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lure-of-writing · 1 year ago

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Never been good enough

Authors note: I haven't written in forever so please forgive me if this isn't the best but I would love to hear what you think!

Summary: You would never be good enough for Ariel

Word Count: 2.3k Warnings: Arguing, curse words, mentions of death, Elain slander, Tamlin makes an appearance

Part two: Left in regret

Part three: Why can't We?

There was always something so enticing about Azriel that you could never put your finger on. To simply put it he was fascinating. Being a part of the inner circle for as long as you have meant that you put your feelings for him aside, did what you thought was best for the group. Not only that but Azriel never gave you any signs that he was interested in you and there was no way you would let him know about your feelings. What if you guys dated and it didn't work out? Or worse, what if you told him and he didn’t feel the same way? These types of thoughts made a home in your head and they made it a point to consistently remind you that Azriel would only ever be a friend. But hey, better a friend then nothing at all, Right?

That was until Rhysand met Feyre and in turn met Nesta and Elain. This is where your downfall began. You were truly happy for your high lord and new high lady but could have done without her sisters. Nesta was always ready to pick a fight and tear you down with her words as if she were some wild animal backed into a corner that would bite if you tried to pet it. The comparison wasn’t far off, she basically was a wild animal. Elain on the other hand was, well, contemptible at best. From what you knew Elain was basically loved by all in the inner circle but you. There was just something about her that irked you to your core. In a world that praised the strong and belittled the weak, her innocence bothered you. Why did Feyre have to do everything for her sisters, especially the middle one? As an older sister yourself you would have made any sacrifice necessary to protect your little sister. In fact you did. Maybe that's why you resented the middle sister.

Before the new additions were made to your family life was perfect, before under the mountain of course, the group was a perfectly balanced number and each person had their person. Rys with Armen, Mor and Cassian, you and Azriel. The group would spend long days giving each other a run for their money with stupid bets and at night you would have an even longer night getting drunk at ritas, but ever since Ryhsand met Feyre things changed almost instantly. It was like the people you once knew completely changed over night. You still knew who they were to their core but you didn’t recognize who they had become.

Cassian bowed to an unwavering, impolite, ungrateful human turned fae also known as Nesta, he was willing to die for someone who would never give the time of day to even acknowledge that he existed. Amren found company in her ruthlessness, found friendship and understanding in her unbothered face.

Mor found sisterhood among the complexities of healing with Feyre, through the grief and joy and thousands of other emotions one feels when finding themselves after trauma.

Ryhsand found his mate, the one he never thought he would meet. The one he was willing to die for as long as that meant she was safe.

Azriel saw the need to protect someone as delicate as Elain. So he did.

And you, you found a changed group of people before your very own eyes.

“Azriel can I please hold the fancy special dagger?” the Shadowsinger simply stares at you from the other side of the ring. Today had been training day for everyone excluding Amren, if you asked her she would say it didn’t pertain to her, and while the boys took turns sparring you were teaching Mor a new fighting technique you learned recently. “No” the short answer was no surprise to you at all. “Why not? I even said please and I never say please” the inner circle could not wait to witness this scene unfold for this wasn’t an uncommon occurrence but considering that you were Azriels favorite amongst the group even if he refused to say it, they thought that maybe one day you would wear him down enough to the point where he lets you hold the truth teller. “y/n I have never let anyone hold that dagger and you will not be the first. You are more than capable of handling yourself without my blade.” “Exactly I am more than capable of handling a dagger Azriel. One day I will get the truth teller in my hands just you wait.” he simply raised his shoulders in a shrugging manner as if to say “yeah I’m not concerned”

To say you were surprised that Azriel gave Elain the truth teller would be an understatement but honestly you should of seen it coming. Not even a few days before he was rushing into the hybern camp to save Elain without any second thought. There was never a time in the five hundred years where Azriel threw himself into a situation like that where he didn’t at least take some time to plan everything out. As a spy yourself you knew that at least having a fraction of a plan could save your life but it appeared Arizel was willing to die to save her. Feyre's sister be damned. So to watch from afar as he handed over his dagger to inexperienced hands was truly a gut wrenching experience. How could your closest friend of literally hundreds of years spend his potentially last moments with someone who was basically a stranger instead of a true friend? It was a revealing moment, it either showed how kind he was to try and help a defenseless person have a means to defend themselves if the time came where it was needed or he truly had changed and no longer cared for you. You would have your answer sooner than you had hoped.

For as long as you have existed you were trained as a spy for the cover up of an assassin. It made you as deadly as anyone else in the inner circle, maybe even deadlier since no one ever saw their death by your hands coming. So when the time came to go to war you were ready. The Battle was bloody and ugly and cruel. It was long and it felt never ending for every body you cut down it seemed there was ten more to replace it. When you watched as Cassin dove from the sky just as the cauldron unleashed its power amongst the world, the fight seemed hopeless. How were you supposed to win when hybern had that kind of power to be used whenever the king wished? But as a warrior in your own right you just wished that when you died upon this battle field that it wasn’t for nothing. That everyone in your family made it home by the end of this war, you may not recognize your family anymore but they meant the world to you and you just wanted them to be safe no matter the cost.

Seeing help arrive re-established your hope that Hybern wouldn’t win and it pushed you to fight that much harder but the renewed sense of vigor made you lose focus and that was your downfall. A hybern soldier came charging at you with the anger of a thousand suns and sliced your stomach in one quick motion and before you knew it you were one the ground bleeding out.

The inner circle was checking on Cassian when an unexpected figure came walking in with your limp body in their arms. “Oh gods, y/n!’’ Mor was the first to stand up and gawk at you in Tamlins arms before the healers directed him to a place where they could properly work on you. Nothing was said as the healers started working, as the inner circles' minds were racing and as Tamlin was leaving. “Thank you” Tamlin didn’t even stop to acknowledge Rhysands form of gratitude. Azriel was the first to speak “How did we forget about her?” no one had an answer.

Once back in Velaris with your healing underway you could tell that something was off within the group besides the obvious effects of a battle like that and a gut feeling told what it was. You could feel this sense of guilt every time you stepped foot into a room and you knew it was that they forgot about you, they never said that they did but while you were unconscious you could hear everything, and what you heard broke your heart. You were becoming an outsider in your own family.

You watched day by day as Amren bickered with Nesta, Ryhsand flirt with Feyre and cassian with Nesta, watched as Elain and Azriel danced the line of lovers and watched as you were slowly distanced from the group but it all came to a head after a heated argument with Elain. You were sick and tired of her acting like she was helpless when she wasn’t. She was cauldron made and she needed to start acting like it or else it would get someone killed or even herself. It happened on a training day.

The sun was beating down on your tired body and the whisper of a breeze was doing little to help and listening to Elain ask Azriel for help was driving you up a wall. “Azriel can you help me? I don’t think I'm doing this right?” all she was doing was stretching and she needed help with it? “For fucks sake Elain do you want him to spoon feed you and wipe your ass for you while hes at it?” Everyone stopped at your outburst and stared at you. Nesta looked like she was ready to rip off your face but Azriel beat her to it “What the hell is that supposed to mean?” you watched as she shifted her body to be behind his as if she knew he would fight her battles for her. “What it means Azriel” you stalked into his space until you were face to face and watched over his shoulder and Elain moved to seek comfort between her sister and the high lord and you couldn’t help but scoff at her theatrics

“Is that all this group ever seems to do is baby her! She is not a child, she can handle herself. She doesn’t need you to teach her how to touch her toes Azriel but heaven forbid poor sweet Elain has to do something on her own for once. I mean my gods what aren’t you willing to do for her Azriel? Correct me if I’m wrong but didn’t you give her the truth teller?” Azriel was quick to interrupt “Is that what this is seriously about?” if looks could kill he would be dead because your glare is cutting him up into pieces “I wasn’t done. You gave her your dagger, you went into a hybern camp to save her, you answer her every single beck and call as if she's not fully capable of doing things for herself. You all enable this, every single one of you!” you point to every member of the inner circle “ And I have had enough of this bullshit! Its ridiculous! Elain loves to play sweet and innocent but really she just loves having people dote on her and not having to do anything herself.” Everyone knew you were seething for they could see the redness creeping up your neck and into your face. And apparently you pissed off Elain

“So what if Azriel did those things for me it has nothing to do with you so mind your own business.” you knew she wasn’t as nice as she seemed. “This has everything to do with me! I used to be his best friend, me! Not you! I watched everyone change when your family came along and it ruined mine! I have been in love with Azriel since the day I met him and yet I’ve had to watch him fall for you, who he hasn’t even known for two seconds! I heard him say that they forgot about me on the battlefield after hybern! So yes this is about me, I am an outsider in my own family!” The silence was deafening after watching you fight to speak through your tears and cracking voice. No one dared to move for fear of upsetting you even more or maybe it was the weight of your words keeping them in place. Azriel went to place a hand on top of your shoulder but you were quick to step out of his reach. “Y/n I had no idea you felt that way” again you couldn’t help but scoff “Of course not because you were too busy with sweet Elain to notice anything else.” he shook his head as if in a silent no “I am so sorry that we forgot about you there is no excuse it should of never happened. I-we never knew you felt this way, felt like you were being pushed away. But y/n why didn’t you ever tell me that you had feelings for me?” something broke in Azriels heart watching you cry, watched as your face scrunched in pain while you fought back sobs from taking over your body. Something pulled him to comfort you but he knew better than that. He couldn’t, not with Elain here.

“I have been telling you for five hundred years Azriel how much more do you want me to do? I may have never flat out said it but why do you think I stayed up waiting for you to come home after missions, or why I defended you against the teasing, or why I showed you my love in a thousand different ways but you never noticed even though you are the head spy master of the night court.” a sob racked your body forcing you to stop and Azriel wanted nothing more than to hold you until the tears stopped flowing and you felt whole again something in his soul was pulling him towards you but your next words stopped him in his tracks. “I never told you because to you it seems that I have never just been good enough. I have never been enough for you.”

#acotar x reader #azriel x reader #azriel x you #azriel one shot #azriel fanfic #acotar imagine #acotar x you #azriel imagine #azriel angst #azriel acotar #azriel shadowsinger

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loveindefinitely · 11 months ago

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༊*·˚ FOREVER WINTER (IF YOU GO) — task force 141 x reader

11 — COME BACK TO REMIND ME OF WHO I WAS

featuring. simon 'ghost' riley + johnny 'soap' mactavish + kyle 'gaz' garrick + john 'bravo six' price + (non-endgame phillip graves)

warnings. nsfw, fem!reader, fmmmm, enemies to lovers, slow burn, polyamory, ghostsoap, pricegaz, alerudy, heavy angst, requited unrequited love, graphic violence

series masterlist. read on ao3. read on wattpad.

<- previous part | next part ->

“I forgot how ugly he was.”

Price, beside you, raises a slightly bemused brow. Taking the binoculars from your easy grip, he too, examines the target standing on the mansion’s balcony. A cigar sits between Price’s lips, mirroring the less sophisticated Marlboro between the Lieutenant General’s.

The man, one of the few higher-ups you were somewhat close with, is a decorated Shadow Company leader. Known for his strategy and persuasion, he was always a good asset.

Shame he was always this side of too touchy, and a general ass to anyone who had a vagina. Or an inclination for the same sex.

Real pity that he’s the one with the information you need, and the one you can’t kill.

“You’re not wrong, darlin’,” Price murmurs under his breath, exhaling a puff of smoke as he slips the cigar from his mouth, the cherry burning in the dark of night.

Ghost, like usual, is found a few buildings down, sniper at the ready. Soap and Gaz were ordered to stay behind for this mission, much to their chagrin. It was the closest you’d seen Gaz fight with his Captain, and Soap was just being generally pouty.

Both you, and Price, had managed to reason that expertise in explosions and protection wasn’t exactly wanted for a quick get-and-grab.

And, maybe, a small part of you needs a break from the two Sergeants. Your night with Gaz has infected your mind, even now, the day after. And seeing him, with his bright smile and dimples and eyes made your heart skip a beat. Especially with how no one could know of your rendezvous, lest you be kicked out of the deal.

Or worse.

You swallow, once, accepting the binoculars once more when Price hands them back to you with another puff of his cigar. He’s surprisingly courteous about it, not blowing the smoke into your face.

“Lt, we have eyes on the target. Over,” you speak into your radio, eyes like a hawk as you watch the Lieutenant General shake off flakes from his cigarette over the pristine white railing. He’s shorter than most, especially considering his rank, and you can’t help a small, private smile growing on your face at that small fact.

“Been around bloody Johnny too much,” Ghost mutters, and you roll your eyes. “No hostiles spotted, you’re good to go.”

Rising into a crouch, Price gives you a curt nod, before gesturing for you to follow him. You do so with quiet movements, the only sound the barely there crunch of dirt underneath your boots.

Your previous Lieutenant General was always an uncomfortably wealthy man, and you see now what he’s chosen to do with such an abundance of money. He lives in an off-the-grid mansion, deep in the middle of nowhere, only hills and trees around him.

Those families in Las Almas, displaced and killed and ruined – they were entirely more deserving of just a fraction of this wealth. Your tongue feels coated with something sour.

Price smells like cinnamon and spice, even in his gear, and it’s a scent that settles in your belly like a warm stew.

It’s rare, these days, to see daylight. All this recon work done well past midnight, hiding in the shadows and staying low. Not your favourite, but at the same time, it’s kind of… nice, doing this, just you and Price and the moon. No having to tiptoe around what to say around Gaz, or avoiding Soap’s innuendos.

If only it wasn’t for Ghost, too, watching over the two of you.

God, how you hated that man. His snarky comments, the roll of his eyes, his mask he refused to take off. And the way he almost looked down at you, questioned your authority, not unlike all the men you’d known. Worked alongside. Hated, too, in much the same vein.

You wonder, distantly, if he’ll ever come around. If there was at all a possibility of a civil interaction between you both, one that didn’t end in death threats or glares or passing out.

“Somethin’s on your mind.”

Head snapping up, you meet Price’s knowing blue eyes. Calculating, always aware, always ready for the worst case scenario.

“Not really, Cap,” you easily shake off in a whisper, continuing to follow him, until your backs are pressed against the beige, concrete wall. Your assault rifle is pulled to your chest, safety off.

The bandage on your cheek had been replaced just this afternoon, a soothing balm and fresh wrappings alleviating the growing itch that had been forming on your face. What was another scar, even? This one, at least, had somewhat of a neutral memory attached.

Ghost’s chest, his arms, a single threat turned into a promise.

You blink.

“You’re gonna get yourself killed if you underestimate our smarts,” Price says, low, under his breath. His words have you halting.

“Sir –”

“I know you’re used to bein’ the smartest kid in the regiment,” he continues, not unkindly, “But you’d do yourself well to remember that my boys are here for a reason, too. We know more than you give us credit for.”

His voice is deep, gruff, even in the low whisper he’s reduced to.

A shiver erupts down your spine as you feel out where to start climbing the wall, trying not to look at the man next to you. His words – they hit a part of you that you don’t want to acknowledge.

“Never said you guys weren’t smart, Captain.”

“Actions speak louder than words, Colonel.”

