#all the more amusing by the fact i must feel Very Comfortable with someone before im willing to do hugs

[happywitch416]

We talk about cute aggression, but I would like to know if there is an official term for comfort aggression, like "im gonna hug you until all the sad is squeezed out of you".

Because thats how I am as a person, love is a promise and mostly a threat. Lol

[ilythecolorpink]

Say My Name (Suguru Geto x fem reader)

You were head of the Y/N Clan, even though your cursed technique wasn’t like the big shots. You were nicknamed the term Night Owl from the fact that your cursed technique only worked at night as you were good at secretly killing off any curses, you could camouflage in the darkness. Not only were you head of the clan, just from your technique but people couldn’t deny that you had quite a beautiful face. The fact that you were more on the taller side for a woman compared to your male counterparts. But what really brought everyone's attention were your eyes, your deep black eyes, they looked like obsidian. It felt like your eyes were like the night sky, how the it almost reminded people of the stars up above, the very things that people would wish upon. Not just that but your long sharp fingernails almost resembling talons. 

It was the year 2007, It was a cool evening with the wind brushing up against your face, with your hair almost getting in your face as you tucked your hair back against your ear as you were informed by some people that a certain person named Suguru Geto who was once a jujutsu sorcerer, now a curse user. Honestly, you were intrigued and quite amused at what you have heard. You were told by others that apparently he went insane killing his parents and massacring an unnamed village outside of Tokyo with one hundred and twelve residents all killed. You thought it was indeed vile but you knew he must have had some reason why he could do such a thing.

So, you decided to meet the man yourself as you always made it clear to want to treat everyone equally and never push anyone away. You head up the steps to the temple. You make your way past some people taking notice how many people would visit him. Many non-jujutsu sorcerers adored him, they almost saw him as a savior. You went in an empty room. You camouflaged into the beige walls to hide your appearance. You lean against the wall with your arm on across your chest and placing your elbow on your hand. Cupping the left side of your face and waiting for someone to come in. You hear the entrance open and see Geto wearing a gold-colored kasaya garment over black yukata robes.

He closes the door and stands still before looking in your direction slightly moving his head. He exclaims in a deep tone “You know it’s rude, to intrude in someone’s personal space.” You walk out of the corner, You give a chuckle and walk towards him and say amusing “It’s quite rude to disguise yourself as a Buddhist priest even though you aren’t.” He smiles as he makes his towards you, even you were tall, he still towered over you. You took a few steps back listening in to the sound of your heels. Each step you take, you feel a sense of nervousness and a bit of excitement. You feel your back get pressed to the wall. As your back is up against the wall you, you feel his body press into you. He says “Tell me, what is your business here, do you wish to join me or kill me?” You give a smile as you glide your fingers along his chest. You reply in an amused tone “Who knows, maybe I was just a little curious about you.” You then drag your finger up towards his neck to his chin. He looks at you happily with a smile from ear to ear but you can tell he is hiding something. He replies saying “Don’t forget curiosity killed the cat sweetheart.” 

You amuse yourself as you say, "I have a proposition for you." "Why don't we join forces? so that you can stay hidden at my estate in case your cover is blown. Furthermore, I can find any curses in the meantime and let you know about them." "You give a good enough offer, but what do you get out of it?" he asks, raising an eyebrow. "I don't need anything, nor do I want anything; I just want to help someone," you shrug. He looks at you, perplexed, but curious as to why. "And by the way, if it gives you comfort, you don't have to worry about your daughters; if they need anything, I will personally see to it that they get what they want," you say afterwards.

You can see that he is a little surprised by the widening of his eyes, which precedes a smile that says, "Very well, I will accept your offer." You slide your finger off his shoulders and give him a soft smile as you walk around the door to exit. As you utter the words "I hope we can meet again pretty boy," you turn your head slightly. While you speak, you sense a hold on your hand. "Say my name, darling", as Geto takes hold of your hand. "Why do you want me to say your name?" you ask, blush starting to appear on your cheeks. "Because that's only name, you will be screaming," he whispers into your ear as he approaches you from behind and feels your back against his chest.

A/N: I'm so sorry for not writing anything. I'm not that confident with this but I hope some may enjoy. I love you all so much and I hope you have a good day/night.

[siancore]

A/N: A Not My Cap era one-shot. Sam's dealing with the people who are against him with diplomacy. Bucky, on the other hand, is ready to bust heads open.

Content: Language; implied violence; anti-Cap!Sam sentiments.

Words: 2.2K

Read on AO3

It was more of a courtesy that Bucky went with the law enforcement officers. He could very easily have overpowered them, hurt them, and got away. Bucky was not eager to be locked away again. He had spent a whole lifetime locked away and controlled. However, he did not want to run, either. He had been running for so long. Even before he was sent off to war. Running from what his father wanted for him. Running from a society that did not accept him. And sometimes, running from himself. Never again.

The holding cell was like every other he had seen in his life. Plain colored walls. Government issued paint. Probably less lead than predecessors used. Close enough to Soviet issue that it made Bucky’s skin crawl.

The chair they sat him on was uneven. Textbook prisoner intimidation tactic. Do not let them get comfortable before an interrogation. The cuffs around his wrist were a formality. They had to know that if he wanted to break them, and the walls, that he could. He was doing this for Sam, not for them. Just as he glanced at the too-loud ticking clock on the wall above the door, someone stepped inside.

“Sergeant Barnes,” they said, before taking a seat opposite him; the screeching of the chair against the cold concrete grated on him. “Wanna tell me what happened?”

“I did your job,” said Bucky in a flat tone. “I neutralized an assailant who had come to the event to attack Captain America.”

The officer looked down at the arrest sheet, and then back up at Bucky.

“You assaulted an unarmed civilian.”

“They were there to hurt Captain America. I did my civic duty and stepped in before it escalated while your bulls all stood back and let it happen. Sam Wilson is safe, that’s all that matters.”

A thick, heavy silence passed between them as Bucky looked into their eyes. He was resolute in his conviction that he had taken the right course of action. That he had protected Sam. To hell with the repercussions.

“Well, Sergeant Barnes, your obvious fondness for Captain America notwithstanding, it wasn’t the best thing to do and you must know that. You’re lucky the Air Force stepped in and their intelligence officer found some online rants posted by the man you attacked, otherwise you’d be up shit creek without a paddle.”

“I’ve been in worse places,” he said, while raising his wrists and rattling the chains. “Now, can I go?”

…..

“It was some rotten eggs, Buck,” said Sam as he took a seat on the sofa; Bucky busied himself looking for something in the fridge.

“They were projectiles aimed at you,” he replied in a matter-of-fact manner as he brought a cold beer over for Sam.

“So, you break the guy’s face?” taking the open bottle and sipping from it.

“It was an open-handed slap,” said Bucky as he took a seat next to Sam; he was close enough to feel the heat emanating from Sam’s body and it was calming and distracting. “He’ll live.”

Sam shook his head and let out a small somewhat amused huff.

“You could’ve gotten in real trouble.”

“I’ve done worse,” said Bucky flatly. “A lot worse. Me roughing up some asshole who decided to come to your event and toss eggs at you ain’t high on the James Bucky Barnes shit list. Like I said: I’ve done worse. And that little punk is lucky he didn’t do anything to hurt you, because me slapping him across the face on national television would be the least of his worries.”

“Bucky, he was a kid.”

“He was the same age as Torres,” Bucky retorted. “Look, I don’t have patience or grace for disrespectful pricks. Especially when that disrespect is aimed at you, Sam.”

The pair stared at one another a beat. Sam’s eyes softened and that sight made Bucky’s chest tighten in that all too familiar way; it was more frequent with every moment they spent together. Sam smiled a little and then placed his hand to Bucky’s forearm. The warmth of Sam’s touch spread through his body, warming him to his core.

“You’re so old-fashioned sometimes,” said Sam softly. “Out here defending my honor. It’s sweet.”

Bucky was highly conscious of the gentle rubbing of the pad of Sam’s thumb against his skin. It was infinitesimal and someone less in-tune with Sam may not have picked up on it. And maybe Sam was unaware that he was doing it, but Bucky could feel it. Sam was a tactile person. He used touch to drive home his point when communicating. He used it to relate to people and to be amicable. He used it offer comfort. The small gesture was calming to Bucky, but it was driving him crazy. Sam had to know the effect he had on Bucky. If the whole debacle with the protestor was not proof enough of what Bucky would do for Sam because of his feelings for Sam, then the way his heart was threatening to break out of his chest when Sam was soft with him should have given something away. Bucky went to say something, but Sam continued to speak.

“I appreciate it,” said Sam, giving Bucky’s arm a small squeeze. “I really do. Saving me from poultry products and over-zealous misinformed youth? Makes my inner-damsel-in-distress swoon.”

They both let out a little laugh as Sam shifted slightly so that he was facing Bucky head on.

“But I don’t want you to get in trouble, Buck,” Sam added sincerely. “You can’t put your hands on every single asshole that disagrees with me wearing the stars and stripes, because, newsflash: They’re everywhere and I’m not that special.”

Bucky narrowed his eyes. Did Sam really have no idea how special he was?

“Yeah, well, you are to me,” Bucky blurted out without thinking; that happened a lot when Sam’s sunny focus was levelled on him – his brain did not tell his mouth what to do.

Sam bit his lip and then offered Bucky a sweet smile. Nothing like his bright beams that sent Bucky’s head spinning. That smile was shy.

“You’re special to me, too,” said Sam so quietly it was like a whisper. “That’s why I don’t want you jeopardizing your recovery and yourself for me. I don’t want them to lock you up. I – kinda need you in my life right now. I definitely need you in my life.”

Bucky’s brain made his mouth stop working in that moment. The whole scenario was beginning to resemble one of his more elaborate fantasies that he only allowed in the most private moments. Sam Wilson was sitting in his apartment telling him he needed him. Except, unlike his fantasies that ended in Bucky cupping Sam’s face and kissing him, Bucky was sitting there staring and not saying a word.

“Bucky?” asked Sam after a while. “You okay?”

Bucky blinked a few times in quick succession and managed, “Yeah. Sorry. What did you say?”

“You sure you’re okay?”

“I am. I just – what did you say?”

“I need you?”

“What does that mean? You need me as a partner or co-worker? How? I gotta know. My brain – my brain needs things to be clear. How do you need me?”

The concern that had filled Sam’s eyes fell away and was replaced by something Bucky had never seen before: It was some type of fear – nothing overt, just a flash of panic.

“I – I need you as my partner and co-worker,” said Sam a little shakily, and Bucky’s heart sank.

The look of anguish must have been scrawled all over Bucky’s face because Sam’s expression changed to one of distress to a soft look as he continued to speak.

“I need you as the guy who’s got my six when we’re on a mission,” said Sam, with his hand still holding on to Bucky’s arm; the gentle rubbing gave way to more pronounced circling. “I need you there jumping out of planes after me, even if you do it without a chute. I need you there to bring store-bought cakes to the cookout. I need you to toss the shield around with me in my family’s backyard. I need you to help on the boat and make sure I don’t annoy Sarah too much that she might think of pushing me overboard.”

Sam let out a little huff of a laugh and Bucky sat there staring at him and not saying a word.

“I need you there being your annoying self. I need you on my left. I need you on my right. I need you to protect me from people throwing eggs even if I don’t say so out loud.”

Sam let his head dip for a moment. He averted his gaze as he seemed in deep contemplation, and then said, “I need you to get through all of this.”

Bucky’s heart was in his throat as he reached his hand over, placed his fingers under Sam’s chin, and tilted his head up.

“I need you, too,” said Bucky, finally finding the words to say. “More than that.”

He paused to take a steadying breath.

“I want to be there withyou. I wanna be the one who has your six on missions. I want to jump outta planes after you. I wanna bring food to your family functions and be around your family and spend time with you in your hometown. It’s the only place I’ve felt settled and at peace – with you.”

Sam’s eyes looked wet as he smiled at Bucky.

“God, I want to be there annoying you, too,” Bucky added and they both laughed quietly. “I wanna be on the boat with you. I want to – I have to – protect you. From poultry products. From hostiles shooting at us. From those pricks in the comments section. I might not be able to stop all of them, but I’ll try. And you may not think that you’re special, but you are. And not because of that shield. Not because of the uniform. Not because the polls of the week say so or because you’re on the cover of GQ. You’re special because you’re a brother and an uncle and a friend. And you’re the best man I have ever known.”

“Wow,” said Sam, placing his free hand to his chest. “What does that mean? My brain needs to be clear on things, too.”

Bucky shifted so that he was facing Sam head on. He moved his arm so that he could take hold of Sam’s hand in his. He ran his thumb over Sam’s knuckles and stared into his eyes.

“It means I need you.”

Sam held his breath.

“It means I want you.”

Bucky’s gaze dropped to Sam’s lips for a second, before returning to his eyes.

“And it means I love you.”

Sam’s mouth fell open in surprise as Bucky added just above a whisper, “I’m in love with you, Sam. And I understand if you don’t feel the same, and I don’t want this to change anything between us because being at your side is important to me, I just wanted you to know why I made a big deal over that kid throwing eggs. I just, I love you so much –”  

“I love you, too!” Sam cut in. “God, Bucky. I’m in love with you, too. I just thought. I mean, we’re partners and co-workers and –”

“Wait, you love me back?” asked Bucky, looking confused.

“Yes. I love you back.”

“You love me?”

“Yes.”

“Why?”

“Because it’s really hard not to,” said Sam in earnest. “You’re the best man I know.”

A beat of silence fell over them as they let the revelations and feelings settle inside. Bucky brought his hand up to cup Sam’s cheek gently; he held him carefully as if he was afraid to break him. Sam smiled sweetly at Bucky and leaned into the touch. He felt held and cared for. Both their hearts were thundering inside their chests as they sat staring at one another.

Bucky ran the pad of his thumb over the small scar under Sam’s eye and said, “God, you’re so beautiful.”

“Thank you,” Sam murmured, a shy expression washing over his handsome features.

“Please let me kiss you,” Bucky replied, just as quietly. “Please, Sam, can I kiss you?”

Sam bit his lip, smiled, and said, “Yeah.”

Bucky let out a joyful little breath and then leaned in to close the distance. His lips met Sam’s in an easy, unhurried kiss. His head was swimming as he relished in the velvety softness of Sam’s firm, sure lips against his. Sam wanted him. Sam wanted what he wanted. They wanted one another; wanted to be there for one another. As they deepened the kiss, and Sam found his way into Bucky’s lap, nothing else mattered in that moment. Not the people who threw eggs at Sam, both literally and metaphorically. Not the angry few who could not see past their own hate. Not the politicians or the governments who wanted Sam to do their bidding. What mattered was that Sam Wilson was safe in Bucky Barnes’ arms away from the cameras and the flashing lights; away from the terror and blood. Even if for a brief moment, Sam was safe, and that was what mattered the most. Sam loving Bucky back was a bonus.

[f1crecs]

'Megaverse Monday - Week five

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did you know that this fandom has one of the highest percentages of a/b/o content? join us as we celebrate the fandom’s incredible omegaverse works every ’megaverse monday. 🤍

Logan/Oscar

nsfw: this is your life, don't play hard to get by @nothingelsematterswrites | E | 79.8k

Regency AU in which Oscar is the adopted omega son of alpha Mark Webber (who is in a closeted relationship with alpha David Coulthard). Oscar must marry and produce an heir in order to secure his future. Mark arranges a match with Logan, the second son of an American family.

What I liked about it: This fic is delightful, leaning into a number of my favourite tropes, especially arranged marriage and found family. Oscar is less than enthused about Logan to begin with. Poor Logan is head over heels for Oscar almost immediately. I also love the Webber household dynamics. Mark is a wonderful father (as is David, behind the scenes) and Logan, who is from a far less loving family, gains the affection and parental support he didn’t even know he was missing.

“And that will mean,” Mark’s tone was warm and teasing, “that there must be no more late-night visits, at least for now.” Oscar sat up, all trace of sleepiness evaporating in panic. “What?” His heart was pounding. His father knew? If his father knew, others might know. He could not have word getting out, he could not afford rumours to start – “Calm yourself, Oscar,” Mark soothed. “I am not upset.” “How - ” Oscar could barely speak through his panic. “How did you - ” Mark’s expression was amused. “You say you have known since you were twelve the truth of what lies between David and I, and yet you have never seen me go to my bedchamber with him; how do you think he comes to my room? He saw Logan the very first night. He is the only other who knows.”

Pierre/Yuki

baby, baby, can you hear me calling out your name? by yukierres | M | 7.6k

This fic is set a few years into the future. Pierre is an omega, a fact he conceals from almost everyone other than Charles, Esteban and his doctors. Yuki is an alpha, now well established at Mercedes, and Pierre has been attracted to him for years. Pierre is caught unawares by an early, intense heat and in confusion and distress he instinctively calls Yuki.

What I liked about it: I just love the relationship here. Yuki is calm and kind in the face of Pierre’s distress and anxiety, and Pierre finds support where he didn’t expect to find it. Pierre is very much in his own head about his omega status and he’s overdue to let someone in.

Fuck, his secret is out too. He can feel the anxiety and panic rising up through him, his body shutting down as he starts hyperventilating at the thought. What does he do now? He has kept it hidden for so long, and he has one moment of weakness and it was all for nothing. What if Yuki says something? He could lose his seat, his career - merde! The tears flow thick and fast, the sobs hiccuping out of his system as he starts to mourn the loss of everything already, too stressed out to notice the figure entering the room and sitting down at the end of the bed, a strong hand reaching out and resting on his ankles, a comforting weight that wakes him up to reality. “Yuki!,” he exclaims with a strangled cry, crawling up to the pillows, dragging the duvet with him to cover his modesty, or whatever is left of it. God, Yuki came and saw him like that. Did Yuki – ? His clothes from before are still all on and sweat-damp, it doesn’t feel like someone removed them at any point. He wouldn’t, would he? Yuki would never do that, he has always been so respectful to everyone around him, omega or not. He instinctively knows he never would touch him without consent, and trusts him wholeheartedly. “Yuki, please - please -, I am so sorry, merde! Mon Dieu! Please, you have to forgive - please don’t say anything -” he stumbles out, a wrangled confused mess of speech falling from his lips in panic. "Pierre," he says and it's so full of kindness that Pierre is bewildered by it, silencing him momentarily to stare back at him “I made you some tea? Do you feel well enough to drink it?”

Charles/Pierre

blueprint by ions | M | 1.9k

Charles has always thought he's a beta, but then he suddenly presents as an omega, and there's only one alpha he wants. The "thought I was a beta, until..." trope is one of my personal favourites for omegaverse, and it's captured perfectly for Piarles in this fic. I love the way this fic paints such a vivid picture of the omegaverse F1 world, and the detail it builds into the characterisation and worldbuilding. The writing style is toned-down but so very effective, and this author captures the nuances of Pierre and Charles' relationship in a way that's truly beautiful. I still think of some of the lines in this fic as cornerstones for characterisation of the Piarles dynamic!

Pierre looks surprised for a split-second, like Charles isn't spread out beneath him. Like he hasn't just needed to ask this whole time. Pierre nods, brow furrowed like it always does when he's bothered with something, whether it was an issue with the karts as kids or more political in-fighting from inside Red Bull. Charles can't help but reach out and gently touch the skin there, Pierre's face finally relaxing. "Please," Charles says again. He hates how whiny it comes out, like a little kid tugging his big brother's sleeve again. When Pierre had jumped to single-seaters early, Charles hated being just Pierre's little friend when he went to the races. Charles doesn't know why. He has always been Pierre's.

thanks to @lydia-petze and @singsweetmelodies for compiling this weeks list! 🤍

[beneathashadytree]

BOREDOM - CLAVIS LELOUCH X READER

Warnings : mentions of Clavis’ terrible coping mechanisms, reader is gender-neutral!

Genre : fluff and hurt/comfort <3

Word count : 1.6K words (oops!)

Additional notes : Dedicating this to @venulus, whose adoration for Clavis is infectious in the best way🫶🏽

Tip jar if you’d like to buy me a Ko-Fi!

Masterlist

“Clavis,” they sighed, exasperation evident on every inch of their face, “What have you done this time?”

“Nothing,” came his cheery reply, though it was anything but reassuring. The grin on his face (though they couldn’t see it, they could perfectly well hear it in his voice) was the one that always came after he’d unleashed mayhem somewhere on the palace grounds, and the way he clung to them like white on rice was exactly like he often did to try and soften them up to get away with it.

“You’re practically squeezing me to death,” they pointed out, trying to wiggle their way out of his tight embrace and to push his face away from nuzzling into their neck from behind, but to no avail.

“Oh, to die in the arms of a lover.” Clavis sounded wistful as he dramatically sighed, his breath tickling their neck. “Wouldn’t that be the most forthright declaration of love?”

“I have no intentions of dying so young, thank you very much!” And with that, they practically ripped his arms off them, mentally preparing themself for the distraught expression that would surely welcome them as soon as they turned to face him. Still, they gave him no chance to guilt-trip them with his sad eyes and miserable pout. “Out with it. Who’s the victim tonight?”

“I wouldn’t call them a victim—“

“Clavis.”

“—not if they were practically asking for it—“

“I’m going to have to force it out of you, aren’t I?”

“—being so defenseless, it’s laughable, really—“

“This could be a horrible preface to many crimes. You’re really not helping your case right now.”

“—but anyways, it’s all in good nature. Fun and no hard feelings, and all that.”

His offhand attitude as he spoke made them realize that it must’ve been someone whose reactions he’d already memorized to the point that they were barely amusing anymore. “It was poor Yves again, wasn’t it?”

“Quite the easy target, I must say.” Clavis clicked his tongue in what seemed to be genuine disappointment, waving his hand as he settled back further into the sofa. “No shock value whatsoever anymore, when you check on your pits before bed to find the same person down the biggest, most obvious hole every night.”

Perhaps they were more exhausted than they’d initially thought they were, because they certainly didn’t put up much of a fight when he tugged them by the arm and sent them tumbling right on top of him. In fact, they only leaned back into his chest, and let him gently caress the soft skin of their thigh to his heart’s content.

They pondered his words and blasé attitude for a few moments, before finally—and carefully—speaking up. “You’re rather bored, aren’t you?”

Their prince stilled his (increasingly risqué, if the direction his fingers were trailing to was any indication) motions for a beat, then turned to them with a smile—the sort they absolutely loathed for how stiff it really was, compared to the usual lovely one of his that he’d only ever blessed them since they’d made him truly, deeply, incandescently happy.

“Implying that I’ve lost my touch, are we? I’ll have you know, nothing’s ever boring when I’m around.”

Shaking their head, their expression began to morph to one of genuine concern. “I asked you if you were bored. Not if you were boring, God forbid.”

What felt like an hour but was probably only a few minutes passed without a single word slipping out of Clavis’ mouth. If his heart hadn’t been pounding rather erratically against their back, they would’ve thought he’d never even heard them. But they knew him well enough to recognize the turmoil inside him that was ripping him apart:

To be honest and bare one’s most safeguarded vulnerabilities? Or to simply hide behind a curtain of falsehoods and niceties that he’d always wrapped himself in?

The choice was all his, and their patience in waiting for his answer went to show just how deeply they cherished him and every little lie and every cracked truth he’d ever told. He was invaluable in their eyes.

When he spoke up again, it was so quietly that they had to strain their ears to hear what he said—and even then, they had trouble believing what he’d actually said.

“Well, I didn’t want to offend you.”

But they had indeed heard him, and it was no use pretending that they hadn’t. As they’d not-so-easily found out (after dealing with his antics for so long, of course), the best tactic to approach Clavis was to hang on to his every word—that is, whenever he granted them the chance to peer into the windows of his soul that he’d obscured for so long.

“But why would admitting that offend me?”

Golden eyes looked away from them, a rare look of shame slipping through them for just a half-second before they cleared. After all, he’d long mastered the art of hiding his every thought behind a façade built on half-lies and crooked truths.

“How would you have felt if I’d told you that, despite having you around all the time, things still felt tedious?” When Clavis laughed this time, it felt more derisive than anything. He still wouldn’t meet their eyes, and that sent a pang resounding in their chest. “I’d never had trouble amusing myself before. So why now of all times?”

Pausing for a moment, they tried to clarify without looking away from him, in hopes of encouraging him to return their gaze—though if the ashamed look on his face was anything to go by, he wouldn’t be doing that anytime soon, if things weren’t cleared up fast. “So… you thought I might’ve taken it personally?”

“I suppose so, yes.”

“Clavis,” they sighed for the umpteenth time (it felt like this was all they’d ever done lately, but that was to be expected when dating the resident hellcat of Rhodolite, who just happened to double as the most wickedly charming man in all the land). “Do you want to hear what I think?”

Pursing his lips, he nodded. Inhaling deeply, they reached out to finally return the embrace they’d struggled so far to express how much they delighted in—but now, it seemed like he was in need of seeing just how much they cherished his every gesture.

“For starters, I would never—get offended by how you feel, that is. That would be terribly self-centered of me. No one should have the right to invalidate how you feel.” They gave him a pointed look before he could even protest. “Not even me. Actually, especially not me.”

“Noted.”

“Look at me, darling.” Maybe it was the tender but firm tone carried by their words, or maybe it was the sweet petname that had surprised him with its unexpected candidness, but for whatever reason, Clavis was unable to do anything but oblige them, and finally turned his wavering gaze to them. Reaching up to gently cradle his face in their hands, they spoke up again.

“You’ve spent your entire life striving to make a name for yourself, and doing your utmost to stand out. It almost felt like you were keeping yourself busy enough to ignore how you were feeling. A commendable show of strength, but not a very sustainable act.”

A flash of shock and thinly-concealed hurt crossed Clavis’ face at their words, then it disappeared before they could acknowledge it—though they still wouldn’t have taken it back, if it meant that they could reach him. They had to get this point across, before he ended up stifling every single negative emotion into numbness. And so they went on.

