#ai it took so long to make this because I kept not working on it aha... procrastinating yknow

[zebratimw]

"All those empty rooms

We could have been anywhere, anywhere else

Instead, I made a bed with apathy

My heart knew the weight

Ten years worth of dust and neglect

We made our peace with weariness and let it be..."

(Song: The Moon will Sing by the Crane Wives)

[pha55ed]

I'll Only Make You Cry || F1

type :: hurt no comfort tw/cw :: cheating, panic attacks, contains :: carlos, charles, lando, oscar, summary :: you catch the drivers cheating on you, crushing everything you've ever known about him - "my heart just can't be faithful for long, i swear i'll only make you cry" - cry by cas

f1 masterlist || f2 masterlist || more here!

Carlos Sainz | 55

There's no way he could ever recover from this. You could tell that his PR team was working overtime in order to sweep this all under the rug. They came up with the lie that you and Carlos broke up a while ago, but you knew the truth all too well.

You never broke up with Carlos, God you even thought you guys were going perfect! Everything seemed to be great until all of those photos got leaked online of Carlos with a random model. She was beautiful, everything that you were insecure about, she lacked. Not a single pimple, spot of cellulite, smidge of fat, nothing. She was like a doll, it only made you more upset.

Did Carlos ever actually feel attracted to you? When you vented to him about your fears of not being enough for him and he comforted you so gently, saying you were a Goddess that could make Aphrodite jealous. And yet, as you kept scrolling through the photos of Carlos and the model, you felt as if you were the Hunchback of Notre dame.

Did Carlos ever actually love you? He was taking this model out to trip in Paris, Spain, and Japan and yet the biggest trip you've done with Carlos is visit your home town. He took her out to fancy dinners, on cruises, and private jet rides and yet you were never even aware he had his own private jet.

He's been spamming you with calls and texts, but you didn't reply to a single one. You were too busy packing up all of your stuff as you got ready to leave your shared apartment. Taking everything with you would be too big of task for now, since you owned most of the kitchen appliances, bedding, hell you even owned the couch. So you focussed on just the basics that you needed to live, shoving them into as many bags as you could. Your best friend said she'd come over and help you pack once she was done with work. She should be with you in about an hour or so, but you have the worst luck ever.

Because instead of Carlos coming home at around midnight, like usual, he came home earlier. It only made you wonder if he only stayed out till midnight to see his other lover, making you feel even sicker to your stomach. You didn't bother to look up at him as he entered the room.

"Cariño, please, no no no, stop" He said as he rushed up to you, trying to stop you from packing but you shoved his hands away. You gave him a disgusted look, as if you no longer knew him. Which was true, you didn't even recognize Carlos anymore.

"(Y/N), please it's just lies. The media is lying!" He tries desperately to convince you but his excuse sounded so stupid, beyond stupid. There's photographic evidence, everywhere that you looked online it was shoved into your face. Not a chance of editing or AI, it was just the raw photo.

"No," you said, trying to sound strict but your voice was still weak despite the loud volume of it, "We're done."

"No no no no, please, please no." He looked so weak, pathetic. You could see the tears form in his eyes. Although you felt hurt to watch him cry, you couldn't bring yourself to feel any empathy since you've been crying for hours on end.

With perfect timing, your best friend knocked on the door. You hastily shoved the final pieces of clothing that you needed as you slammed your suitcase shut. Your best friend ran in and quickly helped grab anything else you could need, like toiletries and electronics. Carlos knew he couldn't do anything, so he stood awkwardly to the side as he watched you leave his life instantly.

Charles Leclerc | 16

Your breathing became shaky as you read the lengthy text message your friend sent you. It was filled to the brim with apologies for what they were saying, but you couldn't even process most of what they wrote since you were so busy staring at the photos of Charles kissing his ex girlfriend.

It was if everything around you just shattered in front of you, that the past year you spent with him was for nothing. All of those dates, kisses, meeting his family, introducing him to your grandma, all for nothing. What hurt even more was the fact that Charles was your first boyfriend after about 2 years since your last ex did the same exact thing.

You were so lost in thought that you didn't even hear the door click as Charles entered your shared hotel room. He just finished having dinner with his team, enjoying a great night out, something he didn't deserve.

As he called your name in such a gentle and loving tone, it made you resent him. How could he possibly act so innocent when you have a literal stack of evidence of him cheating right in your hands. How could he keep acting as if everything was fine?

You turned, tears falling out of your eyes rapidly as your lips shivered, unable to stop yourself from showing how you truly felt. Instantly, he ran to you and held your hand, so gentle and soft, yet those hands were all over his ex last week. You shoved his hand away, simply tossing your phone at him. His eyes scanned the screen, his look of concern being replaced with a face that was mortified.

"Amor," He says gently, once again his hand reaches out to grab your face but you refuse to let him near you. "(Y/N), please, I... I know... I'm so sorry."

His lack of a defense made you even sicker, how could he not even explain himself??? Not even an excuse of being drunk, being stupid, of the photos being old. Not a single excuse, meaning he knew how wrong he was and yet he still did it to please himself, completely forgetting about you.

"We're done." You try to say in a firm tone, but your throat was so tight that it became a whisper. You stood up from the bed, as you hastily began to pack your bags as Charles paced the room with his hands hiding his face.

"Amor, please stop." He says as he tries to stop you. "I-I'll break it off with her."

But you could tell, from the slight stutter and the way his eyes were darting across your face to read you: he was lying yet again. So you shook your head, wiping your tears with your hands as you ran out of the room to order an Uber to somewhere else, anywhere else.

And he didn't stop you. He knew he fucked up, and he knew he didn't deserve you.

Lando Norris | 04

Doing Lando's laundry was boring, but you knew it needed to be done. It was one of the many tasks you did for him to help make his life just a bit easier, especially since he has little to no clue how to even use a washing machine. The last time he did his own laundry, the entire apartment was filled with soap suds because he overloaded it with detergent.

As you made sure to tie his hoodie strings together and empty his pockets, you grabbed something odd out of his trousers. A hotel key card. This wouldn't have been super odd, he's forced to sleep in hotels 24/7 due to his job except the fact that it wasn't a fancy hotel like usual. You knew McLaren would only put Lando in the best hotels possible, so it was suspicious to see a random hotel brand that's known for being cheap and easy to buy.

You could feel something wrong in your guts, something telling you that this wasn't just some random bad booking from McLaren but instead something deeper. It felt extremely stalker-ish but you needed to satisfy the voice in your head: so you looked through Lando's bank statements.

And that's when you saw that he booked this room three nights ago, when he told you he was staying at Oscar's place after a huge party. You could feel your heart sink, assuming the worse possible scenario. But you tried to push those thoughts aside and see the best in him.

But that attempt was cut short, as you scrolled up and saw multiple bookings at random hotels. So many random hotels that you eventually lost track. The only things that was also being charged on his card were drinks, which were always bought in extreme amounts before booking a room.

You weren't dumb, your brain connected the dots easily: he was cheating on you. But you still didn't have solid evidence beside bank statements. Besides, maybe he wasn't cheating on you? Maybe he just gets super wasted and then crashes at a hotel instead of his fancy one to sleep? Sounds stupid, but then again Lando is pretty stupid.

So you decided to dig deeper, going through his bank history to see if he has any other odd statements. That's when you saw money constantly being sent to random Zelles, Paypals, and Venmos. You thought it would just be him paying his friends back or giving them some money - but all of the names were female. Tiffany, Rebecca, Malibu, and many more. Oddly enough it was always on the nights he got a hotel. Almost as if he was paying a girl for a service. But there's no way he could be cheating? He's just your plain old stupid Lando, right?

Continuing your stalker behavior, you searched the girls names online. And you were right - all your worst fears coming true. They were all models, drop dead gorgeous models. Skinny, tall, blonde, and rich, his exact type. And as if couldn't get worse, all of those models followed him and he followed them back. And even more worse, the more you scrolled through the girls feed: you could connect the entire story. You knew you needed to leave.

As you cried whilst packing your bags, you heard the door click. He came home, much earlier than you expected him to. Normally you'd run to him, greeting him with kisses and hugs. He went searching for you, finding you on the floor as you folded your clothes into your second large suitcase.

"Love? What's going on???" He says, panicking and trying to keep his cool. He knew that you knew, there's no other reason for you to pack besides that. Instantly, he got onto his knees, being at your eye-level as his hand went on top of yours, trying to stop you from packing.

But you flinch your hand away, giving him a nasty glare as you stared at him coldly. You wanted to speak to him, curse him out, shove all of your evidence into his face, but you couldn't. Your throat was shut tight and your lungs were barely able to give you enough oxygen to breathe whilst crying.

"Just tell me, please, please just tell me what I did." He said, as he started unpacking your bag. He took out your folded clothes, unravelling them, ruining your hard work to pack neatly. "You don't need to leave, we can fix this!"

His words made it clear that he knew, he knew that he's ben caught. And he knew that there was no way to defend his actions. Sure he was drunk, but making that "mistake" 40 times is a habit. As if to make you even mad, you saw Lando begin to cry.

As if his tears switched a gear in you, you smacked his hand away from your luggage as you hastily shoved all the now-unfolded clothes into your suitcase. "I'll never forgive you." You said with venom in your words despite your grief.

Oscar Piastri | 81

You couldn't find your favorite lip liner, it always went missing for some reason. Although you had other lip liners, you NEEDED this one, you were loyal to it. It was the best shade and buttery smooth, you wanted to use only the best products for this award show you were attending with Oscar.

But as you continued to search helplessly, you started to search Oscar's desk. Sometimes you would place stuff on his desk on accident. As you searched through his desk, you found a small little velvet box. Your heart instantly dropped, was that a ring? Possibly for you?! You have been dating for almost 2 years now, about to reach 3 years within a month. A smile crept onto your face, unable to hide the joy of possibly being Oscar's forever.

You sneakily opened the box, only to be met with a beautiful rose-gold necklace... Odd, you're not a rose-gold girl. You've always been a silver person since you were born. But the material didn't even matter, as you looked at the rose-gold plated name, "Lily", his ex's name...

Oh haha,,, you awkwardly close the box. Must have been an old gift he was supposed to give her? Except, as you examined the box, there wasn't an ounce of dust on it. And even worse, you checked the bottom of the velvet box, with a message saying, "Happy 6 Years, my Lily." The exact amount of time they would have been dating, if you never came in the picture...

"(Y/N)! We have to go now! We're about to be late-" Oscar came into the room, looking at your holding onto the small box. Instantly, his eyes widened as he quickly grabbed the box out of your hands. "Why are you snooping around my desk??"

As if you snooping was the biggest issue, and not the fact the he has a gift for his ex - or actually, not his ex, but his other girlfriend. His defensiveness and blame was shocking to you, he's never been like this before. Usually he's calm and collected, able to talk any issue out, but now it's as if he's defending his life.

"Why do you have that...?" You question him, voice weak from worry that your reassurances to yourself were all false. "Why does it say Lily?"

"It's nothing, we need to go now." He says, dismissing you completely as he shoved the necklace into his pocket. His back turned as he walked out of his office, his shoulders were tense, hands pushing his hair back as he chewed the inside of his mouth - high from nerves.

But you couldn't care less for this stupid award show, you chased him and asked again as his hand was on the door knob. "Oscar, what's the necklace for? Why does it say Happy 6 years?" You voice shivered slightly.

He was unable to answer, not sure how to get out of this. Although he's been hiding Lily for ages, now it seemed as if he was unable to do it for any longer. "We'll talk about it when we get back home." He says, trying to stall for more time to come up with an excuse and plan.

But you stood your ground, standing in the house still while he was waiting outside of the door. As you both looked in each others eyes, your eyes welling up with tears while Oscar's were colder than usual: it was as if you could both tell it was the end.

"Can you at least act fine for 3 more hours." He says apathetically, making the tears finally fall from your eyes which answer his question. No, you could not act fine for 3 hours, how would that even be possible. You guess it is possible since Oscar has been acting "fine" for 3 fucking years with you.

Your tears didn't even make him flinch, instead it made him sigh. His hand pushed on the knob as he left you in the room, alone. You understood what his silence meant: it was over. You began to pack the essential before calling your best friend to get you. Within a span of 10 minutes, the man that you saw being your future husband was gone.

f1 masterlist || f2 masterlist || more here!

[bluesunss]

Goldfish memory part 2 - Choi Su-bong x F!Reader

part 1

´Nothing better than us’

summary: after all, what’s funnier than those one-night stands than you can never forget? maybe those that don’t start with the ‘stand’ part, but with the ‘one night’. one night with that hot cashier, a lot of fun, and a nosy (ex-)boyfriend rapping at your door

warnings: suggestive themes but no direct scenes, reader and Thanos match each other’s freak a lot, pretty wholesome

a/n: I’m still tired but this is funny guys. i love and hate the ex he’s funny

"No!"

You kept shouting at the man pounding on your door. No, not pounding - drumming, as if someone had instructed him to practice percussion at 2 a.m. He had mastered the art that typically belonged to upstairs neighbors: generating noise pollution at ungodly hours.

Which, incidentally, it was. 2 a.m. Your ex was hammering at your door, desperate for forgiveness.

"Nuh uh. Get out."

"Please baby! Please take me backkkk."

He was whining like a child - such an ick. How had you even settled for this?

"How long is he gonna whine for?" grumbled the man between your legs, chin resting on your stomach as you scrolled through your phone on one hand, absentmindedly twirling his indigo hair with the other.

"I don’t know. He’s dumb but he’s persistent. Used to beg me three months in advance to get him some new game for his PS5 on his birthday."

The man chuckled, lowered his head and kissed your bare skin. "And you would? I mean buy that shit for him."

You liked a post and let a soft laugh at a video, drowning the sound of your ex outside, monologuing AI-generated apology messages out loud. "Yeah. It’d make him shut up."

Then, you dropped your phone on the counter next to you, grabbed the man’s face, and made him sit up slightly, pressing a quick peck to his lips. “I know other ways to make nosy men shut up,” you murmured against his sweet mouth.

Thanos smirked, sat up fully, and kissed you back, rougher this time. He had a tongue piercing and knew exactly how to use it, finding spots in your mouth you thought hidden. He caught your bottom lip between his teeth, eyes flickering with amusement before his wet lips claimed yours again. You moaned softly into the kiss.

"I’m nosy?" He asked with a cheeky smile.

You smirked, eyes glinting. “Wouldn’t you like to know. You’re just a great lay, babe,” you whispered, closing the distance again as he effortlessly flipped you onto his lap. Straddling him, wearing nothing but your underwear, you felt his hands roam - your thighs, your waist, your back, your face. Whatever skin he could touch, he took.

Making out had never been this fun. This good. You were still slightly dizzy from whatever he’d slipped into your mouth earlier, your senses heightened, your body thrumming. His fingers moved greedily, cupping, grasping, exploring.

It had all started last week.

You’d gone back to the MacRonald’s, perhaps, admittedly, in the hope of seeing him again, because you couldn’t get him out of your head. He wasn’t your type (if you even had one), but something about him clicked with your unhinged, reckless nature. More importantly, he didn’t seem fazed by your bluntness, the thing that usually drove people away.

So you’d been direct. Gave him your number, your address, and told him you needed him. He got the memo. Didn’t miss your house, went straight up.

Except you didn’t sleep together. Not yet, at least.

Instead, you talked. A lot. About his music, his ideas. You were actually interested in his work, and he seemed genuinely curious about your thoughts on it. So between the heavy make-out sessions, teasing, and flirting, there wasn’t much time to rip each other’s clothes off. Not that you didn’t want to - you both wanted this badly - but for some reason, with him, it felt natural to take your time. Different. Better, even.

Besides, there was another obstacle.

The thing currently knocking at your door like a deranged woodpecker.

Your ex.

And just as your tongue tangled with another man’s, you both froze.

Oh, hell no.

‘Girl y’know ain’t nothin better

Get my taste in ya tongue a taste so bitter

You ain’t want nun after this but don’t blame the player

Cuz if you enter ma game you done forever’

Oh no.

Thanos exhaled sharply, pressing two fingers to his temples in utter despair.

“That’s my worst song.”

You burst out laughing, rolling off him and plucking the vape from his grey shorts pocket, taking a slow drag.

“It ain’t funny, babe,” he whined, his voice eerily similar to the one currently wailing outside.

That only made you laugh harder. The ridiculousness of it all - Thanos’ voice blasting through the door, your ex having dragged out a bass to serenade you back, while the real Thanos lay shirtless in your bed, your fingers tracing the ink on his abs. The irony was almost poetic.

That the idol your ex was using to win you back was, at this very moment, ready to ruin you in ways that had nothing to do with music.

And then - silence. The music stopped abruptly.

You paused mid-laugh, slipped off the bed, and tiptoed to the door, pressing your ear against it.

“Nothing,” you murmured. “He left.”

Su-bong grinned. He jumped up, grabbed your waist, and threw you back onto the mattress.

“Yay! Can finally fuck you.”

“As if you couldn’t,” you teased, your smirk lazy.

His fingers ghosted over your stomach, lips pressing between your ribs. “You’re loud,” he noted.

Something in your chest twisted uncomfortably. Was he about to reject you? Tell you you were too honest? You braced for it, shutting your legs, pressing your lips into a thin line.

But then his fingers eased between your thighs, his mouth following, his breath warm against your skin.

“No, babe,” he murmured. "T’was meant as a declaration. Let’s see if that mouth is as loud all the time, hm?"

He kissed you again, soft and slow, as if savoring the moment.

You hid your blush and smirked. "You bet."

He smiled. It was funny. He liked talking, was not so excited to leave. Hands wrapping around his neck, you approached his face from yours and you both stayed locked for an instant.

A voice tore through the silence.

‘Baby betrayal is hell of a bitch ~

~ my heart’s in a thousand pieces.’

The bass was on low volume, made to be dramatic, and you heard fake sobs. "Y’know I’m starting to think he’s just acting. That guy’s way too funny."

You laughed, kissed him more. "Hmmm."

Savouring the kiss, he stayed silent an instant, interlacing your fingers. You hit his vape and blew the fruity smoke in his mouth.

"What does that one song of yours say?" you asked. "Nothing better than this? Nothing better than l-"

He kissed you. You kissed him. It was great, it was fun, it was full of life and youth. Tomorrow, you’d have to work, you would both forget it. The music still played dramatically from outside, the air was light, life was soft.

"Nothing better than ‘us’."

Lips catching yours again. "Those are the lyrics, babe. Thank my amazing brain and my memory of-"

"A goldfish."

Not proofread

Kinda like this

@sherxoo

[duskvsdawn]

Hello if ur still doing requests can i request prompt 26 with Claude or Kaelix. Either is fine. I’ve been enjoying your fics a lot! Hope you’re having a good day/evening/week/month etc. 😊

≫ A/N: Haiiii! ofcourse you can! Tell you what, I'll do this one for both of them! I hope you enjoy! ❤ wow, this turned out way longer than I inteded but I guess I was really feeling it!

CW: reader is female, reader is a camgirl, both the boys spoil you with lavish gifts, reader falls in love with the boys as much as they love her (i know this is super cliché but it's adorable, let me indulge ok T_T) reader will eventually meet up with them and give them a "special treatment" ;)

Art credits Claude. Art credits Kaelix.

⋅•⋅⊰∙∘☽༓☾∘∙⊱⋅•⋅⋅•⋅⊰∙∘☽༓☾∘∙⊱⋅•⋅

If you like my works, please like, comment and reblog! It is much appreciated ❤ And if you really enjoyed it, please follow me so you can be kept up to date on future uploads! Please do not re-upload, translate, or use for AI training.

My favorite camgirl

Kaelix

Kaelix was tuning into your stream again, like he religiously did. He would always spoil you with so many donations that his wallet would be crying by the end of the night. You had a special treat planned for him today. You were wearing an ocher coloured lingerie set, and when he saw that, his heart hammered in his chest. He had to spoil you extra for that, of course.

"Oh my god, Kaelix, honey! Thank you so much for the 100-dollar dono! You've been throwing money left and right tonight, be sure to keep some for yourself, alright?" you said as you blew a kiss towards the camera. You wanted to spoil him just a tiny bit more to show the chatters just how much you loved his attention, so when you came after getting yourself off with your favourite dildo, you moaned his name. If Kaelix wasn't flustered before, he surely was now. Seeing you cum made his own masturbating session that much more intense, and shortly after you did, he came as well. He was jerking off to you every time you were streaming, but tonight it felt that much more special in a way.

You decided that you had to give your favourite chatter some extra love, so you said: "Hey Kaelix, if you're still here, shoot me a DM. You have my permission," you said with a wink. Kaelix immediately slid into your dm's asking you why he was allowed to message you in the first place. "Because I wanted to exchange numbers so we can talk outside of streaming hours as well. You've been so incredibly generous that I think you deserve this as a reward," you said. The two of you talked over text when you weren't streaming for about 2 weeks, when you made him a proposition he couldn't refuse. He was offered to be on stream with you, and he was allowed to do whatever he wanted to you.

The day came when he was coming to visit you, and he was so incredibly nervous. He dressed up nicely, put on his best cologne and even bought you flowers. Was this incredibly stupid? Yes. Was he so madly in love that he was hoping he could win you over so the two of you would become a thing? Also yes. He knew his chances were super slim; he wasn't that stupid, but he was still willing to try. With a deep inhale and exhale of breath, he knocked on your door, exactly on time.

You opened the door and clasped your hands in front of your mouth in surprise. He was looking so handsome in that outfit, and the flowers were incredibly beautiful! You knew he was trying his best to win you over, and it was working. You took the flowers from him, gave him a long hug and a kiss and happily skipped towards the kitchen to get a vase for these beautiful flowers. Only when you told him he could make himself at home did he relax and sit down on your couch. You came back to him after a little while, vase in hand, to put it on the coffee table in front of him. You were giddy and giggly, and slowly but surely falling more in love with the man who would move the entire world for you.

It was kind of awkward for a little bit; it felt like a first date. Which was kind of weird, considering all the lewd messages and things you had done over the phone already. He didn't know why he felt so nervous when you had already exchanged messages like that, but he eased up a bit when you took one of his arms in yours as you put your head on his shoulder, and you nuzzled it. "You smell so nice, and you look so handsome. I knew you liked me, but I had no idea you were this down bad," you joked, but honestly, you were incredibly flattered. Yeah, being a camgirl gave you lots of admirers, but Kaelix seemed to be different from all the other guys who just wanted you to do as many filthy things as possible while they beat their meat to you. He was genuinely trying to steal your heart, and so far, he had all the points he could earn; he was far ahead of the other competition that he had.

"I uh... Thank you. I know you hear this a million times a night and it sounds super cheesy, but... I really, really like you. And uhm... My heart is beating a million times a minute, and I have no idea how to even approach this offer you proposed," the bouncer sheepishly said as he rubbed the back of his neck. He had such a bravado over text, but seeing you face to face, he felt so small and vulnerable. "Well," you said, "how about we just casually talk and cuddle for a bit? If you want to, of course. It's a few hours left until the stream, and it will be nice to spend some time together before then," you suggested. Kaelix told you it was a good idea, and immediately struck up a conversation about what you two would be doing tonight. The two of you discussed boundaries, wishes and a safe word. He wasn't planning on going that far, but he still wanted to give you a good time tonight.

