#Works for the Ever Present Orchestra
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musicmakesyousmart · 1 year ago
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Alvin Lucier - Works for the Ever Present Orchestra Vol. II
Black Truffle
2023
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emmyrosee · 5 months ago
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Can I request a little thing with Sukuna where they’re having a soft moment on his bed or something and he pulls reader in for a hug before places slow kisses onto her neck?
The newscaster on the tv is long forgotten as Sukuna’s attentions are directed to you and you alone, their voice dull and droning as he takes his time focusing on you.
Next to him, on your back with your head turned to the side away from him as you giggle at something on your feed, you’re completely unbothered by the feeling of his eyes on you. He bites his lip at the sight of your shaking shoulders before extending a long arm to wrap around you, snaking across your shoulders and squeezing you tight, relishing in the small, surprised squeal you let out, “what’re you watching that you can’t show your perfect, funny, handsome boyfriend?”
“Look,” you mewl, and he pulls you into his side. You turn your phone to him, presenting him with a video of a dog waking up with its owner in an (allegedly) funny way.
Well, it was. But he’d never tell you that.
“It’s cute right?” You mewl, and he takes the phone from your hands and puts it on the pillow behind you.
“I’m cuter,” he murmurs.
“You are,” you assure, flipping onto your side to face him. He smirks as you do, your faces only a few inches apart. You nudge his legs to become tangled with yours, and he allows it with a small hum. “There’s no way you’re jealous of a dog on TikTok though, right?”
“So what if I am?” Sukuna asks, and you giggle. “I can’t make exceptions for you ogling at every cute creature you see- where’s the line?”
“You’re my favorite cute thing,” you hum, and he gags. “What! You can say it but I can’t?”
“Exactly.” The hand on your body wanders, over your side and arm, using his knuckles to delicately touch you. He slips his other arm under your pillow to finally close the distance between you both, the arm you’re now laying on caressing the back of your head while his free arm moves over the space of your back. You burrow into his chest, your own fingers gently playing with the buzzed hair at the nape of his neck. He huffs and buries his head deeper into you, and you gasp as his lips find their way to your neck, peppering down your jawline before taking home in your neck.
“Sukuna-“
“Mhmm? You’re interrupting me.”
You snicker, “jus’ not used to you being so affectionate.” You shiver as his tongue licks over your flaring pulse point before going back and pressing wet kisses to your sensitive neck. “Tickles.”
“Good,” he murmurs, biting softly to make you writhe, only to soothe that with a kiss. “Submit to me and maybe I’ll stop.”
“What if I don’t want you to stop?”
He snickers softly. The hand on your back rubs soothing circles and the one caressing your head massages the nape of your neck, and you feel your eyes growing heavier at the orchestra of sensations that work together to relax you.
“No marks,” you warn him, voice a slight slur from being so soothed. He grunts in agreement, but he does suck ever so slightly behind your ear, and you tug his hair. He hisses and glares at you. “No. Marks.”
“Alright, fuck, no marks,” he grumbles. “Didn’t know I was in the presence of the fuckin’ fun police.”
“I’m always fun.”
And even though a protesting tease dances on his lips, Sukuna says nothing, merely leaning down to press and lave his tongue at the base of your neck by your collarbone. You mewl, and he chuckles and sucks there, and you know you’ll have to cover those bruises with a higher-collared shirt.
You don’t have it in you to scold it again. Not when you’re melting like chocolate in his hand.
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woaza · 2 months ago
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Could you do a Dino Classico x reader, human noble. They went to the study during a party to take a break and secretly to read a book they brought. Theodore snuck out because he wanted to be grown up and saw them in the room. They talk about the book and lent it to Theodore. Dino sees the book with the readers name in the cover after the twin girls tease Theo about his new crush much later in the week.
Dino Classico X (Fem)Human!reader
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Contains : Long fic.
Word count : 2.7k words
Warnings : Dino being mean to his son, Dino Being a waving red flag and use of Y/N and L/N.
A/N : Hey I got a tone of requests which I’m super grateful for! I’m working on all of them and super appreciate your patience and i promise to get them done even if it takes a while! Plus some of them are a bit confusing so once I decipher them I’ll be getting to work lol. Also We got to get Theodore to a psychiatrist ASAP. Your toys talking to you is not normal. 🌜
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It was the annual Classico Ball event, held at the Classico Estate. The ball room was magnificent with a large porch wrapping around the party room. Large stained glass windows and even bigger glass doors. The garden was well kept but vines grew up the glass and white pillars due to the grand age of the manor. Yet the natural but well kept garden was just charming and magnificent. Which was simply another way the Classico’s parade their power in such a subtle way. It was a humid summer evening, despite the sun setting it was hot. The ladies and lords doing their best to stay inside as to not sweat in their nice evening wear. Of course the head of the Classico house thought of this and kept drinks on display all night, free for the guests of the Ball. Especially as everyone danced it was gravely important for anyone to stay hydrated. It would be frowned upon if the host left his poor guests grow parched.
Yet as each lord and lady danced to the melody of the posh orchestra, all the human bodies in the room heated up the large space. Most people in attendance were simply enjoying the evening far too much to notice or if they did notice the growing heat they shrugged it off.
Thus far you had been brave in the battle against the heat. You grew hot as you stood with your house, doing your best to present your face and your family. The expensive party wear fitted to your body perfectly was doing little to cool you down. Your conversation was growing weak and you knew you needed to excuse yourself. Lucky for yourself you had predicted such an event and brought a book to accompany you on your escape. At least once you made your escape.
You looked to your family who seemed unbothered and in a pleasant conversation with some fellow Nobels. This was a perfect chance for you to politely slip way which you did with ease, your family almost never seemed to notice until much later whenever you did your own personal ‘journeys’. You couldn’t help but smile as you politely excused yourself to the outside patio, thinking of the last chapter in your book. It was finally time for the conclusion of what you would consider one of the best books you’ve ever read. It was a thrilling feeling as you sat on one of the benches illuminated by the lights from within the ballroom. Your fingers moving between the pages as you flip to the last chapter.
Word by word you digested the written art piece. You had read the last word when you felt someone’s eyes fall unpon you. You looked up from your book, not noticing anyone. You quickly turn your head around looking left and right until your eyes fall onto a little boy. He stood a couple feet away, standing by one of the shrubs in a glass pot.
You fixed your posture a bit and smiled at the young boy. “Hello.” Your tone was sweet and somewhat quiet as he shuffled away from his somewhat concealed hiding spot. He nodded respectfully and walked up to your. “My apologies my lady. I am Theodore Classico, Heir to the Classico family.”
He had definitely practiced his introduction, which was a bit surprising to hear such a formal introduction from a little boy. Your composed yourself quickly and looked over to him. “I am lady L/N, a pleasure to meet you.” He nodded before he glanced past you looking at the party that was happening within the ball room.
“Are you not enjoying your self?” He said his tone concerned, he knew the Classico annual party was an important part of his family’s reputation and wanted to uphold that quality. “No, no, I am.” You smiled a bit, what a strange thing for a child to be concerned with? “As a matter of fact, excuse my behavior but you don’t seem to be dressed for an event like this?” You said with your tone coming more as a question rather than a statement.
He frowned at the comment but sighed. “I am not allowed till I reach a certain age, my father forbids it.” As he returned an answer to your question you smiled wider. So that meant he snuck out to see the party. He noticed your smirk. “You won’t report this to my father will you?” Which you couldn’t help but snicker, and shake your head “Worry not young Theodore, I will not tell such things to Master Classico.”
He was grateful before he quickly glanced to the book you had on your lap. You followed his eyes with your own. “The fall of Arkmunster written by William Le Franc, are you familiar?” Theodore paused for a moment before shaking his head no. “I am unfamiliar with the title but have read pieces by the author.” Leaning closer to you to look at the cover. You held the book out to him prompting him to take it. Which he does after some hesitation.
“I’m surprised you have heard of William Le Franc but not the tittle it’s a classic in Philosophy. It’s wonderfully written and it is a challenging read.” You had throughly enjoyed this read and more than happy to discuss the book. Which he seemed to return the sentiment. “I’ll just have to take your word for it, I’m sure we don’t have it in the manors collection I’ve read all the William Le Franc books it has to offer. I’ll have to purchase a copy.” You nodded your head in agreement, before you thought for a brief moment. “Actually I’ve just finished, would you like to barrow the book?”
Theodore didn’t really have any adults who were kind to him, at least in that sense. His father would never have trusted him with a book no matter how hard he tried to prove himself responsible. He smiled a bit and pulled the book closer to himself. “If it wouldn’t be a burden I would be extremely grateful ma’am”
You smiled and watched the boy clutch onto the book. “Of course no matter at all, I’ll have to write in you in a month’s time or so once you’ve finished and we will talk of the contents. If you’d enjoy that of course?” In your head you felt silly, what child wanted to read a book written by William Le Franc? It had rather big ideas in the book. This particular book discusses death. How the human mind grapples it. Something a child surely wouldn’t understand. Yet he had read other pieces, what mature child indeed.
Time passed by and you and Theodore discussed some of the other works of William Le Franc. He was a bright boy and it was possibly the best conversation you had all night! Yet as the night grew later you and the young boy said your goodbyes. With the hopes to write to each other. Theodore the young boy was ecstatic! He had a companion who had looked pasted his age and gave him a respectful conversation. Let alone some proper attention! He was eager to read the book and started almost immediately after the conversation you two held.
Weeks later it was the usual routine, him and his father left so he could be under his supervision. ‘The nursery’ as it was named. Theodore tired to enjoy it but under his father’s supervision he couldn’t. Far too embarrassed to play with the other children, let alone with his father present. So as he usually did sat on the couch and read his books. Today only bringing one book; The fall of Arkmunster written by William Le Franc. It was hard to understand, most certainly the hardest book he’s ever read. The meanings and word play was intense but deeply meaningful. A hard but awarding book. He was stuck on a paragraph that didn’t make any sense when the twins walked up to him. Lucia and Elena walked up tried to get his attention. Elena snapped her fingers but they were always so loud and chaotic. Theodore paid them no mind.
Lucia rolled her eyes and quickly swiped the book out of his hands as Elena laughed. Snapping Theodore out of his focus. “Excuse me? Lucia return that to me!” Theodore said with a scowl, Lucia started to flip through the pages while Elena blocked his way. “What’s so fun about a book anyway? play with us!” Elena stated holding out her arms. Frustrating Theodore to no end.
After a moment Lucia reached the cover page and widened her eyes a bit. “Theodore who is lady Y/N L/N?” Which caught all three of the young children’s attention. Elena quickly came to an unreasonable conclusion that this must be Theodore’s love rather quickly. “Is that your betrothed Theodore!?” She said rather loudly causing everyone in the small room to look at the small commotion. Dino Classico stood up almost immediately and marched over to the commotion. Lucia held the book wide open with your signature on the cover while laughing loudly. Theodore was immediately red in the face. “Elena do not say such things!” He pleaded as he felt pure dread as his father walked to them. Lord Classico quickly grabbed the book and held to examine the pages. “Theodore. Let’s discuss in the hallway. Now.” Classico didn’t wait for a response nor for Theodore and went out into the hallway. Theodore glanced angrily at the girls before following Behind his father Into the hallway.
“Father I can explain.” Yet as his father always seems to do, quickly interrupted. “Theodore I do not know how you received this book but I am not amused by the disturbance it caused. I am annoyed and disappointed. Do not let such things happen again! Understand?” Theodore simply nodded and looked towards the floor. “You children are far to young to discus such things.” Classico said with a grumble before opening the book and examining the name. “Lady Y/N L/N? How did you get this?” A small pause before he looked and Theodore angrily. “Did you steal this? You soil the Classico name!? You owe lady L/N and immediate apology!” Dino seemed to be getting more angry by the second. Theodore tried to compose himself the best he could “father I did not steal the book it was lent to me.” Theodore could barely look his father in the eyes, stumbling his words dispute his best attempts.
Dino scoffed as he held the book, starting at your signature. How did his son ever come into contact with you? Especially after his many attempts to, he had specifically invited your family to all the Classico events and gatherings. Yet you seemed so allusive, he’d see you walk in but he’d never catch a conversation or a dance with you. Much to his annoyance but of course no one else knew of his intentions to speak with you. “Theodore don’t bother me with such nonsense ever again. Understand boy?” Theodore nodded moving his eyes to look at the book his father held far above his head “Yes father.” Was all he could say, and the only answer Dino would accept. “Now we will go back to the room and you will not Cause any more bother.”
Theodore spent the rest of the day sitting in the Conner, that had been the only book he had brought with him. He couldn’t help but stare at the book as it sat on the table next to where his father was. Just out of his grasp. Yes, potentially he could read one of the books that nursery had to offer but that was of no interest to him.
A couple more days passed and Dino found himself with a small break. The investigation meeting had ended a bit earlier than usual and he was left to his alone in his manner. Which was rare, he almost had time off. Your book still was on his desk, he couldn’t help but open the book and let his eyes linger on your signature. He could mail the book back to you with a letter of apology. Yet the Classicos and your house were plenty friendly with each other. What could be wrong with an impromptu visit? Your father being one of the few humans he did business with.
A little later he finally arrived at your family’s estate. The Servents are quick to greet him and lead him to the front parlor to wait. Your father and Classico spoke for a moment before you were called down. A maid knocked on the doors to your private chambers.
“Lady L/N, your presence in the front parlor is requested by your farther immediately.” The fimillar voice at the door snapped you out of the new set novel you were indulging in. You quickly opened the door. “My father? Why, what business could he have to request me?” You weren’t trying to be snarky but more so curious. “The head of Classico is present, other than that I am no more informed than you are my lady.” The maid said as she walked a couple steps behind you. Classico? Your first thought was of Theodore, maybe he had come to discuss the book. But some things didn’t make sense. It had only been a little more than a week, surely not enough time to read a book of the difficulty and size.
You made your way to the front parlor, your father and Dino Classico sat across from each other drinking tea. You walked in confusion to see Dino Classico holding the book you had lent his son.
“Father, Lord Classico.” You did a small curtsy and looked at them both. Formally announcing yourself. “My daughter, Lord Classico came to return your book. You should thank the man.” You nodded with a confused smile as you walked over to Dino Classico as he held the book out for you. “Thank you my lord, but if I may be so bold I lent this to the young Theodore. Has he already finished the novel?” Your father raised a brow and looked at Dino. Making sure you didn’t offend the man.
“I had assumed he had stolen it?” Which made your eyes widen. “Oh my goodness no! He was such a well mannered boy I happily lent it to him.”
“Really now? When did you and my son get the chance to talk?” He said leaning a bit forward in his seat, that he was much too tall for. You immediately thought of how Theodore wasn’t supposed to have snuck out. In an attempt to not throw Theodore into anymore trouble you quickly thought of a reasonable explanation. “At the annual ball I excused myself for the ladies room and had the good fortune to have had bumped into the young boy who recognized the author.” That seemed reasonable enough and Dino seemed to seem fine with that answer while your father sat in silence.
The room grew quiet for a brief moment before Dino set up in his seat. “I see that this has been a misunderstanding now. Unfortunately I have some more duties to attend to. Lord and lady L/N I appreciate your patience with my unannounced visit.” He stood up walking over to you, gently placing a kiss on the back of your hand. His butler quickly got the message and fetched his hat. Within a moment Dino bided you and father a goodbye.
Once Dino had left he immediately wanted to talk to you more. For once he was grateful for one of what he would consider Theodore’s ‘childish outbursts’. Within in own thoughts he planed to speak with Theodore about you. Maybe he would but Theodore a copy of the book. You were such a strange woman, he couldn’t help but be intrigued. He’d have to pursue another conversation with you.
