realised what you’re doing. Your usual cold, laser-focused demeanour was slipping, you can’t allow that. Especially in-front of Johnny. 

You compose yourself, sitting up and wiping the tear off of your face, taking a sharp inhale in the process. You look up and dismiss Johnny, your tone now cold again.

"...Alright, enough nostalgia for one day. We should get a move on. Come on."

Your announcement was abrupt, just like your exit. You swiftly make your way out of the secret room, leaving Johnny all alone and confused. He was caught completely off guard by your sudden departure, and all the varying events that have happened in the past few minutes. He slowly rose to his feet, taking a moment to stand there in dumbfounded silence.

He looked around the room a little and he shook his head, shoving his queries to the back of his mind before he quickly followed suit and made his way out.

A/N: thank you for reading!! this was a big one, i know. i had no idea this would be ten thousand words omg 😭 again, neither the story nor the actual roleplay is nowhere near done. i’m so excited to share the rest of it to tumblr :)

[syd-djarin]

Sugar, Spice & Please Fuck Me Nice (neighbor!joel AU)

chapter two: sex and candy

*18+ minors DNI*

tags: mentions of anxiety, religious shame/guilt, reader being insecure, mentions of (negative) past sexual experiences and partners, brief mention of alcohol consumption, v fingering, oral (f receiving) joel is a cunnilinguist, 2000’s nostalgia, mentions of the patriarchy (booooo)  squirting (sue me),  Joel-Land™️™️™️

reader has hair that she fidgets with, "grows warm" /"cheeks burning" but not necessarily blushing, with embarrassment - minor edits to make this more inclusive for my readers <3

word count: ~4.5k

Author/s notes: Sorry it took longer to get ch. 2 out than I anticipated. I've had a lot going on in my personal life (I got a new job!) But I promise it won't be as long for ch. 3 hehe. this is a lengthy chapter, hope y'all enjoy!!

had to name reader's bestie after my dear friend @katiexpunk <3 thanks for always letting me run ideas by you and being a peach in general.

and thank you to @softiedingo for being a beta reader as well <333

It has been two weeks since you introduced yourself to Joel and Sarah. You hate to admit it, but you haven’t been able to stop thinking about Joel. Your mind will stay preoccupied temporarily, then they circle back to him. 

Throwing clothes in the washer? Joel. 

Boiling water for pasta? Joel. 

Doing the dishes? Joel. 

In the shower? Yep, definitely Joel. 

And this morning is no different. 

You’re staring at yourself in your bathroom mirror, brushing your teeth, mind deep into Joel-Land, then your thoughts take a sharp turn - for the worst. You’re thinking about all of your past sexual encounters. 

How unsatisfying and selfish your past partners were. You hadn’t been romantically involved with any of your past partners, all of them casual-no-strings-attached type of arrangements. 

Even if the sex was casual, did that mean the pleasure had to be one-sided? Of course not. 

However, after each encounter you found yourself feeling disappointed, and truthfully, it made you feel…..icky. Was it religious shame? Even though you don’t participate or believe in any religion anymore, your formative years were spent in a conservative, Christian church; where sex is bad, and sin is bad. And you don’t want to be bad, because you will go to hell. You don’t even believe in hell, yet, there is a small voice in your head that still worries about eternal damnation. Jeez, I should really see a therapist about that.  

 Perhaps it’s the misogyny and sexism, rampant and hard-wired into society and into mind’s since the beginning of time. 

Your internal theological and philosophical debate gives you a throbbing headache. 

+++

It’s Friday. Halloween falls on a Tuesday this year, so most Halloween celebrations would occur this weekend. 

If you were still in college, you’d most likely attend a costume party at a frat party and drink until the sun came up. These days, you don’t recover from hangovers as easily and find the anxiety spiral that follows a night of drinking to be too debilitating so you’re planning on keeping it chill this year. 

You’re pouring out a bag of candy into a bowl, so candy is easily accessible for your sweet tooth cravings when you hear a strong, loud cluster of knocks at your front door. 

Knock. Knock. Knock-knock. 

Shaking off your initial startling from the sudden knocks, you open your front door to find Joel. He’s leaning his shoulder on the doorframe, one half of his body bears all his weight. He swiftly straightens upright again when you greet him. He looks even more handsome from the last time you saw him. He’s wearing dark wash jeans that accentuate his body in the most delectable way and a black t-shirt with a faded MILLER CONSTRUCTION graphic that is just barely legible. 

You have the urge to steal the well-worn shirt so you can sleep in it, relish his scent, and let it become a metaphorical embrace of Joel. 

Fuck, I really am down bad, you internally scold yourself to come back to the present moment. 

“Joel! Ho-how are you?” you manage to creak out through nerves and surprise. 

His beautiful, dark brown eyes are staring right into yours. His eyes could compel you to do anything. 

“I’m doin’ alright, you?” The word ‘alright’ is drawn out making it sound like “awllll-right”

“Can’t complain. Y’all settling in okay?” tilting your head unconsciously, as if to convey genuinity.  

“Oh yeah, ‘s a nice neighborhood. Sarah seems to be enjoyin’ her new school, I was a lil worried she’d have a hard time but she’s a smart kid and gets along with pretty much everyone. Awful silly of me to worry in the first place…” he’s rambling, hands moving at the same pace as his speech. 

You find his rambling to be cute, it’s a bit of a juxtaposition from his strong, demanding presence. 

Joel realizes he’s nervous after he concludes his tangent. When’s the last time he felt nervous around women? Especially a sweet, non-threatening woman like you? 

“Anywho, I came over to uh- ask you somethin’... Sarah liked your cookies so much she wants to learn how to make them herself and was wondering if you’d teach her?”

“I’d love to!” You shoot him a flattered smile,  learning that Sarah wanted you to teach her to bake makes your heart sing.

Joel is amazed at you. You agreed to teach a twelve year old, one who you hardly know, to bake. He shouldn’t be surprised given your sweet demeanor and generous heart, but he’s in awe of you. 

“You sure? I mean, you obviously don’t have to if you don’t want—”

“Joel, I’d be honored to. Send her over in an hour,” you cut him off, hoping to convey your delight in teaching someone else to bake, the same way your grandma did for you. 

Joel can’t stop the shit-eating grin that appears on his face. 

“Sounds good. I’ll send her your way, sweetheart,” he lingers just for a moment to watch your reaction to the nickname, the one he’s used twice. 

You desperately try to keep your composure cool and collected, but you’ve never had a good poker face. You wear your emotions like an accessory. And right now, you are flustered. You divert your attention to the ground as if looking into his eyes would expose your every thought. 

“O-okay!” You can barely stammer out a response before he is pivoting off your porch, back to his own house. 

You can’t see it with his back turned to you, but Joel is smirking to himself and feeling amused at his effect on you. 

+++

“You sure you don’t want me to go with you?”

“Yes, dad. I don’t need a chaperone to bake cookies. I’m a big girl now, remember?”

Yes, he is acutely aware that she is a big girl now. Well, not really, to him she will always be his baby girl, but that doesn’t stop her from growing up. Too fast for his liking. The idea of her becoming a teenager almost gives him a coronary. It won’t be long before she’s driving, then graduating, and college. What if she wants to attend a school in another state? Across the country? 

He feels queasy at that thought, afraid that she will grow out of thinking her dad is the coolest, afraid that she doesn’t want to spend time with her old man anymore. 

He wills himself to think about something else. Anything else. Inevitably his thoughts wander to you. 

Joel hates to admit it, but he was hoping to join Sarah for the baking lesson. He wants an excuse to be in your radiant, sweet, beautiful presence again. 

While you can’t stop thinking about him, he can’t stop thinking about you. 

Driving home from work? You. 

Making dinner? You. 

Making his morning coffee? You. 

Laying in bed? Oh, yeah. Definitely you. 

Exactly one hour passes when Sarah arrives at your house. You’ve already set up in your kitchen in preparation; already pre-measured the ingredients, setting out all the necessary baking equipment and you even found a spare apron for Sarah to wear. Ya know, to give her the full experience. 

“Oooh, this apron makes me feel like a professional!” Sarah exclaims after tying the strings on her designated apron. 

“Well, after this, you will be.”

You can’t remember the last time you felt this much joy. Sharing a passion of yours with someone who is eager to learn from you delights your heart and soul in a way you didn’t know you needed until now. 

“So first, we’ll need to combine the butter and sugar,” Sarah dumps the butter and sugar into the mixing bowl. “Great, now we want to beat the mixture until it looks fluffy.” 

She is completely engrossed in watching for the desired texture, furrowing her brows together in a way that mimics Joel. You find it adorable. 

“Excellent, now we are going to add in the eggs and vanilla extract.” 

She follows your instructions to a T, meticulous and concentrated as if she were mixing hazardous chemicals in a lab. 

“You’re doing great.  Now let’s add our dry ingredients, half of it at a time.” 

Her eyes light up when it’s time to fold in the chocolate chips. You both agree it’s the best part, both of you indulging in a few before adding them to the dough. 

You assist Sarah in rolling the dough into little balls and placing them onto the baking sheet. 

While waiting for the cookies to bake, you learn more about Sarah and Joel. She tells you about their old house, the camping trip they went on this past summer, the catchy pop songs on the radio that Joel will pretend to hate but she catches him humming the tune later, how Joel makes a big breakfast for the two of them every Sunday, a ritual they started when Sarah started school - he makes pancakes just for her. 

Getting a snapshot of Joel and Sarah’s lives and their dynamic makes your mega crush on Joel that much bigger. From what Sarah has shared with you, he seems like a caring, protective yet fun dad. You’re aching to learn everything about him. 

“Do you have any plans for Halloween?” Sarah asks as you’re pulling the baking sheet out of the oven. 

“Oh um, I usually just hand out candy to trick-or-treaters. Nothing super exciting. What about you?”

“We always order pizza and watch a scary movie - nothing super scary though. We dress up too. Well, I dress up but dad thinks he is too cool to do that so he wears the same boring mask every year,” she has a mischievous grin on her face, concocting a plan when she asks, “do you want to come over and join us?” 

On one hand you’d love nothing more than to spend more time with your new friend and Joel, but on the other hand the thought of being in the same room as Joel, in his house, makes you both anxious and aroused. Dizzy, nervous, and horny makes for an unpleasant combination. 

Gaining a sliver of bravery, you swallow your apprehension and say yes. 

“Sure, yeah, what time should I come over?”

“6:30. And you better wear a costume!”

+++

You’ve spent the past hour trying to put a costume together. Not making any progress, you decide to seek external advice - your best friend Katie. 

You both met as freshman and have been close friends ever since, even rooming together in your first off-campus apartment. She moved to the West Coast shortly after graduation, though you still keep in touch via email and phone. You give her the scoop on Joel - him moving into the neighborhood, your gigantic crush on him, how you baked cookies with Sarah yesterday. She’s impatiently waiting for you to bone your hot neighbor. Girl, I’m waiting too. 

“Do you still have that bunny costume you wore junior year?”

You rummage through your tote of seasonal clothing in search of said costume. Pulling it out, you now realize just how skimpy the costume really is. Bunny ears and a tail paired with a skin tight black bodysuit leaves virtually nothing to the imagination and definitely too much skin for this occasion. 

“Dude, I can’t wear this! His daughter will be there! I can’t believe I wore this out in public. This is X-Rated,” you’re growing agitated in having no success in your costume, to the point that you are tempted to tell Sarah you came down with something so you don’t have to go. 

“Okay, okay, the ears and tail are still salvageable. Do you have something besides the bodysuit?”

“Ummm…” you trail off into the phone, frantically searching for something to replace the risque bodysuit. You find a plain white baby tee amongst the sea of clothing, deciding you can pair it with your favorite jeans, the ones that accentuate your body in all the right places. 

“This could work..” muttering to yourself when a devious thought pops into your head. White shirt, no bra. 

“Found it! Gotta go, loveyoubye!” You hang up the call before Katie has a chance to respond, tossing your pink Razr on your bed. Your body hums in anticipation and jitters, feeling emboldened by your no bra plot. 

After throwing on your outfit, you style your hair differently than you normally do. You add several coats of mascara to your lashes, sweep on some blush that complements your skin and add a sparkly lip gloss to your lips, making them appear extra plump and juicy. 

You grab a bag of Halloween candy and you practically skip across the street. Reaching the front door of your new bestie and her gorgeous dad, your confidence is replaced with a furious ball of anxiety. Your heart is palpitating and you feel your stomach churn. 

 Would Joel think you looked stupid? Or worse, childish? Fuck, you should’ve stayed home. 

Joel opening the door snaps you out of your thought spiral but only briefly, because he’s staring at you like you’ve started growing extra limbs. He looks both puzzled and pissed? 

“What uh-what’re you doing here?” 

His voice has a sharpness you haven’t heard before and it stings. 

You have a moment of realization. 

Sarah didn’t run the invitation by her dad.

 You deduct that he isn’t a fan of surprises. 

Before you can formulate a response, Sarah saves you from having to do so. 

“You dressed up! I’m glad you came,” she squeals while wrapping her arms around your middle in an embrace. 

She looks up at Joel from where she’s latched onto you and gives her confused dad an explanation. 

“Dad, it’s okay, I invited her.” 

That seems to alleviate his confusion. You, on the other hand, not so much. You’re internally screaming at yourself. It’s obvious to you that Joel wasn’t expecting you, and in conclusion, doesn’t want you here. 

“I didn’t mean to impose, I—I’m sorry, I’ll uh— just go back home,” fighting back tears of embarrassment, looking everywhere except at Joel.  You think now is a superb time to move across the country, change your name, dye your hair, somewhere far away from this humiliation. 

Joel senses you’re feeling rejected in some way.

“No, no, come on in. Jus’ wasn’t expectin’ you s’all,” he gives you his most reassuring smile. 

You swallow the lump of emotions in your throat. 