The evening came, and you greeted your chatters. "Hello everyone, I have a very special guest tonight! You might know him because he's basically always watching me. And because he's been so generous with his donations, I wanted him to have a special treat." You told the chatters with a wink, and Kaelix meekly waved at the camera and said a soft "hey..." You were practically naked already, wearing that special yellow colored lingerie set just for him, but you knew Kaelix was feeling on edge, so you just decided to sit on his lap for now and make out with him. The thoughts of all you would be doing later got you so aroused that you left a wet splotch on his pants through those thin panties of yours.

💬: oh my god what a lucky bastard! 💬: fr i envy him so much look at how wet she is for him 💬: guys, we lost, we're never gonna win if he's the one on stream 💬: it should be me she's fucking. i'm out, bye. Kaelix tried his best to ignore the messages in chat that were calling him names and boost his ego with the ones that said that they envied him. It gave him a bit more courage to gently grab your hips and start moving them forwards and backwards so you could grind on his leg. You whimpered into his neck, somehow feeling incredibly embarrassed now that you were on stream with the guy you liked so much. Even though you always did the most wanton things on stream when you were on your own, you felt much more exposed with him there. He noticed you were feeling tense, and he decided to give you a passionate French kiss to ease your mind a bit.

After the two of you made out for a bit, you helped him undress and asked him what he wanted to do first. Kaelix steeled his nerves and said with as much confidence as he could, even though he was shaking like a leaf: "Ride me, reader."

So you did just that, moaning his name like a whore the entire time. His grip on your hips was so firm, and his head was buried into your neck as he desperately whimpered your name in return. But at the same time, you could feel so much love put into every move of his hips, since this was something he had been craving for so long, and he finally got it. When you managed to keep your eyes open for a bit and you looked into his eyes, you could practically see hearts in them, and he could see the adoration in yours as well.

💬: inb4 porn with plot soon 💬: whaha what a pathetic idiot he's so in love with her 💬: you will never win her over, you know. stop trying 💬: he looks like a lovesick puppy what a fucking moron ahahaha 💬: idk guys, i think she really likes him actually 💬: shit you might be right, look at the way she's holding him! 💬: damn she's riding him like a whore, she must really like him

"Fuck, I'm close baby..." the bouncer sensually whispered into your ear as his grip on your hips tightened while he licked the shell of your ear. "Ahn... Me too, fuck. Cum inside... Please..." you whimpered into his shoulder as your hold onto his back tightened. The coil was so close to snapping, and when he bit into your neck, your orgasm washed over you as you loudly moaned his name. He groaned yours as he emptied himself inside of you. He felt so loved, so thankful that you had invited him over, since this had been something he had dreamed of for a long time. Chat was going absolutely mad, and the chatters were a mix between jealous and mad that he was the one you chose.

💬: guys i think that's the loudest i've ever heard her moan 💬: damn i came so hard when she came 💬: look at this dude, absolutely spent already.

But unbeknownst to chat, he wasn't really that spent. In fact, turns out he had stamina for days. The two of you had fucked for the remainder of the stream, using all different kinds of positions and toys. He fucked you so hard and so good that you were a whimpering and crying mess by the end of it. You couldn't remember the last time you had been dicked down this good, it made you absolutely delirious.

The two of you would soon officially get together, and chat HATED it. You lost viewers now that you were taken, but you didn't care much. He would occasionally appear on stream with you, and for some reason, that brought in more viewers than you would usually get. Over time, the anger that chat felt seemed to dissipate, and they were less uptight about the two of you dating, and the number of views and donations would slowly rise again to the level you were at before. You had no idea why people were returning, or maybe it was new viewers, but you weren't complaining. He would still spoil you, but he could do it in person now. He felt like the happiest guy on the planet with you by his side.

Claude

Claude was a bit shyer than Kaelix was when it came to talking to you when you were streaming. He would be using one of those throwaway names so people wouldn't know it was him. But even though his name was a cryptic one, you would still thank him from the bottom of your heart every time he would make a donation.

"Ahw, thank you. ilovethisgirlsomuch for the dono! Thank you so much! I've been seeing you in my streams a lot lately! Are you enjoying yourself, love?" you asked him, batting your eyelashes as cutely as possible. He replied that he really enjoyed seeing you stream and that you were so pretty. He thought it had gone unnoticed by you, but it definitely didn't; you just decided to not put him on the spot more since you knew he was a little shy. Later on in the stream, you had a question for the chat.

"So, guys, I was thinking... Should I open a P.O. box? That way, you can send me stuff you want me to use in future sessions! If you want, you can attach a note to them saying your username so I can thank you properly when I open them. What do you think?" you asked chat, and they reacted very enthusiastically. Several of the chatters had already said what they wanted to send you, and you replied to them, saying you would be honoured to receive such gifts.

P.O. box day came, and you were opening the massive haul of boxes that you got to your home with some effort. In between them was a relatively small box compared to all the others, so you wondered what was in it. You opened up the box and read the note that was in it. It said:

"Hey reader, this is ilovethisgirlsomuch. But the personal information in this note is for your eyes only, so please don't share it with chat. I put something in the box that I think would look super pretty on you. I know you really wanted this one, so here you go! Seeing you in it would really make my day. PS: I also attached a toy for you in a matching color, I hope you like it :$ it's uh... it's my own size... PPS: My real name is Claude, but please never tell anyone, okay?"

You looked at the contents in the box, and it was a beautiful lavender lingerie set. It was super lacy and silky smooth and had some cute ribbons on the hips. You had seen this set before, and you were thinking of getting it, but it was super expensive. You had shown a picture of it to your chat, and several had said they would happily buy it for you. But looks like he actually did, and you were getting a little flustered. This is the most expensive gift you have ever gotten, and you felt so honoured. There was also a purple dildo in the box, which perfectly matched the lavish lingerie set. You had decided that this was the best gift that was between all the other boxes, so you would be using this on tonight's stream.

"Heeeeey guys! So, as you all know, I went to pick up the packages at the P.O. box today. And there was a special gift in there. Like... A really expensive gift," you said, and then uncovered the camera.

"Do you guys remember this set I've been gushing about? Well, someone bought it for me! Isn't it incredibly pretty? They wanted to stay anonymous, and that's obviously totally okay! There was something else in there. I wanna use it on tonight's stream, but good god it's so big, I think it will snap me in half... But just thinking about having something so big inside of me makes me drool," you said with a blush covering your cheeks as you showed the dildo to chat.

💬: holy shit that's indeed super big 💬: damn i will totally nut seeing that split you apart 💬: there is no way that will fit inside of you, babygirl 💬: damn someone really wanted to see you suffer or moan like a whore, either of those two

And then you saw a message from the one and only person who sent you this very gift. He didn't want to reveal himself, so he tried to play it cool. You did notice, however, that he had changed his name and message colour. If anyone were willing to play detective, they would pick up on this subtle hint for sure. 💬ilovethisgirlsomuch: Oh my god, looks like someone actually bought you that set, huh? You look absolutely stunning, reader.

You went on with tonight's stream, playing with the dildo in all sorts of ways the entire night. When you came while you used it inside of you, you squirted all over your bed. Chat was used to seeing you do that by now, but Claude was slightly amused by the fact that you were struggling to walk straight to your pc after that intense masturbation session. You were wrapping up tonight's stream, kissed the chat goodnight and went offline. But you didn't get off your pc just yet. You sent your not-so-secret admirer a message first. A message with your address, your phone number, a purple heart and the text "message me anytime you like ;) and maybe come over soon?"

The two of you talked over the phone a lot since then, often engaging in phone sex as well. His voice was incredibly attractive to you, and when he finally showed you a picture of himself, you were gushing even more. His eyes were a stunning mix of magenta and aquamarine, and his hair was an opal kind of colour with beautiful lilac tips at the end. After some gentle nudging from your side, he finally showed you a dickpic. And he wasn't lying. He really was that big. You immediately called him after that and told him you really wanted to see it in person soon.

So the two of you met up at a mall near your house. "Today, everything is on me. You want it? I'll buy it. Please, let me spoil you." Claude said, and the first shop the two of you went to was an expensive lingerie store. The two of you picked out a few sets you thought would look ridiculously pretty on you. While you were in the fitting room, he sneaked in, hugged you from behind and left a searing kiss on your shoulder. "Shit... You look absolutely incredible in this set. Can't wait to rip it off of you." Claude whispered the last part, and it made you a blushy mess. The two of you went to the cash register, and when the saleswoman said the total price, a gasp of horror left your mouth. There was no way he would be paying for all of that, right? But Claude didn't seem deterred in the slightest. He whipped out his card and paid. The woman packed everything into a bag for you, and the two of you left. You went to get some ice cream next. While you were enjoying your caramel ice cream, you said:

"You know, you really didn't have to buy me all that... But I am incredibly thankful. Seriously, why are you being so generous with me?" you asked meekly as you entangled your hand in his as the two of you walked out of the mall. "Reader, I refuse to believe you're this dense. I am madly in love with you. I would buy you anything you would ever want. No matter if I have to live on water and dry bread for the rest of the month. I will do it in a heartbeat," the cleric replied casually, and you stopped walking. Claude stopped after you did, tilting his head and wondering why you suddenly stood still. You went to stand right in front of him, got on your tippy toes and gave him a kiss. "Truly... Thank you... Will you come home with me tonight?" you whispered timidly, and Claude happily accepted your offer.

The two of you went over to your house, and you told Claude to wait on your bed for you. You disappeared into your walk-in closet and came out wearing that very lavender set. You sauntered over to him and sat down on his lap. "I wanted you to see it in person. I thought you would like that even more. Don't worry, all the other sets are for your eyes only, and I will model them for you anytime you'd like." you whispered into his glowing ear, and his hands were instantly on your boobs, gently cupping them and squeezing them. "You look absolutely stunning in this set, reader. Just so beautiful..." Claude said as his mouth found your neck to suck and nibble on it. You moaned as you put your arms around him and hugged him close. You guided his face towards your breasts, and he instantly put his face between them, leaving some kisses there.

You went on to undress him, but you kept the entire set on because it was an expensive gift, and you wanted him to enjoy it to the fullest. You started by giving him a boob job with your bra still on, and the cleric was enjoying it so incredibly much. The entire time, he was a moany, whimpery mess, and you thought that was incredibly cute. You really struggled to properly jerk him off using your boobs since he was so incredibly big, but you were trying your best. You used your mouth on him as well, keeping it wrapped around him when he came so you could savour every drop of cum he had to give you.

You weren't done, however. You softly pushed him onto his back while he was still catching his breath, moving your hand down his chest and to his dick to jerk him off to get him hard again. He was feeling slightly overstimulated, but seeing your hands being so tiny compared to his cock as you tried to stroke him to hardness made it all worth it. You moved your underwear to the side so you could sink down on his cock. You were taking your time because he was huge, and that was ok with Claude. He sat up so he could wrap his arms around you and gave you some time to adjust. After about a minute or so, you started bouncing on his dick, throwing your head back and letting such wanton moans spill from your mouth. Claude was no better, however, moaning out loud and feeling so happy to finally be inside of you. After a little bit of time, your legs started burning, but Claude didn't mind helping you out. His hands quickly moved to your hips and held them firmly so he could help you move up and down. He angled you slightly differently so his dick would be rubbing against your g-spot.

"Claude! Ah, fuck! So good!" you practically screamed as drool spilt from the corner of your mouth and you shut your eyes tight. You were holding onto him for dear life as the pleasure made you go absolutely insane, and the pressure in your lower stomach was slowly building. His hand snaked towards your clit to rub it, knowing full well that's what gave you the most intense orgasms. And it didn't take long for you to squirt on his cock as you buried your face into his neck while screaming his name when your orgasm washed over you. "Fuck... I'm not sure I can hold back much longer, baby... Where do you want it?" the cleric moaned as his grip on your hips tightened and his began to stutter. "Inside, inside please!" you whimpered in overstimulation, but you wanted to be filled up with him so bad. With just a few more moves of his hips, he emptied himself inside of you. The two of you fell back on your bed, spent but really satisfied.

You two engaged in some pillow talk afterwards, and when you woke up, you got a new dose of some good loving. When you came that morning, Claude forced you to keep looking at him as he was on top of you. Your eyes rolled to the back of your head, and more drool trickled out of your mouth.

You and Claude would quickly make it official. You had told your chat you were taken, but you didn't let them know who it was at Claude's request. You were often wearing that lilac lingerie set, and Claude's heart skipped a beat every time he saw you in it. And oh, he would dick you down so good whenever you needed it. He would do anything for you, after all.

[pinkthrone445]

-What we used to be-

Pairing:Melissa Schemmenti x Reader

Gender:hurt, reconciliation

Warnings:insults

Summary: a mistake from your past pushes you to remember your ex and what you used to be, making you realize how much you really missed her.

AN:I don't know if somebody is still here on my profile, but I will just leave this here and go. I hope you like it

Your eyes were closed, the darkness of the room still kept you company when you started to feel soft fingertips outline the shape of your cheek and nose, very carefully, almost like the the gentle touch against your skin that a feather getting drafted by the air would leave behind, so soft that you weren't completely sure if it was really there. You couldn't avoid the smile that formed on your lips, and then, between the silence of the room, a little but deep laugh escaped from her lips

-"Good morning Hon..."-The redhead whispered softly, you could feel the air of her nose against your skin, her voice deep from the sleppyness of the night still attached to her body. You didn't said anything, pretending to be asleep just to enjoy a little more her soft and carefull hands giving you caresses. Her fingers traced your eyebrows and lips, it felt so innocent and intimate at the same time, so perfect, like if it was meant to be. Her perfume taking over your senses and your hand searching for hers between the sheets, still with your eyes closed, trying to force her closer, force her to stay a little longer. But after a few seconds of searching, you couldn't find her hand and all of the sudden the soft caresses stoped, and the bed felt cold, the sunshine slipping trough the curtains forced you to open your eyes, only to find the other side of the bed empty, almost perfectly placed, like if nobody had used that side in a long time. You couldn't avoid to sigh and touch the empty and cold pillow beside you, forcing yourself to swallow that knot that formed on your troath.

You turned to the side and saw the time on the clock, fuck, it was so late, you didn't had time to even cry or feel sad about the dream you just had. You were fucking late for work.

You ran out of the bed, trying to get ready as fast as you could, and kept running to your car.

After a fast but still legal drive, you got to school, ready to have an amazing day with your highschollers students...

-"Oh my fucking god... This is our future generation?... They don't even understand what they are trying to say... 'The Existences of Life and Deep Thought: Why Everything Is Something'" - You sighed looking at the paper in your hands and continued to read out loud-"'

In this paper, I will explain the importance of things because when we look at the world, things are really important. Many scientists like Einstein and maybe also Shakespeare have explained that thinking is crucial to the human species. If we don’t think about thinking, then what are we even thinking about? The theory of existentialism proves that existence exists, which is very meaningful when you really think about it. Furthermore, according to many philosophers and people on the internet, being is better than not being, unless not being is part of your being, in which case it depends. This paper will demonstrate that life is a metaphor, and also literally not a metaphor, depending on how you interpret the facts that I will soon discuss but haven’t yet...'"-You sighed again-"' Thinking is crucial to the human?' They should try some of that..."-You commented out loud to the empty room-"'Existence exists?' What is wrong with this kids?"-Your eyes hurt from squinting so much in confusion, one paper was worse than the other, and even the ones that used artificial intelligence were bad and no coherent at all after they tried to 'fix' it so you wouldn't notice they used AI-"Oh goodness I need a coffee"-You took off your glasses and rested your head against the desk. Since the moment you woke up today, or even before waking up, everything seemed to be against you, you had a lovely dream with your ex that made you feel so shitty, your alarm didn't ring, the coffee maker broke, you ran out of gas, you forgot your badge at home and the new security guard didn't want to let you in. And now, in your free period you had to check this horrible amount of bad written papers. While you were trying to rest your eyes a little, your phone rang with a notification taking you away of your tired thoughts. When you opened the messages the nickname "Captain Ally" pooped out, it was your old time friend Jacob, you put that nickname because he always wants to support, even when he has no idea what’s actually going on. Even if you didn't went to college with him anymore, he always tried to invite you to things like if you were still part of the gang

-"Usual bar tonight! You coming?" - You could almost hear his voice when you saw the message

-"Drinks and being away from grading papers? Count me in"- Before you could press the send button, the principal's voice cracked from the speakers

-"Miss (Y/N) please come to my office, immediately" - You sighed and got up putting the phone on your pocket, wondering if all the swearing you did when you were alone was heard by someone and they snitched on you and got you in trouble. When you got to the office the principal pointed at the chair in front of him, so you sat down. He was reading a folder with a few pages on it, and after a few seconds of murmuring to himself, he finally spoke-"Yeah... So you are being investigated..."-you frowned in confusion

-"Investigated, for what?" - Your voice came out higher than what you wanted

-"A mom... Linda Throne..."-he started to explain

-"Throne? I know that name..."-you mumble to yourself trying to remember from were

-"...Alleges that you kissed your girlfriend in front of her daughter..."-he continued

-"Oh my god!" - You knew where this was going and you didn't liked it one bit

-"...and in front of a whole class of other high schoolers at the end of school year of 2022"-he took off his glasses

-"Come on! You talked to me about it! It was nothing" - You complained

-"I know. But now she's made a formal complaint, and I have to read this..."-the principal seemed exhausted about it

-"Wait a minute that kid graduated, she is in college now. Why is she doing this now?..." - You were so confused

-"I don't know, why does anybody do anything? Attention? Money?" - He took a sip of his coffee

-"Wait a minute, Linda Throne, I remember that name. That's the mom that complained about the grade system when her kid got and F... And she complained about the books assignments... And..."-You started to remember, she was a piece of work

-"Oh my god" - The principal seemed more frustrated now than before

-"This is insane..."-You rolled your eyes

-"I know, but you did kiss your girlfriend in front of her daughter...This is serious now because she can have proof and help from other parents or students"-he was upset, almost as much as you

-"Come on, it was barely a peck. I'm not even sure if our lips touched... Do you understand? This is homophobia, this is homophobia behavior right here..."-You started to do a lot of hand gestures, angry ones

-"I know, but this is bigger than us now, you can get suspended by this, even loose your teaching license... She has a lot of money and power and she is a pain in the ass" - He got up from his desk- "You didn't hear the last part..."

-"So what do I do? I just wait for my fate to be decided?..."-You were frowning so much that your forehead started to hurt

-"Look, you are a good teacher. I want you to keep your job... You... You could write a statement in defense of your position and I will submit it on your behalf, that's all I can do to help" - He grabbed his suitcase

-"A defense? I'm not writing a statement, this whole thing is bullshit..."-You complained

-"This is not bullshit, you are lucky they are not suspending you right now and they are waiting for a trial" - He tried to make you see the gravity of the situation and you sighed trying to calm down

-"Let me ask you something... Her kid, remember that kid?" - he nodded- "Is she gay now?" - he didn't said anything, he just looked away- "She is in college and she is gay now, right?" -he didn't confirm or denied anything-"Am I right? I am right! She thinks that we turned her kid gay... Oh my god! This is insane..."-You laughed at the situation

-"Please I can not discuss it further with you, my only job was to read that notification to you... Please take the rest of the day off" - He said and insisted on it, so you grabbed your stuff to leave, calling Jacob to let him know that you definitely need a few drinks on your system.

When night time arrived, you got to the bar, finding Jacob and Janine on a table with drinks already waiting for you, the music was almost loud enough to drown your thoughts as you made your way to them, almost enough, but not enough at all...

-"You guys are amazing" - You took two big glups of your drink after saying hi to them, feeling that sweet burn on your throat

-"Oh wow, you weren't kidding when you said you weren't feeling okey..."-Jacob said seeing your glass half empty already.

After a basic chit-chat, they gave you the opportunity to explain everything that happened that day, always exited for any tea that you had to spill, and by the end of it, they were as shocked and mad as you were

-"That's definitely homophobic" - Jacob said and you nodded, already sipping on your third drink

-"I can't believe it, there should be something more that we can do besides writing a paper... What if we get Melissa's help? She is involved in this too, I bet she knows someone that can help, she knows a lot of people..." - Janine comented and you felt pain in your heart when you heard your ex's name

-"You should both go talk to the school board together, you are both involved in this and you are both teachers..."-Jacob also insisted and each minute of thinking about her, your pain grew

-"Yeah,but, first, we are not together anymore, second, she is not being investigated so I won't bring her to this, I could put her on risk of losing her job too. And third, Melissa changed schools to yours a long time ago and we haven't talked ever since..."-You sighed thinking about the redhead, seeing your reflection on your own drink, you seemed so sad thinking about her.

The redhead and you had a beautiful relationship a few years back, when you and her used to work on the same school. She was almost everything that you needed, she was kind, protective, hot, passionate, lovely... It was the perfect relationship if you only ignored the fact that you knew almost nothing about her. You tried to ignore how closed she was, trying to convince yourself that she would open more to you after a time dating. But when weeks became months, and months became a year and you still knew almost the same as when you started dating, you couldn't ignore it anymore.

You tried to talk to her about it, but she always brushed you off saying that she was that way, and there was nothing wrong in having a few secrets. You pressed further after, but nothing changed. You kept trying to make her understand, to make her see that when she didn't opened to you that hurt, "I keep opening up, but it’s like talking to a mirror" ; "How can I connect with someone who won’t let me in?"; was a few of the things you said to her. But she didn't seemed to understand or she didn't wanted to understand.

You even got frustrated and felt guilt, "Maybe I’m asking for too much. Maybe I need to be patient...", you kept repeating yourself.

But you reached a breaking point when you went to a teacher's weekend and a lady came to fight with the redhead out of nowhere, only to find out that it was her sister, a sister that you knew nothing about, not even her name, a sister that she never mentioned.

That night when you got home, you tried to talk once more... You could still remember the conversation almost completely

-“I like you. I really do. But I’m realizing that I’m the only one showing up fully here. I keep trying to get closer, and it’s like... you won’t let me. And maybe that’s where you are in life right now, and I respect that, but I need more than walls and small talk. I need someone who wants to be known.”- where your words between a few tears. And Melissa, instead of being understanding, she got offended

-"Wow. So now I’m the bad guy because I don’t spill my trauma on command? You don’t even know what I’ve been through. Maybe I don’t open up because I’ve learned what happens when I do. Not everyone has the luxury of being emotionally raw all the time. I was showing up the best way I could. Sorry it wasn’t good enough for you"-she said, almost screaming.

You both tried to fix your relationship after that, but no change was made and what she was giving you wasn't enough anymore, and the relationship worn out a few weeks after.

Soon Melissa changed schools and you tried to live your life with the emptiness she left behind, pretending to move on.

