#and ignored and just. sigh. sigh sigh sigh. we’ll see i guess.
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pinkslipxox · 2 days ago
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Hey! I have a request. But please ignore this if you want to, I did see your last post saying how you have alot of requests at the moment! So please don't ever feel like you need to write this okay? Just something basic, pregnant reader is really struggling to fall asleep because baby girl won't stop kicking her mama. Billie wakes up and just rubs her belly and gives us reassurance. She even tries to make us laugh by having a "talk" with the baby telling her to stop hurting her mama or mommy's not gonna be happy. We find it hilarious. We end up falling asleep to billie spooning up and rubbing out stomach and gently rubbing the top of our head because she knows that helps us fall asleep.
- but thank you so so much for taking the time to read this. Once again, please don't write this if you don't want to! I love ya 🫶🏻
Hey there my love! Hope you like it! Thank you so much for your kindness and understanding 🥰
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A soft whimper escapes your lips as you feel your unborn daughter move about inside your womb. You’ve been trying so hard to fall asleep, but to no avail. Of course, it is always a joy and relief to you whenever you feel your baby kick, but it seems that she’s picked the worst part of the day— well, night in the case— to be active.
You carefully sit yourself up straighter, breathing slowly in and out just as your doctor had suggested a few days ago, praying that you don’t wake up your sleeping wife. Despite knowing that Billie wouldn’t mind if you woke her up, you feel bad at the thought of doing so. She’s been working so hard when it comes to balancing work and taking care of you, and you know that she needs her rest as much as you do.
“Please let Mama sleep,” you murmur softly as you run your belly in attempt to calm your daughter. Just then, you feel a hand touch your shoulder. Your wife has woken up.
“Y/N? Is everything alright?” Billie asks, her voice groggy yet full of concern.
“She won’t stop kicking, Billie,” you whimper, wincing as you feel another strong kick. “And it hurts. All I want to do is sleep.”
“How can I help, my love?” Billie offers as she gently rubs your swollen belly.
“Can you please get another pillow for my back?” you request and Billie nods.
“Yes, of course,” she replies and kisses your forehead before hurrying off to find the pillow. She comes back a moment later and helps you lean forward so that she can put the pillow behind your back.
“Thank you, my love,” you sigh, reveling in the small amount of relief.
“You’re welcome.” Billie rubs your baby bump, her ocean blue eyes looking into yours with such tenderness and love. “I know it’s hard, sweetheart. You’re doing such an amazing job. Soon we’ll have our little girl, and she’s going to be just as beautiful as you.”
“Oh, Billie,” you murmur, tears swelling in your eyes. “You’re the sweetest.”
“Only for my girls,” Billie chuckles softly before pressing a kiss to your belly. “Damn, she’s having a party in there!”
“Of course— she’s your daughter, after all,” you tease with a smirk and Billie sticks her tongue out playfully at you.
“Hmm, I wonder…” Billie muses with a playful gleam in her eyes. She then makes a fist with her hand and taps on the imaginary microphone in her hand. “Hello? Is this thing on? Can you hear Mommy, baby girl?”
You can’t help but stifle a laugh. Then, at the feel of your daughter kicking her again, you tell her, “She can hear you loud and clear, Bills.”
“Now, baby girl,” Billie begins in a mock-stern voice. “Listen to Mommy. I know how much you think it’s fun to kick your mama like she’s a soccer ball but she needs her rest. And if you don’t stop kicking her by the time I count to three…”
“Billie, oh my God,” you laugh out loud, shaking your head fondly at your wife.
“One… two… three,” Billie counts and the two f you hold your breath.
“I think… it worked,” you breathe in awe and Billie smirks.
“Guess we know who’s her favorite mother,” your wife teases and you gasp, feigning hurt.
“After all I do for you…” you tisk, running your belly. You then smile at Billie. “Thank you for helping, my love. And I’m sorry that I woke you.”
“You have nothing to apologize for, Y/N. We’re in this together,” Billie reassures you and brings your hand up to her lips, kissing it.
“Cuddle us?” you request with a pout and Billie nods with a smile.
Billie helps you lay back down on the bed and once you are comfortable, she cuddles up from behind you, your back pressed against her chest. She wraps her arm under your bump, her thumb gently caressing there, and kisses your temple. You slowly begin to relax under her touch, her fingers gently massaging your scalp just the way you like it.
“Good night, my baby girls,” Billie murmurs softly, and your heart swells.
“Good night, Billie,” you hum as you close your eyes, grateful to have your wife right by your side, no matter what time of day or night.
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filmnamtans · 1 year ago
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mypoisonedvine · 4 months ago
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𝗹𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝗮𝗻 𝗲𝗹𝗲𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗼𝗿 | eddie munson x reader
𝘀𝘂𝗺𝗺𝗮𝗿𝘆 | based on a request from the lovely @ultraintrovertedgryffindor ; getting stuck in an elevator with his best friend (and secret crush) was absolutely not on eddie's morning agenda, but it leads to one of his most wild fantasies coming to life.
𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗱 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁 | 3.8k
𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀 | SMUT (18+ only!! semi-public sex, oral m receiving, kinda pervy eddie but also slightly pervy reader with a balls fixation gee I wonder where that idea came from), best friends to lovers (but very very limited plot haha), pretty much exactly what it says on the tin y'all not sure what to say
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Eddie laughed as he pressed his hands to the elevator doors, but it wasn't a laugh of amusement— it was exasperation, frustration, an is this really happening? laugh.
"Soonest we can get a crew out there is uhh... noon?" the voice on the emergency phone informed you.
"Noon?!" you yelped. "It's not even half past eight!"
"What did I tell ya?" Eddie recalled, hanging his head in defeat for a second. "Nothing good happens before ten."
"Just try to stay calm and we'll be there when we can," the operator suggested, like it was so simple.
You didn't even reply to that, just scoffed and hung up.
It wasn't like he'd been looking forward to his GED exam, in fact he'd almost been hoping for a way to put it off or get out of it... but this was definitely not what he was imagining. Of all the elevators to get stuck in, this generic government building where he was supposed to have his big test proctored was probably the most boring option.
He glanced over at you, and stopped himself from making a dirty joke: you heard that Aerosmith single, right? Love In An Elevator?
That probably wouldn't have gone over well. He used to say stuff like that when you were both a little younger, but he'd since given up hope of it ever actually... inspiring anything.  You two were probably better off as friends anyways; or, that’s what he told himself to make it sting a little less.
“Looks like we’ll be stuck in here for a while…” he mumbled instead.  “Did they say what the issue is?”
“Some kind of power failure?” you recalled with a shrug.  “It’s gonna take a while to fix, that’s the important thing.  Do you think they’ll call the fire department?”
“Who knows,” Eddie sighed, leaning against the wall as you sank onto the floor and dropped your head back against the wall.  “I guess we should just try to get comfortable.”
Which was easier said than done, but at least he was stuck here with you— you were generally pretty fun to talk to.  Of course, you weren’t exactly in your best mood due to the circumstances…
At 8:32, Eddie checked his watch.  “I’m officially late for my exam,” he noticed.
At 9, you checked your own; “And I’m officially late for work.  We'll see if I even still have a job when we get out of here," you groaned. "I was on pretty thin ice already."
By 9:14, the stuffiness of the elevator was becoming harder to ignore.  Eddie slipped off his jacket and vest in response to the heat, but resisted the urge to take off his Ozzy shirt. You'd seen him shirtless before, of course, but he figured out would be weirder without the right context.
"Fuck, it's hot in here," you whined quietly.
"I guess the power issue affects the A/C, huh," Eddie noticed.
"You think?" you scoffed, reaching up to unbutton the top of your shirt.
For some reason, he kinda liked when you were condescending like that; of course he loved it when you were sweet like usual, but when you got frustrated and sarcastic and looked at him like he was crazy... for whatever reason, it worked for him. And it was definitely working like never before when combined with your hasty efforts to open your shirt.
He expected you to stop after a couple buttons, but you just kept going, exposing more and more of your chest glistening with sweat. His eyes were glued to it, until you got low enough for him to see a glimpse of your bra, and he coughed as he turned his head quickly.
"Woah, hey, uh--" he stammered out awkwardly.
"Oh whatever, you've seen me in a bikini, it's the same thing," you rolled your eyes.
But it's not the same thing, because you were stripping, untucking the button-up from your tight skirt, fanning your flushed skin...
And he was tugging the crotch of his jeans down a bit when you weren't looking, trying to keep his oncoming boner from being too obvious. 
Leaving your shirt open, you sighed and sat down on the floor, splaying your legs out on the ground.  He could see how uncomfortable you were, and it made him press his lips together while he sighed through his nose.  Though he was a little afraid you weren’t in the mood for any friendly behavior as your frustration and stir-craziness increased, he walked across the elevator and sat down next to you.  “I was probably gonna flunk the test,” he decided.
“What?  No you weren’t,” you scoffed.  “You studied so hard!  I’m really proud of you, you know.”
“Just ‘cause we’re stuck in here doesn’t mean you should get all sappy with me—” he started.
“No— ‘cause we’re stuck in here I’m not gonna put up with you trying to be down on yourself,” you decided sternly with a little glare at him.  “You were gonna fucking ace it, I know you were.  You worked your ass off.  I know you wanted to act like you didn’t care, but you actually got your shit together and did it.”
“You… you helped me a lot,” he mumbled sheepishly.
“Please, I hardly did anything— mostly just kept you from getting too distracted,” you denied, blissfully unaware that he actually found you more distracting sometimes, but never minded it.  “Can you stop being a pussy and just admit you’re actually smart, and dedicated, and more than capable of nailing this?”
He blinked quickly and looked down into his lap, feeling his face warm up— not just from the heat.  How could you be so mean and nice at the same time?  
“And now it’s gonna go to waste, ‘cause of this godforsaken elevator,” you sighed, dropping your head back; a pessimistic end to a pep talk, but he couldn’t blame you.
"Think of it this way: it couldn't get any worse!" Eddie offered with a faux-upbeat tone.
Right then, the lights in the elevator flickered and turned off, plunging you both into darkness. "I fucking hate you," you announced after a short silence.
He heard a whirring sound from somewhere else in the shaft, and a dimmer orange lighting came on inside the elevator; some kind of emergency back-up generator thing, probably. It was enough to see decently well, especially as his eyes started to adjust, but still made it feel like you were both in an even more perilous situation.
“I didn’t sleep enough last night,” you admitted, “I might try to catch up on that.  Maybe if I can sleep this will go by faster…”
“I like that plan,” he decided, even though he was pretty sure he wouldn’t be able to do the same.  Eddie had a hard time keeping still and quiet, but he managed to do it so you could get your rest.
He suspected you had fallen asleep when your breathing seemed to slow down a bit— but he knew you had when you limply slumped to the side, your head gently landing on his shoulder.  This happened every once in a while, a sign of how comfortable you were with him. He supposed he should be thankful for it, but sometimes it just made him furious. Because what cruel punishment was this, to have you lay on him like this when he can't put his arm around you and kiss your head and tell you how perfect you are?
The half-boner he’d wound up with earlier when you unbuttoned your shirt had never really gone away, and it noticed your proximity with renewed interest.  Maybe it was just because he was so bored with literally nothing to do but think about you, but his mind kept coming up with all these fucked up ideas based on the eyeful he’d gotten.  
What if you’d taken off your bra as well and let him see the tits he’d been fantasizing about for longer than he cared to admit?  What if this had happened in winter instead and the elevator was brutally cold and you two had to hold your naked bodies together for warmth?  What if that guy on the phone said this thing was airtight and two only had an hour to live and you decided you wanted to go out with a bang, literally?  
He wondered if he’d be brave enough to tell you how he felt about you, if either or both of you only had an hour left.  For better or for worse, this elevator shaft had airflow, so you were more likely to die of boredom than anything.
He shifted slightly, stuck in a somewhat awkward position, but it didn't help much— though thankfully it didn't wake you up, either.  He just wished he could get some relief, somehow.
Obviously, he knew it was a bad idea. But the thing about his dick is it usually talked him into some pretty bad ideas…
He tested the waters with a whisper of your name, but you just kept breathing slowly— you were out cold. Maybe you were even more nervous for him than you'd let on, if you were that underslept.
Reaching up with his free hand, all he had to do was grip himself through his jeans to get some relief; he sighed through his nose, shutting his eyes.
His cock flexed impatiently as he unzipped the jeans as slowly as possible to avoid making too much sound. But god was it worth the wait— as soon as he slipped his hand into his boxers he had to bite his lip, it was so good just to get some attention for his poor, lonely dick.
This was far from the first time Eddie had jerked off to the thought of you. But he was sure he'd never done it while you were this close.
He did it once or twice in your bathroom while you were on the other side of the wall, that was probably the closest he'd come to this before. And that was chump change compared to this-- this was so risky it made his heart race and his hands shake with adrenaline, but it only made him more desperate for whatever reason.
He wouldn't have swiped his thumb through the precum at his slit if he had known how good it would feel— or maybe if he'd known how good it would feel, he would've been able to prepare himself for it. But the anxiety of getting caught had made him even more sensitive, so he hadn't really seen it coming, and when he did it he let out a little moan through his teeth that he couldn't stop.
You stirred again and he froze; when you lifted your head off of his shoulder, he hastily shoved himself back into his jeans, trying to cover up the open fly with the bottom of his shirt.
“Were you… jerking off?” you realized, and he felt sick with fear as his heart raced like never before.
“W-what?” he scoffed incredulously.  “I— are you crazy?”
“Ed,” you warned firmly.
“Sorry,” he mumbled, “I— sorry—”
“Are you that bored?” you mocked with a snort, and he felt even more flushed; it made his cock flex under the mediocre covering of his shirt when you degraded him like that.
“N-no— well, yeah, I just— you put your head on me and I—”
“It was because of me?” you realized, and his mouth fell open.  He hadn’t realized that you hadn’t actually put that together yet; of course he’d ended up just digging himself deeper.
“W-well, uh— I mean, no, no I— well.  Kind of?”
“Kind of, as in…”
“Completely,” he blurted out.
You were quiet for a long time, and he couldn’t see your face well enough to even try to guess what you were thinking.  Although you probably could’ve given him a thousand guesses and he never would’ve guessed what you ended up saying: “You want some help with that?” you offered.
But before he could even answer— not that he really could, he was too busy having a short circuit in his brain— you were reaching for his lap.  And even if his mind was blown, his body knew to just lift his hands up and out of the way and let you do whatever you wanted to him.
You pulled up the bottom of his shirt and sighed a little when you saw his cock, still hard and leaking and curled up against his stomach.  You carefully wrapped your hand around it, and he swallowed thickly, wondering if he was dreaming or something— you were so… soft.
“Like this?” you asked gently, making his hips twitch up into your hand for a second.
“Y-yeah,” he nodded, eyes glued to the way your hand looked wrapped around him.  If only the lights weren’t out, he wanted to see it even better.
He looked at your face, moving your hair a little to make sure he could see you, but from what he could tell your eyes were trained on his lap.
“Fuuuck,” he whispered when you stroked him a bit more confidently.  He wanted to shut his eyes from how good it felt, but he didn’t want to look away from a moment of this in case you, you know, came to your senses and stopped.
“S’really thick,” you said, under your breath, a little bit shyly.  He groaned and ran his hand over your back, trying not to do too much in case it startled you but also totally helpless to how badly he needed you.  “I wonder if I can…”
You trailed off, and before he could decide if he should ask what you were going to say, you 
As soon as you leaned down and put your mouth around him, his back arched and his legs kicked a bit.  “Fuck, baby,” he choked out, melting into the warm feeling of your lips, your tongue— god, he couldn’t believe you were doing this to him.  He actually had to fight the urge to tell you so, to admit how much he’d imagined this; he settled for whining out your name and running a hand over your hair encouragingly.  “S’fucking warm, oh my god—”
You hummed around him, sucking a bit harder, swirling your tongue around the tip; who the fuck taught you that?  It made his chest burn with some targetless jealousy even while it made his cock flex proudly. 
Your hand still gripping the base, you took him a little bit deeper, moaning a little bit once again while you did it.  No way you actually enjoyed this, right?
You pulled your head up a bit— he took his hand away quickly, not trying to hold you down or anything— and just when he wondered if you might stop, you dropped down lower so you could run your tongue up from the very bottom all the way to his leaking slit—
“Jesus,” he laughed thinly, “what are you doing to me, baby?”
“Whatever I wanna do,” you replied— if he was a little braver, he would’ve asked what made you want this, how long you wanted this— but he was more than content to let you do whatever you wanted, so far you had some pretty fucking good ideas.
Your head sank even a little bit lower, and he pushed his jeans down just a bit in case they were getting in your way.  Boy, was he glad he did.  “Fuck,” he gasped, watching in shock as you looked up at him while your tongue ran over his balls.  “Sorry, they’re, uh, kinda sweaty…”
“Even better,” you purred; what the fuck were you doing acting so dirty like that?
“Baby,” he laughed thinly, “is this some kind of claustrophobia-induced psychosis or something?  Who are you and what have you done with my prude best friend?”
“Prude?  That’s unfair,” you laughed.  “Just ‘cause I don’t advertise every dirty thought that goes through my mind doesn’t mean I’m not as much of a freak as you…”
“Freak is an understatement,” he sighed, struggling to keep his voice even when he was literally watching you lick all over his balls like this.  “You’re a proper fucking slut.”
You hummed proudly, eyes getting a little heavier— when you looked up at him like that, he was totally helpless.  “It’s slutty to wanna taste your best friend’s balls?”
“F-fuck, of course it is,” he whined, cock flexing in your hand again when you licked a stripe up between then.
“Well then yeah, guess I’m a slut,” you agreed. 
“G-god, I— I’m gonna—” he tried to warn you, but it happened so fast— it happened the second you started to gently suck on his balls, in fact.  What was he supposed to do when you did that?!  How could he not shoot cum all over his now-definitely-ruined shirt?
“Oh shit,” you giggled— his cock was still flexing and you were already mocking him.
“What— what the fuck,” he began, trying to catch his breath, “made you wanna do that?”
But you were already straddling his lap, pulling up your skirt to your waist.
“F-fuck, baby, I— are you seriously—?”
He cut himself off and whimpered when he got a good look at your panties, the cute lacy kind— and pretty fucking soaked already.
“I-I don’t have a condom,” he warned you, cursing himself inside for finally throwing out the one in his wallet thinking he would never end up needing it.
“Don’t care,” you sighed, pulling your panties aside and guiding his tip right up to your entrance.
“Fuck, that’s—”
He was gonna say it was insanely hot, but you hardly noticed; you were already sliding down onto him, taking him in one motion right to the base.
“Oh fuck!” he nearly shouted, gripping hard onto your thighs.  “F-fuck, you’re so tight, fuck…”
You started moving right away, grinding on top of him for a second before lifting your hips and bouncing up and down.  “Fuck,” you sighed, “so deep…”
Was it wrong that he loved the way you were basically just using him?  You hadn’t even let him finish his sentence, you didn’t ask if he could handle it right after coming— you just started riding him, and far be it from him to complain about that.
“Take this off,” he pleaded, tugging at your unbuttoned shirt and trying to push it off your shoulders.
You helped him get it off, and before you’d even tossed it off to the side he was reaching behind you to unclasp your bra.  The gods of bra clasps smiled down upon him that day, because he was sure he’d never gotten one open so quickly, and if there was any time he really needed it, it was now.
“Fuck,” he groaned when he got a good look at them— not good enough in this dim orange lighting, but it would do— and instantly got a hold of your chest.  You didn’t seem to mind the clammy hands, considering the way you whimpered a little and clenched inside around him.  “God, baby, your tits…”
As much as he’d been waiting ages for a chance to see you naked, he couldn’t deny you looked way too good with the skirt, stockings, and heels still on.  He could already tell this was going to give him a complex.
He ran a hand up your leg as you moved just to feel the silky nylon; god, he hoped you didn’t get fired for the unexplained extreme lateness, if not just for your sake then so that you would keep dressing like this every day.  “So pretty,” he sighed, wondering if you could see in the dark how totally in awe he was of you.
“Oh my god,” you gasped, in that way he’d always imagined you would in a time like this.  Your head fell back and he couldn’t help but reach up and grab your neck— not applying much pressure, just holding you there, just admiring how goddamn perfect his hand looked wrapped around you.  
“You’re so fucking sexy,” Eddie sighed, “fuck, look at you go.”
You smiled a little, he could see it even with your head tilted back like that, and it was just amazing seeing you so… free?  So relaxed and totally shameless, giving in to your pleasure.  But it wasn’t enough: he wanted to see you lose all your composure, he wanted to hear you scream his name, he wanted to make you shake and cry and beg— that was why he grabbed a tight hold of your hips and pulled you down onto him, bucking his hips up to meet you halfway.  It forced his cock even deeper and you yelped a little.
“Not too big for you, is it?” he taunted.
“No, fuck, s’perfect,” you moaned, your voice deep and rough and so fucking beautiful like this.  “Fuckin’ perfect, Ed, o-oh god—”
“Keep saying my name,” he ordered.
“Eddie,” you said, again, but this time all needy and cute; it just made him fuck you harder, biting down on his lip to muffle some of his own noises— he just wanted to hear you.  He pulled you down and hugged you close, keeping you still so he could fuck up into you exactly how he wanted; you moaned right by his ear, fuck it was too precious.  
“I’m already close again,” he admitted with a thin laugh.  “Fuck, look what you do to me.”
You whined louder, clenching on his cock— he seriously did not know how much more of this he could take.
“Wanted you so bad,” he blurted out, unable to stop himself, “wanted this for so long.  Wanted to fuck you— I wanna make you come, fuck, please, please come.”
He felt you nod against his shoulder as you gasped, and he shut his eyes tight, just focusing on his movements and trying his best not to speed up too much just to chase his own high.  He needed you to come more than he needed his own pleasure, even if everything in his body was screaming for a chance to come inside you. “So close,” you panted, “fuck, Eddie, don’t stop— please don’t stop— yes!”
The lights turning back on suddenly startled you both, making him freeze and look around (and squint a little from the brightness), but that was nothing compared to the shock of the doors opening.  Behind them was mostly just concrete, the space between floors, but up top was about two feet of the eighth level, where a crew of firefighters could be seen peering in.
“Are they alright?” someone from the building asked as Eddie scrambled to grab his jacket from the corner and cover you up with it.
“Yeah, looks like they’re doing just fine,” one of the men announced as they broke out in surprised laughter.
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iluvmattsbeard · 6 months ago
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late at night (c.s)
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master list
warnings: none!
preview: you and the triplets decided to go rent out a cabin leaving the Los Angeles lifestyle for a little bit to take a breather. late at night, you were awaken by a sleepless Chris knocking on your door.
a/n: likes, comments, and reblogs are appreciated!
you're in your room, packing your luggage as you talk on the phone, "how long are we staying there again?" you speak up, looking through your drawers. it was way too early in the morning. your mind needed some refreshing. "till Sunday." Nick replies shortly. he was also packing his things for the two day get away. you and the triplets decided to take this trip up the mountains to get peace and quiet. a change of scenery is always good. “is Matt and Chris ready?” you ask folding a few shirts. Nick scoffs, “Matt is still sleeping.” you look at the camera to face him. Nick looks back at you and freezes, “are you serious? how about Chris?” you ask with a straight face.
“let me see.” he says putting down what he had in his hands, walking towards his bedroom door. he opens it and shouts, “Chris!” you stare at the phone waiting for a response. “yeah?” Chris shouts back. “what are you doing?” Nick asks leaning against his door. Chris eventually walks into the room, “I just finished packing.” he says. he looks at the camera and sees you, causing him to smile a bit, “good morning Y/n.” he greets. “can you wake up Matt? I don’t want to be the one to drive up the mountain.” you ask with the same straight face, making Chris’s smile fade, “no good morning back?” he asks. Nick rolls his eyes before interrupting, “Chris, go do what she asked.” he pushes the younger brother out the door, shutting it.
