#anxiety is eating me alive right now that's why
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frecklystars · 4 months ago
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Wow, 32 asks. Thank you guys so much 😭😭 last night was one of the worst shifts I ever had at work. I feel like i keep reverting back to a year ago when everything was fresh. it's been extraordinarily difficult the past couple of months but it always eases the ache when I read nice messages. it genuinely calms me down a lot when other people tell me it's gonna be ok. so thank you to everyone who took the time to do that for me ;-;
I'm gonna be honest, I feel super hopeless. I am not getting joy from anything right now. Drawing, socializing, watching movies, listening to music, I'm feeling *absolutely nothing*. I am triggered by the SMALLEST fucking things that I thought I was getting better at handling. I'm having trouble wearing skirts again. I'm flinching around the color pink when I was doing SO much better with it. For the last nine days, I haven't gone three hours without having a panic attack. I'm not sleeping. My flashbacks are lasting longer. I'm having out of body experiences again for the first time in almost a year. I feel so hopeless. I told myself one year ago "hey I feel like I'm dying right now my ptsd is so fucking bad but! hey! one year from now, I'll feel better! this will feel so far away from me!" but I don't. I don't feel better. I don't think it's possible to feel better bc I'm too broken. It's been over a year and I don't feel like it's possible for me to make progress.
My Barbie/Ken anniversary is coming up and I was excited for the first couple of weeks, but right now I just... feel absolutely nothing. I am so, so, so severely depressed and my anxiety is getting worse every day. I need help out of my unsafe situation so fucking bad dude it's just gonna kill me. I'm so scared this whole thing is gonna genuinely kill me. I wish I could talk about it but I don't want to scare people but at the same time, it's so bad and it's weighing on me so heavily and I am so fuckign tired of dealing with this every single day
I don't know if I'm gonna go offline or not, bc my problem isn't even online. so... I don't see how being offline would help much. I just feel like I'm supposed to do SOMETHING, literally ANYTHING to feel something. Going offline last time made me feel significantly worse, so maybe that shouldn't be my next step. But I feel nothing when I'm blogging right now. I tried making a Jacob edit the other day and I felt no joy. I want to be filling up my queue for the 21st, all of my Barbie and Ken photos and gifsets. I should be writing Barbie and Ken love notes. I should be making video edits again! but I feel nothing!!! This is the one and only anniversary that actually matters to me this year - sorry to the other 12 Ryan F/Os who have anniversaries but THIS ONE is THE most important one, because these two characters are the F/Os that have helped me the most with my abuse trauma/cptsd. They're the whole reason why I started self shipping again. I want to celebrate that. I want to be excited about it. I am just so fucking numb.
I NEED to feel something for this anniversary, I miss celebrating F/O anniversaries! I don't get to do that anymore since self shipping was ruined for me! Since my main F/Os were ruined for me! I deserve to have a good time with my new F/Os!! I am a good person and I am kind despite all the bullshit I've been through and I work really hard to try to heal from shit! I try to stay positive and I try to help people and I!!! Deserve!! To have a day where I feel good with my F/Os without reliving every single horrifying vile thing that someone did to me! but I feel so empty right now and it hurts! I was excited a couple of weeks ago when I was planning all the activities i was gonna do on the 21st, like a restaurant and a movie and baking and throwing a party with my friends, but now?? Nothing. Absolutely NOTHING in my heart. I feel so goddamn empty. I am so depressed. I really really feel like I can't get better. It's been over a year and I am incapable of healing from my trauma and I don't know what to do about it. I am trying so many things to heal!! I'm going walking, I'm eating way healthier and cutting sugar to see if that helps clear my head a bit more, I'm getting sun, I'm drinking so much water, I'm exercising, I've cut my screen time significantly and reading more often, I'm hanging out with my friends as much as I can, I am trying everything in the book and I feel like a zombie just sitting here and rotting to death, going through the motions and reliving my trauma in my head over and over and over and over and over and over again and I can't get any fucking peace. It's like everybody in the world is living their days while the planet is spinning but I am stuck in the same spot reliving the most horrific bullshit imaginable over and over and over. I feel like I've lost almost 2 years of my life to trauma. I don't feel like I've aged, I feel like everything happened yesterday. I feel like I'm stuck in one spot while everybody else is walking forward and I can't move.
Sorry to ramble I didn't mean to turn this into a vent post but idk what else to do. I don't know if I should go offline on my actual anniversary or maybe a couple of days leading up to it?? Or maybe I'm supposed to BE online and blog about the F/Os to see if that helps me feel better?? Being offline made me feel worse. But being online isn't helping me either. Dude I don't fucking know. I need to work on some crafts or something. I need to make a BarbieLand diorama and paint it. I'm gonna bake heart shaped cookies for the first time this weekend. I'm gonna invite my friends over and we're gonna have a party on Sunday and watch the Barbie movie together. I don't know what else to do but I have to just... keep trying I guess even though I feel nothing while doing these things, it's better than doing nothing
If anyone has advice or something, it's more than welcome. Or even just a "wow, that's rough, buddy". I'm sorry for being negative, I try to remain positive on this hellsite but it's so hard right now. Thank you again to everyone who wrote me a nice message last night when I was hurting. I'm sorry I'm gonna probably be asking for encouraging messages a few more times in the next few weeks bc supportive messages are the only things that have been effectively (affectively?) helping me lately
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insanechayne · 3 months ago
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#all I wanna do is talk to my bestie but his wife has been going through his phone when he’s asleep and targeting me for messaging him too#much for some reason so now I’m concerned that she’ll read anything I send and I feel like I have to police everything#and I want to just call him but that’s even more noticeable and I don’t want to cause tension for him or have her dislike me even more#or God forbid answer the phone on his behalf because tbh I don’t think I could hold my tongue at that point#never even met the woman yet she has some kind of issue with me all of a sudden as if he and I haven’t been besties for a year now#we talk all the time and I’m always sending him memes and other nonsense and it’s never been a problem but now she’s sneaking around behind#his back to go through his phone and even texted me a reply to a message I’d sent him which is just creepy and weird#it’s like she’s trying to scare me off but I’m not even close to a threat cause like I’m literally gay I don’t want mans at all#and bestie said he’d talk to her about all this but everything is still up in the air and I can’t do anything to solve the problem or fix#things and it’s driving me fucking insane and literally giving me anxiety so bad that it’s making me physically sick and idk what the fuck#to do about any of it at this point#like I told him if she wants to just meet me I’d love to be able to talk to her and sort this out before it becomes a worse issue but#it would appear that that’s not going to happen or at least not right now and it sucks#so I’m trying desperately to let it go and hold off on texting or calling him and just pretend like everything is fine but it’s fucking#eating me alive and all I want is to call him and talk to him about this and then have things go back to normal but I fucking can’t and I’m#sick over it legitimately#why can’t I just have normal friendships? something always gotta go bad and turn into drama and I’m getting damn sick of it#personal
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nosyrobin · 14 days ago
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Batboys when their unaffectionate best friend texts them “I love you” out of no where.
Tw: suicide mentions but not done. Reader is gender neutral.
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Dick
As soon as he got that text, he either felt happy you started to be affectionate or he felt worried as you never really texted him that. He goes to text you “are you okay?”
And if you don’t answer he’s leaving work and going to your house. His anxiety is eating his stomach alive when he reached your house, he opens them with the spare keys you gave him.
You were just watching tv when you turned at him confused. “Dick?” Immediately dick hugs you, tightly. Now you’re concerned . “Dick?” You said again, worried. “I was worried…thought something happened to you.” He stays at your home until he gets called back to work.
Jason
Just try and do the same shit to him like dick. Don’t answer him? This man’s pulling up to your house immediately when you said “I love you.” Scared that maybe someone who knows him and wants to hurt Jason is after you.
He knows you, more than you know yourself. Literally he’s already at your window banging on it, cursing himself when you don’t open it he goes and bust the window open wide. He can pay for it, don’t worry.
As he stalks around the house holding his gun, he sees you standing in the kitchen holding a knife. This big ass fridge of a man just grabs the knife out of your hand. You scream shocked before seeing it was just Jason.
“What..were you doing?…” he asked firmly. You scoff and grabbed the knife, well tried to as you explained yourself. “I was gonna cut onions before you came in Jay..” you said pointing to the onions Jason had clearly hadn’t seen due to adrenaline.
“Oh. Well love ya too, ima go now. I’ll see you in the morning.” Jason says leaving, that was before he turned around. “Oh yeah and Uhm…your window is broken.” Jason leaves quickly as you gasp and go check your bedroom window. “JASONNNN!!” You yelled in anger.
Tim
It’s late at night, he on his computer doing a report when all he sees on his phone is an “I love you” text from the most unexpected friend ever, you. Immediately Tim is getting up, calling you as he gets dressed to go to your house.
He’s scared, “pick up, pick up, pick up.” You don’t answer. “Fuck!” Tim hangs up and calls again. He knows you had some thoughts of suicidal tendencies, but he’s been by you in your darkest days. So when you just text him that, he doesn’t realize he’s crying when he finally reaches your house.
He’s using a spare key he secretly copied off of your own home key, don’t ask. It’s for procedures like this if you are in danger.
Anyways he immediately screaming your name, if you don’t answer immediately as he screams your name. He’s gonna run up to your room.
But if you immediately yell back his name, he’s running towards your voice. You were in your room relaxing when you see a tired and scared Tim rush at you into a hug. Crying softly as he holds you tight.
“You’re okay right? Why didn’t you answer my calls?!” He says immediately. “My phone died when I texted you…” Tim immediately stopped crying just to give you a “wtf” face. “….are you serious.” Tim had forgotten that you had a terrible habit of having your phone dead at times.
“Yeah.” “..just for this night scare. I’m sleeping here.” Tim says, his body soon gave out easily. Making his heavy body fall on your smaller frame. “Tim! Tim! Get up dude..I’m sorry!? Damnnit!!!”
Damian
The moment that text got sent, it takes him 6 minutes to get to your house. Quietly like the damn ex assassin he is.
His expression and face are hardened holding a katana, bro’s lip in sunken in as he looks around your house. “I don’t know what games you are playing. But it’s not funny L/N.” He says as he then sits on your bed. Katana flat on his lap staring at you intensely. “What, I can’t say I love you to my best friend.” Damian’s glare hardened. “You can, I was just surprised when you texted me those 'words'. Seemed unlikely of you to say that so I had to come to make sure you were secured.”
You deadpanned at the tanned boy in-front of you. “Okay fine, I just wanted to say it incase you felt like you didn’—” “I know you love me, and I …love you too. Now that I know you are okay, I must go.” He says quickly. Looking away to hide his slight flustered face, he lifts up your window sill and jumps out the window. You walk over to see the boy is immediately gone.
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suguru-getos · 6 months ago
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Could you write a continuation of yandere satosugu where the reader lived and they try everything to help her get better and care for her?
| making up for mistakes | yandere satosugu x reader |
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-> continuation of the first part: link 🔗
you had survived the almost suicide attempt you so carefully & yet so carelessly attempted. you were sure you weren’t getting up after this. damn it you made sure to hit your head hard, you could see blanks, you could see stars in your eyes until it all faded to a peaceful nothing-ness.
now, you’re awake again. nothing hurts. you know they must’ve told their friend shoko to aid in your injuries. you feel like you’ve woken up from a long slumber. unwanted as it may be… it does make you feel eerily refreshed. you stretch your limbs from the bed, they’re going to kill you for this. kill you for hampering with their property. oh well — at this point you’re fine with it. what’s it going to do? hurt you. pain is all there is they could ever offer anyways. maybe you can scream out and wish it gets over. that’s all you set your mind to.
you look to the side, the curtains are open and there is a little drizzle of snow. it brings a smile to your face. what if you hadn’t been kidnapped? it would’ve been so fun to hop into one of the lovely cafes you like & order some hot cocoa. put both your hands and wrap them around the ceramic of the hot cup and exhale in utter relaxation of the aroma the sweet cafe has to offer. oh… happy days.
its nauseating what your life is now, wrapping a blanket around yourself and checking down below. you are wearing clothes, decent clothes… not the sultry, slutty ones that satoru forces you to wear. you feel like you could throw up when the reminder occurs again. beaten up like you were nothing but an animal, throwing up in pain and anxiety--
"there we go! princess! awake! oh my god!" satoru comes in and hugs you tightly, his bulky arms wrapping against you, he doesn't let your mind have the time to panic. besides, satoru was... not the one who inflicted you that pain. even though he did nothing about it, in a moment of pure misery, your mind would latch on to him for comfort. "baby- you scared daddy, please don't do that ever again. fuck! i thought i lost you." you could hear the heartbeats on your snow haired man, they were ragged and reminded of the same panic you once bore.
"sorry." your eyes lack all emotions, just a soft murmur escaping you. the haunting realization that you were alive was eating you up. even so, it was your soul that had died. it's the dejected way you answered that makes satoru panic even more. immediately at your knees, leaning against your thighs and mumbling soft apologies, tears wetting your skin. "please baby, I'm so sorry, i should never have let that happen... you did a mistake that's all! you- you- pissed us off." he shakes his head, hugging you tightly.
your hands robotically landed across his hair, caressing. "it's okay, i did wrong, i understand."
your responses were making him nauseous, he hated seeing you in pain, but suguru always says its something that's needed. why is it needed? you're not an animal, are you? the ways with which satoru and suguru try to 'discipline' their toy they are delusional enough to call their lover is insane.
"i got breakfast, little one." now, your heart sinks. you hear the voice of the man who did this to you, mothering, now that his rage is faded into pure, eviscerating guilt. "you have no idea the joy it gives me seeing you awake." suguru hums, and you latch onto satoru, hugging him tightly. satoru's heart skips a beat. this was not the first time you had reached out to him, yet, you did it by your own. it gives him a sick sense of protectiveness. "he wouldn't do anything to ya baby, suguru loves you too." he reminds, looking at a devastated suguru.
"please don't hurt yourself again, angel" suguru hums, leaning in and kissing your forehead. it makes you sick to your stomach, how they treat you right now. you know that whatever you did yielded no results. and they are ever so careful about the same. you're pretty sure you'd have either of them by your side at all times.
"let's go and eat, suguru's made your favorite!" satoru chirps, happily holding you princess-style and going to the dining area. your eyes wandered to the other room on the way, the same room where this all happened, it's making you panic internally. the grotesque reminder of how they treated you. you're about to throw up again.
as soon as satoru puts you down, you run to throw up in disgust, nothing comes out except a few drops of water. your stomach is empty as is. a large, looming hand caresses your back. "I'm sorry, angel. please relax." suguru-- it's suguru...
"i'm sorry." you answered, "i am so sorry." you nodded to get back to the dining area, you should know better than to be with satoru. its not like suguru wouldn't do anything he wants anyways... you'd just like to have some comfort over it.
luckily for you, the breakfast went fine, you were eating quietly, while satoru just observed you. how uncomfortable you looked, the subtle shift in your demeanor. every tiny thing. suguru is essentially doing the same, gazing at your way and observing you. "you look beautiful." suguru comments, and you force a smile from the deepest pits of your psyche. "thank you, suguru."
you know he's ticked off, you need to call them 'daddy' and you're here, addressing them by their first names. sigh... they just have to help you heal, there isn't anything they can do about it really. they pushed you this far, and they should make up for it.
however, as days turn into weeks, satoru and suguru are forced to face the haunting realization that your mental and physical health is worsening. you barely eat, barely talk... you just, stare into the nothingness of empty spaces. satoru has avoided missions to take care of you. he is by your side, sleeps next to you, kisses your forehead, helps you take a shower. while earlier, you tried to at least pretend and work with it. answer however you could, talk to them, fake your smiles, now its nothing. you barely talk.
this time, satoru has a mission to take care of, but suguru is the one who's spending time with you. gently placing you on the bathtub, caressing your forearm, massaging it, decorating it with petals. "there we go little girl, there we go. feels nice?" he coos, and when you don't respond, sighs weakly. he wishes he could at least hear something out of you. when he sees you immersed in auto-pilot, he hums by himself; "yes, yes it is." he has to talk to himself in hopes that its you talking to him. "you know, me and satoru... we were thinking a trip to Italy sounds nice, or maybe Paris.." you used to love travelling, he hopes that would utter out a response from you. NOTHING comes out of you however. that makes suguru's heart break a little, "or maybe, anywhere that you like." he hums, sighing.
"angel?" he asks softly, leaning in and kissing your neck, maybe that would at least earn some leaning back. your resistance...
none.
"talk to me for fucks sake!" suguru snarls, glaring hard at you. you don't even flinch at that, contrary to your earlier flinching and tweaking. a sigh escapes him and then comes bubbling tears. he has truly fucked you up. the haunting realization finally hits him. he can't live with it anymore... it's choking the very fiber of his being.
the rest of the shower passes by in a haze, and suguru is quiet, tears dripping from his face. "what should i do so that you become normal again?" he asks again, pouting and begging with his eyes. no response...
he gets up after tucking you in bed. the dark circles in your eyes are an explicit example of how less you're sleeping. sometimes you wake up with irritating nightmares, screaming and crying. that's the only moment when satoru and suguru are welcomed by your affections.
suguru sighs, he needs to win you this time. or maybe... what's that called? stockholm syndrome?
or maybe, he needs to discuss with satoru about erasing your memory...
or maybe, he needs a curse that can shove your memory off and then they can date you.. from scratch...
either way, they're not leaving you. anytime soon.
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rowdyluv · 1 month ago
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summary:, in which jack and y/n are closer to leaving for Jersey, it’s their last lake day of the summer, but Luke’s friends bring a group of girls who make it impossibly hard for y/n to enjoy her day.
word count: 3.2k
warnings: underage drinking references, bullying(?), fake girlfriend trope, angst, fluff, use of y/n, pet names (toots), use of real names, use of internal thoughts - y/n’s notated by indention and italics, jack’s indention and bolded - , friends to lover, oblivious pining,
notes: any use of names or likeness of real people or places other than restaurants, arenas / players or player’s friends, family members, old teammates etc, are all completely coincidental
© property of quinnylouhughesx43 ; do not copy and re-upload as your own - anywhere. do not place my work inside AI codes, do not translate.
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Jack's muscles flexed as he hoisted the last cooler onto the boat, the sound of ice shifting against the plastic echoing in the mid-morning quiet. The sun beaming hot rays down on his bare shoulders as he bent down to put the cooler in the back corner of the boat. Luke followed closely behind, juggling a stash of towels towered on top of a tote of snacks he had probably already laid claims to. He carried the overflowing bundle with perfected ease until he managed to trip over his own feet when stepping on the boat.
Jack’s loud laughter carried over the calm body of water, “It takes talent to trip over nothing moosey.”
Luke tossed his brother a look as he picked up the towels that splayed out across the floor of the boat. “You would know, seeing how you’re supposed to be a top notch NHL player now and you still fall on the ice, when you’ve not even been checked.”
Jack was silent. He didn’t have anything to say in return, his little brother hit a nerve at the mention of ‘supposed to be top notch.’ Quickly he shook it off, kneeling down to help him pick up the snacks that had fallen out of the tote too. It was Jack and Y/n’s last day to spend out on the lake before heading to Jersey for Jack’s preseason training. Jack didn’t want to spend it in a foul mood.
“I’ll be back in a minute, Dukers and the others are here.” Luke carefully stepped off the boat before jogging off the dock, passing Y/n on his way up.
Just the same as any other boat day, she sat on the boat's bench seat at the back next to the captain’s seat. “It’s crazy to think that in two days I’m leaving my mom, my hometown, and moving to an entirely new state.” Y/n suddenly blurted out to Jack. Who was double checking they had all of the life jackets needed.
“You’re not going to back out on me are you?” Jack didn’t turn to face her or look back in her direction. He continued his inspection. He was truly nervous she would have to go another year without someone with him in Jersey.
“No, of course not…after all, all of my stuff is sort of already there in your new apartment..It's just.. Saying goodbye is always hard for me, I'm not exactly great at letting go.” She fell silent and Jack froze in his spot. He was unsure if she had more to say or if she was waiting on him, so he waited silently hoping she’d continue. Because at that moment it sounded like she wasn’t fully convinced herself she was leaving in two days.
A soft breathy laugh was let out and Y/n continued, “But I did kind of make this agreement with you to be in this fake relationship. Don’t you think that would be a bit hard to do with me here and you there?” She played with the ends of her hair from her ponytail, unsure why she would even bring that up today. She didn’t want to think about it until she had to because the anxiety over it was already eating her alive. Yet here she was letting it fall right out into the open. She was terrified of screwing up somehow and having no one believe in the facade the two of them had created.
“Heh.. Yeah, you kind of did..” Jack sounded far away from where she was, distracted almost. He had turned around to face her now, “but that’s also later, it will all be okay. I promise toot.” He offered her a soft smile and took a seat next to her, leaning over into the cooler to grab himself a beer. “Let’s put all that out of our minds until later too, today is just another day. Let’s have fun, yeah?”
Before Y/n could give any form of response shrilling fake laughter and deep voices drew their attention away from one another.
She watched as Luke reappeared with his friends. As each familiar face trickled in, a new female face with a bigger, brighter, faker smile followed. The girls they had brought along were a bit of a surprise, their presence as annoying as they were loud. Y/n felt a knot in her stomach tighten as she saw the way one of the girls, a blonde with a figure that could make even the most stoic of men stumble, was eyeing Jack like a prize catch.
Because he is a prize catch.
Quinn arrived last, his footsteps heavy on the dock as he carried a brand new handle rope for skiing, kneeboarding, and other activities alike. He looked over the crowd and shook his head. He looked over at Y/n, an apologetic smile gracing his lips. She gave him a small one back, feeling a little better knowing he was on the same page she was with their extra visitors, he also was the only one who knows of the girlfriend arrangement aside from the Devils administration, as Jack had confided in him.
Quinn dropped the rope onto the boat and took his spot behind the wheel. “Everything ready?” Quinn asked to no one in particular.
Jack took one last gulp of the beer he had just opened before nodding eagerly. “Yeah, let’s go baby!”
The blonde giggled, her eyes sparkling like the lake's surface under the hot sun. She sidled up to Jack, her hand lingering a beat too long on his arm as she decided to sit right in between them.
The knot in Y/n’s stomach tightened further. She felt like she could be sick from the blatantly obvious come on. Who the hell does this girl think she is?
This is going to be a long day.
Y/n grabbed the red Devils hat that Jack had let carelessly fall onto the boat's floor earlier when he leaned over, feeling the soft fabric against her palms. She placed it firmly on her head, hoping it would serve as an invisible shield against the barrage of flirty glances and suggestive comments from the blonde. Y/n scooted herself as far over to the edge of the bench seat as possible to get away from her. As the boat's engine roared to life, she settled into a comfortable position, pulled out her phone from her backpack, and pretended to be absorbed in scrolling through her ‘X’ feed. The wind picked up speed, whipping her hair into a frenzy around her face as Quinn steered them away from the dock. The periodic spray of lake water was a welcome distraction from the girl's invasive proximity.
Quinn's eyes flicked over to Y/n, noticing the tension in her shoulders. He cranked up the music, the bass thumping in time with the boat's steady rhythm. The noise was a reprieve, allowing her to sink into the music and momentarily forget about the awkward situation. The boat sliced through the water, leaving a frothy trail in its wake. The cool spray on her skin and the smell of gasoline mixed with the smell of the lake created a peculiar serenity that contrasted sharply with the tension in the air.
Jack, catching Quinn's subtle nod in her direction, glanced over at Y/n. Her eyes remained glued to her phone, but he could tell she was far from engaged in whatever she was scrolling through. The blonde had moved on to flirting with Luke's friends, leaving a gap of space between her and Jack that felt like a mile-wide canyon. He leaned over, his hand gently pushing up his cap from her head so he could see her face better. "You okay toots?" he shouted just loud enough over the music for her to hear him.
Her eyes snapped up to meet his, the wind tearing a few longer loose strands from her ponytail to slap against his roody red flushed cheeks. She nodded, giving him a forced smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. "Yeah, I'm fine," she simply responded back.
Jack didn't look convinced, his brow furrowed slightly. He knew her better than anyone, and the fake cheeriness didn’t sit well on her or with him. He could tell that she was uncomfortable now that he had paid some attention to her, but he wasn’t going to press the issue, instead he leaned back on the bench with a sigh and turned his attention to his older brother engaging him in a conversation about the upcoming season.
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The rest of the day unfolded with Y/n retreating further into herself. She stuck to the back of the boat, a norm for her but she was usually involved in conversations or their silly games. But she had seen this play out before, if she got involved in their conversations or games today, one of the girls would find a way to spin a joke off on her. Making it seem innocent, when it truly wouldn’t be.
The atmosphere was electric with excitement, everyone except Y/n seemed to be having the time of their, intoxicated, lives. Jack didn’t seem to notice how reclusive she had become, or if he did he let her be. The blonde, whose name she hadn't caught, had attached herself to Jack like a leech, giggling at every little thing he said, touching him at every opportunity. Y/n felt like she was watching a movie that she had no part in. Her eyes narrowed at the girl’s antics, and she couldn’t help but feel a twinge of jealousy. This was supposed to be their day, a last hurrah before leaving. Before his season started and their lives got hectic.
“Let’s put all that out of our minds until later too, today is just another day. Let’s have fun, yeah?”
Jack’s words from earlier replayed in her mind at a deafening level.
He doesn’t want me thinking about moving, thinking about the season, thinking about me becoming his fake girlfriend? He wants me to have fun. How am I supposed to have fun when he’s out here ignoring me? Well I mean I did tell him I was fine….and I won’t join the conversation but… He’s my Jack..
As the boat slowed down to a gentle drift she was pulled from her thoughts as Jack yelled out it was time to swim. Y/n’s heart sank as the blonde and her entourage turned their attention from Jack to her. "You coming?" one of the girls asked, her voice dripping with sweetness that didn't quite hide the sarcasm.
Y/n took a deep breath and nodded, slipping into the cool water. The relief of the water's embrace washed over her, but it was short-lived. The other girls followed. Jack and the guys raced one another to see who could swim the fastest to a designated marker. Y/n started to follow them out to their starting point, before deciding it was probably best to retreat to the boat. Being in the water with females who didn’t have her best interest in mind was not a good idea. She turned around to swim back and was met by the girls’ laughter that quickly turned to sneers the moment the boys were out of earshot. They circled her like sharks, their eyes assessing and cold. The blonde was the ringleader, her smirk a challenge as she pushed closer.
"You know, it's pretty sad," one of the girls began, her voice unintentionally carrying further than intended over the water's gentle lapping. "Jack only brought you because he feels bad. You're like a charity case, tagging along because he can't say no."
The blonde giggled, her eyes never leaving Y/n's. "Yeah, it's like bringing your kid sister on a date to a theme park so she doesn't feel left out." The other girls snickered, their words stinging like jellyfish tentacles wrapping around her heart.
"I mean, come on," another girl chimed in, her voice nasal and grating. "You think Jack's into you? If he was, wouldn't he have already made a move for you? Plus, look at yourself and then look at him. Then you have the fact that he’s a pro-athlete, he can have anyone he wants." By this point Y/n had started to swim away. She had taken enough of their antics, clearly they weren’t a fan of her.
They were only wanting to tear her down, but were they right?
The blonde swam after her, her eyes glinting with spiteful amusement. "You think he'd choose you over someone like me?" She called out when she couldn’t catch up.
Y/n swallowed the knot in her throat as she jerked up a towel and wrapped it around her body. Quinn at some point had climbed back aboard, already nearly dry.
“Huggy, i will give you every penny to my name if you leave right now.” She whispered to Quinn joking, but sort of was deeply hoping that he would take her seriously when he saw her face.
Quinn’s eyes widened at the desperation in her voice, his gaze following hers out to the group of girls. “You okay?”
Y/n nodded tightly, her grip on the towel almost painful. “Yeah, I’m just...peachy.” Her voice cracking over the knot she desperately wanted to keep suppressed down.
Jack’s eyes snapped to her at the word 'peachy'. He was climbing up the boat’s ladder as the words fell out of her mouth. It was their word since high school when said that meant they needed the other without having to say it outright.
Of course he had noticed she had been quieter than usual, but she had pushed him away when he had tried to talk to her early on. Jack figured it was just the reminisce of their conversation from before they were interrupted by everyone else. But the desperation in her voice was clear as a bell, even over the sound of music, different chatter, and other boats speeding around.
His few strides towards her were purposeful and quick, his gaze never leaving her. He softly took a hold of her lower arm, gaining her attention, the water droplets glinting off his bare chest.
The snarky blonde looked up at them from the water, her smirk slipping.
"Everything okay?" he asked, his voice low and concerned, only for her.
Y/n's eyes searched his, hers giving him a silent plea to not do this now. She nodded again, her voice barely above a whisper. "Ye-."
“Don’t do it, don’t lie to me, toots. I heard you tell Q you were peachy. C’mon what’s up? What’s going on?” Jack pleaded, pulling her to the bench seat they had previously occupied earlier in the day. He wrapped his arm around her waist, turning her to face him before pulling her into him. He didn’t care about the wandering eyes of the females now boarding the boat, his eyes were on his girl.
She held eye contact with him for a moment before she sighed heavily and dropped her gaze to the towel piece that she had in her hand.
“It’s nothing, just those girls, they’re...they’re just saying things, Jack. It’s fine.”
Jack’s jaw tightened as he studied her, his hand moving to tilt her chin up so he could see her eyes again. “What kind of things?” He could only imagine what Angelika, the blonde, would muster up.
“They think I’m just some pity invite, that you’re only still friends with me because you feel bad or something,” she murmured, her voice thick with the evidence of barely holding back unshed tears.
Jack’s eyes narrowed and his hand holding her chin squeezed slightly. “They don’t know us, toots. They don’t know how long we’ve been friends, or how much we mean to each other. They don’t get to define our friendship, our relationship.” His voice was a soothing rumble. He dropped his hand to her shoulder, his thumb tracing circles on her shoulder attempting to ease the tension in her body.
“Even more, none of them are the ones i asked to be my girlfriend. Ya know?” Jack whispered into her ear.
“You forgot an important detail with that, fake.” Y/n laughed softly.
“Yeah, yeah but just to be safe incase others overhear, i just dropped it.” They were both laughing now.
Jack knew she was still upset, and uneasy. The two of them weren’t set to begin their arrangement until sometime after arriving back in Jersey, but he couldn’t stop himself from wanting to and needing to show her off after hearing what all was said. So he grabbed his phone, placed his Red Devils cap back on her head, and snapped a picture of her with the lake behind her, her smile still a bit forced but beautiful regardless. He posted it on his Instagram story with the caption 'My girl looks good in red'. The reaction was instant. His followers went wild, their excitement palpable through the screen. The likes and replies started rolling in, and Y/n couldn’t help but feel a bit more relaxed with every positive notification he received.
The blonde's eyes widened as she saw the post, and her flirty giggles turned into a scowl. It was clear she wasn’t expecting this turn of events.
“Pick out your favorites, then I’ll post them. Everyone will know then, but there will be no mistake. You’re not a pity friend. Never have been, never will be.” Jack nudged the side of her head with a simple harmless kiss to her temple.
Jack handed y/n the phone, scrolling through their photos together, looking for the perfect ones to post. The boat ride from the swimming spot had been filled with laughter and smiles, shared between just them. Y/n’s heart fluttered and she had a permanent smile on her face as she took in how many of their happy moments captured Jack had on his phone from throughout the years. His camera roll was taken up by hockey, her, the two of them, and he and his family, random memes here and there, but mainly it was them. He had her pick out a couple pictures she wanted him to post on his page as they sat cuddled up, her arm around his waist, his hand resting on her shoulder.
It was nothing new to anyone who has been around them before, but infuriating to the girls.
Y/n had picked her pictures, but before she could hand Jack his phone back, she had been lulled to sleep by the soft rock of the boat and the comfort of being with Jack. Quinn noticed she had fallen asleep when Jack’s phone fell to the floor of the boat. Jack carefully moved her to where her head was lying in his lap and Quinn covered her with another towel. Quinn handed Jack his phone and he finished making the post.
