#and then she suddenly appears out of nowhere from behind him pulling him in for a deep kiss just to get her point across that 'he's mine!'

[lina-unchained]

Long Due (18+)

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Pairing: Thanos/Choi Su-bong x Nam-gyu

Summary: Nam-gyu has to step in to push aside Thanos' adoring but insolent fans after his first gig at club Pentagon. They withdraw into one of the private rooms for their next fix but Thanos is also hungry for his little bodyguard.

Release date: 12/02/25

Words count: 1.5K

Warnings: swearing; drug use; oral sex; hair pulling; choking; unprotected sex

Notes: I didn't get into this ship at first but lately I've been digging it, I hope the fic is alright 😭🙏

I’m not a native English speaker, so there might be spelling or grammatical mistakes

Masterlist

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The fans were still screaming long after Thanos had gotten off the stage. Despite his downfall at the Rap Battleground competition he had won countless admirers and getting a gig at club Pentagon showed that he was nevertheless adored.

“Whoooooo,” Thanos shouted as he walked to his private booth. “What a night!”

Nam-gyu was observing him from a distance. He’s been working at the club for a few years and was accustomed to serving all the singers and VIP guests. But every time he had to serve Thanos he got a bit giggly inside.

Having won some fame through the Rap Battleground competition Thanos was often seen at club Pentagon where he partied hard. From the very beginning he had eyed Nam-gyu and always demanded to be served by him. The two became closer and Nam-gyu often acted like Thanos’ little bodyguard chasing away the annoying fans and always provided him his next fix. And finally getting a gig on the club’s stage sent Thanos even higher in the clouds.

“Where’s my boy Nam-su?” Thanos yelled excitedly.

He started spinning around like mad trying to eye his little protégé. Nam-gyu smiled shyly and moved from behind the bar, so that Thanos could see him.

“There he is!” Thanos almost ran to Nam-gyu. “Nam-su, my boy,” he said hugging him.

Nam-gyu secretly inhaled Thanos’ cologne before correcting him yet once again. “It’s Nam-gyu”

“Yeah Nam-guy,” Thanos repeated and smiled at him.

Nam-gyu smiled back shyly and his cheeks turned red.

“Hey Thanos!” some girls started shouting and giggling.

Thanos turned around and saw a bunch of fangirls by his private booth. “Hello, senoritas,” he replied and walked to them in a cocky style.

They giggled and told him how much they had enjoyed his gig. Fed by their words of adoring Thanos’ ego inflated even more and his movements became rather comical as he tried to impress them.

Nam-gyu observed this with a frown upon his face. He really didn’t like to see any fans around Thanos.

“Hey Nam-su,” Thanos shouted, “Bring us some cocktails,” then he turned to the girls and invited them to sit at his booth.

“It’s Nam-gyu,” Nam-gyu mumbled under his nose and proceeded to make their drinks.

“Hey can I like touch your hair?” one of the girls asked Thanos when Nam-gyu was serving them the cocktails. “I love that purple on you”

“Of course senorita,” Thanos replied and bowed nearer to her face with a foxy smile.

She hesitated for a moment seemingly intimidated by his closeness. Then she slowly lifted her hand and ran her fingers through his hair.

“Wow I’m actually touching Thanos’ hair,” she exclaimed and all of the girls giggled.

Nam-gyu watched this with jealousy and silently cursed her.

“Come on guys, it’s Thanos,” some other fans appeared out of nowhere. “Please, Thanos, let us take a photo with you!”

“Yes! Please!” someone else said just as excitedly.

Showered with attention Thanos couldn’t say no. He got up and allowed everyone to get nearer to him for a photo. Everything started mildly with a few people but then more and more joined the fuss and got too close and too touchy.

“Alright, alright,” suddenly Nam-gyu interfered and started pushing some of the people away from Thanos. “Let’s give him some space”

“Who are you?” some girl asked. “His bodyguard? Fuck off,” she tried to push Nam-gyu away.

“Hey don’t fight,” Thanos said standing tall like a king. “I will take a photo with each one of you”

His fans cheered and started arguing who would be first.

“But I need to do something first,” he looked hungrily at Nam-gyu.

Nam-gyu knew very well what that meant – Thanos needed his next fix.

“I will be back shortly and the photoshoot will continue,” he said and winked. “Meanwhile sit here and enjoy the drinks,” and with those words he left.

Nam-gyu followed him like a puppy. They went to the back where the artists and VIP guests could book private rooms for the evening.

“Whoooo”, Thanos shouted again as he walked inside. He circled the room a few times. He was still super hectic.

“Nam-su, my little bodyguard,” Thanos said and hugged him again.

Nam-gyu smiled and slightly pressed his head upon Thanos. “Nam-gyu”

“Nam-gyu, my boy, you know what I need,” Thanos said as he broke the embrace.

Nam-gyu put his hand into his pocket and took out a little plastic bag with a few pills inside.

“That’s it, my boy,” Thanos started waving his hands excitedly.

They both sat at opposite chairs. Nam-gyu took one pill. He handed the plastic bag to Thanos. Nam-guy put his pill between his lips. Part of it was hanging out. He looked at Thanos waiting, so that they could pop their pills at the same time. Thanos gave Nam-gyu a long gaze before he suddenly grabbed Nam-gyu’s face and put his lips upon him. Then his tongue found the pill and abducted it from Nam-gyu’s mouth.

Nam-gyu looked at Thanos in surprise while the latter chewed the pill maintaining eye contact. “My Nam-su,” he almost growled.

“Nam… Nam-gyu,” Nam-gyu quietly said more like a habit other than an actual brain function.

“Right, Nam-gyu,” Thanos smirked and leaned back in his chair. Legs wide aside, arms upon the chair’s armrests. He gave Nam-gyu unambiguous head movement towards his lap. “I have a seat reserved for you, my sweet little bodyguard. Come on!”

Nam-gyu was breathing heavily with eyes wide open. He couldn’t decide whether Thanos was being serious or just fooling around.

“Ay my Nam-su, are you going to make me come to you?”

Nam-gyu smiled shyly thinking that Thanos was probably too high and didn’t know what he was saying. Nam-gyu got up. “I think I should go back to the bar,” he didn’t want to mess things up with Thanos due to misunderstanding his actions.

Suddenly Thanos jumped and pushed Nam-gyu to the wall shoving his face in Nam-gyu’s neck.

“My sweet little Nam-su, you’re not going anywhere,” Thanos whispered into his ear.

Nam-gyu shuddered. He was too hypnotized and totally submitted to be called ‘Nam-su’.

Thanos pressed his body onto Nam-gyu and their hard cocks fondled each other. He grabbed Nam-gyu’s hands and intertwining their fingers he put them above Nam-gyu’s head. Thanos was moving his kisses from Nam-gyu’s neck to his lips back and forth. Their hard dicks now begging to be released.

Thanos grabbed Nam-gyu and literally threw him on the couch. He quickly settled between Nam-gyu’s legs and continued exploring his neck.

It was finally Nam-gyu’s turn to run his fingers through Thanos’ notorious hair. The latter started dry humping. “Shit my Nam-su, I want you so badly tonight”.

Nam-gyu exhaled excitedly and kept caressing Thanos’ hair. The kisses started going downwards passionately. Suddenly Nam-gyu’s pants were down and his hard cock was pointing at Thanos who quickly swallowed it.

Nam-gyu grabbed the couch’s armrests above his head and moaned in pleasure. For a moment he thought he was eaither dreaming or had OD’d and was now in heaven.

“Oh my sweet little Nam-su, you taste so fucking good,” Thanos exclaimed and made his way towards Nam-gyu’s face. “Here, taste it yourself,” he forcefully put his tongue into Nam-gyu’s mouth so deep that Nam-gyu choked a little.

Nam-gyu couldn’t resist any longer and slid his hand upon Thanos’s dick. It was hard and big. Just like Nam-gyu had imagined it countless times.

“Shit my Nam-su, you want my dick, you naughty boy?”

Nam-gyu nodded obediently.

Thanos grabbed Nam-gyu and turned him around. He put down his pants, added a bit of saliva on his dick and pressed it firmly upon Nam-gyu’s behind. He penetrated slowly and rather painfully.

Nam-gyu winced and grabbed the couch’s armrests. Thanos began thrusting frantically getting as deep as he could.

“Fuck my Nam-su,” Thanos yelled in Nam-gyu’s ear and grabbed his hair. “You like it like that?”

Nam-gyu was so badly down for Thanos that he was ready to take him in any way.

They were both moaning and sighing, now Thanos grabbing Nam-gyu’s throat and choking him while still thrusting forcefully and at a quick pace.

Nam-gyu’s vision started to get blurry. He feared Thanos might get too far but nonetheless enjoyed every second. He had been dreaming for this moment since the first day he had met Thanos. It was long due.

“Holy fuck my Nam-su,” Thanos sighed loudly as he filled Nam-gyu with his cum pushing his dick as deep as possible to ensure it stayed inside of Nam-gyu.

Thanos rolled aside from the couch and lied on the ground drenched in sweat. Nam-gyu was breathing heavily from the choking.

“My sweet boy Nam-su, you were so good,” Thanos sighed and wiped the sweat from his face.

“Nam-gyu,” Nam-gyu corrected Thanos with a hoarse voice and gave him a shrewd glance from the couch.

Thanos smirked and pulled Nam-gyu on top of him. “Do you want to be punished now, you naughty boy?”

Nam-gyu giggled and shoved his face into Thanos’ neck. He had the upper hand now.

Out there in the private booth Thanos’ fans were waiting for him to come back while the club’s owner was walking around looking for Nam-gyu.

[timothyslucy]

i need to witness lucy getting all possessive over her man like (ง •̀_•́)ง

[kayewrite]

Want so Bad

genre:; fluff and (..) word count: 3.9K

Minho x reader! Minho x fem. reader!!

wherein: Minho is everything you never wanted in life. But he wants you….so bad.

(an: this is my favorite and i had fun writing while listening to Minho and Jisung's "Want so Bad" again and again and again. so i hope you enjoy reading it!! a comment, like, and reblog is very much appreciated)

"Why are you here?"

You roll your eyes, barely glancing up at the person standing in front of you, your voice dripping with boredom.

"I'm here because I miss you," he replies, winking at you in that infuriating way that always makes you cringe.

You’re in your living room, buried in your textbooks, when this boy suddenly appears in front of you, as if someone summoned him from nowhere.

Minho.

He’s your brother Jisung’s best friend in the entire world—or so they claim. There’s a three-year gap between you and them. They’re in their final year of college, while you’re just a freshman.

You would give him a proper introduction, but the truth is, you can't stand him. You’ve hated him ever since you were 15. He and Jisung have always loved teasing you, making your life miserable whenever they could.

"Jisung! Your favorite family member is here!" you shout, unable to handle Minho’s relentless teasing any longer. Sure, you’re in college now and supposed to be more mature (or so you tell yourself), but after years of dealing with them, you’ve become accustomed to hating their antics.

"I wasn’t even part of the family… but I guess I will be after I marry one of the family members," Minho smirks, his voice dripping with mischief.

"Then go marry my brother," you retort, your expression as nonchalant as ever.

He laughs and casually snatches the book you were studying. You’re so used to his flirty teasing by now that it barely fazes you.

It all started back in high school when Jisung teased you relentlessly, convinced you had a crush on Minho. He found it on your pink diary and read it out loud, complete with the cheesy music that played whenever you opened it. (Well, you did have a crush on Minho back then, but it faded over time.)

Jisung teased you so much that you cried your eyes out, and then he told Minho all about it, sparking years of torment.

"Oh no, my sister might actually ace her exams now that she’s seen her only inspiration," Jisung chimes in as he walks down the stairs, pulling on a t-shirt. You roll your eyes at him too.

"I think I should come over more often. I might just make your sister the top student," Minho adds with a grin.

There goes your peaceful day.

But thankfully, they don’t bother you too much, as they soon move to the kitchen to eat. You try to refocus on your studies, but chemistry is giving you a hard time, so you pop in your earbuds and pull up a tutorial on YouTube. Just as you’re getting into it, a glass of orange juice and a muffin appear on your table (or rather, on top of your notebook).

"Eat, little devil. Food helps you focus more," Jisung says, placing the snacks down.

You mumble a quick thanks, thinking he’ll leave, but instead, he plops down on the couch behind you. You’re sitting on the floor, leaning against the couch, your books and notes spread out on the coffee table in front of you. Then, without a care in the world, Jisung props his legs up on the table, acting as if your things are invisible.

You were almost touched by your brother��s gesture… but never mind.

"Yah!" You glare at him, but he just shrugs and turns on the TV, putting on a movie. A minute later, Minho joins him.

"What are you studying, kid?" Minho asks, even though he’s already glanced at your book.

"None of your business."

"Oh, is that a new subject? I’ve never heard of it before."

Argh.

"You should help her, Minho. I heard from her professor that she scored low on a quiz," Jisung says, his tone annoyingly casual.

How does he know that?

"Really?" Minho leans forward, peering at what you’re writing. "Well, chemistry is indeed tough."

"Help her out. You always got high scores in that subject back in the day."

You’re listening to them while half-heartedly writing, your earbuds now turned down low. You’re trying to pretend they’re just ghosts, but hearing them talk about your struggles in chemistry makes you want to join the conversation.

"Sure, if you give me that game console," Minho quips.

"On second thought, I think my sister will manage just fine."

Arghhh.

You can’t take it anymore. You gather up your things, smack your brother’s leg, and stomp upstairs.

Later, you’re back in your study area, trying to focus again when there’s a knock on your door. It can only be one of them since the three of you are the only ones at home. Your parents are working, even on a Sunday.

"What?!" you yell, your irritation clear.

You’re about to open the door when it swings open on its own, revealing Minho.

"You shouldn’t talk like that to your tutor," he says, flicking your forehead.

"Ow!"

Tutor? Jisung must’ve given him the console.

You don’t bother complaining because, aside from being tired… well, yeah, you’re just too tired.

"You should listen well, okay? If you don’t, we won’t get married," Minho teases, treating you like a child as always. You hate it, but you’re too drained to argue.

"Okay." You roll your eyes for the ninth time and settle in to listen as he starts to explain.

The tutorial is full of bickering and Minho’s relentless teasing, but unexpectedly, you finally understand the material. Your questions are answered, and for the first time in a while, you feel a bit of relief.

"Thank you," you say as you bid him goodbye.

"Goodbye. Let me know when you get home. And say hi to your baby cats for me," your brother says, waving Minho off.

"How did your chemistry exam go?"

You’re happy with your results and you share them with Minho.

"I got an almost perfect score!"

"Really?" He messes up your hair. "Then you should thank me. You owe me."

"I’ll get Jisung’s console for you," you joke

Minho is at your house again. He says they have a group study session, but Jisung isn’t home yet. You both settled into the living room, the hum of the TV in the background as Minho lounged on the couch, his legs stretched out comfortably. You took a seat on the floor, leaning against the couch, your study materials spread out on the coffee table.

“So, what else do you need help with, little genius?” Minho teased, nudging your shoulder with his foot.

You rolled your eyes playfully. “I don’t need your help again, Mr. Top Student. I can manage just fine on my own.”

Minho chuckled, the sound light and teasing. “Sure, you can. But remember, you owe me for that almost perfect score. I think I might start charging for my tutoring services.”

“Don’t push your luck,” you shot back, a smile tugging at your lips.

Minho leaned forward, resting his chin on his hand as he looked at you, his expression softening slightly. “You know, you’re pretty impressive. Balancing all this studying and still managing to have a sense of humor.”

You felt a small flutter in your stomach at his words, a sensation that caught you off guard. You quickly masked it with a smirk. “Flattery will get you nowhere, Minho.”

He grinned, leaning back against the couch. “Who says I’m flattering you? I’m just stating facts.”

You opened your mouth to retort, but the words got caught in your throat when you met his gaze. There was something different in his eyes, something that made your heart skip a beat. The usual playful glint was still there, but beneath it was a warmth that made you feel… special.

You quickly looked away, focusing on the notes in front of you, trying to shake off the unexpected feeling. “Anyway, where’s this group of yours? I thought you were supposed to be studying.”

Minho shrugged, casually twirling a pen between his fingers. “They’re running late. I guess they’re not as eager to study as I am.”

“Right, because you’re so eager,” you muttered, the sarcasm clear in your voice.

He chuckled again, the sound warm and familiar. “Maybe I just wanted an excuse to hang out with you. You’re much more fun than Jisung.”

Your heart fluttered again, and you bit your lip, trying to keep your cool. “You’re just saying that because I actually study, unlike my brother.”

“True,” he agreed, his tone light. “But also because you’re interesting. I never know what you’re going to say next.”

You were about to respond when you heard the front door open and Jisung’s voice echo through the house. “I’m back! Did I miss anything?”

You quickly straightened up, feeling a strange mix of relief and disappointment that your brother had arrived. Minho, however, just smiled, a mischievous glint returning to his eyes as he leaned over and whispered in your ear, “We’ll continue this later.”

Your breath hitched at the closeness, and for a moment, you couldn’t think of a single thing to say. As Minho pulled back with a wink, you felt the butterflies in your stomach take flight.

Jisung entered the living room, oblivious to the tension that had suddenly filled the air. “Hey, what are you two up to?”

“Just studying,” Minho replied casually, as if nothing had happened, though the smirk on his face told a different story.

You nodded, trying to compose yourself. “Yeah, just studying.”

But as you glanced at Minho, who was now chatting with your brother like everything was normal, you couldn’t help but wonder if things between you had just shifted in a way you hadn’t expected. And as much as you tried to deny it, you couldn’t ignore the fact that, for the first time, Minho’s teasing had made your heart race in a way you couldn’t quite understand.

You were walking through the university courtyard, your thoughts scattered as you mentally planned your study schedule for the rest of the day. It had been a busy week, and you were looking forward to some peace and quiet when you suddenly spotted Minho across the way. He was chatting animatedly with a girl, her laughter ringing out as he carried a stack of books for her.

You instinctively slowed your pace, your eyes lingering on them for a moment longer than you intended. The girl was pretty, with a bright smile and an easygoing vibe that made her seem instantly likable. She playfully nudged Minho with her shoulder, and he grinned back at her, that familiar teasing spark in his eyes.

For a second, you considered changing your route, avoiding the interaction altogether. But then you stopped yourself. Why would you do that? It’s not like it mattered. It wasn’t like you cared who Minho was talking to, or how close they seemed. Right?

So you took a deep breath and kept walking, your expression carefully neutral as you approached them. As you got closer, Minho caught sight of you, and his grin widened.

“Well, well, well, look who it is,” he called out, his voice full of mock surprise. “You just couldn’t resist, could you? Saw my handsome face and had to come over.”

You rolled your eyes, a smile tugging at your lips despite yourself. “Oh please, I just happened to be walking by. Don’t flatter yourself.”

The girl next to him laughed at your banter, and you noticed the way she lightly slapped his arm, a gesture that spoke of familiarity. It was clear they were close. Your eyes flickered to her, and you couldn’t help but feel a tiny pang of something—what was it? Jealousy? Annoyance? Whatever it was, you quickly pushed it down.

Minho noticed your glance and, as if reading your mind, raised an eyebrow. “Ah, sorry. Where are my manners? This is Seoyun, a friend from my class. Seoyun, this is my little genius here,” he added with a teasing smirk.

You gave her a polite nod, trying to ignore the way your heart skipped at the word “friend.” “Nice to meet you, Seoyun.”

“Nice to meet you too!” she replied cheerfully. “Minho’s told me a lot about you. He says you’re quite the brainiac.”

You shot Minho a look, and he just grinned, clearly enjoying your reaction. “Yeah, well, someone’s got to keep him in line,” you said, your tone light but with a hint of sarcasm.

Seoyun laughed again, and you couldn’t help but notice how comfortable they seemed together. It was… unsettling in a way you couldn’t quite pinpoint. But you weren’t about to dwell on it.

“Well, I’ve got to get going,” you said, glancing at your watch. “Places to be, things to study.”

“Always so busy,” Minho said, shaking his head in mock disappointment. “But you know, all work and no play…”

“…keeps you out of trouble,” you finished for him with a smirk. “But don’t worry about me. I’ll manage.”

Seoyun smiled at you again, giving a little wave. “It was nice meeting you. Hopefully, we’ll see each other around.”

“Yeah, maybe,” you replied, waving back before turning to continue on your way.

As you walked away, you couldn’t help but glance over your shoulder, just once, to see Minho and Seoyun laughing together as they continued their conversation. You tried to ignore the uneasy feeling that settled in your chest, brushing it off as nothing.

‘She must be his girlfriend,’ you thought to yourself, trying to sound nonchalant even in your own mind. And then you shrugged, forcing yourself to focus on your day ahead. ‘Why would I care?’

But even as you walked away, you couldn’t quite shake the image of them together, the way they seemed to fit so naturally. And for the first time, Minho’s teasing didn’t just annoy you—it made you feel something deeper, something you weren’t ready to face just yet.

“Hey.”

You looked up at the voice calling your name. It was Jeongin, your classmate.

“We got paired for the presentation,” he reminded you. Oh! You remembered now, probably too occupied with other subjects to focus on this. “If you don’t mind, can we start after class? That way we’ll finish early and can focus on other things.”

“Sure,” you agreed, appreciating his practical suggestion.

“Great. We should head to a coffee shop after this.”

After class, you walked together, discussing the presentation details. Jeongin had some good ideas, and you found yourself easily slipping into a productive conversation. The atmosphere between you two was relaxed, and soon you arrived at the coffee shop.

“What do you want?” Jeongin asked as you both approached the counter.

“Latte, please,” you replied, smiling. “Thanks.”

As Jeongin went to order, you scanned the room, your eyes landing on a familiar figure. Minho. He was with a group of friends, casually chatting. When he looked up, his gaze met yours. He smirked at you, and you were about to wave, but then he broke the eye contact and turned his attention back to the person next to him. You scanned the group quickly, noticing your brother wasn’t there.

You tried to focus on your work, but you kept catching Minho glancing at you from the corner of your eye. For the first time, you wondered what he thought of seeing you with another guy. The idea made you smirk a little, enjoying the small twist of the situation. Minho, always so sure of himself, might just be a little thrown off by this.

Jeongin returned with your latte and his own drink, setting them down on the table.

“Ready to get started?” he asked, pulling out his notes.

“Yeah, let’s do this,” you replied, pushing the thoughts of Minho to the back of your mind—for now, at least.

You were studying in the living room, the soft murmur of a video tutorial explaining organic chemistry filling the space. You were too focused to notice Minho entering your house until his voice broke through your concentration.

“Hey, my favorite person,” he greeted with a playful smile.

You glanced around, looking behind you and to the sides. “My brother’s not here,” you stated, raising an eyebrow at him.

He laughed, shaking his head. “Of course you are the one I meant. My favorite person.”

You rolled your eyes, though a small smile tugged at your lips. “If Soonie, Doongie, and Dori were people, they’d be your favorites.”

“Of course,” he agreed, his tone light.

You returned to your studies, but Minho didn’t leave. Instead, he plopped down on the couch, stretching out as if he had all the time in the world. You tried to ignore him, but it wasn’t long before he broke the silence again.

“So, who was that guy you were with at the café earlier?” His tone was casual, but you could feel the underlying curiosity.