“Now that—and do excuse my rightful conceit in saying this—you’ve finally let someone in, you’re getting used to living a slower-paced life, one where less and less ridiculously high expectations are chasing after you.” They huffed out a laugh, thumbs gently stroking his warming cheeks. “If anything, I’m actually glad you’ve got enough time on your hands to feel bored in the first place.”

“But it feels agitating, sitting around with nothing to do,” Clavis groaned, momentarily shutting his eyes, before his gaze turned piercing once more. “I just can’t.”

“Then I’ll fill up your schedule. I’ll stick to you and drag you around everywhere I wanted us to go to.” Cheekily pinching his cheeks, they smiled up at their beloved prince, who was so uncharacteristically melancholic. All they wanted was to see him brilliantly beaming once again. “You’ll be complaining of blisters on your feet when it’s time for bed every night, and I’ll be begging you to shut up and quit whining in no time at all, before planning our next outing.”

Clavis looked almost seriously affronted at that, though his squeeze to their flesh showed that he was only trying to humorously pick himself up. “I’d never complain! What kind of prince would I be, if I turned into a useless lump after a bit of walking? And what sorry excuse of a lover would I be, acting the exact opposite of dashing in front of you?”

“You’d just be perfectly in-character, if you ask me.”

“How dare you!” His gasp and exclamation of offense only lasted a half-second, before he was carefully asking a question. “On another note, would our plans happen to include sneaking out and driving Sariel to the brink of insanity over suddenly not finding a single trace of us?”

They rolled their eyes (though they both knew that there was absolutely no malice in that half-hearted gesture), before belatedly realizing that they’d give in to pretty much every single whim and fancy of his, if he looked at them with as much tentative adoration as he did now. “Yes, Clavis, we’ll do it all behind his back.”

A delighted laugh escaped him, and they couldn’t help the way their heart raced at the sight of him looking at them so warmly, like they’d just hung the moon and the stars in his ever-dark night sky. “Dearie me, you really are my wicked accomplice.”

Taglist: —

[halothenthehorns]

Chapter 1: THE STOLEN CHARIOT

Percy felt the slight shake to his arm, the swirling heavy warmth of sleep leaving him with a sense of happiness. He didn't dream here, which he suspected was the only reason he hadn't been driven nuts yet by getting full rest, but he missed it a lot too. Even if they were horrible visions, just to see where everybody he yearned to be with so much was.

His heavy eyes fluttered, he saw the blonde hair and smiled, thinking it was Annabeth there to call him a drool swamp and they had activities to get to as he tried to slur something together.

"Don't worry Magnus, he'll learn his genders eventually," a surprising female voice instead said close by, and he blinked the last of the fog away to see it was Magnus's exasperated face leaning back. Percy wiped at his sticky chin and muttered an apology to Annabeth's cousin to hide his longing and confusion and mild anger at her hadn't vanished with a nice nap.

"Want some soup?" Magnus offered in a clear offer to change the subject, a steaming mug of something very good smelling in his other hand.

"Yeah," Percy croaked, taking it and sipping the warmth at once to keep that feeling in place all the same.

Time had passed, though he couldn't guess how much as always as he fumbled for the spoons handle and really dug in. He looked around to see Thalia and Jason by the door, laughing and teasing each other about something he was sure, though he couldn't tell from this far away. They were mirroring each other in an odd way, the more energized they got into their topic the more they both kept snapping their fingers before they spoke in an almost eureka moment. It was odd, Thalia's close proximity must be affecting Jason when he did it too.

Will and Nico were right where they'd been, still whispering and sitting very close together like Paul and his Mom on the couch while Percy's eyes were glued to the TV ignoring them.

Magnus and Alex were still hovering in front of him, like they weren't sure if it was safe to leave and he was eating in his sleep or something, but they were signing to each other. It was pretty entertaining to watch, they made large exaggerated faces and were using the gestures slow enough Percy amused himself for quite a few minutes trying to guess what a few could mean before Thalia finally smacked Jason and announced they needed to move on before she started burying bodies with only affection for it in her tone.

As Jason made to pick up the dark red book with an orange five on the spine, it looked a little misshapen, which explained why another book fell out of its pages like someone had tried to cram them together.

It was the brightest book of the bunch being daisy yellow, as well as the smallest. The thin amount of pages was almost as disconcerting as the whole set. What happened in this one that was so important it was included but not attached to any of the others? On the spine was just three symbols instead of any numbers. A chariot, a dragon, and a sword, none of which needed much translation for how this was going to go.

"Err," Jason said loudly, holding it up for the others inspection.

"I say we go for it?" Thalia offered when Nico swallowed but didn't duck his head or start screaming. It felt odd to get a say in if they wanted what they were sure this was about to be revealed, for once. It wasn't even vital to Percy's last adventure that they knew of. It was just the fact that, this wasn't horrible. She liked sharing her life with her brother, even if Jason didn't know that's what was happening. It was far easier to have this explained for her than trying to put all this together herself.

Nico felt the exact same way. He shrugged and gestured for them all to get comfortable with no feeling of fear for once. He found himself looking forward to what Will and Alex were going to say about the Underworld more and more, and what had been going through Percy's mind with a clear head instead of his old fantasies which were fading from his mind more every day.

"Okay," Jason grinned, clearly just happy to be involved at all as he flopped back into his beanbag and read, "The Stolen Chariot."

"Uh," Thalia and Nico said together, exchanging startled looks. There had been no chariot when they were kidnapped by Persephone.

"Who is Percy stealing a chariot from?" Magnus asked in instant concern who he pissed off this time.

"What kind of chariot?" Alex asked with devilish delight, instantly hoping it was Apollo's.

"Why is Percy stealing a chariot?" Will sighed.

"All questions and more that shall be answered in the following order," Percy said while raising two fingers. "Shut, up." Percy said as casually as ever, sitting comfortably in his seat and knocking back the last of his soup, as unbothered as ever at his life on full display. Whether it was a side adventure with his friends or an odd, out of context day shopping with his mom, it was another day of his life he was getting back. If he didn't show an ounce of unease for this mystery, Jason didn't bother to hesitate a second more.

"Pfft," Thalia scoffed, "none of us could go a sentence living like that."

I was in fifth-period science class when-

"Hey, wait a second," Jason spluttered, unable to even get through a whole sentence before he looked around at Percy and Nico. "Does this take place before or after your birthday?"

Percy could feel his mind scrambling for the answer like a pop quiz at his intensity, he panicked and blurted the first thing that came to mind, "Tuesday!"

Thalia sighed and rubbed her temple while Will gave Percy an understanding smile and Jason looked mollified.

"Sorry," Percy shook himself as he vaguely realized that wasn't the right answer, "um, what was that?"

Jason started to repeat himself before Percy nodded and said, "yeah, after." Then he shivered at the suggestion of what Nico thought was the way to win...then he tapped his mind in frustration at feeling like he was missing something. He'd spent some good times at camp, but there was like a glitch in his mind. Ants? Bronze? Odd smell? Was he having a seizure?

"Are you going to share with the class?" Alex tried her hardest not to demand, but it was a struggle.

Percy and Nico exchanged looks, then Percy felt a sharp stabbing pain in his temple anew, making him hiss and causing the room to tremble as his mind tried to race around every avenue of that connected memory without assistance.

"Percy said he'd think about it," Nico offered. "Nothing was decided that night. Ms. Jackson was delightful and Mr. Blowfis shoved all of the left overs into my hands without taking no for an answer when I tried to leave, while Tyson spent the evening asking what every appliance in the kitchen did. A typical night there I'm sure."

Percy was smiling and relaxed again by the end, very unlike that evening, but a soothing balm on his conscience to have the rest of the night restored in such detail that it didn't take any part of him to offer. He was suddenly very grateful for whatever these other days were going to be, all the better to not think about that for a few moments more.

He also failed to mention as well as Nico had how resistant he'd initially been to the idea. He'd eaten that cake in three bites on Percy's windowsill and tried to just dish out the information and depart like some demon carrier pigeon, but Percy had insisted he wanted more explanation and there was more cake.

Nico's resistance had crumbled, but it was a reluctant kid who shuffled in the doorway and stayed in the shadows. Percy remembered wondering when was the last time he'd been around other people, if it was because they were mortals or so much older or just had flesh.

His mom had of course brought him right into the light and fawned over him so much Nico had been smiling like Percy hadn't seen in a long time.

Percy really hoped to push past all that...unless they were going to be focused on that topic before he had to start the war in this mini book? And this was him and Nico doing research into-

"They told you to call them Sally and Paul at least five times Nico," Percy instead went back to teasing and talking to him like normal. Far more normal even than ever before, just a casual friend.

"And it sounds rude and I can't make myself do it when she hugs me like that," Nico shrugged with his arms crossed. He wasn't sure he'd ever want to go back there, it was the warmest place he'd ever been to. It had given him whiplash that night from so long without anything like that and he was sure if he ever went there again he'd burrow into the hall closet and refuse to ever leave.

Nico noticed the hints of jealousy on all of their faces except Thalia, who was nodding in understanding, which was also very strange. Of the myriad of emotions he kept expecting to be on the receiving end of, that was never one of them, but he got it simply for meeting the famous Sally Jackson.

Jason sighed and muttered about getting through this as he went back to the tiny book, visions of blue cake he could have easily pulled from the fridge just not enough.

I heard these noises... SCREECH! "HIYA!"

"A ninja is fighting a bird?" Magnus tried to say with confidence, but it still sounded like a question.

"Heeya is almost yeehaw backwards, maybe it's a cowboy trapped in a mirror verse," Alex said with her usual full confidence of putting the strangest words of man into the world.

Like somebody was getting attacked by possessed poultry, and, believe me, that's a situation I've been in before.

Will sighed and rubbed at his ear again. He really hated those stupid stymphalian birds.

Nobody else seemed to notice the commotion. We were in the lab, so everybody was talking, and it wasn't hard for me to go look out the window while I pretended to wash out my beaker.

Sure enough, there was a girl in the alley with her sword drawn. She was tall and muscular like a basketball player, with stringy brown hair and jeans, combat boots and a denim jacket.

"Clarisse?" Percy demanded along with everybody else around him.

"I did not make up a description of a random person," Jason promised as he composed himself past his shock quick enough. Just because the last time he'd heard of Clarisse leaving camp she'd blown a cannon at a hydra and then had her own ship blown up and was then almost eaten by a cyclops over a firey pit didn't mean explosions followed her everywhere...it was just a really bad combination with Percy's also steller ability to cause explosions and fires wherever he went!

She was hacking at a flock of black birds the size of ravens.

Alex smiled with interest if any Norse myths were going to crossover like last time when a Roman god had been in that Labyrinth. Surely their excursion in this place at the bottom of the ocean couldn't be the first instance of their worlds overlapping.

Feathers stuck out of her clothes in several places. A cut was bleeding over her left eye. As I watched, one of the birds shot a feather like an arrow, and it lodged in her shoulder. She cursed and sliced at the bird, but it flew away.

"Should I feel bad that's kind of cool," Nico grinned.

"Clarisse would either body slam you to the floor or nod her approval depending on where her pride sat," Thalia shrugged in agreement; so the answer was he didn't really feel that bad at all anyways.

Unfortunately, I recognized the girl. It was Clarisse, my old enemy from demigod camp.

Causing the others to laugh in surprise and Jason to even lean behind Thalia to pat him on the shoulder as he said, "look at you finally learning to use that phrase right! She actually is your very first enemy, and you are old enough to have an old enemy now!"

"It really does just take a few years for any lesson to sink into his brain," Thalia rolled her eyes in agreement.

"I will throw feathers at all of you if you don't stop mocking my poor, innocent younger self," Percy sighed, causing even more laughter at the poor, innocent, pathetic threat instead while Percy joined in.

Clarisse usually lived at Camp Half-Blood year-round. I had no idea what she was doing on the Upper East Side in the middle of a school day, but she was obviously in trouble. She wouldn't last much longer.

I did the only the thing I could.

"Mrs. White," I said, "can I go to the restroom? I feel like I'm going to puke."

You know how teachers tell you the magic word is please? That's not true. The magic word is puke. It will get you out of class faster than anything else.

"Write that down, write that down!" Alex mock hissed at Jason like she was getting the secret to life.

"Don't have to tell me twice," Jason laughed in agreement.

"I bet she's worse than others too," Will grinned. "Mrs. White, let me guess, she's a huge germaphobe too."

"Yep," Percy agreed, which was kind of strange for a science teacher to freak out any time a kid so much as sneezed.

"I want to know if that's universal," Will said saintly. "I haven't tried that on Chiron."

"You slacker, I had more faith in you," Percy told him in mild disappointment.

"Go!" Mrs. White said.

I ran out the door, stripping off my safety goggles, gloves and lab apron. I got out my weapon – a ballpoint pen called Riptide.

"And here I was just thinking you should probably live in that getup," Thalia snorted. "You cause enough messes you might as well run around in safety gear!"

"I looked like a discount mad scientist," Percy sighed. "And all we were doing was learning how to burn water, I wasn't exactly at risk of my life."

There was an odd moment of concerned silence before Thalia said, "um, Percy, only you could burn water, the rest of us boil it."

"Yeah, I thought so to," he grinned. He couldn't remember every detail of the lecture they'd gotten before hand, something about hydrogen and energy and junk, but it was cool to see and he was glad he had before Clairsse showed up.

Nobody stopped me in the halls. I exited by the gym. I got to the alley just in time to see Clarisse smack a devil bird with the flat of her sword like she was hitting a home run. The bird squawked and spiralled away, slamming against the brick wall and sliding into a trashcan. That still left a dozen more swarming around her.

"Clarisse!" I yelled.

"Didn't you learn your lesson about that," Will sighed, looking as close to strangling Percy as he ever did. "Last time she got bowled over by Bad Cow Number One crashing into her and you broke your ankle, nearly setting our camp on fire!"

"You need to pay more attention Will," Percy said with a smirk. "We've just established I've only now started using the word old right, you think I'm going to remember something that happened years ago? About Clarisse!"

"He's got you there Will," Nico chuckled while Will sighed in defeat.

She glared at me in disbelief. "Percy? What are you doing –"

She was cut short by a volley of feather arrows that zipped over her head and impaled themselves in the wall.

"This is my school," I told her.

"Just my luck," Clarisse grumbled, but she was too busy fighting to complain much.

"To much," Alex noted with interest. "So she did complain a little and you just blocked it out."

"Something I've always been very good at no matter my age," Percy assured.

I uncapped my pen, which grew into a metre-long bronze sword, and joined the battle, slashing at the birds and deflecting their feathers off my blade. Together, Clarisse and I sliced and hacked until all the birds were reduced to piles of feathers on the ground.

"Teamwork!" Jason cried cheerfully. He was all about that any time it came up, and he always seemed weirdly fond of Clarisse to the others confusion.

"Yeah, yeah, we didn't all die again," Percy patiently agreed.

We were both breathing hard. I had a few scratches, but nothing major. I pulled a feather arrow out of my arm. It hadn't gone in very deep. As long as it wasn't tipped with poison, I'd be okay. I took a bag of ambrosia out of my jacket, where I always kept it for emergencies, broke a piece in half and offered some to Clarisse.

"If it isn't that bad then why are you risking that?" Magnus asked, vividly remembering he'd burst into flames or something as bad if he ate to much.

"Wouldn't you indulge every chance you got?" Percy asked with a grin, just to get a hint of that taste.

"Fair," Magnus muttered, even if it did sound weirdly risky, and they were only on the first page of Percy's latest stunts. It could only go downhill from here.

"I don't need your help," she muttered, but she took the ambrosia.

We swallowed a few bites – not too much, since the food of the gods can burn you to ashes if you overindulge. I guess that's why you don't see many fat gods.

"Or it's because they can change their shape at will," Thalia rolled her eyes at him.

"Why would they only change their shape at me?" Will asked innocently.

Nico snickered and Thalia looked more likely to chuck part of her seaweed beanbag at him than keep mocking Percy for a moment before Jason moved on.

Anyway, in a few seconds our cuts and bruises had disappeared.

Clarisse sheathed her sword and brushed off her denim jacket. "Well... see you."

"Hold up!" I said. "You can't just run off."

"Sure she can," Nico said blankly. "We all have lives that don't involve you Percy. You were her side quest for once."

Percy very much exaggerated his hurt expression, pressing his hand to his heart and everything, but Jason was to busy snickering at the next line of the book to let him play it up to much.

"Sure I can."

Causing the others to laugh in surprise and Nico sigh and decide there were worse people he could have mimicked.

"What's going on? What are you doing away from camp? Why were those birds after you?"

Clarisse pushed me, or tried to. I was too accustomed to her tricks. I just sidestepped and let her stumble past me.

"Clarisse and I perfect bullfighting, if anybody's trying to come up with alternate chapter titles," Alex offered.

"We were not," Percy sighed.

"Come on," I said. "You just about got killed at my school. That makes it my business."

"You got here there Perce," Thalia chuckled. "I always blame anything on you if it happens in your radius, and sometimes when it isn't."

"Yes! Minor victory," Percy cheered all the same.

"It does not!"

"Let me help."

She took a shaky breath. I got the feeling she really wanted to punch me out, but at the same time there was a desperate look in her eyes, like she was in serious trouble.

Their mild humor at this situation suddenly went sharp with concern. Clarisse was nobody's favorite person, but she wasn't the mindless bully anymore who just dumped people's heads into toilets. Was Chris okay? Was her dad doing worse than just verbally castrating her? Not even Will, Thalia, and Nico knew what was going on because this had never been on their radar.

"It's my brothers," she said. "They're playing a prank on me."

"Oh," I said, not really surprised. Clarisse had lots of siblings at Camp Half-Blood. All of them picked on each other. I guess that was to be expected since they were sons and daughters of the war god, Ares. "Which brothers? Sherman? Mark?"

Percy's assumption didn't feel unreasonable, some of the tension eased back out, but this answer didn't track with Clarisse doing anything other than walking away from Percy's help.

"No," she said, sounding more afraid than I'd ever heard her. "My immortal brothers. Phobos and Deimos."

Magnus looked traumatized anew. He even clapped a hand to his mouth, as if fearing anything else he ever asked about next was going to make an appearance at Percy's life.

"Chill Magnus," Percy sighed, "I can't say I'm surprised more children of Ares are making my life miserable."

He didn't move, and Alex reached over to begin trying to pry his fingers away.

"I can't say I'm pleased," Will sighed. "The major gods messing with your life causes me enough heart failure, now the minor gods are joining in."

"They weren't messing with Percy's life," Alex corrected, foot now firmly planted on the ground and actually tugging while Magnus kept his hand locked in place and glared at her. "They were messing, with, Clarisse!" They were kind of concerned what she was fixing to do if he didn't comply and a little more scared to get between them.

"That's, not better Alex," Will sighed just as much at her comment as he did in relief when she sat back anyways and signed something to him.

He stared at her a moment longer before lowering his hand and saying, "no," with a weary groan. He signed it as he said it, putting his pointer and middle finger together to tap against his thumb with his other fingers curled up.

"Thank you," she signed back with a smirk.

They were fascinated what she'd said, and Percy was blunt and curious enough to hope he'd get an answer. "What'd you say to him?"

"I asked if he wanted to be the next Oracle," she said proudly. "I just made that sign up too and he still knew what I meant."

"She mixed the signs for magic and mummy, it was very effective," Magnus admitted with a reluctant smile.

"He can't be a magic mummy prophecy thing if he keeps talking without guessing right," she concluded proudly.

We sat on a bench at the park while Clarisse told me the story. I wasn't too worried about getting back to school. Mrs. White would just assume the nurse had sent me home, and sixth period was woodwork class. Mr. Bell never took attendance.

Percy was smiling at the fact that he'd just been at school long enough to know that kind of teacher observation. He so rarely was anywhere that long.

"So let me get this straight," I said. "You took your dad's car for a joyride and now it's missing."

Magnus made a spluttering of laughter and Alex nodded in agreement. "The book needs to skip over what was actually said more and straight to your understanding of the situation."

"It would be bike jacking too, so I don't know what Percy heard," Jason offered with a bit less laughter, though not to much.

"Ares has a war chariot," Nico reminded with a grin of excitement if they were fixing to get a description of that sometime soon. "Apollo isn't the only one with a fancy ride, all of them have one. It might be what's going on, if Ares sent her to get that back when it was stolen."

"Mmm, I hope that's what's going on, karma," Thalia cackled at his comeuppance finally for his part in Zues's bolt being stolen.

"It's never occurred to me that's what his bike was," Will admitted looking back, "I just thought he created a bike made of human skin and darkness for funsies that one time."

"Why would gods even have chariots if they can just materialize wherever they want?" Magnus asked, his humor subsiding at yet another strange Greek thing.

"It would take twenty years to list all their insane things they do and have and said and did with no rhyme or reason," Thalia sighed.

"It's not a car," Clarisse growled. "It's a war chariot! And he told me to take it out. It's like... a test.

"Oh," Will blinked finally in understanding. He'd heard in passing of this cabin's right of passage, though Ares did it sparingly only to his children he thought were worthy. It was a great honor from what he understood, and yet he couldn't remember her bragging about this coming up one bit.

I'm supposed to bring it back at sunset. But –"

"Your brothers carjacked you."

"Chariot-jacked me," she corrected.

"Percy, you've won chariot races," Jason rolled his eyes at him. "Why are you acting like this is a new concept."

"Keeping Clarisse angry at me is my default," Percy said with an odd twist to his mouth. If he didn't keep her agitation on display, her voice started cracking, and that scared him more.

"They're his regular charioteers, see. And they don't like anybody else getting to drive. So they stole the chariot from me and chased me off with those stupid arrow-throwing birds."

"Your dad's pets?"

She nodded miserably. "They guard his temple. Anyway, if I don't find the chariot..."

She looked like she was about to lose it. I didn't blame her. I'd seen her dad, Ares, get mad before, and it was not a pretty sight. If Clarisse failed him, he would come down hard on her. Real hard.

And Percy would never let that happen to anyone, they all collectively understood without further explanation where this was headed. They still weren't sure why this memory of all things was being shown when the Titan's army was still amassing and Percy might be about to die any page now with his sixteenth birthday on the horizon, but it didn't seem to matter to him.

He was sitting up straight in his seat, a look of concentration on his face only there when he was settling in to help on the next deadly quest. Percy was going to take this seriously and help Clairesse, that's all they needed to know.

"I'll help you," I said.

Jason read past that as casually as if Percy were blushing around Annabeth again. It was just par for the course.

She scowled. "Why would you? I'm not your friend."

I couldn't argue with that. Clarisse had been mean to me a million times, but still, I didn't like the idea of her or anybody else getting beaten up by Ares. I was trying to figure out how to explain that to her when a guy's voice said, "Aw, look. I think she's been crying!"

"Bite him," Alex said at once in such a robust tone they thought she'd said fight for a hot second, but she was scowling so much it was kind of a coin toss.

Magnus couldn't shake the idea out of his head for a moment of Alex going around biting random people on the street if they laughed at people crying, and it did not disturb him as much as it probably should have.

A teenage dude was leaning against a telephone pole. He was dressed in ratty jeans, a black T-shirt and a leather jacket, with a bandanna over his hair. A knife was stuck in his belt. He had eyes the colour of flames.

In another life, that could have been Nico, Percy thought with distaste. This guy had a much stronger aura that instantly put Percy off though, the kind that made his fist ball up to try and hide the shaking like he'd just thrown Nancy Bobofit into that fountain all over again and Mrs. Dodds locked eyes with him. It was anger and fear all bundled up into one tight emotion he would happily lash out with as readily as Clarisse would on any person.

"Phobos." Clarisse balled her fists. "Where's the chariot, you jerk?"

"Whatever happened to corpse breath and Prissy?" Alex sighed. "She hasn't thrown out a good insult in ages."

"The angrier she gets the less imaginative," Percy shrugged. "If she ever calls you one syllable, run for your life."

"You lost it," he teased. "Don't ask me."

"You little –"

Clarisse drew her sword and charged, but Phobos disappeared as she swung, and her blade bit into the telephone pole.

Phobos appeared on the bench next to me. He was laughing, but he stopped when I stuck Riptide's point against his throat.

"Ha!" Will cried in triumph, before he blushed and looked around like he'd done something embarrassing cheering for Percy threatening to stab another god.

"That does tend to silence most people," Thalia said in agreement.

"You guys are lucky I've never tried it on any of you blabber mouths," Percy chuckled.

"You'd better return that chariot," I told him, "before I get mad."

He sneered and tried to look tough, or as tough as you can with a sword under your chin.

An expression Nico had once imagined on Percy's face, clawing his way towards a swimming pool as Luke followed him with his bloody sword point on that deck. Percy had still looked plenty intimidating in his mind, a deep angry scowl on his face ready to taunt to his last breath Luke would never win.

This guy had nothing on Percy even if he had managed it.

"Who's your little boyfriend, Clarisse? You have to get help fighting your battles now?"

"Chris isn't a violent guy is he?" Thalia chuckled. "I hope he doesn't challenge Percy to a duel to the death for this rumor getting a start."

"I will concede that fight, I don't take up every challenge I'm given," Percy promised with an amused dismissal.

"He's not my boyfriend!" Clarisse tugged her sword, pulling it out of the telephone pole. "He's not even my friend. That's Percy Jackson."

Something changed in Phobos's expression. He looked surprised, maybe even nervous. "The son of Poseidon? The one who made Dad angry? Oh, this is too good, Clarisse. You're hanging out with a sworn enemy?"

"The whole cabin kind of lives with him," Magnus rubbed at the back of his neck. "Is it really such high treason?" He wasn't naive enough to think Ares and his kin had forgiven him exactly, but Ares's curse had come and gone in Zoe's death, it hadn't been mentioned in a while, so he'd sort of hoped at least his kids weren't crouched in the shadows anticipating revenge.

"It's certainly not encouraged," Percy said from personal experience of none of his favorite people ever coming from there.

"I'm not hanging out with him!"

"True too," Jason chuckled, "Percy invited himself along, again. She could get a restraining order against you."

"I bet her criminal record is longer than mine," Percy scoffed.

Phobos's eyes glowed bright red.

