#Why is the United States so crazy help

[eastgermandictator]

Hiii cubana here, living in the united snakes. Miami can be fun with the right ppl but it's also gusano land so I can only take it in small doses. In general we have wayyy more things (clothes, electronics, food, wifi, medical supplies etc) than Cuba but we are constantly at risk of losing really important things like housing. There are so many homeless individuals and families. Most people, even people who are considered rich, are a medical emergency away from homelessness. Also our urban and suburban design sucks, you have to drive everywhere in most places. If your car breaks and you can't fix or replace it you are fucked since public transit is typically unreliable or takes hours (some cities like NYC this isn't the case but in general transit is pretty bad here especially compared to other parts of the world). Something I do love about living here though is my community. I love them infinitely. And it is really lovely being around people from all different cultures and learning from each other. But the fascism 😐😐😐 the brainwashing 😐😐😐 the racism 😐😐😐 we in the trenches here. Trying to kill the beast from the inside.

some of the responses I have gotten from people including you makes it sound horrible oh my goodness 😭

I've never planned on going to the United states (Especially since my parents themselves hate it)

[bi-writes]

whats wrong with ai?? genuinely curious <3

okay let's break it down. i'm an engineer, so i'm going to come at you from a perspective that may be different than someone else's.

i don't hate ai in every aspect. in theory, there are a lot of instances where, in fact, ai can help us do things a lot better without. here's a few examples:

ai detecting cancer

ai sorting recycling

some practical housekeeping that gemini (google ai) can do

all of the above examples are ways in which ai works with humans to do things in parallel with us. it's not overstepping--it's sorting, using pixels at a micro-level to detect abnormalities that we as humans can not, fixing a list. these are all really small, helpful ways that ai can work with us.

everything else about ai works against us. in general, ai is a huge consumer of natural resources. every prompt that you put into character.ai, chatgpt? this wastes water + energy. it's not free. a machine somewhere in the world has to swallow your prompt, call on a model to feed data into it and process more data, and then has to generate an answer for you all in a relatively short amount of time.

that is crazy expensive. someone is paying for that, and if it isn't you with your own money, it's the strain on the power grid, the water that cools the computers, the A/C that cools the data centers. and you aren't the only person using ai. chatgpt alone gets millions of users every single day, with probably thousands of prompts per second, so multiply your personal consumption by millions, and you can start to see how the picture is becoming overwhelming.

that is energy consumption alone. we haven't even talked about how problematic ai is ethically. there is currently no regulation in the united states about how ai should be developed, deployed, or used.

what does this mean for you?

it means that anything you post online is subject to data mining by an ai model (because why would they need to ask if there's no laws to stop them? wtf does it matter what it means to you to some idiot software engineer in the back room of an office making 3x your salary?). oh, that little fic you posted to wattpad that got a lot of attention? well now it's being used to teach ai how to write. oh, that sketch you made using adobe that you want to sell? adobe didn't tell you that anything you save to the cloud is now subject to being used for their ai models, so now your art is being replicated to generate ai images in photoshop, without crediting you (they have since said they don't do this...but privacy policies were never made to be human-readable, and i can't imagine they are the only company to sneakily try this). oh, your apartment just installed a new system that will use facial recognition to let their residents inside? oh, they didn't train their model with anyone but white people, so now all the black people living in that apartment building can't get into their homes. oh, you want to apply for a new job? the ai model that scans resumes learned from historical data that more men work that role than women (so the model basically thinks men are better than women), so now your resume is getting thrown out because you're a woman.

ai learns from data. and data is flawed. data is human. and as humans, we are racist, homophobic, misogynistic, transphobic, divided. so the ai models we train will learn from this. ai learns from people's creative works--their personal and artistic property. and now it's scrambling them all up to spit out generated images and written works that no one would ever want to read (because it's no longer a labor of love), and they're using that to make money. they're profiting off of people, and there's no one to stop them. they're also using generated images as marketing tools, to trick idiots on facebook, to make it so hard to be media literate that we have to question every single thing we see because now we don't know what's real and what's not.

the problem with ai is that it's doing more harm than good. and we as a society aren't doing our due diligence to understand the unintended consequences of it all. we aren't angry enough. we're too scared of stifling innovation that we're letting it regulate itself (aka letting companies decide), which has never been a good idea. we see it do one cool thing, and somehow that makes up for all the rest of the bullshit?

[morlock-holmes]

Hey, remember when one of the two Presidential candidates tried to overthrow the lawful government of the United States and install himself as dictator in contravention of the voters?

Well, I'm sure Biden must have done... something that bad, or else why would people be so angry at him?

One of the weird things that doesn't fit to me is people explaining that it doesn't matter that Trump tried to overthrow the government, and install himself as dictator, because really the President isn't that important and his advisors prevent him from doing anything too crazy.

But also, Biden can't be president because the President is really powerful and we can't rely on his advisors to blunt bad decision-making, if the President can't make good decisions it's a deal-breaker.

If we're the victim of a terrorist attack and Trump orders the military to, I don't know, nuke Iran, his advisors will ignore him and do what's best for the country.

But if we're the victim of that same teroris attack and Biden just sounds confused then his advisors will somehow... Be unable to help? Like they'd somehow be energized if Biden says "Nuke Iran" and they'd go off and do something really useful but if he just asks them to use their best judgement they'll be crippled?

I genuinely do not understand how that is supposed to work.

The other idea that doesn't fit is,

"Biden is bad at projecting strength, and Trump is good at it. So the obvious play is for Biden and the Democrats to do the exact opposite of what Trump would do, it's the only way to look as strong as Trump. Fold like a cheap card table and change your entire party strategy the second the media criticize you, that's the lesson on how to be as successful as Trump."

I just don't think that's the total slam dunk obvious strategy a lot of you people seem to.

Anyway yeah remember when only one of the candidates tried to install himself as dictator of the USA?

[solearobservatory]

OR MAYBE IT IS ⁉️

SO SHAKEDOWN ISNT HAPPENING ANYMORE RIGHT NOW LMAO

[rosietaeyongswife]

mission: prom | jung jaehyun

genre: fluff, angst, teenage romance paring: jaehyun x reader synopsis: what happenes when prom is in a month, and you haven't been asked out yet? wc: 7k tw: curses

Your father was looking at TV, when he realized you didn't come down for dinner. It's been already 30 minutes, since he have asked you downstairs. A little bit concerned, he went upstairs to check on you and boy, he didn't expect to find you sitting on the bed crying with your earphones in.

"Y/N?" He asked, but you couldn't hear him. He came closer and tap you on your shoulder. "Are you alright?"

"Oh, yes. Sorry, dad. I got caught up."

"Why you're crying?" Your eyes drifted away from his, to hide embarrassment. "C'mon, you know you can tell me."

For a moment, you held back, because your father might not care, but it's better to let go of negative energy.

"I haven't been asked out to prom, yet." Trying to hold tears in wasn't easy. "It might be silly, but I wish I could go with someone. All my friends are going with their partners, and here I am. Don't worry, I just needed to cry and I'll be fine."

"Y/N, don't be silly. It's still a lot of time, and I assure you, there is a gentleman who is going to ask you out. I promise." He hugged you. "You're pretty, smart and funny girl. Who wouldn't want to go with you? Crazy. Don't stress about it, love." He got up and smiled at you. "Mum made pasta, your favortie one."

There was an ache in your father's heart. Did he feel heartbroken? Yes, probably yes. His little daughter was crying alone in her bedroom, because no boy asked her to prom. He wants only the best for you and wishes you happiness, and there's no way, you're going alone.

He never said anything, but he was thinking about it all night. What to do? And after a while, realization hit him. Your dad is a football couch at Seoul's University, so he's facing a bunch of boys only year older than you, daily. One of them could be good for you. Here come a list in his mind.

Yuta Nakamoto? He's Japanese, and he's just a year older, studying business at University. He's really respectful, smart and funny but he found him annoying. A lot of rumours say, he's a playboy and he doesn't look for anything special yet. Out.

Kim Jungwoo? He's tall, handsome, funny guy of the team. Jungwoo never fails to make anyone smile, and he's engineerer student so it makes him perfect canditate. But. He's shy, and boys were talking about him and some girl. Out.

Kim Mingyu? He's also very tall, handsome and mysterious. A lot of girls have a crush on him, but he's not the smartest among the team, and he has a temper. Sometimes he's too stubborn and it's not cool. Out.

As your dad was thinking about it, his hopes went down. Is there anyone, who isn't douchebag or dumb? He isn't going to set up his precious girl with some jerk. And then an idea popped.

Jung Jaehyun. Tall, handsome, funny and respectful student. He's studying business with Yuta, and a lot of girls have a crush on him and teachers love him. He's most polite person, your dad has ever met. Professors always praise him, because he always gets high marks and he's the best football player in the team. On top of that, his father was an old friend of your father. He helped Jungs in the past, making Jaehyun's dad, a professor in United States some time ago. Bingo.

On your way to classes, all you could hear was your friends bragging about their prom dates. It was annoying you, because you still don't have any date. Jealousy was getting over you, but you hide it as much as you could.

"Doyoung came with a big sign and flowers in his hand." Sohyeon said with a proud smile, showing you picture of her boyfriend. "I was stunned. Imagine, Kim Doyoung showing up with these things to ask me out, crazy."

"Jungwoo wasn't original." Jimin said with a pout. "We were hanging out at his dorm, and he turned the TV off. I looked at him, and he asked if I wanted to go with him."

"I mean, it's Jungwoo, we're talking about." You pointed out. "At least, he did ask."

"What about you, Y/N?" Sohyeon smiled at you widely. "I bet there must be some hottie. Tell us."

"Actually, nope."

Girls tried to comfort you, but you were aware of reality. Majority of people had already dates, and this wouldn't change much.

"I bet someone will ask you out." Jimin hugged you. "Look, I had no idea few months ago, I'd be dating Doyoung. I used to stay at home 24/7. And look, I'm dating him."

"For real, you can't stress about it. I mean, going alone isn't the worst. Many people go alone. It's fine."

"Yes, I bet it is. It'd just be nice to have a date."

"Imagine if someone like, oh." Jimin pouted. "Jung Jaehyun asked you out. Do you remember him? A year ago, everyone and their moms had a crush on him. He's literally the most handsome man I've ever seen. Besides, Jungwoo right."

"Oh fuck." Sohyeon nodded with a laughter. "He once asked me about a teacher, and I could fall because of his beauty."

"I've heard, he asked Chaeyoung out by getting on his knees with her favorite flowers in hand and sang her a song. Isn't it romantic?" Jimin and Sohyeon both were daydreaming about Jaehyun. "He never sings for anyone, so she must've been special."

"Wow, that's awesome." You nodded. "Do you think they're still dating?"

"Maybe? I have no idea, but Park Chaeyoung is studying law, and he's doing business at different universities. I hope they broke up."

"Why? You can't say that."

"C'mon, Y/N. He deserves better."

Park Chaeyoung was known pretty and popular girl among your year, just a year ago. At first, everyone thought she's nice and polite, but then it turned out she's the most fake person, that school has ever seen. If she didn't like someone, she'd turn their life into hell. People got to know, few weeks after prom and since then she left school to write SATS in another school.

The weather outside was sunny and warm, which resulted on bunch of men being sweaty and greasy. They've been running nonstop for past half an hour, and it was just a beginning of practice.

Your father was thinking what is he supposed to say to Jaehyun to make him agree.

"Jaehyun." Younger man turned around to check what's going on. "Can I talk to you?"

"Of course, couch. What's up?"

"Listen, I have an odd question." He nodded. "You know my daughter, Y/N, right? She used to come here with me some time ago."

"Oh, Y/N. Yes, I know her. Not really know, but I know who she is. Why?"

"What I'm about to say may be crazy for you, and I understand if you wouldn't like to agree, but I'm desperate." Jaehyun was confused. What do you have to do with him? "She hasn't been asked out to Prom, and she probably won't be. I love her, and I can't bear the pain to see her heartbroken. Would you ask my daughter out to Prom?"

Jaehyun was stunned and he had no words. What was he supposed to say? He doesn't even know you. At all.

"I like you couch, and I respect you, but I don't really know her. I don't think it's a great idea, maybe you should've asked Yuta-"

"No. You're most normal guy here. Jaehyun, please. Think about it. I'll let you play in the main squad in semi finals. I promise."

"I'll think about it, couch."

Jaehyun wasn't sure what to do. At first, he was certain to say no, but your dad promised him place in the main squad on semi finals. It's his big chance right there.

After the practice, he went straight home and wanted nothing else but sleep. As he was about to shower, his father called him.

"Jaehyun, did Mr. Y/L/N asked you?"

"Oh, God. You too?" He hissed. "It's crazy dad. I literally don't know her at all. Am I supposed to show up at her door tommorow with a flower in a hand and as if she wants to be my prom date? Please. It's ridiculous."

"I know how it sounds, but you need to agree." He sighed and Jaehyun once again, was confused. "Her father used to help me to get a place in professor staff. Thanks to him, I could work at Harvard. He helped me, and it's time to return a favor. I'm not asking you to date her, son. Just one night."

Only two weeks until prom, and here you are with your mother and Jimin in a shop with all the beautiful dresses. The longer you were in there, the more mad you were. All the dresses you tried on, were either ugly or not flattering.

"Baby, I think you need to make your mind. There's plenty of choice. Pick something."

"I'll just get something black." You said with a grin. "Nothing else looks good on me, black is classic. And heels. Whatever."

Jimin felt bad, because you were excited just a ten minutes ago, but now you're tired. After picking a dress, three of you came to your home. Your mother was busy with conversation with your father, while you and Jimin were looking for makeup inspirations on Pinterest.

"I think I'm doing glam." Jimin showed you a picture of glam makeup on some girl. "I need to go extra hard, you know."

"Well, you should. I bet you're going to look amazing, Jimin."

"You too. Find yourself a good inspo, and we'll be slaying the shit out of that place."

After few minutes, Jungwoo came to pick Jimin up. Both of them are supposed to have a dinner date tonight. You waved them goodbye, but you noticed how Jungwoo was looking at you and whispered something to Jimin. She seems to be excited, but she played it off and left. Weird.

As you were packing your stuff for school, a door bell rang in the whole house.

"Y/N, open the door." Your father ordered you to do it.

It annoyed you. Both of your parents were sitting downstairs in the living room, yet they called you to open the door.

"Hi, who-" You stopped mid sentence. "Jung Jaehyun? What are you doing here?"

You got outside and closed the door after you. Jaehyun was wearing a black suit and he was looking really fine in it. In his hands were small boquete of rosses, and you were real confused at the moment.

"I came, because I want to take you to Prom together." He smiled and showed you his dimples. He also gave you the rosses. "Y/N, will you be my prom date?"

He was smiling at you, looking adorable and all you could do was sigh.

"No."

Jaehyun was baffled. He didn't expect such an outcome. You were supposed to be extra excited, say yes and hug him, thanking for saving you, and he was supposed to play in semi finals. And you have audacity to say no?

"What do you mean no?"

"No, I won't let you be my date, Jaehyun." You were smilling, and it didn't help Jaehyun to realize what's going on. "I guess my father must've asked you to do it. Damn, he really pitties me."

"It's not like that, I mean, I mea-" He was at loss of words. "You were supposed to say yes. I thought you still don't have a date."

"That's true, I don't."

Jaehyun was laughing ironically.

"Then what's the issue? Agree and you will have a cute date, and best time of your life with me."

"You don't even know me, Jaehyun. We were friends when we were, like, 5?" You laughed at Jaehyun expression, handing him the flowers. "I appreciate your efforts, but I don't want to go with someone who pity me."

Before Jaehyun could speak, you left. He was baffled on the sport in front of your door. He was theoritically dumped. His pride got hurt a bit, since no one has ever told him "no" until today. Not only pride got hurt, but his hope also died. He can't let go. He needs sport in main squad, it's his chance to become someone big.

"Y/N you're going with me wheter you like it or not."

And with that he left. He promised to himself, he's going to make you change your mind and secure a spot in main team.

It's been five days since Jaehyun has showed up at your door with rosess in his hand. You didn't tell anything about it to your friends, becasue they would get worked out over nothing. Sohyeon and Jimin were busy with their love lives, while you kinda stuck with them to kill boredroom.

"Wait." Jimin stopped on her track. "Isn't it Jung Jaehyun's car?"

"What do you mean?"

Three of you turned your gaze towards black Mercedes, that was parked in front of your school. Plates said exact numbers, Jaehyun owns.

"That's weird." Sohyeon chuckled. "What does he need from here?"

Before anyone could answer, tall male got out the car and was making his way towards you and your friends. Your hearbeat got faster, and you were about to faint.

"Is he coming towards us?"

"I guess."

You had internal battle with yourself, wheter to run away or stay still and die of embarrassment.

"Y/N." The way his voice sounds, made you even more nervous than you already were. "I came by, and I'd like to give you ride home."

Witnesses of this scene were baffled. It was some fanfiction shit in real life, because how the hell, is Jaehyun picking you up from school?

"I don't think it's necessary."

"C'mon. Don't be so lame, let's go."

"I can handle myself." You hissed. "Thank you, but nope."

"I won't ask twice. You're either coming with me or I'm tell-"

"Fine." You didn't give him a chance to speak. "I'll go with you."

You waved your friends goodbye and left with a weird stranger, who doesn't seem to let go.

"Why you're so cold, huh?" He smiled at himself, while he was turning on engine. "I know we don't know each other, but what's stopping us from getting to know each other? Nothing."

"Listen, I don't want to get to know you, alright? You're so annoying, I told you no. What part of my decline you didn't understand?"

Jaehyun was smilling at himself, because of how adorable you were. Annoyed and angry because of him.

"Because I want to be your prom date, how simple is that?" He teased with his eyes focused on the road. "I see no cons of that situation."

Listening to him was getting on your nerves. The next thing you're about to do, was to have a talk with your father. It was all his fault. You being in that car was his fault. Jaehyun getting on your neveres, was, also, his fault.

"We don't know each other, I won't go with a stranger."

"Then we'll get to know each other, simple."

As you were about to protest, you saw how he turned in the wrong way. It wasn't the road towards your home.

"I think you turned in the wrong direction."

"C'mon, did you really think we're going home so soon?"

"I want to go home, Jaehyun." You rolled your eyes. "I appreciate your effort, but it's nonsense."

Jaehyun didn't answer, but kept his smile on his lips. This whole time feels like an illusion. You're in Jaehyun's car, going God knows where. What if he's a psycho, who's about to kill you?

"Easy, I'm not going to kidnap or kill you."

"What the fuck?" Now you were scared. "How did you-"

"I can see it in your facial expressions. Believe me or not, I'm not into killing pretty girls."

"So cliche."

"And funny."

After ten minutes, both of you get out the car. The sight in front of you was quite mesmerizing. It was a lake with woods around. The views was impressing, but you had no intentions to say it out loud.

"How do you like it?"

"It's cool." You shrugged. "It's the place where you take all your girls, right? I guess it's a nice location."

"Don't be so mean. I don't take anyone here." He replied, going towars small bridge. "I am here once every few weeks. I like it here. Peace and sound."

"So.. Why are we here?"

"To spend some time together?" He was sarcastic, which made you even more annoyed than you already were. "You said, you're not going to prom with a stranger, then I'll stop being a stranger."

"Jaehyun, I wasn't joking-"

"What's your favorite color then?"

"Really?" You couldn't believe your ears. "You're asking me about my favorite color, God."

"Just answer me."

"I don't know. Red probably?"

"Red. Sounds good. Mine's black, since you haven't bothered to ask."

"It's because I don't care?" You tried to keep your cool, but Jaehyun made you nervous. "Geez."

"Another question."

"I feel like I'm taking a pop quiz."

"Good, that's the point." He leaned by the bench. "Why you're always wearing your earphones in? Ever since I can remember, you were wearing them since the beginning of the high school."

"I like music, isn't it obvious? I just prefer to listen to music to talking with people."

"So you're an introvert."

"And you're an extrovert, I suppose."

"Opposites attract, you know."

"Stop with this cheesy lines, Jaehyun. God."

"I like how you say my name. Cute." He smiled at you, and you tried to hide your smile. He wasn't that bad. "Do you have any questions?"

"Why business? I thought you're into different things."

"Oh. Well, my father made me do it. My plan A is to become a football star." He chuckled with you at your reaction. "My plan B, made by my father, was to become CEO and open own company."

"Sounds secure. Cool."

"I don't know. Economics and business is so fucked ubp. I baerly can do basic math and it's driving me crazy. College is a real deal, Y/N." You smiled at his words. He must've meant it. "And you? Your plans for future?"

"I'm not sure yet." You sat down on a small bench. "I'm thinking about either psychology or criminology. Both are interesting, but it's dificult. I don't think I'm ready for an adult life."

Jaehyun could only nod at your words. It was true, it is scary, but it can be overcomed.

"You're going to figure it out. I bet you're going to be good at whatever you're going to pick."

"Oh, thank you. How cute." You said with a sarcasm. "I appreciate your piece of advice, but it was shitty one."

"C'mon, don't be so negative Miss."

"Don't call me miss, that sounds weird." You made disgusted face. "I think you should drive me back home, my father is probably wondering where am I."

"Oh shit, for sure."

Ride back home was rather fun. Jaehyun was talking about all the times he had embarrased himself or fun stories he and his friends had. It seems like Jaehyun is really cool guy.

"Thank you, uhm, for the ride."

"You're welcome, see you around Y/N."

A little smile crept on your lips, he isn't that bad. Your father was doing dinner for both of you, when he noticed you.

"Was it Jung Jaehyun's car or am I wrong?"

"Indeed. He insisted, dad."

"Do you like him?"

"I bearly know him, please. He's not that bad, but he's still a stranger."

"Cool." He hummed. "Dinner will be ready in a few."

After small talk with your dad, you came into your room and finally checked all the messages from your friends. As you were about to reply, an outcoming call came.

"Hi."

"Why the fuck did Jung Jaehyun came for you?"

"Exactly, mind explaining?"

"I don't know, he just came by, I guess."

"Came by? Y/N Y/L/N, be for real. Why didn't you tell us both of you are talking?"

"Because we aren't. He's just an old friend."

"Doesn't make sense at all. Girl, we should've known before. Now, tell us everything."

You cooked your brows, because you didn't feel like telling your friends about Jaehyun.

"There's nothing to talk about. We met few times, and that's all. I swear." You tried to keep it cool. "I'm sorry but I have to go, my father calls me."

Sometimes Jimin and Sohyeon get out of hand. They're really annoying with your business, and you don't really like it. Relationship with Jaehyun could only mess up your and your friends.

Past week was really exciting for you. All the time, you had spent with Jaehyun. He literally made you laugh so much, and you had really time of your life. Your friends didn't ask much, they just let you do your thing. For the first time in a long time, you felt happy. Jaehyun brought so much joy into your life, which was cool.

"So." Jaehyun looked up from his cup of tea. "I was wondering, if I can be your prom date?"

You almost choked on your tea. The first time Jaehyun has asked you out, it was weird and funny to you, but right now it made you nervous to speak.

"I guess you can."

Jaehyun chuckled a bit and hugged you. You felt redness spread across your cheeks because of that small gesture. There's no way you're falling for him, right?

"See you on friday then. Make yourself look pretty, Y/N."

"I'm always pretty, dork."

"I never said you weren't."

Humming in response, you laughed at Jaehyun. Both of you were about to head home, he's living just five minutes away from you. When you opened the door to your house, you could hear your mother voice.

"But you can't just ask somebody to do it, Jezus."

"Please, calm down it's not like-" He noticed you. "Y/N, hi. You're finally home."

"What were you arguing about?" You chuckled a bit, but you still were concerned. "Both of you look weird, is everything fine?"

Your father took a quick glance at your mother, and then sit down on the counter.

"Not really, we were arguing about my managment of my football team, nothing serious."

"Okay then."

"Honey, are you ready for prom?" Your mother stopped you from going away. "I mean, it's this friday and I want you to feel special."

"Not really."

The next day, your mother took you out on a shopping spree. This day was all about you. Your mother was really happy that both of you could spend a day together after a long time of not doing so. Walking through shops was making you a bit dizzy. Dresses were elegant and beuatiful, so the choice was hard.

"What about this one, Y/N?"

You turned around to see a green mini dress, and you were certain it's not it.

"I don't think green is my colour, mom."

This went on and on, and what supposed to be a nice afternoon turned into a nightmare real quick. Your mother was annoyed with your choices, and the fact you haven't found any of the dresses cute.

"Sorry to interrupt, but I think I can help." A woman with a precious smile on came by. "My name is Jennie, and I've been working here for three years, so I have some experience."

"Thank God, I can't do it anymore." Your mother rolled her eyes. "Y/N be quick."

She then left to sit on the couch and check her phone, while you were on your way with Jennie. She seems to be a nice girl and she was really cool with you.

"I'm sorry for my mother, she's like this sometimes."

"Don't worry, things like this happens here daily, believe me. I know how to deal with it."

"Must be harsh."

"I got used to it by now." She smiled at you. "Here, elegant dress. Black and maxi, what do you think?"

"They're amazing. Wow, I've never seen anything prettier."

"I know right? Well, here's all the dresses available in black. I think black is everyone's go to. So let's take a look."

After ten minutes of going through, what seems like a hundred, dresses, Jennie picked one.

"That-"

"Is beautiful, I know." She ended your sentance. "Try it on."

It was black, elegant and slevless dress with a square neck. The dress made you pop and look like a princess. Looking at your reflection, you felt beautiful for the first time since forever. You felt like you, but more confident and cooler.

"Excuse me, Mam." Jennie approached your mother. "Your daughter was wondering if you might want to take a look at the dress we choose."

"Finally, okay."

Facial expression your mother had, was spechless. It was a moment where both of you went silent and just looked at each other.

"So, what do you think?"

"You look perfect, Y/N. This is the one, honey." She turned her back and looked at Jennie. "Can we get shoes too?"

D-day, here's your prom night. Jaehyun felt comfortable around you, so were you. Both of you have been texting each other about most casual stuff, as if you had known each other for years. Also, he was annoying you, because he wanted to see the dress, but you told him no. It's supposed to be a surprise.

A bell rang. It must've been him.

"Y/N, someoen's for you." Your dad called you, and suddenly you felt anxious. What if he doesn't like what you wear? "Y/N, c'mon."

Making your way down the stairs, you prayed in your mind for him to like it a lot. On the other hand, Jaehyun was mesmerized by your beauty. He couldn't take his eyes off of you.

"Y/N, you look gorgeous." Jaehyun couldn't take his eyess off of you, which made you blush. "You're killing it."

"Thank you." You tried to hide your face. "Stop looking at me like that!"

"Sorry, my bad."

Ride towars the place of the prom wasn't silent at all. Jaehyun was talking with you about everything like usually. He also couldn't stop looking at you. For the first time in a long time, you felt appreciated by someone else than your parents.

Dance. Everyone who had a pair had to dance. Jaehyun learnt the steps in a day thanks to you. You couldn't tell who was more excited: you or Jaehyun. Whole school had eyes on you and your partner for tonight, but you couldn't care less. Tonight feels like a dream. It was all thanks to God. If it wasn't for him, you would spend the worst night of your life alone, but here you are with Jung Jaehyun.

"Are you ready?"

"Yes, I am."

"Video Games" instrumentall started playing. Your steps were graceful, smooth and pretty. Jaehyun was watching your every move almost hipnotised. At this very moment, he realized how much he does actually like you. Jaehyun got attached to you by last weeks. To be fair, he was mad at himself that he hadn't had a chance to get to know you before.