You hesitated, not sure how to respond. You didn’t have to be honest, but something made you want to see how he would react. “He’s a suitor,” you said nonchalantly, not looking up from your notebook.

Minho’s expression shifted slightly, but he quickly masked it, leaning back with a smirk. “A suitor, huh? I should tell your brother. Maybe he’ll confiscate your phone so you can focus on studying.”

You narrowed your eyes at him, feeling a spark of irritation. “I’m not a kid, Minho. I can decide who I want to spend time with.”

He chuckled, clearly enjoying your reaction. “Oh, really? You’re still just a freshman. You should focus on your studies instead of getting distracted by things like relationships.”

Your irritation grew. “What about you? You’re in a relationship with that girl you were walking with, but I can’t be in one?”

Minho’s eyes widened slightly in surprise before he quickly composed himself. He knew you were jealous, and he had to hide the smile threatening to break through. “So, you were jealous?” he teased, leaning forward.

You felt a flush of heat rise to your cheeks, and you stood up abruptly, gathering your things. “I’m not jealous,” you snapped, turning on your heel to head back to your room.

As you walked away, Minho couldn’t help but smile. He knew you were, even if you wouldn’t admit it, and that only made him like you more.

Life continues as usual, with your brother Jisung and Minho still finding every opportunity to tease you. Tomorrow is their graduation day, and as you walk into your brother's room to borrow a math book, you decide to ask him a question that's been on your mind.

"Jisung, what’s your plan after graduation?"

You’re genuinely curious, even if you’d never admit it to his face. Despite all the sibling rivalry, you’re proud of him for making it this far.

"Probably end up unemployed," he replies with a shrug.

You give him a deadpan look. What answer did you expect, anyway?

"Obviously, I’ll take the board exam first, then start job hunting," he says while folding his clothes. Then he glances at you, squinting. "You’re not asking because you’re curious about Minho, are you?"

Yeah…no!

You quickly throw a pillow at him, trying to hide your flustered expression. "Do you really think my world revolves around him?" Jisung catches the pillow and smirks, clearly not convinced.

"Even if you don't ask about Minho, I'll tell you anyway. Remember when I told you to spend more time with him? You should’ve listened, because after graduation, he’s going abroad. There’s a job offer waiting for him."

Oh…

You manage a nonchalant nod, but as you leave his room, the news weighs heavily on your mind.

That night, as you lie in bed, you can’t help but replay Jisung’s words over and over. Minho is leaving. The thought sends a strange ache through your chest. You try to tell yourself that it’s not a big deal, that his absence won’t matter—but deep down, you know it will.

Graduation day arrives in a whirlwind of excitement. Your parents are there, beaming with pride, and you stand among the crowd, clutching a bouquet of flowers. You watch as your brother and his friends, including Minho, happily pose for group pictures, congratulating each other and hugging in celebration of finally finishing their studies. The joy is infectious, but there's a tinge of sadness in your heart.

Minho is leaving.

The thought lingers, even as you force yourself to focus on the present moment.

"Hey, little devil, take a picture of us," your brother calls out to you. You roll your eyes at the nickname but comply, grabbing the Polaroid camera hanging around your neck. It is his day, after all.

You snap the picture, capturing their bright smiles and laughter. The moment is perfect, but it tugs at your heartstrings.

Minho is leaving.

No matter how much you’ve pretended to hate him, the truth is, you’re going to miss him more than you’d like to admit.

"Are these my flowers?" your brother asks, reaching for the bouquet in your hands. You quickly hide it behind your back.

"They’re not yours! Mom has your flowers," you retort, giving him a playful glare.

He chuckles, his eyes sparkling with mischief, probably know what you are planning. "Okay, okay, I get it."

Just then, Minho approaches you, his usual teasing grin in place. "Can you take a picture of me? So you’ll have a souvenir picture of me," he said with a wink.

Pushing aside the urge to roll your eyes. Today, you’re happy for him, even if it’s bittersweet.

"Ha ha ha, I’m honored," you reply with mock sarcasm, but you can’t help laughing with him. You snap the picture, trying to ignore the fluttering in your chest.

"We should take a picture together too," he says suddenly, taking the camera from your hands. He hands it to one of his classmates and stands beside you, draping an arm over your shoulder. You try to hide the blush creeping up your cheeks, secretly pleased to have a picture with him. You’re going to miss him.

After the picture is taken, you slowly extend the bouquet toward him. "These are for you. Congratulations."

Minho’s eyes light up with surprise and genuine happiness as he takes the flowers. "It’s my first time receiving flowers. I’m blushing," he says with a laugh. Then, with a mischievous grin, he adds, "Are you asking me to be your boyfriend? Wait, I need to think about it."

He presses a finger to his temple, pretending to be deep in thought.

You slap his arm lightly, laughing. "It’s a farewell gift, you idiot."

"Wait, you should give me more time to think," he says, closing his eyes dramatically. After a few seconds, he opens them with a playful glint. "Yes. I will be your boyfriend."

You freeze, caught off guard. What?

"So from now on, you’re my girlfriend," he declares, and before you can react, he leans in and plants a quick kiss on your lips.

Your mind spins as his words sink in. "I promised myself I’d wait until you graduate, but I can’t help it—especially since I’m going far away, someone might take you from me." he says softly and laughs, messing with your hair. "So wait for me, okay? I promise I’ll come back to you."

It takes a moment, but you finally manage a small nod, a smile tugging at your lips.

Minho smiles back, his eyes filled with warmth.

You realize then,

more than ever,

that you want him

just as much as he wants you.

[staryscorner]

When they see that you've been Sh

Warning: Mention of blood and self h@rm/cvtt!ng

Characters: Gyeong seok, Jung bae, Jun ho, The Salesman, Sae byeok- 

Pt1 | Pt2 | PT3 (In the works)

Gyeong seok- 

Since moving in with Gyeong seok life has gotten a bit tougher for you; having way more responsibilities than what you’re used to, especially now since you have a cute step daughter who you love with all your heart, but it was something completely new and you thought you were doing a bad job. So to relieve some of the worries you began to sh. The pain washed the worries away. Then one day when you were playing with Na-Yeon your sleeves went up a bit and she had notices come red marks on your skin.

“Mama what’s that?” she said pointing at your arms.

You put your hands behind your back 

“It's nothing sweetheart I just got a little boo boo just dont tell daddy ok?”

She just nodded and continued to play with her toys.

The next day it was Gyeong seok’s turn to take Na-Yeon to school. 

While he was in a small conversation with her a cat appeared in front of her and she began to pet it and said.

“Papa, Mama said to keep this a secret but imma tell you. She had red marks on her arms. It looked like a kitty gave her a boo boo.

After hearing those words Gyeong seok knew that something was wrong. After dropping his daughter off he ran home to see if what he thought was true.

You were cooking dinner and suddenly someone barged into the front door.

“Let me see your arms”

“Why do you need to see my arms”

“Just show them to me.” He said in a stern voice.

You had no other choice but to show him

“Why are you doing this!?”

“Well I thought you might not want to be with me anymore if I was a bad mother so to cope I began to do this” You said almost whispering

“Why would I ever leave you for that reason? I married you for a reason because you're perfect in my eyes. I'm also learning to be a father and loving husband everyday so don't think you're going through all of this alone.” He said as he held you in a long embrace.

You were in his arms crying like a baby 

“I love you” He whispered in your ear

“I love you too”

Jung bae- 

Although he’s always bubbly there's a serious side that would show at times and that time was now. He accidentally came into to the room as you were getting dressed and saw your bruised body 

“Y/N! WHO HIT YOU”

You looked at him standing at the door and realized that you forgot to lock it. He came in and sat next to you as he asked to see the bruises on your body.

“I did this to myself” you looked down feeling ashamed of saying it out loud.

He looked at you the brave person he had met was now a shell of their former self

“I want to help you so please don't do this to yourself because when you hurt yourself you hurt me as well.

He then helped you finish getting dressed and soon made you dinner before you both cuddled to sleep.

Jun ho- 

He knew something was wrong (he’s literally a cop) so when you started to wear long baggy shirts he had to find out what was going on.

So he asked you one day out of nowhere if you wanted to go on a vacation. He never told you where but he did say it would be a surprise. So after the long car ride you woke to the smell of the ocean and the sun beaming on you. You used to love the beach but now It was your worst fear.

He led you to the beach house that his family owned and after bringing all the louage in it was finally time to head to the beach. As he was waiting for you to come out of the bathroom he wondered if he was maybe overthinking things. When he heard the door creak you still had a baggy shirt over your bathing suit.

“Aren't you going to go into the water?” 

“Well um maybe not this time.” you said

“But you love going into the beach just take you have your bathing suit under right so just take it off”

As he was playfully lifting up your shirt he saw multiple cuts on from your stomach to your chest. You quickly pulled it down and just looked down.

“Is that the reason why you didn't want to go in… Babe, why didn't you tell me sooner.”

“Well…. because you have work and you seem to be busy”

“But I always have time for you. You mean everything to me and I want you to rely on me.”

“How about we get those bandaged up and later we can go out and have a dinner date near the beach.” He said wanting to make it up to you.

“I’d love that” You said giving him a kiss”

The Salesman- 

He loves to see the blood of his enemies fall, but not you he cares so much for you. He noticed that there would be blood drops on the bathroom floor which made him install hidden cameras in the house. When he would go back to check them he would see you enter the bathroom and come out after a few minutes with bandages all over your legs and arms. 

So on the day’s that you're not home he looks all over the house finding all the hidden blades and would slowly start removing them one by one until there was none. He even removed anything else that could be used. He even came home sooner so he could keep you company in the evening.

“What are you doing so early here”

“I just wanted to spend more time with you honey~” 

Without you realizing it you had stopped and it was now a thing of the past.

Sae byeok- 

She took it the hardest. Having someone that she loved dearly being in pain hurt her so much.

When she first saw the cuts and scars on your body she was mad, not at you but at herself for not knowing sooner. 

“I’m so sorry babe, how can I even call myself your girlfriend if I can't even protect you”

She kept apologizing non stop. You didn't want to see her like this. She was such a fearless woman and she was blaming herself for something that you did to yourself, it felt like a dagger to the heart.

You kneeled down and cupped her face with your hands

“Hey! Please don't blame yourself for this.”

After saying that you got up and went to your shared bedroom and grabbed all the blades and brought them to where she is and you just threw them straight into the trash can. I don't want you to suffer for something that I did so please stop apologizing.”

You then went down and kissed her forehead. “I promise I'll stop this…for you.”

Hear is pt2!!! =^▿^= If you have any other characters you guys want please suggest them!! :3 ALSO let me know if you want to be tagged in PT3!!

[kyutushi]

❥🝮𝐫𝐞𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐚𝐭 𝐥𝐚𝐬𝐭 ; 𝐩𝟏

`ఌ𝐡𝐮𝐬𝐛𝐚𝐧𝐝!𝐡𝐮𝐬𝐤 𝐱 𝐠𝐧!𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫

❦ꨄ𝐭𝐚𝐠𝐬; 𝐬𝐟𝐰, 𝐟𝐥𝐮𝐟𝐟, 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐜𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐝 𝐝𝐨𝐥𝐥 (𝐡𝐮𝐬𝐤) 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐟𝐥𝐮𝐟𝐟𝐲 𝐭𝐢𝐭𝐬 (𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐥), 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐝 𝐜𝐚𝐭/𝐟𝐨𝐱 𝐨𝐫 𝐚𝐧𝐲 𝐟𝐥𝐮𝐟𝐟𝐲 𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐦𝐚𝐥

the evening sky hung low over the city, casting elongated shadows as the city lights began their nightly glow. amongst the bustling streets and towering buildings, one named y/n found themself on a peculiar journey, one they never anticipated.

y/n was that of grace and elegance, their demeanor as poised as their steps were deliberate. of course being someone on their way to topple the ranks it was quite easy to navigate the pride ring with no threat. they had a curiosity that often led them into unexpected adventures. tonight was no different.

a peculiar flyer caught their eye, its bold letters declaring: "hazbin hotel: where every demon deserves a second chance." intrigued, y/n tucked the flyer into their pocket, the image of a grand hotel etched into their mind.

days passed, and the memory of the flyer lingered. y/ns curiosity gnawed at them until they found theirself standing before the grand entrance of the hotel. Its imposing structure loomed before them, shrouded in an eerie glow that seemed to beckon them closer.

they looked up at the red sky, heart beat quickening. what should they expect once these doors open? y/n knocked on the door, once.. twice.. thrice.. when suddenly the door was opened. there stood hells princess, charlie morningstar. her face lit up instantly, gleaming with pride, “are you.. A NEW GUEST?” she asked enthusiastically, taking y/ns had roughly and shaking it, pulling them into the hotel. the lobby was opulent, adorned with velvet drapes and flickering candles that cast dancing shadows upon the walls.

“well, i had happened to come across a flyer and i was intrigued.. how exactly does this work do tell?” y/n murmured, bringing a finger to their lips. charlie sweat dropped before bringing up a hand to speak, “actually— umm i haven’t figured that out yet! but trust me when i say it can definitely happen!” she tried to persuade you.

“i see.. care to show me around, princess?” she nodded enthusiastically and pulled you around showing you everything about the hotel.

—

“AND this is the barrrr and the bartender..!” she pointed at everything there was to see. the rugged man at the bar spared a quick glance and mumbled something before doing a double take. his eyes widened in shock as he turned towards you, “n/n..?” it was then when y/n saw him, husk, their husband. y/n’s breath caught in their throat as recognition dawned upon them. it really is him.

“..husk? what are you- what happened-“ y/n rushed over, ignoring charlie’s questioning, “what the fuck are you doing here?? you disappeared and never said anything—“ y/n took his hands (paws?) into theirs. “i’m sorry doll.. i- alastor came back.” he mumbled, trying to keep anyone from overhearing. after all, the walls have ears.

y/n frowned, “i told you this already, give me the word and i’ll get you out of this damned deal! i can’t bear to see you working yourself away for this sicko.”

“no- i cant let you, who knows what the hell he’s got up his sleeve. he tricked me and i cant let him do the same thing to you. what are you even doing here- if he sees you-“ and as if things could be worse a shadow appeared from behind y/n, manifesting. alastor came out of nowhere, “ahh what a lovely reunion! right husker!” his cheery voice rang.

husk only mumbled, growling under his breath as he tried to avoid eye contact. he took a glass and began to clean it as he watched the scene, mainly keeping his eyes on y/n. y/n looked away from husk and glared at alastor. “you fucker, why are you back? it’s been SEVEN years.” their eyes flickering slightly, turning a slightly different color. y/ns power was mysterious and even alastor himself had no idea what they could do, so all he can do himself is antagonize. he only smiled wider, “good to see you too darling!”

as both y/n and alastor argued chatted away, angel made his way towards the bar, “ehhh soo you know fluffy tits right there?” he sat down right in front of husk. “they’re my partner..” he mumbled, “never thought i’d see them again.” glancing over to see you holding back a punch towards alastor. “those two never got along.” he chuckled slightly while reminiscing. angel chuckled too, “they looks fiery, i’d love to see her stick it to alastor.” he looked over at y/n and alastor again, y/ns fluffy ears close to their head as they held alastor by his collar. “hah! yeah i can say they’ve kicked my ass a few times..” husk looked at you and smiled lovingly.

𝐚/𝐧; 𝐢𝐦 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐲 𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐲 𝐰 𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐜𝐚𝐦𝐞 𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐥𝐞𝐭𝐬 𝐛𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐥 𝐡𝐮𝐬𝐤 𝐢𝐬 𝐚 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐥 𝐬𝐨𝐟𝐭𝐢𝐞 ,, 𝐢𝐟 𝐧𝐢𝐜𝐤𝐧𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐬 𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐟𝐲 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐥𝐦𝐤 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦 ❤️

[mattsfavoritestar]

LATCH, matt sturniolo

synopsis… matt meets a girl at a party and becomes infatuated by her

warnings… mpdg!reader, very small angst, fluff

thank you @bernardsbendystraws for the dividers <3

everything was so loud.

matt didn’t know if his ears were gonna burst from the loud bass of the speakers before his eyes went blind from the flashing colorful lights. he sat in the far back of the room—solo cup nursing in one hand while his phone, flashing twenty percent, rested in the other.

his friends were nowhere to be found, and his brothers, who were supposed to stay near him, vanished the moment they walked in. matt’s leg bounced with angst; he desperately wanted to leave but didn’t feel like he had a real reason to. with a quick swing of his cup, matt got up to make his way to an empty room in hopes of locking himself in solitude.

as he shuffled through the crowd, he mentally cursed the people he came with as he caught glimpses of them. by the time matt made it to a room, he shut the door quietly and leaned on it with a heavy sigh. matt didn’t register the body laying on the bed facedown until she said something.

“you aren’t here to drug me and then assault me, right?” she asked, though it came out muffled.

matt jolted at the voice, then shook his head before realizing her head wasn’t facing him. “no—i, uh, just wanted to chill in here for a bit… if that’s okay,” he rambled.

the girl sat up with a small laugh. she could hear his nervousness in his voice—it intrigued her. “so what’s your name, stranger?” she asked.

matt stared at her in awe; short, washed-out blue hair with bangs that curled toward her face. it wasn’t his first time seeing someone with colored hair, but the way hers looked, paired with her outfit, made her seem unreal—a fairy almost. she tilted her head and furrowed her brows in confusion. matt snapped out of his daze.

“sorry—s’matt,” he quickly said.

she smiled at him sweetly, then took in his appearance. suddenly, matt felt self-conscious in his hoodie and jeans. he ruffled his hair as he shuffled his feet. he didn’t notice her getting up, so he was startled as her eyes were a lot closer than before.

“wanna get out of here, matthew?” she asked lowly.

his face heated up at the close proximity, but he still managed to nod his head. she smiled before reaching for the door and dragging him out. the mystery girl led him through the crowd and out the door. he realized he didn’t know anything about her—let alone her name.

“you never told me your name, by the way,” he quietly said.

“you never gave me one,” she shrugged.

matt stared at the girl in confusion. did she not have a name? was she messing with him?

“okay… can i call you pixie?” he cautiously asked.

she shrugged, then gave him a cheshire cat smile. “do you have a car, matthew?” she asked. matt pulled out his keys in response.

when she asked him about his car, matt didn’t think she meant that she would be driving it. but here they were, speeding down the empty freeway as matt had a tight grip on the dashboard and door handle. when she asked for the aux, he didn’t expect her to play the entire soundtrack from the familiar multiversal spiderman movie.

“relax, matthew, i told you i got you—didn’t i?” she said, laughing at his panicked expression. she was right; she had promised him the moment she asked for the keys.

“just—slow down a bit? please?” he practically squeaked.

“close your eyes,” she said, glancing at him quickly. matt gave her a confused look before doing it. “do you feel that? the buzzing, i mean.”

matt wasn’t sure if it was from the music or the acceleration. the streetlights flashed through his sealed lids—he felt like he was in a movie.

when he opened his eyes, she was looking back at him. they were parked in front of a mcdonald’s.

“kinda craving a mcflurry,” she said, breaking eye contact.

matt followed behind her with a stumble. he saw the blue-haired girl walking back to him with a displeased look.

“shit’s busted as per usual,” she grumbled.

as she made her way to the car, a group of people walked past, causing her to halt.

“pixie?” matt quietly called out.

she let out a heavy sigh before turning back to him with a smile. “hey, do y’wanna go to the store? i think target’s open—i’m feeling like i wanna go red,” she said, turning back and rushing over to the car.

matt looked over his shoulder at the group, who were laughing and not paying the two any mind. he was confused about what made her mood slip but brushed it off. he got back into the car with her, giving her a quick glance.

“are you okay?” he asked.

she turned the music up and ignored his question.

matt felt the air shift. it was subtle but undeniable. the playful edge in her voice had dulled, and the energy that radiated off her like sparks seemed dimmer. matt’s grip on the seatbelt tightened as he watched her fiddle with the knobs of the stereo, her fingers tapping erratically to a beat that wasn’t there.

“pixie,” he tried again, softer this time. “what’s going on?”

her gaze stayed fixed on the road ahead, but her foot eased off the accelerator slightly. the silence between songs stretched long enough for matt to hear her sigh, low and barely audible over the hum of the car engine.

“it’s nothing,” she finally said, her voice light but strained, like she was trying too hard to sound unbothered. “just… ghosts.”

matt furrowed his brow. “ghosts?”

she gave a half-laugh, shaking her head as if she could physically shake the thought away. “you know, the kind that hang around even when they shouldn’t. the ones you think you’ve outrun, but they catch you in a stupid mcdonald’s parking lot anyway.” her tone was bitter, and it didn’t match the manic, carefree girl who had dragged him out of a suffocating party not long ago.

matt wanted to press, but something told him to tread carefully. instead, he nodded. “i get it,” he said, though he wasn’t entirely sure if he did. but the truth was, he knew what it was like to carry invisible weights—his own ghosts just took different shapes.

her lips quirked upward, barely a smile. “do you, though? you seem like the kind of guy who has it all together. clean-cut, polite… hoodie-wearing matthew.”

matt scoffed, unable to hold back a laugh. “if by ‘together,’ you mean accidentally wandering into a stranger’s bedroom to escape a party i didn’t even want to go to, then yeah. totally got it all figured out.”

that earned him a real laugh, bright and short but genuine. she glanced at him briefly, her blue bangs shifting as her head tilted. “touché.”

the car slowed to a stop in the nearly empty parking lot of a 24-hour target. she pulled the keys from the ignition and turned to face him, her eyes glinting with something he couldn’t quite read. “alright, matthew. you’re coming with me, and we’re buying hair dye. red, like i said. maybe some snacks, too, if you behave.”

matt raised an eyebrow. “if i behave?”

she smirked, already halfway out of the car. “yeah. if you’re good, i might let you pick the snacks.”

he shook his head but followed her anyway. the fluorescent lights of the store buzzed faintly, and matt couldn’t help but feel like he’d stepped into another world entirely—one that revolved around her gravity. she weaved through the aisles with purpose, grabbing a box of vibrant red dye off the shelf and turning to him.

“what do you think?” she asked, holding it up as if she were modeling it.

“i think you could pull off any color,” matt said honestly before he could stop himself.

her expression softened for just a moment, a flicker of vulnerability passing through her eyes. “careful, matthew,” she teased, her voice quieter now. “flattery might just make me keep you around.”

they roamed the store longer than necessary, tossing random items into the basket: sour candy, a bag of cheetos, a pack of glow-in-the-dark stars she insisted they needed. but matt didn’t mind. for the first time in a while, he wasn’t in a rush to leave, wasn’t desperate to retreat into solitude.

back in the car, she leaned her head against the seat, looking at him out of the corner of her eye. “thanks for humoring me tonight,” she said, her voice unusually sincere. “i needed this.”

matt smiled, surprising himself at how easy it felt. “me too.”

the rest of the drive was quieter, the frantic energy that had propelled her earlier now replaced with something softer.

they returned to the party when it was nearly empty. matt stepped out of the car after her, the buzz of the night air alive in his chest. she leaned against the hood, her arms crossed as she looked up at the dark sky.

for a moment, matt felt like he couldn’t breathe. there was something about her, the way she carried her chaos like armor, that made him want to stay.