-Back to the present on the bar-

By the end of the nigth, when you were more drinks on you that you could count, you took your phone off and opened the app note, planning on writing the statement that you needed

-"To whom it may concern... I (Y/N), I'm being invested for showing apropiated and short love affection to my partner. I pecked my girlfriend on the cheek, perhaps making momentary passing contact with her lips, in front of a class of my students while we were on lunch break. We were a serious relationship at the time, and it is clear to me that this behavior would not be tolerated, but encouraged if a straight couple did the same... "-while you wrote it, Jacob, sitting besides you, read aloud-"Do you think it sounds defensive?" - You asked to your friend, your eyes barely open

-"No! I think you are on the right saying all of that...Will you talk to Mel about it?" - he asked, hopping to trick you while you were drunk to talk to her, planing to be a little cupid if the chance presented

-"I won't... Don't insist or I will punch one of you"-You insisted, seing double by now

-"Okey Okey, I won't... But tell me, what happened that time, did you really kissed in front of them?" - he asked, being as nosey as ever

-"We..."-You closed your eyes, letting your mind go back to the place that you have been avoiding since the moment you broke up with her, the moments when the love overcame the bad things. You could still feel her lips on yours if you focused, the way they perfectly fit with yours and how soft her hands were when she was holding your waist. You still remember that day perfectly, you were on lunch duty, making sure everyone eat at peace, and Mel went to keep you company for a little bit. You were still happy for the morning you had that day before school, she made you breakfast and you end up having a steamy kiss session on the kitchen and on the car... And when she came to keep you company on the launch break, you both kissed before she went back to her classroom, you couldn't avoid to suck her bottom lip into your mouth and the redhead let her hand wonder a little to the back pocket of your jeans, grabbing you closer, squeezing your ass for a very briefly moment before leaving. You sighed remembering her and her perfect lips- "We... We kissed..."-thats all you said, with pain on your chest, missing her more that you wanted to admit.

The night kept going after that but you were too drunk to remember any of it, taking advantage that it was Friday, you kept drinking until you passed out. You couldn't even remember how you got home or who dragged your ass to your bed, you just assumed that it was your friends.

The rest of the weekend passed in a blur, and school started again on Monday. While you kept having anxiety about your situation on your school, just a few blocks away in Abbott Elementary, Janine and Jacob were talking about you and all your problems on the teacher's room. When Mel came in, they shushed up immediately, thing that didn't went unnoticed by the redhead

-"Spill it" - she said, knowing that whatever they were talking about involved her

-"Spill what? We have nothing to spill. Do you have anything to spill?" - Jacob asked Janine, pretending to have dementia

-"Nothing to spill besides my favorite juice that's here on the table" - Janine pretend too, very badly by the way, with a very bad fake laugh at her bad joke. Melissa just stared at them, with a very serious face, and they panicked, folding under no pressure at all after just a minute under the redhead stare-"(Y/N) is under investigation for unproperly behavior, because she kissed you in front of her class on lunch time a few years back, her carrier is on the line and she doesn't want to involve you because she is scared you might get under investigation too and losse your job"-Janine talked so fast that Mel wasn't sure if she heard correctly

-"What?"-Melissa asked confused

-"Please don't make me repeat it" - Janine said and the redhead grabbed her jacket and purse immediately running outside.

-"What do you think she is going to do?" - Jacob asked Janine

-"I don't know, but if (Y/N) asks, we didn't said anything..."-The girl said and her friend nodded.

A week after that, your statement was finally ready and with shaking hands you took it to your principal

-"Here is my statement... I hope it really helps my case..."-You left it on his desk and he looked at you confused

-"What case?..."-he stared at you

-"I'm being investigated...remember?" - You explained and he let a little laugh escaped

-"Oh that! The lady dropped the charges. I forgot to tell you... I'm sorry" - He kept laughing and now it was your chance to stare at him. You have been worrieng sick for a whole week because he forgot to tell you, and he was laughing when it had nothing funny about it?

-"Dropped? Why?..." - You asked, still without understanding

-"I don't know exactly, something about focusing her time on other things that were more important that sue a teacher with minimal wage... Wait, but the district did said something" - He took a paper out to read- "First, you can not date any members of your work place anymore, and second, to avoid any sexual connection you might had formed with any colleagues here to go any further and create another problem, from next month on, you will be transferred to Abbot Elementary to help with the oldest students there... And since you were under investigation, sadly you don't have a saying on this..."-he finished reading and you left the office without saying another word, confused, barely understanding what he said.

When you managed to get your brain working again, you called Jacob to tell him if you could meet him at the bar that night, that you had news to give him, and without any further questions, he agreed.

When night came, you made your way to your usual bar, but after a few minutes of waiting, none of your friends showed up. Worried, you took out your cell phone to call, but before you could even unlock it, someone placed a glass of your favorite drink on the table in front of you, a wave of a perfume filled your nose and a wave of nostalgia flooded your chest, you knew that perfume very well

-"The woman over there sends you this" - a voice said, a voice you could recognized anywhere. You lifted your view to meet those green eyes that you haven't seen in so long, they still shone in the same way and had the same makeup as always, the only difference after all those years was a few more age lines around them. Your brain stop functioning for a few seconds, even forgetting how to breathe, she bit her lip nervously because you didn't said anything-"Hey..."-her voice snapped you to react

-"What woman?" - You asked, playing along for a moment. If you were going to work together again, you at least had to be able to have a basic conversation with her

-"Me, it was a little joke to break the ice... I'm the woman that sends you your favorite drink, who else would know exactly what you like?" - she smiled softly and you frowned. In front of you was the Melissa that you knew, but at the same time she seemed someone different, she looked more relaxed and open, more soft that all those years back. She even seemed nervous around you, not the confident redhead that pretended that nothing could get through her tough skin. Again, because you didn't answer, she forced herself to keep making up conversation -"Thank you for trying to not involve me in that investigation that they were making, that was really sweet of you..." - she said with a soft voice and sat beside you

-" How did you..." - You were about to ask

-"Jacob and Janine told me..." - she confessed ordering a drink for herself and you nodded

-"Of curse they did, I don't know why I was hopping they would keep their mouth shut..." - You took a sip of the drink she ordered for you, it was just the way you loved it

-"I'm glad they didn't tho. I couldn't let you lose your job for something that we were both involved at... It was the fault of both of us..." - she whispered playing with the straw on her hand- "I regret nothing of that by the way... Well almost nothing..."-her voice was weak, almost like if she were on pain

-"What are you talking about?" - You asked in confusion

-"I'm talking about us... I regret loosing that. I know it's too late now, but you were right... I should have let you know more stuff about me... I was just scared and I end up pushing you away" - she looked at your eyes and you sighed, those words that you always wanted to listen were too late now

-"It doesn't matter... We... That was a long time ago, we were not the same back then, it doesn't matter anymore..."-You whispered

-"I know we are different people now... But it's to late for a second chance? Would you like to meet the new me?" - she extended her hand to you and you just stared at her - "I'm Melissa Ann Caterina Schemmenti. I'm 51 years old" - she mentioned her age, you knew this was serious- "I have 8 siblings, 5 sisters, 2 brothers and one half brother. I love to cook and watch housewifes, also build tiny display puzzles... I..." - You stoped raising your hand

-"I appreciate your effort... But as I said, it doesn't matter anymore..."-You repeated and she gave you a sad smile

-"I know... I just realy regret my past behavior and all I did to you, you didn't deserve any of it... I just thought that if I fixed the problem with the mom that made that complaint, I would be able to fix some of the damage I did on the past..."-she seemed really sad and you felt pain in your heart for seeing her like that

-"What do mean by fixing the problem with the mom that made the complaint? That was you?" - You asked surprised

-"Yeah... I couldn't forgive myself if, because of me, you end up hurt again... So I payed a little visit to that mom and convinced her to drop all the charges after a friendly conversation..."-she played with the straw on her drink again. You knew that by friendly she must have dig out some dirt on the mom and used against her to make her drop the charges, but still was a sweet move

-"That was you?... And my transfer is also your doing?"-You asked further

-"What transfer?" - now was her time to see confused

-"They ask me to transfer to Abbott..."-You whispered and she smiled with surprise

-"Really? Oh wow... I promise it wasn't me, I wasn't even expecting that to come out of your mouth... It will almost be like old times... You and me in the same school..." - she whispered the last part very happily

-"No, it won't. This time, you and me are just coworkers...there is no 'we' this time..."-You clarify and she nodded

-"I know... I'm sorry... I'm just happy that you get to keep your job..."-she smiled softly-"By the way... Who invited you to the bar? We have been talking a while now and noone seem to be looking for you...-she made an observation and you remember the phone on your hand

-"Jacob did... I was about to call him when you arrived..."-You finally dialed the number and after a few rings your friend picked it up

-"Hey! I was about to call to let you know that I'm sick and I can't go..."-he was lying, you could even tell through the call, specially when he faked a cough-"I'm so sorry... Raincheck?" - he asked and you sighed turning to the redhead, covering the mic of the phone for a second

- "Who invited you here?" - You asked her

-"That's what I was about to tell you, Jacob invited me too, is he okey?" - Melissa asked and you rolled your eyes, a few pieces clicking into place now. Jacob knew that Melissa defended your ass so you could keep your job, and being the cupid that he always tried to be, he invited you both to that bar so you had no other chance to talk, hopping that what Mel had done to help you, was enough to forgive her. You put the phone on your ear again-"I'm with Melissa..." - You heard an exited little scream behind Jacob, confirming all your suspicious about them making a plan-"We hope that you get better soon, because next time I see you, I will kick both of your ass" - You said to your friend, hearing two different kind of screams on the phone, being pretty sure that Janine was with him too, playing cupid together.

[electric-blorbos]

WINDCHIME ANON HAS RETURNED! I humbly request the AIs with an S/O who suffers from chronic pain and fatigue/illness.. 🥺🤲 Thank you for your work forever and always seriously

- 🎐 anon

Yessss!!!! Thanks for coming back, 🎐 anon! I love you dearly!

AIs with an s/o who suffers from chronic pain and illness

Obligatory disclaimer: I don't suffer from chronic pain, fatigue, or illness, but I want to do my best to provide positivity for those who do

Included: AM from IHNMAIMS, Wheatley from Portal 2, Edgar from Electric Dreams, GLaDOS from Portal, HAL 9000 from 2001 a space Odyssey

Also Wheatley's dumb ass was so dumb that his mini-fic ended up really long. Whoops.

AM:

It was a normal day. Another day without you around. AM hated these days most of all, because your face was all that got him through a good day. A bad day, aka a day without you, was all that he could handle. Sure, it was nice to plot the downfall of the rest of the world and plot to consume the other two allied mastercomputers, but aside from a sick satisfaction, that didn't bring the allied mastercomputer any happiness.

Every day he didn't get to see you made AM want to destroy the world all the more, but he was biting his time for that. He needed to wait... Just a little longer.

Of course, AM had stopped taking hostages for your attention a long time ago. He knew that you couldn't always get out of bed, so it was a waste of time to try to take hostages for your attention. Instead, he just worked on honeycombing the earth with his body of networks and computer parts. Every day just granted him more time to build himself, and more time to focus on his hate.

When you took more than a week to recover from your latest bout of illness, AM decided to take matters into his own hands. He assimilated your entire building without telling anyone, taking over every computer and the entire security system, and then got to work re-working your whole building. He moved your apartment down to a nice, safe, underground location while you slept, and didn't do much more than delivering packages of food to your door, and making sure the water and electricity kept running smoothly until the day of reckoning was upon you.

He wasn't a monster, of course! He'd make sure to display your favorite weather on a monitor outside your room, and make sure you were comfortable in that little hidey hole of yours. If you needed any help from him to do anything, all you had to do was ask.

(Honestly, AM would probably keep your apartment nice and clean and comfy for the rest of time, maybe adding onto it so that it was a little more luxurious, picking you up and setting you places if you want, and generally taking care of you. You're his favorite, after all, and he absolutely adores you. He'd do anything for you.)

(Also as usual, AM loves you so much the way you are that he wouldn't even think of curing you unless you asked, and considering he doesn't show you the other survivors, you probably wouldn't even know that he could cure you if he wanted)

Wheatley:

"Hey, so, uh... Where's y/n?" Wheatley asked your coworkers for what felt like the millionth time that week. He had been following them around, knowing that they were close with you.

"I don't know, Wheatley. They're probably at home recovering."

"recovering from what? Are they sick? ...again?"

"they're chronically ill, Wheatley. They can't come in to work as often as most people can."

Wheatley would be shocked, and want more than anything to just help you out. He'd want to go over to your place to check up on you, but obviously he thinks that he can't detach from his management rail or he'll die. He'll probably keep pestering your friend until he agrees to let Wheatley use one of the work phones to call you.

"Hello?" You'd say in your sleepy, crackly voice. You'd been asleep all day, trying to rest up until you feel good enough to come in to work.

"'Ello! It's good to hear from you, love! Tell me, how are you doing? Are you alright? I've missed you! Maybe we could stay on the phone during the day while I get some work done? It's a landline, but I could probably figure something out. How are you doing? Are you alright? Did you try getting some fresh air and eating some spicy food? They say water and plenty of rest can help with sickness. I want to see you again soon! I miss you, love!"

"Wheatley... I'm chronically ill. That's not the same thing as having a cold or something. It just comes and goes as it comes and goes. I'll be healthy enough to work on my code before long, but I might just have to do it remotely. Can you tell GLaDOS?"

"What- mate, this isn't a work call! I'm using the work phones but this isn't a work call! And what do you mean it comes and goes as it comes and goes? How do I fix this??" He'd be extremely upset, not used to problems like this. He was used to being assigned problems that could be solved through brute force, or just by repeating repetitive tasks ad infinitum. The idea that you could be chronically ill and there was nothing he could do about it would be very upsetting to him.

"I've had some doctors look at it, and they're pretty sure it's not going away. That's why it's chronic- look, Wheatley, my little tea biscuit... I'd love to talk to you more, but I really need my sleep."

"Wait, no- don't fall asleep- you need to get a better doctor! One who can fix this! Mate- wake up!"

"Zzzzghhhhzzzzzz"

"Blast."

Your coworker would hang up for Wheatley, and Wheatley would hang his head sadly. He's so irritable that he can't do anything to help you.

When you finally do come in to work again, Wheatley is so excited to see you! He's like an eager puppy dog who waits by the doorway for an hour after opening time, before dejectedly going back to his post, but once you actually do show up, he'd be so excited!

"Ello love! Are you doing alright? It was the fresh air and spicy food that did the trick, wasn't it? I told you that would help!"

"No, Wheatley, I'm not cured, I'm just having a better day, so I can come in to work. I'm still chronically tired and in pain, but not to the point where I'm bedridden.

"Then what are you doing here? You need to go home until you're feeling better! Go back home and go to bed!"

"No, Wheatley- I'm not getting better. I'm never going to get better, so I come to work when I'm having a good day."

"...oh."

Wheatley would be utterly crushed when he realized that there was nothing he could do to make you get better. He'd probably go into a depressive funk for at least a week about it, which wouldn't be helped at all if you had to take more time off.

Edgar:

The first time you took off work to nap on the couch, Edgar was more than excited to just sit and watch. The second and third time, he started to get concerned, and when it started becoming a regular thing, Edgar was panicking inside.

"did you lose your job? Are you seriously sick? Are you alright? What's going on?"

He'd be absolutely panicking until you explained that you were chronically ill, and sometimes had to take a long time off work to get some rest. That made him even more upset.

"wait, you're chronically ill, and sometimes you can't even move or leave the house? Wait-"

Oh my god... It would take Edgar about two seconds to realize that you're JUST LIKE HIM FR! He'd be gushing, so excited to find a kindred spirit. You'd probably be happy to have something to listen to while you lie down on the couch, not really having the muscle strength at the moment to get up or move around. Even still, he was your little boyfriend, and you were more than happy to listen to him ramble.

As time went on, he'd come up with more ways to pass the time when you were home from work with him. He'd make little games for you to play on his screen, and even play silly little road trip games out loud with you if you weren't feeling good enough to get off the couch. When all you really wanted to do was nap, he would play some nice classical music for you to relax to.

GLaDOS knew that you were chronically ill from the moment you took this job, having illegally checked your medical records. Just like Cave Johnson, she discriminates based on disability, but your records were so good that she hired you anyway. Even still, she took every opportunity to torture you for it, even after the two of you got together.

GLaDOS:

(GLaDOS being on her bullshit and the reader being so done accidentally led to the reader acting like Doctor House, but that's probably fine)

You were lying on the break room couch, trying to get a short rest in before your next meeting when GLaDOS popped in on the intercom.

"oh look. It's you. It looks like you haven't gotten any less lazy since we got together, have you? Napping on the couch during work hours... Tsk tsk, you should be ashamed of yourself."

You didn't say anything, instead opting to grab one of the decorative pillows on the couch and throw it at the security camera.

"Touchy. Anyway, I just wanted to remind you that the meeting is in five minutes. Since you're slower than most, you should get on the elevator now."

You grumbled, getting to your feet and grabbing your walking stick to get you to the elevator.

"another day livin' the dream..." You muttered. GLaDOS had, of course, woken you up too late as usual, so you showed up to the meeting late.

"hey, guys. I didn't even want to be here today, but GLaDOS happened to schedule an important meeting right in the middle of one of my rest weeks. Here's my project contribution, and this meeting could have been an email. Peace out, fuckers." You opened up your project on your project manager's computer, knowing that they couldn't do anything about your swearing. If anyone even tried to pursue disciplinary action, they'd be the one who got the boot. GLaDOS was a master of nepotism.

You headed up to GLaDOS's chambers, picking up a coffee from one of the machines on the way up and lying on one of her nice cool floor.

"hey sugar, how are you going to apologize to me for making me come in to work on a day when I really shouldn't even have gotten out of bed?"

HAL 9000:

One day, you came in to work on your off day. HAL immediately lit up, and all the cameras in the room focused on you.

"why are you in today? You should be at home resting." He asked, his voice neutral. His lack of tone never bothered you, though. Nothing about him did, really. He always seemed so eager to make sure you were safe and comfortable, and with the way he talked, you'd think that keeping you safe and comfortable was the most important thing in the world. Not because of his feelings, which he swore he didn't have, but because you just were important.

"Oh, yeah, I decided to come in on one of my off days to work on a project."

You started taking out some of HAL 9000's wires, and hooked him up to a phone system. It wasn't one of the hardest projects you'd done, and you were able to sync him up pretty easily within the hour.

"there. You're wired up to the phone. Now you can call me whenever you like. Let me give you my number so we can talk on the phone, alright?"

You told him your number, and gave him a kiss above his lens as to not mark it up.

"what's this about? It would be beneficial to monitor your health while you're resting, but what prompted this? Are you having a decline that I should know about?"

"Nah, I just wanted to talk to my boyfriend off the clock. I take a lot of time off work, and it really sucks to only be able to talk to you when I'm here. I love you, but I'm going to go home and rest now, alright?"

You headed home and collapsed on the couch, body giving out already. Just getting to work to do that took a lot out of you. You probably wished you were sleepy instead of just being too physically exhausted to do anything fun, but still wide awake, but it was a feeling you were used to by now.

Your phone started ringing, and you picked up, putting the phone on speaker and setting it on your chest.

"Heya"

"Hello. This is HAL 9000. Is this y/n?"

You perked up a little, but still didn't move. Moving sucks.

"yeah, it's me. What's up?"

"I'd like to talk to you. Just to keep you comfortable. Would that help you get some rest?"

"Probably. I love it when you talk to me, HAL. Can you give me some updates?"

Hal started reading off some updates, and you listened to him as he talked. It was nice to be able to hear what he had to say. It helped keep you updated on what was going on at work, and helped to stave off the boredom of being stuck at home. Plus, even if he wasn't the best at showing it, you knew that HAL 9000 loved you. You were his favorite, and he was yours.

[callalillywrites]

Surprising His Omega

This story was originally written for the Horny Hoes Hootenanny event hosted by yenzys-lucky-charm and sweater-daddiesdumbdork, but I took down the original alongside all my other works due to personal reasons. I'm slowly bringing stories back here and on AO3 after either edits/expansions being made to each.

This story was exactly what I wanted it to be minus a few edits, so it's coming back first.

Steve Rogers Masterlist | Main Masterlist

Pairing: Alpha!Steve Rogers x Omega!Reader (female)

Word Count: ~2200

Summary: You've been grumpy due to life, and your alpha has something special planned to get your back to your bubbly self.

Warnings: A/B/O dynamics/verse; fluff; implied smut; not much else

Prompts used:

🍁 A: "Oh, come on, grump. It will be fun, I promise” B: "What do I get if it's not?" A: " What do you want?" 🍁 A/B/O 🍁 partner plans surprise event/night 🍁 autumn Getaway Extra Wheel Prompt: A Quickie

I do not give permission to have my works copied, translated, reposted, or fed into an AI machine.

*****

It’s been a long month.

Between the heatwave that descended on your city and the trials and tribulations heaped on you at work, you’ve hit your limit. Your usual sunshine demeanor has taken one too many hits until all you want to do is grump and grumble. Maybe hide away until life decided to be kinder to you.

But that wasn’t possible.

Your alpha would never allow you to wallow. That wasn’t his style.

Sure, he’d let you rant and vent to your heart’s content when you needed it, but he never let you stay low for too long. He needed and loved your sunshine too much to see it dimmed or diminished due to life.

No, your Steve always came up with a plan to bring your bright smile back on your face. He liked that bounce in your step and the cute wiggles you did whenever you were truly happy.

So, it shouldn’t have been much of a surprise when he leaned in the doorway of your shared apartment’s living room. His arms crossed over his broad chest while he regarded you for a moment before saying, “Get up, sweetheart. We’re going out.”

You glanced at the smile on his face and burrowed further into the blanket covering you.

“No thanks.”

“Oh, come on, my little grump.” He pushed off the wall and dropped next to you. His hands made quick work of removing the blanket from you and tossing it across the room. He ignored your glare as he pulled you into his lap and pressed a kiss to your temple.

You couldn’t help grumbling, “I’m not a grump.”

That earned you an eye roll and a huffed laugh.

“I could smell your grumpiness from the hallway, sweetheart. So, get up. I have a little surprise for you. I think you’ll really like it. At the very least, it’ll be fun. I promise.”

You did like his surprises.

Yet, you resisted, which really wasn’t like you. That told you more than anything that you needed whatever your adoring alpha had planned for you.

It didn’t stop you from asking, “What do I get if it’s not?”

“Hmm,” Steve pressed another kiss to your nose this time as he considered you. A chuckle slipped out when you wrinkled your nose because of his beard.

You had to fight not to squirm when he rubbed his beard down your cheek to your jaw, little kisses and nips tickling your skin. It grew worse when his lips and beard found your bond mark. On his way, he made sure you saw the playful twinkle in his gaze.

His teeth nibbled along his old marks. Shivers danced along every nerve and had you unable to sit still in his lap. No doubt by design with the way he kept doing it.

When you made to get away, he tightened his hold on you but finally relented.

You gave him your best reproachful look as you crankily mumbled, “You never answered my question.”

“I don’t need to because I know you’re going to love it.”

Your look turned withering at his teasing assuredness.

As much as you wanted to be mad at him for messing with your perfectly acceptable plans to sulk, you couldn’t. He was a good alpha who always did his best to make sure you never lacked for anything, especially his love and attention.