You have nothing to say to that – an irony, all things considered. Instead, you jerk your head towards the bricks that’ll allow you both to scale the side of the mansion. With your gloves on, the two of you make it to the third floor, shuffling through an open window.

It’s pitch black, except for a lone light turned on in your target’s study, just down the hall.

The air is stale, stifling, potent with old filing and decade-old cologne. It has your throat feeling clogged, your eyes slightly glassy as you move towards the light, gun at the ready.

This is, you realise, the first time you’re working beside the Captain.

You’d worked in tandem, obviously, but never so closely knit like this. With him at your six, his body like a furnace when beside your own, it’s an entirely new dynamic. So different to that of his subordinates – more steady, controlled.

Ghost is silent over the radio, a small mercy, as you two find your way into the study, backs to the wall as you quickly clear the room. You never knew when a surprise could be awaiting you.

“Check the drawers, I’ll look through the shelves,” Price whispers, a direct command delivered in a raspy breath.

You nod, immediately transferring your gun to your back as you rush through the desk’s contents.

The room is dusty, obviously having seen little use in recent years, and the drawers are filled to the brim with knick knacks. Old paper clips, photos, receipts – everything, except for what you need.

“Got anything?” You find yourself asking, a harsh whisper in the still quiet of the room.

Price shakes his head, a stern movement, still searching through the shelves with a stealthy yet quickened pace. You focus back on the drawers, going through each one with efficient and expert ease. Some old gum packets, paper clips. Fuck.

Your heart pounds in your chest, your throat feels thick with dread.

The contract you were looking for – it could be the beginning of the end. You needed this like you needed air, right now, and if you didn’t find it –

“Darlin’,” Price calls, smooth but demanding. You instantly look up, drawn to the man like a moth to a flame. “We’re goin’ to find it. Stop thinkin’.”

It’s, obviously, easier said than done.

You appreciate his sentiment – the way he’s trying to guide you – but that sinking feeling of despair has you gripped in its tenuous claws; unrelenting and powerful and cruel. It feels as though everything is riding on this; like your very existence will disappear as soon as you find out the document has.

A hand on your shoulder startles you out of your thoughts.

It’s Price.

“You need to get your head in, Colonel,” he orders, his voice no longer patient or kind. This is the voice of a Captain. “I am not about to waste my time here if you can’t do your job.”

It’s exactly what you need, right now, and he knows it. You know it.

You take a breath.

And you nod.

He claps your shoulder, a firm glint in his eyes as he jerks his head towards the rest of the room. You’re running on a timer – your mini spiral an unnecessary hurdle. All you have to do is block off that side of your brain, and get the bloody job done.

Although Ghost is still silent as ever, you can feel his looming presence even without being at all in his line of sight.

It’s debilitating.

With more meticulous movements and keener eyes, you look through the drawers. Less desperate, more knowing, because if there’s any doubt that you won’t find it –

“Target is leaving the balcony – I’m ‘bout to lose sight on ‘im,” Ghost’s quick voice starts through your radio. The slight tone of worry has every inch of you on edge. Your wide eyes flicker to Price’s – whose jaw sets.

“Copy, Lieutenant,” Price murmurs, voice low.

The gun strapped to your back feels heavier than before, now, and your hand drifts to the pistol attached to your thigh. The same one that’s come in handy time and time again.

Thud. Thud. Thud.

Footsteps – down the hall. Heading towards –

A hand on the scuff of your neck. A door being pulled open – pitch black.

Your heart thunders in your chest, Price’s hand pressed against your sternum, his chest against yours. The air is tight, and you’re cornered in a…

Closet.

Price pulled you into a closet – and now, you’re stuck with his thigh between yours and his arm outstretched above your head. You feel entirely weak before him, the Captain of the 141.

If it was at all in question, anymore, you would’ve considered that this would be the perfect time to kill you. To be rid of Grave’s right-hand woman, and to cut off any loose ends.

Instead, all you can feel is his warm breath against your forehead.

The footsteps pause, but the creak of the study’s door has your spine rigid all over again. Price presses in closer to you – and you don’t make a single movement. Don’t speak a single word, in case its very syllables are your undoing.

You can’t see, not in this speckled darkness, but price’s very existence feels so strong against your own that you can’t help but shudder a breath.

“Sir – You can’t possibly be serious. Use your damn brain.”

Your ex-Lieutenant General hisses into what you assume is his phone. And by his grating voice dripping with stress? There’s only one man on this Earth that he could be talking to.

Phillip Graves.

You can’t make out what your Commander says in response – not through the small, tinny voice of the phone, but you can pretty much guess his sentiment.

“Most of our men are gone! We can’t take down that bloody Task Force –” He hisses, his voice palpably furious. Without realising it, you find yourself curling in further to Price – his own head ducking down to shield you subconsciously.

The creak of the study’s floorboards, echoing under the weight of the man’s boots, makes your heart pound.

You feel not unlike a small child, hiding from their parents while the sound of yelling and smashing glasses echoes around the room. The long since buried memory of your father – before he left, before he broke your mother’s heart – of dark hair and angry, pulsing veins. The same veins you inherited.

The ones of which you wish you could carve out of your skin, just to watch the fury bleed out.

“Why the fuck is she so important? Good pussy or not –” Your heart, a thud, thud, thud, “ – She’s just a girl. She’s not worth it.”

Price’s hand tightens his hand, unconsciously clasping your throat like it’s a new necklace of yours. It’s oddly comforting, even if it threatens to block your airflow. His chin nearly rests atop your head, so close, but all you get is the waft of cigars and ink.

Graves must respond with something – something that the man just a few feet away from you does not appreciate.

“At this rate, the worst case scenario is that she finds out,” the man starts to pace, the rhythm of his footfalls matching the heaving rises of your chest, “And then what? Get your fucking head in, Commander.”

Your mind’s flooded with possibilities, what could possibly constitute the worst case scenario, when the next sentence shatters you entirely.

“She’s smart, Commander, and she’s gonna want to figure out the truth of dear old mum’s death soon. Don’t be idiotic.”

Silence.

Your ears ring – your throat closes, and your common sense crumbles at your feet.

The next few moments happen in easy, recognisable steps.

One. You shove Price off of you – not in a way that’d cause him pain, but forceful enough that he can’t push back in time to stop you.

Two. You swing the closet door open, the light flooding your view, along with the large frame of the Lieutenant General.

Three. You slide your trusty pistol from your hollister, flick off the safety, and aim with a shaky grip.

And you shoot.

The bullet slices clean and true through the man’s forehead, blood instantly dripping between his eyes as he falls forward, body slumping, until the phone clatters to the carpet alongside him.

Price yells something. You can’t hear it past the ringing in your ears, the muffled sound that drifts between reality and thought.

Dropping to your knees, you clasp the phone in your grip, blood staining the face of it. You bring it to your ear, hand no longer shaking. Steady as a surgeon.

Graves says something, sounding desperate.

“When I kill you, Commander,” you rasp, and you think you can hear Ghost’s irritating voice through your radio, “I’ll do it the same way I plan to finish Shepherd.”

“You’re gonna regret –” Graves hisses, but all you do is pull the phone from your ear, and press the circular red button.

The line cuts.

A hand falls to your shoulder, shaking you, and it’s only then that the ringing stops, and all of your other senses fall back into place.

The hand moves to the hair at the base of your skull, Price fisting it and pulling your head back to face him. He looks… angry, but it’s softened, somehow, by the understanding in his blue eyes.

“You had one order, Darlin’,” he borderline growls, and your skin prickles, “Tell me what that was.”

A petulant child is what you are. How he’s treating you.

You answer anyway.

“Not to,” you swallow, throat dry, “Not to kill him. Captain, you have to –” His grip on your hair tightens, and your words stop short.

He shakes his head, eyes narrowing. “If you’re gonna let your feelings get in the way of our mission…”

Even though he doesn’t finish his sentence, you understand the meaning of it. You’re acting reckless, growing impatient – risking yourself and others over petty disputes.

Everything feels so difficult, right now, impossible to comprehend. Like your mind’s on auto-pilot, your body, too.

Price releases his grip from your hair, and you find your gaze moving to the body laid in front of you.

And…

A piece of paper – folded – has fallen just beside his jacket’s pocket. You lean forward, clasping it between your hands without a second thought, and open it up with careful movements.

With every word you read, your mouth falls open wider – until you find yourself standing on unsteady feet, tears gathering at the corners of your eyes.

It’s.

“It’s not the contract,” you breathe, realising Price is just watching, waiting, looking out for you. You finally look up from the sheet.

“It’s something better.”

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genericpuff · 6 months ago

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completely off topic but regarding something that i saw pop up in my FB feed and i need to rant about

please do not fall for this shit

nintendo is NOT anti-AI.

it's really easy for them to say they're not going to use generative AI to create their games, because this statement has nothing to do with the very real issues with AI art such as the blatant theft of artists' work, environmental impact, replacement of humans in the industry, and just flat out unethical shit that AI has been designed around

it has EVERYTHING to do with their intellectual property rights, which Nintendo is NOTORIOUS for protecting with an iron fist even at their own expense. and i'm not talking the usual sensible argument shit like "ofc Nintendo wants to protect their IP's, they're a business!" i'm talking about the fact that this is the same company that just recently did a major takedown of the vast majority of Nintendo-licensed games on Vimm's Lair which aren't even being sold legitimately anywhere anymore-

i have so many fucking bones to pick with the flaccid bootlicking anti-piracy arguments out there but basically it comes down to this:

Nintendo is not a small indie company. They are literally one of the biggest, richest, most powerful gaming companies on the planet, rivalling Disney in just how many major franchises they own and profit off of. Many of their games are cultural classics, not just through the sentimentality and nostalgia of our childhoods, but also for all the innovations they made through games like Super Mario Bros, Super Mario 64, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, and many others that we, within the world of gaming, owe a lot to and should be able to access and play. It's not a matter of "wanting these games for free", it's a matter of wanting to be able to access these games, period, and Nintendo is deadset on making it as difficult as possible, even when it doesn't necessarily profit from them (need I remind you that many of the games that were taken down from Vimm's Lair are NOT available through their shitty, poorly-ported emulation subscription service - plus that subscription service can be altered and/or removed at any time, regardless of what you paid for, just like the Wii Virtual Console was, meaning you do not own any of the games you're paying to play on there.)

This isn't about being "cheap" or "not wanting to pay for games". This is about media preservation and the virtue of actually owning the things we pay for. If these games were resold at official outlets for reduced prices or made more accessible through e-shops that don't close down in between console generations or drip feed the odd legacy title every few months or release crappy ports on their outdated af tech for only a few months at a time for three times the price of their original value, people would gladly pay. It's the fact that people are having to put up with all of the hoops that Nintendo has put in place to prevent them from even handing them money to play their favorite titles that even drives them to piracy to begin with, and Nintendo will gladly shut those sites down to protect their IP even when it's an IP they're no longer profiting from and aren't making active efforts to sell.

Like, I would gladly hand over a reasonable amount of money (i.e. not the cost of a brand new triple A title in 2024 which is like $80-$100 here in Canada) for Diddy Kong Racing on the Switch, but ofc it's not on the fucking online play store and even if it was, I'd have to deal with paying an overpriced subscription fee for a port of the game that would undoubtedly run WORSE than it does on my PC, and that subscription service can be taken down at any time. But Nintendo wants me to not pirate the game that's not available on their shitty subscription service because... just don't do it, pretty please??

youtube

Nintendo is not anti-AI. They would gladly use AI in place of manual labor to scour the internet and dish out DMCA's to every emulation site, archived ROM hub, fan game, and artist alley creator if they could... oh wait, they already are.

Do not fall for the virtues of anti-AI when it comes to companies like Nintendo. They are not anti-AI. They're anti-ownership. They're anti-preservation.

#fuck you nintendo #the nintendo subscription service sucks ass #the games are ported horribly #the fact that the original gamecube can run at 60fps but the switch is locked at 30fps is fucking insane #it's 2024 get with the fucking PROGRAM

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yawarakaizai · 1 year ago

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pm!dazai taking reader on a date after school, but it’s somehow awkward! tried to get you a stuffie from a claw machine but failed miserably, so he shot the glass out of frustration.. something like that hehe ☆〜（ゝ。∂）

ⵌ HANGIN' OUT THE PASSENGER SIDE OF HIS BEST FRIEND'S RIDE

SENDER Reader (Fem) RECIPITENT PM Dazai Osamu (BSD) CONTENTS You were a horrible pair. You two were unlikely and the path ahead of you could have never predicted such thing to happen. You aren't sure why or how, but you found yourself the centre of Osamu Dazai's attraction. NOTE fluff, reader and dazai are 16/17, brief chuuya, jealousy, young love COMPANY No Scrubs

A/N wrote th is thro ughou t th e sch ool d ay ;3; forgi ve any mist a kes or rush ed writ ing !!! eeeeeeE EEEE i lov requ ests ٩(๑❛ᴗ❛๑)۶

It was embarrassing at this point.

You disliked bringing any sort of unwanted attention to yourself more than anything else. And yet, you owe it to the brunette by your side who attracted stares like a magnet.

" Owwh, fuck! " His drawn out swear accompanied by the stomping of his shoe against the carpeted floor. It's biometric, vibrant patterns splattered across a dark black background sickened you to stare for too long.

" I told you, these are a scam ", you attempted to protest against his insistence that he was sure to win this time, no take-backs. " Why not buy a ticket to the bowling alley instead of wasting it on these? " You remained temperate in opposition to his rowdy and indecent behaviour. You adopted the traits of an older sister, or a mother.

" No way! I spent too much to give up now. " Your head ached. " Look, if I keep inching it closer to the drop, I'll be sure to get it. "

And so, the poor joystick would continue to be abused, 200 yen being inserted into the comparator with every miss, Dazai's agitation growing with each failure.

It had been a sultry evening after school. Gathering your belongings and preparing to take the daily commute home, the pitter-patter of heavy footsteps ran behind you to reveal none other than Dazai Osamu.

He was somewhat of an enigma to everyone who knew him, even those that never exchanged a word with him knew of his name.

Dazai had a horrible track-record and even worse attendance. With a mysterious bandage over his right eye.

Despite his lack of punctuality and participation in classes, he not once has ever failed an exam. Many rumours circulated that he'd cheat - though no evidence of such was ever received. Others thought he must've slept his way to good grades.

Or, he was just inhumanely intelligent.

" Y/N! Y/N! " His ecstatic voice beckoned you to stop walking as he had finally caught up to you, bending over to catch his breath. " Let's visit the arcade together! "

You didn't know what possessed you to accept.

" Oy! Leave 'er alone, moron. Some people actually have work to get to after school. "

And there was his companion, Chuuya. Underestimating him is like a death wish. He was short. Horribly, unfortunately short. Sometimes, you'd feel bashful for the fact he'd have to look up at you sometimes.

Unlike Dazai, Chuuya's absence from school wasn't intentional.

No, not at all. Chuuya never missed a day of school on his own accord. His record full of missed days were from suspensions.

Often getting into fights with anyone, he has never lost a fight.

The duo had a dynamic you couldn't quite grasp.