“you and him need to get a license.” you let out, earning a scoff from him, “trust me, you don’t want me behind the wheel. especially if Matt and Chris are the passengers.” you laugh a bit shaking your head. you’ve witnessed his driving before, it’s not that he was terrible at it. he just stresses out too much. as you two finish packing, Chris knocks on Nick’s door before entering, “Matt’s getting ready now.” he says. “is he packed already?” Nick asks. “yeah. I guess he packed last night.” he responds getting on his phone. “that’s probably why he overslept.” you join in. Chris looks at you, “I still didn’t get a proper good morning.” he mutters. you ignore him, “okay Nick i’ll see you in a bit. I’ll stop by the store for a few items. just text me in the group chat.” Nick nods, as Chris sighs dramatically, “so now i’m being ignored?” he adds on making you laugh a bit.
“text in the group chat as well Chris. also, remind Matt to attach the snow chains onto the tires.” you state picking up your phone. “okay I will.” Nick guarantees you. you both say good bye and you start to carry your luggage.
meanwhile, the triplets start to pack the car, waiting for you to arrive. Chris texts you what he wants, including what his brothers want since the two were busy doing what you said earlier, attaching the snow chains.
Y/n
‘be there soon’
you text Chris causing him to grin.
Chris
‘I hope you’re in a nicer mood when I see you 😄’
Y/n
‘we’ll see’
after a bit, you arrived at their house, or as Chris states out dramatically, “finally! you took forever.” you place the bags on the counter looking at him, “maybe because someone, as in you, requested too many items.” you let out, handing him the bag with his requests. he takes it and smiles, “thank you.” you shake your head a bit, smiling slightly at his gratitude, “you’re welcome.”
your attention soon lands on Matt, “are you set to drive?” you ask. Matt nods, “yeah let’s go.” he responds. you all pile into the car with you sat in the back with Nick and Chris in the passenger seat. you were all now heading to the anticipated place, a cozy cabin that you all decided to split money on. the car ride was only 2 hours long. Nick knocked out during the whole ride, Matt was focused on the road, and you were resting your head on your fist, staring out the window. you admired the change of scenery. your thoughts were soon interrupted by Chris turning up his music. you lift your head to look at him. he was singing along loudly, “Chris! turn it down!” Matt shouts.
you laugh while Chris turns the music up louder. Nick gets woken up, “seriously?” he mumbles tiredly. “look, we’re here!” Chris says excitedly, pointing at the cabin. Matt parks the car as you all look at the building. it was perfect. you put on your beanie and head out the car with everyone else. the four of you carry everything out the car and head inside. Nick bends down and lifts the welcome mat, revealing a silver key. he picks it up and unlocks the door. as soon as everyone shuffled inside, you guys were instantly hit with a comforting scent. you guys look around and you couldn’t help but eye the fireplace. you were excited for this weekend. “let’s look at the rooms.” Matt suggests, walking towards the hallway. there was exactly four rooms.
you all pick out rooms and you guys settle in. Nick sits on your bed and looks around, “what is the plan for today?” he asks with a smile. you sit next to him, “I thought we were snowboarding?” you ask. Nick looks at you with an eyebrow raised, “do you think I know how?” he asks making you giggle, “how hard could it be?” you state.
you guys eventually did go snowboarding, “okay maybe I was quick to assume.” you say looking at Nick as you both were laying in the snow with visible irritation on his face. “I told you!” he lets out, causing you to laugh. “are you guys okay?” Chris asks lifting his goggles up. you look at him, “a little sore.” you respond. he smiles and puts his hand out. you look at his hand before grabbing it. he pulls you up. “okay help me now!” Nick shouts. you and Chris burst put into laughter.
when you guys head back to the cabin, you went straight to take a shower. your body was aching from all the tumbling you did also, from the tumbling Nick did into you. later on, you guys had pizza for dinner and you all ended up going to bed early. you were definitely drained from today, waking up early and absolutely failing at snowboarding. you didn’t hesitate to drift off to sleep.
suddenly, you were woken up by a knock on your door. you rub your eyes and get up wondering who it could be. you look at the clock on the bedside table and groan quietly. it was the middle of the night. you open the door and see Chris. you could tell from the look on his face that something was up, “what’s wrong?” you whisper tiredly. he looks at you and whispers back, “can I stay with you?” he asks catching you off guard. “what? why?” you ask confused because he usually goes to Matt. “please?” he adds on. you rub your forehead and sigh. you open the door wider, letting him in. he walks in and immediately lays in your bed. you shut the door and turn around, standing still.
you watch as Chris snuggles into your blanket, “why do you want to be in here?” you ask. “I had a bad dream.” he whispers.“then why didn’t you go to Matt or Nick?” you ask walking closer to the bed. he shuts his eyes, “I didn’t want to.” he responds. you shake your head a bit and eventually lay next to him. you lay on your hand facing him. Chris opens his eyes and looks at you. “do you want to tell me what happened in your dream?” you whisper. he just stays quiet as he continues to stare at you. “come on. you disturbed my sleep.” you add on. he shakes his head, “I don’t want to talk about it.” he says.
you sigh, “okay, try to get some more sleep then.” you say turning around. you lay on the opposite side as you look ahead of you. you then feel Chris’ get closer to you, making you turn around to face him. you both were looking at each other with a small distance in between. “I can’t sleep.” he whispers. “why not?” you ask with a slight groan. it was too late at night for this. you now understand why Matt wakes up grumpy. you analyze his face and still see the same look from earlier. you move the blanket and open your arms, indicating him to ‘come here’. he breaks the distance and lays his face in the crook of your neck.
you wrap your arms around him with one hand playing with his hair softly. Chris eventually relaxes in your arms. “Y/n?” he whispers with his eyes shut. “yes?” you respond. he let’s out a breath, “can we always be like this?” he asks with an unfamiliar tone. you pull away slightly to look at him but he hides his face. “Chris?” you say trying to move him so you could see his expression. “what’s wrong?” you ask with slight concern. as soon as your eyes met with his, you couldn’t help but notice tears roll down his cheeks. you widen your eyes, you’ve never seen him cry before, “Chris talk to me.” you add on.
“I feel like an idiot.” he says sitting up, causing you to sit up as well. you both sit there as you lift your hand to wipe his tears away. “tell me.” you whisper. his breath was shaky, “the dream I had…” he starts off but he shakes his head, “it’s stupid.” you shake your head, “Chris it’s okay just tell me.” you reassure him. he lets out a breath, “in the dream I told you how I felt about you and you didn’t feel the same way back. you ended up getting with someone else.” you sit there confused, “why would that bother you?” you ask. he shakes his head, “forget it.” you place your hand on his knee repeating the question, “why would that bother you?”
“this whole time i’ve felt this feeling. a strong feeling that i’ve tried to shake off. you know how I am, I don’t just feel these type of things. when you’re around, I feel this sudden urge of wanting to impress you or trying to get you to only look at me when i’m with my brothers.” he confesses making you sit there frozen. “when I had that dream, I woke up with my heart racing. that’s why I came here, to you. I don’t want it to be too late when it comes to me telling you how I feel.” he continues. “that’s why I asked if we could always be like this. it felt right to me.” he says talking about you both being in each other’s embrace.
Y/n’s POV
it was silent for a bit. I stared at him, continuing to analyze his face. I knew he was genuine about these feelings. looking back at it, I now realize his efforts. him coming to me now made me feel a knot in my stomach. deep down I did feel the same way, I just didn’t know if he felt it. Chris never acted this way. he’s never had a girlfriend or expressed his feelings to any girl utmost. so him telling me all of this left me speechless.
End of Y/n’s POV
he looks at you and waits for a response but nothing could come out of your mouth. Chris sighs, “i’m sorry if this was too much.” he moves about to get up but you grab his hand. you lay down pulling him back to how you both were before, with his face in the crook of your neck. “of course we can.” you whisper. he looks up at you with his mouth agape, “really?” he asks. you look at him and smile a bit, “yes really.” you reassure him. his eyes kept on you filled with admiration. you both smile and continue to be in each other’s arms. drifting off to sleep.
the next morning, you and Chris were on the sofa drinking hot chocolate. the fire place was lit and you both were under a shared blanket. you both talked about last night and how you both wanted to start off slow. as in not putting any labels on yet. he wanted to properly take you out first. you both agreed that when you both get back to LA that he would try for his license. you took his word for it. you sip your cocoa as he giggles a bit. you look at him with a raised eyebrow, “what you laughing at?” he smiles, “there’s something on your lip.” he says getting closer, leaving a small kiss on your lips.
“there we go.” he says licking his lips. “just whipped cream.” you sit there looking at him with pure shock. “what happened to slow and steady?” you ask. “I was just taking off the stuff from your lips.” he says with a sheepish smile. you put down your cocoa and pull him in for a proper kiss. he does the same and kisses back, resting his hands on your face. when you both pull away slowly, Chris speaks up, “I just had to kiss you. i’ve been waiting you know.” he whispers making you laugh softly. “okay but still. slow and steady.” you add on. he nods a bit, “it’s just kissing.” he says reattaching his lips onto yours.
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a/n: yeah i don’t know how i feel about this but, hope you enjoyed. LIKES AND REBLOGS ARE APPRECIATED.
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novemberheart · 3 months ago
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{overview} John tightens his control. You get a reality check
{warnings} a/b/o dynamics, fem reader, cursing, this is a John-heavy chapter
Chapter 6 <- Chapter 7 -> Chapter 8
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You were thoroughly exhausted by the time you got back home. Johnny watched your sluggish form, half tempted to throw you over his shoulder.
“There you three are.” John greeted as soon as Kyle opened the door. John's eyes widened as Kyle came in with two large shopping bags. “I see you enjoyed your day out.” He raised a brow, his eyes roaming over your sleepy state.
“I had a very good day,” you spoke, beginning to take the bags from Kyle to bring them to your room.
“I got it,” he assured softly. “Dinners in a few,” he reminded. The thought of eating anything else today made your stomach hurt.
“I don't think I can eat anything else. I'd like to just stay here if it's alright with you?” you questioned as he set the bag down by your door. One of your hands came up to rub at your eyes. He smiled knowingly, nodding his head in agreement.
“I’ll bring you back a dessert.” he winked.
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You had begun to curl yourself up in bed when your phone went off.
“Hey, honey.” Kate greeted, almost hesitantly.
“Hi.” you chirped back. You could practically see her shoulders relax. “Guess who had a great day today.” you sang, pulling your covers over your head.
“Please God, be you,” she smirked on the other end.
“Ding. Ding. That would be correct.” you cheered. “Kyle and Johnny took me to the aquarium today, then out to lunch and then shopping.”
“Those are the boys I know.” she sighed- relieved. “Actually better than the boys I know. How'd you swing that?” she questioned.
“I didn't do anything. At first, I thought you said some”-
“I wouldn't do that,” she interjected.
“I know.” you soothed back. “I think maybe they felt bad about yesterday.” you reasoned.
“Well, hopefully, they keep it up. The good part, not the guilt part.”
“Fingers crossed.” you sighed. “Thanks for checking in Kate.”
“Of course, Honey. Oh and by the way you and John are going to have to stop by my office tomorrow. Paperwork and key cards. Nothing fun.” she huffed.
“Alright. See you then. Tell wifey I said ‘hi.’” you smiled, pressing the big red button.
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You awoke especially chipper that morning. Only for that to be squashed the second you realized you were the only one in the house. John had left a note on the fridge.
Morning,
Out for a morning meeting, we’ll pick you back up for breakfast. Have fun with Simon.
-John
Simon?
“Don’t scream.” a voice echoed from behind you causing you to shriek. “Fucking hell,” Simon muttered under his breath.
“What are you doing on the couch?” you gasped, wondering how you missed his imposing frame spread out.
“You need to work on your awareness.” he chided, adjusting so he was sitting up. A pained groan escaped him and you rushed over to help. He held up a hand to stop you. “Don't need babying pup.” he groaned.
“Help isn't babying Simon.” you ignored the flutter in your stomach at his nickname for you. You plopped down on the couch next to him.
“How was your date yesterday?” he questioned, his blank eyes boring into yours.
“I had fun.” you smiled widely, cuddling into the plush cushion.
“Good.” he sighed. He turned back to the TV that was on mute.
“Why are you on the couch?” you repeated. “Shouldn't you be in bed?”
“Beds shite.” he huffed. He flicked the mute button off, deciding it was the end of the conversation.
“Are you happy to be home?” you piqued up.
“Happy to be in a quiet home,” he answered.
“Message received.” you snorted, turning to watch whatever prank show he had on.
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“Honey, I'm home,” Johnny called bounding into view. He was carrying two takeout bags, handing one to Simon who eagerly began digging into it. Johnny pushed Simon's feet aside to make room for himself on the couch.
“How'd you sleep, Bon?” Johnny questioned.
“I slept good,” you replied, a little too focused on the food.
John rested a hand on the back of the couch, his other hand resting on your shoulder.
“Ready?” he hummed, nodding his head towards the door. You blushed as your stomach growled. “I'll take that as a yes,” John smirked. His large hand found a familiar spot on your back. High enough to be respectful, but low enough to send a message to those who passed.
“How was your day out?” John asked. He chose to eat next to you at the table. Considering it was just you and him, he wanted to be within arms reach of you. It was the second time you had been asked the question, but at least they cared.
“It was wonderful.” you declared, turning back to your breakfast.
“Glad to hear,” he spoke softly. John had a very natural and comforting purr to his voice. It was commanding- yet playful. Raspy - yet smooth. The baritone lull in his voice shot from your ears all the way down to your toes. You curled them in your shoes. He was a complicated man. You wondered if he would let you close enough to figure him out.
“Everything alright?” he said slowly. You had been staring at him. You shut your eyes tightly, tilting your head down towards the table.
“Yeah, sorry,” you assured quickly.
“S’alright, Sweetheart. If I've got something on my face please tell me.” he half joked.
“No. I just like the way your voice sounds.” you complimented. You know it didn't have anything to do with the way he looked, but it was an explanation- and the truth.
“That right?” the satisfaction in voice making you preen. “Well I got it from years of yelling and chain-smoking,” he explained, causing your shoulders to relax and a giggle to escape you.
“Well it suits you,” you added. The corners of his lips began to curl before his face fell. You didn't take it personally. You doubted it was professional to show a variety of emotions in the cafeteria.
“Kate has some things for us,” he spoke up after a while.
“Sounds good,” you already knew, but you were worried he would wonder why you didn't say anything.
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As soon as Kate opened the door to her office you nearly flung yourself at her, desperate to catch even the slightest hint of a familiar scent. She huffed and patted you on the back before pushing you away. You snickered and plopped down in one of the cold leather seats. John bit back a smile at your excitement and sat down next to you.
Kate's office was nice. There was almost no effort put into it since it was just a temporary one for when she needed to be in the area.
“How have you two been?” she hummed, opening one of the filing cabinets, and fishing out two hefty manila envelopes.
“Good.”
“Fine.” John and you spoke at the same time.
“Heard Simon was able to go back home.” Kate smiled, plopping down in her desk chair.
“He’s recovering quicker. Thanks to this one.” he praised, nodding his head in your direction. You still doubted your part in the process. You had spent half a day with him and you two weren't yet bonded. But the belly-up omega in your head didn't care.
“Glad to hear, keep me posted please.” she requested. “Honey, this is for you.” she handed you the thicker of the two. “Think of it like a diary. It's going to have daily and weekly questions or surveys. There's a month's worth there. After you complete it the Omega Standards Bureau will send you another one and you'll turn that one into the representative on base.” she explained.
“Okay.” you agreed. “Do all omegas have to do this?” you questioned, taking a peek inside the envelope.
“They pick and choose who they give them to. I think they chose you because you're in a smaller SAS pack. With an equal number of alphas to betas all of which are male. Also, you were picked to be in the pack by an outside member, me.” she explained.
“I’m quite the experiment aren't I.” you chuckled, glancing over at John. His eyes were trained on the envelope and you knew he was just itching to dive in there himself.
“Can I ask what type of questions.” he finally spoke up.
“From what I understand it's going to be based more on how she feels throughout the adjustment period of the pack.” Kate clarified.
“Don't worry, I won't be overly specific,” you swore. You could sense his hesitation, which you assumed could be boiled down to having things about his pack exposed. He offered you a reassuring smile.
“This one is for you John.” she passed over the envelope to him. “Hard copies of her records, medical history, and that sort of thing. Also has the Omega Committee calendar with events and things.”
The Omega Committee. You remember Kyle talking to you about that at the aquarium. It was advertised as a club that rounded up all the omegas to do activities, but in reality, it just looked like a daycare.
“There was something else I wanted to discuss with you.” John cleared his throat. Your brows furrowed your mind automatically jumping to the deep end of the paranoid pool. “How would you feel about getting chipped, honey?” John inquired.
You had heard about that before. It was usually done in large packs so alphas knew which omegas belonged to who.
“You can say no of course and I don't want to scare you but I think it would be safer given our line of work,” John explained carefully. He spent half the night discussing with Simon how to bring this topic up to you.
“What would that entail?” you asked softly.
“It’s a small incision behind your ear- wouldn’t even leave a scar. It'll have mine and Simon’s name, and phone number,” he explained. He debated on whether or not he should tell you he wants one with a tracking ability. “How would you feel about one with tracking?”
“Tracking?” you gasped a bit taken aback. “Is that really necessary?” you were beginning to grow worried. You either had very paranoid alphas or you were in more danger than you imagined.
“Not necessary,” he assured quickly. “But I strongly feel it would be a good idea. Kyle has one. We kept getting separated from him on a mission. It’s also easy to take out, should you ever want to.”
The ending made you wince. While he didn't specify you knew the implications.
“I also think it's a good idea.” Kate agreed. “Not that anything will happen, honey. But even something small like getting separated while shopping, just knowing they already know where you are would make you feel better right?”
You weren't sure if Kate had a point or not. You weren't sure if you were ready for that type of control. Then again you have been controlled your whole life. An omega’s ‘purpose’.
“Can I think about it a bit more?” you reasoned gently. John sighed not so much in anger but in disappointment.
“Course.” He responded.
“There’s one more thing.” Kate spoke, her eyes drifting over towards you. It seemed to be time for you to go swimming again. “Tomorrow’s my last day, before heading back to the states.” Your heart dropped into your stomach. What if something happened? What if you needed to leave? Who would be here to help you? She was leaving you here completely and utterly alone. “John, can we have a moment?” She asked, her eyes beginning to water from the sudden tang in the air.
“Course.” He moved quickly, his own mouth watering (not in a pleasant way) at the sourness burning his senses. At least now he knew you had a strong defense mechanism.
“I know”-
“You’re abandoning me!” You cried out cutting her off. “How could you? You said you would be on base.” You sputtered, your fingers digging into the desk.
“For your first few days, honey.” The nickname just rubbed salt in your wounds. “I’ll still be able to help you if you need it. But I believe this will be better for you.” She half- snapped.
“Better for me? How is leaving me with strangers better?” You gawked. A sudden gust of Jasmine and peppermint hit you in the face, followed by the known smell of angry alpha. It was a difficult scent to describe. It was smokey, not in a soothing way, but in an all-consuming hard to breathe way.
“You are relying on me too much. You aren't giving this your best shot because, in the back of your mind you already believe you are going to leave. Do you know what the truth is, honey? You are lucky to be here. You have been paired with a very well-established pack- who, yes, have had a few reservations about you joining, but have made no effort to get rid of you- and they aren't going to. They are just a bunch of stubborn men who don't always know what they need. You are going from the safety of an omega house to the safety of one of the most vital packs in the world. You don't have to bargain for a place to live while you wait for a hopefully kind alpha to choose you. I love you like you are a part of my pack, honey, but I really need you to see how fortunate you are.” She was pleading with you now. The smoke from the air was gone, as were the bitter lemons. You slumped in your seat, your head resting in your hands.
“I’m sorry Kate.” you apologized softly. “I didn't mean to sound ungrateful. I guess I just didn't realize”- you trailed off. There were a lot of things you hadn't realized. How important this pack truly was. How highly Kate thought of them. How significant your role in this pack would be. Along with even more respect for Kate, a feeling began to arise in your chest. A tangled web of stress, relief, and most importantly a nauseating wave of hope. You had the chance most omegas could only dream about.
Be the backbone of a strong pack.
And you finally felt ready for the challenge.
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Another chapter is done and gone! The next chapter will be posted tomorrow because it's a short one! See you then! 🧡
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kaiijo · 2 years ago
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TOLD YOU SO — ITOSHI SAE
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pairing: itoshi sae x fem! reader content: reader wears a dress, a little possessive behavior on sae’s end, oliver aiku cameo notes: pretty eyes = pretty guys
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You love Sae, you really do. Behind that apathetic, disinterested exterior lies a heart that beats in turn with yours. You love him, you really, really do, and you have to remind yourself of that as you ignore the side-eye he’s giving you that’s tinged with a certain smugness and screams, I told you so.
Okay, so it definitely was not the smartest move to forego a coat when you knew that this fundraiser was going to be on an outdoor rooftop bar in late fall. But none of your coats went with the dress you were wearing — a long, low-backed, satin number — which was the only thing you had that was formal enough for the event. Sae had looked you up and down when you two were getting ready in your apartment and said, “You’re going to be cold.”
“I’m fine,” you insisted, “it’s not even that cold out.”
“You need to bring a coat.”
“I’m really fine, Sae. I run hot, remember?”
He glanced at your outfit again and said, “You’re going to be freezing.”
You shrugged and gave him a cheeky smile. “Then I’ll just wear your coat.”
He rolled his eyes. “No way, I’m not going to be cold because of your poor judgment.”
You hummed, “I think you will.”
“And I think you’ll be freezing.”
“Guess we’ll both have to wait and see whose right.”
You really hate when he’s absolutely and utterly correct in an argument, because at the moment, you’re trying your best to pretend that the goosebumps climbing your skin is not due to the chilly evening air. You refuse to meet Sae’s eyes, enviously peeking at his suit jacket.
You shiver as a breeze blows by and you huff to yourself, mumbling that you’re going to get a drink. Maybe indulging in the open bar will warm you up. You weave through the crowd and make it to the bar, sighing when you feel the warmth from one of the few heat lamps set up around the area. You swear that your boyfriend made the two of you purposely stand in a corner without one to prove a point.
You order a martini and sip it as you stand in the heat for a few more seconds, relishing in it. It’s not total protection from the cold but it definitely helps some.
You feel someone sidle up next to you and say, “You’re Sae’s girlfriend, right?”
You turn and face the owner of the voice, extending your free hand. “Yeah, that’s me. Oliver Aiku, right?”
“In the flesh,” he chuckles and he shakes your hand. “It’s nice to finally meet you. We’ve been bugging Itoshi to introduce us since we saw you on his home screen.”
You smile involuntarily. That photo is from when you and Sae really started getting serious in your relationship, and he took you on a surprise trip to a little cottage in Mallorca. “Yeah, we’ve been trying to keep things pretty private.”
Oliver hums, “I get that, but it’s nice to finally meet the person who makes him actually crack a smile for once.”
You laugh at that and the two of you carry on a pleasant conversation. You finally get how so many people fall victim to Oliver’s charms, especially after so much press about his tendency towards womanizing; he’s easy to talk to, friendly, definitely charismatic, and undoubtedly easy on the eyes. At the end of the day, though, you wouldn’t trade your grumpy, green-eyed boyfriend for anyone in the world. Not when you get to see the softer edges of him when his walls crumble and he falls into your arms. You wouldn’t trade that for anything.
