#as a person whose bed is taken over by pillows and stuffies this is for me

[starlittragedies]

regulus is one of those people who can’t sleep without a gagillion pillows surrounding them. he got used to it as a kid because his mother had always expected him to stay still in his sleep or else there would be hell to pay (his mother did this as a preparatory lesson for when they get married and have to sleep next to a pureblood lady a.k.a. their future wives) but even in his teen years until adulthood he doesn’t ever let go of this weird habit as it brings him comfort, the only difference is one of the pillow walls were removed as a very special person had come to replace it and keeping the duty of making sure regulus is comfortable and safe in his sleep.

[pay-with-your-kinks]

Bratty Kitty

Pairing: Badboy!Minho x Reader

Summary: Minho, the notorious ‘bad boy’ at your university. To be quite frank, you found him pathetic- the boy was nothing but a rich, undisciplined kid who’d never been punished for being a brat- something you so dearly wanted to change.

College AU, Badboy AU, Enemies to Lovers AU

Genre: smut, fluff

Word count: 5.3k

Warnings: smut, sub!Minho, dom!reader, pegging, spanking, BDSM, slight pet-play, brat-taming

----

You groaned, waking up to the annoying, loud tune playing from your phone. Murmuring incoherent words and rolling to the side of your bed, you grabbed your phone and hit the ‘snooze’ button, immediately dropping it back onto your bedside table and stuffing your face back into your pillow, squeezing your eyes shut.

“Why the fuck did I sign up for morning classes,” You grumbled into your pillow, stifling a yawn

After two or so minutes of lying restlessly in bed, you realised you weren’t going to be able to fall back asleep with the sun beginning to rise, and, once again, you rolled over to the open side of your bed, shivering as you threw off the warm covers and stood up. You paused, breathing in and processing your surroundings before deciding you should probably get ready for the day.

“You’re up early,” your roommate commented from behind her bowl of cereal when she saw you come out of your room

“Morning classes,” You scrunched up your nose, and she nodded in understanding

“Breakfast?” She asked, pushing the box of cereal and carton of milk towards you

“Nah, no time,” You replied, grabbing your coat and walking out the door

The sun had risen far more quickly than your liking, and it blared in your eyes the second you stepped out the door. You squinted, blinking a couple of times and putting your hand against your forehead to shade your eyes.

“Oi, Y/N!” An- unfortunately- familiar voice called from behind you, and you turned around with your brow raised, being met with none other than Lee Minho

“The fuck do you want?” You sneered as he came closer to you “I have a class to get to,”

“Aw, don’t be so mean, baby girl,” He smiled condescendingly and leaned forward, his hands stuffed into the pockets of his leather jacket

“Call me baby girl again and you’ll regret it,” You threatened, and, before Minho could even open his mouth to retaliate, you turned on your heel and started heading towards your class

“Coward,” He called after you, and your eye almost twitched at the smile you could hear in his voice

The class, as expected, went by far too slowly for your liking, but you were satisfied with the notes you’d taken, and since you’d just woken up, you weren’t as drowsy as you would’ve been had it been in the afternoon, and you left the building in a surprisingly happy mood; that is, until you saw Minho again.

You groaned loud enough for the boy to hear you even while he was a couple feet away.

“Class not go well?” He asked, smirking

“Stop talking to me,” You deadpanned

“You never even try to make conversation with me baby girl- what if I have something important to say?”

“Oh, I don’t care,” You shrugged, beginning to walk away, sighing internally when he followed you

“Look what I bought today,” He appeared beside you, reminding you somewhat of the Cheshire cat

Rolling your eyes, you looked over to Minho, and saw that, dangling from between his fingers was a black collar with a nametag spelling out ‘kitten’. You made an appreciative hum before looking at the boy’s neck.

“You’d look good in it,” You said nonchalantly, but Minho furrowed his brows

“What?” He exclaimed, going in front and walking along with you backward “No- I bought this for you,”

You stopped walking, pausing for a second and blinking once before bursting out laughing, leaving Minho frozen in confusion.

“You- you think I’m a sub?!” You said once you’d finally stopped laughing enough to talk “No, kitten, I’m not,”

Minho seemed to come back to life when you called him ‘kitten’, and for some reason, the name sent heat to his ears and cheeks, something that you didn’t fail to notice.

“Eh? You like being called kitten, kitten?”

“No!! Shutup!” He said, looking around to see if anyone was in hearing range, and he stuffed the collar back into his pocket “I’m not a sub,”

“I find that hard to believe, baby boy,” you smirked, relishing in Minho’s wide and flustered eyes

“Don’t call me that,” He took a threatening step towards you

“Oh? It looks like the bratty kitty is finally getting a taste of his own medicine,” You mused, and Minho gulped

There was a moment of you two staring into each other’s eyes, Minho staring into your amused ones and you staring into Minho’s aggravated.

“Your pupils are dilated,” You whispered, placing your hand on his chest sensually before harshly pushing him out of the way and continuing to walk

This time, Minho didn’t follow you, only watched in annoyance as you walked off, pissed at not only you but himself for getting so goddamn turned on at your words. He always knew that you weren’t a full out sub, but somehow hearing you say it out loud, and then you basically degrading him managed to actually fluster him, and Minho’s mind immediately went to thoughts that he found simultaneously disgusting and arousing.

----

You opened the door to your apartment, an aggravated sigh leaving your lips as you thought back to your encounter with Minho. You weren’t going to lie to yourself- Minho was damn attractive, but he was also one of the brattiest, most annoying people you’d ever encountered. Judging from the clothes he wore, along with the entitled attitude he carried around with him at all times, you guessed that he was just a spoiled rich kid who got away with anything.

“He’s so fucking annoying,” You muttered to yourself

“Talking to yourself?” Your roommate’s voice came from the other side of the room, and you whipped your head around “Lemme guess- Minho again?”

“He’s just so- god sometimes I just wanna strangle him and make him take back everything that’s come out of his pampered mouth,”

“Kinky,” Your roommate mused, and you glared at her

“It’s not kinky he’s just an annoying little shit,”

“That you would absolutely love to have underneath you while you punish him and-”

“I get it!” You groaned loudly, and your roommate burst out laughing “stop sticking your nose in my sex life,”

“It’s hard to ignore when I hear the whimpering and begging of everyone you bring home- you’d think you were torturing them in there,”

You sighed and plopped yourself on the couch.

“Wow you really do like him,” she grinned

“I hate him,” You leaned your head back your gaze up towards the ceiling “I hate him so much that I want to just-”

You stopped talking and started making angry strangling motions with your hands, causing your roommate to chuckle.

“Well I’ve pried enough today- gotta get to a class, then I’m going out. Seeya later,” she waved as she went to the door and left, and you gave a half-hearted, distracted wave in return

----

Minho scrunched his nose and ran his fingers through his hair before kicking a piece of rubbish in front of him.

“Someone looks frustrated,” an amused voice came from his side, and Minho turned around to be met with Chan “What’s up?”

“It’s nothing,” Minho turned his head away, speaking curtly

“Oohoh, is it Y/N?” Chan raised his eyebrow and leaned forward, looking at Minho with a mischievous grin

“No!” Minho sputtered a little too quickly “How do you know Y/N?!”

“Her and I are friends,” Chan shrugged

“You’re friends with Y/N?” Minho furrowed his brows “How come I’ve never heard of this? And how the hell did you guess it was her?!”

“I’ve told you multiple times but it's never gotten through your thick skull,” Chan laughed, and lifted his fingers, flicking Minho in the forehead, to which the boy winced in return “And I guessed it was her because I know how much you pine after her,”

“It’s not pining,” Minho growled

Chan looked at him as if to say ‘are you sure about that?’

“It’s not!” Minho persisted “I just think she has a certain...allure about her that’s very...”

“I’ll give you a hint,” Chan leaned in and stage whispered in Minho’s ear “it’s cause she has dom energy and you’re a sub,”

“I’m not a sub!” Minho pushed Chan away, shooting a glare at the boy, and Chan laughed

“Calm down; you’re just proving me right,” Chan continued, and Minho’s ears grew red “You know, if you were willing to submit to her I’d bet she’d be willing to fuck you-”

“What, you speak from personal experience I suppose?” Minho shot

“You’ll never know,” Chan winked at Minho, and the Minho’s eyes widened

“What?!” He wacked Chan on the shoulder

“I’m kidding!” Chan continued laughing, and Minho scrunched his nose “But you might wanna think about what I said,”

“No way am I gonna do that,”

“Doubtful,” Chan shrugged “nice collar, by the way,”

Minho followed his friend’s gaze down to his pocket, which had the tip of a collar obviously meant for BDSM dangling from it. Surprised and flustered, Minho stuffed the collar deeper into his pocket and glared at Chan, who did nothing but continue laughing.

----

The air all around you was stuffy and claustrophobic, a wretched smell of cheap alcohol filling your nose, sweaty people all around you drunkenly dancing and singing horribly to whatever god forsaken song was blasting throughout the area. Somehow your roommate had managed to drag you off to a club late at night, claiming that she and all her friends were having a ‘girl’s night’, and that you should come to get your mind off of Minho. At first you thought it was a good idea- she was right, you did want a distraction from the boy- but once you’d actually arrived you began to deeply regret your choice.

“Group of hotties at four o’ clock,” You heard a shout from one of your roommate’s friends- whose name had slipped your mind

Absent-mindedly following the heads of everyone else in your small group, you looked over to a group of maybe nine boys, all around your age. You had no idea how anyone could see if they were ‘hot’- the flashing lights and overall dark and crowded environment made it impossible to discern one feature from the next. Before you could protest or escape, you were being pulled towards the other group.

“Hey there,” A confident, almost snide voice came from your side, and you rolled your eyes, turning to the boy who’d evidently come from the group you’d just been forced to approach

“Hey,” You replied in a bored voice

“You seem familiar,” it came again, and you felt hands rest on your hips, causing your eyes to twitch

“Yeah, so do you,” You kept your tone indifferent, but made no move to pull away

You weren’t lying- you could’ve sworn you’d heard the voice before, and the boy had an overall sense of familiarity to him. You told yourself you were just imagining it- with all the noise going on in the background, your mind could be making anything up.

“Why so cold?” He pulled your closer to him, and you cocked your head

“I don’t like cocky brats,” You deadpanned, and the boy seemed to pause

“You really do seem familiar,” he muttered, and you breathed out a humourless laugh

You were about to pull away, but you remembered why you agreed to come out at all tonight. You needed a distraction from a particular someone, and you’d take just about anyone for it.

Smirking and wrapping your arms around the stranger in return you moved closer to him, your hand lowering to squeeze his ass shortly, and you swear you heard a gasp from him, though it was hard to tell what was what.

“Hey-” he started, but was interrupted when you began to grind against him, and his breath hitched

“How about we get out of here, kitten?” You asked, sweetness dripping from your voice, and you saw that the whites of the boys’ eyes had widened

“Wait- Y/N?!” he yelled, pushing you off of him

You blinked, furrowing your brows before finally looking properly at the boy. A bright light flashed across the entire club for a split second, revealing a flustered Minho. Your lips parted slightly, the clear view of the boy gone as quickly as it had come- but it left the knowledge that you’d just made a move on the exact person you were trying to avoid.

“Oh come on!” You shouted, tossing your hands up “This is the exact opposite reason why I came out tonight! I’m leaving,”

Minho watched in stunned silence as you pushed your way through the crowd, jumping slightly as he felt someone elbow him, and he turned around to be met with Hyunjin.

“Isn’t that the girl you’ve been pining after?” He asked, nodding towards you

“I’m not pining!” Minho complained, almost stamping his foot, but deciding that that would only make him seem even more childish “Did Chan tell you that?!”

“No, I can just tell,” Hyunjin shrugged, and Minho glared “Why not go after her?”

Minho thought for a while before the condescending smile that he so often wore found itself back on his face, and without saying a goodbye to his friend, he started after you.

You silently continued making your way to the exit of the club, not looking back, but you were sure that Minho was following you. The moment you’d gotten out of the building into the crisp night air, your prediction was proven right, and Minho came out right after you, the stupid smile that you wanted to wipe off of him so much glued to his face.

“Fuck off, Minho,” You waved a dismissive hand at him, but he ignored your words and strode up to you, putting his arm around your shoulder

“Why not just talk a bit with me, baby?” He cooed, and you rolled your eyes

“Why not just go be a good kitty and-” You paused, cutting yourself off as a metallic glint caught your eye from Minho’s pocket “Is that the same collar as before?”