"I'm one lucky man to be here with you."

"Didn't you tell the same thing to Chaeyoung?" You laughed, while Jaehyun silenced for a minute and let out a small giggle. "I'm lucky one. I don't know how did it happen, but I'm happy nevertheless."

Jaehyun eyes widened. For a qucik second, he remembered conversation with your father. He felt awful for a second, but then he let go. It doesn't matter. What matters is the fact he likes you.

"No, I told her something different. I guees." Both of you giggled, as you were making your way towards the tables. "I'm glad that Doyoung and Jungwoo will be here. I feel like I'm grandma among teenagers."

"You're just a year older, idiot."

"Still. Year may be a lot."

"Dumb."

Sohyeon and Jimin were really excited for you. They had never seen you happier than tonight. Ever since you've been hanging out with Jaehyun something changed in you. Like a small sparkle in you woke up. None of them knew the real reason why did Jaehyun asked you out. Their boyfriends told them, he was intrested in her for a while since Chaeyoung left the school. It was really believable, because you were one of the prettiest girl in the High School.

"So, Jaehyun and Y/N, are you dating?"

Jungwoo asked all of sudden, and for a moment you forgot how to breathe.

"Dude, I swear to God." Jaehyun rolled his eyes at his best friend. "Leave us alone. Are you alright, Y/N?"

"Yes, I am."

"So? What's the answer?"

Before Jaehyun could answer, you were faster to reply.

"No. We're friends."

Jaehyun couldn't explain why, but he felt an ache in his heart at your words. It was an honest true, why would he feel hurt? He brushed it off, and just nodded at your words.

Jimin punched Jungwoo playfully, and changed the topic.

"What about we dance? I hear Rihanna, and everyone is sitting down. C'mon! Let's dance!"

Circle of your friends got up on the dance floor staying there for almost hour. All the 2000s hits were blasting through the speakers, and you really were happy. Nothing could ruin your night. It's the best day of your life.

"I need to rest." You said, and sat down with Doyoung while the rest went for the drinks.

"Wow, I haven't seen Jaehyun so happy and chill for a while now. Did you do something to him, Y/N?" He chuckled.

"Nope, haha. What are you talking about?" You laughed at him, and took a sip of juice you had. "I thought he was always this happy."

"He had a rough time lately, and now he's dancing on the dance floor with us. Believe me, he would never do it unless he was drunk."

Doyoung's words warmed up your heart. The thought of Jaehyun being happier just because both of you hangs out made you smile. He isn't such an asshole as you thought for some time.

An hour passed, and everyone had a great time. Girls were dancing with you, boys would come to dance too. It's an unforgetable night for you.

"I need to smoke. Anyone?"

Jaehyun, Doyoung, Jungwoo, Jimin all got up and left. Jimin had to call her mother, while you stayed with Sohyeon. Your friend was really drunk, close to passing out.

"Are you alright, Sohyeonah?"

"Yes, yes hell I am." She was chuckling. "I feel great." She was stuttering, and you felt bad for her. "I want more."

As when she was going for another drink, you took it from her.

"Girl, do you want to throw up? Leave it alone." You were laughing at her failed attempts to get the drink from you. "Stop it."

It's been five minutes, and you wasn't laughing at all. Sohyeon wasn't chuckling or saying anything, she was almost passed out.

"I need to go to toilet."

Her voice was shaky, so you were fast to react and go with her. She was on her knees throwing up, as you were holding her hair.

"Who-" Jimin voice stopped. "Oh my God, is she so drunk?" She got on her knees, and took a look at her friend.

"Yes, she looks like a ghost. I don't think staying here more, would make it better."

"God." Jimin rolled her eyes. "Can you go for Doyoung? He should take her home or something. I'll stay with her. I know what to do, but she should rest."

"Of course."

You felt bad for Sohyeon, she has always been a lighthead. Jimin knew what to do with her, but you had no clue. You went by your table, but there was no one there so boys were still outside. Many people were going in and out, so it was hard for you to notice them in the crowd. Finally, you saw familiar sillhouete. As you got closer you've heard Jungwoo's voice.

"Are you still going to keep in touch with her? I mean, you already did what you've been asked to." Jungwoo was chuckling. "She's great girl, but do you want to?"

Been asked to? You felt as if your heart was breaking in two. What does it mean?

"I don't know. Depends."

"Ya, really?" Doyoung was laughing. "You got your spot in a team, and you says depends. Coach isn't going to be the happiest with such an answer."

"I mean, that's true. I like her but.." Jaehyun wasn't able to end. "I don't know how to explain this. I would -"

He couldn't end, because Jungwoo shook his head in your direction. Here you were standing with makeup running down your face. Crying so hard, you almost forgot how to breathe.

"D-Doyoung, Sohyeon is throwing up in the toilets. Take her home." IT was all you could say.

Three of them were shocked to see you. You've heard the conversation out of context. It seems like Jaeyun used you for his spot, but he didn't get to finish his true feelings about you.

"Fuck! Y/N stop!"

Jungwoo went together with Doyoung, leaving two of you alone.

"Leave me the fuck alone, Jaehyun!" You screamed on top of your lungs. "I knew my father must have asked you for it. I knew it. How could I be so stupid to think you did it by yourself! I'm such an idiot."

"It's not like that! I really like you, please. Hear me out!"

"No, I don't want to talk." You wiped away your tears. "I'm coming home. I don't want to see you anymore."

"Wait, Y/N."

Jaehyun was about to chase you, when he realized it's done. You overheard him and his friends in a wrong timing. He was about to say how much he does adore you, and how it depends on you and how you see him. Now it's fuckin done, because you know it was your dad favor.

Prom was supposed to be your dream come true, and it turned into a nightmare quickly. It's been almost a month, and you're still with your thoughts in that night. Your father apologized to you about thousand times.

"I told you to leave her alone! She could've gone by herself. Happens. It would be better than going with your boy. Gosh, what have you done?" Your mother was annoyed. "Now she doesn't talk to you and I support her."

"I only wants the best for her! That's it! I couldn't look at her being hurt. I wanted my little girl to have her moment, is it so bad?"

Jaehyun called you and texted you, but you didn't read nor respond to these messages.

On the other hand, Jaehyun was upset. Heartbroken. Depressed. He wasn't sure why did he take it so personal. He was sure he couldn't get you out of his head. Jung Jaehyun understood you and wasn't surprised by your behaviour, but he was selfish. He wanted you to text him back, to say you missed him. His friends were surprised by his acts, because he never was such a wreck because of a girl.

"Y/N." Your dad got into your room. "I may sound selfish, but I want you to talk with Jaehyun. Semi finals are this weekend, yet he's really not himself. We need to win and I know to you I'm an asshole but please."

"Do you really expect me to talk with him?"

"At least show up on our match. He would be better if he could see you. Please. It's important for boys and for me."

"I'll think about it."

Your dad nodded and left. Of course, it was obvious that semi finals are important for your father as a couch. But you were still hurt. It wasn't even because of your father and Jaehyun, but by you. How could you believe Jaehyun would liked you? It was eating you alive. Everyone knew you went to prom together, yet he wasn't feeling you. That's what you supposed.

The door bell rung. You were alone, so you had to open the door and you saw two men. Jungwoo and Doyoung.

"I don't want to talk to you." As when you almost closed the door, Jungwoo stopped you.

"Y/N, why can't you talk with him?" Doyoung asked desperatly. "He's a wreck. I've never seen him like this before. I swear to God, it was out of context. It was bad timing."

"Look, it must be hard, but the coach wanted the best for you, and Jaehyun? He caught feelings! Can't you see?" Jungwoo hissed. "All he could talk about is you and how much he regrets not going after you."

"We understand if you don't want to know him anymore. Okay. But please, Y/N, come on the weekend for semi finals. He has to give his best, but he's not able to do so."

Doyoung really was desperate for you. The look in their eyes could tell it was truth.

"I can come, but." Their eyes lighten up. "I don't want to talk to him. I'm doing that, so you can leave me alone."

Two guys hugged you and left. They were thankful for you.

Semi finals were about to start. Seouls University, coached by your father vs. Yonsei University. It's a big event among students. There were about thousand people at least. Whole area was occupied. Jimin and Sohyeon reserveted places for you three.

"Hello, finally."

"Here I am. Where's the guys?"

"They're going up."

You looked over at the field and there they were. Your eyes couldn't help but lend on Jaehyun. He wasn't able to see you. Deep down, you prayed for his best performance.

After first half it was 2:0 for Yonsei. Boys were throwing curses and were mad. Jaehyun couldn't score a goal at all. He was furious, and got yellow card for bad behaviour.

It was a break in between.

"You should go there, Y/N." Jimin said. "Jaehyun isn't going to score these goals, because he is still focused on you and he had no idea you came for him."

"I came because they all asked me-"

"Don't lie. We know deep down, you couldn't not come."

"Go, you have less than five minutes."

In your mind there was no other choice. You were running for your life to get down there for them. Jaehyun had to see you. You had to tell him to get it together. Tell him you forgive him, even though you don't want to.

"Guys, please! Focus! Jaehyun you are so close to score a goal, yet you miss every single time!"

"I'm sorry coach, I really try to."

At this moment you walked in. Boys turned their heads at you and decided to leave you alone with Jaehyun for a minute.

"Minute and I see you back."

"You really came." Jaehyun came and hugged you. "I'm sorry for everything, I miss you so fuckin much!"

"Jaehyun, get it together. You are supposed to be MVP. Please, it's important."

"I try to do my best but I can't focus."

"I forgive you. I forgave you long ago. I'm not mad about it anymore, so please. We're fine. Do your best."

"Thank you." Jaehyun wanted to kiss you. He needed that but your time was out. He had to go play.

The other half was different. Seoul University had ball longer than Yonsei. There was 15 minutes left and the score was 2:1. Yuta managed to score a goal few minutes ago. The longer you were watching, the more stressed you were.

"Ladies and gentlemen, Jung Jaehyun and Kim Jungwoo are running towards Yonsei. Wait, Jungwoo passed the ball to Jaehyun. He's close to scoring. Wait! Jung Jaehyun scored another goal! It's 2:2. One of the team needs to score another goal to win and to go to half finals."

Jaehyun did it. Just one more goal. Boys were faster, while Yonsei boys were already tired. They thought that your father's team would let go.

"I'm stressed. I hope they win."

Last 5 minutes. Jaehyun needs to score another goal. You were watching him closely. Mingyu was trying to pass ball to him, but he was blocked by the opponents. Yuta was trying his best to block other team, but it was hard.

Finally, Jaehyun was running as if he wasn't human. His speed was so fast, people didn't get what was going on. All of a sudden, Mingyu managed to pass to Jungwoo and he passed to Jaehyun.

Goal. Jaehyun did it. Time is over and Seoul University won 3:2. They're going towards finals!

"OMG THEY DID IT!"

Everyone was screaming and jumping. Boys were hugging each other and were about to give speeches through the microphones.

"I'm proud of my boys." Your dad appeared on the big screen. "I taught them well and now they won again. I love them as if they're mine kids. Congratulations boys, we got it!"

"Yuta Nakamoto, how do you feel after this win? You scored first goal for your team, you must be proud!"

"Fuck yeah! We did it! Again!" He was screaming. "We're not stopping anytime soon! We're not afraid of anyone, I'm sure we're going to win South Korea Football Competition. I know it!"

Few boys gave intervies until it was turn for Jaehyun. Your hearbeat was as fast as Jaehyun during the match.

"Jaehyun you won MVP today! You scored two goals giving your team to chance to move forward. What's your thoughts?"

"It's not thanks to me but thanks to the whole team. Our teamwork is amazing and we did it. We really are the best! I love my boys! I'm grateful I can do it with them and celebrate!" He took a microphone from a journalist hands. "Excuse me, but I have to say something to someone I hurt really badly. Y/N." Your heart stopped for a second. "I meant to say it long time ago. I think I'm in love with you. I know I was an asshole and now you're propably embarrassed as fuck, but please. I love you. I miss you everyday. I miss those little dates. When Jungwoo had asked us if we were dating, I'd like to answer yes. I wished to. I wasn't sure of your feelings. I know I fucked up big time, but please. Can you forgive me for real and talk to me?"

"Yes, Y/N, wherever you are, please come down to us and get your man!" Journalist shouts to the mic.

Your friends pushed you to make you move. You ran towards Jaehyun. It was crazy. Jaehyun loved you. He really did. You ran towards his arms and hugged him.

"I forgave you. I think I love you too."

"Y/N, will you be my girlfriend?"

Instead of answering you kissed him. Everyone was cheering for you, but both of you were too busy with each other.

"Yes. Of course, yes!"

[matchalovertrait]

The day after Caruso posted his video, Dulce responded with one of her own to disprove his false claims about the "stolen" recipes. She brought up her extensive list of culinary experiences and screenshots of everything related to the cookbook when it was in progress. However, the damage had been done. Too many people turned their backs on Dulce. As everything came crashing down, she slowly stopped responding to her family and friends. Of course, everyone was alarmed. You can't just not respond like that out of the blue, especially when you're overseas! Now that Ángel and Esperanza have come to save the day, Dulce is looking to sue Caruso for defamation. I did say to never get into legal trouble with her! This marks the rebirth of Alegría VS Caruso!

Note: I am getting political here. As Election Day in the United States is around the corner, I urge people to fact-check everything. I'm seeing too many people on other social media platforms not doing the proper research. They see a video of one thing and take it as the sole truth. It seems like people have forgotten how to use Google, which is right at our fingertips. Make sure you're looking at reliable sources!

Transcript:

Dulce: I swear! That better not be him. A lot of people didn’t believe me or they didn’t bother to watch my explanation video. How am I supposed to recover from this?

Ángel: Dulce!

Dulce: Ángel and Esperanza?!

Ángel: Why haven’t you been answering anyone’s phone calls or texts??? It’s been 2 days.

Dulce: My career is over. My numbers are plummeting. People are crossing out my name on my cookbook and writing his name instead. Clients are canceling bookings with me. His crazy fans are giving me fake bad reviews. I’m through.

Esperanza: So what? It hasn’t been that long. Things can pick back up, Dulce. Why don’t you get your chef friends to vouch for you?

Dulce: I don’t want to rope anyone into my mess..

Esperanza: [Sighs] You know what? It’s sad to see you like this. Aren’t you going to plot something?

Dulce: I’ve done enough harm as it is! What do I do??? Sue him??? Oh wait, I already thought of that! I looked into it and no good lawyer wants to take the case. They’d rather represent actual stars like Judith Ward. I need to take this as a sign and finally grow up.

Ángel: C’mon, you know you want to do it.

Dulce: You’re encouraging it...? You don’t want to teach me a valuable life lesson like always?

Ángel: I think you learned your lesson. Make him learn his now.

Esperanza: My dad and Hilary both said they can help you pay for a REALLY good defamation lawyer. I think Hilary was freaking out the most about you not answering.

Ángel: Well, we all kinda were. You had Ama worried sick. But we didn’t file a missing person’s report because your friend came by and saw you well alive through your window.

Dulce: Oh, man. Dani probably got nervous and ran off. She never came to knock on the door.

Ángel: She’s a skittish one, isn’t she?

Dulce: Yeah, I have to apologize to her for not responding to her texts either. She knows about everything, but she might feel like she’s annoying me because I haven’t answered.

Esperanza: Wait, isn’t she a paralegal?

Dulce: Oh my gosh, you’re right! How’d I forget that? She might know someone who can help!

Ángel: Looks like we have a plan, then.

Esperanza: Um, I think part of this plan should be helping you clean up this place. Go put detergent in the washer, Ángel. I’ll get the clothes.

Dulce: My clothes??? Oh, no. They’ve been washed and dried. I just haven’t put them away. The only mess here is in my mind.

[auroracalisto]

stay outta trouble, yeah?

tangerine x southern!reader, 3.7k words summary: he's taken by their southern accent, much like they're taken by his british one. color him intrigued, because why not? he'll be getting them to safety as soon as he can get away from the fight--or rather, telling them to get to safety. a/n: before you read the rest... there are a few lines i took from the movie to keep part of the plot alive. and then it goes haywire... anyway. listen i was just thinking about how incredible it would be to talk to tangerine and not actually hide my personal accent. here you go, pookies. (i'm from west virginia if that helps you). i've also never been farther than türkiye, so my knowledge of what it's like to travel to japan is very limited. pardon my inaccuracies even though i only talk about it for like... .2 seconds, at most. tw: major canon divergence, talks of blood, wounds, cursing, etc.

It'd been a long few days in Tokyo. Traveling for your own enjoyment was always an incredible thing, but good lord, was it exhausting.

The flight, which was non-stop from the Washington Dulles Airport, thank goodness, was nearly sixteen hours. No connecting flights, no dealing with confusing and unfamiliar airports. But just the flight itself was enough to send your sleeping pattern to all kinds of craziness. Don't even mention the fact that you had to drive to the airport, which took several hours just to get there...

Wasn't the first time, and certainly wouldn't be the last.

Travel was a luxury so many never had the opportunity to experience. When you had the chance to go to Japan, you took it. It was practically a dream vacation, despite how exhausting it truly was.

You'd come back to Tokyo after a few days in Nagoya, the second to last stop on this bullet train, maybe a quick day trip to Kyoto after, but time was of the essence. You may not have planned every little detail for this trip of a lifetime, but you had a good idea as to what you were going to do.

The bullet train would be at your stop in nearly two hours. That was plenty of time to take a nap and probably figure out what you'll do in Nagoya after finding your planned accommodations.

You found a seat in the "quiet" car, almost giddy to know that there was a car specifically for that. Being from the southern United States, the only actual train you could recall was the Amtrak Trains, but even then, you didn't know as much as you could have about them.

You kept your backpack close to you, trying to find your earbuds so you could have them before you actually sit down.

As you walked, absentmindedly, of course, you bump into a rather tall and, might I add, breathtaking man with one of those 80s' mustaches—like the guy from that one season of American Horror Story. It rather suited him, but that's not what you were thinking as the words quickly spilled from your mouth:

"I'm so sorry," you said, southern drawl instantaneous. "Wasn't watching where I was goin'."

The man looked down at you, blue eyes curiously catching yours. He smiled, and you could feel your heart melt within you. Or maybe your lungs. It seemed hard to breathe for a moment.

"No worries, love," he said, a very British accent joining his words. He scrunched his nose a bit and moved out of your way, while the man behind him muttered something under his breath. "No harm done."

You return his smile, although hesitantly. God, was he gorgeous. But that was beside the point. You moved around him, knowing you probably looked like a mess—you had only spent two nights in Tokyo, and they weren't very restful. Skincare could only do so much to make you look awake and not like you've risen from the dead just hours prior.

You choose a seat nearby where the British man and his two friends were sitting, putting your backpack on the table just in front of you. You grabbed your phone from your pocket, making sure you still had your charger in the pack, before you set up your earbuds and your music.

Your eyes flickered over to the British man, not saying anything as you opened your preferred playlist. He briefly glanced back at you and sent a rather cheeky smile before he looked back to the man in front of him.

"Fuckin' hell, mate," Lemon said as he looked at his brother. The man had made him move just so he could have an eye on the American who bumped into him. "Go and talk to ‘em, yeah? Leave me out of it."

Tangerine rolled his eyes. "Fuck off," he said. "We gotta job, yeah? Speakin' of." He stopped and looked towards the White Death's son, blinking slowly for a moment. "You gonna tell us much else or are you keepin' us in the dark?"

The Son mumbled something under his breath, tiredly looking out the window. He didn't know why he was here, other than the two brothers saying they were hired by his dad to get him to safety.

Right. Safety. What a joke.

"Right, so," Tangerine began. "Our job is to keep you safe and to recover the briefcase with the ransom money inside. And I plan on completin' my job and keeping..."

Tangerine looked at his brother, narrowing his eyes. "Lemon."

Lemon looked up at him. "Hmm?"

"Where's the briefcase?"

"Oh, I stashed it."

Tangerine stared at him in admonishment for a bit longer than necessary. "The case, Lemon. Go get me the fucking case."

"We got his son. That was our job."

"Our job was to come back with his son and his 10 million." Tangerine groaned softly and looked out of the window, sucking in a breath. "Three words describe our situation right now. Do you know what they are?"

"Sure do," said Lemon. He held up a hand and counted them off as he spoke: "Saved his son."

"Motherfucker," Tangerine blurted. He went on his spiel about the White Death, which seemed to be quite imperative as Lemon hadn't read the email he forwarded to him. Of course he hadn't—when did he ever? Why did he bother?

"He asked for pros who wouldn't fuck up," Tangerine said. "Three words, Lemon. We are..."

"Fucked." They say the words together, and if it had been another time, perhaps just hours prior, it would have been fun. Not this time. No, this time, they knew they were in deep shit.

They needed to get that suitcase and quick.

They returned to the Son only for him to be... well, let's put it frankly, bleeding from his eye-sockets and mouth, and so very dead.

"Well, shit," Tangerine sucked in a breath as he looked at the boy who had called him a liability only moments earlier.

The two trained assassins set to work on making it look like he was merely sleeping, even going as far as giving him Momonga glasses. You never know.

Tangerine looked at Lemon, frowning deeply. "We need t' find that briefcase," he said.

"Right," Lemon returned, staring at the Son for a moment before he looked up at Tangerine, nodding. "Right. Phone's on me. See if that American you ran into saw anything. Never know, yeah?"

Tangerine narrowed his eyes and glanced over his shoulder, seeing the object of his curiosity. "Hm. Go, Lemon. You see the case, deal with whoever has it."

"All right, how do I do that? Talk to him, or, like, talk to him?"

"I don't know, why don't you tell him about the story about how Gordon met Percy and how Percy's now bleeding from his fucking eye sockets!"

Lemon scoffed and left his side, going down the opposite side of the train.

"He means kill him. Of course he does."

Tangerine took one last look to the boy before he made his way to you, just a few seats down. He saw that you were asleep—surely, if you had been awake, you would've said something, right? Right. He's assuming, anyway. He keeps walking, knowing that he's got to find this briefcase and fast or else he and Lemon may not get a chance to even think about which arm they'd rather have cut off.

About twenty minutes into your restless nap, there's a loud noise blaring in your earbuds, and you jolt awake, grabbing onto your phone. You paused it, heart pounding in your chest.

"Damn," you cursed, knowing it was only from the song and nothing more. This song was notorious for loud noises. You take out your earbuds, a soft groan escaping you. Might as well stretch your legs and use the restroom since you're awake. It didn't seem like sleep was going to come easy on this train.

A voice came over the intercom, saying something about stopping momentarily, but you didn't catch the name of the station.

You stood and stretched, looking towards where the British man had been. He's not there, and neither is his one friend, but the other is there, sleeping. He's got the strangest glasses on, but you say nothing of it.

"Bathroom," you mutter under your breath, looking over your shoulder. You see a sign and follow it, taking your phone with you just in case.

You're quick, doing your business and washing your hands all under two minutes. Must be a record—the airplane bathrooms are so much more different than this.

You go to leave and open the door, and once again, you're not paying attention. You nearly bump into the tall, handsome British man, but this time, he is paying attention.

He grabbed you by the shoulders, a soft huff escaping him. "Watch yourself, love," he said, a playful smile on his lips (like he's not currently in one of the most stressful situations he's ever been in). "You're gonna get yourself hurt, now, aren't ya?"

Wide eyed, you looked up at him. "Shit, I'm sorry," you said. "It's—hell, I can't even give you a good excuse, but I didn't mean to."

"Nah, you're alright, love, just watch yourself for me, yeah?"

He let go of your shoulders, and you almost find yourself missing the touch.

"Go back to your seat, yeah? Keep an eye out for anyone weird for me."

You blinked slowly but nodded anyway. "Yeah, sure," you said. "You—"

But before you can continue, he sees something in the corner of his eye—either that or he hears something. You're not really sure. He flashes you a soft smile before he walked past you, clearly on a mission.

You let out a soft sigh and walk back to your seat, sitting down quietly.

As you get there, the British man's friend is back, and with another man—you don't catch their conversation, but whatever it is is rather heated. You simply put your earbuds back in and let your head fall back, unable to stop your eyes from fluttering shut. There's a few noises, but the sleep is far too good to come out of. At least, for now it is.

At some point, you feel someone shaking you awake. You quickly open your eyes, seeing the British man sitting across from you. He's got a few cuts on his face—not something he had before. You sat up and check your phone, eyebrows furrowed.

"What are you—"

You'd only been asleep for another twenty minutes.

"You're cute, love," he said, grabbing your phone from you.

"Hey—"

He held up a finger to you and quickly typed in a text message to his own phone. When he heard the buzz, he handed your phone back to you.

"Where's your stop, hm?"

"Nagoya," you answered. "Why?"

"Get off sooner, yeah?"

"What?"

He gave you a cheeky smile. "Get off sooner, love," he said. "Conductor must've missed you cuz you were sleepin', but he was sayin' that everyone needs to get off before Nagoya. Somethin' about the train needed worked on."

You blinked slowly. Were you still sleeping? You felt like you were. "Why the hell would they do that for? That don't even make sense—"

"Love, do it," he said, staring you down with those pretty blue eyes. "Get off on the next stop, yeah? I'll even give you the money for another ticket or somethin' if you need it."

You shook your head. "I can get another ticket, I just—"

There was something about the man that screamed danger, but no where did it scream liar. At least if he was a liar, maybe it was for good reason. Your gut feeling had been pretty good in the past, warning you against several things that could've gone terribly. Perhaps this was the Universe screaming at you to listen to it.

"Okay. I got the money. I'll just... I'll get off at the next stop."

He smiled softly at you. "Good. I'll be seein' you then, yeah? Keep yourself outta trouble."

He stood up, giving you a soft wink, before he left you in the quiet car.

You didn't see him again for the rest of the train ride, but you did listen to him. You got off at the next train stop and bought a new ticket, wondering if the cuts on his face had anything to do with his request.

It was a pretty nice warning, as crazy as that shit was.

Waiting for the next train, which would be there only momentarily, you pull out your phone. The only thing he had typed to his number was simple: Tangerine.

Was that codename for something? The fuck did fruit have to do with anything?

Nagoya, Japan.

A beautiful city with equally beautiful architecture (you'd be sure to visit the castle and the shrine after you finished exploring the city on your own terms).

You hadn't gotten a text from the handsome British man, but it didn't really bother you much. You didn't know him—just nearly ran into him a handful of times before he told you to get off the train.

Two days after the train ride to Nagoya, you find yourself on the streets, following your phone's GPS as best as you could to get to the castle. You should have just waved down a taxi cab, but you also wanted to experience the walk. That, in itself, was just as important as the journey over. Besides, your phone said only five minutes, but it seemed like it was re-routing and doing the exact opposite of being an accurate GPS.

You curse under your breath and go to type in another address in an attempt to see if it was just the castle address that was making your GPS wonky when you heard a familiar voice—you felt a familiar hand grab onto your shoulder.

"Be careful, love," the British man said, keeping you in your spot. You looked up—you're not even about to walk into anything, this time. You looked back at him, eyebrows furrowed.

"Oh, hell," you blurted, wide eyed. "What the hell happened to you? Are you—" You pause, mouth gaped open as you look on in surprise. His friend, and that one long haired blonde guy, stand nearby. The one leaned up against the wall of a supermarket, while the other runs a hand through his blonde locks.

You looked up at him, lips parted. "Is that why you told me to get off the train?"

He gave you a pained smile. "Smart, love," he said.

There's a few people that pass by, mumbling about the sight of the rather bloodied and injured men.