“Rowdy, do you think this is going to all work out?” Quinn asks his middle brother just loud enough for him.
“It’s me and y/n, Q.” That’s all Jack had to say before he leaned his head back and closed his eyes for the remainder of the ride.
it’s me and y/n…it has to work out.
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note: pictures below are the ones jack posted (all from Pinterest)
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his instagram story post
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pictures in his actual post
note: hi! read this blurb next!
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jetii · 2 months ago
Text
Always
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Pairing: Hunter x Jedi!Reader / Hunter x fem!Reader
Words: 16,083
Tags/Warnings: 18+ only! fluff, hurt/comfort, forbidden relationship, a very heartfelt reunion, Hunter is a crier no I won't be accepting any criticism, smut, unprotected sex, oral (f receiving), fingering, nipple play, marking, primal kink, scent kink?, breeding kink
Summary: Months after you went into hiding, Hunter hasn't stopped hoping, waiting for the day when you can finally be together again. Now that it's here, and there's no reason to hide his feelings for you anymore, he can't help but be a little overwhelmed.
A/N: I'm sure no one believes me at this point but I had no intention of writing this much. I was possessed by the spirit of romance, true love, etc. etc. Anyway, please enjoy some very soft, very protective, very affectionate Hunter. Thank you so much to @dindjarins1ut for the prompt!
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Hunter is nervous.
He tries his best to hide it, keeping to himself while Tech and Echo bicker in the cockpit, but he can't ignore the butterflies in his stomach, nor the clammy hands threatening to soak through his gloves. It's ridiculous. He's faced off against far worse than this. He shouldn't be getting worked up over something so small.
But it isn't really small, not when you think about it. He hasn’t seen you in months. No comms, no messages. Nothing. He knows you’re alive, and even that was a miracle. The last words he said to you were in person, when you were standing right in front of him and he told you he loved you, and he'd kissed you and then left with the promise to come back as soon as he could.
That was before the Republic fell, and every Jedi across the galaxy was marked for death. Before the purge and the Empire's reign began. Before you were forced to go into hiding on your own.
And he hasn't spoken to you since.
You haven't seen each other in months, and Hunter is terrified that the feelings aren't mutual anymore. That you've grown apart during your time away, and what he had thought was love, you now see as nothing more than a fling. He's scared you'll look at him differently, scared you won't look at him at all.
He doesn't know what he'll do if you don’t want him anymore. If he loses the best thing that's ever happened to him.
It's stupid, Hunter knows that, because even if you don't love him the same way you used to, you'll still be friends. He should just be happy you're alive and not worrying about something so trivial as his emotions, but he can't help it. He can't shake the feeling, and it's eating him up inside.
A hand settles on his shoulder, and he jumps.
Hunter hasn’t been startled like that in ages, not since he was a cadet, but here he is, nearly falling out of his seat at the sudden contact. It takes him a moment to get over his shock, his heart pounding, before he looks up to see Wrecker looking down at him with a frown.
"Hey, we're almost there," Wrecker says, his voice uncharacteristically soft, and Hunter swallows the lump in his throat.
"I'm fine," he says, but it comes out rough. He clears his throat, tries again. "I'm fine."
Wrecker’s eyebrows raise, and Hunter realizes a moment too late Wrecker never asked how he was doing. But his brother doesn't call him out on it, only gives him a look, one that Hunter recognizes as his attempt to look serious.
“You sure?”
"Yeah," Hunter replies automatically. He can feel the anxiety creeping into his gut, and he pushes it down, looking away. "Why wouldn’t I be?”
"I dunno," Wrecker shrugs, leaning back against the bulkhead. "You've been real tense all day."
Hunter sighs. He should have known Wrecker would notice something was wrong, even if the others hadn't. He'd always been perceptive, despite what people thought of him, and Hunter’s never been able to get away with hiding his feelings, not even when they were kids.
"I just..." he hesitates, wondering how to explain his feelings without making himself seem pathetic. Wrecker might not care, but Hunter still has his pride. He still has the strong desire to protect you, to keep you secret and safe. He knows Wrecker would never betray his trust, but still, he doesn't want to admit how anxious he's been, or how much the anticipation is killing him.
"It's nothing," Hunter decides. He turns back to look out the viewport through the doors of the cockpit. They’ll be landing in a few minutes, and he doesn't want to miss the moment you step into view. "Just... worried, is all."
"What for?"
"I..."
He can't say it, can't get the words past his lips, but the hand on his shoulder squeezes gently, and the unspoken encouragement makes the admission easier.
"It's been a long time," Hunter says finally, and the rest comes tumbling out of him, unable to be held back anymore, “We haven’t seen her in months, Wrecker. What if she's... I don’t know. Things have changed, is all. For her. For us."
"So?" Wrecker scoffs, and his dismissal of the problem only makes Hunter feel worse. He scowls, glaring up at his brother.
"So," he echoes, trying to sound stern, but he can't even bring himself to look mad, not really. His shoulders slump, the fight leaving him, and he looks away. "It might not be the same anymore."
For a moment, the silence is deafening, but then Wrecker lets out a laugh, loud enough to echo throughout the ship, and Hunter bristles, his eyes darting to the cockpit. Tech and Echo are still arguing about the finer details of landing, but he doesn't doubt they can hear every word they're saying.
"What?" Hunter snaps, glaring at his brother, but Wrecker only laughs harder.
"I'm pretty sure she won't have changed that much," he says, nudging Hunter's shoulder hard enough to make him sway. "I bet she's gonna be so happy to see us, she'll probably forget how to talk. Just like last time."
Hunter huffs, but he can't help the twitch of his lips at the memory of your first meeting, of how nervous you'd been, unable to string two words together without stumbling over your own tongue. You always did tend to trip over your own words when you were flustered. 
You had been rendered speechless after he'd told you about his feelings for you, your face flushed red, mouth hanging open in surprise, and he hadn't been able to keep from grinning at your reaction. You couldn’t form a single sentence until after you'd kissed him, and by then, it was his turn to be caught off guard.
He can remember the look on your face like it was yesterday, and the thought of seeing you again, of seeing your eyes light up as you smile up at him, fills him with a familiar warmth. He wants so badly to believe that your reunion will go well, that things haven't changed and that your relationship is the same, but a part of him, the pessimistic part that's kept him alive all these years, knows that it can't possibly be true. 
And Wrecker has no idea what you mean to him, because Hunter has never told him, has never told any of them. You're his secret, his one solace in the galaxy, the one thing he keeps from his brothers, the only thing he's ever wanted that's completely his.
And you were taken from him.
It hurts just thinking about it, knowing you were alone, afraid, with no one to turn to for help, while Hunter was hundreds of thousands of parsecs away. They'd spent weeks trying to find you after the Empire was established, scouring the holonet and every contact he could find, but it was like you had fallen off the face of the galaxy.
Hunter had never felt so helpless in his life.
So yes, he's a little scared of how this is going to play out. You were taken from him once, and it broke his heart. He's terrified that if you don't want him anymore, he won't survive losing you a second time.
"Yeah," Hunter murmurs, glancing out the window. Your home planet is starting to take shape in the viewport, the blue and green and brown and white all blending together. "You're probably right."
Wrecker chuckles, patting his shoulder.
"You know I am," Wrecker says cheerfully, and then he's walking away, back towards the cockpit to interrupt the debate Tech and Echo are having.
Hunter stares after him, not sure if he should be offended by the comment or not. He chooses not to dwell on it, pushing himself out of his chair to follow his brother. Tech spares them a quick glance, rolling his eyes when he sees Wrecker is already pushing his way into his space.
"Would you mind," he grumbles, elbowing the bigger clone, but Wrecker is unfazed, squeezing into the small space behind Tech's chair.
"Nah," he says, grinning down at him.
"Then could you at least wait until we've landed?"
"Where's the fun in that?"
"It would certainly make things less complicated."
"Guys, come on," Echo groans, his head hitting the back of his seat. "We're almost there."
"And what a relief that will be," Tech grumbles, pushing his goggles up his nose, and he looks at Hunter, his brow raised. "What is the matter with you?"
"Nothing," Hunter says, but he's a little too fast to reply, and Tech doesn't buy it. His gaze turns suspicious, but he doesn't push. Instead, he shoves Wrecker's hands away from the controls and starts his descent, taking the ship down in a controlled spiral towards the planet's surface.
Omega drops into the seat beside him and secures her restraints, and Hunter follows suit, though he can't help the nervous energy building in his limbs. He can't keep still, his fingers tapping an unsteady rhythm against his thigh, and when Omega's small hand covers his, he startles.
"Are you excited?" she asks him, and Hunter hesitates for a moment before he nods.
"Yeah, kid," he answers, and it's not a lie. Not really. He is excited, in his own way. "I'm glad we get to see her."
"Me too," Omega smiles as she pulls her hand away, and she turns to watch the clouds disappear as they sink below the atmosphere. "I can't wait to meet her."
"She's gonna love you," Wrecker says, his arms braced on Tech's chair. "You're gonna love her, too. She's real nice."
"Really?"
"Oh, yeah," Hunter replies, leaning back in his seat. He can't keep the fondness out of his voice when he speaks, the memory of your laugh echoing in his head. "She's one of a kind."
Tech glances over his shoulder. "It has been some time since we last saw her," he says, and Hunter feels his heart stutter in his chest. He knows Tech doesn't mean anything by it, but he can't help but hear the implication in his words.
It's been a long time, and people change.
"Well," Echo says, turning in his seat to grin at Hunter. "Let's hope she hasn't forgotten all about us."
Hunter swallows the lump in his throat and forces a smile, nodding along with the rest of them, but he can't ignore the pit in his stomach. He wants so desperately to believe they're right, that your reunion will go well and it won't be awkward, that everything will be just like it used to, but no matter how hard he tries, he can't shake the feeling.
"It'll be... nice, to see her again," Tech says. "Even if it has been awhile."
"Aw, you missed her too, huh?" Wrecker grins, clapping a hand on Tech's shoulder, who swats him away irritably.
"She was a competent general, and she is a valuable ally," Tech replies, adjusting his goggles. "I didn't say I missed her. Simply that it will be nice to see her."
"It's okay to admit you like her, you know," Echo teases. "We won't tell anyone."
Tech shoots him a glare, but he doesn't say anything. He's focused on the descent now, the ground growing closer and closer, and when they break through the cloud cover, the land below them comes into focus.
Hunter leans forward in his seat, eyes straining against the sun. You live on a small colony in the southern hemisphere, surrounded by a large forest. It's isolated, and perfect for someone trying to lay low, but it's also a bit difficult to find, and Hunter doesn't spot your house until they're nearly on top of it.
It's small, a cabin tucked neatly among the trees, with a yard and a path that leads to a dock down by the lake. There's a ship parked outside, a tiny thing, and Tech guides the Marauder down beside it.
"There she is!" Wrecker booms, pointing out the viewport. Hunter stands up, ignoring the nausea building in his stomach, and scans the house.
And there you are.
You're sitting on the porch, a datapad in your lap, and you glance up with a hand shielding your eyes. It's impossible to make out your expression, but when the Marauder slows to land, you're already standing and hurrying down the dirt path towards them.
It's been so long since he's seen you, and even though he knows your face, has it memorized and replayed in his head so many times it's burned into his mind, the sight of you is enough to knock the wind out of him. You're smiling, waving up at the ship, and you look so happy that he can't stop himself from mirroring your expression.
You're here.
Hunter has dreamed of this moment for months, the day he gets to see you again, and the reality of it is even better than he'd hoped. He's barely aware of his feet moving, taking him towards the hatch as soon as the ship has touched down.
"Hunter?" Wrecker's voice is far away, barely registering in Hunter's mind as he practically runs towards the exit. "You okay?"
"Fine," he calls over his shoulder, his hand slamming into the button. The door hisses as it slides open, and a rush of warm, fresh air washes over him. The second his feet hit the ground, he's moving, his legs carrying him as fast as he can.
"Hey!" Wrecker shouts, but Hunter doesn't answer. He's halfway down the path, his eyes locked on your figure as you hurry towards him, and when you're close enough to touch, he's pulling you into his arms.
Your hands slide around his neck, fingers tangling in his hair as he crushes you to his chest. He doesn't realize he's crying until he hears you whisper his name, but then you're laughing, soft and beautiful, and all he can do is hold you tighter, your scent enveloping him as he breathes you in. He can't keep himself from pressing his lips to the skin behind your ear, needing to feel the warmth of you, the solidness, the realness of you here, alive, with him.
"Hunter," you whisper, and his name has never sounded so sweet. Your voice, your hands, the sound of your breath as it ghosts across his skin, the way you say his name. All of it is like a balm to his soul, soothing his worry, and for a moment, everything feels right again.
Hunter lifts his head and cups your cheeks in his hands, forcing you to look at him, and you do.
Your eyes are shining, tears brimming along the edges, and when you blink, they spill over. He thumbs them away, smiling so wide his cheeks ache.
"Hi," he whispers. You laugh, a sob escaping with it, and he feels his heart soar at the sound.
"Hi," you say back, and then you're surging forward, capturing his lips with yours.
It's a desperate kiss, the kind that says how much you've missed each other, how afraid you were of never seeing the other again. It's the first kiss you've shared in months, and it's the best damn kiss Hunter's ever had. The world narrows down to just the two of you, and nothing else exists, not the trees or the ship or his family watching from the hatch, their jaws hanging open.
It's just him and you, finally, blissfully, reunited.
He kisses you hard, and you return the pressure, clutching him close. His arms slip around your waist, lifting you off the ground for a moment, and you gasp against his mouth, laughing when he sets you down again.
"Miss me?" you ask, a teasing note to your voice, and Hunter pulls back just enough to meet your eyes.
"Yeah," he replies, and then he's kissing you again, softer this time. Gentler. His lips move against yours, slow and deliberate, and your fingers tighten their grip in his hair. 
He doesn't know how long it's been since he's started kissed you, or how long you've been kissing him, but it doesn't matter. It's not enough, could never be enough. He needs more of you, needs every part of you pressed against him, so close he can feel your heartbeat.
You hum, your hand moving to cup the back of his head, and the kiss deepens. Hunter's hands drift, sliding down the curve of your spine until his palms are pressed flat against the small of your back, and he pulls you closer. Your body molds to his perfectly, and you're warm and soft and so unbelievably real, and he never wants to let you go.
"Uh..."
The sudden intrusion startles him, and he pulls away from the kiss with a jerk, looking over his shoulder. The rest of his squad is staring at him, dumbfounded, and he can't keep the blush from creeping up his neck.
"Uh," he repeats, his face flushing. "Hey."
Wrecker's jaw is hanging open, and so is Tech's. Hunter doesn't think he's ever seen either of his brothers at a loss for words.
"We, uh..." Hunter clears his throat, glancing back at you. Your cheeks are flushed, lips swollen from the kiss, but you're grinning up at him, your eyes dancing. You give him a little nod, a silent permission to tell them the truth, and his heart flutters. "We were going to tell you, but things... got in the way."
Wrecker is the first to recover, his surprise shifting into a massive smile.
"I knew it!" he yells, pumping his fist in the air. "I told ya, didn't I? Didn't I?"
"That you did," Tech replies. His mouth is still open, but he closes it quickly, pushing his goggles up his nose before reaching up to scratch the back of his head. "Well, this is... certainly unexpected."
"That's an understatement," Echo mutters. He glances at Hunter, his brow raised. "So, how long has this been going on?"
"Uh..." Hunter's eyes dart to you, but you only smile at him. He swallows the lump in his throat and takes a deep breath. "It's been a couple years."
"A couple years?"
"Yeah."
"Years," Echo repeats. "Right. Okay."
"You could have told us," Tech says. He's looking at Hunter now, his face impassive, but Hunter can read the hurt in his eyes hidden behind the mask of indifference. "We wouldn't have betrayed your trust."
"I know," Hunter sighs, running a hand over his head. "We just... we wanted to keep it quiet."
"It was my idea," you say, and Hunter's surprised to see you look guilty. Your eyes are fixed on the ground, and he watches the way your bottom lip wobbles before you suck it into your mouth. You look up at him through your lashes, and he offers you a reassuring smile. You return it, but it's hesitant. "The Order's views on attachment were... a little different, to say the least. It would have put both of us at risk if anyone found out. So we kept it secret."
"Well, now you don't have to," Wrecker grins.
"No, I suppose not," you reply, smiling at him, but there's a sadness to your expression that makes Hunter's chest tighten. He can only imagine how difficult the last few months have been for you, what it's like to be in hiding, constantly looking over your shoulder. His arms ache to wrap around you again, to pull you into his chest and hold you close, to protect you from everything and everyone.
But he can't.
The Empire is everywhere, always watching. The war might be over, but the danger isn't gone, not yet. Not for him, and not for you.
"Can I come out now?" a voice voice drifts from the ship, and Hunter looks up, surprised. His eyes land on Omega, her arms crossed over her chest. She looks irritated, a frown pulling at her lips, and he chuckles.
"Yeah, kid," he says, nodding his head towards the ramp. "Come on."
Omega wastes no time in running out of the ship, her irritation forgotten in her excitement. She skids to a stop a few feet away, her eyes wide as she stares at you. You kneel down, a warm smile spreading across your face, and Hunter feels his heart squeeze in his chest.
"Hey," you say softly. "You must be Omega. I've heard a lot about you."
Omega steps forward, holding her hand out for you to shake, and you take it.
"Nice to meet you," she says politely.
"And you," you reply, giving her hand a gentle squeeze before letting go. Your eyes are soft as you study her face, a fondness to your expression that Hunter's only seen a few times.
He knows how much you love children. The Order never allowed its members to have families, but that hasn't stopped you from falling in love with kids everywhere you go. He's seen the way your eyes light up when you're around them, how gently you speak to them, like they're the most important people in the galaxy. 
He knows it's just the way you are, but sometimes, he wonders if it's something more. If maybe, someday, you'd want to have kids of your own.
And the thought terrifies him.
Not because he doesn't want a family with you, but because the world is changing, and he's not sure there's any place for it. You're in hiding, and he's a traitor to the Republic. How would it ever work?
He knows you wouldn't care about the dangers, though. You'd risk everything for a chance at a normal life, a family, and while he'd give anything for that too, he doesn't think he can allow himself to get his hopes up.
Not now. Not yet.
He's lost in thought, his gaze drifting to the trees surrounding the house, when a tug on his arm brings him back. You're looking up at him, an eyebrow raised, and when he blinks, you roll your eyes, a fond smile twitching at your lips.
"Sorry," he murmurs. "What did you say?"
"I was asking how long you're staying," you repeat, but he can tell by the look on your face you know what's going on in his head. You're giving him a moment to compose himself, a distraction to keep him from slipping into another spiral.
It's a common occurrence these days.
"Well," Hunter starts, glancing at the rest of his team. "We're kind of... between jobs, right now."
"That's putting it lightly," Echo scoffs.
"So we figured we could use a little vacation," Hunter finishes. He looks back at you. "If you'll have us."
"Of course I will," you smile, and Hunter doesn't miss the way your shoulders relax, the relief in your eyes. "Stay as long as you want."
"We don't want to intrude," Hunter says, his gaze softening. "If you need some space, we understand. We can—"
"Don't be ridiculous," you huff, nudging his shoulder. "I'd love to have you."
"Really?"
"Yeah, of course," you nod, glancing at the others. "All of you."
"Good," Hunter breathes, unable to keep the sigh of relief from escaping his lips. "I didn't really wanna leave anyway."
"Good," you say, leaning into his side. You rest your head against his shoulder, and Hunter's arm wraps around you almost automatically, pulling you against him. "I've missed you."
"Yeah," Hunter says softly. "Me too."
"Oh, yeah," Wrecker grins. "He hasn't shut up about you."
"Wrecker," Hunter hisses.
"No, really," Tech nods, adjusting his goggles. "Ever since we lost contact, he hasn't stopped talking about you."
"Not that he wasn't always talking about her," Echo teases.
"Hey," Hunter protests, but he can feel his cheeks burning, and he knows the blush is starting to creep up his neck. You're smiling, a knowing glint in your eye as you glance up at him, and Hunter rolls his eyes. "They're exaggerating."
"We are not," Tech says, frowning at him.
"Maybe not," Echo smirks, his gaze settling on you. "But now we know why he's been so weird about seeing you again."
"He's been weird?" you ask. You're trying to hold back a laugh, but Hunter can see the mirth in your eyes.
"He hasn't stopped pacing for days."
"He nearly fell over his own feet trying to get off the ship."
"Oh, yeah, he was nervous all right," Wrecker chuckles, crossing his arms over his chest. "Never seen him like that before. I was startin' to get worried."
"Guys," Hunter grumbles. "Come on."
"Well," you smile, patting his chest. "I'm glad you came. All of you."
"Us too," Omega says. Her face is scrunched up, like she's trying not to laugh. "Hunter was so nervous he forgot how to breathe."
"Alright, that's enough," Hunter huffs. He can feel his ears burning, and he shoots Omega a pointed look. "Everyone, inside."
"Aw, but—"
"Now," Hunter snaps, cutting Wrecker off. He's not mad, not really, but he can't help the embarrassment. "We'll be there in a minute."
Wrecker opens his mouth to protest, but Echo nudges him, nodding his head towards the house. Tech doesn't wait for either of them, heading inside without another word, and Wrecker reluctantly follows after him, grumbling under his breath. Omega casts one last look over her shoulder, waving at you before disappearing inside.
The silence that settles over the two of you is heavy, and Hunter lets out a long breath. He runs a hand over his hair, avoiding your eyes.
"I can't believe they told you that," he mutters, but he can feel your gaze on him, the smile in your eyes, and his irritation fades.
"They're only teasing," you say, resting a hand on his cheek. You brush your thumb over his skin, and he closes his eyes, letting out a shaky breath. "Are you okay?"
"Yeah," he replies, opening his eyes to look at you. Your smile is soft, gentle, and he melts under your gaze. "Just a little overwhelmed."
"Me too," you chuckle, dropping your hand. He quickly grabs it, pulling it to his chest, and your expression shifts. "I've been so worried, Hunter. I thought..."
"I know," he whispers. His grip tightens on your hand. "I've missed you so much."
"I missed you too," you whisper back. Your voice wavers, and Hunter tugs on your arm, bringing you closer.
"I'm here now," he murmurs, tilting his head down. "I'm not going anywhere, I promise."
You nod, but the fear is still shining in your eyes. He knows that feeling all too well, the uncertainty, the constant worry, the doubt. And it's hard to believe him, he knows, when the past few months have been nothing but fear and anxiety. But he's determined to make it better, to do whatever it takes to ease your mind, even if it's just for a little while.
He leans forward, pressing his forehead to yours, and the contact makes you sigh.
"I'm gonna take care of you," he says softly, bringing a hand up to cup your cheek. He strokes the skin with his thumb, his fingers gentle, and his heart stutters in his chest at the way your eyes flutter closed. "You don't have to worry anymore. I'll make sure nothing happens to you, I promise."
"You don't have to—"
"I know," he cuts you off, brushing his nose against yours. "But I'm going to. We're gonna protect you, sweetheart. All of us."
"Thank you," you whisper, opening your eyes. He's startled by the emotion swimming in your gaze, the tears pooling along the edges, and the sight breaks his heart. “But I can’t put you guys in danger. The Empire—”
"The Empire won't do anything," he assures you. "You're safe. We'll keep you safe."
"But what if—"
"Listen," he murmurs, stroking his thumb over your cheek. You suck your lip into your mouth, chewing on the flesh, and he gently pries it from your teeth. "None of that. I won't let anything happen to you. Neither will they. You're part of the team, and we take care of our own. No matter what."
"You don't have to do this, Hunter."
"I know," he says, his voice low. He doesn't want to push, doesn't want to force you to come with them, but he needs you to believe him. Needs you to understand. "But I want to. Please. Let me take care of you. It'll be good for all of us."
You're quiet for a moment, your brow furrowed, but then you let out a soft sigh, your shoulders slumping, and your eyes drop to the ground.
"Okay," you whisper. "Okay."
"Hey," Hunter says. His free hand tilts your chin up, forcing you to look at him. "Trust me, alright? You're safe now."
You nod, but you don't look convinced. He sighs, leaning forward until his lips brush against yours, featherlight, barely there.
"We can talk more later," he murmurs. He's desperate to kiss you again, his whole body aching for it, but he doesn't want to rush you. He's willing to wait, no matter how badly he wants you. "If you're okay with it."
"Yes," you breathe, your hands coming up to clutch at his armor, and you press a soft kiss to his jaw. "I'd like that."
He lets out a shaky breath, fighting the urge to press his hips into yours, but then your hands slide up over his shoulders to tangle in his hair, and he groans. You chuckle, a sweet, breathy sound that has his blood singing, and Hunter's restraint crumbles.
He kisses you, slow and deliberate, and his hands are moving on their own. He lifts you into his arms, and you wrap your legs around his waist, pulling him closer. You're pliant under his touch, letting him guide the kiss, and he licks at your lips, begging for entrance. You give it easily, and his tongue sweeps into your mouth, curling against yours.
His hips press against yours, and your body is hot against him, so soft and perfect. You taste so good, and feel even better, and the sounds you're making, the little whines and gasps, are driving him crazy.
"I'm not letting you out of my sight," he murmurs, pulling away from the kiss. He's breathing hard, his pulse thrumming, and he can't keep the smirk off his face. You look beautiful, flushed and breathless, and his desire spikes when your fingers tug at his hair.
"Fine with me," you smile.
"Good." He kisses you again, deep and slow, and his hands drift lower. "I've got a lot of time to make up for."
"Mmm," you hum, your head falling back. Hunter can't resist the urge to kiss your throat, his teeth grazing over the delicate skin, and you shudder. A breathy moan falls from your lips, soft and quiet, but Hunter hears it. He always does.
"Fuck," he growls. "You sound so pretty."
"Hunter," you sigh. His name is the sweetest thing he's ever heard, and he has to fight the urge to take you right then and there.
"We should go inside," he murmurs, brushing his lips over the shell of your ear.
"Mmhmm," you reply. You're nuzzling his neck, your hot breath sending shivers down his spine, and his hold on you tightens.
"Sweetheart," he groans. "I can't think straight when you do that."
"That's the idea."
"Come on," he says. He's reluctant to put you down, but he does, his hands lingering on your waist for a moment.
You look at him, your eyes bright, and your smile makes his chest ache. He wants so badly to stay with you, to pull you into his lap and bury himself in your warmth, to have the freedom to kiss you, touch you, love you, without having to worry about getting caught. He's never been able to do that before, always keeping you a secret, always worried about being found out, but the Order doesn't exist anymore, and now he has the chance.
And he's going to take it.
He's not going to hide his feelings anymore. You deserve more than that.
You reach up and touch his cheek, the gentle gesture enough to calm his racing heart.
"Let's go," you say, your thumb stroking over his skin. "Before they get suspicious."
"I'm pretty sure they're already suspicious," he chuckles, glancing towards the house.
"It's a little obvious, isn't it?"
"Yeah," he admits, his face heating up. "A little."
You laugh, taking his hand in yours. You're leading him towards the door, but he stops, giving you a gentle tug.
"Hey," he murmurs, waiting for you to turn around. You do, a small smile tugging at your lips, and he can't help the way his eyes dart down to your mouth, the memory of your kiss sending a thrill down his spine.
"What?"
"I love you," he whispers. He's not sure why he says it. You know how he feels, you've known it for a long time, but something about it feels different, now. Like it means more than it did before.
Maybe it does.
Your expression softens, the corners of your mouth twitching upwards, and he can see the happiness in your eyes, the fondness. It's a look he's familiar with, one he's seen many times, but the knowledge that he can see it as much as he wants now, without having to hide or sneak around, makes his heart flutter in his chest.
"I love you, too," you whisper, a smile spreading across your face.
"Come here," he says. You're in his arms again before you can say a word, his mouth finding yours, and you're melting into his touch, the kiss deepening, turning desperate. He has to pull away before his brain completely shuts down, and when he does, he rests his forehead against yours, breathing heavily.
"Later," he promises, his voice a rasp.
"Later," you agree.
He lets out a long breath, nodding his head once before stepping back. His hand slides down to rest at the small of your back, and he gives you a gentle nudge, nodding towards the house. You smile, reaching up to straighten his bandana, and Hunter can't help but chuckle at the action.
"Lead the way," you say.
"Always," he grins, and then you're walking up the path, the warmth of the sun enveloping you as you step onto the porch.
The door slides open before Hunter can even reach for the panel, Wrecker's smiling face poking out.
"Oh, good," he says, looking at the two of you. "I was beginning to think you'd forgotten about us."
"Of course not," you reply.
Wrecker's grin widens, and then he's stepping aside, his arm sweeping towards the inside of the house.
"After you, General."
"Thanks," you smile, nodding your head in appreciation. Hunter follows behind, his hand hovering at the base of your spine. Wrecker doesn't miss the movement, his eyebrows shooting up, but he doesn't say anything. He just watches, a knowing look in his eyes, and Hunter rolls his own.
"Not a word," he warns.
"Wasn't gonna say anything," Wrecker smirks, his gaze flickering to the hand resting on your back. "Not sure I need to."
"Don't start," Hunter sighs. He slows to a stop, crossing his arms over his chest, and you keep walking, a laugh spilling from your lips as you head towards the kitchen.
"Hey," Wrecker raises his hands in surrender, but the grin doesn't fade. "I'm happy for you. Both of you."
Hunter blinks. "Thanks," he says slowly.
"I mean it." Wrecker smiles. He claps a hand on Hunter's shoulder, a silent confirmation of his words, and Hunter returns the gesture. "You two deserve each other."
"Yeah," Hunter says, looking over at you. You're already in the kitchen, Tech at your side, and the two of you are talking rapidly at each other with Omega sitting on the counter between you. Tech's arms are waving wildly, a datapad gripped tightly in his hands, and you're grinning at him, the excitement obvious on your face. Echo is stirring a pot of something, the delicious smell of dinner drifting through the house, and he chimes in every now and then, his smile growing wider each time.
Omega glances up at him, and she gives him a little wave, her grin so wide her cheeks must ache. Hunter smiles back, his heart swelling, and he can't help but think, maybe everything is going to be alright.
You look so at home with his family, like you've always been a part of it, like you've always belonged there. And maybe you have. Maybe, this was where you were supposed to end up all along.
It's funny, how things work out sometimes. How, even after losing so much, even after having nearly everything taken from him, he somehow still managed to find something good.
"I guess we do,” Hunter finally replies, his gaze settling on you. He can't tear his eyes away, can't stop looking at the way the setting sun dances over your face, lighting you up in the most beautiful glow, the way your smile makes his heart beat faster.
Wrecker follows his gaze, the corners of his mouth twitching upwards. "So, does this mean she agreed to stay with us?"
"Yeah," Hunter sighs, unable to keep the smile off his face. "Yeah, she is."
"Good," Wrecker says. His smile widens. "That's good."
"It's going to be hard, keeping things quiet," Hunter says, glancing at his brother. "We've got a target on our backs, and I'm not sure how much longer we can hide. The Empire will find us eventually, and when they do—"
"It's okay," Wrecker interrupts, holding his hand up. "I know. But it's worth it, right? To keep her safe? And Omega?”
"Yeah," Hunter says without hesitation. "It is."
"Then we'll do whatever we have to," Wrecker replies. He nods towards the kitchen. "They'll understand. ‘Sides, Omega's gotta have a mom at some point. Might as well be her."
Hunter's breath catches, his chest tightening. "Wrecker—"
"You're happy," he continues, ignoring Hunter's protest. "You haven't been happy since... well, not since I can remember. And she makes you happy. And she's good with the kid, too. I can see how much she loves you, and how much you love her. So, what's the problem?"
Hunter stares at him, the surprise clear on his face.
"I, uh... nothing. There's no problem," he stammers, his brow furrowing.