“pixie?” he called softly.

she didn’t look away from the stars. “yeah, matthew?”

“can i stick around?”

she smiled faintly, her gaze still skyward. “yeah,” she said, voice soft. “maybe you should.”

[cheshireliam]

"Wrapped in Wicked Romance" Story Event: Premium END

Ring Schwartz

This is a fan-made translation solely for entertainment purposes with no guaranteed perfection; expect mistakes, grammatical errors, and some creative liberties. All original content and media used belongs to Cybird. Please support the game by buying their stories and playing their games. Reblogs appreciated.

Read this before interacting

Ring ran alongside me as I started chasing after the kidnapper.

Kate: Ring!? Weren't you going to seek Darius’ decision—

Ring: That’s what I thought at first. But… I can’t just let my l-lo-lover run head first into danger alone.

Ring: I’m coming with you. … Can’t I?

Kate: That’d be reassuring!

…

We found ourselves at an old, rundown clinic.

It appeared that the man had gone to another room, as he was nowhere in sight. 

Ring: There are some documents here. The English used is too complicated for me, can you read them?

Kate: Got it. … The cover says “Research Report”. 

— The documents hinted at the man’s motives for his serial kidnappings. 

The man had a daughter who suffered from a heart condition. 

Believing that the only way for her to survive this condition was to have her heart replaced, he began abducting children close to her age, intending to replace her heart with one of theirs. 

(These are records of his research…) 

Ring: Even here, children are being used as human lab rats for experiments… 

Kate: The child who was just abducted should still be safe. Let's find her! 

…

There were several rooms in the clinic, so we decided to split up and look for the girl. 

Not long after parting ways with Ring, I found the girl bound up in a storage room.

Kidnapped Girl: Who are you…?

Kate: I’m here to save you. You’re alright now…! 

I began desperately untying the ropes. 

However, the man found us while I was doing so.

Kidnapper: What are you doing!? 

Kate: … P-please, listen to me! 

I stood protectively in front of the girl and faced the man directly.

Kidnapper: What’s there to talk about? Give me “my daughter's heart” now! 

The man was so broken that he no longer saw the abducted child as a human being, but as nothing more than a heart. 

Kate: I know about your daughter's illness, and I’m sure it must’ve been so hard on you.

Kate: But… this child is someone’s family member too. She’s a precious person they can’t bear to lose. 

Kidnapper: That’s… 

His eyes shook, the remnants of his conscience seemed to be stopping him from going any further with his crime.

But at that very moment— 

Kidnapper: Ah… ggh! 

The man groaned, blood suddenly spurted out of his mouth. 

Kate: What…? 

I looked and saw a sharp sword pierced through the man’s body from behind. 

At the same time the sword was pulled out, the man collapsed.

Ring: That was close. 

It was Ring who approached the man from behind and stabbed his sword right through him. 

The man laid motionlessly in a pool of his own blood, anyone could tell at a glance that he was dead. 

Kate: Why did you… kill him…? 

Ring: “Why”...? Isn’t it natural?

Ring: I’ll kill anyone Dari orders me to. 

His face, splattered with blood, showed not even the slightest bit of doubt about the murder he just committed.

It was at that moment when I finally realised it.

He, too— was utterly evil.

Ring: Before we went for our date today, Dari told me to eliminate anyone who poses as a threat to you without hesitation.

If something were to happen to me while we were out together, it would undoubtedly strain the relationship between Crown and Vogel.

Darius’ words may have been extreme, but they weren't wrong.

(But…) 

Kate: He was going to stop with his crimes. There was no reason to kill him… 

Ring: That’s not for me to decide. Dari’s orders are absolute. 

He stated matter-of-factly with unwavering determination. 

Just then— 

Kidnapped Girl: UWAAAAAAHH!! 

The girl, likely overwhelmed by everything that had just happened before her eyes, started crying uncontrollably.

Kate: I-I’m so sorry. That must've scared you…! 

I frantically patted her back to console her, but the tears didn't stop. 

Ring: … Let me hold her hand. Maybe I can stop her tears.

Ring hesitantly offered and held the girl’s hand in his.

As soon as he did that, the girl stopped crying in an instant and her expression became calm. 

…

Not long after the girl calmed down, members of Crown arrived at the scene. 

Apparently, Liam felt something was off when Ring and I didn't show up at The Scala. He suspected we might’ve gotten involved in an incident and came looking for us. 

Leaving them to clean up the aftermath, Ring and I made our way back. 

He revealed something to me while we walked.

Ring: I have the ability to turn someone’s emotions into joy by holding their hand. 

Kate: So that’s why the girl stopped crying so quickly.

Ring: Yeah. … The incident had to be dealt with discreetly because I killed the culprit. 

Ring: Had she kept on crying, a passerby might hear her and step in…

Ring: It’s good I managed to calm her down with my ability.

Kate: I think resolving the situation peacefully wasn't the only good thing. 

Ring: …?

Kate: The girl was kidnapped and witnessed a person being killed right in front of her… it was understandable for her to panic.

Kate: But you calmed her down and made her feel safe, so I think she’ll be okay after all that's happened.

Kate: You have a wonderful ability that brings smiles to people's faces.

Ring: … (surprised)

Ring: I’ve already almost forgotten… that my ability could make people smile. 

(Come to think of it, Ring’s actions are always firm when it comes to following Darius’ orders.)

His reasons for pretending to be my lover, for chasing after the kidnapper with me, and for killing said kidnapper… were all because Darius ordered him to.

(But when he praised my outfit and stopped the little girl’s tears… those came from Ring himself.)

(Whenever Ring acted on his own judgment of the situation, he would be lacking in confidence.)

— It’s as though Ring is nothing more than a puppet being controlled by Darius.

(For now, it seems that Ring’s opinions align with Darius’ and that's alright, but…) 

(If Darius and Ring’s opinions were to clash someday…)

(... I’m worried that Ring will end up disregarding his own.)

Ring was someone with a warm and gentle heart who cares about others. It felt like a waste for  him to ignore his personal feelings and opinions. 

Ring: By the way… there’s something I’ve been wanting to ask you. 

Kate: ��? Go ahead, you can ask me anything! 

Ring: Did you chase after the kidnapper because it was your duty as a member of Crown? 

Ring: You lack physical strength, and I don't think you’re used to being in risky situations either.

Ring: If you’re being forced to put yourself in harm’s way… wouldn't it be better to leave Crown? 

(Ring is indeed kindhearted for worrying about this.) 

Ring: If you want to leave, I could have Dari pull some strings for you… 

Kate: … No, I chased after that criminal because I wanted to.

Kate: It wasn't out of some sort of grand sense of justice… I just didn't want to regret not doing it.

Kate: I didn't want to be the kind of person to turn a blind eye to someone crying out for help. 

Ring: … I see. You’re different from me.

Muttering under his breath, Ring looked dazzled as he gazed at me. 

…

A few days after that date… I was summoned by Darius once again.

Darius: Come on, Ring. Isn't there something you want to ask from Miss Fairytale Keeper?

(Something he wants to ask from me…?) 

I tilted my head in confusion as Ring took a step forward, looking visibly nervous.

Ring: I’m asking you out on a date! 

His date proposal that sounded more like a request to duel left me standing there wide-eyed in shock. 

[starredblood]

NOWHERE GIRL

PART FOUR

kang sae-byeok x fem!reader

synopsis: after facing an intense altercation, it leads you to another one of sae-byeok’s interrogation.

wc. 1.8k

warnings: homophobia, acts of violence, smoking, angst

(nowhere girl masterlist)

The sun was right above your head, scorching it. The brightness of the sun blinds your vision as you make your way to the dining hall. Although everyone around you couldn’t stop talking about how hot the weather is today, your mind couldn’t stop thinking about your brief encounter with Sae-byeok two nights ago.

You kept replaying your time with her at the convenience store. It was an uneventful experience funnily enough; you two sat down in front of the store window quietly eating your food. It seems like there is nothing to analyze about this exchange, but to you, you liked it because of the sheer tranquility. No talking which meant no bickering, you both just sat down sharing the serenity that comes with midnight. You haven’t felt that much peace this past month. A part of you hopes to get that feeling again soon.

Just as you turn a corner into the alleyway you feel yourself bump into a person twice your size.

“Sorry.” you quickly apologize to whoever you collided into and try to usher around them only for them to block you with their body. Eyebrows furrowed, you peer up to see who’s preventing you from walking away.

The guy who is blocking you is tall and buff, freshly buzzed cut, tattoos littering around both his forearms and a cigarette between his teeth.

“You’re Yoon’s friend, right?” he asks, his voice exuding mockery. Two of his friends appear behind him like a couple of bodyguards. You scowl but your mouth refuses to open to talk.

“Yoon told me she let you sleep over at her dorm because—I don’t know you got kicked out of the house or something? Do you mind telling me and my friends why that is, hm?”

“You know the answer to that. Don’t mock me.” you whisper, voice trembling. Your little act of bravery isn’t working.

“Don’t talk to me like that, you fucking pervert.” he sneers. “You came up with that bullshit excuse of getting thrown out by your parent’s house so you can watch Yoon and her roommates change.”

“What?” you gape.

“That’s the problem with people like you…Well, I can’t in good conscience let you go around harassing women for your sick pleasure. Can’t I?” he looks at his friends who grunt in approval.

“Fuck you I never did any of that shit!”

You try walking backwards to escape the situation only to have the guy grip on your arm and squeezing it tightly. The grip he had on you was so tight you were beginning to feel afraid that he might actually rip your arm off of your body. Tears brim from the corner of your eyes and you begin to cry out for help.

“Stop acting so innocent now. You know what you did—and we are the only ones who can fight this injustice your inflicting upon people.”

“Let me go!” you cry, basically plead. “I never did anything you said. P—Please.”

Everything around you suddenly turned white and when you got your field of vision back to normal suddenly you were on the floor. Realization quickly crept up—you just got punched by the main guy, hard. As his friends roar with laughter, he uses one hand to pull you back up by your collar.

“I don’t like liars.” he tuts and with his free hand he grabs the cigarette between his teeth. “I don’t have anywhere to light off this cigarette.”

“Really?” one of his friends speak up, faking an act of innocence. “You got something right here.” he points at you.

They all begin to laugh again while you’re still squirming and hyperventilating. Your vision becomes blurry as you whip your head around hoping that a bystander notices you are in danger and come to rescue you but you see no one. The only thing you can do is think quickly or this situation will turn out even uglier.

You take a deep breath and look in the direction of the three guys, past their shoulders. “Officer right over here!” you shout to no one in the distance.

The guys all whip their heads behind them in fright, thinking they just got caught. That’s when you use your free hand to snatch the cigarette from the main guy and press the burning end of the cigarette on the hand that’s gripping yours. Instead of letting go though, the guy yelps and trips on air causing you both to collapse. You quickly spit in his face, making him flinch back and shout curses at you. He was cursing so loudly that his own spit struck your face.

You manage to wiggle your way out of his grasp. As you crawl away from him, you grab the pack of cigarettes that fell from his pockets then absolutely book it.

Run, run, run is all your mind is thinking. Run, run, run and don’t look back for a second.

✿・・───・・✦・・───・・✿

Sae-byeok thought it was nice of her to spend her only free time to walk to the convenience store with you the other night. After that quiet excursion, she expected you to start coming back to the apartment at a reasonable time.

But no one, not Sae-byeok, not Cheol, or even Ji-yeong has seen nor heard from you today.

Before Ji-yeong pointed fingers at Sae-byeok again she hurriedly explained that she actually settled things down with you, which was a half-lie half-truth situation. Of course, she didn’t buy it. In order to prove herself, Sae-byeok joined Ji-yeong who sat outside the apartment to wait for you. But it was almost one in the morning and Ji-yeong had work in the morning so she dialed your phone one last time, if you didn’t answer she’d go back to the apartment and report you as missing the next night. However, Sae-byeok decided to wait a little longer seeing as she doesn’t have to do anything but drop off Cheol at school tomorrow.

Thirty minutes later, Sae-byeok watches a shadowy figure walk in the direction of the apartment building. She holds her breath, anticipating it was you. When the person got closer she saw the familiar portfolio tote and laptop, that’s when she knew.

Sae-byeok’s face morphs into confusion when notices how you were stumbling, like it was hard for you to walk.

“Are you alright?” she asks. You just kept trudging until you made it to the staircases where you inevitably sat down. Slowly, Sae-byeok makes her way towards you. Something was off she could sense it.

“Yeah.” you say barley above whisper. But she isn’t buying it. She sits beside you, trying to look at your face but you look the other way before she can notice something. “What’re you doing?”

“Are you sick or something?”

“No, it’s just—hey!”

Sae-byeok pushes strands of hair back and caught the purple shiner imprinted on your cheek. You gasp and clumsily cover yourself again.

“Shit.” she says breathily. “What happened?”

You hug your chest and stare down at your knees in shame. Sae-byeok of all people shouldn’t have seen you like this. Now there’s no way around this.

“Some guys from my school cornered me in the alleyway.” you reply weakly.

“Why?”

“Long story.”

Sae-byeok doesn’t pry any further. You didn’t tell her some bullshit excuse like slipping and hitting a table. You actually sounded…truthful?

Besides, she can sense you’re still in pain and talking about the reason why you’re in pain isn’t going to help you. So, she rises to sprint back to the apartment. You wonder if she’ll come back with Ji-yeong so they can get an answer out of you. Instead, she comes back with an ice pack, two pain killers pills, and a bottle of water and quietly passes it off to you.

“Thanks.” you mumble and swallow the pain killers while pressing the ice pack on your cheek, wincing. You both sit in silence like this for a minute, that’s when you start to feel your chest grow heavy. “…Is the bruise that bad?”

Your vulnerability and pleading made Sae-byeok’s heart sink. She won’t admit it—but something about how fragile you sounded reminded her of a younger Sae-byeok, back when she first came to South Korea.

“Yeah.”

Sae-byeok doesn’t approve of your attire. Only because even though it’s spring time, the night breeze is still cool enough to make someone shiver. You were currently wearing a green frilly skirt that sat above your knees paired with an oversized graphic shirt. The scrape on your knee was still dry with blood, you kept looking at it and tried pulling your skirt to cover it, it was obvious you weren’t comfortable.

“Where are you going?” Sae-byeok asks when you got back up and started walking away.

“I don’t wish to bother you so I’ll just be at the twenty four hour cafe that’s a few blocks away.”

Sae-byeok doesn’t get you. She feels like she’s about to go mad.

“Hey, what’s your deal?” Sae-byeok asks. You pause walking and spin on your heels to look at her. “Could you quit being reckless?”

You don’t understand her. Sae-byeok isn’t obligated to look after you. You actually feel quite bad for making her stay up this late.

“I’m not—I don’t think I am.” you murmur and lower the ice pack cooling your bruised cheek.

“You are.” she says bluntly. “You’ve been acting suspicious from the start, you keep running away and now all of a sudden you came with bruises and now that I’ve seen them you try to run away again?”

That’s the most you heard her speak. You don’t know if you should feel honored or embarrassed.

Sae-byeok stands up, her guards are up you just know it. Her posture straightens and her dark sharp eyes bore right into your skull like she’s trying to get into your head. Your breath hitches so you take a few steps backwards.

“I’m trying not to disturb you more than I already have these past few days. I feel like I’m breaking everything I touch so...” you trail off. Sae-byeok remains immovable.

Apart from the suspicious bruising littering your body, it hits Sae-byeok that she has nothing on you. She can’t risk living dangerously anymore now that she has Cheol under her care, but could you really threaten their way of living?

“You’re limping.”

“I should be fine these are my comfiest sneakers.” you say. “I’ll be back in an hour. I promise.”

Sae-byeok rolls her eyes. “I have to come with you now.” she says like it is the most obvious option. “Or Ji-yeong will blame me again.”

You have a feeling that she’s hard headed when it comes to decision making. So silently, you let her trail behind you as you make your ways towards the cafe in the brisk of midnight.

🏷️: @monroesturnns @knfthxv @jumpedthenfell-13 @peelover25 @karli6

[yestrnight]

˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥ WANT U SO BAD, MISTER !

FROM : gepard / fem! reader

SUBJECT : it's immoral to want a sweet little thing like you, especially when he's well into his 30s and you're still a youngling in your 20s. but should he really feel guilty, when you want him just as bad?

( hopefully this is a bit more tame than my other works; age gap; pússy rubbing; gepard feels guilty; dubcon turned consensual )

gepard knows you’re a sweet thing. when he walks into serval’s workshop for his visits, you always greet him with a smile so sunny it could combat the eternal freeze. you’d drop the little machine you were tinkering with and head into the back to pull out a tray of desserts you’ve baked and trot right over to him. they’re originally for serval, who’d usually become too immersed in her work to remember to eat. but you are ever the dutiful assistant, looking after her whilst picking up some of the more trivial machinery to fix.

when he picks up a still warm cookie, he thanks you. his eyes linger a bit too long on your back when you run off to where you originally were.

serval leans over the counter with a shit-eating smile, chomping into a cookie. “oh, my cute lil brother,” she laughs. “you’ve got a decade on the kid. does the righteous captain of the silvermane guards really wanna go down that alley?”

the next time he comes over, serval is nowhere to be seen. you occupy her usual place at the counter, tongue peeking out from the side of your mouth as you focus on picking apart a faulty machine. you barely hear the chiming of the bell when he comes in, and only come to your senses when his broad shadow looms over you.

“oh, dear!” you gasp, pulling up your goggles. “i am so sorry mister gepard. i didn’t hear you come in.”

something about being alone with you without his nosy older sister in sight makes him even more awkward and nervous. “that’s alright,” he coughs. “where is serval, if you don’t mind my asking?”

“she was called in by the supreme guardian to discuss some internal repairs to qlipoth forth’s security devices.” you quickly sweep off the machine parts off the counter and smile up at him, to which his heart skips a beat. “sit, sit! i baked a fresh new batch of pastries in the back. i’ll bring it right out.”

so when he does take a seat and see you scamper off to the kitchen, he is left alone with the silence and his thoughts… of you, and those particularly nice tights you’re wearing. young belobogians often have their fashionable trends to combat the cold, but he wonders how warm those tights might be if they’re so thin they show off those pretty legs of yours.

white lace patterned in seductive heart patterns, teasing his eyes with the smooth skin beneath them. where those pretty tights end, they dig into your skin and emphasize the softness of it. he buries his face into his hand as he thinks of squeezing and grabbing them, trailing kisses up them till he—

“mister gepard?” your worried face suddenly appears in front of him. “oh no, did i turn the heater up too high? ah, i’ll fix it right now!”

“n-no, it’s fine, [your name],” he grabs your wrist, still blushing. “it’s not hot, really. just that…” his eyes wander into the plush skin between your shorts and tights, before he catches himself and forces to make eye contact with you. “nothing… it’s nothing. i… really should be going now.”

“even when i have something for you to eat?” you pout. “please stay for a little while, mister gepard.”

“angh… [your name], please, this isn’t appropriate…!”

“what’s wrong, mister gepard sir?” your face bearing the innocence of an angel, you cock your head at him as if you’re not milking his cock dry. through your panties (blue and white stripes, gepard’s mind unnecessarily observes, and he blushes) your pussy lips hug his throbbing cock between them, and you let out a keen moan when his fat head grinds against your clit. “but you looked so hungry! i thought maybe i’d let your friend have a taste.”

his big hands clench the sheets behind them, trying to stop himself from grabbing your hips. he grits his teeth and he looks up at you with a desperate pleading look. “please, dear,” he near begs. “you shouldn’t be doing this with a man my age.”

he’s in the early stages of his 30s, you’re barely 20. he’s lived an entire decade more than you, have touched and broken the hearts of women older than you, have tasted and succumbed to the pleasure of bodily desire more than you have— gepard can imagine that you barely had your first kiss. it’s like he’s taking advantage of you, even when you’re the one who unbuttoned his pants and pulled his erection out of them. he doesn’t want this, doesn’t like this— even when his breath goes ragged at the heat of your warm pussy.

“but!” you pout, and you squelch your cunt against an angry vein running along the side of his dick. you’re so fucking wet, it’s unimaginable. are all young pussies like this, or do you just want him that bad? he throws his head back when you drip all over him. “i’ve always admired you, mister gepard. you’re so handsome and gentlemanly, and then i catch you looking at me like that. don’t you think it’s unfair for you to reject me like that?”

“i—! a-ah…?!” a sharp moan comes out from him when you thumb the slit of his dick. “it’s no good for someone like me to… ngh… to chase after you. it’s— it’s wrong!” his protests barely reach you as you marvel at the heat in your palm. it’s sooo big, and your thumb and index finger can only slightly touch each other. you drag your throbbing cunny again, making sure to coat the entire length in your own slick. gepard whimpers with every drag, eyes peeking out from behind his hands as he watches you debauch your body with his perverted length. it’s disgusting, he shouldn’t be doing this to you–!

you can barely control yourself as you sit back and admire his cock, shiny with your slick and throbbing needily. a gentle graze of your finger already has it twitching like mad.

“poor thing…” you say in pity. “looks like you need a loooot of help, mister gepard.” 

“please, [your name], dear.” he sounds breathless as he begs you not to do this to yourself. his heart beats louder and louder as he watches you prop yourself up with a cunning smile, and tease your hole with his leaky tip. you grab onto his chest for support, looking down at him like an angel-turned-devil.

“this is my thanks for protecting us from the eternal freeze~” no no no no, the tip of his length is sinking into you, and the pulse of your warm pussy is making him lose his mind by the second. his thighs are shaking as he controls himself to not plunge it all in. you’re not a monster, gepard, he scolds himself. just tell them to stop. they’re a sweet kid, they’ll un–

“f– fuck!”  gepard yells out when you sink onto the rest of his length, and his back is arched while you smile in ecstasy after finally taking the whole thing. “[y - your name]...! you…!”

licking your lips, your hand trails down to your stretched out cunny, spreading your legs as you show off the pussy lips that have taken in his dick. it’s a perverse, filthy sight. it’s exactly the kind of thing the landaus have taught him not to fallen prey to. he was to marry a gentlewoman, of proper breeding, and make love to her in a noble and loving way.

but here he is, breath cut short as he stares wide-eyed at you. you and your pussy dripping around his throbbing length, hands stretching your lips so you can show it all off and remind him just how much he’s fallen.

and with the way you look at him, he thinks he was wrong in even thinking you were ever a good kid.

[pinkeos]

A Bit Shy || Jing Yuan x M!Reader (Ft. Their son)

Warning/s: None

Notes: this was a silly idea i started writing a while back and decided to finish before i move on to requests

Was Yanqing going crazy, or were there several unfamiliar items scattered about the General’s office?

He’s been around the General for quite some time now to know that the coat slung over the backrest of Jing Yuan’s chair didn't belong to the white haired man. Nor did the expensive looking writing brush said man was now using.

Perhaps the General bought them sometime ago and is just using them now?

“Is something the matter?” Jing Yuan inquired, seeing the boy’s amber eyes lingering on the coat.

Yanqing quickly shook his head, “Nothing, General.”

“Have you noticed the new things on the General’s desk?” Yanqing once asked Qingzu, the counselor of the Divine Foresight.

“I did. It is kind of strange, they just suddenly appeared one day.” She replied.