And then there was you in the middle of it all.

Dazai had lured you into the friend-group about two years ago, when you were all put in the same base class and Dazai, in his extroverted glory, made attempts to suck up to all in class.

You listened to how the girls would swoon and whisper amongst themselves about the legend that was Dazai Osamu, and once he reached you, you couldn't be less impressed than what he had to offer.

" Oh, c'mon Y/N! It won't take too long, we never hang out anymore! "

His sad attempt at desperate puppy eyes lightened your day a little, so you thought you should humour him, just this once.

You didn't know much about Dazai and Chuuya's private life and you didn't pry into the territory either.

All you knew was that they were filthy rich and had a connection to the principal, Ogai Mori. Otherwise, they would've been expelled a long time ago.

" Let it go, Dazai. It's not worth it. " You put your hand on his shoulder as he leaned forward, nose barely touching the glass of the claw machine as he tried to focus on getting just what he wanted.

" But you looked at it! " He whined, digging into his pockets as the machine played a sound of defeat. " And? "

" And that means I need to get it for you! "

He insisted profusely that it'll be worth it, and you continued to doubt him. You've been standing by his side for thirty minutes at this point and not once has he won a prize.

You remarked to him that the game was purposely rigged, pointing out how weak the claw was and estimating the plushies within were weighing a little over the maximum capacity something so weak would be able to grasp for more than two seconds. That, and also how the claw would never close properly, inching in barely and dropping what toy it had luckily managed to hold onto.

And that degrading sound of humiliation. A squeaky, robotic coquettish voice repeating itself 'Better luck next time!' over and over.

Dazai was not losing to a machine.

Your stomach grumbled with hunger, and it was becoming clear that you both were growing with unrest at this machine.

" You kids still going at that? "

An arm propped itself on top of the roof of the claw machine, you looked up to see a worker had made his way over to you both. Dazai, did not look up from the game.

" I tried to get him to stop ", you mumbled, looking away from him. You'd always get shy at people older than you. You weren't exactly timid, but you were raised to be respectful. " He wants to win it for me. " It sounded oddly romantic when you put it that way.

" Yeah? You sure he can do it? " The man laughed at the truth. " So you two are on a date? " He overstayed his welcome and you began to wonder if it was usual for employees to wedge themselves into customers business.

" Yeah. We are. " Dazai answered for you, slotting in more coins for yet another try.

" Here, move li'l man, I got this. " Shoving Dazai away by the hip, the white-haired man. Begrudgingly, Dazai said nothing.

And almost with no effort at all, the man easily got the claw to clasp around the exact seal plush you wanted.

He must have been watching you both for a while to know what you wanted.

Although you kept assuring Dazai you didn't need it, you couldn't help the way your eyes sparkled as the man handed it to you with a smug smile.

" Oh! Thank you, sir! Thank you! " You took it from his hand with joy, looking at the fat cushion with adoration. It was simply adorable! You bowed your head repeatedly in gratitude, though felt it was simply not enough.

You almost forgot about Dazai until your ears deafened with the sound of a loud bang and the crashing of glass.

On impulse, you dropped to your knees with your hands over your ears protectively, unsure as to what just happened. Peeking through your tightly shut eyes, you saw that you were the only one to have dropped down and everyone else was as normal as ever.

Before you were even able to question, you uncovered your ear to hear Dazai converse with the man.

" How sad, I guess when you're making minimum wage you figure out how to make your job interesting. " Dazai cocked his pistol like second nature, and behind the legs of the employee you were crouched behind, you peered between his legs up at Dazai with wide, lost eyes.

Looking down at you, Dazai looked pissed.

" Didn't mean to scare you. Get up, we're leaving. "

The employee and Dazai seemed to know each other. You figured by the way the older man was cool about the whole ordeal, almost like he'd done everything intentionally.

You shakily rose to your feet, at a loss for words, and stared with astonishment as Dazai began to gather multiple stuffed toys from the now-broken claw machine and hold them in his arms after tucking his pistol away.

" But- you- the- "

You tripped over your words and found yourself unable to comprehend what had just happened.

" Not gonna run way with your Clyde, Bonnie? " The employee joked, stepping out of your way.

You felt this to be illegal. Maybe because it was. You did not want to aid in a robbery even if the employee was not actively stopping you. Before you could even act, Dazai grabbed you by the arm and ran ahead of you, dragging you behind him as he laughed, your other arm held tightly around the seal plush, afraid to let it go.

" Holy shit, I was so cool! " He shrilled, your shorter legs barely able to keep up with his strides.

" Dah-zai! " You panted out as he kept on running.

Your adrenaline rang in your ears and the heart in your chest beat rapidly as the two of you ran, jumped, hopped over valleys, onto the stepping stones of the river and through the bushes of the dark forest.

" Y/N! "

Dazai yelled out to you. At this point, many plushies in his arms had fallen, yet your intertwined hands never once budged open.

" Whah! Wh-What! " You tried to match his energy, but you were far too exhausted.

Finally, you both collapsed into the cold grass surrounding by large oak trees.

The night sky looking down on wild star-crossed students.

" I think I.. think I love you, Y/N " He said between deep breaths, both your limbs spread out as you tuned to the sound of crickets, the birds and the rapid breathing of one another.

You didn't know what you were thinking, or if you were even thinking coherently, though..

" I think I love you too, 'samu. "

©yawarakaizai 2023 ﹒﹒ reblogs appreciated! requests open :3

#dazai x reader #pmzai #pm dazai x reader #port mafia dazai x reader #bsd x reader

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afternoondreaming · 5 months ago

Text

No Business Like Show Business (1/?)

It’s no secret that Mr. Puzzles isn’t the most…Creative guy around. So he makes the shrewd business decision to hire you- the screen writer! What could possibly go wrong? [Okay so my secret is that I adore Mr. Puzzles and that he’s my comfort character but I…Really don’t like SMG4 as a whole. Personally I just don’t like the show when the TV ain’t in it. So, forgive me if anything is inaccurate in regards to the world or lore! I’m working off the Wiki here ｡°(°.◜ᯅ◝°)°｡. Either way, this is the first of hopefully many chapters! Lemme know if you want more! Also RIP formatting]

The TV producer sat in his chair, hunched forward with his elbows against his knees as his electronic head rested against his steepled hands. Darkness ensconced him in his eerily quiet office, only the dim light of his own screen and the countless monitors in front of him for any light. His defeat at the hands of the SMG4 crew had been… Humiliating, to say the least. Not only did they beat his screen in, but they had bested him at his own game. What he dedicated his very life to. Television. They had gotten their five stars so much quicker than he did and with seemingly much less effort. There was no possible way the crew had studied more in the realm of film and video than him— he had literally seen everything! From eternal classics to infomercials, Mr. Puzzles could perfectly recall every piece of cinema ever created. And, despite all that work, he still lost.

“No, no use in dwelling on that now.” He muttered to himself, aching for a smoke. “What can I do differently…?” Rising from his chair, he began to pace his office as he wracked his brain. Perhaps branch into Japanese styled game-shows? No, he couldn’t possibly. If his ultimate game-show didn’t work, then zany Japanese game-shows wouldn’t, either. Maybe foreign films? Too niche an audience and it wasn’t as if his Italian endeavor went splendidly. What hadn’t he copied (or rather referenced) yet? There had to be something…!

His frantic patrol of his office stopped short. Maybe… That was the exact problem. He hasn’t made anything new. His knowledge of all things film was encyclopedic, but his creative muscles? Woefully inept. He had always produced everything alone. Scripts? Him. Effects? Also him. Hosting? Who else could possibly do that job? Not as if he would let anybody else take the helm; but if he hired a screen writer… Maybe he could finally write an original enough script to get a five star rating. Nothing ventured, nothing gained.

You had heard of Puzzlevision before, I mean, who hadn’t? They were a juggernaut of the industry. Pumping out content hand over fist (for better or for worse). Yet, they were an enigma of a company at the same time- nobody ever seemed to have any work connections to them despite all the content they produce. It was the golden ticket of job opportunities. So, just like many of your coworkers, you submitted your résumé to their business address. Never expecting to hear anything back like the many others who tried their hand at it. However, currently, you sat in shock staring at the letter you just opened on your desk. The small TV logo on crisp letterhead, with a whole message to boot.

‘Dear Applicant,

Puzzlevision Studios has reviewed your submitted résumé and would like to thank you for your interest in our company. Given your stated qualifications and past headed projects, we would like to offer to you the title of Screen Writer. If you would like to pursue this opportunity, please visit the studio at the return address during regular business hours.’

Puzzlevision had never even answered applicants before, much less an affirmative response. Surely more talented writers had to have applied? It wasn’t as if you were inept. In fact, you had worked on many successful projects. Leading them through any bumps in the road you might have faced and being well regarded amongst your peers. But, a job at Puzzlevision… It all seemed too good to be true. Your coworker, Tori, rounded your shared cubicle wall to say her good mornings to you as she always did. “Yo!” She chirped, leaning on your shoulder as she looked ahead of you absentmindedly. “What’s got you so star struck? …Oh shit.” Her eyes must have skimmed your letter, given she was now just as shocked as you. “Well look at you! I can say I worked with a big shot before they got big~!”

“Yeah…!” You replied, excitement beginning to replace the shock. Of course you had to take this! You liked your company, sure, but anyone would give for an opportunity like this. “I gotta draft my resignation…! Pack up my cubicle, get my clothes dry cleaned for the interview- oh God I wasn’t expecting this.”

“Chill, chill!” Tori crooned, patting your shoulder gently when she removed herself from it. “No need to panic. That’ll get you nowhere. Just take your PTO today and draft the resignation while you get your things in order. Once you get the gig, we’ll grab a celebratory dinner, ‘kay?”

“Definitely!” You quickly grabbed the things you had just set down to start your day, ready to depart posthaste for all your prepping. “Tell the boss I’m outta here! Text you later!” You bolted back towards the entrance, waving back at Tori as she called out a goodbye. This was going to be a whirlwind.

#mr puzzles #mr puzzles x reader #mr puzzles x oc #fanfic #x reader #self ship #self ship fanfiction #smg4 mr puzzles

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itsfairly · 11 months ago

Text

Two Negatives Make a Positive // Nanami Kento x f!reader

word count: 2.4k

cw: f!reader, neighbors to lovers, valentine's inspired (not mentioned but that's the main idea), not proofread

summary: dating can be tricky and nanami has confirmed that fact tonight on his date. but as he gets home and sees his neighbor alone by the stairs, he gets the feeling he isn't the only one with a bad night.

notes: i have no notes other than you can tell when things started to flow for him in this one.

liked this? show it with a like, reblog, and/or comment. each is greatly appreciated and celebrated!

His date wasn’t going well. Not because his date was rude or not interested, but it didn’t feel like a date. Rather than feeling his cheeks hurt from how much he was smiling, Nanami felt he was just being polite rather than smitten. Maybe he was jumping to conclusions so quickly, he thought, maybe as the date went on things would fall into place to meet again.

But things never seem to fall just right. Conversation was bland and when it seemed like it would get better, the moment didn’t seem to last for longer than a few seconds whether because of an interruption or because that was the end of that thread. They couldn’t seem to find their pace, resulting in multiple occasions when they ended up interrupting each other mid-sentence, maybe her sneaking her phone down the table as if to escape the awkwardness of the situation, which only made it worse in his eyes. It was obvious to know that, despite the kind “we should do this again sometime”, they wouldn’t meet each other for a second date.

After walking his date to their car, Nanami sighs, running his fingers through his hair. This one wasn’t as lucky either. Neither was the last, and the one before that, and the one before that…when did dating become so complicated? Even with this many ways to meet other people, the universe didn’t seem to help him much with his cards. Again, it wasn't like the people he met were horrible, they were always polite and even lovely, but it didn’t seem to click with any of them. Nanami was beginning to think that maybe he was looking for a spark that didn’t exist for many people, that he was having too high of expectations and he had to lower them to his dismay.

For now, he just wanted to be alone, maybe have something to get rid of that sad taste in his mouth once he got home. The drive was nothing noteworthy, simply love songs playing on the radio no matter how much he tried to avoid them by changing stations, almost as if the universe decided that mocking him was much more fun than helping him in his predicament. But eventually he gets home, but he also sees you. His neighbor was all dressed up and sitting by the entrance of the building with your phone in your hand.

Of course he knew you, but he had to admit he had to double check to confirm it was you. He just never caught you looking so…elegant like this, you were always rushing out of the building and coming back so exhausted from work that you always kept your appearance simple to make it easier to maintain. Not tonight. Tonight it was obvious that you took the time to impress someone: flowery dress with heels, blush and glossy lips, string earrings that match your necklace, along with a small purse that kept you company on the side. Another thing that was different was your face, not because of the make up but because of your expression. Rather than the bright and confident look that you always wore, you were looking down with a soured expression, letting out a frown as you put your phone down and buried your face in your hands.

While Nanami did know you, it wasn’t anything beyond neighbors. Hello and good evening accompanied by small talk for the sake of being polite, nothing more. But it wasn’t like he could just walk past you when you were obviously distressed. It might not be his place as a guy that happened to live in the same building as you, but he couldn’t ignore that you were alone outside and all dressed up. His mind made two and two together and decided to walk up ahead to you.

“Seems like I’m not the only one ending the night on a bad note.” Nanami said, trying to sound as casual as possible. He didn’t want to seem as if all he wanted was to downplay what you were going through.

You run your hands up through your hair, looking up at Nanami before you. Just like you, he was dressed quite elegantly, his blazer hanging around his arm and revealing the rest of his white shirt and black vest. He always dressed quite professional, being a businessman and all, as well as always looking quite stressed. Tonight though, he seemed let down, just like you did.

“You’re a man, right?” You asked, sounding gloomy. Before he could express his confusion to the question, you continued with, “explain to me why a guy would cancel a date five minutes before it.”

So it was as he thought, he got much luckier than you by not getting stood up by his date like you were. Offering a sympathetic chuckle, he sits down one the stairs with you. Not by your side but on the opposite side of the stairs to you. It was one thing for a date to not work like this, but it was another one to get canceled at the last minute, practically to be denied the chance to know whether or not it would lead to something more. It was a quite immature move to cancel so quickly and out of nowhere, especially when it seemed like you really put a lot of consideration into tonight if you looked like that.

“Do you want a polite answer or my answer?” He asks, bringing his hands together as he rests his elbows on his legs.

“Whichever is more real.” You mumbled.

Nanami sighs, looking up at the night sky as he searches for an answer. He didn’t want to make you feel worse, especially considering that your date’s actions are nowhere near your responsibility, but he knew how it could be so easy to beat yourself up over it if you looked distressed over it.

“Maybe he got cold feet at the last minute, realized that dating isn’t his thing or found someone else. Regardless, if he canceled minutes before your date, they are not worth your time if they disrespect you so quickly.”

You nodded, wrapping your arms around your legs and resting your head on your knees, looking straight ahead. Nanami could only hope that his words weren’t too harsh on you, so he decides to add onto his answer to soften whatever blow he might have landed.

“Besides, a man doesn't cancel a date so close to it. Maybe you got lucky avoiding such an immature guy just now.”