"Shit," you said. "You—did you just come to Nagoya in hopes I'd still be here? What if I had been in Kyoto?"

"Guess some luck's on my side, then," he said.

"My—hell, come on, I've got a hotel room," you said. "You lot look like you've been to hell and back."

"Somethin' like that," the British man said.

"Shit," you mumbled once more, putting your hotel name back into your GPS. You had just come from there, but just in case, you didn't want to mess anything up. Especially not now. "Shit, dude, I don't even know your name—"

"Tangerine," he interrupted.

You blinked slowly as you began to walk. His friends follow behind.

"Like the fruit?" you question.

His friend snorted from behind the two of you. "Yeah, love, like the fruit."

You shrugged. "Codename?"

"Smart," Tangerine repeated, giving you a cheeky smile.

For someone who looked like he was in an immense amount of pain, he was sure cheerful.

You led them up to your hotel room, where the blonde immediately goes to the bathroom, running water in the sink and using it and a towel to try and clean some of the blood from his face.

Tangerine and the other, whom you now know as Lemon, sit on separate sides of the room—Lemon sits at the table and groans at the action, a hand on his side, while Tangerine sits on the edge of the bed.

There goes your plans to see the Nagoya Castle, but hell, this didn't seem like it would be anything you'd wanna miss out on. How often do you get three men in your hotel room like this?

Ah, fuck, scratch that—how often do you get a hot British man looking at you like that regardless of how beat up he currently looked?

You bit your lip and sit your phone on the dresser. "I, uh, my friend gave me a little kit of medicine and things before I left," you said, going to your open suitcase and pulling out a black bag. "Has like, bandaids and ibuprofen. Tums, maybe. I didn't even look to be honest."

You hand the bag to him.

Tangerine snorted softly, taking the bag from you and opening it up. You watch, seeing the scabs on his knuckles.

"Damn, what the hell happened to y'all?"

Tangerine glanced up at you, a small smile quirking on his lips. "All in due time," he said. "Don't think it's anything I wanna drag you into just yet."

You pursed your lips.

"Fuck," Tangerine mumbled. "This whole thing has been fuckin' bullocks," he said as he pulled out a couple of things from the kit.

"You can say that again," Lemon said, scoffing softly.

Tangerine tossed him a bottle of pain killers before he, himself, picked up a small bottle of antiseptic. "Be a doll and grab me a washcloth, yeah?"

You do as you're asked, moving past the blonde in the bathroom. He looked a bit worse for wear, but he seemed like he was doing far better than the other two.

You brought back the washcloth for Tangerine. "Can I help?"

"Nah, love, I'll be fine. Not the first time."

You grimaced. "Sounds painful."

"C'est la vie," Lemon said from where he sat, taking the unopened complementary water from the table and using it to take the pain killers. "You're a life saver, love."

"Hmm," you hummed, frowning softly as you looked at Tangerine.

He glanced up at you as he cleaned his knuckles. He had plenty of other places to clean, of course, but the idea of moving from his spot on the bed sounded like hell. His abdomen was screaming at him for just breathing.

"I never got your name," Tangerine softly said.

"Yeah," Lemon interjected. "Been callin' you his little American this whole time. Don't let him lie to you."

Tangerine blanched, glaring over at Lemon, before he looked up at you. "Maybe," he said. "Don't listen to him. He's a little shit-stirrer."

You smiled a bit. He's endearing if not... unconventional in his methods. Whatever that meant. You'd learn soon enough, it seemed.

You gave him your name.

He repeated it, and it was almost like heaven pouring from his lips as he spoke.

God, you'd have a hell of a time trying to explain this back home.

Tangerine snorted softly and finished cleaning up his knuckles—just on the one hand, though. He still had so much to get through.

"Must've made quite an impression if you come to Nagoya just to find me," you blurted, taking the bottle of antiseptic and the cloth from him. He didn't protest. He simply watched as you wet the other side of the cloth and took his hand in your own to clean his knuckles.

"Yeah, well, what can I say? The accent got me."

You blinked slowly, eyes flickering to his. "The accent?"

"Oh, yeah, love," he said. "Ladybug in there is an American, but you? It's like a whole other breed of American. I don't know if I can get enough of it."

Lemon scoffed and tossed the bottle of painkillers to his brother. "Stop flirting and let them clean your hand."

Tangerine rolled his eyes, watching your hands as they moved against his wounds.

"Sorry," you mumbled.

"Sorry? For what?"

"For not having anything to really help you," you said. "I'm sure it woulda helped if I had a first aid kit or somethin'."

He raised an eyebrow. "Think you would've been insane for havin' a first aid kit when you're traveling all alone," he said. "Who woulda thought you'd run into little ol' me?"

"Little ol' you, hm?"

Tangerine's soft smile is unmistakable, but you make no mention of it. You let go of his hand and he examined it, letting out a soft hum. You did well enough, he supposed.

Tangerine let out a soft groan as a pain rippled through his abdomen. He laid back on the bed without another word, a hand resting on his body. This would be a hell of a pain to heal, but he was sure it would happen soon enough.

"Sorry for barging in on you like that, love," Lemon spoke up. He drew your attention away from Tangerine. "Tangerine over there kept quippin' on and on 'bout how he just had to see you again. Thought he was a broken record or some shit with how often he said it."

The handsome man in front of you didn't even object this time. He just went with it.

"Right, yeah, and what were you sayin'? Hope they have a nice hotel room that fits all us, yeah?"

"Absolutely not," he scoffed. "Don't be a prick."

Tangerine rolled his eyes. "Lemon—"

"—anyway," Lemon interjected. "We'll be out of your hair as soon as we possibly can. Don't want to outstay our welcome, and I'm sure you've got plans, hm?"

"Well, yeah, but—"

"—we won't stay long, promise."

"No, I—I mean I do have plans, but you can stay as long as you need to."

Tangerine snorted softly and glanced at you from where he laid on his bed. "You're rather trusting, aren't you?"

You blinked slowly. "Well—"

"—be careful, love," he said, a playful glint in his eyes. "You should really watch yourself, before you get yourself into trouble."

You parted your lips, and the words escaped you before you even thought to stop them: "Think I'm a bit too late for all that."

[batboyblog]

The recent Chappell Roan thing is why I absolutely hate the lack of political literacy in this country. Big-name celebrities think they're really cooking when they say "well Kamala still supports blowing up Palestinian babies because she won't cut ties with Israel, so therefore I'm not voting for her and you shouldn't either! Both her and Trump suck so I'm not voting/voting third party!"

Like it or not, Israel is an ALLY of the United States. We CAN'T just cut ties with them unless it's a long drawn-out process, and even then it's probably NEVER going to happen. This is basic shit we learned in social studies, holy shit!

Trump would be so much fucking worse for everyone involved, including Palestine, and not voting or voting third party is pretty much just handing your vote over to Trump due to how voting WORKS in a two-party system dictated by the fucked up electoral college.

This was a long ramble and you've probably gotten similar asks the last few months like this, but fuck, I just have to get this off my chest, and the most recent event with her was like the straw that broke the camel's back. Celebs in general need to shut the fuck up about politics unless they are actually partaking in activism instead of this virtue-signaling bullshit.

Taking things one thing at a time.

I'll admit to having only seen Chappell Roan's final video on the subject, so idk what she said before that (outside of generally)

The two things that really stuck out to me and pissed me off about that live/video was she 1. accused Democrats (she said "the left" but was clearly in context talking about the Democrats) for "transphobic policy" (also genocidal, equally silly) and it was SUCH a groundless lie, such a baseless, stupid, uninformed, silly lie. It'd be like saying "yes the right is bad! but Kamala Harris says she wants to shoot a pony every day of her Presidency and I can't support that!" And to be a Queer artist who's whole thing is centering Queer art, particularly drag who's got a young maybe not very informed queer fan base who's made talking about trans rights your main political thing to just lie about the nature of the threat to trans rights and trans lives at this moment is fucking awful and downright criminal.

Listen right now Republicans are aggressively attacking Democrats on trans rights. Trump went after Harris at their debate for "trans surgeries for illegal aliens in prison!" Republicans are attacking Tim Walz as "tampon Tim" for the idea that he supports trans male students having access to tampons (and other crazy transphobic attacks on him) Republicans are centering transphobia as a main campaign issue, anyone who gives a fuck about trans people in this nation should know Trump and Creepy Vance in charge of the federal government? is the nightmare. You can't claim to care about trans people or be "centering" them and not be doing all you can to stop Republicans at the ballot box this November. And both siding it and saying bullshit that somehow it will be just as bad if Democrats win is not stopping Republicans no matter how you personally vote.

The Second thing in her video that really annoyed me was she said she was voting for Harris but then had a whole word salad about how everyone needed to make up their own minds about who would be best. Basically saying that while she was voting for Harris, a vote for Trump was a reasonable conclusion people could reach. Again if you truly care about the issues she says she cares about, no, you can't vote for Trump. And again to use your platform to push "both sides" is to throw the very people you claim are your brand under the bus in the worst way.

I don't like to throw people under the bus for their family, Tim Walz' brother is a MAGA lunatic for example, but Chappell Roan talked about Republican family that "loved her" and I can't help but wonder if she was thinking of her Republican State Rep uncle, Darin Chappell. Again people can't control family members and I'm not asking anyone to come out and attack their family in public. I'm just wondering if her views on Republicans and finding a middle ground and "they still love me" is colored by Uncle Darin and not understanding he might love her and be proud of her but he still walks into the Missouri state capital and votes for abortion bans and transphobia.

to move onto the meat of your ask which I think is less about Roan in particular and more generalized about a certain type of celebrity and GenZ very on-line types. On the whole Israel-Palestine thing, I think most of the people posting about it know very little or know a lot of misinformation, you every see people boldly posting "I don't need to know everything to know right from wrong!" you run into that a lot. And I'd say yes, you do need to know a lot to comment on a complex multi generational ethnic-political conflict with many state and non-state actors.

Last night JD Vance and Tim Walz had their debate and every time there was an issue, housing costs, medical costs, gun violence, inflation, Vance would move it around to how if we just deported all the immigrants the issue would be fixed, no more drugs no more gun violence, housing would be cheap, just get rid of the people I don't like.

And I see a lot of that with Israel, "Palestine is a climate issue!" "Queer as in Free Palestine!" etc where if we just get rid of Israel it'll all be fixed. Which of course connects to long standing antisemitic ideas about Jews running the world, people happily sub in the word "Israel" or "Zionist" and then repeat the same old racism thats followed the Jews around for 1,000 years.

So long and short I think most people talking about Palestine don't know enough to talk about it, but what's worse don't really care about Palestine at all

I'm reminded here of Trump's "Deal of the Century". Oh? you don't remember it? shocker, in January 2020 Trump released a "peace plan" drawn up with no Palestinians involved, where Israel would be allowed to annex everything in the West Bank it would want, the Jordan Vally cutting Palestine off from Jordan and totally encircling it with Israel. The West Bank would be Swiss cheesed up into little pockets connected by tunnels or overpasses but with Israeli territory running through it everywhere. The Palestinians said "no!" and then Netanyahu claimed that Trump had green lit Israel to annex the land it wanted even without Palestinian agreement to the plan and without giving the Palestinians anything. There was some confusion and thankfully that didn't happen. We may never know the fully story of what stopped it, but I do think Trump agreed to annexing much of the West Bank, but pulled back under pressure from Gulf Arab Oil states who later in 2020 made peace with Israel in the Abraham Accords in an effort to stop Netanyahu's annexation plans.

any ways to point out, 1. Palestine was on the edge of annexation the end of the dream of Palestinian statehood in any meaningful sense, and where were the protests? the encampments? etc? it never comes up, 4 years ago, and all the people who live and breath this stuff never mention it? 2. We have reason to believe Trump signed off on a far-right government of Israel annexing much of the West Bank, his "peace plan" abandoned the outlines that American Presidents since Bill Clinton set forward for getting a Palestinian state on 95+% of the West Bank in favor of "what does the Israeli right want?" and again no one is talking about it in the context of this election, we know what he'll do, because he's done it before.

but again its not really about the Palestinians, its not about building a Palestinian state, its "get rid of Israel" and then what? what happens to the 9 million people who live in Israel? and people don't have a realistic answer, because its a political fantasy that if they just do X everything will magically get better, even on totally unrelated issues.

[hispg]

Her

Pairings: ID Leon x Fem! Reader

Summary: Another day as being a spy, this time working for the United States president. Was just another work until you met the agent Leon Kennedy. And well, things may get a bit heated between you two.

Wc: 14k(I'm sorry)

Warnings: Reader is a spy/mercenary, violent behaviors (both sides), enemies to lovers(I tried), smut, choking, descriptions of violence, unprotected sex, injuries, violence,mutual pining.

Notes: This one took so long, but it's here. I hope that you guys like it. Also, I was thinking about the music 'her' from Chase atlantic while writing this, hence the title. Also, sorry for any grammar mistakes, English is not my first language.

───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ────────── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ─────

It was already very late at the White House, and all that was left was a few poor employees overloading themselves with tasks here and there. Despite the hustle and bustle, there was a certain kind of calm. After all, it was late, and the night itself helped to bring a certain silence with it.

Leon had stayed a little longer, drinking a cup of coffee while reading some documents. About a new virus that was circulating, it wasn't as if it was news to him. To be honest, he felt more exhausted than upset by the situation. These things just didn't seem to stop happening. No matter how hard he tried, there was always some crazy bio-terrorist out there.

And again, the job fell to him. At least he hoped this mission would be easier, quicker, and not too time-consuming, like the last ones he'd been on.

After a weary sigh, he closed the folder with the documents. Taking the last sip of coffee and getting up, he would finish reading this at the hotel where he was staying, he felt too tired to continue at the white house, and he would most likely end up falling asleep there.

So he left where he was, walking through the empty corridors of that place. He even felt relieved that there was no one he knew there. He was too drained for any kind of conversation.

As he walked down the corridors, he couldn't help but notice the approaching female figure. He meant it, but it was impossible not to hear the sounds of high heels colliding with the floor.

Despite this, it wasn't someone he knew. Or had even seen walking through the white house, which was already a strange sign, it wasn't hard to guess that everyone who entered that place had to be authorized to do so, a basic security measure.

And as soon as you got closer, he could see your figure. Leather pants, a burgundy blouse with a jacket. And he couldn't say why, but you exuded an elegance he had never seen before. It was surreal the way you floated in those heels.

Just like him, you were carrying some documents in your hands and cautiously reading them.

He blinked a few times as he saw the moonlight illuminate your face, allowing him to admire your beauty more clearly.

He stood still where he was, just staring at you from head to toe. He didn't know what had gotten into him, but your aura caught his attention in such a magnetic way.

When he least expected it, you bumped into him, both of you too inattentive to avoid the situation. Leon instinctively grabbed you by both arms to help you keep your balance.

You acted quickly, taking your gun out of its holster and pointing it at him. It was a defensive reaction. After all, for your own good, you always had to be on your guard, no matter what the situation.

"Woah, easy there," Leon muttered, looking at you a little startled.

You looked at him a little crookedly, lowering your gun and putting it back in its holster. Your eyes expressed the purest coldness, just as your expression was quite sullen.

"Are you?" It was your first question. After all, he must have been someone important to be walking around the White House late at night.

He hesitated a little, looking suspicious of you, "Leon... Leon Kennedy." He says it in a friendly way.

At once, the name made sense. He was one of the president's acquaintances. One of the most renowned agents, probably the best at the moment.

You nodded, your distrust of him ceasing for a moment. At least he was someone you could trust.

"And you? What's your name?" He asked in a low, calm voice, waiting for you to answer him directly.

"Jane Williams." You lie, a spy you couldn't give out personal information that easily. Even if he was someone you could trust, he was still someone you had only just met.

He didn't seem to believe you very much, as he narrowed his gaze at you. His expression turned into a wrinkle in a matter of seconds.

"Would you mind showing your ID?" The friendly tone was almost imperceptible. He sounded incredibly serious now.

You scoff, shaking your head and crossing your arms. Putting your hand in one of your pockets, you pulled out the fake ID, which was made specifically for you.

He took the ID, held it up, and evaluated it. Every little detail flashed in his eyes, and he didn't seem to believe that ID at all.

"The shade of your hair is different here. Not only that, but your haircut is also very different. This document was issued last month. How have you changed so much?" He raised his eyebrows, waiting for a plausible explanation.

It was undeniable that he was a good observer. Surely, these details would not go unnoticed.

"You're using a fake ID, aren't you?" He didn't even give you time to answer, and he already asked you another question.

And this time, he could almost say that this was the case. The photo was so different. There was no way you were the same person. There simply had to have been too much going on in the meantime for you to have changed in such a way.

"I'm not someone you should worry about." You said sulkily, crossing your arms in annoyance.

And this seemed to irritate him deeply, as he sighed heavily.

"Well, it's alarming, to say the least, that someone should sneak into the White House at this hour. Even more so, by hiding their real identity." He said angrily, yet he sounded calm somehow.

He certainly had a point.

"Just don't bother me, and we'll be fine. I'm not a dangerous person, not in this situation." You even try to sound calm, but that clearly wasn't a good excuse for him.

"You pointed a gun at me a few seconds ago, and you say I shouldn't worry?" At this point, you could see his wrists clenching slightly.

You even shake your head in denial but realize that he's not going to give in. So, to avoid any confusion, you show him your real identity.

He looks at it again and again. He needs to be sure.

"Why are you using false documents?" He asks bluntly, his eyes piercing yours.

You pull the ID out of his hand and put it back in your pocket.

"In that case, you're already asking too much." You mutter cynically, moving down the corridor.

You had only come to the White House to speak to the president in person, and you expected him to welcome you properly.

A tug on your arm was enough to make you stop walking, not too strong to leave a mark, but firm enough to leave you standing where you were.

"Don't make me ask you again." He growled low, his tone cold and threatening. A clear contrast to his previous tones.

"Confidential." You just say, letting go of him and walking back down the corridor.

You heard a heavy sigh, soon followed by the sound of someone cocking their gun.

Looking back quickly, Leon had his gun aimed at you, waiting for you to answer him or even stop for a minute and pay attention to him.

"Confidential? Cut the crap." Again, the voice was low and cold. There was no denying that there was a chill in your stomach.

You rolled your eyes, not very excited about having to disarm him in such a way. But as a spy and mercenary, you couldn't take any chances.

It was your specialty to act without giving much time to react, and he certainly wasn't expecting you to be so precise.

With one swift kick, his gun ended up in the corner of the corridor, and it didn't take long for you to pin him to the wall. Pressing your forearm into his neck, your other hand pushing his body backward.

He seemed out of action for a few moments, wondering how you managed to be so assertive. He was disarmed in the blink of an eye, as easy as taking candy from a child.

The realization came, you were more dangerous than he had imagined. He could bet on it.

"What the hell are you doing?" He hissed at you, his face clearly bearing an angry expression.

You just kept staring at him, eyes cold and expressionless. You'd have no trouble killing him here if you had to.

"Don't make funny things, I'm not here for that." A low, calm voice that sent a chill down his spine.

After a few more seconds you let him go, walking towards his gun, which was lying in the corner.

"Confiscated." You say in a whisper, and while it was a soothing voice, there was a certain tone of threat. That was a fact.

Leon kept analyzing you for a while, for some stupid reason, he felt interested in knowing what the hell you were. After all, if you wanted to kill him, you would have done so a few moments ago.

But you still didn't, so what were you? Someone who was dangerous indeed, but because you had only immobilized him and nothing more?

Thoughts raced through his head, he didn't even try to protest once more. His eyes followed your every move, and they widened as soon as you moved towards the President's office.

The only noise now was your heels bumping against the floor, such light and incredibly sophisticated steps. And he thought once again, what were you?

To his surprise, as soon as you knocked on the door of the President's office, he opened it and simply let you in, just like that.

So was that a sign or what? Or should he worry and call in some kind of reinforcement? But what would he say? He didn't even know where you'd come from.

A few minutes of pondering later, he found himself pacing back and forth in the corridors. He had already tried to listen through the crack in the door, but nothing worked. Because he certainly wouldn't give up talking to you, not even if he wanted to.

Your cold, inexpressive manner was something of a chill, he'd met people like that before. But there was something more intriguing about you that even he couldn't explain.

After what seemed like an eternity, you finally came out of the President's office, and to Leon's astonishment, there was the President himself standing next to you, talking quietly to you. Just like that.

You can't help it, and you gave Leon a cynical little smile as you walked through the White House with the president.

Again, what was that supposed to mean? Were you good or bad? What was the point of this discussion?

A million options ran through his head, he simply couldn't rule out any hypothesis. The only option was to talk to you since the president wouldn't say anything to him, not even if he asked politely.

You didn't seem to be someone he knew either, so even if he tried to look for information, he might not find the right answers.

After a good fifteen minutes, you appeared in the corridor, this time alone. It was the perfect opportunity for him to try and approach you. Although he already knew that he should expect some aggression from you.

Hell, he had to admit, you had an incomparable elegance. Every step felt like you were floating.

Hastening his steps, he managed to reach your side, once again looking you over from head to toe.

"Here, take this." You say, handing him back his gun.

Without much ceremony, he takes the gun and puts it back in its holster, and once again, confusion takes over his face.

Why were you showing a certain cordiality out of the blue?

"Thanks, I guess." He answers awkwardly, looking at you sideways, hoping you'd at least try to say something.

To his surprise, you remained silent. And so did he. He just kept following you at a certain distance. It's funny that he acted as if you weren't watching him, but you could see and hear him.

Once you arrived at the parking lot, you quickly went to your car and got in, carrying a folder with documents. It was soon placed in the trunk of the car.

"So, do you mind at least giving a few more details about yourself?" As soon as he sees you start the car, he hurries to ask you something.

"I told you, it's Confidential." Again the same answer, which seemed to irritate him a little.

"Come on, can't you even give me a clue? You know who I am, I can find something on you in the blink of an eye." It wasn't a threat. It was just him telling you what he would do if you didn't cooperate.

Not that you'd be intimidated by that kind of threat since you heard it all the time. Hence, the false identities and all the precautions to avoid being caught or identified. After all, there would be no point in a spy simply throwing her information into the air, right?

"Over time, you can try to find out. You know, just as I appeared out of nowhere, I'll suddenly disappear too." You could even hear a certain amusement in your voice, but in the end, it was your words that portrayed reality.

You'd disappear as soon as everything had settled down around here.

"I seem to have heard that conversation before," Leon murmured, sounding more like he was talking to himself than to you.

You just nodded, started the car, and drove off. Which left him speechless since he hadn't expected you to leave so suddenly. At least a word, no?

He sighs, watching your car disappear across the parking lot, then nothing but the sound of the engine. Then nothing, just him with his thoughts.

Why the hell did you have to show up? Now all his sleep had gone, all he was going to do was look for all the information he could, to at least have a guide as to what to do.

And he would search to the bottom, it wasn't possible that he wouldn't find anything about you, impossible.

.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。..・。.・゜✭・.・✫・

"So she's a spy and a mercenary?" Leon asked, reading some papers in his hand. There was a certain annoyance in his voice.

"Yes, that's what it looks like. I still don't understand what she wants with the president. There's some small piece of data that proves her alliance with the Russian government last month. What is she doing here now?" The female voice was Rosa's, one of the other agents who had decided to help Leon look for this information.

Leon nodded silently, reading and re-reading the papers. Trying to find any and all useful information, at least a little direction to guide him. He needed to know what a person like you was doing there, especially being as close to the president as you seemed to be.

Normally, the government didn't work with this kind of person, let alone with such a close connection. People like you are highly dangerous and treacherous, so what was your motivation? Why would you be here now?

And he could only think of the mess that was to come, of that he was sure.

.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。..・。.・゜✭・.・✫・

Later that day, you visited the president again, this time to iron out the details of the mission. Possibly a good few more hours of conversation, after all, this was the most important part of the process. One little mistake and it was all over.

At that moment, you sat comfortably in one of the armchairs, while the President talked and talked, and frankly, it seemed like it would never end.

All the instructions, locations, objectives, everything was explicitly spoken about. And you didn't have much doubt about what to do, another one of those jobs.

Eliminate all the people who posed a threat, no matter who they were, and take whatever else was precious. A new sample of a virus that was circulating, and all the other important documents related to it.

The mission was highly secretive, until then you and the president were the only ones who knew. And by his orders, that's how it should be.

It was those kinds of veiled threats, several countries were after this virus, which appeared to be an incredibly powerful and resistant biological weapon. An incomparable risk to society.

But at this point, nobody cares, the important thing is to have a weapon to threaten other countries with, to demonstrate 'power'. Even if it means sacrificing thousands to do so.

But you weren't here to discuss moral values, you're simply a spy, in most cases driven purely by greed. So despite your regrets, you weren't going to go into too much detail about what would be done with this sample, at least not yet.

"I need you to infiltrate a Chinese organization, I want to know more about what they're up to. You have no problem posing as one of them, do you?" The president asked, but he knew perfectly well that this was your greatest specialty.

You could team up with the bad guys and the 'good guys', whatever it took to carry out this mission.

"You mentioned something about the south coast of China, is that group there?" You ask calmly, taking a sip of tea.

"Exactly, I need you to get some documents from them. As well as a sample of the new virus." He said calmly, willing to explain again if you needed him to.

You nodded, affirming that you understood what you needed to do.

Before you could leave the room, he added, "I want you to keep an eye on Agent Kennedy, he's going on this mission. Unlike you, he'll be on the front line. Dealing with threats on the way, be prepared to meet some infected."

You looked at him sideways, visibly sulkier than usual. Not that you were going to take care of Leon, since he could manage very well on his own, but you didn't like doing missions with other people. Sometimes it got in the way more than anything else.

"Why is that? Who else is involved in this mission?" You were quick to ask, the infected weren't exactly what put you on alert.

But other people could have been involved.

It was quite clear that he wanted Leon to have extra security, which in itself was cause for suspicion, we're talking about an incredibly competent agent. He should be able to handle himself calmly, shouldn't he?

"Precautionary measures are never too much, don't you agree? I know how competent you can be, so I just assumed that you two would make a good pair together." Certainly a compliment, but you didn't know whether to like it or be at least a little wary about it.

You gave a slight sigh, basically inaudible, "I just need to keep an eye on him, right? I don't want to babysit anyone."

The president laughed with a certain amusement, although he kept his expression serious, "Exactly, Leon can manage on his own, don't worry about that. I just think an extra pair of eyes wouldn't hurt."

With a small smile, he opens the door for you, signaling you to leave. After all, the conversation was over.

All you did was pick up a few more documents and left the President's office, with a little wave and that was it. You still needed to think of precise strategies for everything to go smoothly, so you decided to go to the restaurant, a place that was quieter and you could have more time to think properly.

With quick steps you reached the small restaurant, taking a table in the corner, as you didn't want anyone bothering you.

What you did first was take a look at the information the President had given you, some extra details about this mission. You hoped they would be minimally useful, it would be a shame to read all that for nothing.

You spent so much time immersed in those documents that you didn't even notice that it was late at night and that there weren't many people around. Which was a good thing, it meant a little more peace. As you glanced at one of the last pages of the documents, you couldn't ignore the feeling that someone was watching you.

For a brief moment, you raised your head and looked around, only seeing a few employees at first glance. Paying a little more attention, you saw the familiar silhouette, Leon, who was sitting at a table a little close to yours.

He had his arms crossed and a half-closed expression, and seemed to be squinting at you, which was to be expected, after all, you hadn't had a friendly meeting.