"Good," Wrecker grins. He nudges him with his elbow, giving him a wink. "She's good for you, Sarge. And we're not gonna let anyone take that away from you. No matter what happens."
"Thanks," Hunter replies. He swallows the lump in his throat and blinks back the sudden moisture in his eyes. Wrecker squeezes his shoulder, smiling down at him, and Hunter takes a shaky breath.
"Don't mention it," Wrecker says. "Come on. I‘m starving."
"You're always hungry."
"Well, yeah," he scoffs. "We gotta keep our strength up, right? Especially if we're gonna be fighting off Imperials."
He mimes a punch, his fist slamming into his palm, and Hunter chuckles.
"Yeah, alright," he agrees. "Let's go eat."
The two of them walk into the kitchen, Wrecker immediately making a beeline for the pot Echo is stirring, and Hunter makes his way over to where you're standing with Tech.
He stands beside you, close enough for his arm to brush against yours, but he doesn't touch you. He keeps his hands at his sides, his fingers curling into his palms, but the desire to wrap his arms around you is overwhelming.
He knows you'll let him, but it's only been a few hours, and he's afraid if he touches you again, he won't be able to stop.
Tech is explaining something to you, his hands moving rapidly as he talks, and Hunter watches, his head tilted to the side. He's only half listening to what his brother is saying, but he's content to just watch the two of you interact. You're so invested in the conversation, asking questions, listening intently as Tech answers, and Hunter can't help but smile at the sight.
"So, what do you think?"
Tech's voice startles him out of his thoughts, and he shakes his head, forcing his attention back to the present.
"Uh... sorry," he mutters, glancing at you. "What was that?"
“Tech wants to gut my ship for parts like a bantha carcass," you huff. You're smirking at him, amusement shining in your eyes. "He's trying to convince me to let him take it apart."
"It's not as though we have much use for it," Tech argues. "And besides, it would give me something to do while we're here."
“Aren’t you all supposed to be relaxing?”
“I happen to find tinkering with electronics quite relaxing," Tech replies. "Especially old ones. And it will keep me busy, which means I won’t be pestering you. So really, you would be doing yourself a favor by allowing me to do this.”
Hunter smirks. “He’s got a point.”
“Traitor,” you mutter, nudging his shoulder.
He nudges you back, his grin widening, and you roll your eyes.
"Alright, fine," you sigh.
"Excellent," Tech smiles. He turns his attention back to the datapad in his hands, his eyes darting across the screen. “Omega, would you like to help me dismantle this ship? It will give you a chance to learn more about the components of different models."
"Sure," she nods. She jumps down from the counter, landing with a soft thud. 
Hunter watches the two of them disappear into the living room before looking at you. You're smiling softly, your head tilted to the side, and he can't stop his gaze from wandering, taking in every detail of your face.
"You're staring," you murmur. You look at him out of the corner of your eye, and the hint of a smile tugging at your lips betrays your feigned irritation.
"Can’t help it,” he replies. He reaches out, his fingers brushing against your hip. The simple touch is enough to send a spark shooting through him, a warmth blooming low in his stomach, and his grip tightens, pulling you closer.
"Hunter," you laugh, your eyes widening.
"Hmm?"
"We're not alone."
"We're not?" He arches an eyebrow. "Didn't notice."
"Hunter," you hiss, but there's no bite to your words, just a soft laugh. "Stop it."
"No," he grins, leaning forward to brush his lips over your cheek. You shiver, goosebumps erupting across your skin, and he feels a rush of pride at the reaction.
"You're impossible."
"Only because I can be," he murmurs, pressing another kiss to your cheek. You sigh, your eyelids fluttering shut, and Hunter can't resist the urge to brush his mouth over the soft skin, trailing gentle kisses down your neck. You let out a soft whine, the noise so quiet only he can hear it, and his body reacts instinctively, his hands tightening, his hips shifting closer.
"Hunter," you gasp, your voice low.
"You smell so good," he groans. His nose brushes against your throat, and he inhales deeply, breathing in the sweet scent. It sends a thrill through him, a burst of heat washing over his body, and he nuzzles the skin, his lips ghosting along the edge of your jaw.
He doesn't want to stop. He wants to keep going, wants to drag his mouth across every inch of you until there's no part untouched, until the taste of you is burned into his memory for good. But he's aware of the others in the room, and he forces himself to pull away. He puts some distance between you, enough so that he can breathe, but he can't bring himself to move too far away.
"Tonight," Hunter says, his voice rough. He glances over his shoulder, making sure the others are still distracted, before continuing, "I'm gonna take care of you."
"Mm," you nod. You look dazed, your cheeks flushed, and Hunter feels a surge of satisfaction knowing it's his fault. "You'd better."
"Oh, I will," he smirks. "All night, if you want."
You bite your lip, your eyes sparkling. "Promise?"
"I—"
"Alright, I’m no chef, but I think it’s ready," Echo calls, Wrecker already heading towards the pot with a stack of bowls. He turns around, a spoon in one hand, and Hunter catches a glimpse of a wicked smile. "If you can pry yourselves apart long enough to eat."
"We were just talking," you argue, but your face is red, and Hunter has to bite back a grin.
"Right," Echo laughs, his gaze flickering between you. "Just talking. Got it."
"Echo," Hunter warns.
"I didn't say anything," he replies innocently. He waves his spoon at the two of you, his grin widening. "You can have your little chat after dinner.”
“Enough talking,” Wrecker groans, snatching the spoon from Echo’s hand and shoving him out of the way. "Food first."
"We'll finish this later," Hunter whispers, and you nod.
"I'll hold you to that," you whisper, brushing a kiss against his cheek before you pull away, stepping towards the counter. You glance over your shoulder at him, a sly smile curling your lips, and Hunter has to force himself not to follow after you. He waits until you're busy helping Wrecker dish out the food before moving, and even then, he makes sure to keep his distance.
It's difficult.
The need to be near you is overwhelming, and he can't stand the thought of leaving you for even a moment. But he doesn't want to crowd you, either, and he has to remind himself that you're not going anywhere.
You're here, and he's here, and nothing is going to take him away from you. Not again.
The thought settles over him, calming the ache in his chest, and he finally allows himself to relax, falling into an easy rhythm with the others as the six of you gather around the table. He takes a seat next to you, his leg pressed against yours, and his arm is draped over the back of your chair, his fingers tracing idle patterns on your skin. You lean into his side, your body fitting against his like it was made to, and the warmth of you is enough to ease the last bit of tension that's been lingering beneath the surface.
The rest of the night passes in a blur. Hunter loses track of how many times his hand drifts to your side, or his fingers slip into your own, or his lips press against your temple. Every time he does it, he expects a reaction from you, a protest or an admonishment or a roll of the eyes, but each time, you simply smile, your eyes crinkling at the corners, and he finds himself doing it again, unable to stop himself.
It’s easy, familiar, like this is how it was always meant to be, and the fact that he can finally hold you without fear of getting caught is a relief that's impossible to put to words. There's no more hiding, no more sneaking around, no more worrying about being seen standing too close together or his hands lingering too long. It's freeing, not having to hide how he feels, not having to pretend like his feelings don't exist.
It's the most natural thing in the world.
And he's going to enjoy every second of it.
Eventually, the meal ends, the food vanishing into Wrecker's stomach, and Hunter helps you clean up while the others disappear outside. The setting sun guides them toward your ship with Tech in the lead, and Hunter watches them go, his eyes lingering on the door for a moment before returning to you. You're scrubbing at a pot, your brow furrowed in concentration, and he can't help the fond smile that spreads across his face. He leans against the counter, crossing his arms over his chest, content to watch you work.
"You're staring again," you mumble, not bothering to look at him.
"How did you know?"
"I can feel it," you chuckle. You set the pot aside and dry your hands before hanging up the towel. "I always know."
"It's not my fault," he says, pushing off the counter. Hunter closes the distance between the two of you, his hands resting on your hips. "You're hard to resist. And I can't keep my eyes off you."
"You're such a flatterer."
"It's not flattery if it's true."
You shake your head, a smile spreading across your face.
"What?"
"Nothing," you laugh. "Just... the way you're acting. It's kind of cute."
"Cute?" He frowns, his nose wrinkling. "I don't know about that."
"It is." Your arms snake around his neck, your fingers tangling in his hair, and you tilt your head to the side. "I'm used to the serious, stoic Hunter. I like this one, too."
"Oh, yeah?"
"Mmhmm," you hum. Your lips press against his jaw, a soft kiss that has his eyes fluttering shut, and his hands slide down to grip your thighs. He lifts you onto the counter, and your legs wrap around his waist, pulling him closer.
"Is that so?"
"Uh-huh," you nod, and you kiss him again. This time, it's lower, right where his pulse is jumping under his skin, and he groans, his eyes falling shut.
"I didn't know you liked him so much," he manages to say, his breath hitching.
"I love him," you murmur. "As much as the other one."
"Well," he chuckles. He pulls away just enough to look at you, his hands cradling your face. "I think I can live with that."
You lean forward, and he meets you halfway, his mouth finding yours.
It starts off slow, a lazy kiss, his hands moving from your face to tangle in your hair. But then your lips part, and the soft sound you make is enough to light a fire in his veins, and he's kissing you with everything he has, pouring all his emotion into it. You return it eagerly, matching him stroke for stroke, and when his tongue brushes against yours, the groan he lets out is so loud he can't even hear the others yelling outside.
It doesn't matter, anyway. Nothing does, except the two of you.
"Bedroom," you gasp, breaking the kiss. "Now."
"Yeah," he pants. He grabs your thighs, pulling you off the counter, and you wrap your legs around his waist, his arms hooking under your knees.
He doesn't say anything else. He can't. He just kisses you, his tongue sliding past your parted lips, and your nails dig into his shoulders, a desperate moan spilling from your throat.
He carries you through the house, navigating the halls blindly, too focused on kissing you to care where he's going. He nearly trips over a chair, but he manages to keep his balance, and you laugh, the sound vibrating against his mouth. He breaks the kiss long enough to shoot you a playful glare, and you beam back.
"In a hurry, are we?"
"You have no idea," he mutters. He kicks the door to your bedroom open, shutting it behind him with his foot, and strides across the room. "Been wanting this for too damn long."
"Mm," you sigh. You're kissing his neck now, your tongue lapping at his skin, and his pace quickens. He feels the softness of the mattress hit the back of his legs, and he sits, his hands shifting to cup your thighs.
"Missed you," he rasps as you settle into his lap. You're straddling him now, and the heat of you against him is driving him crazy. "Missed you so much."
"Missed you too," you whisper, and your hands are cupping his face, pulling him towards you. Your fingers trace the outline of his tattoo, your touch gentle, almost reverent. He closes his eyes, savoring the feeling, and his breath hitches as you brush your lips over his temple.
"I can't believe this is real," he admits, his voice low. "I keep thinking it's some kind of dream, that I'm gonna wake up and find myself back on the ship."
"It's not a dream," you promise. You press a kiss to his forehead, his cheek, his nose, and then, finally, his mouth. It's soft, chaste, but no less intense, and Hunter sighs, his hands sliding up to curl around your waist.
"You're really here," he whispers. "I didn't think..."
"I'm not going anywhere," you assure him, and the conviction in your voice makes his heart ache. Your forehead is resting against his, your lips barely an inch apart, and he can feel your breath ghosting across his skin. "I love you."
"I'm sorry," he breathes. "For not coming to you sooner. For not—"
"Hunter, stop," you cut him off, your fingers pressing against his mouth. He quiets instantly, his gaze locked with yours. "It's not your fault. There was nothing you could've done."
"I could've tried harder," he protests. "Could've tried to find you."
"You couldn't," you sigh, shaking your head. "You know that. I didn't want to be found. I'm not even supposed to be here. If anyone finds me, I'm as good as dead."
"I won't let that happen."
"I know," you smile. Your thumbs rub gentle circles against his cheeks, and you press a kiss to the corner of his mouth. "And I love you for it. But we can't change the past. We just have to make the most of the time we have now."
"Right," he nods. He swallows the lump in his throat, trying to push away the guilt, the anger, the regret. "I just..."
"What?"
He lets out a long breath, his shoulders slumping. "Do you ever think about what it could've been like? If we hadn't lost each other? If...things had gone differently, and the war had ended the way it was supposed to?"
"Yeah," you admit, and you give him a sad smile, the corners of your mouth twitching upwards. "Sometimes."
"Me too," Hunter whispers. He pulls you closer, burying his face in your neck. You hold him there, your arms wrapping around him, and his hands drift up to clutch at the back of your shirt. He inhales deeply, taking in the scent of you, letting it fill him up, ground him.
"Sometimes I wonder," you murmur, your voice low, "what would've happened if we'd met in a different life. If we were just people, with no obligations or duties, no expectations or responsibilities. No wars, no battles, no death. Just us."
"A life together," he mumbles, the words muffled against your skin.
"Yeah," you say, and you sigh, a wistful sound that sends a pang through his chest. "A life together."
"We'd have a place like this," he says. He glances up at you, his chin resting on your chest. "A home."
You hum in agreement, leaning down to press a kiss to his forehead. "We would."
"We'd be happy," he continues. He smiles at you, a small, sad thing, and your fingers trace the curve of his lips. "We'd have a family. Maybe even kids. And we wouldn't have to hide."
"We wouldn't," you agree, a tear slipping down your cheek. He reaches up, catching it before it can fall, and brushes his thumb over your cheekbone, wiping away the dampness.
"I would've married you," he whispers. His voice breaks on the word, and he has to pause, taking a deep breath before continuing. "If I could. I would've married you, and given you everything I had."
"Hunter," you whisper, your voice breaking.
"I'm sorry," he sighs. "I just—"
"No, no," you cut him off with a shake of your head. You kiss him again, and he melts into it, the feel of your lips against his enough to soothe the ache in his chest.
"We could still have it," he breathes, his mouth moving over your jaw, the skin so soft and warm and inviting. "We could."
"I know," you reply, and you tilt your head back, allowing him access to your neck. He nips at the sensitive skin, and you shudder, a whimper falling from your lips.
"Do you want it?" he asks, his voice low. He's not sure why he does, not sure what he wants the answer to be, but the question falls from his mouth without thought.
"More than anything," you admit, and Hunter feels his heart skip a beat.
"Then we'll make it happen," he promises. "If you'll have me."
"I already do," you whisper, and then you're kissing him again, harder this time, with more desperation, like you need to prove how much you mean it.
His hands wander, mapping out every curve, every contour, every inch of your body, and your own exploration isn't far behind, the two of you touching and caressing and stroking in a way that leaves him panting, his heart racing.
"Please," you whimper, and the sound goes straight to his cock.
"Anything," he rasps. "Whatever you want."
"I just want you."
"You have me," he breathes. "You'll always have me."
You're kissing him again, the desperation in your touch increasing with every second that passes. He feels like his entire body is on fire, like the slightest touch could set him off, and he groans into your mouth, his tongue darting out to trace the seam of your lips.
He knows what you want, and he gives it to you without hesitation, his mouth opening wide as he dips his tongue inside, his fingers digging into your hips. You gasp, and he swallows the noise, his hands gripping the fabric of your shirt.
He pulls it up and over your head, breaking the kiss for only a moment, and he takes the opportunity to drink in the sight of you, his gaze sweeping over every inch of exposed skin.
You're so beautiful, it almost hurts to look at you.
You stare back, your chest heaving, your eyes dark with lust. You're biting your lip, and his own mouth falls open, his eyes widening.
He doesn't say a word. He can't. His brain can't seem to form a coherent thought, not when you're looking at him like that, and he swallows, his eyes darting to the swell of your breasts. You're wearing a bra, but it's not much, a scrap of lace and silk that leaves nothing to the imagination. He can see the outline of your nipples, the stiff peaks pressing against the fabric, and he can't help but reach up and run his thumb over one, the contact making him shiver.
"Hunter," you whimper, your eyelids fluttering shut. He repeats the action, watching in fascination as your chest rises and falls, and he does it again, the soft whine that falls from your lips spurring him on.
"Look at you," he murmurs, his hand cupping your breast. "So perfect."
He leans down, his mouth closing over the soft mound, and he sucks gently, his tongue lapping at the hard nub through the fabric. Your back arches, a broken moan escaping your lips, and Hunter feels a rush of heat shoot through him, his cock straining against the confines of his pants.
"Fuck," he curses, his breath hot against your skin, his hands moving to undo his belt. It's a struggle, his fingers shaking, but he manages, tugging it free and tossing it to the side. As soon as it hits the ground, you're pushing his hands away, taking over, and he grins, letting you take the lead.
"Here, let me," you murmur as your fingers work to unclip his armor. He nods, sitting back on his hands and admiring the view as you remove each piece, dropping them to the floor. The way your brow furrows in concentration, the softness of your skin, the swell of your breasts as they rise and fall with every breath, the warmth of your hands, the gentleness of your touch, all of it sends another wave of heat crashing through him.
It's breathtaking, the sight of you, and Hunter can't help the pride that swells in his chest. It’s not the first time he’s felt it, the rush of joy that comes with seeing the woman he loves, but it still catches him off guard.
He wonders, briefly, if he'll ever get used to the feeling. If he ever stops being amazed by how incredible you are, how lucky he is to have found you.
"What are you thinking about?"
You're kneeling in front of him now, your hands resting on his knees, and the question startles him out of his thoughts.
"Nothing," he says, and you tilt your head to the side, giving him a knowing look. He chuckles, reaching out to cup your cheek, his thumb stroking along your jaw. "Just admiring the view."
"Oh, really?"
"Really," he replies, his gaze dropping to the exposed flesh of your chest. He can't stop himself from leaning forward, his fingers skimming along the lace, before brushing over the delicate skin of your cleavage.
"Hunter," you whimper, arching into him.
"Beautiful," he says. His eyes meet yours, a wicked grin pulling at his lips. "I can't wait to get my mouth on you."
You blush, the heat creeping up your neck, and Hunter chuckles, pulling you towards him. He wraps his arms around you, burying his face in your chest.
“But first,” he murmurs against your chest. His lips brush over your sternum, his nose skimming the tops of your breasts, and his hands find the waistband of your pants, tugging the fabric down. “I want to see all of you.”
You moan, letting him pull the material down your thighs, your eyes slipping shut as his hands glide along your legs. You step out of the clothing, them aside, and he takes the opportunity to remove his pants and shirt, tossing them into the growing pile of clothes.
You stand between his legs, staring down at him in nothing but your bra and panties, and Hunter has to take a deep breath. The sight of you is almost too much, the need coiling in his belly threatening to overwhelm him, but he manages to rein himself in.
"Gorgeous," he whispers. His hands are on your thighs, his thumbs rubbing slow circles into the sensitive flesh. "Come here."
He pulls you into his lap, guiding you to straddle his hips, and you go willingly, settling yourself onto his thighs. He presses a kiss to the hollow of your throat, his teeth grazing the skin, and you sigh, tilting your head to the side, granting him access.
"You smell so good," he murmurs. His nose traces the column of your neck, breathing in the sweet scent. It sends a thrill through him, a wave of desire surging forward, and his hips jerk involuntarily, grinding against yours. His cock is straining against the fabric of his underwear, aching for release, and he can't stop himself from groaning.
"Fuck," he rasps, his teeth scraping against your collarbone as you shift. You're moving against him, a slow roll of your hips, and Hunter can feel his restraint slipping.
"Hunter," you sigh. His mouth moves down, his lips trailing over the swell of your breast, his tongue darting out to lap at the lace covering your nipple.
"You're driving me crazy, sweetheart," he breathes, his breath hot against your skin. "The things I wanna do to you."
"What do you want to do to me?"
He can't stop the groan that escapes him. He grabs your hips, his fingers digging into the flesh, and tugs you down, grinding his clothed erection against you.
"Everything," he growls. His mouth moves along your neck, biting and sucking, leaving a trail of bruises in its wake. "Anything you want. I'd do anything for you."
"Anything?"
"Mmhm," he murmurs, nuzzling your chest. He can't stop himself from licking and sucking, the taste of your skin intoxicating. His hands are roaming up and down your sides, squeezing and caressing, and you arch into him, your body reacting to his touch.
He slides a hand down your spine, his fingers finding the clasp of your bra. He makes quick work of it, unhooking the latch and pulling the straps down your arms. You sit back, letting the fabric fall away, and he can't help but stare, his mouth hanging open.
Your nipples are hard, pebbled and straining, and he can't resist the urge to flick his tongue across one, teasing the stiff peak. You let out a whimper, your fingers tangling in his hair, and he grins, swirling his tongue around the sensitive bud.
"Oh," you gasp. Your eyes are closed, your head tipped back, and Hunter smiles against your skin. He continues his assault, licking and sucking, his teeth grazing over the stiff nub.
"Feels good, doesn't it?" he purrs. You nod, a soft moan falling from your lips. He switches to the other nipple, giving it the same attention, and you squirm in his lap, your hips rocking against his.
"Force, yes," you pant, tugging at his hair. "I missed this. Missed you."
"Me too, sweetheart," he murmurs. His hands move to cup your breasts, squeezing and kneading, and you let out a shaky breath, rolling your hips against his. "I missed touching you, kissing you, being inside you."
"Yes," you whimper. His fingers are plucking at your nipples, pinching and tugging, and you grind down on his lap, desperate for friction. "Please, Hunter."
"Don't worry," he promises. He kisses his way up your chest, along the curve of your neck, and nips at your earlobe. "I'm gonna take care of you."
"Good," you huff, wrapping your arms around his neck. "I've waited long enough."
"Too long," he agrees. He lifts his head, his gaze meeting yours. "But we've got all the time in the world."
You smile at him, cupping his face. For a moment, the two of you simply stare at each other, neither saying a word. He can see the desire in your eyes, the need shining bright, but there's something else, something deeper, and his heart swells, his chest filling with warmth.
Then, without warning, Hunter flips you over, pressing you down into the mattress. He hovers above you, his weight resting on his forearms, and he smirks when you let out a surprised squeal.
"Hunter!"
"Hmm?" he hums, dipping his head to kiss the underside of your jaw. You arch into him, a soft moan escaping you.
"What are you—mm, that feels good," you sigh, tipping your head to the side.
"What's that, sweetheart?"
"Nothing," you murmur. Your arms are draped over his shoulders, your fingers threading through his hair. He presses a kiss to your throat, his teeth scraping over the sensitive skin, and you groan. “Keep going.”
Hunter chuckles, his hands sliding up your thighs. He reaches your hips, his fingers hooking under the waistband of your underwear.
"Lift your hips for me," he says, his breath ghosting across your ear. You obey, lifting yourself up off the mattress, and Hunter pulls the fabric down your legs. He tosses it over his shoulder, not bothering to see where it lands, before turning his attention back to you.
"Perfect," he breathes.
You're spread out in front of him, completely naked, your cheeks flushed, chest heaving, and he's mesmerized. It's not the first time he's seen you like this, but it's been too long, and his memory can't compare to the real thing.
He traces a finger along your inner thigh as he settles between your legs, his hand gliding over the soft flesh, and he watches as goosebumps erupt across your skin. You're trembling, the anticipation clear in your eyes, and Hunter grins, enjoying the effect he has on you.
"Tell me what you want," he says, his fingers ghosting along your slit. He's not surprised to find you wet, the scent of your arousal thick in the air, and he inhales deeply, relishing the familiar aroma.
"I want you," you whimper, your hips bucking upwards. He places a hand on your stomach, holding you down.
"How do you want me?"
"I don't care," you pant, reaching for him. Your fingers wrap around his wrist, your nails digging into the skin, and he bites back a groan. "I just need you. Please."
"Soon," he promises. He kisses your thigh, his lips trailing over the smooth flesh. "Let me take care of you first."
"You don't have to," you insist.
"Oh, I want to," he murmurs, his mouth inches from your center. "So badly."
"Oh," you moan, your back arching as his breath ghosts over your sensitive skin. You're trembling beneath him, and Hunter can't help but smile. It's intoxicating, knowing how badly you want him, and he can't stop the pride that swells in his chest.
His tongue flicks out, teasingly brushing against your folds, and you let out a breathy sigh, your body tensing.
"Stop teasing,” you plead.
"Sorry, sweetheart," he says, though he can’t find it in him to sound apologetic. His fingers part your folds, and his tongue slides through your slick heat, circling your entrance before dragging up to flick over your clit.
"Ah, fuck," you moan as your eyes roll back. Your hands are clutching the sheets, and he grins, swirling his tongue around the bundle of nerves. You gasp, your hips jerking, and he grabs them, holding you in place as he begins to lick and suck.
He wastes no time, his tongue and lips reacquainting themselves with your folds, and the taste of you is enough to make him dizzy. It's sweet and salty, familiar and unfamiliar, and Hunter can't get enough. He buries his face in your cunt, his nose rubbing against your clit as his tongue probes your entrance.
"Oh, Hunter, yes," you pant, your hand shooting down to tangle in his hair. He grins against you at the praise, his tongue plunging inside, and you let out a strangled moan.
He eats you out with enthusiasm, his tongue exploring every inch of your pussy. He's not sure how long he spends there, his face buried between your thighs, his mouth sucking and licking at your cunt. It could be hours, or mere minutes, but he doesn't care. It's perfect, the feeling of you underneath him, the way your body writhes, the noises falling from your lips.
He fucks you with his tongue, his grip on your thighs tightening, and your back arches, a desperate whine escaping you.
"Fuck, yes, Hunter," you cry out, your legs wrapping around his head, locking him in place. He moans, his tongue plunging deeper, his fingers digging into the soft flesh. He can't stop himself, his movements becoming frantic, desperate.
He needs more, craves it. Wants to feel you come apart, to know that it's his name on your lips. That it's his touch making you lose your careful composure.
"That's it," he groans, his breath hot against your pussy. "Come on my face, sweetheart."
He's not sure if it's the words or the way he thrusts his tongue inside, curling and stroking, but something sends you over the edge, and he's rewarded with a choked cry and a gush of slick heat as you clamp down around him.
Your toes curl, your back arching off the bed, and Hunter has to hold you down, his grip tightening as his mouth continues its relentless assault. Your walls pulse around him, clenching and releasing, and he lets out a growl, his tongue pushing deeper.
"Kriff," you moan, your hands clutching at his hair, pulling and tugging. He lets out a muffled groan, his eyes slipping shut, and he savors the feeling, the taste, the smell.
The fact that it's you, that he's the one who got you here, who made you come undone, is enough to send a wave of pleasure coursing through him. It's addicting, the feeling of having you like this, and he can't help the surge of satisfaction that comes with the knowledge that no one else has ever seen you this way. And if he has his way, no one ever will.
"Force, I missed that," he says once you finally relax, your legs falling from his shoulders. He licks his lips, grinning, and wipes his chin with the back of his hand.
"Me too," you breathe, propping yourself up on your elbows. "That was incredible."
"Yeah?" he asks, crawling up your body. He plants a kiss on your sternum, moving higher until his mouth finds yours. You return his messy kiss eagerly, moaning when you taste yourself on his tongue, and he chuckles, cupping your cheek.
"Mmhm," you sigh.
"Good," he murmurs, kissing you again. His tongue probes your mouth, searching for every last drop of sweetness. You cling to him, your nails digging into his shoulders, and he grunts, his cock twitching at the feeling.
"Need you," you whisper, breaking the kiss. Your hands slip down, coming to rest on his ass. You give him a squeeze, a playful grin on your lips, and Hunter can't stop the smirk that pulls at his mouth.
"Patience, sweetheart," he says. "We've got all the time in the galaxy."
"No," you shake your head, hooking your leg around his waist. You pull him closer, the hard line of his clothed cock rubbing against your clit, and you moan, grinding against him. "I need you now."
"Kriff," he groans, his head falling forward. The heat is radiating off of you, and he can't stop himself from pushing against you, seeking relief. "Yeah, alright. But I wanna take my time with you."
"We can take our time later," you promise. You tug at his underwear, pulling the fabric down his thighs, and he kicks them off, sighing in relief as his cock springs free. A pleased noise escapes you at the sight of him, hard and straining, and your other leg wraps around him, urging him on.
"Sweetheart," he breathes, his hips rolling. His cock is trapped between the two of you, sliding through your slick folds, and the sensation is almost too much.
"Please," you beg, tilting your hips upwards. You're soaking wet, the head of his cock sliding through the mess, and it's all he can do not to sink inside you.
"Fuck," he hisses. His grip on your waist tightens, and he presses a kiss to your neck, his lips tracing a path along the curve. You moan, arching into him, and he takes the opportunity to capture your lips in another messy kiss. He can feel the desire pouring off you, the need coursing through your veins, and it's overwhelming. He doesn’t even notice your legs tightening around him, not until you flip him over, and suddenly you're on top of him, straddling his lap.
"Shit," he gasps, his eyes wide. "That was—"
"Fast?" you finish. He nods, swallowing hard, and you laugh, the sound sending a shiver down his spine. “I think you forgot what I am, Hunter."
"Never," he whispers, his hands roaming up and down your thighs. He takes in the view, his eyes trailing over the length of your body, from the flush on your cheeks to the way your breasts sway with every breath, to the glistening wetness coating your thighs and the base of his cock. "You're incredible."
"Yeah?"
"Mmhm," he hums. His gaze drifts up, meeting yours, and he smiles, the sight of you making his heart swell. "You're perfect."
"I love you," you say, and Hunter can't help the warmth that spreads through him at the words. He's heard them a hundred times before, but each time, it still feels new. Like the first time.
"I love you, too," he replies. His fingers brush over your clit, gathering the wetness, and he slides his hand down, taking himself in his fist. "Ready?"
"Yes," you breathe.
You rise up onto your knees, placing a hand on his chest for balance, and Hunter guides himself to your entrance. His cock slides between your folds, the tip nudging at your entrance, and you both moan, the sound mixing together.
Hunter has to fight to keep his eyes open, to keep his hands steady. He wants to watch as you sink down on his cock, to see the pleasure wash over you as he fills you. He knows what it feels like, to be buried inside you, and it's always been intoxicating, but now? After everything that's happened, after the fear and the pain and the longing, to have you back in his arms?
It's beyond words. Beyond comprehension.
He doesn't deserve it. Doesn't deserve you.
But he'll never stop trying.
You let out a gasp as he pushes inside, his cock stretching and filling you, and Hunter has to grit his teeth, his hands tightening on your hips. The heat is incredible, the feeling of being buried deep inside, and he groans, the sound coming from deep within his chest.
"Fucking hell, sweetheart," he grunts. His eyes are locked on where the two of you are joined, watching as you slowly slide down the length of his cock. "You're so tight."
"It's been a while," you say, your breath coming in short pants. Your brow is furrowed, your teeth biting into your bottom lip, and Hunter has to bite back a groan.
"I know," he breathes. His hands caress your sides, his fingers skimming over the soft skin, and he feels your body relax. You're fully seated on his cock now, and Hunter can feel the way your cunt flutters around him, squeezing him tight. You tremble, and he reaches up, cupping your face.
"You alright?" he asks, stroking his thumb over your cheek. You nod, the corners of your mouth curling upwards.
"It's been a long time. Need a minute."
"Take all the time you need," he says.
"Thank you," you smile, turning your head to press a kiss to his palm.
You sit there, staring into his eyes, the two of you just existing. He doesn't mind it. Doesn't care about anything other than the feeling of being inside you. He can't believe he forgot what this was like, how perfect it is, how much he loves it. How much he loves you.
The urge to keep you here, to never let you go, to keep you safe and warm and loved and happy is overwhelming, and he can't help but reach out, his fingers tracing the curve of your jaw. He wonders if this is what it feels like to drown. If this is how people describe being swept away, pulled under the waves by the current, never to surface again.
He wonders if this is what they mean when they talk about being lost in someone.
Because he is. He's completely and utterly lost. Lost in you. Lost in the warmth of your gaze, the softness of your touch, the scent of your skin, the feeling of your body surrounding him, your heart beating in sync with his own.
