#because she’s a little older than him and aren’t the same time in the casino

[thatshadowgastwhore]

You can make an argument that any big three kid is the oldest, except for Jason.

Like, biologically, Percy has aged the most, he’s physically 17, which is more than any of the rest of them has reached

Thalia has mentally aged/matured the most, even if she stopped biologically aging at 15 years and 364 days, and should chronologically be in her 20s but spent some time as a tree where she aged slower.

Chronologically, Hazel was born the longest time from the present day, but she also died, and was in the underworld for decades before being resurrected, so that time didn’t really count for her, and she’s physically like 14.

Nico has been alive for the most time, but for 70 years he was in a place where he couldn’t physically age. He’s like…15 now and is aging normally, but has been alive since world war 2.

And then there’s Jason. Who had no wacky time shenanigans and died and didn’t come back. (Yet) honestly, and outlier who should not have been counted

[stellocchia]

Platonic Soulmate AU but make it as angsty as possible: 

1.

Ranboo and Tubbo are soulmates and you’d think it was perfect. They’re married, they have a child, they’re happy, what more could they want? Except, to them being soulmates doesn’t mean trusting each other. Being soulmates doesn’t mean opening up and sharing your secrets, sharing your burdens.

Being soulmates means feeling when the other is distressed through your bond and looking the other way. It means knowing the other is lying when they say they’re “fine” and lying right back. It means feeling the weight that burdens the other, but not sharing it. Because keeping up a facade is much more important. Because everything can be fine as long as you repeat it enough times. Because you’re sure that the other would leave you if they found out what you were hiding under the surface. 

Being soulmates means fake smiles and some laughs shared with someone who is little more than a stranger, no matter how much you don’t want them to be.

2. 

Tommy should consider himself lucky and he did for a long time. Having his brother as his soulmate meant that he never had to search. They could both be happy in their shared bond. Being soulmates meant being safe and warm with your best  friend by your side. 

Tommy is older now and he doesn’t believe in that crap anymore. He has two names on his wrist, he could only scratch out one. The one that didn’t belong there, the one that is nothing more than a claim from a deranged wannabe god. He wishes he could erase both. 

He’s not gonna give up on his soulmate, of course he isn’t, but sometimes he wishes he could. Sometimes he wishes it were easy. But it’s not in his nature to feel the other suffering and not try to help. To feel his paranoia and not let him know that he’s still there, that he’s always gonna be. And maybe giving up would be easier, maybe it would be better, but Wilbur saw the other name on his wrist and he got angry on his behalf. It’s not much, but it’s more than anyone else has done for him, so he’ll hang onto this bond a bit longer...

3.

Quackity has never believed in soulmates (lie). 

His soulmate was an alcoholic bastard who never deserved a moment of his time (he still gave more to him though). And even the ones he chose as his ended up leaving him with no explanation (he’ll never admit that he left first). 

No, soulmates are a waste of time and his time is precious. He has a whole new country to run. He has his casino and he has his allies, his business partners. And maybe sometimes he catches himself laughing freely at one of Fundy’s jokes or smile at Slime’s declarations of friendship, but he’s going to make sure that it’s not the same. He’s going to make sure to bind them to himself through something stronger than a soul bond. Because contracts and power are reliable, human connections aren’t (and he learned the hard way that that’s not a lie). 

4.

Not everyone is lucky enough to have their bond go both ways, Niki and Jack were the same in that regard. 

Jack with his one-way bond for a friend that was long gone in his eyes. He’d grown bitter and resentful towards the boy who had discarded him so easily. Forgotten and abandoned to suffer alone. There where no flowers around his house when he’d died. There were no statues. No one noticed his absence, not even his supposed friend. 

Niki was the only one who understood as her situation was similar. She never witnessed the mark on Wilbur’s wrist as the man always wore long sleeves, but just seeing him interact with Tommy made it obvious that it didn’t match her own. But that was fine. They were still as close as ever. They still had each other... until they didn’t. Until she found herself alone.

They both said they didn’t like to wallow in self-pity for their bonds that were never meant to be, but sometimes that’s hard to do when it’s all you have. 

5. 

Not everyone was lucky enough to be born with a soulmate. Some people ended up alone, some people didn’t care and lived happy lives without one and some people tried to remedy to that, finding people they could claim as theirs. Dream was in the latter category. Needless to say: it didn’t work out quite as he expected. 

Not a complete failure yet. He could still fix things. He would do that in fact. He just needed a way out and this time he wouldn’t dilly dally and let Tommy get a say in the matter. Immortality would be far too boring to face alone and he wouldn’t have to if he had anything to say about it, which he did. 

Now Techno had come in just at the perfect time. He could be useful. Of course, he would have been more useful if he didn’t get himself trapped in here like a moron, but Dream could work with that. He was a god after all and it was about time to remind that to his little pawns...

[dreamsapphire28]

This is based on @yasuyorimarriedsamo reincarnation au I really liked it back then but you know inspiration is a fickle thing and it has struck now months later.

So in this au the Mc is the reincarnation of one of the exiles, in this version I'll be using my favorite exile Eurynome and my Mc1 Akemi.

The birth of a world, the touch of his beloved, ruling over his creation, a fight over who was the one to give origin to their world with the one he loved the most then making up accepting that the birth of their world was only possible due to their joined effort and love for each other, being betrayed by his loving sister, sinking alone into Oceanus and later being kept company by the sweet child who was also casted away only to leave that child behind when he passed from the world.

A name, his former, Eurynome.

Those memories and many others from the creator of Olympus were in his mind when Akemi was summoned to Tokyo that fateful night, they felt both vivid and distant like he was there living them but at the same time as if he lived them through someone else, Akemi could not remember his own life before coming to Tokyo all he had were the memories of Eurynome, Akemi was sure that at some point in the past he had been her, still he also was certain that he is his own person with his own life, he is more than just the continuation of someone else's existence, Akemi reassured himself.

Being able to recall Eurynome's life so vividly and having no knowledge of his own sometimes made it difficult for Akemi to try and differentiate himself from her, specially when he was overcome with emotions he couldn't fully understand, the ocean would be a great example of this just the sight of it filled him with such a bittersweet feeling, he knew it was because of that child, Hephaestus, that he had.... that Eurynome had taken care of the one she had to leave behind, but Akemi was a different person, so why did he feel that way? the memories he had of that time were both beautiful and sorrowful they could bring a tear to the eye of an outside observer, to Akemi however they felt close, personal, to the point where he wonders what became of Hephaestus even thinking about what things in Tokyo he could enjoy. Akemi had already accepted that he had once been Eurynome, but the he that existed right now is a different person, Akemi hopes beyond hope.

Being such a sensible subject to him Akemi never revealed the fact that he could remember his past life to none of his new friends in Tokyo, he did a pretty good job at hiding it too, most of the time, there where moments where people would think that Akemi seemed wise beyond his years or were surprised of his deep understanding of the concept of a world system as if he had been closely involved with one. Then of course there was his guardian Kyouma Mononobe, Akemi could not for the life of him tell if his teacher was aware of Akemi having these memories or if he just happened to say things that reassured him when he wrestled with the thought of just being an extension of someone else's life.

In the beginning Akemi wanted to hate Eurynome but hating her felt like hating himself, the interactions and connections Akemi had made during his time in Tokyo how he helped others in turn helped him with his insecurity about his own identity, now he didn't hate her, Akemi still knew that a lot of his feelings towards various things were influenced by Eurynome's memories but he could live with that, he had made peace with it and now in some way felt proud that he was carrying her legacy he could do that while still being someone else other than her.

Until the battle at Aoyama cemetery when a certain golden dragon had made a brief appearance in that place. Akemi knew who the dragon was the second he laid eyes on him the dragon had changed, yes, but Akemi could never mistake him. Not once before had Akemi felt so conflicted about if he truly was just an extension of Eurynome, he was overwhelmed with so many feelings that he could not begin to comprehend, joy, love, relief, longing, sorrow, regret, grief, just looking at Ophion stirred so many things from the depths of his soul that it rendered Akemi completely paralyzed, Ophion had to leave before his friends could shake Akemi out of his stupor. Luckily Ophion hadn't stayed for too long, but the impression he left on Akemi was not small, ever since encountering him Akemi could not get Ophion out of his mind not even during his infiltration of the Tokyo casino or while running around Shinjuku avoiding the ongoing debacle caused by the Roppongi Tycoons. Akemi knew for a fact that he was more than likely to meet someone from Euryonome's past sooner or later, even so he did not expect to be so shaken by it.

Now Akemi found himself before the one responsible for the current chaos in Shinjuku no other than Ophion, just looking at him Akemi could fell himself freezing up again overwhelmed with emotions. Then Ophion started boasting about how he, the sole creator of Olympus, could not be defeated, Akemi could not catch everything that Ophion said but it was enough to make all his conflicting emotions converge on a single point, fury would not be the proper word it was something a bit more petty, Akemi felt that it was more of an attack to his pride rather than an outright insult, "You deceitful lizard, saying you created the world on your own, as if" Akemi spat fixing Ophion with a sharp glare, Ophion was taken aback such a petulant child to speak like that to him the great Ophion, Akemi continued talking before Ophion could give him a piece of his mind "I thought you had learned your lesson back then, seems I was wrong, maybe I ought to knock off your other tusk to drive in the point" Akemi hissed angrily, Ophion eyes widened as he slowly reached for the place where his missing tusk once was, 'how did this child knew of that?' Ophion thought in surprise.

The battle raged on Ophion had sent his underlings deal with his opponents to little avail, he certainly did not expect having to deal with both Hakumen and Lucifuge, those two would have already dispatched each other if it wasn't for that damn insolent brat, the only person Ophion had not accounted for in his plan was making it all go awry. Believing that unless he disposed of these pest at this very moment his plan would become completely unsalvageable and seeing that regular minions were completely ineffective against the current foes Ophion made a brash decision, he used his sacred artifact to summon a younger version of himself ordering him to dispose of the rabble interfering with his scheme. The younger Ophion's oppressing aura made everyone stare at him cautiously, that was everyone except for Akemi who gave the same sharp glare he gave the older Ophion to the younger one, as if doing so was something that Akemi had done before many times. When young Ophion's gaze found Akemi the younger dragon's face was overcome with surprise "You..." young Ophion muttered quietly as he started walking towards Akemi who didn't so much as flinch when the dragon's intense gaze pinned on him. The younger dragon stopped right in front of Akemi and suddenly it was his turn to be surprised, young Ophion embraced him tightly yet lovingly "So this is where you've been" Ophion whispered, Akemi was speechless for a second, he felt tears prickling the corners of his eyes as his sword slipped from his grasp, Akemi hugged Ophion "Yeah, sorry you had to come all the way here for me" Akemi apologized.

Akemi and young Ophion's embrace was interrupted by the older Ophion "My younger inexperienced self the one you're embracing it's your enemy deal with him at once!" old Ophion snapped furiously. With the older Ophion's attention diverted Toji seized the opportunity to attack the older dragon, to the bewilderment of everyone present the clash of the two rules resulted in the creation of an exception with his rule now overflowing old Ophion entered a rampage bursting through the ceiling of the tower. "How could this happen? my rule and Ophion's don't oppose one another this outcome should not be" Toji muttered in equal parts astonishment and shame "Well yes and no, your attack didn't make a contradiction it's more like a paradox, the sole fact that Ophion could call upon his past self further proves that he didn't create that sacred artifact and by extension Olympus" Akemi explained a twinge of smugness in his tone at that last part as he walked up to Toji "Quite the sharp one are you not and here I thought I'd have to explain that to you" Alice mused "Say you seem to be quite familiar with Ophion's sacred artifact aren't you my dear knight?" She inquired looking intently at Akemi, who averted his gaze "What do you mean by paradox?" Toji asked confused "Under normal circumstances your attack wouldn't have caused an exception but Ophion summoned a younger version of himself, taking that version of himself from the time he existed in the past, your attack meant to destroy the egg made it so that the younger one should cease to exist but the older one still exist in Tokyo even though technically his past self had been exterminated and so the snake endlessly bites it's own tail" Akemi explained "Still the app treats this situation no different than the previous instances where exceptions appeared so we should be able to deal with this one the same way, but first we must deal with Ophion" Alice added.

With the help from both the summoners and Tycoons, Akemi and young Ophion defeated the enraged older Ophion who now layed on the balcony of the tower that served as the Tycoons headquarters, Akemi was kneeling beside him holding his hand as the dragon slowly dissipated into light "So it truly is you my beloved spouse" old Ophion said his tone uncharacteristically soft and peaceful "Not precisely, I bear her soul, I can remember her live, at some point I was her, but not now the person before you is someone else, I'm sorry to get your hopes up Ophion" Akemi apologized while smiling softly at Ophion "That may be but I can still see her same brilliance withing you and now I hold for you the same feelings" Ophion affirmed using his other hand to caress Akemi's face, he closed his eyes leaning into the touch with a relieved expression on his face then the sensation of Ophion's hand on his face faced as Ophion disappeared into the rainbow of transient light, the wind carrying the voice of the old dragon as he made a vow to his beloved. Akemi stood up to face the younger Ophion who was also fading out of the current time "I owe you an apology as well, you heard what I said before I am not Eurynome at least not in the way you thought I was" Akemi confessed avoiding eye contact with the young dragon, Ophion embraced Akemi once again "I am not one to fuss over such minimal details, to me you are and will always be my beloved spouse, no matter who you were or who you become it will not change anything for me" Ophion assured Akemi felt relief once again wash over him as he embraced the golden dragon "Such a cruel world to make us part just when we were reunited" Ophion sighed melancholically "Don't feel pity for me this is nothing that I don't deserve" Akemi interjected "Whatever could you mean?" Ophion questioned "Isn't it obvious? when Eurynome, no not only her I'm just as guilty, when I was exiled from Olympus I leaved you alone, now the world is taking you away from me because I abandoned you" Akemi stated "Such thoughts are not deserving of you my dear" Ophion said, while softly running his fingers through Akemi's hair who looked up at him small traces of tears on his face "For no matter if the world itself wants to do us apart I will cross whatever distance and surmount every obstacle to find you again, this parting is only temporary I will find my way back to you" Ophion declared boldly before disappearing into the rainbow of transient light promising to once again see his spouse. Toji arrived to find Akemi with his back to him looking at the sky "Akemi?" Toji called out softly, Akemi turned around his eyes watery tears threatening to spill at any moment "Is everything alright, do you need a moment?" Toji felt incredibly awkward having no experience in how to comfort someone, Akemi wiped his eyes with his sleeve putting on a smile that could only be described as brave, it was clear that he was hurting but that would have to wait until they could avert the current crisis "It's okay Toji, there's still things we need to resolve, I'll have some time to think about this later" Akemi responded trying to hide his sadness making his way to the exception territory.

[imagine-organization-xiii]

Want to go on vacation so I have to live vicariously through this blog - org xiii going on a cruise?

oh my god let’s get this chaos rolling - I’ve never actually been on a cruise before but I would absolutely love to go on one

if i had drawing skills i would totally draw some of this because it just cracks me up to no end

EDIT: i added some stuff about Xigbar because i forgot about him lmao

-

Xemnas: “Whoever is humming the Jaws theme song is going to get their ass kicked.“

They’re all sorely in need of a good vacation, something that they can all enjoy where they can do their own things but not be bothered by each other. Someone mentions a cruise in passing and some of the members are doubtful at being stuck on a boat with one another for a long period of time, but... Well. The boat is large and there’s an open bar and a WATER SLIDE so it doesn’t take long to get everyone on board with the plan.

