#and you gotta unlock the door at the end of it in order to progress through the level.

[postmakerkiwi]

🌅 Lush Idol Springs - Arboreal Hall 🗿

With leaves above you and walls to the sides, this long but squat passageway provides a strange sense of coziness as the sounds of trees, insects, and nearby breezes envelop you...

photo by CatbatQuartet

[mashimarshmello]

Shoot My Shot

Pairings: crush!jeongwoo x reader

warnings: kissing, partying but no mentions of alcohol, a mix of highschool!au and coffee shop!au, danielle from newjeans is your best friend

word count: 2.3k

a/n: hellooo! i hope i did okay for my one of my first requests. i tried my best to make it line up with the scenario so pls enjoy!

"one hot chocolate for jeongwoo." you sat the coffee down on the table. you've always seen jeongwoo around school and you couldn't help but look at him every time he was around. he had such a nice smile every time he greeted you in the hallway.

since he played basketball, you would go to the games with your friend, danielle, when you didn't have to work. he was also nice to everyone, unlike some of the others guys on the basketball team. he would come to the coffee shop from time to time so he knew you for always making his order just the way he likes it.

"thanks, y/n." he says as he takes a sip of his drink. you smile and walk away. you take a glimpse of the shop to see that it isn't very busy, so you see this as an opportunity to make small talk with your crush. you walk back over and he looks up at you.

"hey, i was wondering when's the next game?" you asked knowing that there was one later that night.

"there's actually one tonight."

"oh really, who are you going up against?"

"jyp high."

you raised your eyebrows. "jyp high? aren't they like your main competition?" you air quote and he nods his head.

"yes but if we win, the team is going to throw this huge party."

and that's when it hits you. if they win, you have a chance to see jeongwoo outside of school and the coffee shop. you have a chance to show off and make an impression. jeongwoo's phone dings as he gets a notification from his coach. "i gotta go. practice is starting soon." he grabs his bag and heads out the door.

"okay, well good luck." you walk back feeling like you've made progress. after a couple hours, your shift ends and you call danielle and tell her that your on your way to pick her up. you're excited to tell her you finally initiated a conversation all by yourself with him. you made your way to your friends house to text her that you're waiting outside for her. she runs to your car and yells, "are you ready for the biggest game of the year?!"

you laugh while unlocking the door for your friend. “alright now, get in.”

"ooouuu somebody seems to be in a good mood." danielle sings, hopping into your car and you start the ignition.

"a little bit." you giggle. "i may or may not have talked to a certain someone at work." danielle grabs your arm while your driving off.

"oh my god, shut up." she smiles big. "tell me what happened! i wanna know!" her excitement bursts out of her. if you could count on anyone, it was definitely danielle. she was your number one supporter no matter what. you told her exactly what happened and she gives you a round of applause, making you laugh again.

"oh my god, babes, do you know what this means?" your friend anticipates.

"that i get to see my crush outside of school and work. yeah, i already ran that through my head." you accidentally sigh out.

"hey, don't be nervous. i'll be right beside you." she grabs your hand and holds it with both or hers.

"thanks, danielle. i don't know what i would do without you."

"probably make a fool out of yourself." she laughs, making you roll your eyes.

a few minutes later, you two finally made it to the game and bought your way in. danielle always likes sitting closest to the court, so you made your way down the bleachers right before the game starts. jeongwoo catches a glimpse of you in the front row. you may have been to the basketball games before but this is the first time he's seen you at one.

the game goes on, and throughout the game, both teams were neck and neck. your eyes kept batting from the court to the clock, hoping that jyp high loses just this once. it's the last 5 seconds and jeongwoo takes the ball. he doesn't have much time as the clock is ticking. he made his decision to shoot the ball from the half court and everyone gasps behind you. the buzzer beeps as jeongwoo's shot unexpectedly makes it, making the crowd yell and hop out of their seats.

you and danielle cheer loudly until the excitement dials down. "we need to go so i can change my outfit!"

"what are we waiting for? let's go!" danielle grabs your hand and leads the way until you get to the parking lot. danielle starts walking backwards as she's face to face with you.

"okay, so what look are we going for? cute? alternative? sexy??" she dances in tiny, turning back around to grab your arm.

"i don't know. what do you think will look best on me?" you pucker your lips as you go deep in thought. then a lightbulb pops in your dear friend's head.

"i got it! you can wear that hot outfit you wore once to your aunt's party a few months ago. that way you'll stand out and jeongwoo will definitely notice you."

you cover her mouth and shush her. since you two were outside in the lot, anyone could've heard her if they were close enough.

"don't tell the whole world my crush, danielle." you whisper loudly. she puts her hands up in defense and starts speed walking to your car. little did you know jeongwoo was close enough to hear that whole conversation. he was just in the car next to yours. when he found out, he was shocked. jeongwoo honestly didn't know how to feel about it, so in that moment he brushed it off as he went and got ready for the party.

it's 10:00 on a friday night and almost everyone who was at the game was already at that party. you and danielle make your way to the doorstep before opening the door, hearing music blast from the other side.

"wait, danielle, before i go in, how do i look?" you straightened up your outfit preventing any wrinkles.

"babes, you look perfect." she smiles as you shy away from her compliment. "jeongwoo won’t be able to take his eyes off you when he sees you. just make sure you don't give him every bit of your attention. play it cool and keep it cool, okay?" you take a breath and nod before she opens to door.

this is not danielle’s first party like this, but you on the other hand have your eyes going everywhere admiring how the party looks. the huge eight foot speakers in the living room, the flashing lights from inside and outside the house, and the random glow in the dark objects around the room has you feeling good. great even as a matter of fact.

your friend grabs your hand and takes you to the dance floor as 'ok!' from nct u is playing. you decided to let loose and start feeling the music, forgetting the main reason you're there. jeongwoo is talking to one of his teammates as he catches a glimpse of danielle on the floor. "is that danielle?" his friend asks in curiosity.

jeongwoo turns his head seeing danielle and then double takes as he sees you on the dance floor. he almost didn't recognize you.

"who's that dancing next to her?" he asks. "that's...that's y/n." jeongwoo stares off. he can't take his eyes off you. a smirk grows on his face without even realizing.

he turns back to his teammate to find that he's out of sight. he looks around to find him but his eyes fall back on you. he looked away a couple times to not seem like he was creeping. that is until he lost sight of you, and part of him wanted to find you and talk to you.

in that moment, you lost danielle and you could only look for so long in a crowded area. you gave up and went upstairs to find the bathroom. the place was big enough to get lost, so after you used the bathroom, you went into a random room to relax for a little bit.

for the first time since you stepped into the house, you thought about him, your crush. you wonder how the night got away from you, hoping you didn't mess up your plan to catch his eye. then you hear a subtle knock on the door. you look over to see who it was.

"oh hi." you say as calm as possible. coincidentally, the knock was from jeongwoo. you stand up, signaling him that it was okay to come in.

"hey." he walks in only at the front of the entrance. "i didn't know you were a party person."

"i thought i'd give it a chance." you laugh nervously. jeongwoo smiles, looking down at his shoes.

"you look really great tonight, y/n." he says looking back up to meet your eyes. this time you look down at your shoes. your face starts heating up from his compliment. "thank you." you mumble, he barely heard you as the blasting music is vibrating from upstairs.

"sooo..." you elongate, slightly rocking back and forth on the heels of your feet.

"sooo..." he elongates as well, rubbing the back of his neck. the tension between you two was starting to grow. standing across from each other and hardly making any eye contact was making you anxious.

you suddenly start laughing, making the boy across from you confused. you cup your face and shake your head. "this is so awkward."

"i'm sorry, i didn't mean to make you feel awkward." he worries. "maybe i should just- i should go." he starts waking away. "wait, don't go." you grab his arm and pull him back. you look up to see jeongwoo close to your face.

"you have really pretty eyes." you say as if your in a trance. "so do you." he looks back and forth at your eyes and lips.

you close your eyes as you slowly lean into him. but both of you end up backing away and you clear your throat as danielle walks in...just your luck.

"y/n, there you are! i think i might've lost my phone." she gives you a wincing look. that moment between you and jeongwoo was ruined and you couldn't help but feel upset. you throw on a fake smile and walk towards danielle.

"okay, let's go look for it." you walk out the room, leaving jeongwoo alone and uncertain.

after you found your friends phone, you told her that you were ready to go. she immediately walked you to your car as she saw the sad look on your face. the ride was quiet and danielle started to worry.

"hey, you okay? did something happen between you and jeongwoo?" she asked sincerely. you sigh, it's not like danielle did it on purpose. you blamed it on yourself for not making a move fast enough.

"no, nothing happened. i don't wanna talk about it." you brushed off. danielle grabs your hand and holds it tight for the rest of the ride.

a week has past and you haven't heard from jeongwoo since the party. he doesn't greet you in the hallways anymore and when you see him looking at you, he looks away. you haven't seen him at the coffee shop either. it's like the two of you were avoiding each other and you didn't understand why.

one day at the coffee shop, you clean off the tables as you hear the bell ring from the open door. "sorry, we're closed." you say, too focused on cleaning so you can go home.

"any chance we can talk?" a familiar voice rings through your ears. you look up and see the pretty boy standing on the doormat.

"jeongwoo?" your eyes widen. "what are you doing here?" he walks towards you slowly.

"i want to apologize for avoiding you the past few days. i didn't know how to approach you since that day at the party when..you know."

you press your lips together, losing eye contact with him. "i'm sorry, too." you say. "it takes effort for both of us to avoid each other."

the tension eases but you feel the awkwardness between you two again. . "maybe we can just start over?" you speak up again, shrugging your shoulders.

"actually, i was wondering..." jeongwoo steps closer to you, his face only inches away from yours. your face starts heating up.

"...if we can pick up where we left off?" he finishes. you try and hide the smile that's growing from your face.

"okay." you slightly nod. he raises his hands to hold your face and presses a soft kiss on your lips. the moment hits you and you smile into the kiss before pulling away.

"does this mean you're my boyfriend now?" you gently smile, chuckling at the boy.

“that’s what you wanted, right?” he smirks. your eyes grow wide, slightly baffled at his remark.

“you knew?” you stand there shocked. jeongwoo nods slowly. “yeah, i heard you and danielle outside after the game.”

“oh my god, you weren’t supposed to hear that. no one was supposed to, actually.” you nervously chuckle. you hide your face with your hands.

“maybe I wouldn’t be in this place if I didn’t.” he shrugs. him saying that made you feel a little better about it. you grab his hand and intertwine it with yours.

"well, i guess since your my boyfriend now, you have to walk me home." jeongwoo laughs and you both head out of the cafe.

after all that happened, you don't regret it because you ended up with the guy you liked. and to you, the timing couldn't have been better.

[genshin-impact-fics]

Streamer!Genshin Reacting to Character!(Y/N) Dying in Game

!Warning!: Major character deaths & angst

Characters: Diluc, Venti, Childe, & Zhongli

Diluc:

It was a race to get inside one of the bases of the Abyss Order to put a stop to whatever plans they were in the process of executing that could potentially put many lives in danger. Diluc was rather calm while playing though it would be a lie to say that it wasn’t a bit annoying that the route to the domain was timed

It was once inside the domain did things pick up fast as it seemed to be a fighting wave system which after beating the first two rooms there was a short scene where in the end Lisa and Amber stayed behind to hold off the incoming enemies so the rest of the group could go further. It seemed like forever doing some of the puzzles to unlock the doors to reach the next fight

In that fourth room after the defeat of hilichurls and abyss mages did suddenly a short cut scene appear to show the appearance of an Abyss Lector. As remembering how much he hated fighting this guy in the spiral abyss he already knew what he was in for; however that was until your character stepped forward with your weapon ready. Diluc was actually sad to have to leave you behind as he was hoping that you’d be one of the characters that went with him to the very end

“I think I’ve watched enough shows and movies to know what this could be leading up to.” He’d comment to his viewers as he finally reached the destination where the Abyss Herald was. Finishing the fight triggered another cutscene as the traveler’s sibling appeared and was making their small speech, asking if the lives of the “friends” the traveler made were worth losing

Diluc is watching with a straight face as he kinda expected this but the who was what he wasn’t sure about and truthfully the only one he’d be truly heartbroken about is your death, but they wouldn’t kill you now of all times right? Wrong; soon the cutscene finally came across where they had left you and you were leaning against the wall extremely injured with your weapon laying beside you. Diluc is frowning cuz he has to watch you die now

Listening to your final words as you spoke to no one Diluc would sulk in his chair a little. In the last moment before your eyes closed, if you mentioned something about not getting to tell his character your true feelings it is visible that Diluc looks like he wants to cry(but he doesn't). Once the screen showed the mission complete he’d grab the plush he had of your character and hold it looking at his camera. “Of all the characters I thought were going to die, I wasn’t ready for it to be (y/n).” At that point he’d probably call it a day from there but he’d still talk to his viewers as he probably would watch the tribute videos that fans had already made

Venti:

Everything was in chaos as it looked like archon war 2 was going to be taking place, but this time it was a war between the Abyss Order and the Archons. He was heading to Mondstadt to help and to check on you. Dvalin was flying around sending attacks at the abyss members. “Ah traveler there you are!” The sound of your voice as you landed before him; as weird as it was to see you in your archon robes was odd but you looked so good! After a short conversation you had gone flying off and it was time to get back to fighting

Things were looking good as it seemed like they were winning against the abyss order though it wasn’t over yet. It was until up in the air did a cutscene starting showing you and the traveler’s sibling fighting going at it. Venti is so captivated by how serious and cool you look fighting, but it all changed when the sibling landed a blow that caused you to fall from the sky ending up falling into the Whispering Woods

Venti couldn’t run fast enough to get to the woods to check up on you but when he did the first thing he saw was the sibling standing before you. He’s already sad and yelling at the sibling for hurting you though it seemed that now he was there the sibling went and disappeared revealing the real condition you were in. “No, no, no! This better not mean (y/n)’s dying.” He’d say in denial as he’s already starting to cry a little

“A-Ah Windblume h-haha… Sorry you have to see me like this.” Even in a moment like this you gave him such a cheesy grin until you seemed to grimace in pain. “Unfortunately it seems like… This is it for me. As long as the winds blow I will always be with you, so please watch over Mondstadt for me.” Your words were making Venti cry as it was like back in your story quest but only ten times worse. And to think it was already painful as it was your next words that did him in. “Maybe in another life we will find each other again and maybe then we can be together.”

Watching you start to glow until you turned into partials of light till nothing of you was left, Venti is devastated. The chat is crying with him as he’s saying how awful it was that his sibling had killed the love of his life! His viewers are going to send him fanart and fics to look at that was an alternative that you lived in the game

Childe:

It was a big fight with the confrontation of the Fatui Harbingers, facing off against one of the other stronger members that blocked the path to proceed to seeing the Tsaritsa. The boss’ first stage was fine; however during the second stage it seemed after losing a certain amount of health the damage that Childe was dealing significantly decreased.

It was when the cutscene started that Childe was already dreading the foul legacy form he’d be facing this time. You suddenly came out of nowhere and already in your foul legacy form yourself Childe is going crazy over how cool you look; he’s also swooning at the fact that you’ve come to his rescue. The fighting progressed until you landed a successful hit that weakened the other harbinger; however, at that same time the other harbinger managed to hit you with a powerful attack

Childe is screaming at the sight of your mask breaking while you fell to the ground. He’s so glad that his character is running over to check on you instead of the fight picking right up, but he’s already feeling the feels hit him hard cuz he hates seeing you hurt. Seeing you back to normal, the damage you sustained was really bad; then the worst thought came to his mind. “This-This better not be what I think it is,” he’s saying not looking away from the screen listening to you weakly talk

“Haha don’t give me that look sweetie, I couldn’t just let this be where your journey ends.” Hearing those words and the nickname you used for his character was sad. “To think we’d be able to travel together more, but hey… Promise you won’t stop fighting and could you look after my siblings for me.” Childe is literally crying now that the reality of the situation is clear. If he gets a choice of dialog to choose from he is going to pick the choice that says that he pinky promises

If your character smiled at the choice he wanted to smile but he’s also just sad, you were dying in his character's arms. If you had given a small love confession in the little bit of life that was in you, he’s going to ugly sob and once the fight was starting again he needs to pause by going into his bag

Immediately he goes getting his big plush of you and coming back to hug it and cleaning his tears with his sleeve before looking at the camera. “I wasn’t ready for this, my baby!” He was not expecting to be losing you; he figured that some characters would possibly die but you were the last character he thought would be killed off in the game. There’s Fs in the chat all around and the crying emote; it’s sad boi hours in this chili’s. He doesn't wanna do the fight but also he gotta avenge you so this last stage fight was for you. Afterwards he’s gonna go look at fanart and video edits

Zhongli:

After helping some of the other nations and their archon’s fend off the abyss order it was time he headed to Liyue to find you. Of course as usual it wasn’t going to be as easy as running around the harbor until he got word from Xiao that you were in Cuijue Slope. So he headed over to help you before anything seriously bad could happen to you

Getting to the open area there you were fighting against the sibling as you were even in your archon robes. Going in and interrupting the fight his sibling clearly looked annoyed and proceeded to try to get him to side with them which of course he didn’t. A Herald appeared to allow the sibling to get away which the fight with the Herald commenced

Just when Zhongli finished up the fight thinking he had won it strangely went to a cutscene as his character and you started to talk; however it was when the fallen Herald came out of nowhere about to attack his character but must to his surprise you shielded him not only taking the hit, but also using your elemental burst to finish off the enemy. Zhongli is frowning at how badly you were hurt as he already has a bad feeling this wasn’t going to end good; the traveler was helping you sit up after having fallen over

“I’m glad to see that you aren’t hurt my friend.” You said as you certainly have seen better days. “Sadly I believe my time has come… Do not be sad dear friend, I have lived many many years… As knowing you has been life changing. Though rocks change from erosion, know that no time will change how I felt about you.” Your words broke his heart as you had such a soft expression on your face as your body began to glow and before he knew it you turned into particles of light and disappeared. He probably wouldn’t cry at most maybe a tear but he is clearly upset about your passing in game and would take a break to talk to his viewers and maybe look at the fanart that surprisingly had been put out already

[wiypt-writes]

Consciousness Of Guilt

Chapter 1

Summary: It’s a year since Ransom was murdered, and you’re settling well into your new life in Boulder. It hasn’t just provided you with a fresh start-it’s brought you a new sense and purpose, an appreciation for the things you took fore grated, and the friendship of a former ADA…

Warnings: Bad Language, allusions to past abuse (Non Con/Dub Con) but nothing explicitly described in this chapter.

Disclaimer: This is a pure work of fiction and classified as 18+. Please respect this and do not read if you are underage. I do not own any characters in this series bar the reader and any other OCs. By reading beyond this point you understand and accept the terms of this disclaimer.

W/C: 5k

Consciousness Of Guilt Masterlist // Main Masterlist

A/N- So, here it is! The sequel to Murder, He Wrote . This is the last time I’ll post this note, however, please be aware that the prequel is a Dark series. Whilst this is not, it will contain flashbacks and themes as we progress, however nothing will be as dark as MHW. Chapters will be clearly labelled with appropriate warnings. If anyone is uncomfortable with the themes of a certain chapter, I will be more than happy to post/provide abridged versions which will not deviate from the storyline.

Sunrise. You used to hate the coming of each day. It meant another monotonous day in your young adult life. A 'depends on the day' type of job at the paper in which you got your start, it meant earning little for the slave work you put into each piece or research. It meant another day you'd woken up in fear, not knowing what was coming next. Then, for a little while, sunrises were okay. They were a soft glow across the room, illuminating hard lines and soft curves, whispering words and lingering kisses. And then, they became fearful again, bringing the unpredictable nature of a life in which you were trapped.

But now, over the last few months, since taking up your new hobby, sunrise had become a beautiful thing. The feeling of peace and comfort washing over you like a warm rain, bringing the redeeming nature of a new day as vibrant watercolours paint the new-born sky. Whether you caught it from the East side of your condo; your master balcony and study or your garden, or even your hikes, you appreciated every, single sunrise as if you were seeing it for the first time ever, each and every day.

For this morning's sunrise, you were perched along Boulder Creek Path, a trail that runs from the foothills to across town, a typical recreational getaway for many locals and tourists. You looked out over the bridge as the creek flowed beneath your feet. You were lost in the serenity of it, the bubbling water lulling your mind into a deep mediation that washed peacefulness through your entire body.

A year ago today, your life changed and you were freed. Free of the nightmare that had plagued you, robbing you of nearly a year of your life. The months that followed weren't so easy, but once things settled and the fires were extinguished, you found peace.

You found you.

Your phone buzzing in your pocket brought you back from your reverie, pressing your thumb onto the screen to unlock it. You opened your messages tab and tapped the most recent incoming text.