Clarisse screamed. She swatted the air as if she were being attacked by invisible bugs. "Please, no!"

"Are all of Ares kids just, like this?" Alex asked in disgust. He was worse than Clarisse, a high feat considering she'd started out pretty bad but only gotten better. She had a feeling this guy wasn't going to get the same humanizing treatment his half-blood children did.

"I guess it's one of those things they can't help but inherit, like Zues's kids being all spark and no bite," Percy smirked, not even flinching as Thalia smacked him.

"What are you doing to her?" I demanded.

Clarisse backed up into the street, swinging her sword wildly.

"Stop it!" I told Phobos. I dug my sword a little deeper against his throat, but he simply vanished, reappearing back at the telephone pole.

"Don't get so excited, Jackson," Phobos said. "I'm just showing her what she fears."

The glow faded from his eyes.

Clarisse collapsed, breathing hard. "You creep," she gasped. "I'll... I'll get you."

Jason squirmed in his seat as he realized just how bad he felt for her. This minor god was everything wrong with Clarisse when she'd met Percy, and he wished Percy had lopped off his neck just so they could laugh as he grew it back. The idea felt like an invasion of his mind, something he'd never have dared to think before this he was positive, but he felt it to be true all the same.

Phobos turned towards me. "How about you, Percy Jackson? What do you fear? I'll find out, you know. I always do."

"Give the chariot back." I tried to keep my voice even.

"How strange for you to be scared of such a weirdly specific thing," Thalia smirked, laughing as Percy rolled his eyes at her.

"I took on your dad once. You don't scare me."

Phobos laughed. "Nothing to fear but fear itself. Isn't that what they say? Well, let me tell you a little secret, half-blood. I am fear. If you want to find the chariot, come and get it. It's across the water. You'll find it where the little wild animals live – just the sort of place you belong."

Magnus tried very hard not to cringe at the idea of Percy facing off against wild animals. He might be fond of the idea of Mrs. O'Leary now, but that didn't mean he wouldn't piss his pants and run for his life from her in person, and who knew what other monstrous wolf like creatures this guy had guarding the place.

"Are you going to the zoo!" Alex gasped with such child like delight it made it hard for Magnus to focus on anything else all of a sudden.

"I hope he puts it in the meerkat home if so," Percy chuckled along.

He snapped his fingers and disappeared in a cloud of yellow vapour.

"I always knew yellow could be an evil color if it just tried hard enough," Alex said seriously.

"Well that is certainly a topic for another day," Thalia said with interest.

Now, I've got to tell you, I've met a lot of godlings and monsters I didn't like, but Phobos took the prize.

"Is the prize being personally thrown into that pit?" Magnus asked with only mild sarcasm.

"If I could tie some flying shoes to his feet I would," Percy agreed.

I don't like bullies. I'd never been in the "A" crowd at school, so I'd spent most of my life standing up to punks who tried to frighten me and my friends. The way Phobos laughed at me and made Clarisse collapse just by looking at her... I wanted to teach this guy a lesson.

I helped Clarisse up. Her face was still beaded with sweat.

"Now are you ready for help?" I asked.

We took the subway, keeping a lookout for more attacks, but no one bothered us. As we rode, Clarisse told me about Phobos and Deimos.

"They're minor gods," she said. "Phobos is fear. Deimos is terror."

"What's the difference?" Magnus asked.

Jason chuckled without surprise as he read how Magnus had mimicked the book. Magnus just sighed while Percy gave him a nod. At least he wasn't the only one in the room.

"What's the difference?"

She frowned. "Deimos is bigger and uglier, I guess. He's good at freaking out entire crowds. Phobos is more, like, personal. He can get inside your head."

"That's where they get the word phobia?"

Percy cleared his throat with a significant smirk.

"Do you want a cookie Percy?" Thalia cooed.

"Yes," he sniffed, deciding if nobody else was going to take back their snark he'd indulge himself. Jason waited patiently as he went and came back munching on a handful before continuing.

"Yeah," she grumbled. "He's so proud of that. All those phobias named after him. The jerk."

"You know," Alex sighed, "I bet if he was an actual decent half-sibling, Clairesse would be bragging about this constantly instead. It's kind of almost cool in a way."

"So why don't they want you driving the chariot?"

"It's usually a ritual just for Ares's sons when they turn fifteen. I'm the first daughter to get a shot in a long time."

"That is so cool," Jason grinned with enough delight to make up for her rotten dad and horrible half-siblings, immortal and otherwise who apparently hadn't given her enough credit for this.

"Can't say she didn't earn it," Percy agreed, his voice more reluctant, but no less meaningful.

"Good for you."

"Tell that to Phobos and Deimos. They hate me. I've got to get the chariot back to the temple."

"Where is the temple?"

"Pier 86. The Intrepid."

"Did those words mean something to you?" Magnus asked Percy.

"About as much as clam chowder does to you," Percy shrugged. "I know what it is, but I'm not all up in arms about it."

How was it possible he kept managing to answer questions without actually answering them? Percy seriously needed to stop hanging out with Chiron. Magnus didn't harass him for more though, he was sure they'd find out when Percy and Clairesse got that chariot there.

"Oh." It made sense, now that I thought about it. I'd never actually been on board the old aircraft carrier, but I knew they used it as some kind of military museum. It probably had a bunch of guns and bombs and other dangerous toys. Just the kind of place a war god would want to hang out.

"Huh," Magnus said without a drop of interest. Turns out an answer was just as useless as no answer too.

"We've got maybe four hours before sunset," I guessed. "That should be enough time if we can find the chariot."

"But what did Phobos mean, "over the water"? We're on an island, for Zeus's sake. That could be any direction!"

"Did she not hear the part about the animals?" Alex looked a little pouty cute wild critters that could probably murder them all without the monsterus upgrade weren't everyones top priority.

"She was a little distracted," Will reminded. "Oh," he snapped his fingers in thought. "I bet it's in the boar exhibit!"

"Sweet! Pumba and hula skirts for everyone," Alex cheered. Even when they got the reference, they were all still pretty concerned by her.

"He said something about wild animals," I remembered. "Little wild animals."

"A zoo?"

I nodded. A zoo over the water could be the one in Brooklyn, or maybe... someplace harder to get to, with little wild animals. Someplace nobody would ever think to look for a war chariot.

"Staten Island," I said. "They've got a small zoo."

"Maybe," Clarisse said. "That sounds like the kind of out-of-the-way place Phobos and Deimos would stash something. But if we're wrong –"

"We don't have time to be wrong."

"Couldn't you two split up?" Nico frowned. "Whistle for Blackjack and a buddy, they fly faster and you could check both."

"I don't think Clairesse could handle these guys on her own, best to stick together," Percy shook his head, wishing instead he had time to get in contact with Grover or Annabeth for support.

He didn't say it with any kind of cockiness in his voice, he didn't think she'd make or break this all on her own without his help. It was more of a statement that he wanted to help her through this in whatever way he could.

We hopped off the train at Times Square and caught the Number 1 line downtown, towards the ferry terminal.

We boarded the Staten Island Ferry at three thirty, 

It was getting on in the afternoon, school would be letting out soon, time was not on their side. What time did the zoo close? "I wish the zoo was open at night," Percy said sporadically.

"It is if you're not a coward," Alex sniffed.

along with a bunch of tourists, who crowded the railings of the top deck, snapping pictures as we passed the Statue of Liberty.

"He modeled that on his mom," I said, looking up at the statue.

"One of the many things I like about you Perce," Magnus chuckled in surprise. "Don't ever let someone tell you you don't listen."

"Huh?" Percy said distractedly, his mind to busy smiling back at when she'd told him this over fixing his straps before their last capture the flag game that summer. Spouting random architecture facts always helped her relax and he'd asked her about something to do with the Eiffel Tower and she'd gone off. They'd won the game.

Clarisse frowned at me. "Who?"

"Bartholdi," I said. "The dude who made the Statue of Liberty. He was a son of Athena, and he designed it to look like his mom. That's what Annabeth told me, anyway."

Clarisse rolled her eyes. Annabeth was my best friend and a huge nut when it came to architecture and monuments. I guess her egghead facts rubbed off on me sometimes.

Percy chuckled along with the others at that rather undersold summary of her. Annabeth was all that and so much more to him and he rarely if ever knew how to say any of it any better.

"Useless," Clarisse said. "If it doesn't help you fight, it's useless information."

"You're friends names aren't useless," Jason said back in a very weary kind of voice. He sounded almost scared. "Getting to laugh isn't useless. I doubt she thinks Chris is useless if he can't hold his own."

It was clearly a touchy subject to him, and with good reason, as Percy rubbed his own temple. Nobody who had their every thought and emotion stripped away would ever think of something they learned again as useless.

It was a harsh view, and one none of them bought Clairesse herself believed. Not after everything she'd been through to help Chris last summer, not after everything she'd done in the battle that followed to help tend the wounded.

I could've argued with her, but just then the ferry lurched like it had hit a rock. Tourists spilled forward, tumbling into each other. Clarisse and I ran to the front of the boat. The water below us started to boil. Then the head of a sea serpent erupted from the bay.

"We've been surprisingly lacking on sea monsters in your life," Magnus sighed as if this had been inevitable.

"A fact I didn't know to savor until it was gone," Percy nodded.

The monster was at least as big as the boat. It was grey and green with a head like a crocodile and razor-sharp teeth. It smelled... well, like something that had just come up from the bottom of New York Harbor. Riding on its neck was a bulky guy in black Greek armour. His face was covered with ugly scars, and he held a javelin in his hand.

"Deimos!" Clarisse yelled.

"At least it's him instead of some other minor Greek god deciding to have a day with you," Jason tried to offer something nice.

"I think I'd rather just have one worse day of my life where they all get it out of the way at once," Percy shook his head. "I'll find a way to have them all fight each other to the death while I eat my snacks and watch and then have to fight the winner."

"I think that would be Zues," Will said with only a slight whimper to his voice.

Percy shrugged and looked more interested in going back to the fridge.

"Hello, sister!" His smile was almost as horrible as the serpent's. "Care to play?"

"Do we get to pick the game?" Percy sighed.

"No," Nico frowned at the idea of this guy warping a thumb war into a deadly tournament anyways.

The monster roared. Tourists screamed and scattered. I don't know exactly what they saw. The Mist usually prevents mortals from seeing monsters in their true form, but whatever they saw, they were terrified.

"Loch ness monster," Alex grinned.

"Mega shark," Magnus sighed.

"Garbage barge getting to close," Thalia wrinkled her nose in disgust.

Percy dreaded the day any of them started manipulating the Mist, he had a feeling all of those options were still more terrifying than anything the god of terror could manage.

"Leave them alone!" I yelled.

"Or what, son of the sea god?" Deimos sneered. "My brother tells me you're a wimp!

"He shouldn't believe everything he hears," Jason rolled his eyes, "it leads to stupid rumors. Would he also believe Phobos if he said he saw Percy hooking up with Clarisse?"

Percy looked traumatized enough at the continued joke like all of them were actively trying to summon the brothers in here now to laugh along.

Besides, I love terror. I live on terror!"

He spurred the sea serpent into head-butting the ferry, which sloshed backwards. Alarms blared. Passengers fell over each other trying to get away. Deimos laughed with delight.

"That's it," I grumbled. "Clarisse, grab on."

"What?"

"Grab onto my neck. We're going for a ride."

She didn't protest.

Will smiled in surprise at the amount of trust Clairsse was showing in that moment. He knew the bully of a girl who had once made Magnolia Cresnt cry by ripping up her flowers would never have done such a thing.

She grabbed onto me, and I said, "One, two, three – JUMP!"

We leaped off the top deck and straight into the bay, but we were only underwater for a moment. I felt the power of the ocean surging through me. I willed the water to swirl around me, building force until we burst out of the bay on top of a ten-metre-high waterspout.*30 feet I steered us straight towards the monster.

Alex grinned with jealousy at Clarisse getting to experience that. She just knew the child of a war god was having an adrenaline rush right then and probably liked Percy plenty now for this awesome tactic. Clarisse might even stop threatening to kill him or something crazy.

"You think you can tackle Deimos?" I yelled to Clarisse.

"I'm on it!" she said. "Just get me within three metres."*ten feet

We barrelled towards the serpent. Just as it bared its fangs, I swerved the waterspout to one side, and Clarisse jumped. She crashed into Deimos, and both of them toppled into the sea.

The sea serpent came after me. I quickly turned the waterspout to face him, then summoned all my power and willed the water to even greater heights.

WHOOOOM!

Fifty thousand litres of salt water crashed into the monster. I leaped over its head, uncapped Riptide, and slashed with all my might at the creature's neck. The monster roared. Green blood spouted from the wound, and the serpent sank beneath the waves.

The forced environmentalist in Percy from all his time around Grover actually felt kind of bad for the animal...and also wondered how safe that blood was for the already deplorable water.

I dived underwater and watched as it retreated to the open sea. That's one good thing about sea serpents: they're big babies when it comes to getting hurt.

That got a good laugh from everyone in here, though the confused question from Nico, "when did you fight any of them to know this?"

"The fish talk," Percy chuckled. "Whenever I pop into the ocean, some of them even like to brag about witnessing fearsome fights that shook the ocean, and the retreating monster always has like, five missing scales."

Clarisse surfaced near me, spluttering and coughing. I swam over and grabbed her.

"Did you get Deimos?" I asked.

Clarisse shook her head. "The coward disappeared as we were wrestling. But I'm sure we'll see him again. Phobos, too."

Tourists were still running around the ferry in a panic, but it didn't look like anybody was hurt. The boat didn"t seem damaged. I decided we shouldn't stick around. I held onto Clarisse's arm and willed the waves to carry us towards Staten Island.

"Or next thing you know, the local paper's going to be calling you a boat terrorist," Thalia agreed.

"I'd get Tyson to try and clear my name," Percy tried to disagree, but knew she was more than likely right.

In the west, the sun was going down over the Jersey shore. We were running out of time.

I'd never spent much time on Staten Island, and I found it was a lot bigger than I thought and not much fun to walk. The streets curved around confusingly, and everything seemed to be uphill. I was dry (I never got wet in the ocean unless I wanted to) but Clarisse's clothes were still sopping wet, so she left mucky footprints all over the sidewalk,

"You can't dry other people's clothes?" Magnus asked in surprise.

"Apparently not through thought, though I was afraid Clairsse would break my fingers if I tried to pat her shoulder and find out," Percy admitted.

and the bus driver wouldn't let us on the bus.

"Did the guy come away from that with all of his face still attached?" Jason asked in mild concern.

"Yeah," Percy whispered, his heart sinking faster than the sun. Rather than getting angry, she'd watched it drive off with a concerningly red face and gasping breath that seemed closer to tears than Percy had ever wanted anyone to be, let alone her.

"We'll never make it in time," she sighed.

"Stop thinking that way." I tried to sound upbeat, but I was starting to have doubts too. I wished we had reinforcements. Two demigods against two minor gods was not an even match, and when we met Phobos and Deimos together, I wasn't sure what we were going to do. I kept remembering what Phobos had said: How about you, Percy Jackson? What do you fear? I'll find out, you know.

After dragging ourselves halfway down the island, past a lot of suburban houses, a couple of churches and a McDonald's,

Causing a smattering of giggles and some side eyed looks at Nico, who held his head with dignity and retorted before anyone could ask, "no, I was not hiding in the playpen keeping an eye on them."

"I just hope you try other fast food chains and some home cooked styles," Will didn't sound the least bit sarcastic at least. "Maybe the dead like tofu burgers too, you don't have to be brand loyal," he didn't manage to finish in the same way and fell off snickering too while Nico sighed but grinned at what they were mocking. Not his creepy death summons, just the food he'd used.

we finally saw a sign that said ZOO.

"Real subtle with that imagery," Percy chuckled.

"A blink and you'll miss it sign," Thalia agreed in confusion. The giant honking statue was the obvious tourist attraction, but surely this was on somebody's list to go to instead.

"I hope they label everything like that in there, keep it a theme," Jason grinned. "I don't want fancy plaques under each animal with their Latin name and their biome details, I just want it to say eagle. That's it, that's all you get..." He trailed off laughing as hard as everyone else.

We turned a corner and followed this curvy street with some woods on one side until we came to the entrance.

The lady at the ticket booth looked at us suspiciously, but thank the gods I had enough cash to get us inside.

We walked around the reptile house,

Magnus and Alex burst out laughing hard, quickly exchanging smiles and trying to stutter something about Percy releasing a boa, but it made no sense to anybody else and Percy thought them nuts anyways.

and Clarisse stopped in her tracks.

"There it is."

It was sitting at a crossroads between the petting zoo and the sea otter pond: a large golden and red chariot tethered to four black horses. The chariot was decorated with amazing detail. It would've been beautiful if all the pictures hadn't shown people dying painful deaths.

"Really is a mystery how she doesn't get along with you better Nico," Percy sighed. He'd only seen details like that on Hades's palace.

"We spend to much time arguing which is better," Nico said deadpan. "Causing death or being death."

The horses were breathing fire out of their nostrils.

Families with buggies walked right past the chariot like it didn't exist. I guess the Mist must've been really strong around it, because the chariot's only camouflage was a handwritten note taped to one of the horses' chests that said OFFICIAL ZOO VEHICLE.

"I bet Ares is really kicking himself right now he never thought to turn his ride into that," Jason said with full exaggeration.

"Must wear khakis to ride," Alex nodded seriously.

"Yes, I'll drive!" Will cheered.

"None of us have a license, I wouldn't get in a vehicle with any of you whackjobs," Nico lied through his teeth as he smiled along.

"Where are Phobos and Deimos?" Clarisse muttered, drawing her sword.

I couldn't see them anywhere, but this had to be a trap.

I concentrated on the horses. Usually I could talk to horses, since my dad had created them. I said, Hey. Nice fire-breathing horses. Come here!

One of horses whinnied disdainfully. I could understand his thoughts, all right. He called me some names I can't repeat.

"I bet Will could repeat them," Alex smirked.

Will sighed, mildly embarrassed for what he'd called Hera.

Percy couldn't even look that offended as he tried to say, "hey, I could say them! It's just, my moms got a thing against strong language too-"

Alex winced and nodded quickly in understanding that didn't need further elaboration.

"I'll try to get the reins," Clarisse said. "The horses know me. Cover me."

"Right." I wasn't sure how I was supposed to cover her with a sword, but I kept my eyes peeled as Clarisse approached the chariot. She walked around the horses, almost tiptoeing.

She froze as a lady with a three-year-old girl passed by. The girl said, "Pony on fire!"

It was a cute moment for five seconds, before they all sighed and remembered how Rachel had described how horrifying the world could be and nobody believed her. There went another child inbound for the same fate, unless she herself just happened to be a half-blood and was likely to deal with even worse. Percy might have just witnessed the first of many memories where she would try to believe the lies her mom told her.

"Don't be silly, Jessie," the mother said in a dazed voice. "That's an official zoo vehicle."

The little girl tried to protest, but the mother grabbed her hand and they kept walking. Clarisse got closer to the chariot. Her hand had almost reached the rail when the horses reared up, whinnying and breathing flames. Phobos and Deimos appeared in the chariot, both of them now dressed in pitch-black battle armour. Phobos grinned, his red eyes glowing. Deimos's scarred face looked even more horrible up close.

"The hunt is on!" Phobos yelled. Clarisse stumbled back as he lashed the horses and charged the chariot straight towards me.

Now, I'd like to tell you that I did something heroic, like stand up against a raging team of fire-breathing horses with only my sword.

"Uhhu, and that Chimera was really a chihuahua all along," Jason shook his head at Percy's internal thought still thinking them fools...which was a weird sentence the longer he thought about it.

The truth is, I ran. I jumped over a trashcan and an exhibit fence, but there was no way I could outrun the chariot. It crashed through the fence right behind me, ploughing down everything in its path.

"Percy, look out!" Clarisse yelled, like I needed somebody to tell me that.

"At least she's doing her due diligence and not, not helping," Nico snickered.

"Can't say she doesn't give clear and precise orders," Will agreed a tad more honestly.

"Revenge," Alex told a lot more seriously for all the times Percy did that to her.

I jumped and landed on a rock island in the middle of the otter exhibit. I willed a column of water out of the pond and doused the horses, temporarily extinguishing their flames and sending them into confusion. The otters weren't happy with me. They chattered and barked, and I figured I'd better get off their island quick, before I had crazed sea mammals after me too.

"I bet they swear more than the horses," Thalia chuckled.

"You're lucky they didn't start throwing their pups at you, trashing their home," Jason snorted.

I ran as Phobos cursed and tried to get his horses under control. Clarisse took the opportunity to jump on Deimos's back just as he was lifting his javelin. Both of them went tumbling out of the chariot as it lurched forward.

I could hear Deimos and Clarisse starting to fight, sword on sword, but I didn't have time to worry about it because Phobos was riding after me again. I sprinted towards the aquarium with the chariot right behind me.

"Hey, Percy!" Phobos taunted. "I've got something for you!"

"A white flag?" Magnus said without a hint of hope.

"Magnus, if you don't want to play anymore, just say so," Alex rolled her eyes. "He throws one of those otters at you in revenge!"

"I like Magnus's better," Percy sighed.

I glanced back and saw the chariot melting, the horses turning to steel and folding into each other like clay figures being crumpled. The chariot refashioned itself into a black metal box with caterpillar tracks, a turret and a long gun barrel. A tank. I recognized it from this research report I'd had to do for history class. Phobos was grinning at me from the top of a World War II panzer.

"Say cheese!" he said.

"Whatever happened to the easy monsters, like the math teacher just slicing me to ribbons?" Percy sighed.

"You need constant experience and new environments to learn to grow Percy," Thalia said in a pretty good imitation of Chiron's voice.

"You need a swift kick to the head and your turn at this," Percy scoffed. The annoying part was Thalia probably could take down a tank with just her bow without even pulling out her shield.

I rolled to one side as the gun fired.

KA-BOOOOM! A souvenir kiosk exploded, sending fuzzy animals and plastic cups and disposable cameras in every direction.

"I bet somewhere in those rocks Kampe' is cheering for him," Alex snorted.

"How do you keep managing to make this universe crazier Alex?" Percy groaned, now the vivid idea in his head of Phobos riding on her in mind.

"I'm just special that way," she grinned.

As Phobos re-aimed his gun, I got to my feet and dived into the aquarium.

I wanted to surround myself with water. That always increased my power. Besides, it was possible Phobos couldn't fit the chariot through the doorway. Of course, if he blasted through it, that wouldn't help...

"What do you need us for anyways Percy," Jason chuckled in surprise he'd been about to say the same thing. "You think all the good comments for yourself."

"Can I get that in writing Jason?" Percy smirked.

"Get what in writing?" He asked swiftly, turning back to the book like the smart kid he was.

I ran through the rooms washed in weird blue light from the fish tank exhibits. Cuttlefish, clown fish and eels all stared at me as I raced past. I could hear their little minds whispering, Son of the sea god! Son of the sea god! It's great when you're a celebrity to squids.

"I bet it is," Will snorted. "I can't imagine much impresses them!"

He spoke in that unique way where Percy wasn't sure if he was being sarcastic or not, so he just let that one slide.

I stopped at the back of the aquarium and listened. I heard nothing. And then... Vroom, Vroom. A different kind of engine.

I watched in disbelief as Phobos came riding through the aquarium on a Harley-Davidson. I'd seen this motorcycle before: its black flame-decorated engine, its shotgun holsters, its leather seat that looked like human skin. This was the same motorcycle Ares had ridden when I'd first met him, but it had never occurred to me that it was just another form of his war chariot.

"It really wouldn't have made any less sense for him to have just created that out of thin air or this," Magnus sighed.

"I'm surprised he didn't use the tank!" Alex yelped.

"Hello, loser," Phobos said, pulling a huge sword out of its sheath. "Time to be scared."

"I did not set my alarm for this!" Percy groaned.

"You don't set your alarm for anything," Thalia rolled her eyes.

I raised my own sword, determined to face him, but then Phobos's eyes glowed brighter, and I made the mistake of looking into them.

Jason hesitated at once, watching Percy intently.

It took him a moment to realize he was silently asking permission. Like this would finally be the thing so embarrassing and so private he'd yank the baby yellow book away and declare them all off limit to his thoughts. These guys had read every dumb, stupid, Annabeth related, illegal, and illogical thing he'd ever done, and they still checked in with him to make sure they weren't crossing a line as nobody tried to rush Jason.

Percy just shrugged and waved him on.

Suddenly I was in a different place. I was at Camp Half-Blood, my favourite place in the world, and it was in flames. The woods were on fire. The cabins were smoking. The dining pavilion's Greek columns had crumbled and the Big House was a smouldering ruin. My friends were on their knees pleading with me. Annabeth, Grover, all the other campers.

Save us, Percy! they wailed. Make the choice!

Percy shivered, his stomach a painful twisted fire all its own he wished he could wrap in a nonflammable lab coat and goggles.

The interesting thing was though, as he wrapped his arm around himself and curled in tight for the vivid memory of that paralyzing, painful idea, was where it was hurting. Not his head, not tormenting his memory. Just the idea of this still sickened him, and that was its own host of problems he didn't know how to dissect.

I stood paralysed. This was the moment I had always dreaded: the prophecy that was supposed to come about when I was sixteen. I would make a choice that would save or destroy Mount Olympus.

Now the moment was here, and I had no idea what to do. The camp was burning. My friends looked at me, begging for help. My heart pounded. I couldn't move. What if I did the wrong thing?

Thalia's heart truly went out for him. She wasn't surprised in the slightest to hear all that, it had once been her greatest fear too. She'd passed this on to him, and he'd stepped up and accepted it so Nico wouldn't know this burden.

She could have never stepped out of this fear like she already knew he would.

Then I heard the voices of the aquarium fish: Son of the sea god! Wake!

Suddenly I felt the power of the ocean all around me again, hundreds of litres of salt water, thousands of fish trying to get my attention. I wasn't at camp. This was an illusion. Phobos was showing me my deepest fear.

