#YOU LEAVE YOUR FOOD SCRAPS EVERYWHERE

[mzcain27]

Somebody should take my phone I’m gonna be nasty

[crabsnpersimmons]

i realize i never posted these boys

these are my boys for my restaurant AU: "Have You Eaten?"

the basic premise is this: Y/N works a stressful job where keeping up appearances is paramount. They often treat their clients to a meal at their favourite restaurant, run by the DCA boys—the nutrition-conscious chef Sun, the sweet and friendly chef Moon, and the charming front of house Eclipse. Y/N always orders something small and light so they can focus on talking with their client and maintaining appearances—nothing too large, nothing messy, nothing indulgent. Then after the meal, they walk their client to their car and they wait for their client to leave. Secretly, Y/N is a glutton. Once their client leaves, they hurry back to the restaurant, where their true meal is hot and ready for them.

Eclipse: Welcome back, Starlight! Ready for your second course?

Moon: Do you wanna skip straight to dessert? I tried a new recipe for donuts!

Sun: No. The hour is late, you should have something simple and adequately filling before bed.

Eclipse: Or... maybe you're interested in something "off the menu?"

they're a silly bunch (:

some other notes under the cut

the title is "Have You Eaten?" which is a common greeting in multiple languages. There's something warm about being greeted with this check-in to make sure you that have taken care of your body.

the restaurant is mostly based on a Hong Kong style cafe (a cha chaan teng) but the specials change often and often branch into other types of dishes and cuisines, because the boys like to experiment with new recipes.

Eclipse does have 4 arms, but he usually hides his second pair away because he's found it disturbed customers.

they can eat as an alternative method of recharging, and they can turn off their taste buds. Sun in particular has a bad habit of eating food scraps.

the DCA's relationship with each other is... complicated? They don't exactly like each other but are forced by their code to remain within a certain distance to each other. So they begrudgingly work and live together and cause trouble for each other's lives.

despite having separate bodies, their code forces them to stay within a certain radius (1515 feet, or the approximate distance between the 2 furthest points of the Mega Pizzaplex). They wear clip-on earrings to extend the range whenever they need extra space (usually Eclipse, hence why he has so many).

Eclipse is the oldest—he was built first for the theatre. Many years later, Eclipse was moved to the daycare to entertain children. But since they were short-staffed, Sun and Moon were built using Eclipse's code to help him at the daycare.

their pizzaplex was left to ruin and the three of them got out and were picked up by an old chef, who took them in and taught them everything he knows before leaving his restaurant to them and passing away.

i would like to write something for this AU. The main story still needs some work, but I have a lot of little drabble ideas that I might write. Or maybe it will be an AU full of drabbles. That's a possibility too. Although I would like to explore stories with other y/ns, like one who is a picky eater, one who has a lot of food allergies, etc.

also head's up: innuendos. innuendos everywhere. (most of which are Eclipse's fault)

[honeyhotteoks]

across stardust - two (j.yh); section one

summary: you and yunho have worked together for years, idol and makeup artist, but until today you’ve never touched him skin to skin. when the world tilts on its head from just a brush of his cheek, you realize he’s so much more than a crush, he’s your soulmate. one | two (*section one); (section two) | three | four 🔗read on ao3✨ across stardust pinterest board

note: i hope everyone enjoys this chapter. it's wildly fluffy and wildly romantic, and then deliciously smutty so i hope everyone enjoys.

tags/warnings: idol!yunho, makeup artist!reader, fem!reader, soulmates au, soulmate identifying marks, soulmate tattoos, tattoed!reader, suggestive language, allusions to a past ex who pressured her into things she wasn't ready for, anxiety etc., and finally the smut; heavy makeouts, grinding, oral f!receiving, convos about oral m!receiving, lots of fingering, lots of cock touching, earth shattering soulmate sex, rough sex, soft!dom/pleasure!dom yunho and wide eyed sub!reader, heavy on the dirty talk, HEAVY on the praise. we got a lot of good girls in this one, and good god tagging for gratuitous use of pet names from yunho. lots of missionary and missionary adjacent positions, spooning sex to idk he's on his back and she's on top but laying on him it's hard to describe but by god is it hot please enjoy

pairings: yunho x reader

genre: fantasy, romance, smut || soulmates au

word count: 28.1k

**this part was too long for tumblr's new word count guidelines! please check out the second half of this part, here!

The tour ends in Paris of all places. After weeks of concealing your growing relationship with Yunho from everyone, it feels like the universe is rubbing salt in the wound bringing you to the so-called city of love. 

For weeks as you hopped city to city, a whirlwind of language and culture and food, you found yourself living for the quiet, stolen moments with him. Quick visits to each other’s hotel rooms and even faster kisses, but never a full night. He hugged you briefly in Amsterdam, left a single rose on your station in Rome, bought you a cashmere scarf in London when the weather took a turn. You catalog these moments in your memory, and scribble down musings in your travel journal, and try not to judge yourself for saving every little scrap of your secret relationship down to the gift receipt in the bottom of the bag and one of the rose petals (pressed dry between the pages of your latest read). 

Paris feels different though. Everywhere you look there are couples snuggled close in the winter chill, and though you aren’t necessarily one for public displays of affection, seeing it like this makes your heart ache. You’d at least like the option. But despite his little gifts, you and Yunho have been doing your best to be subtle, mitigating even the smallest glances, and getting to know him over text. It wasn’t enough, but you could cope, until now. Until this city. You weren’t supposed to walk through a city this romantic alone, not when your soulmate was a few blocks away in a hotel room. You were supposed to be with him.

He feels your ache though, and you feel his. 

Besides, it’s almost, almost over. 

In Paris, you all have an extra two days to account for the end of the tour and flights home, and the electric energy of being almost finished and almost home has everyone buzzing. The members are jittery with anticipation but so is the staff, so close to being back home and in the arms of their loved ones and with a belly full of Korean food. 

On the last show, after soundcheck runs perfectly smoothly and the pre-show rituals have all been checked off without a hitch, it goes to shit. Venue delays, an issue outside getting the fans inside, leaving the stadium only half full at the call time. 

It’s not the first time this has happened of course, but it is the first time for this tour and to have it happen on the last day leaves everyone groaning. 

“They couldn’t tell us this twenty minutes ago?” Hongjoong asks one of your production team.

They had been moments away from starting the introduction lights and music, the boys had already gotten up onto their rising platforms when a member of the venue staff had jogged all the way backstage waving her arms and trying to explain in a mix of French and English that they had to wait. 

“They said thirty minutes,” The staff member replies, “we won’t have to make any cuts, but anything over an hour we’ll need to start,” 

“Fuck,” Hongjoong’s jaw tightens, “Sorry, I apologize,” 

The boys are gathered tightly around management and the production staff and you, Iseul, and the other members of makeup and hair step forwards to listen in. 

You can’t quite catch all of the conversation, but then there’s some nodding in the center circle and Sunhee, the head of tour production, turns and addresses everyone as they shuffle into a semi-circle around him, “Alright, we’re running on a thirty delay,” 

Everyone nods.

 “If we hit 60, we’re electing to cut Deja Vu, Silver Light, DLWB, and Eternal Sunshine,” He explains, “We’ll shift Wave into the 8th block behind Dreamy Day, yes?” 

Everyone nods again. 

“That’s a setup we’re already prepared for, correct?” He addresses the sound team who nods, and then looks to every other team who follows suit before he continues, “If we need to cut more, we need to be prepared for a lot of small changes. It’s possible we lose Win and Fireworks, and that’s not something we want to do. Everyone needs to be on strict standby until we get rolling, I don’t want to be looking for anyone in the bathroom or finding out someone stepped out for a smoke, clear?” 

There’s a chorus of responses. 

“If you need a break, do it in the next five. Every ten until lights, we’re right here.” He’s a clear, no nonsense leader, but everyone has their marching orders. 

The group breaks up after that, several staff hurrying off to the bathrooms now and a couple of the BB Trippin dancers slipping out the back access door for a cigarette. 

The members are talking amongst themselves in a tighter circle, planning choreography changes and ment changes to tighten up the time, and you try your best to not look at Yunho for more than a passing glance. His back is to you, and you ache to reach out and see how he’s doing, ease the bubble of stress you feel in your gut, but you can’t. 

Iseul bumps you gently with her hip and nods her head back towards your stations. Dahan and Eunji are back, thankfully, having gotten over Covid fairly quickly and started testing negative, and the four of you huddle up to do your own planning session. 

“This doesn’t change much for us except how fast we work,” Iseul says, “we can make some strategic cuts around the unit stages too, no added eye enhancements, keep the focus on skin, lips, and brows.” 

“Done,” Dahan nods and then settles back into the chair at her station, “I don’t think there’s much more we can do,” 

Iseul nods, “It’s not a makeup heavy set,” 

Eunji collapses into her own chair and pops open an energy drink, “That just means their foundation has to look better,” 

“They look good,” You assure her, “and lord knows we use enough setting spray,” 

Eunji laughs and takes a swig of her drink, her carefully manicured nails clicking against the aluminum can as drops it back down on the table, “Hmm,” her leg bounces nervously, “we should check them again,” 

“They’re fine,” Iseul says, “plus, wardrobe has them.” 

You look back up, and sure enough the wardrobe team is fluttering around them as they talk, taking every opportunity to re-steam a jacket or fix a pant hemline. 

You lean back against the long table of snacks and water bottles along the one white wall and watch the chaos, your fingers drumming restlessly along the lip of the table. 

“Hey!” One of the wardrobe staff leaps forwards and you look up, “Don’t sit on the couch, I’ll just have to press those pants again!”

Wooyoung leaps up from the couch and groans, “Sorry, sorry,” 

“Let me check you,” She inspects his pants with a sharp gaze, “these crease too easily,” 

Wooyoung cracks a joke you don’t hear, but everyone within earshot is laughing and you smile at the scene. You’ve all worked together for so long it really does feel a bit like family. 

Staff starts to gather back up, and Sunhee makes another clear announcement, “Still running on a thirty,” 

Everyone echoes back their understanding. 

Now there’s nothing to do but wait. Chewing the inside of your lip you fish your phone out of your brush belt pocket and idly scroll, flicking through photo after photo on Instagram and barely absorbing any of it. 

A body shifts in your periphery and you look up to see Yunho, leaning on the table next to you but leaving an appropriate amount of space between your bodies. His head is angled away from you, talking animatedly to San about something, and though you know he’s ignoring you on purpose you also know he sat here for a reason. 

Your chest warms, and so does his. 

Feeling him this close feels like you’re standing in a rising tide, the sensation of him filling the space around you so wholly and completely, and you know if you were to just surrender to it would carry you right out to sea. 

San’s eyes flick to yours, “What about you?” 

You blink, “Hmm?” You might have been looking in their direction but not a single word made it into your brain. 

San’s eyebrow quirks up in amusement, “That dance challenge with Bada, have you seen it?” 

“Oh,” You nod, realizing what trend they’re talking about on Tiktok, “yeah, for sure, it’s everywhere right now,” 

“I’m trying to get Yunho to do it with me,” He explains, “it’s cool right? I think we’d kill it,” 

Yunho swivels his head to look in your direction and your stomach flips and you fight to keep your face somewhat professional and neutral when you nod, “It’s definitely cool, a lot of idols are doing it, you should,” 

“Well,” He smiles, his expression warm, “I guess I’ll have to,” 

San snorts softly, and you wonder briefly if he involved you in the conversation because he knew Yunho would cave if you said something. 

The moment is short though, when Wooyoung cuts between San and Yunho, “Budge over I need a water,” 

Yunho slides to the side just a few inches, but it’s enough to feel the heat of his body from shoulder to thigh as he gets closer to you and your breath quickens. Even after a few weeks, his proximity still makes you feel a dizzy kind of elation and you swallow tightly to keep your own reactions under wraps. 

“You good?” Yunho’s focused on Wooyoung’s serious expression though. 

“My calf keeps cramping,” He complains, uncapping a water bottle and locating a packet of electrolytes to pour into it. 

“You need to stretch,” San says, “drink that and come here,” 

Wooyoung grumbles something and Yunho chuckles. 

“Yeah, yeah,” San rolls his eyes, “don’t complain when you know I’m right,” 

“Fine,” Wooyoung downs the water bottle, drinking half of it in three thirsty gulps and then spins on his heel to follow San to the far wall that’s empty. 

For a moment, Yunho doesn’t move. 

You stay frozen in place, unsure of exactly what to do, if you should move or if you should let him move, but he makes the decision for you. 

The back of his knuckles brush along yours for just a moment, and then he’s up again and walking towards his members. Your heart flutters, and you’re sure he can feel it with the way he looks at you, just one quick glance back before he starts stretching again with Wooyoung and San. 

You’ll have to add that one to your notes then, he brushed your hand in Paris. 

Blissfully, they announce again that the delay is only going to be thirty minutes. No cuts to the show, no panic. In ten minutes everything will start and you’ll be one step closer to home.

In the wings at the new call time, you prep them again with a final pat of powder, smoothing out any whisper of a pore. When they move past you, Yunho’s hand brushes yours again, and you wonder if he knows he’s doing it. It feels unconscious the way he gravitates towards you, and though he keeps the contact decidedly subtle, you can feel the way his nervousness eases with just a touch of your skin on his. 

You watch him as he jogs out to the stage risers, you can’t quite tear your eyes away. He’s so handsome, so commanding of the stage, so unlike the soft, gentle man you’ve come to know off screen. You’re starting to really love them both, or perhaps you already do, and quietly you send him as much warmth and confidence through the link as you can. 

His eyes flick over to the wings, a flash of a smile on his lips, but then he refocuses and adjusts his in-ears, and the risers lift into the roar of the crowd once again. 

Your eyes track him as he goes up, and sensation bursts through the link from his side, only this time it doesn’t take you down to your knees. You’ve gotten used to it the past few shows, and now it just rings in your body like background noise. 

A hand closes around your forearm and pulls, yanking you out of your dazed thoughts, and you whirl to catch Iseul’s serious expression.

“Come with me,” She murmurs lowly, “right now.” 

Your stomach twists but you keep the panic to a minimum, you can’t do this to him again. Following her to the backstage door, she grabs her coat and tugs it on and throws you yours. She tugs you outside before you can even properly get your arms through the sleeves and you yank your arm back, “What’s going on?” 

“You’re asking me?” She says quietly even though the stage door is shut tight and there’s no one in sight, “Are you kidding?” 

She shoves a hand into her pocket and fishes out a pack of cigarettes, ones that she usually only smokes after a few drinks, “I started to think in Amsterdam that it was one of them,” 

Your stomach sinks like a stone. 

She sparks the lighter and leans in to light the smoke, “You were watching them differently,” 

“Iseul,” 

“But, I guess it’s Yunho, isn’t it?” She takes a drag and levels you with a serious expression. 

“Please,” You don’t even know what you’re begging for, she’s your best friend, but the fear of the unknown still crushes your chest, “don’t,” 

“He watches you too,” She says, “I wasn’t sure at first, he’s always been friendly with us, but this is different,” 

“I don’t know what to say,” You manage. 

“How about you don’t lie to your best friend,” She takes another drag, “that would be a good start,” 

“It’s not what you think,” You step closer. 

“I don’t think you know what I think,” 

“Iseul,” You wrap your arms around yourself. 

“Fine,” She tips the ash off the end of the cigarette and pushes her pin straight hair back over her shoulder, “I’ll tell you what I think,” 

You stay silent, stomach tight. 

“You’ve been weird,” She says, “I’ve never seen you act like this over a guy, and I really doubt you just noticed him for the first time, so either you’re an excellent liar or you’re in love with him,” 

You blanch. 

“And if you’re in love with him,” She points out, “so suddenly after years, then there’s more to it. So I started paying attention,” 

She takes a long drag of her cigarette and sighs out the smoke. 

“You’ve been sneaking off,” She points out, “checking your phone constantly,” 

Your eyes flick down to the pavement. 

“But the weirdest part,” She says, “is that you’ve been changing in the bathroom and we’ve been friends for years. I’ve seen your tits like a hundred times,” 

Your head snaps up. 

“You’ve been too happy lately for it to be something bad,” She says, her voice softening a bit, “so it’s something good, something like your mark changing.” 

”Iseul,” Your voice comes out weakly. 

“Fuck,” She looks over your expression, “he’s your soulmate,” 

“We didn’t know,” You stumble through the words, “I swear, we didn’t,” 

“I believe you,” She nods, “I just want to know why you couldn’t tell me. I’m your best friend, I would have helped you, I wouldn’t… I would never tell anyone,” 

“I know,” You reach for her, “I know you wouldn’t do that.” 

“Then why?” She pulls her wrist from your touch and ashes her cigarette again, “Because it really hurts that you couldn’t trust me with this.” 

“It’s not that,” You press, and it pours out of you, “we don’t even know what we’re doing. It’s really overwhelming, everything I’m feeling and he’s feeling, and then there’s the contracts and the job and the fucking public, and I just… I don’t know what to do, we don’t know what to do. We decided to wait until we got back to Korea to figure it out properly,” 

She nods. 

“I was going to tell you as soon as I got the nerve up,” You promise, “I haven’t even called Hana,” 

Her eyes widen at the confession that you haven’t told your sister after weeks, “Babe,” 

“If you know,” You manage, “and she knows, then it’s happening, and I,” 

Iseul flicks her cigarette to the curb and throws her arms around you, tugging you close for a hug, “Oh, you nervous idiot,” 

“I promise,” You hug her back, “I was going to tell you,” 

“Don’t you want it to be real?” She murmurs the question, “It’s your soulmate,” 

“I do,” You nod, “I want him, it’s just,” 

She rubs your back as you sigh.

”It could be easier,” You finally admit, “if he wasn’t who he is, then it would be simple.” 

She nods and pulls back from the hug, giving you a final squeeze, “Simple’s for fairytales,” 

“I guess,” 

“We’ll work it out,” She nods, “I’ll help.”

“I should have told you weeks ago,” You confess. 

“Probably,” She nods, “I would have helped cover for you at least,” 

You smile, “Yeah?” 

“Totally,” She nods. 

You sigh into the cold air, your breath making a cloud of vapor. 

She pushes her hands into her coat pockets and then stops, “Who else knows?” 

“San, he saw it when we touched,” You tell her and her eyes widen, “and Seonghwa… he found us in bed that morning in Berlin,” 

“I’ll be mad about them knowing before me later,” Her nose crinkles, “but that’s good, let’s keep the circle small for now.” 

“Definitely,” You nod, “we want to tell people, but just not… it’s better at home,” 

She chews the inside of her lip, sighing and pulling out another cigarette, “You haven’t slept together?” 

“Not yet,” 

As she lights the second cigarette her eyebrow quirks up, “So you’re just tormenting yourselves for fun, or?” 

Iseul was, without a doubt, the biggest believer in soulmates you’ve ever met. Everyone in her family was lucky enough to have found their match young, from her parents to her siblings, but she’s been waiting. Out of anyone without a soulmate though, she knew exactly how difficult the time between initial touch and fulfillment of the bond was. 

“We nearly did,” 

“And?” She takes a drag.

“He wanted to do it right,” You explain, your cheeks heating.

She nods, “He seems like that type,” 

Your gut tightens and you exhale, “I was also a little terrified,” 

“You and relationships,” 

“This is different,” You cross your arms.

 Iseul smirks at your sudden defensiveness, “I know it is,” she says, “but it’s still freaking you out, obviously,” 

“It was,” You admit, “maybe it is, but not in the way you’re thinking.” The logistics have you stressed beyond belief, but him? Those fears have been fading fast since that first night.

 “So, you do love him,” She smiles, flicking away her half smoked cigarette.

All you can do is nod. 

Iseul softens at that, after so many years of friendship and watching each other try relationships on for size. Every almost match that withered into nothing, every missed connection, every late night wondering. 

“I’m happy for you both,” She says earnestly, reaching for the door and clearing her throat to shove away the emotion there, “but I swear if you lie to me again,” 

You laugh, “Got it.” 

She punches in the key code to the door and twists the handle when it goes green, but then she stops short, “Listen, we’ll talk about the rest later, but you’ve got to tone it down with him in there. No more longing looks, no more little touches, if I saw you someone else will too.” 

Your stomach twists, “Fuck,” 

“It’s fine,” She says, “I was looking for it, but eventually someone’s going to notice.” 

“Okay, you’re right” You nod. 

“Let’s get back in there,” She pulls the door back open and you stumble inside. 

Everyone is gathering up again for the first costume change, and you do your best to shake off the conversation. Iseul squeezes your shoulder once, and then slips back to her station like nothing ever happened. 

You don’t look at him again the rest of the show. 

Iseul’s warning lives in your mind and you try to keep some distance. You give him the same polite congratulations on the tour that you give to every member, ignoring the little crease between his brows when he realizes you’re being funny. 

At the team dinner, you keep to the far side of the table and keep the soju to a minimum. 

You ignore the buzzing phone in your pocket and his quick glances. 

Iseul keeps you busy, keeps you steady.

You don’t let yourself look at the text messages on your phone until you’re back in your hotel room and able to finally relax. A string of texts from him make your heart twist. 

everything alright?

you seem tense, did something happen during the show?

alright now i know you’re avoiding me….. jagi, what did i do? tell me so i can fix whatever it is

you look so beautiful tonight, i wish i was across the table from you. i wish we didn’t have to hide this. i wish you’d tell me what’s wrong so i can make it better. 

let me know you get to your room safely. 

“You good?” Iseul asks as she flops back on her bed, “You look freaked,” 

“Yunho,” You pass her the phone so she can see for herself. 

She skims the messages quietly, one eyebrow raising, “Girl,” she looks up at you, “I said be subtle, not emotionally terrify your new boyfriend,” 

Your cheeks heat, “He’s not my boyfriend,” 

“Yeah he is,” Iseul rolls her eyes and tosses your phone back, “and the sooner you accept that this is good for you, the sooner you can get a handle on this with him and actually make a plan,” 

Chewing the inside of your lip you sink down onto the edge of your own bed, “I keep fucking this up,” 

She shakes her head, “You’re fine, but you’re also wound so tight some strings are bound to break. Call him,” 

“He’s probably so pissed at me,” You breathe.

 “He’s probably worried,” She counters, “but babe, he’s not any of your shitty exes. At some point you have to stop being scared that every guy is going to break your heart, especially this one.” 

“Ouch,” You grimace at her words. 

“Am I wrong?” 

You sigh heavily and run a hand through your hair, of course she wasn’t wrong. Iseul had watched you couple up time and time again only for it to be another failed attempt at not being alone. That combined with your only significant relationship being littered with gaslighting, cheating, and a truly terrible sex life meant she wouldn’t let you settle, or let a good thing pass you by just because of your anxiety and less than stellar history with the opposite sex. 

“Call him,” She interrupts your thoughts again. 

You swallow tightly, but at her unwavering gaze you finally look down and press the call button next to his contact picture, pressing the phone to your ear, your fingers drumming nervously on your knee. 

Yunho picks up on the second ring, “Baby?” 

He doesn’t sound mad at all, all you hear is relief in his voice and your shoulders drop, “Hey,” 

“Are you okay? What’s going on?” You hear the rustle of sheets on his side as he sits up. 

“Nothing,” You let out the air trapped in your chest, “I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to make you worry,” 

He’s quiet for a second, but then he speaks up, “I can feel your stress, y/n,” 

You wonder how heavily it’s pouring out of you for him to feel it so clearly through the link. 

He takes a slow breath and then continues, “If it’s something I did, I’d like to know so we can talk about it. If it’s something else, I’m here,” 

There’s a brush of warmth against your mark, and all your tension starts to melt, “You didn’t do anything wrong, Yunho, I promise.”

“Okay,” He murmurs, letting you know he’s listening, waiting for more. 

You look up and meet Iseul’s gaze. She nods at you, waving her hand towards you in a ‘get on with it’ motion, silently pushing you through this. 

“Iseul knows about us,” You tell him in a nervous exhale, “she noticed we were being familiar, that there was something going on,” 

Sheets rustle again and Yunho clears his throat, “Oh,” he says, “I mean, you’re friends aren’t you? Is she upset?”

You open your mouth to say more, but Iseul groans and pushes herself off the bed, snatching the phone from your ear and taking over the call. You jump up to grab it back, but she holds you back with one arm outstretched and a growing smile on her face.

 “Yunho?” She says, “It’s Iseul,” 

You hear a short response from Yunho, but you can’t make out the individual words he says.

 “Of course I’m not upset,” Iseul says, “I’m honestly really, really happy for you both, even if I had to figure it out myself,” 

You watch as Iseul listens to his reply and she laughs sharply. 

“Yeah, you two giving each other puppy eyes for the last few weeks was not subtle, no,”

Another beat, and you nudge her side, whispering, “Iseul,” 

“No, no,” She shakes her head and steps away from you to keep talking to him, “I told y/n this, but I was looking for it. She was acting weird so I knew something was up, but I just wanted you both to be careful in front of everyone,” 

Yunho says something you can’t hear and Iseul nods to herself.

”She’s okay,” Iseul looks back to you, a soft expression in her eyes now, “you’ll learn this, but she’s a little skittish.” 

“Iseul!” 

She rolls her eyes at you, but listens to him and nods again, “Listen,” she finally says, “I’m going to give the phone back to your girl, but before I do I just want to remind you that she’s my best friend. I think you’re a good guy, Yunho, but if you so much as make her cry, I’ll kill you. Clear?” 

His reply is short and she laughs.

 “Good,” Iseul grins, “she deserves someone good, and I know you can be that person for her.”

You reach out your hand for the phone again, needing to talk to him and pull your best friend back from whatever emotional speech she might let loose next. 

“I’m glad,” Iseul says, “now let me put y/n back on, I think she’s about to have an aneurism.” 

You can hear Yunho’s laugh as she passes back the phone and you take it eagerly, “Hi, god, I’m so sorry about that,” 

Iseul laughs and walks towards the bathroom to wind down and do her skincare and give you a brief moment of privacy, and you spin and walk towards the far end of the room near the window. 

“It’s fine,” Yunho sounds warm and not at all upset, “I’m glad you have a friend like her,” 

“Still,” You curl up into the armchair, “I didn’t mean to act so weird today or to corner you like this after such a long show,” 

“Don’t apologize,” He soothes you, “I know this is a lot, and Iseul’s right, we need to be careful if we want to do this the right way,” 

“Yeah,” You sigh, “still, I could have texted you and told you. I just got nervous,” 

“I know,” He murmurs, “but in the future, you don’t have to be alone in that. I’m your guy.” 

A smile tugs at your lips, “You are?” 

“Mhm,” He says softly, “you don’t have to handle anything alone anymore, jagi.”

Tightness sinks into your throat and you nod, pushing back the telltale sign of tears, “I’d like that,” 

“Good,” He murmurs, “now are you up for doing me a favor?” 

“A favor?” Your brow furrows, “What’s wrong?” 

“Not wrong,” He sounds so relaxed, so comfortable, and it puts you at ease, “but get your coat and map yourself to the location I’m sending you,” 

“What?” You laugh, feeling your phone buzz as his text comes through. 

“We’ll keep our distance,” He assures you, “but sweetheart, it’s snowing, and I am not missing the first snow with my soulmate in Paris,” he emphasizes, “so bundle up and get out here.” 

You pull the curtain to the side, and sure enough there’s snow swirling in the air, falling in soft fluffy flakes.

“Oh, wow,” You breathe, taking in how a white blanket has already started to thicken up on the streets outside. 

“Call me back when you get there,” He says, “okay?” 

“Yeah,” You smile, soft warmth spreading through your body, “I’m on my way,” 

You’re a whirlwind as you tug your coat back on, lacing up your boots and searching your bag for a pair of gloves. Iseul gives you one look when she sees you getting ready, but she smiles, “Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do,” 

“I won’t be long, I’m sure,” 

She shrugs, “Be safe,” 

“I will,” 

She searches for something on the side table and tosses it to you, a small black piece of fabric, “Mask, don’t forget,” 

“Got it,” You nod, affixing the mask to your face. The likelihood of you being photographed in Paris during a snowstorm when you weren’t even going to be next to Yunho was close to zero, but the risk wouldn’t be worth it. 

“Go get your man,” She arches her brow suggestively and you groan, rolling your eyes and darting out of the hotel room before she can embarrass you anymore. 

As quickly as you can, you map yourself to the pinned spot he sent and start walking. It’s hard to tell from the map, but as you get closer to the spot a few streets up from your hotel on the far side of the Seine you realize this is all it is, a street corner by the edge of the bridge. 

There’s barely anyone around, especially with the weather, and you can’t see Yunho anywhere. 

Tucking your coat closed around you, you find your phone and follow Yunho’s instructions. 

He picks up your call immediately, “You there?” he asks, his voice sounding a little muffled. 

“Yeah,” You breathe, looking around to see if you can spot him now, “Are you coming?” 

“I’m already here,” He says, “look up, across the river under the light by the steps,”

You step close to the stone railing at the edge of the river, and sure enough under the street lamp directly opposite your corner, Yunho stands unmistakably tall under the light. You can’t make out the details of him from this far away, the river is wide enough that he could be just about anyone at this distance, but then the figure waves. 

You can hear the smile in Yunho’s voice when he says, “Hi, baby,” 

“Hey,” You relax into the railing, your stomach flipping pleasantly. You’re still not used to the way he’s tender with you, his pet names and how easily he sunk into being soulmates, but you trust him. It doesn’t matter how fast or how hard you’re falling, despite those fluttering nerves, you know he’s going to catch you, you feel it. 

He hums pleasantly through the phone and you imagine him smiling, “Take a walk with me?” he asks brightly.

“Love to,” You murmur. 

“I have a surprise for you,” He says, “it’s just around the bend of the river,” 

“How did you have time to do anything? We just got to Paris last night,” The figure across the river starts to walk and so you follow, slowly making your way up the length of the river by the stone railing. 