Minho looked down and saw the collar he’d shown you earlier that day dangling from his pocket- yet again. Cursing, he stuffed it back in, and you chuckled.

“You’d think you wanted to wear it- keeping it with you for so long,” You smirked, and his ears grew red

“I told you that I’m not a sub!” He hissed, and you laughed

“But you’d look so pretty in it,” You continued, speaking in a voice that suggested you were talking to a pet, and, regretfully, Minho gulped

“Baby girl,” Minho said in the most confident and steady voice he could muster “I-“

“You may as well stop calling me that, baby boy,” You interrupted him, and, even to his own surprise, he stopped talking “I wonder…what’s the worst punishment you’ve ever gotten?”

“The worst punishment?” Minho repeated in confusion, looking at you quickly before considering the question “I- I dunno,”

“Hah. So the spoiled brat really is just a pampered rich kid,”

“I’m not a brat,” Minho scowled and you laughed, only succeeding in making the boy even madder

Slowly, you stopped walking and turned to Minho. He followed suit, turning to you as well, regarding you with anger as well as caution. Wordlessly, you reached down and grabbed the collar from him pocket, holding it up as if to see how it would look on Minho.

“What the hell are you doing?!” He slapped your hand down once he’d processed what was happening, and you smiled softly

“If only you’d wear this,” You tutted “You’d look so good in it baby,”

Once again, just as you expected, Minho froze up, and although the lighting on the street was dim, you could tell how red his face was. You brought your hands up to his neck and slowly wrapped the collar around it, doing it up just barely too tight. Without speaking, Minho brought his hands up and gently touched it, his eyes staring into yours.

“You can be good,” you marvelled, which seemed to snap Minho out of his trance

He hastily looked around the street, seeming relieved when he saw that no one was in sight, and the gripped the collar around his neck more harshly.

“Take it off,” He ordered, growling

“You can take it off yourself just fine,” You smiled, and Minho faltered “Or is it that you don’t actually want it to be off?”

Minho didn’t reply, only glared as you smirked.

“Come on,” You said, and he looked at you questioningly “You’re coming to my place,”

“Wh- like hell I am!” he yelled, and you heard a bird squawk in return

“Guess I should just leave you like this, then,” You smiled, glancing down to the bulge in Minho’s pants, then back at the red-faced boy

“Wait I-…”

He let his words trail off, and then, instead of saying anything more, he grabbed the sleeve of your shirt softly, his head hung low. Your lips parted slightly and your heartbeat quickened- who knew he could be so goddamn cute.

The trip back to your place was uneventful except for when you got out the pair of flats you’d brought with you, put them on, and made Minho hold your heels for the rest of the walk back.

Finally, the pair of you had made it back to your apartment. You let Minho step inside before shutting the door behind him and abruptly pushing him back and shoving him onto the couch, causing him to yelp before looking back up to you with his completely red ears and cheeks.

“You’re being more obedient than I thought you would,” You mused, going to straddle the boy, putting your finger under his chin and making him look up at you

Minho furrowed his eyebrows and frowned, quickly turning his head so your fingers slipped from his chin. You laughed before harshly grabbing his chin, gripping it tightly and, once again, making him face you.

“You may as well stop trying to pretend like you’re not going to submit to me tonight,” You whispered

“I’m not going to,” he squinted at you, scrunching up his nose when you laughed again

“You’re wearing a collar, little kitty,” you mused, bringing your hand up to tug on the collar wrapped around his neck “You’re basically mine already,”

He opened his mouth the shoot back, but you stuck you thumb in and pressed it down on his tongue. Minho shook his head, trying to shake away your hold on him, but you forced him to keep still. He continued resisting, only stopping when you leaned forward, took your hand away and pressed your lips onto his. He gulped, pausing before kissing you back in a messy, open-mouthed kiss.

“Finally something that shuts you up,” You muttered against him before standing up “Why don’t you take off your clothes for me, kitty?”

His eyes widened at the sudden request before he turned away once again

“You’ll have to tear my clothes off bare-hand before I-”

“Oh, is that what you want?” You smiled, and the red on Minho’s cheeks deepened

Scowling he leaned forward and pulled off his shirt, throwing it aggressively at you, and you caught it, chuckling as you dropped it onto the ground. Minho began to unbuckle his belt, but quickly found himself getting nervous. He began going slower, his moves getting more hesitant and his face hotter, feeling your watchful gaze as he undid his pants and started pulling them down. He stopped, looking up to you with uncertain eyes.

“What’s wrong, kitty?” You walked up to him again and leaned down, grabbing the top of his pants “Getting nervous?”

“N-no!” He said before finally pulling his pants down and kicking them off his legs. You breathed out a laugh and began rubbing his completely hard cock through his underwear, causing him to moan

You began to straddle him once again, watching as his pre-cum made the thin layer of fabric practically see-through.

“You wanted me to fuck you, baby?” You whispered

“Please…”

“Say ‘please, mommy’,” You smiled, and Minho’s eyes widened, pausing in sudden shock before speaking again

“You’re delusional!”

“You’re the one who’s delusional if you think being a brat will get you any closer to cumming, kitty,” You said, beginning to get off of him, but Minho grabbed your arms, pulling you back down onto him, wrapping his arms around your waist and pressing your bodies so close together that he could grind his dick on you, and that’s what he did

“Please mommy,” He whimpered, moaning quietly as he began grinding faster

You bit your lip, feeling yourself get wetter at his little moans. Composing yourself, you spoke again.

“Wasn’t so hard, right baby?” You asked, wiggling out of his grip and taking off your shirt quickly and then, more teasingly, undoing your bra and tossing it aside

Minho’s breathing seemed to stop when he looked at you properly, and he couldn’t help but let his eyes drift to your breasts. You got off of the boy, and this time, he let you.

Grabbing his hand, you began leading him down a hall to your bedroom, and he wordlessly followed. You shut your bedroom door behind the pair of you and before doing anything else, you opened your closet and pulled out a strap-on and lube (which you somehow managed to not let Minho see as you tossed it aside) and a cat head-band. Minho hardly protested when you walked back up to him and placed the headband on his head, and he completely stopped resisting when you whispered how pretty he looked.

Slowly, you brought him next to your bed and got down on your knees, pulling down his underwear. Minho’s breath hitched as his cock sprung out and slapped against his abdomen.

“Mommy- ah-” he moaned as you wrapped your hand around him and slowly began pumping, spreading his pre-cum around and gradually beginning to get faster as it became easier to move up and down

“You ever been fucked, kitty?” You asked, licking the tip of his dick

“Wh- I’m not a virgin!”

“I meant…” you let your words trail off before slithering your hand behind him and brushing your finger over his hole

“Fu-” Minho moaned, and you felt his cock twitch “I- no…”

“Do you want to?”

“I…” He looked down at you, and you could tell he almost let a ‘yes’ slip past his lips before he seemed to jolt back “no! Like I’d ever let you-”

“Stop being such a brat,” you scolded harshly, taking your hands off him, causing Minho to whine at the sudden loss of contact “Tell me what you want or you won’t be getting it. It’s simple,”

The boy huffed cutely, blowing the hair that had covered his face out of the way. You almost smiled before you sat on the bed- almost.

“Come here,” You ordered, and Minho squinted his eyes at you, scooting towards your carefully

“What are you gonna do?”

“Discipline,” You answered simply, and Minho’s breath hitched “Come on kitty, be a good boy won’t you?”

It was almost an automatic response when Minho walked to you, letting your grab him and drape him over your lap. He whined as his cock met the fabric covering your legs, and subtly, the boy began grinding on you.

“Comfortable?” You asked sweetly, and Minho nodded

You sneered before spanking him harshly, causing him to jolt forward and moan.

“Fuck- again,” He whined, wiggling his ass in front of you

You cocked your head, surprised at his reaction, and somewhat annoyed at how much he seemed to be enjoying himself. Aiming a bit lower this time, you brought your hand back down and spanked him on the upper thigh.

“Mmm mommy that hurt- fuck-!” Minho started to speak, but cut himself off with a moan when you landed another harsh spank on his ass

You continued spanking him until his ass was red and hot, and the wetness that was Minho’s pre-cum on your clothes rubbing onto your thigh started to get border-line uncomfortable. You placed your hand softly on him again and began to knead Minho’s cheeks, smiling at the whimpers you got out of him.

“Does it feel good, kitty?” You murmured, purposely brushing a finger over his hole, and he subconsciously pushed his ass backward onto it

“Yes…” He whimpered, shaking as you continued running a single finger over the same spot

“Do you want mommy to fuck you?”

“Yes…please…” he whimpered, squeezing his eyes shut

“Say it louder for me, baby boy,” you teased

“Please fuck me mommy!” He said loudly “Wanna have my tight hole stretched by you, mommy,”

Your lips parted in shock before you chuckled

“Someone knows how to beg,” You mused, pushing Minho off of you and onto the bed

“Doms know what doms want to hear,” he stated, almost matter-of-factly

“It’d do you a favour to stop calling yourself a dom,” You put your fingers under his chin before leaning forward and kissing him sweetly “You’re mommy’s pretty little kitty, aren’t you?”

“Hah…yes…” He looked up to you, seeming to get drunk off the unexpected love in the kiss

You breathed out a laugh before getting off the bed and slowly taking off your pants and underwear. Minho watched intently, leaning forward and licking his lips at the sight. You smiled before going to where you’d put the strap-on and lube and picked them up, brandishing them to Minho, who didn’t seem to care where they came from- only where they were going.

“Get on all fours like a good kitty,” you cooed, and Minho immediately complied, unable to stop his hairs from standing on end from the anticipation

There was a moments pause, and Minho fought the urge to look back at you, but just as his resolve was up and he was about to look back, he felt a cold, lubed finger against his hole, and he whined, pushing his ass backwards against you yet again. You slowly shook your head before climbing on the bed behind him, spreading the lube around his hole before sticking your digit in, and, surprisingly, it slid in fairly easily.

“You’re pretty stretched already aren’t you, baby? Are you sure your pretty hole hasn’t been fucked before?”

“…I finger myself,” He said, and you laughed at the pout you could hear in his voice

Without talking more, you took your finger out and squirted out the lube again onto your next finger, rubbing the two together to get them evenly coated before sticking it back into Minho’s hole. You began to quickly move your fingers in and out, and Minho began moaning, shamelessly letting out his noises.

“I want mommy’s cock,” He moaned, dropping his face into the covers and leaving his ass up in the air, wiggling it around a bit

You rolled your eyes and took out your fingers, putting on the strap on and lubing it up generously before, as slowly as you could, lining yourself up with the boy. You were about to push in, but Minho pushed back, inserting the tip in himself, and he let out a quiet but open-mouthed moan. You quickly reacted with a harsh slap to his ass, and he whined.

“Please hurry mommy…” He whimpered, and he said it so cutely that you couldn’t even think about rejecting him

You began pushing further in, feeling Minho tense around you, and you could tell his eyes were screwed shut with pain.

“Just relax for me, okay kitty?” you soothed, caressing the boy’s thighs

“Mmm,” He whimpered, but you couldn’t tell if it was from pain or pleasure

Once you had the entire dildo in his hole, you stayed still for a while, softly caressing his thighs until he began to get fidgety, pushing back against you and shifting positions ever so slightly, as if hoping you wouldn’t notice.

Without warning, you began moving in and out, slowly at first, and Minho moaned, biting his lip and tightly scrunching the bed cover between his fingers. It wasn’t long before you could start going faster, and you did.

“M-mommy p-lease- please- ah!” He whimpered, eyes screwed shut

“What is it, kitty?”

“Please touch ah- fuck- p-please touch m-my cock-“

You leaned forward and wrapped your hand around the boy’s already slick dick,  immediately beginning to vigorously jerk him in time with your thrusts. Minho let his face fall into the covers, quickly feeling the spot where his mouth was getting wet from the drool coming out of his mouth. He tried to bite down on the covers, but it didn’t last for long, and he quickly let go, opening his mouth to let out his moans, dribbling out occasional words saying how good it felt.