They know that a lot of rooms on cruise ships don’t actually have windows, but Lexaeus, Marluxia, Vexen, and Xemnas all demand rooms with windows. Lexaeus and Marluxia can get a bit seasick if they’re in the bottom of a boat without seeing where they actually are, Vexen is high maintenance, and Xemnas isn’t having anything less than the best.

They don’t plan on paying out the ass for rooms, so they all decide to share. Roxas and Xion get their own room that’s connected to the room shared by Vexen and Lexaeus. Lexaeus, who was originally going to share with Xaldin, was forced to switch when Vexen refused to room with Xigbar. Xemnas refuses to share with anyone other than Luxord (because Luxord spends most of his time out and about and is actually rarely in the room), while Saix shares with Axel. Larxene and Marluxia cling to one another  while Demyx and Zexion claim the last room with a window because Demyx wanted to see the ocean.

Vexen: Okay, kids, just remember to stick with your buddy when you’re on the ship and that if you go overboard, none of us are going after you.

Zexion: I have a question.

Vexen: Yes?

Zexion: What happens if you go overboard? Do we just not go after you?

Vexen: If I go overboard then it means I went overboard on purpose to get away from all of you.

There are so many things that you can do on a cruise ship and everyone is ready to stay far enough away from each other while they still enjoy themselves. Even if they’re attending the same event, chances are that they won’t be sitting near each other. They have ONE night where they all sit and have a nice dinner together, but otherwise it’s free roam for each and every one of them.

The younger ones spend most of their time lounging in or around the pool, playing around on the water slides and generally causing a lot of chaos. Roxas and Xion enjoy swimming and playfully splashing each other with water when the life-guard (and Saix) aren’t paying attention, and they all enjoy trying to tip Lexaeus and Xaldin over when they decide to join them at the pool. Axel and Demyx manage to literally carry and drag Zexion out to the pool sometime during the second day, and the young magician actually manages to enjoy himself even though he’ll never admit it.

Demyx: Zexion, stop being a sourpuss and come terrorize people at the pool with us.

Saix is also at the pool, only so he can keep an eye on the others. It’s a good thing he does because chances are that someone is going to get in a fight with someone else - probably Larxene, when she and Marluxia decide to do some sunbathing - because some asshole thought it would be cool to hit on Larxene when she’s relaxing and that’s just going to be hell for everyone.

Some mornings are for GETTING PUMPED. Not wanting to get lazy just because they’re on vacation, Xaldin and Lexaeus do spend a bit of time in the fitness area, lifting weights and waking themselves up before they enjoy themselves with other activities.

Near the gym is the SAUNA/steam room! You can bet your ass that Axel will NOT be working out but he’ll definitely be in the steam room a few times during the trip. Demyx will join him on occasion and they usually get a big kick out of all the old people that end up there. Overall, they just like sitting and chilling like two bros

SPA TIME. You can guarantee that Marluxia and Larxene are spending a lot of the time in the spa with giant mixed drinks - mimosas in the morning with fancy breakfast treats, mai-tais in the evening. Facials, manicures, pedicures, massages, everything they can think of until they’re limp and pliant and lazy. Xemnas joins them one day for a back massage, much to Marluxia’s chagrin, while Demyx joins them when they get facials.

Saturday night brings a casino night in the main area of the ship, a tiny competition that has Luxord all but shaking excitedly with energy. Of course, he sweeps the floor with the competition during a giant poker match, and wins a nice $2500 prize for coming in first place. They’re all shocked and extremely impressed at how good his poker face is. He spends a good amount of time in the casino area during their cruise, but takes frequent breaks to go swimming, to the spa, or to tan on one of the Adults-Only decks with Xemnas.

All of the eating areas are a big hit. The younger group tends to go for the tiny food places by the pool, where they can find burgers, curly fries, hot dogs, tator tots, and giant slushies. The older ones like the sit down restaurants. Expensive wine, lobster with a delicious garlic butter, top rated filet mignon with a specialty seasoning, and live entertainment - usually someone playing piano, occasionally accompanied by a singer. Overall, they both agree that they have wonderful dining experiences.

Holy shit, when I tell you that Vexen somehow ends up entering and WINNING a shuffleboard tournament? It takes the whole organization by surprise. Somehow he just ended up on one of the decks and was observing some of the skilled, veteran players, and one of them asks if he’d like to give it a shot. He does and DAMN, he’s like an expert immediately????

Vexen: *comes back to the room he’s sharing with Lexaeus with a giant trophy in one hand and a margarita in the other*

Lexaeus: Uh... what’s that?

Vexen: Hm? A margarita, what does it look like?

Xemnas is the one who mostly sticks to himself the whole time. He tries a little bit of everything. Swimming, the hot tub, reading on a chair and getting a deep tan, relaxing at the spa, getting a bit of a work out, etc. He’s a fancy bitch who enjoys the fancier things in life, and holy shit they paid a LOT of money for this cruise for 14 people so he’s absolutely going to get his money’s worth.

Movie night is every night on a cruise ship, so everyone will gather together and lounge either in the pool or on one of the deck chairs and relax as a movie is played on a giant screen. It’s a good way for them to do something together without bothering one another. Axel and Saix help pass out sodas, icee’s, and popcorn before moving to lounge in the hot tub before the movie begins.

Xigbar has made himself known to the waitstaff on the ship for two reasons - he has good taste in alcohol and he’s an incorrigible flirt. He doesn’t mean any harm with it and he has no intentions of acting on it any further than a few playful words, so everyone knows not to take him seriously when they spot him flirting with a cabana boy or the staff in the gym.

Xigbar also has a secret night time routine, surprisingly with Saix. One night, Xigbar just couldn’t sleep and he found himself walking around the ship at three in the morning, when it was quiet and most people were asleep and the halls were almost empty. He ended up on the bow of the ship and it was AMAZING to look out on the water and the sky and just enjoy the sea breeze. He did the same thing the next night and found that Saix had beaten him there. After some quiet glaring, they mutually agreed just to enjoy it and not bother one another.

Finally, most of the younger group barely get any sleep. They order room service like crazy for various midnight snacks and have fun in the arcade beating high scores on all of the games they can manage until they all end up dragging themselves back and passing out in a single room together.

[oceanselevenism]

If you're still doing them maybe number 12 with both the ocean's siblings and their partners?

hell yeah!! i’ve put it under the cut :)) it is Very Tangentially holiday-sweater-related but it is too long to not post now! hope you enjoy, and happy holidays :))

It’s the first Christmas they’ve spent together in... nearly a decade and a half, actually. The years had flown by, blurring into a mess of run-ins and arguments and you stay on your side, I’ll stay on mine, but hey, Danny can’t fault his sister for wanting to make up for lost time. No, he can’t fault her (after all, if she had been the one to fake her death, he’d probably have moved into her house for a week, just to make sure she didn’t do it again) but he can make fun of her, so that’s what he does. “Aw, you really did miss me,” he says when she gives him and Rusty perfunctory hugs on her way into his house (Lou just claps them both on the shoulder, and he’s not sure whether to feel snubbed or relieved). “I can’t believe my dear sister actually cares,” he tells her when she brings him a mug of cocoa, ingredients nabbed from some billionaire in Germany. “Pure family bonding for the whole family,” he remarks when she goes off on a drunken, expletive-filled tangent about the Met Gala’s security over a game of poker (they’ve given up on trying to enforce the no-cheating rule, and he’s pretty sure Lou takes the opportunity to peek at Debbie’s cards). But in all honesty, he can’t keep up the ribbing; it really is good to see her, even if she definitely gets along better with Rusty (she’s told him as much, and right to his face, too) and the third day ends in a bitter, wine-fueled not-argument about their mother and their father and they themselves. But on the fourth morning Danny gets up early (it’s five in the goddamn morning, why the fuck has Lou already left a note on the counter saying gone on a run) to make latkes, and when Debbie comes downstairs she scoops out a dollop of his favorite sour cream instead of her usual applesauce, so unless her latke preferences have done a complete 180 since the last time he’s seen her, they’ve forgiven each other.

She and Lou volunteer to go on a grocery run that evening, and Danny’s glad; he hasn’t had the chance to jump Rusty’s bones in, like, five days (turns out cleaning up for houseguests takes up way more time than anticipated) (hey, the only people they’ve had over in years have been the crew from the Benedict job, and he’s heard Reuben threaten to shit on Turk’s feet, they don’t need to clean up for them). And for a minute, as Rusty pins him up next to the to-be-composted bag that is currently overflowing with potato scraps, the only thought in his head is the usual why didn’t we do this sooner. But then Rusty pulls back-- “Rus,” Danny complains-- and he tilts his head in that We Need To Talk manner. Which would be hot, if not for the fact that Rusty probably wants to talk about Debbie.

“You’re good, right?”

“We were never on bad terms.”

“Liar.”

“Well, hostile terms, maybe,” Danny amends. “But never bad.”

Rusty shifts, adjusting his forearms so it’s more like they’re just two good pals having a conversation three inches from each others’ faces instead of two good pals about to do very unsanitary things in a kitchen, and says, “I think you’re putting too much water under the bridge.”

“What am I, a Dutch engineer?”

“You’re very funny.”

“I know I am. Now, are we gonna--”

The door opens. Danny swears. “We were gone for twenty minutes,” Debbie says. “Are you that desperate?” Danny regrets going for the open-concept first floor, and he regrets it even more as Rusty pushes himself off with an air of utmost nonchalance.

“Here,” Lou says, lobbing a ball of fabric at Rusty. Her aim is remarkable, and Danny almost asks if she ever played softball before deciding he likes his well-being more than teasing his sister’s motorcycle-riding, brass-knuckle-owning girlfriend. It’s fine; next to him, Rusty huffs an amused laugh at the unsaid comment anyway. “Happy Christmas Eve.”

Rusty unfolds the fabric to reveal a truly hideous (and possibly offensive) Christmas sweater. It’s got red sleeves, a green torso, and a large, colorful fruitcake emblazoned on the stomach. Above it, in red and yellow, is text that reads FRUIT CAKE. “I love it,” Rusty says, pressing his lips together in that way that says he’s trying his damndest not to laugh. “It’s perfect.”

Lou opens her coat to reveal her own sweater, hers saying Ho Ho Homo. “I thought the theme was appropriate.”

“And for you, dearest brother,” Debbie says, pulling an atrociously-colored wad of wool out of a paper bag and chucking it at him, “you get the best of both worlds.”

With a mounting sense of horror, he recalls the year that he insisted on putting teal and orange streamers across the house, because it’s Hanukkah and Christmas mixed! That was the last year their parents had lived in the same house; Danny used to joke that it had been the final nail in the coffin for their mother. He pinches an edge of the cloth between two fingers and lets the rest fall open. It’s a Miami Dolphins holiday sweater. A teal-and-orange, festively-patterned Miami Dolphins sweater. Oh, his Boston-bred father would be frothing at the mouth. “We’re in Canada,” Danny says, equal parts shocked and awed. “How the hell did you get this here so quick? We were supposed to be meeting in Quebec until three days ago--”

“Danny, please learn what priority shipping is,” Debbie says. “Now c’mon. Wear it.”

There’s no way he can back out of this. If he refuses, she’ll just play the I thought you were dead card. He’s never regretted a decision more.

He puts on the sweater. Rusty-- his partner, his right hand, the love of his life-- wolf-whistles.

“I’m divorcing you,” Danny announces.

“Don’t worry,” Lou says with a grin, and is that her phone oh fuck she’s got a picture-- “Debbie, take off your coat.”

With the air of someone who has suffered the weight of the world, Debbie shrugs off her jacket. She’s wearing a matching sweater, and the dolphin on this one has a lovingly-embroidered smiling mouth stitched into it. Danny tries very, very hard not to laugh. “Shut it,” Debbie warns him.

“Oh, I’m not saying a thing,” Danny replies.

“We actually did get groceries,” Lou says, turning back to the door, “so--”

“Lemme give you a hand,” Rusty says. “Let these two bask in the joy of their new sweaters.”

“Fuck off,” Danny and Debbie say in unison. Rusty grins, cheery as ever, and leaves Danny’s side to follow Lou out the door.

“Great gift,” Danny says. “I’ll be laughed at by Reuben for the rest of my days.”

Debbie snorts, walking into the kitchen and rooting around in his cabinets. “Well, actually he’d-- wait, please tell me you didn’t, like, have gross old people se--”

“Shut up, Deborah,” Danny replies, feeling his neck heat up. “I’m only two years older than you. And no.” He refrains from adding on a “not this time.”

“Thank God,” Debbie says, pulling a glass out of the cupboard. “Anyway. Reuben’s not gonna laugh at you, he’s just gonna talk about your embarrassing baby stories in whatever groupchat you people have.”

Danny wonders how his baby sister got to be cooler than him. It’s very distressing. “That’s worse.”

“Yep,” she says, putting the pitcher down and picking her now-full glass up. She leans on the wall across from him, sipping her water, and narrows her eyes at him. “Are we, y’know... good?”

“Why wouldn’t we be?” Danny says. Besides the thirty years of vaguely pretending the other didn’t exist.

“I’m not gonna answer that,” Debbie says. “But... I’d just like to make sure. ‘Cause you’re the only not-completely-insufferable blood relation I have.”

Neither of them say anything for a moment; Danny picks at a loose teal thread, trying to think of how best to phrase the thoughts rattling around in his head. “I don’t hate you,” he finally says. “And I don’t dislike you, either. You’re a pretty good sister. And a great thief.”

“I know,” she replies. “I’m not gonna say it back, ‘cause then you’re gonna get an inflated ego.”

“Works for me,” Danny says, grinning a little.

“I guess it’s just... I mean, I let all the old resentment get in the way of, y’know. Having a decent relationship, personally or professionally.”

Danny nods. He’s still got the scar from the time they both went after the Ruby of the Isle; he’d won, but just barely, and only because he had Rusty and she hadn’t found Lou. But at the end of the day, neither of them have tried to kill the other, and they still did grow up together, playing in Atlantic City casinos and building sand castles under the boardwalk. “I think we’re too old for that now.”

“You’re the old one here,” Debbie replies, no bite in the remark.

“Only two years,” he reminds her. “But I did the same thing as you, letting petty grudges get in the way of family, and for that I’m sorry.”

“I am, too.”

“Thanks, Debs.” He frowns. “They’re taking a really long time to get the groceries, aren’t they?”

As if summoned, the door opens, and Rusty and Lou, each with a measly two bags in their hands, walk in. And Rusty has his phone in his hands. “Rus, I swear--”

“Too late,” Rusty grins, as the shutter sound rings out through the living room. “That outfit has already been immortalized.”

“Have I already said I’m divorcing you? I’m divorcing you.”

“Does it count as fratricide if he’s your brother-in-law?” Debbie asks.

“Disproportionate reactions,” Rusty accuses. “Besides, I’ve already sent it to Linus.”

Danny’s eyes widen. “Not Linus.”

“You heard me.”

His phone vibrates in his pocket. It’s a text from Linus Caldwell himself, consisting of a single thumbs-up emoji and two grinning cats. “You’re all terrible people. Terrible, terrible people.”