He knows, in this moment, that he's not just in love with you. That he's not just madly infatuated with the woman in his arms. He's lost, and there's no coming back. He's yours. And he knows, without a shadow of a doubt, that you belong to him. That the two of you are bound together. That there's no one else for him. No one else he wants. Just you.
It's not the first time he's felt it, this overwhelming sense of love. But it's the first time it's hit him so hard. Maybe because it's the first time it's been this intense, this all-consuming. Maybe because it's the first time he's actually understood what it means. What it truly means.
Maybe because it's the first time he's truly believed it.
"Hunter?"
You're staring at him, concern etched across your features, and he realizes, with a start, that tears are rolling down his cheeks. He hadn't noticed.
"Sorry," he mutters, hastily wiping his face.
"What's wrong?"
"Nothing," he says.
"Are you sure?" you ask. "Because I've never seen you cry before."
"I'm okay," he says, smiling softly. "I'm fine. Just... overwhelmed, I guess."
"You sure?"
"Yeah," he nods. He sits up, bracing his back against the headboard as his hands cup your cheeks. "I'm more than fine."
"Okay," you say, giving him a worried smile. His thumb smooths the crease between your brows, and he presses a gentle kiss in its place.
"I promise," he murmurs as he leans his forehead against yours. "I love you."
"Love you too," you whisper. You place a hand on his chest, just above his heart, and he wraps his arms around you, holding you close.
"I don't say it enough," he says, his voice hoarse. "But I mean it. Every time."
"I know," you assure him. You kiss his cheek, your lips trailing over the curve. "You don't have to say it. I know. I can feel it. I always have."
"Good," he sighs. His hands move up and down your back, the tips of his fingers gliding over your spine. "Never forget it."
"I won't," you promise.
He holds you there, your foreheads pressed together, your noses touching. He closes his eyes, inhaling deeply, letting the scent of you wash over him. It calms him, soothes him, and he feels his heart slow, his breathing evening out.
You shift, lifting your hips, and he gasps, the feeling of your cunt gripping his cock sending a jolt of pleasure through him. You smile, kissing the corner of his mouth.
"I'm okay," he whispers, his hands moving to grip your hips.
"Good," you say, your lips brushing over his. You start to move, rising up onto your knees before sinking back down. You both groan, the feeling of being joined sending a surge of warmth through him.
"Kriff," Hunter rasps as your hands find his shoulders, your fingers digging into the muscle, and you lift yourself up again, repeating the motion. His head falls back against the headboard with a dull thump, and you smile, your teeth scraping over the sensitive spot where his neck meets his shoulder.
"How's that feel?"
"So good," he breathes.
"Yeah?" you hum, rocking against him.
You're moving slowly, the pace torturous, and Hunter can't help but grind his hips upwards, trying to speed things along. You're having none of it, placing a hand on his chest, pushing him back against the bed.
"Slow," you order.
"Can't," he groans. His grip on your waist tightens, his fingers digging into the soft flesh, and he pulls you down, forcing himself deeper as his hips buck up into you.
"Why not?"
"Need more," he pants.
"Hmm," you murmur, nipping at his throat. "I thought we were going to take our time."
"Changed my mind."
"Too bad," you smirk.
Your lips find his, capturing him in a heated kiss, and Hunter moans, his mouth parting for you. Your tongue sweeps through his mouth, seeking his own, and he can't stop the desperate noise that escapes him as you taste him. He tries to move, to thrust up into you, but a weight presses down on him, holding him in place. He knows without looking that the Force is holding him down, keeping him still, and a thrill runs through him, the realization making him even harder.
"Fuck," he hisses.
"What was that?"
"Kriff, I hate when you do that," he mutters, glaring up at you.
"Do what?" you ask, feigning innocence.
"That." He jerks his chin towards the invisible pressure pinning him to the bed. "You know exactly what."
"No idea what you're talking about," you grin. You're still moving, the movement slow and steady, and Hunter lets out a low whine, his eyes slipping shut.
"You're insufferable," he huffs, his head falling back.
"I think you're the one being insufferable," you tease, placing a hand on his chest. You run your fingers through the coarse hair, dragging them down until they brush over the base of his cock. "If I recall, you were the one who said we should take our time."
"Well, maybe I was wrong."
"Oh, I don't know," you say, your fingers tracing the edge of his hip bone. "I think it's nice."
"It is," he concedes, hissing as you squeeze his balls. "But it's not enough."
"No?"
"No," he says, opening his eyes. He looks up at you, taking in the sight. Your skin is flushed, your lips swollen and parted, your eyes glassy and filled with desire. He swallows hard, his hands tightening on your hips. He knows there will be marks tomorrow, a reminder of what happened tonight, and the thought makes him twitch inside you.
"So impatient," you tut.
"Yeah," he agrees. "You're so kriffing gorgeous. And I want you so badly. Always. I can't get enough of you."
"Hunter," you gasp, grinding down on him.
"Yeah," he breathes, his eyes drifting down to where the two of you are joined. Your cunt is stretched tight around his cock, and Hunter lets out a moan, the sight making his mouth water. He's always loved watching you take his cock, loved the way it looked as it slid in and out of your wet heat, loved the way it felt, being inside you. But now, after everything? After almost losing you?
"Force, I can't get over how beautiful you are," he whispers.
You're moving faster now, his cock sliding in and out of you with ease, and the room fills with the sounds of skin slapping against skin and heavy breathing.
"Fuck," you cry out as he hits that spot deep inside, and Hunter lets out a grunt, his hands finding your breasts.
"There you go," he says. He palms the soft flesh, his fingers finding your nipples, and he pinches them, rolling the stiff buds between his thumb and forefinger.
"Oh," you moan, arching into his touch. "Oh, that feels good."
"Yeah?" he breathes.
"Yes," you nod, rocking against him. You're bouncing on his cock, the bed shaking with each thrust, and Hunter can't tear his eyes away. He's transfixed, unable to look anywhere else. You're a vision, sweat beading on your brow, your body trembling as the pleasure builds.
His hands find your ass, pulling you down onto his cock, and he can feel the muscles flexing beneath his fingertips. He can feel his climax approaching, his balls tightening, the pressure building. He's not ready for this to end, not yet, so he grits his teeth, biting the inside of his cheek.
"You gonna come for me, sweetheart?" he pants, his hands roaming over the curve of your ass, squeezing and groping.
"Mmhm," you nod. You're leaning forward now, your hands braced on his chest as you ride him. Your nails rake across his chest, leaving angry red lines in their wake, and his hips twitch, trying to thrust up into you. The weight keeps him in place, and he lets out a frustrated groan.
"That's it," he coos. He can feel the tension in your thighs, the way your legs are shaking, and he knows you're close. He grips your ass tighter, helping you keep pace, and you whimper, your movements becoming erratic.
"Please," you plead, and he can't deny you, not when you're begging.
His fingers find your clit, his thumb rubbing the swollen bundle of nerves. Your head falls forward, your hair falling over your face, and Hunter reaches up, brushing the strands aside.
"Come for me," he says, his voice hoarse. “Come for me, and then I’m gonna fill you up."
"Yes," you gasp.
"You wanna feel it, don't you?" he murmurs. He's barely holding on now, the heat pooling in his belly threatening to overwhelm him. "Want me to fill you up, mark you as mine. Make you mine."
"Yes, yes, yes," you chant, grinding against him. "More, please, please, please, I need—"
He flicks his thumb over your clit, pressing down hard. Your breath hitches, your walls fluttering around his cock, and Hunter watches, mesmerized, as you shudder above him. You're staring at him, your pupils blown wide, your hair a mess, your skin covered in a thin sheen of sweat, your mouth hanging open in a silent scream.
"There it is," he growls. The weight pressing down on him disappears, and he grabs your waist, flipping you over. Your back hits the mattress, your legs wrapped around his hips, and he pounds into you, chasing his own release.
"Yes," you cry out, wrapping your arms around his neck. Your mouth finds his, swallowing his moans, as his cock pistons in and out of your dripping cunt.
He fucks you, hard and fast, the bed creaking underneath the two of you. You're clinging to him, your nails scratching his back, and he knows there will be marks, knows that he's probably hurting you, but he can't stop, can't slow down. He's so close, the pressure building, the pleasure coiling deep inside, and he's desperate for it, his thrusts becoming frantic.
"Gonna fill you up," he gasps.
"Please," you beg, and that's all it takes.
His orgasm hits him hard, and he cries out, his hips jerking erratically as he spills inside you. He buries his face in your neck, biting and sucking, and you whimper, your legs tightening around his waist.
"Fuck, yes," you groan, and Hunter can feel the warmth of his spend leaking out of you, the mess coating his cock, dripping down his thighs. It's intoxicating, and he can't stop himself from thrusting deeper, trying to make sure every drop is buried inside you.
"Oh, Hunter," you moan. Your hands are on his ass, pulling him closer, urging him on. He grinds his hips against you, and you sigh, a lazy smile spreading across your lips.
"Good?" he asks, pressing a soft kiss to your cheek.
"Perfect," you whisper. You cup his face, and he leans into the touch, his eyelids fluttering as he savors the feeling.
He doesn't want to move, doesn't want to let go. He's perfectly content to stay like this, holding you, his cock buried deep inside you, your hands stroking his face. You're watching him, your eyes roaming over his body, and he preens under the attention, a soft smile tugging at the corner of his mouth.
"Well," he huffs, "I hope that was worth the wait."
"It was," you nod. You pull him closer, his head resting on your chest, and he lets out a sigh, his body relaxing.
"You alright?" he murmurs, pressing a kiss to the swell of your breast.
"Mmhm," you nod. Your hands are tracing patterns over his skin, fingers trailing across his back, and he can't help but shiver, goosebumps erupting in their wake.
"I'm not too heavy?"
"Not at all," you say. Your fingers move up, combing through his hair, and Hunter practically purrs, a low rumble rising from his chest.
"Good," he sighs. He tilts his head, his nose brushing against the hollow of your throat, and he inhales deeply, the scent of your arousal still thick in the air. He can feel the heat radiating off your body, and he shivers, the sensation sending a tingle down his spine.
"Hey," you murmur, and he hums in response. He shifts his weight, settling his elbows on either side of your head, and kisses your cheek.
"Hi," he whispers, his breath ghosting across your skin. He leans forward, brushing his lips against yours. You return the kiss eagerly, a soft moan escaping you. You wrap your arms around his neck, pulling him closer, and he goes willingly, his hips grinding against you.
"Mm, again?" you giggle, your teeth scraping over his bottom lip.
"If you're up for it," he says, grinning.
"I'm always up for it," you smirk. You roll your hips, your legs wrapping around his waist. He's still half-hard, his cock slowly swelling, and he can't stop the groan that rumbles in his chest.
"Good." Hunter grins, capturing your mouth in another searing kiss. "Because I'm nowhere near done with you."
"Well, we've got plenty of time," you breathe.
"Plenty," he echoes, his hands finding your hips. "Let's make the most of it, then."
And he does.
He spends the rest of the night worshiping you, his mouth and hands mapping every inch of your skin. He leaves no part of you untouched, his lips and tongue and fingers exploring every inch, and you do the same. The two of you take turns, exploring and teasing, pleasuring and loving, until you're both too exhausted to continue.
Afterwards, you lie together, his arm draped over your waist, his nose buried in the crook of your neck. Hunter inhales deeply, the familiar scent filling his nostrils, and he lets out a content sigh. He can feel the ache in his limbs, and he's suddenly aware of how tired he is. He doesn't remember the last time he slept, and he can't even recall the last time he was able to relax. It feels like forever since he's felt this good, this safe.
This happy.
"I love you,” you murmur as you press a kiss to the top of his head.
"I love you, too," he whispers, his voice thick.
"I know," you chuckle, and he smiles against your neck.
You're both still breathing hard, chests heaving, bodies sticky with sweat, and he revels in the feeling, his arms tightening around you. He can't stop himself from kissing you, peppering your neck with gentle kisses, his lips ghosting over the delicate skin.
He makes his way up to your jaw, then your cheek, before finally meeting your mouth. It's slow, tender, filled with a sense of intimacy he hasn't felt in a long time, and it's enough to make him tear up. His hand cradles your cheek, his thumb stroking the skin, and he closes his eyes, savoring the moment.
He never thought he'd have this. Never thought he'd get a chance.
And now that he does? Now that he's got you here, in his arms, where he's meant to be?
"I'm not letting you go again," he mumbles, his forehead pressed against yours. "I don't care what it takes, I'm not letting anyone or anything take you from me."
"Hunter," you start, but he cuts you off.
"I know. I know, you can handle yourself, you're more than capable. I know all that. But I'm still going to be there. I'm always going to be there."
"I know," you say, your hand cupping his cheek.
"Do you?"
His eyes search yours, searching for any hint of hesitation, any sign of doubt. He finds none. Just warmth. Just love.
"Yes," you whisper.
"Good," he nods. He pulls back, just enough to look into your eyes. He doesn't think he'll ever get tired of seeing you like this, bare and vulnerable, looking at him like that. Like he's the only person who matters.
"I meant what I said earlier," he says. "About wanting a family. A future."
"Me too," you smile.
"Really?"
"Yes," you nod, placing a hand on his chest. Your fingertips trace over the curve of his collarbone, and he shivers. "I want that with you. I always have."
"Even after everything?"
"Especially after everything," you assure him. "I've always wanted a future with you, Hunter. Ever since we met. I know you're scared. I am too. But I love you, and I want this. Us. All of it."
"Okay," he says, smiling.
"Okay," you repeat, returning the smile.
He pulls you into another kiss, his hand cradling the back of your neck, and the two of you stay like that, kissing and touching and loving, until exhaustion takes over. You curl up against him, your head on his chest, his arms wrapped around you, and he feels his eyes begin to droop. He can't remember the last time he was this relaxed, the last time he was this comfortable. The last time he felt so safe. So loved.
And for the first time in a long time, Hunter doesn't worry. He doesn't stress. He doesn't plan.
Instead, he closes his eyes, a smile tugging at his lips, and he lets the world fade away.
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buckyalpine · 1 year ago
Text
Spiral
Bucky Barnes x teacher reader 
Warnings: AANGST Arguments, mean Bucky, break up, make up, fluffff 
listen, don’t eat me alive for this, I’ve been craving some angst (with a happy ending), the type that makes my chest itch so here we are. If this is too toxic for you and you only live for sunshine and rainbows and perfect communication, then this is not the fic for you. He gets mean because that’s what I wanted. So mean. I wanted to feel physical pain while reading. But then my hamster brain got exhausted to write more groveling. So don’t come at me about “she shouldn’t have taken him back, he should’ve begged and groveled more” He groveled. 
-
You sighed, rubbing sleep away from your eyes, trying to get them to focus on the time on the clock. 
2:57 AM
You stretched out some of the kinks from your neck after falling asleep on the couch, reaching for your phone and squinting at the bright screen, all your calls and texts left unanswered. He didn’t respond to one. You sat up hearing the lock click open, some of your anxiety melting away hearing the thud of his bag hit the floor. 
“Bucky?”
“Yeah” He toed off his boots and shrugged off his jacket, heading straight for the bedroom without even looking your way, his shoulders heavy from exhaustion. You followed him to your shared bedroom, taking his bag from him and unpacking it while he stripped his clothes off getting ready to take a shower. 
“What time did you guys get back?”
“Couple hours ago” He grunted, tossing his clothes into the hamper, heading to the bathroom and clicking the lock shut. You blinked, slightly taken aback by his coldness but it wasn’t like you hadn’t seen this side before. Bucky had improved a lot with his stress and how he handled missions but ones that involved casualties or hydra would pull him into deep waves of despair, holding him down till he nearly drowned. 
You swallowed the uneasiness that crept up your spine; now wasn’t the time to ask him why he hadn’t let you know he was back safe or why he had ignored all  your messages. He would have been busy with reports and right now he was drained. You went to grab his Henley and some boxer briefs, laying them out on the bed for him as soon as you heard the water shut off. He emerged out with his towel wrapped around his waist, water still dripping from his short locks while you grabbed his clothes, handing it to him before he went to the closet. 
“Here, I already got them out of the closet”
He half mumbled in response, pulling his clothes on and falling into bed, snoring as soon as his head hit the pillow. You weren’t a fan of him sleeping with wet hair, grabbing a dry towel and gently patting his hair as best as you could without waking him. He mumbled something again, pulling the sheet higher on himself and tucking himself further away from you, unbothered with his still semi damp hair. You jolted at the sound of your phone buzzing, Sam’s caller ID lighting up the screen. 
“Hey Sam” 
“Big guy get home alright?” 
“He did, why?” 
“Hm” You could hear the hesitation in his voice, “He’s been pretty out of it these past few missions, probably because he’s exhausted. Tony’s told him to sit out a couple of them but he’s there anyway. Stubborn as hell”  
“He really is” You shook your head, frowning at his sleeping form. Usually you found his stubbornness endearing but not when it was taking a toll on his health. 
“We uh...” Sam paused again, contemplating on if he should tell you his next words, deciding facing Bucky’s wrath would be better than losing him all together. “I know he’ll kick my ass for telling you this but we nearly lost him today” 
Your mouth dried up, heart rapidly hammering against your ribcage. You couldn’t get any words out to acknowledge what he’d just said but you heard him loud and clear. 
“Oh”
“It’s a lot, I know. Maybe talk to him. He’s getting reckless, it’s going to get him killed. We’ve tried talking to him but you know how-”
“Yeah” You blurted out, your mind now racing along with your heart, your body feeling hot. You could feel your anxiety sky rocket at the thought of Bucky endangering himself, never coming home to you again. The way your bed would feel empty. The way your soul would leave along with him. You couldn’t speak anymore, humming and mumbling the rest of the conversation. “Thanks Sam” 
You slipped under the covers, sleep not taking over as easily. Your anxiety at an all time high. Bucky used to text you as soon as he got back. Not a single one of your calls would be left unanswered. Running to you the second the jet landed. He’d never leave your side, taking you into the shower with him and making love to you till the sun came up with endless cuddles afterwards. Even after some of his darkest missions, he’d search for you eventually, seeking your comfort and warmth. 
Now?
Nothing. 
You groaned hearing the alarm go off, forcing yourself out of bed and going through your routine, getting ready for work and packing your things for the day. Your movements were shaky, the conversation with Sam screaming in your head while you poured some coffee and got started on breakfast. You wanted to scream and cry so badly but you couldn’t. It wouldn’t be a productive conversation when Bucky was like this anyway. You ended up running on autopilot, thinking about the lessons you’d teach for the day, supplies you still had to order for the classroom, the nagging parent that wanted to arrange a meeting after school. Bucky trudged into the kitchen a few minutes after you, setting on a bowl of cereal, his eyes sullen from a lack of proper sleep. 
“Can I make something for you?” you tested the waters to gauge his mood though you could see from his face he was still mentally elsewhere. He shook his head, huffing in frustration when the utensil drawer jammed, squeezing his eyes shut to collect himself before trying to open it again. 
“Sweetheart, let me get that for you” You set down your things, realizing that his exhausted state made his patience wear thin. 
“It’s fine” He tried to push the frustration he felt down, his teeth gritted as spoke, yanking at the drawer once more. 
“It’s probably stuck, just pull it slowly-”
“I said I got it” 
“But-”
“I’m not one of your fucking students!” He stated louder than necessary, pulling the drawer out with more force than he intended, all the contents inside crashing and clanking to the floor. You yelped in surprise, ignored the shakiness you started to feel coursing through your body, stepping towards Bucky instead, your heart breaking over how lost and worn out he looked. 
“Baby I didn’t say that-
“Why the fuck do you treat me like a child then?! Taking out my clothes, drying my hair, making my breakfast, texting and calling 100 times when I’m away. Do I look like I’m incapable of taking care of myself?” He spat, taking a step back from you when you tried to reach out from him, his brows furrowed, blue eyes glaring at you. You couldn’t help but let your anger bubble over, how dare he yell at you when he was the one carelessly putting his life at risk at risk on a daily basis. 
“Honestly?!” Your composure started to crumble, your eyes boring into his sleep deprived face, “From where I’m standing, it doesn’t look like it”
Bucky let out a humorless laugh, scoffing while you continued to stare at him. He slammed the drawer shut, not bothering to pick up what had fallen as he started to walk away from the kitchen and back to the bedroom. 
“Fuck this, I don’t need this” He shook his head while you followed him, going straight to the closet to grab his duffle bag he took for overnight missions. 
“What exactly do you not need” You tried to take a deep breath in, not wanting to upset him more when he wasn’t in a good state of mind. 
“You”
Oh.
“I don’t need you or your coddling” He started to grab handfuls of his clothes, shoving them haphazardly in his bag. “It’s suffocating y/n” 
You watched him in silence, squeezing your nails into your palms, desperately trying to hold it together while he continued to pack the few belongings he had. 
“Having someone constantly nag you about your whereabouts, doubt if you can even take care of your basic needs. Its-it’s just exhausting” 
You swallowed away the tightness that constricted your throat, not wanting to aggravate him further even though your own emotions were now thrown for a loop. This wasn’t him, this wasn’t your Bucky. 
“James, all you had to do was just tell me you were safe, you used to answer your messages, I worry about y-
“Well don’t! Because I don’t worry about you. Alright? There. That’s why I don’t message”
You wordlessly stared at him, your mouth dry as if you’d swallowed cotton. Your chest felt like you had been hit by a truck, feeling pain on the inside as your heart strings snapped one by one each time he spoke. 
“I don’t message because I don’t care. When I come back I just-I just want to be left alone. That's why I spend so much time at the compound after. I don’t exactly feel like rushing home”
You wanted to bite your tongue, walk away but the words were falling from your mouth before you could stop yourself. 
“Clearly you don’t care! Is that why the fuck you take on so many missions when you’re clearly worn the fuck out? Are you trying to get yourself killed?”
“Don’t tell me how to do my job” Bucky growled while you willed yourself to not let him see you cry, your eyes betraying you as tears welled in your lash line. 
“It’s not doing your job if you’re dead Bucky!” Hot tears were now rolling down your cheeks, any resolve you previously had thrown out the door. 
“You don’t know anything”  Bucky shook his head, scoffing and pushing past you while you pathetically trailed behind him, unable to stop this train wreck of an argument.
“What?” 
He finally turned to face you, dropping his bag in the living room, his sullen eyes daring you to try and stop him from leaving. You were about to open your mouth to speak but he cut you off. 
“What the fuck do you know y/n, you get to go in every morning, coddle some children for 8 hours, then you come back home, fucking try and do the same shit with me after like you have nothing better to do, too stupid to realize I can take care of myself. Why would I need you? Huh? Tell me” He challenged, the rational side of his brain kicking and screaming at him to stop but he was too far gone, too deprived of everything to stop the venom he was spitting. “I don’t need you. I don’t fucking want you” 
“Th-that’s how you feel?” Bucky blinked at the sound of your voice cracking, though his ego and anger at the rest of the world not letting him back down. He shrugged, his stomach now churning over your stoic expression but your eyes giving away how much he was hurting you. “Fine” 
You didn’t move a muscle as he grabbed his bag and headed out the door, slamming it shut behind him. Every single fiber in your body wanted to crumble to the floor, wishing it would swallow you whole. You pushed back all the emotions that wanted to crash all over the floor, shakily packing your things up and rushing out the door, hoping your little ones would distract you enough to get through the day.
If anything they made it worse. 
Every one one of your students knew something was off, seeing right past the smile you had plastered onto your face, doing your best to appear normal. You fought off tears as your third graders quietly made you cards to make you feel better during their recess time, a few of them even leaving portions of their snack on your desk, hoping it’d make you smile. You avoided reading any of the sweet little notes, knowing you’d break down into sobs if you read them. 
As soon as you got home, all your pent up sadness turned into rage. Angry tears streamed down your face as soon as you locked the door shut, the soft scent of home, of your Bucky now made your stomach turn. You hated that the whole place suffocated you with him, pictures of you both, his records and books on the shelves, a Henley on the couch. The kitchen was no better, plums on the counter, his favorite coffee in the cupboard, a Captain America mug still in the sink. 
You desperately wanted to shower and crawl into bed but the shared bedroom was the worst of all. You couldn’t stand to be in the space where his clothes were, the sheet still lingering with his soft scent that used to make you feel safe and remind you of home. You didn’t even realize you had broken down into sobs on the floor, all the pent up emotions you had kept in you spilling out all at once. 
The last thing you wanted to do was coddle and suffocate Bucky, his words echoing in your head. 
I don’t message because I don’t care
What do you know, y/n?
I don’t need you.
I don’t fucking want you. 
Fine. 
-
Bucky wasn’t sure what he was expecting when he got home, blinking at the dark house, usually you’d leave at least one light on. He had made it clear he was leaving, he couldn't expect you to be waiting at the front door with open arms. He stood for a moment, wondering if you had perhaps gone to bed early but it was eerily quiet. He didn’t like the cold silence that greeted him, it didn’t take him long to realize you weren’t there.
Yet there was an inkling of hope that maybe. Just maybe you were somewhere around. 
“Y/n?” 
Nothing.
He made his way right to the bedroom, only to be met with more cold silence. Bucky’s mind swirled, regret, guilt and shame constricting his neck once again. As soon as he had walked out, he wanted nothing more than to run back into the house and take it all back, tell you he didn’t mean a word of what he said. He wanted to scoop you in his arms and beg for forgiveness and shower you with love for the way you cared about him so much. He let his feet carry him away instead, not being able to think straight, frustration and pain feeding the caged monster he unleased on you. 
The last person that deserved it. 
Where had you gone?
Did it matter? 
He paced around the room; none of your things were out of place but it was too late for you to have gone on a walk or to grab food. He couldn’t look at himself in the mirror, feeling nothing but disgust with himself, the image of your sweet fallen face burned in his mind. How could he push away the one person who cared enough to take care of him so tenderly. So gently. So lovingly. 
And to say he didn’t care? Or worry?
How could he let those words fall from his lips when you were the reason he stayed alive. It took everything in him to not smash the first thing that came into his hand, of all the reckless and careless things he had done in this life, this was the worst. This hurt more than anything Hydra had put him though. He almost wished they’d take him away again, wipe his memories, wipe away the sound of your voice cracking, wipe away the way you’d softly call for him. Wipe away the feel of your soft hands touching him and soothing him when he couldn't sleep-
Wipe everything away because he was selfish. 
Unable to exist with he guilt of knowing he’d hurt you so much. 
His hands were working faster than his brain could comprehend, calling the first person he could think of, desperate to know you were at least okay and alive before he purged the city to look for you. 
“Nat-”
“She’s here” Nat deadpanned, cutting the call immediately after. He knew by her tone of voice, there would be no point in trying to call back. He had no right to see you. No right to come and ask for you to come back. He had no right for anything yet he had already broken off into a sprint. He made it very clear he didn’t want you, very clear you meant nothing, very clear he was the most fucked up idiot in the world, completely undeserving of your love. 
But he was selfish. 
He loved you. 
Bucky didn’t waste a second, hopping onto his motorbike and speeding off to the compound, bounding to the elevators and immediately to Nat’s door. He barely raised his hand to knock, the red head reluctantly opening the door to a disheveled Bucky. 
“She doesn’t want to see you”
“Nat, please-
“Barnes. She doesn’t want to see you” She threw in with a shrug, her green eyes challenging him to argue back. 
“I want to see her” His voice was small, hopeful, only to be met with a scoff and eyeroll, the assassin stepping out of the room and gently shutting the door behind her. 
“So you can tell her you don’t want her?”  Nat crossed her arms while Bucky felt his insides crumble more, his own words taunting him. 
“She told you?”
“Not much because even now, she’s more worried about you instead of how you treated her” Nat glared at the super solider as he hung his head, knowing damn well he had already been spiraling for weeks, his explosion a result of pent up pain and stress left undealt with. “Y’know you could’ve lost it on one of us but not her, she’s always been there for you in ways no one else could” 
Bucky felt his throat tighten, unable to get any words out as he silently nodded and made his way to a different floor to sleep in a guest room. Of course he didn’t sleep, tears staining the pillow, struggling to keep his sobs down. He spent the rest of the night all the way till morning pacing up and down the hall instead, waiting for you to wake up, ignoring the glare Nat gave him when she saw him sitting on the floor outside of her room. As soon as the door clicked open again, Bucky scrambled to his feet, rushing to your side. 
“Y/n-
“Don’t” 
You couldn’t bare to look at him, turning on your heel with your bag slung over your shoulder. Bucky reached for your wrist, weakly grasping it, the undeserving inkling of hope he had slowly dissolving when he felt your muscles tense.
“I’m sor-
“I said don’t. I don’t want to hear it”  You shook your head, tugging your hand away and continuing down the hall while Bucky trailed behind you like a puppy. 
“Angel, angel please wait!” He caught up with you, moving to block your path, but you shoved his chest, pushing him aside, gritting you teeth together till you made it outside. You would not let him see you break twice. 
“No” 
“Angel, I-I need-”
“You made it very clear you don’t need much. I’m not something you need” You cut him off before he could finish, unable to shake off the way the words he cut you deep, tangled around you like barbed wire. Your words cut him right back, his chest filling with even more guilt and regret. 
“That’s not true baby” His voice trembled, looking at your tear stained cheeks and puffy face. He’d never forgive himself over the pain he’d caused you, itching to pull you in his arms but how could he when he made you cry in the first place. 
“Don’t call me that” You scoffed, feeling your throat tighten, your vision cloudy with fresh tears. You kept your eyes trained towards the elevator, hoping to escape before the damn broke. 
“But you are”
“No, I’m not” You shook your head, “You can get the rest of your things today, you won’t have to worry about not rushing home anymore” You didn’t give him a chance to respond, dashing towards the doors as soon as they opened and striding through the compound till you got to your car. The skin on your knuckles was pulled tight as you gripped the steering wheel, breathing slowly till you got home. Everything came crashing down again as soon as you were back in your room; it wouldn’t have hurt this much if you didn’t actually love him
But you did. 
-
Bucky looked defeated as the elevator doors closed, his heart breaking further when you didn’t spare him a second glance. He didn’t bother wiping away the tears that were now streaming down his face as he made his way back to the guest room, ignoring Steve’s concerned glance and slamming the door shut. As expected, there was a knock at the door moments later, blond hair and blue eyes peering inside, unbothered by the death glare Bucky was shooting him. 
“You did something” He cocked an eyebrow, looking at his bestfriends guilt ridden face, staring at his feet like an admonished child. Bucky chewed at his lip, figuring there was no point in lying at this point, if anything he deserved the scolding he’d inevitably get. 
“I messed up”
“That would appear so” Steve nodded, urging him to continue. 
“I said a lot of things” 
“You should apologize”
“I can’t apologize for the things I said” Bucky shook his head, his voice trembling again, “I-I can’t just say sorry. It’s been weeks. Weeks of giving her shit. This just- it was too much. Y-you should have seen her face Steve” 
Steve remained silent, letting him continue.
“Fuck- I-, y’know she goes as far as drying my hair if I try to sleep while its still damp? Even when it’s late? and she has work the next morning” 
“And the problem is? She always takes care of you, I’ve seen it myself”
Bucky scoffed at himself, shaking his head while fidgeting with his hands. 
What was his problem.
He had a girl that actually gave a fuck about him, wanting to know if he was safe and loving him enough to take care of him even when he was broken. 
“I got mad at her for it” His voice was a whisper, dripping in shame, “She’d waited for me to get home, took care of me and I yelled at her”
“Explain” Steve didn’t like where the conversation was going but he wasn’t about to let Bucky off the hook without finding out exactly what happened. “All of it” 
“I-I was tired. I got frustrated when a drawer got stuck and lashed out on her and told her I didn’t want her. Didn’t need her. Had no interest in seeing her. It had already been a long time of me just not seeing or talking to her properly in general”
“Bucky” 
“I know” He squeezed his eyes shut, unable to look at Steve’s face. “and a lot of other shit. And I can’t take it back” 
“No, you can’t” Steve agreed, much to Bucky’s discontent but again, his best friend wouldn’t lie and he had brought this all on himself. “You actually care about her?” 
