#and I was fine up until about an hour or so ago

[secretmaniacc]

FILL THE VOID

Pairings: the salesman x Fem!oc

Summary: After avoiding him for two days, she finds herself pinned down as he insists they go out to dinner, just as he promised in their bet. Reluctantly agreeing, she anticipates an elegant evening, but the night quickly takes an exciting and dangerous turn.

Warnings: slow burn, language, violence, Dom!salesman x baddie!oc, teasing, degrading, kissing, gun play, Russian roulette, knife play, semi public sex, hair pulling, mentions of blood, oral sex, male recieving, p in v, rough sex, spanking.

Wc: 6.2k

A/n: so sorry for the wait here’s pt.2 for “ride or die” since some of y’all liked it and I’m very happy for that, did some justice this time and spiced it up they can be out of character sometime so forgive me, hope y’all will enjoy it really worked hard on this one, not proofread <3

For two days, she’d managed to avoid him—strategically timing her office hours to when he wasn’t there, ignoring his messages, and pretending not to notice the way he seemed to linger just out of reach. But deep down, she knew it was only a matter of time before he caught up with her. 

That time came at the end of a long day when she thought she was safe. She gathered her things and prepared to turn around and head towards the door, only to feel a familiar presence.

“Thought you could avoid me forever?” His voice was low, smooth, and infuriatingly smug. 

Her hand tightened on the strap of her bag as she turned, schooling her features into something calm and unaffected. “I’m busy. Move.” 

He grinned, leaning casually against the doorframe. “Busy ignoring me? Impressive effort, but I don’t take silence well.” 

“I’m not ignoring you,” she lied, stepping forward to brush past him. 

His arm shot out, blocking her path. “Really? Then why haven’t you answered my messages? Or were you too busy pondering about how much fun we had in the alley?” 

“I don’t owe you an explanation,” she shot back, her tone clipped as she tried to push past him again. 

But this time, he shifted, moving to block her entirely and locking the door with a quick twist of his wrist. The faint click of the lock sent a chill down her spine, though she refused to show it. 

“Let me go,” she said, keeping her voice steady even as she felt her pulse quicken. 

He leaned back against the door, his arms crossed lazily, as though he had all the time in the world. “Not until we settle something.” 

She arched a brow, masking her unease with irritation. “And what’s so important that you’re resorting to theatrics?” 

His grin widened, his gaze sparkling with that insufferable confidence. “I’m a man of my word. And I promised to take you to dinner, didn’t I? Unless, of course, you’d rather recall how I made you feel so good in the alley.” 

She blinked, caught off guard by the reminder. “That was two days ago. It doesn’t matter anymore.” 

“It matters to me.” He stepped closer, the teasing edge in his voice making her heart stutter. “You won, fair and square. So, dinner. Tonight.” 

“Not happening,” she said firmly, though the conviction in her voice wavered slightly. 

He tilted his head, studying her with mock curiosity. “Why so stubborn? Afraid you’ll enjoy it?” 

Her jaw tightened. “I’m just not interested.” 

“You’re lying.” 

She glared at him, determined not to let him see how her resolve faltered under the weight of his gaze. “You’re impossible.” 

“And you’re avoiding the truth,” he countered, stepping closer until there was barely a breath of space between them. “But that’s fine. Say no if you want—I’ll still show up outside your door.” 

“You wouldn’t dare,” she said, though the uncertainty in her voice made her doubt her own words. 

“Try me,” he challenged, his tone light but his intent clear. 

She sighed, her shoulders sagging slightly in defeat. “Fine. One dinner. But don’t make a habit of this.” 

His grin broadened, a glimmer of triumph lighting up his face. “Perfect. Wear something elegant—something that’ll fit the place. I expect you’ll be just as stunning as you were in the alley” 

“Excuse me?” 

He ignored her indignation, leaning in close enough for his breath to ghost against her cheek. His lips brushed lightly against her skin, leaving behind the faintest trace of warmth. “See you tonight,” he murmured before stepping aside and unlocking the door. 

She stared at him, momentarily thrown by the unexpected gesture. The smug look on his face only made her irritation flare, and she pushed past him with a sharp, “Don’t be late.” 

As she walked away, she tried to ignore the fluttering in her stomach, brushing it off as nothing more than irritation. But the faint smile tugging at her lips told a different story. 

-----

She stood before the full-length mirror, the soft glow of her bedroom light catching the gentle shimmer of her crimson dress. The bodice hugged her figure like it was made for her, the delicate cowl neckline draping gracefully across her collarbones, while the fabric flowed into a silky skirt that brushed the floor with every subtle movement. Her long, black hair fell in effortless curls to her waist, framing her face with a touch of timeless elegance. A sheer wrap rested loosely on her arms, adding a layer of ethereal softness that seemed to dance with every step. 

Her phone buzzed on the dresser, pulling her from her thoughts. She glanced down to see his text: "I’ll be there in five." Letting out a small breath, she grabbed her purse, gave herself one last look, and headed downstairs. 

The evening air was cool as she stepped outside, heels clicking softly against the pavement. There he was, leaning casually against a sleek black Audi A6, its polished exterior gleaming under the streetlights. He wore a tailored black suit that framed his tall, broad figure perfectly, paired with a crisp white shirt and a black tie that added a sharp elegance to his appearance. His dark hair was neatly styled, though a rebellious strand fell over his forehead, softening his otherwise sharp features. 

As she approached, his gaze locked on her, a flicker of admiration crossing his face before he straightened and stepped toward her. Without a word, he took her hand, lifting it to his lips and pressing a soft kiss to her knuckles. 

“You look breathtaking,” he murmured, his voice smooth yet sincere, his eyes holding hers for just a moment longer than necessary. 

A faint blush warmed her cheeks, but she managed a small, teasing smile. “You don’t look too bad yourself.” 

His lips twitched into a smirk as he opened the passenger door for her, gesturing for her to step inside. 

She settled into the plush leather seat, the soft scent of new car and faint cologne filling the space. The interior was sleek, with polished silver accents and an impressive digital dashboard glowing faintly in the dim light. She trailed her fingers over the armrest, the comfort and luxury surprising her. 

“You own this?” she asked, glancing at him as he slipped into the driver’s seat, his hands confidently gripping the wheel. 

He chuckled softly. “Why? Did you think I’d show up in something less fitting?” 

She shook her head, amused but still impressed, as they drove in silence toward their destination.  He would make teasing comments here and there that earned a chuckle from her.

The car pulled up to one of the most elegant restaurants in town, its grand facade glowing with soft golden lights. Outside, a long line of patrons waited eagerly, some dressed to the nines, chatting in anticipation. 

Her brows lifted in surprise at the sight. “You didn’t mention this place,” she said, her voice laced with curiosity. 

Before he could respond, two security guards stepped forward, opening her door with practiced precision. One took the keys from him while the other escorted them toward the entrance. She noticed how the murmuring crowd shifted, heads turning as they walked past. 

The guards held the doors open as they entered, bowing slightly in his direction. She bowed back out of respect, but he merely did, wrapping his arm around her waist as they stepped into the opulent dining area. 

The restaurant was stunning. Crystal chandeliers cast a warm glow over tables draped in crisp white linens. Floor-to-ceiling windows revealed a breathtaking view of the city skyline, and a soft melody from a grand piano filled the air with an elegant ambiance. 

They were guided to a private table near the window, the staff pulling out her chair as she sat. As he took his seat across from her, she leaned in slightly, her tone playful. 

“Care to explain why everyone is treating you like you’re some mafia boss?” 

He chuckled, resting his chin on his hand as he looked at her. “Let’s just say I know how to make an impression.” 

She rolled her eyes, but a smirk tugged at her lips. “Oh, I’m sure you do.” 

The waitress approached with a professional yet warm smile, handing them menus. “Welcome. May I offer you something to start with?” 

She glanced at the menu, the luxurious options catching her off guard. “Are there any prices on this thing, or do we just guess?” she quipped, arching an eyebrow at him. 

He laughed softly. “Don’t worry, dinner’s on me. Feel free to splurge.” 

She smirked, leaning back in her chair. “Good, because I was planning to order the most expensive thing just to annoy you.” 

“Be my guest,” he replied smoothly, his grin teasing. “But I hope you know that means dessert is non-negotiable.” 

her eyes scanning the intricate names of dishes written in french. Brows furrowed, she tilted the menu closer as if the words would magically make sense the second time around. 

“What is... uh, rat-a-tou-ille??” she sounded out slowly, glancing up at him with genuine curiosity. 

His lips curved into an amused smile. “Ratatouille. It’s a vegetable dish—stewed with tomatoes, zucchini, eggplant, and herbs. Simple but classic..” 

“Oh, okay. That doesn’t sound too bad,” she nodded before her eyes caught another word. “And this one? Coq... au vin??” 

“Coq au vin” he corrected with a small laugh. “Chicken braised in red wine with mushrooms and bacon. Very traditional.”.” 

She tapped her chin with her finger, pretending to consider it seriously, then moved on to another dish. “Bou-ya... bouillabaisse?” 

“Bouillabaisse,” he supplied smoothly. “.It’s a fish stew with a mix of seafood, Want me to keep translating, or are you planning to make me read the whole menu for you?” 

She shot him a playful glare. “Hey, these names are intimidating, okay? I didn’t grow up speaking fluent…. Uh, whatever this is."

“french” he said, unable to suppress the laugh that bubbled out. “I have to admit, though, this clueless act of yours is kind of adorable.”

She rolled her eyes, heat rising to her cheeks. “Whatever. I’ll just stick to this one.” She pointed to a dish she didn’t recognize but liked the sound of. 

When he glanced at his menu filled with prices unlike hers, his smirk grew wider. “Interesting choice,” he mused, leaning back in his chair. 

“What?” she asked suspiciously. 

“Nothing,” he said, clearly holding back a laugh. “Just that it’s the cheapest thing on the menu.” 

Her jaw dropped. “Are you serious?” 

He nodded, still grinning. “Repick. Or I’ll do it for you.” 

She groaned, flipping through the menu again. “Fine. You pick.” 

He didn’t even look at her menu, already knowing it by heart. “Filet de boeuf Rossini,” he said confidently.

Her eyes widened slightly. “That sounds... fancy.”

“It’s perfect,” he replied with a wink. “Trust me.”

The waitress returned, taking his order for a sole meunière and hers for the beef Rossini. “And a bottle of Château d’Yquem,” he added casually.

When the waitress nodded and walked away, she raised an eyebrow. “Château d’Yquem? What’s that?”

“You’ll see,” he replied cryptically.

Moments later, the waitress returned with a sleek silver ice bucket, placing it on the table with a bottle of golden wine nestled inside. The light caught the liquid, making it shimmer, and her eyes widened as realization hit.

“This is wine?” she asked, pointing to the bottle. 

“Not just any wine,” he said, pouring a glass with practiced ease. “It’s... exclusive.” 

“How exclusive?” she pressed.

He took a slow sip, his lips curving into a knowing smile. “Wouldn’t you like to know?”

Her eyes widened. “You’re drinking liquid gold?”

He laughed at her incredulous expression, his voice rich with amusement. “Relax. Tonight’s on me, remember?”

She rolled her eyes, leaning back in her chair. “You’re infuriating, you know that?”

“Part of my charm,” he replied with a wink, setting his glass down.

Silence evoked as the air in the restaurant shimmered with quiet luxury, a symphony of muted chatter, piano tunes and crystal clinks filling the room. She leaned back against the chair, her delicate fingers tracing absent patterns on the edge of the table. Her gaze flickered toward the expansive window, the city lights sprawling like a living canvas. There was an effortless grace to her, the way her crimson dress caught the glow of the chandeliers, the silk shifting like liquid fire with her every move.

He couldn’t look away.

His pupils sharpened with intensity as he studied her, the soft curve of her jawline, the way her lips parted slightly as she sighed in quiet awe. Her black hair, cascading in soft curls to her waist, gleamed under the golden light. She was a vision, suspended somewhere between elegance and rebellion, her beauty a contradiction he couldn’t quite define but didn’t want to stop trying to.

She tilted her head, her profile catching the faint light of the chandelier, and his breath hitched. As he took a sip of his whiskey, the taste burned less than the thought that this moment—her, here, now—felt like something he shouldn’t deserve.

He smirked at himself, shaking his head slightly. Get a grip.

But then she glanced back at him, catching his stare, her brow arching in question. “What?” she asked, her voice laced with curiosity.

“Nothing,” he replied, his smirk deepening as he set his glass down. “Just taking it all in.”

She rolled her eyes but couldn’t fight the slight tug of a smile at the corner of her lips.

Moments later their food arrived, the rich aroma wafting from her plate made her mouth water. She picked up her fork, taking a cautious bite. The moment the tender beef hit her taste buds, her eyes fluttered shut, and a soft hum of delight escaped her lips. 

“This is... amazing,” she said, already diving in for another bite. 

He watched her, captivated by the way she was completely absorbed in her food. Every little sound she made—those happy, involuntary noises—pulled his attention. For a moment, the bustling restaurant around them disappeared, leaving only her. 

“You’re staring, again.” she said suddenly, snapping him out of his daze. 

“You make it hard not to,” he admitted with a small smile. 

She flushed, quickly taking another bite. “Just eat your food, so we can get done” she muttered. 

He chuckled, cutting into his fish. They settled into a comfortable rhythm, exchanging light banter between bites. At one point, she attempted to spear a piece of his fish with her fork, but he caught her wrist with a grin. 

“Ah, ah. That’s mine,” he teased. 

“Sharing is caring,” she retorted, but he held firm, playfully shaking his head. 

He shook his head with exaggerated defiance, a sly grin tugging at his lips. “You want it that bad? Beg for it.”

She narrowed her eyes, “‘Never mind,’” she said, her voice thick with sarcasm as she went back to eat.

He chuckled, leaning closer. “Come on, don’t act like you didn’t do it.”

“That’s it, I’m leaving,” she said, standing up abruptly and grabbing her bag.

He burst into laughter, his gaze never leaving her. “I’m messing with you,” he said, grabbing her wrist gently and pulling her back into the chair.

She shot him a glare, crossing her arms. “You’re impossible.”

“But you love it,” he replied, giving her an amused smirk.

She sighed, reaching for her glass of water. As her gaze drifted across the room, it landed on a couple at a nearby table—so engrossed in each other they might as well have been the only two people in the restaurant. The man’s hand rested on the small of the woman’s back, and their faces were inches apart, whispering between soft kisses.

Her nose wrinkled. “Ugh. Get a room,” she muttered, her voice dripping with disdain.