A particularly strong gust of wind makes you stiffen and set your glass down, wrapping your arms around yourself. Okay, you’ll finally admit it aloud: “It’s fucking freezing.”
Oliver raises an eyebrow and before you know it, he’s shrugging out of his jacket and draping it over your bare shoulders. “Better?”
You let out a sigh. “Much.”
“Aiku.” Sae’s voice sounds from behind you, tone sharp.
“Itoshi!” Oliver ignores the ice in your boyfriend’s tone as he motions to you. “Can’t believe you’ve been keeping this one from us! She’s certainly a charmer.”
Sae glares at him. “I know, she’s my girlfriend, which is why I don’t understand why she’s wearing your coat.”
“Oh, she said she was cold.”
Sae gives you a look, frowns, and he slides his jacket off his shoulders and holds it out to you. “Take this,” he says and you do, hiding your giddiness as you hand Oliver his jacket back. You sink into Sae’s suit jacket, letting the familiar scent of his cologne flood your senses.
Oliver pats your shoulder and says, “It was nice to meet you! Don’t be a stranger, ‘kay?” He disappears into the crowd and it’s your turn to give Sae a smug look.
“Don’t even,” he says.
You lean into him and he wraps an arm around your shoulder. “Guess we were both right in the end.”
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sayyestoheav3nn · 22 days ago
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Nights Like This: Part One
Roman x black!oc
Warnings: language, fluff, smut
Word count: 2.2k
a/n: this was originally planned as a one shot, but i’m indecisive as hell, so i guess we’ll see 👀. also, tiny reminder but this is my first time writing fan fiction/ smut, so please go easy on me guys 😭
Zoe can’t fathom a better way of spending her birthday, this is truly all she could ever ask for. While she’ll never understand how she got so lucky to have Roman in her life in the first place, words can’t even begin to describe what this man means to her. Zoe in no shape or form is a materialistic person, yet somehow every year Roman manages to go all out and spoil her with shit she doesn’t need, but is still extremely grateful for.
And while this amazing day of shopping and sightseeing in Colorado is coming to an end, she’s exhausted and more than excited to get back to the hotel and gain some energy back before going out to dinner. She try’s her absolute best to ignore the fact that her feet feel worn out and in immense pain, her pride won’t allow her to show it, so she decides to keep it to herself. Especially, since Roman’s know-it-all ass told her not to wear boots with heels in the first place, but, she hates being wrong and would rather die than give him that satisfaction.
The walk to the car felt fucking eternal, Zoe couldn’t help but to sigh in relief once she was finally able to sit down. After Roman cut on the engine, he took a minute to study her, letting out a small chuckle, “I know you’re in pain baby, you don’t gotta hide it.” She immediately shot a glare at him, and rolled her eyes, “I’m not in pain, just tired.”
“You sure about that?, because when you came out of the bathroom earlier, I could’ve sworn it looked like you were limping…”, he teased. Zoe’s mouth dropped, and she playfully slapped his shoulder.
“First of all, I wasn’t limping. I was just very inspired by that Katt Williams show we watched, and decided to practice my own pimp walk…”
He couldn’t help but to let out a loud chuckle and defeatedly threw his hands in the air, “Oh so that’s what we’re doing huh?” One of the many things that Roman loves about Zoe, is her sense of humor. No matter what mood he was in, or what he was going through, she never failed to make him laugh. Roman knew her stubborn ass was lying through her teeth, but it was her birthday after all, so he decided to let it go and let her have this win.
The drive back was over an hour long, and while the beginning of the car ride was full of conversation and laughter between the two, the heater made Zoe feel extremely warm and cozy, which ended in her falling asleep.
When they finally arrived to the hotel, Roman gently ran his fingers through her hair, swiping some behind her ear, hoping he would wake her up without startling her, “We’re here, baby.”
“Shit, I don’t even remember dozing off,” she muttered. Roman smiled at her and leaned over to kiss her forehead. “I’m tired too, let’s go take a nap.” Damn this man knows the key to her heart, she will never deny herself an opportunity of taking a good ass nap.
They eventually make it back to their hotel room, and as they are about to unlock their door, the fucking hotel key card starts glitching again. After multiple failed attempts, and seeing red blinks over and over again, they eventually were able to get in.
The first thing Zoe does when she makes it in the suite, is kick her stupid ass boots off. There is nothing she wants more in this moment than getting out of this outfit. As she’s digging through the drawer trying to find some comfortable clothes to change into, she suddenly feels his warm chest press against her back. He slowly wraps his big arms around her waist, his tall frame now towering over her. She couldn’t help but to let out a soft moan when she felt his breath on her neck, his prickly beard making his was down her collarbone, his soft lips showering her with gentle kisses. Her knees were growing weaker by the second, but as good as this felt, she wanted to talk to him first.
“Thank you, Roman,” she says, and before he starts to tell her she doesn’t need to thank him, like he always does she rushes and cuts him off. “Even though you never listen to me when I say I don’t need anything, the effort you make truly means to the world to me. I just wish you’d let me do the same for you.”
Roman turns her around to face him, he uses his thumb and index finger to gently guide her face to look at him. “Zo, I don’t need anything , I just need you. I need you to understand that there is no me without you. As long as I have you, there ain’t shit else I’ll ever want, or need.”
Zoe knows how Roman feels about her, but it’s something about hearing him express it, that makes her tear up. She grabs his face, pulling him in by his beard and kisses him. “I love you, baby.” He puts his hand on the small of her back and presses her towards him. “I love you more, but we should go take this nap before your ass gets cranky.”
…………..
Zoe was the first to wake up, seeing he was still in a deep sleep, she decided to quietly step away and take off her makeup that she shouldn’t have slept with in the first place.
As soon as she stepped out the bathroom and glanced towards the bed, she saw he was awake. Roman looked at her and gave that’s mischievous ass grin he gives when he's about to be on demon time. “Come here,”he motioned her over with his fingers, his hair had now resting on his shoulders fully out of his bun. His voice was groggy as hell from just waking up, she’d be lying if she didn’t admit how extremely turned on she was.
She wasted no time and climbed on top of his hulking body, straddling him and almost immediately feeling his erection through the thin fabric of her pants. “Looks like someone is excited to me,” she chuckled. “Baby, i’m always excited to see you,” he whispered, while lightly squeezing her ass. She began to kiss his jaw and slowly made her way down to his neck, making a trail down his chest and abs. As she started to reach for the hemline of his boxers, he flipped her over so that he was now on top of her.
“Nah baby, let me take care of you,” he growled. Before she could protest, Roman got up, took off his shirt and walked towards the foot of the bed. This had her slightly confused, but before she could ask why he got up, he grabbed her by the thighs and slid her down to the edge of the bed. His fingers gripped the top of her pants and underwear, she watched him as he eagerly pulled them down. Propping herself on her elbows, she was now staring at his hair draped over his tan broad shoulders.
Roman’s warm breath over her exposed pussy, made her more soaked than she already was. He teased his finger up and down her wet lips, causing her to instantly moan. “Mmm, daddy please.” She started to grip the back of his head when he stuck two fingers in, her hips subconsciously bucking forward once he started to curl them towards her g spot.
“Please what, baby?,” he groaned and started to pick up the pace, her pussy already dripping and squelching for him. “mmm p-please eat my pussy,” she whimpered.
“Anything you want baby, doesn’t daddy always make you feel good?” Roman flattened his tongue on her needy clit, and started licking and sucking on her essence. “You taste so fucking good baby.” Her panting becomes heavier and heavier as he feasted on her, almost as if he was starving. The combination of him eating her out and fingering her while hitting that spot, had her on the edge of coming.
“f-fuck baby i’m gonna come.” Her pussy was clenching around his fingers, he could feel it. “Come for me, right on my tongue baby,” he used his free hand to grip her thigh and bring her even closer.
Zoe, felt like she was on another fucking planet. As he brung her even closer, she used her grip on his head and started to grind her pussy against his face. “Just like that baby, give it to me,” he moaned. She let out a loud scream as her orgasm took over, her body jerked as Roman kept devouring her pussy while she rode her orgasm out.
“Such a good girl, baby.” He made his way back on top of her, and gave her a sloppy sensual kiss. Tasting herself on his tongue, made her want to come all over again.
While Zoe was catching her breath, still recovering from her earth shattering orgasm, Roman got up and brung her a rag from the bathroom and helped her clean herself. She watched him, eyeing his God like physique that she’s convinced she’ll never get used to.
Roman stood up and kissed her temple, “I’m gonna be on the balcony for an hour or so baby, I’m behind some meetings, so I gotta go make some calls.”
“That’s okay, I have some emails I gotta catch up on too.” As Roman heads out the back door, Zoe goes to sit at the desk in the corner of the suite and starts to catch up on some work emails that she’s been ignoring. Not even 15 minutes in, and she’s already bored out of her mind. She closes her laptop and decides to do something productive. Other than actual work of course, because that’s obviously boring as hell.
Boom. An idea hits her. Zoe decides that she is going downstairs to talk to the hotel receptionist, and ask if they can do something about their annoying ass key card that barely fucking works. She starts by tearing the room apart looking everywhere she can think of. Roman was the last person that had it, and as much as she’d like to ask him, she knows she can’t bother him during his important meetings.
The first place she thinks to check is his wallet, when she sees it’s not there she moves on to the next spot, which was the drawers next to his side of the bed. Fail. Shits not there either, and after scrummaging around the whole suite for damn near twenty minutes, she was thinking of giving up. And that’s when her memory hits. His fucking duffle bag. Roman tends to work out twice a day, and lately he’s been making sure to put the key card in his duffle bag before he leaves, simply because his over dramatic self can’t seem to let go of that one time he forgot it, and Zoe had slept through his phone calls and loud ass knocks.
Zoe goes to grab the duffle bag from the closet and opens it, she unzips the small pouch in the inside and immediately spotted the key card, she couldn’t help but to let out a small sigh of relief. As she goes to pull it out, something falls out and she hears a small thud. Looking down, shiny gold wrappers immediately catch her eye. She bends down and examines what turns out to be, two magnum condoms that are now on the floor.
Her mind starts racing, and she immediately begins to go through his bag. As she starts to pull his clothes out, she stumbles across an empty condom wrapper that had clearly been used. What the fuck. In this exact moment Zoe felt her heart drop in her fucking stomach, her eyes instantly becoming watery. She has been with Roman for over two years, and not once have they ever used a fucking condom. And it’s in remembering this specific fact, that sends her into full panic. She starts crying uncontrollably not knowing what to do, as much as she would like to go outside and confront his lying ass, the thought of having to look at him makes her sick to her fucking stomach. Who the fuck is he using these on?
Her chest starts to feel tight, and she knows she needs to leave before he comes back inside. Zoe puts on her coat and grabs her purse, throwing her phone inside it. She runs out of the room and gets on the nearest elevator as fast as she can. Once she makes it to the main lobby, she beelines outside and manages to get a taxi within five minutes. She quickly put her phone on silent, knowing Roman would call and text her nonstop once he realized she was gone.
Zoe doesn’t even have a sliver of an idea on what the hell she was going to do. The only thing she knew in this exact moment, was the fact that she had to get the fuck out of here, and fast.
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6okuto · 9 months ago
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AN INCH BETWEEN US
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osamu x gn!reader | ~800 words, he calls you hon once, you're getting married! :3
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“you don’t usually get nervous.”
“well,”—osamu fiddles with his cufflink, eyes trained on the metal around his finger—“today’s kind of a big deal, isn’t it?”
make sure you don’t see each other before you get out there, atsumu warned as he pat your fiancé’s back. bad luck or somethin’.
doesn’t make sense if we’re doin’ a first look, idiot.
oh, shut up. don’t look at each other ’til then, then!
your back rests against the door, his on the other side keeping it from closing. maybe it’s just a silly superstition, but it cements today as something real, reminds you that it’s happening.
you reach your hand around to search for his own. “at least we’ll be together the whole time. and then we can say goodbye, and go home, and get out of these clothes, and sleep—”
osamu groans and rests his head against the wood—you don’t think he’s slept properly in two weeks, head scrambled and busy with preparations and the same nervous buzz as yours; the fact that he fell asleep before 1am last night was a miracle.
his hand finds yours, engagement ring resting cool against your skin, palm warm and a little rough. he mumbles, “thank god i closed the shop for a few days, if you told me to wake up any earlier than 9 tomorrow i think i’d die.”
“why are you- we haven’t even gotten to the actual wedding, ’samu.”
“okay? i’m tired and ’m gonna get even more tired. i just wanna cuddle at home. can a man not dream?” he defends, and all but whines. you snort but relent, letting him pull your hand closer and settle into a quiet.
“what if i fall?” he blurts out.
“...what?” a laugh escapes you. “you won’t fall.”
“i could trip down the aisle.”
“you won't.”
he squeezes your fingers. “didn’t realize i was marrying someone who could see the future?”
“’samu. you won’t fall, but if you get in my head and i fall, i’m blaming you,” you warn with a teasing lilt.
a beat passes, and you can tell he’s smiling as you stare at the couch ahead of you.
sitting on a wooden hotel floor, wedding attire on and hair not done, bed covered in supplies and friends’ outfits, the buzz of the air conditioner making it a little too cold in your room—you think you’re content like this, because at least you’re here with him.
shuffling a little closer, he says your name.
“hm?”
the inch between you feels a little bigger as osamu lifts your hand to his lips and kisses your knuckles, lingering on your ring finger a second longer than the others—“i’m glad i get to marry you.”
your grip tightens, and if osamu listened carefully, you think he could hear your heart trying to beat out of your chest in search of his.
the elevator dings somewhere down the hall.
“i’m glad i get to marry you, too.”
“samu!” his twin’s voice rings out. “are you done cryin’, or do i haveta drag y’back to get your hair done?”
“god, ’tsumu, yeah, i’m comin’, stop yellin’!” he chides with a huff.
atsumu scoffs before replying—something about his twin being ungrateful for all he does—then walks back to the elevator. you hear a sigh. “guess i should go, huh?”
a thumb rubs the back of your hand, and you almost tell him to stay, but there isn’t much time, and it won’t be long before you’re pushing it. taking a deep breath, you let go to stand up first. “mhm.”
the door squeaks at the weight now gone as you both stretch.
you turn to say goodbye, the open door and shadow in the hall taunting you, but freeze when a familiar hand starts to push the door open.
“wh- samu!” your hand flies up to push his grey bangs out of view.
“woah- what- shit- sorry, sorry. habit, was gonna kiss ya,” he apologizes with a stumble.
panic evaded, your heart rate comes down and he huffs. “my- seriously, hon, you’re lucky my hair isn’t done yet.”
“...sorry, i—” you try to hide a laugh. “i’m sorry, i panicked.”
“no, really?”
“’samu,” you whine, embarrassment painted across your face, though he can’t see. he laughs outside, and you try to ignore the heat in your face.
“...at least you’ll kiss me later, right?” you ask quietly.
“....yeah.” there’s a smile in his voice, a pause, a rustling of fabric as he pats down his suit once more. “see you out there?”
you place your hand on the doorknob. “see you out there.”
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@devilgirlcrybabiey @lordbugs @smiithys @xfangirl-trashx @passionateuchiha @scaramouchesfootstool @fifteenshadesofpinkk @chloee0x0 @kenmaslov3r @bakugosgrenade @semifilms @dai-tsukki-desu @Thathoneybee3 @momoewn @aintgeluh @dazaisfavgf @simpforerenn @crystal-lilac @vhenis @omiigad @kur0-kawa @semispilledcoffee @ksyhmm @idontlikeyourjob @awkwardaardvarkforever @rory-cakes @prblmtic @kuroaka @sunaslay @h0n3ysgh0st @lackey-laufeyson @bontensbabygirl @dira333 @Kamukayakmonyet @danyisapingu @isentsworld @lilithlunas @anime-ships-gay @todorokiskitten @kellesvt @scill-a @curiouslilbeast @fiona782 @cvhenia @mitskiologist @chirikoheina @sleepyxxhead @milkbreadforlife @itsukkie @sirimirihiro @mylahrins @aria-chikage @akari-fujikawa @chocopuchino @hearts4itoshi @ur-local-simp @tnshjfk
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cherryrikis · 2 months ago
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OPERATION: LOCKDOWN - 005 ! miss dr jart ambassador
pairing -> gamer!riki x beauty influencer!fem reader
synopsis -> you hated gamers. riki hated ulzzang’s (except you). so after weeks of fighting to be the top streamer, (and riki’s poor attempts to charm you), he suggests to collaborate so you could both be number one. you tried to keep it professional. but the more time you spent producing content together, the more you realized just how much nishimura riki really meant to you.
previous <> masterlist <> next
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you had only been at the arcade for three hours, but your whole friend group probably had over 15,000 tickets each (thanks to wonbin and minjeong, for figuring out how to always hit the jackpot on the wheel of fortune).
“guys, i don’t feel like playing anymore. i’m just gonna go the front real quick, to use the ticket counter?” you informed.
“yeah, no worries. uh, do you need me to come with you?” seunghan asked, gently placing his soda down on the pac-man game (right as wonbin was about to beat his personal record).
“it’s alright. i’ll be quick.”
“come back in time for us to use the photo booth!” hyein called out.
you smiled at her, before turning around to head towards the front of the store.
it was supposed to be a quick stop, you were supposed to count your tickets.
and you were, until you saw his stupid face.
you didn’t even realize it was him, until he bumped into you.
riki was walking backwards for whatever reason, and you had your head buried in your phone, of course you were bound to collide. stupid situational awareness.
“sorry..” “oh! i’m so sorry, are you okay?” riki asked, immediately turning around to offer you a hand. you reached for his support, until you looked up and realized who it was.
“you’ve got to be kidding. for a moment i actually almost saw you as a decent human being. you know, when you’re not publicly berating girls.” you scoffed, pushing his hand away to get back up on your own.
you never noticed how tall riki was. he completely towered over you once you were on your feet again.
riki ignored your comment, and instead changed the subject.
"didn’t think this was your type of scenery, miss dr jart ambassador.”
"it’s not.. im here with friends." you sighed. “and don’t call me that. only the girls ever called me that.”
"are they as stereotypically loud and obnoxious as all gamers?" he teased, nudging your shoulder, only to quickly withdraw his arm as you glared at him.
"we're actually all models, but nice try."
soon after, one of riki's friends come up to you both, throwing an arm around his shoulder. "hey, you really put the beauty in beauty influencer. you're... yn, right? im jake." he says.
"this one might be an exception." you jokingly whispered to riki in a way you knew jake would hear, replying back to the previous comment from right before he came.
riki pushed jake’s face away from you. "not him though. he's too old for you."
"and you arent too young for me? what if i like older guys?" you tilted your head to the side, faking a clueless expression.
"well then i guarantee jake isn't the one. and arent you also born in 2005??"
"yeah, i am. but whatever. see you around i guess. dont approach me when i'm with my friends again, or i WILL make sure seunghan finds you." you scoff.
"but you were alone?" riki called out as he watched you walk away.
you carefully made your way back to your friend group, as they were waiting at the photo booth as planned.
“oh hey! you’re back. obviously we’re not all gonna fit, so we’ll take turns.” hanni waved, gesturing for you to come closer. “you and seunghan will go first.”
seunghan stepped forward, holding the curtain open for you to go in first before sitting down beside you.
“you were gone for like, 10 minutes. what’s up with that?” he whispered, knowing your group would be eavesdropping.
“you won’t believe this, seung. but i ran into riki.”
he slapped a hand over his mouth with a gasp. “you’re lying! i’ll literally find him when we’re done with this, and make sure he keeps your name out his mouth.”
3, 2, 1, pose! the speaker played out, as you and seunghan quickly got into a casual two-person-heart-formation.
“it’s okay. you don’t have to. he’s actually not that bad, just a little persistent.” you chuckle. but seunghan didn’t find it funny.
“y/n. are you forgetting all that he said about you? especially on live. your image was damaged.” he stared at you with a blank expression.
“it’s been over a month. it’s not as relevant to me anymore. besides, my reputation wasn’t impacted as much as his.” you furrowed your brows “why do you care so much?”
3, 2, 1, pose! the camera clicked once more while the two of you managed to find a last minute pose.
seunghan let out an exasperated sigh. “i just want what’s best for you, y/n. you know that. but, whatever. i’m sorry angel. if you’re over it, then good, good that you put it past you.”
“it’s okay. i get it.” you reassured.
3, 2, 1, pose! the white light flashed, indicating the last picture was taken. when you got your photo strip, the third and final picture revealed seunghan with his arm over your shoulder, as he stared at you while you smiled at the camera.
the more you looked at the picture, the more it clicked in your head. and you realized, why seunghan got so overprotective over you.
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taglist ! (bold = cannot be tagged) @hannicorpse @gyuvision @yvjw @chaevibes @sakiimeo @allforhee @streamluckybyriize @soobinbunnie5 @lalaisve @xyzyx01 @goldenmellow @ariluvssssss100 @brideslit @t0asterexe @ikeujyn @jaemified @chiaki-nanami-aesthetic @sirens-dreams @rikisgeef @i03jae @iheartshopping @wensurr @heartheejake @moonpri @nshmra-on-air @heeseungismymanz @st1llm0nster @ningx2stan @onlyhyunjin @d-dilemma @jjongarlic02 @wonkixo @kkamismom12 @jiyeons-closet @pshbites @haechansbbg @aeminju @xoxol3a @rairaiblog @kang-ulzzang @riksaes @kittsnewera @enhajungwonheart @madebylilia @orimuraa @heeheeswifey @artstaeh @r1kizerr @pinksdump @joyzluvr @academiq @sincerelyrki @tocupid
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wonderthor · 1 year ago
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just a quick thot about husband!bakugo…
you were upstairs when you heard your husband open the door and stomp into the house, not saying a word. must have been one of those days, you thought. you ran downstairs and into the living room, seeing him laying down on the couch with his arm draped over his forehead.
“hey honey! how was your day?”
he sighed and huffed. “great. now take your panties off and come over here.”
it would have caught you off guard, but you were used to his random horny moods.
“what?”
he cut his eyes at you as he spoke this time. “panties off. get over here.”
too bad.
you scoffed. “yeah right. you know i have to go to my sister’s birthday dinner tonight. so i guess you’ll just have to wait and get into my panties later, how about that?”
he sat up and stared directly at you now, his eyebrows furrowed in challenge. “did you just tell me no? you know who you’re talkin to, right? don’t make me come fuckin get you.”
you stared at each other for a couple of seconds until you ultimately made the decision. ok, we’ll see about that.
you turned and ran the other way, running faster when you heard him get up and storm after you. you ran a lap around the kitchen and juked him, making him think you were gonna run back through the living room and instead running up the stairs. you were laughing until you heard him full on sprinting after you, adrenaline taking full affect.
once you were upstairs, you ran down the hallway and into the bathroom. he ran straight towards you but right as he tried to get through the door, you slammed it shut on him. he didn’t have time to stop and hit his head right into the door.
“ow fuck! my fuckin head!”
you instantly felt worried and opened the door, seeing him down on his knees, bent over and holding his head in his hands.
“oh my gosh honey, are you okay? i’m so sorry! does it hurt bad?”, you said as you bent down to inspect him.
“what do you think? you slammed a door into my fuckin head, of course it fuckin hurts!”
you rubbed his head as you tried to pull his head up so you could see his face. he resisted and kept his head down. you felt immensely horrible, kissing the top of his head to try to make him feel at least a little better.