“P-please- cum- please let me c-cum,” he wailed pushing his hips and moving around sporadically

“Go on kitty, cum for mommy,” you cooed

A couple seconds later, after feeling Minho’s cock twitch rapidly in your hand, he came, hot white ropes of cum spurting onto the sheets and across his torso. You pulled out and Minho fell down, whining at the feeling of the bed-sheets against his sensitive dick.

“You look so pretty, baby,” You whispered, taking off the strap and quickly re-joining Minho, running your hands through his hair

Minho turned around, lying on his back and looking up at you.

“What about you?” He asked sweetly, pouting

“That’s true,” You chuckled, suddenly being reminded of the wet heat between your legs “You don’t have to though,”

“No!” he scrambled to sit up and grabbed your hands “I wanna! Please let me make mommy cum…”

You smiled before letting go of his hands and cupping his face in your hands, bringing him forwards into a kiss before letting go, moving to lean your back up against the bed frame and spreading your legs, bringing your own hand down and stroking along your slit, making sure to show the boy the thick strings of pre-cum that showed each time you lifted your finger up. Minho gulped and looked to you, his tongue practically hanging out of his mouth.

“Come on, kitty,” You smiled, and Minho immediately went down, licking a long stripe against you, going to the top and licking your clit multiple times before attaching his lips to it

You moaned and laced your fingers in his hair, gripping tightly, but Minho barely seemed to notice. He brought his fingers forward and inserted two of them, beginning to rapidly move them in and out straight away.

“Mm- fuck kitty- ah- that’s a good boy,” You moaned, tugging at his hair and grinding against his face

“Mommy tastes so good,” He gulped breathlessly, keeping his lips against your pussy as he said it, letting you feel the vibrations of his voice

Minho continued eating you out, seeming to get more enthusiastic each time you praised him and pulled at his hair more harshly. It was only a couple minutes before you came, and Minho kept going, making sure to lick up all the juices before finally pulling away.

“Shit, kitty,” You breathed heavily, biting your lip as Minho moved level with you and captured your lips in a soft kiss, unintentionally letting you taste yourself

You wrapped your arms around the boy’s waist and brought him closer before smiling.

“Guess all that pretending you’re a dom bit you in the ass, huh?” You chuckled, grabbing Minho’s butt shortly, causing him to jolt, and then pout at you

“You’re mean…” He muttered

“Let’s go take a shower, yeah? You’re not too sore?” You whispered, and you felt the boy nod against you before shifting positions to get up

The night ended with a hot shower, a fresh change of bed-sheets, a couple surprisingly loving kisses, a bit of pillow talk and lots and lots of cuddling.

[thewritingstar]

When the Night is Still Young

Pairing: Brute x Princess 

Fandom: The Powerpuff Girls

notes: Did I write this because @sxnalien art and couldn’t stop thinking about how good it was? absolutely Plus this ship needs more love and I shall serve. Enjoy :)  

tag list: @shellielyzabeth @over-under-through1 (if you want to be on my tag list I have a post about that.)

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The wind was light and fair as it rolled through Townsville. It was one of those nights that nothing happened. No monster attacks or a bank being robbed. Rare but peaceful. Unless you were a part of the Morebucks household. No every night was pure bliss as the richest girl in the city and probably the entire country, waltzed towards her room ready to turn in for the night.

Her glass of milk was set on her nightstand that was embezzled with pure gold and hefty sapphires as the handles. She was one of high class and taste so anything under $500 would not cut it. Even the mountain of pillows that laid on her king size bed had more worth than most of the salaries of the kids on the far side of town. Big, flashy, rich. Her taste couldn’t be matched.

She grabbed her novel and slipped into bed where the finest silk sheets of a deep purple hue laid. Even at age 24, she was just as many remembered. Spoiled, chunning, spoiled, rude, spoiled, hot, spoiled, manipulative and of course spoiled rotten.

But when Daddy Morebucks had more money than most, what else were you to expect? In fact her taste proved in every aspect of her life.The food she ate was organic and came from the best chefs around. The clothes were designer and handbags imported from overseas. Her jewels had rare value and she loved nothing more than to show off her money. Even the people she dated were a part of her social level.

She flipped the page of her book as her lamp, that came from Paris and was crafted from stained glass, gave a soft glow. It was quiet and the estate had turned in for the night. The only thing she heard was the soft tapping of the wind.

And then the shuffle of the balcony door lock.

“You’re late.” Princess said as another page was turned. A grumbled came from the window as it closed.

“You’re lucky I'm even here.”

The book was taken out of her hands and she looked up to see the pair of greens eyes. Black eyeliner was caked around them, bringing out the rich color that glowed under the soft light of the lamp.

“Still dressing like a street rat I suppose.” Princess smirked and a dark chuckle came from the other girl.

“You act like you don’t like the chains and spikes. Sugar Plum.” Brute winked as she flashed a grin that showcased her slightly sharpened canines.

Princess pressed her lips together as her cheeks puffed out into a pout knowing she was right. But nonetheless her eyes traveled down. For someone who only wore Louis Vuitton and Gucci, she found out that her soft spot was black crop tops, leather jackets and a spiked collar that made her shiver every time it was worn around Brute's neck.

“Maybe I do. Get over it.” Princess spat as Brute leaned until her nose bumped hers.

“You’re such a little brat ya know?” She said as she took her lips into a bruising kiss.

--

If you would have told Princess that she would one day end up underneath the notorious green powerpunk. She would have laughed and thrown a gold bar at your face. She had only dated men whose wallets were almost as big as hers and just as snotty. Yet not once did she ever feel something more than physical attraction, even then it was slim.

She wanted high class and someone who could stand their own next to her. No one had ever come close to it. The relationships would turn to dust in a matter of months and deep down she wanted to have someone there who appreciated her for more than money, she was human after all.

And that's when she met Brute. One of the galas she had attended was coming to the end and she had decided that the world had seen enough of her for the night. Since it was one of the smaller events, Princess took her own car. Sometimes the limos were too stuffy and she preferred to drive the night with the windows down and her own tune humming.

“Damn these heels.” She groaned as the elevator to the parking garage was now out of order. She pushed open the stairwell and wished she had her jetpack to soar her through the sky. The click of her black stilettos echoed as she climbed the stairs.

The top of the parking garage came into view as she opened the last door and clicked her phone to make sure that whoever didn’t fix that damn elevator would be fired or seriously hurt. The luxury convertible with her signature license plate was on the other side and sometimes she wondered why she did this to herself.

Huffing, she continued in her tall heels not noticing the door behind her opening. In those mere seconds of her pulling out her eyes, she felt an arm wrap around her waist. She let out a yelp before throwing her elbow back and twisting the arm not caring about the snap that came with it. She turned before sending her foot in between the legs of the man who dared to touch her.

“Get the fuck off of me!” She growled before shoving the tip of her heel down next to his face, missing him by a hair.

Her eyes glared down at the man now weeping on the ground. His hands were raised in a shudder as he tried to regain his breath from being thrown to the ground and kicked in the balls. Quickly she leaned down and took a picture of his id before tossing it at his face and spraying him with pepper spray for good measure.

She ignored his scream as she walked away and texted the picture to her personal body guards. “Fucking scum bags.”

Her head was now sprouting a headache and all she wanted to do was get home and be surrounded by her riches. Princess narrowed her eyes as she came closer to her car and noticed a figure leaning against it. Smoke blowing from their lips as the cigarette sat between their fingers.

“Unless you are going to pay for those scratches, beat it!” She spat and pointed her finger.

The cigarette was dropped to the ground with an immature flip and black combat boots came down on it like a bug. The light gave out as she looked up with a dark chuckle, the last of the smoke dissipating into the air and Princess felt the shiver in her spine as she noticed the sinister grin coming from the other woman.

“This little thing?” The woman, she assumed was around her age, trailed her finger along the hood. “I’ve seen better.”

The red head rolled her eyes and looked her up and down. “What do you want Brute?”

Brute tilted her head like a dog getting offered a walk. “Ahh so the queen knows who i am.” She pushed off the car and threw a hand in her pocket. “I’m flattered.”

“It’s not like you keep a low profile. Everyone knows who the Punks are.” She spat. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I am going to leave.” She tried to take a step but Brute blocked her path.

“The night is still young Sugar Plum.” Brute raised her eyebrow and Princess suddenly felt so small against those green eyes.

“Why would I want to spend my valuable time with you?” She asked.

Brute chuckled and shrugged. “Not too sure babe. But I did just watch you kick and spray that poor sucker over there and now I'm intrigued.”

Maybe Princess didn’t notice the blush creeping up on her cheeks but she pushed all thoughts away and scoffed. “He’s a creep and I don’t have time for nonsense. Goodnight.” She pushed past and clicked her car door open.

“Yay know. I wish I were in town to see the old Princess.” Brute said and she paused.

“Old Princess?”

“Yep.” Brute popped the P. “The infamous Princess Morebucks. Doesn’t take shit from anyone and does what she wants. So sad that we are so young and yet you parade around like daddys little golden medal, making sure to please everyone with an image you don’t want to keep.”

“It’s called running a business.” Princess said quickly yet she hated that the other woman was right.

“No need to get defensive, I’m just saying that I thought you were much more wild. Afterall you were a super villain but maybe you’ve been humbled down to a spoiled brat whose only reckless behavior is staying up till one.” Brute smirked before turning on her heel. “See ya later Sugar Plum.”

Brute began to walk. The metal chain belt made a slight rattling as she inched closer and closer towards the stairwell. Princess stood as she looked at her steering wheel then back at the punk. Something inside of her wanted to just drive away, feel the freedom that she used to as a teenager.

She got into the car, seatbelt clashing loudly as if all sound had been turned off around her. Her hands gripped the wheel and her eyes glanced towards the sky where the moon was hardly up.

The engine roared to life and she pulled out of the parking space making her way towards the exit.

“Get in.” She said and the punk turned around with a devious grin. A shutter went through her spine as the door opened and the seat filled in with Brute.

“Alright Sugar Plum, lets see that wild side.” And soon the parking lot was filled with dust as rubber burned through the city's streets.

--

You could hear the music blasting from the street as the pair walked up to the door.

“A club?” Brute asked yet she was impressed with the location.

It was located on the far side of town. The crime rate here had skyrocketed over the years and if you wanted to find a drug paradise, check between the cracks of the sidewalks.

Princess led her to the door. Her ID didn’t need to be checked as they passed the long line and were ushered in quickly. The dim lights only held a sea of bodies grinding against one another while cheap booze flowed in their veins.

The music was terrible and the smell might have been worse but she grabbed the punk's hand and led her to the dance floor without a care in the world. Their hips swayed and soon they had a drink in their hands.

The red head let the alcohol flood her system and soon the music wasn’t as bad as before. She kept her eyes focused on those dazzling greens. She hated the color beforehand. Thought that it was trashy unless it was a crisp hundred bill. But now even with the blazing light, she could see the flecks of the hue taking shape in her iris and wanted to explore it further.

“I never would have pegged you as a club person.” Brute said in her ear as the Princess pressed her back to her chest.

“It's the only place no one cares who you are.” She said as her hand made its way to Brutes cheeks and pulled her into a kiss.

Maybe she let the world of her father's business consume her before her life had even started. Maybe Brute was right. She was Princess Motherfucking Morebucks. The same girl who used to build rockets and lasers just to destoy the puffs and now she was wasting what should be her reckless party years, doing things she would be doing for the rest of her life.

Brute's hands traveled down until she spun the red head around and kissed her again. Princess’s hands wandered to her neck as she tugged slightly at the spiked collar with a large metal loop.

“There's that wild side.” Brute said against her lips as she pulled her impossible closer while the music played. “I like it.”

Princess couldn’t tell what was driving her insane. The third shot of vodka or the way her lips felt like molten lava, a tingling sensation she had never had before but she was craving it like no other. All her past relationships came into her mind.

Man after man, not one could even bring Princess the satsiaction to even smile. They had all been the one thing she hated most, boring. Fake smiles, only there for her last name and to climb the ranks, that all she was. She was a bank vault that many wanted to access and she had begun to just give up the code, but not anymore. She didn’t want boring and she certainly wouldn’t be that.

Brute was far from it. Piercings and tattoos covered her arm, something her father would disaprove of greatly, and yet she didn’t have a care in the world as she just let the music play on.

--

Princess kissed her back, enjoying the way the metal lip pieces felt against her lips. It was electrifying and freeing as Brute kissed her neck. She had been captivated by the punk. The way she doted on her like no man had before. She originally thought she was only here for the money, a big fear she kept to herself but although Brute loved cash, she enjoyed the presence of the spoiled girl more.