He didn’t expect you to come over, nor did he expect you’d show up as his personal version of a Playboy bunny.  He almost busted in his jeans when he could see your nipples through your very thin white t-shirt. He thinks you’re trying to kill him. 

+++

You’re starting to relax once you three settle on the couch, Sarah nestling between you and Joel, Alien on the TV. Turns out, you and Joel share a love for the film. You may or may not have gotten into a heated (playful) debate about the other films in the franchise.

Joel gets an influx of trick-or-treaters, more than you usually get, residents of the neighborhood taking advantage of this opportunity to be nosy. Again. 

In between costume clad visitors, you sneak glances at Joel, who looks absolutely scrumptious tonight. His hair had been damp and combed back when you arrived, his curls now almost dry and in all their glory. He’s wearing an obviously well-loved, faded Pearl Jam concert tee that clings to his arms and grey sweatpants that sit dangerously low on his hips. You wonder if all his shirts fit like that. When he stands, you can see the outline of his dick through his sweatpants.  You have to manually restrain yourself from pouncing on him. You’re soaking through your panties and you’re a little worried that if you stand, the seat beneath you will be soaked too. 

The scent of his body wash invades your nostrils, a heavenly mix of sandalwood and cinnamon. You’re imagining yourself running your hands through his hair and burying your nose into his neck, alternating between kissing and sucking on the skin there. You want to taste every inch of his skin, taking your time to savor him. 

Joel’s stealing glances at you, too. He’s never seen someone look so sweet and seductive, divine even. You smell warm and sweet, amber and vanilla. Not the artificial, manufactured type vanilla scent, it’s like vanilla straight from the bean. When you readjust your position on the couch to get more comfortable, your tits lightly bounce, unrestrained by a bra. He has to stifle a groan, disguising it as a cough. He wonders how much they’d bounce if you were riding his cock. Your lips are absolutely sinful. Pouty and plump, juicy from the lip gloss. The bunny ears are the nail in his coffin. He’s picturing you bent over on his couch, still wearing the bunny ears as he devours your pussy from behind. 

Only a quarter of the way through the movie, a few of Sarah’s friends from her old school pop in to invite her over for an impromptu sleepover to which Joel agrees to, since they no longer go to school together. 

Which means you and Joel are left alone. Together. Your body is aching to close space between you and the man you’re enamored with. You don’t know that Joel is itching to do the same. 

“Sarah couldn’t stop talkin’ bout yesterday. She loved hangin’ out with ya, thanks again for doin’ that.”

“She’s welcome to come over anytime. She’s a sweet kid,” you’re beaming at the fact she enjoyed baking with you. Joel notices the way your eyes gleam, overflowing with delight.

You finally have the courage to meet his eyes. The way his eyes are raking over your entire body makes your clit throb in anticipation. Your heartbeat is erratic, thumping loudly in your ears. 

The energy in the room is magnetic, pulling you and Joel closer together. 

“You can uh-scoot closer t’me if ya want,” he gruffs out, beckoning you to scoot closer to him. Joel wouldn’t admit it to anyone, but you make him feel like a flustered teenage boy about to kiss a girl for the first time. 

You scoot closer to Joel, hoping he doesn’t notice your body trembling from nerves. 

With your body flush next to his, he stretches one of his toned arms behind your head, resting it on the back of the couch. You can feel the warmth radiating from his body and it sends a shiver down your spine, straight to your aching core. 

The tension in the air is palpable, both of your bodies buzzing in arousal. You’re both pretending to watch the movie in front of you, but your minds are elsewhere. He gently removes his arm from the couch and rests it across your shoulders. It’s a seemingly innocuous gesture, but its impact makes you clench around nothing, more arousal dripping into your panties. 

He leans his head down close to yours, his mouth behind your ear.

“No bra? You’re a naughty lil bunny aren’t ya?” His hot breath tickles your ear, your eyes clamp shut involuntarily and you whimper. A high-pitched, whiny whimper, and Joel’s never heard anything sweeter. 

He places his other large palm on your thigh, gently squeezing it. Your skin prickling in goosebumps and your nipples are hard enough to cut glass. The wetness pooled in your panties is beyond the point of comfort. 

Joel presses a chaste kiss behind your ear, eliciting another whimper from you. He peppers kisses from your neck all the way to your collarbones.

“This okay?” 

“Mhmmm…”  You’re already so keyed up you feel hazy. Your whole body feels hot, lit aflame by Joel’s lips on your skin.  

“You gonna be a good girl for me?” he rasps while his hand is caressing your thigh, intentionally not too close to where you want him. Need him. 

“Mhmmm,” you moan, still unable to form words, arousal taking over all of your bodily functions. 

“Need you to use your words, honey.” He squeezes your thigh again.

He pulls his face back from your neck to look you in the eyes, and slows his movements on your thigh so you can tell him to back off or give him the green light to continue. You grab his hand on your thigh and squeeze it, to keep him from removing it. 

“Joel, pleeease. Want it so bad. Need you so fuckin’ bad.” 

You beg in the most sultry voice you can muster, emphasizing every syllable. 

Your lust laden eyes and the way you mewl for him ignites something ravenous, primal, carnal in him. He hasn’t heard you cuss before and it sounds so filthy in your honeyed voice.  His rock hard cock twitches in his pants. 

He presses his plush lips against yours. It’s hesitant at first, but his apprehension dissipates when you wrap your arms around his neck and kiss him back with fervor. Joel deepens the kiss, one hand gripping your hip, the other hand splayed between your shoulder blades, pressing your body further into his. You tangle one of your hands in his luscious curls. He tastes like sweet peppermint and a hint of black coffee. You feel dizzy, tasting him, finally feeling him. 

He breaks the kiss, guiding you to lie down on your back and props your head up on one of the couch armrests. 

He’s looking down at you and he’s never seen anything more beautiful. You’re always pretty, effortlessly so. But seeing you underneath him, sweet and desperate for him? He’d do anything you ask him to.

“You’re the prettiest lil bunny. So fuckin’ pretty.”

You’re bashful under his gaze and his compliment, cheeks burning. 

Joel notices you trying to shy away and he places a thumb under your chin, forcing you to keep looking at him. 

Now you feel embarrassed for trying to shy away in the first place.

“Sorry I’m—”

“Nothing to ‘pologize for, sweetheart,” he’s caressing your chin with his thumb, alleviating all of the embarrassment from you.

“Wanna taste you. You’ve no idea how bad I’ve wanted to taste you. Needed to know if you were as sweet as your cookies.”

“Oh, fuck,” you breathe out, “yes - yes please, taste me, Joel”

He chuckles softly at your enthusiasm and promptly rids you of your jeans, making the leather of the couch feel cool to the back of your thighs. 

Joel lets out a guttural moan when he sees your sky blue satin panties soaked through. He runs a finger over the damp spot, making you quiver. His touch is featherlight and it’s maddening. You’re squirming, hips lifting off the couch, chasing for more. 

He obliges, running a finger over your clit with added pressure. 

“Joel, please–” You’re a whiny mess under him, and he’s just getting started. He’s rubbing gentle circles over your bud, still-panty clad. 

He presses a kiss on your belly, just below your navel. The tenderness makes your body shudder.

He finally removes your panties and you gasp when the cool air hits your throbbing pussy. 

“Pretty girl with a pretty pussy to match.” Joel’s admiring the way your pussy is glistening for him, begging to be touched. 

He runs a finger through your drenched seam, your juices dripping onto his thick digit. He licks his finger, then shoves it into his mouth so he can taste every drop. His eyes clamp shut, groaning at how you taste. You commit the image to memory, not wanting to forget how he looks and sounds when he tastes you for the first time.

“Knew you’d taste sweet. So fuckin’ sweet.” 

Your brain short circuits when you realize that means he’s thought about this before. That he’s imagined how you’d taste. Picturing him fantasizing about you makes you light-headed. 

Joel spreads your legs wider, giving him full access to your pussy. He dives in without warning, licking from entrance up to your clit.

“Fuck, Joel!” You hoarsely shout with one hand gripping the couch cushion and one tugging onto Joel’s messy curls. His beard scratches the sensitive skin of your pussy as you grind your hips into his mouth, desperate for release. 

 You see stars while he expertly alternates between flicking his tongue and sucking on your clit. He’s keeping a steady rhythm, on the slower side, taking his time pleasuring you. He’s enjoying this.

Obscene sounds fill the room; Joel devouring your pussy like it’s the Last Supper and your chorus of moans and expletives. 

“Fuck, don’t stop, don’t you fucking stop!”

“Shitshitshit–”

“Joelllll-” 

He picks up the pace, your fingers cramping from their deathgrip on the couch. You feel your peak approaching - sweat beading on your forehead, chest heaving, head thrown back in ecstasy. 

Joel senses your approaching release and pushes one of his thick, dexterous fingers into your weeping hole. 

He reaches for your hand that’s tangled in his hair and intertwines your fingers with his, resting your connected hands on your inner thigh. It’s overwhelming; the intimacy of your interlocked fingers paired with the filthy onslaught of his mouth. 

He speeds up as he adds another finger, hitting the spot that no one except you has reached before. You never knew it could feel this amazing. You thought you were doomed to a life of bad sex. 

Apparently, you just needed Joel to show you differently. And you are so glad he proved you wrong. 

Joel hooks his fingers inside you bringing you closer and closer to that peak you’ve been dying to reach. You’re squeezing his fingers, both the ones inside you and the ones interlaced with yours. 

“Joel I-I’m close,” you manage to choke out, mind foggy from the intense pleasure. 

He sucks on your clit, hard and you’re coming, entering a euphoric plane of existence. You’re floating, body trembling, coming harder than you’ve ever come before. 

Joel slows his fingers and removes his mouth from your pussy, beard glistening with your release, gently bringing you back to reality. He keeps your fingers locked with his, grounding you in the present.

The orgasmic fog clears from your brain, regaining awareness of your surroundings when you feel how drenched your lower half is. Like, really drenched. You lift your head from the armrest and look down and you’re appalled by the scene. 

You fucking squirted. Everywhere. 

On yourself, on the couch, on Joel. His beard is soaked completely, to the point it’s dripping down his chin. He’s just as stunned as you are. 

“Oh my God, I’m so sorry, fuck I-” you’re scrambling to get off the couch and Joel grabs your arm, stopping you in your tracks. 

“What’re you sorry for? That was so fuckin’ hot, sweetheart.” 

“I-I didn’t know I could do that…”

“Oh yeah? First time ever squirtin’?

“Yeah, the first time anyone else has made me come… like, ever.” 

His gaze goes dark. 

You get the feeling that he’s just getting started with you. 

And just like your cookies, he’d never have enough. 

THE END

[ouch-thats-harsh]

hii!! how r u?? i saw ur BNHA Class1-a w/ an indian reader and i honestly LOVED IT!! i was hoping to request for an indian reader with class 1-a but where they think she is really quiet and shy. HOWEVER, they witness her OTHER side when they see her vibing like crazy to bollywood songs??????????????? thnx<333 hv a good day/nightt!!! :)))

Pairings: none! Just friends and classmates :)

warnings: none! Gn! Reader. Indian reader, the reader is a bit shy

Author's note: Omg, hello!!! It's been a while since I disappeared for no reason😭 I'm sorry I didn't see your ask till now!! I'm so glad you loved the fic, it came from a need, honestly. Also I'm definitely more than rusty at this rn, so please forgive me if this sucks, I'm not the best at English, so i apologise for any mistakes.

A day doesn't pass without your headphones and music. The ghazals, the carnatic music, the hindustani tunes and Bollywood moods to wake your soul up. It was a need for you because more than anything, it was a piece of your home. Their foreign exchange student from India was a specimen worth knowing. Smart, brilliant, gorgeous but also quiet. You being quiet was something they expected, the language barrier guarenteed it! they dubbed your behaviour as that, but turns out thats just the way you were. It added to your charm.

One early Monday, after seemingly a shitty week, everyone had to get back on schedule. Exhausted students pulling themselves out of beds for another tiring week wasn't something new. UA makes it a death week, sometimes literally. Fatigue rolled in by the evening. After letting your friends know that you were ready to turn in for the night, you went straight to your dorm to rest. That was until you got a Google photos notif, from the last time you went to navratri.

Sero was just walking to his room, he was unbothered and chill. Then came your dorm room.

Before long your friends were outside your door

*Knock knock*

from the outside one could hear the faint sound of music and someone singing. They slowly opened the door, to see you, their adorable lovely quiet friend, eyes closed, with loud music, moving your hips to some Bollywood song? the song suited you, thought midoriya as soon as he saw you.

But then the shock came. You danced???

"DAMN GIRL!!" mina's loud outburst alerted you. You froze in place at the sudden yell, "how long have you guys been standing there???" You cried out, a bit embarrassed, maybe too embarrassed. You quickly turned the music off.

"Long enough to see you dance." Kirishima pointed out with a smirk. You felt your face warm. kaminari laughed at the sight of you flustered. Even though the situation was just the material to tease you with, they saw how much you enjoyed it, how carefree you were at that moment.

"What song was that? And you never told me you could move like *that*" mina asked pointing at you. "It's- uhm, it's called" you looked at your phone to get the title right, "tumhi ho bandu... And i- uh could always do that? Haha" the nervousness was evident, probably a result of you hiding this side of yours for so long.

This was a pleasant surprise to them. You looked more alive than they could remember.

Ochaco remembered the times you told her about baraat and gharba, times where you danced as if it was your last breathe of air. You told her about how your lungs would burn, sweat rolling off your head onto the earth. She saw what you meant today, even if it was fleeting. She wanted to join. She picked up your phone and played the next song. The beginning of nachde ne saare played. A memory for you, dancing with your bestfriend back home, unlocked.