He followed her line of sight, his brow arching before a low chuckle escaped his lips. “Jealous?”

She snapped her head back to him, her eyes narrowing. “Jealous? Please. That’s gross. There’s a time and place for that sort of thing, and it’s not next to someone trying to enjoy a meal.”

His grin widened as he leaned back, clearly enjoying her reaction. “You’re awfully opinionated for someone who didn’t seem to mind when I kissed you.”

Her cheeks flushed instantly. “That was different!”

“Oh, was it?” he teased, his tone playfully smug. “Because if I recall, you were the one leaning in first.”

Her jaw dropped. “I was not! You were the one who couldn’t keep it together and kissed me like some—”

“Like what?” he interrupted, a mischievous glint in his eye. “Someone who’s not afraid to take a chance?”

She glared at him, struggling to find a comeback that wouldn’t dig her deeper into the hole. “You’re crazy,” she finally huffed, crossing her arms again.

“not as much as you,” he replied, his smirk softening just enough to make her annoyed

The unspoken tension hung like a storm cloud between them, unshakably present as they lingered in that charged moment. “Are you actually saying you wish you were that couple?” he asked, leaning in with a seriousness that made her heart constrict.

Her heart raced at his words, a flutter of uncertainty and curiosity mixing with annoyance. “I just think PDA is a bit much!” she shot back, a hint of defensiveness creeping into her voice. “I mean, can’t people keep it to themselves?”

“Really?” he challenged, his voice low, brushing against her ear as he leaned closer. “Or maybe you’re just afraid of what it could feel like to let loose, to feel something real for once?”

Her breath caught in her throat as a rush of heat spread across her cheeks. “You don’t know what you’re talking about,” she shot back, a desperate edge in her voice. She could feel the tension weave between them like a live wire, crackling with possibility.

“Maybe I do,” he replied, that daring glint in his eye making her pulse quicken. “Maybe you just need the right moment to let go.”

The couple at the table nearby erupted in laughter again, and she found herself glancing back at them, trying to refocus. But when she looked up, he was watching her with an intensity that made her skin tingle. “Forget them,” he said, his voice dropping an octave, pulling her even further into his orbit. “What do you want? Something real? Or more of this… competition?”

Before she could formulate a response, he suddenly stood, extending a hand toward her. “Come with me.”

“Where?” she asked, hesitating but feeling a rush of adrenaline at the thought of doing something entirely unexpected.

“A place where we can talk,” he replied, a challenge sparking in his eyes. “Unless you’re too scared to follow.”

With her heart racing and her mind swirling with uncertainty, she placed her hand in his. He led her through the restaurant’s bustling dining area, weaving through startled diners and busy waitstaff. But there was no turning back. The thrill of being drawn into the unknown ignited something within her.

They approached a door at the back of the restaurant, and she felt both exhilarated and apprehensive. He flung it open, and they stepped into a dimly lit hallway lined with fancy doors that seemed to whisper secrets.

“Seriously, where are we?” she asked, blinking in the low light as confusion mixed with an adrenaline high.

“Somewhere more private,” he replied, his voice low and dangerous, eyes flickering with mischief and something deeper. “We won’t be interrupted here.”

Her pulse raced, excitement and fear coiling in her stomach. “Is this your idea of romance?” she shot back, the challenge lacing her voice, even as heat coursed through her.

“Maybe it’s just my idea of taking risks,” he countered, stepping closer, the space between them charged in a way that made her skin tingle. “You might even enjoy it.”

The energy shifted as they stood beneath the dim glow of the overhead light, their breaths mingling in the tight space. She caught herself wanting to feel the weight of his words, the electricity in the air. “What if someone catches?” she asked, half playful and half serious, but the way he was looking at her made her thrill with curiosity.

“Let them,” he said, eyes smouldering, stepping closer until there was barely any space left between them. “Are you really going to back down now?”

She felt a rush of defiance surge within her, mixed with undeniable attraction. “I’m not afraid,” she said boldly, but her voice wavered slightly, betraying the thrill and lust she was trying to suppress.

“Then let’s find out how dangerous this might get,” he murmured, his breath hot against her ear, igniting the adrenaline coursing through her veins.

With that, he turned on his heel, pulling her deeper into the hall, and she felt her heart pounding with excitement and uncertainty. Each step into the unknown only drew them closer together, and she couldn't shake the thrill of what lay ahead—the thrilling uncertainty,

He paused in front of an ornate door that looked far more expensive than the rest, its golden handle glinting in the dim light. With a knowing smirk, he pushed it open, and she was met with an intoxicating scent—rich cologne mingling with something deeper, something intimate that tugged at her senses.

As they stepped inside, the atmosphere shifted dramatically. The room was lavishly decorated, a blend of modern luxury and classic elegance. An oversized leather couch sat in the center along with a table, surrounded by walls adorned with vibrant artwork that seemed to pull her in. Warm lights cast a cozy glow, and a plush rug covered the floor, offering a sense of comfort veiled in sultriness.

“wow,” she breathed, taking in the opulence, momentarily forgetting the tension simmering between them.

“Sit,” he commanded softly, gesturing toward the couch. She hesitated for only a moment before obeying, settling into the soft fabric while he moved around the room, his gaze scanning various items scattered about—a vintage record player, a collection of intriguing books, and an array of exotic liquor bottles.

Stopping at a sleek display cabinet, he opened the door and pulled out a pistol, its silver surface gleaming in the warm light. A grin played across his lips as he turned to face her, an unsettling excitement dancing in his eyes.

“We’re going to play a game,” he said, his voice low and teasing. “Russian roulette.”

Her breath caught in her throat. “Are you serious?”

“Relax.” He waved his hand dismissively, the light glinting off the barrel. “Only this time, we’re playing with a twist. There’s only one bullet, and each time the gun goes off, we have to strip a piece of clothing.”

A mix of thrill and apprehension surged through her. “That’s insane.”

“Maybe,” he replied, his smirk deepening, “but wouldn’t it be fun?”

With a defiant spark in her eyes, she leaned forward. “Fine, let’s play.”

He sat across from her, the couch sinking slightly under his weight, and loaded the bullet into the chamber with a casualness that both intrigued and unnerved her. He spun the cylinder and brought the gun to his temple, pulling the trigger—click. He laughed, a dark sound that echoed in the room,

“Not so scary, right?” he teased, loosening his suit jacket. With a fluid motion, revealing a fitted dress shirt that clung to his frame, accentuating the muscular definition of his arms and shoulders. The sight made her pulse quicken

“Your turn.” He passed the gun to her.

She arched an eyebrow but took the gun, feeling its weight in her hand. She couldn’t believe they were doing this. She spun the cylinder herself, heart racing, and then pressed it to her temple. Click. A rush of relief washed over her.

“Now it’s time to shed that scarf,” he said with a teasing tone. With a quick, decisive movement, she untied the delicate fabric and let it fall to the floor, feeling freer, more emboldened.

“Here you go,” she responded, tossing the gun back to him. The tension was tangible as he caught it effortlessly.

filled with a languid confidence. “Ready?” He pressed the barrel once more to his temple—click. The sound rang through the air like a taunt, a challenge freighted with electricity.

“Lucky again,” he grinned, a spark of mischief in his eyes.

“What’s next? Your shirt?” she quipped, eager to see how far this would go.

His gaze flicked to her, a knowing smile playing on his lips as he loosens the tie taking it off, before he began to unbutton his crisp white dress shirt. With each button undone, the cloth pulled away to reveal the chiselled muscles of his torso, the defined lines and curves making her breathless. He threw the shirt aside, letting it flutter to the ground like a fallen banner of surrender.

She couldn’t help but take in the sight, her breath momentarily caught in her throat. she breathed, both impressed and challenged by the game they were playing.

“Like what you see? Now it’s your turn,” he teased, giving her the gun once more, his eyes gleaming with anticipation.

She took the gun, spun the cylinder yet again, and pressed it against her temple—click. Relief flooded her, but the tension was palpable.

“Let’s play it safe,” she decided, slipping off her heels and leaving her feet bare on the plush rug beneath her. The contact with the soft Fibers felt grounding after the intensity of the game.

“Back to me,” he said, taking the gun from her hands once more. He spun the cylinder, glancing at her with that effortless chill. “Here we go.”

With a languid movement, he pressed the cold metal against his own temple, a shrug of confidence reflecting in his posture. He squeezed the trigger—click. The sound reverberated, leaving an unsettling silence in its wake.

She felt a small knot of apprehension twist in her stomach. Could they keep going like this? The stakes were rising, and she felt the rush of adrenaline coursing through her veins.

He turned to her, offering her the gun again. “Your turn. Only two triggers are left, make sure not to die.”

With a mixture of determination and nerve, she accepted the gun from him. Her heart raced as she spun the cylinder for what felt like the hundredth time.

He stood to remove his shoes, casually tossing them to the side. That simple act ignited something within her, a thrilling edge of power and vulnerability. Just as he prepared to sit down, she lunged forward with a sudden burst of resolve.

With a swift motion, she pinned him against the couch, the gun now aimed firmly at his chest.

"What’s the matter?" he teased, the laughter in his eyes shifting to something darker. “Afraid you will die?”

“Not a chance,” she challenged, taking a seat on his lap, her pulse racing. In a moment of reckless defiance, she kept the gun pointed at him. “You think this is a game?”

He laughed, a wild, psychotic sound that echoed against the walls. his hands resting firmly on her waist, the gun now pressed against his chest as he leaned in closer. “I love it when you take charge.”

“You’re going to regret underestimating me,” she said, catching a glimpse of the wild delight dancing in his eyes.

“so it’s Game over for me?” he taunted, his words dripping with boldness. His hands slowly wandered to her thighs, fingers teasing, sending pulses of electricity coursing through her. “Shame, really. I’d hate to die without pleasuring you.”

Her breath hitched at his insinuation, his cocky demeanour igniting an uncontrollable fire within her. The tension crackled like static in the air, urging her to respond.

“You wish.” she said, her voice wavering slightly with the rush of emotions surging through her.

With a fury of need and desire, she leaned in and captured his lips in a fervent kiss, their mouths colliding in an explosion of pent-up frustration and attraction. The world around them melted away as her heart raced. The moment was electric, and in the whirlwind of passion, she pulled the trigger.

But all that followed was a click.

The sound ricocheted in the silence between them, and her eyes widened in shock as she pulled away. The thrill morphed into a dizzying rush as realization struck—there had been no bullet, no fatal ending, only the raw, intoxicating energy swirling in the air between them.

That's when he took the gun from her hands, his movements quick and decisive, a spark of defiance in his eyes. With a swift motion, he tossed it across the room, the gun landing with a loud thud against the wall.

“If you wanted my tongue against you, then you’ve fucking earned it,” he spat, crashing their lips together in a fierce, hungry kiss.

Her hands tangled in his hair, tugging tightly, igniting a low groan that reverberated into her mouth.

"You wanted to fucking kill me, sweetheart," he growled, biting her bottom lip, eliciting a sharp whimper from her.

“It was your game,” she countered, the adrenaline pulsing through her like fire.

“And yet,” he replied, his voice dark and sultry, “I’d never kill you.”

“I wouldn’t either.” She pulled back, a smirk curving her lips as her eyes roamed over his swollen lips and messy hair, an enticing sight.

“So, why did you aim that gun at me? Say it.”

“Because I was too damn scared, you’d do it instead of me,” she admitted, feeling his grip on her loosen slightly.

“Fuck, sweetheart, you really know how to make a scene,” he murmured, his fingers deftly unbuckling his belt with confidence.

“Kneel,” he demanded, helping her rise before guiding her down so she knelt on the floor, her dress cascading around her like a waterfall.

“You want to act like a little slut? Then suck until your mouth isn’t filthy,” he spat, and she flashed him a smirk as she slid his pants down, revealing his hard on.

Her hand wrapped around the base of him, moving up and down slowly, the rhythm sending soft growls of pleasure from his lips. As she continued pumping back and forth, in a rhythmic pattern the more he strived for her lips.

“Did you not hear me? I said suck,” he snapped, frustration threading through his tone.

She tilted her head, feigning innocence. “You call me a slut yet can’t wait a moment longer?” With a teasing glimmer in her eyes, she leaned forward, taking his tip into her mouth, swirling her tongue around it while maintaining a steady rhythm with her hand. His breath hitched, a bead of sweat forming on his chest as he succumbed to the jolting pleasure.

Without warning he bunched her hair up in his fist and pushed his tip to the back of her throat, thrusting himself deeper into her mouth until she gagged. The sight of her watering eyes only seemed to rile him up.

“Look how fucking beautiful you are, my darling. Take all of me, just like the good whore you are," he breathed, pleasure dripping from his words.

Her eyes glistened with tears. and he watched her head bob back and forth.

"fuck I'm going to—" he gasped, releasing her head and pulling back slightly. But before he could finish himself off, she caught his hand, her determination surging, and continued, letting the warm liquid hit the back of her throat while he moaned, curses spilling from his lips until he finished.

He fixed his gaze on her as she swallowed every drop, wiping her bottom lip clean with a satisfied smile. “You’re not finishing with me down here,” she challenged, cheeky confidence returning.

“Insanity suits you,” he replied, standing and holding out a hand to help her rise. “Now let’s see just how wet you are for me.”

He led her to the table, and a surge of vulnerability washed over her as he slammed her against it giving him full access to her clit, while her stomach pressed against the polished wood. His hands roamed the insides of her thighs, and she softly moans as he moved her lace underwear to the side, his fingers brushing against her trembling skin

Grabbing a fistful of her hair, he pulled her head back, connecting their lips once more, sucking on her bottom lip. After He released her hair, his hand quickly found her clit, eliciting a moan that was both pleasure and pain.

“Make a scene, sweetheart. Let everyone hear how much you enjoy this," he seethed, delivering a sharp smack that made her gasp, her stomach hitting the table harder.

As he moved her dress out of the way, he slowly removed her thong. Her grip tightened on the table's edges, anticipation thrumming in her veins. But just as she exhaled, he pressed a blade to her neck, drawing a gasp from her lips as he grabbed another fistful of hair to pull her back.

“I’m going to fuck you until you beg to finish, sweetheart,” he said, his voice a low growl. “But this is on my terms. Move too much, and your blood will splatter.” She nodded slowly, and without warning he pushed himself inside of her.

She gasped, feeling every inch of him stretching her, she felt his eyes darken with lust as he fucked her against the table. Each powerful thrust accompanied by the sound of the table squeaking beneath her, the blade scratched at her skin making her hiss at the foreign pain of the knife grazing her neck.

