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nextlegal · 8 months ago
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How to Choose the Best Lawyers for High Court Cases
The importance of hiring competent legal representation cannot be overstated, especially when it comes to navigating the complexities of high court cases. Whether you're facing a criminal charge, civil dispute, or other legal matter, having the right lawyer by your side can make all the difference in the outcome of your case. In this blog post, we'll discuss some essential tips for selecting the best lawyers for high court cases.
1. Specialization and Expertise
When searching for a lawyer to represent you in high court proceedings, it's crucial to look for someone with expertise in the relevant area of law. High court cases often involve intricate legal principles and procedures, so you'll want a lawyer who has specialized knowledge and experience in handling similar cases.
2. Track Record of Success
A track record of success is another essential factor to consider when evaluating potential lawyers for your high court case. Look for attorneys who have a proven history of achieving favorable outcomes for their clients in similar situations. This could include winning court cases, negotiating settlements, or obtaining dismissals of charges.
3. Reputation and Reviews
Researching a lawyer's reputation and reading reviews from past clients can provide valuable insights into their professionalism, communication skills, and ability to deliver results. Look for testimonials or reviews on their website, third-party review sites, or legal directories to gauge the experiences of others who have worked with them.
4. Communication and Accessibility
Effective communication is critical when working with a lawyer, especially in high-stakes legal matters. Choose a lawyer who is responsive to your inquiries, keeps you informed about the progress of your case, and takes the time to address your concerns. Accessibility is also important, so make sure the lawyer you choose is readily available to meet with you and discuss your case as needed.
5. Personalized Approach
Every legal case is unique, so you'll want a lawyer who takes a personalized approach to your representation. Avoid attorneys who use a one-size-fits-all approach and instead seek out someone who will take the time to understand your specific circumstances, goals, and concerns. A lawyer who tailors their strategy to fit your individual needs is more likely to achieve a successful outcome in your high court case.
Conclusion
Selecting the best lawyer for your high court case requires careful consideration of factors such as specialization, track record, reputation, communication, and personalization. By taking the time to research and evaluate potential attorneys, you can increase your chances of securing effective legal representation and achieving a favorable outcome in your case.
Remember, the decision you make regarding your legal representation can have far-reaching implications, so it's essential to choose wisely. Don't hesitate to schedule consultations with multiple lawyers to discuss your case and determine who is the best fit for you. With the right lawyer by your side, you can navigate the complexities of the high court with confidence and peace of mind.
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cerastes · 5 months ago
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Part of what makes Degenbrecher so fun is that she's simultaneously, you know, Broly, but also an incredibly down to earth, reasonable person.
Yeah, she fistfights avalanches to test her skills as if that isn't insane behavior that only someone as mind-bogglingly strong as her could possibly even consider, but at the same time, she talks about things such as one of her dearest memories being that one time some tourists picked a fight with her in her usual Kjerag eatery, and before she could brecher the fuck out of their degens, the shop owner pulled her by the arm, put himself in front, and yelled "hey, assholes, what are you harassing our Kjerag lady for!?", that she likes copying scripture just as a way to pass time when she's bored, and that Kjerag to her as a warrior is the dullest part of her life, and yet as a person it's the best thing that has happened to her for all the domestic aspects of it, like the snow, the burdenbeasts, the humble ways of life.
She's less wont to break into an inspirational speech about the bright future, and more about, hey, Doctor, stay hydrated, start tackling your schedule, and stay still for one sec while I fix your collar.
She also does indeed carry herself in a way that sells her being an incredibly skilled and experienced warrior, in how tempered her way of carrying herself is: How she likens being promoted to her giving medals to the Kjerag that finished her training, how her hatred for Leithanien has cooled some as she's realized that cultural norms and the associated discrimination that comes with it is something she literally can just walk away from, and that in the end, she's simply content with honing herself further than achieving any sort of lofty goal, because she doesn't have one, truly speaking, but she finds value in the lofty goals of others and doesn't mind lending her incredibly considerable strength to see them through.
Degenbrecher is just so incredibly down to earth. She feels like an active member of a living, breathing world in a way that sets her apart from other Strongest People Ever in the cast, in my opinion, which appeals greatly to my tastes.
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loverslodge · 2 months ago
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invisible string
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summery: you have married someone you have never seen, let alone met. but then you meet someone you fall in love with.
pairing: Ari Levinson x Reader
warnings: arranged marriage au, forced marriage au, angst, fluff, smut, a minor panic attack scene
A/N: ari levinson is such a bear! i cant keep my thoughts straight around him
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“Congratulations! You are now officially married.” the lawyer shakes your hand and starts gathering the paperwork. You scoff and get up from the chair.
The only reason why you did this was because of your mother. She had made her best friend, Aunty Diana, a promise that if she ever had a girl, she would marry her to her son. Which shouldn't have been that bad if that son had bothered to acknowledge you. You were born when he was 10 so naturally, he already had his sets of friends to socialize with. You grew up knowing Aunty Diana but nothing more. You never knew their surname, their job, nothing. All you knew was that they were a very very very rich family. Diana had died last year due to some complications in her operation and your mother died years ago due to childbirth.
You could have avoided the marriage entirely, but conditions popped up, on both ends. They found legal documents signed by their mothers for their children to get married to each other or else. You were never told the or else condition, just shown the legal document from afar. You knew better than to go against a very wealthy family with good lawyers under their belt. Your father had used up all the money you had and had disappeared into thin air, leaving you with debts of dangerous people. You have been successfully avoiding every debt collector by sending them installments but the money was running low.
Today, as you signed the marriage certificate, you also had signed your house up for sale because that was the last valuable asset you had to pay off the debts. Your new husband had left you with a black card with unlimited cash flow but you did not want to associate with them. You knew if you used the money, strings would come attached, they always did. So you took up a job at a local bakery till you applied for big girl jobs. You faced many rejections but you never relented.
The year went by faster. You would often think about the day you got married. Since you were marking on your calendar as the months flew by. You had never seen your husband. Never knew the surname either. Or maybe, you never bothered to look at the name on the paper. He had signed and left before you. Your punctuality got the best of you and you saw him leave from behind. He was huge, beefy. But that didn't matter. You never saw him, or even lived in his house that he so graciously offered. You lived with two roommates in a tiny apartment. It wasn't a lot but the splitting the bills helped pay the proper debt installments. Lucky for you that bakery owners were nice enough to offer you actual cooked food so you had no grocery bills. All you knew about your husband was he had left the country for a new business venture. You were so okay with this arrangement. His black card still snug amongst your tattered money, unused.
Just 6 months before your 1 year anniversary, you got a job as a receptionist at the Levinson Hotels & Co. and the pay was really good. Everything was covered and you also requested a small room to stay since your roommates were moving out and you'd rather not stay in that pest riddled apartment for long. So you moved and started working. You would also visit your old bakery often and indulge in your favorite pastries. Your life was turning better and you had almost paid your debts. Keyword being almost. But you were fairly positive that you'll reach there and then the job will provide more for you than just debt money.
…………………………….
You were running late today. Not because you became lazy by living right in the motel, but because one of the bakery owners had an accident and you were the emergency contact. You had missed the morning meeting but your colleague promised to catch you up with it. But where was the time? The checking in and out of guests had taken over so much of your time, you forgot to ask and forgot your lunch. You pulled out the chocolate cupcake you had grabbed from the bakery on the way back and began munching on it while completely immersed in the paperworks. It wasn't until you felt a nudge on your side and throat clearing that you looked up to see the beast of a man, staring deep in your soul with an amused smirk on his mouth.
You scramble to stand up and send a few papers flying down. His blue eyes try to pull you in but look down to clear your throat and avoid eye contact. “How may I help you, sir?” You turn on your polite receptionist persona and give a small smile back to him.
“I don't suppose you have a room booked in my name, do you?” the beast- man- man beast- ugh! He asked with the look of amusement on his face.
“And your name?” You look up, waiting for his response.
His eyes widened a little. He never thought he would meet someone who did not know who he was. He was a very famous person after all. “Levinson. Ari Levinson.”
He looks as you type his name and asks to check his ID. He signaled everyone around him to not react and pulled out his passport to you. He watches you work diligently and securely handling the situation. He thought you must've known by now that he is your big boss but seeing you treat him like just another customer, made his heart pull a little. Just a little though. He somehow felt proud that his hotel had hired someone who took their work seriously. And he intended to keep you close more than ever. He knew that now that he is here, back in the country, his rivals will come back to sniff around to poach good employees. He was not letting you go.
“Ah yes! Here you go Mr. Levinson. Here are the keys to your penthouse suite. If you need anything, please press 1 on the phone in your room and someone from the reception will answer your requests. We also have a lovely restaurant with world-class food if you get hungry and if you have any more questions please feel free to ask.” You smile and hand over his ID and keys.
“I will keep all that in mind, Sugar.” He replies in a sultry tone and takes the frosting from your nose on his licking it as he makes his way to the elevator. You're stunned to say the least. No guest had invaded your personal space before. You pick up the tissue and wipe the nose so clean, it turns red from all the rubbing. Nobody reacts to what happened and they give you sideyes. You were used to the jealousy that came with the work but this felt something new. It felt as if everyone were in on something and you were the only clueless. You ignored it. You always do.
Ari reached his suite with ease. Of course he did. That is where he had been staying all these years. It was a registered room in the hotel but it was always under his name. It was his house after all. He sighed and flopped on the sofa while the housekeepers started unpacking his things for him. He could still taste the frosting. Delicious. His mind went back to you. He had never seen you so he assumes you were few of the new ones who were hired in desperation. While he was away, one of his rivals had poached a good amount of his employees, leaving the hotel miserable and vacant. He wanted to know more about you. So he did what a very normal person would do, call his secretary and ask him to bring your details.
Your entire life history was in his hands. He flipped through pages of information. He found out about your debts, your living situations and your employment as well. But there was one thing that left a sour taste in his mouth was your relationship status. You were married. He needed to check on it but when asked his secretary to look into it further, they came up with nothing. No information on the husband and the paperworks were tightly sealed into confidentiality. Whom were you married to?
Ari had thought maybe this was one time thing since you did not know his name but he was intrigued by you. He saw you out and about in the hotel, greeting and smiling at people. He saw through your fake smiles. He knew that was a professional smile. You were on his mind 24/7 and he didn't mind. He made it a routine to call the reception and ask things from you. He loved listening to your voice. Even though it was a very professional tone, just hearing you made his day. Every time he heard your voice or even saw you, his heart fluttered. Same went for you. You felt a tug on your heart every time you heard his baritone on the phone. You knew, some of his requests were ridiculous and he did that only to talk to you and couldn't stop that. You knew that consorting with guests is wrong but you couldn't help it. You also knew that you were married and you were forbidden from having another man in your life but you couldn't help it. You still had 4 more months before you could talk to your husband’s lawyer about getting a divorce and it was killing you. You now realized how much of freedom you had given up just to fulfill a promise.
His friend Lloyd was going to stay in the hotel for a few days. He was visiting him and he was also here for a work trip. Lloyd was a good man per se, but he still had a thing for ruining sweet things. You were one of them. Ari had made an arrangement that you won't be there to greet Lloyd but things never work the way they're supposed to. The person who was supposed to greet Lloyd was out sick and you had taken up his shift. Ari did not know. The main management, whom Ari had threatened did not know. Now, here you are, smile on your face, waiting for the swaggered man with a mustache to reach you so you can help him.
Ari got a text from Lloyd saying he is in the lobby. Ari finishes his drink and gets in the elevator. He was relaxed knowing you were never going to see Lloyd because you would be tasked to different spaces than him. The elevator dings open and he makes his way to the reception when he halts. He sees a genuine smile on your face and Lloyd’s flirty eyes raking all over your body. He knew Lloyd would not do anything without your consent and that you were married so there would be nothing there but this spark of jealousy had started burning. He was jealous of your husband, yes. But he knew that you were living on the premises alone. He never saw you with any man other than your colleagues and he never heard you talk about him. He assumed things are not good in your marriage so he indulged in flirting with you. But Lloyd was a different story. Married or not, he did not care. Lloyd always got what he wanted and Ari did not want Lloyd to want you. But he heard you giggle. You were giggling at something Lloyd said and he was turning green. Your giggle was the sweetest thing he’s ever heard and it wasn't for him. He stalks to the desk and jerks the key and ID away from your hand. He grabs Lloyd’s shirt and drags him to the elevator, leaving you confused and maybe a bit hurt.
“She’s a sweet thing, Levinson. I didn't know your hotel had improved so much that you had started to hire dolls.” Lloyd laughs as he is pushed in the room.
“Stay away from her. She is married.” Ari walks to the bar and pours himself another drink.
“Is that why you're jealous? That she has someone else filling her cunt instead of you.” Lloyd grabs another glass and fills it up. “You know husbands are never an issue. I could make her beg for me in front of her husband.”
“Very crass of you Lloyd. Leave her alone. Do not talk to her. You know what, do not engage with her at all. Just stay away.” Ari slams the glass on the kitchen counter and walks out. “And welcome back to the city Lloyd, I hope you enjoy your stay in my hotel.”
“Oh, I'm going to enjoy it alright.” Lloyd smirks as he downs his drink.
……………………..
Lloyd often found you around the hotel. Actually, Lloyd knew you were assigned away from him. He wanted to rile Ari up. He couldn't help it. He knew Ari wasn't gonna act on his feelings over a married woman and that did not stop Lloyd. He wanted Ari to do something about it. He wanted Ari to get riled up so much that he would finally get laid. After his ex, Ari had given up on sex. Ari said he was over meaningless sex and Lloyd was going to make sure that Ari ate his own words.
Ari saw Lloyd approach you and stop you on your way. Your eyes narrow and lips thinned, he thought you were pissed but within a second, you laughed and Ari froze. He had heard you giggle but he had never seen you laugh and he might've lost what remaining heart he had to that. He got pissed. Well, he has been pissed for a while but he didn't show it. For two entire weeks, he had seen Lloyd find you and flirt with you. No matter how hard he tried, Lloyd always went over his head to talk to you.
Ari had had it enough. He stomped his way to where you and Lloyd were standing. Your back was to him so you never saw him coming. The only indication was Lloyd’s raised eyebrow and a smirk before you were whisked into the arms of the man you have had dreams about. Dirty and all. Before you could get any words out, you were on Ari’s shoulder like a sack, being dragged away from a laughing Lloyd. You were confused, of course, but you were not turned on in a very weird way. You could feel the possessiveness of his arms around your waist. You tried to wriggle but was met with an even firmer grip. You saw the route you were taking was not guest approved.
“Mr. Levinson, please. I will get fired if you do this. This is not a guest approved area. I cannot have you in here. Please. Put me down and we can walk wherever you want me to.”
“Call me Ari, sugar. I have told you that before. Also, you are not going to get fired. Everything’s fine. Just stop wriggling. You're not helping your case, sugar.”
You weren't complaining though. All this while you were getting a perfectly good view of Ari’s perfect ass that you always try to subtly stare at. You didn't realize you had reached his room when he planted you on his bed. You tried to sit up but he pushed your shoulder a little, sprawling you back on the bed. You were horny enough to understand the situation but you were also aware enough that Ari is not someone who would force you to do something you don't want to do.
Ari locks his room door and walks over to the bed. You had made no move of getting up from the position he threw you in. He smiled. You were obedient. He slowly straddles you and leans into you. Your eyes are glazed with lust but you try not to show it. But he saw the glaze. He leans in close to you. Your faces are inches apart. He has caged you between his arms, and, well, the entire body. Not that you wanted to leave. Your breath hitches as he comes closer.
“Never talk to someone else. Don't laugh with them, don't giggle with them, don't even give them your real smile.” he growls. He is so close to you. He can smell the faint rose cologne that you so love to use. He can even smell the faint hint of glycerin body wash you use. He leans in closer. He moves towards your neck and kisses you right below your ear, sending shivers down your spine, making you gasp.
Your hands instinctively reach up and grab his collar. He freezes, thinking you were going to push him off but your slight pull gave him the approval to continue. He keeps his face there and litters a few more kisses on your neck. You knew you should say something but what? What was going to come out of your mouth but moans and whimpers if you opened it. You risked it. You had to put a stop to this. You were married for fuck’s sake! And this man was not your husband. As much as you wanted this man, Ari, to ruin you, you were not free. You still have a few more months before you get contacted by your husband’s lawyers about the divorce papers.
“Ari,” your voice came out softer than anticipated. “We can't do this.” you haven't even kissed yet. He was busy peppering kisses all over your neck, trying not to leave marks. He wanted the world to know that you were on his mind. He wanted to taste those lips that were always tasting cupcakes and muffins. He wanted to know how sweet you were. Inside out.
“Ari,” you try to pursue again. Your hands twist in his hair in an attempt to pull his face off your neck but instead all you could do is push. “Please, we can't. I- I'm married, Ari and so are you. We can't.” you softly push his face off your neck and hold his face in your hand.
“How do you know I'm married, Sugar?” Ari never told anyone. How did she know?
“The ring is glinting in my eyes, Ari. the sun told me. I- i don't want- i can’t- this is all- Ari, please. Don't make me say things I don't want to mean. I can't ruin your marriage and I cannot ruin mine. You are a guest here. I am already breaking so many rules for you. Don't make me lose my job. I am so close to getting what I want.”
You caress his face and just like that, you peck his lips. You both freeze. Kissing was never on the table, let alone pecking. His eyes darken and he leans again. Just one look in his stormy blue eyes and you lean your head up to meet his lips again. He pushes down with his lips and the passion flutters. Your fingers grab onto his hair, tugging and pulling while his lips assaulted yours. He slipped his tongue in your mouth and was winning the dominance. You let him carry you. You were drowning in his passion and he held onto you. You pulled at his bottom lip and that gained you a breathy moan. His moan was so contagious that you whimpered against his lips and he deepened the kiss and gained a moan from you. His hands were all over your body. Caressing, tugging and holding but never pulling. In need of breath, you both pulled away and he rested his forehead against yours. He would peck your lips to contain the heavy breathing.
“I am not letting you go now, Sugar. I have tasted your sweet lips and I intend to taste more. I don't care about your husband anymore.” Ari pecks your lips one more time and pulls away.
You try to sit up and he helps you. Both of you are sitting at the edge of the bed. You get up and walk towards the bathroom to check your makeup and hair. You start fixing your hair as Ari walks in and wraps his arms around your waist, pulling you close to him. You never really thought much about your height difference but looking in the mirror, you can see that he is tall enough to rest his chin on your forehead without slouching.
“I will help you divorce your husband. I am already preparing to leave my wife. I want you all to myself.” he nuzzles your neck, his beard brushing against your shoulder.
You lean against his chest and take his affection in. “I can't divorce my husband. At least, not yet. I have to wait for this year to end. He is a very powerful man, Ari. a man who lives in an expensive suite will not be enough to take him down. He can ruin my life if he finds out I have even flirted with someone else.”
“What kind of asshole are you married to? Does he, did he- did he ever touch? You know, did he ever-”
“Never met him in my life. I don't think he knows what I look like and neither do I know what he looks like. All I know is that I had to marry him to keep my mother’s promise. It is a very litigious contract, Ari. If he finds out that I have an affair while married to him, I will have to pay him 10 million to rectify his reputation. I don't have that type of money. I also have my last debts to pay. I can't afford to love you.” You squeak and put your hand on your mouth as soon as you say the last sentence.
You can see Ari tilt his head in the mirror and a big smile on his face. “You love me, Sugar?”
You cover your face which has turned red and shake your head. He laughs and kisses your head. His laugh is the most magnificent sound you have ever heard. His voice might turn you on but his laughter made you feel a whole different feeling.
“That was not the point of the entire thing.” Your voice muffled behind your hand. His laughter vibrates through you and it has pulled all the heartstrings it can. His hold around your waist tightens.
“Fine. I will wait. But I will pay off your debts. Let me, please. You might not be able to afford to love me right now but I am very much capable of loving you enough for the two of us.” He turns you around and removes your hand from your face.
“I love you, Sugar. And I will do whatever it takes to keep you by my side.” he pecks your lips and caresses your cheeks. “My wife, well, her family are gold diggers. They manipulated my mother into thinking that their daughter was a good match for me. But I had to marry her. I can divorce her now, the timeline is over and I am sure she has enjoyed my wealth enough. I don't want her, never have, never will. All I want is you. Just you, Sugar.”
“How are you so sure that I'm not a gold digger? Maybe I am. I do belong to a poor family, and have debts. Maybe I seduced you seeing you live in a penthouse suite and all. Then what? Will you still love me?” You asked, letting out a singular piece of insecurity that gnawed at you.
“I am sure you're not after my money because you would have seduced me a long time ago. You had so many chances, baby. But you still never did anything about it. And about your debts, well, I'm sure there must be a reasonable explanation. I know you will tell me. So do not call yourself that. I will not have you talk nonsense about the love of my life.” he pinched your nose.
“Love of your life, huh? You're being overconfident.” You wrap your arms around his waist and draw him close. You take in his scent. He smelt so wonderful, musky and woodsy. You sigh in content and stay wrapped around him longer.