Dino would never tell any one of how he was attracted to you. From your mannerisms to your polite nature. Yet you were so educated. He could simply tell by the way you carried yourself. No longer would be subtly hope to run into at an event, or visit your family. He needed a more direct way to speak to you, and with Theodore maybe he had one.
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Another A/N: I kinda escaped the prompt and for that I am sorry. Also I assumed the read was Fem but if they weren’t supposed to be lmk!
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yandere-daydreams · 1 year ago
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Title: Unrequited.
Pairings: Arlecchino x Reader x Furina (Genshin).
Word Count: 1.1k.
TW: Reader Doesn't Have A Gender But Everyone Here Is A Melodramatic Lesbian. Live Dove: Tender and Sweet.
[Part Two]
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Arlecchino has never struggled to find her way to you.
She would have, if she needed to. That was something she prided herself on: her perseverance when it came to all things, her determination when it came to her pursuits – romantic or otherwise. When she was in Snezhnaya, she dreamed each night of crossing oceans and climbing mountains and tearing apart the Tsaritsa and all of her many soldiers with her own monstrous hands if only to win the chance of finding her way back to your side, and when she was in Fontaine, there was nothing – not her duties as a Harbinger, not the fate of her nation, and only very rarely her beloved children – that could keep her away from you. Fortunately (more so for the rest of Teyvat than for her), she never had to go through so much effort.
No matter how distant she might’ve been, you were always exactly where she'd left you: at the right hand of Lady Furina, Protector and God of Fontaine, or as Arlecchino had come to think of her, the only person you would ever cross oceans to be with.
Also, coincidentally, the only person thick-skulled enough not to pay you a second glance.
She found you watching your dearly beloved from your usually crow’s nest; a balcony that overlooked the rest of the venue, your eyes cast downward towards the ballroom and a sickeningly tender smile painted across your lips. As Arlecchino neared you, she could see what you were so transfixed by and weather the wave of nausea that accompanied the sight of Lady Furina holding court with a handful of Fontaine’s elite, her hands moving excitedly as she recited some practiced monologue Arlecchino could only be thankful she was too far to hear. An exasperated sigh escaped her lips as she came to stand beside you, extending a flute of champagne which you gladly accepted. She had invited you back to her manor when she first discovered your fondness for such fine things, practically begged you to sample the finest wines and bourbons in her vast collection, but you only shook your had and told her that Furina would need your held reviewing case files for her next trial, grinning like an idiot all the while. If she hadn’t been so endeared by your smile, she might’ve hated you for how thoughtlessly you dismissed her.
“The orchestra is half-way decent, tonight.” She rested a hand on the crook of your arm, let her head lilt to the side. “Care to join me for a dance?”
Your love-struck smile widened. “No, thank you. I’m saving my first for her.” A quick nod towards Furina, one of her boots now propped on a chair provided by one of her audience members. “She’s been working on her waltz, lately – she only stepped on my feet twice while we were practicing this afternoon.”
You said it as if Furina had plucked the moon from the sky and gifted it to you on a silver chain. Arlecchino couldn’t help but scoff. “I have no idea what you see in her. She would starve to death if you weren’t there to remind her to eat.” You sighed wistfully and she took a generous sip from her own drink before going on. “She’s a poor excuse for an entertainer, let alone an archon. If it wasn’t for that judge of hers, she’d have a revolution on her hands in a matter of hours.”  
“You’re only saying that because you don’t know her. She might not have Monsieur Neuvillette’s resolution, but she’s not trying to be Monsieur Neuvillette.” For the first time since the start of your conversation, you looked towards Arlecchino and she could’ve sworn the rest of the ballroom ceased to exist. If she’d been a weaker woman, she would’ve fallen to one knee and presented the ring she kept in her breast pocket when she knew she would see you, would’ve drawn her sword and pleaded with you to drive it through her heart, but your attention turned back to your archon and the temptation faded back into more of a wishful fancy than a possible reality. “She’s wonderful, and brilliant, and she makes me laugh. Whenever I picture myself happy, I picture myself with her. I love her.” She’d heard you say it a thousand times before, and yet, her heart seemed to break in an entirely new way every time those words – coated in such a saccharine affection – trickled off of your tongue. She was glad she was not a weaker woman, upon further thought; if she was, you would’ve done her in months ago. “She’s everything to me.”
She couldn’t help herself. As delicate as she tried to be with you, there would always be a part of her that couldn’t help but twist the knife. “Doesn’t it hurt?” And then, when you hummed for clarification, “Loving someone so incapable of loving you back?”
You let out a breath of a laugh, the noise like windchimes and wedding bells. “I don’t know, Lord Arlecchino.” You glanced over your shoulder. “Does it?”
Ah, there it was.
Despite everything, she’d fallen for a sadist after all.
She let the corner of her mouth curl upward. “More than I could ever say.”
This time, your laugh was more throaty, more full-hearted. “What a sorry sight we must make, too pining romantics mourning lost love at a party.” Your tone dipped into something more genuine, albeit still playful. “My first dance is taken, but would it be too much of an insult to offer you my second?”
She moved to speak, to tell you that you could dig your heel into her foot and spit in her face and she would still be able to thank you sincerely for sparing her so much of your attention, but a melodical voice called your name and instantly, you were stolen away by a head of white hair and two mismatched eyes emerging at the top of the nearest staircase, still glowing with the zeal of a performer post-applause. Furina latched onto you with all she was worth; arms wrapping around your own as she pressed herself into your side. “Evidently, you have forgotten your duties to your goddess,” Furina started properly, her little speech already rehearsed to perfection. “Must I remind you that I am always to be the center of your attention?”
“Never, my lady.” And, in an instant, Arlecchino was gone to you, nothing more than a momentary distraction you would not be returning to for as long as Furina held you in her spotlight. “In fact, I believe you still owe me a dance.”
The reminder was unnecessary. Furina was already pulling you back down to the ballroom floor, already spouting off something about how cruel it would be of her to deny such an earnest request from her most faithful servant, about how foolish you are for believing her memory would be so fallible as to forget even the most trivial of promises. With a ragged breath, Arlecchino took up your post, watching dutifully as you were pulled into (what could be called by the most generous of onlookers) a terribly mangled waltz. It was proof of Furina’s fortune that she’d found the only person in Teyvat with the fortitude and patience to be so hopelessly in love with her.
It was proof to your fortune that, even when faced with the wrath of gods, Arlecchino was not one to give up so easily.
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milla984 · 1 year ago
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It's the Great Pumpkin, Spencer Reid
Summary: Spencer and Reader get to spend some quality time together on Halloween
Pairing: virgin!Spencer Reid x fem!reader, virgin!Spencer Reid x plus size Reader
Category: smut (NSFW, 18+, MDNI)
TW/CW: heavy kissing, handjob, fingering, brief mention of an anxiety attack, body image insecurities (both parts)
Word Count: 5.4k
This work is part of the series Spencer Reid, my beloved
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“I am officially traumatized,” Penelope blurted out when the end credits rolled on the screen, “remind me to never watch another Halloween movie with you, guys!!”
You could almost hear Spencer squeak in disbelief. “What?! This is a classic!”
She stood up to adjust her skirt, the one with jack-o’-lanterns and spiderwebs arranged in a casual pattern all over the dark fabric, and the bats standing on top of her fuzzy headband wiggled in different directions. 
“Uh–uh, La Dolce Vita is a classic. This is what goes on in the twisted mind of someone who desperately needed a hug and a large cup of hot cocoa with a ton of whipped cream and sprinkles as a child.”
You smiled as you finished loading the dishwasher, amused by the discussion unfolding in your living room; in your heart you were the greatest admirer of Spencer’s ability to conjure up any kind of random information on the spot but the exact moment you saw him open his mouth you knew he was about to make the situation worse.
“In fact, Barker’s grandmother had a fascination with the macabre. She would often tell gruesome stories which she presented as true tales so he grew up with the fear of being murdered in his own house.” 
Garcia gawked and raised a hand in his direction, simultaneously turning your way. “See?! Forgive me if I don’t think that having my entire body ripped apart by giant hooks is the ultimate frontier of pleasure!”
“And I’ll never look at a puzzle box the same way! What if it’s a brain teaser from Hell and there’s one of those chattering monsters inside?” she added and you had to hold back your laughter because Spencer’s perplexed frown was probably one of the cutest and funniest things in the whole world.
The mustache glued to his upper lip and the cravat he wore over a white shirt and black vest were only adding to it so you forced yourself to remain serious. “I’m sorry
 pizza and a movie from my dvd collection were all I had to offer on such short notice,” you said, to which she replied by shaking her long, wavy hair.
“Oh no, sweet pea! You did great, I’m just too attached to the illusion that life is a rainbow to be into the traditional Halloween gore,” she sighed and wrapped herself in a colorful poncho. “Hey, Raven Man! Ready to leave?”
Spencer squirmed: an IQ of 187 and still he was unable to come up with a semi-plausible lie when it came to hiding the truth from his friends. Feeling the weight of her curious stare he swallowed nervously.
“I was kind of considering the possibility of going to the midnight screening of Nosferatu, at the Silver Theatre. It’s the 100th anniversary so the Silent Orchestra will play the entire score live, have you ever heard of them? They use contemporary musical idioms to convey the art of pre-talkies films to modern audiences, they’ve been widely acclaimed for their work.”
Penelope raised an eyebrow. “Midnight screening, huh?! Which means you don’t need a ride home
 what a coincidence,” she teased, leaning forward to squeeze you in a passionate hug. “I knew it! I saw it the minute I walked in!”
This time was your turn to shrug with a puzzled expression: Reid and Garcia should have been on the opposite side of D.C. for a relaxed dinner at the Morgans’ after a thorough raid of all the neighborhood porches. However, Derek had called just as they were getting in the car to inform them that Hank got unexpectedly sick and forty-five minutes later All Hallows’ Eve enthusiast Reid (dressed up as Edgar Allan Poe) plus a very concerned Penelope had showed up at your apartment, making you wonder why on earth wasn’t she already busy baking since she kept repeating chickenpox called for the best pumpkin pie ever.
“Well, there goes our plan to keep a low profile,” you groaned as you closed the door behind her, and Spencer’s eyes widened in surprise. 
“How
?! Is this what they call ‘female intuition’?”
“Call it whatever you want but I’m glad she’s not mad we didn’t tell her right away,” you replied, proceeding to wrap your arms around his shoulders, “and I can think of another person who’s probably very happy for you, now.”
Spencer got rid of the fake mustache with a pensive stare. When it finally dawned on him that Garcia’s phone buzzing during your impromptu horror-themed movie night had in fact started out as live updates on their godson’s health and most likely turned into a gossip session about you two as a couple he squinted.
“I almost bailed on going trick-or-treating with them. I didn’t because I wouldn’t have missed it for the world, but I also wanted to see you. It’s our first Halloween.”
You nodded. “Maybe we can still get tickets for Nosferatu. You’re a terrible liar, so I’m sure there really is a midnight screening at the Silver Theatre.”
Spencer stared at you, entranced, then pulled you closer and in a heartbeat your lips met his - a sweet caress, tender and soft, your breaths entwined and your noses rubbing against each other in delicate strokes. You gave him a gentle push and he plopped down on the couch as you placed one knee on either side of his legs to straddle him; one of his hands sneaked behind you, exploring you as if he was trying to blindly map your whole back. 
You felt his other hand on your waist, hesitant. 
Three months had passed since the day you both came to the conclusion you were not “just friends” - three months made of late night phone calls from six different States, of handwritten silly notes you hid in his leather bag each time you drove him to the airport to catch a flight for Houston, three months of you hoping things would eventually move past the PG rated phase.
Three months of your self-consciousness sowing the seed of doubt in your heart, encouraged by the notion of whom he got to share his workspace with: you were no Emily or JJ and even if Spencer wasn’t the type to pay attention to details he frequently referred to as ‘trivial’ you were growing less and less confident.
“It’s fine, you can touch me,” you whispered, guiding his palm to cup your breast. They were pretty difficult to ignore, nevertheless he always seemed to steer away from them as much as he could.
You ran your fingers through his hair until you grabbed a small chunk of his curls; Spencer gasped for air and you brushed your tongue over his lower lip, letting out a muffled moan when the heat between your legs became almost unbearable. You started grinding on his lap to adjust tightly against his body.
“Wait
” he whined, squirming under you.
A second moan escaped from your throat while the pressure of his stiff cock hit your thigh but he shoved you away to free himself and spring to his feet, shaking heavily as if he was experiencing a full blown anxiety attack. 
His cheeks were flustered and his hair stuck to his dampened forehead so that he couldn’t even look at you straight - which gave him the perfect excuse to avoid doing it altogether. “I– I’m sorry
”
“No, no, I am
” you muttered, because the guilt building up in your chest felt so heavy you find it difficult to breathe.
Spencer was standing there, fumbling nervously with the cravat around his neck; his body language was screaming discomfort and he was clearly thinking of an excuse to remove himself from the situation. It was then that the hidden and irrational side of you, the one that desperately feared he would have disappeared forever if you’d let him go, kicked in and a rush of adrenaline came running down your spine.
“Please
” you continued, placing a hand over his, “it’s okay, really
 there’s no way to control it, you should know better than anyone—”
“Why? Because I’m a man and men are supposed to have zero impulse regulation?!”
The embarrassment and shame in his voice broke you: you had sworn a thousand times in your mind to do your best to be his solace, yet now it seemed you were hurting him like no-one had ever done before.
“No,” you replied, “because you’re the genius, here, and you should know it’s a perfectly healthy and natural reaction.”
He huffed, visibly irritated at what he must have perceived as a patronizing tone. A different sort of emotion crawled under your skin, sparked by the amount of tension stagnating in the air.
You offered him a cushion and glanced at him with your usual no-nonsense attitude. “Sit down, so we can have a proper conversation? You know, like
 functioning adults.”
Spencer pouted for a second, evaluating numbers and statistics about two years and a half’s worth of interactions. The truth was, intellectual affinity was such a familiar concept for the two of you that talking your way through an issue was indeed a synonym for a positive outcome. 
He grabbed the cushion and held it onto his stomach to shield himself from your gaze, though it was purposely focused on his face; you thought it was best to put some distance between your bodies when he sat on the couch again so you folded your legs underneath you, shivering like a cold draft had found its way inside the room.
“Listen, we can both agree this is not your regular, everyday casual topic of conversation
 which is why we’ve never discussed premarital sex—”
“I’m not against it,” Spencer rushed to declare, “I’ve assumed it was the same for—”
“Sure, no! Ditto,” you confirmed.
His furrowed brows relaxed while his mouth curved in a timid smile. “Did you know that every person’s intimate relationships follow a script that has been written according to their own individual attitude towards all –uhm, sexual experiences?”
“I did not,” you admitted, and Spencer’s hands started dancing to the sound of his own words. 
“There are sets of guidelines for appropriate behavior, each partner in consensual encounters acts as if they are an actor following a script rather than acting on impulse alone. Researches indicate that women are more likely to initiate contact in well established relationships, negotiating sexual activity in developing relationships can be difficult 'cause both parts have multiple goals to deal with, such as providing relational definitions or following specific standards or morals.”
“Yeah, speaking about relationships
 I think we’ve been in one since Christmas, we were just too dumb to say it out loud. And to each other,” you explained. “Sounds like a well-established to me but what’s your take on us?”
He curled into himself. “Every time we’re together I know there’s no other place I’d rather be. I’ve never even imagined it could be possible, I want to feel you even closer
 and I’m so afraid I’m forcing this on you—”
“You’re not, I want it too,” you reassured him, “but to be honest I was starting to worry you were not into
 me.”
Spencer’s beautiful eyes roamed over you and what you could see was all but repulsion. “Actually it’s the complete opposite.”