“i’m sorry baby, i really am okay? but you gotta let me see. look at me and let me see your- ACK!!!”
you were caught off guard as you were suddenly lifted up in the air. just that quick, he had stood up and threw you over his shoulder in the same movement. you instinctively held on to his shoulders.
“wh-what are you doing? put me down katsuki!”
he ignored you as he walked you towards the bedroom, pulling down your shorts and your panties in one motion and throwing them on the hallway floor.
“dumbass”
now he was the one laughing.
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wandascosmic · 3 months ago
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standing by (6)
wanda maximoff x fem!reader
part six of 'you belong with me' series
summary: basically a wanda series inspired by jim and pam from the office
word count: 4292
tags: best friends to lovers, very very special and cute friendship, reader pining after wanda, oblivious wanda it's almost laughable, believed to be unrequited love, toxic vision (unsurprisingly), honestly might be my favorite part i've written so far, also maybe perhaps some jealous wanda >: ), and the pranks are back!!
part 1 part 2 part 3 part 4 part 5 part 6 part 7
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“Tony,” Wanda knocks on Tony’s office door. “There’s a girl outside who wants to sell handbags.” 
“Kick her out,” Tony responds, barely looking up from his magazine. “No vendors in the office.” 
“Okay, but I told her you’d talk to her at least–” 
“No, Wanda. I’m busy,” Tony cuts her off, putting his feet up on his desk. “Just tell her to go away.” 
Wanda nods, starting to head out the door. 
Once Wanda exits the room, curiosity gets the better of Tony, and he decides to try and see what the person looks like through the window. His mouth parts once he sees that she’s actually rather beautiful. 
“Why didn’t she tell me she was hot,” Tony mutters as he gets up to go and talk to the vendor girl. 
***
You watch in suspicion as Tony smooths his hair back, accompanied by the noticeable bright grin on his face. You follow his gaze all the way to the new girl who came in a few minutes ago, and your mouth forms an ‘o’ shape in realization. 
“Hi, there,” Tony says, making the purse girl turn around and face him. “I’m Tony.” He holds out his hand for her to shake. 
“Valkyrie,” she introduces herself back with a smile. 
“Wow, look at you,” Tony guffaws, clearly checking her out. “You’re, uh, you’re like the new and improved Wanda.” 
Your eyes widen in shock as you and Wanda make eye contact with each other. 
“Um, thank you?” Valkyrie questions. 
“You’re welcome.” Tony grins. “So listen, I usually don’t allow solicitors in the office, but for you, I think we’ll make an exception.” 
Tony was awful at flirting, you quickly realized. 
“Well, thank you very much.” Valkyrie nods politely. 
“Don’t worry about it. But hey, maybe you can make it up to me later with dinner and a movie maybe?” he suggests with a wiggle of his eyebrows.
You snort at his forwardness. 
“Uh–” 
“Anyways, think about it.” He pats her on the shoulder. “So, Valkyrie, you can use the conference room for the day.” He points in the direction of the aforementioned room. “And, I’ll check up on you in an hour or so to make sure you’re settling in. Sound good?” 
“Yes, that would be great, thank you,” Valkyrie responds. 
“Alright, let’s get you settled in then.” He grins, leading her in the right direction. 
Once they’re both out of sight, you go up to talk to Wanda. 
“Ten bucks he ignores all his work for the day to go and flirt with her,” you bet the receptionist, popping a candy from the dish on her desk into your mouth and leaning onto your elbows. 
“Ten bucks he moves the HR staff who are supposed to have a meeting in there into the hallway,” she responds with a smile. 
“Oh, you’re so on, Maximoff.” 
***
“So, if you need anything, don’t hesitate to ask,” Tony tells Valkyrie, helping her put her bags in place. 
“Well, I guess a cup of coffee would be nice,” Valkyrie answers back politely. 
“Oh! I knew it! I knew I should’ve spotted another addict.” Tony laughs. 
Valkyrie’s brows furrow in confusion. “I’m sorry?” 
“You know, those Dunkin’ Donuts coffee addicts? Man, gotta love it,” he sighs. 
“Regular coffee is fine, honestly,” Valkyrie assures, feeling awkward.
No, no, it’s not,” Tony shakes his head. “Damn it, too bad we don’t have the good stuff here.” 
“No, really, it is,” Valkyrie says. 
“Are you sure?” Tony asks. “‘Cause, you know I could go out to get some for you it’s only like a 30-minute drive–” 
“Really, it’s alright,” Valkyrie cuts off with a small laugh.
“Alright, great!” Tony says, about to head out the door. “I’ll just head on over to the coffee machine in the kitchen, then. Hey, do you want high test or unleaded?” 
“Um, high test?”  
“All right!” Tony says with a grin as he leaves her alone. 
Valkyrie sighs in relief once Tony’s gone. 
***
“So, are you jealous ‘cause there’s another girl around?” Thor asks Wanda as he staples his documents together behind her. 
“No, not really,” Wanda responds absentmindedly, typing on her computer. 
“Are you sure?” ‘Cause she’s prettier than you,” Thor replies with a shrug. 
Wanda pauses. “That’s a very rude thing to say, Thor,” she says slowly. 
You almost laugh at the idea that anyone could ever come near Wanda’s beauty. 
Thor purses his lips and nods, leaving Wanda alone. 
You figure that now is a good time to give Wanda the banana bread you had gotten her this morning after Thor’s comment. Grabbing the dessert from your bag, you walk up to her desk with a small smile on your face.  
“So, what did Thor want?” you ask, knowing the answer already since Thor was anything but soft-spoken. Plus, your desk was only a couple of feet away from hers. 
Wanda scoffs. “Apparently I should be jealous of the purse girl because she spices up the office more than I do.” 
“And are you jealous?” 
“What? No! Of course not.” 
You laugh. “Yeah right, Maximoff. I can see the crinkle you get when you’re upset about something.” 
“I do not have a crinkle.” Wanda leans back and crosses her arms with a pout. 
Your eyes soften at how cute she looks. 
“Fine,” you back down. “But anyways, if you are upset, I did get you something.”
Wanda’s head perks up in curiosity. “What did you get me?” 
You place the white paper bag on her desk. “I may have stopped by that cafe you like this morning and gotten you your favorite dessert.” 
Wanda sits up slightly, peeking into the bag. Once she sees the delectable banana bread she loves so much, a wide smile breaks out on her face. 
“Thank you,” she says softly. 
“Anytime,” you respond, giving her a small wink as you turn around to walk back to your desk. “And by the way.” You stop to look back at her. “No one could ever match how beautiful you are.” You give her a comforting smile before heading back. 
Wanda bites her lip slightly as she watches you get back to work. 
***
“Hey, I’ve got an idea.” Tony knocks on the conference room door to get Valkyrie’s attention. 
“What’s that?” Valkyrie asks, reorganizing the purses slightly on the table. 
“Why don’t I introduce you around? You know, you can kind of get your foot in the door, meet potential clients, stuff like that? Come on.” Tony grabs Valkyrie’s hand as he starts to lead her out of the room. 
“Um, I would love to, but I really shouldn’t leave my purses alone-” 
“Oh! No problem, we can get Peter to watch them. Peter!” Tony calls for the intern. 
“Yes, Mr. Stark?” Peter calls back from the kitchen. 
“Will you watch the purses in the conference room please?” Tony says. 
“Oh, yeah, yeah, of course, no problem!” Peter replies, already sprinting out of the kitchen to go watch the purses. 
“Good kid,” Tony says to Valkyrie who nods in response. “You know, you should sell a lot here.” He says as he leads her through the various areas of the office. “This branch actually made over a million dollars last year.” 
“Wow, that’s impressive,” Valkyrie answers, waving at the people the two of them pass by. 
“Yeah, I know,” Tony brags. “Not that we’re all millionaires though, you know. I’m probably the closest so.” He chuckles.  
“Oh, cool,” Valkyrie replies, feeling slightly uncomfortable. 
“Yup, that’s what we do here at Shield Industries. Oh, here’s Bruce!” Tony introduces a brown-haired man who’s on a call in the break room. “What’s up, Bruce?” Tony punches Bruce’s arm playfully. 
“Tony, I’m on a phone call,” Bruce replies, putting the phone to his shoulder. 
“Yeah, yeah, whatever, man,” Tony responds, leading Valkyrie to another section of the office. 
***
“So, Y/N, what do you think of the purse girl?” Vision asks you, chewing a bit of his pizza. 
Wanda had invited you to eat lunch with her and Vision, and while you would rather do anything other than have a meal with the girl you were in love with and her fiance, you couldn’t say no to her no matter how hard you tried. 
“Cute, sure, yeah,” you responded, taking a bite of your sandwich. You had told Wanda about your sexuality two years after you had met her, and you assume that the word got out to Vision somehow. 
Little did you know it was because Tony overheard your confession in the break room and despite his lackluster demeanor 90% of the time, he was awful at keeping secrets. 
“Why don’t you get on that?” Vision suggests. 
“Mm, she’s not really my type,” you say, shaking your head and taking a sip of your water. 
“What, you’re not gay anymore?” 
“Vision!” Wanda slaps his arm in shock. “Sorry, Y/N,” she apologizes to you on his behalf. 
“It’s fine, Wanda,” you assure. “I don’t think so, no,” you respond to Vision’s question. 
“Well, what is your type then?” Thor asks from behind you, who had come in to grab his lunch from the fridge. 
You ponder for a moment. “Uh, moms…primarily. Soccer moms, single moms, NASCAR moms. Any type of mom, really.” 
“That’s disgusting,” Vision scoffs. 
“Stay away from my mom,” Thor says as he starts to leave the kitchen.
“Too late, Thor,” you respond, taking another sip of your water. 
Suddenly, you all hear the clack of heels approach, and the three of you turn your head to see Valkyrie walk past you all. 
Vision’s mouth parts slightly as he watches her exit the room. “Man, I would be all over that if I wasn’t dating Wanda,” he tells you, pointing at the doorway where Valkyrie just left. 
Wanda’s stomach drops. 
“Vision,” she states angrily, making him glance down at her. “We’re not dating, we’re engaged.” 
“Engaged, yeah,” he replies nonchalantly with a shrug. 
Wanda scoffs as she drops her fork into her food and storms out of the kitchen, slamming the door shut with a thud. 
Vision rolls his eyes as he takes another bite of his pizza. 
***
“She’d be perfect for you,” you tell Sam, the two of you observing Valkyrie through the conference room window. Truthfully, you didn’t believe an ounce of what you were feeding him. Wanda was still upset after what Vision had said earlier, so you were setting up a prank against Sam in hopes of making her feel better. 
“Mm, she’s been talking to Tony a lot,” Sam says bitterly as he crosses his arms together. 
“So what?” you say as you face him. “You’re assistant regional manager.” 
“Assistant to the regional manager,” Sam corrects you with a frown. 
“Well, you know what, Sam? Sometimes, you’ve just got to go for it. And by the way, Tony’s just your work boss, ok? He is not your relationship boss.” 
“That’s true,” Sam nods. 
“Plus, you have so much more in common with this girl than Tony does. You’re both, um, salesmen,” you point out. “I mean that’s something to talk about right there.” 
“True,” Sam’s eyes widen in realization. “Plus, I could talk to her about the origins of my last name!”
“It’s all gold,” you say, emphasizing your point with a wave of your hand. “But here’s the thing.” You beckon Sam closer with a finger. “Even if it goes horribly wrong, you just keep talking to her, alright? If you hit a stall, you have a perfect fallback.” 
“What’s that?” he asks. 
“You buy a purse,” you instruct. 
“I don’t want a purse, purses are for girls,” Sam says, recoiling slightly. 
“Sam, that’s not necessarily true.” You shake your head. 
Sam scoffs. 
“Do you read GQ?” you ask. 
“No,” he mutters, looking away. 
“That’s fine, I do. They’re like mini briefcases, alright? Lots of guys have ‘em.” 
“Really?” he asks incredulously. “Like those?” He points to the purses through the window. 
“Yes!” you confirm. 
“I don’t know..” 
“Listen,” you get his attention. “You are spending way too much time talking to me when you could be talking to her.” You point to Valkyrie over your shoulder. 
“Okay, fine,” Sam agrees, starting to stand up. “I’m just gonna use the bathroom then-” 
“No, you don’t need the bathroom, alright?” you cut him off, standing up as well. “You’ve got this, Sam. Go for it.” You shove him gently in the direction of the conference room. 
You watch him go in until he can no longer see you, and you smile as you run in the direction of Wanda’s desk. 
“Okay, shh, stop.” You run around Wanda’s desk, gently pulling the phone away from her ear and hanging up the call she’s on. Wanda looks up at you curiously. “Stop whatever you’re doing ‘cause this is gonna be good,” you say as you stand behind Wanda’s chair and swivel it around so she has a clear view of the conference room. 
“What did you do?” Wanda asks suspiciously, a smile starting to appear on her face. 
“You’ll see,” you whisper. 
Once you see Sam start to talk, you begin your imitation. “Hi, my name is Sam Wilson and I would like to buy a purse from you,” you mock in a high-pitched voice. “Good Lord, look at these purses! This is something special.” Wanda giggles. “Oh my God, is this Salvatore Daccini Pa….sta,” you say as you see Sam pick up a random purse. 
“Oh, definitely, definitely step in and out of it like that,” Wanda imitates Valkyrie as you both see Sam step in and out of the purse’s strap. 
“Yes, well I want to stress test it,” you continue your impression. “You know, in case anything happens.” 
Wanda smiles widely as she looks at you. 
“Oh!” you both remark, the two of you struggling to hold in your laughter as you see Sam smack the purse against the table. 
“That was really- this is necessary to do to really give it a good workout,” you say in your high-pitched voice. “This is the– ooh. This is the prettiest one of them all,” you mimic as you see Sam pick up another purse. “I’m gonna be the prettiest girl in the ball. Oh, how much?” you break as you finally start to laugh. 
“Oh, god, it’s sad, it’s so sad,” Wanda remarks with a shake of her head. 
“Yeah,” you say through your laughter. “Oh, here he comes,” you inform her as you see Sam slowly start to walk out of the conference room. 
He turns to give you a thumbs up and you give him one in response as well as mouthe some encouraging words. Sam smirks confidently as he struts back to his desk, the strap of his brand-new hung nicely over his shoulder. 
“He did pick a good one,” you tell Wanda with a smile as you look over to observe Sam’s new handbag. 
“You’re horrible,” Wanda giggles as she looks up at you. 
***
“So, how was that coffee from earlier?” Tony asks Valkyrie as he enters the conference room once more. 
“It was good,” she responds with a small smile. 
“Ah, I knew it,” Tony smirks. “I make the best coffee. Hey, can I show you something?” 
Valkyrie nods. 
“Great, I know you are gonna like this.” He starts to lead her towards his office. “Picked it up today for 1000 big ones.” 
He opens the door for her to enter. 
Valkyrie’s eyes widen as she sees the huge coffee machine set on Tony’s desk. “Um, Tony, you spent 1000 dollars on a new coffee machine just today?” 
“Yep,” he brags with a large grin. “They call it a Digital Barista. It’s the absolute best of the best of the espresso maker variety.” 
Valkyrie laughs awkwardly. “Wow, is that for the office?” 
“Oh, I know what you’re thinking.” Tony points a finger at her. “You’re not prying this out of my hands,” he jokes. “But hey, give it a shot and maybe I’ll give it to you.” 
“Oh, I wouldn’t dream of it,” Valkyrie answers with a shake of her head. Suddenly, she feels her phone buzz with a new message. Opening it, her brows furrow as she sees the content of the message that was sent. 
“Hey, what’s going on?” Tony asks, seeing her expression. 
Valkyrie looks up. “Oh, nothing, just, my ride bailed on me,” she says. 
“Oh, god! I’m so sorry,” Tony says rather passionately. “That sucks. Um, where you going? Nearby? Because I could give you a ride, you know?” 
“No, no, that’s ok, I don’t wanna inconvenience you and I can just take a Taxi–” 
“No, no, no, it’s not an inconvenience at all!” Tony cuts Valkyrie off. “I mean, I’m out of here at 5:00 sharp, and plus, I am the boss,” he says with his hand at the side of his mouth as if he were telling a secret. “I can go even earlier! Like, whatever, out of here…slaves.” He laughs. 
“Well, I guess that would be ok,” Valkyrie accepts unsurely. 
“Really?” Tony grins. “Well, awesome! 5:00 sharp, I will give you and your purses a ride home, sound good?” 
“Yeah, sounds great,” Valkyrie says as she leaves Tony’s office, grimacing slightly on her way out. 
***
“So did we get any mail?” Tony asks Wanda who sits across from him at his desk. 
“Yeah, I gave it to you,” she responds with a nod of her head. 
“Right, just checking. Just double checking,” Tony says. 
“So can I–” Wanda points to the door over her shoulder. 
“Oh, yeah,” Tony responds, letting her go. “Oh, wait, Wanda, one more thing,” he says as Wanda starts to get up out of her chair. 
Wanda pauses to hear his question. 
“How do girls your age feel about futons?” 
***
“A futon?” you ask Wanda who laughs as she leans against your desk. “Oh my god, he’s a grown man.” 
“That’s what he said,” she says, trying to stifle her laughter.
“That’s sad. That’s so sad,” you say, shaking your head and Wanda giggles. “Or it’s innovative. You know, the futon is a bed and couch all rolled into one.” You twirl your index fingers around each other to imitate a rolling motion. 
Unfortunately, your moment with the receptionist is soon interrupted as you look up to see Vision on his way to talk to Wanda. You sit up sharply, starting to type on your computer as you get back to work. 
“What’s up?” he greets her with his hands in his jacket pockets. 
“Hi,” she replies, keeping her eyes on the ground. 
“Are you still mad at me?” he asks wearily. 
“Vision…” she sighs. 
“Come on,” he says as he starts to tickle her abdomen. 
You bite the inside of your cheek.  
Wanda turns her upper body away slightly. “Cut it out,” she says. 
“Come on, are you mad at me?” he continues, starting to make Wanda jerk in various directions. 
“Stop it,” she responds, but giving in slightly as her voice becomes less stern. 
“Are you still mad at me?” he says in a loving voice. 
“Cut it out,” she replies, though a smile is beginning to appear on her face. 
“Are you mad at me now?” he teases, grinning as she starts to laugh fully. 
“Stop!” she says through her laughs. 
“Huh? Come on,” he continues, tickling her harder and making her giggle even more. “Come on, Wands,” he prompts playfully as she keeps laughing uncontrollably. 
“Stop, I can’t breathe!” Wanda musters out, still jerking around. 
You sigh as you get up from your chair, deciding it’s probably best to leave the couple alone. 
“I was just kidding! You know I didn’t mean it,” you hear him say with a smile. 
You put your hands in your pockets as Wanda continues to laugh with her fiance. 
***
You tap your foot anxiously on the floor, bored out of your mind since Wanda went out with Vision on her break. Swiveling around in your chair, you pause as you see Valkyrie on her own in the conference room. 
Maybe you should go and talk to her? 
You bite your lip slightly, deciding maybe it was time for you to make a new friend in the office. 
But no one could ever beat Wanda. 
Against your better judgement, you decide it might be fun to go and talk to her. Taking a deep breath, you stand up from your chair and head in her direction. 
You knock on the door, making Valkyrie look up at you. 
“Hi,” you say, entering the room with a smile. 
“Hi,” Valkyrie responds, matching your tone. 
“I’m Y/N, by the way,” you hold out your hand for her to shake. 
“I’m Valkyrie,” she nods, shaking your outstretched hand. 
“Hi, Valkyrie, nice to meet you,” you say in a friendly manner. 
“Yeah, you too. You sit out there don’t you?” Valkyrie points to your desk through the window. 
“Yes, I do. That’s what I’m best known for,” you joke slightly, making her let out a small laugh. “Alright, let’s talk about purses then.” You drum your fingers on the table in front of you. 
“Okay, um..” She starts to point at the purses on the table. 
“Oh, wait, Valkyrie, but you know what?” you interrupt, causing her to look up at you. “Don’t try to sell me one. Okay, seriously? ‘Cause I’m just here to learn,” you say earnestly before a small smirk breaks out on your face.
“Okay,” Valkyrie nods with a laugh. 
“So, I know about most of these, but..” 
***
“What’s up?” you ask Wanda who leans against your desk. 
“I’m bored,” Wanda responds, giving you a grin. 
“Thank you for choosing me,” you reply amusingly as she laughs. 
“No, I’m kidding,” Wanda says. “So, have you got any plans this weekend?” 
“Uh, well, I think I’m gonna see Valkyrie,” you respond, shrugging your shoulders. 
Wanda’s smile falters slightly. 
“Really?” she asks. 
“Yeah,” you confirm. 
“What are you guys gonna do?” 
“Oh, man, I don’t know,” you sigh. “Uh, dinner, drinks, movie, matching tattoos…” you say the last one with a cheeky smile. 
Wanda chuckles at your joke. 
“Well, that’s great,” she nods, unsure of what the uncomfortable feeling in her chest might be. 
“Yeah, big stuff,” you agree, swiveling around slightly in your chair and pausing for a moment. “What are you up to this weekend?” 
“Oh, um,” Wanda ponders a bit. “I think we’re gonna help Vis’ cousin move.” 
“Okay,” you nod. 
“‘Cause Vis has a truck,” she finishes. 
“That’s cool, that’s really cool, Wanda,” you tell her. 
“Uh-huh. Yes,” Wanda says, suddenly feeling very awkward. 
“But I’ll see you Monday, though, right?” you ask, drumming your fingers at your side. 
“Yeah, uh, you know what? I think I’m gonna head back now,” Wanda says as she stands up, pointing to her desk over her shoulder. 
“Oh, okay. No problem,” you respond with a small smile. 
Wanda nods, turning around and heading back to her workplace. 
Sitting back down, she sighs as she tries to decipher what the uneasy feeling within her might be. 
***
 “Good night, Y/N,” Tony says as he walks next to you and Valkyrie in the parking lot. 
“Good night Tony,” you reply, tossing your car keys up and down. 
“Where you headed?” he asks you. 
“I don’t know, probably grab a drink, I think,” you answer, pointing towards you and Valkyrie. 
“With us?” Tony inquires, stopping in his place as his brows furrow in confusion. 
“Oh shoot, I, um, I probably should have told you. But I don’t need a ride now ‘cause Y/N can take me home after,” Valkyrie tells Tony with an apologetic look.  
“Oh, okay, great,” Tony replies, but you can tell that he feels a bit dejected. 
“Yeah, um, I’m sorry, Tony,” you apologize. 
“No, no worries.” He shakes his head. “Hope you have fun, you two,” he says trying to hide his disappointment. 
Tony starts to turn away, and you frown as you watch his dejected posture. 
“Have a good night, Tony!” you call out, checking to make sure he’s ok. 
“Yeah, you too!” he calls back, though you hear a hint of frustration in his voice.  
“Do you think he’ll be alright?” Valkyrie asks at your side. 
“Yeah, I hope so. If he’s still sad by Monday, I’ll bake him some cupcakes or something,” you respond, grabbing her bags and nodding your head in the direction of your car. 
You start to lead the two of you to your vehicle. “Wow, a baker, huh?” Valkyrie inquires with a smile as she follows your step. 
“Well, I got a lot of free time on my hands,” you respond, opening up your trunk and placing her bags in after moving a couple of your things. 
You don’t notice Vision’s car pull up behind you with Wanda in the passenger seat, immediately sitting up straight as she watches you curiously through the window. 
“All right, I’m gonna warn you. Don’t freak out, okay?” you say to the girl next to you as you shut the trunk. 
“Why?” Valkyrie inquires with a tilt of her head. 
“Well, this is a really nice car,” you say as you walk backward, leading Valkyrie toward the passenger side of your sedan. “In case you haven’t noticed, this is a Corolla, okay?” 