You unwrap yourself from him. “I have to go. My boss, the owner, somehow keeps on reassigning me to different places. I've got these pager thingies to keep track of that. I don't know when and where he will be needing me again.” When, where and how, sugar. Ari’s thoughts went overboard. Imagining you bent over his desk and him taking-
“Ari? Are you listening?” You tilt your head to the side. Ari’s grip had tightened around you making you stop. “Yes, Sugar, I am always listening to you. You don't have to worry about the boss. I'm sure he can deal with his own things.” Ari waddled his way to the bed with you in his arms.
“Oh no no. Ari. no. We are not doing anything. I am married, you are married and I am at work. I cannot ignore the big boss. I was told he had just arrived and lives in this very hotel. I haven't run into him yet which is a good thing but it's also scary that my employer lives in the same place I do. I cannot afford to make any mistakes now. He can fire me and I need this job. I promise I will find a way to make it up to you. Did you like the cupcakes I got you last week? I can get those again for you. I-” You try to get out of his clutches. It was hard. Not in that way. It was hard that way too but, ugh! No point in overthinking. Ari tightened his hold around you and sat you both down on the bed. Not sat per se. He shifted to the middle of the king size bed and made you straddle him, keeping a tight hold on you.
“Sugar, you need to stop talking about your boss or I will be jealous of myself.” He chuckled and kissed your cheek.
“What do you mean you are jealous of yourself?” you were confused. What did he mean?
“Well, Sugar. I have to confess something and before you blast, I need you to listen to me, alright?” his hands roamed over my waist and back as if trying to coax me. I nodded.
“Well, the first day, when you gave me my room keys, you didn't know whom you were talking to. And I liked that. So I told the staff to never reveal who I actually am to you. You just know me as a businessman but actually I am a hotelier. I own hotels. A lot of them. They Are spread world wide. But this hotel is special. This was my family's very first hotel and I came back because this is my home. This room is mine. Permanently. You never knew that. I liked that. You were unadulterated. You did not behave like I am a big bad boss so I never corrected you. You were- God!- you were refreshing, sugar! I loved our conversations because you never hesitated. I loved it! You treated me like one of the guests and I got to know how proud I am to have employees like you in my hotel! But then I started falling for you and I knew I had to tell you the truth. I was going to! But then Lloyd showed up and he tried to get to you and I lost it.” your eyes widened with the confession.
You never expected to fall in love, first of all. And second of all, you never expected to fall in love with the owner of the hotel! A billionaire! You looked down at yourself. You were in the uniform. Dirty, a reminder where you stood. You shuffled, trying to get off his lap but his hold tightened and he pulled you to his chest. You stumbled and your lips collided with his. Before you could pull away, he held your neck and deepened the kiss leading you to moan. Your brain starts working and you tap his chest twice before he lets go.
“That was very opportunistic of you, Ari, uh, sir. I shouldn't-”
“Don't Y/N. I told you the truth because I wanted to build our relationship on truth. I am still your Ari. do not see me as your boss. Please. I love what we have. Don't sully it by thinking that you don't deserve me. I can hear your thoughts, Sugar. They are loud. I will not let you think these things. Before all these designations, we are people and I love my Sugar and she loves her Ari, right?” he cups your face and traces your cheeks with his thumbs.
“Mhm.” You nod. You lean in to kiss both his cheeks. “I should still go. We spent hours together, Ari. As much as i love this, i cannot stay like this much longer. My husband might have sent his people to see if I am ruining his reputation or not and I don't want to drag you in the middle of my mess. So, I should go now.” you shuffle out of his grip and down the bed. The sun was about to set and you turned on the room lights. You do the same with the living room and kitchen lights before leaving the room.
“But- I love you, Sugar.” Ari whimpered. Seeing how she didn't bother to say it back. He was about to leave the bed when he heard his door open again. He saw you peep in with a wide smile “I love you, Ari.” and with that, you scurried away, leaving a widely smiling, blushing Ari.
…………………………
Meeting Ari in secret had become a habit. He would randomly pull you in secluded places and his lips would be immediately on yours. He tried very hard not to leave marks on you but some days were harder than others. You haven't had sex though. He respected your decision enough to not push it. Hell! You haven't even touched each other other than making out sessions in the corners! You wanted him badly but you were so close to freedom.
Three months were left for the year end and you got a phone call while Ari was nipping your neck. You shuffled and pulled out your phone, only to see it was your husband’s the lawyer. You sighed and signaled Ari to wait. He groaned and rested his forehead on your shoulder. You begin combing through his hair with your fingers because that calms you down.
“Hello! I have been waiting for your call for months!” you say as soon as you pick up.
“Well, I suppose for the same reason as your husband. The paperworks is just under process. As soon as I get my hands on them, they'll be ready to sign and the next day of your anniversary, you will be a divorced woman. Your husband wants the same thing. But we do need to meet with you to discuss finances. Since you were not allowed to sign a prenup and all.” Mr. Barber, your husband’s lawyer, gave details where to meet and you agreed. All this while, Ari was very slowly marking your neck. He couldn't help it. Your hands in his hair, combing them through, was making it very difficult for him to not mark. You let it happen. While he was easing your frustration, he too was frustrated with his divorce lining up.
“Sounds good! I will see you tomorrow.” you cut the call and put it back in your pocket. You smile brightly at Ari, who looks at you in confusion. “It finally happened! That was my husband’s lawyer and we are meeting tomorrow to see if i want to keep anything from him, which i do not, and then, within three months i will officially be a divorcee! I am so excited!” Seeing you happy, Ari chuckled and hugged you tight. You both let out a sigh of relief. He let you go and you went back to the front desk. He helped cover the lovely dark marks he left on you. You did, after all, have an entire day of work left.
When Ari reached his office, he got a call from his lawyer saying his wife was ready to meet. Ari really wanted to see the face of the woman he married but decided against it. He did not need to feel guilty for being in love with you. He just wanted to get this over with. He didn't even care about anything but you anymore. His wife could have all his fortune and he would be content with you by his side. He told Lloyd about everything that happened. Lloyd was happy for him, revealing that he provoked him on purpose. Ari just shook his head and they went back to laughing.
“Barber is back. He's handling all my divorce paperwork. He said he'll meet us tomorrow after he meets my wife. Finally! I will be free to live my life with my Sugar.” Ari stretched over his sofa. Lloyd was sitting across from him. With whiskey in their tumblers, he congratulated Ari for being one step closer to the freedom he's always wanted.
………………………..
Tomorrow could not have come sooner. You got ready to meet the lawyer for your lunch. Ari had subtly changed your lunch schedule so that you can get a longer break. Nobody in the hotel was suspicious of what was going on so you were at ease. Not that you cared what they thought but you just wanted things to be revealed after your divorce. So many things were piling up in your to-do list with Ari that your patience was running low. You wanted to drag him to bed so bad. You took a deep breath and grabbed your purse. Lucky for you, the restaurant was just one block down. You walked to the place and looked around to see the lawyer sitting patiently.
“Hello Mr. Barber! I am sorry I ran late. A sudden work emergency came up.” You shake his hand and sit down opposite him. He asks you to order for your meal and after ordering, you decide to jump right into business.
“So, Mr. Barber, what does my husband want me to do? Oh! Here,” you pull out his black card from your wallet. “Please give this back to him. I never used it. I never had a chance to give it back because it arrived a week after signing the certificate. Also, do tell him that I never used his house. It wasn't mine to begin with. I have a good job and a place to stay so I am not blaming him for anything. I know I have nothing to apologize for but do tell him I am sorry on behalf of my mother who signed that agreement. My mother signed it when i wasn't even born so i couldn't exactly stop her and from what i have heard is that she used to be a sentimental woman. She did this to protect her friendship with Diana and I do hope my husband understands that.”
Mr. Barber said nothing and the lunch ended quietly and quickly. You made a note to mention that you wish to take nothing from your husband and that his money and property are his. You get a text from one of your coworkers about an emergency with a guest so you leave in a hurry saying goodbyes and goodlucks.
……………………….
“Andy! How are you? How is Boston treating you?” Lloyd slapped his back as he settled down on Ari’s sofa. Andrew Barber was also a childhood friend of Ari and met Lloyd in university. All three of them have been best friends since then. There is a fourth but he is often busy.
“All good. Can't complain. Broke up with Laura, finally. I was too blind to see how manipulative she was. Finally got proof of her affairs and dumped her. What about you Lloyd? Found someone to ruin?” Andy took a sip from his tumbler.
“I did. But Ari stole her from me. She- OWW!” Lloyd looks up to see it was Ari who smacked him and smirked.
“Shut it, Hansen. Barber, how did it go with the wife? How much was she asking for?” Ari sat down beside Lloyd.
Andy sat up straight. “Funnily enough, she asked for nothing. In fact, she apologized on behalf of her mother for signing the contract because she was sentimental and something about protecting the friendship with your mother. Oh yes!” Andy digs through his work bag and brings out a wallet. “She left her wallet. Left in a hurry. Something about a work emergency. She also told me to let you know that she did not use the card you gave her or the house. Independent and all. I think you should still look into all her claims.”
Ari, even though he did not care, wanted to see what the woman looked like. His soon-to-be ex-wife’s wallet was right there in front of him. He sighed and gave in to his curiosity. He took the wallet and opened it. He saw the black card, brand new, laying in one of the compartments. There was some cash in there too, tattered at the end. His hand drifted to her IDs. His eyes saw a familiar card and he pulled out. It was the ID of his hotel staff. The moment he saw the photo and the name, his brain started scrambling. He started feeling numb and he closed the wallet and threw it back on the table.
“Levinson? Are you okay? What happened?” A concerned Lloyd asked. Lloyd wasn't the one to care but he saw his tough friend tremble. He took the ID from his hand and his eyes bulged. “Is this his wife?” He pointed at the photo in the ID at Andy who squinted and nodded. “Oh shit!”
“What? Am I missing something?” Andy’s interest piqued.
“That’s his little girlfriend. The one he is desperately in love with.” Lloyd clarified and Andy whistled in a low tone.
“Did you not see her downstairs?” Ari finally found his voice.
“Who? Your wife or your girlfriend?” Andy gauffed and Lloyd joined in.
“The receptionist. My girlfriend, or my wife. I don't know. Did you not see her when you came upstairs?” Ari asked impatiently.
“No. There was some guy who directed me upstairs. And I heard someone say that the other receptionist was handling an agitated guest. Why? Is she here? Does she work here, Ari?” Andy asked.
“Yes. this woman,” Ari pointed at the ID, “works here. I don't know who she is anymore. But she said she's never seen her husband! How? I'm sure my house has plenty of my photos. Was she lying? Did she try to manipulate me?” Ari was confused and ranted out his doubts.
Lloyd was not one to show sympathy but he did feel bad for his friend. He texted his secretary and clicked the photo of your ID, asking about all of your details. He had ways he could even get confidential secrets revealed. Lloyd liked you for Ari but if you were going to betray him, he wasn't just going to enjoy the show, he was going to destroy you. His secretary was quick. Within half an hour, he got every tiny bit of information about you.
“Says here that she's married to Ari Levinson. Which is supposed to be confidential. Did you know that your wife doesn't even know your name because of the confidentiality?” Lloyd points out on his ipad.
“What? Is this true, Andy?” Ari rubs his eyes and double checks the files in Lloyd’s ipad.
“Yeah. you told me you didn't want anything to do with her so your name, work, address, phone numbers, everything was concealed. She doesn't even know how rich you are or that this is your hotel.” Andy nods and points out to the paperwork he brought out from his bag.
“And, it says here that her mother was your mother’s childhood friend. Her father was a drunk and gambler and so she wanted a better life for her daughter, I guess. Looks like she's still paying her father’s debts. She didn't even know about the debts till her father left, which was right before she signed the certificate. Damn! Her father beat her up because she was a child and could not get the money. That's why your mother sent them money!” Lloyd continued.
“She hasn't used any of the money you gave her. Hell! She even lived in this tiny ass apartment. Look at it.” Lloyd showed Ari the photos of your apartment area. Ari winced. He didn't know this. He never bothered to care. But now he did. For different reasons.
He started wondering about times when he played with Andy and Ransom when they were young and saw his mother talking to a young girl. He remembered her sitting on the chair with her head down, crying. He remembered not bothering to talk to her because she had mud on her face and bruises on her arms. He remembered his mother telling him that this was the girl he would marry someday and him scrunching his face in disgust. He always kept that little girl at a distance. She never saw him but always did. He even asked all the servants to not show his photos or anything to the girl because he wanted nothing to do with her. Ari realized, all these years, it was you and it had always been you. He was too stubborn to see it. He could have saved years of hurt and pain if he had just met you, got to know you. If only he hadn't run away from you then, maybe divorcing you would never have come up. He felt guilty. But not anymore. You were in his reach and he would not let you go anymore. He will keep you for his entire life and he will apologize for all these years of ignorance.
“On what basis were you filing for divorce, Andy?” Ari asked with sudden ideas spurring in his mind on ways to cancel the divorce filing.
“Well, at first we were thinking of defamation but she never had an affair. Then, we were going to go for lack of consummation because, well, you were away. What are you thinking, Ari?” Andy sipped the drink. He knew Ari was onto something but his eyes widened at Ari’s idea.
“What if we consummate? What if I convince her to sleep with me? Then we can’t get divorced. I will apologize to her. Tell her everything. She has been mine all this time. I can't let her go! She will leave if she finds out I was the one she was divorcing. Cancel the paperwork, Andy. I'm staying married.” Ari stood up and put her wallet on his bedside. 
…………………………..
You were frantically looking for your wallet. All your life savings was in there and so was your hotel ID. You were lucky to be staying in the hotel but that still didn't mean that ID wasn’t required. Getting in and out of the VIP section was part of your job and now you were lost. You could ask Ari to get access but you didn't want to. You've been doing this all on your own for a while then why would you want his help over such a trivial thing? Your brain worked and you called Andy, the lawyer. He was the last person to see your wallet, maybe he took it with him.
After a few rings, Andy picked up his phone. “Hey Mr. Barber, sorry to bother you so late but have you seen my wallet? I left it when I ran out of the restaurant… oh really! Thank you so much. Yes, I will collect it from the front desk. Thank you so much and really sorry for the bother.”
You rushed out from your room to make your way to the front desk. Meanwhile, Lloyd and Andy held Ari down before he could begin his confrontation plan. Andy left your wallet at the frontdesk and both the friends dragged Ari back up to his suite to avoid a show. Andy coaxed Ari into inviting you to his suite tomorrow and spending the entire day clarifying the situation. Ari was an impatient one. He wanted you then, he wanted you now but even he understood that now was not the right time. Before he could call you to arrange for tomorrow's meeting, he got a call that there was an emergency at one of his hotels two states away. He had to leave and he might not be back for a week. He called you to meet. The least he could do is say goodbye before he goes.
When you arrived upstairs, the suite looked partied through. At least the kind of parties rich businessmen throw. Ari had allowed you to use the spare key whenever you wanted so having it handy had its perks. You heard shuffling in the bedroom so you made your way to it. You saw Ari packing and your heart thud with anxiety at the sight of it.
“Sugar, I am only going for a week. It's an emergency two states down. You won't even know i was gone.” he immediately sensed your anxiety.
“But how did you know that i-”
“I know you by now, Sugar. This is why I called you. I wasn't gonna see you for a week and I wanted to feel you, get you all over me before that.” he drops his bag on the floor and wraps his arms around your waist, pulling you close.
“Are you leaving right now?” you asked, playing with the buttons of his shirt.
“No. tomorrow afternoon. They can manage till then. Tonight I wanted it to be about us.”
Before you could process what he said, he crashed his lips on you. Your hands cupped his face and pulled his lips even closer. His hand cupped your breast and teased your nipples from over the clothing which made you gasp. He slipped his tongue in your mouth and your moans collided. All the pent up frustration from your body was making its appearance and Ari knew exactly what he was doing. He had seen your annoyed face when all you both could do was kiss or makeout. She would always put a stop to humping. He knew why but he never wanted to force you into doing something you didn't have the right mind for. But today you were all his and he was going to seduce you to bed.
He lifted you off the ground as you wrapped your legs around his waist as he pinned you to the wall. “Ari. please.” you moan as his lips move to kiss your cheeks. He slowly backs up to the bed taking you with him and straddles you to his waist as his head hits the pillows in the middle of the bed. None of you have any intention of breaking the kiss. He moves his lips from yours and trails kisses down to your neck. You crane your neck to give him better access. Your hands immediately move to unbutton his shirt clumsily. You groaned in frustration, gaining a very lighthearted chuckle from Ari that vibrated through your neck. You gently hit his chest and he laughs, making you laugh too.
He sits up and helps you remove his shirt. He then lifts your shirt up and you, very gladly, let him take it off, leaving you in your night pajama pants and bra. “Damn, Sugar. You're a sight for sore eyes.” He caresses your waist.
He flips you over and now he is in control. He makes sure to leave prominent marks on your neck this time, at least a week’s worth. You arch your body and hint to go further down. You lift his hand from your waist and put it on your breast. He smirks and trails his lips further down. You move your hand to remove your bra but he holds your wrist. “Allow me, Sugar. This is a privilege.” He unclasped the bra and threw it above your head. He stopped and looked at your breasts as if he was seeing the most wondrous thing ever.
“You have hidden them from me for so long, Sugar. Today I will finally taste the sweet skin of your body. And oh they were worth the wait. But not anymore.” He instantly takes your right nipple in his mouth and you moan louder. Your hand grips the bed sheets tightly as he sucks on your nipple. His other hand, fumbles with removing your pants. He removes his lips from the right nipple and moves the left giving it the same treatment, leaving you panting and gasping.
You realize he wants your pants off so you sit up and take his lips to yours again. You bundle your underwear and pants together, pushing them down your hips. He removes them with much ease, leaving you completely naked. He was about to jump back on you when you raised your hand and pointed at his pants. “Off.” He unbuckles his belt and removes his pants and boxer haphazardly.
You see his naked body and begin to salivate. You had seen your fair share of hot bodies but Ari was on a whole nother level. His body was sculpted by greek sculptures and his cock, glistening with pre-cum was thick and veiny. You had to gulp. Your core got wetter by nanoseconds that you stared at Ari.
“If you are done looking at Sugar, i'd love to look at you now.” He climbed and crawled slowly towards you like an animal. You instinctively spread your legs to let him settle between them. Your core was so wet, your cum was dripping out of the hole. Ari moaned at the sight of it. Without any warning, he dived right in and took your core in his mouth. You squealed and mewled as he kept suckign on you. Your hands tried to push Ari out but he held your hips tight and dove deeper. His tongue in you was not doing you any favors. Ari put your legs on his broad shoulders to get a better angle and you tried to squeeze your thighs together.
“Sugar, I swear, do it again. Squeeze me. I want to be inside you so bad but you taste so divine.”
The knot in your stomach tightened as you were close. “Ari, please. I'm so close.” Ari increased the speed of his tongue and intertwined his hand with yours as your other hand gripped his hair tighter. “Cum, Sugar. Cum for me.”
His words opened the dam and you released your juice all over his face as he continued to slurp you up. You screamed and arched with pleasure as Ari lapped up the last of you. He slowly moved away from your core, letting you breathe a little and kissed your inner thighs. You trailed to your calf and you looked at him. He was looking right at you. His blue eyes had turned dark with lust and his face was covered in your juice.
He leaned back to your face and caught your lips with his. You could taste yourself on his tongue and moaned louder. “I'm gonna be in you, Sugar. Just tell me if you need me to stop and I will pause. But sorry, Sugar, I won't be able to stop. I've waited long enough, not anymore. I'll be taking you raw, cumming in you.” He whispered against your lips and you nodded weakly.
He aligned himself against you and looked at you for permission. You nodded again and he slowly, very slowly, slid in. you arch against the mattress as he fills you in. “Please Ari.” He pushed himself further in and you let out a gasp. You could feel him in your belly. He waited for a second to let you adjust to his length. He looked down to see you sprawled on his bed with his marks all over your neck and breasts. He was pleased by his work. “Ari, baby, please move. I can't.” Your begging spurs him in and he thrusts further in leaving you gasping.
He pulls out slowly and leaves the tip in. before you could even make up your mind to speak, he thrusts in you hard, making you scream his name. He thrusts in you again and again, moaning and panting. He says your name like a prayer and you, his. He brings his mouth to your boobs and sucks on them while you hold his head against your chest. His lips move back to your neck and you can hear his moans in your ears, leaving a symphony.
“Fuck, Sugar! Should've done this way sooner. You are so made for me. All mine.” His thrusts leave you drunk and when he finds an angle and hits your spot, you scream his name again, leaving him smirking. “That’s the spot, Sugar? That's what makes you stars, doesn't it? I will show you stars all night long, Sugar.” He relentlessly thrusts on your spot leaving you panting and screaming.
“Ari, I'm cumming. Please. Cum in me.” You beg, bringing his lips to yours. “So pleased to hear that, Sugar. In you. I will always cum in you. Fill you up with me. You will let me, won't you, Sugar.” He brings his fingers to your clit and starts rubbing on it, making you mewl.
“Cum with me, Sugar. Come on. I know you're there. Let go.” His thrusts turn sloppy and irregular and his fingers on your clit make you gush all over his cock just as his cum fills you up. Few more thrusts and he lays on you, pressing you into the mattress. You whine and try to push him off which he obliged but doesn't make an effort to move out from you.