A smile flicked on your face as you slipped your phone back in your pocket. It didn’t escape your knowledge how Andy didn’t need to even ask what coffee you wanted. But then again, this wasn’t the first time you’d had breakfast in the small, independent coffee place not far from your home and place of work. You knew when you arrived that a large caramel vanilla latte, with an extra shot would be waiting. But no food, your order varied depending on your mood.

Twenty minutes or so later, you parked your sting-grey Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT 4x4 back in your garage to your condo at the corner of 9th and Pine Street and set off on the short ten minute walk to your designated meeting place, centred near the town square, not far from your office which was a gorgeous old red-brick building on the corner of 16th and Walnut Street.

As you approached, you didn’t spot Andy’s black Audi TT in any of the spaces littered around but it didn’t bother you. Barber was reliable, if he said he was going to be there, he’d be there.

And sure enough, as you walked along the side of the cafe you, spotted him at your usual, preferred table by the large window, overlooking the street. He saw you approaching and smiled, giving a small wave.

The smell of roast coffee beans, baked treats and other delicious aromas hit your senses as you opened the door. You approached the table and Andy stood up to great you, smiling. A light grey tee sat exposed under a partially zipped up light weight blue leathered hoodie whilst dark and crisp denim covered his narrow hips and long legs, his go to well-worn black work boots on his feet. His hair was styled and soft looking, his beard always trimmed and neat. He gave you a strong, yet gentle hug, a juxtaposition he managed effortlessly before he turned and waited for you to sit first before he took up his previous seat, nodding to your waiting drink.

“Thank you.” You beamed at him, taking a quick sip. "Of course." He smiled as he took a drink of his own coffee, straight black, before he leaned back a little. His left arm rested over the back of the booth bench, the platinum of his wedding ring catching the early morning sun which streamed through the window. You momentarily glanced at your own hand, bare of the heavy rings which had been taken in the ‘mugging’. Mind you, you wouldn’t be wearing them even if you still had them. Your story was a lot different to his.

“So, where'd you go this morning?" his soft baritone drifted across the table and you glanced back at him. "Fiddled around down Boulder Creek Path." "You seem to be getting around better now." "Yeah, thank God for GPS. Did I tell you that last week I was looking for some store Amber vaguely told me where about it was and ending up like thirty minutes down the highway towards Denver." He laughed, his whole body smiling, radiating genuine amusement. "You have more faith in GPS than me, when I first moved here I got pulled over for going the wrong way down a one way street because it told me to.” You grinned as he shook his head. "And that annoying voice! I want to wring her damn neck." You gave a chuckle but before you could reply, the middle-aged woman, who owned the café, interrupted you both with her usual familiar greeting and the smile she reserved for Andy. “Hey Patti, how are ya?” He smiled back. “Same old, same old.” She winked back. “What can I get you kids today?” “Y/N?” Andy looked at you and you smiled. “Can I get an almond croissant and a granola pot, please? With the blueberry compote.” “Sure honey, and for you Mr Barber?”

“French toast please, all the trimmings.”

A fizzing filled your ears as you were suddenly back on a clinically clean, modern kitchen, nervously scouring a fridge and cupboards for something to make your captor breakfast with. You swallowed, taking a deep breath, counting backwards from five as you always did to keep the memory from swallowing you.

“Hey,” a gentle touch to your hand jolted you back and you looked at Andy who frowned. “You okay?” "Yeah, no, I mean yes, I'm okay. It just…it dawned me this morning that this was the best thing I could have done for myself. Like there's just a newfound peace that's settled with me, you know?" He just smiled as he squeezed your hand before slipping his away. “Yeah, I do.” No more was said about it, and Andy didn’t press. He never did. In the eight weeks or so that had passed since you’d met him that Friday evening in the bar, the pair of you had struck up a friendship that was based on a mutual understanding. You both carried a heavy burden of a traumatic past on your shoulders, but you had an unspoken rule. He had never mentioned Ransom. And you, in turn, never broached the subject of Laurie or Jacob. You understood you were both moving on with your life, both wanting to heal from the past and you wanted to spend the rest of your life never in fear again. Instead, a simple chatter always flowed between the two of you, and today was no exception. You barely stopped to thank Patti for dropping your order off at the table. Current work was never a topic of conversation, although office gossip featured on occasion, but mostly it was always about happenings around town, him asking about you, your parents and your old job, the two of you talking about your favourite places in Boston. You never missed certain facial and eye cues Andy gave off at the mention of certain things, but when you saw them, that sag in his smile or the far off look his eyes would give, you'd change the subject. You ate in comfortable companionship and after another coffee, Andy asked for the bill and then pulled out his card to pay. "Next one is on me, you paid for the last two and coffee all this week." You gave him a stern look as you headed towards the exit. “Well, if you wanted you could grab us a beer later.” He shrugged, pulling the door handle to open it, allowing you to step out before him. “I gotta nip into the office for a coupla hours but...” "Breakfast AND drinks?" You smiled as he fell into step beside you. The July day was starting to warm a little now, the slight chill of the early morning all but gone. “If I didn't know any better, I'd say you actually like hanging out with me." “Well, I wouldn’t go that far. I just find you slightly less irritating than everything and everyone else.” He teased and you laughed. “So... Happy hour?" "Yeah." You nodded “It's a date." Andy confirmed and you quirked your eyebrow, trying not to laugh at the look on his face as he realised what he had said. “A date?” “Well, I don’t mean a date date but...” You felt the heat in your neck a little, so to save your embarrassment and his blushes, you smiled, "it's a date-not-date. Say Oskar’s, 6:30?" "Oskar’s." He confirmed. "I'll save you a tall, cold one." “You’re an angel, you know that?” "I wouldn't go that far. My halo is held up by horns” “Even Prometheus was an angel at some point, Y/N.” He replied as you reached the corner of the street where you would part. Him towards the office, you back home. You rolled your eyes and shook your head. "I'll see you tonight." At that he gave you another quick hug, his hand rubbing your back over the top of your light jacket before you headed your separate ways.

You enjoyed the walk home. It gave you the perfect chance to just mellow out and walk off a bit of your breakfast. You tucked your hands into the pockets for your vest, your white thermal keeping your arms covered. You headed down Pearl Street, watching as the little shops and boutiques began to set up their patios and side walk spaces for their Saturday. You took in the clean fresh mountain air deep into your lungs and allowed a warm smile to cross your lips. 

From Pearl to 9th you went, hooking a right up 9th until you walked to the corner of Pine, and onto the porch of the nice and spacious condo you closed escrow on just weeks ago. 

That deep feeling of home greeted you as you stepped inside, wiping your boots on your door mat just before kicking them off and setting them by the back door you’d come through. The cream walls invited you in, the oak furniture and fixtures, a feature that reminded you of home, the decor you grew up with, a safe place. 

You'd bought the condo outright with the money you'd inherited from Ransom's untimely death and subsequent estate. You knew before you'd even stepped foot into the property initially, that it'd become yours. The week you closed escrow, you and your parents moved you into the three bedroom, three and a half bath condo, never looking back. 

The open floor plan and panoramic views had stolen your breath and it was then, the first night your parents had left you alone, too anxious to sleep alone, you had fallen in love with the sunrise, seeing it from your front garden patio, bundled up with tea and a wool blanket. All three rooms in the space had no adjoining walls and their own en-suites. The master bedroom, your room, was massive. An en-suite with walk in shower, soaking tub and Jack and Jill sinks. Two walk in closets that you knew you'd probably never fill completely, an Eastwardly view and balcony. The two spare rooms, were separated, one on the second floor down the hall from yours where it's balcony looked West, as it were above the garage and the third on the top and final floor with its own balcony. That was your office space, a spot for you to work and to breathe in the fresh air. 

Everything in that condo was yours, down to the logs you'd put in your fireplace and the silly little amenities you'd given yourself from knickknacks to the colour of your dishes. There was one space however you left untouched. And only your parents had been inside to pack away your unused things as storage space. That room was your basement. You didn't need to go down there, you figured if you needed something from there, you'd go buy it anyway. All that was truly stored down there anyway were things from your childhood your mother insisted on you bringing along.

As if her ears were burning, your phone buzzed from your back pocket, revealing your mother calling. 

"Hey, Mom." You answered. 

"Hi, honey. I was just calling to see how you were doing. Check in on you." You could hear the worry in her voice and you couldn't help but smile. 

"I'm really good, Mom. It’s been good here." "You still hiking every day?" She sounded hopeful now.  "Lately it's just been on the weekends. I've been really busy at work, which isn't exactly a bad thing either." You had made your way to your room, looking for some lounge pants to change into while you continued your conversation.  "Well, busy is a blessing. Do you have anything planned for today or...."  "Uh, well I just had breakfast with a friend from work who I'm also meeting for drinks later." You smirked at the thought.  There was a joyful sigh that poured into your ear from the ear piece, "Oh, this friend wouldn’t happen to be the mysterious Andy you’ve name dropped the last few calls would it?"  You hesitated, "y..ye...yeah." Then you heard the tell-tale sound of your mother's chuckle. “We’re just friends.” "I'm not saying anything." You could picture her with her hands held up in defence. "You sound happy." “I am. I feel okay, more than okay even. I’m good.” "Alright. Well, don’t waste your day. Enjoy it. Your dad and I will talk soon." “Yeah, listen Mom, why don’t you come over for a few days in a couple of weeks? You’ve not been since the week you came to help me move in. It would be nice to show you round now I’ve got my bearings.” "We would love that. I'll have your father look at booking some time." “Okay just let me know. Tell Daddy I said hi.” "I will, sweetie. Love you, bye.” "I love you too, Mom, bye." The seventeenth of July, a date that you hope one day will come to mean nothing and be like any other day. But for now, it was a sting that reminded you of all that had happened. Not unlike Halloween, a day in which you'll forever hold in a fearful anxious place in your soul. It served as a reminder of the moment your life had taken a very dark turn, a darkness that you were still, in a lot of ways, finding your way through. Ransom. His name still tasted sour on your tongue. But left a sadness over your heart like a sheer curtain. You had truly hoped he wasn't going to revert back to the beast that held you captive. But you were wrong, and post the revelation of the real reason he had taken you, he’d been far more brutal and cruel than he had with you before, something you’d thought was impossible. And he’d broken you for a second time, or so you’d let him think. Desperate to escape his clutches, you’d done the only thing you could- you’d killed him. Whilst you may not have held the knife, you’d arranged it all. And, even though it had been an absolute last resort, you’d be lying if you said there hadn’t been a satisfaction to watching him bleed out and choke on his own blood. The realisation that had clouded his arrogantly handsome features as he came to understand it was your doing would be forever etched into your brain. That said, it made you feel a little bit queasy when you thought about how taking someone’s life could make you feel a sick sense of pleasure. The nightmares had plagued you for months after. The torture which sleep brought you only ceased around the time things were settled within the system between you and his parents. With a deep sigh and the need for distraction, you set about some spot cleaning in between loads of laundry and by early afternoon you had settled in on your couch with a beer and your latest box set binge. Not two episodes in and your phone pinged next to you.

With a smirk, you snapped a photo of your beer bottle in your hand and a few moments later his response came through.

The angel made you laugh, a direct reference to his teasing before. But before you could reply, you got another text with simply saying “fuck it” along with a picture of a tumblr of whiskey on his desk. With a snort you replied

With a smile you tossed your phone down onto the seat beside you, and resumed your watching.

***** Andy was kidding when he playfully said he'd be there by 6:45, fully intending on their agreed upon 6:30. But, he was late. He'd been so involved with his brief that he'd lost track, and for the first time since meeting her, was late for a meet up with Y/N. She was fully understanding as he'd text her apologizing for the time as he'd rushed out of the office and quickly headed for Pearl Street. He'd gotten very lucky with close parking and literally stepped inside Oskar's Taproom promptly at 6:45. He found Y/N sitting at the bar, her hair down, a nicely fitted black tee and skinny denim jeans, her foot tapping against her bar stool in waiting. Next to her was an empty stool and a full, cold looking tall pilsner on the bar, saving his space.

"Hey," he said as he leaned into her, a gentle hand on her back, getting her attention.

Y/N startled a bit but realized it was Andy and grinned, "'bout time! I was going to get started on yours without you." She nodded to the cold beer.  “I’m so sorry.” He shook his head, “I just got caught up.” "Well, you haven't stood me up yet, so I trusted you'd show." “And I did tell you 6:45 before. You know, on account of you being a cheeky little shit.” She rolled her eyes at him, "whatever." She smirked. He slid onto the stool next to her and took a long pull of his beer, damned it tasted good. He gave an appreciative sigh and turned to her. “So, do anything much this afternoon?” "I did absolutely nothing, well nothing of importance. Talked to my mom, did laundry, you know nothing exciting." “To be honest, sounds like a pretty good afternoon.” He chuckled. “Sometimes there’s nothing better than laying in front of the TV with no where you have to be.” "Cheers to that," she raised her glass to him. He clinked his with hers and returned the smile she had. The blues band that was set to play happy hour was starting to tune up and it gave Andy an idea. "What do you say we find a spot in the patio, little less noise." “Sounds good.” She nodded. Andy flagged the bartender down for another round to take with them. But before Y/N could pick up her glass, Andy took it for her and gestured with her head for her to go on in front. She looked a little surprised at his act of basic good manners, and not for the first time. He'd often seen her look at him in a similar way when he held doors open for her or helped her with her jacket. It made him wonder what kind of asshole Drysdale had been. But, then again, he got the impression it hadn’t been a particularly happy relationship to start. Not that it was any of his business, nor was he one to talk. The last seven months he’d been married to Laurie had been as strained as they'd ever got. They found a spot at a two top near the corner of the patio at the gate that separated it from the sidewalk. Andy waited for Y/N to sit before he set their glasses on the high top table and took his own seat. "So...much better," he leaned in across the table. "Love this place, but it's not always the best for conversation." “Yeah but it has a good atmosphere.” She smiled. “I like it. Not the type of place that-“ she stopped dead and took a deep breath. “Doesn’t matter.” He half smiled, "you know, I've been meaning to tell you, it's okay to talk to me about anything you want. No pressure, no strings. Just a friendly ear." She smiled. “I know, thanks. And the same goes for you too.” For the first time, an interesting silence came between them. They each sipped their drinks in an almost a mirrored like fashion and chuckled when through. "I think that's the first time we've ever not had something to say." Y/N shrugged. He nodded, and then she took a deep breath. “I was just gonna say its not the type of place Ransom would ever have taken me. He’d have thought it beneath him.” "I think that's the first time you've ever mentioned his name." He pointed out. "Yeah, I try not to. It's uh," he watched her as she struggled to start her story, playing nervously with the earring in her ear. "Complicated." He leaned on the table, his forearms crossed and supporting his weight. He wanted her to know she had his full attention. “Well, from what I know about him, which granted is only what I saw on the news or heard around Boston, he certainly enjoyed the finer things in life.” "That's one way of looking at." She chuckled dryly. "It wasn't an easy marriage, despite how short lived." "Well, I was with Laurie since law school and we still had our ups and downs. I don't think marriage is easy in general." Andy admitted. "I was with Ransom less than nine months before we got married. It, uh, lasted three weeks."

Andy paused, “okay, so granted Laurie and I were a whirlwind what with her falling pregnant so fast but... I’ll give you that one.” “A whirlwind?” She asked and Andy nodded. “Yeah, we hadn’t even been together a year when she got pregnant with Jake. Not gonna lie, I shit myself but...” he sighed, swallowing. “Well, he was worth it.” "I'm sure he was." She nodded. Andy cleared his throat. “He was a good kid, despite what he, well what he was accused of.” “I can’t even begin to imagine how that felt, for any of you.” She said gently. “Fucking shit.” He said bluntly. She blinked and then the pair of them laughed quietly. "I'm sorry, Andy. And I mean that in all sincerity." He sighed and gave a soft little smile. “Thanks. You know, for the most part it’s just happy memories. But then sometimes it’s hard...” he trailed off shaking his head, “but of course you’ll know that.” “Suppose so.” She shrugged. “I doubt our marriage was anything near as loving as yours. I, uh...well, Ransom was mentally abusive, very controlling. Getting married wasn't exactly what I'd wanted but, I felt trapped in a way." She paused as he listened intently. "I guess it's harder to explain than I thought." She bit her lip and then shook her head. “Then the asshole went and got himself killed.” "I hate that you had to witness that." She shrugged and her finger swiped at the condensation on the outside of her half empty beer glass. “It was a year ago today.” “Jesus fucking Christ.” Andy shook his head in shock as he took a deep breath. “I’m so sorry.” “I’m not.” She sighed. “And I know that probably sounds awful but... I don’t mourn him, I can’t. Not after everything. I’m just glad to be away and out of it. Fuck, that makes me sound like a really cold hearted bitch.” She scrunched her nose and chuckled a bit. Andy cocked his head to one side, studying her face which was, despite what she said, laced with sadness and he took a deep breath. There was more to her story than she was telling him, he could see that, but he had his own secrets too. And he found himself realising he didn’t care. Moving away post the accident that claimed Jake and later Laurie’s life had been a way for him to leave all that shit behind. And she was trying to do the same. “Okay, let’s make a deal.” He leaned forward. “No reverse gear. We look forward and not back, at least not at the hard stuff.” It took a moment for her to process it, and Andy watched her expression behind her eyes as he did so. Then she smiled, "deal." Andy smiled as she reached for her beer. He watched her pretty face as she drained her glass, setting it down in the table before she leaned towards him. “Have you eaten? Because I’ve suddenly got a hankering for something greasy and very bad for me.” “Sounds like someone I used to work with.” Andy shot before he could stop himself and Y/N threw her head back in a loud laugh. “Lawyers for you.” “Hey, not all of us are jerks.” He pouted and she shrugged. “Jury’s out.” She winked. At that Andy raised his brows, downed the rest of his pint and then stood up. “Something dirty and greasy that isn’t an attorney coming up, I’ll grab us a menu.” They each ordered a greasy, filthy cheeseburger with all the fixings and two smaller beers a piece to go with it. They moved their conversation away from their pasts and talked music as the band played some songs they were familiar with. Y/N finding the perfect moment to joke with Andy again about his age versus hers, despite it being maybe seven or eight years. Neither seemed to mind.  Again, when the bill came, Andy slapped his card down before Y/N even had a chance to grab her wallet, which caused him to laugh loudly at her pout. “You’ll just have to get it next time.” “Oh," she smirked, "so that’s your game? You paid, so I owe you a next time?” He shrugged. “Would that be such a bad thing?” She bit her lip and grinned with a shake of her head. “No, not really.” “Good, I’ll hold you to that. And, as a lawyer I feel obliged to tell you that’s a legally recognised verbal contract.” “Uh, I’m sure there’s a rule that a social agreement made between friends is done so without an intention of being enforceable.” Y/N shot back and Andy felt his mouth curl up on a little surprised smirk. “Therefore no intent, no legal comeback. Your move, Counselor.” He laughed and shook his head. “Nope, I got nothing.” “In that case, I call recess.” She grinned. “Oh faahk off with the legal puns!” Andy snorted and once more she laughed as they stood up, their night at an end. He walked behind Y/N with a gentle hand on her back as she weaved through the tables on the patio, eventually ending up on the sidewalk out front.

"Thanks, for breakfast, dinner, drinks," Y/N shook her head, feigning annoyance. Andy smirked, "thanks for meeting me. You're not walking home are you?" "I can, it's not far." She replied, folding her arms over her chest.

"Absolutely not, I'll take you," he nodded his head in the direction in which his car was. He gave a small wink when she accepted his offer. He held the door open for you as you slid into the passenger seat of his Audi TT. You quickly realized that this was the first time you'd been in his car and the very first time he would see your doorstep. However, the thought of both those things didn't bother you one bit. In fact, you found yourself more comfortable than you'd expected.

All in all the drive was no more than five minutes, and if he hadn’t been going that way already, you’d have felt like a complete fraud, but he assured you it was on his way.

You helped yourself out but Andy waited for you around the front hood and walked you to your doorstep, lit by the lantern porch light your Home Owners Association contract insisted be up. "So, this is me," you sighed. Andy had his hands tucked into the pockets of his jeans and he rocked a little on his heels as he waited for you to open your front door. When you'd opened it, he scratched behind his neck and said, "so I'll see you Monday?" "Yeah," you agreed. He turned to go but you called out to him, "Hey, Andy?" He quickly turned back to you, his one foot on your stoop, the other the next step down, "yeah?" In a sudden moment of courage, you stood on your toes and placed a soft kiss to his cheek. His smooth cheek and the slightly rough yet softer than anticipated scratch of those dark whiskers, intermittent speckled with auburn, felt amazing against your lips. And fuck, did he smell amazing. Which you knew already from the tight and friendly hugs he'd seemed to start giving you. The first hit of his aftershave was always the same, dominated by a white-out of bergamot and pepper, a bright flash of sweet, dewy citrus that is both crisp and clean, underpinned by a freshness that was both light and gentle and completely different to the heavy sandalwood based fragrance you’d grown so used to. It was brief, but when you pulled back, you gave a content huff, “Huh.” “What?” He was clearly puzzled. “Your beard. It’s kinda soft.” “What? What the hell did you expect?” He laughed. “I dunno, maybe a toilet brush type bristle.” “You kiss a lot of toilet brushes Y/N?” “Try not to.” She winked. “Thanks again, Andy. I enjoyed today.” He chuckled and shook his head as he watched you turn back to your door and finally stepped inside your home. Before you closed the door, you turned back, noticing he was watching you go in. "Bye."