“So, what if my script says I’m ready to take things further?” you inquired, inching towards him to tug at the cravat of his costume. 
Spencer cupped your face and tucked a strand of hair behind your ear. “Mine is on the same page,” he whispered.
Your fingers immediately went to the vest he was wearing and trailed the line of buttons in a slow movement; you undid them one by one, the hems eventually coming apart to reveal the white shirt underneath.
“Tell me if anything doesn’t feel good,” you purred while you loosened the cravat to uncover his Adam’s apple. The way his muscles tensed as it bobbed up and down drove you crazy, so you teased him with the tip of your tongue - your lips grazing over the short stubble. 
Damn him and his impeccable bone structure: the scruffy look suited him so well it always sparked in you the urge to pin him to a wall and sink your teeth into his tender flesh. You loved how he could sport a smooth, professional style when the situation required it still wasn’t concerned with shaving each morning, almost as if it was an impractical activity which took energy away from whatever he considered to be a priority at that moment. 
You heard something flop on the floor and stopped your ministrations: the cushion he’d been holding over his stomach wasn’t there anymore, meaning you got to notice his trousers were becoming increasingly tight.
You squeezed his knee to make sure he was prepared for a more intimate contact then you slid it even further on his leg, giving him a couple of minutes to adjust to your gentle strokes before you felt confident enough to move the action to his inner thigh.
Spencer gasped, surprised rather than shocked or disturbed by how close you were now to where he was aching, and he leaned back to ease the pressure of the fabric but kept his eyes on you. 
He gave a silent nod in response to your interrogative stare, so you finally traced the outline of his hard cock between your thumb and index.
He jolted this time and muttered under his breath, a deep rasp in his voice you didn’t expect: you were unprepared to hear your name spoken as it was the quintessence of pure desire and you quivered, the throbbing in your ears rolling to your core.
You kissed his temple as you pointed at the waistband of his trousers. “Can I
?”
“Y– yes
” he muttered.
His clothes didn’t have any space left to accommodate his bulge. You palmed over it and felt an impatient twitch, which nearly had Spencer cursing; it was becoming torture for him so you reached for the zipper. 
For a split second the historical inaccuracy of a Victorian era costume featuring a device first introduced years after Edgar Allan Poe’s death hit you - a remark Reid himself would have been very appreciative of, which showed how much you could relate to the way his brain worked. Then you shook out of it and peeled his slacks open.
You crumpled the shirt over his stomach and marveled at the sight of his soft belly, the flawless navel, the dark fuzz pointing directly to his raging erection. With a cautious approach you freed it from any restraint, chewing on your lower lip as you often did when you were entirely focused on a challenging task. 
You couldn’t exactly say you had many options in your mind to compare him to but you had done a lot of fantasizing: now that he was in front of you, undressed and defenseless, you were downright mesmerized by—
“What’s wrong?!” Spencer screeched, interrupting your train of thought. “Is it odd? Does it look odd?!”
You shook your head, taken aback. “... odd?! No, why?!” you asked. “It’s just
” you petted the roundness to demonstrate, “I like your tummy so much.”
The way it pressed against his belt whenever he sat next to you on your couch or his was overly inviting and in the past weeks you had to fight the temptation to sneak a hand inside his shirt to squish it, because you didn’t know how he would’ve reacted. 
“Really?!” he marveled, confirming he wasn’t even aware you had a thing for soft tummies. His soft tummy, to be specific.
You smiled and leaned forward to rest your forehead against his. “Are you okay with me doing this?”
Spencer nodded, his eyelids half-closed, so you let your fingertips follow the trail of hair below his belly button; his hardness twitched again when you got near, then you wrapped your hand around it. 
You both moaned in unison, a harmony of pleasure that filled the silence of your living room. You moved along his entire length, feeling the satiny skin sliding over the shaft, and he threw his hair back in a movement that left his jugular exposed: his neck was too inviting and you sucked on it, the groans vibrating in his throat reverberating on your lips.
You gripped tighter when he got used to your caresses. As soon as his muffled whimpers seemed to increase in frequency you circled your thumb over the tip, spreading his leaking precum over the sensitive head. Spencer was at loss for words, a good indication that he was definitely enjoying the moment.
You were enjoying it too; you started to rub your legs together, your imagination running wild and picturing all sorts of scenarios. The mere thought of having him inside of you made you want to touch yourself but you resisted: Spencer was undoubtedly new to this and deserved someone in his life to love him and shower him with attention, so you decided to put his release before your own.
When you twisted your hand at the base of his cock he jumped, missing the bridge of your nose by a few inches.
“Too much?!” you cooed, and he seemed to come out of a sort of drunken stupor.
“No, no
 it’s good, I like it
”
You sighed. “Spence, you have to tell me if—”
“It’s really good,” he replied, the urgency sensible in his tone. “Don’t stop,” he pleaded, low-key ashamed of how needy he’d sounded.
You pecked him on the nose as a reassurance you accepted and cherished this version of him: he wasn’t the kind of man to be interested in the crude physical aspect of sex, he’d made it clear. He wasn’t desperate for just anyone to satisfy him - he trusted you to do it, because he knew you were safe in each other’s arms.
You shifted to adjust at his side and returned to your previous occupation; you let your other hand wander over his thigh as a forewarning, then you sheepishly cupped his balls so you could provide additional stimulation and send him over the edge.
He bucked his hips, a loud “Oh, God!!!” escaping from his mouth before he grasped a fistful of your hair. He was hungry for you, his tongue sliding lustfully against yours and his breathing so ragged you were sure he was getting close. 
Kissing him was your drug of choice but you also wanted to watch him come undone, thanks to you, so you turned your head while he tensed: he arched his back and bucked his hips once more, nipping at your earlobe. He became harder as he spilled himself over your fingers, wrist and his own stomach with a feral growl.
You didn’t let go of him, not even when his whole body finally slumped down.
The well-defined jaw and unruly curls falling on his face, now so serene, made him appear like a Botticellian masterpiece. Botticelli would have never painted one of his subjects in such a disheveled state, for sure, but the contrast between his angelic aura and the fact he was sprawled on the couch with his trousers unzipped and his softening cock still in your hand was a vision to behold.
“Hey,” you hummed as he re-opened his eyes and found you looking at him, “you’re too cute to be real, you know that?!”
Embarrassed - yet adorably proud - Spencer lowered his gaze, only to grimace at the stickiness on his belly. And on you. “I made a mess, I’m s—”
“We made a mess. Besides, it’s nothing a towel can’t fix, don’t be sorry,” you said, patting his tummy.
You were almost tempted to ask him how long he’d been saving it for, in a clumsy attempt to remind him you’d fallen so head over heels for him you were not at all grossed out; at the last moment you ruled the joke out, though, stretching your legs to get up instead. “Give me a couple of minutes.”
He flashed you the most awkward smile and you forced your feet to move towards the bathroom. 
You washed your hands under the hot running water and silently watched a part of Spencer swirling down the drain; the floral scent of the soap was now in the air but you could still feel his - coffee and cologne, accentuated by the faint traces of sweat on his skin. 
You had just discovered something new: Spencer was often oblivious of how good he looked (despite the dark circles under his eyes) and that was no mystery, but the idea he might have been insecure about different parts of his body was something you’d never taken into account. If being a couple was the natural consequence of the emotional bond between you - rather than a result of some physical infatuation alone - why was he so preoccupied with your reaction to his half-naked self?
Your brain was going in severe overdrive. 
You inhaled and exhaled a couple of times, your fingers gripping on the honed marble of the countertop, then you dried your hands with a towel, grabbed a fresh one and returned to the living room; the instant you approached your couch you realized Spencer had been doing a lot of thinking of his own, and your heart sank into your stomach.
“Wunderkind, are you alright?” you questioned as you offered him the towel so that he could clean himself up. “What’s going on in here?” you added, tapping lightly on his temple.
He shrugged and proceeded to meticulously remove any trace of his seed from his belly and clothes before tucking the shirt into the waistband of his trousers. “Nothing special.”
His left eyebrow raised, due to an involuntary movement of his facial muscles: it was a flash, a glimpse, the undeniable proof he was hiding something. The sound of your intrusive thoughts and fears got so loud you wanted to scream to cover their noise.
“Your microexpressions say otherwise,” you retorted.
Spencer lifted his head to meet your eyes, mouth agape, and you couldn’t decipher the meaning of such a bewildered reaction. You had always been able to recognize his lying frown, his anxious smile, the suspicious squint and a hundred more variations: you were not a member of the BAU but you were an expert on detecting and classifying his emotions, yet you’d never seen that one before. 
“It’s
 uhm, I’m wondering if it was good for you.”
Your heart leaped and bounced back where it belonged. His job required him to be the one calling people out on their behavior, not the other way round; your presence in his life forced him to face a situation in which his skills as a profiler couldn’t shield him from his own vulnerability, so he was in serious need of some consolation.
You bent over to whisper in his ear. “It was.”
“But you didn’t...” he nervously licked his lips, “and I want you to. Just tell me how.”
In the back of your mind you were 100% sure it would have been the right moment to confess you’d been harboring a few insecurities of your own but your fight-flight-freeze response was already answering on your behalf, making you freeze on the spot.
“Spencer
”
“You don’t think I can?!” he inquired, still convinced his lack of experience was the motivation behind any episode of miscommunication. 
“NO! It’s not about you,” you responded in a hurry, hugging him as he was still seated on the couch. “Or maybe it is
 ” you gestured to your whole figure, “I guess I’m a bit worried this isn’t what—”
Spencer wrapped you in an equally sweet hug, his chin dimple pressed on your abdomen. “This is soft,” his hands ran to the back of your knees, trailing up, “it’s so soft I’ve got only one thing in mind every time you hug me and I have to stop myself
”
He stopped talking mid-sentence when you guided his palms over your chest and he finally laughed, fascinated by the feeling of your breasts through the shirt.
If he was so happy at the idea you were starving for his touch and was clearly eager to reciprocate it was time to consider the strong possibility he wasn’t just settling for less. “Do you really—”
“Yes!” he replied, enthusiastically. “But I could use a few hints, you know.”
You knew. “May I sit on your lap, kind sir?”
The ‘are you even serious?’ pout on his face deserved an award; now you were both allowed to act silly without the slightest concern one of you was making fun of the other, high on the intoxicating concept of true intimacy.
You positioned yourself so that you were seated on his groin, your back flat on his chest and your head nestled in the crook of his neck, thanking Mother Nature for the existence of refractory periods. Not that it was necessary, but Spencer hooked his left forearm around your waist to secure you as his tongue glided over the soft skin behind your ear. “How do I start?”
“Step one: make some space,” you tipped him.
He gulped loudly and began to caress your knee, ghosting his fingers along the thigh-bone. You shivered in anticipation and when he tried to reach for your inner thigh you spread your legs apart; he flattened his palm, gripping on your muscles and rubbing back and forth - still keeping some distance from your most delicate spots. 
You turned to offer him your lips. “Tease me
 up and down, light touches.”
He did as he was told. When he ran the back of his hand over your mound you whimpered, the oversensitivity being too much to bear combined with the mind-blowing taste of his mouth over yours.
“Isn’t it frustrating for you?” he managed to articulate in between kisses and you rocked your hips against him.
You could already feel the familiar and insistent throbbing, accentuated by the fact that delayed gratification was a real pain; you were dying for him to placate the fire his hard cock had sparked in you, so you grabbed his wrist and guided it over your stomach, down the front of your panties.
He gasped at the feeling of your tender flesh, the curly hair, the dampness - too many sensory inputs to process all at once. “You’re so
 warm?”
“Core body temperature is higher than the temperature of the skin,” you reminded him. 
“So warm,” he kept repeating, basic biology facts lost on him because his brain seemed to have switched off. 
His palm grazed over your folds and your legs fell further open to give him better access; you stroked his left forearm and tilted your head back. “Only two fingers now, Spence
 up and down. But don’t go straight for—”
You tensed when his fingertips danced on your clit and he gripped you even tighter. “Sorry,” he mumbled, but the sensation was so good you could only smile.
“If you plan to go there it’s left and right. And draw a few circles around, big and small...” you explained before words turned into muffled moans as he put your suggestions into actions.
You were still grinding on his lap, your back glued to his chest, and he took advantage of the proximity to trap your earlobe between his teeth, sucking lightly at each change of the pattern he was tracing.
You squeezed his wrist when the flame inside of you grew fiercer. “You can slip your finger in if you want.”
Spencer let go of your earlobe and paused. “Are you sure?”
“I’ve been thinking about it for weeks,” you admitted, the weight of your secret vanishing in the air like a puff of smoke.
He sighed and shifted underneath you; just as you were ready to tell him he didn’t have to if he wasn’t comfortable with the idea he slid his middle finger past your entrance and you shuddered in his embrace. His hands were elegant, veiny, and his slender digits made for playing piano or reaching your hidden crevices - you had no doubts about it, but judging by how he was sitting still he had more than one question regarding what to do with them.
“How do I feel? Spence...?”
Even if you couldn’t really see his face, you knew he had a confused-slash-excited look on. “Hot
 and wet, I never thought—”  
“You like it?”
“Shouldn’t I be asking you that?!” he asked in the cutest high-pitched tone and you laughed, making you both wince at the sudden movement. 
All the words in any existent language put together couldn’t describe the amount of affection you had for him. “I like it, Spence,” you hummed, “and it would be even better if you tried curling your fin— FUCK!” 
Spencer wasn’t one to waste time once he was given a specific instruction.
He pushed his finger forward and curled it as you said, gliding in and out to slowly familiarize himself with the different textures of your inner walls. He adopted a very empirical approach, experimenting several techniques based on what he’d learned not so long before, while you whimpered and moaned his name; he was moaning, too, and so prettily you couldn’t control yourself.
“Spence, I need more
” 
He nipped at your jaw, his long hair tickling your cheek. “I don’t want to hurt you.”
“You won’t, I promise”, you panted, almost out of breath.
When he slipped a second finger in you realized that his arm wrapped around your waist was the only thing still keeping you in place: your legs were giving up on you, your hips swayed to let Spencer’s fingers plunge deeper as your back arched and your fists closed around his clothes. He was pumping relentlessly, overwhelmed by your wetness and the way you were taking him inside like he was a missing part of your own body; he tried to reach for your mouth and you turned to grasp the nape of his neck.
“Your hands are perfect,” you whined, “you are perfect
”
He huffed, his heart pounding fast. “Are you
?”
“Please... make me come, Spence,” you begged him in a whisper.
He pressed his thumb on your clit and started alternating between rough circling motions and the upward movement of his fingers, as you bucked your hips at a frantic pace; your thighs muscles contracted, you clenched around him and you ears plugged as you climaxed - something that had never happened to you before.
You tugged at his hair and screamed his name, before settling against his body once the tension faded. 
He kept his fingers inside and he cuddled you throughout the aftermath of your orgasm, planting butterfly kisses wherever his mouth could reach and cradling you like his only mission in life was making you feel safe and protected. 
Your self-consciousness awoke first, despite the rush of feel-good hormones flowing in your bloodstream.
“Am I crushing you
?” you mumbled, and he grunted as you wriggled free to lean forward and pick up the towel from the floor. 
He stared at his wet fingers with a pensive frown, then he wiped them clean and turned to face you - now seated on the couch with your legs across his and your forearm rested on his shoulder, so that you could play with his curls. 
“Doctor, you deserve a gold star for your performance.”
He smiled and lowered his gaze for a second. “I’m very good at following instructions.”
“You’re not bad at improvising, either,” you pointed out, “the thing you did with your thumb
?”