You chuckled, the corner of your lips lifting for a second in appreciation. You turn to look at him, your back resting against the stairs rail with a sigh.

“I know it has nothing to do with me or that I did something wrong, it’s just that I was excited for tonight. You know, that giddiness that comes on a date, getting to know each other, and…just hoping for more…”

As your words trail off, the two of you sit in silence, letting those feelings of disappointment come back up for Nanami. Those experiences you described were the ones he felt he was left out of tonight, instead getting brushed to the side at times by getting interrupted or his date focusing on something else other than their date together, as well as hoping for the date to either end or get better rather than wishing more of it. Of course, you probably felt the same as him, deprived of what so many people call the purpose of life. What a joke, he thought. If the purpose of life was to find someone you loved, then why was it so hard for some over others.

It felt weird for this to be his first conversation with you outside of small talk and other neighborly matters, but at the same time there was this odd comfort in knowing he wasn’t the only one feeling robbed of some romance for tonight, someone to share his misery with, even if you two were yet to know each other better.

“Being on the date isn’t easier either,” Nanami broke the silence with a light scoff.

You raise your brow at him, taking a good look up and down before asking, “Is that why you're all dressed up? I mean, you’re always looking very fancy and elegant. It’s just that tonight you looked like you were headed to somewhere nice.”

He chuckled, surprised at the subtle compliment, he doesn't comet much about it. “I did. It just wasn’t the date I was hoping for.”

You softened, your brows pinching together as your shoulders relaxed. “Was it that bad?”

“It wasn’t bad. She didn't do anything outrageous, but it was just uncomfortable. Not because of first date nerves, but because we didn't really click.” Nanami explained, shrugging his shoulders to show that it wasn’t that big of a deal. It wasn’t that things didn’t work out on this particular date that bothered him anyways, it was that things weren't working out for quite some time and it was growing frustrating for him.

You nodded, taking in his words as well as his frustration. It was a different kind of frustration to yours at the moment, but it was the same feeling. You two were still looking for that romance that simply didn’t seem to come to either of you just yet, no matter how hard you tried to find it.

“Seems like dating is hard for the both of us.” You chuckled, resting your head against the railing. “It’s too tricky. Maybe we should start a support group for the romantically challenged."

Nanami chuckles, no, he laughs. It was enough to lift up his spirits after bringing them down. He shrugs, looking at you with a sympathetic smile, “That would mean we would have to find other people to join in.”

“I think people would be embarrassed to even join. You know, between dating apps and all, they would feel like there’s no excuse to complain about being single.”

“Then it can be just the two of us. It seems like we understand each other right now.”

You smile, making Nanami’s mood improve when he sees that smile that you always wear. That smile simply pulls your look together, brighter than the jewelry you’re wearing and softer than the dress around your body. It was strange. He just came out of a nice restaurant, the kind that has a nice dinner with dim lights, and he was having much more fun at the stairs of his building with his neighbor. One moment frustrated that his date didn’t click and the next feeling his lips curl up because of your smile, a smile that was because of him.

It took a second for him to realize that he was smiling much more sincerely before you than he did before his date tonight, a smile that not only reached his cheeks but also his eyes. That his chest was warming up with that feeling he has been seeking for longer than just this evening. That things were clicking.

After a few seconds of silence, he speaks up, his voice softer and tender, “I should’ve said this before, but you look really pretty tonight.”

Your smile softens as your head tilts downwards to look down at your clothes, as if you had forgotten that you had gotten ready for tonight, before looking back up to him, “oh, thank you…you look very nice yourself. Well, you always do, considering that this…” you signal to his clothes up and down with your hand, “...is what you wear on a daily basis. It’s a really good look on you.”

He chuckles, looking downwards for a second as he thinks on what to respond before he realizes he has a blazer on his lap. He looks up at the sky, the moon high on the night with the stars shining all around it, making him remember your smile and the earrings that frame your face nicely. He thinks that sight of you looks just as beautiful as the sky right now…

“Thank you. I wasn’t saying it to be nice though. I meant it and it’s a shame that they canceled and missed out on such a lovely person.” He reaffirms, scooting a bit closer to you.

You hummed, not scooting away from him or pushing him away. In fact, it seemed like your eyes couldn’t drift away from him. Whether it was the moon shining on them or something else, there was a shine to them now. He liked it. He really really liked it.

“Say,” Nanami clears his throat, swallowing his nerves as he looks at you with a hint of shyness now that he realized how much of a reaction he was having at the moment, “since we’re both so dressed up, what if we go out for a drink? To end the night on a better note.”

You chuckled, nodding at his proposal as you extended your hand for him to grab. “Thought you never ask.” You say playfully, your smile reaching your eyes as they squinted slightly.

Nanami chuckles as well, getting up from the stairs and standing in front of you to take your hand. As he lifts you up the stairs, he wraps his blazer around you, meeting a soft “oh” from your lips. When you try to take it off, insisting that he doesn't need to, he shakes his head.

“Please, it’s already late out here and cold. At least until we reach my car.” He insists, tilting his head down towards you to meet your eyes.

You keep your hands on his blazer, pulling it closer to you by the edges of it as you thank him. It was a nice feeling, maybe this is what he meant earlier when he called the guy that stood you up as immature because here he was as his contrast. Nanami wasn’t even your date until a few seconds ago and he was already making you feel all those butterflies in your stomach, that giddiness, that excitement of getting to know him…maybe this was what it meant to go out with a man that knew the kind of relationship he wanted. Secure and upfront, but also tender and considerate.

Opening the door of the car for you, Nanami helps you into the seat and then walks around the car on his own, a genuine smile on his face as he drives off to a café you recommended just now. As he drove, those same love songs from earlier keep playing on the radio, making him thank the universe for letting things play out the way they were supposed to. Now, not only did he know you two would do this again soon, but he also got that spark he has been looking for with you.

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howlingday · 5 months ago

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Prompt Idea: Pyrrha is feeling real sad and her teammates find her so they decide to lay down on the grass with her to help her feel better. (It works)

"Haaah..."

"Everything okay, Pyrrha?"

"It's nothing." It was a lot of things. The recent flux of difficult assignments as a result of their graduation from first years to second. The fact Jaune was still hesitant to kiss her after they'd made themselves official. Her occasional flashbacks to that night of the Vytal Tournament. She was lucky to survive, if only with the help of her sister team's leader having a magical trump card to scare off Cinder Fall, who was still out there. In a way, it was all those things. "I promise."

"You'd even give your word on it?" Jaune asked with a raised brow. Damn! Caught! She could lie and give her word, but she saw angry Jaune got when Cardin broke his word when he started messing with Ruby. She didn't want that. At least not directed at her. "Pyrrha?"

"I... can't. Sorry."

"You don't have to apologize, Pyrrha. We're here for you." Looking across the room where Ren sat on his bed. "All of us. Right, Ren?"

"Yes." He nodded. "And Nora would agree if she were here."

"If who was what?" Nora entered, carrying a basket and a large blanket. "Sorry, I was busy planning a surprise!"

"Is the surprise a picnic?" Jaune asked.

"Well, since you spoiled it," she dropped the heavier than they look items onto him, making their leader sink into his bed, "YOU get to plan it!"

"A picnic doesn't sound like a bad idea." Ren looked to Pyrrha. "Maybe some fresh air will help you feel better."

"Oh, are you sick, Pyrrha?" Nora began lifting Pyrrha's arms, gently tugging at fingers as she did. "You didn't break anything, did you?"

"No, Nora." Pyrrha chuckled. "And maybe you're right, Ren. Maybe a picnic would help me."

--------------------------------------------------

It did not help at all. If anything, Pyrrha felt worse than before because now she was itchy and picking bugs out of places she never had before! She and Nora had to check each other's more "intimate" parts, same with Ren and Jaune, and Nora was probably a lot more rough than Ren or Jaune were to each other.

And if ticks weren't the worst of it, the discovery of ringworm on the soles of their feet definitely filled that gap. Everyone's feet were so itchy, it was one of the few times she was grateful to still have her connections from her competitive days. Same-day delivery to the rescue, as Nora put it.

"Never again! Never again!" The pink girl shouted as she scratched a bug bite that wouldn't go away. "There's a reason kids don't touch grass anymore!"

"It's not that bad." Ren said. "Just don't think about it." He sat quietly for a moment before reaching to his arm. His other hand slapped it away, unwittingly striking where a bug bite was located. He started rubbing his sore hand, then scratching it.

"Well, bug bites aside," Jaune came in from the bathroom, new set of clothing on, "I'd say it was a pretty good day."

"Really?" His team asked in unison.

"Uh, well, we had fun until the bugs, right?"

"And the itching?" Ren asked, moving from scratching his hand to scratching his arm.

"And the bugs on my-"

"Yeah!" Jaune held out his hands, shutting his eyes and looking away. "Yeah, all of that." He opened his eyes to see Pyrrha looking at him. "Did you have fun, Pyrrha?"

"I... I did." She nodded. "And while I won't say I'm going to look back on this part of the experience with fond memories, it was nice to sit in the grass with you." He returned the smile she gave him.

"I'm gonna take the laundry downstairs." He explained as he walked past the self-scratching Ren and Nora and pulled the soap from the closet. "Anyone mind keeping me company?"

"I don't mind at all." Pyrrha slid off her bed. "Especially since this is partly my fault."

"Partly?" Nora asked with a quirked brow. She received narrowed brows in return. "Okay, yeah, partly."

"Nobody blames you, Pyrrha. If anyone should be blamed, it should be me for planning this picnic thing."

"Wait, didn't Nora-" Ren was hushed by Nora, who slapped her hands over his mouth.

"Yup! Jaune did it!" She exclaimed. She then flinched as Ren grabbed her wrists, right on her bug bite.

"I grew up pretty close to a field. I should've known better."

"That's very sweet of you to say, Jaune, but it was my... slump that drove us out there."

"Actually, it was the bullhead pilot who drove us." Jaune corrected. "And we were already planning to go outside for a while. We've been cooped up, dealing with all our homework, so I brought up the idea that we should have a day out to Nora and she went grabbed everything for the trip. Right, Nora?"

The girl didn't respond as she and Ren had engaged in an odd game that took the term 'scratching my back' too literally. Her fingers dug into Ren's back while the long-haired boy began scraping up and down her sides, sliding to below her beltline. They both made uncomfortable to hear sounds for the official couple.

"Uh, so, laundry?" Pyrrha asked with a blush.

"Yeah, and maybe some cold water for these two." Jaune mumbled as he took hold of the laundry basket.

"Oh, and Jaune?"

"Yeah, Pyr-" She pressed her lips to his, following her as she pulled away. "Th-Thanks, Pyrrha."

"You're welcome, Jaune."

All in all, it was a pretty good day.

#rwby #pyrrha nikos #nora valkyrie #lie ren #jaune arc #arkos #renora

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mountttmase · 2 years ago

Text

Be Bad For Once

Note - this one is a bit of a longie so strap in 😉 thank you to the anon for the request I kind of went a bit wild but I love writing female characters like this 🩷 I would really love some feedback as I’ve been working on this for a long time and it’s special to me 😂

Pairing - Mason Mount × Reader

Word count - 9.4K

Warnings - fluffy and angsty

You knew dating a client was off limits, but there was something about Mason that meant you couldn’t help yourself. He was cheeky, confident and unbelievably sexy. You were pretty sure you’d never been this attracted to a man before and the fact you couldn’t do much about it only made it worse.

Technically his dad was your client, but since he worked for Mason it was basically the same thing, and you knew as soon as your eyes locked onto his deep brown ones you were done for.

You never seen a man as a necessity in your life, sure they were good fun sometimes but you had more important things to worry about like running your company and making sure everyone in your life was well looked after. Accounting was difficult at the best of times but setting up your own boutique company to cater for a few select clients had always been your dream and now you were living it, you weren’t about to let a man with a pretty smile take it away from you.

Tony was one of your favourite clients, fun and easy going, so when you checked your calendar and realised you had a meeting with him booked in for today you let out a sigh of relief.

You almost lost your cool when you walked into the meeting room to find Mason sat there alongside him, trying you hardest not to blush when you shook his hand and hating the way your body seemed to react to him every single time you saw him.

‘Good to see you, Mason. I didn’t know you were coming’

‘Recovering from an injury so I’ve got a bit of extra free time. Plus when dad said he was coming here I couldn’t pass up the opportunity’ he told you, his voice sending a shiver down your spine and you had to refrain from biting your lip.

The meeting went as well as it could, what with Mason looking at you like you were something to eat most of the way through. His eyes seeming to be glued onto your mouth every time you spoke so you focused on only speaking to Tony, pretending he wasn’t even there until he started asking questions. That cheeky smirk of his making your insides quiver and you weren’t sure how much longer you were supposed to resist him for.

‘I’m just popping to the loo and we’ll head out’ tony announced at the end, quietly slipping from the room as you were packing up your stuff to head back to your office.

‘Not gonna leave me in here are you?’ Mason asked lowly, leaning back in his chair with his legs spread wide and you had to grip your laptop in order not to crawl into his lap and kiss his face off. But you walked towards the door and held it open for him.

‘Of course not, we can go wait for your dad by the lift’

‘Sounds like someone doesn’t want to be alone with me’ he said on his way passed but you took a deep breath and followed him out, trying not to look at the way his jeans hugged his bum so perfectly but thankfully his dad was ready and waiting for you.

‘You all set’ you smiled as you approached him and he nodded before you all said your goodbyes. Mason held your hand for a little too long after your handshake and you let your walls slip a tiny bit as you offered him a cheeky smile in acknowledgement to which he pulled you in closer. Thankfully his dad had turned around to walk out so he couldn’t see but you felt you skin tingle at being so close to Mason.

‘Don’t miss me too much’ he whispered.

‘Trust me, I won’t’ you replied, and with one last wink he was following his dad out the door.

‘You need to warn me next time he’s here’ your assistant and work wife Carly suddenly told you as you waved them pair of them out the door. ‘I don’t know how you sit in a room with him and not jump him’

‘It’s really not that hard’ you lied, walking back to your office as she followed you.

‘You’re telling me you don’t find him attractive?’

‘I’ve got eyes, of course I do. But I know his type. He’s as cheeky as anything and he’s a client. I can’t go there’

‘You’re the boss, y/n. You can do what you want. But if you don’t want to… Can I go there?’ She asked playful and even though you gave her a stern look, she knew you were being lightheaded. ‘Fine, but we’re all going out for drinks tonight so that means you too. You owe me a cocktail for not letting me have a handsome man’ she huffed in jest.

What was meant to be a few quiet drinks with the girls had turned into all of you bundling into some random club. It was packed, dark and loud but was definitely needed after today and you’d made up your mind that you were on the hunt for someone to talk you home after all the built up tension that today had bought you.

It was still earlyish, but no one had caught your eye and as soon as you went to the bar for a breather from all your dancing, a drink was placed in front of you straight away.

‘I didn’t order this’ you told the barman, confused as to why he’d given it to you but he sent you a soft smile and nodded his head to the side.

‘Compliments of the vip area’ he told you before going on to serve the next customer.