“Don’t get too excited,” He laughs softly, “I didn’t do anything,” 

“Mhm,” The air is crisp and sharp, and you take in a deep breath, “I love snow,” 

“Me too,” 

“People always say I’m crazy, but I prefer winter over summer,” 

“I do too,” He says, and you can almost picture him smiling, “I hate the heat,” 

There’s a natural lull, a gentle pause in conversation, but it doesn’t feel uncomfortable at all. You feel his presence with you as if he were walking right at your side, and it keeps you warmer than any scarf or padded coat. 

Finally, Yunho breaks the companionable silence, “I always try to take a long walk in a new city,” 

“Late night, like this?” You ask.

“It’s usually the only time I have,” He sighs, “I’m getting used to exploring places by street lamp,” 

“I’d like to actually explore here during the day,” You say, “I’ve always wanted to come here,” 

“Where else have you always wanted to go?” 

You step around a couple nestled close together near the wall and continue on, boots crunching on the layer of snow ahead of you, “Everywhere,” you admit, “but I don’t know, there’s more of America to see, and I’ve never been to Australia. Vietnam maybe, or, oh, Iceland, I’d like to see the northern lights.” 

“I’d love to take you there someday,” 

“Take another long walk in the snow,” You offer, glancing across the river. It takes you a moment to find him as you both pass through a busier spot, but you see him pass under another street lamp and your heart is back at ease. 

“y/n,” Yunho says after a beat, “are you sure you’re alright with Iseul knowing about us?” 

You swap your phone to your opposite hand, tucking your frozen fingers into your pocket and nod even though he can’t really see that from this far away, “I am, she’s my best friend, I should have just told her.” 

“I don’t think either one of us knows what we’re doing,” He reminds you, “and that’s okay.” 

“Mm,” You sigh, a heavy cloud of vapor blooming in the icy air, “I do know one thing,” 

“What’s that?” 

Your stomach flutters nervously, but you press on, “I haven’t felt this happy or this cared for in a long time,” 

He’s quiet for a moment, and then you hear his breath, “I feel the same way,” 

“I just want to be on the plane now,” You admit, “at least then we’d be almost home,” 

“Well,” He says, “don’t wish for it too soon,” 

“What do you,” You start to say but he swiftly cuts back in. 

“Look to your left, sweetheart,” He says warmly.

Your head snaps up, and you turn only to have the breath knocked out of you by this city yet again. There, across the river and beyond a large bridge in the distance is the Eiffel Tower, standing golden against the night sky. 

“Oh,” You breathe. 

“Wait for it,” He murmurs.

“What did you do?” You can’t stop yourself from grinning like a fool, but you expect that’s a common experience for tourists in love in this city. 

“I didn’t do anything,” He laughs, “I just got the timing right, just wait,” 

You step closer to the wide bridge, ornate with golden statues and arched to offer ferry boats passage underneath. All the while you keep your eyes locked to the tower, and blink away the dust of snow collecting on your eyelashes. 

“Yunho,” 

“Just,” He starts to say, his voice getting far away as if he moved the phone, “another minute,” 

You tuck your scarf up around your face and wait, and then it starts to glitter. Blocks away but still standing tall before you in the distance, the golden monument starts to sparkle with the fast flicker of silvery lights.

“Oh,” You breathe, “I didn’t think I’d see it,” 

“Mhm,” He murmurs, “you might have mentioned it in London,” 

“Did I?” You can’t tear your eyes away. 

“I’m sorry I can’t take you there properly,” He confesses, “or anywhere properly yet, but, someday I will,” 

The glittering stops and you finally look away to try and find him again across the bridge, only he’s closer now and walking directly along your side of the bridge towards you. Your feet are moving before you can convince yourself otherwise, a magnetic pull straight to him. 

The bridge is thankfully quiet, barely anyone on either side, and you both stop in the middle, both of your phones tucked into your respective pockets. 

“Hi,” His eyes crinkle at the corners when he smiles beneath his mask. 

“Hey,” You sigh, “should we be doing this?” 

“No one’s here,” He says, stepping closer, “just one minute,” 

You nod, “One minute,” 

“Listen,” He says, his hand brushing against yours again, “I know you’re scared. I’m scared too,” 

Your heartbeat quickens.

“But we are almost home,” He says, “and once we’re there, we will make a plan. We will make this work, and I promise you, I’m more afraid of losing you than of losing all this,” he gestures towards the city around you. 

“There’s got to be a way, other people who have done this,” You nod. 

“We’ll find out,” He assures you, “just please, don’t pull away from me when things get hard or if you’re afraid. You can rely on me, you can trust me, I swear to you, y/n.” 

You can feel the nervous knot in his chest, and you step close, resting a hand where you know his soulmark loops on his chest. When you let yourself feel him, focus on him, it’s clear to you just how anxious about your growing relationship he’s been. Soulmates or not you still have to walk the path together, and of the two of you, you’ve been less clear. His gestures, his gifts, the way he’s tried his best over the past few weeks to show you his true feelings and intentions, but you haven’t given him enough back to soothe that knot in his chest. 

“Baby,” The endearment slips out and you feel him soften under your touch, “I’m here, I’m with you. I’m so fucking terrified, but not of you or of this.” 

Snow sticks to his lashes, swirls in the air around you, but his exhale of ragged breath isn’t the cold, it’s relief. 

“I’m worried I’m going to fuck it up somehow, of what will happen when people find out,” You confess, “and I’m so scared you’ll wake up one day and realize I wasn’t worth the mess,” 

“y/n,” He shakes his head, reaching for your cheek. 

“I know, I know,” You catch his hand against your face, press a fast kiss to his palm through the fabric of your mask, “it’s just a fear, I just want you to understand where my head has been,” 

He nods, a little crease between his brows. 

“But I do trust you,” You tell him, “more than anyone, and I’ve been alone a long time, so I’m learning how to let myself rely on you, but I’ve never doubted you. Not before and definitely not now,” 

“Come here,” He tucks your bodies together and tugs his mask down, “kiss me,” 

You pull yours away, and you press up on your tiptoes to meet his eager mouth.

His nose is cold, and his fingers are icy against your cheek, but his lips are warm and soft and his broad body blocks the gust of wind and snow. 

The knot of anxiety in his chest starts to ease, and you brush your fingers over his mark to seal your own promise back to him. 

“Sweetheart, I,” He sighs, kissing you once more, letting his words fade on his tongue, “thank you.” 

“I’m sorry I haven’t said it like that before,” You say, “but I’m here,” 

He nods, a soft smile on his mouth, and he leans over to kiss you once more in the snowy Paris street, the golden glow of the Eiffel tower still in your periphery. 

When he pulls back, he rights his mask and you follow his lead, “It’s cold, let’s get back inside,” he says. 

You can barely feel it, but you nod, “Okay,” 

“Call me again,” He squeezes your hand once and then lets it drop, “I’ll walk you back,” 

You smile, finding your phone and dialing him. 

Yunho pulls his phone out, and starts to walk back across the bridge, but then he picks up, “Hello?” 

“Hey, again,” You walk backwards slowly, watching him as he tucks the phone closer to his ear. 

“Hi,” He says warmly, and then he turns to catch sight of you when he says, “I just met the prettiest girl in Paris,” 

Butterflies roll through you, “Oh, yeah?” 

“Mhm,” He murmurs, “I think I’m falling for her,” 

Easy warmth spreads through your chest despite the chill, “That’s so funny,” you tell him as you turn to round the corner of the bridge again, “I just met this guy,” 

He laughs, and slowly you make your way back to the hotel. The conversation comes more easily now, the lingering threads of any tension dissipating with the wind. You talk about everything and nothing, how to tell the members and what you’re planning to have for coffee in the morning, and by the time you’re at the hotel the snow has slowed to a stop and the streets are empty except for you both, two long-distance lovers across the Seine. 

───────────────────────── ✧₊⁺───────────────────────

The final day in Paris passes by in a blur just like the plane home. It’s always like this after a tour, the absolute exhaustion after weeks of adrenaline and travel, but this time all you want is to be home and it feels like you’re doing the epitome of just going through the motions to get there. 

Yunho had texted you to sleep well on the flight, and you did, only to be shaken awake hours and hours later by Iseul when you were preparing to land. You had only woken up for one of the flight meals and a quick bathroom break, but now as you descend into Incheon you’re itching to get out of the seat more than you normally would be.

 Home. 

You can see it out the window, but you can feel it too.

Up until this moment, everything with you and Yunho had been on a delay, the reality of what you were to each other only something to fully reckon with after the tour, and now here you were. 

Your fingers start to nervously drum against your knee as you prepare for landing, your heart picking up as you touch down, your leg bouncing in anticipation while the plane takes its time taxing to the gate. 

Iseul gives your hand a squeeze when you finally make it off the plane and into the interior of the airport, only this time it’s not to calm your nerves, it's to remind you that you have a role to play. Today the crowd is thick, rows and rows of screaming, clawing girls and you feel your heart rate pick up immediately. They’re not here for you, they could honestly care less about you, but you still have to make your way through them as quickly and painlessly as possible. 

The support staff is always split, half in front of the boys and half behind, an extra layer of bodies between them and the hands that so badly want to touch them. Girls that want their one moment, a quick press of skin on skin, seeking a confirmation of the bond they’re so convinced exists between them and their bias. It’s never bothered you before, just a hazard of being famous, but now you can’t help but feel like they know. One look at you and they can see right through all the careful lies, they can see your tattoo and his, a string knotted from your ribs to his, and you think they might kill you for it. It wouldn’t be the first time a deranged fan took things too far, and your stomach churns with every step as you leave the relative safety of the main gate. 

Getting from the plane to the cars is a well oiled production. You’re used to sticking close to your team and a set of the support staff, head down, hat low, moving swiftly. There’s not much you can do about it unless you happen to be on a different flight, which has happened a time or two while you’ve been working with Ateez but it’s rare. 

For weeks since you first felt the link between you and Yunho, you’ve been able to feel some echo of his emotions through the connection, but as you file off the plane and group up to start working through the crowd, the sensation of him goes quiet. You’ve seen the members as they walk, a crafted persona of friendliness over the full disassociation, but you never expected to feel some shadow of that yourself. Your nerves are swirling, but you take a few slow and steadying breaths, and alongside Iseul and the rest of your coworkers, you start walking. 

It should be quick, it should be painless, but it isn’t. 

Halfway to the doors, a body breaks through the guards to your side, making a desperate beeline for one of the boys behind you, the girl’s face streaked with tears and hands outstretched, her shoulder checking yours hard as she pushes her way through into the interior circle. 

You stumble hard, footing unsure on the slick linoleum, your heart pounding suddenly in your chest. 

You make a tight noise of surprise, hand outstretched to brace your fall as you collapse hard onto your left knee. Bodies bump into you on all sides, stumbling to not knock you over and trample you, but you still struggle to get your feet under you. 

It’s loud in here, the sudden sound of fans and bodyguards, but you feel a spike of alarm shoot through your gut as he comes back online and reacts to your fall. You can’t turn around, but you feel him, and then all at once there’s hands hooking under your arms and you’re stumbling back up to your feet. 

Yunho’s several paces back behind you, layers of bodies away, but despite that he lurches forwards, forgetting himself in the fray. There’s no cameras, no crowd, no thought of familiarity in his mind, only the singular truth that his soulmark is hurt and the need to get to you is all encompassing. A hard hand locks down on his bicep, another on his opposite shoulder. He has half a mind to throw whoever has him off, and then reality clicks back into place.

He watches as Iseul and one of the other managers hauls you back up to your feet while the bodyguards close ranks and remove the cloying girl. 

San, his hand still locked around Yunho’s arm, leans in tight to his ear, “She’s fine, don’t.” 

“You don’t,” Yunho starts to say but Seonghwa claps him on the shoulder again, squeezing him and trying to silently remind him the stakes here. 

“Look,” San urges him as they keep moving, “she’s up, use your head.” 

He focuses, and he watches the way you walk. Iseul is still pinned to your side but you’re not injured, just keeping your head down. He takes a tight breath and focuses on the feeling of the link, searching for your emotions under the bubbling rush of his own. 

Seonghwa’s hand falls away as the group makes it closer to the door, but San stays steady bracing Yunho’s bicep.

Yunho blinks and focuses, and then he feels you. Your own heart is beating fast, a blanket of anxiety mixed with discomfort and blushing embarrassment. There’s no fear though, no pain, and he shudders a sigh in relief. 

This kind of connection with another person is so singular and so maddening. He’s always cared for you, he would have wanted to help even if you weren��t his soulmate, but knowing that you are and feeling it all has him ready to tear the world apart for your smallest needs. He can understand now with perfect clarity why companies are so protective of skin on skin contact with their artists, why there’s no room for exceptions until positions are far more established. A young man with a soulmarked bond would ruin every scrap of his own career if it meant he could touch her, hold her, have her for just a moment. 

“Breathe,” San bids him, “you’re staring,” 

Yunho rips his eyes away from your back and looks to San, “It’s too much,” 

San gives him a wide, idol smile and shakes his head, “Cameras, Yunho,” 

He blinks and refocuses, finding his own photogenic smile and nodding towards the crowd. He waves, he nods, he does all the things a good little idol would do. 

Warmth brushes over his chest, the feeling of your fingers along the loops of your tattoo and the tight fist around his heart loosens, breath finally filling his lungs the right way. Silently, you’ve told him you’re safe, you’re well. He can breathe. 

You’re in separate cars though, and as you climb into the SUV with the rest of the makeup and hair staff, your hands start to shake. 

“You okay?” Iseul finally asks as the doors close. 

“Mm,” You sigh, leaning back into the soft seat, “I hate those crowds,” 

She nods, “Security should have never let that girl get through,” 

“She just pushed me aside,” You rub your tired eyes, “I can’t even believe someone would be that unhinged,” 

“Mhm,” Iseul rolls her eyes, “well, when it’s her one chance to see if her precious Yunho-ya is her star crossed soulmate,” 

A flicker of jealous anger sparks in your gut, “Is that who she was after?”

“Yeah,” A look of disgust passes over her face, “as if fate would actually match up an idol and a saesang, get real.” 

You laugh, and someone else makes a comment about how cruel it would be if that actually happened, but you and Iseul are sharing a private look. Of course none of those girls are his soulmark, not when you’re sitting right here. 

You shiver, you can’t stop thinking about the girl’s tear streaked face as she shoved you to the side. What would a fan like that think about you being her bias’s soulmate? You don’t even want to know. 

The car pulls away, and you feel your phone start to buzz in your pocket. You fish it out and keep it close so no one next to you can see the screen. 

Your body melts at the message. 

Are you hurt, jagiya? 

You tap out a quick reply, needing to not keep him waiting - I’m alright, it just startled me. 

Bubbles pop up immediately as he types - I’ll have a talk with security, there’s no reason for staff to be that close to the fans like that. Too risky. 

You’re in love with him already, it’s impossible not to be when he talks like this. You smile and write back - Don’t, we shouldn’t draw any attention. But it means a lot that you were worried about me. 

Of course I worry - His first message flies in, and then another - I felt you fall, I nearly ran to get to you. 

I’m glad you didn’t. We really can’t give anyone a reason to question things. 

I know. But I wanted to, I never want anything to keep me from you when you need me. 

Jeong Yunho…. - You write back, butterflies in your belly at his words - Are you trying to make me like you?

I thought we covered this, you don’t already like me? - You feel his warmth through the bond and you know he’s teasing. 

You know I do. - If you said more you’d probably reveal how far in this you already are after a few weeks of a bond. 

It takes a moment for him to respond, but when he does your cheeks heat - I’ll have to work harder then, to make sure you feel as strongly as I do.

Your mark warms, a punctuated touch of his heart to yours. 

Before you can reply he sends another message - You promise you’re not hurt at all? 

Embarrassed mostly, and my knee hurts a little, but I promise it’s nothing serious, I wouldn’t lie to you. - You reply, touching your mark gently with your fingers to send back the same warmth, the same truth of your words. 

When can I see you? I don’t think I can go days until our next schedule. 

Tonight? You can’t help yourself. 

Where? 

Your stomach flutters at the thought of being alone with him again - My place? I live alone in Seongsu. It’s nothing special, but it’s private and it’s home. 

Text me the address, I’ll find a way over. 

You tap out your address and send it through - Please don’t get in trouble trying to come by.

I won’t - He replies instantly.

  Iseul’s hand gently touches your knee and you look back up at her, “What’s up?” 

“You want a ride home from the office?” She asks, eyes flicking down at your phone briefly. 

“You don’t mind?” You ask. 

She shakes her head, “You’re on the way,” 

You nod, pulling your phone back out to send him a message - Iseul’s driving me home when we get to the office. Are you going to your apartment now?

Yes - He replies - Yeosang keeps yawning, when our managers leave and he goes to bed I’ll come by.

Aren’t you tired too? - You ask him. 

I slept on the plane - He replies, and then another message comes through - If you’re tired you can sleep, I just need to be with you right now.

I slept too - You assure him - I’ll be up. Just message me when you’re close.

I will - He says. 

You send him one last bit of instruction, a little safer if he can let himself into your place just in case anyone sees him coming by - It’s apartment 26B, Door Code is 10824*

He sends a heart in reply, and you tuck your phone back into your lap. 

Soon, you’d finally be alone. After weeks and weeks of waiting, the ache in your chest would finally be soothed.  

Even after Iseul drops you off at home, it takes him hours. By the time you get a message that he’s on his way you’ve nervously cleaned your tiny apartment three times over and ordered far too much take out just to be sure he has something to eat if he hasn’t gotten anything already. 

When you hear him keying your door code in, your heart starts to beat double time. 

He slips in quietly, dressed in a dark gray long coat, black ball cap, and black face mask, and if you didn’t know him just from the cut of his shoulders you could have easily mistaken him for just about anyone in a crowd. 

“Hey,” You feel at ease immediately, and he looks up at the sound of your voice. 

Your apartment amounts to a double wide hallway, your lofted bed above the entryway and bathroom, a small galley kitchenette along one wall, built-in storage and a desk, and then an extremely modest living space. The sight of him in your apartment is strange, he’s so tall he seems to fill up the space of the entryway, a surreal sight now that you’re home and not in random hotel rooms. 

He kicks off his shoes to leave them by the door, and then he steps up into your apartment as he pulls his mask off, crossing the room in three easy strides to get to you. 

“Hey,” He replies, his cold hands cupping your cheeks as he gets close, “there you are,” 

“Here I am,” You smile, stepping closer to him and relaxing into his touch.

 “I,” He shakes his head and his words falter a little, “I know you said you’re fine, I just… it’s nice to see for myself, I couldn’t shake that feeling,” 

You soften at that, “Oh, Yunho, I’m okay,” 

“I know,” He sighs, “I’m sorry it took me so long,” 

“It’s alright,” You slide your hands into his jacket and rest your hands on his chest, “you’re here now,” 

He folds you into his chest, wrapping his arms around you properly and cupping the back of your head with his broad hand, “I’m so glad to be home,” 

Your heart flutters, “The tour felt like years,” you murmur, nuzzling into his chest. 

“Mm,” He sighs, his body melting around you, “our managers wanted to talk about the upcoming week, and Hongjoong had schedule changes, and then Yeosang wouldn’t go to bed, he kept sitting in the living room, I thought I was going to scream,” 

”It’s fine,” You smile against his sweater, “do you have a schedule tomorrow, then?” 

“No,” He unfolds himself from around you, pulling his cap free and running a hand through his messy locks, “I’m off, I don’t have anywhere to be.” 

Warmth fills you, “For how many days?” 

“Three,” He grins. 

“Me too,”  

“Any plans?” He drops his hat and mask down onto your side table where your own keys and gloves are and steps close again.

”None,” You murmur, “sleeping,” 

“Want some company?” He wraps his hand around yours. 

“For three days?” Your eyes widen, “There’s no way you can get away for that long,” 

“I worked it out,” He says, “waiting for Yeosang to get tired,” 

“Okay,” You don’t want to let yourself be excited too soon. 

“I’ll have to go back and pick up a few things,” He tells you, “but I told my manager that my brother might be coming up to town to see me after tour,” 

“Okay,” 

”And that I might drive down to Gwangju with him,” He smiles wider, “and that he could drop me back off before schedules pick back up.” 

“Really?” Your hand tightens on his.

”Really,” He nods, “if you want me here, I’m here.” 

For a split second you feel like you could cry, relief washing through you, and you dive forward to wrap your arms around his neck, “Stay, please, stay,” 

He bends to accommodate your height difference, and ends up wrapping his arms around your back and lifting you in the air, “Good,” he sighs, “I hoped you’d say that,” 

“Yunho, thank you,” You pull back enough to find his face, “god, I missed you,” 

“Me too,” He confesses, “seeing you everyday but not really seeing you, I don’t want to do that again,” 

“It’s so much harder than I thought it would be,” 

He nods and gives you a soft smile, “We made it, though,” 

“Yeah,” 

He dips in and presses his lips to yours, and the last threads of tension unravel, everything else forgotten with his body so close to yours. Yunho sighs pleasantly, pressing close lipped, familiar kisses to your lips, before setting you back down on your feet and straightening back up to his full height. 

Your hearts feel like they’re in sync. 

He smiles at you again, and then finally glances around to take in the space around him, “Oh,” he says as he takes it in, “I like your place,” 

“It’s small,” You shrug, “but it works for me,” 

“That view,” He nods towards your floor to ceiling glass window, truly the only selling point of the apartment, “that’s something.” 

You follow his eyes to the glittering city outside and nod, “It really is,” 

It’s quiet for a moment as he takes in the view, and then he sighs and looks back to you, “It feels nice to not have to rush away,” 

You nod, “I know,” 

You’re dancing around each other again, now that there’s no deadline hanging over your heads or threat that someone might walk by. You can simply exist. 

“I’ve got takeout,” You offer, making the first move, “if you’re hungry, but if not it’ll keep,” 

He smiles, “In a bit,” 

“Let me take your coat at least,” You stretch out a hand, “get comfortable,” 

He slides it off his shoulders and folds it as he hands it to you, “Thanks,” 

You find a home for his coat in the entryway nestled on a hook next to yours, his shoes already placed neatly side by side with your sneakers. It looks so right, your life against his, and you let your fingers skate down over the back of his coat as you take it in, a smile pulling at your lips. He belongs here, in every way, and for the next three days you’d pretend his presence in your apartment was permanent, solid and immutable in the way it feels in your heart. 

His coat, his shoes, and in a flash you see it all, flickers of a real life together. Toothbrushes, coffee cups, letters in the mail, his keys kissing yours in a dish by the door, books slotted together on the shelf, clothes tangled up in the laundry basket. 

Your chest aches with need, but he just walked into your apartment for the first time, so you shake off those thoughts and turn to him, “What did you have in mind for tonight?” 

“Honestly,” He grins, “being able to talk to you face to face is as far as I let myself get,” 

“Way better than texting,” You smile back, “you want a drink? Beer? Wine?” 

“Sure,” He nods, “Beer?” 

You nod and take the two steps into the kitchenette to locate glasses and two cans of beer, calling over your shoulder, “Make yourself comfortable, are you sure you’re not hungry?”

”I’m okay,” You hear him settle onto the couch and it occurs to you that you’ve never had a man in your apartment, at least in the sense of a romantic partner. For years you were going to their places, strangely protective of your own little haven between these four walls, and yet with Yunho you feel comfortable enough already not just to let him inside, but to give him your door code without a thought.  

You blink at the realization, almost letting his glass overflow onto the countertop as you pour. How strange the last few weeks have been, how different you already are. 

“How long have you lived here?” Yunho asks, and you let the thoughts about what it all means fade into the background as you turn towards him. 

“Um,” You do the math in your head, “a few years? Almost four now,” 

“It’s a great place,” He says again. 

You leave the two empty cans on the counter and cross the room towards him, “Yeah,” you nod, “It’s small, but it’s nice and accessible, and in this area anyways I really can’t beat the rent,” 

“Mm,” He nods, “I wish I could say I know what you mean, but idol life is strange.” 

“That’s right,” You nod, “you don’t pay for your place?” 

You settle onto the small couch next to him as he answers, “It’s part of our contract so it’s provided, but if we were to leave the group before contracts are up we’d owe the money back,” 

You grimace, “That’s terrible,” 

He nods but it’s with a slight shrug, “Some companies are worse, KQ being small has its benefits in other areas so that’s never been much of a concern for us,” 

“That’s good at least,” You nod, “and they treat us pretty well, all things considered.” 

“Did you ever work anywhere else?” Yunho takes a sip of beer and makes a noise of satisfaction at the flavor. 

You smile and tuck your legs under you, angling towards him on the couch, “After cosmetology school I worked at SM for about a year,” 

“And?” He asks. 

“Awful,” You groan, “The pay was terrible, and the schedules were worse. It felt like being an intern,” 

“And then you came to KQ?” 

You sip your beer, nodding as you do, “Iseul and I went to school together, she got me in as soon as a position opened up, really vouched for me considering I had a smaller portfolio than she did at the time,” 

“I’m glad she did,” He smiles warmly.

 “What about you?” You ask, “Was KQ your first choice?” 

He turns towards you on the couch, his knees pressed against yours and he rests one arm on the back of your couch, “Not initially,” he admits, “but I had two other competing offers, and something just didn’t feel right about either. Then I met Hongjoong, and I guess you know, that’s it,” 

“A little bit of fate,” You smile. 

“Mm,” He nods, “fate, maybe luck, I don’t care what it was, I’m just happy to be with you now,” 

Your cheeks heat a little, and you look down at the popping bubbles on the surface of your drink.

”I just wish it happened sooner,” He admits, his hand sliding over the cushions to touch your forearm. 

You nod and look back up, “I know what you mean, but, maybe that’s another thing fate got right, maybe we’re finally ready for each other now.” 

He laughs, “What was the word Iseul used? Skittish?” 

You sigh, “Yeah, she’s not totally wrong. I used to have terrible taste in guys, or maybe I wasn’t comfortable opening up, I don’t know, but,” 

Yunho gives your arm a gentle squeeze, “I get it,” 

You cock your head, asking him a silent question. 

“I’ve dated a bit,” He explains, “and I always thought maybe it was me, but no matter how nice or compatible someone was on paper it was just…” 

“Dull?” You offer. 

He nods, “Like I was sleepwalking through it,” 

Your stomach bubbles with a nervous thrill, your chest constricting with anticipation, “And with me?” 

His mouth turns up in a small smile, eyes flicking from your eyes to your lips and back again, “I’m more than awake with you.” 

“Me too,” You confess.

It’s quiet for a moment, Yunho’s thumb sweeping a soft line over the veins in your wrist, and then he exhales and drops his glass off on the table.

“Yun?” 

He smiles at the abbreviation of his name and takes your glass away too, “As much as I want to talk all night, and I do, I think I might actually die if I’m not touching you after all these weeks,” 

He reaches for you, wrapping his arms around your waist and tugging you over to his half of the couch. You squeak in surprise, bracing yourself with a hand on his chest and another on the cushions, but you end up pressed up against him and almost laying across his chest. Your body relaxes into him instantly, and Yunho lets out a relieved sigh. This, this is what you had been waiting weeks and weeks to feel again, the sureness of his body under your fingertips, the way your heart seems to slow and soothe with every touch. 

 “Anyways,” His voice cracks a little, a soft smile on his face, “you were saying,” 

You’re nearly nose to nose, close enough to hear his breath, to feel the thump of his heart under your palm. His eyes flick over your face, his lips part, pupils dilating wider with every passing moment. 

You try to remember where you were in the conversation, but with him so close and his hot hands on you, it’s all like a distant memory and you laugh lightly, “I have no idea,” 

He grins, his hand brushing your face, the pad of his thumb tracing your cheekbone, and then without a single conscious thought you’re surging forwards to press your lips to his. 

Yunho groans, hands tightening on your back, and when he starts to kiss you back it’s like the catch of a match under your skin, a crackle of need through every nerve ending. He kisses you with unmasked urgency, pulling little pants and moans from your lips every time you break for a breath. 

His hands slide down, cupping your backside, and you hitch a leg over his as you push yourself higher on the couch, desperately seeking more of his hot mouth. 

“Baby,” He breathes between kisses, his tongue flicking against yours as your mouth opens to him.

 Your body rolls on instinct, pressing your clothed core against his thigh. 

He groans again, pulling your body tighter against him and shifting the position of his leg so that his foot is flat on the floor, providing a hard, stable straddle for you. 

You wish so badly in this moment you weren’t wearing jeans, uncomfortably stiff denim that doesn’t let you properly feel the heat of him, but that doesn’t stop you from rocking your body once, twice, and again as you pant against his mouth.

 His fingertips slip under the waistband of your jeans, resting on your lower back while his free hand wanders around to your front, sliding up to cup your breast, his thumb ghosting over your pebbled nipple. 

You feel dizzy, and you press back from his mouth to take a sharp inhale, “Ah, Yunho,” 

He shudders, cupping your neck and pulling you back to his mouth. Mumbled against your lips he offers, “We can talk more,” 

You shake your head, “You really want to talk, right now?” You smile, pushing yourself further onto his lap, nearly straddling him now as you dive back in for another heated kiss. 

He groans, his hands flexing as they find anchor points on your hips, and he tugs you right into place with your pelvis slotted right over his. One of his hands skims up the back of your shirt, hot skin on skin, and you moan pleasantly into his mouth. 

“Fuck, sweetheart,” He pants between wet kisses, “you’re killing me here,” 

“Yeah?” Your stomach flutters with butterflies. 

He hums a yes, tongue dipping into your mouth to catch on yours. 

You can’t stop the little whine that leaves your lips, “Oh,” you roll your hips, “Yunho,” 

His hips twitch under you, and you can feel the start of his erection as it hardens under your ass. 

“Please,” You kiss him again, pushing your hips down and clinging onto his shoulders. 

His hand snakes up higher under your shirt, and his fingers deftly close over the clasp of your bra. In a second he slides the fabric in just the right way to open the clasp, and you feel the support release as his hand slides up and down the bare expanse of your back. 

“Fuck,” He shudders, “I’m sorry, I should have asked,” 

“Shut up,” You dive back in, your fingers tugging at his sweater, “take this off,” 

He kisses you hard once more and then pulls back, and you lean away still perched on his lap while he awkwardly tugs off the sweater, tossing it to the other side of your couch. 