You felt shy as the song began, but Ochaco and mina, ever the dancers, began moving, inviting you to do too. The guys were watching until pulled in by the duo, bakugou just stayed in his place, watching and nodding to the beat after a while. You could see some of them puzzled at the words but they swayed nonetheless. You remember this scene from somewhere. What was it? 2 years ago? Tenth farewell party... You remember something just like this, loud music, laughter, flaying arms and someone's horrible attempt at Bhangra. Flashes of old friends transitioned into your new ones, just as precious, loving and loved.

The hour was spent dancing, singing (gibberish more like), before long exhaustion hit all of you."We- *pants* should do this more often" a tired momo said. Satisfied with the whole thing. Some agreed immediately with her, smiling. You all talked a bit after that, letting yourselves relax. "You know, I'm glad i snooped enough to get to see this" sero said amused. "Yeah, i mean, for all we know you could've just hid those hips from us forever." Mina laughed. You chuckled a bit. "Thats called thumke" you told her, happy at the sight of all of them beside you. You went back to your quiet self.

"I do hope we'll get to see you like this more, it's nice to see you so fired up and not only on the battlefield" tooru said as she got up, the others added to her comment agreeing. After her the rest got up and decided to finally go to bed, they all hugged you or just showed their way of being affectionate, so did you.

Your room was silent now. You felt content, somehow at peace at the whole "incident" as they would come to call it from now on.You closed your eyes, the sounds from earlier echoed in your head, though loud, it put you to sleep.

End note: hey, uhm so this was smtg I cooked up after not writing for a long while, so please do leave suggestions on how to improve and yea, thanks for reading! :))

[lvmimis]

"don't make fun of me but..." you start, which already puts you at a loss as your friend looks up from her book, then stifles a laugh once she catches your exasperated expression. you trail off, deciding not to say more, then rub your temples, and she pouts.

"keep going," she insists. by now she's closed her book and is taking a few notes in a notebook, legs cross-legged on the bench as she sits beside you. you're out in the park, per her request for you to get at least an hour of sun all day, and the sun really is overhead beating, but the shade does provide you some solace. there are a few children playing on a jungle gym across from where the two of you are facing, but you're not really paying too much mind to them - rather, you're thinking about your roommate and the fact that he's been acting strange.

you sigh.

"i'm not exactly sure what the best way to say it is," you start.

"then say it however you can," she says. she takes a sip of her lemonade and you remember that you have a drink too, a peach tea without boba, and reach for yours to buy yourself some time. the condensation of the plastic cup almost makes it slip out of your hand. a lot of things are slipping between your fingers recently, you think.

"does uh..."

"yeah..."

you swallow hard then go ahead.

"is kento seeing someone?"

you pause and she pauses and then she laughs so loud and recklessly that you want to blame satoru for influencing her. she doubles over cackling and you fume, crossing your arms, but you deserve to be made fun of a bit.

"since when do you care what he does?" she asks. "also don't you live together? just ask him."

you purse your lips.

"if i ask, it has the implication that i'm interested."

"and are you not?" she asks.

the question shouldn't take you off guard, it's the natural course of this type of conversation, but you can feel your cheeks warm.

"if i didn't like him back in high school, why would i like him now?"

she gives you a look and shrugs, and in the look, you recount nearly her entire history with gojo. it's a very loud look and you look away.

"anyway, ken hasn't said anything to me, if that helps." she leans in further as you absorb that information and process why it even bothered you enough to ask. "did you hear anything? do you want to be that person? i can help, you know. i would do an excellent job at selling your good points."

you roll your eyes.

"we didn't meet yesterday so it's not like he doesn't know me. actually, the issue is that our walls are thin. i'm hearing... things."

she blinks.

"what do you mean things?"

your face warms again.

"i've overheard him, a few times... i'm just not sure if he's sexting or what... since it's all of a sudden."

she freezes for a moment, and you're reminded of how cute and innocent-looking she is with doe eyes and round cheeks, but the next thing that comes out of her mouth is far too crass.

"a man is allowing himself a well-deserved nut after a hard day of work and you're being insecure about it?"

"shh! not so loud!!" you hiss, your heart feeling like it will stop as you look around the area to make sure no kids overheard. her eyes twinkle as she leans him.

"if you're so concerned, then take care of him yourself!"

"___!"

"you don't have to be a thing, you can stay friends, but clearly you want to, unless you wouldn't be here pressing your knees together in public and asking me about it."

you blink, dumbfounded, but she's right.

perhaps.

you give it a little more thought on your way home, and when you stumble into him on your way back in the hallway, an unintentional dance to the left and to the right before he stops and allows you to step around him, you try to stop thinking about last night's moans and/or how he'd feel inside you.

[donatellowiththebookinhishand]

Donatello Brainworm AU

Hey everyone- I originally posted this to ao3, but I wanted to cross-post here so I could actually tag the inspiration for the fic. My tag on ao3 however is SCREAM_ing, if you want to know where faster updates will be!

Summary:

-Based off the Brainworm Donnie AU comic by @cupcakeslushie on tumbler. I highly recommend checking their comic out, it’s pretty great! Here’s their description:

“Karai lures Donnie into her trap first in the Fourfold Trap, but what if she used the extra time to implant him with a brainworm? The brothers have to try to race against a ticking clock to save a brother who now hates them.

Warnings: brainwashing, neglect/abuse (not real, but perceived as the truth)“

Disclaimer!!! In case you missed it in the super long description- Please read this before.. reading.

This AU is NOT my idea, it comes from a comic creator on tumbler by the name @cupcakeslushie. I implore you to check their comic out before reading, their art is incredible. It’s also the basis of this entire work, and I will try to keep dialogue the same from comic to here.

This is also my first time writing a fanfic, so this pilot chapter is like a draft of a draft. Hopefully it will get better as I write 😅

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Chapter 1

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“I know you have tried, Donatello; some things are simply not meant to be. At least I have four wonderful sons.”

If that wasn’t the nail in the coffin. Donnie’s heart sank as the black goop in the beaker—a hopeful attempt at a cure—oozed mockingly at him. His brothers, who’d been crowded around him to witness this latest attempt at a cure, began to solemnly walk out of the lab. Donnie didn't know what to do anymore, and he was running out of ideas.

His failure weighed heavily on his shoulders. He’d come up empty-handed again, his ideas to develop the cure were running thin. It’s been weeks of sleepless nights and many, many, coffee pots later, and his latest idea hadn't even come close to fruition.

It also doesn't help that he can't even focus on his brothers’ and master’s disappointment through the massive headache he’s been nursing for weeks. It’s back at full throttle now as he chokes back tears of frustration.

His family had taken it upon themselves to stop into the lab after each supper to check on his progress toward the cure. Donnie really thinks it's just their way of subtly asking, "Aren’t you done yet?" It’s that, or it’s them checking if he’s still standing after missing yet another mealtime.

The brothers left, all disappointed—except for Leo, who turned to Donnie with hardened eyes and a mouth twisted in frustration. To distract himself, Donatello doesn't meet his brothers' eyes as they leave, instead opting to grab a clipboard and take notes on what he could actually fix around the lair. Leo stalked angrily behind him, unnoticed by the genius.

“Donnie, you know how much this means to Sensei.”

“Leo, I’m trying as hard as I can.” He could barely believe Leo had just said that to him; the words cut through him like a dagger. His face fell, the weariness and hurt momentarily slipping through before he clenched his jaw and tried to steady himself. After all the sleep he’d lost and sacrifices he’d made, he couldn’t take the thought of being asked to give even more.

Couldn't he see that Donnie was giving everything he had to Karai’s brainworm problem? He hadn't had a full night’s sleep in almost a month. Tears of frustration begin to well in his eyes; in a last-ditch effort to quell his rising temper, he grips the sides of the clipboard tighter, digging his fingers into the smooth wood almost painfully.

“Well, try harder.”

White-hot indignation shoots down his shell, sudden anger at his older brother is sharp and undeniable. The clipboard left his hands, skidding across the lab with a loud crash, not bothering to look in the direction it goes. His hurt is quickly masked by anger, and his focus is completely on Leo, fists tightly balled. “Try harder? I always have to find the solution! You’re the leader, Leo! You find the answer! Or what about Raph?”

“I got the answer for you—Karai’s a lost cause!”

“Don’t say that, dude.”

All four brothers began arguing incessantly with each other, weeks of pent-up anger and frustration pouring out of each of them. Donnie fired back quickly, gesticulating wildly as he channeled weeks of exhaustion into his voice—when his T-phone began to ring from across the room. Still furious and hurting, Donnie stomped across the room, almost happy for the excuse to walk away from Leo.

“Donnie, I need to talk with you alone. It’s important. I need you to meet me.”

It was April, and while this wasn't the best time for a heart-to-heart, she said it was an emergency. And who was Donnie to deny her? Besides, it's not like he was doing anything more productive at the lair—he glanced at his brothers, who genuinely seemed like dogs about to pounce on each other, and his mind was made up.

“Shizukani,” Splinter’s voice rang through the lair, effectively silencing their quarrel. He stalked out, hands clasped behind his back. All the turtles froze like they were children caught in the act; they guiltily turned to face their master with wide eyes. “What is the meaning of this?” Splinter said sternly, not bothering to hide his disdain for the quarreling, his eyebrows drawn together tightly.

“Nothing, Sensei, I’m heading out. April needs me,” Donnie said and angrily walked out of the lair, palms still tightly balled up. Leo, who took great offense to this, demanded Donnie come back. “You’re needed here now, Donnie!” He stepped forward, toward his taller brother, but otherwise made no move to actually stop Donatello from leaving the lair.

“Donnie! .. Donnie!”

Donnie mentally scoffed. Yeah, because you guys are always such reliable sources of positivity and gratitude, he thought wryly. His youngest brother’s words resurfaced in his mind.

“Donnie, you tried your best, brah... even if it totally sucked.”

He kept his back to his family, continuing to stride toward the Shellraiser, refusing to acknowledge Leo’s calls. The Shellraiser roared to life, and he sped out of the sewer tunnels.

---

Donnie was a speed demon as he drove recklessly toward the location April sent him. He didn't bother stopping for streetlights or at intersections, forcing himself to have tunnel vision on April’s problem to avoid dealing with his own. The large van skidded to a stop as he reached the GPS pinpoint, a random alleyway with a large weathered garage door at the end of it. Donnie double-checked his T-phone, wondering why April would want to meet him in a place like this. Maybe she’d discovered something that could help Karai?

He didn't put too much thought into it. Donnie placed his head against the cool leather of the custom steering wheel he’d created, still attempting to cool off from his earlier altercation with his stupid brothers. Why couldn't they see he gave them his all, and they still had the audacity to ask him to do more? He was dying out here, for shell’s sake!

While all they had to worry about was training and what monstrosity of a combination they were going to eat that night, courtesy of Michelangelo, Donnie was slaving away in the lab, barely taking breaks to give them even a chance at saving their half-sister. Donatello shook the thoughts from his head; it wasn't important right now how he felt. He wiped away the hot, angry tears that had unknowingly begun to fall from his eyes.

God, he felt even more stupid right now, letting his emotions get to him while April needed him—and that wasn't even a word! He shook his head again and refocused, hopping out of the Shellraiser and walking into the dark alleyway. The smell of oil hung heavy in the air, and he absently hoped it wasn’t from the Shellraiser. He hadn’t spent much time on his 'baby' lately, he mused with a pang of guilt. Karai’s condition was much more important, though, and he feared they didn’t have much time left before the damage to her brain would become permanent. He pushed the thought aside and fixed his attention back on reaching the end of the alley.

The garage opened quickly, as if she’d heard him coming. April’s figure was illuminated by a strange purple light. All thoughts of how weird that was went away when she called out. “Donnie,” April spoke in a gravelly voice, “the Kraang are back.” Donnie’s mood improved so much just from her voice that he almost didn't register what she’d said. He shook himself back in order for the third time that night. “What? We've got to tell the guys.” Donnie's eyes widened, and he pulled out his phone, immediately sliding past Leo’s contact to dial Michelangelo instead. No way was he going to call Fearless first thing after the night he's had—he'd make Mikey do all the explaining.

“There’s no time. They’re about to get away; we’ve got to move,” April rushed and leapt further into the seemingly abandoned warehouse. It was pretty hard to tell with that blinding purple light beaming out at him. Donnie scrambled after her, calling her name so she’d wait up. He supposed he’d just call the guys when they stopped the first round of Kraang—not so hard, right?

It was only after he stepped through the garage doors that he realized his mistake. It was a trap, and he’d fallen for it, hook, line, and sinker. The heavy garage door slammed shut. He had no time to react before he was shot—a red-tipped dart and a bag roughly shoved over his head, forcing his neck back at an unnatural angle. Donnie cried out, but it was in vain; he was at Karai’s mercy now, and her scaly smirk was the last thing he saw.

“Sweet dreams, Donatello.”

After Donatello stormed out, Splinter sighed and strode back into the dojo, likely to resume his meditation. The lingering tension filled the room, and Leo stood rooted in place for a beat, Splinter’s words on unity echoing in his mind. Arms crossed, he clenched his jaw at Donnie’s blatant disregard. Didn't being the leader mean anything anymore? He couldn’t help but feel the sting of Donnie’s dismissal, and his eyes narrowed with a mix of hurt and frustration as he watched his brother disappear down the tunnel.

Raph and Mikey exchanged a look before slinking away, each to their own devices. Raph muttered something about "always being drama in this place" as he slipped off toward the training room, while Michelangelo, not too rattled by the clash, eagerly bounced back to his own mission: a game of cards with Ice Cream Kitty.

"Sorry for the wait, Kitty," he said, petting her between her cold, strangely furry ears. “Leo was being a total jerk, but we’re back at it! Now, where were we?” Ice Cream Kitty purred contentedly, her pinkish ears twitching as she smugly waited for her next move.

