#broke loser i would do anything to keep you safe

[one-winged-dreams]

any jjk fic that has toji die even as an off-handed mention makes me nauseous and that's... something

[i-like-writing-stuff]

the other five; part 2 [ five hargreeves x reader ]

okayyyy so it’s not my best work and i hope it is not too rushed or cheesy i have my best and i hope i didn’t crush y’all’s expectations 😭😭 writing this i literally gave no shit on the paradox psychosis, it’s also an AU where they did save the world, and not to mention again that everyone, including reader and five are around 32, basically the same age as the rest of the family

hope y’all still like it tho 🥹🥹🥹

part one

“I can’t believe how bad you suck at Scrabble in every single timeline, my love,” Five laughed, shaking his head in disbelief as you threw a wooden piece at him over the table, offended to say the least;

“I can’t believe what a piece of shit you are in every timeline!”

“Oh, she’s also a sore loser in every timeline!”

As you threw yet another wooden piece at the man before you, you couldn’t help but get infected with his contagious laugh and burst into giggles as well. Five was smiling from ear to ear, as he was heavily laughing, with a hand over his chest, as his other one was resting peacefully on top of yours on the table.

You were sitting on the rug, on each side of the coffee table in your living room. It was a peaceful Thursday night, and you didn’t really have anything planned. You worked all day, so you figured that a glass of wine and some chocolate to snack on while watching a movie would be a decent end of the day, but a couple knocks on your door changed that.

It had been a while since you met Five, a couple of weeks maybe. Nothing short of a miracle helped you save the world for good this time, but that’s a story for another time. Things were actually looking up for you, as the Hargreeves siblings were all safe in one piece, as well as your own parents. Viktor was visiting you in the States a lot more often, Allison, Klaus and Claire resumed their day to day lives, Luther was trying to reabilitate the old mansion for good this time and actually own it, Ben and Jennifer were happily together, as Diego and Lila were doing their best to save their marriage for the sake of their three children.

As for Five, last you heard he was still in the CIA, but that was about it.

The Five from your timeline, that was.

The Five standing in front of you, he was an entirely different story.

After he comforted you the day you and Five broke up, you tried to prioritize your interests and went back to help the family stop the apocalypse. In spite of how much you wanted to just lay in his arms until you went completely numb, you knew that if that’s where you were meant to be, you’d find your way back eventually.

And you did.

“Fuck me, that was draining,” You rubbed your face, falling onto the dusty leather couch with a loud thud, next to Allison.

“You’d think we would get the hang of it by now,” She sarcastically said, letting her head fall on your shoulder.

“If there’s a fifth apocalypse, let’s just let it happen,” Klaus suggested, as some of you couldn’t help but nod in agreement.

“At least this one wasn’t Viktor’s fault,” Luther pointed out, making Viktor waive his arms;

“Excuse me?”

“I’m swear I’m gonna kill myself,” Ben rolled his eyes bored as ever. On the surface, that was.

“Jesus Christ, what the fuck?” Lila raised her brows at the man.

“Do it later, we literally just saved your sorry ass,” Five pointed out.

“And to think that after all this shit, on Monday I’m back to delivering packages…” Diego deeply sighed, as you all turned to judge him.

The nine of you were standing in the middle of the old mansion, trying to catch your breath after your hardest efforts yet to save the world. It was a mixture of everyone’s powers, a droplet of a miracle and lots of yelling around, but eventually you did it. You could finally breathe again and not worry that tomorrow may not come.

However, it didn’t mean that you weren’t suffering anymore. You tried your everything to keep your composure around the Five from your timeline and Lila, since apparently even Diego was willing to make amends. He loved his brother and his kids far too much, as well as his wife. He was willing to put it all behind, after all, you were given a second chance and he was not going to waste it.

“Am I going crazy or is that another Five?” Klaus pointed towards the main entrance to the living room, as your Five walked in with a slight smile across his lips and his hands in his pockets;

“I wouldn’t have bet my last two cents that you idiots would have actually managed to save the universe.”

“Asshole,” You giggled, getting up to run instantly into his arms.

Five was taken aback by your sudden excitement for a mere second, as he stumbled a step back, but not wasting another second to wrap his arms around your waist. He walked you back from the diner to the train station that would take you back to Five, and eventually back to your timeline a couple hours ago, but if you were to be honest it felt like forever since the last time you saw him. In spite of being literally yet not really the man who crushed your heart that day, you found such an intense comfort in him, it was stupid.

You were still grieving your old relationship, you were still heartbroken over what had happened. Six years with Five on your side were not that easy to get over, but this one truly helped you feel better. He was so thoughtful, so sweet and kind, yet sarcastic and sassy, he was totally your perfect match, which was insane since you thought that your ex-boyfriend of six years would be your soulmate.

“I hate you,” You declared, crossing your arms over your chest, “You have no business making fun of me- you’re like a hundred years old.”

“Don’t- Don’t go there and make it awkward,” Five instantly said, raising his hands in front of you, “You’re making me feel like a pervert.”

“As you should,” You lightly shrugged your shoulders, watching as he rolled his eyes playfully.

The two of you started spending a considerable amount of time together lately, as he managed to make himself comfortable in your timeline. He couldn’t remember the last time he was so happy, not only because he had lost his own Y/N, but he also hadn’t seen his siblings in such a long time. In his timeline, they didn’t manage to save themselves after Reggie reset the timeline at Hotel Oblivion, so getting his family back in a way was surreal to him as well.

Five felt alive again and it was all because of you.

All because he stumbled upon the love of his life that day in the subway system, the same woman who brought him back to his family. Maybe they weren’t actually the ones from his timeline, but they were his family nonetheless.

“Okay, one more round so I can shut your trash mouth again,” Five declared, straightening his jacket, as he leant over the table to rearrange the board.

“I can think of another way you can shut my trash mouth,” You smirked, leaning forward on the table as well, resting your weight on your elbows.

The two of you took things surprisingly slow. You couldn’t deny the instant connection, after all- you were a couple in every single timeline. But you couldn’t help the need to avoid the rush. Sure, you held hands sometimes and bump your knees under the table, or he would place wild strands of hair behind your ears and you would sometimes fix his tie for him. You also tended to share tight hugs that lasted maybe a second too long, or linger some touched here and there, but you neither of you ever had the courage to bring it up in a discussion.

You had never even kissed.

“My, my, is my little Y/N getting impatient?” Five mimicked your smirk, lightly grabbing your chin between his index and thumb.

One thing you knew for sure was that you didn’t have feelings anymore for your ex-boyfriend. There was no doubt about that. You just didn’t feel it would be wise to jump into another relationship so soon with his doppelgänger, but after these past few weeks you were so done waiting.

If there’s one thing you learned from saving the world one too many times it definitely was that you should not be wasting precious seconds.

“Aren’t you?” You asked, looking into his eyes, trying to figure out where he stood on all this.

“I’d wait for you decades, darling,” Five confessed, running his thumb across your bottom lip in a gentle manner.

He loved the feel of you, every square inch of your body- he couldn’t get enough of it. He would touch anywhere possible, he wanted to pepper kisses along every part of you, but he did mean every word he said. He did want to wait for you for as long as you needed until you were ready to be with him, truly.

“Promise?” You couldn’t help but wonder, as Five let go of your chin to put some fallen strands of hair behind your ears, “Would you actually wait for me?”

“It’s not even up for debate,” He nodded, getting up from the floor, straightening his three piece suit.

He offered you his hands, as he lifted you to your feet as well. You didn’t know exactly if your legs were numb because of how long you’d been sitting crisscrossed on the floor, or simply because the man before you made your knees weak with one smile, but you knew for certain that you never wanted this night to end.

Five cupped your cheeks in his hands, as you naturally rested your hands on his chest. You were so smitten by him, but in all fairness- how could you not be? He was doing everything right, giving you all the love he had and a bit more extra, while still being his true sassy self that you loved so much.

“Kiss me, please,” You whispered, looking into his beautiful eyes, feeling as you were slowly losing yourself into the moment.

Five smiled as he leaned in slowly to give your lips a light peck, as careful and attentive as possible. His long fingers found their way into your hair, as your own arms wrapped around his neck to pull him in closer. He took that as his cue to go in for a more passionate kiss, capturing your lips with his in just a matter of seconds, losing his whole being in that moment to wrap himself around your pinky finger.

Anything you wanted, he would go through the ends of the world to get it for you- and that was an understatement.

[ohsugar-honey-iced-tea]

Hi!

I wanted to send you this request: could you please write something with pregnant!wanda being very insecure about her body, and reader shows her that she loves her no matter what??

It can be fluff, smut. It’s up to you!!

All I will ever need

Wanda Maximoff x fem!reader

A/n: I have missed writing so much and I am so happy to finally put all my thoughts and ideas on here again

Summary: where Wanda is being haunted by thoughts and memories of her past

-------------------------------------------------------

Ugly. Fat. Hideous. Stupid. Loser.

Wanda remembers each and every word that was thrown to her growing up.

The names, the mean pranks, the cruel beatings. Wanda remembers them all like it was yesterday. Day in day out, high school felt like a true horror every day she went.

Maybe they were right. Maybe she was indeed ugly and hideous. Why else would they feel the need to say this to Wanda every moment of every day?

Hot tears rolled over her reddened cheeks as she looked at herself in the mirror.

Wanda is around 14 weeks pregnant now, and she could see. She could see how her belly was growing a little more every day.

She remembered how happy you were the day she told you she was pregnant. And although there was happiness, her thoughts soon filled with doubt. Would she be good enough? Would you still find her attractive whilst her body would change? Would you get bored of her? Would you leave?

Harsh words and anxiety filled her thoughts, and she could feel panic settling into her body.

As Wanda's heart started racing and her breathing quickened, you came home from work.

You had brought Wanda her favorite flowers, white lilies. The same ones you gave her on your first date, and which ones she held on your wedding day.

"Hey Wands, I'm home!"

Silence.

Usually you would be greeted warmly by your wife or find her in the livingroom, painting, reading or cooking. As much as you wanted her to relax for her and the baby, Wanda wanted to stay busy. It helped keep her mind quiet.

"Wanda?"

A cold feeling came over you as you saw the bathroom lights on. As you rushed on the stairs to get to her you could hear fast breathing coming from the bathroom.

You quickly opened the door and there she was. The second you saw her you rushed to her, and Wanda immediately fell in your arms, making both of you tumble to the floor. As you held her close you felt Wanda shake, as she sobbed into your shoulder.

"I-I'm sorry, I'm so sorry! Please stop, I promise I'll be good!"

All you could do was hold her as Wanda was deep into reliving her horrible nightmares from the past.

"It's okay, Wanda. You're okay. I am right here, I promise. Let it all out, we are here together. It's okay, you are safe"

Wanda cried and cried and you silently cried with her. It was in that moment you swore to yourself you wouldn't ever let anything or anyone hurt Wanda again.

After a good ten minutes, Wanda looked at you, tears swimming in her eyes and voice shaking with sobs.

"Please don't leave me"

Your heart broke for the frail little girl you suddently saw in Wanda. A girl who loved so much and wanted to give so much, and got so much she didn't deserve.

Giving her a little smile, you softly stroked her tear stained cheek.

"Oh my love, I wouldn't ever leave you. Don't you know you are stuck with me? You are all I will ever need. Past, present and future"

You moved your hand to her pregnant belly.

"You and our little peanut, of course"

Wanda smiled a little, but it quickly turned into a frown.

"But my stomach is getting so big, and I am getting more tired. What if we end up arguing a lot? And what if I get so big by the end that you won't love me anymore? And what if-"

You cut her off with a kiss as you held her hands.

"All I heard in that sentence was 'we', Wanda. We are in this together. Now and forever"

You pressed little kisses to each of Wanda's fingertips, earning you a watery giggle.

"And I wouldn't mind forever with you"

Wanda's smile brightened, and she leaned into you, cuddling her head on your shoulder.

"It's actually not one, but two peanuts"

You looked at her with wide eyes and you4 mouth open.

"You mean...?"

"Twins"

"Twins?"

"We are having two little boys, detka"

You suddently picked her up, and swirled the both of you around in the tiny bathroom, smiling widely.

"We are having twins!"

You spent the rest of the day celebrating, just the two of you.

Bad feelings come and go, and difficult memories will always be there, but when you're with the right person there is nothing in the world you can't conquer.

-------------------------------------------------------

Let me know if you want to be added to the Wanda taglist! If you have any requests, send them! Reblogs are much appreciated :)

Taglist: @wandanats-goodgirl

[aewon]

soulmate- LHS

heeseung x f!reader genre: fluff, strangers 2 lovers, soulmate au warnings: suggestive, cursing, kissing ft. yunjin, chaewon, wonyoung, ningning and hanni wc: 2k

Starting college in a different state isn't easy.

It's only been one week, but you miss your family and friends back home like crazy.

You haven't been able to make any friends so far, finding it hard to approach people.

It sounds corny, but it seems like everyone has their own clique at this college, and you don't know where you fit in.

What you have learned is who not to mess with.

There's a group of guys, all a part of your school’s dance team. 

They call themselves Enhypen. You don't know where the name came from, but it's something you haven't bothered to learn.

All you know is that they're well-known on campus, but no one is close to them. They're only close to each other.

Girls fawn over them despite this fact, and all of them have failed to get close.

Gossip spreads quickly around this campus. You know who’s who, who has crushes on who.

The other group of people you know not to mess with are the popular girls in your school.

Yunjin, Wonyoung, Ningning, and Chaewon.

All rich, all supposed mean girls who will destroy you if they so please.

Everyone expected them to be close to Enhypen, but even they're not.

Word says that Yunjin and Heeseung were together at one point until he cruelly broke it off with her, reasons unknown. 

So far, you've been keeping your head down and avoiding anything to do with those two groups.

Still, it would be nice to have a friend. Someone to talk to when you need an ear.

Walking to your next class, your head is buried in your phone, not paying attention to where you're going.

Suddenly, you fall back as you hit a hard wall.

Landing right on your butt, you look up to find Heeseung staring down at you. 

You stutter for a moment, trying to find words.

Everyone around you is frozen, waiting for something to happen.

You expect Heeseung to rip into you, and all you muster is a quiet, “I'm sorry.”

Ready to pick yourself up, you reach for your phone when a hand is offered.

It's Heeseung, and he looks at you expectantly.

Is this a trick? Is he going to help you up and then yell at you?

You take his hand, and he pulls you up quickly.

You can't bring yourself to look into his eyes, muttering, “I'm sorry again; I should've watched where I was going.”

With that, you move around him, walking to your class.

Whispers follow you, and you hear one person comment, “I can't believe that just happened. Why didn't he blow up at her?” 

So he should've yelled at you? At least, that's what you're getting from that person.

Why didn't he?

Did you leave before he could? Or did he know you were a friendless loser and didn't want to embarrass you further?

Would he have that kind of empathy?

His face was expressionless. You can't tell what he wanted to do.

Something stirred in your stomach, a feeling of fear. 

Why does it feel like this won't be the last time you encounter Lee Heeseung?

The rest of your day went by agonizingly slow. You couldn't wait to get back to your apartment and soak in your tub. 

The streets are quiet, multiple shops and stores closing for the night.

As you walk, you get this sickening feeling that you're being watched.

You speed up, almost running.

Your apartment is still a few minutes away and you can only pray you get there quickly.

Suddenly, you bump into a hard wall, screaming as someone grabs your wrists.

“Woah, it's just me!”

Heeseung stands in front of you, letting go of your wrists to put his hands up.

“You scared the shit out of me! Why would you do that?”

He looks taken aback for a moment before his face softens. 

“I'm sorry! I just saw you walking alone and figured I should walk you home.”

You narrow your eyes at him, “Why would you want to walk me home? You don't even know me.”

“It can get dangerous around here sometimes, there's been reports of people disappearing these last couple of days and it's not safe to walk alone.”

You look at him, “Are you lying to kidnap me or something?”

He shakes his head, “No, I swear I'm not!”

Crossing your arms, you look him up and down.

“Put your arms out,” you say, spreading your arms into a t for him to follow.

He complies, albeit reluctantly.

You, without warning, start patting him down, from his shoulders to his ankles.

Heeseung looks at you like you're crazy, but he doesn’t put his arms down.

To finish your inspection, you quietly check his front pockets before moving to his back pockets. His arms come down to hold yours.

“If you wanted to touch my ass that badly you could've just asked.”

He's smirking, looking at you as you glare at him.

“Don't flatter yourself, it's not like you got much back there anyway.”

“Hey!”

You giggle, walking around him to continue your way home as he follows you like a puppy.

“What happened to the timid girl who apologized for bumping into me earlier?”

You shrug, “Now that I know there's nothing to be scared of, I see no reason to be timid.”

“Why would you be scared of me?” He asks, eyebrows furrowing.

You have to admit he looks cute. 

“Well considering what people say about you, I was expecting you to yell at me.” 

He looks down, “I admit sometimes I have a temper, although I'm not proud of it.” 

You nod in understanding, “I get it.”

Before you know it, you've reached your apartment complex.

He walks you all the way to your door, waiting as you unlock it.

“Thank you, I appreciate it,” you say, giving Heeseung a genuine smile.

“Don't worry about it.”

With that, you go inside, and Heeseung begins to walk away. 

The next day, you're in the campus courtyard when a phone is suddenly shoved into your field of vision.

Looking up, it's Hanni, a girl you met in your psych class.

You wouldn't call yourselves friends exactly, more like acquaintances.

“What am I meant to be looking at?” You ask, taking the phone from her.

“You and Heeseung on the school's blog! 

You look down, and it's a photo of you and Heeseung from the other night.

His arms are holding yours while your hands are conveniently placed on his ass. 

Your faces are illuminated by the street lamp you were standing under.

“Who took this?” You ask. Looking around, it's like everyone has their eyes on you, gossiping and whispering to each other.

“Nobody knows, it came from an anonymous source!” Hanni replies.

“Has everyone seen this?”

“I think so, I was in my English class when I got a text from another friend. Everyone in that class was looking at their phones, including Yunjin.”

Yunjin? Shit. 

Everyone knows about Yunjin and Heeseung's history. If she thinks there's something going on between you and Heeseung, she'll surely come after you.

You stand up abruptly, handing Hanni her phone back. 

“I have to go to class, I'll see you.”

With that, you walk away, speed walking to your next class.

Just as you're about to walk in, a hand grabs your wrist, pulling you back.

It's Heeseung, and he's looking at you with worry. 

“Are you okay? You look scared.”

“Did you see the school's blog? We can't be seen together, it'll only bring trouble for me so please, leave me alone.”

You try to free your wrist, but Heeseung grips tighter.

“What do you mean? Did someone threaten you?”

“Not yet, but I don't think your ex-girlfriend would like us hanging around each other.”

Heeseung's face contorts into one of disbelief. “You're worried about Yunjin? Y/N she can't hurt you, even if she wanted to.”

“Maybe not physically, but she's powerful enough that she could hurt me academically. Run to her rich daddy and get me expelled or something!”

“That won't happen, Y/N.”

You're frustrated at this point.

“Why do you want to hang around me anyway? We don't know each other! I mean, what do you call this? A popular guy suddenly hanging around a random girl?”

Heeseung pulls you towards him until there's little to no space between you.

“Call it what it is, Y/N… attraction.”

His voice is low, and it almost makes you weak in the knees. 

But you won’t let him get to you, not like this. 

You finally free your wrist from his grip, walking away into your class.

You avoid everyone's eyes the rest of the day, but the whispers follow you everywhere.

“She's crazy going after Heeseung.”

“What a slut.”

“I hope Yunjin gets her.”

You've also been avoiding every glimpse of Yunjin or her friends. You can't take any chances.

As you're leaving campus, you spot Heeseung. 

He's with his friends, but as soon as he spots you, he starts jogging in your direction. 

“I told you to leave me alone.”

“You know I can't do that,” he says, coming to face you.

You continue to walk, and he continues to follow you. 

“I told you I'd walk you home.”

“I don't need you, Heeseung.”

“But I want you.”

You stop, “Again, Heeseung, you don't even know me. You don't know anything about me.”

“Then tell me. I want to know everything about you.”

“Why! Why are you so infatuated with me?”

Heeseung grabs your shoulders, “I can explain Y/N, just give me a chance.”

You don't know why, but he sounds just convincing enough.

When you reach your apartment, you quietly let him in.

“So, spill. What's got you so obsessed with me?”

Heeseung sits on your couch while you sit on the coffee table in front of him.

“I could smell it. It was so sweet it almost made me sick. Then, you bumped into me, and I knew right then and there. You were meant for me, Y/N.”

You can't help it, but you burst out laughing.

“Okay, I've heard some crazy shit in my life, but this has to be the craziest. What the hell are you talking about?”

Heeseung pouts, yes pouts. You never think a grown man has looked cuter.

“I'm serious, Y/N. Look, the truth is… I'm a vampire.”

You tilt your head, “A vampire? Come on, Heeseung, it's not Halloween.”

Heeseung sighs before he sits up. He takes your hands into his and opens his mouth. Within seconds, two long fangs protrude from his gums, coming to rest next to his incisors. 

You scream, pulling away from him so quickly that you flip yourself over the coffee table. 

Heeseung stands up, rushing over to help you but you back away on your butt, “Stop, get away!”

“Don't be like that. I tried to tell you!”

“Well sorry I wouldn't actually believe a guy trying to tell me he's a fucking vampire! It's not like it's common!”

“I'm not gonna hurt you, I promise. I just need you to understand me.”

“Understand what?” You say exasperated.

“That you're meant for me. We're meant for each other. I wouldn't have smelled you if it weren't true.”

“Heeseung. I just found out you're a vampire, and you're telling me this like I'm meant to just give in and get it. I don't get it!” 

“You're my soulmate, Y/N.”

“Soulmate? Soulmate, my ass! W-we don't know each other! How can I be your soulmate?”

“Because the universe doesn't lie. I was made for you, and you were made for me. I know it sounds crazy but I wouldn't lie about this.”

Heeseung offers a hand, and reluctantly, you take it. He pulls you up, bringing his hand to your face to cradle it. 

“You don't know how much this means to me, how much you mean to me. I've waited my whole life to meet my soulmate. Now, I have you here and I don't think I could ever let you go.”

You look into his eyes, trying to find some look of deceit or dishonor, but you can't find one.

His warm hand against your cheek feels comforting, you can't help but nuzzle into it.

“I… I can't say I'm not inclined to believe you. I've never thought about having a soulmate but… I guess I'm not opposed.”