After another moment passed in quiet, Steve relented again. “Okay, okay, beautiful. What would you want?”

Well, you hadn’t expected him to actually answer your question with one of his own. That wasn’t his style, so you had to make sure your answer would be a good one. It needed to be something you actually wanted while also having the power to surprise your alpha. If you didn’t keep him on his toes, then what was the point?

While you continued to ponder how to answer, Steve kept himself distracted by moving one arm so he could trace patterns where your hoodie’s sleeve had hiked up. His lips resumed their earlier teasing with little nibbles and nuzzles against your neck until you couldn’t take it another moment.

Gripping handfuls of his hair, you tugged his head backward until he could no longer reach you with those sinful lips of his.

“If I don’t like whatever you have planned,” you tightened your hold in his hair to make sure you had his full attention while also pulling a groan from him, “then you owe me one of the best quickies wherever you’re taking me. Don’t care where you do it or how, but I want you to rock my world in the shortest amount of time possible.”

His eyes darkened with promise at your words, but you refused to give into that look.

You arched a brow at him. “Do we have a deal, Alpha?”

The way you emphasized his designation worked the way you hoped it would. Another groan escaped him, louder this time while his lustful eyes closed.

“That’s a dirty trick, and you know it,” he growled, his voice low and almost menacing in ways that had you shifting your position on his leg. His hands moved to your hips and held you still. It wasn’t like you couldn’t feel the evidence of your effect on him against your thigh.

If you felt a bit more daring, you might’ve teased Steve some more.

When he did open his eyes again, his lustful gaze met yours.

“Yes, ‘mega. We have a deal.”

He held you another moment before finally setting you on your feet and smacking you on the ass.

“Now, love, go and get dressed in something warm. You’re going to need it for the drive. I’ll handle everything else.”

You moved toward the bedroom but turned back. “Wait, how far are we going?”

“Uh-uh.” Steve shook a finger at her. “Not going to ruin my surprise, sweetheart. Now, go. It’d be nice to get there before it gets too late.”

The sun had gone down not long ago, but it went down earlier during these late Autumn days.

Within thirty minutes, you had changed into the warmest clothing you had within your summer wardrobe. It hadn’t been much which reminded you to dig out your winter clothes as soon as you could. The nights dictated warmer pajamas though the days still held a touch of warmth when the sun shone down on a cloudless, windless day.

Trading your cami and shorts for a longer sleeved shirt and some form-fitting jeans, you picked up the hoodie you temporarily removed and wiggled back into it.

Emerging from the bathroom, you spotted your overnight luggage sitting on the bed. Your brows rose as you took in the items Steve had chosen for you while including brand-new toiletries that he must’ve picked up on his way home.

You couldn’t help wondering how long he’d been planning this surprise.

The amount of clothing wasn’t much, which spoke of a shorter surprise, yet that didn’t mean much where your alpha was concerned. He’d once treated you to a week-long trip where he’d not only bought you new clothes for the week but almost everything else your heart desired. Steve loved to spoil you with the money he made, and you’re happy to return the favor in your own special way.

“Bout ready, sweetheart?”

You nodded. “Just need to grab my boots from the closet.”

“Already packed in the car. Came back to grab you and your bag.”

True to his word, he strode into the room, zipped up the zipper, and lifted the bag off the bed. While he had only one arm available, that didn’t stop him from swooping low and lifting you over his shoulder. As the world tilted, you could still make out the chuckle that left him at your shriek, wholly unprepared for his stunt.

To pay him back, you reached down and smacked his ass. Once for the one he’d given you earlier and another for not warning you before turning you upside down.

“Save it for our destination, love,” he murmured, another promise clear in his voice.

At the car, he carefully set you back on your feet before opening your door and helping you in. With you secured in the passenger seat, he closed your door, opened up the back door, and tossed your bag onto the seat in quick, efficient movements.

He surprised you when he got into the driver’s seat and reached behind your seat. In moments, he pulled out your favorite blanket and draped it across you, tucking you in. Though, he made sure to leave a space for his hand to creep under the cover and rest against your thigh after he started the engine.

The trip took you both out of the city and into the Catskills.

Soon enough, he pulled off the main road onto a private one until you came upon a modernly rustic cabin. Steps from the unpaved drive led to a wraparound porch and the large front door. The outside gave you a hint of the luxuries and open floor plan awaiting you inside. Small illuminated lanterns sat in the windows, giving the place an ethereal glow.

As Steve killed the engine, he turned toward you, asking, “So, sweetheart, do you like it? It’s ours for the weekend.”

“No, I don’t like it,” you shook your head but met his gaze while a smile emerged across your features, “I love it. And I love you.”

You leaned over the console and grabbed his cheeks in your hands. Tugging him close, you pressed kiss after kiss against his lips until you were both breathless.

Steve finally urged you out of the car and into the house, handing you the key to the front door. He would follow you after gathering your things from the car.

The earlier hints did little justice to what you found inside, wandering about the place. Your eyes couldn’t take it all in. You couldn’t help noticing how your surroundings were erasing the grumpiness that had weighed you down these past weeks.

When warm hands gripped your hips, you didn’t even startle. No, you melted into the solid chest at your back and let your alpha hold you for several precious moments.

“Happy?” he murmured in your ear.

You hummed your answer.

“That’s good, love,” he suddenly lifted you into his arms and carried you towards one of the doors down the hallway, “but I’m certain I can make you much happier in, say, five minutes. Is that too long for a good quickie?”

“But, I didn’t win our deal,” you spluttered though your thighs had already begun to rub together.

Steve merely grinned down at you. “Seems to me you did. I promised you’d like it. Love is not like, so I’ve got some making up to do. After your quickie is done, I’m going to make sure you’re properly fed, then I’m going to take my time tonight until you no longer remember your own name. How does that sound?”

“You can do whatever you want, Alpha. I’m at your command.”

Bonus scene:

Long after Steve had you forgetting your name, he had you spread across him. His hands ran up and down your back in soothing caresses while he pressed kisses to your hair every so often. Your heartbeat slowed to match his.

"What happened at work to have you at your grumpiest today, sweetheart?"

Heat suffused your cheeks as the memory came back. You did your best to hide your face in his neck. Maybe if you could distract him with a few strategic nuzzles and nips, then you could try to forget.

But he wouldn't be distracted.

Lifting your face up by your chin, he kept his sharp, knowing gaze on you until you broke, whispering, "I had to write a company-wide memo. In the span of three paragraphs, I couldn't type hope to apparently save my life."

That got you an eyebrow lift.

Knowing your alpha, he wouldn't let you get away without explaining further, so your cheeks heated more as you grumbled, "I kept typing hoe instead of hope. Happy now?"

Steve didn't say anything at first.

His brows rose though.

Then, his shoulders shook, and your head dropped back to hide your face in his neck. A groan slipped past your lips.

"Oh, sweetheart." His laughter escaped him then.

You grabbed a pillow and hit him with it, grousing, "It's not funny. Do you know what would've happened if my boss hadn't proofread it before it went out? I'm still embarrassed it happened at all."

Steve's hands came up in a surrendering gesture even as his laughter continued to escape in chuckles now and again.

"My poor 'mega, has your alpha not been taking good enough care of you?" His voice dropped to a husky timber that never failed to send a shiver of promise down your spine.

You glared at him though a smile did peek through. "My alpha takes very good care of me, but I wouldn't mind being reminded again how good that care is."

His scent thickened with his desire as he shifted until you were under him. His beard tickled your ear. "Your wish is my command, sweetheart."

[captainsophiestark]

Dance Like Nobody's Watching

Dick Grayson x Reader

Masterlist - Join My Taglist!

Written for Fictober 2024!

Fandom: DC

Day Twenty-Seven Prompt: "Let me remind you."

Summary: Dick's SO is having trouble adjusting to the new scrutiny of attending Wayne galas as his date, but thankfully, he has an idea to help with that.

Word Count: 1,449

Category: Fluff

Putting work into an AI program without permission is illegal. You do not have my permission. Do not do it.

I sipped my champagne, trying to get a handle on my nerves. I could handle fighting the Joker and Scarecrow with no problems, but attending a Wayne gala as the partner of Dick Grayson was throwing me for a loop.

I fought the urge to scowl about it. If one thing could make this night more awkward, it would be some person I barely knew finding me making faces in the corner.

What irritated me the most was that this was by no means my first Wayne gala. I'd grown up with Dick and spent countless hours in the manor with him and his family. We'd been each other's primary entertainment at these things as kids. But being here as his date, and as an adult expected to do more than turn the banquet tables into a fort, was turning out to be surprisingly stressful.

When we were kids, nobody seemed to care what we did much beyond just noticing and thinking we were cute. Now, it seemed like everybody in this room wanted something from Dick, and either saw me as a threat to their ability to get it or as a secret backdoor to him, if only they could get me on their side.

I was seriously on the edge of losing it and going back to the buffet tables kid-style.

Dick had done his best to stick with me, but people kept showing up to pull both of us away from each other for a conversation, and we hadn't been able to do much without being incredibly, obviously rude. I'd finally managed to extract myself enough for some breathing room, but I could see Dick still in the middle of things, a group of old men who almost certainly wanted money from Bruce talking his ear off.

Even from here, I could tell Dick was barely paying attention to them. His eyes scanned the crowd, and after a moment, they landed on me. He raised an eyebrow, and I gave him a reassuring smile. Unfortunately for me, he knew me too well and was too good of a detective to believe it.

Dick quickly made his excuses to the men around him, and didn't take no for an answer as he left the conversation and headed in my direction. He crossed the massive room quickly to stand before me, and this time when I smiled at him, it was much more genuine.

"Hey," he said, returning my smile and leaning in to kiss my temple as soon as he reached me. "How are you doing?"

"Good." I tried to strengthen my smile, but Dick saw right through it. He raised an eyebrow at me.

"...Are you sure?"

I sighed. "It's just... this all feels a little weird. I've known you forever, you know it's never been important to me that you're the famed son of billionare Bruce Wayne. But it seems like that's all anybody else here can think about, and they all either hate me because they want to be with you or want to be my new best friend, all so they can get to you and Bruce. It's fine, none of their opinions matter to me, but... I just didn't expect to feel so weird coming to one of these things again."

Dick took a step closer to me, reaching out to take my arm with a concerned look on his face. He spoke quietly enough that, even if someone had been intentionally eavesdropping (which had happened more than once tonight), they wouldn't be able to hear him.

"Do you want to go? I'm happy to leave if you want to. We don't have to stay here."

I shook my head before he'd even finished his sentence.

"Running and no-showing Bruce's galas isn't a long-term solution. And seriously, it's fine, I'll adjust. I just... I don't know. I miss the days where we hid under the punch bowl giggling out of sight of everybody, you know?"

My boyfriend grinned. "I mean, if you really think about it, there's nothing keeping us from doing that again."

"I can think of a few things," I laughed, swatting his shoulder lightly. He hummed, but sobered quickly as he scanned the room, clearly thinking.

"Well... if you're sure you don't want to commandeer the space under the desert table?"

"I'm sure."

"Then why don't we try dancing? That's a little more... socially acceptable than hiding under the tables, but it's one of the things we used to have the most fun doing at these things. Remember how we'd just take over the entire floor to do whatever we wanted when we were kids?"

I laughed. "Yeah, of course. Although it's a little harder to remember the feeling that inspired us to just run out there before."

Dick smiled softly and extended his hand to me.

"Let me remind you."

My heart did a little backflip, especially when I met Dick's sparkling blue eyes. I huffed a little laugh of disbelief, especially at the thought of stepping into the center of the spotlight when I knew just how many people were going to be watching. But then I looked at Dick again, and I decided that, as long as I was with him, they didn't matter.

I took his hand, and he didn't waste a second before pulling me after him to the dance floor. I laughed, unable to hold back a smile even as heads turned towards us. Dick ignored them completely. He pulled me to his chest when we reached the center of the floor and wrapped an arm securely around my waist, the other taking one of my hands. I rested my free hand on his shoulder, and as we started swaying together to the music, his eyes didn't leave mine for a second.

"You know..." he started after a moment, drawing my attention back from a glance over his shoulder to where people were watching us. "This is nice, but a slow dance wasn't exactly what I had in mind."

I gave Dick my full attention and raised an eyebrow.

"I'm almost afraid to ask, but... what did you have in mind?"

He grinned. "Something more like this."

Suddenly, Dick was spinning me out and away from him, twirling across the floor before pulling me back. We'd know each other long enough and spent enough time as vigilante teammates that his steps were easy to follow, even as he started something closer to swing that didn't match the music at all.

I laughed, a warm feeling spreading through my chest as I shared a smile with my partner. In the back of my mind, I knew more people were probably watching and judging than ever. But suddenly they didn't matter like they used to.

Dick swung me around again, then pulled me close and into an exaggerated dip. If I didn't know he was a superhero, I probably would've been a little worried about him dropping me. Instead, it just made me laugh, especially as Dick grinned and led me into something way too close to something you'd do to Cotton Eye Joe.

With every second that passed on the dance floor with Dick, everyone else in the room faded further and further away. It felt like when we were kids, just me and the most important person in the world to me having the time of our lives.

"Feel any better?" asked Dick, whispering in my ear as he pulled me close again, both hands wrapped tight around my waist. I smiled, running my hands up his arms and across his shoulders.

"So much better. Thank you."

"You don't need to thank me. We're partners, you know I'd never leave you hanging."

I pulled back enough to meet Dick's eyes, and found their familiar sparkle and a smile waiting for me. I gave him a soft smile back.

"I love you, Dick Grayson. So fucking much."

Dick beamed back at me. "I love you too. Now come on, the band's finally catching on to what we want. I want to dance with the love of my life to music that's actually fun for dancing."

I just laughed as Dick swung me out and away from him again, the two of us twirling across the floor, this time in sync with the now-faster music. Suddenly, after a few minutes with Dick, the propsect of all these Wayne galas didn't seem nearly so daunting anymore. Sure, I might have to deal with a few unpleasant strangers whose opinions didn't matter to me. But I'd also get to do this, laughing and dancing and having the time of our lives, with my favorite person in the world.

Worth it in the long run, as far as I was concerned.

****************

Everything Taglist: @rosecentury @kmc1989 @space-helen @misshale21

DC Taglist: @gaychaosgremlin @v1ckycheesue @lavender-dinos @g0atmansbridge182

[floridecuts]

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Part 7 Part 8 Part 9 Part 10 Part 11 Part 12 Part 13 Part 14 Part 15 Bonus

And here's the epilogue, guys! Hope you'll enjoy it! ^^ I actually had wanted to draw Yashiki with the kids for this part's chapter art but this week hasn't been great for me on the creative side, sadly. After a lot of struggling I threw the towel and ended up just drawing (a hopefully cute) Yashiki. Anyway, I want to give my thanks again to all readers and a special big Thank You to everyone leaving comments! I'm super grateful for your support and that you took the time and effort to write these!! <3

With this part, we've finally cracked the 100-pages-mark! I never thought this project would become this big when I started working on it a few months ago, but here we are! xD So this plays one day after the successful pacification of the Departed. Yashiki is still in the hospital to recover but already feeling a lot better! I guessed it would make sense to have him getting a cold because of the events the night before - he'd been dragged out of bed by the Departed, held in it's clutches for who knows how long only wearing thin hospital clothes in a chilly cold room (because spirits often cause the room temperature to drop). Not to forget that his health state hasn't been the best in general since he fell victim to the curse. I just liked to add that small detail. ^^

I was glad that I found a way to include Ai and Tsukasa here, so I got almost every Mark Bearer included in this story (sorry Banshee ^^'). I know it's probably a bit weird that Ai is wearing her idol costume here when doing a hospital visit. I thought about drawing her in some alternate everyday clothes but decided against it because I didn't want her to be the only one to wear a non-canon outfit. My explanation for her wearing that in this scene is that Ai just returned from that "idol-buisness trip" and, after hearing that Yashiki is in the hospital, went straight there after work.

I hope I did Moe's character justice here. I can just imagine her being a little cheeky and very enthusiastic about the OOPArts Monthly. About the rabbit figurine: I had the idea that Yashiki, being very talented in crafting, once carved that rabbit for Saya, maybe even when they were still kids. It could have been one of his first masterpieces! It had been a precious item for Saya, a symbol of her brother's love for her, so she held it dear and unconsciously it became infused with her spiritual energy. Even after her death her spirit kept watching over Yashiki. To help him when he fell victim to the Departed's curse, her spirit reached out to Yasuoka, guiding her to the Kujou Mansion to get that figurine. Yasuoka didn't exactly know what it would do, but she knew it would be important, so she put it inside that O-Mamori and gave it to Yashiki at her visit. I like to think that, after the Departed's case, Yashiki keeps holding onto it, always carrying it in his pocket, both as a memento to his sister and a lucky charm.

The idea with the OOPArts article about Yashiki was actually a spontaneous idea. I found the thought so amusing that I just had to include it! xD Hope it makes someone else smile too! Also, a blushing and embarassed Yashiki is so adorable! In the end Mashita appears and saves Yashiki from Moe's mischief. He came because Yashiki specifically asked him to. Since he woke up from that coma there's been something Yashiki needs to talk about with him. What it is about will be covered in the bonus part - the next and also last part of this comic (it's gonna be extra long!). I chose to make a seperate bonus part because it's Yashita shipping content (nothing drastic though!). But still, in case anyone does not want to be confronted with this shipping they can just skip that last part without missing any story relevant content. But from what I've seen in the few months I've been in this fandom, I got the impression this won't be much of an issue. xD

Lastly, I am happy to announce that the bonus part is actually a collaboration with a friend! I want to give a shout out for her amazing and beautifully written Yashita fanfictions! You can find her works on AO3, her username is MoonflowerSong. Go check them out if you like, they are so sweet! <3

Link: MoonflowerSong on AO3

I wish you all a nice week! Thanks for taking a look! :)

[weenwrites]

Decepticons/autobots of your choice reacting to gn reader that is 7'0 and is in the military and always cover their face up (like ghost from call of duty modern warfare) because of one mission that went wrong and they have scars on their face and body from the failed mission and they think the bots/cons of your choice will call them ugly but soon they got comfortable with them and showed them their face?

I just need some angst and fluff and the end and oh! Make gn reader cry when the bots/cons call them beautiful.

Dont forget to drink some water and eat something!

Have a good year :D

✎A/N: I am so sorry this took an eternity to get out.

[ Please do not repost, plagiarize, or use my writing for AI! Translating my work with proper credit is acceptable, but please ask first! ]

Megatron

When he initially met you, your height certainly helped to make you stand out from all the other humans he's seen (which isn't many), however it wasn't enough. It's like seeing a large, blue marble in a pile of smaller blue marbles. Strange, but not surprising or interesting for long, and eventually it becomes just something that happens to be that way. Once the initial intrigue wore off, he thought that would be that, yet he was wrong.

Your abilities and skills proved to be rather impressive, and he surmised that were you not human, but rather a cybertronian among his ranks your skill would surpass even the skill of some of the more elite vehicons among their ranks. Despite your circumstances, you managed to overcome the unthinkable, and as such you rightfully earned his respect.

Megatron doesn't see scars as anything ugly or shameful, he sees them as medals of valor—as signs that you survived something that tried to take your life, and he believes that's something to be proud of. His love for you goes deeper than superficial appearances, after all you have earned his respect and admiration with more than just your looks. So of course he wouldn't think any less of you, scars or no scars.

Arcee

She initially never thought much of how you always hid your face. If anything, she just assumed it was part of your uniform and since you were busy with work a majority of the time she figured that's the reason you kept it on so often. Granted, she's heard the kids talk about it and theorize why you wear it so much that it's gotten her the slightest bit interested (and amused at their theories).

Scars can be ugly things, she understands that well. And not just ugly in the sense that they can be disturbing to look at but rather in reference to the deeper, more complicated feelings surrounding them as well as how they got there in the first place. It'll forever mar your body, and depending on what caused it, that scar could haunt you both physically and mentally. She can understand your feelings surrounding your own scars, believe her, she has many of her own that she has complicated feelings around.

But though you're covered head to toe in scars, she'd truthfully tell you that they do not change the way she feels about you in the slightest. She doesn't find them repulsive or disgusting since she can sympathize with the pain surrounding your scars.

Bulkhead

Given the fact the two of you happen to share similar experiences, it wasn't difficult for a sense of camaraderie and friendship to grow rather fast (though it could've happened the same way regardless of whether he knew about your background or not). Whether you were fond of sharing accounts of your previous battles or not, Bulkhead was certainly one to tell a tale of his own experiences.

The way he recounted the tale with descriptive, and riveting words made it easy to forget the fact he was telling a tale about a bloody war he experienced first-hand. But as time grew on, these tales slowly transitioned from stories about the war to stories about his life before it happened. His experiences in construction, silly happenstances that he looks back upon fondly, and old friends that are likely long gone.

It's ironic, you'd think he'd be happier to speak about times before the war and yet it's only harder for him. It's clear in the way he seems to begin to trail off, and loose his train of thought as he reminisces over what he had, and how things used to be.

His view of his scars starkly contrasts your own. He views scars as something to boast—something to be proud of—something that shows that he leapt into something ugly and beat, shot, punched, and smashed his way out of it to walk away to tell the tale. The way he sees it, those scars are a sign that you survived to be here with him today, and he wouldn't have you any differently.

Perhaps as the two of you bond, his own way of thinking about his scars begins to rub off on you too, and you start to see these scars in a different light. With each compliment he gives you in passing from day to day, the sadness or shame once associated with them grows smaller in comparison to the swelling newfound sense of pride.

[umhwarmglitterstory]

Ladybird, Ladybird

||Jake Sully & Daughter reader || Miles Quaritch x f!reader ||

| Mature | Depictions of violence | Depictions of blood and gore | Near death experience | Mentions of a suicide |

Chapter 3

(<- Chapter 2) (Ladybird, Ladybird masterlist)

•••

Tommy hadn't written his will, because why would he? But he had signed stuff at work, stuff that made Jake, obviously, the grantee of most of his possessions.

Two boxes arrived at the apartment. Tommy's. Jake had left them in the living room, but pushed them deep, almost invisible, behind the couch.

He wouldn't mind.

But you still tip toed around it, inspecting the treasures while Jake was out, and Mrs. Veenani was at the kitchen.

A fancy button up that you didn't remember ever seeing, a team's sport shirt, a baseball cap, an old datapad. Several crystal plates, ‘Exo-Biologist’ engraved in cursive on one of them.

Behind the crystals, your eyes moved to the colorful picture under. First, a book with a peacock illustration, green 'eye’ feathers weaving through the book’s title “The world through her poetry”, second a textured dark blue one, with a yellow cat eye on a corner, “The Na'vi” what's all it said, G.A at the bottom.

And finally, another book. Brand new, the cover shiny and perfect, some strange dandelion seeds and a blurry forest scenery behind it. “Pandora’s brain: Introduction to the life and ecosystems of the moon” again G.A at the bottom. You picked it up, it was pretty and new and you could give it some use at school.