“you like that? hmm” he asked, delight etched in his expression.

“I do. It hurts," she admitted, breathless.

“Tell me to stop,”

But the words caught in her throat, her senses overwhelmed as the blade pressed deeper, and she couldn't help but roll her eyes back in pleasure.

“ But that's the thing, you like that huh? You don't have to hide what you truly want. I know you like this blade at your neck. Watch how good you take my dick slut" he groaned into her ear picking up the pace and she could already feel herself coming close to finishing.

A few more cuts on her neck and he flipped her over, her back colliding with the table, the sharp contrast of sensations sending goosebumps over her skin.

He poured his focus on the cuts, pressing kisses over the crimson marks as the metallic taste lingered in the air. The euphoric mix of pain and pleasure sent her into a frenzy, her nails digging into his bare back as he slipped himself back inside of her her.

“You won’t be the only one leaving this room marked,” she moaned in between their kisses. Both of them cursing and filling the room with the sound of their pleasure.

Their bodies moved in sync, letting the euphoria continue and their pace become sloppy. a dangerous dance of desire and desperation, the air thick with their shared moans and whispered curses.

“I’m gonna—"

“Not yet,” he interrupted, the tension in his voice low and commanding.

“I can't—” she yelped when he stopped, a sharp smack to her ass, only hard enough to sting.

“You can, and you will,” he grunted, slamming into her again, her hips bucking against him as he threw her leg onto his shoulder, pushing deeper. His penetrating gaze bore into her, making sure she didn’t disobey.

“Beg if you wanna finish.”

“Please,” she pleaded, breathless urgency coloring her voice.

“You're mine. Never forget that. Got it?" he growled. She hummed in agreement.

“Use your words,”

“Yes, yes, I’m yours, please—”

“I know, sweetheart. I know. Cum for me. Be a good girl,” he murmured, and she quickly became undone. After a couple more strokes he finished after, his head rolling back in delight.

Her legs quivering and the short circuit of her brain stopping for just a moment. It was almost as if her body was made to be with him alone, each pulse and surge a beautiful convergence of pleasure and pain.

He tucked himself back before effortlessly lifting her off the table. Her feet barely touched the floor before her legs wobbled beneath her, struggling to support her weight.

"I can’t walk," she muttered, clutching the edge of the table for support, the remnants of their passion still buzzing in her veins.

"What was that?" he asked, a teasing smile playing on his lips.

"You heard me. Shut up and help me stand up," she sneered, irritation mingling with the lingering satisfaction in her tone.

He rolled his eyes, but his expression softened as he stepped closer, wrapping an arm around her waist to keep her upright. "Alright, sweetheart. I’ve got you," he murmured, his voice low and steady. With gentle firmness, he helped her regain her footing, guiding her away from the table as she leaned into him.

They took a few tentative steps, and he chuckled again, the sound warm against her ear. "You really know how to make things interesting."

“Oh, shut up,” she replied, though a smile betrayed her annoyance. “You’re lucky I’m even standing,” she added with a playful roll of her eyes.

“Lucky? I was thinking of round two,” he shot back with a grin, winking at her as they made their way towards the couch. Unaware of long night they’re about to witness.

part 1

[spoiledprincessbratspostsblog]

needing

Rafe Cameron x Maybank!Reader

Warnings: English isn't my first language so I apologize for any and all mistakes. All GIF credits to the owner. Heavy implications of smut but no actual smut. Kind of Toxic!Rafe but idk??This is lowkey rushed but I needed it to get out there lol.

ʚɞ˚ ༘♡ ⋆｡˚ʚɞ˚ ༘♡ ⋆｡˚ʚɞ˚ ༘♡ ⋆｡˚ʚɞ˚ ༘♡ ⋆｡˚ʚɞ˚ ༘♡ ⋆｡˚ʚɞ˚ ༘♡ ⋆｡˚ʚɞ˚

Being JJ’s sister already meant people had a bad perception of you, but your attitude did not help the rumors anyway. You weren’t known for being nice to everyone, and that was fine because it scared the weirdos away most of the time.

You’ve always seemed strong and independent. Insults usually rolled right off you, and situations didn’t seem to bother you. Being hard-headed and having an attitude all the time was a good cover. But it was all a front. At home, your dad would constantly abuse alcohol, and you and JJ often bore the brunt of his rage. When JJ started sleeping at John B’s house and only saw you once a week, you ended up taking most of the hits.

You were friends with the Pogues, but not as close as JJ was, so you didn’t feel comfortable staying at John B’s house.

You met Rafe almost a year ago at a party. It was meant to be an emotionless hook-up and nothing more. But over time, what started as frequent, meaningless sex evolved into a friends-with-benefits situation. You two began spending a lot of time together, both with and without there being sex involved. He started taking you out to places and even to parties with his friends and others around.

But he wasn’t your boyfriend. And every time you attempted to bring it up he'd claimed he “couldn’t be the man you needed.” Despite that, as you grew closer, he eventually learned about your home life. Rafe wasn’t stupid—he knew Pogues had it hard—but he hadn’t realized how much your situation affected you. How you were really a sweet and caring person who had just been hurt by your situation. Once he did learn, he started spending more time with you at his house, claiming, “Look, I know this is just sex, but come on, I can’t have you around that bullshit, ‘kay?”

You didn’t complain—free days at Tannyhill with him were a welcome escape!

Everything was fine until Rafe started treating you like an actual girlfriend. You wanted to be his, but was he really capable? Anyway, it wasn’t what he wanted—he’d made that very clear—so it didn’t matter.

Then, you two got into a bad argument last week. You’d started feeling very dependent on Rafe, and you hated it. So you began to pull back, which only made him care more. One comment led to another, and…

“Rafe, stop. If you’re not my boyfriend, stop acting like you care about me like one.”

“My god! You don’t want me to care about you just ‘cause I don’t wanna be your boyfriend? S’pathetic.”

“Fuck you!” you yelled before storming out.

You hadn’t seen or talked to him since. He was pissed but still wanted to fix things; he just didn’t know how.

That’s when you called.

Your dad had come home drunk, yelling and throwing things. You could no longer bear it. So you called Rafe.

“Hey, I’ll be at yours in like half an hour,” you told him, not waiting for a response.

When you arrived, Wheezie let you in. (She already knew the procedure and wouldn’t snitch,) but she stopped you.

“Hey, you okay? You don’t look okay,” she asked.

You put on your best smile. “Yeah! M’fine! Rafe’s here, right?” She nodded and let you pass.

When you reached Rafe’s room, he was sitting on his bed. His eyes instantly met yours. You climbed onto the bed, inching towards him, and eventually straddled him without saying a word while he stared at you.

“Hi,” you whispered before kissing him.

Rafe, being a man with needs, initially kissed you back. But after sensing something was wrong, he pulled back.

“Nah, nah, you were just over here yelling at me. I’m not mad, okay, but you’re not okay,” he said, concern in his voice.

You frowned as tears welled up in your eyes. “Rafe, m’fine. I’m sorry. You’re forgiven. Please just kiss me. Come on, I just need to forget.”

He kissed you again but stopped when he felt you begin to cry lightly, your breath hitching out of sadness.

“Nah, baby, come on,” he said, pulling you into a hug and holding you tight.

You couldn’t cry in front of him. You couldn’t be so attached to him. It freaked you out, and you tried to push him off.

“Rafe, stop!” you cried, but his grip only tightened.

“What is it? Is it me?” he asked softly, stroking your hair to calm you down. “Your parents?” he whispered.

Finally, you broke down, crying into his chest and wetting his shirt with your tears. Although you had previously confided in him, it had never been like this. He whispered a series of “M’sorrys” as he stroked your hair.

When you finally calmed down, you pulled back and got off him, heading to his mirror to clean yourself up. He stared at you with concern.

“Shit, sorry. Okay, well, m’gonna go now,” you said quickly.

He immediately got up and walked over, towering over you. “The fuck you are. You haven’t told me what’s wrong or why you tried to forget by fucking me.”

“I just needed to forget, okay? No point crying over something I can’t change.”

“Something you can’t change?”

“What?”

“What is the something you can’t change?”

“The situation with my dad and your feelings toward me,” you calmly explained.

“Now, why’d you think fucking was gonna make everything better, huh?” he scolded, switching the topic.

You looked away. “Thought that’s what you wanted.”

“What?”

“I thought you’d no longer be mad at me or wouldn’t care if I was crying if you got to fuck,” you said lightly.

He scoffed in disbelief. “You think that’s the kind of person I am? Baby, I care so much more for you than I’ll ever let on, okay? And this isn’t just sex. You are so much more to me as a person. It’s important to me that you know that, ‘kay?”

You nodded, still waiting for him to respond to your earlier comment.

His face softened. “Look, I wanna be your boyfriend, ‘kay? More than anything, fuck, believe me. But I can’t be the man you deserve. You deserve so much better.”

You scoffed lightly. “But I want you.”

He sighed. “Let me better myself. Then I promise.” He leaned in and kissed your forehead softly. “Stay here tonight, yeah?”

You nodded.

Later that night, as you drifted off to sleep, he kissed your arms, shoulders, and face with gentle affection. “I love you,” he whispered before the both of you fell asleep.

[emotionally-cuckolded]

You've been aware that the two of them have been attracted to each other for quite some time. In fact, your wife has told you several times how much she likes him and how sexy she thinks he is, while he has told you many times how lucky you are to be married to her -- and he has told you several times how much he wishes she were single so that he could go out with her. Then, a couple of weeks ago -- he told you that for her birthday that was coming up, he was going to get her a ticket to go with him to a concert with one of her favorite groups -- but he wanted to make sure that would be OK with you. You weren't sure if it was -- but when you mentioned it to her, she got very excited and told you to definitely tell him that she would love to go with him.

But the thing is -- the concert is out of town (about two hours away) and would go very late, so their plan is to go out to dinner after driving there and then stay the night after the concert. And when he had come over on her birthday to tell her about the gift in person, she had given him a big, and very affectionate hug -- and a very affectionate kiss. And they both talked about their plans as a "date".

And then a bit later that evening -- the evening of her birthday, which you had planned to be a special romantic night for you and your wife -- after he had stayed for dinner and you all had several glasses of wine, he had suddenly teased you by openly asking her if she thought they would need two hotel rooms or if he could save some money by only paying for one -- and she had giggled then and laughingly said that one should be fine. And then he had laughed and followed that by asking whether that would still be OK even if the room had just one queen-sized bed instead of two beds, and she had again giggled and said one would be fine.

Surprisingly, it wasn't until that moment that you started to feel anxious about what might happen when they spent the night together after the concert. But still, even when your wife looked at you at that moment and said teasingly "That's OK with you hun, isn't it?" -- you didn't feel you really could give any answer except 'Yes, of course."

Your wife smiled at you when you said that, and said that going to that concert with him might be the best birthday present she's ever had -- which also made your stomach flip a bit since it was not a gift that you were giving her, but you also realized that it would be petty of you to say anything about all the gifts from you that she's received over the years at a moment when she was so excited about the gift from him.

Perhaps because you had all had quite a bit of wine, as you went to the family room to watch TV, their teasing of you continued. First, your wife sat on the loveseat directly in front of the TV, and when you went to sit beside her, she said in a laughing voice that she thought it would be nice if he sat beside her there tonight since he was the one who had given her such a nice gift -- which meant that they ended up sitting together there while you were in a comfy chair on the side.

And almost as soon as he was settled in next to her, she took his arm and put it around her while saying to you, teasingly again: "You don't mind if he and I snuggle a bit together, do you hun?". You said, once again, "No, of course not", but that didn't represent how you really felt. A few minutes later, you wife asked you to get them a blanket to share while they sat there, and so it wasn't long until they were close together on the loveseat, he with his arm around her shoulders while she had her head on his shoulder and with a large blanket across the two of them.

Because all the lights in the room were out, you couldn't see the two of them all that well, but through the glow of the TV you could see that they were very close and that from time to time they were kissing. And one time when they were kissing, your wife noticed you looking at them and she teasingly told you to stop looking their way -- that she was just giving him a few kisses as a way of saying thank you for the gift, and then ending again with "You don't mind, do you hun?".

You tried to do as she asked and not look away from the TV, but it was still hard for you to avoid noticing that there seemed to be a lot of activity underneath the blanket, and you could sense your wife starting to breath in a very sexually aroused way -- and so, it was in somewhat of a panting voice that your wife eventually told you -- much to your surprise -- that they both would like it if you could go out for a while.

"Hun" she said. "Could you go out and maybe do the weekly shopping now or something -- so that you're gone for an hour at least? We .. uh .. could use a little private time. You know -- to talk -- just the two of us. You'll do that for us, won't you? To help make my birthday really special?"

What choice did you have. So you somewhat meekly agreed -- first asking them if there was anything special they wanted you to buy, then grabbing the shopping list from the kitchen and heading out.

You took your time driving and shopping, so it was about another hour and a half before you got back home, arms full of groceries. As soon as you stepped into the house, you heard your wife giggling, and after putting away the groceries you went back into the family room, where you could dimly see your wife and your friend almost totally covered by the blanket -- but what looked like most of their clothes on the floor in front of them.

"THANKS hun", your wife said with another laugh. "Just one more thing -- another big ask as a special birthday treat from you. We were thinking that we probably need to test out if we are comfortable sleeping together in a queen size bed, so we'd like tonight to be our "test" night for that. So what I'm saying is" she continued with a giggle "that maybe you could go down to the basement guest room for tonight so we can have the master bedroom? You've been so great about helping to make this such a wonderful birthday evening. And I'm sure you'll be comfortable down there. OK sweetie?"

Again -- what choice did you have. And so -- your wife and best friend spent the night upstairs in your bed while you spent the night alone in the basement

[mikkomacko]

I need some more of reader and John moments bc🤭 loving for it

If you asked Nico a year ago what he'd be doing today, he sure as hell wouldn't have said this. Thinking back on it, he can't even begin to imagine what that poor sap of his former self would even say.

'Driving the girl I'm sleeping with but also care about six hours all the way to Pittsburgh to pick up John fucking Marino who she just so happened to fucking love.'

Yeah right, he thinks bitterly.

Your foot nudges his elbow, sock clad toes pressing right into the soft spot of his funny bone. Nico takes one hand off the steering wheel, grabbing at your toes and pinching just hard enough to make you jolt. Giggling, you spring away from his hands, feet falling from the center console and he feels that tiny moment of bitterness fade away.