Heeseung smiles, “I need you, Y/N. Let me show you how much.”

You nod, “Show me.”

With that, he dives in, connecting your lips.

The kiss is feverish, lips smacking, and teeth bumping. 

It's like he's been holding this in forever.

His tongue enters your mouth, and before you know it, he's backed you up to the door of your bedroom.

You open the door, guiding him back to your bed. As he lays you on it, you can't help but think how crazy you are for allowing this. A guy you've known for a mere two days, telling you he's a vampire and you're soulmate? Yet you can't find it in you to care. 

Heeseung shows you how much he cares about you that night.

note: pls ignore any typos/grammar issues. this was gonna be a full fic but im lazy so 🤷🏽‍♀️

enjoy this pls, ill be posting more soon!

[horangare]

Heyy!!! Just saw that your requests are open... Can I please request a fic?

Something like slow burn (nsfw) arranged marriage with Dino...

(You don't have to do it if you're not comfortable ♡)

Btw, love your fics a lot!! 💖❤️💕✨💞

for the good of the kingdom (and the good of my heart)

pairing : prince!dino x princess!reader

content : angst, fluff, smut (more towards the end, mdni), modern-ish royalty au (sorry but i cannot keep up with that old formal talk), slowburn

in which : where there is a winner, there is always a loser. your country losing the great war was the worst thing that could’ve happened, at least that’s what you thought before you learned you were going to have to marry the prince of the one nation that still kept its alliance with yours.

warnings : dino is totally in love but y/n is totally stubborn, y/n has some personal issues, itzy is mentioned to work for your family, arguments and misunderstandings, fingering, oral (m receiving), handjobs, unprotected sex (be safe), doggy style, creampies, praise, dirty talk, declarations of love during sex, a poor description of a wedding (probably, idk)

wc : 12.3K words

note : aaah omg my first request i’m so excited 😆 also i’m so happy you enjoy my fics, that means so much to me 🥹🩷 (also, i’m sorry this took me a lil minute, this is my time writing slowburn 😭😭)

“I am not marrying him!”

Ever since you were little, the Kingdom of Sokoto has always been the best. The most prosperous, the most powerful, the most influential, all of it. At the mere mention of the name “Sokoto,” people trembled. Hell, just being in the presence of someone from your family or even your court would have the most refined commoner on edge. Needless to say, you were important, and you knew it.

If only it wasn’t for that damned war.

To be fair, the Kingdom of Sokoto hadn’t risen to the top by being kind and loving. Many of the past rulers had been cold and self-serving, but never to the extent that the current ruling family, your family, had been. That was exactly what caused problems back then, and it was exactly what caused problems now.

This had all started in the Kingdom of Hisia, when your father broke a decade long alliance with their people. In his words, Hisia was an “acceptable loss,” because as a kingdom they were too soft-hearted to do anything about it. The only problem about Hisia’s people (other than being too soft-hearted) is that they were notorious gossips. When the common folk got word of this news, they told anyone and everyone who would listen. And soon, almost every kingdom in the nation knew what had happened. From Ilorus to Umbris to Kano, everyone was scrambling to break their alliances with Sokoto. Well, almost everyone.

Of course, the problem didn’t stop with your allies just leaving. No no, leaving wasn’t enough. Sokoto had reigned far too powerful for far too long. Too many things had gone overlooked. Too many injustices unpunished. Apparently, they all had their own personal grievances against the kingdom that had just been waiting to be brought to light. So how exactly did they decide to let you know that? Declaring a war, obviously.

And of course your parents were too stubborn to back down. Sokoto had never lost, never ran away from any sort of threat, never surrendered. After all, there was never a problem this kingdom couldn’t handle, with or without support from the other kingdoms. There wasn’t any need for them anyway. Your army was the most feared and well trained in all the land.

Your army alone, however, hadn’t been enough. Not in the first year of the war. Not in the second. Not in the third. When your father realized that he couldn’t continue on like this, sending the few remaining poor young men of your country to fight a losing battle, watching the rest of his people suffer, he knew had to do the one thing nobody in your family had ever done: he had to surrender.

And now that it had ended, things couldn’t be worse. Sokoto had drastically fallen in status, going from the most revered kingdom to the most despised. Oh, and the gossip never stopped, not even after things had been settled. You heard what they said about your family, every rumor, every exaggeration. You couldn’t stand them.

The only thing that remained the same after the war was your family’s relationship with the Kingdom of Kasmira. The only ones who hadn’t abandoned or betrayed you, even after the initial shock with the Hisians, even after the other kingdoms had broken their alliances, and even after the war. Nobody knew why the Kasmiran royal family still bothered to keep connections with you, but you think you were getting a few ideas.

“[Y/n], I know this is sudden,” Your father said, his arms crossed over his chest. “But given the state of the kingdom, your mother and I have both agreed that a marriage between you and Prince Dino is a good thing for the kingdom.”

“What about what I’ve agreed on, Father?” You argued. “Really…as if losing that war wasn’t enough of an embarrassment.”

Your mother stood up and took a step towards you, pointing a finger in your face. “We do not speak of the war, young lady.” When you backed away, she sighed, and placed her hands on both your shoulders. “Don’t worry. You will have plenty of time to get to know him. Prince Dino is a nice boy. I’m sure the two of you will do good things for both of the Kingdoms.”

You couldn’t help but roll your eyes, but for now you chose to bite your tongue. There was a lot you could say, a lot you wanted to say, but it wouldn’t do you any good to argue with your parents when the decision had already been made for you.

So you were getting married. Lucky you.

The day you got the news of your sudden engagement, you went back to your room and didn’t come out for the rest of the day. Really, who did your parents think they were, making such decisions on your behalf? And then saying that you’ll “grow to like it,” was just the icing on the cake. Who were they to speak for you? Who were they to decide who you would marry? God, you hated this family.

Come sunrise the next day, you lied in bed silently and stared at the ceiling. When you were bored of the ceiling, you stared at the wall. And when you were birds if the wall, you stared at the window. No, not out of the window, at the window. There was nothing to look at, anyway.

“Good morning, [Y/n],” The voice of your lady in waiting, Ryujin, drew your attention to the one place in your room you hadn’t looked at yet; the door. “Wow, you look awful.”

You smiled a little and shook your head. Ryujin had always spoken in a way that was a little bit…less than formal than she should have, but it was only really ever around you. Not that you cared. Ryujin and you had a close bond, and she felt more like family to you than the actual people you were related to, so you could find yourself putting up with the way she talked.

“You wouldn’t believe what my parents are making me do this time, Ryujin.” You started, letting out a heavy sigh. “You know Prince Dino? From Kasmira?”

Ryujin stepped closer, tilting her head to the side. “I know of him. Why?”

“They’re making the two of us get married.”

Ryujin gasped, her mouth hanging open. “Really? And they didn’t even tell you until now?”

“No! Can you believe it!” You huffed. “Honestly, why do I even bother with them? They seriously make me sick.”

Ryujin frowned, reaching under the blanket to grab your hand and pull you into an upright sitting position. Suddenly, her face lit up, as if she was remembering something. “Hey, you know what? Someone is actually here to see you, they’re waiting in the garden now.”

Now it was your turn to frown. “Who? Tell them that I’m busy.”

“Busy staring at the ceiling and the wall?”

“And the window.”

Ryujin shook her head, grabbing onto you again but this time to pull you out of bed, much to your displeasure. “Do you really want to stay in bed all day, [Y/n]?”

“I don’t see why I can’t.” You crossed your arms over your chest. At this, Ryujin scoffed. You were definitely your family’s daughter, even as much as you wished you weren’t.

“Oh come now, Your Highness, you could use some sun and fresh air. If you don’t get any now, you might wither away and die.”

“Is that an option?”

With a short laugh, Ryujin dragged you to your wardrobe, picking out what to put you in for today. “Oh [Y/n], you’re unbelievable.”

“I’m serious though.”

Once Ryujin had made you “look presentable” (her words) she led you to the gardens, arm in arm, where she had said this mysterious someone was waiting for you.

“Ryujin, are you sure there was actually someone here and you weren’t just drunk? Again?” You asked, looking around the gardens for any sign of life other than you and your friend.

“Of course I wasn’t drunk! I’m sure he was here…” She mumbled, looking around with you. “Oh! There he is!” She pointed to the left, and you turned your head in the direction she was pointing in.

Standing in a more secluded part of the garden was a tall blonde man with a slightly lost look on his foot. He looked to be your age and was clothed in robes of soft yellow, the royal Kasmiran colors. Wait a minute…this man wasn’t a stranger, this was—

“Oh my god, Prince Dino…” You mumbled. Ryujin lowered her finger, alternating her gaze between you and him in disbelief.

“What? He’s the prince? [Y/n], I swear I didn’t know…he didn’t tell me.” Ryujin stammered, letting you drag her away towards the entrance and back to the castle. “Where are we going? He came here for you and he’s expecting you to be here.”

“Then he’ll be disappointed to know that I won’t be able to see him today. Or any other day.” You told her. The nerve of him, to show up here and telling your lady in waiting that he wanted to see you without even letting himself be known.

“Princess?” He called out from where he was standing, and you gripped Ryujin’s arm tighter. He just had to notice you, didn’t he?

If only Ryujin didn’t know how to deal with your stubbornness so well. You would’ve much preferred rotting in your room as you stared at the ceiling. Or maybe the window.

You turned around with a sigh, shamefully making your way closer to Dino while Ryujin trailed behind, having let go of your arm when you bruised it with that grip of yours. “Hello, Your Highness.” You greeted him formally, which seemed to confuse him.

“Your highness?” He asked with a laugh. “Princess, please. There’s no need to act like that. Not since we’re supposed to be getting married, after all.”

Oh please.

“I’m sorry, your highness. But considering the fact that we are meant to be married, I think this is exactly how we should be speaking to each other.”

“[Y/n], maybe Prince Dino has a point. And anyway you don’t really talk like that all the time—” Ryujin tried to reason with you, but you elbowed her in the side before she could continue. Clearing your throat, you looked back at the prince.

“So, what exactly are you doing here?” You asked him. Despite your formality, Dino seemed amused at your question. He took a few steps closer before stopping, realizing that you were backing away from him.

“Sorry.” He smiled. “My parents told me it would be a good idea to come here and get to know you since…well y’know.” He laughed, hoping you would too, but when he saw you looking more serious than ever, he stopped and looked away.

“So you’re only here because your parents told you to come?”

No response.

“Wow,” You scoffed in reply. You leaned closer to Ryujin, bringing your mouth to her ear. “I can’t believe my parents are this desperate.”

Forcing a smile, Ryujin leaned in closer to you. “Come on, he’s really trying here. Give him a chance. He’s basically your husband, after all.”

“He is not my husband!” You hissed, which caused Ryujin to stifle her laughter behind her hand.

“Yeah yeah, maybe not for now~” She teased, turning to bow for Dino before excusing herself back to the castle. And leaving you here. With him.

“The two of you seem close,” He said.

“Oh my, how on earth did you figure that out?” Dino’s lips formed a faint pout at your sarcasm.

“[Y/n], I’m sorry. I know that this is all very sudden, and I can tell you don’t like me very much,” He sighed. “But I just want to at least get along with you. I’ll really do anything.”

Smiling, you leaned in a bit closer to him. “Really? Anything?” When he nodded, you beckoned him closer with your finger. “Get lost, pretty boy.” Like Ryujin had done just moments ago, you bowed to him before turning away as you quickly retreated to the castle, but Dino followed you anyway with a grin on his face.

“You think I’m pretty?”

You turned your head to glare at him.

“It wasn’t a compliment.”

For the rest of the week, Dino continued to come over every day and seek you out, while you continued to avoid him at every turn. It would have been easier if he wasn’t so insistent, going as far as to ask Ryujin or other castle workers for your whereabouts. Dammit, why couldn’t he just let you avoid him? It’s not like the two of you were actually meant to be together. This was all just a convenient little ploy by your parents to repair their royal status. It wasn’t real, and you wished he would stop treating it like it was.

You really couldn’t believe the lengths he went to with some of these attempts to get closer to you either. The bouquets of white roses in the most intricate porcelain vases? The hand-written letters—front and back? The jewelry carved from only the finest of gemstones? All very sweet sentiments, yes, but to say you were uninterested would be an understatement.

On Friday, much to your embarrassment, Ryujin found you hiding from him underneath one of the tables in the kitchen. When she realized it was you, she shook her head and sighed.

“[Y/n], this is just sad.”

You shushed her, trying to squeeze yourself farther into the corner underneath the table. “Be quiet. He could be listening.”

“You have got to stop running from that boy. I mean really, what’s the big deal. He’s actually really nice.”

“The big deal is that I don’t need him following me around like a stray dog.” You scoffed. “Seriously, why couldn’t we just be a normal family of shunned royalty?”

“You don’t mean that.” She said. “And besides, it’s only a matter of time before he finds you. He’s really not giving up either, [Y/n].”

Realizing she was right, you crawled out from under the table, muttering a few curses under your breath. “Believe me, I know. He won’t stop sending me gifts.” Ryujin smiled when you said that.

“Wow, isn’t he charming.” Ryujin chuckled. “And speaking of him, he told me to tell you to meet him in the gardens again today.”

“Why is he always telling you all this stuff and not me?”

Ryujin looked at you incredulously. “Because you avoid him like the damn plague.”

Oh, right. She did have a point. Whatever, it’s not like you were going to go. You had managed to avoid him all week, and absolutely nothing would convince you to go.

Ryujin seemed to sense this, and she smirked. “He made you a picnic.”

“I’m so happy you actually came,” Dino smiled at you. You sat across from him, holding the bowl of strawberries he had set out before him on the blanket. You looked up at him, pulling the strawberry you had been eating away from your mouth so you could respond to him.

“I just came because Ryujin told me about the picnic.” You curtly responded, bringing the strawberry back to your mouth. You thought he would’ve stopped smiling when you said that, but his smile only grew wider.

“So that’s all it takes then.” He mumbled. “Is that why you didn’t care for the gifts I sent before?”

You looked him up and down, sneering. “No, it was because I just didn’t care for them. It’s not wise to spend your money so carelessly on things that don’t matter.”

Dino leaned back, bracing himself up with his hands. “Trying to please my future wife doesn’t matter?”

You stiffened, gripping the bowl tighter in your hands. “Stop saying things like that.” You warned, yet he still seemed unphased as he watched you devour the rest of the strawberries. When the bowl had been emptied, you stared down into it with a frown and began to regret your greed for the little red fruit, because now you were all out.

Dino picked up the bowl once you had tossed it aside. “Should I ask someone to get you some more? I didn’t realize you would eat the entire bowl.”

“No.” You dismissively waved your hand, pushing away the thoughts of the strawberries, even though the offer of more was tempting. You hadn’t had strawberries since before the war. They didn’t grow in Sokoto, which is a fact that devastated you when you found out, and you always relied on a fresh monthly shipment of them from the Hisians and now…well…you’ve just gone a long time without strawberries. “No, It’s fine.”

Dino, however, was as insistent as ever. He picked up the bowl and started walking back to the castle. “I’ll ask Ryujin for more strawberries. Don’t disappear on me, okay?”

You spared him a single glance before looking elsewhere. “No promises.”

Dino laughed to himself, the words almost escaping his ears as he marched back to the castle with a little extra speed. He knew you wouldn’t leave—at least he hoped he knew. He wanted to trust himself, to trust you, but you were unpredictable. Thankfully, a little unpredictability was hardly an issue for him.

Though honestly, if you wanted to leave at any time, you definitely would. But with the promise of your favorite fruit, the urge to leave was just a bit short of overwhelming at the moment. Shifting yourself to lie on your stomach, you started to take notice of all the different things that Dino had packed with him on this picnic. All of your favorites…even the things you hadn’t gotten to taste in years. How could he know about any of this? You grumbled at the thought of Ryujin or any of the chefs selling you out.

You also took notice of the white rose sticking out of the basket. While they were the official flower of Kasmira, you were sure he must’ve had a secret stash of these somewhere because to be honest, you were getting tired of seeing them. But this one looked especially delicate, you couldn’t help but reach forward and take it in your hands, twirling it around and even holding it to your nose to take in the faint scent.

The sound of Dino’s footsteps on the gravel path had you looking over your shoulder, noticing he came back with an even bigger bowl of strawberries than he had left with. His classic smile returned to his face when he saw that your eyes had widened.

“I hope you don’t mind, but Ryujin insisted on giving you a bigger bowl. Said that you’d have no problem finishing the entire thing.” Him saying that had you coming back to your senses. Ryujin was just asking to be put out of a job going and telling those things to Dino.

You turned away, gazing down at the bowl when Dino set it in front of you. He sat himself down next to you, choosing to stay silent as he watched you set the rose to the side and pull the bowl closer to you.

“How did you know I liked all this stuff?” You asked quietly. Dino let out some sort of confused dound, and you sighed. “The food, I mean. Like…the strawberries. I haven’t had them in ages.”

Dino nodded, having understood what you meant. “When I told Ryujin I wanted to do this for you, she told me about all of the foods you always eat.” He laughed. “Really, I didn’t realize that you could be so choosy with your food. Do you know how hard it is to get fresh strawberries at this time if the year?”

“Oh fuck off.” Dino gasped, his mouth falling open at your sudden vulgarity. You were surprised too, covering your mouth with one of your hands once the words you had said sunk in. “I didn’t mean to say that.”

“I didn’t know the Princess of Sokoto had such a filthy mouth,” He mumbled. For a brief moment, you were actually wondering if he was serious, but the smirk that slowly appeared on his face gave him away. Unable to fight the urges telling you not to, you hit him in the arm, biting back grin when he winced. “I didn’t know you hit so hard, either.”

“There’s a lot you don’t know about me, Your Highness.” You stared at the strawberry in your hand, taking one bite before placing it back in the bowl. “I shouldn’t eat any more. The chefs will be preparing dinner soon.”

“Leaving so soon?” He asked, and you nodded. “Alright then, should I escort you back?” He extended one of his hands towards you, and you stared at it for a moment, but still ended up declining. You didn’t miss the glint of disappointment in his eyes, either.

“We should do this again sometime.” You noted. “And I’m not saying that because I want to be around you, but because I enjoyed the food.”

Ah, there it was again, that classic bright smile.

“Also, you smile too much. I don’t like it.”

You had been right about the strawberries. They did end up spoiling your appetite. You stared down at your plate, many of the contents on your plate going uneaten before you excused yourself to your room, Ryujin trailing behind as usual.

“[Y/n], what’s the matter? Was something wrong at dinner?” She asked, following you around as you threw yourself into bed. “Is it so bad you’re not even going to bother to change out of your outfit from today? Seriously, it’s going to get all wrinkled, and that’s just extra work for Yeji to do later.”

“I ate too many strawberries.” You stated. “Though I’m sure you know about that, right?”

Ryujin looked away, shrugging and shaking her head. “I’m not sure that I do, actually,” She mumbled, pairing it with an awkward laugh when she noticed you glaring at her. “Anyway, how was your little date with Prince Dino?”

“Ryujin, it was not a date. And even if it was, it would’ve been a pretty shitty date considering he left me in the middle of it.”

“Ah, c’mon, he came back! And he came bearing gifts!” She tried to reason with you, which you found both pointless and confusing.

You rolled your eyes, burying your head under the blankets, despite Ryujin’s protests that you would mess up your hair and get more wrinkles in your clothes. It wasn’t really a date, was it? Is that what dates were? Just being around another person, having them close by, talking (or not talking) to each other about whatever crossed your mind? That was a date? No way, you knew what a date was and whatever you and Dino had going on definitely wasn’t that. People went on dates when they loved each other, when there was romance budding and underlying tension. Yeah, that definitely wasn’t a date.

“Are you seriously not going to change out of that?” Ryujin asked, trying to pull down the blankets, but you were, unsurprisingly, stronger. With a sigh, she backed away. “Fine, but if Yeji asks me why your outfits are so wrinkled, I’m telling her.” You lowered the blanket just low enough to see her march out of the room and slam your door shut.

Normally, you would’ve fallen asleep after just a few minutes with your eyes closed. However, your stomach still felt funny and you tossed and turned every few minutes. We’re those strawberries really fresh? Would Dino serve you rotten strawberries? No, of course not…they were too red to be out of season. Not only that, but there was little chance Dino would do anything like that to you. He was too nice. The reason your parents ever think you two were some sort of match made and heaven was beyond you.

You couldn’t sleep yet. Not like this. Not with the ache in your stomach and the thoughts racing around in your head. Sighing, you gathered the little strength you had left to roll yourself out of bed, wandering through the halls and corridors until you needed up outside, at the front of the castle. A deep breath, followed by a slow exhale, and your head fell back towards the sky. The night sky was clear and vast and full of stars, and you felt your lips curl into a smile.

The stars understood you. When everyone else had abandoned you, abandoned your family, you sought comfort in the starry night sky. The stars never turned you away. The stars never betrayed you. The stars never forced you to do anything you couldn’t decide on. When you died, you hoped you became a star. They would surely accept you with open arms, like a real family.

You were so caught up in your thoughts, you hadn’t even noticed someone approaching you. A tall, blonde, someone.

“So you like the stars?” Dino asked, and you jumped a little. He took a step back, feeling bad for having startled you. “Sorry, [Y/n]. It’s just me.”

You furrowed your eyebrows and stared at him, but turned your attention quickly back to the sky. “What are you doing out here?”

“I could ask you that too.” He said, following your gaze and looking up. “It’s late for a princess to be alone outside at night.”

“My stomach hurts.” You told him. “From the strawberries. A walk always helps.”

“That was hours ago.” He said. “That’s weird. They were definitely fresh. Are you sure it was the strawberries?”

“What else could it have been?” You asked, your tone a bit harsher than you intended. You sighed, deciding to change the subject. “What about you? Why are you out here? I thought you went back home.”

“It’s not like I live far.” He had a point…kind of. Kasmira was your closest neighbor, only being about a few hundred miles to the east. You were seriously wondering how he managed to get here every day and still have so much time to spend entertaining the hope of getting to coax you out of your room to spend time with him. “Aww, are you worried about me?”

“Don’t go talking like that.” You told him. “Unless you want me to hit you again.”

Dino chuckled, breaking his eyes away from the sky to look at you. “You never answered my question from earlier.”

“Which one? I’m not keeping count.”

“Do you like the stars?”

You managed to look away from the stars to allow your eyes to meet Dino’s, even if only for a second. “Yeah. I always have.”

He stepped closer. “Why?”

“Because…” You hesitated. Why were you hesitating? “I just do.”

