#but I'll fix it the next time I draw him I swear

[jade-muffins]

Hi Punch Out fandom

Y'all funny as hell

I uh, have this?

Og post here

I thought it'd fit well lol

[theetherealbloom]

Don't Stop Talking To Me, And Maybe Stay Here Forever

Summary: You join Pedro Pascal in Morocco while he’s filming Gladiator 2. Between the beauty of the Moroccan landscape, the two of you share intimate moments, from quiet rooftop dinners to playful photo-taking and teasing with the cast.

Or… “I'll hold you, I'll know you. I'll never leave out the back door. And I'd love to complete you, hope you get all you could ask for.”

I just read your latest pedro fic it was the BEST DAMN THING i’ve ever read, my heart is going to burst out of my chest from all the butterflies 🦋🫠❤️ will you write more for pedro? perhaps his gf could visit him in marocco or something while he’s filming gladiator and to meet everyone from set and maybe have some alone quality time? :3 just a suggestion 😌 anyways have a lovely dayyy ^^ — anon

Paring: Pedro Pascal x F!Reader

Warnings: Established Relationship, Age-Gap(ish), TOOTH-ROTTING FLUFF, Slight Angst, Swearing, Anxiety, Cheesy Dialogue, Cuddling, Romance, Kissing, Real People Fiction, Cameras, Social Media, Embarrassment, Teasing, Shower, Slight Nudity, Make Out Session, Celebrities

Word Count: 5.7k

A/N: Okay, so, we’ve all seen the photo dumps!??!! Yes! GREAT! I haven’t watched Gladiator 2 cause it isn’t out yet in my country, so there’ll be no spoilers here mhmhmhmhm. I’m just gonna make stuff up based on the pictures Pedro posted on his Instagram lol. And again, this is all made-up, fictional, self-indulgent vibes so pls no one come after me ahhhhhh T^T

Also lowkey, I can see multiple parts to this so… stay tuned.

Side note: I’m dyslexic and English isn’t my first language! So I apologize in advance for the spelling and/or grammatical errors. As always, reblogs, comments, and likes are always appreciated. Thank you and happy reading!

Songs: Packing It Up by Gracie Abrams, this is how you fall in love by Jeremy Zucker and Chelsea Cutler

gif by @a7estrellas

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OUARZAZATE, MOROCCO — DAY

The warm Moroccan breeze kissed your skin as you stepped onto the bustling set of Gladiator 2. Pedro’s laughter echoed from somewhere nearby, his distinct voice easy to pick out over the hum of activity. Your heart swelled just hearing it. He was always magnetic, but here—working, immersed in a world of creativity and camaraderie—he was luminous.  

You adjusted your sunglasses, feeling both excited and slightly anxious. Meeting Pedro’s castmates felt like stepping into his other life, one where you weren’t the center of his world but a welcome visitor orbiting it. He’d reassured you endlessly. “They’ll love you. I mean, how could they not?” But still, nerves lingered.  

“Mi amor!” Pedro’s voice cut through your thoughts. He emerged from behind a cluster of tents, his smile so wide it could eclipse the Moroccan sun.  

“Hey, stranger.” You grinned, letting him sweep you into a tight hug.  

He pulled back just enough to press a kiss to your forehead, his arms still firmly around your waist. “You made it,” he whispered, his lips brushing your temple.  

“Of course, I made it,” you teased, tilting your head to look up at him. “I missed you too much to stay away.”  

The day unfolded in bursts of joy.  

Pedro introduced you to Coco Ullrich, Paul Mescal, and the rest of the cast. Everyone was warm and welcoming, their teasing camaraderie quickly drawing you in. Pedro stayed close, his hand finding yours at every opportunity, like he couldn’t stand to be too far away.  

Later, you found yourself perched on a stool in the makeup trailer, Pedro sitting cross-legged on the floor in front of you. “Hold still,” you said, trying to fix his disheveled hair.  

Coco stood nearby, laughing as Pedro playfully swatted at your hands. “I’m serious, guapo! You’ll go out there looking like you just rolled out of bed.”  

“Maybe I did roll out of bed,” he quipped, grinning.  

You raised an eyebrow. “You didn’t, but if you keep squirming, I’m going to make sure you look like it.”  

Coco shook her head, still laughing. “I don’t know how you put up with him.”  

“I have my ways,” you said, giving Pedro a mock glare.  

Pedro leaned closer, his eyes softening. “You’re lucky I love you,” he murmured, his lips brushing yours before you could stop him.  

“Pedro!” you protested, laughing as he pulled you into a full kiss, distracting you from your task.  

“Hopeless,” Coco muttered, snapping a quick photo of the moment.  

OUARZAZATE, MOROCCO — SUNSET

The Moroccan sunset painted the sky in hues of gold and rose as you, Pedro, and the cast settled onto the soft blankets laid out for an impromptu picnic. The sprawling desert seemed to stretch infinitely, its serene stillness a striking contrast to the chaotic energy of the set. A light breeze rustled through the palm trees in the distance, carrying the faint sound of laughter and the clinking of glasses.

Pedro sat behind you, his arms comfortably wrapped around your waist as you leaned back into his chest. His fingertips absentmindedly traced small, lazy circles on your bare skin where your shirt had ridden up slightly. It was a touch that grounded you, soothing and sweet, and yet it made your heart ache with affection.

“This is perfect,” you murmured, your voice barely above a whisper, as if saying it louder might shatter the fragile beauty of the moment.

Pedro leaned closer, his lips brushing your ear. “No, you’re perfect,” he said softly, his voice laced with adoration.

You turned your head to look at him, catching the warmth in his gaze. He looked at you like you hung the very stars above, and your cheeks flushed. “Cheesy,” you teased, though you couldn’t keep the smile off your face.

“Honest,” he countered, leaning down to press his forehead against yours. His nose nudged yours affectionately, and for a moment, the world narrowed to just the two of you.

Paul Mescal, lounging nearby with a bottle of something cold in his hand, cleared his throat dramatically. “Alright, lovebirds, can you save the smoldering for the cameras? Some of us are trying to enjoy the sunset without third-wheeling your Notebook audition.”

Coco Ullrich snorted from her spot on the blanket, where she was busy assembling a makeshift charcuterie board. “Please, Paul, don’t act like you’re not taking notes for your own love scenes.”

Paul shot her a deadpan look. “What’s there to take notes on? I’m already perfect.”

“Debatable,” Coco quipped, popping a grape into her mouth and grinning.  

Pedro chuckled, his chest rumbling against your back. “Paul, don’t be jealous. You already found someone who tolerates you.”  

“Oh, I’m not jealous,” Paul said, gesturing between you and Pedro. “I’m inspired. The level of clinginess you two have achieved—it’s an art form.”  

“Clinginess?” you repeated, raising an eyebrow.  

“Yes, clinginess,” Paul said, smirking. “He hasn’t let go of you since you got here. It’s like watching a koala in human form.”

Coco leaned in conspiratorially. “Do you think he’d survive a day without her?”  

“Doubtful,” Paul replied, his tone grave.  

Pedro shook his head, his arms tightening around you playfully. “Let them joke,” he said into your ear, his voice a low murmur. “They’re just bitter they don’t have their partners to hold them while they complain about the heat.”  

You turned your head slightly to whisper back, “I think they’re projecting.”  

Pedro laughed, loud and unabashed, and the sound sent warmth flooding through you.  

“Alright, enough roasting Pedro,” Coco said, waving her hands. “Let’s focus on the important stuff—like this cheese board I’m absolutely nailing.”

“Coco, you put a block of cheese next to some crackers,” Paul pointed out.  

“And yet, it’s still better than anything you’ve contributed,” she shot back.

You couldn’t help but laugh as they continued to bicker, the dynamic between the cast a perfect blend of teasing and genuine affection. It felt good to be a part of this world for a little while, to see Pedro in his element and to share these small, beautiful moments with the people who meant so much to him.  

As the sun dipped lower, painting the sky with deeper hues of crimson and violet, Pedro shifted slightly behind you, pressing a kiss to the top of your head. “You doing okay, sweetheart?” he asked softly, his voice meant just for you.

“I’m better than okay,” you said, turning your face to his. “This is one of those moments I’ll never forget.”

“Same,” he replied, his eyes searching yours. “But mostly because you’re here.”

Paul groaned from across the blanket. “Seriously, someone hand me a bucket. I can’t handle this level of sap.”

“You’re just missing Gracie,” Coco teased, tossing a cracker at Paul with a sly grin.  

Paul caught it mid-air with a dramatic flourish. “She’s the love of my life, thank you very much. I’m thriving, just long-distance thriving.” His wide smile softened slightly, a dreamy look crossing his face.  

Pedro chuckled, resting his chin on your shoulder as he held you closer. “See, even Paul can be romantic. It’s not just us being disgustingly in love.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Paul said, waving him off, though the grin never left his face. “But you two are setting the bar impossibly high. Stop making the rest of us look bad.”

Coco shook her head with mock exasperation. “Let’s face it, no one can compete with Pedro’s clingy koala act.”  

“Hey, it’s not clingy if it’s mutual,” you chimed in, leaning back into Pedro’s embrace.  

“Exactly!” Pedro said, kissing the side of your neck for emphasis. “This is just... efficient affection.”  

“Efficient affection?” Coco repeated, laughing so hard she nearly knocked over the cheese board. “That’s the worst excuse I’ve ever heard.”

Pedro shrugged, utterly unbothered, his lips brushing your temple as he murmured, “Don’t let them ruin this for us.”

“I wouldn’t dream of it,” you whispered back, tilting your head to press a soft kiss to his jaw.  

The first stars began to dot the darkening sky, their glow faint but steady against the fading hues of gold and rose. The laughter of the group blended with the soothing whisper of the desert breeze, wrapping the evening in a cocoon of warmth and love.

You let out a contented sigh, your fingers intertwining with Pedro’s. These moments—filled with jokes, tenderness, and the quiet magic of a Moroccan sunset—were the kind you knew you’d carry with you forever.

THE NEXT DAY

OUARZAZATE, MOROCCO – AFTERNOON  

The afternoon sun hung low in the sky, casting warm golden light over the sprawling desert set. The faint hum of activity outside the large tent provided a calming backdrop as you and Pedro sat together, stealing a moment away from the chaos of production.  