They played for a while, Mikey easily distracted by the cold little creature in front of him. Somehow, Ice Cream Kitty managed to take full advantage of Mikey’s earlier distraction and swept through his cards with ease, sealing her victory. He couldn’t believe it.

“No way, Kitty, you totally cheated, cheater, cheater, frozen yogurt eater! Give me that card!” Mikey cried, feigning shock as she meowed back at him triumphantly. But before he could demand a rematch, his T-phone buzzed on the table beside him. Glancing down, he saw Donnie’s name flash across the screen and picked it up eagerly.

“Hey, Mikey! You’re not gonna believe it—Murakami whipped up something new. Get this: pizza gyozas!” Donnie’s excitement came through loud and clear, and that was all Mikey needed to hear.

The thought of gooey, cheesy, bite-sized pizza pockets made his mouth water. It was as though all the tension of the evening melted away. “Aw yeah! That sounds totally awesome D. I'll be there faster than a turtle can say pepperoni!” Mikey’s eyes went wide, practically sparkling with anticipation. He knew this was something he couldn’t miss, his head already exploding at the thought of Murakami’s latest delicacy.

Quickly, he gathered his cards and placed Ice Cream Kitty back in her freezer, laughing as she let out a playful hiss. “Sorry, girl, but duty calls! Donnie’s got something totally sweet lined up!” He shut the freezer with a wink and dashed out of the lair, visions of pizza gyozas dancing in his head as he bounded through the tunnels with pure unrestrained enthusiasm.

Upon reaching Murakami’s noodle shop, Mikey burst through the door, calling out, “Mr. Murakami, what up?” The smell of delicious food enveloped him, heightening his excitement.

“Greetings, Michelangelo,” Murakami said, a twinkle in his eye as he presented a tray. “These are for you. Each has a unique mixture of cheeses and delicate flavors.”

Without hesitation, Mikey snatched one and stuffed it into his mouth, the warm, cheesy filling melting perfectly against his tongue. “Oh yeah! This is awesome—” His voice trailed off as he savored the explosion of flavors, the world around him fading into bliss. He gobbled down another gyoza, hardly able to contain his delight.

But as he reached for a third, a sudden wave of nausea crashed over him. Mikey’s stomach growled ominously, and he felt a sharp pain coursing through him. “Oh...what’s happening?” he gasped, eyes wide with confusion. “Poison?”

“Do not worry, Michelangelo,” a shadowed figure responded, stepping forward. “It is not poison, simply chemicals to give you a nice little nap.”

Mikey’s vision blurred as the deliciousness of the gyozas twisted into a haze of betrayal. “Evil. Delicious, but evil...” he murmured, swaying on his feet before collapsing to the ground. In those final moments of consciousness, he managed to hit the panic button on his T-phone, sending out an SOS before everything went dark.

------

The silence in the lair was heavy, filled only with the distant sounds of the city above. Leo paced back and forth, his mind racing with the tension from earlier. "Where’s Donnie? He should have been back by now," he muttered, glancing at Raph, who was leaned against the wall with his arms crossed.

Raph shrugged, the unease palpable in the air. “You know Donnie. He probably got caught up in his experiments again. He always does.”

Leo stopped, his brow furrowing with concern. “But he was so upset. He stormed out. I just... I don’t like this.” The weight of their earlier argument hung over him, a nagging feeling that he should have done more to support his brother settled in his chest.

Just then, a frantic buzz interrupted their thoughts. Leo’s T-phone lit up on the table. “It’s Mikey!” he said, snatching it up. “Mikey- What’s going on?” But as Leo answered, his heart sank. The only sound on the other end was garbled static—no voice, no explanation, just the unsettling sound of a struggle. Panic surged through him. “Mikey! What’s happening?! Say something, anything!”

“Mikey pressed the SOS button!” Raph leaned closer, his eyes wide with alarm. “This isn’t good. Shell for brains wouldn’t do that unless things were serious.” He ran his fingers along his Sai, the familiar weight grounding him.

Leo’s fingers flew across the screen as he accessed the tracking app. “Where is he?” His heart pounded as the location pin appeared on the map, revealing Mikey’s last known position: an abandoned warehouse on the outskirts of the city. “He’s at an old warehouse!”

“Of course he is,” Raph grumbled, frustration creeping into his voice. “Why does he always have to go chasing after trouble?”

“Forget that! We need to focus!” Leo snapped, pushing the rising irritation aside. “Mikey must have seen something. If he hit that button, he could be in serious danger!” He felt his pulse quicken, adrenaline pumping through his veins. “We need to move!”

“Great, but how are we getting there?” Raph asked, raising an eyebrow. “Donnie took the Shellraiser for his ‘important research.’”

“Of course he did.” Leo sighed, running a hand through his bandana. “Looks like we’re taking the Stealth Bike. It’s not as fast, but we’ll have to make it work.”

“Perfect,” Raph replied, rolling his eyes. “Just what I wanted: a scenic tour through the sewers before racing into a potential ambush.”

“Complaining won’t help Mikey,” Leo shot back, already heading toward the exit. “Let’s go!”

---------

Leo and Raph approached the warehouse with a sense of trepidation, their eyes scanning the area for any signs of danger. As they crept closer, they couldn’t shake the feeling that something was off. The entrance was unguarded, the rusty door slightly ajar as if inviting them in.

“Doesn’t this seem a bit too easy fearless?” Raph murmured, glancing at Leo with a furrowed brow. “Yeah, it’s like they wanted us to find this place,” Leo replied, his instincts tingling. “But we don’t have time to second-guess ourselves. We need to find Mikey.”

They exchanged a determined glance before Leo pushed the door open, the hinges creaking ominously as they stepped into the dimly lit space. Leo’s heart raced, the adrenaline surging through him as he scanned the room, muscles tensed and ready for action.

“Where’s Mikey?” Raph hissed, his grip tightening around his sai, his eyes narrowing as he swept the shadows for any signs of movement.

In the center of the empty warehouse, they spotted him—Mikey lying face down on the ground, his shell scratched and dirty. Panic surged through Leo, and without hesitation, he sprinted toward his brother. “Mikey!” he shouted, fear clawing at his throat.

They reached Mikey, Leo kneeling beside him while Raph crouched down, both brothers desperate to check for any signs of life. Relief washed over them as they found him breathing, albeit with a few scrapes on his arms and a deepening bruise on his cheek. “Hey, Mikey! Wake up!” Leo shook him gently, worry etched on his face.

Mikey blinked awake, groggy and disoriented. “Yo, dudes! I just had the craziest dream. I totally tore up some pizza gyozas and got totally faked out by Murakami—so not cool!”, he groaned dramatically. Raph rolled his eyes, his expression a mix of relief and irritation. “Mikey, that’s probably what happened. Look around you, shell for brains.”

Just then, a voice rang out from above, they had company. “Well, well, well. Look who finally decided to show up.” Leo and Raph’s heads snapped up, their eyes narrowing as they spotted Karai on the balcony of the second floor. She leaned casually against the railing, a smug grin plastered across her face, her dark eyes glinting with triumph.

“What are you doing here?” Raph growled, his instincts flaring as he took a defensive stance, ready for whatever trick she had up her sleeve. “Honestly? I thought this would be more difficult,” Karai replied with a laugh, her tone mocking. “But it seems you turtles are even dumber than I thought. I only needed to use one of my holograms to distract you.

At her words, the holograms of Mikey and April flickered and vanished, leaving only the real Mikey on the ground. The tension in the air thickened as Leo’s gaze shifted back to his brother, confusion knotting his stomach. Suddenly, they noticed Donatello, not a hologram they realized, standing beside Karai. A disturbingly wide smile stretched across his face, his posture unnaturally rigid. His pupils were dilated, giving him a wild, manic look that sent shivers down Leo’s spine.

“Well, I was only expecting Leonardo, but…” Donatello said, his tone unnaturally smooth, sending a jolt of alarm through Leo. He clicked a button on a device in his hand, and suddenly the brothers found themselves surrounded by a swarm of Foot Soldiers, their black uniforms blending into the dim shadows of the warehouse.

“Having the rest of you here makes it so much easier,” Donnie finished, the hint of delight in his voice sending chills down Leo’s spine.

“Donnie, snap out of it man!” Mikey called out, pushing himself off the ground, his voice wavering between concern and disbelief. “This isn’t you bro, it’s Shredder totally hijacking your brain!”, he made a face like a strangely dizzy zombie to prove his point.

Leo’s heart raced as he assessed the scene—his brother, usually so awkward and slightly slew-footed, now stood like a puppet, a smile that felt more sinister than genuine plastered across his face.

“What have they done to you?” Leo whispered, fists clenching around his swords. Anguish mixed with anger surged through him, knowing they were once again up against something that could twist their own brother into a weapon against them.

Raph’s face darkened, his jaw tight as he scanned the area, eyes narrowing at the encroaching Foot Soldiers. “Another brain worm?” he growled, the fury building inside him. “Great. Just what we need.”, he tightened his grip on his sai and bared his teeth at the offending ninjas.

Mikey, still shaken, pointed at the advancing Foot Soldiers. “We can’t just stand here! Donnie wouldn’t want this, right? He’d want us to fight back!” “Yeah, well I don’t think he’s in charge right now Mikey,” Raph shot back, his fists clenching tighter. “But if we don’t take these guys out, we’ll never get to him.”

With a collective surge of determination, the brothers charged at the advancing Foot Soldiers. Leo led the way, his swords slicing through the air with precision, while Raph followed suit, his sai stabbing into the nearest ninja. Mikey stayed close, using his agility to dodge blows, but he could feel the tension mounting. It was an all-out brawl, the warehouse echoing with the sound of clashing weapons and grunts of exertion.

“Come on, you overgrown tin cans!” Raph yelled, launching himself into a spin kick that sent one Foot Soldier crashing to the ground. Mikey mimicked his brother’s movements, throwing punches and kicks, but every time they took one down, two more seemed to take its place.

“Hey, Donnie, how about a little help here?” Mikey shouted, hoping against all odds that some part of their brother was still inside. But Donatello remained unmoved, standing rigidly by Karai, an unsettling grin on his face, as if he were enjoying the chaos around him.

The battle raged on, but it quickly became apparent that the brothers were severely outnumbered. Just as Leo and Raph fought off another wave of attackers, they felt the weight of heavy chains being forced around them. The cold metal bit into their skin, and with a sickening sense of dread, they realized they were being captured.

“Mikey!” Leo yelled, straining against the chains, but Raph was already being dragged back by two Foot Soldiers. The ninja’s grip was unyielding as they pulled him away, the sharp clinking of metal echoing in the warehouse. Raph struggled, kicking out wildly, but the sheer force of the Foot Soldiers overwhelmed him.

“No! Let him go!” Mikey shouted, but he too was soon restrained, strong arms pinning him to the ground. He writhed and kicked, his heart pounding with desperation. “Donnie, help us!” he pleaded, eyes wide with fear.

As the last of their resistance faded, Donatello moved down from the balcony with a slow, deliberate gait. His movements were unnaturally fluid, a predator stalking its prey. The manic glint in his eyes was unsettling, pupils blown wide, giving him a wild, deranged look. The smile that had once conveyed warmth now seemed twisted, devoid of the love and camaraderie that had defined him.

“Ah, the glorious moment has finally arrived!” Donnie exclaimed, his voice dripping with unsettling delight. “All of you in one place, now here’s where it starts to get really interesting.” he spat, malice overtaking the previous happiness in his voice.

Leo felt a cold chill settle in his stomach. “Donnie, Shredder has you and Karai under the control of a brain worm!” He called out, desperation coloring his words.

Raph, breathing heavily and straining against the chains, interjected, “You gotta resist it, Don! Use that big brain of yours! If I was able to fight it off, then you can too!”

But Donnie only laughed, an unnatural high-pitched sound that echoed through the warehouse, making the hairs on Leo's neck stand on end. “Oh, but this is so much fun! And truly Leo, I’ve never felt better!”

“Donnie, you don’t wanna hurt Mikey! I’m the one you should be mad at!” Leo pleaded, hoping to reach his brother through the haze of control that clouded his mind.

Donatello's grin widened, a jarring contrast to the familiar warmth that usually filled his expressions, as he stared at his oldest brother.

His eyes, wide and gleaming with an unsettling light, were devoid of recognition. The usual spark of intelligence was gone, replaced by something manic and chaotic. His fingers trembled slightly, as if he could hardly contain the excitement bubbling beneath his surface.

“~Aw, don’t worry, Leo,” he said, voice dripping with mock cheerfulness as he grabbed Leo’s face roughly, forcing him to meet his gaze. “Karai and I came up with fun activities for everyone!”

The chill that had settled in Leo’s stomach transformed into a wave of nausea. He could hardly process the twisted words spilling from Donnie's mouth. Fear surged through him, tightening his chest and twisting his expression into one of anguish.

“Donnie, please…” he whispered, desperation lacing his voice. His brows furrowed deeply, and his eyes widened, reflecting both disbelief and a flicker of hope that somehow, someway, he could reach his brother.

But the face that stared back at him was not the Donatello he knew—the warm, goofy brother with a penchant for invention and a heart full of loyalty. Instead, he saw a hollow shell, his brother was not with them at the moment.

“Donnie!” Raph’s voice cut through the air, furious and filled with disbelief. The sound was raw, almost primal, as if he was attempting to shake their brother awake from a nightmare.

Suddenly, the grip of the Foot Soldiers tightened around each of the brothers, yanking them backward into their respective traps. Raph thrashed violently, trying to break free, but it was no use. The chains clanked loudly on the concrete, but otherwise didnt budge.

Mikey too started to get dragged away, as he struggled against the grip of the Foot Soldiers, his heart raced, a sense of panic creeping into his chest. He watched his older brother, completely not in control for once, and felt a cold sweat break out across his brow. “Leo! Raph!”, he gulped “Dudes, I’m like, freaking out over here!” he shouted, desperation lacing his voice.