(the sweater rusty is wearing is real) (as is lou’s) (and the ocean siblings’)

[kd-holloman]

Oh, Hell D1 Ch 17 - Israfil

Hello, everyone! I have to admit that this chapter is probably one of my favorites so far! I can't pick just one excerpt because I like it so much. So, have a few!

I stop at the entrance to the room. I turn around to look down the rocky tunnel we’d come through, but it’s gone. Behind me is a golden marble wall with no windows and heavy golden vault doors in the middle. Ahead of me is a massive casino floor. Marble pillars go up, up, up, and fade out of sight. Demons in suits deal cards at crowded tables, mortal souls play the slot machines, and take turns at massive roulette wheels.

“Are you coming, Mr. Jones?” The demon asks.

“Yeah, sorry.”

We wade through a crowd standing at a table. A woman in a bloodstained dress lets out a despairing wail as the dealer hits her with another card. “Please, give me another chance!” She pleads. “I promise if you give me another chance I’ll do better!”

“Sorry ma’am,” the dealer says. He doesn’t sound repentant. In fact, he seems like damning her is the best part of his day. “You knew the terms and conditions before we dealt the hand. You lost.” With a twitch of gloved fingers, he gestures to someone in the crowd.

A bigger demon shoulders his way through and grabs the lady by the arms.

“No!” She shrieks, trying to kick herself free as she’s dragged through the crowd, “Let me try again! Let me try again, please! I promise I’ll do better!”

I watch as she disappears through the sea of souls crowding the casino floor.

“Mr. Jones,” the demon says, turning around to look at me. Her forked tongue flicks impatiently. “The Boss is expecting you. He’ll be displeased if we keep him waiting.”

*

I don’t have to wait long because the chair spins around. There’s a child lounging in it, legs over one arm of the chair, elbow propping his head up on the other. He doesn’t look to be any older than ten in mortal years. “How nice to see you again, little brother.” He gestures to the massive glass window in the adjacent wall. “Do you like what I’ve done with the place?”

The words sound so strange coming from a child’s mouth. I have questions about the pit, but my entire walk across Hell’s casino floor and the grandiose nature of it all has me tongue-tied. “Isn’t it a bit much?” I ask.

“I don’t think so. Then again, I’ve always been quite eccentric.” He stands up and walks toward me, hands stuffed in the pocket of his red sweatshirt. The closer he gets the colder it gets. It’s not like he’s radiating cold, rather he’s sucking the warmth from the air. “I have to admit, when I heard you were looking to speak with me I was shocked.” He passes behind me. I feel an icy finger trace along the base of my wings, right along its scar. “Then again, maybe not. You and I aren’t so different, after all.”

I tense, teeth clenched. I’m ready for him to push down, to hurt me. “We’re not the same.”

“Aren’t we?”

“No.”

“I think you and I are more alike than you want to admit.” He gestures for me to stand next to him and turns to the window. “You and I were both shunned from Heaven. You fell down, down, down. It’s a hard fall, isn’t it?”

I stare out over the casino floor. I grit my teeth but try to keep my face neutral. He’s a leech. If he knows he struck a vein he’ll keep burrowing until I bleed out. “We’re not alike.”

“Sure we are! Both of us got kicked off of the team. That’s something we have in common. I wanted to lead a rebellion. You fell in love with one of the . . . apes.”

There it is, the vein.

“Was she really that good in bed, Iz?” It sounds absolutely vulgar falling from his childish mouth. His finger presses harder on my wing scar. “Was she worth this?”

The pain almost makes me fall to my knees. I groan. “Fuck you.”

“Oh, that’s rude. I’m just a kid.” When he appears on my right side, he’s no longer a child. He’s a strikingly handsome man with a halo of golden hair and flawless skin. There’s not an ill crease or stray piece of lint to be found on his impeccable suit. He turns his hand over, revealing an apple. It’s so shiny I can almost see my reflection in the red skin. “Apple?”

“No.”

*

Lucifer’s eyes flash. They’re colder than the air around him. “Don’t forget who you’re talking to, Israfil. I could smite you right here and now. Do you know why I won’t?” He doesn’t wait for me to respond. He leans in close and hisses, “Because I’m going to enjoy hearing about how you eviscerate yourself each time you cut down a Nephilim; it’s tripping over your own sword and landing on the blade. One of these days it’s going to be too much for you to handle. When you’re ready to stop running from Heaven, you’ll know where to find me.”

Tag List: @vivian-is-writing, @tiredlittleoldme, @pe-ersona, @hydrated-bag-of-bones, @gay-melon, @saint-l0nely, @wildler

(Ask to be added/removed)

[fortheloveoffanfic]

After Party

Keanu Reeves x Reader. Request (A/n- have some smutty, bass player Keanu on this Friday night. Edit: I can’t believe I used the wrong ‘bass’ the first time *cries in dumb*)

Warnings- SMUT/NSFW, casual sex

Keanu’s navy blue t-shirt was soaked through with exertion, clinging to his skin. The crowd roared excitedly and the air felt electric. Like his band mates, Keanu was lost in the feeling, high on both the music and their audience’s exuberance. He had never been a fan of the limelight, but that, that was different; playing the bass, his fingers working the instrument expertly and the wide grin splitting his lips was enough to tell anyone how much he loved it.

There were people around her, too much maybe, but Y/n didn’t care. Like most of the other concert goers, her hands were in the air as her body moved in time with the music and she’d probably had way too much to drink by then, her inhibitions slowly withering away. “Aren’t you glad we paid extra for the VIP tickets?” Her best friend, Haley yelled, her voice combating the music.

“Definitely!” Y/n returned loudly. Originally when they’d made plans to see Dogstar during her birthday trip to Las Vegas, Y/n and Haley had planned to snag themselves a couple of general admission tickets and spend the rest of their money on an extra hotel room, but somehow, Haley had convinced her that being in the front row and getting into the backstage meet and greet would be way better than sleeping in separate rooms, and by extension, separate beds. And, as it turns out, she was right. Seeing one of her favorite Indie-Rock bands like that wasn’t something she was going to forget very soon, even if she was already drunk. “I can’t believe it’s almost over!” Y/n whined after the front man announced that they were on their last set for the night.

“Are you kidding me?” Haley laughed loudly, “The night’s just getting started! We have the meet and greet and trust me, its just gonna take one look at your outfit to get you an invite to a private concert,” Haley wiggled her brows, her words slightly slurred.

“Yeah, okay,” Y/n rolled her eyes, “Because hot celebrities wanna fuck a part-time nanny,” she huffed, finishing off the drink from her red plastic cup.  

“You never know,” Haley winked, teasing as she clumsily brushed some hair out of her face.

After the concert was through, fans had started clearing the huge hall on the ground floor of the hotel, some leaving while others with VIP passes, and even those who’d managed to dupe the security, headed backstage for the meet and greet. Things were signed and pictures were taken, but at some point, fans had started to leave there too. All except for a small crowd of women who managed to grab the men’s attention. By some odd miracle, Y/n and Haley had found themselves in that crowd, engaging in giggly conversation and tipsy, flirty jokes. 

They were all seated in what seemed to be a small lounge area in a corner of the room, surrounded by instruments and other stage equipment. There; short, black, velvet upholstered sofas were arranged close together around a matching, low, round table, littered with drinks, plastic cups and beer bottles. There was even a rogue cigarette pack or two mixed into the clutter. Haley was on the end of the chair in front of the table, while Y/n was wedged between her friend and another girl who’s name she didn’t even know. Music played loudly and the aroma of liquor hung in the air, adding a certain ambiance to their low lit, makeshift party.

“Look at that,” Haley nudged Y/n’s arm, nodding her head towards the other side of the glass coffee table, where the band was sprawled out, drinks in hand. 

“What?” Y/n chortled, trying to see what Haley was seeing, no longer interested in whatever was going on around her.

“Look at him,” Haley nodded subtly to a man, maybe five years older that Y/n, dressed simply in t-shirt and jeans, his hair hidden by a beanie, “He’s totally checking you out,” sure enough, his dark gaze was fixed her, half of his lower lip caught between his teeth, skewing his halfhearted smirk. 

“That’s Keanu Reeves,” Y/n giggled quietly, “There’s no way he’s checking me out, he’s probably just looking at someone else. Or, you know, he’s drunk out of his mind.”

“Only one way to find out right?” Haley wiggled her brows, a bad idea clearly in the making. By most definitions, both Y/n and Haley were adrenaline seeking risk-takers. They liked the rush, excitement and partying till dawn if the opportunity arose. But even then, Y/n always thought that there was a line, even if it wasn't defined or out-rightly related to their situation, it was always there, and somehow, Haley almost always managed to cross it. Before Y/n could even protest, Haley was leaning forward, trying to get Keanu’s attention, “Hey,” she snapped and when he looked at her, she smiled, bright and mischievous, “Hi, I was wondering; are you checking out my friend?”

For a minute, Keanu seemed stunned, and Y/n internally cringed at Haley’s boldness. All she wanted was to be swallowed whole by a spontaneous fissure in the floor, or at the very least, to never cross paths with Keanu again. That might have been more likely. Though, when his initial bewilderment morphed into a confident smile, Y/n felt heat rise to her cheeks, “Well that depends,” he planted his elbows on his thighs and clasped his hands together, leaning over the table in Y/n’s direction.

Y/n huffed, tilting her head and letting her hair sweep carelessly over her shoulders, “On what exactly?”

Keanu moistened his lips, “On if you’re interested or not,” he scooted rather gracefully to the edge of his seat, and Y/n did the same. No one seemed to be paying them any mind, though, if they were, Y/n didn’t notice, “If you are, then maybe we could get out of here.”

Briefly, Y/n silently checked with Haley, who just gestured for Y/n go. “Okay,” she bit back a smile, only standing to follow Keanu’s lead. Watching him go, his band mates, Brett and Robert whooped and offered him a couple other noises of approval, though Y/n could tell that Keanu was largely ignoring them, snaking his arm around her waist and offering her a swing from a bottle of hard liquor that he had swiped.

“Where are we going?” They spilled out into the hotel’s lobby, squinting at the brightness, a stark contrast to the smoky dimness of the small room backstage. Because Vegas never really slept, the lobby still buzzed with life, guests moving in and out and the casino opposing the auditorium showed no signs of closing soon, even if it was well past midnight. 

“Well,” Keanu looked around, “We could play poker,” he gestured to the tables peeking through the grand doorway, “Or I could take you up to my room.”

Y/n huffed, a small smile still tugging at her lips. In another instance, she might have pushed him away, disgusted by his arrogance in thinking that she'd willingly go to his room. But she was drunk past caring and she’d be lying if Y/n said the thought hadn’t crossed her mind. Snatching the bottle, she stole a few more mouthfuls, the tequila burning her throat as it went down, creating a warmth in her stomach that seemed to spread through her veins. Turing in his arm, Y/n cocked an eyebrow, “Lead the way hotshot.”    

Scoffing a chuckle, Keanu led her to the elevator, which turned out to be surprisingly empty on the way up. His hand around her slid to Y/n’s back, settling on the curve of her ass, just as she turned to kiss him, heated and hungry. “You know,” he mumbled against her lips, walking until he had Y/n pressed up against on side of the elevator, the reflective metal of the wall cool against her bare thighs and exposed arms, Keanu’s large calloused hands now on her waist, underneath her lace blouse, “I’ve been watching you all night, dancing with your friend. Anyone ever tell you that you look fucking sexy when you dance?”

Y/n’s pupils were blown with lust and she could feel Keanu’s hard on dig into her stomach, restrained by his jeans. As he spoke, his hands skimmed her body, passing over her mini skirt only to dip under the hem, going cup and squeeze her ass, “No,” Y/n moaned, arching into Keanu’s chest when  he lowered his lips to her neck, trailing kisses from her jaw, going downwards, his stubble rough on her skin.

“Well, you do,” he breathed, his lips warm and wet on her soft, silky skin as he sucked the sensitive spot behind her ear, “You kept distracting me, like a little vixen,” he growled, curling his palms under her thighs, hosting her up into his arms, Y/n’s legs, “And I don’t even know your name.”

“Y/n,” she offered breathily, “Nice to meet you,” she giggled.

“Keanu,” he returned, though, Y/n didn’t need an introduction to know who he was, “Nice to meet you too.” Less than a beat later, Keanu resumed his onslaught on her neck, eventually scooting her up some more so he could bury his face in the valley of her breasts. Y/n’s head lolled back, one hand travelling to shove off his beanie and grip a fistful of Keanu’s short hair, pressing his face closer to her chest.

Neither of them even realized that the elevator doors had slid open, too busy to hair the little, automated ‘ding’. What they did hear though was someone loudly clearing their throat. Y/n’s cheeks burned, taking on a rosy hue while Keanu smiled sheepishly, setting her down. “Come on,” he eventually snapped out of it, taking her hand and brushing past the hotel guests waiting to get into the elevator. 

Between giggles, sloppy kisses and teasing gropes, Y/n and Keanu, hand in hand, staggered towards his room, all the way at the end of the hall. When they got there, he clumsily unlocked it with his key card, barely having a moment to turn on the lights before he was crushing his lips to Y/n’s again. Their limbs tangled as they simultaneously tried to undress each other; he went for her blouse first, while Y/n pawed at the buckle of his belt. Eventually, articles of clothing were being tossed aside and by the time Y/n and Keanu stumbled through the open doors leading to the bedroom, they were left only in their underwear. 

Keanu maintained a grip on her curve of Y/n’s waist while she cupped his cheeks, walking backwards to the made queen sized bed. The lights in there were off and in the process of trying to make the way, they bumped into the dresser and even managed to knock over some things. When they were standing on the edge, Keanu hastily picked Y/n up again, only to deposit her length-ways on the bright white sheets. She fell with a quiet yelp, giggling breathily when Keanu yanked her panties off before getting out of his own underwear. 

With the aid of the city lights filtering through the closed curtains, Y/n could make out a few defining features, a well toned torso, a very impressive package and a devilish smirk. Likewise, as Keanu got onto the bed, pulling Y/n’s legs apart and getting situated between them, he could easily make out her breasts and her sensuous curves, along with her hair, fanned out around her, like a silky halo. If he weren’t in so much of a hurry for things to escalate, he might have taken more time to admire her, but what he could see made Keanu’s cock throb appreciatively and instead, he gave her legs a tug, pulling her body closer. 

He lowered his lips to ravish her chest, taking her hardened right nipple in his mouth, his tongue swirling around, his teeth gently grazing her skin when he eventually pulled away to favor the other one. Y/n moaned softly, eagerly pressing Keanu’s face chest. His stocky fingers trailed along her inner thigh, brushing her warm, wet folds, wasting no time before he was rubbing the sensitive bundle of nerves, Y/n’s back arched to meet his touch.  Keanu worked her clit encouragingly in slow, circular motions, at times alternating between that and rubbing it with the ‘v’ of his middle and pointer fingers.

“Keanu,” she pleaded breathlessly, “More.” One of Y/n’s delicate hands run up his front, barely grazing the vertical scar on his stomach and up his firm chest before settling to settle on his shoulder, her other one circling his girthy shaft, pumping slowly, her thumb occasionally brushing over his head. 