“I fucking love her” Bucky’s eyes shot up, full confidence in his voice, he, without a single doubt in his soul, loved you completely. 
“Then give her time. You hurt her, Buck”
Bucky nodded, hating that he had no choice now but to wait. He quietly collected his things while you were at work, not wanting to torment you further. 
-
You hadn’t spoken to Bucky for weeks. Every time your missed him, thought about him, picked up your phone to call and check on him, you remembered what he told you. 
He didn’t want you. 
You downed another drink, staying tucked away at a booth while Natasha and Wanda went off dancing, the both of them dragging out out of the house, insisting you had to get out. Even after the break up, they remained close to you. No amount of make up could cover the puffiness and redness of your eyes or mask the way your voice was stuffy from nights of crying to sleep but there you were. On your third glass. 
“Someone looks happy to be here” 
Your eyes searched the crowd for the familiar voice, eventually landing on Sam, his eyebrows playfully wiggling as he slid into your booth.  You relaxed when you saw he hadn’t come with Bucky but you knew based off his face, there was something on his mind. 
“I think you both should talk” 
There it is. 
“There’s nothing to talk about” You shrugged, swirling your drink around with your straw while Sam sighed. 
“You’re both miserable”
“I made him miserable” You countered, nervously fidgeting with your fingers instead.
“You know that’s not true-” Sam started but the scoff you let out let him know that was a pointless road to go down, “Okay fine. Things weren’t great. But it was an abrupt end and he’s been kicking himself and you don’t look like you’re doing so hot either sweetheart” 
“Thanks” You deadpanned while he grinned, giving your hand a squeeze. 
“He’s really trying for you, y/n” Sam said softly, the playfulness in his voice replaced with sincerity. 
“What do you mean?” 
“Talk to him” 
-
You spent the rest of the week contemplating what Sam said but every time you picked up your phone, you dropped it again. You messages would probably be ignored and he likely hated you even more. Which is why you were curled up on the couch, trying not to think about him, having a night for yourself, hoping not to be tempted with your phone though a soft thump at the door pulled you away from the story. You set down the book you were reading, growing nervous when you heard the sound again. You were sure you were just hearing things but this time it was more clear. The second knock at the door made you blink, curious to know who would come by at this time. 
“Bucky?” You gasped, surprised to find him standing on the other side, a small bouquet of flowers in his hand, the stems nearly crushed from how nervous he was, “What-what are you doing here?” 
“It’s-fuck, it’s been hell sweets” Bucky whispered, his knees already ready to give way, the smell of home, the sight of you, all making him feel overwhelmed. “Hell knowing I hurt you” 
You stepped aside to let him in, not wanting to keep him in the hallway. Bucky stayed rooted in place on the welcome mat, not wanting to cross a boundary if you didn’t want him there. He hesitantly came in when you gave him a small nod, his movements shaky as he toed his boots off and followed you to the living room, the both of you standing in silence.  
“You said you didn’t want me” You kept your eyes trained on your feet, tears already threatening to spill over, you could feel the warmth of his body with how close he was, smell the scent of his laundry detergent, his cologne, the leather of his jacket. 
“How could I not want you sweets, you’re one of the reasons I’m alive-”
“Didn’t seem that way” 
“I know baby, but-” 
“Don’t call me that James” You shook your head, your heart twisting hearing his pleading voice, the sweet names he had for you making you weak. 
“No” Bucky shook his head as he felt his stomach drop at the sound of his name coming from your mouth, he despised it, hated it, “ m’not James, m’your Bucky, your Jamie, your baby, please-”
“You’re not a lot of things” You tried to keep your voice steady but it was already beginning to crack, your nails digging into your palms to keep from pulling him into you when he stepped closer. 
“I’m sorry” 
You remained silent, swallowing the lump that made your throat tighter, your vision blurry.
“I’m so sorry doll, please?” 
You could hear the quiver in his voice, now barely a whisper, the sniffle between his words making your lip tremble. 
“Please?” 
The soft sob that slipped past your lips at his pleading voice broke Bucky, his legs giving way, desperate to take away everything he did to hurt you. He was on his knees, his face buried in your tummy, his tears soaking your shirt. His cries were muffled as he tried to burry his face in further, desperately clinging onto you while you hesitantly brought a hand to card through his hair. 
“Why” You still felt like you had so many things left unanswered. 
“It was never you baby” Bucky kept himself hidden from you, his arms hugging you tightly while continuing to rest against your stomach. “I-I kept everything inside and it spilled onto you, I don’t have the words- M’selfish baby. I’m so selfish because I want you, I want to love you, I want everything you give me, I miss you, I missed you, I shouldn’t have walked out, m’sorry”
You hummed, petting his hair softly, the simple action causing him to feel even more emotional. 
“Please, wanna be your Bucky, please, I’m sorry doll” He nervously tilted his face up, his chin still pressed against your stomach, tears streaming down his cheeks. You placed your hand on his scruffy cheek, which he instantly leaned into, your thumb swiping away his tears. 
“I-I’m scared” You said truthfully, every single fiber in your body wanting to pick him up and cling onto him forever but you were nervous. He walked out once...
“I’ll give you all the space you need. Just please give me another chance, it doesn’t have to be today or soon, just- I promise I’ll do better doll” 
You nodded, taking his hand in yours to pull him to his feet, letting him sit on the couch with you. Bucky placed the flowers he was till clutching onto on the coffee table before sitting beside you, mindful to keep some space in between. 
“I-I told Tony to pull me out of missions”  
“What?”
Bucky nodded with a small smile, it was the first thing he did when he realized he had to take care of himself first before coming back to you. You’d done enough of picking up his broken pieces. 
“The missions weren’t good for me. Too many, a lot of them triggering. I needed to pull back but I kept going. Didn’t stop until I ended up hurting you. Figured it was time I spoke up. Even started to see a therapist”
“You did?” You couldn’t help but inch closer to him, knowing exactly how much he struggled with opening up. 
“I did it for me so I could be better for you” Bucky stated honestly; he made the choice to better himself because that’s what you deserved. “You don’t have to take me back right away-
“Come back home” You whispered, meeting his eyes with your teary ones, you’d take it slow if you had to but you wanted to do it with him by your side. 
“Are you sure?” Bucky’s heart hammered out of his chest, not wanting to get his hopes up or make you feel like he was pressuring you, “I’ll wait if you need more time-” 
“Come back home” You cut him off, biting your lip to keep from crying again, clawing into his lap, his arms engulfing you into a tight hug while you clung onto him, burying your face into his neck. He smelled like love, home, your heart. The feel of his arms wrapped around you made you feel safe and whole again. 
“Come home, Bucky” You hugged him tighter while he pulled away, his hands moving to cup your cheeks. 
“Bucky?” He whispered, having missed the way his name sounded, the softness of your voice, the way you fit with him. 
“My Bucky” You nodded, letting your forehead rest against his, pressing a soft kiss to his nose. 
“Jamie?”
“My Jamie”
“Baby”
“My baby” 
“M’never leaving again, angel” 
Tags: @glxwingrxse @hungryyeyess @sebsgirl71479 @beabutterfly987 @teambarnes72 @witchywhore @jamesbuckybarneswify @slutforsexyseabass @chrisdrysdale @littlemarvelmenfan @buggy14 @whimsyplaty92 @sergntbarnes @inkedaztec @pono-pura-vida @moonlightreader649 @brooklynscherry-z @elle14-blog1 @justsebstan @littlelightnings @happyt0exist @emmabarnes @bethyruth @matchat3a @cjand10 @getwellsoontana @cherryschaos @lokisasgardianvampirequeen @ashenc-blog @buckybarnessimpp @potatothots @goldylions @high-functioning-lokipath @morganemorganite-blog @kingfleury @peaches1958 @spiderman-stilinski @peaceinourtime82 @gublur @wintersmelodie @geeky-politics-46 @lolawassad @almosttoopizza @a-poor-gryffindork @alternativeprincess @buckycallsmeaslut @kamaria-sweet-writes @charmedbysarge @xnorthstar3x @kryoee7 @alina02 @gh0stgurl @polishprincess999 @jessybarnes @alltheficsiwant @chemtrails-club @eralen @perdidosbucky-yyo @clqrosmgc   @buckybarnessweetheart   @pandaxnienke   @manyfandomsfanvergent  
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vampiricgf · 22 days ago
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˗ˏˋ CRY 4 U ˎˊ˗
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› or the one where you make him grovel if he wants to be forgiven. and get off.
leon kennedy x f! reader
wc : 2k+
dom reader, mean reader kinda, dacryphilia, begging, handjob, ball fondling, lots of spit and drool mentions, dry humping, orgasm denial, edging, praise (good boy), finger sucking, he might be a lil ooc but whatever we ball
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"Oh, my poor baby."
You're evil, he's been convinced over the course of the last half hour that you must have some kind of pitch black ichor running through your veins rather than blood. Only some conjured up, story book type of wicked woman could find as much satisfaction in this as you clearly did.
You two had an impromptu separation three months ago, after a particularly explosive argument all stemming from the fact that nearly as soon as his boots had hit the hardwood floor of your shared apartment he had been answering the phone for yet another adrenaline soaked excursion into some other far flung corner of the world. You'd been worked up, had already turned yourself into a walking wound oozing anxiety all over the walls over the twenty two days he was already absent and then you hadn't even had him for ten minutes before he was being yanked away from you again.
He knew it wasn't really your fault, it was the natural strain of being in a three way relationship when the other party was the united states government. But admittedly he'd gotten pissed off in response, hated being the one your venom soaked barbs were directed at because "the government" was all but a shadowy, person like outline that was hardly corporeal enough to be the one taking your verbal punches at that moment. It had been a less than graceful exchange, piss poor on his part, culminating in him slamming the door on you mid sentence and vanishing for yet another multi week gap. When he came back you were gone, the apartment so sterile he thought you must've hired professional cleaners to obliterate any trace of you with not even a "go fuck yourself, Kennedy" left in your place.
Although he could admit he deserved it if only for choosing to be petty over and over the past three months as he passed on every opportunity he had to even send you a quick message, any sign he was alive and wanting to work this argument out once he was state side again. That he loved you no matter what.
That's why he called you as soon as he got back, saw the lifelessness of your shared home, heart full of hairline cracks at the possibility that it may no longer be. Three months of guilt eating him alive, burning through his veins and threatening to spew out of his mouth at the slightest provocation. When you answered it was like the split second before a character in a movie gets hit by some random runaway vehicle: all slow motion, lung freezing tension until the inevitable moment of high speed impact.
His moment of impact was your quiet little call of his name into the receiver, jumpstarting his tongue into a flurry of barely coherent pleading, begging to see you, begging for just one opportunity to make it right, do anything and say anything to make it up to you, win you back, just please please please don't leave. He felt insane as you stayed quiet and let him babble, felt like if it went on any longer he'd collapse in on himself, folded up like a sheet to languish on the floor until he was just a stinking pile of once human jelly.
At the time he believed you more like an angel, some benevolent deity tossing him a life preserver when you had cut him off mid word vomit and told him you would be over in a bit, had been staying at a friend's place, but that you two could talk "so long as you're sure you can spare five minutes for me this time." Ouch, but he'd known better than to respond to the jab that time, bait left untouched as you ended the call.
"Can you look at me, Leon?"
Your soft tone rouses him from the haze of recollection, bleary slate grey irises training on you in the half dark of the bedroom, blinking back now cold saltwater that's been gathered against his lash line.
Your soft hand caressed his taut balls, alternating between clearly enjoying the feeling of his bodily strain and squeezing just enough to make him gasp, mouth dropping open involuntarily as his thigh muscles tensed so hard it was a miracle they didn't severe in a spectacular show of blood spray and meaty chords piercing out of his skin.
You've been at this so long he felt delirious, brain on fire in such a way that even the worst fever hes ever experienced pales in comparison. Your little giggles reverberate against his eardrums, making his eyes flutter shut as they roll back, his hips jerking against nothing in a pathetic pantomime of sex.
"How badly do you want me to forgive you?"
"So, so fucking bad- please please sweetheart, fuck-" his hips rise even higher off the bed as your warm hand palms at the base of his heart stoppingly hard cock, that one feather light touch making him nearly convulse against the bedspread as you smile and bite your bottom lip, eyes narrowed and heavy with mischief.
He knows he can stop you whenever he wants, he's making the choice to not touch you, abide by the rules of this little payback you had proposed to him. Of course, just the thought of your hands on his dick again had made him agree before he really thought it all through. Ever the quintessential man, Leon Kennedy.
You were demanding he proved how badly he wanted your forgiveness by essentially allowing you to use him like a toy, doing whatever you wanted and if he was your good boy then by all means, you had plenty of time to discuss reunification post mess making.
But he had failed to consider that you had three months of heartache backed up, and like a girl in an exorcism film you needed this release as much as he did, a final cleansing of all those negative feelings before you could move forward. Yet truly, he was all too happy to be the instrument you worked it out on.
Even if it felt like torture in the moment.
You clicked your tongue at him, slow as molasses as he sagged back against the pillows, mouth open to plead with you again but before he could vocalize one single syllable you quickly leaned forward and clapped a hand over his spit slicked lips.
"Open your mouth when I tell you to, understand?"
On anyone else the faux authority would make him squirm in secondhand embarrassment, but on you? Your firm tone sent a shockwave shiver quaking down his spine, ending with another pitiful spasming in his cock that made him cry out against your palm, bucking his hips yet he kept his hands steady in place against the bed. Not moving, just as you'd specified.
Really he's shocked he hasn't shredded through the bedspread at this point, with how much he's been twisting the fabric in his grasp in order to resist the urge to just grab you, manhandle the hell out of you and finally slot his aching cock right where it belongs: squeezed between your warm walls, milking the life out of him.
You lean forward again and press a kiss to his forehead that's so chaste it gives him whiplash with the contrast of your actions. It doesn't matter that he's whimpering against your hand, nuzzling into your touch and your kiss, he's so desperate for anything from you. Being so focused on his own need he doesn't realize what you're doing until your index is lifting his lip, sliding against his top front teeth while you coo at him.
"You're being so good for me, baby, now open your mouth."
The praise coming off your tongue, in a tone so warm it's like honey spreading over his skin, makes him give a dopey little smile as he lets your fingers slide over his tongue, sucking at them and giving little barely there bites with his molars, rolling his tongue around them and savoring the distinct taste of your skin. When you straddle his thighs he tenses, eyes squeezing shut for a second but rather than more teasing it seems you've taken pity on him.
His wicked, heartless lover once again crowned the pure hearted princess of the kingdom in your room as his watery azure eyes watch the glittering glob of spit leave your glossy lips and roll down the head of his cock, mixing with the sheen of smeared precum already decorating the puffy, red flushed head. It gives another painful jerk as you grip him up once more, making him gag and whine around your fingers.
Fresh tears of relief spill down his cheeks, glinting in the lamplight like rhinestones as his hips frantically and messily jerk out of time with the rhythm of your hand. It doesn't even matter, all that matters to his baser instinct is that finally, finally your hand is wrapped around him and the friction he's been nearly screaming for is catapulting him towards a high speed orgasm. As ecstasy blooms in his mind, a raucous display of internal fireworks, he cries out your name in a garble of nonsense sound around your digits.
You stop.
You stop and his hips stutter, cock throbbing so hard he can feel it in his chest as he cries out around your fingers, half choking from the way it sends saliva sliding down his throat.
As you pull away he feels the panic rising like a living thing in his ribcage, frantically spasming and twisting against the confines of his bones as he leans forward, chasing after you.
"No, no, no please sweetheart please don't stop I'm right there it was right there-"
"You think you deserve it?" You ask cooly, head tilted to the side with one brow raised critically and he feels like he could start screaming, his jaw slack as your words slide over his brain.
The bedroom is suddenly the scene of a two person disaster, feeling like an airplane cabin going through spontaneous decompression once all the air has been violently sucked out via even a fingernail sized hole in the window glass.
He whimpers your name, grabbing at your forearms and not sparing a single thought as yet another round of fresh tears turn you into a watercolor painting.
"I feel like I'll die if you don't touch me again," it's the most true string of words to flow from his tongue, he knows he'll wither away on the spot, blow around the room in a cloud of dust if you're hand isn't back on him within the next minute.
And you smile, fuck you smile so beautifully he can't help but return the expression complete with red twinged puffy eyes and a wobbly lip caught between his teeth.
With a surge of elation you grab his hands, manually sliding them up your stomach to your clothed breasts and he moans like a bitch in heat as he practically pounces on you to get his reward, getting you pushed back against the bed with a shocked oof squeezed from your lungs before his mouth is devouring your lips. It's all clicking teeth and spit sliding down your chin but he doesn't care, can't spare a single thought when he's rutting his bare cock against your clothed cunt, the vague feeling of your warmth more than enough to violently shove him off the cliffs edge.
Even as sticky spurts of cum splatter against your clothes and get pushed against his and your skin through the material he doesn't stop, hips continually grinding against you as if he really is fucking you, too caught up in the all consuming head rush of his orgasm to care about the mess he's making all over your pants and shirt.
As the pulse in his head, chest, and cock subsides his sloppy movements slowly come to a stop. The only sound in the room for what feels like eternity is his own panting breaths, slow to even out into a normal rhythm with his face buried against the side of your neck. Your fingers sliding through his hair makes him preen, pressing down onto you with his full weight as you let out another little laugh, nails scratching against his scalp. If he could, he'd be purring like a housecat cuddled against your chest.
"You held out pretty well," you murmur and he hears the grin in your voice as he presses a soft kiss to your pulse, feeling the way it picks up at the contact.
"Mhm, this mean I'm forgiven, your majesty?"
You laugh again, a full body laugh that he can't help but bask in as it vibrates through you both.
"You were forgiven the second I picked up the phone, you know. Can't stay mad at you, even when I want to."
"Could've fooled me," he says as he picks his head up from your throat, pressing a firm kiss to your lips and humming when you nip at his bottom lip.
"You look pretty adorable when you're begging," you say it offhandedly and he shivers again.
"Why don't we put that on the back burner for now, angel." He presses a kiss to your lips as you laugh again, swallowing the silvery sound and letting it fill in all those miniscule cracks on his heart like fixative putty.
You're his, and you're both exactly where you belong in this moment. And it's truly all that matters to him right now.
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meocities · 5 months ago
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The Lack Thereof
Mithrun/Reader - 1423 words, hurt/comfort
You're nervous. You're sad and lonely and hurting, and on top of it all, you're nervous.
Mithrun stares at you from across the bedroom. He's been doing that a lot lately — you've noticed how his eyes linger. You notice a lot more than you let on about him, but you’ve realized that he ends up knowing anyway. You can't keep anything secret from him — he'll find out that you're hiding something, at the very least, and then he'll just keep staring until you tell him.
He's doing that now. Staring. His eyes bore into your own, and when you look away for a second, glance back, look away again, he moves his staring to your hands. You're wringing your fingers in your own grasp. The edges of your cuticles are dry and picked. Your skin might have bled a few times from your nervousness, and though the blood was the only thing that could have given your anxiety away (blood that had long been cleaned), you know Mithrun sees the red-flushed divot of wounds even from the distance you're keeping.
Mithrun raises an eyebrow, and the anxiety compounds in your stomach. It burns your skin, just as much as the memories do, and you know you're strong but you think to yourself, god, I want to cry.
You're strong, and you're brave, and you've always stood up to everything that has ever been thrown at you, and you're so tired. You're so tired of the effort. You wonder if he can relate.
So you bow your head, and you know Mithrun's eyes have gone wide — as much as they can, anyway — staring at you still. He's silent, unmoving on the bed the Canaries had set him up with after the new kingdom's establishment. Of course it would be silent. Of course he would be staring. You’re the one who invaded his room in the middle of the night, after all. You know you're lucky that he doesn't care.
Yet, for now, you're still looking at the floor while the former captain of the Canaries looks at you, with your hands wringing themselves into shreds, and the hole in your stomach is eating you alive. You know he expects something of you, so you take a breath (it's shaky, and you cringe because you know your words aren't going to come out right) and deliver, ineloquently, “you don't care about most things, right?”
Mithrun's told you his story. How he became a dungeon lord — and how he lost that title in five years. How he's been recovering over time, slowly but surely, thanks to the help of Kabru and his Canaries, and the noodle shop that he lives above, and everyone who's had the smallest bit of faith in him along the way. And while Mithrun's made endless progress, you know he still has trouble desiring, sometimes.
You can't imagine asking this of anyone else.
Mithrun nods his head slowly, and you realize you've looked back up at him when his brows furrow together. “I don't,” he says.
“Can you do me a favor,” you say, expecting to stop there, but highly reluctant to even consider the thought of him rejecting you before you even get the real question out. “Can I join you?”
Mithrun looks down, gaze sweeping his bed, before turning back to you. It's a silent question, and you nod, cheeks aflame. Are your legs shaking? You feel unsteady. You aren't sure if you're breathing right — feels too shallow, as if you're afraid to even make a sound. Your hands, still fidgeting with your fingers, twist a joint in such a way that your knuckle cracks, and you wince at the sound interrupting the silence. Mithrun remains quiet, and you think that you might never have taken a deep breath in your life.
He breaks this silence a moment after. “Why are you asking this of me?”
There's lots of things you can say to this — lots of things that go through your head in response. It feels delicate to dissect, yet heavy. Emotion and cognition flit through your brain, and you think about analyzing yourself in your typical pattern of being self-aware, but it feels like too much. There's no good straw to grasp onto, but the one thing that comes to your mind is that, despite not knowing him for long, there's something about him that makes you feel as if he's the only person in the world you can go to.
I don't know wouldn't suffice as an answer. Moreover, you would feel bad about not communicating to the best of your ability. To him, you say, “I trust you,” and you don't think about how his distance is the most familiar thing you've known.
He doesn't seem convinced, but he shrugs and lifts his head to lay on the side of the pillow — moving to make room for you. Your heart thuds hard in your chest, and you're both terrified and not. You wipe your sweaty palms on the surface of your clothes, because you don't want to put that on Mithrun, not at all — there's no need for him to see that you're any more nervous than he already knows you are. While your hands are wiped off, you approach the bed, lifting your leg so you can slide over the top, knees bent as you sit by his waist. You're so close that your knees are touching the right side of his waist. The bed wasn't very big to begin with, and by the way Mithrun moves his arm out to make room for you to lay down, you know he's aware of the proximity.
Which, this action makes your chest ache. He wasn’t supposed to be caring — he wasn't supposed to make this easy. You're tempted to pull back for a moment before Mithrun raises his eyebrow at your hesitation, and you bite your tongue even as your eyes begin to moisten. You won't cry, you know this for sure — you refuse to be weak in front of someone as strong as him, and even though his eyes narrow at all the things you won't say, you give up part of the act and lay your head down on his chest, nosing your face into his neck. Your left hand comes to rest on his stomach so that you're curled into him, and you can already feel the moisture from your breath condensing on the skin of his neck. You won't cry, you remind yourself. You won't cry, and if some tears do drop on Mithrun's shoulder beneath your face then it was an accident. You didn't mean to.
Slowly, his arm comes around to cradle you into his side. Your breath hitches as his fingers trail down your spine to pull you closer, stroking along the bone of your back. You can feel yourself shaking, frozen in place — you don't want to move, but something like this is so unfamiliar. You never would have expected this from him, of all people — wasn't the point of seeking this out from him because he wouldn't be overwhelming? Wasn't the point of this to have an image of being loved?
Yet, with Mithrun’s fingers at the slope of your back, the image you had is colored and crisp. Even if he's pretending, it almost feels like he actually cares about you.
He can feel that you're shaking now — there's no doubt about it. Your breathing rattles through your chest as your fingers grip the fabric on his stomach, and you feel his abdominal muscles clench for a moment before he forces them to relax. He shifts his face above you and you feel lips on your forehead — he pressed a kiss to your skin, you realize, and your heart shatters into a million pieces. You're warm, you're burning up, and all you can do is sling your arm across his ribs, tuck a leg between his, and bury your face so far into Mithrun's neck that you don't know where you end and he begins anymore.
This wasn't supposed to happen. Not like this — nothing this nice. You're still shaking, but you're held tightly. Why did he desire to hold you?
You vocalize this sentiment. “Why are you doing this?” You ask, and your voice is quiet. Devastated. Unsure.
Mithrun doesn't look at you. He doesn't even shift his position. Just hums a short noise in the hollow of his throat — something you feel the vibrations of tickling your nose — and says, “I trust you, too.”
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dimonds456-art · 26 days ago
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Chapter 1: The Mystery of the Missing Brother
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Also under the cut for y'all without an AO3
Enjoy, leave me notes to give me powers
Summertime in New Jersey was meant to be spent outside. There were the beaches, the boardwalks, the sun, the trees to climb, the ice cream to eat- sitting inside doing nothing was eating Stanford alive. Typically, he'd prefer to be inside rather than out, but today itself wasn't typical. It wasn't a normal day and he couldn't keep still. He wanted to be doing something, but he wasn't sure WHAT to do. 
Typically, when he was inside, he could just read. He had plenty of fantasy books to get through. The thing was, though, that he'd tried that already, but he couldn't focus on the words. They kept fading into the background as worry overcame him instead. He wasn't even sure what was happening in the book anymore, despite having to reread paragraphs multiple times. He was pretty sure there was a chameleon? That was about it.
He was supposed to be back by now. Ma had said he'd be back before Ford knew it. So where was he?
Ford heard the grandfather clock in the house strike noon, and with a flurry of motion, he slammed the book closed beside him on the floor and sprang to his feet- out the door, through the hall, and over to the table their Ma always sat at when giving people fortunes. She was currently on the phone with someone, twirling the cord between her fingers. 
As soon as she saw Ford enter the room, her posture changed. She went from relaxed and casual to tense. She looked away quickly, grabbing at the cord while her foot bounced. Her tone remained exactly the same, and she tried to remain in the same casual, laid-back pose Ford had found her in, but one more glance at him had her stiffening.
Ford stopped, waiting for her to finish. He knew better than to interrupt her, despite the rolling anxiety doing flips in his chest. He crossed his arms, tapping his fingers at the sleeves on his jacket as he studied the floor. 
Wood. Dark oak, maybe? No, that'd be too fancy. Maybe he could ask Ma? Well not right now but at some point later? Maybe? He heard somewhere once that you could tell how long a tree lived based on the rings it had, so would he be able to figure out how old their flooring was? Maybe he could figure out the exact birthday of the trees themselves, wouldn't THAT be something? 
"Yes, I predict your date will be much better now," Ma said into the receiver. "Good day to you." She reached over and set the phone down with a little click! before turning to Ford. "Stanford, did you need something, hon?"
"Yeah." Ford grabbed at his sleeves. "You said Stanley would be back soon," he exclaimed. "It's noon, Ma, and he's still not here! Where is he?"
Ma took in a deep breath, looking away. "I… I'm sorry, Stanford. Stanleys not here. He's��" She trailed off. 
"What? He's what?" The anxiety was only climbing. She knew something, didn't she? Why wasn't she telling him?
Last night, she'd told Ford that Stanley was going off with a friend to make Ford a surprise, and that he'd be back early this morning. When Ford had woken up and Stanley wasn't there, he'd initially assumed his brother was playing hide and seek to scare him or something. But then Ford couldn't find him. He'd searched the whole house, and nothing. Ma said he just needed extra time. How much time did he need?
Ma sighed. "I needed to try and find some way to tell you. He's… Stanley's not coming home."
Ford blinked up at her. "WHAT?!" Did he run off with that new best friend he has, apparently?? Did he get stuck in a sewer somewhere? Fall out of a tree? Did someone come and take him away? Did he get kidnapped by a time traveler?!
"I know, I know, I shoulda told you before," Ma continued. She looked… sad. She wouldn't look at Ford, instead opting to examine a picture on the wall. Well, a picture frame. It was empty now. "He's not coming home and I didn't know how to tell ya." She paused, then took a deep breath. "Stanford, your brother-"
"Ran away." Heavy footsteps entered the room. Ford turned to look as his father stepped through the doorway. He was still wearing those glasses of his, dressed up nice for the shop. His stern expression hadn't changed at all- he could have been telling them it was storming outside, the neighbors came to visit, or that they got a new puppy and that face never changed. "He left last night."
"No…" Ford shook his head. "No, that's not true! If he was gonna run away, he would have told me about it." He balled his hands into fists, swinging them up and down anxiously. "We'd have gone together!"
Pa didn't react aside from tilting his head down a bit more to look at his son. "Well maybe he got tired of always sticking up for you." 
Ford shrunk back in on himself, subconsciously tucking his fingers away under his arms in a self-hug. 
"Filbrick!" Ma shot him a glare. 
Without a word, the man turned and walked back out of the room, footsteps retreating down the hall. Ma moved to stand, but a sharp ringing gave her pause. The phone's shrill cry was loud, but Ma ignored it. She pushed herself up and stormed after her husband instead. Ford watched as his mom passed, watching her with wide eyes.
"Filbrick Pines, you do not get to talk about our little boy like that!"
"He's not our kid anymore, Caryn." 
"That's not true."
"Not our problem anymore, either." 
"Filbrick!"
That was it. Ford spun around and bolted back to their room. Not his. It would always be their room. Unless…? 
No. No, it didn't make sense. Stanley wouldn't just run away without saying anything! That didn't sound like him at all! 
Ford slammed the door, stomping over to the bed and throwing himself on the bottom bunk- Stan's bunk. It was neat- the pillow was fluffed and where it was supposed to go, the blankets were made, and most of the toys had been cleaned off of it. Stan almost never cleaned his bed, and he certainly wouldn't have fluffed the pillow. Ford grabbed at it, burying his face in the fabric. He looped his arms around it so it covered his face, then grabbed at his hair instead.
"Not true," he grumbled to himself, muffled by the pillow. "He wouldn't just disappear like that. He wouldn't!"
He groaned. This wasn't helping. He had to think this through.
Pushing himself up, he moved his hands under his glasses to run them down his face. "Okay. Okay, logic. Stanley got a bad grade in school, and Pa yelled at him for it. Grounded him. He was sent outside to wash the windows all weekend, and I wasn't allowed to help him."
He began to pace, making his way around the room as he rambled aloud to himself. He'd found that speaking like this helped him get his thoughts in order, especially if he was overthinking something. Stan always told him to talk through it, and it seemed to help. Made the thoughts more real- and if they were real, they could be studied. Made it easier to see which were more likely. 
Now, he walked circles around the cluttered room, eyes scanning their shared collection warily. "Pa didn't say why- he never does, why would he now- and then…" he stopped. "Maybe he's mad at Pa? So he ran off to make him feel bad?" That had some logic to it, but Stan had been mad at their father before and he'd never done anything like this. It didn't really seem like something he'd do. 
"Or," Ford began, circling again, "he was washing the windows and that friend Ma mentioned came by and distracted him, and he got in trouble, so when he was given more work, he decided running away was easier." That was more like Stan. He was usually quick to drop responsibilities or take shortcuts, and without Ford there to stop him, he probably got carried away.
"Or maybe," Ford continued, holding up a finger, "someone saw him in the window and thought he was for sale, and when they went to buy him he ran away! Then Pa saw him running and he thought Stan just ran away." He snapped his fingers, as if he were really onto something here. "Then, he got taken by a griffin!" 
Yeah. Logical. 
Ford sighed, pausing his pacing to push the butts of his palms into his eyes. This wasn't helping. "It doesn't matter," he reasoned. "Stan's gone. He's gone and that's that. It doesn't matter how it happened, right?" He stopped, eyebrows raising. He looked up, eyeing the singular backpack hanging on the wall. Stan's was missing. 
Ford dashed over to the spot, grabbing his own backpack and unzipping it. It was full of school supplies and books, including the sequel to the book he was reading now (in case he finished early), a different book (in case he couldn't focus on this one), that book's sequel (what if that one was more interesting or easy to read? Can't be too careful), and a notebook. 
Quickly, he dumped everything out as cleanly as he could on the bed. He made sure the books landed upright with no damage to the pages, but that was about as far as caution went. He rifled through it, looking for a note or anything out of place. Paper, paper, homework, pencils, pen, pencil-stabbed erasers- nothing out of the ordinary. 