“Mikey!” Leo shouted again, fear morphing into determination as he struggled against his own restraints. The reality of their predicament began to set in, a cold weight anchoring him down.

He desperately sought to make eye contact with Donnie, hoping for a flicker of recognition, a glimmer of his true brother buried beneath the layers of madness.

As they were dragged away, Donatello stood there, a twisted smile stretching across his face, looking pleased with the chaos unfolding before him.

“This is just the beginning, my dear brothers,” he called out, his voice echoing with a sinister glee that made Leo's blood run cold.

[c-d-p]

CS OC WEEK DAY SEVEN: LA FEMME ROUGE

(Note: I decided that for the last day, i’d write little pieces on my OC’s personal run-ins with Carmen! Really, this should’ve gone in ‘Missions’ but i hadn’t really had anything planned for that day. Also, my writing skills aren’t the greatest and i really struggled w dialogue so don’t flame me for it lmao)

Olivia/Mirrorball || Watch Your Step

Olivia never thought she’d be in this position. Jumping across rooftops in Edingburgh, chasing the elusive Carmen Sandiego, or La Femme Rouge, whatever she called herself nowadays. She wanted to prove herself to the Faculty, that she was more than capable of handling capers.

However, her train of thoughts crashed when the crimson blur ahead of her suddenly stopped.

Olivia,(codename Mirrorball) ’s footsteps also came to a stop, the sound of metal scraping across brick fading to silence. Now, the only sound was the sharp inhale/exhales of her own heavy breathing. The two are separated by a large glass skylight. In Carmen’s hands, the artifact Olivia was chasing her over - the Queen Mary Harp - sat delicately in her grasp.

“Mirrorball, am i correct? Funny, i’ve never seen you away on your own before.”

Carmen says and arches an eyebrow as she takes cautious steps back, and Olivia begins strutting forward, the clink of her metal heels scratching the cemented roof beneath her. Her eyes narrowed, glaring daggers at Carmen, her green eyes meeting her grey ones.

“Why do you care?”

“I thought your job was to protect the Countess.”

“I still have training though, and that’s still my job.”

Mirrorball has an air of suspicion around her. Why was Carmen striking up a conversation, in the middle of a chase? She looked over her surroundings before turning back to Carmen.

“It seems your ‘job’ now is failing miserably, is it not?” Carmen waves the harp around, as her feet reach the edge of the roof. “I guess you’re still inadequate.”

Olivia blinked while she processed her words, then practically growled in frustration, her footsteps getting more powerful and hurried, fueled by her anger. Her expression sours, and there’s a screech loud enough to make your ears bleed as her sharp shoes drag along the glass skylight. No one would insult her and get away with it. As she picks up the pace in a sudden burst of anger, she was practically charging across the roof.

“Inadequate? are you kidding? Who do you think you are, insulting me like-“

She’s cut off by a gasp fleeting her mouth as she halts, as well as a sharp crack from below.

“…that.”

Her bladed heels had punctured the glass, making large cracks on the pane; she was now stuck, unless she wanted to fall to her death. Slowly, her head turns down as she warily tries to lift a foot - the glass continues to split. She lifts her head up, but it’s too late - the Crimson Ghost has vanished into the night air. Olivia, exasperated, exclaims loudly.

“You little-“

As if on cue, the sharp shards of glass collapsed under her weight, sending her through the roof. Luckily enough for her and her sharp reflexes, her hand managed to wrap around the plastic frame of the skylight, despite twitching with pain when fragments of the shattered roof dig into her palm.. Maybe she wasn’t cut out for the ‘Operative’ roll just yet. Pulling herself up and back onto the safety of the brick material with a sigh, Olivia didn’t think things could go much worse. Until the first few drops of rain began to fall.

Angeliki/Nightshade || Title tbd ☹️

Angel held her breath as she stealthily weaves her way through the bushes and leaves of the botanical garden, her body hidden by the leaves. In her hands - a flower given the name ‘aniantem pulchritudinis’. This flower was the last known of its kind, and VILE wanted their hands on it. Her thumb brushed over the clay of the pot it was in - maybe she could admire its almost metallic-like white petals just for a second. However, she stops herself from getting off track. She was Nightshade, supposed to steal the flower, not gawp at it. Standing straight, she is about to turn and leave; until a twig snaps in the distance.

Her hand subconsciously travels to her belt, hovering just above her weapons. Her eyes scanned the greenery around her. Nothing, just the silent sway of the trees and plants. She took a deep breath - she probably just imagined it. So, Angel starts to walk again, keeping the valuable flower in her arms securely.

“I’d hang onto that tight, if i were you.”

Angel immediately freezes again and her heart starts to hammer. Her gaze drifts to behind her shoulder- and there stood Carmen Sandiego. Had she really been caught this fast? No time to ponder, she had to get out of here. Narrowing her eyes, she suddenly sprints off, darting between branches and thistles as she kept the flower tucked away in her grasp. She heard almost inaudible footfalls from behind her, she was still being pursued. With rapid thinking a few minutes later, after a thrilling couple moments of running in and out of the the garden’s nooks and crannies, she suddenly comes to a stop between two trees.

The red blur that was Carmen’s coat also slowed to a halt, as she stood looking as if she was ready to pounce at any moment. Angel’s idea was simple; throw a grenade containing smoke to block Carmen’s sight, and flee without having to worry about being chased.

Angel turned her gaze directly into the eyes of Carmen.

“You think i’d give up the flower that easily?” She speaks, before reach in her hand down again. However this time, she unhooks the smoke-filled grenade from her belt. In a matter of seconds, she holds it up and is ready to unpin it and send it to the ground.. until something catches her eye.

Two blackbirds happily soaring through the sky, flying and falling in circles around the two and chirping lightly. Angel winced - couldn’t possibly throw that here - she didn’t want to risk danger to wildlife. Or should she do it, and get away? It’s only two birds. She was conflicted.. at least she would’ve been, as she feels a sharp shove in her side and her shoulder making hard contact with the tree next to her, snapping her out of her distraction. Angel yelps, as the shock knocks the flower pot and the grenade from her hands. At least she didn’t take the pin out of it.

Carmen makes her way over to the pot, its fall being cushioned by the vibrant moss surrounding the area. Swiping it into her hands, she gives Angel one last statement.

“I believe this isn’t yours for the taking, Nightshade.”

Still winded, Angel reaches a hand out in a desperate attempt to grab her, to get the flower back. But Carmen hops out of the way, and before Angel knows it, she’s completely disappeared. Disappointed and exhausted, Angels sinks to the floor with her back pressed against the rough bark of the tree. She really shouldn’t let her mind wander like that.

At least she got to watch the blackbirds chirp and sail through the trees, content and healthy. And that wasn’t so bad.

Thanks for reading to the end!! Also i’ve realized i haven’t been tagging the person who made the oc week, so here it is @carmensandiego-ocweek 🫶🏻

I’m also very sorry if i mischaracterized Carmen, i struggle with stuff like that and it’s an honest mistake 🙏

[hexpea]

Ch. 21 - A Parent's Ending

That was it, you were officially married to Toji Fushiguro -- at least on paper. Your relationship, though feelings very clear, still felt a bit up in the air. Toji had been gone for so long you wondered what your time meant to him. The words he had been saying were sweet, but you knew of the inner conflict he faced. In any case, you had officially signed the papers and would be shortly moving into a small apartment closer to Tokyo, though you had to finish your contracted time at the Zenin's. As soon as Toji finished his last job, the two of you could figure out how to live a 'normal' life together.

You had just finished tucking in Megumi for bed, your daughter already tucked in tightly and snoozing away just across the room. Tsumiki had become someone who fell asleep the minute their head hit the pillow whereas Megumi was the opposite. His green eyes would blink at you through the dark each time you shut the bedroom door behind you.  Boxes of the kids' things were stacked all around the room, your moving day fast approaching.

You looked down toward the floor as you pulled the bedroom door shut, careful to make sure the click of the jamb was quiet. 

"Hey there," a deep voice suddenly greeted you out in the hallway. Toji standing there, too close for comfort, without a care of other attendants seeing him. 

Your body jumped at his sudden appearance. "Jesus," you placed a hand over your heart, "Toji..."

"Are you ready to go?" He asked, not addressing the fact that he randomly appeared without warning in front of you.

"I am, but I thought we were leaving in the morning," you noted as you looked up at him. He was close enough that you could almost feel his breath over your face. The look on his face was very serious, his presence intimidating. You could almost feel your knees buckling; it was something you'd never get used to...in the best way, of course. 

"It's better to leave late, we don't need anyone to see us moving," he muttered, looking backward to see if anyone else was in the hallway. He was a bit late to care. 

"But everyone already knows that I plan on moving out with Megumi," you shook your head in confusion. The remainder of the clan were made aware of your arrangements, with not much to be done they simply had to let it happen. "I just put the kids to bed, do you really want them up this late to move into a completely different environment?" You rolled your eyes, your wifely attitude already coming out for him.  He stayed quiet, his silence loud enough for you to hear the answer. "Fine," you grumbled defeatedly.

It took quite a few hours to get everything moved over to the new apartment, the sunrise nearly dawning by the time the two of you got each box into the living area. You had set the kids up in their room so that they could get a proper amount of sleep. Toji, however, was used to the late nights, but for you this was torture.

With the boxes still packed and littered around the room, you laid flat on the living room floor like a starfish. You took in a deep breath, satisfied with your work. 

"I'm going to need to leave soon," Toji muttered, coming over toward you and crouching down, his elbows resting on his knees. 

"I can't believe it," you smiled quietly, opening your once closed eyes to look at him. "It feels like we're finally...free. Free from everything, everyone."

"Not yet," Toji chuckled, his scar on his lips twitching with his small smile. "But we will be."

He got down fully on his knees and leaned down to kiss you, his hands planted next to your ears as he held himself above you. The sleepy kiss had lingered just a second too long, long enough for your arms to find their way around his neck as it deepened. 

A light moan escaped his lips as he maneuvered his body to align with yours, his hips now suddenly pressing down against your pants.  You giggled through the kiss as you threw your ankles around his waist. He smiled back, pursing his lips against yours once more as his hair tickled your cheeks. 

One of his arms snaked around your back, using his strength to pick you up to where you were now sitting atop his lap.  His hands caressed your waist until they found the clasp of your bra, snapping it off as if it were nothing. His wrists continued moving up in order to help you from your shirt, you tossing it and your bra off to the side as he took a dive for your neck. The light touch of his fingertips caused goosebumps to form on your skin. 

His saliva was warm, sending your blood pressure soaring. The grip he had on your waist tightened, his rough fingers digging into your soft flesh.  Your hips began to grind on his waist as your kiss continued, tongue upon tongue with a sense of desperation. Desire began to heat up your center, the longing to be closer than down one another's throats building.  The low growls coming from his throat as your head flew back from his kiss were sending you to another place. Your hands gripped tightly onto his t-shirt. 

When your grip tightened even harder, that signaled to Toji to keep things moving. He took a moment, parting from your lips but maintaining intense eye contact, to pull his shirt over his head. The emerald hues in his eyes were made even brighter from the fading moonlight. The slight shine in his otherwise dark eyes sent chills down your spine. 

His torso was warm against yours as he sat up to press himself closer during your continued kiss, mouths dancing in the dim light of the early morning hours.  Somehow the two of you managed to find a moment to part, eagerly disrobing the rest of what you had quietly enough to keep the kids asleep. 

You found yourself once again wrapped up against Toji, this time on the living room floor of your new apartment. His hips ground up into you as you sat atop him, his hands traveling all over your body, feeling each curve of your body. Meanwhile, you rocked your hips with his, forward and back as he did the opposite, his breathy sighs reaching their highest point as soon as he met your cervix. The two of you were doing work.

Your movements were rhythmic but still somewhat starved from so long without one another. There was a particular connection you felt when atop him, something about it felt so right, so good. Twinges of pleasure took over all of your remaining worries, a hopeful future ahead lighting your way. The only thing taking away from the moment was the need to keep quiet, but this time you were grateful for the need to stay quiet. The kids were safely tucked in down the hall in their own bedroom, the enemy far enough away. 

His thrusts began to gently slow, his breathing become deeper as he felt the humble beginnings of your pulses around him. Your face, though too dark to tell, was red and heated from your moments of passion. His pausing had caused you to look down at him, breathlessly. 

"Are you alright?" You asked through gasps, your hips still lightly moving against him, his hands gently guiding you.

He let a single breath out that turned into a little smile. "I'm perfect," he responded, canines visible in the early dawn light.  He suddenly leaned forward to capture you in an intimate embrace, pressing his lips to yours as he came up. "Y/N," he whispered, mouth moving toward your ear, his lips gently caressing its outer shell, "I love you."

You were stunned. Your movements had ceased as he pulled away to look at you. Your eyes met, glistening, and your hands lightly came to his face as you fell into a warm smile of your own. "I love you, too."

After your brief morning session, the two of you cleaned up together in a bathroom of your very own. You began to make breakfast as the kids would be waking shortly, meanwhile Toji fully dressed and meandered into the kitchen. 

"I have to go," he kissed your cheek as you stood at the stove with your robe on. 

"Already?" You chuckled, tone slightly whiny. "What's this one about anyway?"

He gave a single laugh. "Well, considering your background you know about that freak in the basement of the school, right?"

"Are you talking about Master Tengen?" You snorted at his description, continuing to cook away on the stovetop. 

"Precisely," he sighed, stepping away from you to lean on the island counter behind him. "They've got another vessel, my job is to kill that vessel. Not to mention the Six Eyes kid will likely be with them."

"The...Star Plasma Vessel?" You questioned, turning your head back to look at him. He nodded in response. "You have to be joking, Toji," you sighed disappointedly. "They're usually children."