You froze, feeling something wet and warm sliding down your cheek. Dino gasped, coming even closer to see you clearly.

“You just ‘do?’ Is that really all there is to it?”

“Why do you keep asking me so many questions?” When you came out here, you had been hoping for a moment of peace and quiet. A chance to vent your frustrations to the sky, like you had done since you could talk. This was your one chance for a little bit of solitude, and you hadn’t wanted anyone intruding on it.

“I was thinking about what you said before,” He said. “When you told me there was a lot I didn’t know about you. You were right, I don’t know a lot about you.”

Okay, great. Now you were starting to feel bad about getting so upset. You sighed, lowering your head and looking at the ground. “I’ve always liked the stars. I just…find comfort in them.”

Dino wondered if you were going to say more, but you kept your lips pursed, and he figured there was more to it that you weren’t saying. That was fine, he wouldn’t push an answer out of you if you weren’t ready, he was just grateful you had confided in him. This was progress, even if it was only a small step forward.

The two of you continued to stand there in silence, looking everywhere but at each other. There was a strange feeling in the air, and it made you uncomfortable. Was this tension? Could Dino feel it too?

“Um, I should probably get back to bed.” You said, noticing Dino nod out of the corner of your eye. Like before, he extended his hand to you, and once again you declined. “Good night, Your Highness.”

“Good night, [Y/n].”

The next morning, you did something you hadn’t done in a long time.

You shocked Ryujin.

“What are you doing awake already?” She questioned. “Is it opposite day? Am I still dreaming?”

“Oh you’re so funny, Ryujin.” You said, sliding past her and out of the door.

“Where are you going? And how are you already dressed? You did my job for me…am I getting fired?”

You laughed. “Relax. I’m just going to the orchard.” Ryujin narrowed her eyes at how casual you seemed, not even trying to hide her skepticism.

“The orchard? For what? We have plenty of apples here. Too many, if I’m being honest. Where are you really going?”

“Ryujin, really, what reason do you have not to trust me?”

“I have several. An entire list, actually.” She said. “Seems like I’ll be making an addition to it today.

“Ryujin, I’m giving you a day off, don’t you get it?” You asked her. “Now I suggest you take it before I make you do your job.”

Her demeanor changed in an instant.

“You are most gracious, Your Highness.” She bowed to you and then ran off to who knows where, probably the maids quarters, no doubt. Whatever, that was her business. Just like your trip to the orchard with Prince Dino was yours.

Since the picnic, he had stopped with the other gifts—well, he still sent you the flowers—and had started planning on bringing you out, starting with Kasmira’s renowned apple orchard. Kasmiran apples were spoken about in every corner of every kingdom, known for their distinctive flavor and sweetness. You’d be lying if you said you never wanted to try one for yourself, and now you would finally get the chance.

He was waiting for you with a carriage, which he offered to help you into.

You raised one of your eyebrows. “What, you think I need your help to sit down?” When he pouted, you gave him a light shove. “I’m only kidding. But really, I’ve got it.”

“That was a joke?” He asked, climbing in and sitting across from you. “I’m shocked. I didn’t know you even had a sense of humor.”

“Excuse me?”

“Ah, no, I didn’t mean it like that. You’re just normally so…serious. If you hadn’t told me, I wouldn’t have known you were kidding.”

You tilted your head back, resting it on the solid interior of the carriage. “The only person I ever joke with is Ryujin.” You explained to him. “She gets me. It’s easy to laugh with her.”

“You laugh too?” He just couldn’t stop. “I’ll believe it when I hear it.” He teased.

You glared at him, opening your mouth to say something, but decided against it. Instead, you turned your head to look out of the window, watching the landscape as it came into view and faded out of sight with the movement with the carriage.

“Will we be there soon?” You asked, wanting nothing more than to get to Kasmira as fast as possible to get your hands on one (or five) of those apples you had heard so much about.

“Yeah…” Dino nodded, then stopped and shook his head. “No, it’ll be about fifty minutes.”

Great, fifty minutes until you got to taste the rumored honey and heaven apples. Fifty minutes left riding inside this tiny little compartment with too little space keeping you and Dino apart. Just great.

To your surprise, the ride had been faster than you expected. It might’ve had something to do to the nap you took on the way, but that was neither here nor there. Dino placed a hand on your shoulder, softly shaking you awake.

“Hm?” You hummed, the clutches of sleep still gripping your brain. You blinked yourself awake, gasping when you saw the field of trees from the carriage window. “We’re here!”

Dino opened the door, sliding out of the seat and holding the door open for you. You practically jumped out, an awestruck smile on your face as you stared up at the trees littered with the soft pink apples.

Dino smiled softly at your enthusiasm, watching as you stood up as tall as you could and plucked an apple off a branch, happily bringing it to your mouth to take a bite.

Oh god, the rumors did no justice to describe the taste of these apples. You had never tasted anything as fresh and crisp in your entire life. Giving Dino a quick glance, you continued to bite into the apple over and over again until he pulled it away from you, laughing.

“So, what do you think?”

You covered your mouth with one hand, trying to chew and swallow what was in your mouth, before nodding with a smile. “They’re amazing! I’ve never tasted anything so good in my life!” You took the apple back from Dino’s hands, taking the last few bites before you had finished it off.

“Then let’s get you a few more, hmm?” He said, pressing a hand against the small of your back while he reached up to grab a few more apples and drop them into the basket he had brought with him in his other hand. You froze, your skin burning at the feeling of his hands on your body.

“Um…Prince Dino?” You mumbled, catching his attention. You had never called him by anything other than “Your Highness” since the two of you first met, and he was definitely shocked to hear you say those words.

“Yes, [Y/n]?” He said, looking down at you but never moving his hand from your back.

“Your—your hand…” Dino looked down at his hand was, immediately pulling it away from where it had been, and in an instant you felt the warmth that had been there fade away.

“Oh, I’m so sorry [Y/n], I didn’t even realize.” He apologized. Without another word, he leaned down to pick up the basket and handed it to you. “Here you go, [Y/n]. Should I come with you to—”

“No!” You shouted, though you hadn’t meant to raise your voice. “No, no. There’s no need. I’ll go back on my own.”

Dino wanted to say something, but you had already turned your back to him, rushing back to the carriage and telling the driver to bring you back to Sokoto before he could. Glancing out of the window, you noticed him standing under the tree, watching you get farther and farther away, his arms limp at his sides.

You brought a hand to your chest, feeling your heart beat twice as fast than it should have been. This shouldn’t have been happening. This was exactly the reason you didn’t want him touching you, the reason you had refused to touch him, because you knew that if it happened, you wouldn’t be able to control how it would affect you. Even though it had been such a harmless, domestic, innocent touch, if it could get this much of a reaction out of you, maybe you should get stricter on the “no touching” rule.

This is not at all how you thought today would turn out.

The next day things had gone back to the way they had been in the beginning; with you holed up in your room, avoiding Dino. And it was like that for the next day, and the day after that, and the day after that. Ryujin had tried to get you outside, or at the very least to the dinner table, but her persistence couldn’t stand a chance against your stubbornness. Once a week had passed since the apple incident, Ryujin couldn’t take it any more.

“Enough is enough [Y/n]. You haven’t left your room in a week. Dino won’t stop hounding me with questions about where you are every day, and I can’t take it anymore!” She huffed. “You need to get up and go see him so I don’t have to.”

“Ryujin, I can’t.” You said with a heavy sigh. “It’s just…complicated.”

“How complicated could things really be?”

More complicated than you would’ve liked. “I just can’t see him right now.”

“Well that’s too bad, because I told him you would.” Ryujin shrugged. “He’ll be here later, so we have to make you look…like you again, now.”

“Ryujin, I’m tired of you trying to play matchmaker. Are my parents paying you to do this to me?” You asked, your tone nothing short of accusatory.

“I’m doing this because you don’t need to be locked up in this room all day. Not only that, but I can tell how much you and Dino like spending time with each other.”

The rebuttal in your mind died in your throat at the last sentence Ryujin had said. The time you had spend with Dino recently hadn’t been all bad…but what did she know?

“Now get up. Unless you want Dino to come over and see you like…that.” She gestured to your overall disheveled appearance, a grimace on her face.

“Oh yeah, like you’re not a sight for sore eyes.” You hissed, then broke out into laughter along with Ryujin a second later. “Fine, whatever, I’m getting up.”

The next hour consisted of a long, soapy bubble bath, followed by Ryujin washing and doing your hair, and finally her picking out the finest outfit for you to wear just in time for Dino’s arrival in his favorite rendezvous point: the Sokoto castle gardens.

Fuck, you were so nervous.

Dino arrived with a single white rose in his hand and a smile, thrilled to be able to see you again. Ryujin bowed and wandered off, leaving with. Alone. Again.

“For you.” He said, handing the rose to you. You looked down at it before you gingerly took it from him and thanked him with a fleeting smile.

“Thank you.”

Awkward silence. The worst type of silence. This is exactly why you wanted to avoid him, to prevent all of these unnecessary feelings.

“I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable that day…at the orchard.” He said. “And my apology was so shitty, I—”

“Dino, stop. Don’t apologize. It’s…It’s okay. I shouldn’t have run off on you like that. It was rude of me.”

Dino stepped closer, noticing the way your body tensed up when he did. “[Y/n], what’s going on?”

“I…I don’t want you to touch me.” You whispered. The grip you had on the rose was starting to hurt your hand. Dino gave you a curious and worried look.

“Why?”

“…Because when you touched me at the orchard, I couldn’t stop thinking about it. I don’t think I’ve ever felt that way before in my life.”

You expected many different reactions from Dino. You expected him to back away, to call you strange or disgusting. You expected him to go running back to Kasmira as fast has his feet would carry him, to start avoiding you like you had been avoiding him. You even expected him to ask to call off the marriage agreement and find someone better, or nicer, or prettier.

You never expected him to pull you close, cursing under his breath and pulling your face up to look at him.

“Really, baby?” He asked, his voice suddenly soft, a direct contract to the way his eyes darkened. “Is that why you’ve been so adamant on not letting me touch you?”

A tentative nod of your head had Dino chuckling. “Now it all makes sense. Don’t worry baby, I’ll make you feel a thousand times better…only if you want to, though.”

“Yes, please,” your words came out hushed and breathy and shaky, allowing Dino to guide you you backwards onto the grass and gently push you backwards while he hovered above you.

Dino slid his hands down your body, seemingly pleased at the way you shivered when his fingers traced over your underwear, pushing up the button of your dress to see how drenched they were.

“Oh, baby,” Dino sucked in a sharp breath, pulling them to the side and biting his lip once he had seen how wet you actually were. “Is this all because of me?”

You nodded, covering your mouth to keep any noise from escaping. “Couldn’t stop thinking about you.” You mumbled from behind your hand, making sure your voice was loud enough for him to hear you clearly.

He ran two of his fingers up and down your slit before pushing one of them inside of you, pressing the pad of his thumb against your clit, all the while you squirmed beneath him, working hard to trap the moans that threatened to spill out of your lips.

“Baby, don’t be so nervous,” he said, adding a second finger inside of you and curling them just enough so that you finally let your hands fall away from your mouth and let your moans out. “That’s it, keep moaning like that for me. Fuck, you sound so pretty.”

“Dino…f-fuck. Don’t stop…” You ground your hips up into his hand, your mind growing foggy with pleasure as Dino increased the speed of his fingers. You were embarrassed at how easily his fingers slid in and out of you from how wet you continued to get.

Dino lowered his head, bringing his lips to your neck, kissing and sucking at any exposed skin he could find. He thrived at the way your moans grew louder and more urgent, switching the position of his fingers, opting for a scissoring motion and pressing his lips together to keep in a moan of his own. “Your thighs are starting to shake, love. Gonna cum for me?”

You nodded weakly, arching your back when you felt Dino add a third finger inside of you. Your skin felt hot and sticky and sweaty all over, and the only thing you could say when you felt your orgasm hit you like an earthquake was “Dino, Dino, Dino,” over and over again.

“That’s my girl,” Dino mumbled, fingering you through your high, pulling them out of you once you wrapped a hand around his wrist. You watched with wide eyes as he brought them to his lips, sucking them clean and moaning at the taste of you. “You taste so sweet, baby.”

“Don’t say thatttttt.” You whined, pushing him down onto the grass while you sat yourself upright. Wasting no time, you immediately brought one of your hands to his crotch, palming over the bulge that had been growing inside of his pants. “Ooh, what’s this? Is this all because of me?” You mimicked the words he had said to you earlier, grinning when he nodded and pushed his hips up into your hand.

“Baby, come on, you’re really gonna tease me right now?” Dino asked, unable to stop his hips from moving. As much as you wanted to tease him, there would be plenty of opportunities to do that another time. Right now, you wanted so badly to taste him, to feel him in your mouth and hear him moan for you like you had done for him.

You tugged down his pants and underwear, just enough so that his cock could spring free, and you drooled at the sight, noticing the bead of pre cum that had collected at his tip, and now it was time for Dino to be the embarrassed one.

“So…big.” You mumbled, wrapping your hand around him and giving him a few slow pumps, squeezing him once to see what his reaction would be. A hoarse groan served as your answer. “Can I…use my mouth on you?”

“Of course you can baby,” Dino nodded all too eagerly, watching with rapt attention as you brought your lips closer and closer to his cock. You have his tip a few kitten licks, the slightly salty taste spreading onto your taste buds. To be honest, you really didn’t know how to do this, the request coming from a carnal place inside of you. You were stalking for time so you could recall the words in a book you once read that had a scene similar to this moment in it. Once you had the faintest idea of how to proceed, you wrapped your lips firmly around his cock, feeling him rest his hands on the top of your head for stability.

Feeling you swirl your tongue around him, flicking your tongue across the slit as your head bobbed up and down had Dino absolutely reeling beneath you. He gripped your hair, shoving it all the way down to the base as he thrust his hips up into your mouth, gagging as a few tears starting to form in your eyes. “S-Sorry baby, shit, I can’t help myself…you’re s-so good with this cute little mouth of y-yours, fuck. Gonna fuckin’ cum already.”

You hummed in acknowledgment, letting Dino continue to fuck your mouth. He had pulled you back slightly when he registered your gagging, allowing you to wrap your hands around what didn’t fit in your mouth. You stroked him as fast as he tugged your head up and down, feeling your saliva trickle down your lips, chin, and all the way down Dino’s cock. When his hips stilled, you thought for a slight second that something was wrong, but the next second you felt his cum shoot into your mouth and down your throat, and he released his grip on your hair as he laid back and panted.

Recalling the words in the book once again, you swallowed—unfortunately you had done so a bit too fast, and you coughed and patted your chest to keep yourself from choking. The last thing you wanted to do right now was die in front of Dino after you had just sucked him off after he had just fingered you. Dino helped you by patting your back. Once your breathing had gone back to normal, he smiled at you, and you returned the gesture.

“Wow, you were right,” You mumbled. “I do feel a thousand times better.”

“Does this mean we can ban the no touching rule?”

You narrowed your eyes at him with a grin, giving him a pinch on his thigh. Dino hissed in pain, scrambling to pull up his underwear and pants. “Consider that a yes.”

The next few weeks were nothing short of amazing. There was a minuscule, growing spark between you and Dino now, and it resided inside of your heart, and you felt no desire to let it die out or even to extinguish it.

Dino took you on several dates, yes, dates, in this time frame, always with an added personal touch. He brought you to a local Kasmiran bakery and then let you ride his thigh on the carriage ride home. He took you to a winery in Vaelia then ate you out behind the building. He asked you to tag along while he went sightseeing in Sokoto and had you cockwarm him in the carriage the whole time. With each of these, the spark in your heart continued to grow. 

At this rate, it was only a jagged of time before it grew to become a fire.

You were up early again this morning, having thought of the most wonderful idea in bed the night before. Today, you were going to Kasmira all on your own to surprise Dino. Sure, yes, you had been to Kasmira before, but never had you been to the castle. You would even bring him some tarts made from the tangerines you had picked in the Sokotoan tangerine fields on Tuesday with Dino before he asked you to sit on his face. That was a good day.

Ryujin couldn’t be happier for you, though at some times during this new stage in the relationship between you and Dino she felt like she couldn’t keep up with the new you. Though recently, you had been giving her more days to herself as you insisted on doing all the work for yourself.

You were getting ready to go, opening the door of your room, shocked to see Chaeryeong already standing there, seemingly spacing out again with a round golden container in her hands.

“Um…Chaeryeong?” You mumbled, waving a hand in front of her face. That seemed enough to snap her out of it, and she focused her gaze on you with a smile.

“Ah, sorry Your Highness! Here are the tarts, freshly baked just for you. Lia was going to deliver them, but then she remembered she had something to do with Ryujin at the last minute.”

You took the container from her and smiled. “Thank you. Oh, and tell the cooks I said thank you as well.” Chaeryeong nodded, bowing to you before excusing herself. You shut your door behind you, making your way out of the castle and to a carriage as fast as you could. When the driver asked where to, you happily chirped out “Kasmira, please,” and asked him to get you there as quick as he could. For all fifty minutes, you couldn’t sit still for longer than a few seconds. You just couldn’t wait to see Dino again, to hold him close and feed him your tarts. He’d probably ask if you made them, and even though you hadn’t, he’d still say they were the best things he’d ever tasted second to you. Then you’d get flustered, hit him, and let him bury himself between your thighs for as long as he wanted.

Long story short, you really wanted to see Dino. Really badly.

Upon your arrival to the Kasmiran castle, you rushed out of the carriage and into the castle, asking around until you found out that Dino was in the Kasmiran royal gardens. Thanking them, you hurried your way there, smiling when you took notice of his signature blonde hair. You were just about to call his name when he laughed, leaning his head back, and you saw a woman sitting beside him, looking at him with a smile on her face.

You felt your mouth go dry as it fell open in disbelief.

Princess Miyoung, the Princess of Hisia, was here in Kasmira. She was sitting next to Dino. Laughing with him. Touching his arm. You let out a shaky breath, a tightening feeling growing in your chest. What was she doing here? Why was she with him? What had she said to make him laugh like that? Fuck, you couldn’t take this. You had to get out of here. You turned around, having your third shock of the day to see Dino’s parents standing in the hallway behind you.

“Oh! Princess [Y/n],” His mother said, obviously surprised to see you standing there. “I wasn’t aware you were here. Is there something you need, honey?”

You shook your head, squeezing your eyes shut with your head to the ground. There was no way you were making a scene, not in front of Dino’s parents. “N-No, uh…I just came to drop off these…tarts. For Dino.” You mumbled, pushing the container into the hands of the King.

“Well, what a lovely sentiment! We’ll be sure to give these to him then dear. I’m sure he’ll be happy to—”

“[Y/n]?” Dino’s smooth voice filled your ears and you squeezed your eyes shut tighter. You didn’t turn to face him, you couldn’t, not if when you opened them you would see Miyoung standing there beside him, her presence alone enough to taunt you. “[Y/n], what wrong?”

“I have to go.” You said, scurrying out of the castle and back to the carriage. Dino chased after you, managing to catch up just before the carriage could start moving.

“What’s the matter? You just got here and now you’re leaving? Stay.” He reached through the open window to hold your hand, but you pulled it away and glared at him.

“Why? You shouldn’t need me when you have Miyoung here to entertain you in my place.” You retorted. Dino’s face fell, and you could only beat yourself up mentally for letting yourself get roped in by him. Of course he didn’t care about you. There was no way he could ever feel the same way about you as you did about him. You were fooling yourself for even thinking that for a second, Dino’s feelings were the same as yours.

“[Y/n], it isn’t like that, please just let me explain—”

You brought your hand up, placing it in front of his face to signal him to stop talking. “Don’t bother, Your Highness.”

For the second time, Dino watched you disappear from him, to let you slip through his hands like grains of sand, and stand to the side powerless as you faded away.

This cycle seemed impossible to break.

For the umpteenth time, here you were, locked away in your room, refusing to see Dino no matter how many times he had begged. You cried every day, drowning your sorrows in bottles upon bottles of wine, dragging yourself to the window to sob to the stars once night had come. You kept the door lock, adamant on not letting anyone see you in such a state. Unfortunately, Ryujin had picked the lock of your bedroom door with a handmade lock pick she got from Yeji because you “needed to eat” so you wouldn’t die before the wedding.

To hell with that wedding, and to hell with the groom.

You sat up in bed, your hands still gripping the nearly empty wine bottle and your cheeks still stained with last nights tears. You brought the bottle to your lips, finishing it off and tossing it aside into the bed. With heavy feet, you dragged yourself to the vanity in the corner of the room, sitting down to take in your reflection.

What have I become, you asked yourself. Who am I? Sighing, you smoothed out the wrinkles in your clothes and tried to make your hair look less unkempt. You wished Yuna was here, she was the hair expert. Ryujin always preferred to keep it simple whenever she did your hair, but she had admitted to you that she learned everything she knew from the younger girl.

A knock at the door had you rolling your eyes.

“Go away, Ryujin. I don’t want breakfast.”

The door opened slightly, and you turned around with a scowl on your face. But then your face changed—softened. Ryujin wasn’t at the door.

“Sorry, I’m not Ryujin.” Dino mumbled, cautiously entering your room before shutting it behind him. “Can we…talk? I haven’t seen you in weeks, [Y/n]. I’m really worried.”

His tone of voice was so gentle and sincere you almost forgot why you were mad at him. Almost. The reason why came flooding back to your brain instantly, and you turned away from him.

“I have nothing to say to you.” You said to him, crossing your arms over your chest.

“[Y/n], please don’t be like that. You left before I had the chance to explain back at the castle.”

“Explain what?” You stood up, whipping around to face him. “Explain what you were doing with the Princess of Hisia? You know what they did to us.” Your last sentence came out quieter—sadder.

“Who is ‘us’?”

“Me! My family! The rest of Sokoto! That is who ‘us’ is, Dino!”

“Why are you grouping yourself with them?” As hard as Dino tried to understand you, in this moment he just…couldn’t. “The war wasn’t your fault, and there was nothing you could’ve done to change what had already happened.”

“That doesn’t change the fact that Hisia stabbed us in the back. And there you were, with the Princess of the first nation that decided to betray us.” You pointed your finger at him. “You’re a traitor.”

“I’m sorry that I have friends, [Y/n], and you don’t. But when your kingdom decides to stay out of unnecessary political affairs that you aren’t a part of, you get keep your allies. I’m sorry if that’s something you or your parents don’t realize because you’re so insistent on being cold and unfeeling, but that’s not what we do in Kasmira.”

