#as dinner one serving only in the smallest bowl we have

[lisa-yona]

feel like an unhealthy relationship with food snuck into my life but this time not on purpose.

[geminigirl0298]

Safe (Part 2)

Relationship: Dom!Reader x Sub!Loki x Sub!Bucky

Summary: The Avengers are giving the newly reformed Loki a hard time, so you and Bucky decide to take him under your wing. Sexually. (Dom!Reader x Sub!Loki x Sub!Bucky)

Word Count: 5.9k

A/N: Here is part 2! Ty to @green-mischief-managed for beta-ing this piece! Y'all should get at them to beta your stories!

Warnings: SMUT, minors DNI, 18+, NSFW, handjob, oral sex (female receiving), mentions of spanking, use of paddles, cock rings, vibrators, anal sex, penetrative, vaginal sex, cream pies, threesome, polyamory, voyeurism

Part 1 Masterlist

PART 2

7:53 pm.

The green-eyed god splashed water on his face. He dried it with a fluffy towel, then gripped the sides of the glass bowl sink. Loki was nervous, which was ridiculous considering his millennia of sexual escapades. From threesomes to orgies, chains and whips, voyeurism, and some very questionable humanoid forms, he had done it all. Thor used to jokingly call him a whore — which was laughable considering the hero’s own indulgences — but it was the truth. Loki loved sex. Craved it. He was comfortable with things that would send most people running for the hills. Yet when it came to you, he felt like a virgin.

7:55 pm

Loki left his room. The emptiness of his floor had nothing to do with the other Avengers being out of the tower. No one trusted him, so no one wanted him to have a room on the common floor. This meant Loki was locked away on the smallest one, which used to be used as storage. He never minded being alone, but lately, he found the solitude to be lonely.

You would visit him at times. Your company served as his break from the madness that was his mind. Thanos, New York, New Mexico… he never quite forgot it. The memories were there in his head. Most days he could ignore it. Others, it was harder to do so, but nothing bothered him like waking up to a deserted floor and realizing that he had no one.

7:57 pm

The elevator ride down to the floor you and Bucky shared was short – ten seconds, to be exact. Loki had counted on one of his previous trips to the floor. Both you and Bucky had invited him down to watch movies or for dinner on several occasions. At first he declined all invitations. He wanted to be left alone. The guilt from his crimes was eating him alive, and he used his forced confinement as a punishment. He deserved it.

7:58 pm

After a while, he gave in. He accepted the first invite on a dreary Friday evening to watch a horror flick and eat sushi. Despite the lack of imagination that went into the movie, Loki found he actually enjoyed himself. It was nice to be in the company of people who did not fear him or look at him like he would gut them at any given moment. You even permitted him to use your floor as he pleased, which is how he was able to hear the two of you fornicating the night before.

7:59 pm

He did find it strange at first that you and Bucky had a separate floor. Captain Rogers and Agent Romanoff were in a relationship, yet they shared a room on the common floor with everyone else. You and Bucky even had separate rooms. After this morning, he understood why.

8:00 pm

His hand reached out to knock on your door. It slid open of its own volition. “Mr. Laufeyson is here.”

Loki jumped. He was still not used to the A.I. The voice bothered him and sounded like another way to keep tabs on him, so he asked Stark to disable it. Of course, that request met with a loud chuckle. It was not until he voiced these concerns to you that the matter was handled. Per the rules of his stay, the A.I. was not disabled, but you made it so J.A.R.V.I.S only spoke to him when he called out, or something was amiss in the tower.

“Thank you, Jarvs.” He heard your voice before he saw you. You stepped out in a silk robe, tied carelessly at the side and stopping mid-thigh. “Loki! You’re here!” There was a paddle in your left hand that got his attention. “Oh,” you tossed it aside, “that was for Bucky. He got a little too excited while we were playing.”

You walked into the room. After a moment of contemplation, Loki followed. The door shut behind him with a soft hiss, and he let his eyes wander around the room. He noted that it was bigger than his. Stark gave him a simple room consisting of a bed, dresser, and an adjoined bathroom. This was at least twice as big. A mix of modernity and class decorated the room, dark walls contrasting nicely with the lighter furniture. Besides the king-sized bed in the centre, there was a hassock at the end, and an armchair near the double doors of what he assumed was the bathroom.

A naked Bucky was kneeling in front of the armchair. His hands were behind his back, clenching and unclenching in an attempt to control himself. There was a long, vibrating phallus protruding from between his butt cheeks. Loki noted the red marks scattered across the soldier’s ass and shuddered.

“Oh, don’t worry about Bucky. I can’t actually hurt him. He just loves being spanked.” You stepped in front of Loki and placed your hands on his chest. They moved up over the woven material of his sweater and into his hair, fingernails scraping his freshly washed scalp. Loki mewled and dipped his head to allow you more access. “Do you like being spanked?”

“Sometimes,” he admitted.

You grinned. “I bet you do.” Your hands moved to cup his backside, giving it a firm squeeze. “And do you like it more in front, or from the back?”

His eyes strayed to Bucky again. “B-both,” he stammered. “I like both.” Your hands left him. He whimpered at the loss of contact, but one stern look from you shut him up.

The paddle you had discarded lay on the carpet. You picked it up and sauntered over to Bucky. With a gentle hand, you let the rectangular end of the paddle touch his ass. Bucky jumped out of his skin.

“Shh.” You sat on the armchair in front of him. His head lifted to look at you, and through the sweat and harsh breathing, Loki saw nothing but adoration in the soldier’s blue eyes. “Look who came to play with us, baby.” You turned his head towards Loki. “Say hi.”

“Hi,” mumbled Bucky. His eyes were heavy-lidded, lashes casting long shadows on his sculpted cheeks. Loki nodded in response to the greeting. The way you stroked Bucky’s hair had a feeling of envy washing over him. He wanted to be the one at your feet. He wanted to be the one receiving your attention.

“We’re gonna give you a little rest now, okay?” The soldier nodded as you reached down to grasp the phallus within him. You carefully rotated it out of his asshole and turned it off. Bucky pitched forward in relief. His head found your lap, allowing you to stroke his hair. “It’s okay. You’re okay.”

He watched you card your fingers through the soldier’s hair until his body stopped shaking. Even after he stopped, you continued your motions, going as far as to place soft kisses on the side of his stubbled face. Loki’s fist clenched.

“Can you sit, baby?” The soldier nodded. “Good. Sit on the pillow for me, go on. I’m gonna play with Loki for a bit.” There was a square pillow on the floor near the bed. Bucky sat on it and leaned his head back against the mattress. As he did so, Loki noticed the most peculiar thing. Though his body was relaxed, the super-soldier’s cock was at attention. The thick, veiny member reached for the ceiling, and around the base was a circular object.

The circle was a polished blue, taking on a marbled appearance. Lines of silver swirled through the ocean tones. Loki turned his head to the side. He analyzed how Bucky’s penis was swollen, almost visibly throbbing, and concluded it served as some sort of construction.

“It’s a cock ring,” you informed him. “Have you ever used one before?”

“I have not.” Your eyes blew wide.

“Really?” You stood up and walked over to him. “You? You’re a thousand years old and have never used a cock ring?” Loki shook his head. “Would you like to?” Before he could answer, you reached into the pocket of your robe and pulled out a velvet bag.

“What’s this?” he asked. You handed it to him.

“It’s for you.” Loki turned over the bag to empty the contents into his hand. A ring similar to Bucky’s fell into his open palm. His green eyes roamed over the jade stone and swirling gold lines. “Do you like it?”

Loki looked down at you. “It’s beautiful.”

“It’ll look even prettier around your hard cock.” The shift in your voice resulted in a sharp intake of breath from the god. Your eyes were dark with lust, tone stern, and he knew it was time to listen to you. “Do you want me to put it around your pretty cock, sweet boy?”

Loki almost moaned. The nickname set off a visceral response that had his pants feeling a size too small. “Yes.”

“Yes, what?” You reached down to palm him through his pants. “What do you want me to do?”

“I-Fuck! I want you to put it around my pretty cock.”

“Well, I can’t put it around your cock if I can’t see it.” You walked backward to the chair and took a seat. Crossing your legs, you gave him a smirk. “Undress.”

Loki started with his sweater first. He pulled the black top over his head to reveal his bare chest. Next, his hands traveled to the waistband of his pants. The sweatpants he had chosen for the night pooled around his bare feet with one hard tug. He had forgone underwear, leaving his nude body to the desire-fill stares of you and Bucky.

“On your knees,” you ordered. “Crawl to me.” He did as he was told. Your eyes tracked his movements until he was in front of you. When he came to a stop, you leaned forward to grip his chin. “Good boy.” You motioned to his erect cock. “Looks like someone is excited. Are you excited?”

Loki moaned as you seized his cock. Your warm hand felt like a heater on his member. “Yes, I’m excited.” You held out your palm.

“Give me the cock ring.” He gave it to you. “Open your mouth.” Loki obliged, and you slid the cold device past his lips. “I need you to get that nice and warm for me before I put it on you.”

While Loki sucked on the ring, you reached over to the nightstand and pulled out a little blue bottle with a white cap. You flicked open the top and hovered the tip over his cock. He hissed when the cold jelly fell onto his skin. “Y/N!” The shout was muffled by the device in his mouth.

“It’s just a little lube, sweet boy.” You used your fingers to spread the clear substance over his throbbing member. Every swipe of your digits made him thrust his hips towards you. “Give it to me.” He opened his mouth and you took it, then grabbed his cock with the other. You positioned the toy at his head, and a whimper slid past his lips. “Relax, sweet boy. What’s your safe word?”

That was a difficult question to answer. He had used and given so many over his lifespan that it was hard to zero in on just one. “I have many.”

“Choose a new one,” you told him. “One that’s just for you and me. It can be anything.”

His cheeks reddened. Your use of ‘you and me’ had only one word coming to mind. “Pancakes.” A snort sounded from behind him.

“Bucky.” Your voice was a reprimand. “Do you want more lashes on that red bottom? With the belt this time?” The soldier quieted down. “Ignore him,” you told Loki. “I think it’s a lovely safe word. Now take a deep breath for me, and don’t be afraid to use it.”

Loki breathed in as you began sliding the ring onto his shaft. It gave a little trouble around the head, but managed to go on smoothly once you were past it. You lifted a brow by way of asking him how it was, and he answered, “A little snug.”

“It’s supposed to be like that. Is it painful?” You were rubbing the head of his cock with your thumb. Even if he were in pain, Loki doubted he would admit it. “Loki, I need you to be honest with me. Does it hurt?”

“No.”

“Good.” You released him and leaned back. The edge of your robe was already short. Now that you sat down, it rode up about two inches higher than it was before. Loki eyed the bare skin with a hunger. As though you read his mind, you spread your legs to give him a glimpse of your soaking lips.

“Bucky was eating me out while we were waiting on you.” Loki felt your hands in his hair. Your fingers gripped the locks and pulled him close, so close that he was sure you could feel his breath on your hot cunt. “He got a little too excited and I had to punish him, so we didn’t get to finish. Would you like to finish me off, sweet boy?”

“Yes,” Loki nodded enthusiastically. “Yes, please.”

“Go on then.” You guided his head to the apex of your thighs, and he got to work. Loki was good at using his tongue. Whether it be lying or licking, his talent was unrivaled, and he wanted to show you just how good he was. Within seconds he had your moans filling the air.

Though Loki was the one giving you pleasure, he knew well that you were in control. Your hands stayed in his hair to hold him to your cunt, and he kept his behind his back. Even though he wanted to grab your thighs and throw your legs over his shoulder, he refrained. He wanted to be your good boy, not like Bucky, who had to be disciplined for bad behaviour.

“You’re so good, sweet boy,” he heard you breathe out. He glanced up at you to find your head rocked back against the chair. Your eyes were screwed shut, mouth open in silent gasps. His teeth grazed against your clit and your hips thrust into his face. “Oh!”

He heard panting from behind him. The sight of his face buried between your legs was getting Bucky worked up again. You heard it, too, since you opened your eyes and gave Loki a knowing grin. “I think Bucky’s getting lonely. Better hurry up, sweet boy.”

Loki did not need to be told twice. He increased his speed, licking and nibbling your clit in a cyclic pattern. Had he been allowed the use of his hands, he would already have you undone. Instead, he alternated between tongue-fucking your walls and circling your clit until he felt your grip tighten. Your legs came up and over his shoulders, heels digging into the muscles of his back. He felt your body contract for just a moment, and then you came into his mouth with a loud sigh.

He lapped up all of the juices as best as he could while you recovered. His lips pressed kisses to your thighs—soft, tender, because he wanted to be your favourite. You tapped his head by way of bringing his attention to you. When he looked up, you leaned down to give him a kiss. Loki swore his corrupted soul travelled to Valhalla and back in that very moment. He pouted when the kiss was over.

“Don’t pout,” you chided. You reached down to grab the ring around his cock. A hiss left his lips when you twisted it. “Just making sure it’s not too tight. It looks so good on you. Don’t you think it looks good on you?”

“Yes,” Loki whimpered, and laid his head on your knee. The movements were sending vibrations up his shaft and radiating to the base of his spine. His pleasure was increased further by the lube, which had long begun to tingle on his skin.

“Bucky chose it,” you told him. “He said the green matched your eyes. Do you want to thank Bucky for choosing such a nice toy for you?” He looked up at you with lidded eyes. “Yes you do, because you’re a good boy. Come over here, Buck.” Loki heard shifting, and then the blue-eyed soldier was right next to him. A gentle hand lifted his head. Your other hand rested behind Bucky’s head, pushing them together until their noses bumped.

Loki felt the soldier’s lips descend on his. He had kissed men before. Some were gentle, more were rough, and a few just let him take the lead. Bucky was more of the dominant type. His hot tongue slipped into Loki’s mouth and began exploring the orifice. Loki moaned low. He gasped when he felt a nip on his bottom lip. Bucky was grinning when you pulled them apart.

“Was he good, Buck?” you asked.

“So good,” Bucky replied. His eyes went to you, taking on an uncharacteristic shyness. “C-can I fuck him? His ass looked so good when he was eating you out.”

“That’s up to Loki.” Bucky’s forehead creased. “I’m serious. It’s his first time with us, and he’s behaved so well. You can fuck him if he says it’s okay.” Your eyes met Loki’s. “Do you want Bucky to fuck you, sweet boy? Hmm?” Your fingers stroked his hair. It was as though you could not get enough of the locks, or maybe you had figured out it calmed him.

Either way, Loki loved it. The feel of your nails against his scalp reduced him to the most docile little sub. He placed his head back on your knee and said, “I want whatever you want.” Your answer pleased him.

“Oh, you are a good boy, aren’t you.” His silence was rewarded with a kiss. “Buck, grab the lube. Loki, go lay on the bed on your side.” He did as he was told, choosing to face the wall rather than the window. Your naked body appeared in front of him moments later. “Hi, sweet boy.”

“Hello,” he mumbled back. The bed behind him dipped under Bucky’s weight. Loki tensed, and you shot him a worried glance. “I haven’t done this in a while,” he admitted.

“Do you want to stop?” Your voice was back to normal, hand stroking his cheek in fluid movements. “You can use your safe word if you want. There’s no shame in it.”

“I’m fine,” he promised. You cared about him so much it almost brought a tear to his eye.

“Okay,” you whispered. You kissed his forehead, then directed your attention to Bucky. “Be gentle with him, baby. Take your time.”

“I will.” Bucky’s metal hand touched his hip. Cool fingers danced along his spine until they reached his asscrack. He heard a squirting noise — the lube — before feeling fingers at his entrance. A metal digit pressed down on his rosebud to relax the muscle, then slipped in. “You’re tight.” Bucky sounded surprised. “Not at all what I expected from a sex-drunk god.”

Loki moaned when Bucky curled his finger. The slippery metal created a sensation he had never felt before. Another finger began to push in, and Loki’s head fell forward onto your shoulder with a groan.

“Are you ready?” Bucky asked, moving his fingers in a scissoring motion. The only answer was a guttural moan. “Yeah, he’s ready.” Loki could hear the smile in the man’s voice.

A kiss was pressed to the back of his head, another to his forehead. Your hands travelled down his back to cup his cheeks. He felt you gingerly pull his ass cheeks apart. “Relax, sweet boy.” Bucky’s hot tip poked his entrance. The head pushed past the ring of muscle, and Loki whimpered at the stretch. “You’re doing so well.” Bucky bottomed out, and your hands were in his hair again. You held him to your shoulder while Bucky began to move.

Loki hissed at the first thrust. It was so deep, and Bucky’s girth filled him to the brink. The soldier’s hands went to his hips as his pace picked up. Soon, all Loki could hear was moans. All he could feel was Bucky’s balls slamming into his skin and the immense pleasure the stimulation of his g-spot was bringing him.

“How is he, baby?” you asked

“So fucking good, doll,” Bucky breathed out. The man sounded like he was miles away. “Feels so good.” You chuckled.

“And how are you, sweet boy? Does it feel nice?” He whined when your hand gripped his cock. “Do you like Bucky fucking you?” Loki could not respond. Barnes had set a punishing pace that had his mind in pieces. All he could manage was an incoherent noise. “I’ll take that as a yes.”

Your grip on him tightened, and he felt wetness on the tip of his cock. A glance down found you teasing yourself with his head. The swollen member pulsed in your hand with every swipe against your folds. Behind him, Bucky was nearing his end. Loki recognized the shift from controlled to sloppy thrusts and knew the man would not last much longer. He was not at all shocked when, a few seconds later, he felt the hot spurt of Bucky’s seed in his ass.

Bucky groaned low as he came. The sound reverberated off the walls, filling the entire room with the sinful noise. His hips thrust wildly until they came to a complete stop. He braced a hand on Loki’s hip as he pulled out, making Loki groan at the loss.

“My turn.” A gentle shove had Loki turning onto his back. You straddled him, grip firm on his cock, and slid down in one smooth motion. Out of habit, Loki’s hands went to your hips. A sharp look from you had them falling away. “Good boy,” you petted his head. “I’m going to fuck you now, okay?”

“Okay.” Your hips moved slowly, grinding instead of bouncing. Loki appreciated the gentle movements. He once had a young giantess bounce on him so hard she cracked his hipbone. Loki had not been able to walk for a week. The careful, teasing pace you set was just right. There was no rush or competition; just you on top of him, riding him into oblivion.

Your hand turned his head to the side, exposing his neck. He felt his carotid beating, and you must have seen it through his skin, since the next thing he felt was your tongue over the pulsation. You sucked the skin hard, no doubt leaving a mark for everyone to see. Loki just bit his lip. He was yours now, and it was clear you wanted everyone to know it.

“Hold my hips.” Greedy hands flew to your sides. Loki gripped you with a bruising force. Your pace picked up, hips moving wildly over him. His cock was massaged from all sides. Your tight walls gripped him with a squeezing hold. “Fuck!” You fell forward, hands catching you just above his shoulders. The position caused your breasts to hover over his face, and he looked at them in need.

“Y/N?” Loki whined. His eyes were fixated on your nipples. “Can I…?”

“Yes, sweet boy. Suck my tits.” Your voice was a pant. Loki latched onto a nipple and began swirling it around in his mouth. Sharp fingernails gripped his shoulder to the point of breaking the skin. He ignored the bite of pain that radiated down his arm.

You looked so good above him. Sweat slid down between the valley of your breasts and dripped onto his forehead . The clench of your walls and massage of your cervix was killing him. He wanted nothing more than to begin thrusting up into you. Loki knew he could flip you on your back and have you crying his name in mere seconds if he wanted. The thing was, you were in control. You were taking care of him, which meant he had to lie there and let you fuck him.

Truth be told, he did not mind it. You knew exactly what you were doing, and Loki was lost in the pleasure. The orgasm that had been building with Bucky reared its head again, and before long he felt the telltale signs of his impending end.

“Y/N,” he warned. “I’m gonna—”

“Cum for me,” you told him. “Cum inside of me. It’s okay.” One of your fingers reached down to circle your clit. Loki watched the action with hooded eyes. His spine was tingling, abdomen rigid. The closer you got to your end, the closer he got to his. He focused all his attention on you — your face, your breathing, the way your breast bounced. On a whim, Loki bit down on your nipple. Your head flew back with a cry. He felt your walls clench around him, and then he was cumming.

It felt like the longest orgasm ever. His hips lifted off the bed. Instead of the usual spurts, his seed left him in one long stream. He clenched his fist as he waited for the euphoria to pass. Forever and a day went by before he felt his muscles relax, and his hips returned to the bed.

You were already lying on his chest. Your body was slumped, chest heaving, yet you found the strength to lift your hips off of him. A mixture of both your juices came out with his cock. You reached down to touch the ring. Loki hissed and moved away.

“Stay still.” You flattened a hand on his lower abdomen. “I need to take that off you before it starts to hurt.” Loki tried his best to stay still. The ring made his cock extra sensitive, so every movement felt like a shock. Tears sprang to his eyes when you finally removed it. The blood rushed in, and his entire lower body began to prickle.

“Y/N—”

“It’s okay, Lokes. I know.” You laid on your side next to him, hand pushing back his sweaty hair. “You’re gonna be sensitive for a while. Just relax for me, okay? I won’t touch it again.” Loki closed his eyes. He heard water running in the background and deduced Barnes was taking a shower. The man’s absence had gone completely unnoticed until now.

“Bucky knew it was time to leave us alone. He offered to stay in his room tonight so you and I could have a chance to talk.” Your leg was over his waist, careful to avoid his still throbbing member. The fingers of your right hand caressed his cheek as you spoke. “Tell me how you feel?”

“I feel…” Loki trailed off. Good felt like the obvious answer. Most people felt good after sex or an orgasm. Great just felt like he was trying too hard. He thought about the way his mind felt. There was a tranquility that had not been there before. The way you and Bucky took care of him, welcomed him into your relationship, stirred up an emotion that eluded him for years. “Safe,” he finished. “I feel safe.”

You kissed his cheek. “That’s good to hear. I’m glad you felt safe enough to join us, and that you trusted me enough to let me take the lead. That trust will be important if you decide to go forward with this.”

Loki furrowed just brow. “‘This?’”

“Our relationship, silly. The three of us.” Loki looked at you like you had grown a second head. “Have you never heard of polyamory?”

“No, I have,” Loki replied. “It’s just… you want me? For more than a night?”

Your answer was simple. “Yes.”

“Why?” The question came out as a sob. “No one here likes me. Why do you and Sergeant Barnes care for me so?”

“Because Bucky sees himself in you,” you told him. “And I have a thing for redemption. You’re not a bad man, Loki; you just fell in a bad way. Let Bucky and I help you love yourself again. Say yes.”

“Yes.”

“Good boy.” You kissed him again, letting him take the lead this time. The supple skin of your lips parted to let his tongue into your mouth. French-kissing was normally a turn-off for Loki. He hated the feel of a slimy appendage in his mouth, or sliding his tongue into someone else’s. However, with you and Bucky, he found he did not mind it.

“I’m guessing he said yes?” Loki started in the direction of the voice. Barnes was standing at the foot of the bed, a towel slung low on his hips. His impressive chest was still glistening with moisture from his shower.

“He did.” Bucky grinned. He leaned down to kiss Loki’s cheek, then your lips, and said, “Don’t worry about his stuff, doll. I’ll move it down tonight.” Loki looked between the two of you.

“My stuff? What about my stuff?”

“Oh, you’re moving down here with us, Lokes.” You said it like it was the most obvious thing in the world. “I never should have let Tony stick you up in the stupid storage room. There’s an extra room down here. No more solitude for you. When you’re ready, you can decorate it how you like.”

This time, Loki did cry. Hot tears fell from his eyes in rivers. He buried his face in the crook of your neck and let himself fall apart. “Thank you,” he sobbed. “This means so much to me.”

“You don’t have to thank me, sweet boy. We want to do this for you.” Loki pulled his head out of your neck to look at you again. Barnes was gone, and it was just the two of you. “Do you want to take a bath with me? I can go run one for us.”

Loki nodded. “Yes, please. I like the temperature cool.”

“Of course, Lokes.” You kissed his cheek. “You’ll stay with me tonight, okay? I need to make sure you’re alright.” You patted his cheek. He watched you walk into the bathroom and leave the door open. The water started, hard at first against the tub and then quieter as it began to fill. By the time you came out to get him, Loki was fast asleep.

ooOOoo

Contrary to his belief, things were not awkward the next morning. You wanted to sleep in, so Bucky collected Loki and brought him down to the breakfast area. He made good on his promise to teach him to make pancakes, although he ended up doing much of it himself. All Loki really did was stir the batter. The men kept up a high level of conversation as they sat at the table. Loki was facing the door, Bucky at his side, so he was able to spot you as soon as you walked in.

“Morning, guys.” You were in a fluffy robe like the day before, long and secured at the side. Bucky smiled at you as you entered.

“Mornin’, doll. Sleep well?”

“So well.” You stretched your arms wide over your head, then gave Bucky a peck on the cheek. Though he tried not to let it affect him, Loki felt a little envy stir in his chest. It only lasted for a few seconds. As soon as you turned your smile on him, he melted. “Hey, sweetie.”

“Hey.” You took a seat on his lap and kissed him. His head spun with the action. Your hands moved up into his hair, and just when he was about to ask if he could take you on the table, someone walked in.

“Hey, Buck— Oh!” Loki pulled back to see a red-faced Captain Rogers standing in the doorway. Stark was next to him, as was Natasha, both their eyes wide as they took in your position on his lap.

“I’m sorry,” the billionaire began. “Did I fucking miss something?”

You placed your feet in Bucky’s lap. His hands immediately began to massage one. “Loki’s with us now. We moved his stuff onto our floor last night, and I wanted to take him out today to get some paint for his room. He can do that, right Steve? He hasn’t left the tower in so long, and he’s been so well behaved.”

Steve shot a look at Tony. He stared back, and gave a helpless shrug. “I suppose so,” Rogers mumbled. “Bucky would have to go with you, of course, in case anything happens.”

Bucky made a noise of impatience. “He’s not gonna try anything, punk. Come eat. Loki made pancakes.”

Natasha eyed them. “They do look better than yesterday’s.” Her eyes went to Bucky. “You supervised him?”

“Yes, Natalia,” Bucky sighed. “You’re very judgmental for someone who can’t cook themselves, you know. Lighten up. Look,” he pointed to Steve, who had already dug in. “Your boyfriend’s already eating.”

“They’re good, babe,” Steve nodded. “Really good. Great job, Loki.”

“Thank you,” he replied. The three other Avengers took seats at the table, hungry hands reaching for the golden fluffs. Loki eyed you with wonder in his eyes. “They’re being civil,” he whispered. “To me.”

“I told you we’d take care of you.” Like yesterday, Bucky placed a plate of pancakes in front of him. He then handed over the syrup with a knowing grin . “Eat up,” you coaxed. “We have a long day of shopping ahead of us.”

Loki picked up the fork. Everyone was eating now, conversation flowing like a river. Captain Rogers brought up the topic of an upcoming mission and all at the table were engrossed. Ideas were being thrown around left and right – how best to handle the situation, which Avengers should go, who was still beat up from the last time. To Loki, the answer was obvious.

“It should be me.” The table went silent.

Stark lifted his chocolate brown gaze to the man. “What?”

“I..” Loki shrank back. He had gotten ahead of himself. Just because the team had sat with him for breakfast once did not mean they had accepted him. His mouth opened to retract his statement, and he caught sight of Bucky. The soldier was giving him an encouraging smile. You, on his lap, were stroking the nape of his neck in a coaxing manner.

“It should be me.” His back straightened. “Sergeant Barnes is obviously tired from the last one, so are you and Sam Wilson. The archer is back with his family, and Dr. Banner refuses to leave his lab. So, unless you’re planning to send Agent Romanoff alone or contact my brother, I think it's high time you let me on missions.”

No one had an immediate rebuttal. The three Avengers stared at Loki with mixed expressions. Only you and Bucky did not react in an offended manner.

“Or let me stay here,” Loki tacked on, “and risk your collective tiredness tanking the mission.”

Steve was the one to speak first. The blue-eyed man measured him with a long stare, then asked, “How’s your training going?”

“Would be better if you would all stop trying to kill me,” Loki quipped. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Romanoff smirk.

“What about protocols?” Rogers fired off. “How to contact H.Q.? What to do if one of us gets seriously injured? How to contact the team if we get lost?”

“I’ve read the manual cover to cover. I am quite sure I can recite it word for word if need be.” Rogers looked impressed. Even Stark raised his eyebrows at the boast.

“Alright then,” the captain said. “It’s settled.”

You lifted your head off of Loki’s shoulder. “You’re letting him join you? Seriously?”

“Oh no. This was his idea.” Steve leaned back in his chair. A dab of syrup was on his mouth and his tongue flicked out to get it. “I hope you’re ready, Laufeyson. Next mission, you’re taking point."

Taglist: @lettersandsodas @itshemlxck @sheris532 @lokis-little-fawn @wolfcyanide @memenerdlover @profoundtyrantharmony @dontputyourfckingdrinkonmytable @danielle-leah1997 @iiddaaa @midnight-star47 @lalalalokii @happyt0exist @companionjones @alexakeyloveloki @dren-whalen @pono-pura-vida @freshfruitforrottingvegetablez

[burnedbyshoto]

initiation

— “Marriage within my family is different,” Shouto stated, trying to carefully choose his words. This put you off just the slightest bit; Shouto had never been one to be careful with what he was saying after all. “For us to marry, our future spouse must be initiated into the family.” The word initiation hung heavy in your ears.

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pairing: todoroki shouto x fem!reader + todoroki family x fem!reader (endeavor x reader; touya x reader; fuyumi x reader; natsuo x reader)

warnings: 18+, smut, hardcore, gangbang, cream pie, choking, degradation, breeding, slapping, anal, anal fisting, size difference, finger gag, piss kink, older sister kink, facesitting, squirting, handcuffing, sadist!todoroki’s, masochist!reader, fuck machine, daddy kink, overstimulation, rimming, punishment, cucking, double penetration, biting and marking, mating press, orgasm control, slapping, praise, latex, healable branding, blow Job, hair pulling, mental break

word count: 28,823

a/n: i kept the beginning & rewrote the rest of this. like last time, please do not read if you’re even remotely uncomfortable with hardcore settings. this is some twisted cult mind thinking the todorokis family got in this fic. it’s not for everyone, stop reading immediately if its not for you. thank you & sorry. it took 3 hours for me to transfer this all over LOL ;-;

kinktober day 10 main kink: gang bang | kinktober masterlist

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Golden wisps of light shone through the open window; the gentle winds of spring pushed forward, filling the quiet room. Shouto lay in the warmth, blocking you from the light, casting shadows on your face. He had woken up moments before, his chest warms with content and deep admiration while he drank in your sleeping form.

Last night had been your fifth anniversary, and as a couple who was always doing something in the day, the night had been perfect for the two of you. Shouto had made the both of you dinner; he’d had Bakugou teach him how to make your favorite meal (Bakugou might have also fixed the seasoning when Shouto wasn’t looking). The two of you enjoyed a night of dinner, video games, and passionate, amazing sex. 

Shouto knew that there had been something wrong with you. There was the smallest bit of disappointment in your aura for the entirety of dinner, significantly heightening at the end of desserts. It had faded with time, talking, and interaction, but he had seen it, felt it lick against his chest in slow, chilly tendrils. 

Under the covers of the bed and the warmth of the rising sun, Shouto reached out and rubbed your cheek with his thumb.

Your skin was soft under his rough fingers, and he slowly traced the curves and lines on your face. Dipping down to where your lips were and traveling in the part between the lips he knew intimately. There was no stopping him when Shouto’s lips pressed against the tip of your chilled nose. 

But it was enough of a touch to wake you up. Shouto watched your heavy eyelids part open, tired eyes coming to meet his own in a kind gaze.

“Good morning, my love,” Shouto murmured.

Your dry lips smacked together, a grumble deep in your throat while you shifted your naked body closer to him. “Morning, you're warm…” you mumbled into the valley between his pecs. “What time is it?”

“Noon.”

“Mm, horrible,” you grunt, and Shouto chuckled. He wasn’t much of a morning person either, but you were someone who put even night owls to shame when waking up. 

“I’m going to go shower, then I’ll make us breakfast,” Shouto told you, his fingers brushing your hair from your face. “Want to join?”

“So you can try to sex me up in the shower?” you scoff, but your tone is light, joking, loving. “I’ll take five minutes of extra sleep.”

“You’re a brat,” Shouto smiles, unable to keep the joy from his voice while you chuckle throatily. He presses a kiss to your mouth, ignoring both of your gross mouths before going to do as he said. 

The shower didn’t take long, and Shouto was dressed in sweats before moving out to the kitchen. As he prepared breakfast, he heard the shower turn on, and he smiled softly that you had taken the initiative to get out of bed before breakfast was ready. By the time he was wrapping up, you had emerged from the bedroom.

You wore an oversized shirt of his, barely reaching down to the curve of your ass.

“Mm, thank you,” you chirp when Shouto places the plate of food before you; it was nothing crazy, just a bowl of white rice made via the rice cooker, your eggs just as you liked it, and a serving of mixed veggies. You grab onto his shoulders to bring him into a sweet morning kiss that definitely was minty, unlike the last time.

The both of you ate in silence, the good night's sleep still slowly letting you go from its grasp; his gaze, however, remained on you the entire time. That disappointed air came back to cling on you.

“You gonna tell me what’s wrong, angel?” Shouto finally spoke up once you were done; now that you had food filling your stomach, you seemed calmer.

Your eyes focused back onto him, the slightest bit of shock highlighting on your face at his keen judgment, but you shrugged, your smile sad. “I thought you were going to propose last night, that’s all.” Those words shouldn’t have caused Shouto’s eyes to slam open, his entire body stiffening over, and even if it was slightly, he knew you could read him better than he could read himself at times. Your jaw dropped a bit, confusion evident in your face. “Why’d you react like that?”

Shouto purses his lips, composure regained. Marriage had definitely been something the two of you had talked about, and to Shouto, he saw you as a life partner. He knew that he never wanted to part with you, ever. But marriage? A proposal on his own end would mean… no, he wouldn’t do that to you or himself.

“I wasn’t planning on proposing last night,” Shouto fully admits, watching the way that your head nods in recognition. “But… I also won’t propose to you, ever.”

Now that's new information to you. 

It was now five years of being in a committed and loving relationship. The five years filled with late-night conversations of your future, yet you had never really talked about weddings and such. Granted, in your mind having a list of what to call your future children seemed like a marriage sort of ending.

“Wait, what?!” you gasp, confusion, and something deeper growing within your stomach. “Why wouldn’t you ever propose?!”

Shouto’s face is grim, his nostrils flaring while he looks to the side, his mind going a million miles a second. 

“I can’t tell you,” he hissed venomously, his shoulders taut and flexed in his anger. “I wish I could tell you, but it's not my place too,” he looked back to you, his eyes honest, sincere, and flickering with possessive jealousy. “I want to propose to you, y/n, I want to marry you, I want to be yours in more than just soul and love… but to do that… I can’t put you or myself through that.”

“What are you going to be a groomzilla? I met you when you were fifteen, trust me I can handle you—”

“No, it’s not that,” Shouto sighs, but there’s a soft smile on his face for a second, an indicator that you had amused him despite him. “It’s more complicated than that.”

“Well then, tell me,” you reach across the counter to hold his hands. His hands are warm in yours, spreading heat throughout your body. You pressed a kiss to his knuckles, continuing to do so until his ears were tinged pink. 

Shouto groans, his hands grasping yours and pulling your hand back to his mouth, and he presses a long and silent kiss to the back of your hand. His eyebrows were scrunched together, the heat in his hands fluctuating, indicating the emotional turmoil going on within him.  He places one more kiss upon your hand before pulling his lips from your hand, but he still keeps his hold on your, not willing to pull away.

“Marriage within my family is different,” Shouto stated, trying to carefully choose his words. This put you off just the slightest bit; Shouto had never been one to be careful with what he was saying after all. “The Todoroki’s that my father came from have family traditions; traditions that must be held up to no matter what. Over time and society's modernization, some have survived, and some have not, but one thing has stayed this entire time. For us to marry, our future spouse must be initiated into the family.”

The word initiation hung heavy in your ears.

Whenever the word initiation was used, it was done in the context of cults. 

Shifting in your chair, your head tilted to the side, “Initiated?”

You were a Pro Hero, though, someone who was greatly respected within the country for your strength and ability. You could handle anything they threw your way.

“I can’t tell you what it is,” Shouto snarled, his face running with a million conflicting emotions, but above all, anger and enviousness hung on. He wanted to tell you, but he couldn’t, his hand gripping yours harsher than it had been while he tried to stay calm. “But only my family can allow you to marry me. I can’t even propose until after the fact, and I don’t want to put us through that.”

“I don’t care what it is, though,” you whisper, your thumb stroking the side of his hand, trying to get him to reason with you. Your free hand reaching out to hold onto his cheek, willing Shouto to look at you. His eyes met yours again, and there was nothing in them that proved that he didn’t love you; he wanted to marry you too. You purse your lips before it melted in a warm smile, “No matter what your family has for me! Even if I have to eat Touya’s burnt to a crisp curry! I’ll do it for us, for you.”

“Yeah, well, I don’t want to see you doing what you’ll have to do,” Shouto grunted, his cheeks burning with his words. “I just don’t want to have you be put into this situation, I can’t have you doing this for marriage. We don’t need to be married anyway. We don’t need to be married to love each other forever.”

But just as much as you could read Shouto’s emotions and thoughts like an open book, he was the same for you. His eyes softened immediately at the sight of your reaction that lasted for what felt like a millisecond.

“What’s wrong?”

You sigh, your body stilling while you shook your head, “I can’t be with you forever without being married. I know having a band around our fingers and having the government recognize our relationship isn’t what love is about, but I just… I value marriage. I want to be a bride, I want the ceremony, the reception, the day spent in love with you. I know that in the end, marriage doesn’t mean shit, but I want it. I want to tell our kids — if we have kids — about our day, show them videos and pictures of how it went. I want to be able to talk about it. I can’t be in a relationship where we go unmarried… and I love your family! And I’d like to believe that they love me too! I’m sure we’ll be okay.”

Shouto’s face solemn, his stomach twisting. This was something he should have seen coming. It was something he knew was coming, but it still made him stoic hearing it. 

Todoroki Shouto was in love with you, all of you. You indeed were it for him, and he knew that and recognized it, but this was something you wanted. Something he now denied you for his own reasons, and while they were honest intentions, they still didn’t benefit you. But you were his everything.

“Fuyumi and Natsuo’s spouses never show up to family events anymore because of it, you know?” he stated, not to scare you, but just a sad and honest observance. He didn’t want you to stop showing up to family events either. He loved seeing you there with everyone and didn’t want that taken away. He looks at you and sees you nodding. You had been there for weddings after all, but you had no interactions with them, with the entire family being there besides that event. “You’re sure I’m the one that’s meant for you?”

Your head nods without hesitation, an ember burning brightly in your eyes. You would be an idiot if you thought he wasn’t.

“Fine, brat,” Shouto sighs, walked from the other side of the counter to stand next to you, his hands letting go of yours to rest on your hips, his forehead pressing against yours. “I’ll talk with them, I’ll see when this shit initiation will take place.”

He still hadn’t proposed, but the mere thought of everything happening soon sent bubbling joy through you. A giggle escaped your lips seconds before you pressed a chaste kiss to his lips, but Shouto’s mouth bit back at yours, drawing you in with passion and fire.

“What could they possibly do?” you mumble against his lips, your lips curling into a smile when he lifts you from the chair, his fingers sneaking under his shirt on your body to rest on your soft hips. “It’s not like I’m going to die.”

.

..

..

..

.

Shouto arrived at his family's house the next day, and without even entering the house, he was already dreading this talk. Sucking in his teeth, he opened the front door, exchanging his shoes for slippers, and continued into the house.

Bright laughter and conversation greeted his ears once he made his way out of the front room, and he looked into the kitchen where his parents and siblings stood, eating and talking.

“Shouto!” Fuyumi chirped, having seen him immediately. “You showed!”

Shouto watched his entire family turn to look at him, smiling when he bent down to hug his sister and mother. Touya winked at him, stealing a bite of food from Natsuo’s unsuspecting plate. Natsuo was waving, his eyes pinched closed while he chewed, and Enji was flipping something in a pan but acknowledged Shouto with a simple nod.

“We weren’t expecting you for dinner!” Rei smiled, brushing Shouto’s hair from his face with a kind smile. “Why didn’t you bring y/n?”

Shouto inwardly winced; he was hoping to have this conversation after they had all eaten. He knew there might be a chance to have them suspend the initiation for you had it been after they’ve eaten after all. But at the mere mention of your name, the words poured from his lips, unable to stay in.

“I want to marry her,” he said simply, and at that, they all froze.

The conversation ceased, and Shouto felt the grey and blue stares of his parents looking to him while observing his siblings. The sizzling of the pan's food mockingly loud, popping and exploding at the lack of attention on it.

“I don’t agree with the initiation, the thought of sharing her… pisses me off, but she needs this,” Shouto further explained. His heart hammers in his ears, the squeeze of his stomach, making him nauseous at the knowledge of what was to come. It was inevitable, unwilling to change despite the many years and horrible results. “So, I’m here to tell you that it’s happening, and your approval of our pre-engagement.”

“Wow, Shoucchan, she must have you by the cock and balls for you to change your mind like that,” Touya was the one to break the silence, his eyes glinting with devious joy. 

“Yeah, are you sure you’re going to go through with this? I mean, you hated just participating with our spouses!” Fuyumi said, concern deep in her eyes.

“Cock and balls,” Natsuo coughed out, and Fuyumi threw a glare at their laughing brothers.

“Well, we’ve been dating for five years, and she says marriage is something she wants,” Shouto shrugged, his hands sweating from his parent's lack of response. Of course, the initiation would only take place should they allow it, and while he wanted to hear his parents admit that they loved you, he didn’t want to listen to it too. “And she’s the one for me, so here I am.”

“Cock and balls!” Touya and Natsuo cackled like a pair of hyenas, and Fuyumi turned on her heel, going over to reprimand them. 

But Shouto was now focused on his parents. Enji held onto the spatula with a steady hand, and how Rei was watching her husband cook. Shouto wasn’t registering anything his older siblings were yelling about, his attention solely on his parents, who finally looked at one another. Silent conversation through their eyes alone before finally, they looked at him.

Grey and blue met greys and blues. 

“And this is what you want, Shouto?” Rei’s voice speaks up. Her voice is soft and gentle, her eyes reaching him with motherly warmth.

“Yes,” Shouto responds in complete earnest. He wanted you above anything else.

“And y/n doesn’t know anything about what we do?” Enji asks, his stare leveled and unshakeable.

“She knows there’s an initiation,” Shouto admits, unable to lie to his parents. “I told her that was the reason why I wouldn’t propose, but she doesn’t know anything that entails.”

A soft hum sounds from Rei’s lips, her head nodding in her thought. Once more, Shouto watches his parents look at one another, silent communication between the two of them before they turn back, finalizing looks on their faces.

“Well, we absolutely adore y/n!” Rei smiles warmly, tears coming to her eyes at the thought of her baby finally getting married. “We had always hoped she was going to be the one you married!”

The strangest feeling of relief, pride, and horror sunk through Shouto while his mom enveloped him into a hug. Many more hugs were passed around, and Shouto’s smile never perked while his siblings and dad eventually embraced him in congratulations. They all wore wedding bands, the metals only shining brighter while they moved around dinner finally ready.

“A week from today, does that work?” Shouto asked, knowing full well that it would be the day you had off and the day following off. He knew that you were going to need it. 

“We’re retired, any day works,” Rei giggled, pushing Enji with her shoulder while she brought the plates of food to the table. 

“I’m free, too!” Fuyumi announced with a thumbs up.

“I can push my schedule around,” Natsuo mutters, but signals that he’s all for it.

“I guess I can, y/n is pretty enough to have me wanting to show up,” Touya sighs while slouching on the floor.

“Try and put your ugly hands on her,” Shouto snaps at his older brother, his eyes narrowing while Touya lazily smirks. 

“Oh, they’ll be in her too!”

“Well, it’s agreed upon, next week we will have our initiation,” Enji announces, his eyes narrowing at his sons, who were growing in hostility and anger. “Meet here at noon, do not tell y/n anything of what’s to happen, or else. Any objections?”

“No.” came Shouto’s response through gritted teeth.

“Good, now Shouto, are you joining us for dinner?”

“...yes,” Shouto grumbled, choosing the seat closest to Rei and sat down with a scowl that seemed more like a pout.

“Well then, here’s to the future happy couple!” Rei cheered, a glass of warm sake lifted in joy.

“Cheers!”

One week later.

You had returned home late after the day Shouto went to visit his family, exhausted and ready to collapse into Shouto’s loving and muscular arms. But when you returned to the house, you were shocked to see that he was sitting on the couch. Fingers fisted into his hair with his irritation and disbelief. 

“It’s taking place this day, next week,” Shouto groaned when you sat beside him, pressing into his side with your lips to his shoulder in silent comfort. “I’m sorry that this is the only way you have to marry me.”

“I guess you’re lucky I love you that much,” you tease, your fingers rubbing his arm. Shouto snorted, his face turning to look at you. His face was grim, obviously not at all happy with whatever the initiation was, but his eyes always warmed when he looked at you. And you were delighted to have his lips press against yours. 

So, there you sat in the car, you were dressed up in a flattering dress because the presentation was always important when meeting the Todoroki’s. You were serious about marrying Shouto, and you hoped that you would get their approval no matter what it was. 

Sighing, you looked to Shouto, who was to your right driving. His hands clenched so tight around the wheel that his knuckles illuminated with white. He was stiff, glaring out in the distance of the road while he breathed harshly. He had said that there was no official dress rule and that it would be acceptable if you showed up in anything. True to his word, Shouto was wearing a plain white t-shirt, that was partially tucked into his dark jeans. You had always enjoyed this look on him, but there was something you had to do about his smoldering aura. 

You sigh and tug his arm towards you. The way he attempts to jerk his arm away doesn’t escape you, but you still clutch his arm and lace your fingers with his. You place a soft kiss to his fingertips and smile when you see him shudder slightly and then relax. It’s a small victory, but a victory nonetheless.

“You look ready to crash the car, are you okay?” you ask, stroking soft lines to the back of his hand with your thumb.

Shouto sighs and looks over at you. His face is still set with annoyance, but his eyes brighten, and his lips quirk into the smallest of smiles.