As her ministrations grew faster, Keanu’s bucked into her touch, his fingers, now sticky with her arousal slipping into her entrance, curving to hit her G-spot, “You’re so fucking tight,” he praised between nipping and sucking her breasts, “Gonna feel good around my cock.”

The feeling of his fingers moving and out of her was good, but Y/n was growing frustrated with the burning desire for more. “Fuck,” she hissed when his thumb added pressure to her nub as Keanu continued, “Keanu,” she groaned, “God, just fuck me already.”

Smirking, he trailed hot, wet kisses kisses up Y/n’s neck, spending a few extra moments sucking on her pulse point before continuing his journey upwards. Keanu’s free hand skimmed Y/n’s side, his calloused touch sending shivers up her spine. “I want you to cum like this first,” his hot breath fanned her ear, and Y/n shuddered with pleasure when his tongue flicked the warm skin behind her earlobe erotically. 

Soon enough, Y/n’s walls were clenching around Keanu’s fingers, her orgasm sending her vision white as she shut her eyes. Waves of pleasure coursed through her body, her legs weak and shaking, eliciting a loud, sinful moan from her parted lips. Her hand enclosed around Keanu’s erection went limp, though he was too enamored to notice, from what he could see, she looked absolutely spectacular like that; with her head tossed the side, hair falling over her face, lips ajar and eyes shut tight. 

Keanu was about to push into her, when he caught himself, hastily reaching to feel around blindly on the nightstand. There should have been one right…….there. Feeling the cool, foil packaging, Keanu gabbed it up, effortlessly ripping the top before pulling out the condom and rolling it onto his shaft. 

Finally, Keanu sheathed himself inside of her drenched cunt, groaning lowly at how Y/n felt cocooning him. “God,” his voice was gravely and his jaw clenched, “You feel so fucking good.” Y/n’s only response was a needy whimper, already longing for more. For another moment, Keanu lingered inside, giving Y/n a much-needed minute to adjust to his size, before striking up a steady controlled pace, exiting fully before driving himself back in. 

Y/n’s arms went around Keanu’s middle as her legs tangled behind his thighs, eventually wordlessly urging him to flip them over. Now on top, her palms traveled up his chest, her nails sinking into the top of his shoulders to steady herself as she rode him. Keanu’s hands ran the length of her torso, eager to fondle her boobs, loving Y/n’s mewls of pleasure as his thumbs brushed her sensitive nipples, the remnants of her first orgasm being smeared on her chest. 

Rolling her hips, Y/n felt Keanu’s balls hit her core each time she came down, and his throbbing veins rough, the feelings adding to her ecstasy. Her broken sentences were already garbled and the makings of her second climax in the works.

The slight curve of his member easily hit her deepest points of pleasure, and eventually, one of Keanu’s hands abandoned her swollen breast, two of his fingers reaching between their joined bodies to eagerly rub her over-stimulated clit, his thumb pressed firmly to her mound. Y/n raked her nails along his chest, eventually settling on his pecs. 

Through his bleary vision, Keanu admired the way Y/n’s messy hair fell over her face, how, when his other hand slid to her waist, her breasts bounced with each movement, her sounds contained in her throat. “I’m close,” she admitted, her pace growing sloppy.

“Me too,” his hips bucked to meet hers, a couple digits still rubbing her clit as the other moved again, that time to knead her ass, “Come on baby,” he encouraged, “Milk my cock.” Keanu’s dirty requests were enough to push Y/n over the edge. Without further warning, Y/n shuddered around him, her pussy squeezing Keanu tighter, her legs mimicking bonelessness. 

Keanu hissed as he cock pulsed, buried deep inside Y/n, twitching as he shot ropes of creamy release against her walls, the only minor hamper being the latex barrier. The feeling was euphoric; he could feel the tingling down to his toes and his vision went stark white for a second, blind spots dancing on his eyes even as it faded. 

Breathing heavily, Y/n winced as she eventually pulled herself off of Keanu, collapsing onto the bed next to him. Their chests heaved and beads of exertion coated their bodies; Keanu had only just realized that the A/c wasn’t even on. Y/n’s eyes were heavy, and out of the corner, to her left, she could see that Keanu was still staring at the darkened ceiling, faint smile still quirking his lips. “It was very nice to meet you, Keanu,” she teased, giggling softly. 

“Likewise,” he chuckled, finally turning his head towards her. Again, the lapsed into silence, but it was only for a short while. “So,” he began, “Do you have to get back to your friend anytime soon?”

Knowing Haley, she’d probably left with one of Keanu’s band mates, or some other guy, intent on spending the night the same way Y/n was spending hers. They probably wouldn’t have seen each other until midday. “No,” she furrowed her brows, intrigued by where that was going. 

Leaning up on his crooked elbow, Keanu brushed stray locks away from Y/n’s neck and face, shrugging nonchalantly, “Good,” he chortled, swinging one leg over her, his lips connecting with hers and his already hardening cock against her thigh giving Y/n enough of an explanation. 

*******

Tagging- @harrisongslimited​

[theotheroccassionalfanficwriter]

Summertime Story

Summary: The Lantern Night people had come to visit town! Fireworks, food stalls, festival games! Helping Mammon pay off his debt! Underneath this festive atmosphere a single wish blossoms in your heart,

“I want this moment to last forever...”

Based on the Summer Festival Event.

Rated: T for Teasing Mammon about outdoor sex  ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

Tags: Established Relationship, Too Much Love for Mammon, Yearning, Love Words are: Acts of Service, Words of Affirmation, Quality Time, Physical Touch, with a dash of Receiving Gifts, B-I-N-G-O.

--

The day had begun in a peaceful manner, and you were enjoying a rare moment to yourself in which Mammon was not particularly in need of your affection, in this case it meant that the two of you were just holding hands underneath the dining table and eating breakfast with one hand. It was peaceful precisely because Levi wasn’t making a fuss over it, Belphie and Satan wasn’t throwing an oil tanker to the fire and neither was Lucifer frowning over it.

Summer had come into Devildom and it was officially, a few months since you had been part of the Exchange Program, and a few months since forming a pact with Belphie. During that time, you had done your best to juggle time between the six of them and pursuing Mammon. It had been a rough time, since more often than not your chances either backfired or Mammon himself would end up ruining it. However with the power of love (lol) you were able to successfully confess your love with help from Levi and Asmo and now Mammon and you were going steady for a total of three weeks.

And now you were enjoying a breakfast “date” with Mammon, skillfully ignoring the other background characters (lol). You had been tuning out the conversation, focused on the rare karaage Mammon had brought home last night for you, when your ears had heard the words “casino” and “debt” come out from Mammon’s mouth.

“Eh? You went to a casino without me?” You blurted out.

Which caught the attention of the others. Asmo already had the teasing look on his face as he said, “How cute~ Hey! Mammon how does it feel like having a girlfriend that attached to you?”

“I-It’s not fair! I want someone to say that kind of thing to me too!” Levi whined.

“I love you so much!” Mammon blurted out with a red face, an apology of sorts for not bringing you out with him to play.

“Hehehe... you’re so easily pleased aren’t you?” Belphie teased you as you snuggled up and melted into Mammon’s warm embrace.

You opted to ignore him and instead told Mammon, “If you needed money, you should have come to me!”

“Oi! You understand he’s like that because you keep on spoiling him right?” Satan said, worried at how easily you spoiled his idiot older brother.

“?”

The look of confusion on your face easily told him that you had become an idiot for love. But a quick glance at Mammon rubbing your face together and intermittently kissing your face in different places made him realize you still, at the very least, had your IQ points.

“Tch! Both of your deserved each other” Satan grumbled as he looked away at the sickening display of affection.

“Anyways! Please help me out with the stall!” Mammon begged, “I can’t just use my wife’s money like that after all.”

“I’ll ignore what you just called our Master but sure I’ll help you out~” Asmo agreed.

“I’ll do the same” Beel added.

“Me too” Levi spoke through gritted teeth.

“In that case I’ll do the same and head out for the library to figure out what stall we should do” Satan replied and headed out.

“Well, it seems like you’re having fun so I’ll do the same.” Belphie said before finishing up his breakfast.

“It’s rare to see all of you this cooperative” Lucifer commented as he watched with wide eyed disbelief that his troublesome brothers were cooperating this smoothly.

“We all probably have ulterior motives though...” You replied, still snuggled in Mammon’s hold and now being fed by him.

“We?”

You hummed and addressed Lucifer’s unsaid question,”Yep. I just want to spend time with Mammon.”

Hearing this words only invigorated Mammon’s love for you further and made Lucifer torn between exasperation and fondness for your love of Mammon. 

-

After the brainstorming session on the library, the whole lot of you with the exception of Lucifer started to practice making Candy Apples.

Carefully following Satan's instructions Belphie and you poured the sugar into the dyed water carefully. All of you watched in fascination as the sugar melted into the water.

"Hehe this feels like we're about to make poisoned candy apples~" You were amused at the thought of such mischief.

"Just be honest and say this feels like we're a couple of witches brewing poison" Satan outed your inner thoughts.

You turned your head around and gave him the kitty blep. Belphie had interrupted the fight before it could even escalate with a well-timed question,

"Should we stir it?"

"We probably should? I remember that burnt sugar tastes bad" You frowned as your brain recalled the taste of your burnt caramel pudding.

Your answer had led to Belphie to start stirring in panic. Mammon, your darling demon, in his impatience, grabbed the stirrer from Belphie's hand and began to stir enthusiastically.

"Oh crystals are forming?" Asmo looked at the cauldron, you took a peek as well and realized that there was indeed crystals.

'Ah...I messed up...' You looked sadly at the wasted efforts just as Belphie angrily asked,

"Whose idea was it to stir it?!"

Levi, your saviour, decided to shift the blame on Belphie. You sent him a grateful smile and secretly decided to pamper him a little bit more, once the opportunity arises.

"Let's just feed this batch to Beel" You told them as you took the tray away and delivered it to Beel.

"Ahahaha, you're treating Beel like a disposal unit!" Asmo laughed in amusement as he recalled all the times you had fed Beel your failed cooking and desserts that just didn't meet your standards.

You blushed as you remembered how much time the three of you had spent baking and cooking just so you could give a home-made lunch set to Mammon. It had ended in vain due to a mishap with a lower demon but you couldn't deny the happy feeling of Mammon eating the fallen spicy squid rice ball you had made for him.

"It's delicious! You should cook for me next time~!" He had teased you.

"This is just me being practical..." You hmphed at him and gently stomped your way out of the kitchen as they began to make a new batch.

When you were faraway enough to not overhear anything, Asmo chimed,

"She really does spoil all of us doesn't she?"

Mammon happily agreed, "Isn't she just the best!"

"Of course you'd say so, out of all us, you're the one she spoils the most!" Levi grumbled as he began washing a new batch of apples.

Satan hummed to show his agreement, "You must be so happy getting exactly the kind of lover you want."

Mammon blanked out for a moment before he remembered what Satan was talking about.

"I want someone who'd invest on me as much as I'd invest on them!"

He remembered the sticker you had sent at that time. Your cute and almost childish enthusiasm and your following comically rude disinterest at the following answers. It was in the early days of your stay when they were all interested in you, not as you were, but as a human they happened to be living with.

Mammon smiled softly and replied, "I am! That's why I'm doing this for her!"

Satan stared at him in shock.

-

You came back to see that others were resting while Belphie was still going at it.

"Anything I can do to help?" You asked him as you silently settled across him and stared into the cauldron.

"Keep me company? It's rare to see you and Mammon not attached to the hip." Belphie answered, soft smile gracing his lips.

You nodded your agreement and proceeded to talk to him about mundane stuff and the occasional gossip you would get from your succubi and incubi Tea Appreciation Club members. It was an open secret among your demons that the club was really just a front for Gossiping. And Diavolo allowed it simply for the fun and sometimes useful nuggets of information you'd tell him on your weekly report about the Exchange Program.

"Oh! I think you've got it down Belphie!" You noticed the perfectly melted candy and Belphie happily ordered you to prepare the tray of apples.

"Aye aye, Captain!" You saluted him and then quickly assembled the tray and watched him pour the candy over the apples.

The two of you watched the candy dry in glee and cheered.

“Let’s do the next batch?”

“Let’s take a taste test first,” Belphie replied as he took one candy apple and gave it to you “Here, take it.”

You gingerly took the apple and happily took a large bite on the side. You closed your eyes and gleefully savored the sweetness of the candy that worked well with the light sourness of the green apple.

“Is it delicious?” Belphie asked.

“Yep! You should have a bite!”

You moved the apple towards him and Belphie took a bite on the opposite side. Seeing him eat the apple made you laugh as you remembered the story of Eden. Belphie had looked at you in confusion and you explained,

“Bit on the nose isn’t it?”

You smiled and gestured to him, the apple and then yourself, “A demon, an apple and a woman.”

Realization sinks in and Belphie laughs lightly. “Well the apple certainly wasn’t green at that time.”

Your eyes widen at the implication of Belphie’s words however he refuses to elaborate what he meant.

-

The next couple of days were spent building and designing the stall. It had been fun painting the sign board, coming up with the prices just on the side of a little bit pricey without outright scamming the festival goers, flirting with Mammon, convincing Lucifer to let Diavolo drop by (Barbatos had seen through your attempt at free advertising), and scheming to get Lucifer's fan club to drop by (Lucifer had caught wind of it and you were given an impromptu running exercise). As the final preparations came to a finish, you couldn't help but ask a few questions about the festival itself,

"Ne ne Satan~" You poked at Satan's arms "Do you know if there would be fireworks shows at the end?"

Seeing your inquisitive look Satan began telling you what to expect at the Festival,

“These demons have different culture than the ones you typically see at RAD, theirs share a commonality with the human world’s Japanese Culture. An example would be the food stalls and the game stalls, the clothes called Yukata, animal masks, fireworks show and of course the Bonfire dance.”

“What’s the differences then?” You asked.

“Well...I guess the difference lies on the intent behind the bonfire dance?” Satan mumbled as he held his chin with his hand in thinking position, “Up there, the humans do the Bon Dance to guide their spirit ancestors to the underworld, in here the Lantern Night folk lights the fire to welcome those who arrived.”

“Lord Diavolo rents them an entire mountain range to use for this occasion,” Lucifer added “Though this event had always been here even before we arrived.”

“Then it’s just sad Dia-chan never got around to drop by until now~” You frowned at the thought that it took a long time before Diavolo even considered to drop by the festival until you invited him (with harmless ulterior motives that Barbatos let go).

“Dia-chan?” Lucifer repeated with a thunderous expression on his face.

“Get over it, I’m his human best friend.” You told him non-nonchalantly and wandered off to help and flirt (again) with Mammon.

The day of the festival arrived and as all of you were preparing to head out, Asmo had arrived with presents.

“Oh! Is it food?” You asked excitedly, trusting that Asmo knew your tastes by now but seeing the pout on his face you knew that any hope of having a light snack on the way was null.

“It isn’t! Jeez, why are you like Beel whenever someone gifts you something?” Asmo whined and you laughed at him.

“Because food is life.” You answered and then winked at Beel who was happy to support your claims.

“So what present did you get for us?” You asked once you had your fun and let Asmo do his thing.

“Ta-da~! Levi and I made clothes for us to wear at the festival~!” Asmo handed out the paper bags to the rest and presented yours with a flourish, “This one was specially made for you~ I had to hunt down the exact fabric and accessories just to make it come true!”