“I got you something.” Brute whispered in her ear. A shock wave of pleasure jolted through Princess' heart as Brute reached into her pocket and pulled out a velvet box. “I know how much you love chain babes.”

Princess took the box and opened it. It was a silver chain necklace with a small crown charm.

“But I also know that it's not your thing, so I thought something that would remind you of your royal status would do.” She joked but Princess stared at the small necklace with wide eyes.

It was simple and small, yet she felt tears threaten to spill. Her entire life she had been showered with elegant gifts and priceless treasures. She was accustomed to receiving fine things, because it was expected. Sometimes it was underwhelming to constantly get things that never had an emotional value.

She took the necklace out of the wrapping and put it on. The cool metal graced her skin and she felt her cheeks heat up at the sweet gift. She looked up at Brute who had a soft expression, something she wore rarely.

Princess set the box aside and placed her hand against Brute’s cheek.

“It's not diamonds but it will do.” She playfully teased before kissing Brute.

She felt Brute groan against her lips and soon she was laying on top of her.

“You’re still spoiled as ever.” Brute glared as she ran her fingers through the curly ginger locks. “But I still like it.” She winked “Reminds me of when I first saw you beat up that dude.”

“That was two years ago.” Princess blew on her bangs.

Brutes hand lightly slapped her ass making the redhead bury her face in her neck. “Yeah but it was hot.”

Princess hummed. “Whatever. Thank you by the way.” She said the last part quickly.

“Ooooo did I just hear the queen thank me?” Brute laughed and her hands were then held above her head pressing into the sheets. She looked through hooded eyes up at the redhead pinning her from above.

“I’m not repeating myself.” Princess batted her eyelashes.  “Now, let's go for a ride.”

“Really? At two a.m?” Brute smirked.

Princess practically jumped off her bed before walking to her closet and changing quickly. She reappeared wearing a short black dress and her own pair of combat boots. 

Brute sat up with a smirk and gave a low whistle. 

“The nights still young babe.” She said before grabbing Brutes hands and leading out the door to her private garage. Soon her car roared to life and the windows were rolled down as the drove off into the night. 

--

I hope you enjoyed :) 

shout out to my lovely betas: Lisa, Aves and Cilla :) 

[geekywritings]

Rise of a Queen - Nikolai Lantsov x OC PART 12

The end of the war could have marked the perfect beginning of a fairytale for Nikolai and Taya. He was Tsar, the Darkling had been defeated, Ravka could finally breathe again and the couple could start focusing on their relationship. But the reality was no fairytale.

Only days after the crown had been placed on Nikolai's head, he became swept up in the responsibilities of a ruler. Endless meetings, balls, travels, and negotiations began, along with the much-needed rebuilding of the cities that had suffered during recent times. Whenever he was in the palace, there was always someone there requesting his attention or calling him to a meeting or following him with paperwork. Though more often than not, Nikolai was absent from the capital, traveling around his kingdom to meet his people and mend relations with West Ravka. It felt as if sleep or a peaceful meal had become a luxury a king could not afford.

Taya wasn't fairing much better. She tried to help Nikolai whenever she could, but she was soon also swept up in the Saadovska affairs. She had inherited the family fortune, but also her father's businesses. And there were more of them than she had ever expected! Not only did her family own several remarkable fabric businesses in Ravka, they also held shares of companies in Fjerda and Shu Han and had close business ties with Kerch traders. Furthermore, there was more land in her family's possession than anyone in all of Ravka could even imagine, including large estates and even simply lands for agriculture. It was so much that Taya spent a good few weeks trying to wrap her hand around it all before starting correspondence with her father's former business partners. Some of them were kind and understanding, but there were also those, who refused to work with a woman or tried to cheat her. For Taya this meant a lot of studying. She would spend many nights in the library, reading up on economics and business practices or former contracts until Nikolai would come and carry her back to bed after she had fallen asleep. Whenever he was not around, this task fell to Andrej or one of the twins.

Ultimately, the couple didn't have much time for romance. Ravka was like a child that required constant attention and within the first years, Nikolai and Taya felt burnt out. Yet at the same time, they couldn't feel happier. The country was flourishing, steadily gaining stability, military strength and even some recognition. So although Taya was usually the one pushing them to work more, it was her who announced one morning: "We need a break."

Nikolai had returned from a long journey to the West just the day before and still looked incredibly tired even after a good night of sleep. "What do you suggest?", he asked, his face still half-buried in the pillow. "That we run away?"

Taya chuckled, as she sat up, running a hand through his hair. "I don't think we'd get very far.", she admitted. "But I do think we can take a vacation for a couple of days without Ravka falling apart again. Besides, there is this small estate by the sea I want to visit."

"Estate by the sea?" Now Nikolai's curiosity had been piqued and he slowly half sat up as well, hazel eyes staring at her full of interest.

"Yes, apparently it has been in my family's possession for quite some time. My great great grandfather bought it for easier business with the local fishing industry. And it would be my chance to see the ocean for the first time."

Although she had joined Nikolai on several of his journeys, none of them had taken her all the way to the sea, which she longed to finally visit. "Let's do it.", Nikolai agreed, suddenly fully invested in the idea. "We will tell everyone today and be on our way by the evening."

Taya loved his enthusiasm and spontaneous nature and she nodded enthusiastically. "I will take care of packing.", she said, already mentally going over everything they would need for the short trip.

It was with a newfound energy that the two started their day, making sure that everyone knew about their departure, while also preparing for the journey. Tolya and Tamar insisted on coming along, but Nikolai refused. He wanted some time alone with Taya and where they were going, they would need neither servants nor bodyguards, he figured.

Everyone was so taken aback by the Tsar's sudden decision that nobody had much time to argue or raise concerns. And by evening, Nikolai and Taya were ready to depart. They hadn't packed much and could easily take one of Nikolai's smaller aircrafts, where he took care of navigation, while Taya kept the airship going. Traveling at night was difficult, but also much safer.

The sun hadn't even risen when they arrived at the small estate on a hill, overseeing the sea and the nearby fishing town. It was a two-story building beaten by the rough coastal weather, but still in good condition. Surrounding it was a garden full of wildflowers and tall grass. It was clear that nobody had tended to this place in quite some time. Using the key she had found in her father's study, filed correctly to the matching estate, Taya opened the door, revealing a dusty hallway, smelling of sea salt and stuffy air. At least they found that the place was equipped with working lights.

Leaving their luggage in the hallway, Nikolai and Taya just explored, opening all windows to air out the place. There was a parlor downstairs, as well as a study, a kitchen, three servant rooms, and a storage chamber. Upstairs were bathrooms and generous bedrooms, offering a stunning view of the ocean. The sunsets from this place would be quite the sight, Taya thought.

The furniture had been covered in sheets to prevent them from dusting, but they would still need to air out all linens, pillows and covers the next day. "Seems like your ancestors were quite the passionate sailors", Nikolai announced, as he joined Taya upstairs. He had found some old photographs and paintings in the study, showing her grandfather and great grandfather in this estate together with sea captains or standing in front of ships themselves.

Taya looked at them with interest, seeing them for the first time. "I didn't know that. But maybe it explains why I always wanted to go to sea.", she ran a finger over one of the photographs, realizing how much her grandfather resembled her father. A pang of pain shot through her, but she didn't allow it to take over. She would make her family proud by doing her best to carry on their legacy instead of shedding tears.

_____________________

After two days, Nikolai and Taya had settled into their little sea estate. Seeing as the linen had continued to smell of stuffy room, Taya had simply brought fresh ones in town. Not wanting any servants to disturb their peace, the couple took care of everything themselves and Taya discovered that she knew nothing about actual housekeeping. But it was fun to learn and try, even though the first meal she attempted to cook ended up being more burnt than edible.

Nikolai caught some fish, which they roasted over a fire and that tasted better than anything Taya had eaten in a while. Still, they decided to start eating in town to be among people and see what they lived like. Taya had bought some local clothes, allowing the two to blend in and for Nikolai to go unrecognized. It was lovely, living a normal life without duties or burdens.

"One day, when we are old and grey, I hope we can sit here and watch the sunset as well.", Taya said on the last evening of their stay, when the two were sitting in front of the house by the cliff, waiting for the sun to turn the ocean into the stunning shades of orange and purple Taya admired.

Nikolai smiled at her. It would be a lovely future indeed. "And who will be running Ravka?"

"Not us, for sure.", she replied with a laugh. "I suppose it would be our son."

A son. Nikolai had never thought about children before. He had been too busy being Sturmhond, getting the crown, fighting a civil war or just being Tsar. But now that she had said it, the vision would not leave his head. What would their son look like? Would his hair be darker? And whose eyes would he inherit? He hoped it would be his mothers, for he loved the blue more than he could put into words. He also hoped he would have Taya's personality, far more suitable for a ruler.

"If we do have a son, let's name him Mikhail. After my father.", she suddenly added. It was common for a prince to carry the name of a former ruler, an ancestor from the father's side, but Taya was ready to break with that tradition.

"Mikhail... I like it.", Nikolai said finally, his arm sneaking around Taya, as she leaned her head against his shoulder. "Though if he ends up anything like us as children, I feel sorry for us already." Both laughed and then just enjoyed the spectacular colors of the sunset before them.

________________________________

After the trip, Nikolai returned to work with newfound purpose and energy. He wanted to build a strong Ravka for the people and for the future. He wanted a stable country should he and Taya indeed have a son one day. He was also more determined than ever to finally marry the woman, who had been by his side for so long.

"I have an important task for you.", he announced, as Genya entered his office one afternoon. "But I must ask for utter discretion."

"Of course.", the redhead vowed, looking more and more intrigued.

"I need you to plan something"

"A Wedding?!", Genya almost squealed. "Your wedding?!"

Nikolai didn't even have a chance to answer before Genya rushed forward, both hands slamming on his desk. "I have everything thought out already.", she announced. "I have been planning this since your coronation. It needs to be a grand affair, of course. Worthy of a Tsar. But it definitely needs personal elements. I'm thinking of a lot of blue highlights to symbolize your time at sea and Taya being a Grisha and..."

"Genya... Genya.. slow down.", Nikolai spoke, even though he felt almost guilty interrupting her. She seemed so excited and he was glad to know that he had so many people behind him.

"Oh, I apologize."

Nikolai smiled, shaking his head. "No need. But what I specifically want from you is a design for a ring. Traditionally, Taya would get the Lantsov Emerald, but that is off the table.", he explained. "But I don't just wanna choose something from the treasury. I want something especially made for her. Something meaningful."

So it wasn't a wedding, but Genya was still excited nevertheless. "Oh, I will think of something!" It would be blue, she thought, but it definitely needed elements of green to hint at the traditional emerald. Without a second to waste she got to work, while Nikolai went back to planning on how he could ask Taya to marry him again.

The last proposal had been a lousy one, he thought. Absolutely not worthy of a future Queen and especially not worthy of someone like Taya. She wouldn't like an over-the-top gesture, he figured, but it had to be special nevertheless. Perhaps the finished ring would offer more inspiration.

He had no idea that he would not be asking Taya for quite some time...

[dabble-writes]

Death’s Bride--(4)

| Prologue | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 |

Pairing:

Namjoon/Reader

Summary:

You are a Seer. What is a Seer? A Seer is someone whose sixth sense is stronger than most people’s and can see Death. You did not want to be one, you just want to be normal—yet what happens when Death comes for you? No, not for you to die—for you to be his bride.

*Based on a novel I wrote before in Wattpad by the same title*

Tags:

Romance, Fantasy, Comedy

Warnings:

Mentions of death, violence

CHAPTER 3: THE EX

“Tell me who kidnapped you.”

An image of Jin’s smirking face appeared in your mind and you turned away from him.

“You don’t know? That shows how clueless you are.”

Namjoon gently grabbed your shoulders and turned you, “Y/N, please.”

You opened your mouth to tell him the truth and thought better of it. Jin is Namjoon’s most “loyal” adviser and friend. You are just some girl Namjoon convinced to be his unwilling bride who managed to get kidnapped and almost sexual assaulted. Who’s word is he going to believe? Because you were sure that Jin will defend yourself and twist your words to make you seem like a liar.