“It’s a very nice car,” Valkyrie compliments with a small laugh. 
Wanda’s sure she wants to slap Valkyrie across the face. 
“So you’re not gonna freak out?” you ask, opening the door for Valkyrie to enter. 
Valkyrie shakes her head with a smile as she sits down in your red vehicle. 
Vision starts to drive away, and Wanda continues to watch the two of you until you disappear from her sight. 
part 7
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caffeinateddino · 2 months ago
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i wanna see Kuchel Ackerman interacting with reader SO BAD. so here it is! levi x reader modern au (Gender neutral pronouns for reader. SFW)
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You stepped into Levi's teashop again, just like you did every morning for the past four months. Before any other customer came in, you’d arrive, order the exact same tea, flirt with him (or at least try to), get rejected, and then leave.
"Hi, handsome!" you chirped as you walked through the door, flashing him your brightest smile. "You're looking as pret-tea as usual." So proud of your cheeky pickup lines, weren’t you?
Levi sighed, his brows furrowing as he wiped the counter. "Good morning," he muttered, not looking up. "Regular?"
Oh, isn't he just the sweetest? Already knowing your favorite order—you wish. He knew a ton of things about you by now, but not because he was interested. No, it was because you reintroduced yourself AT LEAST twice a week. He knew your name, age, job, the name of your first fish, and even that middle school friend you still had beef with. He knew it all.
"Aww, look at you! Memorizing my order?" you teased, leaning on the counter to get a better look at him.
"No," he deadpanned. "It’s just the cheapest tea in the shop, and you order it every time you come in." He stepped back like you were a germ that he had to stay away from
“There’s a customer already?” an unfamiliar voice called from the prep area. You frowned—new employee? But no, as soon as she stepped out, you realized this wasn’t just anyone. She was one of the most jaw-dropping women you'd ever seen. Long black hair, steel-grey eyes, pale skin, and a sweet smile as she walked to the counter. Definitely related to Levi.
Ignoring Levi, she smiled directly at you. “Hi, what can we get for you today?”
Okay, you were persistent, but you weren’t dumb. She was obviously related to him. His sister? His mom? Either way, time to impress.
“I already got the ord—” Levi started, but you cut him off.
“Hi! I love your eyes!” you said, beaming at her. She smiled, a little shyly. “You’re so sweet, thank you.”
“I’m changing my order,” you declared, causing Levi to pause and raise an eyebrow. “I’ll have a cup of jasmine tea,” you continued, scanning the menu above. “And, uh... lemon cheesecake, and that thing.. I can’t pronounce.”
You were picking the most expensive items on the menu. Levi couldn’t help the faint smile that tugged at his lips.
“Sure, dear, we’ll get it right out for you,” the woman—probably his mom—replied sweetly, turning to help Levi. Getting a smile from someone related to him? Wild. You thought his whole bloodline had to be as stoic as he was.
After you got your tea and moved to a table by the window, you glanced back at the counter. Kuchel nudged Levi with her elbow, her eyes glinting with amusement. "So... who’s that?" she asked, a teasing lilt to her voice.
"Tch. No one. Just a regular customer," Levi replied with a shrug, continuing to wipe the counter as if it was his life’s mission.
“Really? They seemed interested in you,” she added, clearly enjoying the moment. Levi sighed. Maybe bringing his mother here had been a mistake. “They are,” he admitted, moving to brew a fresh pot of tea.
Kuchel’s smile widened. "They're pretty, aren’t they?" He paused, visibly uncomfortable but unable to deny it. “… I guess?”
"Alright then," Kuchel said, clearly up to something, before leaving the counter to sit across from you.
'Oh god,' Levi thought, feeling a headache coming on. He knew what his mom was about to do…
You blinked in surprise as Levi’s mom—Kuchel —sat right across from you, a warm smile on her face. You glanced at Levi, who was now standing behind the counter with the most deadpan expression, silently begging the universe to stop this.
“So, how long have you been coming to this shop?” Kuchel asked, leaning in like this was a cozy little chat between best friends.
You tried not to choke on your tea. “Uh, about four months now. I, uh, really like the tea here.”
And the view, you thought but wisely kept to yourself.
“Four months! That’s dedication,” she remarked with a knowing smile. “Levi must really enjoy seeing such a loyal customer every morning.” Levi’s eye twitched from across the room.
“Uh, yeah, it’s nice to see a familiar face,” you said, laughing nervously. Kuchel nodded, clearly entertained. “You know, he doesn’t usually get attached to customers, but I think you might be special.” She paused dramatically, then added, “He talks about you all the time.”
Your heart skipped a beat. Wait, what?
Levi nearly dropped the teapot. “Mom,” he said sharply, voice low with a warning edge. what the fuck now
“Oh, hush, I’m just making conversation,” Kuchel waved him off, fully embracing her mom duties. “He mentioned just the other day how you always come in so cheerful and—” she leaned in as if sharing a secret—“how you flirt with him every morning.”
Your face burned, and Levi’s hand gripped the counter so tightly it might break.
You stammered. “H-he told you that?”
“Well, no, but it’s pretty obvious, isn’t it?” she winked. “And you know, Levi here could use someone with your energy. He’s always so serious, isn’t he?” She turned her head slightly to address her son. “Levi, dear, you should take some notes—this one knows how to have fun.”
Levi groaned audibly. “Mom, please.”
You almost choked on your tea again. This was both mortifying and the best thing that had ever happened.
Kuchel continued undeterred. “He’s really sweet once you get to know him, you know? Sure, he’s got that broody, ‘I-don’t-care-about-anything’ look, but deep down, he’s very caring. Protective, too. He always makes sure I’m taken care of. Isn’t that right, Levi?”
Levi’s glare could’ve melted steel at this point. “I am right here, Mom.”
“Oh, don’t be so shy,” she teased, ignoring him completely. “What’s your name, dear?” she asked, turning back to you.
You told her, still a bit flustered but managing to smile. Kuchel’s face lit up.
“What a beautiful name! It would sound so lovely with ‘Ackerman,’ don’t you think?”
You almost spat out your tea. Levi nearly knocked over a stack of teacups. “Mom!”
Kuchel giggled, clearly enjoying every second of this. “What? I’m just saying. No harm in thinking about the future, right?”
Levi closed his eyes and took a slow, deep breath, as if summoning every ounce of patience in his body. “I’m going to the back,” he muttered, turning away before his mom could cause any further damage.
Kuchel just smiled after him, unfazed. “Well, he’ll come around eventually. Boys like him always do. Anyway, you’re welcome to stay as long as you like, dear. And don’t worry—I’ll make sure he brews your tea just right.”
You couldn’t help but laugh at this point. “Thank you. I’ll definitely keep coming back.”
As Levi disappeared into the back of the shop, probably questioning every life decision that led him to this moment, Kuchel leaned in one last time. “Don’t give up on him,” she whispered conspiratorially. “He needs someone to loosen him up. And between you and me…” She grinned, eyes twinkling. “I think you’re perfect for the job.”
You were certain Levi was somewhere back there facepalming so hard, but honestly? You were starting to like Kuchel a lot.
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delcakoo · 2 years ago
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Just thinking about having a sleepover with Niki and when the others come in to check on you guys, they see that Niki is spooning you with a tight hold and then when they are making breakfast, he’s back hugging you refusing to let go, not caring about the teasing his Hyungs are doing -🧋
love how we’re all in niki brainrot ,, ty for the req boba love hope u enjoy <3
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9:18AM — sleeping over at your boyfriend’s dorm taught you that 1) he was not a morning person, and 2) you being next to him in bed seemed to make that fact even worse.
“jus’ a few more minutes baby, seriously,” riki mumbles into the crook of your neck, breath tickling your skin softly. even his leg was wrapped tightly over yours, preventing you from any route of escaping his warm embrace.
you sigh. as much as you love the affection, you felt bad for the boys working hard outside to prepare a meal without you two. “we should go help them, c’mon.”
as if he was listening in on the conversation, sunghoon bursts in at that exact moment, clapping his hands annoyingly loud. “times up, kiddos! food’s almost ready and it’s your turn to help out,” he announces, ignoring how the male in bed lazily attempts to throw a pillow at his face. “and niki-ah, jay told you to leave the door open by at least 3 inches last night.”
all sunghoon gets in response is an annoyed groan as riki attempts to dig further under the sheets, only for you to sit up and throw them off him moments later.
“sorry, we’ll be there in a minute.” you smile awkwardly, elbowing your boyfriend as the elder wishes you a pitiful ‘good luck’ before heading to the kitchen.
luckily, it only takes a couple more promises of attention later and reminders of all the delicious food outside for riki to finally get up himself, adjusting his white tank top and tangled hair before following you out the door. the boys all coo at your entry and offer sweet welcomes and greetings — completely contrasting how niki only gets a few aggressive pats on the shoulder.
“hey y/n, wanna take a turn flipping these?” jungwon gestures to the pan cooking pancakes with a sleepy expression, offering you the spatula with a grin once you accept.
everything was going swiftly; the once empty plate next to the stove now containing a tower of buttermilk pancakes, as well as sunoo’s hashbrowns being halfway done. it was almost suspicious how riki had left you alone for more than five minutes, but your confusion quickly went down the drain as two sly arms wrapped around your waist with ease.
“do you need something?” you mumble, trying your best to wobble over to the cupboards and get the syrup despite having another human glued to your back.
riki scoffs, placing his chin on your shoulder. “i don’t need a reason to hold you.”
you catch sunoo and heeseung roll their eyes with a smile, the other boys working around the kitchen only taking glances in surprise — probably because it was rare for riki to show his affection so openly, but you suppose it’s because he’s still half asleep.
“what?” riki catches their lingering eyes, hands caressing your waist gently.
jake smiles like a proud mom in response. “you two are cute.”
“aw, did you want a hug too hyung?” the younger fakes a pout teasingly.
“nah, i have jungwonnie here to give me hugs!” before the poor leader could protest, he’d already been scooped into jake’s playful arms, whining in annoyance as laughter fills the dorm’s kitchen.
you pat riki’s arm, craning your neck up to meet his eyes with a content smile. “guess you’re stuck to hugging me.”
“i think i can live with that.”
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dreamwritesimagines · 9 months ago
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The Eye of the Hurricane [8] - Bells
A.N: Here’s the new chapter my loves! ❤️ Thank you so much for your wonderful feedback, you made my day! ❤️I hope you’ll like this chapter as well and please don’t forget to tell me what you think! ❤️
Summary: Some decisions require late night visits.
Word Count: 2600
Pairing: MobBoss!Bucky Barnes x Reader
Warnings: Violence, death, guns, crime, blood, explicit language, mentions of sex. This is an AU, friendly reminder that I don’t condone any of the actions depicted on this story and please read with care.
Series Masterlist
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You didn’t think the rest of the week would be peaceful in any way but even you couldn’t guess just how tense it would be.
“This is insane,” Becca pointed out, crossing her arms and leaning back on her seat. You had decided to meet up for brunch but this time, two other tables in the café were also reserved for your and Becca’s multiple bodyguards who were enjoying their coffees. You stole a look at them, then turned to Becca.
“You’re telling me,” you said. “Four bodyguards everywhere I go. It sounds absurd.”
“And this is Barnes territory!” Becca hissed. “I’ve never ever needed bodyguards in our territory, and all of a sudden...”
“How stressed out is everyone?” you asked and she shook her head with a sigh.
“I could barely see Bucky in these last couple of days,” she said. “My dad said I have nothing to worry about, but you know how he is. It’s kind of condescending, honestly.”
“And your mom?”
“She has this bright idea to send me off to vacation to Zürich until the dust settles here.”
You pulled your brows together. “Will you?”
“No!” she exclaimed. “I’m not leaving any of you here.”
You reached out to squeeze at her hand before grabbing your coffee to take a sip.
“How about you?”
“I think I will get the same speech tonight,” you said. “My dad wants to talk to me.”
“And?”
“I’ll make a counter offer.”
“To?”
“To help out,” you said. “With this situation. Besides, me leaving in a time like this would be basically handing Ian the heir position, and I’m not doing that.”
“Do you think your father will accept that offer though?”
“We’ll see,” you said, trying to ignore the way your stomach did a flip. “I’d be better than Ian than handling this, he has to see that.”
“Bucky says Ian isn’t even carrying a gun anymore,” Becca said with a small laugh and you tilted your head.
“What?”
“Yeah. Apparently he says no one can get to him with his men around him. I guess it’s his way of making them think he trusts them with his life.”
You rolled your eyes. “Right.”
“As much as I hate to admit, it looks like it’s working,” Becca admitted. “He looks pretty confident.”
“Confidence can lead to very huge mistakes,” you said and cleared your throat. “Ugh, let’s talk about something else. How’s everything with Leila?”
“That’s what I wanted to ask you!” Becca said, snapping her fingers. “Do you think it’s still too early to ask her to marry me?”
You blinked a couple of times. “Becca, you two started dating less than a week ago.”
“Yeah but I could still ask her!”
“That’s the hopeless romantic in you speaking.”
“That’s the orgasms speaking actually,” she corrected you, making you grin.
“Either way, neither of those make you think logical.”
“Logical is overrated,” she pointed out. “How about you?”
“Me?”
“You and Ethan?”
“We’re not doing anything,” you said slowly. “I did hire some bodyguards for him though, just in case.”
“Maybe you should take the first step.”
“I’m not going to do that,” you said, shaking your head fervently and she hummed.
“Don’t tell me Bucky’s proposal affected you like that.”
“What? No!” you exclaimed, scrunching up your face. “Why would you say that?”
Becca rolled her eyes.
“Maybe because I’ve known you two my whole life?”
Your frown deepened. “What is that supposed to mean?”
“Please,” she said, shooting you a look. “All those glances and so much bickering, it’s obvious something is there—”
“Hate,” you cut her off. “Hate is what’s there.”
Becca gave you a mischievous smile, then sipped her coffee.
“Whatever you say.”
“Bucky and I could never work,” you insisted and Becca hummed.
“What about you and Ethan?”
“Ethan is—” you paused for a moment. “Dating him would be incredibly simple. You know, no ulterior motives, no strategies, nothing complex.”
“That would be so convincing if you could deal with simple more than just a couple of months.”
“You can,” you said and Becca waved a hand in the air.
“I was never promised the heir position,” she said. “It was always Bucky. That’s why I’ve never had that…that burning ambition both of you have. At the end of the day, I do want a simple life Y/N but you’ve never been that type. I don’t think you could actually be happy in a simple relationship.”
You clicked your tongue and leaned back in your chair.
“Well then that complicates things,” you said. “I don’t think I would be happy with someone in the business either.”
“Why not?”
“Are you kidding?” you said with a laugh. “Come on, you know how spouses are treated in the business. You’re just—you’re there as the arm candy, they never let you get involved—”
“That’s the generation before us.”
“Did Bucky put you up to this?” you asked and she huffed out a laugh.
“I didn’t say you should marry my brother,” she pointed out. “I’m just saying maybe you shouldn’t force yourself to like a simple life if you want more than that. Especially if you’re basing your decision on some ancient bullshit rule our families decided to follow.”
You heaved a sigh and took a sip of your coffee.
“Didn’t you just say logical is overrated?” you asked. “Since when are you so logical?”
“I have my moments,” Becca grinned at you. “So. Can we talk about my love life now?”
“Yes but you can’t ask her to marry you.”
“I can ask her to be my fiancée,” Becca stated and you tilted your head.
“That’s…that’s basically the same, Becca.”
Becca rolled her eyes and groaned.
“Fine!” she said. “Can I at least ask her if we should move in together?”
You bit back a smile.
“I’ll give you my permission for that once you two reach the third month.”
“Oh we will,” Becca said with a bright smile. “Great. I’ll send you the house warming party gift list when I get home then.”
                                               *
 You had assumed your father would see you and gave you the same speech Becca got from her parents at home, but apparently he was swamped with work so he had asked you to come to the company. When you got there, your father’s assistant told you he was in the middle of a meeting with Ian and Stark, so you took a seat in the waiting area and stole a look at Ryan who was no doubt waiting for Ian.
“Hi Ryan.”
“Ma’am,” he greeted you, his tone rough but respectful. You smiled at him, crossing your arms.
“Waiting for my cousin?”
“Yes ma’am.”
“Do you mind if I ask you a question?” you asked and he paused for a moment, then shrugged his shoulders.
“Why are you working for him?” you asked. “He’s an asshole.”
Ryan didn’t even dignify that with an answer as he looked at you, his expression completely calm like he was very used to not giving answers.
 “Riveting conversation as always,” you teased him and he bit back a small smile.
“I respect your family, ma’am.”
“I mean you don’t really have to respect Ian though, God knows he does nothing to earn that,” you pointed out. “You know he’s looking forward to starting a war, right?”
“He’s ready to see you,” the assistant said before Ryan could answer you, and you nodded your head, then stood up from the couch.
“Have a nice evening Ryan.”
“You too ma’am,” he said and you followed the assistant to your father’s office.
“Y/N sweetheart, hello,” he said as he walked to you to press a kiss on your cheek. “Sit down, sit down!”
“How was your meeting?” you asked and he waved a hand in the air.
“The usual,” he said. “I have four other meetings after this.”
“Daddy—”
“I will rest when I get home, I promise,” he said and you narrowed your eyes at him.
“Right. I’ll believe it when I see it.”
“It’s just that I don’t know when they will be finished, and I figured you’d be asleep by the time I got home,” he said. “Y/N listen—”
“Don’t bother giving me that speech, I’m not going anywhere,” you cut him off and he frowned.
“How did you…?”
“Winnifred gave the same speech to Becca. She tried to send her to Zürich, where are you trying to send me?”
“Wherever you want,” your father said. “I was thinking Florence but…”
“Florence is a gorgeous city,” you said. “I’d love to see it sometime, maybe next Christmas.”
“Y/N.”
You gave him a small grin. “Hm?”
“It’s going to be safer for you if you just go away from the city for a while.”
“While you and Ian handle things?”
“While I handle things.”
“But Ian stays?” you insisted and he ran a hand over his face.
“Yes, but—”
“I’m not going,” you said, your voice firm. “Send him away if you want, but I’m not leaving the city when there’s a war coming.”
“I feel like you need to think about this,” your father said and you shook your head.
“I did think about it.”
“Y/N, I will feel much better if I know you’re away from danger, at least until the dust settles here.”
You sat up straighter, your heart pacing in your chest.
“Dad I can help,” you said. “With all this. You know I can.”
A look of realization dawned on his face.
“We’ve talked about this.”
“No we haven’t,” you insisted. “Not really. We keep ignoring it, ignoring the fact that you haven’t named a successor—”
“That’s because I’m not planning on retiring soon.”
You let out a dry laugh. “Others might believe that lie, but I do not.”
Your father heaved a sigh, then pushed himself off of his seat to come closer to you, then leaned back to his desk, crossing his arms.
“And please tell me, what is it that you want to hear from me right now?” he asked you and you shook your head.
“Don’t patronize me,” you said through your teeth. “You know what I’m capable of, you trained me for times like these. You know I’d make a much better heir than Ian—”
“Y/N, enough.”
“Just give me a chance to prove myself,” you insisted. “That’s all I’m asking. You don’t have to make me the head of all operations, but give me a chance to show you I can do this. I’ve already prepared a plan—”
“Let me stop you right there,” he said. “What you’re suggesting is absolutely out of question.”
Your jaw clenched. “Why?”
“We already have a plan.”
“Okay,” you let out an impatient breath. “Then you can tell me the plan and I’ll help.”
“No need, we have everything covered.”
You could feel the anger bubbling in your stomach but you dug your fingernails into your palm, reminding yourself to stay calm.
“Dad,” you said slowly. “You promised me.”
“And I promised your mother!” he snapped, making you stop talking. “I promised your mother that I would keep you safe, and that’s exactly what I’m doing.”
The bridge of your nose along with the back of your eyes started burning, a sure sign that the tears were on their way but you blinked fast a couple of times, biting at your tongue.
“That was your mother’s dying wish,” he said, looking you in the eye. “I’m not going to break my promise to her.”
You swallowed thickly. “Mom would want me to be happy.”
 “And you think this life would make you happy?” he asked you. “All this bloodshed, this violence?”
“I was born into bloodshed and violence,” you reminded him. “I’ve spent all my life in it. What, you think you can keep me safe by pushing me out of the picture?”
“It’s much safer than being in the middle of it.”
“For now,” you pointed out. “What about the future? I already know three families that will refuse to do business with Ian.”
Your father shrugged his shoulders. “It’s too early to worry about that. I’m not retiring anytime soon.”
“Dad, he wants to start a war.”
“He will see that war isn’t good for business,” he brushed you off. “He’s just very eager to prove himself right now, that’s all. He’s not going to start a war, don’t worry.”
You gritted your teeth and pursed your lips, glaring at him.
“You got your fire from me, your mother was much calmer,” he said with a small smile. “So I swear to you, I understand your frustration and anger very well. The crown you think you want right now? It’s way too dangerous sweetheart. You’ll see it in time that I’m making the right choice.”
The tears blurred your sight for a moment before you blinked them away and wetted your lips, trying to ignore the lump in your throat.
“You’re not going to name me as your successor, are you?” you rasped out. “Nor will you let me prove myself.”
Your father held your gaze in his for a second, then shook his head.
“No.”
The disappointment hit you so hard that it made your head spin. This wasn’t news to you in any way, you had spent years watching your father treat Ian like his successor but actually hearing it from him was enough to make you want to scream. Anger rushed through you, boiling your blood and you bit your tongue hard enough to hurt, and nodded slowly.
“Okay,” you heard yourself say as you stood up, not even looking him in the eye and he took a deep breath.
“Honey…” he started but you walked out of his office without sparing him a glance, your whole body moving as if it was on autopilot. You got to the elevator and pressed the button, then stepped inside and watched the doors close, sniffling as you wiped at your eyes.
Very well then.
If your father didn’t want to give you power, you were going to take it for yourself.
                                               *
The address wasn’t exactly familiar to you seeing that you hadn’t been there before, but your driver knew the way. When you walked into the building and gave the reception your name, it took them less than a minute to guide you to the elevator, everyone around you rushing like they were instructed not to make you wait even for a second. When the elevator stopped at the top floor, a bodyguard led you to the door of the penthouse to knock on the door and you heard the footsteps coming closer before the door opened.
It looked like Bucky had dashed through the apartment to put his jeans on when they told him you were there, seeing that he was breathing quite fast. You let yourself run your gaze over his bare muscular torso, the tattoos over his chest catching your attention before your eyes snapped up to his, your heart skipping a beat.
God damn it, you almost forgot just how handsome he was.
“Charm,” he said, offering you a small smile. “Hi.”
“Hey there,” you said as you walked past him into the penthouse before he could invite you inside and he closed the door behind you.
“This is a nice surprise,” he said while you glanced around. “To what do I owe the pleasure?”
You took a deep breath and turned around to look at him better, your heart beating in your ears.
“Get rid of whoever is in your bedroom,” you said and shot him a sarcastic smile as you crossed your arms. “We need to talk about the wedding.”
Chapter 9
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cherrycolored-punk · 2 months ago
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NHTK - Chapter Two
Masterlist
pairing: brother's best friend! Eddie Munson x fem! Reader, reader is Reefer Rick’s little sister.
w/c: 6.2k
author's note: this is a repost from my previous blog @strangemagicc but somewhat re-written, some of their story has changed. I hope you enjoy this chapter. Please reblog if you did, support is always appreciated!
warnings: angst, mention of cheating (technically not reader), mention of anxiety and a past car accident, brief mention of money issues for reader
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Then:
“Fucking shit!” 