Pedro’s lap had become your designated resting place, his arms wrapped snugly around your waist as you leaned into him. You had been quietly chatting about the day—how stunning the desert looked on camera, how Paul had stolen one of Coco’s snacks during a break—when the warmth of the afternoon began to lull you both into sleep.  

His hand moved lazily up and down your back, the motion soothing as his voice grew quieter, more relaxed. “You know,” he murmured, his lips brushing against your temple, “this might be my favorite part of the day.”  

“Falling asleep during work?” you teased, your voice soft and playful.  

“Falling asleep with you,” he corrected, his smile audible in his words.  

It wasn’t long before exhaustion claimed you both, your head tucked under his chin and his cheek resting against your hair. The quiet hum of the tent became a comforting cocoon, and time seemed to stretch and blur.  

The sound of muffled laughter stirred you from sleep, pulling you out of the warm haze. You blinked against the light, realizing you were still tucked into Pedro’s chest, his arms holding you close even as he began to wake.  

“Don’t move,” a familiar voice called. You turned your head to see Paul Mescal standing a few feet away, phone in hand, his grin wide and mischievous.  

Next to him, Coco Ullrich smirked as she aimed her phone at the two of you. “We’re documenting history here. You’ll thank us later.”  

Pedro stirred, squinting at them through his grogginess. “Seriously?” His voice was raspy, a mix of sleep and disbelief.  

Paul shrugged, grinning even wider as he showed Pedro the photo. “We couldn’t resist. Look at this. It’s like a promo poster for the most annoyingly sweet rom-com ever.”  

Pedro glanced at the photo, then at you, and laughed softly. “We should use that for the holiday cards this year.”  

You groaned, burying your face in his chest. “This is so embarrassing. They’re never going to let us live this down.”  

Coco laughed, flipping through her photos. “Oh, it’s way too late for that. I’m sending this to the group chat and the PR team. They’ll love it.”  

“Please don’t,” you pleaded, your voice muffled against Pedro’s shirt.  

Paul tilted his head dramatically. “Why not? It’s just a little fun. Besides, you two are giving us all cavities with how sweet you are. We’re suffering.”  

Pedro smirked, holding you a little tighter. “You’re suffering? Sounds like a personal problem.”  

“Alright, alright, enough!” A gravelly voice interrupted, and you looked up to see Ridley Scott standing at the edge of the tent. His hands were on his hips, but the amused twinkle in his eye gave him away.  

“Ridley,” you started, your cheeks flushing with heat. “I’m so sorry—”  

He held up a hand to stop you, his smirk growing. “Don’t apologize. If anything, I should thank you. Pedro’s been suspiciously well-behaved since you arrived. But,” he added with a pointed glance at Pedro, “if this keeps up, we’ll have to rename the film The Gladiator and the Muse. Production’s going to take twice as long.”  

The crew burst into laughter, and you buried your face back in Pedro’s chest, groaning. “This is officially the most embarrassing moment of my life.”  

Pedro chuckled, his hand brushing gently over your back. “Embarrassing? Nah. You’re the best thing about being here.”  

You peeked up at him, your cheeks still warm, and saw the sincerity in his eyes. “You mean that?”  

“Every word,” he said, his voice soft. “You make everything easier, better… you make it all worth it.”  

Your heart swelled, and a small smile broke through your embarrassment. “Okay,” you whispered. “I’ll try to believe you.”  

“Believe me,” he said, leaning down to press a kiss to your forehead.  

Paul groaned, breaking the tender moment. “Someone get a camera crew. We’re turning this into a reality show. Lovebirds in the Desert.”  

Pedro laughed, finally standing and pulling you to your feet. “Careful, Paul. You might not survive the sequel.”  

Ridley clapped his hands, his voice carrying over the lingering laughter. “Alright, lovebirds, enough stalling. Let’s get back to work! Pedro, we’ve got a fight scene to shoot.”  

Pedro gave you one last reassuring smile before winking. “Don’t go far. I’ll need more luck soon.”  

You nodded, watching him head back to set, and felt a sense of warmth that no amount of teasing could dampen. As you stepped out of the tent, the desert sun shining overhead, you knew this moment—this strange, beautiful mix of chaos and love—was one you’d carry with you forever.

OUARZAZATE, MOROCCO – EVENING  

The rooftop restaurant was like something out of a dream. Lanterns hung delicately from wrought iron fixtures, casting warm, flickering light over the table as the sun dipped below the horizon. The air was cool but pleasant, carrying the faint scent of jasmine from a nearby garden. Below, the city of Marrakech stretched out in an intricate maze of rooftops and twinkling lights, the hum of life soft and distant.  

Pedro had arranged everything, from the secluded corner table to the small vase of your favorite flowers waiting when you arrived. He always had a way of making even the simplest moments feel like magic.  

“Look at this view,” you murmured, leaning against the wrought iron railing as the sky turned from gold to a deep, dusky pink.  

Pedro stood close behind you, his hand resting gently on the small of your back. “The view’s got nothing on you,” he said softly, the teasing lilt in his voice balanced by the sincerity in his eyes.  

You laughed, shaking your head as you turned to face him. ���That’s a terrible line.”  

“Maybe,” he admitted, grinning as he pulled out his phone. “But it’s true. Hold still.”  

Before you could protest, he snapped a photo, catching you mid-laugh as you tried to dodge the camera. “Pedro!” you groaned, your cheeks warming.  

He chuckled, looking at the photo with a self-satisfied smile. “Perfect. Might frame this one.”  

“Stop it,” you said, trying to grab the phone from him, but he held it out of reach, his grin only widening.  

“Never,” he replied, his free hand reaching across the table to take yours. His thumb brushed over your knuckles, and his gaze softened. “You’re the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.”  

Your stomach fluttered at the way he said it—no teasing this time, just quiet, earnest affection.  

“Now you’re just being unfair,” you muttered, trying to hide your blush.  

Pedro leaned forward, his head tilting slightly as if to study you closer. “Not unfair. Just honest.”  

You rolled your eyes playfully, but your heart was pounding. In a bid to regain some ground, you grabbed your own phone and quickly snapped a picture of him just as he brought your hand to his lips. The resulting photo was unfairly good—his lashes long, the lantern light catching the gold in his eyes, the softness in his expression making your chest ache.  

“Got you,” you said triumphantly, holding up the phone.  

Pedro laughed, his thumb brushing over your knuckles again as he met your gaze. “Now we’re even?”  

“Now we’re even,” you confirmed, though your grin gave away how smug you felt.  

The waiter arrived with dessert just then—a delicate plate of Moroccan pastries accompanied by a small bowl of honey and almonds. You both leaned forward at the same time, reaching for the same pastry, and burst into laughter when your fingers brushed.  

“Go ahead,” Pedro said, gesturing gallantly.  

“Such a gentleman,” you teased, breaking off a piece of the pastry and dipping it into the honey. You held it up to his lips, your pulse skipping when he leaned in without hesitation.  

“Delicious,” he said, his voice low and warm. “But I think it tastes better coming from you.”  

“You’re impossible,” you muttered, trying to suppress a smile as you took a bite yourself. The flaky pastry melted on your tongue, its sweetness perfectly balanced by the honey.  

As you shared the dessert, your conversation drifted from playful teasing to the little things that filled your days. Pedro told you about a funny moment on set earlier when Paul had forgotten his lines and improvised something so absurd even Ridley couldn’t stop laughing.  

“And then,” Pedro continued, his grin infectious, “he tried to blame me, saying my face was too distracting.”  

“Well, he’s not wrong,” you teased, earning a dramatic roll of Pedro’s eyes.  

“Oh, so now you’re on his side?”  

“I’m on the side of the truth,” you said, popping an almond into your mouth.  

Pedro chuckled, shaking his head. “I don’t know what I’d do without you.”  

Your smile softened, and you leaned your chin on your hand as you looked at him. “Probably still charming everyone who crosses your path.”  

“Not like this,” he said, his tone suddenly serious. He reached across the table again, his fingers lacing with yours. “You make everything better. You make me better.”  

Your throat tightened at the rawness in his voice, and for a moment, all you could do was stare at him, his words settling deep in your chest.  

“You do the same for me,” you said quietly.  

The soft music playing in the background faded into the hum of the city as the two of you sat there, the world narrowing to just this moment. Pedro brought your hand to his lips again, pressing a kiss to your knuckles before resting your joined hands on the table.  

As the night stretched on, the two of you continued to talk about everything and nothing—your favorite childhood memories, the places you wanted to visit together, the little quirks you loved about each other.  

When it was time to leave, Pedro stood and extended a hand to help you up. “One last picture before we go?” he asked, his phone already in hand.  

You nodded, letting him pull you into his side. The lanterns glowed softly behind you as he kissed your cheek just as the camera clicked.  

Looking at the photo, you smiled. It was perfect—just like this night, just like him. 

L’HÔTEL MARRAKECH, MOROCCO – EVENING

The golden hues of the evening sun had long faded, leaving the hotel suite illuminated only by the soft glow of warm, ambient lighting. Laughter filled the room, bubbling up between stolen glances and playful teasing. Pedro leaned against the edge of the plush sofa, his hand resting casually on his hip as you doubled over with giggles at another one of his overly dramatic impressions. 

“I’m just saying,” he said with a grin, holding up his hands in mock innocence. “If anyone here is getting an Oscar for Most Entertaining Human, it’s me.”

You rolled your eyes, swatting at him lightly. “You? Entertaining? Please. You’re just lucky I think you’re cute.”

“Just cute?” he teased, his voice dropping into a low, mock-hurt murmur. He stepped closer, tilting his head. “That’s disappointing.”

And just like that, with no warning, he took your hand and spun you gently into his arms. There was no music, no sound but the faint rustle of the curtains and the muted hum of life outside your window. But to Pedro, there was no need for anything more. 

“Dance with me,” he whispered, his voice barely above a breath, pulling you flush against him.

“Pedro,” you started to protest, but the way he was looking at you—so earnest, so unguarded—stole the words from your lips. He rested his forehead against yours, his arms wrapping around you like he was afraid to let go. 

“You are the reason I can breathe,” he murmured. His voice cracked slightly, raw and unfiltered. “The reason I can survive.”

Your chest tightened, and your hands gripped the soft cotton of his shirt as you closed your eyes. Slowly, the two of you began to sway, side to side, as if the universe itself had orchestrated this silent melody just for you.