“Can I,” His hands slide under your shirt, circling your bare waist, his eyes tracking the way your shirt slides up, “Jesus, you’re gorgeous,” 

“Off,” You raise your arms and he slides his hands up, pushing the shirt up and over your head until he’s discarding it on the floor. 

When you look back down it nearly knocks the breath out of you. He’s staring at you like you’re a marvel, like you’re the eighth wonder of the world, and it draws your frantic pace to a blinding halt. He smiles softly, and his eyes skate down your body. Your bare neck, black bra straps loosely held on either shoulder, tattoos stretching down over your upper arms, over your elbows, stopping at mid forearm. The sheer mesh of your bra loosely cupping your breasts, nipples standing hard at attention through the fabric and the center of the underwire covering the top half of your red, looping soulmark. 

He reaches for you slowly this time, one hand sliding to the back of your neck while the other skims up and down your arm, “Can I?” He asks again, his fingers ghosting over the strap of your bra. 

You nod, breathless. 

He hooks his fingers under one side and pulls, letting the strap drop and the mesh cup falls slack. His adam's apple bobs as he swallows, and slowly he loosens the other strap, your bra falling away and landing in your laps. 

Your heart is hammering in your chest now, and your fingers tighten on the fabric of his crisp white t-shirt. 

“So beautiful, baby,” He sighs, looking back up to your eyes, “you’re so perfect,” 

You can’t find any words, the way he looks at you and touches you has you rooted to the spot. 

“Can I kiss you again?” He slides his hands over your skin, still stroking your back and sides. 

That snaps you back into reality, and you dip forwards to crash your mouth to his. 

His arms wrap around you as yours knot into his hair, both of you a panting mess as you cling to each other on your sofa. Your bodies move in sync, his hands pressing just right as you roll your hips, only this time you can feel the hot press of his cock on your cunt through layers of fabric and you both moan at the contact. 

“Yunho,” You exhale sharply, rocking again to try and catch more sensation. 

“Jesus,” He pants, his hands locking down harder. 

You shudder at the contact, and you’re about two seconds away from begging him to take you right here on the couch when he puts the brakes back on. 

His hand slides up to catch your cheek, pushing your hair back and drawing your face away from his so he can look up at you, “y/n,” he says, voice a little hoarse, “that time on the phone,” 

You nearly moan at the memory of your silent orgasm, his voice in your ear, but you manage to nod. 

“DId you,” He starts and then backtracks, “I mean, you didn’t mind, or I guess what I’m asking is you weren’t, you know, uncomfortable,” 

His cheeks are turning pink as he talks, and you have half a mind to let him muddle through the thought, but you want his mouth on yours again and you cut him off, “You mean the best orgasm I’ve had in years?” 

He blushes properly then, his ears a frighteningly dark shade of pink and he clears his throat, “So you liked it?” 

Warmth blooms in your chest and you smile, leaning closer to him, your fingers tangling into his hair again, “Yunho,” you murmur, “are you asking if you can boss me around a little?” 

You’re nose to nose again, and his eyes search yours, “A little,” he concedes. 

“Boss away,” You grin, pressing your lips back to his, but he shakes his head. 

“Slow down,” He catches your hands in his and closes them together, pulling you back from him. 

Your brow knits together, “I’m getting mixed messages,” you glance down at your bare chest.  

His eyes flick to your breasts and back up and he huffs a soft laugh, “Sorry,” he manages, “I just meant we should talk,” 

“So much talk with you,” You tease him lightly, “I think I liked the kissing,” 

“Think?” His eyebrow quirks but then he shakes his head, “You’re a flirt, you do a hell of a job distracting me,” 

“Distracting you from what?” 

He reaches up, brushing the pad of his thumb over your lips, “Stop pouting,” he says, “I’m trying to be respectful, here,” 

“I’m feeling pretty respected,” You slip one hand out of his grip and tug at his t-shirt, “kiss me again, let’s double check.” 

He laughs properly this time, shaking his head, “I don’t know if it’s a soulmate thing or a you thing, but God, you know all my buttons, already, don’t you?” 

“I’m confused,” You relax in his lap a little, arms folding over your chest to cover yourself, “we were making out and it was perfect and now,” 

He nods, “I know, let me explain,” 

You wait for him to say more, the soft silence his opening. 

“We know each other,” He finally says, “but I don’t know what you like in bed,” 

“Oh,” Your shoulders relax a little, “well, traditionally we would have sex and figure that out,”

He rolls his eyes at you a little, a smile still on his lips, “y/n,” 

“Sorry, sorry, go on,” 

His hands settle over your thighs, “Every time we touch it feels like a fire,” he confesses, “and I’m trying not to lose my mind before we have a chance to talk about any of the important things, I don’t want to cross a line, I don’t want you to feel rushed or uncomfortable with anything,” 

You sigh, about to say more but he shakes his head and continues. 

“Without talking I won’t know what you don’t want,” He says, “or even if you want tonight to be the night, if you’re on birth control or if we should use condoms,” 

The thought of that sparks a clarity in you like no other and you realize he’s right, you were both so close to losing yourselves you could have made a mistake of the whole night. You blink, nodding this time. 

“And I’m afraid if we keep going like this,” He continues, “if we go upstairs without talking, I don’t know if I’ll be strong enough to walk away without fucking you and making you mine tonight.” 

Your heart thumps in your chest. You’ve never been held like this, talked to like this, no one in your life has ever searched for your boundaries on their own quite like this, with sex or otherwise and you know suddenly with perfect truth what this night is going to be. 

You nod, and then you smile, “Can I talk now?” 

 “Please,” 

“I’m on birth control,” You start off with the easiest answer, “and I’ve been tested since my last partner, so as long as you have too we can go without condoms,” 

“I have,” He nods immediately, “it’s been a while and that’s part of our regular health screenings,” 

“Good,” You let your arms relax now, resting your hands on his shoulders as you keep going, “so that’s one thing cleared up,” 

He smiles. 

“As for the rest,” You hold his gaze, “I liked how you talked to me on the phone very much,” 

He swallows hard. 

“I’m pretty sure I know what you’re asking,” You let your thumb rub over the pulse point in his neck, “so let me be clear, I like that. I like that you want to take control, and I like that you want to tell me what to do. Very much.” 

He nods, “And,” 

“I’m not the type to do something I don’t want to,” You promise him, knowing it’s as much of a promise to yourself after everything you’ve experienced in past relationships, “if something isn’t right for me, I’ll say it.” 

His shoulders relax under your touch, “Good,” 

“My guess though,” You nudge him, “is that we’re pretty compatible if the universe thinks so too,” 

“I thought so,” He murmurs appreciatively. 

You lean a little closer to him, and his arms slide around your back to hold you as you muster up the courage for the next part of answers to his questions, “For what I like,” you start, “let’s figure out the details together.” 

He nods. 

“For what I don’t like,” You tell him softly, “um,” your voice cracks a little with nerves and discomfort, a tone you were hoping to conceal at least for tonight. 

He watches you fumble over the words, a little crease between his brows as he tries to parse out what’s behind your tone, his thumb dragging a comforting line over your vertebrae. 

You sigh heavily and tell him your boundaries in a rushed breath, “Don’t pull my hair too hard, and if I’m ever using my mouth on you, just tell me before you move, alright? We can figure the rest out as we go,” 

His expression smooths, and his eyes study yours with the start of a question. You didn’t want to go here, not for a while, but something about your connection with him or maybe even just his earnestness makes you tell him more than you ever normally would.

 Again, as he always seems to, he senses the sudden tension in your chest and simply nods before touching your cheek gently, “Anything else?” 

You shake your head. 

He watches you carefully, his touch soft, and then with easy comfort he finds a question, “Do you want to tell me?”

There’s no demand in it, no insistence, only the offer of an outstretched hand, a listening ear. The momentary tightness relaxes inside you and you shake your head, “Not tonight,” 

He wants to ask more, you can see it, but your past sexual experiences no matter how clumsy or good or borderline traumatic should have no space in your night here with him. He’s worried though, you can see that too. 

It’s quiet for a beat as you take that in, and he nudges you gently, “You okay?” 

“Mhm,” You nod, “I promise, but let’s not talk about it tonight,” 

“Alright,” He draws you close, a soft kiss to your lips. 

You return the kiss warmly, pressing the promise of later honesty into your intention and he nods, reading you with ease. 

“Yunho,” You murmur as you part, “I do want it to be tonight,” 

“You do?” He confirms, hand sliding up and down your bare back. 

“I want this,” You cup his cheek, “I want us, and I don’t want to wait anymore,” 

“Say that again,” He lets your words from a moment ago fade, focusing on what you’re telling him now. 

“I want this,” You pull at his t-shirt again, restless energy creeping its way back into your body. 

“Not that,” He dismisses, “the other thing,” 

You know just what he wants to hear, but you play dumb for just a moment, “I don’t want to wait anymore?” 

His hand tightens on your backside, “y/n,” 

“Us,” You smile, “I said I want us,” 

“That’s it,” He kisses your smile, “I like the sound of that,” 

“I want us.” You repeat for him, lips to his, “Now, please, will you take me to bed and make me yours? Or do I have to beg?” 

He groans, “Let’s go to bed,” 

“So easy,” You tease him, sliding off his lap and reaching for him. 

He pushes himself off the couch but slides his hand into yours and tugs you close again, “I’ll make you beg another time,” 

Your stomach flip flops, arousal spiking through you and he smirks at your dazed expression. 

“Cute,” He taps your nose and steps towards the stairs, “you’re sure?” 

You’re about to protest again, a heavy sigh brewing in your gut, but he clears his throat and continues. 

“On tour,” His eyes shift to the floor for a moment, “I know you were anxious about us, and we talked about waiting. I’ll… I know I want you, and I’m going to keep wanting you. I can wait if that’s what you need, we can date,” 

The one good thing about the tour and all your sleepless nights was how long you had to think about this, about him. Your initial panic and fear over logistics and what-ifs had faded in days. He’s here, standing in your apartment, so you trust your gut, and you trust fate, and decide for once in your life to let someone in. 

You step close and pull him towards you, “Yunho, I don’t want to date,” 

His eyes flick to yours, his irises dark, “You don’t,” 

“I said I want us,” You take his hands in yours and direct them to your hips, “I know what that means,” 

His eyes study yours for a moment, and then he sighs, “Good,” he pulls you up into his hold and crashes your lips together. 

This time there’s nothing between you, no schedules or secrets, no indecision or questions keeping you from letting go. With both eyes open you’re diving into each other, and nothing in the world could stop you from tying yourself to him tonight, body and soul. 

You feel him shift on the landing as you kiss, and you pant a single word against his mouth, “Bed,” 

He nods, stumbling up a few steps without breaking your lips apart, one of his hands secure on the railing to guide him upwards. 

You giggle as he tips to the side and rights himself, leaning back and looking down to see how far up he managed to get you both, “Let me down,” 

He eases you to your own step. 

“Get up here,” You tug his hand and take the familiar steps to your loft bed as quickly as you can, dragging him behind you the whole way. 

Once you hit the landing you take your hand back and start unbuttoning your jeans, but you stop at the sound of a soft thump and Yunho’s soft curse under his breath. 

Turning you realize the issue, he’s too tall for your landing’s slanted ceiling, and he must have bumped his head on the way up to your bedroom. You laugh sharply, covering your lips to stifle the sound, “Sorry,” you grin, “are you okay?” 

“Fine,” He rubs the spot, but shakes it off. 

You turn back to the bed and tug the downy comforter open, “You’re too tall, when we get our own place we’ll get high ceilings,”

Something warm floods your chest and then he’s on you again. Yunho spins you around and dips to kiss you, only this time there’s an edge to it, a neediness. He walks you back until your knees hit the edge of the mattress, and then he wraps his arms around you and pushes you down in one smooth motion. 

Yunho slots himself between your thighs, and you hitch your legs onto his hips as he presses you into the mattress with hungrier and hungrier kisses. 

His lips travel over your jaw, your throat, “You said when,” 

“Hmm?” Your brain feels cottony and light already and you turn your head just a little to hear him again. 

His hand drags down to the top of your jeans, tugging at the zipper, “You said when, not if,” 

“Yunho,” You smile, gasping as his teeth nip at your throat, “we’re about to tie ourselves together for life, did you think I haven’t thought about living with you?” 

He groans, “You’re perfect,” 

You thread your fingers through his hair, “So are you,” 

He tugs artlessly at the top of your pants and sighs, “Need these off,” 

“Take them off me,” You relax your legs, and he shifts back to stand, looping his thumbs in your belt loops so that when he tugs your jeans, they slide off in one smooth motion and drop to the floor. 

“Oh,” He says softly, getting a good look at your now bare legs and the lines of ink that cover so many inches of your skin, “wow,” 

You’ve never been self conscious about your tattoos before, not like this, and you find yourself letting your legs fall closed, “Oh?” 

”I didn’t realize you had more,” He comments but his expression softens into a smile, “they suit you,” 

“Yeah?” 

“Mm,” His hands slide up and down the plush curve of your thighs, “later you can tell me all about them,” 

Your stomach flips pleasantly. 

“Right now though,” He pushes your legs back open and drops back over you, slotting your bodies together and capturing your lips. 

You sigh pleasantly against his lips, wrapping your limbs around him and drawing him closer, and when his hips drop just enough for your core to press firmly against the front of his jeans you moan. 

Yunho groans, his hands wandering. 

You roll your hips, pressing yourself more firmly against the hard bulge of his clothed cock, “S-shirt off,” you pant, tugging at the fabric. 

He reaches back with one hand and grabs the back of his t-shirt and tugs, yanking it free with ease with only the briefest interruptions to your locked lips. When he presses closer to you this time, your bare chest is pressed against his. 

Your brain feels like dizzy stars, like someone picked you up and turned you around in endless circles until you couldn’t help but stagger in his direction, falling over yourself to hold onto him. His hips thrust gently, pushing his hardness insistently at your cunt and you moan into his mouth, your hot breath mingling together in panting sighs. 

“Yunho,” You whine, your core pulsating with need. 

“Yes, pretty girl?” He smiles against your lips, his hand skimming over the curve of your breast, down your side to anchor on your hip. 

You can’t wait anymore, if you do you might combust, and you reach between your bodies to tug at his belt buckle. 

He huffs a laugh, “Yeah?” 

“Please,” You work the leather loop free, “I’m way more naked than you,” 

“Patience,” He nips at your lip. 

His button is open with a frantic tug of your fingers, then his zipper, “I’ve been patient,” you push at his jeans, “baby, please, I need you,” 

“I need you too,” He balances himself on one hand braced on the bed, shimmying out of his pants, and you hook your fingers in the elastic of his boxer briefs to push at those too. 

“Please,” You find yourself begging so easily at the thought of this man pushing inside you. 

“Relax,” He kisses your forehead, tapping your hand out of the way so he can take off his own underwear, “I got it,” 

You ease back on the bed, but between the space of your bodies you watch him. Your mouth runs dry when he’s finally bare for you, and your heartbeat starts to pick up. 

The size of him is intimidating to say the least. He’s long, at least nine or ten inches if you were guessing, but what’s more is how thick he is. His cock is heavy, the kind you’d see in porn and wonder how the women on screen could take it. You can see every vein, the way it stands perfectly straight, the velvety mushroom head already dark pink and slick with the first few beads of precum. 

Yunho settles back above you, his hot, thick length resting on the top of your pubic mound, only the thin cotton of your panties keeping you from feeling him fully. 

”God,” You breathe, still taking him in, “I hope you’re good at foreplay,” 

He squeezes your hip, “We’ll take it slow,” 

You nod, still fixated on the sight of him between your legs, and you try not to think about how far up your stomach his cock comes and what that means for when he tries to put it inside you. Instead you focus on the fact that he’s yours, “We were made for each other right?” You joke softly, “I can take you,” 

He smooths your hair back and tilts your head up, finding your eyes, “We’ll go slow,” he reiterates, “have you ever been with someone my size? Or used any toys like that?” 

For all the sex you’ve had, his question makes you feel a bit like a blushing virgin and you shake your head. 

Something flashes in his eyes, and you feel the twitch of his cock against you. 

“You like that?” You bite the inside of your lip to keep from teasing him too much. 

He brushes past your question, “Let me warm you up,” 

Easy relief blooms in your chest, your muscles starting to relax, and he settles his body over you properly to take you right back into a tender kiss. You can feel him hard and present between you, but he distracts you with open mouthed kisses, his hands exploring you slowly until your hips are twitching on their own. 

You’re dripping wet, there’s no way you’re not soaking through the thin fabric of your panties, but his kisses continue like that’s the last thought in his mind. He makes his way across your jaw, sliding lower down your body as he lavishes attention on your neck, over the jut of your collarbones, across the smooth plane of your chest and tops of your breasts. 

“Oh, yes,” Your voice is breathy as he slides even lower in the bed between your thighs, his mouth skimming over the swell of your tits, ghosting past your nipples. 

“You’re so beautiful,” He murmurs, hands cupping your chest and drawing your breasts together, his teeth sink into his lower lip at the sight. 

“Y-yeah?” Your hips arch beneath him, “You like me?” 

A smile tugs at his lips, one hand sliding up to your cheek as he looks up, “I more than like you, y/n,” 

Your breath is caught in your throat, your heart quickening in your chest. 

Yunho smiles a little at that, feeling the echo of your emotions himself, and then he dips his face to kiss your chest again. This time his lips travel in a smooth, reverent line down your sternum until you feel his breath against your looped tattoo. 

Pleasure sparks inside you and you moan softly, one of your hands threading into the back of his hair. 

He hums pleasantly, and then kisses your mark. 

“Yunho,” You sigh, heat flooding your body. 

He kisses you again, pressing a peck to each of the four corners of the knotted diamond, before centering another again and pouring every ounce of his feeling into it through the link. This time, he murmurs what you already know against your skin, “I love you,” 

Tears gather in your eyes, the feeling spilling over into you so all encompassing that it fells you. You tremble in his arms, your eyes locked to the white ceiling above you as you try desperately to steady yourself in the wave of emotion and sensation. 

His kisses start to travel lower, and your fingers card through his hair, “Y-Yunho, I,” 

“Shh,” He shakes his head, lips moving down over your belly as he shifts lower, “just relax,” 

A little piece of you wants to protest, wants to tell him that you love him too, but he settles between your thighs and slides your legs open wider to accommodate his broad shoulders, and every coherent thought flutters right out of your brain. 

Yunho kisses your inner thigh, easing himself into the perfect position, and then he wraps his arms around your hips under your splayed thighs, one hand braced on your rib cage and the other closing over your abdomen. 

His nose gently, gently nuzzles against your clothed mound and you hear him breathe you in. 

You shudder, moaning softly, your hand finding his hair once again. 

“I’ll take good care of you,” He murmurs low, kissing your cunt, “I love you so much,” 

“Oh,” Your breath catches as he tastes you through the fabric of you underwear, “p-please,” 

His hand on your abdomen shifts, and he reaches between your thighs to tug your underwear to one side, hooking it under his thumb to hold it in place. You gasp as his warm breath caresses your slit, your hand sliding to brace his shoulder. 

“I got you,” He soothes you, his free hand sliding up and down on your ribs, “I promise,” 

A needy sound stutters from your throat. 

At the first swipe of his tongue through your slick folds, Yunho groans and you start to tremble properly in his hold. It feels like liquid fire, better than any touch you’ve ever felt, partner, toy, or or own fingers. Yunho’s lips, his tongue, each little brush of his fingers, every bit of him feels like it was divined for you, and you won’t last a minute. 

“Feel good?” He checks, sliding his tongue through your lower lips again. 

“Incredible,” You pant, your hips canting to try and catch more sensation, “I, I c-can’t,” 

He chuckles, the vibrations running straight up your body, “You taste like heaven, baby,” 

Moaning, you grip down on his shoulder. 

“Mm,” He dives in properly, nestling close and all but kissing your cunt, “god,” 

His tongue drives any coherent thoughts out of your head as he gets the feel for your body, the firm tip sliding over your clit and making you jolt under his hands. 

“Y-yes,” You manage, nodding into the pillows. 

“Here?” He breathes, flicking your swollen clit again. 

“Oh, yes, god,” You grip the sheets. 

He hums, his hands tightening on your skin, and then he closes his lips over your bud and sucks. 

“Oh!” You arch back, hand flying up to catch his head and brace yourself, “Fuck, fuck,” 

He stays steady this time, sucking and lapping at you in a perfect rhythm, holding you in place as he finds the perfect combination to have you scrambling in the sheets. 

“Baby,” You moan, the word turning into a heady whine. 

He groans against you, dragging you tighter to his mouth with a flex of his arms. Your head spins as you slide down the mattress, a bubble of taut pleasure building inside you fast and hot. 

“Please,” You moan, your back arching as he delivers a sharp suck. 

His broad hand slides up from its place anchored on your side to cup your breast, and you look down to watch him move. His fingers deftly find your nipple, twisting and pinching gently, and as he takes a breath between licks and sucks to your dripping cunt, his eyes flash up and meet yours. 

A smile flicks across his wet face, and your eyes roll as you collapse back into the bedding to let him work. 

“That’s it,” He huffs as he sucks in another breath, tongue diving back inside you, pulsing and thrusting. 

Your thighs start to shake, your body jerks on its own, and he finds the perfect tempo to take you through - his thumb swiping sharply over your nipple back and forth, his mouth working you up higher and higher with a sustained pressure. 

The bubble of pleasure arcs up your spine and then settles back down, low in your belly, and you gasp sharply, “God, oh, god,” 

He doesn’t say a word, doesn’t change a single thing, he stays steady and that brings you right up to the very edge. 

“I’m,” Your eyes snap shut, your body shuddering, “I’m, c-coming, Yunho, I’m… baby, I’m,” 

He moans through your babbled pleas, and then you break apart beneath him. Your orgasm crashes into you like a wall of heat, and your body wrenches up tight into fits and starts, legs snapping shut around his ears, fingers knotted in his hair, your free hand braced on the wall behind you as your body jerks itself in rolling grinds against his eager mouth. 

He eases you through it, transitioning from sucks to lazy licks with the flat of his tongue, until you’re boneless and melted under him, your legs falling slack open as your eyes stay unfocused on the ceiling. 

“Okay,” His low voice comes back to you, and you feel his hands smoothing over your trembling thighs, a kiss to your knee, “that’s it,” 

A shiver runs through you, your body suddenly cold at the lack of contact and you take in a sharp breath. 

“I got you,” He shifts over your legs, crawling up the bed so he can collapse along your one side, and he wraps you up in his arm. 

His cheeks are pleasantly pink, hair a chaotic haystack, his mouth is still glistening from your slick wetness, and he grins down at you breathlessly, “Hey,” 

“H-hi,” You sigh. 

“Feeling good?” He cups your face, thumb brushing over your cheekbone. 

You nod, relaxing into his touch, “Mhm,” 

“Good,” He presses a warm kiss to your forehead and draws you into him to let you recover. 

You melt into his touch, cheek to chest. 

Yunho brushes his fingers up and down your spine and gets his own breath back. 

After a few more moments, you sigh, shaking out the post-orgasm haze and kiss his skin, “I’d say I’m warmed up now,” 

He huffs a laugh into your hair, “Eager,” 

“Aren’t you?” Your hand slides over his bare side. 

“I am,” He squeezes you.

Feeling starts to come back into your body and you smile, wriggling in his arms until you’re in a better position and able to follow his earlier lead. You nip gently at his chest and pepper him with kisses, and you smile when you hear his contented sigh and pleased hum. His fingers slide up and down your back as you try to give him a taste of every sensation he gave to you. 

At his mark, you follow his kisses exactly, and you feel him twitch, his hard length pressing into your belly where you have his cock trapped between your bodies. 

You linger here a moment, “You feel that?” 

At your punctuated kiss against his soul mark he sighs, “I can feel you,” 

You nod, nuzzling into him, “You’re mine,” 

“Completely,” 

“I’m yours,” You murmur, promising him the same. 

“Mine,” He breathes. 

Your kisses travel lower as you work your way down the smooth plane of his abdomen, his muscles twitching under your lips, but as you settle yourself over his hips and work your mouth closer and closer to the base of his cock he shifts under you. 

“Hey,” He catches your hands, closing them in his own, “I’m fine,” 

“I want to,” You smile, a tender kiss to the underside of his shaft before you let your tongue trace up the seam of his thick member. 

He gasps, hips twitching, but he shakes his head, “Wait, wait,” 

You pull back immediately and look up, a swirl of feelings knotting in your gut, “What?” 

He swallows hard and slides his hands up your arms, hooking under your upper arms so he can tug you back up to lie next to him eye to eye, “Not tonight,” 

“I want to make you feel good,” Your hand snakes between you, searching for him. 

“You do,” He sighs as your hand closes around him, “you are, but after what you said,” 

It feels like a bucket of cold water and your hand falls away from his cock. You hate your ex so much for being anywhere near your head at this moment with this man, but he is. He never hurt you, but the way he pressured you and pushed you into things you weren’t ready for has been an ever present shadow in your sex life even now, years and multiple partners later. 

Yunho kisses your lips and tries to keep his tone light, “Another time,” he tells you, “I don’t want to hurt you,” 

“It’s not,” You fumble over your words again, “it’s not bad, I’m alright, I want to,” 

He smiles and shakes his head, “I’d be more comfortable,” 

That takes the wind right out of your sails, and you sink into him, “Oh,” 

“You want to make me feel good?” He asks. 

You nod. 

His hand slides down your arm, drawing your own hand to his aching cock, and he closes your fingers around it, “Touch me, then, we’ll have time for the rest later,” 

He’s hot in your hand and you take in the weight of him as you slide your fist up and down to explore him. 

He groans, “Again,” 

You pump your hand once more, base to tip, rolling your wrist experimentally this time as you work his tip. Leaving any thoughts of the past behind, you focus on him entirely. 

“You’re s-so good at this already,” He sighs, “just like that,” 

Your bodies shift to accommodate, he cuddles you closer with one arm wrapped around you and your legs tangled together, and slowly you start to learn his body too. The way he twitches as your fist drops down to the base and squeezes, his gasp when your knuckle brushes up over the seam of his cockhead. His eyes blow wide when your thumb collects a bead of precum to rub up and down his shaft, and he moans when your fingers tighten and release. 

His free hand snakes between your bodies, finding your slippery center again like he’s been touching you for years. 

“Oh, Yunho,” You part your thighs. 

He groans, eyes slipping closed for a moment, “You’re so wet,” 

You moan as he slides his fingers lower, teasing your entrance with his fingertips. 

“Needy,” He murmurs. 

You do your best to focus on him, but the pressure of his fingers at your wet opening has you jerking your hips. Your hand tightens on his shaft and he sucks in a sharp breath, nodding. His cock feels so right in your hand, thick and pulsing, and you shiver, “I should have known you’d be huge,” you giggle against his shoulder. 

He smirks, “Yeah?” 

“You’re tall,” You start. 

He pulls his fingers back away from your pussy, dragging the pads of his fingertips over your clit as he does and you moan, a whiny needy sound from the center of your throat. 

“Not all tall guys,” He starts to say but you pump your hand just right and he curses. 

“Mm,” You slide closer to him if at all possible, “but you’re big everywhere,” 

You punctuate your words with a gentle tease of his cockhead, the pad of your thumb rubbing a circle into the seam that made him pant before, and he twitches, his eyes rolling. 

He swallows tightly and smiles, “Am I?” 

“Mhm,” You nip his chest lightly with your teeth, pumping your hand again nice and slow, “big feet, big hands…” 

“Been thinking a lot about my hands, sweetheart?” He teases, dragging his nails lightly up and down your thigh. 

“Shut up,” You duck your face, planning to double down your efforts on his cock, but he pushes your hand away and rolls you smoothly onto your back. You drop back with a squeak, your eyes flying up to his. 

“You have,” He teases, sliding his palm down your body, a slow and torturous pace on the path to your cunt once again. 

“Maybe,” 

”Fantasizing about my fingers?” His voice is low, warm in his chest, and he slowly presses his middle finger over your clit. 

“Oh, fuck,” Your head drops back, eyes finding the ceiling once again only this time Yunho makes a soft noise, his tongue against his teeth and he shakes his head. 

“Don’t be embarrassed,” He murmurs, his fingers rocking gently over your swollen bud. 

You are a little, but there’s something in his tone that tells you he likes it and you think about the way his eyes flashed at the idea of being your first partner his size. With every little touch you’ve been figuring him out, and this suddenly feels like he’s allowing himself to want you in the way he needs. If he wasn’t so good at pressing all your buttons you’d try to tease him again, but when you meet his eyes and see the heat behind them, all you can do is melt. 

His next words leave you breathless, “I fantasize about you,” 

“Y-you do?” 

“All the time,” He nods, his hand between your thighs getting bolder as he explores your wet folds. 

“Please,” Your hips arch as the tips of his fingers pass over your entrance again. 

“Oh baby,” He groans, and you feel his hard cock twitch against your thigh, “you need it?” 

You nod, reaching down to find his wrist, tugging him to communicate while your head feels so full of fuzzy pleasure. 

“Fuck it,” He bites his lip as he looks down at you squirming in the sheets, “I’ll tease you later,” 

“Thank g-,” The words die on your lips, punched out of you when he slides two of his impossibly long fingers deep into your cunt in one push. 

He doesn’t wait for you to beg this time, with his eyes glued to your every expression, he reads your pleasure and starts to pulse his hand, pumping his fingers in and out of your fluttering core with strong, steady strokes. 

“Yes, yes,” Your legs widen, and you collapse into his shoulder, “oh my god,” 

His fingers feel thick and warm in your cunt, crooked just right to reach spots you could only hit with toys, and even then the feeling of those pale in comparison to him. 

“I knew you’d feel good,” He pushes your legs open wide with his free hand, “can’t wait to have you wrapped around my cock,” 

Pleasure arcs up your spine and you moan, your hand flying to his bicep and gripping down hard, “Fuck,” 

He presses a kiss to your shoulder as he adjusts his position and in torturously slow pumps of his hand, he starts to work you open. He scissors his fingers wide as draws them out, and when you feel him push in a third finger as deep as he can go, you shudder against the sheets. 