You had no idea what that meant, looking over to where he’d motioned and your whole body froze. Even in the dark you could recognise that smile and your mouth fell open before you quickly shut it.

Mason gave you a tiny wave and you fought so hard not to return it but you gave in, acknowledging him with a small laugh before he nodded his head over to the velvet rope that separated him and made a motion like he wanted you to come and join him. You shook your head automatically, knowing if you went over there that anything could happen but the way he dropped his lip like he was disappointed made you shake your head and pick your drink up, walking over to where he’d motioned to. He let the bouncer know you were with him before leading you through the space to a quiet corner where you could finally hear yourself think.

‘I shouldn’t be here, what if someone see’s?’

‘No one knows who you are to me it’s fine’ he shrugged, sipping his drink whilst his brown eyes burnt into yours.

‘How did you know I was here?’

‘I’ve got eyes everywhere’ he winked and you rolled yours as he shook his head. ‘I’m kidding. Carly makes a great cup of tea but quiet she isn’t. I could hear her shouting for you to drop it like it’s hot from all the way over here. From what I could see I get why everyone was cheering’

You felt your face burn knowing that he’d seen you let loose like that so you tried to deflect and change the subject.

‘And this? What’s this?’ You asked, nodding to the drink before confirming it was your usual. ‘How did you know that’s what I drink?’

‘Lucky guess?’

‘Why are you here? Won’t you get into trouble if you’re caught somewhere like this while you’re injured?’

‘It probably won’t look great, but I’d definitely say it’s worth the risk tonight’ he winked and you shook your head with a laugh. ‘Anymore questions?’

‘I don’t think so’

You carried on talking, not about anything in particular but it was nice to see this side of him. Thoughts about someone taking you home vanishing as your brain focused on nothing but Mason. Wondering what that tongue could do every time he licked his lips, or how his fingers would feel as he stroked over his glass. You hated how attracted to him you were but you couldn’t stop yourself from holding back from him tonight.

‘Right, I’ve got a question for you. What are you doing after this?’ He asked. A strange twinkle in his eye that you tried to ignore but you had a funny feeling you knew what was coming next.

‘I don’t know. Probably getting some chips from the chicken shop over the road and going home to sleep?’

‘Could I maybe tempt you with another offer?’

‘No, but I know you’re going to try’

‘Come home with me’ he stated and you almost choked on your drink as you felt him place his hand on your thigh.

‘What? No way’

‘Why not?’ He laughed, looking at you like it was the most simple thing in the world. ‘You can’t tell me you don’t want to’

‘Mason it’s not happening’

‘Look I get it, I’m a client and it’s wrong or whatever but I can’t get you out of my head. Tell me you don’t feel the same and I’ll stop’ he said seductively. His voice low as he continued to stroke over your thigh and you felt yourself shake your head at him to let him know you agreed before he pulled your chair closer to his. You gasped at the movement and watched how he laughed cheekily, pushing your hair back behind your ear before leaning in further so he could whisper into it. ‘Thought so. You’re always playing by the rules, just be bad for once yeah? Come back with me and let me show you how sexy I think you are’ he murmured, finally pressing a kiss to your jaw and you felt you tummy flip.

‘I need the loo’ you suddenly blurted, jumping off the seat and in the direction of the toilet and you heard Mason sigh as you left. He was overwhelming in the best way possible but you couldn’t think whilst his big brown eyes were looking into yours.

You knew you wanted him, you were just lying to yourself at this point but the thought of this opportunity not presenting itself again made your tummy churn. You knew you shouldn’t, you weren’t allowed, but that just made it all the more exciting to you and you made up your mind then and there that you were doing it. Even if it was just to get it out of your system so you could go back to having a normal client relationship you needed to have him in every way possible.

You weren’t long, coming out to find Mason waiting for you, gently grabbing your wrist so he could pull you into a quiet corridor where he pushed you up against the wall so he could cup your jaw gently. His body was pressed against yours, expression now serious as his eyes flicked all over your face with an emotion you couldn’t quite detect.

‘Im sorry. You know if I pushed things too far? I didn’t mean to’ he told you and you shook your head at him gently.

‘You didn’t’ you whispered but his face didn’t change.

‘You sure? I don’t want to make you feel uncomfortable. I’m just really fucking attracted to you and you make me a little crazy’ he confessed, causing you to giggle and his face to soften ever so slightly.

‘You make me crazy too’ you whispered and before you knew it he was kissing you softly.

Your whole body felt electrified as soon as his lips touched yours. It all felt a little bit wrong even though it felt right at the same time and you pulled him to you so you were as close as two bodies could be.

‘Take me home’ you told him as soon as you pulled away and his eyes widened in shock before nodding at you gently.

He lead you by the hand back through the vip area, his friends clearly watching as you heard a few cheers and jibes from across the room but Mason silenced them with his middle finger before taking you outside.

‘You still want those chips?’ He asked with a smile, nodding towards the chicken shop you’d mentioned earlier but you didn’t want to put him through going in there and someone recognising him so you shook your head and stood a little closer to him for warmth.

‘Mason? I was just thinking. My house is way closer’ you told him causing him to laugh before passing you his phone to put your address in for the Uber. You weren’t waiting long, his hand firmly planted on your thigh the whole way there and you traced random patterns on his arm as he watched you intently. Finally getting to touch him in a way you’d always wanted to and from the look in his eyes he was definitely enjoying it.

You’d barely got the door open and he was already kissing the back of your neck, smiling into your skin as his hands were all over your waist and bum.

‘All I could think about in that bloody meeting earlier was getting out of your clothes, I can’t believe i actually get to do it now’ he laughed, watching you walk inside your flat. His big eyes not knowing where to look as you beckoned him in, finally shutting the door to the outside world so you could have Mason right where you wanted him.

The next morning you woke up to a pounding head and an arm around your waist.

You were frozen to the spot, knowing exactly who it was and when you peered over your shoulder your heart fluttered at Masons sleepy face.

You turned as carefully as you could in his embrace, settling back down so you could look at him for a little bit and he seemed to move closer to you in his sleep. His hand traveling from your waist down to rest on your bum as he nestled his face further into the pillow.

He was gorgeous, there was no denying it. From the crinkles around his eyes, to the freckles on his cheeks and the small pout playing on his perfect pink lips. You could look at him all day, but you were trying your hardest to suppress those feelings bubbling away inside you. Last night was supposed to be a one off, a way to let off some steam and move on from him and this weird fascination but it didn’t work. You wanted him now more than ever but you knew it was all wrong.

You slipped out of bed, wishing you had gone to Masons so you could of gotten away from him quicker but you grabbed some fresh clothes and made you way into the bathroom for a quick shower and a change before heading down to the kitchen, wondering what on earth you were supposed t say to him when he woke up.

Mason came in five minutes later, dressed in the same clothes from last night and he gave you a warm smile but you couldn’t return it, eyes dropping to the floor so you couldn’t see his expression.

‘So um, can I buy you breakfast or something?’

‘I don’t eat breakfast’ you told him bluntly and you knew he was about to say something so you got in there first. ‘I don’t really have time, I need to leave for work soon’ you told him and he nodded solemnly.

‘I guess I’ll get out your hair then’ he said quietly, dropping a quick kiss on your forehead before walking towards to front door. You wanted to call out after him, wanted to pull him back and throw your arms around him so you could kiss him properly but you knew your voice wouldn’t be strong enough and you let him go. Sighing loudly when you heard the door close.

It’s not that you regretted last night or anything close to it. Mason was attractive and funny and way better in the bedroom than you thought he would be. But the way he made you feel scared you. Exposed and vulnerable, like you were made of glass and he could see right through you. Your idea of getting Mason out of your system clearly hadn’t worked out how you were expecting it to and you could feel a dark cloud hanging over you for the rest of the day.

You got to work in one piece, planning to sit alone in your office all day and pretend you weren’t sulking over Mason when a knock on your door bought you out of your slump. Carly proceeded to walk in with a coffee in one hand and a brown paper bag in the other, placing them on your desk with a smile.

‘What’s this?’ You asked

‘Why don’t you open it up and find out’ she smiled and you opened the bag to find your favourite breakfast sandwich from a cafe just down the road, moaning as you took your first bite.

‘Oh Carls, you’re a life saver thank you’

‘Don’t thank me, I didn’t buy it’

‘What do you mean?’ You asked, fishing the napkin out of the bag but the writing on it captured your attention before she had chance to speak.

‘He came in and asked me to give it to you, I think he felt a little bit scared but how sweet. You must of made quite the impression in your meeting yesterday’

‘I slept with him last night’ you blurted and she nearly fell off her seat.

‘You what!?’

‘Keep your voice down’

‘I wondered where you went. You little minx I can’t believe it’

‘Look he was there randomly, we had a little chat and he came back to mine. The rest is history is they say’

‘What’s his dick like? Is it big? It looks big in those shorts sometimes’

‘We are not having this conversation right now. Or ever’ you laughed, noticing the excited look on Carly’s face but you knew you were about to let her down.

‘Well when are you seeing him next?’

‘Hopefully never’ you murmured and she gave you a confused look. ‘He’s a client, I shouldn’t of done it in the first place’

‘You can’t avoid him, by the looks of it he wants to take you out’

‘Carly i can’t’

‘You already have’ she laughed ‘technically Tony is your client but if you feel weird about it then why don’t you pass him over to Nicky, I’m sure she’d love to take him on’

‘But I like Tony’ you pouted. ‘He was one of my first clients I don’t wanna pass him over’

‘Just think about about it’ she laughed

‘I don’t need Mason. I don’t need any man. I’m fine with just me’

‘Oh honey none of us need a man. They’re just nice to have’ she winked ‘and I can’t think of anyone nicer than Mason’

She didn’t say another word, just gave you a knowing look before leaving you to your breakfast

You already had Masons number in your work phone, but it it felt weird to text him from there so even though it was probably way weirder to text him from your personal number, you copied it over and sent him a quick thank you for your breakfast and not even five minutes later you got a text from an unknown number.

You thought that might be the end of it with Mason, not hearing from him for a few days but that didn’t mean he’d left your thoughts. You thought after the weekend and a fresh start to the new week you’d be fine but when you arrived to a pretty bunch of blue roses on your desk on Monday you didn’t know how to feel. You knew they were from him immediately but you still checked the card, biting your lip to suppress a smile.

You couldn’t help but laugh as his cheesy words, quickly snapping a picture to send to him and the thought of talking to him made you a little bit giddy.

Your blood ran cold, instantly feeling sick as your heart pounded. You were so embarrassed but also confused and you could see he was already typing, not sure if you wanted see his next response but it was already sent before you had a chance to look away.

‘You’ve been here half an hour and I don’t think you’ve even turned your laptop on yet’ you heard Carly laugh. Looking up with as blush as you realised you’d been texting Mason and not doing much else. ‘Nice flowers’

‘He wants to take me to dinner tonight’

‘And you’ve told him no I bet’ she laughed, rolling her eyes. ‘Stop being such a wimp and go’

‘I’m not a wimp’ you protested

‘Yes you are, you know if you go you’ll enjoy yourself. That’s the only reason you’re saying no’

‘Is not’

‘Prove it’

You took a deep breath, picking your phone up to text him back, ignoring the butterflies in your tummy.

‘Happy now?’ You laughed, locking you phone and placing it on your desk before finally opening your laptop. Carly didn’t respond, just gave you a knowing smile before leaving your office and you tried to suppress the butterflies that were already swarming.

You left your office at six, ignoring the way Carly was winking at you but you finally checked your phone again. Mason letting you know he was parked up just around the corner, your heart leaping as you caught sight of him standing by the passenger door.

He was dressed in a beige collared jacket with a white T-shirt and black jeans and you sworn he’d never looked better. He smiled brightly, opening your door as you got closer and holding his hand out to help you in, but as usual in situations like this your miss independent spirit took over and you watched his face drop a little at the look you must of been giving him.

‘I’m not incapable of getting into car on my own’ you told him, watching him squirm slightly and your tummy dropped at the look on his face. You didn’t want to upset him in anyway and you felt awful as soon as the words left your lips so even though it went against everything you stood for, you took his hand. His eyes automatically flashed up to meet yours in shock and you quickly kissed his cheek before sliding inside. ‘So where are we going?’ You asked when he joined you, a shy smile taking over his face as he looked at you.

‘There’s this place that’s opened up not too far from me I thought we could try if that’s okay? I’ve got the menu up here’ he told you, passing you his phone and after a quick glance you let him know it was fine.

Things didn’t start out so great, the pair of you a little awkward still from the other night and you’d grown stroppy from the constant little things he was trying to do for you. Opening every door, holding out your chair and letting you order first. You knew he only meant well but you’d grown tired of it working in a male dominated industry and it made you feel like he thought you couldn’t do anything for yourself.

You tried to let it go though, relaxing as the night went on, talking about anything and everything you could think of from his family to you setting up your own company and your face began to hurt from the constant smiling. It was hopeless trying to be mad at him as he just melted you and for once you weren’t complaining. By the time dessert came he’d shuffled up right next to you so you could share and the subject of your romantic history and future came up.

‘So you’re telling me you’ve never had a proper boyfriend and you don’t want one?’ He asked, his head propped up in his hand as his looked at you with wide eyes and you laughed lightly at his expression.

‘Nope’

‘What’s you’re type though? Surely you have one’

‘Not necessarily. A nice smile helps but I’m not overly fussy’

‘What about growing up? You must of had like a celebrity crush. Come on, who’s the man of your dreams’ he teased, fluttering his eyelashes at you but you just shook your head in his direction.

‘I don’t have a man of my dreams cause I’m the woman of mine’ you told him confidently but he seemed a little confused by your words. ‘Not all of us grew up wanting to be a princess and have a man look after her. What’s the point of pining after something that might not exist when you have to power to be whatever you want to be? I always wanted to be my own woman with my own company who relies on herself and that exactly what I am. A man was never in the equation’

‘Okay, I have so many questions but I really need to kiss you’ he breathed, tilting your chin and pressing his lips to yours in a heavy kiss.

You couldn’t deny you felt the sparks, smiling onto his lips before he slipped his tongue into your mouth. You’d wanted to kiss him for about half an hour now so you were happy he’d taken the leap and even though public displays of affection were never really your thing but there was something about Masons kisses that meant you’d take what you could get so you let him carry on, giggling as he pulled away and continued to leave small kisses all over your cheeks.

‘That was sexy as hell’

‘Stop it’ you laughed, tapping him on his arm and even though he was keeping his lips off of you, his body stayed close.

‘I’m serious. But it raises another question’ he proved, and you raised your eyebrows so he could carry on. ‘If you’re so hell bent on being your own woman and not needing a man. Why did you say yes to date with me?’

It was a good question. One you couldn’t really answer straight away but you thought you might as well be honest with him.

‘Well, I can’t deny there obviously some level of attraction here’ you told him, watching him nod at you seductively and his eyes danced over you in agreement. ‘And now I’ve got everything else figured out so why not have a little bit of fun?’ You asked but his face faltered slightly.