But shouldn’t you tell him, a voice in your head said, who knows? He might actually believe you.

Yeah right, you knew deep down he wouldn’t. You still couldn’t believe Jin’s betrayal and you’ve only known him for a few weeks.

“Um…can we not talk about this now…?” You asked, hoping to delay the conversation until you can find proof. That’ll be the only way he will believe you.

“No, I have to know every detail. It’s very alarming that my bride got kidnapped. I need to know who it is so I can apprehend this person.”

You bit your lip, except you won’t believe me.

“I-I actually don’t remember who kidnapped me. It was such a blur and I feel very exhausted with everything that happened tonight.”

It didn’t look like Namjoon was convinced, but he didn’t say anything about it. Instead he said, “Alright then I won’t keep you long so you can rest. Just tell me what you remember.”

You nodded, glad he wasn’t pressuring you about the kidnapper, “Okay, I went out of the castle—”

“You went out of the castle?” Namjoon asked, not looking happy.

You realized your mistake too late, “Oh…um…sorry…?”

“ ‘Sorry’ doesn’t cut it. Didn’t I warn you not to go out of the castle?

“Fine, I fucked up, happy?” You said in frustration, “do you want me to continue or not?”

He still didn’t seem pleased, but he nodded, “Go on.”

“I went out of the castle and before I knew it, I was knocked out. When I woke up, I realized I was in this room, tied up, and I met some demons. There was one…I think his name was Jimin?...they were kind of weird…well, they used to work for you.”

Namjoon nodded, his expression thoughtful, “I guess it makes sense, those demons were always trouble-makers and have a mind of their own. You may continue.”

You but your lip, trying to figure out a way to tell the story as truthfully as possible without saying it was Jin.

“Then some guy came in, I think he was their leader or something. It was pretty dark, so I couldn’t get a good look at his face.”

“Did he said anything? What are his plans?”

You looked at him in confusion, “Why would you tell your prisoner your plans? That doesn’t seem very smart.”

“You’ll be surprised how common that is.”

“Now that I think about it…he did say that he wanted to eliminate you and that he needed me to do that. He also mentioned something about the prophecy.”

Wait, why did I said that?

Namjoon looked surprised at the last sentence, “He mentioned the prophecy? What did he said?”

“U-uh,” You didn’t know what to say, “...um...he seemed to be under the impression that I am the bride of the prophecy...”

“How come?” He actually looked very curious, “Did he said why?”

“Well...” You kind of regret mentioning the prophecy, “...he sort of said that even though you didn’t know some parts of the prophecy, you followed it. Like making that deal with my grandma and picking me instead.”

 “Really...?”, He seemed thoughtful, “Interesting....did he mention anything else?”

“I don’t think so.”, you lied. 

Namjoon studied you, “Something seems out of place, as if you’re lying…”

You forced yourself to remain a neutral expression, “I am not.”

He took a step closer to you and stared at your eyes, “Are you sure?”

Boom-Boom.

Your heart raced at his close proximity and you felt your ears grow warm and knew that they were red.

What’s wrong with me? You thought, get a grip and answer the damn question!

You looked away from his eyes, the intensity of his stare was too much for you, 

“Yes.”

“Then why can’t you look at me in the eye?”

You crossed your arms and tried to will your heart to stop beating so fast, “Why would I want to look at your eyes anyway? They are cold and disturbing.”

Before you could react, Namjoon took your face and forced you to look into his eyes. You noticed that they actually weren’t black like you thought so before, but a very dark shade of brown. Also his eyelashes are actually—wait, what?

“Don’t touch me!” You cried and pulled away from his grasp.

Boom-Boom.

“It didn’t bother you before, why are you acting this way now?” Namjoon seemed amused by your flushed appearance and you glared at him.

“I already said all I know, can I go now?”

“Alright, go rest, but don’t think this conversation is over.”

You huffed and stomped out of the room, not caring whether it made you seem childish or not. When you were a reasonable distance away, you stopped and placed a hand on your chest.

Boom-Boom.

Why am I acting this way?, you thought, why do I find myself liking his eyelashes? Why does my heart keep having an attack when he’s around? You remembered the feeling of his hands on yours; they were surprisingly warm.

You leaned against the wall, what’s wrong with me?

Could it be…not it can’t be.

You gasped as you sunk down to the floor and found yourself in quite a predicament.

You liked Namjoon.  

The stupid prophecy was right…well at least for me. You knew Namjoon cared for you, but he seemed too closed off to return your feelings. 

Lord, how is this possible? When did this happen? Yet the pounding of your heart and the tingling feeling of your stomach proved it.

No, it’s just a crush, you thought, some stupid crush. Namjoon saved you from Jungkook so now you have a crush on him, no biggie.      

You pressed you head against your hands, it’s just a crush, you’ll get over it. I mean, it’s normal to have a crush on a cute guy. And Namjoon is really hot. Okay, stop thinking about how hot Namjoon is…

You had the sinking feeling that this was a crush that will be hard to get rid of.

“Are you okay, Y/N?”

You looked up to see Jisoo, your only comfort now.

“I don’t get it.” You sighed and sank back to your bed.

“Y/N, dear, you’ve been in that bed all morning, what’s wrong?”

“Nothing.” You groaned, your nose stuffy from crying so much.

“You’ve been crying.” She observed and sat beside you.

“I keep thinking of the incident with Jungkook,” you admit, “I’ve never felt so helpless in my life. Whenever I close my eyes, I still see him. The way he looked at me with such hunger, and it scares me. And I really have no one to blame but myself; I shouldn’t have been so naïve.”

“I was not your fault“, Jisoo said gently, “That boy was, if you excuse my language, an ass. He shouldn't have taken advantage of you like that; he was definitely no gentleman.” 

You smiled softy at her, “Thanks Jisoo.”

“But that’s not all, right? I feel that there’s something more that’s troubling you.”

You turned to her, “How do you know?”

“Intuition. Now what’s bothering you?”

You sighed, it’s ridiculous, “I can’t say it.”

“Come on, you have a mouth, you could say it.”

The corners of you lips lifted up, “You’re right, but that’s not the case.”

 “So you won’t say it?”

You bit your lip, “That makes it sound like I don’t want to say it to you. I do want to, but I’m just scared.”

“There’s nothing to be scared of, Y/N.”

 You took a deep breath, 

“But didn’t you hate Death?”

You sighed, “I thought so too, but maybe that strong feeling wasn’t hate…but love…? Ugh, forget I said that, that sounded super corny.”

Jisoo looked at you, “I suspected.”

“What?”

“I knew you’ll eventually fall in love with him.”, she said sadly.

You frowned, you just came upon this realization quite recently, how does she know?

“Wait a second, I’m not in love with him, I just have some silly crush.” You quickly corrected her, panicking a little.

Nope, it’s definitely too soon to be talking about serious feelings like love.

Jisoo studied you, “I think we both know that is really not the case.”

“Why do you think I’m in love with him?”

“Intuition.” She answered, smirking.

You gave an exasperated cry, “C’mon, be serious.”

“I am serious.”

“Okay, let’s say that I do love him—which I don’t—is it that easy to read me? Do you think he knows?”

“No, I don’t think he knows. He seems like he’ll be dense at these kind of things. I just have an instinct for this.”

You frownwd as you clutched a pillow to your chest, “It doesn’t matter anyway because he will never like me.”

Jisoo touched your shoulder, “You might be surprised.”

You sat up, “What are you trying to say? That he likes me? How do you know.”

“Intuition.” She simply said.

It took all your willpower to not throw your pillow at Jisoo.

“There’s also something else, Jisoo...”

“What is it?”

You hesitated, then said, “I sort of lied to Namjoon; I know who my kidnapper was.”

Jisoo looked surprised, “Then why didn’t you tell Death?”

“Because he won’t believe me!” You cried, “I hardly believe it myself...?”

“Who is it?”

“...Jin.”

“Jin? Jin as Death’s most trusted adviser? Second in command? The one with all the bad puns? That Jin?”

This was all the confirmation I needed to know that I need proof before I tell Namjoon. If Jisoo, who hardly knows Jin, doesn’t believe me, how can Namjoon?

You sighed, “See? You don’t believe me either.”

“I’m just...surprised. Jin doesn’t seem like the type at all.”

“Well he is.” You thought bitterly. 

“Jisoo, I don’t see the justice in this! How can a criminal, a traitor, run around free, while I’m the one that keeps getting locked up in this room?”

“You never did told Death about Jin, so of course Jin will still be roaming around. And you did broke Death’s trust—”

“What trust?” You asked bitterly, “When did he ever trust me?”

“Oh don’t act so sour, you’ll be surprised how much he trusted you.”

“Hmph,” you said, not quite believing that, “still, it just boils my blood that I still see Jin every day and he just acts like nothing has happened!”

“Remind me again why you cannot tell Death about Jin?”

“Because I don’t have proof,” you explained, “it’s my word over Jin’s and, as you nicely stated, Namjoon doesn’t trust me.”

“Who’s fault is that?”, You heard Jisoo mutter and you glared at her.

“I just wished there was some way we can prove he’s conspiring against Namjoon…”

“We?”

“Yes, you’re going to help me.”

“Wait, how can I be of help?”

“You’re the best help!” You exclaimed, “You’re the maid. Jin won’t suspect you. He might suspect me, but not you.”

The more you thought about it, the more it made sense—no one ever suspects the maid!

She still looked a little unconvinced, so you gave her your best pouty face, “Please Jisoo? For me?”

You guessed it worked because Jisoo looked at you and sighed, “Okay, fine, what do you want me to do?”

You squealed with happiness, Jisoo was in!

“Y/N….”

“What?” You asked.

“What exactly do you want me to do?”

You blushed; you were too concerned with enlisting Jisoo’s help that you didn’t think of what she could do to actually help.

Hm…what do they do in spy movies…?”

“I know! Doe Jin have a room in this castle that is his?”

“Does his office count?”

You gave her an incredulous look, “Wait, Jin has an office?”

Jisoo nodded,” Yes, so does Death.”

He does?

“Interesting information. But now, I want you to bug Jin’s office.”

Jisoo gave you a look of confusion, “You want me to fill his office with bugs?”

You burst out laughing, amused that Jisoo took it that way.

“What’s so funny, Y/N? I know you want your revenge and everything, but I don’t think bugs are going to help.”

You had to wipe tears from your eyes and you choked out, “I-it’s not that, Jisoo! I-it’s a term for keeping the room under s-surveillance.”

“Oh.”

“Do you think you can do that?”

“How am I supposed to do that?”

Hm…I don’t think there will be any surveillance equipment in this place.

“We are going to have to do it the old-fashion way—follow him.”

“So we are stalking him?”

“Wellll….stalking is such a strong word…but yes.”

She gave you a look, “You’re not going to let me back out of this are you?”

“Nope.”

“Alright then.” She sighed.

“Great! Watch, in no time we’ll find something to use against him, I know we can!”

Jisoo smiled, “Anything to have justice.”

“Look, there’s Jin!”

Once you have Jisoo a crash course on ‘how-to-stalk’, you decided to follow Jin to find his office (since Jisoo doesn’t know since Jin is so secretive).

You were right behind Jisoo as you crept behind Jin, who was reading some papers and muttering to himself.

See? Obviously a traitor. How can Namjoon not realize this?

“How far away can his office be?” You muttered in Jisoo’s ear as you made another turn.

“Far.” Jisoo answered you and you had to agree because this place is huge.

Jin finally entered a door and closed it.

“Do you think it’s his office?”, you asked Jisoo.

“Probably.”

“So what do we do now?”, you asked her.

“Wait.”

You groaned and leaned on the wall, “Really? How long do you think Jin will be in his office?”

“Possibly a few hours.”

“A few hours?”

Great.

“How about I stay here and keep watch while you do something else?”

“Hm…you may be right. Jin will be very suspicious if he sees me hanging around his office. You sure you’ll be fine on your own?”

She nodded, “I’ve heard of spies in the war, so I know a few things about espionage. Are you sure that you can find your way back?”

You looked back at the hallway you came from and paled. Oh crap.

“Uh, yeah.”

“Just don’t get lost.”. Jisoo advised.

“Like I get lost on purpose.” You muttered under your breath and walked in the direction you came from. You silently prayed for the best.

You passed by a window and was surprised to see it. So this place actually has windows? Very excited, you pulled the curtain and realized it was no window; it was a wall. How weird, who would put curtains in front of a wall?