He pulls you closer and his cock twitches in you, making you whine. “You've got to take it out, Ari, please. I gotta clean up.” You put your hand on his cheek. “Who said anything about moving, Sugar. I am keeping you here all night. Even if it's just to warm my cock. I've got you now, I've tasted you and now I am not letting you go. At least until tomorrow afternoon.”
You squeal and giggle as he pulls you on top of him, still inside you and starts trailing kisses on your body. You let yourself be swept away with Ari till he leaves you exhausted and sleep deprived.
…………………………
It had been a week and a half. Ari had texted that the paperwork got longer so will be back by the weekend. You missed him. But you are also worried now. You had slept with a man who was not your husband. Just two more months till the divorce and you had ruined your chance to be free. You have been meaning to talk to Ari about this but there was no time. You didn't stand a chance when Ari kept on seducing the entire night, fuzzing up your brain to come with anything. You were constantly worried that you might get a call saying you're being charged with defamation of your husband.
When your phone rang, you jumped and reached to see it was Mr. Barber. “Hello. Is everything okay, Mr. Barber?” Your anxiety spiked.
“Yes, everything is fine. I just called to inform you that your husband does not want to divorce you. He went over your details and made a decision that you are good for the family and would likely come see you soon, hoping for a good marital life.” Mr. Barber went on to explain that your husband respected your decisions and was pleased with everything. Your mind went blank. No thoughts, just anxiety.
“But, Mr. Barber, how can he suddenly change his decision? This is not fair! I have a life and I have work and I have-” you stopped yourself from saying Ari’s name. This was a disaster. What were you going to tell Ari? Ari said he is also divorcing his wife and it is final, they are just waiting for papers. What would you do? You had slept with Ari. your husband was going to kill the both of you. Or worse, defame you in front of the world. You could not let that happen to Ari. you loved him. He didn't deserve to be ruined like this. The phone call had ended and you were still holding it. You were so lost in thoughts that you did not see the glass vase on the front desk and ran into it. The glass shattered on your feet and blood seeped out of them. You felt no pain but you watched as the water from the vase and your blood mixed, forming an inevitable doom that your mind had become.
Lloyd was in the lobby when this happened and he immediately scooped you up. He sat you down on the sofa and cursed about how Ari was going to have his head. He saw tears streaming down your face but you had no expression. He propped your feet on his lap and carefully removed the glasses. He had barked orders to bring in a doctor and the resident doctor had shown up. The doctor cleaned your wounds and cleaned tiny shards of glasses from your feet. He cleaned and dressed your feet in bandages.
You were about to stand after thanking the doctor, when Lloyd scooped you up. “I cannot let you walk like this. I'll carry you to your room and you stay there. I'll talk to Ari and will get you a few days of bedrest.” you absentmindedly nodded, not reacting to the situation.
……………………………
Ari stomped his way to his suite. Lloyd had moved you in his room so you were resting on his bed when he slammed open the door, making you jump. When Ari got a call from Lloyd saying what had happened to you, it shattered his heart. He couldn't leave the hotel on its own so he stayed till the weekends. By now, the entire hotel knew about Ari’s affections towards you because Lloyd would occasionally call room services for you. No one minded but of course, who was going to stop the rumors. Luckily, you weren't there to hear any of them.
Seeing you on the bed with your feet covered in bandages, Ari’s feet wobbled and he knelt next to you. You had taken up an entire side of his bed and he didn't mind. In fact he loved it. “You got hurt. I wasn't there to protect you. I'm sorry, Sugar. I should've been here. I'm so sorry for being so late.”
“Ari, it's fine. We talked about this, didn't we? You were there for the emergency. You couldn't just leave and come. I'm fine. See. I'm all better. Stings a little but almost healed. Your work is just as important. This is your life, after all.” You stroke his hair.
“You are important too. You are my life now, Sugar. It's all you, only you. No one else.”
His confession shattered the happy illusion you are living in. you had buried the canceled divorce deep in your mind but his confession brought it all back. It started leaving its traces on your face as tears. You had broken down even without knowing. Ari shook up. He had never seen a breakdown like this before. He moved to his side of the bed and hugged you close as you struggled to breath and cry.
After a few minutes, you calmed down and drank the water, Ari offered. “Please go change Ari. we need to talk.” You say in a small, trembling voice. Ari nodded and stood up to take a shower and dress comfortably. He wore a shirt because seeing you, he knew it was not the time to seduce you. He saw you wring your hands and breath in heavily.
“Ari, I got a call on the day of my accident. It was my husband's lawyer. He, well, he told me that my husband doesn't want a divorce anymore.” You were not looking at Ari. how could you when the love you built with him was going to shatter within seconds. You didn't want to see a broken Ari. “I- the decision is not in my hands. His mother loved my mother so she suggested we get married. He holds all the power. I'm just someone who goes along. Mostly because I fear he would do something if I stray.” You gulped. You were trying to find a way to tell Ari that you will always love him but won't be able to be with him. “My husband is a very powerful man, Ari. he can do anything and one of those things is destroying someone else's life. If he finds out about us, about you, he will not stop until nothing of yours remains. Ari, I love you, so so much. But I cannot let that man destroy you. I will do anything to protect you.”
You finally look up to meet Ari’s eyes. He was looking at you intensely. Maybe lovingly even. You didn't need to say that you will stay married to someone you didn't love to protect him. He understood. There was adoration in his eyes. He cups your face and kisses you. You close your eyes and cherish the soft kiss he is giving you right now. He leans his forehead against yours and smiles. “I love you so much, Sugar.”
He sits up and takes your hands in his. “I'm going to tell you something and I want you to keep an open mind. Can you do that for me, Sugar? Will you listen to me before saying anything?”
You nod and he continues. “Well, I got to look into your files. Your last name, your husband's last name is Levinson. You might've not known this. Because he never told you. I'm a Levinson, Sugar. I am the Levinson you're married to. I was an idiot. Since I was young, my mother would always point to you and tell me I'll be marrying you. To a child it seemed silly but the older I grew, the more annoyed and irritated I got. I wasn't given a choice in choosing my own partner. It felt manipulative. So when we found the contract, it pissed me off even more that I was tied to you for life. The only problem in all of this was, because of my stubbornness, I never bothered to look into you, look at you. You always looked like a thorn to me but I was an idiot. When I met you here, I didn't know you were my wife. I fell in love for who you are. I found out about you being my wife the day you went to see Andy, the lawyer. He is a good friend of mine. He had come over for drinks and tossed me your wallet saying that my wife had left it. I was so close to divorcing my wife and was thinking of a happy life with you. But my curiosity got the best of me and went through your wallet when I found out that it was you all along. I was pissed at myself for ignoring you all this time. I was angry at myself for letting the time slip by me during which I could've had you. I wanted to tell you that night but Andy told me it's better to wait for the next day. But as you know, the emergency arrived and I had to leave.”
He stared at you. Looking for a reaction. Instead he found a thoughtful look on your face. “When I found out that you were my wife all this time, I asked Andy to stop the paperwork and call you to tell you that we were not divorcing. The timing was off. You were supposed to know all this before Andy called you but work ran late. And I banned Andy or Lloyd from talking about this with you. I wanted to be the one to tell you that I am your husband. I am that idiot, powerful, scary husband that can destroy anyone who comes near you.”
Minutes passed. It was agonizing for Ari. he wanted you to say something. There were tears welled up in his eyes. Suddenly, you started laughing. Not a maniacal laugh but a genuine laughter. “So, you mean to say, I was worried about my affair with my own husband! I was worried my own husband would destroy himself because I slept with him!” You laugh even louder. You calmed down after a while and looked at Ari, who had tears slipping down his face.
“Why are you crying?” You cradle his face and wipe his tears. You pull him on you and bury his face in your neck. He gets comfortable and wraps his arms around you tightly. You stroke his hair with one hand while the other strokes his arms.
“I thought you would hate me after that. After I reveal to you that I am your husband.” Ari’s voice trembled. You pull him closer. “I can never hate you, Ari. And yes, it might be your fault but it is mostly our mothers’ fault. They never bothered to meet us up. They never pushed us to get to know each other. Of course we grew up hating each other. They took away a choice. It's okay. I'm just glad that it's you. My love, my husband, it's all you. Also, this makes a funny story about a wife and husband having an affair with each other.” You giggle at the last line, making Ari laugh too.
“Ari, I'd love to stay married to you. You know, in a way I am glad it's you. If it was someone else, I would've died. I don't think I can see my life without you in it anymore. Let the past be in the past and let's go together from here, yes?”
You bring Ari’s face up and kiss him deeply. He shifts and pulls you under him. “I'm glad you're my wife. My love and my soulmate. I'm going to cherish every moment we have together.”
........................
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mytheoristavenue · 6 months ago
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Being the Secretary for T, T, & T Hero Agency
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You had only been working at the combined agency of Tsukuyomi, Tentacole, and Tail-Man for nearly a month at this point and being one of their only employees apart from themselves, you definitely had your work cut out for you.
All three of them had their quirks, but thankfully, you were beginning to figure them out. For example, they all liked to have coffee when the got into the office, and expected you to have it ready when they arrived.
Tail-Man took his coffee blonde with extra hazelnut creamer. Tentacole took his mostly plain, with milk and a bit of sugar. And lastly, Tsukuyomi took his entirely black, and in large quantities.
-----
"Good Morning, Miss (L/N)," Tail-Man would greet, always coming through the door first. "How are you this morning?"
"I'm good, sir, thank you!" you'd respond with a kind smile. "Your coffee is read on your desk and there's muffins in the break room." You'd nod as he thanked you. "Oh, and I set your mail on your desk beside your mug! You've got some fan mail to answer, and you have a meeting with the owner of a local junior league dojo at ten. They'd like you to visit their class later this week!"
"Thanks for the heads up," he'd grin waving sheepishly, headin'g to his office "Go ahead and send 'em in when they get here."
"Yes, sir!"
Nearly every single day, when Tail-Man would leave you to go to his office, Tentacole would stride in, quiet, but typically in a rather cheerful mood.
"Good morning, sir," You'd smile, watching him wave back.
"Any appointments today?" he'd ask, stopping by your desk on his way in.
"None for you today, but you all have a meeting tomorrow morning with the Hero's Association." You'd answer, handing him a stack of envelopes. "Here's your mail for today. You're starting to gain popularity, it seems. Lots of fanmail today."
He'd always simply wave off your flattery, quickly changing the subject. "Coffee?" He'd ask sheepishly.
"On your desk, muffins in the break room."
He'd give you a warm, yet concealed smile. "You're the best,"
"I know."
At that time, Tsukuyomi would enter, moody and dramatic as always. He didn't tend to stop in to talk with you, normally nodding in passing but today was different for some reason. He walked right up to you, looking down on your sternly.
"Cancel my appointments, hold my calls." He commanded firmly. "Please." It was almost as if the last bit was obligatory, something he'd forgotten he had to say.
You simply nodded. "Done, everything's on your desk, muffins in the breakroom." You said with a calm smile, knowing he liked interactions short and sweet. "Have a good day, sir."
The way you addressed him made his feathers puff up and he eyed you as a hawk would a mouse. "See me later, my office."
His tone was demanding and made you worry you might be in trouble. For what, you weren't sure. The other two heroes seemed to adore you as their secretary, surely Tsukuyomi couldn't make the decision to fire you alone...
Could he?
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shixcherie · 2 months ago
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Sweet Candid Saturdays | Jung Wooyoung ☆
~ ~ call me chérie ☆
Navigation | Kinktober List
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☆ Day 05 : Cum Play, Overstimulation
↬ [ Synopsis ] : Associating with Wooyoung was bad news, you knew that clearly. But after experiencing the magic his fingers could work inside you, you couldn't help but want more. So, you decided to step into Wooyoung’s world, unaware of the scandals that were about to follow.
Word Count : 2.2k Genre : Smut, Angst, Photographer Au,Non-idol au. Pairing : Photographer! Wooyoung x Model! F.Reader
WARNINGS : Pure smut(18+) , Pls follow the day number before each part they guide the sequence of the scenes, heavy angst, playful and flirty banter, fingering ( fem.recieving ), overstimulation, cum play, media scandal (a lil bit),bold and flirty wooyoung, couch makeout, they makeout in Wooyoung's studio,cum eating, reader has a bulge kink?.
Tag list OPEN! - let me know if you want to be tagged for this Kinktober list
☆☆☆ NOTE : Day 05 is here ma chéries, and here we are with Wooyoung again. Tried a new format, enjoyed it a lot. Hope you guys enjoy it too.
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14 days after first meeting Wooyoung, Saturday, 11:30 AM, outside your apartment
Fireworks ignited deep in your belly as Wooyoung’s thick fingers stretched you in the most delicious way, teasingly rubbing while your soaked core begged for more. “Do I need to know your name to do this, baby?” he taunts, his voice dripping with control, fully aware of how your body melts under his touch.
“Mhmm… Wooyoung, ahh… please, more.” you beg, desperation dripping from your voice, a taunting proof of how much you need him.
Suddenly, you’re pulled out of your trance by the sound of camera flashes, chaotic reporters, and crazy fans yelling at you. A hot feeling rush all over your whole being as you remember those initimate moments, 7 days ago at Wooyoung's studio.
That is THE WOOYOUNG EFFECT!
How did you, The Vogue’s top model, end up in a leaked photo scandal like this? Nevermind, let’s get yelled at first, shall we?
"Miss L/n, what do you have to say about the intimate pictures of you and Jung Wooyoung that got leaked?"
"Are you two dating? Y/n, are you dating Wooyoung?"
"Y/n, how long have you two been seeing each other? Why were you so close in those photos?"
Your bodyguards usher you forward, blocking the crowd as best they can, but the questions keep flying. Then, the crazy fans start yelling at you.
"Are you cheating on Joshua? Y/n, answer! Why are you breaking our sweet boy’s heart, you crazy witch?"
"You’re a model, so just be a model. Don’t be a fucking troublemaker, breaking innocent hearts like Joshua’s!"
These are just a few of the false accusations and ridiculous questions thrown at you by the paparazzi and the fans as you leave your home for your fittings. You decide to ignore them,they mean nothing. Wooyoung means nothing. It was just a one-time thing.
Just a one-night stand.
Just one photography session. A steamy one at that.
Just one guilty indulgence.
You knew that notorious photographer was bad news, scandalous even, yet you still decided to have a taste of Wooyoung’s world. Wooyoung... he was supposed to be just an acquaintance, but he became more than that.
It all started with those candid Saturdays. Sweet, even, if I may add.
"I am just a model, so let me be," you think to yourself.
Sweet Candid Saturdays that fucked it all up.
--
First time meeting wooyoung, Saturday, 05:45 PM, The Lourve ~ Paris.
"Congratulations, Joshua. I’m so proud of you." you say, hugging him to congratulate him on his biggest gallery event yet in his career as a photographer and art gallery owner.
"Thanks, Y/n. I’m so happy you could make it," he replies, hugging you back. "But without you being a part of my Diamonds of the Night photo collection, I don’t think this would have been such a big hit. Thank you so much." he adds sincerely, kissing your cheek.
A small crowd starts forming around Joshua, him being the man of the hour. You smile and excuse yourself, wandering off to explore the artworks Joshua has collected over the years.
As you walk, your eyes land on a series of your pictures, part of his Diamonds of the Night collection and your first-ever photoshoot with him. Honestly, you enjoyed the whole shoot, funny and sweet memories play like a movie reel in your mind as you admire yourself.
But you’re not the only one admiring your pictures.
Jung Wooyoung, the man, the photographer, the legend, stands behind you, taking a closer look at not only the art but also the model, you.
Wooyoung steps closer, his eyes drifting between the photos and you, a slow smile spreading across his face as he drinks in your beauty from head to toe. "It’s funny... The camera caught your looks, but it totally missed the spark. Up close? You’re absolutely dazzling."
"So, you’re saying I’m even better in person?" you ask, playful amusement in your eyes.
No doubt, Wooyoung is breathtakingly handsome. There’s a reason people go crazy for him and beg for his public appearances, even though he only makes one big appearance each year with his works. Millions of fans admire this man, he’s the art itself, loved by many for both his presence and his craft.
Standing up close, you now understand how people feel in Wooyoung’s presence - strong yet alluring and devilishly sexy. He has a pull to him, and people are attracted to him like iron to magnets, like moths to a flame.
"Oh, for sure. Those photos seem like a sneak peek. In person? You’re a whole vibe." he exclaims, pulling you out of your trance, having lost yourself in him for a few seconds. His gaze lingers on you, unapologetic.
You smirk, intrigued. "You always this bold with people you just met?"
He steps in closer, his voice low, intimate. "Only when they catch my attention like you do. Seems I have a weakness for... striking things."
"You must love walking on thin ice." you say, tilting your head, eyes narrowing playfully.
"I don’t mind a little danger, especially when it’s this tempting," he replies, taking a step closer and grabbing your hand, guiding you down the halls of the gallery, swiftly passing through the crowds as he leads you along.
"Tempting? You don’t even know my name." you say as you both weave through the people.
Where is he taking me?
Halting at the first room his eyes land on, he pulls you in, closing the door softly to ensure no one saw you both going in together.
"I don’t need your name to know I want more of this." he finally answers, standing behind you. His warm breath against your ear sends a shiver down your spine. His muscular yet soft hands snake around your waist, hugging you from behind and pulling your back into his chest. Your body eagerly reacts to his touch, goosebumps spread over your skin, and your heart beats so rapidly you think it might explode.
"And what exactly do you think you’re going to get?" you ask, your voice breathy from his mere touch as your head leans back against his shoulder.
His eyes darken, his voice barely a whisper. "Whatever you’re willing to give."
And just when you think the situation couldn’t get any more intense, his right hand travels south, making use of the cut of your dress at your waist, reaching your lacy underwear.
To no one's surprise, you’re wet as hell. Wooyoung chuckles, you can almost imagine the smug look on his face, irritating yet mouthwateringly attractive, a turn-on you didn’t expect. His fingers waste no time, touching your clothed cunt, the wetness making it clear just how turned on you are. His middle finger adds to the arousal as it rubs intensely, sending waves of pleasure through your body.
"Fuck… oh… my… god." a pretty moan escapes your lips, fueling his excitement. His fingers skillfully slip past the lacy fabric, now in direct contact with your dripping cunt. Without warning, he slips two digits inside you, slowly moving back and forth as he stretches you delicioulsy with feverish passion. Your entire body trembles with the trembles coursing through your body.
"Guess someone’s enjoying my company a little too much." he says mockingly as his pace quickens. With your lips caught between your teeth and your knees going weak, you try your hardest not to give in to this pleasure,not to give in to him.
But your body and mouth always betray you just when you need them to obey the most. A needy whimper escapes your lips. "Faster… please, Wooyoung, don’t stop." you urge, urgency lacing your voice as the pressure builds up, ready to crash at any moment.
His movements stop; his fingers halt as he pulls out of you completely. A loud whimper leaves your lips, being deprived of your release is torturous. You twist toward him in an attempt to protest but come face-to-face with his fingers. His fingers, dripping with your slick, act as a barrier between your lips and his as you both taste your essence.
"I know your name, Y/n. I’ve had my eyes on you for a while." he smirks, a mischievous glint in his eyes. "See you at my studio very soon." With that, he turns to leave, leaving you standing in the middle of the room, stunned and unsure what to make of this whole ordeal.
Just as he’s about to open the door, he turns his head toward you. "Got sexy boobs. It took everything in me not to touch and play with them." he winks before stepping out and softly closing the door behind him.
A scoff leaves your lips as you look down at your chest. A thin paper, a card, sits there. This motherfucker! ,who puts their business card in someone’s cleavage?
--
7 days after first meeting Wooyoung , Next Week, Saturday. 7:30 PM, Midnight Muse aka. Wooyoung’s studio cum art gallery
After contemplating, refusing, and going to war against yourself, you find yourself here, in front of his studio on a dark Saturday night. Entering now guarantees moments of sweet yet candid experiences of pleasure and thrill. But he deprived you of a release; it was painful yet left you wanting more.
Eager for a taste of his world, surrendering to your lusty desires and an aching core, you push through the front door.
Why is it so empty? Yes, it is a Saturday, but there isn’t a single soul in this building. Is it even the correct location?
You walk through the thin corridor, which opens to a huge studio space, with different setups for different purposes occupying their own corners. The walls are decorated with a billion frames, all from his previous collection, and almost thirty cameras are placed at different locations in the room, capturing every single angle, every single frame. Plants, luxury furniture, and ceiling decor elevate the space, adding to that vintage romantic look, a place where muses make love at midnight, so sultry and inviting.
To say you are in awe would be an understatement. Being photographed in such a breathtakingly gorgeous and aesthetic studio would be any model’s dream.
A specific setup catches your eye, a vintage-looking couch placed at the center with no light source other than candles. Roses surround the couch, adding to its glory, and a sweet musk scent lingers in the air, heightening all your sensations.
An image of doing wild things on that couch with Wooyoung runs through your mind.
“So, my muse finally found her way to my studio.” Wooyoung’s voice catches your attention as you shake off the filthy thoughts and turn around to look at him. Your breath hitches at the sight in front of you.
Wooyoung is clad in a red silk shirt, with the top three buttons left intentionally open, revealing his sexy chest, and silk pants adorning his legs—tight enough in all the right spots where eyes wander the most: his crotch. His clothed bulge is evident in those tight pants.