Especially when you pop your head into the front seat, cheek pressing into his bicep.

"You're supposed to be buckled." Nico scolds lightheartedly, an endeared smile rising on his lips when you nuzzle into the soft skin on the underside of his arm.

"I wanted to say hi."

He scoffs. "You should've sat up here then."

Nico can feel the pout that droops across your face. "I wanted to sit with Johnny."

"Decisions, decisions." He hums, "I wouldn't have fallen asleep on you like he did."

Your hands reach forward, locking around the arm he's got outstretched towards the steering wheel. "You can't, you're our driver."

"Ouch, from boyfriend to driver all because he got here?"

Giggling, you tug on his arm until it falls to rest on the center consol. Instinctively he offers you his hand, and you thread your fingers through his. "My boyfriend, our driver."

His stomach swoops pleasantly, butterflies fluttering around the empty crevices of his gut and ribs. Boyfriend, he'll never get tired of hearing that. A flattered smile dimples his cheeks, unable to form words he just hums.

"Can I come sit up there?"

"Not while the car is driving."

You make a noise of complaint. "Can we stop for food?"

"When I see somewhere to eat, yeah."

You point out the front windshield at the next exit. "McDonald's."

Nico makes a face. "Not good for you."

"If you feed Johnny bad food it'll make even more tired and lazy."

Damn you and your sneaky ways. Nico puts on his blinker, moving lanes to exit the highway. "And shorten his lifespan, hopefully." He says under his breath, flinching when you bite into his arm in retaliation. "Ow, what was that for?"

"Because I love you."

Nico shakes his head, taking the exit ramp and suddenly you're slipping away into the backseat. He hears you shuffling, comes to a stop at the light and almost instantly you're squirming over the console.

"Oh my god we're five seconds away from the restaurant!" He complains, outraged that you still wormed your way up here after he said no.

"The car isn't driving." You smile, blowing your hair out of your face and settling into the seat. Nico shoots you an unimpressed look and you buckle up as he pulls into the almost empty parking lot. "What am I supposed to get him?"

"I don't know. I guess we wake him up."

Nico stretches his arm across your body, holding you steady as he slams on the brakes. The rolling car halts, tiring screeching and you flop into his arm. Johnny however crashes into the back of Nico's seat, yelping as he scrambles to get his bearings.

"Nico!" You gasp, and he cackles. The car rolls forward into the drive-thru lane and you unbuckle to turn to Johnny. "Are you ok?"

A curly head of hair pops into the front seat, Johnny's narrowed gaze locking on Nico. "Fine," he spits, and you comfortingly run your fingers through his hair. Nico ignores the way it makes his own scalp ache, wanting to feel you play with his hair too.

"What do you want to eat?" He asks, casually. Which was the wrong move because now he's debating with you about a burger or spicy chicken sandwich, but also nuggets sound good, and did you see the happy meal toy?

"Oh my god pick something!" Nico exclaims, and you both fall silent. A heavy tension sits in the air and he's tempted to roll down his window to air it out but doesn't want to risk the workers hearing him yell at you two like children.

So he just glares at Johnny, who is looking from you to Nico, and you're watching both of them with wide innocent eyes. Always so sweet looking, like you did nothing wrong. Like you didn't trick Nico into this whole stupid road trip when Johnny is capable of driving himself.

Still eyeing him, Johnny mutters out of the side of his mouth to you. "The driver is grumpy."

Nico swears he can feel his eye twitch, feel a stroke building in his brain and he's two seconds away from just driving off. "He's a much better boyfriend," you whisper, as if he can't hear you. Nico's unamused gaze moves to you, and you blink at him with big doe eyes.

"I want a double cheeseburger please, with a tea."

Nico sighs. "Ok, and you?"

Johnny forces a polite smile. "Number 3 with a coke please."

Huffing, Nico shifts to roll down his window just as he gets to the speaker and menu. "And a better driver, sheesh."

"Oh for fucks sake!"

"Cara, don't let him throw me out of the car!" Johnny pleads, hiding in the back seat again. You shrug him off, leaning into Nico's shoulder again and laying a hand on his thigh.

"Please let me keep him?" You pout, and Nico obviously can't say no so he just goes back to ordering.

Maybe on the highway he can throw him out of the car, Nico thinks but deep down he knows he can't. That's your Johnny in the backseat and as long as you want him around, Nico will make sure he's there.

Even if it makes him want to rip his hair out.

[aptbelle]

FOREST BOY

pairing: earthfairy!jun x female!reader

summary: y/n was a lonely little girl. she had no friends, just her imagination and the forest behind her home to get her through the day. the forest is where she’d run to to escape reality and day dream. one day, after running from her bullies, she meets a strange, yet charming boy, wen junhui. junhui shows her what lies deeper in the forest, and she is amazed. every single day, she goes to the forest just to see junhui, and they spend hours together. one thing y/n had noticed about junhui was that she never saw him outside of the forest, nor did he have any interest in leaving. they spend every day together until y/n has to go away for college. the news breaks junhui’s heart, and he goes away, which hurt y/n in return. four years later, y/n lands a job in her hometown, allowing her to come back home. she is excited to see junhui again, but he is nowhere to be seen, no matter how far in the forest she travels. however, she meets another boy, who is very similar to junhui, or so y/n thinks.

warnings: this story only includes jun and minghao! they are characters in this and not related to the ones irl. lower case intended! this story may have possible angst!

author’s note: this is a story i had started on wattpad a couple years ago, but i never published it. so i decided to continue it on here! i hope you enjoy! i am a student, so i will update as much as i can while juggling school.

next chapter: chapter 1

CHAPTER 0: PROLOGUE

THE branches on the ground crunched as 9 year old y/n ran farther away from the neighborhood. she could hear a group of girl's following her, which made her just want to go farther. she knew most of the forest like the back of her hand, but never really made it out this far.

"you can't run forever!" one of the girls from the group yelled, "i'll get you for tripping me!"

it's not like y/n intentionally meant to trip her, her foot was just in the wrong place in front of the wrong person.

she panted as she heard the voices of the girls grow louder. she looked behind her, and could see them coming after her.

not paying attention to whats in front of her, y/n felt herself knock into something, which caused her to fall back. she hit the ground with a loud thud.

"nrggh," she groaned as she propped herself up. she put her hand on her head and winced. her forehead was burning with pain, and seemed to be bleeding too.

"ow," she heard someone else say. she quickly turned around and saw a young boy sitting on the ground in front of her. he looked up, and his eyes widened.

"oh my," he said, quickly dusting himself off and standing up, "are you okay, miss?" he asked politely and stuck his hand out.

y/n hesitantly took the boys hand, and he pulled her up. "yeah i'm okay," she said, "are you?"

"yeah, im fine!" he said, smiling. the boy had chocolate brown eyes, some of the prettiest eyes y/n had ever seen.

"there she is!" a voice yelled from behind y/n. she quickly turned around, and remembered that she was being chased.

it seems like the boy quickly took notice of this, as he kept a hold on her hand. "come on, i know a good hiding spot."

y/n hesitated once again, not knowing if she should trust the mysterious boy or not. with the girls getting closer, she had no choice but to go with him.

she nodded, as the boy began to run farther into the forest with y/n following him. her thoughts began to take her over. 'what if hes just luring me away?' 'what if hes not even a kid and some short old man?' were just some of the things she worried about.

"over here!" he said, interrupting y/n’s thoughts. he pointed to a large bush beside a pond, and the two children ran towards it.

the ran to the other side and ducked down, hiding. y/n sat down on the ground, and put her legs out. both her and the young boy were breathing heavily.

"thank you," y/n panted, smiling at the boy.

he flashed a warm smile and nodded. "my pleasure," he said, bringing his knees up to his chest, "who are those girls anyway? are they your friends?" he asked curiously.

y/n crossed her legs, and chuckled. "no, far from it," she replied to the boy.

"then why are they chasing you?" he asked, turning his head to the side.

y/n sighed. "i accidentally tripped the 'queen bee' of the group," she explained, "and i think she got pretty mad, cause now i've been chased into a forest."

the two children laughed, but quietly so that the group of girls wouldn't hear.

y/n raised her head a bit over the bush, to look for the group of girls.

"damn, where is she?" one of the girls called.

"i don't know," the queen bee of the group said. "when we find you, we'll kill you!" she yelled, and the girls' footsteps stranded farther away.

y/n sighed a breath of relief, and went back down beside the boy. she looked at the pond in front of her in awe. she had never seen it before.

"i never knew that there was a pond back here," she said, "it's beautiful."

"it really is," the boy said, standing up and walking to the edge of the pond. he turned to y/n, and motioned her to come with him.

she stood up and walked to the boy, and crouched next to him.

"look," he said, pointing to something on the water. y/n looked and saw a small frog on a lily pad. it was looking at the two children, before jumping off of the lily pad and onto the ground in front of them.

the boy held his hands out and the frog jumped right into them, croaking. he cupped his hands and sat cross-legged on the ground.

y/n joined him and watched as he held the frog so gently. most people would be scared to touch a frog, but it was as if the boy had some connection to it.

he looked up at y/n. "you wanna hold it?" he asked, holding his cupped hands out.

"uhm," y/n hummed, never having held a frog, or any small animal, for that matter.

"don't worry!" the boy said, his eyes lighting up when he smiled, "just hold your hands out like i did."

y/n hesitantly held her hands out to the boy, and he carefully placed the small frog in her hands.

she tensed up, not wanting to hurt the frog in anyway.

"just relax," the boy said, "just keep your hands like that and it'll be okay."

y/n looked at him, smiled, and looked at the frog. she took a deep breath, and relaxed her body. the frog let out a small 'ribbit,' which made the two kids chuckle.

"it must like you," the boy said, and y/n nodded in agreement.

only a few seconds after he said that, the frog jumped its way up y/n’s arm. she began to feel her body tense up again.

"oh!" the boy noticed, and he reached to grab the frog off of her arm, "it's quite energetic, isn't it?"

"y-yeah," she replied, her voice shaky.

"don't worry, it's fine! frogs do that all the time," the boy said, as the frog began climbing up his arm too. "see?"

y/n softly smiled as the boy took the frog off his shoulder.

"i'm wen junhui, by the way," the boy said, holding his free hand out.

y/n took his hand in hers, and shook it. "i'm y/n," she said, introducing herself.

junhui smiled as he let go of xinya's hand. "you know what, y/n?"

y/n cocked her head to the side. "what?" she asked junhui.

he gave her another sweet smile. "i feel like we're gonna be good friends."

-

and that they were, good friends. would spend every day together.

jun showed y/n every little aspect of the forest. she visited him every single day after school and spent hours exploring with him. she had finally found a good friend.

but like all good things, it slowly came to an end.

-

y/n, now 17 years old, ran up to her room and slammed the door. she bit her tongue and sighed, letting the tears fall down her cheek as she remembered her mothers words.

"the only available dorms are going to be closed if you don't move in right now. this is the greatest college in the country, you need to go." her mother's voice repeated in her head over and over like a broken record.

'i can't leave yet,' she said to herself, sniffling and sitting on the bed. she thought about having to leave junhui, the one person who she trusted in that god forbidden town. the only person who ever listened to what she would say. the only person who cared for her.

'i just can't.'

she laid back on the pillows and stared at the ceiling, her thoughts running all over the place. the main thought that was taking over her mind was how junhui would feel when he found out. she couldn't bare the sight of seeing him hurt.

she sat up and wiped another tear that fell from her eyes. she turned her head over and looked beside her.

"hey there, m'lady," someone from the window called to y/n. it was junhui, sitting in the window sill and giving her a smile.

she jumped, before sighing. "christ, jun, you scared the shit out of me," she said, putting her hand on her chest.

jun laughed, and fully climbed into her room. "well thats what you get for leaving you're window o-" he paused, taking a look at y/n’s face. his smile slowly faded into a concerned look.

he quickly got on the bed and sat in front of y/n, cupping her cheek. "are you crying? whats wrong?" he said worriedly and wiped a tear that was falling on y/n’s cheek.

y/n put her hand on jun's hand on her cheek. "yeah, it's nothing though," she lied, "i was just watching a sad movie."

jun gave her a sweet smile, and used his other hand to wipe tears falling down y/n’s cheek. "aw, princess," he comforted her, "don't cry! it was just a movie."

jun took his hand off of y/n’s cheek and grabbed her hand. "come on! i have something to show you!" he said excitedly.

y/n’s sniffed and gave her friend a confused look. "i-in the middle of the n-night?" she asked, her voice breaking a bit.

"yeah!" jun replied, "this is the best time to go, now come on!"

y/n’s smiled at her friend's excitement as she was pulled off the bed. jun lead her to her open window and he stepped out.

y/n’s stopped in her tracks, and furrowed her eyebrows. 'out the window?' she asked herself. "we have to go this way?" she asked.

"yeah, why not?" jun asked, popping his head back in the window.

"what if i fall?" y/n’s asked, stepping closer to the window.

"you won't fall!" jun reassured, grabbing her hand again, "i'll catch you if you do."

y/n sighed, trusting jun, and following him out the window. thankfully, there was a part of roof under her window, so she was able to step on that.

she stood straight up on the roof with jun right in front of her.

"do you want me to help you?" jun asked, holding his hand out to her.

y/n waved her hand to jun. "no, no," she said, "im fine." she laughed nervously, knowing she'd most likely fall.

she tried taking one step, but as she thought, she almost slipped. "woah!" she yelled, trying to balance herself. thankfully, before she could ever fall, jun caught her.

"come on," jun chuckled, holding her waist and hand, "i got you."

y/n’s heartbeat quickened. she was more scared now than ever. she held on to jun as tight as she could until they got to the edge of the roof.  jun let go of her, and she felt her whole body tense up.

"i'm gonna go down first," jun explained, walking over to the edge, "and then you can jump down, and i'll catch you, okay?"

y/n nodded, but she still had that gut feeling she was going to fall.

jun went to the edge, sat down, and pushed himself off the roof. y/n heard him hit the ground not too long after.

"are you okay?" y/n asked, still froze

"yeah, i'm good!" jun called from the ground.

y/n sighed. 'okay, i can do this,' she told herself, 'jun said he'd catch me.'

"come on!" jun called, "don't be afraid."

y/n gained enough courage to finally walk over to the edge. she looked down, and saw the ground. it had to be at least a 7 to 10 ft drop.

she took a few deep breaths to calm herself, and she copied jun and sat down on the edge.

she closed her eyes, once again telling herself that she would be okay. she began to count.