“Y/N, why do I find you in the strangest places?”

Namjoon!

You turned around, your face red and heart beat erratically, “Um…I don’t know…?”

That was lame even in your ears.

Namjoon lifted an eyebrow at you, “Are you lost again?”

You turned a deeper shade of red, “So what if I am? You couldn’t have made a bigger castle, right?”

Oh my god, shut up, you’re just embarrassing yourself even more.

“I love your petty attempt at sarcasm.”

Urgh, kill me.

“Ha, ha.” You said weakly as you tried to cover the fact that you’re so embarrassed.

He studied you, then said, “Come on, I’ll help you back to your room.”

You followed him and muttered, “Thanks.”

“What was that?” he said, smiling,

“I’m not going to say that again.”

“Pride is one the seven deadly sins, you know.”

You snorted, “I’m glad you know your seven deadly sins, Namjoon.”

“Did you just snort? Do you want to die an early death?”

You grinned, you knew by now when Namjoon is joking and when he’s serious.

“What’s the difference? I’m still going to be here.”

“Oh believe me, my bride, there’s a huge difference.”

“’My bride’?”, This time you raised your eyebrows at him.

“Think nothing of it,” Namjoon answered, “

“Ah yes,” You couldn’t wash away the feeling of disappointment that he didn’t say it out of any affection.

Of course not, you chastised yourself, you’re the one with the crush, not him. He doesn’t like you, remember?

You walked in silence and you decided to ask something you’ve been curious about for some time now.

“So who was your favorite bride?”, you asked innocently.

Namjoon studied you, “Is this a trick question?”

“No, a genuine one.”

“I don’t know,” He answered thoughtfully, “they were all amusing in their own way.

You felt a bitter taste in your mouth and repressed your jealousy.

“Did any of them called you by your name?”

“No, you’re the first one.”

“Why’s that?” You asked curiously.

“You were the first one to ask,” Namjoon answered, “No one bothered to before. They just saw me as ‘Death’.”

You were a bit annoyed by the other brides, that’s strange they didn’t ask for his name.

“Did you ever love any of them?”

“I am Death, I do not love.” He said with such conviction that it made you pause.

“That’s not true, you were raised as a human and you do have human emotions. You’re just too stubborn to show them.”

“Ah, I almost forgot that Jin told you I was raised by humans, that traitor.” He laughed and you flinched. That hit too close to home.

If only you knew, you thought, but don’t worry, I’ll get my proof and you won’t be ignorant much longer.

You took a deep breath, “Fine, but back to the topic, when you were with humans, you must have loved.”

He frowned and turned away, “As I said before, I do not love. I never had and never would.”

Somehow, you felt as if he were lying.

Who hurt you?, you thought and you reached to your room. You were reluctant to leave him just yet; this conversation wasn’t that bad and it was almost pleasant to talk to him.

“Well I need to go now.” Namjoon quickly said and walked away; he gave you no opportunity for you to say anything in return.

Jerk, how did I ever ending up liking him?, you thought.

I wish I could get high on air, you thought bitterly as you blew a stray strand of hair on your face away. At least it would provide me with some entertainment.

At that moment, the door flew open and a young girl rushed in and closed the door behind her.

“Who are you?” you asked as you jumped up from your chair.

The girl looked like she was in  her mid-20s and had perfect porcelain skin. She had long blonde hair that was up in a high ponytail and she was in trousers and and a white, blousey shirt. The girl then noticed you and grinned.

“Hey, you’re Death’s new bride, right?”

“I asked my question first so you should answer, seeing how you just barged into my room and interrupted.”

“Ah, sorry, but it didn’t seem like you were doing much of anything,” She retorted, a twinkle in her eye.

You blushed, “That’s none of your business.”

She shrugged, “Alright then.”

You stared at each other in silence and you finally spoke.

“Why are you here?”

She just smirked, “As you said ‘none of your business;”

Okay, seriously, this girl is getting a bit annoying.

“Will you cut it out already? You’re the one that came here, looking very suspicious, like someone was chasing you.”

A sword was pointed to your chest so fast you didn’t have time to think. She stared at you dangerously, “I said it’s none of your business.”

“Whoa there, let’s not get carried away…” you said and then got a good look at the sword, and then back at the girl, “Wait, I know who you are! You’re that pirate…LE!”

Her eyes narrowed  and you felt her add pressure to the sword and you became nervous. You didn’t want your death to be by a sword.

“Who told you my name?”

“J-Jin….?” You stammered and you hope she won’t get angry.

“Oh, that good for nothing. He can never really keep his mouth shut.” She smiled as she sheathed her sword.

You breathed a sigh of relief, “Oh, um, thanks. I’m Y/N, by the way, Namjoon’s current bride.” You said and held out your hand.

“Oh is that his name? Namjoon? I’ve always wondered.” LE gave you a huge grin as she slapped your hand and gripped it with a hearty handshake.

“What are you doing here?”, you asked, very curious. You haven’t seen any of Namjoon’s other brides.

She shrugged, “I’m bored, like you. I figured I could wonder around the castle, but then I nearly ran into Jin. So before he noticed me I slipped into this door.”

“Why don’t you want to run into Jin?” You asked. Maybe she knows something I don’t.

“We have a long history, me and Jin. It’s just better to avoid him.”

Yup, this chick seems to have the right idea.

“Do you mind telling me your history with him?”

“I do mine, so nope.”

You pouted, “C’mon, tell me.”

“Wow, you’re really annoying. I wonder why Death chose you to be his bride.”

You turned pink and looked away, “Beats me. I am just an ordinary girl, not even half as awesome as some of his other brides.”

Careful, Y/N, you bitterness and jealousy is showing.

“Oh now, don’t be so harsh on yourself. Just be less whiny and learn to defend yourself.”

“Defend myself?” You asked, that caught your attention.

“Yeah, especially if you’re going to be Death’s bride.”

An idea occurred to you.

“Can you, maybe, teach me?”

“Me? Teach you? Hm…not a bad idea.”

“So you will?” You asked, very hopeful.

“I will, but I need to set a few ground rules now. One: don’t be annoying, I can’t stand annoying people. Two: listen to everything I say. And three: say this to no one.”

“Is it because you don’t want Jin to find out?”

“If you’re fond of your pinkies, I suggest you shut your mouth.”

You smiled, “Deal.”

Despite your slight jealousy of this girl, you can’t help but start to like her.

“No, you’re doing it all wrong.”

LE showed you how to correctly hold your sword.

“LE?”

“Yeah?”

“What happened to you and Jin?”

She maneuvered her sword and pressed it against your chest, “A very important rule: do not get distracted.”

You sigh as you pushed her sword away from your chest, “You’re just avoiding the subject.”

You stepped to the side to avoid her sword.

“You don’t know anything. Just pay attention.”

You avoided another attack and struck, “Just answer the damn question!”

“What did I say about being annoying?”, LE said through her narrowed eyes.

“I think you’re being annoying in not answering my question.” You answered as you counter-attacked.

“How about this, if you an beat me, I will answer your question.”, LE said, confident in her ability.

Powered by a new goal, you struck her and you were engaged in a battle.

It was a few weeks ago that you begun the secret lessons. You started practicing in an empty room, since your room didn’t have the space for you to do complex movements.

Surprisingly, sword fighting was fun and quite exciting, not to mention that it was the perfect cure to your boredom.

“Ha!” You cried as you finally knocked her sword out of her hand and hovered your sword in front of your chest.

LE held her hands up, her chest going up and down in a fast pace, “Okay, you won fair and square, put your sword down and I’ll tell you the cursed story.”

You smiled victoriously as you sheathed your sword. LE picked up her sword and sat on the floor. You sat down next to her and looked at LE expectantly.

She sighed and started her story.

“I wasn’t always a pirate. I came from a little town by the sea. I always saw pirates dock their boats and wanted to be a pirate. It was impossible though because women weren’t supposed to be pirates.

“So, I dressed up as a man to have less trouble. A retired pirate taught me all I know about sword fighting and by the time I was four and ten years, I went against my parent’s wishes and became a pirate. That was the last time I saw them.

“The Golden Ranger, that was ship I was part of the crew in, and she was a beauty. I could talk about all my adventures with her, but that’s another story. One day, I saw this strange man in the ship. I assumed he was a new member of the crew, so I didn’t put much thought into it.

“He later approached me and called me by my name, my real name, and said I was to be his bride. Obviously, I refused and didn’t believe him. He later sent another man, who I later found out was Jin. He tried to convince me to go, but I just pushed him overboard.”

“Wait, you pushed Jin off the ship?”, you had the giggle at the mental image.

“What? Like I told you, I can’t stand annoying people. And he was becoming quite annoying.”

“So what happened next?”

“Death definitely didn’t sent Jin again, that’s for sure. He took me to this place and I met Jin again. He tried to make amends and show me around the castle, but I refused saying I don’t need someone like him and I could find my way around without him.”

“What did he say?” You interrupted her, intrigued by this story, she smiled.

“He followed me around like a lost puppy. Then I told him to stop following me and he shrugged and left. That’s when I got lost and cursed him for being right. We became friends afterwards. Death started hanging around with me too and that’s when it became bad.”

“Bad? In what way?”

“Jin started getting jealous of Death. One day, he snapped at me, saying I was being too nice to Death. Boy, did I give him a piece of my mind. That’s when he confessed his love to me.”

“Wait, he’s in love with you?” You gasped, you didn’t expect this plot twist.

“Let me finish the story. I liked him, but as a friend and nothing else, so I just told him that I thought of him as a friend. That night, to take away my frustrations, I challenged Death to a duel and lost.”

“Wait, why were you frustrated? You weren’t the one that was rejected.”

“You ask too many questions.” LE said, smiling.

“Jin said the same thing.” You blurted out and she laughed.

“Well, that’s one thing me and him have in common.”

“Why were you frustrated?” You tried again and she sighed.

“I didn’t realize it, but I liked Jin more than I thought I did. I realized it too late.”

“Okay, you died and ended up not being Namjoon’s bride, why don’t you talk to him now? Isn’t the feeling mutual?”

“You don’t understand, the last words he said to me was ‘go then, die for all I care’. You see, I don’t think he loves me anymore, that’s why I avoid him to avoid the awkwardness.”

“So you haven’t seen him once all this time?”

“When I don’t want to be found, I’m not found.”

Whoa, no wonder he’s all bitter and became a traitor. Still, it’s still a dick move to betray your friend like that.

LE stood up, “That’s enough of a break, let’s go and practice.”

You were in your room, practicing with your sword, when you heard a knock. You quickly hid the sword under the bed and called out, “Who’s there?”

“Can I come in?”

You recognized Namjoon’s voice and was surprised; he rarely visited you in your room, since he is normally very busy during the day doing Death stuff. 

“Yeah, sure.” You said as you tried to sit casually on the bed.

He opened the door and you noticed that he was carrying some books.

“Am I interrupting something?” Namjoon asked and you shook your head.

“Uh, no, I wasn’t doing anything in particular...”

“Why are you sweating?” He asked curiously as he walked up to you.

You blushed, “Um...a little bit ago I was trying to do some exercise, you know build up the muscle. Kind of cooling off now. What’s up?”

He walked up to you and handed you the books, “I realized that I may be a bit harsh telling you to stay in this room with nothing to do. I found some books that you might like so that you don’t have to be here so bored.”

You looked at the books and smiled, touched by the gesture, “No, it’s really touching, thank you.”

“I didn’t know what kind of books you liked, so I selected different genres. If you like, maybe I can have Jin show you where the library is.”

You winced at the mention of Jin, “Uh, that’s okay. Why don’t you show me instead?”

He looked surprised, “Um, sure, I can do that. Just not today since I’m so busy. I just happened to have a small break so I brought the books over.”

You smiled as you traced your finger along the spine of one the books, “Well, thanks for taking time off your busy schedule to visit little old me.”

He smiled, showing his dimples, “I’ll see you around then.”

“I’ll see you around.”

You were still smiling long after he left the room. 

[reedsy-short-stories]

The Glory of Ramadan

by M.A.Q. Rizvon

In the sparsely clouded western sky the splendor of the setting sun was paling into a silvery twilight when the crescent, heralding the birth of Shavval , came into view. And all at once, gleams of joy crept into a million eyes and a million houses rang with the laughter of children rejoicing the eve of Eid.