Everything he said hurt more because not one part of it was false. But you couldn’t back down now. You had to do something to regain control over the argument.

Even if it meant sending him away.

“Get out.”

Dino raked his hands through his hair, and you could tell that his patience with you was running thin. “No, [Y/n]. I’m not leaving you while you’re like this.”

You glared at him. “I said get out! I don’t ever want to see you again! Go marry somebody else!”

As soon as the words came out of your mouth, the look on Dino’s face was enough to make you regret saying them. You had never seen him go from looking so shocked and heartbroken before, not even the slightest bit. But now…now you had. At it was all because of you.

“Why would I want to marry someone else?”

Silence. Long, heavy, painful silence. Neither one of you looked away from the other or spoke, until finally, after what felt like forever, you found an answer.

“Because I know someone out there is a better match for you than I am.”

“What? [Y/n], what are you talking about? That’s not what I want at all.”

“You…you don’t mean that.” You couldn’t even look at him right now, not if you wanted to believe what you were saying no matter how untrue it was.

“I do, [Y/n]. I mean it. I’ve wanted to marry you since the first time I saw you. Even if you kept running from me. Even if you pushed me away. Even if I could only see you on your time.” Nothing could prepare you for the words he said next. “Because I love you, [Y/n].”

You stiffened, finally finding the strength to raise your head to look at him “What did you say?”

“I said I love you.” He repeated. “Should I say it again, baby?”

“N-No, you can’t…” You whimpered, leaning into Dino’s chest as you felt tears brimming at your waterline. “Please take it back…”

“Take it back? No, why would I ever do that? I really mean it. I’d never say I love you and not mean it, [Y/n].”

“Why do you love me? What is there to love, Dino?”

Dino frowned, wrapping his arms around you and hugging you tightly.

“You have the most beautiful smile I’ve ever seen. Every time you laugh, I laugh, because it’s so infectious. You’re such a good friend to Ryujin. When you eat something you like, you can’t stop until you’ve finished it all. You don’t make the best jokes ever, but you’re learning.” He said, laughing a little once he had finished. “And those are just my favorite things about you.”

You wrapped your arms around Dino, running your hands up and down his back, forcing yourself to believe that yes, this was reality. He was here, he was real, and he loved you. “I’m sorry.” You mumbled, the sound of your voice quiet.

“What was that?”

“I said I’m sorry.” You pulled back slightly so that he could hear your voice clearly. “I shouldn’t have ignored you, or run from you, or any of it. I…” Deep breath, you could do it. “I love you too.”

“Is all that true, baby?” You nodded, and Dino immediately pulled you back to his chest, hugging you even tighter. “You don’t know how long I’ve been waiting to hear you say that.”

“You mean it?” You asked, wanting to make sure that he was serious. “Not just ‘cause we’re supposed to get married, right?”

His laughter was music to your ears. “Of course not, baby. I love you either way.”

You smiled, tilting your head up so Dino could wipe away your stray tears.

Dino nodded, pulling you back again so he could look you in the eyes. “Yeah, I love you, baby.” His eyes flickered down to your lips before coming back to your eyes. “Can I kiss you?”

A nod of your head is all it takes before he’s pressing his lips to yours. You had never been kissed by anyone before, but the way Dino kissed you was enough to make you glad that this was the first kiss you had ever gotten. The kiss was slow and tender, and you unconsciously chased his lips when he attempted to pull away, wrapping your arms around his neck to keep him in place. Dino smiled against your lips, the two of you only pulling away once the need for air went from mild to severe.

“Again?” You asked, and Dino immediately pulled you in again. The kiss was different this time, it was faster and sloppier, the initial tenderness of the first being replaced by a newfound desperation now that you two knew that what you were feeling was the same. Dino loved you, and you loved Dino.

You didn’t fight it when Dino started to guide you backwards, your body hitting the bed with a bounce. Dino slipped his hands under your thighs, flipping up the bottom of your silk nightgown and pulling down your underwear and tossing it onto the floor. He cupped your cunt with one hand, the palm of his hand pressed flat against your clit.

“Dino, please…”

“Please what, baby? Don’t you want me to play with this cute little pussy like always?” He asked, feeling the way your arousal stuck to his hand as he circles your entrance with one of his fingers. You shook your head, holding onto his wrist with your hand.

“Just want you to fuck me.”

Dino groaned, resting his hands on your hips and pushing your nightgown up even further. “Yeah? You sure, baby?”

You nodded, your skin flushed with heat. “Mhm, want your cock, Dino.”

God, just when he thought you couldn’t get any more beautiful, and that he couldn’t get any harder, you just continued to surprise him.

“Who am I to deny the Princess?” He smirked, making quick work of removing his clothes. While he was doing that, you pulled off your nightgown and threw it and your bra aside, both of them landing somewhere on the floor with the rest of your clothes. Dino laid you back down on the bed, climbing on top of you while he ran his hands all over your body, grinning at the way you moaned and trembled when he teased your nipples.

“Dino, please,” You whined, and he chuckled softly.

“Okay, okay, sorry. I just can’t help myself,” He mumbled, reaching down to pump his cock a few times before lining it up at your entrance. “Ready, baby?”

“Yeah,” you nodded. “Ready.”

Dino eased into your cunt slowly, giving you the chance to adjust to him, all the while he swallowed your whimpers and whines by kissing you. When he had pushed himself all the way inside, he tore his lips away from yours to bite down on your shoulder, resisting the urge to start moving his hips already. The two of you stayed like that for a little while before you  told him it was alright to start moving.

“So perfect, so pretty,” Dino mumbled, holding one of his hands holding onto your hip while the other had both of your wrists pinned above your head. He thrusted into you slowly, pulling himself out almost all the way before slamming back inside of you. “I can’t believe I get to have you like this, baby, fuck.”

“M-me too.” You shuddered, your body slowly traveling further up the bed each time he thrusted into you. “Love it, love you, love your cock, shit…”

“Love you too baby, so much,” He whispered, speeding up the speed of his thrusts, a quiet grunt coming out of his mouth when he felt your walls clenching around him. “Fuck…gonna cum for me already baby? Hm?”

Your response was lost in a series of strangled noises of pleasure as you felt your orgasm creeping up on you. Dino pulled the hand pinning your wrists away and brought it down to the point where your bodies were connected, rubbing your clit in quick circles. You cried out, rolling your hips against him, your eyes rolling back into your head as you came undone beneath him.

“That’s it baby, I’ve got you,” He groaned, speeding up even more as he continued to thrust through your high. Once you had caught your breath, his hips jerked forward one last time before you felt his hit cum filling you up. You tried to pull him closer, figuring that he was done, but Dino flipped you over and ran the head of his cock along your slit, making you whine from the overstimulation.

“Just one more, baby. I cant get enough of this sweet little pussy,” He pushed in without warning, and you screamed, shocked at yourself for just how loud you were being.

“Ngh, Dino, c-can’t take it,” You whined, your head falling down onto the pillows and your mouth hanging open as you surrendered yourself to the pleasure.

“Shh, I know you can take it baby,” Dino whispered, pulling you up so your back was flush against his chest, bringing his head to the crook of your neck, taking a long deep inhale and sighing with content. “You smell so fucking good.”

You can feel his pounding in his chest against your back, your head falling backwards as you felt your second orgasm approaching. “G-Gonna cum again…” Dino couldn’t even brace himself before your walls clamped down against his cock, whispering curses against your skin, and felt his own release envelop him for the second time today too.

You fell forward onto the bed, your eyes closed as you steadied your breathing once again. Dino collapsed beside you, draping an arm over your waist and pulling you close. You turned your head over your shoulder to look at him and smiled.

“That was amazing.”

“Not as amazing as you, baby,” He murmured, stroking your hair with his hand. “I love you.”

“I love you more.”

“I love you most.”

You gripped Ryujin’s shoulders, much to her pain, because she was trying desperately to pry them away.

“[Y/n], your nails are digging into my skin,” She groaned, and only then did you pull your hands away.

“Sorry, Ryujin.” You ran your down the front of your dress, taking deep breaths to steady your nerves. “I just don’t know if I’m ready for this.”

“Of course you are,” Yeji shook her head with a smile on her face. “You look beautiful, [Y/n]. You just go out there, walk down the aisle, and tell Dino those two words that will join you forever.”

“Cum inside?” Ryujin asked, earning her a smack from Lia.

“No, I do.” Lia sighed, then turned to look at you. “I’m so glad you chose us to be your bridesmaids.”

“Yeah!” Yuna agreed, then shuffled around Chaeryeong and Yeji so she was next to you. “By the way, when you throw the bouquet, is there any chance you can sum it towards me?”

“She won’t see us, Yuna. There’s no way she’ll know who she’s throwing at.” Chaeryeong said with a quiet sigh. “I’m really so happy for you, [Y/n]. Dino is the perfect match for you.”

Yeah, if you heard her say that a few months ago, you would not have believed her. You might have even questioned why she would say such a thing. But after everything you and Dino have been through, you could finally agree.

Your father approached you and the girls, a smile on his face as he looked at you. “Oh honey, you look so beautiful. I never thought this day would come.” This was the first time you had seen your dad smile in years.

“What a gorgeous bride. Oh dear, I’m so happy for you,” Your mother cried, holding your head in your hands and pressing a kiss to your forehead. You couldn’t help but smile seeing your parents so happy, and all because of you.

“Thank you Mother, thank you Father.”

Yuna gasped, and everyone turned to look at her. “It’s starting!”

Your father looked at you, nodding. “Alright honey. Are you ready?”

You let out the breath you had been keeping in for a while. “Ready as I’ll ever be.” He pulled your veil over your head, intertwining his arm with yours. The two of you walked down the aisle, and you could hear the gasps and murmurs of everyone in the audience as you walked past them, all eyes on you in that present moment, especially Dino’s

Once you felt your father’s arm leave yours, you turned yourself to the right, faintly making out Dino’s face behind your veil. He reached forward, flipping the veil behind your head, his eyes softening when he got a look at your face.

“You look so gorgeous,” he whispered, and you smiled even brighter.

“And you look so handsome,” you whispered back, Dino trying to bite back the smile that continued to grow on his face.

The ceremony was beautiful, a bit longer than you had thought it would be, but it was fine with you, because Dino looked really good in that tuxedo.

“Prince Dino, do you take Princess [Y/n] to be your lawfully wedded wife? To have and to hold, in sickness and in health, for to love and to cherish; from this day forward?”

Dino’s hands gripped yours tighter as he nodded, staring deeply into your eyes. “I do.”

“And do you, Princess [Y/n], take Dino to be your lawfully wedded husband, in good times and bad, in joy as well as sorry, till death do you part?”

You nodded, looking back at Dino with just as much love in your eyes as he was doing with you. “I do.”

“Then by the power vested in me, I nor pronounce you, husband and wife. You may now kiss the bride.”

The crowd before you all cheered as Dino cupped your head in his hands and pulled you forward for a kiss. This kiss felt different from the way he had kissed you before, again. This one was passionate, loving, now the two of you were complete. It was perfect.

Later on, after much cake a little drinking, and watching Lia and Yuna fight over the bouquet after you threw it between both of them, you and Dino were still waltzing on the dance floor in the middle of the rest of the guests, holding each other impossibly close, that longing love-struck look still in both of your eyes.

“I can’t believe I get to call you my wife, now,” Dino mumbled, spinning you around. You hummed, pressing a quick kiss to his lips. “My perfect, pretty, sweet wife.”

“Oh stop it,” You laughed. “Sweet is a bit of a stretch, isn’t it?”

“Not at all, baby. I think you’re very sweet.” He said, then pulled you closer. “In more ways than one. Speaking of which, I can’t wait to have you all to myself tonight.”

“Again?” You asked, but you still anticipated what he would have in store for you. “You’re insatiable.”

“Well now that you’re all mine, how am I supposed to help myself?”

You just smiled and shook your head. He should be so lucky that he loved you. But then again, maybe he didn’t need to be. Not when you loved him back just as much. Forever and always, till death do you part.

[cwritesforfun]

Jake Ballard x Fem!Reader: Stay Forever?

The lack of fics is criminal - this is loosely based on Season 3 * I do not own Scandal characters or plot * Y/N = Your Name

Masterlist

Your POV

Dating was for losers. That’s what you tell yourself as you drink your favorite alcoholic drink at the bar around the corner from work. But really, you had an intense relationship with Jake Ballard who you loved until he broke up with you. He claimed that it would be better this way and that he couldn’t have a girlfriend right now.

The day after he broke up with you, your boss fired you.

The day after that, your cat died. You raised her from kitten to a fully grown cat.

Now, 2 weeks later, you’re sitting in the bar drinking a drink after job searching. You finally feel tipsy and decide to call it a night. You order a cab and take it to your apartment. Outside of your apartment door is Jake in a suit. He never used to wear a suit. What happened to him?

You exclaim, “Hi Jake.” He says, “Hey Y/N. Where have you been? I tried calling you tonight and you didn't pick up.” You answer, “I was out at a bar drinking. I’m home and here now. What’s wrong?” He replies “I shouldn't have come. I don't know why I did.” You reply, “No, you shouldn’t have. It’ll just make me more miserable. Goodbye.”

You open your front door and slam it in his face.

You start crying and you go shower.

The next day, you feel yourself being followed after you leave work. You know what Jake did for a living so you would know if it was someone sent by him. He would’ve told you. This makes you feel uneasy.

You can’t sleep.

You check your mail and find photos of you with Jake that say to stay away. You’re worried for him.

You can barely focus at work.

You drive to Jake’s place after work and use your spare key to open the door. You’re lucky that he never asked for it back. You sigh once you’re safe in his place.

You then see Jake with a gun in his hand aiming at you and he asks, “Y/N? What are you doing here?” You hold your hands up and answer, “Someone was following me. Did you send them?” He lowers his gun and answers, “No I didn’t… Y/N, tell me everything you remember.” So you sit across from him on the couch and tell him every detail you remember. You’re lucky for your photographic memory on this day. You even show him the file of photos.

After you say everything, Jake goes off to make a call. You sit on the couch and realize you could’ve died today. You feel tears drop from your eyes and you feel a sob escape from your mouth. Jake returns and says, “Okay. Put your head right here.” You see him patting his chest and you move closer to him. You put your head on his chest and he wraps you up tightly. He says, “You’re not alone. I’m alive. Everything will be okay.” He holds you as you cry. You pull away from him slightly and exclaim, “I can’t lose you, Jake. I know you wanted to not date me, but I can’t lose you. You still matter to me even if we don't talk.” He replies, “You won’t lose me. I love you and … I regret breaking up with you. I shouldn’t have done it. I got a promotion at work and it stressed me out. I knew my hours at work would keep me there longer days and I didn’t want to worry you.” You reply, “You should’ve talked to me.” He replies, “Yeah. I should have.”

Jake gets another call and he answers it. You watch him nod and finally, he ends the call. Jake exclaims, “They found the person stalking you and are interrogating them now. We'll find out why you were targeted and You did the right thing coming to me.” You reply, “Okay, good. Well, I should probably leave you to it.”

He grabs your wrist and says, “The safest place for you is here for now. Don't contact anyone either. I need you to stay alive and the way I can do that is to have you here so I can watch you.” You reply, “Fine… um, do you have anything to eat? I drove here straight after work and I didn’t have dinner yet.” He smiles and says, “Let’s go see. I think I do have food.” You follow Jake to the kitchen and he shows you his fridge. You make scrambled eggs, some veggies, and toast.

You sit next to him and eat dinner. You notice him watching you. You ask, “Why do you keep staring at me?” Jake shrugs and answers, “I just can’t believe you’re here.” You ask, “Are you glad?” He answers, “I don’t like that someone is stalking you to get to me, but I do like that you’re here. I missed you. I don’t think I said that yet, but I missed you.” You reply, "Well I missed you too... how is your new job?" He answers, "Lonely and stressful. It feels like the world is dependent on me and it's terrifying. I also don't like coming home to an empty place. I miss having you here. You were my friend before we dated and the only person who I had to confide in." He looks like he's about to cry and you reach out to him. He hugs me tightly and says, "Please stay forever." You reply, "Ok."

It was as simple as that.

Jake hunted down the people stalking you and put an end to it. You didn't want to know the details, but you trusted him.

You moved out of your old place and into his place permanently. Then you went back to work.

You see Jake every night and you both debrief your days no matter how late it is. You also cuddle every night and he holds you so close.

Masterlist

[ourtearsofrain]

Wish I Were Heather (D.R.W/S.F.K)

Summary: Needing a distraction to help him get over his ex, Sam asks Danny to join him at a party. Reluctantly, he agrees; but neither can expect where the night will lead them.

Pairings: Danny Wagner x Sam Kiszka 

Genre: Angst, Smut, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort

Word Count:  little over 4.5k 

Warnings: cussing, smut (18+ minors DNI), (safe) alcohol consumption, negative past relationships, choking (consensual; on dick), getting used during sex (in a consensual way that has clear signals and safety measures), crying during sex

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“Can you please, PLEASE, just go with me? I need a pick me up, and I will not be the loser to show up to Simon’s party alone.”

Danny looks up from his phone at the frustration in Sam’s voice, having been absent-mindedly arguing with him for at least 15 minutes, only to see him staring him down as his face twisted with a mix of annoyance and desperation. “I told you, I don’t go to his parties with you anymore. Not after last time when you drank so much that I had to practically carry you out.”

“C’mon, I wasn’t that drunk.”

Danny’s features deadpan as he looks at him, his voice flat as he recollects the night. “You threw up in my car. Twice. It was $50 to get it deep-cleaned.”

“Ok fair, BUT I paid you back for that. Please, Danny. You know I’ve been in a funk since Heather and I broke up and I- I really need this. I really, really don’t want to go alone.”

I can’t believe I’m about to agree to this. “Fine, I’ll go. On one condition.”

Sam’s face lights up at his words, nodding his head eagerly as he looks at Danny with a grin. “Anything.”

“You’ll watch your liquor. That means one hard alcohol drink max, OR no more than two beers. Don’t look at me like that, we both know your limit is higher. I’m not taking the chance of having to drag you out again, I want to have fun tonight too, not babysit.”

“It’s not babysitting, I’m not a child. But fine, whatever. Pick me up at 9?”

“Can do.” Danny only watches as Sam turns away from him and he makes his way towards the front door, only to stop himself as his hand finds the handle. Turning back towards him, sincerity crosses his features as he finds his words.

“And Danny, thank you. Really, I appreciate it. Promise I’ll make it worth it.”

“I’m holding you to that, Sammy.” He offers the other man a small smile before Sam opens the door, the sound of it closing behind him echoing on the walls as Danny’s mind spirals.

He had more reasons than just having to take care of a wasted Sam that had made him give him the liquor limit. Danny knew very well by now that whenever Sam got drunk, he got flirty and touchy with him. Being a decent human being, Danny never reciprocated the “advances”, knowing that his best friend’s state of mind was too altered for anything that happened between them to be consensual. Every time, he prevented Sam from taking it too far, not wanting him to have any regrets the next morning. Every time, he kept his own desires hidden until after he made sure that Sam had safely made it home or to his couch. And every time, he would retreat to the privacy of his own bedroom to cry himself to sleep, wrapping his arms around a pillow as he sobbed and wished that it was his best friend, sober and safe in his embrace.

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Cracking his eyes open, Danny squints at the clock on his bedside table, finally giving up on trying to take an uninterrupted nap as his nerves keep him drifting in and out of sleep.

8:50 PM

SHIT! Danny throws the covers off himself as he scrambles out of bed, frantically turning his light on and rushing to his closet. Grabbing the first top his hands find, he pays no mind to it as he throws it on and finds a pair of black jeans from his floor. He scrambles through his apartment as he wrestles his shoes on and grabs his phone, wallet and keys before stopping to look at himself in the small mirror by his door. With his curls an unruly mess from sleep, he twists it before securing it with a large claw clip, knowing he had no time to do much else with it.

The entire drive over to Sam’s, he goes five over the speed limit, knowing that if he was even a minute late, he would never hear the end of it. Somehow, he arrives just as the clock strikes 9, pulling into Sam’s driveway just as his front door opens. Sam waltzes out as Danny parks, wasting no time in yanking the door open and throwing himself into the passenger seat. “Who’s ready to paaaaartayyyyy?!"

"Please tell me you didn’t pregame.”

Sam rolls his eyes as he shoves Danny’s shoulder lightly, buckling his seatbelt soon after as Danny begins the drive to the party. “I didn’t pregame, Daniel. Can’t a guy be excited to go to a party to help him keep his mind away from his toxic ex?”

“Fine, fine, yeah that’s valid. Sorry I doubted you, Sammy.”

“You really should be.”

“So, need me to be your wingman tonight?” Danny’s heart sinks as he waits for his answer, knowing that even though Heather and Sam had broken up, he still needed to prioritize being his best friend despite his feelings for him.

“Na, I’m not looking for any action tonight” Sam glances over at him before he does a double take, his eyes glued to Danny’s outfit. “Hey, is that my sweater?”

Glancing down, Danny sees a white sweater, the top detailed with geometric shapes in black, dark yellow, green, and read as he realizes that he didn’t remember buying it. “Uh, maybe? I just found it in my closet, you could have left it at my place, and it got thrown in with my laundry. I would give it to you now, but I’m not wearing anything under so I can get it back to you tomorrow.”

“Keep it, looks better on you than it does me.”

“Oh- ok, thanks.” They say nothing more as they drive, finding Simon’s house in no time as Danny parks on the street a few houses down. It was clear that there was very obviously a party occurring as Danny removes his keys from the ignition, a thought popping into his mind causing him to stop Sam just as his hand finds the door handle. “Listen Sammy, if you want or need to leave at any time, just say the word and we can. I know this is to try and get your mind off Heather, but if it becomes too much, we can leave whenever.”

“Thanks. And again, thanks for coming with me. I know you didn’t really want to come, so same goes for you.”

“Alright. Ready?”

Sam takes a deep breath as he glances back to the house, his hand still frozen on the handle. “Ready.” Getting out of the car, they make their way towards the house side by side as the muffled sound of music grows louder. The smell of weed and alcohol immediately bombards their senses as they enter the house, finding the party well underway despite it being so “early” in the night. Various people greet them, friends and strangers alike, as they make their way through the rooms, quickly finding the kitchen together. Sam grabs an IPA from a 12 pack on the counter, wasting no time in cracking it open as Danny grabs a solo cup and fills it with water.

“Not drinking tonight?”