Eddie can hear the worry in your voice as he rounds the corner. The sound of his heavy boots against the tiled floor catches your attention.
The fear is vibrant in your eyes when you turn to him, a quiet cry for help and he can’t help but chuckle at the scene. At the state of your brows pushed together, face twisted in horror.
He looks over your shoulder, noticing that the popcorn is overfilled and smoke is billowing from behind the glass doors of the machine. Charred pieces of popcorn fall into the vat; the burnt smell wafts around you and fills the air.
“Way to go, Little Lipton,” he laughs and moves around you to turn off the machine.
“Shut up,” but the words come out like a whine.
You’re already annoyed that he caught you creating a mess and even more peeved that he’s looking at you with that cocky smirk of his.
“Alright,” he sighs heavily, “this one is going to be out of commission for a bit, so we’ll need to make sure that one is always prepped with fresh kernels,” he tilts his chin to the only other popcorn machine and leans against the counter with his arms crossed.
“Out of commission?” Your voice raises an octave, face twisting in horror as his words make alarms blare in your skull.
“Yeah,” he chuckles as though his next words are obvious.
“We have to clean this one before we use it, or all the other batches are going to taste like shit, and that’s not the easiest or fastest task.”
“He’s going to kill me,” you groan and drop your head back.
He being your manager and a major pain in your ass since the day you started working here. Mark wanted things a certain way; candies lined in a specific direction, cups displayed for the customers to see, popcorn made to perfection and not burnt until it turned to dust.
“Probably not kill, just maim,” Eddie shrugs with a crooked grin, a glint of amusement in his chestnut eyes as he stares down at you.
“You never told me what to do if I burnt the kernels,” you abruptly look up at him and swat at his arm. 
His smile grows wider at your display.
“That’s because I told you not to overfill the kettle and never thought you’d ignore that tidbit,” he sighs dramatically, “guess that’s what I get for thinking.”
Reflexively he moves out of arm’s reach before you can do any serious damage.
Eddie enjoys the way your lower lip juts out, how your forehead creases between your eyebrows when you are mad, and fuck, were you pissed.
It had been nearly two weeks since you started working at Hawk Theater, trying to save up for the new camcorder you’d been eying, and Eddie had been assigned to train you.
Or his form of training, which was a lot of “this is how they want us to do it, but this is what works.”
The problem was that you’d been distracted.
It was the way his smile lifted to the side and the way he tied his long curls into a messy ponytail. How he’d look at you when you caught onto something quick or the reassurance he’d quickly give when you didn’t. And sometimes, the sun would shine through the windows and hit his eyes just right, making them look like molten honey.
You couldn’t help the nervous flutters that sprung to life when he was near, your childhood crush resurfacing with teeth and taking hold of you.
It made it hard to listen and remember the instructions he told you, like not to fill the kernels past the very obvious line or else.
He never expounded on the or else, but negative consequences were heavily implied.
“You’re such a jerk,” you rebut, but the venom fell flat, the insult sounding endearing to Eddie’s ears.
“You already knew I was, sweetheart. Don’t know why you expected anything different now that you work with me,” he begins cleaning out the popcorn machine. Dumping the burnt kernels into the trash can before adding the cleaning solution to the kettle.
Your heart is still fluttering, replaying the single pet name over and over again.
“Guess that’s what I get for thinking,” you mimick him and begin helping him clean so the two of you would be ready for opening in thirty minutes.
Eddie watches you from the corner of his eye, the way your gaze is lit with mischief as you tease him, and he can't help but smile to himself.
“Are you two trying to set this place on fire?” Mark Huntzberger, the manager, bellows as he came down the stairs from his office. He eyes the mess you made with a stern, critical eye that shifts over the concession stand and back to you.
The air still smells of burnt kernels and puffs of smoke still swirl in the air - highlighted by the afternoon sun peeking through the windows.
You can’t help the way you shrink under his scrutiny.
“I know this may just be some summer job to you, but this is my livelihood. If you can’t get it together by the end of the week, I will make sure this one fires you.” He points a fat finger at Eddie before turning his attention to him. 
Munson’s face has gone flat, eyebrows set in a straight line. Jaw tense.
“It was an honest mistake,” Eddie interjects.
“Clean it up,” Huntzberger orders before disappearing into the ticket booth.
“Why did I think this was going to be easy or fun?” You question more to yourself than to Eddie, shoulders tense as you tie the trash bag containing the burnt kernels before pulling it from the bin.
“Because the town fuck up works here, how hard can it be?” He nudges you with a wink, wiping the inside of the soiled popcorn machine with a clean rag.
“Move over, Eddie. Someone’s about to take your place,” you giggle and walk towards the exit doors that lead to the alley behind the cinema.
Eddie drops the rag into the popcorn machine, following you outside.
The summer air is suffocating with its humidity—the sharp stench of spoiled food wafting from the dumpsters causing you to wince as you approach the dumpster.
“Don’t do that. It’s the only thing I got going for me,” his grin grows wider as he walks in step with you.
He was all self-deprecation all the time, and you begin to wonder how much of it he really believes—the thought causing a pang of sadness to twist in your gut.
You lift the bag over your head, but he stops you, taking it from your grasp and hoisting it into the metal canister.
“Y’know it’s not true, Ed’s,” you begin, brushing your hands off and looking up at him. Eyes nearly squinted closed from the intensity of the sun.
“What’s not?” He questions, leaning against a brick wall that hid the dumpsters from the rest of the alley.
You stand in front of him, toe to toe, trying to hide the way your gaze dances over his face. Tracing the freckles that line his nose and admiring the dimple pushed into his cheek as he smiles at you.
And fuck, he’s caught you staring.
“That you don’t have anything else going for you,” you clear your throat, “you have lots of talents-“
“Ah, yes, I am known for my natural ability to annoy and antagonize,” he interrupts, and you roll your eyes.
“You’re so annoying,” but the words sound more affectionate than irked.
“I’m being serious,” you begin again, “I mean, I don’t know many people who can learn a new song on the guitar half as fast as you. Didn’t you learn Master of Puppets in like a week?”
You shrug, doing your best to be nonchalant.
“And what about all the stuff you know about cars? Or the random tidbits about pop culture and music? You’re like an encyclopedia britannica,” you continue with a small laugh.
“For all things useless,” he corrects. 
You poke his side causing him to flinch away from your touch, swatting your hand in the process.
“I mean it!” You insist, gaze holding his. 
It’s the exact look you get when you’re excited about something, and Eddie chuckles, ears turning a shade of red from the attention you’re giving him.
“You’re just trying to flatter me so I don’t fire you,” he jokes, but you continue to look up at him with a dramatic bat of your eyes, inching closer.
“Is it working?” You retort, exaggerating the breathiness of your voice.
For a brief moment, you see his confident facade falter - his eyes darting between your eyes and the plush of your lips as he swallows hard. 
But in an instant, it returns.
“Flattery always works with me, sweetheart,” he winks and turns back to the building.
There it was again.
Your heart stops, skips, and starts again as you will your legs to move. You watch his retreating frame, eyes boring into the back of his head.
“You coming?” He doesn’t stop walking, and you take wide steps to catch up with him.
Before you walk back through the door, you grab his arm and turn him to face you. He’d successfully evaded your compliments before, but you needed him to know it wasn’t empty praise.
“I meant what I said, Eds.” 
He looks at you with a questioning perk of his eyebrow but doesn’t verbalize his confusion so you continue on.
“You don’t give yourself enough credit,” you squeeze his arm softly so he can feel your sincerity.
When he doesn’t say anything, you release his appendage with an uncertain grin and pull open the door, the cold cinema air greeting you.
Eddie watches your retreating frame for a moment, a little taken aback, before following you to the concession stand.
The two of you fall into an easy silence as you work. 
You wipe the counters and finish cleaning the popcorn machine, carefully following Eddie’s instructions while he sets up the rope dividers in between each register, making sure things are organized just as Mark liked before the doors opened.
He looks at you every so often, and you try to hide the way his subtle attention affects you, keeping your head down and focused on counting your till. Having to recount when you catch him looking again.
But finally, you’re ready for the day; doors unlocked, and fresh edible popcorn ready for the masses. A small line of moviegoers already stood in front of the ticket booth.
The two of you rest your backs against the counter, waiting for the first customer to approach, when Eddie leans over to you, warm breath fanning your ear.
“Thanks, (Y/N).”
It was the first time he said your name. Acknowledged you as something other than Little Lipton.
The first time Eddie saw you as more than just his best friend’s little sister.
—————
Now:
Eddie clamors into his trailer, heavy boots dragging across the worn carpet as he trudges to the kitchen and swings open the fridge, grabbing a six-pack that is nearly gone.
He spreads out on the couch and chugs one can before reaching for another, eyes darting around his home. Uncle Wayne had been gone for nearly a week on another cross-country drop-off, and Eddie usually enjoyed having the place to himself, but now the silence engulfed him.
The clock on the wall ticks loudly as the seconds pass, his thoughts clashing into each other.
—————
Then:
Eddie tries to keep his attention on the TV as you enter the room for the fourth time that afternoon.
Rick shakes his head, taking a quick absent look in your direction.
“Dude, I think my sister might like you,” your brother laughs as you disappear back into your room.
Eddie scoffs at his words, but the thrum of his heart would’ve given him away if Rick could hear it.
“I’d never date your sister,” Eddie nudges his arm against Rick’s, eyes still trained on the video game as he sniped an enemy target, but his mind wanders behind the wood of your door. Wondering what you’re doing and if Rick might actually be right.
“Like I’d let you,” he chuckles, breaking Munson’s train of thought.
Eddie’s brow twists in confusion, and it isn’t lost on Rick. 
He turns to his friend with a flippant roll of his eyes and a gentle nudge against the metalhead’s shoulder. Prepared to emphasize his point.
“Oh, come on. I love you, man, but there’s no way in hell I’d let my sister date a guy like you.”
Eddie chuckles along with Rick to conceal the sting of his friend’s words.
He knows all the things that people don’t like about him. His hair, his tattoos. The bad reputation he’d more than earned, but to hear it from his best friend made it sting more.
He can’t help but wonder if you see him that way, a loser with no future—just the town freak. 
And in that moment, he promises himself that he’ll never put himself out there to know.
—————
Now:
Eddie presses his palm to his eye, a headache building behind his orbital bone. 
Rick’s words reverberate off his skull as he grapples with the feelings he’s long ignored. The feelings that had sprouted and made a home of him since the summer he worked with you.
Eddie can still feel your lips against his, the electricity still humming in his veins, and fuck, he wishes it had lasted a moment longer.
He made a mistake, a huge mistake, and winces every time he thinks about the look on your face when he pushed you back into the passenger seat.
Eddie knows that if it went further, you’d only regret it once the sun rose and you’d sobered up. Once the realization hit that you’d slept with the pariah of Hawkins and he couldn’t live with you seeing him that way, with you regretting him.
Not when he already saw it in so many eyes around town.
He isn’t exactly someone you could take home, someone you could brag about or show off a picture of. He knows that much, has been told that much, and already accepts it as truth.
When girls got with Eddie, they expected fun. They expected drugs and a quick hookup.
Some of them never talked to him again, pretended they didn’t know him when they ran into him in town, and others told him that being with him made them realize they’d hit rock bottom.
God, he couldn’t handle you telling him that he was your rock bottom.
Eddie decides that it’s better to ignore it, to ignore you. Better to pretend it didn’t happen despite the way he feels. To spare himself from the regret he knew you’d eventually feel.
—————
Now:
It’s a rainy day, and fat drops bounce off the windshield as your father drives. Faster than usual. 
In a hurry but you don’t know where to.
The air conditioner is off, creating a layer of condensation on the windows. Making your legs stick to the leather seats of your family’s beat-up station wagon.
You draw butterflies on the glass, a small finger tracing against the cool pane. Grinning wide as your drawings expose the gray sky and the way the dark clouds roll quickly against its expanse.
The low hum of Strawberry Fields Forever plays over the radio, but your parent’s voices are louder.
Angrier.
Your mom sniffles, and you lean up in your seat to see if she’s crying, but the length of her hair conceals her face from view.
“Mama,” you push against her seat with your sneakered foot, but she doesn’t respond.
“Jude, please pull over. I can drive.” Your mom insists, tugging at your father’s arm, but he shoves her off. 
You unbuckle your seat belt and pull at your mom’s shirt, trying to get her attention.
“Mom.”
But your voice is cut off, muffled below the volume of the radio as your dad’s hand reaches for the dial turning it until your ears ring.
You shrink back into your seat, lower lip jutted as you look between the two of them. No longer able to understand what your parents are saying, the scene in front of you a mix of gestures and twisted faces making you more confused.
Your mother pulls on your dad’s arm again, and he shoves her off, turning his head to look at her. Mouth wide as he speaks, but you still can’t understand what he’s saying.
Everything else becomes a blur of lights and pain—endless pain shooting from your leg and throughout your body.
Your cries wrack your body but are silent to your own ears. The scene around you a mix of broken glass and lifeless eyes.
Then darkness.
-
You wake up in a cold sweat, wild gaze darting around the room as sit up in bed. The fabric of your tank top clings to your sweat-slicked skin uncomfortably, and your head pounds behind your eyes. A rhythm that matches the way your heart is beating against your ribcage. 
Bile rises in your throat, the nausea that always accompanies the nightmare.
The sting of your leg a reminder of the accident, of the pain from that day.
You press a palm into the skin of your thigh, massaging the muscle marred by a thick scar that’s a shade lighter than the rest of your flesh. It aches like it just happened, like you are ten years old and trapped in that car again. 
You groan uncomfortably and squeeze your eyes shut, trying to bring yourself back to the present. Trying to ground yourself with the distant sound of the coffee maker and the smell of burnt toast. The soft song of the birds outside of your window.
Slowly you become grounded, heart settling into a steady rhythm, and open your eyes.
Sunlight streams through your sheer curtains in brilliant rays, yellow hues creating a soft glow along your pale blue walls and highlighting the dust that dances through the air.
You throw your head back against the pillow, not ready to face the day. 
Images of the night before flooding your vision.
Simon and Rachel, her mouth pressed to his. The way she smiled up at him, held his hand.
The scene too familiar for a random drunken hook-up.
You press your palms into your eyes, rubbing until you see swirls. Until you are reminded of Eddie’s stunned face when you sat in his lap, hands pressed to his chest. The way he bucked into you.
The way he pushed you back into the passenger seat.
“Fucking idiot,” you groan with embarrassment and pull your pillow over your face, letting out a muffled scream.
You stay concealed under the pillow, contemplating jumping into the lake and disappearing altogether. Definitely not ready to face Simon and Rachel. Or Eddie.
You flail your body around as another wave of embarrassment rolls through you, causing your pillow to fall from your face.
The incessant buzz of your phone catches your attention, and you glance over at its illuminated face. The screen full of notifications that you can see without grabbing it.
Hesitantly you reach for it, eyes pouring over all the texts.
11:55PM
Simon: Guess you decided not to come tonight?
12:00AM
Simon: helloooo?
12:23AM
Simon: so you’re just going to ignore me now cos I asked you to go out?
Simon: not like we can’t do date night another time, wanted to go have some fun for once
1:03AM
Simon: so you did show up
Simon: you left with MUNSON?
2:30AM
Simon: you’re really just going to ignore me?
2:33AM
Rachel: (Y/N)?
Rachel: Simon is really worried about you
7:49AM
Simon: We need to talk
8:36AM
Rachel: Text me when you’re awake
You swallow the emotion that arose and wonder if their guilt had kept them awake, if it had eaten at them or settled into their chest. Felt whenever they breathed.
Were they even capable of that?
Slowly you push the sheets off the bed and force your legs over the edge one by one until your feet are planted firmly in the plush carpet, your back still pressed against the mattress. Phone forgotten, lost somewhere in your purple comforter.
You will yourself off the mattress and clamor out your bedroom door. Mind focused on getting a glass of water to cure your dry mouth.
The throb of your head returns as the smell of burnt toast grows stronger, and fuck, why did you drink so much last night?
You can only assume the assault on your nose is your brother’s fault.
“Is it really that hard to cook toast, Rick?” You complain loudly as you stumble into the kitchen and throw open a cabinet door, reaching for a glass on the top shelf.
You turn towards the sink, blissfully unaware that there is a set of eyes on you. Watching as you whistle and fill your glass to the brim. Foot tapping to a song that only you can hear.
Eddie watches you, a little petrified like a deer caught in the headlights.
He knew he’d see you, it was your house after all, but he wasn’t prepared for how much he’d see.
His eyes trace over your legs, stalling on the swell of your ass. He watches as you lean over the counter to get a better view of the lake from the window just above your sink. The angle exposing a glimpse of your butt cheeks.
It’s like you know what you’re doing, know that he’s watching and driving him just a little bit insane.
He swallows harshly, refocusing his attention back on his breakfast. Doing his best to ignore you like he’d planned.
“If it isn’t little miss sunshine,” your brother greets, his words dripping with their usual sarcasm.
You turn around to mock him but stopped in your tracks, eyes practically bulging from your skull when you notice Eddie, and you grip your cup harder.
Had he been sitting there the whole time?
He quietly nibbles on a piece of bacon. Avoiding your eye contact entirely.
The embarrassment you felt before flares awake, and god, you want to crawl into a hole and disappear entirely.
Blinking rapidly, you shift your gaze back to Rick.
He sits at the table, grabbing a plate and shoveling food onto its surface. Eggs, bacon, and the incredibly burnt toast.
“Have work today?”
“Like I do every Saturday,” you shrug, tone bored and doing your best not to glance at the metalhead out of the corner of your eye.
You sip your water, focusing on how its cool temperature slides across your tongue—trying to focus on anything else.
“I’m not going to be able to take you to work. Mrs. Wheeler needs me to take a look at her car and then I’m picking up some extra hours at the shop.”
You had yet to overcome your fear of driving, already having a hard time just being a passenger. 
“Can’t mom take me?” you question, but Rick’s head is already shaking as you get the words out.
“The transmission is acting up in her car. Need to look at it,” he states around a mouth full of food.
“Then how is she getting to work?” You set your cup onto the counter sharper than you intended and fold your arms over your chest.
“She’s not, has one of her headaches again,” he gestures to his head and shovels more food into his mouth.
“That’s why I need the overtime and for you to go to work, we need the cash. Next deal isn’t coming in before the light bill is due.”
Your shoulders sag—the constant stress of bills weighing heavy on you.
“I can just walk or get an uber,” you suggest with a tight smile, reaching over to grab a piece of bacon. 
The walk isn’t that long.
“Your uber is already here,” he points his head towards Eddie, and your eyes nearly bulge out of your head at his suggestion.
Not happening.
“I can just walk,” you reaffirm quickly, causing Eddie’s eyebrow to quirk.
“Why are you acting like such a brat?” 
You roll your eyes.
“I’m not, just don’t want to make Eddie go out of his way for me.” You unfold your arms and gestured absently towards him.
It was mostly true anyway, you didn’t like the idea of returning to the scene of the crime or spending the twenty minutes it would take for him to drive you to work in awkward silence.
“He’s not, stop being weird.”
“I’m not being weird,” you scoff, voice rising slightly and definitely being weird.
“Besides, I can just ask Simon to give me a ride,” you shrug nonchalantly, taking another bite of bacon. 
Rick doesn’t need to know that you aren’t talking to Simon and definitely wouldn’t be getting a ride from him.
Eddie’s elbow settles against the wooden dining table as he watches you and the way you so easily lie to your brother.
“Jesus, fine, whatever.” Your brother holds out a hand to get you to shut up and chugs his orange juice. 
You reach for another piece of bacon but this time off his plate. Rick grabs your hand, shaking the piece out of your grasp, and turns to you—his face twists in disgust when he notices what you’re wearing for the first time.
“Go put some clothes on before Eddie gauges his fucking eyes out.” He wipes his mouth and waves a dismissive hand at you, chuckling at his own lame joke before biting into the bacon that you tried to steal.
Eddie chuckles along with your brother, his pale cheeks blossoming pink. His faux laugh disappears when he notices you sneering in his direction.
“Oh, I’d really hate for him to do that,” your voice drips with sarcasm as you roll your eyes, taking quick steps back down the hall and to your room.
You press your back against the wooden door, a mix of anger and annoyance filling your chest. Overtaking any embarrassment you previously felt.
No, Simon wouldn’t be giving you a ride but neither would Eddie. You’d rather risk showing up a sweaty mess than sit in a car alone with him.
—————
What you didn’t plan on was for it to start raining ten minutes in. 
Large drops had fallen from the sky in quick succession, dark clouds covering the warmth of the sun and creating a chill in the fall air. One of Indiana’s infamous sporadic showers.
The maple leaves are already starting to turn yellow, their brightness a contrast against the gray sky. The air smells of the evergreens, the sharpness of their leaves mixing with the sweetness of the maple trees.
Your feet trudge through the mud, splashing dirt onto the cuffs of your jeans. The road feels longer in the bad weather.
The white of your assistant manager shirt clings to your skin, revealing the pink of your bra, and you cross your arms over your chest in an attempt to conceal it.
There’s a small part of you that wishes you had just taken the ride from Eddie, but there’s a bigger part, the more prideful one, that is glad you hadn’t.
Not after the way he’d laughed at you, chuckled at the thought of even being attracted to you. When you’d just mauled him the night before and this would be the perfect time for lightning to strike you down.
To end your misery, the embarrassment clinging to you once again like the fabric of your shirt.
In the distance, you can hear a car approaching, and you move further into the dirt to avoid being hit. 
Hoping it isn’t a creep or a new serial killer looking for his next victim.
But it’s worse.
It’s Eddie.
Smiling at you from his rolled-down window, van driving slowly on the road's edge.
“Are you that fucking stubborn?” He questions, although he already knows the answer.
“Go away, Munson.”
You don’t look at him, eyes focused on the road ahead.
“Simon a no-show, huh?”
You click your teeth, trying to appear nonchalant. Like the words didn’t dig at you.
“Looks like it.”
His shoulders drop as you continue to ignore him, and he decides to appeal to your sensible side instead.
“You’re going to get sick.”
“So?”
And why did he think you could be sensible?
He groans and speeds up a little, parking the car just before you to block your path. You stop in your tracks, listening as he climbs out of the driver’s seat and rounds the car.
“Are we really going to do this again?,” he questions as he trudges toward you. Boots slamming into the mud. Curls a little wild and starting to cling to his face when he looks at you.
“Do what?” You give him an innocent smile, eyelashes batting dramatically. 
Eddie closes his eyes and takes a deep breath.
“Just get in the fucking car,” he states through gritted teeth, his annoyance only making your grin widen.
“Sure you wouldn’t rather gauge your eyes out?” Your voice drops low, mocking Rick’s tone. 
You drop your smile, gaze a little cold as it meets his, and push past him to continue your walk to work.
He throws his head back, face to the sky. Of course, you were pissed about that.
“I’m sorry, okay?” He turns to you, watching as you get a little further way from him.
“For driving me home last night and making out with me or for laughing at me this morning?” You turn around and begin to walk backward, arms lifting from your side. 
A little tired, a little defeated, and you stop beside his van waiting for his answer - concealed from the rest of the road.
“Laughing at you,” his voice is earnest, “I didn’t mean it.”
You nod, his words a salve to that wound but still, there was the mortifying way he’d pushed you away from him.
Eddie began to walk towards you, drawing closer. The scent of his cologne invading your senses.
“Sure you aren’t sorry about the making out part?” You question, eyes trained on his amber gaze as he approaches.
He swallows roughly and debates whether he should be honest. 
“I’m,” he pauses and sighs heavily, “I’m not sorry about that.”