For a few moments you stared at each other, but you realized that it wouldn't do much, so you just turned your attention back to the papers in your hands. All you had to do was tolerate him, because whether you wanted to or not, you were going on a mission with him, although you wouldn't be acting as a team. At least not in an official way, since he could certainly manage on his own, and so could you.

Light footsteps echoed around the room, it didn't take long for you to see someone sitting down next to you, you didn't have to be a genius to know it was Leon, no matter how hard he fought it, there was a growing urge in his chest, he needed to know more about you. Certainly for his own sake, his own safety, but there was something inside that made him incredibly curious.

For yet another time, he found himself admiring your figure, the cologne you wore, which by the way, just by the smell of it, he could tell how expensive it was. The shiny necklace you wore around your neck, which adorned your collarbone.

Without a shadow of a doubt, you exuded such grace that anyone who looked at you like that wouldn't be able to tell how dangerous you were. Or maybe that was the intention, the noble, cold image that didn't show much emotion.

"Looking too much." Your voice brings him out of his trance, and he quickly focuses his gaze on your face.

Clearing his throat a little awkwardly, he says something like, "Sorry...What are you doing here?"

Repeated the question, but he still hadn't gotten an answer, so it was only fair to ask one more time.

"Business. And you?" For the first time, you try to bring up something, to divert attention a little.

He sighed slightly, already understanding what you wanted to do, "You know who I am. However, I wonder what a spy like you is doing here."

Sure enough, he already knew about you, and he would make that clear. Which was a surprise, since he had been very efficient at finding some of your tracks.

Your eyes protruded into his, and your lips curved slightly into a dangerous smile.

"Quick, I admit you did well on that one." Despite the quasi-expression you showed, your face became serious again.

With another sigh, he realized that it wouldn't be easy to get some information out of you.

Once again he sighs, arms crossed and the same closed expression. What could he do to get information about you?

For a brief moment, he moved his head a little, just enough to take a peek at what you were reading.

"South coast of China? How did you get access to that? As far as I know, only hand-picked people know about it, why do you know?" It was an inquisition, he even had his eyebrows raised.

"Agent, don't ask questions you know I won't answer. Let's be practical. You already know my identity, I suppose it's not difficult to put the pieces together and understand all this." A certain debauchery was visible in your voice, although the seriousness in your tone was much more apparent.

"You're incredibly complicated, aren't you?" He said in a sullen grunt.

Leaning back a little more in your chair, you stop to look at him better for a few seconds. With dark hair, blue eyes, and a black suit with a white dress shirt inside, he looked incredibly polished.

He was handsome, you couldn't say otherwise. Apart from his perfume that entered your nostrils, that kind of smell that you could tell how high the price of the cologne was just by smelling it.

After a few minutes of silence, he decided to continue, "What are you going to do on this mission? Go undercover? But what's the point?"

For a moment you laughed discreetly, his persistence was admirable.

"If I tell you, will you leave me alone?" Your voice was calmer now, despite the colder expression.

He wasted no time nodding hastily. He needed to know more, with the excuse that you were a dangerous person, but in truth, maybe he was a little more interested in you than he should have been, just maybe.

"I need to do the dirty work, you know, just make sure no one gets in the way of the other members of the mission." That was partly true, but you were basically hiding everything else.

He raised his eyebrows once more, looking at the papers on the table, his hand slowly reaching for the folder.

"Oh sure, a mercenary is going to be in charge of security? Honestly, can't you think of a more convincing lie?"

You scoffed, seeing that he wanted to take a look at the folder, so you pulled him by the wrist. In a quick second, he was right next to you.

"Sweetie, I wouldn't move a muscle if I were you." An almost inaudible whisper, but he would definitely hear it. He was so close to you.

For a moment, his eyes widened a little, just as his lips threatened to quirk into a sideways smile.

"Why should I listen to you?" He teased back, his low voice sending vibrations throughout your body.

You chuckled, squeezing his fist a little harder.

"I wouldn't try my luck if I were you." You hissed.

Despite your velvety tone, he could already imagine that you wouldn't hesitate to do something to prevent Leon from finding out more about you.

Raising his head a little more, he brought his face closer to yours, to the point where you could both feel each other's breathing.

You closed your eyes, a veiled smile appearing on your lips.

'So that's how he plays it,' you think to yourself.

With your free hand, you hold him by the chin without breaking eye contact.

"Agent Kennedy, don't start something you can't finish." The tone of your voice was incredibly seductive, and it wasn't intentional.

It was enough to elicit a chuckle from him as he leaned his chin a little more on your hand.

"Should I consider this a flirtation? Or an early warning of your hostility?" As crazy as it sounded, there was an explicit tone of amusement in his voice.

He was dying to know what you meant, his curiosity only growing by the minute. It was so wrong, you were a morally wrong person, and he knew it, so why the hell did he want to know more about you? Why the hell did you have to be so beautiful?

"Take it any way you like, Agent Kennedy." You say with a furtive smile, followed by a wink.

Maybe it was just a distraction since you got up and left right away. But you couldn't deny that you were swayed by the man, not only was he handsome, he seemed interesting.

And you can bet that he felt the same way because he stared at you like a puppy on the street. As soon as you stood up, his eyes followed you until you left the restaurant, controlling his desire to simply chase after you.

He would look pathetic if he did that, but God, it was so tempting. But he wouldn't, not so easily. He knew the game you were playing, and he wouldn't just give in. At least, that's what he thought.

What he forced himself to believe.

.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。..・。.・゜✭・.・✫・

A few more details settled, and the mission began. It only took a few days. After all, it was a mission that had a certain urgency. With a good few hours of flying, you were on the south coast of China, not that you were very excited to begin with.

Leon had arrived first, at which point he was probably already doing his job. And you had to find the faction that contained the inside information, just as you had to find the sample of the new virus, which certainly wouldn't be easy.

You could say that with certainty, since you saw how big the place was. A small village, it appeared to be very humble, even if it was eerily silent. That in itself was a reason to cock an ear.

This made you wonder why a faction would choose a place like this to carry out their operations. Perhaps because they wanted a quieter place, without attracting anyone's attention. It's not like it was the smartest idea in the world, since it ended up being discovered anyway.

By sneaking around here and there you managed to get deeper into that village, nothing special, if you were being honest. The only alarming thing about the place was the deafening silence, incredible that you couldn't even hear the sounds of the surroundings, such as birds or other animals.

It was macabre, you couldn't deny that. The only sound was your footsteps, which were almost inaudible as you tried your best not to make a sound. Since attracting unwanted attention was not your focus.

A few steps later, you spotted Leon, who was a little further on. He was dealing with some infected, and had everything under control, no wonder he was considered an incredibly competent agent, seeing him like this, you could tell why.

Even though you were approaching discreetly, without giving him a chance to see you, you kept glancing at him from time to time, just to make sure he was getting the job done.

The sound of gunfire soon ceased, and you realized that Leon had already cleared his side, now just making sure everything was all right. And so you decided to make your way, moving towards an abandoned balcony, exactly the location you wanted to get to. Before entering, you examined everything outside, making sure there were no ambushes or anything that could be an imminent risk.

After a few minutes of inspection, you entered the old counter, steps awkward, gun in hand, and a thoughtful expression on your face. Any mistake could mean the end, and you knew it perfectly well. However, once again you were surprised: there was no one there, not a single person, not even a sign of an infected person passing by.

What did that mean?

Footsteps and more footsteps, and you still hadn't found anyone, only for your confirmation that it was an abandoned place. You didn't even dare to touch anything that was there, it was all very ordinary, and of course, that should be a good thing, but frankly, it wasn't.

However, literally out of nowhere, you felt a weight on your body, knocking you to the ground almost instantly. Your first reaction was to let out a slight grunt, but you certainly fought back as soon as you realized you were being pressed to the floor.

The dark surroundings made it difficult to see, but you managed to press your heels into the back of the person's knee, or whatever was pressing you to the floor.

The response you got was a grunt of pain, the pressure you put on was enough to loosen the grip you were being held in, from the voice, it was a person. You managed to push the person off you, rolling on the floor and looking for your gun.

But before you could reach for the gun, the same person pressed you against the wall, a strong hand on your stomach pushing you hard into the wall, while its forearm was glued to your throat. The person was so strong that you already felt dizzy from the slightest contact.

Even though it took some effort, you grabbed the knife you were carrying, which was attached in a holster on your thighs, and quickly pressed it against the person's neck.

And in the most idiotic way possible, you only just stopped to look at who it was, and the person did the same.

"Leon?"

"You?"

The two said in unison, looking at each other with inexplicable surprise, given the unusual situation. Even so, neither of you surrendered. On the contrary, both stares continued.

In the end, one was waiting for the other to surrender, but the question was, which one was going to take the initiative? It seemed that neither had this question in mind, nor were you even willing to give in.

"You're kind of sweet." You tease him, a mischievous smile starting to appear on your lips.

The answer was a heavy, annoyed sigh, his forearm pushing even harder against your throat.

"Don't tease me. What kind of trouble are you up to?" He asks in a hiss, blue eyes staring at you intensely.

You smiled wickedly, your eyes meeting his gaze. And to be honest, you didn't seem to be scared at all.

"My my, you're insistent, aren't you?" Your voice was a low and provocative one, just to play with his strings a bit more.

You could hear him cursing under his breath, he was piercing you with his gaze now.

"I'm warning you, if you do some kind of shit-" You stopped him mid-sentence.

Your fingers pressed against his lips, in a way to make him hush.

"So grumpy, relax a bit. You know, I could easily kill you if I wanted to." Although the low and charming voice, this was a threat, no doubt of that.

He seemed to be mesmerized by you, those plump lips, which are stained with that dammed red lipstick. It looked so damn sexy on you.

Seeing that, your lips curl into a smirk. You both know so well this attraction that was starting to grow between you two.

It was so wrong. Why in hell does Leon feel attracted towards you? Why did you make him feel in some type of way? He barely knows you.

His breath hitched as soon as he felt your thumb brushing his lower lip. The way you looked at him was so tempting. Sure, it was only some trick to make him distracted, and well, it's working perfectly fine. He wasn't even trying to push you back.

"You're obnoxious.." He whispered, loosening his grip on you. Yet, holding you in place firmly enough.

You scoffed, pressing your thumb even more on his lip. There was a small smile playing along your lips.

You could tell by the way that his hand slipped from your stomach to your waist, he wanted to take this further.

Some part of you wanted to keep teasing him, even if wasn't the best place for it.

With a quick motion, you moved your face closer to his, making his eyes hover exactly on your lips.

"Such a tease.." He hums, grip tightening around your waist.

Slowly, you take off his forearm from your throat, putting it down gently. You even feel bold enough to let a small kiss on his forearm.

Even if he tried not to, he couldn't hide the small smirk forming on the corner of his lips. He's enjoying this a little bit too much, and he doesn't want to stop if he's being honest.

"You know damn well that I can just kill you, don't you?" He even tried to sound imposing and all, but that's not what he wanted to do now. And you both know it.

You chuckled, dragging your fingers over his face,"I could kill you too. My knife is right here." In a quiet and simple whisper, you remind him that you still are in a position to warm him if you want to.

At this rate, none of you are taking each other threats seriously, and it seemed more like some kind of veiled flirting.

His free hand roamed to your neck again, the gentle touch that soon enough became a grasp. Not strong enough to leave marks or leave you breathless.

It was more like some kind of teasing, by the way that he moved his face even more closer to yours.

"A bold move, must say." You scoff, pressing your knife even more on his neck.

His face was so close now that his nose was touching yours, his mouth dangerously closer to you. Surely, that was not how this mission should be going, but you're not in the place to complain about anything, and he could say the same.

There you are, looking at him with the most cynical look, while he kept that dumb smirk on his lips.

What a situation.

His hold tightened around your neck, making you gasp slightly. The little sound that made his blue eyes sparkle, he didn't even try to hide it.

"You're playing a dangerous game, Agent." Your voice was barely a whisper at this point.

He smiled sideways, his thumb wandering over your lips in a subtle way of touching you.

"What are you doing here?" Surely the question he'd been wanting an answer to for ages.

You gave a low chuckle, pressing your knife further into his neck.

"I'm not telling, not even to you." As soon as you said that, he hung you a little tighter.

It was enough to make you choke. He took the opportunity to move even closer, his lips gently caressing yours.

You understood what he was getting at, and you wouldn't give in. You bet.

"I'm not in the mood for this. You should start talking." Despite his authoritative tone, you could sense that he was enjoying himself, even though he was trying to keep a serious expression.

You slid your tongue out of your mouth, tracing his lower lip in an incredibly provocative way.

He drew in his breath sharply, his eyes slowly closing. He'd be lying if he said he didn't like it.

"Don't make things complicated, we can solve this so easily." You whisper sensually, you could have ended it already, but that wasn't your plan.

His eyes meet yours, in the most impure of looks. God, what a hell of a situation.

It would cause quite a delay to the mission, but at that point, neither of you cared. It was more like the world around you had stopped.

But like any good moment, you were interrupted by the sound of footsteps and voices. Which made you stop your teasing and look for a place to hide. Leon was quick to take you by the arm and lead you behind some debris, the two of you crouching down and listening intently to the conversation.

In the end, it was just some of the faction's plans that you needed to neutralize, which was very helpful. You just needed to neutralize everything, and with the little bit of information you had received, it would be possible. Although it was quite risky.

You could feel Leon's gaze on you from time to time, he was staring at you. As if he knew exactly what you were thinking.

"The person they're referring to is you, isn't it?" Leon asks, his voice completely stoic. His blue eyes scan you wildly.

"Wanting to know too much. You go on your way, and I'll go on mine." You say sharply, returning to a more centered posture.

Leon knew he couldn't push you any further, at least not now. But he would certainly stick to you until he found out what you were up to.

As soon as the noises stopped, you took the opportunity to look for more clues.

But before you moved any further along the abandoned balcony, you approached Leon once more, kissing him on the cheek.

"Take care, I don't want to find you dead out there." You said it jokingly, but he could sense your seriousness.

He let out a puffy smile, watching as you walked away. He couldn't help himself, his eyes glazed over your curves.

What the fuck was he feeling? This shouldn't be happening.

.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。..・。.・゜✭・.・✫・

It took a few hours, but you managed to infiltrate, even though it cost you some valuable information. Closely classified.

This would probably give you a headache, and you can bet that the President wouldn't be too happy about the information being shared.

You already had a certain amount of trust from one of the faction members, even though they were people of dubious character. But you knew how to play this game, and you wouldn't lose.

At that moment you were walking through the underground part of the counter, which was incredibly large and complex. It was so big, you didn't expect to find a place like this.

A few times during these hours, you ran into Leon, and did your best to make him go unnoticed. You didn't know why you were acting like this, but you couldn't let him get in your way. You couldn't even let him get hurt and become an imminent problem.

It was undeniable that you also wanted to protect him, not that he needed you. But you knew that things wouldn't end well if any of the members of that faction knew that Leon was there too.

If they didn't already know.

In that silence, you could feel that you and yours were being followed or watched. And that wasn't just your feeling.

You could feel the tension building there, like a storm brewing in the distance. Now you were with a group of three men, four people in total counting you.

That walk was just an introduction to the underground site, since that was the exchange you had made. Classified information in exchange for a tour of the site. There was nothing unusual so far, although it was incredibly bizarre. No doubt about it.

And the place began to get darker and darker, with only a few dim lights from the lamps. Even if you were used to this kind of situation, you couldn't ignore the chill in your stomach that sneaked up on you.

What's more, your thoughts sometimes turned to Leon, whom you had already met a few times in this place. It would be so much more practical if the mission consisted of just you and him, two competent people who would get things done quickly. Because what you least wanted was to be trapped in that place, which was too disgusting for that.

The further you walked, the more an uncomfortable feeling grew in you; your body was completely tense by this point. You were in a state of alert, any movement was enough to alarm you.

At a certain distance, you could see Leon sneaking around the old place. That was more than enough to make your eyes widen and you try to warn him somehow to get out of there.

It didn't do much good, as he completely ignored you. He was just as focused on the mission as you were.

You tried to keep the attention off him, but the other people with you noticed the strange movement.

You already knew that the people in this faction were dangerous, and you certainly knew how to deal with them. However, you felt apprehensive in case Leon was taken by surprise. It certainly wouldn't end well.

For a few moments, you arranged a distraction for the group, causing them to dissipate for a few brief minutes. Enough for you to catch up with Leon and pull him into a quieter room.

"Are you going crazy? Get out of here. They're exactly looking for you." You hissed at him, pressing him against the wall.

To your surprise, his reaction was to pull you by the waist, so close that you could almost rest your forehead on his.

"Don't forget that I'm here for my reasons too. Just like you." He whispers, his fingers tracing your back.

You stare in disbelief at his action, it wasn't possible that he was thinking about this. Not in this situation.

"Agent Kennedy, this isn't the time for that." You whisper back, your gaze penetrating his.

He just smiled, looking around. He knew you wouldn't do anything against him, just as he wouldn't do anything against you.

Veiled words that you both knew deep down you wouldn't cross those boundaries.

"You're the one who left those guns and ammunition here for me, aren't you?" he asked quietly, even looking at you with a certain amount of apprehension.

You nodded, it was no big deal. Just a simple gesture to make sure everything went smoothly.

All for the mission. That's all.

He pulled you a little further into the corner, so that the two of you went unnoticed by anyone. But that closeness, the way the two of you were glued together.

Incredibly tempting, that was undeniable.

But you needed to focus, but it didn't help that he was being very protective, the way he simply shielded your body with his. Although you didn't have the friendliest encounters, this affection was only growing.

Who knows why? It shouldn't even be happening after all.

"You know they're looking for you, don't you?" You ask, staring at him once again.

"I'm well aware of that, just as I'm aware that you're with them. Yet you keep helping me." He knew the answer, but he wanted to hear it from you.

You could tell by the way his lips curved into a sideways smile that he wanted to hear it.

"Don't ask questions. Look, if you get out of here alive. I'll treat you to dinner as soon as we get back." You proposed it, you couldn't risk him getting in the way of the mission.

Of course, that would be it.

"I hope you're a person of your word because I'm going to charge you for this dinner." His smile was wide, he didn't even make a point of hiding it.

You nodded hastily, signaling him to move away. And fortunately, that's what he did.

But just as he turned to disappear down the corridor, you heard some voices behind you. Shouting almost frantically.

"Here, he's here." It was the same group you were with before, and now they had found their target. Leon.

You didn't have a very precise reaction, you just told Leon to keep moving away.

It was more than obvious that bargaining was not an option, they had an objective. And you couldn't let that happen.

Just as you needed Leon alive for mission-related reasons. And you would certainly break it to him.

You didn't hesitate to fire on the group, you didn't hesitate to have to kill them one by one, just to ensure that the mission was completed correctly.

A few good shots and blows later, all you had around you was blood, as well as the bodies of the poor unfortunates who thought they had a chance against you.

A few more deaths for your account. And you didn't feel a twinge of regret.

You look back, only to see Leon's astonished face. He almost couldn't believe the scene in front of him.

You were cold, and the way you didn't even tremble after everything you'd done was the clearest proof he could have.

It also gave him one more certainty: you wouldn't hurt him. Not after having let him live even though you could have ended him, and having helped him a few times.

And this was another of your bits of help. And he was in no position to complain. Not now.

Before you could exchange a single word, the sound of gunfire echoed around the room. It made you and Leon look at each other nervously.

If one of the people you had seriously wounded still had the strength to pull the trigger, the bullet would have hit you straight on. However, without you expecting it, Leon stepped in front of you, taking the bullet for you.

That was enough for him to fall to the ground, and for a brief moment you rushed forward, your first move being to kill the bastard who had fired. This time you made sure he was dead.

Then you bent down and looked at Leon's wound, he was bleeding profusely.

His pained expression made your heart squeeze, you had to help him somehow.

The option was to get him to a safer place, and you would do it. No matter what the cost.

You wouldn't leave him out in the open like that, you wouldn't let him down.

You couldn't do that.

For the mission.

.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。..・。.・゜✭・.・✫・

"Damn you, why the hell did you take a bullet for me?" You hissed, dabbing some antiseptic on his bruise.

For some divine reason, the bullet hadn't lodged. It had only damaged the wound. Which, despite everything, was a relief.

He grunted a little, still trying to keep his cool attitude, "It was nothing, just a bullet for a pretty lady."

Despite the joking tone, you hold him by the chin, looking at him with fervor.

"Regardless, I don't want you getting hurt for me, understand?"' Your voice was completely serious, but it was impossible to deny the worry you carried in your chest.

It wasn't fair of him to do that. It could have cost him his life. And you couldn't allow a person like him to risk himself for someone like you.

"Oh, come on. Just one bullet, it's not like I'm going to die -" You didn't let him finish. You just pushed your lips against his, in a way, to keep him quiet.

For a brief moment, he hesitated but kissed you back soon after. In a calmer, more affectionate way, one of his hands stroked your hair while your lips moved in pure synchronicity.

His hand, which had been in your hair, now went down, grasping the back of your neck, pushing you even closer to him.

You simply didn't hold back. You surrendered to his touches. Letting your tongue slide into his mouth, making the kiss more intense and wild, possibly that was his intention.

And of course, you should have pushed him away, at least not let it get so deep, but your body betrayed you, and you just let yourself go.

What seemed like an eternity ended after a good few minutes, when your lips parted painfully.

He had a faint look on his face despite the pain of his bruise. And you didn't do much to avoid the silly smile that was drawn on your lips, either.

And well, he was more than satisfied with that, since it was quite an effort to get you to smile, but it was something. At least you were more comfortable next to him. That's what he was thinking now.

You closed your eyelids, savoring his kiss, the taste of his lips on yours. Which only took a few seconds, as you forced yourself to focus on tending to his wound. Which was still oozing blood.

Despite the great desire to repeat the scene, you restrained yourself and went back to applying antiseptic to his wound

You started to get some bandages to wrap the wound properly.

He let out a few grunts of pain but quickly muffled them with his bare hands. Even with his attempts to hide the pain, you were completely aware that it was bothering him.

"When I've finished, you can stay here a while longer. At least until you feel better." You say softly, tying a bandage around his arm, gently to prevent it from hurting him more.

"No need." He says in a hoarse voice, trying his best to remain serious.

"That's not a question. It's an order, Kennedy." You say even more seriously, looking at him deeply.

Even after the kiss, the atmosphere was still somehow romantic because he knew you weren't being rude to him. You were just worrying. Even though you had a harsh way of showing it.

He sighed in defeat, knowing that you weren't going to let him leave so soon, but if he was sincere, from the kiss you exchanged, anything after that was a win-win situation.

"It won't take long, I can recover quickly." He said quietly, but from the pained look on his face, you could tell that it would be some time before he recovered.

"There's no need to rush, I'll take a look outside. I'll make sure everything's clean before we leave." That was enough to make him look at you a little puzzled.

"But we haven't found anything here yet. We can't go back."

"I'll take care of it, I'll escort you back. At least I'll get you out of here. You don't have to worry about the rest. I'll do what's necessary." You say calmly and coolly, completely confident in yourself.

Unlike Leon, who looks at you as if he's just heard the most absurd thing in the world. And then he deliberately denies it with his head.

"No way, I'm not letting you go alone. It's my mission, too." He protested, looking at you a little annoyed.

You sighed, rolling your eyes at his stubbornness, "You stay, I won't risk you going off like that. One ass to look after is enough."

Another annoyed grunt, yet he knew it was pointless fighting you because you'd go all the way. But it was Leon, so he'd pull out all the stops to try and help in some way.

"Stay here, I'll take a look outside." It was an order, and you'll not accept his no as an answer.

Now things have changed, and all that mattered to you was to take him away from this place safely. He had done more than enough in this mission. Despite you knowing so well that he'll not stay still as you said. But even so, you'll make sure that he was safe, at least.

.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。..・。.・゜✭・.・✫・

As you rushed back to the helicopter that was waiting for you, your mind was only thinking about how Leon was feeling. You couldn't help but feel guilty somehow regards what happened. At this rate, you already managed to finish all the missions, and as a result, you were all bruised and untidy. But that was what the last you're caring for right now.

The faction has ended properly. You exuded any kind of plans that they might be doing. Just like the new virus sample was safe in your hands, at least for now.

You can feel your cold demeanor fade once you lay your eyes on Leon, who is leaning back in one of the helicopter's seats, with closed eyes, and a tired expression. You can't blame him. He'd been through so much in this mission. It was more than fair that he was like this.But the way his face was still pale was worrying. But you couldn't show too much, not in public.

It wouldn't be good for his reputation, and that's what you wanted the least.

You only agreed to go on the same helicopter as him because the other one would take a few hours, and you couldn't stand the atmosphere there any longer. You'd already faced enough problems there.

Leon seemed so fated that he didn't even bother to open his eyes, he just continued resting there. His free hand held his injured arm, while his breathing was a little faint. But it was there.

He'd probably need a few stitches when he got back, and that would certainly leave a scar.

You sat a little away from him, but watched him from time to time. In a more discreet way, just to make sure he was still okay. Since it would probably be a few hours before you got back to the White House.

So all that remained was to wait patiently and keep an eye on Leon's condition.

After all, you felt more than obliged to do this, he had been shot for you, after all.

It took a while, quite a while if you were being honest. But the two of you finally reached the white house. It was very late, probably late at night.

You still stayed awake a lot, you had to report on what had happened. And it would take a long time, even hours to tell the details.

You and Leon didn't talk much, you just greeted each other briefly before entering the President's office. Which, frankly, was a total bore, just a lot of boring work talk. Which you couldn't stand hearing about any more.

Time seemed to pass so slowly, you could have sworn that hours had passed, and that had probably already happened.

After settling everything once again, you received your paycheck along with your bonus, and it was time to get out of there. Your mission was over, and that was certainly what you were going to do.

At least, that was your plan.

Which were interrupted as soon as Leon pulled you into an empty corridor, pushed you against the wall and kissed you out of the blue.

It was a desperate, thirsty kiss, as if he needed it to live. And you kissed him back with the same intensity.

"You're going to keep your word, aren't you? I'm not giving up on this dinner." He whispers, resting his forehead on yours. Looking at you tensely.

Despite being tired and sore, and clearly looking like he hadn't slept in the last few days, he didn't stop being handsome for a single second.

"I certainly have to make my word count, don't I?" You say softly, giving him a light kiss.

You'd exchanged the necessary information, everything had already been arranged. All you had to do was wait for the day to arrive.

You just had to wait a little longer, just a little longer.

.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。..・。.・゜✭・.・✫・

The waited night finally came. Now was the day for that dinner. One that you're quite eager for. It was almost night now, and even if still sometime before that dinner, you wanted to get ready calmly, so you just started early.

Or maybe because you're so anxious about that? It's an option, too.

Lucky for you the time passed quickly, a couple of hours, and was already time to go. And even so, you looked yourself in the mirror once again, paying attention to every detail. Honestly, even you can't say why you're being this perfectionist on this night.

But well, all of your thoughts vanished once you heard someone knocking on your door. You can bet that was him, who seemed to be the kind of man that would politely go to your home and take you to this dinner. And no, you're not complaining about that.

As soon as you open the door, you immediately see Leon, with a sly smile on his face. His eyes look attentively at your body, your dress, everything about you seems to be dumbfounded.

"Looking pretty." He said in a charming voice, pulling you by your waist and giving a small kiss on your cheek.

You can't help but chuckle at his bold action. He was just as eager as you. This was just undeniable.

"You look nice, too." You said with a small wink, taking a better view of him.