I blinked and saw Phobos's blade coming down towards my head. I raised Riptide and blocked the blow just before it cut me in two.

"Saved by the fish," Thalia snorted in surprise. "Oh, I hope you liberate them all by dumping that place into the ocean so they don't turn into fish sticks!"

"This probably is the greatest thing to ever happen in their little lives, we have cuddle fish to thank for your existence," Will agreed way to excitedly, like he was fixing to demand a cuddle and it kind of scared Percy.

"One of these days, I'm going to do something so awesome and epic, none of you chuckleheads will come up with some smart-ass response," Percy said with no amount of confidence.

"Please," Alex smirked in a way as if taking on a bet, and Percy swallowed in horror, immediately scolding himself of five seconds ago and whatever other memory he'd just provoked into Alex's line of sight.

I counterattacked and stabbed Phobos in the arm. Golden ichor, the blood of the gods, soaked through his shirt.

"Does that do anything?" Magnus couldn't help but ask with disgust in his tone, Thalia had just mentioned eating fish sticks. "In Christian myth they like, symbolically eat their god through bread and wine. Does that stuff help make your ambrosia?"

Percy felt a sudden need to vomit violently at the suggestion. He really felt the need to get Magnus tested for ADHD or a psycho-analysis, definitely one of those.

"Certainly in some myths their blood is referenced," Will said without even batting an eye. "A few monsters were said to be powered by it," he didn't say which out loud, as one theory was Talos. "It's not actually as common as Percy makes it seem for the gods to bleed though, so nothing that specific, I think."

"Only Will's allowed to answer my questions now," Magnus decided, since that answer hadn't scared the piss out of him.

Will pursed his lips and felt instantly bad he'd kind of been lying. Magnus's question was in fact one interpretation of their godly food, none of the kids at camp just liked to acknowledge it...so it was more a lie of omission.

Phobos growled and slashed at me. I parried easily. Without his power of fear, Phobos was nothing. He wasn't even a decent fighter. I pressed him back, swiped at his face, and gave him a cut across the cheek. The angrier he was, the clumsier he got.

"He didn't just flee?" Alex quirked a brow in surprise. "Ares did when you finally got a stab in, so this guy's just a smidge better than his dad."

"I will not be dishing out compliments to any of them," Percy scoffed.

I couldn't kill him. He was immortal. But you wouldn't have known that from his expression. The fear god looked afraid.

Thalia threw her head back laughing in delight. It was quite an evil laugh and there really should have been lightning crackling behind her, but Percy merely gave her a high five of delight as he smirked along.

Finally I kicked him backwards against the water fountain. His sword skittered into the ladies room.

"Using your own curse against him, you are something to strive for Perce," Jason snickered along.

"Enough, with the bathroom guys!" Percy groaned.

"Not a chance," Alex scoffed.

I grabbed the straps of his armour and pulled him up to face me.

"You're going to disappear now," I told him. "You're going to stay out of Clarisse's way. And if I see you again, I'm going to give you a bigger scar in a much more painful place!"

Nico couldn't help the breath that escaped him, the stab of heat that washed through him. Yeah, that was hot.

He ducked his head and ran a very embarrassed hand through his hair to hide such a thing in hopes Will wouldn't notice. That was still okay to think with Will's arm around him...right?

He gulped. "There will be a next time, Jackson!"

And he dissolved into yellow vapour.

I turned towards the fish exhibits. "Thanks, guys."

Then Nico felt all the more embarrassed at how kind he found that act. Percy thanking the fish felt very much in the same way he thanked his skeletons. Apparently that crush was still in there, or at least parts of Percy he still greatly admired.

Then Will called in delight, "aw, Percy! Your mom would be so proud! You didn't even need a Nereid to remind you that time!"

He sounded so sincere, he really wasn't mocking Percy but just happy he was over there showing gratitude. Maybe it was all the mystery surrounding a Big Three Kid Nico would never get, maybe it was just Will, but Nico still found it plenty charming too...and leaving him just as confused.

Then I looked at Ares's motorcycle. I'd never ridden an all-powerful Harley-Davidson war chariot before, but how hard could it be? I hopped on, started the ignition, and rode out of the aquarium to help Clarisse.

"That gave me seven more kinds of terror than that God ever could," Jason shivered at the idea of Percy with that kind of power.

"Annabeth would be drooling right now if she heard that," Thalia rolled her eyes, causing Percy to turn a whole new color of red as he blushed and stammered at her like his tongue had been decompressed.

I had no trouble finding her. I just followed the path of destruction.

"How we always find Clarisse at camp too when we need to go looking for her," Will chuckled.

"You do it the hard way," Thalia scoffed, "I just shout as loud as I can about how Ares's sacred animal should have been a chicken and she comes running."

"Yeah, but Thalia, I don't wish to die," Will groaned.

"Your loss," she shrugged, "she's great practice, better than half the monsters you'll find in that forest."

Fences were knocked down. Animals were running free. Badgers and lemurs were checking out the popcorn machine. A fat-looking leopard was lounging on a park bench with a bunch of pigeon feathers around him.

Alex hummed with pleasure at the mention of some of her favorite animals. She loved sneaking into zoo's to get more ideas of what to turn into. The mayhem at every corner and Percy once again putting gods in their place somehow just made this trip sound even better.

I parked the motorcycle next to the petting zoo, and there were Deimos and Clarisse in the goat area. Clarisse was on her knees. I ran forward but stopped suddenly when I saw how Deimos had changed form. He was Ares now – the tall god of war, dressed in black leather and sunglasses, his whole body smoking with anger as he raised his fist over Clarisse.

"You failed me again!" the war god bellowed. "I told you what would happen!"

He tried to strike her, but Clarisse scrambled away, shrieking, "No! Please!"

There was no room for shock or denial in them, it's not as if this had been subtle at any point in time. Just more than enough anger that Ares should come sniffing around hoping for a fight so Percy could stab him somewhere even better this time. Will would have even been happy to cuss up a storm if that would have attracted him faster.

If this were a true memory or just a nightmare becoming reality, the fact was, Percy wasn't going to let it go any farther.

"Foolish girl!"

"Clarisse!" I yelled. "It's an illusion. Stand up to him!"

Deimos's form flickered. "I am Ares!" he insisted. "And you are a worthless girl! I knew you would fail me. Now you will suffer my wrath."

I wanted to charge in and fight Deimos, but somehow I knew it wouldn't help. Clarisse had to do it. This was her worst fear. She had to overcome it for herself.

You could only help someone so much, Magnus well knew from seeing it time and again. If someone didn't want to be helped, they never would change. Clarisse was strong, he wanted her to fight back, but even if she didn't have it in her, Percy would never just stand there and let the worst happen if she couldn't and lived with this forever.

"Clarisse!" I said. She glanced over, and I tried to hold her eyes. "Stand up to him!" I said. "He's all talk. Get up!"

"Unlike his daughter," Thalia agreed savagely. Clarisse was her word. That girl did not postulate and pretend to be the toughest girl at came. She strived for it. A worthy huntress if she'd ever consider it.

"I... I can't."

"Yes, you can. You're a warrior. Get up!"

She hesitated. Then she began to stand.

An old chant came to Nico's mind, one he found himself uttering now. Not quite a summons, more like an empowerment to help the spirits stay longer if you had a need for them or had to wrestle for control. The shadows on the wall danced. They seemed angry, and vengeful, but it didn't scare anyone this time as they swirled about. They wanted to be free of here, not come closer.

"What are you doing?" Ares bellowed. "Grovel for mercy, girl!"

Clarisse took a shaky breath. Very quietly, she said, "No."

"WHAT?"

She raised her sword. "I'm tired of being scared of you."

Deimos struck, but Clarisse deflected the blow. She staggered but didn't fall.

Will felt a burn pass through him, the kind that made the world turn red. Clarisse had earned her father's respect and gotten his blessing, but she should have been granted it here too. How Ares had restrained himself he didn't know, she should have been burning as bright for this as he felt.

"You're not Ares," Clarisse said. "You're not even a good fighter."

"Can Clarisse get disowned for that?" Jason asked with a bit of worry amongst his pride though. He didn't want her to get in even more trouble for making Ares's immortal kids look bad. Percy was one thing, Clairsse could receive his actual wrath.

"I don't care," Percy's grin was too infectious, the kind of bright eyed energy that could take on every Olympian without batting an eye. He'd get his dad to adopt her or something.

Deimos growled in frustration. When he struck again, Clarisse was ready. She disarmed him and stabbed him in the shoulder – not deep, but enough to hurt even a godling.

He yowled in pain and began to glow.

"Look away!" I told Clarisse.

We averted our eyes as Deimos exploded into golden light – his true godly form – and disappeared.

We were alone except for the petting zoo goats, which were tugging at our clothes, looking for snacks.

"Dang it, nobody told me Grover was there in spirit too!" Alex snickered.

"I'm going to throw pellets at you," Jason sighed at her.

"Clarisse would be thanking me for taking those sappy looks off your faces," Alex sniffed with confidence.

The motorcycle had turned back into a horse-drawn chariot.

Clarisse looked at me cautiously. She wiped the straw and sweat off her face. "You didn't see that. You didn't see any of that."

I grinned. "You were great."

"The correct answer, Percy, was 'see what? I didn't see anything!'" Thalia told him in exasperation.

"Didn't get that memo," Percy shrugged. They hadn't seen the surprised smile on her face, and he was used to ignoring what Clarisse said anyways.

She glanced at the sky, which was turning red behind the trees.

"Get in the chariot," Clarisse said. "We've still got a long ride to make."

A few minutes later we reached the Staten Island Ferry and remembered something obvious: we were on an island. The ferry didn't take cars. Or chariots. Or motorcycles.

"Um, it's a godly vehicle," Magnus said blankly. "Are you telling me it obeys the laws of physics and needs a road?"

"I, didn't think to test that theory," Percy admitted. He and Clriasse had definitely been in panic mode by the color of the sky.

...and boy was that new for Magnus pointing this out for once! Alex found herself beaming. Their little boy was growing up!

"Great," Clarisse mumbled. "What do we do now? Ride this thing across the Verrazano Bridge?"

We both knew there wasn't time. There were bridges to Brooklyn and New Jersey, but either way it would take hours to drive the chariot back to Manhattan, even if we could fool people into thinking it was a regular car.

Then I got an idea. "We'll take the direct route."

Clarisse frowned. "What do you mean?"

I closed my eyes and began to concentrate. "Drive straight ahead. Go!"

Clarisse was so desperate she didn't hesitate.

Jason looked so jazzed in his seat, laughing up a storm he tried to read through. "I always knew she'd do great on your quests! She's actually trusted you all day and this is going to be so cool in your next fight when you two team up with Annabeth and the monsters won't know what hit them!"

"Yeah Jace, really looking forward to that," Percy said in exasperation, mostly for his entirely correct and yet way to much enthusiasm for their next deadly adventure on the horizon.

She yelled, "Hiya!" and lashed the horses. They charged straight towards the water. I imagined the sea turning solid, the waves becoming a firm surface all the way to Manhattan. The war chariot hit the surf, the horses' fiery breath smoking all around us, and we rode the tops of the waves straight across New York Harbor.

Magnus missed the days when that would have been the weirdest thing he'd hear in his life. After a moment of consideration though, he found himself instead realizing what he really still missed was Hearth and Blitz. This, this was just something he was indeed used to.

We arrived at Pier 86 just as the sunset was fading to purple. The USS Intrepid, temple of Ares, was a huge wall of grey metal in front of us, the flight deck dotted with fighter aircraft and helicopters. We parked the chariot on the ramp and I jumped out. For once I was glad to be on dry land. Concentrating on keeping the chariot above the waves had been one of the hardest things I'd ever done. I was exhausted.

"I'd better get out of here before Ares arrives," I said.

Clarisse nodded. "He'd probably kill you on sight."

"Pfft, let him try," Alex scoffed with complete confidence.

"Let him not," Percy's tone was a surprise; soft, a tad concerned. The last time he'd pissed that guy off, Zoe had died for it. His sons might not have enacted some curse on his blade before they'd vanished, but for all he knew, Clarisse was going to suffer next for their win this day.

"Congratulations," I said. "I guess you passed your driving test."

"Bet we can't make illegal copies out of that license," Percy sighed in disappointment.

"Bet I know some people who still try," Will groaned, Alex and the Stolls at the top of his list.

She wrapped the reins around her hand. "About what you saw, Percy. What I was afraid of, I mean –"

"I won't tell anybody."

Percy winced, muttering an apology into the universe and still wishing to curse out whatever god had done this to him. Not for his sake, but because Clarisse had no more say in her life being exposed than Annabeth and Grover.

"We promise not to speak of word of this to Clarisse," Thalia offered in return.

"Speak for yourself," Jason still had that crazy smile in place like he was going to demand of her as soon as possible what it had felt like to stab a god and then be in their godly glow. He had Percy's account, but more perspectives could only be better!

Thalia elbowed him, hard, and he yelped in surprise then pouted and muttered a promise along with everyone else they'd take this secret to the grave to stave off embarrassing the poor girl. She'd been through enough.

She looked at me uncomfortably. "Did Phobos scare you?"

"Yeah. I saw the camp in flames. I saw my friends all pleading for my help and I didn't know what to do. For a second, I couldn't move. I was paralyzed. I know how you felt."

Jason looked around at Percy with even higher regards than before in his eyes. Percy could have just said yeah and left it at that making Clriasse feel he was lying considering he'd come to her rescue.

Instead, Percy had somehow given the perfect answer. She could have known he'd needed help to snap out of it too, but Percy had a little to much pride of his own to share that, and if he had Clarisse probably would have thought he was still a liar. He really knew everyone in camp so well, it made him jealous and all the more respectful towards him.

She lowered her eyes. "I, uh... I guess I should say..." The words seemed to stick in her throat. I wasn't sure Clarisse had ever said thank you in her life.

"Don't mention it," I told her.

I started to walk away, but she called out, "Percy?"

"Yeah?"

"When you, uh, had that vision about your friends..."

"You were one of them," I promised. "Just don't tell anybody, okay? Or I'd have to kill you."

A faint smile flickered across her face. "See you later."

"See you."

I headed off towards the subway. It had been a long day, and I was ready to go home.

"All done," Jason said in surprise when he flipped the page and saw a new chapter title.

"Not that this wasn't as thrilling as any other thing we've heard about your life," Magnus said as he got up to get the book, "but why were we shown that again, like this? Aside from getting a day in the life of Clarisse's miserable side of the family, this wasn't anything I'd think we wouldn't have found out about from some passing comment of yours." Then again the books, his memories, whatever, weren't prone to glossing over to much, so perhaps this was just significant for a reason they weren't seeing.

"Don't look at me, I have no idea what order this is going in," Percy shrugged. It would have been nice if that had instead been from Clarisse's perspective to give him a real break. Ah well, he wasn't going to be complaining about one more memory back.

[scribhneoirtuirseach]

I'll Let the Seasons Change My Mind (4/10)

featuring: Bowser, Luigi

wordcount: 762

Luigi can't help but wonder if the sensory room Bowser built was also partially an act of self care for himself— He can't say he'd blame the man, sometimes it's easier to do things when it's for other people, isn't it?

The thought doesn't come from thin air, whether it's true or not. The Koopa king, once feared among all the lands and kingdoms who knew of him, is now curled up comfortably on the soft ground, almost… purring in his sleep as Luigi threads his hands through his hair.

With it comes more questions; If some battles began as a result from frustration that he couldn't regulate, if the obsession with Peach was a 'favourite person' situation…

Is he Bowser's favourite person?

The thought flusters Luigi, having him draw in on himself despite the fact that the only person here that could notice or judge is currently very unconscious.

What a situation to be in… What if Peach's refusal is what had him keep coming back? What if Luigi's acceptance and more time spent together lead to the King being bored of him eventually, tossing him to the side in favor of someone new and better? He doesn't think it's hard for anyone to be better than him.

But then again— He could be the healthiest option, despite all his flaws. While Bowser has been very kind, creating this space… Luigi would have been happy without, all he wants is some company that'll actually care for what he has to say, listen to him. Bowser's proven himself more than capable of this, going out of his way to make the human comfortable.

Even if it's all some strange act, well, at least he'll have tangoed at all.

During all of this thinking and drawing in on himself, he's naturally ended up with his hands to himself again. Luigi can't help but force the slightest chuckle at the ridiculousness of it, head tilting when when he notices big red eyes slowly open to look at him.

"Ah, did I wake you up?"

Shaking his head, Bowser curls closer, letting out a content huff. Turns out Luigi makes a pretty decent living teddy bear— And who is the human to argue? "Could practically feel you overthinking… Purring is meant to make you relax, you know."

"It is?" Luigi titters. "I didn't know that… But I am relaxed. Look at me, eh?" He gestures vaguely to himself, happily slumped against the King. "Boneless as a Boo!"

That earns an amused brow raise. "I think I prefer you as a boneful Italian." Bowser decides, snout nuzzling against that soft cheek. "You must be comfortable. I'm surprised you didn't go home…"

"Did you want me to? I can—"

"Never." That rumbles out like more of a growl than a purr, tail coming around Luigi to prevent him from walking away— Before Bowser realises that's maybe not the greatest natural reaction, clearing his throat as he relaxes his body language again. Luigi, strange man that he is, hadn't even thought of moving a muscle anyhow, perfectly content where he is. "I apologise, I'm still learning."

"Not at all! I like that you enjoy my company so much." The Italian soothes, hands coming up to pet that snout. "But, while we're learning… We should talk, I think."

"Discuss a dowry?" Bowser predicts, tail back to a simple sway. "Easy; I will give you anything you want."

"No— I would only want you, anyway, so that's not even…" Luigi waves a hand nonchalantly, as if that isn't the most casual confession drop in the world. "Just us. And, maybe you can meet the parents, if you'd like."

"Humans too?"

"No, my father is a Shy Guy, and my mother, Cheep Cheep." Luigi answers, managing to keep a poker face for a grand total of 2.5 seconds before bursting into a fit of giggles. "Yes, both humans."

Narrowing his eyes, Bowser smiles, awkward and lopsided— And absolutely perfect. "You have a strange sense of humour. Is that common among humans?"

"Mm, all different tastes… Most of mine aren't common." He admits, before pulling finger guns. "I have an acquired taste." Smooth.

The King groans at that, playfully nudging Luigi to knock him over. He's just realises he's in love with a complete dork. "I think I hate you, actually."

"Yeah, yeah~" Luigi snickers, reaching to use Bowser's hand to pull himself back up. "So… Parents?"

"Parents." Bowser agrees, fixing Luigi's hat properly onto his head. "You're lucky Kamek's already taken a shine to you."

"I'm lucky to have you."

[just-some-random-blogger]

We know how much Morpheus admires your s/o, so you can't help but say "If you keep looking at me like that, we're not going to get a bed fast, my love."

P(r)etty

Dream of the Endless x Reader

Summary: Sometimes, Dream just gives you that look and you would drop to your knees for him, and by sometimes, I mean most times.

Word Count: >800

Warnings: Suggestive content, gender neutral!reader, making out in the library, lucienne not having it, typos, etc.

A/N: i got two morpheus requests in one day i feel so famous 😈 i must be better than everyone else gif from pinterest

"Hello, my love," I hear a voice speak before I feel a hand on my shoulder.

I lean against the touch then feel a kiss on the top of my head. I perk and look up at my affection giver, my Dream, returning the soft smile on his face with a toothy grin, "hello, my love."

He makes a chair appear beside me then sits down, "what is it today?" he asks, as if he doesn't already know the answer.

I turn to the book in my hand that was propped on the table, then back to the Dreaming's king, practically buzzing in excitement as I answer, "an untitled and unpublished manuscript of Jane Austen's work."

Dream chuckles as I bare my teeth and shake my head rapidly, "it's soooo good!" I squeal, "but I'm so scared to read the end because I know it's not finished."

The sound of my chair squeaking closer to Dream echoes in the expanse of the library, "did you know there are typos in this?!"

"I do," he purses his lips and hums, "has it made for difficult reading?"

"Absolutely not!" I exclaim, "if anything I feel more honored to be one of the very few who has access to this."

"Well, I am glad you are enjoying it, dearest," he says, eyes barely crinkling in delight.

Absolutely hypnotized by the blue of his iris and the black of his liner, I pout at him and rest my head on my hand. I pull away from my book and caress his cheeks. I retrace the curves of his face as I swoon, "you're so pretty-"

His nostrils flare in amusement.

"-but not enough to get away with the fact you didn't inspire Austen to finish this story."

Dream lifts his brows and finds challenge in those words, especially when I withdraw my touch, "oh? Is that so?"

I sigh and nod, pushing the book away, opting to divert my full attention onto him, as well as to slide onto his lap.

The king makes for a comfortable throne, especially with how one hand snaked around my back and another pulled me close by my thighs. I nod curtly at him and fake disappointment as I fiddle with his collar, "you're going to have to make it up to me somehow."

It seems the whole of his domain laughs, as he does, at my words. The vibrations make me squeeze my thighs tightly.

"Tis I that should do such a thing?" he questions, voice loud and laced with disbelief. He leans down, brushing his the tip of nose against my cheek, "your king?"

I hum, turning to him to brush my nose with his as I nod, "mmhmm."

Dream brushes his hand on my thigh all the way up to my cheek. He tilts my face up to him. His lips ghost over mine, hot breath leaving me with goosebumps, "if you can plead your case to me well enough, perhaps I would be inclined to grant you satisfaction in your twisted justice seeking."

I bite my lower lip and press my hands on his shoulders. He watches as I shift and straddle him, "you might not handle taking me to a court room, your honor," I capture his cheeks in my hand, "so I humbly suggest we take this to the bedroom instead?"

I nibble on his lip and grind down on him. When I pull away and grin at him, he digs his fingers into my thigh. His eyes were blown and his lips remained parted.

I giggle, "well, if you keep looking at me like that, we're not going to get a bed fast, my love."

Before I could even kiss him, I hear someone clear their throat from behind. It effectively makes my heart drop.

"Lucienne," I blurt, ready to jump off Dream at the sight of the librarian's repulsed and dirty look. I quickly shove myself off her boss.

Dream is not having it though, and roughly tuts me. I turn to him as he forces me still, and feel my mouth goes twice as dry at his dark expression.

The very next moment, we were no longer sitting in the library and snuggly positioned atop a bed.

"I do not appreciate your actions, lover" he mutters with venom, eyes dark.

"But Lucienne-"

"Enough," he bites, pushing his face closer to mine, "I will not hear anyone else's name. You are pleading to me, are you not?"

I would have been scared had I not seen through his sharp teeth and missed his sulky expression. I deflate against him and kiss his cheek sweetly, "yes, daddy."

All the while Lucienne walks over to where the unspeakable incident was supposed to happen and grabs the forgotten book on the table. She scoffs, "in front of Austen? And an unpublished one at that. I-"

[cloudenthusiast2]

I JUST read your headcanons about Scaramouche after learning more abt his backstory and all,I was wondering if u could write more but this time with the concept of 'what if he actually had someone he cherished,someone he loved? Maybe a crush?' I'll send more hc asks abt this if that's alright! I wanna read more abt him but most fanfics abt him are either yandere or very heavy angst,,,which there's nothing wrong with those,I jıst prefer fluff and comfort over those concepts 👉👈

Scaramouche x reader headcanons - After getting to know his past

A.n: This is what I wanted to write initially, it was later that I switched to general headcanons, but I'm glad you reminded me to go back to the original idea. Bold of you to assume I wouldn't go full angst with this one though... But don't worry, I added some fluffy parts just for you, anon:)

Genre: angst and fluff

Warnings: spoilers for the def artifact set

The Balladeer firmly believed that he was unloveable and not able to love either. His only goal in life was to get the gnosis and the power coming with it. He had kind of brainwashed himself into thinking that this is his only purpose

Therefore he denies all the feelings he actually occurs. Doesn’t matter where they’ve come from or what caused them, if they warm him, they must be false

At least that’s what he tells himself hundred times a day after he’s met someone who actually makes his heart beat faster.

When he first set his eyes on you, he thought he had some kind of disease and later visited Dottore to have himself checked. Much to his confusion and annoyance it turned out he was completely alright.

It takes a really long time until he can actually accept he has normal human-like feelings. The more patient you are about this, the sooner he’ll feel comfortable with them

He is a puppet who was thrown away even by its own creator. He is not a human, he just longs to be one even though he's also scared of the same thing

He’s only not capable of loving in his own head. The only thing that's true is that he genuinely doesn’t know how to treat someone he has feelings for

He’s seen couples together before but it’s all very surreal to him. He’s desperate to have a relationship like they do though

So he’ll try in the weirdest ways possible. Actually, he does normal couples things but the way he acts them out makes it incredibly obscure.

Bring you gifts but throws them at your face. Insists that you sit down but doesn’t sit next to you, just stands near you straight like a broomstick the whole time. Picks a flower but instead of giving it to you, he shoves it in your pocket.

Incredibly awkward with physical affection. Try to hold his hand and he’ll pull away his arm immediately. That is actually kind of hurtful, but little did you know he only does that because he’s afraid his skin is too cold for you to touch

He goes through different stages all the time. One day he wakes up carving love and affection, next day he’s numb and crude. It takes a long time until you finally realise it’s not because he wants to hurt you, it’s because he still couldn’t perceive the fact he could be loved

He needs someone who loves him fully but loves him slowly. Let it sink in, let him register and fully understand it

He tries his hardest to be tender with you but he still manages to hurt you sometimes. He usually doesn't even realise, he's just so used to hating everything, hating mortals that the words accidentally slip his mouth

The other Harbingers were really amused by your odd relationship at first. Well, not just at first, they continued to seek entertainment by it even after they've gotten used to seeing you around the Balladeer

Except Signora. She didn't care about anyone outside her status but when she realised what you actually meant to the Balladeer, she didn't laugh at you any more. Your love reminded her of the one she had lost. And even though she couldn't really stand Scaramouche, she made sure to drag you away and tell you everything she knew about him in a dark corner. Then left like nothing had happened and she didn't just help you understand him better.