You shrug your shoulders in an attempt to appear flippant, to seem as though his reassurance doesn’t affect you the way that it did. Heart hammering wildly, legs a little wobbly because Eddie Munson didn’t regret kissing you.
“Well that’s good, I’m glad neither of us regretted it,” you turn back around, missing the way his gaze lit up at your words. The reassurance that he needed.
“Now you can go on your merry way and pretend that you gave me a ride. I promise I won’t tell my brother that you didn’t.”
His hand is warm against your arm as he spins you around to look at him.
Your shoes slide against the wet earth from the force, and it is for a brief moment that you see him before you crash into the soft mud.
“Fuck-“ your curses are synchronized as you fall and pull him atop you, his weight causing you to groan from the sudden impact.
Eddie’s knee is slotted between your legs as he lifts his weight onto his forearms, brown gaze boring into your eyes. An apology on his lips when you begin to laugh. Giggles filling the air around you.
You looked at the evidence of your fall, your white shirt now painted brown. Ruined, and marred from the mud. Your hair is a mess of dirt that clings to your face.
Eddie is nearly devoid of any filth. The only evidence he’d fallen is the mud that soaks through the pants of his jeans. 
And it’s a little bit annoying how he isn’t as muddy as you.
Slowly you reach your finger up and slide it across his pale skin with a wide mischievous smile. Chuckling at the way his eyebrows marry at your actions, the way his jaw juts to this side and he shakes his head.
“You brat,” he lifts a hand and attempts to copy your actions as you try to wiggle away. His free hand stills you, holding you by the waist, as he drags the other across your cheek.
His playful smile mirrors yours.
“You jerk, I have to get to work!” But your tone doesn’t match the light in your eyes.
“I don’t think Huntzberger wants you hovering over the popcorn, let alone walking into the building, like this.”
His eyes roam your body, noticing the way your nipples are pebbled against the pink lace of your bra, easy to see through the sheer fabric of your shirt. The way your jeans hug the flare of your hips as you squirm beneath him.
Your breath hitches as you watch the way his gaze dances over your frame, chest rising and falling at a quick pace that isn’t lost on Eddie.
“How much time do you have before work?” His voice is a little gruff, affected, and it takes a moment for you to form a coherent thought.
You blink rapidly, hands resting on his chest absently, and clear your throat.
He lifts off of you and reaches a hand to help you up, but you pull him down into the mud beside you.
“You little shit!” Eddie looks at himself, the mud that clings to his jacket and jeans.
“Oops,” you shrug and lean out of his way as he throws mud at you.
“I have like two hours,” you laugh, looking at him completely amused.
“How long did you think it was going to take you to walk?” He lays there defeated, chuckle matching yours.
“I don’t know, it was just in case-“
“In case what? You had to fight a pack of wood rats to get through?”
“Shut up,” you shove his face from yours, mud caking his cheek.
Eddie gasps at the same time you do, realization dawning as he tackles you back into the mud.
It was like the whole world fell around you, ceasing to exist except for you and Eddie. His muddied face hovering above yours, long fingers digging into your sides as you try to wiggle away from him.
Your giggles fill the air, and you push at his chest.
“Stop! I’m sorry, I’m sorry!” Tears spring in your eyes as you push against his chest once more, dirt seeping further into your clothes as you lay there at his mercy.
“Say please,” he insists, and you shake your head, hands gripping his shirt.
For a moment, he stops, fingers stilling at your sides and he smiles at you mischievously. Face moving half an inch closer, and your smile falters briefly, gaze darting to his lips and back to his eyes. Their deep brown staring back at you, a light in them you hadn’t seen.
“You don’t regret it?” He questions, needing to hear it again. His breath fanning against your face.
You shake your head, already knowing the “it” that he thought you regretted. 
Eddie leans closer, his lips a whisper above your own. Shaky breaths mixing with yours.
Your heart skips as you anticipate the first touch, your eyes fluttering closed.
Eddie pulls away, slowly. Hesitantly.
“Think we should get you back home,” he looks down at your dirtied clothes and chuckles, face hovering above yours. You try to hide your disappointment as you nod in agreement.
He pushes himself off of you wiping his hands along his jeans before stretching out his hand to help you up.
Your palm slides against his, caked dirt pressing against his warm hand, and he pulls you against him. Sliding his hands down until they settle on your waist.
His nose traces yours as his fingers dig into your hips, and he swallows hard.
The composure he’d always managed to maintain quickly slipping away.
You tilt your face and run a hand against his jaw, cupping his chin. Thumb lazing against his stubbled flesh drawing circles in his skin.
“Fuck it,” Eddie breathes, and his lips push against yours.
The press of them makes you gasp, they’re just as soft as you remembered but more fervent than before.
His tongue presses at the seam of your lips, swiping against yours when you open for him.
He tastes sweet like spearmint, and you hum.
Exhilaration thrums through you, and you pull him closer, arms wrapping around his neck.
Chest to chest.
Hearts synchronized, each beating at a rapid pace, and you want the moment to stretch on.
For the kiss to never end.
Thunder cracks in the air and the two of you pull apart, looking up at the darkened sky just as the rain begins to fall again.
Eddie looks back at you, his dimpled grin wide as the first drop hits his cheek, and you yelp as another drop cascades down your face.
He presses a quick kiss to your lips, enjoying your surprised gasp. The way you instantly melt into his touch.
“Will you please get in the fucking car now?” 
You nod rapidly, your hand slipping into Eddie’s warm palm. Allowing him to pull you towards his van and into the passenger seat.
-
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chvoswxtch · 1 year ago
Text
stakeout
pairing: frank castle x fem!reader
summary: going on a stakeout with frank doesn't go anything like you thought it would.
warnings: swearing, angst, mentions of guns, a lil steam ;)
word count: 9k
a/n: fun fact: I originally started writing this specific idea as a standalone fic months ago & then when i started doing this series, i knew it would be perfect for it, & i've been excited to finish it & share it with y'all ever since. grab a snack & a drink, get comfy, bc this is almost 30 pages of yearning & pining for our favorite soft bad boy frankie. thank you so much to my darling angel @spoodermain for being my wonderful beta reader & offering your genius feedback that really made this part shine. as always, feedback is welcomed/appreciated!
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How you had managed to talk Frank into letting you join a stakeout with him, you still weren’t sure, but it was nothing like you thought it would be. The entire three hour drive upstate was nearly composed of pure silence, only interrupted by trivial questions on your behalf, and answers in the form of monosyllables and grunts on his. The two of you had been sitting in his truck for almost six hours now, parked off on the side of a dirt road a good distance away from what looked like an abandoned warehouse that you hadn’t seen anyone enter or leave from.
You were going absolutely fucking stir crazy.
“Why can't we just go in?”
Frank let out a deep exhale through his nose, glancing over at you out of the corner of his eye in pure annoyance before returning his attentive gaze back to the warehouse.
In his defense, you had asked this question at least five times already.
Letting out an impatient sigh of your own, you turned your body slightly in the passenger seat to face him while gesturing loosely to the warehouse with your hand.
“Frank, we haven't seen anyone in hours. We could go in, take a look around, and probably be back before anyone even-”
“Hey hey, no. Ain’t no we. Alright, you’re stayin’ your ass right here. And I already told you why. It’s too out in the open. I got no way of knowin’ if there’s anyone in there watchin’, and I can’t tell if they got some kind of security system ‘round the place-”
“So call Billy. See if he knows-”
“Bill ain’t the head of security for the entire goddamn world.”
Frank’s snappy quips and his irritated tone had you throwing your hands up in exasperation, and you dramatically sank back into the passenger seat of his truck, glaring out your window as you crossed your arms over your chest.
“Fine. Then I guess we’ll just keep sitting here in fucking silence and you can keep brooding.”
Frank let out another heavy exhale from deep within his chest, and you could practically feel his intense stare against the side of your face.
“Look, I know this ain’t the most excitin’ thing, and you can’t sit still to save your goddamn life, but this is how we do this smart, and it’s how I keep you safe, alright? I ain’t takin’ any risks with you. I know patience ain’t your strong suit, but I need ya to try for just a little longer, alright? We don’t see any movement in the next hour, we’ll call it, and try again tomorrow. See if we can come up with another plan. Yeah?”
“Fine.”
Frank let out a tiny chuckle at your bratty response, and all of a sudden you felt something land in your lap. You glanced downwards as a crease formed between your brows, seeing an extra large version of your favorite candy bar. When your eyes flickered over towards Frank in curiosity, you noticed that he was already eyeing you with an amused smile. He shook his head slowly, returning his line of sight to the warehouse with another soft chuckle.
“Eat that and quit poutin’.”
A light scoff left your lips when you picked up the candybar and tore open the wrapper, suddenly noticing the way that you had been ignoring your body’s alerts of hunger. 
“I’m not pouting.”
“Whatever ya say, sweetheart. Just remember, you asked to come along.”
“And you let me.”
Out of the corner of your eye, you watched as Frank shook his head again in response to the pure sass dripping from your voice, and you caught the way the edge of his mouth tugged higher upwards into a wider grin.
“Thought this would be the one time you were quiet for some reason.”
Letting out a dramatic scoff of bewilderment, you reached out to smack your palm against his broad shoulder, which only caused laughter to bellow from deep within Frank’s chest. You doubt he even felt your feeble smack through the black denim layer of his jacket. Rolling your eyes playfully, you looked away with a tiny victorious grin after noticing the way his eyes crinkled when he laughed like that. 
He looked so carefree; like that usual heaviness he carried around wasn’t weighing him down, just for that small moment. Frank had such a beautiful smile, and it made you feel like the luckiest person in the world every time you got to witness it. 
Taking a small bite of your candybar, you muttered under your breath, making him snicker.
“Asshole.”
»»———  ———««
Forty five minutes later, a police car silently pulled up behind Frank’s truck, and your heart started to hammer wildly in your chest. The flashing of bright red and blue was almost blinding in the opaque darkness surrounding the empty dirt road he had pulled onto. The truck was parked far enough away from the property that the flashing lights shouldn’t have alerted anyone that could be inside, but the explanation as to why the two of you were here in the first place was a whole other problem.
Especially considering that you were technically “missing”.
“Shit.”
Frank hissed quietly as he stared at the patrol car in the side view mirror, his full lips settling into a hard line as he reached underneath his seat to retrieve a pistol that was hidden. Your eyes immediately widened as the silver metal became illuminated by the faint moonlight, and you glanced frantically between Frank’s stoic face and the cop car in the rearview mirror.
“What are you doing?”
Frank hastily brought his index finger to his lips when you whisper-yelled at him.
“Preparin’ for a problem.”
Frank’s eyes remained narrowed on the reflection in the side view mirror as he pulled the hammer back on the pistol, the sound of it cocking in place only fueling the speed of your tumultuous heart rate.
“Put it away!”
Scrunching up his dark brows, Frank turned his head slightly to stare at you incredulously as if you had just said the most ridiculous statement in the history of the English language. 
“What?”
“Frank-”
“You got a better goddamn idea?”
Great. You’re not even supposed to be here, and now you’re about to either go to prison or die in a shootout.
Your eyes frantically searched around Frank’s truck for something that could help the two of you out. As Frank rested the gun against his chest with a firm grip on the handle and his index finger pressed along the barrel, an idea suddenly popped into your head that made your stomach flip.
“Put it away.”
Frank turned his head and stared at you curiously when he heard the firm tone of your voice, but his confusion quickly morphed into pure annoyance. He scoffed, opening his mouth to protest before you turned in your seat to face him.
“You asked if I had a better idea and I do.”
Frank stared you down for what felt like an eternity. His features were set in a harsher version of their normal broody appearance, and the hardness in his eyes sent a shiver down your spine. A muscle feathered in his jaw as he ground his teeth, stealing one last glance at the side view mirror before stashing the pistol back underneath the seat, grumbling a string of curses under his breath.
“Now what? What’s this grand fuckin’ plan of yours, huh?”
Out of the corner of your eye, you could see the door to the patrol car swing open. Quickly dashing across the truck bench, you ungracefully climbed onto Frank’s lap. His entire body immediately went rigid, and he looked absolutely stunned as he stared into your eyes. 
“What-”
Before he could finish his sentence, you grabbed onto the back of his neck and leaned in to firmly press your lips against his. Frank stilled completely beneath you for a good thirty seconds, and you could feel the tension practically radiating from his body. You started to worry that maybe you should have at least given him a snippet of your plan before-oh.
Oh.
A warmth suddenly spread across your thighs and it took a second for your brain to register that it was from Frank’s hands. They experimentally roamed up the expanse of your thighs until they slowly climbed up your hips, settling on your waist in a firm but delicate grip. All the previous anxiety that was buzzing in your veins seemed to be drowned out by the sensation of the tender pace of his lips finally responding to your chaste kiss.
God, his lips were as soft as they looked, and so warm. There was a bitterness to the way he tasted from the copious amounts of freshly brewed black coffee he had consumed, but it was cut through by lingering sweet mint from the gum he had spat out earlier. 
The gentleness of his touch and his uncertain kiss was surprising for someone who was so rough in so many other aspects of their life. You couldn’t help but grab a small fistful of the collar of his gray henley while you melted into his strong chest, your fingernails lightly scratching at the back of his neck with your other hand, holding him as close as physically possible. A low groan sounded quietly in the back of Frank’s throat when you dragged your nails against his skin, and it traveled straight to your-
Tap. Tap. Tap.
Jumping at the sudden intrusion of noise, you turned your head to see a young officer staring between you and Frank awkwardly, the end of his flashlight hovering over the glass of the driver’s side window. When the window was slowly rolled down, the seriousness of the previous situation broke through the haze of lust you had found yourself in, and you suddenly remembered why you were in Frank’s lap in the first place. Before you could scramble out an explanation, Frank’s rough voice cut through the timid silence and startled you.
“What?”
The young officer jumped backwards immediately from the way Frank practically barked at him, and you turned your head to stare at him in surprise. His chest was rising and falling quickly, his thick brows were knit together in pure frustration, and you could see that familiar flame of rage burning in his eyes.
He looked pissed.
Looking back at the officer, you let out a nervous laugh as you pressed your palm flat against Frank’s chest in an attempt to calm him, flashing the young man a soft smile.
“I’m sorry, is…is there a problem?”
He gulped as his eyes flickered from Frank’s unwavering hardened glare to you, nodding slowly as he uncomfortably gestured behind himself with his thumb.
“I…sorry to uh…interrupt. It’s just…well…this is private property. You’re…technically trespassing.”
Hearing the aggravated grunt that sounded from Frank as he opened his mouth to speak, you quickly covered his mouth with your small palm and let out another nervous laugh, trying to keep the officer’s attention on you.
“I’m very sorry, that’s um…that’s my fault. It’s…it’s our first night with a babysitter so, we got a little…carried away. I’m sure you can understand?”
There was a hopeful tone to your voice as your lips parted into the most convincing charming smile you could muster at the moment, hoping he would take the bait so that you and Frank could leave without a scene being caused. When the young man’s lips parted into a light smile, you felt a sense of ease wash over you. 
“Of course, I can definitely…understand.”
But that ease was short lived when you caught where his line of sight went, and felt Frank’s grip on your waist tighten possessively.
As the young officer spoke those words, he made the mistake of letting his eyes wander over your chest in a shameless way, and you panicked when you felt Frank lean forward, reaching with one hand underneath his seat while also shielding your chest from the man’s prying eyes with his large body.
“The fuck are you lookin’ at?”
The officer instantly took another large step back, holding his hands up in surrender and mumbling a string of apologies as Frank started going off on him, reaching for the handle to the door. You quickly grabbed his jaw in your hand and forced him to look at you, staring into his furious glare with wide eyes as you whispered frantically through gritted teeth.
“Frank, stop it.”
Glancing back over at the young man, you let out a soft laugh as you waved your shaky hand dismissively. 
“I’m really sorry, we’ll just…leave. We’ll leave. Have a good night.”
Quickly rolling up the window, you scurried back into the passenger seat and swiftly put your seatbelt on. When Frank didn’t move an inch, you turned your head to look at him, seeing a twisted up concoction of anger and confusion on his features. You hysterically gestured towards the steering wheel as you gawked at him.
“What are you doing? Drive!”
Frank’s jaw hardened as he let out a heavy grunt, turning the keys in the ignition and flashing the officer one final death glare before peeling off onto the dirt road in the opposite direction. Once the patrol car was out of sight, you let out a deep breath of relief and held your face in your trembling hands as you tried to calm your nerves.
Your mind was racing with all the worst possible case scenarios. What if that officer was with the Defenders of Freedom too? Is that why he was on that road? Did he get Frank’s license plate? Is he telling the others that the two of you found their base of operations? What would-
“That was good quick thinkin’.”
Frank’s gravely voice cutting through the silence made you realize that neither of you had spoken in the past ten minutes. Turning your head to look over at him, your brows knit together in puzzlement.
“What?”
Frank’s eyes darted over to you timidly, only for a moment, before settling back on the road in front of him.
“Your…plan.”
His voice sounded somewhat strained, and you noticed his features were blanketed in an expression you couldn’t fully make out from the faint glow of the street lights. He almost looked…shy?
Shy was not a word you would ever normally use to describe Frank Castle.
There was suddenly a feeling of heat nipping at the tops of your cheeks, and you were swiftly aware of the lingering sensation of your lips tingling from the kiss. 
Is that why he couldn’t hardly look at you?
“Public displays of affection make people very uncomfortable.”
Frank arched one of his thick brows as his eyes flickered back over towards you once again, his full lips pursing slightly as he nodded.
“Yeah…I s’pose they do.”
There was a layer of questioning in his tone, and you leaned back in your seat as you looked anywhere but at him while clearing your throat.
“It usually makes people look away, or want to get as far away from it as soon as possible.”
A quiet grunt of agreeance sounded in the back of Frank’s throat.
“That’s…smart.”
An uncomfortable silence settled between you and Frank, and the small unoccupied space in the middle of the truck bed suddenly felt like an ocean separating the two of you. Tension hung thick and heavy in the miniscule space of the cab like an awkward fog that you couldn’t have even sliced through with the sharpened hunter’s knife on Frank’s hip.
For the next half hour, the quiet thrum of the truck engine was the only sound disrupting the tense silence.
»»———  ———««
Stepping past Frank’s large frame into the motel room he had rented for the night, your eyes immediately landed on the bed in the middle of the room.
The bed.
The one. 
Single. 
Bed.
Glancing over your shoulder at Frank, he caught where your gaze had gone, and there was a sheepish expression on his face.
“Last room they had.”
Doing your best to appear nonchalant about the situation, you gave a slight nod of your head in understanding as you surveyed the room. The dingy wallpaper was beyond faded and peeling where the torn edges pulled away from the top of the wall. What had once probably been a tasteful shade of tan looked more like a muted shade of gold. The queen size bed in the middle of the room was covered in a multi-shade paisley quilt that the word ‘ugly’ couldn’t even begin to describe, and contrasted sharply with the hunter green carpet beneath your feet.
“You didn’t make a reservation?”
The joke you attempted to make to lighten the mood fell flat as Frank eyed you with an unreadable expression, dropping his black duffle bag onto the floor with a slight thud.
“Wasn’t expectin’ company. It ain’t the Ritz, but-”
“Frank, it’s fine. I was joking.”
“Right.”
The uncomfortable silence and awkward tension were absolutely killing you. 
Things had never been this weird with Frank, and you didn’t know what to do with yourself. So you did the one thing you always did when you didn’t want to deal with an unpleasant situation.
You ran away from it.
“I’m gonna take a shower.”
About halfway through rushing towards the bathroom, you abruptly halted in your steps when you realized that you couldn’t shower because you didn’t have anything. You had slept at Frank’s last night, and you couldn’t go by your place this morning since it was an active crime scene. 
You had no clothes. No toothbrush. No nothing.
“Shit.”
“You alright?”
There was a cautious tone to Frank’s deep voice, but it was clearly laced with concern when it nestled in your ears. You turned around to face him, your lips pulled into a tight expression that was supposed to resemble a smile, but probably looked more like a grimace.
“I just realized I don’t have anything.”
Frank cocked his head to the side slightly while he looked over at you, curiosity and confusion swirling around in his deep brown eyes.
“We couldn’t stop by my place this morning…and we left kinda in a hurry…so…”
All of a sudden you could see realization dawning on Frank’s face. His features softened considerably, and he quickly glanced at the small analog clock on the nightstand by the bed. It was late, and you were nearly in the middle of nowhere in some small town upstate about twenty miles from the location Frank had been given. There was nothing around the motel except a rundown gas station and a little twenty-four hour diner.
Frank turned his attention back to you, and his dark eyes wandered over you for a second before he met your gaze again. There was an apologetic expression on his features as he reached down to grab his duffle bag, walking over to set it down on the edge of the bed while he unzipped it and started to rustle through it.
“Here, I got some stuff you can borrow-”
“It’s okay. I can just-”
“Ain’t a big deal. I got extras of some things. Can’t promise anythin’ will fit or smell pretty.”
Frank glanced up to flash you a tiny smile as he held out a small pile of things towards you. As you reached out to take the items from him, your fingers lightly brushed against his, and you felt a spark shock through your system. Looking up at him, your lips tugged into a tight timid smile while you nodded.
“Thanks, Frank.”
Without waiting for a response, you dashed into the small bathroom for some privacy, hoping you’d be able to get yourself the fuck together.
Any attempt you were going to make to try to push that kiss from earlier out of your head was completely ruined when you began to lather his body wash in your hands to rub it into your wet skin, being careful to avoid getting any suds in your hurt hand, and comb it through your hair, since Frank was apparently a two in one kind of guy. Even though the temperature of the water was a degree short of scalding, the areas of your body that had been caressed by Frank’s large hands burned hotter.
He had touched you, really touched you, beyond the point of just trying to sell your distraction. He didn’t have to kiss you back the way he had. He could’ve just let his lips stay modestly pressed to yours until the officer walked up.
But Frank seemed to have lost himself in the kiss just as much as you had. 
So why was he acting so strange now? If he wanted that kiss as much as you did, why was he acting more reserved with you now than he ever had before? Was his perceived passion blown out of proportion by your greedy and selfish imagination? 
Or did he simply regret it?
The whirlwind of questions and convoluted doubt only got worse when you slipped his clothes on. 
His clothes.
Frank had given you a long sleeve black t-shirt that was ridiculously soft and comfortable. You had recalled seeing him wear it on several occasions. While it fit him snugly, the sleeves hung comically off your hands, and the bottom of it reached the middle of your thighs. Your eyes had momentarily widened seeing that he had given you a pair of his black briefs, but they fit you somewhat better than the sweatpants he had offered. 
It felt strangely intimate to be in Frank’s clothes. Granted, wearing someone else’s underwear is kind of intimate, but it also made you feel…comforted in an odd way. You were completely doused head to toe in the familiar scent of Frank, and that made you feel safe in a way that you had only ever felt with him.
When you stepped out of the steamy bathroom, Frank was sitting on the edge of the bed with his phone in his hand, staring down at it intently. He perked up when he heard the bathroom door creak open, and his eyes instantly snapped over to look over at you. His dark brown eyes roamed slowly over the sight of you in his clothes, and when he finally met your gaze, there was a look there you hadn’t seen before.
But it made your knees weak.
Trying to dispel the thick layer of tension in the air, you cleared your throat as you slowly walked over towards him and handed the pair of sweatpants back with a soft smile on your lips.
“I gave them my best shot.”
Frank’s eyes softened slightly and he let out a light chuckle, taking the sweats from you to place into his own lap.
“Everythin’ else work alright?”
“Yeah…yeah, um…thank you.”
“Sure. We’ll find a store first thing in the mornin’, get ya some stuff. How’s the hand?”