Leather jacket, along with also leather pants. A blue shirt, his hair perfectly in place, and you couldn't let pass that delicious cologne that fills your nostrils.

He chuckled, leaning in and giving your cheek another kiss.

Certainly, this should be another one of your dates, but it felt so special for some strange reason. Something about Leon seemed to be so endearing.

With another smile exchange, he quickly guides you to his motorbike, ready to take you to the nice restaurant that he reserved. He was more than willing to pamper you all night long. You can tell by the way that he chose the most expensive restaurant, only to make sure to treat you properly.

And everything went so well, you both talked all the dinner. As if you two have known each other for so long, all of this with good wine and good food. Looking at this situation now, it doesn't even look like you both are just like a cat and mouse. Far from it.

But you managed one thing, the euphoric looks in Leon's eyes, once you accepted to go to his apartment and spend the night with him.

Oh my, you drove him crazy only by agreeing with such a thing.

He would be lying if he said that his mind wasn't going wild right now. Yet, he's trying his best not to lose his cool because he wants you so much.

A couple of talks after, you both decided that it was time to go back to his apartment, to let the night go. The night was pleasant so far, but being quite honest, the part you two went back to his apartment and spent the rest of the evening together was so exciting.

After some twenty minutes of driving, you finally arrived at his apartment. Luxurious and expensive, you couldn't wait any less from him.

Once you stepped inside his apartment, he didn't waste time and pushed you against the closed door, kissing you with fervor, as if his life depended on it.

His hands roamed in your body, squeezing and caressing every inch of it. He can't control himself anymore. He needs this, and he'll have it.

Your tongue gets entangled with his, dancing non-stop. You both wanted this so badly, this desire that had been building up since you met him, and you can be sure as hell that he has this feeling, too.

"God damn you." He managed to mumble during the kiss. He hated the way that he lost his cool so easily with you.

The way that you make his heart beat so fast every fucking time. He shouldn't, you shouldn't even be there, in his apartment.

But who said that he cares? Sure, you're someone who he should despise, but then again, who said that he care?

"You can be as mad as you want. You can't deny what you feel for me." You teased in a cocky tone, biting his lower lip in response.

This was more than enough to drag out a groan from him, his hands cupping your ass tightly.

"You're a damn tease, and I fucking can't control myself." He grumbled, smashing his lips against yours another time.

His hands find the waistband of your panties, pushing it down with force, making your underwear fall into your feet.

Not that you cared at this point, quite the opposite.

After another heated kiss, he takes his mouth away from yours, hovering over your neck. Kissing and nipping, his big and warm hands cupping and squeezing your ass. Your hands find a way in his hair, caressing it while his mouth travels in your neck.

"I never expected you to be this eager, Leon." You coo, your mischievous tone that makes his mind go wild.

In response, he bit your neck, strong enough to leave a small mark on it. You moan softly at his act, and this made him even more aroused. Knowing damn well what he's doing to you.

"Yeah? Because this lady here," He pointed at you dramatically, "is getting me all head over heels."

You let out a soft chuckle, clearly amused by his bluntness. In fact, you like this pretty much.

With one hand, he dragged his fingers over your exposed thigh, feeling the soft skin. The skin that he craved so much to touch, and now was everything under the tip of his fingers.

But also, he can't help it, the way your breath hitches with each touch, your hands gripping his hair and pulling him closer. He was more than sure that you wanted this to go further. You wanted to be his for this night.

"You're so damn hot, I swear to God. I've never felt this way in a long time." He whispered in your neck, rubbing his mouth on it. Leaving a trail of wet kisses.

"Oh no, don't tell me that you'd fallen for me?" You asked in a teasing way, only to mess with him.

But his silence, his silence followed by the hard gulp. This was enough to leave you speechless for a couple of seconds. Even so, he managed to keep kissing and nibbling your neck, in a way to make this matter aside.

You also pulled his jacket aside, leaving him only with his shirt with sleeves, his muscles flexing with each movement. You can feel your mouth watering at the sight.

Your hands slide into his shirt, exploring underneath. Feeling each one of the muscles on his abdomen, your own arousal, grows more and more. You can tell by the way you are soaking wet.

"I'm not the only one being eager here, do I?" He purrs, his skilled fingers hovering on the wet surface of your cunt. Teasing you just enough to draw a sweet moan from you.

With one finger he strokes your clit, sliding his index on your needy hole. And he felt that you were so wet and warm for him, so inviting.

His free hand grabbed your chin, making you look directly at him. Your face had a smirk and a red shade, you were enjoying this a lot.

"Those damn lips of yours." He growled, brushing his thumb on your lower lip, pushing down to make you open your mouth for him.

Quickly enough, he slides another finger inside you, thrusting into you at a fast pace. Making you gasp and whine for him.

He didn't wait for a second and pressed his lips on yours, kissing you in such a way as to drive you insane only by that.

"I'll kiss you until your lips are all puffy, you understand? I'll do it." He stated, letting his tongue roam free in your mouth. He can't wait any longer.

His fingers kept moving in and out, curling and hitting your sweet spots again and again. His mouth didn't leave yours for a moment, he'll do it. Kiss you until that plump lips of yours are all puffy.

He smirked once he looked down, seeing his hand all messed with your juices, pussy dripping and clenching around him, he knew that you were close. And he'll push you to the edge, you can be sure.

"You'll come for me, won't you? I'll make you squirt all over." In a small and quiet purr, he said, adding a third finger. His skilled movements make you see stars, and you're just loving it.

"I'm close." You mewl, clasping his shoulders tightly, your lips parted, and heavy breathing coming out.

"What a cute little thing." Another smirk appears on his face because he wants to see you breaking apart in front of him so badly. He was just craving for it.

He pulled you by your waist, his fingers working like magic in your needy cunt, making you cry and moan his name. His lips started to leave another trail of kisses, going down to your neck, soon enough arriving on your collarbone.

And with that, your body trembled, your tight and warm walls collapsing in his fingers, making a big mess of it. At this rate, you're breathless, your hair disheveled, and your eyes closed. You are just seeing stars right now, a sensation so good that you don't even remember the last time that you felt this way.

"You're so fucking hot." Leon growled in your ear, making a shiver run down your spine.

He was claiming you, worshiping you, doing everything to show you that he wanted you so much. Right now, he just wants to make you his, and nothing else.

The world outside doesn't matter. All he cares about now is this moment, you and him.

With a quick motion, he lifts you, holding you by your ass. He was taking you to his bed, to his room. And he'll make you his there, just like it should.

Unconsciously, your legs wrapped around him, kissing him over and over, his lips fit so perfectly with yours. As if this was meant to be. His grip on your ass gets tight as he squeezes it with force, pushing you down just a little. Enough to make you feel his bulge, which was more than evident at this point.

"This hard for me, cutie?" You said in a provocative voice, kissing and nibbling his jaw.

More than enough to take a groan from him, as he smacked your ass with a loud noise.

You let out a little noise, along with a small chuckle, as you kept dragging your mouth on his face.

Once in his room, he sat down with you on his lap, making you sit exactly on his growing erection. He wanted you to feel it. He needs you to feel it.

"I guess that someone needs a little help, isn't?" You hum, giving him the most mischievous smile that you could give.

"You little.." He grunts, stopping when he feels your hands roaming on his chest as you kiss the sides of his face.

He was so turned on that it hurt somehow. He doesn't even know how he got in such a state, but he did.

Your hands quickly find his belt, and you are fast to take it off, slipping your hands on the big volume in his boxers. Caressing through the thin fabric, getting an audible groan from him.

In a way to push his buttons even further, you started to give him only pecks on his lips, refusing to give him full kisses. At first, he didn't mind, but he got incredibly impatient when he noticed that you were just teasing him.

And good job, because was working. As you slide your hand on his underwear, you can feel the wet spot, the man was already leaking pre-cum, you can feel how stick his crotch was, and once you touched it, he seemed to fall apart on your fingers. His cock twitched under your fingertips, begging for any kind of attention, for anything that you could give.

"Do you mind giving me a full kiss or -" Leon grumbled but got interrupted by you when you crashed your lips on his. Making out with him shameless.

He bucks his hips, only enough to drag his pants and underwear down, making his throbbing cock jumps out of its cage. Almost in a relieving way.

Both of you were so eager that any minute longer could be an agony. You needed this to feel him fully, to feel that he's yours. Even if it is just for one night.

Didn't take long for to you feel his red tip rubbing on your entrance, wet folds inviting this moment so badly.

Man was already a mess, panting and moaning softly under you, he didn't even bother to hide it. You made him feel so lustful that he lost the capacity to think straight.

His sticky precum flowed down in his thighs, and he made sure to mess you with his liquids too, after all, was all your fault.

Soon, you put his length in, letting his thick cock stretch you out. Your velvety and tight walls sucking him inside, in a vicious way.

"So fucking tight." He growled, spreading your ass cheeks and moving his hips.

He doesn't even want to wait. He just wants to pound you over and over again.

You can't help but feel even more aroused by this, seeing Leon under you, his hair disheveled, his breath was a mess, and he can't even control the noises that he makes.

Such a beautiful sight, you can't deny that.

"You're filling me so well." You hum, your voice soft as silk.

"A pretty girl like you deserves." He said back, biting your lower lip and sharply bucking his hips. Taking a loud whine from you.

Your nails dig into his shoulders as you find your pace with him. Moving in the most pure and unholy sync. The room was only filled with the sounds of your bodies crashing, the moans that seemed to be louder at each thrust.

The bottled sexual tension is being relieved in the most alluring way, one that neither of you will forget.

His hand finds its way to the back of your neck, pulling you for a heated and wild kiss, tongues dancing and intertwining. His other free hand grabs your waist, squeezing and grasping your soft skin.

Suddenly, you stopped moving, only kissing him back and caressing his chest. You can already feel the devilish smile curling on your lips.

"What's that?" Leon grunts, leaning his forehead on yours, looking at you with those piercing blue eyes.

You can feel him starting to rut under you, but you don't bulge. Instead, you just kept staring at him with that cocky smile of yours.

"I don't want to move. What's the matter?" You whispered, tracing the line of his cheekbones.

His eyes narrowed, and you could swear that you heard a small whimper come out from his lips.

"Don't make me beg.." He groaned, his hands gripping your waist tightly, almost forcing you to move.

Your lips brushed on his, as you slowly moved your hips, it was torturous. He knew that you were just teasing, but it turned him on even more. Every single act of yours is capable of turning him on in such a way.

How this is even possible? He thought for himself.

Your hands hovered on the scar in his biceps, the bullet that he took for you. As you gently caressed the scar, you could see the tender look on his face, and to make him look even more aroused, you kissed it. Giving a few pecks on his scar to show him how grateful you were.

"Thank you, sweetie." You whispered in his ear, dragging your fingers over the scar again, to show that you mean it. And such a simple act, turned him on even further.

He couldn't control himself. It was too much. He needs to fuck you so badly, he can't wait for that. It's like his body is begging for it, he can't think properly, and he just has this urge to fuck you.

He was fast, rolling you over, so you were lying on his bed, your legs being spread widely, and he was pushing your knees into the bed.

He needs this view. He is craving for it.

And honestly? For the dumb look on your face was all worth it.

"What do you think you're doing?" You whispered, your nails digging in his forearms.

He scoffed, pushing his length all over you again, taking out a loud moan from your pretty lips. Pussy so wet and tight, nestling him in so easily.

"It's my turn to fuck you, yeah?" He groaned, hips moving at an unholy pace. His heavy balls slapping against you.

He was so deep, hitting that spongy spot over and over. Making you see stars again, making your body arch in such a way.

He can't help, seeing your little face all twisted while he pumps you fool, your chest rising and falling, the way that you moan his name as if was a new religion.

"You're going to be the death of me." He cooed, leaning his weight over you.

Only to hear you closely, he needs to see the whimpering mess that you're in right now.

Now, you can barely think straight, just humming some nonsense things. Because you can't focus, all you can do right now is whine and whimper, grasp his forearms tightly. Letting the mark of your nails on it.

He was so close, just like you. He can feel your delicate walls tightening around him, the way your body quirver and squirm under him.

He knows that so well.

"C'mon, doll. Come for me, will you? Make a mess on my cock." He stops, only to moan and bit your ear, "Fuck, you're so sweet for me. Taking me so well, look at this." He whispered, looking down.

You let out a soft whine, feeling the way that his cock disappeared on your cunt, the way that it slides so easily. In and out, in the most perfect ritm.

"I'm close, fuck I'm close." You whimper, eyes closing and rolling to the back of your head.

Was too much, his fat cock hitting all of your spots. His violent thrusts make you go into heaven and hell at the same time. Too much.

And he doesn't help you, his finger pressing against your clit aggressively, taking out a loud gasp from you. The cherry on top was when he decided to choke you, not to hurt you, but only to hold you and see you dumb face while he does so. The small tears that formed in the corner of your eyes, so pretty. Such a pretty girl for him. This was enough to send you over the edge.

There you were, squirting all over him. Your juices wetting his crouch and thighs.

He let out a satisfied groan, claiming your lips in a sloppy kiss. Whispering sweet nothings, only to disguise the way that he was fucking you mercilessly. And he wouldn't stop until he came all over you, he needs to fill you up with his cum.

"A pretty girl like you deserves it, no? My cum all over that sweet pussy, I'm sure you want that, don't you?" He teased, looking at your pretty face. You're so damn hot right now, so good for him.

"Just.. fuck.. do it.." You breathe out, feeling so sensitive that your pussy tightened around him again. Your walls clenching around his cock.

This magic worked so well, he can feel the first spurts of cum coming out, painting your insides. He let out a moan, his eyes closed and his head leaning back. You can tell by the look on his face that he was in complete bliss.

Was a big load. You can feel by the way that a part of it was falling all over you, making a mess. Not that none of you cared anyway. That was his way to show you how much he loved this.

How you make him go wild. Is the only proper way to show you, and he proudly did.

Once again, he takes your lips, kissing you with passion, letting his tongue slide into your mouth another time. Your arms wrap around his neck, pulling him in.

He pulled you in his embrace, holding you like this for a while. Waiting for both of you to calm down for the high.

After a couple of minutes, he decided to speak,"Will you stay for tonight?" His voice was a tiny whisper, and he was almost begging you to stay.

You let out a soft chuckle, caressing his hair,"If that's what you want. I can stay." You hum, kissing his cheeks in a tender way.

That was more than enough to take a smile from him, as he gently lay you down properly in the bed. Pulling some covers on both of you, and soon enough cuddling with you.

You'll not deny this for him, knowing so well that you'll leave in the middle of the night. Even if you would love to wake up in his side, you knew too well that this couldn't happen. This is supposed to be just a fling, nothing more.

Even if there's a glimmer of hope on your heart that still wants more. But your work can't let you do that, almost impossible, to say at least.

But the way that he cuddled with you, holding you tightly. Only to make sure that you'll stay, just until he falls asleep. To have your presence to make his sleep a bit better.

Your heart melted once he showered you with kisses, trailing all over your face. Whispering little praises while doing so.

It was a simple act, but so lovely.

"You're adorable, Leon." You hum softly, caressing his cheeks.

The way he looked at you, fuck, more than enough to make you smile like a child. He wanted to hold you, to keep you in his arms that night. If only for one night.

He felt he needed it, even though he didn't know why. He had this affection for you that he couldn't even explain.

And you were more than happy to be in that situation, even if only for one night. That you wouldn't soon forget.

At that moment, he didn't care who you were or what you did. For him, you were just you. The beautiful woman who was there, in his arms.

Oh heavens, why was this feeling taking over his chest? How could it happen so quickly?

He didn't want to spend too much time thinking about it. He just wanted to enjoy the time he still had with you.

"Despite everything, you're great company." He murmurs softly, full of affection.

You smile softly, snuggling into his chest. While his fingers run through your hair.

You let yourself go, eyelids slowly closing, as you enjoy the warmth that emanates from his body. Just for one night.

Just this once.

.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。..・。.・゜✭・.・✫

After a comfortable night of sleep, the sun's gentle rays began to filter in through the window. Slowly illuminating Leon's room, it was enough to make him lazily open his eyes.

He hugs one of the pillows, swearing it was you. Only to have the disappointment of looking at the pillow and seeing that you had already gone.

He lets out a sigh, rubbing his eyes to get a better look around. His eyes stop on a letter on the bedside table. It was yours, and it was with your lingerie.

His hand reaches for the letter, reading it carefully. And once he's finished reading, he feels a slight pang in his heart.

He realizes that he probably won't see you any time soon, quite possibly you'll be out and about and he won't see you ever again.

Why the hell did that bother him?

Another sigh, he shakes his head in denial. Reaching for your panties and sniffing them shamelessly.

Letting your scent fill his nostrils, as if it were the oxygen he needed.

For a moment, he lets himself sink into the bed, remembering everything about you. All the brief moments and the wonderful night you gave him.

The bed still smelled like you, the blankets impregnated with the scent of your cologne.

And you impregnated his soul.

"Fuck..." He murmurs, closing his eyes and imagining that it was you there. Not just a pillow.

But you wouldn't come back, given the nature of your work.

You wouldn't come back, he thinks again. He felt melancholy, that was undeniable.

He could make this pain better, he just needed one more day with you.

Just one more day.

───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ────────── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ─────

[komotionlessqueenmm]

Imagine # 1,062

Gif NOT mine.

Year posted - 2024

Rating - SFW

Reading time (roughly) - 5 minutes

I've been playing a bunch of the Ghostbusters game, and it honestly drives me crazy how messy it is at the firehouse. So this imagine way born from that pet peeve of mine. Enjoy. :)

Walking up to the second floor of the firehouse, (Y/n) sat down her bag, looking around the large room she sighed softly. The place was a mess, as always. She understood perfectly well why the place wasn't always clean, they guys were busy, always busy. Especially after Peck shut down the containment unit, and released all the ghosts they had captured over the past few months. Walking into the kitchen and dining area, she began picking up loose trash and tossing it into the nearby trashcan. The trash was nearly half full to begin with, and after a few minutes of working, it was totally full. She pulled the bag out of the bin, tied it up, and sat it aside.

As she was putting a new bag into the bin, the boys came wandering up the stairs. Funny she hadn't even heard them pull in downstairs. They all greeted her tiredly as they passed by, going straight to their quarters. (Y/n) continued to clean up the littered trash, and the expired food from the fridge. A short while later, Ray come back into the common room. His hair still dripping from his shower. The others having showered and gone straight to bed. "You know you don't have to do all of this (Y/n)." Ray said as he assisted in gathering up the dirty dishes. "Well I am an assistant, and I assist where I'm needed." She smiled softly at her favorite ghostbuster.

"Yeah I guess, but this is our mess." He shrugged, smiling bashfully. "I'm happy to help Ray, besides you guys have your hands full as it is. Speaking of which, go to bed, I've got this covered." She insisted as she took the dishes from his hands, placing them beside the sink, and then preparing the water. "No I'm alright, let me help." He argued, standing beside her stacking the dishes accordingly. "Ray you've been working all day, and you're exhausted. Go get some rest." She smiled at him, playfully bumping her shoulder into his. "I'm not going anywhere." He stated in a playfully serious tone. "You're stubborn, you know that?" She smiled at him, but stopped arguing over the matter any further.

"People usually say that about Peter." Ray joked, effectively making (Y/n) snort with laughter. "Yeah and he definitely is, but apparently so are you." She mused, making him smile. "I wash and rinse, you dry and put them away?" (Y/n) offered as she set to work on scrubbing the dishes. "I think I can manage that." Ray hummed as he retrieved a clean dishtowel. "Well I sure hope so, we've got plenty to do here." She teased as she began rinsing the first sink of dishes. Once the dishes were finished, they picked up the last bits of trash, swept the floor, and then began hauling the trash bags out to the dumpster out back. "I'll get some groceries tomorrow morning." (Y/n) stated as they hauled out the last two bags.

"I'll go with you." Ray added as he tossed his bag in the dumpster, he then took (Y/n)'s and threw it out as well. "You don't have to do that, I can manage alright." She blushed lightly as Ray held open the door open for her. "I know... But I want to." Ray smiled bashfully, following her back upstairs. "Well in that case, I'd love the company." She mused as they stood at the top of the stairs. "Now you should go to bed, you need some sleep." She stated as she grabbed her bag. "I'd rather spend some more time with you." Ray admitted, his cheeks turning a light shade of pink. "And do what Dr. Stantz?" (Y/n) asked as she peered at him, their chests nearly touching from how close she'd moved towards him.

"M-maybe get some dinner? I-I haven't actually eaten since lunch." Ray stammered a little, rubbing the back of his neck nervously. "Home cooked, or takeout?" She asked. "Considering how late it is, how about takeout?" He asked, trying to sound relaxed, but looking anything but. "Sounds like a date, come on you can stay with me tonight, wouldn't want to disturb the guys." She smiled as his blush depend. "A d-date?" Ray stammered again, following her back downstairs. "If you want it to be." (Y/n) turned to him on the landing of the stairs. "I-I." He cleared his throat. "Do you want it to be?" He asked, again trying to act casual. "I'd love nothing more." She admitted, blushing a bit herself.

"Really!?" Ray beamed in visible excitement, again clearing his throat and trying to play it cool. "I mean... Then it's a date." He smiled charmingly, making (Y/n) giggle softly. "Good." She mused, leaning towards his face to kiss his cheek. Ray blushed deeper, following after her like a lovesick puppy. "Do you think..." Ray trailed off as they walked to (Y/n)'s car. "What is it Ray?" She asked curiously. "Would you maybe want to go on an actual date sometime? Like to a restaurant." He asked. "How about a picnic in the park? Restaurants are always so busy, and a picnic is more intimate." (Y/n) countered. "A picnic... Yeah that sounds really nice." Ray smiled at the thought. "Saturday maybe?" She offered, making Ray beam at her again. "It's a date." He hummed happily.

Buy me a coffee sometime? ☕️

(Click the coffee for my Kofi link, IT'S NOT NECESSARY BTW.)

[pleasantglitterflower]

Heart Podium (Joe Burrow x OC x Max Verstappen)

Many times our childhood dreams cannot be realized, due to our overly fertile imagination, many times our professional childhood dreams cannot be realized either, either due to the delay in getting a place at the university we dreamed of or the lack of opportunities when it comes to working in the arts or sports. 

There's always plan b.

Kayleigh was one of those kids, it's true that dreaming of being a Backyardigan was difficult, but she was left with plan b, a plan that was broadcast every Sunday before the NFL, her father would have lunch, afternoon snack and dinner on the same channel, watching the drivers and then the Cleveland Browns, his favorite team in the state. 

That was the most exciting thing Kayleigh had in her childhood, watching Formula One followed by a good Browns game, arriving at school and eagerly wanting to talk to someone, but the girls didn't like the subject and asked to talk about something else and the boys laughed at her.

Leaving her and her mom's cookies in the stands.

Until one day she plucked up the courage and asked her father to play go-kart, finding a track in the state of Ohio in 2004, it wasn't the easiest task in the world, but he managed it and little by little, it went from being a joke to a serious thing.

Until high school came and she discovered that there were two ways to get into college: she had to be very smart or know how to play some sport, in 2011 in the United States, go-kart doesn't really mean a sport, far from it.

Not knowing what to do, she decided to confront her parents in her first year.

Not wanting to do anything, since it wouldn't help her with her possible future career was a very risky step.

For her parents, it's not even worth mentioning, they wanted to freak out, exchanging the stability of a degree for a go-kart race, for them it's crazy, especially when they've always prepared themselves financially for it, when they always prepared for her to enter university, which is not the cheapest thing,and it was in these uncertainties and in the midst of this conflict of whether or not to go to college that she tried to get interested in more conventional sports.

But when she tried out, she was terrible at soccer, average at lacrosse, slow at basketball, tough at gymnastics, shy at cheerleading, short at volleyball, afraid of water when swimming and she's a girl, she couldn't play American football.

It was during one of these that she found herself making a fuss.

-You're going to regret it, you know, you're losing the best wide receiver the world has ever seen -  She yelled.

One of the guys looked at her in fright, while others wondered who she was.

-You know you were running for the cornerback spot, right? A blond guy tells her.

-Yeah, I know, that's exactly why - She sighs tiredly.

-Because you came to try for the spot right here, you know they don't choose girls easily.

-I’ve tried everywhere, I came here just to cause trouble, I had nothing to do” She confesses, leaving him confused.

-Really?

-Yes-They end up laughing.

-You don’t like a specific sport, maybe if you try there you’ll do better, maybe explain to the coach that you like it and want to learn and she’ll let you stay-He suggests.

-I like watching, but not putting it into practice, I’m doing this more so my parents can see that I’m not good, I already know I’m not good-She sighs.

-I’m sorry-He gives her a half smile, until she feels a crack.

-Geez, I haven’t tried baseball yet-she remembers and gets up, leaving the equipment there.

-They don’t accept girls either-He reminds her.

-That’s exactly why-Kayleigh laughs.

-By the way, what's your name?-She stops, holding the door.

-I'm Joseph-he says shyly.

-I'm Kayleigh, see you soon, Joseph.

And yes, she tried baseball, but the first time she held the bat, it ended up between the legs of the boy next to her, who fell to the ground groaning in pain.

Kayleigh was thrown out.

Fate was cruel to her when it came to sports, but it only reinforced the idea that she had to continue in karting.

After meeting Joseph, she would see him someday, as she thought, but she would see him every day, until the prom, when after two years together, she finally realized that they would have to separate by force,and how that hurt, not only for her but for him too.

-I can’t believe you’re going to Europe, I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, I’m going to tell Ohio State to go fuck itself, I’ll go with you wherever you have to go, but I don’t want to be away from you.-His cheeks already reddened from the cold, he said.

-Stop saying that, you’ve been given an incredible opportunity, you have to take advantage of it.-She tried to convince him.

-But I can’t imagine being away from you.-Hearing that, she lay down on his lap.

-We’ll get through this, you’ll see, and we’ll be strong.

The first year away was the hardest, not only for Joseph, but for her parents too, because seeing their daughter try to make a living racing karts, traveling all over Europe, was something that made them so proud, but at the same time so apprehensive.The second year seemed to be easier. They were already well accustomed to the routine of video calls, social media, messages, letters. They sent polaroids to hang up. Once, Joseph even caught himself putting his perfume on the paper to make sure she could smell him. They exchanged gifts, everything.

Until the careers arrived on television, Joseph could sit down and look for the channel to watch her and she could pick up the phone and watch the college divisionals.The fifth year passed, the sixth too, and then the seventh, when Joe finally took off in his career in American football, being drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals.

And the following year, Kayleigh did what she never imagined she would be able to do: she reached Formula One, after almost dying waiting for this event. Of course the party was huge, she returned to her country with all possible honor, suddenly a little girl from Ohio was going to compete for a title for a team and everyone wanted to know what this little girl does and better, where are the American boys who are not having the same prominence?But she could never say that it had any real effect on the American public. Formula One is still a playboy thing for them, to the point where they even consider golf a more accessible sport.

Just as she was there for Joe's big debut, he was there for his big debut, of course,but their contracts ended up preventing more contact. They had to train, they had to focus, they couldn't travel long distances or do physical work before their work, and they also couldn't be too far away from their work.

It allowed them to spend a few moments together. She would catch his last games if he made the playoffs and he would catch her first races,so much time apart didn't make their love diminish. On the contrary, seeing each other's achievements seemed to only strengthen their love for each other.And even without knowing, there was someone who was not at all happy with this growing love.

-Joe said he'll call me soon.-She jumps around the room excitedly, waiting for someone to call her to give her the prize.