Except Childe. Scaramouche despised him and the sheznayan fighter loved to annoy his short colleague back. But when he saw how desperately The Balladeer tried to change for the better, he never made fun of your relationship again. Family meant everything to that man. So he made sure to drag Scaramouche away and tell him all of the advices he could think of. Then left like nothing had happened and like he didn't just help him understand humanity better.

A year or two has passed and he is now capable of holding his loved one's hand. He still worries about his cold skin but it's the hundredth time you tell him his cold touch only makes you want to warm him up and he slowly starts to believe it.

A year or two has passed and he doesn't call himself a puppet any more. But he doesn't call himself a human either. He has no idea who he is - the only thing he knows is that he is loved.

A year or two has passed and he still wakes up in cold sweat every night. The tears he used to shed no longer come but he doesn't feel the need to cry any more either. He has someone next to him and that's enough. She's enough.

...Or is she? He is incredibly attached now and has improved a lot. The flowers he picks, he puts in your hair. When he sits next to you, he rests his head on your shoulder. He doesn't accidentally hurt you with cruel words any more and doesn't get annoyed by your foolish mortal habits either. Instead, he lets you hug him, lets you play with his hair, lets you complain about pointless things, lets you sing stupid little songs to him.

But he still has his plans of getting the gnosis. You're the one that actually turned his life around and made him have a heart but he's still torn.

He knows he doesn't really need the gnosis any more but it's hard to let go of an aspiration, especially that it was the only thing that kept him alive for long years.

So he doesn't let go of it. But one thing is certain: if he does decide to betray the fatui and get the gnosis, he is going to do it while still keeping you as his number one priority. At this point he'd rather die than to let you get hurt. And if he does die, then so be it.

But, oh God, just don't let him lose you now that he actually has someone.

[mammonswhore]

Heyo! How would the Obey Me brothers react to MC being a teenager/younger gen Z? Like, the paper-work got mixed up somehow, and said they were like 26, when they were actually like 16? Also (you don't have to include this), what if the teen MC was actually really interested in demons and angles before coming to devildom, so they're really nervous, but also really excited? If you don't wanna do it, that's fine tho :) Have a great day/night!

I love this prompt! Have a great day too,love🖤

Brothers reaction to MC being a Gen Z teen. (Platonic)

✒Lucifer.

He can already picture himself struggling with you.

Six brothers to take care of + a TEEN? Man is about to loose it.

If you are an introverted he will like you automatically and feel relieved that you will not always get into his brothers shenanigans.

If you are an extroverted (or just a curious one tbh) he will keep an eye on you 24/7 so you won't get into Mammon schemes or Satan's nerves and get yourself in trouble.

Really amused if you like demons and angels, will curse himself for misreading but will not hate himself too much since you are not that scared.

Gets tired of you quickly if you make too many questions and will always send you to ask Mammon or if it's something that he doesn't know himself he will ask Diavolo and tell you later but he will (of course) act all high and mighty as if he already knew the answer to such question.

Will practically adopt you and spoil you a lot because hes is big brother.

Overprotective. Oh you met a lesser demon and you want to go on a date with them? Haha he won't let you.

You will be the only person who gets in trouble and leaves with just a warning.

Also you are totally his soft spot. Man can't resist your sad face and will do anything to make you happy even if he doesn't like to admit that.

Totally lost when it comes to TikTok/memes references and will ask about it a lot.

✒Mammon

He is amazing. Not only does whatever you ask him to but also has the best ways to get you out of boredom.

He will teach you how to scam people and how to be a good thief even if you don't need it or want it.

Teaches you about demons and angels without even knowing. Sometimes he drops random facts but it's not until he realizes you write down what he says that he stops doing it just to hear you ask him things so he can act all smug and smart.

If someone breaks your heart he will be ready to throw hands,no one hurts their little siblings.

Like Lucifer,he adopted you and always claims to be "the one you choose to be with you first" making sure his brothers hear him.

He will help you make your homework. Even if he doesn't understand he will try his best.

Please refer to him sometimes as "big brother" he will die.

When he saves your ass from getting killed by lesser demons he will be ready to receive the biggest hug ever and is absolutely ready to be praised.

If he saves you and you say "thanks,big brother" now you have a problem. He will brag about it for a week (at least).

Will steal things from you to keep them with him when he is going thru an episode. It reminds him that someone thinks of him as worthy and love deserving.

Will die for you,you are not only family now but his favorite person.

Will compliment you in the best brotherhood way he can "looking good today,kid", "your hair looks nice,brat" and "You are the best looking sibling after me of course" are his go to compliments. Mostly does it because you compliment him back and because he knows his comments make you feel closer to him and boy loves it.

✒Levi

If you are an introvert like him you can expect him to go out of his room more often just to see you or talk to you.

If you are not he will try to make you an indoors person but if he can't he is might be willing to take a risk and go out once a week but just to the manga store and back,don't expect more,normie.

If you like any thing he likes he will try to test you and prove he is better than you,he doesn't give a fuck you are practically a child he can't loose.

If he wins he will be very happy and more open to you to open up with some things.

If he doesn't win he will cry when he is alone and call himself an ugly unworthy idiot who can't even be considered an otaku but relax my dude,MC will go to you and reassure you you know better than them and that they will love to hear what you have to say (even if they don't mean it,they love you and will love to see you happy again).

Knows the basics about demons and angels so he is not the best to go to if you have too many questions. That's the only time he will let his envy go away and tell you to go to Satan or Lucifer since they know more than him.

He does not takes his duty as a big brother as something serious since Lucifer is always there but if you call him "big brother" he is going to take that role serious but for you and you only.

Will 100% find siblings cosplays and gets you to do it with him.

If you ever said something like "I'm lucky that my big brother is also my best friend" he might tear up a little since he has never been considered someone's best friend ever.

If any of his brothers try to get you to call him "big brother" he will go on a rampage unless it's Lucifer. Boy is envious not dumb.

If it was Lucifer he will go to him later and ask you if he can stop trying to get you to call him that way because that's they way you call him and it makes him feel special. Lucifer will probably agree because he knows Levi doesn't feel special often so he might give in; if he doesn't Levi will start an argument and won't stop until Lucifer cuts him off or agrees.

Keep calling him big brother, he adores it.

✒Satan

As grumpy as he is,he loves to have yo by his side. Not because he loves company but because he likes to be able to answer all your questions.

Ask him anything about demons or angels and he knows it,fuck he is smart.

Will get you a notebook so you can write what he says and will give you books to read as "extra homework" it's kind of a bad deal if you think of it but it's his way to show love.

The only person who calls him "big brother" often is Asmo and got used to it coming from him and him only. If he hears you calling him that way he will probably jump out of happiness when he is alone but for know he will just answer to that name name and act like nothing happened.

You don't want to do your homework? Fine you can copy mine but just this once.

If you struggle with anything he will solve it for you,no cap.

He will get you cat themed items like pencils, notebooks,necklaces or rings.

Matching is a must. Not because he likes the concept of being associated with a part of someone but because he will love to brag with his brothers obviously.

Will definitely get mad if you ask any type of demon/angel related thing to others.

Names a cat after you but it's the cats middle name so he won't get mocked. Won't tell you tho.

Very very protective but good at hiding it. He might be following you down the street but you wouldn't even know. Kinda creepy? Yes. Have you ever got eaten? Nope.

✒Asmo

Yes! Exactly what he was waiting for.

You are part of his experiments. You don't like makeup? Well now you do. What type of clothes do you have? Do you have an aesthetic? No? Well now you do.

He is always there when you need him to. Best of them all to give advise when needed.

Definitely will be annoyed by all of your questions but will try to be as gentle as possible to tell you that.

Can help you to become really good at comebacks,believe him he knows best than anyone.

He is the one making sure you are educated when comes to sex. Simple but worthy lessons such as "sex is about experimenting and finding what you really like but you always need your partners consent" or "always have a safe word,even when you have vanilla type of sex" or the best one yet "if they want to fuck with you that's fine but always remember to use protection because I will not like to see you having a child so young or having an abortion" because yeah that's what big brothers do.

If you hit him with the "you are the best,big brother" he will jump into your arms and say that he knows he is the best but that hearing that was way too magical,do it again!

He is very aware of insecurities and will try to be the shoulder you cry on if you need to,he is always there to wipe of your tears (or wipe off the ones who hurt you).

Not as protective as the others but keeps an eye on you because your curiosity might hurt you.

Will be crushed if he sees you suffering from the most minimal thing. That lipstick does not fit your skin color? Fuck that lipstick! We are getting new ones,go get Lucifers card!

Spoils you way more than any other because he wants to create a brat. He needs to have someone like you who will cling into Lucifer and beg him to let you do dumb things because you know Lucifer can't say no to you. He needs your power and is not afraid to tell you that

Constant reassurance. He always calls you by cute nicknames and as long as you call him "my beautiful big brother" every time he is amused.

✒Beel

Baby is ready to give you life lessons. Don't stab anyone,drink enough water and be patient with the ones you love.

Yes,he learned the "don't stab anyone" from talking to Belphie.

Is very lost when it comes to you being so interested in demons and angels because he is not used to be the one answering the questions but making them. Bare with him, he is trying to get a good answer.

Will ask for advice on how to answer you, probably goes to Lucifer but mostly Belphie.

Soon you two start doing things together that involve learning from humans and angels. Maybe you are walking down the street working out and when you both start chatting about demon life and suddenly everything stops.

Beel is clueless when it comes to comforting someone about an insecuritie since he was the one being comforted most of the times but will give you space if you need to or do whatever you feel comfy with.

If you call him "big brother" he will hug you like no one has ever hugged you before. Teddy bear hugs are a must now.

Will die for you and is not afraid of telling you such. "MC I will die for you" "whAt?" "As your big brother I may protect you with my life" "Please don't."

Tells you how much he wants you to be happy and constantly asks if you have any type of dreams or goals.

If you do have goals or dreams he will encourage you to go get it. Beel is there to support you no matter what.

✒Belphie.

Absolutely fucking not.

Why is everyone spoiling this stupid brat and not me? I hate them.

But hold on there,he doesn't completely hates you he just hates the attention you get.

If you go to him with a soft attitude and ask him if you can nap together he will say yes and will enjoy the moment a lot .

He has never been someone's big brother so it kinda hits him if you call him like that and will try to act confident and smug about it but it's kinda terrified.

What if he doesn't catch up on the big brother thing and fucks up? He doesn't want to disappoint you or make you feel awkward. So he copies his big brother and tries his best,believe me he does.

You need help with something? Ugh well I will help but you owe me one (you don't owe him anything really,he just doesn't wants to be seen as soft for you). Oh did someone caused you problems? No biggie,I will take care of it.

Spoiler alert: he is very overprotective with you,he doesn't want to lose you.

[jaeminscoffee]

Daddy Issues | S. Jn

Pairing | Seo Johnny x Fem!Reader

Genre | Smut, fluff

Wc;type | oneshot: 3.93k [not proof read]

Warning(s) | Pwp, dilf!johnny, y/n's a pillow princess, daddy kink, overstimulation, teasing, edging, dacryphilia, slight voyeurism, degradation kink, heavy use of the words 'doll, princess, slut, pretty, angel', typical lyra smut, i made haechan johnny's son (i was about to write changbin as johnny's son but decided against it) age gap, unprotected sex ( the Reader's on pills. Remember this is a fiction, don't play the wrong card irl) filth.

a/n- i found this request buried in my asks and was tempted to write it. Sure, the warning looks intimidating, but i know you wanna read it, y'all whores (ily) shoutout to @bakugou-is-my-bae @cvntzennie and @jenopollo for helping me decide what to post first! @suhpersonic

Minors try not to interact! <3

Age is just a number, so surely, there's nothing to be ashamed or embarrassed of, right? 

There's no reason for you to not fall for the friendly neighborhood bachelor, well not so bachelor bachelor, since he does go around asking people who knows of his marriage to pretend it never took place. 

Johnny's hot, super hot. Has the build of a supermodel. Has the face that one can only imagine belongs to a greek god, as you'd jokingly tell him how he seemed to be god's favorite and how you loathe Aphrodite for showing favoritism (which would always end up with you getting a very sultry, teasing look from the lad) 

Johnny has the type of personality that women can only wish the entirety of the male species would possess. He's an absolute sweetheart, life of the party, definitely the center of attention wherever he goes. And oh god, does he have an immaculate fashion sense. 

But Johnny's also the father of Donghyuck. Your best friend. 

More than being ashamed about the fact that you actually fell in love with a man who has a child of your age, it was the fact that you had to fall for Donghyuck's father of all people. 

Donghyuck is a sweetheart, definitely got his personality from his father but he's also got that glare that could creep the Lord's of the darkness from his father. He's got so much from his father that the resemblance is uncanny. 

You'd not want to get onto hyuck's bad side since you've gotten first hand experience at stopping him from almost committing homicide to someone who spoke shit about his friends, more specifically, you. 

But Hyuck's not in town. So a little fun with Mr. Suh wouldn't hurt anyone, correct? After all, you're still only a human with desires and the want to take risks. 

You'd always not so subtly drop hints at Johnny and he'd always give you that look that would have slick collecting itself between your thighs. A warning look. 

A look that said, "cross the line and you'll get it" 

But that's the thing, you want to get it and will do anything to get it.

"Y/n." 

You'd ask yourself less than a million times if you want to do this or not.

Sure, you weren't this hesitant when you decided to sext your best friend's father knowingly when he was in business mode to irk him up but that's one thing. 

And having to confront the same father who left a message smaller than a sentence that completely disregarded all the obscene text and images to show that he's not the slightest bothered or suprised by your behavior for that matter was another thing.

"Tomorrow at mine." 

It's almost as though he deals with hormonal teenagers one as such as yourself on a daily basis and that thought kind of backfired at you considering the whole 'Let's piss Johnny off so that he'd finally give me what i want' agenda. 

Ironic, huh? 

"Mr. Suh." you start hesitantly, unsure of what to call him, scared of what his reaction would be after your inappropriate shenanigans last night. 

Your stiff demeanor broke down a little with just a hint of shiver passing down your spine as you watch his features contort into a subtle but cocky smirk, "So now you're being all formal,"

"Well, what else would you like me to address you as?" you inquire, feigning oblivion to his tone and what he's implying at. "You tell me, doll. You seemed to have a lot of names to call me last night," he takes a step forward, prompting you to walk a step backwards, further into the corridors of his apartment and away from the actual location. 

"I do not know what you're talking about.. " you let your voice shrivel towards the end, eyes wandering around the complex, finding interest in every small detail as you avoid Johnny's teasing gaze. 

"You don't?" Johnny takes another step forward, latching his hands onto your forearms to prevent you from stepping further away, "You must have had a heavy sleep to forget all that you did last night," his voice drops dangerously low as he begins to walk backwards and back into the safety of his apartment, all the while keeping his gaze fixated on you.

"That won't do, would it? How about we take a walk down the memory lane? And see if that rings any bell?" He brushes your hair away from its static position on your shoulder, allowing him to appreciate all those fine details of your shoulders and neck that are exposed from your selection of clothing, an off shoulder. 

"How about we don't...?" You ask with skepticism, jolting slightly when you hear the door shut behind you and at the new intrusion of personal space by the lad.

"Why are you acting all shy now, Y/n? Weren't you the one so eager to get into her best friend's fathers pants? Just be the whore you are, darling. Your facade's fooling no one." okay you definitely didn't see that coming. 

Johnny's expressions morph into that of mischief as he watches your eyes grow wide and mouth fall ajar, "Am i not correct? Are you not a whore?" he asks with an eyebrow quirked up in a questioning manner.

You don't reply, almost as though the question was meant to linger in the open and that it was a rhetorical one. What you didn't expect, however, was for Johnny's hands to find pursuit around your neck, not necessarily applying pressure, but there as a warning. 

"Answer me." 

"I'm not.." you answer with a feeble voice, internally cringing at how squeaky you sound which only added to Johnny's amusement. 

"Really? Because I don't think good girls go around drooling at a divorced man, her friend's father for that matter and definitely do not send lewd images and voice out their fantasies to a guy twice their age, still want to pretend you're innocent? Or you admit it and we cut down the chase?"

"Yes, I am." you breathe out when his fingers tighten around your neck, a triumphant smile making its way onto his lips. Yet, Johnny felt the need to keep pushing,

"you're what?" 

"I am what you said I am," you speak, trying to avoid looking at the scrutinizing look on his face which seemed futile as he had his arms wrapped around your neck, keeping your head in place. 

"I want to hear you say it, doll. I need to hear you say it." At this point Johnny's intent was to get you into a flustered puddle in his hold and it sure as hell was going in that direction, seeing how you can't even hold his gaze for more than a few seconds in a shot. 

"I am.. I am a who-"

The sound of a phone ringing loud cut you off midway through your sentence, to which you were absolutely relieved. Johnny only seemed to grow annoyed the more he heard the phone ring. With a loud huff, he lets you go, not before giving you a stern look, "Go to my room." he instructed, making his way to the study. 

You let out a breath you've been holding in unknowingly the moment he steps away from you. You watch his figure retreat from you with awe, only now realizing how messy you felt between your legs and how your knees keep buckling. 

"Oh Hyuck!" you hear Johnny exclaim into the phone the minute you step forward to follow his command. 

Your best friend is on call with the guy you're about to fuck. 

Your blood runs cold as you shakily make your way into the apartment and towards the bedroom, shrugging off your sling bag, hanging it behind the door as you place your phone on the bedside table to wipe your hands dry from all the sweat that had accumulated at the palm of your hands. 

"Yeah, I'm fine, about to eat to my dinner actually" you hear the moment to make yourself comfortable at the edge of the bed, looking over to the door where Johnny stood with his arms across his chest, the other holding up the phone as he leans his weight onto one shoulder, leaning into the doorframe.

You take the time to really appreciate his appearance. He adorned nothing more than a simple grey sweat and tight black tee but he seemed ready to walk down a runway at any given moment now. His long hair, slightly disheveled looking almost intentionally messed up, compliments his features. And oh his features. 

The everlasting smirk stayed still on his lips, moving as he exchanged words with his son.

You only come back to your senses when Johnny snapped his free hand in front of you, gaining your attention. He points at his own shirt, then points at you, mouthing 'off' while he listens to Donghyuck speak about whatever he's speaking. 

"Really? Jeno said that? Tell him I'm more than willing to welcome him as my gym partner, the lad seems strong" Johnny makes a quick move to remove the gadget from his ear, before holding it in front of him after placing the call on speaker mode 

Your eyes widen the moment you hear the disturbance in the background and Donghyuck's voice resonate through the room. "no?? Why would you want to work out with him? He'll only make you feel old, you know?" 

"Says the one who still can't beat me at arm wrestling. If anything, i think Jeno would make the perfect gym buddy for me," Johnny raises an eyebrow at your defiance, cocking his head towards the side, staring down at you with a predatory look, "Hyuck, you know, Y/n-" you scramble to take your shirt off at the mention of your name on the call, "-stopped by earlier" he lets out a silent laugh of disbelief.

"Oh? Oh yeah! I'd told her I'd give her book back before I left but I forgot, did you perhaps give it back to her?" Donghyuck questions. 

"I figured you must've forgotten so, yeah i did." Johnny replies, pushing himself off of the doorframe, now walking towards you. 

"Man, I miss her! I might facetime her after I end the call with you," Johnny sets down the phone beside you on the bed, leaning down, placing both his hands on either side of your lap, finding comfort at the crook of your neck,

"I remember her mentioning something about her cousin coming over? Maybe wait for an hour or so before calling her" his lips graze against your neck each time he spoke, you let out a tiny whimper at the so longed feeling, only to earn yourself a small bite at the earlobe, immediately accompanied by a hand over your mouth, "you need to be quiet, doll. Or my son would find out how much of a slut his best friend is," he whispers in your ear. 

"Yeah? Did she mention which one?" 

"No, not really, she kinda just stormed out after getting what she wanted" Johnny creates a trail of kisses all the way from your neck to your shoulders, down the collarbone while one of his hand worked to unhook your bra, "Yeah, she's weird like that," you hear Donghyuck let out a chuckle as you whine into Johnny's palm, your figure slightly trembling from the fear of getting caught all the while being excited about the risky situation he's put the two of you in. 

"Anyways, I'll call you tomorrow? The boys are coming over now so I got to go! Night, dad!" Donghyuck speaks up again, "Night, Hyuck." 

You hear the beep indicating the call has ended. Johnny let's his hand drop from your mouth and makes its way towards your hair, brushing through the strands before pulling at it with a firm grip, "I had my son on call and here you are making all these sweet noises, you wanted to get busted, doll?" 

"It's not my fault! You-"

"ah-ah! Don't talk back, angel. You're already in deep trouble, don't want to add onto that now, do we?" He makes a swift move to have you lying on your back, your torso completely exposed to him while he remains clothed. 

"But Johnny-" you whine, jolting when you feel his hands caressing the soft flesh of your inner thighs, "How do you think Hyuck would feel about this?" his hands travel further north, cupping your heat from underneath your skirt. "fuck, you're drenched"

"Now tell me, pretty girl, what are you supposed to be calling me, now?" 

"Johnny-, tha-that was a joke! I don't have daddy kin-" you try clenching your thighs close from the sudden attention your core was receiving. Johnny wholeheartedly lets out a laugh at your attempt to hide your true feelings, making a quick act of disregarding your soaked panties somewhere behind him.

"Darling, the more you deny it, the longer we keep going at it-" his thumbs at your clit, applying pressure but making no move to quench your needs. You let out a sigh of bliss at the feeling, your back arching off of the sheets at the sensation.

In any other situation, you'd be embarrassed at how sensitive you'd gotten just from all the dirty talking and looks Johnny passed you. But that's the catch, he's Johnny, the only one who can get you this sensitive while doing the bare minimum. 

"Say it, Y/n." 

"No, Johnny! It's-it's embarrassing.." you plead with your eyes, grinding your hips against his fingers, earning a satisfied, dirty look from the lad. 

"Very well.. I'll just draw it out of you"

Without warning, Johnny with little to no resistance, slides two slender digits into your wetness, setting a pace fast enough to draw loud chains of cries from your mouth.

"You hear that, doll? You hear how fucking wet you are? Hm?" he growls animalistically, the thumb that remained on your clit now moving in circles with a motive to get you undone in seconds. 

"Johnn-..!" you whine out, feeling your orgasm growing so close that you could almost taste it, "Still going at that, angel?" he questions, not really expecting an answer as he soaks up the pleasured look on your face. "Johnny- I'm close.. -" you fail to notice the mischievous grin growing on his face as he speeds up the movement of his fingers. 

"Of course you are, doll" He feels you clench around his fingers, back coming off of the mattress as you ready yourself for your release, waiting until the last minute to draw his finger out.

"Why would you-? Johnn-I was so close!" you cry out as you sense your core clench around nothing, whining about the incomplete orgasm. "Why would I give you what you want when you wouldn't comply, baby? That's not how this works." He shrugs, licking his fingers clean of your essence, moving up from the bed to remove the shirt that seemed to be suffocating now.

"Johnny, please!" you whine louder, rubbing your thighs together to create some sort of friction, all unsatisfactory as it did not meet the same intensity as that of his fingers. 

"Please what, doll?" He smirks, knowing the ball is in his court and that you'd had to give in any moment now. Johnny leans down once again, drawing lazy circles at your clit, using his other hand to hold himself up above and close to you, his minty breath which had a hint of coffee fanning your face as you whimper, finally feeling your high building itself up again. "Spit it out, princess, you know you want to." he speaks in a soft voice.

"Please..please" you beg for nothing in particular, getting all worked up again, "The begging's lovely, doll. But you're starting to anger me here, will you say it? Or should I leave you hanging again?" 

You mutter prayers under your breath, hoping he wouldn't actually leave you hanging again, "Fine-" he moves again to remove his fingers from you to deprive you of pleasure all over again when you finally latch onto his wrist, keeping his hands in place blurting out, "Daddy! I'm so-sorry.. There, daddy, please make me come" you give in, the name, the feeling and look of pure victory on his face as he grins like a cheshire cat only intensifies the heat growing at a rapid pace at the pit of your stomach. 

"Final fucking ly, princess. Daddy will make you feel good" He reinserts his fingers in, drilling it with desperation to see you come undone as he draws rapid circles on your now sensitive clit with the other hand, watching you squirm under him.

"Joh-Daddy i'm coming..!" you cry out weakly as you feel your orgasm hit you with much force, easily driving you into over sensitivity. Johnny's patient in helping you ride out your orgasm, not stopping until you let out a throaty sob and plead him to stop to allow yourself some room to breathe. 

Johnny, however, makes no move to stop, only speeding up his fingers, his gaze fixed on where his fingers disappeared inside of you while his other hand held you down with a vise grip, "Give me one more, doll. I know you've got one more in you. " he pants, the feeling of his girth in confinement only throwing himself to sensory deprivation as he feels himself twitch inside his sweats painfully. 

You shake your head, tears now flowing elegantly down your cheek, your lips puckered into a slight pout, your eyebrows drawn together as you let yourself melt into the pleasure Johnny was providing you with. "Daddy.." 

You whine, feeling your second high reaching you ridiculously quick as you see Johnny's face contort in concentration, 

"I need to get you nice and wet for me, princess, you're doing so well. Give daddy another one" you coaxes you with his sultry tone, words and actions, inevitably having you come undone under him for the second time that night. 

You let out a choked moan, finally having enough as you curl upon yourself the minute Johnny removes his fingers from you, full fledged crying at the overbearing feeling of sensitivity. 

Johnny groans at the sight, leaning down to press a soft peck on your sweaty forehead before getting off of the bed to remove his pants alongside his boxer at a slow speed, granting you some time to recover.

"Condom?" he asks, readying himself to reach into the drawing when he notices you shake your head a no as a reply, "I'm on pills.." you mutter weakly. 

You hear him curse out at the thought of doing you raw, flexing his muscles before climbing on top of you again. He takes his time to gently turn you back onto your back, pressing his tender lips against your irritated one for the first time that night, his hand ever so slightly moving to play with your clit once again, making you jerk, "Daddy!" 