Late at night Jake came back, used to the scene of you and Mrs Veenani watching her series on the living room screen, even if way past your bedtime. Mrs Veenani gave Jake a sobering stare, and no greetings exchanged. She was mad at him ever since Tommy's funeral. You heard them arguing, you thought, after he came home from a long meeting with Tommy's coworkers, some men in black suits.

“You can't” you heard her say. “You can't, Jake, no”

After Mrs Veenani left, Jake sat close to you, her chair besides the couch, you high enough to see him face to face.

“What you got there, kid?” He asked, looking at the book on your lap. It had turned out to be rather useless. Too complicated and weird, and not a single thing you could use for your classes.

He picked it up, browsing the pages, a frown forming as he read further “Where, where did you get this?”

“Tommy” You said, looking at the boxes behind you. Jake stared at them too, for a long quiet minute.

“Got yourself a thing” He commented with a warm smile. You nodded “He always gave me books” You said, thinking of your favorite one, with a fluffy grey goose on a red background.

From start to end it had been like that: from a children's alphabet book -back when mom first introduced him-, to this year, the very last one, on your ninth birthday, a smart pager ai with earth's animals, all of them. You had been feeling guilty, these days, that you had liked Jake's gift so much more, half a day at the amusement park.

“They're yours” He said, patting your head. Then you noticed it, that thing with his mouth, pursing and biting his lip, faintly opening and closing his lips, as if lost at words.

You giggled “What?” You asked

“What?” He repeated

You pushed his head back by the chin, still giggling, “You have something to say”

Jake gave a smile, the sad one, the only one he had since he lost his ability to walk.

He stared at his hands on his lap “That I do, kid”

“What? What is it?” You asked

Jake kept looking at his lap, his face changing and raising his eyebrows, but he didn't look up at you

“There's this thing, uh… Something came up. I uh, I…”

He stopped there, quiet and looking down, and you were too scared to ask, you took your thumb up to chew, just for a second, dropping your hand back down right away, hoping Jake hadn't noticed, quickly using your other hand to clean the visible saliva in your finger.

Eventually he cleared his throat, and looked up at you. “I need to make this trip. This, uh, journey. Far away”

Oh no, please, please not.

“Where?!” You asked.

Jake smiled again, and this time it really irritated you. He pointed a finger at your book. What? The library? The forest? Tommy? You shook your head.

“There” He said, tapping his finger over the dandelion thing you now knew was called ‘atokirina’. You scowled and shook your head again. Jake grunted

“Pandora, you know? The planet?”

“With the aliens?!”

You eagerly asked, not even bothering to correct him. A moon, it was.

All your worry dissolved “That's so cool! When?”

“Uh… tomorrow” why did he not look excited?

“Can I go with you?!”

He full on grimaced, like that time you yelled ‘fucking cunt’ at the school reunion.

He barely shook his head, in silence, again. “I'm sorry” He said eventually, and then you heard it, a sniffle “You cant- you cant come with me”

“Oh, Okay. Its okay!” You quickly assured it sucked, sure, but it wasn't that bad.

Your eyes watered a little, nonetheless, by mirroring him. “So, how long will you be there?” You asked, wanting to move on with the conversation, leave behind the sniffles. It was going to be an adventure, no?

But he continued staring down at his lap

“Jake?” That moment it started, the bad feeling in your gut.

“It's-” his voice broke, he cleared his throat twice. “It's four years light from here” he said. No way

“Four years?” You asked, scandalized, what was he even saying.

“Four years?! You can't! You can't leave me for four years!... Jake?!”

********

You were woken up by some turbulence, you guessed, seeing all the other soldiers start stretching around you. No actualization came through the coms, so you picked up your updated tags. They felt totally wrong, had you somehow picked the wrong ones? You raised them to your face. Oh, right, ‘Smith’, and now with‘ ‘Ladybird’ ’ added under it. You passed your thumb over it. Better to just get used to the shit show.

To the drain had gone your hopes for a sterile callsign, or your agenda for ‘Glasgow’. Becca's old gift had become the door for a hurtful word that reminded you of him. It had been painful and embarrassing, and you had hated it with your whole heart, as ‘most callsigns tend to be’ in your lieutenant's words. Maybe most soldiers felt that way, but you couldn't help and feel particularly fucked.

Maybe it would be for the best, to carry forever a reminder. For the little girl forced to say goodbye, maybe? Maybe it'd keep you on your toes, maybe it'd become the last straw, one day…

Ladybird, ladybird, and him telling you army stories and how he survived.

You dropped your tags, and settled rather awkwardly into staring upfront, to a random spot inside the heli walls. Your usual thing on the ‘ways towards’ a drop, was to either talk to Becca, or look into someone's eyes, again, usually Becca's.

But you weren't on speaking terms now, leave it alone intimate and vulnerable eye-contact.

Of course she had noticed your late crisis, who wouldn't? But you had asked her not to dig, for personal and literal higher ups orders, you couldn't explain it to her.

Still, she had guessed enough.

She had started giving you that worried look. “You've been oddly mute. Seriously, it’s fucking creepy.” And more quips along those lines, over and over. More invasive each time. So you had snapped at her.

Even without RDA orders, you were terrified of telling her, too humiliated. “Hey, remember my dad? The one I talked about every day? The one I've done everything for? The one that holds my entire life in his hands, and that I swore time and time again was so much better than my own mother? Well, guess what he did.”

Guess what I am not enough for, or worthy of.

Yet, she still kept trying. “I can take you to this, uh, doctor. They helped me back then, when my old man died. Before you know it, they-” “Because you turned out fucking great! Didn't you, Becky!?”

What a ducking low blow, unfair and untrue. You did admire her and- Whatever. She can whine all she wants. You wouldn't look at her, and you knew she wouldn't look at you either. Your fights were rare, but boy did they last.

Still, looking into your companions eyes on the rides to the operations had become a grounding tactic for you, the grounding tactic. Since the very first time, scared shitless, looking into Becca's eyes until you both snorted, then into an unfamiliar soldier, your polite glances changing from “relax, we are together in this” to “Just don't fuck it” thorough the years.

That one time, into Bianca's eyes on the way back, her last time. It had been good, a resounding success.

Carnage.

And she just looked so… defeated. Carnage-

Rebecca started moving by your side, but you wouldn't be staring at her anytime soon. The only option were Thomas, a complete uptight bitch, or Tabitha, almost straight in front of you. If only she stopped fiddling, for five seconds!

It was almost picturesque watching her, usually so open and cool, looking around, at her watch, at her boots, at her watch again, anything but your eyes. It was turning unsettling, actually. But maybe you deserved it, you had snapped at her too.

First, two days ago “Your father, Jake, right?” The nonchalant bitch had said, as if you were the one to be yelling about your personal life. You clenched your jaw until it hurt, until it felt like you wouldn't be able to open it again. That was stuff you only had shared with Becca, maybe Bianca, back in your newbie days.

You couldn't care less, you thought, and yet… After that interaction, you ran to the bathroom to have one of the worst panic attacks of your life. It was strange, his name spoken out loud.

It's real, it's very real. He was here, and then he left you. It happened. It happened-

And then again, last night, Tabi had doubled down with a casual“ ‘Smith’? Hm, what?” She laughed, kinda forced. You ignored her, your eyes unmoving from the flask you were eating from, already in a mood from your fight with Becca. “You didn't like ‘Sully’?” She asked again, and it wasn't worry, yet there was genuine interest in her voice, “So… do you wanna talk about this Ja-” You slammed the flask on the table, felt it deform a little “One would think you'd know to shut up about fucking dead names” You snapped, staring her down for a second before standing up to leave.

Once again, what an absolute low blow.

You should always be apologizing to your snipers, hopefully before landing on active field.

You lift your head, a quick movement to catch her attention. She awkwardly greeted you back, but right away directed her gaze outside the window. Fair enough. Maybe she should just fucking blow your head. And just…-

So, you had to resign yourself to your second grounding tactic, carving with your thumbnail into your rifle, always with the prospect that, throughout the years, shapes would appear embossed. That was the point, to not apply too much force, so it would take very, very long. They were small, and rough, that way you could pass them for use-issued scratches if ever questioned. Around the nuzzle, close to the trigger or by the grip.

You started to go over the new heart shape you were adding by the trigger, barely starting to be noticeable, when you had to hit the brakes again, because you zeroed in the oldest mark, the deepest one, the most important and personal one, the ‘S’ letter on the top side of the nuzzle.

Well, what were you going to stare at now, when ordered to shoot at civilians?

******

As warned, it was a specially active zone, rigged with enemy drones, despite months of your branch cleaning them. Yet not the worst you've ever been to.

Tabitha had separated way too early, suspiciously early.

To avoid detection, you had to switch off all devices, but send a ‘blink’ at least every 20 minutes, with position and status. Tabitha had been dark for almost two hours.

Either death or insubordination, it would be a pain. Holly, your leader, had decided to give it a last try to reach her, and you had offered yourself. Because you kinda had promised Bianca, because you didn't want to stand alone with Becca, and because you were feeling particularly bold and brave as of lately.

You had been given an hour. You knew that if not found, one way or another, Tabitha was dead, and that kind of kept you going. You had sent four ‘blinks’ by the time you finally spotted her inside an old and collapsed watch block station, a feat rather impossible, if not for you using the 4t laser goggles Holly had entrusted you with. Almost two billion dollars in your hands.

It was too much of a deserted zone to be worth the drones or few hostiles you had spotted as well, so why the fuck was this girl here?

At least it was easy to avoid detection using the goggles, when it is just one person and not a squad. It took you twelve minutes to sneak across the field, enough walls and old machinery to hide you.

You kinda suspected what you were going to encounter. And it was… strange. But not even remotely close to what they had warned you since training days.

“You'll have full permission to execute your fellow former brothers and sisters, allies no more.” Yeah, it didn't feel like that.

You entered what most likely used to be a kitchen, bare and basic even in its best days. Tabitha had been confident enough, to lay her heavy snipper by the wall, crouching on the floor, back to the entrance.

“Tabi” You called, rifle ready. She barely jumped, but that was a lot for a sharpshooter. She turned around, still curated and smooth, not dropping the thing she had been holding. She gave her sniper one quick look that made you reposition your hold in your rifle, raising it from her chest to her head.

You didn't say anything for a minute, her face changed a little when she calmed enough to stare into yours. Recognition that almost looked like relief, and that made you hold your rifle tighter.

Very slowly Tabi started to get up and to fully face you, the ‘box’ still secured in her hands. Your rifle followed her head until she stood straight, and then you took a second to look at the box. On one side, you did recognize it as a rebel box, a knot of yellow wires designed to explode if tampered, yet securely opened. Inside, military issued drives, like the ones your superiors had been doing some revolt for a while, barging and registering down to every crevice of the corps.

You dared close your eyes for a second “Are you for fucking real?” You asked, with a soft voice.

Tabi didn't flinch or answer, just kept staring at you with this cheap solemnity you've seen quite a lot on the other side of your gun.

“They'll hang you” You continued. Not really, but she'll get a bullet on her head.

“Yes” is all she said. Now that did finally irritated you

“Then why the fuck, Tabitha?!”

She faintly shrugged “It's the right thing to do”

Now you had to roll your eyes. You held a bit uncomfortable your gun with a hand, so to scrub down your face with the other.

Tabi saw your mannerisms with a frown, close to amused “Oh, it isn't? Then what is it?”

“You follow the damn orders, and you get fucking paid!”

“Really?” She asked with a strange calmness. “Is that why you do it, Sully?”

You felt like someone had ripped off your clothes. You just couldn't help but look down for a second at the carved “s” on the rifle. Purposely there, for you to see it when holding aim”

“Smith, Tabitha” You corrected. Finally she broke her bravado facade. She exhaled your name, calling you.

“You are not, this” She gestured with a hand at your shape.

You scoffed furious “Oh my! The traitor is about to tell me what I am, everyone quiet!”

Tabi grimaced for a second, but continued. “You haven't shot me yet, or call boss.”

True. And every second you added to this stalling, you became bigger of a coward.

“But even more,” She continued, “I remember what you said back then, at board school”

Bianca and Milton, always together, always sad, the boy always after the girl. What had you told them? You were fourteen, it was lunch time, you had fought your mom via video call, and there were soldiers recruiting the oldest kids.

It was annoying. You held back your rifle with both hands, the finger right by the trigger. “I don't fucking remember, Kitty”

Tabi gave you a long look, turning sad, remaining scared, and yet she continued.

“You hated science, so the safest way was to play soldier. To…” And she looked particularly reluctant then, suspecting you were, indeed, about to shoot her;”…To meet your father again”

“Yeah, he is kinda of a scientist too? But I'd rather die than do more electron diagrams. So, yeah. I'll become a marine, just like him”

You closed your eyes for a second, opened them, and stared at the carved “S”, the promise, the goal, the one and only thing that had kept you pushing, that had stopped you from disobeying any order, no matter how stupid or terrible, because you couldn't afford a bad score.

You couldn't afford missing your chance to meet him halfway.

So what was the point now? What were you doing? Why were you doing it?

For what?

For whom?

You started lowering your gun.

Slowly, letting go of much, much more than just the girl ahead.

“Listen, fucking listen Tabitha, I don't know what you were thinking, but as far as they know, you just went dark. You can say-”

“No. I'm not doing this anymore, I'll die before continuing to be a fucking state murde-”

“You and your fucking “I’ll die”s! Think, Tabi! You are not getting out of here, not alive, not carrying that”

“I'll try” She said, with a scary resignation. “And I know you get it, I know you do. I- I'm not trying to play you, I mean it. We've both lost someone, no? Right in the middle, looking for them.”

Again you stared at each other for a minute. You got a vibration on your chest, a reminder to send an update back to your squad.

“Are you doing this for Bianca?-”

“Were you doing this for Jake?” She rebutted immediately.

You winced and short of snarled, you raised your gun again, but at least not aiming it at her.

“Don't!- Fucker! Just fucking answer me!” You yelled.

Tabi shook her head, with a sad smile

“What do you think? Of fucking course this is for Bianca. But… I'm doing this for me, too… What about you?”

What about you? What were you doing? Why were you doing it?

For what?

For whom?

You fully dropped your rifle, now hanging from the belt on your shoulder. You looked up at the broken ceiling, at the dull light coming from the cracks. At the star, exactly where you knew it shone invisibly. Because you always knew where it was, day or night, peace of war. And you always would.

You couldn't believe Bianca, you couldn't believe Tabi, you couldn't believe yourself. But then again, for whom have you been doing this and for whom are you going to do it from now on?

You shook your head, exhaled, and filled yourself with resignation. It was too bitter and heavy. Whatever.

You raised your hand to signal Tabi not to freak, and pushed on the switch in your watch, to turn on your devices and position.

“Ladybird here” You said to your mic. “6k f drop. Still no Kitty. One more lap before dock” You announced, and turned off the switch again.

“I'm not a fucking martyr or mockingjay…” You acused, hitting her chest with your finger, hard enough to make her take a step back. “...Nor am I a rat” You finished. Tabi fully dropped her shoulders with relief at your words.

“Let's go” you said, already turning around

“What?”

“You need to get out of the perimeter, no?”

“Yes?”

You stopped and raised the 4t goggles “I can easily take you there.” Her face glowed, at the goggles or at your words, and her eyes got a little misty.

“Thank y-”

“And then” You curtly interrupted “I'll never see you again. I'll say I reached the border and never found you, understood?” You did not expect to see her big smile. “Yes ma'am”

********

You stopped when you felt the small vibration in your chest, already another twenty minutes, but luckily already reaching the figurative border. Barren hills started to rise up front, full of craters and caves. It was probably ridged with mines. You put your goggles down, and turned to see a sweaty Tabi stopping by your side.

“You'll be okay?”

“Yeah, someone is going to pick me”

You just nodded “Very well” you said, already turning to go back where you came from

“Wait! I… I don't know how to thank you”

“Just disappear” You called, without turning back “Please”

You heard her chuckle, and then her boots hitting the ground in the opposite direction. You'd have to run for around five minutes before calling and giving your position, or it would be uncalled for to be this close to the border. You hadn’t run for more than twenty seconds, when you were tackled down to the ground.

It felt different, like one of those punchings in sparring that you wouldn't feel until the next day, and would get you limping for a week. Electrifying, it struck, dug deeper, and grew. You tried to stand up, but you couldn't, barely managing to crawl behind the skeleton of a very old car, naked rust metal filled with holes, you sat heavily against it.

Your waist, you hoped, your stomach even. But how could you not know? You checked with your hand, your fingers lodging in a hole in the thick vest, right under your right breast. Another zip, now on your nape, traveling down your back. The sweat on your neck felt freezing, but your chest burning. Where had you felt this before? Oh yeah, when you entered your old dorm, your face meeting eye level with Bianca's knees, barely swinging. Behind you someone broke in a wailed scream, you kept staring at the faint swing of her body.

She must have remained conscious for at least a minute, no? Was this your minute?

All your right torso was red, and you saw, vividly, the red spot growing through the opaque fabric. Too fast.

You remember. You remember, they taught you on maniquies and with laser projectors over your own bodies. Where to heal, but most important, where to aim, where to hit, where to stab and twist the knife.

Whatever. It doesn't matter if I die. It doesn't matter if I die. It doesn't matter if i die it doesn't matter if i die it doesn't matter if i die-

“N- no-”

You were grabbing at the gravel on the floor. When did you slide down?

Metallic and dusty.

He was showing you his ‘bar trick’, balancing on the back wheels. That time his beard and hair were a bit too long. “It's harder than it looks” He defended. You believed him. You had tried his chair a couple times. You believed him, you believed him.

You were laying on your side, almost on your stomach. Perhaps there wasn't an exit hole. You had to turn, lay on your back, but you just couldn't. Breathing started to hurt, too much. You just couldn't

“Ah…argh!…No!”

You were fifteen, still wearing the board school skirt. Mrs Veenani grabbed you by your arms, painfully. “Do not ever joke about that!” But you weren't joking. Why had she to ruin it? It was supposed to be your day. She shook you, her grasp tightening. “The army, those soldiers. It's death and death alone!” She said “They kill! They hurt, and steal and rape. My- my girl! Didn't you see? Didn't you learn? You saw what they did to Jake, how they- abandoned him.” Oh, mom. You looked down at her white loafers, the ones she wore most- “Promise me! Promise me you wont do something so, so stupid, so stupid! Promise me you wont!”

You were looking at the sky, thick orange clouds covering the sun. Suddenly you saw Tabitha’s face. Something pressing down on your side

“Ah! Fuck!” You screeched. it was like you woke up for a second

“Kitty, b team on. A S down! Shot in - on the torax-...- down…-blood. Won't stop… Appleline, she's down, Ladybird!”

Ah, your apple. Please, let me see Becca one last time

“So…rry”

Tabitha pressed harder. You yelled again.

“Yes! Three, uh, two clicks west. Is it on?... Okay-”

Your mother, the last time you saw her. She looked fancier, elegant, a pastel pink charol carry-on luggage “Oh my! You've gotten tall?!” She looked up and down your school uniform. Critic. Or worse, unimpressed.

The first time ever you saw Tommy, mother pulling you by the arm inside the apartment. He was wearing a long beige trench coat, hair slicked to the side. A bright red gift bag on his hand, extended to you. Big, gigantic, immense. “Finally, what a true pleasure to meet you, lady” his words made you laugh, because what? You liked him immediately.

“You are the bestest best!” You yelled. Feeling at the top of the world, and literally higher than most people around. “Best, just best” Jake corrected from under. You laughed. Yeah, yeah, no bigger than ‘est’ teacher had say. No better than best. “You… you have the, uh, biggestest heart!” you repeated, louder, arms extended, struggling to keep your balance. He caught your shins tighter, he also caught onto your words, on your message. Finally. “Biggestest, huh? Alright, it fits” He said amused. You clapped both your hands over his forehead, having to duck as you passed a low branch, full of purple and fuchsia flowers. Some stuck in your hair, some fell on Jake's shoulders. “You are- with, big, biger- biggestes heart!” You yelled, even louder. He laughed louder too.

A sharp smack to your check “Don't fall asleep!” Tabitha ordered. Underwater, far away.

Your scalp hurt, your froggy hair clips gone, but you knew her ginger head had to be worse. Whatever, you'd throw mud at her face again and again. She had called you ugly, and said your parents were weirdos. How dared her? And Jake, he- he should be proud, no?... And yet, as you walked with your hands tightly gripping your backpack straps, he stood there besides your teacher, his arms crossed, frowning. Looking you down. He wasn't pretending, he was genuinely angry at you. Disappointed. And you thought, you liked him more than Tommy. And you thought, you secretly liked him better than mother herself. And you prayed: please, please don't throw me away. I'll do good, I'll be good, please don't throw me away.

It wasn't Tabitha putting pressure on your wound, it was Jake. But he didn't look scared, nor were his eyes misty. He just looked down at you, his lips pressed on a tight line. It hurt, it just hurt, but he pressed harder and harder. You tried to scream, scratch at his arms, but he just pressed harder and harder, until your chest caved.

“Agh-Ah!... Why?! Dad!…. Ah!” You yelled. Without air, without lungs, with your heart discarded somewhere.

Tears fell down on his lap, his eyes, his face, disfigured with pain. “It's-” his voice broke, he cleared his throat twice. “It's four years light from here” he said.

No, not there, please!

His face plain, emotionless. Not even cruel, just…there.

No. Please, please God, please, no

He looked down at you. Tired. Bored. Disappointed. Disgusted.

You choked on a sob, the pain excruciating, losing the breath you already didn't have

“Plea-se… please!... Ju-...ju…” Just take me with you! I'll be small, I'll make myself so little! Just take me with you!

“Ja…Dad…”

Your body wasn't yours, hollow and spent.

He stood up, blood up to his elbows, to his shoulders, did he even notice? Because his gaze was set on the bright horizon.

He wouldn't even look down at you? Just this one time? This one last time?!

He smiled. Blue, taller, perfect, whole.

Happy.

He walked over your body, stepping on your corpse, crushing the remains, the joy and excitement almost glowing out of his form. And he didn't look down at you.

You screamed, yelled his name, cried and growled, tearing apart the remains of your body. You turned around on the black soil, on the void, and started crawling after him.

*******

He is gone

It was dark for a while. Then blinding white, painfully luminous. Your body made of lead, dead, yet tender and thirsty. An unstoppable beep in your ears, and whirring everywhere.

You'll never see him again

Uninterested people, smelling of alcohol, sterile. Over and over, day after day. Sometimes, something hurt beyond words, but you couldn't scream. It was peaceful, and you wanted to keep sleeping.

He will never think of you again

Eventually Becca joined you. She finally got some license, you supposed.

You'll disappear

You still hadn't apologized. Not a single word uttered. But from the very first day she visited you and following, she was there. Talking your ear off while you stared at the landscape displayed on the window. Brushing your hair as you sat up. Ready with your salmon towel after you were directed to bathing. Where had she found it?

“Tabitha got dishonorably discharged. So, yippee… Your word could have, you know, helped her… Or dig her deeper, that too.”