"Goodnight, Y/N."

**** Chapter 2

[morningfears]

Just Right

Rating: PG | Fluffy af!

Summary: “I found a ring today.” and “I’m not moving, your lap is too comfortable.” With tattoo artist!Ash request by Anon.

Word Count: 1.6k (kind of a drabble?)

The tattoo shop was finally closed, the door locked and the main room quiet, after a long day of clients. The shop’s staff had long disappeared, all eager to leave work behind for the night, leaving Ashton sat in his office alone. The hum of the overhead lights and the scratch of his pencil against paper filled the silence that had fallen over the shop and for the first time since unlocking the door at ten that morning, he felt like he could focus on the design he’d been working on.

It was a simple concept and should have been an even simpler design but he’d been stuck for days, unable to get it to turn out the way he’d imagined. It was as if his hands had a mind of their own and he’d grown frustrated. The trashcan beside his desk was filled with crumpled pieces of paper, each a discarded attempt at the design, and the cup full of pencils he kept on the corner of the desk was rapidly emptying but no matter how hard he worked, nothing seemed right.

It had to be perfect, he would accept no less for this particular piece, and he just couldn’t get there.

Ashton had planned on giving himself enough time to work for an hour after closing before leaving to meet you for dinner. It was written in bright green ink on his desk calendar and programmed into his phone, just so the shop assistant wouldn’t accidentally schedule a client for him, and he’d been looking forward to it all day. You’d both been exceptionally busy, new clients and projects piling up, so it was a relief that you’d finally be getting some time to yourselves. However, as the hour dwindled he lost himself in his work and seemed to be making greater progress than he had since starting nearly a week ago.

His eyes ached and his head pounded, the strain of the day settling in, but he didn’t dare slow down as he didn’t want to interrupt his progress. Instead, he focused on finally finishing. He was so wrapped up in his work that he didn’t hear the sound of his cellphone vibrating against his desk, nor did he hear the sound of the back door opening or your shoes hitting the tile floor.

You stood in the doorway of his office for a long moment, arms folded over your chest and a fond smile on your lips, to watch him work. His eyebrows furrowed and his tongue darted out to wet his lips as he shaded in the drawing. His hands were covered in graphite, stained from the work he’d done, and you smiled at the sight. Seeing him at work, watching as he drew or tattooed, was one of your favorite sights and you always considered yourself lucky to be able to witness it so regularly.

You remained unnoticed for far longer than you thought you would but the scent of Thai food finally overwhelmed Ashton enough that he lifted his head and blinked in surprise to see you standing in the doorway. He looked confused, but happy to see you, until realization hit him.

“Fuck, I missed dinner, didn’t I?” He frowned, dropping his pencil and reaching to rub his eyes before he caught sight of the mess on his hands and grimaced.

“Technically, no. I’ve got dinner right here.” You held up a plastic bag filled with your usual orders before you stepped into his office and crossed the room to place it onto his desk.

“I’m sorry, doll. I’ve been stuck on this drawing for so long and I finally got it to start looking the way I wanted.” He reached out for you and, despite the stains on his hands, you took his hand and let him pull you to stand between his legs. “Hi.”

“Hi,” you laughed, giggling as his hands found your hips. “Don’t worry about it. The restaurant was crowded, anyway. People were waiting for tables so I figured it’d be nicer to eat here where we don’t have to rush. Can I see what you’re working on?”

Ashton reached around you, quickly piling a few pieces of paper on top of the sheet he’d been drawing on, before he grinned at you. “Nope. Not yet. Don’t want you to see this one until it’s finished.” He did that, every now and then, and though you hated not being able to see the progress he made, you respected his desire to keep his work private until he was ready. So, with a pout, you nodded and reached behind you to grab the bag of food.

“Oh, alright. Well, if I can’t see your work, you can at least take a few minutes to have dinner with me.” 

Ashton laughed as he released you from his grasp and watched as you wandered around his office, grabbing the utensils you’d left stashed in a cabinet for nights like this. You often ended up here, having dinner with him at his desk after work, and though you appreciated the nights that saw you both dressed up and hitting the town, you treasured any moment you got him to yourself.

As you moved about the office, gathering utensils and two drinks from the mini fridge in the corner, Ashton watched you with a fond smile of his own. You were so good to him, even when he did something stupid like forget the dinner date you’d been planning all week, and he loved you more than he ever thought himself capable of.

Without thinking about it, he announced, “I found a ring today.”

It was no secret that Ashton was going to propose. You’d talked about marriage at length, confirmed that marriage was in the cards for you both, and knew that you were both ready. He’d been searching for a ring, one that was exactly what you wanted, and it seemed that he’d finally found one.

“I thought you spent the day at the shop,” you hummed as you returned to the desk and allowed Ashton to pull you down onto his lap.

“I left to get lunch for everyone. Found a shop I hadn’t tried before.” He took the box of noodles from you and pressed a kiss to your temple as a ‘thank you’ when he opened it to find his favorite dish inside.

“So, I should stay away from your sock drawer, then?”

“I’ll show it to you, if you want. That way I can make sure you like it before I propose,” he joked before he took a bite of noodles. 

“Mm, I think I’d prefer to be surprised. I’m sure it’s going to be perfect, you picked it out.”

“Hey, I’m the cheesy one.” He laughed, nudging your side with his elbow, before he nodded. “Thank you for the vote of confidence. I appreciate it. The boys approve.”

“I’m glad. You figure out who’s going to be the best man yet or are you just going to toss their names into a hat and leave it to chance?” You grinned at him, your question ending in a laugh as his own face fell and he released a groan.

“Can I just have three best men?”

“Your three best men are, like, most of our wedding guests, babe. Gotta make some decisions.” You reached out to pat his shoulder and he laughed as he nodded in agreement.

The pair of you had already started planning your wedding, including the guest list, and had settled on a small affair with close friends and family. You knew that he would end up choosing one of the boys sooner or later and you were in no hurry, you weren’t even officially engaged yet, so you let him remain undecided for the time being.

You moved on to a different topic, opting to catch up on what you’d missed in one another’s lives, as you finished eating. You sat comfortably on his lap, content to remain there until it was time to head home, and Ashton noticed as you both placed your empty containers onto the desk.

“I wanted to finish this up before we head home. Do you want to go ahead or wait here?”

“I’m not moving,” you mumbled, turning to place your head in the crook of his neck, “your lap is too comfortable. Can you draw with me here?”

It was, by no means, a comfortable position to draw in but it was possible. And you hadn’t had much time to just be together in recent days so Ashton nodded. “Sure, doll. Just promise you won’t look?”

He rarely made you promise not to look at his work so you nodded, content to keep your head buried against his neck where you could smell the cologne on his skin. “Promise. I’m just gonna close my eyes. If I fall asleep, just wake me up whenever you’re ready to go.”

He knew that you would be asleep in minutes, you hadn’t slept much lately, but that was alright. It’d keep you from looking and ruining the surprise. He was waiting for the right moment to propose, that much you knew, but what you didn’t know was that he was that he was working on a print for you. You were opposed to the idea of a tattoo for a significant other, you firmly believed it was bad luck, but you loved his art so he wanted to give you something special. It wouldn’t be inked onto your skin but it would be permanent enough, framed and hopefully displayed in your future home, and that was enough.

Everything finally felt just right and Ashton was proud to finally know what love really was.

____________________________________________________

Author’s Note: I love the idea that there’s complete communication about something as big as a proposal. Like, a surprise is nice, but knowing that it’s coming and being open about it is important, I think. I don’t know. Anyway, I’m. still working on drabbles, promise. I haven’t written Ash in so long, I missed my boy.

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[theblekromantik]

somewhere new

Erik Stevens x Black Reader

a/n: hello lovelies, i hope you’re well and i hope that you enjoy this! i’ve been experimenting with writing lately, so any feedback would be greatly appreciated!!!

summary: you and Erik go decide to go grocery shopping, but you switch things up a little

warnings: fluff-ish with some sexual tension and implied smut

word count: 3189

A booming,

“Yo, ma!”

Accompanied by a knock at the door rattles you, causing you to drop your eyelash into the sink. Your good, very expensive eyelash that requires much focus in order to be applied to your upper lash line.

Grunting and twinging your face in disgust of the sight before you, you fish it out of the sink, blowing on it to determine if the glue is still salvageable.

“Come on, E! Five minutes!” You respond with your mouth slightly parted, a strange requirement for impeccable eyelash placement.

“Princess, we gotta hurry up before the store closes,” Erik protests, pulling up his sleeve to check his diamond-encrusted AP watch. It’s almost seven o’clock, and Erik hated shopping minutes before a store closed. It made him feel like he was being rushed to gather his items and head to the register.

You and Erik frequently ran errands together, only this time you were grocery shopping. Staying in was nice and all – really quite enjoyable – but an end had to come to the endless Netflix bingeing and takeout from your favorite spots. You both, mainly Erik, decided that it was time for a nutritious, home-cooked meal, one that wouldn’t lead you down a road of clogged arteries and hypertension. But Erik was a phenomenal chef, so you could hardly complain that your ongoing DoorDash expenditure had been interrupted.

“Damn! One second!” You holler. “One second…there.”

You step back and look into the mirror, admiring yourself. Thirty minutes of hard work and determination had really paid off! You grab your phone from the sink’s surface and proceed to snap some photos of yourself.

SHUTTER! SHUTTER! SHUTTER! SHUTTER!

Beauty must always be captured, no matter what the time restraint.

“Princess! You taking pictures in there?” The dreaded man pounds on the door, harder this time. Banging, nearly shaking the hinges out of the door until you swing it open.

And there you are, dolled up and all, from the 26-inch deep wave hair to the Adidas tracksuit, the top zipped down nearly to the level of exposing the full extent of your breasts. Just the way you liked it.

Erik can hardly contain himself as he looks further down at you, ogling how your recently-manicured toes fit perfectly between each slot of your sandals. Man, he knew you were one for dressing up, but to the grocery store? Maybe he needs to step his game up.

“Well?” You jest. “You were so loud banging on the door, you got nothing to say now?”

Catching his lip underneath his teeth, he smugly looks you over once more, trying to gather words to say, for you’ve left him speechless.

He inches closer to you, “My babygirl likes to talk back, huh?”

“Yup, she do,” Boldness courses through you, nearly shattered as you maintain eye contact with your boyfriend.

His eyes were boulders, but you were just as unyielding. This game the two of you liked to play – this perpetual exchange of power – rarely ever ended with you emerging victorious. And you knew this, but you wanted to have your fun.

Finally, though smirkingly, you divert your gaze to your phone, shuffling through your gallery to decide which photos to keep, which photos to delete, and which photos to post.

“You look beautiful, Princess,” Erik chuckles after pressing a kiss onto your lips. “Now let’s go.”

While you knew you had lost the battle in the bathroom, you couldn’t wait to enjoy the war you and Erik would have in the bedroom later.

–

“Shotgun!” Erik shouted as you were fumbling in your purse for your keys, making a sprint for the car through your apartment complex’s parking lot.

The sun was setting beneath the horizon, and it illuminated the sky a burnt orange, a hue that began to embellish the surfaces of each object it touched – buildings, vehicles, windows, trees, the reflective skin of Erik’s custom-designed Air Max 97s as he raced further away from you.

After some time, your nimble fingers reach the item of your search, which results in a chime. You pull the keys out, contemplating whether to unlock the car doors for dreaded man in order to relieve him from the heat of the California sun, or let him suffer. Though it was setting, this sun still could extract a cup of sweat from one’s body. But hey, Erik was grown, he could wait.

You strut up to the car to see your boyfriend leaning on the door, panting, condensation forming on his forehead.

You release a sound of triumph, “I was gonna drive anyway.”

The car unlocks with a chirp, and you open the door and sit down. Dumbfounded, Erik was clutching the hood of the car still, trying to catch his breath.

“You getting in, or…”

He opens the car door and slumps down into the seat.

“You didn’t have to have a nigga looking dumb, baby.”

“I don’t think you need me for that, E.”

Erik snickers, “So it’s like that?”

“Yeah, it’s like that,” you tease, pressing the car to start and reversing out of the lot.

The two of you were buckling in for a long evening, and quite frankly, you couldn’t wait to see how it would progress.

–

As you drive on the road, the city and all its structures – both new and old – vanish behind you as a multitude of cool currents of air whip into the car through the windows, blowing your hair in all sorts of directions.

The vehicle vibrates as you blast a playlist full of new releases through your aux, and Erik grips your thigh as he sings to you, gold canines flashing and all.

You gently place your foot on the break, easing the car to a stop before the upcoming red light.

Erik, nearly louder than the music, starts to grind on the seat à la Magic Mike, and you couldn’t help but to laugh at the dreaded man and his silliness, a behaviour that is a pleasant break from his usual brooding nature.

But your laughter is cut short by a car honking behind you, indicating that the light had just turned green. You roll your eyes, because it had literally just turned green, and you press on the gas, revving your vehicle to the speed limit.

You pass another number of buildings a before making a sharp left turn.

“Shit!” You mumble to yourself.

You had almost missed the turn.

“Babygirl, that wasn’t the turn. Where we going?” Erik questions, for the route you’re taking was not your usual one.

“A little change of plans. I wanted to go somewhere else this time.”

“’Somewhere else’?” Erik probes. “What’s wrong with Ralph’s?!”

Now this took Erik by surprise. He’s genuinely concerned about your decision. To him, Ralph’s is King.

“Nothing, just wanna try something different.”

Your boyfriend clutches his heart, feigning a heart attack. You snort and turn into the parking lot. Both the wind and the car’s engine settle as you drive into a spot and press the vehicle off.

“Trader Joe’s?!” Erik cries. “What they got up in there?”

You exit the car, grabbing your purse from the backseat. “Stop complaining. Let’s go.”

–

If boredom could be personified, it’s spitting image would be Erik, for he rests his forearms on the bar of the shopping cart, eyes drooping as he observes the eccentric packaging of Trader Joe’s products.

Picking up a container of salsa he says, “Why all this shit organic?”

But you just suck your teeth and let him sulk behind the cart, ignoring him and all his grumbling.

“And this,” His gaze sets upon another display, “Who the fuck needs all these types of dried fruit? Probably taste like tumbleweed anyway.”

“Yo, stop moaning and groaning over there,” You shoot back at him, grabbing two packages of dried mangoes and placing them into the cart.

But Erik persists, dragging his feet across the smooth, concrete floor.

Minding the grocery list you and Erik had created earlier on your phone, you head deeper into the produce section, searching for some leafy greens and other ingredients that would contribute toward Erik’s signature salad. He walks off with the cart, gathering some tomatoes and bell peppers before making his way into another section of the store.

You, on the other hand, stand in front of the illuminated display with every type of green you could think of: arugula, kale, spinach, and lettuce, just to name a few. Reaching in, you squish some of the bags in order to determine their freshness. And you grab some kale and return to your shopping partner, who was waiting patiently for you, his previous protesting done with.

Looking down at the list on your phone, there wasn’t that much left for you all to grab, just some seasonings that were essential for the completion of any dish. There’re so many to choose from, and quite frankly, you’d just grab them all if you weren’t on a budget. So, you place a couple in the cart. And when you look up again, there Erik is, a pouty look on his face.

“Birthday cake popcorn?” Erik suggests, holding up the multicoloured item.

“Put it in the cart,” You giggle, maneuvering to a checkout line with the least amount of people.

The line becomes shorter and shorter, with customers paying and leaving with their large brown bags. And before you know it, the cashier shouts, “Next!” and moves to take your cart.

“Find everything okay?” The cashier asks, briefly glancing up at the two of you before moving to scan the items in your cart.

“Yes, thank you,” you respond, blankly staring as more items appeared on the customer screen and the worker transferred your groceries into the bags adjacent to the register.

Erik, standing beside you, wraps his right pinky finger against your left one, linking the two of you before you adjust to hold his entire hand. He grips your waist and pulls you in to kiss your lips and lingers there for a short while, eyes boring into yours while also relishing the traces of your chocolate-flavoured lip gloss that had found its way to onto his tongue.

You’re flustered, of course, but not because he hadn’t kissed you this intensely before, but because you were reminded that you were still at the grocery store, for the cashier cleared their throat awkwardly, repeating the total cost you had missed in your fleeting moment of passion.

Scratching your neck, hoping to relieve the embarrassment that that crept up your spine, you ask, “I’m sorry, how much is it?”

To which the cashier responds, “That’s $43.96.”

“I got it, bae,” Erik interjects, pulling out his wallet and handing a crisp yet folded fifty-dollar bill to the worker.

And while the cashier hands Erik the change, you grab the red cart and head toward the exit but not before thanking them. A few steps behind, Erik acknowledges another cashier – the only Black cashier – with a head nod and a knowing smile, to which the cashier nods, shrugs, and returns the grin: the shared feeling of being the only Black person in the room. The automatic doors open, reintroducing the cool evening air upon your face and hair, and the rubber wheels of the cart greet the smooth pavement.

When you reach the cart return, Erik grabs all of the bags while you fit the cart among the lines of carts already present. The two of you begin to walk to your parked vehicle but instead accidentally stumble upon on one with a similar make and model to your own but was not yours.

“I swore I parked right here,” you huff, standing on the balls of your feet, searching the sea of identical cars in the well-lit parking lot. And the fact that there were so many other last-minute shoppers did not help your plight either.

“Lemme see the keys,” Erik says, intrigue in his voice. “I wanna see something.”

You hand him the keys to the car, and he places them under his chin, pressing the unlock button repeatedly.

“That doesn’t actually work, does it?” You quiz, doubt heavy on your words.

“We have to see.”

Supposedly, this little trick should increase the bandwidth of the key’s signal, using one’s head as a sort of antenna. But after a couple clicks, you hear nothing besides traffic on the neighbouring streets.

Pointless, you think, just wanting to hurry up and head home.

But then, you hear a series of chirps in the distance and Erik yipping about the fact.

“Over there,” Erik says, nodding his head toward the source of the noise.

He picks up the bags, and you both head to the vehicle.

–

Shutting the door to your car, you release a sigh. Finally, the bags are all placed on the floor of your car, and you can finally head home.

With your foot on the break, you reach to push the car to start but then Erik yelps, “Wait! I wanna try those mango joints.”

“Oh, now you wanna try them,” You jest, “Because if I can remember, you were just–”

“–Man,” Erik interrupts, reaching to the backseat and rummaging through the bags. “Found it.”

He surveys the clear package titled “Soft & Juicy Mango” with his eyebrows furrowed and his lips curled, a slight repugnance that he couldn’t even help hide. But ripping the bag open, his expression softens as the aroma fills his nostrils, the sweet, tropical scent soothing him.

You watch, rolling your eyes, as Erik cautiously lowers his fingers into the package. One would think that the former Navy Seal wouldn’t be so dramatic over something like trying a new food, but Erik never ceases to amaze you.

Mango slice in hand, Erik purses his lips as he brings it to his mouth, slowly. Tortuously. And chews, his head cocked to the side.

“Wait,” he says as he swallows the last bit. “These bitches smack!”

You release a sound of disbelief, start the vehicle, and pull into the street, heading home. Of course the mangoes were delicious.

–

The sound of the car door closing can be heard as you and Erik finish grabbing all the groceries and head to the entrance of your apartment building. Your boyfriend opens the door for you, his veiny forearm braced on it and towering above you as you enter.

“Damn, ma! You getting thick!” He hollers as he watches the sway of your hips in your fitted bottoms.

You feel your cheeks warm up as you push some hair behind your air. You had been getting thick.

The lobby as you pass through is empty except for the security guard looking down at a glow coming from their lap and a couple of young people with white wires cascading down from their ears, bopping their heads to music that you can hear but not quite make out specific lyrics.

You and Erik find your way inside the elevator, the flickering fluorescents easing you back home, a stark difference from the glaringly bright ones at Trader Joe’s. Erik presses the round “4”, and the aluminum doors begin to close before you, you staring ahead while Erik sneaks a glance at you, smirking before redirecting his gaze toward the sliding metal.

Watching the line of numbers flash as the lift ascends from the ground floor, you turn to Erik, kissing him softly on the lips, closing your eyes and feeling a tingling sensation coursing into him through you. An electrical current that ceases to meet its end, ravishing you both entirely.

And with a ding, the elevator doors open and there you and Erik are, standing chest to chest in the moment, biting your lips like a couple of anxious teenagers on a first date. You pull away from him, keys in hand, heading for the apartment while Erik watches you.