Your mouth waters at the sight before you, and no words leave your lips. You simply nod, the words “my muse” still ringing in your ears.
Wooyoung smiles, figuring you out and your situation in mere seconds with just one look at you. “I have a dress for you in the changing room, baby. Why don’t you get changed, and we can take a few pictures on that setup?” he says, pointing to the rose-covered vintage couch. “My beautiful muse seems to have taken quite a liking to it,” he adds, a sexy smirk plastered on his lips.
Are you really this easy to read? Or is it just with Wooyoung?
This all somehow feels like a well-crafted and thoroughly set-up plan, making you even more excited in anticipation of what’s coming next.
Wooyoung clicks a few pictures of you as you lay on the couch, asking you to change poses after every few shots. He skillfully guides you into different poses, capturing your beautiful figure like a precious art piece.
For the next few pictures, he wants your hair styled in a certain way, so he makes his way toward you to set it himself. The close proximity quickens your pulse with urgency and excitement. The warmth radiating from his body, his exposed chest, inviting lips just inches from you, and his bulge all contribute to the arousal pooling at your core, leaving you dripping wet.
He sneaks glances at your lips in between fixing your hair, and as his fingers brush against your neck, a needy and sudden moan escapes your lips.
“Wooyoung… I need you,” you beg, urgency lacing your voice, your dripping core demanding his attention as your hands cup his bulge, rubbing his clothed dick. Your touch ignites his body on fire, and a groan escapes his lips. “I was just waiting for you to ask, baby.”
With that, he settles on top of you, capturing your lips as an animalistic hunger takes over. The kiss is messy and frantic, his tongue slipping past your lips, eagerly drinking in the pretty moans that escape your mouth. His hands work their way down your body, finishing the half-finished job.
When his fingers make contact with your slick, dripping core, a smirk spreads across his face as he continues to kiss you. Rubbing your wetness, he slips his fingers inside you, gliding in and out with a perfect rhythm. Each movement satisfies your throbbing core, while also pushing you to the edge of overstimulation.
He collects your slick on his fingers, breaking the kiss and slowly standing up. Bringing his fingers to your lips, he makes you taste your own juices. The flavor sends you spiraling, and you come hard, your eyes fluttering shut as waves of pleasure crash over you, wetness covering your inner thighs and the couch.
As you recover from your high, you find Wooyoung smiling at you—a genuine smile, not just a smirk. His eyes gaze upon you softly, full of warmth and affection. “Would this Vogue’s top model want to be my muse?” he asks, kneeling in front of you.
You feel giddy at the sight of his smile. With the intense, pleasure-inducing moments you both shared, you find it impossible to refuse his offer. “Yes, I’d love to,” you reply, a sweet smile gracing your lips.
You both lean in for a kiss, sealing the deal, unaware that your intimate moments are being captured by someone hidden nearby.
~ ~ Chérie ☆ signin’ off
DISCLAIMER: This is totally fictional and not a real depiction of the ATEEZ members. It's all just for fun only so please don’t take anything seriously and keep the mood light around here.
© ShixCherie.
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sageyxbabey · 7 months ago
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Whiskers & Wishes - Gaz x Reader (2)
help, it's again.
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two of the images used are renders done by loneghostwolf88 (@loneghostwolf) and BettyBRenders3D
Gaz x F!Reader, eventual smut (final chapter only).
this is: Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | TBA
Summary:
Gaz knows you very well - he's been in love with you for the better part of a year. So when he jilts the wrong woman and ends up being turned into a cat for his troubles, surely the person who knows him best will recognise him, even like this... right?
You know Gaz very well - you've been pining over him for the past year. So when he disappears without a trace and a strange cat appears at your apartment, the little coincidences that remind you of Kyle are just your anxious mind making false connections... right?
Read on AO3 or below the cut!
When your eyelids fluttered open the next morning, you were greeted by the rise and fall of a fluffy chest and hazel eyes that peered into your own.
“Meow.”
A deep inhale – a resigned sigh.
“Good morning,” you groaned and promptly shoved your head back into your pillow. Why was your fluffy little feline friend still in your apartment – let alone in your bed? Maybe you’d been wrong; he didn’t have a home to return to. But he’d looked so well taken care of last night, with bright eyes and a shiny coat. Plus, he’d recognised the cat door on your balcony and how it worked. Perhaps he’d had owners up until recently… there wasn’t a collar on him, after all.
A wave of fury washed over you at the thought, and you scowled into the pillows. Your daze was interrupted by an odd pressure on your lower back. You turned and saw the cat gently making biscuits on your lower back; his claws kindly tucked away like a gentleman. 
“Thank you, pretty kitty,” you chuckled in a sleep-hoarse voice, one arm stretched back as you caressed his soft ears. The cat just purred and stared back at you with those wide, hazel eyes that strangely reminded you of…
Kyle.
He should’ve been on a plane halfway across the country, but you knew he’d have replied to your message overnight. He always did. It was something you loved and hated about him in equal measure. You revelled in his attention, but those little tastes made the way you hungered for the real thing even worse. 
You checked your phone. Nothing. You opened every single app with a text chain with Kyle, but the only new messages were the ones you’d sent him about the cat. They were all left on delivered, not even read. 
“Strange,” you whispered to yourself.
It was at that moment that the cat started meowing furiously. 
“Well, excuse me, cranky!” You blinked in surprise before turning back to your phone. The torrent of noise continued.
“Mrrp!” You felt fur brush your cheek before a brown paw struck out at your screen like lightning.
You gasped and jerked your head around, your cat still bapping at Kyle’s contact photo. 
‘Demanding little beast’ , you thought.
“Are you hungry? Is that it?”
A low, frustrated “Mrrow…” was the only reply.
“If you want something, you don’t need to get violent about it…” you groaned as you clambered out of bed, “Sassiest cat I’ve ever bloody met.” You tossed your phone on the bed before stumbling into the kitchen.
— — —
Well. Shit…
That was all Kyle could think of as he stared at your abandoned phone. Smacking at his own face when you checked your messages had been, admittedly, a half-baked plan to get you to connect the dots. But until he had something more solid, there wasn’t much more he could do than get you to associate real-him with cat-him . 
You were right about one thing, though. He was hungry.
He brushed up against the soft skin of your legs until you picked him up like you had the night before. He didn’t like being so far away from your face. He was used to being taller than you – used to leaning his head over your shoulder to get you flustered, used to looking down into your gorgeous eyes and not being able to contain his smile. 
He settled for being cradled into your shoulder instead. 
You reheated some of last night’s chicken and placed it on a dish in front of him… on the ground. 
Absolutely not. He was not about to eat from a plate on the bloody floor. It was just plain demeaning. He blinked up at you, desperate to convey his disgust.
“Come on, baby, it’s the same stuff as last night. What’s the problem?”
Kyle padded over to your little dining table and leapt up onto one of the chairs, his head barely peeking over the edge. 
“Meow.”
You stared at him with one hand on your hip, the other clutching your tea.
Your jaw dropped. “You cannot be serious.”
Kyle flicked his elegant tail.
“You are the weirdest cat I have ever seen,” you grumbled as you picked up the dish and placed it on the table before him. You shook your head and sat down opposite him with your mug.
 It was a strange parallel version of a scene he’d lived dozens of times before, sharing drinks and conversation after he’d spent the night on your couch, having found reason after reason to stick around until you told him it was too late for him to go home. Christ, of all the times to be unable to speak with you, this fever dream of a situation was definitely the worst.
He heard you sigh as he ate. He didn’t need to look up to know you’d have your face rested in one hand, eyes half-closed in sleep. Your cheek squished up and oh-so kissable. 
“You didn’t go home last night, mister.” Kyle felt your finger rub behind his ear, turning his face until you brushed his cheek instead. “You must belong to someone, a stray could never be as audacious as you are and survive.” 
‘Oi!’ he thought. A little chirp came out of his mouth.
“Don’t argue with me. You know I’m right.” He licked your finger in retaliation.
“No collar, though, and no one in this building knows you.” You sighed, lips pursed in thought. “I’ll have to take you to the vet, hmm? See if you’ve got a microchip.” 
Kyle bristled at the suggestion as you stroked his neck fur, oblivious. On second thought, he knew there was no record or microchip to be found. If you learned this and kept him, it would give him more time to find a way to communicate with you. Plus, he wouldn’t have to live on the streets while waiting to become human again.
He hopped onto the table and wove around the dish to nuzzle his head under your chin. ‘Come on, normally it takes you five seconds after spotting a stray before you’re crying to me about how you want to take it home,’ Kyle thought as he sat up and looked at you with the widest eyes he could manage. ‘I’m fucking adorable, get attached to me!’
You let out a small ‘aww’ and cradled his face in your hands. “Sweet little guy,” you cooed before you kissed his forehead. 
Mission success.
You massaged his cheeks with your fingertips and kissed his forehead again. “Aren’t you so handsome?” Kyle’s chest rumbled with a purr against his will. Maybe there were a few perks to the whole ‘cat’ business, after all.
— — — 
The cat had been surprisingly cooperative when you’d gotten him ready for the vet. 
He jumped into the box of his own free will and stayed put the entire walk down to the car. He sat upright in the passenger seat with refined posture as you drove to the vet, his thick chest fur like a cravat tied around his neck. 
This animal just seemed so… human. You felt like you were going mad each time you had that thought.
He was perfectly polite in the waiting room and during the initial check-up – he’d only sent you one murderous glare when the doctor pressed on his hips and belly to check for lumps. 
“I’m not picking up a microchip, and there’s no record at our practice of a cat with his description who isn’t microchipped.” The vet’s voice was gentle as she moved to put the scanner back in a drawer. “I agree, it’s doubtful that he’s a stray based on his appearance, health, and what you’ve told me.” You looked down at the feline as he pushed his head further into your hand, waiting for you to run your hands down his neck and shoulders. 
“He’s such a sweet thing,” you murmured, “I can only imagine how worried his owners must be, but I don’t understand why he didn’t just go home last night. It’s literally what cats do!”
“Unfortunately, it’s more common than you might think for people to take collars off family pets and dump them or leave them behind when moving.” The vet sighed. “You’re more than welcome to search for the owners, but if you want to hold onto him in the meantime, I suggest you have him registered with us under a name and consider a collar. 
“Plus,” she smiled, tilting her chin at the cat, “It’s obvious he adores you.” 
Your eyes flicked down to the ball of deep brown fur nestled up to your arm, big eyes boring into your own.
“I think that’s an excellent idea.” You smiled up at the other woman. “What do you think?” you cooed down at the little cat, who now sported an unimpressed glare. He chirped.
“I’ll take that as a yes.”
When you left the vet’s, you had a cat registered as Mister with a collar to match, some wet cat food, cat toys, and a litter box. You hoped it wouldn’t take too much encouragement for him to use it.
— — —
There was no force in Heaven or Earth that could make Kyle use a fucking litter box. 
He’d diligently suffered through the poking and prodding like a good little soldier, he’d sat patiently when you’d bought feathery little playthings, and he’d even kept his temper when you’d placed a collar and tag with your phone number around his neck.
Although, he’d had to remind himself to be mad about the collar, repressing the satisfied feeling in his gut at the idea you’d staked a claim on him, something that announced him as yours for everyone to see. It had to be some side effect of this cat business. Yes, that was definitely it…
But the one thing that had immediately tipped him over the edge was the litter box. As soon as you’d picked up the repulsive thing, Kyle’s reaction was to huff out, ‘Absolutely fucking not!’  
Unfortunately, all you had heard was a long, low growl with his ears pinned to his skull.
Two days later, you would come running into your bathroom after hearing the toilet flush when you were home alone. Instead of coming face-to-face with an intruder, you made direct eye contact with Kyle as he stood on your toilet seat with his back paws, his front half leaning on the half-flush button. Both of you froze.
He blinked at you.
You blinked at him.
‘Please,’ Kyle thought, ‘Surely this is weird enough for something to click in that pretty head of yours.’
“Holy shit,” you mumbled. “I’ve seen this in YouTube shorts, I didn’t think anyone ever actually taught their cats how to use the bathroom.”
Kyle adored you, but he was starting to question your intelligence.
He displayed the same aversion to the cat food, constantly begging to sit at the table with you and eat whatever you were having. Eventually, you’d caved, and now you made him a dinner mix of rice, vegetables, and meat. He still made you pick him up for at least a little while when you cooked. He craved the sound of your heartbeat against his ear and the smell of your hair when he nuzzled into your neck. If he closed his eyes, he could pretend he’d found you like this after a long day of work, coming home and wrapping his arms around your waist while you told him about your day. He could pretend it was a certainty that you would share the same bed as him, that he was allowed to hold you, to kiss you, to feel you. A universal constant.
But then you would scratch behind his ears and call him a “Spoiled little baby,” and the cold water of reality would drown him once again.
Later that night, Kyle heard you try to call him.
“Look, I just–” Your exhale was fragile. One hand covered your eyes as you stood half in moonlight and half in shadow, painted like a sinner at confession. 
“If I did something wrong when you were last here, Kyle,” Your voice broke over the letters of his name. No bullet could ever hurt him more than that sound.
‘Never! You could never,’ he thought.
“I’m so sorry. I know you’re probably just really busy, and you can ignore this–” You paused to regain your breath, your face crumpled under the pressure of your pain.
‘I’m not ignoring you, darling. I’m still here.’
“But please,” Your eyes locked onto his across the room, but you did not see him . “Please just let me know that you’re okay.”
‘I’m still here!’
Kyle watched you hang up the voicemail and sink into the couch. Guilt settled heavily in his chest like a stone. ‘Please,’ he thought, ‘God, anyone, fix what has happened to me so I can comfort her properly.’  
Nothing changed.
He would make do. For you, he could always make do.
Kyle bounded into your bedroom and jumped onto your bed, nudging at your spare blanket until it fell to the floor. He began to drag the blanket out into your living room, one corner in his mouth. He tripped over the damn thing a few times, the fabric much heavier than his smaller body. 
Christ, being a cat was fucking inconvenient.
Your head perked up at the drag of fleece over your carpet, and you looked shocked. You reached down to pull the blanket up around you. “Thank you, baby,” you mumbled at him. Kyle’s skin felt too tight. 
Gaz shook himself out and leapt onto your couch, huddling down beside your face. Kyle rubbed his face against yours, laying little licks across your neck and cheeks. Eventually, your breathing calmed, and you pulled back to look him in the eyes. “Sweet little thing,” you whispered. He could hear that sandpaper-rough exhaustion in your voice. His stomach felt like it was trying to escape his body.
‘I’m sorry,’ Kyle had never wanted to wrap himself around you more.
— — —
Your heart had split somewhere between the third dial tone and the voicemail beep. Fear had clawed its way inside you, dragging you down from where it was anchored into your chest. 
Kyle would never ignore your messages for no reason, which meant that either something was very wrong or he was upset with you, and he wasn’t meant to be out in the field for at least a week, so the only other possibility was that you were stupid and you had–  
The unravelling thread of thoughts was shattered by Mister dragging a blanket towards you. 
‘What a smart creature!’ you thought at the time . ‘Did his previous owner teach him this? Can cats be taught things like this? Where the fuck did he even know where to find this blanket!?’
“Thank you, baby,” you managed through tears, curling up under the warm fleece.
Mister settled in next to you and rubbed his head against you, licking stray tears from your neck and cheeks. You marvelled at how brilliant this cat was. It was as if he understood what you were feeling. You took his head in your palms and moved back to look at him.
“Sweet little thing,” you whispered. Your voice sounded too quiet. 
Mister let out the softest, smallest mewl you’d ever heard. The tiny sound slithered into the crack in your chest, and you didn’t think you could survive it. There was a strange guilt at the idea your sadness was infecting your poor cat.
“Aww, sweetheart!” You chuckled weakly, “Are you worried about me, Mister?”
“Mrow,” Mister pressed a paw against your forehead. You let out a wet laugh and took the small thing in your hands, “Look at your little toe beans!” You sniffed, running your fingertip over the sensitive pads before pressing on the middle of Mister’s paw. His claws shot out around your finger, and it looked oddly like he was holding your hand. This time, you let out a genuine laugh, the sound devoid of tears.
The awful roiling in Kyle’s gut finally subsided.
“What a big, scary guy, huh?” You carefully kissed his paw before letting go, pulling Mister further into your arms before the exhaustion of the day took hold of you right there on the couch.
— — — 
Gaz’s heart rate had reached an unhealthy speed when you’d called him that. 
Big, scary guy.  
God. You’d kissed his palm, too. It didn’t matter if this was not his actual body. He could feel it all the same. 
And yet, you had no idea. He knew then that he was fucked. He was horrifically and hopelessly in love with you. It was a truth carved into his soul. 
He was in love with you, and he was still a fucking cat.
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irkimatsu · 8 months ago
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So I've got a request that may be odd but interesting. Reader/Husk where things start off with Husk being an Overlord and Reader a lowly sinner down on their luck, but after a long period of separation (things going sour, Alastor's doing, or whatever sounds best to you) they reunite and rekindle their relationship when Husk has lost everything and is working at the hotel, and Reader has risen the ranks to become an Overlord themselves. GN Reader is fine, thanks for your time!
Oh god help me I made this one angsty. I hope this is along the lines of what you wanted!
3.2k words (help), angst with a happy ending, SFW besides the usual swearing you expect from Hazbin fics. Reader finds Husk again after a decade apart, a tearful reunion is had, oh god help me
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You stand in the middle of a grand ballroom, with a live band playing acoustic music and food and drink as far as the eye can see. Dozens of demons fill the hall, the most influential Sinners in the Pride Ring joined by their associates and servants.
It’s not the first time you’ve been to one of these gatherings, but it’s your first time here while on the other end of the leash.
You have to admit, it’s somewhat lonely here at the top. You’re not completely alone; like everyone else here, you’ve brought along your favorite contracted soul, who has just brought you a glass of champagne and earned a pat on his head for his troubles. But as you sip your drink, you can’t help but remember something with a smile.
He’d spit this out and ask where the scotch was…
It’s so strange not having his strong arm pinning you to his side. You can still see the charming expression on his face as he speaks with another Overlord, even as his tail waves as a warning to everyone who speaks to him. You know what that tail is saying without him needing to open his mouth.
“I’ll respect you if you respect me, but if you even think about trying anything with my pet, you’re dead.”
A lot of servants here are openly fearful or disdainful of their owners, but Overlord Husk never made you feel anything less than cared for. Sure, he had needs from you, but you enjoyed fulfilling those needs, especially knowing that he’d back down if you asked. He was cocky, spoiled, and reckless, but he adored you and always made sure to show it, both to you and to anyone who dared suspect that you were only a trophy he’d happily gamble away.
Then one day, he was just… gone. You woke up in his bed in the mansion like so many other mornings, and immediately you noticed that you couldn’t feel the faint bindings of his leash around your neck. You searched the mansion for him, but instead, you found Alastor reclining in Husk’s favorite lounge chair, sipping rye from one of Husk’s own glasses.
“Husker is no longer in need of your services, my dear. You’d best be on your way.”
He wouldn’t explain things any further than that, and you never heard from Husk again. What happened to him? Why would he just leave you like that, after years of calling you his most precious treasure…?
You need to shake those thoughts from your head before you have a breakdown in the middle of the party, so you join a nearby group of Overlords you can’t identify by name, intending to nod along and pretend to participate in their conversation. They appear to be discussing that rehabilitation hotel that Lucifer’s daughter started up. You continue sipping your drink and listening, hoping they don’t notice your silence.
“I still think it’s a foolish idea…”
“They did a wonderful job fighting off those exorcists, though. Imagine, we may never have to worry about another extermination thanks to that hotel!”
“Did you see any of the battle?”
“Oh, heavens, no, I never dare leave my shelter during an extermination, and I certainly don’t want to watch such a thing on TV!”
“Well, I caught some of it on the news, and would you believe, I could have sworn I saw the Gambling Demon fighting with the rest of Charlie’s crew!”
You try your damnedest to hide your shock at that news. At the very least, you manage to avoid dropping your glass.
“The Gambling Demon! Staying at Charlie’s hotel?! Surely you’re mistaken! And here I thought Alastor had him killed!”
“Oh, he looks different to be sure. He’s gotten a lot thinner, a lot scruffier. But how many tuxedo cats with giant wings do we have flying around in Hell? It had to have been him!”
“What do you suppose he’s doing in that place? Surely that old drunk doesn’t think Heaven would ever take him?”
“What kind of people does Heaven take, anyway…?”
As the discussion drifts away from the Gambling Demon, your attention drifts away from the discussion.
You’ll need to drop by that hotel sometime soon.
It takes you a few days to get away for long enough to stop by the hotel. Who knew Overlord business could be so exhausting? No wonder Husk needed your help with stress relief so often. But finally, after days of wondering, you find yourself standing outside the doors of the recently rebuilt Hazbin Hotel.
Surely it was all rumors, a cruel game of telephone meant to get your hopes up before harshly striking them down. You wouldn’t find him here. Not here, of all places. As far as you know, he’s dead.
But still, you have to know…
With a deep breath, you steel your nerves and push the door open. You’ve barely stepped into the lobby when a cheerful voice starts calling out to you.
“Oh! Hey there!” A group of demons are sitting in a circle of chairs, and all of them are now staring at you. Most of them are strangers, but you do recognize the one who’s enthusiastically waving at you as Princess Charlie herself.