‘Can I be honest?’ He whispered, looking back at you seriously and you nodded back. Unsure of what he was about to say but you wanted to hear him out. ‘I’m not here to have a little bit of fun. I like you, have done for a really long time and I was hoping we could make it more of a regular thing. If that’s not something you want then fine but I need you to tell me’

Your heart was hammering in your chest. You loved the fact he was so honest, laying his cards out in the table so you knew exactly where you stood with him and even though it went against everything you’d ever thought, you’d enjoyed your time with him tonight and you didn’t want things to stop here. The idea of hanging out with him more and developing whatever was going on here was more appealing than you thought it could be so you took his hand in yours and looked deep into his eyes.

‘You’re the only person I’ve ever let take me out on a date like this. The only man I’ve ever bent the rules for and the only one I’m quite happy to keep doing it with. Make of that what you will’ you told him, watching his face soften ever so slightly. ‘I’ll admit, when I slept with you last week it was supposed to be a one and done thing, like just to get you out of my system but it didn’t work. In fact it’s made me want you even more’ you laughed, looking up to find him smiling back at you brightly and you couldn’t help but reach up and peck him on the lips. ‘I hope that tells you everything you need to know. Now, did you pick this place cause you wanted us to try it or because it’s close to your house?’

‘Mix of both maybe?’ He winked cheekily and you squeezed his thigh in response. ‘You gonna let be buy you breakfast this time?’

‘Oh it’s a requirement’ you laughed, the nerves and excitement building up in your tummy at the thought of waking up next to him again.

After a small argument about who was paying the bill, he told you he would be as he invited you out and promised you could get the next one.

One date turned to two and then three until you’d been seeing each other for over two months. Time had flown by and even though it was all new to you, you loved having mason around and spending time with him. Sex was also a plus, not ever having gotten to know someone so intimately before and to say you were having the time of your life would be an understatement.

There were no labels, he knew better than to ask you and you knew you were just for each other but when you introduced him as your boyfriend to a friend at a work dinner you knew it made him happy. His hands not leaving you for the whole night as he stroked his thumb over your thigh.

You were a pair, but you loved that he never made you feel like you were dependent on him. You had your own separate lives and you grew to be his number one fan, just like he was for you. Supporting all your decisions and letting you rant at him about whatever you wanted to. Mason also promised to keep out of any work things so that you could still keep Tony as a client, confessing he only ever showed up to those meetings so he could see you and that half the time he never understood what you’re going on about anyway.

He was still Mason though, holding your door open for you, sending you gifts to work and trying his hardest to make you feel loved in his own way. It may have taken you a little while to come around but you secretly loved the way he took care of you, not trusting anyone else before to be so vulnerable around and so far you couldn’t fault him.

With Mason now in that weird middle ground between the end of the season and pre season, you seemed to be spending even more time with him than usual however tonight was girls night with it being a few birthdays that week in the office and you let him know you’d see him on Saturday for some well needed hangover cuddles.

Work had been slow all day, Mason on your mind just like always but a frantic knock on your door snapped your out of your thoughts and your tummy dropped at the look on Carly’s face.

‘I’m so sorry, y/n. Mr Jeffries is here and he seems pretty pissed. I’ve tried taking to him but he only wants to speak to you’ she told you, here voice shaky from fear but you gave her a smile to let her know you were on it.

‘Don’t worry Carls, I’ve got it’ you told her, grabbing his file before making your way to reception where he stood with his arms folded, his eyes dark and angry as the bore into you.

Martin Jeffries was nothing like any of your other clients, you normally took care of small independent businesses or individual clients but Martin was neither. Owner of a massive corporation that was only interested in paying as little tax as possible whilst being rude as he could. He’d always been described to you as a little eccentric but in your eyes he was just an arse and you didn’t want him as a client in the first place but he always paid his invoices on time and in the beginning he kept your business afloat. You weren’t sure if it was worth the hassle anymore though but you ushered him inside a meeting room to try and get to the bottom of what was happening.

‘What the hell is this?’ He asked, slapping down a piece of paper onto the table and even though you knew what it was, you still picked it up so you could glance over it. A £300 penalty from the tax man for failing to report his company shares by the deadline and whilst the amount was peanuts to him he seemed absolutely furious. ‘Are you going to explain to me why this wasn’t done?’

‘Mr Jeffries, I have called you and emailed you about this several times before the deadline but I never received a response. Unfortunately for share reporting the onus is on you as I can’t report them on your behalf’

‘You’ve always done it for me before’

‘No, I’ve checked your spreadsheet but the company always submits it. Sally normally does it’

‘I fired Sally’

‘Oh’ you breathed, it suddenly clicking into place what had happened. ‘Well Sally or no Sally, I can’t do it for you’

‘I’m not paying this for your incompetence’ he snarled, pushing the letter back to you and you were so shocked by his behaviour you weren’t quite sure what to do or say.

‘I strongly advise that you do. The longer you leave it the worse then penalty becomes’

‘No, you will be paying it’ he shouted, pointing his finger right in you face to try and intimidate you and unfortunately for you it was working but you refused to let him know that.

‘It’s nothing to do with me, you were given adequate warning and I’d appreciate it if you could keep your voice down, there’s no need to shout’

‘I will do no such thing. You forget, your business would be nothing without me and my custom. Now you fix this or I can make life very difficult for you’ he told you, hovering over you but you backed off and walked towards the door to open it, no longer comfortable in the room with just him.

‘I don’t like the way you’re talking to me and I think you should leave now’ you told him, making eye contact with Carly outside but the look on your face must of frightened her, picking up the phone immediately but you weren’t sure who she was calling.

‘I don’t know why I bothered with you lot in the first place. I should of known it was a mistake when you told me only women work here. You’re useless, the lot of you. I only stuck around cause you’re easy on the eye but you’re shit at your job and this whole thing is destined to fail. You think you’re so high and mighty but it’s only your tits that got you this far love, not your brains. Like a woman could ever build something like I have.? You clearly don’t have what it takes if you let simple things like this slip under the radar. You’re just a big joke. This is the real world, you’re not playing with dolls anymore’

You could feel your eyes stinging, unsure of what to do or say as the man in front of you tore all your achievements to shreds. You felt so small and hurt, like everything you believed in was a joke and you didn’t know how to respond but when two of your building’s security walked in, you met out a tiny sigh of relief.

‘How pathetic’ he laughed, walking towards the door as the two men lead him out. ‘You’ll be hearing from my lawyers!’ he screamed as the grabbed an arm each to take him away. You could feel your whole body shake as you ran back to your office, not wanting to see anyone for a while as you got yourself together again.

You were used to shitty clients every now and then but this was something else, every word of his cutting you right to the core and whenever you thought about it you could tell you were going to cry so you distracted yourself with paperwork, hoping to take your mind off of everything until Carly let you know that she’d spoken to the building security and they’d made sure to add him to the list of people no longer allowed to enter the building.

Your thoughts turned to tonight though, no longer wanting to be around the girls and pretend like you were fine when you were anything but. Quickly sending a text to Carly saying something had come up tonight and that you couldn’t make it. You felt awful, letting some man’s words effect you as much as they seemed to be but as soon as Carly let you know it was fine, there was only one other person you wanted to talk to.

Usually the idea of him making himself available for you on the off chance you needed him would make you roll your eyes in annoyance and whilst you were a bit pissy, you were too hurt to care right now. Just wanting to go to him and wrap yourself up in his warmth.

You knew he could tell something was up as soon as he saw you, but he knew better than to ask, just letting you get changed into some of his clothes before you watched a few films in bed. You told him you weren’t hungry but he still ordered pizza for the both of you and you ignored the way he smiled at you when you stole a slice out of the box.

The next morning the hurt had vanished, anger now in it’s place as your eyes adjusted around the room. Mason was still asleep but he was stirring so you shut your eyes and pretended you were still sleeping as you weren’t quite ready for his sympathy yet. He didn’t stay in bed long, getting up with a kiss to your cheek as he went downstairs and you could hear him rattling around in the kitchen making the pair of you some food.

The words of Martin yesterday kept repeating throughout your head, how you were nothing without him and it was your look that got you by made you see red and even though you tried to shut them out, you just got more and more angry. Eventually get out of bed to make your way downstairs knowing you’d have to face Mason eventually.

‘Here she is’ he smiled as you walked in but you just gave him a small smile, hoping that would be enough to settle him but you weren’t sure. He was almost done with cooking and soon enough he took your plate over to the breakfast bar and took a seat, pulling your stool out for you and the small act that you’d become accustomed too had you foaming at the mouth.

‘Why do you always do that’ you huffed, pulling the chair out even further before sitting down with a huff, your emotions getting the better of you as you look at him through narrowed eyes but he was staring back with a slight grin that just infuriated you even more.

‘What are you talking about?’

‘Pulling chairs out for me, holding doors? I’m not incapable of doing anything for myself’

‘I never said you were’

‘I don’t need you to do all that for me, I’m my own woman I don’t need it’ you told him and you knew you were being mean to him but you couldn’t seem to stop and his usually cheeky smile that you adored was plastered all over his face and irritating you even further. ‘Why are you smiling at me like that’

‘Cause it’s hard to take you seriously about not needing me when you’re wearing my clothes’ he joked but his face softened as soon as he realised you didn’t find it funny. ‘Has something happened?’

‘No’ you told him, but he could see the lies written all over your face.

‘You’ve been quiet since yesterday and now you’re being a meanie’ he pouted, pulling your chair closer to his so he could place his legs either side of yours. ‘I can’t help of you don’t tell me’

‘I don’t need you to fix anything for me I can do it’

‘Hey, I never said you couldn’t’ he told you with a slight laugh as he gripped your jaw to make you look at him. ‘please love, I hate seeing you like this’

A wave of guilt washed over you as you realised you were being unfair to him but you still couldn’t bring yourself to do anything about it. In the end he simply kissed your forehead before standing up with a small sigh so he could make a start on the washing up and leave you eat on your own.

The kitchen was silent and your appetite was out the window as you stole small glances of Mason from behind. As the minutes passed you felt worse about what you’d said to him until you were eventually getting up and wrapping your arms around his middle.

You felt him relax a bit, sighing lightly before he wiped his hands and turned around in your arms so he could pull you into a hug and you held him tightly until you were ready to pull back and look at him, His face sad but understanding and you hated the fact you’d made him feel that way.

‘Sorry’ you whispered before he leant down to place a soft kiss on your lips, pulling you up by your thighs to sit you on the counter so you could look at him properly.

‘You know you don’t need to act so tough all the time with me’ he told you gently, placing his hands on your thighs ‘I knew something was wrong as soon as I saw you last night’

‘Sorry-‘

‘Shhh, it’s fine’ he whispered, kissing you again. ‘I just want you to know you can talk to me, you know? I’m here for you. Whatever you need’

‘I’m just not used to it. Any of it’ you whispered and his face soften, cottoning on to you meaning not just having someone to talk to, but all the other little gestures that came along with him.

‘I know. But you know it’s all out of love right? I don’t do any of those things because I think you need me to, I do them because I love you’ he whispered.

‘You what?’ You gasped, staring back at his nervous face and pink cheeks, your heart pounding at the words that had just come out of his mouth.

‘I said I love you’ he smiled, sounding more sure of himself this time. ‘And I’m not trying to change you. I love how you’re feisty and how you don’t take shit from anyone. Including me. I don’t want you to be different at all, yeah? I don’t want you to not be you and I hope you don’t think that’s what I’m trying to do’

‘I’m so sorry, I know it may sound stupid but I’m still trying to get my head round it all. Having a boyfriend was never in my plans’

‘I know. And I’m not here to try and take over your life or anything like that. I understand you more than you think and I know you like being in charge of your own life and making your own decisions. I’m just asking if I can stand besides you while you make them. Or behind’ he winked, moving his hands so he could pinch your bum gently and you rolled your eyes with a laugh. ‘Equals, yeah?

‘Yeah’ you whispered.

‘But, if you need me to tone it down a bit, I’ll try. I don’t ever mean to make you feel uncomfortable but it’s just how I was raised you know? Opening doors, holding your chair out for you, buying you flowers or whatever else. That’s how my dad shows my mum he loves her and I just picked up on it I guess but if you don’t like it, I’ll try and stop’ he explained and you felt yourself getting upset. In front of was the best thing that had happened to you in a while, promising that he loved you as you were yet you couldn’t give him the same. Here he stood offering to change himself to fit your needs at the expense of himself and the injustice of it all made your tummy churn.

If he could take you as you were then you could do the same.

‘Mase, no. You don’t have to do that. I don’t want you to do that’ you told him, cupping his jaw so you could look him in his eyes. ‘I love you just as you are’ you told him softly and you melted at the way he smiled at you, finally hearing the words he’d been waiting for before he crashed his lips into yours.

‘Really?’

‘I promise. I really do and I don’t want you to change if that’s how you like to show it. I just…’

‘What love?’

‘I don’t like how you make me feel so vulnerable and open’ you laughed, hoping he’d get what you meant but his frowny face made you realised he’d taken it the wrong way. ‘That’s not a bad thing’ you laughed

‘Well it doesn’t exactly sound good’

‘I meant like I can’t pretend with you. You see me for who I am and no one else has done that’ you told him softly. ‘And I hate all this gushy mushy crap, but I can’t seem to help it with you’ you laughed, your heart settling at the way he smiled at you like he understood where you were coming from and he squeezed your thighs in appreciation.

‘I know you secretly love it. You wouldn’t come to me in your hour of need if you didn’t you would of just gone home’ he told you and even though you shook you’re head you knew he was right. You came here yesterday looking for his comfort after a bad day and the realisation made your head spin. ‘What happened yesterday love?’

You took a deep breath, looking up to him with tears in your eyes as you played with your fingers in your lap and you watched his face cloud over in concern. You’d never cried in front of Mason before so he knew something bad must of happened and you felt him hold you just that little bit tighter.

‘I had a really horrible client. Said some really awful things about me and the company like right to my face and I can usually take that sort of stuff but he was awful’

‘Baby’ Mason breathed, wiping under your eyes as your tears finally escaped but you let them fall, no longer worried about looking tough in front of him as you pulled him in for a hug. ‘Are you okay?’

‘Not really’ you spoke into his neck, feeling him pull you into him harder before he rubbed your back soothingly. ‘He made me feel so small and stupid. Like everything I worked for was nothing. All the promises I made for myself about standing up for me and my team just went out the window’

‘What did he say?’

‘Basically that I’m nothing without his money, I’ve only got this far cause I’ve got good tits and that this is the real world and I shouldn’t be playing with my dolls anymore’ you told him, your eyes becoming glassy as you shut them but you felt him go ridged in your arms, the anger oozing from him that someone had spoken to you in that way and he pulled back so he could grip your face gently. ‘You think I’d be used to comments like that now but-‘

‘No no’ he interrupted, his hard eyes looking at you as if he was furious that someone had spoken to you in that way and you felt a wave of relief was through you as your feelings were somewhat validated. ‘You should never expect to be spoken to like that. Not by anyone. I hope you told him where to shove it’

‘Not exactly. I was too shocked but thankfully Carly got security to take him away. He told me I’ll be hearing from his lawyer but he hasn’t got a leg to stand on so hopefully they figure that out and nothing comes from it. I terminated his contract though’

‘Good. That’s the least he deserves’ he told you, kissing your forehead and you smiled for the first time in a while as you felt the love pouring from him as he tried to comfort you. ‘I’m proud of you’

‘I’m not’

‘Why?’ He asked, looking at you confused. ‘Don’t let some idiotic man with a small dick get to you’

‘How do you know what his dick looks like’ you laughed but he just winked at you.