"Sorry, doll. Daddy just needs to make sure that princess is ready to take his cock" 

Your whining intensifies at his words, wiggling your hips to move closer to his own, "But I am ready! Look, daddy! I'm so wet and ready for you!" you whimper, earning a chuckle from the lad. 

Just like all the other times that night, he aligns his cock at your entrance without a warning, the tip ever so slightly pushing through your walls, "Alright, big girl. Show daddy how much of a slut you can be for him."

Suddenly, Johnny detaches himself from you, moving further away as he leans by the edge of the door, smirking at you whining at the loss of contact, "Patience, angel" 

He grabs hold of your hips, manhandling your body into all fours as he enters you completely with no trouble once he's got you where he wants you to be.  

Something about having to take Johnny from behind was so sexy that you could almost immediately feel your orgasm grow, "Fuck baby, keep clenching around me like that and i won't last long," he grunts, moving in you with a steady pace, 

"I never expected my son to befriend such filthy sluts like you, Y/n. Look at the mess you're making on my sheets" He grabs a fistful of your ass in a tight squeeze, the sudden shift in his demeanor only serving as a whiplash as you feel yourself growing closer and closer to the sweet orgasm. 

"Jesus, doll, you're so fucking tight i can barely move" Johnny growls, talking to keep himself from coming too fast. 

"Daddy.. I'm close. M-I'm so so close" you cry as your arms give out and you fall face first onto the mattress, the new stretch in your back only encouraging his cock to hit you deeper, finding the sweet cushion that serves as extra pleasure for you. 

"Me too, princess, me too.. '' You hear him let out a whine, his thrusts growing sloppier as he does you slower but deeper. 

He reaches around your body to find pursuit at your clit for the nth time that night, rubbing rapid, messy circles to go with his deep thrusts, "Daddy!" you reach your high with a high pitched cry of his name. 

Johnny comes not too long after you as he couldn't resist the constant tight clenching of your walls around his cock. He thrust slowly to ride out his high as you twitch helplessly, face scrunched up in too much pleasure. 

You feel your body being manoeuvred onto your side as he whispers sweet nothings which pass right through your ears as you feel him softened inside you, the feeling ridiculously soothing for your used up walls, 

"You did amazing, darling." he kisses your temple, not making any move to remove himself from within you, which you silently thanked him for. 

You both lay in silence as you turned your body towards him, earning a hiss and a playful smack from him as it added pressure onto his sensitive member. You wrap your arms around his torso, about to nuzzle into his chest and just drift away to dreamland when you hear the familiar ring of your phone from the table beside the bed. 

You feel Johnny's body shift to reach out to get your phone, looking at the caller ID before handing it to you with a smirk that you knew meant that he was up to no good. "Oh! It's hyuck" you exclaim in shock, quickly accepting the call and placing it near your ear, moving to get away from him. 

But Johnny seemed to have other ideas, as he latched an arm around your torso to keep you from moving, "Hey-" you begin, immediately feeling Johnny experimentally thrust into you again, making you whine, "Y/n! I miss you~-oh hey, are you okay?" you hear Donghyuck's voice from the other side, 

You look at Johnny with a pleading and warning gaze to which you earn yourself a toothy grin from the lad, 

"Of co-course! Just a little.. peachy,'' You turn around to place a hand on his chest to halt his movement, "You don't sound just peachy.. I've heard you like this before!" you hear Donghyuck make those noises he makes when he's thinking as Johnny keeps thrusting lazily the more you look at him, you see him open his mouth to speak, "Oh fuck! You're getting laid, aren't you???" 

"Tell Hyuck daddy says hi"

[captains-simp]

Wanda Maximoff ~ Bottled Up Feelings

Wanda Maximoff X fem!Reader Smut

Word count: 3,139

Includes: oral, fingering and scissoring

[ masterlist ]

Buy me a coffee ☕

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

"Thank you for this." Your brunette friend said with a small smile for what must have been the hundredth time that night.

The team had been on a long, frustrating mission that had everyone exhausted. All anyone wanted to do was put their feet up or sleep the year away, eventually going off to do just that.

You and Wanda hadn't parted since you got back. You hadn't even needed to suggest a movie marathon as the pair of you went back to Wanda's room almost the moment you landed purely out of habit, after getting popcorn of course, and made yourself comfortable on her bed that had come to be as familiar as your own while Wanda scrolled mindlessly through Netflix.

Once you decided Wanda was taking too long looking for a movie you decided to steal the remote (claiming it was payback for all of the hoodies she had stolen from you) eventually streaming a series of some of your favourite horror films - something Wanda wasn't so keen on.

When you finally decided to call it a night on the movies Want a had been adamant you stay the night with her, telling you if you tried to get up to leave she would keep there with her powers. You weren't entirely sure she was joking.

You hardly needed the persuasion, you were always happy to spend time with your friend and you were glad she felt the same way.

When you came out to her a year ago she had been so understanding and supportive, much to your relief. Nothing changed between you and she never acted weird or uncomfortable around you like you knew some people would. She told you to stay in her room and sleep in her bed just as much as you had before. But that wasn't something you weren't sure if you should be happy about.

You had had a crush on Wanda for the longest time. As time went on you spent considerably more time together it was hard not to crush harder. Everything she did made your heart flutter. And those sleepovers? The way she always cuddled up into your side, the soft smile that played on her lips, the joyful laugh that filled the room (especially when it was from something you said), it had been impossible for you not to fall inlove with your best friend.

You had wondered before if Wanda was strictly into guys. It was impossible to tell with her as she never talked about crushes and became closed off when the convosation arrived. For all you knew she could be asexual or aromantic.

You tried not to be disappointed at that thought as you knew you should support her no matter what, but you couldn't shake the feelings you had for Wanda and that filled you with guilt.

It was only out of respect that you never made a move on her. You wanted to know she was open to something with a girl before you tried anything. And you didn't want to throw away what you had. That thought alone was enough to keep you in your lane.

Whenever you voiced these fears to Natasha when she told you to do something about your feelings (because you couldn't keep anything from the superspy) she told you that relationships were like a gamble. You could either throw the dice or skip your turn. It seemed the latter was becoming more likely.

"Stop thanking me!" You exclaimed with a smile as you pulled the duvet back and lay down next to her.

Wanda had often asked you to stay the night with her. A couple of times she had come into your room at ungodly hours of the mornings and asked to sleep in your bed which you always welcomed with open arms.

You knew her nightmares could be unkind, memories from her past resurfacing and her fears being acted out in scarring detail. She never wanted to talk about it though, so you comforted her by wrapping your arms around her tight and letting her know she was always going to be safe with you.

She seemed to think she burdened you with her worries and fears, but that was never the case and it never would be. You loved her and you would do anything for her.

Wanda was laying on her side with an amused grin and propping herself up on her elbow as she watched you get comfortable. She looked adorable. Wanda always did. You mimicked her position to face her and noticed she was studying you.

"Penny for your thoughts?" You asked in a light hearted tone and saw her smile in response.

"I already have plenty of pennies, thanks." She smiled and glanced away. It took everything in you not to kiss her there and then.

"Really, what's on your mind?" Wanda looked at you a little longer, as though contemplating her words, before speaking.

"What happened with that girl you met last week?" She asked curiously.

Now that was new. Wanda knew you hooked up with girls every so often (she didn't know that it was a lame attempt to get over the fact you were deeply inlove with her) but she never asked about them.

"Just the usual stuff." You shrugged as though the question hadn't taken you by surprise.

"What's the usual stuff?" You looked up at her to meet her eyes that didn't hint at any obvious emotion. She had beautiful eyes, they were perfect. Brown swirls that you always thought you could look at for hours, hoping it might really be a window to her soul and you could finally know what was going on in that head of hers.

"We went back to her place and had sex." You said bluntly, not knowing how much detail she wanted.

"Was it good?" Seriously who was she? She never asked you these things.

"Well she didn't need a map." You joked in an attempt to hide your confusion at her newfound curiosity in your sex life. Wanda didn't smile at your words, appearing lost in thought "Why?" You asked curiously.

"Don't you ever get attached? Develop feelings?" She asked, apparently ignoring my own question as she found interest in the pillow you were leaning on.

You could have burst into laughter at her question. You could have just blurted out "that would be kind of hard when I'm already head over heels for you", but you didn't.

"No. I don't see them after." You said, finding an interest in Wanda's pillow too.

The brunette fell quiet, apparently not having anything to say to that, not wanting the rare topic to end you continued.

"Have you been thinking about it lately?" You asked, afraid you were too blunt.

"Yes." She replied clearly. You hesitated for a moment before continuing.

"You want to hook up with someone?"

"Yes- no! I..." She sounded slightly panicked at first, but after a moment her voice dropped and shifted to a undeniably sad tone. Almost hopeless.

"What's stopping you?" You asked gently.

"I just...I don't want it to be with some random stranger." That was understandable. Lot of people felt the same way. Sex could be such a personal and sacred thing to people, something that's held close to their hearts and is purely an act of intimacy. You always thought that was beautiful and whished you coukd experience that. "I want it to be with someone I know... someone I trust and... someone I love." She finally looked up at you again as she breathed out slowly. "The person that I love."

She's in love? It was the only thing you could think. You wanted so desperately to ask who. For how long? When did it start? Why didn't she tell you?

"Who?" You asked. Your voice almost a whisper because you didn't want to risk Wanda hearing it break as you fought back tears.

"You." She replied at the same volume. You froze. Not believing what she said. This was completely uncharted territory for you. You didn't know what you were meant to do. So you did the only thing you knew how to do right. You kissed her.

Your hand cupped her cheek gently as your face became closer to hers, letting her know what you were about to do. She didn't object, instead she closed the distance between you.

Her lips were softer than they looked and felt perfect against your own. It was instantly addicting so you brought your other hand up to cup her other cheek and rolled over so you were partly ontop of her, never once disconnecting your lips.

You kissed her eagerly and longingly in hopes she understood that you had the same feelings for her. You had years of built up feelings to make up for, you were going to make it worth it if it was the last thing you did.

Wanda wrapped her hands around your neck and laced her fingers together as she pulled you towards her more. You happily let her do so and occasionally paused the kiss to let you breathe before going back to her.

You moved your legs so they were straddling Wanda's waist and you could be in the most comfortable position, the very concept of it giving you chills.

Bravely, you swiped your tongue across her lower lip to ask for permission. Although Wanda seemingly didn't understand what you were silently asking for, something that made you smile.

So you gently bit down on her lower lip, causing her to gasp out and moan. You made a mental note of how she responded to slight pain.

You slipped your tongue into her mouth and moaned as you explored it. It was like you needed to memorize every inch of her in case you could never do this again. You needed to treasure the moment and show Wanda just how much you cared.

"I love you too." You finally spoke. You could hear and feel her breath become shaky in nerves and it made you want to hold her close and comfort her forever.

"Show me." She whispered and you smiled.

You kissed her lips again briefly before switching your attention to her jaw. Your hands wandered down to the hem of her shirt and lifted it over her head before throwing it across the room.

Your mouth almost fell to the floor when you realised she wasn't wearing a bra, forgetting you had both changed into pjs. It was dark in the room and you hadn't thought about that fact.

You slowly started to kiss down her neck, along her collarbone and finally planted butterfly kisses on her breasts. You heard Wanda gasp out at the motion and softly moan when you took her left nipple into your mouth.

Softly sucking on the bud gently, you pinched the other then switched, ensuring you gave them equal attention but eventually you felt Wanda push your head lower.

You smirked against her chest and oblidged to her clear wishes by kissing lower down her stomach and hooking your fingers under her waistband.

You pulled the fabric down slowly and kissed every inch of exposed skin before throwing the material to join her top.

Then you softly bit down on small patches of her skin and sucking on them softly to leave small marks along her thighs until Wanda grew impatient with you, groaning at what she thought was teasing rather than you cherishing the moment, you would be sure to clear that up layer.

You pulled her panties down and took a moment to beautiful sight before you and heavenly scent that had your scenes on overdrive. You smiled and instantly flickered your tongue against her clit.

She moaned out in surprise and pleasure, closing her eyes and putting her head back into the pillows as she laced her fingers through your hair.

You took two fingers and stroked them along her folds, smirking when you felt how wet she was against your fingers and relishing under the fact it was a result of your actions.

You moved away from her core to look up at her as you licked her juices off of your fingers with a proud smirk.

She stared down at you with lust in her eyes that made her even more beautiful.

Your mouth returned to her but this time sucked on her outer folds that were also soaked with her juices. You moaned into her when her arousal hit your taste buds again and dipped your tongue into her folds.

You dipped your tongue in further and heard her moan out your name, a sound that made your stomach flip. You took this as encouragement and started thrusting your tongue into her at a faster pace and rubbed your thumb in tight circles against her clit.

Wanda gripped your hair tightly as she moaned out more, her legs wrapping around your head perfectly to keep it securely in place as they began to shake.

Her breathing became fast and shallow as her grip on your hair tightened.

You rubbed harder and thrust your tongue faster until you felt a warm, sweet liquid against your tongue and Wanda screaming out in pleasure.

You looked up at her through hooded eyes as you eagerly licked up the cum she had spilt and moaned at the taste of it, instantly planning to taste it again at some point.

She looked so beautiful blissed out, more tender than you had ever seen her.

You leaned up and kissed Wanda passionalty as she did the same. You knew she could taste herself on your lips as you felt her smile against you at that fact.

"Now let me." Wanda whispered, her hand caressing your bare thigh that wasn't covered by your loose shorts.

"Wanda you don't ha-" Wanda silenced you by placing a slim finger over your lips.

"I want to. I want to make you feel good." She whispered again and pulled you closer by the back of your neck to bring you on for another kiss.

You leaned forward and kissed her passionately, not believing how soft her lips were and how perfect they felt against your own, fitting together perfectly.

She pulled you closer before rolling you over in a playful way that made you smile as she lay ontop of you. She kissed a path down you jaw and neck as her fingers continued to tease your thighs.

Her hand then came up to your waistband, momentarily tracing your hipbones, before slipping beneath the fabric of you shorts and panties.

You gasped out as fingers ghosted over your clit then adventures further to your folds.

Her fingers swiped through your folds a couple of times to gather your wetness on her fingers before slipping inside of you.

You moaned heavily at the feeling as Wanda sighed at the feel of your wet pussy around her fingers.

Her fingers extended fully inside you before retreating only to return again faster. You moaned as Wanda memorized every inch of your core and how it felt around her as she fingered you with earnest.

As her pace increased Wanda's free hand landed on your waist, holding your bodies close together as she leant in to kiss you again.

You eagerly complied as her fingers curled to hit an amazing nerve ending that had you clinging to Wanda's back and moaning the loudest.

"Wan..." You chanted breathlessly.

You squeezed your walls around Wanda's fingers as you approached your high. She took this with a new vigour and rubbed your clit firmly with her thumb, causing you to cum with a cry of her name.

She continued to lay ontop of you while you got your breath back, smiling down at you lovingly.

As she sat up slightly you were reminded of just how naked she was, and how she was right ontop of you. You were aching to feel your bare skin against hers.

You placed your hands on her waist and gently pulled her down onto her back as you sat up and grinned at her and the thoughts playing in your mind.

Wanda smiled back at you as she watched you quickly discard your shirt before pulling off your shorts and panties in one.

She bit her lip at the sight of you completely bare to her but you didn't give her a chance to stare as you were already pushing her legs apart and laying between them as you cupped her face.

"I wanna try something." You whispered, as though the experience was a secret that you two would share forever and guard with your lives. She nodded up at you, keeping eye contact as you lifted her left leg up and spread her other leg further apart, giving you the best access to her still glistening folds.

You could hear your steady breathing as you positioned yourself accordingly so your pussy hovered above Wanda's. You lowered yourself slowly and you both moaned at the contact and friction that was instantly created.

Wanda bucked her hips up when your clit glided over hers and your slick came together to help your movements.

You tried not to get too caught up in the pleasure at first, needing to be able to concentrate your attention on Wanda and the best movements.

You soon fell into the right rhythm, your breathy moans filled the room as you allowed yourself to fall flat against Wanda and kiss her deeply.

You hips rotated perfectly, yours and Wanda's folds glided over one another in was a blissful way you had never experienced.

The movements were making the pair of you breathe faster so you abandoned the kiss to place your forehead against Wanda's as your movements became more erratic.

You didn't want to cum until Wanda did, but the familiar coil in your lower stomach was becoming to tighten.

"Y/n!" Wanda moaned as her hips continued to buck against your own. The movements threw you off at first but your hips soon collided into one frantic movement.

You grinded your pussys together with vigour as you both chased your release with desperation, your combined wetness making the most lewd sound echo throughout the room and amplifying both of your arousals.

With one hard thrust of your hips you both came with a loud moan, clinging to each other and foreheads still connected as you rode out your high together, your hips twitching slightly until you eventually fell down beside Wanda, both of you still swimming in pleasure.

"Wow." Wanda barely managed to speak, exhaustion written into her voice.

"I love you." You muttered as you placed your fingers together.

"I love you too." Wanda smiled tiredly as she gave your hand a loving squeeze.

[physicalturian]

[18+] Filthy Summer - Rengoku Kyojuro x GN!Reader (AFAB)

[No pronouns used for the reader, no physical description; Everyone +18] [AFAB Reader]

Words : 6710

Archive of our own

Follows the work of Gentle Summer or can be read on its own.

Synopsis : On a heated summer night, you and Rengoku decide to finally fuck after a pretty intimate moment.

Warning : Oral Sex / Light Bondage / Cunnilungus / Creampie / Cum play / Hair-Pulling / Power play / Marking / Aftercare / Fluff / Smut / Penis in vagina sex

If you feel like I should add more warnings, let's go gang.

- - -

A comfortable silence had set in the night. I thought I would be exhausted. Wrapped in the safety of his arms, I was certain I would fall asleep in an instant, but my body did not want to listen to logic. Something else was doing the thinking, and that was my lust. My need for him. The moon outside was illuminating the inside of the room beautifully. I could not see much of Rengoku’s face because the light of the moon cast a shadow on it. The flame of the lantern had long since died out.

I brushed my hand delicately on his cheek and sighed in silence. There was nothing I could do to satiate that need that had built up inside me; he had fallen asleep almost instantly after laying down. It seems I was the only one who was left frustrated and wanting, it’s a shame, I thought I had done a great job at riling him up, I thought in disappointment. The image of his eyes widened in surprise and the feeling of his tight grip around my hand were carved inside my mind. No matter how hard I tried, I could not stop thinking about it.

Carefully, I brushed my thumb over his lips and smiled to myself as I moved his hand to rest it on my hip. Maybe his presence would help me fall asleep, maybe he would bring me closer and hold me tight and that would calm my stupidly awake mind. Closing my eyes once again, I tried to force myself to think of something other than his lips on my skin, or his hands on my stomach, or even his breath against my ear—it’s not working, it is like asking someone to not imagine a red balloon. Of course, they will think about it, I reprimanded myself as I opened my eyes again. “I need a cold bath, surely it will help,” I mumbled to myself. It was barely audible, and clearly not enough to awake anyone.

When I was about to move Kyojuro’s hand, I felt the grip tighten, “Where are you going?” His voice was nowhere close to sleepy, the clarity of it surprised me more than anything. Looking at him, I chuckled nervously and asked, “Were you not asleep?” He hummed deeply, thinking of his next words as his hand slid down my leg. He brought it over his thigh and moved his face closer to mine, our foreheads almost touching. “One can hardly sleep with how loud your thoughts are, my love,” I was about to ask what he meant when he pressed a slow kiss on my lips before continuing, “I am very flattered that you cannot keep my hands off of you.” His hands slithered to my kimono, the moonlight helping him see what he was doing. He chuckled softly at the knot I had tied around again and undid it effortlessly.

“Did you think tying it close would help those lewd thoughts that are plaguing your desperate mind?” He asked teasingly. I laughed and nodded sincerely, “In all honesty, I did. But you are right next to me, and those thoughts are only growing.” His beautiful laugh echoed while he pulled me even closer, I let my hand wander between us and lower on his body to part his kimono. He had not dressed back when we laid down, which made it easier to simply move his kimono out of the way to have him exposed in his full glory. “You are impatient, maybe I should do something about your hands, what would you say?” He asked teasingly as he helped my arms out of the sleeves before bringing them around his neck.

I gladly wrapped them around it and leaned in for a tender kiss that was quick to turn into something more needy. His hands did not join the mix, but I did hear the rustle of cloth which made me question what he was doing. I found out soon enough when his rough hands took hold of mine and wrapped my wrists with the cotton belt that only moments ago was around my waist. I broke the kiss in confusion, then felt him lift me onto his lap as he sat up, crossed-legged like he had earlier when he wanted us to hug. This hug was a lot different.

My knees were on each side of him and I could feel his hard cock against my stomach; my core ached to feel it, so I rolled my hips in the hope that he would let me do just that. With one hand back on my hip, he stopped me from moving and brought his other hand on his cock, “That neediness was not nearly as well depicted in your letters as it is right now, with your pretty legs open like this. It’s a sight that would make any man’s knees buckle, you are lucky I am seated.” His tone, while warm as usual, was not the same. The warmth that traveled my entire body was much more carnal, less charming. “Is that so? Being fully nude on your lap is all that is needed to make you weak?” I asked playfully. With the little access I had from having my wrists tied, I pulled his hair back gently to tilt his head up and look down at him.

A pretty grin was resting on his lips, it was inviting and what kind of guest would I be to refuse such an invitation... Slowly, I dipped my head and grazed my lips against his, making sure to exhale against his mouth as our noses brushed against one another. “Tell me, what else would make you weak?” I asked, my tone sultry and playful at the same time. I heard his breathless, yet choked laugh as he half-closed his eyes to look at me, “You remembered the hair, I like it. You seem to remember my letters so well… Tell me,” His lips were pressed teasingly on mine, I did not play along and kissed him with more fervor, only to have him push my face away by grabbing my jaw with a bit more force.

“Would you please wait? You seem so eager, but we are having a discussion, my love,” He trailed his open mouth from my chin to my ear then continued, “Then again, you were that eager even before that, who am I to act surprised?” He chuckled, kissing my jaw fully. I huffed a laugh to hide the fact that I was growing flustered and said, “So were you. Need I remind you how aroused you got the moment I started kissing your body? Such tender actions, tainted by your lewd thoughts... Quite sinful, wouldn’t you say?” The moment I finished talking, Rengoku placed his large hand on my lower back to push me closer as his other one was behind my head. He then leaned forward, making me fall back on my back on the futon.

I did not hit it hard thanks to his hands, but it felt weird not being able to catch my fall because of my tied hands. Another laugh escaped his lips, his eyes wide and bright as a proud smile adorned his lips. He slowly let go of my body and moved his head from my arms so that they were now still bound at the wrists, but resting between us. “Shall we re-enact those so-called tender actions of yours?” I was confused by his words, then felt his large hand grab mine and guide them to his cock. He then wrapped them around it, sighing in pleasure when I tightened my hold around his erected member. “Good, yes-“ A groan escaped his throat as he bucked his hips inside my hands, dropping his head onto my shoulder as he kept going, his mouth open as his breath was constricted.

“Those beautiful hands that-“ a salacious moan escaped his lips again, this time right next to my ear. I couldn’t help but try to bring him closer by bringing my foot on his back and digging my heel against it to push him closer. I wanted to feel him, not just hold his cock, even if the idea of being in control of his pleasure was more than exciting. “Were so gentle in taking care of me, but-“ I could hear the smile through his words, “...but all they are good for now-“ another deep groan muffled against my skin, I wanted to see how far he would go, if he would only find his own pleasure or if he was simply having fun. I was waiting for an opportunity. “Is to make my cock feel so good-“ Feeling like his thrusts were getting wilder, more desperate, I did the thing I found the most entertaining in times like these. The moment he bit into my shoulder in pleasure, I let go of his cock and heard him gasp loudly next to me in indignation.

“Do not talk about my hands as such, they can take as much as they give.” I said tauntingly as I pressed my cheek to his face only to have him lean back and look at me with an amused expression. “I suppose it is time to enjoy how beautiful your voice is,” He grinned as he moved back slightly and was now kneeling between my spread legs. I could not keep my gaze on his eyes, for mine kept looking down at his glorious cock that seemed to be needing attention. “Although I wish to make you moan loudly, you will have to be quiet-“ “What if my moans were muffled by… something?” I tried to make him understand by looking down between his legs. His expression faltered, seemingly surprised by my suggestion.

I did not miss the smile in the corner of his mouth as he threaded his hand through his hair before slowly standing up and lighting the lantern. He joined my side again, this time he brought a knee to his chest while his other leg was free in front of him. “Seeing how you seem almost hungry for it, I will not refuse.” He gestured for me to come closer. I sat up properly and knelt in front of him, only to have him spread my knees with a gentle laugh. “You look delicious like that, my dear.” He commented, his hands sliding to my slit to stroke it a few times, eliciting a gasp from my throat.

He brought his fingers back to his mouth and licked it, the action in itself was so vulgar but the smile on his face was soft. His words were a mix of both, “You know, you must always have a taste of your meal, in case it’s not to your liking.” He leaned in and kissed me tenderly, albeit shortly, leaving me wanting more with my mouth open. He filled it with his fingers to have me taste it too and added, as I licked them clean, “After all, I will eat you out once you have satiated that hunger for my cock.” I almost gagged on his fingers upon hearing his words, he pulled them out laughing before threading them in my hair and slowly pushing my head towards his cock.

“There, I did say I would work on that gagging, did I not? It is the perfect opportunity,” He was almost determined. His other hand placed itself under my chin and held it gently as he helped his cock inside my mouth, holding me still as he did so. His fingers drummed on my throat a few times as silent gasps escaped his lips. “Very—good, yes-“ He grunted in short sentences, if one could call them such. My tongue was pressed against his length, I could feel it hit the back of my throat and slightly push in, making my eyes tear up. Saliva was already drooling from my mouth, and down the length of his cock. Curiously, I looked up at him and was met with a look I would have never thought I would see on his face, something close to threatening, no… dangerous.