“I figured it was only a matter of combining the exact pressure and the right angle. Technically speaking—”
“Spencer?!” you cut him off, before he could lose himself in his own rambling. “Thank you,” you added, kissing him lightly on his lips before you stood up to fix your panties and trousers. “You can tell me all about the mechanics behind one of the best orgasms of my life on our way.”
“Nosferatu. First Halloween together
?” you elaborated when he looked at you in total confusion. “You’ve changed your mind.”
He shifted on the couch, his hazel eyes fixed on you. “Is that okay?”
This time you looked at him with your best ‘is ice cream cold?’ frown: you wanted to spend eternity with him, not just an hour or two more. You climbed into his lap and tangled your fingers in his hair while he cupped your breasts.
“What if I get
? I mean... again?!”
“Well, it’s not going to happen right now, Professor!!" you snorted, and his giggle sounded like celestial music. "But don’t worry, we’ve got the whole night."
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NB: I'm not using my regular taglist for Spencer Reid smut fics but I'm obviously tagging only the users who sent a request. If you wish to be added you can send me an ask or leave a comment below with the request to be added.
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overnowsfcb · 1 year ago
Text
worth it for once; pedri
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summary: sometimes the show must not go on. what happens when the curtains fall?
warnings: angst, smut (dom!pedri, pool sex, hickey, blow job (v), masturbation and self-masturbation (p), pet names) mature language, abuse of alcohol, toxic relationship dynamics, emotional distress. if any of these topics makes you uncomfortable, i advise against reading this story.
word count: 5.9k
note: hi! first of all i wanted to thank everyone who interacted with 'halfway out the door', you don't even know how much it means to me that people can read my stories. i knew i said i would do some fluff, but i feel like im not good at it. i cant seem to let the reader be happy can i? (this fic is so long i feel like i got a bit carried away)
p.s.: this is my first time ever writing smut, im sorry if its too bad. also! 'halfway out the door' has ninety percent of possibility to have a second part.
p.s. 2: the party ended an hour ago and he still there. another thing that i wanted to say is that FOR ME 'slut!' is not a love song so that is my reason for this, i take my interpretation of the song and write it down — venus đŸ«‚đŸ’đŸ«§
The sun's rays slipped through the white curtain covering the partially open window, letting in the morning breeze. You nestled in the sheets, still drowsy, but as you did, you snapped wide awake, realizing once again that Pedri wasn't by your side.
You turned over, hoping it was a dream, but the only remnants of him in the room were his lingering scent and memories of the night before, replaying in your mind.
The way he touched you, tracing each of the invisible scars left by your previous lovers who sought only their own pleasure, using you to their liking without paying attention to your desires.
He was different. His kisses felt like a religious experience, filling you with an ever-growing sense of fulfillment. Nothing wrapped around you more securely than the feeling of having him inside of you, merging under the lustful gaze of the moon that welcomed you on a tailor-made altar, adorned with soft sheets and sensations that turned into a celestial orchestra.
And although the next day, perhaps his flaws became evident, your infatuation took you beyond, closing the curtain of the stage within your mind; you didn't have to be displeased or critical when admiring a work of art, right?
When the strength left from the previous night was regained under pressure, and your mind returned to the frosty present, you sat up in bed, feeling your head heavy, needing to blink several times to clear the blurriness that clouded your eyes due to sleep.
Your feet rested on the wooden floor. You didn’t want to face another day with the pain of the mandatory conviction your heart held towards your mind, aiming it with a gun if it tried to move from there.
You sighed with closed eyes and gathered your clothes scattered around the room. When you finished dressing, you approached the window and inhaled a breath of air to refresh your thoughts.
You left your room; the squeak of the door echoed through the house, signaling to Elena that you had already woken up. You couldn't lie; you were afraid to face her.
She, your best friend since you desperately looked for someone to share an apartment with after the owners of your previous apartment unjustly left you out in the cold.
She, who warmly welcomed you full of empathy and commiseration, helped you deal with the storm by receiving you in a studio apartment with an air mattress. She became the person you adored most in the whole world and never lacked frankness in her words.
Both of you moved forward together; now, you succeeded in modeling, and you could search for something much more comfortable living now in a pent-house, but always side by side.
You arrived at the spacious kitchen connected to the dining room and were met with an exquisite aroma, akin to the dishes she professionally prepared. You tied your hair in a ponytail and moved the chair to sit facing the counter.
Crossed fingers and your chin resting on your hands, you noticed she expected your presence when she twisted her torso, leaving a plate with toast and homemade raspberry jam on the marble counter in front of you.
You waited a moment to grab one of the perfectly made toasts and spread the jam in the toast; you felt the tension in the air. You knew of her disapproving stance regarding your situation with Pedri, and you knew she was preparing the usual sermon.
"Want to say something about it?" It was as if she had read your mind; turning her back, you sat up straighter on the stool, your distressed chest making your heart pump more blood than usual.
"No," you replied dryly, as you took a bite of toast.
"Alright, then it'll be up to me." You felt fear travel up your spine to the buzzing in your head and a high-pitched tone ringing in your ears.
You tried to breathe normally, but it was impossible. Her actions guided your eyes; she put the angel food cake in the oven and turned around, sitting on the stool in front of you, looking at you incredulously.
"He left at seven in the morning. When was the last time he stayed the following morning with you? I know you don't want to hear this, and I understand that you're into him. But don't let that blind you from what's really happening here. You're too intelligent for this, too good for someone who treats you like an option." Her words were always harsh, and she never hesitated to tell you the bleak truth without flinching. But it wasn't what you needed now, and her words were insignificant in front of the formidable figure that Pedri occupied in your mind.
There were very few people who dared to challenge your perspective, and Elena was brave enough to do it, even though her attempts always ended in defeats.
And defeats consisted in your denial, where you decided to take off your glasses after seeing what was there. You knew it existed and acknowledged it deep down, but hearing someone throw out statements so lightly without knowing him in the homely intimacy where he could unfold without prejudices, was something only you could discover.
The 'Open Sesame' didn't work with all tones, and not everyone acquired the privilege of opening such a treasure. So, you assumed it was envy.
"Maybe it’s a mess, maybe it’s complicated, but that doesn’t mean it’s not worth a damn!" Your voice began to rise in volume the more anger you vented at her, who was innocent of it all. You noticed her furrowed brow, her attempts to help, every time she threw you a lifeline, you chose to ignore it, believing you could swim the remaining yards to shore alone.
You took a deep breath and closed your eyes, trying to find a balance, but your aggressiveness seemed to have reached its peak.
"I’ll sort it out myself, alright?" You exhaled, continuing your defense. "So just back off, Ele. I’m sick of needing your approval for everything. I’ll make my choices, even if they’re not in your rulebook." You spoke with a passive-aggressive tone. "You think you know him? You have no clue, none whatsoever." You got up from your seat, giving the countertop a light tap, and shook your head indignantly.
"I just want what's best for you, y/n," She whispered, looking you in the eyes with honesty. You headed towards the door disappearing from her sight.
You knew that she wanted to protect you like she did from the very first moment.
Despite being your age, she showed herself to be more mature than you. You were like her baby chick, and she had the instinct to keep you under her wings, but she had to admit that you had to learn defense by yourself.
And sometimes you need to fail to build your path.
There was no better remedy in your routine than drowning yourself in work to stop thinking about all the dilemmas surrounding your life. At least for a few hours.
Growing within the fashion industry was difficult without contacts; if you wanted to achieve something, you had to consider the hurdles you might carry in your backpack. But your resilience and pride prevented anyone else, terrified of having a future of subordination, from winning.
Today's meetings were about agreements for your brand, a dream that grew with you from your mom reading you bedtime stories to the present day.
You had put so much effort and creativity into your project that, regardless of what happened externally, your priority would always be there. No affair or argument could steer you away from that.
All your distractions due to logical thoughts vanished upon arriving at your apartment. You turned on the lights; Elena had left you a message informing you that she would stay at her boyfriend's house for the night.
Your home felt empty without her blasting music through the speakers and constant movements around the house. You cracked your neck, leaving your faux leather coat on the entryway rack. You lazily tossed your bag onto the couch, sitting beside it. You unbuckled your heels, freeing your feet.
A contained sigh escaped your nostrils, easing your chest a bit. You heard thousands of notifications coming from your bag. Worried, you unzipped it and searched for the phone, unsure of what was happening.
You glanced at the news headlines and the numerous social media posts where you were being tagged. You thought you had successfully escaped last time. The carefully revised alibi by both managers to divert media attention from your relationship had been futile.
But it seemed not entirely effective; without any evidence or concrete proof, just a blurry and deficient photo was enough for them to create a compelling scene for the public.
You clicked on a specific article; its name caught your attention, "The New Target of Love: The Boy in Her Chaos - Will He Survive?" You knew it wasn't the smartest decision you could make; the echoes of the voices of the people closest to you resonated in your ears. But you were alone and had nothing better to do at that moment.
The devil on your right shoulder encouraged and forced you to keep reading; with each sentence and word, your tear ducts were ready to expel the salty drops from your eyes.
You couldn't understand why journalists consistently targeted your romantic relationships instead of focusing on your professional endeavors, where you worked, and strived every day to show the world that you were more than just a pretty face. But in a sexist world, you had to accept without a murmur the things they wrote without any pity, driven by money and interactions.
Had you signed up for this life, or was it something gradually inserted into your brain about what it had to be?
You found yourself seated at your computer with a bottle of wine by your side, seemingly engrossed in reading each of the articles criticizing you and perpetuating a negative reputation of yourself.
You had poured a small amount of the burgundy liquid into your glass. Some sort of masochism consumed you, and without noticing, you began to pour more and more wine into the glass, your heart filling with misery, pausing at every clever word that defined your identity on the internet. Because all of the words seemed monotone.
Until the glass was no longer enough to swallow the bitter pill, you stared at the bottle, contemplating your next move. You shrugged and reached for the bottle with difficulty, your vision truly distorted, no longer having a sense of space.
You leaned back in the couch and took a long swig that burned your throat, feeling your heart rate rise.
You decided you had gone too far, abruptly leaving the computer on the table in front of you. When you tried to get up, you fell backward by inertia, unbalanced. That's when you realized you weren't even paying attention to the news but mindlessly scrolling your mouse.
The tears you had been holding back for over an hour and a half streamed down your cheeks immediately. Now, you couldn't turn back and felt trapped within your own uncontrollable body.
Gut-wrenching sobs made your body tremble, and at that moment, all you could think of was his touch, how every time you cried, he carefully wiped your cheeks and assured you that this too shall pass.
With tears and alcohol blurring your vision, it wasn't hard to find his number as you had it pinned in your messaging app. You opened his chat and immediately tapped the call icon.
You placed your phone to your ear, hearing the beeps from the other end, while your body, consumed by sorrow, couldn't help but continue shedding tears.
You perceived a noticeable change from silence to a clear indication that the call had been answered. You tried to stifle your crying by biting your lip, but it seemed this battle wouldn't let you emerge victorious.
"Love, are you crying?" You wanted to respond, but his voice only intensified your desire to cry; you longed to feel his warmth. You still didn't understand why you decided to go this far. "y/n, I'm worried. Did something happen? Did someone hurt you?" You tried to take a deep breath to provide an answer.
You wiped your tears with the back of your hand and then placed it on your chest, trying to assist in the calming process. "It's so exhausting." These were the words that came out of your mouth as you exhaled.
He still didn't understand exactly what you were talking about, but you kept talking. "I think I can't be with you anymore." Your voice came out strained; you truly didn't want to say those words. You clung to the arm of the chair with one hand, squeezing it, waiting to hear the response on the other side.
"What?" He couldn't comprehend how he had woken up at two in the morning, and you were talking about cutting ties. "Love, listen to me. Why don't you go to sleep, and tomorrow, we spend the day at the country house?" On the other end of the line, he easily realized the moment he picked up that you were drunk.
"Okay." You affirmed with a nod, resting your head on the armrest, and lifting your feet to stretch out on the sofa. "I love you a lot." Your face contracted again, a sign that tears would return.
"You too." He replied, and you were the one who ended the call, slightly calmer about the reflections the articles had left and the incoherent thoughts that had arisen from them.
You left the phone by your side and curled up, hugging yourself, seeking warmth without the help of a blanket. You closed your eyes, praying that the world would change radically tomorrow, although you knew it was an unlikely hope. You never wished more than for whoever was in the sky to give you a new chance to love in the right way.
You needed to believe in someone; you needed assistance from the universe to not lose the hope that once brought you immense joy. But perhaps genuine love was like Santa Claus, and sooner or later, it would crumble like any other ingenious belief.
And like a shrewd child who receives his Christmas gifts with the same enthusiasm even after learning the hidden truth, you dipped your feet into the transparent chlorinated water.
He watched each of your movements attentively, leaning on one of the pool edges. You plunged, soaking your entire body, and swam towards his direction, resurfacing enveloped in laughter with him.
He embraced you, sharing some of his warmth to your cold body due to the sudden change in the water, and you placed your hands around his waist, looking up at him from his chest.
"I love you so much." You bit your lip, seeking an outlet for your love. He rested his hands on your cheeks and began planting short kisses that spread across your entire face.
"I love you more." He reciprocated, giving two gentle taps on your legs. You jumped, and he took you into his arms grabbing your ass.
Quickly, he changed his position, leaving your back resting on the cold pool wall. The chills went up through your spinal cord, fusing the temperature of the edge and its expression, which never went out of style to make you think that everything you needed was there, with him.
You ran his sculpted shoulders with your palms open, feeling his muscles and intertwined your fingers behind his neck, brushing his hair.
Your lips brushed, and you could feel the electricity that could arise from a simple and minimal contact.
He brought his face to you, holding you tight against the concrete.
It was undeniable the indissoluble bond tied by the threads that led you each time to the same situation, and the core of your life was nourished by its bond.
As your lips collided with fervor, eager to quell the fervent passion, you pulled him closer with your legs still entwined around his waist. Feeling his hardness against your core ignited arousal as he pressed himself firmly, and both of you gasped in the midst of the kiss at the electrifying contact.
Your lips didn't want to part, too hungry for each other's sweet taste. You caught his lower lip between your teeth, pulling it gently to invite your tongue into his mouth. It had become sloppy as you lightly tugged his hair, eliciting a groan.
His hand stealthily ascended, never parting from your lips, traveling from your ass to the back of your neck, sending shivers down your spine.
His tender lips traced a pattern from your cheeks to your neck. You tilted your head back, offering more of your skin for his exploration.
Expertly, his fingers unraveled the straps of your bikini with a single pull, still nestled in your neck. As the air grazed your tightened nipples, your breath hitched when he took one between his fingers, fidgeting and further intensifying the sensation.
Your sensitive boobs elicited desperate whimpers as he continued grinding against you, creating a symphony of pleasure. The air thickened, and your bodies radiated heat.
His lips passionately suctioned a spot, causing your eyes to roll. You were well aware that he would leave a hickey there.
Moving from your neck, his lips trailed down to your collarbone. Frustration built as he skillfully teased the sides of your breasts, deliberately avoiding the attention where you craved it most.
"Pedri, please..." You gently tugged his strands, prompting him to lift his head. Counterfeit innocence gleamed in his pupils.
"What do you need, amor? Tell me, is there something I can do for you?" His gentle caress graced your cheek, and you melted into his simmering touch.
"Please..." He ceased grinding, his hand swiftly traversing to your neck, as your hand descended, grazing his abs.
"If only you could see this beautiful hickey right now," He whispered, tracing the mark and toying with you, his actions inviting your response as he often did.
It was exasperating; no matter how frequently you found yourself in such moments with him, articulating your desires remained a challenge.
"Just do something," you uttered, a touch of despondency in your voice, pouting with pleading eyes. Yet, he remained resolute.