"1..2.." before she stopped counting, she put her hands down beside her, "..3!"

she pushed herself off of the roof, and began to fall to the ground. not even a second later, she felt hands grab onto her waist. she opened her eyes and saw jun holding her. she put her hand on his shoulders, and he set her down.

"see?" jun chuckled, looking down at y/n with his chocolate brown eyes, "it wasn't that bad!"

y/n chuckled, nodding in agreement. she took her hands off jun's shoulders, and he took his hands off her waist.

he grabbed y/n’s hand. "come on now!" he said, pulling her towards the forest. he began running, so y/n did too.

jun was a very fast runner, so y/n struggled to keep up without tripping. jun took notice of this, and slowed down to a good pace for y/n.

"what is it you're wanting to show me?" y/n asked as the two passed some trees.

"its a suprise," jun said as he began to slow down, "come on. its right this way."

he walked up to two trees, whose leaves were blocking the path between them.

"close your eyes," jun said to y/n, and she obeyed.

y/n heard the sound of leaves rustling, and felt jun pull her forward. she began walking, and felt her upper arms rub against the leaves.

"just a few more steps," jun said, and y/n could practically hear him smiling.

about two steps later, jun let go of y/n’s hand. y/n stood still, and heard jun stand beside her.

"open your eyes," he said. y/n slowly opened her eyes, and looked out in front of her.

she was standing on top of a hill that looked over the forest. thousands of trees were below her and jun.

"woah," she said, admiring the view, "its so pretty up here." she smiled, looking a jun, but he shook his head, and pointed to the sky. confused, y/n looked up, and her eyes widened.

up in the sky, thousands of stars shone. the moon was bright and big. the sky looked like one huge painting. it was...beautiful.

"oh my god," y/n said in awe, "jun, it's beautiful up here."

"you always said you wanted to go stargazing," jun said.

y/n heard something hit the ground, so she looked down, and saw jun laying down in the grass.

"so," he continued, putting his hands behind his head, "thats what we're gonna do."

y/n chuckled, and laid down right next to jun.

the stars were more visible now that she was laying down. the sight was so elegant that it felt unreal. y/n had never seen so many stars before that night. she was amazed.

"that there," jun said suddenly, pointing his finger, "is the big dipper."

y/n squinted her eyes, but couldnt see no dipper at all. "where?" she asked.

"right above my finger," jun said. y/n looked closer, and saw what looked like a huge spoon in the stars.

"i see it now!" she said, smiling.

"and if you look over this way," jun said, moving his finger over to the side, which y/n followed, "is the little dipper."

y/n looked and saw what looked like the big dipper, but small.

"woah," she said, awing at the two shapes in the sky.

the two watched the stars in the sky for what seemed like hours. jun told y/n everything he knew about stars and astrology. she could listen to him talk about it forever.

“why did you wait so long to do this?” y/n chuckled, “i’ve been wanting to do this for years.”

jun smiled. “i wanted it to be perfect for you,” he replied, “and this is the prettiest it’s ever been.”

y/n felt happy in that moment. she always felt happy with him. he was always so considerate. she felt happy doing something she had always wanted to do with him.

then, like a train, reality hit her.

she was leaving tomorrow.

leaving the forest she loved.

leaving.

leaving him.

it broke her heart knowing she had to tell him soon. she wasn't ready to leave, but she had no choice.

she was going to have to tell him in the next couple minutes, too, since she saw the sun rising in the distance.

"hey, jun?" y/n suddenly spoke up.

"yeah, whats up?" jun asked, sitting up.

y/n sighed. "thank you for tonight, this was really fun," she said to him, her smile wide.

jun smiled back. "my pleasure!" he said, "im glad you enjoyed it."

"but," y/n said, pursing her lips, which made jun's smile fade a bit, "i think i should head back. i don't want my mom finding out im not in bed."

jun nodded. "oh, yeah," he said, chuckling a bit, "it is getting late, isn't it?"

y/n chuckled and nodded, dreading going home, knowing that this was the last time they would hang out.

"do you want me to walk you home?" jun asked, interrupting y/n’s thoughts.

she nodded. "yes please," she said, and jun stood up, holding his hand out. y/n grabbed his hand and he helped her stand up. she dusted the grass and dirt of her clothes, and the two began to walk back into the forest. on the way back to y/n’s house, the two stayed silent, trying not to trip on any roots.

in about 30 minutes, y/n’s home came into view, and they stopped running.

"you know," jun said, looking at y/n, "we should do this again tomorrow."

y/n’s breath hitched. she was going to have to tell him right there. she wasn't ready. she didn't want to, but she didn't want to lead him on.

"hey, uhm," she stammered, biting her tongue, "about that." she looked down as tears flooded her eyes.

she felt jun place his hand on her cheek, and lift her head up. "hey," he said concerned, "is everything okay?"

y/n pursed her lips once again, and put her hand on jun's. she grabbed it and took it off her cheek, "i-i can't," she said, her voice breaking.

jun turned his head to the side, and furrowed his eyebrows. "can't what?" he asked her, his voice sounding worried.

"i can't go stargazing anymore," she told him, letting a tear fall down her cheek.

"why not?" jun asked, "did i do something wrong?"

y/n quickly shook her head, feeling worse by the moment. "no no," she reassured, "its not you trust me."

"then what is it?" jun asked, sounding hurt.

'i don't want to,' y/n said to herself, but she knew she had to.

"i-," she paused and sniffled, "i'm leaving tomorrow. for school."

'i did it,' she thought, feeling guilty about it all.

jun looked confused again, and as if he didn't believe her. "i thought you said you weren't leaving until a week before school started, and thats 3 months away."

y/n wiped a tear from her cheek. "the only available dorms need to be occupied right now or i won't be able to live up there. plus my mom's making me go right now, so-" she paused, and was now crying.

unexpectedly, she heard the sound of someone laughing. she looked up, and saw jun shaking his head, laughing.

"you can really be funny sometimes, you know," jun chuckled, but his eyes said otherwise, "you are joking, right?" he asked, his voice sounded hopeless.

y/n kept her head down, not wanting to tell him, or make eye contact with him.

she heard jun scoff, and looked up to see him shaking his head. "you're really leaving?" he asked, his voice breaking.

y/n nodded. "im sorry, it's not my choice," she told him, and he just laughed again.

"not your choice?" jun asked, his voice going from sounding hurt to sounding mad, "it was your choice to go to that school."

y/n kept silent, not knowing how to respond, but she knew she was just making it worse.

"so, thats it?" jun asked suddenly, "you tell me you're leaving then you go silent?"

y/n sniffled. she wanted to say something, but didn't know what to say.

jun exhaled, furrowing his eyebrows. "when are you leaving?" he asked, his voice calm, but the tone was still the same.

y/n wiped her tear. "early tomorrow, before noon."

jun pinched the bridge of his nose, and took a long breath. "so," he said, gulping, "this is it, huh?"

y/n felt her heart shatter when he said that. she really wished it wasn't 'it', but she had no other choice.

“im so sorry, jun," she cried, looking up, "i wish it didn't have to be this- jun?"

she paused, for when she looked up, junhui was no where in sight.

he was gone.

she didn't even get a chance to say goodbye.

[slaymitchabernathy]

Sick Day

| a companion to 'The Nanny' & also a request!|

Soarynn Snow feels that on most days, she's prepared for anything.

A scraped knee, a lost stuffed animal, a broken crayon. She can fix anything as long as she expects it to happen.

So when she wakes up next to her husband and feels how hot his forehead is, she is not prepared for Coriolanus to be sick. She's not surprised but she's never seen him get sick since the day she met him when she was hired as a nanny.

All three of the children were sick a while ago, something Ceraphina brought home from school and passed along to her siblings had the Snow household in shambles. While Soarynn juggled taking care of three children, Coriolanus locked himself away in his study so he could take care of the country.

Looks like he caught it a little later.

Soarynn pulls her hand away from his forehead and frowns, sitting up in their bed. She truly doesn't know what to do. He won't be pleased that he's sick, that he'll be forced to rest. He'll insist that he's fine, that he can do his job but he can't.

She looks back down at him and decides that the best route of action will be to let him sleep for as long as possible. She'll alert the correct people about his current state and they'll take it from there. She feels fine but these things come when you least expect them.

Soarynn quietly slips out of bed and pads into the bathroom, making sure to be quiet when going about her morning routine. She brushes her hair, does her little skincare routine before putting on some makeup, and then goes into the closet to get dressed. It's getting chillier so she chooses a long-sleeved dress for today.

When she comes back out, Coriolanus is still sound asleep which is a good thing. He works so hard, so late every day, maybe this is a good thing. He's always tired, even when he acts like he isn't. Soarynn has gotten good at seeing through his guarded facade.

She turns off the alarm clock so it doesn't wake him and gently scoops Petunia off the bed so she doesn't bother Coriolanus. "Time for breakfast," she whispers to the cat. Ceraphina has school today so she only has two children to care for until they pick Ceraphina up. But with Coriolanus sick, she technically has another child on her hands.

She still remembers how he acted when the children were sick. How he nearly lost his mind when Celeste coughed on the dinner rolls before passing one to him. "I cannot get sick," he had stressed to Soarynn after the children were put to bed, "we either need to quarantine the children or I can't leave my study."

Soarynn had rolled her eyes at the theatrics of it all but he was dead serious. He didn't leave his study for the rest of the week, taking all his meals and meetings in there. Soarynn had only visited once near the end of the week and he had a cot in there to sleep on. Never mind the fact that they had at least thirty guestrooms, no, he wanted to do things the hard way and she was more than happy to let him.

"Let's see how today goes," she mumbles to herself.

How bad can it be?

꧁ ꧂

When Soarynn visits Coriolanus after breakfast, he looks like a sick, feeble child during the war.

He's paler if that's possible, propped up against every pillow they have in their bed. Despite his preference to sleep shirtless, he's wearing a thick pullover and his hands shake when he takes the mug of warm tea she brought from him.

"Thank you, darling," he croaks, sniffling under the covers. Soarynn hums and runs her fingers through his golden curls, "You're welcome. I'm sorry you're sick, I know you hate missing out on things."

Coriolanus grumbles at the thought of missing a day of work. He had tried to leave their bedroom but Eudora caught him and sent him right back to bed, assuring him that all would be taken care of.

Soarynn had called Quintus who called everyone else to say that Coriolanus was sick and would be spending the next forty-eight hours in bed. Not working, not moving, doing absolutely nothing.

He hates it, she can see it in his eyes how much he hates this.

"I feel like I'm dying," he groans, leaning his head back, "my nose, my throat, my head. Did I ever tell you about writing you into my will? I might not make it so it's imperative that you know what you'll inherit."

Soarynn keeps herself from laughing at his dramatic attitude. The doctor already visited Coriolanus and confirmed her suspicions, a common cold. And Coriolanus is convinced that he has the plague.

"No," she tells him, grabbing the cool washcloth from the bowl she brought for him, "you didn't tell me about writing me into your will, but I appreciate you looking out for me." She brings the washcloth to his forehead and he closes his eyes, sighing heavily, "A man takes care of his family," he mumbles.

Soarynn nods, he takes wonderful care of all of them, "Yes he does, and now we get to take care of you," she sweetly reminds him. She'd be lying if she said this wasn't an exciting moment for her to finally be the one calling the shots for the two of them. Taking care of her husband is something she's rarely ever done.

"Now drink the rest of your tea so you can go back to bed."

Coriolanus does as he's told, gulping down the rest of the tea she made for him to soothe his throat. Soarynn pulls the washcloth away and sets the bowl on the bedside table before grabbing a tissue, "Try blowing your nose?"

Coriolanus cracks an eye open and gives her a look, "I'm not a child," he grumbles, snatching the tissue from her. Soarynn smiles and watches him blow his nose despite his attitude, "I know, the children didn't complain nearly as much as you have," she says, making him gasp.

"I'm sick," he reminds her, his voice raspy, "sick and dying."

Soarynn pulls the covers further up and gives his hand a squeeze, "We're all dying if you really think about it, and you'll be fine Coryo. Just rest, everything has been taken care of." He doesn't look too convinced but he lets her tuck him into bed and hands her the empty mug, "I think I might need a kiss to feel better," he says, shamelessly flirting with her even on his deathbed.

Soarynn chuckles, he's good, she'll give him that, "I can't darling," she tells him, "I can't get sick too, I have things to do." He immediately catches onto what she's doing, how she's acting how he did when the children were sick and he didn't want to catch it. "Fine," he pouts, "leave me then to die."

Soarynn kisses her fingertips and presses them to his cheek, "I'll see you later my brave man."

Soarynn leaves their bedroom with a smile on her face, ignoring his heavy sighs. He'll be fine.

꧁ ꧂

The doctor delivered some medicine when Soarynn was getting back from picking up Ceraphina with the children. "It'll speed up the process," he tells her. Soarynn nods, taking the small bottle from him, Coriolanus will be pleased to have such a quick recovery.

"Thank you," she says, "we'll go give it to him right now. Do you all want to say hello to your father?" All three children nod, especially Celeste and Caspian who made Coriolanus cards to help him feel better.

The children have been worried about him. After Livia's death, any sickness scares them even though Soarynn assures them that he is perfectly fine. Dramatic but fine.

"We can give Daddy our cards!" Celeste says, already running up the stairs. Ceraphiana follows behind her while Soarynn and Caspian slowly make their way up the stairs. Caspian has entered the "I can do it Momma" phase where he insists on doing everything by himself. Even if it takes ten times longer than it usually would.

So it's a slow walk up the stairs, but Soarynn doesn't mind. She's so proud of her baby boy for doing things by himself, growing up to be big and strong.

They finally reach the top where the girls are impatiently waiting outside of the bedroom doors to their parent's bedroom. Coriolanus has reprimanded them several times for barging into their room in the morning, mostly because he and Soarynn like to partake in morning sex and they don't need the children seeing that.

So now they wait outside for someone to let them in.

"We have to be quiet," she says to the children, holding up a finger to her lips, "he's very tired." She quietly opens the doors and they tiptoe to the bed where Coriolanus is passed out. Petunia who was sleeping on the foot of the bed wakes up when she smells more people and does a big stretch before padding up to where Coriolanus is sleeping.

"Daddy looks so white," Ceraphina whispers, "is he a ghost now?"

Soarynn smiles, shaking her head, "No, although he's convinced he's going to become one."

Soarynn gently places a hand on her husband's cheek, rubbing her thumb back and forth until he begins to wake up. He mumbles something before his piercing blue eyes open up and he takes in the sight of his entire family watching him sleep.