After that, the boy went back to spending his day like he usually did, training, patrolling, the usual Cloud Knight stuff he’d grown accustomed to. But the thought still lingered in his mind.

“Have you heard? They say that a General from a different Xianzhou ship would disappear from time to time, more often than he usually did. How weird.” He heard some of the knights murmur amongst one another.

That was, indeed, weird.

What was even weirder, however, was that he received a gift from the General, that's been the topic of many rumors lately, later that day.

“Is this really for me, General?!” The boy beamed in joy, raising the sheathed sword up like a baby, marveling at the intricate design and patterns of the scabbard.

“Yes.” Jing Yuan nodded, smiling as he sipped his tea, “Make sure to write him a letter, as a thank you.”

Yanqing was too happy that time that he didn't realize something; why would a General he hadn't met in person yet send him a gift? And how did he even find out that he liked swords?

Things were getting even weirder and weirder as the days passed by. The items in Jing Yuan’s desk only became more apparent, the General himself had been much more sleepier during the day as if he was awake late at night, the clues only became more and more obvious.

It didn't help that he saw with his own eyes how the General bought several items that were commonly seen as romantic gifts for one’s lover, or for someone whom they want to court.

But then again, if Jing Yuan really was hiding something— or someone— why wouldn’t he spend even an inkling of effort to properly hide it?

Still, Yanqing had to see it for himself before he could confirm his suspicions. So, he decided that he would investigate.

Late at night, the boy sneaked towards the Seat of Divine Foresight. And as he suspected, the lights were still on with the Cloud Knights that usually guarded the place nowhere to be seen, along with hushed murmurs. The white haired General’s voice was familiar to Yanqing’s ears, but the person he was with wasn't.

“You wound me, darling. You know I can't hold myself back from seeing you.”

Jing Yuan hummed, amused, “Is that so?”

“Aha!” The boy’s booming voice pulled the secret lovers’ attention away from each other, quickly whipping their way towards the open doors where Yanqing now stood.

Now, Yanqing hadn't met you in person, but he'd be damned not to recognize you in the portraits he’d seen in books and online. The lieutenant’s eyes widened at the sight of Jing Yuan with you, the other General, and it turns out you’ve been missing because you were visiting a different ship!

The dots had been connected and Yanqing’s theory had been confirmed.

“Ah, would you look at the time…” You spoke up, swiftly leaving before he could react, you weren't appointed with a high position for nothing.

“W-wait!”

Jing Yuan lightly waved his hand with a soft laugh, “He’s a bit shy.”

The blond boy turned towards him, an eyebrow raised, accusing him, “Wait a minute, were you deliberately leaving hints behind so I’d piece it together and find out, General?!”

“Like I said, he's a bit shy.”

Ending note: i actually forgot qingzu's name so i had to open the game real quick and went back to the seat of divine foresight to check🧍

[skzstannie]

"My Soulmate"

SKZ -> Hyunjin x fem!reader

genre: slight angst, crack, vampire/soulmate AU wc: ~2,200 cw: none

summary: being kidnapped and brought to your vampire soulmate is something you never knew you needed... until now.

A/N: Hello again! Life's been crazy, and I've actually had this written since forever ago, so I decided to go ahead and edit and post it! Hope you enjoy :)

Alsoooo, I survived the Ticketmaster war and was able to snag some SKZ tickets to the Chicago show!!!

Happy Scrolling! | Masterlist

"Please be careful. That area is so sketchy, especially at night. Infested with those dastardly vampires, I'll tell ya."

"Mom, I'm fine. The bus station is only a mile down the road, and I'm almost there," you speak into the phone.

Your mom gives a disappointed sigh from the other end. "Sweetie, I've heard so many stories of girls going missing on that street. I really wish you would've listened to me and taken a different way home."

"I've always taken this way home from work; why are you so worried about it now?" The more you speak with your mom, the more paranoid you become. All the shadows out of the corner of your eye appear as humans, lurking behind buildings and in alleyways.

"Because a girl was killed just last week walking around down there, not to mention she was by herself. Just like you!" she screeches over the line. You have to pull the phone away from your head to protect your poor eardrums. "It was a gang that took them! What was their name again? Stray dogs? Stray... Stay? I can't remember."

"It's Stray Kids, mom. I'm sure they're not even around these parts anymore now that the cops are looking for them."

Too focused on your surroundings rather than the ground beneath you, you trip and fall over a large lip in the sidewalk. Your body hits the ground, and you immediately clutch your knee. Your legs are littered with scrapes and scratches, but your knee in particular has blood dripping down it. Pieces of dirt cover your skin, unpleasantly sticking to your wound and the oozing blood.

You startle from the sudden cold breeze you feel over your shoulder. You turn abruptly, hissing when your leg rubs against the ground. Another gust of wind brushes past your front, and you're quick to twist around again. Your heartrate picks up at the eeriness of the situation, your hands turning clammy.

Suddenly, a being materializes in front of you. A scream catches in your throat when another appears next to him. Both are dressed in normal clothing, albeit entirely black in appearance, the only color emitting from the two beings in front of you coming from their pale skin. It's almost sparkling under the glow from the streetlights.

They stand and stare for a moment, and the silence is palpable. As you make eye contact with them, you take notice of their eye color- a deep, fiery red. You feel as though you’re in a hypnotic state as you continue to stare into their eyes. Your surroundings become blurred the longer you look, and you begin to feel dizzy as the world around you begins to spin.

You can faintly hear your mom screaming at you through your phone, calling out for you with panic in her voice, but you can't seem to look away from the boys in front of you.

The dizzier you feel, the calmer you become. It's a weird sensation, feeling all your anxiety and fear just slipping from you. The last thing you see is the muscular man in front of you approaching before you close your eyes from the exhaustion. It came out of nowhere, but it's all-consuming as all thoughts leave your head, and you're left their laying limp and vulnerable.

~ ~ ~

Your eyes feel heavy as you open them, and the bright lights are blinding as they invade your vision. Reaching up to rub your eyes, you quickly realize that your arms are tied behind your back. Becoming aware of your surroundings, you feel the cool plastic chair beneath you. Looking down, you see the zip ties around each of your ankles, anchoring you to the chair.

You appear to be tied up in a cell of some sort. Black, solid bars seal you off from the outside of the room. The cell is small, only about 8 ft by 8 ft if you had to guess. The floor is nothing special, just some concrete. While you can't see much from where your seated in the corner, the room around you seems empty and cold. A desk sits in the middle with a few stacks of paper on top.

Your eyes tear up at your predicament as the memories of the men dressed in all black come back to you. Question upon question spring into your head; where'd they come from? Where'd they bring you? What do they want from you?

Your worries seem to multiply by the second, and you are filled with dread as you consider the possibilities.

You know you must look amess as sweat starts to pool on your forehead, not only from the temperature of the room but also the imminent danger present upon you. Tears stream freely down your cheeks as you desperately pull at the zip ties holding you hostage.

A door creaks open while in the middle of your struggle, and you freeze. Voices fill the open space, and your mouth runs dry at the thought of meeting your captor.

"I told you, we won't be getting our next shipment of blood for another couple weeks. You're just gonna have to hold off-" the voice cuts off as the man walks around the corner. He makes eye contact with you. He shares the same eye color as the men that took you, but you know from the facial features that this isn't the same one.

The man heaves a sigh, his eyes never leaving yours. "I've gotta call you back," he says before hanging up the phone. Without uttering another word, the man walks back out of the room, leaving you alone with your thoughts once again.

It feels as if hours have gone by the next time you hear the door open. This time, cries of pain fill the silent void. You become alert at that, straightening up in your seat. Curiosity fills your gaze as you’re welcomed with the man from earlier, this time accompanied by two more.

The two men are being dragged by their ears, which appears uncomfortable if the sounds of pain are anything to go by.

The man from earlier releases them once they are standing right outside your cell.

"Explain yourselves," he says, crossing his arms over his chest.

Both men start talking over each other immediately, making it impossible to understand either one. "One at a time you pabos!" he interrupts them, creating an uncomfortable silence.

The buff one, which you now recall as one of the accomplices to your kidnapping, gestures roughly to the other man. Taking this as his cue to explain, he begins, "We swear she's the right one this time!" His words are rushed as he gestures towards you.

"You're kidding," the man in charge says, bringing his fingers to grasp at the bridge of his nose. "We've already been over this. You two can't keep kidnapping women from off the streets just because you believe them to be Hyunjin's soulmate."

Your heart races as your brought into the discussion. Soulmate?

You've heard of soulmates, but only ever in fiction, like books and movies. From what you've read, vampires are the only beings who can initiate the soulmate bond. Thereafter, the human can feel the bond, as well.

Suddenly, the pieces fall perfectly into place as you consider all the factors. Materializing out of nowhere, the red eyes, the hypnosis. These guys are vampires. How you didn't put it together sooner, you're not sure.

The bravery you're hit with is astounding, and you can't hold yourself back from interrupting the conversation. "Who are you guys and what do you want from me?" The man's rambling stops as all three look to you.

"Hi..." the man rambling starts, "I'm Jisung, and this is Lee Know and Changbin. We've brought you here because we believe you're our friend's soulmate."

"Please just let me go. I promise not to tell anyone about this!" you plead. You don't know what being the soulmate of a vampire entails, but you surely don't want to find out.

"Oh, we can never let you go," the man in charge, Lee Know, answers. "You've seen us, experienced our presence. You either have to stay with us, or... well, we kill you. You can thank these idiots for that," he gestures to Jisung and Changbin. Jisung brings his hand up to the back of his neck, rubbing it awkwardly.

You let out a sob at the ultimatum. You don't want to stay here forever. You want to go home, shower, and complain to your mom about work. You want to call your best friend and talk to her about the cute guy that you saw. The thought of never being able to do those things again envelopes you with sorrow, and more prominently, fear.

"Please don't cry," Jisung says, his hands coming up around the bars of the cell. "We would never want Hyunjin's soulmate to be sad."

"Jisung, we don't even know if this is his soulmate," Changbin says, his gaze piercing the side of your face.

"I'll prove it to you," he says before running out of the room, the door slamming behind him.

"I swear, I will kill both of you if this isn't the right girl. You said that the time before this was the last, and I'm getting tired of hiding dead bodies," Lee Know tells Changbin.

The hair on the back of your neck stands up, and you suddenly really hope you are this guy's soulmate. While this doesn't sound like the greatest of situations, at least if you live you'll get a chance to escape.

Changbin and Lee Know talk amongst themselves, and your anxiety starts to build once more.

~ ~ ~

It feels as if hours have gone by the time there's movement outside your cell again. Changbin and Lee Know, having gotten tired of standing, had taken a seat on the couch towards the back of the room, busying themselves on their phones.

You're still stuck in the same position. You've been wriggling your hands around, but you've realized there's no use in trying to escape. The two men would surely notice if the zip ties came undone, and even if they didn't, you're still stuck in this cell. You don't know what lies outside this room, but you're scared to find out.

You finally hear the door swing open, and you recognize Jisung's voice, this time accompanied by another stranger. The two come into view, and your breath hitches in your throat when your eyes meet the man Jisung brought with him.

He is easily the most beautiful man you've ever seen. His eyes meet yours, and you're immediately captivated, unable to look away. It's a strange feeling, but you suddenly feel all the worry and fear being washed from you, leaving you with a feeling of peace and serenity. It's almost like you've known this man for years, the way he brought you immediate comfort in this unfamiliar place.

"My soulmate," he whispers, and at this point you can only assume this is the 'Hyunjin' they were talking about.

In the blink of an eye, he materializes in front of you, now inside the cell. He quickly brings his hands towards you, and you feel no fear. The dread that once filled your body is no more as you allow him to carefully undo the zip ties from around your wrists and ankles.

Tears still slip down your cheeks, but the emotional pain you once felt is no more. You're overcome with unfamiliar emotions, and the tears don't stop.

You feel as if you recognize Hyunjin from your dreams. Always the hero, saving you from whatever dangers are out there for waiting for you.

Once the zip ties are off, you immediately rise to your feet and reach out to hold him. He embraces you even tighter, his arms wrapping firmly around your exhausted figure.

"This is such a strange feeling, but I feel at peace now," you whisper to him, your head resting on his shoulder.

"It's because we're together. The soulmate bond, I initiated it, and you've accepted it," he whispers back. "We can be together now."

"Have I seen you before?" you ask, taking a step back to admire his beautiful features.

"Maybe in your dreams. I've visited you there before. I've known what you looked like for a long time. That's how these guys found you," he says, gesturing behind him to Jisung and Changbin.

"Yea, and it only took us two tries! Do you know how vague of a description I had to go off of?" Jisung complains.

"Because I didn't expect you to go out and try to find her!" Hyunjin exclaims, exasperated.

"Well, I figured since your birthday was coming up, I could do something nice for you. And it only costed us one casualty!"

"Which I'm still dealing with, by the way," Lee Know says.

"Yea, yea. I just had a gut feeling about it this time."

[foli-vora]

masterlist | foli jolly xmas list

A/N: gif by moi. Yeah I recycled the same from part 2 idc. Are you telling me it's been two fucking years since I wrote this? Get out. The flow of time is fake. Everything was against me this week trying to get this fucking thing out but I finally got there! Merry late Christmas, angels! Thank you all for being so fucking wonderful and supportive and patient with me while I worked out a really messy year and I wish you all nothing but the very best! Enjoy x

Word count: just shy of 7k

Warnings: cheesy hallmark romance, I want to be kissed by a cowboy under the mistletoe. Swearing, this hot af man, a solid semi-public make out sesh with said hot af man, SOFTNESS! so much fucking softness I want to throw up, smut with all the feels 18+ ONLY: soft and sweet and so fucking tender I'm so into it, fingering, oral (f rec), this man practically makes out with pussy and I won't hear otherwise, bit of hair pulling, mention of the implanon, unprotected p in v and a christmas creampie yay

PART ONE | PART TWO

It’s quite the occasion, he finds. This Christmas Eve ball-party thing. The whole town and more is there, crammed into the town hall decorated heavily with tinsel and lights and spilling out onto the snowy grounds around in the form of various food and Christmas stalls. There are craft tables full of parents with their kids, a little choir singing carols, and people having a snowman contest in the taped off carpark.

There’s an older man dressed as Santa sitting on a big seat for family photos, joyfully laughing and ho-ho-hoing as kids wander by in awe. Jack watches on comfortably, not yet interested in pursuing any of the stalls or food until he knows if you and the kids have eaten.

Despite his general dislike of the holiday, it’s hard to not feel… well, merry, and it has a content smile tugging at his lips. If Tequila could see him now, he’d never let him live it down. He’d get matching Christmas ties or some other ridiculous shit. Maybe there’s somewhere he could buy one for the agent here, he’s sure you’d find that funny.

“That’s not the real Santa,” Gabe says suddenly, appearing beside him.

Jack startles from being broken from his mental reverie, briefly wondering if a couple of weeks worth of leave had gone and ruined his well tuned Statesman senses. Champ would only have himself to blame. He turns expectantly, heart hammering wildly from the hope you’d be only a few paces behind your boy, but when he looks he finds you nowhere to be seen.

Gabe continues, oblivious to the way Jack shifts and deflates next to him.

“The real one’s too busy, so he gets George to step in. He does it every year.”

“Is that right? Suppose he would be a busy man.”

“Are you kidding? One night to get around the whole world? Dude’s insane.”

Jack grins, looking down at the boy and noting his styled hair. “You’re lookin’ sharp tonight, kid. You brush your hair?”

“Mum made me,” Gabe grumbles, ruffling his neatened curls with a thick gloved hand. “She’s in the hall with Lou, if you were wondering.”

“And why would I be wonderin’ that?”

The boy gives him a look, something bordering the line of smug and Jack rolls his eyes, giving him a gentle shove. Jesus, even the damn kid knows.

“Cut it out.”

“I didn’t say anything!”

“You didn’t have to. Now go on, lead the way. And stop lookin’ at me like that, or I’ll tell the big guy you need to go on the naughty list this year.”

“You wouldn’t.”

“Oh, I would. Believe me. You think he doesn’t know about you hustlin’ me out of my hard earned money? You’re messin’ with fire, kid. You’re probably already on it.”

—

“Should’ve gotten more lights. I told him, you know.” Edith tuts to herself, frowning up at the hall ceiling.

You briefly pause from fussing over the cake competition table and glance up at the warm fairy lights dangled and intertwined between tinsel and garlands. She’s worrying over nothing, as always. Every year it’s a winter wonderland—inside and out, and this year is certainly no different. Has Jack seen it all yet? What does he think of it?

“Edith, any more lights and people would need sunglasses in here. Everything looks wonderful, as always. Now please relax and have some rum with your eggnog before your heart gives out. You don’t need to worry about anything tonight, leave it to the committee.”

“The only thing I’ll worry about is you not getting on top of that cowboy.”

You and me both, Edith.

You snort, directing your attention back to the cake stands and ensuring every label was front and centre. “On second thought, maybe stay away from the rum.”

“Speaking of the cowboy, here he comes. Fix your dress.”

“What’s wrong with my dress?”

It’s too late to worry, that southern drawl melts into your ears as he jokes about something with Gabe within the next few seconds and suddenly your insides are twisting and turning upside down. You play around with the table some more, gathering up a bit of courage before turning and smiling at Jack.

“Hi,” you breathe softly, cheeks already warming as his eyes meet yours.

Does this man ever not look like pure sin?

“Hey sugar,” he greets with a grin of his own. “You look incredible.”

“Oh, this old thing?” You tease, running a hand over the brand new dress you had painstakingly agonised over in an attempt to impress a stranger only in town for a few weeks. You’d spent an admittedly ridiculous amount of time in the local boutique trying and retrying dresses trying to find the right one. God, he doesn’t need to know that. “Not looking too bad yourself, cowboy.”

“Save a dance for me, won’t you, Jack?” Edith rasps sweetly, acting the innocent and delicate elderly lady and tapping his arm softly.

“Just try and stop me, ma’am.”

She wanders off into the crowds, more than happy to be stopped along her way to be praised on the decorations. She’s still going on about the damn lights.

“So what’s all this?” Jack asks in interest, body brushing yours as he steps up beside you to eye the table.

“It’s the yearly Christmas bake off, which I unfortunately have to judge as the town's resident baker.”

“Unfortunately?”

“I don’t like judging people's creations. They’re all wonderful and everyone always puts so much effort into it… makes me feel like a villain when I have to pick winners.”

Gabe steps up on your other side and eyes this year's entries. “Mum made a kid cry last year.”

Jack laughs in surprise. “What?”

“I didn’t know it was made by a child, okay?” You stress, rubbing along your brow line as last year's nightmare plays in your mind. After pinning the ribbons in place, a ten year old girl had promptly fallen into tears after not being given one, and you’d felt guilty about it for fucking weeks after. “If I had known, I would’ve picked them.”

“Well that defeats the purpose of it being a competition then, doesn’t it, sugar? You can’t pick a winner just because they’re a kid. I’m sure they knew that upon enterin’.” His hand runs comforting strokes up and down your middle back, entirely innocent, and yet your skin feels like fire beneath his hot palm.

“I think that one is the ugliest.”

Excellent timing, baby.

You sigh, “Gabriel—”

“Ah sugar, I gotta give it to the kid,” Jack drawls, eyes locked on the cake Gabe’s finger levelled at, “I’m thinkin’ it, too.”

“Well… obviously,” you agree quietly, discreetly looking around just in case its creator is somewhere lurking close by, “but we don’t say that out loud. That’s something we keep in our heads, okay?” Your gaze darts between them until they give a nod in agreement.

It’s quiet for a moment longer, Jack’s hand never once straying from your back or ceasing its gentle strokes as you each silently judge each cake, until Gabe smacks his lips and shrugs.

“They definitely lose.”

“Gabriel.”

A little body squeezes itself between you and Gabe, and your hand automatically falls to rest on Lou’s head. She’s quiet, happily making her way through a gingerbread cookie and swaying to the music being performed by the town's little local band when Jack peers curiously around you, smiling indulgently at the little girl.

“There you are, sweetheart. Was worried you didn’t make it tonight, thought I was gonna have to dance by myself.”

She grins shyly, hiding her face in the long length of your dress and forgetting about the half eaten treat in her hand. You don’t blame her, Jack definitely has that effect on people. 

“Will you dance with me, little lady?”

Lou peeks up at Jack from under her lashes. It takes only a minute until she gives a small nod before pressing the cookie into your hold and reaching out to take his large hand in her much smaller one. He gently spins her as he leads her to the dance floor, and her giggles as her bright red tulle dress flows around her can be heard from over the crowds.

You watch them go with a content smile, before moving your gaze to Gabe.

“Would it be totally lame for you to be seen dancing with your mama?” You ask him softly, brushing a hand over his hair. All the kids from his school are here, and you know he’s starting to reach that age where others' opinions may sway his decisions on things. He still lets you hug him at school drop off and pick up though, so maybe you still have a bit of time.

He gives you a toothy grin, looping his arm through yours and pressing into your side. “I don’t care.”

—

It’s hours later when you finally get him selfishly to yourself, once Lou had promptly fallen asleep on your thick winter coat spread over some chairs in the corner and Gabe had been whisked away to a snowball fight with the other kids. Jack had approached after your yearly duty had been completed with thankfully no one falling into tears, and asked you to dance.

You don’t usually dance. Not properly, anyway. Swinging the kids around and twirling them under your arm while they giggle and jump along is one thing, but this? Tucked up close to someone and trying not to trample on their toes? You haven’t done this in a long time. 

Jack doesn’t seem to mind, and with the feel of him pressed up against you? You don’t care if you seem a little awkward. It gives you both a chance to talk, and without interruptions. You ask more about his work, his life, which he seems to still not want to divulge in as much as you had hoped. He does tell you a little more about himself though, what he enjoys during his limited free time and that he’s starting to realise he doesn’t get away from work as much as he probably should.

“Maybe you should invest in a holiday cabin,” you tease, head tilting in a playful manner as you sway between the other locals crowding the hall. “I’ve heard they’re pretty popular to rent out when you don’t need it.”

“That’s not a bad idea, darlin’. Know any good locations?”

“Nowhere local, I’m afraid. You don’t fit in.”

He makes a low noise of understanding, pushing you softly away only for him to spin you under his arm and drag you right back up against him. You’re fucking giddy at the movement.

“Too handsome?”

“Too much of a grinch.”

“Hey now, that’s not fair. I ate a candy cane.”

“And I heard you singing along to a Christmas song, too.”

“Me? I would never,” he responds gruffly, but when his gaze slides to meet yours he grins. “It’s your fault, sugar. What’re you doin’ to me?”

“Working my Christmas magic.”

Christmas magic? Is that what you’re calling this? He feels like a damn school boy, twirling a pretty girl around at a winter dance. He quite likes it. Working at the office and back to back missions have filled his days sure, but there’s a slight tug of loneliness he hasn’t quite been able to hide with distractions for a long time. It feels damn nice to finally soothe that.

His eyes dance across your face, the hand splayed on your lower back tightening and bringing you in impossibly closer. “You’re workin’ some kind of magic, that's for damn sure.”

Holy shit. Heat immediately flares beneath your skin and spreads across your cheeks, biting sharply at your ears. What a smooth bastard. You fight the urge to shyly curl in on yourself, instead letting your grin widen in amusement as you trail your hand from his shoulder to the base of his neck. 