Seeing the proud look on his eyes, you happily praised Asmo and then some. You didn’t forget to praise Levi as well and happily watched his face turn red from embarrassment with your heaps of praise before inviting him to cosplay with you sometime.

“Hehe~” You hid your giddiness behind the wide and long sleeves of the soft white kimono. Admiring the detailed phoenix embroidery on the left side, while pink hand painted cherry blossoms littered at the bottom of the hems. the thin gold threads that formed clouds made it sure that the phoenix was soaring upwards.

“Thanks a lot, Asmo! I really like this!” You thanked Asmo once more before praising him for his cuteness and assured him he’d be a body breaker with how good he looked.

As each of the brothers went out to show their festival clothes, you made sure to praise each and every single one of them. Naturally, Mammon received most of your praise and appreciation, you made sure to thank Asmo once more for his nice assist. 

“Mammon you look so handsome in your yukata!” You praised your boyfriend and made sure that he knew you were throwing very appreciative looks on his well-toned abs even if it was partially covered by bandages. You even patted his chest, taking the chance to grope his firm pectorals.

“Oi! Do that kind of thing at our bedroom!” Mammon lightly admonished you, as he gently grabbed your wandering hands and held you tightly against him.

“We can do it too if we find a dark secluded place in the forest...” You whispered to him and then loudly added, “You can grope me too if you want~! I’m allowing you to do so! Actually please do so!”

“Oi! Don’t tempt me here!”

You laugh at his agitation and kiss him before quickly running away with Asmo and Levi on tow.

-

After setting up the stall, you and Mammon were on the first shift. You watched in amazement as Mammon turned on his charms and easily sold the first two pieces of Candy Apples. You silently thanked your lucky stars that your Mammon wasn’t a ladies man but was instead just as utterly devoted to you as you were towards him.

“Hey, you should try calling out for customers too” Mammon gently nudged you to call out for customers and you gathered up your courage to at least contribute to the sales.

“Hey, Handsome!” You called out to the fox demon, “Come try our glossy candy apples!”

“Is there anything special about it?” The fox demon asked you.

Your mischief senses tingling to make a sale made you answer, “The special thing about it is that we sell it as a pair! Give the other half to the one you like and you’re guaranteed to have a wonderful event~!”

The fox demon blinked at you and hesitantly asked, “How did you— ”

“Handsome Fox-sama~ Our apples are guaranteed to help you have a beautiful memory from this event~ also seeing how much effort you put in tonight, a little luck from Enmusubi-sama won’t hurt!” You winked at him and you knew that he had fallen for your sca—sales speech.

“Then I’ll take two, please!”

“Here you go~! Two candy apples to go!” Mammon wonderfully assisted you and the two of you spent the shift doing excellent sca—sales work.

As the shift came to an end, Mammon began asking you what you wanted to do. You thought about it for the moment and said, “I want to see all the stalls while holding hands with you! And I want to see if they have fortune telling stalls too!”

Mammon blushed at your words and shyly said, “O-ok! As a reward for doing well, I’ll take you around and do everything that you want!”

“Then in that case I’d like to add that I want to dance with you around the bonfire. watch the fireworks with you at the end of this festival, and share a kiss that could lead into something else with you in a dark secluded space.” You looked at him in the eyes, conveying the seriousness of your wish.

“The-the last one might just be a bit...”Mammon trailed off as he stammered and felt his face heat up.

You made sure to show him your well-honed (courtesy of Asmo) puppy-dog eyes. And boosting up your charm just to get a sweet, passionate kiss from Mammon like both of you were part of a shoujo manga special.

“Grah! I got it! I got it! I’ll ki-kiss you at the end of the fire works show so stop giving me those eyes already!”

“Hurry up and leave you shameless PDA couple.” Satan told both of you off with dead fish eyes.

You did as Satan said and quickly pulled Mammon away from the stall to start of the date. The two of you idled around, sampling snacks and feeding each other.

“Here, have a drink. You’ve earned it” Mammon placed the cup of iced tea in your face and you took a sip from the straw.

‘Indirect kiss~ get!’ You thought happily as you drank.

“You did really great compared to how you used to be when talking to other demons” He praised you as you finished taking a drink, he tucked in the stray strands of hair away from your face and you blushed at the intimacy of his actions.

“It was all thanks to you...”

You looked away from his loving eyes, and squeezed his hand tight. You knew that most changes you had could be attributed to Mammon and your never ending desire to keep his eyes on you.

“Wh-what’s with this cute act!? Do you want a kiss or something?” He stammered and you could only shyly snuggle closer to him and nod slightly.

“Yes, please.”

Mammon leads you away from the crowd and prying eyes, the two of you were now tucked behind the stalls and Mammon’s hand was gently cupping your face.

“You’re really spoiled you know that?” He complains and yet his eyes were soft and fond of you.

You had always heard that eyes were the window to the soul and Mammon’s eyes told you everything he felt for you. And as always you couldn’t help but drown in them. You watch his face get closer to yours and you closed your eyes as his breath mingled with yours.

Mammon’s kisses would always begin in this way, soft and cautious. Always giving you a chance to pull away, even if everything in you would always seek him out, he kisses you like you were something infinitely more precious than the gems and countless treasures he stored away from the House of Lamentation. He kisses you in a way that never allows you to doubt for a single moment that you weren’t important.

He pours everything that he feels into his kisses and you accept all of it and give him back everything that you are. You drown in his love and let yourself grow weak in the knees and Mammon, your devoted demon, never fails to catch you and hold you close to him.

-

The rest of the shifts you had were a blur of events as your mind kept on wandering to the kiss Mammon gave you behind the stalls. It had felt different and you didn’t know why. This in turn made the situation feel like it was the start of the Exchange Program once more, and everyone but Mammon could see that you were crushing on him. The difference was that this time Mammon was aware of the blush on your cheeks, the reason behind your increased heartbeat and coquettish looks that you’d send to him.

He would without fail take his chances to payback for all of the times you’d tease him and you would take it like a champ even if you stammered or blushed your way through it.

Levi who couldn't stand it anymore got fed up and told the both of you to go PDA somewhere else.

“Be back before the fireworks show.” Lucifer said as Mammon took you away and proceeded to do everything that you asked of him.

The two of you garnered attention with your matching themed festival clothes, the dragon and the phoenix. Female demons would sigh and look at envy with the careful and gently way Mammon treated you, his doting and affectionate looks towards you made you feel muddle-headed while increasing the envy of the female demons. 

The unsatisfied female demons who were single made up their mind to buy the blessed candy apples, while the ones who weren’t glared at their useless lovers and asked why they can’t be treated as sweetly as you. Thus, every demon that got criticized for not being as romantic as Mammon silently cursed your boyfriend in their heart, you were oblivious to this of course.

The two of you drank the free cup of sweet sake given away for those who got their fortunes told, and continued to leisurely walk around the stalls while holding hands. You spotted a stall selling couple charms and asked, “Can we check out that stall? I want to buy matching charms.”

Hearing the word “Matching” Mammon began walking towards the stall and enthusiastically began picking the ones that would look best for the both of you. Among the numerous charms you saw a pair of maneki neko and took it. Examining it carefully for damages, you turned to Mammon and said, “Darling, what about this?”

“Hm? What does it do?”

The vendor seeing her chance answered Mammon, enticed by the idea of gaining more luck when it comes to money, he bought it for the two of you. As all vendors of charms are to do, the crow demon lady also advertised a red thread of bracelet as a couple charm. Knowing the lore behind red threads, you shyly handed over twice the amount and bought it for you and Mammon.

Both of you thanked the lady demon and went off. You were admiring the woven red thread bracelet on your wrist, adoring the idea that you had tied your fate with Mammon. Seeing how happy you looked at something that was cheap, Mammon wondered if the bracelet you had tied to his wrist meant something deeper but he remained silent and instead opted to admire the pleased look of your face and fell in love with you all over again.

He tugged you closer to him and bent down a little bit to whisper to your ear, “ The bonfire dance is about to start, let’s go?”

Your ears reddened at the warmth of his breath and you remembered the kiss again, you could only weakly lean against him and nod your head. Mammon, seeing you so docile and practically transmitting your love for him to all demons and angels within range, made him smug. He leads you carefully towards the bonfire, and masterfully leads you to dance. Your hands clasped together, bodies close, and the warm light of the fire as both of you gazed at each other lovingly was the envy of all who were watching the dance.

You knew that Mammon was no angel, but the way the light shone upon him made him look so soft, and your love for him was overflowing that it hurt. But it was a pain you had grown to be familiar with. A small silent proof that you were capable of loving, and that you were worthy of being loved back.

As the time for the fireworks drew near, Mammon and you slipped away and headed to a spot he knew. It was up into the mountains and a secluded viewing platform that was overgrown with trees and grasses.

You glanced down to your linked hands and smiled at the realization that not once had he let go of your hand. You couldn’t help but keep on smiling, smiling so much for the whole evening that your face hurt. Today’s Mammon had made you realized how lucky you were to love and be loved by someone like him.

Mammon who was always considerate of you, silently taking care of you, and always looking out for your best interest. You recalled all the times, he’d cook for you and secretly put all the best parts on your plate, the times he’d just hang around you all day when you’d wake up with a heavy heart and body. You remembered how he had happily supported you with your naivety of saving that other version of you, how he always had your back and supported you unwavering in his belief on your abilities even when you doubted yourself.

“Look!” Mammon called your attention as he pointed into the sky.

The first firework exploded like a blossoming flower on the sky, and then came the next and the next until the Devildom sky was decorated in varieties of colored fireworks. You were mesmerized and couldn’t help but let out a soft, “It’s beautiful...”

You turned to Mammon and met his eyes, soft and utterly in love with you.

“You-you should be watching the display...” You hid your blush behind the sleeves of your kimono.

Mammon let go of your hand and you looked at him in confusion, he chuckles at your displeased look and instead brings out a velvet box. Your heart stammers and you feel blood rushing to your ears.

He calls your name softly, preciously, sweetly, as if it was as holy as his Father’s name and to him, your names was perhaps even holier than God’s. A name meant to be said only with love, a name that carried so much meaning for him. You had carved a hole in his heart and filled the empty spaces in him with your love. Your love had changed him irrevocably, remade him into a better version of him, made him unable to think of a future that didn’t have you in it and fear such possibilities.

You had made him care for you in a way that he had forgotten since he fell, and Mammon wanted you to take responsibility for it because he was no longer just the Avatar of Greed, one of the seven Rulers of Hell. He was now your Mammon, your lover, your most beloved demon, and most devoted avatar.

“Is this...?” You trailed off, not daring to hope too much on what a small box could mean.

“There is no such thing as marriage among demons not in the way humans do, not in the way angels used to have...but I can give you my vow, to love you as I always had in this obscure and inhuman way where I give all of myself to you.”

You tear up as his words envelop you and Mammon continues, ever so gentle with you as he whispers the words only meant for your ears, “Let me continue loving you in spaces between my ribs and in my heart, in the shadowed and rough edges of my soul, allow me to join you in your darkest days and happiest hours, i’ll weather the wind and rain for you...all I ask is that you give me the entirety of yourself...the bits and pieces that you hide because you think I am capable of being disgusted by you, those parts of you that you hate because it is the worst of you and you think it is ugly.”

“Mammon...”

“I don’t know how to love the way you humans do, all I know is that I love you as simple as the fact that my heart, sometime ago, without me knowing began to beat for you.”

Your tears flow, and you could only give him a choked up, “Yes.” 

Mammon smiles with tears in his eyes as he slides the ring into your ring finger and kisses you on your forehead. You do the same to him and the two of you snuggle together and watched as the show slowly came to and end. You stare at his content face, and you can’t help but wish,

“I want this moment to last forever...”

Mammon blinks before his a wide mischievous and doting smile blossoms on his face, “In that case let’s start the tradition of spending this festival together from now on!”

You happily agreed and once more linked your hands together, red bracelets intertwined without you or him realizing.

[rinneganwritings]

Never Far Away; Chapter Nine: Only Love Can Break Your Heart

Word count: 3,346 Summary: Tamako finds herself feeling very lonely and unsure of what the future might hold for her. She meets up with Itachi, who shares some devastating news. This sparks a new flame in Tamako.

Warnings: Slight NSFW content

Masterlist

Tamako is tired when she and the other women arrive in the new village. It’s shiny, bright and the lights are very attractive. Tsunade wanted to come here because of the casino, Shizune just wanted to get somewhere to stay the night, and Tamako was just following because she had nowhere else to go.

She often thinks about how her encounter with Itachi had gone miserably, and how it didn’t go according to how she had planned it. She wanted to see him again and maybe try to explain to him how she was feeling, but she knew he’d probably just send her away again. Tamako was starting to believe that Itachi’s feelings for her had diminished or dissipated long ago.

Her heart ached as Tsunade finally led them into the beautiful and luxurious inn. This was such a better looking inn than the last one they had stayed in. Tamako is wondering how they’ll be able to manage to stay here, but Tsunade knows her way around people. She’s got a few tricks up her sleeves.

“C’mon, kiddo. Let me show you how to get a free night stay,” Tsunade coaxes, and Tamako follows her inside. Shizune trails behind them, a little unsure.

Inside, the host is a stuffy older man who looks to be about Tsunade’s real age. He seems a little snooty, but Tsunade doesn’t let that stop her from following through with her plan. Tamako watches her saunter over to the counter, and she tries to mimic her actions.

“Hi there,” Tsunade says in a sultry voice. Tamako almost starts laughing, but manages to keep it together.

“What can I do for you?” the older man asks. He seems a little weary of the three women, but he tries to stay professional.

“We’d like a room… but, we’ve got a bit of a predicament,” Tsunade says as she starts to push out her chest. Her large breasts sit on top of the counter. Tamako looks down at her own breasts, which aren’t Tsunade’s size, but they are growing well.

“I can’t help you then. You need money to rent a room.” The older man warns, pointing towards a sign that reads “No money, no room”.

Tsunade throws her hair back a little, then she slowly undoes her shirt to reveal her tits to the older man. He takes in the sight for a moment, then turns away from all the women. Shizune and Tamako share a confused look.

When the man turns around, he’s holding a rag up to his nose and a room key in the other hand. He hands the key to Tsunade, who blows him a kiss after she’s adjusted her shirt. Tsunade then guides the other two towards the hallway, laughing slightly.

“Wow, that’s a great trick!” Tamako exclaims as they begin climbing the steps towards their room.

Tsunade smirks, “It’s only too bad it works mostly on just men. I’ve had it work on a few women, but they mostly aren’t too impressed.” She then looks over to Tamako’s chest. “You could probably do this as well, if you’d like. You’re not as flat chested as I thought.”

Tamako blushes and crosses her arms over her chest. It’s not often that people make comments about her body, and especially not since she’s become a young woman. Sasuke had made a few dumb comments once when they had gone swimming one day, and he had accidentally seen her breasts. Tamako thinks that maybe that was the first time he’s ever seen a woman’s chest.

“Lady Tsunade, I think that’s enough for tonight. You might be making Tamako a little uncomfortable,” Shizune pipes up as Tsunade finds their room.

“Awhh, let me have fun. Tamako isn’t bothered, right?” Tsunade looks over at Tamako.