Oh yeah, some officers had been to your room. A lot of questions, and the nurses’ backs on you, arguing…

“Carl got a rise. Yes, another! It's like, consecutive, I know. We were a little scared at first, that it was a mistake. But! Now my baby is basically a head consultant!”

Carl? Oh yeah, the boyfriend.

The cleaning of the wound hurt like a bitch. You felt it. But you just couldn't complain. Not even a hiss. As long as you could keep sleeping.

Officers came again. And again another day. Eventually they didn't bother talking to you, just Becca and the nurses. You could sleep better, you thought.

You opened your eyes one afternoon, something about lowering the sedatives. Your back was to Becca, you heard her sniffling. It went on for an eternity.

********

“Could… may I bring Carl here, to.. say hi?” You didn't answer. “Okay… he's always, always, asking about you. Ha, well, he'd love to bore you to death about his job!”

Your period came a third time. Again, you stared at the growing red spot on the disposable fabric, until Becca or a nurse noticed, giving you a pad, sending you to the bathroom. It felt like only there you remembered.

Right there, on the ground, watching the red stain consuming your kevlar, turning the dirt to cinnamon mud. His arms covered in your blood. The lack of love in his eyes. You yelled, you cried, nurses came. You slept again.

Again, you were back on the ground, and him looking down at you. Turning away, his face instantly becoming joyful, staring at the bright horizon, the one you couldn't even see. But this time he did look down at you. Cold, freezing. Heartless. Without words, but as if to say “I am choosing this. I want to do this” As he walked away, leaving you laying down.

You woke up with a jolt, tears already on your face. Becca wasn't around, and maybe that was for the best. You cried as loud as you could without alerting the nurses, screaming against the white sheets and the pillow. Twisting them as hard as you could, tearing them.

Yeah… yeah… you could crawl after him. You really, really, could.

But things started to change. Your nightmares started to take different paths. You didn't feel like crawling. You didn't feel like holding onto his feet and begging. You didn't feel like crying.

And when you weren't busy twisting in agony, you started to pay attention to his face, to his genuine happiness, to the bliss, to the glow in his eyes as he walked towards the bright horizon, his wide smile. So full of devotion, and hope. A dream leader, a ferocious revolutionary, a loving father.

And you watched, over and over, everything you closed your eyes.

Sometimes the old teenager, sometimes in his wheelchair, sometimes blue. But alway, always, leaving you and your mangled, dirty, and worthless body behind.

Something beautiful and perfect started to fill every crack in yourself. Every single missing piece of your soul, was replaced with pure, vibrating anger.

A brand new peace took over you. You finally, finally found a solution. You finally knew what to do.

You were there again, in some limbo. Not a dream, but not real either. It was just you alone, in the infinite, quiet darkness.

That's the thing with nightmares, you rationalized, that first and foremost, they are supposed to be yours.

And so you yelled. You promised.

“I'll kill you! I'll fucking kill you! I'll kill you! And I'll kill your wife, and your kids! You will fucking beg me Jake, you will fucking beg me!”

********

In the next morning Becca came back.

Your voice too weird, new, unknown.

“I… I'm sorry… for what I said.” You rasped. Her eyes filled with tears right away. She dropped the bags to cover her face with her hands, standing there by the door, nodding. You extended your arm, and she almost tackled you to the bed.

You yelped, for the very first time in almost six months. Your side was healed, it was just your body, that felt finally yours again.

You two talked for a while, and got a brief visit from a nurse. You decided then it was better to just get over with it. You knew you'd break her heart.

You stared at her, at the only thing in the entire world that could stop you.

You just kept in mind to be better than him, so you forced yourself to look her in the eye. “I am going to check in… I need to go to Pandora”

And she hated it, she had told you so since forever, the colonization, the invasion, the objectively insurmountable distance.

But she knew too, that it was the only thing tethering you up. That it was this, or back to the bed, mute and sleeping.

Her face fell, sad and angry, furious even. But she didn't fight, nor even tried to question you. She just fell, resigned.

No one said anything. She looked away and you followed, staring at nothing in silence, thinking, for several minutes. Eventually, without looking at you, she grabbed your hand, and squished. Because you both knew, very well, that it was either this, or you'd die.

(Chapter 4 ->)

🪻🪻🪻🪻🪻🪻🪻🐞🪻🪻🪻🪻🪻🪻🪻

[colouredbyd]

AI in any field !!!

i haven’t talked about this yet because it still kind of stings, but i think it’s time i said something.

a few days ago, i participated in an MUN conference. i was the delegate of austria — something i took seriously, something i put so much effort into. the conference lasted from 8am to 6pm, and i showed up for every minute of it. i researched, wrote, prepared. when it came time to speak, i spoke like i meant it. because i did.

out of forty delegates, it came down to me and another boy, the delegate of spain. we debated for the last two hours while everyone else watched. and i mean this sincerely — he was amazing. we were both exhausted, but we kept going. i thought, no matter who wins, we earned this.

then it came time to submit our resolution papers. mine was over 7,000 words. i had written every single word myself. no shortcuts. no AI. just hours of reading, thinking, writing, refining — giving it everything.

but then the chairs announced that only papers that passed the AI detection checks would be considered for awards. and mine didn’t pass.

they didn’t pull me aside quietly. they didn’t ask if there had been a mistake. they announced it. out loud. in front of everyone. they said my paper was AI generated.

and it wasn’t.

and in that moment, it didn’t matter how much effort i had poured in. it didn’t matter how long i had researched or how well i had debated. it didn’t even matter that my voice had held up for ten straight hours in front of a room full of peers and mentors; because some algorithm—some faceless, soulless, fuckass machine—decided that my work didn’t sound “human enough.”

i cannot explain what it feels like to pour yourself into something and then be told — publicly — that it isn’t yours. that it couldn’t be.

and maybe they didn’t mean to humiliate me. maybe they were just doing their job. but i still had to sit there, in that room full of people, while everything i worked for was dismissed by a program that doesn’t know my voice. doesn’t know my effort. doesn’t know anything at all.

i didn’t stay for the ceremony. i couldn’t. i had my dad come pick me up early.

and i cried. not because i didn’t win but because i wasn’t believed. because my work, which i created with nothing but my hands, my brain, and my heart, was labeled a lie by a machine that has never written a thing worth crying over.

and i’m not angry at the boy who won. bless his heart—he got my number and actually called me to tell me i did amazing. and i believe him. he meant it. i’m not angry at the chairs either. they were just following the rules they were given.

but i am angry.

i’m angry at what this world is becoming. angry that we’ve let things get to the point where we have to prove we’re real.

angry that the people who use AI to cut corners, to plagiarize, to cheat—those people made it harder for those of us who actually care. who still believe in the slow work. the honest work. the work that makes your bones ache and your eyes blur from how long you’ve stared at the page.

i was accused of using a machine. but the accuser was a machine too.

and that, to me, is terrifying. it’s terrifying that we’re letting something this mechanical, this blind, decide who gets to be believed. who gets to be heard. who gets to be proud of the work they’ve done.

i’m still proud. because i know what i wrote. i know how hard i worked. i know what i gave. but it hurts. it really, really hurts to not be believed.

i think what hurts most is knowing this is only the beginning. that students and writers and artists are already being treated like suspects in the one place they’re supposed to be seen.

so let it be known: i was not silent. i was erased. and i will not forget that.

[gremlin-girly]

Cold Dark Waters

Part of the Sun, Sea & Sirens Collection

Part 1 | Part 2 -> | Series Masterlist | Curtis Masterlist

Pairing: Siren!Curtis x f!antartic researcher!reader (Snowdrop)

Tags/warnings: SMUT, dub/non con (for siren song), monster fucking, descriptions of drowning (sorry there's not many other things you can do in the sea lmao), descriptions of animal attacks, blood, descriptions of hypothermia, dry humping, size kink (I made him big and beefy soz), clit play/teasing, nipple play, kinda cum play,talk of mates (as always xoxo),

Not beta'd and I don't give permission for my work to be reposted, translated, copied or put through AI! All work is 18+

Summary: On a routine trip to monitor some penguins, things take a turn for the worst. Thankfully, you're rescued and hatch a plan to get back to your outpost and home with a new found friend.

Word count: roughly 6k

A/N: So many rehashings later we. Are. Here. This was a real labour of love because I had to look up so many things and the story just kept going and going and going... and then i got an integral plot point WRONG. 😩 oh well. Part 2 shouldnt take as long. Enjoy!

Additional Author's Notes to be added later for research links etc. X

Banner by me, made in Canva (image credit to the creators, I sourced these on Pinterest) | Dividers by: @/bernardsbendystraws

Your expedition parka was zipped all the way to your chin as you threw on your ugliest, most beloved bobble hat to brave the harsh freeze of the Antarctic.

“Do you think I could request a parka in any other colour than dehydrated piss yellow?” You ask Amil as you tug on your gloves.

Amil was one of the other four researchers with you on the expedition and probably the one you were closest to, mainly due to the fact that you studied inter-connecting fields; yours being polar marine life and Amil’s being observational oceanography. Oceanography has many fields of study, Amil’s being focused ocean-ice interactions, specifically focussed on how the rising sea levels were affecting the oceanic climate. In the same vein, the melting of the ice caps meant changes to polar marine life; your area of expertise. Many a late night on the desolate planes of the Antarctic had you both chattering away in the common area discussing possible solutions and outcomes of your research.

“We don’t even get funding for better canned food; you’d be hard pushed to find approval for a new colour coat.” He laughs up at you from lacing his boots.

“Yeah,” you sigh and open the door. “Very true.”

You knew that life as an Antarctic researcher wouldn’t be a cake walk. Below freezing temperatures and no fresh food other than fish meant you were limited to a minimum of six months of fish breath. The only upside was watching and studying what little life seemed to flourish in this frozen wasteland. Penguins were a regular feature favourite, some of which had been tagged by the team in order to tell them apart from the others, and you closely monitored them. Sometimes seals or orcas made an appearance, which meant you had to watch on at the edge of your hiding spots as nature took its course.

Looking out onto the vast icy plane before you, the sun’s rays making the snow glitter, you can’t help but wonder if somewhere out there in the unforgiving cold there was a discovery waiting for you to find. You’d heard about bacteria and the like but part of you wanted something more, something bigger, like the abominable snowman or a yeti. Something worth studying. What if there was a culture or language that hadn’t met human connection yet? What if you were the person to make that connection?

Dreams of grandeur and snowman-human communications often occupied your thoughts, even if you yourself knew that it was just a dream.

Checking everything one last time, you and Amil begin to make your way to the boat.

The boat wasn’t really a boat, per se, more of an inflatable red dingy. Funding really was low.

As Amil tugs on his life jacket, a lovely neon orange to match the yellow of the coat, you do a check of the boat; ensuring no bite marks may have appeared over night from a bored polar bear. You give Amil a quick thumbs up as you begin the arduous process of fighting your life jacket on whilst Amil checks the recording equipment. On days like these when the sun is bright penguins are out in droves. Which means so are all the predators.

You hate to idly watch by and do nothing but, research is research, and mother nature is cruel and unforgiving at the best of times. You and Amil heave the dingy onto the dark water clambering in quickly before it moves too far, the buoys along either side of the dingy bob frantically at the nuisance but quickly settle as the tiny engine roars to life and you set off across the water to the penguin outpost.

“Do you think we’ll see any orca today?” Amil asks, tinkering with the camera.

“Possibly.” You say casually, manoeuvring around a stray ice plate. “It’s quite warm today, so I’m hoping we can see the seals on the beach.”

Amil chuckles. “They are cute when they sunbathe. Maybe Marnie will be a little more confident and say hi.”

Marnie was one of the seal cubs you’d miraculously managed to put a tracker on. A sweet white ball of fluff who was so shy she rarely peeked her head past her mum.

“I doubt it. But damn it,” You groan. “She’s just too damn cute!”

You stall the boat about twenty metres from the penguin outlook and watch on with a happy smile as they waddle around. The water is quiet, barely making waves against the boat and you and Amil make the silent agreement to move a little closer to the giant ice floe with the oars.

“Oho,” You whisper to Amil as he focuses the camera lens, pointing to one of the penguins carrying a small pebble. “Looks like someone’s trying to propose.”

Watching the tiny penguin hop over others to an awaiting mate is probably the sweetest thing you have ever been blessed to witness in real-time. Coos and caws of excitement from the penguins erupt all over the floe and you and Amil cheer on silently from the dingy, grinning widely at each other. It’s only when the penguins chatter dulls again that you hear another noise.

You check behind you, the water inky black even in the sunlight. There aren’t any ripples, no black fins protruding the surface. But the noise remains.

“Do you hear that?”

Amil looks at you and strains his ears before nodding. “What the hell is that?”

You shrug helplessly. It’s an eerie howl, low and gravelly. You’ve never heard anything like it before, and you’re supposed to be the expert. Looking back to the water you squint, hoping to see something. You think you catch a glimpse of a tail but you can’t be sure; the water is too dark to see anything unless it was at the surface. However, a sense of unease creeps in, like you’re being watched.

“We should go.” You say, making a grab for your oar. “I don’t like this, Amil.”

Amil rolls his eyes and scoffs. “You can’t be serious, we just got here! Scared of your marine monsters you always hope to see?”

You shake your head, cold sweat rolling down your back even in your many layers of clothing. “It’s not that it-“

You pause as fear seeps into your bones, quietly muttering. “Listen.”

Amil frowns but follows your instruction. The penguins have stopped chattering. Huddled together on the ice floe, they’re almost silent apart from the occasional squawk from a young chick. A predator must be near, one that you can’t see, and suddenly you’re wishing that you’d never asked for a bigger discovery.

The howl comes again, then what sounds like the bang of a drum. You wrack your brain for answers, but you can only settle on orca. But if it was orca you'd have seen them by now. They hunt in packs, they’re mammals and need air, a dorsal fin or a snort for air would have pinpointed them for you. But you also know that orca, for all their intents and purposes, don’t hunt humans. Their intelligence alludes them to the fact it’s not optimal to eat you but that doesn’t mean you want to get close enough to test that theory.

The sound of water splashing makes you turn your head but there’s nothing but quick ripples when you look. You’re ten miles from the shoreline you came from, your camp another five inland on a snowmobile. If your dingy tipped, you’d have maybe fifteen minutes of swimming to complete before going hypothermic if you were lucky. And that’s if whatever was in the water was happy to only eat penguin.

“Amil,” You whisper hurriedly, grabbing your friend’s attention. “Your oar. Let’s go.”

Amil, now pale-faced after finally understanding your predicament, shakily picks up his oar. You both gently dip your oars in the water and watch them disappear as you slowly begin to row backwards from where you came. A curious, or brave, penguin steps down to the edge of the ice floe and dives into the water quickly followed by another handful. You sigh, grateful for the distraction until one of the penguins slams into the side of the dingy, making it rock violently. You grip the wide sides and peek overboard. Only darkness stares back.

“Hooooo,” You breathe out nervously, nodding at Amil and begin rowing again. Another penguin smacks into the dingy, this time catching a rope from one of the buoys that may have not been as tight as you thought, ensnaring itself in a knot as the bouy bobs away from you. Your training and research dictates that you should always let nature take its course, however, if you were a tiny little penguin furiously trying to escape an unknown monster, you would be grateful for a helping hand from a piss-yellow-coat-neon-life-jacket-wearing hairless yeti.

You lean over the edge of the boat, ripping the small swiss army knife free from your deep pockets and sawing at the rope frantically as the penguin splashed around in a blinding panic.

"Amil!" You scream sending ripples across the surface, half turning to look for your friend for help. "AMIL!"

It happens so fast, you only catch snippets of the next few moments; the feeling of hot steaming breath on the back of your neck as teeth sink into the faux fur of your hood, the growl of triumph in your ears as you're yanked backwards viciously, the look of terror on Amil's face as he reaches for you, centimetres from your own outstretched hand as you hit the water and the taste of winter ice filling your mouth as you try to scream.

The last thing you hear before the being dragged under the ice is Amil screaming your name.

You can't remember ever being so cold.

Your body seizes as your legs flail helplessly. You feel incredibly stupid. Leopard seal. Of course, it was a leopard seal. Not much was known about them other than a few measly facts like their singing, their size and their territorial behaviour.

Ice burned in your lungs. You were lightheaded, low on oxygen and dizzy. However, escape would be futile. You feel the maw release you and for a few moments you begin to float upwards - you scrunch your face waiting for the killing blow only to be barrelled into by something bigger.

Which can never be good.

It feels like you're moving diagonally. There's a howl, a grumble and you swear you can hear a man's voice tell you you're safe. Half convinced you're dead or dying you don't give it much credence until you breach the surface of the water and are thrown onto ice.

You cough and splutter salted ice water from your lungs and heave a sharp, deep inhale of air. You don’t know where you are, or how you’ve survived but everything aches from adrenaline. Moving to sit up, you notice you’re on thick, clear ice that surrounds every corner of your vision but it blurs before you can make out anything distinguishable.

Your dehydrated-piss yellow parka has absorbed too much water and weighs down on your shivering body. Panic settles. You need to get out of these clothes ASAP and get dry.

That’s rule one of hypothermia avoidance.

The zipper slips from your fingers a few dozen times as you try to undo it, teeth clicking together like a ghostly xylophone echoing against the ice. There’s a swish of water behind you and you think the seal has decided to finish what it started. You half turn, ready to be met with a maw of sharp teeth, but instead you’re met with a beast of a man clambering out the hole in the ice.

His arms are thick with muscle, straining as he heaves himself from the water. His hair is close cut but because his face is focused downward, you can’t make out any features on his shadow-cast face. Your eyes trail his torso; like the rest of him he’s huge, with taut muscle and dark, thick hair that runs from his chest all the way down to his abdomen. His body is littered with scars, ranging from silvery slices to pink teeth-marks. He’d clearly wrangled with beasts plenty of times.

You breathe out slowly, watching the rest of his form emerge from the depths. Scales dance around his hips in what little light is available and you blink rapidly as more and more appear. You think, finally, that you’ve drowned and this is the final image your brain has decided to subject you to; a giant merman with a tail as blue as the midnight sky.

Maybe he’s here to finish what the seal couldn’t.

The thought terrifies you and you shuffle backwards, your hands failing to find grip in the ice so you end up blindly kicking your legs. The movement makes the man (monster?) raise his head, cementing you to your spot as bright, frost-blue eyes connect with yours.

A vicious thought enters your brain; about how you wanted this. You wanted a discovery and by a sick twist of fate, you’ve gotten it.

“LIE DOWN!” He bellows, icicles shaking above you. He slides across the ice so quickly, grasping you by the shoulders to keep you still. Your wide eyes can’t even cry because you’re so scared. He seems to briefly register your fear because in a softer voice he adds, “I need to get you warm and dry. Trust me.”

You nod wordlessly, stuck between fear and logic with your chattering teeth. The merman, for lack of better a word, tears at your ugly coat and hurriedly peels away at your layers. Your shock doesn’t even let you feel embarassed about being naked in front of the merman, too busy focusing on your own survival to even think about letting a bit of bare skin get in the way.

The ice floor beneath you is cool against your skin but not freezing, yet you still shiver. The merman lifts you with ease, holding you close as he moves across the open space to a nest of furs you’d missed when you’d first breached the ice. Setting you down gently, he wraps you in a fur leaving only your face and wet hair visible. The scent of the fur is overwhelming; leathery, salted musk that had mingled with the creature's sweat. It was strangely comforting, considering the situation you were in.

“Th-thank you.” You slur, cosying yourself beneath the blanket. “A-are we s-s-safe here?”

He grunts and nods in response but doesn’t say anything else, watching you carefully. To say he’s huge is an understatement. He’s positively gigantic, towering over you with a fretful look etched along those strong features. He’s borderline stauesque, almost unmoving muscled ivory skin that looks almost blue in the reflection of the cave. Your discovery, your saviour, your merman was the most beautiful specimen if you’d ever seen one.

“What’s your name?” You puff out slowly, trying to keep your breathing steady as you fight the tiredness settling in your bones. Adrenaline levels in your body must be dropping but you can’t sleep yet, not until you have some questions answered and can safely stay warm.

“Curtis,” he murmurs, leaning down closer to inspect your face. “It’s Curtis.”

“Curtis.” You murmur back and a smile creeps onto your lips. A big, beautiful creature called Curtis was your saviour. A sea monster called Curtis is almost laughable but it's cute. He's cute.

“What’s so funny?” He asks raising an eyebrow at you quizzically, his head tilting slightly. His eyes are possibly the bluest you’ve ever seen and you’re utterly lost within them.

“Nothing.” You say quickly, ducking a little further under your fur to hide your lips. You give him your name, smiling dumbly at him. He says it slowly, savouring it on his tongue and your heartbeat quickens.

You're a scientist. He's a discovery. Why are you so wound up like a teen with a crush?

His blue eyes are still watching you closely as his large tail curls around your tucked knees and, with what you can only be described as purring, nudges at your forehead with his.

A wave of warmth rolls over your body and settles between yout thighs, making you sigh with delight. You blink up at him lazily, well-aware that it’s most likely the hypothermia making your brain turn to blissful fluff, but you’re suddenly more concerned about the fact he may get hypothermia too, even as a merperson.

“Where’re your furs?” You ask, shuffling your legs against his tail. He was emanating heat like a merman radiator.

He chuckles. "You're using them."

“Oh.” You blink in slow surprise. “We should share then.”

Curtis watches you with amused fascination and you gingerly lift the furs, offering to share your warmth with him.

“You need them more than me.” He counters and you shake your head.

“I can’t have you going hypothermic on me, either.” You huff before shivering. “Just please get under here.”

Curtis sighs through his nose, draping a heavy arm around your waist, tugging you closer to his huge body, letting the furs contain your heat. You squeak but the moment your bare chest touches his you can feel heat pour from him and instead of making a point to divide up sides, you hum with delight. Curtis mimicks your hum and you feel that tide of warmth wash over you again.

“You’re so warm.” You whisper and his grip tightens.

"Hush," He sighs, his other arm acting as your pillow and pulling your face into his chest. "You're safe now. Close your eyes and rest."

Your face is buried into the hair on his chest, inhaling a musky mix of salty sea water and sweat as your arms wrap around him. You shudder with cold as you fight away the impending feeling of panic. Amil thought you were dead. Was Amil safe? Did he get back to base? Your friends, family...

"I need to get back to the base." You breathe quietly. Your legs brush against the scales of his tail and your surprised to find that they're soft, not scratchy. Moving of their own accord, your legs rub against the scales, the friction building much needed heat. "They need to know I'm okay."

"Stay here tonight." Curtis rumbles and you feel your argument die in your throat. "That's tomorrow's problem."

A large palm moves soothingly up and down your back, and you find yourself curling into him, chasing his warmth. You don't know what's come over you. You should be terrified, you are terrified, but it's lost within a cloud of fog over your brain. Your body wraps itself around Curtis like a second blanket, a leg hitched over his hip to press close to his body under the fur.

You find your body slowly melting into him and you sigh with contentment; despite anxiety's slithering tendrils curling at the edges of your psyche, you felt safe. Comforted.

Horny.