“So tight,” He murmurs, the words sounding like praise on his lips, “you’re squeezing my fingers, pretty girl,”

Your cunt clenches in response and he chuckles. 

“Exactly like that,” He smiles and thrusts his fingers in and out again, increasing his pace as your breath starts to quicken. 

“Y-Yunho,” You jerk against him, the bubble of a building orgasm once again gathering low in your gut and you scramble in the sheets until you’re legs are open as wide as possible, one leg hitched over his. You can’t stop watching him now, the lean muscle of his arm, the way the tendons in his forearm twitch with his movements. Pushing up on your forearms you catch sight of his index, middle, and ring fingers gathered tightly together, glistening with your wetness as they plunge in and out of your fluttering cunt. 

“So beautiful,” He groans, kissing your temple and wrapping his free arm around your back to adjust to the position change, giving his arm enough leverage that he can keep thrusting in and out. 

You moan at the heady sensation of his fingers at your g-spot, hips pushing down into his hand. 

“Want you to come again,” He says hotly against your hair.

 You nod, heels digging into the mattress as your body jerks, needily meeting each stroke of his fingers with your hips. 

“Tell me,” He says. 

“H-harder,” You beg him, sensation cascading through you, “harder, baby, please,” 

“God, yes,” He adjusts, and suddenly you’re pinned back to the mattress flat on your back, one of Yunho’s broad hands stretched wide on your sternum to pin you in place as he fucks you open with the other. 

Perfect, almost painful pleasure has your eyes slamming shut and a desperate whine on your lips, “Oh, oh, oh,” each push in of his fingers punches out a breathy moan, your pussy fluttering as he draws you up to the peak. 

“Tell me you’re close,” He pants, “I want to hear it,” 

Your nerve endings light up, your body arching under the hard press of his hand, “I’m so close, I’m so f-fucking close,” 

“Come for me, baby,” 

Your nails dig into his thigh, the pressure mounting inside you, “Again,” you manage, begging for more. 

His fingers curl, just a little more, “Come,” he says it again, only this time his tone is sharper, deeper and more direct. It’s not a question, not a wish or a hope, it’s a command. 

Your free hand claps over your mouth, stifling a moan and you bite down on the fleshy heel of your hand to keep from screaming. 

“Come,” He holds you steady, “that’s it, let go, let it all go, baby,” 

Your body erupts into ecstatic shakes, pleasure rolling through in wave after wave, but all you can do is let it. 

“Just like that,” He groans, “fuck yes,” 

This time, as your orgasm starts to abate, he doesn’t kiss you tenderly or wrap you up for a cuddle, this time he’s just as frantic as you are. 

“I need you,” He pants, his body over top of yours once again, “y/n, fuck,” 

You blink hard, still a trembling mess, and you see his own desperate expression. His cheeks are pink, brow slick with sweat, pupils dilated with desire as he opens your legs and crowds you with his body. 

“T-talk to me,” He manages, his hand directing his weeping cock to your throbbing entrance, “tell me you still want this,” 

“I want this,” You reach for him, wrapping your arms around his neck and tugging him closer, “I want you,” 

“God,” He’s shaking, his body taut like a rubber band about to snap, and somewhere inside you you can feel the amount of self control he’s exhibiting just to go slowly. 

You moan sharply when his tip drags over your throbbing clit. 

“You’re so wet,” He pants, watching between your bodies as he slicks the head of his cock between your folds. 

“For you,” You breathe, your head feeling cottony. 

“So pretty,” The head of his cock nudges against your entrance and you shiver. 

Need sparks through you, “Please,” you tug at his hip, just a little and he smiles. 

“Tell me if I need to stop,” He manages, his weight collapsing a little as he slowly starts to push his hips forwards. 

You gasp as you start to feel him, your cunt still swollen and pulsing from two back to back orgasms, and his eyes snap up. 

Yunho watches your face carefully as he moves, his body strung tight as he tries to hold onto a thread of composure. It feels normal at the start, but as he pushes in past the head, you feel yourself start to stretch wide in a way you’ve never experienced and your breath starts to quicken. 

“Oh, fuck,” You look between your bodies, watching his slow sink into your wet heat, and swallow tightly at just how much of him is left to take. 

“You okay?” He asks breathlessly.

“Uh-huh,” You manage, “I can feel everything, but god, don't stop,”

He hisses, gripping your thigh with his free hand, fingers still slick with your juices, fighting the urge to lose himself. His tongue darts out to wet his lips, his eyes flicking over the expression of tight pleasure on your face.  

“Don’t you dare pull out,” You grip down on his shoulders and roll your hips roll a bit, taking him in another inch, “you feel so good,” 

He lets out a heady breath, and moves in just a bit more, “Yeah?” 

“Never felt anything this good,” You moan as he pushes in further, your walls fluttering and clamping around his hot length. 

He rolls his hips this time, just a little experiment to drag himself in and out without fucking into you fully, and he moans when your muscles lock pleasantly around him, “God, you really were made for me,” 

“Yours,” You say it like a vow, and in a strange way somewhere in the back of your mind you know it is. A dizzy promise in an almost marriage bed as your bodies sink together. 

His breath hitches, cock shifting inside you, his head dropping so that you’re forehead to forehead, “And yours,” he agrees softly. 

Your body feels hot suddenly, hotter than before, everything a hazy glow in the dim lighting of your bedroom. You feel all at once like you’re in the moments before a wave, the sudden suck back of the water with all the sand slipping away from underneath your feet, leaving you unsteady and sinking into the earth. Your ears catch with a dull ring. 

Your breath is comes quickly now, warmth flushing your chest and cheeks, and your nails tighten on his skin, “Yunho,” 

He adjusts to meet your gaze, and you realize he’s feeling exactly what you are, the thrumming sensation of it all but swirling around you in the air. He blinks hard, “I’m.. I need,” 

You understand him without words, you know exactly what he needs because you need it too. Through the fog of sensation, you pull lightly on his shoulders and hitch your calves on his hips, drawing him in deeper, “Please,” 

His hips drop, seating himself just a little more and you moan at the stretching sensation. He’s holding himself back, clinging to the one clear thought that he promised he’d take care of you, but his resolve is crumbing apart before your eyes. 

“Yunho,” You cup his cheek, begging him with your expression to let go, “I need you,” 

He swallows hard, his chest flushed red, a bead of sweat rolling down his temple. 

The words flood out of you, a whispered confession just for him, “I love you, please,” 

He exhales in a rush, a wide smile breaking across his face, his eyes shining, and without any more hesitation he thrusts forwards and sinks his full length inside you. 

You moan sharply, wrapping your arms around him as he drops his body down on yours, sweat slick skin pressed flush together. The hot dizziness grows, and he finds your lips, moaning against your mouth as he kisses you hard. Your bodies start to move in sync, a tandem push and pull as he rolls into the cradle of your hips, your breath tangled together as you rock in the sheets. 

Yunho leans his forehead against yours, pumping his hips slow and firm, “I love you,” 

The sensation grows, filling the air around you and a chill rushes up your spine, the hair on your arms standing up at attention, the magnetic pull between your bodies so forceful you don’t think a single thing in the world could drag you away from him. Emotion rocks through the link, and then all at once you feel it snap into place. 

Your tattoo burns, the brand igniting just like when you touched his cheek for the first time, and you suck in a sharp breath. Yunho’s hips stutter in pace, sinking himself deep until your bodies are nestled together with every inch of him buried inside you. 

He’s breathing heavy, arms wrapped tight around you, hands trembling, “I can feel you,” he leans up an inch, smoothing your hair back from your face, “you’re,” 

His words die on his lips but he touches his chest and you nod, you feel him too. One single heartbeat, one breath. The link before was nothing, a mere echo of this, a blurry photograph now sharply in focus, and you reach up to brush your fingers along his cheek, his lips, a ghost of the sensation along your own face. 

“How is this real?” Tears prick at your eyes. You’ve seen the movies, read the books, you’ve talked to people who have found their soulmates before, but nothing could have prepared you for this. You feel him inside you as if he were a part of you, his skin your skin, his emotions, even the shape of his thoughts.  

You understand all at once why people say it’s possible to die of a broken heart. If you ever lost him, lost this… 

“I’m here,” He interrupts your internal spiral, dipping to press a kiss to your lips, “I’m not going anywhere,” 

“How did you,” You shake your head in strange awe of the feeling, “what is this?” 

“I don’t know,” He kisses you again, “I just knew, I felt it,” 

Tears spill over, snaking back into your hairline, and you press your palm to his chest, sliding down over his tattoo. Words fail you, all you can feel is the overwhelming breadth of your souls together. How could anyone live without this, how could anyone believe this isn’t real?

“Don’t cry,” He soothes, wiping the tears from your temples with his thumb. 

“I’m happy,” You manage, finding his eyes again, “Yunho, I’m so happy,” 

He grins, his breath catching in his throat as he lets his forehead rest on yours again and he nods, “Me too,” 

His love thrums through you, tangible and solid, a truth you didn’t know you could have. You’re grinning too now, an elated laugh on your lips as you wrap your arms around him, “Fuck,” you thread your fingers in his hair, nuzzling into him, “you love me,” 

“So much,” He confesses quietly, “I didn’t know I could love someone like this,” 

“Me too,” You press your lips to his, sighing into him, “I love you too,” 

The kisses feel like his love actualized, nothing more true than his mouth, his need, and yours reflected back in the mirror of his desire. You moan as another wave of heat floods through you, and Yunho shudders.

For a moment, there’s nothing more to say, tangled together in your bed in the middle of Seoul, time seemingly standing still just for you. Tightly locked together, you both start to move again. Each slow pump of his hips down is met with an upward roll of yours, his cock slowly stroking in and out of your pulsing center, your arms wrapped around each other as you pant and moan. 

You crumble apart together, still deep beneath the dizzy waves, his mouth hot against your ear as he releases inside you, your cunt fluttering and spasming around him, drawing him in, holding him inside.

**this part was too long for tumblr's new word count guidelines! please check out the second half of this part, here!

[i-ship-everybody]

Leo Valdez headcannons - fluffy version

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Gender neutral reader

When dating Leo Valdez you are 100% his favourite person and biggest priority

He’s always looking for you and wanting to be with you

Leo will look to share everything with you, new snack? He needs to share with you, someone says something funny? He needs to tell you about it.

When anything funny or weird will happen he will always look to you and you to him

He loves when you play with his hair

Leo will play with your fingers/hands

Instead of buying you flowers, he will make you flowers out of scrap metal. Every anniversary, birthday, Christmas,etc you get a different type of flower

Leo acts all confident but this man cannot take a compliment

Call him pretty or say he did something well and he will blush and tell you to stop, to shut up if he has too

If you are a reader, painter, collector, music lover, baker/cook, or have any hobbies that involve certain objects, Leo will go out of his way to find you a little something to go with that

Leo always looks shocked when you get him anything

He will be in absolute shock if you get him flowers, he’ll play it off but will definitely keep them forever

He will watch Disney movies (the old ones) with you and he loves them

Leo is a diehard fan of cheesy rom-coms

You will find him doing things that he’s seen in the movies

He’ll run and hide if you point it out

If you are someone that’s quick with comebacks or just witty comments he will have fun just bantering with you

He tells you all about his time in foster care

You comfort him and make him feel loved

He is your #1 defender at all times

Anyone says anything about you and smokes coming out of Leo’s ears

He will however make the worst jokes about you and find them absolutely hilarious when they land horribly and you stare at him like:😑

He is surprisingly good at drawing

In his workshop doodles and sketches of you are everywhere, on sticky notes on the walls, scratched into tables, the corner of blueprints, just about painted everywhere with ink

He will get grease all over his face and arms and forget about it

Leo will then shove himself into your arms getting you both dirty

Once you two get closer and further into the relationship he is the most comfortable person ever, I mean saying every thought he’s ever thought to you comfortable

Like he’s comfortable enough to wake you up in the middle of the night just to tell you about some weird dream he had

He 100% pursued you

Leo saw you, knew he wanted you and went after that

He was nervous but he got Annabeth to help him come up with a way to start a conversation

If he needed to he definitely chased you

He grovelled for you, begged for just one chance

You might’ve just been entertaining him at first, then you realize that Leo is the most dedicated person ever

He is the definition of dedication and devotion

Leo won’t even think of another person if he’s with you

He will be your best friend

One thing about Leo is that he will do anything, and I mean ANYTHING with you

You want to go out? He’s down, you want to go get a snack then walk around? He’s already there, you want to go see a movie? Leo already bough the tickets.

Even activities less suited for him, like museums, library dates or spa days. Basically, any calm activity, he will still put the effort in to stay still and silent

And you do the more crazy, energetic ones, even when your not 100% for it

If your having a bad day, he will come in and do one simple act of kindness that will give you the strength to continue the day

For example, during lunch you will accidentally drop your bite of food from your fork and then put your head in your hands done with the day. He will laugh a bit, then get a napkin to clean it up

You’ll do the same for him

Leo is always dropping kisses onto you

Not specifically your lips or even face, if he’s leaving a room he’ll drop a kiss onto your shoulder than leave

Neither of you are big on PDA, hate it actually

But he will find a way to do casual touches that portray such emoting

He will drag his nails over your back and just give you nice rental scratches everywhere

You guys will listen to each other talk about your interest even when you have no idea what the other is talking about

He steals all the blankets and you will absolutely turn over at night to see him on your pillow

Makes your tea/coffee/any drink the best way ever

Casually drops the most beautiful, thoughtful sentences ever then just leaves

Like words that will stay with you forever

He’s always tapping “I love you” onto you

You learn Morse code and now you communicate through it when you’re around others

He has finally found someone that will put him first and whom he can share an intense, loving connection with

Leo is no longer a 7th wheel and will never be again

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Should I do a NSFW or angsty version? Let me know!

[ch3rrybbie]

Have

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3

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summary: to have and to hold 😉

note from author: think I might end it here bc I feel the next part I was planning ruins the journey they came on I don’t wanna do drama for the sake of it so send in other Randall requests and I shall obligeeeeeee. Ty for reading bbys.

warnings: 18+, smut, angst, idiots pining, oral( fem and male rec), penetration, not fully protected sex?, monsters ig, thoughts os situationships (scary Ik)

———

Mornings after a night of crying were always exhausting. Yawning you sleepily made your way to the kitchen, startled at the sight of something on the table.

Daisies.

They were everywhere in the forest. You were entranced by them when you walked through that day so much so that you failed to see him.

Him?

Surely not…

A loose scrap of paper with ‘thank you’ was strewn beside it.

It meant nothing.

Even if it was him it didn’t mean anything.

Right?

———

You steeled yourself and left to gather food you needed. You tried not looking at the bus but you couldn’t help yourself and there he was back to normal sulking inside like he hadn’t just been possessed by another malevolent spirit lurking in this hellhole.

But he was alive.

You’d stared too long and his eyes snagged yours. They lit up?

He scrambled out of the bus and you set off basket of vegetables full, they might as well as been rotting with the storm inside your chest.

“Y/N!” He exclaimed.

Heavy steps fell beside you as he peered into your line of vision.

Great. Last thing you needed to see was those deep eyes attempting to nudge a smile onto your face.

“I uh made you something” he awkwardly throws at you and you stop in your tracks heart clenching.

One awkward flourish later and his warm rough hand is placing it in yours.

You zone out as he makes a joke about how cold your hands are, it was a baby doe.

He’d carved you a baby doe.

How could he have known you liked them, that you saw one your first night here and it gave you a weird sense of peace. Did he ask Donna? Did he guess?

No, how could’ve he have known it’s nothing.

Because all acquaintances that have fucked carve tokens and leave flowers and dream-

Stop it you urge yourself. You smudge out the hope like chalk.

“Thank you” you cut plainly and continue marching back to your house where you could spiral alone.

He persists, “I just, I don’t know I figured I should get you something for looking after me when I was you know…” he trails off and you can’t help but turn to him. Your hands feel useless at your side and clutching your basket, you ache to caress him, comfort him just touch him.

“There’s no need to thank me” you give him a strained smile, “Plus Laine came to help so” you shrug.

His eyes squint, “The fucks she got to do with us?” He spits.

Us?

“What has your girlfriend got to do with her coming to look after you in the house of the girl you fucked without telling you had a girlfriend? I don’t know Randall beats me!” You could play this game.

He loses it, “The FUCK are you talking about Y/N?!”

You look at him incredulously, he had never spoken to you like this. Donna and Boyd sure, but you he reserved a different tone. You curled your and harder around the handle of your basket.

“When have I EVER showed ANY fucking interest in Laine? I mean the girl is obsessed with me! How the fuck is that my fault? Why the fuck are you punishing me for that” he laments.

Your head turns away in shame, cheeks flushing.

“You know I was coming here to tell you that I wanted more than…” he gestures between you wildly “this”.

Your head snaps back towards him and your eyes widen in shock.

“Randall I had no idea I-“

He continues, “I haven’t touched Laine ONCE and I don’t just eat out every girl I know in the woods” he heaves in a depth breath and concludes, “You know what I am DONE with these games”

It’s his turn to turn and stomp away, he swaggers all the way to the bus as you watch slamming the door closed.

You desperately wanted to go kiss it better. To say sorry and explain your heart was his from the moment you met. Yet blooming anger fills you, one moment you’re by the diner the next the basket is on the floor as you barrel your way to the bus.

You yanked the door open and storm on, he jumps from his seated sulk towards the back of the bus.

“MY GAMES?!” you seethe, “I was NOT the one entertaining someone else’s attention after we fucked and I am NOT the one staring you down constantly”.

You turn and hop down from the bus still fuming but somewhat satisfied, pausing you pop your head back in and give him a final indignant

“Fuck you”.

He watched you saunter off grabbing your basket.

Maybe you both weren’t done with these games.

———

You slammed your door behind you and dropped to the ground sobbing in frustration.

How dare he?! How dare he turn up and force these emotions out of you, this passion , this desire, this anger. Your life before had here felt cold and sterile he had set it alight.

Your bed was as cosy as it had been before you left and you allowed yourself back into that warmth. Eyes closing with his smirk outlined, clutching a wooden statue he’d made just for you.

———

Jolting awake you check the only marker of time here and the sky is pitch black, fuck this is why you stopped naps here.This sudden winter meant earlier and longer nights with those things. Foolishly your heart thought of Randall out there alone with a full view of them. Would it be too forward to ask him to stay with you? Yes, note to self do NOT ask him to stay with you.

You creep downstairs with lights off the last thing you needed was those things tormenting you. An all nighter it was.

A peek outside offset your night’s plans.

A goat, the same one Randall had attempted to steal.

Fuck.

The town was on the edge of turmoil with rationing causing discord, this was the last thing you needed. In the distance you saw Boyd, Tian Chen, Jade and Victor rounding up a whole herd of animals.

Shit.

Grabbing your shoes you threw them on and ran out without a second thought.

Donna was going to kill you. If the monsters didn’t catch you first.

“What the fuck are you guys doing?!” You hissed.

“Y/N we can’t afford to lose the animals you KNOW that” Boyd hisses back

You sigh grabbing a goat and attempting to lead it towards the barn.

A great monotonous beeping sounds as you notice the monsters appear.

Randall was warning you guys.

Fuckkkkkkkkkk.

Out of the corner of your eye you see Julie, Sara and Ethan fleeing the back of their house.

“Boyd!” You gesture towards them.

“Go, we got this” he commands

You hesitate.

“Go!” He yells.

A grip on your upper arm springs you into action your head snaps ready to scream only to see a furious face looking down at you.

Randall.

You gesture towards Julie, Sara and Ethan and his face softens. You both start yelling at the pointing to the bus , they’re closer so they hop on just in time as an monsters start tapping on the door.

Shit.

You’re stuck between the bus and the escaped animals, goat still bleating at your feet.

Randall notices your gaze and scoops down grabbing the goat. They were coming towards you now.

“Come on!” You yell, sprinting towards your house.

You look behind and commit the image to memory for when you life isn’t in immediate danger. All 6ft of Randall’s stocky build and stern face is cradling the goat he’d tried to steal.

Yanking your door open to let him in he drags you with him, he drops the goat you watch it dally off to settle on your sofa as he locks the door and checks the stone sighing.

“Wait here” he states. Confused and breathless you wait for him and realise he’s sweeping the house. He strolls back to you and sensing your panic reassures you, “All clear”.

You jump at the distant shouts and he grabs your shoulders, “Come on let’s go upstairs”

Cracking a smile you nudge him, “You think I’m that easy huh? Gotta do more than save a gals life around here bud”. You chuckle.

He sighs, smile twitching at his lips.

His lips look as smooth as they did that day.

———

He pauses at your door, seeming to be somewhere else. Gently grabbing his shoulder he jumps, “Sorry, it’s just it reminds me of… well you know” his lip curls.

“We can sleep on the sofa?” You offer gently.

“We huh?” He quirks a brow smirking as his eyes stare hungrily at you.

“I’m sorry, I mean we can sleep separately I just didn’t think of it I guess” you whisper shamefully.

He pushes past you and flops on the bed fully clothed, “All good princess, you know me I don’t mind” he folds his arms under his head muscles taught. Your fingers buzzed at the thought of brushing over them. You zone out staring as he talks, “I mean it’ll be nice not having those creeps staring in”. His jeans emphasised his crotch and thighs, the were pulled taught. He wore a plain white shirt that was stupidly tight with the way he was stretching, you lustfully trace his peeping happy trail with your eyes tracing back to the shape of him.

“Like what you see?” He jokes very pleased with your reaction.

“Shut up” you turn to shuffle through your clothes scouring for pyjamas. You pause, what was he gonna wear?

“Not to be a neat freak of anything but are you really gonna wear your outside clothes and hell even your jeans to sleep”

“Sorry I didn’t bring matching pyjamas princess I didn’t have time to pack much for here”

He’s deflecting, great!

Guilt sank in as you realised he couldn’t wear anything but clothes on the bus, no with them watching.

“Take off your clothes” you sigh

Sitting up on his elbows his eyes darken as he takes in your clothes, well you’d supposed he was imagining what was under your joggers and jumper.

He juts his chin towards you in a ‘come hither’ gesture.

“Come help me taken ‘em off baby” he smirks softly at you.

You sigh and point your finger sternly at him as you drift towards him as he stands.

“I didn’t mean it like that, i mean you can relax in here without being seen by them” you pause “Nothing like that is happening until we figure this out” you finish gesturing between you.

Eyes softened he gazes at you, “sure” he whispers without a trace of conceit.

Not breaking eye contact your cold hands slide under his shirt smoothing against his naked chest. Shivering a smiles down at you tilting his head, “Need me to warm you up baby?”. You play along moving closer watching his breath hitch and his smile drop you bite your lip reflecting back feelings not too dissimilar to your own before you tug the t shirt over his head trapping him and cracking into fits of giggles you watch as he squirms.

“What was that for?!”, you can’t do anything but shrug and laugh at his exasperated escaped face.

“Right, that’s it” his eyes light up with a spark you attempt to run as you realise his intention. It’s too late he grabs you and throws you onto the bed, your laughs grow louder and he grins he’d never heard or seen you so relaxed.

Your faces were level his arms on either side of your head, tension seeps into the moment. An unconscious pull urges you to sit and just kiss him.

Pushing it down u push him up hands going to his belt, “Bedtime!” you announce.

“Atleast buy me a drink first” he grins down, a glare sent back up to him shuts him up.

Both your breathing grows heavy as you slowly undo his belt and unzip his jeans hugging them down you spare a glance up at him as he is close to drooling watching you.

You press your thighs together squirming.

He snaps out of it returning to his quips, “So have you got some special two-piece just for me honey?” he tilts his head watching you flap around your room hunting for something to wear.

He can read you like a book, “Just wear this”.

You relent and turn to throw on the t shirt you’d just trapped him in, sneaking a glance over your shoulder you see he’s awkwardly staring away studying the charms of your room. It’s your turn to tease him, “What nothing you haven’t seen before”.

He turns freezing as he sees how his shirt fits you, in your opinion it’s tight in all the wrong places. To him it’s definitely the right places.

He shrugs and advances towards you hand gripping your waist and a chaste kiss to your forehead, “Suits you” he mutters.

He’s gone towards the bathroom as soon as he caressed you so casually, “You got a spare toothbrush?!” he yells.

———

One explanation of your mint leaf paste later (toothpaste ran out in town alarmingly quick), and you’d awkwardly shuffled into bed beside him.

Silence finally envelops the room and you begin to hear it.

Tapping.

Whispering.

Scratching.

Breath hitching you hike to covers further over your head, eyes scanning the room and heart palpating.

He notices as always, “Hey, hey you okay??” a strong arm slides beneath your head pulling you closer. You look up and he puts it together, “I’m used to it by now, don’t have much choice with the bus”.

“I’m sorry” you turn into him hand resting against his chest. A warm calloused hand swans up and envelops yours, it gets pulled up further brushing his lips.

His face screws up on the verge of releasing something so you use your other hand in an attempt to smooth out his creasing brow.

“Fuck it” he huffs.

“I felt something the moment i saw you when i was stepping off that bus and i tried to push it down and just stay away from you but it felt like fate, this town, I don’t know kept pushing you to me” he breathes looking in your eyes for approval “I started asking people about you, your name, if you were I don’t know seeing someone. I saw you with kenny and i was stupidly angry so i entertained Laine hitting on me and when i saw that you maybe felt a fraction of the way i felt i knew i had to tell you i just-”.

You cut him off with a crushing kiss hoping it could convey just a fraction of what you felt.

Pulling back your eyes search hims, he just smiles pulling you to straddle him and pulling your head to kiss him deeply.

Nipples hardening as he pulls the covers back and he soothes it by sliding his hand under the shirt to pinch your nipples. Groaning on top of him you push your hips into his groin, grinding to relieve to burning desire building.

The kisses grow slower as your evident desires consume you both.

Pulling back he searches your eyes unsure, “Look i don’t want you thinking that everytime we’re alone we gotta..” he trails off and you smile.

“I mean we don’t gotta” you hand trails to his waistband, his cock stains painfully begging to be released.

You oblige.

“But I want to”

All softness as you kiss you way down to his happy trail. You look up and he is mesmerised, a sudden flush of awkwardness envelops you.

“Is this um okay?”

“More than” he smirks down at you, hand cupping your cheek and stroking almost thanking your mouth before it even touches him.

Holding yourself back from making this moment sink away you kiss his leaking tip as soft as you can like it could shatter from your plush lips.

Hand caressing his velvety shaft you go slow hoping the cock sucking says ‘Hey Randall I think I love you and you were put here for me to love in any way I can so take this form of love for now!’, one step at a time I guess.

Focus.

Eyes flashing back up to his you wrangle a smirk from your face as his mouth hands open the sight of you sucking his tip gently and stroking his turgid shaft too much.

Maybe you can kick it up a gear.

Cupping his aching balls you release your mouth from his cock with a pornographic ‘pop’. Lying your head on his tensed thigh and continuing to cup his balls you gaze up through hazy lashes and let words slip from those lusty lips. “Your cock looks so good baby, so hard for me?”, he can do nothing but enthusiastically nod at you eyes full of adoration as you tease him. Hand leaving his balls you let a finger swirl around the slit of his hot swollen head and it’s your turn to transfixed. He’d not been inside you yet and the thought send a flood of heat to your aching pussy. He reaches down and pulls your chin to look at him, “Come here” a curt command thrown down at you.

Crawling back up him he watches every move and as you lean to kiss him he stops you. His calloused hand squeeze up your waist admiring the way his shirt fits you, your nipples protruding from the cold he pinches them harshly and breathes in your pleasured gasp.

“You like that huh?” he challenges, hands moving down to grip your ass cheeks. Shocked he laughs, “You’re not wearing fucking panties baby, we gotta do something about that”. His thumb is rough and warm against your throbbing clit, seemingly with a mind of its own he lets it move in smooth rough circles. You arch into him. “Come here please baby I need to taste you”, you lean in intending on giving him a crushing kiss. He stops you again. “No baby come sit on my face”.

Your lips part and your body starts moving before your mind can cut through the haze his words spill you into. He kisses your pussy so softly you could cry, you do cry. You whine, arch into him and brace your hands on the headboard. Pussy aching and throbbing he gives you just what you needed. Sloppily nudging his nose into you clit and kissing your pulsing hole he smiles at your sweet calls out to him and the fact you are somehow getting wetter. He can’t help but grab his cock and harshly tug it morning into you. Hips moving wildly he uses his hand on his lower back to encourage you moaning “Yes baby” into your tensing pussy. You come on his face with a low long moan, his cock twitches at the sound.

He needed more.

Helping you off he takes in your glow your blushed cheeks, swollen lips and smile.

“What?” You ask apprehensively.

He smiles and grabs your cheeks kissing you softly. Pushing back you roll your eyes and tease him, “You gonna fuck me or what?”.

You turn and arch your dripping pussy up to him an offering. A lusty haze started to set over him before he falters. He wanted to your face as you squeezed his cock, your blushed cheeks, your smile.

You.

“Could we um, do it missionary?”, scratching the back of his head he sees you turn around and grin at him once again trying to push away the sincerity.

“You got a crush on me big boy?” You jest.

He play along, seizing you as you squeal and rolling rapping you under him and just gazing at you.

“Matter of fact I do, you gotta problem with that sweetheart?” He croons.

You feel as though you are throwing up your heart. It jumps in your throat your face drops and you shake your head, “No” you whisper.

His face smooths over a stupid smile settling over and he replies by kissing softer than he ever had. Lips ghosting against each other.

A soft confession.

Both falling back into lengthened kisses you whine and arch into him, “Please baby, please”.

“Shit, do you have a condom?” panic seeps through his voice and you giggle, “Don’t need one I’m one the coil, thanks for asking though” you press a sickly sweet kiss against his cheek.

Taking pity he lines himself up and slowly sinks in to the hilt. He sighs, head dropping against yours, waiting he staring into your every letting your pussy flutter and adjust against his thick cock. You are tight and warm and oh so welcoming, “I don’t know how long I’ll last baby-fuck” he explains in a whine his cock twitching inside you before he’s even moved.