“Pedro,” you whispered, tears threatening to spill as the weight of his words sank deep into your soul. “You don’t have to—”

“Shh.” He cut you off gently, his lips brushing the crown of your head. “I want to. You’re my safe place.”

Together, you moved as one, the world outside forgotten. The phones were switched off, the curtains drawn, and for a moment, it felt like time had ceased to exist. All that mattered was this—his arms around you, your head resting on his chest, and the way his heartbeat felt steady and strong beneath your cheek.

“What’s easy is right,” you whispered suddenly, echoing words your mother had once said. The truth of it struck you in that moment, how being with Pedro never felt like a choice—it was instinct. Like breathing. Like coming home. 

Pedro smiled, his hand brushing a strand of hair from your face. “What’s easy is right,” he repeated softly. “Then I guess it’s easy to know... I’m going to love you forever.”

You laughed softly, though the lump in your throat made it difficult. “Forever’s a long time.”

He tilted your chin up, his warm, brown eyes crinkling at the corners with a quiet joy. “Not nearly long enough,” he said, his voice a low promise. “You’ll be my best friend until we’re old and gray. And even then, I’ll still love you.”

There was something in the way he said it—so simple, so sure—that your knees nearly gave out. But as always, Pedro was there, holding you steady, keeping you close. 

This is how you fall in love, you realized. Not in a blaze of fireworks, but in the quiet moments where you let go and they hold you up. 

“Do you know what you’ve done to me?” Pedro said after a long silence, his voice filled with wonder. “You make my stomach ache with hope. You make my hands stop shaking. I wake up smiling now, and it’s because of you.”

You bit your lip, your fingers tracing lazy patterns across his chest. “Pedro…”

“No, listen to me,” he insisted, his thumb brushing against your cheek. “Love isn’t supposed to be heavy. It’s not supposed to hurt. It’s supposed to be this. Us. A safe place. A hand to hold through every storm.”

His words broke something open inside you, and you nodded, letting the tears spill over. “You’re my safe place too,” you whispered. “You make me believe I deserve this.”

Pedro pulled you closer, resting his chin on the top of your head as he swayed you gently. “You deserve everything,” he murmured. “Every laugh, every sunrise, every stupid little joke I’ll tell for the next fifty years.”

You both laughed softly, the sound mingling with the quiet hum of the room. The world outside could wait. For now, all that mattered was this moment—this love that was soft, steady, and unshakable.

Right from your hips to your cuticles, you were everything to him, and he was everything to you. Wherever you both went, it was heaven. And neither of you ever wanted to leave. 

Steam filled the bathroom, the warmth clinging to the mirrors and wrapping around the two of you like a soft cocoon. Pedro stood under the cascade of water, droplets running down his broad shoulders and soaking his messy curls. His eyes flicked toward you, a tender smile tugging at his lips as you stepped closer, your fingers gently reaching for the shampoo bottle.  

“Turn around,” you said softly, motioning for him to face away from you.  

“Yes, ma’am,” he teased, though there was a hint of shyness in his voice as he obeyed.  

You lathered the shampoo between your hands, your touch careful and affectionate as you worked it into his hair. His curls were soft and damp beneath your fingers, the grays glinting like silver in the dim light.  

“I love your hair,” you murmured, your voice reverent.  

Pedro let out a small, self-deprecating chuckle, tilting his head back slightly. “The gray makes me look old.”  

You paused, your hands stilling in his hair as you leaned around to catch his gaze. “Stop that. It doesn’t make you look old; it makes you look distinguished. And I happen to love every single one of these.” You tugged playfully at a curl for emphasis.  

He gave you a sheepish look, his lips twitching as he fought back a pout. “You’re just saying that because you’re stuck with me.”  

“Stuck with you?” you repeated, feigning outrage. “Oh, no, Pedro. I chose you—gray hair and all. And I’d choose you again. Every single day.”  

His pout softened into a smile, one so genuine it made your chest ache. “You’re too good to me,” he murmured, leaning in to press a kiss to your temple.  

“And you deserve it,” you countered firmly, finishing his hair with a rinse.  

When it was your turn, Pedro insisted on returning the favor, his hands gentle as he massaged the conditioner into your hair. His touch lingered, his fingers tracing the nape of your neck as he marveled at you.  

“You’re so beautiful,” he whispered, his voice thick with sincerity.  

“Even covered in soap?” you teased, feeling heat creep up your cheeks.  

“Especially covered in soap,” he replied, leaning down to steal a kiss.  

The shower ended with a flurry of soft laughter and playful splashes, the two of you wrapped in towels as you padded into the bedroom. Pedro pulled on a pair of boxers while you slipped into one of his oversized shirts, the hem brushing the tops of your thighs.  

The two of you slipped into bed, the soft glow of the bedside lamp casting a warm, golden light over the room. The air smelled faintly of the lavender lotion you’d rubbed on your hands, mingling with the subtle hint of Pedro’s cologne that still lingered on his skin. He had one arm draped lazily over your waist, his other hand holding a book he’d claimed to be interested in, though his wandering eyes betrayed him.

A book rested in your lap, too, but you’d long given up on reading. Instead, you could feel his gaze flickering to you, watching you more than the words on his page. It was endearing, the way he thought you wouldn’t notice, how he never grew tired of studying you like he’d never quite figure you out.  

“You’re not reading,” you finally accused, peeking at him over the edge of your book.  

Pedro grinned, unabashed. He set his book down on the nightstand and scooted closer, leaning his head on the pillow beside you. “Can you blame me?” he said, his voice soft and teasing. His hand reached up to tuck a stray strand of hair behind your ear, his knuckles grazing your cheek. “I’ve got the most beautiful view right here.”  

You rolled your eyes, trying to fight the warmth rising in your cheeks, but the smile that stretched across your lips betrayed you. “You’re ridiculous,” you murmured, nudging him lightly with your elbow.  

“And yet, you love me,” he replied with mock arrogance, leaning back against the headboard with a self-satisfied smirk.  

“Unfortunately for me,” you quipped, though your tone was dripping with affection.  

Pedro’s laugh filled the room, low and warm, wrapping around you like a blanket. You settled back into your spot, his arm tightening slightly around your waist, anchoring you to him. For a while, there was only the sound of pages turning and the occasional creak of the bed as one of you shifted.  

Eventually, the books were forgotten, abandoned on the nightstand as the room grew darker, the soft click of the lamp switch plunging you into the comforting glow of moonlight spilling through the curtains.  

Lying side by side, your head resting on Pedro’s chest, you let your fingers trace lazy patterns along the bare skin of his arm. But your mind wouldn’t quiet, and as the minutes stretched on, the thoughts bubbling inside you demanded to be voiced.  

“Okay, but really,” you began, your voice breaking the comfortable silence. “Why is ‘llama’ spelled with two L’s? Wouldn’t one be enough? It’s not like we say ‘Llama-la.’”  

Pedro let out a soft laugh, the sound rumbling through his chest beneath your cheek. He tilted his head down to look at you, his lips quirking into a smile. “Mi amor, I adore you, but it’s almost midnight. Go to sleep.”  

“I can’t until I solve this mystery,” you said with mock determination, lifting your head to look at him.  

He sighed dramatically, feigning exasperation. “Fine. Maybe the second ‘L’ is there to confuse aliens.”  

You gasped, sitting up slightly. “That makes so much sense! Like, imagine aliens judging us for eating cereal with milk.”  

Pedro chuckled again, his arm tightening around you to keep you close. “Cereal with milk is sacred,” he said, his voice heavy with playful conviction. “If aliens have an issue with that, I’ll fight them myself.”  

You grinned, turning to prop yourself up on your elbow so you could face him fully. “Okay, serious question. If you could ask someone anything and be guaranteed the truth, who would it be?”  

Pedro cracked one eye open, his other hand lazily resting on your hip. “I’d ask you why you’re so determined to keep me awake,” he deadpanned, his lips twitching with a suppressed smile.  

You laughed, nudging him with your elbow. “I’m serious!”  

“Alright, alright,” he relented, the mirth in his eyes softening as he considered your question. “I’d ask my third-grade teacher if she really lost my homework or if she just didn’t like me.”  

You burst out laughing, the sound muffled by the way you buried your face into his chest. “That’s what you’d waste your question on?”  

“Don’t judge me,” he said with mock indignation, his fingers trailing absent patterns on your back. “It’s haunted me for years.”  

Your laughter subsided into a warm giggle as you tilted your head up to look at him. “Fine. My turn. I’d ask my mom if she’s proud of me. Like… really proud. Not just the ‘I’m your mom, so I have to say it’ kind of proud.”  

Pedro’s hand stilled on your back, his gaze softening as he leaned down to press a kiss to your forehead. ���She’s proud of you, baby,” he murmured against your skin. “And so am I. Always.”  

The weight of his words wrapped around your heart, a comforting balm that eased the ache of self-doubt. You nuzzled closer, your fingers curling around his as you let the quiet stretch between you for a moment.  

Moments later, you broke the silence again, your voice a whisper in the dark. “When I was little, I thought my toys came alive when I wasn’t looking. Like Toy Story. Honestly, I still kinda think they do.”  

Pedro let out a deep laugh, his chest shaking beneath you as he pulled you even closer. “I wouldn’t put it past them,” he said, his voice warm with amusement. “Your stuffed bunny? Definitely a troublemaker.”  

You giggled, your heart feeling impossibly light as his hand returned to its slow, soothing patterns on your back.  

The conversation drifted into comfortable nonsense, the kind of midnight musings that didn’t need to make sense but brought a certain kind of intimacy only shared in the quiet hours of the night.  

Finally, as your eyelids grew heavy and your words faded into murmurs, Pedro pressed a lingering kiss to your temple. “Goodnight, mi amor,” he whispered, his voice soft and steady.  

In his arms, with the world outside forgotten, you felt safe. Loved. His heartbeat was the only rhythm you needed as you drifted into sleep, a love like no other holding you steady through the night.

[brainddeadd]

quinn’s gf coming to the lake house for the first time and coming a bit later than everyone else, quinn has been grumpier than usual and than he gets his gf and he’s so much happier

Quinn is pouting.

At least.. that's what Jack told Petey, who told Brock who told you.

"He's being pathetic. Tell her to hurry up." Are the exact words Jack used. Brock felt it was important that you knew exactly the type of bullying Quinn was being subjected to in your absence.