Fine, then. If Stan didn't leave him a note, he'd write one of his own.
He ripped out a piece of notebook paper and grabbed one of his pens- a sharpie. Old reliable, honestly. He'd used that pen more than Stan chewed on his pencils, and considering that half the trashcan in the corner was full of broken writing utensils, that was saying a lot.
"He wouldn't wanna do this alone," Ford reasoned to himself as he wrote. "So he must be waiting for me somewhere. And I'm gonna find him."
Mind made up, Ford rushed around the room. He grabbed his notebook and all his pencils and pens again, stuffing them in his bag. Sadly, he bid goodbye to his books. He could always find them again in a different library, anyway. Instead, his backpack was to be filled with only the essentials.
He opened their clothes drawer to find more things missing- Stan's favorite shirt, a pair of shorts, some socks, and underwear were all gone. Ford grabbed his own favorites, giving himself an extra change of clothes in case he needed it. 
From there, he sat down. What would he need out there? He had clothes, he had shoes, he had notebooks, uhh…
Tools! 
He knew his father had tools in the house somewhere, and he also knew that the guy never actually used them. Unless Stanley broke something, there was never any need, and, well, that wasn't happening any time soon, it seemed. So he wouldn't even notice. Yeah. 
Ford quietly opened the door. He could still hear his parents down the hall, and quickly shut out whatever they were on about. He didn't wanna hear it.  Besides, he had a mission. He gently lowered a foot forward, and when a bomb didn't go off, he took another step, then another, then another. Slowly, he crept down the hall towards the stairs.
Before he got there, though, he passed the bathroom. He paused, looking in the open door. Of course. Toothbrush. 
He pushed the door open all the way before shutting it again. He grabbed his toothbrush (noticing again that Stanley's was missing, which was… weird. Did Stan take it with him?), toothpaste, and a hairbrush. Before turning back around, though, a thought occurred to him. They were gonna be outside, and they were gonna get hurt a lot. Ma always kept the band-aids nearby, and when Ford opened the cabinet under the sink, sure enough, there was a box right there.
He tucked it into his backpack and began picking his way closer and down the stairs once again. 
Now on the bottom floor, Ford worried less about making noise. For all his father knew, he was just a customer wandering the display cases. He quickly made his way over to the office, where he knew the toolbox was. Sure enough, tucked onto a shelf, was the last thing he needed before they left. 
Reaching in, Ford quickly grabbed out a hammer, a screwdriver, and a flashlight. Hammers were good for hitting stuff, screwdrivers could be used like a pick, and flashlights were always good to have. The other tools didn't seem as important. What could they use a tape measure for? Not much, he thought.
Was that everything? Ford closed the door to his father's office behind him as he mulled the question over. He tried to picture himself and Stanley, roughing it out on the open road with nothing but their backpacks and each other. He was pretty sure Stan knew how to light a fire (he'd been near them enough for some of them to be his doing, right?), so from there they'd just needed… uhh…
Oh, right. Ford smacked himself in the forehead. Food. 
Quietly, he crept back upstairs. His parents were still going at it, though it sounded like Ma was becoming more and more sad. Pa just sounded the same. Inwardly, Ford's anxiety surged. Sounded like they were almost done.
Quickly, as quietly as he could, Ford scampered over to the dining room table. On it was a little bowl of apples- green ones, specifically. Ford quickly grabbed a couple and then tied them up in a tablecloth. Then, finally, he ran to their room, grabbed the mast from a homemade boat model they'd been building on and off, and tied the little bag to the top. 
One last thing to do, then. He clutched the note close as he left the room, tip-toeing to the table one last time. He left it next to the apples, then scampered down the stairs and out the door.
If Stanley was gonna run away from home, then so was Ford. All he had to do now was find him.
Dear Ma and Pa, 
I know you said Stanley ran away, but I can't let him do that by himself. I'm gonna go find him, so we can run away together! We're probably gonna go sailing, so if you need us, check the ocean first. Lots to discover out there!
I had to leave my books here. Tell Mrs Dunn I'm sorry in case I can't return them myself. I'm also gonna try to keep going to school, so don't worry about that! I'll get Stanley to go with me, too. 
Love you! - Stanford
Notes:
Zpssf Zahumvyk, ol'z illu kljlpclk Aopunz hylu'a xbpal hz aolf zlltlk Vu khyr yvhkz huk aoyvbno aol iyhjr Ol qbza dhuaz av ohcl opz iyvaoly ihjr Whjrhnl klhs- kv uva zlwhyhal Lszl ivao dpss tlla alyypisl mhalz Iba aoha'z h zavyf P ullku'a ylwlha Av johunl aolpy mhalz, Mvyk ohz vul dllr
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starrrlights · 3 months ago
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Based on something in my notes app (copy and pasted too but edited to make sense) maybe oc Jay? Idk
you and Jason had became friends when you were on the streets, helping each other when needed and also just being there for each other. When he became robin, with #BruceWayneBenifits, he was able to help you more. Often letting you have sleepovers at the manor and hanging out. You both grow to have feeling for each other, and you were planning on telling him on his birthday or sum, but he died. So you never find out if he felt the same way or not (he does)
Time skip (5? Possibly 6 even?) Years later when Jason comes back alive and is less vengeful of his death, Jason frequently goes to old book stores to find good books to read. He goes to one frequently and the vibe felt off that day.
He thinks there might be a threat and keeps a good eye on everything. While browsing; surprise, surprise, you are there. Standing somewhat next to him. You obviously don't recognize him right away or at all from how different he looks. You're trying to find a specific book that a friend had recommended and just so happen to get closer to Jason little by little. (You have social anxiety)
You don't want to get to close to this person because of personal space and well, he's huge. Handsome looking, but huge, and a lot of scars. Which was kinda a hot look on him. You steal a few glances at him, hoping he wouldn't notice.
Jason does notice, since the Pit heightened his senses. (I think? I read it from somewhere that it did 🤷‍♀️) He finally looks over at you, expecting you to just be a normal Gothamite who is just scared of his size; when he freezes for a second. Recognizing the your hair and style almost immediately. He thinks he's hallucinating. There no way it was you.
You notice that he was looking at you and you almost shy at his gaze. Mumbling a sorry and returning your gaze to the books in front of you, but knowing that the book you're looking for is probably right in front of the man.
Jason panics a lot in the inside. Do you recognize him? Do you hate him? Are you afraid of him? He's you jaybird, why you'd you be afraid?
You mentally punch yourself and raised your voice a bit, taking a breath.
U: "I think that book I'm looking for is by you. Can I look?"
Oh my god, he's going to say no-
J: "Sure, that's fine."
God, if you could faint, you would. Not only looks handsome, but sounds handsome.
Jason on the other hand let's put a mental and physical sigh of relief, now thinking that you probably don't even recognize him. It saddens him a little at that thought but it was better, way better than having you scared of him.
He scoots over and you scoot closer, looking over more books until your predictions were right and the book you were looking for was right by where he was standing. You mutter a thank you and move so he can continue looking in the spot he was in.
He doesn't even register that you were moving away because he was so enchanted by you. you had grown up and matured. And damn did you look good. A lot better than he did in his opinion.
J: "I-uh, have me met before?"
Jason asked. 'Great going, idiot. All the romance novels you've read and that's what you come up with?' He thinks to himself.
U: "..I don't think so? What's your name?"
He's sweating bullets now. What does he say? Does he sat jason or use a fake name?
"Jason"
You've met many Jason's so you don't think about it. But there seems to be a familiar aura to him. But you can't put a finger on it. It's going to eat you up later but you put the thought to the side for now. Out of habit you stuck your hand out in a polite way.
"(Name)"
Jason almost said "I know" but bite his tongue and nodded, reaching out to shake you hand. Jesus, you hand fit so well with his. So warm and welcoming.
you and Jason talk for a bit more, it was awkward but it worked. You ended up switching numbers for "book recommendations". But you both were giggling like school girl in the inside because of it.
Over several months, you got to know Jason. And he reminded you a lot of Jason, your dead friend and crush. It saddened you a bit but you decided to not dwell on the past so much. You'll just visit his grave soon, again.
It wasn't long before Dick encouraged Jason to ask you on a date. Well, going out for coffee/fav drink bev and talk about books. You agreed and you did the date.
You had a great time. It was slightly awkward but it was just like all the other hang outs, but more special.
Jason asks you what your life is like because he wants to know what your life has been like since he was gone. He had asked before during those mothes about resent stuff, but he wanted to know more, like high-school years and such.
Boring, you said. Mostly the same thing over and over again. You told some funny stories and it made Jason want to genuinely smile. He makes up a few things to not have to talk about the Pit or dying. Or being Red Hood.
You go on a few more dates and finally, he takes you on a fancy one. (Using Bruce's card ofc)
You initially declined going on a fancy date, not really having the money or outfits for it but jason insisted and said he'd had one of his friends to go with for shopping if you needed it. (Steph or Cass idk, some fem friend he has.)
You ended up going shopping with his friend and got a nice dress.
You go on the fancy date and had a great time as always, a bit panic on the bill but jason pays for it all. He's a true gentleman for you and only you.
At this point, your bf and gf
I think jason would wait for about a year, you make sure things are secured and there is a lot of trust in the friendship/relationship before dropping hints that he is your not-so-dead best friend. He just wants you to know that he is back :(
One night, trying to sleep, it clicks for you. You immediately go to his apartment and knock on the door. He thanks whoever runs his life for the great full night of not patrolling that night and answers the door. You have tears going down your face and look puffy. He panics and asks if you're alright. You look at him with a confused but surprised lookin your face
U: "Jason Todd? ... Jaybird?"
He also has a look of shock on his face, happy that you finally got it but also scared of your reaction.
J: "... ... yeah. It's me."
U: "Oh my god..."
You stare at each other for about a solid minute and you break down, crying, hands to your face. He panics more and freezes, not knowing if they were good or bad tears. You reached out and hugged him tight. Feeling his out grown and bigger frame in your arms. You finally have your best friend back. And your dating him. You love him. And you know he loves you. All of your dreams have finally come true. Obv not financial ones but wvr.
It ends up with you cuddling jason on his bed or sum. idk.
Kinda long ngl, I have a good grasp of what his character is like but I may have a few things wrong. Pls tell me if something is ooc, I'd probably fix it or sum 🫶🏻😭
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psychedelic-ink · 1 year ago
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𝐈 𝐂𝐀𝐍 𝐅𝐄𝐄𝐋 𝐘𝐎𝐔𝐑 𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐑𝐓𝐁𝐄𝐀𝐓
pairing: stripper!jack daniels x f!reader
genre: stripper AU, explicit, minors dni
word count: 4.2k
summary: frustrated by your everyday life, you seek solace at a male strip club. It's your first time and you're instantly mesmerized by the one that calls himself "Whiskey".
warnings: a mild start of a anxiety attack at the beginning, suggestive dancing, stripping, coming untouched, awkward moments, reader's first time at a strip club, unprofessional situations, mutual pining, sexual tension, use of good girl once
a/n: this idea was born whilst we were talking with @fuckyeahdindjarin about stripper!frankie and ofc since both of us are unhinged about a certain cowboy, the conversation steered naturally in the direction of stripper!jack ❤️‍🔥 I'd like to add that I've never been to a strip club and everything here (especially the dances) are born from me watching way too many male stripping tutorials and google searches, so it might not be %1000 authentic buuuuut hopefully it's fun nonetheless!
click for part two of the stripper!jack series
dividers by @firefly-graphics 💜
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Your eyes are glued to the neon sign right above the bar. It flickers a bright pink, then purple, then red. In capital letters, it says: PEEP SHOW, and underneath it there’s a heart and in that, a keyhole. 
The music isn’t loud enough to leave you deaf, thankfully. You’re not sure you could’ve handled music blaring from the speakers like you were in a dance club. Make Up Sex by SoMo plays in the background, you gently sway with the rhythm refusing to look at the stage. The thumb of your right-hand traces over the knuckles of your left. You notice the bartender and tear your gaze from the sign.
He stands behind the counter, his presence radiating a magnetic charm. With a physique sculpted to perfection, he possesses an air of rugged masculinity. His hazel eyes hold a captivating depth, and his confident smile hints at a mischievous nature. As he moves with grace and confidence, he threads his fingers through his tousled chestnut hair.
“You look like you might need a drink,” he teases, his smile bright and comforting. “Anything I can help you with?” 
“Uh. . . a greyhound please?” 
“Sure thing, sweetheart,” he replies, taking a step back as if about to leave. But then, he pauses, leaning in close. His breath gently fans your skin, a rush of excitement flooding your veins. “And just some friendly advice, try to relax. We promise we don’t bite,” he says with a wink and goes off to prepare your drink. 
You’re frustrated. Have you truly been that obvious? Who are you kidding— of course you have. You’re alone at a male strip club staring at the neon sign rather than the stage. Of course, they can tell you’re new here. You sigh and look around. The establishment is surprisingly neat. You notice a bachelorette party taking place not that far away from you, they seem to be having fun, screaming as a stripper sways his hips from side to side. He looks good. Chiseled abs, shiny chest, the whole thing shebang. 
Your heart sinks into your chest. You hate being alone and you’re so incredibly tired of it. Everyone you know is either busy or doesn’t care enough to spare you even an hour. It’s been two years since your last relationship and you swear the lack of company is eating you alive. It would be fine if you had a couple of distractions, like going out with friends maybe, but that proved to be an impossible ask. You’re not even sure why you’re so bothered. You do a lot of things alone. You enjoy your own company. Yet, for some reason seeing everyone together, having fun is more difficult today compared to other days. Your chest collapses on itself, your pulse quick under your skin. 
Suddenly it's very hard to breathe. 
You take short, sharp breaths, filling your lungs with the scent of musk and strawberries. 
Your chest continues to heave—Shit, are you about to have a panic attack in a freaking strip club? Now that will surely be in your top five most embarrassing moments. Nothing even happened, why are you feeling like this?
“You a’right there darlin’?” 
A voice smooth as honey reaches your ears. It curls around your body and keeps you still. Goosebumps flare across your skin, the small hairs that are scattered over the back of your neck standing with attention. Slowly, you turn. 
It’s one of the strippers, at least you assume it’s one of the strippers. He’s wearing a cowboy hat, a leather jacket, and some low-hanging jeans. He’s wearing a white mesh top underneath. You find yourself unabashedly gawking at him. You’re not sure how long you stare but you’re hoping it only lasted for a second. And if you’re really lucky, he wouldn’t have even noticed. 
In contrast to the other strippers you’ve seen so far, he appears slightly older with a softened stomach, yet possesses a lean physique sculpted by years of dance.
You swallow thickly, forcing your gaze back up. He’s clean-shaven except for a dark mustache, he’s smiling but you see a hint of worry in his gaze. Narrowing your eyes, you notice a small gold sticker in the shape of a star under his right eye. 
“I’m. . .” you swallow again and shake your head. You’re dumbfounded. “I’m okay, thanks.” 
The bartender places the greyhound you ordered, at the same time the stripper extends a hand, “Whiskey,” he says in a sultry way. You squeeze his hand and raise your eyebrows, your shake is a bit weak. 
“Whiskey?” you ask. He lets go of your hand and you bring it to your forehead, nervous laughter escaping you. “Oh, it’s your stage name. Of course.” 
His crooked smile is intoxicating, the tip of his tongue moves over his teeth. “My parents would have to hate me to name me ‘whiskey’ sugar,” he answers, rubbing his chin. A moment of silence follows as he thinks, ”Well, my real name ain’t any less embarrassing now that I think about it.” 
You want to ask him his real name but end up biting your tongue instead. You can’t ask him that, it would be rude, and even if you did you doubt that he’ll tell you. Pressing your lips tightly together, you drop your gaze to your drink. You curl your fingers around it. The sudden cold against your skin calming you. 
“First time?” he asks and you nod. “May I ask why you’re here then, so I can be of service?” 
That’s a good question. Why are you here? 
“I think to have some fun,” you mutter as you drag your thumb over the cool condensation. “I’m just. . .” you shake your head. “Nevermind, that’s stupid. Let’s just say I’m here to have some fun.” 
Whiskey observes you for a moment. His chocolate gaze taking in every detail of your expression. Are all strippers this attentive? you think, heat crawling up your spine. His hand slowly slides over the smooth bar until his fingers are gently resting above your wrist. You suck in a breath. His thumb moves over to the inside of your wrist, tracing the vein that pulses violently. 
“How about a private dance?” he asks slowly, as if you might bolt out the doors at any given second. “I promise to entertain you thoroughly, sugar.” 
You blink, “Really?” you ask instantly feeling foolish at the question. It’s a service he provides, that you will be paying for, of course he means it. Nonetheless, he seems amused by the question. He grins proudly, crowding your personal space. He tilts his head. Your fingers twitch around the glass and your eyes drop to his lips. 
Man, he’s dreamy. You’re starting to understand the appeal of these establishments. 
“Really,” he parrots back at you. “Follow me, darlin’.” 
With shaky legs, you do. 
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The private room is a sanctuary tucked away from prying eyes. 
Your eyes follow the sumptuous drapes of deep velvet cascading from floor to ceiling. In the center of the room stands a circular stage much smaller compared to the one outside, its surface gleaming. Positioned in the middle of it, a solitary chair, adorned in lavish leather, and next to it a small table with a small remote on top. Whiskey closes the door as you enter and walks with confident steps. You stand awkwardly until he gestures towards the sole seat with his head. 
“Take a seat, sweetheart. Get comfortable.” 
“O–Okay.” 
You’re not aware of how close he is until you take a seat, he immediately follows, dipping low. He curls two thick fingers under your chin and tilts your head up, his gaze searching. 
“Tell me if anythin’ starts becomin’ too much, understood?” 
“Understood,” you squeak, cheeks growing warm. Without any hesitation, he starts the music. Acquainted by the Weeknd starts playing softly through the speakers. There’s a mischievous twinkle in his eyes. The way he walks now is different from the way he walked when guiding you here. He saunters over to you, his shoulders rounding as he starts feeling the music moving through him. 
He stands in front of you, movements fluid and confident. You’re mesmerized by him.  He stalks even closer to you, and you feel the electric heat radiating off of his body. He slides his hands down your arms and you can't help but let out a little gasp. 
Whiskey continues to study your expression, He moves with grace and purpose, his body sliding and swaying sensually to the music. His hips rock back and forth in time, seemingly choreographed flawlessly. His hands glide down his body, tracing the contours of his definition before slipping up his torso. His movements are punctuated by smoldering gazes and slow, deliberate breaths. He rolls his shoulders, his leather jacket sliding to his elbows and falling to the floor a beat later. Your mouth waters. 
Suddenly, he turns and bends his knees, straddling your thighs. Your gaze drops, turning into saucers as you take in the sight of his tiny little ass. You exhale a sharp breath from your nose, nostrils flaring. He draws circles with his hips, nearly brushing against you but not quite, he gently holds your wrists, placing them in his inner thighs. His touch is feather-like and with two fingers, allowing you the chance to break free if needed. Your skin feels taut over your muscles, sweat building at your tailbone—he’s so close. You don’t even remember the last time you were this close to a man. It’s dizzying. 
Whiskey slowly extends his legs and slides your hands up, your fingers skim the apex of his thighs until he’s standing. 
Arousal builds between your legs, your lips a tight, thin line. 
Your hands are on his crotch. 
Oh god, you think you might actually faint. Wouldn’t that be fucking hilarious? 
Fuck he feels warm under your palms—
Scratch that, he feels big. 
He drops down as he rolls his hips, his body slides under your hands like a snake and your fingers move up his chest with the movement, feeling the mesh fabric and the firm chest underneath. Very inappropriately, your nails bite into his skin. If your eyes weren’t glued to this gorgeous man’s back, you would’ve missed the moment his hips stuttered, the smallest grunt echoing from the back of his throat. 
“Sorry,” you squeak, fingers twitching.  
“Don’t worry about it darlin’, just enjoy the show.” 
He stands back up again, guiding your hands down to his hips as he squats low. Before you know it, your hands are resting on his pelvis once more, feeling the underlying heaviness. He grinds forward, hefty bulge filling your palms. 
The music fades to the background. His steps in slow motion, he turns and straddles you normally, knees dipping as he raises his arms and grinds his hips towards you. Your breath catches in your throat. He’s so close. With his every move, you can smell the leather coming off of him, it takes you everything not to close your eyes and just inhale his scent. He steers your hands towards his ass, placing them against the firm mounds. 
You know that this is a strip show. You know that you’ll be paying him afterward—and tipping him generously. 
But, fuck, the way he’s looking at you shouldn’t be allowed. Something dark swirling in them, something ravenous. His smile is knowing, teasing, like he can read your mind and it’s unnerving. How does anyone leave this strip club not being a mess for this man? 
His fingers delicately trace the column of your neck, moving over to your shoulder and coming back. He’s observing you, eyes fixed on you as he searches for any kind of discomfort. Then he gradually wraps his hand around your neck. There’s no pressure and it feels slightly ticklish. 
He moves closer in tune with the music, his lips brush against your neck, your nipples tightening at the touch. He takes your hands and guides them up his chest and broad shoulders. His lips are barely touching yours and you can feel his softly blowing breath. He thrusts his hips, clothed cock nearly touching your chest, suddenly you’re holding your breath wishing nothing more than his touch. His ass flexes under your hand, firm and warm. 
Till this point, you were trying really hard to ignore how wet you’ve gotten. Subtly, you’re moving your hips, trying to add pressure to your throbbing clit. The wet fabric of your underwear grazes against the bundle of nerves, dipping between your wet folds. Your chest heaves and you swallow down a whimper. It’s been so fucking long since you’ve felt anything like this. Tension curls around your thighs and moves up to your stomach, arousal heavy between your legs. He must be used to this right? You can’t be the only one to get this worked up. 
Even if Whiskey does notice your weak attempts at relief, he doesn’t say anything. 
All your senses narrow on him as he kneels in front of you, the music dropping with him. With a wink, he takes your hands and guides them down his chest while leaning back to sit on his heels. Your hands slide down his torso, once again just shy in touching his length. With a body roll, he comes back up and grips the armrests of your chair, popping up into a bridge position. Your thighs are spread and he drops his head low, you swear you feel his breath on you before he slithers up again, lips nearly brushing the valley of your breasts. His face is an inch away from yours, only charm. He tilts his head, coming in closer as if he’s about to kiss you, then moves away again. 
You’re mortified when you find yourself instinctively chasing after his lips. 
He hums, the sound barely audible over the music, his smile never fades, “Good girl,” he mutters as his hands slide down to gently grip the back of your thighs. 
You’ve never been more aware of not touching someone in your life.
Whiskey pushes himself closer and lifts your legs. Despite the clothes that separate the two of you, you feel the sinewy fabric of muscle hidden underneath as your legs frame his narrow hips. He presses closer, positioning his length against you. You feel it. His cock throbbing and aching under those tight, tight pants. Your throat moves, the muscles in your jaw clenched. He grazes one hand up and up and up until the width of it rests over your hip. 
He continues his grinding, his jeans rubbing tantalizingly against your inner thighs. You feel his hardness through the thin fabric separating you; all you can think is how good it feels to have him there. His hands rub lazily across your hips, leaving trails of fire in their wake. Whiskey's hands snake up your sides, his fingers weaving through the flesh of your waist. His pelvis moves rhythmically against yours, each thrust accompanied by a low moan that you’re desperately trying to bite down. 
“You seem tense darlin’,” his breath is hot and heavy in your ear as he gently nibbles the sensitive lobe, tantalizing you further. “Could see it in your eyes as soon as I spotted you alone at the bar. Let go, sweetheart. It’ll be our little secret,” His hips sway in and out, sending shocks of pleasure through your body. You feel your breath catch and become labored, is—is he actually suggesting what you think he’s suggesting? 
God, you just don’t have it in you to care anymore. You’re too worked up, every touch feels doubled with the way he moves, smiles, and looks at you.
You can’t help but relax into his motions. He moves slower, teasing you as he coaxes your inevitable fall. He builds you up, and normally, you would bask in the relief that he would tear you apart soon enough—but the thing is. . . you two aren’t actually having sex. There’s a very high chance the build-up would last forever, that is, until the time was up. You’re being edged in the best way possible but you fear you might have a hearty breakdown if you can’t, as how he put it; “let go”. 
He must’ve sensed your worries because for the first time, his smile falters, brows furrowing with concentration. His eyes flit over yours briefly before cupping your chin and raising your head. You expect him to say something, anything—maybe call you his good girl again—but nothing escapes those lush lips. Your eyes drop to the divot of his bottom lip and he leans closer, cock fully moving over your puffy clit. Your teeth sink into the inside of your cheek. Your stomach bottoms out, there’s a faint buzzing in your ears as the pressure in you grows and grows until you feel it in the back of your eyes. 
Fuck—Are you about to come? 
Nonononononono—
Your body spasms in pleasure, an orgasm building from deep within you as the music and his body surround you. He smells of pine and leather and the scent assaults your lungs. Your insides begin to clench and your muscles carry on a delirious dance of its own as warmth starts to spread in waves throughout your body. Your toes curl and every nerve ending in your body is brought alive. You squeeze your eyes shut,  your breath quickens. You swallow down all the noises that threaten to spill out. All you can think of is how embarrassing this is, your cheeks are left burning, your orgasm washing over you in large waves against your better judgment. 
Whiskey barely slows, still rolling his hips with the guide of the slowing song. He does pull back eventually and you’re grateful for it. The inside of your mouth is dry, your eyes watered, the inside of your panties soaked. 
“S-Shit,” you whisper. “I’m . . . I’m—” 
He lets out a content sigh, if anything, he seems delighted by the whole ordeal. 
“Like I said darlin’,” he rasps, breath ghosting your lips. “This will be our little secret.” 
The music ends and you know your time is up. 
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Hanging out at a strip club isn’t actually as mortifying as you thought it would be. 
After your first encounter with Whiskey, you thought you would never step into the glitter and glam of the club ever again. However, after a particularly tough day, you found yourself at the door once more. The bartender, who later introduced himself as Tequila, greeted you enthusiastically, and from that point on, you became a regular.
Despite being a regular, names were still off-limits, and you didn't mind. Everyone was entitled to their privacy, and it made it all the more special for the time when Whiskey might eventually reveal his real name, if that day ever came. You're still not sure where you stand exactly on the spectrum between being a customer and a friend.
You could never afford another private dance though, at least not if you wanted to have enough money for food this month. Nevertheless, you were content with just watching the performances, and seeing Whiskey entertain endless bachelorette and bachelor parties was always a delight.
And hey, surprisingly, Tequila made some killer iced coffees, which you greatly appreciated since you weren't the biggest drinker and a bit of a lightweight. The last thing you wanted was to get drunk with Whiskey around, as you had already embarrassed yourself enough. However, he was a man of his word. He never mentioned the incident that took place during his performance. In fact, he behaved as if it never happened. For a minute there, you even thought that maybe you had imagined the whole thing.
However, there were moments when he would simply give you a certain look, and in that instant, you knew for certain that he did remember.
“Here you go gorgeous,” Tequila says, pulling you from your thought as he places an iced coffee in front of you. 
Your eyes widen as you see whipped cream with a lavish cherry on top. 'Is there a special occasion I'm not aware of?'
He shrugs, “I was bored, it’s a slow night.” 
Thanking him, you turn in your seat. It was a slow night, with only a handful of people present. There was a couple seeking a good time and a couple of corporate-looking ladies. Whiskey was entertaining one of them, employing his Southern charm as he winked at the woman and tipped his hat. Over the passing days, you had come to recognize his dance choreography. It seemed he genuinely enjoyed what he was doing, which made you happy in return.
Sometimes you do wish you had met the man outside of these walls though. You can’t fight the longing you feel whenever you see him. Other than being ridiculously attractive —and knowing how to make a woman come without touching them— he was kind to you that day. He saw how miserable you were and tried to cheer you up. Sure, you were a customer, but still, he didn’t have to go the extra mile. 
You often thought about meeting him at a supermarket or something instead. Would he be as kind? Would he be as attentive? Maybe he wouldn’t even give you a second glance as he buys a box of cereal—you frown, when you think about it like that, maybe meeting him in a strip club wasn’t that bad after all.  
Whiskey's dance comes to an end and you have to fight every fiber of your being not to eat him with your eyes like a hungry, horny, wolf. You try to look disinterested, eyes moving to one of the other dancers. It’s too late though, his gaze catches your own. He smiles as he struts towards you. 
“How are you sweetheart?” he asks, pink tongue swiping over his bottom lip. “Is Tequila here treatin’ you well?” 
“Isn’t it obvious?” You grin, gesturing to the whipped cream and cherry on top, as if it's obvious. His eyes drop to the fruit, glistening and wet. Without waiting for you to say anything, he picks up the fruit by the stem and sticks his tongue out. He catches the cherry with his lips, slowly drawing it into his mouth, and you watch, transfixed, as he chews. His jaw works over the cherry, then, a moment later, he shows you his tongue once more. 
On the tip of it, lays a neatly knotted stem. 
“Holy hell,” you whisper. “I should be mad because I was looking forward to that cherry but I’m too impressed.” 
With two fingers Whiskey calls for Tequila, “Get the pretty lady another cherry,” he says. 
“Show off,” the other man mutters but complies anyway. A quick moment later, there’s another cherry on a bed of white. 
You eye him warily, “You’re not gonna eat this one too, are you?” 
He laughs, “No darlin’. Don’t worry, enjoy your overly sweetened fruit.” 
Still not trusting him, holding it by the stem, you stick the cherry between your lips and quickly chew. He draws his brows together, “No show?” 
“If I was that talented with my tongue I wouldn’t be single.” 
“There’s more to relationships than a good tongue,” he answers. “I would know.” 
He’s single? 
You don’t know why the revelation shocks you, but it does. You didn’t want to assume anything based on his career choice and by personality alone, you didn’t really think he would be in the same boat as you. 
“You can act a little less surprised you know,” he teases, leaning against the bar with a curled lip. 
“S-Sorry, I just never thought you would be single you’re just so. . .” cutting yourself off, you press your lips together. He leans closer, teasing smile now shifting into a full toothy grin. 
“So. . . what?” he asks. His finger dips into the whipped cream, and he brings it to his lips, his deep gaze never leaving yours as he sucks it off slowly. “Dazzling, charming, talented?” 
Your throat goes dry and you have to swallow, “Well yes, all of those and. . . handsome.” 
“Compliments don’t get you a free dance, sweetheart,” he winks. “Just sayin’.” 
Your lips quiver, a hesitant smile curving your lips. Your cheeks warm under his gaze. 
Talking to him comes easy to you. You also enjoy his confidence, he knows he’s good looking and he doesn’t shame you for stating it, or make you feel less of a person for admitting. It’s freeing. Maybe that’s why you’re always visiting the club. He grants you a place to just be yourself, even if he does so intentionally or not, you appreciate it. 
“You, giving out a free dance?” you exaggerate every word, you mirror his movement and stick two fingers in the whipped cream. You bring them to your lips, savoring the sweetness. It’s subtle, but you catch the way his breath hitches. Your smile grows. “I never would expect such a thing.” 
“Good,” his voice drops dangerously low, almost sounding like a growl. Inching closer, his breath fans the side of your neck and you feel the rough scrape of his mustache against the shell of your ear. A whimper rattles your throat. “I would hate to be misunderstood.” 
He pulls back with a wink, he flashes you his canines, and drags his tongue over them. “See you around, sunshine,” he says, voice returning to normal. The words die in your throat as he disappears towards the back, presumably to get ready for his next show. 
You’re left staring, mouth agape. Flustered, you stir your iced coffee to feel the soothing sound of ice clanking around. 
You frown when you realize all the ice had melted.
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Thank you for reading everyone! This one definitely tuckered me out but I think it ended up not being that bad?