‘I don’t, but it made you smile’ he told you and you rolled your eyes before falling into him, letting him wrap his arms around you and hold you to his body as he stroked up and down your back. You couldn’t believe how at home you felt in his arms and how and you relished in the silence. He always knew when to speak and when to let you be and right now in his arms you couldn’t think of anywhere else better than here.

‘Thank you for looking after me’ you whispered and he kissed your forehead softly, letting his lips linger there for a while before he pulled back and gave you a soft smile.

‘Why don’t you let me take you out today? I know it was supposed to be for cuddles but I don’t want you to sit and moap about something that’s not your fault. Wherever you wanna go, we can’

‘I’m not really in the mood’ you told him but you could tell he wanted to make things better for you so you racked your brain to try and think of something, resting your hands on his chest and playing with the neck of his top. ‘There’s that farmers market in the park? Maybe we could have a look round and get some treats or something nice for dinner tonight? We could have a cute little picnic under the stars like we did that one time’ you asked and he smiled sweetly at you whilst nodding his head.

‘Of course. We’ll head out soon yeah? Cause that bakery stall always sells out of the brownies first and I keep missing out’ he told you with a laugh and you pecked him gently with a smile.

‘Thank you’ you whispered ‘for everything. I know i was a hard work at first and I’m still prone to a strop quite clearly but I’m so happy I have you. I’d hate to think what I’d be feeling right now if I was on my own’

‘What are you talking about at first?’ He winked and you tapped him on the shoulder in jest. ‘You’re worth a million strops I promise’ he told you, tucking your hair behind your ear. ‘But I’m glad I’ve finally got you too’

Without another word he picked you up by your thighs to walk you out of the room.

‘My breakfast’ you pouted but she shook his head with a smile as he started walking you back up the stairs.

‘Sorry love, brownies are more important’ he told you and you couldn’t help but laugh, wrapping your arms around him tightly as you hid your face in his neck. Finally feeling content in the arms of your man.

Thank you so much for reading, I hope you enjoyed :) I’d really love to know what you thought so please feel free to comment or drop me an ask, l'd really appreciate it 🩷

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vibingandsimping · 1 year ago

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hi! I love your works about astarion they're so GOOOD!! can i rq ascended astarion mixing praise and degradation during a punishment? or tying the reader up and spanking her for running away one too many times again for fun?

I live to serve🙏🏻

The rope bit into your wrists and left a mix of indentation and rope-burn. You struggled against them to test how tight the knot was yet there was not a single budge. Your nostrils flared as you took a few deep breaths in and frantically searched the room. Everything was dark and you knew he was stalking. He had tied you up about half an a hour ago leaving you nude and bound. Astarion left to ‘attend something’ but that was likely a lie. You wouldn’t be shocked if he got a thrill off of spectating you so helpless. Cold fingers brushed your ankle causing you to yelp. The laugh that followed was sinister as the vampire came up behind you. You still couldn’t see him- having been tied up to the bed post and on your knees. The dip of the bed signaled the fact he finally decided to join you. Those same fingers ran up your calf and up to your rear. Cupping a cheek in one hand as his nails dug into the flesh. A whimper escaping you at the touch.

“I enjoyed our games for awhile. I think i’ve been too lenient. You’ve grown too emboldened. Embarrassing me in front of company? I will not tolerate that.” His words held a shocking emptiness to them. They were cold and eluded to punishment. Yet, it didn’t seem they held to all what he said. The hand rubbed your flesh for a second before coming down with a hard smack. Your body jostling at the force as the skin reddened. You bit back a cry- determined to not break so easily. He tutted at your disobedience and the opposite hand came down with the same force. Jostling again as a strangled cry choked your throat. “Holding it back will only make this worse. Release yourself, wench. We both know this is what you wanted.” The sounds of harsh slapping filled the air. You held out for a couple more before your lips parted and you began to openly cry. Your ass sore from the aggressive attention it was receiving. Yet, you were still wet as ever. Evidence smeared around the crest of your thighs.

Astarion gave you a moment of respite as he tenderly caressed the area. Humming when he catches the glint of your sex. His fingers making contact in-between the folds as he pushed two fingers inside you with ease. The stretch was still unexpected despite you easily accommodating it. A moan tearing from your throat as his fingers explored the walls inside. He wasn’t aiming for your pleasure- no, this was a torment. Acting as if you were a personal doll for him to play with. “So fucking wet. It’s a pretty sight, really. Makes it all the sweeter that you can get so turned on from a punishment. I wonder what a reward would do for someone as depraved as you.” You stiffened at his words. Ashamed with how turned on they made you, evident by your walls fluttering around his fingers. Instinctively rocking your hips as your needy cunt sought friction. He was quick to reprimand you with a smack that knocked the wind from you. You could feel the sting from his nails nicking you. “Lay still, whore! Dirty bitch. This isn’t for your pleasure.” You couldn’t still the tremble in you from how he yelled. Perhaps you’d pushed him too far this time… or perhaps this is precisely what you wanted?

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maimingaffairs · 2 years ago

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hi hi hi i would like to request fluff for thee one and only Aleksander where reader gets really sick maybe a very high fever and maybe he panicked and called heartrenders and healers because he thought she might die and it ends all fluffy and soft Aleksander 😶‍🌫️

soft Aleksander yes pls <3 I love.

warnings: none, mostly angst and some fluff

word count: 2.3k

Just a Cough

(aleksander morozova x fem!reader)

It all started with a cough. A silly little harmless cough, of which you assured Aleksander after a few days of the persistent cough that there was nothing to worry about. Being sick was just a part of life for you, but apparently according to your loving husband, it wasn’t for him. In fact, upon asking him, the stoic faced general had stated that he’d never been sick in his entire life, and come to think of it, in your four year long marriage, you hadn’t seen him sick even once. He promptly thereafter reminded you that Grisha do not get sick as you did and you accepted this answer.

It was just a cough.

That’s what you kept insisting, even after it had been weeks. Though he’d never been sick, Aleksander was no stranger to illness, and stopped believing that it was only a cough. Just like clockwork, the second he began to suspect it was a bit more serious than you’d been insisting, you got worse.

Soon you were hardly able to keep food down, dizzy when you stood, the cough had gotten worse, and every night you’d run fevers. He brought you medicines given to him by the Royal Family, had doctors see you, and nothing was working.

He hardly left your side, and when he did, someone was always there to keep an eye on you, and though you swore it wasn't necessary, his response was always the same:

“You are only mortal, my love. I will not take risks.”

So here you lay, on your marvelous four-poster bed while a young Grisha healer sat at your bedside, flipping idly through a book, glancing up at you every so often to make sure you were okay before she’d go back to her reading. A tap on the door pulled you out of your sick haze and your eyes fell upon Genya as she walked into the room.

“You may leave. I can keep watch on The General’s wife.” she spoke to the girl next to your bedside, and the girl wasted no time in getting up and scurrying out.

You let out a miserable sigh and placed your hand over your eyes to shield the light, much preferring the company of your husband, “Oh, my. Is he almost done with whatever he’s doing? I need him to block the light.” you rasped and Genya only laughed and stood in the doorway.

“He cannot be too much longer, y/n.” she replied and you groaned.

“What did the Heartrender say?” you asked and opened your eyes to look up at Genya hopefully.

The red haired girl wandered over to your side and checked your temperature with the back of her hand, letting out a sigh of displeasure, “Well, she couldn’t deduce much except for that your heart is healthy, which is good. Your husband has ordered for one of our best healers to be removed from the frontlines and brought here to help. You're getting hotter, by the way.” she said with a frown.

“Genya, the last three healers haven’t made any progress.” you stated fearfully and she responded to you with nothing but silence and she grabbed the cool, damp cloth off of your nightstand that had been left there by the girl previous. She laid the cloth on your forehead and finally gave a sigh.

“We have very limited knowledge on what is ailing you. If a doctor couldn’t find a conclusion then it is very hard for us to know what to heal.” she explained in a gentle tone, “have you had any water today? Aleksander won’t be pleased if you haven’t.” she said quietly and you simply pulled the covers over your head and let out a terrible, wheezing cough.

Tears fearfully made their way into your eyes and you shook your head, though the Tailor could not see you, “I just want Aleksander.” you whimpered through a wheeze, your throat burning terribly with every word. You hadn’t even known Genya had left until you lifted the blanket and poked your head out to see why it had fallen so silent and you looked around the empty room and let out a painful sob.

You buried your face in your frail hands and let out hoarse cries until you felt the bed dip next to you, prompting you to wipe your eyes with the heels of your hands and you lifted your head to see your husband sitting at your side, his face completely colorless as he looked over you. You weakly sat up and pushed yourself into his lap with whatever strength you could muster, which must not have been much because you found yourself being easily lifted by Aleksander and pulled into his lap. You laid your head on his collarbone and you let out a shaky breath and you weakly grabbed onto the lapels of his kefta.

“Am I going to die?” you asked suddenly, the question that had been plaguing your mind for weeks now, the question that you were too afraid to speak out loud. The question both of you were asking silently. The question that made Aleksander kiss you on the forehead every time he left the room, that made him hold you a little bit tighter every chance he got, that had him terrified for perhaps only the second time in his life. The question that made him fear leaving your side, afraid to return to a lifeless form in his bed.

He didn’t answer right away, but the stiffness in his voice gave away everything he must have been thinking, “You are mortal.” was all he said before he tightened his arms around you, being careful not to hurt you in your fragile state.

His reply only caused you to cry again, and this time you could feel him crying with you. You didn’t see his face nor did you hear him; you didn’t have to. His shaking shoulders told you enough. He brought his cold hand up to your forehead and he held it there, occasionally swiping his thumb across one of your temples. To even meet the possibility of your death this soon was frightening and angering to Aleksander, and it had been the cause of several outbursts of anger in nights past in rooms far from your shared bedroom, to ears far from yours. He wasn’t supposed to be the one that was scared here, he was supposed to be the strong one that had the solutions. The answers. His highest obligation to you was to protect you at all times, defend you, his mortal, very breakable, wife. But there was no enemy to fight, no weapon to use to defend you. There was just you. Poor, sick, miserable little you, and this killed him. He lost sleep to this, he lost his appetite to this, and he was certain that if he was to lose you to this, he’d lose his mind, too.

“Aleksander, everything hurts.” you whispered, your voice hardly going higher than that. He grit his teeth angrily and simply pulled you closer, shushing you. He wasn’t good with comforting. His words weren’t often gentle unless directed at you, and it wouldn’t matter anyway. Words were completely lost on him as he sat in paralyzing fear that he could very well lose you to illness.

He finally found the voice he’d been chasing around his throat and he reached up to soothingly pet your hair, “Oh, my darling, you must get some sleep. You aren’t going to die,” he promised, though he was beginning to fear he could not see to that promise being kept, “We have a healer coming for you, my little angel. I’d never let you succumb to whatever this illness may be.” he said hollowly, almost wincing when the little voice in his head told him not to make promises he couldn’t keep. Losing you meant losing a vital piece of himself.

“It’s punishment, Aleksander. There is nothing you can do.” his mother had drawled when he had come to her practically on his knees, begging for a way to save his wife.

“Do you really think the fates would allow you to be happy after all you have done? You should have left her alone, now she is paying for your sins as well, there’s no one to blame except for you.” she had said coldly, leaving Aleksander with a guilt that had taken him days to even partially recover from. He’d deny it to the haggard old woman’s face but deep down he agreed.

Lost in thought, he barely noticed that the stroking of your hair had lulled you into sleep, and your sudden stillness caused him to panic as he quickly laid his hand over your chest, only to feel relief wash upon him like a million crashing waves when he felt the shallow rise and fall of your chest. He finally willed himself to gaze down upon your sunken face and he traced his fingertips over your now very prominent cheekbones and jawline, and his lips turned downwards. You, his wife, the only light in his shadowy life, lay so lifelessly on his lap. He couldn’t help but think of the sick irony of it all, how he’d considered you his light when he himself could only summon the dark. The irony wasn’t lost on him at all there, bitterly so. A small tap on the doorframe made him slowly tear his eyes away from you and he raised one eyebrow at David who stood there awkwardly.

“I hope you have a very groundbreaking reason to be here interrupting the time I am spending with my wife.” Aleksander said in a clipped tone and David simply nodded once.

“The healer has arrived. He’d like to see her.” he answered, causing Aleksander to sigh once.

“David, three Healers and every Heartrender under my roof couldn’t even cure her. We need to start focusing on alternative methods to keep her alive. By any means possible.” he said lowly and the man at the door only nodded again, “but please,” Aleksander added, “bring the healer to me. Let us see what he can do for my y/n.” he conceded.

David motioned to someone who must have been just past the doorframe down the hall and a tall man walked into the room and looked down at the vulnerable, sickly form of The General’s wife laying in her husband’s lap, “Sir, this is the most experienced and talented healer we could find, he has the most experience in-”

“Can you help her?” Aleksander snapped, cutting David off.

The healer didn’t answer but rather walked towards the two of them on the bed and he placed his hands on either side of your head, and the new contact had your eyes snapping open instantly with panic. Your husband gently tightened his grip around you and informed you softly that it was only a healer, and you relaxed a bit and closed your eyes again, a ragged breath being drawn from your lips.

In reality the healer only had his hands upon your head for five minutes, but it felt like hours to your fear-stricken husband who watched the display before him desperately. Finally, the healer took his hands off of you and he reached up to feel your forehead before he looked up at your husband and nodded, “The fever has broken. Give her two or three days to fully recover, but she will not grow any sicker, and she certainly will not perish.”

Aleksander looked down at you with wide eyes and then back at the healer, “Why won’t she open her eyes?” he asked worriedly, his eyes threatening to water.

The healer chuckled and stood up straight, “She’s exhausted, General Kirigan. I put her to sleep. But make no mistake- she is healed.”

Aleksander’s lips moved but no sounds came out, so he settled for a stunned nod, and the healer gave him a slight smile before he headed out of the bedroom, followed by David. Your husband reached up promptly to feel your head, the past five minutes seeming entirely too good to be real, and he expected to feel your feverish skin. Instead, he was met with the completely normal temperature of your skin as you slept against him. He sucked in a shaky breath and leaned down to press a lingering kiss to your now cooled forehead and he stayed with you like that for a long time before he lifted his head. He swaddled your small form in a blanket and he sat with you just like that in his lap for hours, and he’d stay there for as long as he needed to.

When you finally woke some hours later, the first thing you noticed was that there was no searing pain behind your eyes any longer, and you looked up to see the face of your husband staring back down at you, his eyes misty and full of feelings you were sure he likely didn't have the words for.

"You look like hell." you commented with a short laugh and Aleksander rolled his eyes and pulled you up against his chest tightly, and you laid your ear over his heart, listening to it beat steadily.

