#a point of tension somewhere down the road

[sifutoph]

need us to stop being a silly little guy for one second and acknowledge that t0ph is rude and it isn't some funny trait. it's a flaw. its a reaction, sure, because her whole life she'd needed to play the part of being the obedient little girl and her rudeness is a result of wanting to affirm her independence and probs as a legitimate way to exercise her confidence and/or to go about her establishing boundaries or things she didn't like, but it's still a huge flaw.

[vampsol]

BUT DADDY I LOVE HIM | 심재윤

⟢ PAIRING: sim (jake) jaeyun x fem!reader ⟢ WORD COUNT: 10.2K ⟢ GENRE: fluff, angst, smut ⟢ TAGS: badboy!au, innocent!reader, opposites attract, sexual tension, corruption kink, dirty talk, fingering, oral (m + f receiving), 69, pet names (baby, angel, etc.), face sitting, protected sex. ⟢ SYNOPSIS: Just because there's a new and seemingly bad influence in your small town, it doesn't mean you have to fall privy to his charms, no matter how beautiful he is. But when he takes notice of you, none of the gossiping wine moms can stop him from getting what he wants. ➸ shoutout to @kwanisms and @mini-mews for helping this fic come to fruition, ily guys sm and this is genuinely one of my favorite pieces ive ever written aaa.

“Have you heard about the new family who moved into town? The son is a real piece of work!”

“He’s twenty-one but acts like he’s still sixteen on that damn motorcycle. No class or consideration whatsoever!”

“Maybe they’ll keep him in check if they decide to come to church this weekend. You know Reverend Park has no time for miscreants and delinquents.”

The familiar crowd on your mother’s front porch greets you as you’re attempting to exit the house. They cool themselves off with their makeshift fans and drink your mother’s homemade lemonade in the Saturday sun, continuing to harp on the locals in town that they’ve known for years.

Somewhere in their conversation, they drifted to the topic of the new family that moved in across the street. Three days was all it took for them to begin spouting their judgemental observations, every act from the new middle-aged couple and their son fodder for their discussion.

You smile politely with every fiber of your being, despite your instincts to snap at them and be on your merry way. If only they knew how ironic they are, pointing fingers at others from their high horses when the town kept enough space for their dirty little secrets. “Nice to see you this morning, ladies.”

They say your name with grace, their tones all air with little substance. “On your way to bible study?” Mrs. Choi asks, gazing at you from the rim of her glass.

You shake your head. “Just tutoring.”

“With the Nishimura boy? What a sweet kid.” When Riki’s name leaves Mrs. Lee’s lips, all the women hum in agreement. “Such a bright future ahead of him.”

“Of course, as long as he passes English,” you joke. The women’s faces don’t change, not taking your teasing with an ounce of anything but seriousness. The bags under their eyes, lipstick smudged in the tiny corners of their teeth, and piercing attitudes begin to damper your excitement for the day. You bid them goodbye quickly with another smile, walking down the stairs and onto the path down the street.

As you turn down the sidewalk, still hearing the resounding chatter from the women, your thoughts run wild. Is this what life would be like when you were older, doing nothing but kicking your feet up on a neighbor’s porch with only other people’s business to fill your time? Spending endless days and nights at church, listening to the same sermons leave Reverend Park’s lips until you become as overly critical as they all are?

The screech of tires halts your thoughts in their place. “Watch it!” A young man’s voice pierces the morning air, making you step back even further. You hadn’t realized how far you had walked into the road until you were back on the safety of the sidewalk. You trip on a crack between the two slabs of concrete, falling backwards and meeting the ground hard.

“Shit, are you okay?” He takes his helmet off, immediately hooking it to his handlebars to check on you.

Sim Jaeyun.

You had not met him formally until this moment, but the motorcycle and undeniable looks gave away his status as your new neighbor. Your parents had decided to let the new family settle in before trying to visit and introduce themselves. If they could see you now, your maxi skirt hitched up to your knees and the boy barely a foot away from you, they would have had a field day.

Sure, you both are of age. Butlike Mrs. Choi, Mrs. Lee, and other local townsfolk always do, people will talk about such a compromising position if you aren’t careful.

All those thoughts fade away though when Jake kneels beside you, his face flooded with concern. His eyes linger on the broken skin on your legs and then across your flushed face. “Does it hurt?”

You shake your head. “It’s barely a scratch. Sorry I almost ran into you.”

“More like almost ran into my bike.” He laughs, his expression one of relief as well as humor. “I’m just glad you’re in one piece.”

“Thank the lord.” You brush your hands on your skirt and begin to stand up, but Jake grabs you by the hand to help, taking all your weight with him.

“Thank you,” you say, brushing the free hair from your braid out of your face.

“You’re welcome.” He unclips his helmet from the bar and gestures back to his bike. “I can drive you to wherever you’re going if you want. I don’t have a second helmet, but–”

You can’t help the laugh that escapes your lips, the thought of riding on the back of a motorcycle too ridiculous to envision given your status as the deacon’s daughter. What would people say?

Jake just furrows his brows, his lips turning up at the corners. “Is my offer that funny?”

“No,” you say, “I would love to, it’s just–”

“Sim Jaeyun!” The shrill sound of Mrs. Choi’s voice makes you take another step away from Jake, unaware you were as close as you were to him. His presence seems to be magnetic, just like his smile. “Stay away from her or so help me God!”

Jake turns to the old woman down the road and nods his head, trying to be respectful but clearly irritated from her meddling. “Yes ma’am,” he yells, stepping back and getting closer to his bike.

“Maybe another time,” Jake says, “when you’re not flocked by the whining wine moms.”

You laugh and nod. “Maybe.”

Jake rides away on his bike, the wispy ends of his hair your last picture of him before he makes a sharp turn at the end of your street.

“Why do I need to learn this?” Riki groans, laying his head flat against his desk. The church bells ring as he knocks his head in the same rhythm against the polished wood.

“Because you need to be able to interpret text if you want to go off to college, Nishi. Otherwise you’ll be illiterate and an embarrassment to the entire town!” You put on your best harping, disapproving voice. It makes Riki laugh as he lifts his head. You’re glad at least the younger kids appreciate your sense of humor, unlike the older brood flooding your hometown.

“Alright, fine.” He opens his copy of Heart of Darkness, beginning to read the page in front of him. “I avoided a vast artificial hole somebody had been digging on the slope…”

A knock on the classroom door makes you and Riki turn. Yeri opens it with a shy grin, saying your name with the same nature. “Someone’s here to see you!”

“Who?”

“Some cute guy on a motorcycle? But don’t tell Jungwon I said that!” She runs back out the door and leaves you puzzled. Surely it’s not Jake. You just met him; he wouldn’t make the effort to try and follow you to your tutoring session, especially at the church of all places.

You head to the window to see Jake sitting against his bike, looking around at his surroundings. He’s wearing the same leather jacket and gray jeans, his white shirt marked with several spots of sweat. Riki comes up behind you, making a sound of acknowledgement. “Oh, that’s Jake!”

“Jake?” You look closer. “I thought his name was Jaeyun.”

“Yeah, but I call him Jake.” He laughs. “He’s my cousin.”

You nod your head, taking in his words. Jake’s sudden move made a lot more sense, seeing as Riki’s mother was getting sicker every day. She must have needed some help from her family to not only manage her household, but make sure Riki stayed on track.

“He probably wants to see you. Yeri must’ve gotten it all mixed up.”

Riki grabs his phone, scrolling through texts with his thumb. “Actually, he did mention almost running over a cute girl on his way to work.” The young boy smirks. “I’m gonna assume that’s you?”

You blush, the flush on your cheeks making you feel hot. “Whatever. He’s probably just picking you up!”

“I brought my own bicycle, dude. And as cool as Jake is, his driving makes me nauseous.” Riki begins packing up his belongings on the desk as you wonder what Jake would want to say that hadn’t already been said earlier. Surely he had no interest in talking to you beyond another apology for almost killing you earlier, not that you would have noticed.

As your thoughts continue on, you barely hear Riki’s parting words. “Have fun making out with my cousin!”

You venture outside and are greeted to Jake’s soft smile as he looks you over. “Didn’t expect you to be teaching my cousin how to read.”

You laugh. “When would that have come up? Before or after I fell face-first on the sidewalk?”

“Technically, you fell on your ass.” He looks over the cuts on your leg again. “Still doesn’t hurt?”

“Barely remember it.”

“Damn. Didn’t realize I was so forgettable,” he teases. You shuck your backpack over your shoulder, pretending his joke didn’t land. But you can’t help how your mouth curves into a grin. “Wanna take me up on that ride now? I don’t see any wine moms in sight.”

Being clear headed and not in the midst of a compromising position, you take a better look at Jake. He may look rugged from the neck down, muscles standing out through his jacket, but his face is incredibly youthful and vulnerable without a touch of hardness. Maybe the wine moms had gotten it wrong; maybe Jake’s actually a stand-up guy bundled up in a lot of leather.

Before you can answer, your father seems to appear from thin air. He wraps his arm around your shoulder. “Mr. Sim, pleasure to meet you officially.”

Your father holds out his hand for Jake, and Jake takes it with a steadfast grip. “Nice to meet you too sir. My mother was telling me how much you’ve been helping my aunt since she can’t attend services anymore.”

“Akemi is a pillar of our church. It’s only right to take care of one of our own as the deacon.” Your father squeezes you tighter to his side. “Glad to see you and my daughter have met. I hope she’s made a good impression upon you.”

“Yes sir. Very much so.” He smiles in your direction. The dimple in his cheek makes your heart flutter in your chest, the butterflies undeniable.

“Well, please tell your parents to come to ours soon for dinner. It would be a pleasure.” Your father begins the quick walk to his car, the silent request for you to follow him clear in his stern posture. You give Jake an apologetic smile before you leave, hoping your eyes hold the promise of taking him up on that ride someday.

When you’re both out of earshot and in the confines of your father’s car, he turns to you with a frown. “Do not get yourself involved with that boy. He doesn’t strike me as very forthcoming.”

You stutter out an excuse. Surely the first day of knowing Jake wouldn’t be the last. “F-Father–”

“Listen to me, sweetie. I know what I’m talking about.” He starts the car and begins the drive home, tightening his fists on the steering wheel. “I mean it. Do not see that boy again.”

The next morning, you’re sitting in one of the front pews with your mother, Yeri, and her mother. You see your fellow townsfolk in attendance in the other pews, Jungwon being one of them, Yeri’s longtime boyfriend. Mrs. Choi and Mrs. Lee look like they are partially focused on the attendees, but also on their own gossip.

All of you are dressed in your best outfits, your hair wrapped in a bun to maintain the peak of modesty. It doesn’t seem particularly realistic for a higher power to be judging you for your hairdo, but you gave in to your mother’s ridiculous requests as always. “We are important people in this community, darling,” your mother said as she stuck the umpteenth bobby pin in your hair. “If they can’t trust us, who can they trust?”

Riki sits behind you, his pew empty save for him. When you offer the empty spot next to you before the procession starts, he shakes his head. “Jake and his folks will be here any second.”

Your gut tightens, the words of your father playing over in your head. You know you have to heed his orders at all times, but the excitement you feel at the prospect of seeing Jake is unavoidable.

A minute before your childhood friend Heeseung sits at the piano to play the beginning of How Great Is Our God, Jake and his family walk inside. Jake’s impeccably dressed, clad in a red dress-shirt and suit pants. His sleeves are rolled up to his elbows, revealing a handful of tattoos you didn’t notice the day prior. He has his mother’s arm in one hand and a bible in the other, looking completely out of place but incredibly mesmerizing.

He winks at you when he sits down, making you turn your head back to your friend at the piano. You follow in your mother’s and Yeri’s lead, singing alongside them and forgetting the new buzz in your veins. You can feel his eyes on you throughout the songs and sermons, and you should say that you don’t enjoy it, but you don't kid yourself. His attention makes your body tingle in all the right and wrong ways.

You excuse yourself in the intermission, walking outside until you’re a good ten paces away from the church. You take several pins out of your hair, grunting. The incessant tools had been scratching your scalp uncomfortably for the past three hours, and it feels like freedom taking them out one at a time.

It isn’t that you don’t believe in a higher power or the teachings your father and Reverend Park have supplied you with your entire life. The town is just too suffocating on days like these, setting you up to feel like you aren’t good enough no matter how hard you try every day to perfect yourself.

The fashion show of your humble, presentable outfit, the whispered chatter from your community, the watchful eyes of holy men. They all make your skin crawl, that itch only intensifying with every day that passes. How could you stay in such a small room for years and feel misunderstood by everyone? 

Jake saunters up to you, making you gasp in surprise. “Jesus Christ!”

He smirks, hands stuffed in his pockets. “I thought you weren’t supposed to say his name in vain.”

You shrug, smiling in relief to find it’s just him and nobody else. No-one to meddle, judge, or question your absence. “I’ll just say a few words of penance. I’m sure he’ll forgive me.”

“I knew there was a reason I liked you.” Jake chuckles and steps closer to you, his eyes lingering on your dress. It’s incredibly modest, the only skin showing high above your cleavage. but the look in his eyes still makes your nerves tremble.

 You wonder what thoughts are swimming in his head and if a majority of them are impure. Would it be so wrong to confess that you feel the same? That whatever he’s imagining mirrors your own fantasies ten times over?

“The updo doesn’t suit you,” he says finally.

You giggle and cross your arms. “It doesn’t, huh?”

He steps closer, so close you can feel his breath on your skin. It lingers across your neck and shoulder blades. You shudder, hoping he doesn’t notice how his presence affects you. He reaches behind you and takes hold of the hair tie keeping your bun together. He expertly undoes it, your hair falling in waves around your shoulders.

Before he walks away, the church bells signaling the recommencement of the procession, he whispers in your ear, “Much more breathtaking with your hair down, angel.”

The next time you see Jake, he’s across from you at your family’s dinner table, all laughs with Jungwon and Yeri as your father passes out the rest of the side dishes. Riki is also there, discussing his mother’s treatment with your mother and Jake’s parents.

You can’t help the way your eyes attach to Jake across from you. It’s almost a form of punishment that you were made to sit in such close proximity, the weight of his stare on you swallowing you whole.

The feeling of his hand in your hair, his mouth against your ear–it was all so incredibly inappropriate. You shouldn’t have thought about that day last week with such excruciating frequency, but you did. You thought about it when you heard the wine moms whispering about Jake on your porch, when Yeri and Jungwon talked about him as you studied, and when you were alone at night. 

In your dreams, it was even more painful. In a perfect world, he would take his hand from your hair and keep it on your neck, holding you close. He would move his lips from the shell of your ear to the side of your neck, kissing and tasting what skin was available to him in that moment to make you come undone.

Yes, sitting across from him is torment. But the alternative is worse, not seeing him at all and having to conjure images of him alone in the quiet of your bedroom.

“Deacon, sir,” Jungwon pipes up from his spot next to Jake, addressing your father directly. “I was going to study with Jaeyun and Yeri at my house if you wouldn’t mind your daughter tagging along.”

The muscle in your father’s jaw clenches. He’s clearly unhappy with one of the attendees being Jake, but he hides it behind a smile. “It’s up to her. What do you think, sweetie?”

On one hand, you should absolutely say no. Jake may take you into a random spot of Jungwon’s house and make any resolve you still have disappear with the flick of his wrist. Even in the company of your friends, you know no place is safe when he’s around and close to you. And were you willing to crumble so easily?

At the same time, the distance is eating away at you. You can’t take another charged glance in your direction, words unspoken but begging to be released. If you have to catch his bedroom eyes on your body one more time, you may just snap in front of everyone, and care little when you do.

“Sure. I’d love to, Wonie,” you say with a grin. “Nishi, you want to come too?”

Riki shakes his head, enjoying the fruitcake your mom set out. “I’ll stay. Someone has to help clean up.” Jake’s mom squeezes one of his cheeks. Riki’s face suddenly turns pink from his aunt’s affection, making everyone laugh.

On your way out the door, your father catches you by the arm. He whispers, “No later than midnight. Understood?”

On the cusp of 10 PM, you want to protest that time with your friends is already so limited, but you obey with a nod and walk out the door. 

When you get in the backseat of Jungwon’s car, Jake too comfortable beside you, you feel your body flicker to life. “So,” you say, “your house then, Won?”

Yeri and Jungwon laugh, a conspiratory look in both of their eyes. “We’re just gonna make a quick stop first.”

Kiss ‘Em Creek was the unofficial name of the lake that ran through your town, a spot for teenagers to spend a few hours alone with their friends or partners. It wasn’t scientifically-correct, but it stuck nonetheless, many of the locals taking advantage of the not-so-secret hideaway. What went on there you only heard about through Yeri and the wine moms’ conversations, their voices littered with disappointment and condemnation.

Jungwon parks his car and turns his eyes to meet yours in the rearview mirror, that scheming smile still playing on his lips. “Ready to take a dip?”

Your eyes widen. You shake your head at a rapid pace, making your friends and Jake chuckle. “No way,” you say.

“C’mon babe, live a little!” Yeri winks and exits the car, Jungwon hot on her heels. The two of them begin to strip to their underwear, eager to jump in the water together. Jungwon picks her up in a bridal carry, Yeri laughing the entire way as he takes the first step into the awaiting lake.

As the two lovebirds continue heading towards the water, you and Jake sit in comfortable silence, your heartbeat slowly rising at the prospect of being alone in the car together. No distractions, no disappointed parents, no judgemental hags. Just the two of you under a cloud of stars and beautiful moonlight.

“I didn’t know if you would come tonight,” Jake says, filling the silence with a quiet chuckle. “Thought you were avoiding me at all costs, like I’m some kind of plague.”

“No!” You turn in your seat to face him. His expression is teasing but holds undercurrents of disappointment, clearly confused where your feelings lie. And he has every right to feel that way. One minute you’re wishing he would pull you closer, and the next you feel it’s better he keeps his distance. “I just don’t know what your intentions are.”

His eyes darken and his lips curve into a beautiful but intimidating smile. “Is it not obvious?”

You squeeze your thighs together, a wave of heat spreading through your bones. “Maybe I just want you to say it out loud.”

He scoots closer to you, his chest a heartbeat away from yours. “Well, to start,” he says, “I would really like to kiss you.”

You smile. A breathless laugh leaves your lips, eager to know what it would feel like to touch his mouth to yours. “I’d like that too.”

Jake runs a hand through your hair and rests it on your cheek. His touch is as fragile as the tension between you. “Then what are you so afraid of?”

You shut your eyes, trying to come up with the right words and falling short. “It’s just everyone–”

“Fuck everyone else.” He forces you to look into his eyes, the words leaving his mouth being some of the truest ones you’ve ever heard in your life. “You’re not a bad person or a sinner for wanting what you want.”

“I know that.”

“You may know it but you don’t believe it.” Jake’s lips ghost over yours, his breath tickling your cheeks. “Stop thinking about what everyone else thinks of you. Think of yourself for once.”

Maybe Jake’s right. All of your choices in life have been dictated by what your parents, friends, and total strangers have felt. If you listened to your own heart, you would have left all of them in the dust by now, chasing what you really wanted far away from this place.

At the same time, you’re glad to be in this car with Jake. He’s so close to you, telling you to take the leap and choose yourself for the first time in a long time.

When you press your lips to his, the feeling of his mouth on yours soft and tentative, you know you can’t wake up tomorrow the same person. This choice will ripple into all the choices you make from this moment on, but you don’t seem to care.

All that matters is his mouth, taking more control and setting a fire deep in your belly. He presses his tongue to the juncture of your lips, diving inside without protest.

You moan into his mouth, feeling one hand firmly pressed on your neck as the other runs down your shirt to squeeze at your breast through your clothes.

“Fuck, tell me to stop,” Jake says with a heady whisper, still kneading your breast with his palm. “Tell me to stop if you don’t want this.”

You shake your head, moving closer to him to the point you’re halfway on his lap, legs intertwined with his. “So help me God, don’t stop now.”

He snickers, pecking your lips again. “You said his name in vain again.”

You roll your eyes as he chuckles into your neck. “That wasn’t the first thing on my mind.” You move your lips to his cheek. “Or the second.” They trail down to his neck, taking your fantasies and etching them into his skin. “Or third.”

“Fuck,” Jake curses, holding you tight against him. “You’re too good at this.”

You smirk. “Contrary to popular belief, you’re not the first person I’ve ever kissed.”

He laughs, the rumble of it vibrating against your mouth. “I don’t care as long as you keep kissing me.”

“Wasn’t planning on stopping.” By the time you reattach your mouth to his, you’re straddling his lap. His hands are nestled on the small of your back, wanting to inch down further but unsure where or what your boundaries are.

You take the initiative, suddenly bold, and put both of his palms on your backside. “If you wanted to touch my ass, you could’ve just said so.”

Jake licks his lips, his accent coming out in a husky whisper. “I want to touch you in a lot of places. Your ass just happens to be easily accessible right now.”

“Oh really?” You giggle. “Care to enlighten me?”

Jake sharply switches positions, your back against the expanse of the backseat as he towers over you. He rubs his hands across the outside of your thighs, eager but patient. “Gladly.”

He kisses your neck, suckling and licking with perfect pressure, making you whimper. “Jaeyun,” you say out loud, his name coming out like a question more than a statement.

“Use your words, angel. Tell me what you want.” His eyes pass over your face, your kissable lips and lust-blown irises. You’re too entrenched in him now to walk away from this car the same girl, and you wouldn’t want it any other way.

It may end badly, crash and burn completely like everyone expects it to, but that’s the last thing you care about right now.

“I want you to touch me.” You take one of his hands on your thighs and place it over your underwear, its center damp.

“Jesus,” he says in wonder, rubbing his fingers against the cotton.

“You just said–oh,” you stop short when you feel Jake’s fingers against your clit. The sensation makes you buck your hips up into him, him discovering the bundle of nerves without trying hard. He’s clearly happy at the wetness he finds. He rubs your folds in the same fashion, biting down on his bottom lip hard.

“You feel so good already. So perfect,” he whispers, taking hold of your lips again with his own while he swirls his fingers in and around your essence. He switches between teasing your clit and rubbing along your pussy, his movements lewd yet graceful. Only when he puts a finger inside of you do you gasp and look at him directly, your eyes clearly giving away your fear.

“What’s wrong, angel? Did I do something?” Concern floods his face, but he doesn’t take his hand away.

“I’ve never gone this far,” you confess, looking to your side to hide your embarrassment.

“Hey, look at me.” He turns your head to face him again, fingers laying under your chin softly. “We can stop now if you want. I don’t want you to feel pressured into doing anything you don’t want to do.”

His response makes your heart clench. Most guys, you’d imagine, would be pissed off or pleading with you to continue on, to do what they wanted and enjoy the moment. That was how Jongseong was, pouting the entire time after you told him to pump the brakes on your makeout sessions.

Somehow, with Jake, it feels right to continue. You suddenly have no anxiety clouding your thoughts or expectations weighing on your heart. You kiss his lips tenderly and shake your head. “No, I want this. I want you.”

A cheshire-cat grin spreads across his face before he goes in for another kiss. He runs his tongue along the inside of your mouth as his finger slides across your folds once again. He plunges it deep inside of your heat, your body adjusting to the new sensation with surprising ease.

You thrash lightly underneath him, matching the tempo of his finger with abandon. He slips another digit in, groaning at the feeling of your soft, gummy walls becoming accustomed to him. “You’re taking my fingers so well, angel. ‘S fucking incredible.”

You gasp and feel the fire from earlier heightening in intensity, spreading from your belly into the other seams of your body. It makes your toes curl and your hand press against one of the doors of Jungwon’s car, needing something to clutch onto while feeling yourself losing what’s left of your control.

“Jaeyun, I think I–”

“I know baby,” he says, pressing his lips to your forehead. “You’re going to feel so good in a second, I promise. Don’t be afraid.”

His thumb makes contact with your neglected clit, rubbing in rapid motions as he pumps his fingers faster in and out of you. You suddenly become overloaded with pleasure; its immensity is something you’ve never felt before. You feel it coat the back of your mouth and take what’s left of your rational senses, your body moving on its own accord as you ride out what’s remaining of your orgasm.

You blush furiously when you come back down to earth, giggling like a schoolgirl as Jake kisses your sweat-drenched cheek. “That was…amazing.”

Jake chuckles, a smirk painting his features. “You’re amazing.”

You tuck your face in your hands, embarrassed but still enraptured by what you just experienced. He pulls one hand away, taking it in his own, his expression suddenly shy. “So, I guess this is the part where I ask you on a proper date.”

You laugh and sit up, placing your panties back around your hips and adjusting your skirt. “I would hope so!”

Jungwon and Yeri choose that moment to run back into the car, their hair drenched but their bodies properly dressed once again. Jungwoon looks at the two of you in the backseat and grimaces. “Not in my car, man!”