-Hmm- Max makes an annoyed face, leaving his helmet on the stand.

-That's cute, it's the middle of the night in the United States, isn't it?-Carlos asks her, all smiles.

-Yes, it's the middle of the night and he stayed up.-She doesn't hide her smile.

-Really the last of the romantics.-Max rolls his eyes.

-Stop being annoying, she's so happy.-Carlos watches her like a doting father.

Max glares at him, enough for the Spaniard to avoid him and stay quiet.

And of course, the next day, as always happens after every race, Joe sends her a huge bouquet, with a dedication and, when he is present, romantic letters.For most people around him, it is just his European or rather, Dutch humor.

But for those who actually live with him and see the mistakes he makes and notices, the way he treats her when she talks about other things and when she talks about Joe, they understand very well.

Max messed up her hair, trying to free her mind from those thoughts, from that feeling, but realized it was difficult.After another podium with her, another trip to a random bar with everyone involved, the country's biggest celebrities and everything else, he could no longer stand two things.

The first, Charles flirting even with the walls of the place.

The second, the fact that she trusted George more than him, to tell him the reason for her 37th breakup with Joe.

-I honestly don't understand you guys, one moment you say that distance is good, the next you break up because of distance, make up your mind damn it-George, tired of the situation, slammed his hand on the table.He fixed his hair, looked around and composed himself.

-Sorry man, I got carried away-He spoke like most people do sometimes, treating her like a man.

-I know it's not the most normal thing to do, but it tires me out-She said finally, she didn't want to waste her friend's night with this, much less make him occupy his mind with his problems.

She went to the bar to order another drink, without realizing who was next to her.

-Did you bump into something?-She heard someone ask and then looked to the side to see Max.

-What do you mean?-She immediately became confused.

-Your leg is kind of purple,-he says.

-Oh, let's just say I might have fallen on my suitcase- She rolls her eyes.

-It's the third time this season.-He holds back his laughter.

-She goes everywhere and sometimes it happens.-She shrugs.

-Your suitcase can make you more purple than your boyfriend, I think it's time to trade him for her.-Max takes a sip of his drink, savoring every note of it, satisfied with yet another mean comment about Joe. He knows how distance affects him and that's nothing more than a psychological game, sending indirect messages that hurt.

As always, she remained silent, discreetly observing her leg and trying to cover the bruise, with her face reddened.

-I can't blame him, he's going after his dream." She answers for the first time, even if a while later and too quietly, as if she wasn't even there anymore.

Until the girl asks herself, why is Max worried about this?

For a second, Max almost misses the destination of the glass, looking at her.

-Really, there are men whose only dream is to chase a ball, not to have trophies and a woman who loves him.-He takes the opportunity to retort.

-Thanks for ruining the rest of my night, Max, you're always so sensitive.-She answers, choked, finishes her drink and walks towards the exit with long strides.

Max remains there at the bar, staring at the various bottles, some full, others half full, thinking that once again she leaves angry with him, because he doesn't defend her dear Joe.

-You don't have to be so rude all the time, I know you're used to guys around here, but you have to realize that there are girls around here now and they deserve to be treated with kindness and affection, did you know that women are people too?Lewis appears at her side, irritated by the situation.

-Have you stopped talking, Lewis Senna Hamilton?He scoffed.

Max was already drunk enough to almost drag himself back to the hotel.

And even after spending the next few hours thinking about whether or not to knock on her door, as he always does when he’s drunk, he decided it wasn’t the right time.

When he woke up with the sun and that strange feeling, since that’s usually when he goes to sleep, thanks to the jet lag, he allowed himself the luxury of staying a few more minutes in that comfortable bed, under all those sheets, grabbing the fluffiest of his pillows to hug, trying to get it into his head that he was hugging her, trying to get it into his mind that he woke up next to her that morning, it seems he was so used to doing this every morning that with each passing day, the images became clearer in his mind and the sensations stronger.

And for the next race he had a surprise, he jumped out and took off his helmet and head protector, looking in disbelief at the smiling couple on the sidelines watching the track.

-Joe, should I congratulate you or say my condolences? Max gives his best sarcastic smile.

-I don't understand- Joe's radiant smile fades.

-What do you expect from a player? Max grumbles, he had meters around to pass and reach his destination, a screen to review his training, but he made sure to pass between the two, bumping into Joe.

He placed his helmet on the table next to him, silently completing the malicious thought, about his possible dubious qi, when he saw Joe approaching through the shadow on the ground, his smile only grew wider.

Kayleigh decided to leave, aware that they would have some kind of argument.

-I don't understand your stubbornness, Max- Joe confessed, watching Max from a few inches away.

-I say it over and over again, what can you expect from a player? Max rolls his eyes.

-And what are you, don’t you play in this?Joe retorts.

-I’m a pilot, it’s different-he says, convinced.

On the side of the track, tired and just waiting for time to pass, the topic, as always, was just one.

-Max is PMSing- Lando comments while sitting on the floor.

-We should take up a collection and pay a gynecologist, so she can prescribe some medicine, I don’t know- Hulkenberg adds.

-I think what he needs is a psychiatrist, one minute he’s calm, the next he wants to kill you, he’s crazy- Lewis concludes.

-He just needs some time to calm down, recharge his batteries and rest- George defends him.

But he ends up getting angry looks from everyone.

-For this and other reasons, I stay away from that snake pit they call Red Bull, God forbid I have to deal with that creature - Charles says, looking disdainfully at their reserved space.

-No offense, Kay- He makes his observation.

-No offense, I can't stand it anymore- She confesses.

-Not even Kayleigh throws this tantrum when she's on her period, honestly we don't even know when that happens, thanks for sparing us- Lando thanks her, making her laugh.

-I think there are certain details that aren't necessary- She comments.

Max walks past the group with firm steps.

-No one moves their ass in this place, then they complain about the podium- He sends the indirect message with his angry eyes.

Everyone there exchanges glances.

-Hold the Japanese- Ricciardo warns.

-Why? Charles finds the request strange.

-I’m warning you, hold the Japanese guy-he repeats.

And indeed, poor Tsunoda is at breaking point with Max.

Joe left, but Max’s sourness didn’t.

During breakfast at the hotel, Pierre’s strawberries were more sour than expected.

-Her boyfriend leaves and doesn’t get a bruise on his neck, he’s a real wimp- Max grumbles, savoring his waffles.

George’s eyes widen, he wipes his mouth with the napkin next to him.

-Max, how rude. He glances at Max out of the corner of his eye.

But Pierre has the most priceless face, he looks like he’s eaten something spoiled.

-Jesus, you weirdo, who says that, keeps an eye on others, has he become a tax inspector now? He left his comment.

-Watch out guys, there are people watching our necks- Lando dramatically covers his with his sweatshirt.

-I think you should start thinking about where and when you say certain things, Max- Carlos warns him, earning his laugh.

-Why? Do you know anything?” The Dutchman stared at him.

-Common sense Max, just common sense- he retorted.

-That was ridiculously sexist, Max, if that’s what you say, imagine what you think- Lewis gives him his best disapproving look.

-Have you finished your testimony Lewis?Max provokes him.

Max’s life became increasingly complicated there, with the boys and his provocations, little by little choosing to be alone, but not as much as Kayleigh's, who, in addition to having to put up with his mood swings, also has to put up with Joe's suspicions.

His jealousy used to have no name, but now it has a first and last name. Kayleigh only sees one reason for it, the fact that they work together, nothing else could make sense, andexplaining it doesn't seem to help, Joe found himself wondering why they exchanged smiling handshakes live, if she hates him so much.

-Do you really think that after the race, I'll remember how much I hate him? Of course not, Joe. I just think that I won or that I need to improve, hug everyone involved and leave. - She explains, pacing back and forth across the room.

-I don't want to be the annoying guy, but he doesn't look like he hates you, he seems to take advantage of your innocence. - Joe says almost desperately.

-What innocence, Joe? - She asks him.

-Kay, I don't want to fight over this guy. I'm just saying that this isn't something that makes me comfortable. You're walking around half the world with them in a place full of men working, next to several men, and that bothers me. Not only because of jealousy, I don't know, maybe they'll try to do something to you. -

-Jesus, Joe, don't say something like that. I understand your side, okay. I'm not saying you're wrong, but you need to trust me. I won't betray your trust. I haven't done that in all these years. Why would I do it now? - She tries to calm him down.

-Sorry for stressing you out. - He sighs heavily.

And it's been like this for a while.

Even when they're not at work, free to visit somewhere, Max seems to show up in the same place as her or simply in a place nearby, which makes Joe even more suspicious.

But Max couldn't stop there. When he saw her calmly standing there taking some notes, Max approached her with the excuse of seeing what she was writing down and it was then that he took the opportunity to bring his face too close to hers, which left her somewhat speechless. He placed his hand on her hip, giving her a discreet caress.

-Studying for the race, kitten?- He smiled at her reaction, a mix of confusion and embarrassment.

-Sorry Kay, I forget that you're sensitive to male touches. He laughed, leaving her blushing and finally going where he wanted.

She closed her eyes, not liking it at all. His provocations were getting more and more personal with Joe.

Whenever Max managed to get the slightest hint, he would walk away smiling.

But this time, George decided to confront him.

-You should be ashamed of touching women who are in a committed relationship inappropriately- he says, somewhat indignantly.

-Have you had your tea yet, dear English nobleman?" George rolls his eyes.

-Max, I'm serious, that's not cool, it could cause unnecessary confusion- he insists.

-You look so cute saying 'unnecessary'.Max laughs at the guy, who decides to get more serious.

-When Joe gets pissed off and comes to punch you in the face, don't tell me I never warned you.

-Before he punches me in the face, he'll punch you in the face, because you're the little friend who's always around, hugging and advising when they break up. Do you really think he's going to come after me, George?

-I'm in a committed relationship, I've never done this with bad intentions. He doesn't like the accusation.

-Wow, now I'm confused, is this a swing or a threesome? Max laughs to himself.

George stopped walking at the same moment, offended and even more shocked by another accusation.

When he realized it, Max took a few steps back and ruffled his hair.

-Just kidding, George, you're so cute.

But even his happiest days get bad when he sees the two of them together on social media, kisses, dates, more kisses. Max is sure that if Joe knew how jealous he is of him, for being able to love the woman he loves, he would definitely dig a hole to the center of the earth and stay there, far from Max's eyes.

He has thought countless times about using Joe's number saved on his phone, to send some manipulated photo or one that would have a double meaning, but knowing the two of them, he believes that even that would be reason to break up and get back together after a few days.

But it's these photos, the flowers, the letters, her giggles in the corners of the hotel, that make him freak out when he shouldn't. After being next to her in one of the endless meetings and noticing his new gift, a ring on her finger, that was enough for Max to find any reason to start stomping his feet and shouting. And sometimes he even measures her before the race, in the best possible way, as if he were casting a curse on her. -Damn, did you two fight? The boy asks her. -Honestly, I don't know, he left the meeting shouting, now he just looks at me like that. She sighs tiredly. At one of the parties, thanks to Charlie, he can talk to her a little. -You know, girls, sometimes we reach 200 kilometers per hour.He boasts, the trio of friends start drooling in French. -You could say that I am speed. He gives her his most seductive smile.

Max denied it and snorted.

-If I say something like that, I'll get a restraining order.- He takes a good sip of his drink.

-Also, with a sensitive mood like that, you can be sure that many would be afraid. She teased.

-So I don't have a chance? He used his playful tone.

-You're quite cheeky, you know. She lightly took his hand as a quick friendly caress, more for his level of need, that wasn't just a caress.

Max took her hand, lifting it and bringing it to his lips, finally leaving a caress there.

She was embarrassed, but she couldn't see any harm in anything Max did; for her, that was just an apology for the previous treatment.

But from that day on, it could be said that Max started to look at her more, in increasingly shameless ways.

Once again, with a podium in his hands, he waited for her, making sure to catch her eyes, just so she could see him measuring her completely, and she could see that it really affected her.

Or another time, when she was already embarrassed by him staring at her, while she watched the screen with the replay of some moments of the race, he caressed her face, giving her a wink.

She certainly doesn't know what to do with that.

Joe can't dream of that, while Max seems to love it.

But what she didn't expect was for someone to tell Joe about the flirting and say that she is increasingly cornered by the situation.

Unfortunately for Joe, in the middle of his season and fortunately for Max, in the middle of Joe's season.

One day after getting out of the car, Max was waiting for her, not giving her much space to walk away, the girl took off her helmet without knowing what that was, does he want to solve something? Are they going to slap each other or something like that? She wondered.

-How are you, Max? She looked at him.

-You were amazing, you know that? He spoke softly, raising his hands again to her hips and patting them a few times.

-Thanks, I have to go - she said, without giving Max any space. He wanted to know how she was when her only option was to be ridiculously close to him.

The group was confused, to say the least, they didn't know what the hell was going on and what the atmosphere was like.

As Max walked away with firm steps, when he saw that she was far away, he decided to try to get along with the Red Bull team.

-Sometimes I forget that she's not a guy - he laughed for no reason, but he's not like the other boys, who really do forget that she's the woman there. Max remembers who she is every second.

But Joe's situation is nothing that a phone call can't solve.

-Joe, I don't understand who told you that? He asked.

-Someone I trust- Joe justifies himself.

-Joe, I'm going to be honest, if I had the chance to sleep with her, you can be sure I would have done it already, as many times as I could and you can be sure that every time I lie down in my bed, I wonder why it hasn't happened yet and guess what, it's your fault- Max decides to be honest just to hear what Joe has to say.

-You're really brave to say something like that, you know? You know what, I'm going to kill you- Joe gets upset enough for Max to have some difficulty understanding what he's saying, the Dutchman gave his best laugh.

-You know, just a simple touch on her hip makes her all embarrassed, it makes me wonder how long it's been since she's been with a real man, but apparently I don't think that's ever happened, especially since she's only been with you- He continued his provocations.

-Joe, it's really cool that you're the cute guy who gives flowers after every race, gives gifts, writes letters, but if I were you I'd start to worry, because there are a lot of people watching her and I'm one of those people- Joe snorted from the other side.

-Because you can be sure that if I were her boyfriend, her legs wouldn't need a stupid touch to go weak, a simple look would be enough to make her remember a lot of things, things like that my friend, let's be honest, we're among friends here, you don't- Max stabbed the last time, hearing a sound of something breaking and he was sure it wasn't a glass but the phone.

Kayleigh almost didn't find out anything, they both avoided the subject just waiting for the other to tell.

But as the races went by, the atmosphere between Max and her seemed increasingly confused.

With the end of another race, Max lifted her up in a hug that at the moment, out of joy, she didn't stop to think about everything that was happening, but Joe did.

-The thing is, if it were me, it wouldn't be just fucking work- Joe shouted loud enough for her to have to pull the phone away from her ear.

-It was just a hug Joe, we've been together for I don't know three, four years, we work side by side, I understand your jealousy, don't think I don't understand, I do understand and in your place I would be like that too, I'll talk to him okay, I promise I'll talk to him and we'll work this out- She tries to calm him down having this idea.

-Kayleigh Hawkins I trust you, please don't make me lose that trust in you, I love you regardless of whether we can't spend a month together without breaking up, I don't know what I would do without you- He asks sighing heavily on the other side.

-I never did anything to make you doubt me, you know that Joe, if I didn't like you, I wouldn't be with you until today, swallowing all these breakups, just promise me that you'll calm down, okay? I love you - She says finally.

She went to sleep and tried to calm her mind, she needed to be calm and talk to Max the right way, she knows how he is, even if she's a little uncomfortable with all this extra contact they're having, there's no reason to do this to Joe, to let him suffer with a situation that's already driving him crazy, he's far away and the only thing she can do is trust that they're telling him the truth.

She got ready, took pictures with everyone who asked and went into the nightclub, this time looking for Max, the first thing she thought would be that he'd be at the bar, as he always does, but nothing.

She spotted George and it doesn't hurt to try.

She nudged him lightly so that he would lean in without leaving the circle of conversation.

-Have you seen Max? She asks him.

-Thank God I haven't seen Satan today. I heard he came to Earth in the body of this Max guy, but honestly I think Max is the one possessing the devil. George turns back to the group of friends. Okay, that's not the information she wanted to hear today.

She asked Lando the question, indiscreetly interrupting him and a girl she doesn't know, earning a free kick.

-Man, I haven't seen him - Pierre says, already out of habit in the male environment.

She sighs, imagining two hypotheses: either he's hiding out with some girls or he's gone back to the hotel.

She quickly makes sure to send a message to Joe, saying that he's definitely with some woman and that she's going to wait a little longer to look for him again. She rolls her eyes at having to do that, still feeling like she's going to be really embarrassed.

She picked up her drink and decided to walk around again until she saw him walking outside with his glass and sitting alone at a table.

She hurried, she needed to be quick, she didn't want anyone to arrive in the middle of the process.

When she walked through the door, it was clear that he found it strange that she went there, he gave her a small smile that was returned.

-Can I sit here? She politely asked for one of the empty seats.

He put his hands under the armrest of his chair with a big smile.

-You can sit wherever you want.

-Okay - she mumbled tensely.

-What do you need? He asked her, making her a little embarrassed.

If he was having a bad day, it could get even worse, so she decided to be as cautious as possible.

-Joe talked to me yesterday, he was a little upset about our hug, he got jealous of you and you know, I don't want that to get in the way of anything, not you, me or him, so if you could reduce the physical contact it would be a big help. She smiles nervously.

Joe said he's jealous? he asks with the same apathetic expression.

It was then that his laughter startled her.

-Yeah, I know, it's irrational. She quickly agrees, starting to lose her voice and blush with embarrassment, she didn't need to be making such a fool of herself, she thought.

Max froze when he heard that and with his best ironic tone, asked her to continue.

-We've known each other for years, we work together on the same team, it's crazy to say this, I'm really sorry for this boring conversation, but I promised him I'd talk to you, you know- she's already preparing for the next kick, he'd probably say it's a favor not to have to hug her and that would be the kindest thing she could imagine that could come out of his mouth.

-First of all, I'm an educated man, so I wouldn't be talking nonsense, smiling, complimenting, or any of that crap to someone I'm not interested in. We both know you're smart, you don't need to force it so much. She's in a mix of understanding and not understanding.

He looks at her and realizes he's only confused her even more.

-Tell your boyfriend, if he's jealous, he'll have to have the balls to come here to solve it - Max says, enjoying the situation.

-This will create an unnecessary situation, you know, you don't need all this for a misunderstanding- she explains again.

-Let me explain something to you, since you didn't have the tact to notice, from the damn moment I met you, well before I knew that this idiot was your boyfriend, I was already in love with you and something stopped me from talking to you, my girlfriend. Now I'm single and nothing stops me from talking to you. Are you going to say you never noticed? Her feet fell, as she tried to reason, she felt a cold hand go up her thigh. She froze there, not knowing what to do, looking at Max who had the most peaceful expression in the world.

She looked down, seeing the hem of her loose black dress rising higher and higher, exposing the area. She couldn't understand how Max, who distributes rudeness, now had a hand on her thigh. She delicately brought her hand to meet his, making eye contact with him again, but when she thought she would stop her hand, she only made him squeeze the spot and get even closer to where he shouldn't.

-Max I think you- She prepares to get up, but he is faster.

-Sit down, we're not done talking - he uses his most gentle tone, but even so it's hard to say anything.

-That idiot Joe has even threatened to kill me, you know, because he knows that I like you and I made one thing clear to him and now it's going to be clear to you, the only thing I need is for you to say yes, you know where my room is, it's always next to yours, it's not hard to find, when you get tired of this idiot you can knock on my door. - He walks away.

-That's not how it works, it's not about getting tired of my boyfriend -She is cut off.

-I don't know how and what you like about him, so yes, it's a matter of getting tired of him

Even with the shock, she stayed quiet and didn't say anything to anyone, she thought that would make things easier, but everything got worse with Max.

Now besides being a sweetheart, he's simply everywhere.

This includes grabbing her hand when she is focused on the training screens, indiscreetly measuring her and, what has caught the team's attention the most, the number of times he touches her hair.

On another day, finishing some notes about the current track, she doesn't know when he appeared, but he started massaging her shoulders, slowly moving up to her neck. The first thing she did was cough to discreetly send him away, which didn't help.

-You need to relax, Kay, you're too tense - he says quietly.

One of the guys on the team walked by them.

-I'm enjoying seeing you helping each other, Red Bull spirit - the guy leaves smiling.

-Max, that's enough, you're going too far -she says through clenched teeth.

-That's my specialty. He laughed, one of his arms serving as support so he could slide his hand down her spine as far as he could reach, slowly moving up, noticing her held breath.

-You need to relax, why don't you take a deep breath and let my hands help you?He suggested.

-I need you to stop with the double-meaning jokes - She asked.

He didn't answer, he just brought his fingers to the back of her neck, massaging the tips of them and moving down a little, he got as close as the backless bench would allow, pressing her head against his torso, and finally sliding his fingers from her jaw until they almost reached her lap.

-And what kind of massage is this? Can you explain it to me? She asked reluctantly.

-A casual massage, like any other, I think that massage is more about touching someone's skin until you see relaxation appear, and that angle of you is wonderful - He teased, aware that with the force used there it would be difficult for her to move.

-Max, I didn't know you could give a massage - Lando shouts from outside.

-That's great for those who wear a helmet.

-I'll have one - Lando says, and Charles agrees next to him.

-Me too.

-Sure, boys. I'll be right there when I'm done. He smiles at the two of them, who continue on their way.

-Why aren't you writing it down? Did you forget what you wanted? He gives his most fake tone of concern.

But by giving her the massage right there, he makes it difficult for her to say anything.

He then gently lowers his fingers and finishes, bending down a little so that he's at the height of her neck.

-Stop pretending you didn't like it. Considering that you're dating Joe and how much your skin is crawling, I think you should go to the bathroom and get yourself together - he pats her shoulder.

-It's great to see how satisfying these hands are, not just on the steering wheel. He laughs, walking away and giving her another wink. Kayleigh closed the notebook, wanting to bury her face in the ground. This can't be happening. Max can't be serious. But he is very serious and to make the test complete, he decided to tease her with a little more than words. The situation has already escalated to a point where she doesn't know if she can keep denying it and, worse, what to say to Joe when he calls at the end of the day and she has the same scared expression. Suddenly, the guy who was a jerk to everyone has become an angel with her and, on top of that, says he's in love with her, to the point of making a scene. The point is, she doesn't know how far he's going with the description, but Max knows well.

Tsunoda, who is next to the two, was a bit embarrassed by his face towards her and hers towards the floor. He doesn't know if coughing would help to start a conversation or if anything else, the atmosphere around them became unpleasant and even tense. 

She was grateful when she saw Carlo approaching, smiling as always, and greeted everyone, but before they could say anything. 

-We would make a beautiful couple, wouldn't we? He points at her, who freezes in disbelief. 

-Isn't she with Joe? Carlos asks. 

-I didn't ask about him, I'm talking about us. Tsunoda and Sainz stare at each other, not knowing what to say, along with her, who has wide eyes. 

-Of course, they would be great, she's very pretty and you - Carlos is cut off. 

-Really, she's beautiful. Max gives his best smile to Kay, who pretends not to have heard anything.

-I heard Lando calling me, bye guys. He left in a hurry without looking back. It didn't matter that they must have been there for an event or something, he would arrive at the last minute and that was it.

But her destination ended up being the same as his.

Max took advantage of the hotel corridor being empty, to reach her and hug her body from behind, holding her. Kay moved, trying to get out of the tight spot, and then Max decided to play it low, going up to her neck and nibbling it.

-Can't you see that it's crowded here, can't you see that this is going to hurt me? She asked him irritably, trying to stop him from continuing to caress her.

-You said that I always mistreated you, I'm just treating you the way I should, making my interests obvious to everyone. He replied.

And then only two breaths were heard in the hallway, Max continued the attack on her neck, sliding his hand until he reached the hem of the woman's pants where she quickly grabbed him.

-Are you going to run away again? You know that the more you run the better it is for me, because then I'll feel like I've won you over. He then released her, turning her to face him.

When he realized, he was against a wall in one of the many empty hallways, Max brought his hand to her face, squeezing her cheeks.

-Do you know how much it hurt me to spend four years of my life, seeing you with that clown, while you were always by my side? Do you know what it's like to see him deliver flowers, letters and then suddenly it all ends, you feel hope, then you come back and all this repeats itself over and over again, meanwhile, I'm the guy who's always here, do you know how horrible that is? He asked her somewhat irritated, not with her anymore, but with the situation.

-Not even when you were hospitalized after a crash, he showed up, like a good teammate I went there, do you understand now how much I need you to dump him and let me make you truly happy? he asked, letting his hand slip.

He steps away slightly, Kay runs her hands through her hair, messing it up, looking to one side nothing but an empty hallway, looking to the other the same and Max in front of her waiting for the answer.

-You guys break up all the damn time, break up with him, spend some time with me and then if you regret it, which I highly doubt, you go back to him. Max waits for her decision, staring at her.

-I can't... he quickly cuts her off.

-You can't throw away your childhood love, a beautiful childhood love that you see for three months and then only next year."

She swallows that.

-I may not be the nicest guy, nor as loved by everyone as he is, but I will be here and I know very well how much you want someone who is here. He gently takes her hand.

-You want someone who will hold your hand, praise you, watch you run, can do something stupid together, someone who understands you, someone who is not so fickle, someone who is here to wake up next to you, who will hug you at night, who can touch you and he can't do any of that but I can and I want to. The distance between the two became short again until the wall appeared.

Kayleigh took a deep breath and nodded slightly, she was afraid that she was under the effect of his power of persuasion and even more so of those eyes, but she couldn't deny it. She did miss Joe's presence, she loved him, not having him around was always the biggest obstacle.

And this obstacle would only have one solution, one of the two of them giving up their careers.

The fact is that once again they have been separated for a week, but as always she cries on the day and then pretends that nothing happened and they are together.

-We broke up last week - she begins, still thoughtful. -We can try, but I don't want anyone to know, because if nothing works out, I don't want it to become a mess, or for anyone to talk about it - she asks. -They'll start seeing me smile, it'll be kind of obvious - he approaches. -Are you sure?" He asks cautiously first. -Yes - he agrees. Max presses the elevator button, leaves a hand caressing her ear, preparing to finally kiss her for the first time. Max never hides his desire, much less his rush, but even so, he takes Kayleigh by surprise when he lets his hands roam guiltlessly over her body in that hallway.

He finally felt the weight, anger and hurt of all those years being thrown aside, being extracted from her body, he wouldn't say she wanted to wait so long, but being able to drive Joe crazy, just like he had been all this time was wonderful, now he finally has what he wants, her.

[bemywingman]

heyyyy so in response to your post about an olympics icemav au... i'm having crazy brainworms about an idea & i need to tell someone before i explode. Steve Nedoroscik on the u.s. men's gymnastics team gives me the same vibes as Bob, so i'm imagining an olympics au wherein IceMav run the men's gymnastics program as coaches, and the daggers are on the teams. Ice & Mav back in the day dominated in gymnastics & so really just competed against each other each time. now they are bickering husbands helping run a killer program (& have their pommelhorse secret weapon Bob). Cyclone, Warlock, & Hondo coach with them, with Penny head doctor. Phoenix, Halo, & Amelia from the women's team pester the boys all the time. IceMav take Payback, Fanboy, Hangman, Rooster & Bob to the olympics & medal! so. yeah that's the idea. this isn't really a request, i just needed to tell someone & your asks are open 😭 but you can use any of this if you want

ok your mind is INSANE bc this picture is so vivid from just your one paragraph. like it all matches up so perfectly i’m so glad you put this idea into the world 🤭🙂‍↕️

i don’t want to take over your idea, but here are a few hc’s that i picture for this scenario bc as soon as i read this my brain went oh wow:

icemav’s background:

- ice is the eldest son of immigrants from the ussr, and his father pushes him everyday to be the best gymnast he can be. he trains daily, only enters the best training gyms, and works under some of the best coaches money can afford.