“Like I’d crash the car with you in it. If I wanted us to die, I’d be much more dramatic than that,” he says, and you laugh in protest. His smile brightens, and he brings your hand to his mouth and presses a gentle kiss to it.

Shifting in the leather seat to face him a bit better, you stretch towards him, your eyes narrow with curiosity, your fingers pinching his cheek. “Answer my question, brat!”

Shouto sits there for a bit, gathering his emotions before he sighs, irritated once again.

“It’s going to be a lot today, I know you said you could handle it and whatnot, but I’m still worried,” Shouto expressed, the slant of his eyebrows coming together, his eyes flashing as he looks at you for just a moment. “I don’t want you to hate me for this, and say you don’t want to marry me after it’s over.”

Your eyebrows scrunch. 

You knew that this had been bothering Shouto all week, and he had been rougher in every aspect. Even in bed, he had been rough and hard, leaving you breathless, bruised, and impossibly sore afterward. “You know it’s going to take more than your family initiating me for them to scare me off.”

“Yeah, I know that. I hope you keep to that opinion too,” Shouto sighs, your hand that held his tightening. “I just don’t want the worst to happen. And the worst thing that could happen is that you don’t understand why we do what we do and that you’ll leave me. Or maybe even tap out, which would mean you didn’t pass the initiation.”

“Well, I think I’m a lot stronger than you’re giving me credit!” you exclaim, pushing his arm once more so that he could glance your way once again and see how serious you were about this all. “I’m going to pass with flying colors and hear Endeavor, and Rei say I’m the best daughter-in-law!”

“I’m sure you are already the favorite, but I’m not trying to underestimate you, love. It’s not going to be easy,” Shouto sighs, his eyes glancing over to you as the two of you pull into the driveway of the Todoroki’s main estate. “This can take a turn to the worst really quickly.”

“I’ll be fine. I survived three years as a target to the League of Villains and survived. This’ll be easy as pie,” you reassure him. 

You didn’t know how to take his uneasiness. Was it a hoax? Some initiations were simple things that were way overhyped, and you weren’t sure where Shouto stood on this exactly. Shouto nods his head as he unbuckles his seatbelt, and he’s out of the door before you could question him about his insecurities. You sigh and unbuckle your belt, knowing how anxious Shouto is.

You brush your hair out of your face, and the car door opens. You looked up with a small grin as Shouto offered you a hand.

“I can’t tell you how long this’ll take, but I hope that at the end of this, you’ll love me as much as you did last week,” Shouto says. The words stir butterflies in your stomach while you roll your eyes playfully. 

As if you could ever stop loving him.

Humming, you let Shouto help you out of the car, and you couldn’t help but bring your serious boyfriend in for a gentle kiss. The kiss lasts more than a few seconds, his lips trying to get everything out of you, but you pull away, not wanting his family to be looking at the two of you somehow. The irritability on Shouto’s face is gone when you pull away, but he isn’t hiding the fact that he wanted the kiss to be longer.

“I love you,” he whispers like some prayer, a hope that you won’t hate him for this, and he closes the car door behind you.

“I love you, too,” you smile like a lovestruck idiot while he begins to lead you to the front door. “This’ll be fine! I’m sure your family will be happy with me.”

Shouto doesn’t respond, his attention focused on unlocking the front door. He slides it open and puts out a hand, holding you with a firm hand to your waist. “Let’s go.”

You smile in grace, thanking him while you stride in. You took off your heels, replacing them with their guest slippers while Shouto slides his feet into his own. The two of you walk with entwined hands, instinctively you moved towards the living room area, but was surprised when Shouto veered towards the opposite side of the hallway. Still, you said nothing, figuring that maybe it was a part of the initiation. 

With no idea of where he was taking you, you followed after Shouto, your anxiety building when you stopped outside of the house's training room. You had been in here a few times, Endeavor had invited you over for some rounds of sparring.

You remember it was the first time meeting the then number one hero as Shouto’s girlfriend, and to say the least, you had left a great impression. But still, you were in a dress, there was no way you’d be able to fight his family dressed like this.

“I love you,” Shouto whispers, his hands grabbing you by the shoulder, his stare intense. “I need you to know that.”

You chuckled, your own growing anxiety starting to taste bitter on your tongue, “I know, baby, I love you too.”

Shouto nods, his lips pressing a rigid and unmoving kiss to your lips before he sighs. He pulls away, nodding once more before turning to the doors. He opens it and ushers you in.

Much similar to when you had first come into this training room, it was void of any work out equipment, the floors lay barren except… was that a bed?

“Welcome, dear,” Rei’s voice speaks, and you turn your head to see that the matriarch of the Todoroki family is sitting in an elegant chair. Deep ruby red fabric that made the white-haired woman pop even more as she sat on it. In her hands sat a wine glass, the silvery-white dress on her setting an ethereal scene before you.

“Hello,” you respond back, your smile warm and sincere despite the way your stomach rolls in anticipation. 

What was going on?

“Shouto,” she called out, her hand gesturing towards the chair that was beside her. 

You blinked multiple times.

The chair was daunting. Made of steel, completely bolted to the floor with an excessive number of holsters attached to it. 

What on earth was going on?

There isn’t enough time to react, your face being held firmly within Shouto’s hands, and an angry, bitter kiss is scorched against your lips until he is forced away. You stay put where you were, confusion limiting your actions, but you could tell just by staring at his back that Shouto did not want to do this.

Shouto took a seat on the chair, his nostrils flaring, and his eyes an inferno.

“Y/l/n y/n,” Rei spoke with what you could only describe as glitter to her tone. The wine glass was pressed against her knee, her grey eyes observing your every move. “Do you want to marry my son, Todoroki Shouto?”

“Yes,” you speak with no hesitation, despite the anxiety bleeding into your tone. 

Her lips spread into a kind smile, her head partially nodding, and with a lift of her wine glass, the final words you would later find out to be incriminating spilled from her tainted bitter lips.

“Will you do anything we demand of you to marry him?”

A beat.

“Anything.”

A dark glint fell against her typically bright eyes, and as if from thin air, Touya and Natsuo appeared at Shouto’s side, the restraints being done immediately. His ankles, calves, and thighs were strapped to the chair, his arms shoved into a device you knew well to be a quirk nullifier, and a muzzle on his face, his head strapped to keep his gaze on the bed in the room.

You moved towards Shouto, a dread filling you because were you supposed to fight off his family while wearing this dress?! 

But before you could even begin to question what was going on, a large and hot hand envelopes your wrist, and you’re pulled backward against a taut chest.

“Welcome to our initiation!” Rei informed you sweetly, the red liquid finally spilling past her lips and into her waiting mouth.

You looked up the second you collided with a firm chest, but you can’t say you were expecting Endeavor to be behind you, one hand encasing your wrist and the other pressing your hips to his thigh. The patriarch of the Todoroki family towered over you in his height and massive build, but he wasn’t staring at you, his eyes not at all concerned by your horrified expression. Instead, he was staring at Shouto, a cold smirk on his face.

“She’s quite dolled up,” he spoke, the tone of his voice sending a shiver of fear down your spine.

Enji looked down at you, almost thrilled that you hadn’t already passed out like some other people who have tried the trails of this initiation. “He didn’t tell you what was going on today, correct?”

“N-No,” you flinch, feeling the way that his heavy hands touch the insides of your thigh lustfully. Did you imagine the way that his fingers seemed to feather over your skin?

“Each blood member of the Todoroki family gets an opportunity to breed you,” Rei piped up, and with your heart pounding in your ears, you looked over at the white-haired mother who was surrounded by all her children. Touya smirking, Fuyumi smiling, Natsuo winking, and Shouto glaring holes into his father's head. “They get to fuck you in however way they see fit to make sure you’re cut out for my baby boy. Don’t tap out for the next six rounds, and the Todoroki last name is all yours.”

There’s no denying that you finally understood why Shouto didn’t want to propose, but with your fears still forming cohesive sentences on your lips, a loud sound of tearing fabric beats the words from your mind.

“Wow, that’s some lingerie she’s wearing, Shouto, are you sure you didn’t tell her?” Touya asks, his lips pulling into a snide smirk while your arms instinctively went to cover the indecent state you were in. It wasn’t as if you had worn lingerie. As a matter of fact, you were only clad in a simple black cotton pantie and bra, but that didn’t keep you from blushing like a prude. A loud rattling of chains is the only noise from Shouto, but you were too busy trying to fight the tears forming in your eyes when Enji’s hands met your breasts.

Twisted feelings squirmed under your skin while Enji manipulated your breasts, tugging at the warm flesh. You felt frozen to the core. What was going on?!

“What are you doing?!” you splutter the moment Enji raises you from the floor, his hands twisting you so that you are now facing him, and adjusting you roughly so that you were only aware of him. 

You and Enji had a good relationship, but there was no denying that the look on his face right now was one you should never give to your son's significant other. His face was dark, the scar on his face looking more ragged, impossibly wild. 

“You seem like a nice girl,” he states, his hands pressing your hips firmly against his crotch, and you could feel the growing length that he had in his pants. “Nice hips, firm legs, you’d look so pretty full of cum, so pretty pregnant with our blood.”

Something curls deep within your skin, sitting restlessly onto your nerves only to be interrupted by Enji’s teeth burying into your neck. You flinch away, your body trembling under the undeniable embers that sprout as he inflicts a bite on you. Enji sits on the edge of the bed, his hands gripping your waist so that you were straddling his thigh. The muscles' indentations and curves on his legs added an unholy feeling to the slick that soaked your panties.

His eyes train on the way you sit on his thigh, your cunt growing wet and wetter when he shifts you back, then forward. Your puffy and sensitive clit continued to rub up against the rivets of his muscle. You whined loudly at the teasing friction, the stupidly soft friction, and if he was anything like Shouto, there would be much, much more. 

“You’re so tiny compared to me,” Enji growls, continuing to grind you against his thick thigh. It was almost a ridiculous sight, you on his massive thigh. His distinctive muscles ridged against your sensitive clit, stimulating you to no end while you cried mercy, and his hand smacked your pert ass.

“What— What are you doing?!” you squeak and flinch when you're slammed against the mattress. The oxygen in your lungs shortens immediately; the burning of your skin explodes when the panties are burnt from your body. 

“Do you not understand what Rei meant when she said we get to breed you?” He asks, his eyes taking in the way that your legs are hopeless in shutting him off. The thickness of his hips and thighs overwhelmed any strength you could ever have. The sounds of a zipper echo in your ears, and you barely have time to peer down when his cock comes out.

Hard as a rock, thicker than your forearm, and already leaking.

“I must admit, the day Shouto brought you home, I was hoping this day would come,” Enji chuckled humorlessly, his left hand fisting his already erect cock, and his right hand slamming your struggling hips down. “Now, let’s see what exactly about your cunt drives Shouto wild.”

If you thought you knew what pain was before right now, you had to be wrong. 

Enji’s girth was overwhelming, nearly splitting your shuddering tight walls while he buried his cock entirely within you. Nausea builds in the back of your throat, your hips bucking in their relentless attempt to adjust to the way that he was splitting your walls in two, and the choke that gargles from your mouth only seemed to be a sweet symphony to the other members of the family. 

“SHIT!” you cried, painful tears pushing past your eyes, dripping down your cheeks while Enji shuddered.

“You’ve got a really tight cunt,” he growls, his hips shifting against you, setting off another round of painful screams while he situates within you. “No wonder why Shouto wanted you for himself… mhm, this is nice. A tight young pussy always means a fertile womb.”

His hips then begin to thrust upward into you, the tip of his cock unable to reach the beginnings of your walls that he seemed to attempt to get to with each powerful blow. But it was his girth that had your body tensed, back arched in pain, eyes clenched in nothing but pain.

Pain. Pain. Pain.

“Hey!” SLAP. 

Your head snapped to the side, a burning, stinging pain on your cheek, alerting you that your eyes were closed. Your piqued breathing spluttered as if you were having some sort of asthma attack. Enji looked down at you, turquoise eyes burning devilishly down at you, his lips curled into an unapproving snarl while his hands pushed at the bottom of your knees. “Don’t you dare take your eyes off me this entire time. Don’t waste my time.”

You whimper loudly, the feeling of his forcibly moving hips getting to be much easier on you, no longer a wave of intensive horrifying pain, but mild throbbing pain. “You have to be gentler, you’re so much bigger than mE!!!”

The sheets' fabric under your body seared with heat when Enji shoved you further onto the bed. The bed dipped under his weight, your legs twitching almost pathetically around his waist while your sight nearly blackened with his next action. With his drilling hips and snarling speed, your screams and shouts of pain, pleasure, and fear were interrupted by an enormous fist around your neck. And his mouth pressed into your cheek.

“Don’t you know how to teach your whore to be quiet, Shouto?” Enji hisses, his thick hand clenching around your neck. Oxygen refused to flow to your lung, and you went light-headed, choking noises emitting from you while he continued to slam his cock in you, your clenching and almost splitting walls unable to keep up with the speed of the retired number one hero. “I don’t want to hear you drown out my lovely wife at all, do you understand?”

Your head throbbed, the blood forcibly kept in your head, and the lack of oxygen made your world spin. 

Rei?

Soft whispers hit your ears, and in a panic, you realized that Rei was, in fact, speaking. Her attention is on you, eyes bright with lust watching her husband's cock ramming into you with the speed and strength of only accomplished pro heroes. But she was whispering to Shouto, who seemed to be doing everything in his power to escape. 

But as if you could read Shouto’s mind, his eyes reached yours, and you didn’t see regret at all in his eyes. No, nothing in him stated that he didn’t regret putting you here, because there was a simmer in his eyes. Something that told you that he shouldn’t be enjoying this… but he was. 

That sent endless shivers down your spine, emitting choking coughs from your mouth.

“There we go,” Enji sighs, his broad chest pressing your thighs into the bed, cutting off what limited oxygen you had left, and increasing pleasure within you by a tenfold.

“Shit, such a filthy fucking cunt you have,” he savages, your walls spasming against him with his wild, obscene thrusts. He moves his hands so that they press against your knees, pushing them into the mattress, increasing the ability of which he drills down into you. Your strangled scream goes unnoticed by Enji, your fingers scraping against his scarred back, a desperate plea for him to be softer.

But he wasn’t someone who cared.

The sounds of his cock slamming into your sopping pussy created loud wet noises that made you cry in embarrassment. Your face felt like it was seconds from popping out, Enji’s weight crushing you on top of the abhorrent position he was fucking you in, but he found it as an excuse to speed up. His rugged grunts are warnings in your ears as his cock finally hits your cervix with consistency that makes you wail. The stretch he gave you was boggling, and you were progressively less aware as he drilled in harder. His slams were so hard the sound of his thighs hitting your ass let out a continuous and loud slap.

There was no denying that you and Shouto had been rough in bed. Hell, at least thrice a week, he had your skin bruised and bleeding, his back forever scarred with your fingernails, but this was on a whole new level. 

The force in which Endeavor slammed his hips to meet yours, the growling pants in your ear that sent a liquid fire that could never match the heat of his quirk to your core when your head smashed against the bed frame. “That’s fucking right,” he laughs, drool pouring past your lips, your eyes crossing. Pleasured sobs expelled from your lips, invigorating something powerful within the entire family who watches on with impatient stares at the sight of your squeezing cunt around Eniji’s cock. “Take my fucking cock, bitch, don’t fucking pass out yet, we’re not done.”

He pistoled into your gripping core with the intent of getting himself off, uncaring, unmotivated by your pathetic whining, and crying. But your thrashing and wailing do not stop Enji, nor do they lessen the pace and the force he’s settled in as the bed begins to creak with every powerful thrust.

“I needa— holy shit, r-right there!”

“What? Do you need to come already?” Enji mocks you pushing up off you so his back is curved, and your body so small underneath him.

Your eyes can no longer stay open as the only noises leaving your mouth are whines and begs for more. You forcibly clench around him in an attempt to stir a reaction from him, but all he does is snarl quietly as he continues his rutting force. The pounding is rhythmic. His balls bruising your ass where he hits you. The feeling of Enji’s cock entering and leaving you draws your eyes to the back of your head as you pathetically whimper his name, his thighs hitting your ass at bruising force, only adding to your pleasure. Your heart hammering in your ears as you heard Enji snap at you.

“I thought I told you to keep your eyes on me at all times.”

Before you could even pathetically open your eyes, his cock has removed from your cunt, your body spasming from his lack of fill. Your mouth sobbing at his absence, a need for him to return despite the undeniable tremor and ache of your core. He’s off your body as well, and oxygen floods your lungs in dizzying and shallow pants. Your vision fuzzies out, and you stare almost brokenly at Shouto, who meets your gaze with a burning fire.

“Watch and learn, Shouto, this is how you handle someone who doesn’t know how to listen.”

You don’t have time to digest his words, Enji grabbing you by the roots of your hair and pulling you to your knees. You only manage to get a sharp cry out, pain flaring in your scalp when you're thrown onto your knees before Enji. 

Your body feels tired already, sore, and beaten, but Enji looks down at you with blazing turquoise eyes, and his calloused fingers rub at his length. You blink once, thrice, and his hot and wet with your slick cock slaps your face. “Open up, whore.”

There isn’t any time to question because the crown of his cock pushed past your lips and the taste of Enji and your essence filled you. 

But ever so demanding, Enji wastes no time starting his punishment.

You try to keep up with the momentum of his viciously thrusting hips, your jaw already aching with the vast space you need to keep his cock in your mouth, and you choke against him the moment his swollen head hits the back of your throat. Enji groans, his hands cemented onto the back of your neck, his moans tight and low, and his cock twitching in your mouth.

“Look at you, you’re good at this,” Enji observes, his fingers moving to slap your sensitive nipple, making you cry around his cock. “Too fucking good.”

The words ignite a fire within you, and your legs tremble in unneeded glee, but there’s something about the way that having all their eyes piercing your every move, studying the way your cheeks subconsciously hollow around his cock that thrills you. You wanted them all to fuck you until you were nothing less than a mess. You needed him to give you his cock back instead of sucking him off, your cunt crying in need of being filled — needing more than the undesirable rubbing of your thighs together.

 Your arms shot out, gripping the back of Enji’s thighs as you willed him closer. Your jaw widening, hot breaths of air expelling from your mouth. You could feel Shouto’s angry eyes burning you. So you moaned louder, your tongue lashed against his swollen head. Enji’s thighs clench when your mouth sucks against the head of his cock, your tongue pressing flat against the tip.

 “Did someone finally fucking wake up?” Enji grunts, his hips moving with more unrestrained power into your mouth.

Making a pleasant sound, you hollow your cheeks out and taste the saltiness of his pre-cum. Delighting at the harsh curse, you guided him further in. One of his hands is soon braced on the fuck machine between your legs, but the other is tangled in your hair, pulling it and twisting it as he wishes. He’s pulling hard enough to hurt, tears springing uncontrollably into your stinging eyes, enough so that you can choke against him, the angle and the position on your back already increasing the likelihood of that happening.

Enji’s grip on your hair tightens, and he realizes that you’re keeping up, his once sneer evolving to one of sinister appreciation and glee. His dance between aggression and savagery is an art. You don’t have time to trail his bulging veins with your tongue; he steers his cock further down your throat. You don’t bother to hide how satisfied you are by his action as you relax your throat, letting him all in.

 “Fuck,” he hisses, his hips bucking forward, he can’t stop himself from demanding more. You don’t mind; you open wider to take more of him in, and his cock thrusts further down your throat. He’s now panting, in his desperation, judging from the strangled sound he makes as you take him even deeper. “I didn’t think you’d be able to do this. I guess we’re — shit — full of surprises.”

The thought of being good enough makes you moan, and you gag softly, trying to take him deep enough now that he must be able to feel the vibrations from your throat because that makes him hiss out another curse. He’s shaking with the effort of slamming his cock down your throat. Your fingers holding onto his clenched muscles to the best of your ability.

The raw, primal, and wet noises of his cock entering and leaving your throat are maniacal, your hands leaving his thighs to press onto your needing cunt. 

He’s underestimating you, however; you could take him in all power and length he could muster. You know that as you begin bobbing your head, and the hiss that breathes past his lips. Digging your fingers into your clit, you cry around him, and finally, he notices what you’re doing.

Enji grunts, his hands slapping your hands away from your weeping walls. You choke against his cock, the building pleasure in your core gone, leaving you behind sputtering and gagging against his slamming cock, “Did you think I stopped fucking your cunt so you could do it in my stead, whore? That’s my cunt to fuck right now, don’t you dare. Fucking. Touch. It.” Every enunciation has your nose burying into his skin, the tears flowing from your eyes intermixing with the drool that is pouring from your mouth as he shoves you back down onto the bed. 

You gasp loudly, your chest heaving with the burning pain as you stare at his purpling, thick cock that looks seconds from exploding. You shiver in delight.

Shouto stares at you, his once fiery eyes silent ice. Cold, dangerous, deadly.

“Such a disobedient daughter-in-law. First, you don’t look at me. Next, you deliberately touch yourself when you’re supposed to be pleasing me?! How am I supposed to believe that you’ll be suitable for my precious Shouto when you clearly can’t follow instructions,” Endeavor chides, his hand twisting something you can’t make out. Your eyes were heavy, pain, and pleasure swelling through every active cell in your body. “Let’s hope you don’t choke on your saliva, now do we?” There was nothing you could say in response as his fingers buried in your mouth, and you gag at the pressure on your tongue.

And just like before, pain exploded in your body. The fingers in your mouth pressing unfairly into your mouth further inducing the choking madness that threatened to have you puking against the sheets as he shoved inch by inch of his completely swollen cock into your tight cunt. You fail to keep up, broken, horrible sobs muffled from your mouth while he finally bottomed out in you.

You twisted in pain, trying to move away from him, but were held in place. 

“Stay still, and take it,” Enji growls, not at all amused with the panic fluttering through you. The way that Shouto held your tearful gaze made your spinning head nearly fall off your shoulders. So cold, so unattached to what was happening. Your sobs soon fade to gargled chokes, your ass clenching against his deliberately moving cock, but Enji seems to enjoy that you were adjusting so fast to what was going on. Slowly, your sobs become whimpers, whimpers becoming heaving breathing until you adapt to the jarring pain that was Enji’s fat cock in your pussy again.

“Make sure you suck my fingers, whore,” he whispers, and with that, he seems to unleash everything he had, no longer caring about how you were feeling.

In and out, he moves, his hips moving faster than a manageable speed, only slightly hindered by your clenching velvet slicked walls, and your eyes welled with tears at the constipated feeling in your stomach. His fingers tweak and pull at your clit, then nipples, savagely teasing them, uncaring that your lips left drooling puddles on the bed, you could barely suction around his thick fingers. 

Your gaze was still locked on Shouto, his gaze delighting you. But as if Enji could read your thoughts, his thrusting movements became quicker, harder, and more solid until a familiar sensation of his balls slapping your skin burns into your mind and your body.

You whimper against the bed, your teeth sinking into his fingers, your back arched to sinfully, your eyes crossing in your delirium. Drool coats your chin, your body nothing more than his fuck toy. Enji’s sweating, unshaven chin scrapes against your shoulder, his voice diminishing into growls and snarls, the pinch on your clit, making your hips buck against his cock, and he began to barbarically slam into you.

 Your body moves with his every movement, your slick dripping from your cunt, and he lets go of your nipple. In your crazed state, you sob at the loss of contact, but his hand strikes against your soaked clit with a loud sound. The force alone nearly sends your eyes focused, your vision blurring when his finger dives into your lonesome asshole.

 More and more fingers join his initial one working double the speed of which his hips slam into you. His fingers pushing the limits of your ribbed walls; he curls his fingers against your walls, dragging and coaxing them deliciously against your clenching heat. Moving his fingers against his cock; the thin walls that separated his fingers and his cock brushed together, sending you into a new frenzy while you sobbed his name against the gag.

Begging for more, begging to come.

“I want you to come now,” he snaps, you moaned loudly, knowing that he was nowhere close. “Come, you filthy bitch, cum against your father-in-laws cock.”

You garble against the gag, your jaw unable to move for its slack against the mattress, electrifying pleasure singing your nerves, and with a loud smack to your pussy, you come hard against his cock, clenching him in a vice grip.

Each powerful snap of his hips sending your back arching to the heavens, the balls of your feet digging bruisingly into his back. In and out he goes, your cunt nothing more than a cocksleeve for him, and your wanton screams and mewls taking him further and further.

Enji all but laughs into your ear, his hand pressing your head so that you could stare at Shouto while he fucked your pussy, his breath hot and heavy in your ear while he taunts you. “Wouldn’t that be embarrassing? Nine months from now and not being able to tell if the bitch in your womb will be from the rest of my sons or me. You, my son’s future wife, giving birth to his half brother half son, that would be something, huh?” you sob in the thought, not because it’s horrible, but because it makes your cunt throb ludicrously in thought. “I’m going to fill you up so good, whore. You’ll be leaking my cum for days. I’m going to make sure you carry the Todoroki gene, and I hope that it’s my son you carry.”

The words incite clenching heat in your core, your lips unable to form anything but a weak, pitiful moan because the thought of being filled to the max with Todoroki cum makes your mind spin. More, you want to milk them all dry. You want nothing more than that.

With a ragged breath, a consecutive full thrusts that send his cock slamming against your cervix, Enji cums fully within you. His load is long and heavy, your belly feeling like it's bulging when he finally emerges from your cunt. His once hard cock limping in his hands while you lay there defeated, your intermixed cum spilling from your pulsing cunt. 

“Look at that,” he muses, and you can feel warm, thick liquid dripping from your cunt and down onto your ass. “A pretty dessert.”

You lay on the mattress, breathing ragged, uncomposed, desperate. “Come on, you’re going to have to do better to last another five rounds,” Enji growls, his hand guiding his cock down to you, but he was on his feet. Towering over you, you turned to look at him, eyes heavy with everything you’ve been through already, and then something warm hit you. Warm, wet, retched smelling. Urine fell over your legs, splashing among your stomach and ankles, soaking you with secretion you never thought would touch you in such a way. 

“Isn’t this what they do to mark a bitch?” he asks, his voice filled with humor as if he had told the world’s funniest joke. But the spirit dies quickly, replaced with a sinister seriousness that has you gasping in both horrors and need. “Don’t forget who you belong to now, y/n, you’re the Todorokis’.”

 “Leave it to this fucking idiot to piss all over you when no one else has had their fun,”  a grumbled response comes to your left the moment Enji leaves your side. 

Your neck aches, your throat raw when your eyes locked gazes on Touya, who looked at your naked, piss-drenched body with a look of disdain. “I can’t fuck her like this, how fucking gross are you, Endeavor? Just because you go first, so you don’t have limp dick during the best part doesn’t mean you get to fucking do this.”

Touya’s hands grabbed you by your wrists, yanking you up onto your feet so that you stood off the bed. His hand gripped the ruined sheets, burning them instantly. There was nothing left behind on the bed, not even billowing ashes as you stared with your jaw-dropping in thought. Then something cold, wet, and smelling heavily of chemicals pressed against your skin. Touya rubbed cleaning towels against your body, rubbing you dry with a look of disgust on his face.

“I’m not against pissing on whores, trust me, but like hell I’m fucking someone covered in Endeavor’s piss,” Touya growled, shoving you onto the bare mattress to clean off your legs. Your skin felt rubbed raw by the time he was done with you, but you lay there, staring up into his turquoise eyes while his head tilted in thoughts. He took in your body with cold, calculating eyes, an aura of mystery falling on him. “You really are hot. I almost can’t blame Shouto for not wanting to give you to us in this way. I would never share a slut like you, that’s for sure.”

Your chest hitched. The way that he stalked you up onto the bed, crawling after you with an almost crazed, almost insane glint in his eyes that screamed at you, was dangerous. Every cell in your body telling you that this wasn’t safe, that you needed to get away, but you wanted that ring on your finger. You wanted Shouto.

“Where do we begin?” Touya asked, his voice void of the craze you saw in his eyes, sinisterly sweet, utterly dangerous.

There was no helping the way your instincts told you to run, nor that you listened to your instincts without even noticing most of the time. With every move he made towards you, there was an equal retreat from you. But with as little as three moves away from him, Touya grew tired of your game of cat and mouse. And his lips curled into a snarl. 

“I guess the old man didn’t do shit about your independent flare, did he?” Touya spat, his eyes narrowing, his hand grasping your ankle before you could even think of escaping further. “Let me tell you something slut. I don’t like playing around. You give me what I want, when I want, when I say so, or else you’ll get fucked over. Do you understand?”

You couldn’t say yes or no; you only kicked the air when he dragged you towards him suddenly, your knees burning into the bare mattress, your lips gasping loudly. You were dropped onto his lap; Touya was now sitting at the edge of the bed, his knees burying into your stomach, and you wheezed with the pressure. 

“What are you doing?” you ask, your head trying to look at the eldest Todoroki son, your body shifting in your raising fear. You knew what was going on, you weren’t that much of an idiot, but the panicked words still poured past your lips before you could try to stop them. His hand pressed against your bare, sore ass. His hand moving up and down your cheeks, circling and kneading the soft flesh as if in contemplation. But for you, it was nothing short of anxiety-ridden torture.

There was a moment of silence while his hands disappeared from your skin, and you thought maybe he wasn’t going to spank you after all. Licking your lips, you turned your head to see what exactly his expression was. But you were too late.

His hand rose and fell with extreme force. His right hand slamming down against your ass cheek, the sharp slap noise made your body clench in his wake, you shriek while your skin throbbed in his path. The pain made your legs buckle, a hot pressure reigniting in your core, and another loud slap repeated on your other ass cheek.

You yelped loudly when Touya yanked your head back. The arch in your back was dramatized by this action; your back ached as another heavy slap echoed against your throbbing, sensitive skin. His light, almost wild breathing hits the shell of your ear, and chills shoot down your spine when he snarls.

“If I want to be cruel, you better understand that you have no say if I am or not!” he laughs in your ear, his hand landing harshly against your throbbing, pinching skin. “Was the rules of the initiation to make sweet love to Shouto’s wannabe wife? No—” his hand comes down against your ass with great powerful slaps, ignoring your growing shriek and screams— “it was fuck you however we wished. I don’t give a fuck about what you want, about the way Shouto is seconds from ripping from his chains. I will fuck you until you’re blistered and bruised. Do. You. Understand?”

You can’t find the will to answer, your body convulsing and shaking with pained pleasure, your tongue unable to form any sort of words from the stinging, burning pain, the only noise you can emit are screams. The next spank that comes across your ass nearly sends you tumbling off his lap. Your arms pressing desperately onto the edge of the mattress and onto the floor, the weight and struggle to keep yourself upright was a challenge as Touya abused your ass until you could feel the outline of his hand rising from your skin.

“Answer me, slut.”

There was no stopping Touya’s heavy hand against your pert ass, his nails digging into your stinging flesh, and you could not think of anything but how your cunt throbbed for the man beneath you. Your sobs of pain had slowly turned into those of pleasure, and you could feel Touya’s fingernails most definitely cut into your sore cheeks, the cut flesh stinging even more than the others. It delighted you.

“Y-Yes, Touya!” you pant, your body trembling in your blossoming excitement and need for more.

“You like this, don’t you,” he barks with nearly crazed laughter while he rubs circles against your heated skin. His eyes are locked with his youngest brother, uncaring about your reactions, but gleefully seeking the way that it was on Shouto who could match the raging glare Touya had perfected. “Look at her, Shouto! She’s a desperate fucking slut! Do you fuck her like this at home?! She’s trembling with excitement, and she was trying to get away from me this entire time. Should I fuck her until she no longer wishes for your cock? Maybe she’ll leave you for me! Ha! The thought of that! I wouldn’t mind a slut looking like this! With no clothes, no way back from this? Oh, she’s perfect!” His laughter is cut off at the way the chains and the metal around Shouto’s wrist for a moment are unable to contain his quirk, the metal building with frost and ice, coloring red on the other end. Touya grins, his eyes dropping from his raging baby brother to return his attention to you. “Count the number of times I spank you, I want to hear you counting and thanking me every time.”

Slap.

“One.”

Your words were barely above a hoarse whisper, just enough for the entire family to hear you count as you trembled like a leaf on his lap. His taunting words to Shouto had a significant effect on you, on top of Shouto managing to for a brief second overpower the quirk canceling restraints had you seeing the heavens and the hells while you sighed contently. His upper lip pulled back into a sneer as he let go of your hair, throwing your head down. You yelped in pain when your head smashed into his thigh and once again when his fingers went and pinched your swollen pussy lips.

“I know you can fucking scream louder than that, don’t make me ask again for the thank you too. I’m not doing charity work. Try again.”

Slap.

“One! Thank you!”

Your mind reeled as Touya continued his conquest against your ass. 

“Two, tHANK YOU!” you screamed, feeling his burning hand landing against your ass.

Touya’s laughter rang merrily in your ears as he continued to abuse, to slam his palms against your ass. You could barely remember the number you were on the numbers pouring past your lips. Nothing more than some thickly coated babble that he took in acceptance anyways. The added sensation of his alternating heated and standard hand that almost felt like ice against your burning, blistering ass increased the desire in you to find you as you were now. 

Ass bright red and in the air, your blood long dried against your throbbing skin, thighs trembling where they were pressed onto Touya’s lap, and saliva and tears seeping onto your weak, shaking arms.

“You’re so fucking wet,” he cooes as two of his fingers slide against your wet slit, and your ragged moans fill the room with the need of more. He continues petting your folds, and while his other hands move to gently stroke your abused ass, your hips begin to buck against his wandering hands, trying to get them to slip between the folds. “Such a greedy little slut. Do you want me to fuck you with just my fingers? That would be a little boorish.”

His chuckle is barely heard by you, for as he said that, he pressed the head of three of his scarred fingers into your cunt. A sharp whine slams from your throat as he pulls away just as quickly. The empty teasing of his action makes you crave more. You shift your ass back, the action full of temporary regret as soring pain flashes through your lower body. He did not hold back.

Gritting your teeth, you continued pushing against him, craving more.

“Is this not good enough for you?” Touya chuckles, but there’s that twisted humor to his laughter that sinks like a stone in your stomach. “Wonderful, truly perfect.”

His weight shifts, and the next thing you know, your back on the mattress. Your ass presses against the rough material, and you sob in pain at the feeling of the blisters and burning, bruised flesh of your ass pressing into the mattress. You fall onto your knees, trying to alleviate the coursing pain that throbs through your body from his past ministrations. But Touya is busy doing something else, his hands handling something black, shiny, and tight.

“W-What is that?” you grimace through your pain, your eyes watering slightly while you stare up at Touya, who stretches the black material in his hands. The material is foreign to you; you’re unsure of what it is, only that you’re increasingly positive that it’s latex and that there are two small holes in the center of them.

“I’m an ass guy,” Touya states simply, his eyes concentrated on the latex in his hands before his eyes dropped to your chest. “But I can appreciate a good pair of boobs when I see them. You, my darling fucking slut, need… something done to yours.”

Your eyes blink rapidly while you take in his Chesire grinning form, his hands stretching out the material once again as he stalks towards you, his steps on the mattress commanding and near fearful to you. His hands brought to your chest and slammed you're onto your back. You howled in the stabbing pain on your ass and back, the raging anger from Shouto a bare wisp when Touya straddles you where you lie. His knee keeps your hips from rising off the bed, the painful stabs spreading through your body as you desperately cry in need of relief.

“Oh, I love when a slut cries,” Touya brims with sadistic joy, his tongue reaching towards your cheeks and licking the salty, hot tears that pour from your eyes. “The last bitch who came our way passed out after the old man fucked her, I like you a lot. I wonder if you’ll pass out with me! Don’t worry, though; if you do, I’ll make sure to wake you back up! I won’t let you miss out on anything!”

Through your sobs, your eyes remain clenched, trying to focus on anything that wasn’t the stabbing heartbeat in your ass. But when you finally cracked open an eye, tears still heavy in your eyes, dripping with no restraint, did you finally see what that latex was for.

Your breasts were roughly put through the holes that looked no bigger than a child's fist. Touya’s hands roughly guide your breasts through so that they come out on the other side. Immediately you could feel the discomfort in this; the blood circulating in your breasts slowed to the point of no blood passing, your breasts throbbing with every beat of your heart that caused blood to flow there. 

Through this latex trap, your breasts are shaped into something akin to teardrops, the skin already discoloring from the lack of proper flow. You moaned in pain, your eyes rolling to the back of your head as Touya slapped your tit.

“Oh yeah, there we go, so much prettier!” he delighted, his finger flicked your engorged nipple, your bottom lip trembling with undeniable pain. “Does that feel good, y/n? It looks good, I hope you’re fine?”

You can’t find the words to respond, your head swimming with drowning waves of both pain and pleasure. Your eyes can only heavily blink, but your gaze was miles away, unable to focus or see anything as you attempted to adjust to the thundering pain. “Imma… fuck…” was the only thing you could manage.

Touya’s head cocked to the side, his hands still paddling your breasts around with no care to the way you were pathetically whimpering with every small stroke of his fingers.

“You want to fuck already, slut?” he asked, a mocking frown on his face while he shook his head. “You haven’t even seen my cock yet!”

While he stood up, his foot still pressed your aching ass onto the mattress, and you wheezed heavily. Proudly, Touya discarded the boxers he wore and freed his cock in all its glory. You stared at his cock, your pain is forgotten suddenly at the sight of the piercing full cock he had. The swollen dripping red head of his cock bounced up to hit his stomach, and you could only look at the piercings that littered his genitals. There were so, so many of them. Many of which you knew by name already, but so much more you couldn’t even begin to name.

“What?” he mocks, his lips splitting into a curling smile. “Never seen a real man’s cock before?”

He gave you no time to even consider what to do, for he reached down, his fingers clenching your hair at the roots, and threw you back up onto your ass. Your skin sang in pain, feeling as if it was melting as it pressed against the rough mattress. His hands tugged up and down against his pierced cock. The white hair of his pubes almost glistening in promise to be soaked in both your essence with time.

“I expect to be fucked well,” Touya says, his fist guiding his cock toward your grimacing mouth, and his other hand bringing you closer and closer. “Open those slutty legs.” 

Your legs don’t open on time, and the leaking pre-cum smears all over your legs. This was unacceptable for Touya, and his eyes flash dangerously, his hand striking against your cheek, bruising your face as you cried out. But he takes this as an initiative to thrust your legs open and sinks down as far as he can go while not straining you yet. 

This was a whole new level of sensation. Touya’s cock, while not as big as Shouto’s or Enji’s cock, had the ice-cold piercing lining all over his cock, tickling and dragging against your puffy, swollen walls. Your fingers pressed up against his back, and you moaned at the new sensations. You push further against him, adding to the now frantic rhythm, fucking against his cock with enough vigor to make Touya cackle out your name.

“Look at you go! You are a good cock slut! I had my doubts, but fuck — yes, just like that!” his voice a mantra for your actions, his hands pressing flat on your neck and shamelessly, recklessly fucking you faster.

You relax against his rocking hips, you’re focused on your breathing as his cock moves up and down your cunt, the piercings adding to the stimulation. 

Deeper and deeper, you feel his cock move within you. But one hand moves from your neck and slams down against your breasts. Just like that, your bodily discomforts thrust back into you at full speed, your body contorting and hissing at the way your breasts throbbed in pain. However, with your attention broken, Touya slammed his cock all the way into your cunt, the steel point of a piercing stabbing your womb

It caught you off guard, your throat legs kicking his hips, suffocating gags and chokes emitting from your mouth while you forgot how to breathe through the pain and his hand around your throat. Your hands pounded on his back, your face feeling like it was purpling, your body thumping with your pounding blood, and lack of air.

“Hold it there, slut, hold it!” Touya hisses, his eyes gleeful and sadistic. Your eyes blinked heavily with tears when you looked up to see Touya’s eyes closed, his eyes rolled to the back of his head in a pleasurable activity. “I know which piercing you’re feeling… good…” he sighs, finally pulling you from his length. You spluttered loudly, hacking for air when he removed his hand from your throat. 

With a twist to your throbbing nipples and a yank of your hair, his cock carded between your sopping lips. Moans and pants spilling out with every wild thrust of his against your clit. 

The feeling of his calloused fingers digging into your side, flipping you over, stung with a burning sensation. All you know is that your body burned where he touched you, and your thighs ached as you settled on your stomach. You wanted his cock buried deep within you; you wanted more than anything to feel those piercing rutting against your sopping walls without restraint. You wanted more.

“How the fuck am I supposed to fuck you like that?” Touya snaps at you, breaking you from your trance. Your eyes widen when you shift your head to look at Touya, whose cock is fully erect, and you realize in growing heat that he was going to fuck you from behind. Something was maddening sweet about these Todoroki men fucking you from behind, to feel their tight chest pressed against your back.

Your fingers dug into the mattress as you groaned loudly, your ass rising off the bed, but not enough for your knees to position themselves correctly. His body heat radiated onto you from behind, and you rub your thighs together at the thought of Touya gripping your ass as he drilled into you from behind. He drew nearer, spacing your rubbing thighs apart, so your heated cunt met the unmerciful cold air of the room.

You spluttered against the mattress, your voice a soft and needing whine as you stared behind you in desperation.

“You fuck me with your cock,” you reply back, hoping that in moments like these, it would help in your favor. You’re not sure what effect it took on Touya, only that his lips pulled back into a shark-like grin, his turquoise eyes drowning you in a deep color while he barked in laughter.

“Get on your knees,” Touya smoothly stated, his voice creamy smooth, adding to the gentle way that his fingernail was caressing and stroking your soaked inner thighs.

“Nope.”

“Oh?” Touya breathed, his tongue dragging across his lip in a way that made you shudder at your response. This was a mistake you made, you knew that, but the blistering fire in your core made you reconsider.

There was no time to react when Touya’s hands were suddenly filled with ties, and he grabbed your wrists in his hand and tugged you behind you towards him. Before you could attempt to pull back, to resist being bound because you absolutely hated not being able to move your arms, the tie is properly looped around your arms, and you’re locked in place.

“Now on your chest and knees like a good slut,” Touya directs, running a hand through his sweaty locks while spreading out his stance, still on his knees. The ties were almost uncomfortable with how tight they were, and you remained stagnant, staring at the white-haired sadist who was looking increasingly more frustrated with you. He was someone who commanded and demanded respect and attention, and you had your own fun chipping away at it all. But with your lack of action, his expression sours, and he grasps your hair in his hand, yanking you back so that your chest lifted off the bed, leaving only your discolored nipples grazing the mattress. “Are you fucking deaf?”

You gasp loudly when Touya’s hand slams your face to the mattress, your back curved, arms pressed into your shoulder blades.

“I thought sluts had better form than this,” Touya sneers while pressing a heavy hand against the center of your spine. You adjusted immediately under his force, your back arching with your pert ass in the air still bright and blistered in the air. “There, you look much better.”

The mattress pressed against your chest in a suffocating way, your heart hammering as you realized what was to come.

Rei’s voice drowned back into the background, and you looked at the giggling wine drinking monarch of the family, but regret-filled your loins, the coil in your stomach lessening in your fear. Touya was above you, silent as a monk, giving no emotions or feelings for you to read, that is until he began. The bed shifted by your knees, and you could only imagine what was happening as you could feel his pierced cock carding against your sopping folds, the piercing on the top of his cock dragging deliriously against your puffy clit. With a shivering moan from your lips, he pulled back before slamming profoundly and entirely into you.

A raw scream ripped through your mouth, your body nearly collapsing under his touch. His piercings were staggeringly cold in your heated cunt, sizzling, and burning against your puffy walls. There was no denying the fact that they added a whole new world of friction, deliciously and viciously dragging against the curves of your spongy walls, your bucking, spasming body doing nothing to make the pleasure any less. It only gave you more, and with the stinging in your ass. the loss of feeling in your breasts, and the now twitching overstimulated feeling in your cunt. Your eyes slammed to the back of your head.

The pure unadulterated lust and strength in every drop of his cock in your cunt were something you thought you should handle — but those piercings had drool pouring past your lips. With each hypnotizing slam of his hips, shrill shrieks of pleasures ripped from your throat, and you preened your head to look at Touya.

Sure enough, Touya was positioned on his feet, his knees bent as he dropped into your awaiting cunt with such savagery that your eyes rolled back watching him. Sweat dripped down his neck, his hands gripping your bruised and battered ass like some type of life support, and the squelching noises of your slamming sex were making your body weak.

“That feels so — ohmygod ohmygod — do that! Yes, yes, yes!”

“I want you to look at Shoucchan!” Touya bristled, his smile burning against your back. “Look at him, and tell him who’s making you feel this way?! Who’s making your cumdump pussy throb and clench with need and desire?”

“Y-You!” You scream, your hips buck against his slamming hips. It was so raw, so rough, and you were enjoying every passing second. “You are!”

“Look at him fucking bitch!” Touya snarls, his hand slapping your ass with a powerful stinging force, and his fingers moved to pinch your inflated breasts. You howled in a pleasure-filled pain, your tearing eyes looking at Shouto in your hysteria, a drool covered smile pressed to your face as you meet his raging eyes, his body trembling with what you knew was rage and jealousy. 

“T-Touya’s making me feel so good, Shoucchan,” the nickname drips like a taunt from your mouth as Touya rocks into you with unforgiving rage and power. The squelching of your meeting sex almost as loud as your babbling voice. “He’s fucking my cumdump pussy, making it throb a-and clench!”

Touya puffs out with your praise, all while he continues to fuck you roughly. He was in a zone, his bright eyes standing his ground as his younger brothers stared at him, feeling like it could kill someone right now. His concentration was like steel as he pounded into you again and again. Your inner walls clenched and spasmed against his penetrating cock, weeping with the pleasure stunted stimulation of the plenty of piercing viciously rubbing against your inner walls, and the heated pressure had built up all over again.

His cock twitched within you; it knocked the breath out of you; his fingers twisted into your hair, snapping you back.

“Fucking gonna fill you up until you’re overflowing,” jerking your head back towards him again, and you sob as your legs tremble against his increasing power. “You’re gonna be so full with my cum, you’re going to be my breeding slut, carrying my fucking child after all this.”

You feel your eyes cross, screaming out his name as your walls clamp down fiercely against his length. Touya curses loudly, his hips slamming completely against your hips and staying there as sticky substances eject from his throbbing head. Touya lets out a string of curses, and you moan, knowing that he came on you. The both of you collapse on the bed, ragging shallow breaths tumbling from both your chests as you attempt to steady yourselves.