Despite the warnings from your parents and the wine moms, you and Jake had become inseparable within a month’s time. It took many late-night impromptu meetings and secret rendezvous to keep your relationship private, but you had succeeded thus far. And it only made the moments you both shared that much more special.

Riki had kept your secret, keeping his eyes out for any prying townsfolk and covering for his cousin and you if need be. Yeri and Jungwon also cheered you on from the shadows, hoping one day you could be public like they were without criticism.

Sitting in the field near the lake, a picnic blanket set across the grass, you have your head in Jake’s lap while he absentmindedly turns strands of your hair into miniature braids. It’s a beautiful Wednesday afternoon, the two of you occupying the resounding forest with no outside influences.

“Have I told you lately how beautiful your hair is?” Jake asks, kissing your forehead before he takes another batch of strands in his hand. If he has to pick one of your best attributes, in his words, he’d say it was a tie between your lips and your hair, the two of them constantly making his heart race. You called him a liar, but as time revealed, he was nothing but honest with you every day, and not just about what turns him on. 

Over time, you discovered his fears, his ticks, his aspirations past the small town you both found yourselves in. You admire his vulnerability, how open he is when sharing the thoughts that occupy his mind.

“At least three times already,” you tease, running your hand across his leg.

“It’s not bad to hear it a fourth time, right?” He plants another kiss to the crown of your head. He drops the braid he’s just made across your face, making you laugh.

“I’d rather hear how work went today,” you say, getting up to press your back to his chest, snuggling into him.

He shrugs, wrapping his arms around you tighter. “Not much to talk about. Working with roofs all day isn’t exactly exciting, angel.” 

You know Jake doesn’t want to work at his dad’s construction company for the rest of his life. However, it provides stability, and that matters a lot to him. He knows what it did to his aunt when Riki’s father walked out early on in his cousin’s life, and he wouldn’t wish that lack of support on anyone.

“At least you’re not running a tutoring center and a daycare in the same church,” you joke, your tone anything but humorous. The brood you dealt with every day was completely unlike Riki. They were kids that were carbon copies of their parents, children that would one day become exactly like their absentminded fathers and speculatory mothers. It put a taste in your mouth you couldn’t stomach.

You fall into steady silence, the uptick in both of your nerves ebbing away the longer you hold each other. Sure, Jake hates roofing as much as you hate disciplining whining toddlers and helping apathetic tweens with mathematics, but it doesn’t matter at this moment.

All that does is each other, enjoying the midweek sunset and the sounds of the birds flying overhead.

“What would you do if you were somewhere else?” Jake asks into the crook of your neck.

You grin, imagining a world of possibilities. The question never came up before, not from him or anyone else. It opens up a plethora of choices in your mind, but you narrow them down quickly, knowing what your heart truly desires.

“I’d like to teach,” you answer. “Really teach, maybe at a university. Something like poetry.” You turn to look at him, a newfound fire in your eyes. “Yeah.”

Jake smiles back at you, moving stray strands of hair from your shoulder to rest his head there. “I think you’d be great at that.”

“What would you do?”

Jake ponders the question, going over it in the same way you were moments before. You see realization wash over his features, and it makes you smile. “I think I’d write. Not literature or anything, but songs maybe? Teach music in the meantime. Still have to make money somehow, y’know.”

You giggle and push him down on the picnic blanket, running your fingers through his hair. “Sounds like a plan.”

He nods, sharing your happiness. “Maybe a kid and a dog can fit somewhere in that plan.”

Chuckling, you raise one eyebrow. “As long as I’m not having a baby out of wedlock, that sounds perfect to me.”

He turns you both over, covering your body with his and kissing you intensely. The passion runs from his body to yours, your heartbeats matching in their strong beats against your chests. “Perfect,” he whispers, his lips meeting yours once again.

It may be too soon to call it love, but you know you’re tiptoeing that line, and you wouldn’t mind falling headfirst on the other side of it as long as Jake’s there waiting for you.

“Are you sure they don’t know I’m here?” Jake asks, hesitant to walk up the stairs to your bedroom.

“It’s fine! They’re at a seminar all weekend with Reverend Park and his son, I promise.” You kiss his lips before running up to your room. Still on the fence, you hear his tentative footsteps trudging behind you.

Another few months rolled by, and your parents had softened to the idea of Jake being around more often. He showed up with his parents to church every Sunday, even if you both snuck off to make out in the backwoods when nobody was paying attention.

He’d stick around for the deacon’s sessions with Akemi, brightening her spirits with his guitar and a couple of songs to replace the ones she missed during normal processions. It helped that she seemed to be getting better, slowly but surely, with treatment and daily prayer.

When you heard your father call Jake a “nice kid,” you knew they were turning a corner in their relationship that you wished for since the night Jake kissed you in Jungwon’s car.

Now, that doesn’t mean they would be happy with finding him in your bed on a Friday night, but you’ve broken enough rules at this point. What’s one more?

“You’re trying to get me killed,” Jake jokes as you rip his shirt from his body, discarding the article of clothing on your bedroom floor. You sit on your bed and marvel at the muscles on his chest and stomach, all of it yours to caress and kiss at any time.

“Don’t worry, babe. I’ll follow you to heaven,” you tease, pulling him closer to kiss his body. Each press of your lips to his skin makes him tremble, cursing quietly to himself at the feeling.

“With the way you’re touching me, I doubt either of us will make it there.”

You giggle and link his mouth to yours. You moan when his tongue hits the roof of your mouth.

The intentions you had for tonight definitely involved numerous bouts of kissing, but the way Jake’s making you feel will certainly end up with his face or fingers between your legs. And as good as that sounds, you don’t want him derailing you from completing your mission.

There had been so many moments of him giving you pleasure up to this point, you wondered how he had stayed so composed and content after without expecting anything in return.

So, tonight, you decided to give him a bit of satisfaction, even if you’re walking into such activities without any kind of road map. Yeri gave you a handful of tips, but doing it for real is another beast entirely.

“Jaeyun, wait,” you say, taking his face in between your hands.

He looks up at you with eager eyes, wondering why you pulled him away from your neck. “What is it?”

“I want to take care of you this time.” You say, hoping your expression gives off the confidence you’re trying to portray. “I’ve never done it before, but—“

“And you don’t have to, angel,” Jake says with a dopey, relaxed smile. What on Earth and heaven did you do to find a guy like him?

“Please,” you beg, scooting closer to the edge of the bed. “I want to try.”

Jake’s conflicting feelings are evident in his eyes. Surely any man wants his girlfriend to go down on him with the same eagerness that you're giving him right now, but he doesn’t want you to feel obligated. 

In his mind, pleasure isn’t about some sort of trade-off. He makes you feel good because he wants to, not because it’s some duty he has to fulfill and expects to be paid back for later.

But, you asked so nicely and your eyes shine up at him so beautifully. He feels his resolve crumble enough to concede and do what you want.

You begin to unbutton his pants, your fingers twitching not from fear but excitement. When you pull down his jeans fully and see the outline of his bulge in his briefs, your mouth falls open slightly at the size.

Could it fit in your mouth if it was that big?

Jake chuckles and takes your hand to press to the gaping material covering him. “It won’t bite.”

You look up at him and begin to stutter, unsure how to continue once you take off his underwear. “D-Do you want me to use my hands first?”

“Whatever feels right to you, angel. I trust you.” He rubs his thumb across your cheek, and it calms all the nerves that came to the surface.

It’s in those three words that you find the courage to pull the remaining article of clothing off of him, taking in the sight of his cock in all its glory.

You gulp hard, trailing your eyes from the tip to where it adjoins to the rest of him. You’ve never seen one up close before, and you feel like you’re invading his privacy as you stare at it for another long minute. But who can blame you?

“It’s all for you, baby,” Jake whispers. “Do whatever you want.”

You feel a sharp pang of heat at the center of your thighs, his words spurring you on. You spit into your hand, as Yeri instructed, and wrap your hand firmly around Jake’s cock. With an easy but deliberate pace, you look at Jake directly to see if you’re starting off on the right foot.

And boy were you.

Jake hisses at the feeling of your hand encasing him, loving the tightness of your fingers as they continue sliding up and down his dick. He had envisioned this many times in the solitude of his bedroom, images of you and your beautiful body writhing underneath him enough to get him off. But those nights were nothing compared to this.

“Are you ready for my mouth now?” You ask timidly. Jake wants to laugh at how innocent you sound, the words coming so naturally off of your tongue.

“Yes, angel, please,” he answers, wanting to caress you by the hair and guide you down to his awaiting, leaking cock.

You move closer until you're an inch away from his tip. Flattening your tongue to take it into your mouth, you keep watching Jake’s face for the right signals.

His mouth opens, a satisfied whine leaving his lips. You feel a wave of pride at the fact he’s enjoying it so much, egging you on further.

“Your mouth feels so perfect wrapped around me,” he confesses. He soaks in the sensation of your lips and teeth softly running over the veins of his cock, your head bobbing across his length skillfully. How can an innocent and dutiful daughter like you give such mind-blowing head?

He can’t ruminate on the answer long, releasing a guttural moan as he feels his tip hit the back of your throat, the gag that rumbles from you making his cock even more sensitive.

“Angel, I’m gonna come soon,” Jake warns. “If you don’t want me to come in your mouth, let me know now.”

You look up through your lashes at him as you continue sucking on him with fierce passion, swirling your tongue across his tip. 

His hand is wrapped firmly in your hair now, fucking your face as softly as he can without forcing anymore of himself down your throat. When you take a hand to cup his balls, softly kneading them between your fingers, he’s done for.

He whines pathetically as his seed shoots inside your mouth. The taste isn’t particularly pleasing, but you milk it for what it’s worth to watch him fall apart so perfectly under your attention.

The orgasm rocks through him with an unshakeable amount of pleasure, his body completely helpless as he continues to spurt into your mouth. He can only hiss and whine as you continue to touch him, letting him come down fully and taking all of him without complaint.

Jake breathes in deeply when he gains clarity again, taking you in his arms and shoving his tongue deep in your mouth. “That was probably the best blowjob I’ve ever gotten,” he states, running his fingers over your face with adoration.

You scoff and roll your eyes, his words making you shy. “I doubt it, seeing as that was my first one.”

“It was!” Jake puts a hand on his heart. “Swear to the savior himself.” Before you can rebut, Jake takes your legs in his hands and moves you to the edge of the bed.

You wake up to the hard knocks at your bedroom door, the morning sun peeking out of your window to prove the previous night has long gone.

“Honey? What did we say about locked doors in this house?”

Your father’s booming voice makes you jump up from bed, smacking Jake hard on the shoulder and chest to wake him up.

“We had an odd feeling at the hotel, so we came home early,” your mother says as you shake Jake from his sleep.

“Ow, what the fuck,” Jake grunts, his voice not quiet enough to go unnoticed. You curse yourself and the reality in front of what’s about to happen, knowing full well your parents heard him on the other side of the door.

“Sweetie, who’s in there with you?” Your mother’s shrill but concerned tone makes you cringe. Jake’s eyes bulge in response, quickly leaping from the mattress to pull on his clothes in haste.

Just when you throw your dress from last night over your head and Jake buttons up his pants, your father slams open the door with his shoulder. Your parents gasp and yell at the sight before them, the man they began to grow comfortable with in a compromising position with their only daughter and precious child.

“What in God’s name is he doing here?” Your father asks no-one in particular, stomping towards Jake’s shirtless figure and yanking him by the neck.

“Daddy, stop!” You plead, scratching and clawing at his frame to pull him off of your lover.

Your mother begins blubbering, teary-eyed before you. “Oh honey, what did he do to you?”

“Nothing,” you scream. “Please leave him alone and let us be.”

“I told you to stay away from him.” Your father stares you down, eyes blazing with fury. “Not only did you betray me, but you betrayed the sanctity of your purity. It’s a disgrace.”

Jake coughs, your father’s hands tightening around his neck. “The only disgrace is the two of you holding her back, like she’s some weak bird in a cage,” he croaks. “She can make her own decisions.”

“You stay silent, you insolent pest,” your father growls, yanking Jake out of your room and down the stairs. By the time you and your mother make it out to the bottom step, your father has thrown Jake out and onto the porch.

“Stay away from my daughter, or you’ll have another reason to pray you don’t end up burning in hell.”

“Stop it!” You step in between your father and Jake, the latter putting on what’s left of his clothes. People begin to hover too close to your family home, suddenly entrenched in the scene playing out before them.

Jake kisses your forehead and walks away in the direction of his parked bike, unsure what else he can do unless he wants to truly end up six feet under. 

 Your father grabs you by the upper arm and pulls you in the direction of your porch, but you resist with all your might. “You can’t make me go back in there.”

“I am your father and you will listen to me,” he grunts, holding on tight.

“Daddy, I love him!” You scream as you yank your arm away from your father, your inner strength giving way. “If you can’t accept that, I guess I’ll just have to burn hell with him. Better than wasting another second here.”

You run toward Jake’s bike and sit behind him, cinching your arms around his waist. He smiles to himself, feeling the press of your chest to his back as he puts his helmet over his head. “Are you sure about this, angel?”

You nod furiously, not bothering to look back at your red-faced family. “More than I’ve ever been.”

All you focus on is his motorcycle rumbling to life before you speed away. Your hair blows in the wind as you both escape the horrified stares of the local vipers.

You end up at a motel on the other side of town, far away from the scandal that’s surely rocking your small community by now. The deacon’s daughter running away with the bad boy next door? What a tragedy!

You run inside to miss the upcoming rain, both of you shivering from the barrage of pellets that did land on your skin. You settle onto the mattress as Jake drops the small amount of belongings he had in his possession on the dresser.

He turns to you with quiet concern, arms splayed out on the furniture as he looks at you, searching your face for any lingering doubt. “No regrets?”

You shake your head, exhausted but glad to be out of that house. “None at all.”

He breathes out a sigh of relief and sits down beside you on the bed, rubbing your thigh with his fingers. “I’m sorry.”

Your brows knit together, confusion pouring over you. You take his hand in yours, intertwining your fingers. “You have nothing to apologize for. If anything, I should be apologizing to you.”

 You feel tears build at your eye ducts, your voice suddenly growing thick when you recall the scene from an hour ago. “I’m sorry my father was so horrible to you.”

“Hush, it’s okay,” he puts his other hand on your face. He kisses your lips tenderly and gracefully. How did nobody else but you see he possessed the most kind nature of anyone you’ve ever known?

Jake moves his head, his lips curving into the smile that always takes your common sense away. “I love you too, by the way.”

Your confession from earlier hits you like a heavy rock, your eyes going wide and your face turning pale. “That wasn’t the way I wanted to say it.”

“Then say it now,” Jake urges, your face resting gently between his fingers.

There’s no fear or pressure when the three words leave your lips, only the feeling of a weight lifting off of your chest. “I love you, Sim Jaeyun. I love you with my whole heart.”

His face lights up, the words seeming to set aglow something deep within him. The only right reaction seems to be in the form of his lips attaching to yours in a passionate kiss, your shared love creating a beautiful path forward for the both of you.

He whispers his next words so lightly, you almost assume the statement is a figment of your imagination. “Marry me.”

You feel your face contort into a mixture of disbelief and elation, needing to hear him say it again for it to truly resonate. “What?”

“Marry me,” he repeats, his smile stretching across his face. “Marry me now, or in three months from now, or whenever you want. Just say you will.”

You exhale a breath of astonishment, unsure if he knows how much you want to say yes, to make this as real as it sounds on his lips. He leaves your side with a kiss to your temple to grab something from his jacket. 

He comes back in record time, standing in front of you and twiddling the black box in both of his hands with anxious fingers. “I brought it with me to your house last night, I just didn’t know how to ask then. But I do now.”

Like in all the stories you’ve read and movies you’ve seen in your lifetime, he sinks down onto one knee before you. You place a hand over your mouth as he opens the box, a ring with an opal-shaped diamond cushioned in the center.

“Would you please do me the honor of being my wife?” Those words on his lips, visibly shaken from his own question, make a thousand butterflies flutter inside your chest.

Months ago, if you knew then you would end up here, from the edge of the sidewalk to now, you would not change a single moment. The world had been so gray before, you didn’t know what it was like to step in the sun until he came into your life. What other answer is there?

“Yes, yes, yes,” you respond, tears flooding your eyes as he shakily places the ring on your finger. It fits just right, the stone at the center sparkling in the darkness of the motel room.

You kiss Jake’s lips with all the force your body possesses, certain there’s no better future than right beside him.

The feeling of the gold band around your finger makes Jake shudder as it touches his cock. Your body is nestled perfectly on top of his as you take what you can’t put in your mouth between your fingers.

He laps up your essence with his tongue, ecstatic to have his face covered in your juices and smothered if need be by your wet cunt. If people think wedding nights are magical, engagement nights have to be a step up.

“Fuck, Jaeyun, yes,” you roll your hips into his awaiting mouth, his tongue available for you to lay your slit onto. The expletive leaves your mouth like honey, the feeling fitting for such a dirty word.

He knows exactly how to make you fall apart and be put back together, and the thought of doing this for the rest of your life makes you want to cry again from the pure happiness inside your core.

Jake takes his lips off of your pussy and sits up. Before you can ask what he’s doing, he takes you into his lap on the bed and kisses you fiercely. You taste yourself on his tongue as he skillfully takes your breath away with his lips. When you part, he says, “Angel, I know we said we’d wait, but I don’t know how much longer I can handle not being inside of you.”

You whimper at his words and suddenly rock your center into the tip of his cock, making him groan in the process. “I mean—we’re just starting early, right?” 

Jake releases a joyous laugh and kisses you hungrily, his face in a constant state of ecstasy since you said “yes” hours ago. “Right.”

 The anticipation makes you even wetter, crawling to the head of the bed as Jake grabs a condom from the bedside table. If there was one thing he had promised, he swore he wouldn’t get you pregnant. Not yet, anyway.

He rolls the rubber over his cock before joining you on the bed, lining up perfectly with your center. He rubs his tip against your folds, biting his lip at how easily it gets coated in your essence. “Ready?”

You nod eagerly, a smirk filling the entire bottom half of your face.

He pushes the tip in, the pressure a foreign feeling you had never experienced before. It took time and practice to get used to the size of his fingers, but this is another level of fullness that takes your breath away.

Once Jake’s partially inside and gives you a moment to adjust, he asks, “Can I move?”

You nod your head, holding onto his shoulders for support as he begins to thrust inside of you. He loves to see his cock disappearing between your legs, your body eagerly taking him in and stretching itself out to accommodate him. He loves the way you whimper at the movement of his hips and the pleasure you’re receiving.

Better yet, he loves you. He loves all of you, from the nonsensical words you speak in your sleep to the wrinkle between your eyebrows when you get mad. You’re all his, and he’s grateful to be the only one you call yours.

“We may never leave this motel,” Jake says, his words breathy as he continues moving his hips. “I could stay inside of you for the rest of my life, angel.”

“I love you so much,” you say, inching your hand between your bodies to roll your clit between your fingers.

“I love you,” Jake says. He takes your face in his hands and kisses you like he wants to pour all of his emotions from his being into your soul, just so you know how deep his love for you goes.

It’s all so overwhelmingly beautiful, you feel the swell of your release cresting over you like a tidal wave. “Baby, I’m gonna come,” you whisper, your mouth open wide from the moans and cries you cannot suppress.

Jake groans and slams his hips into you harder, filling you to the hilt repeatedly. “Come, angel. Come for me.”

You cry out as the orgasm takes hold of your body, your fingers working on their own accord on your clit as you fall off the edge.

Jake stills not a second later, releasing into the condom and taking the last remnants of his energy to thrust inside of you a few more times.

He pulls out and throws the rubber in a nearby trash can. His sweaty body clings to yours, hands rubbing up and down your arm tenderly as he kisses the curve of your shoulder.

You see the flash of your ring in the glow of the motel’s neon sign, and you think about how the night could not have gone any better.

Jake may be a bit reckless and not what you initially imagined for your future, but now that you have him, you wouldn’t give him up for anything. All the parts of you that stayed buried for so long have resurfaced because of him, and you could not be more grateful.

With your left hand a touch heavier than it was some hours ago, you fall asleep to the sound of the rain hitting the window and Jake’s rising and falling chest.

You walk out of your mother’s house, happy to have made a visit with her before she ran off to do her morning errands.

What you’re not pleased to encounter is the same crowd of women huddled with their homemade fans and cups of lemonade. They weren’t there when you arrived a few hours ago.  Of course they show up when you have no chance of escaping them, like the vultures they are.

“Mrs. Sim,” Mrs. Choi says, her tone entirely made of stone with little warmth. “Pleasure to see you.”

Your new surname gives you indescribable amounts of happiness. It took your parents some time to get used to, but eventually, they realized you put your heart in the right place. Your father took his sweet time getting there, begrudgingly admitting a short time ago Jake is a very acceptable son-in-law, the turnaround of his perception of your husband complete.

You give the crotchety ringleader a fake smile and attempt to walk away, but Mrs. Lee interjects. “How’s your mister doing working at the church now?”

“Great,” you say, genuinely happy to talk about a topic you care for. “Jaeyun loves the kids. Little Yuna might actually be a guitar prodigy from what he’s told me.”

They all coo, practically synchronized in their sips of lemonade and fan flurries.

“Soon enough you’ll have one of your own, I’m sure,” Mrs. Choi remarks with sarcasm, her red-lipstick-stained front teeth on full display.

“Not too soon now,” Jake suddenly says, walking up the pathway to your mother’s house and taking you in by the waist. “My wife has to finish her Masters first. How else is she gonna start teaching at the community college?”

My wife. No matter how long it’s been since you officially got married in your church, that day a year ago forever ingrained in your memory, it still warms you to the bones hearing those words leave Jake’s lips.

The women all express signs of agreement, some nodding while others hum.

“We better get back home now, but you ladies have a nice day!” Jake bids them goodbye and walks you both down the stairs with his hand on the small of your back. Even if he were to be more than the perfect gentleman in front of them, they would still linger around with pesky eyes and constantly moving lips.

“They’re still betting we’re gonna crash and burn, aren’t they?” Jake whispers, teasing you with a wiggle of his eyebrows.

You shake your head. You fall more in love with him every day that passes, no matter what the people around you do or don’t see. They may have their opinions, but it won’t shake the foundation you’ve built. “Well, they’re sure to be disappointed if I have anything to say about it.”

Jake’s eyes widen, his expression humorous yet surprised. “Easy, angel. Don’t want to have to tear my wife off of a nosy wine mom.”

Your heart aches at his words, him fully aware of what two of them in particular do to you. “I love you.”

Jake grins, inching his face closer to yours. “I’d love nothing more than to kiss you right now, but what would everyone say?” He asks with a mock face of horror.

You shrug without much care, grinning. “Someone once told me ‘fuck everyone else.’ And right now I couldn’t agree more.”

Jake laughs before he places a gentle kiss to your lips, the sun radiating off of him in waves as he pulls you closer.

No matter what anyone in your small town has to say, your choices are yours; you’re perfectly happy with how your life has turned out whether they think so too or not. And you will always choose Sim Jaeyun, now and forever.

@yvnempire @sjylouvre @mini-mews @jayparked @heesuncore @yoursjaeyun @sungbeams @jenoslutie @loserlvrss

𝐧𝐞𝐭𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐬 ౨ৎ˚₊

@kvanity-main @sweetvenomnet @onedoornet @sayxonet @violetanet @svthub @whipped-kpop-creators

[farfromharry]

I noticed

Summary: He never notices you, but Lando does

w/c 3456

Lando Norris x Reader

a/n this was meant to be a few hundred words, oops. if you have any lando or oscar requests, pls do send. also reblogs are hugely appreciated

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“I don’t know why you bother, he’s a dickhead.”

Your body sagged and you sighed, setting down your makeup brush and locking eyes with him through the mirror. He was still lounging across your bed in his going out clothes, hair done to perfection, his phone basically hanging out of his hand as he eyed you. It must have been the 4th time in the last hour he’d made a similar snide comment and you were growing tired of repeating yourself. “He’s not a dickhead, he’s just…” There were a lot of words you could have used to describe him. Hell, Lando could probably supply a few himself, not that you would like his suggestions. Rude and unpleasant came to mind. “Shy.”

He snorted. “Shy?” That was the last word he would use. “The last time I saw him he had his tongue down a random girl’s throat and his hand under her dress.”

You remembered that. The memory stung. It bad been a celebration for Lando, a race win, you couldn’t remember which one now. Much like tonight, you had gotten dressed up in the hopes of him finally making a move and yet when you arrived he already had a girl in his arms. Still, you shielded him from Lando’s harsh words, something he probably didn’t deserve.

“Lots of people kiss on a night out, Lando. He probably didn’t even talk to her.” Defending him to your friends had become somewhat of a routine for you.

“We were in a restaurant, Y/N.”