God, how did he get so lucky? You were a treasure to him, and not only because you were so extraordinary but the little things: how you treated him so tenderly and with love yet wouldn’t hesitate to call him out when he was acting like a fool, and how you were so receptive to him as he was to you. These were all things that he scarcely experienced, if he ever experienced them at all. You helped him learn how to love and to receive love, which is an astonishing feat that many cannot confess that they’ve accomplished for themselves. And as you look back at him and smile while you unlock the door, he feels a bit weak in the knees, your electricity overwhelming him once more. You’ve got him hooked, and he loves it. He’s entirely entranced by you, and he doesn’t mind.

You open the door and are welcomed by your apartment, which is completely shrouded in darkness, save for the streetlights, the headlights of passing cars, and the last sliver of the orange evening sky before it is overcome by those distant stars in the night sky.

“Whew,” you exhale, flipping on the light switch and opening the door wider.

Erik sets the bags down on the countertops and approaches you.

“What are you–” you begin, but Erik is sliding his arms around your midsection and turning you to him. He presses his forehead against yours, twirling the ends of your hair and breathes you in and attaches his lips to yours, gently, truly wanting to savour this moment and you in this moment.

He pulls away, slowly, and confesses for the first time aloud, “I love you,” in a voice no louder than a whisper in a public library, to which you respond, “I love you, too.”

And the two of you remain like this for a few moments, staring into each other’s eyes, not even letting the ever-busy late-night traffic rattle you.

“So,” he starts, “About earlier in the bathroom…”

“Yeah, what about it?” You respond, seduction laced in your words.

“I’m thinking we need to address that.”

“Oh, do you?”

“Yup,” Erik answers, popping the “p”.

“And what about the groceries?”

“They’ll be a’ight.”

“Hm,” You sound, lacing your hand with his and walking the both of you to your shared bedroom.

Erik walks towards you, making you both fall on the bed. And the dreaded man begins pecking at your neck, travelling up to the bone of your jaw and landing once again on your plump lips. He swipes his finger down them, and repeats, “I love you.”

You stand up to close the door, while Erik sits up, waiting on you to return to him. You cradle his head in your hands while you kiss him, deeper, all that former tenderness left at the door. And stripping him of his shirt, his impatient fingers also dance to the zipper of your top, lowering it. He slides the jacket over your shoulders as you kneel on the bed to straddle him. But before you could grind down on his crotch, Erik grips your hips and flips you onto your back, the sudden movement bouncing your body on the bed after it meets the comforter.

“Not so fast, babygirl.”

[zukoskataraa]

a request i got from @yaeno-gen! thanks for the request!

prompt #3: it’s three in the morning.

“So, I’ll see you tomorrow?” Katara says as Zuko drops her off at her place. Katara unlocks her seatbelt and turns to face Zuko. Zuko turns to Katara, smiling, placing his hand over hers.

“Yup. 3pm. I’ll pick you up.” Zuko says.

“I had a great time today. Thanks for treating me to dinner. It was delicious.” Katara smiles.

“I’m glad you liked it. We could go there again soon if you’d like.” Zuko says and Katara nods.

“Sure, that’d be great. Anyway, I should get going. It’s late and I still have a class at 1 tomorrow.”

“Oh yes, sure. Sorry for keeping you.” Zuko says. Katara leans in for a hug, and Zuko smiles as he hugs her back. Zuko loved that Katara smelled of vanilla, it was intoxicating to him. Katara pulls away first, smiling.

“See you tomorrow.” She gives Zuko a quick peck on the cheek, making Zuko blush. She opens the door and walks out, closing it. Zuko drives to his place, smiling the whole time.

Katara walks into her apartment, embarrassed that she kissed Zuko. It was only a peck on the cheek, that’s what she told herself. It didn’t mean anything. She takes off her shoes and makes her way to her bathroom, running the water for a bath. She grabs her phone from her bag and calls Suki, who answers right away.

“H-”

“How was the date? Did you guys finally kiss? Are you guys dating now? Spill, Kat!” Suki says, excited. Katara sits down on her couch.

“It wasn’t a date. I already told you that.” Katara says, sighing.

“Okay, fine. It wasn’t.” Suki says, mockingly.

“I know you’re being sarcastic. Anyway, to answer your other questions. We are not dating. And I may or may not have kissed him.” Katara says and Suki squeals. “Hey, relax. It was only a peck on the cheek.”

“Awww, that’s lame. But still, I’m surprised you made the first move.” Suki says, giggling. “I’m proud of you. You’ve been crushing on him for what? A year now? And you guys only started hanging out like two months ago. It’s progress, Kat. He obviously likes you too. Both of you are just too dense to admit it first.” Suki says. Katara sighs, standing up as she walks to the bathroom to turn off the water.

“I mean, I wouldn’t exactly say dense.” Katara says. “But still. You’re right. It’ll happen sooner or later.”

“Of course I’m right. I always am. Anyway, I gotta finish this assignment. See you tomorrow!” Suki hangs up, and Katara puts her phone on the bathroom counter. She takes off her clothes and steps into the bath, slowly going down. The warm water felt like heaven on her skin, and it felt as if her stress had been taken away. She sat there, contemplating if she should confess to Zuko, or wait for Zuko to confess to her.

Katara got out of the tub a few minutes later, and changed into her pajamas. Sleep was taking over her, it was midnight already and she was out the whole day. She decided to sleep on it, hoping she would have a decision in the morning regarding her and Zuko.

-

“Ugh, I’m so tired. That test was so hard.” Suki says as she links her arms with Katara’s as they walk out of their class.

“I know right? I didn’t even get to finish the essay at the back.” Katara says and Suki stops dead in her tracks. “What’s the matter?” Katara asks, looking at Suki.

“There’s… a back part? An essay?” Suki says and Katara giggles.

“Yes, Suki. There was. But based on your reaction, I’m guessing you didn’t know.” Katara says and Suki sighs.

“That’s it. I’m failing. I’m just gonna drop out and become a stripper.” Suki says and Katara just laughs. “Anyway, what time is your boyfriend picking you up?” Suki asks and Katara blushes.

“H-He’s not my boyfriend.” Katara stutters. Suki laughs. “He told me he’d wait at the front for me at 3.”

“Well, it’s like…” Suki checks her watch. “2:57 right now. So you should get going.”

“I don’t think he’s there yet though. Plus, you're going that way, right? We can go together.” Katara says and Suki nods.

“So, are you gonna tell him?” Suki asks, and Katara blushes.

“Well, I want to. But I don’t want to be rejected. Remember what happened with Jet?” Katara says and Suki fumes.

“I hate that guy. Jet was such a piece of shit, I can’t believe you almost dated him.” Suki says and Katara giggles.

“Calm down, chief. I hate him too, but I learned something from him. Plus, the past is in the past, right?”

“Right. And that means you should confess to Zuko and then you two can start dating and get married and have bab-" Suki stops when she sees Zuko walk up to them, smiling.

“Hi, Katara. Suki.” He greets them politely and Suki smiles.

“Hey, Zuko. Nice meeting you, but I should get going. I don’t wanna get in the way of you two lovebirds. Bye Kat, bye Zuko!” Suki walks away before Katara can speak.

“Uh, don’t mind Suki. You know how she can be.” Katara says and Zuko chuckles, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly.

“It’s alright, I don’t mind.” Zuko says. On unspoken terms, they start to walk outside towards the university parking lot. “So, are you hungry?”

“Yeah, kind of. I could go for some burgers right now.” Katara says and Zuko smiles.

“Perfect.” He takes his car keys out from his pocket and unlocks the car, opening the door for Katara. She blushes as she gets inside, and Zuko closes the door. He walks over to the driver’s side and gets in, putting the key in the ignition and closes the door. “There’s this awesome fastfood restaurant a few blocks from here. You know Burger Joint?” Zuko starts to drive, and Katara nods. “It’s only like less than 5 minutes from here to there.”

“Yeah, I’ve been there. Once, with Suki. A month ago I think.” Katara says. “Suki found out that her boyfriend, now her ex, cheated on her, and she was so mad that she wanted to eat anything she could. Don’t ask me, I don’t know why. But, we went to Burger Joint and she ordered like 3 king-sized meals, and like you know how big their servings are, right? But she finished them all.” Katara laughs and Zuko joins her. “She was so full by the end of it, she almost threw up at the table.”

“Oh wow, I hope she doesn’t get her heart broken like that again.” Zuko says, sincerity in his voice.

“Me too. She deserves better than that.” Katara says. “How’d your morning go? Did you have any classes?”

“I had one class at 10, but the teacher didn’t show.” Zuko says, turning left as they reach their destination. “So I stayed in the library and waited for you.” Zuko says and Katara blushes. He drives into a parking slot and stops, turning off the engine.

“So, you haven’t eaten lunch yet?” Katara asks, unbuckling her seatbelt. She wanted to scold him for not eating lunch, but they weren’t a couple, so she didn’t have the right to do it. “Also, can I leave my bag here? I’ll just bring my phone and wallet.”

“Nope, I haven’t eaten yet. And yeah sure go ahead.” Zuko says as he unbuckles his and takes out his car keys. “Hang on.” Zuko gets out of the car and walks over to the other side of the car, opening the door for Katara. Katara looks up at Zuko, and Zuko gives her a wink. She blushes as she gets out of the car, and Zuko closes the door and locks it.

“Thanks. Also, you should have eaten. Not eating lunch isn’t good for you, you know.” Katara says as she and Zuko walk to the entrance of the restaurant. Zuko chuckles.

“Aw, you care for me.” Zuko teases and Katara looks away, blushing.

“W-What? Of course I do.” Katara says, and she immediately stops. “N-Not like that though! I just meant like, uh, you know…” Katara stutters and Zuko laughs, wrapping an arm around her shoulders as they continue to walk. ‘She’s so cute’ Zuko smiles, thinking.

“I was just teasing, Katara. Thanks for looking out for me though.” Zuko says and Katara blushes.

“So, what do you want?” Zuko asks as they enter the restaurant. Katara looks at the menu displayed above the registers. “Go crazy. I’m paying.” Zuko says.

“Y-You don’t have to do that, Zuko. I can pay for this. You already paid for dinner last night.” Katara says. “And I’m not taking no for an answer.” She adds before Zuko can speak. Zuko chuckles, and lifts his hands up in surrender.

“Okay, okay. I’ll just have what you’re having then.” Zuko says and Katara nods. They walk up to the cashier and he takes their orders.

“And for your drinks, ma’am?” The cashier asks. “One large milkshake? It’s big enough to share with your boyfriend.” The cashier says and Katara and Zuko blush.

“Oh! He’s not… We’re not dating.” Katara says and Zuko chuckles.

“We’re just friends.” Zuko says, and Katara nods.

“My bad. Sorry. So, um, what would you like to drink?” The cashier asks.

“I’ll take a strawberry milkshake. Small.” Katara says.

“Uh, I’ll have a small vanilla milkshake.” Zuko says and the cashier nods. Katara pays and the cashier prepares their orders while they wait at the side.

“Here you go. Two king-sized meals with a vanilla milkshake and strawberry milkshake.” The cashier says.

“Thank you.” Katara and Zuko say in unison. Zuko picks up the tray, and Katara holds their cups.

“Oh, let’s sit there by the window.” Katara says as she walks ahead and puts the cups on the table. Zuko follows her and places their tray there. They sit down, silence hanging in the air.

“Let’s eat!” Katara says as she grabs her burger and Zuko smiles, following her.

“Yes, let’s.” Zuko says and they eat in a comfortable silence.

“Oh.” Katara breaks the silence a minute later, wiping her mouth with a tissue. “Are we going anywhere after this? Because I have to edit this paper that’s due later, so I need to get back home soon.”

“Oh, I was hoping-” Zuko starts but doesn’t finish. “Oh, yeah. I can drop you off after this.” Zuko says, and Katara nods, smiling. Zuko wanted to spend more time with Katara. He had planned to watch a movie with her, and eat dinner and go to the park. He had planned to confess to Katara later, but now his plans were ruined.

“Zuko?” Katara asks, and Zuko looks up at her.

“Yeah? What’s up?”

“Well, you suddenly froze and started glaring outside the window. Are you okay?” Katara asks.

“Yeah, sorry. I’m fine.” Zuko smiles and he continues to eat his food. An awkward silence looms over them as they finish their food.

“You ready to go?” Zuko asks a few minutes after they finish eating.

“Yeah, let’s go.” Katara smiles. They head out of the restaurant and walk towards Zuko’s car.

“Hey, I’m sorry for not being able to hang out with you for the rest of the afternoon.” Katara says once they’re inside the car.

“Don’t worry about it. You don’t have to be sorry, Kat.” Zuko says.

“I know. But I was looking forward to hanging out today. I can’t believe I forgot that I had to pass the paper today.” Katara says.

“I was looking forward to it too.” Zuko starts the car and they head out of the parking lot. “But, there’s always next time, right?” Zuko asks, uncertain.

“Yeah! Of course.” Katara says. Silence hangs in the air, both of them unsure of what to say.

“I’ll see you soon?” Zuko asks once they arrive at Katara’s apartment.

“Definitely. Thanks for dropping me off. And sorry once again. I’ll make it up to you, I promise.” Katara says as she unbuckles her seatbelt.

“It’s no problem.” Zuko smiles. Katara reaches over and gives Zuko a quick peck on the cheek before heading out of the car.

-a few hours later-

“H-“

“Suki I messed up!!! Help me!” Katara says, panicking.

“Whoa, whoa. What happened? Are you okay?” Suki asks, worried.

“I can’t sleep because I messed up, and now Zuko won’t talk to me ever again! I told him I had this paper to pass earlier tonight, so we ended our date early!” Katara says. “And I don’t even have a paper to pass! I just suddenly panicked when we were eating, I don’t know why. Help me! Why am I like this?”

“Hey, calm down Katara.” Suki says and Katara sits down on the edge of her bed, taking deep breaths. “Are you okay now?”

“Yeah. I am. But what am I gonna do? I regret everything.” Katara says and Suki sighs.

“Okay, it’s like 2 in the morning. Maybe you should get some sleep and then call him in the morning.” Suki says.

“Y-yeah. That sounds good.” Katara says.

“You know, you called it a date.” Suki says, amusement in her voice.

“W-What?”

“You know, your hangout session yesterday. You called it a date.” Suki says.

“I didn’t!”

“You did.”

“You’re just imagining things.” Katara says.

“I’m not. Anyway, get some sleep, Kat.” A yawn comes from Suki. “I��m gonna head to bed now. Goodnight.” Suki hangs up, leaving Katara with her thoughts.

And that’s how Katara ended up in front of Zuko’s door at 3am, wearing her pajamas. She takes a deep breath, and knocks on the door. She bites her lip looking at the ground, hoping that Zuko would answer. She also remembers that it’s 3am, so Zuko was probably sleeping.

“Who’s there?” A groggy voice says, the door opening. Katara looks up and sees Zuko, hair messy, and looks down to realize that he’s not wearing a shirt. She looks up to see him smirking. “You like the view?” He says, his voice still groggy. Katara blushes and her eyes go wide.

“N-No! I mean, yes! Wait! I just mean-“ She stops as Zuko chuckles.

“It’s three in the morning.” Zuko says, suddenly serious.

“I-I know that. But, um, can we talk?” She says, suddenly feeling small. Zuko runs his hands through his hair and makes way for Katara to enter his apartment. Katara walks in, and Zuko closes the door. She turns around and bumps into Zuko, and Zuko wraps his arms around her to prevent her from falling.

“Are you okay? Did something happen?” He asks, and Katara can’t speak. Not when Zuko’s face is inches from hers. Not when he’s holding her so close. Not when she’s staring right into his brown angelic eyes. “Katara?”

“I LIKE YOU.” She blurts out, and both of them widen their eyes. She gulps, waiting for Zuko to say something. “Oh my god, that was so stupid. Look, I-I’m sorry. I didn’t- I wasn’t thinking. I’m gonna go now. Sorry for waking you.” Katara says, breaking free from Zuko’s grasp. She’s about to walk out the door, until…

“Katara.” Zuko says, making Katara shiver.

“I’m sorry. Forget everything I said.”

“How am I supposed to forget that? You told me you liked me, and now you’re saying that you’re sorry? Sorry for what? Do you not like me?” Zuko asks.

“I-I do! I just… I know you don’t feel the same way. So, I’m sorry.” She unlocks the door when Zuko stops her, placing his hand above hers. He’s right behind her, like a predator tapping its prey.

“Here’s the thing, Katara. I like you too.” Zuko says, whispering into her ear.

“Y-You do?” She asks.

“I do.” He replies. “I wasn’t expecting my confession to be like that. But, it’ll do.” Zuko chuckles, and he’s back to his old self. Katara looks up at him and smiles.

“I’m so embarrassed right now.” She covers her face with her hands and Zuko laughs, wrapping her in a hug. She smiles at the warmth his body radiates, and she nuzzles deeper into his chest.

“You’re so cute, you know that?” Zuko says, giving her forehead a peck. She blushes, looking up at him.

“Well, you’re cuter.” Katara says and Zuko shakes his head.

“As much as I’d love to argue, I really wanna go back to bed.” Zuko says and Katara nods.

“Oh, yeah okay. I’ll get going then. See you.” Katara says.

“Hold on. Where do you think you’re going? You’re gonna sleep with me. I’m not gonna let you go out alone at this hour.” Zuko says, and Katara blushes. “Now, come on.” Zuko takes Katara’s hand and leads her to his bedroom.

“I’m not going to touch you. Not unless you want me to, anyway. You can take the left side of the bed.” Zuko says and Katara nods as she lies down. “Goodnight, Kat.” Zuko says, facing her.

“Goodnight Zuko.” She says, facing him. But she doesn’t close her eyes. She stares at Zuko, his pale face illuminated by the moonlight. She gulps as she slowly moves closer to him, and Zuko chuckles.

“Okay, come here.” Zuko gently grabs her and pulls her towards him, nuzzling his face into her hair. Zuko’s thumb gently rubs circles on her back, and Katara smiles as sleep slowly takes her.

-

masterlist | AO3

shoutout to @tonguetidee for giving me an idea for this fic!! <3

[mystery-salad]

I'm half asleep and can't think of any characters off the top of my head so you can choose but #17 blease. "Nothing is wrong with you."

Oh man I know exactly what I wana do here let’s see if I can get my first piece for Kai out. It’ll be a bit of a time lapse through Icebrood Saga.

“Nothing is wrong with you.”

Arms crossed and arched upright, Kai stared down at her teammate locked in the cell. “Figured my warning to stay alert was taken seriously, turns out I was wrong.”

Braham’s gaze wavers, but to his credit he doesn’t look away. More determination than Kai had expected from him for a while. “I’ve bailed you out, but if this happens again Eirsson you’re on your own and the team moves out regardless.” It earns her an elbow from Caithe at her side and a mumble of being too hard on the guy, but she elects to ignore that for now. He needed to learn the gravity of the situation and she’s been on edge enough without setting foot in a jail she would’ve likely ended up in herself if she had any other job.

“Just grab your shit and lets go.” She unlocks the cell before tossing the keys back onto the warden’s desk, stepping back enough for Braham to pass her and grab his belongings. Burn her, she hopes he didn’t have that bow on him-

“Uh...where’s my bow?” He sounded as on edge as she felt now, asking the warden about it.

“Fuck...”

—————————

She was already uneasy following the commands of another charr again, even if Almorra herself hadn’t touched the legions since leaving to start the Vigil. The call just...rubbed her fur the wrong way.

Turns out, standing in the middle of a keep strewn with dead bodies, her hunch was unfortunately correct.

“Alva. She was...she was one of my guild mates.”

Kai felt a twinge at that, one she elected steadfastly to buckle down on. The past isn’t a place to dwell when the present holds danger. “Keep steady Eirsson. They’re just bodies now, and we’ve got a job to do. Enemy could still be close.”

“...I did...I failed them.” She turned to look at Braham when it was clear he wasn’t hearing her, spotting him kneeled over the crumpled body of, presumably, Alva. Poor girl looked around his age...young.

Shaking her head, Kai strode quickly over to him and put a paw on his shoulder. “We have to keep focused Eirsson. Stay on task. You can mourn after the threat is neutralized.”

He met her gaze again, wavering less but far more unsure, before he gave a nod and stood to continue on. A motion that was interrupted by the sudden sound of a door slamming open in the silence.

“Look. It...it opened.”

—————————

“They...how is this...they betrayed Almorra and Jhavi...killed all those people...”

She let out a frustrated huff as she turned to Braham. “Who are you talking about, the sons of svanir? We already knew that mu-”

“My guildmates...” she could hear the strain in his voice as he said it, and felt that twinge again. And pushed it down again.

“...come on, we need to keep moving.”

—————————

“Wait... Braham Vowbreaker? Raven led you here?”

“Vowbreaker?”