Luke was much more direct, sending you a message that simply said: "come fix him" followed by a picture of Quinn sitting outside, alone, shoulders hunched forwards, phone in hand.

This leads to where you are now: sitting in the airport waiting for Jack to come and pick you up to take you back to the lake house three days ahead of schedule.

"He's really missed you," Jack doesn't wait for you to settle into your seat. "And not in a 'heh, what a loser' kinda way. In a 'I think he'd leave if he had to spend another day without you' kinda way."

Looking over at the boy, you scrunch your eyebrows in confusion. "He wouldn't leave. He's got you guys."

"Yn," Jack sounds exasperated. "He misses you in a way I didn't know someone could miss another. In a way I cannot even begin to comprehend because I've never been in love the way he is with you. He would have left days ago if he didn't know you were coming to see him."

The rest of the drive is silent until he's pulling in the street that leads to the house.

"I missed him too." Your voice is quiet, and Jack almost misses your words. "My boss sent me home early yesterday because I was in such a bad mood. She told me to 'kiss my man or whatever I need to do' before I came back."

Jack chuckles at that. "Except you couldn't cause he was here and not there."

Nodding, he reaches over and taps your shoulder comfortingly before pulling into a parking space next to another car.

"Go see him, I'll get your bags." Rushing out a 'thank you', you're running into the house and past Trevor, who simply points out the back door.

Flinging the door open, you can see Quinn sitting down on the dock, shoulders slumped, and head hanging.

Your feet carry you quickly, and soon, your footsteps are thumping on the wooden dock, drawing Quinn's attention.

"Luke I swear-" Quinn cuts himself off when he sees it's you sprinting down the dock, barely having time to twist his body enough to catch you as you fling yourself into his arms, colliding with his body and sending Quinn toppling onto his back. His arms wind around your waist, a hand working its way into your hair as he presses you close to him, a happy sigh leaving his lips.

"What the fuck?" He doesn't dare pull away from you. "I thought you-"

"Boss let me come early. And Jack picked me up from the airport."

"Thank fuck for Jack," he pulls back just enough to capture your lips with his, body relaxing at the contact.

That night, as you're all sitting around the living room, his phone buzzes with a text from Trevor. It's a video of you running to him and your kiss on the dock and a photo of you sitting in his lap, wrapped up together in front of the bonfire from later in the evening.

[girasollake]

Hi! Can I request a smut imagine with prompt 48 and trope 8 with Theodore Nott.

She’s a slytherin too and a badass bitch who everybody wants to be or date

Thank youuu!

✧ theodore nott x fem!reader x jealousy x "you. are. mine."✧

(this request is a part of my writing event, here is the link to the masterlist of the fics i'll be publishing from said event:) )

this took longer than i expected, thank you for your request anon! x

told u guys i’d post smth… surprise!!!!

warnings: 18+ MINORS DO NOT INTERACT, p in v sex, some swear words, some slight cedric x reader, theo being bitchy ig, fingering, general sex stuff, orgasm denial, ummmmmm yeah i think that’s it

i’ll reread it later to fix mistakes cuz rn it’s 2 am where i live and i’m going to bed bye

•❅───✧❅✦❅✧───❅•

Your relationship with Theo was complicated. At least in your mind that was the most suitable word for this dynamic, you could never find anything else that would quite describe it. You were friends, that’s for sure, this was the only thing you were certain of. Some days you had found yourself tangled in his bedsheets, his soft fingers caressing your back as you lingered in his scent. But, there were also days when you didn’t speak to him at all, strolling through the halls and seeing him tug a piece of hair behind the ear of some Ravenclaw girl while simultaneously giving her his infamous smile. Even though you also flirted and went on dates with others, something inside your guts sunk down each time you saw him with a girl who was not you. And you could barely handle it. Every time you promised yourself you’ll never sleep with him again or give him your attention, you’d always end up doing the opposite. There was something about him that lured you in, it was toxic, but so divine. So, whenever his lips connected to yours in a hungry kiss, you’d forget about all of the other women he probably does this with. It was just you and him and your only thought during these moments was to stay with him like that forever.

‚-it’s not like it’s that important.’

‚Huh?’ You lifted your head and met Pansy’s annoyed face. ‚Sorry, what were you saying?’

¨What is going on with you lately?´She shook her head and sighed. ´I asked if you have a date for the ball.’ She then added.

‘Oh, well, not really.’ You shrugged.

‘Seriously? Is this about Theo again? I’ve told you multiple times that there is a fucking queue of guys just waiting for you and all you do is always go back to him.’ She huffed. ‘What about Mason? Louise? Henry? They were all head over heels for you, I don’t believe they didn’t ask you at least once.’

‘They did. I just said no.’ You mumbled and avoided her angry gaze.

SShe groaned and took a sip of her butterbeer. ‘I was not going to tell you this, but I see there is no other option.’ Pansy took a deep breath. ‘I heard the boys talking about the ball and Nott wants to take Arisa.’

You swallowed a big gulp in your throat and looked down into your drink. You expected that something like this would happen, you just didn’t think you wouldn’t be prepared to hear it.

‘’M sorry.’ She looked at your numb expression with caring eyes.

‘It’s okay Pans.’ You gave her a soft smile. ‘Maybe you’re right. Maybe it’s time to move on.’

Even though you tried to not think about him for the next few days, it was unusually hard. He was on your mind non stop, like a song playing on repeat. On top of that, everyone was talking about the upcoming event. While walking through the halls you overheard people gossiping about the pairs, discussing what they are gonna wear and you were also a witness to roughly 7 performances of the boys creatively asking their crushes to go with them.

You walked into the courtyard and took a seat on the nearest free bench. You pulled out your sketchbook in hopes to finally draw something. Truth is, you didn’t remember the last time you practiced your beloved activity, not that you didn’t have time, you just didn’t have any ideas. This time wasn’t different, you looked around and then your gaze rested on the empty page before you. You made a soft line with your pencil and stopped, it was like your hand didn’t want to listen to your mind. You groaned and closed the sketchbook to put it in your bag again. While doing this, you felt a presence in front of you. Looking up, you saw Cedric Diggory, a charming smile plastered on his face.

‘Hi, do you have a moment?’ He asked and you stood up to face him.

‘Of course.’ You smiled.

‘I have a question.’

‘If you want my help with something, then no. I can barely finish my own essays and-‘

‘No, that’s..’ He chuckled. ‘I was wondering if you’d want to go to the ball with me?’

‘Oh..’ You bit your lip softly from the inside. ‘I.. I’ll think about it. Is that okay with you?’

‘Surely, just don’t take too long, darling.’ He sent you a wink and walked out of the courtyard.

Later that night you were studying in your dorm, soft music was playing in your headphones as you scribbled some sigils for one of the classes. Your back was turned to the door, so you didn’t hear that someone came in. It was the feeling of being observed that made you move your head to inspect the room and there he was. Theodore Nott stood next to your door, his arms were crossed and you couldn’t quite read his expression. You grabbed your headphones and took them off.

‘Knocking exists.’ You told him.

‘Not for me.’ He replied sternly.

‘What are you doing here, Theodore?’ You fixed your position on the bed so that you were fully facing him. ‘Don’t you have any other hoes to tend to?’

‘Are you going to the ball with Diggory?’ He avoided your question.

‘Why do you care?’ You stood up.

‘Answer me.’ He took a step closer to you.

‘Maybe I am, maybe I’m not.’

‘For fucks sake, stop being a brat and answer the question.’ He said through gritted teeth.

‘It’s none of your business.’ You replied while stepping closer to him and poking your finger into his chest.

His scent filled up your nose and you felt this forbidden feeling again. Your body was lustful, for him, but you couldn’t let him win again.

He chuckled, ‘See, that’s where you’re wrong.’

You scoffed, ‘Fine. Yes.’ You spat at him. ‘I’m going with Cedric. Is that what you wanted to hear?’

His eyes darkened at the confession, which wasn’t even true. You just wanted to get on his nerves and see what he would do. You didn’t even have time to react before he pinned you to the wall and hovered over you. Your breath hitched and you tried your best to avoid his eyes, because if you looked into them, you’d lose.

‘No, you’re not.’ He stated. ‘You are not going with anyone.’

‘Why? Why the fuck do you care so much?!’ Your eyes were glued to the ceiling.

He gripped your face with one of his hands and forced you to look at him. You closed your eyes.

‘You.’ He whispered and brought his lips closer to yours before breathily adding the rest. ‘Are. Mine.’

The sound of his voice was angelic and it sent a certain feeling down to your core. You tried your best to resist but your eyes fluttered open and met his. You lost.

He grabbed your face and connected your lips in a hungry kiss. You whimpered into his mouth and cursed yourself in your mind. Why was he so addictive? Why couldn’t you quit? He just felt too good to be true. Kissing you in all the right places, his fingers touching where you needed him most, every time you felt him inside of you, it felt like heaven.

He took a few steps back and tried to not break the kiss. He pushed you onto the mattress and with one of his hands he pushed all the books off the bed. He left wet kisses along your jawline and you moaned at the feeling. He discarded both of your shirts and attached his lips to your chest, leaving a couple love bites along the way.

‘I want you to say it.’ He mumbled into your ear.

‘Hm?’ You were brought out of your trance.

‘I want you to admit you’re mine.’

‘But am I?’ He stopped kissing your neck and gripped your throat.

‘Are you?’ He raised his brow and smirked challengingly, knowing you’d fold under him.

You stared deep into his eyes and swallowed harshly because of his grip, before replying, ‘I’m yours.’

‘Good girl.’ He let go of your neck and connected your lips once again.

Soon enough both of you were a sweaty mess, clothes laying somewhere on the wooden floor, soft sounds escaping your lips as he pumped his fingers in and out of you. His breath on your neck and occasional kisses made you feel dizzy, his fingers making you squirm from the pleasure, but it wasn’t enough.

‘I need to feel you.’ You breathed out and Theo didn’t waste a second.

He positioned himself on top of you and slowly entered your aching pussy. You threw your head back and he used that to immediately attach his lips to your neck once again.

‘’S okay, darling. You’re doing so good f’me.’ He whispered to help you relax.