"I just don't know what you want." He shook his head, gently placing a strand of hair behind your ear, mimicking your pout with a teasing tone.
"Alright... just please, babe, suck my tits," you replied with a hint of frustration. His corners lifted, forming a smile, having successfully achieved his goal.
"There she is, that's my good girl, aren't you?" You couldn't help but nod several times steadfastily, just wanting him to stop playing.
His face vanished from your sight as he covered one of your breasts with his mouth. A loud moan escaped your throat, a sound of satisfaction for him as he moved his tongue, savoring your skin. "Was it that difficult?" He gazed at you once more, and you sighed in irritation, prompting him to raise his eyebrows, questioning your actions.
"No." Your fingers traced his chest as he continued sucking with determination.
Moving lower, you reached the edge of the swim trunks' fabric. However, as you did, he pulled away with a frown. "Who said you could touch?" You mirrored his expression confused.
"Last night, you scared me a lot. Do you think it was funny for me? No, so you can't decide who's having fun, okay?" Your chest felt heavy, yet you found a strange allure in his dominant low voice, even though you wanted to object.
"I thought..." He wrapped his hand around your neck, pulling you back and shutting your mouth with his thumb. He watched as you sucked it, humming and biting his plump lips.
"You didn't think shit. Now, jump." He firmly gripped your hips, lifting you effortlessly to the pool's edge. Seated, you patiently awaited his guidance, uncertainty accelerating your heartbeat.
Intense eye contact heightened the tension. His fingers delicately traced over your thighs, starting from the outer part, then gently grazing your clothed intimacy. He devoured you with his gaze.
"Lean back for me, baby." You did as he pleased leaning in your elbows.
He tapped on your thighs, a signal to lift your hips, and he removed the sole fabric covering your body and throwing it to your side. He took your legs and placing them over his shoulders. Spreading you open. A groan escaped him at the sight, reveling in your arousal.
"So wet, just for me," he murmured, running his fingers through your folds, collecting your juices and parting your lips to spread the liquids.
You pressed closer, yearning for more. "Just for you." Suddenly, a firm spank on your sensitive area made you shudder, and you gasped. "Behave," he commanded, throwing you a dominant look.
Circling your clit, he gradually increased the pace. Tilted back, moans escaped uncontrollably. Another spank followed, and you met his gaze. "Keep your eyes on me, princess. Watch as I pleasure you like no one else could."
His words wielded a powerful influence in every scenario. Returning to your pussy, he made his way to slip two fingers inside you easily as you were soaked by now. The reflex to close your eyes surfaced, but his commanding words echoed in your mind.
He initiated a rhythmic motion, penetrating and withdrawing, targeting your most sensitive depths, obscene wet sounds, thumb still teasing your bud. Overwhelmed by the intensity, you sought stability, bringing your index finger to your mouth, biting down to anchor yourself. "You can grab my hair, baby," he suggested, prompting a satisfying sigh as you obediently followed his directive.
As the synchronization of your movements intensified, he decided to elevate the pleasure further. His mouth joined the sensual dance, lasciviously spitting your core, eliciting a contented hum from you.
As his mouth drew near your clit, enveloping it ably, a scream escaped your lips, worthy of a scene of a pornographic film. His name slipped through your mouth, an inadvertent encouragement that fueled his tenacity to excel, delve deeper, move faster, and render you numb in ecstasy.
In the intimacy, he displayed a reflection of his approach on the field, always seeking ways to enhance and achieve peak performance, a relentless pursuit of reaching his full potential at what he knew he was one of the bests, even when he didn't want to admit it.
There was no sweeter melody than your filthy moans. His crotch throbbed aching, aware that just a few pumps would make him reach his climax. But he needed to focus on you first, even though he rolled his hips against the concrete, trying to calm down his needs.
He groaned, shutting his eyes and digging his tongue into your hole. Your legs entwined around his neck, the tight knot of pleasure building as you moved your hips in tandem with the rhythm of his tongue.
"Pedri, I'm..." You shouted, the words hanging in the air unfinished, as he entered both, fingers with tongue, increasing the pace with each successive motion.
He opened his eyes again, locking onto yours, brimming with passion beneath the sun. His nose brushing against your clit, combined with his bambi-like eyes in contrast to the authority he held over you, escalate the moment as you tightly grasped his hair, evoking the release of your juices.
He couldn't help but stop pressing against the wall and squeeze his shaft inescapably, captivated by the way you adhered to what he said, even if it meant he had to assert control with a firm hand, correcting your inclination to lean back a few times.
He loved how obedient you were and how your body reacted.
Your high-pitched sounds spurred him to slip his hand inside his swim trunks, almost moaning at the sensations created by his own touch and the enticing arch of your back. He found himself immersed in the sweet taste and intoxicating fragrance that surrounded him.
He went up and down with his hand on his dick fervently, trembling in sync with you. "Are you going to come, my love? Do it for me," his deep voice making you feel so close. You played with one of your hardened nipples between your fingers. You affirmed with the other hand on his hair, and he hummed against you in response. "Oh, my god." you mumbled.
His vibrations heightened your euphoria, and the combination of his tongue and fingers left you feeling overstimulated. As you screamed arching your back, you became undone, laying flat, straightening your arms at your side and shuddering as you felt him persisting in his ministrations.
Too blind to reach his own pleasure to think about anything else, he continued pounding his dick, gripping his tip as he parted his lips, releasing ecstatic sounds and feeling the reverberations across his body. Leaning against your abdomen, he sensed his shots filling his shorts as he lowered his pace.
You tenderly ran your fingers through his sweaty hair, both basking in the tranquility of the moment as his chest rose and fell. Minds empty.
"Come here, baby," you whispered. He propelled himself up from the water and leaned flat at your side.
As you lay down on the cold poolside with him, he placed his hand on your waist, burying his head in your neck. He rubbed his nose, sensing how your perfume delicately mixed with expelled pheromones, obtaining a small giggle from you.
You swung your leg over his waist, leaning your chest towards him, and stroked his wet hair.
"Thank you," you smiled with closed eyes, sighing. "It's just what I needed."
"I like hearing that," he said, pulling away from your neck to look into your eyes. You looked like a fallen angel with your smudged mascara, swollen lips, tired eyes, and blush spreading across your cheeks.
His gaze instinctively dropped to your neck, observing the love mark on your skin. Though in his mind, he still questioned if this was truly love.
Without delving too much into his thoughts, he gently pecked your lips.
"Pedri..." you sighed, coming down from the adrenaline rush. Sitting up, you supported yourself with your hands and looked at him, recalling internet articles and Elena's words.
"Already want to talk about that?" he asked, huddled up, absorbing the remaining sunlight.
"I'm going to shower," you said, rising from the ground, creating a space for anticipation, allowing him to process and reflect. You knew the house perfectly, having visited many times with the understanding that no one could see you and spend the entire day together.
But meaningful memories were scarce, and you clung to them, hoping that someday it could be more than the fear of being seen together, unable to go to a restaurant or travel together.
You entered the shower, letting the cold water make you reconsider your beliefs. You trusted that, for the first time, you had found something real, a gentleman who stood out in the world of ordinary men, wanting to keep you safe.
You also trusted that you would walk on nails and endure all the thorns of a rose just to be with him. But genuinely, love should be about facing painful situations to prove love for a person, or love should feel welcoming, a place where you would stay for eternity if it had to be so?
You analyzed it, the rain falling on you as you cleaned your body. You wouldn't stay with Pedri; he never felt like a place where you could unload all your baggage without fear.
After all, coming from past relationships, he was your sanctuary at first, stemming from more deficient and unstable experiences. You couldn't stop the solitary tear that escaped your eye.
Since the night you met, you should have realized that nothing good could come from something that was supposed to be just for a night. But you didn't want to listen.
You left the shower, unable to continue ruminating in your head without fainting in the attempt. The drops that weren't allowed to fall from your tear ducts were released by your hair.
You grabbed your clothes, still absorbed in your thoughts. When you finished dressing, you placed your hand on the doorknob. Behind it lay the definition of the future of this strange relationship, and the confrontation was something that terrified you.
You walked into the living room to find him seated, wrestling with his thoughts, head bowed, facing away. Approaching him, you crossed your arms in front of his neck and hugged him, taking in his freshly scented and the slight dampness of his hair. He looked at you wearily, unsure of what would happen, and you gave him a kiss on the cheek before sitting next to him on the gray sofa.
You took his hand with love; you couldn't deny that, despite everything, he had been the source of most of your joys in the last four months. You took a deep breath before letting it out and started speaking.
"Are you mine?" His hand tensed, and his brow furrowed. He didn't understand where such a sudden question came from.
"What?" He responded confused, almost pulling away from you.
"Are you mine or not?" You still hoped for a more certain answer.
"I don't understand where your question is coming from." His expression showed he had never really thought about something like that. At least, was there some kind of feeling for you in his heart? You wondered which person you had been with all this time.
"Just answer it." You let go of his hand; your voice carried a tone of desperation and anguish. You knew you wouldn't get anywhere, but you still needed to cling to the few hopes that remained.
"I don't understand what you mean by 'yours'; we never talked about..." He tried to make another excuse in front of your eyes. It felt as if he were treating you like a little girl, who would eventually leave the question unanswered once she got tired.
"I need to know where we stand! Do you want to be with me or not?" You no longer knew why you kept trying about something that wouldn't change. You stood up from the sofa, and he avoided looking at you.
"Why do you have to make it so complicated? We're just having fun." He shrugged his shoulders, shaking his head. That response could have been worse than a straightforward no.
"Having fun? Do you think I'm with you to have fun with how the media calls me a slut, Pedro?" You shook your head in disbelief, letting out a bitter, pained laugh. "Four months enduring your ambiguities while defending you in front of my friends, saying you needed time." Your voice faltered, recalling all the arguments you had faced, thinking that at some point, everything would change.
"I didn't think you felt that way." He detached himself from his actions, as if it were so simple. Still avoiding eye contact.
"You said you loved me! Did you ever feel genuine love for me?" Your heart tightened; all this couldn't be a big lie where you were the only one playing a game that was already resolved.
"I don't know." He whispered, unsure of how you would react to such an unsure yet determinant answer. Your eyes blurred with contained tears; you couldn't cry like this in front of him.
"You knew everything you were doing; you knew that I was yours, and you didn't care." You screamed, desperate for him to show some emotion, to show that something of everything you had experienced had a hint of reality.
"It wasn't like that." He replied in the same flat tone, this time looking at you and realizing the tears that were falling, while you were motionless, feeling the room spin around you, and your ears ringing again.
"It was exactly like that." You had been sincere from your first conversation, under that neon light on a private yacht. A party where you didn't want to be, he approached you for that simple reason; you were the only girl who hadn't looked at him.
And you had found someone whom you thought had the will and power to heal all your wounds. But you ended up dancing with shadows in glass, with something ephemeral that you thought could be eternal. While you ended up being one of the many prey in his history.
"I gave you everything, I told you about my past and how I needed someone to trust, and you ended up being like everyone else." You released a silent sob and headed towards the room, where you had left your backpack. You were supposed to spend a weekend together, and now everything was withered. Your feigned acts of believing that magic still existed were in vain.
"Where are you going?" You gasped, bumping into him in the door frame; he placed his hands on your shoulders, concerned.
"I called Elena; she'll come to pick me up." You hadn't even talked to your best friend when you sneaked away with Pedri at noon; she would do everything to stop you from leaving, and you preferred not to tell her. But she, without hesitation, as soon as you asked, was already on her way.
"We can try to fix it." You knew he was only offering the response your ears craved. But you weren't going to fall for his spells. This time, his method of still having your strings to manipulate you like a puppet wouldn't work.
"I won't be with someone who never cared about me." You walked to the door, lowering the latch, and turned around once more; he looked at you from a considerable distance. He wasn't going to try to stop you, and that was what hurt the most. "Good luck, Pedro."
You left the house, and the evening air enveloped you. You walked along the walkway made of rocks, each step feeling heavier than the last. Another relationship failing, another person disappointing and discarding you like a crumpled note, forgotten in the margins of a story that never reached its intended conclusion.
Your tears flowed freely down your cheeks now that you weren't facing him. You stood on the street, waiting for Elena to arrive. She had every right to tell you 'I told you so,' and she would be justified.
You saw her black car approaching from the end of the street, parking right in front of you. You hesitated for a moment to get in, embarrassed to ignore someone who only sought your happiness.
She rolled down the window, and your eyes locked inviting you in. Opening the door, she extended her arms, offering solace. Tears streamed down your face as you looked for refuge on her shoulder.
"I'm so sorry, Ele." You lifted your head, and she gently wiped away your tears. Shaking her head, she dismissed your apologies.
"I'll always be here by your side. You're the one who needs to learn, but I'll never leave you adrift, okay?" You pouted, and your tears continued to flow.
You both settled back into your seats, stealing glances at the house. A part of you lingered there, and a lump formed in your throat. You sensed that distancing yourself was the only thing that could save you from descending into delirium. Now, you must gather the fragments of your heart once more and rebuild it on your own.
Your eyes went directly to the hickey he had left. You wanted to rip that skin off, not wanting to have him in your memories in any way.
Leaning your head against the window, you wondered what could have been if fame hadn't been the haunting specter in your life. You guessed that you will never actually know.
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little-fairy-forest · 9 months ago
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Stitches of love
-> bakugo x fem! Reader
-> domestic, fluff, romance, she / her
-> reader finds herself going crazy over what to get her mitsuki for motherday, little does she know she had a helping hand all along.
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"Katsuki please just give me some ideas what to get her" y/n pleaded as she rests her head in her hands. The list infront of her started back as she scratches out all her ideas so far on what to get her mother in law for her birthday. Jewellery? No she had so much, a holiday? Seems like a large present for your first year as her official daughter in law, home made jam?–
"She'd love anythin' if you gave it to 'er" Katsuki grumbles as he sips his coffee staring at y/n. They both knew he was right, y/n could give mitsuki a lump of dirt and She'd be so greatful you'd swear it was a lump of gold. But if katsuki gave it to her? He'd never hear the end of how thoughtless it was...
"What are you getting her? Surely you've ran out of ideas aswell?" Y/n rubs her face in defeat as she realises she only has 3 days to find a present. The clock is ticking, especially since you have to buy it, wrap it, and pray its good enough.
"Got her and the old man tickets to that candle lit concert in Tokyo, gotta meal for them aswell before the show" katsuki says as it's the most obvious thing ever... because everyone can afford to get expensive tickets to a private showing of the Tokyo orchestra at candlelight. Y/n huffs as she moves herself away from the table, frustrated as her plans were coming to a dead-end. Katsuki shrugs as suggests they can share the present as that wouldn't be a problem, but for y/n , she wanted her own present for her own mother in law.
"Back to the drawing board"
2 days to go
The dim lights of the lamp cascade over y/n as she tries to pull out another knott that's found its way into the ball of yarn.
"Stupid thing, why are the strings so thin–"
"Why are you still awake?" Katsuki emerges from the kitchen, peeping his head into the living room to find his wife tangled in balls of yarn, frustrated at the pattern in front of her. Who know making a blanket was so difficult?
"I can't figure the pattern out, why is knitting so hard katsu! Why do people do this to relax"
"Cuz old hags have all the time in the world to do that stuff, now get your ass to bed"
The small half-arsed square that was meant to be a blanket falls flat into y/ns lap as she realises this was another failed attempt at a present for mitsuki. The blanket would've had to of been perfect, can't give a seamstress a rag and pass it off as a blanket made out of love. What symbol would that give?
"Stupid yarn"
1 day to go
The perfect way to a person's heart is through their stomach, is that how the saying goes? Doesn't matter! Either way you found yourself 3 cakes deep into perfecting this stupid old recipe. katuki claims " the old hags loves "... but why is it so hard to master the recipe?