“Oh, yeah I’m alright!” Tamako shakes off her uncomfortableness, realizing she needs to get used to this kind of life. She’s a rogue ninja now, and there will be times where she’s going to meet all kinds of crazy people like Tsunade.

When Tsunade opens the room, Tamako is in awe. It is gorgeous, roomy and lush. The carpets are a pastel pink color, while the walls are cream. There’s a large window that showcases the view of the whole town. Tamako has never stayed anywhere this fancy, and this place was even better looking than her room back at home…

‘Oh...home. I’ll probably never stay in that room again.’

Tamako felt so crushed for a moment, standing in the entryway as Shizune and Tsunade inspected the room. Shizune turns towards Tamako, giving her a small smile. Tamako takes a second to take a deep breath, then she starts to look at the luxurious furniture in the room.

“I’m glad you have that trick, Tsunade. I’ve never stayed anywhere this nice,” Tamako says briefly.

“Yeah, it definitely has its perks!” Tsunade explains, jiggling her breasts. She snorts for a moment before turning to Shizune, “get it? Perks!? ‘Cause my tits are so perky?”

Tamako giggles while Shizune groans and rolls her eyes, but Tamako notices a smile on her face. The women look around the bathroom and the bedroom, noticing it’s nice and roomy everywhere.

“I think I’m going to turn in for tonight, Lady Tsunade.” Shizune explains, but Tsunade is a little upset.

“No way! We just got here! C’mon, let’s go have a drink!” Tsunade cheers, pulling Shizune by the arm. Tsunade begins dancing with her, but Shizune just kind of stands there awkwardly.

“Please, Lady Tsunade. I’m tired, and I would like to make use of that bathtub.” Shizune pleads, and Tsunade narrows her eyes at her.

“Alright, but only because I’ve got Tamako here with me.” Tsunade says, wiggling her hips as she walks over to Tamako. Tamako laughs.

“Fine, but I cannot get drunk like last time. I’m still kind of a lightweight,” Tamako says, scratching the back of her head nervously.

“Ohhh, come now. You’re Takani’s daughter, it shouldn’t take you too long to start drinking like she used to.”

At the bar, Tsunade orders them a bottle of sake. They use some of the winnings from the last card game they played to pay for the liquor. Tsunade explains how using the boob trick a lot can make it lose its appeal to some people.

They sit in the corner table, watching for drunk or naive men to pass by. Tamako is dressed in a rather tight kimono, which stops just under her ass. She’s never really worn anything this revealing before, but she knows that Tsunade talked her into it so that the men might give them money or buy them booze.

“You really do look like her,” Tsunade slurs, already a little buzzed.

“Like my mother? Everyone says that. Yumiko favors my father, to be honest.” Tamako explains, leaning her chin on her palms.

“Yeah, she did. She’s flat chested and has a stick up her ass just like he did!” Tsunade says, laughing loudly. She hiccups and then blushes. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean that.”

Tamako just chuckles, “don’t worry, I know how Yumiko can be. She’s tough as nails and she had to grow up fast, so she didn’t always have the most time for fun.”

Tsunade pours them both another drink, and she realizes the bottle is empty. She gets up on shaky legs to get them another bottle. Tamako watches her from the table, wondering if she’s always been this dumb. Her heart hurts as she thinks about Itachi. There’s probably a good chance that he’s fallen out of love with her long ago, and here she was, ruining her life to chase after him.

“Penny for your thoughts,” Tsunade says as she places another bottle of sake on the table.

“I think I’m making a big mistake.” Tamako confesses, covering her face with her hands.

Tsunade places a comforting hand on her shoulder, rubbing soothingly as she allows Tamako to wallow in her own self-pity. Tsunade knows how that feels, and she’s definitely felt this kind of pain before. Sure, it’s not quite the same kind of situation, but the pain is a similar one.

“Well, I don’t know about that,” Tsunade says as she pours them another drink. She passes one of the drinks to Tamako, then Tsunade downs her own.

“It’s just, I didn’t expect Itachi to trick me. I really thought he loved me,” Tamako begins. “I know it’s been some time since we’ve seen each other, but love can’t dissipate that fast, can it?”

Tsunade thinks for a moment before laughing, “Hey, let me just say one thing. There was this guy on my team when I was younger, and he has never stopped loving me.”

Tamako looks at her in shock, “Orochimaru?!”

Tsunade bursts out laughing even harder, making lots of the patrons in the bar start staring at them. Tamako isn’t sure how to react. Orochimaru wasn’t a good person, and for him to continue loving Tsunade forever, maybe it meant something good for Tamako and Itachi.

“Oh, kiddo...you crack me up. I meant Jiraiya, but I do think that maybe Orochimaru had the hots for me too. Most people think of me that way,” Tsunade says confidently. Tamako sighs a breath of relief.

“Let’s just say, Itachi probably didn’t stop loving you. If anything, he might be trying to protect you. But besides that,” Tsunade leans over to get closer to Tamako. “What are you going to do about your sister? She’ll never stop chasing you, you know?”

Tamako frowns and downs her drink, “I know. I’m hoping she’ll just stop eventually from sheer exhaustion, but I’d also hate that for her. I still love her so much, but she needs to let me become my own person.”

Tsunade eyes her for a moment, “you need to live your own life, kiddo. She’s your sister and she’ll always try to protect you, but you need to make your own decisions.”

Hours after leaving the bar, Tamako lays in bed staring at the empty ceiling. She couldn’t shake the anxiety her conversation with Tsunade gave her. She hates this guilty feeling that’s rising within her, building up in her stomach and making her feel like she’s going to vomit...or cry.

Tamako gets up quietly, and she grabs a jacket and her shoes. She needs to go outside and clear her mind. Being in this lush room doesn’t really help her understand her true feelings. The moon is large and bright, and the stars are calling to her.

Once she’s outside of the inn, she starts walking down one road, which leads to some beaten down path to the outskirts of the town. It's a quiet night, except for a few lovers who are walking about. It makes Tamako long for her own companionship. There’s a part of her that thinks maybe she should have stayed in the village, and maybe she could have waited for Sasuke to grow up a little...then maybe they could have gotten together. Sasuke isn’t her first choice, but he is reliable and familiar. He’s still a kid though.

Tamako barely pays attention to what she’s doing, though her ears are trained to listen for small noises that could mean an enemy. When she hears the call of a crow, her heart stops beating for a moment. She hopes it’s Itachi, but she figures it’s really just wishful thinking.

Those thoughts are swept away when she sees him standing in front of her. He’s got a stern look written on his face, but his eyes are telling a different story. Within them, there is sadness, love and a touch of guilt.

“Tamako, you didn’t listen to me.” Itachi says, and Tamako stops right in front of him.

“Why should I? We don’t even know each other anymore,” Tamako retorts coldly. Itachi can feel a sadness invade his mind when he hears her tone.

“You need to listen to me. Have I ever steered you in the wrong direction? I’ve always tried to guide you properly, and so has Yumiko.” Itachi argues, walking over to her. He’s hesitant to touch her, but he can’t help himself. He brushes back a few stray hairs, and he cups her cheek.

Tamako wants to be angry and yell, but she melts right into his touch. It’s been so long since he’s given her attention like this. Even if it’s momentary, she’s going to enjoy it as much as she can. Itachi looks deeply into her eyes, and she can tell he’s fighting back tears.

“Even if you were to come with me,” Itachi starts. “It’s not like I have much longer.”

Tamako pulls away, staring at him in disbelief. She’s not even sure what he’s talking about, but she really doubts this has anything to do with enemies or a bounty. Itachi has done good to keep himself stronger than most and mostly well-liked, despite slaughtering his clan.

“What are you talking about?” Tamako asks. Itachi sighs, and he can tell he’s already told her too much.

“I am ill, Tamako. It’s not something I can cure, but I can treat it. Even with the best treatments, my life is diminishing quickly.” Tamako can barely concentrate on his words. She doesn’t want to think about what this actually means.

“You mean...you’re going to die?” Tamako asks. Her breath hitches in her throat as she clings to him. He wraps his arms around her, holding her close and kissing the top of her head.

“This is partly why I didn’t want you to follow me. I thought by the time I would perish, you would have moved on to someone else. I would have hoped that your teammate would have charmed you enough, but as luck would have it, your feelings are strong just like my own.” Itachi explains, tears falling from his eyes. He can’t help it.

Tamako sobs into his chest, crying out and repeating “no” over and over again. She can’t handle this right now. It’s just too much information to take in. Her heart breaks as Itachi tries to comfort her as much as he can.

“What if I tried to find a cure? I could do that for you,” Tamako looks up at him with tears in her eyes. Most of them have spilled over, but she looks so pitiful this way. It’s really making Itachi weak.

“Tamako, love...please, don’t ever do that. I need you to understand that your life has so much more potential than mine. You cannot dedicate your life to mine, alright?” Itachi says sternly. “Besides, I do not want you to watch me die.”

The words hang heavy between them. Tamako wants him to take her away and live a quiet life in the forest together. Itachi would love to be that selfish and do the same, but he cannot. He can’t bring himself to ask that of Tamako. He loves her dearly, and he’d never be able to die peacefully if she made it her life’s duty to watch him die.

“Let me learn medical ninjutsu, and I’ll cure you. I know I could, if you just let me try,” Tamako pleads.

Itachi shushes her quietly, placing a tender kiss to her forehead. Without thinking about it, Tamako leans up and kisses Itachi softly. He holds her closely, feeling the tears in his eyes well up once again. He wants her, and only her, but this cannot be her life.

While she’s not paying attention, he places her under another short genjutsu so he can return her to the room in the inn.

Tamako is in the kitchen, cooking dinner with Mikoto while they wait for Sasuke, Itachi and Fugaku to return home. Mikoto is going on and on about how Itachi was becoming a very skilled policeman just like his father, and Tamako is gushing over this as well.

Tamako and Itachi have just gotten engaged, and soon the wedding bells will ring. It’s going to be such a blessed and happy day in summer when those two finally wed. It had almost been decided since they were children. Mikoto and Takani got pregnant roughly around the same time, and the two women bonded over that. Itachi and Tamako grew up together, and as they got older, they fell in love with one another.

The door slides open, and Tamako and Mikoto hear Sasuke announcing his presence. Behind him is Itachi and Fugaku. They all enter the kitchen, and Fugaku kisses Mikoto.

Itachi walks over to Tamako and wraps his arms around her. He presses a kiss to her temple before whispering, “I’ll always love you.”

Tamako snaps out of the genjutsu a little quicker this time. It’s left her so heartbroken, but so much more determined than she’s ever felt in her life. When morning comes, she’s resolved to ask Tsunade to take her on as another apprentice.

Tamako needs to learn medical ninjutsu so she can figure out the cure for Itachi’s illness. Tamako knows that there are so many cures for illnesses, and even though some of them are hard to find, she will make it her life’s duty to find it.

Nothing could take that away from her, and nobody will talk her out of it. Even if it takes longer than she’d like it to, she will continue to strive for that cure. Just know that Itachi still loves her after all these years has spurred her on.

When morning finally arrives, Tamako is basically bursting with excitement. While her heart aches for Itachi and she worries about him even more, she knows she can do something for him. Tamako has been wanting to train under the legendary Tsunade forever, and now this is her chance.

“You’re looking different, kiddo. What happened to you?” Tsunade asks as she gets ready for the day.

“Lady Tsunade, would you teach me medical ninjutsu?” Tamako asks, and Tsunade laughs. It’s not the first time she’s heard this, and memories of Shizune come to mind.

Shizune was so young when she asked Tsunade to teach her ninjutsu, but also they had a bond seeing as Shizune is Dan’s niece. Tsunade felt a little bit of an obligation with Shizune, but now the same situation was kind of presenting itself.

Tsunade sighs for a second, mulling it over. She had been planning this shinobi sabbatical for quite some time, and she wondered if it were even a good idea to teach Tamako something so important. Besides, what had happened to Tamako that made her so eager to want to learn this?

“This is pretty tough stuff to learn. Are you sure you’re willing to listen to me no matter what?” Tsunade quizzes, and Tamako nods. Tsunade studies Tamako’s reaction, and it makes her realize that maybe Tamako has found out about something that’s making her want to learn medical ninjutsu.

“Of course, I am completely ready.” Tamako is practically bouncing up and down, making Tsunade chuckle.

Tsunade smiles, “alright kiddo. I’ll train you.”

She’s a little worried about how much of this training Tamako can take, but she knows that Tamako is strong. She is Takani’s daughter after all, and while Tsunade is mostly known around these parts, Takani was such a force to be reckoned with. Tamako had definitely inherited that from her mother as well as her beauty, but Tsunade could see that determination that Nakachi had.

Tsunade has a good feeling about it, despite a few reservations she did have. It seemed like a good plan for Tamako, and besides, it could keep her out of trouble. Tsunade decides to take on Tamako as her student, and with that, she decides to send Hiruzen a message that Tamako is not a rogue ninja, she is just looking for some guidance outside of the village.

Maybe, this will keep Tamako away from Itachi for some time. Tsunade knows that will be her end goal anyways, but if she can distract her for some time, it may change.

[leilabeaux]

Luck Be a Lady

Chapter Two

Masterlist | One

Pairing: Alex x Reader

Word Count: 2590

Summary: Alex and Reader enjoy some dinner, drinks, and games. Could this be a date?

Warnings: Toying with infidelity, people freely scrolling though someone else’s phone with no disregard

----

Alex pressed his back against the wall next to your hotel room door. With his hands tucked into his pockets and his legs crossed at the ankles, he waited for you to come back out. He tried to downplay the large smile on his face but it was hard. The theme of his night was playing it cool and to not seem like a lovesick fool but he was in disbelief over his luck. When Bianca said she was going to bring her friend over, he was temporarily stunned to see the same woman that had caught his eye at the airport two days ago.

He was waiting in baggage claim with Marco who was busy listing all their potential plans during their stay when he got distracted by a faint coconut scent that floated by. He looked over to see you walking past him going toward the baggage carousel. Whatever his friend was saying was now just background noise as he couldn’t help but stare at you. You were smiling and seemed like you were making small talk with an older couple next to you as you waited for your own bag to appear. 

Just as he was fine-tuning his plan to approach you with his not-so-smooth line of “Excuse me, Miss, I think you dropped this dollar. By the way, you are beautiful and will you please let me take you out sometime”, he looked up to find that you were gone. After being caught up on the one who got away, Marco reassured him that there would be plenty of other women he could hit on. He had to agree with him because what were the chances he would run into you again? Obviously, it was greater than he thought.

The sound of the door opening brought Alex out of his thoughts. Your curls were now in a messy bun on top of your head and just as you promised you were dressed more comfortably in simple tee, jeans, and your chucks which he figured probably felt like walking on a cloud to you after being in heels most of the night. He also noticed that you still had his jacket on.

“Sorry, I’ve decided that I’m keeping this. I think it looks better on me anyway,” you said with a mischievous smile as you tucked your hands into the pockets.

“I can’t really argue with you on that one. But I’ll be taking it off of you one way or another.” He countered, instantly regretting his choice of words. No more saying out loud how you want to take her clothes off, he thought to himself.

You raised your eyebrow in response, “Hmm..I doubt it. Don’t worry, I’ll give it back to you eventually.” You turned down the hallway, going toward the elevators with Alex following close behind you.