His voice made you let go of the tension in your lower body, finally allowing him to move at a pace so perfect for both of you. He lifted you up and spinned both of you, so that you were on top of him. His thrusts became quicker and stronger, one of his hands was caressing your breasts, while the other rubbed your clit so deliciously. You cried out his name a few times when you were close, but he always stopped just then. He just smirked every time and continued his actions, it turned him on, watching you whine on top of him. He felt he was getting closer to his release, so he sped up again, and this time his hand stayed on your sweet spot. You reached your high with a loud moan and threw your head back, your hand grabbing Theo’s arm. He released inside of you with a loud groan and you used that to push away his hand which was still rubbing circles on your bud, too sensitive for more. You collapsed on top of him and gave him a peck on his collarbone. Theo reached for the blanket and covered the two of you.

‘I lied.’ You mumbled.

‘What?’

‘I’m not going with Cedric.’ You replied softly. ‘I told him I’d think about it and..’

‘Good.’ He interrupted. ‘You’re going with me then.’

‘Am I?’ You looked up at him playfully. ‘I thought you were taking Arisa.’

‘Who?’ He replied and you giggled. ‘She asked me to go. But I refused.’

‘Why? She’s a nice girl.’

‘Maybe. But she isn’t you.’ He tucked a strand of hair behind your ear. ‘And I belong solely to you.’

•❅───✧❅✦❅✧───❅•

@ girasollake 2024

[vagabond-umlaut]

affaire de cœur

Plucking one's heart from their chest and devouring it is all 'affairs of the heart' meant to the King of Curses— until his Queen walked onto the stage of his life, that is.

▸ trueform!sukuna x wife!reader; comprises of elements inspired by the tale of 'hades and persephone'; gallons of domestic fluff between sukuna and reader; hints of spicy times; no warnings except sukuna is very much sukuna here but you too are there, so he's sort of a better sukuna... [not loads better, though]

▸ belongs to the series 'mine? yes, mine.' but you can treat this as a stand-alone fic if you wanna!

▸ i don't own the characters, the image or the divider used. please don't plagiarize or translate or repost this. enjoy reading! ❤️

"Repeat those words after me, my lord."

"No."

The pouty face you vault his way from the other end of the bathhouse makes Sukuna huff an annoyed sigh. Few monsoons back, you would never even see him in the eye, gaze trained on his feet – until he lifted your chin up; even then you would shyly avert your gaze — yet, now?

Now, you show the boldness to wear such a pathetic expression while making such an imbecilic request– nay, demand of him– locking your gaze with his the entirety of the time, no less.

Another sigh finds its route past his lips. Watching the way those sin-filled lips of yours twitch in a tiny smile before dipping into a pout, he groans.

"Alright. Fine," Sukuna grumbles, resting his two arms on the edge of the tub while the other two move to card through his damp hair, "Will you ever leave me for another, woman?"

Your eyebrows rise for a beat, the second the question you chomped his ears off earlier for, leaves his mouth. Your lover rolls his eyes, loud scoffs erupting from him at the utter inanity of the whole situation at hand — you, not beside by him, but beside those damned towels and bath soaps; him, not soaking in the warmth of your flesh but of these bath waters; the humid bathhouse not resonating with the sounds of your whines but with the remnants of a query, whose answer he does not care the least for, for no matter what you say or do, he will not—

"Yes, I will."

Your clear voice scatters his thoughts away, akin a strong wind and a handful of chaff. Sukuna freezes, every crimson eye of his fixed upon your approaching figure– your soft footfalls, your yellow yukata, your simple hairdo, your angelic smile...

Your husband takes a while too long before discovering his lost voice, eyes narrowed, throat tight and chest heavy as he asks you, "You will leave me, pet?"

"Uh-huh, I sure will," you hum in response, sitting on the stool next to the tub and moistening a towel. Sukuna moves to grasp your wrist in his palm but pauses when he catches you switch your attention from the towel to him, a terrifying emotion brimming in your tender gaze.

You draw in a tiny breath before speaking, voice now a mere whisper.

"Show me someone who is the most feared creature to ever exist, yet is a sulking mess if he isn't being cuddled in bed till noon every single day; someone who detests humans like I detest carrots, yet visits the monthly market in secret, to get gifts for his close one; someone who everyone's told me is the worst, yet goes on to prove, again and again and again, how he's the absolute best in this world—"

You stop suddenly.

Chest growing heavy from an entirely different reason now, your lover drinks in the manner your smile widens, your fragile fingers letting go of the cloth to trace those markings on his skin instead – you resume.

"Show me someone whose embraces feel the safest place in all the three realms, and I swear, my king, I'll leave you and run to his arms without thinking twice."

For the first time in his millennium of existence, the two-faced curse feels the same distress of being paralysed, as his mere mien induces in the muscles of his miserable victims— except, it isn't the fear of an end to his life which is causing this abhorrent weakness to him unlike those worthless mortals— no.

It is the fear of the unknown, of the uncharted, which is rendering his powerful self so, so powerless before your blinding brilliance. Sukuna thinks death might be an easier journey to undertake than these odd realisations your voice and touch elicit in him always.

These days, more so.

This moment, very much so.

The addicting timbre of your voice rouses him from his musings, the second time that night.

"Is every–"

"Is that supposed to be a love confession?" Your husband cuts you off before you can finish your question. You slowly blink at him once then twice, before leaning backwards and picking up the forgotten cloth, a visibly coy giggle bubbling out you as you return to washing his skin.

"Yes," you agree after a beat, gaze darting to his face before skittering away again, "That is supposed to be a love confession for my beloved king; though I wonder what my lord thinks of it. Was it heart-touching as I intended to make it? Or did it sound too tedious to him?"

The addressed being deliberately makes a big show of rolling each of his four eyes at your query. "Neither," he says, curling his lip in a show of vexation before they lift a little at the lower lip you jut out, "And you should count yourself to be lucky that you're my wife, not a worthless mortal, pet. For if you were not my wife–"

"– you would've sliced me into halves without a moment's hesitation," you finish the rest of the sentences for him with a fond shake of your head. "Trust me, my king, I know you. I do, I rea– Sukuna!!!"

The startled shriek of his name— not my lord or my king but Sukuna —parts the curse's lips in a smirk, which widens on noticing the warm water slowly seeping into your clothes, making them translucent; and you staring up at him with a disbelieving look etched onto your pretty face.

Sukuna allows his smirk to melt away into a genuine smile, for once.

Nestling your drenched form closer to himself, he closes his eyes to rest his forehead on your shoulder, palms holding you as if you were not a member of the race he lives for the sake of tormenting, but an invaluable blessing, beings he has never believed in, sent earthward for his damned self.

Which is true, the curse reckons. You indeed are a blessing he knows he doesn't deserve – yet will keep for and with himself for an eternity and some more.

Pressing you closer to himself, your husband lifts his head to plant a kiss to your forehead, followed by your warm cheeks — hoping you'll understand the meaning behind every reverent contact he's marking your form with now.

After all, you know him really well, don't you?

[You do— which is only why you reciprocate every brush of his sharp canine over your skin, with a brush of your soft palm over the wicked, handsome, wickedly handsome visage of the love of your life.]

▸ masterlist

[scudevils]

Hey girl! Could you do Nico x reader for a cute Halloween moment? Maybe carving pumpkins or choosing a couples costume (No smut please!)

monster mash — NH13

pairing: nico hischier x fem!reader

warnings: cuteness????, literally nothing not even swearing, use of a knife

synopsis: nico finally learns how to carve a pumpkin [<1k]

"did you have to get such a big one?" nico complained, scooping out the insides of the pumpkin into another bowl for the 'pumpkin pie' you were most definitely not going to make. the leaves outside had already turned shades of orange and brown, falling to the wet ground to be stamped on by kids boots.

"its not that big," you argued as you sat atop the counter, one of his hoodies falling to your mid thigh keeping you cozy with the cold breeze in the air, watching him do the dirty work whilst you planned what you were going to carve into it. over the years you'd done a range of things; ghostface from scream, jack skellington and more. "stop complaining." he glared back at you, forcing a laugh to escape your lips.

"it's the size of a house!" he exaggerated, the sleeves of his rolled up jumper threatening to unravel as his arms flailed.

you rolled your eyes at him, flicking through the cookbook you'd been reading and spotting the pumpkin pie, not looking nearly as appetising as you thought it would have. "if you complained less it would be done by now." you said, fighting the urge to smile at his dramatics, it was a reason you loved him. "do you want some help."

"no, no, schatzi, you look at what we're gonna cut."

"carve, nico." he waved off your correction, still scooping out the insides of the pumpkin, threatening to cover you in 'pumpkin guts' for anymore of your attitude. "do you even know how to carve a pumpkin."

he didn't answer, still scooping as you asked him the question again, gasping when his answer was still silence. "you don't know how to carve a pumpkin!"

"nina always did it for me!" you side-eyed him, still in shock that he was 25 and had never carved a pumpkin, something that made you think back to the halloweens you'd had together where you were always the one carving. "stop judging me!"

"i can't not judge you for that, hurry up and i'm teaching you how."

your words must have been a boost of encouragement as he finished up only a few minutes later, two bowls full of pumpkin pulp and a nice and empty pumpkin ready to be carved. "okay so, this is what we're gonna do," you showed him the picture of your idea on your phone. "take the marker and draw it on the pumpkin.

nico did as you said, tracing the drawing of the image onto the pumpkin, fixing any smudging before handing you back the pen. "now you take this," you turn around rather quickly, knife in hand and nico takes extra precaution, taking the sharp object out of your hands as quickly as he could. "and stick it in the pumpkin."

"just push it in?" he asked and you nodded, carefully pushing the knife straight through the flesh of the fruit, he followed your next instructions, tracing the lines he'd made with the marker and taking out chunks of the pumpkin.

you smiled at him as the mouth started coming together, he looked so proud of himself, dimples becoming more apparent, you couldn't help but find it adorable, watching as he tried to make the eyes as circular as he could. and having to step in as he nearly stabbed himself when taking the knife out.