Danny shrugs as Sam takes a sip from his can, his eyes locked on Danny in a way that turns his stomach upside down with butterflies. “Don’t feel like it, plus I’m the designated driver, remember?”

“Sam! You made it! And you brough Danny! Didn’t think you’d be able to drag him to another one of my parties after the state you were in last time.” Simon’s cheery voice interrupts them, and both men turn towards the sound to see him approaching them with a smile.

“Yeah well, he only agreed because I promised him I wouldn’t get drunk tonight.” Sam laughs out as he hugs the other man in greeting.”

“Ah ok, let’s see if you stay true to that. C’mon, it’s been too long since we’ve seen each other; there’s a few empty spots in the living room where we can catch up!” Both men follow him into the living room before Sam and Danny take a seat on the only unoccupied couch as Simon sits on the coffee table across from it. They spend the next hour talking with him as Sam nurses his beer, trying to make his limited drink count last. Eventually, as the host of the party, Simon excuses himself to make rounds of the house, no doubt checking to see how much damage had already been done.

“You having fun, Sammy? I really do appreciate you agreeing to the drink limit, I know it’s more fun to be drunk at these.” When he doesn’t get a response, Danny looks over at Sam to see his focus fixed intently on something across the room, his face contorted with barely concealed rage. Danny follows his eyes until he sees the cause of his anger: Heather clinging to an attractive man by the front door, obviously watching them out of the corner of her eye.

“You see that guy she’s with? That’s the guy she told me not to fucking worry about. We broke up two goddamn weeks ago, we were together for four fucking years, and she just immediately throws herself into his arms the second she can?!” Pausing, Sam collects himself for a moment before continuing. “And to think, all the shit she gave me about you.”

“What?”

Sam sets his can down on the table, ripping his eyes away from the pair until they land on Danny, fury still dripping from his words. “She was worried about our friendship. She knows you’re bi and kept fucking giving me the ‘it’s me or him’ ultimatums because she was worried that you’d make an advance on me.”

Oh… “Oh.”

“Yeah. That’s- that’s actually why we broke up. I told her that I was spending the day with you because she was busy, and she blew up. Kept going on about how she just knew you were trying tot ‘take me’ from her, and how it was her or you.”

“You- you chose me, Sam?”

“Of course I did. You’re my best friend. And I know you didn’t like her, but you never gave me any ‘choose between us’ shit. She’s the one with issues, not you.” What Sam had never told anyone, especially Heather, was that he had thought about what it was like to kiss Danny. Nor that he had woken up in a cold sweat needing to change his boxers, with the last thing he remembered from his dreams being Danny’s eyes and his gorgeous nose more times than he could count. How he knew he would never cheat on Heather, but he was still embarrassed and confused by the thoughts about his best friend that plagued his mind.

Danny steals a glance towards Heather, finding her still throwing herself onto the other man as she eyed them from across the room. She shoots Danny a dirty look before going back to pretending to be invested in the conversation around her. Danny looks back to Sam, taking a deep breath before finally making eye contact with him once more. This is the stupidest fucking idea you’ve ever had, I swear to God. “Do you want to make her jealous?”

“What?”

“I said, do you want to make her jealous?”

“Yeah? I mean, she probably only brought that guy hoping I would be here. I’m not jealous, but I figure might as well give her a taste of her own medicine. What do you have in mind?”

Wiping his palms on his jeans, Danny’s eyes dart across Sam’s features as he begins to panic. What if he thinks I’m trying to make a move on him? What if he hates me for even suggesting it? “How much have you had to drink tonight?”

“Just this one beer, why?”

Danny takes a deep breath before forcing his eyes to meet Sam’s curious gaze, his nerves skyrocketing as he prepares to propose his idea. “Can I kiss you? Only to make her jealous, of course.” Sam’s eyebrows shoot up, his mouth drawing int a silent “Oh”, causing Danny to scramble to continue. “You don’t have to say yes, it’s just one idea, we can find another.”

“No. No, I mean yes. Yes, you can kiss me. To make her jealous.”

What have I gotten myself into? “Ok.” Danny tries to focus as he feels his cheeks heat, taking one last deep breath before he brings his hand to the side of Sam’s face, his hand gently cupping his jaw and cheek as he guides him towards himself until their lips meet.

Danny had only planned for their kiss to be quick and gentle, only long enough for Heather to have seen it. But as Sam melts under his touch, Danny can’t help himself as the other man’s lips part slightly, sighing into his mouth. Gaining confidence, Danny swipes his tongue lightly against the soft skin of Sam’s bottom lip, reveling in the slight hitch in his breath as their kiss quickly becomes a full blown make out, fueled by desperation and need. With his lips still parted against his own, Danny bites down gently on his lower lip, devouring the quiet groan that escapes Sam. Before he can think about it, the hand not on Sam’s jaw snakes its way around his lower back, pulling him towards himself to close the space between them. Sam shows no hesitation as he allows himself to be guided closer to him, his own hand finding Danny’s inner thigh closest to him as it slowly travels upwards. Too lost in one another, neither of them notice Heather staring daggers at them from across the room, her face beet red as she silently seethes.

Finally, after a few heated minutes they break apart, panting heavily as they stare at the other, their pupils devouring the irises of their eyes. “Wanna get out of here?” Sam’s voice comes out as barely above a whisper, but Danny has no trouble hearing it as he remains mere inches from his face, caught up in how Sam kept stealing glances back down to his lips.

“Yeah- yeah. My place or yours?”

“Yours, it’s closer.” The second the words leave his mouth, Sam’s hand immediately finds Danny’s, intertwining their fingers as he pulls him off the couch and towards the door. As they walk right past Heather, they pay her no mind at all as they rush out of the house and towards Danny’s car, her furious glare following their path until the door closes behind them. Danny doesn’t know how to feel as Sam drags him across the lawns, his heart and mind torn at how eager Sam seemed to be to get back to his house. What if he’s just horny or caught up in the moment? I know he isn’t drunk, but what if he regrets it tomorrow? What if he isn’t thinking straight and you ruin what you have with him. He’s my best friend, I can’t- I can’t lose him.  Danny forces his mind to quiet as they slam the car doors, turning his attention to the route back to his place as he’s quick to start his car. The drive is silent as neither know what to say, afraid that speaking would break the energy that had built between them.

Parking in his driveway, both men immediately scramble out of the car as soon as the engine shuts off, rushing to make their way towards his front door without a word. As soon as the door is shut behind them, Danny’s hands find Sam’s waist, pulling him towards himself as their lips reconnect. With the added privacy of his home, their kiss is charged with a heavy passion as their hands begin to roam over each other’s bodies, eager and wanting in the darkness of the hall. As Danny’s fingers toy with the hemline of Sam’s shirt, they brush the sensitive skin of his stomach, causing him to shudder and deepen their kiss as he leans into the other man.

“Can I take this off?”

“Please fucking do.” Danny pulls Sam’s shirt off in one brisk motion, his lips finding the soft skin of his neck as he begins sucking what were sure to become hickeys into his skin. Moaning, the sound that escapes Sam is no longer muffled by Danny’s lips as he finds an extra sensitive part of his neck, just below the hinge of his jaw.

Oh my fucking god, I can’t take this anymore. At the thought, Danny grabs Sam’s wrist, pulling him behind himself as he makes his way towards his bedroom. As they enter it, Danny pulls his sweater off, Sam’s sweater, and discards it on the floor before his hands move to the button of his jeans. Sam does the same, his shaking hands finally unfastening it as both articles of clothing join Danny’s sweater on the floor. Their boxers join them next before Danny backs towards his bed, sitting on the edge as Sam immediately follows to rest on his knees between his legs. Sam stares up at him with wide eyes, his lips parted as Danny takes his cock in his hand and pumps it a few times, hissing at the friction.

God, he’s so fucking gorgeous like this. “Gonna put that pretty little mouth to use or are you just gonna stare while I do all the work?”

Sam’s head immediately moves forward at his words, hips lips circling Danny’s tip as he experimentally swirls his tongue around it. Closing his eyes, Danny lets a heavy sigh leave his lips has his hands come up to grip the sheets at his sides. Spurred on by the nearly pornographic sounds leaving Danny’s mouth, Sam leans forward, taking him deeper into his mouth. Danny manages to crack his eyes open, looking down at the other man as pleasure courses through his body, electrifying him from within.

“Fuck- You look so good like that, Sammy.” The praise goes straight to Sam’s dick, moaning around Danny as he ruts his hips forward, only to meet nothing but empty space. Danny removes his hands from the bed beside him, brushing Sam’s hair away from his face and using one hand to hold it back in a makeshift ponytail, slightly tugging at the hair in his fist just enough for the other man to feel a slight sting. Sam responds by taking him deeper, testing his gag reflex as only an inch or two of Danny’s cock remains outside of his mouth. The sensation causes Danny’s hips to involuntarily jut forward, his hand in Sam’s hair pulling him towards his body until he’s completely buried in his throat.

Sam gags, but Danny’s too caught up in his pleasure to hear it. Gagging again, Sam tries to take a breath in but is unable to, his frantic gasp finally pulling Danny back to the moment. He immediately pulls Sam off as he gasps for air the second he finds he’s able to fully breathe again. “Shit- I’m so sorry, Sam. I didn’t mean to- I didn’t realize-”

“Do it again.” His words completely catch Danny off guard, having expected the other man to end their activities then and there or react angrily.

Saying nothing, Danny raises an eyebrow at Sam as he looks up at him with wide, already fucked-out eyes, his lips slick with spit. “Tap me twice when you need air.” The second the words leave his mouth, Danny applies pressure at the back of Sam’s head until his nose brushes the hair at the base of his cock. Sam gags again as he holds him there for a moment, tears welling at his waterline as he attempts to find out just how long he can hold his breath. The next time he gags, his hand flies up to Danny’s calf, gripping his muscled skin forcefully but not tapping out yet. As he blinks up at Danny, his tears escape, trailing down his cheeks silently as Sam reaches his limit. He finally taps his calf twice, immediately being pulled off by Danny as he gulps down air.

Danny gives him a moment to breathe before beginning to reapply the pressure at the back of his head, waiting to feel any sign of resistance. When he doesn’t, he continues his motions, only speaking as Sam’s lips brush against the tip of his dick. “Again.”

Sam sinks back down onto him before Danny pulls him off, abruptly slamming his cock back down Sam’s throat the second he makes another gasp for air. He chokes but doesn’t tap out, allowing Danny to repeat his motions as he uses his mouth.

“Fuck, I’m so close-” Sam’s eyes roll to the back of his head as the other man abuses his mouth, too distracted to notice the ache between his own legs. Danny continues his assault on Sam’s throat for only a few seconds more before his head falls back, his eyes screwing shut as his grip on his hair only tightens. “Shit- I’m gonna-” Danny can offer no other warning before he lets out a guttural moan, his release coating Sam’s throat as he rides his night out. As he finally finishes, he pulls Sam off as he becomes overstimulated, the other man only slumping against his leg with a sigh, his head coming to rest on the side of Danny’s knee.

Once he’s had the chance to catch his breath, his focus is immediately drawn back to Sam who sat blinking up at him, still panting and taking heavy, deep breaths as he recovers. “We’re not done yet.” Danny pulls him off the ground, flipping their positions as he pushes him onto the bed with his feet still planted on the floor as Danny kneels between his legs.

His back arches off the bed as soon as Danny’s lips make contact with his neglected dick, having no trouble in completely sinking down onto him as he sets a brisk pace. Bobbing his head up and down, his hands grip the undersides of Sam’s thighs as the other man fists the sheets below him, and he comes undone with a high-pitched moan within no time.

When Sam’s spent, Danny pulls himself off, allowing himself to take in the sight of him laying on his bed and flushed from their activities as Sam pants heavily. Managing to sit up, Sam fixes his gaze on Danny before bringing his hand up to gently cup the curve of his jaw. Danny begins to lean into his touch before he stops himself, moving his hand up to push Sam’s hand away as he stands. He makes his way towards the other side of the bed as he deliberately avoids Sam’s eyes, drawing back the covers as he climbs in and removes the claw clip from his hair before he settles into the mattress.

“You can stay the night if you want.”

“What?”

“I said that you can stay the night if you want, Sam.” His tone is clipped and flat as he fights the tears at his waterline, threatening to spill onto his cheeks as his fears consume his mind.

“That’s it?!” At the frustration and hurt in Sam’s tone, Danny forces himself to make eye contact once more, instantly regretting it as he sees confusion and what he could swear was heartbreak painted across his features. “Is this just going to be something we pretend never happened? Or worse yet, never be able to look each other in the eye again. Just some quick fuck, one and done and that’s it? Did you just want to make Heather jealous, one-up her or something as revenge for how she thought of you? Was that all this was to you?” Sam’s voice breaks as tears begin to well in his eyes once more. Danny reaches for him, immediately wanting to comfort Sam before he stops himself, his fingers only inches away from his skin. “You can touch me, Daniel. You’re not going to fucking catch something.” Sam’s voice is low and serious, his pain tangible in his tone as he stares Danny down.

“Oh baby, no. It’s- it’s not you. I didn’t-” Danny takes a deep breath, trying to keep his tears from escaping as he tries to explain. “I didn’t want to scare you off is all.” His voice is quiet, thick with apology and regret as Sam laughs humorlessly.

“Scare me off? Danny, I just had your dick in my throat, you aren’t going to scare me off by trying to cuddle.”

Danny’s tears finally escape as he recalls his past experiences, the pain of them striking him deep in his chest. He knew he needed to explain them, he knew Sam deserved to know, but it still hurt all the same. “I know… I know. It’s just that- the other guys I’ve been with, they’ve never- they never wanted to cuddle or anything after. They always chose to leave immediately or fall asleep with their back to me. Either way, I always woke up alone.”

Sliding under the covers next to him, Sam makes the first move to reach out as he pulls Danny towards his body, their limbs tangling under the covers as he gently wipes the tears from his cheeks. He makes sure Danny’s looking at him before he responds, making sure that his voice was sincere and genuine. “You aren’t going to wake up alone this time, I promise.”

“I’m holding you to that, Sammy.” As he offers a small smile to the other man, Danny’s mind wanders back to the first time he had said those words that night, almost laughing at the parallel, at how much had changed since then. “I- I don’t want this to be a one and done thing, I don’t want this to come between us negatively. And I definitely wasn’t using you, this- us, to make Heather jealous or to get some kind of twisted revenge on her. I want- I want you to be my boyfriend, I want to be with you. I have since before you even met Heather, I just never said anything because of her, and because- because I didn’t want to ruin our relationship if you didn’t feel the same. I couldn’t lose you, Sammy.”

Sam places a gentle kiss to his forehead, nuzzling his face into his hair as the pair settle into each other. “I feel the same, Danny. I always have, I just- I just didn’t realize it until now. I’m sorry.”

“You don’t have to apologize, Sammy. So can I- can I call you my boyfriend now?”

“Of course you can, as long as I can call you mine.”

“I’d like that.” Danny says nothing more as he half-sits up, leaning back and almost out of Sam’s embrace only to kiss him slowly before flicking the remaining light in his room off. Settling back into his arms, he snakes his own around Sam’s body as he buries his face into the soft, warm skin of his neck.

This time, no tears come as he drifts towards sleep, his arms finally wrapped around his best friend, his boyfriend, sober and safe in his embrace.

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A/N: Yes, I will almost always subtly make the villain/Sam's toxic ex her but not her, because it's funny to me. Toooooatlly just a coincidence that their names all start with H.

taglist: @jake-whatthefisgoingon-kiszka @milojames16 @gretnavannfleet @aioba1503-sdm @sanguinebats

[deathmetalunicorn1]

Hi can you make a story where the reader is secretly abused by her family and ex boyfriend. Her ex boyfriend cheated on her with her best friend and broke up with the reader. Her ex is a rich and when her abusive family learned their broken relationship, they abuse reader everyday. Her family likes her ex, more than her current boyfriend, which is the ror characters. When her current lover learned it, he decided to take an action.

Gods, thor, poseidon, hades, hercules

Human, lubu, jack the ripper, nikola

-You sniffled softly, limping towards your current boyfriend’s house, knowing you would be safe there.

-So much had happened in such a short amount of time, you found your boyfriend of two years in bed with your childhood best friend, and they weren’t even sorry about it, telling you that they had been sneaking around for months now, finding it thrilling.

-When your family found out that you broke it off, not even caring to listen that he was the one cheating, they blamed you for not doing more to keep him happy, thinking was your fault.

-They only liked your ex because he was rich, you were with money, and with the potential of you marrying him one day, they would get some of that money.

-It started off small, slaps across the face, holding your hair to keep you in place while they screamed at you, before moving to beating you every day, telling you how much of a failure you were.

-Your new boyfriend wasn’t anything like that, he treated you so gently and warmly, but was unaware of the abuse from your family, as you did your best to keep it hidden.

-Your family didn’t like him, thinking he was weak, not realizing who he truly was, your abuse only increasing as your family told you to dump him and try to get back with your ex.

-It was after one of those bad beatings that you managed to slip away after being thrown in your room, being called a disgrace.

-When he opened the front door, seeing your bruised and battered body, he instantly had you in his arms and you broke down in harsh sobs, hugging you close.

-After patching you up and getting you calmed down, which was a feat in itself, you told him everything, telling him the truth, from the betrayal of your ex and former best friend, to your selfish family.

-He put you to bed, “Sleep, I’ll be back in a bit.” You held onto his hand, whimpering out that you didn’t want him to get hurt before he pecked your forehead gently, giving you the softness that you so desperately wanted.

-As luck would have it, your ex and his new girlfriend, your ‘best friend’ was with your family, as his family and yours were friends, which made things easy.

-Arrived in an intimidating display of power (lightning/water/shadows and fire), scaring all of them and when your family sees that you were dating not a loser, but an actual god, they were very quick to kiss up. However, his rage could not be quelled, “You abused my beloved Y/N, all for selfish, vile reasons, and you two- betraying someone so kind and loving- you’re the worst type of scum.” Nobody could say anything, your father tried and instantly was struck down violently, no hesitation and no mercy, scaring all of them. He lifted his weapon as they all begged him for mercy, “Why should I give mercy to those who don’t deserve it?” he left, leaving your family terrified, including your father whom he brought back, “If any of you try to touch Y/N again, I won’t hold back this time.” And they knew he was serious.

            -Thor, Poseidon, and Hades

-Entered the house with no hesitation and no regard for his actions, only smiling evilly when your dad asked him who he was. He brandished his weapon, scaring all of them, “You hurt my Y/N, in more ways than one. Parents should protect their children, and lovers should be loyal, just as much as friends.” When your dad tried to charge at him, infuriated on being called out, he was instantly cut down, causing screams to echo through the house before he went into a frenzy, killing them all. His rage fueled him, remembering how fragile and scared you looked, furious that you had been treated in such a way. There was no mercy.

            -Jack and Lu Bu

-As much as he wanted to take matters into his own hands, he didn’t, taking the evidence, photos of your bruised and battered body, and went to the police, arriving with them at your former home. Your dad was furious, seeing your new boyfriend there, demanding to know what he was doing, lying to the police to get them in trouble for you, calling you a whore. Police had a warrant and tons of people were gathered around outside, including news outlets, reporting on the scene, as police found signs of heavy abuse, as your blood was all over your room, and your family was quickly arrested. While not in trouble like they were, he had no issues telling the news outlets what had happened, that you found your ex and best friend in bed, having an affair for fun, and your family, only using you for money with your ex, turned to abusing you. They faced ridicule for being the cause of the extreme abuse and many called for their arrest as well, ruining them socially. Nobody was ever going to hurt you again.

-Hercules and Nikola

[corporatefrog]

꒦‧₊ ꒷ headcannons: team stan with a careless friend✧.*

✧.* tags: college au

✧.* Characters: kenny mccormick, kyle broflovski, stan marsh, eric cartman, butters stotch

a/n: I usually don't add cartman to these things bc he stinks+loser+annoying+suckmydick but I know he'd take advantage of someone who hod so sense of mortality so he gets a pass this time ig.

masterlist

Kenny

He mistakes the carelessness for spontaneity and immediately assigns you as his go to “lets do something stupid I just thought of” partner

He’s a “try everything once” kind of guy so it’s perfect that you have no sense of self preservation

“Kenny stand on the other side of the field, I wanna see how far I can throw my phone.”

“Okay.”

You both infuriate stan to no end

#annoyingduo in the best way possible 

Do NOT put the two of you in the same room at a party

All of a sudden there’s a 15 person game of just dance happening but there’s no screen?? You’re all just doing moves you saw on just dance

Everyday is a new adventure

Kenny probably has an eye out for you though

He can die doing something stupid and be back the next day but you on the other hand are not 

Gotta keep his partner in crime alive! There’s a bunch of other things on his “before I die (for real)” bucket list that you still need to mark off

Kyle

You just get caught up in the moment! You have such a wonder for life!

Kyle doesn’t get it sometimes seeing as he tries to view everything logically. 

He’s more like a babysitter when you both go somewhere

“You did not just spend $300 on knock off jordans from a random man on the street corner.”

“I did and they’re the comfiest shoes I’ve ever worn. He told me they’ll cure my posture problems.”

“Do you just believe anything someone tells you?”

“Coming from someone who almost cried when I didn’t use his Candy Crush referral code so he could get more lives, that’s really rich.”

Okay so he gets swept up in trends sometimes. At least he understands his own mortality!

After the third time you try to learn how to do a backflip and fail miserably, he has to leave the room to keep from screaming 

keeps a mental count of the things you do every day that should kill you

the current record is 14

Stan

He doesn’t understand how you can just go through your day without a care

Are you not afraid of dying? That’s like 32% of his thoughts during the day

“Fuck I dropped my credit card down the drain. Stan, hold my ankles while I reach down to grab it.”

“I can literally see the used heroin needles down there.”

“Okay and??? Not my fault the city doesn’t have a safe use zone, I need that card!” 

One time you guys were leaving a store and the alarm went off 

Stan turned to ask you if you got the security tags removed but you we’re already sprinting halfway across the mall

Not because you stole anything, but because you saw jimmy, clyde, and tolkien walking out of a store and wanted to say hi

And then you spent the rest of the day being lectured by an underpaid paul blart wannabe

Stan was freaking out because he thought you would get arrested for causing a scene or something (they find any reason to arrest someone in south park) 

But all you did was laugh in that light hearted, careless way you always do

Cartman

Bro will manipulate your carelessness for all its worth

You are now the second person he calls when he has some stupid plot that needs someone who doesn’t understand the concept of death

If kenny’s busy, you’re on speed dial

Honestly, you’re probably the first call because you’ll do something stupid without needing to be paid! 