"Have you come to see me off?" He asks with a scratchy voice.

Celeste gasps and Soarynn gives him a sharp look, "You are not dying Coriolanus," she scolds, "and we brought you medience."

"And cards," Caspian adds, holding up his card for Coriolanus to see.

Coriolanus sits up with a groan and runs a hand through his tangled curls, "Well aren't I a lucky man then hmm?"

Celeste throws all caution out of the window and pulls herself onto the bed, crawling over to her father who immediately pulls her into his lap, "Have you been behaving for your mother?" He asks, rubbing her back. Celeste nods and looks at Soarynn for backup, "Yes Daddy. We made you cards, look!"

Celeste shows him the pink card she made for him. She drew flowers on the front and on the inside she drew a picture of him. Soarynn and Eudora did their best to refrain from laughing when she requested a white crayon to draw Coriolanus. Coriolanus takes the card from her small hand and makes little comments about the different flowers she drew, "Such an artistic hand," he says, opening the card.

His face falls when he sees how Celeste chose to draw him and Soarynn covers her mouth to keep from laughing, "Oh darling," he says, furrowing his brows, "I think you drew me with the wrong colored crayon."

Celeste cranes her neck and looks at the drawing she made of him, "No I didn't. Your skin is white," she tells him, poking his face, "so I used the white crayon."

Coriolanus looks up at Soarynn who does her best to keep a neutral expression, "Caspian made you a card too," she says, bending down to pick Caspian up. He's less interested in being on their bed, mostly because he loves his own big boy bed but he does hold out his card to Coriolanus who gingerly takes it.

The front of the yellow card is blank but when Coriolanus opens it he sees a large drawing of Lenny the lion. "Ah, Lenny, what a realistic portrait of him Cas," Coriolanus says, ruffling Caspian's blonde hair. Caspian smiles proudly, "Lenny go roar!"

Soarynn and Coriolanus chuckle at Caspian's demonstration of how a lion sounds, "I didn't make you a card 'cause I was at school Daddy," Ceraphina tells him, climbing onto the bed as well, "but I thought about you the entire time," she adds sweetly, batting her lashes.

Coriolanus grins and lets out a yawn, "Thank you, darling, I already feel much better in your presence."

Soarynn looks at the small bottle in her hands, it's filled with tablets, and says that he should take one in the morning and one in the evening. Well, might as well get him started. She twists open the cap and shakes out a single pill, "Here," she holds out her hand to him, "you need to take these twice a day if you want to start feeling better."

Celeste takes the pill out of Soarynn's hand, inspecting it, "Why do you need medicine, Daddy?" Coriolanus takes it from her and throws it into his mouth, dry swallowing it, "So I can feel better by tomorrow," he answers. Soarynn rolls her eyes and sets the bottle on the bedside table, "I highly doubt you'll be feeling better by tomorrow," she argues, taking Caspian into her arms when he tugs on her dress.

The girls snuggle with Coriolanus a little longer until he starts getting sleepy again, "Let's give your father some time to rest," she says softly, "you can see him again before bedtime."

The girls seem hesitant to leave their father in this sick state but he gives them a tired smile, "I'll be okay," he promises, "be good to your mother."

The girls slip out of the bed and follow Soarynn out of the room, only glancing back once at Coriolanus who's already fallen asleep. "Is Daddy gonna stop talking like Mommy did?" Celeste asks, grabbing at Soarynn's hand. Soarynn gently squeezes her little hand, "No sweetheart, he's going to be just fine."

They spend the rest of their afternoon coloring and helping Cerpahina with her homework. Math is something Coriolanus usually helps out with when he has time but Soarynn manages to get through it without wanting to rip her hair out.

Coriolanus will feel better soon and then he can deal with math homework. That's something she holds onto like a lifeline.

꧁ ꧂

Soarynn lets the water run over her face and down her body, rinsing off the day.

Coriolanus would normally join her but he's so big and if he were to fall, she wouldn't be able to pick him up. Which is why he's in the bathtub, sulking. Soarynn peers through the glass walls and giggles when she sees him sitting in the tub, arms crossed with a scowl on his face. "Enjoy yourself in there," he grumbles when he catches her, "without me."

Soarynn shakes her head, men are such babies.

She turns off the shower and opens the door, shivering at the cold air but she's quick to climb into the tub with him. His change in demeanor is remarkable. He goes from sulking to smiling like a schoolboy, immediately grabbing her and pulling her into his lap, settling her legs between his own.

"You're very high maintenance, you know that?" She asks, leaning her head against his chest when he grunts in agreement, "There's one in every relationship darling," he sighs which turns into a sneeze.

Soarynn doesn't hesitate to turn and wipe his nose with her hand, causing him to make a twisted face, "What?" She asks with a smile, he acts as if she helped him go to the bathroom instead of just wiping his nose.

"Nothing," he shrugs, "just, Livia never took care of me like this, wiping my snot with her bare hands and all that. It's just nice to be taken care of."

Soarynn smiles, settling back into his chest, "Well you always take care of me," she points out, "and if I can swallow your cum then I can wipe away your snot."

Coriolanus gives her a squeeze and she feels him kiss the back of her head, "Thank you, darling, I truly don't deserve you."

Soarynn often feels the same way about him, often wondering if this is all some big joke, if one day he'll ask for his ring back. But he hasn't, and she doesn't think this is a joke.

"You deserve someone to love you," she tells him softly, "in sickness and in health, remember?"

Coriolanus hums, remembering the vows they said in front of all of Panem as their witness. He certainly has kept up his side of the vows, loving her despite her inability to give him more children.

Soarynn lifts her feet out of the water and rests her toes on the edge of the tub, she has to stretch a bit to reach but it feels nice to prop her feet up. Coriolanus mirrors her and does the same, resting his feet on top of hers with ease, no stretching needed. This entire bathroom was made for a man like him, tall and big.

Soarynn giggles when he wiggles his toes, admiring her red nail polish. She usually does a light pink or white but she went with red for the holidays and has yet to take it off. And Coriolanus loves it when she wears anything red so that's a nice bonus.

"Hmm, well maybe I'll get you sick," he teases, "and then I'll be the one taking care of you." Soarynn shakes her head, he's always been so competitive, even in sickness apparently, "I thought you were on your deathbed," she reminds him, "dead people can't get other people sick."

Coriolanus sighs, kissing her shoulder, "Well, I'm very special," he tells her, "and apparently white as a sheet according to Celeste."

Soarynn laughs when she remembers him seeing the card for the first time, "She was so proud of it," she tells him through tears, "and in her defense, you do look very pale when you're sick."

Coriolanus squeezes her waist, "And what crayon does she use for you then?"

Soarynn slyly glances up at him, a grin already on her lips, "The peach-colored crayon, you know, for my beautiful tan skin." Coriolanus is the one rolling his eyes now but she's not lying, Coriolanus literally pales compared to Soarynn's tan complexion.

"Not a bad way to end your day though," she points out, "in the bath. With me."

Most nights Soarynn bathes or showers alone while Coriolanus is still working. This is a treat as special as any.

"No," he murmurs, nuzzling her neck, "not a bad sick day at all."

| tumblr oneshot/drabble |

| taglist: @strawberriicakes @wonderlandbound111 @villiansarehottest @kickmybark @thevoicesinmyprettylittlehead @melodyoflovee @erensrealgf |

[dickgraysonisnothereforthis]

You’re Tough, But I’ll Bite Anyway

Another installment of the vampire!reader x Jason series. Part 1 is here, Part 2 is here.

Angst in this one; hurt/comfort, Jason gets hurt and reader doesn’t handle it well. Reader is a potty-mouth and swears up down and sideways. Suggestive content because reader always wants the d. Mentions of violence. No use of y/n

I don’t know how long this is

—————

Bzzt—

Your phone vibrates against your comforter and you lunge for it, pouncing on it from the other side of the bed. You grin as Jason’s name flashes on the screen. Finally, finally. You were about to give up on him and reach for your vibrator. Stark naked, you’re waiting for him to come over. Staring at the ceiling. Counting specks of dust floating in the lamplight. Bored out of your fucking mind.

You grab the phone and hold it to your face. “Where the fuck are you?” you ask accusatorially. “You were supposed to be here hours ago, and I want dick!”

A cough comes through the phone. “Uhh—”

“You promised you’d fuck me if I sent you that pic,” you remind him. “Now come over here and dick me do—”

“This isn’t Red Hood.”

You sit up in your bed. The voice doesn’t sound like Jason. “Who the fuck is Red Hood?” you snarl down the line. “Who the fuck are you?”

“This is Nightwing,” the voice says cautiously. “I—”

This isn’t right. Where is Jason? “I don’t know who you are or what that means,” you say threateningly. “All I know is that you’re holding Jason’s phone, and he’s not on the other end of it, so if you don’t put him on soon, I’m going to find you and fuck you up.” You will, if this asshole fucking touched him. “I’ll rip out your throat.”

“Alright, calm down,” the voice says soothingly. It only makes you angrier.

“Where’s Jason?”

“He—he got hurt. I work with Red Hood, Jason.” He lets his voice drop down to a whisper. Right, Red Hood is Jason’s vigilante passion project. “We’ve actually met before, I wear blue finger stripes.”

“I don’t care what you wear. What happened to Jason, what do you mean he got hurt?” you demand.

“He took a hit to the head,” the voice says carefully. “He’s unconscious.”

Your stomach pitches. “Doesn’t he wear that stupid helmet?”

“Through the helmet,” the voice explains gently. “It splintered. It’s—it’s pretty bad.”

Holy shit. “Is he going to die?” They do that, right? When humans get hit in the head? They fucking die on you?

“No, no. He’s not going to die,” the voice says soothingly.

“Don’t you fucking lie to me,” you challenge, panic rising. “Don’t lie.”

“I’m not, I promise. He’s not going to die. He’s on his way to the Batcave now, he might already be there.”

“What the fuck is the Batcave?” You don’t remember Jason mentioning it.

“It’s our base. We’ll take care of him there.”

You need to be wherever the hell that is, if Jason’s there. “How can I get there?”

“I’ll pick you up.”

“Fine.” You disconnect the call, get dressed with your eyes narrowed. You don’t take a single breath until you’re out on the sidewalk, until a sleek black car pulls up.

The passenger window rolls down. “I’m Dick,” the driver introduces himself. “Come on in.”

You grunt at him, slipping into the car. You don’t bother to put on your seatbelt, and after a moment Dick shrugs and puts the car in gear.

He needs to tell you what the fuck is going on. You stare at him expectantly. Dick takes the hint.

He sighs, then launches into it. You listen wordlessly. They took Jason to the hospital. Skull fractured. They did a scan. Brain swelling, but not too much. You didn’t even know brains could swell.

“He’s unconscious, but stable,” Dick clarifies. “He got lucky, his helmet took most of the damage,” he offers.

Lucky lucky lucky. You hope Dick crashes the car.

“How soon can we get there?” It’s the first thing you’ve said to him in person.

Dick glances at the map displayed on a screen. “Twenty minutes.”

Not fast enough. You eye the speedometer. “Can you go any faster?”

Dick speeds up obligingly. You stare out the window, trying your hardest not to think.

Eventually, the car enters a tunnel you couldn’t discern from the thick of the forest on either side. Dick navigates around a series of turns, and soon enough you’re in a well-lit, underground garage. He quickly parks and leads you through a door, into a wide, open cave. You follow him up a short flight of stairs, onto a platform, through a door and there’s Jason. Lying in a hospital bed, head bandaged, eyes closed, and looking very, very small.

Immediately, it’s too much. You clamp your eyes shut, and when that’s not enough, you do an about face, stepping into a nearby corner to shield yourself. Fear clutches at your mind, and you press your hands against the wall. You haven’t been this scared in years, it feels like water is clogging your lungs.

You wish you could leave. Instead, you swallow thickly. You can do this. You can be brave. You can turn around.

You pivot, opening your eyes. The scene hasn’t changed, but you force yourself to look. Jason’s head, lying propped on a pillow, is wrapped in what looks like several layers of bandages. Dried blood crusts their edges, stains his ear and the left side of his face. His mouth and nose are covered by what looks like a clear mask. They’ve put him in some kind of hospital gown, and he’s hooked up to some machines spitting out data you can’t read.

His head droops slightly to the left. It doesn’t look natural. Jason shouldn’t look like this.

You want to rip a tooth out of your mouth. Glancing around the room, you see Dick, plus another man sitting a table with what looks like files spread in front of him. Across the table, a child sits in front of a laptop. All three are watching you carefully.

“Okay,” you say evenly. “Explain what all of this is.”

The man at the table raises his hand. “That machine,” he points to a monitor, “is to track his vitals and inter cranial pressure. Those,” he gestures to the plastic bags on a hanger, “are the drugs we’re giving him.”

You trace the line from the bag to the inside of Jason’s wrist. “What drugs?”

“Propophol, morphine,” the man rattles off. When you continue to stare at him, he adds: “sedatives and pain relief.”

Sedatives. “The kind you wake up from?”

The child scoffs, and you whip your head towards him, opening your mouth in a snarl. “Easy,” Dick says from his position by the door. “Yes, the kind you wake up from.”

You turn back to Jason. “What’s going to happen next?”

The man at the table exchanges a look with Dick. “We’ll keep him under for three days to give his brain time to heal, and then we’ll turn off the drugs and see how he does.”

Your brain picks that up and runs with it. See how he does. You’re pretty sure you know what that means; wait for him to wake up. “There’s nothing else we can do?”

The man shakes his head. “No, nothing.”

You fold your arms over your chest, staring at Jason. Nothing left to do but wait. Fear crashes over you again, you feel from your fingernails all the way through the soles of your feet. You can’t lose Jason. You can’t. You haven’t thought about it before, not really, but faced with the possibility your feelings sharpen. You don’t know what you’d do without him. He has to wake up. He has to.

Sucking on your teeth, you step towards the bed. Jason looks even worse up closer, bruises starting to form under his eyes and across his cheek. Some of the blood lines his jaw, and you stick a finger in your mouth to gently wash it from his face. Clean, you put your index finger back on your tongue, licking the blood from it. It tastes the same as Jason’s always does, warm and familiar. Calmer now, you kneel down into a squat next to the bed, finger still in your mouth, resting your chin in your palm.

You don’t know how long you stay like that, crouched by Jason’s bedside. Long enough that the man goes back to his files and the kid to his computer. Dick pulls out his phone, but keeps an eye on you. You can feel it as you try to make sense of the thoughts swirling in your head.