Many hours into baking whatever is in the oven, because there's no way you can even call the lumpy mess a 'cake'. Katsuki takes over as he cannot let anything to be made in his kitchen be considered inedible. You watched as katsuki whipped around the kitchen, making dinner and cleaning up the mess you made. What are you going to do now? The deadline is near, and you've nothing to bring to the dinner tomorrow for mitsuki?
Great way to impress your mother in law
"Listen, she won't care if you've nothin in your hands sweets, trust" Katsuki says to distract you from your storming thoughts.
"I just don't know what to do babe, I've tried so many ideas. I don't have to give up but what choice do I have–"
"Quit your ramblin and go wash up before dinner," katsuki cuts your rambles with instructions. He knows it's best to distract you if you're having working thoughts.
You make your way to the bathroom to wash up before dinner. Your head is still flooded with last minute ideas of presents to give mistuki.
"Where's all the soap gone? Why doesn't katsuki refill the container when it's empty? Typical" you say, reaching into the press to grab and refill the soap dispenser. You make a quick note of things you need to get in the shops before you go to dinner tomorrow as you're almost out of some essentials.
As you rummage through the bathroom cabinet, your fingers brush against a small, inconspicuous box tucked behind some toiletries. Curiosity piqued, you retrieved it, your heart quickening as you read the label. With a mixture of trepidation and hope, you take a gamble with this last chance of a home made present.
Birthday dinner
Mistuki has been filling yous in on her latest fashion looks she has been in the process of designing since last spring. Masaru has just set down the tea post dinner as you've all settled into the sitting room to unwind after that very tasty dinner katsuki scrubbed up. Who knew your man was so kind?
"Here's your present ma..." katsuki sheeply hands over his gift knowing his mother will make a deal out of the concert he has gotten her tickets for. You watch as mistuki stumbles over with glee as she hugs? Katsuki and thanks him. You haven't seem them hug since you had gotten married!
Masaru thanks katsuki for getting him a ticket also, placing the present aside waiting for the two blonds to settle down.
" it's something small, hope we can all share this special present" you hint towards the box you hand over to mitsuki. Katsuki looks at you knowingly you done fucked up the blanket and the cake, so what did you get her?
Mistuki opens the box to find a tiny baby blanket you had hand knitted from the rags you started with, paired with a tiny test signaling your little life growing within.
Mistuki stumbles over the test, clarifying with you that what she is reading really is coming true!
"YOUR PREGNANT?!"  She gleams as she jumps from her seat shuffling over to hug you. Katsuki looks at you with hope in his eyes, why hadn't you told him?!
"Yes , I hope this trumps katsuki present mistuki" you hug Mistuki back as masaru looks into the box reading the little note beside the blanket
"Cant wait to snuggle you in this blanket made out of love, sweat and tears,
Love, baby bakugo due 2X25"
Yep. You've finally outdone your husband in gift giving.
Now how will you out do Masarus birthday..
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What did I just write...
Ew
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bimoonphases · 5 months ago
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@wolfstarmicrofic July 19 - prompt 19: Fairytale [word count 941]
“Mother! Mother, please!”
Sirius banged both his fists on the door, but the only sound he heard were Walburga’s footsteps descending the tower stairs. He rested his forehead against the wood, feeling the tears prickling his eyes. It had all been a dream, a wonderful dream.
The castle, glimmering in the lights of the thousands of candles lit up for the nameday of the heir to the throne, Prince James. The feel of Uncle Alphard’s ceremonial suit Regulus had left in a corner of the kitchen so that Sirius could find it when the rest of the family had left that evening, fitting him like a glove. The whispers surrounding him when he had walked in the ballroom, his parents’ work so thorough no one there even remembered who he was. And the best part of it all. The man who had made a beeline for him as soon as the orchestra had started playing. His soft smile, his hand on Sirius’s back while they danced, his warm eyes. Sirius had forgotten everything in the man’s arms, letting himself just be happy for the first time in years. At least until the bells had tolled midnight and the guests had cheered the biggest birthday cake Sirius had ever seen being brought right in front of Prince James.
“I have to go stand by the prince for a moment,” Sirius’s companion had said. “Wait for me?”
“I have to go,” Sirius had managed to say.
Walburga wouldn’t linger after toasting the prince’s health, and he had to be back at the house before them, he knew too well what would happen to him should his parents come back and not find him as usual in the kitchen, asleep by the fireplace. The other man’s expression had crumbled so fast Sirius had only been able to turn around and run out of the ballroom.
“Wait!” he had heard as he was descending the staircase as fast as he could. “I don’t even know your name! How will I find you?”
Sirius hadn’t stopped. He knew he couldn’t let himself be found again, no matter how his heart was screaming the exact opposite. The man was obviously part of the prince’s inner circle with his embroidered clothes and impeccable manners, and Sirius had been even less than a servant to his own family for years. He had nothing to offer him. And yet when a royal herald had come to the house announcing Prince James would pay Lord and Lady Black a visit in the afternoon, Sirius had dared to hope. He had begged his mother to let him be present, to let him watch from afar, in the hopes the man he had dreamt about for two weeks now would be there and he could look at him once more. But all the begging had ended up with him being locked up in the small room at the top of the tower so he couldn’t stumble on the royal visit and embarrass his parents by reminding someone they had managed to make their firstborn disappear from public record.
“It was a beautiful dream,” Sirius whispered. “Time to wake up now.”
A squeak made him turn his head towards the rat nestled on the windowsill.
“What would you have me do, Wormtail?” Sirius wiped his tears away. “I can’t break the door down.”
The rat squeaked again and Sirius walked up to the window, sitting on the windowsill and looking down at where his parents and his brother were standing, watching the royal guards on horseback enter the courtyard.
“Yes, I suppose I will able to see him if he’s coming here with the prince,” he sighed.
Soon enough, a white horse stopped in front of the house and Prince James dismounted while Sirius’s parents and Regulus immediately dropped into the most perfect curtsies. Sirius watched the prince walk up to his father, and his heart skipped a beat as he saw the man from the ball climb down from his chestnut horse and stop right behind the prince.
From up there he couldn’t hear a thing, but soon enough he saw Orion clasp his hands behind his back, which he only ever did when something was not going his way, while Walburga planted one hand on Regulus’s shoulder, a clear sign she needed to assert her control on someone because she was losing her footing in another field. Then, Prince James looked at Regulus, and from where Sirius was he saw his brother slightly move his head up, the prince following the movement and looking up at the tower. A second later, the prince was waving a finger right in Orion’s face while the other man had broken into a run and had gotten inside the house. Sirius frowned, wondering what was really happening down there, when a crash made him whirl around. The door had been broken down, and the man from the ball was standing on the threshold, panting.
“It’s true then,” he whispered, eyes fixed on Sirius. “Imprisoned and treated like a servant when you should be heir of this family.”
Sirius blinked.
“How did you find me?” he whispered.
“You have the good luck of looking way too much like your younger brother,” the man walked up to Sirius, extending his hand. “My name is Remus. Will you allow me to escort you to a safe place?”
Sirius took his hand, letting himself be drawn up from the windowsill and almost against Remus’s chest.
“As long as the safe place is with you,” he whispered.
“Always,” Remus smiled. “Let’s go now before the prince starts flirting with your brother.”
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tennessoui · 5 months ago
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for the microstory challenge!!! 2 - this was a mistake
"So," Obi-Wan says, pressing a hesitant hand over his bleeding brow and wincing. "I think we are both in agreement that this was a mistake."
Anakin scowls and turns his head on the cot so that he's facing away from his master, pure petulance radiating from him. "It was romantic."
"Anakin," Obi-Wan says, but even he can tell that he sounds terribly fond. "We're both in the Halls of Healing, dear one. Twenty minutes into our first romantic outing as a couple, you suffered an allergic reaction to cocavet seeds and hit your head on the table of the restaurant as you fell, causing a minor fire and major panic--primarily from the orchestra you paid to serenade us at the table. Then I crashed the speeder trying to get you back to the Temple before you asphyxiated in the passenger seat. If this is your idea of romance, I'm not entirely certain either of us--or Coruscant--will survive our relationship. Let alone a second date.
Anakin scowls harder, crossing his arms over his chest. He looks so downtrodden and young that Obi-Wan has to sigh and lean forward, patting his blanket covered thigh with his blood-free hand.
"There, there," he says. "Perhaps our talents lay in romantic evenings inside the temple. Hm?"
Anakin turns to look at him at least, face scrunching up. "Like in the Room of a Thousand Fountains?" he asks, looking intrigued.
"No," Obi-Wan says quickly, though he bites his tongue before he remind his former padawan that the Room of a Thousand Fountains is a sacred Jedi place. Not a place for Jedi to chase after teenage fantasies. That would just distract them both from his very real point he is trying to make. Primarily, "I meant somewhere more private, dear one."
Anakin's eyebrows pinch together.
"Our quarters, perhaps."
"Oh! Oh," Anakin says in quick succession. Honestly, Obi-Wan would be worried about a concussion making his padawan slower on the uptake than usual, but he was (regrettably) present for much of Anakin's relationship with Padmé Amidala. He understands that love makes Anakin rather stupid.
"Oh," Obi-Wan agrees, patting his leg and standing as the healer on duty calls his name and beckons him towards an examination room. "I will leave you to work out the kinks in that arrangement."
He is treated to a particularly lovely image of his padawan turning scarlet for a moment over nothing more than a bit of wordplay.
"Master," Anakin says once Obi-Wan has taken several steps away from him. He looks over his shoulder, eyebrow cocked. Anakin's eyes are wide and earnest, but there's a hint of a curl to his lips, something more devious beneath his mask. "Don't worry, Master, you're not out of a job yet."
Obi-Wan stops, narrows his eyes in consideration as he weighs what is obviously a trap versus the joy he gets from bantering with Anakin, before turning around to face him completely. "I'm sorry?"
The smile lingering around Anakin's mouth breaks out into a full out grin. "You take my breath away better than any cocavet seed ever could."
"I liked it a lot more when your throat was too swollen to talk," Obi-Wan decides, and Anakin barks out a laugh in response.
"Oh," the healer says some minutes later. "Your face is rather warm, Master Kenobi. Have you been affected by an allergic reaction as well?"
Obi-Wan does not give into the urge to put his face in his hands, but it is a rather close call. After all, he's definitely been affected by something.
[prompt from this list of microfic prompts]
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cowgurrrl · 11 months ago
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It Ain't Me Babe
Pairing: Joel Miller x fem!reader
Author’s note: A holiday present from me to you âŁïž
Summary: Ellie’s first art club meeting [2.8k]
Warnings: creative insecurity, mentions of financial instability, teacher things, Ellie talking about Sarah, more flirty flirt, I think that’s it??
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Nothing has ever been as annoying or guilt-inducing as an unfinished piece of art. Sure, every artist— no matter the medium— has felt like an uncreative, unoriginal hack, but it still feels just as new as it did the first time. Moonlight streams through your window as you glare at the canvas, hoping for an idea or stroke of genius. It's late. You should be in bed, especially since it's a Sunday night and you spent your weekend working at the bar down the street. But you're holding a paintbrush between stained fingers and praying for a miracle. It's been eight months since you last sold a piece for a whopping $200, chump change when it comes to living in Austin these days. Even with two jobs and doing commission work, you're living paycheck to paycheck. Maybe that's why it's so hard to create? That has to be the reason. You don't remember it being this hard when you were younger.
Creating art was the only thing that brought you solace during your teenage years. It didn't matter if it was drawing, pottery, painting, sculpting. All that mattered was that you were doing it and you were good. You won awards, scholarships, and attention. Your art teacher, Ms. Henry, was a godsend. Grey-haired, glasses-wearing, colorful Ms. Henry glided through lessons and projects like it was second nature. She always had pencils in her hair, a mug in her hands, and a kind word on her lips when you entered her classroom. She's the one who pushed you to go to your artsy liberal arts college full of people richer and better than you. Even with her love and support, you struggled and almost dropped out after that first semester. 
"There's always someone better," she told you when you ended up crying across from her in a coffee shop. "But there's nobody in the world who can make what you will because there is and never will be another you. I mean, God, what a gift. I'd hate to see you waste it." That sobered you enough to keep going and eventually pursue a teaching certification. Ms. Henry has since retired to the Pacific Northwest with her wife, Mable, and sends you a postcard every once in a while because she believes smartphones will be the downfall of civilization. After so many years in education, you're ready to agree with her. 
You sigh, feeling your motivation fluttering away with your breath, and plop your paintbrush down in the cup engraved with the words "DO NOT DRINK" in bold. The canvas doesn't look like much of anything right now— just a mass of colors and shapes that could potentially pass as an abstract version of a landscape. It looks like the other painting you left at the school to work on when you have time. And the painting before that. And the one before that. You curse at exactly the same time your phone buzzes with a text. 
You awake?
You don't bother responding and go straight to FaceTiming her. She picks up on the second ring, her beautiful, round face greeting you with a smile. You met Andie during high school, and her effortlessly cool attitude and bulky violin kit quickly became a part of your heart. You two were inseparable all four years of high school, dividing your time between rehearsals and time spent in the studio, but college took you to art school and her to a prestigious orchestra program in Vienna. She's been there ever since graduation, playing for diplomats and royals alike, but she comes home for holidays, and you've been trying to save money to go see her. Being so far from her is hard, but you make it work. 
"Why are you awake?" You ask by way of a greeting, more than accustomed to your seven-hour time difference and her early riser habits. She laughs, and you hear a tea kettle whistle in the background. 
"Well, hello to you, too," she says. "I have rehearsals all day today, so I got an early start. Why are you awake?"
"I'm staring at my waking nightmare." 
"Oh, God, are you having another spiral?" 
"I'm a hack."
"You're an artist."
"I got rejected again this weekend," you say as if to prove your point, and she sucks her teeth. "They said my art didn't fit their vision for their exhibition, but to feel free and submit another time."
"Well, they must not know great art when they see it. There will be another exhibition and another chance for you to show off your amazing skills. And when you get accepted, which I know you will, I'll fly in, and we'll drink fancy champagne and talk shit the entire opening night." She says, and you sigh. Her persistent optimism is one of the things you love about her, but sometimes, all you want to do is sulk. 
"Or I could fly to you when your first composition gets performed, and we could do all those things in Austria instead of this shithole."
"Hey, some of us like that shithole."
"Some of us haven't lived in the shithole in ten years." 
"Touche," she concedes. "But I'm serious about what I said. You're a good artist, just going through a little bump in the road. One day, we'll be really sexy and successful, and we'll look back at this and laugh with our rich spouses while drinking expensive wine."
"One day," you say, smiling. "How are rehearsals going?" She groans at the question, and you laugh. Whenever you talk to her, she's working on a new show or with a new conductor and always has something to say. There are many things you could call your best friend, but lazy is not one of them.
"I feel like we're stuck on this one part, but the conductor won't listen to me. He says he knows better than I do, which might be true, but also, if he just listened to me, then we can move on. I don't know. I'm sure if I poke him enough, he'll have to listen to me."
"Sounds reasonable." 
"That's what I'm saying," she says as she shuffles her coffee mug and breakfast to her dining room table before checking the time. "It's midnight there. Don't you have school tomorrow?" She asks, and you sigh.
"And an early morning staff meeting and art club after school." 
"Sometimes, I worry about your mental health." She says, and you laugh a little too deliriously to prove her wrong. You stay up talking with her for a while before finally getting hit with a wave of fatigue and crashing into bed. 