Slowly, I tried to bob my head onto his member, but without the support of my hands that had drifted between my legs, I had to rely on Kyojuro’s tight grip in my hair. Sliding his hand fully around my throat, he looked at me with what was supposed to be a reassuring smile. “Beautiful, so full-“ He hissed as he moved inside my mouth, lifting my head only to let it come back after. His hand tightened around my neck at the feeling, enjoying knowing he could feel himself there. “Will you allow me to fuck your throat good? I will not finish in your mouth,” I nodded the best I could with his cock in my mouth and started stimulating myself as he started bobbing my head on his cock. While he did so, he gritted through his teeth, beaming, “I reserve that for you needy- aching- hole,” The thoughts of having him fill me only aroused me more.

Pain joined the exquisite feeling of my fingers on my clitoris, his grip was not letting go of my hair one bit as he lowered my head down his cock before pulling back. At first he leaned his head back, enjoying the feeling greatly, the sound of my whimpers around him made him more than ecstatic. I knew it from his openmouthed moans that he was not muffling one bit. When I started rolling my hips against my hand, he looked down at me suddenly, stopping his actions. “My dearest, do you need attention?” He hummed inquisitively, his eyes traveling down my body to land on my hands. “I see what’s going on, you are very smart to enjoy yourself too,” He praised me before thrusting his hips once in my throat. I gagged at the feeling, more tears streaming down my face but held back anything that I could feel coming up. “I will stop for tonight, since you are so needy.” He cooed gently.

Delicately, he pulled out of my mouth, grunts leaving his throat as he did so. A trail of saliva connected my tongue to his tip; looking at him through half-lidded eyes, I leaned in and licked it painfully slow. He quickly pulled my head back roughly, then let go to cradle my face with both hands. “You did good.” A tender kiss followed, it turned more passionate when he pried my mouth open and let his tongue venture. As he did so, he pushed me back onto the futon and broke the kiss. “Will you forgive me if I tell you the sight of tears rolling down your cheeks, along the feeling of my cock in your throat, is one that I would like engraved in my mind? You have no idea how salacious and endearing it was at the same time.”

Both chuckling, he trailed kisses down my chest to my stomach. While he did so, I croaked, “I will forgive, simply because you must be quite the sight too with my thighs around your head.” I must have caught him off guard for he snorted without much charm upon hearing my words. “I will admit, it is the best accessory I can ask for,” He commented, his fingernails barely clawing at my inner thighs as he looked at me, “And I like colorful accessories, do you?” His tone was mischievous, his eyes too but his smile was sweet. Hesitantly, I nodded. It made him grin broadly as he started fervently kissing my thighs, sucking and licking. Nibbling on them too. While his mouth would be on my inner thighs, one hand would be gripping the one being attacked while the other wrapped around the other thigh and kept it close to him.

I would sometimes chuckle at the light feeling of his tongue on my skin, goosebumps raising all over my body. I threaded my fingers through his hair gently, needing to touch him but only being able to reach that part. My legs were over his shoulders; I could feel some pain coming on the parts of my legs he had been working on, but was able to not pay it any mind thanks to the frustration I was feeling. He was so close to giving me pleasure, but he was taking his sweet time. “Kyo, why are you taking so long? Please…” He looked up, his smile more teasing than ever. “My love…” He bit my leg gently, his eyes never leaving mine before continuing, “I assumed you were patient, considering it took some long, painful courting to get us right here.” He bit the other thigh, earning himself a groan from me. He grazed his teeth on it afterwards, “I remember the mention of not wanting to be inappropriate in those beautiful letters of yours.” He trailed off, his hands slithering between my legs and onto my ass as he suddenly pulled me closer.

“Tell me, don’t you believe it vulgar to be spread as such in front of me?” I felt warmth rushing to my cheeks and down between my legs, my back was oscillating between burning hot and cold from the shivers that kept coursing through my body. “If you do not like the sight, you may let go of them, I will close them to not look too vulgar.” I said in faux confidence, making him huff in response. Shaking his head, he made sure to spread them just a little bit more. His observant eyes travelled from my eyes down to my stomach then paused to slowly lower to my spread legs; there, a smirk drew itself on his lips, “You will close them, yes,” after saying that, he lowered his head onto my slit, “Around my head. Don’t be shy to wrap them real tight, I can assure you I will survive.” He winked, then dipped his head and started lapping at my cunt.

I wanted to cover my mouth and hold onto his hair, but could only do one. I chose the former, in order to not wake up everyone with the whimpers escaping my lips. With each movement of his tongue between my lower lips, I would arch my back when he’d graze my clit with the tip of his tongue. His nose would press against it from time to time, giving it a little bit of pressure, but not nearly as much as I would need. I tried to angle my hips to guide myself on a spot that would make me feel even better, but he made sure to hold me still by gripping my sides. Looking up with a glistening chin and out of breath, he gave a slow lick between my legs, “Are you alright? Perhaps, is it not good enough?” His tone was teasing, arrogant, but loving still. I wanted to grab his chin and kiss him deeply, but did not trust he would let me. Freeing my mouth, I uttered, “You are doing it on purpose, can you please…”

Tilting his head to the side he quirked a brow, “If you look at me like this, I can hardly refuse,” He started, there was something else he wanted to add. I knew it from the look he was giving me. He did not disappoint when he spoke up again. “But only if you bring those beautiful hands back on my hair. My purpose here is to make my songbird sing, I can hardly hear anything if your hands are covering your mouth my love.” Doing as he asked, I brought my hands to him, but instead of gripping his hair I gently took hold of his chin, “So you do keep that beautiful way with words,” I commented as I pressed my thumbs on his lower lip to open his mouth. He followed my moves and did so, his smile never leaving his face. “If filthy words will not leave that pretty mouth of yours, I suppose I’ll fill it with filth myself.”

I was thrilled to see his smile change from mischievous to excited, challenged. I mirrored it. He was quick to bring my hands away from his face and into his hair wordlessly. His only response was to resume his actions with a lot more fervor, his tongue lapping at my sex with the lewdest sounds. The ache I had been feeling for so long was growing and building up inside me, I only realized my thighs were tightening around his head when I felt him grunt against my sex as his nails dug deeper in my skin. Whimpers were flooding from my mouth; it was not nearly enough to drown the salacious wet sounds from his tongue between my legs. While it made my entire body heat up in embarrassment, I could not spare one ounce of energy to feel remotely ashamed of what was happening. Moans soon followed when he started sucking on my clit, his eyes lit up with pride when he elicited a louder one.

At that, his hands slithered to my thighs to hold them open instead of around his head. He looked up at me playfully as he did so, “I liked that one, I am sure you could do it again, for me?” “Kyo—Kyo we’re not alone, don’t-“ He did not listen and returned all his attention to my sensitive nerves. My brows knotted in pleasure, I let my head roll back. I was getting close to relief, my eyes riveted on the ceiling as my entire body tensed. He did not seem like stopping, nothing was leading me to that conclusion, and it made me happier the moment my vision filled with white, and I let out a cry of relief. Utter silence followed, I slumped back on the mattress and sighed in content, my hand had long since let go of Rengoku’s hair and was now resting on my stomach.

I gasped when I felt a lazy tongue lick between my folds then saw Kyojuro’s face right above mine, a stupid smile on his lips. His skin glistened from my filth. He was not grinning, but I knew something was going on when he kissed me softly and pried my mouth open to deepen the kiss. His tongue intruded my mouth with something more salty than saliva, it took me some time to come to the realization of what he had done; I quickly broke the kiss and swallowed to speak but was interrupted by the sliding of the door open. I looked behind Rengoku’s shoulder in panic, trying to bring him against me to cover my sweaty form. It was pointless to fake sleeping since the light was on and my eyes were wide in shock.

The sleepy form of Uzui stood there, his hair messy and his eyes, half-closed, focused on us. “It’s Tengen.” I whispered to Rengoku who still had his back facing the door. “He is half-asleep.” I added. The red-haired smirked and kissed my neck, “I’ll tell him to leave.” He chuckled before pulling the blanket on my form as he stood up. He did not bother to cover himself as he made his way to the door, fully nude and uncaring of anything. “Giyuu said he heard something, but since it was coming from your room he did not dare come in case y’all were…” the silver-haired man waved his hands in front of him to explain exactly what he meant; as he tried to look behind Kyojuro’s shoulder, the latter moved in the way to block his view. “In case you were fucking, clearly he guessed right.” He laughed, facing the Fire Pillar again. “We are, is there anything else?” Rengoku asked.

There was a pause, I was starting to calm down which made me feel annoyed since I wanted to finish what I had started with my lover. “Well, clearly the night has just started,” The Sound Pillar laughed again, “Just tone down the moans and all that, fuck all you want but just a bit more silent, yeah?” Kyo nodded and gestured for him to leave, still as confident as ever without needing to cover his cock, nor the marks all over his body. Before leaving, Uzui glanced behind Rengoku the best he could and covered his mouth in excitement before looking at my lover again. “Tied up? On the first fuck? You are wilder than I thought, Ren!” I heard him say, quickly I tried to cover my hands more. Uzui slapped his hand on the lion-like man’s shoulder and said, “Good for you, both of you. Have fun, don’t be late for training—and take a bath, there is paint all over the damn place. That’s some weird shit you’re into, not going to lie. Good night friend.” He then bid us goodbye and closed the door again.

Rengoku returned by my side in seconds, “Unnecessary interruption, I hope it did not turn you off my love.” He whispered softly as he removed the blanket from my form and pressed a kiss on my stomach. “All of this because you told me to uncover my mouth, it was obvious someone would hear.” I berated him playfully, thinking he would perhaps apologize but still say he did not regret it. While he did the latter, partially, he added more to it. “If it was that obvious, why did you do it?” He asked with a smug smile, his face close to mine once again as his fingers danced on my thighs. Slowly, they slid to the inner side of it while I stared at him confused, “Because you asked me to do it…” I told him with my cheeks heating up.

“You could have refused, my love.” He breathed, his lips ghosting over mine. “You know I would not have minded if you had refused.” He added, this time pressing a teasing kiss on my lips. I could feel the smile on his lips as his hair tickled the side of my face. Breaking the kiss for a moment, he pressed himself more against me and as he spoke, “Did you want to get caught?” he slid two fingers inside me, making me gasp silently at the unexpected feeling. I shut my mouth to hold back any groans from the thrusts of his fingers, but he was not having it; his free hand moved to my mouth and pried it open with his thumb, his expression softer than ever. “There, my love, I am sure you can give me a proper answer. Don’t be distracted by my fingers, focus on me.” As he said so, he made sure to add another finger and to rub his thumb on my clit.

Swearing under my breath, I tried to grab his shoulders, but was still bound and grunted in desperation. “Maybe you wanted that—“ He curled his fingers inside me, grunting in satisfaction at the sound that escaped my throat. ­Rengoku’s face was nested in my neck, his teeth grazing my skin as he whispered right next to my ear, “My love, you obeyed so dutifully when I told you to open your pretty mouth,” He chuckled to himself, never stopping his thrusts as I kept whimpering under him, trying hard to stay as silent as possible. When I rolled my hips against his hand, he kissed my temple softly and caressed my cheek. The tenderness of his actions could not balance the roughness of the one that followed when he grabbed my throat to bring me into a delicate kiss that he quickly broke. “Can you obey once more and answer my simple question? I’m sure you can be good and do that for me, hm?”

Giving him a long look, I smiled lazily and cradled his face in my hands to kiss him longingly, the sounds of my moans were muffled by his mouth. It did not take long for the kiss to grow more sloppy, more needy and clearly hungry. Feeling Kyojuro’s cock pressed against my thigh, I closed them around his cock and made him moan into the kiss, breaking it in the process. “Do not think I will be satisfied with just fucking your beautiful thighs, my love,” His gaze never leaving mine, he brushed his thumb on my throat and pulled his fingers out to spread my legs and instead place his between mine. Leaning over once again, he pressed the tip of his cock against my hole but did not move, instead he kissed my cheek, then my throat and grabbed my tied hands delicately. My eyes followed all of his movements, never leaving his body. I wanted to know what he wanted to do next, I wanted to be ready, to not be caught off guard again. “Would you like to use your hands again? I’d like to think it would feel better for both of us if you could use them.” He smiled gently, his hands playing with mine while waiting for an answer.

“I think you’ve held me down long enough; I would love to be able to run my hands all over your gorgeous body.” I said playfully, thrusting my hands towards him even more. I held back from smiling to not let him know what I was planning on doing. He scoffed and smiled before undoing the knot; the moment I was free, it did not take me more than a few seconds to bring him down and roll him over to be the one on top and pin his hands above his head.

The thrilled expression that was adorning his features filled me up with glee as I leaned over and ghosted my lips over his, just as he did before. “My turn,” I breathed with a smirk, “But I won’t tie your hands, I think they will be more than useful when you will be desperate to feel me more.” I taunted as I placed my hands on his hips and raised my hips above his hardened cock; I did not have time to lower myself that the Pillar held me in place and sat up. It made me move my hands on his shoulders and grip them tight, in case he decided to take control. “Do you remember my question? I believe I am still waiting for your answer.” He grinned darkly, an open kiss pressed at the spot where my neck and my shoulders met.

“It was… thrilling that Uzui was there, but it is simply because it is the boldest we’ve been in front of him,” I said softly, then lowered my tone and ghosted my lips against the shell of his ear as I added, “If I am being honest, seeing you walk there without covering yourself was a lot hotter than that idiot being there,” One of my hands placed itself on his jaw as I kissed his cheek, “And I got to see your beautiful bum too, which is more than a simple sight.” Chuckling, we kissed passionately, our hands traveling one another’s body. I could feel his cheeks were burning up, perhaps from the efforts and all the energy spent, but I liked to think he was flustered from my words. I realized his hands were not holding me anymore, while they were resting on my hips again by the end of our fiery kiss, they were doing just that, resting.

With my hands back on his shoulders, I did not waste time and lowered myself onto his cock. I tried hard to hold back the swearing from flooding out of my mouth, but the feeling of his cock stretching me out was painful and blissful at the same time. Without paying attention, I had spread my legs wider to get more of him inside me. Warmth spread all over my body when I heard him sigh in content, his hands gripping my waist to hold himself back from pulling me onto him with force. His nails were pressing hard into my skin and only dug more when I had him fully sheathed inside me and I rolled my hips once, twice. Looking up at him, I saw he was staring at me with hunger, a clear carnal desire that I matched by kissing him wantonly. One hand was splayed on his cheek while the other held onto his shoulder as I started lifting myself up and down his erected cock, rolling my hips as I did so. Soon enough, our grunts of pleasure started filling the room, our sweaty bodies melted into one when he wrapped his strong arm around my back and pulled me even closer.

The slick sound of his cock thrusting in and out of me made the act even more vulgar, but at this very moment I could not care less. I was focused on feeling each part of him, on feeling his burning touch traveling from my back to my shoulders as he tried to bring me even closer to bury his face in the crook of my neck. His moans were the most beautiful sounds I’ve ever heard coming from him, the heat emanating from his entire body was heating mine in return. His warm breath made my neck feel like it was on fire, even more so when he bit into it and groaned in pleasure as he started thrusting more. I had long since wrapped both of my arms around his neck and was holding onto him with force.

No words could escape my mouth, only whimpers and muffled moans as I tried to cover my mouth. I kept switching between covering my mouth or grabbing his shoulders, desperately trying to stay balanced but when he leaned forward, I let him tilt me back onto the floor with his hand resting behind my head. With his free hand, he held onto my waist and started ramming into me, his breath ragged and his mouth open as groans and moans escaped it, emphasizing each of his thrusts. Seeing him so primal was a sight I do not believe I could get tired of. Through high-pitched whimpers I reached out for his face, sliding my hand to the back of his hair as I pulled him closer once again. “Kiss me, please.” I pleaded. “Yes, of course, yes.” He replied, his speech hurried, tone desperate as he lifted my head from the ground with the hand resting behind it. The kiss was clumsy, dirty but it felt so good.

It felt so good to be this close to him, to not think of anything but the pleasure one was giving the other. He hiked my leg over his hip to angle himself better and as he did so, I arched my back in satisfaction, he had hit the perfect spot. He must have understood that since he swelled with pride and kept hitting that very spot over and over again, his speed decreased to a taunting one. “Look at you, squirming for more,” He huffed and caressed my stomach, down to my thighs, “Are you close, my love?” He had asked with a soft breathless smile, his hair covering the sides of his face. “Yes, please,” I let my head fall back once more and sighed, trying to catch my breath, “Please, make me cum, I’m aching for release, if you don’t—“ There was no need for threats, he was more than glad to resume his thorough fucking. There was no other word for it.

The entire evening had been love making, intimacy, gentle touches, but it had now turned into something so desperate that it could only be called fucking. Hands reaching for any sort of hold onto the other, sweat making the grip less secure, the paint from our bodies had long since tainted the sheets and was no longer adorning our backs. Our hands were covered in said paint, and as they traveled from back to shoulder to face, it left a colorful trail that made the body look even more like a work of art.

Soon enough, the tension that had built up inside me reached a peak. All I needed to break that tension was a few more thrusts that were strongly provided by Rengoku’s rough, heavy, forceful hips. At this blissful moment, all I managed to do was hold his arms in a death grip and mutter his name under my breath alongside swears as I felt myself tense for what felt like too long before letting my entire body relax and my hands fall back to my side. Kyojuro followed soon enough, one hand reaching for my cheek as he caressed me gently. His look was desperate as his thrusts became more erratic, seeing as if he was about to pull out, I wrapped my leg around his waist to stop him and with a tired arm reached out for the side of his neck to pull him close. “Don’t pull out, I want to feel you, all of you.” That was all he needed to finish, his movements stopping as his head fell back in utter pleasure.

Silence followed, moments after Kyojuro laid down next to me in exhaustion. He still had enough energy to help my head onto his chest to caress me gently, both of our bodies were dirty and reeked of sweat, but I could not care less. I did not want to think of anything but this very moment, from his words he wanted that too, “If you give me one hour, I am sure I could do that again.” He whispered, his eyes locked on the ceiling as a proud smile adorned his lips.

Trying to face him, I turned around on his chest with my chin resting on it. “Give me a few days, I am definitely not ready for more. As good as it was, I am out of commission for the time being.” I laughed as I trailed my hand on the scar on his stomach. I was relieved when he did not tense up and instead mimicked my actions but trailing a finger on the scar on my back. “Do you have energy to spare for a bath? I do not believe we’ll have time in the morning to bathe. It is already pretty late.” He explained softly as he rested his cheek against the side of my head, I was already starting to feel sleepy but knowing he was right, I pushed myself off of him and nodded sleepily. “I will find the energy. If I fall asleep in the bath, it is your responsibility. Understood?” I asked playfully as I handed him his kimono before draping mine over my form.

“I will keep you awake by talking to you without ever stopping, does that sound good?” He asked cutely as he stood up. He reached out for my hand, helping me stand up before pulling me close and hugging me gently.

“There is nothing more I could ask for than to hear you talk, please do.” I huffed a laugh then kissed him tenderly, enjoying each and every second spent by his side on this beautiful evening. When I pulled back, I tucked his hair behind his ears and grinned, “Tying your hair was not very helpful considering most of it fell from the ribbon.”

“It matters not! I looked very hot to you for a moment, I am sure you enjoyed it while it lasted.” He winked, his hand sliding down my arm to hold my hand. “Now you have the responsibility to wash my hair-“ “Mane,” I corrected him, “It is no longer hair seeing how many knots there are in it.” I continued playfully as we made our way out of the bedroom.

As we finished the night, I thought for a second I could imagine spending the rest of my life in this pure happiness, having someone I loved by my side, taking care of that someone as they took care of me.

Maybe everything will be alright, maybe I’m allowed some happiness.

[shelbysdevil]

Tommy couldn’t help to scoff about her comment even if it wasn’t the first time a woman so bluntly offered herself. With Eris it seemed different though since he had noticed her hesitant reaction to touch, so he was pretty sure her words were more or less an act he just didn’t understand for what cause yet. To give her the needed space he didn’t dare to link into her arm, but it definitely brought a slight smile to his lips as he watched her approach the dog and suddenly opened up so easily when it came to touch. While she was focused on stroking its fur, Tommy was lighting himself a cigarette to wait cause on contrary to her, touch wasn’t his problem when loud sounds and even barks could trigger his memories of trauma very fast. Maybe that’s why he always preferred horses, right?

“Mhm, you might enjoy it now. But things like that can change pretty fast Miss Amorello.” It was never difficult to find a body to lay with at night, but Tommy learnt over time that it must be pretty hard to stay there with his difficult mind. Something he thought she might understand better than she would like to admit yet. “Purmells then.” he repeated lowly and slipped his hands back into his coat as they continued walking there. “I never eat alone.” he murmured and in fact knew quite well that he would probably forget eating completely if his personal staff or family wouldn’t remind him or sit with him. Sometimes he even forgot it so much, that he reached that slightly dizzy feeling he somehow felt weirdly comfortable with cause it was a familiar state. “I would have asked someone else but… since you were there.” Of course he would play the fact down that he was actually curious about her and couldn’t stop thinking about her eyes since he last saw her, but it was probably safer to keep it to himself until he knew what all of this was about.

As soon as they reached the entrance he opened the door for her and gestured with his head inside so she could take the lead. Martinez at the entrance immediately recognized Mister Shelby and led them to a small separate area in the back of the bigger room where Tommy helped her to get out of her coat before joining her on the corner seat. “Chateau d'Yquem for the lady. Whisky for me.” he ordered and waited for the waiter to leave them to bring his focus back on the pretty face sitting next to him. As smooth as she apparently could be, his own movements could just be as sneaky as hers and so she probably didn’t realize that he had grabbed one of his guns from the inside of his suit before he slipped his hand between her legs, pressing the cold metal of the gun against her exposed thigh but never touching her with his hand.

With a devious smirk he leaned forward, other elbow rested on the table as he stared deeply into her eyes and hushed “So… you do not want my money neither do you seek a pleasant fuck because you’re not a whore. Question I have is…what is it you want then, Miss Amorello? I know that you will probably be fine with paying for yourself, but I like to know who I’m inviting.” The safety of the gun clicked and his own calmness allowed him to notice that there was not even a flinch coming from her as a reaction what made him tilt his head and raise a brow. “And you’re not even scared when a gun is pressed between your legs what makes me wonder if you just prefer a guns touch to a human one - even at spots others might find inappropriate - or if you’re not scared of death at all. Maybe you even crave it.” Just like he did more often than he would like to admit.

For a moment his eyes wandered down from her face to look at her chest which still breathed in with the same ease as before and brought another amused scoff from his lips before the blue hues focused on hers again. “Just for your information.” His face leaned in next to hers while he blindly secured the safety of his gun again. “If you’re here to kill me, I must disappoint you or your boss by telling you I’m already dead. A bullet to my brain doesn’t change that.” In the corner of his eye he noticed that the waiter was approaching their table again, so Tommy pulled back and slipped his gun where it belonged just as smoothly as he did before and rested his arms on the backrest of their seat to watch the stranger pour in their drinks. With a gentle nod he thanked him and reached for his glass to lift it to the woman looking at him. “To whom are we drinking?”

Tommy for sure had met many women. Beautiful ones. Smart ones. Even dangerous or powerful ones. But there was something about this lady that tickled his ego and made him crave for more, woke his curiosity and made him feel like he was gambling again. While horse races were something he mastered with time, it seemed that Eris would need a whole lot more effort to be deciphered but it definitely felt nice to explore a new addiction. Someone that would keep him on his toes.

His eyes watched her hands counting the money and placing it back on his table, but he couldn’t deny that it amused him and so he chuckled and raised a brow on her, his hands safely slipping into the pockets of the coat he was wearing now. “Exquisite taste, or so I guess.” he said and leaned in his head closer to look down at her. “I for my part despise wine.” But he didn’t despise a woman who knew what she liked. “And you’re not a whore, Miss Amorello. You’re wearing too many clothes for that. Way too many for my taste if I’m being honest.” Yes her skirt might have been short, but the woolly coat she was wearing was way too pricy to be afforded by a whore and he would know cause he fucked them more often than he would like to admit.

“So no offense, I was just trying to be generous but if you wanna play after your rules, we gonna do that. Let’s find out what you’re really after then if it’s not the money, Eris. I’m curious to know. Come, enlighten me.” He opened the door of his office and gestured with his head outside to make her walk out first, trying to respect the space she surprisingly didn’t claim just seconds ago what maybe gave him some hope that her distance would at least break down more with the time. Tommy didn’t care that his brothers would see him walking out with her, in fact it made him only smirk as he passed them cause hopefully they would now understand what he meant with different. And he was right after all, was he not? Just as they were right for giggling about the fact that she wouldn’t even let him touch her.

It was never a problem for Tommy Shelby to find a seat, any seat wherever he wanted in whole Birmingham and he couldn’t deny that he would always choose public places like his bar to meet someone first before he would get murdered in his sleep, but that wouldn’t await him with her after all, did it? “Name a place and I’ll bring you there. Or will it be me choosing where we’re heading to?”

[glowingbadger]

Okay, so I had a thought for our dear fox boy, Kurama.... Imagine, "trying" to tease him by going down on him only to suddenly switch it up and go down on you instead, especially when you least expect it as revenge. You're on the phone with your best friend and suddenly he's there between your legs, but you can't say anything or let your friend know.

Oh-hoo, a most excellent concept, friend- and actually plays into a couple things I've written about Kurama before too, so I guess I should have seen this coming xD

Also this all just reminded me that I HAVE to do some sketches of the YYH boys in late 90's fashion. Ugh, what absolute icons.

Kurama (YYH) x AFAB Reader

NSFW 18+ v

Kurama's hair splays out across the pillow, making him look for all the world like a lounging ingenue in a romantic painting. Still, those emerald eyes level on you with a sharp cunning that tells you clearly where you stand. He wears a subdued smile that someone who didn't know him might find pleasant, charming- but you know what the grin of a fox spirit really means.