Kai hadn’t met Jhavi before now, had no idea what to make of the apparent legendary daughter. But she wasn’t a fan of how familiar this conversation felt. The twinge was back and getting harder to ignore.

“Oh didn't you know?” Olar, she presumed, stepped closer to the team. To Braham. “That's what they call you in the Shiverpeaks now.”

Burn me...

“I...I own my mistakes, Olar. Now it's your turn.” To his credit, the kid wasn’t shaking. He stood his ground better than she expected given what he’d just been told. But this wasn’t the time for it.

Putting a hand on his shoulder again, she gave Braham a firm pull. “Stand down and step back Eirsson.”

She could see a familiar fire in his eyes as he opened his mouth to defy her. The twinge snapped, and her claws dug into his shoulder hard enough to draw blood as she growled. “I said stand the fuck down Braham!”

That seemed to work, for the moment at least. She’d startled him enough to break the building tension between him and his old guild, for long enough to get through. “You don’t want this on your hands kid. It’s not the same as fighting Icebrood. Take my offer, stand back before it gets worse or I will make you.” There would be a solid silence, save for his old guild still trying to jeer him on. But she kept a firm hold and kept his eyes on her while he thought it over and finally, thankfully gave a tired nod. “Good choice.”

It didn’t take much to nudge him behind the group now that he’d go willingly, and she threw a warning glance at Jhavi before aiming her pistol at what was left of Braham’s old guild.

—————————

She’s always kept to herself, even out here in the cold. She guesses some habits break harder than others even as she put effort in. But small steps still add up to progress. Caithe sat flush against her side by the second fire, clearly determined to steal as much insulation from her fur as possible.

“...you really should talk to him”

She glanced down at the sylvari, a bit surprised by the break in the silent evening. “Talk to who?”

“You know exactly who.” Caithe met her gaze with a small frown, something Kai had come to understand meant disappointment. “We both needed someone when we hit our lowest. The team is sweet but they aren’t going to understand what happened like you do. I know you get it. You stopped him from making the same mistake, now help him figure out how to stop himself.”

She rolled her eyes up to the cloudy sky, acting a lot more exasperated than necessary as she hid her discomfort. “You’re joining the other fire and telling him for me. If I go over there they’ll all think they’re in trouble again.”

Caithe stood in response, expression softening as she leaned up to kiss Kai’s muzzle. “Try to relax so you don’t start a fight, you both need this.” The charr let out an indignant huff in response, watching Caithe join the team and shortly after watching a much bigger silhouette walk warily over to her more private location.

“...Eirsson.” A gesture to a seatacross from her brought Braham to eye level over the fire. He was clearly uneasy and she knew the team was still adjusting to her efforts to be less...harsh. “Relax a bit, I’m not going to bite your head off and you’re gonna waste your energy like that.”

The words seemed to help.

...a little.

“Look, I just wanted to say...you did good out there. Given the situation. You’ve followed orders from the start even if you don’t seem to hear em half the time here.”

He seemed surprised by the words, compliments were never Kai’s strongsuit on the best of days and, to her own chagrin now, she realized this was probably the first time she really praised someone on the team. But that was a concern for when there weren’t more pressing topics.

“...Jhavi called you Oathbreaker. Said all the norn call you that now.”

She could see his wince lit up by the fire, showing well how he felt about it. Yet he was still trying to put on a brave face. “I left my team, we’d...failed to take down Jormag, and I ran. I broke my oath.”

She gave a small nod in response, “You did break an oath. But it wasn’t one you could’ve capably kept with a small team anyways. Jormag was coming whether you fought or not. As were betrayals.”

“No! It was my destiny, I followed the legend! I cracked the tooth, and then I failed. I broke my oath and now everyone’s paying for it because I couldn’t do what I was supposed to.” His voice wavered and his gaze broke from hers at last to look down at the flames dancing between the two.

“...I failed too, you know.” Her posture was tense as she spoke, a tale she’d never truly be prepared to share herself, and never had since it was infamous enough. But now it was needed. “Got all the way to the flame legion camp only to find out my right hand already betrayed me. The only blood on my fur that day was from my own legion.”

Braham was silent. Whether from a lack of listening or surprise that she was sharing, Kai had no idea. But she pressed on. “Found out only after I got back from another job that my running for tribune had been rejected, and I was no longer welcome. I killed a lot of legionaries that day. To away from a life sentence.” She took a deep breath, shakier than she’d like to admit and thankful for the wavering flames creating too much motion for Braham to notice if he looked back up. “You fucked up kid. But that doesn’t mean everything halts until you make it right. Some things are too fucked to fix, and you’ve just gotta move forward to the next option.”

She let the silence hang as she gathered her own thoughts again after saying all that. To her surprise, Braham spoke up in her place. “...I was supposed to live up to my mom. She’s supposed to be proud of m-“

“No. Fuck legacy. I don’t care who your mom was, you’re the person on my team. All I want you to live up to is your own potential here. Nothing is wrong with you Braham.”

“My mother was a great warrior!” He seemed to bristle at the idea of throwing that away.

“She was, yeah. So were my sires. And you know what? That legacy did jack shit for my own life once I didn’t perfectly meet the bloodline standard. You can hold her up on whatever pedestal you want, but it better not be over your fucking own.” Her fur stood on her end, on the verge of snarling as she spat out more information she hadn’t intended to share but realized she needed to. “The team wants you here, not Eir. At the very least, respect that fact and do what you’re here to do instead of what the norn want you to do.”

All the energy left Braham at once, the momentary aggression, the wariness of being lectured, everything. He slumped in his seat low enough that Kai actually had to tilt her head down a little. “...you really think we can do this?”

She couldn’t help an indignant snort at that. “Think? We’ve dealt with worse. Whatever’s going on here won’t last. We will.”

[peace-coast-island]

Diary of a Junebug

Island hopping for gyroids

It's been busy these past few days, traveling from one island to another, staying undercover, and retrieving gyroids. Jamie's on a big gyroid mission so she recruited me and two old friends I haven't seen in forever. Tagging along with Jamie on her adventures are always fun, especially when it involves traveling and high stake escapades.

Joining us are our old friends from Wizpire - Alex and Holly. I haven't seen or spoken to them in years so it was nice catching up with them. Being with them again almost feels like old times, except everything's a lot different now.

Holly used to drop by Wizpire once in a while to donate paintings to the museum but since her garden in Camellia really took off, she's been super busy. Holly's latest project involves putting together rare hybrids to make even more rare flowers. She also teaches online classes on interior decor for the Happy Room Academy.

Last I heard from Holly was a couple years ago when she was living in Airy. She was a well known patron at the museum much like how she was in Wizpire. Holly was also seeing Sam, though they drifted apart about a year later. Sam's a good guy and a dedicated father, but I always felt that he and Holly were incompatible as a couple. They're both old fashioned, though I think Holly's more progressive while Sam's more traditional. There's also the fact that it shouldn't be Holly's job to coddle him when he puts his foot in his mouth, which I'm pretty sure was the source of their conflicts.

Right now Holly has no time for romance. In fact, after being with Sam, she realized that she has no interest in it at all. Holly always figured that she'd be into a romantic relationship when the right person comes along, which obviously turned out to be false. There's nothing wrong with having no desire for romance. From experience, coming to the realization that it's okay to be who you are is a freeing thing. It's also good to know that you're not broken or messed up just because you've never had a crush or experienced attraction towards someone.

I'm glad that Holly's out there living her best life. She made the decision to move to Wizpire on a whim and never looked back. Before that she had an unfulfilling corporate job that constantly stressed her out. Finally, she had enough and took the plunge. Now look where she is, donating to museums, growing a garden, being a seamstress, and teaching interior decor!

Alex has kinda dropped off the face of the earth since leaving Wizpire. She's always busy, hopping off from one thing to another - that's just the way she is, you can't keep her in one place for too long. From deep diving in the Cavernous Seas, racing down Rainbow Derby, skydiving at the Double Helix Nebula, to making treats at the Land of Sweets - Alex has done it all!

Right now she's been staying in Charma making scooters and bikes. After that she plans to move to Etienne Falls to dig up fossils and other hidden treasures. Alex runs a travel blog called Girl on the Run and at this point I think she's traveled to over a thousand different places. As much as I enjoy traveling, I don't think I can keep up with her lifestyle. I like trying out different things and going on adventures but I also need downtime where I can do nothing without feeling like I'm wasting time.

So we've been busy traveling to various islands to retrieve lost gyroids to take back to their respective homes. Some places are easier to access than others, and no two islands are alike so we have to be prepared for the challenges that lie ahead.

The first island we stopped by was Banana Bay, where we went digging at the beach. There, we found a couple gyroids, some old tech, and a couple of rusty keys. Since we needed the keys to get access to an old hideout where the other gyroids were hidden away, Jamie took them to a friend to get them cleaned up. While we waited for the keys we had coconut banana ice cream with bubble waffles, a local treat that was perfect after a long morning of digging in the sand. By the time we were done, they keys were ready to go.

As expected, the old shack was armed with security robots. No one really runs the place anymore except the machinery. The tech may be outdated by over twenty years but the alarm system's still up and running so a simple slip up can put the entire place into lockdown and get us into a heap of trouble.

I was given the task of unlocking doors and disabling cameras. I'm no hacker but the tech is pretty primitive - meaning easy to figure out. All you have to do is solve a bunch of puzzles to get into the system and most of them aren't even that hard. Meanwhile Alex came up with strategies to evade the robots while Jamie and Holly split up to retrieve the gyroids.

The robots were more of a nuisance than a challenge to get through. The blue ones with the giant red eye creep me out though. I made the mistake of looking into one of them and instantly regretted it when a giant four headed spider peeked through.

On day two we went to two islands that were side by side to each other - Teal and Turquoise. In contrast to the sunny beaches of Banana Bay, Teal Island was a snowy forest. In order to get in the caves we need stones to unlock the passageways and pickaxes to get through caved in areas.

We happened to arrive after a big blizzard so that complicated things a little. Light snowfalls made it a bit hard to see, which means we have to be extra careful. Wolf tigers roam the island and they're aggressive as fuck. Ice balls will do the trick when you need to subdue them, but you have to be quick because they can sneak up on you when least expected. Jamie and Alex have dealt with their share of wolf tigers so Holly and I were well covered. Those creatures are scary fast and sneaky.

Walking into the caves was kinda like heading towards a death trap. Along with the wolf tigers, we also have to worry about falling rocks, scorpion bats, and mega tarantulas. While preparing for the mission Holly made us gloves and masks so we won't hurt ourselves with the sharp rocks and dust. I had some of Em and Ludwig's light formula so we used those as flashlights.

As soon as we got what we needed, we headed to the neighboring island of Turquoise. Since we were a little traumatized by the caves, we hung out at the motel and went sightseeing. I found a cute stationery shop called Milk Clouds and bought some washi tapes, stickers, and a notebook. Alex bought a bunch of scented candles from Petrichor Gifts, Jamie treated herself with a lovely handmade silk dress, and Holly bought some handwoven fabric and starflower peach seeds.

Then off we headed to the long abandoned labs in the far end of the island. Jamie rented a plane so we can get there instead of having to go through a dense jungle. We had to land on top of a cliff and then parachute down in order to get to one of the entrances.

Although the lab is pretty much abandoned, it's home to many hostile creatures so we have to be careful if we encounter them. They could care less about the gyroids - and could've made our job a million times easier if they helped us out - but alas we have to that ourselves. Jamie managed to talk to a few of them beforehand and they pretty much just said as long as we stay out of their way then it's good. Do what we have to do and get out. Fine by us.

So that's what we did. There wasn't even that much to look for anyway, and some of the gyroids were in such a bad state that we didn't even bother. I mean it was expected that we can't save everything, still, it's sad that some things will remain lost forever.

Thankfully, the rest of the island is nothing like the hostile creatures residing in the lab. I think I was more traumatized by them than the cave. I try to see the good in everyone but you gotta listen when the warning bells go off in your head. I'm sure a few of them have some good inside them but it's the power hungry and abusive ones who run the place, so you can't let your guard down.

Day three - earlier today - was the final stretch. First, we swam to Crick Island - as in we scuba dived there. Planes can't access it so we have to travel underwater. The island has no residents but it's heavily guarded as it's full of stolen artifacts. It's run by a secret organization that Jamie's been trying to hunt down for years, only for them to elude her as soon as they were within her grasp.

The underwater passages are full of security robots that go off if we bump into them. They only move around the same place so they're easy to bypass. Problem is the water  makes it hard to move - unpredictable currents and such. Luckily we're all pretty strong swimmers, but those currents can get pretty rough. Getting thrown into a tangle of weeds is much better than accidentally hitting a robot, no matter how frustrating it is to get out of a sticky situation.

From there, we were able to infiltrate the pyramid lab. Alex was tasked with unlocking doors and disabling security, Jamie did the navigating as she knows the ins and outs of the place pretty well, I evaded the robots while Holly kept a lookout for guards. Since the lab is far from being abandoned or run down, we had to be stealthy and clever.

Then it's back to the underwater passages where we swam to two more secret labs - radium and ionic. I have no idea if the names mean something or they're just random. Had a few close encounters where a guard could've walked in on us but thankfully we managed to steer them away easily. I don't mean to judge but their snobby attitudes just scream pretentious assholes - not the kind of company I'd wanna get stuck with if caught.

Now we're back in Banana Bay, taking it easy before having to do inventory on what we found. It's been a lot of fun but I think that's enough high stakes adventure for me. We're leaving tomorrow evening so Jamie and Alex will go off their separate ways while Holly's gonna be staying at the camp for a couple days before heading back to Camellia.

Gonna treat myself with bubble waffles and coconut banana ice cream - we sure as hell deserve it!

[dakotacrisis]

Deal’s End (5)

Paris and desires are burning this day

(Read on AO3)

---

“Up and at em, love.” Felix smacked Marinette awake with a pillow. “Time for school.”

“Since when are you excited to go to school?” Marinette chucked the pillow back at him.

“How about you get up and stop questioning me? We got work to do and a boy’s bed to get you into!”

“Once again, I am only fifteen!” Marinette dropped out of bed.

“Don’t act like you haven’t thought about it.” Marinette tried to speak but Felix cut across her, “And don’t bother lying, you’re hotter than a desert for him.”

“Surprised you didn’t say hot as hell.” Marinette smirked as she went to get dressed.

“Honestly, it isn’t that hot unless you’re at the burning fields.” Felix caught the night shirt she tossed over the screen, “The whole place is more humid than anything which I think is almost worst. It is warm but it is also moist...I do not miss it.”

“Sounds gross.” Marinette emerged from behind the screen now dressed. “I’m gonna grab some breakfast, want me to sneak you anything?”

“A croissant.”

“Nutella to go with it?”

“Always.”

“Got it.” Marinette walked downstairs and ate her breakfast with her family. She smothered a croissant in nutella for Felix and walked out of the house. Felix followed shortly behind munching happily on his food.

“You know, if you just knocked on the front door you could come and eat breakfast with us. My parents never object to another mouth to feed.”

“Nah. This is fine.” Felix jammed the rest of the croissant in his mouth.

As soon as they stepped outside Marinette shrugged off her cardigan. “Nothing I love more than a late spring heat wave. Why is it so hot today?”

“Global warming?” Felix shrugged. They walked into class and it seemed everyone else was feeling the heat despite the air conditioning. Marinette pulled up the forecast and saw that it now predicted a heatwave for the next couple of days before dropping back down to normal temperatures. Looks like sundress season was coming sooner than they thought.

They sat down for class and Ms. Bustier started the lesson by announcing a project. They would be focusing on temptation in literature. Particularly, they were to focus on the classic literary theme of temptation: knowledge, desire and chaos used as a foil to innocence and youth. Such examples being the biblical creation myth, the greek Hades and Persephone myth, Christina Rosetti’s Goblin Market, and Spencer’s The Faerie Queen.

Marinette couldn’t help the look she sent Felix who was pleasantly listening to the assignment. Why did she have the itching feeling he may have dabbled with the lesson plan?

“We’ll be doing these in pairs.” Ms. Bustier pulled out a list, “Alya and Kim. Sabrina and Max. Chloe and Alix. Nino and Ivan. Mylene and Rose. Adrien and Marinette. Juleka and Nathaneal.”

Adrien and Marinette! They were paired?! What miracle was responsible for…

Her glee died down as she cast another glance back at Felix. He gave her a subtle thumbs up.

When she turned back around Adrien was watching her with a smile. “Looks like we’re partners.”

“Yeah, so it seems.” She smiled back.

After explaining the rest of the project Ms. Bustier let them get together to start working. Felix stood off to the side unperturbed by the busy students around him. The teacher hadn’t called his name during the pairings. How could she forget to slot him somewhere? Or more likely that was just more of his powers to influence the world around him so he didn’t need to do any actual work. Now that Marinette thought about it she never saw Felix do any assignments but he always turned in homework. Was he miracling his way through the class? What a cheater!

“I’m rather excited about this project.” Adrien took the vacant seat next to Marinette. “It’s so different from what we usually cover in class.”

“It is, isn’t it?” She forced a laugh. They went over the project and created an outline before the bell signaled the end of class. It was a short day so they only had a few more classes before everyone departed the school.

Marinette pinched Felix’s arm as they left. “Did you have something to do with the lesson plan today?”

“Who? Me?” Felix feigned innocence, “What makes you think that I would ever do something like that?”

“The exploration of temptation in period literature? You want me to believe that it was one big coincidence?”

“I gotta have some fun. Also, I worked hard enough creating that lesson plan last night while you were up in your room doodling. I was gonna see some fruition with it!”

“Wait, you actually created the project? You didn’t just put the idea in the teacher’s head?”

“I am a rather smart demon with an affinity for literature. I saw an opportunity and I took it.”

“Felix, the demonic teacher. It sounds like the plot of an anime.”

Marinette was in a happy mood as she ascended the steps up to her room. Maybe she could even work up the courage to text Adrien.

“Whatcha doing?” Felix peered over her shoulder.

“Trying to think of something normal to text Adrien.” She sighed, “You’re my wingman, help me.”

“Got it.” he took the phone out of her hands and turned it off.

“Felix! Why did you do that?” She gaped at him. “I’m finally taking some initiative to be social with my crush and you do this?”

“It’s too soon. You want him to text you first.”

“But--”

“Ah ah ah!” he shushed her, “You asked for my help and you are going to get it and respect my choices. Trust me. It’ll all work out.”

“I hope for your sake it does.”

“Ooh, scary lady.” He tapped the fan and turned it on. “Hmm, I have an idea in the works. I’ll come back to you.”

“Are you actually going to inform me about the plan this time?” she asked.

“I’ll tell you that part one involves you inviting mister perfect over here to work on your project tomorrow.”

“Alright, that shouldn’t be too hard. We do need to work on it after all. What’s part two?”

“Still working on that. But you need to make sure to leave at least a ten minute gap between when you get home and when he comes over.”

“Why?”

“Again, still a work in progress. Just make sure it gets done.”

“Okay.”

The next day after classes concluded Marinette did as Felix instructed and invited Adrien over to her house to study.

“Sounds good.” Adrien nodded. “I need to stop by my house first though. That okay?”

“Perfect. Drop by when you’re done.” There. Adrien was coming over and she had some time to kill before he did.

While Marinette was trusting that whatever Felix was planning was going to help she couldn’t help but add a little something to the afternoon. She had mentioned to her parents she was going to bring Adrien over to the house to study and requested that they make them a special snack. They knew how she felt about him so they were only too eager to help in any way they could.

After school let out and Marinette went back to the bakery she picked up the box her dad had prepared and went upstairs.

“What’s in the box?” Felix asked trying to open it. “Did you order something special for me for being such a great wingman?”

“You wish.” Marinette held the box out of his reach. “These are passion fruit eclairs with italian meringue that I asked my parents to make special since passion fruit is Adrien’s favorite flavor. So keep your hands off them!”

“That’s not fair! Just one!” He reached again.

“Back off devil boy!” She unlocked the apartment door. “If there are any leftover you can--oh my god why is it so hot in here?!”

“Hoo, yeah, it is definitely toasty in here.” Felix pulled on his collar. “I knew it was gonna be warm but damn this is better than I could have imagined.”

“You would like this.” Marinette set the box in the fridge to keep cool. “Remind you of home?”

“Vaguely. But this is all part of the plan.”

“Plan? Wait, did you turn off the air conditioning?” Marinette sneered. “Felix! It is a billion degrees in here!”

“I know, which is why you should change into something more comfortable.” He handed her a stack of clothes he wasn’t holding before.

“Are you dressing me now?” Marinette looked at the outfit choice. A pair of shorts and a crop top. “You can’t be serious.”

“I am.”

“I cannot wear this in front of him!” She threw the shirt at him. “Also, when were you in my closet?”

“That’s not important. What is important is that you go get dressed. Adrien may be here any minute.”

“I am not putting this on!”

“Listen, a little primal attraction can help turn the tide of emotion. At the very least seeing you in that outfit should put some saucy thoughts in his head which is a step of getting you out of the friend-zone.”