You didn’t know what else to say. It had definitely been inappropriate and you had no idea how the staff hadn’t put a stop to it. For some reason unbeknownst to Lando, you just couldn’t admit he wasn’t a good guy. You refused to hear it.

With a huff you picked up your brush again, resuming your makeup and paying Lando’s negative comments no mind. “Look, I don’t need you to understand it. You can keep your opinions to yourself.” Her tone was sharp, one he wasn’t used to being on the receiving end of.

He didn’t say anything else until they were ready to go.

On your way out of the door he grabbed your arm gently. You turned to look at him with a raised brow, annoyance still simmering under your surface. Sure you would get over what he said soon, but you didn’t want to let him off too lightly.

“Look,” he started, eyes peering into yours with a genuine sincerity you didn’t see all the often. “I just want you to be careful, that’s all. I don’t want some asshole to break your heart.”

Lando and Jake were technically friends too, or at least they ran in the same circle, but that didn’t mean he did anything more than tolerate him. He hadn’t ever really spent much time with him, not on his own, but he had seen enough in group settings. He knew what he was like. You were far too good for him, but you couldn’t seem to see the bad in him.

“He’s your friend too,” you pointed out. “You are the company you keep right?”

His face fell and he put a step of extra distance between them. The words stung. Lando didn’t think he was a brilliant guy. He had his flaws, he didn’t always show up, he had messed a few girls around in his younger years, but he wasn’t like Jake. For you to even imply that he could be, it hurt.

Somehow, you didn’t notice the change in his mood, or how stiffly he agreed with you. “Right.”

If you noticed the sudden shift in his demeanour, you didn’t mention it. The two of you just climbed inside his McLaren and made your way silently to the party. It was awkward, uncomfortable, something that spending time with Lando never was. It made you shift uneasily in your seat.

Every now and then you’d glance over at him, hoping to see him trying to hold back a laugh that would shatter the tension lingering in the air. Each time you looked over he was simply looking at the road. You hated it.

Usually when you arrived somewhere together, he acted like a gentleman. He would open the car door for you, loop his arm with yours and you would wander into whatever social gathering you were attending with wide smiles on your faces. In a totally non-misogynistic way, he loved having you on his arm. It created a sense of pride in him. This time, he barely even checked you were following behind him until you made it to the elevator. What followed was a very uncomfortable ride up to the rooftop bar.

You let out a breath as soon as you could finally get out of the confined space with him. The bar was your first stop, then once some wine was secured, you greeted your friends and the hosts.

You didn’t stick with them for long, finding an empty couch to sit on that had a perfect view of the entrance. You had to be ready for the moment he walked in.

As Lando headed to the bar with Max (who he had found very quickly, the pair never far from one another), you painstakingly made sure every bit of your look was perfect. Unbeknownst to you, he was watching every move you made, a habit he picked up years ago when he first decided he was in love with you. His eyes followed you as you smoothed out your dress, brushing some hair over your shoulders, straightening your posture, double and then triple checking your makeup. You wanted tonight to finally be the night Jake noticed you. The dark-haired man’s stomach churned just at the thought.

Every few seconds you shifted, like you were anxious. You scanned your surroundings a few times, making sure he hadn’t entered without you seeing. You’d had more than a few nervous sips of your wine.

When the elevator doors opened and the man occupying almost all of your thoughts finally wandered in, your heart began to race. It was now or never. Really you should have been practicing what you were going to say.

Each step he took that brought him closer to you made your heart rate spike.

“Jake, hey,” you greeted, a beaming smile on your face. Any sane man would have stopped in his tracks, been utterly starstruck by how beautiful you looked. Your hair fell delicately over your shoulders, back straight, dress highlighting every desirable part of you, skin basically glowing in the light. Yet he barely paused to throw a half hearted wave in your direction. He didn’t even smile back. The man had greeted you like it was an inconvenience to him.

Lando watched the whole thing from his seat at the bar. He watched as you deflated, an ache settling in his chest at the look of pure defeat on your face. The brunette knew more than anyone here how much effort you had put into trying to get his attention. You had taken hours to get ready. Adamant thay every detail had to be perfect. Leaving his flat you’d actually been excited about where the night might go. And he had just brought it all crashing down in literal seconds.

For a second or two you didn’t move. Your eyes were fixed on the ground, breaths growing deeper. He saw it in the way your chest heaved. You weren’t going to hold out much longer. The last thing you wanted to do was cry in the middle of a party.

Lando swiftly excused himself from his conversation with Max, not that he’d been listening for the last 10 minutes anyway, and made a beeline for you in the corner.

You didn’t see him coming, you were too in your own head. When a pair of hands landed on your shoulders you were startled. He didn’t leave you wondering for long. His breath brushed your ear as he dipped his head down so he could whisper to you. “Come outside with me? I need some air.”

A frown curled onto your lips. He knew that expression well, you were confused. “We’re already outside, we’re on a roof.”

A few eyes began to glance at you both. He smiled at them. “It’s too crowded out here. It’ll be much quieter.”

You turned your body so you could actually see his face and try to get a read on him. “Are you okay?” Your own sadness was momentarily put on pause as your worry for him outweighed it. Lando was susceptible to anxiety, even anxiety attacks every so offen, you didn’t want to risk that right now. If he was overwhelmed, her feelings could wait.

It was wrong of him, he knew it was, but he played into your worry. “I don’t know. I think I just need to get out of here for a minute.”

You nodded, grabbing your clutch and gulping down the last dregs of wine that had been in your glass. “Let’s go.” You rose to your feet, almost headbutting him on the way up, and slipped your hand into his much larger one.

Really he should feel guilty about it, but he was just glad it worked.

The elevator ride down to the lobby was quiet. You were beginning to think about Jake again, how he had so easily brushed you off. Meanwhile Lando was thinking about you, and what the hell he was going to say when you both got outside. You were going to be so mad at him. The ding that signalled your arrival was far too loud in the silence.

Fresh air felt like a blessing in disguise. You took a deep breath as you finally headed outside. Then you remembered your company.

You whipped around to face him, eyes wide and hands immediately reaching for him like you were checking for any injuries.

He grabbed your hands in his, stopping your obsessing. “I’m okay.” You looked at him as though he was lying. Now was the time to come clean. “I,” he sighed. “Look, I lied.”

“What?”

“I’m fine, really.” You were still unsure, eyes slightly squinted like you were trying to suss him out. “I saw what happened with Jake. You looked upset and I thought you needed an excuse to get out of there. I didn’t know what else to do.”

If there was one thing you wouldn’t do it was admit that you weren’t okay. Lando hated how you couldn’t even do it with him. “Lan, I’m fine. Jake just— he had other things to do, that’s okay.” Excusing his shitty behaviour only made the man more angry. He had seen it all, the way he ignored you, sauntered up to the bar, greeted Max and your other friends, ordered himself a drink and then probably started chatting up the first girl he set his eyes on. He certainly wasn’t busy like you claimed.

“That’s your problem,” he exclaimed.

Your brow furrowed and your face twisted into something of offence. “Excuse me?”

“You’re too nice, too willing to let him walk all over you. He doesn’t give a shit about you, Y/N!” All these feelings had been building up inside Lando for months now. Every time you went on and on about your crush, every time Jake let you down or dismissed you again, he couldn’t take it anymore. He’d had enough. You needed some tough love, someone to tell it to you straight. “Why can’t you see that? Everybody else can!”

Your face fell. The words hit deep. Logically you knew he was right, Jake was never going to give you the attention you so desperately craved from him. He liked having girls falling at his feet. You weren’t special to him, just another admirer. He would never see you as more than someone in his friend group who he didn’t really talk to. To have it pointed out so clearly, especially by someone you care about, it stung.

“No matter what you do, he never notices you. I always notice you.”

You weren’t sure what to take from that. Was it a confession? The thought of him telling you his feelings right now was overwhelming. “Lan…” Your voice wavered. Now that he’d had his initial outburst, his anger died down. Enough to see the tears beginning to line your eyes.

He was such a dick.

He sighed, shoulder’s sagging. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to-“

“It’s okay. I know.”

Like a cruel twist of fate, a couple exited the fancy bar where the party was being held. As they grew closer, stepping into the soft glow of light being emitted from the street lamps, you realised you recognised one of them. So did Lando.

Jake clearly couldn’t read the room. “Oh, hey Lando, Jess.” He greeted you both cheerfully, his mystery woman staring at you both as she clung to him.

You frowned, heart cracking just that big more. He didn’t even know your name? It took everything in Lando not to swing. “Her name’s Y/N.”

He completely ignored Lando’s words. Despite the fact he had basically only just arrived at the party, he seemed pretty hammered and eager to leave already. “What are you doing down here? Party’s great.” His voice was loud, practically echoing through the streets.

“Just needed some air.”

His smile was tight-lipped, fake. All he wanted was for him to go away. Obviously he was too drunk to know when he wasn’t wanted.

There was an awkward pause. Well, awkward for you and Lando at least, he probably didn’t even notice. Jake didn’t notice a lot of things.

“We’re heading off, anyway. Enjoy the party guys.” With that the pair wandered down the empty street, leaving you and Lando free to resume your heated discussion. You didn’t feel like arguing anymore.

A sob escaped your throat before you were able to choke it down. The tears that had been ever so close to falling earlier were back in full force. There was certainly no stopping them now. It felt like your heart had just been stomped on.

There was no way Lando was going to let you suffer on your own. “Come here.”

As soon as you were in his arms you felt better. Whether it was the warmth of another person, his scent or just the fact he made you feel grounded. Everything felt a little less loud with him here.

He leaned his head against yours, one of his hands on the back of your head, stroking your hair. It was soothing. You had no idea how long you stayed like that before the tears stopped. You would stay there forever if you could.

When your sobs turned to sniffles and your breaths grew more even, he began to speak. “You deserve someone who loves you.” He took a deep breath and his hand stuttered on your head. It was now or never. “Someone like me.”

He expected to feel you tense, to have you pull away. Some sign of rejection that would break his heart. None of that happened. You simply tilted your head upwards, so you could look him in the eye. You didn’t look repulsed or afraid, that was a good sign at least.

Your cheeks still shined in the light with leftover tears and he risked wiping them away. The way his thumb trailed over your skin was tender, like he was trying to memorise you. Your heart throbbed.

“You love me?”

There was no hesitation in his response. Lando was a man who knew what he wanted. When he had his heart and his mind set on something, he didn’t stop or waver until he got it. “I’m in love with you. I have been for years.”

It should have come as some surprise to you, maybe shocked you ever so slightly, but for some reason it didn’t. He was always there, right by your side when you needed him, in both your happiest and saddest memories. When you thought about your life in years to come, he was always there. He made sense. You weren’t you without Lando. Subconsciously you had probably been in love with him for years too, it had just taken it being pointed out for you to realise.

The eye contact between you didn’t waver even for a second. If it were anyone else looking at you with such an intensity, you might shy away. The way he looked at you made you feel brave.

You didn’t say anything, just fluttered your eyes shut and closed the gap between your lips.

He acted like he knew it was coming. Maybe it was just the reaction time of a Formula One driver, but he barely wasted half a second before he kissed you back. There was an intensity in the kiss that you didn’t think you had ever experienced before. It felt like any second now fireworks would begin exploding over your heads. You cursed yourself for not having done this earlier.

He was the first to pull away. You chased his lips with your own and he cracked a smile. He granted you one more chaste kiss which definitely didn’t quench your desire.

“Are you pitying me or did you really want to kiss me?” That was insecurity shining through.

Lando had poured his heart out to you, he was terrified of being a rebound or a second choice. He refused to be second best to Jake. It would be tough to walk away from you if you admitted what he feared, but he would do it to protect his own feelings. The last thing he needed in his chaotic life was a relationship that was one sided. If you weren’t all in he was going to have to walk away.

“I really wanted to kiss you.” A weight was lifted off of his shoulders. “I think I didn’t realise how I felt about you was love. With Jake I wanted his attention, I wanted him to look at me and tell me I was pretty. I tried everything to get him to like me. With you, I don’t have to do that because you’re already looking. I don’t have to be someone I’m not. I can be myself, comfortable. I never worry that you’re going to judge me because you’re probably right there being weird with me.” He laughed as you laughed. “Lando, you, you’re my peace.”

He looked like he was about to shed a tear. “Do you mean that?”

You smiled. He had never really understood the term weak in the knees until he saw that smile aimed at him.

“I mean that. I love you, and I’m sorry it took me so long to figure that out.”

His thumb hovered over your lips, tracing their shape with a look in his eye that was so fond you could have melted. “I would have waited forever for you,” he admitted. Those words basically turned you into a giant pile of mush.

Your smile quickly turned into a grin. “God, you’re cheesy.” You weren’t you and Lando if there wasn’t some playful teasing sprinkled in somewhere, even in the middle of a dramatic love confession.

Lando scoffed. “I’m trying to be romantic here. Do you mind?”

Neither of you could be serious for that long.

“Just shut up and kiss me again, lover boy.”

The kiss he placed on you was done with such a ferocity you were surprised you didn’t get scolded for public indecency. Clearly he had been holding back. You were more than happy to make up for lost time though, just maybe not in the middle of the streets of London.

When you finally returned to the party your lips were swollen and joy was radiating from every part of you. Max’s eyes found his best friends as the two of you re-entered the party with your hands intertwined. He raised his eyebrow and Lando sent him a wink. The elder was rather proud of him for finally making a move. It had only taken years.

You found yourselves tangled together on the dancefloor, arms around one another and heads touching. You swayed to the music. It felt like you were in your own little bubble. Just you and him, as it always was meant to be.

He brushed his nose against your cheek, pressing a soft kiss to your jaw. “For the record,” he whispered, lips curling into a smile at the fact he got to tell you these things freely now. “I will always notice you.”

Your heart soared. Yeah, he was the one.

━━━━━━━━━♡♥♡━━━━━━━━━

[synthetickitsune]

svt ot13 + late night drive

Seungcheol ❧ In his eyes, this is the best way to blow off some steam. Seungcheol knows that soon enough the view of the road and scenery passing by in a blur will help your thoughts flow. Sure, it might feel like you’re stuck together but you love each other. Even when things are bumpy. His hand is on your thigh or holding your hand, occasionally bringing it to his lips. He knows that sometimes he loses control. The focus he needs to keep on the road grounds him, helps him keep emotions from exploding all over the place. Perhaps it’s the same for you too. So when tension is high between you, a night drive it is. His only rule is to never bring full on arguments into the car. He wants it to remain your safe haven. Seungcheol makes it a point that he’s gonna keep driving until everything is talked through. And that’s including your day after the issue at hand is settled. Because he cares. Because he needs you to know he does. He can never keep his hands off you once you get out of the car, craving physical contact after a crisis has been avoided.

Jeonghan ❧ The drive is quiet, radio playing on low volume in the background. Jeonghan prefers it this way, partly because his everyday life is already loud enough but mostly because he knows the hum of the engine and the soft music will lull you to sleep eventually. Then he’ll of course get to watch you sleep adorably in the passenger seat and coo over you when he wakes you up later and you’ll cling to him all the way to bed. It’s an intimate affair, driving through the dark streets illuminated by the golden lights. Jeonghan can feel your barely open eyes on him whenever you wake up, from the corner of his eye he can see the small smile on your lips as well. He turns to look at you too at every red light and when the roads are empty, he steals a glance every now and then. Even when he parks the car, you spend some more time just sitting in the car, turned towards each other with your lips turned into smiles. You don’t need words to convey how much you appreciate simply spending time together separated from the rest of the world.

Joshua ❧ When Joshua is in charge of your night drives, you always leave the city behind. Time doesn’t always allow you to escape, but he makes the effort to find the roads that will guide you somewhere secluded. It tends to be quiet, the music filling in the space because his lips are too busy leaving soft kisses on your knuckles or, at the occasional opportunity to stop and wait, your temple. There’s a playful curl to his lips and gleam in his eyes that always makes you feel like he’s not just pretending, like he will run away with you one day. For now, however, it remains nothing but a dream. As you drive through the dark areas, his voice drops lower as he tells you about urban legends set in the area that he (allegedly) read online. You can never tell if he’s joking or not, but sometimes he achieves his goal and you get goosebumps and watch the shadows outside twist to fit his tales. Joshua only chuckles and reassures you that he’d protect you from the horrors - to a reasonable degree. Because he knows the best way to get your mind off it is to annoy you. And he gets to kiss the pout off your lips.

Jun ❧ Going for a drive with Jun means you’ll likely have to get the car cleaned the next day. You don’t pull out of the driveway without the car stacked with more snacks than you really need. You hold them to his mouth and he’ll say he trusts you with his life by letting you feed him and you’ll fondly roll your eyes. It’s way too much snacks, especially seeing that you’ll be stopping for more along the way. Or at least you’ll jot down the names of the best looking places to check out later. There’s never enough items on your evergrowing to-explore list. Not to mention sometimes suggesting to try a new place is the only way to raise his spirits. Your boyfriend, stubborn man that he is, will insist nothing’s wrong. But you know. You notice that he holds your hand a little tighter. There’s no need for background noise when he keeps talking. Old dreams, new dreams, things you promised to try together. Like he’s looking for a piece of hope to hold on. It’s not always, but you know these drives are his escapes. A space where he can say whatever he wants like he’s leaving everything but you and him behind.

Soonyoung ❧ You need to remind him this is not a race. Soonyoung would never drive recklessly, especially not with you in the car with him, but the highway is basically empty and it’s so easy for him to slip into a stupid skit in which he’s a retired streetracer. Your car may not sound like a sports car but he’s creative enough to make his own sound effects. Your laughter is all the fuel he needs for his fantasies. After all, these drives are for you two to simply relax and let everything go. He’ll open up the windows and encourage you to scream with him. Shout out anything you want - yell at your boss, your parents, the annoying kid that took the last free seat on the train. He doesn’t hold back, venting all his frustrations big and small. You got his back, of course you support him - and the other way around, he’ll agree with his chest to anything you say. It’s honestly draining to get everything off your chest. You feel lighter, though, and so does he. Without fail, however, once you get under the covers, Soonyoung asks if you weren’t secretly venting about him under a different name the whole time.

Wonwoo ❧ It’s usually a little against your will whenever Wonwoo takes you on a drive through the dark city. You may pout and try to guilt him into taking you home but he knows, and you do too - you’ll give in to what you want and need soon. He knows you don’t know when to take a break, that you tend to push beyond what’s healthy and good for you. So he takes it upon himself to give you the chance to relax that you need. It’s quiet because you’ll talk when you want to talk and you’re overwhelmed with the constant noise and music in your headphones while you work as is. It must be one of his favorite sights to see you slowly relax and melt into the seat. Your hand eventually finds his waiting on his thigh for this exact moment. He won’t take your thanks but he will accept an apology for sulking when he was just being a good boyfriend. And as a good boyfriend, Wonwoo listens when you start spilling about everything that stresses you out. He has all the spots where he can stop and hug you for as long as you need memorised, he has tissues and your favorite comfort hoodie ready too.

Jihoon ❧ The night’s peace settles inside the car. There’s no need for words, and so silence sometimes stretches on and on, but that’s alright too. Jihoon will put his hand on your thigh and hold you while you both think and enjoy the vibe. Some words get exchanged, and some nights he will rant on about what’s on his mind - cautiously, as if he hasn’t yet learned that you’ll always listen. Mostly it’s time to unwind and listen to the engine purr or the wind rush past the open windows while you leave the familiar scenery behind. It’s easier to relax where you can be alone and unknown. When you find a secluded spot, he stops and pulls out a blanket for you to sit on the hood of the car with him and watch the sky. It became a tradition to hold hands while you wait for a shooting star, yet it lost the original point a long time ago. Now you just enjoy each other’s company - that’s already enough luck. With your hand in his hair, Jihoon can sigh in relief and close his eyes so tight he sees the white of all the stars. He only needs you to stay by his side, nothing more.

Minghao ❧ Drive with Minghao means leaving with the setting sun. It’s a long affair, because a drive with him means going somewhere where the sky is clear and the air smells of earth, not pollution. Under the stars, he rolls down the windows and you both let the wind rushing past caress your palms. The wind rattles the tree branches or blows through the leaves of grass. The scenery is beautiful and the universe above reminds you of your individual insignificance. It’s just another form of meditation, sometimes a quiet moment to get lost in thought, sometimes more of an opportunity to open up to each other. He loves you and cherishes you as a person, and while it is impossible to know and understand another completely, Minghao is going to try. He finds himself smiling on these drives, because talking with you only proves that he chose the right person. Even if you have to agree to disagree on certain topics, the discussion is productive. It makes him think - he likes that. And when he finds the perfect spot, he’ll stop the car and pull you out to just breathe with him. To remember there’s more to life than the competition and chaos of the concrete jungle you live in.

Mingyu ❧ He likes the aesthetics. Nice car, shitty lighting, blurry and unfocused quality. There’s just something about the vibe, you know? Mingyu is trying to find the words to explain while acting natural except he’s anything but. He tries to look hotter, his gestures giving off a different, more sophisticated vibe that almost has you rolling your eyes behind your phone while you take pictures of him. They look good. A little too good. But taking a few pictures of him in the car is all he’ll ask of you. Because this is about you. He knows the long quiet drive helps you think, and he’s observant enough that he already knows what you’re thinking about and what’s been on your mind lately. He’ll help with innocent questions that just hit the nail on the head. It seems like a magic trick to you. And because he really enjoys the vibe of these drives and the atmosphere, once you get more relaxed and he finds a safe place to stop for a while, he’ll lure you out for your own personal photoshoot. The night air and his bright grin help clear your head completely. And if not? Well Mingyu kisses all the stress away. What’s a better mood booster - the flattering pictures or how much he cares about you?

Seokmin ❧ What should be a calm time to unwind inevitably turns into a loud but satisfying impromptu karaoke. All it takes is one banger to come up on the radio and Seokmin can’t hold back - and that in turn means you join in. There’s hardly anyone around anyway, so nobody won’t witness you trying to hit the high notes that your boyfriend pulls off so effortlessly. You always get too loud when you’re together, as if trying to impress each other. But once the music calms down, once you run out of energy, you feel like you can do anything. More tired than when you got into the car but also happier. Seokmin checks on you, you check on him, reassuring each other that you’re okay. That this is fun, that being silly together is still something you want, that even after a long and tiring day, you’re the ones who bring a smile to each other’s face. And then it’s finally time for quiet conversations. It’s ridiculous how fast you switch from screaming your lungs out to whispering as if somebody was there to catch you. Slowly you exchange soft reassurances and softer, fleeting touches. If there’s an encore, it’s all quietly sung love songs.

Seungkwan ❧ He’s supposed to relax. But looking at Seungkwan’s face you know that in his head he’s still working. Going through scripts, going through lyrics. You squeeze his thigh and he jumps a little before giving you an apologetic smile. You remind him to slow down, as he often does to you. He takes it a little too literally as you make a detour to quieter parts of the city before leaving altogether. Somewhere with little lights, somewhere he needs to drive slowly too. He insists it helps, yet he still asks you to talk to him. To tell him something. So you do - you tell him a story about a completely hypothetical boyfriend that does a very good job but that needs to relax before he starts to need to watch his blood pressure on top of everything else. He gets offended, even though it’s a purely hypothetical boyfriend. So of course he complains about you - not even trying to hide it - and the dishes you haven’t done yesterday. He only briefly stutters when he remembers that he actually promised to do them. It’s always him forgetting about something that concerns you that finally flips the switch in Seungkwan’s brain. The work gets forgotten. He insists on making it up to you. You’ve never seen someone improvise a date as perfectly as him.

Vernon ❧ With the music playing and the streets outside nothing but a blur of lives that don’t concern you, you talk about anything and everything. It’s silly, more often than not just pure nonsense that slowly transforms into playing games. Making up stories about the people you pass. Cracking the worst jokes you know. It’s therapeutic - you think Vernon needs this just as much as you do. There’s no plan, you rely on pure chance. If you happen to see a place that looks interesting, that’s where you stop and go. You’ve visited more roadside curiosities than you’d ever believe possible. Some turn out lame and you have to save the experience by making it fun for each other. Others are great and you recommend them to your friends. And in rare cases, you visit them once and then they disappear. No trace of them left. It’s getting hard to encounter them in the wild, especially close to the city but you and Vernon always believe that you’ll be lucky. And if not, there’s plenty of drive-thrus to go around. Sometimes you treat yourself to a drive-in cinema instead. With his arm thrown around your shoulders, pulling you close, you think life doesn’t get much better.