- ice is 17 when the 1976 olympics roll around, and everyone expects he’s going to dominate on the international stage. what they don’t expect, however, is for tom to announce at family dinner that he’s chosen to represent the united states at the games rather than his parent’s beloved ussr.

- after the shockwave announcement, ice’s dad doesn’t speak to him for weeks, and he spends countless nights second guessing his decision. sure, he understands why his parents are upset, but they literally immigrated to this country so he could be american. this is his home, it’s the place that’s made him, and he wouldn’t want to compete for any other country.

- it’s not until after the games, when he has 3 gold medals around his neck and a hand to hold tightly in his own, that he knows for certain he made the right choice.

- mav, in contrast, has a complete underdog story. it’s almost storybook: growing up without a father, scrapping his way in shitty gyms and abusive coaches, and coming out the other side as the best damn gymnast anyone west of the mississippi had ever seen. when he makes the 76 olympic team, he’s cocky and brash and is absolutely not ready for the unmovable force that is tom kazansky to enter his life.

- at first ice and mav don’t get along - ice is too focused on the competition and mav is too focused on trying to outperform ice. the tension grows for a few weeks after they both qualify for the team. it all changes when goose falls from the high bar in practice and breaks his wrist. with their best teammate out, the boys have to come together to do their best and keep up team morale.

- of course they both do amazing and walk away champions!!!! i’m imagining team gold, all-around ice gold and mav silver, ice high bar gold, and mav pommel horse gold. they start a new era for men’s gymnastics, absolutely dominating the competition and looking cool as fuck doing it. little boys sign up for gymnastics classes because they wanna be like maverick, and ice’s wheaties box takes up space on kitchen tables all around america.

the team now:

- ice doesn’t have any noticeable accent in his day-to-day life, but sometimes he starts to speak in russian when he’s nervous or pissed off. hence the murmured repetitions of xуй and Пиздец when hangman gets a little too sassy or bob clips his hand and falls off the horse.

- the daggers complain a lot about mav’s strict training routines and insanely high expectations, and one day mav can’t take anymore. without a word, he takes his whistle off, slips out of his shoes, and proceeds to perform an almost perfect pommel horse routine. the boys stand in awe as he swings around, his body in complete control despite it being 30+ years since he’s competed professionally. when it’s over the daggers start apologizing profusely, and ice just laughs and rolls his eyes at the absolute mad man he’s been in love with since he was 17.

- obviously there has to be some angst regarding bradley’s entry into the sport and the legacy he feels he carries on his shoulders. like yeah, he’s not a nepo baby, but he’s also not not a nepo baby. i mean, the two head coaches of the men’s olympic team are his godparents, for god sake. maybe mav tries to keep him out, thinking of goose’s lost dreams and all of their long term injuries. maybe he pushes him to do something else with his life, constantly saying things like maybe you could be a pilot or something, baby goose. of course, it doesn’t work. in the end, mav cries as bradley steps up on the olympic podium with the medal around his neck, thinking, not for the first time, how lucky he was to have met nick bradshaw all those years ago.

- penny being a social butterfly outside the gym but taking absolutely no shit as soon as she steps onto the floor. she has no problem asking the hard questions, and will not hesitate to defend an athlete with her life. she helps lead the movement to include mental health as part of the wellness checks for athletes, and doesn’t respond kindly to anyone who blows off her recommendations. everyone is slightly scared of her, but she’s only stern because she loves the athletes to death.

- amelia is known for always checking in on everyone and makes sure both the men’s and women’s teams are feeling their best physically and mentally bc of her mom’s occupation. she’s always willing to listen or offer up advice for those who need it. she’s definitely the little sister of the group and they’re all unbelievably protective of her and her huge heart.

- jake gives bob a lot of shit when they first meet because he doesn’t look anything like a gymnast. he’s got these huge glasses and he’s super lean and jake can’t help but tease him for it. it all changes when he finally sees bob on the horse, though, moving with more grace than he’s seen anyone move before. by the time the olympics roll around, jake is his biggest supporter, cheering so loudly from the side that even the people in the rafters can hear him.

i don’t really know anything about gymnastics, so don’t hate me if things are incorrect/inaccurate. thanks again for sharing this idea. hope y’all enjoyed and thanks for reading!!!

[lovers-tucked-into-a-quiet-cafe]

Chapter 3 [IKYLHT]

~5.3K Words | Series Masterlist | Prev | Next Chapter

-

The car coming to a sudden stop, your head snaps up from where you’d been watching Soap’s fingers drum along your knee. 

“Why’s he getting out?” You murmur, eyes tracking Graves movement. 

Alejandro steps out of the car, and you’re quick to unbuckle your seatbelt, Soap and Ghost promptly doing the same. 

“What’s this?”

“This is the immediate future. Step away from the gate.”

“What?”

“You heard me.”

“You’re crazy, this is my base.”

“It’s not a base. This is a sizable covert facility and I admire it. So I’m taking it. You boys have been relieved. Thank you for your service. Gun, up here.”

Snapping your head up, your brows furrow and you slide your hand over your holster slowly.

“Excuse me? I’m under no obligation to take orders from you, Graves.”

“You are a Gunnery Sergeant under the United States Marine Corps, I am the only one here you take orders from as of now.”

Planting your feet further into the ground, you brush your arm against Johnny’s and internally plead the look you’re sending Alejandro expresses your growing confusion. In your peripherals, you see Ghost’s hand rest on his holstered gun, watching you intently.

Alejandro takes a step forward with a shake of his head.

“I’ll say again, we don’t take orders from you.”

You watch as Graves moves closer, finger slowly inching closer to the trigger of his rifle.

“Didn’t Valeria say that? Now that makes me wonder what else I don't know about your affiliation with a drug-lord?”

“What the fuck did you just say to me, pendejo?”

“You’re out of line, Graves.”

He points a finger at Alejandro and Soap, “Don’t do that. Don’t… do that. No one needs to get hurt here.”

Ghost speaks from his spot near the side of the car.

“Are you threatening us?”

“Soldier, I don't make threats. I make guarantees. So let’s not do this. Gun. Here. Now. That’s an order.”

“Absolutely not.” You spit out.

“Soldier- considering past events, I do think it’s best you listen to the men in charge this time. Wouldn’t want a repeat scenario, would you?” He drawls.

It takes a minute before the dots connect in your head.

That motherfucker. That’s why he was taunting me. This was their plan for the entire damn mission.

“Are you fucking blackmailing me?” You hiss.

Turning and walking past you, Soap calls out, “I’m calling Shepherd.”

“General Shepherd sends his regards. He told me y'all wouldn't take this well.”

“He knows about this?”

“He's put me in command of this operation from here on out. So y'all need to stand down. It's time to let the pros finish this. And why the hell are we talking like this is some kind of negotiation? It's not. I've got my orders and now you have yours. So help me, Rabbit, if you don’t fall in this goddamn minute-”

“And who the fuck do you think you are, cabron? My men are inside!”

“I'm afraid not. Your men have been…detained.”

Watching his fist clench, you’re only able to graze your fingers over the back of Alejandro’s tac vest before he’s lunging at Graves.

You hit the ground as Alejandro’s hands are ziptied, two bullets whizzing past you and hitting the soldier Soap used as cover. You lunge at Graves, but fall back as a bullet lodges itself deep into your thigh. 

Soap manages to shoot the offending soldier, but is knocked back by Graves’ bullet to the shoulder. He rounds the front of the car and you take the opportunity to roll the dead soldier off of Soap as Ghost yells.

“Soap, get out of there!”

He pulls you up and moves to jump over the barricade, two soldiers following and shooting out. One clips you, hitting your tac vest and sending you back. Johnny turns, but you push him over the barricade.

“Go Johnny!”

He pulls your arm and calls out for you, only releasing when a new rain of gunfire breaches the barricade. The soldiers pass you, and you subconsciously thank Johnny for his accuracy as he hits one of the soldiers, allowing you to effectively plunge your knife into the other one.

You look back to see Ghost silently watching you. You gesture towards the barricade and raise your gun with the intent of covering him. You hear his low voice quietly call out.

“Go.”

You don’t move, watching something unrecognizable flash across his eyes. He nods once, and you nod back with a grimace before jumping over the barricade and sliding down the hill.

It isn’t until you’re exiting the thick brush of the forest, thigh burning and blood dripping down your leg, that you realize the bullet to your chest was lodged six centimeters into your comm box.

-

Letting out a low whistle, you knock your knuckles against the wall of the coffee shop and duck behind the counter when Johnny turns his gun on you.

“Jesus, Johnny, it’s me.”

Rushing over and pulling you into his chest, he speaks harshly.

“Why the fuck didn’t you answer comms, Bunny?”

Pulling back and moving a hand to the button, you hold it down and listen to the lack of voices or static.

“It’s busted.” You whisper, “I’m sorry I scared you.”

He pulls you back into him and kisses the crown of your head, murmuring lowly.

“It’s alright, Bun. It’s okay. How’d you find me?”

“Hitched a ride in the back of one of their cruisers. Crashed it when they’d realized I was there. Followed the path of knives here. Ghost’s, I’d imagine.” You chuckled. 

Letting out a smile, he gestures out the window towards the center of the town. 

“Meetin’ him at the church. Shouldn’t be much longer. We need a minute?” He gestures towards your wrapped thigh.

“No, I’m good. Restocked my medkit on the way here.”

“Atta girl, Bun.”

Reaching for the transmitter, he scopes out the narrow street and creeps out the back door. 

“Ghost, Rabbit’s found her way over. Comms are down, she’s stickin’ with me.”

You don’t get to hear his response, and instead choose to focus your attention on covering Soap’s back as he speaks to Ghost.

It isn’t until Johnny’s tone changes that your attention is grabbed.

“He’s sorry, you know.”

You give a noncommittal hum, brows furrowing in muted confusion.

“Who?”

“Ghost. Didn’t mean to bring it up. Gave him an earful for you, Bunny.”

Your frown only deepens, turning to your partner with a raised brow.

“What exactly did you tell him, Johnny?”

He shrugs, avoids your eyes and quickens his pace to remain a step ahead of you.

“John.”

“‘S not important, Bun.”

Sighing out, you push down the irritation that threatens to show itself. 

Airing out your past wasn’t worth the mere cease of Ghost’s accusations. Johnny would say whatever it took to ensure you weren’t being given a hard time, but he’d never expose your skeletons without good reason, and you trust him wholeheartedly.

So what went down while I was gone?

You can’t think about it much longer, and so you task yourself with finding the exfil vehicle as Soap covers Ghost’s hurried departure from the church.

Your loud whistle alerts them of your find, and you pull the man out of the driver's of the pickup seat as you yell out. 

“Ghost, you drive! We’ll cover you!”

Soap hopping in after Ghost, you only have a second to duck behind the car before bullets are piercing the air you’d just stood in. Reversing over the two men, you hear Ghost’s yells for you to get in as you maneuver into the truck bed, pounding your hand against the rear window loudly.

“I’m in! Drive!”

It’s a bumpy ride, and you almost listen to Soap’s demands for you to switch spots, but your paranoia wins you over and you resign to guarding the rear. Once the town’s far into the distance- not even a blip on the horizon- and the empty road loses its daylight, you allow yourself to answer Ghost through the now-broken rear window.

“Didn’t happen to pick up any of those knives I left, did you, Rabbit?”

You’re still irritated with him- more than irritated, actually- but you take his words as the olive branch you know they’re intended to be.

“No.”

Despite your efforts, your tone has him snapping his mouth shut, glancing towards Johnny who gives him a reassuring nod.

Sighing out, you let your head thunk against the window frame and you look up at the clear sky and all of its bright stars.

Dropping your tone into something soft, you let your voice ring out once more.

“Guess that makes us even then?”

Ghost takes a minute to respond, but when he does you hear the relief in his voice.

“Even then, Rabbit.”

You nod and allow yourself to wear the small smile threatening to spread across your face.

Might as well try.

“So… I was gone for a while. What’d I miss?”

Taking you by complete surprise, Ghost lets out a deep chuckle and you turn to watch Soap’s ears redden.

Well that’s interesting.

“Johnny was chattin’ my ear off about you, as always.”

“Oh? Care to indulge?”

“Negative, soldier.”

“Am I ever gonna know?”

“Mm, probably not.”

You throw your hands up with a light laugh, brushing aside shards of glass to squeeze through the window and into the makeshift seat between the two men.

“All good things, darling.” Ghost mumbles, and you glance over at Johnny.

His eyes are soft, and the small nod he gives is the most reassuring thing you’d gotten all week.

Sinking into the seat, you turn the radio onto the first station that gets a signal, crossing your arms and ignoring your brain’s incessant pestering with a sigh.

-

Soap wasn’t afraid of your past. He was there for most of it, and the parts he was absent from, he knew in great detail. You’d shared it with him, though at first he honestly hadn’t realized the significance in that statement. He isn’t a dumb man by any means. He knew these were details that’d been redacted from countless files, explanations to cases chalked up as ‘classified’. But in his own uncharacteristic insecurity, he’d assumed he wasn’t the only one you’d shared those details with. Yeah, it was a small group, he thought, but a group nonetheless. 

He hadn’t realized he was the sole member of that group until he’d come to visit you in the states after the Demon Dogs were shipped off to Urzikstan without you- when you took him to that cobweb-ridden apartment you still rented even after your parents death years ago. 

He hadn’t said a word, hadn’t touched you once, and yet you pulled yourself together enough to skim your fingers over the dusty decor you hadn’t had the heart to alter. 

He liked that about you. How you were able to balance on those wobbly legs all on your own, something he knows you could’ve done regardless if he was there or not, even if you hadn’t once attempted to enter that apartment without him.

You didn’t need him. You wanted him. 

Johnny wasn’t one that had a hard time with words, and he frequently thanked his parents and sisters for their role in that. He may not have known how to comfort you at that moment, but he did know how to talk.

He’d asked about the little things, like who was who in the picture frames and what kind of juice would leave such a dark stain in the worn carpet.

It was blood, and while he hadn’t had the nerve to ask, you’d graced him with the story anyways. He was grateful. You hadn’t always been a woman of many words, but he found himself content to sit back and wait for you to string the sentences together.

Hours later he’d ask more questions, ones more vulnerable than the last because he needed you to understand.

He wanted you, too.

He held you as the tears resurfaced, rubbing his hand along your back not as a way to dry your tears, but as a way to let you know he wanted to be your source of comfort. 

He took the keys from your shaking hands, locking the door and leading you into the rental car. He buckled your seatbelt when your hands were slow from the adrenaline crash, not because you couldn’t but as a way to show you just how much he cared about your safety, no matter how inconsequential the action seemed.

He unlocked the front door of your house, the one you’d paid off with the same cash you despised yourself for earning, and leaned down to help slip your shoes off. He notes the frames on the wall, glass encasing military medals, commemorative awards, and a single name tape. 

Highwater.

You hadn’t gone by that callsign since Victoria.

He angled his shoulders to block your view of the badge.

The frame is cracked towards the edge. He wonders if it’s purposeful. The rest of the house, save for the frame, was almost uncomfortably orderly. The personification of a military mindset. Sheets tucked in the corners, trinkets equal distance apart from each other on the mantle, not a single thing inoperable or in need of repair. 

It looked nothing like that apartment you’d been raised in. 

He knows that’s purposeful.

He carried you up the stairs, setting you gently on top of the sheets he knew you’d hate remaking the next morning with a promise he’d do them for you. 

He pulled the shirt over your torso, unclasping the military-issued bra you’d joked about outlawing a hundred times before, fingers careful not to brush against the raised lines covering the expanse of your back. 

He’d waited for your nod- a small, sheepish one- before skimming his hands over the scarred flesh. You can’t help but shake, a small sort of tremor he remembers you mentioning needing to get under control. You’d described the phantom pains, the familiar burn of leather reopening deep gashes, a pain you’d come to associate with that apartment. 

He takes in the tattoos- collarbone to wrist, sternum to stomach, more covering your legs under the cover of your pants- they’re so new to him it almost feels weird to see. He swears it was just days ago you were rolling up your sleeves to knead dough over holiday in his childhood home, skin clear of ink. 

In the same moment, as he skims his hands along the top of your arms, he realizes your skin hadn’t been so raised when he’d first met you, either. Victoria.

He gauges your reaction. The scars, both physically and mentally, were much fresher. You don’t flinch when he runs his hands over them. Not like you do the ones on your back. 

“I’ll be fine. Been through worse.” you’d said over the phone when the nurse unbandaged your arms all those months ago.

At the time, he’d chastised you for neglecting your health. Now, seeing the way the scars on your back raise far higher than the ones you’d received being tortured, he can’t help but picture adolescent you attempting to care for your own wounds in that apartment and realize you were right.

He kissed you then, a soft, slow sort of chaste kiss that didn’t have much energy behind it yet conveyed every single emotion he needed it to. He needed you to understand that he chose that gentle press of his lips against yours. 

This wasn’t an act spurred on by the heat of the moment. This wasn’t some decision he’d made lightly. No, while he may not have put much thought into it- the action instinctual- it was anything but half-baked.

He’d shimmied his clothes off then, helped you slide your cargo pants down and find warmth deep beneath the duvet. It wasn’t needed, as your combined body heat was enough to power a small sauna, but he knew the sheets provided a small sense of security in an already vulnerable environment.

He’d snaked an arm under your head, holding your body tight to his with the other and pressing another chaste kiss to your lips.

While he was glad the thin sheets provided you some modicum of safety, he wanted nothing more than to be the one to suffocate you in that safe feeling. He let his back face the door, despite it ringing every alarm bell in his military-trained brain, because it meant you wouldn’t be hearing those alarm bells yourself.

When you’d pressed your own kiss to his lips, heart racing with an unsubstantiated fear of disappointing him, he felt his eyes soften more than they ever had before, kissing you one last time before pulling you closer and closing his eyes.

While you hadn’t voiced it, he knew you were reeling from the pleasant shock of the situation. John MacTavish was not a man known for being gentle. He wasn’t harsh or cruel by any means, but he knew you’d heard the gossip. The women he’d brought back to base always left satisfied, but the chaste kisses and whispers of praise Johnny happily provided you with were not ever something those women got to see.

He needed you to understand that he wanted you. 

He’d felt your soft smile against his skin, listened for your heart rate to slow and your breathing to even. He didn’t stop the gentle caress of your back until you were long asleep, finally allowing the burning muscles in his arm to rest and falling asleep himself.

When he felt you stir awake that following morning, he’d made it his personal mission to make sure you felt every last bit of pleasure he felt every time he was around you. It was a thank you of sorts, for allowing him to comfort you in that vulnerable headspace, for trusting him with your entire being. 

He fondly recalls chuckling at you, when you’d murmured something about wanting him to feel good too. His smile was uncontrollably wide in that way that makes your cheeks hurt, and he was quick to remind you that he did feel good. He feels good when he knows you do too, and a couple of cold showers are more than worth it when it ensures you understand that his want for you runs far deeper than physical gratification. 

He’d finally given into your murmured pleas after four consecutive days of relentlessly spoiling you in every way he knew how, and after that, he’d been sure to spend the remainder of the week teaching you what true, unconditional love looked like as you paraded him around the local spots you’d frequented as a child. 

Despite the hours spent discussing your relationship- the need to keep it a secret while on base, the safety concerns of his family knowing, all the little agreements that made his heart want to shatter- the flight back to base wasn’t a dreaded one.

Because he knew- without a doubt- that you understood.

He wanted you.

-

“We’re here, darling.” Ghost speaks softly, patting your leg from where he stands outside the car.

You don’t remember arriving at the safehouse, nor do you remember Ghost or Soap exiting the rickety truck, and you blame the sleep deprivation with a grimace.

He takes your hand and gently leads you down the tall step, closing the door and positioning you between himself and Johnny, who’s eyes scan the building. You grab your discarded gun from the truck bed and motion for them to walk forward, turning and scanning the desert at your backs.

“Where are we?”

“Alejandro’s safehouse. Gave us the location just in case.”

“Why didn't he tell me?”

“It was need-to-know.”

“He told Rabbit?”

“She needed to know.”

“What if I needed to know?”

“Shh, Johnny.”

You continue your slow walk backwards, gun aimed out towards the dry brush.

“Pressure plate.”

“Alejandro rigged it.”

“Smart bastard.”

“There.”

Walking towards the open window carve-out, you scan the inside of the empty building.

“Too dark to see anything. You first, I’ll keep watch here.”

You appreciate Ghost's quick reflexes, even if it was only Rodolfo, as he covered Johnny in a way you couldn’t at the moment, the adrenaline crash and blood loss finally caching back up to you as you struggle to enter the safehouse.  

“Soap! Ghost! You’re alive!”

“Affirmative.”

Even more than his reflexes, you find yourself appreciating his big hands as they envelop your waist, pulling you through the small window with ease.

“You okay, Coneja?”

“I’m okay, Rudy. Glad to see you are, too.”

“Where were you guys?”

“On the run.”

“We were on the run. Ghost waited for us.” Soap answered, throwing a hand around your waist and shifting your weight into his arms.

“Of course, no?”

“No.” You answer with a grimace, your leg shooting pain up your spine, before Ghost quickly amends your answer.

“Yes. We’re a team. All of us. This happened on my watch and I'll need help to fix it. No one fights alone.”

“Why did Graves turn?” 

“We don't know.”

“Las Almas can corrupt anyone.”

“Not us.”

“Might have something to do Shepherd, Graves mentioned direct orders.” You speak quietly. 

You don’t bother mentioning Graves’ taunts and the fact that- besides Johnny- there was only one other person present that would ever think of calling you Victoria.

No, Laswell wouldn’t do that. She won’t even call me Highwater anymore- and that was an official callsign. If she was kind enough to follow that request, there was no way she’d… she couldn’t. No. She wouldn’t do that to me.

“For now, General Shepherd, Laswell, and anyone else outside this room is considered a hostile.”

“We need Alejandro back.”

“Graves is holding him here.” Rudy walks over and points to a small section of the map. 

“When do we leave?”

“Tomorrow, 0400. I’ve intercepted a message about a scheduled drop. We’ll need the distraction. For now, we wait. There are cots in the armory.”

“Where are you going?” You ask as he shoved items into his small pack. 

“There are a few things I need to do. People to check up on. We’ll reconvene in the morning.”

“Stay safe, hermano.”

“Rest up, amigos.” He claps his shoulder, turning back to you and Ghost, nodding once. 

“See you tomorrow, Rudy.”

You wait until you hear the rumble of the car’s engine slowly fade to silence before you whisper.

“I overheard Alejandro fretting about his mother. No doubt Rudy’s gone to check up on her.”

“He’s a good man.”

“That he is.” You affirm, limping over to the table and grabbing the small medkit Rudy had set aside for you.

Wincing as you unwrap the bandage, you pant as you try to gently detach your cargos from where the blood had bonded them to your skin.

Seeing his large figure in your peripherals, you look up as Ghost kneels in front of you, gently taking your thigh in his hand as he inspects the wound. You register the sound of Soap clearing off the table, the pair leaning you onto the edge of it.

Without a word, Ghost’s taking off his gloves, his hands reaching around your waist and lifting you onto the table before resuming their gentle prodding at your thigh.

“Gonna have to take your pants off, darling.” He speaks softly, already unlacing your boots.

You feel your cheeks warm as you look to Soap, who gives a feather light kiss to the crown of your head before taking the scissors and cutting around the torn fabric.

“It’s gonna hurt, Bunny. It’s real stuck on there.” He frowns, opening a bottled water and lightly pouring it over the wound.

It doesn’t budge, and you curse yourself, Graves, and the entire shadow team for not allowing you to properly take care of the wound hours ago.

Unbuckling and shimmying your pants down your hips, you nod and remind yourself to take deep breaths. You groan as Ghost slowly pulls the fabric down and over the wound. You feel the skin tear and sigh in relief when it’s over, Soap quick to press a wet cloth over the bleeding skin as Ghost pulls your pants over your ankles. 

You don’t mind the remaining coolness your rain-damp clothes provides as your leg supplies your body with enough heat to have you breaking a sweat. They’re quick to disinfect and dislodge the remnants of the bullet from your thigh, carefully bandaging it with a practiced preciseness. 

You feel the air shift and open your eyes to the wall that is Ghost’s chest. He fiddles with the bottom of your shirt, tugging slightly.

“Off, Rabbit.”

Your eyes widen and you snap your head to Johnny who nods with a soft smile. He lets Ghost speak for him, but takes his hand in yours and rubs his thumb over your knuckles soothingly.

“Your clothes are still damp. Don’t want you catching a cold, do we?” He speaks lowly. 

“I don’t- I’m not sure- I don’t think I can-”

Soap cuts off your quiet stammering with a kiss to the back of your hand.

“It’s okay, Bun. I’m right here.”

Watching his soft expression, your eyes water and you turn back to Ghost with a nod.

He’s slow in pulling your shirt off, and you hold back a gasp as the cool air hits each scar littering your back.

“Ghost?” You question with a whisper, eyes taking every last detail in as he pushes the balaclava to expose his strong jaw and full, pink lips.

“‘M here, darlin’.” He hums softly, leaning to press a kiss to your lips.

You lean into it, pressing one palm into his chest and using the other to steady yourself on the small desk.

He pulls away, moving to trail kisses along your jaw. Brain fuzzy, you don’t notice Johnny’s finished tending to your now rebandaged bicep. The sting of the antiseptic is somehow completely painless when paired with Ghost’s affection. Brain still half operating, you miss the way his shoulders shift as he leans forward to press a kiss to the scarred flesh towards the back of your neck. You stiffen, closed eyes screwing tighter as you force your hands not to shake.

You feel Johnny’s hands from behind you, one skimming along your chest as the other brushes your hair from your shoulder. He starts his own trail of kisses along the other side of your neck, speaking softly.

“‘S alright, Bun. We’ve got you.”

“Johnny?”

He hums noncommittally, still pressing light kisses against your neck and shoulder as he reaches forward to gently tug at Ghost’s belt. It pulls the three of you impossibly closer, and you take it upon yourself to remove the garment with a needy sigh.

You feel him move to kneel, but quickly catch his shirt in your hand and pull him back to your lips. You sigh between kisses, murmuring.

“Want you to fuck me, Ghost.”

You almost laugh at the way his lips part, eyes darting behind you to look at Soap. 

“Don’t look so worried, Fantasma. You think I haven’t seen the way Johnny’s eyes follow you? Take what you want, Ghost. We’re yours.” You quietly confess, tugging his shirt off with a low whine.

Soap laughs with a blush, shaking his head and shrugging.

“‘S why I love her.”

You giggle and lean back into Soap’s arms, turning your head to kiss him deeply before pushing Ghost's hips back and sliding off the table and onto your knees.

“Darling-”

“-Shh,” You cut him off, sliding his jeans down his thighs and palming him over his boxers. “Go ahead, give me a show.”

His cheeks redden, half hidden under the mask, and Soap is quick to pull him into a kiss.

You giggle quietly, tugging down his boxers and running your tongue along the length of his cock.