“Is that right?” You ask softly, fingers gently twisting and carding through the small patch of hair you could reach from under his stetson. He likes that, you discover quickly, catching the way his eyes drop to your lips the second your nails scratch lightly over his skin. Noted. “I don’t know what you’re talking about, cowboy.”

His chest heaves with a sigh, his lips never losing that charming upturn. 

Shaking his head at your playful antics, he coaxes you to rest your head on his shoulder with a rumbled, “C’mere,” and it’s impossible not to melt into a fucking puddle right then and there. Thank god he’s got a good hold on you. He thinks you’re working magic? Then what the hell is this?

“You can’t do that. It’s not fair.”

“Do what?” His drawl rumbles into your body from the close proximity and settles thickly in the pit of your stomach. You feel the slightest brush of lips over the shell of your ear and fight the urge to shiver. 

“That. This.”

You’re so incredibly aware of him, of every move and touch. It’s overwhelming, maddening, and you want so much more. He absolutely knows what he’s doing, feels the way you’re practically jelly in his hold. His lips press into the side of your head before his breath ghosts your ear again, and this time you can’t fight the tremble when he speaks lowly.

“I don’t know what you’re talkin’ about, sugar.”

Air. You fucking need air.

Jack must feel the same, or at least know what you need, because as soon as you pull away to meet his eyes, he’s giving you one of those heart achingly handsome smiles and gently leading you through the people towards the doors. The night air nips at your uncovered skin, cooling the heated feel of it and thankfully bringing some clarity to your mind. 

Any more of that low honey drawl in your ear and mouth watering aftershave sinking into your nostrils and you would’ve absolutely made a fool out of yourself in front of your friends and neighbours. The last thing you need is to be the topic of town gossip for mounting a tourist right in the middle of the bloody dancefloor.

The few steps are thankfully clear of people when you tread just outside of the hall doors, with the late hour bringing most of the remaining people inside as the temperature drops. The food trucks and stalls had been mostly dismantled and packed away, those remaining still working away before the snow comes in and otherwise ignoring you and Jack lingering on the steps.

You feel the slight tingle of nerves all of a sudden, which is ridiculous considering the amount of time you’ve spent with him recently. Maybe it’s because this is your first time properly alone, without the kids running around and without having to say goodbye. You have time to just be, to enjoy his company and not have to worry about interruptions.

“Forgive me for sayin’ so, sugar,” Jack murmurs, halting your train of thought and bringing your attention fully to him, “but I can’t help but notice—that looks an awful lot like mistletoe up there.”

You fight the immediate tug pulling at the edges of your lips and glance up to where he points, spying the familiar cream bulbs amongst a sprig of fresh green leaves wrapped neatly in a small red bow.

“I believe you’re right, cowboy.”

“Now hear me out… I know I ain’t big on this whole festive season thing, but I figure it’d be mighty rude of me to break a well loved tradition.”

“I agree,” you breathe in reply, eyes falling to where his lips morph into an indulgent smile before snapping back up to meet his warm brown eyes. They’re soft, radiating with such a sweet tenderness that you feel it deep in your chest.

A warm hand cups the side of your throat softly, his thumb brushing your jaw delicately and it’s ever so easy to lean into the touch and relish in the comfort it provides. Your breath seems to hold as he moves in, stepping closer until you feel the brush of his jacket against your torso through the thin material of your dress. He holds for a moment, seemingly content to let his gaze roll along your features before he gives another little smile.

“Would you mind, darlin’?”

Returning his smile is automatic—it simply can’t be helped.

“Not at all, Jack.”

The tickle of his moustache and tender press of his soft lips is nothing short of perfection. You don’t feel the bite of the cold, you don’t hear the music and the laughter and the constant roll of chatter from the hall. It’s just him. Just Jack. It’s all Jack. 

He pulls away far too soon, and you merely make a low noise of denial before curling your fingers into his shirt and pulling him gently back for more. He indulges you with a throaty chuckle, lips returning to yours with a little more pressure, a little more wanting. This time his tongue ever so slightly comes to trace your lips, and they part immediately, the kiss deepening until you feel the effects of it right down to your toes. 

If you thought you were in trouble before, you don’t stand a chance now. The faint traces of peppermint still linger on his tongue and you chase the taste eagerly, stomach in knots when an arm curls around your body to bring you flush against his. Though you’re lost in the feel and taste of him, Jack remains aware of the goings on around you both and inwardly curses the sound of people nearing the door inside of the hall.

Words are mumbled against your lips. 

“Darlin’, is there somewhere we can go a little more private?”

He’s not quite finished with you yet, and he’ll be damned if anyone’s cutting this short. Your boy included. He’s a great kid and all, but not the best with his damn timing. You don’t even realise your hands have wandered, finding a home on his hips and fisting desperately at his shirt.

Private? There’s nowhere private in this town, especially here. The hall is practically the centre of it. There’s out the back, you suppose, where the dumpsters are. It’ll have to do, because you need more of those lips preferably as soon as fucking possible. 

You snatch his hand and start leading the way, the icy air nipping at your arms. 

“Is there nowhere inside? You’ll catch your death out here,” Jack speaks behind you with a tinge of concern as you lead him down the steps and around the building. 

“Guess you’ll have to keep me warm, then.”

“I got no problems with that, sugar, believe me, but still—”

There’s rustling, his hand pulling softly out of yours and then the cover of something heavy and warm, smelling distinctly of that intoxicating cologne that has your mouth watering, over your shoulders. You shift in his jacket, smiling at the typical chivalry that seems to come so naturally from him.

Jack eyes your surroundings when you eventually get around the building, not exactly pleased by the thought of not being able to give you the romantic environment you deserve, but he can’t see or hear anyone in close range and that’s damn good enough for him. He sweeps you into his arms, grinning at your little sharp cry of surprise and crowds you into the wall, his jacket saving your thinly covered shoulders from rubbing against the rough brick facade.

Settling back against the building with a smile of your own, you blink sweetly up at him and tilt your head in playful curiosity. “Is there something I can help you with, cowboy?”

“Yes, darlin’, as a matter of fact there is.”

His hot breath sweeps over your lips and they part in anticipation, your heart beating heavily in your chest as his nose brushes along your own. He drags it out, teasingly pulling away at the last second when you get only centimetres away from his lips and grinning when you make a low noise of impatience.

“Did you need somethin’, sugar?” He drawls deeply, warm brown eyes hooded as they flick between your eyes and lips.

“Oh, shut up,” you groan softly, tangling your fingers into the front of his shirt and tugging him forward. His mouth slants messily over yours, a sudden tangle of tongue and teeth, and you can’t help but moan softly at the overwhelming intensity of it.

A sound that has the power to be his entire fucking undoing, he finds as it ricochets through his ears and right to the very core of him.

Gone is the tender moment of before, cuddled under mistletoe and filled with the warmth of something sweet and unknown. He presses into you fully, firmly, his body pinning you to the wall and giving you the chance of feeling dip and curve of him. His hands grab at your waist, fingers digging roughly into your skin and you curl into him even further, your own hands finding and clutching at his broad shoulders.

You’re left panting against the side of the building when you eventually part, the sound of shouts and laughter off in the distance cutting through the dizzying haze that had fallen over your mind. Jack’s no better, clearly struggling to regulate his own breathing as he braces himself against the wall with his palms, effectively caging you in.

One shared glance and you both dissolve into quiet laughter, either the kiss or the cold bringing a charming pink tinge to Jack’s cheeks, which you trace softly with icy fingers.

“I think the snow’s about to come in, I should get the kids home. Are you still okay to give us a ride?”

“Of course, but I’ll uh… I’ll catch up with you, sugar. I’m gonna need a minute.”

—

Despite the obvious exhaustion hanging in the kid’s limbs, he does a damn good job of fighting the call of sleep long enough to set up for the big visit. Cookies that absolutely had to be presented on a christmas tree dish, a glass of cold milk and nine individual carrots. When Jack asks if using the whole bag was necessary, Gabe levels him with an unimpressed glare.

“One carrot isn’t enough for nine reindeer.”

“That’s a fair point.”

“Will you still be here in the morning?”

Jack casts a glance towards the kitchen, where he can hear you washing the cups that were used for hot chocolate upon getting home. “Uh, probably not, kid.”

Gabe deflates with a quiet oh, his face falling into a little frown. He shifts on his feet, gaze moving from the twinkling Christmas tree to Jack before stepping closer and wrapping his arms around the man. Jack holds still, not exactly sure how to take the sudden sweet affection from the boy whose love language was calling him lame and taking his money.

“Well, Merry Christmas, Jack,” the boy mumbles into his chest, and Jack swallows the sudden feel of something building in the back of his throat as he returns the embrace. 

“Merry Christmas, kid,” he rasps quietly, hand stroking through the hat flattened curls on the back of his head. 

“Alright mister, time to hit the hay.”

Gabe releases his hold as you reenter the room and nods, giving Jack one last smile before making his way to the stairs. You follow behind him, stopping him on the third step and spinning him softly to face you.

“Did you brush your teeth?”

“Yes mum,” he sighs dramatically, rolling his eyes up to the ceiling and back.

Grinning, you fix his baggy pyjama top and plant a kiss on his cheek. “And what about your Christmas wish?”

“I don’t need to make it anymore,” he shrugs, and you recoil in surprise. “My wish has been the same for ages, and I think it’s coming true now.”

“Oh?” You frown in curiosity, brushing a stray curl from his forehead. He’s never told you what he wishes for, so the fact he thinks it’s suddenly coming true has you wondering what it could be. “Can I ask what it is?”

“Nope,” he grins, casting one final glance towards Jack before giving you a cuddle and starting back up the stairs. “Night mum.”

You watch him go with a look of interest, listening to the creak of his bedroom door as he closes it behind him. Did he somehow know he was getting a new iPad? Did he find it stashed away before you could wrap it? Damn, you thought you hid it so well. 

“He’s a real good kid,” Jack says from where he lounges against the doorframe of the living room. “They both are.”

“I know,” you smile.

The conversation echoes the one you had when he first came over, and the memory isn’t lost on Jack either as he grins in return. 

“I had a good time tonight, sugar. I suppose this festive season stuff isn’t too bad, after all. Don’t tell anyone I said that.”

“Your secret is safe with me.”

His grin widens briefly as he looks back to the tree, uncertainty beginning to stir in the pit of his stomach. It’s probably getting to that time of the night where he should leave you to it, no doubt you’d have a few things to organise before going to bed yourself, but he doesn’t want to just yet. Can’t seem to find the strength to grab his stetson and jacket and say goodbye.

He doesn’t want it to seem like he’s expecting anything to happen. The night could end with that kiss shared against the hall and he’d leave a damn happy man, but curiosity has him waiting, wondering what move you’d make next, if any. You don’t say anything for a few moments, comfortable with the silence you share as you each watch the other.

Louisa’s long gone and lost to dreams, the girl barely able to keep her eyes open for more than thirty seconds when Jack pried her from the car to bring her inside. Gabe’s ability to fall asleep as soon as his head hits the pillow should be scientifically studied, so you wouldn’t have to worry about him either.

You quietly start making your way up the stairs, pausing just half way up and glancing back at Jack over your shoulder. He’s watching, waiting. The shy little sultry smile you send him is all the invitation he needs.

Knowing he’s right there and following your footsteps has your heart going wild with every step you take closer to your bedroom. A hand presses to the small of your back when you eventually reach your door and push it open, Jack moving damn near silent as the grave as he steps in behind you and closes the door.

“I haven’t done this in a long time,” you admit, nerves finally getting the better of you when his eyes land on you.

“Don’t you worry about that, sugar,” he replies, stepping forward to cup your jaw and you turn into his hand, seeking the reassuring touch. “Now you’re sure about this?”

A silly question.

“More than anything.”

His mouth is on yours as soon as he hears your words, and your head swims from the sweet press of his lips. It’s soft, a moment to put your nerves at ease and work you gently into it, something you’re thankful for as the tension slowly leaks from your shoulders. You follow his lead, letting him kiss you into an absolute frenzy until you feel brave enough to move your hands to unbutton his shirt and push it from his shoulders.

It’s when you trail your hands softly over his ribs and stomach does he kiss you deeper and let his own hands wander, palms smoothing over your sides and back before finding the zipper of your dress. You hold your breath as he tugs at it, shivering at the warm fingers that run along your bare skin when it’s finally open.

You slip your arms out of the short sleeves and let the fabric puddle at your feet, your bra quickly following, and your body warms under the way he unashamedly rakes his eyes over you in the muted light of your bedroom. 

“Lay down for me, darlin’. Let me take care of you.”

He watches as you sink into your mattress and wiggle yourself up the bed until your head rests comfortably on your pillows, that charming grin you love oh so much tugging at his lips when you give him another shy smile. 

“You’re beautiful.”

He’s one to talk, standing at the foot of your bed shirtless and looking like that.

“And you’re too far away.”

Your thighs part as he climbs onto the bed after you, crawling between your spread legs and over your body, chasing the taste of your mouth before directing his attention to your jaw, and then your throat. His teeth nip at your skin, his tongue soothes the brief tinge of pain away, and you don’t know whether you’re trying to pull him closer or push him away with the more he works your body into an absolute fever.

Fingers trace the waistband of your underwear and your heart starts to beat that much harder in your chest you think he must be able to feel it under his lips. You start to squirm beneath him when his fingers slip beneath the fabric and run softly over your core, brushing over the slick build of arousal and tracing your clit.

“Fuck—”

“Easy,” he murmurs soothingly against your skin, and you swear you hear a smile in his tone.

A thick finger slides into you, probing and curling against your hot walls before a second joins, and the stretch burns in the best of ways. He works you open slowly, more than content to go at his own leisurely pace and indulge in every twitch of slick muscle and quiet moan he can pull from your lips as he kisses his way along your body.

By the time his mouth reaches your stomach, you’re an absolute mess.

He pulls his fingers from your pussy to rid you of your underwear and you whine at the sudden loss of them filling you, but anticipation builds deep in the pit of your stomach as he settles comfortably between your spread legs, arms hooking under your thighs until they rest over his shoulders.

“Are you trying to kill me, cowboy?” You breathe weakly, biting at your lower lip when you feel his warm breath blow over your pussy.

He chuckles softly, “Sorry, sugar.”

The feel of his tongue making a path between your entrance and clit feels like anything but an apology. Your hand flies to his hair, fingers tangling tightly in it as he applies pressure to your clit, lips sucking at it softly and tongue rubbing slow, firm circles until you could almost go mad from the steady lull of it.

He likes to take his time.

There’s no rush with Jack, no quick foreplay so he can turn around and ask for his turn and get right to what he wants. He seems to enjoy working you up as much as you enjoy being victim to it. He waits until you’re breathless to change course, to alternate between building up your climax with firm laps of tongue and then letting it die down to taste you deeper, open mouth flush to your pussy as his tongue tastes you right from the source, and then right back up to start all over again. 

Again and again.

“Jack, please—”

You feel a touch of teeth against your clit as he grins and you think then and there that he really is out to kill you. Slowly, and very fucking nicely.

“You can handle a little more, sugar.”

“No, no I really can’t. Please, please do something—”

He groans softly against you, and the vibrations against your clit have your fingers tightening in his hair. He does like that. You tug at it some more, breathing another few pleas for good measure and finally—finally—you get what you want. He breaks free of his routine, tongue merciless as it strokes and rubs into your clit.

There’s no room to wiggle or squirm free of his hold. His arms lock around your thighs, giving you no room for reprieve as he chases your climax and you can only endure, barely remembering to keep your noises to a minimum as he drags you up and over the edge and then some.

You’re trembling in his hold when he finally breaks free of you, sweat slicking your brow and clit throbbing from the overstimulation. That damn smile is back on his face when he eventually crawls back over you, placing a wet messy kiss to the corner of your lips when you can only manage a half hearted glare his way.

“How’re you holdin’ up?”

“Shut up.”

“That’s the second time you’ve told me to shut up tonight.”

“Yeah, well… you deserve it.”

He chuckles quietly, resting his body weight against yours and you whine at the rough press of denim to your sensitive flesh. Your eyes flutter closed when his lips close over yours, his moustache wet and slick with your arousal. It’s hard to feel self conscious about any of it when he’s kissing you like this—tenderly, hungrily.

“Jeans,” you murmur into his mouth, hands tugging impatiently at his belt until he kneels and undoes the thick leather band and begins to slip out of his pants.

He’s back over you within minutes and you relish the feel of hot skin against yours, the heavy feel of his hard cock resting against your core. Your pussy clenches as he gives a small thrust against you.

“Do you have anything?”

“I don’t exactly get a lot of action, cowboy. Do you?”

“I wasn’t really expecting to sleep with the town's prettiest baker, sugar.” He grins, eyes warm as they dance across your face. He kisses you again, soft and reassuring. “It’s alright, we don’t have to—”

“No. No, no—please. I’m clean, and I’ve got the rod. Are you—do you—”

“Clean,” he rasps, and with your final nod of encouragement his hips shift until he’s lining himself up and sliding into you. He’s thick, the stretch of him almost too much even with his earlier attentions to get you ready. He stops halfway before pulling back out, only to sink deeper in on the next thrust.

He keeps the pace slow and steady, letting you adjust to the feel of him while kissing you senseless. Your hands are unable to stay in one place too long, going from curling around his neck to keep his mouth on yours, to his shoulders, to his back and hips. You start to rock up to meet his thrusts, coaxing him deeper and harder until he drives into you hard enough to rock the bed and knock the headboard against the wall.

You both freeze at the sudden sound, and he breaks away from your mouth to eye the headboard with a frown. This won’t work, not with the way he wants to have you, the way you obviously want him to have you. And how could he disappoint you? No, this won’t do.

“It’s okay,” you breathe softly with a smile, “we’ll just have to be careful.”

“‘scuse me, sugar,” he mutters after a moment of thought, tugging a pillow free from under your shoulder and leaning up over you to shove it harshly between the headboard and the wall. He gives an experimental heavy thrust of his hips once he deems it in position and your hands scramble for purchase, coming to tightly clutch at his waist.

When the headboard doesn’t knock against the wall again, he gives you a sly look of victory and grins.

“There we go. Now where was I?”

“Doing that again.”

“Of course, how could I forget?” He teases playfully, curling back over you to swallow your broken moans as he resumes the pace he had been working into before.

You clench, tighten and flutter around him as he fucks into you, mouth still so sweet and soft against your own it’s hard to keep up with the contrast of it all.

He kisses you until he physically can’t anymore, breaking away to hide his face into your throat as the slick feel of your pussy builds that tightening growing in the pit of his stomach. He pulls you closer, tangles his fingers with your own, finds every possible way to be even closer still. He wants to drown in you, feel and taste you and be surrounded by nothing but you.

It’s your final barely coherent utter of his name that sends him hurtling off the edge, a long drawn out fuck muffled into the skin of your throat as he feels himself fill you. He doesn’t move from covering you until he’s long gone soft, barely able to bring himself to pull out of you and collapse softly beside you.

His heart hammers in his chest, something else swimming beside the post-climax bliss and he’s not quite sure what to make of it, what to think. This is more than a simple fleeting attraction.

He likes you.

He really fucking likes you. Great sex out of the equation, he likes your company. He likes that you can laugh at and with him. He likes your home and how comfortable he is in it. He likes your kids.

Shit.

Now what?

“You doing okay over there, cowboy?” You ask gently, head rolling to the side to watch him. He’s thinking long and hard about something, and you hope to god it wasn’t something like regret.

“I don’t think I can leave this behind, sugar,” he mutters, eyes locked on the ceiling as he works his way through his thoughts and swallows the brief shake of nerves. “I thought I’d be runnin’ out of town by the time my vacation was up, but this… you and the kids, I don’t think I can leave it so easily.”

He leaves his confession to sink in for a moment, tongue sweeping along his lips as his heart starts to roar in his ears. He can’t look at you, doesn’t want to see the potential rejection build in your eyes before it passes through your lips, so he keeps his eyes away.

“I know I said I don’t have the option of datin’ because of my work, but… would you let me try?”

It’s a long shot. You’ve never had this conversation, never broached potentially taking this further than just a little fleeting moment in your lives. There’s a chance he’s just gone and ruined whatever casual thing you’d both crafted, but it was worth a shot, right?

Maybe he should’ve just kept this to himself and thought more on it back at the cabin.

“Long distance is hard, but we can take it slow,” you decide quietly, smiling softly when his eyes dart to you. “I don’t think I can just let you run out of town and never see you again, cowboy.”

“Really?”

“Really.”

Thank Christ. He heaves a sigh of relief and rolls onto his side, coaxing you into his arms and brushing a few fingers gently across your cheek. You turn into the heat of his body, winding an arm around him and letting your fingers dance random patterns up and down his back.

“Would you like to stay for Christmas?” You ask against his chest, nuzzling into his hot skin.

“It’s a special time for the kids, I don’t wanna intrude—”

“You wouldn’t be. You’re invited. They’d love to have you here, if you want to be. Do you think you’ll be able to survive a proper Christmas with us?”

He grins, “I’d love nothin’ more, sugar.”

“So it’s settled. Come on, you grinch. I’ll show you how to play Santa.”

He watches you roll from the bed and tuck yourself into your dressing gown, and you only notice his frown when you’re tying the thin belt and sliding your slippers on.

“What's wrong?”

“The fact that you’re up and walkin’ so damn easily. I’ll take care of that, once we’ve taken care of this.”

—

The chair next to him is empty when he sits down, and Tequila throws a curious glance Champ’s way. He’d half expected Whiskey to be clawing his way back into the building first thing this morning. His desk had been untouched, the corridors empty of his presence. No one had seen or heard anything about him.

Worry begins to stir in his chest, wondering if they’ve maybe pushed him too hard and he’s gone and quit for another agency, but it quickly dissolves away when he realises Champ’s at ease and unbothered. Losing Jack would hit the older man quite hard, so to see him reclined in his office chair with a cigar in hand is a sign everything is well. 

“Agent Whiskey’s extended his vacation,” Champ states, breaking the silence and answering the questions building on the young agent's tongue. “He’ll be back after New Years.” 

Tequila settles back into his chair and grins. So good ol’ Scrooge ended up having a decent Christmas after all. Good for him.

“Finally enjoyin’ some peace and quiet, then.”

“He’s enjoyin’ somethin’, alright. He’s asked for the weekend of Valentine’s Day off, too.”

—end.

[kiss-me-muchoo]

𝐃𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐦𝐚 || 𝐌𝐢𝐠𝐮𝐞𝐥 𝐎’𝐇𝐚𝐫𝐚 𝐱 𝐅𝐞𝐦! 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫

Do you want a baby? part one || Suddenly, we have a baby part two || part three

𝐒𝐮𝐦𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐲_ Miguel and you finally have a baby. Your little family attends Pavitr’s party. Things are not okay though . During Pavitr’s party, Miguel and you finally explode and everything is a chaos that night in Mumbattan.

𝐖𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬_ this is long, Miguel has men postpartum depression, grumpy! x sunshine!, age gap (legal), implied short reader, mentions of pregnancy and breastfeeding. NO PROOFREAD!