Chan ❧ He gives you the full princess treatment, adjusting everything to your preferences, fastening your seatbelt while holding your bag, everything. Chan wants to show off. He wants to be mature. The mood just makes him want to talk and because he finally has some private time with you, he’s set on making it count. Your future together is a big topic for him. And because you’re both relaxed, enjoying the familiar scenery outside, the conversation flows nicely. No tension, no room for worries or doubts. Inevitably it starts going off the rails of reality into the ridiculous, but that’s alright. You’re laughing and dreaming about your future, that’s good! You want a future with him! You’re holding his hand and chuckle and coo when he kisses your knuckles. But before the future, the present must happen. The past happened. And the golden light of the streetlights makes him remember. Chan really didn’t mean to make this a trip into nostalgia, but he’d lie if he said it doesn’t make him emotional how many good memories you remember. It makes him feel like you’ve shared a lot of good times. His knees get weak when you tell him you can’t wait to grow old with him and remember this night.

[dailynnt]

ONE NIGHT AS THE PRICE OF A REQUEST

⋆˙⟡ Summary: You hate your neighbor Jungkook, but you have to ask him to pretend to be your boyfriend at a party to get rid of your annoying boss. He agrees, but you don't even imagine what you'll have to pay him with. Everything goes according to plan until Jungkook reveals his true price during the dance: one night with him or your life in the neighborhood will be hell.

⋆˙⟡ Couple: Jeon Jungkook/ The Reader, Jungkook/Y/N

⋆˙⟡ Age restrictions: 18+

⋆˙⟡ Index of chapters: ≣

⋆˙⟡ Number of chapter: 10/?

⋆˙⟡ Tags: enemies-to-neighbors-to-lover, fake relationship, hate to desire, dom!Jungkook, heated blackmail, one bed trope (later more than one bed), undeniable chemistry, forced deal, mutual obsession, dangerous game, unexpected feelings, passion on edge, impossible to resist, tension and desire, unprotected sex, sexual tension, slow burning

⋆˙⟡ From author: Here I tried to add drama, added a meeting with the mother (I'll give a little spoiler that this meeting with her will affect the next development of the plot) and it seems that Y/N is breaking down the walls erected around Jungkook 💗 What do you think, my dear? I'm really excited for the published of these two chapters for you 😰❤️‍🔥 Give me feedback so I know where to fix or add something? ❤️‍🔥💘

⋆˙⟡ Dedication: to my biggest love @kelsyx33, @curse-of-art, @kooko009, @smokinghotstargirl, @myjungkookthighs, @mskookie, @minimoninini, @medstudentlifestyle for loving me for nothing. I love you girls twice as much 🥺🤭💜🫶🏻

⋆˙⟡ Tag list: @kelsyx33, @curse-of-art, @kooko009, @smokinghotstargirl, @myjungkookthighs, @mskookie, @minimoninini, @medstudentlifestyle, @bhonbhon, @ottergirl, @vantelover1306, @deepikhaprakash, @mar-lo-pap, @zeytiable, @lallataegi, @vintagemoonsstuff, @indigomoonchild09, @diame93, @bts-ruu, @asyr97, @taeloversblog, @songbyeonkim (If you want to be on the tag list, let me know)

⋆˙⟡ Warning: English is not my native language, so please be lenient with mistakes in the text 🥹

Chapter 10. Home

Jungkook's car did not fit into the local landscape. The expensive foreign car stood in stark contrast to the old streets of the city's private sector. The narrow street you knew so well brought back memories from your childhood. The old, shabby fences, painted by your grandfather's hand, and the familiar smell of the sea coming from somewhere far away immediately evoked a warm longing.

Time seemed to stand still here. While megacities were growing up, this place remained cozy and real. The way you left it when you moved to Seoul.

"Does she do this often?" Jungkook asked, watching the road ahead closely, snapping you out of your pleasant nostalgia.

"She's done it a few times. The last time I warned her that if she took the money from Halmoni, I would file a police report," you said bitterly, then laughed in frustration, "and she started blackmailing me, saying she would call my work and tell them I was neglecting her and abusing her. So we agreed that I should send her money once a month to buy her food. But I know that she spends this money on alcohol..." you told Jungkook about your mother. He asked you and you really didn't want to tell him something so personal about yourself. It would have been nice if Jungkook didn't know what your mother was like, but you tell him everything and you really didn't understand why.

He parked the car smoothly in front of your grandmother's familiar house, which you pointed out on the way. The car stopped, and you quickly reached for your backpack, internally preparing to say goodbye.

"Thanks for bringing me," you said quietly, avoiding his gaze. You didn't want him to see your embarrassment. To be honest, you were sure he would just bring you to Busan and go right back to his business in Seoul.

He looked at you silently, and then turned his body around, leaning his elbow on the car door. His smile was almost sly.

"Do you really think I'm just going to turn around and drive back?" he asked, as if reading your mind.

You froze, looking up at him. Actually, that was exactly what you thought. So you didn't understand why he had ridden with you for such a distance.

"Do you want to stay?" you said quietly, not believing you were asking the question.

"Yes," he answered without a shadow of hesitation. "And not just because of you. I have some business here in Busan. I decided to take this opportunity to finish them."

Your mind raced. Part of you was happy - unexpectedly, but very sincerely. And the other part, accustomed to independence, to relying only on yourself, began to feel anxious. What is he doing here? Why does he care about you?

"Well... if you need to..." you muttered, already grabbing the door handle, preparing to leave. But at the same moment you heard him turn off the engine. Your heart sank.

Only then did it dawn on you: he wasn't just staying in the city. He was staying right next to you.

You quickly turned to him as he reached out to get out of the car.

"Wait..." you said suddenly.

He stopped and looked at you.

"What?"

"You... where are you going?" your voice sounded cautious, as if you were afraid to hear the answer.

But he didn't have time to give it. His gaze suddenly shifted - he was no longer looking at you, but behind your back. His eyes became attentive.

You turned around and saw your grandmother slowly walk out of the yard, holding onto the fence. She looked a little confused, but smiling.

She noticed you and her smile became joyful, and her eyes sparkled. You forgot about Jungkook and hurried over to her. You hadn't seen your grandmother for more than two months and you missed her very much. As you hugged your grandmother, you felt her familiar warmth, her palms stroking your back, and her eyes full of love and concern.

"You lose weight... did you eat anything in Seoul?" she murmured quietly, hugging you as if she was afraid to let go.

"I ate, Halmoni, don't worry," you smiled through your tears, feeling your whole body relaxing next to her.

But a moment later, Grandma looked over your shoulder and looked in surprise.

"Who is it that has come with you, my flower?" asked Grandma, rubbing her eyes and fixing her apron.

You turned around sharply. Jungkook was standing by the car, wearing a half-smile that immediately alerted you. He looked completely out of place: expensive clothes, strong posture, and that confident light in his eyes that for some reason made your heart skip a beat.

"This is..." you started, but didn't have time to finish.

"Greetings, Halmoni," he took a step toward you and your Grandma and bowed low, "I'm your granddaughter's boyfriend, Jeon Jungkook, nice to meet you," he finished, straightening his back. You raised your eyebrows and opened your mouth in surprise. You were ready to kill him for introducing himself to grandma as your boyfriend. Jungkook looked at you and liked the way you looked. Your anger was his favorite thing in the world.

"A boyfriend... how unexpectedly,"" grandma said, turning her head to you, she smiled kindly as she assessed Jungkook. "My dear girl, why didn't you tell your grandmother that you have a boyfriend and you coming with him? I would have prepared the best holiday table," she nervously began to adjust her clothes.

"Halmoni is..." you wanted to say something, but you were too shocked by Jungkook's prank. He, in turn, came closer and put his arm around your waist. You glared at him angrily.

"There's no need to worry Halmon, and I'm sorry for coming unannounced, but I wanted to finally meet you, so I asked Y/N to come over together," Jungkook said with a friendly smile on his lips. Grandma was looking at you and couldn't get enough.

"You two are so beautiful together. Y/N daughter, how could you hide from me that you have such a beautiful boy?"

You opened and closed mouth because you just didn't know what to say. You didn't hide anything from your grandmother because you weren't going to lie to her about your fake relationship with Jungkook. But her words made you feel guilty.

"Let's go inside, you must be hungry from the road, I made Y/N's favorite pulgogi and I really want to hear how you met..." Grandma turned around and walked as fast as she could to set the table, and you shouted after her.

"Halmoni, we're coming, we're just going to pick up the grocery bags..."

Grandma said she would be waiting for you inside, and when her figure disappeared behind the door, you moved away from Jungkook too quickly. He knew you were about to protest, and he was prepared to listen to your disgruntled tone. You crossed your arms over your chest, and he hid his in pockets.

"What the hell are you doing? Why did you tell Halmoni that you were my boyfriend? Our agreement has nothing to do with my family!" you snapped.

Jungkook raised his eyebrows slightly, but didn't look guilty - on the contrary, as if he was expecting this.

"Your Halmoni doesn't seem like the kind of person who would let a some guy stay overnight if he's even a friend or neighbour," he said calmly, with a hint of mockery in his voice.

You sighed sharply, flushing red. He was playing the game his way again.

"What do you mean stay overnight? You were planning to stay here tonight?" you were shocked.

"Well, yeah, I can't leave you alone..." he said casually, taking a step toward you. He towered over you, and you tilted your head back a little to see his face.

"You will not stay the night at my halmoni's house, you will go to a hotel," you said clearly. Jungkook pressed his lips into a thin line, clearly not happy with your words.

"How can I go to the hotel now? I'm your boyfriend, wouldn't it be weird if I didn't spend the night with you?" he touched his fingers lightly to your cheek, stroking it gently. This gesture made you lose your sense of reality for a moment, and then you sharply knocked his hand away.

"You did that on purpose! Why are you such a chronic liar?" you raged.

"I didn't do it on purpose. It's just that it's better if we play the game to the end. If your family knows that I'm your boyfriend, then our relationship will look even more believable."

You cringed, as if he'd just said something extremely gross.

"So now my family is part of your play?" you asked quietly, but very sharply. Your eyes glittered with anger and disappointment.

Jungkook didn't answer right away. His eyes became serious. He lost that mocking smile that irritated you and just stood there for a few seconds looking at you.

"If you're part of my show, then so is your family," he said, without the warmth in his voice. "But I'm here for you, in case you haven't noticed."

You gritted your teeth, trying not to let your emotions get the better of you. You ignored his words that he was here for you. Even though they made your heart skip a beat.

"I don't want you to stay." you said with the same coldness in your voice.

"Fine. But I'll stay." He didn't listen to you.

"Jungkook!" you almost jumped up and down in anger. "Can't you do it the way I want for once?"

"I can," he answered calmly. "But I don't want to."

He smiled again and then made his way to the car and opened the trunk. He picked up a few packages as if it were a regular family visit.

"I'll bring the groceries in. And you, if you want, go explain to Halmoni that I'm an impostor and we're not really together. But look right in her eye and say it. Only honestly."

He walked into the house, leaving you standing in the middle of the yard with a knot in your chest and confusion in your head.

Because the problem was that you couldn't tell her the truth anymore. And you didn't know why you didn't have the strength to actually send him away.

Grandma fed you the world's most delicious pulgogi and kimchi, and a whole bunch of other dishes she made for your visit. Jungkook ate everything she put on the table without hesitation, and you watched him sneakily.

He lied to your grandmother with gusto about your first meeting and how you "fell in love" with each other, and his cheeks were full of rice and kimchi. He acted as if he had been to this house a hundred times and had known Grandma all his life. It was obvious that she liked him - she listened attentively, laughed at his jokes and brought him plates of extra.

"My daughter, why are you so quiet?" your grandmother finally paid attention to you. She put her hand on your and stroked it gently. You looked up at her and smiled gently.

"I'm just afraid to interrupt your perfect conversation," you said, glancing over at Jungkook. He had finally eaten and was sitting with his hands on the table.

"Oh sweetheart, Jungkook is such a good boy. I like him and I'm glad you two are dating, you couldn't ask for a better match," Grandma said with admiration. You smiled wider and looked at Jungkook again. He smiled smugly. You barely stopped yourself from rolling your eyes.

"You're right, Halmoni, you couldn't ask for a better boyfriend..." you mocked.

"And I won't find a better girl," Jungkook said in a confident voice. You looked at him in disbelief, but he looked so serious that something in your chest trembled.

"Oh, my dear children, I'm so happy for you!" sighed Grandma, holding back her tears. "My flower, I'm glad to see you happy with Jungkook, I hope your relationship will grow into a long and eternal love..."

You almost choked on your juice that were drinking while your grandmother was talking. You coughed and Jungkook hurriedly patted you on the back.

"Be careful, my love, or your grandmother's hopes will not come true," Jungkook joked. You were coughing, but you wanted to kill Jungkook for calling you "my love" in front of your grandmother. You gently removed his hands and pulled away.

"Thank you, honey I'll be careful," you said, sounds pretending sweet. Jungkook felt your tone and squinted his eyes.

And Grandma started praising you again, saying how wonderful couple you were, and you could barely contain yourself. Because it was a performance for you. And only one person in the room believed in everything-your grandmother.

The rumble of the gate you suddenly heard made you tense. You heard a voice from the street and abruptly got up from the table. Jungkook stood up and followed you. You stopped a step away from the front door and saw your mother through the ajar door.

Jungkook froze behind you, silently realizing who the woman was. You looked alike. You were her young copy. But there was a gulf between you. Her once beautiful face was disfigured by the alcohol she had been drinking for years. Her eyes were blurred but sparkled with a strange nervous energy. She was leaning on the doorjamb as if she wasn't sure she could stand. Her lips curled into a half-smile, more like a grimace.

"Look who's here..." she barely managed to say, looking directly at you. "And even with a boyfriend, can you believe it? And I thought you were a chaste modesty."

Your face instantly lost all expression. You clenched your jaw, trying not to let on how much these words hurt. Jungkook remained silent, but you could feel him tense up. His body stood behind yours like a shield.

"Why did you come here?" you asked in a trembling voice. You were holding back too many emotions inside. The sight of your mother, drunk and unkempt, made your heart clench with pain. But even more so with disgust.

"Why?" she took a shaky step forward, but you didn't budge, "Mother promised to give me more money, I have to live for something. You're a cheeky girl, not answering your mother's phone. You're sitting there in Seoul, all important... and I'm supposed to starve to death?"

"Came to bully at grandmother, that she giving you money for a bottle again?" your voice shook with rage. "I warned you not to touch her. If you do anything to her again, I'll go and file a police report against you. For extortion. For violence."

Your mother giggled.

"The police? And what are you going to tell them? That your poor mommy is asking you for a penny because her selfish daughter can't support her?" her eyes glittered with hatred. "Look at yourself. Do you despise me? Do you think you're better because you live in the city, because you fuck a rich guy and drive an expensive car?"

"Shut up." You took another step forward. You were shaking. "You've never been a mother. Ever. You abandoned me when I was a baby. And now you come when you need money for a bottle!"

"I raised you!" she snapped, indignant.

"You?" you laughed bitterly. "You weren't around when I was growing up. When I was sick. And when I was studying. You only appear when you need money. Like a parasite!"

Your mother's face changed dramatically. From a disdainful mask to one contorted with rage. She raised her hand, losing control.

"You little bitch..." your mother raised her hand to hit you, but Jungkook, who had been standing silent right up until that moment, reacted instantly. His hand grabbed her wrist before she could touch you. The movement was precise, without a shadow of hesitation. Your mother flinched.

"I would strongly advise you to never, ever lay a hand on her again," Jungkook's voice was low, almost dangerous. His eyes glittered with coldness, and this sternness combined with his self-control was... eerie.

Your mother was embarrassed and tried to pull away, but Jungkook's grip was like steel.

"Who are you to..." she began, but she didn't have time to finish because Jungkook leaned slightly toward her, never letting go of her arm, and said through clenched teeth in a way that sent chills down her spine.

"I'm the one who will make your life unbearable if you ever show up here again and scare Halmoni or touch Y/N. I can make someone like you disappear from the face of the earth. And believe me, no one will even ask where you went."

His mother stared at him - at first with a challenge, but then fear appeared in those eyes. For the first time in all the years of your life, she was afraid. Really scared. To the bone.

You stood next to him, still trembling, but now... not just from anger. The way he defended you, the way he stood up for you without a shadow of a doubt... Something in your chest shuddered, as if it had moved.

"Do you understand?" Jungkook let go of her abruptly, as if even touching her was disgusting.

The mother swayed, grabbing the doorjamb. She remained silent, breathing heavily, as if she had been running, rubbing her wrist where Jungkook had grabbed her.

"Oh, you bagged yourself a rich man, huh?..." she suddenly looked away from Jungkook and at you. "They're all like that, daughter. First they say they love you, and then they dump you because they've had enough of you..." she spat at Jungkook's feet, causing him to raised his eyebrows, "He'll dump you as soon as he gets tired of you. Just like your dad did to me... but when he does leave you, you better not end up like your horrible alcoholic mother." she turned to leave. "I won't come again, I don't want to know you all."

The mother finally left, stumbling and muttering under her breath, Jungkook turned to you. His eyes were still serious, but softer as he looked at you.

"Are you okay?" he asked, and there was no irony in his voice. You stood there completely stunned by your mother's words about a father she had never spoken of. The whole situation that had just happened in front of you made a new crack in your soul and you no longer had the strength to hold back the hurt and tears. You cried, and Jungkook just pulled you to him. You cried into his chest, and he held you tightly in his arms. Grandma, who stood nearby, was also crying quietly.

You silently went into your room at grandmother's house. After your shower, your skin smelled like a delicate peach, but inside you still felt like a crack, like an old wound that had been torn open again.

Jungkook was already in bed. He didn't leave. You asked him to stay after Grandma left so that you two could spend time together. He said that he was going to go to a hotel for the night, but you said that grandma would insist anyway. You felt that if he left, you would become even more desperate.

Quietly, you walked to the bed, took off your robe, leaving you in a thin home t-shirt and shorts, and slid under the covers. Your back was to him.

The bed sagged gently, and you felt his warmth. He moved over gently, his chest touching your back, and something about that touch made you exhale a little deeper.

His hand touched your waist - not holding you, not forcing you. Just... holding.

"How are you feeling?" he whispered, so close that his breath was touching your ear.

"I’m fine," you answered shortly, your voice sounding broken. He didn't ask anymore. He just lay there, silent, breathing in unison with you.

"Thank you..." you whispered suddenly. You hadn't thanked him before, and you truly appreciated his support. "For protecting me and Halmoni today."

He didn't answer right away. Then he sighed, slowly, almost silently.

"You were unlucky with your mother... but it looks like she won't be coming back. And if she does, I'll make sure it's really the last time." Jungkook assured you. His words made your chest tighten. You wanted to object, but he was already speaking. "And I'll make sure she returns everything she took to her grandmother. Every last won."

"Don't do that," you whispered. "It's none of your business. I can handle it myself..."

"But I want to," his voice was serious, without a hint of joking. "Your Halmoni is a such kind woman. If you don't want to accept my help, she will. And it will be my pleasure to help her."

Silence fell again. You felt his hand on your thigh - it was big, warm and gentle. He stroked your skin lightly.

This closeness... his breathing, his chest pressed against your back, his fingers that involuntarily slid a little lower... all this made your body tremble with a subtle wave of excitement.

You unconsciously pressed against him. Your hips slipped back a little, and you felt his cock begin to strain from your few movements. But Jungkook didn't seem to notice your hints. You moved again, as if on purpose in his arms. His cock was already hard and you could feel its warmth through the thin fabric of his shorts and underwear.

Jungkook wordlessly moved closer to you, and you both felt it. Your panties began to get wet and between the legs throbbed with excitement. His hand slid down your thigh.

"Are you trying to seduce me?" he whispered directly into your ear, his voice low and husky. "Do you think it's a good idea to rub against my crotch like that... and make my cock get hard?"

You held your breath, and only for a moment, at the sound of his voice, which made you even more hot. Then you whispered, trying not to give away your true intention, even though it was more than obvious.

"I... I just... I'm a little tight in your arms..." you lied.

"Really...?" he huffed in disbelief. His hand, which had been squeezing your thigh, slid to your stomach and continued to move upward, making its way under the fabric of your shirt. He touched your breasts and squeezed lightly. Your moisture was becoming more and more abundant.

Jungkook raised himself up on his elbow and pushed thighs against you as if to tease you.

"You're shameless. You want sex when your grandmother is sleeping in the next room?" he whispered. "What am I supposed to do with you, huh...?" Jungkook asked in the same whisper, his voice low and deep, vibrating somewhere in his stomach. "You've already pushed me away three times after I've done you good. Three times. I'm getting a little tired of hearing it. Maybe we should stop?" He let go of your breasts and brought his palm down. His hand ducked under the fabric of your sleeping shorts, touching your folds. You were wet, so wet and that's all for him.

Jungkook's words were half-joking, and you knew it, but they held the truth, a small stab of disappointment at your past actions and the words you'd said to him without mercy.

He continued to caress your clit and you moaned softly. You barely managed to turn your head slightly to the side, toward him. Your breath was hot and your lips were trembling.

"I won't push you away..." you whispered. "I want... I want it, Jungkook...please…"

He froze. And then slowly, with that predatory playfulness that drove you crazy, he answered.

"You hear that, kitten," he ran his fingers over your aroused clit and plunged his fingers into your passage again and again, pressing you in tighter against himself, "you're begging me again. What about that fucking rule you made?"

Jungkook turned you completely around, hovering over you, never ceasing to finger you. You spread your legs, wrapping your arms around his shoulders. Your nails left half-moon dents in his warm skin.

"Fuck the rules," you said between moans. Jungkook laughed softly.

"So bold," he finally kissed you on the lips. His tongue filled your mouth as if it had always belonged to him. Your tongues clashed and wrestled with each other, as if trying to know who was in charge. Jungkook grabbed your tongue and sucked on it, proving his superiority to you. He parted your lips so that you could breathe in some air.

"You're going to throw words like that around, and then tell me to ignore it again because you were having an orgasm?" Jungkook teased. He loved using your actions and words against you.

"Jungkook..." you squeezed the skin on his shoulders harder, pulling him closer "shut your mouth and just fuck me already," your voice sounded annoyed. Jungkook raised his eyebrows and laughed at your intolerance.

"Oh I'll do it kitten, but now you know your rule no longer applies?!" his voice was hoarse with excitement, but also full of triumph. He loved that you had given in, breaking your own rule that you had promised to keep. He knew it from the beginning, that you would be the first to give up.

His fingers slid over your wet fold once more, long, slow, until you trembled, as if trying to brand this moment. And then he abruptly removed his hand, making you moan with loss.

"Fuck you?" he repeated, licking his lips. "I want to do it so badly right now, but you know how much I love listening to your pleas? I think I'll listen to your sweet beseech first..."

Jungkook's lips found your neck, and you arched up, exposing your skin to him. His kisses were wet, warm, slow, and all of this made you tremble even more, clenching your thighs. The kisses fueled your need to have him, but you knew he would soon have you begging. Beg as if your life depended on it.

He took off your shorts and underwear at the same time so as not to spend too much time on this one, so that he could have the moreover of it for something more worthwhile, such as pushing you to your limit. And then he took off his boxers and threw them somewhere else.

He threw aside the blanket you were still covered with and positioned himself between your legs. He could see your pussy glistening in the darkness of the room, making him obsessed with you.

He positioned himself comfortably between your legs, pressing his erect cock against your pussy. You felt his hot flesh and sighed heavily. You need him inside.

Jungkook pulled up your shirt, exposing your breasts. He fell on one of your nipples and sucked hard. You felt pain, but kept yourself from screaming by biting your lip.

"Kook..." you called to him.

"I'm here, kitten" he whispered, stopping for a moment.

"Come inside," you begged. He grinned against your nipple and kept his eyes on you.

You wiggled your hips, hoping that this would make him finally fill you with his cock. But he didn't seem to be in any hurry.

His lips moved to your neck, covering it with wet marks, sucking on the skin, but not doing what you wanted most.

"Please..." you breathed out, barely audible. Jungkook stood over you.

"It's so sweet coming from you. Fuck, I'm ready to listen forever as you beg me to fill you my cock." he whispered. You felt yourself getting even wetter. You had definitely soiled the fresh sheets that Grandma had made for the two of you.

Jungkook pressed his lips to your ear. His voice was soft but full of power.

"You're so impatient... And just recently you were playing hard to get..." he smiled, lightly touching your earlobe with his tongue. "And now you ask me as if I were your last hope. Hmm, I wonder how many times you can ask before I'm satisfied with your plea?" he standing on knelt, placing his legs under of your pelvis.

His hand slowly - too slowly - slid down your stomach, slid back between your thighs, but this time he didn't touch your clit as you expected. Instead, he lightly stroked your inner thigh, giving you no relief.

You arched up, trying to force yourself to slide closer, but Jungkook grabbed your hips and stopped you.

"Don't rush," he whispered. "I haven't had enough of you yet. And you taste so good when you moan because you don't get what you want. "

His fingers touched your folds, but only at the edge, as if by accident. And then they were gone again, leaving you in a state of excited despair. You moaned softly.