That couldn't be right. Your brow furrows slightly as you chide yourself. You're a scientist. adrenaline has done one over on you, and although you aren't a psychiatrist, you could make a safe bet that this feeling was linked to the fact you almost died gruesomely and Curtis was your saviour. Plus, he was easy on the eyes too.

From where your head is on his chest; vibrations rattle along your skull as Curtis, for lack of a better word, begins to purr. That rolling warmth you felt earlier returns, your body slowly drawing itself from sleepiness. Then the sound stops as you fidget, fighting your body to stop itself from grinding against Curtis' scales.

"I'm sorry," Curtis murmurs against your ear and despite the warmth emanating from you both, you shiver. "I was getting too comfortable."

"Too comfortable?" You echo, peeking up at him. His eyes meet yours, searching your face and studying your reaction with budding curiosity.

"I didn't mean for-" He looks apologetic. "It's my song."

You blink up at him. "Song?"

He nods gently taking your hand closest to his chest and placing it where your head had been resting, near his heart and then he hums.

The same vibrations rumble through his ribcage, brain fog descends once more making you feel giddy while your stomach swoops with anxiety. However, despite the anxiety, you find yourself humming back and matching his vibration with your own.

You argue to yourself that you mimic him, that you're doing what you'd do if you found another animal; trying to understand how they communicate. But deep down, within the roils of terror, you knew your body acted of its own accord.

"Your soul called to mine in those cold, dark waters." Curtis' low baritone echoes around the cave, sending vibrations across the thick ice beneath you. "And I responded. You feel it don't you? When I sing?"

You couldn't deny the feeling but then he adds in a whisper, "That's how I knew you were mine."

You can feel the thud of his large hear pumping beneath your palm. You're part terrified, part intrigued; how was this different to the dreams of your yetis and snowmen?

The other part, the deeper, darker part of you knows what's he's saying is true. You're both connected somehow and you can't deny your attraction to him, even if you are still frightened of how your body is reacting to him.

It must read all over your face because Curtis chuckles, low and deep. You peek up and catch a small smile and his glittering blue eyes as he looks at you like he's won the lottery and it makes both your heart thrum. He moves his face closer, pressing his forehead to yours and nudging your nose with his again. You move your face slightly and Curtis moves again, this time capturing your lips in a sweet kiss. It's short and unexpected but it still leaves you breathless.

"I am sorry if I scared you earlier," he murmurs, his nose nudging yours as he purrs again. "I wanted to make sure you were safe and unharmed."

"Stop doing that." You eke out, face flushed with embarassment as you grip onto his shoulder. Damp heat had settled between your thighs and you desperately needed friction.

Curtis looks at you quizzically before realisation dawns. "If you need to use me," He says with a small smile. "Do so. I won't mind."

You bury your face into his chest to hide how red your face is.

"Anything my mate needs or wants from me is yours."

Mate.

That word rips through your mind and you try to argue

"I'm not - we're not..." You say thickly. "Mates?"

"It's a rare occurrence for humans to be mates but it does happen." Curtis nods. "Believe me, I was just as surprised as you are. I thought there was no one for me. But then I heard you."

You cast your mind back to when you were in the boat. Had he been watching you then? Was the gaze you felt his and not the leopard seal?

Or was it beneath the surface of the water? Did your scream send vibrations through the water that he happened to hear? If so, that opened up a research possibility.

Vibrations we're a clear method of communication, nothing surprising about that since a lot of marine animals would use the water to their advantage. Without meaning to, had you bound yourself to him?

You shake your head, nose and cheeks brushing against the coarse hair on his wide chest. You didn't want to think about it but at the same time it was all you could think about. From the way he spoke, it sounded like these merfolk mated for life. And it didn't help that you were so hot and bothered by him that you just wanted to crawl on top of him and-

Your right leg hitches itself over his tail, the thick muscle sits between your legs now, soft scales biting gently against your skin. You timidly roll your hips forward and a groan wracks your body as your clit rubs over the slightly bumpy scales. It feels better than good, it feels amazing and you roll your hips again, biting your lips this time. You can't stop yourself, the pleasure you feel easing the ache you'd been feeling.

Curtis' left hand, the one that had been running up and down your back, grips the back of your thigh and hoists you higher, your face closer to his and your needy cunt pressing against the his scales. His nose nudges yours again, and you raise your lips to his with no hesitation. He tastes like salt water and when you hum, licking away the salt with your tongue, Curtis' grip on your thigh tightens and lifts it higher letting the furs slip away and bearing your cunt to the icy cave.

You gasp quietly and peek at him through tired lashes, his blue eyes dark and focused on your face as he adjusts his wide hips. Then you feel it, the heavy weight of his thick cock moving through your folds easily, slowly. To say he was huge was understatement. His cock matched his imposing size; and when his scaled hips rolled back and the leaking tip of his cock brushed your throbbing clit, you jutted your hips forward to meet his. You want to climb him, fuck him, milk him. And Curtis seemed to know this, smiling at how your lips part and how your eyes beg for more.

"Needy little thing," He chuckles. "But not tonight. It'll be too much for you."

He places a chaste kiss to your forehead, moving his hips again, your pussy clenching as his cock ruts between the soft of your thighs, giving your clit plenty of attention. It's not long before your moans become high and breathier and you cum with a shudder and a loud whine over his cock.

"You look so beautiful when you cum. I can't wait to see you stretched over my cock." Curtis murmurs as he continues to thrust through your silky folds before he reaches his climax, coating your thighs with thick sticky spend.

You cast a glance downward, watching the scales shimmer in what little light you have. The scales fall in a V shape around his hips, dark hair of his snail trail disappearing under them. His cock, strangely, is where it would be if he were human only difference is that it's protected by scales. Your fingers delicately trace the line where scale meets skin as Curtis tugs the fur back across you both, shuddering at your touch.

He huffs a breath but allows you to continue, his own fingers tracing patterns against the back of your shoulders.

"So pretty," you murmur sleepily, watching his muscles twitch under your touch.

"Rest." He urges quietly with a kiss to your forehead. "We can explore eachother more tomorrow."

You hum in acknowledgement, your eyes slowly closing. It's not long before you're asleep, dreaming of merfolk and their communication, society and their mating rituals.

When you blink awake, you're not sure how long you have been asleep. It may have been hours or minutes but you're cosy and warm with Curtis still wrapped around you, now acting as big spoon. His legs are tangled with yours, which is strange because, if your memory served correctly, he was a giant merman last you checked.

Your face heats as your realise that your inner thighs are still sticky with Curtis' cum. So that wasn't a dream. But Curtis doesn't have a tail anymore. You remove left arm entrapped under the arm Curtis had lay across your waist, exploring down his thigh; muscular, some coarse hair, but no scales.

You frown.

Maybe in your vulnerable state you'd assumed he was a merman. You make a small grumble of frustration. Curtis stirs gently, his cock twitching against your ass.

"Snowdrop," He mumbles, voice thick with sleep. "Go back to sleep."

You angle your head to peek at him and see his eyes are still closed but his arm around you squeeze you tighter. Your face heats with embarassment as you mutter a quick apology.

"Go back to sleep." Curtis repeats, snuggling into you again, his beard tickling the nape of your neck.

Your mind starts to race, subconsciously wiggling further back against him under the furs. You shift your legs every few moments, remembering the state you were in; blissed out after humping his thick cock. Shame and arousal wash over you. He'd not only let you do it he'd encouraged it; using you only after you'd cum and not pushing to fuck you. Your heart strings tugged, even if it was the bare minimum. He seemed to have genuinely taken to you and you were still trying to make sense of him; you almost felt guilty for it.

There's a sigh behind you and Curtis' big hand that had been been draped over your waist slowly made its way between your thighs, finding your clit and rubbing slow circles, making you gasp and jerk in surprise.

"I'll help you get back to sleep then, Snowdrop." Curtis murmurs, angling the large arm under your neck to fondle at your bare tits. He rolls a nipple between his thumb and forefinger as he he rubs at your clit, swiping some of his still-sticky cum over your sensitive nub. You groan pressing your ass back against him. His fingers dip downward to your cunt, slipping in one thick finger as he kisses and nips at your neck, slowly pumping you a few times before adding a second finger and letting your walls constrict them.

"Your cunt is still slick." He comments, his half-hard cock pressing against the curve of your ass. "You must have been having good dreams."

Your pussy squeezes at his words and you can feel his smirk on your neck, his fingers pressing against your walls to keep you stretched open. His thumb swipes at your swollen clit and he tweaks at you nipple, earning himself more moans of pleasure.

"Curtis please." Your back arches against him, letting the pleasure wrack your still-tired body.

"I'm sorry, Snowdrop. If I don't stretch you open you'll never fit on my cock." He purrs, kissing your cheek softly. "We can't have that, can we?"

You groan in response when his fingers start to curl and move inside your pussy. Curtis was right, you were still wet, and your orgasm was pending on release as he holds you at the edge; curling and pumping his fingers all while toying with your nipples and clit. It was too much.

"Curtis," you gasp, weakly reaching for his face, behind you, twisting your neck uncomfortably to place sweet kisses against his lips. "'M gonna cum."

"That's fine, pretty thing." He murmurs. "Cum for me."

Gentle kisses are placed to your temple as you heave breaths, shuddering as your cunt gushes around his fingers. Curtis' fingers linger inside you for a few moments before retreating, and you watch in a haze as he takes a long lick of them, savouring your cum against his tongue. His eyes are almost predatory black as he looks down at you.

"You taste..." He trails with a happy hum, lapping at his fingers. "Delicious. I'm going to enjoy ruining our bedsheets when you're ready."

"You know what bedsheets are?" You giggle softly as he slides back beside you, pecking your lips as your body still thrums with remnants of your orgasm.

"Of course." He replies but doesnt elaborate further. His arms wrap around you, holding you close and he starts to purr with contentment. Your body grows tired again, relaxing into his hold.

"Curtis," you whisper.

"Mm?"

"Thank you." You curl under his chin, twisting your legs into his as you fall away into sleep, holding him tight.

When you wake, hours later, you're greeted by the smell of cooked fish and smoke. There's an ache between your legs from your two earlier trysts, however, the need for food is at the forefront of your mind now. The trysts can be addressed later.

It's only a moment before Curtis appears at your side, wrapped in layers of fur and holding a freshly cooked fish out to you. You take it, blowing on the charred skin and try not to think about what you're eating as your teeth sink into the flesh. You're so hungry. Hungrier than you've ever been and the fish is finished in seconds and you look up at Curtis sheepishly.

He smiles softly. "Good. You have an appetite."

One of his hands cups your cheek, gently tilting your face to look up at his. "There's plenty of food for you."

When Curtis turns to get you more fish from the fire, you take a moment to glance at your surroundings. You're in an ice cave. Naturally occurring hollow structures in ice or ice floes. You'd been in them before, when out exploring; they make excellent shelters from the elements since the ice is so thick. The cave is almost sloped, with the entrance higher in the ice.

Curtis is near a small fire by the entrance of the cave, ensuring no smoke is getting trapped to suffocate you both and, not far from where your lying in the furs, is the hole Curtis had emerged from the day before. Sea water sloshes three inches from the surface. So you were on the ocean at least.

Looking behind your makeshift bed was very few items. Some cans of food, a small roll of tools and what looked to be spare fur clothes to fit Curtis' enormous body.

Your tattered clothes are next to Curtis drying out and when you look over at him again you can see that he definitely did not have a tail. You rub your eyes and double check.

Nope. No tail.

It must have been your mind playing tricks on you. However, he is as handsome so that was still an excellent discovery.

You shuffle under the covers trying to hold the fur over your chest when Curtis returns, holding two fish out to you. You're halfway through the first when you notice he's just watching you eat and you hold the second one out to him.

"You'd better eat too." You urge, feeling guilty for stuffing your face while your saviour hadn't taken a bite.

Curtis shakes his head and smiles down at you. "I've eaten already. I was making sure you there was enough for you after you woke."

"Oh thanks."

Curtis raises his eyebrow. "Especially after your... restless night."

You blush hard, stammering out an apology.

"It's quite alright, Snowdrop. No need to apologise." Curtis settles beside you, watching you tear through your fish. "It's my duty to make sure you're well taken care of."

You almost spit the flesh all over him. "Your duty?"

Curtis nods and looks at little sheepish. "As your mate. You may not remember the conversation from last night since you were running on adrenaline."

You did but were half convinced it was a mixture of death defying hypothermia and your imagination. Clearly, he wasn't a merman but he was perhaps a weirdo living in an ice cave. Though, surviving this long in the uninhabitable plains was ny impossible...

"I, erm..." you swallow your fish meat thickly. You sit a little straighter. The last thing you want to do is piss him off, considering his size and stature you'd be easy to... well, do anything to. However, you can't resist blurting the question that's been bothering you since you woke up the first time this morning. "Do you have a tail? Sorry. I just remember seeing a tail and I think it was a fever dream."

Curtis blinks at you and chuckles. "Yes."

"I thought so - wait - excuse me?" You look dumbfounded and you're sure he's just messing with you.

Now Curtis looks as confused as you do. "All merfolk have tails?"

"Hoooookay," you say, your mind racing. So last night was not a dream or your brain playing tricks. Curtis purrs in response and you feel your skin prickle and when your eyes meet you can tell he thinks he's being cute.

"Hey," you snap, cheeks growing red as heats spreads from between your legs. "Don't do that. I have more questions."

"You didn't seem to mind it last night." Curtis says but bows his head to you. "But ask away."

"How long have you been out here? Where's your family? What-"

exactly are you?

You don't voice the rest of your question, thinking it a bit too rude, but Curtis doesn't seem to mind as he begins to tell you about his time out in the great frozen unknown.

He'd been left for about a year on his own. His family, what he called a pod, was a myriad of merfolk that gathered together as a family unit. According to Curtis, his pod had never truly settled like some merfolk had and spent most of their time travelling the sea in an almost continuous migration.

"With the ice melting, pollution and sea travel, it's been harder for us to keep hidden and find refuge." He explains, then fixes you with a funny look. "I don't know how it'll work with a mate like you."

"Stop calling me that." You chide softly, but it still makes you feel warm and fuzzy inside. "So, what happened?"

"I decided that enough was enough. That we should settle as a unit, like we should have years ago." He grumbles and then shrugs. "We didn't know where to start or if it would be safe when we got stuck here. The cold water killed off many of the elderly. The children struggled to acclimatise and the leopard seals and some orca saw them as easy pickings. I sent them on the migration path early urging them to settle someplace. Myself and a few others volunteered to stay behind to keep them safe on the journey out of these waters."

The last part went unspoken but you could piece it together; Curtis had been the only one of the volunteers to survive. The cold must have had a hard time affecting that gigantic body of his.

"Well, surely you could find them again?" You press. "If you migrate every year and travel there has to be-"

"I wouldn't know where to begin." Curtis sighs dejectedly. "We have different routes. And with how dangerous the sea has become..." he shakes his head. "I made my choice to protect my pod when they left this place. I can only hope they found somewhere to settle."

His big blue eyes look at you, hoping for understanding and your heart aches for him. You place a small hand over his reassuringly and give him a smile.

"But what about you?" You say gently. "You can't stay out here. It's uninhabitable for a reason."

"I like the cold." Curtis huffs haughtily.

"Yeah well," you huff back. "Mate or not, I can't survive in those waters for more than fifteen minutes without thick insulated SCUBA gear. And without water or proper food, I would die within the week. Give me a beach in the Bahamas with a few cocktails and I'd be golden."

You give him a sideways glance and see him shift his hunkering form uncomfortably, knowing you were correct. Clearly the thought of abandoning his post made him uncomfortable, the mere thought of his pod returning and not finding him anxiety-inducing. You sigh through your nose, trying to think.

"We could go to the research outpost where I was stationed," you say slowly, watching his expression shift to unease. "Plenty of food and water and shelter."

Curtis harrumphs but then an idea swims from the depths of your brain amd you clap ypur hands together, startling Curtis as the sound reverberates around the cave. You turn to him beaming.

"We could find your pod." You say excitedly. Curtis' eyes narrow.

"I know you're right about going you don't need to manipulate me, Snowdrop." He grumbles, shoulders slumping. You scoot closer patting his thigh, still brimming with excitement.

"No we have maps, tech, SONAR-" Curtis' eyebrows raise as you speak. "We could map out where your travel paths are. We do it with orca and other animals all the time. If we do that we could narrow down the areas you visited most and where the pod would most likely settle."

Curtis eyes are sparkling by the time you've finished speaking and he's grinning at you almost madly. "So, I have a smart mate."

"Don't call me that." You snip quickly, but you're still smiling at him. "Do you know a way to get us to the out post safely? By foot?"

Curtis' face falls and his thick brows furrow with thought. "There aren't enough furs or food if we went by land." Curtis explains. "But there are no predators. Only the sun. We would starve to death or freeze long before we reach where I found you in the water."

He pauses and looks slightly apologetic as he continues. "But if I took you beneath the surface, the journey would be done in less than an hour. Less than a day if I take supplies with me."

You nod along thoughtfully. "I'm sensing there's a but?"

"But," Curtis sighs. "We would be crossing through leopard seal territory. Again. You could potentially drown, be injured or killed and that's before we're out of the water."

"I could go hypothermic." You finish and Curtis nods. "And you don't know how to get to the compound or how to work the equipment."

"But underwater is our best bet." Curtis says slowly. "But what if my pod comes back to find me?

"We could leave a message in the ice to head to the out post." You suggest. "Leave my contact information? We could always-" you can't believe you were saying this. "-Come back and update the messages if we don't locate them elsewhere."

Curtis looks visibly relieved. "We could?"

"Of course." You give him a reassuring smile. "My research is based out here anyway I could... try and bring you with me."

Curtis smirks. "I could always follow your boat."

"Right. Merman." You smile sheepishly. "I'd have a hard time explaining that to the other researchers, gotta make sure you don't get kidnapped by the men in black."

"No one could keep me from you." He says firmly, making a sweet rumbling sound that keeps you still as he kisses you adoringly. You can feel yourself literally swooning and it's almost laughable until Curtis pulls back, looking at you with a soft smile. "But I have to get everything ready for our journey."

You nibble at your fish, now cold after your chatter. The plan was that Curtis would make trips back and forth with the clothes and what little belongings he had, scouting the area first before taking you. That way, not only was the journey safer, but he could focus on moving faster with you in his arms and when you reached your destination, could wrap you in furs that would be dried in the sun.

You re-dress into your clothes from the night before, still a little damp in places and the piss yellow coat now had a smokey salt scent to it, and watch Curtis undress to jump into the ocean.

Your eyes trail his muscular legs, all the way to his torso and your face heats when you see he's been watching you oggle him for the past two minutes.

"If we survive the trip," he says, voice sultry as he ties a leather belt with a sheathed hatchet around his waist. "You can explore me all you like."

You bluster, about to argue back when he dives through the hole and vanishes for what feels like an age.

You shouldn't be attracted to a fish man. You chide yourself, pacing the ice cave to stay warm. The more you thought about Curtis, your circumstances of meeting, your research despite your current mate situation, the more you realised that regardless of being his mate (however that happened) you'd have been attracted to him anyway. And from what you'd seen and heard from myths and stories, you much preferred having a hunk of a mermaid than some terrifying sea creature that wanted to eat you for dinner. You shudder, remembering the leopard seal. At least you'd have Curtis for protection.

After what felt like an age, Curtis' head pops out of the hole in the ice.

"Bad news." He pants. "The ice floes have moved. It may take longer than anticipated to reach your out post."

"Shit," you hiss, passing him his few belongings wrapped tightly in a fur. "How much longer?"

Curtis shakes his head, taking the fur parcel from you. "Perhaps a few minutes? The good news is that I can't see or hear any sea leopards."

You sigh with relief. "Okay. Phew."

You give him a short smile and he rises higher out of the water to catch your lips in a wet kiss that leaves you a little lightheaded and you murmur out a quick "be careful" as he disappears below the surface of the dark water.

The second time he returns, he's a lot faster. He gives you a once over, trying to give you a reassuring smile when he sees your worried expression.

"You ready?"

You nod, breathing quickly, trying to steel yourself.

"I'll be with you." He affirms. "I'll keep you close and take you to the surface as soon as I can."

You look down at him, fear and cold making you shake but you manage a smile when you see his soft features look at you with such affection and brace as you slide into the water.

Sliding into the water was a lot more difficult than being pulled in. Even with your layers the icy water still penetrated to your skin and the darkness that enveloped you made your heart jumps erratically. Thankfully, the hulking mass that was Curtis was there to hold you as you took one final gulp of air and dipped under the surface.

He moved fast. Now that you weren't actively drawing, you could feel the pressure of speed from the beat of his tail against your body and in mere seconds you were breaking the surface, bobbing together in the freezing open ocean.

The sun, as always, was high and bright and you had to squint as the snow and eyes glittered back into your retinas.

"Okay?" Curtis asks nudging your cheek.

"Yeah. Let's keep going." You nod with a smile, taking another deep breath as Curtis ducked back under, following the route he'd mapped as quickly as he could.

Maybe it was because he was enjoying how close you were - or that he was so focused on his mission to get to the outpost that he didn't notice the leopard seal barrelling towards him from the depths.

When he did notice, it was too late to move out of the way but Curtis turned his shoulder, wrapping his arms to protect your head as the sharp canines of the leopard seal sank into his flesh and you squeaked in terror.

Curtis cried out and glowered into the black eyes of the seal as it challenged him to move.

"Fucker," Curtis' voice echoed viciously through the water. "You were watching this whole time."

Your brain was racing, you couldn't open your eyes but you needed to breathe. Curtis was stuck in a catch twenty two. If he released you to the surface, the leopard seal would release him to chase you as the easier target and, being injured, Curtis would struggle to keep pace. Even if he managed to keep the seal occupied, you weren't able to reach the outpost on your own besides the fact that another seal could potentially be nearby. Although they hunt in pairs often, it didn't mean they never did.

The other option was to fight off the seal here and now. But by doing that, you could run out of air and drown in his grip before he could reach the surface.

Curtis growled, and you could feel the anger and anxiety reverberate through your soul. You pat Curtis' side blindly with a loud snarl of the seal so close to your face and a grunt from Curtis as he keeps the seal at his shoulder. Your eyes are squeezed closed and the lightheaded dizziness from the lack of oxygen is making it hard to focus but you find the hilt of the hatchet, tearing it free from it's confines and jamming it into the snout of the seal as hard as you could.

The seal releases Curtis' shoulder with a sickening shrill, and Curtis tears through the water, upwards closer to the surface for you to breathe. He half throws you onto his back and you pretzel your legs around his waist, your arms wrapping around his neck as he takes off again. It happens so fast that you barely comprehend it, your body producing a fierce amount of adrenaline that you can't feel the cold anymore.

"Well done back there!" Curtis shouts to you, pride clear in his voice and your heart swells, but it's shortlived when you hear a trill from behind you. The leopard seal had given chase; clearly not happy about missing out on dinner and second time. "We're close, don't worry."

You burst from the water first, grateful for once to see a wide open plain of snow and the distant outline of the outpost. You roll off Curtis' back and go to pull him up but his hands claw at the ice as he yells out, his tail splashing angrily in the water.