Normally this was always going to be a two-parter but then the first part ended up being way longer than I intended (almost 8k) so I decided to split it into two chapters since didn't want it to be too long. Therefore, this little series will be three parts in total. I've written most of chapter two since it was meant to be a part of chapter one so it'll be out relatively quick!
That's it for now, sending everyone love and many hugs 💜
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amethystarachnid · 24 days ago
Text
BEACON OF LOVE
⤷ ANTHONY “TONY” E. STARK
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ᯓ★ Pairing: Anthony “Tony” E. Stark x fem!reader
ᯓ★ Genre: romance, fluff
ᯓ★ Request from: MARVEL bingo
ᯓ★ Story type: one shot
ᯓ★ Word count: 6k (my longest one yet)
ᯓ★ TW(s): there's so much fluff in this that it deserves a warning, a lot of PDA
ᯓ★ Timeline: right after 'The Avengers'
ᯓ★ Request: I would like to request "brother's best friend" with Tony. Reader is Bruce's sister, when she visits him at Stark Tower reader and Tony fall in love immediately, he asks her out on a date, and they live their happily ever after 💖 ( @heygoodgirly)
ᯓ★ Comment if you want to be added to the taglist (specify if you want the everything taglist or for a specific character)
ᯓ★ My Masterlist
ᯓ★ Songs & Superheroes tales - The Game (to make a request, follow the rules on the link!)
ᯓ★ MARVEL Bingo (requests open)
ᯓ★ English isn’t my first language
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You step into Stark Tower, the high-tech doors sliding open with a soft whoosh, revealing the sleek, modern interior. It’s your first time visiting Bruce here, and although you’ve been to labs and research centers your whole life, this place feels… different. It’s buzzing with an energy that’s almost alive, a sense of invention, chaos, and genius wrapped together in steel and glass.
Bruce greets you at the entrance with that warm, shy smile you’ve known all your life. He wraps you in a hug, a bit more tightly than usual. You can feel the tension in his shoulders, as if he’s not fully relaxed even now.
“You didn’t have to come all the way here,” he says softly, but you see the gratitude in his eyes. “It’s not exactly the safest place.”
You raise an eyebrow, giving him a look. “I think I can handle a bunch of scientists, Bruce. Besides, I wanted to see your new lab. Heard a lot about it.” You grin mischievously, “Plus, someone has to make sure you’re eating more than just coffee and anxiety.”
Bruce laughs, a rare sound, but it’s short-lived as his eyes dart to the side, toward the glass elevator in the corner. You follow his gaze, and that’s when you see him.
Tony Stark.
He’s standing there, leaning casually against the wall with his arms crossed, wearing an expensive-looking suit that screams "I know I’m good-looking." His eyes, hidden behind those signature shades, are locked onto you as if he’s already figured out who you are—or at least is very interested in finding out.
“Banner didn’t mention he had a sister,” Tony says, pushing himself off the wall with a smooth motion and walking toward you. There’s a playful glint in his eyes as he takes off his sunglasses, revealing those sharp brown eyes that have probably charmed half the world.
Bruce tenses beside you, and you can practically hear his internal groan. “Tony…” Bruce warns, stepping slightly in front of you as if that’s going to stop the man known for his lack of boundaries.
“Relax, Big Guy,” Tony replies with a smirk, eyes flicking from Bruce to you. “I’m just being friendly. You must be the famous Dr. Banner’s sister. I can see the resemblance—brains and beauty. A rare combination.”
You roll your eyes but can’t help the smile tugging at your lips. “You must be Tony Stark. I’ve heard about you. A lot.”
Bruce shoots you a look as if to say don’t encourage him, but you ignore it. Tony grins wider, and suddenly, you understand why people say he’s hard to resist. There’s an effortless charm about him that feels like it could pull you into his orbit without even trying.
“All good things, I hope,” Tony quips, stepping a little closer. He looks at you, his gaze more intense now, as if he’s trying to figure you out, and you feel a spark, something electric between the two of you.
Bruce, sensing the shift, clears his throat and steps firmly between the two of you. “Tony, she’s just visiting. Don’t… start.”
Tony raises his hands in mock surrender. “Who, me? Start what? I’m just being a gracious host. Isn’t that right, uh…” He pauses, clearly fishing for your name.
You cross your arms, narrowing your eyes playfully. “Y/N.”
Tony smiles, repeating your name as if testing how it feels. “Y/N. Lovely name. So, Y/N, how do you feel about guided tours? I happen to know a guy who gives the best ones around here.”
Bruce groans. “She’s not here for a tour. She’s here to see me.”
Tony shoots Bruce a sidelong glance, pretending to look hurt. “Oh, come on, don’t be so overprotective. She’s a grown woman. She can decide who she wants to spend time with.”
You raise an eyebrow, finding the banter between the two amusing. “You two bicker like an old married couple,” you comment, laughing softly.
Bruce shoots you a look that says, not helping, while Tony laughs, clearly delighted. “See? She’s got a sense of humor. I like her already.” He gives you another one of those smiles that could probably melt steel.
Bruce sighs, running a hand through his hair in frustration. “Y/N, seriously, he’s… trouble.”
You grin, stepping closer to your brother and nudging him with your elbow. “Relax, Bruce. I’m perfectly capable of handling myself.”
Before Bruce can protest further, Tony steps in with a dramatic flair. “How about this, we have dinner. You, me, Banner over here, though he might just sulk in the corner, what do you say?”
Your heart skips a beat, and you can tell Tony’s not exactly asking as a casual invitation. There’s something more there, something sparking between the two of you that’s undeniable. You glance at Bruce, who looks ready to protest again, but before he can say anything, you smile and look back at Tony.
“I’d like that.”
Bruce stares at you like you’ve just betrayed him, but Tony’s smile turns into something a little softer, something real beneath the playful mask. “Great. How’s tonight?”
Later that evening, you’re standing in front of the full-length mirror in your temporary room at Stark Tower, second-guessing your outfit for what feels like the hundredth time. It’s simple but elegant—a sleek black dress that’s casual enough for dinner but makes you feel confident. You inhale deeply, trying to steady your nerves. You’ve been on dates before, but this is Tony Stark, and there’s something about him that has you on edge, in a good way.
A knock at the door interrupts your thoughts, and you open it to find Bruce standing there, arms crossed, looking as anxious as you feel.
“You’re really doing this?” he asks, his eyes filled with a mix of concern and disbelief.
You shrug, trying to play it off, though your heart is racing. “It’s just dinner, Bruce.”
“With Tony?” Bruce raises an eyebrow, his expression all too knowing. “He’s not exactly… subtle. And he doesn’t just ‘do’ dinner.”
You roll your eyes, stepping past him into the hallway. “I’m a grown woman, remember? You don’t have to worry.”
Bruce follows you, lowering his voice as you both head toward the elevator. “I’m not worried about you, I’m worried about him.” He presses the elevator button a little too hard. “Tony’s got a reputation. You know that.”
You stop, turning to face him, your expression softening. “Bruce, I appreciate you looking out for me, really. But I know what I’m doing. I’m not some starry-eyed girl.”
Bruce sighs, clearly unconvinced but unable to argue. “I just don’t want you to get hurt.”
You give him a reassuring smile and squeeze his arm. “I’ll be fine. And besides, it’s just one dinner. If it goes badly, I can always punch him in the face.”
Bruce chuckles at that, though you can see he’s still tense. “Just… be careful, okay? He’s charming, but he’s not always as easy to handle as he seems.”
Before you can respond, the elevator doors open with a soft ding, and there’s Tony, leaning against the wall inside like he’s in some kind of movie. His suit is gone, replaced by dark jeans, a black t-shirt, and a leather jacket—still effortlessly stylish but much more relaxed. His eyes light up when he sees you, and he gives a low whistle, clearly impressed.
“Well, don’t you look stunning,” he says, that smooth, playful tone back in full force.
Bruce glares at him immediately. “Tony—”
“Relax, Banner,” Tony cuts him off, straightening and stepping out of the elevator to offer you his arm. “I promise to have her back in one piece. Maybe two, if we get into any trouble, but that’s half the fun, right?”
You laugh, shaking your head as you loop your arm through Tony’s, ignoring the death glare Bruce is sending his way. “I’ll text you if I need backup,” you say over your shoulder to Bruce, who mutters something about regretting this decision.
As you and Tony step into the elevator, you can’t help but feel the electric charge between you again, stronger this time. The doors close, and for a moment, there’s a silence that feels almost intimate. Tony glances at you out of the corner of his eye.
The restaurant Tony chooses is, of course, one of the most exclusive in the city. It’s the kind of place with mood lighting, impossibly polite waitstaff, and a menu without prices. As you both walk in, it’s clear everyone knows exactly who Tony is, and they give you both a wide berth as you’re led to a private table in the back.
The moment you sit down, Tony leans back in his chair, folding his hands behind his head as he studies you with that same intensity from earlier. “So, tell me about yourself, Y/N. What’s it like growing up with Banner as a brother? I imagine it’s all science fairs and controlled explosions?”
You chuckle, relaxing a little as you lean forward. “It’s a lot of science, yeah. And explosions. But Bruce is… different now. He used to be more carefree, even a little reckless, before everything happened with the Hulk.”
Tony’s expression softens, a flicker of something more serious passing through his eyes. “Yeah, I’ve seen how much he carries around with him. He doesn’t talk about it, but… I get it. The weight of it.”
You nod, surprised by the empathy in Tony’s voice. “He’s still my big brother, though. He’s always been protective, even when I didn’t need it.”
Tony smirks, leaning forward slightly. “Yeah, I noticed that. He looked like he wanted to murder me earlier.”
You grin. “That’s his default mode when it comes to guys showing any interest in me.”
Tony raises an eyebrow, his smirk widening. “So you’re saying there’s interest?”
You give him a playful look. “I think it’s obvious, don’t you?”
He laughs, the sound rich and genuine. “Yeah, I’m not exactly subtle.”
The banter between you flows easily, and as the evening goes on, you find yourself more and more drawn to him. Despite his reputation, Tony is surprisingly attentive, his jokes never crossing the line into arrogance, and the way he looks at you—it’s like you’re the only person in the room.
By the time dessert arrives, you’re leaning in close, the conversation growing quieter, more intimate. There’s a pause, the kind where you know something is about to shift.
“So,” Tony says, his voice soft but teasing, “what do you think Bruce is doing right now? Pacin’ around the lab, making some kind of anti-Stark protocol?”
You laugh, shaking your head. “Probably. You’re lucky he didn’t plant a tracking device on me.”
Tony grins. “I wouldn’t put it past him. But don’t worry, I’d still find a way to steal you away.”
The words hang in the air between you, and for a moment, everything else fades. It’s just you and him, the electricity sparking again. You can feel it, the inevitable pull, and for the first time in a long time, you don’t feel the need to resist it.
The night goes on, and by the time Tony walks you back to Stark Tower, there’s no denying the connection between you. As you stand outside your door, Tony hesitates for a moment, then flashes you that signature smile.
“So, when’s round two?”
You smile back, heart racing. “Soon.”
And with that, he leans in, just close enough that you feel the heat of him, before he pulls back, leaving you breathless.
“Goodnight, Y/N,” he says softly, before turning and walking down the hall, leaving you with a smile you can’t quite wipe off your face.
Days pass, and you find yourself seeing Tony more often than you expected. It’s not like you’re seeking him out—he just happens to pop up every time you visit Bruce’s lab, or when you’re wandering Stark Tower. And each time, you can’t help but feel the magnetic pull between you growing stronger.
After a few more flirtatious encounters and subtle touches, Tony finally convinces you to go out on a proper date. You’re not sure what to expect—especially considering how not subtle he is—but Tony surprises you by choosing something… quiet.
The date begins with Tony picking you up in one of his sleek cars, of course. He’s dressed down again, but still looks effortlessly good in dark jeans and a leather jacket, while you opted for something comfortable but cute—a simple dress with a jacket that flutters in the wind as you step out.
“You ready?” he asks, opening the door for you. You nod, stepping in and giving him a curious look.
“Where exactly are we going this time?”
Tony smirks, but there’s a softness to it. “I figured we could skip the fancy restaurant scene tonight. I’ve got something a little more… low-key in mind.”
Low-key? From Tony Stark? You’re intrigued.
He drives you out of the city, and you find yourself staring at the skyline as it slowly fades into the distance. Before long, you arrive at a secluded spot overlooking the water, the city lights shimmering in the distance. Tony pulls up to a small, private dock where a sleek boat is waiting.
You raise an eyebrow. “This is your idea of low-key?”
Tony grins, holding out his hand to help you onto the boat. “I never said I wasn’t going to impress you.”
The boat glides smoothly across the water, the sound of the waves creating a peaceful backdrop. The night is clear, stars twinkling above, and the city skyline looks like a sea of jewels in the distance. Tony has arranged for a picnic—laid out perfectly on the boat’s deck, complete with a bottle of wine and an array of food that’s surprisingly simple but delicious.
As you sit together, talking and laughing, you realize how easy it is to be with him. There’s no awkwardness, no pressure. Just the two of you, sharing stories about your pasts, your work, and even your hopes for the future. Tony opens up more than you expected, letting his usual sarcasm and wit drop in moments to reveal the man behind the genius.
“So,” he says after a long silence, his voice soft but with that signature playful edge, “do you think Bruce would kill me if I kissed you right now?”
You smile, feeling the warmth of his gaze on you, your heart pounding in your chest. You’ve been waiting for this moment, the tension between you having built up over the last few days. Without hesitation, you lean in, closing the distance between you.
“I think Bruce will get over it,” you whisper, just before your lips meet his.
The kiss is slow, deliberate, and everything you didn’t know you were waiting for. There’s something about it—something that feels real, like the start of something more. Tony’s hands gently cup your face, his touch soft but confident, and you can feel the heat of his skin as he pulls you closer.
When you finally pull away, breathless, Tony’s lips curve into a smile. “Okay, well, now I’m officially dead when we tell him.”
You laugh, shaking your head as you lean into him, resting your head on his shoulder. “You might be, but at least you’ll go out with a bang.”
A week later, you and Tony decide it’s time to break the news to Bruce. You’ve kept it quiet long enough, and besides, Tony is itching to “gloat,” as he puts it, in front of Bruce. You, on the other hand, are more concerned about Bruce’s reaction—because no matter how old you are, telling your big brother that you’re dating Tony Stark feels like walking into a minefield.
The three of you are in the lab—well, technically, you and Bruce are going over some research notes, while Tony is just hanging around, making sarcastic comments and tinkering with some new tech he’s building. The tension between you and Tony has been pretty noticeable, though, and you know Bruce isn’t an idiot. He’s probably already suspicious.
Finally, Tony clears his throat dramatically, stepping between you and Bruce. “Banner, there’s something we’ve been meaning to tell you.”
Bruce looks up from his computer, pushing his glasses up on his nose, already frowning. “What did you do now?”
Tony grins. “Oh, it’s not what I did. It’s more about what we—” he gestures between you and himself—“are doing. Together.”
Bruce freezes, blinking in confusion as he looks between you and Tony. “Together? Like… working on a project?”
Tony tilts his head, trying to suppress a laugh. “Well, you could say that. More like a long-term, hands-on collaboration. You know, with kissing.”
You shoot Tony a look, and he just shrugs, clearly enjoying himself.
Bruce’s eyes widen as he processes this, and then his gaze locks onto you, completely baffled. “Wait. Are you saying… you and Tony…?” His voice is rising, like he can’t believe what he’s hearing.
You bite your lip, stepping forward. “Bruce, I know this is probably a shock, but—”
“A shock?” Bruce cuts in, standing up from his chair, his voice going an octave higher. “You’re dating Tony Stark? My Tony Stark? The same guy who blew up half a city block because he was ‘experimenting with mini rockets’?”
Tony looks offended. “Okay, first of all, it was only a quarter of a block, and it was mostly contained. Second, this is about us, Bruce, not my tech adventures.”
Bruce looks between the two of you, his mouth opening and closing like a fish as he tries to form words. Finally, he throws his hands up in the air, pacing back and forth. “I can’t believe this. I leave you alone for five minutes, and you start dating the most reckless genius on the planet!”
Tony folds his arms, looking proud. “Reckless? Genius? You flatter me, Banner.”
Bruce turns to you, shaking his head. “Are you sure about this? I mean, this is Tony. He’s—”
You step forward, putting a hand on your brother’s arm. “I’m sure, Bruce. Tony makes me happy. And believe me, I know what I’m getting into.”
Bruce groans, covering his face with his hand. “I need to sit down. Or maybe lie down.”
Tony claps Bruce on the back, grinning. “Don’t worry, big guy. I’ll take good care of her. Besides, I’m not that bad. You could’ve ended up with someone way worse, like—”
“Tony,” you cut him off, giving him a pointed look.
Bruce sinks into his chair, staring at the ceiling like he’s having an existential crisis. “I just… I can’t believe this. I thought it was bad when you started hanging out with him. Now you’re dating him?”
Tony shrugs, looking smug. “Love works in mysterious ways, Banner. Even for geniuses like us.”
Bruce groans louder, shaking his head. “This is a nightmare. I need a lab break. Or maybe a tranquilizer.”
You and Tony exchange amused glances as Bruce continues to mutter to himself, clearly still processing the news. Finally, Tony leans in, whispering in your ear, “Well, that went better than expected. I’d say we’re off to a great start.”
You laugh, shaking your head as you watch Bruce pace the lab, still muttering about “impending disasters” and “Tony Stark of all people.” Maybe Bruce will need a little more time to come around, but deep down, you know he’ll accept it—eventually.
Dating Tony Stark comes with a lot of perks. Stark Tower itself is like a futuristic playground—fully automated, filled with high-tech gadgets, and with the best view of the New York skyline. It’s also full of surprises, many of which involve Tony pushing the boundaries of propriety. Especially when it comes to public displays of affection. And especially when Bruce is within a ten-foot radius.
Since you and Tony officially got together, life at Stark Tower has been anything but boring. Mornings usually involve you trying to grab breakfast in peace while Tony insists on inventing new ways to make coffee (most of which end in small explosions). Afternoons might be spent in his lab—where you’re technically helping him, though he tends to get distracted by the fact that you’re there, which leads to less science and more stolen kisses.
And then there’s Bruce, poor Bruce, who is constantly trying to ignore the fact that his best friend is now dating his sister. Tony, of course, makes it his personal mission to remind him at every possible opportunity.
One afternoon, you’re in the lab with Bruce, going over some research notes. The air is filled with the quiet hum of machinery, and you’re both deep in concentration. At least, until the door swings open and Tony strolls in, whistling as if he owns the place (which, to be fair, he does).
“Hey, Banner! How’s my favorite big green guy today?” Tony calls out, already making a beeline for you.
Bruce looks up from his computer with a wary expression. “Tony, please. Not now. We’re working.”
Tony waves him off as if this is a minor inconvenience. “Yeah, yeah, science and all that.” He slides right up behind you, placing his hands on your shoulders and leaning down to press a kiss to the top of your head. “Hey, gorgeous. How’s your day going?”
You smile, shaking your head but leaning back into him. “It was peaceful. Until now.”
Bruce lets out an exaggerated sigh, clearly trying to focus on his screen. “Seriously, Tony. Do you have to do that? Here?”
Tony grins, clearly enjoying how easily he gets under Bruce’s skin. “What, this?” He leans down further and plants a dramatic kiss on your cheek, making a point to linger there.
You laugh, nudging him gently. “Tony…”
Bruce groans, rubbing his temples like he’s developing a stress headache. “Do you really have to kiss her in front of me? Can’t you just—wait until I’m not around?”
Tony straightens up, looking completely innocent. “Oh, come on, Banner. We’re in a relationship. It’s perfectly normal. Besides, we could be doing much worse things in front of you.”
“Tony!” You elbow him in the side, though you can’t help but laugh at the horrified look on Bruce’s face.
Bruce looks like he’s about to keel over. “I’m begging you. No details.”
Tony leans in again, this time whispering just loud enough for Bruce to hear, “Don’t worry. I’ll spare you the juicy stuff.”
Bruce groans louder, closing his laptop with a snap and standing up. “You two are impossible. I’m going to the roof. At least the air up there is free of… whatever this is.”
As Bruce marches toward the door, Tony throws his arm around your shoulders, looking as smug as ever. “Come on, Bruce! You’ve got to get used to it eventually. I mean, what’s a little affection between friends? And family. And soulmates.” He winks at you, and you shake your head, laughing at his antics.
Bruce doesn’t even turn around, just waves a hand dismissively as he walks out. “I’m going to pretend I didn’t hear that. Enjoy your soulmate time.”
The door slides shut behind him, leaving you and Tony alone in the lab. Tony turns to you with a playful glint in his eyes. “You know, I think he’s starting to come around. He only looks half as horrified as he did last week.”
You laugh, wrapping your arms around his neck. “You’re incorrigible.”
“Guilty as charged.” Tony leans in and kisses you again, this time properly—slow, warm, and completely distracting.
You pull back just enough to speak. “You’re really enjoying this, aren’t you? Making him squirm?”
Tony grins, brushing his nose against yours. “It’s one of life’s simple pleasures. Right up there with inventing new things and kissing you.”
Of course, this isn’t the only time Tony manages to fluster Bruce. Over the next few weeks, he finds increasingly creative ways to engage in PDA whenever Bruce is nearby. Like the time Bruce is trying to explain gamma radiation theory, and Tony, who claims he’s listening, suddenly pulls you into his lap in the middle of the lab.
“Tony, what are you doing?” you hiss, laughing despite yourself as he casually wraps an arm around your waist.
“What? I’m just getting comfortable,” Tony says innocently. “Keep going, Bruce. This is fascinating.”
Bruce stares at him, completely bewildered. “You’re not listening. You’re… distracting her.”
“I’m a multitasker,” Tony quips, giving you a wink. “I can listen and hold my girlfriend at the same time. It’s a gift.”
Bruce throws his hands up in the air, clearly at his limit. “I’m done. You two deserve each other.” He grabs his tablet and stalks out of the room, muttering under his breath about “public decency.”
Tony chuckles, watching Bruce leave, then turns back to you. “What do you think? Too much?”
You shake your head, laughing. “He’s going to have a meltdown at some point, and it’s going to be entirely your fault.”
Tony shrugs, leaning back in his chair and pulling you closer. “Eh, he’ll get over it. Eventually. Probably. Besides, it’s good for him. Builds character.”
You roll your eyes, but you’re still smiling. Life with Tony may be chaotic, but it’s never dull. And there’s something oddly comforting about the way he teases Bruce—it’s like the three of you are caught up in this weird little family dynamic, where you’re the calm center and Tony and Bruce are constantly bickering, but in a way that somehow works.
One evening, you’re sitting on the couch in the common area, curled up with Tony, watching a movie. Bruce walks in, clearly intending to grab something from the kitchen, but the moment he sees you both snuggled up, he pauses in the doorway like he’s reconsidering his life choices.
Tony, ever the opportunist, notices immediately. “Hey, Bruce! Wanna join us?” He pats the space next to him on the couch. “There’s plenty of room.”
Bruce stares at him, deadpan. “I’m not sitting next to you while you’re doing… that.”
You blink, glancing between them. “Doing what? We’re just watching a movie.”
Bruce narrows his eyes, pointing at you two. “You’re snuggling. It’s unnatural.”
Tony grins. “Oh, come on. It’s perfectly natural for two people in love to cuddle on the couch. Don’t be so repressed, Banner. You’re going to make yourself even grayer.”
Bruce sighs, looking exhausted just by the sight of you both. “You know what? I’ll just—” He gestures vaguely toward the kitchen, like he’s going to hide in there for a while.
Tony watches Bruce retreat to the kitchen with the kind of smug satisfaction that only comes from knowing you’ve successfully pushed your best friend’s buttons. He leans back into the couch, pulling you closer as the movie continues to play in the background.
“You think we should go easy on him?” you ask, glancing toward the kitchen where Bruce is clearly pretending to be busy with something, probably plotting ways to avoid you and Tony for the foreseeable future.
Tony shakes his head, a mischievous glint in his eyes. “Go easy? Nah. He needs this. It’s good for him. Keeps him on his toes.”
You chuckle, resting your head on his shoulder. “You’re going to give him an ulcer one of these days, you know that, right?”
Tony grins, pressing a kiss to the top of your head. “Eh, it’s character-building. Besides, deep down, he loves us. He’ll come around. Eventually.”
Just then, Bruce reemerges from the kitchen, holding a bottle of water and clearly trying to act like he’s not noticing you two wrapped up in each other. You swear you see him wince when Tony casually starts tracing circles on your arm with his fingers.
Bruce takes a long, exaggerated sip from the bottle, standing awkwardly in the doorway. “You guys, uh… planning on going to bed soon?” His tone is hopeful, like maybe you’ll take the hint and give him some peace.
Tony looks at him, perfectly deadpan. “Oh, we’re definitely going to bed. Just… probably not to sleep. You know how it is, Banner.”
Your jaw drops, and you elbow Tony sharply in the ribs, stifling your laughter as Bruce’s face goes through several stages of sheer horror.
“Tony!” you whisper-shout, trying to keep it together.
Bruce lets out a strangled groan, covering his face with one hand. “Oh my God. No. No, no, no. I did not need to hear that.” He points at Tony with a glare. “You’re doing this on purpose, aren’t you?”
Tony tilts his head, feigning innocence. “I have no idea what you’re talking about. We’re just being affectionate. Perfectly normal, right, sweetheart?” He gives you a sly smile, completely enjoying this little game.
You bite your lip, trying not to laugh as you turn to Bruce. “We’re just teasing. You know that.”
Bruce glares at Tony, who’s still smirking, clearly enjoying the whole situation far too much. “You know what? I’m just going to go up to the lab. Where there’s no… whatever this is.”
“You sure?” Tony asks, stretching out lazily on the couch. “You could hang with us. Watch a rom-com, talk about feelings, maybe even join in for a group hug—”
“NO.” Bruce cuts him off with a sharp wave of his hand. “Just… no. I’m going upstairs. Goodnight.”
With that, Bruce practically bolts for the stairs, his water bottle clutched in a death grip as he escapes the scene, muttering something about “emotional trauma.”
Once Bruce is safely out of earshot, you burst out laughing, burying your face in Tony’s chest. “You’re terrible.”
Tony just grins, looking completely unbothered. “I know. But admit it—you love me this way.”
You roll your eyes but can’t stop smiling. “I do. Even if you’re a menace.”
He leans down, pressing a soft kiss to your lips, and when you pull back, you catch that familiar glint of mischief in his eyes again. “What do you say we make Bruce’s nightmares come true and really give him something to complain about tomorrow?”
You laugh, shaking your head. “Tempting. But I think we’ve tortured him enough for one day.”
Tony sighs dramatically. “Fine. For now. But I reserve the right to increase the PDA by 20% the next time he annoys me.”
“Deal,” you say, grinning as you snuggle closer to him on the couch.
The next morning, you’re sitting at the kitchen counter, sipping on coffee and flipping through a magazine, when Bruce walks in looking surprisingly calm. He glances at you, then at the empty chair where Tony usually sits, clearly expecting another ambush.
“Where’s Stark?” Bruce asks, sounding both cautious and curious.
You smirk. “Still sleeping. He stayed up late tinkering with some new invention.”
Bruce visibly relaxes, sitting down across from you. “Good. Maybe I’ll get a few hours of peace today.”
You raise an eyebrow, pretending to be innocent. “I don’t know, Bruce. Tony might have something special planned for you today. Maybe a surprise PDA session in the lab.”
Bruce groans, rubbing his temples. “Please. I’ve been through enough. I’m getting second-hand trauma from all the smooching.”
Just then, Tony enters the kitchen, hair messy from sleep and wearing his usual loungewear, looking completely unbothered. He walks over to you and, without saying a word, plants a quick kiss on your lips. “Morning, gorgeous.”
You smile, greeting him back, while Bruce groans audibly from across the table.
“Seriously?” Bruce mutters, rolling his eyes. “It’s not even 9 a.m. and you two are already at it?”
Tony glances at Bruce, completely straight-faced. “What? A little kiss in the morning? It’s called affection, Bruce. Maybe you should try it sometime. I hear it’s great for stress reduction. You’d stop Hulking out so much.”
Bruce sighs, clearly fighting the urge to respond with anything more than an eye roll, but you can see his fingers twitching like he’s thinking about throwing his coffee mug at Tony. He takes a deep breath instead, rubbing his temples. “Tony, I know what affection is. I just don’t need to witness it at every possible moment, especially in my own kitchen.”
Tony grins, as if this was exactly the reaction he wanted. He leans down, dramatically kissing you on the cheek before turning back to Bruce. “Come on, buddy, it’s not like we’re—”
“STOP.” Bruce holds up a hand, eyes closed, clearly trying to block out whatever is about to come out of Tony’s mouth. “Just… don’t say it. I don’t need any mental images. I’m trying to not need therapy.”
You laugh into your coffee, biting your lip as you try to rein in the amusement bubbling up inside you. Tony, however, is in full-on playful mode now. He leans back against the counter, crossing his arms and grinning at Bruce like he’s enjoying this way too much.
“All I’m saying,” Tony continues, unfazed by Bruce’s growing horror, “is that you shouldn’t knock PDA until you’ve tried it. It’s very healthy, emotionally and physically. We’re setting an example for the tower. A beacon of love.”
Bruce snorts, looking at Tony like he’s lost his mind. “A beacon of something, sure.”
Tony shrugs, grabbing a piece of toast from the counter and taking a bite. “We’re adorable, and you’re just jealous.”
Bruce glares at him over his mug. “Jealous? Of what? Watching you two practically make out every time I turn around? Pass.”
You lean over, nudging Tony in the side with a grin. “I think he’s just upset because he can’t escape us. Maybe we should tone it down. Give him a break.”
Tony glances down at you, raising an eyebrow. “Tone it down? You mean, stop being ourselves? I can’t do that. It’s against my code.”
You roll your eyes, smiling as you sip your coffee. “Of course it is.”
Bruce, now finished with his coffee, stands up, clearly ready to flee the kitchen. “For the record, I’m happy for you two. Really. Just… try to keep the beacon of love at a safe distance from my workspace.”
Tony watches him head toward the door, then looks back at you with a mischievous glint in his eye. “Oh, we’re definitely kissing in front of him in the lab later.”
You laugh, shaking your head. “You really have a death wish, don’t you?”
Tony grins, leaning down to kiss you again, this time slower and more deliberate. “Totally worth it.”
Later that day, as you predicted, Tony finds the perfect opportunity to annoy Bruce once more. You’re both in the lab—well, you’re working, and Tony’s pretending to work while glancing at you every five minutes. Bruce is furiously typing away at his computer, clearly trying to stay in the zone and ignore whatever Tony might be planning.
As if on cue, Tony sidles up behind you, wrapping his arms around your waist and pressing his chin to your shoulder. “Hey,” he whispers, loud enough for Bruce to hear, “I think it’s time for a break.”
You glance over at Bruce, who is visibly tensing, fingers pausing over his keyboard as he waits for whatever Tony’s about to do. “Tony…” you warn softly, though you’re already fighting a smile.
But Tony’s already leaning in, brushing a kiss to your temple, then down to your cheek. “Come on, we’ve been working hard. We deserve a little… affection.”
Bruce makes a strangled noise, pushing away from his computer. “Please. Please don’t do this.”
Tony grins against your skin. “What? Just showing some love in the lab. Totally professional.”
Bruce stands up, throwing his hands in the air. “You know what? Fine. Make out. Hug. Whatever. I’ll just be somewhere else. Somewhere far, far away.”
Tony watches him walk to the door, calling out after him, “We’ll miss you, Banner! Try not to get too lonely!”
Bruce doesn’t even turn around, just waves a hand over his shoulder as he storms out. You watch him disappear, laughing as you turn to Tony, who is looking entirely too proud of himself.
“You know, one day, Bruce might actually snap. And it’s going to be your fault,” you tease, shaking your head.
Tony pulls you closer, his arms snug around your waist. “Nah, he loves me. Deep down. Very, very deep down.”