"Look at you... so wet... and all this because of a few touches from me?" he tilted his head to the side and looked into your eyes. His gaze was full of fire. "Tell me, have you fantasized about me? About me entering you slowly, deeply? Or maybe how I make you beg again and again?"

You were silent, but he saw the answer in your eyes. "Say it out loud, kitten. I need to hear it."

You felt ashamed, but it came out:

"Yes... I was imagining... you entering me... teasing me... not letting me come..." you whispered, breathing heavily.

"Oh, now you're talking like an adult girl," Jungkook murmured and plunged his fingers into you, this time deeper than before. But not deep enough for you to be satisfied. And when you tried to move your hips again, he removed his hand.

"No, no, no..." he smiled. "You haven't earned it yet. A little more..."

He leaned down and his tongue flicked down your stomach. You could feel his every breath on your skin. His lips touched your thighs, and you realized that a little more and you would explode. And he, this cocky, bossy, damn hot guy, was still playing with you like a favorite toy.

"Please... Jungkook, I can't take it..." you whispered, wrapping your arms around his shoulders. He looked at you from under his eyelashes as if amused.

"Oh, I know... and that's what I like best." He ran his tongue over your skin again, but this time between your folds. And when you arched your back, clutching the sheets, he pulled back.

You couldn't breathe steadily anymore. Desire and despair mingled together.

Jungkook towered over you, kneeling down. His eyes were burning, his face tense with desire. He took his hard length in his hands and slid the head of his cock between your wet folds-slowly, with pleasure, forcing you to arch up to meet him. But instead of entering, he rubbed against you, sliding up and down, making you tremble with tension.

"Tell me you want me..." his voice is hoarse, almost breathless.

"I do... I want you so badly..." you begged, your voice tearing from your chest, unashamed.

Jungkook sighed, softly, from deep in his chest. His eyes grew even darker, more serious. And the next moment, he entered you-slowly, deeply, so that you involuntarily squeezed his shoulders and almost screamed. He stopped for a moment, resting his forehead on your shoulder.

"So tight... so wet..." his voice was husky, vibrating against your skin, Jungkook could barely contain himself because his arousal had reached a maximum while he was playing with you. "Fuck Y/N, what are you doing to me?"

A second of silence from both of you. His words hit you so hard...because you weren't doing anything, you were just being yourself.

He began to move, slowly but surely, studying you as he always did - cautiously at first, and then deeper and stronger with each movement. Your body responded to his every thrust as if you had belonged to him for a long time. Moans escaped your lips uncontrollably. Jungkook pressed himself against you, placing his hands on the sides of your face and leaning in almost close. He looked at your satisfied face and couldn't get enough of the pleasure you were showing. You wrapped your legs around his buttocks, squeezing him tighter. You moaned louder and louder at his sharp and deep thrusts and Jungkook was slightly nervous that your grandmother might hear you.

"Shhh..." he whispered, moving deeply and rhythmically inside you. "Don't make a sound... Do you want your grandmother to know what her sweet granddaughter sounds like when she's being fucked?" You bit your lips, moaning, and Jungkook picked up his pace as if to spite you, driving himself harder into your thighs. Like an insatiable man... pushing you to the limit.

He didn't forget to kiss your lips between thrusts.

And just when the wave of orgasm began to build, when your body froze in sweet anticipation, Jungkook leaned down to your ear and whispered in a breathless voice.

"Cum for me, kitten. I want to feel you tremble under me..."

Your body exploded after a small series of deep thrusts. Wave after wave pierced you, your moans were soft, trapped in your chest, and you squeezed his cock as you came.

And Jungkook, feeling your climax, gave a few more thrusts and, as he started spilled inside you, pulled out releasing onto your stomach with a quiet growl that echoed in your chest.

You were still trembling, your skin covered in a light sweat, and your chest heaving in a rapid rhythm. Jungkook hovered over you, leaning on his elbows, watching you slowly come back to your senses after the sweet storm. He kissed the corner of your lips, still warm from your moans.

"So your rule is no longer in effect and I'm glad you destroyed it yourself," he said with a heavy breath that made it hard to speak. Your eyes were shining with the orgasm you'd had, and you recognized that you'd made the rule in vain at all.

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[mortuary-maggots]

Mean

This is my first time writing smut so please be kind as I figure things out!

synopsis- Toby and reader do not get along in the slightest. What happens when they're forced to share a bed coming home from a mission?

TW: smut, mentions of blood, name calling (both sexual and non), mentions of murder, biting, reader is kind of a brat, reader is afab

Let me know if I've missed any warnings.

Thick silence clung to the air of the car, mixing with the stale smell of cigarette smoke and greasy fast food bags. Tim had one hand gripped firmly on the wheel, so tightly you would be shocked if he didn't leave behind imprints in the leather. His other hand rested outside the rolled down window, cigarette nestled between two fingers; his fourth one in the last hour. You knew the mission had gone poorly even if it had been completed, but his chain smoking in silence cemented that fact all the more. He was always the first to chastise the group when things went south, armed with harsh words and insults that you knew were out of a need to better you all. Silence from him when it came to matters of work was unsettling, it was only a matter of time before he exploded. 

Brian sat passenger, equally silent. That wasn't out of the ordinary, he was often a man of little words, even more so when he was sleep deprived. You all were at this point. Cleaning up loose ends for the Operator would often consist of many day missions, in which rest was a luxury. You all savored the ability to relax when you came back, even Tim, who never really slept much to begin with. Brian fiddled with the screen of his camcorder, opening and closing it in a repetitive motion, head focused on the road in front of him. Normally, he'd be hounding Tim to slow down on the cigarettes by his second one, not wanting to deal with the acrid fumes in such close proximity, but you knew even he felt the tension that seeped from the man in the driver's seat. 

Toby sat next to you in the back, eyes trained outside. His elbow rested on the armrest of the door, his cheek nestled into his gloved hand. You could tell he was still fuming from your earlier fight, the fight that had almost cost you the entire mission. You couldn't even remember the full context to why you had started fighting in the first place, you probably killed someone he had his sights trained on or something of the sort. It didn't matter what it was about either way, you both always found something to argue over. Drinking the rest of the milk in the cabin, him dumping your wet laundry on the floor to replace it with his, who sat shotgun when Brian wasn't in the car, just about any interaction you had with him ended in a screaming match that had to be broken up by Tim or Brian, sometimes both if it got too out of hand.

It's not like you tried to start something with him, it just kind of happened. He was disagreeable and snappy and you could tell there was something about you just existing in his general vicinity that pissed him off. You weren't quite sure what you had done to land yourself on his perpetual shit-list, but you also hadn't really asked. You craved the excitement that came with the explosion of vitriol you casted at each other, it was a much needed stress relief. He was an outlet to blow off steam. However, there was also a small part of you that enjoyed the attention from him, even if it was mostly negative.

When you had first become a proxy, you had mentally latched onto him, developing a little proximity crush in the process. Falling for someone was something you were sure would never happen to you, especially after all the trauma that led you to where you were now. Yet, here he was, infectious laugh and messy curls making you feel smitten. Back then, you’d be able to have a conversation without it devolving, his energetic ramblings about things he loved were endearing, but somewhere along the way that had rapidly changed to a demeaning attitude. It wasn't gradual, it came overnight, like a switch had been flipped. You didn't reciprocate his jabs at first, but the longer it went on the more it lit a fire in you. The crush hadn't really gone away either, instead twisting into an unhealthy obsession with how easy you got under his skin, how much you lived rent free in his head even if he was dousing his mind version of you in gasoline and striking a match. There was something so enticing about pushing his buttons until he lost control.

The most recent fight had almost resulted in a survivor escaping, both of you far too enthralled in verbally ripping each other apart to notice someone trying to slip away. Brian had finished her off while Tim forcefully led you and Toby back to the car, hands gripped on the backs of your necks. It was like breaking up a dogfight by separating them by their scruff, though it didn't stop you two from continuing the tirade back and forth until Tim threatened to leave you both to walk. You had shut up instantly, but you knew it wasn't the end; you always seemed to pick up right where you left off.

“You two need to get your shit together.” Tim's gruff voice pierced through the smog that had yet to escape through his open window. “You're going to get yourselves fucking killed because you can't get along for longer than five minutes.” 

“I'll do that w-when she stops being a cunt.” Toby mumbled under his breath, kicking at one of the discarded food bags that had consisted of tonight's dinner.

It didn't stop Tim from hearing it clearly, letting out a disgruntled sigh that told you he was trying his best to not stop the car completely and chew you both out. 

“You're right, I'm sorry Tim.” You ignored Toby's nasty comment in favor of keeping your head attached to your body. Toby's anger was easy enough to deal with, you had been for a while, but Tim's anger was a whole other beast you didn't want to be on the other end of. Even if you desperately wanted to say something snarky to piss off Toby further. 

Toby just scoffed at your apology, obviously expecting one pointed towards him as well. Tim only shook his head, letting another sigh fall from his lips, though this one sounded decidedly more exhausted. It was still hours back to the cabin and you knew you needed to stop at a motel before he crashed the car from sleep deprivation. Normally on missions Brian drove, but he had relinquished the keys to Tim, not trusting himself to stay awake on the long drive back. An insomniac in the driver's seat had seemed like a good idea at the time, but the longer the drive went on, the more it became harder for him not to nod off as well. 

Thankfully, Brian seemed to be on the same wavelength as you. “We should find somewhere to stay for the night before you fall asleep at the wheel.” 

“I want to g-go home.” Toby sat up, more alert. His hazy brown eyes glanced toward you for a moment and you felt a tug at your heart strings. You almost resented the feelings for him that refused to go away, almost hated the giddiness that flipped in your stomach when he spoke to you. Almost.

“Kid, we need sleep. Everyone is tired and cranky and I'm sick of listening to you two go at it.” Tim agreed with Brian's sentiment. Brian snorted at the end of Tim's sentence, delighted at the accidental innuendo.

Toby didn't seem to notice Brian's implications, and if he did he didn't say anything about it. “You're just g-going to make me share a room with her.” 

“You both are going to have to learn how to get along at some point.” Brain responded. 

Tim's eyes flicked up to the rear view mirror to look at you both in the backseat. “He's right, we can't afford a failed mission.” 

Toby didn't respond, instead opting to dramatically slump back in his seat, arms crossed like a child who just got told he can't get a toy at the store. It was amusing to see a grown man act like this because of you, but you knew Brian and Tim were right, even though you had a feeling if you tried genuinely being open with Toby, it wouldn't go the way you intended. You wished you could pry open his brunette head and peer inside his skull to see what went on in that confusing brain of his. If you actually could see thoughts that way, it would be decidedly easier than trying to get him to calmly talk to you on his own. You ran over ways to approach him about, at the very least, pretending to get along on missions the entire way to the seedy motel Tim had chosen. You were no closer to having a good idea though. 

“Alright wait here.” Tim stretched with a groan as soon as he got out of the driver's side, a cacophony of cracking joints sounding as he did. Man needed to see a chiropractor or get a stretching rack before his bones disintegrated or something. The car was practically vibrating from the intensity that settled over the remaining inhabitants. You could feel Toby's gaze burn holes into your head, but you refused to meet his gaze, hoping to save whatever storm was brewing for when you were both in your room for the night. It didn't take long for Tim to return, two keycards in hand and another cigarette in the other. He stopped in front of the car and waved the keycards in the air, a silent signal for them all to get out. 

Brian made a beeline for the trunk to retrieve your duffle bags as Tim handed Toby the card for your room. “They only have two, one bed rooms left, so I just got those.” 

“Are you f-fucking kidding m-me.” Toby's twitches got closer together in length as he spat out his shock. You could feel the anxiety fall off him in waves, his full eyebrows furrowed in rage. You tried your best to keep a poker face, but you still felt a blush dust across your cheeks because you didn't necessarily mind sharing a bed with him, it was just an excuse to be closer. It was not lost on you how pathetic that made you sound but you couldn't bring yourself to care.

Tim only grunted a simple, “you'll live,” in response and stamped the cigarette butt out on the ground with his foot. He shoved one of the key cards into Toby’s hand, ignoring the death glare he received in return. 

Despite yourself you couldn't help but poke the bear. “It's just a bed.”

“That I have to s-share with a dumb slut.” He growled. “W-what if she bites me in my sleep and I get rabies.” 

“Can you two just fuck already.” Brian came to stand next to Tim, tossing the duffle bags on the ground in the middle of the group. 

Toby let out an exasperated noise and wordlessly snatched his dark green bag from off the pavement before stomping off in the perceived direction of your room. You were quick to follow, knowing fully if you didn't, he'd leave you to find your own way there, maybe even lock you out of the room. Tim and Brian were a few paces behind, walking leisurely and chatting about breakfast plans for the morning. The small motel looked to be on the verge of condemnation, run down and empty save for the few cars that dotted the parking lot. You had a sneaking suspicion that Tim was lying about the room situation to get you and Toby to finally talk things out. You knew that if this didn't work, Tim and Brian would stop at nothing to remedy the problem, maybe even going as far as to get you both one giant sweater with the words “this is our get along shirt” printed across the front. You hoped it wouldn't have to come to that. 

Your rooms were right next to each other, the doors around it proudly boasting closed for cleaning. It was usually the case for you all to get rooms far away from the general public when you had to stay somewhere for the night, none of you really wanted to get caught by the police. Toby tore through the door after unlocking it, the sheer force of the swing causing it to slam into the wall inside. The compact room had very little furniture, only a bed that barely fit two, two nightstands on either side, and a dresser, and the bathroom was equally as small, narrowly fitting all of its amenities. You closed the door softly behind you after calling goodnight to the other two. The clock that sat on one of the bedside tables read the witching hour and yet there was a frenetic energy coming from Toby as he ripped open his bag on the bed. 

“You can have the bed, I'll sleep on the floor.” You had decided to wait to talk to him until morning, desperately trying to avoid another argument for Tim and Brian's sake. You were hoping he'd be a little more agreeable with a full rest.

He had other plans, however. “W-why? So you can complain to them about h-how I made you sleep on the floor?” 

“Fine, then you sleep on the floor.” You could feel the familiar venom bubble to the surface, you needed to redirect this fast before you lost it yourself. 

“Oh that's real nice, make me s-sleep on the floor.” 

“There's no fucking winning with you, is there?” You spat. “Do whatever the hell you want.”

He pulled his clothes from his bag and stalked into the bathroom, slamming the door behind him. It was going to be a long night. You quickly changed into your own pajamas while he was locked in there, it becoming abundantly clear that he had no interest in even trying to head Tim and Brian’s word. You tried to think back to before it all started, micro-analyzing every single thing you had done or said to him that could make him hate you as much as he did, but you couldn't come up with a single answer. You hadn't done a damn thing except treat him with kindness and it was driving you up the wall that this is how he chose to repay it. Toby stormed out not long after you had finished changing and ignored you completely as you swapped places to do your night routine, which was done hastily in favor of getting to bed faster. 

The room was dark when you returned, Toby already under the covers and staring at the ceiling. You mirrored him, your bodies almost touching from how small the bed was, and you made sure to scoot as close to the edge as possible to stave off a complaint from him. 

That effort was in vain. “Turn towards the wall, I don't want y-your face to be the first thing I s-see when I wake up.” 

That was it. You felt something snap in you as you raised your voice at him. “What is your fucking damage? Why do you always have to have an attitude.”

“Take a look in the m-mirror.” His voice raised in response to yours. “Maybe you'll figure it out.”

“Real mature. I busted my ass to get along with you when I first joined, went out of my way to get to know you. Why do you have such a problem with me? I-”

He cut you off. “Because I fucking like you okay?” Your eyes widened and you whipped your head to look at him. The concern etched onto his face told you he was just as surprised as you were that it came out of his mouth. You could only stare at him, face hot, your own mouth agape as your brain ran a mile a minute and your heart matched its pace.

He made a move to leave the bed, but you wouldn’t let him run away from his confession. “Toby, wait, why didn't you just tell me?” Your voice was soft and shaky, wanting to diffuse the situation, astonished he reciprocated your feelings. 

“So what? I’ll get rejected, l-laughed at?” His voice wavered, unsure of everything that was unfolding between you. 

“How do you know I’d do that?” You couldn’t believe what you were saying, couldn’t believe this was even happening. “I don’t understand why you felt the need to push me away, instead of being a dick, you could have just said something.”

He furrowed his brows, taking a minute to respond. You could almost see the gears in his head turning, tired eyes scanning the ceiling for some kind of answer to his problems. “Y-you kind of deserved it.” 

You let out a discontented noise, moving to get out of the bed. You had to get some air. “What the fuck ever Toby, I give up.” 

Before you could get up fully, his hands were on you, pulling you back into the bed until you were on your back under him, wrists pinned. “I’m f-fucking right, you come in here with those stupid d-doe eyes and pretty smile and act so sickeningly nice to me. It pisses me off, I thought I could f-fix it by starting fights but that just made it s-so much fucking worse because now I’m just thinking about putting you in y-your place.”

All you can do is stare at him, astonished at his confessions. He was inches from your face, breathing labored and eyes unblinking, hands in a vice grip around your poor wrists. It was a struggle to form coherent thoughts, let alone words. “Toby, I-”

You don’t get much out before he interrupted you. “S-shut the fuck up, stop talking. I don’t want to hear it.”

It felt like your brain short circuited a moment, realizing he’s set you up perfectly to push back. “Then make me.” 

He just stared in confusion a moment before it finally clicked. He threw caution into the wind, slamming his lips onto yours in a frenzy. It was sloppy and rushed, like he’d been dreaming of this moment for a while and he couldn’t wait to finally claim you. He sucked your bottom lip into his mouth, biting down on the thin skin until it started to bubble with blood, the metallic taste filling your mouth. The pain caused you to inhale sharply, only rewarding you with his knee moving to separate your thighs, a low groan erupting from his throat as he slid his tongue across the bleeding lip. Your mind is clouded and your clit tingled with excitement as he moved to leave messy kisses down your neck, biting down when he found the spot that caused the biggest reaction. He abused the skin, sucking and biting until a bruise blossomed, causing pitiful whimpers to fall from your mouth. 

“L-look at you.” He breathed, pulling back to admire your disheveled form. Your eyes were half-lidded, lips parted as you struggled to catch your breath from the whirlwind of his rapidly shifting attitude. “So much fight in you before, but I was right wasn’t I? Y-you are a slut.” 

“I am not!” You protested, though your words quickly turned into a gasp when he shoved his knee further up your thighs, rubbing against the fabric of your pajama shorts. 

“O-oh good, you still have some fight left.” Toby shifted, letting go of your wrists and pushing your legs open enough that he could kneel between them. “I’m looking forward to b-breaking you.” 

He moved his hands down the curves of your body, obviously intent on taking off your shirt. You let a coy smile fall across your face, he wanted a fight and historically, you were glad to give that to him. You grabbed at his wrists, stopping him from getting what he wanted, making him growl in frustration and rip the thin material in half. 

“What the fuck.” You ignored the cool air that hit your bare chest in favor of riling him up further. 

His gaze was predatory as he took in the sight of your breasts, exposed just for him. He spoke with a wolfish grin. “If you’re going to act like a brat, I’m g-going to treat you like one.” He dipped to leave marks all over the expanse of skin, relishing in the way it made you buck under him. Pressing down on your clit with his clothed erection, he ground into you roughly, sending chills down your spine. Once he was satisfied with the bruising, he latched onto one of your nipples, nipping at it every so often. His fingers pinched roughly at the other, the dichotomy of pain and pleasure leaving you reeling.

“I think I like you better when you’re using your mouth for this.” You said between pants, ignoring how your voice wavered.

He pulled away from your nipple with an obnoxious pop. “A-and I think I like you b-better when you’re a d-desperate mess.” Hands tugged your pajama shorts down, discarding them somewhere off the bed, leaving you in just your panties.

“Fuck you.” You spat.

“P-planning on it.” He ran a finger up your clothed folds, pressing a little harder when he ghosted over your clit. You could tell he was admiring the green lace of the garment, admiring how soaked you were from his actions. “All t-this for me?” 

Instinctively, you pressed your legs together, giving him the perfect opportunity to pull the underwear off and stuff it into the pocket of his pajama pants. Before you could protest, Toby’s hands gripped harshly into your thighs, prying them apart. You tried to stifle a gasp, though you were unsuccessful as you watched him lick his lips. Wordlessly, he dove to lick a stripe up the slick folds, swirling his tongue around the clit when he reached it. His hands still held firm on your thighs, his fingers were gripping so tightly you knew they wouldn’t escape unmarked. Your back arched off the bed, moans tumbling from your lips in a hushed tone, your own hands grasping the thin bed sheets. 

He pulled back after a moment and clicked his tongue. “Oh c-come on, I know you c-can be louder than that, you run your mouth too much to be q-quiet now.” 

You opened your mouth to protest with furrowed brows, but he quickly returned his tongue to your clit, this time sucking it roughly into his mouth. You let the moans and whimpers spill, unashamed of whoever may hear it, your hands coming to find purchase in his brown curls. Your light tugging urged him to slip two long fingers into your sopping entrance. The surprise caused you to squeak, hips bucking as he curled them into the spot that made your walls contract around him. His pace sped up, each harsh suck of your clit building pressure in you until you couldn’t take it anymore. Your head was thrown back, eyes screwed shut as the coil snapped, your walls threatening to keep his fingers from escaping with how much they squeezed. 

He didn’t stop until your breathing calmed and you pitifully pushed his head away, babbling about how you were sensitive. Slowly, teasingly, he pulled his fingers out, maintaining perfect eye contact, and put them in his mouth, licking them clean. He swiftly took off his clothes and swiped the tip of his hard cock against your folds, collecting your cum on his head before lining it up with your hole. He was big, not too wide but definitely made up for it in length. You had a feeling it would take a minute to get used to, but judging by the impatient lust swirling in Toby’s eyes, you wouldn’t get much time to adjust. 

“Look at you.” He breathed. “S-so high and mighty before and now here you are, l-learning what you’re good for.”

“I d-” You were cut off by your own gasp when he pressed into you, burying the head in your plush walls. 

“Sorry, w-what was that?” His voice was mocking and snide as he moved your legs to rest your calves on his shoulders. He lowered his body, manhandling you into a mating press so he could hover above your face. 

“You’re an asshole.” Each word was punctuated by heavy breathing and was rewarded with him swiftly bottoming out inside you. A strangled noise of shock came from you, hands flying to push back on his shoulders.

He lowered his head to your ear to deliver a dangerous whisper. “I don’t think you’re in a position to t-talk back to me.” He pulled out, agonizingly slow before slamming back into you, forming a quick and painful pace. You felt so full, like you would split in half, unable to form anything but piteous cries with every hit to your gspot. Eventually, the pain began to subside as you grew accustomed to his length and the brutal pace he set, every roll of his hips a shot of electricity straight to your core. He brought one hand down to play with your clit, the other snaking to grip roughly around your throat, cutting off your air supply. His thumb pressed into one of the spots he left on your neck, causing a dull ache to greet you. Your head spun, dizzily clenching around him with every deep thrust and every labored pant that he let out into your ear. 

You felt your second orgasm start to build from his relentless actions, clit throbbing from his abuse. It was like he could sense you were close, somehow speeding up his thrusting until you saw stars, vision growing hazy from air loss. Your hand pulled weakly on his wrist, lungs begging for relief but he refused to let up. It only seemed to make the pressure in your core burn more, only made the pleasure of his cock more intense, only made his sultry growls more arousing. You felt like you could explode. Your nails dug into the skin of his wrist as you threatened to do just that, eyes rolling back in your head. 

“Toby, I’m gonna-” You struggled out the best you could with him still depriving you of oxygen. 

“Cum for me slut, cum around my cock.” Was all he said, and much to your dismay you obeyed. You let your orgasm wash over you, milking his cock. He fucked you through it, letting off your clit and neck to rest his hands on either side of your head. You heaved, thankful to finally be able to breathe properly again. He kept pounding you over and over, until without warning, he buried himself to the base, spilling his own release into you as deep as he could and pressing a surprisingly soft and loving kiss to your lips. When he pulled away, you both stayed there a moment, foreheads pressed together, your legs shaking. 

“I’m s-sorry,” He mumbled. “F-for being so rude to you lately.” 

You could only smile as he slowly pulled out of you, gently lowering your legs back onto the bed. “You can make it up to me by not pushing me away anymore. I really like you Toby, and I’m tired of pretending I don’t.” You watched him admire the way his cum slipped out of you and onto the mattress.

He returned your smile after a moment and pressed another gentle kiss to your lips. “C-can you stand?” He asked, getting off the bed.

You struggled to push yourself up, swinging your wobbly legs over the side and almost crumbling to the ground as soon as your feet hit the floor. Almost like he was expecting it, he caught you and threw your arm over his shoulder to hoist you up. 

“Let's get you cleaned up.” He said, leading you into the little bathroom, triumph coating his voice. Tim and Brian would never let either of you hear the end of this.