He took note of your displeasure. He didn't like it any more than you, but cash was cash and he had his priorities. Besides, this was the last one, he promised. 

"Alright, gotta' go," he kissed your cheek again and quickly scooted out the door so he could avoid any more of your protests. You rolled your eyes at this behavior, your heart still hurting about the idea -- but you had to trust him. 

Just as you were about done cooking and about to wake the kids up to begin their morning routine, you heard a sudden knock on the door. You vocalized your displeasure to yourself and adjusted your robe before answering the door. 

When you opened the door, you saw a familiar face...a Zenin face. "Jinichi," you swallowed hard, your voice at a near whisper. "What are you doing here?"

[wwooyology]

Happy Facades | J.YH

「prompt」 : only around you 「pairing」 : bf!yunho x fem!reader 「word count」 : 1.7k

「synopsis」 : there was you with yunho. then there was you not with yunho. neither of them were the same, and that was the cause of your downfall or so you thought.

「genre」 : angst, a teensy bit of fluff at the end

「warnings」 : drinking, mentions of drugs, partying, argument, mentions of lying, some skinship, lmk if I missed anything!

「notes」 : I think this is the first of the series that actually has some good fluff and isn't fully angsty haha...

masterlist ─ navi. ─ angstober list

When you first started talking to Yunho online, you hadn’t expected it to bloom into anything more than just a casual conversation between two lonely people. However, it wasn’t too long before the texting turned into late-night calls and then into Facetime calls with one another. Then, before either of you knew it, you had started to develop feelings, and it wasn’t long after that Yunho asked you to be his girlfriend despite the distance between you two.

You two had talked about almost everything there was to ever talk about.

Keyword: almost

The last thing you wanted to do to Yunho was to make him feel burdened by your troubles. You couldn’t stand to see that happy smile being wiped away, and you definitely didn’t feel as if you deserved any of the pity that would come with telling him. So you just didn’t say a word, and when your conversation got to that point, you would just beat around the bush, never giving him a straight answer.

You had never really planned on telling him about the skeletons in your closet because, in your mind, you weren’t sure if this was going to be anything more than a long-distance relationship that eventually got pushed to the back burner until it was completely forgotten about and you both went about your lives.

But you couldn’t be more wrong.

Yunho had taken this relationship very seriously and wanted nothing more than to make this long-distance relationship a not-so-long-distance relationship. So he packed everything he could and transferred universities so he could be with you.

He secretly talked to your close friends and even a few close relatives to see if they would help him with the surprise and they all agreed happily that you had finally found someone worthwhile.

And so the plan commenced.

Except that meeting Yunho in the flesh was never on your agenda, so of course, when your friends invited you to a party that very weekend, you didn’t think twice about accepting, wanting nothing more than to drown your sorrows in a bottle of liquor and some good weed.

–

That night, you found yourself on your fourth red Solo cup of liquor despite the multiple warnings that your friends had given you. You had a terrible week, and this was the only way you could think of to take your mind off of things. Plus, it’s not like you could call and talk to Yunho. He was on some trip and didn’t have any connection, much to your disdain.

“Y/n. Girl, please slow down on the booze.” Your friend, Rachel, tried to snatch the cup from your hand, but even in your heavily tipsy state, you were quick enough to move out of her reach.

“Why are you being such a party pooper? You never take my drinks away.” You pouted, your body still softly swaying to the overbearing music.

“I know, but tonight is different. Just please, give me the—" She reached for your cup once more, but you pulled back again only to have someone knock it completely from your hand. “Cup.” Rachel sighed as she tried to wipe some of the spilled booze from your skin.

However, you couldn’t bring yourself to say anything else to her as your eyes landed on the tall figure standing on the other side of the room. You felt sober all of a sudden as you met his eyes, your face burning brightly and ears ringing so loud that it was drowning out the booming party music. 

Noticing your sudden change in demeanor she pulled away only to follow your gaze, finding Yunho standing there in the doorway.

“Shit.” She cursed lowly before standing straight and grabbing your arm, “y/n—”

“Why is he here?” Your voice shook as the realization of what was going on hit you like a bullet. Looking over, you found Rachel avoiding your gaze altogether. “Rachel, what is Yunho doing here?”

“He moved into town and wanted to surprise you…” She trailed on as she glanced up at you with a sheepish gaze.

“What?” You exclaimed, panic starting to overtake your mind.

Yunho stood on the sidelines watching you, and he felt as if he had been lied to. The happy and carefree girl he had always seen when he Facetimed you was nothing more than a front. Seeing you now, he felt hurt, but something overpowered that hurt tenfold…

Worry.

Without so much as another thought, he pushed his way towards you, ignoring the comments he was receiving from those around him. Once he got to you and Rachel, he grabbed your wrist, causing your whole body to jolt. Your eyes flew up to meet his.

“Thank you, Rachel, but we’re leaving,” Yunho said curtly, not sparing either you or Rachel another glace as he pulled you back through the crowd.

You tried to pry his hand off of your wrist, but his grip was far too tight, and the alcohol in your system made you feel even weaker. So you stopped fighting until you both got to his car, and he opened the door. That was when he finally released you, but when he fixed you with a stern gaze, you couldn’t even think about running off.

“Get in the car.” His voice was surprisingly calm, leaving a chill to run down your spine.

With a red face, you crossed your arms over your chest, a small pout forming on your lip, “no.”

“Y/n. In the car. Now.” His voice was still calm, but there were underlying tones that made the hairs on the back of your neck stand tall, and when you met his gaze once more, you felt small. His dark chocolate orbs stared back at you with a swirl of emotions, but you could clearly see the annoyance and hurt, so you didn’t say another word before climbing into the passenger seat.

Yunho then closed the door, the loud sound causing you to jump, your nerves on an all-time high. Whether it was due to the alcohol or the fact that you had been caught red-handed, you weren’t sure, but you also couldn’t bring yourself to say a word the entire drive.

–

The silence even followed the two of you into your apartment, leaving you feeling extremely uneasy. You didn’t know what Yunho was thinking or what he was going to say the moment the door was closed. However, as soon as the door closed, the silence continued to linger.

After slipping out of your shoes, you took a step into the living room before turning to look at Yunho, arms loosely crossed over your chest, worried as to what he was thinking. Seeing him in front of you now made you realize what you could be losing if this all went down the drain. You realized just how much you cared for the man standing in front of you, and your actions started to weigh heavy on your shoulders.

“Yunho–”

“You lied to me.” His tone was nothing short of hurt, and you visibly flinched, “Was everything you told me a lie?”

Your whole body stiffened as you looked at him, a pain starting to bloom in your chest as you watched the hurt morph onto his features. The last thing you wanted was for him to find out about your lifestyle, especially after telling him that you would never do anything like that.

“I…” The words caught in your throat as tears started to pool along your waterline, “I didn’t lie, Yunho. I just didn’t–”

“Didn’t tell the whole truth? Obviously.” He scoffed, fingers running through his hair, and you felt your heart stop. 

Swallowing thickly, you looked at him for a few moments, and then a sudden surge of annoyance coursed through your veins because who was he to judge?

“What did you want me to tell you, Yunho?” Your voice shook as your tone rose, “Tell you that I’m a mentally unstable mess that drowns her sorrows in booze and recreational drugs? I’m sorry I’m not that happy, goodie two shoes you see when we facetime. I like you, Yunho, like really like you, and I was so worried that you would just run off the moment I even remotely mentioned how fucked up I am.” The tears that had brimmed in your eyes started to flow down your cheeks, coating your skin in the salty liquid.

Yunho stood there watching you as you started to break down before him. All of the anger and annoyance that he once felt started to melt away. Inhaling deeply, he took a step towards you just as you turned your back towards him.

“And I get it if you don’t want this to continue, you deserve someone who isn’t… fucked up.” You choked back a sob as you spoke the last few words, tears flowing endlessly down your face and dripping from your chin down to the hardwood floor below you.

When you didn’t hear anything from behind you, you started to think that he really took his chance and ran as you were ranting. However, your heart seized when his arms wrapped around your waist, enveloping your body in his warmth. Yunho tightened his grip on your body before dipping his head down to the crook of your neck, his breath fanning against your skin.

“You’re not fucked up, y/n, and I don’t care if you aren’t always that happy-go-lucky girl I saw through the screen because I love you. That means every part of you, good and bad.” He pressed a soft kiss to the side of your neck, and that was enough to tip you over the edge, sobs racking your body. 

Turning around, you wrapped your arms around his torso, burying your face in his chest as he stroked your hair gently.“No matter what you’re going through, I promise that we can and will work through it together.” He added before kissing the top of your head and hugging you tightly to his chest. “Because that's what we do for the people we love.”

@wwooyology | Do not steal, plagiarise, translate, or repost any of my work

𝖉𝖎𝖘𝖈𝖑𝖆𝖎𝖒𝖊𝖗 : ᴛʜɪꜱ ɪꜱ ɴᴏ ᴡᴀʏ ᴀ ᴛʀᴜᴇ ʀᴇᴘʀᴇꜱᴇɴᴛᴀᴛɪᴏɴ ᴏꜰ ᴀɴʏ ᴏꜰ ᴛʜᴇ ᴍᴇᴍʙᴇʀꜱ. ᴛʜɪꜱ ɪꜱ ᴘᴜʀᴇʟʏ ꜰɪᴄᴛɪᴏɴ ᴀɴᴅ ꜰᴏʀ ᴛʜᴇ ᴇɴᴊᴏʏᴍᴇɴᴛ ᴏꜰ ᴛʜᴇ ʀᴇᴀᴅᴇʀ ᴀɴᴅ ɴᴏᴛ ᴛᴏ ʙᴇ ᴛᴀᴋᴇɴ ꜱᴇʀɪᴏᴜꜱʟʏ.

[bi-bard]

Taylor Swift Songs That Would Describe a Relationship with Nikolai Lantsov - Nikolai Lantsov Imagine [Shadow & Bone]

Title: Taylor Swift Songs That Would Describe a Relationship with Nikolai Lantsov

Pairing: Nikolai Lantsov X Reader

Word Count: 2,242 words

Warning(s): mention of violence

Author's Note: Yeah, I know the lyrics I used for "seven" were a little on the nose. Don't talk about it.

Also, he would so be a swiftie.

--------------------

seven

And I think you should come live with Me and we can be pirates Then you won't have to cry Or hide in the closet And just like a folk song Our love will be passed on

Nikolai came from two different worlds.

I was never connected to royalty in any way.

Truly, there should have been no occasion where the two of us met.

However, Nikolai always wanted to find something new and exciting. It was a trait that could be seen vividly in his childhood. He would run from his home and find something that he found exciting and interesting.

I was the same way.

That was how we found each other when we were younger and it was how we ended up sticking together through most of our lives.

Until we got older.

We still saw each other, but our normal adventures slowed down as we each took on new responsibilities. But even then, I thought that we would always have each other in some way.

And then, he decided to leave.

It was a largely private thing for him. Just like how he used to sneak around and look for adventures when we were younger. He only told me because I was his best friend and he "needed to see that I was there" before he left.

He wanted my support. He would always have it.

I had only gone to say goodbye and wish him well.

Holding my tears back as I watched him get ready to leave broke my heart. I never wanted this day to come. I never truly wanted anything around us to change. I wanted to be the stupid, curious kids that we had always been without the pressure and responsibilities. It was so unbelievably childish, yet I couldn't stop it.

He looked at me from where he stood on the deck of the ship. I forced a grin and waved to him.

I saw something shift in his head. I couldn't place it, but I saw the look on his face change.

I was only more confused when he ran back down to me.

"What are you doing-"

"Come with me," he cut me off as he grabbed my upper arms. A wide smile was stretched across his face.

"What?"

"Come with me," he repeated. "It'll be just like when we were younger, but with more action... and maybe a little scarier."

"Nikolai, I can't just run off."

"Who says?" he replied. "Last time I checked, very few people would question it if you left by my instruction."

"You're pulling the royalty play?"

"Am I?"

I rolled my eyes.

"Please," he muttered. "I think we both deserve this."

I took a deep breath. I thought about it for a moment before nodding. "Yes."

"Really?"

I nodded again. "You owe me an extra set of clothes- Saints!"

"Deal!"

I let out a loud laugh as I was dragged into a tight hug.

I already knew that this was going to be the best choice I had made in my entire life.

I Think He Knows

I think he knows When we get all alone I'll make myself at home And he'll want me to stay

I don't know when my feelings for Nikolai changed. When I went from seeing him as a friend to seeing him as something else entirely.

I would love to say that it was a sudden thing. That one day I woke up and everything just changed. But I don't believe that's what happened. I think it happened very slowly over time and by the time I noticed, it was too strong of a feeling for me to avoid.

The first time I recognized it was soon after Alina and Mal joined our crew for a short time. At that point, I didn't have time to worry about my feelings. We had bigger problems on our hands than my little crush.

I wouldn't have to even think about confronting those feelings until we got to the Spinning Wheel.

It was after everyone had enjoyed dinner. After everyone had dispersed for the night, either to go to bed or to mindlessly toss and turn in some hopeless attempt of getting some sleep.

I was in the second party.

I had given up. Instead, I walked the halls until I found Nikolai's door. I hadn't been hoping to go there. It just happened.

He was still awake, sitting in the corner of his room, staring off into space.

"Not going to bed," I asked as the door shut behind me.

"Hasn't even crossed my mind," he admitted, standing from his spot. "What about you?"

"Dreaming of stopping the villains was much more fun when the villain wasn't real," I chuckled. "It was less scary to watch you fight air."

"Won every battle back then," he grinned at me.

I looked down for a moment, closing my eyes.

"Hey," my attention was drawn back to Nikolai when he spoke up. His hand touched my arm gently. "Everything is going to be fine."

"This isn't you sneaking in and out of your family's castle," I said. "This is going to be the worst fight that we've ever faced. I... I don't want to hear that everything's going to be fine. I want to hear a plan."