𝐀/𝐍_ <3 Indian culture and religions, inspired by M.I.A’s/ KSHMR songs, listen to Legendary Lovers from my playlist :)

♪ ♫ my miguel playlist ✰ Index (+ fics here)

One night, a young marriage lies on the wife's bed after a warm shower and a light dinner. Her round belly is getting more uncomfortable, but they happily wait for their little bundle of joy to arrive.

“Miguel?” you ask softly. He hums and looks down at you.

“Did you ever imagine you would be a father again?” it took him by surprise and pulled him out of reality. The image of Gabriella instantly appears.

However, his hand on your bump brings him back. He smiles, taking your growing belly with both hands, rubbing it up and down.

“Before you, not really. But the moment I married you, I kinda suspected it,” you giggle. Miguel smiles again before kissing your head, but you leave him thinking about the issue.

Somehow he wants to fill that void of his lost daughter. And while he knew he already had everything, trauma unconsciously haunted him.

“Do you want more kids?” He asks, and he hopes you say yes.

“I don’t know. As long we are okay, and the babies come healthy, I could have ten… Or just this little one,” you admit pressing your hand on his.

The man liked your answer, but the feeling of nervousness and a mix of panic and insecurity slowly started to grow bigger.

…

Miguel O’Hara was looking at his wife feeding his baby daughter; Magda O’Hara was about to turn five months old, and although she ate like a champion, she was still a tiny human.

You were sitting in the cafeteria, a lilac blanket covering your chest and the baby. Your eyes looked tired, your suit had a visible baby burp on the right shoulder, and your hair was very curly. However, there was a big smile on your face. A soft blush that made you sparkle and send the most motherly smile to your daughter.

Miguel smiles too, but he’s still watching, hiding behind a wall.

“Are you avoiding your wife and baby?” Lyla pops out of nowhere. Her heart-shaped sunglasses judge Miguel. He sighs, frowning at the AI.

“No.”

“I think you are,” she pushes.

“I think I’m not.”

“You are…” Miguel huffs in annoyance.

“NO. I being NOT,” Lyla shrugs, leaning to glimpse you and Magda. You are still feeding the baby.

“You know? One out of ten men get PPND after their baby is born” he had an idea of what the annoying AI was trying to imply; he wanted to ignore her for some seconds, but soon the worry assaulted him.

“What?”

“Paternal Postnatal Depression,” Miguel sighed. But then remembered how much he loved Magdalena, her round cheeks and dark hair like his, her tiny hands wrapped around his thumb every night. Then you, the kisses you spread over his face every time you greet him, his intense desire for you even when you claimed your body was slowly returning to what it was.

He wasn’t depressed; he was fine.

“Nonsense, Lyla. I’m fine” his tone was firm, confident, and intimidating. So the AI would not push it further.

“As you say, boss,” and with that, she disappeared.

When Miguel returned to see you and Magda, the cafeteria was full of spiders with lunch breaks, but you and the baby were gone.

…

Your boots with heels sound across the reports room of the HQ. Jess turns at the sound and smiles after seeing you. With a little wave, you pace toward her.

“Look at you, girly pop. If I didn’t know, I would say you have never been pregnant,” she explains with a big smile.

“Almost five months, Jess. I can’t believe it…” you admit, thinking about sweet baby Magda and her adorable yawns daily.

“I know, girl. My baby boy is almost a year now. Time flies…” Both of you nod. You start helping her with the reports.

Now you had been taking more missions and were happy to be back at work.

As you slide the pile of papers, Miguel stomps inside the room.

“What are you doing here?” He asks after spotting you beside Jess.

“Filling reports?” you don’t look at him, your eyes focused on the papers.

“You should be with Magda” His tone annoys you, finally pulling your eyes away from the papers and focusing on your husband.

“I spent the whole morning with her. She’s on daycare with Mayday and Peter” He rolled his eyes. And without another word, he sprint out of the room, leaving you very confused.

Jess kept staring at the door, where Miguel left but then turned to look at you.

“How has Miguel been dealing with parenthood?” you sigh.

“He’s amazing. He makes sure everything is fine with Magda and me. He also makes time to spend together, and…well, now I notice he’s stressed” Jess nodded, placing a new pile of paper on some shelves and opening a virtual screen to check the anomalies that had been reported.

“Maybe he’s…depressed?” her implication makes you break the focus on the report.

Having a baby was something big; you were okay, you felt amazing, just tired, but you felt healthy. However, even when you thought you had psyched Miguel that he was going to be a father again (with numerous methods. Like brief late-night talking, books, blowjobs, and fantastic sex). Maybe it wasn’t enough.

“You think he has it, right?”

“Maybe. Even if I tried to warn him, maybe…Yes.”

“I’ve known him since college, y/n. He’s a good man who loves you and that gorgeous baby girl so much. But he’s Miguel, and his damaged side will never leave.” It would never stop to amaze you how much Miguel changed after the events of Gabriella and her universe collapsing. You had to meet him just after that happened, so you would never know the man he was before that.

“However, you are his new chapter and a new chance to be better again. Just try to talk to him…” Her hand on your shoulder makes you feel supported. You smile, nodding at her.

“Thanks, Jess. I highly appreciate it.”

“Of course, girl. Now let’s finish these damn papers to have a break” a little less worried about Miguel, both Jess, and you had a good moment laughing and finishing the reports.

…

“Dear empress?” You roll your eyes, turning to your right to spot Lyla.

“Why do you call me like that?” You ask, laughing, chewing at your burger. Once again, a meal with your husband’s mask imprinted on the bun was a good idea.

“You are my boss’s wife, and Magda is the legitimate heir to the HQ” Again, you laugh. Lyla was funny and sweet; you really liked her and the dynamic she had with Miguel.

“To be an AI on earth-928, you are using medieval terms, Lyla,” she giggles.

“No, but Peter called. Magda woke up and demanded your company” You can’t even find yourself mad or annoyed. Your baby needed you after three hours separated.

Thankfully, you had taken a shower after the mission you had. Magda couldn’t be held with toxic particles and lizard’s spit.

“I’m on my way,” Lyla pretends to high-five you before opening the door of the balcony area where you were eating.

…

Soft cries flood the big daycare room. Lyla and you exchange looks before she speaks.

“Yikes, that’s my cue, bye bye” With that, she disappears.

When you open the door, you see Peter Pavitr, Gwen, and Miles showing baby Magda some toys to stop her from crying. Mayday is beside her, sitting, looking confused.

The closer you look, the better you can see Magda in a short sleeves onesie and her matted hair hidden under a little flower diadem.

“Oh, look, Magda. Mama is here,” Peter tells your kid. She’s very tiny, yet active to be four months old. Your eyes light up after taking her in your arms.

“Hi Bebé, I missed you so much,” Magda coos and plays with her little fists.

“Thank you so much for entertaining her, guys,” you tell your friends. They say it’s nothing. But you feel loved and welcomed, how well they treated your baby, and how much effort they made to include her even at her young age.

“It’s nothing. But… now you owe me in particular,” Pavitr says with a smile. You wonder what he wants. But then, he pulls out a pink envelope with orange and golden details and hands it to you.

“Happy Diwali season…” Immediately, you remember the party he mentioned months ago when you were still pregnant.

“Pavitr! This is so sweet, thank you” he offered a hug, which you accepted.

Few people dared to spread love like anything, and Pav was one of them.

“I want to see your little family there. And all of your too,” the guy threats smiley. Instant happiness succumbs you because you can’t wait to be at that party.

It was rare when you had the opportunity to hang out with every one of your HQ friends. Jess, Peter, and Mayday are the most recurrent since Miguel was very close to them as they were to you.

“I’ll bring my best clothes, man,” Peter calls before Pavitr leaves through a portal.

“I’m so excited!” You squeal along, Gwen.

Peter rolls his eyes, taking care of Mayday.

“We need some traditional dresses,” you comment.

“Oh, and we have to get Mayday and Magda matching dresses” The thought makes you die out of cuteness. Even Peter seems happy, claiming he will take many pictures if MJ can’t make it.

It has been a long time since you had a big party to attend.

The parties with your family were small gatherings where Miguel would likely get drunk with your father. Your mother and grandma would help you with Magda, and you had to be active.

So yeah, you were excited to celebrate Diwali with your friends and family.

…

That night, you are cooking some tray of peaches with cream muffins and jericallas, Miguel’s favorite desserts. Magda is sleeping in the pink carrier you bought for her and you (cause Miguel refused to wear every single day that carrier he got a grey one).

Dinner was quiet, which was weird in the past, but slowly grew normal.

You had wanted to ask Miguel about his possible PPND, but he always brushed it off before you could start.

Learning to look at the oven, there are five minutes left. You go to Magda’s room to put her in the crib.

You take some minutes to see her. She’s a carbon copy of Miguel. The sun-kissed skin, the dark hair, and you suspected she would have his spider abilities rather than yours. Oh, and her round puffy cheeks that you constantly filled with kisses.

You loved being a mother.

You preferred your own house on your earth; it was smaller, cozier, and homey.

And Miguel’s place was… an expansive apartment with minimalist colors and designs. It was still home… but not the same.

Still, you loved your family. No matter where you were.

So you clean the kitchen as the muffins cool off.

Miguel spent the whole evening locked in his lab. Claiming that he was finishing a new device for the HQ. Which you believed at the beginning, but soon you felt like he didn’t want to spend time with you, Magda, leaving the baby and yourself to play and read alone.

So you remembered what Jess said. Maybe Miguel was depressed or having a mix of emotions after Magda arrived.

Slowly, you open the door of the lab. He’s sitting, back facing you. He looks massive, being slightly hunched to work.

“Corazón…” you call him; he doesn’t flinch.

Miguel sees through the corner of his eye your silhouette, holding something.

A little plate, a jericalla, and a muffin slide in front of his face.

The smell of peaches and cream cheese invaded him. The small was enough to set him in a better mood.

“I made your favorites…” he knows he’s not the best husband material. But he was constantly irritated, and the last he wanted was to take it out on you or Magda. He would kill himself if something like that happened.

“Oh, muñeca. You didn’t have to “

“Yes, I had to… Miguel?… Are you okay?” You ask shyly, honestly scared of his reaction.

“What do you mean?”

“Lately… you’ve been weird. Is the work too much? I can take more; the master's program is basically finished. I have time, and with Magda-“ you want to find an answer before he even answers.

“Magda should be your priority.”

“She is. But I’m concerned about you too.”

“I’m fine.” You sigh. It wouldn’t be easy, you knew that.

“Just… you must know you can tell me anything, amor. I’m your wife…” his tense shoulders relax when you hug him from behind.

“I know that, mami.” A little smile peaks on your face, so you lean down to kiss your husband’s cheek.

He giggles before capturing your hands to give you a proper kiss.

“We love you so much, Miguel,” you add one last time.

“I love you and Magda too” Another little peck, and you're out of his lab.

Only that you tried to ignore the pain in your throat as tears threatened to spill as you lay in bed, waiting for him to come.

…

The sound of a phone taking pictures hits Miguel. When he enters the main bedroom of your house, he sees you in a traditional Indian gown in hot pink and orange colors, along with gold details.

He can’t help but think that his wife is perfect and that you gave him the best present ever; a daughter.

“Look at you, Magda!. You look gorgeous, my love,” she coos, stretching in the bed while chewing her feet. It makes you laugh, and Miguel feels relaxed.

You are taking pictures of Magda, and when Miguel gets closer, he sees his daughter in a colorful linen dress.

You turn to face your husband. Surprised to see him smiling.

“Look, Miguel. She’s totally ready for this party,” he finds himself sighing.

“Do we really need to go?” If you had to be honest, things with Miguel weren’t their best.

He continued to act desperate, less soft, and constantly irritated.

Last night, it didn’t work out.

He was fucking you on your back, but he was being rough. And not the type of wild you liked. It was rough where. You felt like a rag doll like it wasn’t lovemaking.

“Mig-Miguel. Can… Can we stop?” He had been so close, seconds away from painting your walls with cum. But you asked him to stop. That never happened.

“…Why?” He asked, confused and slightly angered.

“You’re hurting me…” it tears him. But the irritating demon creeped out for worse.

“Right, sorry. It won’t happen again,” without another word, he slipped out of you, locking you inside the bathroom and leaving you heavily confused.

Before last night, things had been like a rollercoaster, with ups and downs. They only didn’t make sense to you because you couldn’t understand your husband. He was taking care of pushing you away, and you were starting to feel hurt.

“It’ll be fun; it could help us to have a little escapade” he knows you want things to be better. But it seemed like the more you tried, the more he got frustrated. He was starting to believe Lyla about having PPND. And it scares him so much, already afraid of hurting you and Magda. So he had been a little secluded to avoid that.

In his mind, it was a good idea. But sure, it was not the best option.

“Fine. Do you want me to wear something specific?” His question made you pout.

“Just this…” you hand him a linen shirt in a cream tone. He sighed but surprised you by taking Magda in his arms and leaning to snuggle with you. Her tiny lips latched onto your neck, searching for milk, and Miguel peppered your cheeks with kisses. You started laughing at the tickles.

“Miguel! Stop!” You cry, laughing.

“Tell Mama she looks beautiful, Magda,” feeling her matted hair, your warms lips.

Of course, there were still some good moments. Like having a moment together, the three of you. Where there was only love in the air.

Miguel knew he had to change. He couldn’t lose his family.

Not again…

…

Whenever there was an anomaly on Pavitr’s earth, you would gladly stay longer than necessary. The colorful and loud city was always a sight.

But seeing the party he had spent months discussing was still a surprise.

There was a big rooftop with stone railings and details. Many plants partially covered the floor and every surface available.

And the colorful decorations in fuchsia and purple tones were breathtaking.

The Festival of Lights was the most exciting part for you. It reminded you of the movie of Tangled and how much you loved that movie.

The whole meaning of Diwali was beautiful, and having the opportunity to celebrate it with the locals, with your family, was even more special.

“This is beautiful…” you mumble, a big smile growing as you carry Magda. She seems attracted to the music and people talking around.

“Miguel! y/n!” Both of you turn around to see Peter and Mayday.

“AWW!” You let out once your daughter is reunited with Mayday. Both have the same linen dress, only that Mayday has her hair in a messy bun, and Magda… well, she was losing hair.

“They look adorable, Peter” Miguel says nothing, but he wants to smile so badly.

“I know; MJ took a whole album of her.”

“I can bet…” you add smiley. Peter looks at Miguel, and the tall and broad man looks annoyed, which makes him sigh.

“You look good, man,” Peter tries to soothe the strange air.

“Thanks.” It’s flat and cold. You are starting to feel anxious about Miguel and his consent mood swings.

“Man, you have to be happy. You are here with your gorgeous baby and wife. Smile…” You are surprised and thankful for your friend, not expecting him to speak.

To your dismay, Pavitr appears to say hi, but it’s not the best moment.

“Not now, Peter. You don’t know anything; stay away from this. It’s my family,” you frown, not liking Miguel’s tone. You and Pavitr exchanged looks before you turned to face your angry husband.

“Miguel, What’s wrong with you? Peter says it for good” he looks down at you, shocked to hear that you are not on his side.

“You’re letting him discuss our problems now?” To make the moment more stressful, Jess comes too; she looks confused at the scene but soon understands what is happening.

“What he said is obvious to everyone, Miguel. You’ve been off; we want you to be yourself again.”

“I am okay!” some people stare when your husband raises his voice.

“Miguel…” Jess warns him, hoping to avoid a bigger problem.

You came to a limit. All the weeks of dealing with an unstable husband, taking care of Magda on your own, working your part as a head of the spider society.

Indeed, you didn’t care that your friends were hearing.

“No, you’re not. You have been avoiding us!. We are your family, Miguel. If you weren’t sure of having a wife and kid again, you should have said it sooner.”

Ohh… everyone grows quiet. Peter holds your shoulder with his free hand, and Pavitr can’t believe what is happening.

“Don’t…” it’s all he says, but you cut him off.

“Maybe you’ve found someone else. Cause you’re rejecting Magda and clearly me. You don’t come home early; it certainly looks as if you were fucking someone else” Your baby is getting fussy, and your fears grow the more you talk. Now only waiting for his response.

“Yeah? Do you really think that low of me? Maybe I should go and make it real!” his words tear you a little. Making it impossible to not start tearing up.

Miguel realized what he had said when he heard Magda crying.

And he looked at you again; you were also crying.

He’s so embarrassed.

“Please take her for some minutes…” you say, handing Magda to Jess. The woman nods with a sad face.

And everyone looks at how you leave the party.

“I’ll go find her; please let me…” Pavitr tells Miguel, but he only stands there looking like an asshole.

“You’re right…” Miguel tells Peter, with his back facing him.

“I just want you and her to be happy.…” your husband nods, and Peter takes it as an apology and understanding of him.

“Can we talk?” Jess asks. Miguel knows he’s in trouble.

Both adults walk through the people to the most secluded area. Which seems to be a little garden.

“Do you want this baby?” Jess asks him, referring to the sleepy Magda in her arms.

“Or was it just for the lust of getting y/n pregnant?” It’s straight to the point, and it terrifies Miguel.

“Jess, you know I’ve always wanted a family,” he answers calmly.

“Then why the drama?. Everything seemed fine the whole pregnancy.”

“Lyla was right. I think I have PPND…” Jess sighed in relief because at least Miguel had an idea of his problem.

“That’s what I thought.” She replied.

“And now with this…I don’t wanna lose my girls” To hear Miguel in a vulnerable state was unusual. His eyes went straight to Magda. He walked closer to stroke her cheek.

He felt like a monster for what he did.

“You won’t lose them, Miguel. Everyone knows this baby, and y/n are beyond in love with you” Magdalena was his gift. And Miguel would always thank you for that.

The least he could do was be a supportive father and good husband.

“Go and talk with y/n. Then we can enjoy this peaceful party. It is almost time for the Festival of Lights” Miguel remembers how excited you were to see the lights. He worries that he won’t find you in time. Jess places a hand on his shoulder.

“Go. I’ll take care of Magda with Peter” The exit is crowded, so he hurries.

The streets are packed, people are celebrating, and some fireworks start.

Miguel ventures into the busy streets in hopes of finding you.

…

When Pavitr finds you, you are sitting on the long stairs that were the entrance of a temple. Your knees are pressed to your chest, your face hiding, and he can hear you sobbing.

“Oh… y/n,” he says, sitting beside you and hugging you. You are startled, but soon you are calmed to see your friend.

“I’m sorry for ruining the vibe of your party, Pav” He shakes his head, smiling.

“Nah, first of all, it’s my parent’s party. Second of all, nobody noticed what happened.”

“This was supposed to be a beautiful night. Not the start of the end of my marriage.”

“It’s not the end of your marriage, y/n. I can read people very well. Miguel and you hold an excellent dharma” You lift your head, looking at your friend. He offers you a kind smile that makes you feel comfortable.

“Call me ignorant, but what is specifically dharma?”

“It means a lot of things in my religion. But in this case, it means you and your husband have good energy. The connection is strong; there’s a balance that holds the love. And all of that is what Magda receives. This is just a bad season…” you analyze his words, trying to accept them.

“Then why do I feel like it’s not my fault? I feel that he needs to apologize…”

“Oh, because he does need to apologize. What he said was wrong. Even if he’s the one having a bad emotional moment, he caused this” It’s incredible how easy it was for Pavitr to understand when he was still a late teenager, only a couple of years younger than you, but wiser.

“Thank you, Pavitr,” he nods, hugging you again.

“Now come back, please. Gwen and Miles have been looking for you.”

“I’ll go. I need some minutes.”

He smiles one last time before leaving you alone again.

You sigh, and more tears spill, but quietly.

For a second, you don’t want to think about anything; you stare a the street in front of you.

The people laugh, scream, and look happy. A lot of them have the little lights in their hands already.

You try to savor the moment, so you sigh and breathe with your eyes closed, letting more tears run down your cheeks.

You could either fight for you and the love of your life and daughter… or move on, even if it was early to say it.

You don’t come to an answer because when you open your eyes, Miguel is on the stairs, going straight to you.

You’re startled, unconsciously standing up. You know you can’t enter the temple but you want to be away from Miguel.

He’s fast enough to stop you, grabbing your forearm.

“No. Not right now, Miguel,” you say firmly, with a broken voice.

“Wait. Please, bonita…” he hates to see you like that.

Finding you alone, crying on those stairs when everyone was happy and celebrating, was painful to him. Even more when he was the cause of it.

“I don’t want this night to be over with us fighting, please.”

You don’t say anything. You stare at him as he stays some steps under; you have him straight face to face.

“I didn’t mean anything I said before. I would never find someone else. Never, y/n” You remember his words.

Maybe I should go and make it real.

“That’s how it starts…” you say coldly. He shakes his head, grabbing both of your cheeks.

“No. No, mi amor… I only have eyes for you, and that’s how it’ll remain for the rest of my life,” he means it. Miguel fell in love with you one summer, months after meeting you. And from the day he accepted he was in love, the feeling never changed; it only increased.

“I must have… men postpartum depression” Immediately, you’re relieved. Because you had your suspicions, knowing that was the reason for the little downgrade of marriage soothed your worries about him cheating.

“Why have you always avoided it?.” You ask him. He only sighs, his hands leaving your cheeks to land on your shoulders.

“I don’t know. I guess I just… didn’t want to believe it?” you know he’s telling the truth. Miguel never lied; if he ever did, he would never babble. But he was looking defeated, showing vulnerability.

“It was stupid. I should have told you… agh, ¿soy un pendejo, no?” You nod, looking at him in the eye. Savoring his embarrassment, but not in a toxic way. You appreciated that he was recognizing his errors.

“We’ve talked about… Gabriella and what happened. But, now that Magda is finally here… I got scared again” It’s inevitable to not grow fond of him. He was guilty but also a victim of his own mind. And it was your role to help him.

“We’re not going anywhere, Miguel. I Can assure you that this family will last forever. Because I won’t let anything happen,” sometimes Miguel forgot that he married a brave young woman. Who showed him what he thought was lost in the world. And gave him a daughter to heal his past and grow better.

“I’d be lost without you and Magdalena, corazón. I’m so sorry for making you think otherwise.”

“And I’m sorry for not pressuring you to get help,” he smiles.

“No, y/n. You’ve done nothing wrong but being the most lovely and perfect mother and wife ever,” you blush. And Miguel will never stop loving his power to make you feel loved and blushed.

“Will you forgive me?”

“Are you going to the doctor?” He nods, so you sigh.

“And promise that this will NEVER ever happen again, Miguel O’Hara. Swear it…” he chuckles, but he knows it’s serious.

“I swear, this will never happen again. I swear it for my love for my wife and daughter”.

You smile, and that’s all Miguel needs to move his hands one last time. To your waist, to pull you closer.

As he hugs you, he enjoys the smell of your hair. That watermelon shampoo you loved to use. He’s at home.

“How can I begin with my apology?” He asks.

“Just hold me. Never… never, Miguel. Never let me go” his eyes get watery, and immediately his hands find their way to hold you, brush your hips, and lay his head on top of yours.

“I’m never letting go of the woman that saved my life” Tears flow across your face, but a smile grows too. No matter Miguel’s walls' height, you had all the power to crash them, and for the best.

“I love you, bonita,” you nod, sobbing and giggling simultaneously. Squeezed in his arms, you lift your head and smash his lips.