You hear him moan into Johnny’s mouth, your partner pulling back to bite marks along Ghost’s jaw, before settling on his knees next to you. He licks the base of Ghost’s cock as you kiss at his tip, hand settling over the areas you and Soap missed.

Ghost’s moans fill the air, one hand threading through your hair and the other settling over Johnny’s open jaw.

“Fuckin’ beautiful sight. Could stay like this forever.” He slurs, abs tightening and breath shuttering.

You laugh and settle your free hand on his thigh, caressing the area.

“So responsive, Ghost.” You tease with a smile.

You move forward, taking him into your mouth as Johnny shifts his attention to his heavy balls.

“S-Simon.”

You look up at him with wide eyes, noting in the back of your brain how Soap does the same.

“My name, darling. It’s Simon.” He sighs out, throwing his head back and tightening his grip on your hair.

You pull back, unable to control your wide smile and kiss his hip softly.

“So pretty, Simon.” You murmur against his skin.

You trail kisses up his chest, stopping to suck dark bruises onto his collarbones and the underside of his jaw. The area is red and purple from you and Johnny’s assault, but you can’t stop yourself. 

You feel Ghost’s abs tighten once more as Johnny raises his head.

“Let go for me, Simon.” He mumbles, hollowing his cheeks and pulling Ghost’s hips forward.

He came with a loud moan, dropping his head to your shoulder and panting with a chuckle.

You continue your soft kisses against his skin as Soap helps him redress, and you lean back against the desk with a smile. Johnny throws an arm around your shoulder and kisses the top of your head, laughing to himself.

“Wasn’t originally how Ghost pictured getting back in your good graces. Night was supposed to be about you, Bun.”

“Mm. You two can make it up to me once this is all over. What do you think, Si?”

He steadies his hand on the desk, softly kissing your cheek before pulling the balaclava back to its original place.

“I’ll save the date, darlin’. Come on, let’s get you into something dry.”

Slowly walking you to the armory, he sits you on a cot before turning to dig through a box of mens cargo pants. He hands a pair to Soap who gently tugs them up your legs, securing your belt over the too-large pair of trousers. Grabbing a dark shirt, he lifts your arms to slide it over your head, gently rubbing your back.

Johnny sets your boots in front of you, letting you slip them on and lace them in the weird pattern you swear is ten times more efficient. You’ve never minded sleeping in your boots, not on missions like these where preparedness is the difference between life and death, but you find yourself frowning at the realization that you were indeed still sleeping on a rickety cot in a desert safehouse.

Settling onto the cot, Johnny pulls you to lay on his chest, spreading his legs to accommodate for your wrapped thigh. The lights go out, and you hear Ghost’s quiet steps approach his cot.

Leaning over, you pull the cot closer to yours before settling back onto Johnny’s chest. His steps follow, and you hear him sink onto the cot with a sigh. You watch his eyes scan the dark room, and you frown knowing the man won’t be sleeping anytime soon.

“I don’t know what Johnny told you when I was off comms… but I’m glad he did.” You whisper, nuzzling your face into Johnny’s shirt.

“I am too, darling.”

“Goodnight, Simon.” 

“Goodnight, Rabbit.”

Listening to Johnny’s soft snores, you allow your tiredness to overcome you- eyes barely open as you shift your leg over, tapping your boot against Ghost’s, twice.

-

<3

[anemonelovesfiction]

Kinktober 8- Voyeurism

Lo’ak X Human Fem Reader; Neteyam watching 👀

Warnings ⚠️: Fingering, Choking, P in V, voyeur Neteyam 😋, OC’s in the beginning for a smidge just for the plot.

I wanted to do something a little crazy and dedicate this chapter to @loaksulluyswife I see you liking and reblogging most of my posts and I wanted to show some appreciation to you as well, thank you for being you and thank you for liking my writing 😭

No use of Y/n in this so I’m happy! This shit is hard for me to do. Sorry for the late posts, I keep getting depressed asf (the weather aint helping) and I keep wanting to delete things.

Kinktober 2023 Masterlist

Translation Station:

Syulang: Flower

Tewng: Loincloth

Word Count: 2.5 K

“What about you, who would you rather sleep with, Lo’ak or Neteyam?” One of my friend’s, Amber, asks me. We were sitting in a circle, taking swigs of whatever fermented alcoholic drink we were able to snag from the party the Omatikaya were having outside of the base of operations, between myself and the other two before me I shrug. Spider usually hung out with whenever he wasn’t partaking in their celebrations or hanging with the kids we were currently discussing.

“I don’t think either of them would be willing to sleep with a human.” I answered honestly and feel the two girls before me groan in frustration and seem upset at my answer.

“What?” I ask as my eyes widened, I thought being honest was the best route to go for me, but judging by the looks of distaste on both the girls face that wasn’t what they wanted.

“We wanna know whose dick you’re thirsty for, not what they want.” Ashley speaks this time.

“Why is that such a big deal?” I asked while attempting to take a swig of the drink, feeling it snatched out of my hands, and I sigh.

“You look like a Neteyam girl.” Amber, the one who’d snatched the drink from my hands speaks, the same person I’d known since we were in diapers

“No way, she definitely wants Lo’ak.”

“What if I said both? Would the two of you stop bickering and let me get a drink?” I ask as I hold my hand out, expecting her to hand the alcohol back and see her scoff, taking a drink herself and passing it toward Ashley.

“Come on, Amber, what the fuck.” I groan.

“That’s such a cop out, please tell me you’re a Lo’ak girl, you have to choose one.” Ashley asks with a hopeful tone in her voice and I about roll my eyes in her direction.

“Fine, Lo’ak, with Neteyam watching. Is that good enough for you?”

“In your face Amber, I told you she wanted Lo’ak.”

“She said she wanted Neteyam to watch!” She rebuts and I roll my eyes as she is givedn the drink again, having had enough I roll my eyes and stand, heading over to place a mask on my face and hearing the hiss signal that it was properly positioned, I didn’t feel like staying here and being denied alcohol. Plus I could hang out with Spider and his friends and it would be a nice change of pace from being stuck in here, Norm was in his link unit and I’m sure he’d be fine with it.

“Where are you going?” One of them yells out to catch my attention but I wave her off.

“Anywhere the two of you aren’t, that way I can get drunk.” I stated quickly and opened the door leading me into a small area for the oxygen to get neutralized, shutting it quickly to prevent the other two from seeking an invitation out with me, opening the second door out into the atmosphere of high camp.

It doesn’t take me long to spot out a table with a couple of drinks in the custom made jars they had, the intricate designs on them each meant the bottle held something different. I wasn’t in the mood to drink something that would get me drunk faster because the taste was usually worse, the phantom sting coursing through my throat at that moment made me shiver from the last time I’d drank from the jar with the purple designs on them. I wanted something painted in a turquoise and spotted several, they often incorporated their fruits into it and made it taste sweeter.

I smile and start setting a course to make my way toward the table, thinking of where I could enjoy the delicacy and figuring getting drunk in Pandoran atmosphere was probably not the best idea because I could end up forgetting to put my mask back on, but before I could even make it halfway to my destination, a tug pulls my concentration- and my body- off toward the left, my legs blindly following the semi familiar touch and my heart yearning for another drink.

“What the fuck-“ I stated before being shoved up against the slanted rock, my own breath coming out as a gasp at the feeling, eyes widening at the action as I stare at a pair of familiar eyes and feeling anger boiling over.

“What is wrong with you!” I stated angrily.

“I thought you wouldn’t mind if I brought you out here with me, syulang.” He lightly pinches one of my cheeks and lets out a chuckle as I swat his hand away angrily, all I wanted was to sneak some alcohol and enjoy it in a quiet place.

“You cost me some booze.” I stated as I crossed my arms and notice the smirk had yet to leave his lips, wanting to slap it off his face.

“I have an idea in mind on how I can make it up to you,” He offers and it has me raising a brow, eyeing him up and down, eyes squinting at his proposition.

“I might not be able to fulfill all of it but it might help, it’s up to you.” He shrugs smugly and I was starting to picture the different ways I could beat his ass at the moment, he was too vague for my liking.

“What are you going on about now?” I sigh.

“If my mind serves me right, You have to choose one, fine Lo’ak with Neteyam watching.” He tilts his head to the side, had this been a different circumstance I would have laughed along to his antics, but considering the situation I wanted Eywa to open up a hole in the ground to swallow me up.

“That’s not fuckin’ funny, dammit, you weren’t even supposed to be there-“ I cut myself off as a realization hits me.

“-What were you doing there anyway? Don’t tell me you were sneaking in to find Norm’s laptop so you could jerk off to some porn.” I began by letting a smile start revealing itself on my lips, watching his own smirk falter lightly, and feeling surprised at his reaction, ears drooping slightly before they pick up again.

“No bullshit?” I ask immediately and his eyes pick up again, eyes looking between mine before a smile settles on his features.

“To which one?”

“Your offer.” I crossed my arms, lifting my chin defiantly, not bothering to shy away from staring at his eyes.

“Can you even take me?” He crosses his own arms and looks down at me.

“I dunno, you seem quiet enough to make it seem like you have a big dick, do you?” I tilt my head slightly toward the side and watch him fight a smile.

_________

This isn’t the first time Lo’ak has been known to disappear, and as always, it had been my duty to retrieve him and bring him home, just for our father to reprimand him for his childish behaviors for disappearing. I’d seen him take off toward the link pods where Kiri’s mother was kept and had taken to peeking near the windows to only see two inebriated females laughing at something.

I must have mistook the sense of direction he’d taken, but even Spider had pointed toward where my brother went after I asked politely, both of them having pointed toward where the humans kept their machines to connect to their avatars. I head back to check and see if he’d been anywhere near the outer edged of the party where a lot of couples had taken to talk or sometimes decided it was appropriate to be intimate.

But I turn my head sharply once I catch the slightest whiff of his scent, taking a cautious step forward and sniffing the air around me, assuring that his scent is getting stronger, and slightly mingled with the other tawtute Spider likes to hang out with. I continue making my way down the path he must have taken earlier, wanting to know what the skxawng had been up to and why he thought he could sneak away when our father told him to stay near.

It doesn’t take long for me to find him, back facing me and he seems to be crouched down a bit, I want to yell out his name just as something lurches in my abdomen, a specific scent I’d only smelled a handful of times hits my nose and I stop myself from approaching him. Ears picking up the sound of his activities.

“See, I told you, you were worried over nothing.” He speaks in a hushed tone, almost soothing, something he rarely does.

“Look at how well you’re already taking my fingers.” I hear him mutter. I knew I should have left at that moment once I heard the sounds being made from the woman below him, her heavy breaths turning into soft moans, but I felt frozen in my spot listening to them, wanting to hear more as well.

“Your fingers are huge,” My eyes widen a bit as I realize whose voice it belongs to and feel my entire body straighten up once more, I really shouldn’t be here, and almost as if on cue, I can see Lo’ak moving out of the way just enough for me to see her facial expressions and blood was starting to pump toward my cock, hardening at the sight of her face alone.

“That’s not the only thing thats huge-“ He states and I can practically hear the smirk in his voice, mentally rolling my eyes at his comment, but standing here while watching her face with the light of the moon and plants glowing in the dark of night had me palming my growing erection, begging to be released from the confines of my tewng.

“Go fa-faster, please-“ I can hear her breathing getting heavier and from the angle I can see her body at, I can tell she’s moving her hips against his fingers, hearing him groan as his gaze shifts downward.

“I could just watch you fuck yourself on my fingers instead, syulang.” He mumbles and she gasps right as I hear a wet squelching sound, indicating he’d started moving his fingers faster, I palmed myself faster, the slight pain of being kept hidden inside my tewng was making my stomach bubble with anticipation of needing to come.

“Fuck Lo, I’m close-“ She pants out and I watch as he withdraws his hands from her, her protests being louder than her moans from earlier, the fingers he’d been thrusting inside of her glistening with the light provided and my ears flicker back, a blush settling on my face, I stop the groan building in my throat and see Lo’ak bringing his wet fingers in his own mouth.

He groans at the taste and I can feel my jealousy grow, how lucky he must have been to get a taste of her on his tongue, my hands balled up into fists and I’m almost tempted to walk over and punch him, but I shamefully remembered the erection I was sporting, knowing it was between walking away and letting myself grow soft, or allowing myself the pleasures of watching their activities and coming while watching them, and I found myself sliding my tewng off, erection slapping my thigh and I look back up to find Lo’ak lining himself with her entrance.

“Fuck-“ I groan right when I see her face scrunch up as he inserts the tip, holding her up at the perfect angle to see every bit of her body, the eyes she had once shut had opened as she looks right at me, eyes widening a bit, taking in a breath as Lo’ak pushes in further.

_________

I bit my lip to stop myself from making any more noise and pawed at Lo’ak’s shoulder, I still kept eye contact with Neteyam and saw his hand gripping his already hardened cock, feeling myself squeeze around Lo’ak at the sight and seeing his green eyes look up at mine.

“This is what you wanted, no?” He asks me right as he slides in further and I gasp, a broken moan being ripped out of me and catching movement from the corner of my eye, snapping them back to the older brother and catching him stroking his cock.

“Oh fuck-“ I mutter as Lo’ak bottoms out, stretching my cunt wide just to fit himself in snugly, eyes on Neteyam, moaning at him, right as Lo’ak slides back out.

“Faster.” I command, watching as Neteyam picks up his pace and bites his own lip to keep his noise down, his shaft glistening as his precome seems to slide out his fat head like a river, allowing my pussy to flutter around Lo’ak. Feeling his pace pick up after I’d stated that and throwing my head back with a moan, hands gripping harshly at Lo’ak’s shoulders.

My eyes shut harshly right as Lo’ak places one of his hands around my neck, squeezing the sides gently, his cheek nuzzling mine.

“Open those pretty eyes syulang, let him know how good I’m making you feel.” He grunts in my ear before pulling his face away, squeezing on my neck more, my hips moving against his and the sounds coming from my pussy could not be mistaken for any other activity.

Lazily dragging my eyes over to Neteyam who’d been matching his brothers pace, he’d been staring at my cunt, but shifted his gaze toward mine the second I looked over. I could tell he was breathing heavily, by the desperate look on his face, his hips starting to meet his hands thrusts, and how he’d squeezed the head right as he stroked it, I knew he was close.

“Lemme come, please-“ I whine, attempting to keep my legs spread, just to give Neteyam the view he’d been staring at this entire time.

“Of course you can.” Lo’ak grunts as he picks up the pace.

“N-not you, Teyam, lemme come, please.”

Any and every feeling in my body was set on fire as Neteyam faltered in his own ministrations as the realization hits, but picks up his pace again and groans freely, my own hips attempting to meet the fast pace Lo’ak has set.

“Fuck, thats hot,” Lo’ak moans lightly, ears pressed back as he squeezes harder on my neck, but my eyes never leave Neteyam’s.

“Please, m’close!” I beg just to finally see his nod of approval and allow myself to leg go, the waves of ecstasy crashing over my body, biting my lip in an attempt to keep my eyes open, watching Neteyam spill over his fists, Lo’ak never faltering in his pace as he comes inside.

“So how about next time I watch?” The man directly in front of me asks and although I’m still weak in the knees from the post-orgasmic bliss I make a face but smile at his comment, nodding my head lightly.

“You’re the biggest dumbass-“ Neteyam calls out only to get cut off by his brother.

“She said yes.”

“She said yes?”

[the-au-thor]

ʙᴀʙʏꜱɪᴛᴛɪɴɢ ᴍᴜɴ | ᴘᴛ.4 | ᴇ.ᴍ x ꜰᴇᴍ!ʀᴇᴀᴅᴇʀ

Summary: "Eddie Munson has a whaaaat?"

Yep, he has a heart, and it angers you so much.

And he also so has a good taste in clothing which is...weird.

Pairing: Eddie Munson x Fey!Fem!Reader

Warnings: Click here

[¹][²][³][⁴][⁵][⁶][⁷][⁸][⁹][¹⁰][¹¹][¹²][¹³][¹⁴]

You wouldn’t look at him. Since leaving Los Angeles, flying over the beautiful skies of the United States toward Indiana, you hadn’t made eye contact with him—not even once. It hurt a lot more because you could look the others in the eye but not him.

“So… all your friends and your dad are in Hawkins, but you bought a house in Indianapolis,” you said, holding the notebook you always carried for work while watching Eddie’s driver carry his luggage into the massive house Eddie had bought a few years ago.

“Exactly,” he admitted, watching as questions piled up on your face. But instead of asking them, you adjusted your glasses, which sent the loose strand from your bun falling across your face. You nodded, handing him the keys to his truck.

“Alright. Here are your truck keys. Tomorrow, you’ve got a solo radio interview, and the guys will be traveling here from Hawkins for the concert. We already advertised that any kid wearing a Hellfire Club shirt gets an 80% discount on merch, and I sent VIP passes to all your friends and your unc—your dad.” You corrected yourself quickly.

Eddie took the keys to his truck and stuck his tongue out behind your back. You were too busy studying your notebook to notice, looking neither impressed nor fazed.

“Aren’t you going to ask anything?”

“Nope. I’ll be at my hotel room. Try not to call me because you decided to steal a giraffe from the zoo or throw a hobo party, alright? Great talk,” you said as you walked toward the house's foyer to grab your jacket.

“Oh, come on, Fey! What do you mean, your hotel room? There are, like, ten bedrooms here,” Eddie protested, following you, his arms flailing impatiently.

“I booked a room with the rest of the concert staff. Like it should be,” you explained, still avoiding his gaze as you straightened your jacket, pulling your hair out from under it.

“Come on, you’re not staff—you’re my assistant. What if I need something at night or something?”

You laughed.

“What, to give you a bottle and burp you? No thanks. See you later, Eddie.”

He clenched his teeth.

“How long are you going to stay mad at me, Fey?” he finally asked, pointing out the elephant in the room after four days without contact and two excruciating hours of travel.

“I’m not mad at you, Eddie. I just think we need boundaries,” you explained. “Boundaries will help make sure what happened at the party doesn’t happen again.”

“Don’t call me Eddie,” he muttered through gritted teeth.

You looked at him, but not really—your eyes settled somewhere on his forehead as if you were digging a bullet-sized hole there.

“That’s your name. Or would you prefer I call you Mr. Munson?”

Eddie puffed out his cheeks and lightly punched the wall beside him.

“Dammit, Fey, you drive me crazy,” he muttered.

You smirked, victorious.

“Sorry to hear that, Mr.—”

“Oh, don’t you dare,” he cut you off, his tone almost a warning. But to you, it wasn’t threatening—it was entertaining. “And cut it out with the ‘Mr.’ and ‘Eddie.’ That’s not us. I’m Mun, and you’re Fey.”

You blinked rapidly, slinging your bag over your shoulder.

“That’s not my name,” you replied flatly.

Eddie rolled his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose, closing his eyes for a moment.

“Enough. I’ll have your luggage brought in. We have a lot to talk about. My friends are arriving Wednesday, and one of them has a birthday. I need you as my conscience because apparently hiring nuns to serve drinks isn’t a great idea, according to Robert.”

“I agree with him, which I never thought I’d say. Tomorrow, after the interview, we can grab lunch and talk about it,” you said, quickly jotting something in your notebook.

“You’re killing me, Fey. Why do you have to make everything so hard?”

“Others would say I’m actually making it easier.”

Eddie let out a humorless laugh.

“Oh yeah? Who? I’d like to meet them.”

“I don’t know—maybe someone like Will Walsh,” you quipped, emphasizing the name with sarcasm before snapping your notebook shut and heading for the door. That remark only made Eddie angrier.

“See? SEE?! I KNEW YOU WERE MAD—”

“What’s going on here, son?” Wayne’s voice echoed through the house, interrupting the endless, pointless argument. He had just come inside using the keys Eddie had given him when he bought the house. Both of you looked at him in silence, and of course, Eddie spoke first.

“I’m trying to deal with this woman!”

Offended, you glared at him, eyebrows raised in anger, and your mouth opened instantly to protest.

“Don’t call me that!”

Eddie nodded, pretending to reflect, placing a hand on his chin.

“You’re right. The more accurate word is child,” he said, turning to Wayne. “Wayne, I’m trying to deal with this hellish child.”

“I’m leaving,” you muttered, sighing in frustration, unwilling to hear any more of the nonsense Eddie had to say. Pausing in front of Wayne, you attempted to compose yourself, offering him a polite handshake and a nervous smile. “Sorry you had to see this, Wayne. Nice shirt. See you at the concert, I guess.”

“Yeah, yeah. Don’t let this brat get under your skin,” he murmured the last part to you, making you puff out your cheeks and purse your lips angrily.

“It’s a little late for that,” you replied, leaning toward his ear, earning a chuckle that only irritated Eddie more. He rubbed his face with his hands and started tying his hair into a high bun.

“Fey, can you at least take this?” he asked, rushing to one of his massive suitcases and pulling out a package adorned with a bow. He placed it in your hands when it became clear you wouldn’t lift a finger to take it.

“Who should I send it to?” you asked, studying the package as if it were a foreign object.

“To your hotel room,” he replied, mocking you in a childlike voice. “It’s yours.”

Suspicious, you raised one eyebrow.

“Does it contain an explosive that’ll go off when I pull this ribbon?” you asked, flipping the package over in your hands.

“Jesus,” he muttered, rubbing his mouth. “The only thing you’re pulling is my balls,” he grumbled through gritted teeth.

You nodded silently, clutching the gift to your chest without letting the comment bother you.

“Thanks,” you said.

Now it was Eddie who was giving you a strange look.

“That’s it?”

You glanced at Wayne and then back at him, unsure.

“Yeah. I’m leaving now, Eddie.”

“Damn it!” he growled, the words ripping out of his throat like they were strangling him as he watched you close the door. Then he turned to Wayne. “Don’t ask me to explain, because I don’t know how.”

Wayne laughed, amused.

“It’s pretty clear to me. For once, you’re not messing with a girl—a girl’s messing with you.”

“Ha-ha,” Eddie deadpanned, not even pretending to find it funny. He threw an arm around Wayne’s neck—the man who was as close to a father as he’d ever had. “How about you tell me how life’s been over a couple of beers, huh?”

When the car dropped you off at the hotel, you were honestly exhausted. Thankfully, after the Indianapolis concert, there’d be a two-week break before the tour picked back up in New York. That would wrap up the U.S. leg before heading to Europe in about a month. The idea of seeing even a bit of London or Scotland had you a little excited. You’d always wanted to visit those places. Of course, it wasn’t exactly how you’d imagined it, but you weren’t going to get picky. You had a job that paid the bills and let you see some nice places when you weren’t, as Eddie so eloquently put it, “pulling his balls.”

You couldn’t figure out why it irritated him so much that you were keeping your distance. You’d have thought he’d enjoy it. He was like some hormonal teenager—distant when his parents were around but thrilled to have space to sneak girls into the house. So why was he so bothered?

If you were being honest, though, you were enjoying it. It was about time Eddie Munson, rockstar extraordinaire, got a taste of his own medicine in the form of a little frustration.

You bit your thumb nervously, staring at the package sitting on the bed. You had no idea what in the world it could be. Eddie didn’t give you gifts. Eddie gave you generous bonuses, usually as extra pay for using your free time—or what should have been your sleep time—to clean up his messes.

You knew he was generous and cared about the people close to him, but you weren’t his friend. The only reason you knew anything about his private life was because that’s what you were hired for: don’t ask questions (but do, if necessary), fix problems, and anticipate potential disasters in both the public and not-so-public life of Eddie Munson.

When you’d agreed to an interview with Robert at his office, you’d pictured something completely different. But the man had set a trap. Just like he had an eye for rising stars, he also had a talent for spotting desperate, broke souls.

Anyway, back to the package. Eddie didn’t give anything without expecting something in return. And you hadn’t done anything for him that wasn’t already paid for. So what was in that package?

You muttered a curse under your breath and tore into it, showing no mercy for the expensive wrapping paper or the intricately tied bow, which now bounced somewhere on the hotel room floor.

Inside was more paper—a kind of thin, translucent cushioning for something delicate.

“What, no maze for me to solve, too?” you muttered as you worked to unwrap it.

Finally, you uncovered the contents: a beautiful piece of fabric that appeared to have at least three layers—the lining, the inner layer, and a layer of tulle on the outside. You picked it up and realized it was a gorgeous dress, floor-length and elegant. The lining and inner fabric ended mid-thigh, but the tulle extended all the way down to brush the floor.

It had one sleeve, while the other arm was left bare. A black evening gown, delicate, expensive, and absolutely stunning. It even smelled of a fragrance far too luxurious to come from a convenience store.

You glanced back at the package and noticed a note tucked inside. That messy handwriting was unmistakable.

“Fey,

Here’s something you can wear next time you treat yourself to one of my record label’s boring parties.

Happy belated birthday, and sorry if I’m an ignorant ass.

—Mun xx”

You read the note a couple of times, then stared at the gorgeous dress for a few minutes. You felt the warmth in your chest building, transforming second by second into something else.

When you realized what it was, you threw the dress onto the bed angrily, glared up at the ceiling, and screamed.

Damn. Eddie. Munson.

[whoopsyeahokay]

Heeeyyyy,

I'm sure you've seen the school spirits trailer. What do you think. I'm so excited for season 2 😫

Also hope you're feeling better 💛

ooooh~ my sweet sugar pie. the theories i have are abundant and unhinged 🙈 some of them tie into October Sun, so i'm a little reluctant to share them but i'm happy to divulge what i can 👻

firstly, i'm 100% sure Mr. Martin isn't working alone. there's a reason our sweet ghosties are there. a reason Janette stole Maddie's body to get out of there (for something more than "i'm sick of these 4 walls, i'm going crazy, get me out of here).

fun fact: "The National Emergency Alarm Repeater (NEAR) was a program developed in the United States during the Cold War to supplement radio broadcasts and siren warning systems in the event of a nuclear attack." i don't quite know yet if Maddie has anything to do with the fallout shelter but i find it interesting that her family name is "Nears" and she was knocked out of her body in a fallout shelter.

further, i have a feeling the fallout shelter is a liminal space where anyone could see ghosts.

interestingly, they're bringing in Yuri (which i did not see coming, but i am excited for). i'm curious to see what they're going to do with him. I think these kids were chosen for a reason; something i explore in October Sun, too, but i doubt, in the show, it's for the same reason 😝

i really want to know who Quinn is. i predict she's going to be a love interest for Simon. someone who "helps him through his loss" bc he now believes Maddie's ghost is a figment of his tortured mind 😭 and i think Xavier might be able to see ghosts after being hit by the ass-end of his own truck.

Mr. Anderson comes back and i wanna know why, although my theory is he's gonna be able to explain why the ghosts are there in the first place. not necessarily because he's involved. i just think maybe his dad knows things or he has suspicions or something. he'll be a vehicle to get us to that conclusion.

i feel like the Maddie/Wally romance will be front and center although i still can't see how it'll work unless they bring everyone back from the dead. which... i don't think is the plan. but i could be wrong. still, Maddie/Wally endgame isn't possible if he remains a ghost and she gets her body back, soz. i have a feeling it's going to be one of those things where it starts with a specific couple and ends with that couple being separated and each person is in a different relationship. à la every incestuous CW show ever that ran for more than 4 seasons (i know this isn't CW but u get what i mean).

that's about all i can share without giving away anything from October Sun 🙈 i have so many thoughts and theories, and im' sure i'll come up with more after rewatching all the 'sodes that follow Homecoming...

love u to bits n pieces, babes❤️ tysm for checking in 😘

October Sun