"Alina will find the third amplifier and then we can tear down the Fold," he explained. "That's all we can plan until that happens, but I believe that we will get through this."

I just nodded. "I hope you're right."

"Now, that didn't sound like you believed me."

I rolled my eyes.

"(Y/n)..."

His tone was teasing as I looked away from him. How could he change my mood so easily? It simply wasn't fair.

He was just too... perfect. He was too good to me. Even if I had known that I was falling for him, I wouldn't have been able to stop it because that damn smile would have dragged me in. I was hopelessly falling for him more and more each day and it felt like it was going to drive me mad.

And he seemed entirely unaffected.

And something about that made me upset. How dare he sit there and be completely calm while I struggle to not yell how entirely my mind has been consumed by thoughts of him?

Nikolai moved so he could look me in the eye again.

"Don't you trust me," he asked with that stupid old charming smirk that drove me up a wall sometimes. And seemed to be my final straw.

“No, you don’t get to do that,” I snapped before my brain could even comprehend what I was I was saying.

“Do what,” he asked.

“You don’t get to look at me with that little smile and charm in the hopes of comforting me."

"(Y/n)-"

"Also, You don’t get to be clever and funny and charming and kind. That’s just not fair! And honestly, very distracting. You are meant to have flaws- what are you doing?”

He was standing significantly closer to me than he was before. "Listening..."

He took another step closer, and I felt heat rush over my entire body as nervousness took over. I was suddenly far too aware of every word that had spilled out of my mouth. And now that they were there, I couldn't speak another syllable. Every word got caught in my throat like someone was strangling me. He was just so close to me. It was suffocating.

"I've never seen you speechless before," he muttered. He didn't need to speak any louder. He was close enough that I could hear him perfectly fine.

"You've never stood so close to me before," I pointed out.

"I see," he nodded. "So, it's simply my presence that makes you nervous. Why is that?"

"Nikolai," I forced a scoff and looked away from him. "I came here to have a serious conversation about what we're getting ourselves into-"

"You could have run," he stopped me. "You could have run after our first trip together, you could have run when I went out looking for the sun summoner, when we hunted the Sea Whip, or before we crossed the Fold. Yet, you never did. Tell me why."

I looked back at him, ready to lie straight to his face. To tell him that I was his best friend and I cared for him. Nothing more than strictly platonic protectiveness. But then, I saw that smirk again and I knew that any lie I constructed would be nothing short of completely pointless.

"I think you already know," I said quietly, embarrassed at how easy my feelings must have been to spot.

"Yeah, but I'd quite like to hear you say it," he shrugged. "Don't want to make too many assumptions."

I closed my eyes for a moment, taking a deep breath. "It doesn't matter, does it? You're going to be engaged. That's all that matters."

"Not to me," he replied. "Please, say it."

I paused for a moment before finally speaking up again, "I have feelings for you, Nikolai."

His smirk only seemed to grow, which I was convinced wasn't possible.

"Can I go now," I asked. "Are you done embarrassing me?"

"Am I done embarrassing you? Yes," he nodded. "Can you go? Not yet."

"Nikolai-"

My exasperated complaint was interrupted by Nikolai leaning forward and pressing his lips to mine.

I froze for a moment as he kissed me. Soon enough, my eyes fluttered shut and I found myself kissing him back. My hands reached up to cup the sides of his face. His hands touched my sides, pulling me as close to him as he could.

I pulled away first, grinning at him. He grinned back at me, leaning his forehead on mine.

"How long have you known," I asked quietly.

"I wasn't quite sure until a few moments ago. I've had my suspicions... and I've... hoped for a while."

"Oh," I mumbled.

"'Oh,'" he repeated, chuckling as he leaned in and kissed me again.

I smiled into the kiss.

It was a feeling of peace that I had never been lucky enough to experience before. And I never wanted to lose it.

King of My Heart

Late in the night, the city's asleep Your love is a secret I'm hoping, dreaming, dying to keep Change my priorities The taste of your lips is my idea of luxury

Tearing down the Fold didn't come without its sacrifice.

That sacrifice seemed to make everyone determined to hold on tightly to what they still had.

At least, that was what I assumed led to Nikolai waking me up in the middle of the night to try to quietly get us from my room to his.

I couldn't have escaped him that night. Not that I wanted to. His arms held onto me so tight that I was convinced he was going to crush my ribs by accident. He hid his face in the crook of my neck, refusing to even flinch after he was comfortable.

It was the first time that I had truly felt like I was the center of someone's attention. I was the most important thing in the world in that moment. Even if it was just for him.

Waking up to Nikolai the next morning only helped to solidify that feeling.

He was already grinning at me. I smiled back.

"Good morning," I muttered, rolling on my back as I stretched.

"Good morning..."

I let out a chuckle as Nikolai pulled me closer to his side.

His lips touched my cheek and my nose and my forehead... light kisses until his lips found mine. I hummed against his lips, kissing him back slowly.

Through all the loss and the injuries and the fear, this moment felt like setting a broken bone. Nothing had quite been healed or fixed, but there were intentions. A future that could be seen where that pain wasn't as strong.

"I could get used to this," I muttered as he pulled away.

He chuckled, nudging his nose with mine. "Me too."

There was a moment of silence between us. A moment where we truly enjoyed being together. Relaxing and holding each other properly for the first time. I never wanted to pull away from him.

But I knew that I would have to eventually.

"How do you plan on sneaking me out of here," I asked. "It would be a bit of a scandal if someone were to catch you spending the night with someone other than your future queen."

I meant for it to be a joke, but some kind of edge must've snuck into my voice before I could stop it. Nikolai let out a sigh as a guilty look crawled over his face. His thumb drew a circle into my skin.

"I'm sorry," he muttered to me. "About all of this."

"We could have never happened anyway," I shrugged, acting like the fact hadn't left a permanent scar in my heart. "Not officially anyway. You're doing what's best for Ravka. I understand that."

"'Official' or not, you always have and always will have all of me," he promised.

My heart swelled as I smiled at him. "And that's enough for me."

I had no interest in having a crown or an audience around to prove it.

As long as I had these moments then I would happily exist just as I was.

--------------------

Navigation Guide

What I Write For

Some Original Characters

[peachycoreroo]

what about some haikyuu boys trying to explain how morning erection works to their s/o? if you could include Kuroo, Sugawara, Oikawa and Satori I'd be more than grateful 🥺

characters: kuroo tetsurou, sugawara koushi, oikawa tooru, tendou satori

genre: smut, a miiiini plot bc i can't control myself

word count: 1.2k

warnings: fem!reader but can be read as gn!reader, also kinda oblivious!reader?, established relationships, the slightest somnophilia (reader is just grinding while oikawa is asleep, he wakes up immediatly tho), handjob, morning wood (obvs), implied sex

authors note: omg this was my first ever request, thank you sm anonnie! i'm so sorry bc i'm pretty sure i got carried away and only kuroo and tendou really fit your request, but i still hope you'll like it<3 this was actually really hard bc i was so anxious about fucking up my first request, i also didn't really know much about morning woods (well now i do heh) and i find tendou kinda hard to write for but i really wanted to make anon happy. i stayed up till 4am for this🧍‍♂️here's a link to my masterlist<3

pt.2: kageyama tobio, haiba lev, hinata shoyo

kuroo tetsurou:

„your dick does what, why now?”

kuroo rolled his eyes. this is the third time he has to repeat himself and you still look at him as if you’ve never heard anything more complicated in your life.

sighing, the tall male leaned back against the headboard of your shared bed, trying to make himself as comfortable as he could, with you finally quenching your curiosity about his morning wood, and said morning wood pressing against his boxers and your sheets.

“one more time, y/n, there’s a number of reasons. first of all, the male body has its peak of testosterone in the morning. basically, the sudden increase of the hormone in the changing stages from being asleep to waking up, can get your guy up.” as he saw you open your mouth to ask a question, he immediately followed with: “yes, even without actually being aroused”, effectively making you shut your mouth again. the fact that he knew exactly what you wanted to ask, made him chuckle. kuroo knew you like the back of his hand.

“another one is that my body is aware of what’s going on, even when i’m asleep. if your ass grazes my dick, it’s gonna react.” grinning proudly, you sat yourself in his lap, wrapping your arms around his broad shoulders.

“mhh, i’m glad you can’t resist me, even in your sleep. so… you want some help with that?”

the dark-haired male decided to play along, putting his large hands on your waist, pulling you closer and leaning in, just to stop a few inches from your lips and murmur: “you know, i could also just need to pee really bad”, making you lean back and stare at him dumbfounded.

as much as he wanted to actually teach you about this topic, kuroo would never pass up an opportunity to tease you.

sugawara koushi:

as suga jerked awake, he immediately became aware of his severe case of a morning wood. not only that, but he could also feel your ass pressed up snugly against it.

once the sleep slowly drained from the man’s eyes, he noticed that it was still dark outside and quickly checked the time to see his alarm clock reflecting the numbers 5:50 a.m. back at him. he knew he had to get up at 6 if he wanted to be an exemplary teacher and get to school earlier to prepare for class, but with the way your ass was pushing against his hard dick, his mind was too clouded by lust to care. he needed you, and he needed you now.

“baby, wake up”, in suga’s husky morning voice was the first thing you heard as you were gently stirred awake. when you cracked your eyes open, the silver-haired man was already kneeling between your legs, cock heavy and leaking against your panties.

yawning, you asked concerned: “kou’? what’s wrong? is everything okay?”

not being able to wait any longer, sugawara slowly started grinding against you through your shorts, making your breath hitch and legs spread wider.

“y-yeah, just a morning wood emergency. i can’t go and teach like that. let me use you quickly, princess”, suga almost whined, pained.

trying to hold in your whimpers to understand what led to this, your eyes jumping from the male’s handsome face to his pretty, hard dick, you wondered: “what’s gotten into you?”

at that, suga scoffed, amused at you wanting to know what led to his erection instead of getting to business right away.

“woke up to your pretty lil’ butt all snuggled up against my dick. you make me hard, even in my sleep y/n”, he rasped impatiently, but still wanting to quench your interest.

despite the fact that this was definitely not the most romantic thing you have heard from sugawara koushi, you couldn’t stop the butterflies erupting at the thought of him craving you this badly, even while asleep.

“c’mere kou’”, you softly murmured, pulling him down for a kiss, ready to help your boyfriend’s morning problem.

oikawa tooru:

tonight, wasn’t your night. you barely got a wink of sleep, while your boyfriend slept like a stone beside you. you knew it wasn’t his fault you couldn’t sleep, but that didn’t stop you from sulking like a spoiled child.

you were tired but also incredibly horny, and as if some gods heard the prayers you didn’t even direct at them, you noticed oikawa’s morning erection standing loud and proud under your shared sheets like every morning.

not wasting a moment, you ripped the sheets off him, straddling his lap and grinding your soaked panties against his erect boxer-clad cock. it’s not the worst feeling oikawa has ever woken up to, in fact it was definitely one of the best. everything’s better than being slapped awake by iwa-chan’s shoe hitting him in the face back in high school.

as the tanned man started to fidget and his calloused hands landed on your hips to guide you along his cock, your curiosity about his daily morning wood got the best of you.

“why are you hard every morning, tooru?”, you asked innocently, while not-so-innocently continuing to tease him with your hips.

“u-uh, something about hormones a-and, oh shit, faster babe”, oikawa needily pleaded, not in the mood to be explaining the scientific reason behind his reoccurring morning problem.

unsatisfied with the answer, you stopped the grinding to frown at him and complained: “but i wanna know more, tooru.”

the brunet looked up at you, groaning but knowing you wouldn’t just let it go. “fuck, okay. how about this: you make me cum, and i answer all your questions about… morning woods, after. deal?”

“…deal.”

tendou satori:

you woke up before tendou, feeling his hard-on press against your naked thigh, making you want to continue the fun you had last night.

luckily, your boyfriend also woke up, though not as happy about his morning wood problem as you.

“’tori… i need you”, you seductively purred, letting your petite hand slide down to his erection, wrapping around it and giving it a few slow, lazy pumps. to your surprise, your usually vocal-in-bed boyfriend didn’t moan, but only tensed at your ministrations.

not thinking much of it, you attached your lips to the base of his throat, sucking and licking while giving his cock a hard tuck, hoping to get a pretty moan out of him.

what you didn’t expect however, was for tendou to jump up and run to your bathroom while squealing like a little schoolgirl. dumbfounded, you froze in the position you were in, leaning towards where your boyfriend was laying just a few seconds ago, with your hand in a half-fist.

after a few minutes, the red-haired man sheepishly re-entered the room, scratching the back of his blushing neck with a matching blush on his face.

“i-i uh…”, at his voice cracking, tendou cleared his throat before continuing: “i’m so sorry sweetheart, i didn’t mean to run off like that.”

finally breaking out of your stiffness, you looked at him, puzzled, before asking: “why did you run off? if you didn’t want to make-out, I would’ve understood a simple no.”

“it’s not that! it’s just… morning wood doesn’t always mean i’m horny, sweetie. sometimes it happens when you desperately need to pee.”

“oh”, you awkwardly remarked, “i didn’t know that ‘tori, i’m so sorry. i just thought…”

chuckling, tendou leaned down, kissing your forehead and reassuring you: “don’t worry angel, you never stop learning.”

[sukirichi]

the morning after – itadori yuuji ver!

warnings: slightly suggestive content but nothing too explicit, just yuuji being adorable yet sexy yuuji <3

masterlist !

ITADORI YUUJI – You’d wake up first before him. I headcanon this boy as a heavy sleeper, and he’ll snore all the way until morning. He won’t even budge as you struggle out of his grip, because Yuuji loves to cuddle you. He’s really into aftercare and probably won’t let you go and still keep your limbs tangled under the covers. Something about being close to his SO even in his sleep really makes his heart flutter. You don’t mind most of the time, you love it too because Yuuji’s strong arms wrapped around you, especially after a passionate night, is such a cute and affectionate gesture that has you feeling lightheaded because this man does not – and I repeat – he is not the least bit shy when it comes to touch.