“I don’t know either baby, just let go you feel so good” you reassure him and he does as commanded. He fucks into you softly eyes never leaving yours. He has to hold back cumming as you fucking grin when he hits the right spots. You little whines and gasps are what he has been waiting to hear and he occasionally sucks them in through a searing kiss uncaring of who hears. He drops a hand to roughly flick your engorged clit swollen from his cock and skin rubbing against it. You let out an elongated moan and he groans into you unable to hold back his own pants and groans.

You were close and you needed to watch him come so you urged him on legs wrapping around his hips bringing him impossibly close. You’d stopped exchanging words as you both plummeted towards your highs. Everything went white as your orgasm snapped and tore through you, you’d only had a handful of full body orgasms a day only ever with you vibrator. You could’ve sworn you were floating, fingers and toes buzzing, pussy pulsating and twitching around his twitching cock. You regained sight and watched him moan and writhe hips stutter against your still engorged clit.

You can’t help but laugh as another wave of pleasure ricochets through you soft as satin.

———

Spent and out of breath you both lie there and turn towards each other at the same time and do nothing but laugh. Once your giggles die down he rises coming back with a warm wet towel to clean you with he chucks it on the floor and looks at you with his ever intense stare.

“What are we?”, you burst out.

“What do you mean?” his confused face looking down as he strokes hair from your face.

Heart sinking it washes over your face. Were you right? He didn’t want anything serious, had he faked the very look in his eye he dared to give you even now.

Reading your hurt he attempts to explain, “Look my folks never were always just together you know? Like no girlfriend boyfriend shit they were just together”

“Okay so, we’re like….” trailing off you muster all the hope you can.

“Together” he finishes, “We’re together”.

You smile and kiss for what feels for forever and fall asleep wrapped up in each other. He was comfortable for the first time since being in this town, maybe in his life. And you didn’t even register the knocking and scratching that occurred all night long, the sound of his heart that you now knew was beating for you was all that mattered.

Leave it to him the interrupt that peace, he’d been lying awake holding something in.

“It was me that left the flowers and the note” he bursts out nervously.

“I know dummy” you mutter tired, “go back to sleep” you mutter angrily accompanied by the soft bleats of your new pet downstairs.

He falls asleep with a shit eating grin.

———

[daylite-writes]

Platonic Yandere Lyney Thoughts

Just a little think piece abt what I think Lyney would be like as a yandere, and what I think would make a him a yandere. Small Lynette cameo. Repost cause the last one disappeared so sorry. PT 2 here!

cw: soft yandere, kidnapping, child!reader, gn!reader

Platonic and soft Yandere Lyney who really wants to feel like a good big brother. His siblings are both House of Hearth members, doing dirty work for the Fatui, so he knows he failed somewhat with them. But you?

The adorable little street rat that sneaks into the crowd to watch his shows, wide eyed and amazed? Who jumps and can’t help but giggle when he shows off even the simplest of card tricks? You just look so… starved. Like a baby bird without a nest. Easy to scoop up and take home.

He wanted to be your savior. The one who you look up at with admiration, amazement. “How did you do that, Mister Lyney!”

In front of you, he didn’t feel like a mistake of a brother that failed to save his siblings from this life.

If only you just came home with him. Every time he offered dinner, or invited you around to watch a new magic trick of his, you refused. He supposed he couldn’t be mad, stranger danger and all that. He knew better than anyone else. As days passed and he continued to watch you hungry, searching for scraps while he had a house full of food. It broke him.

Maybe thats why he followed you back to your little hideout.

You didn’t notice, after all, what match was a street rat against a master of diversion? The hideout was tucked in a thin alleyway, hardly wider than him, behind some shops not too far from home. The rooftops of the nearby buildings shielded you from the rain as you huddled in what could only be described as a nest—formed from ratty old blankets and the rare trinket or clothing item you undoubtedly stole.

Lyney sighed, gathering you up in the dirty quilt you clutched and holding you in his arms. “Lighter than you should be… poor thing. I’m taking you home now kid.”

You didn’t move, just laid in his arms, but he hoped warm glow of his pyro vision was soothing to your freezing body.

Lynette was awake when he came through the door, you in his arms. Immediately, her sharp eyes fell to the child in his arms, and she just sighed. “I suppose this is what you set the guest bedroom up for?”

“Oh come on Lynette.” He said, an edge of excitement in his hushed tone. “I couldn’t just leave them. Anyone could have come by and snatched them up!”

“Evidently, someone did. You.”

“They’ll be better off with us.”

“They don’t know that. They won’t. For months, even. Are you prepared for that?” Lynnette said, sighing when Lyney nodded. “Oh well, you seemed so set on this. I installed key operated locks on the windows throughout the house while you were away. You already did but I figured everywhere would be more helpful in case they escape their room before they’ve settled.”

All at once, Lyney untensed, a look of pure relief washing over his face. He honestly didn’t know what he’d do had Lynette rejected their new sibling.

“Thank you Lynnette, you’re always such a help.” He smiled over his shoulder at her as he carried you to off your new bedroom.

[vaya-writes]

Not Quite A Life Debt - 3

A handful of f reader insert scenes with m demonic love interests. Fluff, hurt/comfort, and smutty shenanigans that lean kind of poly.

You (kind of unnecessarily) tried to save Ludwig’s life. Out of pity, he lets you crash at his place for a few weeks after. It probably wouldn’t be so bad, but he doesn’t live alone. Reader stays with the triplets until she gets back on her feet. Smut, family shenanigans, and possibly even romance ensues.

Mervin is kind of crabby after his heat he gets sick. You begin searching for employment. And Ludwig helps you out on a high pain day. 5900 words.

Content warnings for this chapter include: mild isolation, some blame from the resident pride demon, pain and sickness during menstruation, the briefest and undescribed animal death (Obie eats a pigeon), and smut.

Smut warnings include: consensual fingering and groping whilst menstrating, brief joking/discussion of menstural oral (does not actually occur), soft stuff that turns a little rough, unintentional and unplanned breath play (hand over mouth), nonconsensual biting (from both parties), dry humping, semi-public sexual stuff, lack of aftercare because of an interruption.

Divider by firefly-graphics. Characters by @eldritch-spouse.

Masterlist - A03 - Previous

You get used to living in Perdition.  

Well, it would be more accurate to say you get used to living with Ludwig and his brothers. You’re not allowed to leave the house by yourself; the triplets make no secret of the fact that they live in a bad neighbourhood – a bad ring, as Ludwig puts it.  

It’s frustrating, but you don’t doubt them. It only takes a few brief tours around the area for you to understand. You attract stares everywhere you go. Leers, really. And watching what demons do to each other (both strangers on the street, and the brothers among themselves), you hate to imagine what they might do to a human. 

It’s as if everyone here speaks several additional languages that humans just aren’t fluent with (literal infernal aside). Greed. Hunger. Violence. The first time you watch Mervin and Ludwig descend into a proper argument, you’re horrified. Nothing you’d seen at home – and you were no stranger to domestic scraps – could prepare you for it. Teeth and claws and broken furniture. Mervin draws a gods-damned weapon. You’d seen people fight before. But not like this. You’d dismissed yourself and locked yourself in the spare room the first time it had happened.  

Obie had dragged the two upstairs by the horns and made them apologise for scaring you. 

It’s not the only thing you notice. You don’t put your finger on it for a while. It takes several outings with the triplets, several more incidents and scraps before you start to suspect another key difference between demons and humans.  

It has something to do with their priorities. Their sense of self. Their interactions within a community. Humans aren’t selfless, by any means. But bonds form fast between them. Connections are quickly made, common goals are easily worked towards, and interconnectedness is practically built into our genes. The human instinct for empathy, to help those around us, to lean on each other for support – it's as if demons lack it.  

It truly is survival of the fittest for them. You suspect that if a demon can’t survive alone, they won’t survive at all. You see it in the way they think of themselves first. How Obie might reach for your food, before hesitating. Or Mervin opens his mouth to speak, before thinking better. That consideration, cohesion are learned traits. Conscious choices to practice, and not instinct.  

It scares you more in strangers. That the curiosity is not the first thing demons look at you with, but hunger. You’d feel like prey if you didn’t watch them do it to each other too. Like every person is a mark; looked at with the question ‘what can I gain from using you’ before asking something more basic, like ‘who are you’.  

Long story short, you don’t mind keeping to the house. 

The first time you go anywhere without them, it’s to Sloth, to stay with Katia. The circumstances are odd. Mervin had just come back from one of his extended trips. He’d strode through the door, seen you in the lounge and frozen for a moment, before stamping straight to his bedroom, and shutting the door with a slam. Ludwig had come home early that day and explained that Mervin was sick and needed the house to himself for a week. 

It didn’t make sense to you. But what did you know? Mervin was almost never around. You didn’t know what he was like when he was sick. Still, the hesitation when Ludwig had explained the situation, the look he shared with his mother when he dropped you off at her place – it led you to suspect that a key piece of information was being kept from you.  

It fills you with paranoia. But Katia is lovely. Spending time with her helps ease the anxiety in your chest. Most of her hours are spent at work or sleeping, but the moments of lucidity she spends with you are enjoyable. She shows you how to cook a few new meals. Lets you go through her photo albums and look at baby pictures of her sons. On the weekend she even takes you clothes shopping, and for the first time in almost a month you feel at ease, wearing clothes that you’ve chosen for yourself.  

When Katia returns you back to the common ring, Mervin is still home. He’s currently your least favourite triplet, but you make an effort to smile. “Feeling better?” 

He scowls, and you’re surprised at the amount of vitriol in his expression. “As if that’s your business.” 

You try not to visibly deflate. 

Katia tsks and frowns at her son. She pats you on the back. “He’s just embarrassed, sweetie. Don’t you pay him any mind.” 

She gives you a peck on the cheek before leaving, and sound of the door closing sends a wave of dread through you. You really don’t want to be alone with Mervin. 

But when you turn his expression has softened. If only marginally. He tilts his head. “She likes you.” 

You’re not sure what to say. You shrug as you take your shoes off. “We had fun.” 

You feel his stare on you, even as you cross the room. You head towards the kitchen, hoping for something to eat.  

“She bought you clothes.”  

His tone is almost accusatory. You can’t help but flush, shame starting to weigh on you. “She’s very kind.” 

To your dismay, he follows you to the kitchen. He crosses his arms and watches when you pull out the materials for a sandwich. Uncomfortable, you ask, “Do you want one?”  

He scoffs. “How long are you going to keep eating our food? Wearing our clothes?” 

You don’t let it show, but his words strike deep. You’re more than aware of the position you’re in. You cast your eyes towards the task at hand. Prepping food. “I don’t like it either. But it’s kind of hard to find a job when I’m forbidden from leaving the house.” 

He crosses his arms. “Excuses.” 

 “Did you want to escort me to Earth every morning?”  

“Now you’re asking us for transport too?” 

You’ve had enough. It’s either cry or snap. And you are not going to cry in front of Mervin. Instead you slam your knife to the counter.  

“I didn’t ask for this. I did not ask to be shunted from place to place my whole damn life. I’m sorry if that inconveniences you,” your tone is in no way apologetic.  

He’s silent as you leave. 

Immediately upon returning to your room, you regret the encounter. The last thing you need to be doing is antagonising your benefactors. But still. Ludwig was the one who invited you here, and if Mervin has a problem, he should be taking it up with his brother. 

-- 

You finally get a new job.  

It’s not without its difficulties – transit mainly. One of the triplets has to take you through a series of rifts. One to Earth. One to continent you hail from. Another to a large town. Ludwigs talks about establishing a proper route, about using the most stable rifts, and being prepared for a disruption to travel if any of them close. There’s a lot of jargon you don’t really understand. But he gets you back to Earth. Back to ‘gainful employment’.   

Mervin straight up refuses to be your escort. He’s not around enough anyway. Ludwig handles it most days, but Obie is always available to fill in when Ludwig is busy elsewhere. Neither seem to mind your spotty hours. You tell the triplets when you start and finish, and they’re usually able to have you delivered on time. 

Sometimes you take an afternoon for yourself. Spending time in a human city is good for you. You visit a library. Buy yourself necessities. Even do some grocery shopping. Nobody seems to fault you for it, and Mervin certainly complains less when you start bringing home your own food.  

And so you fall into the new routine. Working four to six days a week. Ludwig or sometimes Obie walking you there, chatting about your day or your plans. Finally starting to feel at ease in their home, now that you’re less of an imposition.  

You’re a shift worker, usually working mornings at a cafe. Your customer service is without fault and you know how to use a coffee machine. It was enough to get you the job. That and your eclectic resume. 

There’re still moments that throw you off. Behaviours from the triplets that take you by surprise, or the occasional week when you’re banished to Katia as one of them comes down sick with something. The three of them are rarely united about anything, but they all seem intent on keeping you in the dark regarding that odd ritual. 

One morning you wake up and are immediately torn over whether or not you should go to work. It’s a little late to call in. And Obie had already promised to take you. But your underwear are saturated with blood and your gut is torn up in cramps. Your period isn’t usually this bad, but you can already tell that today is going to be a hard one. 

You decide to suck it up. It’s just a bit of cramping. Of pain in your joints. Sure, it’s nauseating, and it takes a few minutes before you can stand and walk without limping. But you’ve done this before, and you can do it again. You didn’t survive this long by flaking out of work when things got tough. 

You almost miss the odd look Obie gives you as you head downstairs. Perhaps you mistake it for sympathy. You wear a grimace and make no effort to hide your discomfort. Still, Obie doesn’t say much on your way to work. He seems distracted, focusing his attention on the details around him, often picking up items to chew on.  

You try not to gape at the number of small things that disappear as you pass. A handful of bark flakes from a pot plant. A table number at an outdoor cafe. A pile of junk wrappers from his pockets. (Garbage from the pavement. A handful of leaves and twigs and flowers from any trees you pass. An actual bird that doesn’t have the fortune to flee in time.) He’s not hidden his gluttonous habits from you, from what you can tell, but today he consumes far more than usual. You wonder if he’s unwell.  

You put it out of mind when you get to work, saying your goodbyes and clocking in for the day.  

You don’t last long. It’s probably only an hour or two before you’re curled up on the couch in the break room, banished there after the manager spotted you limping. She tells you to go home. You’re torn between humiliation and gratitude. You send a message off to Obie.  

Unwell. Can you bring me home early? 

He sends you a thumbs up and you’re left to wait. 

His behaviour on the way home is almost distraction enough from your pain.  There’s pretty much always something in his mouth; this time he’d brought food from home with him. You watch curiously as he pulls out several sticks of gum when his food is gone. He only chews for a moment before he’s swallowed them too. It’d almost be funny if he didn’t seem so distracted. Ravenous to a degree which you’ve never seen. 

“Are you alright?” You ask at one point. 

He finally glances your way. Shrugs. “Smelt something tasty.” 

The explanation makes sense, if a little understated. You give him a sympathetic nod.  

Obie drops you off at the door before mumbling his excuses and leaving.  

You make a beeline for the lounge, planning to lay down and watch some tv. You grimace as you round the corner – Ludwig is already sprawled across the couch. 

“Is there room for me?” 

“Thought you had work?” He doesn’t quite straighten, but he does change his angle, leaving enough space for you to squeeze in beside him. 

Carefully, you do. “I was sent home sick.” 

Ludwig tenses and turns your way.  “You smell like blood.” 

You grimace.  

You know that demons have superhuman senses, and that such things are normal to them. But you still can’t help but feel self-conscious around them. Every time your heart speeds up, or your breath hitches, you have to wonder if anyone notices. If anyone overanalyses it. If they can tell when you forget to wear deodorant or can smell your lunch on your breath.  

You’d go crazy if you let yourself worry about it too much. After moving in with the triplets you decided to believe that they might notice these things, but they likely wouldn’t care. The same way you’d react if you saw a customer with a large zit, or a coworker having a bad hair day. You choose not to make a big deal about the things people can’t change. 

But if Ludwig is going to bring up the little details, if he’s going to speak without tact, why should you? 

“Probably because I’m bleeding from my vagina.” 

Ludwig winces. “Oh. Oh.” He snorts. "Guess that explains his behaviour.” 

“I don’t follow.” 

Ludwig gestures to the door. “Obie. Your blood. The smell.” He shrugs. “Delish.” 

Your nose crinkles. “Gross.” 

He grins. “I thought humans loved the blood drinking gimmick. Ya’ll go mad for vampires.” 

“Pop culture aside, I doubt many of us want to consider period blood in that context.” 

“Why? Blood is blood.” 

Your lip curls. “It’s different. Different composition. Different texture... Full of waste products... I really don’t want to think about it.” 

“I’ve seen that demon eat literal garbage. I don’t think he’s worried about your waste products.” 

“Don’t say it like that.”  

He doesn’t get a chance to tease you further, straightening when another series of cramps has you tucking your knees to your chest, gripping your abdomen to ease the pain. 

“You alright?” 

Your reply is hoarse. “Just peachy.” 

He touches his hand to your back. “What usually helps?” 

“Heat pack. Pain killers.”  

“I can have Ob bring some home. What else?” 

You clutch a cushion to your chest and rest your head against the couch end. “It’s fine. It’s just pain. I don’t want-” you stop. Restart. “You don’t need to do anything else.” 

Your eyes spring open when Ludwig grabs a fistful of your hair. Starts tugging on it. Gentle tugs, reminiscent of schoolyard teasing. Until a sudden yank that leaves your scalp stinging. 

“Ow!” Impulse has you slapping his hand away. “The fuck is your problem?” 

His voice doesn’t hold a drop of concern: fastidiously sweet. “Sorry, did I hurt you?” The tone drops and becomes resolute. “You should let me make it up to you. Tell me how to make you feel better.” 

You scoff at the ploy. “There’s nothing to do. Unless you want to spend the next few days waiting on me.” 

He pinches your cheek. “What, you want some coddling?” 

You swat him away again. “Your words, not mine.” 

“Hmm.” He rearranges himself. Before you have a chance to protest, you’re pulled between his legs, your back to his chest in an awkward embrace. “How’s this?” 

Your eyes are wide open now, and you’re stiff with surprise. Ludwig hadn’t struck you as the cuddling type. 

You’re still formulating a reply when he wraps an arm around your midsection, his forearm coming to rest against where your cramps are strongest. You note the heat, normally oppressive, seeping through the back of your shirt to relax your muscles. 

“That’s... that’s actually great. Fuck.” 

His chest rumbles with a laugh. 

You frozen, still unsure how to respond to the proximity. You haven’t been hugged in... a long time. 

 He pinches you again. “So what’s this shit about you imposing?” 

“I didn’t say-” 

“You implied.” He adopts a higher pitch, in mockery of your voice, “’You don’t need to do anything, being here is enough because I’m so sad and pitiful, wah.’” 

You mumble out a curse. “I don’t sound like that.” 

“You going to answer the question?” 

Your nose crinkles and you cross your arms. This isn’t a conversation you want to have. “I don’t like relying on other people.” 

“Obviously. Why?”  

You shrug. “I don’t want to wear out my welcome.” 

There’s a silence before Ludwig sighs. His fingers tangle in your hair again, this time to scratch at your scalp. It feels nice. 

“Are you always like this, or did Mervin say something?” 

You scowl, not pleased to have been read so easily. Your silence is answer enough. 

“I’ve lived with those two for decades. Believe me when I tell you that you’re a perfectly pleasant housemate in comparison. You’re tidier, quieter, more polite-” 

You shrug off his words. He’s not wrong. But years of living precariously has instilled into you a deep wariness of getting comfortable.  

“-and I told you that Mervin would talk shit.” He pauses, just enough for smugness to creep into his tone. “He likes you, you know.” 

You huff. “Doubtful.” 

“Yeah, he’d never tell it to your face, but I know my brother. And he’s said some pretty interesting things when you’re not around.” 

You almost turn to check his expression. Your stillness has probably given away your interest.  

“I don’t believe you.” 

Ludwig shrugs. “Believe me or don’t. But I know he likes you.” 

You chew on your lip, considering your recent interactions with the demon. If he likes you, he isn't very good at showing it. 

“Not as much as Obie though.” 

You get the distinct impression that you’re being teased. It’s hard to be mad with Ludwig kneading your shoulders, but still, you feel ill at ease. “You’re just making fun of them.” 

“I’m serious. Why else would he be so jittery today?” 

“You said that I smelt tasty.” 

“Do you think everyone smells good to him?” 

You scrunch your eyes closed. Lean your head back to rest against his shoulder. He’s starting to give you a headache. “How would I know?”  

“I guess you wouldn’t. Good thing I'm here to keep you informed.” 

You roll your eyes. “That’s such a Mervin thing to say.” 

He crinkles his nose. Flicks you on the forehead.  

And despite yourself, you start to relax. It’s incremental. You’re still uncomfortable. You’re in pain and leaning against an absolute furnace of a demon. But your muscles loosen, and your breathing evens.  

You could probably sleep off the worst of your cramps if Ludwig stopped fussing. His ministrations aren’t particularly disruptive, but they do hold your attention. He squeezes your shoulders. Presses the flat of his palm above your mons, where the pain is worst. Gently scratches at your scalp and massages the back of your neck. 

You haven’t been just touched in a long time, and there’s a walled off piece of you that stirs to life at each point of contact.  

When he wraps his hand around your throat, the heat and firmness of his grip nearly have you melting. It’s enough to have you forgetting yourself, and you let out a hum of satisfaction. 

“You know, I’ve heard orgasms relieve pain.” 

Reality slams back into you, leaving you hyperaware of how you’re draped across Ludwig’s lap. The work he’d put into relaxing you is completely undone as you thrum with tension. Your mouth shuts tight with embarrassment.  

Your jaw is stiff when you reply. “Are you coming on to me?” 

He huffs a laugh. “Maybe. I guess.” 

You struggle to process. “Weren’t you just telling me that Obie liked me?” 

“Mm. You do have a knack for charming my family.” 

That doesn’t answer your implication. “Wouldn’t he be upset?” 

Ludwig shrugs. “First come, first served. And if he really has a problem, I don’t mind sharing.” 

You almost sit up, thoroughly scandalised and shocked.  

Almost. 

Ludwig is silent. Patient. Awaiting a response. Or perhaps just content to watch you reel. 

You take a breath. Try to consider his suggestion.  

It has its appeal. You haven’t gotten off in a while. Long enough that just sitting in Ludwig’s lap is enough to set your heart racing. But thinking about any form of intimacy ties your stomach up in knots that have nothing to do with your period. 

“I don’t want to fuck this up.” You’re thinking of your position here. Your welcome, and the things that could change if you were to start a casual fling.  

His lips brush your ear, raising goosebumps on the back of your neck. “No strings attached. I’m just offering to help out a friend. Relieve some pain.” 

“Get your dick wet?” 

His hand creeps upwards, dipping under the hem of your shirt. It's hard to concentrate on anything else. “Not even.” 

You bite your lip, frozen with consideration. Anticipation.  

You like Ludwig well enough. He’s handsome, even. Rough around the edges, sure, but disarming with his occasional teasing and laid-back behaviour.  

“No strings attached?” 

“None.” 

“No further expectations?” 

He lets out a huff. “You can say no.” 

You shake your head. You’re not opposed. Just wary. Scared, even. 

But if he’s being genuine- if you have nothing to lose from accepting his help- 

Your knees fall apart and you relax further into Ludwig’s grasp.  

Then why not? 

“Okay.” 

Given permission, his hand disappears beneath your shirt. Traces the contours of your stomach. It almost tickles, how gentle he’s being. Something you hadn’t expected. With his free hand he squeezes your thigh. What limited area he can reach in this position is subject to deep, massaging touches.  

It helps to relax you, until your head is lolling back and your muscles are going slack again. And at first it seems like he’s content to just explore. Mapping out your abdominals. Your ribs. The underside of your breasts.  

He thumbs at the bra and tsks.  

“That can’t be too comfortable.” 

You hum your agreement. 

“Are you attached to this bra?” 

You shrug and shake your head. It’s just a plain white bra, one of multiple you own. 

“Good.” 

You’re pulled out of your lull by the sound of tearing cloth. Air touches your breasts, and you realise what he’s done. 

“You shit-” 

He grips you by the jaw, movements taking on a hint of force. Impatience or desire, you’re not sure. But your words are cut off when he crushes his lips to yours, tongue invading your mouth. 

The tips of his claws dig into your flesh where he grips your thigh. The sudden intensity has you reeling. Fuzziness closes in on your thoughts, enough to keep you pliant. There’s a part of you that’s indignant about the bra. The rough treatment. But mostly, you just want to see what he does next. 

“Sorry,” he mumbles against your lips. “Wanted to see you. Feel you.” He emphasises with a squeeze of your breast. 

He goes back to kneading your thighs and you can’t help but squirm. You need your pants off. Now. You need to feel him against your skin. 

Impatient, you unzip them. Manage to shimmy them down to your ankles before giving up. But Ludwig gets the idea. 

Teasing, he runs a single digit up the inside of your thigh. The point of his nail prickles against your skin, hard enough to hurt. 

You can’t stop your hips from twitching. The shuddering intake of air. Your murmured little, “Fuck.” 

The sound must do things for Ludwig, because he stills. Then takes hold of your throat, nuzzling your neck and grinding against your back. You become aware of his erection.  

“You sound good,” he says against your ear.  

He palms your core and huffs a laugh when you shudder. “Feel good too.” 

You’re wet. When had that happened? Slick to the point where it’s too easy for him to stroke you through the cotton. It’s impossible to miss when he runs a claw directly over your clit. 

You buck, biting back a little groan. It’s getting harder to think. To control yourself. 

Ludwig chuckles at your response. “Someone’s keen.”  

You want to retort, but only manage a whine in response. He’s not wrong. You can’t remember the last time somebody touched you like this. 

Almost as if to punish you, his hand leaves your underwear. You do whimper this time, when he takes hold of your throat. The grip is solid, but not choking. Enough to scare you. Thrill you. But still light enough to keep you at ease. Even if you wish he’d go back to stroking your clit. 

He presses his lips to yours again. Starts to knead and squeeze at your breasts. 

You protests slip away as he fondles you. The pain too- you're too preoccupied by the cold air on your chest. The scrape of claws against your skin. At the hot breath on your face, the kiss with entirely too much teeth, and the tongue that keeps stuffing into your mouth.  

He’s more intense than you’d expected; the hand around your throat drifting up to grip your jaw. He ignores your attempt to break away for air. Steers you back towards him, insatiable and eager. The heat of his skin turning the kiss sweltering. Sweaty. Almost too warm. Too crowded.  

But damn if you aren’t into it. 

Finally you grab him by a horn and yank his face away, desperate for air, for an inch of space. 

It doesn’t deter Ludwig. He just reaches back towards your underwear, pressing kisses against your neck instead. Sucking hard against the tender flesh of your shoulder. Relishing the gasps he draws from you. Rubbing between your legs again. 

You’re deeply embarrassed by the way your underwear are starting to stick to you. It has you torn, the desire to be touched combatting your reluctance to be vulnerable. An instinctual compromise has you covering your face.  

“None of that,” Ludwig intercepts you by the wrist, pinning your arm to the couch. “I want to hear you.” 

You’ve no choice but to let your head slump back. It’s an effort not to clench your jaw, to let your body relax. To allow your composure to fall, and a string of soft gasps to escape you. 

It’s a blessing when he pulls your underwear aside. The cold air shocks you out of your self consciousness. Pulls you out of your own head a little more. 

There’s a moment of tension before he touches you, your knees spread as far as you can manage, trying not to cant your hips with how desperate you are for friction. 

He doesn’t touch your clit straight away. Your control breaks pretty easily, and you find your hips leaving the couch, seeking out his touch. 

He huffs a laugh against your ear, stilling his hand and waiting for you to settle.  

With the softest little huff you do, nearly vibrating out of your skin with the effort it takes to keep still as he places his hand on your mons. Strokes across your vulva. Spreading you open and exposing your wetness to the air. 

“If I’d known we’d be doing this, I’d have filed down my claws." 

You become hyperaware of them. Tense. With anxiety, with anticipation. Part of you is afraid of pain. Of a possible misstep. But mostly you just want to be touched. 

Ludwig flexes his hand. Rubs you with the pads of his fingers quite harmlessly. His free arm wraps around your chest and holds you in place when he finally touches your clit.  

You arch at the touch, inhaling shakily.  

It’s nothing fancy. It’s not like you haven’t touched yourself the same way before. 

But the breath on your neck, the change of scenery, the erection pressing into your back- 

“Shit,” you murmur.  

Then you’re coming against his fingers, far too quickly. 

Ludwig clamps a hand over your mouth. Your moans come out muffled; still entirely lewd. You grip his forearm, nails digging into his skin as you arch against him.  

His chest rumbles at the contact and he grips you tighter, grinding against your ass. In a moment that both startles you and extends the aftershocks of your orgasm, you feel teeth clamp down on your shoulder. Hard, jagged, just shy of breaking the skin. 

Your moans turn into whines and you buck against him. He only grips you harder, hand skewing enough to cover your nose too. You’re not getting any air, and while part of you panics, another part of you melts. Light headedness kind of feels nice when your heart is pounding and pleasure is still rolling through your being.  

Still, all things in moderation.  

Soon you can hear your heart in your ears and your chest is aching for air. Your wriggling doesn’t dissuade Ludwig at all, but you desperately need to breathe. You could probably communicate this to him, could probably just tug his hand away from your face. But your limbs aren’t really back under your control yet, so instead you do the next best thing and bite him. 

“Oh- f-fuck.” 

His hand leaves your face as he grips you by the hips. Holding you in place as he grinds against you, lowly groaning against your shoulder.  

He stills. 

You both pant heavily in the following silence. 

“Did you just...” 

He relaxes back against the couch. “Oops.” 

“Ludwig!” 

Your embarrassment at how quickly you came is immediately washed away. You turn to stare your disbelief, but Ludwig isn’t even looking at you. His brow is raised, and he’s looking up towards the doorway- 

The front door opens. 

“Hey, sorry, I forgot my phone-” 

Obie only takes two steps into the room before his head whips towards you and he freezes. 