Frank held one of his large hands out towards you expectantly, and without even thinking, you placed your injured one on top of his.
“It’s fine. I wrapped it.”
He pushed back the sleeve past your wrist to inspect your handiwork, delicately turning your wrist from left to right to examine the placement and tightness of the layers of gauze covering your wounded palm and fingers. He made a subtle expression of pride, his dark eyes flickering up to meet yours with a nod of approval. 
“Not bad.”
“I had a good teacher.”
Frank looked up at you with slightly raised brows, and then a quirk of a smile curled at the edge of his lips when it clicked that you had learned by watching him tend to your hand last night. 
“S’pose you did.”
When Frank let go of your hand and rose from the bed, he moved to step around you, and you watched him toe off his boots by the door before starting to rummage through his duffle bag again. He had ditched his black denim jacket, and it looked like his shirt was straining against the expanse of his large back. When your eyes wandered upwards, your breath caught in your throat seeing a faint pink vertical line on the back of his neck.
The one you had left with your nails.
A surge of heat instantly spread across the tops of your cheeks, and between your thighs, as the phantom touch of Frank’s firm grasp on your waist burned once again on your skin. You had fantasized so many times about sitting on Frank’s lap and kissing him like that, but your imagination could never compare to the real thing. Your lips started to tingle again at the memory of his warm and soft lips responding eagerly to your kiss, and your ears rang loudly with the echo of his low groan that had sounded in his throat. 
You were all of a sudden painfully aware of the fact that you were getting wet in Frank’s underwear. 
You had never been so affected just from kissing someone before. Not even when you made out with a boy for the first time. Or…any boy you made out with for that matter.
Hell, Steven couldn’t even get you that worked up with his hand in your panties and detailed fucking instructions.
But Frank…Frank just drove you absolutely fucking wild.
“What happens now?”
Frank turned his head to look at you over his broad shoulder when your soft voice cut through the stillness. You could hear the faint desperation in your own voice, and you knew it heard it too. Frank never missed anything. There was a hesitancy to his features, and irresolution swimming around in his eyes, like he wasn’t sure what exactly you were referring to. 
What happens with the investigation?
What happens tomorrow?
What happens next with us, Frank?
Frank carefully turned around to face you fully, and while his face appeared neutral, there was something glowing in his eyes.
“With what?”
His words were laced with pure curiosity, but there was a coveted challenge concealed within them. You didn’t have the courage to ask the question you really wanted the answer to, and you had a feeling Frank wouldn’t answer it unless he was prompted. Even then, there was a good chance he would avoid it. A sobering thought washed over you that you might not be prepared for that answer anyway, so you decided to play it safe.
“Well…we can’t go back there, right?”
Frank’s lips pursed into a somewhat thin line. He almost looked like he was disappointed by your choice of question. His pensive eyes studied you silently for a moment before clutching that same pair of sweatpants he had offered you in his large hand and stalking off towards the bathroom.
“I’ll figure somethin’ out.”
When the door to the bathroom firmly shut, you flopped back onto the stiff mattress with a heavy sigh and closed your eyes. 
It was going to be a very long night.
These sleepovers with Frank were not going the way you had fantasized about previously at all.
»»———  ———««
Ten minutes later, Frank quietly emerged from the bathroom, and your eyes doubled in size as your jaw nearly became fully unhinged. The dark gray pair of sweatpants that he had offered you were slung dangerously low on his hips, and a delicious white sliver of the waistband of his briefs were peeking out above them. His cropped dark hair was tousled in damp curls, and droplets of warm water cascaded down the expanse of his lean and toned figure. Frank’s skin looked so smooth, like an exemplary chiseled piece of artwork carved into tan marble; a Greek god perfectly immortalized in impenetrable stone.
Your rapacious eyes were particularly interested in a droplet that was leisurely making its way down one of his deep cut v-lines, only to become absorbed by the fabric of his sweats. While you were marveling at the view of the unveiled Adonis before you, a sight abruptly caught your attention.
There was a faint pink scar above his right hip.
In an instant, you were no longer staring at him through cherry tinted lenses of desire, but with a slight pang of sadness cutting through your chest. There were numerous scars marked on Frank’s body. Some were faded, nearly blending in with his normal flesh tone, while some were opaque, a clear striking contrast of pain endured in comparison to the untainted color of skin that had never known affliction. Some were deep indentations nestled in his skin, almost to the bone, while others casually crested above the sea level of undisrupted ripples of flesh. 
“I was a Marine.”
Frank’s deep voice cutting through the silence of the motel room swiftly redirected your line of sight to his face. He had a gray tank top in his large hands, and he subtly seemed to be wringing it with a twinge of nervousness. There was an unrestrained expression of aversion in his eyes, as if he didn’t know whether to hide the evidence of an unforgiving past, or allow you to consume this rare moment of vulnerability completely.
For a moment your eyes dropped to the chain around his neck. 
The gold wedding band.
You hadn’t seen a glimpse of it since that night at the bar, when you’d caught sight of him in your guest bathroom with a few of his shirt buttons undone. You still didn’t know if it was his or if it had belonged to his wife, or what happened to her, but it was hard to look at now.
You didn’t like seeing him look so uncomfortable, so you did your best to put him at ease with a tender smile on your lips as you looked up at him in genuine understanding and grace.
“That…actually makes a lot of sense.”
Frank glanced down at the shirt in his hands for a moment, an apparition of a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth as a dry and short chuckle escaped his mouth.
“I’ll try not to take offense to that.”
The elusive, light-hearted tone of his voice made you wonder if you could try to dismantle at least one of the many walls that he seemed to have up within him. You didn’t want to pry too much, but you’d had so many questions about Frank for months, and it seemed like he was finally giving you a rare window to get a few answers.
“Is…is that where those came from?”
“Most of ���em.”
Frank kept his gaze averted downwards on the shirt in his hand as he spoke in a hushed tone, like his admissions couldn’t be uttered above a certain decibel level. It almost appeared as though it was easier for him to be vulnerable with you if he didn’t have to look at you. 
Was he nervous to see your reaction to his rare divulgence? Or was there something lurking in the shadows of history that he couldn’t face?
Was he thinking about your lips as much as you were thinking about his?
You had to focus. You weren’t sure how grand or miniscule this window of opportunity was with Frank. This moment could be just as magnificently fleeting as a shooting star escaping across the cosmos, and if you blinked at the wrong second, you would miss it. 
This could be your one chance to finally break through those meticulously crafted barriers of his. To unravel the chains of mystery that seemed to weigh him down, and finally erase that invisible line separating him from everyone else that he never seemed to let you cross. 
But, you couldn’t push too hard. If your curiosity was too intrusive, he’d immediately shut down. If you misstepped over the delicate minefield of his own temper, you risked an explosion. It had to be the most graceful balancing act you’d ever done.
You had to treat this like the most important story of your entire career. Carefully pose the questions as innocent conversation, instead of an interrogation, and give him the space to answer as generally or as detailed as he wanted to.
Billy’s advice seemed to echo in your ears at that moment.
You gotta let him come to you.
“How long were you in the Marines?”
“Did four tours.”
When you didn’t speak for a moment, Frank finally lifted his head to meet your gaze. There was a twinkle of amusement shining in his warm brown eyes at your evident confusion, and he let out a light chuckle as a crooked smile tugged across his lips.
“All in all, little over ten years.”
A faint blush layered over the tops of your cheeks at your own ignorance. Normally when you interviewed someone, you had the benefit of being able to research them beforehand. With Frank, you were having to make up everything as you go with the extremely limited knowledge you had of him, and of his experience. You knew virtually nothing about the Marines, or the military in general, but seemed to be feeling generous in offering explanations.
“Did you enjoy it?”
“I was good at it.”
“That’s not what I asked.”
Frank glanced around the motel room for a moment, seemingly lost in his own thoughts while pondering the question that lingered between you. After a beat of silence, he sat down on the edge of the bed with a heavy exhale, just a few inches away from where you had been sitting cross-legged on the middle of the mattress, and turned his head to the left to look at you. 
“Did you always wanna be a journalist?”
Frank’s question took you by surprise. He didn’t often ask you personal questions about yourself, but you decided if you answered his questions honestly, maybe he would do the same.
“I’ve always been nosey.”
The corner of Frank’s full lips quirked up into a knowing smile, and you couldn’t help but let out a huff of air through your nose in a quiet snort.
“That don’t surprise me.”
Giving Frank a playful roll of your eyes in response to his comment, you lightly shrugged your shoulders, looking up at him with a faint smile on your lips.
“I’ve always liked story-telling. I’ve never really had the imagination to come up with my own, but I like other people’s stories, and I’ve always enjoyed writing. I thought a club would look good on my college applications, and I wasn’t very athletic or talented in anything else, so I decided to join my high school’s paper. That’s where I really fell in love with investigative journalism, which I realize sounds ridiculous given I was reporting high school ‘news’ but-”
“It ain’t ridiculous if it was important to ya.”
The sincerity in Frank’s tone coupled with the depth of his alluring gaze almost made you forget what you were talking about. It also made you suddenly aware of the fact that every time you downplayed yourself, Frank was quick to cut off your self-deprecation with a genuine sentiment. For a second, all you could do was stare into his eyes, until you decided to bare your soul in front of him.
“It was the first time I really felt like I was good at something. Like I…I had a purpose. I had something that was…mine. I could do something meaningful…something that mattered. It could be something I was proud of.”
Frank stayed silent while he soaked up the candor of your confession, like he was taking the time to commit every piece of it to memory. Sometimes you felt like he could see right through you when he stared into your eyes, and you felt incredibly small under his undivided attention. His head dipped slightly between his broad shoulders when he turned his head to stare down at his clasped hands for a moment.
“I never knew what the hell I wanted to do. I was a…bit of a troublemaker when I was a kid. My parents…they were older, ya’know? Couldn’t really do nothin’ to control me. I knew that, and took advantage of it. I was a real…”
“Asshole?”
Frank’s lips parted into a crooked smile, glancing at you out of the corner of his eye.
“I was gonna say prick. But…yeah. I was a little asshole.”
“Well thank God you grew out of that.”
Frank dropped his head slightly to stare back down at his hands again with a light chuckle. Your eyes followed his gaze, and you noticed a few scars covering his knuckles, resembling jagged designs carved into a tree trunk.
“I enlisted when I was eighteen. Thought…what the hell, ya’know? Was never any good at school or anythin’ like that…and I didn’t wanna get stuck at some…shit job. Thought it was my ticket out, ya’know? Get to travel, play with guns and tanks, that kinda shit.”
The light smile that had been on the edge of Frank’s mouth dissipated slowly, and his thick brows slowly drew closer in together while he rubbed his right thumb over the back of his left hand.
“Bein’ a Marine…it was the first time in my life I felt like I was worth a damn. Like I was really doin’ somethin’, ya’know? Somethin’ good…somethin’ important. I was good at it, damn good at it. Felt like I…like I finally found-”
“A purpose.”
Frank’s eyes flickered up to meet yours, and there seemed to be a shared expression of understanding between the two of you. You knew exactly what he meant, and he could see that reflected in your eyes.
“A purpose.”
He repeated those two words in a more quiet and contemplative voice, like he was repeating them more to himself than to you.
“So, how do you go from being a Marine to a bodyguard for a high maintenance journalist?”
“Just that goddamn lucky, I s’pose.”
The edges of Frank’s mouth twisted up into a sardonic smirk when he turned his head to look at you, and you were about to retort with a smartass comment of your own when you noticed something you hadn’t seen before.
Without even thinking, your hand reached out to trace a circular shaped scar on Frank’s left temple with your index finger. He didn’t go rigid when you touched him this time, not like he had in the truck. The smirk swiftly vanished along with the playful crinkles beside his eyes, and his full lips parted slightly while he stared at you intently as you lightly traced your finger over the mark. 
It was indented slightly, and you could feel the faint dip beneath your fingertip. The edges of it were tinted more of a blush shade, making it obvious this wound had been made more recently than some of the others adorning his skin. It almost looked like a bullet hole…and that idea had your stomach twisting into tight knots.
“What’s this one from?”
All of a sudden, Frank’s large hand wrapped around your wrist to push your hand away at the exact same time he turned he pulled his hand away from your delicate caress. His lips were now pressed in a line and that familiar hardness was back in his gaze. 
And just like that, whatever moment you two were having was clearly over. 
Frank suddenly stood from the edge of the bed and silently pulled his tank top over his head, slipping his large arms through the sleeve holes and covering his body with the dark gray fabric.
“We should call it a night.”
Frank’s voice was flat, and you felt a surge of frustration burn in your bloodstream. Every time you felt like you were getting somewhere with him, he pulled back. It was like you were constantly trying to carefully navigate your way up an unclimbable mountain, and as soon as the peak came into view, you lost your footing and fell to the bottom. 
He grabbed one of the pillows from the bed and tossed it onto the floor, and a crease of confusion settled in the middle of your forehead.
“What are you doing?”
“I’ll take the floor. You can have the bed.”
You looked down at the queen size bed you were sitting on top of, a bed of which you barely took up any space, and then looked back over at Frank, who was in the middle of making a pallet on the floor.
“Frank, you don’t have to sleep on the floor. This bed is big enough for both of us.”
“Slept in worse conditions.”
You pinched at the bridge of your nose in pure irritation at both the insensitive implications behind his remark and his unrelenting stubbornness.
“So you’ve told me, several times. Thank you, by the way, for telling me that you think sharing a bed with me is worse than whatever the hell your setup was in the military. You really know how to sweep a girl off her feet, Castle. I had no idea you were such a poet.”
Frank’s face twisted up in puzzlement and aggravation at the tone of sarcasm dripping from your clipped words.
“That ain’t what I-”
“I don’t want to hear a single complaint in the morning when you’re stiff and sore from choosing to sleep on the fucking floor.”
As you vexingly tugged back the thin and somewhat stiff quilt on top of the bed, you slid beneath it, the scratchiness of the cheap sheets against your bare legs only souring your mood even further. While you turned onto your side away from Frank and harshly smacked your hand against the button to turn off the lamp on the nightstand, he stared down at you with furrowed dark brows and a heavy frown in complete exasperation and perplexity.
“Oh for fucks-why is it always a goddamn argument with you?”
“Why are you always such an ass?”
“I’m an ass for tryin’ to be a gentleman and make sure you’re comfortable?”
Dragging your palms down your face with an irritated groan, you furiously sat up in the bed to look over at Frank with an exacerbated expression while the two of you raised your voices at each other in yet another argument.
“How are you making me uncomfortable if I’m offering, Frank? This bed is big, so big that you wouldn’t even have to breathe the same air as me. We could even put pillows down the middle just to make sure that we don’t accidentally touch in the middle of the night, because God fucking forbid-”
“Oh Jesus fuckin’ Christ, fine.”
Frank ripped the pillow off the ground and angrily tossed it onto the bed, tugging the covers back from the other side of the mattress to slip underneath angrily. He turned his head to glare at you as he harshly gestured towards himself in the bed.
“There? Happy? You gonna stop fuckin’ givin’ me shit, now?”
Returning Frank’s fuming glare with one of your own, the two of you seemed to be locked in an angry staring contest until you conceded and turned over again, dragging the unpleasant quilt up to your chin. You grit your teeth as you squeezed your eyes shut, letting out an aggravated exhale through your nose. 
As hot as your blood felt in your veins, there was also a nauseating feeling of disappointment settling in your stomach.
Frank wasn’t thinking about your lips. He wasn’t thinking about your kiss at all. If he was, it was him wishing it didn’t happen.
Maybe that was part of the reason he wanted to sleep on the floor and seemed so pissed off at you. He didn’t want to be near you. He was mad that you kissed him without his permission. 
You’d made him uncomfortable.
On the other side of the bed, Frank stared at the back of your head in the dim amber light of the room coming from the other bedside lamp. Turning his head to stare straight ahead blankly at the wall in front of him, he closed his eyes for a moment and let out a slow and heavy exhale as he grumbled a string of curses under his breath. 
After a few terse minutes of deafening silence, you could feel Frank shifting underneath the sheets, and his gravelly voice filtered in through the dense quiet.
“Look, I wasn’t tryin’ to hurt your feelin’s-”
“You didn’t-”
“Yes, I did. I wasn’t implyin’ that sharin’ a bed with you was such a bad thing, alright? I only meant I slept in worse places than on a floor, s’all.”
Frank genuinely sounded apologetic, and you felt a rush of guilt wash over you from the way you had twisted his words, jumped to conclusions, and reacted poorly. He let out another heavy sigh before speaking again.
“I just…wanted you to feel comfortable.”
The hushed tone of his voice made it sound like he was entrusting you with his deepest secret. Swallowing down your pride, you turned on your side to face Frank, looking over at him silently for a moment before letting out a soft sigh.
“Frank, you’ve never made me uncomfortable.”
He was laying on his back, his head slightly propped up against the headboard, but his face was turned towards you. He seemed to be searching your eyes for any thread of faultiness in your words that he could unravel. 
“I…I’m sorry I called you an ass.”
“You’re sorry for tellin’ me the truth?”
Frank arched one of his dark brows, and you could detect a faint smirk on the edge of his lips, even in the dim light of the room. You rolled your eyes as you laughed quietly.
“Can you just let me just apologize to you for making an ass of myself?”
Frank eyed you for a moment with a sly tug at the corner of his mouth.
“Aren’t good reporters s’posed to reserve their conclusions ‘bout somethin’ ‘til they got all the evidence?”
The low, hushed tone Frank spoke in to not disrupt the quiet peace that settled between the two of you made his voice sound sultry. That twinkle of amusement was shining in his eyes again, and you fought the grin that threatened to take over your lips.
Playful Frank was your favorite Frank.
“Are you implying that I’m not a good reporter, Mr. Castle?”
A low chuckle rumbled in Frank’s throat as he moved his right arm behind his head, closing his eyes while he turned his head to face upwards with a faint smirk on his lips.
“Considerin’ you’re trigger happy, and there’s ‘bout three guns within your reach, no. Absolutely not.”
“I am not-”
“Did you not just jump all over my ass a second ago over a misunderstandin’?”
Frank opened his eyes to look over at you, his thick dark brows raised slightly while that faint smirk remained subtly on his full lips.
Narrowing your eyes playfully, you poked your tongue against the inside of your cheek and lightly shrugged your shoulders beneath the quilt.
“Well, you gave me the conclusion that you were an ass the first day I met you, and you’ve only reinforced it since then. You also did just admit on record that you’ve been an ass since you were a kid, so.”
Another chuckle sounded from Frank as a grunt of agreeance sounded in his throat.
“I reckon you’re right ‘bout that.”
A few moments of tranquil quiet passed by between the two of you, but you were buzzing with questions on the inside. However, something he said abruptly clicked in your brain, and your eyes widened as you looked over at him.
“Frank?”
“Yeah?”
“Are there really three guns in this room?”
“Three on your side.”
Blinking a few times in dumbfoundment, your brows knit together as you stared over at him incredulously.
“What…what do you mean ‘three on my side’? How many are on your side?”
“Two, and a knife.”
“Jesus Christ, Rambo. Anything else?”
Frank let out a deep and amused chuckle at that, placing his left hand on his chest as he shifted slightly on his back to get comfortable.
“In the truck, yeah.”
“What? There’s more?”
“Go to bed.”
There was no firmness in Frank’s voice, just complete entertainment. You glanced around the dimly lit motel room cautiously, wondering where he might have placed them.
“Where are they?”
“Don’t worry ‘bout it.”
Letting out a scoff, you turned your head to look at him in minor annoyance.
“What if someone tries to break in?”
“I’ll handle it.”
You narrowed your eyes at the mirthy smirk curling on the edge of his mouth.
“What if…five people break in?”
“Highly unlikely, but both guns on my side got a clip that hold 12 rounds. You done?”
An exasperated huff left your lips as you turned to lay on your back and crossed your arms over your chest.
“Isn’t it proper safety protocol to let someone know where loaded firearms are stashed?”
“They ain’t loaded.”
“You just said-”
“The ones on my side are loaded. The ones on your side ain’t.”
“Why the hell not?”
“You said it yourself. You’re nosey, and you never even held a gun before.”
You opened your mouth to retort, but to your irritation, Frank had a point. Not that you would admit that out loud to him. 
A few minutes of silence passed by before you spoke up again.
“You could always teach me.”
Frank opened his eyes and turned his head slightly to look at you, staring at you in a mixture of interest and confusion.
“Teach you what?”
You turned back onto your side to face him and lightly shrugged your shoulders.
“How to shoot.”
It was Frank’s time to stare at you in dumbfoundment. He arched one of his thick brows while he eyed you.
“You wanna learn how to shoot?”
“I mean…people are only trying to kill me.”
Frank didn’t return the playful smile that you flashed him, and it quickly fell from your lips. This was not going to be something he was going to agree to easily. You were really going to have to fight for this one. You had to show him that you were serious.
“If you hadn’t shown up last night, those men were going to kill me, Frank. I don’t ever want to feel that helpless ever again.”
The devout honesty in your voice was unmistakable, and Frank let out a deep exhale as he turned his head to look up towards the ceiling and closed his eyes again.
“Let’s deal with this shit first, then we’ll talk.”
There was a tiny surge of victory that coursed through you at that. It wasn’t technically a yes, but it also wasn’t a flat out no. You just needed to keep proving to him that this was something you were serious about.
You wanted to bring up the kiss, but you weren’t sure how to approach it. You didn’t want to ruin the peace your playful banter had brought about with Frank, but you couldn’t leave it alone. 
Why was he so goddamn hard to read?
Why was he still being so hot and cold with you?
Even if he was still your bodyguard, the two of you were way past the point of professionalism.
“Frank?”
“Hm?”
“I…I’m sorry…if I made you uncomfortable.”
The thin material of the pillowcase rustled loudly in the quiet as Frank turned his head to look at you inquisitively, like he had no idea what you were talking about.
“Earlier…when I…kissed you.”
There wasn’t a desert on any continent as dry as your mouth right now, and your heart was pounding so relentlessly against the sturdy ivory of your ribcage, you swore he could hear it a few inches away.
The cloudy ignorance seemed to dissipate from between his brows, and his features migrated to an expression of recognition. For a moment he didn’t say anything, and it made you realize you found his silence far more unnerving than his unwanted answers.
“You didn’t.”
There was such a confidence behind those two words that it nearly knocked the breath out of your lungs. Those two little words held so many portals of possibilities.
You didn’t; it just caught me off guard.
You didn’t; everything is fine between us.
You didn’t; I wanted to taste you.
Staring over at Frank, words seemed to completely vanish from your brain. You didn’t know what to say. You had no idea how to respond to that. The intensity of his piercing gaze sent a slight shiver tumbling down your spine despite the blazing warmth you could feel radiating from his body a few inches away from you.
The amber glow from the bedside lamp lit up his eyes like the golden hour of sunlight shining through a glass of whiskey. You wanted to get lost in him again. You wanted to take your rightful place on the throne of his lap, tangle your fingers in his hair like a crown, and let him rule over the kingdom inside your body.
“Frank.”
Was the delicate whisper of his name a desperate plea, or an enticing invitation? 
It didn’t matter. All that mattered was that he answered it.
For a moment, his mesmerizing stare dropped to your lips, and you swore you saw him start to lean in-
But then at the last second, he cleared his throat and turned over onto his side away from you, moving as close to the edge of the bed on his side as he could get. Frank’s voice was rough when it reached your ears, no trace of the warm and playful tone he had used just minutes ago.
“Get some sleep.”
That hopeful ember of desire that he had ignited in you had been completely snuffed out by his own hand before the flame could even catch, and the ambient light in the motel went out along with it leaving you in dumbfoundment and darkness.
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