You also recognize the winged cat who is currently staring at you with wide eyes and mouthing something inaudible. He’s much thinner, unhealthily so, and he doesn’t appear to be taking nearly as much care of his fur as he used to… but it can’t be anyone else, can it?
“You’re just in time!” Charlie says as she launches out of her seat and runs up to you. “We were just starting today’s trust exercise! Would you like to join us? It’s a perfect way to see what the Hazbin Hotel is all about!”
She’s speaking so quickly you can barely follow her.
“Oh, right, introductions! My name’s Charlie! What’s your name?”
You tell her your name, and she squeals with glee as she takes your hand. “Come on, come sit with us! Let me introduce you to everyone! This is Angel Dust, and Niffty, and Husk…”
You don’t remember any of the names she says after Husk’s. It really is him. The instant you lock eyes with him, you can’t look away. He’s frozen stiff, only the slight twitches of his tail showing that he hasn’t turned to stone.
“...and we have plenty of open rooms! What size bed do you like? Do you smoke? I know it’s hard to quit, and we’ll help you with that, but before then I can make sure you get a room with a balcony-”
“Charlie!” A girl with long white hair laughs and grabs Charlie’s hand to pull her back down into her seat. “Calm down! I think you’re freaking them out!”
“Sorry, Vaggie, sorry!” Charlie says. “It’s just always so exciting to see a new guest!”
“I don’t think it’s Charlie’s fault,” says the pink spider sitting on Charlie’s other side. “Seems like they just got distracted by our bartender. You like him, don’tcha? I know he’s cute, but don’t try pettin’ him, he bites.”
Husk must be stunned if he’s not reacting to a joke about his cat form. You’ve seen him punch other Overlords for that.
A bartender, though… that part doesn’t surprise you at all. But why here?
“Did you want to get a room set up first?” Charlie asks you. “I can help you pick one out, then we can come do the trust exercise! Oh, I can’t wait to get to know you!”
“I’ll take care of ‘em,” Husk says as he rises to his feet with a grunt.
“Oh, don’t worry about it, Husk! I can-”
“I’m the concierge here, ain’t I? Takin’ people to their room is part of my job.”
“Normally you complain when we ask you to check people in,” Vaggie says.
Husk shrugs at Vaggie’s observation as he heads toward the hotel’s bar. He grabs a box from beneath the bar and shakes it. “So, what size bed? You want a balcony?”
“Um… king?” you say, not sure if it’s an option. “Balcony is fine.”
“Mmm…” he stirs the contents of the box around with his claws for a moment, then takes out a key card and reads it. “Right, here’s one. Fifth floor.” He puts the box back where he found it, then pulls out a book and a pencil. He flips through the book for a specific page, then scribbles something inside it. 
He writes your full name perfectly, despite you not saying it directly to him.
Once that’s taken care of, the book also returns to where it came from. “C’mon.” He heads to the stairwell, and you follow.
What should you say to him? Should you say anything? Should you give him the first word? He doesn’t appear to be taking it as the two of you silently climb the stairs.
You reach the fifth floor, and your hotel room, without either of you saying a thing. “This is it.” He swipes the card and opens the door for you. “Look good?”
It’s a fully decorated room, with potted plants and wall art and a comfortable looking bed. It’s not entirely to your taste, but you can tell whoever designed it took great care with it.
“Don’t mind the art, you can replace that if you want. You might be staying for a while, so make it yours.”
“All right… thank you.”
Over a decade, and that’s all you can say to him?
You expect him to leave you to get settled in, but he keeps standing there, propping the door open. “Hey, uh… do I… know you, from somewhere?”
Your heart gives a single, heavy thud. “I think so… if you’re who I think you are.”
“Can I come in?” he asks. “Talk to you for a minute?”
“What about Charlie?” you ask.
“She’s patient,” is all he says before walking into the room. You follow him in and shut the door behind you. He’s standing in the middle of the room now, not looking at you. He seems to be at a loss of what to do with himself.
“...it’s really you,” he finally says, still facing away. “Before you said your name to Charlie, I thought… it couldn’t be…”
“Husk…” is all you can say. How long has it been since you’ve said that name? It feels so wonderful rolling off your tongue. At the sound of his name, he finally turns around to face you.
“...I missed hearing that…”
Your head is in conflict over what you should do now. Hug him and promise not to lose him again? Slap him and ask where the hell he’s been all this time? Break down crying, overwhelmed with thoughts of how you just spent the last ten years assuming he was dead?
“What happened…?” is all you can manage to say, without moving an inch.
His ears tilt down and he grumbles to himself as he grips his arms. “I didn’t want… didn’t mean… I’m sorry. He wouldn’t… I couldn’t…” he takes a deep breath. “...a lot’s happened since the last time I saw you.”
“Can you tell me about any of it?” you ask.
“Can we sit?” he asks in return. You nod in agreement, and the two of you sit on the edge of the hotel bed.
“How much do you know already?” Husk asks.
“Not much,” you say. “I went to sleep by your side one night, and then I never saw you again. That’s all.”
“Do you remember what I told you that night?” he continues.
“That you had a big meeting the next morning, but that I shouldn’t worry about it and you’d be home soon…” The gears start turning in your head. “What happened at that meeting…?”
“I lost,” Husk says. “I lost everything to Alastor. The money, the casinos, the mansion, the staff… even my own soul. A few bad hands, and that was it.” 
You once again remember seeing Alastor that day, and your hand goes up to your throat. “Did you lose me to…?”
“I didn’t lose you to anyone!” Husk insists. “I promised I’d never bet your soul, didn’t I? I didn’t bet it then, either. He didn’t want me keeping you, said a pet didn’t need a pet of his own… but there was no fucking way I was letting him have you. Letting you go before he took everything from me was the best thing I could do for you.”
“And you couldn’t tell me?” Tears are welling in your eyes. Are you relieved? Angry? Where has he been?
“He wouldn’t let me!” Husk says, defensive. “Wouldn’t even let me near any of the property I used to own! I couldn’t tell anyone from those days what happened! He wanted everyone to think he’d killed me!” He needs a few breaths to calm himself down. You barely recognize your old Overlord in his current face; he looks so lost and tired. “Believe me, I didn’t just give up. I looked for you when I could, but I didn’t know where to begin, especially when I couldn’t even get into my own casinos anymore. If I had any idea where you were, I swear I would have found you…”
If he still doesn’t know where you’ve been, then clearly he forgot to check somewhere vital. “Have you been keeping an eye on the Overlords recently?”
“Like I want anything to do with that fucking group ever again,” he spits out. “I still hate how I lost everything, but I know it’s for the best that I got out of there with some dignity intact… wait.” He sits up and stares at you. “Is that where you’ve been?”
You smile and nod. He chuckles in response and leans back on his hands.
“Heh… should’ve known you’d find another Overlord to take care of you. I just hope they’re good to you… I may not be as powerful as I once was, but I’ll still kill anyone who tries messing with you. I ain’t breaking my promises to you, not even now.”
“Husk…” you say with a shake of your head. “I’m not on anyone’s leash anymore. Not since I lost you.”
“Eh?” He raises a large, red eyebrow. “Then what are you doing, hanging around with Overlords?”
“Well… I am one now,” you said. “After you left, I had to fend for myself. I started a business, made connections with the people you used to know, and now… here I am.”
“No shit… you as an Overlord,” he says. “Not surprised you managed to climb that high, if that’s what you wanted. I just hope you’re playing fair. Not like some of the other scumbags with that title.”
You can’t help but wonder if he’s including himself in “scumbags”.
“Of course I play fair,” you say. “I learned a lot from you. It’s ruthless work, but it doesn’t mean I have to mistreat people for it.”
“Good to hear,” he says. “Good to know some people down here don’t let power completely fuck ‘em up. What kinda souls you own?”
“I try to make fair deals,” you say. “Hiring people to work in factories, using contracts to protect company secrets, that sort of thing. I think my people are happy where they are. I try to make it less awful than it could be, at least.”
“Got any pets?” Husk continues.
“Pets…? Oh.” It takes a moment for you to catch his meaning. “No, no! I’m not interested in that sort of thing. Everyone just works for the company. No personal relationships.”
“Huh… shame. Having a pet is a lot of fun. Getting to spoil ‘em, seeing ‘em smile when you’re around… pissing off other Overlords who don’t understand why their souls hate them so damn much, but your pet can’t keep their paws off of you…” He sighs and closes his eyes. “It was nice, having you by my side. I regret a lot of shit from back then… but I don’t regret having you. …at least, as long as you don’t regret it. Was I good to you back then…?”
“You were amazing,” you assure him as you lean against him. “Amazing enough that… that I can’t see myself with a pet of my own. I don’t belong on that side of the leash… and I don’t belong on anyone else’s leash, either.”
“...you know I’m washed up,” he says. “I ain’t got shit left. No money, no influence, just a damn chain around my neck forcing’ me to do the bidding of a sadistic freak who thinks I’m an animal.”
“Husk…” You can’t help but hug him tight as you hear just what he’s been going through in your time apart.
“I can’t spoil you anymore. I can’t take you to parties, I can’t buy you expensive gifts… that shit’s over now. You’re staring at… well, you’re staring at a withered old husk.”
“Can you still sing to me?” you ask. “And dance with me? Perform tricks for me?”
“I… maybe?” he says. “I’m out of practice. Haven’t had a reason to do any of that for years.”
“But could you?” you repeat.
“I mean… I’d like to… I’ve missed it.” He smiles again, his eyes staring off into the distance. “I still remember how you’d smile when I sang your favorite love songs…”
“I always loved your voice,” you say. “I still remember what you sound like when you sing. I think about it sometimes…”
“Yeah?” he says. “...I think about it too. You smiling as I’d sing to you, and… and hold you…” You’ve been waiting ever since you leaned in, but finally, his arms are wrapped around you. “And tell you that… no matter how much I lost… I’d never lose you…”
You never saw Overlord Husk cry before. Such a prideful man surely couldn’t cry. But as he rests his chin atop your head, you can hear his breathing start to hitch.
“I’m sorry…”
“It wasn’t your fault,” you assure him as you nuzzle his neck, just the way he loved all those years ago. A purr assures you that it hasn’t changed.
“If I knew that day… that when I left, I wouldn’t be coming back… I would have stayed in just a little longer.” He rests his claw on your chin and tilts it up to look in your eyes. Now you can clearly see the tears pricking the corners of his own. “Would have at least kissed you goodbye…”
“You did kiss me goodbye,” you say. “That night, before we went to sleep, the last thing you did was kiss me…”
“...and I promised I’d be back,” he finishes. “I kissed you goodbye for a day. Not a decade.” His claws run down your face, just as gentle as ever. “Could I… do that now?”
“Don’t kiss me goodbye,” you say. “Just kiss me.”
He grants your wish, lightly placing his lips against yours. He finally lets his tears fall, but the way they stain your cheeks doesn’t make you pull away. If anything, they’re just another reminder for you that he’s here, along with his warmth in your arms and the sound of his soft moans vibrating against your lips as he keeps kissing you.
“Charlie…” you murmur. “Charlie’s waiting for us-”
“She’s patient,” he repeats as he pushes you down to the bed. “I’m sure she’ll understand me wanting some quiet time with an old friend.” He offers no further argument before resuming his kisses, and you have no further reason to protest.
“I love you, Husk,” you manage to whisper between kisses.
“I love you too, doll. Always have.”
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dearyuls · 5 months ago
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CHAPTER ONE.
> please read the prologue (0.) for content warning.
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The loud blaring of your phone alarm had woken you up from your dreamless slumber, you dragged yourself out of bed just so you wouldn't have to hear it for a second longer.
Work today.
You sighed to yourself, stretching your arms above your head, letting a strange sound that you wouldn't let another human hear due to embarrassment as your limbs readjusted from being unmoving for countless hours.
Peeking through your blinds you saw that it was cloudy... You'd better prepare for the worst, clouds mean worries and uncertainty in your mind, you heavily associated weather with the tone of your mood, and so, today must just be one of them days.
Time to get ready, you don't want to end up being late, you'd worked too hard to even afford this apartment, late mornings were just something you'd need to suck up to, what a stupid world, having to make yourself unhappy just to be allowed to live, it really was pitiful.
You sifted through your closet, you had so many clothes just so you were prepared for any type of situation, it kind of overwhelmed you! You ended up picking a cute blouse and then a cute skirt with some tights, your usual outfit, it's not as if you wanted to wear cuter clothing to appeal to people, you just thought it looked good, and so you wore it! You couldn't care less if people were watching you.
Half an hour later after you'd properly woken up, you grabbed your bag and headed out to your shift at your job, you were a worker at a local bakery – you didn't man the kitchen, that would mean you needed to wake up even earlier! Instead you were the clerk, you sold the baked goods, sorted out displays, took phone calls, and occasionally when the bakers asked you'd help out, it was honestly a pretty fun job, you just felt lucky that you hadn't been forced into an office for the rest of your days, you really couldn't complain about the hand you'd been dealt with.
You were actually friends with the owner, the two of you were close friends during your high school days, and, when they told you they were planning on starting a business, you had nothing but support for them, even when they were struggling you still would come and help, and they in turn, offered you a job working there! It's not everyday your friend randomly gives you a career opportunity, and so you graciously accepted.
Opening the doors, a bell rang, and, a yawn slipped from your lips, the scent of freshly made cakes drifted around you, invigorating you to do your best today! Not that there was an overly heavy workload on your back.
"Ah, Good morning, I hope you slept well. "Eom Shin, the owner peeked his head out from the kitchen, his white hair pinned up as he was dressed up in an apron, another reason you enjoyed your job was having no dress code, if you weren't walking into work naked, you were fine.
You smiled at him, giving the man a wave. "I slept ... good. "You were lying, waking up before noon was a struggle. "It's good to see you're in good spirits!" You'd known Shin for so long you could read the emotions he felt easily, he was dull in tone when he spoke, but his face was simple for you to understand.
"Yes, I came up with a new...." combination" to try, we'll need to experiment but, I think it'll sell fast. "You'd opened your mouth to ask him, but he already figured you out too it seems.
"I'm keeping it a surprise, Be ready. " You deadpanned as he disappeared back into the kitchen, you followed in his stead so you could retrieve this morning's goods that were cooling, time to get ready for a long day of interacting with people!
He wasn't much of a talker, your work conversations were normally short, btu, after you've known someone for a few years, things tend to dry up, but you weren't sure if it was that or just his composed attitude. It was normal to you though, he did have a lot more to do than you, and probably was a lot more stressed, it's not like you were about to start complaining.
Shortly after you, your other in-house employee arrived, you were currently organising some filled- croissants onto your display as the ding of the bell sounded out again, you turned and met eyes with the dishwasher, Tae Iseul, you waved to her again and she bounded over to you, wrapping her arms around you, you couldn't help but let out a chuckle, stepping away from her. " I can't do my job if you're planning to latch onto me Iseul." You patted her head for a second, knowing she was about to start talking to you about her day, unprompted, She was very active compared to you, animated and lively, you'd have to say you were more of a passive person, so, the two of you were a good match, you weren't sure if you had become friends quickly due to you getting along well, or just because the girl was chatty in general.
" Oh. My god. You won't believe what happened to me this morning! So, I was getting out of my bed and then I-"
She went on and on for a good five minutes, telling you some mundane story as if it were the most important moment of her life up till then, you nodded to let her know that you were listening, you were lucky to have someone like her be your friend, it meant you'd never get bored, she would often spam you with texts in both the work group chat and on your social medias, you always replied when you could, you were baffled at how she had so much energy all of the time.
" Oh that reminds me, are you free tomorrow tonight? I feel like going out! You need to come with me, pleeease! Please, please, please! " She latched herself onto your arm as well, shaking you as you tried to write on the little signs of what the prices of your items that day were, as much as it was a bother, it was nice at the same time. " I promise we'll have fun! Plus the day after we have the day off, so you have all the time to rest afterwards! "
" Sure, Just text me the details tonight! " You replied as she started to use her puppy dog eyes on you, before a bright smile filled her face
" You're the best! I loveee youuuu! " She sung as she started to walk to the kitchen, probably to let Shin know she was present and to get started doing her job, instead of talking to you. You didn't have time to say it back, but she wouldn't mind it, you didn't do it half of the time anyway, you knew it wasn't a serious I love you, more of just a " thank you. "
You knew there were more employees working there, but you weren't on a talking basis with them, just passing smiles if you were in the same part of the bakery, so, this meant you could finally focus on getting everything set up, your most important thing on the to-do list!
When the time passed 10AM, you switched on some faint, calming background music, and skipped over to the front of the store, flipping the "Closed " sign over to "Open".
Customers came and left, some of them sat inside, enjoying the ambience, since you had a few tables set up near one of the windows, most of them were couples or old women, and you'd answered one phone call regarding what you put into your food, wanting to allergy check before coming, you hadn't been called back to the kitchen so far, and it had been a nice shift for you, that was until a certain person entered.
You didn't like to judge people based on their appearances, people go through shit, it isn't their fault, but this guy was just reeking of sleaze, you didn't let it bother you at first, maybe this was a bad day for him or something, he could be lovely.
" Hello! Welcome Shins' bakery, what can I get for you today? " You gave him the customer-service smile, and waited for his answer, the second his mouth opened you had to stop yourself from covering your nose, perhaps you should give him a complimentary mint. Yikes.
" I'll have ummm...one of those. " he pointed a finger with a crusted, bitten nail to one of your slices of carrot cake, ready to ask him if he'd like to take it out or if he's going to stay inside and eat it, when, a smirk finds its way onto his face. " and uhh..I'll also get your number, sunshine. "
Your face visibly cringed, you were thankful for the counter separating the two of you, lord knows where those grimy hands had been.
" So, the carrot cake will be a takeout, then! " You replied in a forced chipper voice, you didn't want to get a complaint, but, you didn't want to give him a chance to stay with you, he was a creep for sure, nobody asks someone out like that if they have good intentions. You brushed it off, getting the cake out and putting it into a box with a little fork, before bagging it, there was always the chance that he was the type to give up after first rejection...?
" Ya didn't hear my order properly sweetheart. " He leant over, and you took a step back.
" Let me take ya out. " He stared at you, making you feel uncomfortable, not that type of guy at all.
" Unfortunately, that would be very unprofessional of me, mister. I'm not allowed to accept any advances from customers. " You were lying through the skin of your teeth, but, it was better to lie and stay safe than say you didn't want it.
You saw his face contort into a scowl as you rejected him much clearer this time, you looked around somewhat frantically, but to your dismay, nobody else was at the storefront right now, and you couldn't just ask the customers for help.
" Does it look like I care what your rules are? I can provide for ya if ya ditch this place. " You scoffed, why would you risk anything for a complete stranger, and a creepy one at that... at least he had believed what you said, so you could keep going with it. But his blatant disrespect to you was really irking you out, why did he not just listen to you for the first time, had he really just came in here in order to ask you out? Theres no way right?
" Well, I enjoy my job, I'm very sorry, if you're not willing to pay and then leave, I'll be taking it up with my manager. " Your tone was more stern now, wanting to get the point across but not wanting to sound angry or threatening. Interacting with people could be so awful sometimes, it made you want to rip your hair out.
The man looked like he was about to reach over and choke you, and you were frightened for a split second, your heart dropped, before he seemed to concede, leaving the store without even taking the cake.
You took a deep breath of air in, thank god that situation had been avoided.
You look to see if anyone else was coming inside before you retreated for a few minutes, you needed to calm down after that.
Hopefully you wouldn't end up with anymore creeps today.
--
For the first time in a long time, Yul was feeling ecstatic, he was so happy! After all of his hard work, he was finally being hooked up to a job! It wasn't anything too big yet, but, being new in the business, he was grateful that he'd been given a chance to do anything.
He wasn't taking any photos today, but he was meeting up with the establishment to talk over pricings and times, it was some sort of nightclub, so he figured he was going to be out late on whatever day they wanted him in, but he was exhilarated, his first gig.
He was only wearing a simple outfit, a black sweater with black jeans beneath it, he kept the hood up to cover his hair in public, just to draw less attention to himself and his more feminine appearance, since he couldn't just peel his facial features off.
He hung his camera around his neck, as an accessory, and also so he could snap a photo of whatever he pleased when he was outside, with work being unguaranteed for him, he had to be ready at all times for spontaneous jobs.
He was a little nervous at the same time, going out to meet people, reintegrate into society after everything, he felt like curling into a ball and locking himself inside and never leaving the house again! He couldn't do that though, he was getting better step by step, he knew not everyone outside was staring at him or recognising him, how would they? Nothing came of what happened, but, he was still nervous it would catch up to him.
If he thought anymore about it he was sure he wouldn't make it out of the door, so he slapped himself in the face and made himself leave, he couldn't ruin the first good opportunity he had been so graciously given..! He didn't believe he worked hard enough for it, but, maybe whoever was up there had been smiling down on him that day..!
His pace was quick, he didn't want to stop and talk to anyone, or even look at anybody for too long, or those horrible, horrible thoughts would come back, he thought, maybe they wouldn't, he hasn't tried out of how nervous he is, he really has become a wreck, he'll work to get better though, he's sure of it, he just needs time, he's ready to face what he did, it's just difficult for him to stomach it without throwing up.