You’re still hazy, and for a moment nobody reacts. Then shame rushes in and you’re yanking your shirt down, clamping your knees shut. Your mouth opens, and you want to speak, to explain, but nothing comes out. 

Ludwig wipes his hand on his pants and snorts. “I guess you caught me... red handed?” 

Eyes wide, you turn to him, incredulous. How can he be joking right now? 

A noise escapes the glutton. The sound of air- a hiss or perhaps a sharp inhale.  You don’t have a chance to identify it further before his brows crease and his shoulders square. He reaches towards the wall, blindly groping for the first object in range.  He rips a poster from its place. And stuffs it into his mouth. 

Ludwig straightens. “Really? You’re going to be like that?” 

Obie's jaw sets. He swipes one of the t-shirts hanging off the back of the couch – one of Ludwig’s. And swallows it whole too.  

Ludwig sighs. “C’mon man, that was a collectible.” 

Incensed, Obie continues, grabbing at knickknacks across the room and stuffing them into his mouth. You notice all of them belong to Ludwig.  

You’re surprised that Ludwig doesn’t move from his spot. Doesn’t act to stop his brother, only grumbling at each disappearing item. 

You wince at the crunch of ceramic as Obie chews on a mug. Otherwise you’re still frozen in place, not sure what to make of the scene. 

“I told you he liked you,” Ludwig mutters. 

“You did what?” Obie says around a mouthful of pottery, his voice shrill. 

“What? It’s not like you were being subtle.” 

Before you have a chance to blink Obie is striding across the room. Mouth still full of ceramic, he starts to cuss Ludwig out, reaching out to grab him by the shirt, heedless of your proximity.  

Ludwig just keeps smirking. 

You wriggle out of his lap, unnerved by the prospect of being caught between two warring demons. Still jelly legged, you yank up your pants and stand, not wanting to be anywhere near them if they’re going to have it out. 

But you stagger.  

Pain flares through your abdomen and a hiss escapes from between your teeth.  

Obie and Ludwig fall silent, still. Before- 

“I’m so sorry, did I hurt you?” and “Hey, we didn’t mean to scare ya.” 

They both miss the mark, but share twin looks of remorse. 

You shake your head. “Just period pain. Standing hurts.” 

They reach for you at the same time.  

“Did getting off help? Do you want more?”  

“Have you had any meds? Or some food to settle your stomach?” 

The fretting is short lived however, when Obie pauses and shoots Ludwig what you can only assume is his version of a glare. 

“Seriously? That was your excuse?” 

Ludwig shrugs. “She needed a little pampering.” 

“Pampering. Is stuff like a foot rub. Or brushing her hair. Or carrying her bag. Not sticking your fingers inside of her!” 

You bite your lip at the statement. You’d convinced yourself that a short fling with Ludwig wouldn’t be a big deal. But Obie might be right. You’d done it in the house they shared. In a space they shared. After having been told that the glutton had feelings for you. 

It really was a dick move. You should have considered what might happen if you were caught. Taken things to a private room. Turned him down completely. Anything but what you’d done. 

Obie and Ludwig don’t look like they’re going to come to blows. But you don’t want to stick around and listen to their bickering. It’d only embarrass you. Guilt you. 

“I’m going to lay down,” you mutter, heading for the stairs. 

The pair fall silent.  

Obie follows you upstairs. You really hope he won’t stop you. You don’t know what to say. 

“Hey.” 

You do your best to wipe the discomfort off your face before turning to face him. “Hi.” 

His cheeks are red, and he twiddles his thumbs, before stuffing his hands into his pockets. And pulling them out to fidget again. 

“I- uh. There’s chocolate. In my room. If you want some.” 

Standing there, pain creeping up your back, loose bits of your bra hanging limp under your shirt, and a mess of blood and slick in your underwear, you try not to grimace. 

“That’s sweet of you Obie.” You’re tired. Tired of being perceived and fussed over. Of being embarrassed. Of feeling gross. But you get the feeling that if you blow Obie off right now, you might damage something irreparably between you. “Normally I’d love some, but-” 

“I’m sorry.” 

You blink. “Huh?” 

“I wasn’t trying to shame either of you. I was just... jealous. Mad. That he made a move before I could. I didn’t mean to upset you.” 

It takes you a few moments to decide your reply. 

“I need a shower. And to change.” 

His face falls and he steps back. Forces a little laugh. “Oh. Of course. I’ll just be-” 

“I’ll come by after? If you want?” 

He stills, as if surprised by your reply. The embarrassment leaves his features and he straightens, “Yeah, okay. I’ll just tidy up a bit. See you in a bit?” 

You drudge up a smile and reply before turning back to your door. “See you in a bit.” 

[echantedtoon]

Ocean Deep Ch8 An Unexpected Chain Of Events

(Warnings: Rengoku is in REALLY BAD shape with wounds, blood/possible blood loss, and a few giant fish hooks embedded in him. Mentioning of blood. Mentioning of attempted kidnapping. Mentions of Rengokus poisonous barbs. yn has to do CPR on Rengoku.

If you need a refresher on the mer cast-

Suma: (all blue) Halfmoon Betta Fish mer

Hinatsuru: Strawberry Peacock Cichlid mer

Makio: Golden Dragon Koi mer

Kyojuro Rengoku: Lionfish mer(you can follow the link below and see what he looks like there.)

https://www.tumblr.com/yuki2sksksk/729990049783021568/lionfish-based-merman-kyojuro-and-betta-fish-based?source=share

If I don't describe CPR accurately I apologize. I looked instructions up on YouTube to get as accurate of a scene as I could.)

Tags: @shadyd3ar @six-eyed-samurai @lavenderdrxp @jjamsbangtan

The day was beautiful this morning.

With the sunlight sinking into the room through the window. The birds singing outside. Beautiful fresh smelling air. Beautiful visions of nature right outside of you looked. A bright blue sky. Fluffy white clouds. Yellow sun. Flowers of every color. Green plants everywhere. Trees providing shade as the wind rolled by. An absolute picture perfect scene for what could very much be a good day. Nothing in the world to worry about. Nothing to do. Just peaceful quiet and nature.

That was what your normal morning would've been on your day off. When you woke up at a reasonable time and woke up at a normal time. However this wasn't your normal morning. Now was it?

The wind felt nice against your skin as you walked along the dirt road and towards the pathway where the river lied. It was pretty early in the morning too. Two maybe three o'clock. A yawn bubbled up the woman's throat and made it out as a hand instinctively went to cover her mouth. Usually you would fear going outside anytime during the night but desperate times called for desperate measures. You were running out of food. All these scraps would only go so far before someone got the idea to start charging you money for that too or by the ways things were going, soon there wouldn't even be any scraps left for you to be handed. Your only hope right now was to rely on old scraps and providing the food yourself. Under the covers of darkness to avoid any suspicion.

Your door had opened quietly and you stepped out of your house and into the quiet, barren streets. The moonlight shining down and kissing your form. A shiver running down your spine from a warm breeze ghosting over your form. It would be a good night to fish. The door closed softly as you started walking towards the woods outside the town, fishing line curled up within your right hand. The moon shown down upon the forests illuminating the night bright enough for you to see and watch as the trees swayed im the warm breezes and hear the peaceful rustling of their leaves and lullabies of the crickets. It was just so beautiful and lively. You always loved doing this. Not when it was dark and scary however. It was more beautiful in the daytime. 

The sweet smells of flowers and grass were encouraging your lungs. Combined with the warmth of the summer air warming your muscles and urging them on. Both made you feel as light as a feather on your mere feet and the ground felt soft under you. It would've been nice if you weren't constantly looking side to side at every shadow that danced in the limited moonlight thanks to the grey clouds looming overhead. Step after step. Faster and faster. You fearfully started to speed walk through the pathways and around a corner of a house as soft dirt pathways turned into grassy floors of forests as you excitedly entered the beckoning woods. The moonlight being blocked out a bit because of the swaying trees and branches and clouds but you could still see perfectly fine. The river sso many people liked to fish at during summer wasn't too far from where you entered. It was just nearly a quarter of a mile into the woods. You loved coming out during these warm months and enjoying the view but ever since the disappearances -...You kept your distance. The way you found the river was walking through a bush and having to blink when a flurry of sparkling lights glared your eyes for a second.

Blinking your eyes adjusted to the beautiful and wonderful sight of a dark beautiful river reflecting the moon on its surface and sparkling as if the reflection had its own stars and consolations within its ripples. Completely untouched and waiting for you to touch its soft silence. Soft footsteps approached the gleaming water and a carbon copy of a woman appeared in the gleaming reflections. She stared up at the original mirroring the actions of the woman above. The woman's fiddled with her line and the small contacts she brought along with her. A hook with a big, juicy worm stabbed on the end of it dangled over the woman in the dark reflection before dropping into the water and rippling the reflection woman away back into the darkness of the waters.

Shaking hands fed the line lower and lower into the blackened waters. F/c eyes darting around the area. Every creaking branch. Every swaying bush. Every tall blade of grass. They all could hide a monster ready to carry you off to be their next meal. Next Bride. Next victim. The fast paced breathing was only matched by the beating of your heart in your chest. 

This was where those three girls disappeared last year, and near where the fourth girl disappeared. 

It was a stupid, STUPID idea!! ...But were you really just going to let your friends go hungry? No. No you weren't going to let that happen. The responsibility of their survival was solely on you for the moment. With a shaky inhale the woman returned to her work. Feeding the line into the wide river's darkened waters before kneeling down to sit upon the side of the water. Trembling. Nothing but the wind and cold for company. 

Rippling, rippling water. Sparkling mirrorer of the stars and moon. Swaying lazily with the flowing currents and keeping in time with the bobbing line of life keeping it tethered to the above world. With a lazed fortune in mind for the woman, a pull tugged onto the line and it was enough for her to pull up a feast big enough for a small person for a day.

You frowned as you gazed at the small catfish wriggling on the end of the line. This wasn't as big as you hoped. It was enough for a small human like you to have for lunch but that's about it. It wouldn't fill up a mermaid for an entire day! But..you couldn't afford to throw it back. A fish was a fish. And you'd have to get more. The line was thrown back in once again sinking back into the only black abyss of the waters. You sat there gazing at the blackness around you with nothing but the flopping fish for company. Every sound was amplified as in the silence made them louder. You shouldn't be here in the woods. You should be at home in your comfy bed asleep and waking up to a good morning where you'd make yourself breakfast before cleaning a little bit and then relaxing on your day off. But no. Here you were in the same forest where four girls disappeared just last summer fishing in the middle of the night just to feed three mermaids that you never really asked for with your poor town suffering the consequences. 

You should've headed the old tales-

The sweet sunlight kisses the world good bye as the sun set on the world. Wishing it good bye to make way for the cruel night that way ahead. Bathing the world in darkness tinted in white by his sister the moon as she dawned her best war paint and climbed higher into the darkened sky to claim her rightful place as Queen of the dark realm. That readd a sign to all her dark children that tonight would be the night for mischief and mayhem. Danger and chaos.

Death and undead.

Beware the full moon that comes to rise in the sky.

Beware the monsters who lurk and live amongst the world.

Beware of those who seek out their own entertainment.

So lock your doors up tight when the full moon appears. Barricade all your windows. Block up any chimneys. Hide away in your deepest closest. Arm yourself with your finest weapons. Speak not a word and be silent. Sleep not a wink and keep alert for they will all spirit you away.

Mischievous fae. Blood thirsty vampires. Carnivorous werewolves. Fire breathing dragons. Scheming demons. And so many more.

Those who refuse to heed the warnings are fated to die to be spirited away never to be seen again. So hide away and don't make a sound. Never answer the door no matter what. And above all else be weary.

You jumped as a thunderclap in the distance overhead echoed throughout the sky. Your head looked up instinctively and stared at the still lit up sky and the dark grey storm clouds that scattered across it like some shattered jigsaw puzzle. The sight of it worried you making a frown appear on your perfectly spooked face. The chilly wind blowing over your body once again as you shivered. 

You were tired. Exhausted even as the night went on. Darkened shadows filled the skies with darkness blocking out the light as your catch slowly grew. One by one. Until you jumped as a giant crash of thunder rolled along the sky making you jump and look towards the sky of darkness. You deemed it time to go then. Quickly pulling in your line up and gathering your fish, another clash of thunder made you jump. The wind picked up hammering branches against each other. Yep. Time to go! You just threw the string of fish over your shoulder when- 

DDDDRRRAAAAAAAGGG- 

You froze when you heard it. A distant cry of the Water's surface breaking just a few feet away from you to the right as you turned your head. The sounds of something coming from the other sides of the bushes. You couldn't move. Couldn't speak. As fear gripped your neck tightly and your eyes stared at the cold wind blowing the bushes around. The mud squelches and splashing sounded..BIG. POWERFUL...But also-

COUGH! COUGH! DDDRRRRAAAAAGGGG!! COUGH!

T H U D- ! ! !

You jumped as SOMETHING BIG. Collapsed.

Collapsed. JUST. BEHIND. THE. BUSHES.

You still didn't move. Panicking internally. What were you supposed to do?! Get your neighbors?! You wanted to go back...but what if it was someone who did need help? Or what if it was a wild animal? WHAT IF IT WAS A CREATURE GETTING READY TO CARRY YOU AWAY NEVER TO BE SEEN AGAIN?!...Ok. maybe not. Calm down. It was just.. probably just a wild animal! Yeah! It was probably injured or something! In which case you better leave anyways. ...Buuuut if it WAS an injured animal like a deer then maybe you could just use it for food! You guessed it didn't hurt to just take a quick look. Right? Slowly you stopped and looked back towards the bush. Your bare feet touching the ground gently and quietly enough to not make yourself known.

Your breath hitched in your throat.

Quietly you stepped closer as and closer and CLOSER to the bush silently. Slowly stopping right in front of the bush. The wind blew swaying it's branches creepily and looked like thrashing arms. You grabbed a handful and silently and slowly pulled them back.

And you froze at what you saw-

The winds howled as the darkness crept across the skies. The darkness behind the bush shielded your form from the moonlight which cascaded down between the trees and clouds in the sky. The shadows danced and branches creaked as the wind blew them about. Like arms beckoning you closer to grab you away in their rough grip. Drag you into the shadows never to be seen again. You cracked an opening in the branches and looked out. The darkened sky looked out over the entire area. Tree branches swayed and night fell upon the ground. However you froze as your eyes met a sickening sight.

R E D.

The coldness of the air bit down hard on your skin, like painful bee stings pricking your skin. The terror far greater than seeing a thousand wolves sunk in. A hand flew to cover your mouth as a foul urge to vomit rose and a sickening copper smell filtered through the air.

RED!!

That was the color painted everywhere on the ground displayed before you. And there...lying face down slumped over was a man's body. A canvas for the color. Your eyes shrank in terror and your ears gained a ringing sound all on their own drowning out any noise.

A DEAD BODY.

Right there lying right in front of your face. How-...How did this happen?! Where did it come from?! You wretched yourself away from the bush in shock and leaned over slightly. The urge to vomit riding as you did everything you could to keep it down. The bush branches snapping back into place hiding the sight from you. Automatically you gave a few coughs and gulped down air in an attempt to calm yourself head spinning. There was a dead man on the riverbank! Oh gods! What if someone thought you were responsible for this!? You could be tried for murder-

Wait...

How did you know he was actually dead?

That one thought made you freeze in your tracks instantly. That's right...How did you know for certain that he was dead? You just merely saw him covered in blood with a gash on his back. Your head turned back to the bush. He...he could've been hurt and tried reaching your house for help. What if he was laying there suffering?! That thought perked you back up into going back to the bush and cautiously reaching out to slightly pull the branches again. The body was still there unmoving. It...sure LOOKED dead but you couldn't tell in the dark. If he was still alive..you had to help him. You couldn't just leave someone to bleed out. The unmoving form still remained unmoving even as you noisily pushed through the bush and stood right next to the head. It was then that you again stopped dead in your tracks both shocked and horrified as the clouds overhead parted enough to allow more moonlight to light up the area truly revealing who or more accurately WHAT was laid in front of you 

A pale torso of blood covered skin sank down into the mud. Skin slowly melted away into fiery orange and red scales smooth and polished like that of a snake..Or fish. A giant tail full of fins sank deeply into the muddy bank before disappearing under the waves of the water that lazily hugged his body. F/c eyes widened to the size of plates.

A MERMAID?!

..No. wait-

Your eyes narrowed more in the darkness. A mer-..Man???

It was definitely a man. You could tell by how Large the body was and how muscular the exposed skin was. In the limited moonlight you were able to make out long blonde hair that mostly covered his face and he laid in a position that suggested that he'd collapsed by himself instead of being washed ashore by the river currents. But the question still remained...Was he still alive?

You hesitated again ...but slowly you reached over to the face laying on its side and touched the long strands covering his eyes. It was .. surprisingly soft and silky to the touch and you slowly pulled it away from the face to examine it. The right side of a man's face greeted you. You nearly jumped back at what you saw.

"Oh my gods."

A fish hook was just mere inches from his face. One of those thick metal ones that they used to catch tuna, small sharks, and other large fish. You immediately grabbed it pulling it safely away from him. What was this doing here?! A few more centimeters and it could've handed his face if he chose to move, splayed out on the cold unforgivable ground unmoving. His right eye exposed from pulling his hair back was closed obviously either unconscious or dead, and read streaks ran down his face in water dripping patterns from a cut on his forehead. However...that wasn't the strangest bit. Your hand instead went to almost touch his lips and flinched back feeling a weak warmth across your fingertips. You reeled back in shock, hand to your chest, and jumping. His body was still warm!!

HE WAS ALIVE!!

The hook was thrown aside along with the line of fish you caught thudding into the wet ground. Hands grabbed his right shoulder and HEAVED. Barely moving an inch, but slowly the body turned, and with a thud he was collapsed onto his back. A shocked gasp escaped from your throat upon eyes seeing his front body. Oh gods...So much blood. His body was practically DRENCHED in the red color! And you found out why. A large gash across his front from his left shoulder and ending just above his right hip was exposed to you. Definitely bigger than the gash along his back. And there was a third smaller gash along his right collar bone ending near his bicep. There was so much blood..How was he even still alive!? Wha-..What happened to him?! What caused him to get like this?! Thick broken strands of what looked like broken strands of rope was laid out all over his body, curiously you grabbed a piece and pulled it off him. What used to be a net maybe? You continued pulling it all off of him the hardest part having to walk into the river a bit and slide it down his tail in order to slip it off his tail. So much for a dry dress. The ropes were thrown aside and wet squelch sounded as you pulled up the hem of your now soaked dress to go kneel by his head.

It provided you a better look despite the limited moon light. You could get a better look at his injuries noting there was more than you expected. More BLOOD than you expected. It seemed most on his head came from either his mouth or from the cut on his forehead. There was also more cuts on his tail, but thankfully none of them looked very deep or if they were they weren't bleeding which was also good. But you also noticed something else. Something else very important about him. 

He was also wearing jewelry.

A thick gold chain was around his waist like a belt almost. His ears were pierced with a few small gold earrings that you only noticed thanks to the moonlight making them shine. Some kind of golden bands were wrapped around his left forearm, and finally a few rings were on his fingers. OOOH boy. Your eyes widened when you saw them. They were studded with big diamonds and other precious jewels. Whoever this man-..merman was, it was obvious he had access to some kind of wealth. Taking a closer look..He also was very handsome under all of the dread. Briefly your panicked mind wondered if all mermaids were like this or if it was just the ones you came across.

You reached out to touch it his neck for a pulse. F/c eyes smoothed over the body still wet and warm from the turbulent journey down the river. However the water droplets dripping down the body was expected, as was the smears of crimson blood from the injuries. What was not expected was the lack of movement coming from his chest. The woman froze again upon blankly staring down at the unmoving chest as a horrible reality was finalized right then and there. 

HE WASN'T BREATHING 

The horrible realization struck her as hard and quick as lightning made out of bricks. Her breathing hit he'd as her knees dropped next to his chest. Hands raised shaking and panicked as she stared panicked at the bloody body..Quickly the woman's hands reached out to shakingly pat at his cheeks.

"Please wake up. Pl-Please wake up!"

Unresponsive. Eyes remained closed silently drifting away from the world as peacefully and slowly as a leaf flowing down the pond. The woman above only being a distant audience- Until she refused the reaper his claim that day. 

Hands pushed themselves onto the unmoving chest. Hands interlocking. Arms stiff. And then the first of many pushes down. 

"Wake up!"

Sweat beaded from your forehead as you rapidly delivered a series of pushes down until you reached to the count of thirty in your mind. Stopping abruptly and grabbing his head. Nose pinched, head tilted back slightly, and not hesitating to place your mouth on his to deliver breaths. Sweat coated your face as you continued the cycle. 

Rapid pushes.

"Come on. Come on."

More breaths.

"Fight it!"

Rapid pushes.

"LIVE DAM YOU!"

Tears helped up in your eyes. A sob nearly escaping. The darkness and distant thunder overhead mocking your attempts at what seemed to be a lost cause. Gleeful in your failing. A shaking added to the woman as she went to quickly place her mouth back onto his- and then he choked.

The movement of him against you caught you so off guard that you actually tumbled backwards out of fright, the mud making a loud splat sound as you fell into it. If the dress wasn't ruined before it certainly was now. However that was the farthest thing from your mind as the body convulsed with coughs escaping the mouth- Two hands grabbed him by the shoulder as you heaved with a loud grunt to pull him onto his side. 

"That's it. Good. Good." A hand gently rubbed his back as you held him there. A gasping choking sound like a drowning man finally getting to land. "You're doing great. Keep breathing."

HE WAS ALIVE. HE WAS BREATHING!! He was still not in good shape but he wasn't dead! Thank the gods! The gasping choking sounds continued for a little bit making you wince as you watched him. His mouth hung wide open exposing a few fangs you wearily eyed. The girls had fangs too but his were much more sharp and pointy. His eyes squeezed shut and his brows tightly furrowed as he gasped and every so while spat. Until eventually his head laid upon the ground exhausted. Chest rising and falling deeply. 

For a moment there was nothing.

The sounds of creaking branches, wind, and heavy breathing were the only things heard besides the distant sounds of thunder in the ever darkening skies. Nothing but you staring at him in this point frozen in time as a hand encouraging rubbed at his back.

Then ever so slowly his eyes opened.

You froze when you first saw the whites of those eyes. At first they were confused blinking the blurry vision away only to be greeted by the darkness. A moment of longingly staring ensued, until the eye turned to stare up at you. You froze at the unusual eyeball staring at you. It was unlike anything you've ever seen. His pupil instead of the usual black was a pure white surrounded by a ring of red that was in turn surrounded by a secondary ring of orange. It made contact with your f/c irises and stopped there before widening in surprise. Your face stained in crimson red and mud brown. There was nothing but the tense breathing for ten seconds before the entire face slowly turned to you. The wet hair cling to his face, semi stained by the blood, and mud smeared on other parts of his body that wasn't already caked in water and/or blood. He just ..Laid there. Staring up at you. Right in the eyes. As if he couldn't believe what he was seeing. His fire like eyes stared at your eyes then looked down at the lower half of your face and the crimson smear. It looked like he's seen a ghost. 

"GAH!?"

You jumped back as his arm moved, pulling your hands away from his body and leaning back. Eyes wide as the limb shook enough to be mistaken for a frightened worm. You flinched. Was he going to attack you?! Drag you down into the water?! Drown you?! You were going to die and for what?! Helping him?! Your eyes clenched shut awaiting your fate!

A shaking hand reached up and-!!! Gently touched his mouth in bewilderment. 

"....Did you ju-just k-k-kiss me?"

A GLASS SHATTERED IN YOUR MIND

Wait...What?!

You lowered your arms slowly. Even more slowly as the most hoarse man's voice you ever heard came from the merman. You stared at him wide eyed as he stared up at you. "....W-What?"

"Ma'am, I am hu-humb-b-bly flattered-" He was BARELY able to hold up a badly shaking hand. "-bu-but I am a h-..*cough cough* ha-happly mmmarried man."

You stared at him blankly for the longest time just staring. His voice sounded like he desperately needed a glass of water for a dry throat. ".......SAY WHAT?!"

"I u-understand that I happen to b-be a- about b-but I as-sure you that I am l-like..Super married. *Cough cough cough*" He coughed a few times covering his mouth as you still stared shocked.

"I-I didn't kiss you!!," you squealed out horrified. "I was admitted CPR!!"

"I-Is that W-What humans do to court?"

"Wha- NO!! YOU WEREN'T BREATHING!!", You shouted at him red creeping up onto your face. "IT'S A MEDICAL TECHNIQUE!!"

He slowly blinked at you.. before speaking. "Oh. Well t-that is more sense. *Cough cough*"

You ignored the red in your face. "Just..Who are you?"

"I-I could be ask-asking you the same thing. W-What is a hu-human girl *cough* d-doing here?"

"Night fishing. Are you feeling ok?" You hesitantly raised your hands towards his body but stopped shortly of touching him.

"Not at all! I'm in incredible pain!," he shouted in a raspy voice making you wince at the volume.

"SSSHHH!! Keep your voice down!," you whisper shouted at him looking around the darkness. Who knows who..or WHAT could hear him?! "Is there anyone nearby who can help you? O-Or maybe family?"

"Nope! But i-if you help pu-push me back into t-t-the river then I might be *cough* a-able to get back!"

"... Can't you not move with your injuries?"

"BARELY!"

You again just stared at his face..then at his body..then back to his face. Oh no. NO! Nonononono!! This could NOT be happening to you! Not now! Not again! You couldn't get further involved into this! 

"Is there anywhere you can go for help?"

"N-Not around here."

You should walk away now. You had already did your good deed. He was alive and he could take care of himself! You shouldn't be getting anymore involved. In fact you even stood up and turned making him blink from where he laid in the mud-..Mud. You turned back around. He was weakly and pathetically staring at you from the mud like a piece of junk to be discarded. Helpless. Unable to find for himself. If a wild animal like a bear or wolf didn't get to him first then someone else could find him and..Who knew what could happen to him? And that's only considering if he didn't die from his injuries first. ..He breathed heavy and turned his head upwards as two feet stopped in front of his head. You looked back down at him. A crash of thunder illuminated each other's faces.

"Just out of curiosity, do you know what a piggy back ride is?"

The house was silent. Nothing but the thunder overhead and the wind scratching against the window and the raindrops beating against the rooftop as the sun still stayed hidden for another hour or so. 

T H U D-!!

The door flew open, hitting the fair wall behind it causing a loud thud to ring out throughout the otherwise silent house. 

STEP, STEP, STEP, STEP.

You pulled yourself into the house slowly step after slow step. Into your home until you collapsed onto the floor. A series of thumps and thuds rang out as bodies and objects fell. You fell exhausted onto your side breathing in and out gasping for air like a drowning man. Her body felt somewhere between numb and in pain, especially her back. Her entire body soaked to the bone because of the pouring rain and she was still covered in mud and blood. Only now she was soaked too. Only good thing about this was that no one would be outside to see her. Seriously. Why did mermaids have to be so darn HEAVIER than they look?! A large hand reached out to gently grab your shoulder. Still gasping for air, you opened your eyes to stare at the merman collapsed onto the floor next to you. Despite his condition being much worse than yours, he still looked concerned for you.

"Ma'am, are you alright?"

A crack of lightning rang out allowing you to briefly see his face better in the dark. You waved him off way plopping with a wet smack sound onto your stomach and weakly rising up to your hands and knees. You had to close the door. The rain still poured outside in the dark hours of the morning as you weakly crawled to the doorway, giving a weak but worried look around, and then closed the door before collapsing onto the wooden frame. The mermaid watched you carefully with a worried but curious.look on his face. 

"My apologies!"

You weakly waved him off again just catching your breath. Man. Your back was killing you. Even the other three weren't this heavy. Speaking of which ..How the hell were they going to react when they saw you bring a complete stranger back with you? You really were insane for doing all of this.

The merman gave a look around from where he awkwardly lay down. "..Your abode looks highly warm. But how are you supposed to raise guppies here?"

...Guppies?

"Y/N'S BACK!! Y/N'S BACK!!"

Suma's voice echoed throughout the home only drowned out by the storm and you tiredly lifted your head up. However you weren't the only one that froze when hearing the voice. The merman had frozen stone cold at the voice.

"Y/N?! Y/N, Y/N, Y/N!! YYYYYYY/NNNNN!!!", Suma continued calling when you didn't answer her right away. 

He. FLIPPED. Literally. He flipped around landing on his stomach startling you by his sudden action. Hissing, pushing himself up onto weakened shaky arms as he stared down the way towards your bathhouse. 

"S-...Suma?"

Silence rang out other than the rain and a crash of thunder shaking the windows once more.

"... Kyojuro?!," one of the girls called back however you were so shocked by what was happening you didn't register who it was.

Recognition flashes across the man's face. Shaking breath rattling his chest mouth agape in those breaths. 

"MAKIO!!"

Fwap- "Gah!?" 

You toppled over as the end of his burly tail slapped into your. Desperation. Hesitation. Adrenaline. All pumped through the veins. Come here. Go. His mind told him. Claw after desperate claw again perfectly clean wooden floors as he raced . Mind reeling with the knowing NEED to be closer to the warmth his heart was attracted to. 

"Hey! Come back! Your wounds will get worse!," you called out to him as he desperately clawed away at a pace faster than you thought possible.

Despite your screaming muscles, you forced yourself to stand up and quickly walk after him as his form disappeared down the hallway. You turned the corner and looked down said hallway just as the man was clawing the bottom of your door with hissing desperation like a wolf frustratedly digging after a rabbit hole. Eventually he got it open pushing the door aside with a grunt and just-..Stopping. staring wide eyed into the bathroom. After about five minutes you slowly began walking down the hallway while keeping close to the wall just in case. The silence continued until the man's head raised higher. Tears starting to whelp up in them- Before without even a warning he just as quickly clawed his way into the room making you again pause.. Before quickly approaching. What was going on?! What if he hurt them?!

However when you hit to the doorway, you paused. In shock of what you saw on the other side. 

"Kyo!! Kyo!!" Suma called out for him crying historically as she held out her arms to him.