You roll your eyes but smile up at him. “You’re impossible.”
He grins, leaning in for another kiss, and as his lips brush against yours, you can’t help but think that life with Tony — chaos and all — is pretty perfect.
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atzloverr · 13 days ago
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Chapter 8 - selfish desire
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series masterlist
warning! includes yandere themes, violence, abuse, kidnapping, (see masterlist for more)
“I know she’s not.”
Yeosang took a deep breath, listening attentively to his roommate’s hoarse voice.
“I know she’s not dead.”
He glanced at Wooyoung’s eyes who stared into nothingness. His wide stare made the dark bags under his eyes even more apparent. Yeosang had almost given up on trying to get his roommate to eat for the past few days, seeing as he only got more aggressive for every day that passed. Keyword, almost.
He could barely admit that his friend was in denial, because Yeosang himself didn’t want to realize that you were actually dead. The difference was that Yeosang had started to get used to the thought.
He wanted Wooyoung to be right about you. He wanted you to still be alive somewhere. But he couldn’t let himself dream like that, not even for a second. He already knew what effects it would have.
“She would never give up on me. She would never just admit that I…” Wooyoung stopped mid sentence, his breath hitching in his throat.
The two sat in silence for minutes, the only audible sounds being an occasional sniffle from either of them.
This might’ve been the first time they had been able to hold a conversation without Wooyoung breaking down in sobs, but Yeosang honestly preferred that. This eerie silence didn’t do anything to soothe his nerves.
“Woo—“
“Don’t say it!” Wooyoung shouted, making his roommate almost jump in a start. “Don’t tell me that I need to let it go, or that this isn’t good for me. I can’t—“ Wooyoung’s breath got caught in his throat, tears starting to flow from his eyes once again.

He didn’t get to finish his sentence before getting embraced by Yeosang, not a single word leaving either of their mouths until they finally fell asleep for the night, still holding onto each other.
Hours later, Yeosang could feel himself slowly drifting awake, his heavy eyelids reluctantly opening.
“Yeosang-ah,” Wooyoung shook him. Yeosang sat up quickly at the sudden commotion. “Remember that friend of yours, the one who’s a cop now?”
Yeosang blinked slowly, processing the question in his dazed state. He only replied with a nod. “I have an idea.”
✧・゚: *✧・゚:*
Jongho couldn’t hide the shock on his face when his old friend barged into his office one day. After years of not talking, here he was, probably looking the least tidied up anyone had ever seen him.
“Hey, been a while hasn’t it,” Yeosang said, awkwardly scratching the back of his neck. Jongho nodded slowly, an amused laugh leaving his lips, formed in a small smirk.
When Yeosang explained the reason for his visit, Jongho patiently listened, as his confusion only grew.
“Why are you so interested anyway? Had a crush on the girl or something?”
Yeosang nearly choked at Jongho’s blunt approach, but soon composed himself.
“No… In fact, she’s a… dear friend to me,” Yeosang said, a far away look in his eyes. Although you were Wooyoung’s friend first and foremost, Yeosang had built a fondness of you over the past years. You had become his friend too, and of course, the news of your death had affected his life as well.
Seeing Wooyoung in the state he was in didn’t exactly help with Yeosang’s constant anxiety right now. As much as he wanted to be the perfect friend for Wooyoung, being there for him in these hard times, this had taken a toll on Yeosang’s own mental health.
“Okay… Here’s her file. This is everything we’ve got so far. You’re lucky you’ve got a contact here. This is confidential,” Jongho said, pointing the finger on the table at each syllable of the last word.
Yeosang slowly took your file and opened it up. There was basic information about you and details about the day you had last been seen. Yeosang eyed it further, seeing that there were barely any details about what could’ve happened, or how they even found you in that lake.
“Have the police working on this even tried to solve this?” Yeosang asked, huffing in annoyance. “What do you mean they don’t know how long she was in the lake!? Isn’t there a way to find that out?” Yeosang raged. Jongho’s lips pressed into a thin line.
“Trust me, if I was allowed to interfere, I would,” Jongho sighed. Yeosang closed the file, not even wanting to look at the pictures of your deceased body that were shown in the end.
“Now, could you show me the file of Jeong Yunho?” Yeosang asked, tone serious, looking straight into Jongho’s wide eyes.
Since this was the only thing on Wooyoung’s mind, he had made all types of bizarre connections to other things, trying to make sense of what happened. As much as Yeosang didn’t even want to think it, he had to admit your two cases were very alike, also having happened around the same time, only two weeks in between each other.
“Know the guy?” Jongho asked, searching on his computer. Yeosang looked around the room. “Well, not exactly, but…” Jongho quirked a brow at his odd behavior. “Whatever, I’ll explain it to you once we get the file okay?”
Jongho stood up to go and fetch it, just humming in agreement. He had to admit he would’ve preferred a phone call or text message before getting a sudden visit from his old friend, but what to do…
When Jongho slammed the case file on the table, Yeosang wasted no time in opening it, letting his eyes take in everything. He placed Yunho’s file next to yours, silently comparing the two.
“Look here,” Yeosang alerted the younger male. “Don’t you find this odd? Two victims, going to the same university, get abducted almost exactly two weeks in between each other, and both of them later get found dead. This can’t be a coincidence…” Yeosang ran a hand through his hair. Jongho silently studied Yeosang’s troubled expression.
“I do admit the person responsible probably has some sort of connection to both of them, but I’m not sure if—“
“Do we know that they’re dead?” Jongho’s jaw dropped slightly in shock. “Yes. They have been declared dead by the department, they—“, “Do we know? Have you seen the bodies?”
Jongho coughed slightly at the questions. “Well, no, but I’m not allowed to interfere. It’s not my case to work on.”
Yeosang closed the files, meeting Jongho’s gaze with a fierce expression. “So, who works on it? Have they made any progress with finding the killer?”
“Yeosang, we don’t even know if it’s the same killer, this could just be two completely unrelated events that only cause suspicion in you because you cared about the girl.”
Yeosang’s unforgiving eyes didn’t waver. It made Jongho squirm in his spot.
“Do you really think that’s the way it is?” Yeosang asked, eyebrows furrowing slightly. Jongho sighed deeply. “My opinion on this isn’t necessary, it’s—“
“Tell me, Jongho.”
A silence filled the small office, Jongho continuing to fidget with his sleeves uncomfortably. Another deep sigh was heard from Jongho before he sat down. Yeosang almost made a gesture in happiness. Finally, he had given in.
“Of course I think they’re related. I think almost everyone in the station does. Well, everyone except the ones who are working on it,” Jongho poured out, a huff of frustration leaving his mouth. Yeosang blinked.
“Who are the ones working on it?” Yeosang asked, eyes still plastered on the officer in front of him. “Officer Jung and Lee. They often work together, despite their record of putting cases down when they’re far from solved,” Jongho looked away.
“Full names please.”
“Choi Sangcheol and Lee Mansik,” Jongho said, no longer hesitant to reveal information. Yeosang quickly noted the two names on his phone.
“Thank you for this, Jongho. I don’t think you understand what this means to us,” Yeosang confessed, giving his friend a smile the officer had learned to miss over the years. “Us?” Jongho questioned.
“Remember Wooyoung?” Jongho’s eyes widened at the name, memories of their high school days coming back. “He’s Y/n’s best friend. They’ve known each other for years…”
Jongho gasped slightly and nodded, understanding the situation. “This won’t be our last time speaking, we should meet sometimes, well, outside of your office,” Yeosang giggled. He gained a smile from the officer, before finally waving goodbye.
Yeosang immediately picked up the phone in his pocket, clicking the number one contact on his list. He didn’t even hear a beep before Wooyoung’s voice was heard.
“Choi Sangcheol and Lee Mansik. They’re the officers working on the case.”
Wooyoung was quiet into the phone for a moment.
“Well, looks like we’ve got some digging to do.”
✧・゚: *✧・゚:*
Hongjoong’s firm hands laid themselves on Seonghwa’s small waist, the small fingers gently digging themselves into the back of his lover. Hongjoong’s eyes were closed, and he couldn’t help but smile when Seonghwa’s slender fingers caressed his neck.
Pulling the man closer, Hongjoong started slowly dancing to the jazzy tune playing from the record player. Seonghwa’s deep voice hummed the song, having memorized it from how often Hongjoong would play it.
“Your voice is so beautiful, my love,” Hongjoong whispered. “Only for me.”
The two continued their slow dancing in the large living room, their hands roaming each other’s bodies more desperately for every second that passed, the slightly seductive mood getting further escalated by the sound of the piano getting gently played in the beautiful music playing.
Your eyes fluttered open, and your head immediately whipped around in panic as you took in the unfamiliar room you found yourself in. Like every time you had woken up in this place, your breath soon quickened, your heartbeat rising as your confusion grew.
Sitting up, you noticed to your surprise that you were not held back by any restraints.

The room was quite small, and had a cozy atmosphere. Bookshelves surrounded the room, a small window with all kinds of complicated locks facing the dark forrest being the only light source expect for the small light on the bedside table. You gazed out the window when you stood up, not wanting to believe that you were in fact surrounded by the deepest forrest you had ever seen, not any other dorm of civilization in sight.
You tip-toed around the room, examining it further, when you suddenly stopped. Music. Music was playing from the bottom floor. You recognized the song. It was a from a jazz vinyl your parents always used to play to you when you were a child.
Your hand rose to your opened mouth, a single tear trickling down your cheek at the familiar sound. You would’ve never found it peculiar that anyone else played this specific song, as it was pretty popular, but with what you had learned about Hongjoong and his stalking tactics so far, you felt goosebumps creeping up your neck.
You heard the sound of someone humming the melody, followed by a few words being exchanged.
Envisioning the living room below you, you were reminded by the events of the night before. You were still wearing that same outfit Hongjoong had picked out for you.
You could practically hear your own screams as you recalled the memory, more tears now exiting your swollen eyes as the song continued to play downstairs.
You quickly wiped your tears away, before walking towards the almost closed door. You made sure to open it as slowly as you could, not wanting to risk making any noise. A creak was heard and you immediately stopped and listened for footsteps, voices, anything. Nothing was heard.
Taking a deep breath through your mouth, you continued to open the door. You wanted to jump in joy when it decided to be silent when you opened it just enough for you to seep through the space.
“My angel,” you heard. You could easily identify it as Hongjoong’s voice. You could tell who it was directed to, having only heard him use that tone with one person before. Seonghwa.
You stood close to the wall before slowly itching closer to the stairs. You tried to properly remember the layout of the house, after only seeing it once, briefly. You knew the stairs led to the living room, meaning that if Hongjoong was there, you were going to be caught if you went down.
You furrowed your eyebrows. There were three other doors on this floor. One seeming to lead to a bathroom, while the others remained unknown. The window in the room you woke up in seemed to have some sort of system, too complicated for you to figure out before getting caught. Surely, not all windows were like that, right?

You slowly walked back into the corridor, heading towards the first room that was not the one you were just in. You tried to open it just as, if not even more carefully as you had the other, still not opening it more than necessary, just enough for you to sneak inside.
Knowing that Seonghwa was downstairs, you figured it was no danger walking in to the other rooms. You had no idea where Yunho was, but you figured he would only help you find an escape if he were to meet you up here.
You snaked yourself inside the gap, almost holding your breath to not make any noise. Your eyes widened as you took in the large room. It was such a contrast to the other room you had been in, the huge bed not being an exception. Your eyes found the window, it too being extraordinary big.
Despite facing the other way, this window also only showed the woods. Where was this place, seriously?
You studied the frame, and noticed it had none of those complicated locks. You were almost shaking with excitement, but soon stopped to take a breath.
What was going to happen to Yunho once you left? Was he going to be tortured endlessly for your wrongdoings? You didn’t even want to think about it.
No. If you got out, you could contact the police and make sure they found him and arrested these two. Your shaky hands reached out to the window. You knew it was pretty high up, but looking down, you saw that it would probably be possible to climb your way down without falling. Well, probably.
You hadn’t noticed the music having stopped playing, too focused on your desperate need to get out, so you didn’t notice the silent footsteps behind you either, as you twisted the handle, getting ready to get yourself out.
Your breath caught in your throat when a large hand covered yours, twisting back the handle harshly, and twisting your wrist in the process, almost making you squeal from the pain. Another hand landed over your mouth, and you felt your body getting pulled into a large chest, arms not wavering despite your constant squirming.
“Shh, it’s me,” a voice whispered. Your head jolted back to find the source. Yunho.
Your eyes widened in confusion. “Please, it’ll just make things easier if you—“
“Well well,” another voice said, making both of your heads snap towards the two men standing in the doorway. Hongjoong stood in front of Seonghwa, whose eyes almost held a sad, betrayed expression. Hongjoong’s eyes however, only made you want to hide away in fear, close your eyes and flee from the reality of the situation. They were filled with pure rage, while his mouth still held an amused smile. As if he enjoyed being this angry.
Yunho’s hands immediately left your body before he took a long step away from you. You glanced at him and felt even more scared now that you had no one to lean on. Hongjoong’s gaze was only fixated on you.
“What an interesting little scene we’ve happened to walk in on, hm?” he said, clearly directing towards Seonghwa, even with his eyes plastered on you. You looked over to Yunho for any kind of ‘help’, but he looked down at the wooden floor instead, avoiding any sort of contact.
Hongjoong gently led Seonghwa into the room before harshly slamming the door behind him, locking it shortly after.
You felt your entire body shake, even though you were well clothed. Beside you, you heard Yunho’s quick breaths, not doing anything to calm you down.
Hongjoong took a few strides towards the two of you, Seonghwa still standing by the door. Now, your eyes had also found the floor, not daring to look anywhere else.
Hongjoong’s feet came into your field of view, and you almost closed your eyes to somewhat brace yourself for what was to come. You lowered your head further, but nothing came. Hongjoong soon walked over to the man standing next to you. Only now did you manage to look up, fearing for Yunho’s life almost, even though it felt as if he had just prevented you from getting yours back.
He had also elevated his gaze, and looked Hongjoong right in the eyes. You wondered how he even dared to.
“What did you do?”
“I prevented her from leaving.”
You felt your bottom lip shivering at their stark and unforgiving voices. In the corner of your eye you spotted Seonghwa, having now sat down on the large bed, silently watching the situation unfold.
“And why did you do that?”
A silence filled the room. You swallowed.
“Because she…”
Yunho’s voice started wavering slightly.
“Because she what?” Hongjoong asked, eyes wider than you had ever seen them before.
“Because she belongs here.”
You shook your head slightly at the words exiting Yunho’s mouth. The shuddering breath leaving your mouth was probably heard by everyone in the room, although no one looked your way.
“That’s right,” Hongjoong praised, his voice suddenly laced with a sort of patronizing and honeyed tone. His hands raised towards Yunho’s head, and you almost darted towards them, but then you noticed the hand’s intent.
Hongjoong’s fingers gently combed through Yunho’s dark locks, pulling it back to reveal his face. With both of his hands tangled in the taller man’s hair, he pulled his head down slightly before letting their lips collide.
You looked at the floor again, and saw the tear falling from your eye to the floor, leaving a small darkened pool on the wood.
“I’m so proud of you,” Hongjoong whispered, but everyone could hear it. “My good boy.”
A quiet sob left your mouth against your will, and even when you kept your eyes on the floor, you could see Hongjoong’s head snapping in your direction. Before you could even react, his hand met your head before slamming it against the wall.
The shock almost outweighed the pain, but after a few seconds, you could feel the aching pounding in your head after the impact.
His fingers found your hair before he pulled you away from the wall harshly, almost causing you to fall. You let out a loud sob at the pain, but soon, a hand was slapped over your mouth. Hongjoong pushed you against the wall once again, this time facing you with his hand over your mouth.
“You,” he said, his voice significantly deeper now. That tone he had just used towards Yunho was long gone. “You ungrateful little brat!”
He slammed you against the wall again, your head taking yet another hit. “Did you really think I left an unguarded and unlocked window so easily accessible to you?” he laughed heartily, while still staring at you with such anger.
“Did you really think that I would just let you escape!?” his tone only got louder and louder, making your legs almost give out from the fear itself.
His hand left your mouth, and you couldn’t even hold back the scream that left you, the pain in your head only growing by the second.
“Shut up!” he yelled, slapping you across the face. You had to admit, the pain from the slap was nothing compared to your head right now, but it was the force of it that made you lose your footing.
You fell to the floor, body slightly leaned against the wall. “What would you have done if you got out, hm? Do you think you would be able to find your way back home!?” he was full on screaming at this point.
“And when you got home, who would be waiting for you? hm? Your parents?” the volume in his voice decreased as he got closer to you, leaning down to talk to you with a low tone.
“They’re glad you’re gone, Y/n. The only person who’ll ever miss you is that pathetic friend of yours, Wooyoung.”
Your eyes widened at the name, your head perking up to meet Hongjoong’s gaze. “Oh! Did you think I didn’t know about your little friend? Your only friend? Oh, it’s okay,” he cooed, looking at your contorted face as you continued sobbing as quietly as you could. “He doesn’t miss you too much.”
In your enraged state, you gained a newfound energy, and raised your leg from where you lay to kick Hongjoong in the stomach. When you expected impact, he managed to dodge your little attack, and backed away from your frustrated self. You let out another weak scream at the pain in your head, your surroundings starting to become blurry.
“Seonghwa,” Hongjoong signaled, and without needing another word to be said, he walked over to Yunho, who had not moved an inch, and led him out of the room, later locking the door behind him. Of course, all the doors needed keys on both sides, this room being no exception.
Just as you felt yourself starting to doze off into unconsciousness, you got kicked in the stomach. You grunted loudly at the sudden pain.
“Oh no no,” Hongjoong said, his voice back to that sweetened, manipulative tone you hated. “I’m far from done with you.”
✧・゚: *✧・゚:*
Yunho looked down at his plate of food, not daring to ask any questions. Hongjoong had put on another jazz record he loved, as he happily ate the dinner him and Seonghwa had prepared together. Yunho had watched as they romantically cooked together, kissing each other and acting like a normal couple.
It had been five hours since Hongjoong locked you in the master bedroom.
Hongjoong seemed happier than ever, pinching Seonghwa’s cheek and blinking cutely at Yunho ever so often. While Hongjoong and Seonghwa sat next to each other on the square table, Yunho sat next to an empty spot. The one meant to be occupied by you.
Yunho didn’t know what to think. He didn’t dare think the worst.
Hongjoong had spent hours in that room with you, and ever since that door was locked, Yunho and Seonghwa had to hang out on the bottom floor. Hongjoong and Seonghwa’s bedroom had great isolation, so there was no way of knowing what was going on, but from the sight of Hongjoong’s reddened knuckles, it didn’t seem to be beautiful.
“Aren’t you going to eat, honey?” Seonghwa asked. Yunho looked up at him, offering a small smile. “Sorry I’m not that hungry…”
Seonghwa pouted slightly, and looked over at Hongjoong with a confused face when the shorter man started laughing.
He was continually eyed by the other two when he kept laughing loudly. “Oh Yunho,” he said.
Yunho blinked in confusion. “I can see right through you, y’know?” he laughed. Yunho’s eyes widened.
“I know you’re worried sick about her,” Hongjoong sang, smiling widely. Yunho looked away. “Nothing to be shy about, hey,” Hongjoong comforted, reaching over the table to take Yunho’s hand in his.
“Don’t worry about her. She had it coming,” Hongjoong giggled. Yunho couldn’t even muster a fake smile at the comment. Neither could Seonghwa.
“How long are you planning on?…” Yunho trailed off. Seonghwa gave him a sharp glance.
“You’re asking too many questions,” Seonghwa stated. Yunho looked down in shame. “I’m sorry.”
“Until she’s learned her lesson.”
Yunho looked up. He knew that was the worst answers Hongjoong could’ve provided, but the smile never left Hongjoong’s lips as he uttered those words.
my masterlist
hope you guys enjoyed!!! It was about time I posted a new chapter and I have this newfound flow right now so I’m already halfway done with chapter 9!
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chronicbeans · 9 months ago
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Let's Make a Deal! (Yandere Queerplatonic Alastor x Fallen Angel Reader)
Part 1: Hello, Deer!
Part 2, Part 3
TW: Fear and Panic, Confusion
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You wake up, your eyes opening to see a red sky above you. It takes you a few moments, before you remember what happened. You got kicked out of Heaven... Someone had convinced the other angels to cast you out, by lying about you...
You sit up from your spot on the ground, looking to your wings and frowning. Their gold hue has turned to an ash grey. You quickly begin panicking, realizing the horrible situation you are in. You are in Hell, alone, with no knowledge on what it is like. You being a fallen angel makes things worse! What if the people here don't like angels? That'd be reasonable, considering the exterminations... You never took part, but it'd make sense...
You stand up, your legs shaking a bit, before you run in a random direction through the streets. You feel millions of eyes on you. You need to find some way back to Heaven! To convince them to let you go back! To-
You are so lost in your head, you don't process where you're going, despite looking ahead of you. You run straight into somebody. Your eyes widen as you look up at a tall woman in a red blazer. She turns, looking to you... Then, her eyes suddenly sparkle. "Oh my goodness! Are you an angel? Please, please come with me!"
As you are about to protest, your hand is grabbed and you are dragged along the streets towards a hotel. She's also singing some sort of song, but you are too spaced out and panicked to actually process it. Before you know it, you're standing inside a hotel, dazed and confused, surrounded by sinners...
"WHERE AM I?!" You wave your arms a bit in a panic, as the woman stops singing and tries to calm you. "No, um! You're at the Hazbin Hotel! A place of redemption! You, um... you're an angel! A fallen angel, yes? So, you now have a chance at being redeemed!" She then gestures to herself, smiling nervously "I'm Charlie Morningstar, princess of Hell." You look up to her, trying to calm down. "Like... The daughter of Lucifer?" "Well, yes.... But Lucifer was an angel, too! So, I'm sure you both will have a lot in common, and-"
"Now now, dear, why don't you give our new guest some space?" You look over to the entrance to the hallway, which leads to the rooms, spotting a... Tall deer demon, dressed mostly in red. His wide grin fills you with anxiety, as you notice the pointy teeth. He continues, his voice sounding as if it's coming through an old-school radio. "My, my! They look like a deer in headlights!" He then laughs, taking a few steps over to you.
When he stands right next to you, you notice how tall he is. Everybody here is so tall?! You frown, taking a deep breath, while Charlie takes a step back. "Sorry..." You wave to her, taking deep breaths "No, no, it's alright... I'm just a bit panicked! This um...! I just fell into Hell. I don't know where I am, or why exactly I was casted out...!"
"Darling, our lovely princess of Hell here, has brought you to the right place, then! The Hazbin Hotel is the safest place in Hell! We have Lucifer, himself, guarding this place!" The deer man then wraps an arm around you, continuing. "I am Alastor, the host of this establishment! Let me show you around. Charlie was just out buying stuff to get the next workshop ready, so I'm sure she's going to be busy getting it all up and running." She is about to complain, before Alastor then looks over to her. "Charlie, dear, you know how you are. If you don't get it done now, it'll never get done." "Fine... Thanks for helping, Alastor." "No problem, my dear."
He then grabs your hand, leading you along. You follow, hesitantly, too afraid of the entire situation to say no. Your heart was still racing with fear, and your mind with all the worst outcomes. What if he kills you? What if he eats you alive? What if Lucifer shows up?! What it-?!
You feel a random tapping on your head, knocking you out of your thoughts. You look up, seeing that Alastor literally bopped your head with his microphone. "Are you listening? I said that this is your room." "Ah... sorry. I got caught up in my own thoughts..." He grins a bit wider, patting your head. "Don't be worried. I made sure to place your room right next to mine, so that I can keep you safe!"
That isn't very comforting, but you hold back that comment... "Alright, Alastor..." You slowly open the door, expecting the worst. This is Hell. The room's probably going to be terrible.
You peek inside, a bit shocked by how it looks. It looks a bit like a warm cabin, of sorts. Certainly not something you'd see in a regular hotel. It has a warm fireplace, dark cherry wood floors, some nice furniture, and a comfortable looking bed. You walk over to the fireplace, the fire inside looking to be an unnatural, but beautiful, red and pink flame.
"Now then... what's your name, dear?"
You flinch, looking over to him. The room seems to have calmed you down, a little, even if you still feel slightly uneasy. "I'm (Y/N)... As you could already tell, probably, I'm a fallen angel, not a sinner." "Well, to have fallen, you've probably done something wrong, yes?" Alastor walks over to you, his grin turning a bit smug. "Though, I shall say, with the way you act like a scared little bird, it probably wasn't something as bad as the others in Hell. I'll give you that much." Once again, he boops you with his microphone, this time tapping your nose with it. "I'll also give you a pass on not introducing yourself for this long. You must've been so frightened, you simply forgot!" You gently nod, taking a deep breath.
He steps away, grinning. "Now then, take your time to get settled in! I'm sure you'll be here for a while! Farewell!" Before you can even respond, he's closed the door and left your room. You stand there, in front of the fireplace, flabbergasted. He's strange... You get an off-putting vibe from him, but then again, that's how you feel about everything in Hell.
You look back to the red and pink flames, and you swear, for a brief moment, that you see a small flicker of green in them.
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peachesofteal · 1 year ago
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ok i have a question- for the dead disco fics, if there was a situation where ghost had to choose between reader and soap, who would he choose? idk why im thinking abt this LOL
Hey babe, what is wrong with you? (I love this so much it scratches my angst brain just right) Why do you want to feel this pain? (I too, want to feel this pain...let’s indulge)
Ghost x Soap x female reader Dead Disco - verse AU - not canon to the actual story. Warnings-tags: Angst. Inferred character death. Darling's usual (eating issues, depression, anxiety, despair, self destructive behaviors)
The bed is too big, as it always has been. As it always was before, and during. And as it always will be for now on, too. Your legs spread across it, kicking and swishing across pristine sheets like you're swimming in them, like you're drowning. Drowning, is more apt. Drowning is more akin to these feelings that swimming, certainly. Drowning is how you feel right now, smothered in your loss, lungs full of water, burning from the salt of your own tears. You're at the bottom of the ocean, lost beneath where the sunlight doesn't reach, far beyond the swell of the waves. Drowning is what it feels like, when your heart clenches in your chest and your stomach heaves it's bile free. Drowning is how you would describe this black, bottomless hole that's developed soul, the one that pulls you deeper and deeper with every breath. Drowning. You've drowned. And no one was there to pull you to shore. To safety. No one was there to save you.
"I'm home!" Your bag falls to the floor with a thud as you toss your keys on the island, loosening your jacket and heading towards the dining area of the flat. "Holy shit, wait until I tell you about my day. My boss was on one today, she was being a crazy a-" the words die on your tongue when you finally look up and see the expression on Johnny's face. At first glance, one might call it grim, but for those who know him, who know to look closer, you see the red ting to his eye lids, the rub of drier skin around his nose. He's been crying. "What's going on?" you ask, looking from him to where Simon sits, stone faced. Immobile. Neither of them answer you at first. "Hello?" The knot that's been loosely tied in your stomach tightens. Simon nods at the free chair next to him. "Sit, darling."
There are two boxes, in your bathroom. They sit, full of things, clothing, items, trinkets, pieces of memories, pieces of love. They idle next to your bathtub, waiting, watching you, every time you drag yourself towards the toilet to vomit, or whenever you muster up the strength to look at your toothbrush. The boxes have sharpie scrawled across them, big loopy letters that almost look like mouths, almost look like they could grow teeth and talk to you, or eat you alive with what's inside of them. You supposed, they could. If you were to open them, and actually look at the things inside, they would consume you. Chew you up. Spit you out.
"I- I don't understand." You take a half step towards Johnny, who visibly flinches, face torn fractured with despair, while Simon's lips press into a hard line before he speaks. "We will make sure you're taken care of, we-" His voice is cold. So, so cold it scratches at your heart, pin pricks of icicles working their way beneath your ribs. "Stop." you shake your head, willing yourself to focus. What is he saying? What does he mean? "Simon, what... wh-what does that mean?" "Darling we're so, so sorry." Johnny's voice, is the opposite of cold. It's molten. Hot, and burning red with orange, thick with something you think is sadness. "You are sorry." You repeat it, numbly. You're not crying, which is a surprise to yourself and probably the two of them too. Your brain is really working now, hard. It's compartmentalizing and organizing and shoving little things away, burying others beneath mountains of sand and locking memories into boxes that you'll never be able to open. "You can't. You can't just leave me... you... you promised." Simon stands completely still, while Johnny shifts his weight nervously, fingers tangling with one another as he watches you like a hawk. Like a solider. "This will be better... for everyone." He tries to soothe you, tries to calm you, even from where he lurks, five feet away. Simon offers you nothing. "I don't understand, everything was fine. I thought... we were okay." Simon finally moves, shaking his head with a no while you watch, mouth ajar.
The boxes have been ripped into tatters now. They lay in shreds across the things in the bathtub, covering two t shirts of Johnny's, a pair of sweatpants and a hoodie of Simon's. Your silk bathrobe, and giant fleece blanket from the couch. There's also a book, a collection of photographs, a few pieces of jewelry. Worn index cards with recipes on them, Johnny's mum's, and a comic book, that Simon used to keep in his drawer of the bedside table. The final touch is the secret pack of cigarettes, the ones Simon used to keep in the closet, sans the one in your mouth. You inhale it slowly, breathing in the tobacco and the nicotine and the fumes of the lighter fluid, the entire contained dumped onto of the collection of things in the tub, waiting for your final flick. When it comes, you stay perched on the edge on the bath, barely interested, unmoving, as the fire rages. As it consumes.
"You fucking promised!" You scream. You scream it over and over until your throat is hoarse and Johnny looks panicked. Simon grips him roughly, sliding him half behind his body, as if to protect him from you. As if he thinks you'd hurt him. They both watch you with stricken faces, hunters tracking a wounded animal, and your breaths come in short bursts as tears track down your face. "You said you love me." It's barely a whisper, mournful and slow, and they both hear it. "We do." Johnny croaks. "We did." Simon counters, and you flinch. "But this is what's best, for all of us. It was always going to be him, darling. You've known this." It was always going to be him. It was always... going to be Johnny and Simon, over you. It was always going to be them, and not you. The truth stings, burns, bites. It twists it's wicked claws around your heart and tugs and tears until there's nothing left. You've known this. You idiot. How could you possibly believe, in the end, you'd still be in this equation? You'd still be a part of this? How could you possibly believe, that after everything, they'd still love you? Still want you? Simon's mouth moves, but you hear no sound. You hear nothing, as you turn on your heel and barricade yourself in the bedroom. You hear nothing, as they knock, and knock, you hear nothing, until the wood stops vibrating, and the front door open and closes with a final thud. It was always going to be them. You've known this.
"Bloody hell." Gaz whistles, eyes locked on the screen. Johnny wipes a towel across the back of his neck, mopping up the sheen of sweat that lingers there while Simon saunters through the rec room doors. "Christ. Didn't ya two live near there?" "Live where?" Johnny frowns, looking up. There's a heli eye view of a burning building on the news, it's entire structure engulfed in flames, firemen barely making a dent. The camera switches to a ground reporter, a pretty woman with a serious face, who's explaining that arson investigators believe the fire started on the ninth floor, where there's still a single person trapped, unable to be rescued so far by exhaustive efforts. Something glitches in Johnny's brain, something short circuiting while he blinks, and breathes, and blinks, trying to wrap his mind around what he's seeing. The ninth floor. Someone trapped. Didn't ya two live near there? The ninth- It's almost unrecognizable, but he knows. Of course he knows. The ninth floor, the ninth floor- His heart stops in his chest, and he turns frantically to Simon, who stands like a statue in the doorway, eyes wide and frozen. "No. Nonononono-" Johnny whispers. He stumbles, away from Simon, away from Gaz, eyes not leaving the television while he drops to his knees. "She- Simon." Simon doesn't answer, just stands, broken. Empty. Like a ghost. He has no words. He has nothing. And neither does Johnny.
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