"Feeling rather bold today, aren't you?" he says, his tone light and conversational, even as your hands run down his chest and the toned contours of his abdomen from atop his clothing.

"Well, it doesn't seem fair for you to call the shots all the time," you reply from your position straddling his hips. You like to think you sound the part of the confident seductress, but your heart leaps every time you meet Kurama's calculated gaze. You may be in the "dominant" position, but you know you haven't nearly tamed him. For now, you'll just have to try to push him a bit further.

You kiss a slow and deliberate path down the center of his torso, undoing the buttons of his shirt one-by-one, and revelling in the feeling of firm muscle shifting and flexing at your touch. Kurama lets out an openly pleasured sigh, and doesn't shy away in the slightest as your hands reach the front of his jeans. With a playful little hum, you run your hand up along the bulge of his stiffening cock beneath layers of fabric. Very subtly, his hips shift up towards your touch, and you bite at your lip as your eyes flicker up to his yet unreadable expression.

"You must be much more sensitive than you let on, Kurama," you tease, tracing his length with a single finger, "You're already this hard, after all."

Just as you'd started to feel sure of having the upper hand, he props himself up on an elbow to observe you between his thighs. One hand reaches down to caress your cheek, ending at your chin, where his thumb runs the curve of your lower lip.

"Of course I am," he replies bluntly, "It's only natural when I desire you so ardently. Besides," he goes on, his grin curling into a smirk, "If your aim is retribution for all that I've done to you, then I imagine I have quite a thrilling evening to look forward to."

So much for flustering him, or even just getting him to act a little bit shy. Your cheeks burn hot, and you mumble,

"Should have tied you up. And gagged you, while we're at it."

"Hm. Perhaps you should have," Kurama replies casually.

This bastard. Is it really this impossible to gain the slightest bit of ground on him?

Impatient for results, you undo the front of his jeans, and tug them down with his boxers, freeing his impressive member from its confines. Kurama continues to watch you comfortably as you take the base of his cock in hand and slowly drag your tongue up the underside of his shaft. You can feel it twitching and swelling in your hand, hardening to its full size before too long. Frankly, you've half a mind to climb onto his lap and ride him then and there. He does so love to tease you- the chance to have him now without the usual exercise of restraint is undeniably tempting. For the time being, you satisfy yourself with gently licking and kissing his twitching manhood, letting the warmth of your breath and fleeting touches gently stimulate him.

He is clearly enjoying himself; aside from the soft murmurs of pleasure he grants you as your tongue circles the crown of his cock, his direct gaze hasn't wavered for even a moment. Still propped up above you, he absently strokes your hair in one hand as half-lidded eyes watch your attempts to provoke him.

"You mean to tease me, I see..." he says softly, his tone only hinting at his amusement. Even better concealed is the heady arousal building at his core- his desire to break this arrogant facade you've put on, to see you crumble back into obedience at his hands.

And as if by divine providence, his opportunity arrives.

The phone at the bedside table rings, and you pause to glance up at Kurama. Only the glint in his eye hints at his plan at first- but then, as you watch in disbelief, he picks up the phone before it's finished its third ring. He sits upright as he greets your friend on the line, and your body feels hot and cold all at once.

"Hm? Oh, yes- right here, in fact. One moment."

Kurama meets your eyes with a smirk and offers the phone to you with his hand cupped over the receiver. Your face is burning red, and you grumble near inaudibly,

"No fair!"

He gives a short laugh, tucking away his still-hard cock and then fixing his clothing with his free hand as he says,

"I apologize if I have ever given you the impression that I am 'fair' by nature." All at once, he catches you around the waist and pulls you down onto your back on the bed. You resist crying out in surprise, if only because when you look up at him and see the smouldering heat in his eyes, your breath catches in your chest. Then, without a word, he hands the phone to you. Biting nervously at your lower lip, you take it from him, clear your throat, and say,

"He-hey! How's it going?"

Your friend immediately launches into an excited ramble about the finale of a show she's been following obsessively for the last year and a half. Honestly, you should have expected this call- stupid of you to think you'd have the evening free with the finale airing. As she goes on about how "so many of her predictions were dead-on," Kuramas hands run indulgently down the contours of your body. Your heart races, and you can't help tensing, arching up against him just a little. Then, he's working your pants down off your hips, and you give him a pleading look that he meets like a stone wall.

"-- I mean, can you believe it?! It's like, exactly what I said would happen!!"

"Yeah, that's, uh," you struggle to keep up, but your eyes are fixed on Kurama lowering himself between your bared legs, "that's pretty wild..."

With a placade grin on his face, he kisses a trail down the inside curve of your thigh, his touches delicate and yet unreserved. Your eyelids flutter half-shut, but you force yourself to- more or less -follow the thread of your friend's rant. That is, until you feel the sting of Kurama's teeth at the soft flesh far up the inner curve of your thigh. He sucks a dark love-bite to your skin- one that you know will remind you of his presence there for days to come. Still, you manage to camouflage your gasp of shock and pleasure into a sudden cough.

"You okay?"

"Yeah, totally! Sorry, don't mind me- go on!" you babble out your reply in a hurry, knowing you won't be able to trust your voice when Kurama continues this torment. He chuckles silently behind his hand, and you pout uselessly at him. Rather than acknowledge this, he refocuses on his task as the phone rant continues. You do your best to keep a consistent stream of "Oh, yeah?" and "Wow, crazy!", all while elegant fingers spread your lower lips and warm breath teases your over-sensitive body. Then, without warning, his tongue glides firm across your aching clit. Your thighs twitch in around his head and you arch up from the bed.

"Woa--! That's... incredible!" you translate the gasp you desperately want to let out into a perhaps overly-enthusiastic reply. Fortunately, your friend is too caught up in her finale recap to police her own excitement, let alone yours. Still wearing that cocky smirk, Kurama pushes his hair back behind his ears, then returns to tease your clit with the tip of his tongue.

He doesn't let up after this, and frankly, your impulses are torn. Part of you wants to be as subtle as possible, to silently endure the slow, luxurious movements of his lips and tongue pulsing against your cunt and stiffened clit. Another part of you- the part you're fighting to subdue -wants to grab onto that silky red hair and grind against him, to rush yourself to your climax and to spare yourself further torture. But you and Kurama both know you won't be able to keep quiet if you do. So you fuss anxiously with the phone's tangled cord, shifting and squirming on the bed beneath him and biting back pleasured gasps and whimpers.

Your legs are trembling around him and you're positively soaked with your arousal and his saliva. Leaning back on the pillow, you scrunch your eyes closed and take a deep breath.

"Oh- you remember that one voice actor I told you about?"

"Yeah, uh," you struggle to pull your thoughts together, but Kurama nudges the flat of his tongue rhythmically against your clit, and your body is begging for release, "This show... was his first big on-screen thing, right?" you manage to choke out. As though pleased by your performance, your lover gives a soft hum that sends his breath fluttering over your vulnerable skin, then presses more firmly into you. His skillful tongue teases your entrance for a moment, rubbing into you while your muscles tighten, instinctively longing for friction, for something inside, for something to cling to. You're panting silently, biting at your finger to keep quiet while your friend tells you all about her latest celebrity crush.

So close. You're so dangerously close to the rush of your climax. But you hold on, every inch of your body aching with need and restraint. Kurama can obviously sense the desperate state you're in, and you know that he's savoring it. And yet, when you glance down to watch the erotic movements of his mouth, the way his eyes devour you, the way his hands grip at your hips- you realize that you don't have it in you to care about your pride anymore.

"Anyway, they're airing an interview with the cast soon, so I gotta go so I don't miss it."

The words are a beacon of hope, and while your friend apologizes for cutting out so suddenly, you assure her again and again that you don't mind.

"Really, you should... go- uh, go enjoy the thing!"

Kurama's lips seal around your clit and the dearly sensitive surrounding flesh. His tongue flicks across the hard little bundle over and over, his hands firm at your hips, holding you strictly in place. He's not holding back anymore. Your eyes roll back and your body burns, but you keep yourself silent. Just a little longer. Don't let him make you cum- not yet. He feels too good- and you know he wouldn't care if you screamed his name for your friend or anyone else to hear.

"Oh, also, we should totally grab coffee or something soon!"

"Yeah- that sounds really good-!" your back arcs up from the sheets.

"Cool! I'll call again soon, byeeee!"

You hear the click of the receiver on the other end. Your arms go limp, dropping the phone to the floor. Kurama leans over you, pushing himself against you while his tongue works your clit and you gasp aloud for him.

"Kurama! Ohhh... Oh, God- I'm-!"

A tingling, sparkling wave of pleasure explodes from your core and rushes across the surface of your skin. You can't remember the last time you came this hard, and you imagine Kurama can feel what he's doing to you. Your taste coats his tongue, one shaky hand weaves your fingers through his hair as your hips buck towards him. With one last desperate cry of his name, you relax back onto the bed, your boneless limbs making you feel like a puddle of mindless bliss.

Panting, practically gasping for breath, your unfocused eyes gaze up at the ceiling as the last tremors of your climax pass through you.

"Haa... Mm, Kurama..." you whimper out as he places one last kiss to your now soaked folds.

He crawls up atop you, and a gentle hand turns your face to him. His smile is warm and openly affectionate, and he caresses your cheek like a groom at the altar. Looking at him now, it's hard to imagine he's the same man who just put you through that unique form of torture. You're still catching your breath, and when he kisses you with all the tenderness in the world, you can hardly even reciprocate.

"Well done, my love," he says at last, "Do you think you can continue to behave for me tonight?"

Some distant part of your mind realizes that you've been manipulated- that he's utterly dismantled your attempt at dominance. You should be frustrated. You should try to regain the upper hand and show him that he doesn't always gets to be in control. Instead, your half-lidded eyes meet him and you murmur,

"Yes... I'll be good..."

[tobiosmilktea]

hiii can i request tsumu, kenma, oikawa, and kuroo where they’re in a secret relationship and the reader feels like they’re hiding her bc they’re ashamed of her ? like a hurt too comfort type of thing? thank u bb 🥺🥺

- 🍒

secret relationships w/ atsumu, kenma, oikawa, and kuroo

a/n: i have so many angst requests,, yall must like getting hurt 💀 also this wasn’t as angsty as i thought it was gonna be since im going through writers block yet again and i can not handle pain rn (also not proofread, so read with caution lmao)

— m. atsumu

it honestly surprised you at first, the way someone like miya atsumu returning your feelings the moment you told him you liked him near the start of the school year

there wasn’t that instant gratification though, knowing that one of inarizaki’s golden boys still felt out of your reach

despite being in a relationship with you, it wasn’t like anyone knew of it besides osamu and your closest friend

of course you didn’t really mind as you’ve always thought couples who were obnoxious with their relationships 24/7 and constantly making out in the hallways wasn’t your cup of tea either, so you get why atsumu wanted to keep it a secret

besides, with a guy so popular like him, you really just thought he was sparing you from the harassment (not that it would be bad if all the girls crushing on him new)

you get that he was just trying to protect you, and yet the more you thought of it, the more than it was simply just an assumption and you really didn’t know why your relationship was kept secret

it wasn’t like either of you would get backlash in any way, so what was the problem?

you weren’t exactly the type to be the most insecure either

sure, you were aware of the flaws you had, but it wasn’t something you were ashamed of as you learned to get used to it

yet it’s hard to fully love yourself when your boyfriend isn’t even comfortable with the fact that no one knows you two are even together

you hated jumping to conclusions, but you couldn’t help but to think the worst case scenario—was he ashamed of being with you?

you honestly thought the idea was impossible

if he was seriously ashamed of the thought of being with you in public, why would he even waste all those months dating? were all those dates and nights sneaking out to see each other for nothing?

it was like this for weeks with the way your own thoughts sabotaged you as you stood next to him during lunch

in moments like this in school, surrounded by your classmates and acquaintances, you and atsumu were only friends who sat next to each other occasionally and shared conversations that only friends would have

only friends

god, you hated the way that atsumu wouldn’t even look at you the way that he would when you two are alone

was he that embarrassed to be with you?

you didn’t want six months of all your hard work and effort of making time to be with him for nothing,, you had to do something about it

everyday, you, atsumu, and osamu would walk to school together with osamu typically walking ahead of you and your boyfriend

most couples would hold hands as they walked together, but atsumu had made it explicitly clear as the closer they get to school the farther they had to be from each other to avoid suspicions

thinking of it now, it sounded wrong to begin with and you had no idea why you even agreed to do such a thing

the school was close, maybe a block away and instead of slowing down your pace to create a gap between you and atsumu, you stubbornly stayed next to him to which he flickered you a weird look

he shrugged it off but the moment you two passed the gates and into campus, you slipped your hand into his

without missing a single beat atsumu immediately pulled his hand away from you with a look on his face that held all the questions running through his head at that very moment

“what are you doing?” he asks, almost in a harsh whisper

a frown melted upon your expression at how quickly he pulled away, almost as if he was disgusted by you. “i um, didn’t know you hated the thought of people seeing us together so badly.”

you didn’t know where all your strength went as it disappeared the moment you needed it the most

yet as you were about to walk away, atsumu tugs at your wrist lightly and pulls you into his embrace—his warmth and comforting scent of chamomile from  saved you from the embarrassment that was tainting your cheeks red

“no, no it’s not that,” he mutters, lips tickling your forehead. “i just wanted to keep you to myself a bit longer.”

— k. kenma

you honestly weren’t surprised at the fact that kenma wanted this relationship to be kept secret

he never seemed like the type to be in a relationship let alone get the attention of being in one in the first place, yet it irked you to the core

it was fine at first; acting like you two were just friends while at school or at volleyball practice and it wasn’t at all weird or out of the ordinary

maybe that’s why you were okay with it in the first few months of your relationship with kenma as you were always near him the majority of the time

yet you constantly had to fight the urge to not be so touchy with him from wanting to hold his hand to leaning your head onto his shoulder—you often had to stop yourself especially in front of your friends and his teammates

you were good at keep secrets, but it was absolute hell not being able to even tell kuroo considering you always hung out with him too (it was a given obviously but you digress)

kuroo is a bit curious in his closest friend’s antics so his constant teases of how you and kenma would be such a cute couple annoyed you to your core

he laughs as if you and kenma being together would be absolutely impossible and wouldn’t happen in a million years, and yet here you two were, pretending to laugh at his jokes and agreeing and it would be, in fact, impossible

as mentioned before, you’re more annoyed at keeping your relationship secret rather than angry

your actions were more abrupt and cold rather than your usual warm self and kenma definitely noticed

despite his usual calm and collected expression that he has on a daily basis, it covered up his own emotions of blatant insecurity and worry that you were losing your feelings and losing them quick

the last thing kenma wanted was for everything that happened between the two of you to be wasted over his own fear of being judged for being with you

you were his first in everything and he certainly wasn’t going to let you become his first heartbreak either

he worried about this for a few days, overthinking while he played video games with kuroo, lev, and yaku that they noticed how quiet he was being over the call

it was then did he impulsively asked kuroo to go on a separate voice channel with him just so he could blurt out, “i’m dating (y/n).”

and to his surprise, all his best friend said was: “yeah, i know. (y/n) told me.”

“what? why?” kenma asked with confusion evident on his visage

“she had no one else to go to vent.” kuroo answers, his amused laugh echoing through kenma’s headphones. “don’t worry, i won’t tell anyone.”

“thanks, but... i think (y/n)’s angry at me and i don’t know what to do.”

“she told me that she was getting tired of keeping your relationship a secret. she asked me if you felt embarrassed or even ashamed of being with her.” he explained.

confusion and a bit of worry washed over kenma as his words suddenly faltered, “i could never be ashamed of being with her,”

“then i guess, you should tell her that.”

“what should i do?”

his best friend lets on a smirk (not that kenma could even see it, anyway), “i’m so glad you asked.”

you weren’t exactly sure what you expecting to be honest

you knew there was something going on between kenma and kuroo as if they were planning something intricate, but you weren’t bothered to even ask

perhaps you were still in that petty mindset of giving kenma the cold shoulder after having to keep your relationship on hold all the time that stopped your curiosity

sure, it was a bit childish, but you were planning on talking about it with kenma the moment he came back into the classroom after going off somewhere with kuroo

which by the way, where the hell were they? lunch was ending soon and you needed to talk to you boyfriend asap

the timing was almost perfect the way the thought of him entered your mind was at the same time as his familiar blonde hair walked back into the classroom with a melon bun and a canned drink in his hand from the vending machine—your favorites

“i noticed you didn’t eat lunch, so i bought you this.” he says, placing them down onto your desk.

“is this supposed to be your way of apologizing to me or something?” you mused at him.

there was a faint smile on kenma’s face when you did. this was your usual self, one that constantly smiled at him rather than deadpanned and cold. “no,” he simple put it. taking in a breath of confidence before pressing his lips on the corner of yours. “but i was hoping that would.”

with wide eyes, your eyes scanned the room to see if anyone noticed, afraid at the fact that you broke the first rule. despite being a blushing mess from a minuscule peck on your cheek, there was an inkling of confusion still evident within you, “why did you do that?”

“kuroo told me everything.”

“i knew that guy couldn’t keep a secret,” you mutter as you tried to ignore that infamous feeling of butterflies in the pit of your stomach. “i don’t think people saw, so they won’t think we’re together—”

“what if i wanted people to know we’re together?” ded asf

— o. tooru

you honestly should’ve known oikawa was going to keep this relationship between the two of you a secret since the moment he confessed his feelings to you

what else could you have expected from aoba johsai’s most popular boy wonder with an actual fanclub full of naive girls

perhaps you’ve become naive yourself considering you dealt with months of having your relationship constantly being swept under the rug, psyching yourself out that he was doing this for your sake

and you understood that

it was the reason why you even agreed to keep your relationship on the downlow considering how annoyingly notorious oikawa’s fangirls were, they wouldn’t have let you see the light of day if they were to find out

if you were in fact being honest, there was a period in time near the beginning of the relationship how cautious you were being—barely talking to oikawa unless it had to do with school, avoiding his gazes during class, and even swallowing your pride by just watching his fangirls flirt with him and there was nothing you could do about it

you honestly had to give yourself a pat on the bat for dealing with six months of this treatment

you figured it wouldn’t be that bad, especially after schools where you and oikawa could finally have alone time to yourselves, but even those times alone with him there was a lingering feeling of tension and unease

the thought of someone from school even finding out of you two being  together even affected your relationship outside of school hours

you were tired of waiting outside the school gates for hours just for him to come out of volleyball practice and apologize that he couldn’t walk you home yet again

you figured that oikawa had grown far to used to seeing you waiting for him all the time that it was practically common sense that he was going to reject you again and again

you had to stop waiting for him at some point, but there was an inkling inside that for once, just for once, he would look at you with a smile so sweet that he would finally go with you

but not once has it happened

was he really that afraid of people finding out of his relationship with you that he’s willing to disregard all your hard work to even make this thing (whatever is was) to even happen?

if you were truly being honest with yourself, the only reason why this relationship is still up and active for this long is all because of you

you’re the one always asking him when he’s available during the weekends so you two could finally see each other, you’re the one always texting him first, you’re the one always being the most understanding of the situation

and yet it’s almost like oikawa isn’t even batting an eye at how difficult it has been for you

you absolutely hated jumping to conclusions and thinking of the worst case scenario and yet here you were, suddenly drowning at the possibility that the only reason why oikawa wanted a secret relationship was because he was ashamed to be with you

it was a thought that kept you up at night, tainting your optimistic thoughts of hope that this relationship would actually work out to decimate into thin air

the more is simmered in your head, the worse it became—what if his feelings that he confessed to you was a lie?

you hated overthinking

but if you really thought about it, even before you and oikawa dated, neither of you two were close. just two acquaintances in the same class that occasionally shared answers with each other just by the convenience of sitting nearby

you even went as far as believing that him dating you was just a joke, that this whole goddamn relationship was just some mindless prank just because he was bored

six months of wasted time. you were over it

the next day at school, you didn’t even look at him, you didn’t smile or even acknowledge the way he said good morning to you (as a friend does)

you figured he’s probably too dense to even notice, but he did. the usual glow you had each morning when you said good morning back to him was gone

he already missed the way your gazes would meet and how he would constantly find himself lost in your irises, but now you couldn’t even look at him in the eye

the only person who’s aware that you and oikawa were dating was iwaizumi. it was a given as who else would oikawa ramble on and on and on about how pretty you looked or how smart you are if it wasn’t his best friend?

if anything, iwa was the only guy oikawa could complain about how you were ignoring him

“maybe she’s bored of you for once,” iwaizumi cuts straight to the point. there was really no point in beating around the bush

offense was written all over oikawa’s face, utterly surprised, “how could she?”

“you can’t keep your relationship with her a secret forever, you know.” his best friend goes on to explain, “with the way things are going with you two acting like you’re nothing but acquaintances, (y/n)’s bound to lose her feelings.”

“but i don’t want her to lose feelings for me! and it’s not like i can suddenly tell all my fangirls that i’m dating someone, they’ll freak!” whines oikawa.

“why do you care about your fangirls’ feelings more than your own girlfriend? seems to me, it doesn’t even look like you care about (y/n) at all the way she’s constantly waiting for you after practice only to be rejected.”

it’s obvious iwaizumi wasn’t here to sugarcoat

“i just don’t want them to harass (y/n)...” oikawa reasons, trying to ignore the way his heart drop at iwa’s words like a gripping poison

“then that’s your job to tell those girls to back off.” he suggests, “they literally treat you like a god, surely they’ll listen if you tell them to leave her alone.”

the following day, you came across oikawa waiting outside your door, dressed in his uniform with his gaze lingering about to occupying his attention

“what are you doing here?” you ask him as you close your front door behind you. he’s probably here to break up with you, you thought to yourself

you had to force yourself to ignore the way your heart dropped at your own self-destructive thoughts

taking a deep breath as you approached him, you readied yourself for harsh news to come your way

but it never did

instead, you were greeted by oikawa’s infamous smile that made everyone at school to fall in love with this guy (including you)

he takes your hand into his, intertwining his calloused fingers that dwarfed yours in size. you don’t remember the last time you held oikawa’s hand, but it felt so familiar and warm

it was like home

you couldn’t help but feeling the ends of your lips tugging into a smile as you looked up at him, “what if someone at school sees us?”

you were expecting some kind of excuse, but all he did was shrug. “who cares?”

— k. tetsurou

when you and kuroo started going out, you certainly wasn’t expecting it to be like this

if anything, ‘going out’ would be a stretch if you count late night dates and sneaking out at midnight just to see each other as dating

it certainly wasn’t your usual definition of dating either as you yearned greatly to be able to do normal couple things with your boyfriend—like actually going out on dates during the day, eating lunch together, hell, even just holding hands!

it almost seemed laughable how normal things done in relationships were something you never even experienced with kuroo even after a few months of being together all due to him wanting to keep the relationship a secret

and if you were truly being honest with yourself, you never really understood why he wanted to keep it on the downlow in the first place

you never really questioned it as you just that much of an understanding person, but at a certain point it just wasn’t adding up

it wasn’t like he had girls going after him 24/7 despite being at the top of his class, popular, and nekoma’s volleyball captain

it wasn’t like oikawa who had an actual problem with hoards of girls surrounding him and tracking his ever move, so what was the big deal of letting your relationship public?

it was then did it hit you

the suddenly downpour of insecurity within your own loving boyfriend that you trust so much was getting the best of you

“what if he’s embarrassed to even be with me?” you contemplated in a harsh whisper to your best friend

it was in the middle of lunch and you two were sitting alone on a bench in the school’s courtyard chatting while eating—well, more like overthinking in your case while you friend just sat there and nodded

“if he actually felt that way, then he would’ve broken up with you already.” your friend stated in between bites, “besides, if i didn’t have feelings for someone, i wouldn’t put in the effort to sneak out just to see them.”

you hummed, not sure what to say as she did have a point

but could you really blame yourself for wanting an actual relationship rather than one that’s forced to go unnoticed?

“i should talk to kuroo about it...” you sigh out.

“talk to me about what?” an oh-so-familiar voice calls out to you and your friend

kuroo’s figure approaches the two of you as he give you a curt smile with hidden meanings that you weren’t able to even notice. you were too caught up in your own meddling thoughts that you also didn’t notice the way kuroo frowned slightly at the way you avoided eye contact with him

“nothing,” was all you said before standing up and throwing your trash away. “lunch is almost over so we should all get to class.” was all you said before briskly walking away

kuroo’s brows furrow in confusion as he looks over to your friend, “what’s up with (y/n)?”

“she thinks you’re too embarrassed to be with her, that’s why you hide your relationship.” she cuts straight to the point (homegirl just wants to eat her lunch in peace ffs)

“what?” your boyfriend huffs out in shock, almost offended at the fact that you out of all people would believe such a thing. “why does she think that?”

your friends shrugs, “not sure. that’s something you should be asking her, but if it were me, i would want a normal relationship as well.”

kuroo doesn’t say another word before walking away. and yet his walk quickened so he could catch up to you before you could get to class, footsteps echoing through the hallway in patters as he sees your familiar figure near your classroom 

“(y/n)!” he calls out to you as you slide the classroom’s door open. it was sure to catch the attention of the rest of the students already in the classroom as you turn towards him, brows furrowed in the same confusion

as he neared you, there was almost no sign in him stopping, sending your heart beating in a frenzy as you parted your lips to tell him to slow down

but before a single syllable could even fall from your lips, your boyfriend’s own pair press against yours harshly. it was sweet like caramel and you swore everything moved in a slow motion when you suddenly realized where you two were

he stole your breath away when he pulled apart from you, eyes immediately scanning the room of his own classmates staring at him in awe

“since when were you two dating?” matsukawa asked rather loudly, it seemed that others were interested in knowing as well.

panic suddenly coursed through you as you gave kuroo a look, gravely ignoring the way yoru heart was thumping against your chest and the dozens of unanswered questions running through your head

“w-we’re not actually dati—”

“we’ve been together for a few months actually.” kuroo cuts you off, sending you a wink before entering the classroom