"i'll take over, i'm sure devils fans wouldn't appreciate their captain getting himself stabbed." he let out a laugh, passing the knife over to you before washing his sticky hands, scouring the messy kitchen drawers for a tea-light candle to sit in the pumpkin.

it was nearly finished by the time he'd found one, just a few imperfections you needed to fix or it would make you go insane when you lit the candle and place the top of the pumpkin back on.

you looked like proud parents, their little one going to its first day of school when in reality it was just a pumpkin on a counter top. "you can finally tick 'carve a pumpkin' off your bucket list"

[minhosimthings]

D!ck

Symphony Smut Series Day 3: Doja Cat and Starbo3's D!ck

Lyric: She actin like an addict

Pairings: Husband!Sunoo × fem!wife!reader

Warnings: SMUT MINORS DNI, pheromone usage, p in v, oral (f receiving), dom!Sunoo, sub!reader, unprotected sex (wrap it before you tap it), creampie, spitting, sort of a breeding kink, brat reader, swearing, french kisses

A/N: and day 3 has come! I loved writing for Sunoo, cause I've never written for him before and also CAUSE HE'S MY AGE YAAAS. So have some pheromones even though Sunoo doest need those for me to cling onto him

THE SYMPHONY SMUT SERIES MASTERLIST

Buisness trips. So boring weren't they? For the wife of a man who was constantly on them, it was even more so.

"Sunoo another party today?" You're sighed, falling back on the bed as your husband laughed and adjusted his tie in the mirror.

"Im sorry darling, but I've got to attend." Sunoo fixed his hair, carefully combing down a cowlick, "Would you like to come too? You know that blue dress has been laying idle in your cupboard for a long time."

"It's turquoise, Sun." You grumbled, getting up and giving a quick kiss to your husband, before fumbling with his tie, "I'll wear it, only if you agree to give me what I want tonight."

Sunoo chuckled and leaned closer, basically pinning you against the wall, before going in for a deep kiss. His tongue collided with yours painfully, giving you the taste of something you've been wanting to devour for weeks.

"Ngh- Sun" you wanted him to eat you out right there and then.

"Tch tch impatient aren't you?" Sunoo chuckled. You could feel his erection press against your sweatpants, rubbing arousal into you.

"Tonight sunshine." Sunoo caressed your cheek, "I promise. Tonight after the party. Get all pretty for me alright?"

The night was coming too slow for you. All throughout the day, you did nothing but laze around, annoy the cook into teaching you how to make lasagna, failing at making said lasagna, and then speed running a Pokemon game.

But the real treasure of the day were the few minutes before you were getting ready.

Patting down the creases of your perfectly ironed dress, you admired yourself in the mirror, doing a little spin for yourself, and watching as the fabric perfectly spun like a Disney scene. The pearls on your neck stood out too, with their gliterry sheen and the gold embossments.

Reaching into your perfume drawer, you spotted a green coloured tube, which was labelled 'Oil perfume'.

You chuckled at that. Oil perfume, your ass. That, you were certain, was the 'special' perfume Sunoo has gotten you from Italy.

Chuckling like a villain to yourself, you took the greasy substance from the tube and applied it to your neck and wrists, where you knew Sunoo would kiss you, inhaling the intoxicating perfumes of the pheromone, and maybe he'd give you your cake earlier than before.

"Darling, you look stunning." Sunoo greeted you, as you stepped out of your room into the hallway.

"Thank you Sun." You giggled, promptly lifting your wrists up for Sunoo to kiss.

"Nice perfume." Sunoo kissed your wrists more harshly than he usually did.

"Fuck you smell so good."

You had no time to think about anything, as the next second, you were against the wall with Sunoo an inch from your face.

Your tongue danced with his in what seemed to a synchronized tango, the two of you treating each other with as much love and affection that your bodies could exude at the moment. His hands toyed with the hem of your dress, his fingers drawing small circles on your thigh. You brought your hands up to his face when you two pulled away from the kiss, pressing your lips against the tip of his nose. His lips connected themselves to your mouth once more, a smile on his face as he did.

He led you to the top of the bed, laying you down slowly as his body hovered on top of yours. He took a moment to take you in, how the light coming from the curtains accentuated your every feature. He leaned in, pressing a small kiss to your forehead and moving on to your cheeks. "You’re so breathtaking baby." he whispered, his mouth coming to yours as he kissed you with such an intensity you'd never faced before.

He undid your dress after you gave him a curt nod, tossing it off to the side. He pressed his lips to the side of your neck, leaving wet open-mouthed kisses on the surface. You moved your neck to give him more access, offering what you could of your body so he could take. his hand moved downward, cupping your breast in his grasp. His fingers rolled around the nipples, pinching and tugging them the way that would have them hardening underneath his grasp. He bit down on your neck, his tongue running over the affected skin to soothe the sting a bit. His mouth moved down to your other breast, engulfing it and treating it the same as the other one.

You brought your hand down to his hair, grasping at the strands as his teeth gently tugged on your nipples. The buds started to erect with every swipe and lick that he took at them, his eyes locking on yours with every movement that he took. Your mouth slightly parted, your breathing starting to grow a little heavier as he stimulated your nipples. He pulled away, leaving a small kiss on the top of your breasts before pressing his lips against your stomach. He trailed kisses all the way down to your cunt, stopping where he knew that you needed him most. His lips moved to your inner thighs, pressing kisses against the delicate flesh. He bit into your right thigh, his fangs leaving their indenture when he pulled away from you.

His mouth eventually did make itself to your cunt, his tongue swiping across your folds to collect the slick that had accumulated. You closed your thighs around his head instinctively, watching as he looked up at you while licking a stripe up your pussy. "Always did taste so good for me, could spend hours buried in this pussy," he spoke up, his tongue going inside your hole after he finished with what he had to say. Your hands made their way to his hair, your fingers gently stroking his hair as he started to push his tongue in and out of you. His eyes rolled to the back of his head when your slick coated his tongue, often taking more pleasure in this than you. "Oh fuck, right there," you moaned out, your voice sounding needy as you felt his tongue hit that one spot inside of you.

He moaned, feeling your body shudder beneath him, your muscles clenching tight around his mouth. He moved faster, his fingers digging into your hips as he pressed his tongue deeper, relentless in his pursuit of your pleasure. "That's it, baby," he growled, his voice low and raspy.

You were right at that moment, feeling your belly pressurize as Sunoo moved like a maniac around your clit. But-

"Oh fuck this." Sunoo spat at your pussy, "I need you inside me."

Your eyes are fixated on his cock that yearns to be inside of your warmth. He pumps his length a few times, drops of precumming spilling out of his sensitive tip as he slowly lines himself up with your drooling entrance. You mewl out lewdly as he pushes himself in, filling you up completely and your palms fly up to his shoulders for purchase. 

You're thankful he prepped you a little bit earlier otherwise you're not so sure if you could take him in one go like this. after a few heartbeats, he rolls his hips slightly, his pelvis rubbing against your puffy clit and you moan softly. 

He picks up the tempo, his thrusts now faster and harder as the room echoes with the sounds of your pleasure and the bed creaking. his strong arms move your legs up to rest on his broad shoulders, making the position more intimate but most importantly, making it easier for him to go deeper.

Sunoo's nostrils are flared, taking in the sweet poison of your perfume. He didn't know what was making him act like this, but he loved it.

The kiss on your neck was gentle and innocent compared to the sinful actions being committed with each of his powerful thrusts. With every single drag of your tight cunt against his dick, constantly clenching around him deliberately which forced out a long string of groans as he felt himself getting closer and closer to the edge.

He dotes on the sound of your sweet voice calling out his name in a choked whisper, your nails clawing down his back. Your cunt pulsing around his cock. Your juices spilling from your hole as he thrusts into you like there's no tomorrow.

"Fuck Sunoo!" you cry as you cream around his cock, cunt tensing around him which pushes him over the edge too. He lets out a broken moan as his warmth fills you up. he stays inside of you for a few moments, not wanting his cum to go to waste. 

"So I guess we'll be skipping the party today?" You look at your husband cheekily.

Sunoo glared at you and gripped your waist more tightly.

"You used that perfume didn't you?" He poked his cheek with his tongue, "Didn't know you were such an impatient slut for me."

"Don't worry darling.

I've not even started yet."

[sexilene]

hiiii, hope ur doing well sweetheart!!

jus wanted to ask if you could write a fic, reader taking care of drunk jj? no smut tho, thank you sosoos much:)

hiii amoresss!! here it is and sending much loveee! `✦ ˑ ִֶָ 𓂃⊹

"jayjay? are you okay?" you ask softly, bending down to check on him. he was lying face down on the couch outside the chateau, blinking his eyes open to meet yours. 

"m'finebabe" he slurs, closing his eyes again when you brush back a strand of his hair away from his eye.

"you're drunk aren't you?"

"no way." he mumbles, you furrow your eyebrows watching him lazily sit himself up to prove he isn't drunk. "you look so pretty, oh man." he sighs to himself.

"yes you are...so very drunk." you giggle when he stares at you with wide comical eyes.

"hey! i can handle a few drinks!" he scowled, pointing his finger at you.

"clearly... let's go inside, i'll get you some water and medicine."

you grab both of his hands to help him off the couch but he just tilts his head back and lets you try to pull him up knowing you really weren't that strong, especially if he was weighing himself down on purpose. 

"jj! m'trying to help you!" you whine letting go of his hands, letting them drop back down to his sides. 

"you know what i want?" he grins stupidly,

"what?"

"a kiss, jus' one and then i'll do what you say, i swear!" he slaps his hand to his chest and the other hand in the air like he's actually swearing. 

"mm nmm." you shake your head, he then makes a "pinch" sign with his fingers to show that he just wants a "little" one. "help me, help you!" he tries to reason.

"maybe later baby, you are like so completely wasted right now." 

jj rolls his eyes dramatically and pushes himself up off the couch slowly. following him into the house, he walks over to the kitchen and stands there like he's waiting for you to do the work and get him water and medicine so you fix him up a glass of water and hand him some aspirin. 

you watch him chug down the water, droplets dripping down the sides of his mouth as he drinks. you take the glass from him and fill it again with more water, repeating that at least one more time before he declines it claiming that you are gonna make him he's piss himself.

"i'm so unbelievably hungry right now, it's wild." he breathes still obviously kinda intoxicated. setting down the empty glass down on the counter, he opens up the fridge. 

"well, i can make you a grilled cheese?" you stand behind him, peeking into the fridge. 

"wan'me to help you?" he turns around to look down at you, raising his eyebrows.

"s'okay jayjay, go lay down and i'll bring it to you." smiling you place a hand on his cheek and kiss the other right on his dimple, ushering him out of the kitchen. 

"not too much butter on the pan!" he shouts as we walks away, pointing his finger at you again.