“Just so you know who you fucking belong to here,” Touya taunts, but his words aren’t for you, but instead Shouto. You feel his finger press against the skin right above your ass, and you blink once, twice, and suddenly scorching white, impossibly unbearable heat burns into your skin. 

His finger burned brightly with his quirk, blue flames dancing across your skin as you howled and screamed in pain. He had branded you with his name, ‘Touya’ scrawled messily against your skin, white, bloodied, and blistered with the disappearance of his finger.

“Touya!” Rei snapped, her eyes narrowing on her eldest son as Shouto managed to break through the restraints, the chains clattering loudly on the floor as Enji and Natsuo both did everything they could to restrain him where he sat. “You weren’t allowed to brand someone who isn’t yours, you know that!”

“Oh relax,” Touya rolled his eyes, his cock removing from your quivering cunt with a low sigh. “It wasn’t anything permanent. It should only last a week if you put ointment on it. If we still got that shit for when Shouto got burned, it should heal up in seconds.”

You remained on the bed, painful, heavy tears pouring down your face as you sobbed.

The latex was burnt off your body, and your breasts throbbed in grateful pleasure at your sudden release. But you could feel his name engraved into your skin, and it hurt. You sniffled against the mattress, your body sweaty and gross as his cum seeped out from your cunt. A soft hand pressed to your brand with some ointment that made you cry, even more, tensing against a gentle touch.

“Don’t worry, sweetie,” Fuyumi’s voice was gentle against your pounding ears. “I’ll fix you up, and then you’ll be good to go!”

You don’t remember passing out from the pain, but you know that some time has passed when you open your eyes. You can still feel the low throbbing pains of your back where Touya had etched his skin, but it was no longer causing you awful pain. A soft groan passed your lips while you felt a gentle stroke of fingers brush over where the branding had once been.

“Oh! You’re conscious again!” Fuyumi cheered delightfully, her lips pressing to your sweaty temple with a gracious smile. “I’m happy to tell you that we managed to salvage your skin! The blisters and burns are all gone!”

A soft whimper presses against your teeth as you nod in thanks, your tongue feeling heavy in your mouth. “Thank you,” you rasp, your eyes fluttering in the way coolness washes over your still blazing skin. Fuyumi’s quirk doing wonders to your beaten skin. 

“I’m glad you’re doing okay!” Fuyumi continued to chirp, and your fingers trembled, your head nodding at the way her tone was so, so sweet and light. Was she going to be the most comfortable fuck so far? You certainly hoped so. “Please know that you have to call me nee-chan, or else your nee-chan will get upset. Do you understand?”

A hitched huff passes your lips, and you nod, you understand… wait! Your head snapped up, your body aching at the way you twisted around to stare at Fuyumi, who was looking at you still with a sugar-sweet smile on her face and the biggest fucking dildo sitting on her strap. 

Nee-chan?

“Let’s begin!”

Let it not be said that you couldn’t follow instructions. This entire past twenty minutes or so, you had been as obedient as one could be when you found out your boyfriend’s family was a cult — and even more so obedient then you ever expected yourself to be. The word nee-chan dripped from your lips in an echoed distant prayer when Fuyumi rolled you over so that your back was being pressed into the mattress. 

You squealed at the sensation of your sore backside pressing into the rough material of the mattress, your eyes clenching while you flinched at the spectacle. 

“I’ve always been outnumbered by my brothers and my father. I’ve seen their cocks in action, and the first time I got to join in on someone, my dildo was pathetic. I couldn’t get anyone to scream the way they did through my strap energy. I know I eat pussy better than they do. Still, I wanted to make sure that I was better than them in everything,” Fuyumi’s words are informational, trying to explain just why the dildo she was using was what you would consider being a dragon dildo. 

She moves the dildo against your clit, your body twisting and contorting as the artificial veins drag sinfully against your aching nerves. her hands pressing against your abdomen as she did so, gently thrusting, studying the way that you keened and gasped for more. “We got to do this so many times! Did ya know that my poor brother Natsuo brought three girls to this initiation? None of them passed! It’s not so fun fucking people who can’t keep up… that’s why I’m so happy Shouto found you, y/n! You’re keeping up so well!”

A particular thrust of her hips lands a staggering white-hot jolt up your spine, your head tossing backward as you moan, your hips rising instinctively to grind against the dildo she refuses to put in. You’d never been with any girl before, and this was all so new, to begin with. When your once dry mouth seemed to pool with your saliva, your abdomen was built with electrifying pressure. You could only think of getting more from this. You wanted Fuyumi to fuck you to oblivion. 

But she had plans, ideas to do before she even considered planting her dragon cock into your sopping pussy. 

“Tell me if you like this or not, little sister,” Fuyumi teased, her eyes moving to focus on your already hazed ones, her hands pressing down on your diaphragm, and her lips erotically pressed to the side of your breasts. She spends a few seconds lavishing your breasts with attention, her hot, wet tongue flicking and twirling your skin around, trying to make you squirm even more under her conquesting tongue.

“I-It feels good,” you mewl, your breasts singing in grace and pleasure of how her tongue flicks and curls over your pebbled nipples. 

But you omitted nee-chan. 

Her fingernails pinched and twisted the sensitive skin near your lymph nodes, a pained gasp emitting from your lips while you writhed under her. Your pants are heavy and loud while Fuyumi tuts against your breast, “Try again,” she commands, her mouth tearing into your skin.

“It feels good, nee-chan,” you gasp, your eyes noticing the way that the anger and ferocity seem to melt away from her eyes. Replacing it with nothing but warmth and kindness in her place.

It sent an odd shiver down your spine; this was the persona of someone you knew was dangerous. Stay on her good side, and you would be rewarded. Get on her bad side, and well, you had a gut instinct that she would be worse than even Touya. Fuyumi’s teeth leave your skin, moving on to continue to lavish your body in her sweet lips and gentle kisses. She left behind a trail of bites and bruises, your skin purpling and brightening wherever she left. 

Her skin was unparalleled so far, each strike and curl of her tongue, making you pant in such fervor you nearly forget to add nee-chan on multiple occasions. But you were a quick learner, a good learner, especially if she was to be treating you like this. With her lips dancing and grazing against your skin, you felt amazing. On top of the way that the dildo still continues to drag through your folds, teasing, stimulating your abused cunt. 

You were turned on, almost painfully so. Your clit throbbed, and your nipples ached with an unrestricted need while Fuyumi pushed up against your breasts, her hips circling and snapping into you. 

Fuyumi’s hands trail down, squeezing your soft thighs in her grasp, pulling your legs up closer to her, wrapping your sturdy legs around her form. The adjustment sends jarring shivers down your spine. Your lips fall open, stuttered gasps drenching the room as the vein on the dildo grows bigger and more complicated with this new reach, this new angle.

Her hands felt delicate against your skin, almost like porcelain but with an undertone of steel to her grip. And you gasp as in your blinded state, her lips latching onto your neck. Her teeth nibbling on your vein makes you moan, your back arching as she presses on, unafraid of what she’s doing.

“Tell me…” She breathes against your skin. Your fingers clutching her biceps between your hands as you lie against your seat. “What does my dirty little sister want?”

Your eyes open. Degradation was something you’ve never tried before. But those words send heat towards your cunt. You moan as her fingers trail under your tank top, her nails dragging against your sensitive skin. Her hands are on your waist, and she pulls your legs until your ass is pressing against the bottom curve of the dildo. Your hips come to roll against hers, a movement that causes her to hiss.

Her smile makes your walls flutter in anticipation as your mouth opens to answer, your tongue slippery in your mouth, “I… I want to be fucked. I want my nee-chan to stick her dildo in me, and claim me. I want my nee-chan’s to taste my cunt. And I want her to fuck me without holding back, I don’t want my nee-chan to hold back at all.” 

Your flushed face can barely stay facing Fuyumi, but you shiver at her head dropping backward, a preemptive moan escaping her mouth at the thought of doing all those things. You weren’t ashamed to admit it, and you glowed at her inability to look at you right now. “I want to be used as your sex toy. Using me after dominating me in whatever way and desire my nee-chan wants – shit!”

There’s a hard thrust against your aching core, and Fuyumi has your hands above your head. Cold metal circling your wrists as you watch her handcuff you to the bed frame. “Fuyumi?!” you gasp, flinching when her hand comes down to strike your cheek in your slip up. You splutter against your stinging skin, your eyes watering while you continue to stare at Fuyumi, who looks down at you with a pout, her eyes so, so sad at your slip up.

“Call me, nee-chan, let me be your big sister!” she begs, a hopeful smile tugging at her lips and connecting with your collarbone. Goosebumps shoot through your body as your hands pull against the restraint. The cold metal hissing against your burning skin, cutting into your aching joints, her hands rutting the dragon cock against your pulsing clit.

You pant as Fuyumi pulls away, her fingers discarding her thin shirt while she grinned. 

“Don’t you just look lovely like this? Saying things about how you want to be fucked without restraint, but look at you! You barely survived, Touya! What makes you so confident that you’ll last with me?” her finger fork between your clit, your body twisting and shuddering under her milking fingers, her keen eyes studying every little way you bucked and moaned against her. “Such a fucking dirty little sister, aren’t you? How long can I make you wait for me to do anything but tease your puffy pretty clit, hm? Did you want me to fuck your dirty fucking pussy already? Do you want my cock to ram into you already? Claim you as mine?”

An aroused and insulted moan escapes your lips, and Fuyumi presses a heavy hand to your throat, immediately cutting off the airway, making you splutter and gasp under her weight. “I want an answer, y/n-chan.”

Your eyes roll to the back of your head just momentarily, your breath hitching when you return her kind yet fearsome lust-filled eyes. Fuyumi was emitting some type of confidence that confused you to no end, yet it was very quickly overwhelming you. You wondered if she really was the reason why all those girls before you had failed?

“I’ve n-never done this!” you stammer in embarrassment while her fingers push apart your thighs. She inches backward slowly, her grey eyes taking you into completion, your hips rising and falling in your desperate need and crave of attention for your throbbing heated core.

Fuyumi chuckles, she slides her hands to your knees, pressing heavily onto them while she lowers her head. Her hot breaths hit your soaked core in gentle coaxing waves, causing you to whine, your hands tugging at the restraints in boggling need. Chills of pleasure spread among your skin while you whimper out her name, your hips stupidly rising to find a home, and she does nothing to ease your struggles. “I’m glad because you’re going to be my little sister, y/n! We’re going to be the best sisters, much more than the ones I got from Touya and Natsuo! But you promise you’ll only be mine? Promise that I’m going to be your only big sister?” Fuyumi begs of you, her fingers tracing your clothed slit. Your head nods rapidly in agreement, your hot puffing breathes heavy.

Fuyumi squealed in excitement, that same childlike glee washing over her. With the dragon cock so longer on your pussy, you looked down in a moment of sadness. Still, you were met with her two fingers thrusting up into your weeping cunt, angled perfectly for the first time doing it — you swear you can taste colors when she brushes against your g-spot without even trying. 

Your back arches off the bed. your body almost twisting in your attempt to get her out of your spasming core, you scream her name. “God, you’re such a tight little sister! I thought that after Touya and my dad, you’d be much looser, but that’s okay! You really wanted this to be the end result, didn’t you? You want your nee-chan to split your pussy in two!” Fuyumi squeals, her fingers curling into your walls. You sob in response, the overwhelming pleasure spreading like fire through your body as she coaxes her fingers against your walls. Her other hand shoots out to your parted mouth, sinking two fingers into your mouth as you whine when she presses down against your hot, pink tongue. “Come on, I know you can take my fingers! Show your nee-chan how well you suck!”

You moan against her fingers, your tongue swirling and pressing between her nimble fingers. But further down, your stomach tightens, and your hips bucking against her fingers, your grinding, rolling hips desperate to get her to do more to you. And as if she could tell that you wanted more, that you needed more, Fuyumi’s head tilts down to suck onto your puffy clit. Your muffled moan only riles her further, her body shivering against yours. Her tongue peeks out, while her gaze falls on yours, the pink, soft tongue swirls your throbbing clit around in her mouth, the sucking sensation of her mouth making you plead to her around her fingers. Her eyes are locked on your desperate eyes. She doesn’t stop, her fingers now scissoring within you as you shudder against her movements.

And much to your pleasure, she continues.

Her tongue strokes against your clit, lapping at the puffy bundle of nerves. Her nose buries into your clit while she stroked your soaked slit, teasing your entrance with her tongue despite her conquesting fingers. But it does something to you, your body trembling with want and need, and you can’t help but scream in desperation.

“Fuck, nee-chan—!” your hands clutched at the metal chains of the handcuffs. They bury into the palms of your hand while Fuyumi continues her assault upon your cunt. Her fingers run against the walls of your cunt by your belly, goosebumps, and fluttering sensations knocking through you with every hither motion of her fingers. But it was that tongue of hers that had you seeing the stars and the universe. Her tongue alternated from thrusting within your pulsing core, teasing your clenching flesh, sucking and nipping, and your blazing clit. She kneaded your clit between her fingers as you felt an unusual sensation creep up on your lower half. The feeling to pee was overwhelming your body as you tried to ignore it. Your eyes clenched shut as Fuyumi’s mouth, and fingers continued rutting into you, the loud squelch of her skin against your core sounding around the room, your cunt clenching down hard against her dancing fingers.

Fuyumi lets go of your clit all too soon and sighs happily. “You’re such an amazing little sister! Your pussy is so wet and so tight for me! You even squirted without me doing anything too drastic, and I don’t even have a cock in you still! Are you going to come so quickly again? You’re not going to tap out on your nee-chan before she’s done, are you?” Your head shakes fast, your back arching off the seats as you try getting more friction to your pussy that had experienced a goddesses touch and now wanted more. “I know you’re a good whore, you won’t come yet right now, right?”

Her fingers leave your mouth, and you cough with her disappearance. Your chest heaves as if you had been gagged or choked. Not at all what was happening to you right now, but in anticipation of what was to come.

“Nee-chan, please, I want you now!”

Fuyumi doesn’t even flinch as she instead removes her fingers from within you and runs her slick covered fingers against the dildo, much to your soft whimpers. 

You watch with increasing lust as Fuyumi removes her lacy snow bra. Now in front of you, gloriously naked and beautifully armed with that dildo, you wanted to kiss your cervix on her hips. She’s beautiful and perfect, and you wanted her to ruin you. Her breasts look full and ready to be touched, her curves making you feel jealous as she leans back over you. “Did you know you have the prettiest fucking pussy I’ve ever seen, y/n-chan?” You grunt, not at all liking all the talking and wanting her to sink that fucking dildo into yours. “Do you need to come now? You were taking my fingers so well, and I think my pretty little whore sister needs to come. I sure want to come; don’t ya, y/n-chan?”

You sob as your hands pull desperately against the restraint, your body unable to move from your position. “Yes, nee-chan, I want you to fuck me!” you cry as her fingers trace the sides of your body, your hips squirming under her touch. “I want to come, and I want you to cum on me.”

“You say such sweet things for a little sister,” Fuyumi giggles as she pushes your trembling legs back, the dragon cock held and guided with one hand to your awaiting dripping hole. “I hope you’re ready!”

“Please fuck me, please fuck me so good,” you plea, your eyes closing as you readied yourself, the tip of the dragon cock pressing into your eager cunt.

You could clench your eyes closed, the feeling of Fuyumi’s hips twitch with a whimper at the direct plea. She pulls out slightly and then pushes back, adding a tiny, yet powerful snap to herm hips, and your resulting sob for more seems to finally convince her exactly how much you needed to be fucked beyond sanity.

Finally, finally, Fuyumi buries her dragon dildo into your stretching, clenching cunt. Your jaw drops in a silent scream, your eyes rolling to the back of your head as the thick cock pushed slowly into you as if to torture you. You realized where you wanted Enji to be slow in burying his fat cock in you, you wanted her to be fast — this burned so slowly with her slow pace, and if the Cheshire grin on her face spoke anything, she knew that this is what you were thinking too.

Every vein on the dildo pulses against your vice walls, her hips steady as she lowered herself further into you. Your ragged exhausted pants hit her cum stained and sweaty chest, and the both of you look down to see that only half of the dildo fit in you. You’re surprised that much fits in you, but the fullness in your core tells you that it makes sense. Your eyes clench while you adjust to the size of that monster, but Fuyumi doesn’t take too long to recover from her own hesitations. Fuyumi’s hips then start rutting into you, hitting your hips in a fast, barbaric rhythm. And every single inhibition has left your body — this is like no dick you’ve ever experienced before, nothing has ever filled you out in such a way and… holy shit, what was that?! Your chants become incoherent screams when you realize that with every thrust of her hips, the dildo was vibrating against your walls.

“Yes. Yes, yes! Shit! Keep fucking me, keep—god, please don’t stop, nee-chan, it’s so good, it’s so so good—nee-chan!”

You can feel every millimeter of Fuyumi inside you. The dildo smashing unapologetically into your cervix that has you singing to the heavens, her steel hands in a bruising grip on your throat — not effectively silencing your whorish scream. Your essence sliding down and smearing all over the crease between your thigh and cunt – and all the time, Fuyumi’s momentum is building.

She drills faster and faster, she pleads that her younger sister is happy, the only thing you can hear is your pleasure-filled sobs and the smacking of her hips against yours. Your body twists and convulses, your wrists tremble from being held back, and with a climactic high, you came with an echoing sob. 

You lay broken against the bed, your body heaving and twitching when Fuyumi pulls the dildo from your cunt. You whimper heavily at the loss of contact, your wrists weakly circling in a poor attempt of drawing her near. Fuyumi cries happily while she tumbles off the bed, kissing you softly on the cheek as she removes the handcuffs.

“Because I can’t stuff you full with my cum, that’s it from me for now,” she sighs before disappearing with a soft giggle of delight.

You lay there for what felt like an eternity, your body sticky with sweat and cum, sore and throbbing from everything else you’ve endured.

“You seem to be a good girl, y/n,” Natsuo’s voice rings clear as day by your thighs.

With eyelids that felt like lead, you peered at Natsuo, smiling at you with kindness. Had it not been because Fuyumi had also approached you with the same sweet smile, maybe you would have reacted differently, but no. You were ready.

The Todoroki’s were cunning, deceitful, and powerful.

But there was a soothing coldness to his fingers. Soft coldness spread through your aching body, helping alleviate the burning sensations that trademarked the other Todoroki members. There were bruises all over your body, welts, and tears in your skin.

You didn’t mind them. After all, the masochist in you had been born ten times over today, it seemed. 

“There are some rules you must know before we begin,” Natsuo spoke with direct clarity, his face soft yet stern, his fingers gliding aimlessly around your heated inner thighs and cutting through your hood to your clit. You gasped loudly, your body spasming under his tantalizing touch, and he chuckled, his lips pressing to your knee. “You will address me as daddy, nothing else. Secondly, you will obey me, no matter what I say, or else…” his fingers forked through your clit, squeezing the sensitive nub between his strong fingers that had your body convulsing underneath him, “You will get punished, and I don’t want to hurt you, baby girl.”

There was a buzzing in your mind, a sweet need to see what would happen if you denied him. So far, it has only led to good things for you, things you would not have exchanged for the world. But still, you knew better than to test them out in the beginning; Enji’s handprint on your neck was more than enough evidence to tell you to wait until later.

“Hands and knees,” Natsuo spoke, his hands stroking and massaging your inner thighs in a way that just further ignited the fire that spewed madly within your loins.

Rolling onto your knees, your arms buckled beneath you as you positioned yourself for him, your pert ass in the air, bruised and swollen beyond its initial appearance. You drop your back, allowing for the arch of your back to entice him to show off for your current daddy and Shouto, who was watching.

Without looking, you knew that your asshole was wet with the leaking cum of both Touya and Enji would have both filled you up plenty. And Natsuo stared at the milky opaque substance with interest, his arms crossed his chest.

Impatience began to soak through your skin, a pout on your face as you wiggled your ass for good measure, trying to capture Natsuo’s attention.

“Daddy, please do something!” you whined and broke his stern gaze from your ass to your eyes. 

His eyes were dark, sparkling with that energy they all seemed to possess: cunning and possessive. A smirk spread on his lips as he chuckled, stepping closer to the bed.

“Where would you want me to touch you, princess?” Natsuo questioned, his hands already assuming a position on your ass, pushing the mounds of flesh apart only to let them come back and slap together. Your cunt, having already been abused, still sparked with life, but it seemed that a chill ran through your ass. Only having had Enji’s fingers up your ass, you craved for something more, something sturdier — thicker. “Show your daddy.”

You whimpered, teetering onto one hand as your now free hand grabbed your breast, pinched your nipple, and moved to your puffy clit. 

Natsuo watched you like a hawk, his eyebrow-raising when your fingers slipped between your wet folds and even glided to your tight asshole. 

“There?” he spoke, his voice sounding restrained and tight.

You moaned, “I want daddy’s cock everywhere.”

Biting your lower lip, you saw Natsuo groan, his fingers slipping into your cunt, pleased with the heat and the wet juices that still remained. 

“You’re so fucking tight, princess,” Natsuo groaned, his mouth placing approving kisses on the small of your back. “I thought they were going to ruin you for your daddy, but fuck… I wonder… daddy wonders how tight that pretty little ass of yours is.”

You shiver at the prospect, your eyes pleading for him to indulge in his thoughts as you wiggle your ass in approval.

“You want that, huh, princess, you want daddy to breed that little asshole of yours!” Natsuo grinned, his teeth scraping the length of your spine, and you shook with glee.

“Yes, daddy! I want you to breed my asshole, please fuck my asshole!” you begged, feeling his calloused fingers already circling around your hips, trailing to your outer than inner thighs as you trembled against him. 

Natsuo pressed sloppy, wet kisses from the top of your ass down until he met your slicked inner thigh, just avoiding the throb of both your ass and cunt. You keened against him, fingers burying into the wet mattress as you tried not to beg too loudly, you mustn’t disturb your daddy. 

“Such a good girl, princess,” Natsuo praises, his fingers curling within your cunt again, slicking his fingers up with your essence. They pump within you lazily, and you moan loudly, eyes fluttering as you press your face against the mattress, your walls forcibly clenching against his fingers. He eventually pulls out of your wet heat, and teasingly, horribly edges you when his fingers circle around your clenched muscle, getting close enough for you to whimper, but too far for any sort of pleasure. “Good fucking girl,” he repeated, his other hand moving to your clit, pinching and tugging at the nerve with soft, languid strokes. “Daddy thinks you deserve to be treated.”

You didn’t have the chance to support his decision for his hand came smacking against your ass with a powerful thrust, nearly sending you toppling over as you shook against him. He spanked you again, and again, and again—the flesh on your ass bouncing against his movements, sending Natsuo into a wide grin of amusement. 

“Tell me where you want daddy’s mouth the most right now,” Natsuo asked, fingers clenching your ass, massaging the sore flesh in his cold hands. 

“My ass!” you sobbed, feeling entirely spent by every little movement. “Daddy, I want you to eat my ass!”

“Such a dirty princess,” Natsuo scoffs, but there's enjoyment in his voice, and his warm, hot breath expels against your pert, puckered hole. 

You shook against him, rotating your hips as you felt the ghost of his lips breeze against your hole. His fingers, still wet with your slick, suddenly invaded your ass, and you keened loudly at the feeling of two thick fingers suddenly pressing past your unsuspecting, unanticipated hole. You, like a bitch in heat, rolled your hips, your breathing heavy and hot as you nodded your head in wordless praise.

“Fuck…” you managed, your eyes barely in focus to see the throbbing cock tented in Shouto’s pants, and you grin.

But as his fingers press downward onto your hole, you shudder, mouth falling open when his wet, hot tongue presses through your asshole, licking and lapping at the skin that was untouched by his fingers. You shook manically, your body trembling as he ate your ass, the wet, lewd noises almost pornographic as you screamed for your daddy.

Tears rolled down your cheeks, arms restlessly moving behind you to shove his face further between his ass, to get his tongue even further in your anal cavity. His thumb was spreading the slick of his saliva all-around your asshole, his fingers and tongue probing further into your ass, allowing you further penetration as you moaned his name.

His mouth completely surrounded your muscled hole, and your vision blacked when he sucked on your asshole, letting your legs shake furiously as you trembled with the vacuuming sensation. “Holy shit — daddy!” you squeaked in shock, back arching even further as that new sensation burned through your body. But he didn’t stop there; he continued to move forward, continuing to assault your pretty and raw ass.

His tongue fucked your ass, and his other fingers slipped into your cunt, his middle finger rubbing your clit as you shook with waving rolling pleasure. Your head snapped to look at him, eyes desperate and keen on looking into his amused, bright eyes. They sparkled with joy, winking at you with no remorse as his tongue flicked the innards of your anal cavity. 

“You like me eating your ass, princess? Tell me how much you like my tongue in your ass,” Natsuo growled against your rim, voice shaking your core, making your eyes flutter with the growing need. “Tell your daddy.”

You moaned loudly, your ass shaking with the need for him to focus even more on your ass as senseless babbles poured from your throat, “Daddy’s tongue feels so funny in my ass! It’s so wet, so hot, so long! It makes my ass feel f-funny!! Daddy’s making my ass and pussy feel so good!”

Four fingers pressed into your hole, and you screamed in the alarming pain, your teeth sinking into your arm as Natsuo thrust his fingers in and out of your stretched and wet asshole. He drilled into your sloppy ass, uncaring of the way that Shouto snapped at him, only drinking in the vulgar cries of his name that you continued to supply him in endless amounts. 

“Can daddy add his last finger into your ass?” Natsuo asked, his thumb scraping the cleavage of your ass. “Can daddy put his finger in and fist your ass? Daddy knows you can take it, princess, you’re doing so well, you can take daddy’s cock in your pretty little ass.”

His pumping fingers were too much for you, your head mindlessly nodding in agreement because the moment five fisted fingers entered your ass, you could no longer think straight. Natsuo smirked, his tongue whirling within your spasming hole.

With his fist now entirely in your ass, you struggled to breathe, your lungs feeling as if it was in your ass, and the fingers that once delighted your cunt was replaced suddenly with his thick, throbbing cock. 

You couldn’t remember what was right, what was up, or your name at the entirely full feeling of his cock and fist in your cunt and ass. You shook violently, cumming immediately as he bottomed out within you and wasted no time in snapping his hips into you. Except, his fist suddenly leaves your clenching, gaping asshole, and he rolls you over, cock resting on your stomach as he looks at you with wicked pleasure.

Natsuo grabs your legs, hoisting them up so that the angle of which he was attempting to fuck you in was prime breeding position.

“Daddy’s going to give your pussy what it wants now, and he’s going to overfill you with his cum until you dripping him out for days… you’d look so cute pregnant, y/n, so fucking cute.”

You’re not sure if that last part was for you or for Shouto, whose gaze is still carved into every slick cover curve on your body. But it makes you let out a strained moan, a moan that has his lips spreading into a smile against your jaw. Without much time to think, time to even attempt to grow comfortable with the situation you were in, his hips snapped upward, his cock fully hard and bottoming out in you with one powerful snap.

Your knees are subsequently buried within the mattress by your head. Your body aching in this position, and your toes curling and pressing against each other. Natsuo lays on top of you, the penetration deep and thrilling, and his hands pressing your forearms above your head. The weight of having him on you is exhilarating, and while you feel your face drum with the blood staying in your head, the feeling of his balls bouncing against your ass sends you spluttering with undenied lust.

His cock slams against the wall of your cervix repetitively while his lips attach to your neck. Each blow into you is massive and powerful. Powerful enough to have you crying so loudly, you can hear it ringing against the walls, his hands bruising your forearms in his. The thrusts are so powerful, incredibly jolting with your head bouncing on the mattress.

Again and again, he slams into you. His thrusts knocking the wind out of you until you release his hands and find yourself digging your fingers into his back, crying out his name desperately while his teeth find a home on your neck. The powerful pounding of his cock makes you mewl loudly, your hips jerking up to meet his, your heels digging into his back, lifting you off the bed to meet his powerful, sweat breaking thrust.

“Cum in me,” you gasp, your eyes rolling back in pleasure behind the blindfold, “breed me, please, breed me.”

“You’ll be full of my fucking kids in no time, your cute belly will be round with my kids, not those old as shit men,” he snaps against your jaw, his cock throbbing within your pussy, and loud echoing slaps fill the room. 

You couldn’t take the feeling of how his body moved perfectly within you; the strength and power behind his every move were almost too natural as if this was an everyday thing. You let out noises reasonably similar to a purr, grinding your cunt against his conquesting cock and laughing breathlessly at his low groan.

“You like this, princess?” Natsuo bites at your jaw, his thrusts making you shriek out his name as he buries you further into the bed, your nails digging into his flesh. “You like the way my cock fills your pussy the same way my tongue ate your ass?” 

You nod rapidly, your eyes closed, your mouth open, your pants tumbling from your mouth. Your sanity was lying on a string, his actions the reasons for your downfall.

His leverage was small, but every thrust seemed to have his cock pulled out of you nearly completely. Before he drilled back into your pussy. The noises of your connecting wet sex left a loud echo with your squelching pussy around his hot cock.

“You like the way I fuck your pussy? The way that I’ll fill you with my seed for days to come?” he growls into your ear, his hips inhumanly slamming into you.

“I need you to breed me,” you sob, the fire in your face as bright and hot as the one between your legs. His sweaty forehead pressed against your collarbone, and his lips sunk into your skin.

Your mind goes blank when a mighty crash goes through you. Natsuo is entirely lost in the feeling of your clenching vice walls, his ragged breaths hitting your skin with every excessive, overpowering roll of his hips. You cry while your head thrashes against the mattress, your forearms slamming against his head while you pant.

“Fuck, you’re so hot,” he growls, and once again slams into you. “No wonder why Shouto didn’t want to share you.”

His hips continue to drive into you, a show of just how much he wanted to fill you, claim you despite your Shouto sitting so nearby. His thick cocking strained your walls, but the way his cock would twitch within the confines of your plush, spongy walls had you reeling for more. Your teeth biting into his skin when an incredibly hard thrust sent your eyes to the back of your head, your back arching, cunt squeezing as you tumbled off the high point.

“Cum, sir,” you beg, your hips wildly thrashing against his. “Please, fill me with your seed!”

That’s all it takes, and a hot and heavy load shoots through you, and Natsuo collapses onto you. Your jaw-dropping and gaping like a fish out of water while your eyes fluttered with your crashing high. There’s a silence for a while, the weight of Natsuo on your body a comfort until he’s pulling away from you, cock slipping from your cum filled cunt, and body abandoning yours on the bed. But you don’t look; you’re too tired to look.

“Get up, fucking whore,” a voice breaks your thoughts, and your closed eyes twitch towards the Touya’s voice. There was a pause before he spoke again, a smirk evident in his tone.“It’s time for the best part.”

Your eyes focused hazily onto the group of family members around you, your thoughts racing a mile a second in the horrific wonder of what was to come. 

You had already gone through them all on your own. You had seen how they fucked you on their own grounds, their own terms, but this was different. There was obvious tension in the four of them, dynamics, and intense feelings unable to be muffled in this state. Their personalities when it was just you and them clearly having been discarded. Their actions and thoughts are now clearly swayed by who they were now forced to work with.

Shouto was the last one to be married, you knew that, and you were the only one he’s dated. With that knowledge, you knew that they’ve never been in a situation like this before. 

You glanced at Enji, whose face was stern and solid. There was no emotion on his face, save the scorching embers in his eyes that passed between his sons. A fire curled in your core when that same gaze fell on you, and you immediately understood what he was rationalizing. He was older now, especially when he fucked the other spouses — he was no longer the true alpha. By the looks of how there was no bite to his face, you knew he was here to see which son was best.

Touya looked at you in a possessiveness that should be reserved for the one he loved most, not someone like you. His eyes stared straight into you, unwavering, unmoving. You were nothing more than some lucky bitch in his eyes, but a bitch that he was going to make sure everyone knew was his. His chest puffed out in want and excitement, a hint for anyone to challenge him. He was going to make sure everyone abided by him — he was the one fighting hardest for the proper alpha role.

Fuyumi was the complete opposite. Even though she had probably fucked you the best out of everyone in the circle, she came off as a non-threat. Her fingers gentle while cleaning you up from the sweat and cum that marinated your body. You can’t even pass up a thank you for you’re beyond words. She was a tricky one, someone who commanded things from the shadows and behind a sweet smile. Fuyumi could take Touya down if he wasn’t careful. 

Then there was Natsuo. His gaze continuously shifts between his older siblings as if in worry, in fear of what they might do or say to him — as if he didn’t tower over them. If you weren’t so dazed by the sheer pleasure of this all, you might have wondered just what might have happened between them all before. Still, it is evident that he had begrudgingly accepted his subordinate role; you could practically taste that in the air, but the defiance shone brightly in his eyes. He still wanted you as much as they did, and he would be damned if he gave in without a fight.

Finally, Shouto, who still was strapped to the chair, but he was someone you were well aware of. He’d always been the unspoken chosen one of the family, someone who undoubtedly would kill both Enji and Touya for how they stared at you. You shivered at the thought.

For the first time that night, the vast bed would finally be used to its full potential. 

They all climbed on at once, the bed sinking on multiple locations, and your hands pressed onto the mattress, excitement coursing through your veins as they drew nearer. You were unsure where to look first, who to give your attention to first because good god, you wanted them all on you, in you. But Fuyumi was without her strap on, and your eyes fell onto Shouto, who was staring at you with a raging hard-on. Rei petted his hair while she drank what was definitely her tenth glass of wine, her own eyes swimming with lustful mirth.

It takes no time for all of them to mount the bed, and suddenly, your face is covered while Fuyumi plants her slick wet pussy over your gaping mouth. Hands pressing against your ass to lift you up as a cock that feels vaguely familiar to Natsuo fills your ass out, and the cold piercings of Touya's cock press through your tight cunt as you whine into Fuyumi’s folds. You feel something hot and thick press into your palm, and you know it's Enji’s cock.

“How is she still this fucking tight?” Touya moaned, his hips pressing into you, bottoming out inside you. You moaned loudly inside Fuyumi’s core, her loud mewling ringing in your ears as you awkwardly, inexperienced lapped at her soaked folds as the brothers' cocks moved within your throbbing cunt and ass. “You think her fucking quirk is the reason why she doesn’t ever loosen up despite having been pounded to hell and back?”

Your hand tries to run up and down Enji’s cock, fisting his thick length as you eat Fuyumi out with more vigorous, more confident laps. But the piercings on Touya’s cock and the veins on Natsuo’s cock seem to be hypersensitive against your spent walls. The feeling of two, irreplicable cocks within your ass and cunt, making your head spin as your teeth graze Fuyumi’s clit, fingers tracing Enji’s cock.

Fuyumi's hand reaches behind you to clench at the roots of your hair as she shifts her hips, wasting no time to allow herself the greatest amount of pleasure against your virgin mouth. Trying to replicate what you knew well from Shouto, and what she had done to you so many minutes earlier, your tongue pushed against her slit, not going through, but just enough to lap at the essence that had already pooled from her lips. And then a satisfied groan escaped her as the tip of your tongue pushed against her cavern. And she rocked against your face, falling even deeper onto your face.

“Yes, just like that, little sister!” Fuyumi bubbles, her hips grinding down lower on your mouth, your nose pressing awkwardly onto her circulating hips. 

Your hips thrust upward against Natsuo’s and Touya’s cocks, and both men fumbled their tongues, their cocks slamming within you, grazing your cervix and hitting your guts in a single stroke. Your fingers nearly let Enji’s cock slip from your grip as you tried to focus on getting them all to feel good; you wanted to win this, wanted to get that ring on your finger and make them submit to you being one of them — the best of them.

“You really picked a great one, Shoucchan, oh my god—” you caught Fuyumi off guard as your hand slips from beside you, curling against her clit with accurate precision given the way that she nearly collapses against you. “Yes, just like that! Yes, yes!” she chants, her hips grinding down on you, your back pressed against her breasts, giving her the only other stimulation you could. 

“Enji, she’s doing so well.” 

A voice called out sweetly in the background, and your eyes skimmed to the side to see Rei at the foot of the bed. Her wine glass she had been drinking this entire time abandoned on her chair and Shouto struggled against the restraints with shivering shudders of the chains. Enji’s eyes looked down at his wife, and he nodded in agreement, pulling out his length from your hand and watching his sons thrust into your cunt and ass like it was god's one and only gift. 

Rei’s tongue playfully lolling out while she continued to observe the erotic scene before her. She wet her lips at the sight of her daughter riding your face, the vulgar moans that sang from your lips as Fuyumi praised you again and again. 

“You’re so good at this,” Fuyumi whines, her thighs tensing around you, her weight pushing against you, and you moaned while grinding your nose on her large clit. “I'm gonna cum on you, y/n-chan.”

“Do you think we need to teach our sons how to fuck women better?” Rei questioned, her gaze peering on your tear-soaked ones. You whined against their cocks as you struggled to keep up with the impossibly wide stretch of your ass and cunt as they fucked you savagely, uncaring of what noises you were screaming for them. But the rhythmic hitting of both their cocks against the slick of your sweaty, slick skin. 

The piercings of Touya’s cock became a more burning feeling, and when your eyes fell back up to Fuyumi’s bright tear-filled eyes, you were almost surprised to see that it was no longer raging lust in them, just joy. You choke against Fuyumi’s core, the sweet taste of her essence doubling on your tongue with the removal of your nose for breathing. But you struggle to breathe and continue dancing your language between her folds with your fingers as assistance, her fingers return to your nipples.

As your tongue twirls and lifts, her fingers roll and pinch. 

She matches your every move with something new on your fingers, getting you to kick out your legs in building release, and her hips roughly buck against your face, her cunt quivering against your touch.

Hissing loudly, you nearly scream at the way her fingers pinch your nipples. And she cries at the way your tongue laps at her juices as if you were a starved woman. And she came harshly, entirely on your face. You didn’t even recognize the sensation of the two cocks suddenly exiting your body, only that they were done.

 Your gasping concentration was broken when Fuyumi abandoned you from above, and you pushed off the bed with heavy arms, only to meet Natsuo’s chest — it seemed he tossed Touya from the bed. He rolled you over so that he was beneath you, chests pressed against each other, his length carded between your ass, grinding against your wet slit. Your essence mixed with his pre-cum that quickly soaked his cock, and you looked down to see Natsuo ease you up and onto his length into your pussy with one deep thrust. 

“I didn’t get to tell you this, but you’re so fucking tight,” Natsuo’s voice was gruff and victorious when he began to move inside you. Touya’s voice growled loudly in these deceitful actions, his body scrambling behind you while you took in Natsuo’s impressive length again. Fuyumi rolled in front of you, her ass shaking in the air, and she winked at you.

“Eat my ass?”

And for your nee-chan, you did.

Touya sinks behind you, Natsuo’s victorious position is unable to be challenged while continues to rut into you from below, his thrusts slow and deep. But Touya spreads your ass cheeks apart, your abused, pert puckered hole prematurely clenching at the knowledge of what’s to come. You could tell from the heat on his fingers what his intentions were, and you moaned deeply into Fuyumi’s wet asshole at the teasing sensation of Touya’s fingers against your awaiting hole.

Fuyumi keens. “Yes, just like that,” she moans, her hands moving to her breasts, deliberately touching herself while your tongue flicked and fucked her ass. 

Your half-lidded eyes gazed up at Shouto, who had a vein throbbing angrily on his temple, his skin flushed, his pants still angrily tented. You had half a thought to remove your mouth from Fuyumi’s sweet core, to flash a teasing smile from your position that you knew he wanted in on, but you were cut off well before you could consider pulling away. Touya’s spit hits your ass, the cold, thick liquid sending indescribable sensations through your spine, and just as quickly, his cock sank into your tight, pretty ass and began a fast, savage pace inside you. 

Natsuo hadn’t bothered to stop his thrusts. Making it more challenging for Touya to penetrate you, and the searing pain of your holes being fucked by two different cocks simultaneously had your face-planting further into Fuyumi’s ass. Natsuo’s own fingers slithered down between your pressing hips to rub rapid circles around your clit to try and help you forget the pain of your tight hole being invaded. 

Both men bottomed inside you, both of them still continue to fuck you, unable to show a moment of hesitation now that they were face to face.

You sobbed at the feeling as Touya's steel ball piercings pushed against the sensitive and tight walls of your ass. Both of their grips on your waist and hips, pushing you and pulling you against their throbbing cocks. Your head turns away from Fuyumi’s rimmed asshole to find where Enji and Rei were. The family's matriarch quickly and if not expertly sucking her husband's cock with the skill and demeanor of teaching you and her family.

“Watch, children,” Enji commanded, but his voice was weak, obviously too lost on the feeling of Rei’s tight, hot mouth to really care what his sons were up to.

“Nobody wants to see that shit, geezer,” Touya snapped out as he grinned at the way Natuso’s cock rubbed against him as both males for a moment matched in pace. 

“Shit,” you cried into Fuyumi’s cunt, your fingers trying to fuck her wet cunt and ass, her praising words falling on your deaf ears. This felt like nothing you had ever felt before, pleasure coursed through your whole body as you felt the tight coil inside you desperately close to snapping. Natsuo’s fingers continued to rub messy circles on your clit as your breasts bounced at Touya’s rough, deliberate thrusting. 

“Don’t stop!” Fuyumi snaps, her hand reaching behind her, grabbing you by the roots of your hair, pushing you back against her clenching asshole. Your nose burying into her crack, your tongue prodding against her throbbing walls. She emitted a low, pleasurable whine at that, her hips snapping vigorously against your face.

“I’m needa… holy shit, I needa cum.” you whined against Fuyumi’s core, your fingers weakly curling within her, the pleasure was overwhelming as you felt yourself teetering closer to your bliss.

 “Cum, princess, cum for daddy.” Natuso bit against your collarbone as he continued his rough pace inside of you, his allowing words the impetus for your release as you came with a cry. Your body clenching and tensing around both men as you ride out your orgasm, your fingers shaking within Fuyumi’s core, your entire body spasming.

“I’m almost there, keep doing that with your mouth, and I’ll get there. You can do this, y/n, I know you’re good with that mouth of yours. Eat my fucking ass out, I know you can do better,” Fuyumi’s appreciate chanting while your tongue dripped with your saliva and her essence. She made your cunt clench against Natsuo, a sharp whine on your voice, vibrating all the way to her core, her sweet voice inciting liquid fire and lip biting motions from you.

Natsuo’s breathing stammered against your sweating chest, his eyes clenching shut while he hammered even faster into you. Your body bouncing with new power as he thrust sloppy and sloppier, “Gonna breed you, gonna fill you up with my sperm, princess.”

And with that promise, your eyes crossing with undenied pleasure as he still continued to thrust up into you despite his promise. 

“Boys, you’re a-already done?!” Enji barked, his fingers fisted into Rei’s hair, his hips snapping up into her mouth while she took him in with ease and grace you only dreamed you could have. There was a gagged giggle from Rei, who pressed further against Enji’s cock, her nose burying against the soft pubes on his pelvis, and Enji’s attention quickly stolen away.

They, however, were not done quite yet. He pushed your body down at more of an angle so he could continue his harsh thrusts inside you. Pressing you further into Fuyumi’s dripping cunt so that her essence was smeared all over your face so that your tongue could reach even further into her clenching cunt while your eyes roll back. 

“You fucking liked that, didn’t you, slut? Bet you wished you could see just how you’re affecting this family. Bet you want us all to fill you up like the dirty cumslut you are. The breeding whore that you are. But I’m the only one you actually want cumming in you, right?” Touya continues to roughly pound inside you, a hand coming down to tear into your ass as you feel your body shake at the feeling of another orgasm, legs trembling as your body convulses. 

“Yes, just like that!” Fuyumi cried, enjoying the way your fingers ran against her spongy walls, and she clenched around both your tongue and fingers. You can feel her body convulse as she cums, and you moan as her taste floods your senses, overpowering even Touya, who thrusts into you three more times, sending hot cum inside your ass with a grunt. 

Saliva and slick dribbling down your chin while Fuyumi collapses before you. 

You moan pathetically when you feel the hot, thick cum of Natsuo spilling inside your womb, and all siblings are out for the count, cocks still buried in you, but no longer fucking you.

“I think you still that shit geezers cum in you,” Touya observed, landing another harsh smack on your behind. The motion made you lurch forward. Your mouth never felt so lonely. 

“Please, please,” you babbled while trying to persuade the brothers to continue to fuck your holes mercilessly, your words muffling with your wanton cries and pleas. He grunted at the sensation, his cock twitching inside your cunt as you knew he was reaching his end once again. 

“Please, what?” Natsuo snapped, his hips unable to keep from thrusting so powerfully upwards, you nearly tumbled forward. 

“Say it louder!” Fuyumi gleefully sang, her fingers digging into her cunt, her hips thrusting up to pleasure herself. Her foot moving upward to press against your chin in a power move that made you bite down with intense vigor on your lower lip.

“Please put your cum in my mouth, otou-san!” you desperately screamed.

But there was a growl that came from Enji, and your eyes watched the way that Rei’s mouth expertly took in her husband's cock with no still, no hesitation, or an ounce of pain. Your vision was crossing and blurring in pleasure at the light but synchronized thrusting of both Natsuo and Touya. You shivered, watching Rei commanded herself against his length, and with a powerful and loud grunt, Enji came into Rei’s mouth. A wanton moan left your lips at the sight of Rei pulling away from him, a trail of saliva and cum keeping his cock tied to her mouth, but even you could tell she didn’t swallow.

Your heart hammered in your chest when she rose up to her full height, her grey eyes meeting yours immediately, and she strode over. Every step is slow, powerful, and commanding.

She smiled sweetly, something you hoped meant that you were doing well in this entire situation, and as if to ease your doubts and worries, her lips pressed against yours. You could say that it was a kiss, but the way that she climbs onto the bed, ignoring her masturbating daughter, allowing your head to stretch backward, you know that it isn’t. 

Milky white and thick substance dribble past her lips and into your mouth. It’s a messy exchange, sloppy at best, but your mouth opens, a blind and degrading attempt to get every single drop of Enji’s cum to pour into your mouth. You swallow it all, gasping when Rei pulls away, her fingers stroking your cheeks with fondness and joy, “Good girl!”

You were done.

Your chest heaves at the sight of Shouto’s siblings and father leave your bed one by one, your body deflating when the cocks leave you, but somehow Touya is the last one to leave. His mouth presses into your ear before he goes, his fingers hidden by his figure twist at your nipple, your mouth whining softly. “Make sure you give Shouto a hard time, don’t give in.” 

Your eyes lock with Natsuo, who nods in agreement, and you realize that this was something they had wanted too. 