“It seems dirty though.”

“It’s not like I’m telling you to lounge on the couch in your birthday suit while smooth jazz plays. It is literally just a peek of flesh. Also, you two kept making those food puns yesterday so he’ll appreciate the shirt.”

“All This & Dim Sum.” Marinette sighed as she looked at the cute little cartoon of dim sum. “Fine. I’ll wear it. But I swear if this backfires I am going to invest in a holy water spray bottle.”

Despite her better judgement Marinette changed into the outfit. It was more of something she’d wear around the house by herself. Not for what was essentially a study date. Hopefully Adrien didn’t think it was too weird.

“Now that’s much better.” Felix smiled when she reappeared. “Looking hot, love!”

“Yeah, it’s a million degrees in here!” Marinette grabbed a glass of water.

“That not what I--nevermind.” Felix was looking a little feverish himself.

A knock on the door startled them both. “Lover boy is here.” Felix walked up to Marinette’s room. “Good luck, hot stuff.”

Marinette shook her head. He was so weird. She took a deep breath and braced herself as she opened the door. “Hey Adrien, glad you could come over.”

His gaze raked over her none too subtly and she noticed him visibly gulp. “Me too.” His voice broke and Marinette tried not to laugh. “Ahem, I mean uh…it’s kinda hot in here isn’t it?”

“The air conditioning broke. Poor timing for it too.” She shrugged. “But once you get used to it it isn’t that bad.”

“I’ll take your word for it.” Adrien stepped inside. They set up on the couch to work and Marinette grabbed them both something cold to drink so they weren’t dying of heat stroke.

Things were going well enough and they were getting a lot of work done. The only problem was that Adrien was intentionally avoiding looking directly at her the entire time. She knew it! This outfit was uncomfortable for the both of them.

“What are you doing?” Felix popped up next to her out of nowhere.

She yelped and bumped into Adrien. “Something wrong?” Adrien asked. He looked at where Marinette was staring but saw nothing.

“Uh nothing, sorry, thought I saw something out of the corner of my eye.” She laughed it off. She glared back at Felix after Adrien looked away. ‘What?’ she mouthed.

“Make a move already.” Felix said, “It has been painful watching you two dance around each other like this.”

She gave him another look as if to say, ‘What do you want me to do?’

“Put this,” he grabbed her hand, “here.” He placed it on Adrien’s thigh.

Oh god...what had he done? Adrien looked over at her with wide eyes. She couldn’t look away and curse Felix out for doing this. She’d look insane. Not that she didn’t look insane right now with her hand still on Adrien’s thigh and nothing to say! Felix put her in this mess and wasn’t helping her get out of it.

“Uh,” she removed her hand, “Would you like a snack?” Her voice was at least three times too high to be normal.

“Oh, um, sure.” His face was impossibly red.

“Cool.” Marinette darted from the couch to grab the eclairs out of the fridge. She passed Felix and shot him a dirty look. He was gonna get an earful later.

She plopped back down on the couch with the box in her lap. “Here,” she opened it, “They’re passion fruit.”

“Really?” Adrien shifted so he could get a closer look. Their legs were touching! “Passion fruit is my favorite.”

“I know.” Marinette smiled nervously. Adrien looked her back in the face with a smile that matched her own.

“I didn’t say anything earlier but that is a cute shirt.” Adrien pointed, “Did you make that?”

“This? Oh no, I bought it at this little boutique. Half the clothes in there have puns of some sort on them.”

“Sounds like my kind shop.” Adrien laughed.

“Yeah, if you want crop tops or bodysuits.” She grabbed an eclair.

“You...uh...you shop there often?” Adrien mumbled between bites.

“Why you wanna know? Want to see if I have matching booty shorts?” She teased.

Adrien’s face caught fire once again. Where had that come from? Felix was still in the corner and gave her a double thumbs up. She was hanging around this demon too much. He was rubbing off on her. She never would have dared say something so cheeky before.

Felix disappeared again and Marinette decided to cool off with the flirting.

They finished their work early and Marinette walked Adrien to the door. “Sorry about the heat.” She apologized, “But at least we finished the project.”

“Yeah.” Adrien looked her over one more time. “Hopefully next time I’m over the A/C will be working.”

Marinette’s heart leapt at the thought of him coming over again. “Yeah, totally,” She grinned. “I’ll see you tomorrow at school then.”

“See you.” Adrien opened the front door and ran into Felix who was waiting on the other side. “Oops, sorry.”

“It’s okay.” Felix shrugged and strolled inside. “It is a sauna in here! What were you two crazy kids getting up to?”

“Our project.” Marinette flicked the side of his head. “What are you doing here?”

“I was informed there was food.” Felix eyed the box of leftover eclairs. He grabbed it before looking back at Marinette. “Looks like the pastries aren’t the only snack in here. Looking good, Marinette!”

“Felix!” Marinette screeched. Adrien was right there!

“What?” he shoved an entire eclair in his mouth, “Adrien, lad, don’t you agree?”

“I uh…” Adrien looked down sheepishly.

“On second thought, she isn’t a snack.” Felix shook his head and leaned closer to Adrien, “She’s the whole damn meal.”

“Out!” Marinette shoved him out the door. “Take the eclairs and go!”

“Touchy.” Felix rolled his eyes. “I’m leaving. See ya!” Felix rushed downstairs and into the neighboring apartment he supposedly lived in.

“I’m sorry about him.” Marinette sighed, “His people skills are not the best.”

“He is certainly outspoken.” Adrien chuckled. “But he was right about one thing.”

“What?”

“You look good.” Adrien nodded. “You always look good.”

“Oh,” Marinette blushed, “Thank you.”

With that Adrien left leaving Marinette with a lot fo warring feelings in her head. She wanted to ring Felix’s neck for his interference but in the end it had worked. Adrien had been flirting with her. Adrien thought she looked good! She was gonna swoon!

“I think that went rather well.” Felix appeared next to her with a now empty eclair box. “Don’t you?”

“YOU!” Marinette seethed. “What was that! What were you thinking? Why did you put my hand on his thigh like that?!”

“Cause you weren’t making a move!” He snapped his fingers and the air turned back on instantly cooling the room again. “And look what happened. Everything turned out fine.”

“And your intrusion right at the end?”

“I was aiming just to get the eclairs before you could offer the rest of them to mister perfect. But I saw another opportunity to talk you up and I think it still worked out.”

“Whatever,” Marinette sighed. “I’m too sweaty and frazzled to deal with you right now.”

She looked up at him and swiped a bit of cream off his face. She popped the finger in her mouth licking the cream off. “I’m gonna get a shower.”

“Right.” Felix nodded furiously. “I’m gonna throw this box away.”

Felix quickly exited the room.

“Okay?” What was his problem? Did he forget there was a garbage can right here? He was out of her hair at least. She bound into the bathroom to wash away the grime of the hot afternoon. Tomorrow was another day and with it was most likely another plan of Felix’s that she needed to be ready for.

---

(1) (2) (3) (4) (6)

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(tagged)

@sannsibarr @miss-mysterys-blog @maribug-adrienoir @mermaidreject @corabeth11 @goblinwhoships @symwinter

[princessbee23]

Unfinished and to be continued. Please let me know if you have any requests! 😋

I had finally managed to convince myself that this entire adventure was something I never should’ve started to begin with and was reaching for my bag when the tall, broad, attractive man I’d agreed to meet took his seat across from me. I had trouble doing anything but bat my eyelashes and stare, the large age difference not seeming as intimidating seeing him face to face now. “Well, I’m sorry you beat me here,” he said, his voice soft and deep. “It’s not like me to keep a lady waiting.”

I hoped my makeup was enough to hide how rosy my cheeks had grown. “I just have a knack for showing up unfashionably early,” I answered.

“And you look flawless,” he said, flashing me a smile. “You must not have wanted to keep me waiting.”

I shook my head, trying to ease my body back into the chair instead of looking so visibly nervous. “No, I didn’t.”

“That’s a good girl,” he said, giving me a sly wink before turning his attention to the server that had approached us. I listened as he ordered some exotic sounding bottle of wine, me being so ignorant to the wine world that I didn’t have any idea if it were even white or red.

I crossed my ankles, those last two words lingering in my mind, and squeezed my thighs as tightly as I could in attempt to ignore the tingle good girl had elicited from between my legs. “Just water, please,” I answered when the server had asked me, I hoped, what I wanted. I didn’t truthfully hear him at all.

“Beautiful,” he murmured, reaching out to take my chin between his thumb and forefinger and admire my face. “How was your day, baby?”

I was so flustered by the immediate doting that there was an audible gap between his question and my answer. “It was lovely,” I finally managed, letting my cheek rest against his hand when he moved it.

“I imagine it was,” he replied, the corner of his lip lifting as he no doubt thought about all of the obediently taken videos I’d sent him earlier in the day. “Did you enjoy your time at the salon, then?” He said, running his hand from my cheek, down my arm, to take my hand and admire my freshly manicured nails.

“I did,” I giggled nervously. “Do you like them?”

“Oh yes. Yes I do.” He brought my hand to his lips for a soft kiss, lowering it gently back to the table. “All of this, really.”

He did that the majority of the night, snuck sweet compliments into the conversation. He knew I loved that and was using it to his advantage. I guess my makeup wasn’t hiding my flushed cheeks after all, because after his first glass of wine he leaned in and whispered, “It’s fucking adorable when you blush like that.”

With every complement and the progression of his hand to my thigh as we talked, I was dying to get out of that restaurant. I didn’t know if I’d make it out of the parking lot, let alone back to his house without throwing myself at him. I’d never been more relieved in my life to see a server hand over a check—or maybe it was more him holding up his card without looking at the check. “So,” he said, leaning in close to me. “Ready to get out of here, babygirl?”

My eyes flickered over his face before I nodded a bit too enthusiastically. “Yes please, Daddy.” That was the first time I’d ever really heard it come out of my mouth, and I truly hadn’t meant to say it. He grinned when my hand flew to my mouth, my entire face turning beet red.

“Don’t be embarrassed, baby,” he whispered, giving my temple a kiss. He moved his hand further up my leg to hold onto my inner thigh as he used his free hand to order an Uber.

He lead me through the restaurant by my hand, keeping me close to him up until holding the Uber door open for me and climbing in after. It was a much, much nicer car than I would’ve ever ordered for myself. So nice, in fact, there was a privacy divider between the front and back seat.

“You won’t be needing that,” he said, stopping me as I went to pull my seatbelt on. He took my face in his hands and kissed me, only stopping long enough to say, “It’s been hard showing self control all night.”

I nodded, having a hard time talking as his lips moved from my mouth to my neck, his hands settled on my hips now. “M-me too,” I finally stammered, tossing my head back.

He moved his lips back to mine, gently guiding me to lie back on the seat while he got between my legs and ran his hand up the back of my thigh under my dress. I wanted him right then and there, even if that meant me forever feeling too embarrassed to ever order an Uber again. “You look so sexy,” he whispered as he moved his hands over my waist and hips. “I’m gonna have a hard time keeping my hands off you on the ride home.”

“So don’t?” I suggested softly, batting my eyelashes up at him.

He chuckled, sitting back and pushing my legs further apart. He ran a hand up each of my thighs, pushing them wider apart when he’d gotten to the top. He rubbed my clit through my panties and ran the tip of a finger down in between my pussy lips, moving the damp fabric aside with a cocky, “Hm.” He dipped his finger in between the lips, and I gasped as he teased the hole. “I can’t believe how wet you are baby...” he murmured. “Is that for me?”

“Yes daddy.” I closed my eyes, biting down on my lip to keep myself quiet as he teased my pussy, circling a finger slowly around my swollen, sensitive clit. He pushed a finger into me slowly and moved his lips to mine before I could really start moaning. He pumped it in and out of me as he kissed me, adding another finger and rubbing my clit with his thumb along the way.

“Such a good girl, letting me touch you in the car like this.” He removed his fingers from inside of me and rubbed my pussy, using his other hand to tug the zipper on the front of my dress down, my tits spilling out for him. “You dressed well.”

I nodded, grinding my pussy against his hand at his praise. “Just for you daddy.”

“Mm, just for me.” He wrapped his lips around one of my nipples, his tongue making big, sloppy circles around it before he moved to the other one. “C’mere.” He say up and pulled me into his lap, neglecting my soaking wet pussy to enjoy my tits he so loved. “Fuck,” he said, taking them in his hands and squeezing. “I love your tits.” He rolled my nipples between his fingers on them, pulling on them until he had to kindly remind me to stay as quiet as possible. He lapped at my nipples, giving each of them a turn with his tongue and his fingers.

I was squirming in his lap, his thick, rock hard cock pressed against my pussy while he took his time licking and sucking on my tits. “Mm, Daddy,” I gasped, sinking my nails into his shoulder blades.

“What’s on your mind, baby?” He asked, smirking because he knew good and well what was on my mind.

“Your cock,” I answered after a moment of hesitation, my nerves sneaking back up on me.

“Yeah? You want this big cock in you baby?”

“Yes Daddy,” I nodded, shimmying my hips to bring his attention back to my pussy against his cock. “Please?”

“Not yet.” He pressed his lips to mine, squeezing my tits in his hands. “I’ve gotta get you home first. Eat you. Feed you my cock. But don’t worry, Princess, you’ll be sitting on it before the night’s end. I promise.”

I nodded, whining in protest all the while. We made out the rest of the ride to his house, his hands seldom leaving my tits. When they did, it was only to take hold of my hips and force me down harder against the dick I was so anxious to have inside of me.

He let me hold onto his hand as he led me up the walkway to his front door, following behind me up the steps in case I happened to trip in the heels I’d worn specifically for him. He unlocked the door and turned one the entry lights, leading me through his dimly lit home straight to his bedroom. He sat me on the bed and yanked the zipper of my dress back down, kissing my lips before lowering his head back down to my tits. The image of spending time with him in the future and being his personal set of tits to suck on when he needed it flashed through my head, and in that moment, I wanted him in me all the more. I wanted to be his. I wanted him to fuck me until I couldn’t think straight and fill me with his cum to make me as his.

He took hold of my dress and shimmied it over my head, tossing it to the floor. He admired my almost fully naked body, giving my nipples one last nip before lying me back on the bed and kissing down my body, making sure to let his tongue linger when he passed over my tits. He spread my legs, folding them back out of the way, and buried his tongue between the lips of my pussy.

My hips buckled and I let out a loud gasp, thankful to be free to be as loud as I needed, because he was devouring my pussy in a way it’d never been before. He spread my pussy lips and ran the tip of his tongue along the folds, circling around my clit before giving in and giving it long, wide licks that were driving me wild. He slid two fingers into me, curling them and moving them back and forth as he worked my clit with his tongue. I gushed all over his fingers and he moved to drink my cum, holding onto my waist so I couldn’t squirm away.

“Did you cum like that just for Daddy?” He asked, letting me lick and kiss his chin and face while he rubbed my pussy with the entire width of his hand.

“Yes daddy.” I still hadn’t been able to catch my breath.

“Come here and get on your knees for me baby.” I nodded and scurried to my knees in front of him, looking up expectantly as he unzipped his pants. “You wanna suck on this cock for me, Princess? Get it ready for that tight little pussy?”

I nodded again, more enthusiastically this time as his cock flopped out of his pants—and my nerves washed over me all again at once. He was huge. The photos he’d sent hadn’t come close to doing his size justice.

I sat back on my calves and looked up at him, opening my mouth as wide as I possibly could. He slid the head in and used his hand to hold all of my hair out of my face as I worked it with my tongue and tried to get him deeper in. It was a struggle, though. I kept gagging, but he seemed to enjoy that more than if I had been able to get him down my throat. It was coating his cock with my spit, and he liked that I was happy to let him slap his cock against my lips and slide it back as far as it could go. He loved when I wrapped my fingers around his cock and jacked him while I took his balls into my mouth.

I loved the sounds he made while I had him like that. The cursing under his breath, the groans, moans, grunts, and sighs, the things he said. “Fuck, baby, you’re such a good girl. You suck my cock so fucking well. Such a good girl for daddy, aren’t you baby?”

He pulled me to my feet and kissed me, laying me down on the bed before stripping out of his clothes and climbing on top of me. “You want me to fuck you baby?”

“Yes daddy.” I was intoxicated by how badly I wanted him, pushing my hips up just to try to feel his cock against me.

I didn’t have to do that for long, though, because he lined the head up with my pussy and started to, ever so slowly, push his cock inside of me. “Fuck, you’re so tight,” he groaned.

I whined, clinching my fists. I had been so excited about having his big, thick cock inside of me that I hadn’t thought about how my pussy hadn’t been stretched that way in ages... if ever. “It hurts,” I whined, the safe word we’d picked before meeting ringing in the back of my head. “It hurts, Daddy.”

“Shh, baby.” He covered my mouth with his hand, pushing his cock further into me. I couldn’t believe he still wasn’t all the way inside of me yet. “Just take it.” I don’t know what it was about him telling me to just take it, but I groaned against his hand as he pushed into me, loving how full to the brim I was when he’d pushed all the way to the base. I nodded, letting out slow, loud moans against his palm as he warmed up my pussy by pushing in and out of me with long, slow thrusts. “You like that baby?”

I nodded, my eyes rolled back into my head as he pushed all the way into my stomach—or fuck, did it feel like it.

He leaned down to kiss my lips, his thrusts getting steadily faster until he was pounding into my tight pussy, and I couldn’t do anything but drag my nails down his back and damn near scream, “Yes daddy!”

[artificialqueens]

Coming Home (Biadore) - doctor bitchcraftt

Home at last after five months on the road. Roy finds himself with a small truckload of Amazon purchases and a mermaid asleep on his bed.

Fluff, sweetness, and a little bit of serious conversation.

Based on Instagram, it looks like Roy might be seeing someone, although given how private he is with his personal life it’s not 100% sure. If so, I’m with Danny on this one in terms of just wanting to be sure he doesn’t get hurt.

So happy that folks are enjoying what Miss Alyssa and I are up to as well!  I can’t believe she talked me into collaborating on smut.  Actually, I can, but still… Xoxoxoxo, bitchcraftt

********

See you soon!

Home, where r u?

The texts showed delivered but unread, out of the ordinary for someone who at times seemed to be physically connected to his phone.  The first was sent at LAX as soon as he had his luggage, the second moments ago as the Uber pulled up to the curb.  Staring at it didn’t make the message change though, and he sighed before pocketing the phone and pulling out his keys.

Roy dragged himself over the threshold, heaving one and then two suitcases in before shutting the door.  He paused for a few seconds, leaning on them heavily, before straightening and turning to move further into the house.

“Well fuck.”

True to his word, Jamie had gone ahead and picked up all of his held mail.  His progress was blocked by the assortment of boxes, bags, and padded envelopes piled over the couch and coffee table, not to mention the small drift of legal sized envelopes and magazines spilling across them all.  When he’d been ordering things from Amazon over the last five months away from home, it hadn’t seemed like this much…

Laughing quietly, he picked his way over a stack of boxes and continued down the hall, stopping to flick the light on in his sewing room.  From the doorway, everything was just as he left it, dust covers on the sewing machine and serger and bolts of fabric in the corner.  Being on the road and spreading Bianca’s hate was something he wouldn’t trade for the world, but he sorely missed creating.

Roy headed back into the kitchen in search of water and maybe a glass of wine.  A couple of minutes later, he settled down with both, tossing his hat onto the table and resting his elbows on it.  He frowned as the hat made an odd scraping noise - the snapback was plastic, and that sounded like metal moving on wood.  Curiosity piqued, he set down the wine and lifted the hat to peer underneath.

The culprit turned out to be a long safety pin, one he couldn’t remember leaving on the table.  His were gold-tipped and shorter, and he picked it up to study further.  A silver crescent moon dangled off one end, a sense of familiarity tickling Roy’s exhausted brain.  Where had he seen that before?

He stared at the object for another thirty seconds before realization hit.  When it did, he felt his cheeks ache from the force of the smile stretching his lips.  Folding the earring into his palm, he pushed up from the table and headed down the hall again, wine forgotten.

Roy paused outside his bedroom door, listening intently for signs of movement.  Under the hum of the air conditioning, he could just make out an intermittent buzz.  Grinning even wider, he opened the door and stepped inside, waiting for his eyes to adjust to the low light.

The flickering light from the candles he left around the tub bathed the room in shadows.  Next to the chair, a pair of worn leather boat shoes laid at right angles as if their owner had kicked them off and simply let them fall.  His extra charger cable draped across from the nightstand to the bed, connected to a phone clutched in a tattooed hand.

Curled up on top of the duvet with fingers tucked under his cheek, Danny snored quietly.

“There you are.”

No response.  He tried again a little louder.

“Pussyface?”