It’s warm, slow, and sweet. Both of you have flashbacks of the first kiss you shared. And it fueled the love, making the kiss even more adorable.

“I love you too. So, so much…” Between every so, you kiss his cheeks. It tingles him, so he laughs.

“Stop it, Nena” For some seconds, you stare at each other in silence, feeling the love slowly returning to reign.

You are thankful for having a husband like him. Someone who had problems like everyone else but would always stand up for his family and try to make everything better.

“Hear me out. I’ll never be able to give you back, Gabriella. But Magda and I will love and cherish you for her. This has been a big change for us, never forget that, Miguel” Magda was his light, just like you were the dawn he enjoyed every day. But the dread of his past wasn’t ready to leave yet. Nothing would compare to the time he had with Gabriella, but nothing would change the fact that she was gone.

“I’ll get over that someday. But now I have my girls, and it’s perfect. Simply perfect…” there was something about you that Miguel wouldn’t trade for anything. You gave him happiness, comfort, and a daughter.

The canon never warned him that you would appear, yet, there you were, willing to listen and help him. Even after all…

“I like the sound of that…. I can schedule an appointment with Doctor Spider-Man. He knows everything…”

“Yeah, that would be fine. I also think we should have a second honeymoon” Your eyes widen.

“What? Really?”

The first honeymoon was a fever dream. Almost a month in Oaxaca, in a boutique historic hotel, and fantastic food, outside activities, and… tons of sex. Thankfully you were cautious with protection, cause otherwise, Magda would have been a honeymoon baby.

“Yeah. Or we could have our first family trip. Magda is young enough to still make it pass as a second honeymoon” his playful tone makes you aware of what he meant, and it burns your cheeks.

“I’m also sorry about what happened last time we were…”

“I know,” you quickly answer.

“I would never waste the opportunity again. If I could go back in time, I would have apologized better and rewarded you with a big orgasm,” you laugh, punching his rock-hard chest.

“Miguel, shut up!. We’re at the entrance of a temple” he looks with curiosity and realizes it is true.

“Shit. Sorry… okay. Can we go back to the party?” You nod, and you gladly take it when he offers his hand.

…

When you make it back. The Festival of Lights is starting. Jess hurries and looks between you and him.

“Everything alright?” You nod.

“Thank you so much, Jess,” she says. It’s nothing, handing you a smiley Magda, who happily coos at you and Miguel.

The man smiles at her, kisses her hair, and takes her little hand.

“Oh, I got some perfect spots,” she adds. The balcony's edge is where a lake looks like a mirror with lights.

Peter, Hobie, Gwen, and Miles gather with you and your family.

But Pavitr leans closer.

“I told you it was all about the dharma you two hold,” the young man says, pointing at you and Michel.

Your husband frowns, confused.

“Dharma?”

“I’ll explain it later, man,” Pavitr answers smiley, leaving.

Miguel takes Magda in his arms, and he feels better; the light weight of his daughter and your head resting on his bicep was everything he needed as everyone watched the lights go up and illuminate the sky.

It was time to let go of his past at all. His present was right in his arms, and you were right.

As he would fight to keep his family, Miguel knew you would too, and that was a lot to say.

___________________________________

Sends ideas / requests 4 Miguel. I’m planning something based on hummingbird (I love that song so much) <3.

I’m seeing Taylor Swift tomorrow SEND HELP OMG :0

Taglist: @obi-mom-kenobi @g0oshtt @berlinswifey @alison645 @futuristicpandakid @sleepyoriana @amb3rrz @amyg1509 @t00-pi @crowleysthings @boobabietch @l3lazee @brtodd @gigachadcowboy @saturnknows @chiyoyooo @miggyyyyohara @puresweetenerx @saturnnnnl @natthernandez @reagan707 @voidashh @daisydark @kissezfornamjoon @etherealton @wonderlandangelsposts @niyanispunk @ang3l-dust1 @electro-supremacy @bestie1223 @dangerousness15 @iluvjisoo @atlaincorrect @naponiac @edgycatx @fluffy-koalala

[howlingday]

Remember the chaquetrix post? Can we get an au were Jaune gets it.

If so heres a start like penny's mine could be uploaded into it making penny the human summon and real girl, plus this way she can be saved by calling her back.

Jaune 10-C AU

Hey there! The name's Jaune. Jaune Arc. Short, sweet, and rolls off the tongue. The ladies love it. And in case you were wondering, yes, I've tested this and yes, the ladies do, in fact, love it. Or, at least, Penny does.

Who's Penny? She's the girl who lives in my watch. Or, well, kind of.

Let me start from the beginning. A while back, one summer ago, I was helping out at my family farm when a shooting star passed through the sky. I was out in the field stargazing when it happened, and I was also out in the field when it landed in the field! I checked it out and inside was a metal capsule, and inside was a note and weird looking watch.

I reached down to check out the watch when it jumped onto my arm and stuck into me! I freaked out and tried everything I could to get it off! Eventually, after realizing it was stuck to me, I was able to calm down... after about another five minutes of freaking out. When that happened, I decided to fiddle around with it. It was stuck to my arm, so I might as well get it set the way I like, right?

Oh, but let me clarify something. This thing on my wrist isn't a watch. Apparently, it's an encyclopedia of every living, sentient species on Remnant and beyond. That's how I met Penny, who's the human registered inside. I twist the setting to her, slap it down, and in a flash of pinkish purplish light, Penny appears!

Now, you're probably what happened next. Well...

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

"Sal-U-Tations~!"

"WAGH!" Jaune fell over, kicking away from the girl who suddenly appeared. "Wh-Who are you?!"

"I am Penny Polendina!" She greeted. "And what is your name?"

"Uh... Jaune?"

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Uhjaune!"

"What? No, no! It's just Jaune."

"Oh, excuse me, Justjaune."

"No, not-" Jaune let out a sigh. "Jaune. My name is Jaune."

"Oh..." She nodded. "Forgive me. This is my first time."

"First time... doing what?"

"Speaking with my husband."

Jaune blinked. "I'm sorry, what?"

"Oh! Have I made another error? Forgive me."

Jaune felt like he was going to throw up. In less than an hour of stargazing, he's survived a meteor strike, had an alien device latch onto his arm, this weird girl arrives out of nowhere, and now she's calling him her husband. Yup. He was going to throw up now.

"There, there." Penny rubbed his back. "Understandably, this is a lot to take in."

"No kidding." Jaune spat out the last of the bile in his mouth. "So, uh... Where do we go from here?"

"What do you mean?"

"You said I was your future husband, so what do we do now?"

"Oh! The answer is simple!"

"It is?"

"Yes!" She smiled. "We must repopulate our species."

Jaune's face paled. "I think I'm going to throw up again."

Before he had the chance to, though, a growl interrupted their conversation. The sudden arrival of Penny and the news she brought with her had filled Jaune with feelings of fear and anxiety from the start. It was only natural that the Grimm would draw closer on these negative emotions.

"We need to leave!" Jaune said, grabbing Penny by her wrist.

"Wait! But I-"

"No time to wait! We have to go!" Pulling on her wrist, he guided her from to the edge of the field, where a shed filled with tools that had gone unused until today. Once inside, he locked the door and looked around. Maybe there was something strong enough to at least wound the monsters long enough until help arrived. "Grab a weapon and stay behind me."

"You intend to fight the Grimm by yourself?" Penny asked. "That seems unwise."

"Well, I don't really have any other options." There was a scratching at the door, like a cat, but much larger and filled with slightly more hate. "But this many Grimm in one place shouldn't go unnoticed to the local huntsmen. Or Dad. Either way, we should be fine so long as they don't break in."

The door began to creak as gnashing teeth snapped in the crevice. Taking hold of a machete, Jaune slashed the rusty blade down onto the monster's muzzle. It gave a yipe and slipped away. Jaune felt pleased with himself, but only until a huge, black claw started flailing wildly in place of the wounded jaws. Jaune backed away, bumping into Penny.

"Sorry." He turned towards her, noticing a hatch in the ceiling. An idea began to brew. "I have an idea."

"As do I!"

"Okay, let's hear your plan." Jaune asked, hoping it was better.

"We fight!" It was not.

"Or," he held out his hands, "I can fight while you escape."

"But Jaune-"

"Penny, listen," he took her hands, "I know we only just met, but if you're really going to be my future wife, then that means I have to protect you. And if protecting you means I have to take some hits so you can go get some help, then I..." Jaune stopped for a moment. It was at this time he realized how heavy his words would carry. He was putting his life on the line for hers. He could very well die for this complete stranger. But somehow, he was alright with that. He gave a nod. "I give you my word, I will protect you."

"Jaune..."

"I'm going to escape through the roof and draw their attention." He pointed up. "When they're gone, you run for the house and get my dad. Call for any help you can once there. Just be safe, please."

She smiled. "You can count on me, Jaune."

"Good." He smiled back. "Here's hoping you can do the same."

Taking the ladder from the side, he climbed up to the hatch and cracked it open. The Grimm weren't on the roof, thankfully, so he could put his suicide mission into effect. Shutting the hatch and sliding down the backside of the shed, he ran out to the field.

"HEY! OVER HERE!" The Grimm snarled at him. "YEAH, I'M OVER HERE, GUYS! COME AND GET ME!" In a blink, they'd already covered half the distance. There must have been three of them lunging at him, all at once. Take a quick, last breath, he charged them with his machete.

Suddenly, one of them was sliced in half, giving a yelp as it faded into ash. Before either of the other two could react, another was stabbed in the head by a sword, pinning it to the ground as it, too, faded. It was at this moment that Penny landed in front of Jaune, wings extended from her back.

"Penny?!"

"I was trying to tell you, Jaune," she extended her hands with fingers splayed, "I am combat ready~!"

To say it was an even fight would be an understatement. With only one swipe of her left arm, the wing of blade came crashing down, slicing through the Grimm at different points and killing it six different ways before it finally fell to the ground.

"I..." Jaune panted, realizing he hadn't breathed since she arrived. "Wow... I... Just wow!"

Penny giggled. "I take it you are impressed?"

"Jaune?!" A familiar voice called.

"Dad?" Jaune looked over and saw his father running towards him. "Dad, over here!"

"Jaune, what on Remnant are you doing out here?!" He hurried to his son. "I thought we were under attack by bandits, or something!"

"Bandits?" Jaune raised his brow. "What do you mean?"

"Something broke through the window and stabbed into the couch!" Oh, so that's how Penny woke up his dad.

"I think that was Penny."

"Penny? Who's Penny?"

"Penny, she-" Jaune turned to find Penny was gone. He blinked in confusion. "She... She was right here."

"Jaune, are you feeling okay?" His father checked his head for injuries. "You didn't hurt yourself out here, did ya?"

"No, Dad, I'm fine."

"Oh, good." His father sighed, releasing his son... before flicking his forehead. "What the hell are you doing out here in the middle of the night?!"

"I, uh-"

"You have any idea what you being dead would've done to this family?!"

"Dad, I-"

"Oh, you are so lucky your mother is still asleep right now!" He prodded his chest. "If she were out here, she'd-"

"She'd what, Jack?" The Arc men turned to see Jaune's mother standing in her nightgown, looking at them like they were bickering children. "Please, by all means, give me some ideas."

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

"Sir, we've tracked the device's course and determined what planet it most likely crashed to." The servant displayed the world on a digital screen.

"Very well. Set a course for this... Remnant."

"As you command, Lord Vilgax."

[villain-crown]

regret | @jegulus-microfic | words: 1,255

critical care, part 4 (part 1, part 2, part 3, part 5, part 6, part 7, part 8, part 9)

a Jegulus nurse!AU

Despite his conviction, James did not end up mustering the courage to ask Regulus out that day. He almost managed to get there a few times, but then Sirius would just pop out of nowhere with some meaningless side quest for him to work on. Each time James had finished doing what was asked of him, Regulus had moved on to busy himself with something else.

The next morning, James finally accepted that he had been left with no choice.

He would have to physically visit the “dungeons” himself.

Standing in front of the doors to the Slytherin cardiovascular intensive care unit two floors below Gryffindor, James took a few slow, steadying breaths. It was his lunch break and he was determined to finally speak with Regulus without Sirius running constant interference.

Do you want to go out sometime? he rehearsed in his head, swiping his badge to gain admission through the doors. No… more assertive. Let's go out sometime. Yeah, yeah that’s good—

“Who the hell are you?”

James pulled his gaze to find a Slytherin with platinum blond hair looking him over from behind the nurses’ station counter. She was perfectly put together in designer forest-green scrubs with a matching stethoscope clipped to her waist and her badge was decorated with multiple pins outlining her various professional awards and accomplishments.

James rolled his eyes upon recognizing her. “Oh come on Narcissa, we’ve worked together for five years!”

“Fine. What do you want, Potter?”

“To talk to Regulus,” he declared bravely.

Narcissa lifted a perfectly manicured eyebrow. “He’s busy.”

“I know,” James replied quickly. “I just need like thirty seconds to—“

“Did they finish up the chest tube?” Narcissa interrupted him to address her sister, Andromeda, who had just exited the patient room right behind him.

“Yeah, Slughorn’s fellow finally gave up on the resident and just shoved it in himself. This whole river of nasty yellow pus shot out of her left lung. It was wild. Hey, James. What are you doing here?”

James blinked as the conversation suddenly twisted back around to include him. Just as he opened his mouth to speak, Narcissa cut him off.

“He’s here for Regulus, apparently.”

Suddenly, both of them were sizing him up. Their critical gaze made him wish he’d thought to iron his burgundy scrubs or something. “Have you told him what happened to the last guy who was ‘here for Regulus?’”

“C’mon guys, I just want to talk to him.”

“Talk to him or sleep with him?”

James jumped as Bellatrix, the third Black sister, appeared from fucking thin air right at his elbow.

“Bloody hell, Bellatrix, where did you even come from!?”

“Excuse you, you’re the one barging onto my unit trying to filch our baby cousin.”

“You just snuck—“

“Potter,” Narcissa interrupted impatiently, tapping her wristwatch. “We have a fresh heart coming in. You’ve got till then to convince us we won’t regret this.”

“Lunch,” James replied quickly, straightening up. “I just want to take him to lunch, I swear.”

“Are you single?”

James flinched. “W-what?”

Bellatrix snapped her fingers in his face. “You’ve got sixty seconds. Don’t waste our time. Are. You. Single?”

“Yes!”

“You like our little cousin?”

“Yes… ma’am.”

“Are you fucking anyone at the moment?”

“Bella!”

“Are you?”

“No!”

Bellatrix’s dark navy eyes bored into him like she wanted to crawl into his head and take a good long look around. “Hm. To the cafeteria and back only—and keep your hands to yourself or I’ll snap them off and use them to hold pressure on room 18’s hematoma. You’d better buy his lunch.”

James had just enough time to gape at the Black sisters before the double doors to the unit opened and a procession of operating room staff came inching through, a heavily sedated heart transplant patient transported among them.

Seizing the distraction, James backed away quickly to locate Regulus, who he found resetting his workspace after a procedure, preparing an incredibly unstable older man for the next rocky hour of hanging onto life. Partially-clotted blood stained the floor, hastily covered by surgical towels from when they’d inserted an emergency dialysis line in the patient’s neck. A machine to filter his blood had been set up near the ventilator.

Regulus looked very cute in his Slytherin-green jogger scrubs and soft fleece zip-up. The loose coal curls atop his head shifted with each turn of his neck and his slight frame just made James want to scoop him up and put him on his lap.

“What, Potter?” Regulus finally asked when he’d hovered in the hallway for over a minute, depositing the last of the capped needles into the sharps container.

Let's go out sometime, he coached himself. C’mon, Potter, you’ve got this! Let’s go out some—

“Lunch!” he blurted out. “Er, Bellatrix said you can take your lunch now.”

“What?” Regulus frowned, glancing at the clock. “It’s barely noon.”

“We should go,” James said quickly. “At the same time, I mean. Together.”

Regulus quirked a dark brow, his silver eyes sizing James up in the bright hospital lighting as he paused in changing his dialysis machine’s filter. “Together?”

“To the same place.”

“I’m not a bloody idiot. I know what ‘together’ means.”

“Great! Let’s go!”

Regulus tilted his head in amusement. “Listen, Potter… you’re a bit of an idiot so I’m going to spell this out for you.”

Oh please spell out “take me, I’m yours.”

“I don’t get any nicer than this and some of my needs aren’t easily met.”

James felt his heart rate pick up. Fuuuck, he was in trouble. Sirius was going to kill him. Bellatrix was going to throw him off the roof of the critical care tower. He really did just mean to ask Regulus to lunch; maybe get to know each other a bit, make plans for the weekend.

But the mouth on him!

“I’m very good at meeting needs.”

Regulus didn’t seem to buy that. “Really?” he drawled, looking James up and down with obvious doubt, making the Gryffindor bristle.

“What makes you think I can’t?”

“You strike me as a bit too… sweet; people please-y. You’re aware that my stupid brother has forbidden everyone in this hospital from making anything resembling a pass at me?”

“It’s just lunch.”

“Is it?”

“Do you want it to be?”

Regulus smirked, taking the three slow steps necessary to close the distance between them, pushing himself up on his toes to breathe in James’s ear.

“The things I like might be a bit much for you.”

“I think you’re really underestimating the things we’ve already done in my head.”

Coming back down on his heels, Regulus ran his tongue over his teeth before biting down on his lower lip. “Hm. I’m intrigued. Fine, I’ll get Snape to cover my patients. You’d better have more to offer than that dazed look on your face, Potter.”

With that, Regulus walked away.

…Holy shit.

HOLY SHIT!

He had a lunch date with Regulus Black!

Left alone with his raging thoughts and a sedated patient, James fumbled with his phone to send a frantic text.

To ‼️📣Marlene📣‼️:

If he meets my parents on Friday, I can propose on Saturday, and spend all of Sunday absolutely railing him.

Looks like I have weekend plans ❤️❤️❤️

From ‼️📣Marlene📣‼️:

There’s no saving you anymore, Potter. You have a death wish, and at this point, you frankly deserve it.

RIP when Sirius finds out what you’re doing ☠️

[mybutcheredtongue]

I'll Love You 'til the Grass Around my Gravestone is Deceased

post azkaban sirius black x fem!reader

CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE (see full series list here)

1994

A few weeks after the school term ends, you stand on a deserted street at night, looking up at the line of buildings and homes in front of you.

That's where Dumbledore told you to go to number 12...but it's not here? You're in Grimmauld Place, and in front of you is Number 11 and Number 13, with no 12 in the middle?

You squint up at the buildings ahead, sighing in frustration. If this is some sort of trick, like you have to solve a riddle every time you want to enter the Order of the Phoenix headquarters you're going to be livid.

Number 12, Grimmauld Place.

A battered door emerges out of nowhere between 11 and 13, followed swiftly by dark walls and grimy windows. You gape up at the building that's just magically appeared before you, breathing out in surprise, and then you walk up to the door and, as Dumbledore instructed you to do, tap it with your wand.

There's a click, and you warily push the door open, stepping into a dimly lit hallway and shutting the door behind you. It smells old and damp, like a derelict building. Beside you, the wallpaper peels off the walls and beneath your feet is a threadbare carpet. Painted portraits, blackened with age, line the walls.

You glance down at Dubh's crate, the handle held tightly in your fingers, and then walk down the hallway towards a door at the end. On the wall, there's shabby curtains stretching across a large space — there must be a door behind it.

"Hello?" You call, your voice echoing. "Is anybody — "

"Filth! Half-blood! I can smell it on you!"

You whip your head around to the source of this vile, ear-splitting screeching, finding the curtains you had spotted now open, except instead of there being a door behind it, you're met with a life-sized portrait of an old woman, her face red with fury as she continues to scream at you.

"Scum! How dare you set foot in this noble house, tarnish it with your foul blood — "

Dubh hisses from her crate and your ears ring with the incessant shrieking of the portrait, looking around for a solution when the door to your left suddenly bursts open, and Sirius emerges.

"Shut it, you hag, that's my wife!" he barks, seizing the end of the curtains and pulling it with all his might.

"YOOUU!" the woman howls, eyes wide at the sight of him. "Blood traitor, shame of my flesh, abomination, besmirching my blood line with such filth — "

You grab onto the ends of the curtains and with immense effort, the two of you manage to close the curtains over the screaming woman and a silence falls.

Panting slightly, Sirius sweeps his long hair out of his eyes and looks at you. "Well, I suppose you had to meet your mother-in-law eventually."

Your mouth drops and you stare back at him, a surprised laugh leaving your mouth. "You can't be serious."

He raises his eyebrows, smirking. "Actually, that's exactly who I am — "

You give his arm a soft thump, rolling your eyes. "So funny. Remind me why you didn't go into comedy?"

"Oh, because a woman forced me into marriage and I could not pursue my true comedic dreams."

He pushes open the door he came out of and, gathering your bags and Dubh's crate, you follow him down a flight of stairs and into a large basement kitchen, complete with a blazing fire in the corner and a dusty long table in the middle.

You whistle, placing your things on the table and dusting your hands off on your trousers. When Sirius turns to face you, you grab the collar of his shirt and bring his lips crashing onto yours, kissing him deeply.

After a few moments you pull away, smirking. "Still think I forced you into marriage?"

Sirius blinks, looking back at you, dumbfounded, before laughing. "Definitely not."

You glance around the room, taking in your surroundings. "So...are we going to talk about the portrait of your crazy mother or..."

He sighs, shrugging. "Welcome to my parents' house — the house I grew up in. It's just horrible, isn't it?"

He's not entirely wrong. The house is cold and dark, foreboding and lacking the warmth a home should have.

"Well, it's not very homely, anyway..." you say. "It's screaming pure-blood."

Sirius winces, tracing his fingers over the detailings on an ornate cabinet pushed against the wall. "Yes, but...I'm the last Black left, so it's mine now. I offered it to Dumbledore for headquarters — it's about the only useful thing I've been able to do."

"At least we can be together again," you say softly, offering him a smile. He looks back at you, and then returns it.

"Yes." He places his hands on your hips, drawing you closer, smiling wickedly at you. "I am definitely not complaining about that."

He kisses you fiercely, clashing together in a frenzy of passion and he slowly backs you up until you hit the table, scooping you up and placing you sitting on its surface with ease, lips still locked together. It's everything — it says everything —

"It's been too fucking long," he breathes lowly, trailing a line of kisses along your jaw, then onto your neck. He's right, it has been too long. It's not long before his mouth hits a particularly sensitive spot of your neck and your breath hitches in your throat. You feel his smug smile against your skin.

"Some things never change."

You can't resist the urge to roll your eyes, moaning softly as his strong hands slide under your shirt and run along your sides, gently caressing your skin.

"Oh, shut up."

His hands continue their wandering and his lips find yours again, tangling together as he begins to unbutton your shirt, nimble fingers loosening the top button, then the next, then the next —

Crack!

You jump at the loud noise, and Sirius breaks apart from you to look to the source of the sound — a very old house-elf that's just apparated inside the room with a feather duster in his wrinkly hands.

Your shriek and instantly pull your shirt closed, buttoning back up what Sirius had undone as he straightens up to fix the creature with an angry glare.

"Kreacher! What do you think you're doing?"