The next day is not any less hectic than your weekend was. The staff meeting early in the morning is mind-numbing and completely unnecessary. The printer in the teacher's lounge breaks halfway through a heavy-duty print job, and you're left scrambling for new activities and lessons. Not only that, but your students were more out of control than usual, prompting a veteran teacher to come in and scold your class on your behalf. It would be kind if it didn't make you feel two inches tall and your students didn't look at you like you betrayed them. You spend your planning period indulging in the silence of your empty classroom and fighting off a migraine. 
The second the final bell sounds, your art club kids are knocking down your door, more than ready to work on their projects for the winter showcase. The winter showcase is hosted by a local art gallery that opens for submissions from students every fall. If a student's work is taken, it gets shown in the gallery, and they get entered into a prize to win money and a chance to paint a mural downtown. It's a big deal. So far, you haven't had a student win first place, but you've had them get very close. You always assure them you're proud of them no matter what, which is especially true when Ellie slinks into your classroom with a shy smile.
"Hey! We're just setting up supplies to work on stuff for the showcase. Do you have something to work on?" You ask, gesturing to the students working around the room in a buzz. 
"I think so. Are you gonna play music?" 
"Who do you think I am?" You make a face, and she laughs. "Why don't you find a spot and get comfortable while I queue up a playlist?" She hesitates for a second before she takes a deep breath and musters up the courage to approach another student to ask if she can sit with them. They start chatting easily, and her shoulders relax as she gets more and more comfortable with all the new people. You put on a random playlist and move around the room to answer any questions about colors or give an opinion when asked for one. Over the course of an hour, Ellie makes her own little group of friends, and they all talk as if they've known each other forever as they work. She seems so in her own element, and you can't fight the pride beaming in your chest. Okay, so maybe your job can be pretty cool sometimes. Not fame and fortune cool or traveling overseas cool, but cool nevertheless.
Students gradually start packing up their things and leaving when they get texts from impatient parents in the parking lot or close to dinner time, but Ellie stays behind, bobbing her head to a beat or bouncing her knee under the table. She's the only one left in the classroom when you start packing your stuff and preparing the room for the next day. "You've got a ride home, honey?" You ask, and she glances nervously between you and her phone.
"Yeah. My dad should be here soon." She says. 
"Alright, well, I've gotta lock up here, but I'll wait outside with you until he gets here."
"Oh, you don't have to do that."
"It'd make me feel better knowing you weren't left behind. Plus, I'm the adult responsible for you until he picks you up, so it's kinda illegal for me to just leave you here." You say, and she looks hesitant again but nods. Together, you walk out of the classroom and through the empty hallways until you get out to the scorching September afternoon. You stand outside in silence for a few seconds, taking in the sunset, before you turn to look at her.
"How'd you like the club?" You ask. 
"It was fun! I met lots of cool people."
"I told you, kid. You just needed to give it a chance."
"I know, I know," she rolls her eyes, and you smile. "Thank you for pushing me to go. I don't think I would've gone without you." She's so genuine and kind in her tone that it throws you off-kilter. You're used to being berated by students, staff, and parents. To be told you actually had an impact on someone is not commonplace, to say the least. 
"I'm sure you would've found your way there without me." 
"Maybe, but you helped me get there a lot sooner than I would've on my own." She says, and you take a deep breath. It feels nice to be acknowledged, especially after the day you've had, and Ellie seems to sense it. You're looking for something to say when she looks down at her shoes and kicks a stray rock. "Just take the compliment and move on. Don't make it a thing." 
"Alright." You say, laughing, and she cracks a smile, too. Traffic will be horrible on the way home, and you have nothing to eat for dinner, but it's okay. You did one good thing today. That's all you need. 
"Sorry, my dad is taking so long." She changes the subject, a touch of anxiety creeping in, and you shake your head. 
"Does he always work late?" You ask, and she shrugs.
"Sometimes. Dad and Uncle Tommy have been picking up jobs to send money to my sister in Boston. "
"What's in Boston for your sister?"
"Medical school. She's about to go into her internship at a hospital there."
"That's a big deal." You say, and she hums. 
"Yeah. She'll probably save the world or something one day." There's a hint of something nostalgic in her voice, and you decide to push just a little. 
"Do you miss her?"
"A lot," she says. "She's my best friend."
"She's lucky to have you." You say. She smiles but doesn't say anything. You want to ask more about her family, but a rickety, greenish pickup truck comes rumbling through the parking lot before you can. Ellie shifts her backpack on her shoulder as her dad and uncle come into view, and you smile at them. Joel, however, looks frantic. 
He's unbuckling his seatbelt and opening the driver's side door before the car can even finish moving. There's dirt on his pants and a little bit of a sunburn across his arms, the muscles straining across the black fabric. He politely pulls the ball cap off his head to reveal sweaty curls as he approaches you, jerking his head toward the truck at Ellie. "Why don't you wait in the truck with Uncle Tommy? He's got a snack for you." He says, and Ellie lights up at the mention of food. When you're alone, he tucks his hands in his pockets and gives you an apologetic look. 
"'M so sorry. We got caught up at work and lost track of time. It won't happen again." He says, wringing his hands like he's waiting to be scolded, but you wave him off. 
"It's okay. Things happen, and I'm just glad she's got someone picking her up." You say. 
"How'd she do today?"
"Really good. I think she fits right in."
"She make some friends?"
"I can't give away all my secrets. What else are y'all gonna talk about at the dinner table?" You tease. 
"I guess that's right," he says as he stares at you, a muscle in his jaw jumping. "Thanks for waitin' with her."
"It was my pleasure." You say. You stand awkwardly for a few seconds, rocking back and forth on your feet. His eyes are locked in yours, and there's a silent competition to see who's gonna blink first. "Well, I should let you get home. Have a good night." 
"Uh," he starts, stopping you before you can even fully take a step. "I wanted to apologize for the other night. I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable."
"You didn't make me uncomfortable," you say a little too quickly, and he smirks. "I was very flattered. Besides, it's not the first time."
"Beautiful woman like you, I'm sure you've got 'em linin' the block for a chance with you." He says. You're dancing a delicate dance here. You're not not flirting, and you're not not interested in him, but if your principal finds out, it could cause a whole new world of problems. Still, it's nice to be wanted after so long of being on your own. You're not a saint, but you're also not doing anything inherently wrong, right?
"The teacher thing usually freaks 'em out before they can get very far."
"That's a damn shame." He's quick with it, and you have to resist the urge to roll your eyes at the line. A buzz in your bag reminds you of the time and why you're still at school, and you find your footing again. 
"Uh, I usually give out my contact information to the parents of my art club kids in case they need anything or need to contact me quickly. Since Ellie's an official part of that, I figured I should give you my phone number in case anything comes up. If that's alright?" You say, and he pulls his cracked phone from his back pocket. 
"Yeah, yeah. That's more than alright." He says, handing it to you to punch in your information. 
"It's for emergency purposes only."
"What d'you consider an emergency?"
"Mr. Miller-"
"Joel." He corrects, and you give him a look as you pass his phone back. 
"Don't abuse it. I'd hate to have to put you in a group chat with all the PTA moms."
"You're evil." He groans, and you laugh. Tommy, leaning over and honking the truck horn, interrupts your conversation, and he shoots daggers through the back window. 
"I'll see you next week, Joel." You say, dismissing him, and he hesitates for another second before nodding.
"See you next week." He says and turns on his heels to get back in his truck. You think you vaguely catch Joel scolding Tommy for being impatient, but you ignore his deep voice and the engine sputtering as you walk to your own car with a little more pep in your step than this morning.
TAGLIST: @abbyhaslongshorts @kiwiharrykiwi @sumsworldz @myloveistoolittle @anavatazes @marantha @cosmoscoffeee @shyminnie07 @beezusvreeland @eddiemunsonsbedroom @harriedandharassed @doodlebob-mp3 (look at how many of you there are!)
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whencyclopedia · 23 days ago
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BĂ©la BartĂłk
BĂ©la BartĂłk (1881-1945) was an innovative Hungarian pianist and composer most famous for his classical works for piano and orchestra, string quartets, and songs, many of which present traditional Hungarian and other European folk themes. BartĂłk, a prodigious scholar and collector of folk songs, is widely considered one of the greatest musicians Hungary has ever produced.
Early Life
BĂ©la BartĂłk was born on 25 March 1881 in NagyszentmiklĂłs (now called SĂąnnicolau Mare), then located in the Hungarian part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire (but today located in Romania). BĂ©la's father was a teacher in the local agricultural college, and his mother was a piano teacher. BĂ©la's father died when he was seven years old, and so mother and son moved to Pressburg (called Pozsony by the Hungarians), today's Bratislava in the Slovak Republic. BĂ©la's mother taught him to play the piano from the age of five. He showed a rare talent and was already performing in public by the age of eleven; he had started composing his own pieces even earlier, at the age of nine.
BĂ©la turned down a free scholarship to study at the music academy in Vienna and instead decided to attend the Royal Hungarian Academy of Music in Budapest from 1898. BartĂłk graduated in 1903. First earning a living as a concert pianist, from 1907, BartĂłk worked as a piano professor at the Academy. Although the post gave BartĂłk some financial stability, it was not quite what he had hoped for; he remarked that he was, in truth, "a reluctant teacher and would have preferred a research post" (Steen, 722). BartĂłk continued to compose, with early influences coming from the works of Franz Liszt (1811-1886), Johannes Brahms (1833-1897), Richard Strauss (1864-1949) – particularly his symphonic poem Also sprach Zarathustra –, and Igor Stravinsky (1882-1971).
BartĂłk's character and drive is here summarised by the music historian H. C. Schonberg:
BartĂłk was a tiny, frail man with explosive psychic force, prepared to go his own uncompromising way even if his music was never played. A stubborn integrity and an all-encompassing humanism animated the man, and he would not swerve from his ideal of truth.
(656)
BĂ©la BartĂłk, 1903
Unknown Photographer (Public Domain)
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cinnamoodles · 1 year ago
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the language of flowers — part three, peonies
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warnings: angst, less than usual though, and arguing between Anthony and reader bc what did we expect from our fav couple??
word count: 1.5k (im totally on a roll)
author’s note: hi pookies! anthony is a total charmer in this one, and it’s a bit rushed?? idk personally i feel like it’s really bad but whatevs i guess.
read previous parts! — part one, daises | part two, irises
i don’t consent for my work to be reposted or copied, translated, or transferred to any other platform, or this one, in part or whole.
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iii. 1807, paeonia lactiflora. peonies, regret
The sight of your second brother’s engagement ball should have put your heart at peace, and the familiar sight of the most eligible bachelors and debutantes dancing in the hall comforting, but today, strangely, was the opposite. Gold decor and soft yellow candlelight was one of the things most known to you, yet you were uneasy, glancing around the ballroom fervently, looking for something—someone—you desperately wanted to avoid.
Or perhaps it wasn’t strange at all. You knew precisely what was causing your nervous pacing, and it might have had something to do with the fact that your mother had invited her best friend, who just happened to be one Violet Bridgerton, and her children to your brother’s engagement ball.
You fiddle with the clasp of your bracelet unconsciously, and look up to see them. The ton’s perfect family, of course, the Bridgertons. And what made your heart pang even more was the sight of Viscount Anthony Bridgerton with a bouquet of flowers in his hand—peonies
?
Ever since that fateful argument in the dark-haired boy’s study, your contact had been limited to necessary formalities and a peculiar bouquet of peonies that mysteriously appeared on your doorstep each week, on Wednesday, without fail. Why Wednesdays, you truly had no idea, but he had made no effort to apologize to you, or do anything other than pretend everything was fine for the past two years, so instead, you had unintentionally gotten closer to the second Bridgerton brother, Benedict.
You quickly approached the latter, fingers twitching, head pounding, only to be intercepted by Anthony Bridgerton on a day you most certainly did not want to deal with his egotistical, narcissistic arse (you were being a bit too harsh, but of course, he deserved it). His typically confident and charismatic demeanor was on full display as he gracefully stepped in front of you, a smug smile playing on his lips.
“A pound for your thoughts, darling?” He held out his hand, as if attempting to offer a dance, perhaps in the only method he knew how. You ignored his hand, opting instead for a curt, chaste curtsy, and quickly righted yourself.
You bite the inside of your lip, restraining yourself from pinning this man to the ground and beating the life out of him. “Viscount Bridgerton,” you nod, your voice clipped. “What is the reason for you to talk to me? And, if I may ask, what are you doing here? Do you not have other responsibilities you must tend to, and as such, you are far too busy to gallivanting to weddings or engagement balls?” You sneer, referring to the last proper conversation the both of you had. One might even say that it could be regarded as less than a conversation.
“Why won’t you just let it go?” He sighs, exasperated. “I told you that my words were not true, so why are you holding this against me?” He gestures to the peonies in his hand. “I even brought—”
“Presents and flowers for the married couple-to-be will be placed on the table adjacent to the orchestra,” you say absentmindedly, waving your hands in that general direction.
He takes your wrist, a sudden heat feeling certainly enveloping you. “You know damn well what these flowers are,” he clenches his teeth. “What more do you desire from me? Would you like me begging for your forgiveness, at your feet, right here?”
Your eyes widen. “Do not do that, or I will make it my personal mission that I will never speak with you henceforth.” You bite your lip nervously. If Anthony truly does this, it would seem as though there had been something romantic between the two of you, which would be a nightmare to handle.
Anthony grinned. “Then why don’t you accept the flowers, and we can both get on with how we used to be, alright?” He seemed nervous, his eyes blinking far too rapidly, his fingers fiddling with his cufflinks and the lapel of his jacket.
“What?” You had thought it wasn’t possible for your eyes to widen further, but clearly, you were wrong. “How we were before? Do you even have the bloody idea how much your words hurt me?” Your words were quiet, but this was two years of rage ebbing inside you. You stuck a finger on his clothed chest, (regrettably, only to find rock hard muscle), and quickly pulled back.
“How did my words hurt you?” You looked at his face, of which pain was cast over. His eyes were looking at you as if you’d committed some grave deed, that he was responsible for.
The audacity of his question left you momentarily speechless. You took a deep breath, reminding yourself to keep your composure. "I don't believe it's necessary to discuss personal matters at a celebration, Viscount Bridgerton. Now, if you'll excuse me—"
In this moment, you were reminded of Anthony’s hand around your wrist, in the sense that he gripped it tightly and heaved you into a nearby hallway, his palm sweaty, and his eyes flashing with hints of both anger and annoyance. He placed you against the wall, breathing deeply, and his hands resting firmly on your hips.
“What is the meaning of this?” You snap. “What are you doing? It’s my brother’s engagement ball, and I do not have the mental capacity at this moment to deal with whatever plan you have concocted in your mind to try to win me back, or anything, alright?”
Anthony's eyes bore into yours, a mixture of frustration and sincerity evident in his gaze. "I'm not here to win you back with some grand gesture, if that's what you think," he replied, his voice a touch more gentle than before. "I'm here because I genuinely want to make amends, darling. I can't keep pretending that everything is alright with me, when it clearly isn't."
Your heart pounded in your chest as you met his gaze, searching for any hint of sincerity. It was hard to believe that the man standing in front of you, who exuded confidence and charm to the outside world, was capable of admitting his mistakes and showing vulnerability.
"I've been carrying the weight of those words for two years," he continued, his voice earnest. "And I can't bear the thought of you holding onto that pain any longer. Pain caused because of me, and the fact that even a single tear shed your eye because of my carelessness is not something I can live with, do you understand? I
” he looks at you, inching closer, till your faces are merely inches apart. “I care for you, and I cannot have one more thought of you feeling this way due to my actions.”
You can smell his breath, and surprisingly, you don’t find a hint of whiskey, or any alcoholic substance that might have forced this long overdue confession out. Instead, you’re met with the familiar scent of citrus, and the musk of sandalwood from his body.