The snoring continued, and he shook his head in fond exasperation.  Moving to the dresser, he pulled out a pair of boxers and a clean T-shirt, tossing them on the bathroom counter.  He brushed his teeth and dropped his dirty clothes into the hamper without any attempt at being quiet, but still no movement from Danny.  Shrugging, he stepped into the shower, humming Loco’s song from Jamie.  The hot water relaxed muscles tense from travel, and he found himself blinking heavily as he dried off and dressed.

He blew out the candles, turning the nightstand light on low.  Danny’s phone screen came to life as he prised it from his unconscious grip, his own texts popping up in notifications.  He wasn’t intending to be nosy (he had Danny’s unlock code anyway), but couldn’t help noticing the calendar appointment simply titled “Willow home”.  Warmth bloomed in his chest, and he set the phone on the nightstand quietly.

Years of experience told him that dead weight mermaid wasn’t easy to move, which meant Danny would have to be woken up.  Roy sat on the edge of the bed, shaking his shoulder gently.

“Pussyface, you’re on my side.”

Danny scrunched up his nose and buried his face further in the pillow.

“Wake up and move over.”

An annoyed grumble.

Roy nudged him in the ribs, picking up the keys and wallet that had spilled out of Danny’s pockets and setting them next to his phone.

“C’mon queen, I wanna go to bed.”

Danny’s eyelids fluttered, and he swatted clumsily at the fingers brushing his hair back but still didn’t move otherwise.

Time for the big guns.  Calling up Bianca’s voice, Roy leaned over and spoke right into his ear.

“Adore, I want my corset back.”

That got a response.  Danny’s eyes flew open and he sat up so fast that Roy barely avoided being head butted.

“Not funny-”

He had just enough time to register sleepy outrage turning into delight before Danny’s arms wound around his neck, pulling him flat in a tight hug.

“Willow!  You’re home!”

Roy laughed at the strength of his stranglehold, giving back as good as he got even from the awkward twisted sprawl.

“Lemme up pussyface,” he eventually spoke with his nose squished into Danny’s shoulder, “I can’t breathe.”

As soon as he released him, Danny scooted over to the other side of the bed, unzipping his sweatshirt and tossing it carelessly onto the floor.  His jeans followed in short order, and he wriggled under the covers.

“Cuddle?”

The indulgent smile felt permanently etched onto his face, but Roy didn’t care.  Chuckling, he climbed into bed and held out his arms, waiting for Danny to make himself comfortable.

“I wanted to stay awake till you were back,” Danny yawned, “but your rich lady mattress is too comfortable.”

“Gotta spend the money I’m making somewhere.”

“What about that guy?” Danny’s voice sounded smug and a little suspicious.

“Ummm.”

Roy felt his cheeks heat.

“Uhh huh.  You barely told us anything in chat, what’s the tea?  Court tried Insta stalking, but she couldn’t find out anything.”

“Well…I.  Yeah.”

Danny pushed himself up with a hand on Roy’s chest, expression falling into something serious for once.

“Willow.  You don’t have to, if you don’t wanna.  Just, like be careful okay?  I’ll stab a bitch if you get hurt.”

Roy swallowed and tried to put his thoughts in order, appreciating the sincerity but too tired to go into any depth.

“Isn’t that my line?”

“I mean it.”

“I know.”

They fell into silence, faces inches apart.  Danny’s eyes gleamed gold, mouth soft with worry.  He studied Roy’s face, nodding to himself in some sort of satisfaction before laying his head back on Roy’s shoulder.

“Can tell me more over brunch?”

“Yeah.  I’m not trying to not tell you guys-“

“We know,” Danny poked him in the side, “and I’m glad you’re home.”

“Me too.”

“Goodnight Willow.”

Roy reached over to turn off the light, kissing Danny’s temple.

“Night pussyface.”

[365daysofsasuhina]

[ 365 Days of SasuHina || Day Three Hundred Fifty-Eight: Surprises ] [ Uchiha Sasuke, Hyūga Hinata ] [ SasuHina, pregnancy ] [ Verse: Best Years of Your Life ] [ AO3 Link ]

He’s always done his best to be careful. Sasuke has never been a fan of surprises. Everything in its proper order, proper place, with proper planning and thus his ability to know how to react.

...but Life doesn’t always work that way. Life, as full of patterns as it can be, is still ultimately chaos.

Working on a rather lengthy assignment for his engineering class, dark eyes flicker up as his computer makes an all too familiar sound of receiving a message.

Hey, you busy?

A corner of his lips quirk as his girlfriend pokes in to check on him. His pencil is abandoned, keyboard taken up as he replies, Just typical homework. Need something?

No, just kinda lonely. My class for today got cancelled and I’m all caught up with coursework. But I won’t bug you if you’re busy <3

A brow perks. ...you can come over it you want. At least that way you wouldn’t be alone. It’s just engineering - I can chat and work at the same time.

A minute passes with no reply. But before he can add something else, she offers, ...oh...okay.

...okay, something is up. What’s wrong?

Nothing!

Nothing my ass. I know your disappointed texting tone by now. Just be frank with me, Hinata. What’s up?

Another minute of silence. I just, um...wanted to spend some time with you.

...meaning? By now he has an idea of what she’s getting at, but he wants to make her admit it. He’s never above flustering her, after all. She was such a timid, prude little thing when they met.

She sends a pouting emote. :T Sasukeee…

Don’t ‘Sasukeee’ me. Communicate with me, babe. Tell me what you want.

...I...want to fool around a bit…

There we go. The truth comes out. Smirking at his screen, he replies, ...I think I can take a break enough for that. You just get yourself over here and we’ll figure the rest out.

Okay…! Um...should I bring anything…?

Nah, I’ve got it covered. All I need is you.

Signing off to begin crossing from her dorm to his, Hinata’s status goes offline, and Sasuke decides to call it quits a little early. Tidy as he is, there’s a bit to be picked up in his (thankfully solo) dorm room. Gotta have everything just right, after all. Once clothes are picked up, trash binned, and bed made, he lounges at his desk until a soft knock sounds.

“Come on in.”

Hinata peers around a bit sheepishly, stepping in and closing the door. “Hey…”

“Hey gorgeous.”

“Sasuke…”

“What? Just being honest.”

“You’re r-ridiculous.”

“And yet you love me anyway,” he retorts lowly, grinning as she crosses the room.

“Somehow, yes,” she replies, smiling warmly at him. Knowing his chair isn’t exactly built for two people, she instead grips the arms, leaning over him coyly. “So...ready to take a study break…?”

“For you, any time.” Hands lift to cup at her cheeks, pulling her down to mesh their lips. Hinata breathes a soft sigh, smelling like lilac as she always does. If she ever changes body wash, he’ll be glaringly disappointed. Kissing her slowly until she’s out of breath, he then abandons his seat and stands, grip moving to her waist. The feeling of her hands on his chest - even atop his shirt - makes the skin beneath them warm. “I think your classes need to get cancelled more often,” he murmurs against her mouth, shifting to pay attention to the curve of her jaw.

“I w-wouldn’t mind it,” she agrees, tilting her head for his access. “But I can’t take you away from your homework all the time, can I…? You can’t start failing your classes over a girl, silly.”

“I’m used to crunch time. It’d be worth it…”

Giggling, Hinata lets him push her over atop his mattress, eyes warm with affection as he crawls over. “Then I guess I won’t feel bad.”

“Oh no...you’re going to feel anything but bad…” he rumbles, smirking as her cheeks flush pink.

Once all is said and done, the pair of them tired and satisfied, Sasuke hauls himself up and tidies again, leaving Hinata to sleep as he cracks away at more of his assignment. It’s not due until midnight - he’s got plenty of time. And now he’s got a freshly-bolstered mood on top of it all.

No sweat.

...well, some sweat. But not at all homework related.

From there, life goes on as normal. Classes, homework, visits home...and across campus to invade one another’s dorm rooms. They’re both in their last years, and while the pressure is indeed ramping up, they try to take things one day at a time.

But just as graduation looms...something changes. Texts go unanswered, calls go straight to voicemail...and no matter the hour of the day, Hinata isn’t online.

While Sasuke at first puts it down to crunch time...after a few days, he starts to seriously worry. His messages get a little more desperate, asking her to please reply. But still nothing. A visit to her dorm find it empty...either that, or she’s refusing to answer.

What the hell is going on?

Finally fed up one day, he lurks outside her door for hours, waiting for her to either come in or go out. Other students give him odd looks as they pass, but he ignores them. Something is wrong, and he needs to know what.

“S...Sasuke…?”

Head snapping up, his eyes go wide as Hinata stares at him from the end of the hall. Immediately, he frowns. Her body language is all sorts of closed off. If anything...she looks ready to bolt. “...Hinata? Shit Hinata, where have you been? Have you been getting my messages?”

“...I -?”

“I’ve been worried sick! I thought something happened to you!” Abandoning his leaned perch against the wall, he jogs to meet her, slowing and gripping her upper arms firmly. “...are you okay?”

At the question, her eyes suddenly tear up, shoulders shaking against withheld sobs.

Okay, red flag, what the hell?

“...here, let’s - let’s get inside your dorm and talk, okay? Everything’s going to be okay. I’ve got you.” Putting an arm around her, he gently leads her to the proper door, which she unlocks and then locks behind them. “Hinata, babe...what’s wrong? Please, talk to me.”

Arms hugging herself tightly, she seems to struggle against her emotions. “I...I-I went home. I, um...I wasn’t feeling well. So...I went to see a doctor - a l-lady that I know.”

“...are you all right?”

“I...y-yeah? I mean...technically, yeah, I’m...I’m fine. But Sasuke, I…” Her breath hitches, and a moment passes as she pauses. “...I-I’m really scared…!”

“What do you mean? Why would you be scared?”

Lip trembling, she stares at him as though weighing her words. “...Sasuke, I’m...I’m pregnant.”

His face immediately slackens in surprise. She...but...they’ve always...? “...you’re sure?”

She gives a shaky nod. “...I took t-three at home tests, and then...a clinic test. I’m sure.”

He...isn’t sure what to say. “...w...what do you want to do?”

“I don’t know…!”

“Okay, okay! We’ve...we’ve got time to figure this out. Uh…” A hand rubs at his chin, brain too stuck in its initial panic to really think. “...well...whatever you decide, that’s your decision, Hinata. Not mine. This is your, uh...deal.”

Her gaze averts. “...I-I mean...I’ve always wanted kids, just...I wasn’t really p-planning on it...now.”

“...well, it doesn’t have to be now.”

“...I know. B-but…” She bites her lip. “...in a perfect world, I...I’d like to keep them.”

He gives a slow nod. “...all right. How do we want to make this work?”

At that, Hinata pauses, seemingly taken aback. “Y...you mean you…?”

“What, you think I’m going to run on you now?” he asks. “I thought you knew me better than that.”

“N-no! I...I just...this isn’t exactly the b-best time, and…” Hinata trails off, not sure how to voice her thoughts. “...I thought maybe...maybe it would be...too much.”

Sasuke sighs. “...I mean yeah, it’s...definitely a surprise. But Hinata...look. I…” It’s his turn to fumble. “...I love you. We’ve been together pretty much our entire college careers. And I wasn’t planning on that going away once we graduate. Maybe it’s not how we planned it, but I mean…” He gestures to her. “...I’m here for you. I’ll always be here for you. A bump in the road isn’t going to scare me that easily. I’ve already got work lined up. You’ll have a bit of a late start, but...we can make this work. If that’s what you want.”

“...is it...what you want?”

“...yeah,” he agrees after a pause. “...I love you, Hinata Hyūga. And if things kept working out, then...yeah, I wanted things to progress between us. Kids, marriage, the whole thing. Just because it’s a little soon doesn’t mean I’m against it. Things will be tougher, but...I can do tough.”

Expression crumbling, Hinata crosses to him, arms curled against his chest as she sobs in his arms. “Oh my g-god, I was so worried…”

“...is that why you went AWOL?”

“...I’m sorry...I was just so scared...I-I had to have time to think, and...f-figure out how to talk to you about it.”

“It’s okay...I mean I was worried as hell, but I understand. Just...know you never have to be scared to talk to me, okay? About anything.”

“...I know…”

Sighing, he tucks his chin atop the crown of her head. Well...so much for having a five year plan. But he will make this work.

He’s not the sort to back away from a challenge, after all.

                                                          .oOo.

     SORRY GUYS I know this isn't more of the soulmate AU, but...I couldn't quite figure out how to make this prompt work for it, I'm sorry ;w; I hope this is still enjoyable - a friendo helped me with a plot, and...here we are, lol! I know the tags kinda gave it away, but...I don't want someone stumbling across something they wouldn't want to read, eh heh~      I know some might be disappointed there wasn't more, uh.../nitty gritty/, but I want this series to be able to be read by pretty much everybody in the SH fandom, including those under 18, so...we kinda skipped over that part. I MIGHT do more mature stuff in the future, but...sometimes I'm not the best at it /)///(\ It's a bit of a long reason why, but nsfw stuff isn't always within my ability, I hope you understand!      ANYWAY! I've never really done the whole 'whoops' plot before (well...kinda, but not this ship and not this way). I'm not sure it's very...IC for either of them, since I see Hinata as rather prudish and Sasuke as a bit too careful, but I mean...it's not TOO out there, right? But I think if things DID go awry, they'd handle it...about like this, lol      Anywho...it's VERY late cuz I was working on another project this evening, so I'm gonna head to bed~ Thanks for reading!

[nik-barinova]

Grieving Dragon

Follow up to this fic because I just now got slapped by some inspo

The gunfire rang throughout the alley and all was now silent. Younger Kano wasn’t sure why he didn’t feel the bullet hit him right in the eye like it was supposed to. Surely if that would have happened, his older counterpart would be eliminated from the timeline, right? So why didn’t anything happen?

He looked, saw somebody over him and found Zoey hovering over him. She was protecting him and in turn, took a bullet through the heart. She eventually slumped over younger Kano and died with a smile. He held his breath as his eye could barely see his older counterpart look over at them. He pushed her body off his and older Kano immediately did a scan on the body. His heart raced as his cyber eye identified the now dead body as Zoey. “No...,” he whispered as he both started at his girlfriend’s dead body as it bled out and tightened his grip on Johnny’s neck.

He was feeling so much denial he had no idea he could feel at once. His breathing increased as he now also realized the other half off his deal with Kronika was now broken: keeping Zoey safe. His denial quickly turned to rage as he let out a scream of anger and tackled Sonya down. He rammed his head against hers and started to strangle her. “I’LL FUCKIN’’ KILL YOU, YOU BITCH!!” He screamed as his grip tightened around her neck. Sonya fought as hard as she could to get him off her, kneeling him in the stomach and trying to loosen his grip on her neck.

He was immediately pulled back by both Erron Black and his younger self. “Mate! Mate! Let her go!” young Kano exclaimed. Once they got him off, Erron held him back from going at her again. “Kano! For fuck’s sake, knock it off!” Erron then said keeping him between Kano and a bloody Sonya Blade. As the Cage family retreated to safety, Kano got out of his younger self’s grasp and growled, “Why the hell did you let them get away?!”

Erron calmly replied, “Because ye were goin’ too far fer takin’ revenge on yer girl.” Kano stopped and slowly looked over at his dead girlfriend. He began to approach her body slowly and knelt down to pick up her cold body in his arms. Just as he stood up, he heard Geras approach him asking about the progress he made. Kano looked down at Zoey and grew angry at the time-traveling being. “Tell that bitch Kronika the fuckin’ deal’s off,” he suddenly growled. Both young Kano and Erron were pretty surprised at his decision to end his deal with the Titan but Geras wasn’t.

“I am not surprised you would make such a decision, Kano,” Geras stated. “The hell ya mean...?” he asked. Geras looked down at the half demon’s body and replied, “Kronika knew she would be an obstacle in our plan for the New Era. She knew the girl would be the one to stand up to her. So she set it to have her be... eliminated.” The amount of rage flowing through Kano was absolutely insane. Not only did Kronika, the woman who promised The Black Dragon a big future in the black market, break a part of their deal which was protect Zoey, but also kill off the woman he ever felt love for.

“... Get th’ fuck out,” he growled. Geras blinked slowly until Kano screamed, “GET THE FUCK OUT OF HERE!! FUCK YOU!! FUCK KRONIKA!! AN’ FUCK THE NEW ERA!!” Erron swore he saw his boss, a cocky son of a bitch, cry as he screamed that. Geras hesitantly returned to Kronika’s keep and left the three alone. Kano sniffed and went back inside the fight club in silence while carrying Zoey. The Black Dragon members stepped aside as he ordered a few people to set up a funeral for Zoey.

It was the first time anyone in The Black Dragon had a funeral, and he wanted Zoey to have a good last goodbye. Erron, Kabal, And his younger counterpart all flew her casket to Romania, one of her favorite places on Earthrealm to visit, and buried her there.

—————

Months passed, Kano assisted in taking down Kronika, and he was nowhere to be found in the Black Dragon base. However, Kabal knew exactly where to find him. He ran over to one of the bars and found him slumped over the bar wearing Zoey’s cloak and a drink in his hand. As much as he despised his boss, he actually did feel bad for him. Ever since Zoey’s death, he grew horribly depressed, drank even more than usual, got angry even faster, and got into more fights than usual. He just lost the woman of his dreams and wouldn’t get her back.

Kabal sighed and went up to his possibly blacked out boss. “Hey. C’mon. Ya gotta wake up,” he said shaking Kano to see if he was alive. Kano stirred and snorted as he woke up. “Wh-What...?” he grumbled. Kabal shook his head and said, “It’s three in the mornin’. Ya gotta get home, man.” Kano didn't protest surprisingly and went with Kabal. Kabal, however, has to support Kano all the way back to base and took occasional glances at him as they went back.

Kano was out cold the moment they reached his quarters. Kabal unlocked the door and dragged him to his bedroom and plopped him in bed before going back to his own. He swore he had never seen a man like Kano take such a downfall in grief and, honestly, he really did feel bad for him. He sighed and left.

At seven in the morning, Kano woke up with a god awful headache and felt horribly hungover. He grunted and slowly opened his eye, thinking he’d find Zoey asleep, but remembered it was empty. He stared at the empty space where Zoey would normally sleep for what felt like hours, reminiscing at the times where they talked about whatever or nothing, made love, and just... enjoyed each other’s presence as they lay there in bed.

He sighed sadly and slowly got up from the bed with a groan. He saw it was a rainy morning but he had no other plans to do anything today, so he stayed indoors. He went to make himself a coffee in the kitchen and just listened to the rain. His mind has him envision Zoey as she would hug him with a blanket when the weather got like this and let out a shaky sigh as he sat at the table. He noticed the stuffed koala he had and brought it closer to him.

The koala had a little sign that he wrote, “My daddy needs a mommy. Will you be my mommy?” He turned it around and found the compartment where he hid his engagement ring for Zoey. He opened the little box and found the ring in perfect condition still and stared at it for a very long time. He looked away from it for one second before he noticed a piece of paper sticking out from the cabinets. He rose a brow and approached it wondering where it came from. He pulled it out and flipped it to the front when he sat back down.

His eye widened as he realized what he was looking at: an ultrasound of a tiny fetus. His eye then turned to his now useless engagement ring as his emotions got the better of him. His hand shook as he kept staring at the ultrasound photo before he started something he hadn’t done since he was a child: cry.

The man broke down into tears as he not only lost his would-be wife, but also his unborn child.

[swanqueeneverafter]

What Dreams May Come, Pt. 2

Storybrooke. Sheriff’s Office. (The sound of laughing can be heard as Emma and Lily talk over morning coffee.) Lily: “Henry really said that?” Emma: “Yep. Never seen the kid move so fast.” Lily: “Oh, I’m sure. God, you must feel like the Sheriff at home too sometimes, huh?” Emma: “Regina I can handle. She’s not one for hiding her emotions. It’s Henry I’m worried about. Regina’s right, when he’s home he hardly speaks to us.” Lily: (Shrugs:) “Typical teenager?” Emma: “Well that’s what I thought at first, but now that I think about it, we have no idea where he goes during the day.” Lily: “You were a bail bonds-person, you could always track his whereabouts if you’re that worried.” Emma: “I don’t think it’s that serious. (Sighs:) He just seems to be pulling away from us a little.” Lily: “Do you think it’s because of the baby?” Emma: “What? No, Henry’s just as excited as we are, far as that goes. (Shakes her head:) I don’t know, maybe things will be different once Regina starts her maternity leave.” Lily: “Oh that’s right. Today’s her last day as Mayor isn’t it?” Emma: “Yeah and it’s not a day too soon. I think time away from everyone else’s problems can only be a good thing.” Mayor’s Office. (Regina unlocks her door and enters the mayor’s office. Leroy follows her inside, ranting and raving about his latest grievance. Taking her time, Regina turns on each light around the room before reaching her desk. Placing her bag on the table, she takes a deep breath before turning and giving Leroy her best glare. The bearded man immediately stops talking and waits for the mayor’s decision.) Regina: “As I have told you countless times, Leroy. It is not within the purview of this office to interfere in this matter.” Leroy: “But the-“ Regina: “If you have a problem with people from Camelot riding their horses along Storybrooke’s streets, I suggest you take it up with either Lancelot or Queen Guinevere. As an animal lover myself, I happen to find the sound of hoof beats quite comforting.” Leroy: “You want me to speak to Lancelot, the finest swordsman in the land, about controlling his people?” Regina: “He’s a fair man. I’m sure he’ll hear you out.” Leroy: (Mutters as he leaves the room:) “Yeah, right before he runs me through.” Regina: (Once Leroy leaves:) “And what a shame that would be.” (Taking a look around, Regina sighs before removing her coat to begin packing up her office.) A New Realm. Night. (A Royal ball is in full swing as Ella descends the staircase into the sea of people. Spotting the King and Queen seated on their thrones atop the dais, Ella heads straight for them.)