He once again felt like luck was on his side when you didn’t throw his jacket in his face and politely tell him to fuck right off. He reminded himself to reign in the comments and glances he’s been giving you before he scared you off and you decided to cut your night short. But as he became distracted by the slight swing of your hips, he thought that maybe he was in over his head.

----

The trip to the buffet was just one elevator ride down to the second floor of the hotel you were staying at. Although it featured various cuisines to choose from, you and Alex both bee-lined toward the sushi bar and unashamedly stuffed your faces full of raw fish while washing it down with beer. 

You declared yourself full as the busboy picked up your empty plates so he had a look of confusion when you left and then came back to the table with a brownie topped with ice cream. Without needing him to say anything, you quickly responded that there is always room for dessert.

If he only knew how much you enjoyed your sweets, he would have waited a moment before taking a sip of his beer. You gave a soft moan as you took the first bite of your brownie. Unprepared to hear such a sound come from you, Alex had choked on his beer and gave a few coughs to clear out his throat.

“Don’t die on me, kid. Maybe you should try sipping slowly,” you giggled and then brought another spoonful to your mouth. All the drinks you’ve had so far was giving you a warm buzz.

“Kid?”, his voice raspy as he was still trying to clear his throat. “I’m only seven years younger than you!”

“Only seven years? Aw, you really are a baby boy!,” you said with wide eyes. You couldn’t stop giggling when Alex started pouting and crossed his arms across his chest. “Don’t be a Mister Grumpy Gills! I’m just being a little shit. You should be honored, I’m only mean to the ones I like.”

Alex took another sip of his beer before leaning back in his chair and continued to pretend to be hurt by your teasing. Even if he were, he imagined it would be hard to stay that way for too long. All you would have to do is flash him a smile and all would be forgiven.

You had set your spoon down and rested your chin against your fist as you started to stare off toward the fountain display at the center of the restaurant. He pulled out his phone and decided to take advantage of the moment, capturing a couple shots of you. It wasn’t his camera but it will have to do for now. As he got ready to take another picture, he glanced at your left hand and noticed the ring you were wearing.

Alex’s heart fell. Why didn’t he notice this before? Were you wearing it this entire time? His mind went back over the past three hours he had spent with you so far and he couldn’t recall you mentioning a husband or any form of a significant other. He didn’t want to confirm what he knew to be true but he had to.

“How long have you been married?” He asked as he tried to erase the look of disappointment that he was sure was all over his face.

You appeared to be startled. He wasn’t sure if it was because of the interruption or because of the question itself. You brought your hand down and glanced at the offending ring on your finger. “About eight years,” you answered simply.

“And why aren’t they here with you? Turning thirty seems to be pretty significant, I know if you were my wife I’d be busy spoiling you and celebrating it with you,” Alex was tempted to add in bed but now really wasn’t the time.

“He wasn’t able to come. That and me and Bi wanted to have a girls only kind of trip. He’d probably be miserable doing all the corny touristy things I love to do,” you cracked a smile at this. “He’s the one treating us to all of this anyway so it’s like he’s here in spirit.”

“Is he a good husband?” He groaned internally because he couldn’t stop asking questions that he didn’t want to know the answers to.

You tilted your head as if to ponder his question before nodding, “Yeah. Definitely not perfect, but yes.”

With the warm smile on your face after you spoke, Alex figured right then and there that he stood no chance. He tried to take some consolation in the fact that you were at least being treated with the respect you deserved. He downed the rest of his beer with a large gulp as he prepared to wish you a good night and pray that your friend had already vacated his room so he could sleep his sorrows away.

His intentions were interrupted by your small gasp. “Hey! Let’s gamble and lose some money!” You didn’t even give him a chance to answer as you stood up from your table and marched over to the casino floor.

He got up from the table and quickly followed. Wounded or not, he wasn’t going to deny you anything.

----

“You were up fifty dollars! Why didn’t you stop playing?” Alex could have sworn he only took his eyes from your machine for one second and then he looked back to see you were down to the last dollar.

“Because I thought I could get more but then I didn’t. So I decided that I just wanted to break even but...uh, then I didn’t,” you pulled on the handle of the slot machine and then frowned when you came up empty once again.

He could only laugh at your sad explanation. Now he understood why after you withdrew $100 from the ATM, you handed him the cash and declared that he was in charge of the funds. 

“Maybe we should hit up the tables?” you suggested as you slipped off the stool, making sure to not forget your free drink that a server had previously offered you. Maybe not so free since you were now down twenty dollars.

“I guess if you want to lose your money even faster,” he said. He pulled out his phone and tried to get a shot of the rows of lighted up slot machines, thinking it would make an interesting picture.

“Ooo! Let me see!” You pulled down his arm so that his phone would be more at your eye level Smiling up at him, you asked, “Do you have any others?”

He scrolled through his photos to find the ones he had taken when he was back home before handing his phone to you. He didn’t know why but he was nervous as you flipped through the album. There was a part of him that was seeking your approval, a part of him that wanted to make you proud.

“Alex…,” you looked up at him in amazement before going back to scroll through his pictures. “I don’t claim to have the eye of an art critic but these are good. Like real good.”

“I mean they’re okay--” he started to say before being interrupted.

“Uh-uh, you don’t need to be humble around me. ‘I don’t feel comfortable saying I’m professional yet’, my ass,” you said mockingly as you flipped through his photo album.

“I just meant that I don’t get paid to do it,” he tried to defend himself.

“I think you could if you wanted to,” you were taking a sip of your mixed drink when you paused at one picture in particular. He could have sworn he saw a tinge of red starting to flush across your cheeks. “Oh. Ohhhh...I’m sure a gal would pay a pretty penny for this one. Did you put this one on your tinder?”

You pointed the screen toward him to let him see what you were referring to. Taken in the privacy of his own bathroom, Alex was wearing only a pair of grey sweatpants with one hand in his pocket and the other holding his phone as it took a picture of his reflection. He lept toward you trying to take the phone away from your hands before you delved even deeper into his photo album but you were too fast for him. With your back pressed against his chest, he again tried to wrestle it from your grip but again he was coming up empty.

“And what is this one, I see?” 

He quickly tried to think if he had any other incriminating pictures that he forgot to delete. Embarrassed, he looked down at the screen fully expecting to see his own dick staring back at him but instead all he saw was you. He let out a breath he didn’t realize he was holding.

“Were you expecting me to find something else? Should I keep searching?” you asked cheekily.

“Nope!” He finally managed to get his phone back, “I think you’re done.”

“Laaaame.” You whined as you continued walking between the game tables, trying to decide what you wanted to try out. “I am very surprised you managed to get my good side. It usually takes me about twenty tries before I get a decent pic.”

“I don’t know, I think all your sides are good sides,” he stated while falling instep with you.

“Ha, no but thanks for the ego boost. You’re such a charmer. Be sure to keep that up when you get that special woman in your life.”

“Your husband doesn’t try to charm you?”

“He does in his own ways.” 

“But not in the way you like.”

“I’ve always been such a hopeless romantic and he...is not. He isn’t the type to buy ‘Just Because’ flowers but he would wake up early during the winter to scrape my windshield and make sure my car was heated before I left for work.”

“What are ‘Just Because’ flowers?”

You paused to mull over your response, “When it’s just an ordinary day, no obligation because of a special occasion or holiday, you give someone you like or love flowers just because you knew they were having a bad day or just because you wanted to see the smile or just because you were thinking of them. Whatever the reason is, it’s just because.” You continued walking and didn’t hear a reply from him, “Sorry, was that cheesy? I did warn you that I was a hopeless romantic!”

“No, not cheesy at all,” he said as he gave a glance down at you. “It’s just...it sounds like these flowers would have meant a lot to you. Have you tried telling him this? I don’t think you should go another eight years without it.”

“It really doesn’t matter much now.” You polished off the rest of your drink before leaving the glass at a vacant slot machine. “Onto a more cheerful topic, I think I still have at least two more hours left in me before I officially need to pass out.”

“Just two?” He takes a seat on the stool in front of you. With him seated and you still standing, it gave you the opportunity to look him straight in the eyes.

“Yes, it’s way beyond my bedtime.” You crossed your arms across your chest. Although you were more clothed now, he was finding it hard to stay focused on your face. “So I feel I’ve been controlling this entire outing. Is there anything you wanted to do?”

Alex gave a small gulp. He felt tempted to pull you closer to him, to have you trapped between his legs only so he could make his answer clear. But instead he kept his hands to himself. “I’m fine gambling for the rest of the night.”

“That’s nice of you but that’s not what I asked. What do you want to do? Or better yet, what were yours and Marco’s plans before me and Bianca so rude interrupted it?”

“Well…”

----

You stepped up into the back of the SUV, scooting over to give Alex some room to get in as well.

“Are you Y/N?” your Uber driver asked. After confirming this, he continued reading off his app screen,  “And you two are going to the Sapphires Gentlemen’s Club?

You and Alex looked at each other. You giggled at what he was sure was the flush he felt that was taking over his cheeks. All he could think to himself was, this is such a bad idea, kill me now.

Next

End Notes: So, yeah. Looks like they are wrapping up their night with a bang, whether that includes a literal bang. Who knows? Still think our dear reader is ready to risk it all? Are you good at slots (pssh, I’m not!)? Would you allow a stranger to have completely access to your photo album?

[darling-i-read-it]

City Corner Part 2

Mob/Mafia!AU Series

Link to Part 1

Leonardo DiCaprio x reader, Jake Gyllenhaal x reader, Hugh Grant x reader

Margot Robbie, Jodie Comer, Tim Roth, Colin Firth, Timothee Chalamet, Dacre Montgomrey, Natalia Dyer, Saoirse Ronan, Lana Del Rey are also included

Word Count: 2.4k

Warnings: Gambling, mentions of addiction, alcohol, insinuations to smut

Author’s Note: Again, I’ve casted these people as characters and used their names! I got a lot of feedback on the last one so I’m hoping y’all like this enough for me to continue it!

Summary: The reader goes to the casino to see if there is a marriage happening. Saoirse and Lana chat.

Genre: mafia, which is now a genre

(not my gif)

Your headache wasn’t as bad as you thought it would be when you woke up the next morning. You could see your light was still on and your phone was beeping. Not an alarm, probably a text message. You moved your hair out of your face, took a drink of the water bottle by your bed and sat up straight. You shrugged off your jacket from last night and grabbed your phone. It shined light in your face and in front of the picture of Leonardo was a few texts from Natalia.

You had met Natalia through Leo, as you had met everyone on the city corner. You knew, because he was a middle ground, you could see either family without repercussions but you had a soft spot for the twin Firths. They were your and Leo’s age.

‘Hey can you do me a favor?’

You slid open the text and looked through the few things that were there. She had sent you a few instructions to head over to the casino and scope out if Leo was really marrying Jodie Firth. It wasn’t the first you had heard of the arranged marriage. Leo had told you when you had broken up.

You would be lying if you said that you wouldn’t mind going to the casino and meeting the famous Roths. Natalia just wanted you to scope out, see if either of the sisters were there and maybe make some friends. You texted her back, voicing your worry because you had been dating Leo and they may have heard of you.

She recommended you bring someone that has nothing to do with the business so through them off the scent. You got up and threw your phone on the bed, getting into a comfier outfit. You would head there tonight when you had a better chance at being lost in the crowd. After changing you let Natalia know that you would go.

You called Saorise after that but she didn’t pick up. You let out a long sigh. She either had left without letting you know or she was sleeping in. You figured it was the first part. But you did call Jake to see if she had stayed over.

“Heyo,” he said, voice awake. He stayed up all night and still sounded the most attentive than anyone you had ever met. You figured he would need to be aware of everything that went on in his bar.

“Hey Jake, have you seen Saorise?” you asked, looking through your closet to find an outfit for the night. Something simple and not stand outish. You ignored the fact that Leo had bought you most of these outfits.

“Not since she left last night. I got her a cab, she said she had an early morning. Gone again?” You took a breath.

“As it seems. Thanks Jake I appreciate it. I’ll see you,” you said absentmindedly. You held up two dresses and held them up to your body, trying to decide which one was better.

“Coming to the bar tonight?” he asked.

“I got plans. Don’t let anybody drink out of my glass though, it may be a long night,” you said with a smile.

“Your glass will be waiting.” You hung up and looked at the door.

“Someone who isn’t in the business..” you muttered to yourself. That was hard enough considering everyone here was in either an addict or part of the drug ring. You put down the two dresses and walked to the door. You knocked on your neighbors door.

He opened within a few seconds, hair messy and looking just as he had when you woke him up last night. You felt kind of bad for that.

“Hugh are you busy tonight?” you asked, leaning against the door. He admired the fact you had swapped the fish nets for slacks. He was probably the only person other than Leo who had seen you in anything other than work attire in the corner. He ran a hand through his hair.

“I don’t think so. Why?” You smiled.

“Would you like to go to the casino with me? We can grab some drinks there, they’re supposed to be better than Jakes but I still think that's bull.” His smile was charming. You had only had Leo in mind for so long it was nice to be enchanted by someone else for once.

But thinking about Leonardo still made your heart ache.

“What do I wear?” he asked. You shrugged.

“Whatever you think would be appropriate. I’ll pick you up at 8?” He nodded and you went back to your apartment.

---()()()()()()()---

Saorise sat across from Lana, watching her cigarette smoke float above her. She ignored your phone call, eyes trained on the girl across from her.

“You aren’t really letting Leo marry a Roth were you?” Her legs were crossed, the suit she was wearing pristine and the gun on her hip was ready to be used if it was needed. Lana shrugged, taking the smoke out of her mouth. She was wearing the same large featherly white coat that she wore last night but her hair was a little more everywhere due to things that she had done in the dark hours.

“I have no say in what my little brother does,” she said smoothly. Saorise rolled her eyes.

The DiCaprios lived in the hidden part of the apartments, the very top. There weren't many people who knew they were there but because Saorise and Lana were the few people in the middle of the warring families Saorise was aware of where they were at most times.

“But you know he still loves Y/N. Not Jodie.” Lana took a deep breath.

“I’m aware and again, I can’t control him.” She could and she did. Both girls were aware of this. There was no point in arguing. Saorise stood and grabbed her coat off the chair.

“I think she’s going to see Jodie. Eventually, she’ll need it.” Lana nodded.

“Don’t let them see each other. It wont turn out well Saorise.”

“I can’t control her.”

---()()()()()()()---

Margot was sitting at the bar at 9 that night when the casino had just started to pick up. She was drinking the drink named after her, a spiky red one that was a customer favorite for its flavor and its look. He surveyed the room, eyes catching the window where her dad probably was.

He was likely doing the same thing she was. Looking for someone to trick or someone that had plans to trick them. There was always the wonder of when the Firths were going to strike so being attentive was her job, not her sisters. Although Jodie was on the floor that night, unusually.

She was sitting beside her sister, drinking the drink named after her. The Jodie was fruity and tropical. Their dad had made both drinks for a happy medium when they were slinking around. Jodie didn’t drink hers often but tonight she was trying to make amends.

“Nothing ever happens down here,” the youngest said. She took a sip of the drink, pink lips curling around the twisty straw. Margot sighed.

“You have to wait sister.” They had made up tentatively but that was siblinghood. They may hate each other but it was also them against the world. Jodie had a knife in the stocking of her dress and Margot had a gun on the strap under her big coat.