Yul shook his head, and put his headphones in as he was walking, if he listened to music, he wouldn't have such worrisome thoughts bothering him, he could imagine he was somewhere else, perhaps in the clouds with his dear beloved------
He was doomed. Maybe he could never recover, he changed his mind on it.
He didn't think of her as much now, which was definitely a start, he's been able to sleep without thinking of her a good 5/7 nights a week, that was amazing from him, but he still wanted to do better, why was she still in there? Couldn't she just get out? He wanted his obsession to fade so badly, he would dig his fingers into his brain and spill it all over the surrounding floor just so he could be rid of it.
It was torturing him with a smile on its face, and all Yul could do was deal with it and hope it would get better, hopefully it would, one day. He wouldn't just be like this forever, moving on is a natural part of human life, loving and losing is what it means to be alive.
He bit the inside of his cheek, a new habit he'd picked up, if he kept thinking about such thighs too deeply, he'd drown in them. He had to stop. He needed to stop. He closed his eyes and grabbed at the fabric inside of his pockets to get some of his excess stress out, squeezing it helped him a little, and he kept walking.
After around twenty minutes of letting soulless music flood into his ears, he arrived outside of the club he was going to be taking photographs in, and he sighed to himself, this couldn't be that bad, make sure you keep up the good impression you made the first time Yul..!
He took his hood down, and removed his headphones, and he stepped inside, his first step back into the world.
--
Thankfully, after that man had left, nothing had came up for you, you'd let Shin know about it and he was sure to check over the CCTV in case he was a bad character, which you had thanked him for, at least something could be done for you.
After finishing up your cleaning duties at shopfront, you were just about to leave, with 5PM passing, your shift was over! The long days weren't too bad, especially when you got phone breaks and the job didn't require strenuous work. You took your hair down from the ponytail it was in, you'd only put it up for work, normally it would just be down, and bid farewell to Shin and Iseul, offering a wave to your other co-workers who were leaving, and you stepped outside.
It was dark, probably from how cloudy it was earlier, you thought to yourself, but not dark dark, you could still see everything out there, you readjusted the strap of your bag on your shoulder, and made your way home, you walked the same way back that you walked there, so, in theory, there shouldn't have been any disruptions to you..and, you bumped into something?
No...someone.
Cursing your special awareness, which had never been overly good, you looked up, ready to spew apologies to whoever you had accidentally bumped into, then you saw who it was..
" Fancy seein' you here sunshine. " the man from before your shift was standing, blocking your path, he must've been in hiding and waiting for you, since you hadn't seen anybody walking your way when you were looking up before.
" ...why are you here? Um..could you please move, I need to get home. " You spoke nicely, now you weren't in a controlled environment, this was a much more dangerous situation fpr you, you needed to play your cards carefully to make sure this man kept his hands away from you.
He laughed, looking down at you, and immediately you regretted making eye contact with him, the way he looked at you was if you were prey.. you absolutely despised it.
" I've been waitin out here since ya rejected me...Now you're outta work, why dontcha come back to mine, pretty? " he stepped closer to you, and you stepped back again, oh god, You were outside, nobody was around you, it was kind of late, and you weren't very fast, neither did you fancy having to touch this thing either... what would you do if he wouldn't accept your rejection now..? Worry was setting in, the man was looming over you, he was tall, and that was scary when you were by yourself and unable to hide.
" W-why have you been waiting so long...couldn't you have tried to find another woman..? I'm sure that wouldn't be difficult for you..." Flattery may work? If you're nice enough he could let you leave perhaps....?
Wrong. This only made him smirk more, reaching out to grab you by the waist.
" Oh, so ya think I'm good lookin'~?" ..absolutely NOT. " I saw you n' couldn't help myself... I need you sweetheart, come on...just say yes.. I'll treat ya so good.."
You winced as he grabbed your waist, his touch was rough and scary, your mind was spinning.
" Let go of me please, I'm uncomfortable with being touched by strangers. " Your words fell on deaf ears as the man let out a hearty chuckle.
" But, I'm no stranger to ya.... We met earlier silly. " his eyes darkened as he grabbed you tighter, your heart was beating faster than it ever had before, what were you supposed to do? You couldn't think straight.. you were so worried, you'd heard stories about this kind of thing, but you presumed it would never happen to you..
He was leaning in closer, you leant back, but he was holding you in place, you had seriously frozen up in fear and were too panicked to scream or call for help, your lungs felt like they were filling to the brim with blood.
Just when you had thought hope was lost, you saw your saving grace through your peripheral vision.
Lunging quickly, you grabbed the strangers arms, pulling yourself away from him with all the strength your adrenaline had gifted you.
" I can't go with you because I-I um..have a boyfriend! " You proclaimed as confidently as you could as you held the strangers arms with both of your hands, digging into it, hoping you weren't causing them too much panic. " I'm already taken so..please leave me alone! " Without thinking you hugged their arm, getting real close to them, in this situation, you just had to take the shot that maybe not everyone was an awful person.
The guy looked down at you for a second, examining your face and then looking up at the man standing next to you, before puffing his chest out.
" Yeah, Leave my girlfriend alone, creep. " The guy had protected you...you thanked the stars for your quick thinking.
" Oh? Ya think ya can fight me shrimp? " The creep hadn't backed down, squaring up to your " boyfriend", with an eyebrown raised, his arms crossed over his chest.
" Wanna find out? " the guys voice seemed lower this time, you were too busy clutching onto him for dear life to see that from his sleeve on the other arm, he had pulled out a knife, holding it with clear intent of violence.
The creep stayed silent, looking down at the knife sourly. Bringing your fists to a knife-fight was never a good idea. He kicked the ground, clicking his tongue. " Whatever, I'll be back for you, bitch. " he muttered, before walking off, luckily for you in the direction of the shop instead of the direction to your house.
You shivered in fear, you'd have to let your boss know about this, and you'd need a new lock on your door, as well as having to look behind you no matter where you go..this was the worst...why did people like him get the right to exist...
After the man had walked out of eyesight, you let go of the random guy you'd grabbed, bowing your head to him profusely. " I'm so sorry for dragging you into such a scary situation... I could've gotten you hurt as well.. I wasn't thinking..ah—um..thank you so much for helping me anyway even though you don't know me ..i" you'd started to ramble from how worked up you were, and the guy shook his head.
" It's no problem, you were in danger. " He looked down at you, and his eyes widened slightly, a gasp slipping from him lips, which confused you.. did he recognise you...? You didn't recognise him, when you finally did look up at his face, you couldn't deny how exceptionally pretty he was...how had such a charmer scared such a brute off? Maybe his reaction was from seeing how horrified you looked...you must've traumatised him because of that...
" Still ... thank you! " You proceeded to give him your name, letting him know where you worked, promising him that as a that as a gift for saving you he could come in and order whatever he liked on the house, meaning you'd just take whatever out of your paycheck, he didn't say whether or not he'd take you up on it.
" I'm Chae Yul, " ,what a lovely name, " are you sure you're feeling alright? " , he asked you with concern as you were shaking like a leaf, you seemed to catch on and tried to steady yourself, you were still coming to terms with the fact that , that had actually just happened.
You nodded your head. " I'm good..I'm okay. I'm just glad you were here to step in. I should..really get home. I'm not far now. " You said to him, but, it was more so you could calm yourself down, home was only five minutes away, if you ran it would be shorter.
Yul looked at you again, staying silent for a second.
" I could stalk you home if you'd like. "
He looked at you, you looked back up at him.
" Oh mygod I'm so sorry I meant walk i-it came out wrong! I meant I could walk you home..I wasn't mocking your situation or anything I didn't mean to—" he was cut off by the sound of your laughing.
A beautiful carefree smile was on your face as you laughed at his blunder, but it didn't make him angry that you did it, you weren't like the people who bullied him... there were no traces of your fear on your face for a second, it made him..happy?
" Y-you..i-i..." you spluttered through your laughs, looking up at him as you smiled, unable to frown about your prior situation. You wiped a tear from your eye as you looked at him.
" You're funny, Yul. " you spoke his name with a smile as you shook your head. You shouldn't give your address to a stranger, even if they did save you. " I think I'll just call my friend and walk home, bit, thank you for your offer..."
You turned around , thank Yul one last time before you started your walk home, dialling your co-workers number, ready to listen to her ramble about nothing, if you'd have looked back, you would've seen two purple eyes piercing into you.
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vaaaaaiolet · 5 months ago
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You move to the big city in search of bigger and better, so naturally, you get your first place.
You just don't anticipate the roommate that comes along with it.
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f / m, strangers / enemies to lovers, slow burn, hijinks and shenanigans, leon is bad at feelings :( but don't worry because there will be so much fluff omg like a romcom, leon being a little shit to a sweetheart pipeline, and banter!! so much banter
inspired by the Japanese drama Good Morning Call!
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catch up on earlier chapters // read on ao3
chapter 4: legalese, chimney sweeps, and a partridge in a pear tree
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a/n: this is a REUPLOAD bc i've been told my first post didn't show up in tags 😭 thank you so much if you read the original upload, it means the world to me :,)
I KNOW I TOOK FOREVER but i was fighting to get this written omg. so many ideas. my head hurts. if you can find the spiderman scene we are now due for a spring wedding. andrew garfield peter parker >>> but as always, i love u LOTS!! enjoy <3
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There are all kinds of upsides to having friends in high places, but when your connections are limited to the four walls of Wok and Roll Ramen Noodle, the best you’ve got is Hikaru Uehara: an unlikely junior-year friend, the owner’s son, and law student extraordinaire. Apron tied with a clumsy knot behind your back, you slip inside the tiny shop only to meet his sharp eyes across the bar. Oof.
Hikaru frowns. “You’re late again.”
“I know, I know, but I’ve actually got an excuse this time,” you try for a winning smile, peeking at the book he’s currently nose deep in. 
“It’s always something with you. Still house hunting?” He slides a bowl of kitsune udon across the bartop, “Number 43, table next to the creepy painting.”
He shoots, he scores! You catch the bowl and head off to the hungry patron.
“You know, my dad finished our basement yesterday and we’ve got an empty room now. I told him I’d ask you.” 
“Because you’re offering it free of rent, right?” 
A not-at-all-subtle grin pulls at the corner of his mouth. “What about an employee discount?”
“In your dreams, Uehara.”
43 asks for an extra pair of chopsticks, which you gladly deposit before taking the barstool opposite the shopkeeper’s son. It turns out he’s reading one of his textbooks for law class. Perfect. You roll up your sleeves and bust out your CEO face again. 
Here goes nothing. “I kind of got myself into a mess.”
“I don’t want to hear about the thing with your fern and the toilet again.”
“What? No, ew,” you wave all associated memories of that away, “no, seriously. I found a place, but I’m kind of…stuck in it. I need you go all Elle Woods and help me because I got scammed.” And also broken into, but you mentally plead the fifth and avoid self-incriminating yourself. “The lease is forcing me and this other guy to share the place and neither of us know how to get out.”
That gets his attention; Hikaru puts down his textbook. “Okay, maybe you do have an excuse this time. What the hell?”
The Sparknotes version is that you and Leon both filed for the same apartment within half an hour of each other.
Number 44: cold soba.
Your landlady’s as good as fled the country. Leon can’t reach his either. Hikaru sucks his teeth.
Number 45: miso soup.
You’ve both agreed to share the apartment for the three months of the lease considering the mini fortune of money blown on the deal.
“$6000? Really?” he gasps. “You do know how much this job pays you, right?”
“Then pay me more!” you shoot back, multitasking refills while balancing a full tray. 
45 again: miso soup on the house. Hikaru hands you a mop for your spill as you glare, but pulls out his laptop all the same.
“Well, if you’re fine with sharing the apartment for two more months…” he hums, typing away and whistling in approval as he finds your apartment listing, “your place isn’t bad at all considering the price. Plus, you can’t request to move back in just like that if we lodge a complaint and you win. What if this Leon turns out to be an alright roommate?”
His question irks you a little. Why would you want the apartment back with a weirdly cagey roommate who shotguns (emphasis on gun) the master bedroom? You’ve got reason enough to want a place of your own after the shitshow that was college last year. You wonder if you should lay out all Leon’s teen boy-esque rules about not touching his things, but Hikaru shakes his head the minute you open your mouth.
“I know it’s not what you want to hear, but maybe the best course of action is to wait the storm out.” 
He sounds sincere for once, turning the laptop screen around to show you a 37-page long document with your building’s name embellishing the top. His fingers just keep scrolling, and scrolling, and scrolling, and dear God.
"That's the complaint form?" Your shriek rattles 45’s bowl worryingly.
“The first half, yes. Should I email you the second?”
Number 46 has the nerve to comment on your face looking more blanched than her bok choy.
That evening, you close the Wok and Roll with a heavy heart. Your phone pings as you double check the locks.
[Hikaru]: srsly ur best waiting out ur contract
Well damn, Hikaru. Friend of the year.
[Hikaru]: but since u asked (and rescued that last order)
[Hikaru]: i’ll still look for ways to get u out of there and on ur own
[Hikaru]: after finals tho
[Hikaru]: and once u start coming in on time!!
You pump your fist with a self-indulgent whoop outside the restaurant doors. Hikaru might be a pain to deal with sometimes, but he really did come through when he wanted to. Consider your now-thriving toilet fern that he put together a pot for, and soon with a little bit of luck, your eventual solo apartment life. 
You eagerly text back a thank you. Not even the winter air buffeting your face could put a damper on your mood as you skip back home to your apartment, and consequently, to Leon.
Or at least you thought you were. The apartment is lovely and warm and quiet when you unlock the front door. 
“Hello?” You call out for him, looping your scarf onto the wall hook.
No response. 
Leon’s bedroom door’s cracked open though, and the light looks off. It’s only 7 PM. Did he tell you he was going out? Crap, you realize how ill-prepared you’d been to not get his number or anything before you left. Rookie mistake. This roommate business is harder than you remember.
You toe off your boots and tiptoe toward the master bedroom. 
No messing in each other’s rooms, Leon’s phantom voice prods at the back of your head, but your concern for his wellbeing — okay fine, maybe you just want to peek at his stuff that’s so damn secret — takes over as you push his door open and slip into the darkness that’s making it impossible to see.
So you flick on the nearby lamp.
And then you scream. “What are you doing?”
Tucked in bed as snug as a bug and fully dressed, complete with shearling jacket, is Leon Kennedy with his face dirtied to high heaven. He blinks crossly as the lamp flickers to life. 
“Huh?” His voice is gruff with sleep.
“You’re sleeping…like that?”
He looks down as if registering himself for the first time. “I’m…yeah. Tired.”
“What happened to your face?” you ask, sounding reedy. “It’s filthy.”
“It is?”
You nod sharply.
“Oh? Oh yeah, yeah, I was cleaning the chimney.”
“We don’t have a chimney. Leon, we don’t even have a fireplace.” 
He fumbles out of his covers at your bug-eyed look. His room is absolutely freezing. “I have an explanation, I swear,” he starts as you back into the living room. Leon looks even grimier in the light: soot dusts his shoulders like powdered sugar, ages his hair salt-and-pepper, bruises the knees of his jeans. “Last night, I couldn’t sleep. There was something wrong with the heating so I went to check.”
Your room is perfectly warm. The house is perfectly warm.
He nods. “That’s cause I fixed the rest of the apartment, my room’s sti-” And then stops, narrowing his eyes. Whatever Leon did to fix the heating couldn’t have kept the temperature from dropping several degrees as he hisses, “You came into my room. We had a deal.”
“I had no idea you were even home!” 
“Doesn’t negate the fact that you broke the rule.”
Everything flips in a second; he’s glaring daggers, and the entire situation is so petulantly infuriating that you take his bait. The snow from your coat is making a melted mess on the carpet. Leon’s still in his stupid dirty jacket. The living room is half-unpacked from moving in literally the day before, and you’re already having your first argument with your roommate over stepping three feet into his bedroom.
“What is so goddamn important about the stuff in your room?” you finally explode. 
“You don’t get it.” 
“Leon,” you sound embarrassingly close to pleading now, “you wanted this – this whole sharing thing – but now you’re not giving me a chance?” You let your arms fall to your sides. 
Hikaru wanted to know if you could last three months. But as Leon stares at you, jaw working like he’s having a one-man argument inside his mouth, you wonder how you’ll tell your friend you couldn’t even last three nights. Frustrated tears prick at your eyes. You’ve never been good on the debate team back in high school. How long is it going to take for Leon to snap at you for that too?  
“It’s not you,” he says softly.
You smother a sniffle with your coat sleeve, making him sigh. 
“It’s not you,” he repeats, shaking his head to himself, “God, Hunnigan, you’re never this sloppy…” Shucking off his coat, he drops it on a box labeled Seasonal Decor #2 before heading back inside his room. He appears moments later with a box of tissues. “Take one before I get them covered in coal, yeah?” 
As you hesitatingly accept, you take in his form sans jacket. Leon is – alarmingly built, for one – covered in scratches. Bruises. Real ones. Fresh.
They’re littered along his muscled forearms, right up to the tops of his fitted black shirt sleeves. He’s so close to you that you even notice a silvery scar topping his right cheekbone.
“Are you…okay?”
Mystery swirls around your roommate like the soot he’s covered in. You ball up the tissue in your hand as his brow gradually smooths out, anger dissipating. 
“It’s my job,” Leon reveals. “Everything, this apartment, the stuff I’m keeping in my room, I…I work for the government, okay? This apartment was supposed to be home base for me. There’s stuff in there I can’t have anyone messing with. Stuff that could hurt you.” He pulls out a gleaming badge and lets you inspect it as your hand slowly flies over your mouth. “See?”
The gun in his pocket. The phone call. 
“But you’re not going to hurt me…right?” you dare to ask.
Leon’s eyes go wide, blond head shaking swiftly. “Never, I swear. Trying to do the opposite, actually, but that’s not going too great right now. I’m here to stop somebody from getting their hands on something that could hurt a lot of people.”
It’s a little surreal. Your once-burglar roommate turned government agent blinks at you like you’ll turn any moment, like you’re about to scream and run for the hills, so he can’t help but flinch as you reach for another tissue and whisper, “Can I?”
“Can you what? I can’t let you look at my things, again, I-” Leon tilts his head as you wrap the tissue around your index and middle fingers, and then rifle through the Seasonal Decor #2 box. “What are you doing?”
“Got it!”
You turn around, revealing a modest first aid kit in your hands.
“You keep that with your Christmas decorations?” He lets out a short laugh.
“I drop a lot of ornaments. Should really invest in plastic ones.” Fishing out a small bottle of ointment for Leon to see, you shoot him a redeeming grin. “So can I?”
He smiles. “You may,” Leon concedes, allowing you to settle him on the couch.
Leon’s bedroom seems to drop in temperature as the evening blends into night, falling to a bewildering 38 degrees while the rest of the apartment remains toasty. Ice might be frosting his windows, but thankfully, it only melts between you and Leon as you dab ointment into his cuts and he entertains you with sanitized anecdotes from his work around the world. The living room clock ticks to 10 o’clock as you two share the next best thing to dinner: a stash of rice crackers swiped from the back of the Wok and Roll. 
“There’s no way you’re sleeping with a jacket on.” You jut your chin towards his room, hissing in sympathy as he jerks from the alcohol sting. “It’s just as bad as sleeping outside in the snow.”
“I’ll sleep on the couch,” Leon munches. He holds out a cracker for you to bite, an oddly intimate gesture that he doesn’t seem to put as much thought into as you, “it’s plenty warm out here.”
“And have you spend the night on a lumpy sofa with a million bruises on your back? That’d be evil, Leon.”
He shrugs. “I’ve slept through worse.”
“Yeah, because you were probably halfway across the world in some random jungle!” 
“It was just the one mission, come on,” he protests, his eyes sparkling with mirth. “I’ll be fine, I promise.”
You shake your head. The tail end of his bandage tucks neatly under his arm as you finish patching him up. It’s been an eventful night, and with each genuine laugh you share with Leon, the more you feel like extending an olive branch for everything that’s happened so far. You even feel a little bad for the Lena thing.
“Sleep in my room for the night. Take the bed,” you suggest.
“It wouldn’t be very chivalrous of me.”
“And calling dibs on the master bedroom was?”
“I needed space for my equipment!”
You lift an unimpressed brow.
“Touché.” Leon gives in, chuckling.
So it’s settled. You pull out a mass of blankets from a box next to the fridge (Winter Camp Sophomore Year EMERGENCY SUPPLIES) which Leon insists on expertly fashioning into a nest beside your bed. It’s piled high with pillows from his own bed by the time you come back from brushing your teeth. 
“It makes me feel better about this whole thing,” he admits when you laugh at it. 
It’s either him or his pillows that make you feel warmer sleeping on the floor than you did in your bed last night. Leon's unexpected warmth might be your Christmas miracle to make up for this apartment fiasco. The stars twinkle outside your bedroom window as you drift off to sleep.
Deep in your dreams, you miss the twinkle of something else too. 
A ping to be specific.
[UNKNOWN NUMBER]: Hiding him from me already?
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back to the chapter masterlist...
comments and reblogs are very much appreciated <3 take care and i love you!