The worst part is that you want to see it happen. What would happen if you push Shouto past all his boundaries after all of this. And with that, he shoves you onto the bed. You feel like the world is spinning as you lie there. The realization of everything that’s happened to you within the past however long, the incessant need for more. You wanted more of this, you wanted Shouto more than anything too, but in this mental slip, you knew that you were going to make Shouto work for you. These alphas commanded it, after all. 

You laid silently on the mattress. Your body used to the maximum, the feeling of cum still seeping from your throbbing cunt that felt like it could cum no more today. But more importantly, was the clanking of metal hitting the floor, proud chuckles sounding in the air that makes you keen for the sound against your ear, and the sound of a storm approaching hits your ears. 

Oh yes, you were so beautifully fucked, and yet, you were so, so ready for it.

.

..

.

Shouto had never, ever felt this way before. 

White-hot fury and jealousy corroded his veins, yet there was unmistakable pride as he watched your used, cumstuffed body lay on the bed. He’s unsure if the lips that press to his cheek are his mother or his sister, unsure if they whisper something against his sweating, hot skin. He watches his father remove the restraints from him, steam curling out of the quirk cancelers as they dropped heavily to the floor. 

He hated this initiation; he hated having to share you. He didn’t want you anywhere near his family anymore, not with how you were able to keep up with their monstrous personalities in bed. 

Shouto was the baby of the family, but he was the best — the perfect creation of them all — and he was going to prove it. With his body finally free, and his family taking their seats, his siblings' grins searing into his back, he stalked over to the bed where you lay. You reeked of sex and his family’s cum, and his eyes narrowed at the way your eyes were closed in your exhaustion.

Ten minutes his ass, he was going to fuck you until he saw fit. 

You were his, after all.

Delirium filled your body while you stared up at your lover. 

Eyes wide in hunger, desire, and an unquenchable need that you had no idea existed within you. His wrists were bright red, the apparent struggle from being contained in his chair almost too obvious. His fingers rolled against his tender flesh, but you turned your focus over to the panting Todorokis’. They were all sitting in their chairs, sweat lining their brows, clothes barely on, and staring at you like you were the best sacrificial whore. You were the best, you wistfully sigh, your giggles escaping your mouth despite Shouto climbing onto the cum-stained bed with you.

The bed was loud in your ears, but the throbbing need and your weakened body still managed to wiggle away from Shouto despite it being his turn.

He hadn’t broken free from the restraints, you thought, pouting when his steel-like grip fastened onto your ankle and yanking you back towards him. Whining softly, the barely healed welts from Touya’s burning fingers on your ass dragged against the bed, and you looked up at Shouto with a pout on your face. Weren’t you enough for him to destroy the restraints that bound him?

You struggle against his hold, almost forgetting that it was Shouto on the bed when Touya and Natsuo chuckle. But something happens.

For the first time since you had entered this room, a pair of hot lips slam against yours—deadly, hot, and burning with passion, lust, and possession. Delicious and voluptuous moans escape your lips, your hands pressing flat against his bareback. His white t-shirt was tight on his body from his sweat, and his muscles pressed roughly against your body. You whimpered in your desire, trying to keep up with the way that he was devouring you with his mouth.

His tongue pushed into your mouth, sweeping across your tongue in the way that you liked it, the way that always made your back arch, and your breath hitched. Your moans are swallowed by his mouth, and his fingers dig their way further and further into your bruised hips. You try to pull apart from his lips, but when you pull away, Shouto is on you again, his lips glued to yours, his jean clothed bulge grinding into your raw, exposed cunt. 

You cry out loudly, your fingers digging into his back, your body arching into his because fuck was he already giving life to your cunt that you thought had died out several sessions ago. But it was rough, it was uncomfortable. 

“S-Shouto, your jeans!” you squeak into his mouth, your nails tearing through his shirt. “It hurts!”

“You can take it,” Shouto persisted, his mouth leaving yours and moving to your ear all while the fabric above the zipper now rubbing up against your clit in a way that made you pant harder against his mouth. But his next words are venomous; they’re dripped and soaked with unrestrained, raw jealousy that sends a powerful shiver down your spine when he whispers it in your ear. “Take it like you took all their fucking cum, you fucking whore. I know you probably enjoyed it — having them cum in your cunt? I can taste that stupid bitch and asshole in your filthy fucking mouth, how disgusting is that?”

“I didn’t h-have a choice!” you cry, his fingers expertly rolling against your clit, making your hips manically buck against his clothed hard cock, the building pressure in your core blazing higher and higher with his every stroke and move. “I had to get them to cum!”

“And when they told you to tell me who you belonged to? You really think that was a part of getting them to cum?” Shouto snarled, his teeth biting roughly into your skin that made you sing in pleasure-filled pain. His hips stop rutting into you, but you could hardly notice with your own desperate, wild thrusting. A wet spot drenched the crotch of his jeans, and you’re positive it’s all from you. “Tell me who the fuck do you belong to?”

“The Todorokis’!” you sob, and Shouto sneers.

His hands place themselves powerfully on your throat and your waist, shoving you away from him.

You cry in desperation, the orgasm that was seconds from exploding taken from you within a blink of an eye. Your head bouncing off the mattress while Shouto glowers over you, his eyes never this angry, and his lips pulled back into a snarl.

“So you think you’re the community whore?” he quietly rages, and you feel disgusted in the fact that his anger sends lustful shivers down your spine. “Guess I’ll have to fucking retrain you—” his lips pressed against your ear, his hot puff of airs spreading goosebumps wherever he touched— “You’re mine, only mine.”

“I’m going to make you taste like me again, gonna make every inch of you they ruined erased with my touch,” Shouto announced to you, his body still working around the bed, taking in everything he needed to make this just right.

Your eyes twitched while you watched him undress, the t-shirt flung towards his sitting family, his jeans dropped to the floor. You managed in heated anticipation as the cock you were ever so familiar with sprung free when he took off his underwear. Like a trained bitch, your cunt clenched and your mouth water while you watched the swollen, angry head bounced against his lower abdomen. He wasn’t the girth of Enji, the size of Natsuo or the monster that was Fuyumi’s strap, but still staring at the entirely long and thick cock made your mouth water, your eyes fluttering in need. 

“Are you going to fuck my mouth?” you begged in delicious need. “Please fuck my mouth, Shouto!”

“I did say I take all of them away, didn’t I?” Shouto narrowed his eyes as he stared at you. His hand reached to the box, a thin layer of ice overcoming the entire machine before he came up. “To kill their cum in your belly. Like fuck they’re breeding you.”

Your eyes blinked rapidly; the thought of ice-penetrating your readying cunt reminded you of the few times you’ve tried this before. “W-Wait but that really—”

“Still haven’t learned after all this time?” he sighs, shaking his head. “That’s okay, you’ve always been a stubborn bitch.”

Your eyes widen in horny horror; he was allowed to do anything he wanted to you. Your shoulders strained, and you attempted to relax in the tied position, but Shouto was having none of that.

Grabbing you by the back of your neck, Shouto thrust you forward. Your parted and bruised lips were near the swell of his balls, the base of his cock. 

“Right there,” Shouto approved when your tongue took a slow and dreadfully long swipe at his throbbing cock. “You belong to me, and will only carry my children. I’m not putting my cock in your cunt when it’s full of their cum,” he says with a coy smile, his feet thrusting your knees further apart, dropping your needy cunt onto the iced dildo without so much as a sigh. 

Your back curled with the foreign bitter and icy dildo that seemed to melt within your blazing walls. You screamed his name, your body twisting at the cold intrusion, your body feels so wrong, yet the thrill and shivers that pulsating from your core made you moan like a bitch in heat. If it wasn’t for Shouto’s hold on you, you knew that you would have collapsed onto the mattress, but his grip was firm, and his eyes glinting in approval.

“Now,” he affirms, the smirk on his lips heard a mile away as he turns on the machine. Immediately the fuck machine blows into your tight and slippery cunt, your eyes rolling backward at the mere sensation of the speed it was at. A loud mewl leaves your throat, the icy cock pushing further into your slippery core. His fingers snuck behind your head, gathering your hair, and a sob croaked through your voice as your body finally relaxed against the cold fucking. “Continue.”

With your head tilted backward, Shouto yanked his hand up, your head snapping down with a pained yelp, and with his other hand, he guided his cock down, sliding into your long-abused throat. But ever so eager, so apt to get his family to know they had no right over you, Shouto wastes no time starting his conquest.

You try to keep up with the momentum of the toy and his viciously thrusting hips, your hips grinding down against the toy despite its insane speed. Your breasts bounce with every thrust, and you gag against his cock. Shouto chuckles, his hands keeping steady on your hair, keeping your bobbing head at a pace he enjoyed. Your lips remained wide, your eyes blinking rapidly at the feeling of his hot flesh pressing dangerously against your tongue. He moves to knead your breasts, the bites, and bruises littering your chest, something he sneers at, something he jabs his fingers onto. You cry against his cock, the vibrations from your resulting actions making him moan low and tight.

“Look at you, so desperate,” Shouto snaps, his fingers tweaking your nipples, pulling your lower lip down, so saliva poured without the ability to be stopped. “So fucking needy.”

The words ignite a fire within you, and your legs tremble in unspoken glee as cum and water drip from your cunt. You wanted him to fuck you until you were nothing less than a mess. You needed him to give you his cock instead of this stupid fucking machine. You wanted nothing more than for him to claim you in front of his family to show that you were more than capable of joining their ranks. You wanted him to be yours and forever yours.

You wanted Shouto, you needed him.

Your deep moan of epiphany took Shouto by surprise. Shouto peering down on you with bemused eyes, the rolling of your hips against the machine that was making it angle into you differently, and your stomach bulged with every slam of the defrosting dildo. Your tongue pressed up against his swollen head, pressing flat against the leaking tip. Shouto’s thighs clench in his suppressed pleasure when your mouth sucks against the head of his cock, your teeth teasingly running against the underside of his cock, against his vein.

“I guess it doesn’t take long for you to remember whose whore you are,” Shouto grins, his hips moving more unrestrained into your mouth.

Making a pleasant sound, you hollow your cheeks out and taste the saltiness of his pre-cum that soaked onto your tongue. Delighting at the harsh curse, you guided him further in, your throat relaxing with every inch you take, and tightening with every slam of the dildo. It was swinging highs, your throat clenching when you relaxed your cunt. It was a game, and it was one that Shouto was fond of.

He’s pulling on your hair hard enough to hurt, enough so that you can choke against him, the angle and the position on your back already increasing the likelihood of that happening.

Shouto’s grip on your hair tightens, and he smirks when he realizes that you’re keeping up impeccably. His dance turns aggressive and contentious; it’s too much for you to keep up with, the echoing wet gags emitting from your voice a beautiful reminder of you being a fuck toy to him. He steers his cock further down your throat. You don’t bother to hide how satisfied you are by his action as you relax your throat and hollow your cheeks.

“Fuck,” he hisses, his hips bucking forward, he can’t stop himself from craving more. You don’t mind; you open wider to take more of him in, and his cock thrusts further down your throat. He’s now panting, in his desperation, judging from the strangled sound he makes as you take him even deeper. “Just like that, angel.”

There it was, you brightened at the nickname you were so used to hearing from him. Just as quickly as you caved back to him, he was back to you in full steam, he was yours, you were his. He was doing this for you, despite everything that would happen to the two of you after this night was done. He loved you, and every maddening, savage thrust of his hips only proved that.

The raw, primal, and wet noises of his cock entering and leaving your throat are bordering deranged, added onto that is the dildo penetrating your sopping cunt again. The pressure is back, and it’s settled deep in your lower belly, and you want to cum more.

Your choking noises music to both your ears; he doesn’t let up, only snapping his hips faster, harder, rougher. Your eyes begin to roll backward at the force, his balls slapping you in the chin with every slam of energy.

But you love the sensation of the raw and primitive fucking he was giving you, and you felt your hips thrusting forward, the ice keeping the block in place cracking under your powerful twist, your walls clamping against the insanely moving dildo. Yet, when you shift lower onto the dildo, trying to get the slowly heating dildo to kiss your cervix, his hands locked behind your head, and you cry around his cock, saliva dripping from your lips and your chin, falling on your chest and his thighs.

“That’s right, take my fucking cock, just like that,” he snarls, taking giant thrusts until his cock is completely buried in your throat, your nose pressed into his balls. Your tongue still desperately revolves around the veins on his cock while you choke against his pounding force. You choke against him, the noise music to his ears, while your legs spasm as your orgasm is drawing nearer and nearer.

“Angel,” he manages to get out through gritted teeth, his face immediately recognizing the tremor in your body, the crossing of your eyes. “Fuck, y/n. You’re not gonna cum just… just—” he cuts himself off with another groan as the tip of his cock hits so far down your throat you feel your neck bulge, and his foot kicks the box away, ripping the no longer iced dildo from your cunt, stopping yet another high from crashing into you.

There’s a brief moment of panic as you struggle to breathe, the sudden dismissal of the dildo catching you equally off guard. The force is a bit more than you expected, but you relax, trying to get yourself to calm back down. But then you inhale through your nose and force your throat to rest until you can take him all in, the oxygen burning as it makes its way past his cock in your throat. Not long after that, Shouto lets out a long, loud groan when his seed shoots down your throat.

It explodes in your throat, and to your horror, you find yourself struggling to take the sheer force of his load and the fact that he just seemed to keep unloading within you. Uncontrollable panicked coughing and choking rattle your throat while Shouto is still balls deep in you. The second he removes his cock from your throat, you collapse awkwardly onto the bed, your core throbbing from your denied orgasm, and your airway burning as cum drips past your lips.

You continue hacking, the bitter taste of cum scorching your throat, and you continue to let his cum run down your chin, dripping onto the cum soaked mattress. It burned and hurt to breathe. Turning your head towards Shouto, who turned off the fucking machine, his eyes were locked on you already, a condescending smirk on his face while he ran a hand through his hair.

Whatever he had used to hold your wrists and ankles in place were burned off the moment he got back on top of you, his hands pressing onto the mattress by your head the moment you managed to relax. Your eyes were hazy in lust and love while his eyes pierced through you heavenly. The smile that spread on his lips made you sight softly, his lips once again pressing against yours.

You pushed back against his mouth, allowing his tongue to roll deeply, languidly in your mouth. His lips were gliding effortlessly on yours. Quiet yet commanding while he slapped your cunt with his once again hard cock. 

“Shouto, I wanna cum,” you plead against his lips, your hands grasping onto his shoulders while you roll against his hard cock. “Please let me cum.”

“Don’t you think you’ve cum enough, angel?” he asks, his mouth trying to drown out every sound you made. “I finally made you taste like me.”

You stagger out a groan, your body trembling in desperate, uncontrollable need, “And I taste so good now! Please let me cum!””

Your begs do nothing to get Shouto to slam his cock in your cunt, but his teeth sink against old bites, igniting your skin, making you whimper under his touch. “Beg more,” he snaps, his fingers moving to grip your waist, his mouth hovering above yours, smiling when you follow after him like a trained bitch. “Tell me why you deserve my cock in your cunt.”

“I only want your cock,” you mewl, your arms wrapping against his neck, slamming his lips back onto your mouth. Your legs wrap around his waist, your hips grinding into his cock to reinforce your point. “I want your cum in me, I want my pussy to taste like you again! I want to feel your cock kissing my cervix, please Shouto, give me your cock.”

“You really are a mindless whore, aren’t you, angel?” Shouto laughs while he moves up, and to the credit of his strength, quickly lifts you well, his fingers burying into your soft, sore ass. “What do I have to do to get you to fucking fight back with me now? Are you really that desperate for my cock that you’re not even going to be the brat that I know you are?”

However, there is no time to argue the glee in Shouto is too grand to even consider making you bite back. He tosses you back onto the mattress, grabbing your legs and dragging you closer to him, your sensitive ass burning against the cum soaked bed until you are before him. Your pained breaths still as Shouto smirks down at you, his hand picking you up by your waist and flipping you over so that you are on your stomach.

Your gaze meets the other Todoroki’s who look at you with prideful, adoring looks. But before you could relish the feeling of their accepting eyes, Shouto has his chest pressed against your ass, his cold and hot skin burning into your ass, and his right hand angling his once again hard cock upwards to your cunt.

“Shouto…” you whimper, his teeth branding your skin. “Why didn’t you brand me properly.”

“It’s no fun fucking you if you pass out,” Shouto claims, placing a pillow underneath your head, and your heart swells at his actions. 

“Breed me then,” you pout, your eyes looking up at your lover as if gazing upon a god. Sweat trailed down his body. Your slick somehow all over his body, and yet he looked down at you with a smirk. You wanted his nine-inch cock finally pressed inside you, drilling into you until you lost sight of what was wrong or right.

“You want me to breed you?” he asks, his hands trailing to the underside of your thighs, slowly, teasingly lifting them up in a press he knew you enjoyed most. “Do you deserve to be bred?”

Your head nods, your teeth tearing into your lower lip when you grab his cock. You rut it between your folds letting new and old essence slick his cock up again, your eyes fluttering while your face heats up at the sight of his powerful, heavy eyes refusing to break contact with you. “I want you to fill me up, daddy. I want my belly bulging with you cum, I want you to cum in me, fill me till I ooze.”

There was a ragged breath that exhaled from Shouto’s lips while you aligned his cock right back up into your drumming cunt, his eyes blazing into yours with both fire and ice, and he said exactly what you want him to say. “I’ll make sure to fill you until you’re dripping with my cum for an entire week,” Shouto promises, and his hips slam within you.

There is something about having the wind knocked out of you when put into a mating press by Shouto that never fails to have you act up. Your knees are buried within the mattress by your head, legs dangling over his shoulders, your toes curling and pressing against each other, while longing, loud cries of lust power through your throat. Shouto lays on top of you, the penetration deep, and his hands gripping your hands. The weight of having him on you is exhilarating, and once again, his lips press hungrily against yours while balls deep within you.

His cock slams against the wall of your cervix repetitively while his lips overwhelm you. Each blow into you is massive and powerful, every stroke of your entangling tongues sends shivers down your spine. It’s powerful, ardent enough to have you sobbing in glee into his mouth while he kisses you, his hands clutching your smaller ones in his.

Again and again, he slams into you. His thrusts knock the wind out of you until you release his hands and find yourself digging your fingers into his back, pulling him impossibly closer so you could feel his heartbeat against your chest. You cry out his name desperately while his teeth find a home on your neck, sinking into flesh he had broken not so long ago. The powerful pounding of his cock makes you ebulliently cry, your hips jerking up to meet his, but you’re useless against his heavy downward thrusts.

“Impregnate me, baby,” you babble, your eyes rolling back in pleasure, “breed me, breed me, breed me!”

“You’ll be full of my fucking kids in no time, your cute belly will be round with our kids,” he rumbles, his cock throbbing and twitching within your pussy, and loud wet echoing slaps fill the room. Your nails claw at his back, cutting into his flesh in multiple places with clean four red lines.

You couldn’t take the feeling of how his body moved perfectly within you. The raw strength and power behind his every move were almost too natural as if this was an everyday thing. He was the one made for you, you knew that with every barbarous thrust, every perfect cry that was swallowed by his mouth when he came back to kiss you. His lips are intoxicating as they are swollen and bruised. You let out noises reasonably similar to a purr, grinding your cunt, raising your hips against his dominating cock, and laughing breathlessly at his low groan.

“You like this, angel?” Shouto sucks on your tongue despite the glimpse of humor in his eyes, his thrusts making you shriek out his name as he buries you further into the bed, your nails scarring into his flesh. “You like the way my cock fills your pussy? You like the way that despite all the cocks you just had, mine is still your favorite?” You nod rapidly, your eyes closed, your mouth open, the saliva string between the two of you breaking, and your pants tumbling from your mouth. 

Your sanity was lying on a string, his cock, and body the reasons for your downfall.

The muscles on his back seemed to flare dramatically, your screams became silent, your voice giving out as your eyes crossed, your tongue falling out of your mouth in a physical reaction to your pleasure.

“You look so cute like this. Look at how your belly fucking bulges when I fuck into you,” he growls into your ear, his hips unequally slamming into you. You shook, eyes barely able to look at your stomach that expands with every thrust, and you moan in fervor.

“I need you to breed me,” you strangle out, the fire in your face as bright and hot as the one between your legs. His sweaty forehead pressed against yours, and his lips recapture yours.

Your mind goes blank when a mighty crash goes through you. But Shouto must not have felt the familiar spastic clamping of your inner walls as he continues pistoning his hips into you, hitting your cervix, and pushing it further up with every slam. You cry against his mouth, your hands shoving at his shoulders as the feeling of your orgasm is too strong to deny, and he slips out of you.

You squirt wildly, your juices going everywhere, his cock viciously slamming side to side against your folds, wetting his groin area, and splashing against the bed.

“Fuck, you’re mine. You’re beautiful, and you’re forever mine,” he promises, and once again slams into you.

Your scream is silent, your eyes rolling to the back of your head, your fingers digging into his neck, and your toes curl. His hips are driving, persistent, and have a goal in mind. You can barely keep up with him, your long overstimulated body wanting to collapse, but he doesn’t stop.

The bed creaks loudly under you, his hand shooting out to the headboard, the reinforced back thundering where he made contact, but he continues to drill into you over and over again.

“Cum, alpha,” you beg, your hips wildly thrashing against his. “Please, overfill me with your cum!”

“Who do you fucking belong to?!” he snarled once more, and you convulsed, white-hot pleasure shooting through you as your mouth, heavy by his ear, whispers a simple phrase.

“Yours and only yours.”

That’s all it takes, and a hot and heavy load shoots through you, and Shouto’s hips jut into you a few more sloppily, wildly inconsistent times until he too collapses onto you. Neither one of you reacts as his family claps, but your mind and cunt is full of Shouto to care — your nose burying appreciatively into his neck. His body twitching while his cock remains hard within you, the feeling of his cum swimming in your cunt, making your head spin with euphoria.

Drowsiness hits you quickly, and Shouto’s immense body heat is quickly putting you to sleep.

He doesn’t pull out of you yet, and the feeling of his cock growing soft in you makes you whimper, and he flips the two of you over so that you’re laying on his chest. His hands send warm and cooling waves through your body, helping soothe the aches in your tired body.

It takes a bit longer for you to allow him to climb off you; you wanted to have him pressed against you still, to be in this space with him and only him. But before Shouto can leave the bed to gather what he needs to clean the both of you up, a small pleased sigh comes from the seating area. Your eyes focused on the family who all watched you two with accepting, loving looks, and you try to calm Shouto, who stares aggressively at his family as if they had never seen you naked. However, Rei was the one to walk over to your sweaty sex smelling bodies and hugging you both tightly.

“You did so well, y/n!” Rei whispered against your ear, her hands holding both yours and Shouto’s when she pulls away, the kind motherly look in her eyes despite it all. “You deserve the Todoroki last name! I can’t wait to see what becomes of you two! Welcome to the family, Todoroki y/n!” 

Despite the intensity of the past hour, it’s this that makes your face burn, your stomach dancing with butterflies at the slip of her tongue.

“Maybe we can have some more fun later?” Touya raunchily grins while they file out of the door, his laughter like a bell in the wind when they do leave. 

You sigh softly, your head shaking. Your head looks down at Shouto, who’s looking down at his hands, his possessive expression gone, replaced by sincerity and ethereality. “What’s that?” you hoarsely whisper, your fingers grazing his wrists, your eyes widening when you saw a ring sitting in the palm of his hand. “That’s a beautiful ring…”

Shouto nods a hum on his lips in his agreement. He pauses, eyes dragging to your face, and the softest smile overcomes his face.

“Y/l/n y/n, would you do me the honor of being my wife?”

You smile, a giggle erupting in your lungs, the pain of your body ignored as you crawl to him, your hand pressing onto his cheeks, your head nodding.

“Yes.”

“Welcome to the family... Todoroki y/n.”

[genshin-impacted]

empress of the first water // Zhongli x Reader (4)

Word Count: ~2.8k

Palace/Harem Imperial Drama AU: You are a princess, soon-to-be-Empress, and Zhongli is the teacher invited by the royal court to show you the ropes before you ascend to the throne after a royal tragedy.

Notes: female!reader (she/her), Zhongli/Reader, Zhongli POV, mutual pining ofc, fake politics, can I call this slow burn yet

[Previous] [Next]

Chapter 4 Synopsis: Of the secrets that people keep, how much can they say without saying anything about it at all?

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You are falling for your tutor. That much, at least, is clear to you. Your quickened heart rate, the way your heart flutters when he smiles, and how your mood lifts when he praises you-- if wisdom is to know thyself, then you consider yourself wise enough to know that you see Zhongli xiansheng as more than just a teacher.

But what of him? You wonder, how does he think of you? Does he know what he means to you? Does he feel the same?

“My lady?" Amber asks you, when you dip your head underneath the rose-infused waters of your bath. "What is wrong?”

“Nothing,” you reply back quickly, hugging your knees to your chest. You take a glance at the mauve coat that Zhongli had left on your shoulders and think about how it will still smell like him.

Amber can only look at you in mild concern when you bury your heated face into your hands and try not to think of kind eyes, a warm embrace, and a gentle voice.

(But you do anyway.)

.

.

.

.

Zhongli finds himself talking more freely than ever in your presence, especially now that the two of you have made it a habit of walking around the compound or drinking tea to pass the time together. He talks about fantastical things or expands on random trivia he thinks you would enjoy, even though he finds himself more often than not overindulging.

Your eyes are bright and alert when he tells you about the folktales he had learned when he was younger, so he tells you as many as you can in the cold, wintry months. Under the cozy kotatsu imported over from Inazuma, Zhongli shares slices of mandarin with you as he retells the history of the Qilin to you-- a mythical creature whose stone statues stand at guard in front of the main compounds of the palace.

“In many stories, the Qilin is sacred pets of the gods and rank highly only below the dragon and the phoenix,” Zhongli says, accepting the last slice of fruit you slide into his hands. "It’s said to appear with the imminent arrival or passing of a sage or illustrious ruler."

“I see…” You listen to him attentively, hands absently clearing the table of the orange peels without saying a word. You let out a breath of laughter as you joke, “Hopefully, if I pray hard enough, the Qilin might gift their presence when I ascend to the throne.”

“Nonsense,” Zhongli replies immediately. “If the qilin does exist, you do not need prayer for the qilin to appear before you, as benevolent as you are, my Princess.” He takes the slice and brings it to his lips to taste the sweetness of the mandarin, catching a glimpse at the way you hide your smile behind your hand.

“You have a way with words as usual,” you tell him. “You spoil me with praises, xiansheng; how ever will I survive without them now?” You bemoan, laughing afterwards. Though he knows you’re joking--surely-- he still feels his heart tremble at your words. It is in these moments that he feels keenly how it is to be Amber, abashed by the praise that flows freely from your lips and by the fondness that rings true through the way you speak. To be at the center of your attention is something that Zhongli understands very well to be addicting.

It is only when Zhongli hears the light rapping of knuckles on wood does he realize how long he has spoken and how late it is.

"My apologies," Zhongli says, surprised from his thoughts to bow his head (you fussed at him about apologizing before, but even with your kind reprimands, it is hard for him to kick the habits ingrained in him). "I didn't mean to dominate the conversation this entire time. It's even time for supper--"

"Bamboo Shoot Soup," you pipe up instead, and he can only look up at you stunned as you thank the maid. She sets down the pair of utensils in front of the two of you and clears the table to make space for the large metal hotpot. "It's your favorite dish, isn't it?” You say cheekily, “I thought it was a perfect dish to eat during the cold weather."

What are the protocols to eating dinner with the royal family? Zhongli thinks to himself warily, feeling wildly as though he is constantly stepping out of line despite his learned nature. Still, you would scold him for his distancing, so Zhongli decides to do as the both of you please, as improper as it may be, and waits to be served.

The bamboo soup is beautifully slow-cooked, the broth milky white; just taking a waft of the aroma is enough for him to know that the meat is tender and the bamboo shoots are soaked to the center with flavor. The warmth that pervades is partly due to the fresh heat of the soup but also from the fact that you had remembered a detail he shared in passing. (He says ‘in passing’ but he had gone into detail about where to procure the best ingredients for each component of the meal while you listened to him with eager nods. The bamboo shoots, he recognizes, are from Qingce Village. Did you remember even the smallest details from your conversation when he speaks?) Like many other times before, he is speechless. It seems as though you are constantly surprising him-- for the better.

"What happens next?"

Zhongli blinks, the steam from his bowl rising up to his face. "Pardon?"

"Oh, never mind! We should eat first!" You say, smiling widely in a way that makes his heart leap. You pick up your chopsticks and click them together playfully. "But tell me what happens next in the story later on, Zhongli-xiansheng."

"One day you'll find yourself someone who listens to you and you'll talk their ear off."

Zhongli remembers Guizhong telling him this time and time again, though he never believed in it. He is old-fashioned, he always replies back. He is overly burdened by the expectations of his family and passionate in things that most others cannot care to relate to. How would he know that someday, as proof of the wisdom (or perhaps abundance of hope and love) that Guizhong held, he would find someone who cared enough to listen and look at him as though he knew the meaning of life itself?

The bright-eyed gaze you shoot at him lasts only a moment, and perhaps you don't even know the magnitude of your gesture, but Zhongli feels his chest burn nonetheless with gratitude and soften at the kindness you have shown him. He reaches out to place his hand gently on yours. "Thank you," he says, squeezing your hand. "I'll be sure to not lose my place in the story then so you can hear the rest of it."

He blinks when you look at him, frozen and wide-eyed, and that is when he retracts his hand, feeling as embarrassed as you look. "Ah, my apologies again--"

"No, it's-- it's alright," you stammer, looking down at your bowl. Zhongli feels his face redden and he drops his gaze as well. "But yes, you better remember! I'm counting on you!"

"Yes-- yes, of course," he says, clearing his throat. "It would be my pleasure to." Before Zhongli can wallow in mortification, he hears the beginnings of your laugh and looks up to see your smile as wide as ever. And just like that, he can feel himself be at ease again, just as you have always made him feel with your presence.

"Perhaps next time," he says, a small smile dancing on his lips, "my lady can tell me a story instead."

"Only if you fill in the details I missed," you quip back easily, and he laughs.

Even with an impeccable memory, Zhongli still cannot remember the last time he has ever laughed so easily and so readily as though he could never run out of laughter. He thinks of quiet hours in his study, pouring over pages of text without speaking till his voice grows hoarse from disuse. He remembers days of entertaining guests who never truly listened to what he was saying, and he finds that he is the happiest he has ever been for a long time.

He has you to thank for that.

This is why he responds back, with a soft reverence that is reserved only for you. "Of course." He returns your smile with his own. "I would be honored to, my Princess."

.

.

.

Reverence should be a tone well-practiced and used in the royal court, but when Zhongli stands aside during the proceedings, he hears very little of it directed toward you. You have half of the court talking over you despite your grace, and he can clearly see your patience wear thin when your presence goes unacknowledged by one of the court officials.

"My studies have been going steadily," you speak unto the crowd, clearly and powerfully, as though you have always known how to command attention. Projecting your voice, you maintain your gaze on all of them as you speak. Zhongli can see from the way your hands clench at your side that despite your display, fear has not left you, and for that, his pride for you seems to overflow.

"With the xiansheng, I can foresee being able to replace my great uncle for the time before the end of this year," you say. "I will have prepared myself dutifully until the time has come--"

"The end of this year?" One of the nobles exclaims in protest, making you pause. "How would you be ready at the end of the calendar when you have started lessons, not even yesteryear?"

"I can't imagine the magnitude of power placed upon the shoulders of the inexperienced,” another one drawls. “Perhaps, ah, the Princess will consider taking a husband to make up for it?"

Zhongli doesn't realize he's gripping imprints into the palm of his hands until he goes to raise his hand and realizes they have gone numb from his tension. The nerve of some of the nobles-- some of which he can recognize have never sought to be on your side. He wishes nothing more than to be able to provide them a verbal lashing, but he knows that neither you nor he can do anything at this point in time.

With knowledge comes power, and you do not know enough to utilize the title you have nor the inherent authority that comes with it. Though one day, you will, if he can help it, regardless of what has been expected of him.

It makes his skin crawl to know that many nobles look to him and believe he is on their side. How many times have they requested him to keep you away from the main chambers to check on your great uncle? How many times have they hoped he would provide falsities and ignorance in the guise of guidance so that you would never truly ascend to the throne? Even with the promise of power beyond his wildest dreams, Zhongli cannot bring it to himself to manipulate you in such a manner. Even though his hands are clean, he still cannot help but taste sin on his lips for knowing the harm that exists against you without your knowledge.

When is the right time to inform you, if at all? Is it kind or cruel of him to keep this ploy from you? (Is his judgment even sound, as muddled as it is with his rapidly growing feelings for you?)

You narrow your eyes, your lips pressed in a straight line, but you refrain, once again. And Zhongli feels a burst of pride at your show of restraint and composure fitting of a lady of your status. "Yes, this may be one of the things I will take into consideration, and I appreciate--" Zhongli feels himself tense at the way you spoke, "--the counsel of the court, though I still foresee my way coming to fruition regardless."

There is a stilted silence that follows your words, and you look toward the messenger who has come with the land's grievances in letters. "I believe this matter can be discussed at a later time," you say with finality. "Let us look at the first report from the harbor."

Using what you know from your lessons thus far, you guide the conversation towards solutions for the problems brought to the court by the people. You are too inexperienced to make decisions on your own, gathering opinions from your council; corrupt or not, they know more about managing land than you. But Zhongli sees how you watch carefully as the discussion continues, letting the information sink in so that you can utilize it in the future, and he is reminded again of how far you have come from a princess holding that urn to the prospective empress quietly learning how to lead a country.

(Is it any surprise at all that he is enamored with you?)

Court adjourns after hours, and Zhongli follows you as you leave first, your robes billowing behind you seamlessly as you hold your head up high. The guards bow their heads as you pass by them, your ladies-in-waiting slowly retreating from the room when you arrive, closing the door behind them. The moment everyone is gone, you sigh in relief, your shoulders dropping to a more comfortable height as you stretch your arms and legs.

“I applaud you on your conduct during court,” Zhongli says finally, amused by how nonchalant you act in comparison to how high-strung you are in front of others. “That was an impressive display of authority.” He sees your face flush from the compliment as you stammer out your thanks. He chuckles. "Perhaps I should start getting used to calling you 'Empress’ then, Princess.”

"Yes?" Zhongli replies, confused. "Is that not a title you would like to be referred to?"

"'Princess?'" He hears you echo, turning yourself to him, and Zhongli loses his train of thoughts when he sees your expression with brows pulled together, disconcerted. "Just... 'princess?'"

"No--well, yes..." you say, trailing off. Your hand, out of habit, nervously reaches up to fiddle with your brooch. "I was just thinking you would have normally referred to me a little differently is all."

Zhongli tilts his head slightly in thought as he watches you press your lips together in what he assumes to be in embarrassment. Has he been calling you differently without his knowledge? He doesn’t think so; you have always been the Princess for him, and he, your xiansheng.

But, ah, he thinks, he has not always called you ‘my Princess’ has he? (Astonishing what one word can change.)

For a brief moment, Zhongli’s mind wonders whether he has overstepped his boundary, but he quickly reminds himself with your words, that if you truly did not want him to call you by that, you would tell him. The fact you protested at his recent use of your title… It was the slip of the tongue; Amber has referred to you by the same title, and Zhongli has always, in some form, coveted the same level of intimacy that the two of you possessed. His fondness for you must have seeped into his words, and he would never have anticipated having you reciprocate.

That being said, could you blame him for feeling pleased that you wanted to be referred to as his Princess?

“But 'Princess' is fine,” he hears you say, gathering the composure to sweep your hands down your gown and appear nonplussed. You take out your fan and hold it to your face as you begin to walk toward the study. “I don’t mind it. You should call me as you so wish, I--”

Your laughter is enough as a sign of validation, but then he hears you say, shier than you have ever been, “My xiansheng,” and he thinks his heart balloons until it takes up the entire expanse of his chest with how much affection he feels for you.

"It is soon time for our next lessons," he says, following behind you without pause, "my Princess." And he watches, enamored, as you look back at him with a smile blooming on your face. "Is that... alright with you?"

“Yes,” he says to you, feeling as though that is the only thing he can say. You shoot him another captivating smile and turn, and all Zhongli can do is walk only a step behind you.

.

.

.

And he follows you for as long as you will allow him, hoping his choice to keep the darkness at bay is the right one.

[aarons-main-blog]

I changed my mind, and decided to que this up immediately after posting the first one. I won't be home when you see this because I'm attending a funeral, but tell me what you think of it and I will see you when I get home!

Note: this was made on Google docs mobile, so when I get a chance I will actually use tab instead of just paragraphs.

"Wars, you said you knew the area!"

"I thought I did, but this is sure as hell not the same way I remember! Those ruins we passed back there? Those are completely new to me! This forest? I don't even recognize half of these plants! We should have reached a town hours ago!"

"Hey, stop fighting, you two, or-"

The group Link had been following for the last few hours came to a halt as the one with pink-tipped hair argued with the one with a blue scarf. He couldn't tell if they were a threat yet, they just seemed like lost travelers. Then again, that was the main way the Yiga clan tried to trick him. 

Pinky and Wars kept arguing, until finally the smallest one in rainbow colors seemed to snap. "How about we admit it. We are lost, and just happened to find something that reminded Wars of home. It was NOONE's fault, because we ignored the obvious signs something was wrong. Now, we are lost in the middle of a forest, and unless you have an idea of what we should do, then SHUT UP!"

The group all seemed shocked by his outburst, Link and the rainbow included, and once they all seemed to get over it, the kid apologized. "Sorry, I didn't mean to yell."

The oldest one, probably the leader, said, "No, it's ok. Today has been a long day, and everyone seems on edge. Perhaps we should set up camp early, does that sound good to everyone?"

The group nodded collectively, and started to set up in the clearing that could barely fit all of them. The one in a green tunic and no pants volunteered for the night's first watch, and while it wouldn't be for a while, they seemed relaxed a bit more by the fact someone was willing to do it. 

Link, who had been hiding a good distance away from them, stood up. He got a stealth potion that would last him a few hours at least ready, then decided he would investigate that night.

As the sun set, an awful smell enveloped the forest. "Legend, what did you do?!"

"I don't know! It was fine a minute ago!"

"It's smoking! How did you burn SOUP of all things?!"

"I didn't burn it, it just got too hot!"

"Because you ****ed up, Legend! That's literally how things burn up!"

"Wind, watch your mouth."

Link had just come back from following the path the group of strangers had taken, looking to see if they dropped anything interesting, when he heard the commotion. It smelled like burning hair or that one shrine he had found with the awful cook. Maybe they were cousins? 

As Link got closer to get a better look, he saw four people standing around a large cooking pot with a brown/green liquid with chunks in it. Pathetic. Are all of them as bad cooks as that one? Link was amazed they had survived however long they had been traveling. 

Pinkey poked the 'soup' with a wooden ladle. "It's still edible, look, the vegetables seem cooked enough."

 "With all due respect, I don't know if I would want to eat that," the kid in a blue shirt said with a grimace. "I don't know if anyone else would either."

The old one took the ladle and used it to try a small sip of what they were calling a soup, and his face scrunched up immediately. 

"Uh, Time?" The blue kid tapped the man's shoulder. 

The man swallowed the drink, coughed, then said, "It is… certainly better than last time."

A few of the others gave their opinions, from encouraging to neutral, before deciding it was better than nothing. 

None of them looked that happy about it.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

After what theoretically could have been called dinner, the one in the green tunic, which Link had identified as being named "Hyrule," started circling around the camp, gradually making them larger and larger before returning close and starting again. Near the middle of the third round, Link drank his stealth potion and snuck into the campsite. 

There was a young adult in tan with a tall belt, there was a boy in blue(wind), there was a kid in rainbow, there was a young adult with a wolf pelt on his shoulders, still on in his sleep for some reason, there was one in red with pink hair tips(legend), and then there was the leader. Link got a good look at him. He had a fancy set of armour, a big sword, a bad eye, but the strangest thing was he had familiar markings covering his face. They were almost the same… 

As the ones Link saw in nearly every mirror, looking right back at himself. 

"Time?"

Link turned towards the voice to see the one called Hyrule looking at him. He had to play this right. "Yes?"

"Oh, thank the goddess. What are you up to?"

"I couldn't sleep, so I was going to see if you wanted off early." This was dangerous. If he realized the real Time was sleeping soundly next to him, he would wake up all the others, and then he'd have eight grumpy travelers armed to the teeth on his trail in seconds. 

"You sure that's ok with you?"

"Yes, get some rest."

"Thanks, Time," the boy said with a smile. "I will."

Link somewhat directed Hyrule towards the opposite side of where Time was. He was extremely lucky the fire was ruining the boy's night vision. 

"Time?"

Link stopped and turned his head a bit. "Yeah?"

There was a pause. "Thank you for being here for us."

Link smiled. "You don't have to mention it," mimicking the somewhat fancy way he had heard Time use words. "Goodnight."

Hyrule mumbled it back, seemingly exhausted from the travel. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The next morning, Hyrule woke up feeling well rested. The birds were singing a song only they knew, the trees provided shade from the early morning sun, the wind rustled leaves and bushes softly, and a nice smell emanated from the cooking pot. 

Wait, did someone cook something edible? Hyrule shot up, feeling excited to see what had made someone unlock their inner cook. 

"Hey, mornin, Hyrule!" 

"Goodmorning, Wind! What's cooking?"

Wind was grinning like an idiot. "No idea, but none of us made it, that's for sure! Four woke up and saw it cooking, then woke up the rest of us, except for you and sky. Time says you didn't wake him up for his shift, so we thought you could use some re-"

Hyrule was confused. "Wait, what? Run that by me one more time." 

Wind's grin fell just a little bit, before coming back up. "Four woke up first, saw something was cooking, and woke everyone but you and sky because we thought you must have kept watch the whole night. Is that not what happened?"

"Yeah, Time said he couldn't sleep last night, so he took over the watch early for me."

Time, who had been listening in, said "I think I would know my sleep schedule better than you would. You didn't wake me up last night, and I didn't wake myself up, that's for certain."

"Then who-"

Four hit the pot a few times. "Breakfast is ready, guys!"

The questions could wait. Nobody had had a good meal for at least a week or two, so they were excited to try the mysterious meal.

It. Was. Delicious!

After discussion, it was determined to be a mushroom, meat and rice based meal. The meat used was probably venison, and a high quality type at that. It was served with some mushrooms nobody recognized but everybody loved, and a strange rice they couldn't find an exact comparison of.

Idle conversation was of generally positive things and how beautiful the world was. All of their problems seemed far away, and the day promised to be a great one. As the last of the food was eaten up, and the bowl was starting to be wiped as clean as it would get, Twilight brought up the question on everyone's mind. 

"I wonder who made this for us."

"Maybe it was a ghost!" Wind exclaimed.

"Maybe it was a passing traveler?" Four said at the same time.

Legend laughed. "It was not a ghost, you idiot!"

"You don't know that," Wind huffed. "I met a ghost once, she was nice!"

"You did NOT meet a ghost!"

"Yeah I did!"

"Cut it out you two," Time said with his signature 'stop' look. "Whoever did it, they must have been a nice person. Don't argue about things this good, ok?"

"Ok!" Wind said. Legend just scoffed. 

Nobody noticed the person sitting on top of a tree, fiddling a strange ocarina.

I hope this was ok! I will be the first to admit my writing style isn't the best, but I think this is one of my better works at the moment. Comments and criticism is appreciated, and I may edit this if I find stupid things I want to change/fix. I should be home Friday, probably Thursday afternoon. Anyway, see you next time!

[winterscaptain]

arrangements.

Aaron Hotchner x Gender Neutral Reader

a/n: i LOVED writing this one, and i’ll have you know that the kitchen scene was taken directly from my life - when my yiayia passed, my theo came to stay with us and did the exact same routine my yiayia and i used to do in the morning so my mom could sleep in. when my mom woke up in a panic, she heard us in the kitchen and knew she could go back to sleep :’)

an ajf fic arc that happily stands on its own! (the pieces stand alright on their own as well, for the most part!) one | two | three | four | five | six | seven | eight | nine | ten | eleven

words: 1.8k warnings: food mention

summary: “so long as we love we serve; so long as we are loved by others, i would almost say that we are indispensable; and no man is useless while he has a friend.” ― robert louis stevenson, lay morals

masterlist | a joyful future masterlist | requests closed!

You pad down the hallway, fingertips gently pushing the cracked door to what was formerly Jack and Haley’s room when they lived with Jess. Now, Aaron and Jack take the room while you take the couch. 

Nobody wants to be alone.

Jack’s awake, his eyes tracing the patterns in the glow-in-the-dark stars on the ceiling. 

When he sees you, he smiles and opens his mouth. You press a finger to your lips before pointing at Aaron, still sleeping. Be quiet, baby. 

You step further into the room, leaving the door open, and gingerly pull the covers away from Jack so you can pick him up. He immediately latches onto you and you straighten, leaving the door cracked as you leave the hallway.

When you’re down the hall and past the arch of the kitchen, you can finally talk. “Alright, Jack. What do you want for breakfast?” You set him on the counter in Jess’s kitchen, ruffling his hair. 

You’re exhausted, having barely slept last night, but Jess and Aaron have a whole day of planning and funeral arrangements ahead of them. Jack’s breakfast and morning routines are the last things they need to worry about. 

He thinks for a minute. “Cereal.” 

“Alright, bud.” You open the cabinet, displaying the options. “Do we want Cheerios, Frosted Flakes, or Kix? I think your dad has Chex in here, but -“

You make matching yuck faces. 

“Yeah, I thought so. So what’ll it be?”

“Cheerios.” 

+++

Down the hall, Aaron wakes in the guest room with a start, finding Jack’s side of the bed empty. He throws himself out of bed and only stops when he hears your voices in the kitchen. 

“...Cheerios it is, then. Do you want to use your monkey bowl, or do you want to use a big bowl and we can share?”

He heaves a sigh of relief. 

“Big bowl.” 

You laugh a little, and it almost brings a smile to his face. “You sure? That’s pretty ambitious.” Nevertheless, he hears a light clink of ceramic as you pull one of the deep bowls from the cabinet by the sink. 

“Yeah, I’m sure.” 

He sounds exceedingly confident for someone who eats like a bird. 

“Alright. Breakfast will be a team effort, then.” 

Aaron creeps forward, surprisingly light on his feet, knowing there’s a place in the hall where he can see into the kitchen without getting caught. 