At the same time they sat there, you approached the bar with Hugh by your side. You were laughing, feigning laughter, as you watched Jodie and Margot survey the room. You sat beside the older sister, looking over the menu.

The casino was bigger than it looked it had taken you ten minutes to find the bar.

“I think I’ll get...the Margot please,” you said with a flashing smile at him. Margot raised an eyebrow at the sound of her drink being ordered behind her. She turned on the spinny chair, meaning to make an entrance.

“It's the best on the menu,” she told you. In the back of her mind she was aware that she had seen you and that green sparkly dress somewhere before but she figured it was that you had been in the casino before. Something like that.

You gave her a smile, a genuine one. Easy enough.

“I’ve heard. You’re Margot right? The drink was made for you?” you asked as though you didn’t know. Hugh was sitting beside you, watching the interaction with closed eyes. You didn’t tell him what you were here for. He hadn’t known everything that was going on in the corner and you didn’t want to drag him into this.

“Yeah. My sister, Jodie. And you are?”

“Y/N and this is Hugh.” The name sent signals in Jodies head. Y/N. She almost dragged Margot away to tell her who you were but she waited to see if she was going to lash out or not. She waited with an oblivious look she had gotten good at feigning.

“Nice to meet you. Great taste in alcohol.”

“Well they do let you pick your poison.”

It was at that moment that Leonardo had entered the equation. He was to busy worrying about Jodie when he approached the couple of you at the bar. He hadn’t had a proper date with her yet and he figured it was time. He hadn’t even seen you until he was a few feet away and you were to be trained on the sisters to notice him.

“Leo! Darling I’m glad you could make it,” Jodie said with a smile. She was curious to see how you were going to react. You grabbed Hughs hand the moment you saw your ex. He was caught up in that green dress he had bought you.

“Oh hello. Margot, Jodie.” He paused, taking you and Hugh in. “Y/N. I don’t think I’ve had the pleasure…”

“Hugh,” Hugh said shaking Leo’s hand. You gave him a strained smile.

“You know Hugh I think we should grab some pizza. I don’t want to get to drunk. It was nice meeting you both and seeing you.” Your cover had been blown with Leo here. You had to get out.

“We just got he-”

“You shouldn’t have to gain a gambling addiction on my behalf. Plus I hear the pizza place is good have you been?” You were already up and dragging him away. Margot raised an eyebrow, taking your drink that you hadn’t touched.

“I can’t believe she was here,” Jodie muttered to Margot who nodded.

“You love birds have fun. I have to talk to dad.” She took your drink with her.

---()()()()()()---

“Please stop putting pepperoni on the pizza. There is no need for that much pepperoni on anything,” Dacre argued to his little sister. She was still wearing her ballet outfit from practice and because it was getting late she was hungry for the dinner she had skipped.

“You don’t have to fight my on what I put on my pizza. There is no need to fight me,” she said with a playful smile. The double doors swang open and Dacre turned from sitting on the counter to see you and Hugh walking in.

“Dacre, Natalia, this is Hugh, Hugh, Dacre Natalia. They’re together,” you said, leaning against the counter.

“Dacre and Natlia are together?” Hugh asked and you raised a hand, shushing him. Dacre took a deep breath.

“I’ll have to tell my dad. This isn’t good.”

“Maybe Timmy can marry Saorise.” You chuckled.

“If you think she will ever be married you are sorely-” you started but stopped, looking at Hugh who looked confused. “I have to go home. Can we get a piece of pizza?” You asked, out of breath and tired looking. Natalia gave you each a piece and Dacre was on the phone with Colin when you stepped out again.

“Why are there so many pieces of pepperoni?” Hugh asked. You chuckled, trying not to think about Leo and Jodie. Hugh made it easier.

“All the things that have happened and you just want to know about the pepperoni?” you asked, bewildered. He shrugged, taking a bite. It was a short walk back to the apartments.

“I figured you didn’t want to talk about the rest. Or you couldn’t. I don’t know.” You took a bite of your piece.

“Thank you Hugh. I know tonight isn’t what you expected and everything. I’m sorry, I just needed someone to be there with me.” He nodded, shoving his free hand in his pocket and finishing the last few pieces. You walked up the stairs to your rooms.

You stood in front of your respective doors, staring at each other.

“I can’t come in,” he muttered. You nodded, looking at your hands.

“Next time maybe?” you asked. He nodded and opened his door, walking in, leaving you in the hallway. You dug out your key from your pocket and stared at them, at the door.

And then walked back down the stairs.

---()()()()()()()---

Jake poured your drink the second you walked in.

“Hey princess. Rough night?” The bar wasn’t empty. There was a lot of people at the counter, talking and arguing but he had kept an eye out for you. You walked to the side of the counter and moved the little door open, walking behind the counter.

“You could say that.”

You pulled Jake to you and connected your lips together harshly.

‘My mascara is dry now Saorise, you always have the best advice.’

Part 3

[seancekitsch]

From Her to Eternity: Billy Bennett x Reader

A/N: this is me drinking 9.5% beers and being weak for punk boys churning out self indulgent bullshit, but that’s also like.... most of my writing anyway.

-“So what, did Y/N leave you for Lex or something?” Willie asks in the parking lot of Creepy Daniels. Billy’s been looking for you, but he figured you went off with Saya and Maria. The confused look on his face tells Willie he has no idea what he’s talking about.

“I mean, at that party y’all were all over each other, but she’s been with Lex pretty much every minute since. They’re starting to look like King’s Dominions own Sid and Nancy.” He was right about that. With your wild curls and Lex’s spiky hair, you definitely resembled the doomed couple.

-“No she didn’t- I mean, it’s not like that. We aren’t, we weren’t together.” People thought the two of you were together? I mean sure, you slept in the same bed most nights because you were too lazy to walk back to your own rooms, and you made each other mix tapes. But isn’t that what all best friends do?

-He had honestly been confused where he stood with you the past few days. He remembered being drunk, and making out with you, and then you getting mad and you had been avoiding him like the plague since. But now you were on this trip to help him murder his father, and you weren’t speaking or looking at him. Honestly, he didn’t remember why you were mad at him.

-“Man really? We all thought you were kinda good together.” Willie says, and he leaves it at that. He walks off to find Marcus or the girls.

-Billy doesn’t know why, but that stirs some kind of sadness in him.

-Meanwhile you’re in the bathroom, seated at the counter with your dirty doc martens in the sink and your skirt hunched up at your upper thighs. You’re watching Maria and Saya snort coke. They offered you some, but you prefer Valium to the speed. They’ve been asking about the exact same thing as Willie. Except on your end, you hadn’t been too drunk to remember. They’re listening as they rail lines. Asking questions as they cut up more.

-The night of the party, Billy and you had a drinking competition of sorts on the couch. You played a vicious game where you’d make accusations at each other, and if they were true you’d take a sip. He had accused you of being a kleptomaniac in middle school, secretly taking vocal lessons, and making counterfeit tickets to see the Birthday Party play last year downtown... all true. You had accused him of lying about how much he smoked, of preferring burgers to pizza, and secretly being a cyndi lauper fan... all true as well. And when you accused him of having a crush on someone, he also took a sip. So fifteen minutes later when you’re hot and heavy straddling each other, hands tugging at each other’s hair, moaning and tonguing each other’s throats... you definitely assumed his crush was on you.

-But when you pulled away, you noticed his eyes looking above you. Following his gaze, you see he’s been staring at Petra and Victor readjusting their clothing. You knew they flirted, but did you misread this? Even worse, were you just a rebound for the guy you definitely loved? You felt instantly sick to your stomach.

-“is that a fucking joke?” You scoff. Your anger is spiking and his confusion is rising. “Am i just some rebound?” You’re not going to stick around and take this. Even worse, you fear that any emotion besides anger will start to show itself. You get up from the couch, prepared to get the fuck away as fast as possible.

-He grabs your hand as you pull away, and you snap.

“You will NEVER fucking touch me again. Got it?” You hiss as you rip yourself from his grasp and and turn on your heel to leave the party as soon as possible.

-And that’s when you found Lex. He left the party as well, and the two of you swapped flasks in the graveyard. He listened to you scream about your anger and hurt, and just cheers’d you whenever it felt appropriate.

-And despite what people might think, you would never touch Lex. He was your friend, but in that way that you also thought he was a total piece of shit. He was just the only one who knew what was going on with you so you had a bit of an understanding at the moment.

-Saya’s voice breaks you from your thoughts. “So you’re here to what, show moral support to the guy that broke your heart? Or is there some other motive?”

-“ Moral support I guess. I’m mad, but I still know how much this means to him.”

-“Just DONT let him off easy. Make him work back into your good graces.” Maria chimes in. But did you even want him in your good graces again? You didn’t know if you could have him back the way it was again. You’d want all or nothing, and really how could you see anything with him now, after he hurt you like that? He embarrassed you, even if you were the only one who actually knew about the extent of it.

-You just nod, and stay quiet as you wait for them to finish.

-When you Meet back up at the car, you quickly realize that you and billy are the only ones not tripping your faces off. You’re happily so numb that you’re only speaking in your bad Jean Claude Van Damme impression and you keep running your fingers along the skin of your face and neck to try to feel something. You take a seat in the back, but you notice Billy’s eyes seem sad each time they look back at you.

-everyone split up at the casino, and you bid farewell to Maria and Saya once you got to the motel. You were hoping you could find some dumb older man to buy you enough drinks that you could stumble back to the hotel and sleep good, maybe not dreaming of Billy for once.

-But commotion from the room two doors down from you stops you from doing any of that. Springing into action, you bust open the door, finding Billy on the ground and Marcus trying, and being overpowered by a man you can only assume is Billy’s father.

-Adrenaline kicks in and you run headfirst into action. You kick and sweep Billy’s Father’s legs from under him, but unfortunately that lands him half on top of you. Forgetting Marcus, he wraps both hands strongly around your throat. He’s squeezing and squeezing, and you think for a second you might die, but as fate would have it you keep your wicked life, and you hear the sickening smack of a skull hitting something blunt.

-While your eyes are open, they don’t focus for a bit. Maybe it’s the drugs, maybe it’s almost being murdered. But when they do, all you see is Billy. His eyes are red and there’s spit drying around his lips. Had he been crying? Did you miss that? But he looks like shit. He looks worried. More worried than you had ever seen him in your life.

-“oh thank god you’re okay. I thought I’d lose you for a second. You’re still here.” He’s barely whispering. Keeping this conversation from Marcus I guess.

-“things we do for love, i fuckin guess.” You mutter, but you don’t dwell on what was apparently your confession. You push yourself up and get out of the room as soon as possible, once again running from Billy Bennett.

-And you’re so ready to just sleep all of this off and hide until it’s time to leave, but once again this plan is foiled as Saya Runs down the hallway, nearly knocking you and a drink you managed to score down. She grabs your arm and tugs, pulling you with her down the hallway shouting something about Marcus and Maria being in trouble. You find them, and Billy and Willie and Chico in the alley.

-Everything happens so fast, and before you can think youre trying to rush in between Billy and Chico, seeing the knife, but Billy blocks you, fully taking the blade of the knife in his side. You’re catching Billy, now with a fresh shallow stab wound in his stomach. You let him down gently, and he’s staring at you like you’re the only thing keeping him alive. But you know he’ll live. He just... took a knife for you though.

-“I was stupid the other night, right? I should have known better. It’s always been you” Billy wheezes in your lap, and you finally look him in the eye again. You laugh.

-“You have no clue, Bill. No clue.”

——————————————————

-Hes back on his feet by the time your back at King’s Dominion. That backdoor doctor did wonders on all of you and your injuries. You took shotgun next to him, as Marcus sat in the back next to Maria. Every time he thought no one was looking, he’d try to brush his fingers shyly against your skirt or the skin where the slit in your skirt would part.

-The second you’re back at the dorms, he pulls you into his. He seems on edge, but you’re not sure if it’s because of his father or because he wants to say something.

-He chooses not to say anything, instead clumsily smashing his lips against yours not unlike how he did a week ago at the party. This time it feels different, he’s sober and sure of his actions.

-It’s not until he’s kissing a line of hickies down your neck that he finally says something. “tell me how” another one “fucking stupid i was” another one “not to realize it” another one “was you i loved”

-“Are you into that?” You gasp out. “You want me to tell you how fuckin stupid you’ve been?” In response he groans and rips open the clasp of your bra, which was barely a bra in the first place. It was a mess of mesh and a little underwire, stained with his blood. He’s into that, you note. “You were so blind I should have popped out your eyes” maybe that was pushing it now.

-it wasn’t. He responds by grabbing your hips and falling backwards, making sure you land straddling him on the bed behind him. His hands roam up your skirt, bunching it up around your hips as he pulls your center down on to the crotch of his pants, which now feel uncomfortably tight on him.

-“You didn’t even notice when I gave you a sex mixtape.” You meant it to be another insult, but he perks up.

-“One of those is a sexy mixtape?” You nod and he momentarily brings you back to your feet. You whine at the loss of friction and contact. He makes you point out which one it was and once it’s in the tape deck you almost run back to the bed, ditching the skirt and bra along the way, leaving you bare besides your panties and with spread legs on his bed. Strip by Adam Ant is playing through the speaker.

-He audibly moans at the sight and makes quick work of his own clothes. The stitches on his abdomen are bleeding a little from movement, but if he even noticed he didn’t care. He lunges forward and pulls the panties off in one quick motion, very smooth you notice for someone as sexually inexperienced as him.

-Before Hes even taken a seat on the bed, his right hand is between your legs, testing your reactions. You’re already soaked, and that’s reassurance enough for him to plunge two fingers into you. deep. He hovers over you and presses kisses to your jaw and chest and he bleeds onto you a little, but with the way his hands are moving you can’t seem to mind.

-He has you worked up, almost to the point of cumming when he pulls his hand away and leaves you audibly gasping.

-“Billy I know I called you stupid earlier but I need you. I need you to fill me up baby. “ he chuckles and rolls over so that he’s laying next to you.

-“Climb aboard, Y/N” he jokes, and the two of you have to laugh at how cheesy it is. But you still climb aboard anyway.

-sinking down onto him, taking him fully into you feels like a dream. Literally in that you’ve only ever dreamed about and touched yourself to this thought for the past two years. You had always felt guilty waking up next to him after one of these dreams, but now that all seems to fade into the background. You let out moans at the same time once he bottoms out into you, and you test the waters by rolling your hips into his. He hisses through gritted teeth and his hands fly to your hips to control the motion.

-as you ride him he guides your hips down in the perfect angle so your clit drags against him, making you shake and chant his name. Your hands push down on his chest to steady yourself and your fingernails dig into his lean muscles.

-But as you feel yourself fall over the edge, your arms buckle. He grabs you and holds you close, your face now buried into the crook of his neck, perfect for you to leave some hickies of your own. He shifts so that he is now thrusting up into you, keeping you still as you cum around his cock and he seeks his own release. His thrusts speed up, and what was your come down from an orgasm quickly becomes another one. As you clench around him again, he loses control and freezes, feeling himself finish and the two of you shake and gasp for breath.

-He’s ripped a stitch and there’s now quite a bit of blood on the two of you, but neither of you care. He pulls out of you and smiles so wide you think his face will split in half. You match his grin and give him a peck on the nose. The music is forgotten as he reaches over to turn off the lamp, and then pulls the covers over the both of you.