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linkemon · 7 months ago
Text
Start in your head (Yuri Plisetsky x Reader)
Friendly reminder that English is not my first language. You can check my Masterlists both in English and Polish here. Consider supporting me on Ko-fi. You can also check out my commissions if you’re interested.
Other oneshots can be found here.
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"ᴇᴠᴇʀʏᴛʜɪɴɢ ɪɴ ʙᴀʟʟᴇᴛ ꜱᴛᴀʀᴛꜱ ɪɴ ʏᴏᴜʀ ʜᴇᴀᴅ." ᴍᴀᴋꜱɪᴍ ᴡᴏɪᴛɪᴜʟ
ᴀᴅᴅɪᴛɪᴏɴᴀʟ ɪɴꜰᴏʀᴍᴀᴛɪᴏɴ: 1. ᴘɪʀᴏᴢʜᴋɪ ɪꜱ ᴀ ʀᴜꜱꜱɪᴀɴ ᴅᴇʟɪᴄᴀᴄʏ ᴍᴇɴᴛɪᴏɴᴇᴅ ɪɴ ᴛʜᴇ ᴀɴɪᴍᴇ 2. ꜰᴏᴜᴇᴛᴛᴇ́ ɪꜱ ᴀɴ ɪɴᴛʀᴏᴅᴜᴄᴛᴏʀʏ ꜱᴛᴇᴘ ᴛᴏ ᴘᴇʀꜰᴏʀᴍ ᴀ ᴘɪʀᴏᴜᴇᴛᴛᴇ
[Reader] looked around the rink. She had been coming here for a week in a row and these visits promised to be a new, quite interesting tradition. Partly because she enjoyed teasing Yuri on most occasions and it was an interesting new form of an old game. Whenever the boy saw that she came to stare, he immediately gave her the best kind of taunts. The day before yesterday, he even deliberately extended the training to see if the girl would leave. However, he failed to achieve the intended effect and she returned with him chattering all the way.
— What are you doing here again, you idiot?
— Nice to see you too, Plisetsky. — She grinned so widely that Yuri swore her jaw was about to stretch.
It was hard for him to admit it to himself but deep in his heart he was surprised at her behaviour. Most people hated him from the beginning (or didn't want to be friends with him after some time). He weeded out a lot of those individuals who fit into the two categories because he didn't want to associate with them. Apart from his fans and family, with whom he already had problems, he was left with only a small group of people who wanted to see him and whom he allowed to do so. And she was slowly starting to belong to that group.
— I told you not to come. — He started unlacing his skates.
— Nothing new. — She leaned against the board. — Today we're going to town.
— For what reason? — he huffed.
— They opened a Russian food stand near the park and are selling pirozhki.
This was his weak spot. [Reader] knew well how much Yuri appreciated his grandfather's delicacies.
The boy was aware that the taste probably wouldn't be as good as what he usually ate but the thought of a warm buns after training almost made his mouth water.
— Okay, let's go. — They better be edible, though — he muttered.
The walk to the park consisted mainly of [Reader's] monologue but it was nothing new. Since the ballerina arrived with Lilia Baranovskaya, he managed to say goodbye to silence for long moments.
—... and then I do a pirouette, and she says... — she stopped abruptly. — Wait a second!
The skater was about to comment on how he wouldn't freeze like a fool on the street in sub-zero temperatures when he saw where the girl had turned.
— Who is sweet and charming? Who is? You are!
[Reader] was just lifting an adorable, furry, ginger ball into the air. The kitten snuggled into her shoulder, clearly craving warmth.
At the same time, his second, less trusting companion appeared around the corner and, after sniffing the girl's shoes, he gave up her company in favour of Plistesky.
He looked a bit like Potya, so he started stroking his fluffy head without hesitation. He already missed his pet.
— I don't think they're strays — [Reader] said, examining the collar that should have a contact address on it.
Before she could add anything, a young couple with a child turned from the main street into an alley.
A little girl who was missing several baby teeth stopped shedding tears as soon as she found the kittens. As if on cue, both of them obediently jumped from the teenagers' arms and wandered over to her.
She mumbled a thank you, which her parents told her to repeat, and then disappeared.
— It's a pity. — [Reader] glanced at her now empty hands.
— It's not a pity. They found the owners.
— I know but still... — An unfinished thought hung in the air.
Without any further obstacles, they finally managed to reach the booth. The girl had to admit that it looked quite pretty in the pastel colors of the Russian flag, lit by a row of light bulbs.
While standing in line, she managed to argue with Yuri three times. The customers closest to them looked at them strangely and parents covered their children's ears. And when they reached the ordering stage, she was afraid that the seller simply wouldn't serve the two of them because his murderous look indicated exactly that. However, nothing like that happened and she received her pirozhki.
The girl sniffed it, and then reluctantly bit into her portion.
— Wow, it's sooo good! — She looked at the filling, trying to guess the composition of the it in the dim light of the lamps.
— Tch — he snorted. — My grandfather makes better ones — he said but he ate the rest of his portion.
After this trip, it turned out that it was the first but not the last.
[Reader] liked Russian food so much that she dragged the boy to the booth every day, ordering new delicacies.
The system added a new item to the menu every day and worked quite efficiently. When they were halfway through the list, one fateful afternoon occurred.
It was starting to get dark. The boy's training was almost over and the girl still hadn't shown up at the ice rink. Baranovskaya stood by the board, which never happened at this time. As usual, she was accompanied by a careful look and a frown.
Yuri drove towards her in a fluid movement.
— Was [Reader] here?
The question, short and to the point, required the same type of answer.
— NO.
— If she does show up, tell her to come to me. It's true that she took second place and she can do better but for God's sake! Instant break down? We have to fill out these papers and she disappears right after the competition. — She waved the stack of papers angrily and walked away.
The skater had no desire to return to training. He left the rink, wondering if [Reader] had told him anything about the ballet competition. However, he came to the conclusion that despite letting some information out through the other ear, he would still remember something so important.
It was hard for him to admit it to himself but the ballet mistress's words and tone worried him.
He searched the Internet for recent news. The photo in a recently published article showed the lucky winner of the gold medal. However, it was not [Reader]. He managed to find an amateur video showing the performance of the girl and her competitors.
He called her once but only silence answered on the phone.
With quiet hope in his heart, he decided to go to the park. It was a bull's-eye. It's true that the girl, although she didn't choose their usual bench, didn't really hide. Her cheeks and nose were pink from the frost, and delicate snowflakes settled on her hair. Moreover, she was bathed in the dull light of the park lamps. She would have looked beautiful if the image hadn't been spoiled by her red eyes from crying. [Reader] held the unfinished pirozhki in her hand, her eyes fixed on the dead center. She only broke out of her trance when she saw familiar shoes and their owner a few meters in front of her.
— What are you doing here, idiot? Baranovskaya is looking for you — he huffed.
— Then call her and tell her I'm here — she replied in a flat voice.
Yuri was speechless. The girl had never seemed so emotionless to him.
— I won't handle things for you, call her yourself — he provoked again.
— I'm not going anywhere. — She shrugged. — Nothing will happen if I don't sign these papers. I want to quit.
— What exactly? — He frowned.
— Ballet. — She bit into her food. — I've spent a lot of time here today thinking about it, and I think it's a pretty good idea. No more training and competitions. I will finally be able to return to normal school. Plus, seeing family every day sounds good too. I won't have to spend half my life abroad. By the way, you're a damn hypocrite. You kept saying that I was dragging you here by force and now you came of your own free will.
This was too much for the boy. Her condition, so different from what he had been accustomed to over the past weeks, was getting on his nerves. He couldn't deal with it.
— Have you gone completely crazy? — He asked in the coldest tone [Reader] had ever heard from him.
Yuri pinched the bridge of his nose, sighed, and then sat down on the bench next to her.
— I saw both performances online. You may be on a similar level but you are better than her. Just look at your fouetté at the end. Those damn judges must have been blind when they gave you half a point less.
The girl raised her head to look at his face. She had rarely seen him talk about something with such conviction. She was ashamed to admit it but she didn't suspect Yuri of ever being able to give anyone a compliment. For that reason, however, this one had a stronger effect on her than most she had heard about her dancing before.
The Yuri's green eyes seemed sincere. The decision she had made that afternoon now seemed to her like a less than fantastic vision, driven by the impulse of failure.
— I'm grateful but...
— If you think I'm just saying this because I want to comfort you, then...
— That's not what I meant — she quickly denied. — I appreciate what you said but I still need to think about whether I want to enter the next competition. Go back and tell Lilia not to worry.
— But if you do, just know that at the next competition I'm going to sit in the audience and watch you beat the crap out of all of them and...
— Yuri!
The boy rolled his eyes and stood up from the bench. [Reader] did one of the most spontaneous things she had ever done. She ran to him and placed a gentle kiss on his cheek.
— Thank you again — she whispered and returned to her seat.
The Russian smiled to himself, feeling a feeling of warmth spread throughout his body.
That night neither of them could sleep.
94 notes · View notes
jamneuromain · 1 year ago
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I have an idea omg. We need more of Lloyd and reader... What about a situation when Lloyd got injured, like he kicked someone's ass , got his knuckles bleeding, or maybe he got a cut or smth... and the reader though she's aware of her blood-seeing problem ofc decided to help him, trying to fight her hemophobia best she could because Lloyd needed her help. Or it can be quite the opposite, the reader got hurt in some way, bleeding a bit, and Lloyd decided to help her because he knows her reaction to seeing blood and all. What do you think?😬☺
Hi Elena😌❤️ (sorry that it took so long I accidentally deleted my draft ... and took very long to recover from the devastating fact :l
Your "Lloyd got hurt" idea certainly is very interesting....👀
So, what would happen if Lloyd got hurt and he has no one else to turn to but his secretary with hemophobia...🤔
Bleed Out
Lloyd Hansen x You
Warning: Mob AU, Mob!Lloyd, Secretary!Reader (Driver!Denny Carmicheal), Graphic Depiction of Blood and Violence (I guess Lloyd is a warning of his own?), Reader has hemophobia (fear of blood), a lot of cursing.
Summary: Lloyd is under your protection for now.
A/N: This is the sequel to A Whiff of Blood, Thank you for all your love to Mob!Lloyd<333
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One thing, one particular feature you like about the apartment you're living in, is that this little condo - along with the rest of the building and five other blocks in the vicinity, belongs to a high-end resident community that has strict security guard patrol schedules and limited key-card access. These precautions resulted in rocket-high market prices and a rather wealthy neighborhood, as the owner of these buildings forbids renting, for every keycard that could access the front gate, elevators, and their matching apartments, accompanied by facial recognition embedded in the little chip. When you get home every night (or afternoon, if you are lucky), you have to press your keycard and stand before the camera before the gate grants you inside. This brings quite some comfort for you, working for a mob boss named Lloyd Hansen, and knowing that his associates are basically "wanted" by rival gangs for the valuable information they possess.
While it is impossible that you could afford such an exquisite apartment with your salary, though very well-paid, you are truly grateful because Lloyd signed this condo - his condo - to you without a word (or asking a dime from you) when you told him during your final interview that you will be needing a week to relocate before starting the job.
That's when you made up your mind that Lloyd Hansen is a boss worthy to work for.
It's not a big place. Having two bedrooms, a bathroom, and a kitchen. Decorated in white, black, and grey, clearly matching Lloyd's taste when he asked his lawyer to give you the key card and have you move in.
You've lived here for three years now. Adding soft cushions and light-colored sets to the tedious design here and there. Like the sunflower tablecloth and daisy plates and bowls. Like the pink polka dot sheets and duvet covers. And the fluffy slippers, taken out from the cabinets, ready to be put on as soon as fuzzy socks don't work their magic any more.
You are finishing washing the mug you just used. After putting it on the racks, you wipe your hands with a clean cloth. It is a workday tomorrow, and you intend to sleep early to wake up with a fresh spirit to deal with your (sometimes) moody boss. Treating yourself to a nice little read in the bedside lamp radiating yellow glow - another decoration that you feel much needed for this place, you reach out to turn off the lamp when there's a sudden rush of knock on your door.
You zip your mouth shut.
The news two weeks ago, about a woman who was curious about the baby crying at her door, was yanked out of her apartment as soon as she opened the door, being raped and killed in her own bed.
You are smart enough not to ask "Who is it", letting this unexpected guest learn that a young female is at home.
When the unexpected visitor doesn't hear your reply, they knock on the door more fiercely, nearly knocking your heart out of your throat.
You remember the tutorial online: Approach the door with caution, and check the surveillance camera. If there's no one in sight, call the cops. If there's anything out of the ordinary, like a baby or a kitten by the door, call the cops.
In summary, call the cops.
Your fingers hover above your phone, having the police number on speed dial, when you turn on the surveillance camera monitor by the door.
A very bruised, cut, and tired Lloyd, having a gun in his hand, banging on your door as he winces in pain.
"Goodness gracious-" Your gasp gets stuck in your throat. Opening the door in an instant, there's nothing else in your mind than keeping him alive. Your goosebumps on high alert as Lloyd's eyes scan over you. You pull him in, checking that the hallway is secure, before closing the heavy door as quietly as possible.
You turn to him, "Mr. Han-" Your words stop mid-sentence as you feel the need to fight the bile down your throat.
Yes. Mr. Hansen is very much covered in the one thing you hate most in the world.
Blood.
Blood splattered on his chest, his ridiculous choice of the blue-white striped polo shirt and cuts littered over his face and bare arms. His pants are dripping. Some crimson-colored liquid will stick permanently onto your floor and your beloved carpet.
Redness, some stained into near-brown, all over his figure.
You hold your breath, not letting the iron taste linger to make matters worse.
Lloyd walks, more like limps to each of your rooms - now that you can breathe a little while the blood smell is gone temporarily, and convince yourself that it's just ketchup on your boss (though you doubt that trick works) - and inspects each of them with his finger on the gun's trigger.
Taking in the whole situation, three things pop into your mind.
Lloyd is in desperate need of medical attention.
You are most likely to faint as soon as he returns, seeing this amount of blood.
Lloyd wouldn't knock on your door if this isn't desperate for him as well.
As Lloyd approaches, you are wrecking every brain cell to work a way out of this.
" 'S anyone here?" He asks, pulling the safe of his gun back on, before plopping down on your couch and groaning because he most definitely pulls one or two, if not a few of his wounds.
However, one of THE most brilliant ideas comes to you when you are holding your breath.
You shake your head, raising one finger to tell him you need a moment - or you hope that your running off conveys the message, and dash towards your bathroom.
Lloyd sags down on the couch, not even bothering to get up or turn his head to watch whether you've pulled out a gun pointing at him. You probably wouldn't do so, since you chose to pull him in, instead of letting him bleed out by your door.
When you appear in front of him again, his body briefly stuns a moment, before emerging in a burst of full-blown laughter. He laughs so hard that his laughter turns into coughs, which leads to him pressing his hand over his chest in case he tears his wounds further.
You place your hands on your hips. Compared to him, you are least amused by your idea.
You smoothed your hair back and put on your scuba diving goggles from a paid leave last year. Lloyd personally oversaw your two-week vacation, paying from your hotel suite to your travel expenses, and even ordering you full scuba diving equipment for your one-hour scuba lesson.
Of course, you weren't actually interested in becoming an expert, but the scuba equipment was too nice to be thrown away.
"Not funny." You breathe through your mouth. Even though the orange plastic - or glass, you don't quite know which - changes how the bloody Lloyd looks in your eyes, it still doesn't completely change the idea that Lloyd is, in fact, covered in blood, as much as you don't want to think about it. And it definitely doesn't block the smell of blood, which probes the nerves at the back of your nose whenever you breathe through your mouth.
Lloyd scans your "outfit", his laughter slowly dials down, eventually turns into a lazy smile ghosting his lips, "You're right. It's not."
It's over 10:30 pm, and you usually would have been sleeping, or lying on your bed, at least. But no, you are stuck in the living room with your boss who's about to die any minute, and you are only able to stand in front of him, alive and thinking, with a fucking scuba mask on.
So, fuck this.
You roll your eyes at your cold-blooded boss. "Should I call your doctor? Or send you to the hospital?"
The smirk disappears.
Although he didn't say "no" to the hospital, by now you've realized the hospital choice was crossed off the board, as he chose you instead of ringing the police - which will no doubt lead to an investigation since Lloyd is the most notorious mob in Los Angles.
You search for the first aid bag that you stocked away when you moved in. It has rarely been used.
"Doc's dead." He murmurs, but loud enough for you to understand. He spoke with a sadness that only appears when he has lost one of his people. "I took Jared to his clinic."
You know Jared, he is one of the muscles working for Lloyd. He helped take care of one of Lloyd's rivals, Brewer.
"The deal with the Russian mobs tonight went wrong, but we got out in one piece." Lloyd explains curtly, "I got him to Doc's place to get stitched up. But we were attacked... Doc died, so did Jared."
So... two of his people.
Medical alcohol and Q-tips were picked from the bag, then a roll of gauze. You place those on the coffee table.
"I think you need something bigger than a Q-tip." He chuckles, unbuckling his belt, removing his pants. You open your mouth wanting to argue it's probably best that he doesn't move right now, but you silence yourself when you see a flesh wound -
Blood trickles down his thigh, leaving a scorched round hole on his leg. You turn your head to the other side as soon you feel the need to hurl. Even with your goggles on, deep down, you know that it's blood, not ketchup, nor some red paint oozing from his body.
“Don’t puke on my shoes. Crocodiles died for it.” A strangled grunt comes out of his mouth when he finished speaking, having your heart tug in the slightest of agony.
The belt he took off just now is turned into an instant tourniquet on his thigh. The blood drips slower than it did, but it keeps ruining your carpet.
“Yeah, I bet the crocodile spirits hate you right now.” You mutter under your breath, snatching a face mask from the first-aid kit, taking a small inhale after you put it over your face.
Much, much better now.
Lloyd snorts out a short laugh, “You look like one of those bird-man in the Middle Ages when they are battling the plague.”
“Yeah well,” You place your hand on your hips, feeling somewhat braver to deal with this bloody mess all over your living room, “You’re about to bleed out on my couch, so let’s start with you telling me what else I can help with.”
Lloyd spares a glance at you when he’s busy rolling the gauze and pressing it onto his gunshot wound, his expression uninterpretable. Though you would guess that he is mildly impressed.
“Got any liquor? Something strong?” He raises his brows almost challengingly, “I don’t see any painkillers here, so … Bourbon? Whiskey? Scotch? Anything?”
You do have a bottle of whiskey that your cousin gave to you when you moved in. He’d come to visit and lend a helping hand from time to time. You take two glasses from the cupboard and half a bottle of whiskey.
You could use some liquid courage with a murder scene and your psycho boss in the middle of this lovely condo.
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With the aid of whiskey and your patching and cleaning of the rest of the wounds, Lloyd is able to sleep through the night soundly without worrying about being a rigid corpse in the morning.
Yawning, and accidentally stretching his patched-up wounds, he allows a string of curses to flow out of his lips. Judging by the sunlight peeking through your curtains, he’d say it’s 9 or 10 in the morning. Last night, he was tired when the adrenaline gradually faded away, and he did not have the chance to take a close look at your – used to be his – place.
You did not put this place through any major changes, just some minor traces, reminding him that he is, in a sense, invading this cozy little apartment with his banged-up body.
With a decent set of fresh suit, shirt, and tie on the chair beside the bed.
Faint murmurs come from the other side of the door, Lloyd tenses up immediately, pulling his gun under the pillow, where he stocked last night, and turns the doorknob slowly.
“… shut up.” He hears you smack someone’s arm jokingly.
Your voice blends in with the voice in his memory of last night, when he winced in pain as you tried to take out glass shards from his forehead with a pair of tweezers, when he swung another gulp of whiskey from the bottle.
“Fucking hell, woman, I swear you’re trying to scoop my brains out rather than finding the glass pieces.” He grumbled.
“You’re lucky I didn’t kick you out, Mr. Hansen. Now I’m kindly asking you to shut up so I can take care of your wounds before it could get any worse.” You said impatiently, having struggled between the discomfort in your stomach and your determination to get him patched up, but adjusted your attitude soon after, keeping your mouth shut and pushing his upper body so he would lean on the couch and be still, while you turned on the flashlight to search the little glass piece on his forehead.
The warm and shallow breath fell on the ridge of his nose. It was broken, sure, tingling and itching, but it also meant that you were close, close enough to kiss-
“Cuz, are you sure that-”
The male voice is cut off when Lloyd in a black suit appears in front of you and a young man. One of his hands behind his back, you know far too well he’s holding the gun and will shoot your cousin’s brain out if you don’t explain quickly.
“Morning Mr. Hansen. This is my cousin, Connor Ashborne, studying at UCLA Med School.” You smile politely towards your boss, “I called for him to check up on you, since you refused to go to any doctor with a gunshot wound. He’s here to provide professional medical assistance.”
“Mr. Hansen,” the young man extends his hand for Lloyd to shake, “I’ve heard of a lot of things about you.”
“Lots of bad things, I hope.” Lloyd throws in a comment half-sarcastically, plopping himself down on the couch, ignoring your cousin’s extending hand, “Shit.” When he stretches his wounds again, the gauze must have clotted with his flesh for this level of pain.
“Cuz?” Conner turns his choice to your hand, “It’s your call. I can’t force your boss to do anything.”
“Yeah, me neither.” You mutter, “He’s more stubborn than a bull with eyes on the red flag.”