So this is Kreacher. Sirius had told you about this particular elf, whose unwavering loyalty to Walburga Black had made Sirius' home life even more unbearable.

Kreacher looks up, fixing his bloodshot eyes on you, and his large nose wrinkles. "I was not aware Master had a guest." Then, head bowed, he mutters very clearly, "What would my Mistress say, allowing such filth into her home..."

Sirius clicks his tongue agitatedly. "You were not aware, really? Did my mother's incessant shrieking not alert you?"

"I had assumed Master was simply distressing her again," Kreacher croaks, making no effort to hide his disdain for Sirius.

"Hello, Kreacher," you say, and then you tell him your name, making sure to emphasise the Black sitting on the end of it.

Kreacher's eyes go wide and he looks at you in shock, before his face twists in disgust. "Black, she says, yet she is no Black I know..."

"This is my wife, Kreacher, and you will treat her as you would any member of my family," Sirius says sternly.

Kreacher scowls at him, his hatred for him evident, before he reluctantly bows to you. "Mistress."

A little taken aback and slightly dazed, you give him a confused nod. "Kreacher."

He shuffles out of the room, exiting through the stairway door and shutting it behind him. Sirius drops his head onto your shoulder, groaning.

"He ruins everything," he says, voice muffled against your clothes. "He did that out of spite, I know it..."

You chuckle, patting his back. "I'm sure he did, hon. Now, aren't you going to show me around?"

Sirius pulls away from your shoulder to raise his eyebrows at you. "Well, I had other plans — "

"Those plans can wait," you say with a knowing smile, kissing his cheek. "I'm not too keen on Kreacher walking in on us again."

Sirius pokes his cheek with his tongue. "It could send him a much-needed message..." he sighs, taking your hands in his and helping you jump off the table, smoothing down your shirt. "Alright, I'll give you a quick tour. Word of warning, though — it's not pretty."

"Wasn't expecting it to be."

You leave the kitchen together and, as quietly as possible, sneak past Mrs Black's portrait in the hall and start to make your way up the stairs. It's dark and gloomy, but Sirius' warm hand in yours pulls you forward through the damp and dust, stopping at a door in the hallway.

"Dining room," he whispers. Then he points to another door opposite. "Study."

Opening the door to the dining room, you're met with the distinct smell of dust and mould permeating the air around you. A long dining table sits in the middle of the room, a fancy glass chandelier hanging over it and an embellished candelabra set upon the middle of the table. Pushed against the opposite wall is a tall wooden cabinet, housing items of fine china. Walking over to it curiously and peering closer, you see the plates, cups, and saucers all bear an identical crest.

"Black family crest," Sirius explains, an edge of bitterness to his voice. "It's on everything."

You drag your finger across the dining table, a long line of dust coating it when you remove it. You study it for a moment. "Has Kreacher really been here since your parents died?"

Sirius nods.

"Doesn't look like it," you say. "The place is practically untouched."

The study is equally as dusty and silent, untouched books lining the bookshelves, the only light in the room coming from your wand, held high to illuminate the room.

Retaking your hand, he pulls you upstairs, passing by a string of detached house-elf heads, stopping at the landing where three doors stand opposite.

He points to each one in turn. "Drawing room, guest bedroom, bathroom."

You follow him to the drawing room as he pushes the flaking wood door open, taking in the destitute room before you. A grand piano sits unplayed in the corner, while two antique settees stand opposite each other in front of a fireplace. A grandfather clock ticks quietly.

You run your finger along the piano keys, the ivories squeaking after so long without use. Covering the entirety of the wall behind it is a large tapestry that catches your eye. Golden thread depicts a sprawling family tree with the names of family members scrawled beneath each head, and written at the top of the tapestry in large gold letters, are the words:

The Noble and Most Ancient House of Black, Toujours Pur

"Ah, the family tree," Sirius says, joining you beside the tapestry. He scans the bottom of it, pointing. "There's my mother and father, and there's Regulus..."

A sad look passes Sirius' face momentarily, but he shakes it away to point at what looks like a burn mark in the fabric, blotting out a member. "My mother must have blasted me off after I ran away, no doubt." He bends closer to the tapestry, raising his eyebrows. "I haven't looked at this in years...look, there's Phineas Nigellus, my great-great-grandfather. Least popular headmaster Hogwarts ever had...and Araminta Meliflua...cousin of my mother's...tried to force through a Ministry Bill to make Muggle-hunting legal...and dear Aunt Elladora...she started the family tradition of beheading house-elves when they got too old to carry tea trays...of course, anytime the family produced someone halfway decent they were disowned."

"Sounds lovely," you remark sourly, running your hand along the fabric. "Oh, Bellatrix and Narcissa..."

Sirius follows your hand to where Bellatrix and Narcissa Black sit on either side of another burn patch. Sirius nods thoughtfully. "That's where Andromeda would have been, Tonks's mother, but she married a Muggle-born."

He straightens back up, looking around the room grimly. "When I ran away, I didn't think I'd ever have to step foot inside this blasted place ever again. Said I'd rather see the house burn to ash before I'd return to it. Well, now look at me..."

You gently take his hand. "I know. Ideally, headquarters would be anywhere else, but...just think of this as an opportunity, Sirius. We can turn this place into a real home, make it feel real and warm. I mean, this drawing room could be beautiful!"

You gesture to the room around you, smiling at him. "We can clean it, change the wallpaper, tune the piano, take down the tapestry...I think it could be really nice."

Sirius looks at you for a moment, smiling affectionately. "It surprises me how optimistic you can be."

You shrug, leaving the drawing room and stepping into the hall once more. "I think we've seen enough hardship to let a dusty old house get the better of us, don't you think?"

He kisses his teeth. "I should let you know that my mother put a permanent sticking charm on that tapestry, by the way — she also put one on her own portrait," he tells you and you groan. "Until I find a way to remove them, I don't think they're going anywhere."

You sigh. "Of course she did."

Sirius directs you through the rest of the house, showing you the many bedrooms and even the master bedroom, where Buckbeak is sleeping soundly.

"Hello, Buckbeak," you say sweetly, stroking his soft feathers once he wakes. "Good to see you again."

Finally, you reach the final floor. Looking to your right, you see a bedroom door with a sign on it reading: Do not enter without the express permission of Regulus Arcturus Black.

You can't help but chuckle, pointing at it and reading it aloud.

"Yes, Regulus was always very picky about who went into his room..." Sirius says, shaking his head. He tugs your arm and you look away from the door, instead facing another one. There's a nameplate on the door saying Sirius.

He pushes open the door, revealing a spacious bedroom. Stepping inside, you take in the incredible amount of Gryffindor banners, posters and such. In the middle of the room is a large bed, and you let out a small laugh at the pictures of motorcycles and Muggle women in bikinis on the wall.

You point to one such picture, smiling teasingly at him. "Should I feel threatened?"

Sirius chuckles, shaking his head. "They don't hold a candle to you, love...but they'll also have to stay because fifteen-year-old Sirius put a permanent sticking charm on them."

"Anything to piss off your parents, huh?" You say, glancing around at the decor — everything that his purist parents would hate. You spot two polaroid photos stuck to the wall and feel your heart warm.

The first is of the four marauders themselves: Sirius stands in the middle with James, their arms around each other and draped over Remus and Peter. They can't be much older than fourteen, young and rosy-cheeked.

"Aw..." you coo, smiling. "You were such babies."

Sirius joins you at the photo, peering closer before he gasps in disgust. "Did my hair really look that bad? I remember it looking far cooler..."

You giggle, eyes passing over the boys' youthful faces. They look so happy.

The second photo is of you and him, lying in the snow together, laughing. Your eyes light up in recognition. "I remember this photo...Bitsy took it! I can't believe you put this up..."

"Well, I did quite fancy you, believe it or not." Sirius smiles lovingly, tapping the photo. "I remember Bitsy taking that. Right after I annihilated you in a snowball fight."

You scoff, turning to him. "Don't lie, I destroyed you in that fight. You were no match for me."

"I seem to remember differently..." he hums, grinning at you.

"Then you remember wrong."

Sirius laughs, pulling you into him and kissing you. "Enough arguing." He leads you towards his bed, gently pushing you down onto the mattress before him. "I recall us having some pressing plans to get on with..."

⁠✧⁠*⁠。✧⁠*⁠。

You awake the next morning feeling blissfully content. You think you've just gotten the best sleep of your life. Cracks of sunlight stream in through the slivers of window that aren't covered by curtains. You can hear the gentle rhythm of Sirius' heartbeat thrumming beneath your head as you lie on his chest, his own rising and falling steadily in his sleep. You move your head ever so slightly to look at him.

His face is blissfully peaceful, all tension gone from his features. His dark curls fall across his forehead, tickling his cheeks and jaw. You smile lovingly, feeling your heart warm with affection and happiness. You gently trace the outline of one of the tattoos on his arm — a small lion, for Gryffindor. It's the first tattoo he ever got, when he was around sixteen. Just to anger his parents. It had made you like him even more growing up.

He stirs, eyelids slowly fluttering open and gazing at you through his eyelashes, smiling softly.

"Morning," you whisper.

"Good morning." His voice is low and raspy with sleep. He shifts slightly, lazily drawing shapes across your arm with his hand. "I think that might be the first time I've properly slept since my capture."

You smile. "Me too. I can't explain how good it feels to wake up next to you again."

He hums, rumbling low in his throat as he leans his head down to press his lips against yours languidly.

You feel the weight of the duvet dip slightly, and something light pads along your body. Pulling away from your husband and looking up, you find yourself face-to-face with Dubh, her eyes peering down at you curiously.

You chuckle, scratching her behind the ears. "And good morning to you too, Dubh."

She purrs lightly, sniffing Sirius curiously.

"So this is the cat," Sirius remarks, reaching out to pet her. "My replacement."

Dubh leans into his touch, eagerly looking for more attention off him. She settles between the two of you, curling up against your head, purring contentedly.

You yawn, stretching your legs out under the covers. "Time to get up, Sirius."

He groans, tugging you back as you start to sit up. "Not yet. Let's just stay here for a little longer."

You chuckle, wriggling free of his grip and sitting up. "Dumbledore said there'll be a meeting this evening...we need to get up and make sure the place is clean and tidy."

Sirius doesn't seem to register this, however. "Is that...?"

You look back at him in confusion. "What?"

He points at your back, running his hand down the soft skin. "It's a constellation. And here..." He touches the skin just below your right shoulder-blade, tapping it gently. "A paw print."

You smile. "My favourite constellation, and my favourite star."

He's quiet for a moment, eyes fixed on the tattoo as you slip from the bed, your legs shaking slightly.

"You alright? Are you hurt?" Sirius asks at once, worry clear in his voice. You chuckle light-heartedly, waving your hand dismissively.

"I'm fine, darling. It's just been a long time since I've done that."

You look around the room, eventually locating your bra and underwear that had been thrown carelessly on the floor the previous night.

The pair of you spend the day painstakingly cleaning the basement kitchen, ridding it of wayward doxies and dust bunnies. Dubh is delighted, instantly locating a mouse hole and catching the mouse for herself, dumping her prize at your feet in offering, before promptly eating it when you show no interest in it.

You discover that every portrait in the hall is impossible to remove, courtesy of your darling mother-in-law. The curtains have been closed over her portrait, but a number of times you've walked into the entrance hall to find the curtains pulled back and been hit with a cacophony of screams and screeches, all because Kreacher wanted to talk to his mistress. You've gotten better at forcing the curtains shut.

That evening, despite the aching pain in your back from working all day, you sit down at the table beside Sirius for the meeting, watching as different members of the Order of the Phoenix file into the room after you've just had to go shut Walburga Black up again after someone woke her up upon entering. You spy several familiar faces from the original Order: Mundungus Fletcher, Hestia Jones, Sturgis Podmore, Elphias Doge, Dedalus Diggle...and a few new members, too: Nymphadora Tonks, Kingsley Shacklebolt, Mr and Mrs Weasley, along with their two eldest sons, Bill and Charlie.

Remus takes a seat opposite you beside Tonks, whose hair is a bright blue today, and Moody takes a seat on your right, his wooden leg clunking on the floorboards.

You beam at him. "Glad to see you back, sir."

"Aye, it's been a while," he answers gruffly, shifting in his seat. His magical eye swivels in its socket, before fixing on the ceiling above and Moody grumbles angrily, bringing a hand up to the eye. "Damn it — it keeps sticking, ever since that scum wore it — "

With a nasty squelching, sucking sound, he pops out the eye and you grimace.

"Mad-Eye, you do know that's disgusting, don't you?" Tonks says conversationally.

"Get me a glass of water, would you?" Moody asks you, and you stand up from your chair, fetching a glass and filling it with water.

"Cheers," he says when you hand him the glass. He drops the magical eye into the water and prods it up and down with his finger. It spins erratically, looking at each person at the table in turn before Moody seems satisfied, scooping the eyeball out of the water and popping it back into his head.

Dumbledore then arrives, taking a seat at the head of the table, his presence immediately commanding the attention of the room. Chats and murmurs die down and all eyes turn to him.

"Good evening," Dumbledore says, his voice warm but serious. "Thank you all for coming on such short notice. We have much to discuss."

You glance around the table, spotting Snape sitting at the far end, eyeing Sirius scathingly. You look back at Sirius, only to see he's giving him an equally loathing glare back at him.

You sigh and nudge him, bringing your mouth to his ear. "Focus."

"First things first: Number 12, Grimmauld Place, London, will now be our new headquarters. I have placed all the necessary enchantments on the building to avoid detection," Dumbledore says, looking to Sirius. "Thank you for allowing us to use it, Sirius."

"Wasn't going to get much use otherwise," he replies, shrugging.

Dumbledore continues on. "The Ministry remains in denial, though it is not surprising. We must continue to gather intelligence and be prepared for any move he makes."

"What about Harry, Dumbledore? Is he safe?" Molly Weasley asks, her face lined with worry.

"Harry is well-guarded at the Dursleys, but we must remain vigilant. His safety is paramount, and we cannot afford to let our guard down," Dumbledore answers.

You drum your fingers on the table. "Surely it would make the most sense to bring him here with us, right? It would be the easiest way to keep an eye on him."

Dumbledore glances at you, shaking his head. "Harry is to remain with his aunt and uncle until further notice. It's where he is safest."

"But — "

"I understand your concern, but you must trust me on this," Dumbledore says firmly, giving you strong look.

You sigh, relenting. Sirius's hand finds your knee under the table and starts to draw soothing circles on it.

The meeting continues, strategies discussed and plans laid out for the future. Molly and Arthur Weasley plan to move to headquarters for the remainder of the summer with their kids by the end of the week, and you welcome the prospect of more life in this soulless house.

Once the meeting has finally drawn to a close, you sit and chat with Remus and Tonks.

"How's he been?" Remus asks quietly, glancing at Sirius out of the corner of his eye. Sirius is busy in the far corner of the room, talking in hushed voices with Dumbledore. A look of frustration passes over his face, and you can see him struggling to maintain his composure.

"Better," you say softly. "It's nice to finally be living under the same roof again but...this place isn't good for him." You sigh. "And his mother is driving us nuts — constantly screaming and shrieking."

"There's nothing you can do about her portrait?" Tonks says.

You shake your head. "She put a permanent sticking charm on it...haven't been able to find a way to remedy it yet."

"How pleasant," Remus remarks dryly and you chuckle bleakly, nodding.

"Will you ever go back to being an Auror?" Tonks says curiously. "I'm sure Mad-Eye would take you on in an instant."

You look over at Sirius, watching his brows furrow as Dumbledore says something to him.

"I never could," you admit. "Not after running away. Not after acting like such a coward."

Remus says your name sternly. "You are not a coward."

You sink your teeth into the soft flesh of your inner cheek, shaking your head. "I am a coward in every right, Remus, it's just the truth of the matter. But...if I had to do it all over again, I'd make the same choices. Teaching at Hogwarts has given me so much."

You stand up from the table, pushing your chair in with a yawn. Your eyes meet Sirius's across the room as Dumbledore dismisses him with a wave of his hand, walking away from him.

He says your name and you look up. "Thank you for your hospitality, professor."

You smile warmly back at him. "Of course."

Later, as you sit on the edge of your bed (well, Sirius's bed, technically) and pull off your socks, Sirius paces the room angrily.

"He really expects me to just sit here and do nothing? All fucking summer, stay in this stupid house and twiddle my thumbs," he murmurs. "While you and everyone else are out doing something helpful, I'm — I'm what? Sweeping the floor after Snivellus leaves half his greasy head hair here — "

"I know, love, I know," you say, pulling your shirt over your head.

"And after all this, we're not going to get to see Harry until further notice? After all he's been through, all we can do is send letters to him? And we can't even write anything specific?" He runs a hand through his hair, hissing in frustration. "After all Harry's been through, really, making him stay with those horrible Dursleys..."

"What can we do about it?" You say in exasperation. "What Dumbledore says goes, and you know he has a reason for everything — "

"Then why doesn't he tell us the reason? He loves keeping secrets, doesn't he, old Dumbledore?"

You sigh. "He certainly likes to be a man of mystery."

Sirius clicks his tongue crossly, mumbling something inaudible under his breath as he comes to sit on the edge of the bed beside you.

You rub his arm soothingly, leaning your head against his. "It's not all bad. When the Weasleys come to stay, you'll get to meet the twins, Fred and George. Oh, you'll love them, Sirius — always pulling pranks and telling jokes, they're hilarious. They remind me of you and James sometimes."

This, at least, seems to lift his mood slightly, and he gives you a small smile. "Really? So someone's still giving Filch trouble?"

You nod, grinning. "They keep him on his toes, alright."

⁠✧⁠*⁠。✧⁠*⁠。

You find you really enjoy having the Weasleys at the house. Mrs Weasley's cooking is divine and you enjoy the chats the two of you have when you help her. You tell her all about James and Lily, telling her the best stories from your school years involving them. Fred and George apparate all over the house, enchanting things that don't need to be enchanted now that they can do magic at home. They've nearly given you about seven heart attacks from popping up randomly right behind you when you're busy. And you were completely right — Sirius loves them. He tells them about pranks that he used to pull with the boys at school, much to Mrs Weasley's disapproval.

"Don't put any ideas in their heads, Sirius!"

Ron and Hermione are here too, and it's odd seeing them without Harry for once. Harry writes you and Sirius letters, each time begging for more information about Voldemort and what's going on and when he can see you again. You sigh as you read the latest one, handing it to Sirius for him to read.

"I wish Dumbledore would just let him come here," you say. "He'll be much happier here with everyone."

Every Order meeting is serious. Snape gives his report on what's happening on Voldemort's side, and often makes snide comments about Sirius being forced to stay in the house and out of trouble. After every meeting, without fail, Sirius comes to you to vent his frustrations about the man.

"Severus," you say as another meeting wraps up and everyone starts to depart from the room. He turns to look at you, his expression cold.

"Yes?"

You motion for him to step away from the others, and he follows you to the corner of the room where you lower your voice.

"Wormtail. You have to tell me what he's up to — "

"I have told you all I know," Snape says flatly.

"There has to be something, anything...Severus, I know I'm asking a lot of you," you say genuinely, eyes flicking to Sirius across the room. "But if Wormtail goes somewhere alone or something, you have to tell me, please. He's the only one that can prove Sirius's innocence."

Snape's eye twitches slightly, his nostrils flaring. You can tell that sticking his back out to prove the innocence of his old enemy does not sound appealing to him.

"The Dark Lord will not ignore the disappearance of his servant. He will know there is a spy."

"Then a find a way to do it without him finding out!" You hiss desperately. "Please, Severus. I know you dislike each other but...Sirius will never have a life again if Peter isn't brought to justice."

Snape's jaw tenses, but after a few moments he gives you the smallest semblance of a nod. "If the opportunity arises...I will see it through."

You can't help the smile that spreads your lips and you nod gratefully. "Thank you. I'll be forever in your debt."

He sweeps wordlessly from the room, leaving a small spark of hope in your heart.

Your duties to the Order consists of tailing known Death Eaters and taking on guard duty over the prophecy just like everyone else. You and Tonks have been tailing a Death Eater by the name of Thorfinn Rowle, watching his movements and engagements closely. After one such night of tailing, the two of you return to Grimmauld Place, exhausted and soaked to the skin by the torrential rain you got caught in.

"Bloody hell..." Tonks murmurs, shaking out her jacket as you make your way past Walburga's portrait. It's late and the basement kitchen is empty, save for Sirius who has patiently waited for your return.

"You stayed up?" You say, kissing his cheek as you pass by to turn the kettle on.

"Of course I did."

Tonks looks between the two of you, an awkward look passing her face. "S'pose I'll get going."

You shake your head, grabbing her hand and sitting her down in one of the nearby chairs. "Nonsense, Tonks, stay. We haven't got the chance to catch up yet!"

You give Sirius a 'get out of here' look and he sighs, standing up from his chair. "So cruel."

You smile sweetly at him as he approaches. "I'll be up later."

He nods, yawning. "I know." He kisses you goodnight before leaving.

Once he's left, you give Tonks a sly look and she looks back at you in confusion as you sit down, sliding a cup of tea across the table to her.

"So, Tonks...are you gonna tell me what's going on between you and Remus?"

She nearly chokes on her drink, shaking her head vehemently. "What? Remus? Me? There's nothing going on."

You raise your eyebrows, unbelieving. "Sure..."

"I — I really don't know what you're implying," she says quickly, smiling awkwardly. "Really, Remus and I are just friends, I respect him as a colleague and a man — "

"I'm not going to snitch on you, y'know." You give her a smile. "That's why I had to get rid of Sirius — he'd tell Remus in an instant. Come on, it's pretty obvious to me. He likes you."

"What? No, come on, be serious," Tonks says. "I mean — we're not kids. He doesn't like me."

"Yeah he does!" You insist, giggling. "You two are cute, honestly. You should see the way he lights up when someone mentions you. He's got it bad."

Tonks' cheeks grow increasingly crimson as she continues to deny. "You're only having a bit of fun with me now."

"I'm not, honest!" You continue. "Seriously, Tonks, it's pretty obvious. I'm surprised you haven't noticed it yet."

She shakes her head, laughing and muttering something under her breath in denial.

"But the real question is...do you feel the same way about him?"

She doesn't answer you for a moment. "Well, like, it's Remus — he's great and he's a good person and I don't know, maybe?" She sighs, wringing her hands. "I...I think he's afraid to flirt with me. We could be laughing and joking one minute and then I'll say something further and he'll just...shut off."

You shake your head in disappointment. "I'm going to be very honest with you — that sounds exactly like him. Once you reciprocate he starts to freak out."

"But how do you know that's not just him being disinterested?"

"Because I know Remus," you answer simply. "He shuts himself away because he thinks being a werewolf renders him undateable. I think you just need to show him that you're not afraid of that side of him, that it doesn't bother you whatsoever, that you're there for him."

She nods thoughtfully. "Yeah, you're right..."

You beam, feeling excited. "Oh, it's been so long since I've played matchmaker! I forgot how good it feels."

Tonks laughs. "You've given this speech to other people before?"

You shrug. "Mostly just James and Lily, honestly. Lily hated the man for half her school years! You don't want to know the amount of work I put into getting them together."

⁠✧⁠*⁠。✧⁠*⁠。

->-> read chapter twenty-six here!

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