You’re still in your pajamas and so is Jack. The boy watches as you pour a decently-sized bowl of cereal - just about enough for a four-year-old and a late twenty-something to share. Aaron’s eyes follow the casual touches you bestow as you set up, pressing your palms to the sides of his face and kissing the top of his head, running your hand over his shoulders as you pass him for a pair of spoons, helping him settle on your hip with one arm while you grab the cereal with your other hand. 

They’re alright. 

Without thinking too much more about it, he turns around and goes back to bed, flopping down like a bag of rocks and falling right back to sleep on top of the covers. 

He’s too tired to do much else. 

+++

You’re with Jack most of the morning, and you’re almost surprised Aaron hasn’t already been running around in a panic to find him. 

After breakfast, it’s cartoons and then reading. He helps you fold the blankets from your makeshift bed on the couch - you make a game out of it before you settle down. 

Aaron rises again to hear you reading The Giving Tree, and he does his best to swallow his tears. If he thinks hard enough, he can remember what that book sounds like in Haley’s voice. 

It’s already harder than it should be. More than half his life knowing her, and he’s terrified of forgetting what her voice sounds like, what her laugh feels like in his arms, the exact color of her eyes. 

“‘Then one day the boy came to the tree and the tree said, ‘Come, Boy, come and climb up my trunk and swing from my branches and eat apples and play in my shade and be happy.’ 

“‘I am too big to climb and play,’ said the boy…”

Aaron sits in the hallway, against the wall and out of your sight, and closes his eyes, listening to you read. 

He took a shaky breath as you reached the end of the story. There were tears pressing in at your voice, but you did an excellent job of remaining steady as you continued to read. 

“...’I don’t need very much now,’ said the boy. ‘Just a quiet place to sit and rest. I am very tired.’

“‘Well,’ said the tree, straightening herself up as much as she could, ‘well, an old stump is good for sitting and resting. Come, Boy, sit down. Sit down and rest.’ 

“And the boy did.” You pause, turning the final page. “And the tree was happy.” 

There’s quiet for a moment. 

“Why are you sad?” Jack asks. 

“That story always makes me feel so much that sometimes the feelings come out of my eyes, but I’m not sad, bud. I’m alright.” 

“Oh. Does that happen?”

You hum. “Does what happen?”

Aaron can almost see the thoughts working across Jack’s face. “Do sometimes you not know what you’re feeling when you’re crying?”

“Yeah, that happens, sometimes.” There’s a shift, and Aaron’s fairly sure you set the book down and brought him further into your arms. “The more words you know, though, the easier it is to figure out what you’re feeling.”

“How many words do you know?”

You huff a laugh. It almost makes Aaron smile. “I know a lot of words. Between me, your dad, and Uncle Spencer, we probably know all the words.” 

Then, Jack screeches a laugh and Aaron knows you’re tickling him within an inch of his life. 

That’s a good enough excuse as any to ‘wake up,’ I suppose. 

He rises and wipes his tears away, mindful of his double black eyes and the cut across his nose. He probably looks a fright, but he can’t bring himself to care. 

You look up as he rounds the corner and you offer him a small smile. “Hey.”

“Hey.” 

You push Jack off your lap and he easily scrambles toward Aaron, who picks him up with only the smallest twinge of protest. 

“Oh, be careful with Dad, honey.” You remind him, leaning over the couch.

Aaron kisses Jack’s temple. “You’re alright, bud. Just no jumping on me for a couple of days, okay?” 

Jack nods, tucking under his chin. “We had breakfast.”

“Did you?” He asks, looking at you like he doesn’t know. 

You nod. “I can put something together for you, if you’d like.” 

“We’ve got to get going. We’ve got -” He stops for a second. “We’ve got things to take care of today, so we need to get Jack ready to go.” 

Standing, you stretch and level him with an unamused look. “Nope. Not having that. I’m making you and Jess breakfast and taking Jack for the day so you can do what you need to do without worrying about anything. Just let me know when you’re done so I can have what I assume will be dinner ready when you get back.” 

He raises an eyebrow, but it’s not as animated as his dubious looks have been in the past. Is it worth arguing with you?

You mirror his look. Is it ever? 

He sighs and looks at Jack again, telling him that he’ll stay here with you while, “Aunt Jess and I run some errands. Does that sound okay?”

Jack looks over at you and you nod encouragingly. 

“That sounds okay.” 

His parroting draws the smallest smiles from Aaron, who kisses Jack’s temple again, breathing him in. You can’t even imagine what’s going through Aaron’s head right now. If it were you, you’d never want to let him out of your sight ever again. 

When he sets Jack back on his feet, Aaron turns back, headed for the hall bathroom. You get Jack settled with the second round of cartoons for the morning, and make your way down the hallway. 

Aaron’s leaning with his hands braced on the edge of the sink, staring straight down. “Hi.” 

“Hey.” You stay put in the doorway, giving him some space. 

He takes a shaky breath and lets it out heavily through his mouth. “I don’t know how to do this.”

“It would be absolutely batshit if you did, Aaron. You’re supposed to feel that way.”

He’s quiet, still. 

“But you’re not alone. I’m here as long as you want, Aaron. I’m not going anywhere.” You step forward, slowly and deliberately so he knows you’re coming. 

He loves you so much. Even though Jack’s in the other room, you’re the only one keeping his feet on the floor. He’d have let himself waste away without you here. 

Jess does her best, but she’s trying to bury her sister. That, of course, comes with its own nightmarish baggage. 

You wait for him, standing at his side until he can finally straighten up and open his eyes. They’re so tired. You wonder if the sleep he’s had has been any sort of useful. 

He opens one of his arms, and you wrap yourself around him, your hands flat against his abdomen. 

“I wish I could do more for you. For Jack.”

You can feel him shake his head. “You have no idea what it means to us to have you here.”

“I miss her.”

He heaves a sigh, and you’re glad to hear it’s deeper than a few days ago. He is, after all, still healing. “Me too.”

“Take your time today. I can always delegate tasks if you run out of energy and need to call it.” You stare at a random spot on the wall as you talk, your cheek pressed against him. 

“What would I do without you?”

You shake your head. “I dunno. You’d probably spend less of your time annoyed at work, but the rest of it would be pretty boring.” You pause. “Your TMJ would probably be a lot worse, too.”

There’s no laugh, but you think maybe he thought about it. After a moment, “Thank you.”

I love you. 

“Anytime.”

I love you. 

+++

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[laurenwritesfics]

Here it is folks, chapter 5! Again, sorry for the wait but I hope it will have been worth it!

Read the previous chapter HERE / read the full series on AO3

Warning(s): Angst (sorry...again)

CHAPTER FIVE: ADJUSTMENTS

Things had started to feel calmer now. Time had begun to slow down, and Frank was grateful for the chance to breathe again. One Saturday, he returned from the boat yard to change his oil-stained shirt and caught sight of Mary’s journal on the kitchen table – Evelyn had forced her into therapy back in Boston, and though she had hated it, journaling was the one thing she kept on doing – it had been left open on a page filled with tally marks. At the top of the page, she had written ‘number of days without Fred’. Frank pressed his palms against the table and dipped his head. Perhaps Mary would always struggle emotionally in one way or another. He was beginning to feel like a failure. Was his best really good enough? It was impossible to tell.

Sunday was just as quiet. They ate together in silence. Roberta didn’t visit. Their new normal was frustratingly abnormal.

“School tomorrow.” Frank cast a glance at Mary. “Homework done? Books ready?” He knew he didn’t need to ask, but he couldn’t stand the silence any longer.

Mary’s fork danced around her plate. “Obviously.” She huffed.

“Sorry, I was just asking.”

No reply.

Mary scrunched her nose and continued to pick at her plate, retreating back into her bubble.

“Listen,” Frank reached over and put a hand on her cold arm “I know things are hard right now. But if you talk about it, sometimes it makes things easier.”

“You sound like Evelyn.”

Frank’s shoulders dropped. “You don’t have to finish dinner, okay? You’re cold. I’m gonna go get you a sweater or something.”

“I’m fine.”

He ignored her and left the table. Mary pushed him away every time he tried to slip her arms into one of her hoodies. He fought back, not realizing how roughly he was holding her until she winced and slipped off the chair. He immediately swept her into his arms.

“I’m sorry.” He rocked her slightly. “You need to stop being so fucking stubborn, Mary.” His voice cracked a little. Her tiny hands squeezed him as hard as they could and she rested her head on his shoulder. When Mary started to cry, so did Frank. He pulled back, brushed a strand of hair from her face and laid his hands on her shoulders. “I’m trying my best here. You’ve gotta give me something, kiddo.”

Mary nodded, paused and then ruffled Frank’s hair. He returned the gesture and tucked her under his arm, carrying her across the kitchen and into the living room. She was laughing now. They both were. Mary dangled in his grip, arms limp, then tumbled down, grabbing his hands and stepping on his feet.

“Can we watch TV?” She looked up at him, the dewy sheen of tears beginning to fade from her eyes.

“Sure. But only for a little while. You’ve gotta get up early for school.”

Mary threw her head back and groaned. “Why can’t I just skip class tomorrow? Everybody hates me anyway.”

Frank tugged on her wrists. “Hey, nobody hates you, okay? They’re just jealous of how smart and awesome you are.”

“You have to say that, you’re my Uncle.”

“I’m also an adult, which believe it or not, means I actually know more than you do. About people, at least.”

“Yeah, you are kinda dumb…” She nodded.

“That’s it,” Frank picked her up “you just lost your extra hour of TV.”

In spite of his attempt at sternness, he let her fall asleep on the couch.

Monday came, and Frank finally finished his work on the Celestia. One brief phone call later, he had been invited to join the owner for a trip out on the lake. Frank would usually have been cautious about this – especially with wealthy customers - but he accepted the offer simply because it would give him a chance to clear his head. It was better than sneaking onto someone else’s boat with a six-pack of Heineken at two in the morning, at least. As he wiped his hands on a worn rag, he reclined against the workbench in the corner of the garage. A soft ache spread through his chest. Deep into his biceps. Exhaustion snuck up on him without warning. The chaos of the past few months was finally catching up with him.

He waited so long for Mary to come home from school that he started to think maybe she’d gone on another adventure. His worries subsided when she arrived, shoulders pushed forward under the weight of her satchel. As she threw it down and began to unpack a stack of books, Frank realized exactly what had happened.

“Did you walk all the way from Jackson?”

“Yeah.” Mary squinted as she fumbled around for another book. “Lucy’s really nice. She let me take out a bunch of stuff.”

“She did, huh? Am I gonna be serving you dinner in your room tonight?” He half-joked.

Mary had already stopped listening. Frank shook his head and turned back to the stove to finish cooking. This time, eating in silence didn’t feel awkward – Mary brought a book to the table, fork occasionally missing her mouth as she sat absorbed in whatever it was she was reading. Frank pictured her walking down Jackson with her nose in another book and couldn’t help letting out a soft huff of amusement. She was almost happy. And at least for now, almost was enough.

When he checked on Mary, he peered into a room lit only by a small torch light. She was back in her reading tent. Even though the door squeaked slightly, she didn’t stir. Back in his own bedroom, Frank reached into his nightstand for his phone. Lucy would wake the next morning to a short, thankful text message.

Frank and Mary, however, woke to a prolonged, impatient buzzing. The doorbell.

He was tempted to rub his eyes again when he saw the woman standing on the porch.

Evelyn.

Frank was immediately skeptical, but he opened the door to her anyway.

“Well,” she popped a hip and adjusted her sunglasses “are you going to ask me to come in or shall I just stand here on the porch?”

“Mary’s heading to school in a couple minutes.” His jaw tightened a little as he watched her fingers flex against the handle of her travel case. This wasn’t an impromptu visit.

“I’ll say hello quickly, then.” She barged past him, the wheels of her case narrowly missing his toes.

Mary had a piece of toast hanging out of her mouth and a book clutched to her chest. She covered her mouth as she hurriedly chewed and then walked around the kitchen island to meet Evelyn.

“Hello, darling.” Evelyn planted a kiss on the crown of Mary’s head, leaving a glossy pink mark in her hair. “Off to school?”

“Yep.” Mary replied, popping the ‘p’ curtly. “Are you staying with us?”

“Maybe. That depends on your uncle.” She inclined her head towards Frank in a way that she thought was comical, but it just made Mary cringe.

“Why?” She knelt down to shove the book she was holding into her satchel.

“That’s enough, short-stuff.” Frank intervened, steering her away from Evelyn. “Let’s go.”

“Have a good day, darling!” Evelyn called out, pivoting her suitcase so that it would fit flush against the wall.

When Frank returned, he slammed the front door and crossed his arms as he glared down at Evelyn.

“Alright, what’s this about? What little scheme have you come up with now?”

Evelyn smoothed her sundress and shifted uncomfortably on the couch. “You’re so hostile.” She tutted.

“Can you blame me?” He strode over to her and perched on the arm of the couch.

“Not at all.” She clasped her hands in her lap and twisted herself to face him. “I wanted –“she stuttered, blinking “-needed to see my son and granddaughter.”

In that moment, Frank saw himself. The same sunken hopelessness. He noticed raw pink lines beneath her eyes. For the first time in a long time, Evelyn seemed human.

“This is about Diane isn’t it.”

“Yes. I couldn’t face another anniversary alone, Frank.”

“You called me Frank.” He mused. “Where’s the real Evelyn?”

She managed the smallest of smiles and reached out rub his arm. “I lost her a long time ago.” She was holding his hand now, squeezing lightly. “I won’t stay too long. I’m sure you must be busy.”

Frank placed his other hand over hers. “Stay as long as you want.”

“You don’t really mean that.” Her icy tone returned.

“I mean it.” He insisted. “It’ll be good for Mary.”

“How is she?”

“Honestly? She’s struggling. She’s stubborn about it, though.”

“I wonder where she gets that from…” Evelyn chuckled.

“She’s dealing with more than a kid should have to deal with right now. Losing Fred, the car accident…”

Evelyn’s head jerked to the side. “Car accident?”

“Don’t worry, Mary wasn’t in the car. It was just me. I was a little drunk, it was stupid.”

“For God’s sake, Francis!” Evelyn yelled. “You stupid boy!”

Francis. Boy. She was his mother again. Instead of fighting back, the ache he had felt earlier returned and he slumped against the cushions.

“After it happened,” his breaths were shallow, a lump forming in his throat “I just sat there thinking about what would’ve happened if...” both his hands and his voice had begun to shake “I can’t take care of her. Not in the way she needs to be. Diane would be so fucking disappointed.”

Evelyn took Frank’s face in her hands and kissed his forehead. He buried his face in her shoulder and allowed her to be the mother she suddenly wanted to be.

“Diane would be very proud of you.” She glanced up at the ceiling, fighting back tears. “I’m proud of you, darling.” She whispered, brushing her fingers through his hair. “So proud of you.”

“I just want her to be okay.” He sniffled.

“She will be.” Evelyn turned to kiss Frank’s hair and then stood up, brushing a crease from the skirt of her dress. “Why don’t I cook dinner for us tonight? It’ll give you a chance to rest.”

Frank’s defenses were down, so he agreed.

That night, Evelyn made a shepherd’s pie and sat with Mary as she completed her homework. She piled chocolate ice cream into a bowl and made herself a martini. His mother was back, but she was still putting on the airs and graces of the woman she once was. He knew that if she didn’t, she would be more broken than she had been when she arrived. So he played pretend too.

Almost happy. Almost a family. And that would be just fine for now.

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[tundrainafrica]

Title: Lovebug (13/14)

Summary:

“It might be a bug.”

“A bug?”

“Sometimes the developers of this application make mistakes. This is our first time meeting I’m sure so…Isn’t it a bit weird that we just met for the first time and it rings like this? And for two strangers to coincidentally ring each other’s alarms?“

Levi is the developer of the Love Alarm App and Hange is married to Zeke.

Link to cross-postings: AO3

Other Chapters: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

Notes: Feedback is very much appreciated :D

With attire alone, Levi was already a fish out of water.

As the seconds ticked though, his self consciousness only grew.

It wasn’t just an issue of clothing. Too many things had been against him the whole way to the dinner room. The white and silver of the windows of the private dinner room in the hotel reflected the setting sun, the marble floors, the glass bridge, the carpeted floors.

The scenery was only half the battle though. The men and women strode in and out of the dinner room with attire much grander than is. There were leather bags, the jewelry and constantly hovering in the air were the business vernacular that fell into one ear and out the order.

There were too many conversations on mergers, acquisitions, business climates, market prices he could never be part of. And his own direct companions weren’t making it any better.

As Levi soon understood, it wasn’t their job to make him feel comfortable anyway.

“Yelena,” he repeated, a memory exercise for himself. The whole journey from the convention center on the first floor to one of the rooms in the mid floor of the hotel was silent and long. In the sea of business pleasantries though, it seemed ironic that the blonde had never even made conversation beyond her own name.

Even as she sat next to him on the dinner table, she didn’t speak, not even bothering to respond to her own name. She was too close though, only a few inches away that Levi swore she had heard it.

“That’s your name right?” Levi added. He couldn’t think of much else to say. After blurting her name mindlessly, with Porco and Pieck seated just in front of him, looking at him expectantly, he knew he had to continue with something.

“I introduced myself back in the lobby already,” Yelena finally responded.

“You did,” Levi said.

“Is there anything you want to ask?” Yelena asked, no hint of benevolence in her tone.

Levi had been rolling on the bed, in and out of sleep the whole day. He didn’t trust himself to say anything else. He didn’t trust himself to think.

Yelene had a knowing look on her face, as if she knew something he didn’t. And she seemed to be enjoying it. Since a while ago, she hadn’t at all been subtle with the fact that somehow, by just their first meeting, Levi had managed to rub her the wrong way. It wasn’t too radical of an idea, that she may enjoy his pain.

Levi’s mind was suddenly racing, reminding him why he had even considered going in the first place. Is there anything you wanna ask?  Those words echoed for a while longer. The longer he sat there silently, the more restless he became. He avoided her gaze, looking behind her, then behind Porco and Pieck, taking in his surroundings again. He was observing mannerisms, branded bags, branded ties, branded purses and Zeke in the middle of all of it, going from one table to the other.

Eventually, after the discomfort settled, Levi realized he was torturing himself for a reason.

Hange wasn’t there. And he shouldn’t have needed that long look to notice it. But you’ve given up already? Right?

“You’re not going to eat?” Pieck was a lot more friendly. There was a huge difference between being polite and being friendly and Levi suspected, he was only seeing politeness as friendliness given the stark contrast of Yelena’s overall approach towards him

In the air, tension hung so thick. Levi didn’t notice a piece of bread and a bowl of soup had been served in front of him. “I will.” He immediately went for the spoon in front of him.

“That’s the spoon for the main course,” Yelena said.

“What?” By the second, Levi was starting to realize how disconnected he actually was. Around the soup, there were spoons, forks and knives in multiple sizes. In a panic, Levi had looked around to see it was the same for everyone else.

Yet, everyone else knew how to navigate such a complex design.

“The small one is the soup spoon.” Pieck was helpful at least. “No, that’s the tea spoon,” she added as she looked pointedly at the smallest one Levi had taken hold of.

Levi was familiar enough with tea to be familiar with the size of the teaspoon. At that point though, who cared what spoon he ate with? He wasn’t there to dine.

By some pride or just utter frustration at the whole situation, the spoon debacle was never solved and Levi never touched his soup that night. He closed himself off from everything else, keeping his world closed to anything but the entrance, Zeke, the crowds, and the one familiar face he wanted to see.

But Hange never showed up.

“She’s not coming. If that’s what you’re thinking.” Yelena could have been reading his mind.

“Who’s not coming?” Levi asked. He widened his eyes in mock surprise but he kept his voice toneless. In his mind, that seemed like a good balance to display both calm and disconnect.

Yelena never answered the question. Maybe she knew silence was the right answer, that is, if her attention had been to keep his insides boiling in frustration, his mind racing.

The grin on her face only proved it. Maybe that was her intention.

It only got worse though as the night dragged on and Levi noticed his own restlessness around the salad course that he could barely even look at.

He could barely coordinate his hands. His legs were trembling.

Those few moments he focused on evening out his breathing, he was able to grip the spoon, then the steak knife as the main course came in.

As if to add salt to whatever wound she had, Yelena commented abruptly. “It’s not everyday people like you will be able to get steak like this.”

The steak could have just been soft. Or Levi was recovering. One of those, he couldn’t be too sure. But it was a good steak. He could tell that much. It melted in his mouth and he had spent an inordinate amount of time contemplating how it was physically possible for steak to melt in his mouth.

Then suddenly the delectable steak rotted mid chew. “You look like you’re enjoying yourself.” It was as if Yelena was on a mission to be a total buzzkill. Maybe she was being paid by Zeke to do just that.

And she was doing a wonderful job. Levi almost choked on that last piece, his fork fell to his lap. In a bout of embarrassment, he stood up. “Toilet.”

Five minutes and an empty bladder later, whatever peace and calm he had managed to muster alone in the toilet completely dissipated. It seemed like that dinner was also on a mission to make him as miserable as possible even in a supposedly pleasant environment.

“Where’s my steak?” Levi put too much energy into keeping his tone as subdued as possible.

“Oh, you weren’t done?” Pieck asked, seeming genuinely curious.

He had only gotten two bites. Of course, he wouldn’t be done. He was close to raising his hand up to call the waiter until he was reminded, he didn’t even pay for the dinner. Did he even have the right to complain?

At that point, Levi was just a little ticked, his grumbling stomach at having missed three courses over his own discomfort and tense state was already catching up to him. “What made you think I was done?”

“You put your spoon and fork together, like this,” Pieck said. “That means you’re done with the course.” She organized her plate the same way Levi did, for just a second.

Maybe Levi had been too self conscious. In an attempt to seem more posh than he actually was, Levi had channeled his own fastidiousness into putting the utensils together before he left for the toilet.

“I would think someone who works in corporate would know this. This is standard fine dining,” Yelena said nonchalantly.

Fine dining for Levi meant a dinner at a cafe, or a sit down restaurant. The whole world that existed for the sake of fine dining, the course meals, the secret language he didn’t seem to understand felt completely unnecessary. And the longer they sat there as if deliberately keeping him in the dark while he starved, Levi only became more and more impatient.

“I’m sure you wouldn’t have known any better at first,” Levi said.

“I’ve been handling Zeke’s properties overseas for years so I’ve had my fair share of fine dining experience.” She then turned to Pieck and Porco who both nodded. “Even before that, my parents have taught me this. Have yours?”

Levi’s earliest memories of fine dining had been sit down restaurants, diners, nothing too fancy. He shook his head. “Well, I didn’t come here with the intention of dining. You put me on that list yourself, without even waiting for a reply.” He regretted it, as soon as he let it out. His grumbling stomach had him almost out of control.

Yelena raised one eyebrow. “Oh? Then why did you still come, Mr. Ackerman? The free food?”

Levi froze.

“The free food you barely even touched?” Yelena pressed.

And Levi stiffened up, much harder than he would have thought was ‘completely frozen.’

“You have some business to settle with Mr. Jaeger I’m guessing?”

“It’s none of your business.” Levi managed to say.

“I’ve been working for the Jaegers for years. I manage their overseas properties, a few apartments and houses here and there,” she said proudly.

“And?” Levi challenged. “Does that make you entitled to whatever other business Zeke has?”

That question was a response enough. Enough to get Yelena crack, her expression shifted from incredulous, to abrasive to subdued. One eyebrow raised, mouth twitching slightly. “I had to clean up the mess you two left behind.”

Mess? Levi had an inkling of an answer.

A clatter of metal on a plate. “Yelena! Not here,” Pieck said.

“Then we should talk outside then.” Yelena was half way to standing up, before she stopped herself.

Levi found himself following her gaze. The one view that had her frozen in her tracks had been Zeke and before Levi even knew it himself, he was just as surprised as Yelena.

“Should we retire early?” Zeke asked.

“Sir, you haven’t eaten yet,” Yelena argued.

Zeke shook his head. “I hold these dinners to find potential business partners, not to eat.” He turned to Pieck. “I think Pieck can take over from here. I’ll leave you to answer any questions about Jaeger healthcare holdings.”

Pieck nodded. “Yes sir, I’ll take over.”

“No hurry, everyone’s still busy with their meals…” Zeke looked pointedly at his surroundings at the other people. HIs staff table had been conveniently placed by the corner, and it didn’t seem at all like their conversation had been heard by everyone else.

Pieck and Porco were noticeably eating faster, seeming deep in thought. Back into business mode maybe, the caustic exchange of a while ago completely forgotten. Or at least they looked like they were attempting to forget it.

Not burdened with that same responsibility, Yelena didn’t seem to put up any facade. Her own antagonizing attitude towards Levi didn’t falter. Yet somehow, Zeke’s presence had kept her mum, subdued her to just venomous glares.

They exited the dinner hall and made their way out of the hallway, opening up to the open hotel lobby. “We can talk in my private suite,” Zeke said. “I don’t like having a lot of my conversations in public.”

Levi didn’t respond. The glances Yelena snuck him only made it harder to come up with anything more than a few mumbles which he was sure would only make him look pathetic in front of Zeke.

“Did you pay for the flight yourself?” Zeke asked.

Levi nodded. Where’s Hange? That thought tore into his mind so abruptly, Levi found himself having to clamp his mouth shut, much tighter than normal. He couldn’t trust himself to speak. God knows, he might end up asking just that cursed question.

“You’re quiet,” Zeke commented as they entered the elevator. “Did you enjoy dinner?”

Levi nodded and mumbled some hint of a yes.

Zeke raised his eyebrows. “Really what was your favorite course?”

The steak obviously. Even those words got caught somewhere in his throat, admitting to Zeke that he enjoyed the food seemed almost like flaunting himself naked.

Luckily—or unluckily, Zeke didn’t prod, instead going for another speech which made Levi regret keeping silent. “I hold dinners every night for PR, get the right potential partners to the same room, for my healthcare holdings, my supermarket holdings, my…” Zeke rattled on.

To Levi, it felt the blonde had just been jacking himself off instead of actually making conversation. Still, that gave Levi time to think.

Thinking turned out to be a bad thing.

Even before they arrived at the penthouse floor, Levi had to admit, the hotel was posh. The scent of new wood hung in the air, the marble finishings, the lamp made out of metals Levi suspected weren’t easy to acquire. And when they stepped from the elevator wing to the matted floor of the penthouse, whatever plush they used underneath greeted him in some strange manner.

Strangely, Levi felt guilty for dirtying something which he was completely aware was supposed to be dirtied anyway dealing with foot traffic everyday. Then the more they walked, the more self conscious he became of the way he was walking.

Zeke and Yelena both walked ahead with confident strides and Zeke never stopped talking. When Levi found himself listening, he noticed, Zeke's tirades only made the grand hall seem grander, a completely different world to Levi, something he wasn’t supposed to be in.

Was he a visitor. Hell, maybe not even a visitor. A slave? A serf?

“The convention is to attract potential resellers. We’re planning on reselling our research, our products, our technology, to this region...”

They walked towards the end of the hall, stopping in front of some fancy door only accentuated by the plush carpets and the decorative lamps.

“... And this city will be our hub…” It looked like Zeke had been too distracted by his own grand plans to even bother to open the door. It was fortunate then that Yelena had the key and that she knew her way into the presidential suite.

They settled on the sofa in the living rooms, the first room past the foyer.

“We’ll set up office space... Maybe a building...”

It was around then that Levi noticed he hadn’t been offered a seat but he didn’t mind it too much. The multiple sitting rooms, the wide window to one side that gave a good view of the infinity pool on the balcony, and beyond that, a view of the city.

Did Hange get to swim? Levi looked out for a while longer and he couldn’t look away. The longer he looked, the easier it became to imagine her leaning over the infinity pool in her purple bathing suit.

“It will cost a few million dollars…”

Just like in the country club.

“Levi, you want to go for a swim?”

Levi coughed, an instinctive movement. “Sorry… Excuse me, what?”

Zeke looked very unimpressed. It was obviously a joke. “For gods sake, sit down. It’s distracting just watching you stand awkwardly.”

“So why did you invite me here?” Levi asked. If not to listen to you ramble. He added silently to himself.

“I think I have a right to answer first,” Zeke said. He nodded to Yelena. The latter walked away and back to the kitchen. “Why are you here? Don’t tell me you’re here for the convention?”

“What if I am?”

Zeke spared a small grin. He leaned back on the sofa and looked to the side, as if sharing an inside joke with himself. “And do you have plans of investing?”

Millions of dollars. Those three words echoed in Levi’s head. He didn’t have that money and he most likely never would.

Zeke didn’t give him time to speak. “Figures,” he muttered. “So why did you come here?” He asked in a clearer voice.

“You invited m---”

“I wouldn’t have invited you if you weren’t here already,” Zeke said.

Yelena chose that moment to come in between them, a wine bottle on one hand, two wine glasses on the other. Her movements were too casual, the fine dining positions of a while ago seemed almost like a facade.

Zeke gave a nod in thanks. “Sit where you’re comfortable.”

Yelena didn’t hesitate. She settled on one of the sofa chairs, a comfortable distance between them. She mirrored Zeke’s own expression, a mix between mocking and expectant.

It only became harder to speak. When Levi was weighing between speaking up and staying mum, he found, as painful as it was to continue speaking, the outcome seemed more desirable.

At least in his head.

“What’s wrong? Can’t tell me why you visited my convention?” Zeke took a sip of the wine. “Unless it’s something… controversial? Embarrassing? Offensive?.”

Levi felt his skin crawl. Not completely in control of his body, he almost feared his facade cracking and not noticing it. He cleared his throat. “I was going to speak.” He paused, using that moment, to meet Zeke’s eyes. “It’s about Hange.”

“What about my Hange?” Zeke had put too much emphasis in those last two words, it seemed almost out of place. In one sleek movement, he straightened up on his seat and tightened his grip on his wine glass

It was as if Levi was walking on Zeke’s territory, completely unwelcome. And Levi was starting to notice that. He shook his head and softened his voice, a subtle peace offering. “I had plans for the emotion alarm, I wanted to discuss them with Hange, get her opinion---”

“Erwin hasn’t told you yet?” Zeke put down his wine glass. “We’re terminating the contract.

It was like a ton of bricks fell on him. His stomach followed suit. Levi went for his wine glass and took a long sip which quickly turned into a gulp then he let out a cough. Water would have done a much better job to clear the tickle in the throat, the pang in his chest and the hollowness in his chest that followed. But he wasn’t going to ask for water in Zeke’s territory yet.

A ninety five percent chance of termination. Erwin had said back in their meeting.

“So it’s final?” Levi asked. The crushing disappointment had been enough proof that Levi had been vouching on that five percent.

Zeke nodded once. “Hange won’t be bothering you anymore. We’ll find another developer for her to work with.”

“I was working on some plans. They’re suggestions I was hoping she’d consider. If I---”

“Levi, can you send it over through email? Do you have to talk to her?”

Levi felt the blood rush to his face. He bent his head down almost immediately, focused on his shaking hands that were only gripping his knees tighter. He dug his nails into his knees, as if that would be enough to stop the shaking. “No, I don’t need to.” It could have come out as an exhale or an actual response.

“Well, that makes things easier. You know, she doesn't want to see you.” Zeke’s voice was painfully casual.

Levi looked up again, regretting it almost immediately. Zeke had a look of triumph on his face. It had only served to piss Levi all the more that Zeke had tried to hide it behind a nonchalant face. Seeing the small smile that decorated his lips, Levi dug his nails deeper into his knees. “Then why?”

“Why what?” Zeke pressed. “Why doesn't she want to see you?” His voice was getting colder and colder with each word. They twisted into an almost malevolent sneer.

“Why invite me here?” Levi asked, his voice clipped. Grappling with both Zeke’s attitude and the revelation on Hange’s feeling, Levi was finding it harder to speak.

“So you came because you were invited then?” Zeke took another sip. “And how were you invited?”

Does he expose Hange? And maybe Levi had taken too long vacillating.

Zeke had ended up answering the question himself. “An email? A support ticket with a flyer? Spam mail?” He took another sip. “You and your company have your very techy love alarm. And I have my own version too, my very old fashioned love alarm.” He gestured in front of him, right at Levi. “And it’s ringing in front of me right now.”

It took a few more seconds for Levi to understand it.

Zeke was either impatient. Or probably he thought Levi was a total idiot. He bent forward, leaned his elbows on his knees and dropped his wine glass on the wooden table with a loud clack.“Tell me, why would you go all the way here, over a fake email?” he asked. “Her name really was enough for you to book a plane ticket and fly across the ocean?”

Levi didn’t respond.

And it looked like Zeke didn’t need an answer anyway. He waved one hand in front of him and rolled his eyes. “I’m sure you’ve been in the corporate world long enough to know, there are meetings that could have been emails yet you still chose to take a plane and come here.”

“Do you want me to write an email?” Levi asked.

Zeke shrugged. We don’t need your input. This project...it’s mine and Hange’s.”

Yours and Hange’s? He raised his eyebrows in mock surprise, as if that slow and subtle movement had been enough to quell the fire in his chest. “What makes you say that?”

“It’s our project. It’s my gift to Hange.”

What does that make me? Levi didn’t say it out loud. He didn’t even want that instinctive jaw drop, the twitch in his mouth that followed to expose what the hell he was thinking.

“You’re merely someone paid to do the work.” Zeke continued, as if he had heard Levi's silent question.

Levi didn’t even feel it. He wasn’t even completely aware it happened until Zeke’s eyes widened for a split second in surprise, then narrowed again, shifting instead to one could have been pure fury.

But Levi didn’t care. Even when looking down had revealed, he spilled wine all over the lush carpet. The wine glass had hit the table, scattering pieces of broken glass on the table and over the floor.

It would be a bitch to clean up. Levi didn’t care about that either, it wasn’t his mess. It wasn’t his fucking presidential suite.

Zeke just had more practice in the diplomacy department. “Why do you feel it necessary to stand up and cause such a ruckus?”

The calmness had Levi’s blood boiling more violently inside him. He could only be grateful that the breaking the wine glass had released some of that pent up energy.

Zeke was only making it harder and harder to stay still. “I’m only stating facts. The money I put into it makes it mine. The fact that you’re being paid to do it. The fact that you even signed an employment contract relinquishes all ownership you have of all the projects you do in the company. You of all people should know that. I can’t even believe I need to school someone like you on this. You can’t even keep yourself together.”

Levi looked away, back at the view of the balcony, the glowing city. How much of it was owned by people who knew nothing about construction, architecture or just the hard work that went into even making such a view possible? A tiny injustice that surfaced in Levi’s mind as he let Zeke’s words sink in. “With all due respect... ” His last few words came out softer than expected. But Levi had seemed almost confident with them. “...You know jackshit about coding or psychology.”

Soon, Levi gripped enough of that new found confidence to take control of the conversation. “You know nothing about how any of that shit works. You didn’t stay up all night working on that damn application. I’ll fucking bet my whole life savings you don’t even know how this application works.”

“Ackerman, watch your mouth!” It was Yelena who spoke, looking as if she had just recovered from shock, eyes wide, her own wine glass on the table.

Levi cleared his throat. “Once again, with all due respect.” He was mildly aware then, that he may have raised his voice. Zeke was surprisingly—almost admirably calm. He put one hand as if to stop Yelena and spoke up. “And does ‘knowing jackshit’ make me less of an owner?”

That was a question that Levi couldn’t answer. He regretted losing control. In shock, or in some punishment which only the inner workings of his mind understood, Levi could only stand still, unable to even sit back down.

Zeke stared at him accusingly. “Mr. Ackerman…” he started. “You don’t believe there’s any dignity in the labor of moving money around? Investing and reinvesting?”

Levi felt shame wash over him.

It was a strange state to be in. There was more than enough dignity in being a billionaire, in being one of the top one percent who just bought and sold whatever they got their hands on. It was an inarguable fact that society thought highly of the top one percent regardless of where they got their money. Yet Zeke had a way of speaking that made Levi reflect the validity of his own words, any disrespect or any backhanded insult he could have been sending to anyone else.

Levi knew he was being manipulated but he couldn’t seem to point out how.

Maybe it had been the way Zeke had opened his eyes, his face a mix of confusion, hurt, with a hint of derision. Or maybe everything had been Levi’s imagination and once again he was faced with the prospect that maybe he didn’t mean it.

“That…” That wasn’t what I meant.

At that point, Zeke had stood up and at that difference of height and difference of social status, Levi had to bite his tongue, not to lose his composure.

Zeke though seemed to know he had taken control of the conversation. “You’re trying to cover your ass?”

“Cover… my ass?” Levi said that last word with a little more venom in his mouth. Somehow, the eloquent Zeke suddenly putting so much force into one single curse only added to the tension of that moment.

“Trying to justify your own mistakes by emphasizing your own superiority. It’s a very common tactic. You’re not the first to employ it.”

“I never---”

“You should be thanking me. I’ve been treating you fairly, paying you for your hard work. And on top of that, I’ve tolerated the transgressions, even putting more money unnecessarily into covering this up.” Zeke said. He walked towards the kitchen island, pulling an envelope from next to the telephone and slamming it on the counter. He wasn’t motioning though for Levi to come.

Levi preferred to stay frozen, just standing between the sofa and the coffee table. But when Zeke opened the envelope, pulling out pictures, and a few pages which he waved on the air and slammed on the table, Levi’s curiosity peaked.

Levi covered the distance in so short an amount of time, he never figured out if he seemed too desperate.

In hindsight, it wasn’t important. The contents of the papers, the pictures bundled together by paper clips had only been a more pressing matter.

Zeke’s words only confirmed it. “You went on a road trip up north on Hange’s birthday?”

“We did,” Levi said. There wasn’t much else he could have said to deny it. The evidence was too overwhelming— blurred pictures, screenshots of comments online in threads, subthreads, all speculating Hange’s side relationship.

“No use denying it. Yelena made a call to our employees in our estate up north. They mentioned Hange’s companion when she visited.”

“But we didn’t do anything…”

Zeke raised one eyebrow as if he had caught them in the act. “I’m not accusing you of it. But what would you say in your defense? When the Love Alarm rings, when you book a double room in a motel and when you’re together, almost inseparable in all of these pictures,” Zeke spread the photos on the table, shots of them in the motel, in the train station, in Zeke's house. “Hange isn’t a high profile person. It never made the news, Yelena and I made sure of that but people talk, anyone familiar with the tech world and particularly interested in it, would know how our family looks like."

It was funny, how anger could so easily sour to shame. At that moment, Levi considered disappearing an almost welcome development. Zeke pushed the pictures nearer to him, in one messy pile, the screenshots on comments, mentioning words like ‘misters,’ ‘paramours,’ ‘who’s the man???’ “We purged the internet of all photos, no names. Some people repost but I have people watching and reporting. This isn’t cheap.”

I’m sorry. Levi’s first instinct was to apologize, the adamance of a while ago almost completely forgotten. But sorry’s wouldn't work. “How much? I’ll pay what I can.”

Zeke scoffed. “Can you?”

Levi couldn’t think up much to say. He scanned his eyes over the comments at first to feign business, an excuse not to speak up. The more he looked, the more engrossed he got at lines of comments. Others towards him, then as he turned the pages, they were all towards Hange.

Slut. Whore. Low life. Cheater.

“I’ll pay what I can,” Levi said.

“How much are you willing to shell out? A hundred grand?”

That was a huge chunk of Levi’s annual earnings already. He wasn’t one to disclose salary though. He kept his mouth a thin flat line and nodded.

Zeke shook his head. “I’ll be generous, considering all the inconvenience you’ve caused both of us. While you're here, humor me,” he said. “I may not be a coder or a psychologist but I’m sure, there are things I can teach you. If you’re willing to shell out a hundred grand, let’s gamble with it. I haven’t had a good game in a while.”

“A good game?”

Zeke turned to Yelena. “Can you be a dealer again?”

“You plan on playing heads up?” Yelena asked,

“We have a table in one of the private rooms, why not?”

“Heads-up poker?” Levi clarified. There was only one game heads up that the two could have been referring to, mentioning terms like ‘deal.’

Zeke didn’t even bother to answer the question either for lack of consideration for Levi or just an expectation that Levi may have understood.

Levi didn’t live under a rock and he was very much familiar with the game. He had played a few games on online poker sites back in college.

Still, he moved a little sluggishly behind his two companions. Levi could have just been a little too wary or Zeke could have been out for blood.

The stakes then and there were completely different. For one, he had never bet almost a year’s worth of his own salary on a single game. He had never played with anyone whose net worth was a thousand, or maybe even a million times his own.

At that moment, Levi felt like a total beginner and it was as if hesitation clipped every single moment he managed to pull out of himself. There wasn’t too much he was expected to do but watch as Yelena prepared a few playing cards then chips.

Zeke made himself comfortable right in front of Levi. “Willing to bet a hundred grand?” he said those last words with an ominous smile on his face.

Levi sensed danger, but he couldn’t sense any proper way out either. He owed Zeke, he knew that much, whether it be for the money or the utter disrespect he had been treating him with since a while ago. Maybe he owed Zeke for more than that, for any inconvenience Zeke may have experienced at Levi having gotten a little too close to Hange.

Levi admitted, even just to himself, he had been a little too close to Hange for either of them to have been comfortable. Guilt, a sense of duty or just hyper awareness of everything all at once had Levi conceding, “Do I pay now?”

“We play with chips first,” Zeke responded.

Yelena dropped colored stacks of chips in front of them. Levi counted reds, blues, yellows, browns.

“You should have a hundred thousand worth,” Yelena said. “Do you know the colors?”

“Yes, just a bit.” Dabbling into online poker for a few months at least, Levi had enough experience to tell the browns as five thousands, the light blues as two thousand and the rest had inferred for himself from the amount of chips in front of him. He looked up to see that Zeke had a noticeably larger stack. “That looks like a lot more than a hundred grand,” Levi noted.

Zeke didn’t answer immediately and the flicker of realization came quicker, quick enough to have Levi coughing in surprise. The odds were against him.

“It is,” Zeke said as he counted his own chips, as if it wasn’t plain and utter cheating or even deception that he had a glaringly higher amount of chips than Levi. He slipped the chips towards the side and looked questioningly at Levi.

What had Hange told him back then in the golf course?

Zeke likes winning...But the way he goes about winning is like...He’s always been smart about it, always playing safe.

And what a better way to play safe than to have a larger pile than your opponent.

Zeke spoke up. “Hange and I, we’d play games with business partners while talking contracts and logistics. And Hange always said this about games. They teach things and sometimes they expose parts of ourselves… And the more I played with Hange, whether it be mahjong, blackjack, golf, or chess, I started to notice something. Games are a mirror of life, almost a clear reflection of what you deal with in business and in relationships.”

Zeke paused for a second and closed his eyes as if deep in thought. The room filled with the sound of shuffling of cards, the sound of the clack of chips as Zeke ran his hand over the brown ones, tapping them over the wooden round table in stilted and deafening movements.

“Poker is one of my favorite games. Like business, you base your decision on three things… Tells, numbers and circumstances,” He paused for a few seconds longer and he could have been expecting Levi to speak.

Levi didn’t look up though, instead using the brief silence to make sense for himself the amount of chips on his side.

Zeke spoke again. “Yelena, shuffle up and deal. We’re playing heads up. Our small blind is five hundred dollars and our big blind is one thousand dollars,” he said coldly. “I hope that isn’t too much money.”

In truth, that was enough money to make Levi’s stomach turn. Zeke’s manner didn’t look like it welcomed any protest though, so Levi merely nodded as some weak reply.

A weak nod could have sufficed as a response. Zeke turned to Yelena. “Give our valued guest the dealer button.”

The dealer plays the small blind. Levi counted five hundred dollars worth of chips and pushed it in front of Zeke.

Two cards lay in front of him, care of Yelena. Levi had played before and he was familiar at least with what a good hand would have looked like. In one swift movement, he held the cards in front of him.

Ten of Clubs and Nine of Clubs. With just one look, he knew he could complete either a flush or a straight.

If the board plays to his advantage.

Zeke tutted. “It’s not considered good practice to lift the cards. Most poker players would just raise the corner just high enough to see their own cards.” He demonstrated that exact same movement, only raising high enough that he could get the contents cards with one glance. “You’ve never played on the board?”

“I’ve played for a few months online,” Levi muttered. He would look back at that experience with little animosity. After all, a few months dabbling with bets online and just applying what little he learned from his statistics class had seemed like an overall enriching experience at first. Then and there, on the board, with thousands of dollars at stake, Levi felt utterly vulnerable. Like a beginner. Maybe, in the grand scheme of things, someone with only months worth of casual experience was a beginner.

And Zeke held a glaring advantage, something Levi couldn’t so easily brush away. Levi’s own instinct, his own experience with odds had him considering raising. Just for a second. When Zeke was staring at him though, his own pile much bigger than Levi, Levi could only weigh between two decisions, fold and give up that hand or match Zeke’s bet.

It’s still a good hand anyway. “Call,” Levi said, matching Zeke’s bet.

By the way that Zeke was looking at him though, Levi knew he was probably not playing on the board properly. Zeke spoke up. “Tells. One important concept in both poker and business is tells,” he explained. “The way you carry yourself tells me you never played on the board. Am I correct?”

“Yes.” There was no use denying it but Levi didn't have to spare him a long answer.

Zeke dropped five purple chips on the table. “Raise to 2500.”

There was value in those chips, his lifestyle, his savings. And for a split second, he saw an abyss. He had spent too much on a flight ticket, a hotel room, just all the food he had been eating in that town. Then another year's worth of income on stake, reduced to chips.

By some strange instinct, by some adrenaline rush, Levi had managed to brush it away, reducing whatever stakes to the few chips on the board. And he was grateful for the power of delusion. By god, if he didn’t have at least a sliver of self-delusion, he could have folded right then.

“Call,” Levi said, once again matching Zeke’s bet. He needed to calm down. It wasn’t a loss yet, the game hadn’t even started.

There was hope in whatever cards Yelena was shuffling. She spread the first three on the table.

“We call that a flop,” Zeke said. “Just in case you didn’t know.” And of course Levi knew, he had played online long enough to pick up some terms. With the grin on Zeke’s face, a far cry from a face more appropriate for a game of poker, Levi was certain Zeke was provoking him. “I know what a flop is,” Levi said, running his eyes over the three cards.

Ace of clubs. Seven of Clubs. Eight of Hearts.