Nothing to do but wait, huh? Being hemmed in irritates you. The last thing you were powerless against was the vampire that got you, and you’ve been basically invincible ever since. You’re strong enough to get what you want, by hook or by crook. But this is different. Can’t do anything but sit on your ass and wait for Jason’s stupid brain to clock back in.

Your fault for getting involved with a human, you think to yourself, almost without heat. But the seed of doubt niggles at you. Jason’s going to run out of time eventually. It might not be this time, but his work is more dangerous than you realized. He could get shot, or stabbed, or any of the other life-ending things. Or he could get unlucky and step in front of a drunk driver. Or he could get all the way to ninety before crapping out on you anyway, leaving you right where you are now.

You bite down on your fingernail. You can’t process this now. It’s too much. You search for something to distract yourself, but you’re locked in for three days of misery until there’s even a chance Jason opens his eyes.

Frustrated, you rap your knuckles against the tile floor. There’s really nothing you can do. You’re no help here, you haven’t a clue what’s going on in Jason’s skull. They seem to have it covered, anyway.

Fuck. This sucks. You rock back onto your heels, trying to settle in for the long haul.

Nothing to do but wait. Except—

You rise to your feet, tsking to get the men’s attention. “Who’s going to give me a name?”

Dick and the other man give you confused looks, but the child looks at you with glimmering interest.

“You said Jason took a hit. Someone gave it to him.” You take a step toward the table. “You’re going to tell me who it is.”

Dick’s gaze is guarded. “Why do you want to know?”

The child scoffs again. He seems to be speaking your language.

“Damian…” Dick sighs, shaking his head. “We don’t know who hit him,” he says to you.

“Yes, you do.” You’ve got nothing to lose by insisting. “Tell me.”

“We get hit all the time,” the other man offers trying to placate you. “You can’t just go after everyone who lays a hand on Jason.”

Your hackles rise. “Listen, boy,” you spit at him in disgust, “I’ve got nothing but time.”

The man opens his mouth, affronted, but Dick intervenes. “Tim, leave it,” he says gently. “I’m sorry,” and he looks at you with what seems like genuine regret, “but we can’t help you.”

Your gaze remains level. “I will find them. One way or another. You’re not protecting them, your extending their lives by days, at most.”

This is something of a bluff. It would be difficult for you to locate the people who hurt Jason with no leads, but not impossible. You’ll come for them eventually.

“I retrieved their driver’s licenses,” the kid pipes up suddenly. “There were two assailants.” He pulls out a plastic bag, sets it on the table, and glares at Dick, daring him to say anything. Dick closes his eyes.

“Thanks,” you say, picking up the bag.

“How are you going to get back to Gotham?” Dick asks, resigned. You look at him silently. “Can you drive?”

“Yes.”

“Take my car.” He tosses you the keys.

You nod. You won’t thank them again. “See you in three days.”

———

It takes a couple tries before Jason fully wakes up. He’s in and out for a bit, there are a few times where he recognizes that he’s conscious, that he’s lying down, that there are people around him. He tries to call to them but he sinks back under before he can get the words out. It’s frustrating, bobbing in along the surface.

Finally, the room stays in focus for more than a few seconds. He blinks, and his vision sharpens; he’s in one of the medical rooms on the cave’s second floor. His head fucking hurts.

Dick sits in a chair next to the bed, feet propped up on the footboard. Jason grunts, and Dick looks up. “Morning, li’l wing.”

Jason pulls a face and coughs into the ventilator. “We’ll get that thing off you soon,” Dick says reassuringly. Jason raises an eyebrow, and Dick takes the hint. “Hit to the head knocked you out. Minor swelling, potentially no lasting damage. We’ll check in a moment.”

Jason nods. He remembers the fight, some assholes with reinforced batons getting in a lucky shot. He takes stock of the rest of his body; there are minimal aches and pains below his neck.

After a few moments, Dick sighs. “Alright, let’s see it. Move those limbs for me, please.”

Jason holds his breath. One by one, he lifts and wiggles his hands and feet, wriggling his toes and twitching his fingers.

“Excellent.” Dick breaks into a smile. “Nice job, Little Wing.”

Within a few hours, they’ve taken him off the ventilator and given him some ice chips to suck on. He asks after you, and Dick tells him that they let you know what happened, that you came to visit a few days ago, when they first brought him in. He wants to call you, but they won’t let him get at his phone, he shouldn’t be exposing his eyes to bright lights.

“Here, I’ve got her number, I’ll let her know you’re awake.” Dick holds Jason’s eyes for a moment too long before looking down to his phone and tapping out a message.

Jason narrows his eyes and inclines his head at Dick. There’s something Goldie’s not sharing with him. Dick plays dumb, opening his shoulders, and Jason rolls his eyes, nodding at Dick’s phone.

“You’ve nabbed yourself a loyal one there, Jay,” he says with a sigh. “She went out to do some dirty work.” He gives a small smile. “Damian ratted out the thugs who knocked you around.”

Jason closes his eyes, lets that wash over him. You’d told him outright that you’d kill for him, that you’d hunt down anyone who touched him, but knowing you went out and did it is another matter. It’s more than anyone has ever done for him, not even—not even Bruce. Jason has taken hits his entire life, and he’s learn to hit back. But no one has ever hit back for him, hard enough that someone won’t hurt him ever again.

He can’t help it, he starts to cry, holding himself still and silent as tears make their way down his cheeks. Dick considers for a moment, then walks over and puts a hand on Jason’s shoulder. Jason tenses but lets the hand stay where it is.

After a couple of minutes, Dick’s phone goes off. He glances at it, then accepts the call. “Hello? Yeah, he’s awake. Hold on.” He puts the phone on speaker, holding it to Jason’s mouth.

“Jason, say something,” you command across the line.

“Hey, baby.” His voice is weak and watery.

You’re silent for a moment. “You idiot,” you mutter finally. “I’ll be there in ten minutes. Don’t trip and break your face before I get in.”

“Can do.” He hears you hang up.

Dick shoves his phone in his pocket. “I’m happy for you,” he offers. “She seems…well, she clearly cares about you.” He considers this for a moment. “Actions speak louder than words, anyway.”

Jason agrees, except he can read your words and see the affection where Dick can’t. Soon enough, there comes the slow rumble of a car pulling in, the sound of footsteps coming up the metal stairs. Jason holds his breath, and then your face is peaking into the room, cold and slightly uncertain. Eagerly, Jason waves you inside.

“I’ll leave you to it.” Dick makes his exit, closing the door behind him.

You step to the foot of the bed, clearly uncomfortable, observing him from a distance. “Got hit so hard I turned ugly, huh? Don’t even want to get close to me?” Jason tries to joke, but his voice is cracked and it doesn’t land. You don’t acknowledge him, staring at the bandages on his head. He falls silent, lets you take your time. He’ll wait for you forever.

Eventually, you put your hands on your hips. “I didn’t like that at all,” you announce in a clear, uncharacteristically soft voice. “You can’t do that again.”

Jason laughs quietly. “Can’t promise that, sweetheart, you know that.”

You purse your lips. “I’ll lock you away, then. Keep you tied up so you can’t get out and do anything stupid.”

He looks at you steadily until your gaze drops to the floor. “I was really scared. I don’t want you to die,” you confess in a whisper.

Jason feels his heart go soft, even softer than it already was. “I know. I’m so sorry.”

“Not sorry enough that you won’t do it again, though.” Your back straightens. “You don’t have to worry about those guys, by the way. I took care of them.” A look of fierce anger crosses your face. “It wasn’t slow. I made them pay.”

The tears break through again. “Thank you,” he mumbles. You stare at him, and he grows uncomfortable showing so much emotion in front of you. But then you reach out and pinch his toe under the blanket, so sharply he yelps. “Ouch, what the fuck?”

“You don’t have to thank me,” you talk over him loudly. “I’m going to do it again.” Walking closer, you rest a finger against the pulse point on his neck. He’s forced to look up at you, almost wide-eyed before your clear menace. “Anyone who hurts you.”

He nods, tears still slipping down his cheeks. You look uncertain again, but then you reach out and wipe them from his cheeks. He rests his cheek against your palm for a moment, but you pull away, looking curiously at your fingers before sticking them in your mouth. He laughs as you howl in disgust, ripping your hand from your mouth and wiping it on his hospital gown.

“Shit, that’s fucking gross. You got some nasty-ass shit dripping from your eyes, you know that?”

“Built for blood, aren’t you, sweetheart?” he teases, then gulps as your eyes darken.

“And one more thing your body can offer,” you waggle your eyebrows and Jason chokes.

“Not—not here,” he hisses as your face lights up. “No, babe, no!” he begs as your fingers ghost over his crotch. “My fucking Dad is here, you need to cut it out!”

“Hm,” you tap his leg thoughtfully. “How long are you here? Another week, at least?” He nods tremulously. “You know that won’t cut it. We’re going to have to see what we can get away with.” You flick dangerously at his chest until you find his nipple.

“Stop, stop!” he pleads, and you laugh, flitting your fingers in a way that makes his face go hot. He panics when he hears Dick and Tim chatting as they walk up the stairs. Mercifully, you take your hands off him and step back.

“I’ll come back to you later,” you promise with a predatory grin. Jason blushes and squirms but smiles at you anyway. He can’t help but look forward to it.

[carefreecoffee]

＊*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚Impromptu date: Shouto Todoroki˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚＊

Word count: 1.4k, Female reader

The phone rang for the fifth time already…

My date was supposed to pick me up from my dorm an hour ago. I had done my up, picked out my outfit with great detail and even managed to take an ‘everything shower’ from head to toe nearly passing out from the work I was putting into it.

I felt the tears pricking the corner of my eyes as the phone went to voicemail once more. It wasn't the first time he had stood me up, thinking he'd changed in due time. To my demise, Ii was wrong and with a huff, I threw my phone onto my plush bed, kicking off my shoes and groaning in frustration.

I know I shouldn’t be so worked up over some guy, however how could I not be? After all the work and time I spent getting ready, even checking in to make sure date night was still on! I sat at my desk, head in my hands as I held back the tears that threatened to fall, tilting my head up and trying to save my makeup.

A few tears successfully fall, smudging my makeup a bit as I curse lowly, wiping it away. I jolt in my chair as a knock is heard from the door. With a swivel, I stand up anxiously, reaching out for the door. 

To my surprise it had been Todoroki who had decided to show up unexpectedly.

“Hey y/n, you left this down in the common rooms-” I watch as his eyes finally fully rake over me, taking in my current state. 

“Are you uh- going somewhere?”

I ran a hand through my hair, leaning on my door as I held the handle. “Um, i mean, i was going to but my plans kinda…fell through” I chuckle sheepishly

I look at his hands, seeing some of my textbooks I had left from earlier. I take them from his hands, thanking him.

“Yeah, no problem” He glances over at me once more and I internally cringe at how I must look right now; disheveled, tired. “Are you okay?”

I look at him quizzically before remembering how my face must look with the state of my makeup. “No no yeah im okay” I wiped my eyes slightly, trying to take off any extra mascara that had smeared.

Shouto looked at me with a quirked brow, clearly not buying my obvious bluff. “What happened?”

I sigh, feeling the former emotions reel back into me and I reluctantly begin to open up. “Ah well- I had a date today actually but he.. kinda bailed on me last minute” I rub my neck, looking away awkwardly.

“Oh, I see. I'm sorry to hear that, y/n” He shoves his fists in his pockets, brows furrowed slightly. I wave him off, opening up the door a bit more.

“It's fine! Really, don't feel bad” I try giving him a reassuring smile, hoping he doesn't pry further.

He seemed to be lost in thought until his heterochromatic eyes met mine once more. “Are you doing anything else today?” 

I shake my head rather automatically at his questioning, knowing all I wanted to do was curl up in a ball on my bed, watch shitty drama TV and snack to my heart's content. 

He hums, “Well if you wanna- uh, we could go somewhere so you didn't get dressed for nothing, if you want of course..?” I notice the small bit of hesitation in his voice, his hands shifting a bit in his pants pockets. 

His consideration filled my heart slightly. At least someone knows how much work goes into looking this good. I take in his questioning before nodding, “Yeah…that actually sounds like a good idea” I smile, leaning on the doorframe now, fumbling with the hem of my outfit. “What do you have in mind?”

Shouto looks at you in slight surprise, knowing you’d probably rather be alone right now but not entirely upset about your answer. “Whatever you want. We’ve got a couple hours until curfew” He checks his watch before looking at me expectantly. 

I nod and grin, “ ‘Kay, let me grab my shoes real quick” I shut the door before quickly slipping my shoes back on, grabbing my bag and a jacket for when it gets cold later on. Maybe this night was going to turn out to be fine after all, and without my flaking date.

I opened the door once more before locking it, looking at Shouto as he leaned on the wall across from me. “Ready?”

I nod, walking in tow with him as we make our way down the corridor, into the elevator and finally out of the dormitories. The sun was up and gleaming, thankful that I was able to get out somehow today and especially with the great weather. 

We make our way toward one of my favourite places; a cute secluded cafe with the best tea on earth (I swear). “I walk toward it happily, entering, ordering and looking to Shouto.

“Do you want anything?” 

He looks at the menu before nodding, a small grin on his face as he orders a small boba tea, his hand reaching into his pocket for his wallet. I go to stop him but before I can, the transaction is made. As we wait for the drinks, I speak up. 

“You didn't have to pay for it you know”

He shakes his head, placing his wallet back into his back pocket. “It was nothing. The woman shouldn't have to pay”

His bluntness brings an end to my protesting. We grab our drinks and head out, walking along the sidewalk as we enter the busier parts of the streets, drinking my drink happily as we walk in tandem.

“Where to next?” Shoutos soft voice breaks the comfy silence, his eyes meeting mine as I speak up.

“Well, we planned on going to the arcade near the movie theatre but only if you’d wanna go-”

“I would” He interrupts rather enthusiastically, mumbling a small apology after noticing his rudeness. All I could do was smile and nod before leading the way a couple blocks down as we fell into conversation.

The arcade was lively with lights blaring and every machine making sound. My eyes light up as I point toward a few, ushering Shouto toward me.

We take our time with each game, Shouto seemingly breaking out of his shell by the second. The smile on my face spreads as we earn tickets, win prizes and ultimately use our tickets, spending them on the usual small toys; Rings, fake tattoos, candies. It wasn't until I finished spending my tickets that he pushed a plush panda stuffed animal toward me. 

It looked soft, holding a cute little drink with big gleaming plastic eyes. I look at Shouto, albeit confused. “For me?” I took it from his grasp hesitantly as he nodded. 