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[404creep]

Rescue

Summary: Ghost comes to the rescue when his civilian cleaner's car breaks down.

Masterlist Next

Hello my lovely readers. I bet you all thought I had disappeared and forgot all about my little civilan cleaner and Simon pairing. Jokes on you I just write REAAALLLY slowly! This is the first oneshot I've ever written, so please don't flame me if you hate it. This entire series will just be a bunch of one shots and dribbles. Anyway hope you like it!

----

Of course it broke down now.

She should’ve known it was coming. The signs had been there. Reluctant starts, strange little hiccups in the engine, and that faint burning smell every time she turned the key. She’d kept hoping it would hold out a little longer. Just until payday. Just until she could breathe.

But no. It gave up on her now, on the side of a half-empty road, twenty minutes from base, golden sunlight pouring across the hood as smoke started curling lazily from it.

Perfect.

She stood outside the car, arms crossed over her chest, lips pressed tight as she watched the smoke rise. It wasn’t dramatic, not yet. But it didn’t look good either. That thin gray spiral coming up through the edges of the hood made her stomach twist.

Behind her, Oliver let out a tired, grumbly sound. It was somewhere between a sigh and the start of a cry.

She winced, glancing back through the open car door. He was squinting against the light, cheeks flushed, his little fingers tangled in the straps of his car seat.

Time was short. He had maybe five minutes left in him before he hit meltdown territory.

She climbed back into the car, closed the door, and locked it out of habit. Safety first. Even out here.

There wasn’t really anyone to call.

No family close. No friends. It was always just her and Oliver.

And Simon, her brain whispered.

Her phone was already in her hand. She stared down at his contact, saved under a ghost emoji. She couldn’t bring herself make his contact name his real name. It felt too intimate, too personal. But calling him Ghost outside of work didn’t feel right either. That wasn’t who he was to her.

Her thumb hovered over the call button for a second. Then she tapped it.

One ring. Two.

“What’s happened?”No greeting. Just his voice: low, steady, familiar. It was comforting.

“My car died,” she said quietly. “Oliver’s with me. I didn’t know who else—”

“Send me your location.” He said, cutting her off. Straight to the point. No panic. No judgment. “I’ll be there, Lovie.”

That last word caught her off guard. Soft and easy, like it belonged there. She swallowed hard.

“Okay.”

She hung up. The quiet settled again.

In the backseat Oliver was kicking his heels against the car seat now, fussy and restless.

She rummaged in her bag for snacks to feed him. She always had a few tucked away for emergencies like this. Towards the bottom she found a pack of peanut butter crackers and cracked them open, handing one back to the boy.

“Here you go, bud,” she murmured. He grabbed it like he hadn’t eaten in days and shoved it into his mouth with sticky fingers.

She smiled faintly. “Good job.”

——

The sunlight stretched across the dashboard, golden and warm, glowing against her skin. For a moment, it almost didn’t feel like a crisis. Just a moment waiting to pass.

Fifteen minutes later, she spotted Simon’s truck in the rearview mirror, pulling up behind her.

Her whole body exhaled.

He stepped out like he’d done this a thousand times before. He was maskless, black hoodie pulled up, casting shadows across his face, though she could still make out the way his eyes softened when they met hers.

“You alright?” he asked as he reached her door, which she opened to speak to him.

She nodded, even though her shoulders were still tight with tension. “Yeah. Just stuck.”

He leaned slightly, peeking into the backseat. Oliver was half-asleep now, cracker crumbs on his face, his hand clutching the last of his snack.

“Tow truck’s ten minutes out,” Simon said. “I’ll wait, then drive you both home.”

“You really don’t have to—”

“I know.” His voice was calm, final. There was no arguing with that kind of certainty.

When the tow truck arrived, she was in the middle of unbuckling Oliver’s car seat, trying not to wake him. The straps were tangled, and the angle was awkward, and her patience was wearing thin.

Then Simon stepped closer.

“I’ve got him.”

She hesitated, then let him. He lifted the car seat out of the car like it weighed nothing, cradling it carefully. Oliver stirred, sighed, then nestled back into the padding, thumb slipping into his mouth.

It stopped her for a second: the sight of this huge, quiet man holding her sleepy nephew like he was something precious.

She followed him to the truck and watched him secure the seat as best he could before she took over and adjusted the straps. He hovered just behind her, close but not overbearing, like he was memorizing how she did it.

——

The drive home was easy. Soft. The kind of silence that didn’t need to be filled.

Outside, the world glowed. The sky had gone from gold to that soft amber, and the road stretched out ahead of them, peaceful and familiar.

Her apartment wasn’t far. Just a little two-bedroom place tucked into a quiet corner near a park. Nothing special. But it was theirs.

When he parked, she opened her door automatically to grab Oliver, but Simon was already at the backseat.

“I’ve got him,” he said again. “Leave the seat in. You’ll need a ride tomorrow.”

She blinked. “I can get a rental, it’s really not—”

“It’s easier this way.” His tone left no room for debate. “I’ll come get you.”

Her chest tightened in a way she didn’t expect.

Simon unbuckled the seat and lifted Oliver out, slower this time, adjusting his grip with a little frown of concentration. He was awkward about it, but careful. Intentional. It was easy to tell he didn’t have much experience carrying kids.

Oliver tucked himself under the soldier’s chin with a sleepy sigh, thumb still in his mouth.

She led him up the stairs, opening the apartment door and flicking on the lights as they walked in. Simon stepped inside, gentle with his movements, and laid Oliver down on the couch like he was made of glass. The little boy curled instantly, cheeks pressed to the cushions.

“I’ll grab his blanket,” she said, brushing a hand over his little head lovingly.

When she returned, Simon was leaning in the kitchen doorway, scanning the room like he was still on alert. Like part of him never really shut off.

“You hungry?” she asked, quieter now.

He nodded slightly. “Could eat.”

She reheated some pasta and slid it in front of him. They sat at her small kitchen table, the one with uneven legs and a scratch across the surface from years of use.

It wasn’t much, but Simon ate without complaint. Like it was exactly what he needed.

“You didn’t have to come,” she said eventually, her voice soft.

“I know.”

“But you did.”

He looked at her then. Eyes steady. No mask. No shadows. “Of course I did.”

The words landed somewhere deep. she willed herself not to tear up. How long had it been since someone had wanted to help her?

“Doesn’t matter if it’s big or small. Bad day, weird sound, forgot your keys. It doesn’t matter. Just call me.” He said with 100% conviction.

Her throat tightened, but she nodded.

“Okay.”

Eventually, after they finished their meal, he stood, gathering his keys from the counter. She followed him to the door, not quite ready for the moment to end.

“I’ll see you tomorrow?” she asked, tentative.

His mouth pulled into a small, crooked smile. The scars of his face pulled slightly. She could help but feel like he looked beautiful. “Yeah. First thing.” he assured.

She glanced down, smiling shyly. “Good.”

He lingered for a moment longer. Then nodded once and stepped out into the evening light. The door clicked shut behind him. He waited outside in the hall until he heard her lock it and then his light footsteps moved down the hall, barely audible.

She stood there for a while, arms folded, watching the door like it might open again but it didn’t.

She looked back at the couch. Oliver was still out cold, thumb in his mouth, breathing slow and even.

And for the first time in a long time, she didn’t feel like she was doing everything alone.

Taglist:

(Let me know if you want to be tagged in any future updates for this couple!)

@teapartydreams

[kabsey]

Hey, I really love your thoughts and writing... how about "Boys Night" from the Wholesome Prompts? 🙂 Anything come to mind?

Thank you so much! <3 I had so many different thoughts for this prompt, but this is the one that stuck. Not quite a boys' night per se, but it is a boys' chat and it is at night 😊

-------

When the knock came, Viago glared at the door over the top of his reading glasses. The runner wasn't due for another hour, and he could not imagine who else Marta would allow to approach his study when she knew exactly how tall the stack of his correspondence had grown (she was the one who brought him the post, after all). Rook or Teia wouldn't have even bothered to knock.

Which left Viago no choice but to pause in his writing with a stifled sigh and a curt "Yes?"

The door opened, and the figure who entered explained all: the First Talon went where he liked. If it had been Caterina, Viago would have set his letter aside and risen to greet her.

Instead Viago resumed writing, though he paid Lucanis the courtesy of asking, "Is this urgent business, or can it wait a moment?"

"It can wait."

Lucanis crossed to the bookshelf, his near-silent footsteps drowned out by the scratching of Viago's quill. From the corner of his eye, Viago watched him peruse the shelves with his hands clasped behind his back. Two fingers on his right hand twitched in an uneven rhythm, a fidgety agitation that no lesser Crow would dare display in front of a Talon. From Lucanis Dellamorte, whose knuckles were striped with crisscrossed scars from Caterina's cane, it either spoke to his comfort with Viago or a mind very ill at ease. Possibly both.

Viago ended the letter with the correct signature (he had a variation for each of his regular correspondents, making a fake easier to spot) and set the page atop the outgoing post to let the ink dry. He wiped the nib of his quill, capped his bottle of ink, and placed both items in his desk drawer with his glasses. The soft sound of the drawer closing drew Lucanis's attention, and Viago gestured for him to take the seat across from his desk.

When he was seated, he opened his mouth to speak, but Viago cut him off with a raised hand.

"I can guess why you're here," he said, folding his hands back over his desk. "You want to make Rook a Dellamorte."

Lucanis raised an eyebrow, but a corner of his lips lifted in a self-deprecating smile. "I suppose my intentions have been fairly obvious."

Viago huffed a laugh. "Yours and half of Antiva's."

Lucanis's smile vanished. "Meaning?"

"Meaning I have received inquiries from the head of every House and even some of the merchant guilds besides." As if Rook would stoop to playing bodyguard to some bloated princeling.

For a brief moment, Lucanis's eyes flashed violet. Viago tensed and curled his fingers around the knife strapped to the underside of his chair arm, but Lucanis shook his head and turned to the thin air to his right, one hand lifted in a placating gesture. "Calm down."

"Apologies," he said as he looked back to Viago, and Viago relaxed his hand. "We're just surprised to hear it. Does Rook know? She's never mentioned it."

Viago frowned. "Of course she does. Do you think I would simply ship her off somewhere with no consideration for her opinion?"

"No, of course not," Lucanis assured him. His gaze dropped to Viago's desk as he fell silent. Viago wondered what the demon had to say about the matter. He probably didn't want to know.

"As far as I'm aware," he said, and Lucanis's eyes immediately returned to his, "Rook has no intention of accepting any of these other offers."

Some of the tension left Lucanis's frame, and Viago felt almost reluctant to continue, though he knew frankness was the better road.

"But you should know, I don't believe she intends to accept yours either."

Lucanis stiffened, tense again to the point of shock. "You... What makes you say that?"

"She's expressed to me that she's happy in my House." Viago was not one for providing comfort, but he knew his words were a blow to Lucanis, so he attempted to choose less direct phrasing than he might have. "She's endured a great deal in the past year. You both have. For the moment, she seems to crave the stability of the familiar rather than jumping into something new."

Lucanis's eyes fluttered briefly shut, in an attempt to control either the demon's reaction or his own. But when he opened them, he nodded.

"I'm glad you told me," he said. "It's something I hadn't considered. Perhaps I should have." A hint of a sad smile crossed his face. "You have to be the one to break it to Teia though. She was so sure Rook would say yes."

Viago raised an eyebrow. "You spoke to Teia about this?" Before Lucanis could answer, he shook his head. "Don't listen to her on the subject of Rook. She's always wanted her for herself."

Lucanis stared back at him, lips parted. "She has?"

"Does that surprise you?" Viago asked. Perhaps Lucanis had not paid much attention previously to the movement of Crows between Houses. Teia was notorious for attempting to charm away promising talent.

"A bit," Lucanis admitted. "You don't seem troubled by the idea."

Viago waved a hand. "We have an arrangement."

Lucanis looked even more nonplussed. "You do?"

"Of course." Viago stroked his beard as he considered the future. "We should probably include you as well moving forward."

An odd red flush crept across Lucanis's face. "Include me? In your... arrangement with Teia?"

Viago frowned. "You don't wish to be involved? Your grandmother always—"

One of Lucanis's hands shot up to stop Viago's words, while the other pinched the bridge of his nose. "Viago, I am starting to think—and really, sincerely hope—that we are talking about two different things."

Viago's frown deepened. "We're discussing Rook joining your House."

Lucanis's shoulders shook with silent laughter, and when he looked up, he was smiling. "We're discussing Rook joining my household. I'm going to ask her to marry me, Viago."

"Oh."

That had been such a foregone conclusion that Viago usually forgot it hadn't been formally settled, except for the moments when Teia griped about Lucanis taking too long. They'd already spent whole evenings with her sharing her thoughts on centerpieces and color coordination and other details that Viago couldn't follow, though he attempted to appear interested enough that he would not be kicked out of their bed.

He looked at the rest of the correspondence he had meant to address in annoyance. The runner would arrive any moment.

"You don't need her Talon's permission for that," he groused.

Lucanis only laughed again. "Of course not. But I would like to know that we would have the blessing of her family."

"Rook isn't—"

The automatic denial died on his lips at Lucanis's knowing look. He much preferred when the First Talon bestowed that smug expression on his rivals. Viago closed his eyes and rubbed his forehead.

"Fine. Yes. You have it. Go find her and let me work in peace."

Ever a wise man, Lucanis said nothing more but simply rose and left Viago alone in his study. For all that Teia enjoyed the idea, he had a very difficult time reconciling Rook with a word such as "wife." When he tried, all his mind would conjure was the memory of an underfed girl with a messy braid and bare feet. But not that long ago, he would never have been able to associate the word "hero" with Rook either.

Since he'd managed the one, he was fairly certain that with time, he would manage the other.

[pankowcrumbs]

Protective X Joseph Quinn

MasterList

Joseph Quinn Masterlist

Stranger Things and Cast Masterlist

The music thudded through the floorboards like a second heartbeat.

I wasn’t sure whose flat this was just that it was full of too many people and a questionable number of coats tossed onto someone’s bed. The air smelled like perfume, gin, and whatever candle someone had optimistically lit near the kitchen, now long forgotten and flickering nervously.

Still, it wasn’t terrible. I was here with friends. I had a drink in my hand. My dress didn’t itch. The night had potential.

And Joe was here.

Somewhere.

I caught glimpses of him through the crowd every now and then tall frame slouched near the fridge, laughing at someone’s story, the corner of his mouth pulling up in that quiet, crooked way he smiled. He looked like he belonged at a party like this. I never quite did.

I’d known Joe for years. A slow, steady kind of friendship. Easy conversations. Deep ones, too. But we’d never crossed that line. I always assumed he wasn’t interested like that.

Until tonight.

Or maybe… I was just finally noticing.

He’d been watching me all evening. Not in a creepy way. Just… quietly. Like he was keeping tabs. Making sure I was alright. His gaze always drifted back to me, even when he was mid-conversation with someone else.

I didn’t know what to do with that.

I was half-contemplating weaving my way over to him when a guy I barely knew from uni approached, drink in hand and a glint in his eye.

“Hey,” he said, flashing a grin. “Didn’t expect to see you here.”

“Yeah, same,” I replied politely.

He stepped in closer. Too close. His arm brushed mine, and I took a step back. He followed. Laughing at something I didn’t say. His hand grazed my waist, then lingered there. I froze.

“Sorry, could you...” I started, my voice half-lost in the bass.

Before I could finish, another voice cut in sharp and low.

“She said no.”

I turned.

Joe.

His jaw was clenched, eyes dark, narrowed. His entire body was stiff with tension. My stomach flipped.

The guy laughed, smug and unfazed. “Relax, mate. Just saying hi.”

“Didn’t look like it,” Joe muttered. “Move along.”

“Who even are you? Her boyfriend or something?”

Joe stepped forward slightly, placing himself between me and the guy.

���Something like that,” he said.

The guy rolled his eyes and gave a mock bow. “Didn’t mean to offend, mate. Don’t get your knickers in a twist.”

And then because apparently the night wasn’t done with me yet he shoved Joe’s shoulder. Just enough to challenge. Just enough to push.

The entire mood shifted.

Joe’s voice dropped. “Let’s take this outside.”

“Joe” I started, grabbing his arm.

But it was too late.

The air outside was cold and quiet in contrast to the party.

They squared off on the pavement, just beneath the yellow glow of a streetlamp. I stood on the steps, breath caught in my throat.

“Listen, mate, you’re making this a bigger deal than it needs to be,” the guy said, suddenly more uncertain.

“You put your hands on her,” Joe said, voice like gravel. “That is a big deal.”

Then, in a blur, Joe punched him.

It was clean. Controlled. A single, cracking hit that sent the guy stumbling backwards, hand clutching his jaw.

“Jesus!” the guy yelped. “You’re bloody mad!”

“Don’t ever touch her again.”

Joe’s chest was rising and falling fast. His right hand curled into a fist, knuckles already red.

The guy cursed under his breath and stalked off into the night, nursing his pride and probably a broken ego.

Joe stood there for a moment longer, then slowly turned to me.

“Are you alright?” he asked, softer now.

“I’m...” I stared at his hand. “You’re bleeding.”

“S’nothing.”

“It’s something. Come on.”

I grabbed his uninjured arm and pulled him down the road with me.

My flat was warm, quiet, safe.

I flicked on the hallway light, guiding Joe into the kitchen.

“Sit,” I said, pointing to the counter stool.

He obeyed without a word, watching me as I dug through the cupboards for the first aid kit.

“I can’t believe you punched someone,” I muttered, filling a bowl with warm water.

“Neither can I.”

I turned back to him. “You alright?”

He gave a small shrug. “Doesn’t even hurt.”

I lifted his hand gently and began cleaning the scrape across his knuckles. He winced. “Liar.”

He chuckled, low and quiet.

There was silence for a moment as I dabbed at the wound, the air between us heavy with unspoken things.

“Why did you do that?” I asked, still focused on his hand.

Joe didn’t answer.

I glanced up. He was staring at me. Not at my hands, or the water, or the mess we were in.

At me.

And not in the way you look at a mate. Or even a crush.

He was looking at me like I held the whole sky in my eyes. Like he’d memorised every line of my face. Like I was something he'd already chosen a hundred times in his heart.

“Why are you looking at me like that?” I whispered.

He exhaled, long and slow, like something inside him was collapsing.

“Because I’ve been in love with you for so long,” he said. “And I can’t keep pretending I haven’t.”

My hands froze.

He looked down, defeated. “I wasn’t going to say anything. I didn’t want to risk what we have. But tonight seeing him touch you watching you flinch something in me just snapped.”

My heart was thudding in my chest.

“I didn’t know,” I said softly.

“I know. That’s why I didn’t say it.”

“And now?”

He lifted his gaze again. “Now I’m bleeding in your kitchen, probably ruined your night, and telling you the most reckless truth I’ve ever held in my mouth.”

I smiled, barely.

“I’m glad you told me.”

He blinked. “You are?”

I nodded. “Because I’ve been wondering lately… why I light up when you walk in a room. Why I miss you when you’re not near. Why I feel safest when it’s your name lighting up my phone.”

He didn’t move. Didn’t speak. Just watched me.

“I think I’ve been falling for you in slow motion,” I whispered. “And I didn’t even realise it.”

His eyes softened, so full of emotion it made my throat ache.

I reached for his uninjured hand and placed it over my heart.

“You didn’t ruin anything,” I said.

He smiled then, so gently it made my knees go weak.

“Can I kiss you?” he asked quietly.

“Please.”

He leaned forward slowly, like he didn’t want to scare the moment away. His lips touched mine and everything around us disappeared.

It wasn’t a fireworks kind of kiss.

It was soft. Safe. Familiar. Like breathing for the first time in weeks.

When we pulled apart, his forehead rested against mine.

“You’ve no idea how long I’ve wanted to do that,” he murmured.

“I think I’m starting to.”

He chuckled, then winced and flexed his injured hand.

“Alright, Romeo,” I teased. “Back to cleaning you up.”

“Yes, nurse,” he grinned, eyes brighter now.

And as I dipped the cloth back into the water, I couldn’t help but smile.

[halfmoonshines]

Reckless

this is an an unnamed point in the timeline, somewhere just before Thunderbolts*

Bucky Barnes x F!Reader

summary: Bucky Barnes would consider himself a level headed man; at least in these later years of his life. He was rarely reckless. So what was it about you that made him dive over that ledge so quickly?

//or; you're not home when you're supposed to be, and Bucky is about to burn a couple of buildings down.

‿︵‿︵୨˚̣̣̣͙୧ - - ୨˚̣̣̣͙୧‿︵‿︵‿︵‿︵୨˚̣̣̣͙୧ - - ୨˚̣̣̣͙୧‿︵‿︵‿︵‿︵୨˚̣̣̣͙୧ - - ୨˚̣̣̣͙୧‿

The only sound that accompanies Bucky on his trek home is silence. The sun has already set, a darkened twilight pulling at the edges of the skyscrapers at his back. The house he was in the process of buying sat on the very edge of usually bustling city streets, close enough for both him and his fiancee to conduct business but not in the trenches of downtown traffic, either.

He pauses just before the front door, a furrow between his brow, and scans the long road for any sign of the familiar car that should be parked there. You were almost always home by now, your job not keeping you past a sharp 5pm on the worst of days; but maybe you were out with friends?

He shakes his shoulders slightly, trying to relieve the tension there, and bites back at his anxiety. There was no reason that you weren't perfectly safe, and maybe he would find a text waiting for him when he fished his phone out of his pocket.

He did just that, placing his keys on the table in the dining room and sticking his hand into the pocket of his dark washed jeans. The screen lit his face in the dim light of the house, but it didn't show anything that he had wanted to see.

No notifications.

Against his better judgment, there was a bubble of dread pooling in his stomach. You almost always told him where you were going, especially if you knew that you weren't going to be home when he arrived.

Bucky's jaw worked against itself for just a moment before he makes the silent decision to check your location. He doesn't make a habit of it, and insisted when he asked for it that it was just going to be for emergencies. You hadn't minded either way, more than happy to share it with him if it gave him some peace of mind.

He opened the app with a slightly shaking finger and almost crushed his phone in his hand when it announced that it did not have a current location for you. Last known location was home, nearly three hours ago.

The phone slammed onto the counter and Bucky scrubbed a hand over his face, mind instantly going through the different possibilities of your whereabouts. He tries to remember if you had told him you had some sort of appointment, there was never service in the doctors office, so your location wouldn't update. But three hours?

He dials your number and it rings through to that pitchy voicemail song you insisted was endearing but lasted way too long. Hanging up with a low growl, he dials the number again and his heart beats in time with the ringing on the line. Voicemail, again.

His keys are in his hand and he's dialing a new number before he can even think about it, heading to the garage to get his motorcycle.

"Do you miss me that much? We saw each other thirty minutes ago." Sam's joking but he sounds tense, instantly aware that Bucky should not be calling him right now.

"She didn't tell me where she was going." The tarp is ripped off of his bike angrily. "Her location hasn't updated in three hours and when it was working, it says she was home." Bucky heaves a breath, shutting his eyes for a moment. "No signs of forced entry. But something isn't right, Sam."

"Meet at my office in ten, we'll see if we can't get some footage. Keep calling her."

Bucky nods to himself and reopens his eyes.

"And Bucky?"

"Yes?"

"She's going to be fine."

Bucky's grip on his phone is too tight as he presses the end call button. You would be fine; or a whole lot of people wouldn't be.

The feeling of the gun strapped to his hip is familiar in a disgusting way, but it's also the promise of vengeance. He would be whatever version of himself he needed to keep you safe.

--

You definitely should not have come to this new bulk store on its first day open, but your best friend had basically strong armed you into checking out the opening day sales and grabbing her a list of things because she was on the night shift at the hospital.

It was like Costco and Fred Meyer had a baby, some conglomerate bulk buy store with insane prices but equally insane hours and popularity.

You huff a sigh as your loading the overfull cart into the trunk of your car, the quickly darkening sky a sign that the trip took way too long. You feel your body go completely still as your phone buzzes incessantly in your pocket. When you first walked out of the store, you thought that it was just Rachel texting you over and over about whether or not you got the correct things. But it hadn't stopped, and you realized with sharp clarity that it could very well be Bucky. Panicking over your whereabouts. It was well past your time to be home, and you hadn't remembered to leave a note in the rush to get there before the store closed.

Fishing your phone out of your jacket pocket, your heart hammers in your chest against the sight. 20 missed calls from Bucky, a few from Sam, and a whole slew of texts. You don't bother to sift through them all, You just punch Bucky's number in and hit dial. Hoping that he isn't terrified.

"Doll." The voice isn't coming from the receiver of your phone, but behind you.

You whirl around and Bucky is there, just a few feet behind you, and advancing. You notice immediately that he's stiff as a board, a taut pull at his shoulders and jaw clenched tight. Your eyes snag at the gun on his hip before he's on you, arms enveloping you in a tight hug. He doesn't like to carry that with him anymore. He must've been really worried.