Levi started to calculate. He had 2500 dollars, a months worth of basic living expenses on the line. He wondered if it would have felt better just dropping the one hundred grand to Zeke from the start. There was something notably more painful and more terrifying about the possibility of watching his money whittle away slowly.

“During business meetings, I like to tell which topics, which specific products make my business partners uncomfortable, when dealing with stakeholders, with employees. I like to take a few quick guesses on the backgrounds of the people in front of me, to see whether they’re worth dealing with in the long term. ” Zeke explained. “How they handle pressure…”

Was that a threat? A challenge? Maybe it was. Levi was suddenly morbidly aware that he had licked his lips, that his hand shook as he took another peek at his cards.

He had a chance for a straight. But what would Zeke have? And Levi had made the mistake of looking at Zeke then.

“Another ‘tell’, your eyes widened just there. You have a pair? A potential straight? For someone who wears her heart on her sleeve, Hange does a much better time hiding than you do.” Zeke had deliberately put more emphasis on the word Hange.

If Levi hadn’t frozen solid, tensed up by the shoulders with Zeke’s almost accurate guess, the word Hange had done the trick to make Levi terribly, terribly self conscious. In an instinctive moment, Levi bent his head down, raised one hand in an attempt to cover his own eyes, only to realize a second later with his hand halfway to his eyes, that that had done worse to even show that he had something to hide.

“You don’t have to hide it. We all know already, you’re in love with Hange.”

Levi had accepted that part already. If he had been in complete denial at that moment, maybe he would have lost himself in Zeke’s accusing glare.

“Are you going to deny it?” Zeke dropped an alarming number of yellow and purple chips. “Raise to four thousand.”

Levi let out a sound, a combination between a no and a quiet huff and he matched Zeke’s bet.

“A month ago I heard from the staff in our summer house up north mentioning the man, who always followed closely behind Hange, the man who so willingly got a single bed hotel with her, the man in the train station who sat close to Hange Zoe,” Zeke said. “People talk, Levi. Did you consider that? And I thought to myself back then, maybe, it could have been a coincidence but Hange had her own tells as well. When Hange saved you from drowning, did you know she didn’t want to let go?”

Yelena put one more card down. Two of diamonds.

“This is a convenient turn card ,” Zeke commented. “If you have a nine, or a ten, you have a chance at a straight. Have you calculated?” He raised one eyebrow.

Levi didn’t answer. Hell, anything he did say could probably be taken against him.

“Hange would have. When we played, she would babble on about statistics. Everytime she held out a hand, completely beating me, she would babble all the calculations in her head. She has always been quick witted, intelligent, clever. That’s why I fell in love with her too.” He had said that part louder, more confidently and so matter-of-factly, and Levi was reminded he would never have that same confidence to say those words about Hange, even if he would have meant it.

There was a clack of poker chips. Four thousand dollars? Levi counted. He looked towards the pile next to Yelena. He had four thousand dollars there already. A total of eight thousand dollars on the table, months worth of rent for most.

From the expectant look on Zeke’s face, Levi was expecting he’d only go higher. Do I fold? But maybe with the excruciating mentions of Hange, that was something Zeke had wanted him to do. In a sliver of weak protest, Levi matched the bet, his own bet up to eight thousand dollars.

He needed a jack or a six for a straight. But why was Zeke easily dropping bets? Did he have something better?

“Let’s consider numbers in real life. Even with how you and Hange were acting, I thought I could give you the benefit of the doubt. When the alarm rang, when you and Hange accepted it as truth, I realized my suspicions might be right. Hange might actually be attracted to you, she might actually love you. So what does that mean for me?” Zeke was once again playing with his chips.

Five thousand dollars worth? Levi thought loudly to himself as he counted the chips.

A bluff? Levi’s mind was racing. Zeke’s own words were deliberately or even just half heartedly disturbing. But there wasn’t much else he could do, four thousand dollars were on the line. Zeke proved to be confident at least with his own hand.

Bluffs happened, Levi played enough to be aware that people did put more than enough money than necessary just to scare people into folding. Another surge of protest later, Levi had matched the bet, putting his total bet at eleven grand.

The final card on the board was a jack and Levi didn’t have to look back at his own cards to confirm it. He had a straight. When Zeke had bet ten grand in chips, it had been much easier to call.

Soon the cards were revealed, an Ace and a King. Zeke had the strongest pair.

But Levi had a straight. He took the pot, more than a total of twenty thousand dollars, more than enough to offset his whole trip. When Levi looked up at Zeke, he regretted it almost instantly.

The latter didn’t seem at all affected by losing over twenty thousand dollars. “Circumstances, the most powerful tool but the easiest to control with the right resources. ” Zeke said, as if that had been the explanation for his own strange behavior. “It’s only natural when the person I’m married to starts running off with another man, I’d feel threatened. When she started working on the love alarm and I noticed she was happier, happier than I’ve ever seen her before. Then she was crankier than I’ve ever seen her before, then sadder. I wondered, what was our head developer doing to make Hange like that.”

Nothing. Fall in love with her? There weren’t too many things which could have fit what was starting to seem like a redundant question, so once again, silence was the best response.

Yelena spread the deck of cards over the table and Levi instead focused on dropping the new blind and appreciating the deft manner at which Yelena ran her hands over the cards.

He wasn’t in any state to be mesmerized by cards though.

Zeke’s voice echoed in the room. “Levi, I asked you a question.”

“What did I do, you mean?” Levi asked. That was the last thing he remembered and it had seemed almost redundant, not worth an explanation. Zeke shook his head. “Do you think she’s in love with you?” A strange question to ask someone, too personal. Zeke had a way of speaking that demanded answers.

Levi’s mind was working faster, vacillating between answering or not. He thought back to the ringing of the love alarm, Hange’s words up in the tower. Hange seemed happier, then crankier, then sadder, than I’ve ever seen before. “That’s for Hange to decide, right?” Levi said.

Zeke’s voice was suddenly softer as if they had released a sigh with his words. “Considering circumstances though, I was assured Hange can’t just leave.”

That last word had peaked Levi’s interest. “Leave?” He repeated.

“Even if your love alarm is correct, even if by some chance she loved you, and she didn’t love me, Hange can’t leave. I made sure of that. I’ve covered my bases.”

Covered your bases? Levi bent his head down, hiding that incredulous look that forced itself out of him.

“I paid for her research. I paid for the emotion alarm. I paid for the media embargo so your photos wouldn’t get printed.  I paid for everything, our home, our trips. Hange can’t just leave, after I put so much into this relationship right?”

Yelena dealt a new set of his cards and Levi pulled his new cards towards him and took a peak.

Eight of hearts. Three of hearts. Shitty hand with a potential for a flush.

Zeke slipped the new cards towards him. “She’s not going to leave. And the more I thought about it, the more I realized, why are you still hurting yourself over this. Why don’t you give up?”

“There’s nothing to give up. I wasn’t holding on to anything.” Those words had been surprisingly easy to say. “Hange married you. I went here to talk to her, nothing more than that.”

“You could have sent an email. You could have sent it through Erwin. Why come here yourself?” Zeke’s words were suddenly ringing through his ear.

“Why are you so bothered by me showing up? You didn’t have to invite me here,” Levi said, and somehow, a cathartic release that came with those words.

The shocked almost speechless expression on Zeke’s face, a far cry from the calm, poker face of a second ago, sent a rush of confidence over Levi

Maybe there were things he knew about Hange that Zeke didn’t. Levi continued “I don’t understand why you had to go through all this trouble, covering the embargo, sending Hange away, buying the emotion alarm. Even if you didn’t cover your bases, even if you give Hange all of that, she wouldn’t have left you. She really believes she’s in love with you.” She’s a prideful prick that way. He added silently to himself.

“What do you know about Hange? You only met her months ago.”

Long enough to feel like I’ve known her my whole life. If his words could have at least been enough to ensure some happiness for Hange in the future, it was worth a shot. “You should have just trusted her. You take in the most free-loving person I have ever met as your partner and you trap her by hanging all that over her head? That’s not how to love someone like Hange.”

“Who are you to tell me how to love the person I’m married to?”

This time, it was Levi’s turn to ask a question. “Do you love Hange?”

“More than you’re capable of understanding,” Zeke answered venomously, as if it was an attack on Levi.

Somehow, of all the things, an attack on his own ignorance didn’t feel like anything at all. Levi was confident, he wasn’t ignorant. “Hange really believes love is a choice, love is freedom. And you think the best way to love her is to tie her down with money and gifts? With circumstance?”

“You can’t assume that.”

“Then why do you have to make her feel guilty? Why do you give her everything just so she won’t leave? Why are you assuming she’ll leave the moment she gets the chance?”

One hand on the table, and the table rocked, the pile of chips Levi had meticulously organized fell in one crash, the few others as they slid amongst each other, colors mixing amongst one another.

Yelena was the first to speak. “Focus on the game, Ackerman.”

“Check.” He didn't have the best hand. As the river opened up to reveal a potential for a flush, he still thought it worth a shot.

Zeke pushed a huge pile of chips to the front. “Raise to a hundred thousand dollars.” Almost all of Levi’s available funds.”

“Fold,” Levi said.

The button switched. Levi and Zeke dealt their blinds again. Yelena dealt another two cards. And the game continued.

Carefully raising the corners of his pair, Levi noted a three of spades and a queen of hearts. Even before Yelena had dealt the river on the table, Zeke had already pushed his pile to the middle. “Raise to a hundred thousand dollars.”

Levi couldn’t win, and just like the hand before, he folded.

It continued with that same pattern for the next ten hands. Zeke started to bait him, going all in towards the fourth hand, enough for Levi to lose all his savings, and Levi would fold. Hands later, Levi had lost the winnings of the first hand, he had absorbed a net loss. Zeke’s large pile was starting to seem more ominous.

Circumstances. The word started to hold more gravity as Levi reflected the unfairness of it all. Zeke wouldn't have minded putting one year’s worth of Levi’s salary in a single round, he had more than enough to spare.

You can’t win against money. What the hell was he thinking, giving up his blinds every single time. Zeke obviously bluffed a few times. No one would be lucky enough to have a streak of good hands.

But which hand? Levi thought loudly to himself, as if by some miracle, a god-sent answer could echo in his head.

“We can do this all night,” Zeke said, his composure once again collected, the exchange of a while ago forgotten.

Levi lost track of the number of hands. A quick look at his chips only made him realize he had forty thousand dollars left. Did he lose that much by just folding?

He would lose a hundred dollars that night if he continued playing but when he willed it, he realized was ready to lose that money. But the more Zeke played, the more he spammed all ins, the more urgent the loss started to seem.

It took a few more handsfor Levi to gather the courage to play, even with the stakes completely against him. Levi spared some thought to calculation, taking from Zeke’s rulebook.

Tells.

Zeke wore a poker face...Nothing there.

Circumstances

He had to do something fast, or risk losing all his money.

Numbers

Most importantly, statistics were on his side. He had opened his new hand to find a pair of aces.

Ace of Clubs. Ace of Spades. Statistically, the best poker hand. He could easily win everything back.

Then came the first three cards.

Ace of Diamonds. Queen of Diamond. Nine of Clubs.

“Raise to ten thousand dollars,” Zeke said.

Three of a kind, with the strongest cards. “Call,” Levi responded.

The next card was dealt. Ten of diamonds.

“Bet twenty thousand dollars,” Zeke said.

“Call,” Levi said again, pushing his pile of chips to the middle of the world. He couldn’t be too sure how he looked then. Were his hands shaking? It wasn’t a graceful movement for sure. He had to push his pile to the middle with three clumsy movements while Zeke did it in one elegant push.

But Levi noted the subtle way at which Zeke raised his eyebrows before they met eyes. And for one second, Levi allowed himself a long stare, a slight movement of his lips, nothing close to a smile. If that one expression would be enough for Zeke to fold and give up everything, it was worth a try.

It wasn’t.

Yelena dropped the last card on the board. An Ace of hearts.

“Raise to one hundred thousand dollars,” Zeke said, notably louder than every other time before.

Enough to make Levi jump, enough for him to doubt. He snuck another look at his cards. Four of a kind. You’re fine. Why was his heart still beating wildly? Why was meeting Zeke’s eyes for a while longer such a harrowing experience?

It’s a poker face. People do this when they play poker. Levi told himself and the longer he was able to convince himself that Zeke knew what he was doing. And maybe it had always been good practice to stay calm, even when everything was stacked against you.

“Showdown,” Yelena said.

Or maybe Zeke just wasn't that connected, especially since nothing much was at stake for him.

It could have been all those guesses, or it could have been the ugly one that opened up in front of them right then and there.

And it looked like Zeke had figured it out first. “Have you heard of the term bad beat?”

Levi was taking longer than usual to make sense of the cards, much slower than usual and maybe it had been the exhaustion of calculating the past almost countless hands.

“There is roughly a four thousand to one chance of getting a four of a kind. But sometimes, people have something better than that… Not often but… It’s still worth considering.”

Something better. And when Levi was considering every hand better than a four of a kind, it became much easier to scan the river then Zeke’s hand for the answer.

Zeke had two cards: King of Diamonds and Jack of Diamonds. A Royal Flush.

“There’s a six hundred thousand to one chance of actually getting a royal flush. First one in my life.” Zeke could have been genuinely amazed, but that big ham reaction had been more than enough to piss Levi off.

It made it difficult to sit still.

“When you consider circumstances, you introspect, you strategize and you pray for a little luck,” Zeke said. “Believe me, you had every other chance to win before. I went all in with the worst cards and you folded every single time. Are you that terrified of losing a few thousand dollars?”

Hundreds of thousands of dollars. Levi corrected in his head. An annual salary’s worth. And maybe that was the point Zeke had wanted to make. By circumstances alone, Zeke had manipulated Levi's choice.

Zeke smirked. “Circumstances rely on luck too and luck is a funny thing. Even if you play everything correctly, you can still lose. Life’s unfair isn’t it.”

“You had less to lose than I did,” Levi said, his lip trembling. “That’s all there is to it. If you lost all the money, you would have put more in.”

“I would have,” Zeke admitted.

“I was playing a losing game.”

“At least you got the lesson. These are your circumstances. Every life lesson everyone should have learned from birth, life isn’t fair. I’m surprised you’re expecting that from a casual game.”

“I never said that. I knew I was playing a losing game and I expected that.” It had taken all his effort to keep his reaction unreadable, and god he wished he had managed it every other time before. “Thank you for the food. Thank you for the game. Thank you for covering for me and Hange.”

With the game over, it didn't look like he felt compelled to wipe that smug grin off his face. And there were things Levi wished he could tell Zeke, and maybe it was worth the risk. “One last thing, I don’t agree with you about relationships, businesses being like games. Loving isn’t a game. When you give all this money to Hange do you expect her to give back? You expect to be able to manipulate relationships through circumstance alone?"

“I told you Ackerman, don’t tell me how to love my partner.”

"I don't have enough fucks to give for every single person in this world. I’m not telling you how to love the person you married because I actually give a fuck about your love life. I’m only telling you how to love your partner because your partner just so happens to be Hange and Hange’s a free bird. She doesn't deserve at all to be loved like that. Don't cage her in with circumstances. Don’t tie her down with money, with a debt of gratitude.” He pushed his seat back and walked away.

“Where are you going?”

“I need some fresh air.”

The sliding door wasn’t locked. He forced it open gently then too hard, enough to make it rattle, He gave one was long look at the infinity pool then leaned his arms on the balcony railings. He took a deep breath.

And that reprieve was just a little too short. It turned out Yelena followed behind him, a piece of paper in hand. “Zeke’s bank details,” she said.

That had seemed too abrupt. But really, what was he supposed to expect, a consolation prize? Hange’s location?

“It would be much easier if you paid immediately,” Yelena said. “Do you have the money on hand?”

He didn’t have the credit rating to pay that in one go. He opened his own banking application and attempted to transfer that much in one go.

Bank error.

“We accept checks,” Yelena said.

Levi had never dealt with checks. His credit card limit was far less than how much he needed to pay. And a few exchanges later, a quick google search later, Levi had figured it out. He could pay by wire transfer but by god, and just the wire transfer would cost him more money than necessary.

Levi was a man of principle though. Slip of paper on hand, Yelena’s contact details on his phone he made his way out of Zeke’s presidential, without even bothering so much as a goodbye. It looked like Zeke had retired to his own private room or study anyway. Did he need that pleasantry from Levi of all people?

On the way back to his own hotel, he took a long cut, through the hotels that connected to one another through glass pathways, a few floors above ground. He made sure to take a longer time than usual, enough time to reflect on his own shitty luck.

A fruitless reflection with a very very repetitive and depressing conclusion. That’s just how life is?

If it hadn't been for those two who had talked a little too loudly by the side, maybe Levi would have deemed it fruitless.

If didn’t look to his right to see the entrance to the casino, if he didn’t walk quickly past the slot machines, taking in the red plush carpet, he would have said it was a total waste of time. The dim room only further accentuated the lights that never seemed to come from an exact same place. The casino had a way of just letting some strange feverish state, some illusion blanket his surroundings.

Hange Zoe. The man at the front had said her name, too proudly, as if in total amazement. For a while, the dazzling casino lights had him doubting that name clipped into one brief exchange. Others seemed to be talking about her too. Then he was following the crowd.

Murmurs of Hange Zoe, none of them demeaning or admonishing. Others seemed breathless, and Levi thought it worth his time, to tiptoe just to see a good look of what they were staring at.

Fruitless.

Levi dove into the crowd, slipping his way through, bending over, moving his hand through when necessary. He never made it to the front, but he did note the messy mop of brown hair, tied into a high ponytail, bent over the table. The autumn jacket, the side profile and the glimmer of some tight lips.

Hange was deep in thought in the middle of what looked to be some poker game. Her own pile of poker chips right next to her, much larger than everyone elses. He knew her enough to make that type of guess.

Circumstances.

Levi decided it would be a waste of time. Circumstances were never his to control anyway. They were Zeke’s, they were hers.

Hange Zoe’s win again.

How many hands had she played before that?

She’s cheating.

No, she’s just lucky.

I heard she calculates every single hand.

Levi felt some sense of superiority, knowing something the murmuring crowds didn’t.

All summarized into three things. Firstly, lady luck was probably on her side, it had always been as if making up a string of misfortunes in a previous life. Secondly, she probably calculated every single hand. Third, Hange would never ever cheat.

And those would be last few thing he would allow himself be proud of. That would be the last time he would think of Hange as someone remotely his.

As Levi turned the heel and walked back to his hotel, he decided, although it wasn’t too fruitless a detour, he still regretted making that quick trip into the casino.

***

If Levi knew he would have felt like shit as soon as he came back from vacation, maybe he never would have gone on that stupid vacation in the first place.

Monday. Monday morning. Those words managed to taste bitter, even when Levi was barely forcing it out of his mouth. It could have been the fact that he barely had time to get over the jet lag or it was just way too early in the morning. Scratch that, it wasn't any of that at all.

Zeke was sitting on the couch, seeming very much unaffected by what should have been transoceanic jet lag and very much unaffected by the words that came out of Erwins house just a second ago.

At first, Levi even doubted what I heard, attributing it to exhaustion. He turned back to Zeke, no sadistic grin, no furrowed brows. He was calm, unimpressed and all business.

"Sorry… it's too early in the morning… I don't think I heard you correctly,” Levi said, an attempt at professionalism even with the trappings of shock, disbelief and very inconvenient drowsiness.

“We don’t usually invite lower management to these types of meetings… But Mr. Jaeger requested you be here, to answer any questions that might pop up...” Erwin said apologetically.

“No. Not that… You mentioned it a while ago...Why is Mr. Jaeger here?”

"We’re making amendments to the contract," Erwin answered.

“And why do you need me here?”

“He’s here to buy the love alarm,” Erwin said so casually that Levi had to clear his throat, get rid of whatever popping sensation had been going on in his ears.

My love alarm. The love alarm he worked more than half a decade on. The love alarm which he knew like the back of his hand, from the backbone of the codes to the front end bugs.

"It's for sale?" Levi spat out. There were only so many ways he could speak and so many ways he could even articulate the emotions running through his head.

Erwin cleared his throat, seeming uncomfortable at such a simple question. "Initially no… we never considered selling it but when Zeke called about it last week, we thought it worth a conversation.” He turned to Zeke then back to Levi. “We were able to run through Zeke’s proposal with the higher ups last Friday, and given the generous proposal, we are more than willing to sell him the rights to the Love Alarm and the Emotions Alarm project.”

How much did he offer? Levi instinctively looked towards Zeke but he soon figured out that no matter what he said, Zeke probably would never disclose the final price. In some vague response, Zeke pulled the brown envelope on the table closer to himself. "Everything has a price,” he said matter-of-factly.

Erwin spoke up. "I did the calculations as soon as I received your call last Thursday and it looks like it would be more than enough to cover what potential earnings we expected within the next two years and more than enough for the development of another project.

Last Thursday night. The night they had met in Zeke’s penthouse suite. Was buying the love alarm an impulse decision on Zeke’s part? The timing just seemed too right.

And they only continued to talk about it, as if Levi wasn’t there. What did an engineer know about business though or about purchases as high volume as the rights to the love alarm?

For something that had taken countless all nighters over time and years of development, the process of selling it just seemed too easy. “Mr. Jaeger, if I may ask, what made you consider buying the love alarm?” Levi asked.

“Hange’s research,” Zeke said, as if it was the most obvious and the most noble reason in the world.

“And when you buy it, what then?” Levi challenged.

“I’ll work with Hange. We’ll hire new developers to fix the bugs you never fixed. We’ll further improve the product and the code and we’ll break the product down, see what else we can use to improve the emotions alarm project.” The answer was disappointing, a far cry from what Levi wanted to hear.

Your other plans with Hange. He had opened his mouth, ready to expound on the question.

Erwin though may have sensed the thick tension between them. "You have the contract?"

Zeke nodded. "I had our lawyer work on it over the weekend, a rush job. You can run through it with the higher ups and I'll have someone pick up a signed copy by this week"

"Believe me, we’re decided, you can even pick it up tomorrow," Erwin said as he opened the envelope, pulled out papers and flipped through the pages. For a second, he dropped the paperwork on the table then onto the page where the executives were expected to sign.

All familiar names from the big wigs all the way, down to Erwin. Levi's name wasn't there at all. Figures, Levi after all, was merely an engineer. He couldn't help but sense irony though in the fact that the one who knew the most about the product had no say in its actual fate.

Erwin's words only made the irony seem more glaring. “We'll use the next two weeks to do some clean up on our end, pack up the resources and work on data migration.”

By ‘we’, Levi knew Erwin would be ordering him to do that.. He couldn’t help but feel slightly cheated though. He would be basically ordered to take apart something he built from scratch, send it off and never see it again. And the longer he stared at the contract that would be ordering all that, the more desolate the air around him seemed to feel.

The product he had worked on for years, taking apart every now and then, breaking and putting back together to find even the smallest bugs, going on countless hours of overtime over, was like a child to him, a child he was unwillingly sending it away to some known.

Some masochistic part of him had him still staring at the contract, long enough still to remember his first contract when he first signed into the company, something that stayed snug into the back of his mind, unexpectedly kicking his arse then.

Ownership of Intellectual Property. Employee agrees that the Company shall own, and Employee shall (and hereby does) assign, all right, title and interest...

Everyone in the room seemed to have too much regard anyway for pleasantries anyway and never felt the need to clarify it. Levi had to rely on his own memory of Zeke saying it just a few days ago in his hotel room.

The company pays you. Any effort, ideas, projects you put into our product is company property.

And Zeke will be buying it so it will be his property.

Whether Zeke even knew how the alarm worked didn’t seem to matter to him though.“So, I guess in a matter two weeks, all server data and resources should be with Jaeger corporation.”

Erwin nodded. “We’d be happy to expedite the process. If all goes well, yes.”

When a huge sum of money was on the line, suddenly red tape was so easy to squeeze one’s way through. It took an enormous amount of effort to stay calm as they signed away the culmination of his own hard work, his countless hours of overtime, the blood, sweat and personal investment he put into that one application, all signed away in a brief second, all the red tape of a few weeks ago, non-existent.

Erwin turned to him, “If you can stay behind after the meeting, so we can discuss the logistics…”

Most days, Levi appreciated the manner at which Erwin spoke, the way he took some regard of Levi’s own time when giving orders. That day, there were too many things happening to even appreciate.

What else do you expect me to do? Say no? Hell, he had wanted to say no, but by the glaring lack of his own name on the contract, the glaring lack of regard for his own opinion on the matter, Levi could only seethe silently.

“Oh yeah,” Zeke snapped his fingers, loud enough to call Levi’s attention. “Hange sends her regards. She enjoyed working with your company a lot.” He turned to Levi and gave him a nod. “And to you too Ackerman, I just have to say we’re very grateful for your hard work and your generosity.”

What generosity? The implication that Levi had any say on commercial decisions seemed mocking.

“We’ll take good care of both applications,” Zeke continued. “And regards from Hange, she wishes you all the best with Petra.”

Petra. Levi let out a cough, letting out a subtle look at Erwin. If the latter did seem bothered, he didn’t show it.

With that, Zeke left the room, and Levi started to understand how someone could keep such a confident demeanor even with the slightest inconveniences. Somehow, having that many assets, wealth and power under one’s belt really had that paper.

The way he strode, embodied it, the way that in just a few phone calls, he had completely dismantled everything Levi had worked on, making it his own.

And when he closed the door gently behind him, leaving Levi and Erwin alone in the room, Levi was reminded once again, the love alarm, the emotion alarm, were never his, as much as he would have wanted to claim ownership.

They were never his, but suddenly they were Zeke’s. Levi turned to Erwin, narrowing his eyes, as he watched the blonde make his way to the desk. Erwin seemed uncomfortable as if he sensed the strange betrayal that something so standard as corporate procedure could bring. Then he cleared his throat and spoke up.

Two weeks. Levi was given two weeks to clean everything, migrate all data and vacate the office.

It was the company's project but it was Levi's responsibility. There was a broken partnership which somehow ended with two products sold. Yet even with all the damage dealt by that deal, the management needed some scapegoat from within the company.

Erwin had explained everything with as professional of a face as possible. With the tight lipped attempt at a grin that followed, the way he had avoided Levi’s eyes one too many times, Levi suspected Erwin knew more than he was letting on.

The photos maybe? The bug with Hange? The broken partnership? Of course someone would end up having to take the blame for giving Zeke a ‘bugged’ application.

Too many reasons, many among those rooted in some attempt to save face, in filthy office politics. And by then, Levi hadn’t been expecting too much.

That probably had been the reason that when Erwin looked back at him with a much softer expression, Levi couldn’t help but let out a long sigh, something to abate whatever emotion was threatening to let loose.

I didn’t think it was right for the mastermind behind the application to be terminated completely empty handed.

Erwin had arranged for some severance pay after the two weeks were over.

Enough to get out of the country, start somewhere else.

A job termination shouldn’t have been enough to be driven out of the country. Levi didn’t make too much sense of Erwin’s words until he had experienced it for himself a week later, through an empty email inbox after sending out the same resume to twenty companies for over thirty roles.

Have you heard of a no poach agreement? Erwin had asked back in the office.

A no poach agreement?

It’s technically illegal so this usually comes as a verbal agreement among companies. They’d note their best employees and if they have to let one go, all companies agree, they cannot hire them for a certain period of time, five to seven years. It's a 'scratch my back, I'll scratch yours' type of deal.

To keep company secrets apparently or to keep Levi from making a similar application in any other company.

If you want to continue working in the development industry, your best chance would be abroad.

Around one week left before his termination would become effective and Levi gave up on finding a development job in his city, hell even his country. Around that time he had started to clean up his studio apartment, throwing out whatever was needed.

He started looking through immigration laws, consulting when necessary. He looked through apartments in other cities, then labor laws. The severance pay was more than enough at least to get him out, and Erwin had been a big help in straightening other legalities out.

He had an extra few weeks to clean out his room, pack up his things, straighten out immigration issues and buy a damn ticket out of there.

In between, his final week at work. He had never considered leaving his job of over a decade to have ended such a long bittersweet moment. In reality, he never really had the time to appreciate normalcy and he felt some regret at that.

Migrating server data, resources, making sure everyone under him had straightened out their leaves, making sure they were assigned to new projects took time. Allowing himself reprieves in-between to just sit down, and stare at half filled boxes also took longer and more effort than he had expected it too.

He stared at the ever increasing boxes that lined his office walls for a while longer. Surprisingly, for someone so fastidious, he had a lot he needed to clean out, both inside the computer and outside.

You will lose all accesses, to emails, to chat accounts and to company property by end of day Friday. He got that same message, in different forms from human resources, from Erwin and Levi was on a strict time limit to get everything out.

In some protest, some act of empowering rebellion, Levi was taking his sweet time. He continued to reserve conference rooms, staying out of his own room as much as possible, going through each line of code slowly as if he they were all individuals all deserving of their own greeting.

He started with the backend, then went to the frontend. He looked through the pull requests and the merge requests and the fixes that would never make the next release.

And Friday couldn’t have come any faster. By then, Levi had ninety percent of  his office space cleaned out. He entered the room to find his own team lugging out some of the boxes.

100 percent done then? Levi thought to himself.

Eld was the first one to speak up. “We thought you’d need some help. We heard you only had until five to vacate the room." Yet, he had the expression of a guilty child caught taking cookies from the cookie jar at midnight.

His whole team looked similar.

Levi shook his head. "No, this is much appreciated," he said. A stiff choice of words if he did say so himself but the last few hours of work weighed on him more heavily than the days leading up to it.

He only had two hours before he lost access to everything he had worked on for years.

He held his work laptop close to himself as he watched them lug box after box out of the room.

"Eld was suggesting we go get something to eat tonight," Gunther suggested.

"That depends…" Levi started. Definitely, whether he enjoyed it depended on how quickly he could brush off that weight then that tightening in his chest. "Have you talked to your new team leads? Your new managers?" he asked, an attempt at a light conversation. He wondered if his expression betrayed his words.

Maybe they did. "Or we could wait a few days," Eld said.

"We'll see. We have a few more hours before the end of day," Levi said. He slipped past them and walked back into his office.

Shelves empty, desk spotless and even the floor shone with some unsettling gleam. It had always been spotless, he made sure of it but there had always been something melancholic about rooms that had been full for years, suddenly empty.

And until a few weeks ago, the room had felt like Hange. He had deliberately left many of the crooked books on the shelf, the crooked documents, the titled reusable paper tray and the test devices messily lined up on the shelfs because Hange had left it that way.

And the whiteboard right next to his desk which Hange had failed to clean many weeks before was suddenly wiped clean. Levi didn't even noticed he let out a sound, a mix between a gasp and a whimper when he saw Hange's list of emails completely gone, erased over.

"You okay in there, boss?" Petra asked.

"Someone cleaned the whiteboard," Levi said.

"Oluo, I told you he'd point out your shitty job cleaning the board!" Petra said, from just outside.

Oluo responded. "Well, he's not going to be using it anymore so I though--- Ow!" Some silence followed, then approaching footsteps. "Sorry sir, I'll clean it again."

"No, it's fine," Levi said, he put his hand up, as if to stop Oluo from making that quick trek back to the white board. "I'll clean up the rest. Thanks for the help."

For once, he was grateful for someone's carelessness. The white board wasn't as clean as he thought it was a second ago and maybe because he would have rather it wasn't clean.

Hange wrote in crooked lines where ends hit one another, others fell and the fonts and sizes were never too similar from one line to the other. And the closer Levi came to the whiteboard, he noticed it, one email peeking out, spared by the shoddy erasing job.

Wingsoffreedom132

Hange had multiple emails she used for testing and when Levi opened his work laptop one last time, enjoying the last few hours of access as he cleaned up folders and code repositories, he found himself looking back at the email.

Does she still use it? He asked himself

Maybe. It was worth a try at least.

He looked once again around the room, the very empty room. Then he looked back at his screen, opened the repositories that were ready to be sent out to the point person from Jaeger corporation.

Then he opened his own personal folder, the unfinished codes from the love alarm then the mood alarm then the plans, the files and on the upper left of the file 'the Mood Alarm.'

To hell, with red tape, bureaucracy and all that shit. It was his project, right at his fingertips. It wasn’t Zeke’s nor was it management. The only reason they probably hadn’t sacked him on the spot was because he was the only one who could have so efficiently organized it before they sent it off to some poor sap who worked under Jaeger corporation.

He allowed himself one rebellion, or more specifically a string of rebellions.

If he were forced by some bureaucracy to send all the resources of the love alarm and the mood alarm to Hange, he would do it on his own terms.

He disconnected from the office wifi. He opened a hotspot then he opened his own personal email. Opening an incognito tab, he transferred all the codes and resources to his own personal repository, organizing it in a similar manner.

Then copied the link and started to compose an email.

To: wingsoffreedom132@wahu.com

All the codes for the love alarm

He pasted the link right below.

All codes for mood alarm.

And below it, he pasted another link.

He waited for a few more seconds as the email loaded the attachment, the file with all the plans he had for the mood alarm, allowing himself a small smile as he imagined Hange pondering the name 'mood alarm.'

He vacillated between writing a message under and keeping it brief. Then a second later, his fingers moved for him, he didn't even realize what he had been writing until it was on the page, ending on a period for finality.

“Dedicate your heart.” He read it out loud, then he felt a pang on his chest and a twist at his gut.

Dedicate your heart to what? He didn't want Hange dedicating her heart to anything. He wanted her free, flying high, doing whatever the hell she wanted to, bound by no role, no debt of gratitude, no excuse for love.

Reach for the sky? Hell, she could probably even make it to the stars.

So he went for something that left him cringing.

Reach for the stars (or anything higher than that).

Then he added something, collateral from that rush of indignance.

Don’t let anything stop you. Just remember, I would have given you all these damn codes for free.

After sending the email, he took a few precautions. He cleared his history, his cache, his browser and he deleted the rest of the files in his laptop. With one hour before the end of day, he turned off the laptop.

“Do you need any more help?” Petra had entered the room, hands behind her back in some very faux casual manner. And she seemed to be avoiding his gaze.

Levi used that moment to wipe that last line of Hange’s email, as if that could have been evidence to that bout of rebellion. “I’m done. Let’s leave the rest to whoever will be cleaning up the desk.”

Petra didn’t seem at all suspicious, or maybe she didn’t care. “That’s good. WIll you be joining us for dinner?”

Levi nodded. “Maybe my leaving is worth a dinner.”

“You’re really leaving?”

“Looks like it.”

“What are you gonna do?”

“I bought a plane ticket, secured a visa. I'll go somewhere, far from here, then find a job or maybe work freelance.

“I want you to stay here.”

“I wanna stay here too,” Levi admitted. “But I couldn’t even find a job.”

“I’ll miss having you here… And working with that love alarm. I really believed in the product and it made me realize my own feelings too,” Petra leaned by the window, looking worse for wear.

When Levi gave a long look, he noted maybe she had been crying. He almost felt guilty for not even struggling to fight back tears then.

Maybe his body had already reached the point of pure catatonic, pure acceptance at the hopelessness of the situation. “I’m sorry.” What was he saying sorry for? “I mean— I’m sorry I can’t stay.”

Petra took a deep breath. “This is probably the only time I can say something so I’ll say it now and you know, if you believe in your love alarm, you probably figured it out already,” Petra started. “I like you, I really like you. Actually you know what, it might be love. I don’t know if that would change anything—”

“It won’t.” Levi kept his voice firm. “I bought the ticket. I organized my papers and I have a place to stay. I’m leaving.”

“For good?” Petra had on a wounded look, her mouth twisted into something similar to a pout, by her eyes were elsewhere as if she knew there was a little too much vulnerability in her voice. “So, whatever I feel, it won’t change anything?”

Levi shook his head. “I don’t think it would be fair to you if I accept your feelings. I’m in no hurry to date.” He let out a clipped sardonic laugh. “At this point, I’ll probably die alone.”

“You deserve—”

“And you deserve someone who wouldn’t decide to date you for convenience.” Maybe Levi had been a little too frank at that moment.

Petra didn’t respond, her mouth frozen in a tight lipped line.

“The love alarm will be back so maybe you can use that to find someone else whose alarm rings with yours,” Levi continued, his voice deliberately gentler. “Or what about growing something organically, without the help of that stupid app. I honestly think, sometimes the love alarm causes more chaos than actually fixes things.” He shrugged. “It depends on the circumstances really.”

Circumstances he probably would never understand. He turned back to the black screen and reflected for a long painful moment about it. He was a slave to circumstance.

They were silent for a while longer and Levi used that time to recover, willing himself not to meet Petra's eyes.

She broke the silence a few seconds later. “We’ll meet you by the gate for dinner?”

“I’ll see you then, just give me an hour or so,” Levi said, checking the clock on his phone. He had a little more than an hour left before EOD. “Or just text me when you find a restaurant.”

It took a little longer to convince Petra to leave and it had ended with them having to text Levi a familiar restaurant name.

Levi had taken his time doing nothing at all, just sitting on his office chair in his bare office room. He counted down the minutes on his phone until five. A few times he had even stared at the seconds counting down on the digital clock view on his phone.

Around a minute past five. He booted his laptop again, typed out his email and password.

Access Denied. Please contact your IT Administrator.

At exactly five in the afternoon, he lost access to the system. He took a deep breath and let reality weigh him slowly, then sink deep into him in one swift sensation.

The love alarm and the mood alarm were never his. Any delusion that they were his had dissipated with all the company accesses.

***

In an airport, the point past immigration is international space.

Maybe that explained that strange liberation that came with getting past immigration and walking through the gates, searching for his own. Or it could have been many things at once. He was out of his old job, out of his old environment and somehow, in its own way, it symbolized a new beginning.

Even as an international space though, some things weren’t completely unavoidable. Settling on the departure gate, Levi went through some final checklists on his phone.

He had a new bank account. He had a place to stay as soon as he landed.

And his inbox was a confluence of unread mail. Many of them were goodbyes, from colleagues, some from finance, from human resources, from his own team and he wondered how the hell people found out and what they were thinking about his leaving.

Erwin sent a few tips on taxes and getting housing loans. Petra had sent a ‘safe flight’ message with the same pleasantries of meeting up when she gets to visit.

There was one message was avoiding and he decided to open it last. He spent the first few minutes before that spamming the same thank you message to every single goodbye message.

That one other message after all, was easy to ignore, just a bank notification that money had been wire transferred.

One hundred thousand dollars, the exact money he had lost and sent over to Yelena, he realized as he opened the message and put a little more thought into it.

You have two weeks to claim it. Two weeks? The countdown started a week ago and he only had a week to claim it.

Actually, not even a week. Looking up at the boarding time, he realized he only had an hour. He could probably organize something to have it sent over to his new account. Considering timing and the logistics though was stressful enough already. And besides, his mind found it more enticing to just indulge the context behind such a large sum of money.

It could have been a scam. The amount of money though had seemed too much of a coincidence and admittedly, Levi was a still lovesick.

Don’t send me money. Just fucking talk to me. Levi whispered to himself. Just in case, just in case that was Hange.

In some indignant response, he decided to delete the message and instead, spend last few hours going through some obscure threads on the industry. Something he had been actively avoiding.

Business Jaeger Zeke Jaeger acquires the love alarm… The mogul had found a fatal bug on the love alarm…

In a noble effort to improve the efficacy and accuracy of the product, he took it upon himself to oversee development….

Head developer behind the love alarm has been terminated....

Unnamed developer. He had at least been given that much. Levi let out a sigh. For a high profile application, no one really figured out the name of the head developer. It was a thankless job but Levi never thought too much about the glory of it.

And at that moment, he could only be grateful for the anonymity, whether or not Zeke had done it deliberately.

Plane ready for boarding.

They would be starting with first class passengers first and Levi knew he had more than enough time to take a trip, to the farthest trash can, yet still something near enough to catch the flight.

He unzipped the front pocket of his backpack, pulling out a small sim card pin. He poked it, pulling out the tray, noting the bronze sheen of the sim card. It had taken him a few tries to hold the small card between his fingers and a few more tries to bend it between his fingers, bend it to the point of unusable.

He pocketed his phone and quickly made his way back to the boarding gate.

No bank account. No phone number. He wondered why he went through that much of an effort to destroy everything.

Maybe just for an attempt for a new beginning. Or maybe because he didn’t want her to find him.

The more he thought about it though, the sooner he realized he wanted her to find him. He just thought it better to assume that she wouldn’t even try.

[ateezmakemeweep]

could you please do a reaction to ateez being really mad that it’s actually scary? (since they themselves said that san gets really scary when he’s mad!) thank you!!

tw: fighting, shoving

❥ kim hongjoong

usually your boyfriend can handle sticky situations well. he has a life that requires a certain level of tenacity and strength that you know he had, dealing with all the stressors and unusual situations with grace.

but the second you heard the front door slam against the wall, jumping from your place in the kitchen, you knew he was mad. 

“no, that’s actually not what i said,” his voice snapped, the anger and venom behind it so uncharacteristic. he usually greeted you with a soft “hi,” or a back hug, pressing a kiss to your neck that would almost always make you smile.

but you’re not smiling now, watching as hongjoong yells into the phone. he rolls his eyes and hangs up despite the voice on the other line still talking back, throwing his phone across the room as it luckily lands on the couch.

“god damn it.” 

you look at the boy with wide eyes, biting on your lip because you’re not entirely sure what to say. he only looks at you, his face softening ever so slightly, before he tells you he’s gonna go shower. 

you finish making dinner by the time he’s out and in the bedroom, bringing your plates into the room and sitting down next to him. he pulls you over the second you tell him the food is ready, his head shaking as he wraps his arms around your waist and buries his face in your neck from behind. 

you both just lay there until you feel his even breaths against your skin, deciding to let him rest because you can always heat up the food later.

❥ park seonghwa

you thought you saw seonghwa mad before, the way he rolls his eyes when you talk back to him or glares at you from across the room when you send him a questionable text.

but this, him in a heated fight with his brother as the two tall boys scream and push at each other, is quite possibly the scariest thing you’ve ever seen. 

it had all seemed playful at first, the two siblings talking about their childhood and telling you all about their times in school together. but a few snippy digs from his brother as well as seonghwa’s retaliation landed them here, screaming and yelling at one another till they were red in the face and neck veins were bulging.

“seonghwa,” you said quietly, placing your hand on his arm gently. but whether it be his natural instinct in the heat of the moment or him not realizing it was you, he pushed your hand off of him and stepped closer to his brother. 

“see, hwa, you’re a fuckin’ dick,” his brother had said, his eyes catching the sad, scared look on your face. “even your own girlfriend’s terrified of you.” and it was upon hearing that it’s like he remembered you were there, his head snapping back to see you with wide eyes and your teeth in your lip. 

his heart sinks seeing the look in your eyes, immediately abandoning his brother and taking your hand in his. he guides you into his room and slams the door, anger still coursing through him but now for an entirely different reason.

“i’m sorry,” he says lowly, his thumb running over your hand before he pulls you into him. you sniffle against him as you shake your head, telling him you never wanna see him actually mad again.

❥ jeong yunho

you didn’t even know it was possible to ever be scared of yunho. 

you had never not seen the boy with a smile on his face or his head thrown back in laughter. he usually acted as the happiest of the bunch, calming the others down and always keeping the mood in good spirits. 

but this, you’ve never seen this before. because even the happiest of people have bad days: getting yelled at by his boss all day and stuck in irritating traffic on the way home all while running on a cup of coffee turned the normally happy, bubbly yunho into someone you didn’t recognize. 

he had burst through the door with a dead look in his eyes, walking past you like you were a ghost and your eyebrows immediately pulled together. 

“hi,” you say, almost speaking it like a question. but the boy only looked at you and nodded his head, the tension in his face and body far to oobvious. it caused anxiety and nervousness to creep up on you, watching as he placed his bag down on the couch. 

and then like when the universe knows you’re having a bad day, the backpack  topples over and a few things inside fall out, acting as the last straw that makes yunho pick up the book and throw it across the room. you can’t help but let out a yelp, the book smacking off the table and knocking over the two remotes making your body prickle with anxiety. 

his head snaps over to you and his wild eyes soften the slightest bit at seeing the fear in your eyes, mumbling a deep, choked “sorry,” before he abruptly leaves the room and goes into the bedroom.

you allow him some alone time for the next hour, finishing up your work in the kitchen before walking into the room. you see his big body laying out on the bed, his eyes closed but face still pinched with tension and irritation.

“come here,” he suddenly says, his eyes open and the smallest pout on his lips as he reaches his long arms out to you. you immediately fall into him and he presses a kiss to the skin of your neck, tightening his hold on you. 

“i’m sorry if i scared you.”

❥ kang yeosang

you and yeosang have known each other for years and have gotten into your fair share of fights. but they were more so a playful banter that lasted for all of twenty minutes before one of you let out a snort and the whole thing was forgotten. 

this however, was much different. because you’d always heard once you move in with someone, things change. you’ll see all of their annoying habits and things you wish they did differently, the smallest thing they’ll do irritating the shit out of you. 

which is probably why you’re both two weeks in to this passive aggressive fight, a singular bowl in the kitchen sink that neither of you have been touching. it was technically yours but when he had taken it in, you had asked him to soak it in hot water and soap so you wouldn’t have to scrape the spices and sauce off of it tirelessly. 

and when you woke up the next morning and seen he hadn’t, your fresh manicure for your best friend’s wedding a reminder of why you couldn’t scrape off the food, you’d gotten annoyed. made a snippy comment to him in passing that made him roll his eyes and shrug his shoulders. 

but tonight, when he’d come home and saw the bowl, it’d been the last thing to make him snap. because he’d already had a really shitty day and that stupid red bowl in the sink served as a reminder for how fucking obnoxious you were being.

“i’m being obnoxious?” you scream, “i fucking asked you for one favor yeosang and now we’ll never be able to get it off!” 

“then just throw it out, i could give a shit,” he snapped, his voice biting and hard and it’s such an uncharacteristic tone it makes your eyes widen. “if you weren’t so god damn stubborn and selfish, you’d see i’m under a lot of fucking stress and would do this one little thing for me.”

the verbal assault didn’t so much scare you as much as it hurt you, the way he inched forward and his eyes burned down into yours. your back was pushed against the sink harshly and his jaw was clenched, the way his chest was heaving and eyes were tight a sign he wasn’t okay right now. 

“how ‘bout you go take a nap and i’ll heat up your bottle for you,” you snap, pushing him backward before turning around and soaking the damn bowl yourself; because if he’d been paying attention too, he’d see you were stressed too. 

you both were stressed and annoyed these days and this fight certainly didn’t help anything.

that’s why you’re grateful for when, the next morning, both of you woke up at the same time and met at the sink, fully prepared to clean and hide the bowl away so the fight could finally end.