Free labor!

Wanna work at dicknbaus hot dogs for 14 hours with no pay? It’s free hotdogs! You’re in! 

Hes an exploitative motherfucker 

Thats all im here to say about it

butters 

You’re going to give him a heart attack

One time you purposely kicked a medicine ball to see how far it would go and broke your foot

And he was more worried about your foot than you were!

“Oh jesus, can you move it?”

“Um… no I don’t think so. Lemme take off my sock”

“AH ITS PURPLE!”

“Oh damn, you’re right. That’s a nice shade though, I was thinking of painting my room that color!”

“NOW IS NOT THE TIME TO BE TALKING ABOUT THIS”

Unlike kyle, he can’t force himself to ignore your careless nature

He’s always worrying about you 

He’ll suggest you both go to first aid classes or cpr training whenever you hang out “just for fun!”

but really he needs to know that you at least have some first aid knowledge if you're going to keep running around like death is a social construct

[milotraflgkl]

Honesty

USOPP x GN!READER

note: THIS IS A REUPLOAD!!! content: fluff, sfw, reader and usopp are both oblivious losers, requited feelings, confessions. WC: 1934

Everyone on the crew knew. Everyone.

It was going old how often Nami would have to grab Usopp's attention from looking your way or when Sanji would have to hold his hand out while you mindlessly walked somewhere, too infatuated with the Usopp as he went about his “real” adventures. The small side glances you'd often share as you sat beside each other at the dinner table, it was obvious the feelings you two had for each other.

Well, expect the two of you.

It was aggravating for the rest of the crew to have to witness, desperately wishing that one day one of you would slip up and finally say something to the other but the day just seemed like it was never gonna show up. No matter how many attempts Sanji made to hint towards Usopp about your feelings, causing you to turn into a bright red tomato.

Today was like any normal day, minus the quick stop because your captain was becoming restless and Nami just couldn’t stand it anymore. You hummed as you put things into your bag, keeping it light so you’d have space to store more things within. Just in case you found anything interesting, for yourself or Usopp. You reached over to grab something and stopped as you stared at the small necklace that Usopp had gotten you a while back, he handed it to you in a rush with a quick jumble of words before he ran off somewhere. You giggled as you grabbed the necklace, bringing it up to your neck and hooking together letting it hang down your chest.

You hummed pleased with the assortment of items you had, so you stood yourself up and placed the bag over your shoulder. You pivoted on your shoes and made your way out of the room that you shared with Nami, you had noticed that everyone had already rushed off wasting no time to get off the boat and walk through the grass and find new interesting bugs; well mostly Luffy. You frowned slightly, not wanting to have to venture to the island by yourself. You let out a small huff as you began to walk towards the ladder to get off the ship, “Hey!” You heard a voice call out from behind you making you immediately snap to see holding your hands up ready to punch whoever. You froze as you saw Usopp stare at you shocked before chuckling, “Sorry, didn’t mean to scare you.” He says while you let out a sigh of relief and drop your hands to the side, “You scared the shit out of me Usopp!” You scold the boy.

Usopp just let out a laugh, a laugh that made your stomach do flips. “I just wanted to wait for you…” He says, his voice trailing off for a moment. “Cause like you know… for protection…” He says trying to sound all cool but it is obvious he was getting a bit nervous. You let out a laugh that caused Usopp to turn his attention straight back to you, “Thank you, Oh brave captain Usopp~” You teased him. Usopp stood there in shock for a moment before he chuckled and nodded, "That's me!" He hummed out in excitement, as he made his way past you and to the ladder off the ship. "Ladies first~" He motioned with his arms for you to go ahead of him, and you gladly went ahead and flung your leg over the ladder. Make sure to take your foot landed on the bar before you swing your other leg over.

He watched you intently to make sure that not even for a second would you slip and fall, he couldn’t risk seeing you hurt. As he watched you he started to think about the fact that he probably should’ve gone first so he would have been able to catch you. While lost in his thought he hadn’t realized that you had safely made it to the bottom and were waiting patiently for him to come down. “Usopp?” Your voice broke him out of his thoughts, “Huh?- Oh!” He blinked staring at you for a moment wondering how long he had simply just stood there whilst you waited so patiently, then his mind went off again. You were so kind and so trusting, it truly amazed him how you were still his friend even after everything.

As he reached the bottom of the ladder he jumped off, landing on the solid ground with a small thud.

He shifted around to look at you with a smile on his face, “Ready?” He asked you as he held out his arm to interlock it with yours, you obliged sliding your arm to hook with his. “Always.” You hum to him, before beginning to lead the way for the both of you. You talked on and on about something that Usopp was not taking in, he was watching the way you used your free hand to talk almost as if you were painting a picture. You asked a question but Usopp didn’t hear it, oblivious to the fact you were asking him and he just admired you. “Usopp?” Your voice broke his thoughts again, usually when any of the straw hats would do that it would upset him. But when you did it, it was like an angel from heaven was bringing him back down to earth before he died simply because of how amazing you were.

“Yeah [name]?” He asked back, as he looked at you hoping that you’d take the lead in making sure they went in the right direction and not run into anyone. “Were you even paying attention?” You asked him, as you turned your attention ahead of the two of you. Making sure the two of you didn’t bump into any island people, weaving in and out of the crowd. “Uhm… Yeah totally!” He responded in a cheerful tone and a cheesy smile on his face, you glanced at his expression immediately knowing that the boy had caught nothing of what you had just explained to him. You let out a soft giggle before the smile quickly faded and your eyebrows furrowed with irritation, “Do people not know how to walk properly?!” You said out in anger, eventually shoving your way through people and into an alleyway that had fewer people.

You let out a sigh of relief, finally free from the busy street and annoyingly slow people. Usopp stood there in shock having not been fully prepared to be shoved through those people and suddenly ending up somewhere a lot more calm, he looked at you before letting out a chuckle. “You hate crowds huh?” He asked, teasing you. You rolled your eyes a small smirk on your lips as you looked around the alleyway, “Some people just don’t deserve legs.” You joked, the joke causing the boy to let out a loud laugh. You turned your head to look at him, you looked at him in slight shock at how he found your joke so funny. The way his head slightly tilted back and his eyes closed as he laughed, it was a beautiful sound and it made your face grow warm from the blush suddenly appearing.

You cleared out your throat before a thought popped up into your head. “Hey, I have an idea.” You say to him in almost a whisper not allowing him time to respond or even think of what you said dragging him along through the alleyway. “[Name]!” He called out, his feet almost struggling to keep up with how fast yours were going. He let out huffs as he started to run out of breath from having to keep up with you, “[Name]..!!” He whined out wanting you to slow down, but even after a small tug, you kept your speed rushing through the alleyway.

As the two of you made your way, you eventually stopped as you came up to a small area. Vines grew down the wall and it was slightly dark small amounts of the sun peeking through the cracks between the buildings, and you decided this place was the perfect area.

Usopp looked around the area, his brows raised as he let out a quiet “oooo…” His eyes darted around the area and you smiled softly as you watched them, before eventually, his eyes met with yours. You feel your posture suddenly straighten out as his attention is on you, you turn to look at the area trying to cover the blush on your cheeks. “It’s pretty isn’t it?” You asked him with a small hum coming from your lips. What you didn’t notice was the way that when Usopp responded his eyes never left your face, “Yeah, it’s beautiful.” He nodded before eventually turning to look around the small area the two of you were now standing in, he slowly walked further in and looked up. The buildings left a small space so that when you looked up it was a perfect view of the sky, you watched him for a moment before you went and stood next to him.

The two of you enjoyed the silence, the sound of distant chatter and seagulls flying overhead.

As you watched the clouds move past quickly you eventually felt your neck begin to hurt, you brought your head down and rolled the knot that started to grow out. You then turned to look at Usopp whose eyes were already on you, your eyebrows raised in shock and your face suddenly became extremely warm. “[Name].” He spoke out to you causing you to lock eyes with him, “Yeah..?” You spoke out with a small sigh, you hadn’t realized but you had been holding your breath. Usopp stared at you for a moment longer before bringing a hand up to your cheek, “I… I think I like you.” He says, letting a sigh of his own from holding his breath.

You stare at him for a moment, it is like a wave of realization has just crashed over you. The more you thought about it the more obvious it became, how he would try to flirt with you and be around you more than the rest of the crew. Usopp hesitated for a moment before slowly bringing his hand down from your face, “My bad, I shouldn’t have…” “No! No…” You cut him off quickly bringing your hand to grab him, “I like you too Usopp.” You told him, and you watched as his face went from sadness to excited shock. “Really??!” He squeezed your hand.

You nod back to him, “Really.” You say. The two of you stare at each other for a minute or so, before you take notice of the way his eyes glance down to your lips and then quickly back up to your eyes. You smile softly, “You can kiss me Usopp.” you whisper as if there would be anyone in a dark alleyway other than you two. Usopp wasted no time before he softly pressed his lips against yours, his free hand going up to cup your cheek. It felt like a dream and you didn’t wanna wake up and you never did, when you opened your eyes and pulled from the kiss he was still there looking back at you.

You couldn’t wait to hear him tell the crew about how he took you to a spot and kissed you. And you knew you wouldn’t correct him.

[themculibrary]

Loki Needs A Hug Masterlist

A Place In Time (ao3) - SnakeCharmer2023 loki/mobius T, 7k

Summary: Loki knew what he'd signed up for, replacing the loom at the end of time and sitting alone on the throne.

But what if the end didn't have to be forever?

A fix-it fic after the ending of series 2, because my heart can't take it.

Beautiful Figments (ao3) - mudgems M, 104k

Summary: “Hold on,” Stark says, attempting flippancy but falling well short of the mark. “I’m confused.”

“I think that makes two of you,” Rhodes says under his breath, but his visible concern remains.

Vision is not confused. If anything, he thinks the situation is suddenly, painfully, clear. “You do not remember yourself, do you?” he asks gently, and Loki finally meets his eyes. The hollow fear Vision sees there is obvious, and he wonders why he did not notice it before.

Broken Beyond Repair (ao3) - kittyhazelnut T, 31k

Summary: Loki had committed treason on a level Asgard had never seen. He would not be welcome back to his home realm. He would remain at the mercy of those he tried to control: the humans, SHIELD, and, of course, HYDRA.

By the time the Avengers come knocking HYDRA's door, Loki's long gone in every sense but the physical. Fortunately, even in his silent, fearful state, he's managed to make some friends. Wanda and Pietro won't let anyone hurt him. The Avengers are nothing but a threat, and Ultron makes them a promise that they'll be free of those so-called heroes soon enough.

(Basically, it's an Age of Ultron au where Wanda and Pietro have adopted a very broken Loki and they're determined to keep him safe.)

Brother (ao3) - Lynsds T, 24k

Summary: Overwhelmed with grief after Loki's apparent suicide, Thor is overjoyed to hear that his brother may be alive, if not well, and invading Midgard. It's not Odin that sends him there, but Frigga, and in this world, Thor is ready to observe and to listen.

It's not just Loki who has a lot of healing to do. But they're not alone anymore, and where there's life, there's hope.

For Eternity (ao3) - himynameisv T, 2k

Summary: Sometime during his centuries of self-imposed time loops, Loki begins to hallucinate Thor.

This is perhaps not the best indication of his current mental status.

Free Fall (ao3) - Daffanddahlodil N/R, 14k

Summary: Loki tries to function after learning of his adoption, but he’s not doing as well as he’d hoped.

Here, Here, and Here (ao3) - AuroraWest M, 68k

Summary: Loki and Thor have returned to Earth after two and a half years in space, and Loki, even after a winter in New Asgard, isn't sure he'll ever feel at home.

It doesn't help that as the alien who invaded New York City in 2012, he's been placed on probation by the UN for six months. If he can go six months without leaving New Asgard and without causing any trouble, he'll be free to visit anywhere he pleases on Earth. It's only six months. He can handle it.

Except Loki is bored. And what harm would it do if he just broke his probation a tiny bit? What are they going to do—send him to prison?

Well, yes. Yes, as it turns out. That's exactly what they're going to do.

In The Dark Alone (ao3) - every_oak_tree G, 17k

Summary: It starts at the end, really, with Ragnarök, with Asgard's fall (but Loki's been falling for longer, hasn't he?). It starts with the Mad Titan and the Statesman's explosion. It starts with a dead brother, his broken body sprawled on a spaceship's floor, miles and miles away from a home that no longer exists.

___ Something stirs inside Loki. He acknowledges that this is what he wants—but not all he wants. A newfound anger makes its way into his heart, surrounding it with an impenetrable wall of ice. He will be stronger this time, ruthless and unforgiving. Because when the world has taken everything, when they have stripped you off your armour and left you for dead, you have nothing more to lose. He can do better—no, he will do better. There is no alternative. You either die a loser or live to see yourself become a winner.

___ Or: where Thor dies at the Stateman instead of Loki, but his death will not go unavenged.

Loved and Lost (ao3) - forever_whippoorwill loki/mobius G, 4k

Summary: Loki hadn't realized how much he had missed the man's comforting presence until he was here and he could see it. Let me sit here, Loki's bones begged, at the sight of Mobius just out in his yard, and watch the wind blow through your hair and ruffle it in all the ways I want to.

He was too tired to keep that thought from running through his mind.

Old Habits (ao3) - Yavvys G, 7k

Summary: Odin knows that Loki will not change - not a cycle, not a hundred cycles later. But still, weak hope and smoldering feelings pull him towards the new guise of his adopted son, and the All-Father goes to visit the reborn god.

Once More, With Feeling (ao3) - NovaWasTaken1 T, 25k

Summary: Loki survives Thanos' attack on the Statesman by the skin of his teeth, the Tesseract, and a suicidal plan to save Asgard or die trying.

This changes less than you might think.

rest your eyes, weary god (ao3) - panthor loki/mobius N/R, 3k

Summary: Something blooms in their chest with that touch, something they try their hardest to push back down. As they walk, Loki thinks about how kind Mobius has been to them tonight. Tender, even. Enough to where they let their guard down enough to sleep in front of him. As much as they hate to admit it, Mobius has shown them more humanity than almost anyone else in their life. Despite where he works, Loki can see the empathy radiating from Mobius.

or

Mobius is just a nice guy.

Stay With Me (ao3) - Bookwormgal T, 17k

Summary: Loki had lost almost everything important to him, one way or another. His place in the timeline, his family, his sense of identity, his purpose, Sylvie... Even his first true friend was snatched away, along with the familiar version of the TVA.

But part of what makes a Loki was that they never give up. He would claw his way back and reclaim some of what was taken from him. So he searched through countless versions of the TVA until he found his way back to the right one. The one that had the right Mobius.

And if fate wished to steal him away in a more permanent way, it would have to fight Loki for him. He refused to lose anything else.

Toil and trouble (ao3) - AnsibleMechanic T, 44k

Summary: “When he made it back to Asgard and managed to outwit Odin himself, he only thought of ensuring his own freedom and survival. When Thor refused the throne (his brother chose the worst time to grow wiser), Loki was still delirious in his glee of finally making the biggest, funniest joke in all the realms – the lying Jotun trickster on the throne, and not a soul suspects it!”

Loki didn’t just eat grapes and watched amateur theatre in his dad’s robes for five years. Everything from TR canon is thrown to the wolves, and we have Loki having mental health consequences of his actions in various locations, with some inter-realm politics thrown in, with eventual relocation to the Avengers Tower (in true 2012 fashion) for more angsting and agonising. Hopefully with some friends we found along the way.

to see the world (as you do) (ao3) - T, 16k

Summary: When Odin finds a newborn babe in the war-torn wasteland that is Jotunheim, he takes it home; Frigga is the one to insist they must treat it as their own, and Odin loves her, so he obliges.

And then she dies, and Odin has no time for a child that only reminds him of the very thing he lost - he barely has time for his own young, grieving son.

So he locks it in the Vault, and calls it a trophy from the frozen realm.

or

All Loki knew for a long, long time were there four walls that held them, and the distorted view into the room beyond - filled with trinkets they couldn't name.

There were flashes of something else, of a woman who held them close and hummed lullabies, of a boy with hair like the sun, and a bright blue sky - but the memories were insubstantial and fleeting, slipping through their fingers like smoke.

You Screamed For So Long We Forgot To Care Anymore (ao3) - GalaxyThreads T, 126k

Summary: Five months after Thor drags his half-dead brother to Earth to plead asylum, things take a turn for the worse. With the older Asgardian out of commission and a sizeable threat overshadowing them, Clint becomes aware of two facts: One: Loki was tortured, mind-controlled, and manipulated into attacking Earth. Two: Loki knows none of this. (gen, no smut)

[carnivorousyandeere]

Hihi! I always love seeing your zodiac yans being written about!

How do you think they would react to a darling that has recently been heartbroken and refuses to let them in? Just kinda open for any of the yans to be written in- even Quinn!

- cow anon 🐄

Goin with the fire sign zodiac yans just bc, but I’ll write the other signs sometime if they’re requested too. Just thought these three would be interesting to see in this situation. Written under the assumption of Darling and the Yans having been friends for a while, with the yandere tendencies and obsessions only beginning to arise…

Thank you for sending this in, and sorry for the long wait ❤️‍🩹

CW: alcohol, lack of boundaries, murder, mentions of sex but no smut

Kosuke pretends not to give a damn that you’re avoiding them— telling themself they’re too cool for you anyway, they don’t need you— but it’s a lie. The situation honestly pisses them off, especially if they don’t know why you’re being so ‘weird’ all of a sudden (they’re not the stalking type of yandere usually, so they really may not know why). They do get really pushy and demanding with you, basically forcing you to spill your guts about what’s up. Once you tear up and admit you’ve had your heart broken, they’re at a loss for words. They feel embarrassed and guilty about how they acted, but they’re definitely too prideful to apologize directly. They think they oughta be happy that there’s one less source of competition for them in your life, but seeing you so sad ruins any enjoyment they might get from it. Orders you food and (tries) to clean up around your place to help you out. Not the best at comforting, per se, but they’ll let you cry on their shoulder and shit talk whoever hurt you. Definitely thinks about beating the shit out of the other person, and depending on the circumstances, might actually hunt them down to teach them a lesson.

Jett doesn’t expect you to get over it quickly, but they do get impatient if you keep blowing them off to stew in your own misery. They firmly believe that you’re never gonna recover if you keep uselessly pining and mourning in your bedroom. You’re way too good to be heartbroken over some loser, anyway. If anything, you should celebrate being free from that nobody! They’ll take any chance they can get to drag you out with them— brunch, shopping, or especially partying. Maybe you’ll spill all the details if they get a few drinks in you, or if you’re just tired enough. Jett is plainly happy to have that worthless slime competing for your attention out of the picture— they should be the one in the center stage of your heart, anyway! They’re likely to flirt a little extra heavily and try to worm their way into being your rebound. Pretends like they were just kidding if you get annoyed by the flirting instead, but, like I said, they’re not patient— it burns them deeply inside.

Blake is the most hurt by you having feelings for another person, even if it was in the past, and you’ve since had your heart broken by that other person. If Jett and Kosuke get irritated and angry with you for pushing them away, respectively, Blake gets sad. They’re not used to outright rejection, especially from people they’re close to. They’re fun, they’re gorgeous, they’re kind (to anyone who isn’t a romantic rival, or who’s been a hater first)… and they just want to help you. They want to help take your mind off of things. Blake honestly, and with no self-awareness, manages to take a page from the water signs’ book and guilt trip you into feeling bad for not accepting their help and company to get you through your breakup. Most likely out of the three to kill whoever broke your heart and bury them out in the middle of nowhere, ‘just to be on the safe side,’ and also so they can truly feel like they “fixed” the source of your heartache by removing it from this world entirely. They don’t tell you, they just expect you to feel as if a weight’s been lifted from your shoulders in some mysterious, mystical way. They want to feel like they’ve fixed the problem as they hold you in their lap and look up at the stars, off-road on a spontaneous trip to bring you someplace fun. This is where their own impatience starts, if you ‘keep moping around’ when you ‘should be having a good time with them,’ similar to Jett.

As insensitive as it probably is (depending on the Darling’s personality, I suppose), Jett and Blake are also the types to suggest sleeping with them as a way to take your mind off things. Kosuke definitely thinks about it, but they’re trying to be more delicate with emotional matters with their Darling;;;

[xkaidaxxxx]

Yusei Fudo x Reader

Mentions: minimal angst, foul language, fluff, happy ending

Sorry for errors 1am story.

“Yusei! Yusei! Jack let me go!” You yelled calling out to Yusei. “ I told your parents I’d fucking protect you! Now stop you dumbass.” He held you close taking you along with him to domino.

Jack started his road to power and fame. He’s the Champion of Turbo dueling. You both have it all. “I’m skipping lunch today and your duel.” You spoke. Jack wasn’t happy about that. “You’re having lunch and you’re going to my duel. Do you understand!?” You held your tears back as he forced you to sit down on the chair beside him. “ y-yes Jack.” you ate your lunch while you cried silently. Jack was feeling horrible. He was only forcing you to be with him almost at all times because he doesn’t trust anyone in the city. Only you. He wants to keep you safe even if it meant hurting your feelings. “I’m sorry. Alright don’t be such a baby about it..you know I care for you. Loser.” He said wiping your tears away. You stayed silent not knowing how to respond.

As time passed by Jack was still his loud and arrogant self. He did have a soft side for you. He started being less aggressive on how he acted with you. He knew it would only drive you insane.