"I'm so sorry. I forgot to text you or leave a note and Rachel insisted I come tonight but I barely had time to get in there after work.." Bucky pulls away from you just slightly, those ocean eyes pitching a tempest. "I'm sorry, Buck. I'm okay."

He pulls back into you then, his head resting on your shoulder. You can feel his breaths ease to match yours, and he just holds you in this bustling parking lot like no one else exists.

"I thought I was going to have to burn this place down." His voice is gravelly, but it's mostly a joke.

You pull away and give him a sly smile. "You thought it was a super secret cover up for a kidnapping ring?"

Bucky shrugs, slinging an arm over your shoulder and leading you to the passenger seat of the car. "Whatever it was, it wasn't going to be anymore."

You laugh lightly and slide into the opened door, marveled by your very own super soldier once again.

"Sounds reckless."

He pauses before he shuts the car door, leaning over so you're face to face again. "Always reckless for you, sweetheart." A quick peck to your lips and he's shutting the door.

Reckless, indeed.

[gilbertscurls]

Sucker (pt. 2) ➵ Matt Sturniolo

summary: matt, your biggest fan, finally scores a date with you.

Matt sat in his car outside your place, gripping the steering wheel a little too tightly. His heart was pounding in his chest, his palms were already sweaty, and he hadn’t even knocked on your door yet. He glanced at the dashboard clock—7:28. Two minutes early. That was good, right? Not too eager, but not late either.

Taking a deep breath, he wiped his hands on his jeans, gave himself one last look in the rearview mirror, and tried to calm his nerves. It’s just a date, he kept repeating in his head. Just a date. Except it wasn’t just a date. This was you, the girl he’d admired for what felt like forever. The girl whose songs had been the soundtrack to his life for the past few years, whose interviews he’d watched and whose laugh he couldn’t get out of his head. And now, here he was, about to take you on a date.

He finally forced himself to get out of the car, each step feeling heavier than the last as he approached your front door. His heart felt like it was lodged somewhere in his throat, and he could feel a nervous tingle in his fingertips. Before he could think too much about it, he knocked.

A moment later, the door swung open, and there you were, standing in front of him with that warm smile that made his knees feel weak. You looked absolutely stunning, more so than usual, and Matt had to remind himself to breathe.

“Hey, Matt,” you said, your voice light and easy, like this was no big deal.

But it was everything to him.

“H-hey,” he stammered, trying to keep it together, but already feeling like he was on the verge of losing it. “You look… I mean, you always look good, but tonight, you’re just… wow.”

You giggled softly, your cheeks flushing a little at his compliment. “Thank you. You look great, too.”

Matt felt his face heat up, and he stuffed his hands in his pockets to keep from fidgeting. “Thanks,” he muttered, desperately trying to think of something cool to say but coming up blank. “Uh, should we… get going?”

You nodded, grabbing your bag and stepping out, closing the door behind you. Matt opened the car door for you, feeling like it was the least he could do to prove he wasn’t a complete nervous wreck.

As you slid into the passenger seat, he shut the door, took a deep breath, and walked around to the driver’s side, trying to convince himself to relax. It’s fine. You’re fine. She likes you. But as soon as he sat down next to you, the nerves came flooding back.

The drive to the restaurant was filled with small talk—about your week, his latest video shoot, the traffic. But no matter how hard Matt tried to focus, all he could think about was you sitting next to him, just inches away. His heart was racing, and every time you laughed or smiled at something he said, it only made things worse.

“Are you okay?” you asked at one point, glancing at him with a curious smile.

Matt’s hands tightened on the steering wheel. Oh no, she can tell I’m freaking out. “Yeah! Yeah, I’m great,” he blurted, his voice way too high-pitched. He cringed at himself. “I mean, I’m good. Just, you know… excited.”

You chuckled softly, clearly amused by his nerves. “I’m glad. I’ve been looking forward to this.”

Matt’s heart skipped a beat. She’s been looking forward to this. That thought both calmed him and sent a fresh wave of panic through his system. He focused on the road, trying to keep his hands from shaking.

When you arrived at the restaurant, Matt hurried out of the car to open your door again, grateful to have something to do with his hands. You smiled as you stepped out, and he could’ve sworn his heart skipped another beat.

“Thank you,” you said sweetly as you walked inside together.

The restaurant was cozy and intimate, the lighting soft and warm. As you sat down across from each other, Matt felt the nervous tension in his body slowly start to ease. You were here, you were smiling, and you seemed happy to be with him. He could do this.

Once the food came, the conversation flowed more naturally. You talked about everything—your favorite concerts, funny behind-the-scenes moments in your videos, the ridiculous amount of times Matt had played your songs in the car. Every time you laughed at one of his jokes, he felt a little less like he was going to combust from nervousness.

But even as things got easier, there were still moments when his nerves came rushing back—like when your hand brushed against his across the table, or when your eyes lingered on him a little longer than usual. His heart would race, his palms would start sweating again, and he’d feel like he was right back to square one.

“So,” you said, leaning in slightly, your eyes sparkling with curiosity. “How many times have your brothers teased you about this date?”

Matt chuckled nervously, his face heating up. “Oh, you have no idea. They’ve been giving me a hard time all week. I’m pretty sure Nick was still laughing when I left to pick you up.”

You giggled, and Matt’s heart flipped. “That sounds about right. Well, I’m honored to be their favorite topic.”

Matt ran a hand through his hair, letting out a breath. “Honestly, I don’t blame them. They know how much I like you. And… well, I’ve talked about you a lot.” His voice trailed off, suddenly realizing how much he was admitting. God, could I sound any more uncool?

But you just smiled, your eyes softening. “I think it’s sweet. You’ve talked about me, huh?”

Matt’s face flushed again, and he quickly nodded. “Uh, yeah. Maybe a little too much.”

You laughed, and the sound made every nerve in his body calm down, even if just for a moment. “Well, for what it’s worth, I’ve watched your videos, too. You and your brothers are hilarious. And your fans are adorable when they tease you about me.”

Matt blinked, his heart skipping another beat. “You’ve watched our videos?”

You nodded, looking completely casual about it. “Yeah, of course. I love how genuine you are. It’s refreshing.”

Matt stared at you, completely stunned. You had watched his videos? And you thought he was genuine? He felt like he was floating.

After dinner, the two of you decided to take a walk in a nearby park. The night air was cool, and the stars overhead twinkled against the dark sky. You walked side by side, the sound of your laughter filling the quiet night. Every now and then, your arm would brush against his, and Matt’s heart would skip a beat all over again.

After what felt like an eternity of debating with himself, Matt finally reached for your hand. His pulse was racing, his mind filled with doubts—What if she pulls away? What if it’s too soon? But then your fingers intertwined with his, and he let out a breath he didn’t even realize he’d been holding.

You glanced over at him with a smile. “This is nice.”

“Yeah,” Matt whispered, his heart racing as he held your hand. “It is.”

When he finally drove you back to your place, the nervous energy returned full force. What if she didn’t have as good a time as I thought? What if she was just being nice? His mind was racing as he walked you to your door, struggling to keep his cool.

But when you turned to face him, your smile was soft and warm, and all of his doubts melted away. “Thank you for tonight, Matt,” you said softly, your voice sweet. “I had an amazing time.”

Before he could respond, you leaned in and pressed a soft kiss to his cheek, sending a jolt of electricity through his entire body.

Matt stood there, frozen, his mind completely blank as you stepped back with a smile. “Goodnight.”

“G-goodnight,” he stammered, still too stunned to move as you disappeared inside.

As he finally turned and walked back to his car, Matt’s hand touched his cheek where you had kissed him, a huge grin spreading across his face. His nerves were gone now, replaced by pure happiness.

He had done it. The date had gone perfectly—better than he could’ve ever imagined. And as he drove home, all he could think about was when he’d see you again.

tag list: @stuwniolo, @sturnobsessedwh0re, @matts-myloverboy, @imjusthereforthesturniolosmut, @lizzymacdonald06, @asherrisrandom, @sturniolowhore69, @faith5drpepper, @emely9274, @psychologyloverfr, @lovetaylorrussellgrr, @wh0remikasas

[jscrawls]

Not gonna lie kinda loving the Jason x Addams!reader x john ship, can’t imagine Bruce’s reaction

Omg y'all are killing me with the poly ship 😭

(it amuses me greatly)

🔹🔹🔹

Surprisingly Bruce doesn't find out for a long while, between Jason's avoidance of the manor and Bruce as a whole and John's surprisingly affective efforts to avoid him. (John's hardly scared of him, he just doesn't want the headache of getting cornered by the paranoid bastard more than he has to on their occasional overlapping jobs.)

You don't spill the beans in your weekly tea sessions with Alfred, and you don't have near enough electronics in your home for the bats to tap so they don't find out that way either.

It's actually your darling little niece and nephew who let the cat out the bag.

They were staying with you because there was a month long summer camp in Gotham with "views to die for" (it was outside of Grundy's swamp.) but the kids didn't wanna sleep there at night, they weren't allowed to torment the other children or teach them how to make deadly traps, unfortunately. The camp counselors didn't like it so the options were either they were kicked out of camp or they stayed somewhere else at night where they weren't unsupervised, being the good relative you are you offered your place to them to assuage both the summer camp counselors and your dear cousin and their family.

Pugsley and Wednesday weren't aware of the.... Tension between your partners and the neighbor though, so one evening after growing bored of playing with Pamela's poisonous plants and Harleys hyenas they wound up in a certain someone's yard.

"well hello there kids, are you two lost? how'd you make it over the fence over there?"

Bruce slowly approaches the two kids, one looks near Damian's age possibly and the other one is even younger, probably eight or nine if he has to guess. They don't look frightened or anything so hopefully they're not runaways, God forbid people start dropping strays in his yard just because he has an adoption tendency...

The younger one, the boy, blinks slowly and gives him a confused look. His baby fat full face tilting like a puppy. "We're not lost mister, we know exactly where we are."

All the older girl says is. "your fence needs more barbed wire."

Bruce blinks slowly, okay.... Not lost is good at least?

".... Alright. Where did you come from? I can call someone for you...."

The girl silently points her finger, a grave expression on her face as they all glance across the hill at the neighboring house that's half overgrown with vines and weeds.

"our relative lives right over there."

The girl sounds so dead serious that Bruce wonders if she's telling the truth about that, (name) Addams couldn't be serious if their life depended on it...

"...I didn't realize they had anyone over, how about I take you two back to their house?" He's trying to maintain a calm and friendly demeanor with them anyways, they're just kids after all. They shouldn't cross a road by themselves.

"that would be acceptable. right pugsley? Uncle Jason and John should be home soon. We can play stab-knife with them."

The girl straightens up and smoothes down her black dress like she's preparing for a throwdown, her dark brows furrowed in a glare the likes of which would be more fitting on a man preparing for war.

The boy smiles and latches onto Bruce's hand while already babbling excitedly In that way kids do when something exites them, but Bruce is frozen for a solid minute. "..... Uncle Jason and... Uncle John?"

He must be jumping to conclusions, those are extremely common names after all. The girl is already stalking away as she answers, barely even sparing him a glance over her shoulder.

"our relative, (name's) partners."

The boy again nods, backing his sister up quickly. "Mhmm, they're so cool! They told me they've both been buried before and died, it's awesome sauce!"

Bruce thinks he's gonna punch (name) or John into a coma.

🔹🔹🔹

Both kids knock on the door, the one apparently named Wednesday gives a few firm taps while pugsley stretches both his hands up above his head and slaps he's hands on the door repeatedly while giggling, he keeps this up until someone unlocks it and opens the door.

"oi knock it off, I was wandering where you-oh...tits."

John doesn't even bother to correct his language in front of the Rugrats when he meets the pissed off stare of Bruce Wayne on his partners stoop, he considers slamming the door in his face as hard as he can but.... The niece and nephew are standing there expectantly. Damn it all to hell.

"you're dating my son." Bruce grabs the edge of the door and starts to pull it open, John holds onto it just as tightly, he wants that barrier between them after all.

"who me? You know I don't 'date' luv. That's um, too many strings and... Whatnot."

Pugsley gasps and also his hands against his cheeks, both men near forgot the two were even there.

"are you leaving (name) and Jason!?" The kid nearly shrieks, are those tears forming in his eyes? That one's definitely related to (name).

Wednesday just looks slightly disgusted as she watches them both grabbing the door in a death grip, she rolls her eyes and starts pushing on both of them to try to wriggle her way through the small gap in the door.

"I'll inform relative (name) of this change. Come along pugsley, they'll want comfort."

John let's go of the door with a loud sigh, choosing to follow and plead with the child and preteen instead of fighting to keep Bruce out. "Now hold on a moment, hold your horses girlie. You're ruining my little white lie here."

Wednesday pauses and glares between the two men critically. "You're lying to the neighbor.... Are you ashamed or something?"

"of course not!"

Bruce slams the door roughly behind him. "You should be. Really? My son? You and the..." He glances at the two kids, who are again watching them silently. ".... Person, who lives here need to leave Jason alone, for good."

John rolls his eyes and turns on his heel to walk further into the manor, he does not wanna this conversation like this. Bruce and the kids follow after him.

"last I checked your boy doesn't even live with you, he's a grown man luv. Maybe you should keep that in mind before you do regrettable things in front of the little ones."

Bruce is practically grinding his jaw as he restrains himself, this would look so much different if the two kids weren't involved first. The slimy bastard surely knows it based on the way he seems to keep at least one in-between him and Bruce at all times.

"you say that like you're a normal, stable man that's trustworthy around him, how'd you and the Addams even talk him into this!?"

"talk who into what? Oh pugsley Wednesday there you are! I see you brought Mr Wade over for some afternoon poison!" You coo at the kids as you walk into the foyer, a big smile on your face as you happily wave at Bruce despite the obvious tension in the room.

Pugsley runs over to you and throws his arms around you and sags his weight against you dramatically. "Are you and Uncle Jason breaking up?"

You blue-screen a little at that.

".... Uhh, what? Could you say that again pugs?"

John sidles over to your side quietly, unsure if he should say something or hope that if he holds still long enough maybe Bruce will forget he's there and leave.

"(name) you and John can't leave Jason, mother was making a voodoo doll for him already." Wednesday pipes up, the girl already making herself comfortable with your table snacks on the couch.

".... Am I missing something here?"

John leans over to whisper into your ear. ".... Bruce is very upset about our... Proclivities with Jason, gorgeous."

Bruce frowns and crosses his arms over his chest. "Considering both of your track record, I don't think you're stable enough for Jason. Take that however either of you will."

"instability makes romance all the more whimsical, does it not? I don't see what your issue is, Mr Wade." You shrug and walk over to Wednesday -pugsley still clinging to you- to pour them a little arsenic after their outside venture.

"or you create an echo chamber for bad habits and harmful mindsets, Jason doesn't need this influence." Bruce gestures around your foyer, at the spell book collections on your bookshelf, the labeled poisons in glass cases, John, you.

You take a steadying breath and turn to face the man with your signature too-wide grin on your lips.

"Mr Wade, I respect you as much as any man respects a fellow mentally deranged violence obsessed lunatic, but I have to disagree with you you here. I want the best for both Jason and John, happiness, understanding, support, I myself don't have children but those are all things I would want my darling little niece and nephew to find if they ever chose to pursue romance. Don't you want that for Jason?"

"I...." Bruce trails off, glancing over your shoulder with an unreadable look on his face.

When you turn Jason's standing at the top of the staircase, watching all of you silently.

🔹🔹🔹

| m.list |

A/n: this got a little too long so I'm ending it here, sorry anon! This was fun so I hope you enjoy 💜💜💜

@viilan

[zepskies]

Every Second Counts - Part 3

Pairing: Russell Shaw x F. Reader

Summary: One date with your best friend’s brother leaves you wanting more, even though his questionable job and vagabond lifestyle make you want to guard your heart. When your brother falls into trouble, however, Russell is the one you trust to help you find him. 

AN: *Deep breaths* Are you ready? 😉

Word Count: 4.4K

Tags/Warnings: Angst, protective Russell, perilous situations, violence, character death, and another (literal) cliffhanger…

💜 Series Masterlist

Part 3: "Timer Starts Now"

As he drove away from the museum, Colter could see it even more clearly. 

“You like her,” he said, giving his older brother a smile. 

Russell glanced at him, then rolled his eyes. 

“Focus on the road,” he said. 

“Just admit it. You like her,” Colter smirked. “And the fact that she called you for help isn’t a coincidence.”

Russell made a sound of annoyance and shook his head. At this point, he knew Colter wasn’t going to drop the subject.

“All right, we went out on one date,” Russell held up a finger. “It was fun, but we agreed that I’m just not relationship material.”

Colter sobered at that, at the wry tone of his voice. It sounded like Russell liked you even more than he was willing to admit.

“Do you have a timeline on that brewery?” Colter asked.

Russell chuckled humorlessly. “Yeah, I’m just a few dollars short on that one.”

He stared out the window for a while, but he eventually turned back to his brother.

“She called me because her brother’s a vet. Because I know what it’s like to deal with the assimilation process, coming back to civilian life. Trying to figure out where you belong, you know?” he said.

“You think you’ve assimilated?” Colter asked.

Russell shrugged. “Best I know how, anyway.”

“You can’t really call yourself a civilian though, can you?” Colter pointed out. 

Russell shot him a look. “Yeah well, neither can you, Colt.”

That created a kind of tension in the car. A call from Bobby, Colter’s analyst, mercifully broke the silence. He’d gotten some useful information on Eddie Mendez, the man Charlie was supposedly working with, or for.

“Well, he’s not the most upstanding citizen,” Bobby said. “He’s a cocaine dealer by trade. Other fun items on his rap sheet include illegal gun possession, theft, and domestic violence.”

“All right, thanks, Bobby,” Colter said.

Great, Russell shook his head. Just what had your brother gotten himself into?

They were getting closer to the bar, and it mentally brought him back to his date with you.

Okay, maybe he did like you. But he also respected and understood your reasons for cutting things short that night. Usually, he was okay with being in a new town every other week, the occasional one-night stands, the skeevy motel rooms and the fast food. It was all with a goal in mind, and that made the hustle easier.

He’d started to wonder though, what it would be like to set down roots somewhere. Doug made it work with his wife and still did his contract work, even if there were some major pros and cons to that too…

Russell was only broken out of his thoughts when he got a call himself, from Dory. He answered it and held the phone to his ear.

“Hey, D. What’s up?” he asked.

“Russell, something’s wrong,” she said. Her voice was panicked.

He frowned, his brows furrowing. “What? What happened?”

The more he listened, the more his eyes widened in shock. He looked to his brother.

“Colter, turn around. Now.”

Russell and Colter arrived back at your house, where Dory was parked out front. She came out of the safety of her car when she saw them. Russell got to her first. He laid a hand on her shoulder in the driveway.

“What happened?” he asked. 

She tearfully explained that she found your purse in the bushes, but your phone was missing. She had just picked up your call when it suddenly cut off. 

“But I heard her scream,” Dory said, with a stifled breath.

Russell’s mood darkened in response, and the longer he took in the scene. He looked over at Colter, who also wore a frown. 

The tracker examined your car and driveway first. Already he found signs of struggle. He noticed a couple pieces of dark glass on the pavement, and when he scrutinized his surroundings further, he picked your broken phone out of the grass. The screen was cracked beyond repair.

Next, he climbed the three short steps of the porch, up to the front door of the house. There were marks on the doorknob, likely scratched by a key. He spotted the Ring Camera next.

Good. He took it right off the wall.  

“Do you have her keys there?” he asked his sister. Dory handed them to him and he let himself in. “Let’s see what we’re dealing with.”

The three of them entered your house and found it dark and empty. Colter switched the lights on and got to work, after going back to grab his laptop from the car.

Russell stayed with his sister on the couch, a supportive hand on her back. He tried to shove his anger and upset deeper below the surface.

Meanwhile, Colter had Bobby retrieve the data from the camera. Within a few minutes, he sent Colter a video file, which Colter then played on his laptop. The three of them watched you approach the door.

Someone with a man’s build grabbed you from behind, wearing dark clothes and a mask that obscured his face. You screamed and tried to fight, but the man dragged you away as you struggled.

Russell’s frown deepened as his body tensed with anger again, his jaw ticking as it clenched. And then came the self-loathing.

Rookie fucking move. Should’ve made sure she got home safe, he thought. Better yet, should’ve kept her with me.

Dory covered her trembling mouth and dissolved into tears. Russell tucked her against his side, rubbing her arm. Colter laid a hand on her shoulder as well, but he continued to analyze the footage. He couldn’t make out the attacker’s face with the mask he was wearing, but Colter saw a blue sedan in the background. It peeled off after you were hauled off-screen.  

“Why would they take her? What the hell is Charlie into?” Dory said. She sniffled and wiped at her face.

“To keep her quiet after she started digging into his disappearance, possibly. Or for leverage against him,” Colter said, leveling her with honesty. “Someone doesn’t want us to find Charlie. I’m betting it’s whoever he’s working for.”

He thought it was safer if he didn’t tell his sister exactly who Charlie’s employer was.  

Dory shook her head in worry. “We need to call the police.”

Colter shared a grim look with his brother. He knew Russell understood the score here. 

“If we get the police involved, it’s at least a 50% chance that whoever has her and Charlie…will kill both of them,” Colter said. Dory sucked in a trembling breath. 

“Our best bet is to keep digging,” Colter said.

“Let’s go,” Russell said, nodding at him. He stood, parting from his sister with a hand squeezing her shoulder.

“Where are you going?” Dory asked. She got up to her feet along with her brothers.

“Howley’s. It’s our only lead on Charlie’s employer,” Colter replied. 

“Okay, but wait—” Dory reached out for Russell’s arm. It was a reflex as she tried to wrap her mind around all of this. 

Russell grasped her shoulders gently enough, but he made sure she saw the sense of urgency in his eyes.

“We don’t have time,” he said. “From here on out, every second counts.” 

After a beat, Dory nodded in acceptance. She let go of his jacket. 

“Okay, keep me updated.”

“Will do,” he said, and he swiftly followed Colter out the door.

The brothers drove in silence to the bar. Colter noted his brother’s tension, and the grim set to his jaw. 

“Hey,” Colter said, earning Russell’s attention. Colter gave him a reassuring look. “We’re gonna find her. We’ll find both of them.”

Russell exhaled. “Yeah.”  

Oh, he knew he’d find you eventually, and your brother. He just didn’t want to think about how he might find you.

Once they got back to Howley’s, they started by questioning the bartender about Eddie Mendez. 

“He’s not here. But that’s a couple of his friends over there,” the bartender said. He pointed them in the direction of a couple of guys drinking near the back. Three of them were sitting at a table playing cards. 

Russell recognized two of them. One was the same guy who made the mistake of hassling you by the pool table. He’d gotten a bloody nose for his trouble. Russell smirked at the memory. 

“Pete, make a fucking move already,” said one of the guy’s buddies.

Russell caught it as he and Colter approached them. This time, Pete seemed at least somewhat sober, even with his second beer in hand. Another bottle sat empty beside his arm.

“Hey, fellas,” Russell greeted the table. “Little Blackjack, little booze. Looks like a good night you’re having.”

“Do I know you?” Pete asked. His face showed a spark of recognition when he took in Russell. 

“Well, you’re about to. We’re looking for one of your friends, Eddie,” he replied. 

Pete set his beer down on the table. Predictably, he crossed his arms and closed up.

“I don’t know no Eddie.”

Russell resisted the urge to roll his eyes.

“I realize it’s hard for you, but don’t be dumb. Eddie Mendez,” he pressed. 

Pete glanced at his friends, then he stood from the table, drawing himself to his full height. He was a bit bigger than Russell, but a beer gut wasn’t everything.  

Russell seized up the man in front of him with an almost lazy grin. By contrast, his eyes were sharp, betraying his true thoughts. 

“Now remember. Whatever you start, I’m gonna damn well finish,” he said. 

That sure ignited Pete’s memory. He seemed to be remembering your smaller fist nearly breaking his nose. His face fell with an angry frown. Russell smirked.

Colter laid a warning hand on his brother’s arm.

“We’re not looking for trouble. We’re just trying to find someone Eddie might know. Charlie,” Colter said. “Do you know him?”

“No, I don’t,” Pete claimed.  

“Like you didn’t know Eddie?” Colter replied, raising a brow. “Where can we find him?”

“Now you are looking for trouble,” Pete spat. “Fuck off, Timberlake.”

Just then, Colter’s phone buzzed in his pocket. He took it out and saw a text from Dory, asking for an update. He ignored the message for now and put his phone away.

Hearing a commotion, he quickly looked up in time to realize that Russell had wrangled Pete into a stronghold with his arm behind his back and had slammed him onto the table. Drinks and bottles rattled and spilled; playing cards fell to the floor. Pete’s friends got up with angry, threatening gaits.