❥ choi san

you’d heard the boys say a million times that san was scary. that even though he was happy and smiley and cute most of the time, the times he was mad were a horrifying contrast. 

but you just couldn’t find it in yourself to believe that, not once seeing the boy raise his voice or get violent. but you’d also never seen him in a fight before, surprising him and the other seven at the company with handfuls of food and soda. 

“san, calm down, we’ll get it.”

and the roaring voice you hear respond you almost didn’t recognize, san’s little hands in fists as he pushes at mingi’s much taller figure like there isn’t a good few inches between them. his screams were booming and loud and when you watched him go to mingi again, your shaky voice firmly called his name.

“what?” he snapped, his eyes full of tension and anger as he looked right through you. your eyes widened and felt your heart drop, the way he was looking and talking to you completely unfamiliar. 

“what are you doing here?” your eyebrows pull together at his tone, almost accusatory and annoyed, before you hold up the two plastic bags of takeout. 

“i knew you guys were working late so i wanted to…” you press your lips together as his dark eyes continue to stare blanklt at you, shaking your head before walking over to the table. “i’ll just leave these here. sorry, guys.” 

“y/n, it’s fine, we were just-“ but you can only shake your head and leave, the look on san’s face and the tension in the room suffocating you. you’re not used to that anymore, you’ve been away from fighting and screaming for far too long that now it brings you back to a place you don’t wanna go.

and san had never brouht you there before. he was usually you’re safe place.

but just as you’re about to walk down the stairs to the main level, a slightly clammy hand grabs yours and pulls you into a sweaty chest. 

you immediately smell the familiar cologne mixed with sweat and feel san’s face in your neck, his lowly spoken apology still tight and tense; but he couldn’t allow you to walk out thinking he was mad at you, hongjoong giving him a look of disapproval that immediately made him rush out of the room and run after you.

❥ song mingi

yunho had called you in a panic, asking you how much longer until you were due to arrive at the dorm. your eyebrows pulled together in confusion as you told him you were about to walk into the building, just a few seconds later seeing the tall boy standing in the archway of their front door. 

but it wasn’t even the drained look on the boy’s face that caught your attention, it was the loud screams coming from inside. the familiar loud screams of mingi, his voice deep and booming in a way you’ve never heard before.

“what’s happening?” you asked yunho, pushing yourself in the doorway to see your boyfriend and hongjoong standing toe to toe in a violent screaming match; you don’t see the boys fight often but you have to imagine this is a pretty bad one, hongjoong’s finger pointing up fearlessly in mingi’s face. 

“y/n, i don’t know if you should-“

“he won’t hurt me,” you say adamantly, walking toward mingi confidently. but he doesn’t even hear you, doesn’t even know you’ve arrived, so when he feels an arm try to tug him away, he figures it’s yunho and gives the boy a rough shove. 

but it wasn’t a six foot man and instead it was you, a high-pitched squeal leaving your mouth before luckily yunho caught you before you could hurtle toward the floor. and that’s when mingi’s eyes widen and the fighting halts, your eyes staring at him full of fear.

“y/n, baby, when did you get here?” 

but you can’t find it in yourself to speak, shaking your head and pushing yourself further back into yunho who welcomes your presence. everyone watches silently as mingi’s tall frame immediately falls, eyes filling with tears before he shoves past hongjoong shortly followed by the slamming of a bedroom door. 

the boys try to tell you to wait for him to cool down but after just a few minutes of recovering, you make your way into the room to see mingi curled up on his bed with his head buried in his pillow. 

his head snaps up and sees you, tears running  down his face as he brokenly apologies. he rushes over to you and hugs you tightly, his shaky, teary voice telling you he thought you were yunho. he thought you were yunho and he would never ever push you or hurt you. he would’ve never done that if he knew it was you.

and while you know that, it was still scary. so you guide him over to the bed and sit him down, softly telling him that while you accept his apology, he has to work on reigning in his temper and being aware of his strength. 

❥ jung wooyoung

you knew wooyoung was loud. he was loud almost everyday of his life, at any given hour in any given situation. but what you didn’t realize is that, when wooyoung’s quiet, that’s when you should be concerned.

because when he came in from a late night practice, there was obvious tension in the boy’s appearance. his jaw was tight and his eyes were burning, pushing past you in the kitchen without so much as a hi. 

“wooyoung?” you said questioningly but he only shook his head, plopping down on the couch and placing his head in his hands. you don’t know how long he sat there brewing with anger and rage, his leg bouncing and harsh exhales and inhales leaving him. 

“wooyoung, you’re scaring me,” you said softly, cautiously making your way over and watching the boy with wide eyes. it felt silly to be scared, because he wasn’t even doing anything, but he was just so obviously not him.

“i’m fine, babe, just please…go in the room, okay? i’ll be in a little.” and despite not wanting to, despite wanting to comfort him and talk to him and offer him some kind of support, you find yourself laying down on the bed and mindlessly watching tv. 

you fall asleep at some point and only stir when you feel the bed dip, his arms around your waist and his lowly mumbled apology in your ear making you push back into him.

“we’ll talk tomorrow,” you mumbled, his lips against your head as you nod the last thing you remember before falling asleep. 

❥ choi jongho

you knew the second you saw jongho standing outside your apartment that he was pissed. everything about him was rigid and stiff and angry, his dark eyes barely softening upon seeing you. 

it was supposed to be your date night but the first thirty minutes of it are proving to be a challenge, the boy barely say a word as you walk to the restaurant a few blocks away.

“jongho, we don’t have to go tonight if you don’t want,” you tell him. but because he’s angry and probably looking for a fight, you’re not all too surprised when he stops walking and snaps his head at you. 

“i’m here aren’t i?” he says, voice low and hard to not cause a scene. “so what makes you think i don’t wanna?”

“probably has something to do with the fact you've barely said a word to me.”

but the comment only makes him roll his eyes, the two of you walking in silence before making your way to the restaurant. but before you can even open the door, you shake your head and pull him back.

“i don’t wanna go in there like this, jongho,” you say, your wide eyes looking at him cautiously. “if you wanna reschedule this, we can. but i don’t wanna…i don’t want you to be here if you don’t wanna.”

your words make his heart sink, the sad, scared look in your eyes making him frown and pull you into him. he kisses the top of your head before guiding through the door by the small of your back, finally opening up over the appetizer about what a bad day he had.

[jadekitty777]

On Your Six, Chapter 5

Day 5: Mission Go- Cooking for @taiqrowweek

Wait what do you mean I switched the prompt days around? Dunno what you’re talking about ;)

(Don’t worry it’ll make more sense in the long run)

Rating: T for this chapter, M for overall

Words: 2.5k

Summary: Qrow was what most of society would call a small-town criminal. But to those oppressed, he hoped only to be a healer. In an effort to make a change in the world, he moves from kingdom to kingdom, searching for branded omegas in need. His goal? To turn the derogatory words the reformatories forced them to bear on their skin into works of art.

Then one day, his past catches up to him in the form of Taiyang, his former best friend, with a brand of his own stained onto his skin and a plea for help in his eyes. Qrow has no choice but to answer, even if it means he’d have to face his mistakes once and for all.

[An ABO-style universe in a modern-day style Remnant. No Grimm, because people are the real monsters in this one]

Ao3 Link: On Your Sleeve

~

Tai had started feeding him.

At first, it had begun with little things, shortly following that fateful day he gave him the picture. Prepackaged snacks or fresh fruits or vegetables as a healthy addition to the cheap, instant lunch meals he could easily afford. Then it quickly dissolved into tubberware covered leftovers of various pastas or stews, things that kept well and were well adept at making in large servings.

By late May, with the advent of Qrow’s twenty-sixth birthday, Tai arrived at his place loaded with grocery bags, a proper skillet and a determined purpose to make his favorite dish of chicken curry. It was, hands down, one of the best meals he’d had in years.

Yet, even after the occasion passed, the trend continued until it seemed Sunday became the day his stomach most looked forward too. Normally, Qrow would put up a fight about being doted after – Tai wouldn’t be the first omega to develop the habit. The most prominent of whom had been Maria, whose sessions had to be shorter than most both due to her age and the difficulty working with thinner, more wrinkled skin.

But she had also been a grandmother. A feisty one, who smacked him on the head a lot with her cane, but was also kind and worried and constantly remarking on his too-thin frame until he just gave up and let her do whatever she wanted.

But with Tai, he couldn’t even manage to feign annoyance. In part because Tai’s cooking was damn good and he’d be a fool not to gobble it up at every opportunity. But also, because it gave an excuse for their sessions to run long.

He didn’t even think it was a one-sided endeavor. Beyond the innate omega instinct to care for and Tai’s naturally generous personality, there was a loneliness in those blue eyes that told the truth behind all the fumbled attempts to waste time or make breaks run longer. By July, Tai wasn’t leaving his place until at least ten at night.

Neither of them complained about the arrangement.

Then August rolled around, and Qrow had an absolutely foolish idea.

The first Sunday of the month was on the 5th and it passed with little incident or notice. They were back at the first of the designs, arguably the most complex with the amount of color layers needed, so their dinner was nothing fancy. Just simple sandwiches and side salads, so most of their time could be spent under the needle instead.

He’d banked on that happening so that what would happen next wouldn’t have a chance of paling in comparison.

You busy tonight? He messaged early Wednesday.

Tai responded a few hours later, probably when his first break popped up. No. Why?

Come over after work. I have something to give you. He replied after he’d finished with his client for the day, sometime early afternoon.

The final response was cheeky and towards the end of the school day. You’re about as subtle as a brick.

Almost at 6 P.M. on the dot, there was a knock on his door.

“Coming!” Qrow called, dancing between the kitchen and the table to make sure everything was perfectly in place. He gave it all a satisfactory nod, then hurried over, sliding the door open only enough so he could wedge between it and the threshold, blocking Tai’s view.

The omega looked different, fresh out of work. His blond hair had been lightly gelled, just enough to give it a bit of bounce. The casual wear he was normally in was swapped out for a more professional look; pants and a collared shirt ironed of any wrinkles and shoes shined enough they gleamed.

So of course his eyes fell onto the one thing that completely ruined the look with a teasing snort. “Nice tie, Tai.”

“You like it?” He grinned, pulling at the absolutely hideous yellow abomination that was covered in yapping cartoon corgis. “The kids love ‘em. They call me the Funny Tie Guy.”

Oh Gods. “Bet you get a kick out of it every time.”

“I literally can knot get enough of it.” Tai had the nerve to wink as he said it too.

Qrow groaned. “You are so lucky it’s your day. Speaking of-” He swung the door open, revealing the room with a flourish.

Admittedly, it wasn’t much. Still, it was satisfying to see the way Tai’s face lit up with joy as he spotted the modest little table set for two, dinner already set in their bowls and the most expensive white wine he could reasonably afford already poured. The omega looked from it to him, grin growing, “You did all this?”

“Yeaaah.” Qrow flushed, trying to hide his anxiety. He’d never been great with giving gifts. “Happy birthday ya big lug.”

Tai laughed, throwing an arm over his shoulders and pulling him into a hug. “Thank you. This is just what I wanted.”

He could have stayed there forever – but he didn’t work himself to death to let dinner go cold. He pat his back, mindful of the healing wounds, and said, “Let’s eat.”

Qrow’s relationship with cooking was disjointed and the spread seemed to reflect that. The fried rice was perfect; it was one of the first things his mother taught him how to make on the stove. The garlic broccoli, more of a staple in the Xiao Long family, had a bit of crunch where some of the pieces hadn’t fully cooked through because he hadn’t had Tai beside him to remind him to stir. Just like the many other easy things he helped him learn how to make when he found out he and Raven had been living off nothing but white rice and peanut butter sandwiches for months.

The moo shu pork was the trickiest and most complicated dish by far and nothing he’d ever even attempted before. His amateur hand left it looking a bit of a mess as they poured it onto the tortillas. Unpretty as it was in presentation and lacking a few of the pricier ingredients like oyster sauce and sesame oil, the marinade had the pork still bursting with flavor.  

The wine was there to act as a garnish to make the food seem better than it was. Which was probably why Qrow kept pouring it until he and Tai had split two and a half glasses between each other. Either that, or because Tai was adorably chatty when he was tipsy.

“So, there we are, watching about thirty of these Fayblades spinning around, knocking into each other and some of the cheaper ones are falling apart. Everything is going too fast for any of us to do the math problems on them. And Missy and I just look at each other like we both just realized what a horrible mistake we made. It was only the first week back and I was pretty sure we were about to lose an eye or something.” As he told the story, Tai animatedly gestured around with his glass, liquid sloshing almost past the rim. “We get the kids to back up until they all stop. Then Missy starts gathering a few up, saying how this time we would try less so we can actually keep count – when Velvet speaks up from the back and says ‘Blue wins 124 to 90’.”

Qrow polished off his own glass, setting it on the table. “That’s the quiet one with the rabbit in her bag, right?”

“Mmhmm. She kind of tries to hide when everyone starts looking at her, so I don’t say anything right then. Just take it as fact and move on. But when recess comes around, I pull her aside and ask her how she knew the answer. And she tells me, completely serious mind you, that she’s a camera. So it was easy to do all the math when she basically had the pictures saved in her head. And I’m like, holy shit!” He taps his temple for emphasis. “She has a photographic memory.”

“Ain’t that just a myth?” He asked, starting to gather the empty dishes.

Tai waved him off. “Pfft. Qrow, you gotta stop thinking like the world’s just a big science textbook. It’s more like a-a fairytale! Where magic can happen at any moment.”

“Tai, you’re drunk.”

“I am not!” This time, when he gestured, some of the wine hit the table. He blinked down at it. “Ah, shit!”

He laughed. “Man, you still can’t hold your liquor.”

“You dishonor me.” The omega accused, pointing to his right hand as if it were an exhibit. “I’m holding it just fine.”

That only made him laugh harder, until he had to wipe tears from the corners of his eyes.

~

Somehow, they found themselves laying side by side on the bed, shoulders pressed together. Tai’s scroll was balanced between the head of the bed and the wall, the display playing the finale of their favorite show growing up, Silver Eyes.  It was the height of the final battle. Rosette was locked in battle with Bastinda while the rest of her friends lay, unconscious or ensnared in traps, around them.

“Do you not yet see how pointless this all is? How my power eclipses you all?” Bastinda snarled as she swung her wand down. “You’re all just insignificant riffraff!”

Rosette seemed to find some strength, blocking the attack with her broadsword. “You’re wrong! No one is insignificant! Even the smallest of us has something good to contribute.”

“Foolish child!” A powerful gravity spell threw Rosette to the ground, knocking her sword out of her hand.

“Gods,” Qrow griped. “This is cheesier than I remember.”

Tai shushed him. “Hush, the best part’s coming up!”

He rolled his eyes, but his traitorous mouth smiled all the same. Alright, so maybe this part was pretty hype. Watching it play out again on the screen, he felt ten again, practically glued to screen as his excitement built.

A large shadow stretched across the valley, delaying the witch from striking the final blow as she turned to the source. Up on the hill, sun behind him, was Zwei. Rosette’s little corgi that had been with her from the start of the show. He came racing down the hill, stubby little legs barely able to pick up speed.

Bastinda sneered, pointed her wand at the dog. “Pathetic.”

“Zwei, no!!” Rosette cried, tears filling her eyes just as the blast fired.

It seemed like the end for the lovable pup as smoke filled the air.

And then, with a blast of light, something came flying out of the dust and landing before the witch. The world rumbled under powerful paws as the giant white wolf stood before her, letting out a powerful growl that brought her to her knees.

“I don’t believe it!” Blanca cried from her mirror prison. “Zwei’s a Guardian!”

The rest of the finale played out just as he remembered, Zwei turning the tide of the fight and giving Rosette a chance to free her friends, all of them coming together for one final attack that rid the world of the cruel witch once and for all. After that, the wolf turned back into the lovable and more marketable corgi pup, and everyone headed home to enjoy true peace for the first time in a millennium.

Tai sat up as the credits began to roll, stretching his arms above his head. “I still think it holds up pretty well.”

“Sure, if you ignore the fact they completely sidelined Silver Eyes. It’s only the title of the show.” He snarked.

“Come on now. It’s not about the power ups. It’s about the journey and the-”

“Friends they made alone the way.” He mimed gagging. It was only the motto shoved down his throat at the end of almost every episode.

Tai merely laughed at his antics, picking up his scroll and slipping off the bed. “It’s late. I better head home.”

Maybe it was the vestiges of the alcohol or maybe it was the other’s scent, sweeter and more inviting than usual, that loosened his tongue enough to offer, “You could crash here, if you want.”

“In your bed? We hardly fit.”

Acquiescently, he rolled onto his side, practically shoving himself against the wall as he pat the wide, empty space. “It’ll be fine. And your drunk.”

“Hardly. And I’ll have to get up early to get back home and get ready.”

“It’s fine.” The noise left him involuntarily. It wasn’t a growl, really; it was barely more than a rumble. Regardless, the regret hit him instantly as he bit down on his tongue and turned his face up apologetically.

The omega just arched a brow, entirely unaffected and unimpressed by his pitiful display. Then he chuckled, any meteor-sized tension there could have been burning up long before impact could be made. “Gods, you’re such a punk, you know that?”

“I…uh…”

“Alright, you win.” Tai set the alarm on his scroll with his right hand, while he crossed the room and got the lights with his left. He used the glow coming off of the device to find his way back, dropping it onto the nightstand. In the bits of moonlight coming from the window, Tai became an erotic beauty as he undid his tie and buttons, shrugging out of his shirt. His belt hit the ground next – though mercifully he kept his pants on.

Qrow watched him, utterly transfixed, as he lowed himself to the bed, mattress dipping anew with the readded weight as the omega stretched out onto his stomach. Beyond all comprehension, he had to fight every muscle in his body from reaching for him. The need to bring him close and curl around him was overwhelming. So, he shoved his hands underneath the crook of his neck and locked his elbows.

Why had he thought this was a good idea again?

Tai heaved out a long sigh, mumbling, “Goodnight Qrow.”

He swallowed, voice barely above a whisper as he responded, “G’night.”

Without a clock in the room, there was no telling how long he lay there, coiled up tight like a spring waiting for the pressure to come loose, listening to the sounds of Tai’s breathing slowly evening out. It wasn’t until Qrow was absolutely certain the other wouldn’t wake that he risked it.

Though it felt a bit reprehensible, it was with that same uncontrolled desire in which he found himself scooting his upper half forward, inch by agonizing inch, until the bridge of his nose was pressed up against the curve of Tai’s shoulder.

His eyes slipped shut, breathing in deeply. The omega’s scent swirled around him, sunflowers and soil and bright summer days; a smell that was unmistakably, irrevocably Tai.

Here. With him.

Slowly, the rigidity to his muscles relaxed and he finally drifted off, the scent embracing him as securely as its owner could.

[sarah-writes-marvel]

The Quiet Storm: Avengers x fem!Reader/ Bucky x fem!Reader

S.S.: little something I wrote at 3 Am. Kinda based off personal experience. If you want me to edit it so the story is gender nuetral let me know! Id be happy to do it but for now I’m going to post this! Hope you like it.

Warning: Depressive and Anxiety tendencies/ feelings. Could possibly be triggering so please proceed with caution. Major angst and a fluff ending

Word count: 1884

MASTERLIST

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

The sound of my alarm continuously played as I laid on my back staring at my plain white ceiling. I could tell that today was going to be rough. The feeling of the weight of the world on my shoulders. The need to cry but no intention of passing the emotion. Everything is blurring together.

My alarm started to play the rhythmic and annoying tone again before I rolled over and silenced it. Even the smallest of movements took too much of my energy.

I sat up, my comforter billowing around me, as I ran my fingers through my tangled hair and stretched my aching muscles. That always happened, my body complaining after not being able to sleep. 

I sat in that spot for a moment more, staring at my wall, when a loud knock came to my door. I barely bother to respond, just letting out a hum loud enough for the person on the other side to hear.

“Breakfast will be ready soon. Get up lazy bones!” Steve’s unmistakable voice traveled through the door, barely reaching my ears. 

Running my hands over my face again before moving to get out of bed. Numb, that’s an appropriate word to use today. Numb to my surroundings. Not caring about the world around me.

My reflection stared back at me in the mirror of my bathroom. She wasn’t recognizable. Her eyes were dark and puffy, from the hours of unrest. Her skin was oddly pale, almost blinding against her oversized red pajama shirt that she had “borrowed” from one the boys. Her hair parted to the side, laying messily against her shoulder. Her usually bright eyes seemed to be grey and lifeless. The girl that was staring back at me is just a shell of a person. 

That familiar lump formed in my throat and tears stung at my eyes but didn’t dare fall down my cheeks. Instead my shaking hands wiped at my eyes roughly trying to hide the unwanted emotion.

“Stop. You don’t have any reason to feel like this.” I critiqued the girl in the mirror.

The faucet ran cold water, pooling in my hands before I splashed it onto my face. 

The hand towel was rough against my skin as I wiped away the drops, tossing the cloth next to the sink before turning off the light and leaving my room.

I could hear the laughter of the team down the hall as I approached the kitchen. A sudden feeling of dread came over me. The realization that I can't pull off the strong facade that I usually wear. The thought that I'm too weak for this life crossed my mind.

They all sat around the dining table, a display of food in the center. Pancakes, eggs, bacon, juice, fruits, muffins, the whole 9 yards. Yet none of it was appealing. Even the thought of eating brought an odd taste to my mouth. 

“Hey! Sleeping beauty finally joined us!” Tony joked as he leaned back in his seat, his glass of juice in his hand.

Good morning greetings bombarded me as I took the empty seat between Sam and Bucky. Purely intentional by Steve knowing neither would cause a riot with me in the way. I’m always in the way. 

The empty plate at my spot seemed to stare back at me, waiting for it to be filled with food. The sudden feeling of a hand on my shoulder brought me from my staring competition.

“What can I serve up for ya babe?” Sam asked, his pet name falling to deaf ears.

“Uh, I uh-“ my eyes scanned the table again, the panic rising in my chest. ‘God just make a decision. It’s not hard!’ 

“We’ve got pretty much anything.” He gestured to the layout.

“Just some fruit and a muffin.'' I voiced quietly, sulking against the back of my chair. “ Please.”

“That's it? Don’t you have training today?” Sam questioned as he reached for a muffin and grabbed the fruit bowl from Nat. A sudden tightness was in my chest, the realization that I, in fact, do have training later.

“I- uh I forgot I had training.” I admitted quietly, my hand covering my eyes as the hanging lights began to overwhelm my sight.

“That’s alright. How about some eggs and bacon too. It’ll be a good meal.” Nat suggested. I only nodded not trusting my voice, feeling the anxiety rise in my chest. 

Sam scooped the scrambled eggs onto my plate next to muffin and fruit he had placed there only a few minutes ago, garnishing it with two strips of bacon. 

Though it wasn’t much, it was still daunting. I picked up my fork and prodded the food. I could feel the eyes of a few people watching me as I eventually stabbed a cube of fruit, bringing it to my mouth. Even the sweetest fruit tasted bland. 

The conversation that had paused once I came into the room had resumed as I continued to pick away at the food on my plate, moving it around to seem as if I ate more than I had. I could still feel a pair of eyes watching me. I set my fork onto my plate trading it for the glass of juice set at my place, trying to steady the shake in my hands. I leaned back in my chair and sipped at my drink as I scanned for the pair of eyes that were still trained on me. 

I met the curious stare of Bucky before he could turn to look at his own plate of food, shoving a bite of pancakes into his mouth. I turned my gaze back to my scattered plate, the conversation droning out as my vision blurred, dissociating from reality, yet the pressure in my chest still there. 

The oddly familiar sound of my name was called out before I focused back in.

“Hmm?” I looked up to see everyone watching me.

“Are you ok?” Tony asked, his eyes squinting as if it would help him see through my lie.

“Mhmm,” I murmured one response, setting down my glass and picking my fork back up. 

“Ok, well we asked if you were opposed to a team dinner tonight? You know out on the town?” Nat cut in.

“Ya that’s fine.” I answered pushing my food around again. Of course a night out would be amazing, maybe it would lift this invisible weight from my chest. Yet the sound of being around people sounded exhausting. To be dressed up, smiling, laughing, talking… it was all too much. But I had already said it was fine, no turning back.

‘You would be an awful friend to back out right after you said yes’ the thought crossed my mind as I shoved a piece of egg across my plate.

‘You’re already awful, but that would wreck everything completely’

‘You’re not good enough to be here. You don’t deserve these people in your life.’

‘Your not enough. You just weigh them down.’

The thoughts burying my rational reasoning as they continued to grow. My fork clacked against my plate as I took the dish and my cup to the sink, taking the muffin off before dumping the rest into the garbage and placing the dishware into the sink. I grabbed the muffin before walking out of the kitchen without another word and back to my room. 

The door shut quietly behind me as I put the untouched muffin onto my night stand. I crawled under the covers, my back towards the door as I huddled under the comforter hoping to block out the thoughts. 

The silence was deafening. The thoughts were loud and overpowering as they continued to enter my mind, questioning my purpose on this team of superhumans, my purpose in life... questioning why I was alive at all. 

A single tear and a sniffle escaped my being breaking the silence of the room. The sound of my door knob turning and clicking added to the noise.

“Y/N?” I could hear the concern in Buckys voice. Why would he be concerned about a nobody like me? 

I felt the bed dip and the gentle pressure of his hand on my arm through the comforter. A simple hum came from my mouth, acknowledging his presence next to me.

“Nat just wanted me to let you know that she can’t train with you today. She said to take the day off.” His voice was soft, as if he raised it just slightly it would break me. And i’m sure he wasn’t far from wrong.

“Ok.” the small word came out broken and timid.

The deafening silence fell on the room again. The sound of Bucky's deep breaths and my own labored breaths were the only noise that filled the air.

“Do you need to talk?” the question broke the silence. I shook my head, unsure if he even saw it. “Do you want me to go?” another shake of my head. “Can I lay down next to you?” A nod. A shift in the bed. Quiet.

“I don’t know what’s wrong.” I admit quietly. Another tear slid over the bridge of my nose.

“Nothing has to be wrong to not feel right.”

I turned over, facing him. He was propped up by a few pillows, his arm crossed over his chest, his eyes scanning my room before looking at me. 

“Come here doll.” his arms opened wide motioning me to come closer.

I laid my head against his broad chest, the sound of his heartbeat soothing my aching soul. The feeling of his arms tightening over my back as I rest my own around his waist.

“It’s gonna be ok.” He whispered, placing a kiss in my hair. “Maybe not now or today or this week but it’ll be ok.” 

The tears broke through the dam, choked sobs coming from my mouth as Bucky's grip tightened around me.

“I don’t wanna wait anymore.” I confess through ragged breaths, my heart rate picking up.

“Hey hey, shhh. I need you to breathe, doll.” his voice was so gentle, trying to calm the raging storm of built up emotions that were crashing through the surface of my being. His hand rubbing curled on my back as his metal arm tightened just a little more.

A few more tears slipped across my face dampening a spot on Bucky's henley. My breathing slowly reverting to normal.

“There we go. that’s it. Deep breaths.” Bucky coached, continuously rubbing my back.

“i‘m sorry.” I mumbled wiping the mess from my face.

“Don’t apologize. You don’t need to.” 

My hand gripped the fabric of his henley, his hand still rubbing my back, his heartbeat grounding me. A vibration ran through his chest as the tune of a song echoed quietly in the room. My eyes flutter shut as his baritone voice hummed out a tune. I slipped into the unconsciousness still listening to him.

His humming paused for a moment, a kiss placed on my head. “Please don’t think you aren’t good enough. You are more worthy than any of us. Don’t leave me, doll.”

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S.S.: let me know what you think! also let me know hwich perspective you prefer: first second or thrid person? (i, you, or him/her/them)

ps.:::::: sorry I just found a few mistakes so I fixed them.. sorry to those who already read it with those in there!!

[tnystrk-exe]

we both know how this song ends 4

Jack Daniels x Reader

Masterpost

Previous

Warnings: Suicide and talks of miscarriage

Chapter Four

Being in the house was a struggle. Neither of you ever said anything about that night. You weren’t sure your mother would have believed what had happened. So confronting her wouldn’t be an option. Steve seemed to not remember just how he got the bruise across his face. You attempted to figure out if it was an act or he really was just a gap in his memory. He had gone quiet though, which made you doubt he had forgotten. None of Steve’s unnerving lines were yelled at you in the mornings anymore. A hate filled glance, then he’d leave to do whatever he did for the day.

“Give me your necklace,” your mom demanded, her hand already opened to take it.

“What?” You choked on the piece of toast you had been eating. 

“You fucking heard me. Stop acting like you’re a stupid bitch and do what I say.”

You didn’t make a move to take off the locket. It had been yours since the day you were born. Your father had passed it onto you the second he had held you in his arms. A tradition that started with your grandpa. “Why?”

“You’re nothing but a freeloader. I’m going to pawn it to get some extra cash. Hand it over already.”

“No,” you scoffed at the idea of it, “It’s all I have, from dad now. You already took my bracelet.”

She motioned around the apartment. “You have a roof. A room. Clothes. Stop being an entitled brat and give me the chain.” This time she didn’t wait. Instead opting to reach and pull at it instead.

You pushed her hand off. “What the hell do you think you’re doing? I’m not going to let you take it. You’re just to shoot up and drink with that piece of shit you keep around.” Her hand reared back and you managed to catch her wrist before it could land. “I used to think the world of you, you know? I understand you lost someone you loved, but I loved him too.”

She pulled away her hand roughly. “He killed himself because of you.”

“Get a new line,” you sighed, “I’m tired of hearing it already. You sound like a broken record.” 

“You’re not his. He found out you weren’t. Then he killed himself. You’re the reason.”

“You’re lying,” you shook your head, laughing. “Nice one.”

She caught you in a stare, the one you knew meant no games were being played, “Didn’t you ever wonder why you’d always have play dates with Cindy? Why do you two kinda look alike? Or how come her dad was wrapped around your finger and got you anything and everything you wanted even when we said no?”

You swallowed thickly, the events not so innocent to you anymore. Sean’s usually cheerful exclaim of not having one but two daughters rang out loudly in your head. The memory of it being a sweet gesture tinted now. The resemblance with your once best friend was no longer able to be shrugged off by coincidence. “It’s not true.”

“It is. If you want to admit it to yourself or not. You’re Sean’s kid. But hey,” she clapped her hands, “It’s better than having a dead dad. Isn’t it?”

“It’s not true,” you held back your tears, not wanting to give your mother the satisfaction, “I know who my dad is and as much as I hate it, he’s gone. You can say Sean is my biological father all you want but he isn’t my dad.”

She rolled her eyes, “Isn't that sweet. Guess you’ll always take his side, Killer.”

“I didn’t kill him! That’s on your hands! Did I ask to be born? Did I tell you to jump in bed with Sean when you had someone that loved you more than anyone in the world at home? I’m not going to take the blame for your guilt.”

“Get out of my house and get me some money. I don’t care what you do to get it, sell yourself for all I care.”

You shook your head, disgusted but not surprised anymore. Wordlessly, you just left. All you needed was to be alone. Some time to process this new information. Grabbing your bike, you got on and started pedaling. 

-

“Dad!” You yelled, “I’m home.”

“Kitchen!” He responded, “Just had to pick up real quick. Ready for your driving lesson?”

You grabbed an apple from the bowl, taking a seat on the counter as you watched him clean. “Ugh, you don’t believe how ready I am. I’m so tired of that bike.”

“Hey, that old thing has served you well. Don’t bash it.  How was school?”

“Same old. Cindy has been pissed with me lately, no clue why. I think it’s because I talked to a guy she liked, but I swear it was just a couple of jokes.”

“That age is rough, Squirt. People get set off over the smallest things,” he shrugged it off, “Give her a couple of days, she’ll come back around.”

“I hope so, this whole thing is getting annoying,” you complained, “He isn’t even my type.”

“And who have you been seeing to make you know you have a type?” He asked, raising a brow.

You laughed around a bite of apple, “I’m just saying! I mean, how did you know mom was your type? You just knew right? It’s supposed to just click into place right?”

He rolled his eyes, “Nice diversion. It’s not that easy. Your mom seemed pretty ready for a relationship, but I had come out a really rough one when I met her. Things don’t just click, you know, things take time and you nurture it. You work with someone and you hope it’s all worth it in the end.”

“What happened in your last relationship?”

“A lot of lying and running around,” he admitted, “I didn’t want to see it, but it was clear.”

“Oh… I’m sorry dad, that sounds…”

“Don’t sweat it,” he patted your shoulder, “If it hadn’t happened then I wouldn’t have you around Squirt. A little struggle was worth it.”

You grinned, he had to work away from home often, but you always loved these little moments with him. Learning things about his past was always nice. “Come on you old sap, teach me how to drive so I can stop bugging you for rides.”

“Grab the keys. I can’t wait for you to sneak out in the middle of the night and steal my car.”

“It’s not teenage rebellion if you encourage me,” you complained, tossing the apple in the trash.

“I’m sorry, your highness. I’ll ground you for the rest of your life. You won’t even know what a car looks like.”

“Thank you. That’s much better.”

Making your way to the front yard. Sean flagged your dad down, trying to grab his attention. “What do you need Sean?”

“I need to talk to you,” he looked at you, “Privately. It’s, um, a family matter and I need some advice.”

“Can it wait? I promised the kid I’d teach her how to drive. We’ll take an hour at most.”

“Okay, fine, but see me first thing.” Sean walked away, your dad waited until he was out of earshot. “See? Her problem probably isn’t even with you. Sean and Cassandra are probably fighting.”

“Huh? You think? I hope it settles down soon then,” you trusted his view on the situation. “You ready?” You jingled the keys at him.

“Give me a second,” he crossed himself jokingly, “Now I am.”

“Please!” You laughed, “I can’t be that bad!”

“We can only hope.”

It was a nice time. The open windows let the air flow through, music playing loudly as you concentrated on your first drive. Despite his underlying panic, your dad managed to instruct you calmly. He wouldn’t say you were a natural, but a bit more practice and he’d be ready to lie through his teeth for you. “I’m not ready for the freeway,” he shook his head, “We're sticking to neighborhood streets for a while.”

“Aw! Dad! I got it!”

“Give me two more practice runs. Then I’ll let you try it.”

“Fine,” you parked the car in the driveway, “Two more only. I gotta learn sometime you know.”

“Yeah, kid, I know,” he looked across the street, at Sean who was waiting on his porch, “Can you make some spaghetti for dinner? Your mom should be coming home soon and I’m not sure if Sean will be done by then.”

You nodded, “I got it, dad. Any special request?”

“We do have a box of brownies…” he shrugged, “If you wouldn’t mind?”

“Okay. I’ll see you in a minute, old man.” 

You hung up the keys and got to your task in the kitchen. It wasn’t long until your mom came home. The smell of brownies and the radio playing greeted her. “How was the drive around town?”

You grabbed a stack of plates and started serving. “I think I did well. Though I think dad would beg to differ.”

“What do you mean?”

“No freeways until I get some more time in,” you blew out some air, “I can handle it.”

“Sometimes you just gotta test the waters before you jump in,” she patted your shoulders, “There wouldn’t be any harm in you learning a little more.”

“If it was up to you, I’d never get to drive,” you said, sticking your tongue out at her, “Too afraid something is gonna happen to me.”

“Well, you’re my only baby. I couldn’t bear the thought of something happening to you.”

“Nothings going to happen to me. I’m invincible,” you grabbed the plates to take them to the table, “Mind getting drinks?”

She grabbed three cans of Coke, “You’re not invincible. You’re just young.”

“Mom, I can promise you, nothing’s happening to me anytime soon.”

“Where’s your father? In the garage?”

“Nope! Sean needed his advice with some family stuff,” you shrugged, “Didn’t want to talk about it in front of me.”

“...Oh.”

The front door slammed breaking your thoughts away from your mom’s strange tone. “You good dad?”

“Y-“ he coughed, “Yeah. Just… give me a second to freshen up a bit. I’ll be right there.”

“He sounds weird.” You moved to go check on him, your mother blocking you from doing so.

“I’ll check on him.” 

You watched her walk down the hall. A bit worried, but you supposed she’d be able to handle the situation. She knew your dad better than anyone. Besides, you doubted he’d actually talk to you about what had gotten him emotional. Though you weren’t a child anymore they seemed to refuse the thought.

It took about fifteen minutes for them to come to the dining room. Your father looked distraught, but you weren’t sure if you were willing to push him to ask. Whatever was happening in Cindy’s home must have been major. The quiet while you all ate was deafening. Forks scraping against plates was all that could be heard.

Finally, it started to feel too strange for you to handle. “I think I’m going to go finish up my essay. It’s due tomorrow and I haven’t really been on top of it,” you excused yourself from the table. Quickly you dropped off your dish in the sink and left to your room. Some thirty minutes later, your dad walked into the room. You looked up at him expectantly, setting your notebook to the side. “‘Sup dad?”

He sat down beside you, handing you a bowl. A slice of brownie and a scoop of vanilla ice cream in it. “You thought I’d let you miss out on dessert?”

You smiled at him, “Thank you.”

“Anything for you, kiddo.” He pressed a kiss to the side of your head. He grabbed your notebook reading through your essay as you ate. “You’re getting pretty good at this. Coulda sworn some big wig wrote this.”

You rolled your eyes, shaking your head. “I can do better. I’m just being lazy.”

“Lazy or not. It’s good. Keep it up.”

“Are you okay, dad? You seemed a bit off during dinner.”

“Yeah. Yeah,” he tugged on your necklace gently, “You know how I can get around this time of the year. I just wish you could have met him.”

“Oh… It is around that time. Sorry about grandpa, dad, but from what you tell me he was great.”

“He was pretty alright.”

“Well, I think you’re pretty great. I can’t wait to pass it on. Imagine seeing you as a grandpa. You’re already a pushover now.”

“No. You can stand to wait. Give that thing at least until you graduate college. We don’t need any ankle biters around anytime soon.” He moved a lock of your hair behind your ear, “You know I love you more than anything in this world, right?”

“‘Course I do. I love you too, old man.”

“I should get to bed. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“‘Night, dad.”

                                          -

It was a simple rinse and repeat kinda day. Nothing spectacular happened. School was school. Cindy was still pissed. You stayed for a couple clubs and rode your bike home business as usual.

“Dad!” You called out, “I’m home!” Hearing the car droning in the garage. Setting your bag on the floor you went to check on what he was working on.

Opening the door to the garage, you saw him just sitting in the car. “Dad?” You walked to the driver’s side. Everything clicked in that moment. A picture of you was held limply in his hand. A stray bottle of sleeping pills on the passenger seat. You tried to open the car door, but he had locked them. “Dad!” You knocked desperately on the glass, “Dad!”

You didn’t know what else to do. You ran out of the house as fast as you could, straight on to Cindy’s porch. “Sean! Sean! I need your help!”

“What? What’s wrong?” He asked quickly, seeing the panic written all over your face.

“M-my dad. I think… he’s in the garage. The car was on and I think he took some sleeping pills and I can’t get him out because the doors are locked,” you word vomited, still trying to process it all. “You need to help him!”

“Rachel, call the cops! You stay here kid, okay? I’ll go check it out.”

-

Your head kept on replaying those couple of hours again and again. Seeing your dad being rolled away had been imprinted on your memory. You let your bike fall onto the sidewalk and took a seat on the bench. Covering your face, you let out a groan into your hands. 

“It wasn’t my fault. It wasn’t,” you said quietly, trying to convince yourself. 

It wasn’t, you knew that, but the guilt was there. Your father had made an irreversible choice and you had to figure out how to live past it. Still, maybe there was something you could have done. Pushed to make him talk. Missed class that day with a lame excuse. Gotten home early instead of going to a club you hadn’t even enjoyed. Anything could have saved him. You could have convinced him to stay.

A hand on your shoulder made you jump. “Bug?”

You relaxed slightly, wiping the tears from your eyes, hoping they weren’t too red. “Hey, Mr. Daniels,” you greeted, giving him a small smile. 

He was dressed in work clothes. The outfit stained with oil that would never wash out. “Are you okay? It wasn’t my boy was it?”

“No, we haven’t seen each other all day,” you sniffed, “I’ve been home all day… Jack’s been really great. You don’t have to worry about that.”

Mr. Daniels nodded, taking a seat beside you. “You should know I’m not amazing at this, it’s more Mare’s kinda thing, but I can lend you an ear. What’s wrong, Bug?”

You wrapped your arms around yourself protectively. “I dunno,” you shrugged, “Got to thinking about my dad. I guess it overwhelmed me some. Mom said something today and it just tipped all that over.”

“It hasn’t been long, right?” He sucked his teeth, “I can tell you, it’s hardest the first year, but it gets easier.”

“I can’t help but think I should have done more…”

“If you don’t mind… how did your dad pass?”

“Monoxide poisoning. He, um, took a bunch of sleeping pills and locked himself up in the car,” you stated, deciding to opt out of the newly learned information. “I just wish I had gone straight home. I could have… don’t know.”

“Oh Bug, I’m sorry. You can’t blame yourself for that.”

“I don’t. I just wish I could have done more.”

He frowned, “That’s too much to put on your shoulders, kid. Thinking about things like that is bad for you. Don’t put yourself through the wringer with a bunch of different scenarios. It makes the hurt worse.”

“Yeah, you’re probably right.”

“What you can do now is live a good long life. I know having a kid like you, he’d want nothing more than for you to be happy. Maybe you could talk to your mom about this?”

You shook your head. “We haven’t been good since the day it happened. I think she’s counting the days until I leave now,” you said, admitting more than you wanted to.

“Why would you think that?” He looked at you, brows furrowed. 

“I guess, I’m just a reminder of the past,” a guilty conscious more like it, “Maybe it’s just better off if I find myself a job and leave after graduating.”

Mr. Daniels perked up at that. “You’re still looking for a job? I could help you out there at the very least,” he offered. 

“Are you sure I’m qualified?”

“We just need a secretary. The shop is in shambles when it comes to organization. You’d expect us to run it better, but honestly most of the time our wives need to step in and help out. Maybe you can help us start a call ahead program, keep track of things, and go on quick runs for us.”

“I could help out,” you nodded, “When do you need me around?”

He stood gesturing for you to follow him, grabbing his bag. “You seem to have some time now. I can show you around the shop today and the things we’d need you to do. Throw your bike in the back.”

You did as he said before getting in the truck. “Thanks for the job, Mr. Daniels.”

“Don’t sweat it, Bug. In all honesty, you’d be helping us more than we’re helping you.” He started up the truck. “I’m thinking three hours after school and a hundred a week. Does that sound okay with you?”

“That sounds great.”

“You can have this Friday off, of course. Jack’s gnawing my ear off talking about his nerves over that dance. I’m sorry, by the way, that kid can’t dance to save his life but I’m pretty sure I caught him practicing.”

You laughed at the idea. Jack was absolutely too sweet for you. “I guess we’ll have to make do. I’m not sure I can do any better.”

“Trust me, you can. Oh and none of this Mr. Daniels stuff. Hanging out with you is gonna make me feel old enough we don’t need that to pile on too.”

“Whatever you say, Boss Man,” he made a face at that, “Fine, a work in progress Picky.”

The shop wasn’t too far from where you had been. Mr. Daniels said he needed some part they didn’t have in stock so he went to the store. Lucky for you. He was keeping your mind busy from the horrible morning as he showed you around the shop. His desk could be yours while you were there after school and you were welcome to do whatever made you comfortable.”

“Derek isn’t here today, but he’s the other owner. Those three are Larry, Moe, and Curly,” he pointed at the men working on cars. “They’re basically my other boys.”

The three were a bit older than you and Jack but far younger than Mr. Daniels. “Pops!” One of them called out, “This one’s ready for a test drive.”

“Okay, Slugger. Go take your break. You’re up to bat, Bug. Get the keys in our office and take that car out on a test drive,” he instructed.

“Ah, Buddy Pal, I’m afraid I’m already gotta disappoint you. Don’t know how to drive.”

“That’s not gonna work,” he shook his head, “Hey, Scout, toss me the keys. Bug get in the driver’s side.”

Slugger looked at you curiously, “What brings you around here, angel?”

“Needed some work.”

He nodded, “That’s good. That’s good. Got any plans this weekend?”

“Yeah. I do actually.”

“Shame,” he gave you a smile that probably would have flustered you before, but now you knew sweeter, “Anyone special?”

“I’d say he’s special.”

“C’mon sweetheart, ditch the kid. Come out with me. What do they know?”

You laughed, “I don’t know, Jack and I are pretty set on this date.”

“Jack?” He asked his eyes wide, “Our Jackie Boy? What game does he have? ...Hey, um, can we forget about that? Didn’t mean any disrespect.”

“Water under the bridge,” you let it go, “Nice to meet you, but I should probably…”

“Yeah, sorry again.” He started walking away, “Can’t believe I hit on Jack’s girl,” you heard him mumble to himself ashamed.

Mr. Daniels thwacked him on the back of the head as they passed. “That’s for not stopping at giving her the keys, dummy.”

“Yeah, Pops, I know.”

“Get in, Bug.” Mr. Daniels got in the car. “Okay, so what do you know?”

“A decent amount. I’ve only gone on one drive with my dad. I scared him a fair bit honestly.”

“Don’t worry about that, Bug. After Jack I have nerves of steel. He drove us into a ditch his first time. Just take it easy. We’ll help you out and when you get decent we’ll take you to get your driver’s license. Already making yourself more useful as you go.”

Mr. Daniels didn’t instruct you much. He let you go at your own pace to get used to it. However, he was telling you things to pay attention for to correctly test out the car. It was the little things that you had to pay attention to the most. 

“Okay, so the car is perfect,” he informed you, “The brakes could be better if anything else, but they could probably get away using them a while longer if they don’t want to change them now. Take us back to the garage. Next time we get a bad one, I’ll let you drive it. The only way you’ll know what to look for.”

“Sounds good,” you nodded, already making a U turn to retrace your steps. “Thanks for this by the way, I wasn't sure I’d get to learn anytime soon.”

“Well, Bug, I’m here for you anything you need, but… y’know, if you wanna say thanks sometime, I still haven’t gotten that berry cobbler.”

You laughed, rolling your eyes. “Got it, dad.” It took you a second to realize what you had said. “Oh, sorry.”

He put a comforting hand on your shoulder. “Don’t worry kid, I don’t mind it. Got used to pops and dad a while ago between the Stooges and Jack. Besides, I understand you’ve been thinking about your dad. It’s okay.”