 Young men congregated in groups of eight or ten and stormed the stalls vending hot jilaebis and steaming glasses of milk. They had the most important task to fulfill.  Finalise tomorrow’s programme of visits to relations and photo studios and the inevitable cinemas.

 And rosy cheeked maidens in the full bloom of youth lay back on sofas or mattresses and pillows spread on floors.  Their joy was in reviewing toorrow’s informal parade of new dresses, new makeup and who knows, start, Insha Allah, of a new romance; the long awaited one could be a guest mong relatilons coming in toconvey Eid Greetings with gifts and flowers in hand.

But in a miserable dwelling in an ill lit quarter of the city, a young man in his underclothes was pacing his little room up and down. Yet another of the educated unemployed,      scions of families clinging to a near regal past and a most difficult present of a jobless and penniless concerns.  An ill managed charity trust helped him meet the barest essentials of a college education. For his living expenses, his eye raised to Allah nd somehow starvation was kept at bay.  The local parliamentarian patronage and he made a handsome living writing speeches and managing his informal office at a low, low remuneration.

 On this night of nights when even the poorest of the land were looking forward to an Eid of Fith’r doles from the affluents, he found no silery lining beyond the dim electric bulbt that was his best companions for nights of worries and lack of sleep. He hd a knotty problem to solve and his inborn good sense preventied him from howling and banging walls to buff out his despair. Nothing in the world allow him to add to the pains and problems of his widowed mother.

 He had yielded to an indiscretion that was unavoidable at his age.  Brand new and gorgeous clothes for Eid! He felt desperate as he reviewed his hopeless situation.   He the foloshness to walk to the city’s high class outfitter – patronized by the Khan Sahib –and ordered a princely attire for himself.  Sherwani, jibba and pyjama of expensive material. The bill: twothousand five hundred rupees!  And it had to be paid and the clothes taken before 8 A.M. the next morning. The tailor was a decent guy but a man of business.  Terms cash and no dithering.  If the deadline was not met, he would call in another client, whose measurements were close to his own and dispose of the master cut outfit that was, as the maker said, fit for a bridegroom!

 Poor Manzoor! His was an unenviable state of mind. The more he thought about the challenge facing him, the more desperate became his state of mind. From where could he hope to earn such a huge sum within so short a time? He had none to help him except his aged, widowed mother whose only  source of funds was a paltry amount of just a thousand rupees she could collect by way of rent for a thatched house in  a distant part of the city.  That too had been spent away days ago. And she could meet household expenses only with the small amounts kind hearted neighbours would lend her now and then. There was not  the faintest hope of his need being fulfilled.

 Yet his determination proved irrevocable.  For, at the age of twenty, he could not be expected to resist the temptations of romance that was being thrust upon every young person from the books, magazine and wall posters all around the city.  

 Hence, it was but natural for him to look upon rich and vivacious Rifath’s regard for him as blind, uninitiated love. To him, the fact did not appear to be of any worth that the courtesy and high regard she extended to him was not for him as a suitor but for his talent as an up and coming Urdu poet and public speaker of rare charm. but her admiration of his talent in composing and reciting exquisite ghazals, lyrics, at youth mushairah’s at the college. And, at literary events in their city, she was asked to introduce him and she called him “My dear friend” and praised him as the “pre eminent poet of the age”. This earned him the jealousy and rage of the high brows who hovered around her on such occasions. And he had felt elated when his own friends called him “Rifath’s boy friend”.

 He felt he owed her the duty to appear immaculately dressed at her Eid party the next evening.  He could not think of any dress other than the Shae rwani and Pyjama that the tailor was getting ready for him, as suitable for the occasion. It was indeed a pity that his abject penury could prevent him from taking delivery of those clothes before eight in the morning when the tailor was sure to find another buyer of his own size for them.

 His mother called him for the night meal but he declined, saying he had been to an Ifthaar party hosted by a friend and they had dumped too many savories on his plate and he would not be able to eat anything more. Unlike other moms she had learnt to respet his oddities and left him alone to sort out his thoughts and soften his mood.

 The city had settled down to a quiet though uneasy sleep. He lay down on his cot (a chaarpaayeeh,  bed formed of a bamboo frame with zigzagging fibre ropes for body rest) and tried to lull himself to sleep.  But an hour crawled by and he could find no respite from the anguish that was choking him..He rose and resumed his practice of pacing up and down his small room and pausing now and then to thump his clenched fist on its lone  table and frowning at his own reflection in the mirror nailed to the wall behind it.

 In the past this drama had helped him to cool down and keep his agony from a violent outburst that could shock his mother. But on this memorable night, it failed him and he had to discipline himself.

 The timepiece on the table told him it was nearing midnight. He realized he could ignore his soaring emotions no more.  The stuffy atmosphere of the room was suffocating him. And his lungs yearned for the fresh air outside. He dressed himself and came out, telling his mother he would have a glass of tea from the stall nearby and came out.

 The night was, unbelievably, pleasant.  A cool breese was on and the thin strilp of starstudded sky amidst the parallel rows of houses in the narrow street was so beautiful and soothing to his nerves and his mental agitation.

 He walked on at a brisk pace, not caring where he was going and why. He felt he should not lose hope. There could be a way out of this mire, the way things in his life had sorted themselves out. He seemed to be in for mental fatigue as he forced himself again and again to think out some way or the other of earning twothousand five hundred rupees before daybreak..  He had no problem finding his way as he had grown up in these narrow and winding lanes and he felt quite safe and sure something would turn up in time to relieve his agony.

 With doubts crisscrossing his mind, it took him half an hour to reach the posh area of the city that was nicknamed by the less fortunates as the Aristoland. The lights wee brighter and more decorous, the tree lined avenue was best maintained and freed of both the dust and grime of other localities. Both sides of this imperious roadway, stood the mansions of the rich and the might, each an enclosed .half acre of manicured lawn and colourful foliage.

 Manzoor noted that only one of the mansions had it lights on and it was the ancestral home of Nawab Mohsin Khn, the current Mayor of the city. Maybe the Leader, as his followers called him, was preparing the speech over radio, that was an annual event of Ramadan. If he had called on the great man earlier in the day, he could have done some good to the rich man and also earned a handsome reward. Maybe the opportunity was not lost. He quickened his pace and reached the mansion within seconds.

 The ornate gate, painted green and gold, opened as he reached it.  The security guard gave him a sylish salute. And like a courtier from their Moghul past, he made a deep bow and said “Welcome Badshah!” as though e was receiving a monarch and not a young man seeking a job and a reward.  He led Manzoor to the huge office room and asked him to be seated. And he called the Nawab Saheb over the intercom and informed him of the young man’s arrival and left. .

 Manzoor sat back, in fact, he sank into the deep comfort of the imported sofa. For once he felt the aura of high living and felt himself a part of fit. He felt the load was off his chest ad he breathed easy and relaxed. Already, from his heart and in his mind, he felt the upsurge of a strange new feeling.  Was it courage, toughness, bravery, the daring to take on the opposition and care not for the consequence?

 The door opened and the Nawab came in.  He was handsome and sprightly, more like Captain Pataudi than the robust, rotund and regal rich of the time. The young visitor rose and walked up to him and they shook hands.

 The big man was eloquent in his welcome: “Khush Aamdeed and Eid Mubarak! I mso happy you came.  Be seated we have to talk lot”.

 “I’ m sorry to disturb you at this hour, Khan Saheb. I was psssing this way with friends than I saw the lights were on and dared to come in”.

 “Manzoor Khan!” It was the big man’s specialty to share his own title with all his friends. “You know we don’t stand on formalities.  You’re welcome any time. But this time it is a Rahmath. blessing, from Allah that you came“.

“Harayeh Khidmah” the visitor said and rose. :If there is anything I can do for you.  We’re honored when you praise us like this”.

 The Khan’s hand signaled him to remain seated and he said, “I don’t know if you were there.  I didn’t go to the Urs of the Dargah last night. Two groups clashed instead of offering salutations and respects to the great saint. The police informed me the riiot was started by the ruffians hired by those who gain from violent upheavals like this. The Chief Minister called me. He was deeply concerned.  Two guys, one a student and the other a salesman are in hospital with serious wounds.  They will recover but the peace and calm  of our city hs been shattered. The CM has asked me to discuss the event with leaders and advise them to reunite and restore the sanctity of the mausoleum.  The Urs had been going onr fo over a thousand years. Other festivals are to follow.  We cannot afford these events of joy and bonhomie to be turned into rowdy battles. I have assured him of my fullest support. And I have convened a leaders’ meeting tomorrow after Eid. Prayers. We will issue a nice appeal to the conscience of the people not to allow even a single repeat  of such devilry anywhere in our district.”

  “If I can write ……”

 “Yes. Sure you’re the best guy for the job.  Here are my notes.  I have a telephone interview with a pressman an hour from now.  And my address to the elders’ meeting tomorrow.  And finally, the masterpiece: Our Joint appeal to the citizens.  Do your best. Allah Will Help You.  This time you will be earning sawaab, religious rewards, from Allah when you reunite people’s hearts and keep them from killing and wounding one another”.

 The Khan rose and walked to the door. He turned and said, “I’ll be back after an hour at the latest. Write as best as you can.  You know my message: Our young people must learn to control and avoid anger and fury.  All the tragedies we have suffered through history resulted from our failure to control our temper.  Our Prophet taught us to keep our cool, whatever the provocation. He is Our Role Model. We must adopt his Uswathul Hus’naa, his incomparable excellence of character and behavior. This is the best guide for our advancement in life.  Allah’s Help is gained and people also take a liking to us. Most people who gain wealth end up with more enemies than friends.  Our Prophet wants us to win hearts and earn triumph through superior thinking and magnificence towards people”.

 The Khan left, closing the door silently after him so the

people inside the mansion would not be disturbed after the hard day they had, of Eid preparations.

             Manzoor collected the papers and took over the desktop he was used to work on. He thought of the long years his family had been allied with the Khan family. His father was the Estate Manager and his mother the best teacher in the free school started by the Khan’s Begum and funded by the Khan himself. The Khan had four sons of his own and yet he doted on Manzoor for his welcomspecial talents in English writing. His boys also liked him and welcomed him, as Dada, elder brother. He retained their trust and regard by scoring the highest runs and  taking the most wickets in all regional tournaments.

            A streak of pain flashed through his being as the memory asserted itself of the disaster his family had suffered in a deadly train accident that turned him into an orphan.The Khan stood by them and remained their constant support ever since. Yet his mother, who was proud of her own ancestry, declined to be dependent on her husband’s employer. She had earned honors in her teaching and sports management of the city’s famed English school. She allowed him to avail the scholarship from a Charity fund.  But for all other expenses, Mom’s salary and even her jewels were at his son’s disposal. But the son, equally a conscientious young man, had never exceeded the monthly allowance she gave him.  

            But she did not oppose her son’s close friendship with the Khan’s children and their dad took liking to him and Manzoor took care of his office work off and on. The pay was good and on this Eid night, he put in extra care and fulfilled his task to the big Mayor’s satisfaction and received a rich reward. With profound thanks he left for home.

            There was a nice breeze as he reached the highway and he felt he could break into a dance. There were five thousand rupees in his pocket.  The tailor would receive half of it and the rest would make his Eid a fabulous experience. He would spend some and save the rest. Mom would never take anything from him. The last time he tried to share with him the prize money  from an essay competition won  by him, there were tears in her eyes and he had to run back to his room to hold his own.

            He thought of going to the tailor whose shop was en route and he should be at work even at that late hour a it was the eve of Eid. He could try his clothes on and satisfy himself that they were indeed of the Paris design and finish as the tailor had promised him.  And he winked to himself in a bout of self confidence as he imagined how he would look, tall and triumphant as he faced his adversaries when he would appear at Rifath’s gala Eid party in his immaculate attire. And Rifath? He checked himself.  That was for tomorrow, No hurry!

[lunaraen]

Jesse

It's never a good sign, when Jesse wakes up with little to no memory of what happened before she fell asleep.

A worse sign is perhaps the pure fogginess of her head, how it's anything but pure and how heavy it feels, in a stuffy way that makes it feel like it may as well be filled with cotton.

But the worst sign is her sniffle. It does nothing to soothe what she's realizing is an extremely congested nose, rivaled only by how difficult it is to open her aching eyes and focus her stubbornly blurry vision.