“I think you can point us in the right direction before I break this meaty arm of yours. How about that?” Russell said. 

“Hey! No fighting!” the bartender called from the front. “Take that shit outside.”

Colter internally sighed, but he’d have to roll with this, even though this wasn’t how he’d wanted to play it. 

“I wouldn’t test him,” Colter advised. “That’s gonna be a bad break. You got good health insurance, Pete? You’ll probably need surgery, expensive bills, a little physical therapy, a few months of recovery time.”

Pete seemed to weigh Colter’s logic, albeit with an angry huff. He waved off his friends and caught his breath while pinned against the table. 

“I can’t talk to you,” he said. “I’ll get myself killed.”

“I’d worry more about your odds right now, Pete,” Russell said. He tightened his twisted hold on the man’s arm, earning a strangled sound of pain. 

Colter weighed the options here in record time, and he came to a decision. He grasped Russell’s arm firmly.

“Let him go,” he said.  

Russell gave him a look of disbelief. “Colt?”

Colter implored him with his eyes. Trust me.

After a few more seconds, Russell’s lips pursed, but he let the guy go. 

“Ah, fuck,” Pete muttered. After he was able to straighten up, he rubbed his aching arm and shot them both a red-faced glare. 

Colter steered his brother out of the bar before a real fight could break out. He knew it’d become a bloody mess, and they didn’t have time for a night stay in a county jail cell this time.  

“You better have a damn plan,” Russell whispered, as they neared the front doors of the bar.

“You know I do,” Colter replied.

They later sat in his truck while it was still turned off. Just waiting in silence.

A few minutes went by before the back doors of the bar opened to Pete and his gaggle of delinquent friends. As Colter suspected, one of them made a call. It lasted no more than a couple of minutes. Then, they piled into Pete’s car and pulled out of the parking lot.

Colter started up his own car, and he followed them.

You were led into what sounded like a warehouse. You couldn’t know for sure with this musty bag over your head and your wrists bound together with zip ties, but you clenched your teeth and tried to stop sniffling. Your fear made your heart pump fast and loud in your ears.

Voices echoed around you, arguing, yelling about shipments. You were shoved hard to the ground, and you gasped, instinctively throwing your hands out when your knees hit the hard cement. 

“No…” 

That voice was all too familiar. 

The bag was finally ripped off your head, the edge of it catching in your frizzy hair. You blinked wearily at the florescent lights above, and you wiped at your tears and smudged mascara. Your breath left your lungs when you saw your brother, Charlie. 

He was tied to a chair, shirtless and shoeless, beaten and bloody. Some parts of his skin even looked burned. His jeans remained, at least. But his face was hard to look at. His left eye was swollen, his lip split, his cheek cut and bloody. Both his eyes were red-rimmed, and he was sweaty and dirty, as if they’d been keeping him down here like an animal. He looked thinner too.

He stared back at you in dismay, your name falling from his lips.

You tried to scramble over to him, but someone grabbed you by the hair and yanked you back. You cried out in pain.

“Eddie stop! Don’t hurt her!” he shouted. He drew enough strength to pull at his restraints. Your hands reached back on reflex to grasp at the hand holding your hair. 

“No, you did this,” Eddie said. He clicked the safety off his handgun and pointed the barrel at your head, right between the eyes. You gasped and froze where you sat. 

“You couldn’t make it easy, huh? Well now, I’m making it real simple for you,” he continued. “Even more simple, now that we cut out the middleman.”

Eddie gestured to what looked like a woven potato sack laid behind Charlie’s chair, but really, that was just part of it. As your eyes scanned over, you saw the narrow shoulders of a man with a familiar dark blue blazer. It was stained red with a bloody hole carved through the back. Your breath stilled in your lungs.

Eddie glanced over at you, his lips curving. He walked over to the dead body, turned it over with his boot, and dragged off the potato sack to reveal the lifeless blue eyes of Dr. Feinman.

Your eyes widened.

You let out a blood-curdling scream that startled a pigeon out of the warehouse, from where it had been perching on a high support ledge. You leaned back on your bound hands, but you could go no further as one of Eddie’s men grabbed your shoulder, pinning you on the ground. His annoyed face told you to shut the fuck up.

Charlie grimaced and turned his face from the sight of the body. Both shame and hate filled his eyes when Eddie bent down to face him.

“Tell me where you hid the goddamn weapons,” he demanded.

Your lips trembled as new tears brimmed over and streamed down your cheeks. You’d suspected the truth, but it was different from being faced with the reality. Charlie was the one who stole from the museum. He’d likely been doing a lot worse for the past few months. And somehow, Feinman had gotten in between. He’d also paid the price.

Your brother saw your disappointment, and he accepted it. But lacking an answer, Eddie pistol whipped you in the face, earning a pained cry from you as you fell back onto the ground. You had to blink the stars out of your eyes.

After his shock wore off, Charlie’s face hardened with fury.

“Oh, don’t give me that fucking face,” Eddie said. He grabbed you by the back of the neck, startling another sharp breath from you. “If you don’t tell me what I want to know, what I did to you’ll be child’s play, compared to what I’m gonna do to her. And you’re going to watch.”

Against your will, tears filled your eyes while you stared at your brother. You were terrified, and Charlie knew it. He was scared too, but he also knew then what he had to do.

“I buried them,” he admitted. 

“You buried them?” Eddie repeated. He brushed back his dark hair with the same hand that held his gun. “Ain’t that ironic. All right, where did you bury them?”

“In the national forest, less than an hour out,” Charlie replied. “But you won’t find it without me.” 

Eddie shook his head on a sigh. “Of fucking course.”

He gestured to his men waiting nearby. He wordlessly gave them the order to untie your brother. 

“All right, Charlie. Let’s go for a drive,” he said, and gave you a sleazy smile. “You too, sweetheart.”

He hauled you up onto your feet and kept you close to him, with a hand like a vice around your arm. God, you hated a sweethearting man.

You held your breath. You could only pray that Dory had noticed you were missing…and that Russell and Colter could find you before it was too late.

Please…

It was still dark out, but the sky was beginning to lighten when Colter pulled to the side of the road. The car they followed had stopped in front of a warehouse near an industrial downtown area. Colter spotted the blue sedan from the Ring Camera footage. It was parked out front. 

With a shared nod of understanding, Colter and Russell climbed out of the truck and took the time to arm themselves properly before scoping out the warehouse.

“What does a drug cartel want with museum artifacts?” Russell remarked as they were gearing up. “That’s still not adding up for me.”

“It is odd, but maybe the idea came from Charlie,” Colter said. “He had access. Maybe he saw it as a way to buy their trust.”

“Okay, then what went wrong? Why’d they take her?” Russell replied. “I don’t know, man. Something feels off here.”

Colter nodded in agreement. “We don’t have all the pieces yet.”

But they were about to get them. They moved closer to the warehouse, with Russell heading towards a side door and Colter going around the back. They saw a few men crowded around a TV in the corner of the warehouse. Behind them were crates upon crates of what surely was product. Probably tens of thousands worth of coke.

Jesus, Russell thought. It was nothing he hadn’t seen before, but still. This was a serious operation.

Colter caught sight of a lone chair under a bright corner of the room. It was stained with sweat and blood, and some cut ropes hung from the seat. He alerted Russell to the scene with a subtle gesture of his raised gun. Russell’s face turned grim. He nodded minimally, then pointed with his eyes at the group of unsuspecting men. The brothers drew in closer.

Russell fired a shot directly into the TV screen, making it crash onto the ground. The men startled like rats, but they soon faced Russell and Colter’s guns. When one of them reached for the gun tucked in their pants, Colter aimed directly at him.

“I wouldn’t do that,” Colter warned. 

“Where’s Charlie?” Russell demanded. “And his sister.”

He aimed his .45 caliber M1911 at their friend Pete, who had Cheeto stains on his shirt. 

“How about you, Pete. You finally wanna share with the class, before I blow your fucking face off?!” Russell shouted. 

The depths of his voice reverberated widely in the warehouse. It set the tone for things to come, if he didn’t get some cooperation.

Pete shifted on his feet, betraying his nerves. His forehead was starting to sweat too. 

“They’re not here,” he admitted. “They left a while ago.”

Russell flexed his finger over the trigger of his gun. 

“Tell me where,” he said.

Eddie wasn’t exactly an outdoorsy kind of guy. He kicked his boot against a tree while leaning against it.

“Fucking rock in my shoe,” he muttered angrily.

He was getting more and more frustrated with the uneven terrain (and the mosquitos) the longer the five of you trekked onwards: including you, Charlie, Eddie, and two of his men, Rick and Kevin. Both of them had guns trained on your back and Charlie’s. 

“I’m sorry,” Charlie said quietly to you.

You shook your head. Disappointment didn’t even begin to cover what you were feeling as you looked at him, but at least they’d given him a shirt to cover his beaten torso. His face wasn't so lucky.

He righted you when you struggled on the gravel and loose dirt in your ankle boots. Your hands were still tied together too.

“What the hell happened to you?” you asked, as you caught your breath. 

“I needed the money,” he said, though he knew it wasn’t an excuse. “I was his bodyguard.”

“He’s a drug dealer,” you snapped. “What the fuck were you thinking?”

“He was my dealer,” he admitted, though his gaze was heavy. “I’m sorry. I just couldn’t bring myself to tell you, but…a few weeks after I left rehab, I slipped. I never really did quit. Just got better at hiding it.” 

You let out a sharp breath, and tried to blink past your tears. Another disappointment, another heartbreak for the books.

“But when he offered me a job to pay off what I owed, he wanted insurance that I’d stick around. To prove myself,” Charlie explained. “He came up with the idea to rob the museum.”

“Why was Dr. Feinman involved? Did he find out?” you asked.

Charlie nodded with a sigh. “He caught me the first time I tried to steal the artifacts. I…I lied. Told him we planned to sell them. So instead of turning me in, he wanted to be cut into the deal.”

“What? Why?” you said. Your former boss was many things—a stuffy, self-important man chief among them—but you’d never taken him for a thief.

Charlie gave you a wry look. “Owed his second wife up to his eyeballs. Alimony’s a real bitch.”

You shook your head. That explained why Charlie hadn’t yet been a suspect in the theft. Feinman had probably helped cover Charlie’s tracks. But whatever shortcomings Feinman had, he hadn’t deserved to die like that. A shudder went through your body, remembering his lifeless eyes. You breathed out slowly and tried to rid yourself of the nightmarish image. You managed to push past that to ask your next question.

“And who chose the Native American weapons?”

Charlie’s lips pursed. He glanced over his shoulder. “He did. Thought they looked cool.”

Eddie smirked and waved his gun at him, spurring you both onward. Charlie kept walking and turned his attention back to you. 

“The way I figured it, the museum shouldn’t have them anyway.” 

Your lips pursed at that. You sort of saw his point there, however convoluted his justification, but putting those artifacts in the hands of a drug dealer was even worse.

“And this is so much better for them,” you said pointedly. 

“That’s why I couldn’t go through with it. Tried to get out of the whole damn mess,” he said. “I know what you would’ve said to me. And I knew if I ever saw you again, I wouldn’t be able to look you in the eyes.”

Your tears welled up again, when you saw the sincerity of his gaze.

“Okay, this touching little scene is making my balls itch,” Eddie said. He grabbed Charlie’s shoulder and turned him around. “Where the fuck are we going? If you’re trying to pull something smartass here, Charlie, I promise you, you’re gonna regret it.”

He cocked the safety back on his gun and pointed it at Charlie’s chest. Charlie raised slow, placating hands.

“It’s just a little further,” he promised. 

“If you’re giving me the runaround—” Eddie started.

“Then what? Without me, you’ll never find it,” Charlie barked back. 

Eddie’s face tightened, and he pointed the gun at you instead. You sucked in a breath.

Charlie quickly held up his bound hands again in surrender. After a beat of tension, he pointed up when he heard rushing water. 

“Hear that?” he said. “I buried it on a cliff near a waterfall. We’re getting close.”

Another stretch of silence filled the clearing. 

Eddie weighed Charlie’s words. When he was mollified enough, he lowered his gun away from you. At his command, Rick and Kevin kept you and your brother moving. 

Charlie glanced to his right side. He realized that you all were walking near the edge of a steep hill that careened downward. Taking in a breath to center himself, he turned to you.

“I love you, you know that?” he whispered.

Your brows furrowed. You opened your mouth to reply, but you found the look in his eyes suspicious. Like he was saying goodbye. 

That was when he swiftly turned. He snapped the heel of his hand into Kevin's throat and grabbed his gun while he was choking. Charlie shot him in the chest, then he clipped Rick in the shoulder. 

Just as Eddie began to raise his own weapon, Charlie met your look of shock with his own determination. 

He pushed you down the hill.

AN: I know, I know. Two cliffhangers in a row is cruel, but I promise we're getting to even more fun action and cathartic moments in Part 4! 😘

Next Time:

Russell called your name as he searched through the dense trees. Sunlight was beginning to filter through their leaves in dappled color on the trail. It gave him a better view ahead.

He stopped short when he saw a splatter of blood on the ground, painting the dirt and some dead leaves. A well of unease rose in his gut.

He headed toward the sound of running water, and he soon found another cliff. Just beyond it was a waterfall, and river below. Seeing no signs of life, he pulled back and continued to call your name, and all the while, pushing down his worry.

“Russell?!”

▶️ Keep Reading: PART 4

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[jyeoulzhu]

we were never over, just too stubborn

summary . months after their breakup, karina and y/n awkwardly reunite for a concert they bought tickets for a year ago. they thought the feelings had faded, but when cigarettes after sex plays their song, the pain and love come rushing back. with lingering glances and bittersweet memories, maybe they were never really over.

pairing . yu jimin (karina) x male reader

warnings . a bit angsty, swearings

it was a stupid promise made in the heat of excitement. two tickets for cigarettes after sex, bought a year in advance, back when they were still stupidly in love.

before the breakup, everything felt... effortless.

karina and y/n were the kind of couple that made people jealous. movie nights that turned into deep conversations at 3 am, spontaneous road trips with playlists filled with sad indie songs, and shared laughter that echoed through empty streets.

he’d trace the freckles on her arm absentmindedly while she rambled about her dreams of traveling the world. she’d steal fries from his plate and flash that mischievous grin that made his heart race every single time.

but somewhere along the way, things changed.

maybe it was the pressure of school. or the way y/n started overthinking every little thing. or how karina’s walls slowly went up when she felt him slipping away.

arguments became more frequent.

“you never tell me what’s on your mind,” karina snapped one night. “how am i supposed to be there for you if you keep shutting me out?”

“i’m not shutting you out, rina. i’m just... figuring things out,” y/n replied, avoiding her gaze.

but she saw through him.

“no, you’re pushing me away,” she said, her voice trembling. “and i’m tired of fighting for someone who doesn’t even want to be fought for.”

that was the night they ended things.

no dramatic goodbye. no big scene. just a quiet, painful distance that neither of them had the strength to close.

except for one thing—the tickets.

karina had joked about selling them or burning them out of spite, but deep down, they both knew they couldn’t.

so here they were, months later, awkwardly standing outside the venue like strangers with too much history.

"we don't have to go, you know," y/n muttered as they stood outside the venue, surrounded by couples and hopeless romantics.

"we already paid," karina replied flatly, avoiding his eyes.

cool. great. amazing.

inside, the atmosphere was dim and heavy, just like the weight in y/n's chest. karina stood beside him, her arms crossed, her face unreadable. the tension between them was suffocating.

"why the fuck did i think this was a good idea?" y/n muttered under his breath.

"you’re the one who begged me to come," karina shot back.

"no, you were the one who said ‘we’re mature enough to handle this.’"

"well, clearly, we’re not."

before y/n could argue, the band stepped on stage, and the first notes of apocalypse filled the venue.

fuck.

his grip on the railing tightened as memories flooded in—late-night drives, lazy mornings, and karina's laugh echoing through his head. he glanced at her, and to his surprise, her eyes were already glistening with unshed tears.

"this was our song," she whispered, voice trembling.

"i know," y/n replied, barely holding it together.

there was no point pretending. not when the music was practically ripping their hearts open.

by the time nothing's gonna hurt you baby played, karina was already leaning into him, her head resting on his shoulder like she used to. and y/n? he let her.

fuck maturity. fuck the break-up.

"i miss you," karina mumbled, barely audible over the music.

"i never stopped missing you," y/n admitted.

and just like that, the wall between them crumbled.

when the concert ended, neither of them made a move to leave. they stayed there, sitting on the curb outside the venue, watching strangers pass by, sharing an awkward but familiar silence.

"do you think... we were meant to end?" karina asked quietly.

"nah," y/n shook his head. "i think we were just too scared to fight for something real."

karina chuckled bitterly. "i hated you for a while, you know? for making me feel like i was hard to love."

his heart sank.

"you were never hard to love, rina," he said, eyes softening. "i was just too much of a coward to let you in when i was drowning in my own shit."

karina looked at him, her eyes shining under the dim streetlights.

"so what now?" she whispered.

"we start over," y/n replied. "if... if you still want me."

karina smiled faintly, reaching out to intertwine her fingers with his.

"i never stopped wanting you, dumbass."

by the time the night ended, karina’s hand was in y/n’s, their fingers intertwined like nothing had changed.

"you wanna grab something to eat?" y/n asked, unsure if she’d regret this in the morning.

"only if you promise to stop being a dumbass this time," karina teased, her eyes finally showing that familiar sparkle.

"no promises," y/n smirked.

[diazsdimples]

Falling asleep on each other + Buddie

Hi and I'm so sorry this took many months to respond to I'm finally looking at these again sfkjhf

Inviting Eddie over for a movie night after one of the busiest shifts all year had been a bit of a mistake, in hindsight.

Buck had set out a vast array of snacks - from popcorn to some weird trail mix he'd never seen before - and had ordered takeout from Eddie's favourite Mexican joint up the road. He still had that inflatable mattress that Chimney had slept on during the lockdown, so he'd blown that up too and placed it at the foot of the couch, giving him and Eddie ample room to spread themselves out.

While he'd done this, Eddie had showered and changed into a pair of Buck's sweatpants and a hoodie. Something had clenched deep in Buck's chest at the sight of Eddie descending the stairs from the loft, hair damp and tousled, with Buck's favourite grey hoodie hanging loosely over his torso. He looked loose and relaxed, like the water had washed away all the tensions of the day, leaving behind nothing but warm, rosy skin and the smell of Buck's orange and vanilla body wash.

They'd only been dating a few weeks but it stoked a possessive fire deep in the pit of Buck's to see his boyfriend dressed in his clothing, smelling of his bodywash.

It was almost as if Eddie had been claimed as his.

Eddie crossed the kitchen and flopped himself onto the half-bed, half- couch (bouch?) and patted the empty space beside him.

"C'mere. I'm cold and I plan to use you as my own personal heater for the rest of the evening."

With a fond chuckle, Buck grabbed a bowl of popcorn and joined Eddie on the couch. He tucked a soft, minky blanket around Eddie, pulling it up over his chest and tucking it under his chin. He planted a kiss to Eddie's forehead and pulled back with a grin.

"Snug as a bug in a rug."

"That's such a weird saying," Eddie pointed out as he extracted his arms from beneath the blanket. He swiped a couple of pieces of popcorn and popped them in his mouth, chewing thoughtfully. "When are bugs ever in rugs?"

Buck shrugged. "When they're not vacuumed efficiently? It's just a saying."

"You're cute." Eddie tapped Buck's cheek. "What are we going to watch?"

After much deliberation, they settled on Deadpool. Christopher had mentioned wanting to see the newest film with some of his friends, and Eddie had agreed on the provision that he watched the film first and made sure it was appropriate.

"Holy shit, there is absolutely no way I'm letting Christopher watch that," Eddie said 2 hours later, completely gobsmacked.

Buck was beside himself with glee. "That was one of the best movies I've ever seen!" He grinned. "You're not gonna let Chris watch that?"

Somewhere along the lines, Eddie had listed over and was settled heavily against Buck's side. He shook his head in response, his nose brushing against the hollow of Buck's throat.

"Absolutely not. I've got half a mind to ask him why he thought he'd get away with it."

Buck pressed a kiss to Eddie's temple.

"He's a teenager, he's just testing the waters. We all did it."

They're silent for a moment. Buck's fingers carded gently through Eddie's hair, stroking soothingly.

"We could watch the sequel? I know it's on Disney+ somewhere"

Eddie hummed softly and shifted in Buck's arms, resting his head against Buck's chest. His eyes were drooping sleepily, his face slack with relaxation.

"Not sure I can keep my eyes open long enough," he admitted.

Buck smiled down at him fondly. He'd known from the moment Eddie had climbed down the stairs, freshly showered and dressed, that he wouldn't make it through the evening without falling asleep. Showers and fresh clothes were Eddie's kryptonite, much like a baby with their favourite blanket. Buck was honestly surprised he'd made it through the movie without falling asleep - though that would have been an impressive feat considering how action filled the film was. And Ryan Reynolds was too hot to miss a second of.

"That's okay, baby," he reassured, still stroking Eddie's hair. "We can just stay here and rest for a minute."

Eddie nuzzled further into Buck's chest and let out a small noise of contentment.

"Resting sounds good," he slurred sleepily, a gigantic yawn splitting his face in two. He smacked his lips and curled the blanket in his fist, both hands tucked under his chin now. Sleepy, squishy, snuggly Eddie was Buck's absolute favourite and he wanted nothing more than curl around him and snarl at anything that tried to touch him.

Buck gently shifted them down the couch so they were stretched out, half on the couch and half on the blowup mattress. He adjusted the blanket so it was laying over top of both of them and went back to his ministrations, stroking Eddie's hair with one hand and tracing feather-light touches over his back with the other.

Slowly but surely, Eddie's breathing began to deepen and even out. His jaw slackened and Buck slowly began to notice a warm, damp patch blooming across his shirt. Despite his vehement denial, Eddie was a drooler.

"Sleep well, sweetheart," Buck whispered into Eddie's hair. He wasn't sure if his boyfriend was awake enough to hear it, but he didn't mind.

Buck felt himself begin to sink further into the cushions as Eddie's breathing lulled him into a state of deep relaxation. He hadn't ever been able to fall asleep easily with other people but there was something about Eddie that made him feel instantly at peace.

Maybe it was the way they'd known each other for years, or the way Eddie's presence was like a balm over any of Buck's problems, making them melt into the background at the mere glimpse of his smile.

Eddie was safety, and Buck's body knew that as he slowly began to drift off himself, soothed by his boyfriend's soft breaths.

[antheyaaa]

"Escape from the World"

Tom Taylor x reader

The weight of the world had been pressing down on both of you for weeks. Between the never-ending demands of filming, press interviews, and the constant eyes of the public, it felt like neither of you had a moment to just breathe.

Tom saw it in your tired eyes, in the way your shoulders tensed more than usual, in the way your laughter—usually so effortless—was becoming rarer. He felt it too, the overwhelming pressure of being in the spotlight, of always having to be "on."

So, he made a decision.

"Pack a bag, love," he told you one evening as you both collapsed onto the couch after another exhausting day. "We're getting out of here."

You blinked at him in confusion. "What? Where are we going?"

Tom simply grinned, his eyes twinkling with mischief. "Somewhere no one can find us."

---

The next morning, you found yourself on a secluded road, the city far behind you, Tom’s hand resting comfortably on your thigh as he drove. The stress you had been carrying started to melt away with each mile.

Hours later, you arrived at a remote cottage nestled between tall trees, hidden away from the world. It was small but cozy, with a fireplace, a wooden deck overlooking a lake, and the most breathtaking sunset you’d ever seen.

Tom parked the car and turned to you with a smug smile. "What do you think?"

You looked around, feeling the tension in your chest loosen completely. "I think you’re a genius."

He laughed, grabbing the bags before leading you inside. "I try."

---

The next few days were pure bliss. No cameras, no schedules, no endless stream of messages or calls. Just the two of you.

Mornings were slow, spent wrapped in warm blankets as you sipped coffee, watching the mist rise over the lake. Tom would pull you close, pressing sleepy kisses to your temple, mumbling how much he loved you against your skin.

Afternoons were spent outside—hiking, swimming in the cool water, lying on the grass, pointing out ridiculous cloud shapes. You hadn’t laughed this freely in weeks, and Tom noticed.

"You look happy," he murmured one evening as you sat together on the deck, the sky painted in orange and pink.

You turned to him, heart swelling with love. "I am."

Tom cupped your face, his thumb tracing gentle circles on your cheek. "Then we should do this more often."

And as you leaned into him, feeling the warmth of his embrace, you knew that no matter how hectic life got, you would always find peace in his arms.

Totally in love with Tom Taylor, I'll probably write something else about him, we'll see if I come up with an idea and if I'll feel like writing it

With love-Antheya