However, this one of those times you wish Yuuji didn’t have a headlock on you, because it’s seven in the morning and you’ve got somewhere to be. Of course, you want to stay and sleep with him a little longer, but you’ve got responsibilities to attend to.

Kissing his jaw as a silent good morning, you untangle his arms around your frame and shower. There’s no time for breakfast since you’re about to be late, and you hurriedly jump through your jeans then wiggle it over your legs and ass before leaving his apartment. You left a sticky note that says you’re going out now with a smiley face, just to reassure Yuuji you’re not running away from him.

You really want to cook breakfast with him and maybe even make pancakes, finally allowing him to drizzle it in maple syrup despite multiple warnings that no, Yuuji, it’s not good for your health.

Even though you don’t live together, you spend time over his often enough that the pouty boy eventually keeps his maple syrup at the back of his refrigerator to ease his temptation. But because he was extremely amazing last night – and the thought of how you submissively whined underneath him, begging for him to go faster and harder, has you ducking your head to hide the warmth spreading to your face – you’re nice enough to reward him by making fat stacks of those pancakes he really loves.

Or at least you would if you have time.

You’re hopping two stairs down at a time, slightly panicking that you still have to take a bus and silently praying that you wouldn’t be late to work or school, and you fail to hear the rushed footsteps behind you.

Just as you’ve made it to the entrance doors, you feel someone tug you by the wrist. A yelp leaves your lips as your eyes meet Yuuji’s, a smile instantly gracing your face. You don’t have enough time to be embarrassed over the fact he’s shirtless and wearing nothing but sweatpants that hung dangerously low on his muscular hips, because his hair is cutely sticking out in all directions and he’s breathing hard.

“You—” he rasps, shoving a bento box tied around a silk red cloth in your arms. “—You forgot this.”

“What’s this?”

Yuuji blushes and scratches the back of his neck, and you blink back in awe because he wasn’t like this last night. In fact, it was such a huge contrast to the way he brutally snapped his hips towards yours while his strong hands dug into your curves with such primal need, as if he couldn’t get enough you. Yuuji looks way too flustered for a man who’d left hickeys all over your breasts and inner thighs, and you don’t know whether to find it cute or a turn on.

“I had a feeling I couldn’t make breakfast for you the morning after,” he pouts, trailing his eyes from your patient smile and down to the floor. “But I didn’t want you to leave just like that, so I made you breakfast and kept it before you came. Oh, and you should heat that up though. I was about to tell you last night not to forget the bento box before you leave but I got carried away and—”

You silence Yuuji’s rambling by pressing your lips to his. He freezes at the sudden contact, which has you smiling through the kiss. When you pull away, Yuuji covers his face with the palm of his hands, the tips of his ears flushing red.

“Thank you, Yuuji,” you show him the bento box and flash him a huge smile, “I appreciate it. I’ll definitely be more recharged now.”

Yuuji hums thoughtlessly, pulling you closer by the hem of your coat as if he’s not totally aware of his movements. His thumbs rub circles over your clothed hips, eyes still droopy from sleep. “I’m surprised you can still run after last night. I was worried I couldn’t catch up to you.”

Your heart begins to beat a mile a minute, because even after months of dating and extremely good fucking, you’re still not used to how Yuuji switches between cute and innocent to dominant and needy – but this combination of innocently unaware of his sexual prowess? You groan and hide your embarrassment by kissing his cheeks, summoning every cell in your body to act cheeky and unbothered.

“I’ve got a boyfriend who would keep going five rounds if I wasn’t so weak,” you joke, “It would be a shame to not have that happen, so I’ve made sure to keep up with his needs,” is all you say before winking.

Yuuji blushes at your statement, but soon grows enough confidence to playfully hover his lips over your ear, “Say, come over again when you’re free? Maybe we can test out this newfound stamina of yours.”

Despite his suggestive words, you don’t miss the way his breathing stutters or how both of your heartbeats are so loud that you could hear it. It was safe to say both of you are idiots – but idiots that are perfectly made for each other. Yuuji knows this too by the way your pupils blow widely, and he doesn’t even need to hear your response to know what your answer is.

[idy-ll-ique]

unlike any other

pairing: mob boss!bucky barnes x maid!f!reader

genre: angst, fluff, smut (AH THE HOLY TRINITY)

warnings: mention of blood, mention of wounds,,,,,,,,, sex (but only a lil bit)

requested: nope

word count: 1.8k

summary: bucky barnes, among many things, owns a strip club. y/n works there as a maid, but she has only recently joined so she has no idea who he is. one day, she catches him napping in one of the private rooms after closing time and, not knowing that he owns the place, asks him to leave because it's a "staff only" room. mesmerized by her, he leaves without a word but a few days later, she finds out who he truly is. sparks fly? sparks fly.

author's note: hiya peeps! enjoy!

masterlist

---

James Barnes was tired.

All he wanted to do was go home and get a good night's sleep, but this moron in front of him was proving it to be very difficult. "What aren't you getting about my plan, Johnson?" he growled, a deep glare etched on his face as he disdainfully stared at one of the men who worked for him. "Why are we doing this at all?" Oh, Johnson has quite the mouth on him, can't wait to break all his fucking teeth.

"Are you the boss or am I?" Bucky countered, putting his arms up, exasperated. Johnson was about to reply when Bucky decided he was too tired to deal with him at all. "You know what, how about we talk tomorrow, hm? Leave, now." With an audacious huff, Johnson got up and left the room. As soon as he was gone Bucky groaned loudly.

"That man," he muttered to himself, "Is a fucking idiot. I'm gonna have to talk to Sam tomorrow, why did he even suggest—" Bucky then relaxed back onto the couch he was sitting on, leaning further and further back until he was simply lying down, head resting on the armrest.

James Barnes was tired.

And he needed a fucking nap.

James Buchanan Barnes. He commonly went by the name Bucky, and he ran the biggest, most affluent mob in the city. Currently, he was at a strip club that he owned, which also had private rooms for… basically hooking up, but he never used it for that, using it only to hold meetings with potential allies or his men.

He dozed off on the couch but was able to sleep for only about 30-45 minutes before someone was shaking him awake.

---

“Phew, last room! Why does this place have so many rooms?” Y/N grumbled to herself, opening the door to the private room. She was a maid recently hired by the club, and her job was to clean up all the private rooms after the closing time. They paid her well so she didn’t mind doing the job. When she opened the door, though, she noticed a man sleeping on the couch.

All his clothes were still intact and his hair was also done nicely… She scrutinized him for a while longer, taking note of his handsome, chiselled features and how he dripped of power even when he was asleep. Finally, a few minutes later, she decided to wake him up. However powerful he might seem, the rooms after closing were for staff only and he needed to leave.

“Excuse me, sir?” Y/N gently shook his shoulders, startling him awake. He blinked his eyes open and in his hazy state of mind, he thought there was an angel standing above him. “What?” he yawned and Y/N offered him a sheepish smile. “Sorry, you gotta go, the club is closed for the night and this is a staff-only room,” she told him and he blinked.

She didn’t know him? “I, uh, yeah, I’m sorry,” he complied, sitting up. He took in her appearance as well; she was wearing a cheesy maid’s costume that fit the aesthetic of the strip club perfectly, yet there was a sort of innocence to her, the kind that would make even the most cold-hearted and powerful of them all want to cater to her every whim without question.

“Uh… see ya around,” she raised her eyebrows and Bucky offered her a quick smile, getting out of the room. “Behaving like he owns the place,” Y/N scoffed to herself as she began cleaning up the mess in the room starting with the empty alcohol bottles. She couldn’t stay mad at him for long, though- his handsome face could make anyone’s heart melt. As the thought passed through her head, a small smile bloomed on her face.

Oh stranger, I really hope we meet again soon.

As Bucky drove home, he, too, thought of the maid. Who was she? Why had he never seen her before? And why didn’t she know him? That night, as he went to bed for the second time, all he saw in his dreams was a lovely maid’s costume and a pretty, pearly white smile.

---

“I’m firing that guy,” Bucky told Sam determinedly. A few days had passed since Bucky’s meeting with Johnson and he was more determined than ever to get rid of the guy. Something about Johnson seemed off. “Wh- You hired that guy like a week ago, what happened? He used to work with Pierce and Rumlow before, he can give us valuable intel-”

“What if he never stopped?” Sam quieted at the retort. “He told us how horribly they treated their own men,” Sam answered a little while later. “What if he’s lying?” Bucky asked impatiently. “Give him a chance-” Just then, there was a knock on the door. “Come in,” Bucky sighed and Johnson poked his head in. “Got a minute, boss?”

“Oh sure, come in, we were just discussing you! Have a seat!” Sam raised an eyebrow at Bucky’s sudden cheerfulness as Johnson happily bounded into the room, plopping down on the couch. “What were you discussing?” he questioned. “How I was just about to fire you,” Bucky smirked and Johnson’s face fell.

He didn’t speak for a few minutes, causing Sam and Bucky to glance at each other. “Hello…?” All of a sudden Johnson stood up with a fit of rage. “Damn it, Barnes, you ruin everything!” Bucky shouted triumphantly as Sam gasped. “I knew you were a fucking two-timer, you son of a bitch!” Bucky yelled at him. “And you made it so easy!” Johnson laughed dryly.

“Why you-” Bucky swung a punch at Johnson’s face, breaking his nose. “What have you told Pierce?!” Johnson retaliated right back by kicking his knee into Bucky’s abdomen, making him fall back. A fight soon broke out between all three of them, so loud that the commotion could be heard from outside.

Approximately 20 minutes later Y/N, who was passing by the room at the time, heard the loud noise and stopped in her tracks. It sounded like… two people fighting. It wasn’t her cleaning time yet, but she still rushed to the door, opening it up with such force that the door loudly banged on the other side. At this, the fight instantly halted.

Bucky was holding an unconscious Johnson by the collar, his fist an inch away from Johnson’s jaw. Both of them looked pretty beaten up, with blood all over their faces and clothes. Sam, meanwhile, was half-lying on the couch, clutching the side of his abdomen with a pained look on his face. Y/N’s hands flew to her mouth at the sight of them.

That was when she recognized the man from a few days ago. Oh shit, he does own the place. Bucky immediately got up and dusted his suit, staring down at a passed-out Johnson with a sneer. “Sam, take him to Wanda, she’ll know what to do with him. And please, for the love of God, go to the hospital.” With the help of a few others, Sam and Johnson left.

It was only Bucky and Y/N in the room now. She continued staring at his face in horror and Bucky chuckled, wiping away a trail of blood near his lips. “That bad?” She snapped out of her trance. “You…” Bucky gave her a wry smile. “Bucky Barnes at your service. And you are?” Y/N blinked a few times before answering. “Y/N, Y/N Y/L/N.” Bucky looked around.

“Well, Y/N, if you’d be so kind as to fetch me a first aid kit.” She instantly walked out of the room and got the first aid kit for him. When she returned to the room, Bucky was sitting on the couch, his jacket and shirt removed. Even his torso was covered in black and blue bruises. "It looks bad," she blurted out.

"Will you help me clean up?" Y/N couldn't deny him. He was her boss, after all. She sat down next to him and wordlessly started cleaning the blood off his face. He didn't so much as flinch, which Y/N found to be extremely impressive. After all the blood was cleaned, Y/N grimaced when she saw his broken nose. "Your, um, your nose…" Bucky easily grabbed his nose in both hands and clicked it into place.

Y/N flinched badly at the action, making Bucky laugh. "Come on, princess, it's not that difficult," he teased her and she shook her head, a smile blooming on her face. "So, um, I'm sorry about that day," she mumbled as Bucky kept the first aid kit away. "Sorry? For doing your job? Don't do that."

She looked up at him. "No, I- I should've known it was you, and I just… maybe I could've been more polite-"

"Sorry, you gotta go, the club is closed for the night and this is a staff-only room," Bucky quoted verbatim, "You couldn't have been more polite." Y/N's cheeks flushed with embarrassment and she shuffled her feet. "Please don't fire me," she whispered under her breath, yet Bucky managed to hear her. And when an opportunity presents itself…

"On one condition."

She looked up at him, wide-eyed and nodded excitedly. "Anything you want." Bucky smirked and sat back down next to her, placing his hand on her bare thigh. "Go on a date with me," he breathed out, leaning close to her. Y/N's breath and heart rate hitched at his forwardness, but she didn't have the will to deny him.

He was good-looking, he was rich, he was polite, why not give it a try? Y/N offered him a small smile. "Um, okay, I'd like that a lot," she agreed truthfully and Bucky grinned, pressing his lips to hers without wasting a moment. Y/N kissed him back, cupping his face with her hands.

In the heat of the moment, Bucky bent forward until the back of Y/N's head touched the armrest; still, they didn't pull away from each other. Bucky sneakily got his hand under Y/N's blouse, the skin on skin contact making them both groan. "Ugh, you really are very pretty, you know?" Bucky whispered as he unbuttoned her blouse and threw it away.

He stared in awe at her bra-covered breasts, his shaft twitching impatiently. But, just as he was about to unbuckle her bra, the door swung open. Bucky immediately hid Y/N under him and looked up at a horror-struck Sam, who ran out of the room screaming, "At least lock the door next time, asshole!"

Y/N giggled when she saw Bucky's flustered face. "He's right, you know," she whispered cheekily and Bucky playfully narrowed his eyes at her, attacking her neck with kisses and love bites.

"Talk to me like that again and you'll be in for a long night, pretty face."

"Oh, I'd like to see you try, boss."

---

a/n: thanks for reading, leave a like if you enjoyed it!