She hates being sick.

The thing is, it's not even that she's sick that's the worst part, given that she's suspected for a while that the latest adventure, spent wading through swamps searching and finding rare items, as well as the incredibly poor sleep she's been getting since had combined at some point to lead to some kind of unwanted illness.

The worst part is that her finally sharpening sight allows her to focus on how there's somebody by her bed.

Actually, there are several people surrounding her bed, and it takes little more than a few moments to know she's well and truly doomed. She's always up for sleepovers, but she gets a feeling the rest of the Order aren’t here for that.

Ivor's sitting on a chair someone pulled up to be beside her bed, looking down at her over some open novel or other that looks to be about mushrooms as she stirs, and though he's quick to gently push her back into her pillows and covers when she tries to sit up more, she's pretty sure Lukas’s sitting by the bed, his back resting against the frame and his hair just barely visible.

Of course, both Ivor's movement and her own garner the attention of both him and everyone else.

So it's now that her brain chooses to let her know that Petra's the intimidating figure leaning against the door and just now pausing in her whittling, Olivia's taken to observing some blueprint or other on what had been Jesse's barren desk, and Axel's on the floor and sitting by Petra's feet with his legs crossed, his head lolling to the side and held up only by the wall.

It should be peaceful, and it is in a way that makes her heart swell and ache in the best way, but now she's up, which apparently must mean now they have to be up too.

They stay frozen like that for a moment that might go on for hours before jumping to life, quickly crowding the bed with various questions that sound warm but are just too much to make out and too unexpected to really understand as anything other than them being happy to see her.

It all manages to look and sound far more threatening than a wave of monsters in her room would.

She's in trouble.

Jesse sinks back into the bed, which is what Ivor wanted anyways, and finds her smile shifting into a pout as she sniffles again, glaring up at him as she does.

"You drugged me." Is what she means to say. Her nose feels so stuffed up and her poor throat aches at the simplest of sounds that it probably comes across as ''ou drudged meh', but her head aches too much to be sure, one of her temples trying and failing, but trying nonetheless, to stab the rest of her body.

"It's amazing how much like tea a sleeping potion can taste when the person taking it is already delusional and near delirious." Ivor's voice keeps it from being a grouse, his lips twitching up even as he raises an eyebrow, look almost entirely flat as he uncorks a vial and presses it into her shaking hands. It's an unfortunate sign, and perhaps part of the point Ivor's trying to make, that she can barely hold onto it long enough to down the vial. "And now that you're up, drink this."

Her tongue, feeling swollen and heavy in her mouth, can't taste anything, but the potion isn't seemingly concealed or covered by anything else, a glowing pink that she can at least tell is warm.

Part of her wants to argue against the healing potion, how they need to save that for battle or serious emergencies or when one of the others get sick, and oh no they've been around her long enough and they were in the bogs with her what if they get this sick soon and feel miserable too, but she thinks they might all murder her if she does.

Besides, with Ivor being a master alchemist and all whose stock is regularly filled and replaced by their healthy sized budget and a market eager to please, the idea of limited stock really doesn't hold up well.

So she mumbles a quiet, sheepish thank you that sounds rougher than it should as Ivor takes the bottle back.

"You were getting pretty bad, Jesse." And Jesse's expression, if possible, might just turn more sheepish as she looks back at her other friends, Axel covering a yawn from where he stands at the foot of her bed. She also wants to argue against that, but even she knows the circles under her eyes were getting dark enough to look like ink and how that probably wasn't such a good sign at all in hindsight either.

"We're just happy you're okay." Lukas smiles down at her as he puts another blanket, looking like one of his and likely what he was using while waiting for her to wake up, on her substantial but cozy pile.

After scaring them like she's sure she did, death by blanket burial does sound pretty fair.

"Now you just have to recover." Olivia's already got the blueprint rolled up and tucked under her arm, and Jesse's insistence that she can keep using her desk and that Jesse doesn't mind at all does unspoken, choked by a throat that feels like it's full of thorns. The words remain unspoken as her body settles more, relaxing again against her will and her eyes sliding shut as Petra chuckles and ruffles her hair.

"Yeah, get some sleep, you dork. We’ll be right here when you wake up."

[multifandom-damnation]

Falling Grayson

He was falling. From a trapeze in the sky, a mistake. A show-off. An act. He thought he could make it. The offer was too important to refuse.

“If you make the leap, you can catch them. They will live. Just make the leap, as you have every other time before this.” And he watched as they plummeted from the top of the tower to the dirty, hard pavement below. Falling like a stone.

He had watched them sink in the viscous air too thick to be clean but too thin to be dirty. Somewhere in the middle. They fell in a flurry of reds and greens and yellows. Of blacks and blues and whites. He could see them splattering on the cracked pavement far, far below.

He had leapt. A simple leap, one he had done many times before. Off of buildings, out of the way of bullets and blades. From a trapeze wire at the circus into the awaiting arms of his parents. He has always performed this very trick.

He should not have “performed”. He was just told to “leap”. Not “perform this leap” to save them. He shouldn’t have performed. He did the leap he always did, the performance he put on for the circus goes, who wanted a show and had come to watch the Flying Graysons “perform”.

He was so used to performing that leap. That he was all about the performance. And when he performed that leap when he was young, he always showed off. That's what he did. He showed off. And missed.

He missed. And they fell. They fell screaming like a bird whose wings had been clipped. But that’s what they were, weren’t they? Birds that were born and bred to be broken. Pieces on a chess board waiting to be taken by the other team. In this case, the other team was death.

Were they the black pieces or the white ones?

They screamed for him. “Help us!” “Dick please, catch us!” “Help us please!” ”We love you, Dick!” And when he had missed, the begging to be saved had turned into begging for him to die. “How could you?” “You promised you would always be there to catch us when we fell!” “What kind of big brother are you?” “I hate you, Grayson!”

He didn’t know which he hated more.

He couldn’t watch his family die because he had failed to catch them. He couldn’t watch the great expanse of red on the ground as it spread into a sea of maroon, into a dark puddle of failure and guilt. Couldn’t bear to hear the squelch and the crunch of bones and body hitting, crumbling, bursting, breaking. So he made his decision.

He leapt.

The trapeze had gone, blown away by the wind. He never wanted to see another one again. He doubts he ever would. He flipped, he twirled, he dived. He turned and watched the grey sky slowly fade behind the clouds.

It was going to rain.

He watched as he saw the tops and bodies of smaller buildings came into view the longer he fell. He heard the squelch and the crunch of a heap of bodies landed on the hard pavement. He watched for the final time as the bat-signal came on, brightness in the black sky. His last thought before he hit the ground was the only one that really mattered to him.

“I’m sorry”

And he closed his eyes and waited for the impact and his bones to break and body to land in a crumpled heap next to those of his family. The Robins, the Bats, the Reds, the Support. Bruce, Jason, Tim. Babs, Cass, Kate. Steph, Dami, Alfred.  All gone. Because of him.

He closed his eyes and waited for the death he deserved.

But it never came.

Dick woke up in a cold sweat, breathing hard. He looked out his window, it was still snowing. The first snow they had gotten in ages. It was why Jason and Tim had been forced to stay the night. Bruce wouldn’t let either of them go. Tim didn’t need much convincing, he gets sick easily since his spleen was removed, but the only way to get Jason to stay was a phone call from Roy and Kori.

He checked the clock resting on his bedside table. 2:27 AM Tuesday 14/3/17

Dick suddenly had an urge that could not be ignored. He wanted to see his family. He stood up and pulled on a jumper, his tracksuit bottoms not enough to brave the cool air. He didn’t, bother with shoes, just got up and left the room. Alfred would be very annoyed with him if he found out.

Everyone was asleep in their old rooms. Some of them hadn’t been lived in for years. The manor had plenty of bedrooms, so Bruce’s many kids always had somewhere to sleep. When he got out onto the landing, he found that he actually had no idea what he was doing. Where was he going? He closed his eyes and sighed, but the images of bodies falling into empty space shone behind his closed eyelids like shadow puppets. Suddenly he felt himself moving, floorboards cool on his bare feet.

He had made his way to Jason’s room and had pushed open the door before he could lose his wits. The light from the street light outside the window illuminated the scene before him. Jason’s guns littered all along the far wall like rag dolls he hadn’t bothered to put away, clothes flung haphazardly across the floor, his helmet on its side on his desk as though it had fallen over in the night, uniform dumped unceremoniously on the end of the bed, a packet of cigarettes under the pillow, window slightly ajar to make the room less stuffy. He made his way over to Jason’s bed, careful not to stand on the floorboards that moaned and creaked. He looked over Jasons sleeping face once he had reached the bed, his face slightly scrunched up, as though he was also having a nightmare. Or he just didn’t want to be here. Dick did not want to wake him, so instead of soothing his hair or caressing his cheek, he took the box of cigarettes from under the pillow and put them in his pocket, and left the room.

Next was Tim, whose door was slightly open anyway, which was good because that meant that Dick didn’t have to worry about the handle that squealed when it turned. He had left his desk lamp on, which shone on papers and uncapped pens. Always working. Tim was asleep spread-eagled above the covers, his face buried into his pillow. It was and amazement that Tim had fallen asleep at all. Dick went across to turn off his light and cap his pens, then went back on his adventure.

Dick hesitated then, outside of Damian's door. Would he wake up, tell Dick to get out? He had been the one to say “I hate you”. What would happen when he went into that room. When he opened the door he could not see a thing. No lights were on, and the black-out blinds were drawn over the window. Dick wouldn’t even have known that Damian was asleep if he hadn’t heard the soft snores coming from the other side of the bed. As he made to leave, Dicks' foot kicked the handle of a katana blade that Dami had left on the floor. Damian stirred at hearing the familiar clink of the blades. Dick quietly bent down to pick them up and place them back on their stand by the door.

Next was the girls. That wouldn’t be too hard. Steph had arranged the girls all sleep in the large bedroom on the second floor and have a “sleepover”. The only person who had happily agreed was Cass, but Kate and Babs went along with it anyway. Dick made his way up to the top floor landing and quietly opened one of the huge double doors. They were all lying on top of one another on the bed, a mass of limbs and bodies. Not the dead sort. Breathing could be heard from them, and loud storing from Steph signalled that at least, she, was alive. Dick stayed there for a little while longer before he made his way out. Before he could he heard a soft voice call out to him.

“Dick?” Cass mumbled as she rolled over to face him “What are you doing here?”

“Nothing,” he whispered back, hushed and urgent, “just making sure everyone was alright. I thought Steph might have bored you to death. Go back to sleep, Cassie.”

With a small chuckle, Cass road back over and the small breathing could be heard again.

Duke, Alfred and  Luke were not in the manor. Luke and Duke couldn’t make it to the Manor before the storm hit and Alfred was out visiting a sick friend in the hospital, hoping the family could look after themselves for 24 hours. He settled for sending them a text.

Everything ok? Just wanted to make sure.

Not expecting a reply he put his phone away, only to have it buzz again and he had to pull it out. It was a text from Alfred. He wasn’t sure that Alfred even did texts.  

What has happened Master Richard? I am quite alright, but has something happened back at the Manor?

No Alf, just wanted to make sure everything was ok, what with the snow storm and all. Goodnight

Goodnight Master Richard.

He waited a few more seconds in case anyone else replied, but they didn’t, so he made his way over to Bruce’s room. That was easy enough. He just made his way up the stairs and to the tall, oak double doors. He pushed them open slowly, as he had done many years before, and he looked. He saw Bruce lying on his side, facing the window that was wide open. The room was freezing, so Dick went over to close the window, trying to make as little sound as he could, but the window was old. The glass shook and the boards rubbed against each other. Dick turned around to look into Bruce’s face, taut with worry lines and tiredness. He was breathing deeply and grunted every now and again from the pain from the rib he broke 2 weeks prior.

But still very much…alive.

They all were His family is safe. They are alive. They are here, with him in the manor.   It was all ok.

Dick went back to his room, images of death still behind his eyes, but he felt much better knowing everyone was alright.

If Dick had looked behind him before he had closed the doors to Bruces room, he would have seen Bruce look up and a small “Dick…?” escape his lips, before he put it down to his imagination and went back to sleep.

This is just a small “welcome back for 2 days” for the lovely, amazing, beautiful and talented @whore4batfam . I hope this makes you proud and that you like it xx