When you heard Yusei was in the area you couldn’t help but ask Jack to give you a day where you can go out by yourself. He did just that but had security follow behind you. As you drove the duel runner Jack bought you (you dueled as well but lost interest along the way) , you got away from the security team. You were going fast. You love the feeling. You love how the wind blows against you. It made you feel alive. You had forgotten how much you loved turbo dueling and this made you want to do it once again. “ Wooo hoo!!” You shouted. After a while you came to a stop as you saw his runner. You quickly turned yours off and ran inside the building. “Yeah Thanks for the help. I appreciate it.” Yusei said speaking into a small mic headset. Your heart skipped a beat. You couldn’t believe it. “Y-Yusei?” You called out. Your body was shaking. He turned around and felt shocked. He was only a few feet away from the love of his life. He ran up to you and held you close. Tears ran down his cheeks. You cried with him. Both of you didn’t want to let go of each other. “Y/n how did you find me?” He asked. “I..just drove fast..didn’t think about anything but you. Now I’m here.” You replied pulling away. He wiped your tears away and placed a soft kiss on your lips. “ I love you so much. I’m sorry I didn’t get here sooner. God it’s been a long ride in this city.” He spoke holding your hand and scanning your body. You blushed as he checked you out. “Beautiful as always.” He said. “You think so?” He nodded in response. “Has Jack..been taking good care of you? I’m not upset about him taking you. He did promise your parents to protect you..it was right for him to take you even when it broke my heart.” Yusei couldn’t help but running his hands up and down your arms. “He has been taking care of me…he was aggressive at first but he slowly stopped. Even though he was harsh I knew he did it because he wanted me to be safe. He did let me leave without him but he had security follow me. Yeah I got rid of them.” You replied and giggled afterwards. “That’s my wonderful girl.” Yusei said playing with your hair. You both felt to happy. “Once all this craziness is over we’ll be able to relax as a family.” You were shocked on how he said family. “F-Family? As in…we..like..or?” You stuttered. He chuckled pinching your nose softly. “Yes as in us together forever. I understand we’re young but still I want to be with you.” “As in tying the knot..or?” You questioned once again not getting the freaking message. You both were 18 and of course he meant only engagement. “Yes y/n. As in tying the knot. Marry me please. I love you more than anything. I’m so in love with you.You complete me.…I don’t have a ring…but once things sort out I’ll definitely buy one for you.” He said feeling bad about the ring. He wanted everything to be perfect but things don’t always work out that way. You laughed gripping his hand and holding your stomach with the other. “Y-Yusei! Hehe! It’s alright. I’ll marry you. I love you as well so much. You don’t need to buy me a fancy ring. I’m so in love with you. I’d marry you with paper rings.” He smiled and poked your cheek. You both shared a passionate kiss with tears running down your faces. You both knew you’d struggle with everything that’s going on but..you’d do it together. No matter what.

[lullabytaeyong]

R!Yeonjun - Not bad

TW: Selfharm (only brief scratching) and cursing

The day hadn't been going to well for the group so far. Everyone was irritable and tired. They were ready for a break. The final straw for Soobin was during dance practice. Their regular choreographer was out for a week so they had a sub working with them instead. He wasn't very friendly and had the worlds highest standards. His strong facial features made appear angry all the time. Soobin got sick of his berating comments and called practice off early. He was the leader and he was not going to let a random man tear down his teams confidence.

Yeonjun had been affected the most from his words. He already struggled with his self worth and trauma. Every negative word said to his face spun and circled inside his head, mutating into heavy self doubt. Was he really that out of practice to be called an amateur?  He bottled up the insecurities until he could let them out alone, which meant he struggled to pay attention and panicked when the man yelled at him. His hands shook as Soobin shouted back, telling him to get out. He froze up where he was standing and sunk to the floor.

At some point he was all by himself, staring down his reflection. Soobin had left with the others in a fit of rage to find their manager for help, unknowingly leaving Yeonjun to drown in his thoughts.

'You're so stupid. Fucking piece of shit. Cant do anything! Stupid idiot! Fucking dumb and weak. Always doing it wrong!'

Yeonjun broke down into loud sobs that were out of out his own control. He quickly retreated into his mind, searching for that warm safe space he knew was there. Suddenly feeling too worthless for the world and like he was a kid again just made it all worse. Yeonjun hugged himself as he cried into the mirror, terrible thoughts consuming him whole.

Soobin pushed the door open a minute later and jumped at the noise. His heart stopped when he saw the state Yeonjun was in. He immediately knew what was happening to him. Yeonjun noticed him in the mirror, as he ran over to the rescue.

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry I'm baddd!"

"Bad? You haven't been bad, sweetie. It's okay." Soobin said gently, sitting down in front of him.

"Nooo! Bad! I'm bad! I'm sorry!" Yeonjun started scratching vigorously at his thighs, desperate to find something to distract himself from the tsunami in his mind.

"Hey, hey! Junnie, baby don't do that. Hold my hands instead."

Yeonjun tearfully complied, letting Soobin's big hands wrap around his. He openly sobbed, all his pride melting away as he felt smaller and smaller. There were no societal rules to stop him.

"We don't hurt ourselves, sweetie. I know you can't help it, but we need to practice other ways to make ourselves feel better." Soobin explained clearly. The damage had already been done by little Junnie's nails. On each thigh were patches of bright red streaks, just barely breaking the skin. If they were lucky he probably wouldn't bleed much at all.

"Bad bad bad." Yeonjun muttered, continuing to shake his head side to side.

"Shhh, you're not bad. You've never been bad, honey. I'm not upset with you, I want to help you keep yourself safe." Soobin said carefully.

Yeonjun struggled to believe him. That's what people always said; that they weren't mad. It was always a lie. His old partner would say the same things just to throw poor Yeonjun over his lap and spank him until his bum was bright red. That loser ignored Yeonjun when he told him his headspace wasn't sexual and punished him like it was. He didn't want to accept it, but he was traumatized from months of staying in that terribly toxic relationship. When he finally broke up with him, Soobin found him sobbing on the kitchen floor and helped him pick up his broken pieces to put him back together. But, even two years later, Yeonjun struggled to trust him whole heartedly.

"Daddyyy!" Yeonjun cried, dragging out the y sound. So many memories were swirling around in his head and he just wanted someone to save him.

"I'm right here, Daddy's here baby." Soobin said, giving his hands a little squeeze. Yeonjun squeezed back twice as hard and rocked back and forth.

They were unaware of the faces looking through the glass of the door across the room. Beomgyu and Taehyun watched nervously, as their hyung broke down. They didn't want to intervene, Soobin seemed to have it under control, but it hurt to sit there and do nothing. Yeonjun was always lifting them up and showering in them in love. He never ended up in a puddle on the floor, crying his eyes out.

"Junnie, do you want Daddy to hold you?"

Yeonjun whimpered and nodded shakily. Soobin's hands let go and moved to his back, as he told him to crawl closer. His arms wrapped him up once he was on his lap, sitting sideways with his head on his shoulder. Soobin rocked slowly back and forth like Yeonjun had been doing before. The repetitive soothing movement seemed to work in calming him down, even if it was just slightly.

"He was so mean! C-Called me a bad dancer!" Yeonjun sobbed.

"Well, he must be blind. You're a great dancer! You work so hard day and night, always improving. We're so proud of you." Soobin murmured, carefully wiping some of his baby's tears away.

“I hate him.”

“You’re allowed to hate him. I hate him for upsetting you and being so rude. Daddy won’t let him talk to any of us ever again.”

Yeonjun replied by nuzzling Soobin’s shoulder. As he calmed down, his fingers found their way into his mouth where he sucked on them. Baby Junnie did it to soothe himself. Soobin stroked his hair and refrained from telling him to stop. He knew that Yeonjun was very vulnerable and instinctively doing things that made him feel safer.

“When we get home Daddy’s gonna wrap you up in your blankies, give you all the kisses in the world and put on your favorite movie. How does that sound?” Soobin said, planting two kisses on Yeonjun’s forehead. The little nodded instead of speaking.

His wide brown eyes looked up at Soobin, twinged pink at the corners from all his crying. He must’ve slipped pretty deep because he didn’t appear as focused as usual. Soobin understood. It wasn’t in his control. Yeonjun was his responsibility for the rest of the night and potentially morning.

At home Soobin did as he promised and made Yeonjun into a blanket burrito after putting him in a white long sleeve adult onesie. Usually the onesie made him too embarrassed to leave his room, but on occasion, he wore it naturally without a care in the world. The others took turns giving him hugs and kisses while Soobin washed up and made some snacks. He smiled at the bits and pieces of conversation he heard coming from the living room.

“No, no, no, Hyuka. Silvermist is great and all, but I think Tinkerbell’s the obvious choice..” Came Beomgyu’s voice.

“You don’t know what you’re talking about.” Kai retorted. Soobin could almost hear him rolling his eyes.

“She’s the main character for a reason! I don’t know man, I’m just saying.”

“Tinkerbelle pretty…” Yeonjun said softly through his fingers.

“Not as pretty as you ~” Beomgyu sang. He must’ve started tickling Yeonjun’s sides because the boy burst into shrieks of laughter, as did Kai who was suddenly under attack by Taehyun.

Soobin’s heart filled with quiet contentment. It warmed him to witness the love everyone had for each other. It was reassuring to know he had three other people to fall back on when he and Yeonjun needed them. Everyone provided their own unique types of care. Laughter, distractions, comfort, and more. It all balanced out to the perfect mixture of love that they shared.

[wiihtigo]

the best thing about the phillmyeol toxicyaoi is how purposeful it is about how weird their relationship is. the plot point about phill tracking him via business card gets resolved almost immediately after its introduced even though HE'S STILL LYING AND TRACKING HIM. and there are gay people in the story butcause it's not a romance it isn't *them* so their relationship is vaguely freakishly codependent on purpose. phill is such a whipped loser he's so funny hope he falls down some stairs ❤️❤️

when myeol found out phill was using his bracelet to gps track him and they broke up about it but myeol still purposefully wears the bracelet??>>>>>>>>>>>>

what i like about phill and myeols relationship is that Yes while it is toxic and phill is a freak he doesnt like trample all over myeols boundaries in a way that would like genuinely cause him to fear for himself or drive him away forever. ive joked before about how funny it is that phills big evil scheme is all ultimately just that he wants myeol to keep working with him cuz hes super lonely and a huge freak about it. So he wants to keep myeol with him at all costs and its shown again and again how myeol really has him wrapped around his pinky because of this so hes willing to do anything to keep myeol happy and by his side. swiped these panels from jenai to illustrate my point SRRY (observe: phill lying)

but like he'll literally be like (evil face) thats right..everythings going according to my evil plan.... and thte plan in question is just that he let myeol keep a puppy in the office bcuz it would make him like phill more -> myeol wont want to quit working with him if they have a puppy in the office -> WE CAN DIE IN THE SAME COFFIN IN 40 YEARS

anyways so myeol has ptsd right its due to domestic abuse in his childhood and when phill and myeol first meet phill tries a few times to like put a hand on his shoulder and stuff like that but every time myeol flinches away. and its not revealed yet but its because of that ptsd and its explicitly stated at one point how myeol is specifically triggered when/if someone raises their hands over their heads over him or yanks him around

at some points it looks like just a joke bcuz myeol straight up doesnt really like phill that much so he doesnt want to touch him lol but as you read further you realize its bcuz of that and the fact myeol doesnt really associate closely with other people so hes straight up not used to this kind of stuff. well theyre both weirdos. anyways all this makes this moment much later much sweeter and more notable to me

because myeol isnt touchy feely at all but when hes scared of this MAN he puts his hands on phill because at the core of it all. they are friends and he knows phill would literally go through 18 saw traps to keep him safe

......i think i lost where i was going a little bit. i just think its nice that phill doesnt yank him around bcuz he noticed it scares myeol so even though hes a freakazoid hes not like making his life miserable. theyre running a delicate balance here their relationship has a lot of push and pull. which i love. anyways phillmyeol sweep or what was i talking about

[phoenixsbby]

It’s Not Me, It’s You - Hangman x Pilot!reader

summary: your ex is back in town and that might be the kick in the ass Hangman needs to change the parameters of your situationship.

readers call sign is “stinger”

WC: 7.4k (yeah, that’s my bad)

a/n: the death grip Hangman has me on these days …

warnings: swearing, mentions of sex

If there was a body capacity limit set for the Hard Deck, a number of people allowed in before the windows, doors, and walls break open, it surely would have been long passed by now. The bar is packed to the brim with civilians and officers celebrating the safe return home of a handful of aviators. You were not included in that dagger team but, Hangman was and you’d gladly honor his safety with a cold beer and his close proximity. Every time he came back in one piece, it felt like the iceberg of dread that settled in your chest when he was gone broke into pieces and melted away. 

You used the excuse of bodies being jammed too tightly together to wiggle your way in between Hangman’s legs as he sat at the bar. Both of knew that even if you were the only two people there, you’d still end up in that position. So close to each other, your faces only inches apart, with your head angled down and his angled up to hear each other over the loudness of other conversations and the steady stream of music. 

These days, it felt like the closer you could get to Jake Seresin the better. It was much easier to give into the gravitation pull between you two than fight it. This magnetic force had always been there, since the day got stationed in North Island. There was a competitive spark between you that eventually caught and bursted into flames made up of equal parts admiration and attraction. 

“Admit it, Hangman. You’re jealous.”

“I’m not.” He shook his head, keeping his gaze down at the pavement in front of him. You trailed a short distance behind him, hot on his heels. You’d been bugging him about how you finished the flight simulation faster than anyone and managed to take down two ‘enemy aircraft’ without getting yourself hit. You were the only one in their group to simulate mission success.

But you had pulled an extremely risky, borderline insane move to do it. One that scared the shit out of your fellow pilots, Hangman included. One wrong move, one wrong flick of your wrist, and your jet would have gone down with you in it.

So no, Hangman wasn’t jealous that you proved yourself to be a better pilot than everyone else that day. He was pissed that you’d almost ended your own life trying to do it.

“Don’t be a sore loser. Just admit it, I beat you on this one. I showed you up.”

“Okay, fine.” He snapped, turning around so quick that he almost rammed his body into yours. “Congrats Sting, you showed me up. You beat the simulation and almost got yourself killed doing it. Congrats on being reckless and completely oblivious to how devastated I would be if you did manage to get yourself killed up there!”

You were stunned into silence, blinking rapidly up at him. Hangman’s chest connected with yours every deep breath he took, it suddenly felt like he couldn’t suck in enough air to satisfy his greedy lungs.

“How devastated we would all be.” He corrected himself before stepping back to remove himself from your proximity. Shit, he hadn’t meant to say that. He wasn’t ready to lay his feelings for you bare. He could tell, despite his lame attempt to divert the idea of him being utterly broken at the thought of you getting hurt, you understood what he meant.

“I-“ You shook your head, clearing away the haziness of surprise that his statement brought over you. “I’m sorry. I knew it was dangerous but, I also knew it wasn’t anything I couldn’t handle.”

“I don’t ...” There’s no turning back now. “I don’t like the idea of you taking that risk.”

A knowing smile started to form across your lips as you stepped closer to him, silently coaxing him to continue. “Why?”

Jakes hands flexed and unflexed rapidly at his sides, his mind churned through ways to properly convey how he felt. When no words came to him, none that truly felt good enough to portray the feeling pulsating behind his ribcage, he settled by taking your face in his hands and connecting your lips in a slow, starved way. 

When he pulled back, your eyes fluttered open to take in the most content, gratified smile you’d ever seen on Jakes face. “That’s why.”

Since then, that’s all the relationship has mounted up to be. Prolonged glances and stolen touches in public, unleashed passion and devotion in private. It was more than just sex though. In between the time you spend naked, wrapped up in each other, there’s holding and longing and exchanging of sweet words. It’s always feels like more than what you’ve been calling it and you’d gladly call it what it was (a relationship - gasp!). But it’s always Hangman that seems to hold back, reluctant in a way to claim you as his. 

You’re afraid to push the matter because whatever this is between you - it’s working. You’re happy. So happy to be hear his laugh up close and feel his thumb trace relaxing circles on the back of your hand. If something isn’t completely broken, why try to fix it?  

You’re so lost in him, in his green eyes and mesmerizing grin, that Phoenix’s grasp on your shoulder makes you jump. When your eyes connect with hers, you see they’re blown wide and you notice how tightly her fingertips are digging into you. You furrow your brows and go to ask her if she’s okay but, she beats you to it.

“You’ll never guess who got called in for the new assignment.” Her eyes break away from yours, scanning the bar as if she’s desperate to spot someone. You wrack your brain for who possibly could illicit this kind of reaction from Phoenix and draw a blank because everyone you really know is already there. 

Rooster’s leaning against the juke box, smirking and listening intently to the pretty blonde in front of him. Fanboy and Payback are showing Bob a new (and totally incorrect) way to hold a pool stick. Halo and Fritz are playing darts, Harvard and Yale are making fools of themselves on the dance floor. Everyone’s accounted for.

“Who?”

“Atlas.” Oh, shit. Your eyes widen to match hers as she nods like yeah, oh shit.

Atlas. You haven’t heard that callsign, let alone thought about him, in years. Not since you’d both attended Top Gun together. Not since you both fell blissfully but ignorantly in love. Not since he decided to end the relationship because you’d been stationed on different sides of the country. Not since he broke your heart.

Oh, shit.

Speak of the Devil and he shall appear, only seconds after Phoenix mentions him, Atlas comes busting through the doors of the Hard Deck with a few other pilots you don’t recognize. Their grins are wide, their booming laughs only bolstering their presence. They strut into the bar like they own the place, like they expect everyone to get down on their knees and worship at their alter. You’d be damned if you ever got down on your knees for Alexander “Atlas” Madden again.

But you can’t deny his presence is like a black hole, you want to pull your gaze away but you can’t. You’re thankful to be tucked around the corner of the bar, away from the area he just strolled in. You don’t want to get caught staring, you’re not sure if you even want him to know you’re here but somehow despite all of it, you can’t look away. He looks good, he looks bigger and more confident, kind of like he’s glowing. God damn it.

“Who’s Atlas?” Hangman leaves the question dangling in the air between you and Phoenix. She snatches up the chance to answer while your eyes and your attention stay occupied elsewhere.

“Her ex.” Those words have Hangman’s gaze snapping toward the notorious Atlas almost as hard as yours did. 

“Why is he here?” Hangman’s eyes bounce rapidly between you and Atlas, desperately trying to catch your gaze and refocus it on him. But you’re entranced so, Phoenix fills in the blanks again.

“Well apparently he’s good, really good ...” Hangman looks over to Phoenix and notices she’s about as enamored with Atlas as you are. How good could this guy really be? 

“We have plenty of really good pilots.” Jake scoffs, bringing the beer bottle to his lips hoping some of the cold, bitter liquid will help cool his internal thoughts down. The room around him suddenly feels too hot, the clothes around his skin too tight as he watches you watch your ex. He thinks he can make out a glassy, fervent look in your eyes. 

It’s a similar look to the one you give him when his hands are roaming every inch of you, when he’s taking you to the edge of a very specific cliff, pushing you over, and making sure he’s there to break the fall, soft and steady.

Hangman swallows a much bigger gulp of beer.

“Yeah but, more than half of us just got back. We’re still in the debrief period.” The bottle freezes in its place. “We won’t have enough time to train between now and the scheduled fly out date.” 

Hangman himself had just gotten back, Phoenix and Bob too. You, however, had not been selected for that assignment. Instead, you’d been chosen for an up and coming smaller mission that required less pilots, the very same one that Phoenix was assuming Atlas was called in for. Oh God, you and Atlas were going to fly this one together.

The conversation Phoenix and Hangman were sharing registers somewhere in the back of your mind, realization that you were going to be sent out with you ex will hit harder later, you’re sure. For now, everything’s all too paralyzing.

“He looks ...” You mutter with a distant tone.

“Yeah ...” Phoenix replies with equal distance, stuck between Atlas’s pull and reality itself.

“Okay,” Jake brings the empty bottle back down on the bar a bit more aggressively than he intended, the loud clap of glass meeting wood snapping both you and Phoenix from your trance. “Penny, I’ll take another.” Penny shoots him a knowing grin before swiping away the empty.

“Do you really think he’s here for ...” For my mission? That realization is starting to sink its teeth in now, stinging at the backs of your eyes and inside your nose.

“Why else would he be here?” Phoenix says.

“Shit.”

“Yeah ...”

Somehow both of your gazes have trickled their way back in Altas’s direction and Jake thinks he may as invisible as a cadet at this point.

“Maybe you should go say hi.” He grumbles before taking a sip of his fresh beer. 

“No.” You shake your head and look down at him, finally. “No, I couldn’t.” 

“Hangman’s actually right, you should go say hi.” Phoenix adds, causing you to jerk your eyes back to her and miss the way Jake shoots daggers at her over your shoulder. “You don’t want any bad blood between you two during the mission.”

“There is no bad blood.” You scoff. Phoenix narrows her eyes and gives you her favorite thats-such-bullshit-and-you-know-it look because ... okay, yes, it is bullshit.

You can’t deny that it hurt when Atlas walked away from the relationship you’d built together. But you aren’t worried that the minute Atlas opens his mouth, you’ll instantly fall back in love. You’ve moved on. You are worried that he’ll open his mouth and somehow manage to make you feel unworthy again. Unworthy of the effort it would’ve taken to stay together. Not good enough to warrant someones full love. 

“Right. And Hangman totally isn’t about to crush that beer bottle with his bare hand.”

On cue, all three sets of eyes are darting to where Jakes hand is white knuckling the bottle. He hasn’t even noticed it himself, too busy with the idea of something happening between you and Atlas. Something that warranted bad blood. What’d this guy do to you and how hard was Jake going to have to hit him to make up for it?

Jake releases his death grip on the bottle and looks up at you, your eyes colliding with equal hints of vulnerability behind them. You open your mouth to say something, to ease the discomfort you’re sure he’s feeling given the situation when an achingly familiar voice calls out your name.

You feel Atlas’s large hand come baring down on one shoulder before it slides across your back to the other one. He pulls you against him before you can even manage to get a glimpse of his face up close and okay, now you’re hugging him.

He’s tall and broad and his chest feels harder against yours than you remember but, his scent is still the same - hints of green apple and mahogany. Breathing it in, breathing him in, your body almost instinctually melts itself deeper into his grasp.

Oh no, stop that. Your brain is screaming, Stop that right now!

“Atlas!” Your voice comes out muffled against his uniformed shoulder. You grip his forearms and force yourself back, putting a safe distance between your bodies and sending him a hopefully natural, breezy (because you are so breezy, totally not phased at all) smile. “Wow, hi!”

Your greeting comes out an octave higher than it should and has Phoenix and Hangman sharing a look behind your back.

“Wow is right!” Atlas eyes roam around your face then dip down to cover your body. “I can’t believe you’re here. You look great.”

Hangman’s knee comes in direct, hard contact with your backside causing you to let out a nervous laugh to muffle your reaction from the impact.

“You, too!” You keep your eyes glued to his, willing yourself not to look down at his body, not to look at his hand that’s still resting on your forearm. “What’re you uh, doing ... here?” You use your hands to motion to the environment around you, hoping he understands you don’t just mean the bar. You mean to say ‘What are you doing at this base? What are you doing back in my life?’

“Oh, you know how it is. My secrets aren’t really mine to tell.” He winks and Hangman shoots up and out of his barstool from behind you. He’s reaching a hand out from over your shoulder, giving Atlas that practiced, perfected grin he knows can charm just about anyone.