It's ok! He was here! He was coming!

Desperately and desired needs to be close. The desperation was met with open arms as you watched the three desperately crying mermaids clawing desperately at him. At first you were scared that they were attacking him by the way Hinatsuru just wrapped herself around his neck and the other two grabbed his sides and PULLED. Making them all tumble back and into the water, a giant splash noise resonating throughout the room as water sloshed over the sides and droplets rained everywhere.

"Hinatsuru!"

Footsteps approached the tub as you leaned over the side. She might've been crushed under his weight..You stopped. You blinked. You stared down at the scene before your eyes. Two emotions hit you. Absolute confusion and fluster as your face went red seeing Hinatsuru and the merman in the middle of.. Passionately kissing.

The kiss was deep but passionate, like lovers who've been apart for years. He held her so close to him as she gripped his cheeks. Both had tears streaming down their faces before a long held back sob escaped the pink mermaids throat and made them break a kiss only for Makio to take her place latching onto him to kiss him over and over and over for what seemed like eternity. Suma cried loudly as she desperately cling to his back, curled up and tears smearing the mud stain on his shoulder.

"I THOUGHT YOU W-WERE *HIC* DDDDDREEEEAAADDD!! AAAHAHAAAAA!!"

"NEVER!!" He shouted. Hugging two crying warmth givers to himself. "Never, never, never again." He repeated that mantra. Their warmth satisfying a deep hole made in his chest finally being filled again. "It's been so long..I'm never  letting you go again."

A shadow fell over them all as you stared bewildered. "..Just who are you?"

"... Apologies." He didn't look up. Didn't care. "I am called Kyojuro. You may back away now."

There wasn't really an answer until Suma looked at you, blinked, and then shrieked. "Y/N'S BLEEDING!!"

Uh oh.

[spikesbunny]

♥︎ THE GHOST OF YOU ♥︎

+ warnings: mentions of death of a character, wlw relationship

+ ft: ghost!beidou x pirate!fem reader

+ wc: 0.9k

+ for @edgeray's halloween event <3

+ note: this is kinda angsty, but i couldn't help it y'all. dead captain beidou gets to your feelings for reallll.

men dni!!

the sea was silent.

it had felt that way since she died. her hearty laugh was gone, the slaps against your back whenever she got a bit too excited and drunk.

and most importantly, her in general. her chapped lips against yours, her firm hands running across your body, embracing you when the storms were heavy.

she had been your captain, but she was also your love. she was your everything.

and that damn pirate had to kill her.

after that, you had taken your leave from her crew. you couldn't stay, it hurt too much to see the jolly roger the two of you had designed as children. those days had been rough, the two of you working for whatever scraps, but you were happy.

you didn't know how you could even be out on the sea right now. everything about it brought her flooding into your mind, from the smell of the salty sea, so the feeling of sand on your feet when landing on a shore. it all still stung.

you lay in your empty bed on the small ship, tossing and turning endlessly. a small wind had picked up, lanterns banging against wood disturbing that former silence. it helped, just a bit, to take your mind off her. but it would never fully soothe the pain.

a wailing sound soon joined the mix. it sounded like some lost soul, crying out for whoever.

fortunately for you, you didn't believe in ghost stories. davy jones, dead crewmates coming back to find you, it was all pirate bullshit meant to scare away youngins, right?

then why did it sound like your name being wailed? as if you were being summoned.

you open the door from your chambers, stepping out onto the deck. oddly, everything went silent again. you shake your head, thinking you must have had bad booze, or the food had gone bad.

as you turn to walk back to your room, a cold hand touches your shoulder. quickly, you turn around, hand on the holster of your gun.

and there she stood.

your lover, in all her glory. black hair cascading down those broad shoulders, the red satin covering one eye still clinging to her face. the scars, running down her body, decorating her tanned thighs and arms.

"i-it can't be" is all you can whisper, all you can mutter. there's no way its her.

and there it is. that laugh, the one from deep within her belly, the one you'd kill a man for. "i told ya, sweetheart, not even death could take me from you."

you reach out, slowly taking her calloused hand into yours. it was cool, and a shiver traveled down her spine. "h-how is this possible?"

"i told ya! those ghost stories were real." she chuckles again, bringing you closer to her cold, translucent body, hugging you tightly. "why'd ya abandon our ship though?" beidou ask.

"i-i couldn't bare it, my love. you were everywhere, it made me sick, it made me mad... besides, didn't we start out on this very tiny ship?" you ask, letting her cup your cheek.

"we did, didn't we?" beidou admires the ship she stands on with you. "i-i didn't think i'd ever see ya again," she quietly confess, a change in her usually loud and proud demeanor.

"i didn't either." you confess back.

the two of you stand in silence, holding each other dearly, not daring to speak again. finally, you open your mouth, a single question racking your mind:

"can you stay?"

beidou meets your eyes, a somber look creeping across her face. "'m afraid not, my little seal. but i promise to visit from time to time, mkay?"

her promise fills your heart with a tiny bit of hope, knowing that she wasn't gone forever, just not always by your side. "i'm gonna hold ya to that, beidou."

"i know ya will." she whispers, kissing your lips softly. her forehead presses against yours, and you suddenly forget everything: your anger, your hatred, your despise of that man. all that mattered was her, right now, in your arms.

"can ya stay the night?" you whisper, scared of what her answer might be.

"yes, my love, i can. and i will." beidou kisses your lips again, the tender action pulling at your broken heartstrings.

you wish she could stay forever, be by your side all over again. but this would do.

and so, you guide her back to the tiny bed, the one you two shared when you first began your trip as pirates. she holds you close the entire time, letting you tell her about your adventures, stealing a kiss every now and again.

finally, sleep washes over you, as you fall asleep in your lovers arms, your dreams finally sweet again.

but as you wake up, beidou is gone, all but a note that says 'i will return' in her messy handwriting. you hold dearly onto the letter, letting the tears stream down your cheeks.

you know she'll be back, but for now, and when she does, you'll find some way to keep her forever. for now, her little visits would have to suffice.

©2024 roronoaism - please do not repost or translate my works on other media sites ♡

[kaybug88]

Matt Sturniolo x Wife! Reader

December 1st:  “You ate Santa's cookies, the kids are going to be so upset.”

TW: Matt being a big back, swearing  Wc: 3.2k

Requested: Nope!

・┆✦ʚ♡ɞ✦ ┆・

The Night had been so fun, but so unbelievably messy. Flour is now everywhere in the kitchen, frosting managed to get on the plastic covered counters, food coloring scattered around and. . . the rolling pin is nowhere to be found. Lovely.

Besides all of the mess, the cookies were Incredibly fun to make. It's nearly Christmas, and using an old recipe in your family, you just finished making too many Christmas cookies from scratch with the help of your six-year old daughter Delilah, and loving husband, Matt. She's a perfect representation of Matt, it's almost scary. She's got the same soft brown hair and gorgeous blue eyes.

You look over to your husband, normally neat and fluffy hair now a mess with flour peppered around in his brown hair. His eyes pinched and brows furrowed with concentration, the tip of his tongue poking between his lips as he adds the finishing touches to his Rudolph sugar cookie.

“That's quite the masterpiece you've got there.”

You chuckle as you pick up a piece of garbage here and there, and pick up the cookie cutters, placing them in a big metal bowl in the sink before walking towards the garbage to throw away the scrap pieces of trash. A beat of silence passes while you continue to pick up around the kitchen, and finally, your husband finishes his cookie In the process.

“Done! I'm finally done.”

He exclaims, jumping up in excitement. His eyes gleaming with pride as he places his special cookie on its own little Christmas themed paper plate. 

"Holy shit dude, calm your tits, it's just a cookie."

Chris says from the couch, looking over at Matt with an annoyed eye roll.

"Shut up, you're just mad you can't make a cookie as good as this."

Matt challenges, sticking his tongue out at his brother, not hearing the grumbles coming from Chris. You hold in a snort at the banter between the brothers and look at the cookie.

“Wow, that's actually really good.”

You compliment with a chuckle, picking the little plate up and admiring the cookie. He had clearly spent a lot of time on his so called 'masterpiece', and it truly does look very nice. Glancing at your phone, you let out a little yawn, the clock displaying ‘10:28 PM’. 

“It's getting late, wanna help me pick up?”

You ask, throwing away the last of the garbage while walking towards the sink to start washing the cookie cutters.

“Of course, Love.”

Matt says with a smile as he gets up from his seat. Walking towards the sink where you stand in the middle of washing dishes, he wraps his arms around your center from behind you, resting his head on your shoulder, the proceeding to nuzzle his face into the crook of your neck, his stubble stealing giggles out of you.

“What?”

He asks, pressing a kiss to your chin and swaying you two back and forth, preventing you from doing dishes.

“Your stubble tickles.”

You admit before laughter breaks free from your lips when he proceeds to nuzzle his face into your neck, just to hear that laughter. You can't stop the sweet laughter from leaving you until he stops. 

“Alright, alright, let's get these dishes done.”

He chuckles as he pulls away from you, leaving the places he held cold without his presence. He settles next to you, slightly pushing you to the right with his hip. You both let out a light laugh at the action before falling into a comfortable silence with running sink water and cleaning cookie cutters the only things that fill the empty air.

“She fell asleep really easily. You sure she's a lot at bed time?”

Nick questions with clear suspicion, walking downstairs from Delilah's room. For some odd reason, she always was super easy and gentle for uncle Nick, and 'always' is no exaggeration. She might fight when it comes to bed time with you or Matt, but god forbid she fight uncle Nick. Doesn't want to put her dishes in the sink when mom or dad asks, but instantly does it when Nick tells her to. Seriously, he's gotta' be some kind of kid-whisperer.

“Yeah, the first and last time I put her to bed, she was not having it.”

Chris scoffed from the couch, clearly frustrated that Nick was the favored uncle. A smug grin immediately took place on Nick's face as he walked towards you two.

“I promise she can be a lot at times.”

Matt sighs as he hands you a bell shaped cookie cutter, you take it from his hand and dry it, and place it in a big Tupperware you keep your cutters in afterwards. everything fell into a comfortable silence afterwards with Nick sitting beside Chris, and you finishing dishes With Matt.

The only soft sounds that are between you and Matt are the soft breaths leaving each of you, with the occasional yawn, and the final sounds of washing dishes. It was peaceful in all reality, but now, you could use some quiet time to wind down from the eventful evening.

“Tired?”

Matt questions quietly after your sixth yawn since starting dishes. You were simply drying off your hands while you give him a small yawn, clarifying your need to sleep.

“How about you go take a nice, long bath with hot cocoa while I chill with Nick and Chris?”

Matt suggests after drying his own hands and placing them on your waist. His lips are turned into a soft smile with his blue eyes shining with affection.

“That sounds lovely, thank you.”

You say, leaning your head up to press your lips to his own. You feel him smile against the kiss when you wrap your arms around your neck.

“Would you two get a room?”

Chris groans From the couch after looking over to you guys. Matt pulls away with a groan as he goes to prepare your hot cocoa, leaving you a blushing mess. You shake your head and let out a light chuckle to yourself as you go sit down at your counter, a smitten look on your face as you watch your husband prepare your sweet drink and separate a few of only the best looking cookies (besides his Rudolph, of course.) for you.

You get so lost in watching your husband do his work to the point where you don't even realize he's done with your sweet treats.

“Go enjoy a hot bath.”

He insists, handing you a small plate with three cookies and an insulated cup with ‘1# Hot Mama’ on it. The mother's day memory of when you got the goofy mug makes you smile to yourself. He presses A long kiss to your forehead before ushering you up the stairs.

You walk up the stairs without complaining, and immediately head for the bathroom in your guys’ shared room for some ‘you’ time. You nudge open the white bedroom door and make your way towards the bathroom. Setting your sweet treats down, you turn to open the closet and select a peppermint scented bath bomb, perfect for the mood you want. 

You set the bathbomb down on the cool counter and begin to run your bath, the water slowly getting warmer as it runs over your fingers. Once the temperature is to your liking, you stand up and dry your hand; the idea of lighting candles to set a nice, comfy mood comes to mind. 

Humming a holiday tune, you look over the selection of candles you've received over the years; mostly consisting of Bath and Bodyworks products. Picking up four winter candles, you choose Sweater Weather which is Sage and juniper Berry, Fresh Balsam, which smells of balsam and fir, Vanilla Bean Noel, which smells of exactly as you think would; vanilla, and finally, Tis’ the Season, which is cedar wood, red apple and cinnamon.

When You can't find a lighter, you let out a soft, annoyed groan. You check the Water height in the bath you make the choice to quickly run downstairs to find the lighter.

“Hey baby!”

You call to Matt, hearing him greet you while making your way to the kitchen. Once you get into the kitchen, immediately heading towards the junk drawer, and open it to find your trusty, little blue lighter. Letting out a breath you didn't even know you were holding, you turn to jog back up to your bathroom, but notice quite a bit of the Christmas cookies missing.

“Hey, make sure you save cookies for tomorrow night! We need cookies for Santa.”

You say, giving him a mom look before going back to your bathroom, happy to find the water at the perfect height. Placing the lighter on the counter, you turn off the water and begin to light candles, giving a pleasant atmosphere.

Taking a deep breath, which is followed by a sigh, you shut off the big lights above your mirror, leaving a soft warm atmosphere for you to enjoy. You smile softly to yourself as your eyes flutter shut, absorbing the calm atmosphere for just a bit before taking wooden bath tray and placing it on the cool material of your tub.

Next, you take your phone, Hot Mama cup, cookies and bathroom, placing them on the tray. Afterwards, you carefully undress, your clothes pooling beneath you. Letting out a soft breath, you step into the perfectly warm water; sinking below the small ripples caused from your movement, leaving just your head and arms above the tub.

Resting your head back, you pick up the bathbomb and unwrap the dusty rose pink ball. You carefully place it in the water, your ears picking up the slight fizzing noises. The need for music come up once the frizzing dies down, so as one does, you play your chill Lofi playlist. The soft beats fill the homey ambience, your body instantly relaxing.

Your bath was spent soaking in the pink hued water, with winter smelling air, enjoying your sweet treats and calming music playing; accompanied with a bit of scrolling on your phone. Your cue to get out of the bath is when you hear Matt saying his goodbyes to Chris and Nick. 

Sighing, you move the wooden tray a bit and carefully step out of the now luke-warm water. The water from your body drips onto the bath mat below you while you stretch your back with a groan. You reach to your right, your large Grey towel on one of the three hooks on the wall. Once dry, you put the towel back on the hook and put your fluffy white robe on, snuggling into the comforting fabric. You blow the candles out after turning the lights on and step out of the bathroom and onto the soft carpet of your bedroom.

You quickly turn back around to grab your phone before going through Matt's hoodies and choosing on what one to steal tonight. You end up deciding on a plain black hoodie and a pair of your sweatpants, throwing them on the bed as scroll some more on your phone.

Eventually when you've had enough scrolling, you get into your pajamas, hanging your robe back in its respectful place soon after. Stepping into the hall that leads downstairs, you're welcomed to the sight of your husband sitting on the couch, munching on more cookies. Hearing your footsteps, he looks up to you, giving you an idiotic grin. Placing his phone down, he practically skips up the stairs, just to see you, his beautiful wife. 

“Those cookies are really good, what'd you do different this year, hmm?”

He asks, placing his arms around your waist and rocking you two side to side.

“I don't think I'll tell.”

You giggle, placing your own arms around his neck. You notice a small bit of blue frosting on his nose, and giggle a little more at the sight.

“I can tell you really like those cookies, because you've got a lil’ somethin’ right here.”

You say pointing towards the tip of his nose, where he takes his thumb and wipes the frosting off, sticking his thumb between his Lips right after.

“Gross!”

You laugh as you try and push him away as he pleads in a joking manner for you to stay. 

“How many of those cookies have you eaten?”

You question after you both get your giggles out.

“Uhm, not many, I'm sure.”

He says, shrugging his shoulders. His eyes tell you that he's clearly not telling the full truth, getting an unconvincing hum from you.

“You better have left some for Santa.”

You say, playfully flicking his forehead as you walk back downstairs with Matt, and are shocked to see only about ten cookies left.

“Matt!”

You exclaim as you go to count the remaining cookies, including his Rudolph cookie, still isolated from the rest.

“What?”

He drags out and comes to stand next to you, seeing what you must be so upset about.

“Yikes, sorry.”

He apologizes, scratching the back of his neck and turning his blue eyes from the cookies to you.

“No more cookies, the rest are for Santa and Delilah.”

You scold, lightly flicking his forehead, getting a flick in return. You scoff at his actions and walk back upstairs to pick up the bathroom. Once you've arrived, you get to work. Putting lids back on candles and putting them away, taking your Hot Mama cup and empty plate of cookies downstairs, and finally putting the bath tray back in its rightful spot. Now that everything was in their correct spots and in order, you realized how truly tired you were.

“Tired, Princess?”

Matt asks from behind you, resting his head on your shoulder, arms wrapped around your middle.

“Yeah, I am.”

You yawned, feeling his chin rest against your shoulder. You close your eyes and lean back into his hold, content radiating off you.

“You go to bed, and I'll join you in a sec, does that sound alright?”

Matt asks, pressing a soft, gentle kiss against your neck, a smile taking over your lips.

“Okay, I love you.”

You mumble to Matt, eyes carefully closed with lashes resting perfectly in place.

“Alright, go to sleep. I love you too.”

He says softly, pressing a few more kisses to your face before letting go of you and off to do his own thing while you get in bed.

Eventually, you get yourself into bed, phone plugged in next to you with your teeth brushed and skin care routine finished. You let your eyes close with exhaustion taking over. 

The next morning, you wake Up to Matt big spooning you. A smile creeps up on your lips when you notice how comfy he was cuddled up next to you. The morning sunlight shines through the gap in your 

-

curtains, making you squint your eyes. You carefully move Matt's arms from around you as you get out of bed; wincing slightly when the bed creaks.

Once you're sure Matt hasn't woken up, you tiptoe out the room, wincing when you feel like you were too loud. Upon reaching your guys’ door, you cautiously retreat from your room, quietly and quickly closing the door behind you. 

Letting out a breath that you didn't know you were holding, you begin walking down the wooden staircase, and towards the kitchen. You're greeted with a cleaner kitchen than you left it last night. How sweet of Matt. The cookies are nowhere to be found, but a white bowl with a pink lid is set aside; figuring the cookies are in there (and Matt left them alone after you said to), you ignore it.

You open the fridge and scan for worthy breakfast ingredients. Sure, you have two dozen eggs, and some vegetables, but what can you make with that?

Omelettes of course. Duh.

So, you get to work. You grab with a fork, spinach, mushrooms, red and orange bell peppers, red and white onions, seasonings, bacon, minced garlic, cheese, hashbrowns and finally, the eggs. You take a look at your ingredients and let out a huff, this would be a lot of work, but, you're a hard worker. First step is to grab the rest of the necessary dishes, including a cutting board, a knie, a pan, medium sized bowls, a spatula and a knife.

You start going at it. You chop the veggies first and start lightly cooking them over a low heat, and while that's going, you chop bacon. You're doing this for a while, going back and forth between the veggies and meat, all while preparing your eggs, mixing in seasonings and whisking. Then when the meat and veggies are done, they're mixed in with eggs. By the time you're almost done, your little girl comes down the stairs, her hair in every direction and little fists curled up as she rubs her eyes. 

“Good Morning, Sweet Pea.”

You call to your daughter as you begin to cook the final omelette. Flip the eggs and walk over to your daughter, who's walking into the kitchen to see what'd for breakfast.

“Mornin’ momma. What's for breakfast?’

She asks after struggling a little to get into the barstool, and finally succeeding. 

“Omelettes, speaking of which, go wake your Dad for me, yeah? Thanks, Sweet Pea!”

You say, pressing a kiss to her right cheek before beginning to put away what you can. 

“Okay, Momma!”

Delilah chirps, skipping up towards your guys' bedroom. Chuckling to yourself, you roll Your eyes as you finish putting away extra veggies and throwing away trash. You glance over to the omlette and take it off, placing it with the others under the tin-foil. As you begin doing the dishes, Delilah comes skipping back downstairs.

“He said he'll be down in a bit.”

She answers, swinging her little legs back and forth.

“Perfect, Sweet Pea! Thank you.”

You say, pressing a kiss to her head of brown Hair, smiling when she lets out little giggles. You look up to the staircase seeing Matt walking down, fingers running through his own hair.

“Made you breakfast, Love.”

You say pleasantly, passing a plate with an omelette towards Matt once he gets downstairs, a ketchup heart next to the eggs. You hand Delilah her own while Matt comes his way around the counter, pressing a kiss to your head and hugging you.

“Thank you, baby.”

He says before going to his seat, smiling at the ketchup heart. Once you start eating your own omelette, you have to hold back a groan from the explosion of all your favorite flavors seemingly exploding on your tongue.

“This is real’ good, Momma, thank you!”

Delilah chirps from her seat as she finishes her little omelette. Matt smiles as she rushes to rinse her blue plastic plate off before coming to her seat.

“Momma, what if Santa gets lost coming to the house tonight?”

Delilah says, clearly very concerned about Santa's sense of navigation. Matt hides a chuckle while you bite the inside of your cheek to hold your own chuckle.

“I promise he won't get lost, he's been doing his job for a very long time and he takes it very seriously.”

You reassure after keeping yourself in check.

“But Momma! What if he doesn't like his cookies we made for him? I made the Santa hat just for him!”

You smile at her efforts to make sure Santa would be comfortable and safe getting to your house. After reassuring her once more, she's finally content to hop off her seat and rush off to play. Since she mentioned the cookies, you decide to check just how many are le-

“Matt Sturniolo.”

You say after lifting the pink lid to the large bowl. What you're greeted with is half of a Santa hat. Lovely. 

“I'm sorry! I wasn't paying attention to how many I-”

He tries before getting interrupted.

“You ate Santa's cookies, Delilah is going to be so upset.”

You say going to put the lid back, and clean up your breakfast plate. Shaking your head slightly and biting back a smile, you can't help but try and come up with reasons Santa’s cookies are missing for Delilah.

・┆✦ʚ♡ɞ✦ ┆・

A/N: So! What do we think? I know that the ending is disappointing (at least it is to me🥲) 

Tbh, the end was a little rushed because at the time of writing this I was super sick, overwhelmed w/ stuff, and I had to get through 13 other fics  ;v;

[jaeedraszaerysz]

JOHNNY, BAM, STEVE-O, CHRIS AND RYAN WITH A NORTHERN ENGLISH S/O

Notes: this might have some more teesside oriented aspects so I apologise and I try to keep it as neutral as possible while still writing decent shit ✨️

Warnings: swearing, injury (obv u fuckin dumbass), sexual references??

JOHNNY KNOXVILLE

Will 100% dress up in a suit and take you to a fancy ass restaurant while working his shittiest English accent

Got confused as fuck when you started using any slang/roadman terms

Defos uses words wrong

Went round calling everyone wanker for a full day

Thought chav was a fucking food at first defos

LOVES HEARING U SPEAK

will listen to u chat for hours

MY DAYS HES OBSESSED

So let's say jackass came to England yea

And u went up north to visit ur mates and stuff yea

Wouldn't understand a fuckin thing u was on about if u were talking to your mates

Thought a parmo was a sex move and was GOBSMACKED

He defos went to a pub with u and the guys and they got the piss ripped of them by a bunch of sweaty geezas in their 50s 😭

Take him to any beach and you will 100% have to restrain him from jumping of the end of a pier into a bunch of rocks

Caught onto u saying innit so much and now says it unironically and the guys have a laugh taking the mick out of him

Poor sod

But he's devoted to you

Defos would make roadman and chav skits w u outside a maccies or a tesco extra

BAM MARGERA

Asking if u know every single British rockstar to ever exist

Was confused when u told him it was almost 5 hours from London to anywhere near ur gaff

Got scrapped by a bunch of year 7s outside a one stop if u took him to England

Takes the mick out of yu in a cute way

Copies ur words

DEFOS TOLD JOHNNY TO PACK IT IN ONCE AND U WERE FUCKING CREASING

Told him u met Janick Gers from iron maiden and had drinks wiv him in the pub one time and he almost diedddd.

You could defos persuade him to dress up in a Adidas traccy and run fru ur local shopping center screaming sweet Caroline and tripping over eachother

you took him to hmv?

Big mistake

He never wants to leave

Defos has all the badges and posters

Spent an hour minimum sat on the floor with you looking at the band t shirts

Would complain constantly about weather but would kiss you in the rain

Got stuck in a shitty kids swing at the park

CHRIS PONTIUS

Lives for your voice

Copies ur every word

If u took him to ur hometown he would cling onto your arm and NOT let go

Called someone a geezer at a local boots and got scrapped

Yano them rando tarzees kids make out of rope and stuff but their always like 50 meters of the ground?

He found one

Jumped off

Flew like a mufucken bird

BEANS ON TOAST

WHAT AN INVENTION

His mind was opened to the 4th dimension that day

Imagine he pulled a party boy stunt in the town center

GOT CALLED A NONCEWING BY A BUNCH OF CHAVS

Wore a tie everywhere u went while u were their

Says oh my days religiously now

Fails a stunt? Oh my days

Trips? Oh my days

Bam pulls a rocky on him? Oh my fucking days

LOVES YOU SM THO

His little English, tea drinking princess

STEVE-O

Steve-o lived in England for alot of his childhood, always on the move so he was a bit more calm than most

BUT CAUSE HE WAS FROM DOWN SOUTH AND YOU UP NORTH THAT DONET STOP HIM

makes fun of northern chavs and compares them

Says the North is like a diff country all together js on account of the people and the weather

Thinks ur footie teams r shite

Defos got kicked up the arse for that one

Meal deals man

His fave thing after you

Esp from tescos

LYNX AFTERSHAVE IS HIS THING OMFS

Understands some British slang but is still confused by majority of ur convoz with people from ur home town

TAKE HIM TO FLAMINGO LAND

INSTANT MAYHEM

Sold gimicky vapes to some year 8s and fucking pissed himself laughing when they realised

RYAN DUNN

Swears at everyone with "posh words"

Wanker, bell-end, twat, muppet, cunt.

Picked up the accent on the words too

Fucking fab tha

GOT APPROACHED BY A PROZZIE

was terrified

Defos asked where her teeth were and got chased off

Thinks corner shops in England r the best thing ever

Manjaros? The takeaway not the mountain?

LOVED IT

DONNER KEBAB ✨️💅

Has been chased by council estate grannies for shoving you into people's gardens

Sat with you at the top of those shitty rope climbing frames in the park and u had a legit romantic moment

SPOILER ALERT! bam got photos of u kissing up there

Yano them random tunnels under the main roads yea?

Went down them wiv u and u ended up in a field with him laying on your chest and looking at the stars

[mjolnirswriststrap]

Can you please write a dark Daemon fic where he abducts Rhaenyra’s lady in waiting when he goes back to King’s Landing to steal the dragon egg.

❄️ DAY ONE OF COUNTDOWN ‘TILL CHRISTMAS ☃️

A/N: oh to be a maid in the right place at the right time, thank you for requesting something on the dark side, it has my heart ❤️ Taking Requests - Link to the characters I write for. Masterlist

Word Count: 1,128

Summary: Reader finds herself walking the halls late at night, running to the kitchen for her rambunctious princess. When she drops a platter of grapes and cheese, an unexpected visitor is there, sneaking away.

“Don’t drink any more wine, I’ll be right back!” You say, closing the door on what you were witnessing. No one see’s Rhaenyra like you and Cate do, dancing around her room in her bloomers, embarrassing herself.

You wish you could be so carefree. But here you are, hiking down flights of stairs to make a board of cheeses. Just so the princesses stomach won’t be empty and leave her feeling ill. No one thinks like a lady in waiting does.

You curse Cate in your head, “it’s your turn” you recall her saying. You roll your eyes as you pick the vines from grapes. As if you wanted to come down to the dark creepy kitchen late at night. This castle is deadly in the dark.

You settle with the foods you’ve presented, not being able to stand in the kitchen a second longer. You pick up the tray of food, cautiously carrying it back to her room. When you turn the corner for the hidden servants stairs, you’re met with a solid chest.

Expensive cheese and fruit flies everywhere, and you’re on your knees apologizing, picking up scraps from the floor. “Forgive me, I wasn’t paying enough attention to where I was going.” You look up to address the person you crashed into. But it’s the last person you’d expect coming down the servants stairway.

“Prince Daemon, what are you doing here?” You say, knowing he was meant to be hundreds of miles away. You stop searching for chunks of food when you see what he has in his hands. A dragon egg reflects the flicker of flames back at you. You know something is very wrong. “What are you doing with Baelon’s egg?”

You’d know it from anywhere, you sat in the room as everyone held their breath, when the soon to be heir never got his chance to. It was burned in your memory, two lives that were meant to be so full, now taken from each other. Baelon would never ride a dragon, and that dragon would never be ridden by a king.

“That doesn’t seem to be any of your business, does it?” Daemon says, holding his head high while he looks down at you on the floor. You stand to your feet, giving him an incredulous look. “I will have no other option than to go straight to the king. Right at once!”.

You were far from a rule breaker. Anything but straight and narrow stressed you out. There’s a reason you’d been tasked to watch over Rhaenyra so closely. You couldn’t stand and watch as the prince did something so terrible to his brother.

“I can’t let you do that.” Daemon says, stepping in front of you. “Prince Daemon, this isn’t funny, you must put it back.” You say, trying to reason with him. You look between his eyes but there’s no humor in them.

You have a stand-off, Daemon standing on the stairs, holding the dragon egg. Then there’s you, cowered down, covered in food. “I can’t let you leave this castle with that. I would never forgive myself. The king would never forgive me.” You say, letting him know you’re not backing down.

“What makes you think you can stop me?” He says, giving you a laugh that makes your skin crawl. You don’t actually know what you could do. There’s no one around, and since it’s so late, no one would be coming till morning. You couldn’t stand here all night. You couldn’t disarm him, or take it back. His strength very much outnumbers yours.