(Just as she’s about to approach however, she is tapped on the shoulder. Turning, Ella sees Henry smiling back at her.) Henry: “May I have this dance?” Ella: “Thanks, but I'm not really the dancing type.” Henry: “Yeah, I picked up on that. (Pulls something from his pocket:) I brought your lucky flower. (Holds it up:) A hyacinth. I promise not to knock you over again.” Ella: “Well, it is lovely.” Henry: (Smiling, Henry places the flower in Ella’s hair:) “One dance.” (Reluctantly, Ella allows herself to be lead back onto the dance floor.) Meanwhile, On The Dais. (Queen Madelena and King Richard are being entertained by the court jester.) Jester: “Banana.” King Richard: (Clearly bored:) “Banana who?” Jester: “Banana.” King Richard: (Flatly:) “Banana who?” Jester: “Orange.” King Richard: “Orange who?” Jester: "Orange you glad I didn't say banana again?” Queen Madelena: (Laughs:) “Whoa! (Clapping:) Another wonderful routine, Jester.” King Richard: (Confused:) “I'm not seeing it, baby.” Queen Madelena: “Perhaps his humor flies over your head, then.” On The Dancefloor. (Henry bows before Ella.) Ella: (Curtsying:) “If you're here about your headless horse, it's out back.” Henry: “Actually I'm less concerned with that than the dagger you stole.” (They begin to dance.) Ella: “I don't know what you're talking about.” Henry: “Oh, really? Then what's this? (Pulling the dagger from its hiding place inside Ella’s dress:) It has my initials engraved on the hilt. ‘HSM.’ Henry Swan-Mills.” Ella: “Are you crazy?” (Taking the dagger back, she conceals it once more while shooting a glance towards the dais. They resume dancing.) Henry: “You didn't come here to fall in love with a Prince, did you?” Ella: “No, I didn't. I came here to kill the Queen.” Henry: “Why would you do that?” Ella: “'Cause that woman took everything from me. She ordered my kingdom to be overthrown and my father executed. I've been on the run ever since.” Henry: “And so you're gonna throw your life away for revenge? Once you kill her, they'll kill you. That's not a happy ending.” Ella: “There is no happy ending for me.” Henry: “Maybe things are changing. Maybe me crashing into your carriage was a sign you can start over.” Ella: “I told you, I don't believe in signs.” Henry: “This isn’t the way your story is supposed to end, Ella. You can come with me, start over. We can find your own story.” Ella: “Sounds lovely, but my father, he meant the world to me. I just can't let it go.” (Ella slips from Henry’s hold and heads quickly toward the dais.) Henry: “No, no, no! No, hey, wait!”

On The Dais. (King Richard turns to his right hand man and bodyguard, Gareth.) King Richard: “Honestly, Gareth, I don’t know what she sees in him.” Gareth: (Watching Madelena and the Jester shamelessly flirt with one another:) “No idea, My King.” Queen Madelena: (Stands:) “Well, I will go and compliment the Jester. (Clears throat:) And while I do, husband, perhaps you can make some progress into finding where the jewel of Valencia is hidden.” King Richard: “I've tried everything.” Queen Madelena: “Mm-hmm. (Under her breath:) I can’t believe I married you.” King Richard: (Standing, coldly:) “What did you just say?” Queen Madelena: “I said, (Yelling:) I. Can’t. Believe. I. Married. You!” King Richard: (Sinks back down in his throne:) “See, that's what I thought you said. I just wanted clarification. Thank you.” Queen Madelena: (Sweetly:) “Find me the jewel, would you, dear?” King Richard: “Of course, darling.” Queen Madelena: (Stepping down off the dais:) “Jester, um... Join me in my chamber, would you? I'd love to learn a little more about how you, uh... craft a joke.” Jester: (Following:) “Ooh!” King Richard: (To Gareth:) “She really gets a kick out of that damn Jester. I don't know. Maybe it is all going over my head.” Gareth: “Oh, it's definitely going over your head, sir.” Storybrooke. Sheriff’s Station. (Emma is sorting through some old case files when Snow White enters.) Snow White: “Good afternoon, Sheriff.” Emma: (Smiles:) “Hey, Mom. (Puts down the file:) What’s up?” Snow White: “I just came to pick you up.” Emma: (Confused:) “I don’t know what you’ve heard but I’m doing fine.” Snow White: “No, silly. I’ve come to pick you up for your first Mommy and Me group.” Emma: “Oh. T-that was tonight?” Snow White: “Of course. Are you ready to go?” Emma: (Thinking quickly on her feet:) “Ah, actually, mom, we can’t make it tonight.” Snow White: “Why not?” Emma: “It’s Regina. She called not long ago saying she wasn’t feeling well and went home. I’m supposed to go over and pick up the rest of her stuff after work.” Snow White: “Oh, well that’s too bad.” Emma: “Mm. I know she was really looking forward to it.” Snow White: “Well is there anything I can do? You know if it’s pregnancy related I can definitely help with-“ Emma: “No. No, it’s just general tiredness I think. She’ll probably take a long bath and get some rest. In fact, it’s pretty quiet here so I’m gonna close up early and be with her. Sorry, mom.” Snow White: “Oh, don’t be. We’ll do it another time. Do you want me to help with the boxes?” Emma: “Nah, I’ve got it.” Snow White: “Okay, well if you’re sure. Give Regina my love, won’t you?” Emma: (Smiles:) “I will.” (Feeling slightly guilty as she watches Snow White leave, Emma quickly reaches for her phone and calls her wife.) Mayor’s Office. (Packing things into boxes, Regina turns at the sound of her phone ringing and walks over to answer it.) Regina: “Emma, I’m almost through here.” Emma: “You’ve gotta leave there, right now.” Regina: “What? Why?” Emma: “Three words. Mommy and Me.” Regina: “Oh no.” Emma: (Quickly:) “It’s all right, I got us out of it. I told mom you weren’t feeling well but that doesn’t mean she’s not gonna check my story.” Regina: (Smiling:) “Did you ever know that you’re my hero?” Emma: (Rolling her eyes:) “Yeah, yeah and you are the wind beneath my wings. Just get out of there before she catches you.” Regina: “Way ahead of you. See you tonight.” (Hanging up the phone, Regina waves her hand toward the boxes and magics them from the office. Looking around to check she’s remembered everything, Regina disappears in a cloud of purple smoke just a few seconds before Snow White enters the room.)

A New Realm. Continued. (As Queen Madelena heads toward her chambers, Ella corners her.) Queen Madelena: "Ugh, out of my way, peasant." Ella: (Drawing the dagger:) "You don't recognize me, do you? I am Ella of Valencia. You killed my father, prepare to die! (Ella rears back and is about to strike when she hesitates, looking at the blade in her hand:) I can't." Queen Madelena: (As Ella lowers the dagger:) "Thank you. (Yelling:) Guards! This woman tried to assassinate your Queen!" (Palming the dagger, Ella runs from the scene before Henry catches up to her.) Ella: "Henry!" Henry: "Take my bike and wait for me where we first met. The portal to my land opens at midnight. You'll be safe there. You need to go!"

Queen Madelena: "Stop that girl! She tried to kill me!" (Henry draws his sword and quickly disarms two guards. Grabbing a discarded sword, Ella enters the fray, taking on another guard on her way out of the ballroom. While Henry battles two more guards, Ella runs across several tables, knocking out yet another guard before reaching the door and making her exit while Henry watches on.) Storybrooke. Swan-Mills House. Evening. (Emma and Regina are eating together in the dining room. Having cleaned her plate, Emma leans back in her chair and smiles at her wife.) Emma: “You know, we will have to go to that Mommy and Me group eventually. My mom isn’t going to just let it go.” Regina: “Only if Snow has nothing else to occupy her time.” Emma: “And what does that mean?” Regina: “Well, if she were to take over my duties as Mayor for example…” Emma: (Finishes the thought:) “She’d be far too busy to make us go. What happened to you not wanting her anywhere near your office?” Regina: “This is different. Back then, she had just caught us having sex on her desk and was not in the right headspace to take on the job. For all I knew, she would’ve caused an irreparable mess in my absence just to get back at me.” Emma: “I don’t think that’s true.” Regina: “Why not? That’s what I would have done.” Emma: (Smirks:) “I know you would.” Regina: “Oh and I suppose you’d be above such things? (Takes a sip of her water:) That’s why you appointed Lily as Sheriff rather than David?” Emma: (Purses her lips:) “All right, fine. Maybe I did feel like they were treating us like naughty teenagers, but at least Lily has proven herself. What did Zelena ever do apart from paint your office four shades of green?” Regina: (Shaking her head:) “That’s not the point. This way, with Snow taking over as mayor, everyone benefits. We don’t have to join that ridiculous club, and Snow gets to stick her nose in other people’s business.” Emma: (Chuckles:) “Her heart is in the right place, you know.” Regina: “And it will remain there, as long as she doesn’t try to sing ‘Kum ba yah’ at my stomach.” Emma: (Laughing:) “Point taken. (Clearing the plates from the table:) Dessert?” Regina: “Hm, well I really shouldn’t… but I am eating for two.” Emma: (Nods:) “Thank goodness for Häagen-Dazs huh?” Regina: (Patting her stomach:) “You can say that again.” 

[headoverhiddles]

The Gift (Part 2) - Nice Guy Eddie x Reader x Mr Blonde [Smut]

The Gift (Part 2) - Nice Guy Eddie x Reader x Mr Blonde [Smut]

Synopsis: Eddie takes you and Vic to Vegas with his dad for a meeting before the job Vic is supposed to pull. An accident is not so accidental.

Tagging: @this-is-mysuperwholockd-design @cocoawaltz @mysticaltimemachinewench @neganrpblog @ford-brosnan-spader​

PART I 

The Cabots' private jet hums, the tray in front of you vibrating ever so slightly from an air pocket. You're draped over Eddie's arm as he finishes off his second Old Fashioned, and Vic lays across from you both on a sectional seat.

"Thanks a lot for bringing me out here with you guys," Vic mentions, smoke between his fingers and a rum in the other.

"Hey Vic, you know how it is," Eddie replies, lighting his own cigarette, "You're pretty much family at this point."

From across the jet, Joe sniffs.

"Certainly a better son to me than you are, Eddie. Right hand knows what the fuck the left hand's doin'."

Eddie places the hand he had over your hand over his heart, turning back playfully. He's a little tipsy, you can tell from the slight flush in his cheeks, and he's having a good time. "Daddy, that hurt. And right in front of my girl, too."

Joe cracks a bit of a smile. "The dame's alright. She's just with you for ya money, anyway. Or, I should say, my money. Ain't that right sweetheart?"

"You know that's not true," you giggle, and walk your fingers up Eddie's exposed chest, "Well, not anymore, anyway."

Everyone chuckles, and Vic stretches out for a nap as Eddie orders you a Manhattan from the guy they've got working for them. You watch Vic, and find yourself rubbing your thighs together while you glimpse his biceps and exposed tattoo.

---

Once the jet touches down, you all take a car that brings you directly to the hotel-- you're staying at the Mandalay Bay.

"Should we really be staying in plain fucking sight like this?" Vic asks, shoving his hands into his jacket pockets. Eddie slings an arm around his buddy.

"Vic, Vic! Prison's made you too fuckin' cautious. Meeting or no, we've gotta stay in style, just like old times, c'mon!"

"Life's been too good to you, Eddie," Vic smirks, "You oughtta get your ass busted, then you'll see how much of a spoiled little brat you really are." Eddie grins, and tries to deck him, but Vic's too fast, and gets Eddie first, the pair ending up in a tangle of limbs and struggle until Joe turns around, growls, and stomps up to them.

"Every time I turn around, you boys are makin' fools out of us all. What's the little lady gonna think?"

"Oh, I'm used to it, Mr. Cabot," you reply.

Joe snorts. "With my son? I guess. Watch over these grown ass idiots, will ya?!"

You salute playfully, and turn to them. You pout, tugging on Eddie's sleeve to get up to the room, and Eddie laughs.

"Speaking of spoiled little brats..." He stands up, and his eyes flicker down to your lips as he growls playfully, dragging you in for a kiss. You moan against his lips, deepening it, and Eddie's hand finds your leg, lifting it up to back you against a wall as you both moan and make out. Vic ducks his head, and smiles.

"I'll be going now."

When all of you are finally finished checking in, you get up to the rooms. Eddie unlocks suite 364, and Vic is next door in 365. Joe got a suite up a floor, because he wanted to be as far away from the "shenanigans and debauchery you three are bound to get up to". His policy was always: if I don't know what's going on, I don't have to worry. Unless it's about a job, in which case, somebody better fucking tell me what's going on, or bullets will find some skulls.

After dumping everything out on the bed and in the bathroom, you get changed into something a little sexier, and put on a ruby necklace Eddie bought you last month. You saunter out of the bathroom, fixing your hair, and Eddie looks up from the bed. You notice he's got his fly undone, and he's jerking off lazily as he looks at you.

"Hey, you look swell." He sighs, giving his hard on another stroke. "Got somethin' ready for you."

"Uh huh," you say, pretending not to give it a good look as you out some lipstick on.

"Mmmm... baby, is it wrong that I just wanna tear all that off ya, bend you over this bed, and fill that tight little pussy of yours?"

"Yes," you admonish, planning on teasing him to no end tonight, "I'm hungry, and I wanna do some slots. Then you can fuck me as hard as you want. Later."

Eddie runs a hand through his hair, squeezing his already throbbing dick. "Got myself a sugar baby to fuck me on my terms. Only fucks me on her terms. Fuckin' unbelievable." He shakes his head, still smiling at you, and you blow him a kiss. He heads into the bathroom, jerks himself off quickly, gets into some nicer clothes, and comes out, taking your arm.

"Let's go then, princess."

You go downstairs and out to the Bellagio buffet, then to the hotel casino. You wonder what Vic's doing... probably getting laid or hanging out at some dive bar on the strip with dancers.

You think back to when Vic fucked you, how good and rough he was. You're wet already thinking about it. Then you look over to your sugar daddy, how his shirt is unbuttoned, and think of his cock that he had just been touching. Fuck, just the idea of your situation got you beyond excited-- passed between two sexy men, who loved to make you feel amazing.

"You thinking about something in particular?" Eddie asks, focused on the slot machine.

"Why?" you mutter.

"When you stare at my chest that intently, I can only assume you're thinking about something pretty specific."

You smirk, and lean in. "On second thought, I'd rather the rest of the night we stay in. If I have to wait another minute, I'll need to go to the washroom and take care of myself."

Eddie looks over at you, and shakes his head. "What do I always tell you? Horny all the time, it's a damn miracle."

You bite your lip, and he cashes in, guiding you upstairs. You both get undressed, and Eddie's already half hard again, just from you rubbing him in the elevator on the way up. Your thoughts are racing, and tour blood is rising as you shimmy your panties down, a wet spot already prevalent in them.

"Fuck, love that body," Eddie murmurs, welcoming you onto the bed, and you force him down into the pillows, turning around and spreading your legs. Reverse cowgirl feels really good, and Eddie always seems to cum extra hard with this position.

"Yeah, baby, fuck yeah, do it," Eddie nods, and you sink down on him, moaning and arching your back as you finally make it down to his hips.

"You're so..." you gasp, "S-So big, daddy..."

"Daddy loves feeling his girl's tight little cunt," Eddie breathes, "That's it, sweetheart... fuck daddy's cock good..."

You start to whine and whimper, working yourself back onto his dick as he spanks your ass repeatedly, and just as you're approaching your first orgasm, the door beeps, and in lumbers--

"Shit," Vic smiles. "Wrong key card."

"Your room's next to ours," Eddie sighs, and you come to a halt on him. Vic eyes you, and Eddie sighs. "Take a picture asshole, it'll last longer."

Vic keeps staring, and you make eye contact with him, shuddering. Eddie notices how turned on you are being stared at by his friend, so he narrows his eyes.

"You busy?"

"Me?" Vic shakes his head, already dropping his coat, "Nah." He closes the door, and stops, hands on his belt. "Eddie... I understand if this is crossing a limit. I can go jerk off in the shower, I know you shared her with me once, but that was a one time thing, I mean..."

"Hey. Like I said," Eddie smirks, twirling a lock of your hair, "What's mine is yours." Vic and Eddie both look at you for approval, and you nod fast, suppressing a groan, so Vic takes his belt off, beginning to undress as well.

"Oh," you moan, and Vic climbs onto the bed, that domineering gaze back in his dark eyes.

"Alright. How the fuck are we gonna do this?" Eddie mutters, and you climb off of him. Vic takes his pants down, pumping himself a few times, and Eddie blinks. "Holy motherfuck. No wonder she gets wet every time she sees you, you're fucking hung!"

"You like it, Eddie?" Vic teases, "You want a taste? You want a little taste?"

"Shit, I might just take you up on that someday, buddy," Eddie laughs, and goes in on you from behind, kissing down your neck hard. Vic takes the front, tracing his hand down between your breasts, down to your belly, and to your throbbing arousal. You moan a little, and gasp suddenly as Eddie pushes three fingers into your wetness from behind.

"You snooze you lose, pal," he grins, and Vic smirks, pressing a soft kiss to your forehead. He moves down to your nose, and then tentatively kisses you on the lips, softly and with feeling. Your cheeks are flushed from Eddie fingering you, but the action makes you blush even more.

"Eddie," Vic says slowly.

"What?"

"I'm not just gonna jerk off watching you two go at it, I'm not a fuckin' pervert. I wanna fuck (y/n)."

"What the fuck am I supposed to do with my dick, shove it up my own asshole, Victor?" Eddie snaps, and Vic sets off into giggles as you grin.

"Let me suck you off, daddy."

Eddie suddenly looks interested again. "Yeah? You wanna suck daddy off?"

"Mhmm," you nod, and Eddie nods, moving around to the front of you. You get in between his legs, bending over, and you nearly choke as Vic thrusts into you from Eddie's former position. You lower your lips, and start to suck Eddie off as Vic pounds in, the stimulation of Vic's big cock inside you with the progress you and Eddie had made prior to his "accidental" entry working you toward a mind blowing climax.

"That's so fucking good, baby girl," Eddie praises you, "Daddy's gonna cum sooner than he thought."

"Cum in my mouth, daddy," you breathe, and go back down on him, moaning as Vic finds your clit, rubbing and massaging it just right.

"Oh, oh, oh," Eddie stutters, shoving his hips up into your mouth, and Vic starts to grunt behind you, fucking you so hard you're being pushed forward into Eddie.

"Cool it, Vic, she's gonna--" Eddie is suddenly cut off as he cums in your mouth, hot and thick down your throat. He grabs your hair, holding on as you whimper and moan in pleasure around him, and when he's all finished, he looks down at you.

"Have I told you lately that I love you?"

"About a billion fucking times, Edward," Vic shoots back, and thrusts again. You cry out, and Vic brings a hand down on your ass. Now that you're done sucking Eddie off (and Eddie is laying on his back, sated), Vic takes the opportunity to flip you around, lifting your legs high to rest on his shoulders as he watches his cock go in and out of you. Almost sobbing now, you repeat his name, until he pounds one more time and leans down.

"Such a dirty little cockslut. Loved getting fucked by two cocks tonight, honey? You made us both cum, from fucking your mouth and your pussy. How's that feel?"

"Mmm, amazing," is all you can moan.

"Yeah?" Vic asks, "You like that? 'Sat good, that hit the spot?"

"Vic-- Vic, Vic--"

"Alright. Cum for me."

You climax hard, your voice going hoarse from the screaming. Eddie watches you come apart in awe, and Vic pulls out and cums on your stomach.

You lay there in a heap, the three of you, and finally, as usual, Eddie breaks the silence.

"I haven't felt that good in my entire life."

You have to agree.

---

Joe sits at the dinner table the next night, sipping some wine.

"Meeting went well, Joseph?" Vic asks.

"Sure did, Vic. Sure did. Eddie was in a strangely good mood, didn't threaten the other guys once. Can't explain it." You smirk, and Vic ducks his head, holding in a laugh. Eddie has to fight not to laugh as well, and Joe just rolls his eyes. "I don't wanna know."

"No," you smile, "You really don't."