“Words have consequences, Anthony,” you say, sighing, “you cannot merely throw them around like knives and expect one not to be wounded.” 
Anthony's expression softened, and you could see genuine remorse in his eyes. He took a deep breath, as if trying to steady himself, and his hands on your hips loosened their grip, becoming more tender. "You're right," he admitted, his voice laced with regret. "I've come to realize the weight of my words, the damage they've caused, and I can't undo the past, but I can try to right things now."
And suddenly, like someone, or something else was speaking for you, you said the words you’d been longing to say for the past two years. “I forgive you,” you say, smiling softly. “But just answer one question.”
“Yes?” His face is hopeful, his eyes sparkling and his demeanor lit up like you hadn’t seen before in a long while. “Ask me anything, whatever you need.”
You bite your lip. “Why did you send me peonies every week? And don’t try to lie to me, and say that it wasn’t you.” You look up into his eyes, finally about to ge the answer to the question plaguing you for the past two years.
Instead of nervousness, he stifled a chuckle. “I though you, queen of flowery symbolism, would understand. When you gave me the bouquet of irises, you had included a paragraph from a book, the guide for flowers, or something of the sort. I perused the book to see anything I could give you, and eventually chose peonies, for regret.”
Your face fell. “So you’d been apologizing all this time? And I was merely ignoring you?” You squeezed his hand tightly.
Anthony shrugged. “It doesn’t matter now. All that matters is that we’re each other’s best friends again, and believe me, I am not letting you out of my sight.” He mischievously grinned before picking you up, just as he had all those years before, in his arms. “How does a cup of lemonade in the garden sound, darling?”
”Will I ever go to a garden without you carrying me in? Nevertheless, fine, alright.” You smiled against his biceps, finally at peace with both your restless heart and your yearning mind, in the arms of the man you loved all too much, and whom you had left all too long.
taglist: @misscaller06 !
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svthub · 2 years ago
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svthub presents: snowventeen
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Welcome to Snowventeen! Have a cup of hot cocoa and browse our collection of holiday stories...
This collab will contain a combination of SFW and NSFW works. See each individual fic for tags and warnings.
Join the Snowventeen taglist!
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➀ Seungcheol: Baby it's Cold Outside by @idyllic-ghost
tags: NSFW - smut, romance, high school sweethearts to strangers to lovers, ceo!scoups x bookstore owner!reader
synopsis: Wintertime is the perfect time for love to blossom. In the cold air, you find yourself needing to be warmed up in the arms of someone new. This holiday season was something special, something magical. It all started with meeting an old friend in your very own bookstore. Somehow it ended with him in your bed. What once seemed buried started making its way up again; the ice surrounding your heart seemed to be thawing. Can old love be renewed?
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➀ Jeonghan: Holidate by @onlymingyus
tags: NSFW - smut, angst
synopsis: It's only for a week, he's doing you a favor, and he's your fake boyfriend. Why do you have to keep reminding yourself of that?
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➀ Joshua: Cast me in a Better Light by @seungkwansphd
tags: SFW, fluff, musical actor!joshua x pit orchestra member!reader
synopsis: Joshua is a great singer and actor, you can admit that, but would it kill him to have some rhythm? The Christmas musical really will fail if you can't figure out how to read his cues, but he's wondering if you'll ever realize that he's sending you a different kind of signal, too.
tags: NSFW - smut, angst
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➀ Junhui: Sounds of the Season by @junkissed part 2: "match of the season" (NSFW)
tags: SFW, fluff, college student radio host!junhui x college student!reader
synopsis: when your university’s radio show hosts a matchmaking event to raise money, you figure, what have you got to lose? the question you should be asking is, what have you got to gain?
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➀ Soonyoung: Day Of by @wonwussy
tags: NSFW - smut, crack, fluff
synopsis: December isn’t just for your typical gift giving holidays. There’s so much more to celebrate. You just have to get creative.
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➀ Wonwoo: A Winter Interlude by @wondernus
tags: SFW, fluff, romance, coworker!wonwoo
synopsis: maybe this is meant to be an interlude - an unforeseen passing moment in each other's timelines. but with the stroke of a conductor's baton, the symphony lands on the fermata, hovering above the note. do we allow this interlude to become something longer than a short period in our lives, or do we end it after all of it is over?
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➀ Jihoon: When We Didn't by @bitchlessdino
tags: NSFW - smut, fluff
synopsis: Remember when we almost? But we didn’t. And now what, you’re gonna sit alone, underneath your barely standing Christmas tree and not expect me to sit next to you? Maybe we should’ve.
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➀ Seokmin: Love to Keep me Warm by @strawberryya
tags: SFW, fluff, comfort
synopsis: The holiday season is approaching, and you and your boyfriend decide to spend Christmas together for the first time since you began seeing each other. Trees must be chosen, sweets must be made, and gifts must be wrapped and placed just in time for the day. And nothing makes it better than doing it together with Seokmin.
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➀ Mingyu: Hallmark Moment by @onlymingyus part 2: "Love on 42nd Street" (NSFW, fluff, angst)
tags: SFW, fluff, angst, crack, single dad!mingyu x single mom!reader
synopsis: The kids have been watching too many Christmas movies, and are now determined to have their very own magical moment with their parents.
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➀ Minghao: Glacial Pace by @wonusite
tags: NSFW - smut, fluff, fake dating, friends to lovers
synopsis: you've been in love with xu minghao from the moment he put a bandage on your cut at the age of six. when he asks you to pretend to be his girlfriend to get his prying family off his back, you quickly realize that keeping your feelings hidden from him will be next to impossible. especially since your meddling friends are determined to have you admit your feelings before the holiday season is over.
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➀ Seungkwan: Everyone Knows by @onlymingyus
tags: SFW, fluff, fake dating, angst
synopsis: You know everything about Seungkwan so it shouldn't be so hard to pick out a Christmas present for your best friend. Everyone else knows it's hard to pick out the perfect gift for someone you are in love with.
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➀ Vernon: Cold Hands, Warm Hearts by @duhnova
tags: SFW, fluff, humor, mildly suggestive, single dad!vernon x single mom!reader
synopsis: This holiday season, your daughter decided the best present she could give to you was a new boyfriend, which is why she and her best friend Yujin have taken it upon themselves to play matchmaker. Their candidate? Yujin's father.
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➀ Chan: Hoodie Szn (But Make it Jolly) by @multi-kpop-fanfics
tags: NSFW - smut, fluff, mild comedy
synopsis: Getting snowed in with your boyfriend isn't as bad as you think: you can put up some early decorations, steal your boyfriend's hoodie - did we mention getting fucked in that hoodie?
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tumblydovereviews · 5 months ago
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Hamilton: Why it Worked
"Ladies and gentlemen, this is your king, George III. Welcome, to Hamilton."
I've been in a Hamiton funk lately. In fact, while writing this post I was actually watching the Disney+ recording of the musical!
It's not just because today is the Fourth of July and Alexander Hamilton ultimately played a major role in helping America become what it is today. It's not just because Moana 2 is dropping in a couple of months, which Lin Manuel-Miranda won't be a part of, and I'm coping by listening to his music and work. I've always been a Hamilton fan, and while I haven't had the time nor the money to actually go out and see it myself, I have enjoyed it via listening to the soundtrack, reading the giant book I have on it, and generally appreciating the work itself.
A concept like Hamilton was fairly unique at the time of it coming out- after all, who has ever heard of an idea as abnormal as a sung-and-rapped musical about one of the Founding Fathers? In a way, though, Alexander Hamilton himself held many characteristics of a perfect protagonist for a show with this concept; he was restless, impulsive, and always moving, just as the show is paced to be. Lin Manuel-Miranda got the idea for the entire musical by reading a Hamilton biography. He was inspired by Hamilton's personality and compared it to that of a rapper; namely, Tupac Shakur, joining the past and the present together to form a new creation.
Any great musical would need to be propelled by music totally, and Hamilton is no exception; in fact, the musical holds a unique advantage over other generic shows- as mentioned before, it's a sung-and-rapped through musical. The majority, if not all, of the show is sung-through. Not only does this allow for a unique point-of-view inside of the personal issues of the characters, but it also allows the musical to be highly accessible. As I mentioned before, I haven't actually watched Hamilton in-person; my main way of consuming Hamilton media is by 'watching' the musical via its array of songs. Unlike other musicals, I didn't need to worry about gaps in the narrative not being able to be sealed by dialogue or body language.
And, speaking of the songs, they're great as well! In a variety of genres, such as rap, jazz, and pop, there's a Hamilton song for everyone, really. Lin, Leslie, Renee, and the rest of the class are amazing singers, and the orchestra and sound department also aids in elevating the play's most dramatic moments. Some are my personal favorites are the opening song, Alexander Hamilton, What'd I Miss, You'll be Back, and The Schuyler Sisters.
But, perhaps the main factor in the wide appeal of Hamilton was how well the writing and casting managed to humanize people that seemed so far away from our time, people who we'd usually think as being foreign to our modern-day issues. The cast of Hamilton are diverse in race, ranging from Hispanic to Black to Asian, and are given personalities that can relate to what people nowadays are like. Hamilton is ambitious and prideful, while Burr is more introverted but vengeful to a fault. Instead of random historical names, the two men, and all of the other characters in the play, become real. There's a reason that people of all ages, from young teenagers to fully-grown adults, have all managed to grow captivated by these characters. They are human. They are us. Hamilton is us.
And, ultimately, this is why Hamilton has become such a big success, in my opinion. Hamilton works because it doesn't just act as a play; instead, think of it as a river, using music, characters, and comedy to connect two oceans together- the past and the present. What started off as a random idea that was scorned down upon by others has ultimately become a global phenomenon, and with the feats mentioned above, it's no wonder that Hamilton managed to become such a success both on and off Broadway. To this day, the play still sells out tickets regularly, and is viewed, listened, and acted to by millions all around not just the USA, but the entire globe.
So, this fourth of July, you don't need to bolt out the national anthem while wearing red, white, and blue and bursting out oodles of fireworks everywhere you go. Instead, if you have the ability to, I'd highly recommend watching or listening to the soundtrack of Hamilton. Because, no matter the holiday or the country you lie in, there's something for everyone in this musical.
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halla-hunts-the-wolf · 4 months ago
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Rook has demons waiting for him in the Magisterium. Fortunately, he has a friend waiting to whisk them away.
Pairing: Rook x Lucanis
Genre: Hurt/comfort
Warnings: Mentions of Abuse
The music swells into a crescendo throughout the ballroom, and the wine in Ma’hallain's mouth turns to larder. It's all he can do to force the burning liquid down, his ears pinned back as he tries not to vomit against the velvet carpet at his feet. He was in a room filled with Altus mages and Magisterium officials. He had agreed to the event to help Dorian gather information, to discover which of the nobility still scowled at the sight of elves without their leashes and collars.
Anyone who squirmed in Ma’hallain's presence or dared to say anything hateful was added to Dorian's ever growing list of adversaries. They would be coerced into submission somehow, through coin, blackmail, or bloody threats left on their doorstep. Tevinter played the game as well as any Orlesian, and Dorian was a man out for blood.
Ma’hallain was nothing more than a pawn in his patron’s chessboard. A rook to be moved about at will, ensuring that they would win the match in the end. He reminded himself what Dorian was working so hard for, and that an end to oppression was slowly becoming a possibility with each passing year.
He knew his followers were lost in the crowd. Some of them had enough influence to mingle at an event like this, while others were forced to linger in the shadows as he was, watching for anyone with malicious intent. Ma’hallain didn't like to cower, but he couldn't bring himself to pull his green eyes away from the floor, in fear of who he may find staring back.
A Magister had been the one to burn his face, to brand his back, to beat the Elven dialect out of his voice until he sounded like he was originally from Tevinter, born and raised. He knew what the people in this room were capable of, what they could do to him

His mouth turned dry and his heart began to pound. The leather of his boots began to blur, as did the sounds of the large room, until Ma’hallain could see nothing aside from that Magister's scornful face.
A calloused hand against his elbow brings him back to the present. He can't help springing backward, his hand falling to the dagger that was resting against his hip. Lucanis draws his hand away as quickly as it came, raising both in the air to show he meant nothing by the casual touch.
“You went away,” he whispers, noting the distant look in Ma’hallain's eye. “Where did you go?”
“Were you watching me?”
“Everyone else is watching the party, I thought someone should be watching you.” Lucanis takes a small step into Ma’hallain's line of sight, shielding him from the other party goers.
“I don't need your pity,” Ma’hallain felt like nothing more than a wild animal in those moments, with his hackles raised and his defenses high.
“No,” Lucanis agrees in a tone dripping with sympathy and as soft as silk. “You need a friend, Lain. I'm sure Dorian will be alright if you leave your post. Why don't we go outside and get some fresh air?”
“I would rather stay,” Ma’hallain answers, despite knowing how uncomfortable he was becoming. “Everyone's a threat.”
Lucanis gazes over his shoulder, surveying the ballroom from the rich paintings decorating the ceilings to the grand orchestra overtaking an entire section of the room. The people nearby were pretending not to stare at them, as a handsome man encouraged the frightened elf out of his corner. “Well if they're going to stare anyway, we should make sure you get through the night without a nervous breakdown, yes? Come dance with me.”
It felt like a wrecking ball had crashed through the walls Ma’hallain had built for himself in an instant. His terror and irritability flush from his system enough to let a laugh bubble up his throat and pass through his lips as a winded, “What?”
“We should dance-”
“No, I heard you. I can't dance, Lucanis.”
“You're quick on your feet. If you follow my lead, I'm sure you'll pick it up.”
Ma’hallain considers it for a moment, imagining the stoic and pragmatic assassin he'd come to trust whisking him around on the dancefloor. It was hard enough to get Lucanis to smile, and now the other man was offering to lead him through ballroom maneuvers? “This is unlike you.”
Lucanis shrugs, although there's an emotion hidden within the depth of his brown eyes that Ma’hallain can't name. “As a Crow, you're taught to do everything in your power to ensure the job gets done. Sometimes that requires seducing a target onto the dance floor, to hold them close and whisper sweet nothings in their ear
”
Ma’hallain takes a deep breath.
Lucanis continues, “Not that I'm trying to get you into bed at the end of the night, but I know you trust me. If I can coach you through whatever you're feeling, and offer you a shoulder to lean on tonight, then I'm yours.”
It's a generous offer. A kind offer. Ma’hallain knew that dancing with Lucanis in a crowd of people who frowned upon elves and same sex relationships in equal measure would draw countless eyes in their direction. However, the crowd’s ire and hatefulness would only help Dorian find his enemies.
He brings his wine glass back to his lips, and allows the liquid to pool on his tongue. It doesn't taste as bad the second time, as he hands the empty glass to Lucanis. “I'll try not to step on your feet.”
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mysticalblueberry · 1 month ago
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Something I never really hear people mention when talking about modern conveniences is music. When you think about modern amenities that we can easily access that even rich people a few centuries ago would have been envious of, the first things that come to mind are things like plumbing, grocery stores, electricity. But what about music?
Even 150 years ago, music on-demand was pretty much not a thing. You would need a person or multiple people with instruments, and they'd need to have practiced whatever songs in advance.
Today, you can listen to pretty much any song from the history of mankind using a device that fits in the palm of your hand. You can listen to music alone, at any time of day, any genre you'd like. You can listen to an entire orchestra playing a 30-minute-long piece that sounds like heaven while making dinner, instead of having to plan in advance to see an orchestra in person. You can have small parties with friends where nobody is doing any work like a musician would but with the ever-present sound of music in the background. I think this modern convenience of music is something that should be appreciated a bit more, and as I listen to my classical pieces of music and modern rock songs, I find myself grateful to be living in the 21st century.
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