“That’s what I thought.” He steps past you, as you just stand there, still trying to think of a way to stop him. “Why?” You say, at least needing to know that. He stops in his tracks, turning around to you. “Because it’s fun disrupting things. Being the reason they’re not how they should be.” He steps back towards you. “You look like you’ve never disrupted a thing in your life. I bet you’d like it.”

You shake your head. “Not everyone likes chaos. It’s fulfilling to follow the rules.” He laughs in your face. “Why don’t I show you disruption. Since you think stealing an egg is a criminal offense.” He says, grasping your bicep.

Your eyebrows furrow, standing firm in your spot. “No, just go, they’ll know who did it soon enough.” You say, not wanting to fight with him. He ignores you and pulls you down the hall. “Rhaenyra will be expecting me.” You try to give him a good enough reason to stop his charade.

Every word falls on deaf ears. It’s as if the prince has already made his mind up, and you were the last person in the world who could change it. You start to get frantic when you step outside into the cold air. “Stop, I’m sorry for saying anything. Just let me go.” You begin to plead.

Daemon continues to drag you down to the beach. You see Caraxes waiting there in the distance. You’d never saw a dragon up close. Rhaenyra refused to let you in the pit with her, she feared for your safety. “Please!” You fall to the ground. Now you were terrified. You know the princes’ history. He has no problems with turning you to ash right on this beach.

“I’m too young to die!” You wail out, giving every last shot at survival. Daemon let’s you go, and stands there watching your outburst. “You poor thing. I’m not going to kill you. I’m taking you with me.”. That does nothing to calm you.

“So you can kill me later? No thanks.” You say, laying down on the sand. “I can’t run, or fight you. So kill me now.” You say, at least wanting to die on your own terms.

Daemon bursts out in laughter. You look at him as if he’s a mad man. “You’re getting on that dragon.” He walks over to Caraxes, hiding the egg in a satchel strapped to them. He walks back over to you, grabbing each of your ankles. “Now either I’m dragging you up there, or you can climb yourself. You decide.” You wince as he squeezes your ankles, letting his anger show.

You nod, just wanting him to release your feet. “Good girl.” He turns around, climbing up the side of the dragon. You fall behind him, situating yourself in the leather seat. Your hands shake as you search for something to hold onto.

Daemon wraps a hold around his right hand, and rests his left on your knee beside him, he turns his head, looking back at you. “Scared?”. He thinks this is just a game, you remain quiet as he places your hands on his waist “Just hold on.”

[picafreesita]

🌈4🌈

When my head touched the pillow in an instant, the morning light arrived…

Exactly, it was already daylight.

I quickly got up, looked around, next to me I had Sally and Julie peacefully asleep, the occasional snore coming out of their mouths. It was as if they had actually slept more hours than I felt. What was happening? Sunlight flooded the house just like yesterday's birdsong.

From outside you could hear a good morning. I went out and went to the first window I could find, opened it and watched as the neighborhood filled with life again with the neighbors.

Wait…what was that smell?

It was strange, it was as if it were something dead, a nauseating smell that was mixed with hints of sweet smell; I had never smelled anything like that. I took several inhalations to look for its origin, this only made me begin to lean forward, allowing a part of my body to come out of the window.

I turned to look down.

Its colors were vibrant, it was as if a rainbow rested on each petal except for some that were a deep blue color that took away the symmetry of its beauty; Although this sounded like the most incredible thing about their figure is not compared to those black and white spots that stole the spotlight from the rest, I would swear that they seemed to be… eyes

I frowned as I felt a new wave of his foul scent.

"Good morning, Jolly" Poppy greeted me from the street, I could see her standing.

"Oh hello"

She walked towards me and told me

"Do you really like flowers? They are wonderful, don't you think?"

"The aroma calls me… a strange aroma, I had never smelled anything like it"

"Where do you come from the pansies don´t exist? These grow everywhere, you could even find them in soup. Sometimes I like to use them for that, they give it a good touch with other ingredients"

"I guess it tastes better than it smells, its smell is horrible" I let out a small laugh.

"That can't be"

Poppy bent down to cut one of those flowers and then smell it.

"To me, it seems like a sweet and splendid smell, even Eddie and Julie make wreaths with them"

She handed it to me and I smelled it again, in a quick reaction I frowned and moved it away from me.

"Maybe the problem is my nose, it may be broken"

"Oh no! Let me see" With her big wings she took my face to see it closer to her, she held me so tightly that the only thing on the other side of the window was my feet hanging on its frame.

"It seems that everything is in order," she said with a sigh of relief, returning me inside.

"Oh, good morning Poppy," Sally greeted behind me. The two girls slowly walked out of the pillow fort.

"Hello girls" She kindly waved one of her wings as a greeting.

"Yes, I'm hungry. What do you want for breakfast?" Julie asked.

"Waffles! "Let's make waffles!" she said, Sally.

"I'll see you in a while, enjoy your breakfast," Poppy said saying goodbye and walking away from the window.

Both girls shouted:

-We will do it!-

During breakfast, Sally and Julie began to play with their food, they decorated it with colored sprinkles and syrups of all the flavors you can imagine to form funny faces on them, I don't know if it was just me but my waffle looked like…

"David" I whispered in a sad tone.

"Did you say something? Is there something wrong with your Mr. waffle?" Sally asked.

"No, nothing. Only Mr. Waffle is very delicious" I responded with a smile.

Looking at the clock in the living room I noticed that it was 10 in the morning.

"I think I better get ready to leave" I interrupted and then got up on the table.

"Wait!"

Julie also got up and told me:

"I have been thinking and we should wash and even mend your clothes"

"It's true, you should leave completely renewed. This way you will have much more strength to find your friends,” Sally replied.

"I really don't want to abuse your kindness" I responded.

"I insist, now we are friends. And friends always support each other"

I guess they had a good point, what I was wearing were nothing more than scraps that I found along my way, things that I could even consider as proof of my survival.

"So what am I going to use? I don't think I can´t spend most of the day in my pajamas"

"Let's see what's in my closet, you may be a little taller than me, but I Julie "fashion icon" know that I have something perfect for you, trust my magical design skills," She said moving his fingers while He began to walk backward until he entered the room.

"Come on!" Sally said pushing me inside. After they finished getting ready it was my turn.

I scrolled through thousands of outfits, some that were tight and some that were too baggy, many more was like something Sally said "didn't suit my vibe," from plain colored clothes to those that had the most eye-catching patterns I've ever seen. Dresses, pants, scarves, shirts, and more flew through the air creating thousands of possible combinations.

"Wait a minute, I think I found the perfect outfit!" Julie said, confident of herself.

In a last round, they dressed me in a three-piece outfit along with some white high-waisted boots. It was a long, puffy, colorful shirt that was accompanied by a black vest with hearts sewn on as pockets and along with an orange skirt.

"I think…I think I like it" I said

"It's perfect!" They shouted at the same time.

"But there's still something to fix, and that's your hairstyle," Sally said.

"That´s a cinch!" I was dragged again, only now towards the bathroom where they began to brush.

"Gosh, I didn't realize that many parts of your hair are shorter than others everywhere"

"I cut it myself" I confessed embarrassed.

"I'll have to match it. Sally, scissors"

A hairdressing gown had covered me up to my shoulders.

"Let's get to work!" Julie exclaimed.

After a certain time, I began to see many strands sliding smoothly on the hairdressing gown.

"Now we have to style it"

With a few more brushes and several passes of hairspray, Julie was finally done.

"Vuala! My masterpiece!"

When I looked in the mirror I couldn't believe that it was me that was in front of me, I got up and took off the hairdressing gown revealing the complete look.

"Wow"

Sally laughed and said:

"Yes, you are pretty"

I couldn't stop looking at me from head to toe. Am I really pretty?

"Very well, since we are all ready, it is time to go" Julie indicated.

She took my clothes and put them in a yellow bag.

We left the house heading to Poppy's house which was sitting knitting near one of her windows. Julie kindly asked her to fix my clothes and she accepted the task without any problem and even told me that I looked very pretty.

"Thank you," I said shyly.

When we said goodbye we walked to Wally's house to find out what he had in store for us that day.

🌈3<<<;<<<<<<<< >>>>>>>>>>>>5🌈

[live-laugh-legolas]

yes hello hi can u please do like. Any pippin x fem!reader (maybe hobbit fem reader??) content bc I am Starved of Pippin content. literally DEPRIVED atm. hcs or literally anything PLS MAY I HAVE A SCRAP also I love your hcs sm??? all so accurate how actually

Thank you! I’ve actually done a pippin x hobbit!reader but Pippin is such a sweetie and I love him so here are some more crumbs, however not all are x reader

Pippin headcanons

-Definitely has bad seasonal allergies and will sneeze on you

-But he has a cute little sneeze like a kitten

-Also kinda random but he also shakes his head after sneezing

-I’ve mentioned before in a few other posts that he is very much like a dog; specifically those family dogs that are just happy go lucky and love everyone unconditionally

-Give him compliments and praise and he will do anything to get more

-You like it when he does the dishes? And he does a great job? Congrats you won’t have to do the dishes again until he forgets that he is supposed to do them

-If you are someone who likes to fiddle with hair he’s the first to volunteer

-Make him a flower crown and he will wear it with great pride

-He sings to himself while doing chores

-Sometimes he will make up little tunes about you; usually nice…but sometimes to tease you

-But you can’t be mad at him because that smile is just too sweet

-Seriously this hobbit has major pretty privilege

-Possibly the only reason Gandalf didn’t literally punt him

-Can and will talk to anyone; It’s truly an admirable skill

-I like to picture him going up to a scary looking gang of big guys and just befriending them

-Everyone thinks he is going to get himself killed at best; but he ends up with the scariest bodyguards

-“We have only had Pippin for a day and a half but if anything happened to him we would kill everyone in this room and then ourselves”

-Some people hate being picked up but he will not even acknowledge anything has happened if you pick him up

-I think he probably likes being carried around by big folk

-Hand him anything and he will hold it no questions asked and may not even look to see what it is (like how people don’t question what you hand them when they are talking on the phone)

-Tried to befriend a goose as a child; The goose did not want to be his friend

-He leaves little scribbled out notes everywhere. On his arm, and scrap paper, your arm, etc. because he forgets things often

-Will always challenge you to a rock skipping challenge but he has only ever gotten a rock to skip one time

-But hobbits like throwing things I think or at least are very good at it so it’s all good fun anyway

-Just shows up at your house randomly and will eat your food while waiting for you to notice or come home

-Don’t worry about how he got in if it was locked, it’s probably fine…

Headcanons like this are something I’m sure I will think of more, and probably better ones after I have this up so I may add too it

Hope this was alright :)

[thesharktanksdriver]

Voices (Platonic)

From as early as you could remember you never felt truly alone in this world

Even after being left with no parents

Just only as yourself against this great big world you

A young kid without a cent to your name nor a home to go to

Just the open land and the small towns you’d end up staying at for momentary rest

Despite all the odds set against you

Despite the fact your should’ve been dead within the month you were left to die

You persevered

You survived

With only the help of yourself and the voices in your head that would advise you of what to do

As odd as that sounds the voices had been the closest thing you’d had to Friends and a family

The chorus of them telling you how to survive

That you need to ration food, that not clear water was to be avoided when you needed a drink, scavenge for food

There were many of them in the depths of your mind

All of which sounded distinct yet melded together into a symphony

But out of the sea of them one always stuck out from the rest

The others would quiet when he spoke, a deep yet relaxed voice that would echo

He’d speak only a few times when the others were indecisive, but when he did there was a certain air to it

He was the leader of them

His opinion was final to them as was your own on the subject you needed help on

Though his options could be…less law abiding than they probably should be it was for your sake

So your follow his suggestions to get by

You travel from place to place

Going to the west coast in the winter

Traveling everywhere else when summer and spring rolled around

It wasn’t easy but that was your life

Living off the land and mother natures resources

You’d push though the hours from sunrise to sunset

Falling asleep as they sing you lullabies within the confines of your mind

Cooing at how adorable you looked as you curled up under some scraps of cloth

Looking up towards the stars as the leader of them told you myths of their creation

How the constellations that had guided your way had stories tied to them

Like Orion forget hunting Ursa Major in the night sky

Life is strenuous but it is worth it to survive

You end up in yet another town on your travels after grabbing some apples from an orchard

They leave a sweet coating of juice in your mouth as you duck into an alleyway for shade

The voices (whom at this point told to you to call them “chat”) talking within your mind

Spouting out small ideas of what to do next as you take a swig of water

You’d found a flask a couple weeks back from an old drunkard

He was passed out so you took it as your own

Washed it out and replacing it with water on the suggestion of chat

Apparently the amber liquid stored in it wasn’t good for you

“So where to next?”

“ I say we go to cali” “nah I say Canada” “oh, oh! What about Kansas” “New York?” “Eh, unless you want them to be stabbed the minute they arrive” “hey New York isn’t that bad, it’s Chicago you have to worry about” “average New Yorker L” “oh screw off-“

“Heading to San Diego should be a focus for us. It’s getting colder and it’ll take awhile to get there”

The others quiet down hearing the voice whom called himself “Techno” speak

Then erupting in murmured agreements making you nod

You get up from sitting on a nearby box when you suddenly hear something

Shouting along with the scream of a woman

Despite the protests of chat you stalk further into the alley

Picking up a stray beer bottle as you peak out from behind a corner

There’s a man with his back facing you, in ragged clothes as he holds a woman with what seems to be a knife pointed at her

Across from him is a man, presumably her husband with long golden locks that curled at the ends

He’s glaring at the mugger, before his eyes fall on you

Your eyes are trained on the man holding the woman hostage

The broken bottle in your hand feeling lighter as you feel a feeling wash over you

Blood

You wanted- no NEEDED blood

Blood for the blood god is changed in your head as you see red

Everything is a blur

One moment your gripping the broken bottle about to help the lady and the next your standing over the injured form of the mugger

Blood splattered on your face and hands as the lady you saved and her husband kneel down and look at your worriedly

Curious, no one except the voices had ever expressed care for you

Others would look at you in disdain and anger for just existing

Yet these obviously well off couple are wiping the blood off your face

“Dear lord are you ok?! Funny! Should we get them to a doctor?”

“Ill go get one and try to find their parents-“

“I don’t have those, also I don’t really have the money for a doctor. Thanks for the offer though”

They both go silent at that, staring at you with confusion that morphs into horror

“So your saying your an orph-“

“Nononono, I am NOT and orphan.” You pause for a moment thinking of how to phrase is before responding back with “I’m just a child without any adult figures in their life left to fend on their own. I’m not a blood sucking orphan, there’s a difference” Via the suggestion of one of the voices

Honestly for them to even suggest that makes the voices get all rowdy in your head

Calling the two “plebs” and mumbling “common L”

You swear if you weren’t used to this you’d have a migraine by now

Both look at you even more worried

Glancing back to one another before the woman offers you a hand

Your hesitant to take it but decided to do so when they offer to take you in

An opportunity you knew you couldn’t pass up

The couple you now formally knew as scarlet and Funny Valentine take you in as their own after this encounter

It’s weird for you at first

For all your life you had to fight for everything

Food, water and clothes were luxuries you barely came across

At night you’d almost freeze and in the days you’d be baked alive by the sun

So now having all resources without so much as a word is confusing

It’s certainly nice…but still something you need to get used to

Both Scarlet and Finny are understanding though

They seem to know that this a process for you

And are understanding when you don’t initially trust them or seem confused when they tell you to have a brush your hair in the morning

You can’t eat a lot at first, your body not being able to handle it

It’s still hard getting used to having a full stomach rather than empty on the point of collapse

Funny is especially empathetic though

Handing you the foods in which you desire as you take small nibbles

Slowly and slowly filling yourself up and upping the amounts you eat as time progresses

Chat helps ease you into this as well, telling you to take things slowly

Telling you when to up the proportions slightly as your meals get bigger

In this time you find yourself often talking to the man whom had taken you in

His conversations with you are warm-hearted

Often tinged in a certain sweetness as he sits beside you on the countertop

Munching down on an apple as you talked of the stories told to you

Odysseus and his journey home

The fate of Jason and the karma of it

Or the tragedy of Orpheus and Eurydice

To your surprise he finds himself interested as you regale these tales

No one but chat had ever really listened to you

So you enjoy these small moments with him as he tells his own

Particularly of his father and philosophy of the napkin analogy that he uses on a day to day basis

You grow into a routine and the normality of your new home

Fresh meals, hot baths and comfortable clothes

Being able to have the privilege to be able to say you have a loving set of parents

One’s who helped you with your education and let you run free

A year or two later you began gardening after seeing the large estate seeming rather empty

Just an empty lot of greenery, not even used for flowers

Scarlet and Funny let you begin your garden that slowly grows in size

You grow many vegetables and Berries but more specifically potato’s

Techno had extensive knowledge due to something he called the “potato war”

So your in particularly good hands when you begin to grow the crop

It is during that time that you begin to see a figure

It starts off as small glances at first

In the corner of your eyes as a translucent figure momentarily catches it

But then you see it…well rather him more consistently

Until finally one night you fully interact with the figure

It’s another late night that you find yourself laying awake in bed

It is dark yet your not afraid

You were used to pitch darkness by now, your eyes adjusted to the lack of light letting you get up and navigate out your room

The long hallways creaking quietly beneath the weight of your footsteps

Wool socks cushioning the sound ever so slightly as you sneak through the olds halls

By now you know the house by heart

Knowing where all the loose floorboards are and how the last step of the stairs bended too much into the hardwood ground so you had to be slightly careful

You end up in the kitchen like usual

Picking up a small snack of an orange

Turning around to see the figure

Long pink hair, a crown placed upon his head, red cape lined with soft fur and a mask of a pig

Tusks poking out giving him a more intimidating look

Your hand grabs a nearby knife holding it out to him defensively

“Easy kiddo, it’s just me”

Your eyes widen at that familiar voice as Chat begins yelling in your mind

“Holy shit!” “Plot twist of the century” “look at him! Our boy!” “Damn he be looking stylish” “the drip fr” “the blood god and the blood messiah”

“Blood messiah?”

“Yeah…so here’s the deal kid”

He tells you about how he is what’s called the “blood god” and that your his “blood messiah” or aka his chosen human to carry his power/his apprentice of sorts

It makes sense to you now why he taught you so much growing up

“What’s with chat though?”

“Eh, their just a package deal with me unfortunately. Like an extra freebie in a deal”

“Bruh did we just be called an extra” “L” “the disrespect”

“Shut up guys, we can still hear you all”

As his blood messiah you are gifted his strength along with his guidance

But with that comes the price of those perks

To use his power you needed blood of some sort, and with that came a bloodlust that will occasionally overwhelm you

A small price to pay for his power

“So when that mugger…”

“Yeah that was a taste of it. Not the best thing to deal with, but I’m gonna teach you to deal with it”

“So uh…what now?”

“Focus on you, What you want in the moment. Some big stuff is happening, war and death brewing as we speak. So you have to make use of the time you have now to enjoy life, be a kid”

You nod, watching as he smiles and ruffles your hair

“There’s a lot you need to learn but for now we’ll take it slow.”

“Alright”

“Chin up kid, don’t let your crown fall”

After saying this he flicks your forehead and disappears

His laughter filling your mind as your left staring in the spot he once stood

Moonlight casting a dim glow in the kitchen

A week after this occurred you end up asking at dinner if you could have horseback lessons

It is out of nowhere and it leaves both your parents stunned for a moment before both eagerly with excitement assure you that your more than welcome to do so

You’d never really asked for much whilst in their care

Clothes and toys never on your list of wants

Hell, it took a whole interrogation for them to try and figure out that you like books

Most specifically (and somewhat oddly) the art of war

So having you just openly ask for something is a big thing for your parents

A day later Funny and Scarlet are taking you out to a ranch with several horses lined up in their stables

You make a B-line towards the end of the stables to find a lone horse

An Andalusian, with a mainly grey coat that has speckles of black and a light coloured mane

A beautiful stallion that seems to call out to you

“You sure you want her?, she’s not the most cooperative”

“Even better. She has stubbornness, I like that”

The man gives you an odd look but shrugs as you enter her stall

She’s even more beautiful up close

And her personality is more apparent when the horse gives a loud gust of a sigh out her nose

You have a feeling she’s the perfect choice

The next coming months you slowly learn the basics of horseback along with getting to know the mare who was named “cure”

At first the horse was resistant to the idea of letting you be her rider

And there were many scuffles that had left your bruised and bloodied

None of which phased you and just left you with a smile as you whipped away the blood

But with the course of time she began to warm up to you

Because you hadn’t saw her as below you

You were her equal

For as rider and steed there had to be mutual respect of each other

It is gradual but you get better

Get more comfortable with Cure running to her hearts content

Techno and the voices once again help with some tips

The blood god talking of his own steed named Carl who resided within his realm

Her saddle was exclusively for you and neither of you would have it any other way

Riding her and feeling the wind scrap across your face was a feeling you now didn’t know how to live without

Watching you speed past the other horses as she jumps over a fence and just keeps going

It turns out to be something that Funny and Scarlet end up watching as you blindly smile

It is perhaps one of the happiest they’d seen you

Just running free as you were so many years ago

You are happy and content

But that can’t last forever

Especially as your father brews something

It comes to you like a slap to the face when he reveals he’s gonna run for president

The voices, but especially Techno rousing in anger as he talks of his plans to run the country

You couldn’t help excuse yourself as the yelling in your head caused a small migraine

For all your life till this point Techno had taught you of how power pollutes

That anarchy was better than government because of the factor that no one person was in power

It couldn’t fall into a dictatorship is no one was in charge

That these appointed leaders thought themselves to be god and looked down on their subjects

Until they are brought down from their pedestal via a guillotine

It leaves you conflicted because this was your father

The one who had taken you in when no one else would

Feed, clothed and made sure you had a roof over your head

The man who proudly proclaimed that you were his child despite no blood being shared between the two of you

A man who smiled proudly when you rode atop Cure and worried himself to death when the horse stubbornly bucked you off her back

Your left conflicted

It only gets worse as his campaign is seeming to prove successful with the people

Whilst your left to try and act happy for him despite the yelling in your mind

It is a difficult time for you, more difficult than your early years on the streets

Cause at least then there wasn’t the emotional turmoil you felt ripping apart your insides

There wasn’t the divide between your morals of hating government and loving your dad

You hope he somehow doesn’t win but no god answers your prayer

At his inauguration your left standing near him and Scarlet

An empty reserved smile plastered on your face as you hold back tears

The voice shave stopped screaming

They are remorseful as is Techno who try to comfort you when seeing you break down internally

Your heart fighting against your mind

Being left in a stalemate, a limbo of confusion

You try to spend more time with mom after that, using the excuse of not wanting to bother your dad

It works but there’s a noticeable sadness you see in his eyes when you excuse yourself from his presence

Scarlet is more than happy to spend time with you though

She takes you shopping with her

Buying you the latest blouses of your desire along with jewelry that catches your eye

Apparently due to Techno you have some weird fascination with gold, something he says has transferred to you

With spending time out with her though you begin to notice how her eyes linger

You know for a fact she loves your dad

But you see her looking intently at women

A stare that not of just of the friendly type

No, it’s deep and intense

Tinted with a undertone of something else that you don’t wish to think of

Her seeming attraction is none of your business though

So you ignore it and spend time with her at cafe’s as squads of guards flock to your sides

Not knowing you were likely the most dangerous person in the room

You find it annoying to now constantly have people flanking you whoever you went

The guards themselves are fine but you wanted to be alone when planting potatoes

Or riding Cure

Well…at least your potato business has been booming as of late due to your dad

But that leaves a bit of a bitter taste in your mouth that people are NOW interested in your delicious crops

Damn trend hoppers

In the house during the late nights you find yourself now more restless than usual

That feeling of bloodlust that was managers now getting worse and worse as time progressed

Sometimes it was bad enough you found yourself on occasionally blacking out and finding yourself standing in the kitchen or by your dads office

It leaves you terrified

So terrified that your mom seemingly caught on and your dad one day asked if you were alright

You say that you are but you really aren’t

He can see through the lie as clear as day

He’s left somewhat hurt, offering you help that you vehemently deny

The bags beneath your eyes only seem to get worse as the days progress

Yet another restless night your left awake

The gnawing hunger for blood feeling as if it were pulsating within your veins

Just the thought of crimson makes it worse

The feeling of the hunger not going away

“Kid just focus on me. Gets some fresh air, alright?”

Techno’s translucent form appears once more

He’d been doing that more often but never in front of anyone else

Apparently there were people called “stand users” who could possibly hear and see him

He didn’t want to risk that

“O-ok”

You stumble out your room

Hand scraping against the wallpaper as your walk past several familiar doors

There’s darkness expert for a sliver of light coming out from the door of your dads office

…strange he’s usually not awake at 4 am even though he’s been staying up later than usual

You end up highjacking your original goal and heading for his door

Being careful not to hit any loose floorboards as you listen to him speaking…to himself?

You can hear his speaking aloud and his voice also responding back

It leaves you confused along with Techno and the voices who all chime in with the thought of him being crazy or cracking under the pressure

But you know your dad well enough to know it isn’t either

You decide to bend down and stare through the keyhole

“Do you think this could really work?”

“It has to, plus it’s more convenient as a cover story. People interfering can be eliminated and be written off as weather conditions or incompetence.”

“There will be people watching though”

“It’ll get the countries spirits up. Things will only get better when we get the corpse parts, it’s only uphill from here”

There in the office is two versions of your father conversing with one another

Oblivious to your spying as your left shocked at whatever the fuck This revelation was

“Stand user, and it doesn’t sound like he has something good planned if I’m honest”

Techno’s words seem to reverberated in your mind

As your left jaw agape just staring

No, your father was a kind man

He would never-

“Sacrifices will likely need to be made. I’m willing to make them though for the greater good of my country, for my family”

You feel sick, stomach swirling as you walk back

And then you step on a creaky board

You hear both of them still whatever conversation that we’re having

Your left momentarily frozen as the door opens

Whatever hostility in his eyes fades, they soften at the sight of you

“Dear are you ok? What are you doing up so late? You need sleep, those bags under your eyes are worrying me and your mom”

Time to bullshit your way out of this

“I…I had a nightmare. I went to get my mind off it and saw you were awake so..”

He gives a soft smile, ushering you in

You do so with some hesitance as he guides you to the plush seat his clone? Was sitting on earlier

“What was it about?”

You pause to think of an answers after a moment

“You”

His eyes widen ever so slightly before he presses and asks “what exactly about me?”

“I…had a dream that you changed. That when you became president you weren’t the same person, that you became…” you Try to find the right word “corrupted”

His eyes become gentle once more as he ushers you into a hug

It is warm and you wish to revel in it more

His hand weaving it’s way into rubbing a comforting motion of circles into your scalp

“You have nothing to fear. Nothing like that would ever happen, because I do, I do for you and our people”

Perhaps that is what scares you the most in this situation

The lengths he would go in doing what he believed was right even if he couldn’t see the harm he was truly doing

It was a pipeline

A downward spiral he would not see

It sets in motion what you know that you need to do

You enjoy in the last time you’d likely feel the warmth of his hug

For in the morning you’d be gone before they even knew it

You had to stop whatever he had planned

[beemovieerotica]

domestication

"To be quite honest, Mister..." the Cat Ambassador begins.

"Fell.”

"Mister Fell, to be quite frank with you, my people are not interested in being pet as much as our neighbors to the east are keen to enjoy." The cat chances a sideways glance in the direction of the Dog Ambassador, who has already prostrated himself at the foot of Mr. Fell to receive a thorough ear-scratching.

"We will take you up on your offer of nice foods," she continues, "But this excessive...touching won't be necessary."

The Chicken Ambassador bobs her head in accord. And continues bobbing.

"But once in a while is fine," the cat quickly adds, feeling she may have insulted the Dog Ambassador. He is not listening. He is receiving a belly-rub.

"Good good, not a problem at all." Aziraphale gives the dog two end-of-belly-rub pats and straightens back up in his chair to address his notes. "So, we have cats offering pest control, pigs offering food, chickens offering food and eggs, and all of you will receive your fair portion of necessary grains and food scraps daily. Now, horses, you requested...?"

"Foot care."

"Noted."

As Aziraphale scribbles away, the animals all look around the table, a simple square table in a small patch of ether, not too formal of an affair, stick-on name tags for each attendee, as this was the beginning of domestication and funding was tight. Their many eyes search the faces of their companions, half-challenging, looking for any glint of weakness as each is certain that their own deal was the deal best bargained.

"So that leaves..." Aziraphale flips through his pages, humming. The animals glance around, until their eyes rest on two so-far silent figures, and an expectant hush falls upon the room. Aziraphale stops his hum and looks up.

The Cow and Bull Ambassadors, a married pair, are hunched at one side of the square table with their bulk filling the full side and heaping out into the space around them. The Goat Ambassador looks them up and down, chewing slowly; and in accord with their distant familial ties, she elects to keep them distant.

"Bull and Cow," the bull says. "Happy to oblige."

"Well met, Bull and Cow," Aziraphale replies. "And what do you have to offer?"

"We'll give you milk," the cow begins, "more than one man could possibly drink in one day."

The goat stops chewing.

"Meat," the bull adds. "Everything you see here."

The pig snorts.

"And all the work that the horses do, but no complaints, and no shoes needed."

The horse blows a hot gust of air out of his nose and the rest of the animals turn to one another, incredulous, noises rising to an almost deafening din.

"And what do you request in return?" Aziraphale’s disembodied voice soars over the crowd. Peacock Ambassador is on the table, feathers out, blocking the angel’s face in full defiant display.

"Grass," the bull replies. The animals fall silent.

"But you already have grass. Grass is free."

"Grass," the bull repeats louder, as if Aziraphale didn't hear.

"Yes, alright, well, grass grows everywhere, that's not something I give you, you would just find it in your free time anyway," Aziraphale says.

"That's fair."

"No, I don't think you—what can I give you for taking your meat and milk?" Aziraphale demands.

"I don't know," the bull says, glancing at the cow. "Grass?"

Cow sighs and offers a hopeless shrug. "Mister Fell, you may as well take his balls too. God knows he's not using them now."