“Mhm” Was all he conjured, spending his tickets on the smaller items as well as he left me wondering and looking down at the plushie. It had to be a good few hundred tickets, with the good quality and cute exterior. 

He nods to me, ushering to leave. We set foot on the concrete once more, heading back to the dorms; both hungry and spent from the fun outing. 

“Did you have fun?” He asks, looking at me expectantly.

I nod without hesitation, “Of course I did! And I totally beat you at Dance Dance Revolution” I nudged his arm playfully.

He chuckles, the sound light in the air as it transfers to my own emotions, the root of this outing fully leaving my mind. We reach the entrance of ‘Heights Alliance’ once more, walking through the gates and reaching the dormitories. He holds the door open for me, allowing me to walk by with a thank you. 

As we enter, the sight of our friends and respective classmates refreshes me. I smile and wave before b-lining for the kitchen to make up something quick to eat. Shouto follows much to my surprise.

I glanced over to see him also taking out ingredients for what looked to be instant soba. I smile softly, “Thanks by the way” 

He hums before waving me off. “It wasn’t a problem, y/n” His eyes made contact with mine as I shut the fridge. “Besides, you deserved it” A small, rare smile makes way to his porcelain skin, making my heart lurch slightly as I feel my ears heat slightly.

All I could reciprocate was a wider smile than before, engaging in small talk as we prepared our respective dinners. 

Even if my plans fell through, I guess it wasn't all that bad. I'm glad to have a friend who considered me and even made me feel something i don't think i had felt in a while. Here wa_s to many more impromptu hangouts- or what I wanted to consider; dates.

[stardustrebels]

More of You- Chapter 5

Pairing: Joel Miller x fem!reader

WC: 1.7k

Rating: 18+ for eventual smut, MDNI

Series Masterlist | Blog Masterlist Previous Chapter | Next Chapter

Tags: No outbreak!AU. Coffee shop meet-cute with a slow-ish burn. Sickly sweet fluff with eventual smut. Joel Miller just deserves a good life, you know? Joel and reader have a teeny tiny age gap- Joel is 42, reader is mid 30s. Sarah is 19. No use of Y/N, minimal descriptions of reader. She has hair long enough to tie back and she wears skirts and dresses.

A/N: Joel Miller’s very bad no good morning pre-chapter 1. I just want to give this poor lonely saddie daddy a big hug. Of course, like a moth to a flame, the man’s drawn in by exemplary woodwork and the promise of good coffee. I hope you enjoy!

The first time Joel Miller saw you, it was a Monday. 

The kind of Monday that he guessed was going to be shitty from the moment he opened his eyes. He woke up half an hour before his alarm went off and stared at the ceiling, cursing the sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach, like the day had already gone wrong. 

The sun had barely risen, casting a faint orange glowing beam across the room through a gap in the curtains and straight in to his face. He groaned, slapping the top of his alarm before it even had a chance to sound. 

Seconds after he stood up, he stubbed his toe on the edge of his bed frame, cursing under his breath before limping his way to the bathroom. 

He got dressed and made it downstairs without further injury, sulking as he entered the kitchen, hoping to at least have a decent cup of coffee before leaving the house. He opened the cabinet and reached up to where the coffee tin usually sat. The coffee tin that wasn’t there. The coffee tin he’d forgotten to pick up a replacement for at the store yesterday. 

He gripped the edge of the counter, letting out a frustrated sigh and hung his head momentarily in silent defeat.

It was the type of Monday that would make anyone want to climb back in to bed and try again tomorrow. 

It also happened to be his birthday. 

And despite everything else that had happened so far, that fact was hands down the worst thing about today.

Sarah had left for college two weeks ago, and this was the first birthday he’d spend without her since she was born. 

The first time she called after he’d dropped her off, she said she would come back to spend his birthday with him. He’d insisted that she should be focusing on making friends and having fun, not worrying about her old man. After some back and forth, she’d relented, settling for sending him a picture of a hastily written I.O.U for ‘one amazing birthday celebration’ on a pink post-it note after they’d hung up.

In lieu of any coffee to drink, he leaned against the breakfast bar with a glass of orange juice and sifted through the small pile of birthday cards until he found the one with Sarah’s handwriting on it. The card had an obnoxiously large badge on the front- ‘it’s my birthday’ emblazoned on it in giant red letters. He huffed a laugh at it, shaking his head. 

Inside, she’d written that she’d told her Uncle Tommy she wanted picture evidence that he had worn the badge to the office. He sent her a text, despite knowing she wouldn’t be awake for hours. 

Thanks for the card, kiddo. And the badge. Not sure it’s clear enough though, could be bigger. Love you.

He placed the badge securely in his jacket pocket, ready to pin on his shirt when he got to the office. He figured if he didn’t, he’d never hear the end of it. 

By the time he left the house that morning, Joel felt unusually lonely. He’d been doing fine the last couple of weeks, or at least that’s what he told himself. 

The day after he dropped Sarah off, he’d realised just how quiet the house was without her. He had immediately thrown himself in to work, spending long days at the office, doing out-of-character site visits and offering to take Tommy’s client meetings. Anything to stay busy. 

By the time he got home every night, he had just enough energy to heat up some dinner and fall in to bed. It felt like the old days, when Sarah was younger. The days where he would work every hour God sent just to keep a roof over their heads, making himself sick with stress. Except this time around he didn’t get to see her little smiley face every morning to remind him that it was all worth it. 

Joel tried to ignore the little lump in his throat as he climbed in to his truck that morning, earlier than he would normally leave. The house felt emptier than it ever had. 

The traffic on the way in to the city was a nightmare, and he had to park a couple of blocks further away from the office than he usually did because of road closures. By the time he found a spot and turned off his engine, he was utterly miserable, the idea of trudging to the office against crowds of other commuters did nothing to improve his mood. He grabbed his jacket and slammed the truck door shut, muttering to himself.

He groaned inwardly as he immediately hit the don’t walk signal at the first crosswalk. As he waited, the building on the corner next to him caught his eye. He took a moment to admire the dark wood and worn decorative trim around the windows. He squinted through the bright morning sunshine at the sign above the door. Harrison’s it read, in gold handwritten letters. 

The crosswalk signal sounded, but he didn’t move. He glanced through the pane of glass in the wooden door. It was a coffee shop. He hesitated a moment, standing on the sidewalk as people brushed past him. The faint smell of fresh coffee wafted out as the door opened and closed in front of him. He glanced at his watch; he had meetings stacked like bricks and emails waiting to be answered, but he could spare a little time. 

“Screw it, why not?” He muttered under his breath, pushing open the door. A bell chimed above him as he stepped inside.

The place was cosy; not too modern but not stuffy either, with dark wood floors and mismatched tables and chairs. Shelves filled with old books lined the walls, peppered with sepia-toned photographs and various pieces of historical- looking memorabilia. Eclectic but not overwhelming, 

He ordered a black coffee at the counter, unable to return the barista’s cheery smile as he paid, and decided to settle in a seat near the window, thinking how nice it might be to just watch the world go by for a little while.

He stared down at his wrist, at the watch that Sarah had fixed for him all those years ago. It wasn’t anything fancy, but it meant the world to him. He missed her. Missed the sound of the music drifting from her room, the clatter of her hurried footsteps when she was late for school, the terrible movies she made him watch, even the endless chatter about her friends, classes, and the soccer team she was part of.

He knew that this was the way it had to be. She was nineteen now, finding her independence and figuring out who she was outside of their little family unit. That had always been the goal, hadn’t it? To raise her to stand on her own two feet. She needed space to grow, to succeed and stumble, and she needed to do it without him hovering. He knew that.

Still, it didn’t make it any easier. 

The barista arrived with his coffee, pulling him from his thoughts. He muttered a thanks and took a sip, letting his eyes scan the other customers around him. 

Then he saw you. 

As soon as he laid eyes on you, it felt like everything around him exploded in technicolour and the world snapped in to sharp focus all at once. You were sitting a few tables away, staring at your computer screen, entirely engrossed in whatever was on it, oblivious to anything going on around you. 

Joel’s heart was suddenly thrumming in his ears as loud as waves. Everything surrounding you seemed vivid, bathed in the yellow glow of the sunshine streaming in through the window. 

A lock of hair slipped over your shoulder as you tilted your head, causing a gentle shadow to fall across your face. You tucked it back behind your ear with delicate fingers, focus unwavering. You were the the most beautiful thing he’d ever seen. 

He blinked, the thrumming in his ears was joined by an unfamiliar feeling swelling right under his sternum. His palms felt sweaty and goosebumps started to spread up his arms. He felt hot and cold. He needed air. 

He downed his coffee, grimacing at the stinging heat against his tongue, grabbed his jacket in one hand and the empty coffee cup in the other to place back on the counter as he passed it, making every effort not to draw any attention to himself. 

He pushed past a queue of people waiting for their coffees and out of the door, bell jingling behind him as he stepped back in to the morning air. He sucked in a deep breath. The feeling in his chest- the one that had hit him like a freight train - was still there. 

He braced his hands on his hips, head tilting back to stare up at the pale blue sky. A little voice in the back of his mind pointed out it looked bluer than it had before.  

“Get it together, Miller,” he muttered towards the heavens, willing his pulse to stop racing.

It wasn’t like him to get flustered. He wasn’t the kind of man who let his emotions run away from him. He’d just had a tough morning, that’s all. He mused that this might be brand new biological perk, unlocked with another year of his 40s. 

He took another deep breath, willing the tightness in his chest to ease as he began to walk, eyes fixed on the concrete in front of him as he passed the windows.

By the time he made it to the office, he’d convinced himself that the strange feeling had been because of his bad morning and the sudden change in temperature from the coffee. A delayed reaction. A ‘funny turn’, as his Grammy used to say, nothing more. 

He stopped outside the glass doors, frowning at his faint reflection in them. He reached in to his jacket pocket and took out the badge Sarah had sent him. He pinned it to his shirt and took a deep breath. 

Weirdest damn birthday I’ve ever had he thought as he pulled open the door and walked inside. 

[dix-rose]

anticipatory grief is actually one of the worst things in the world I hope nobody ever has to deal with it

[moregraceful]

can we PLEASEEEEE talk about nico sturm's white boy swag PLEASE. like what was that. why were the sharks so intensely hiding his white boy swag. "oh we got him for his face offs" WHAT ABOUT HIS WHITE BOY SWAG. imagine if the sharks had not made a holiday music video we would not have never known about nico sturm's insane white boy swag. ik you all are consumed with thing1 and thing2 and also thing3 and thing4 but what was going on with nico sturm in that video, we need to discuss. why was he the only one giving it's big and i know what to do with it energy. ON THE SHARKS?? HELLO

ALSO. cody ceci can't rap nor should he ever again get his ass off the mic but he DID sound like an npr show host. he has the smooth tenor of a man telling me on all songs considered that this all-female octogenarian shoegaze quartet is going to be playing at hardly strictly bluegrass this year. or like a guy who was an overnight host for a classical music station. he's telling me he's got gershwin to accompany me through the cold winter night. he's signing off with an instrumental version of "st. james infirmary" at 6am. he calls his listeners his "lovers" and gets away with it bc the only people who listen to overnight classic music stations are lonely old men and particularly unwell college students. ohhhh cody ceci you're wasted as a dman you should be romancing old men

[lizardkingeliot]

I’ve been thinking about this scene from 1x02 a lot lately. I don’t know why. Maybe it’s the music. But the show does this really cool thing where they have Louis telling us about his shame in an act while actively romanticizing the act at the same time. The visuals, the score, the language used, even Louis’ tone of voice as he narrates all indicate the murder of the tenor as a love scene. Louis describes the killing as meditative, describes how he participated in it alongside Lestat for hours—only to conclude by saying he was only pretending to be enthralled because he was afraid of disappointing. And—

I don’t know. I do think shame is one of Louis’ defining characteristics. It’s what makes him so interesting. But shame is one of those things that tends to come after the act is already done. It tells us nothing of how Louis truly felt in the moment when he was actively participating. Actually—it feels to me like the shame is so intense only because he enjoyed it so much at the time. And maybe after everything he’s been through, after all the trauma and the grief, that’s not something he can bear to really look at now. The way he gave into his nature with Lestat in moments like this and how good it felt. How romantic it was. How it was a deep intimacy. How the feeding was the connective tissue of their love as vampires…

There’s also something else here about how this relates to his later rejection of hunting with Lestat being a rejection of their intimacy, but others have already talked about that at length and much more eloquently. I just think it’s really neat to get little moments like this from an unreliable narrator who tells us how he was feeling while the show is perhaps showing us something different.

[herbert-best]

…a labyrinthine series of lines, criss-crossing each other in all sort of ways. These covered the paper so thickly that only with difficulty could one make out the white spaces in between. "Read it," said the Officer. [...] Then the Officer began to spell out the inscription and then read out once again the joined up letters. "Be just!' it states," he said. "Now you can read it." […] "'Be just!' it says," the Officer remarked once again.

In The Penal Colony, Franz Kafka; transl. Ian Johnston [x]

pawn / tool /puppet / cog BE JUST another gear / in the / Harrowing machine

This was originally intended to be (bc I am very normal about all the very normal things I like) a piece of Kafka-referential fanart of Amanda Young, from Saw, with my rendition of the Officer’s design from the execution machine carved into her corpse… didn’t go that far with it, obviously, because I can’t draw for shit. If you’ve never gotten a chance to read it or not read it in a long time, this is your call to arms to read In The Penal Colony. It’s VERY short, albeit somewhat disturbing— the pdf I linked to with the quote is the whole thing, which is 19 pages long as formatted there— but it’s one of those things that lives in your brain afterwards.

It centers around a large, incredibly elaborate and complex machine used for tortuous executions, and the legacy of the now-dead man who designed, built, and used it. I’ve sort of always been fascinated by the idea of trying to create the illegibly elaborate designs it’s described as using— this one contains more than the central, aforementioned words, of course— highlighted under the cut.

[lumienn]

Me when I did 10 things to make my day better but came across 1 (one) thing that ruined it

[robotrightsactivist]

Well about fifteen minutes after I left a voicemail with my vet about my cat’s enlarged anal glands needing to be expressed she licked them so much they ruptured so that’s great that’s cool that’s good (screaming)

[pretty-little-martyr]

somehow. i have some manner of Stomach Illness. and of course, because some weeks ago i ate salmon that appeared just a liiittle more red/deeper-pink than normal, my brain has convinced itself that i most certainly Must have a tapeworm. fun times this fine evening