“How come the Stooges call you pops?” You asked, deciding to sidestep the awkward conversation.

“It took a long time for Mare and I to have Jack. We had been trying since we had gotten married. I was 25 and she was 21. She got pregnant four times before but those never got to stay with us and we had given up. So, to get a feel of being important to some kids, she started helping out at the elementary school and I coached little league and helped with the local scouts. We gained ourselves a couple kids that have been trailing after us like little ducklings since then. Jack was just a bonus we weren’t expecting when we were in our 40s.”

“Was it scary? Having Jack I mean.”

“The first six months were,” he acknowledged, “that was the farthest our third try made it. Once Jack cleared that it just felt like a constant miracle happening.”

“I’m glad, he did.”

“So am I. I’m not sure Maria could have handled another loss like that.” The car rolled to a stop in front of the shop. Jack’s truck parked across the street, the familiar vehicles bringing a smile to your face instantly. “You two really are some lovesick pups.” He shook his head, “I don’t think Mare and I were so infatuated.”

“Nah, buddy pal,” you denied him, “I’ve seen you together. Y’all are the lovesick ones.”

“Yeah, yeah, go do your job. Call the owner and tell them the car is ready to get picked up.”

You nodded and took a quick look to check what type of car it was. You walked straight to the office, seeing Jack looking into a motor and spitballing the problems that there may be with it. Flipping through a notebook, you found the owner and started dialing the number.

“Hello? ...I’m calling from Tovar and Daniels Repairs,” you startled slightly when arms wrapped around you, but you quickly relaxed into them when Jack pressed a kiss to your temple. “Your car is ready for pick up at your earliest convenience…” You elbowed Jack softly when you felt him bite at your neck. “Well, we advise you to change your brakes, but it’s not an immediate issue. ...Change them? Okay. I’ll get one of the guys to work on it right now.” The line cut off and you hung up the phone, “Do you mind?”

Jack took a break from your neck to press a kiss to your cheek. “Couldn’t help it. You looked cute talkin’ business. Heard you got yourself a gig here.”

“Yeah, your dad asked me to be the secretary and he wants me to be the test driver too, but he has to teach me how to drive first.”

He swayed the two of you lazily, “I’m glad for you, baby. I know you’ve been wanting a job.”

“How come you don’t work here?” You wondered.

“Didn’t wanna take a job away from the guys. Also didn’t like the idea of getting a position just because I was the owner's kid,” he said, talking against your neck, “Though, when I think about it, they’re not any better. I like outside work better anyhow.” Jack pressed a couple more kisses to your neck, earning himself a moan. “Sugar, that was a little too loud,” he scolded, his proud smirk couldn’t be kept at bay.

You laughed, turning around to face him. “I can’t believe you’re gonna get me fired during my orientation.” Pulling him close, you gave him a proper kiss. 

Recently the kisses had started getting more eager. As Jack pulled you flush against himself, you couldn’t find any reasons to complain. His hands found some purchase under your shirt as yours tugged at his hair. Jack quickly sat you on the desk, his lips never leaving yours.

“Go Jackie!” You heard three loud whoops at the door. “That’s our boy!”

Jack groaned when you pulled away and hid your face against his neck in embarrassment. He raised his hand to flip them off. 

“Jack! Stop kissing my workers on company time!” 

Next Chapter

wbkhtse tag: @carringtonhill @dizzydazed​

[jiangchengrights]

It is a Summer Day

also available on ao3

The best thing about this party is the way Wei Ying relaxes warm and pliant into Lan Wangji’s side. Granted, he also enjoys time spent with their friends. Their friends, he thinks to himself, stomach turning strangely light and fluttery at the very idea. No longer does Lan Wangji politely associate with Wei Ying’s friends or with his Brother’s. They are each in their own right Lan Wangji’s, their simple presence battling the cold loneliness that used to encompass his daily routine.

When Wei Ying had been delirious with fever and Lan Wangji had been too afraid to leave his side for even the smallest of moments, he had called Jiang Yanli, panting into the phone as his hands fluttered careful butterfly touches to Wei Ying’s sweating face.

“Yanli-jie,” he’d whispered, just loud enough for the receiver to pick up, the closest to a sheer panicked cry Lan Wangji has ever let himself release in public, “I need help, it’s Wei Ying, Wei Ying.”

He knew in his rational mind that he should not have worded it this way, that it would have only served to cause her too much worry, but Wei Ying had coughed and pressed his face into the palm of Lan Wangji’s hand. Jiang Yanli had simply turned on her best Big Sister voice and said, “I’ll be right over.”

And in a flourish of purple and sisterly love, she had swept into the apartment and fixed everything. She’d forced Wei Ying up and fed him a soup so red and so spicy Lan Wangji was afraid to even smell it, but she had assured him it would help Wei Ying sweat out his fever and then, after the man was well fed, she had forced him to take medicine with a stern look, quietly accomplishing a task that Lan Wangji had not yet been successful in. Then, once Wei Ying was settled into a much more peaceful rest, bed adorned with fresh sheets, hands gripping onto the fluffy white sweater that Lan Wangji had changed him into, Yanli had left the room only to return with another, far less red, bowl of soup.

“Lan Wangji,” she had said, voice gentle, coaxing, setting the bowl down in front of him, “You need to eat as well.”

“Jiang Yanli,” he replied, finally turning away from Wei Ying, bowing as he acknowledged her, “Thank you for taking care of Wei Ying, but you do not need to waste your time looking after me as well. I can take care of myself.”

“Mmm,” she’d hummed, smiling that tiny, soft smile at him, the one she usually reserves for her little brothers, “I’m sure you can.”

And then, in a display of kindness that Lan Wangji very rarely experiences directed at himself, Jiang Yanli reached a hand out and began to pet his hair, her path soft and relaxing and never wavering even when Lan Wangji’s gut reaction was to tense his shoulders and halt his breathing. She’d continued petting him as he relaxed into it and said, “But you’ve been taking such good care of my brother, I fear you’ve forgotten to take care of yourself. Let me help you, Wangji-di.”

So, Lan Wangji had folded, just like he’d seen Wei Ying and Jiang Wanyin fold under Yanli’s caring gaze countless times before. He ate the soup and praised her cooking skills and she never once complained that he did all of this without ever taking his eyes off of the sleeping form in front of him.

And when Wei Ying had gone home to Yunmeng for two weeks and Lan Wangji had stayed alone in their apartment because he couldn’t get the time off work, when by the fourth night of eating dinner in the silence of his kitchen and he’d thought he would surely suffocate in the quiet, Nie Huaisang had run over, slamming the flat of his palm against Lan Wangji’s door with an urgency that had him up and sweeping across the room in an instant.

“Lan er-Gongzi! Lan er-Gongzi!” Nie Huaisang had cried, falling into Lan Wangji as he had once watched the man fall into Lan Xichen, dramatic and flailing, fan ever wafting air in no clear direction, “I have cooked too much food! It will go to waste!

“er-Gongzi, er-Gongzi, Da-ge will kill me if I waste anymore food, he’s already yelled at me about it twice this week!” he cries into the shoulder of Lan Wangji’s cashmere sweater, “You have to come eat with us!” and with that he had dragged Lan Wangji across the hall and sat him down at the table where three plates of food had already been artfully constructed before Lan Wangji had even agreed to come.

And so, Lan Wangji knows they are his friends as well, and he does genuinely enjoy his time with them. But Wei Ying has always consumed what feels like Lan Wangji’s entire being and to have him like this; half drunk and warm, pushed up under Lan Wangji’s arm, holding his hand tight between two of his own in the interim between making wild gestures as he speaks, loud, expressive movements that veer further and further into Lan Wangji’s space the more he drinks. He leans his head on Lan Wangji’s shoulder, throws a leg on Lan Wangji’s lap where they’re all spread out on the floor of Nie Huaisang’s apartment.

Lan Xichen sits primly on the couch above them with Nie Mingjue, the most comfortable spot in the entire apartment, a fact which Nie Huaisang had lamented against when he’d walked into the room to find his brother had commandeered the spot he had intended for himself.

“This couch is for older brother’s,” Nie Mingjue had said, “It is our payment for having to deal with you all these years.”

“Hey!” Wei Ying had called back, climbing half on top of Lan Wangji in his effort to turn and face Mingjue, “I’m an older brother and I don’t get a spot up there!”

“You could,” Lan Xichen plays, a pleasant smile on his face as he scoots closer to Mingjue, patting the spot next to him, “But then you’d have to leave behind Wangji.”

It’s stupid and Lan Wangji knows what his brother is doing, teasing Wei Ying about and Lan Wangji by default. Lan Wangji closes his eyes and hopes Wei Ying doesn’t rise to the bait even as he feels himself squeeze Wei Ying’s hand in his own just a little tighter.

Wei Ying only half succumbs to the obvious teasing, as it turns out. He settles himself more firmly against Lan Wangji, planting a knee on either side of him so that he can stay close all while turning his chin up to grin mischievously at Xichen, “Of course not, Xichen ge-ge!”

One of his hands comes up to comb through Lan Wangji’s long, silky, hair, “I would just take him with me! There’s always room for Lan Zhan on my lap!”

“Wei Ying,” Lan Wangji chastises, even as his hands move to rest on Wei Ying’s hips, holding him in place, ignoring the small bubble of warmth that spreads through him at the very idea that Wei Ying will never leave him behind, will drag Lan Wangji with him wherever he should go.

“Wei Wuxian!” Jiang Cheng yells from the otherside of the room, tone considerably more admonishing, more angry, than the fond exasperation Lan Wangji had used. The man is loud and his voice alone brings a grimace to Lan Wangji’s face. Jiang Cheng, he thinks, still remains one of Wei Ying’s friends. He can keep him, “Have you no shame! Get off Wangji before my eyes melt out of my face!”

“Aiyah, Jiang Cheng, so dramatic,” Wei Ying pouts, moving incredibly slowly out of Lan Wangji’s lap and settling on the floor next to him once again, though he leaves one leg strewn over the taller man’s lap, hand ever reaching up to pull at Lan Wangji’s sleeve, pet his face or thread their fingers together as he pleases, “Go get your poor gege a drink for all the trouble you’ve caused him.”

“You’re lucky I don’t break your legs!” Jiang Cheng yells again, launching a pillow at Wei Ying from the otherside of the room, rolling his eyes when Lan Wangji throws an arm out in front of him, letting it bounce off his forearm with an unimpressed stare rather than let it run it’s course to Wei Ying’s face.

“So mean,” Wei Ying pouts even deeper, turning back around to Lan Xichen to say, “How does it feel to be the only one in the room with a good didi?”

“What!” Jiang Cheng squawks, suddenly torn between being angry at Wei Wuxian and refusing to be shown up by Lan Wangji of all people. After a moment's consideration, he stands with a huff and stomps out of the room, entirely missing the grin of victory in Wei Ying’s face.

“It has always been a blessing to have Wangji as a little brother,” Xichen replies, smile serene and innocent but eyes flicking over to Wangji with a look the younger man resolutely does not like, “Even when he only ever wanted to discuss one thing.”

“Lan Zhan? What-” Wei Ying begins, turning to Lan Wangji with the same look of desperate curiosity he’s always had when he finds there is still uncharted territory of his boyfriend to discover. He seems to put it together halfway through asking though, eyes lighting up and he leans in even closer, “Oh! You had a crush on me, Lan Zhan!”

“Wei Ying.”

“That’s just so cute!”

“We are dating.”

“Still,” Wei Ying says, leaning his face in to nuzzle into the crook of Lan Wangji’s neck like an over affectionate cat, “Cute.”

“You are a paramount of true love!” Nie Huaisang cries, laughing when Wei Ying sticks his tongue out at him, “The inspiration of fanfictions everywhere! A true slow burn!”

“Slow burn?” Jiang Cheng scoffs as he reenters the room, shoving a drink unceremoniously at Wei Ying, “These two? More like enemies to lovers.”

It does not upset Lan Wangji that Jiang Cheng says this. He does not expect much from the other man, not when he has never before shown any respect or deference to Lan Wangji’s relationship with Wei Ying. So it is fine that he thinks this, this oversimplification of misunderstood actions. It doesn’t even really bother Lan Wangji that everyone else seems to be nodding along, as if what he said has made perfect sense, as if he’s right.

What bothers him is the way Wei Ying stiffens against his side. It bothers him that when he looks down at the smaller man, he catches a glimpse of old hurt flash across his eyes. It bothers him that Wei Ying settles himself by grabbing onto Lan Wangji’s hand, bringing it up to his mouth and pressing a gentle kiss to his knuckles, like he is reassuring himself that they are here now, together. It bothers him that Jiang Cheng preens smugly on the other side of the room as if he has enlightened them all with some deeper truth because he couldn’t be more wrong.

“A-Cheng,” Jiang Yanli chides from the other side of the room, a disappointed twinge in the furrow of her eyebrows, “Don’t be mean to A-Xian.”

Jiang Cheng slumps in his seat as if he’d been thoroughly chastised, though Lan Wangji thinks she’s been far too nice to him all these years. Especially when he looks over and sees the wide, plastic smile on Wei Ying’s face as he calls out, “It’s okay, Shijie, besides everyone knows it doesn’t matter how you start, as long as we end up lovers!”

“No,” Lan Wangji argues, quiet but firm, wrapping his arm around Wei Ying’s waist and pulling him in closer.

“No?” Wei Ying asks, looking up at him with a confused wrinkle settling on his forehead, top lip parted the tiniest bit.

“Always lovers,” he says back, ignoring the way everyone in the room stares at them. He doesn’t know enough about fanfiction tropes to come up with a term that accurately describes their relationship so he settles on pressing his nose in hard to the shadow between the corner of Wei Ying’s jaw and his ear, letting his lips brush against the curve of Wei Ying’s neck as he continues speaking, breathing the words directly into his skin so that they can seep inside him and make a home in his lungs, so they can expand with every inhale and Wei Ying can feel the warmth of his love with every breath he takes, “Always lovers. Always want Wei Ying.”

“Lan Zhan!” Wei Ying cries, one hand flying up to grasp at his own heart. Lan Wangji can feel the way his skin warms underneath his touch, a sure sign that the smaller man is blushing, but he never leans away, instead pushes further into Lan Wangji’s embrace, “You can’t just say things like that! Your poor Wei Ying’s heart can’t take it!”

“Mn,” Lan Wangji hums, waiting for Wei Ying to relax in his arms before adding, “We will have to strengthen it then. With practice.”

“Lan Zhan!”

::

The next day finds Lan Wangji studiously scrolling through increasingly strange websites, a journal at his side. The websites or stories do not make much sense to him but the basic overarching plot lines do, so he combs through description after description, writing down any one of them that makes him think of Wei Ying.

When his list is sufficiently long, he organizes each of the tags by how he feels Wei Ying will react to them and then prints them all neatly onto a sheet of paper, using his best penmanship. When that task is accomplished, he simply takes it to their room and places it on Wei Ying’s bedside table, leaving it for the other man to find when he inevitably runs into their room like a tornado, whipping off his own clothes in favor of one of Lan Wangji’s too big shirts.

He doesn’t have to wait long as it turns out, because within the hour Wei Ying is rolling into the house yelling, “Lan Zhan, Lan Zhan, don’t start the show without me, I just need to change out of my stupid work clothes!”

Following Wei Ying, footsteps softened by the plush carpet lining their floors, he watches the man attempt to throw his shirt off too fast, get stuck halfway through and then finally, finally (after a very dignified dance to get said shirt off) pauses in front of his table, picking up the paper slowly, mumbling to himself, “What is this?”

He watches Wei Ying read the words, lips moving as he reads them over, fingers tracing lightly over the page again and again, “Lan Zhan?” he calls, turning around and jumping a little when he finds the man in question already there.

“Hm?” Lan Wangji hums, letting his lips pull up in the corners, just a little. Wei Ying just holds the list out to him, though, eyebrows wrinkling together in confusion, “Wei Ying was misinformed. So I made him accurate notes.”

“Lan Zhan, what are you talking about?” Wei Ying asks again, eyes flicking rapid fire between the paper in his hands and Lan Wangji’s form, eyes reading Lan Wangji more than the sheet, “I mean, love at first sight? Lan Zhan?”

“We were never enemies to lovers,” Lan Wangji says, waking closer to Wei Ying, one hand reaching out to brush a lock of hair behind his ear, fingers lingering on the soft curve of his jaw, “Never enemies.”

“Ah,” Wei Ying nods, lips pursing as he lets his gaze fall from Lan Wangji’s face. When they return back up, there is a smile painted on his lips with a tight edge in the corners. Wei Ying spends so much time bragging about being able to read Lan Wangji, he forgets Lan Wangji can read him back just as well, “This is about what Jiang Cheng said?”

“Nn.”

“It’s okay, Lan Zhan, really,” Wei Ying continues on, either ignoring Lan Wangji’s dismissal or too caught up in his own rant to notice, “I know I annoyed you when we first met, which is really your fault for making me like you so much. But I understand why you didn’t like me then, I’m a lot to handle and that can be-”

“Wei Ying is a lot to handle,” Lan Wangji concedes, bringing his thumb down to trace the soft outline of Wei Ying’s upper lip, memorizing the way it crests at the top before sloping down again, “But he has never been my enemy. Have always liked Wei Ying. It is not about what Jiang Wanyin said, but that Wei Ying did not correct him.”

“Lan Zhan, you don’t have to-”

“Read the list,” Lan Wangji interrupts for the second time that day. His uncle would be ashamed but Lan Wangji has never been very good at listening to anyone, especially the man himself, speak negatively about Wei Ying. When Wei Ying seems to make no movements to look away, he begins speaking the words into existence himself, “Love at first sight,  love confessions, firsts - everything, soulmates-”

“Lan Zhan!” Wei Ying cries, paper now crumpled in one hand, forgotten entirely as he dives in Lan Wangji’s space, burying his face into the home of Lan Wangji’s neck, which has always been safe and warm and inviting, “Lan Zhan, you don’t have to, I know it wasn’t like that when we first met, it’s okay, it’s okay, I’m not for everyone but you like me now-”

“Wei Ying has always been for me,” Lan Wangji says, arms wrapping tight around Wei Ying’s waist, trying to smooth out each of the little shivers that go through the other man’s body, “From the very moment we met, Wei Ying has been mine, has been everything I want, loved Wei Ying then just as I love him now.”

“Lan Zhan,” Wei Ying laughs wetly against him, one hand reaching up to tug gently on a strand of fine black hair.

“Wei Ying, Wei Ying,” he says back, one hand petting down Wei Ying’s back again and again, “I apologize for not saying anything then but from the moment we met Wei Ying has been everything to me, my love, my life.”

Wei Ying stays like that, breaths coming out in little huffs against Lan Wangji’s neck, arms too tight around his shoulders, though Lan Wangji would never shake him off. He can feel it when the man in his arms finally starts to relax, one of his hands coming up to run deft fingers through Lan Wangji’s hair.

“Lan Zhan, Lan Zhan,” he says quietly against him, “I can’t believe you think all of these things about me, that you have since the start.”

“Believe them.”

“But this one,” he begins, shuffling back so he can look Lan Wangji in the eye, “The last one just says happy ending.”

“Mn.”

“But Lan Zhan! We don’t have an ending!” he exclaims, lips pouting out in a way that is far too enticing for Lan Wangji to resist, so he leans forward and presses a small kiss there and one to the mole right below for good measure, “Lan Zhan, we haven’t ended yet.”

“We have not,” Lan Wangji agrees, leaning in with closed eyes to run his nose along Wei Ying’s cheekbone, trailing down his jaw, pressing gentle kisses as he goes, “But when we do it will be happy, Wei Ying, because any ending with you will be happier than I could have ever dreamed of.”

“Lan Zhan, you can’t just say things like that!” Wei Ying shouts but he doesn’t fight the press of lips that silence him, instead pushes further in, then dragging Lan Wangji back with him until they both collapse into their bed, which is, coincidentally, exactly where Lan Wangji wanted them.

Coda

Their bed is the perfect place for them to find a home in each other; in soft lips and searching fingers and warm, bare, skin saved only for each other. It is Wei Wuxian’s favorite place to be because he can pull Lan Zhan on top of him, nestle in between pillows and blankets and the comforting weight of the most beautiful man he’s ever known and he can forget the world, forget anything that doesn’t involve being cradled by soft palms and long fingers, bracketed in by strong legs and held together by it all at once.

Except his phone.

His phone which will not stop ringing on his bedside table.

“What?” he asks into the receiver without bothering to look at the caller ID, not when Lan Zhan is still above him, nosing at his neck, teeth stinging on his collar bone.

“Tell your boyfriend,” Jiang Cheng yells into his ear, disgust clear in his voice, “That he’s as shameless as you are!”

“Lan Zhan?” he asks, eyes now scrunching up to look at the man above him, “What did Lan Zhan do?”

“He knows!” Jiang Cheng shouts again before abruptly ending the call.

“Lan Zhan, baobei,” Wei Ying says, reaching out to cup one hand under the other man’s jaw, thumb tracing the outline of his cheek, “What did you do?”

“Emailed the list to Jiang Wanyin, with an explanation for each,” he replies easily enough, leaning into Wei Wuxian’s touch as he does, “Needed to be corrected.”

Wei Wuxian stares at him for a moment, two, before bursting into peels of laughter, legs and arms wrapping around Lan Zhan’s waist and shoulders, trapping him in closer as if Lan Zhan was planning to move anywhere else. When he turns his whole body to the side, stomach still bursting with amusement, he brings Lan Zhan down with him, thunking his head against the taller man’s sternum, breathing his laughter into his chest, “Lan Zhan, Lan Zhan, I love you so much even when you’re petty. Especially when you’re petty.”

“Not petty,” Lan Zhan argues, one big hand splayed across the small of his back now moving up to rest in the valley between his shoulder blades, “Only right.”

Wei Wuxian tackles him them, hands pressing Lan Zhan’s shoulders into the mattress beneath him as he leans down to press gleeful kisses to every patch of skin he can reach, “I love you, I love you, I love you-”

“Mm, love Wei Ying,” Lan Zhan hums in response, hand holding firm to Wei Wuxian’s hips, smiling up at him, all warm and soft, blinking slow, “Have always loved Wei Ying.”

[mcwriting]

Starstruck (6)

IT’S FINALLY HERE! After revision after revision, I’m done with ch 6! Thank you to everyone who has been soooo patient with me! I’ve finally found a groove with this story and am super motivated to finish. I promise the next chapters will actually include more of Tom and get us into the story resolve!

Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8 Chapter 9

Fandom: Tom Holland 

Ship: Tom Holland x Reader

Setting: LA area

Word Count: 1863

Warnings: some “bad” words as usual

Rating: Meh. K+

                            __________________________________

Days later you finally drove yourself to dance, even though it was only a short walk from home

It was a necessary evil to avoid the paps trying to harass you.

The studio would be full today, but you couldn’t keep skipping class. You talked to your instructor privately to ask that she help keep the class from getting “distracted” by your situation.

You were there pretty early and entered the large room to pick a spot on the barre and start warming up. As the time for class neared, students trickled in.

Some of your friends came to give a hug and say they were happy to see you, but the others just wanted to grill you. You ignored them and stayed silent, exchanging awkward looks with your closer friends. 

Class went somewhat smoothly, if you forgot every time someone tried to pull you aside during a water break to squeeze info out of you. 

By the end, you were tired and drained and ready to go home.

It wasn’t until you’d already begun to step out the door that someone tried to warn you about the paparazzi and journalists outside. 

You were immediately overwhelmed by people rushing forward, shouting out questions and statements. Shocked, you stood completely still as cameras snapped and microphones were shoved in your face. 

Obviously, someone had told them you were here, and unfortunately you knew they would be able to follow you home. 

Parents, teachers, and classmates kindly came to your aid, surrounding you to help push through the crowd to your car. 

You dreaded walking towards it and willingly giving away what your vehicle looked like to them because if they happened to capture your license plate number (which was very plausible) they could find you easily. 

As the people supporting you tried moving you forward, you finally sucked up your fears and stepped with them, head held high. You wouldn’t let yourself get caught looking dejected over a stupid, selfish celebrity.

It took a while to drive out of the lot because you had to avoid the sea of people. It wouldn’t look great for you to hospitalize a reporter because you ran over them.

Even if it was their fault for stepping in front of me? you asked yourself.

YES

Cars were tailgating you, as some of the people had been smart enough to hop in their cars when you did so they could follow you home. A sense of panic tightened your chest when you realized how dangerous this might be.

You wanted to call the cops but figured nothing could stop these story-hungry maniacs from trying to dig up the smallest speck of dirt on you right now and running to the police would make you look weak. 

Surely this media storm would end as soon as Kendall Jenner did another Pepsi ad or some rapper got arrested outside the US, right?

Wrong, of course.

Two days later, the tea was that Tom was going from LA to Seoul, and he had been bombarded at LAX with fans and journalists, while others still followed your every move, even going so far as to watching your parents go to work and back. 

Tom had pulled the same stunts as you, practically bending over backwards to avoid answering the difficult questions of what had happened. You had to give it to him, he knew what he was doing, but you couldn’t help but feel a fire in your body every time you caught a glimpse of his management team in the background of pictures. 

It had been so tiring being silent about the matter that you felt like you were bursting at the seams, and you did the only logical thing you could think of:

Pack a backpack and drive straight to b/f/n’s house. 

The only warning you gave was a text saying I’m ready, and I hope you are too. 

She responded with the okay hand emoji and you took that as the “good enough” signal to head over.

                             __________________________________

You knew people had followed you to her house and you would have to apologize for that later, but now you were on the doorstep, nervous to knock. 

Before you could reach your hand up, however, the door swung open. 

Standing before you was your best friend in the flesh for the first time in the longest week of your life. 

She looked at you seriously and then glanced behind you, raising an eyebrow. A small grin crept up your face.

“Sorry about them. They don’t really understand when to leave,” you blurted.

She looked you up and down for a moment, calculating a reply before a smile rose to her own lips. 

“Come on, let’s get you inside before they invite themselves in too.”

She shut the door behind you and locked it, and as soon as she turned around you both embraced in a long, much needed hug. You teared up 

You were still holding each other when a male voice called out. 

“Is that y/n?” her dad asked from the couch. 

You pulled away and sniffled. 

“In the flesh!” you called. 

“Come on, let’s go talk in my room,” b/f/n said, pulling you that way. You waved at her dad and sister as you passed the living room.

Boy did it feel good to be in that house again.

                             __________________________________

Both of you sat on the floor, backs leaned against the bed, sharing a bowl of chips.

You finished summarizing what had happened from the day you went to the premiere until Tom left the city and you were waiting for her to respond. She had been silently listening the whole time, and now you were silent in your wait, except for the occasional crunch of chips.

It had been a few minutes when she finally turned to you.

“Y/n… why didn’t you tell me?”

Your stomach dropped. Of course she would ask you that. You sighed and leaned your head back.

“I know it was wrong, and I’m sorry for that but, b/f/n, I was scared. I know how much you love Tom and I didn’t want anything to go public… even though that ended up failing. I never wanted to be in the public eye and I was afraid that if I told you, you might accidentally let it slip on twitter or insta.”

“You didn’t think you could trust me?” she accused, rightfully. You turned your head to look her in the eyes.

“It’s not that you aren’t trustworthy, I mean, you’re my best friend, I tell you everything. The problem is that this was the biggest secret… ever. No one could know, not even you. The only people who knew the extent of what happened were me and Tom. I don’t think he even told his brothers or best friend everything.” 

You both sat quietly again, studying each other’s faces.

“So when I came over last week? You lied to me about the car picture?”

You cringed a little, but had to tell the truth.

“Yes. You had just missed him leaving the house, too. That was the morning after he stayed the night.”

“WHAT!” she exclaimed. “You’re telling me I could have met him for real and you’re just telling me now??”

You couldn’t help but let out a laugh.

“I guess if I would’ve just let you meet him I could’ve prevented this whole situation, huh?” you joked.

“Honestly, yeah,” she replied with a smile.

“I’m really sorry that I lied to you and hid all of this.” 

B/f/n sighed this time.

“I know I should be mad, but I weirdly understand. If I’m being honest with myself, I probably would have done the same thing. Let’s just promise to be real with each other from now on.”

“Yeah, I like that idea.”

You both leaned over in a hug.

“So, since I need to know everything… where did Tom sleep that night, and are you the reason he liked my post.”

You pulled away.

“First of all, rude that you would ask me about that in my time of need,” you joked, “and secondly, yes I told him to like your post. I told him allllllll about you. Also... we both may have fallen asleep on my bed.”

“YOU SLEPT WITH TOM HOLLAND??” she basically screamed.

You started giggling as you slapped a hand over her mouth.

“Shhhhh! If you aren’t careful there’ll be even worse rumors about me!”

You both spent the night recounting your night with Tom and the other times spent with him, only leaving the room for dinner and more snacks. After your time apart, it was like you were attached at the hips.

For the first time in what seemed like forever, you finally slept soundly, not tossing and turning with the anxiety of days past.

                             __________________________________

You sat at the dining table with b/f/n, laughing like things were completely normal again. 

“Hey I’m gonna grab some more juice, want anything?” you asked, standing up.

B/f/n shook her head and you headed out of the room, beelining it to the fridge. 

In the kitchen stood b/f/n’s older sister, Caroline, who was serving herself some pancakes as you pulled the juice bottle out.

“So… Crazy week I presume?” Caroline questioned.

“Like nothing you could imagine,” you replied.

Caroline was only a couple years older than you and b/f/n, but she had been a confidant for you many times when it came to things like relationships or just more mature topics. She also was getting her PhD in psychology, which came in handy for advice and discernment about different situations.

“Yeah, I’m sure. So do you actually hate him or are you secretly in love with him now?” she deadpanned, causing you to almost spill the juice.

“What?” you asked back, flabbergasted.

What kind of question was that? Was this girl out of her mind?

“Oh come on. It’s like the biggest fanfiction cliche of all time, ‘enemies to lovers’? Don’t think that we didn’t all notice that he had been crying in that live. Also you blushed when I said it.”

“Well obviously any normal person is gonna blush when someone says something embarrassing about them!”

“What does he smell like?” she interjected, and this time you were completely taken aback.

“I- WHAT? How is that relevant?”

“Answer the question, y/n.”

“Fine. He wears this Calvin Klein cologne. Hah, my whole room smelled like it for almost a week... Now tell me why that’s relevant.”

“Your eyes lit up and you smiled when you mentioned your room smelling like him. And you blushed again.”

Do I really? you thought. Sure he’s good looking and we had a great time together, but he was such a dick. He broke my heart and ruined my life. How could I like the guy that did that to me?

“I hate psychology.” you eventually replied, earning a laugh from Caroline. 

I’m gonna have to do some more thinking on this later you admitted to yourself, carrying your beverage back to the dining room.

                            __________________________________

Part 7 is done and hopefully coming soon. It’s looking like this is gonna be a 9 or 10 parter. Love you all!

Taglist: @marvel-lously, @jackiehollanderr, @one-big-fangirl, @dreamyvans, @lisannehus, @honeymoonpeter, @shootingstarsaretearsofheaven, @chenellearose 

[keyofjetwolf]

@silvermoon424​ I’m certainly happy to try! I’m going to guess you won’t enjoy the answer too much, though. I don’t have any secret or trick, you know? I WISH I DID. All I really have to share is what you’ve probably already heard: eat better, move more.

But I can break down a few things I’ve figured out, going through this. Things that you can do without a tiny furious lesbian nipping at your heels, insisting you Not Die. THOUGH IF YOU HAVE ACCESS TO THAT I DO RECOMMEND TAKING ADVANTAGE**

1. I think the most important first step is really commit to it. It sucks a lot, and it's not always easy, but if you don't sincerely want the results, you won't be able to power through the spots where it's hard.

2. You have to hold yourself accountable. A huge part of that is making yourself take note of and record what you're eating. It's one thing to grab a chocolate bar and eat it and forget about it, but it's another when you have to pull out your notebook and find the calories and factor in the serving size and write it down where you have to see it there looking back at you. We already know we shouldn't be doing it. Making it real and tangible in a way where you can't just put it out of mind can really hold your feet to the fire.

3. Don't have it around! Seriously, this one has helped me so much. Just don't have it! You know your weak spots (and if you don't, you'll soon discover them), you know the things you just want to grab out of the fridge or the cupboard. You can't do it if it's not there, bottom line. We don't keep jars of peanut butter in the house anymore (or at least not where I see them.) Hubby and I both cut out chips entirely. That isn't to say you can't ever have those things again, you just have to plan for them, and ensure you only have what you plan for. For example, the other night we were all on our own for dinner. I was deeply craving this particular brand of pretzel stick they have up here. So I saved my calories for the day, went to the store, bought the small bag, measured out and weighed the appropriate amount (turns out it was the whole bag, which was a pleasant delight, but if it hadn't been, I would've immediately given Doc what was over), and had those with some turkey. There wasn't anything about that meal that was HEALTHY, really, but because it's not my every day, and I planned it out and didn't exceed what I was allowed, it was completely fine. So if you have just a bone-deep craving for a doughnut, budget it in your calorie allotment for that day, and go get JUST what you're allowed. If you can only buy it in a quantity over what you’re allowed, buy the smallest you can and throw out or give away the rest. IMMEDIATELY, not the "I'll do it later" thing where it hangs around the house and then oops, it’s somehow magically gone. Set yourself up for success, not failure. Don't keep around what you know is a temptation.

4. Resolve with yourself that you'll be eating some stuff you don't much like. It sucks, but then, so does diabetes. In that vein though, you may find that after you've had it a few times, and your expectations realign, you like it more than you thought. You might even come to enjoy it! You have to persevere with it, though. Still, you may never like it! OH WELL. Consider how much more you'll like multiple daily injections of very expensive insulin and an even more restrictive diet which I guarantee will be full of shit you don't like. Eat the broccoli or die, right? Suddenly, broccoli doesn't seem so bad. (I actually really like broccoli, sorry, to pick on you, broccoli.) Honestly, many vegetables are pretty great, just most people don't prepare them right. Seasoning and roasting them is the way to go, which Holligay has repeatedly proven.

5. Portion control is a big factor. WEIGH AND MEASURE EVERYTHING. Don’t eyeball that shit, your senses are weak and will lie to you. Also -- and this may seem weird, but go with me -- check the size of your plates and bowls and shit. Again, our eyes are liars. The same amount of food looks very different depending on what size plate it’s on. The bigger stuff completely skews our perception of what a serving should look like. Get smaller plates.

6. This one may be a real toughie depending on your personal habits, but eating in front of screens is a path to madness. There's study after study after study showing that eating while watching TV or being on your computer takes you out of being mindful of what and how much you're eating. Sit at a table and focus on your meal! You’ll eat more slowly, and so recognize when you’re full. And the food tastes better when it’s your main focus, so you’ll be more satisfied, too. I’M NOT MAKING IT UP TRY IT

What you may notice here is an absence on the WHAT of what you should eat. That’s important too, to be sure, but I think that’s the part that’s a bit easier to start working in. There are tons of healthy, tasty recipes out there, but it’s the behavioural stuff that is, I think, the key to change.

And you can start today! Right now! Clearing your home of your temptations is a great huge first step. And don't do the "this bag is nearly full, what a waste, I'll just finish this up" thing. The money's spent, there's no reason to continue to do damage. (Or hide a reluctance to make the change under a convenient excuse.) It's garbage calories, it's deep fried air, it's frozen sugar, it tastes good but is killing you. Get rid of it.

If you’re of the snacking/grazing bent (I’m generally not, but I get those that are), buy snap peas, baby carrots, cherry tomatoes. Get some soy sauce. Dip and eat away! I think you'll soon find that if you're not hungry enough to snack on those? You weren't really all that hungry.

And combine all this with moving, too! Get yourself a step tracker. An ACTUAL step tracker, not your smart watch, which counts every twitch of your wrist as a step you most assuredly did not take. I’m currently using and recommend the FitBit Inspire, clipped to my bra. At my worst/highest points, I sometimes wouldn’t take more than about a thousand steps a day. SERIOUSLY. Again, having something to put these abstract ideas into harsh numbers is a great motivator. And you don’t even have to go outside! ON A HOT DAY I HAVE WALKED MILES IN A CIRCLE IN MY LIVING ROOM. I don’t look cool, but I DO meet my step goal for the day.

You may notice a numbers theme here, but weigh yourself. Keep track! I use a Renpho scale, which connects to an app on my phone and automatically logs my weight, AND I can sync it with my FitBit, so all my precious precious data is in one place. Now maybe you’re not such a nerd for data as I am (YOU’D HAVE TO BE REALLY REALLY NERDY), but again, it takes something abstract and nebulous and gives it to you in a way that our monkey brains understand. Making all this real to you is a huge part of putting the consideration for it in your brain. It’s not gonna be fun. There’s a lot of numbers you’re REALLY not going to like to see. But you have to know where you’re at to know where to go. And when those numbers turn into trends, and those trends start to show you real, concrete progress? Feels good. Feels real good.

Yeah, so! It’s a lot of words, and there’s a huge chance none of them are what you were hoping for. I wish I had something more neat and easy, but it’s just this. Commitment. Accountability. DATA SUCH HATEFUL WONDERFUL DATA

Best of luck!

(**) All joking aside, I’m incredibly fortunate to have Doc. As I think I’ve said before, when she heard about the pre-diabetes, she said “Okay, we’re done with this” and THAT VERY DAY laid out changes. She’s always ready with a foot in my ass. Also, as our family chef, she’s consistently in charge of my meals, which means I’m lucky enough to not need to think about it. MUCH LIKE A PUPPY I JUST EAT WHAT GOES IN MY BOWL. So if you have help and support available to you, take it.

The most important part, though, is you. However much help I have, I have to keep up my end, too. About eighteen months ago, I was SO CLOSE to a major goal, but ignored my depression and stopped caring and everything backslid terribly. I’m still working to regain all that lost ground. My point being, the number one vital element in making real change in you is YOU. Once you’re set there, the rest is details.

[alitaimagines]

“Hi can you write Hispanic reader taking Dabi to meet their huge family at their family party where there’s judgmental tias and a grandma who like your too skinny you need to eat.”

dabi x fem! reader

fandom: my hero academia / boku no hero academia 

note / song recommendation: so basically my family, right?? if my grandma seen dabi irl, there’d be two plates of tamales and a bowl of posole at the ready. at least she did that with my last bf. / la cuichi - banda la alterada, dos botellas de mescal - los morros del norte 

You were curling your last bit of hair as Dabi sat on the couch, munching on whatever he found the pantry. He was nervous, he couldn’t lie. Dabi was meeting your family for the first time and although he never mentioned it, deep down inside, he was scared. 

Dabi never seen himself in such a situation as he is now but he really liked you and didn’t want to fuck it up by not getting off on the right foot with your family. You on the other hand were excited that your family was finally meeting your first serious boyfriend. 

You gave him the rundown. Say hello to all of you family members, remembering to hug your mom and grandmother as well as accepting the beer your uncles offered him. It was simple enough! 

“Dabi, are you ready?” You screamed from the bathroom. “We need to pick up the cake before we get to the party!” 

He laughed. “I’ve been ready for the last hour and a half, babygirl!” You rolled your eyes as you left the bathroom and slipped the heels on. Dabi bit his lip as he watched put on perfume. 

“Remind me, what is this for again?” “It’s my cousins quince, it’s basically a welcome to womanhood party. I was the godmother of ordering and picking up the cake and it should be ready any minute!” 

You smacked his butt as an implication to head out the door. He growled as he smacked yours back. The two of you got into your car as you started to fix the tie he totally didn’t want to wear. 

“Okay, did you put the gift in the back seat?” Dabi nodded. “Great, now off to the bakery for the cake and after that, we should head to the party.” Dabi nodded again as he pulled out of the driveway to your house. 

/

You got the cake safely to the party as you were instructed to leave it in your car until they decided to cut it. You got out of the car and grabbed the gift as you walked up to Dabi and fixed his tie once more. 

“Okay, you ready to meet them?” You asked. Dabi chuckled before giving you a quick kiss. “I’m ready for anything. Are they ready to meet me?” You slapped his arm jokingly as you slipped your hand into his and walked in. 

As Dabi walked into the venue, he noticed all of your family members staring right at him. Suddenly Dabi realized why you fretting over him so much. You gave a kiss on the cheek to all of your aunts, as you shook hands with your uncles. Dabi doing the same after you. 

“What’s his name?” One of your aunts asked. You gave her a smile before saying a quick goodbye and silently thanking the air that your sister suddenly called you over. “Hey, mom wanted to know if you brought tongs for the tacos they’re making!” You nodded as you dug into your purse and whipped the smallest pair you had. 

Dabi gave you a bewildered look, totally not realizing that you had a pair of tongs shoved into your purse. “Want to say hi to my grandmother? She’s been nagging for me to introduce you to her.” Dabi laughed as you grabbed his hand and led him to the kitchen where your grandmother and a few of your siblings were. 

“Hey!” You screamed as you got everyones attention. Your siblings waved at you. They had already met Dabi a few months ago. The only one left was your grandma who was always busy when you tried to have her over. 

Your grandma immediately stared at Dabi before analyzing his entire body. “You’re far too skinny, don’t you feed him, ( your name )?” Your grandma asked. You immediately covered your face as Dabi couldn’t stop laughing. 

“Yeah, don’t you feed me?” He taunted. You slapped the back of his leg with your foot as your grandma immediately scolded you for hitting him. “The food should be ready any minute. Go find a table so you can finally feed him.” You immediately nodded as you booked it out of the kitchen. 

The two of you looked at each other as the look of relief washed over your face. “That went well! I think it could’ve gone a lot worse.” Dabi chuckled as he still could feel the eyes of your aunt on him. “I don’t think your aunts liked me though.” He whispered. 

“Who cares? They’re always just a bunch of chismosa’s, anyway. I can already hear it in my head, “Why isn’t she married to someone in our culture?” and “He doesn’t even look right here!”. What matters is that I wanted you here and everyone else can fuck off.” You ranted as you sat at one of the tables, farthest from your aunts. 

Dabi stared at you, not expecting that answer from you. “You said married, I didn’t know we were married!” You slapped his arm again as he pretended to act as if it hurt. “You get what I mean.” 

Before he could respond, your grandmother screamed that everything was ready to eat. Dabi stared at all the food choices. Posole, tamales, two different kinds of caldo, and carne con chile. 

“What are you in the mood for? It better be spicy because from the looks of it, everything is spicy.” Dabi picked up a bowl and poured himself the green posole before picking up another plate and putting some kind of meat on it. 

The two of you got back to the table where your siblings and a few of your cousins were sitting at. “Hey man, do you want a beer?” One of you cousins asked. 

Dabi knew he couldn’t say no. “Sure.” He responded. Your cousin nodded as he handed him two Corona’s. Dabi wasn’t much of a drinker but from the looks of it, you were. 

You had already downed half a bottle of Modelo without him realizing. The rest of the dinner was spent not talking, just everyone stuffing their faces with food until everyone looked like they were ready to blow up. 

“I don’t think I’ve ever eaten this much.” Dabi groaned as he felt like his pants were about to pop. You laughed as you took a sip from your beer. “Honestly, I can bet you any money that there’s still food to be served.” Dabi gave you a look as he heard your grandma scream that another portion of food was ready. 

This time around, it was potato salad and tacos. “Baby, I don’t think I can eat anymore.” You gave him a look. “I know there’s room for at least one taco.” Dabi thought for a moment before looking down at the plate of tacos that your mom had brought you. 

“I guess you’re right.” 

The two of you dived back into the food along with your family before you could scolded that you left most of the food on the plate. This time, Dabi felt as if he was ready to throw up from how much he had eaten. 

Your cousin whipped out a bottle of Lime Jose Cuervo from underneath the table. “Here, pass these around!” He asked you as you took out the shot glasses from the case he had them in and handed one to everyone except Dabi who offered to be the DD on the way back home. 

“Come on! Just one, as an initiation to the family!” You cousin said as threatened your cousin to only give him one shot before he was cut off. He poured the Jose Cuervo into everyones glasses before counting down and having everyone chug it down. 

Dabi had never seen you so in your element before but as you continued to drink with your family, he was able to tell that this wasn’t the first time you had drank that way. 

Halfway through the bottle of Corralejo Tequila, Dabi noticed you were already on the verge of getting blacked out drunk. You were singing into an empty bottle of Corona as “Ando Bien Pedo” starting playing. You had your arm around your cousin, who was equally as drunk, and started singing with him. 

“Don’t worry about her. She gets like this with my brother and my other sister all the time. Just make sure she doesn’t hit herself on the sink again.” Your sister whispered into his ear. “Also, she might wake up in the morning drinking water like she hasn’t drank any in years so I would stop at a store and stock up on Gatorade if I were you.” 

Dabi nodded as he watched you dancing in a circle with your family who was already drunk out of their mind. He could tell that you wanted to keep drinking but your mom was already cutting you off. 

“Cake, oh my god, Dabi! I want cake!” You begged as he looked at your only sober sister for help. “No, you’ve had enough. Go get some water before you throw up all over this table.” 

You gave your sister a look before sauntering yourself over to the table where the left over cake was. “What did she say? No cake!” Dabi exclaimed as he grabbed your hand and led you back to the table. 

“I think we should head home before you think of drinking anymore.” Dabi said as he watched a bit of your family starting to leave. “No! I don’t want too!” You exclaimed. “I don’t care.” He whispered into your ear. “We’re heading out. I know if I don’t get her home, I’ll be playing doctor tomorrow morning.” Dabi told your sister. 

She nodded as she helped Dabi buckle you into the car. You were still in the seat dancing to the music that was playing inside of the venue. Dabi said a quick goodbye to all of your family members before making sure to take a bucket on his way out and putting it on your lap. 

“If you feel the need to throw up, throw up into this bucket.” Dabi instructed as you hugged the bucket and put your head on the car window. 

The ride back home was spent with you babbling about nonsense. As soon as you stepped inside of your apartment, Dabi helped you out of your dress and basically leaving you in your undergarments. If he was taking care of you all night, he was going to indulge himself at least a little bit. 

He put the bucket on your side of the bed as he took off his clothes and slipped in next to you. “I love you!” You sang into Dabi’s ears. Dabi laughed as he gave you a kiss. “I love you too, now go to sleep.” Dabi stated. 

You giggled as you shut your eyes and before he knew you, you were passed out. Overall, Dabi knew he got the approval of those he needed too. Even though you weren’t looking for your family to approve of him, it comforted him knowing that your family accepted him. 

ALITA