"I was certain I was going to lose you." he said finally, his voice full of what you recognised to be pain.

"But you didn't."

"But I could have." he countered and buried his face in your hair, "And what then? What would I have done then?" he asked demandingly and you frowned, his disdain making your heart ache.

"Well, then I suppose you're just going to have to find a way to make sure that we never have to fear that again, won't you?" you asked, and he thought about it for a moment before he shrugged and tucked your head underneath his bearded chin.

"Yes. Yes, I suppose I will."

And in the silence of your shared bedroom he swore that no matter the cost, he’d find a cure for your mortality, a way to keep you alive for just as long as he.

#general kirigan imagine #aleksander morozova x reader #general kirigan x reader #the darkling x reader #general kirigan #aleksander morozova imagine #aleksander morozova #the darkling #the darkling imagine #shadow and bone imagine #shadow and bone #grishaverse

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cherry-holmes · 1 year ago

Text

Glimpse of a life with Javier Peña (series)

Chapter 4

MAIN MASTERLIST

Summary: Past incidents have brought you closer to Javier than you thought. And he’s determined to not ruin it again.

SERIES MASTERLIST

Previous chapter

Pairing: Javier Peña x Female Reader

Word count: 3k

Warnings: Mention of violence typical of the serie.

A/N: Chapter 4 is here! Stay tuned for more updates❤️ Thank you SO MUCH for your support and your interaction with this story🫶🏻

I’m taking requests! Javi Peña, Joel Miller, Din Djarin, BBC Sherlock Holmes, Supernatural…

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Next morning, your hands were sweaty as you sat at Messina's desk after everything that happened last night. She appeared exhausted about, well, everything about drug cartels, set raids, violence and stubborn DEA agents. And now she is dealing with a gender violence case of one of her agents and her only translator.

She sighed and reached for a stack of papers, which you instantly recognized as administrative reports. You had translated hundreds of them in your time working here.

"Agent Ibarra reports himself sick this morning," she said as she filled some of the blank spaces, "I'll call him in as soon as possible, and we'll start an investigation."

"There's nothing to be investigated," exclaimed Javier, who had been standing behind you and supporting all your narrative. "I was there, he pointed a gun at us," he explained, sounding totally mad.

"I believe you both, but there's a procedure that we must follow," she answered, as she passed you the paper, "You have my word that there will be disciplinary actions against agent Ibarra for his behavior," she promised, meeting your gaze. You believed in her.

You completed the rest of the report with your personal information and details about the incident. Javier did the same since he was involved as a witness.

As you and Javier left Messina's office, you couldn't help but feel very nervous. You had never been involved in any kind of problem at work, let alone something related to this kind of issue with a colleague. And, to make matters worse, you had dragged Javier into all of this.

It was Sunday morning, so almost all the agents and secretaries were on their day off. In a job as demanding as the top of the Medellín Cartel empire in the early 90's, any day of rest was treasured. Most weeks, agents and officers worked from Monday to Sunday with no opportunity to rest.

The fact that Javier was willing to come back to the Embassy to support you on his first day off in three weeks made you feel guilty.

"Are you okay?" He asked as you approached his desk.

"Yeah," you answered, but you didn't sound too convinced.

Javier leaned over his desk, watching you attentively. "You know, it's normal to feel a bit shaken after what happened," he said, his voice gentle.

You nodded, appreciating his understanding. "I just never expected to be in a situation like this," you admitted. "Thank you so much for agreeing to come with me, I know it's your day off. I almost regretted and hung up the phone before you answered..." You lost count of how many times you had said "thank you" to Javier in the last few hours.

"I already told you there's no problem, bonita," he said, calling you that for the second time. But now that you were back in your regular work setting, it seemed a little too much. Well, that's what Javier thought as soon as he said it. On your side, the affectionate name made you feel blush on your cheeks and butterflies in your belly. "I'm sorry, I can't help to call you that... I'll stop if it makes you feel uncomfortable," he added, attempting to downplay it.

"No, it's okay," you replied quickly, making him smiled warmly.

"Listen, how about we grab a coffee together outside the base? You know, to unwind a bit from all this mess."

You considered his offer for a moment, your nerves slowly settling. A coffee sounded like a good idea, and you appreciated his company. "Sure, that sounds nice," you replied, feeling a bit more at ease.

He took you to a coffee shop downtown. The aroma of freshly baked goods welcomed you, including sweet pastries mingled with the scent of coffee, creating a delightful combination of aromas. You ordered your usual: chocolate-infused coffee with milk and an empanada de arequipe, while Javier opted for his usual black coffee. He lit up a cigarette.

"So," he began as you both waited for your orders, "You told me that you're Mexican," he recalled, and you nodded. "Which part of Mexico?"

"Monterrey," you replied.

"Ah, norteña," he exclaimed. It was unusual to hear him speak in Spanish since it wasn't his first language, and he sometimes had struggled with it. "Deberías invitarnos a todos en la oficina a una carnita asada," he joked, making you genuinely smile and forgetting the events of the previous night.

The waitress arrived with your orders, placing the plates and cups on the table. Javier couldn't help but steal glances at you when you weren't looking, admiring your delicate features, soft lips, and radiant complexion. You were the most gorgeous woman he had ever laid his eyes on.

You noticed his gaze lingering on you, and when you caught him looking, you couldn't help but blush slightly. The atmosphere was cozy, with the warm aroma of coffee filling the air and the soft chatter of other diners creating a pleasant background noise.

As you both sipped your coffee and enjoyed your empanadas, the conversation flowed easily.

"Tell me, what brought you here to Colombia?" He wanted to know. "There are places closer to your city to be a translator for this type of matters than Colombia."

"I was a translator in El Paso DEA Base before they sent me here," you explained, and he raised his eyebrows.

"No way! I was in there too, also before they assigned me here," he conveyed. "Why is it that I didn't know you back there?" he wondered.

"When I came there, you were gone," you explained, and he furrowed his brow.

"How do you know that?" he asked.

"Because I translated your last report in El Paso," you said, "That was my first day, I remember it because my department colleague didn't want to make the translation herself."

"Why?" He was so concentrated on your response. You flushed and, at this point, there's nothing more you can do than laugh shyly.

"You slept with her the night before you left and didn't tell her. She was very pissed."

Javier burst into laughter, shaking his head. "Ah, that makes sense now. I should've been more considerate."

"Yeah, you should have," you agreed.

"What a coincidence," he said, more to himself than to you. "How is it that we ended up working in the same places almost at the same time on the first one?"

On the tip of both your tongues hung the word "destiny," but neither of you dared to say it.

"How old are you?" He inquired instead, "You look pretty young to have such work experience."

"I am," you responded, "I'll turn twenty-six next month," you said.

"Oh, my," he laughed, leaning back in his chair, "You're making me feel old, sweetheart."

"How old are you?" You wanted to know.

"I'm turning thirty-six in June," he said.

"Oh, you look younger," you said because it was true, "I thought you were thirty."

"Well, thank you, bonita," you swear you would blush for the rest of your life as long as he kept calling you that.

As the coffee shop's ambiance embraced you, the hours passed unnoticed. It was only when you noticed the sunlight filtering through the curtains, casting a warm glow over your table, that you realized how much time had passed.

You glanced at your wristwatch and then at Javier. "Wow, I didn't realize it was so late," you said, feeling a bit embarrassed.

Javier smiled, his eyes crinkling at the corners. "Time flies when you're enjoying good company," he replied.

Although you insisted on paying your own bill, the agent didn't let you. He drove you home, where he accompanied you to the doors of the building.

"Call me again if you need anything, anytime," he assured, and you nodded with appreciation.

"Promise I will, Javi," now it was his turn to feel his chest beating fast. Many people called him "Javi," but you pronounced it in a way he had never heard before.

"See you tomorrow at the office," he waved as he crossed the street and got into his truck.

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Turns out, you weren't the only one who had such an experience with Diego Ibarra. The gossip about your report to Messina spread very quickly all over the office and had encouraged two more women to stand up and tell their stories. So the agent was immediately removed from his duties.

The first time you saw him after your report was Monday morning. He looked so furious when he came out from your boss' office; his face was so reddened that you thought it would explode, his breath was irregular, and he opened and closed his fists like he was about to fight a dragon. And kind of he could, since Javi was guarding your office like a dragon in a tower. He tried not to make it that evident, but he failed. He was concerned that Diego would enter to confront you as he went from side to side of the office, gathering his things to leave the building and kept looking at your door with furious eyes.

It was almost noon, as you were reviewing some documents at your desk, you overheard raised voices coming from the hallway. It was Javier and Diego. You couldn't make out the exact words, but it was clear that their confrontation had taken a heated turn.

"Oh, no," you muttered panicked, as you rushed out of your office, your heart pounding. When you reached the hallway, you found Javier and Diego standing face to face, their voices raised in a furious argument. Their clenched fists and tense postures indicated that a physical altercation was imminent.

Murphy, recognizing the dangerous situation, stepped between them, pushing Diego away from his friend. "That's enough!" he yelled, his usually calm demeanor shattered. "We don't need this kind of behavior here."

The other officers and secretaries in the office had gathered, trying to diffuse the situation. Diego's face was contorted with rage, but the combined efforts of his colleagues ensured that he didn't escalate the confrontation any further.

You also wanted to come closer and tried to do something, feeling guilty for all of this mess. It wasn't your fault, of course, but you just couldn't help it. However, as you attempted to move, Marta held your arm, stopping you. You looked at her and Ana, who was standing next to her, and you read their gazes, "don't make this more dramatic." They were right.

Murphy, his voice stern, addressed Diego, "You're done here, Ibarra. You need to leave."

Diego, though seething with anger, knew he had no choice. He turned and walked toward the exit, but not before leveling a chilling threat at Javier. "You're gonna regret messing with me, Peña."

Javier remained remarkably composed, his only response a tight-lipped, determined look in his eyes. He watched as Diego was escorted out by other officers, his threat lingering in the tense atmosphere.

Diego's furious eyes had locked onto you for a brief, chilling moment as he was escorted out of the office.

You couldn't help but feel a mixture of worry and relief. The confrontation had been intense, but Javier had managed to maintain control, avoiding a physical fight. You turned to look at him, who had been talking with Murphy and thanking him for intercede.

"Javi, are you okay?" you asked, concern lacing your voice.

He turned to face you, his expression softening. "I'm fine, bonita. Don't worry about me." He promised.

As the day progressed, you couldn't shake the feeling of unease. The tension in the office was palpable, and it was clear that Diego's departure had left a mark. You wondered if there might be more repercussions in the days to come.

As the week went by, Javier's role as your unofficial protector didn't go unnoticed, and, as is natural, people talked. Rumors circulated that Diego had acted that way because you had cheated on him with Javier. Some others suggested that you had used him to make Javier jealous. Many even dared to say that Javier had manipulated you into making a false accusation against Diego because he couldn't stand seeing you together. Neither of their versions were true, of course.

But the last one had some kind of truth: Javier couldn't stand seeing you with Diego. It made his blood boil, and despite the circumstances, he was relieved that Diego was gone and far from you. Also, he knew his threat to him had been empty. He was used to receiving hundreds of threats from real drug lords and their thugs; the ones from a damn abusive drunk ex-officer le hacían lo que el viento a Juárez.

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Every day that passed was torture for Javier. He was constantly eager to see you, talk to you, and make you smile. He began bringing coffee to your office in the morning, inviting you for lunch in the evenings, and offering to take you home at night.

You also started to get used to his presence, and you felt a heavy weight in your chest every time he was outside of the base on a raid, feeling even worse if you found out that he had been involved in a chase or a shooting. Javier never told you the ugly details of the hunts, but you ended up finding out anyway through his reports. The Medellín Cartel was a violent and cruel organization, and you were well aware that Javier risked his life every day.

But in the cutest part, you wore your best dresses for work, paying extra attention to your hair and makeup in the morning. You used the same perfume he told you he loved and kept your nails painted red, knowing he liked them that way. You also noticed that he continued using the same cologne you had mentioned you liked.

You didn't know it, of course, but Javier hadn't had sex with anyone for days. He didn't invite any secretaries to his apartment, and he limited his interactions to receiving information from his informants and letting them go with nothing more than their due payment. Not even Helena slept in his bed or sat on his couch the two times a week she visited him. Javier didn't want to be with anyone because every time he tried, you crept into his thoughts, and he couldn't stand to keep doing that to you. He jerked himself off thinking of you, of course. He wasn’t proud of it, but it was definitely better than use someone else just to pretend she was you.

Javier was deeply conflicted. He cared about you more than he wanted to admit, and it scared him. He didn't want to put you in harm's way or drag you into his dangerous world. As long as he was still working to take down Pablo Escobar and the Medellín Cartel, he would be a target for the enemy.

However, he knew that working as a DEA translator, you understood exactly what, why, and how his world worked. He was a former DEA agent, familiar with the stress, hard work, and the constant need to watch his back. So far, you had chosen to spend your days with him, but it had been as friends. He couldn't deny the growing attraction and connection between you two. Deeply, he knew that he wanted something more than just friends.

There had been years since his last formal relationship, which ended with a bride in tears at the altar. Javier knew that he had been young and a dick back then. It didn't justify his actions, but it had been a painful lesson.

He didn't want to break your heart. He knew he would never forgive himself if he hurt you for being an indecisive son of a bitch. If he was going to ask you to be with him, he needed to be sure.

One week before your birthday, as he parked his truck outside your building, Javier cleared his throat, attempting to say something. You had noticed that he had been acting nervous all day, but you couldn't quite figure out what had him in that state. You didn't say anything as you waited for him to speak first.

Javier said your name softly, "I was wondering if you had any plans for your birthday this weekend," he said. His big, dark-brown puppy eyes shone in the dark with the reflection of the streetlights.

"Umm, no," you said, "I usually get dinner with the girls from work, but I haven't mentioned anything to them yet."

"Oh, that's fine," he said, looking a bit more relaxed. But really, just a bit, because you swore that you could almost hear his heart beating from the passenger seat. "I mean, because I was thinking that maybe you would like to go to the fair with me. I would like to take you for a birthday dinner first, of course. Then spend the night at the fair."

He looked so adorable. You had never seen him that nervous before, and it was actually very cute.

"Javi, be honest with me," you said, and he went pale as a sheet of paper. He nodded, though. "Are you asking me for a date?"

You could see the color creeping up his face, now reddening his cheeks. He started mumbling, too nervous to notice that you were just teasing him.

"Javi, it's okay," you laughed, and his gaze returned to you as a smile formed on his beautiful lips, "That would be nice," you finally accepted.

His smile widened as his shoulders relaxed.

"It's a birthday date, then," he said.

As you headed into your building, Javier called out to you from the truck, "See you tomorrow, bonita," he said with a warm smile.

You couldn't help but smile back, your heart feeling lighter than it had in a long time. "Goodnight, Javi."

As you entered your apartment, you couldn't contain your excitement. It had been a long time since someone had made such an effort to celebrate your birthday. Javier's nervousness and sincerity had touched your heart deeply, and you were looking forward to your birthday date with him.

NEXT PART

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