"i know how you like it! " you shout back.

you find where he's resting now and hand him the plate. he gratefully takes it and thanks you, immediately inhaling the sandwich.

"good?" you smile at him, happy that he's enjoying what you made him.

"very." 

"lets hope you don't get a major hangover tomorrow..." you sigh and lay down on the bed next to him.

"wan' some?" he shoves half of the grilled cheese in your face, you take a little bitty bite right where he had.

"could eat this for the rest of my life, you know that cupcake?" he shakes his head exaggeratedly like its the first time he's ever tasted a grilled cheese, completely in awe.

you just nod bringing your hand up to draw little shapes on his back while he just sits there eating. it was a comfortable silence, besides the soft music playing in the background that was left on coming from another room. he loved when you took care of him when he would get a bit drunk, even if he wouldn't remember most of it tomorrow morning.

[redimeido]

RANDOM BOOTHILL HEADCANONS

edii's notes :

just an idea passing by in my head at how skinship would happen with this cyborg, feel kinda undone bcs i was about to make a full blast nsfw but... i got writer block lol... maybe... just maybe later i'll try to write more...

The space cowboy rarely feels anything on his new body, limbs come off doesn't faze him, half of his body teared up just means another long day to be fixed again but, he swears to The Aeons or any godly beings up there, he could feel your fingers gracefully caress every inch of his

It's a new sensation for him, the warmth of your touch contrary to his cold figure. Boothill couldn't hide the smirk on his lips everytime seeing you jolt in surprise when he put his hand directly on your skin

Even when you voiced your complaint to him saying he doesn't realize himself at how cold his body is, Boothill would half-heartedly listen to you. Apologizing with a chuckles, still doesn't keep his hands off you because he knew both of you enjoyed this

He wants to feel you, to feel something he has lost before. He craves for your warmth

You sit on top of him most of the time. Even when you sat beside him on a normal days, Boothill would pull you right immediately on his laps

This is where you should be, darlin'. Now, what do you want to talk again?

Gentle touches moving up from his figure to his face, that's when you start to notice Boothill reacting more than how he usually is

Black eyes follows where your fingers trace the skin on his face, anticipating every bit of your next move

Perhaps that's the only place left where he could really feel things. Since then, Boothill often likes to brought your fingers up to his face, kissing the palm of your hand and letting you cup his cheeks or tracing the shape of his earlobe gently

Any of the act will guarantee to make the color of his cheeks turned red slightly, lips parted showing a bit of his pointed teeth. How does they feels actually?

Your curiosity turned to inserting your thumbs into his mouth. Boothill welcomes your fingers with his tongue wrapping around and then biting gently, making sure he doesn't draw any bloods but at least left a mark when you pull your thumbs out

He would love if you try it again, this time both of your fingers exploring his mouth. The holds on your waist will became tighter the more deep you go

Boothill would slowly lick the space between your middle and point fingers making you jolt in surprise, never once his eyes leaves your face to watch any change of expressions

Both of the corner of his lips rise up the moment you start squirming on top of him, but he doesnt stop just by licking your fingers clean. Biting and then sucking them gently, feel free to slide in another fingers that hasn't been marked by his bite

edii's notes (20/05/25) :

nsfw yeay!

[leighsartworks216]

Designated Lockpicker

Astarion x gn!Tav/Reader

Inspired by this post

Saw this and I HAD to write something about it. It only took me until 11:45 to finish it but it's okay I'll suffer the consequences

Warnings: one swear word, reference to Astarion's past abuse, mention of a terrible texture, innuendos

Word Count: 1,219

Masterlist

AO3

You poke your head into the room. Dust motes float through the air, which reeks with musk and mold. You'd probably cover your nose and seek fresh air if this wasn't the millionth time you’d smelled it.

Your eyes scan along the walls, floor and shelves, searching for anything interesting. Food would be nice - Gale wouldn’t stop pestering you for ingredients to cook with. Bandages wouldn’t hurt either if it would ease Shadowheart’s workload every time you got into a minor scrape.

The room was rather sparse, but it looked like it may have been a study at some point. Books were scattered everywhere, chairs were tipped on their sides or had broken legs, a desk was angled oddly for its placement. Whoever lived here before, they must have left in a hurry. Which was excellent news. Maybe they left something behind.

From the other rooms of the building, you can hear your companions’ muffled voices. You can only make out one or two words as they speak. Karlach seemed to be talking to Astarion; Wyll and Gale were going back and forth further away. You couldn’t hear Shadowheart or Lae’zel, but this didn’t surprise you.

The floorboards creak and groan as you step into the study. Stray beams of light keep the gloom away, for the most part. You can almost imagine how lovely it once was.

You go to take a book off the shelf, but immediately draw your hand back when the binding squishes at the slightest pressure. You scowl in disgust and wipe your hand on your pants to remove the gross sensation. Unfortunately, your more learned companions would not be getting any new reading materials today.

Against the far wall, stationed behind the desk, was a dresser with a glass case on top. All the case had was scrolls, damp and turning green. Any information they may have held was gone.

You grab the handles of each drawer in turn, sliding open the dresser to reveal its contents. A vial of ink here, another useless scroll there - nothing exciting. Until you open the bottom drawer.

Poorly hidden under some loose paper was a chest. It appeared to be made of metal, hardly rusted despite its surroundings. For its size, you were shocked how heavy it was when you lifted it out and set it on the desk just behind you. The lock didn’t look too complicated. You had some spare lockpicks in your pack, you could easily grab one and get it open. You could.

Instead, you leave the chest where it is and step into the hall. You try to listen for your friends, again, but they seem to have done deeper within the establishment. So you do the next best thing: “Astarion?”

The shout travels down the building, and from one of the rooms pops out the vampire spawn. He seemed confused why you’d be calling him of all people. But the confusion is quickly masked with suave confidence as he sauntered down the hall to you. “Yes, dear?”

You smile sweetly at him. “I found a locked chest. Could you help me open it? Please?”

He smirks and taps a finger under your chin, getting you to tilt your head upward with just one motion. “Since you asked so nicely.”

He follows you back into the room. His nose scrunches with the smell of rotting books, but the look is gone as soon as he sees the chest. You round the desk and turn it around toward him. He can’t stop his smile as you rest your arms and chin on top, still fixing him with that darling look.

This had become a habit, to his mind, anyway. For you, this was an enrichment of sorts to provide Astarion with a sense of purpose. Late night talks had made it abundantly clear just how much he loved feeling useful. For two centuries he was used, his autonomy stolen from him for the sake of his master. But little tasks like this did not feel like an imbalance in power. He would open whatever lock you wished for the praise you showered on him alone, but you also ensured he got his pick of whatever was inside. He was being rewarded for his services, something that never happened before - nothing good, anyway - and you loved giving him his moment to shine.

He just assumed you couldn’t pick a lot to save your damn life.

“I’m beginning to think you just like watching me,” he teased. He produced a pick from his pocket and began working away at the lock. “Trying to learn my trade secrets, are we?"

You hummed, looking down at his hands as they moved together fluidly. He could do this in his sleep. “Never. I just love watching you work, that’s all.”

He chuckled. “Really now?” He lifts his attention from the lock to look at you, hands pausing in their ministrations. “And what is it about my work that you enjoy so much?”

You meet his gaze. He can only describe the look you give him as fond. Love seems to rest in your irises, gleaming back at him, on display for the whole world to see. “Your hands,” you answer, and while it was supposed to be part of your playful banter, you say it so genuinely. “You’re always so precise, like you just know exactly what needs to be done before you even start. It reminds me of your embroidery.”

“And here I thought it was for more depraved reasons.” It’s a deflection. He still isn’t used to being seen like this. Seen by you. He still thinks of the way you describe how his hair curls around his ears, and how his face wrinkles when he laughs. “I’m always happy to give you a hands-on lesson, my sweet. Just say the word.”

“And if I ask for you to teach me how to embroider?”

His devious smirk relaxed into a soft grin. He nods. “It would be my honor.”

Silence takes over as he returns to his work. It’s warm and welcoming, despite your surroundings. Basking in the quiet felt easy around him. He could be reading a book, and you’d slot yourself right next to him, and never was there an expectation for him to stop to entertain you. You just wanted to be around him. It meant more to him than you could ever know.

With a final turn of the pick, a faint click comes from the chest. He seems to puff up with the success, like an all-too-proud bird. He slips the pick back in his pocket and steps back as you round the desk. Instead of going straight for the chest, you cup his cheek in one hand and press a kiss to the other. His cheeks would be positively flushed if he had the blood for it.

“Thank you, Astarion,” you whisper against his skin, pressing another kiss to his cheek right after. He leans into the heat of your hand.

“It was my pleasure, darling.”

You pull away with a grin that could put the sun to shame. You turn to open the chest, eager to know what hides behind those metal walls, and he cannot stop admiring how perfectly a stray beam of light hits your skin.

[yuuchama]

♠️🖋❤️

"This is bad." Deuce struggled to raise his head, instead slumping his shoulders and staring down at the notes in front of him. The writing started out neat and tidy but gradually became illegible, eventually fumbling off the page and marking the desk with ink.

Ace tried not to draw attention to the fit of giggles he had been overcome with. He kept looking away and clearing his throat now that the lecture had ended. Looking straight at Deuce without laughing was an impossible task.

"Dude..." he snickered. "That's a wild black eye you've got there."

"Shut it, Ace. If you knew I fell asleep during class, you should've woken me up."

Deuce sighed and buried his face in his hands, which only made things funnier. His palm smeared whatever eye makeup hadn't already been smudged, making him look beat up. His hands appeared to be covered in soot and a quarter of his face was a blurry mess of makeup instead of the usual elegant spade design.

It took a minute for Deuce to realize what happened. It was hard to tell if any got on his black uniform sleeves. He gazed at his dirty hands with despair. "Dang it. I don't have anything to fix this. The housewarden's gonna have my head."

Doubled over and clenching his stomach, Ace wiped a tear from his eye. At least one half of their combo remembered to seal his makeup that morning. "Don't sweat it! I have something that can help, don't worry."

It was a suspicious offer, but a sign of hope. Deuce would do anything if it meant avoiding Riddle's wrath. "Seriously? You carry black makeup? Uh, why?"