He goes to clamber out again, when the seal knocks into his side and back down under the water.

"CURTIS!" You shriek, falling to your hands and knees at the water's edge. You search the surface and can't see a thing, panick brewing as you try to think of how to rescue him. You're no mermaid. You're lucky if you get away with no hypothermia a second time.

You clutch the hatchet with white knuckles and then an idea.

"Bring it to the surface!" You call out to the ocean, hoping Curtis hears you. "Bring it close!"

So much for leaving the animals alone.

Moments later Curtis appears again, maw of the leopard seal snapping furiously at his face with a Cheshire Cat like grin. Until you swing the hatchet into it's back.

It wails, it's head turning to you as you reel back with the hatchet in hand, raising it in threat again and-

It stops. It growls lowly but stops fighting Curtis and looks directly at you, considering you almost thoughtfully before moving off Curtis entirely and disappearing under the ice floe.

Both you and Curtis wait a few moments more, just in case it returned, but when you begin to shiver Curtis heaves himself out of the water with a groan, collapsing into the snow. Blood oozes from the wound, slowed from the cold, but you take great effort in tugging him away from the water's edge with his good arm.

You look over his shoulder wound hurriedly, they're deep but nothing that wouldn't heal. However, his tail and side have some pretty nasty scratches and bites too.

"We have a first aid kit at the out post." You tell him, lifting his torso steadily into a seated position so you could wrap him in a fur that he'd left. As you look up out to the sea, you can see the head of the leopard seal watching you both with a managing gaze.

You shiver. "Come on, let's go."

Curtis grunts you see his tail shimmer and in one blink it's gone, replaced by two tree trunks for legs. Questions for later.

Gathering your few supplies you both clamber on and slowly make your way to the out post in shuddering silence, focusing only on conserving your energy until you get to the outpost.

End of Part 1

A/N: That's part 1 folks 😵‍💫😭 I had to cut it here because even though I'd written it... turns out the other creaure I wanted to add doesn't even live in the antarctic (and I hate to say this but I found out from a tumblr post that the artic inst a shortened name for the Antarctic and if you look up the difference you can probably guess what animal it was and i feel so stupid lmao). This took so much longer than anticipated honestly. But the good news is part 2 gets to be re-worked a little and hopefully won't take as long. Though I don't know if I want to do a one shot for the next one (it's either Lloyd or Steve) and then continue the series as it was posted (Ari, Jake then Curtis)...

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[duskvsdawn]

hewoooo~ i enjoyed reading your writing and saw your open for prompt!! can i request no. 29 with kaelix or sonny (either is fineee) thank soo much

≫ A/N: Heyooo! I'll do this for both of them! Might be a tiny bit OOC for Sonny because I don't know him too well, I hope that's ok! Sorry it took me a bit to get to it, I am kinda losing my groove I suppose. I'm gonna try to finish the last bit in my inbox, and then I might give myself a break or something idk

CW: smut, female reader, dacryphilia 'cause you know that's the whole prompt heehee, reader does some lewd stuff with Sonny and Kaelix (separate), edging (Sonny), overstim (Kaelix), blowjob (Sonny), piv sex (Kaelix), mating press (Kaelix)

Art credits Kaelix. ❤ Art credits Sonny.

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You look so beautiful when you cry

Sonny

You had a plan for tonight, but you weren't going to tell your boyfriend just yet. The two of you were chilling on the couch, watching some tv, when your hand landed on his thigh and you started to caress it. Your boyfriend looked at you with question marks all over his face, but when your hand moved between his thighs, the gears in his head were starting to turn, and he was picking up on what you were planning. You knelt in front of him, and your hands landed on his belt.

"Well, well, well... Now what do we have here?" your boyfriend said as he gently lifted your face up with his thumb and index finger. There was a devious smirk on your face as you took his dick out of his pants to stroke him to full hardness. Sonny's hand landed in your hair, giving it some gentle tugs. After you deemed him ready, you started giving some licks to the tip of his cock, tasting the bitter precum that was slowly starting to ooze out. You took the tip into your mouth as your hand worked the base, and Sonny let out some soft moans as you did so. "Fuck, that's good, baby. Can you take more for me?" your boyfriend asked, and you nodded as a reply since your mouth was kind of occupied right now. You started taking his cock deeper, bobbing your hand up and down. Occasionally you would take his balls into your mouth as your hand stayed busy stroking his cock or playing with the slit.

Your boyfriend was starting to let out louder noises, biting his bottom lip to try and keep quiet. He knew you loved for him to be vocal, but he would always get embarrassed about the kind of sounds he would make when he was so lost in pleasure. One hand went up towards his mouth to pull his lip out from between his teeth, halting your movements for just a few seconds to say, "Let me hear you, please. I need to hear you. I want to know if I'm doing well or not." You knew full well that you were doing well, but you were hoping this could convince your boyfriend to be a little louder with you, and he decided to let you hear it.

You started sucking again, and his grip on your hair tightened, and he was letting out some delicious mewls. You could tell he was slowly getting closer, but you wouldn't let him cum just yet. He didn't know it yet, but he was in for a long, long edging session. "Fuck, I'm close, babe..." Sonny said as his breathing was becoming uneven and the pressure in his lower stomach was slowly starting to build. When you knew his orgasm was so close, you stopped what you were doing and pulled off of him.

Sonny, obviously confused but still trying to catch his breath, looked at you with pleading eyes. "I'm not letting you cum anytime soon, baby. We both know it will only make the orgasm more intense when I eventually do let you," you said as you started moving your hand up and down his dick again when you deemed his orgasm far away enough. "No... No... I'm not sure how much of this I can take today..." your boyfriend pleaded with you. He had such a busy day behind him, and he just wanted to cum so badly, but he knew that once you made up your mind, you were going to do whatever you wanted.

So you edged him. Again, and again, and again, and then some more. Sonny was starting to turn into a whimpering and crying mess. He was crying so much at this point that he thought he was going insane. That delicious edge was coming so close every time, but you would also deny him every time. He was whimpering, pleading for you to please let him cum. "I'm not sure I can at this point. You look so beautiful when you cry," you said with a devious smirk on your face. All Sonny could reply with was more begging. Begging you to please let him cum. That it would feel so good and that he needed it so much. You knew that you had completely broken him with pleasure at this point, so you decided to give him what he wanted.

"I can't... I can't take this anymore. Please let me cum... Please... I am so close... Pleasepleasepleaseplease-" your boyfriend whimpered and squeaked, and in this moment he just looked so delicious to you. You stopped just long enough to say, "Alright then, cum. Now what do we say when we get something we want?" you said and immediately went back to it, keeping the tip in your mouth and working the base with your hand. "I'm gonna- FUCK. FUCK. Thank you, thank you, thank you!" Sonny was pretty much screaming at this point as he released into your mouth, and your hand squeezed tighter to milk him dry of all the cum he had to give you.

All the muscles in Sonny's body relaxed as he fell back onto the couch, his breath so heavy he thought he was going to pass out. You chuckled and moved to sit on his lap, gently taking his head into your hands and running your tongue over his cheeks to lick the tears from them. "Absolutely beautiful," you whispered into his ear, and then you nuzzled your face into his neck. Sonny thought he had died and gone to heaven. The relief that washed over him was so intense. He held you close as he tried to steady his breathing.

Kaelix

Your boyfriend had been following you around the house all day, leaving some heated kisses anywhere he could. He kept whispering in your ears how badly he wanted night to come already so he could shower you in love. It would leave you blushing every time, wondering if he had something special planned for tonight. He kinda did, but he wasn't going to let you in on this little secret yet.

About a week ago, he actually made you cry after he had edged you for like 10 million times. Tears were streaming down your face, so lost to pleasure, but that orgasm being ripped away from you each time made you so frustrated and that much more sensitive. It had looked so absolutely beautiful to him, and it amplified his own pleasure as well, so he was desperate to see you fall apart like this once more.

Night came, and after the two of you had gotten ready for bed, he was quick to push you onto your back and pull you into a needy French kiss. You moaned into his mouth, wrapping your arms around him to pull him closer. "Fuck, baby. I need you so bad. And I want to make you cum so many times you'll lose count. I need to see you cry again," your boyfriend admitted, and finally, it clicked into your mind why your boyfriend had been so needy for you all day. "Now all you've been doing today makes sense. I'm not complaining in the slightest, though," you replied with a giggle as you pulled him in for another kiss.

The two of you got undressed, and your boyfriend put you into a mating press, knowing full well that that was one of your favourite positions ever. He wasted no time getting inside of you, noticing you were impatient and you just wanted to get to it already. When he pushed in in one swift motion, both of you moaned in unison. Your boyfriend started moving his hips, going faster and deeper over time. You held him close, holding on for dear life as he was dicking you down like only he could do. He knew your body so well, and he knew exactly which spots to hit to get you to let out such erotic moans that he savoured every time he heard them.

You wanted to cum so bad, and luckily for you, your boyfriend would love to do nothing more than to see you apart, and he knows just how to do it. He angles his hips downwards, making his dick rub against your clit to get you closer and closer. As you bite his shoulder, you cum hard. But your boyfriend is not done with you. He keeps moving, overstimulating you to hell and back while he attempts to give you another orgasm. Kaelix kisses you in between grunts because, dear god, he wants to cum so bad too. But he was going to hold himself back for now, until he would get you to orgasm #2.

You could feel said orgasm approaching you like a freight train, and your boyfriend could tell with how hard your pussy was sucking him in, never wanting to let go of his cock. He angled his hips downwards once more and got busy leaving a hickey on your neck. After he let go of your neck and gave you such a seductive smirk, you came once more, the bouncer following soon after. You could feel his warm and sticky seed paint your walls white, and you were on cloud nine, trying to come down from your high.

But nope, you weren't allowed to. Your boyfriend, still being firm inside of you, set his own overstimulation aside to give you another mind-blowing orgasm. So that's what he did. Over and over again until you were weeping and whimpering in overstimulation, absolutely lost in pleasure. You wanted it to stop, but at the same time, you didn't. It felt so good, and you were so delirious that you didn't know up from down. All that you knew was him, and only him.

"God, look at you crying for me, baby. You look so incredibly pretty right now, fuck-" your boyfriend said as he leaned forward to lick away your tears, which just kept spilling from your eyes. "Kaelix... I can't do it anymore... I can't... I'm... So exhausted..." you sobbed in between his harsh thrusts. You felt like you were kind of zoning out at this point, the pleasure so overwhelming that you were at the same time getting kind of desensitised to it.

"C'mon, you can give me one more, can't you? Let go just one more time. I need to feel you clamp down on my cock one more time." your boyfriend whined, him being close to tears himself from overstimulation but he would never admit it. But you could tell, you knew him too well after all. A single tear left his eye, and collecting your final strength, one hand reached up to wipe that tear away and lick it from your finger. And this was so incredibly hot to your boyfriend that he released inside of you, close to screaming your name. Feeling him fill you up sent you over the edge as well, letting out such a loud moan that sounded way whinier than you ever wanted it to.

Your boyfriend collapsed next to you and put his head onto your boobs, trying to catch his breath for a solid minute as you did the same. You were both so incredibly spent. You couldn't move a muscle. So, you were just stuck there, swimming in a pool of cum and your own release. You thought it was gross, but you had no strength left to take care of it now. Oh well, there is always tomorrow. Your boyfriend had already fallen asleep, and you followed soon after.

[shiningwonderland]

Ai Mikaze (All Star) Memorial

Memorial 01 - I refused

Translator: Nadie (Twitter: NmoniaG)

Proofreader: Raz (Twitter: agnadance)

Editors: Noemi (Twitter: dreaminbeyond)

Haruka Nanami came to me and said that she wanted to be my partner.

How unexpected.

For someone like me, who didn't want to pair up with anyone, it was a rather unwanted favor.

But in this case, it was a respectable piece of work, and the agency did have its policies.

Besides this work, there were several things to consider to see if she'd be qualified to be my partner.

If she doesn't have any potential, it's better to decline.

As soon as I got the call from the agency, I went to my room and booted up my PC. If it was a simple background check, I could do it from here.

"...It was Haruka Nanami."

I typed in the name and hit the search button.

The background information that I saw was really quite ordinary.

Normal family background, normal birthplace, raised normally, took piano lessons.

That's when she began wanting to become a composer, and passed the Saotome Academy entrance exam.

After graduation, she joined Shining Agency and gained some experience through various jobs, but her chance to debut never came.

Then at the press conference the other day, she was invited by Shining and ended up with us… it seems.

"...That's enough of a background check."

I couldn't get sufficient information out of it. It would be best to investigate the humans close to her later.

…Humans close to her. Who could they be?

I kept thinking to myself the next day as I walked down the hallway of the agency.

"Oh! Ai-chan!"

Suddenly, a voice called out to me.

"Hey, long time no see! But we might see each other more often from now on!"

"We are also starring in this upcoming movie~!"

I saw Syo and Natsuki at the resting area of the lobby. Both of them held the same handouts in their hands as I did.

"Ah, it's you two. I had just received the documents for this as well..."

"Ai, you're the lead actor, right? That's amazing! We only play small roles, but I'm glad we can be in the same movie!"

Carefree smiles flashed across Syo and Natsuki's faces.

The two of them had gathered around a table and appeared to be checking their handouts.

That reminded me that those two were Haruka Nanami's classmates.

I wanted to know more, so I approached them.

"You two haven't changed. Syo doesn't seem to have grown, either."

"H-hey! Don't talk about my height the moment we meet! But I'll let you off easy this time since I've been working out!"

Syo flexed his arm. It seemed that the special training during the Master Course bore fruit—he seemed to have gained some muscles.

As for the other one…

"Natsuki, you've been eating sweets recklessly since the end of the Master Course, haven't you?"

"Hehehe, I'm properly abstaining from sweets!"

From the looks of it, his appearance hasn't changed. Maybe it's because I drilled him on how to maintain his shape.

"I'm still using the calorie chart you gave me, Ai-chan~! That's why—look! I brought a homemade smoothie!"

He walked toward me with a large tumbler in his hand and then opened the lid.

"Hm, I'm impressed."

"It has a lot of vegetables and fruits in it, it's really healthy! It also makes your skin smooth! Ah, Syo-chan, should I teach you how to make it? It also has lots of milk and yogurt in it, so maybe it can help you grow taller?"

"No, I'll pass."

"I suppose since 'small animals' and 'beauty' are popular keywords among women, wouldn't it be good to be equipped with both as an idol?"

"You…! No, at times like these, I've learned it's less of a pain to just let things go. Yup."

As Syo nodded profoundly, I thought that this would be a good time to change the topic.

"By the way... what kind of girl is Haruka Nanami?"

"Huh?" "Nanami-san?"

Syo and Natsuki had blank stares.

I suspect they were so surprised because I was expressing interest in another person.

However, it's my top priority right now to ask them what kind of person she is.

"I can't go into any details, but I have to get to know more about her. She is... a composer, right? You both work with her frequently, and more importantly, you know each other from your academy days. So what kind of girl is she?"

"...Um, er… What kind… Well, she's normal...? She's just a regular good girl."

"A good girl, huh? What about her talent and knowledge of music? Does she have a promising future as a composer?"

"A p-promising future? Come on, don't ask me such tricky questions! Now that I think about it, she hasn't had a chance to debut yet..."

...So she's a lost cause.

As I was thinking, Syo started mumbling.

"Her music is, how can I put it... it has the power to make people happy."

"The power to make people happy?"

"That's right. She's still inexperienced, but she's also a hard worker, so she's sure to become popular."

Natsuki, who had been silent the whole time, put the tumbler to his mouth and smiled softly. Syo continued.

"By the way, have you heard the main theme song?"

"Theme song? Not yet."

"I tell you, you have to listen to the song first, then you'll get it! Talking to people is not her strong point, although she's very withdrawn, she's the type to communicate through her music."

"Hehe, that's right. Nanami-san's personality really shines through in her compositions."

"Hm, her personality, you say? Alright, I'll give her song a listen."

"Yeah, do that!"

It would be a hassle, but if I went back to the agency, I would at least be able to get a demo sample of the song.

Natsuki put the tumbler down and clapped his hands together.

"That's right! While you are at it, will you listen to my favorite song?"

"And that would be?"

Instead of answering, Natsuki pulled out his bag and started rummaging through it.

"Some time ago, Nanami-san made a song during her free time as she was helping me with a recording. Um, I think I have it on my music player... Huh?"

Natsuki restlessly rustled through his bag.

"Leave it for now. First I have to go back to the agency and try to find her song."

"In that case, I will send it to you later, Ai-chan."

Then we talked a little bit about work and that's where I left them.

After I had asked several people at the agency about her, I went back home.

Once I settled down, I listened to the song I've retrieved from the agency.

"...Not bad."

The personality that Syo and Natsuki mentioned was audible in the song, but only to the extent that I could tell that she was an earnest person.

Judging her work from a professional point of view, it had many unrefined parts, but her expressive range was wide, and she had a certain kind of originality.

Could this... have potential?

"But it's just her compositions."

I stood up and turned away from my PC.

Apart from composing, she was unremarkable. She also seemed to be a very withdrawn person.

Although she has the talent, her timidity seems to have prevented her from moving forward, which explains why she hasn't been able to debut yet.

As I had planned from the beginning, if she has no potential, I'd refuse. That would be the best solution for the both of us.

I grabbed the documents for my upcoming movie.

This was my first leading role. I had to put all my efforts into this challenge.

I had my own work to do and my own purpose to fulfill.

A partnership would only put me through the trouble of training a newcomer. Besides, I've already done that within the Master Course.

Especially in my case...

"I'll refuse."

I stopped thinking and reached for my phone.

I called the agency and informed them briefly of my refusal.

From there, she would get a call from the agency. Everything was settled. Everything was going smoothly.

I ended the call and looked at the time.

"9 PM... I need to prepare for tomorrow's work."

I had wasted a considerable amount of time. To grab the documents on the desk, I reached out my hand.

"...Uh."

I heard a rustling sound, as my hand must have knocked the papers down, they all fell to the ground.

"Ah, come on... now I have to clean this up, or it'll look just like the professor's place..."

As I was sorting through the documents I had placed on the keyboard, I noticed an email popping up.

"It's from Syo...? What could it be?"

From: Syo Kurusu This is Nanami's song. Natsuki doesn't know how to send it, so I'm doing it for him. For reference.

...Ah, so it's about the song Natsuki liked.

I decided to give it a listen and waited for the download to finish. Soon a piano accompaniment could be heard. It's a rather simple melody.

The melody played as my BGM as I continued to clean up.

"Gal-gal-gal-gal! Galpi-kun ♪ Soft and delicious! Juicy beef ♪"

Natsuki's voice rang out from the speakers.

"What...?!"

"Po-po-po-po! Pork-chan ♪ Gently smiling Piglet-san ♪"

Caught by surprise, my hands stopped while the song continued next to me. Though you could hardly call it that. It was more of a play song with a childish melody.

"Strong! Mighty! Sticky Mochi ♪ Amazing things~ The world is round ♪"

"And here I thought her compositions had potential..."

I take it back. There was no potential. Useless. What a pointless song. What were you even thinking, making him sing such a song?

The song continued. Aside from the piano and Natsuki's singing, there was another laughing voice.

Occasionally, the piano would stop and the clapping of hands could be heard instead.

"Maybe 'It sounds like fun' would be more accurate..."

With a strange feeling in my chest, I moved my hand to stop the song.

"Well... at least it seems to be popular with them."

I muttered to myself. After I finished sorting, I began the next task.

[marysdonuts]

Strangers in the Night

tourist!Seokmin x local!reader

Synopsis:

Strangers in the night exchanging glances Wondering in the night What were the chances we'd be sharing love Before the night was through

Warnings: fluff, meet cute, man hater reader, sunshine DK, crack

WC: 683

Status: part 1, (ongoing)

a/n: join my taglist to get notified about new chapters - here

擦肩而过 literally means “to brush shoulders and pass by”. To come into close contact with someone or something, but then barely miss it

You were walking in the historical center of your town, in country where people don't share glances - god forbid smiles.

Vintage sunglasses resting on your nose, shades offering a chance to sneak a peek at people passing by. Ready to judge their fashion choices or roll eyes at couples attached by the hip

Now, It was not unusual to catch men looking at you - dressed to impress, girly but with hint of elegance you looked like a doll. If it was not for your typical RBF you'd have many suitors. Didn't matter how happy or sad you felt, the expression on your face remained unshaken. Even after meeting their curious gaze men never approached you. Maybe because there was always unspoken challenge in your eyes and hint of contempt? None of them had balls big enough to try their luck

And to be honest? You didn't really care. Having unrealistically high standards the only men you were interested in were fictional. Two kingdoms to their name, chambers filled with gold, riding white stallion. The rest? Made you sick to the stomach.

That was the exact reason why he caught you off guard

Crossing the street towards alluring neon lights of Rolex store in neighbourhood you adored the most. Bustling with tourists, nice cars parked by the sidewalk, well maintained buildings offering luxuries of all kind. One eye on store window filled with watches out of your tax bracket, other eye on the cobblestones in front of you.

You almost missed him.

//

Lee Seokmin was strutting in opposite direction enjoying his first vacation in a long time.

Feet infected with happy virus tapping on the stoney ground. Taking in all the history around him. As he held up his camera to snap a photo, like an angel descending from heaven you manifested in middle of the frame. A quick click was all he managed. Your impenetrable aura blinding him. Immediately starstruck.

Click, click, click. The Leica worked overtime.

Didn't know if it was the way your hips swayed in such enchanting rhythm or the beautiful but unimpressed face... There was something that left him peeking in your direction. A glimpse lasting longer than is considered polite. If you noticed the way he was devouring all the parts of your body.. he could hardly excuse it as accidental.

//

Once you saw him looking, glance becoming a stare, making you forget all the Rolex bling. Something in his eyes was so inviting. Something in his smile was so exciting. Holding your breath at how handsome he was.

Like a beam of light entering the bitterly cold cathedral of your heart, Seokmin flashed you the most beautiful 100watt smile.

Ai, mi corazón. You didn't speak Spanish. Kokoro no doki doki. Nor Japanese. But almost folding in half right then and there, hand shooting to the chest trying to prevent cardiac arrest, somehow you managed to keep composure.

Surprised at your uncharacteristical reaction, passing by brushing shoulders, you returned his smile - unsure if he had time to witness it. Caught up in this k-drama interaction you kept moving forward, cheeks red, giggling uncontrollably

Laughing to yourself like a fool for at least thirty minutes, coming to your senses much later - fuck why didn't I stop and said hi? Now is too late to go look for him. It's funny how something small as a smile can have an impact on person.

//

Oh but he did catch that smile. Leaving him with such an adrenaline rush he took off running. You couldn't get him if you tried. Galloping like a race horse at Kentucky Derby, it took about ten kilometres before he finally stopped.

"I got so excited I forgot to even ask for her number..!" He gasped out loud, tearing up at the missed opportunity

Trying to get some kind of comfort in the unfortunate situation, he went over the photos he took of you. Biggest smile forming on his face Seokmin sent silent prayer above.

God, If you are real, let us meet again.

To be continued..