“Lieutenant Jake Seresin.” He places his other hand subtly on your lower back as if to remind you that he’s here for you. “Hangman.”

Atlas gives his hand a firm shake before introducing himself. “Lieutenant Alexander Madden. Callsign, Atlas.” His gaze leaves Hangman’s and flickers in Phoenix’s direction. His grin turns into more of a flat line as gives her a nod. “Natasha.”

“Alexander.” Phoenix does not send him a semi-smile back nor does she nod, the two just simply look at each other. A beat of silence skips by, the two holding each others stares like cowboys ready to grab their pistols, fire out a lethal shot, and claim that Wild Western town as their own.

You guess, in this case, you’re the town?

You clear your throat and draw both their attentions back to you.

“We should talk.” Atlas’s eyes soften a bit as he steps closer to you before his eyes dart back and forth between Hangman and Phoenix who flank your figure. “Privately.”

“I-“ Your tongue trips on the phrase ‘I think I’d rather die’ because Phoenix is right. If you two are going to fly together, you need to be on the same wavelength with no lingering tension to clog up the airways. “I would like that.” Okay, that’s not the right phrasing either because like is not the word you’d use to describe how you feel about having the impending conversation. 

If Atlas senses your discomfort, he doesn’t show it. A grin slides its way back across his lips.

“Great. I’ll grab a drink and then we can meet out back by the beach?” You simply nod, he shoots you another wink, and then he’s gone.

“What the fuck was that?” A harmony of voices surround you, your gaze flicking between Phoenix and Hangman. 

“What?”

“I didn’t realize you just turned thirteen. Congrats on entering your awkward, school girl crush era.” Phoenix snickers as you playfully smack her in the stomach. “Seriously, I have never seen you act like that before.”

“It was nothing.” You mutter.

“It didn’t look like nothing.” You spin your body to face Jake and meet his eyes, he’s grinning and the vulnerability you saw in him before is gone. He’s teasing you, just like Phoenix, like he really doesn’t care that you’re about to be out back, alone, with your ex. But why should he care? You’re not his girlfriend, he’s made that clear.

“It’s nothing.” You repeat, a hint of venom seeping into your tone. You’re about to add something alone the lines of ‘Atlas can eat a dick’ when the man of the hour calls your name across the bar and motions for you to follow him out. 

You spare on last glance at Hangman, hoping to see something change in his posture, in his eyes, that begs you not to go. But you don’t, they’re blank and that burns the back of your throat more than the tequila shot Phoenix had you take when you first got to the bar. 

“Don’t wait up.”

 ——

Hangman does in fact, wait up. He waits, and he waits, and he waits some more, hoping at any given moment, you’ll come back into the bar and seek him out. You’ll wrap your arms around him, run your hands through his hair as you kiss, and murmur ‘Atlas who?’ against his lips.

Every so often he’ll take a lap around the room, glancing out the back doors, hoping to catch a glimpse of you. Relief swells in his chest each time he sees you sitting a healthy distance from Atlas, neither of you making any advancements in hopes to get closer. He’s seen you smiling though, a few times you’ve thrown frisky punches against Atlas’s arm and reared your head back with laughter at something he’s said.

Hangman even bugs Phoenix for a solid thirty minutes about the story between you and Atlas but, she won’t budge. Something about being her being a good friend and all that bullshit.

In all honesty, Jake’s just worried. He’s not worried because Atlas is attractive and a good pilot, no, Jake Seresin isn’t self-conscious in that right. He’s worried because he doesn’t want Atlas to hurt you, to maybe break your heart. Clearly something had happened between you two, something that left Atlas feeling secure enough to approach you with a wide smile and open arms while you quivered and hid your figure behind the bar. That in itself has Hangman suspecting the something that happened hurt you an inequitable amount that it hurt Atlas.

And the idea of you hurting at the hands of anyone has powerful waves of anger crashing over him.

He’s being hypocritical and he knows it. Isn’t he hurting you in a way? He knows you want more than whatever situation he’s pushing you two into. He can see it when he looks into your eyes deeply, this little spark of hope, a silent question ‘Are you going to ask me now?’ ‘Are you going to tell me you love me?’

When he doesn’t, he can see the spark dwindle down to a just fleeting glint of light. The spark comes back though, somehow it returns every time he looks at you and he’s grateful he hasn’t snuffed out whatever’s inside you that allows the spark to catch at all. He’s playing with fire, one of these times, the spark will ignite and one of you may end up getting burned. He knows one day, he’ll have to draw out that fire and he’s thankful today is not that day when he see’s you come strolling back into the bar, Atlas free.

Your eyes scan the room until they catch onto his, then you send him that warm, all-consuming smile that had him gone for you since the first time he saw it.

“You stayed.” You lean your body against the bar beside his.

“Can’t let this Atlas guys ego get too big.” He wants to swallow the words back in because they’re not the ones he desperately wants to say. He wants to say that you’re crazy for thinking he’d actually leave you.

You roll your eyes but, your smile doesn’t falter, “Yeah, Atlas’s ego is the problem here.” 

The bar has cleared out, only a few locals and naval officers remain lingering past last call. Even if the bar was still cramped with people, it wouldn’t have stopped Hangman from reaching out, snaking a hand around your waist and pulling you against him.

He murmurs a soft “You love it” into your hair before swaying you gently to the music still streaming out of the juke box.

You wrap your hands around his neck and move your body in rhythm with his before replying, “Yeah, I do.”

With his body so close, you inhale his scent - cinnamon with lingering hints of whisky and mint. It’s warmer than Atlas’s scent, it floods your stomach with butterflies while also making you feel cocooned by a soft blanket, it both lulls and excites you. 

Being with Atlas again, back on the bar patio, felt comfortable. It was familiar in all the ways that taking the same route home every day is. But there’s nothing romantic there anymore, you don’t feel dizzy hearing his laugh or feel hot under his touch. It feels platonic, like the door to whatever could have been between you two is finally closed. 

Atlas was the past. Jake is the future, if he ever lets himself amount to that.

Jake pushes your body away from his, holding you an arms length away tightly by the hand before twirling you into back him and dipping you low to the floor.

A burst of laughter escapes you just before Penny rings the final call bell.

——

Prepping for your next assignment goes about as well as prepping for an assignment you know you’re going to be flying with your ex can go. You’re a little rattled to hear that the assignment will be flown with only two daggers; you, Atlas, and his WSO, Cujo. 

Yes, that’s right, his WSO’s callsign is Cujo. And when you meet him, you can completely understand why - the man is frightening. You never knew Atlas was assigned a new WSO. His old partner was quiet but unbelievably talented and they blended well together because he didn’t have a strong personality to clash with Atlases. Atlas liked submission, Atlas liked always being on top (in more ways than one). You have no idea how Cujo and Atlas can stand each other.

The first day is spent going over schematics, understanding the missions purpose and its parameters. It's safe to say that you, Atlas, and Cujo don’t do much talking let alone flying. You can’t say that you’re unhappy that you weren’t given free time to chit chat with either of them. Again, because ... Cujo. And because during your last talk with Atlas, he’d kept the conversation very casual with mainly surface level questions about how your lives had been since graduation and swapping old memories that had you chocking on your drinks with laughter.

He didn’t dare dip down into the nature of your split and what it meant to be flying together again and you didn’t press it. He won’t be staying in Fightertown after this assignment, there’s no need to open old wounds that took years to heal when you can forget they ever existed in couple days time. 

Atlas does not need to know that he has the emotional capability of a college frat boy and you do not need to know why you weren’t good enough to be loved by him. Ignorance is bliss.

Flight sims had been going well too, up until Mav decided to join in on the fun and imitate unexpected enemy aircraft. Then the bandaid you and Atlas slapped over your past was quickly torn off. 

“Holy shit! He just came out no where!” Cujo spun around in his seat, trying to spot Mavs F-18. 

“Talk to me, Sting. What do you see?” Atlas barked over the comms as you had just managed to turn your jet around to get a better look.

“He’s right on your ass, you got to move!” You pulled up hard, hoping to get a tail on Mav before he obliterated your partners. 

“Communicate, everyone. Come on, how are you going to get me off of him, Stinger?” Mavs voice crackled in your headset as you pressed to catch up.

“Atlas, break left hard and I’ll pull up and over him.”

“No way am I letting him in my blindspot.”

“But I-“

“Watch out!” Cujo broke up the back and forth when Mav did exactly what you instructed Atlas to do. With ease, he pulled up on the jet and let it course backwards over yours before bringing her back down with a direct lane to hit you.

“Shit!” With a last ditch effort, you nose dive, feeling the surge of gravity crush you back against the seat. It was no use, Mav was too quick in predicting your next moves and within seconds, he had you in lock. 

“Don’t worry, Stinger. Not every pilot can pull off a move like that.” Atlas spoke as you settled back up to an appropriate height.

“Where the hell were you after he got on my tail?” 

“I was trying to get in position-“

“And why didn’t you listen when I told you how to dodge Maverick?”

“That would have gotten us killed.”

“It wouldn’t have, actually.” 

“Look, just trust me on this one. It’s clear you don’t have as much experience-“

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“It means you’re not ready for something like this!”

The words SCREW YOU were half way out of your mouth when Mav cut you off, “That’s enough! Head back to base, we’ll continue this tomorrow after you both figure your shit out.”

After jumping down from your plane practically before it stopped moving on the tarmac, you storm into the base and to the locker rooms. You’re shaking with anger, unkept, wild anger that you haven’t felt in years, an anger that no one besides Atlas has the power to resurrect from you.

Atlas is not mean nor is he a bad pilot but, he can be demeaning and a shitty teammate. As much as you try to shake off his snarky comments or the way he seems to want to do the exact opposite of what you suggest as his wingman, you can feel it picking away at you, at this wall you’ve built around you and your confidence as a pilot since you left Top Gun. He brings back this part of yourself that’s so insecure, so afraid to make one wrong move, that everything ends up going wrong anyway.

You haven’t been that kind of pilot in years, one who cowers and backs away from a fight. You’ve been growing and improving and had you returned to Top Gun now, you would graduate first in your class. But now Atlas’s stupidly hot face shows up and suddenly you’re mediocre and okay with it because he’s there feeding you these little backhanded comments.

‘Don’t worry, Stinger. Not every pilot can pull off a move like that.’

You have pulled off moves like that, much harder ones too. Yet he acts like he knows you, like you’re still that pilot helplessly in love and desperate for his attention.

With half-hearted effort, you toss your hemet across the locker room, only slightly wishing the locker it connected with to radiate a loud bag was Atlas’s stupidly hot face. Why did he have to show up? Why him of all people? You want this assignment, need this assignment, so you can prove yourself to leadership even more. 

“What’d that locker ever do to you?” Jakes voice usually eases the tension in your body but today, it holds no such effect. You’re as stiff as ever when he comes walking into the locker room. 

“Not in the mood.” You grunt, bending down to pick up the discarded helmet.

“I heard training was rocky today.” Jake takes a seat on one of the benches in the middle of the room and pats the open spot next to him. But his words send a fresh, white hot surge of anger ripping through you. 

“Oh yeah? Who’d you hear that from?” Your mind immediately conjures a picture of Atlas strolling around the base with a smile, searching for a replacement wingman. He’d ask, ‘Hey, anyone know where I can find a stable pilot around here to fly with?’ That dickhead.

“Mav may have mentioned that Atlas was getting under your skin a bit.”

“He is not!’ You raise your voice then clamp your jaw shut, clearly proving Mav’s point. All Jake does is raise an eyebrow. You deflate, releasing a long, shaky breath. “Okay, so, maybe he is. I don’t know why I can’t focus around him. It’s like now that he’s here, all these memories are resurfacing. Like the pilot I was when I was with him is threatening to wake up from hibernation and take control of my body.”

“You can’t let his guy tell you who you are. You know who you are. You’re a great pilot, a great partner. The Admiral pulled you for this assignment for a reason. You have just as every right to be here as he does.” Jake smiles and taps the bench next to him again. The comfort of his words has your muscles finally relaxing so you take a seat, pressing your body against his.

Jake reaches over and takes your hand in his, intertwining your fingers before asking, “What happened between you two?” You avert your gaze to your hands that he’s placed in his lap. 

“Same old, same old.” You shrug, really not wanting to get into it with Hangman of all people. You didn’t want him to see you the way Atlas did when you were together, expendable, replaceable. “We dated for a bit. It just didn’t work out, we wanted different things.” To say the least.

“Sting.” Ugh, you feel soaked with the amount of pity dripping through his tone. You don’t want pity, you’re not the same pilot, not the same woman who Atlas dropped. You’ve changed, made yourself indispensable. 

“He left, okay?” You snatch your hand back from his grasp. “He didn’t think I was worth the effort of a long distance relationship. He didn’t think I was worth anything apparently. I thought he lov-“ Your voice involuntarily cracks and you instantly shake your head. Fuck this, it doesn’t matter if Atlas didn’t love you. This isn’t about love, this is about getting the mission done.

“Hey.” Jake’s voice is gentle as he reaches to wrap an arm around you. You stand up to avoid the contact and will yourself to get it together. You can’t be crying over this, over him. But now that you’re thinking about, now that you’ve let yourself talk about it, you realize maybe you just are unloveable.

Is that why Jake hasn’t committed to you? Maybe he knew that once something better came along, a different opportunity, he’d take it without question the way Atlas did. 

“He’s an idiot for leaving you, Sting.” 

“Yeah because his loss is your gain, right?” You turn around to face him, clenching your fists at your sides. 

“Well, yeah.” Jake shrugs. “If that hadn’t happened you wouldn’t be here, with me.”

“But I’m not. With you.” You watch him drop his head down and release a sigh before standing up.

“Are we really going to do this now?” 

“I’m sorry to inconvenience you, Lieutenant. But it seems every time the mere idea of this conversation arises, you run away.” He visibly flinches at your words but, you can’t find the effort to care. You’ve been steamrolled with this idea that no matter how much of yourself you give, no matter how much you change, you’ll never be enough for the people you love.

“That’s not-“

“It is what happens! I get it! I get that I’m not worthy of you or anyones commitment, that I’m not good enough for someone to settle for but for the love of God, will someone just finally come out and say it?” 

“Y/N.”

“Is uh, everything okay in here?” You look over Jake’s shoulder and see a hovering Atlas in the doorway, still in his g-suit, looking like he’s ready to pounce on Jake should you ask him to. You let your eyes find their way back to Jakes and see him unfazed by the new presence in the room. He’s staring at you so deeply that you can feel him in your soul, roaming around, searching for something inside there. 

“Yes.” You croak out. “Everything’s fine.” 

“O-kay. Can I borrow you for a minute then?” That seems to wake Jake up from his stupor. He turns around with his hands on his hips.

“Now’s not the time, buddy.”

“But, I-“

“No, it’s fine.” You cut Atlas off. “We do need to talk.” Because there’s still a mission we need to fly together. You brush past Hangman, your shoulders briefly connecting before you hear him call your name like a plea.

You gesture for Atlas to lead the way and don’t bother to look back.

——

The sun has long set by the time you arrive home that night, the only light illuminating your way comes from yellowing street lamps and the half crescent moon. The conversation you had with Atlas has coated itself on your skin like salt water, sticky and uncomfortable. You’re eager to take a long shower to wash the day away and start fresh tomorrow.

When you pull in to see Hangman’s jeep parked in your driveway, you take a few seconds with your forehead resting on the wheel of your car before going in. How many hard conversations are allotted per day and how have you not already met that quota?

You’d given Jake a key to your place a month or so ago, telling him to make himself comfortable whenever needed and clearly, he’s taken your words to heart as he’s laying on your couch when you make it inside. For a second, you think he may have fallen asleep and almost let out a silent cheer but, his eyes crack open at the sound of the door closing behind you. 

“Hi.” He greets you, his voice hoarse and low. You bite your lip and try to shake away any thoughts that voice normally brings you. His shirt’s a bit rumpled, his hair slightly out of place from your pillows. Ugh, he looks down right cozy and you ache to cling to him but, you can’t. You’re not sure you’ll ever get to again. 

“Hi.” You lean against the island counter a good distance away from him. “What are you doing here?”

“I wanted to see you.” When you don’t reply, he sits up and clutches his hands together in front of him. “How did your talk go with Atlas?”

“Where do we begin?” Atlas released a breathy, forced chuckle from in front of you. You’d chosen to have this conversation outside despite the California sun beating down on you, causing beads of sweat to roll down the back of your neck.

“Why don’t we just cut right to it? Why’d you say those things to me up there?” 

“I didn’t mean anything by it.”

“Except that you did. What you say, those comments you make, they mean something to me, Atlas.” He ran a hand through his hair and over his face before nodding. “You always did this at Top Gun. It’s like no matter how good I am, I’m never good enough for you.”

“Stop.” He took a step closer and you clamped your mouth shut. “You were good enough, you still are. But I wanted to be better. When I saw how well you were flying before that last run with Maverick, I was jealous. You’ve clearly improved since I’ve last seen you and it made me mad.”

“Wow, thanks you asshole.” 

“I know,” he sighed “I’m the worst.” You couldn’t argue with that.

“How could you go from loving me one minute to derailing me the next?” You refused to let your voice dwindle down, it remained sturdy when you added, “How can you say I was good enough back then but leave anyway?”

“I’ve got an ego that I can’t seem to control. You really were a great pilot then and I knew you were destined to keep getting better. I told myself I couldn’t live in anyone else’s shadow, let alone the girls that I loved. To me, you were as enticing as you were terrifying. I couldn’t love you completely because I saw you in two different ways; the girl who could give me everything I wanted and the pilot who could take it all away. I made a mistake.”

“Dude,” You shuttered “you need therapy.” You held his gaze with a straight face until you saw a grin poke its way out from both corners of his lips. Before you knew it, you were both laughing, with the smoke of the past clearing, the air between you felt light.

“I am actually seeing a therapist.” Atlas said once the cackling settled down. “I want to be better, do better, for the people around me.”

“Good, Alex, I’m really glad.” You gave him a genuine smile then because you were proud of him for taking that step toward improving himself. “I know we can fly this mission together successfully. We’re a team, this isn’t a contest anymore.”

“You’re right. We can do this together. I’d be honored to fly alongside a pilot like you, Sting.”

“Well then it’s settled,” You stuck out a hand in front of him to shake “teammates.” He connected his palm with yours and gave it a good squeeze. When you expected him to pull away, he didn’t. Instead, he kept his hand locked on yours and tugged you a bit closer.

“Y/N, I really meant it when I said I made a mistake all those years ago. As much as I needed to let you go then, I wish I didn’t have to. I also meant what I said about trying to be better.” He started to move his free hand up the length of your arm, your muscles strained in response. “If you could give me another chance, one more shot, I can prove to you that we can be what were then but better. I loved you, Sting. I’m positive I could love you again.”

“He said what?!” Jakes up from the couch now, approaching you quickly with frantic eyes. “Oh man, I know I should’ve hit that guy when I had the chance.”

“Relax, Caveman.” You cross your arms in front of you, taking in the site of Jake trying to occupy his hands. You can tell he wants to reach out and touch you but doesn’t know if it’s the right time. He runs them through his hair then down his shirt, he even shoves them in his pockets before ripping them right back out.

“Jake,” you groan and capture his hands in your own “your anxiety is giving me anxiety.”

“Well, what did you tell him?” He gives you a delicate look, one etched with soft features and the vulnerability you got a hint of back at the bar.

“I told him that I couldn’t be with him. Well actually, I think I said something along the lines of ‘it’s not me, it’s you’ because that’s what I realized - I was never the problem in that relationship. I also realized I can’t hedge my own worth on what some guy thinks of me, I know I’m good enough.” 

Jake smashes you against his chest, encasing you in his arms before running both hands up and down your back soothingly, finally able to put them to good use. 

“I’m proud of you.” He breathes into your hair before giving you another squeeze. For a second, you allow your body to morph into his, to be bundled up in his warmth and his smell and his comfort. You could allow yourself to stay here forever, to be content with whatever love and lust Jake can yield to you.

But after your talk with Atlas, you know this in your bones - you want more. To be given that from Jake would be a dream but, you aren’t going to settle for someone unwilling to take that next step, to show you how much you and your future together meant to them.

With a final kiss to the neck, you pull yourself out his hold and steady yourself. You try not to let tears build but, you can already feel the prickle of them against your dry eyes and a lump form in your throat.

“I-“

“Wait.” Jake silences you easily. “Back on the base, you told me that you didn’t feel worthy of someone’s full love. I’m so happy to hear that on your own, you’ve come to the realization that the statement is the furthest thing from the truth.” Well, you didn’t really say that ... “But, I want to reiterate it, in my own words.”

“I’ve known that I love you, like fully-completely-with-ever-fiber-of-my-being love you since before we kissed in the parking lot after you almost got yourself killed. I’ve known since before you let me win that game of darts after I got my ass handed to me by Maverick. I think I’ve known since the first time you smiled at me-“

“But that was-“

“Yes, your first day on base, I know. You just radiated this kind of energy that hit me like a drug, I was getting more and more addicted to you and I didn’t even know it. Now, I know it.” He drags a hand across the skin of your cheek, caressing it gently. “I thought that maybe if we didn’t exchange those words or took this to another level, that it would hurt less when I inevitably fuck it up. But it doesn’t matter, I’m in love with you, Sting. And I want it all, regardless of how much it could hurt.” 

You press your forehead to his, hoping every emotion too powerful to put into words will seep from your brain to his so he can understand how much he means to you. “I won’t let you fuck this one up, Seresin.” The promise comes out with your lips dancing over his.

“I’ll hold to you that.” With that, Jake connects his lips fully to yours. His kisses are greedy and captivating, igniting every cell in your body on fire. He guides your arms around his neck without breaking the kiss and nips at your bottom lip as he brings you forward. The swirling need grows stronger in your stomach as his wraps an arm around your backside and pulls you down to the couch, melding your body on top of his.

He detaches his lips from yours and quickly reattaches them to your neck, sucking lightly at all the different spots he’s learned make you buck your hips and moan his name. When you gasp, he thinks it’s because his tongue has found your favorite spot but, he’s stopped short by you pushing yourself up to look down at him.

“Wait, I forgot!”

“Forgot what?”

You smile, your pupils are blown wide, cheeks beet red, lips swollen. Jake takes a mental picture of you in that moment, hoping to store it in his mind forever. Right then, he’s sure he’s never seen you look more beautiful.

“I love you, too.”

——

^ me bc this is not based on the true events of my life and is completely fiction