“Careful there, sunshine.” Lloyd gulps down some whiskey, numbing the pain in his thigh, “I can hear ya’ loud and clear.”
You silently shrugged towards your cousin, letting him know that you could not be of help any more than he did. “You should probably head to your classes.” You speak softly towards Connor, “Say hi to your sister for me, will you?”
“Sure thing, cuz. Remember those antibiotics and pain meds for the... patient in the kit.” He pulls you into a hug, “No need to thank me, I know, I'm one of a kind.”
Yeah, he's a one-of-a-kind dick when he wants to be. You can't help but smile knowing that his ego bloated after coming to your aid.
“I’ll see you around Christmas, yeah?”He asks.
“Around Christmas.” You confirm, patting his back.
Connor shoots you a wink and a “Bye, cuz”, grabbing the bicycle helmet on the kitchen counter and rushing out of your apartment like a gust of wind.
"A-hem." Lloyd clears his throat.
You let out a long exhale, realizing the big problem-o is still sitting on the couch like he owns this place – he indeed still does, as you have helped combing through his real estate. He owns the whole residential community – more specifically, has a lot of shares in the company which runs this residence, at the very least. Putting your best, and most professional courtesy on, you ask Lloyd, “I’ve called Denny earlier this morning. He’s now driving around the block. Denny has driven to your place and picked up the usual breakfast from your cook. Should I call him and tell him to come up? Or you’d like to head to the office right now?”
“Tell him to come up. I’ve been shot. It seems fair to skip work this morning.” Lloyd has the usual smug smile on his face. Stepping into his crocodile shoes onto the floor, spreading his arms over the couch, he looks down at the ground before narrowing his eyes and raising a sharp question: “You’ve had the carpet thrown out?”
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Of course, you’ve had the carpet thrown out. Or you would throw up five times per hour.
You thought so when carrying the blood-soaked carpet downstairs, after making sure Lloyd was asleep around midnight. As his secretary, it is your job to make sure he doesn’t have to worry about anything besides his business.
You carried the carpet downstairs, avoiding cameras as carefully as possible, with your ridiculous scuba goggles and face mask on, and dumped the carpet, into another residence trash can two blocks further. With his blood and his scent on it, it is easy to lure those henchmen away if they bring hounds to search for Lloyd.
Lloyd does not go down without a fight, that you were certain. You were also certain of the fact that the transaction gone wrong would make relative parties involved less than happy, hence the ambush at Doc’s place. If they struck once, it seemed possible that they would strike again, knowing that Lloyd was hurt.
Also packing hydrogen peroxide, a powerful bleach, and a pack of Q-tips with you, you carefully erased the traces of Lloyd’s blood from the street to your residence building, and inside the elevator.
“Miss Y/L/N!” The security guard exclaimed on seeing you back inside the building. He was smart enough not to comment on you pulling your scuba goggles and face mask off, but smiled warmly, “A rough night?”
You smile back, “Hi Henry. I hate to pull ranks on you, Henry, I really do. But in less than ten minutes you are going to get a call from your boss, who has gotten a call from his boss, asking you to do exactly what I tell you to, which is to make a copy of the surveillance footage of the security cameras, and delete the original copy stored in the computers stored somewhere in this building. You are also going to tell me whether anyone has dropped by when your shift ends this morning, who looks suspicious, asking questions even though they don’t live here.”
The smile froze on Henry’s face, “Miss Y/L/N, it’s against the company orders…”
Just then, the phone on Henry’s desk rang, which Henry took the minute it made a sound.
The smile turned to a serious frown.
“…Yes. Yes, Sir. I’ll see to it.” He hung up the phone after a polite “Good night”, straightening his security guard uniform, and moved around the desk, “This way, Ma’am.”
After burying your head in the toilet bowl and throwing up almost half an hour ago, you had used your cell phone and called Lloyd's business partner up ahead, told him that Lloyd had issued a command to erase surveillance camera footage of a specific building and asked to keep a copy.
His business partner, hauled up from his bed because of this phone call in the middle of the night, knew better than to refuse.
… and that was why the Russian mob drove through the block later that morning at 1 a.m. and did not find a trace of Lloyd taking shelter in your condo after circling the area for quite some time.
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Taglist (Also tagging those who might be interested): @stargazingfangirl18 @sarahdonald87 @joannaliceevans-fanficblog @magnificentsaladllama @biteofcherry @petalj @jaqui-has-a-conspiracy-theory @thezombieprostitute @yiiiikesmish @warriorblu @vonalyn @notathingjustthere @lokislady82 @irishhappiness @toozmanykids @alicedopey @cakesandtom @universitypenguin @openup-yourmind @helenaeisenhower @wilsons-striped-ties @tittittoee @bean-is-reading
Find A Whiff of Blood Masterlist here 👈
Questions? Comments? Requests? 👉Send them to my inbox 👂
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nextlegal · 8 months ago
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Are You Looking For The Best Matrimonial Lawyers in Bangalore?
If you are looking for the best matrimonial lawyers in Bangalore Or a matrimonial law firm in Bangalore, you have come to the right place. The next legal experts have a team of highly qualified and experienced lawyers who have successfully represented many clients of different natures. We will help you in your divorce matters and guide you through the entire process with utmost care and responsibility. Visit us today!
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laurasimonsdaughter · 8 months ago
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Dear Magisowo, id like some legal advice if you have any.
I’m a wizard and have recently acquired and renovated my home into a proper wizard tower. However problem is I’ve been getting harrased by the local HOA, them complaining that my tower is an “eyesore” and “disturbing” their neighborhoods image. My tower was built perfectly legally, I’ve got all the proper building permits and followed all local county tower laws. That still isn’t enough for them as they’ve sent countless “inspectors” who’ve found nothing, and have been sending threats of legal action. Is there any way to get them to stop and do their threats actually hold weight?
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Good morning!
That sounds like a horrid situation and let us assure you: this so-called Homeowner Association hasn't got a leg to stand on. Of course neighbours are always free to band together for purposes of mutual support - like establishing a feral griffin watch or communal herb garden - but legal rights are only granted in the case a HOA of owners that share communal real estate. As is the case with apartment complexes where one buys an apartment instead of renting it.
If your home is a detached building and you obtained the proper planning permission, your tower construction is perfectly legal. I imagine these people are threatening to report your building to the urban aesthetics commission, but if you have your papers in order the municipality will have ran your plans by them already. Besides, wizard towers are protected under the Occult Habitat Provision, as studies have shown they are a requirement for performing certain types of magic and frequently attract endangered magical species.
We advise passing this information on to the individuals that are bothering you, asking them politely to stop, and if need be warn them that you will treat their actions as intentional harassment if they continue. We will send you an example of how to keep a log to build a harassment case, if worst comes to worst.
We absolutely can not recommend contacting the Wizard Orb Assistance Helpline (WOAH) and inquiring after the latest neighbour-repelling wards that they have on file under Occult Commons. That would be irresponsible from a community building perspective and as such we would under no circumstances advise you do such a thing.
All the best,
~ the MagISoWo Team  
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blueiscoool · 3 months ago
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Archaeologists Find Gold Coins From The Time of Justinian the Great in Bulgaria
Archaeologists have discovered five gold coins dating from the reign of Justinian the Great (483-565) in Debnevo, the largest village in the Troyan Municipality in northern Bulgaria.
Justinian was a powerful emperor, who reconquered previously owned Roman land. During his time of reign, he helped the Byzantine Empire reach its peak in culture and prosperity. From 527 until 565, Justinian I ruled as the Byzantine Empire’s emperor. Justinian is best remembered for his work as a legislator and codified.
The discovery was announced on 27 August by Assoc. Dr. Stiliyan Ivanov from the National Historical Institute with a museum at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, who led the archaeological expedition exploring the fortress “Kaleto” above the village.
Archaeologists exploring the Kaleto Fortress above the village found the coins scattered on the floor of a burned-out dwelling dating to the time of the reign of the Bulgarian kings Simeon and Peter.
“During this year, the most interesting archaeological situation is an early medieval dwelling that was burned down. In other cases similar dwellings are found without remains of the internal structure, while here we have the rare opportunity to see the wooden lining of the dwelling, which, although charred, is clearly discernible. It must be related somewhere to the 10th century, to the time of the rule of the Bulgarian kings Simeon and Peter”, the associate professor said.
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The owners left all the inventory in the dwelling – two iron sickles, iron tools, a belt buckle, three bronze rings, various-sized ceramic vessels, from which it can be judged that they were involved in agriculture, he added.
“The most interesting find from the apartment is the discovery of five gold coins scattered on the floor. Two of them were badly damaged by fire. What is interesting about the coins is that they are much older than the early medieval dwelling where they were found. They date from the 6th century, from the time of Emperor Justinian I. They were most likely discovered by those who built the dwelling and who subsequently preserved them”, said Ivanov.
Although not in circulation, these coins were valuable enough because they were made of gold – a material that was quite valuable even in the Middle Ages”, Dr. Ivanov said.
According to Ivanov, part of the fortress walls are well preserved, while others have suffered because material from them was used to construct a nearby settlement. He said that traces are found of a large Thracian settlement from the 4th-3rd centuries BC, three phases of habitation from Late Antiquity (4th-6th centuries), the First Bulgarian Kingdom, a necropolis from the Second Bulgarian Kingdom and the Ottoman period.
By Oguz Kayra.
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hoonieyun · 2 months ago
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Do you still write for Riize? Can you write a Riize as love through song lyrics?
thank you for this request ohmygosh i was putting this off because i was waiting until i got back home but with seunghan coming back i needed to write it nowwww also sorry its fairly short
warnings: not really but as always 18+
copyright 2024 - present © hoonieyun all rights reserved
all writing here is fiction & not in any association with characters mentioned.
all credits go to the songwriters and owners of the songs used.
shotaro:
bending my rules - flo
00:23 —●───── 03:44
⇆ㅤ ◁ㅤ ❚❚ ㅤ▷ ㅤ↻
"i’ve been fiending for you, yeah i’m talking about you. but i’m nervous, i don’t do this with just anyone, but you’re bending my rules. cause i'm nervous. so, so nervous. i don’t want nobody, nobody like i want you."
when you’re afraid to fall in love or scared to try something new, shotaro is the type to be there every step of the way and to help you unlearn and overcome your fears. making you bend your rules so that you can feel the love you deserve. 
eunseok:
a new kind of love - frou frou, imogen heap, guy sigsworth
01:49 —●───── 04:19
⇆ㅤ ◁ㅤ ❚❚ ㅤ▷ ㅤ↻
"are you falling in love? i’ve a feeling you are. are you falling in love with a feeling? are you falling in love or only feeling you are? cause if you’re falling in love, let me feel it. "
eunseok, one to keep to himself and not one for big grand gestures. he shows his love through emotional connection, all he needs is you by his side and even though at first you weren’t sure, he will let you know that he loves you. 
sungchan: 
motive - ariana grande
00:06 —●───── 02:47
⇆ㅤ ◁ㅤ ❚❚ ㅤ▷ ㅤ↻
"tell me why i get this feeling, that you really wanna turn me on. tell me why i get this feeling, that you really wanna make me yours. "
his love feels like fire. sungchan is the type of love that feels like a cat and mouse game, a push and pull, and playing hard to get and teasing him only makes his love grow fonder. you love that he wants you and he loves how much you love it. 
wonbin:
celine - gallant
01:21 —●───── 03:25
⇆ㅤ ◁ㅤ ❚❚ ㅤ▷ ㅤ↻
"i usually say what i want, but in this particular moment my mouth can’t find the words to say i love you like i do. and i’ll admit, i’ve tried so hard to quit you once or twice. yeah, i’ll admit. i couldn’t quit you even if i tried, baby. "
wonbin will leave you speechless in a way that leaves you wanting more. his love will have you questioning if you deserve all the good things he’s given you but he will make sure that you know how much you deserve it and that he has so much more to give. 
seunghan:
obsessed - thủy
00:48 —●───── 03:05
⇆ㅤ ◁ㅤ ❚❚ ㅤ▷ ㅤ↻
"you know why i’m so obsessed with you, cause when i’m next to you i’m at my best with you. in my eyes, boy, you can do no wrong. hear your voice, it’s like my favorite song."
you’re obsession and love towards seunghan will sometimes make you feel like it’s not right, but seunghan will comfort you and let you know that his feelings are mutual, maybe even more intense. the two of you are so obsessed with each other that being apart for a little amount of time feels like eternity. (we’re so happy you’re back seunghan!!!!)
sohee:
headaches - raveena
00:00 —●───── 05:11
⇆ㅤ ◁ㅤ ❚❚ ㅤ▷ ㅤ↻
"i wasn’t in the mood for love but you’re quite funny. i see that you want me, i guess i could do this. it was kinda like a summer love, oj and soda. so sweet it could kill ya."
the type of love that feels like a warm hug, like the sun is shining onto your skin. he comes at the most inopportune time but shows you that you deserve to be loved even if you may not think so. a love so sweet that it’s tooth rotting but he’ll make sure to care for you no matter what.
anton:
i want you around - snoh alegra
00:28 —●───── 03:32
⇆ㅤ ◁ㅤ ❚❚ ㅤ▷ ㅤ↻
"we can get away. palm trees, beach views, ordinary days. all i wanna hear is innervisions on replay and sit right next to you, you. i try not to show how i feel about you, thinking we should wait, but we don’t really want to. i just wanna get away and sit right next to you, you."
proximity and time. anton loves in a way that feels like the two of you are tied together with the red string of fate. pulling towards each other no matter where you are. a love that feels like you’re always by each other’s side. so patient and so loving.
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mariacallous · 4 months ago
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RealPage says it isn’t doing anything wrong by suggesting to landlords how much rent they could charge. In a move to reclaim its own narrative, the property management software company published a microsite and a digital booklet it’s calling “The Real Story,” as it faces multiple lawsuits and a reported federal criminal probe related to allegations of rental price fixing.
RealPage’s six-page digital booklet, published on the site in mid-June, addresses what it calls “false and misleading claims about its software”—the myriad of allegations it faces involving price-fixing and rising rents—and contends that the software benefits renters and landlords and increases competition. It also said landlords accept RealPage’s price recommendations for new leases less than 50 percent of the time and that the software recommends competitive prices to help fill units.
“‘The heart of this case’ never had a heartbeat—the data clearly shows that RealPage does not set customers’ prices and customers do what they believe is best for their respective properties to vigorously compete against each other in the market,” the digital booklet says.
But landlords are left without concrete answers, as questions around the legality of this software are ongoing as they continue renting properties. “I don’t think we’re seeing this as a RealPage issue but rather as a revenue management software issue,” says Alexandra Alvarado, the director of marketing and education at the American Apartment Owners Association, the largest association of landlords in the US.
Alvarado says some landlords are taking pause and asking questions before using the tech. Software like RealPage “has made it much easier to understand what is happening in the market,” Alvarado says. “Technology has helped us in so many ways to make all these processes more efficient. In this case, it’s now borderline too efficient.” And members of the AAOA are asking questions about the legality of revenue management, she says. “The first thing landlords typically think is, what is the legal repercussion? Am I going to be in trouble for using this software? If the answer is maybe, it’s usually off the table.”
Dana Jones, president and CEO of RealPage, said in a statement released alongside the booklet that “the time is now to address a number of false claims about RealPage’s revenue management software, and how rental housing providers operate when setting rent prices.” RealPage did not respond to WIRED’s queries asking what prompted the lengthy statement in June. Officials appear to be narrowing in on RealPage, as the Justice Department is allegedly planning to sue the company, according to a report from Politico last week. The company declined a request to comment on the latest in the ongoing Department of Justice probe.
Allegations of price-fixing that may constitute antitrust violations have dogged the software company since late 2022, when ProPublica published an investigation alleging that RealPage’s software was linked to rent rises in some US cities, as the company used private, aggregated data provided by its customers to suggest rental prices. (In response to ProPublica's reporting, RealPage commented that it “uses aggregated market data from a variety of sources in a legally compliant manner.”)
RealPage’s software is powerful because it anonymizes rental data and can provide landlords and property managers with nonpublic and public data about rentals, which may be different from that advertised publicly on platforms like real estate marketplace Zillow. The company contends that it’s not engaging in price-fixing, as landlords are not forced to accept the rents that RealPage’s algorithm suggests. Sometimes it even recommends landlords lower the rent, RealPage claims. But antitrust enforcers have alleged that even sharing private information via an algorithm and using it for price recommendations can be as conspiratorial as back-room handshake deals, even if landlords don’t end up renting apartments at those rates. The reported antitrust investigation is ongoing.
RealPage’s algorithmic pricing model is among one of the first subject to scrutiny, perhaps due to its involvement in housing, a necessity that has ballooned in price as housing supply languishes. Typical rent in the US is just under $2,000, according to Zillow, up from around $1,500 in early 2020. “Housing affordability is a national problem created by economic and political forces—not by the use of revenue management software,” Realpage says. But renters can’t tell whether their rates are rising because of algorithms or not.
“It’s almost impossible to know if you are just a spectator or a victim,” says Shanti Singh, legislative and communications director with Tenants Together, a California-based coalition of tenants activists. If tenants call a hotline over raised rent or fees, “we’re not necessarily going to be able to see or connect that their landlord is using RealPage.”
The state of Arizona sued RealPage and nine landlords in February, claiming a conspiracy between the company and landlords led renters in Phoenix and Tucson to pay “millions of dollars” more in rent. That followed a similar lawsuit out of Washington, DC. In the capital’s greater metropolitan area, more than 90 percent of rental units in large apartment buildings were priced using RealPage software, according to DC’s attorney general.
The cases against RealPage puts algorithmic pricing to the test; as the technology becomes more common, antitrust law has yet to keep pace. Officials have other concerns around algorithms used for alleged hotel price fixing, as well as e-commerce algorithms. “The concern of regulators that algorithms can be used in ways that harm competition—that idea is here to stay,” says Ed Rogers, a partner at law firm Ballard Spahr who focuses on antitrust cases. “RealPage could end up really being a test case, not just for the real estate rental industry but for this aspect of AI and software and its role in a competitive landscape.”
The impact of algorithmic pricing varies greatly. Amazon has been accused of pushing up prices with a secret algorithm. (Amazon has said the “allegation that we somehow force sellers to use our optional services is simply not true.”) But others operate in plain sight, like dynamic pricing for rideshare costs, and don’t involve multiple companies sharing information. Not all of these algorithms are engaged in activity that may be considered anticompetitive. A Nevada judge in May dismissed a suit brought by hotel guests against several Las Vegas hotel operators, finding there was no agreement among them to fix prices using shared algorithms.
Yardi Systems, another US property management company, is also facing a class action suit regarding antitrust violations for artificially inflating rent prices. The company has said it did “nothing illegal,” as it does not mandate rent prices through its software or make “collusive pricing decisions.”
Typical rental costs in Phoenix have increased by more than about $500 a month from April 2020 to 2024, and by around $400 in Washington, DC, in the same period, according to Zillow.
Renters have also filed numerous class action suits against RealPage and property owners that have been consolidated. Some landlords named in those settled claims earlier this year. The court threw out a lawsuit regarding price fixing for student housing but has said the class action from renters can go forward. Attorneys representing some of the plaintiffs in the class action did not respond to requests to comment.
RealPage laid off about 4 percent of staff in June. “RealPage is hyper-focused on innovation and accelerating its business growth in 2024 and beyond, and as a result has made the decision to eliminate a small number of roles within the company,” Jennifer Bowcock, a spokesperson for the company, says. The layoffs were not connected to the antitrust lawsuit, she says. Thoma Bravo, the owner of RealPage, did not respond to a request for comment for this story.
As of 2020, RealPage said it was collecting data on some 16 million rental units across the US. There are 44 million renter households in the US, and nearly 22 million rental units are owned by for-profit businesses. RealPage grew when it acquired Lease Rent Options (LRO) in 2017, after clearing antitrust scrutiny by the Justice Department. The DOJ did not comment on questions from WIRED about its reported investigation into RealPage or its approval of RealPage’s acquisition of Lease Rent Options in 2017.
When asked about the latest in the probe, RealPage referred to a portion of its recent lengthy statement, which said: “The DOJ extensively reviewed LRO and YieldStar in 2017, without objecting to, much less challenging, any feature of the products.” RealPage also says that its “products are fundamentally the same today” as they were when the acquisition received approval.
In June, The New York Times asked assistant US attorney general Jonathan Kanter, the Justice Department’s top antitrust official, if he would view an AI tool communicating pricing information as the same as humans colluding, with the question referencing the reported RealPage investigation. Kanter replied: “I often say that if your dog bites somebody, you’re responsible for your dog biting somebody. If your AI fixes prices, you’re just as responsible.”
The Justice Department also last year filed a statement of interest in the RealPage combined class action lawsuit, as the case could become a precedent setter in algorithmic pricing. The statement mirrored Kanter’s argument that the method of price setting doesn’t matter, and algorithms are just the latest evolution in information gathering and sharing.
“In-person handshakes gave way to phone and fax, and later to email. Algorithms are the new frontier,” the Justice Department argued in a statement of interest it filed in the class action lawsuit against RealPage and landlords. “And, given the amount of information an algorithm can access and digest, this new frontier poses an even greater anti-competitive threat than the last.”
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