"Just in case! You should be thanking me instead of asking all these questions. What if I decide to change my mind, hmm?" Ace reached into his pencil case and started rooting around. He put on a great show of being serious. With one hand wrapped around something inside, he motioned for Deuce to come closer.

"Lean this way and close your eyes. There's not much time before Trein's next lecture."

Deuce grunted. Ace was right, and he didn't want to tarnish his future honor student reputation any further. The chair squeaked against the floor as he pushed it and swung his legs over the side. "I'll leave this to you, then. You can use the handkerchief in my bag."

"Great."

Ace hummed as he worked. Removing the blurry mess with Deuce's handkerchief came first, holding nothing back as he scrubbed his dorm mate's skin raw. Then it was time to reapply everything.

He gripped Deuce's chin, angling it upwards towards the light. "Hold still."

"Do you even know how to draw a spade?" Deuce asked.

"Hah? Who doesn't? What do you take me for?"

"It's just... you're taking a really long time to do this. Professor Trein's gonna come back soon."

"You really want to say that to the guy helping you out right now?"

Deuce got the point and remained silent. Applying his makeup usually didn't sting this much. He hoped he wouldn't get poked in the eye or have something inappropriate drawn in the end. Ace wouldn't go that far, right?

After a few blows to dry his face with Ace's gross breath, Deuce could finally relax. Ace proclaimed, "There. All done!"

"You really drew a spade, right?"

"Quit suspecting me! 'Course I did!" Ace turned to the student behind them. "Hey, what's this thing on Deuce's face look like?"

The student, caught off guard, glanced up from their phone. "Huh? The spade?"

"Yes, exactly. Thank you."

Deuce wished he had his handkerchief back to wipe the smug grin off Ace's face. "Alright, thanks. I really appreciate it, you've saved me."

"No problem, anytime. I'll even do your makeup tomorrow if you want." Ace began tidying up his desk space, straightening his notebook and putting his tools back, while Deuce returned his chair to its original position.

Deuce froze mid-chair scoot and narrowed his eyes. "What is that."

Ace pretended not to hear him. Deuce rose a shaky finger to his eye, gently tapping the sore skin.

He lowered his voice to a threat. "Dude. I swear to the Seven, if you just drew on my face with permanent marker..."

There was no time for Ace to enjoy the mischief, he had to stifle his laughter into his shirt as Trein finally returned and the students went quiet. He walked to the front podium and put his books down. A "pfft" snuck out the instant Deuce whacked Ace's chair with his foot.

A peeved off Deuce clenched his pen and mouthed, "this isn't over."

[bumblesimagines]

you promised me you'd protect me from this.

Unfortunately, this is my breaking point

Javier Pena x male reader pls 🙏🥹

Pronouns: They/Them/Theirs, Gender Neutral

CW/TW: Typical Narcos warnings, angst, mentions of the death of a friend

"Is there anything you'd like, (Y/N)? A cup of coffee? I think we've got some tea in the cupboard-" 

"No, it's fine, Connie." You lifted your head to offer the woman a smile, the sympathy in the blue of her eyes feeling like a stab in the gut. You were thankful, of course, that she'd so readily allowed you inside the home she shared with Steve but there'd never been a single time you needed help from someone else before beginning a relationship with Javier Peña. "I just.. need some time to process." 

"Okay, I understand." Connie nodded, her fingers reaching out to squeeze your shoulder. "Let me know if you need anything, alright? Steve and Javier should be getting here soon." 

With a small smile, you watched her step away to tend to the little girl she and Steve had adopted before you sunk deeper into the couch with a heavy exhale. Like most people who lived around where cartels operated the most, you'd always lived on the line between normalcy and almost getting in the crossfire. But when Javier Peña had slid up to your side at a bar with his smirk and voice dripping with confidence, you'd gone against your gut instinct to keep away from agents and anyone with any sort of relations to the cartels. 

And now, with the image of your friend's corpse engraved in your mind, you wished for the ability to travel back in time to slap some sense into your past self. It'd been a clear threat from one of the cartels, one meant for Javier to know they watched his comings and goings more closely than expected.. and the thought of being the target of their next threat was terrifying. 

The door handle jingled before the door to the apartment was shoved open, Javier stumbling in with Steve right behind him. The American immediately headed for his wife and daughter, wrapping his arms around them and quietly speaking to Connie before he glanced over his shoulder at you and grimaced. He ushered the two of them into another room and shut the door behind him, allowing for a moment of privacy. 

"You promised me you'd protect me from this, Javi." You whispered, tearing your eyes away from the wooden door and rising onto unsteady feet. Javier moved quickly, the familiar smell of his cologne mixed with smoke invading your nose as he pulled you into a tight embrace.

"I know, cariño, perdóname." Javier whispered shakily, his head tilting back to peer into your eyes. His palm gently touched your cheek, thumb stroking your skin soothingly. "Perdóname, mi amor. I swear I'll find the fuckers who did this and make them regret ever doing this to you. I'm so sorry about your friend, (Y/N)." 

Your eyes flooded with tears immediately, drawing a soft coo from Javier. He pressed a fleeting kiss against your forehead before cradling your head into his neck, his other hand rubbing circles around your back in an attempt to comfort you through the grief and fear but you were exhausted. The place you called home since childhood had become a war zone between cartels and the police, leaving the people in fear and paranoia. 

"No puedo, Javi, no puedo vivir asi." You sniffled, hands curling around his leather jacket and pushing him back slightly. His face crumpled within seconds, panic swirling in his dark eyes. "Javi-"

"I can fix this, (Y/N). I'll make sure there's always someone guarding your-"

"No, Javi," You breathed out almost pleadingly. "This is my breaking point. I- I can't do this anymore... I can't risk my life or my family for you. I'm sorry, Javi, but... this is it for us."

[bangtanficsforyou]

They Reject You (maknae line)- part two

Pairing: Bts maknae line x Reader

Word Count: 8.8K

Warnings: swear words here and there

A/N: here's my patreon just in case you enjoy reading my stuff!

Park Jimin

Jimin's eyes light up when he spots you in the cafeteria. You're sitting alone with a cup of coffee and typing away something on your laptop and he can't help but feel like the chair next to you is practically calling for him. 

He makes a quick beeline towards your table and occupies the seat. "Hey, sweetheart."

You don't bother looking up at him as your eyes remain fixed on the screen.

"You shouldn't be sitting alone, if you needed company you could have just texted me," he suggests taking hold of your coffee cup. His plump lips wrap around the straw and he draws up the liquid extra loudly, knowing very well that the noise annoys you.

However, you pay no attention to his lack of table manners.

"Do you know we were supposed to have an exam today but it got cancelled?" He speaks in a tone of disappointment, knowing you'd agree with him. It's one of your icks when you've worked hard for something and have shown up for it, but ultimately do not get the chance to prove yourself.

But you still remain focused on your work and give no reaction or response.

At this point, Jimin finds himself feeling curious as to what might be so important in your laptop that it has all your attention. He leans forward to take a peek and realises that you're working on an assignment.

"Assignments are now more important than me, I see," sighing dramatically he looks down as if upset by your lack of acknowledgement. Not even a moment later he looks up subtly to check if you're looking at him.

When he realises that you aren't, the slightest bit of annoyance sparks inside him.

"If you're not going to talk to me, I should just leave," he keeps his tone casual, not intending to let the fact that he's feeling grumpy, be known.

You tilt your head cutely and mumble something along the lines of vertices having a degree two to yourself. 

Jimin's jaw drops in complete shock. The last time you two had a proper chat was three days back and now that he's trying to talk to you, this is how you treat him?! If that's what you want, fine. He isn't going to sit here and beg you to pay attention to him.

"Fine, I'll leave. I have better stuff to do anyway," he grumbles and takes his leave.

If anyone were to take notice of Jimin's expressions, they'd probably end up laughing. He looks angry but that little pout on his lips and the sad look in his eyes makes him look like a little child throwing tantrums. 

It's a good thing your eyes are not on him. Not even when he makes his leave.

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

Two classes later, Jimin is scrolling through his Instagram when he comes across a reel of a cute puppy doing the usual puppy antics. His first instinct is to send it to you. However, when he clicks on the share button, he doesn't find your account on the list of people to send. His brows furrow in confusion and he types your account id on the search bar only for the screen to read a message saying no matches found. 

Have you....have you blocked him?

He exits the application and opens WhatsApp. When his eyes land on your contact he notices how your profile picture is appearing to be blank and it only makes him desperately type out a message to you. 

Throughout the class, he keeps hoping that he'd notice a double tick to assure him that you haven't blocked him but unfortunately, no such thing occurs.

At the end of the day, he goes to sleep with a displeased frown. How could you do this? How could you just ignore him during recess and then block him on social media out of nowhere? He didn't even do anything wrong. 

Did he?

He tries to recall the last time the both of you had a proper conversation and his mind goes to the events that occurred on the night of the frat party. 

It's true that you had snapped at him and that the conversation you had, would not fall under the category of 'friendly'. But he didn't think it was serious, either. Both of you had silly arguments here and there, but it never seemed to matter in the long run. Somehow or the other, Jimin always managed to get under your skin and get a reaction out of you. Sooner or later, the two of you would fall back to the rhythm of him annoying the shit out of you and you talking back to him. 

The more Jimin recalls the little fiery banters you two have engaged in, in the past, the more his confidence grows. He tells himself this time would be no different. It may take a little more time but Jimin is sure you'll be talking to him again. 

It's true that you have never blocked him before. Or never have downright ignored him like this. Even when you would appear to be mad, there was always that little twitch of your eyes or you poking the inside of your cheeks with your tongue, which let him know that he was being successful.

But it doesn't matter. 

Maybe you're really really mad at him this time. But he's sure he will melt that anger away with his smile and charm.

It works on everyone, no doubt it will work on you as well.

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

With a wide confident smirk plastered on his face, he walks into your classroom and looks for you. 

His smirk softens into a small smile when he spots you with your head buried in books. 

He ignores the hushed whispers and the dreamy stares and walks to your seat before sliding next to you. 

"Hey sweetheart," he says, putting the effort to make his voice extra sultry and smooth. That always works on the girls. 

And for a moment, Jimin thinks he has won when he notices the look of complete surprise on your face. However, his victory is short-lived as your surprise fades quickly and once it does you're back to your work without paying him any mind.

"I got you a gift," he places the said gift on top of your notebook. A rose. "I looked at it and it reminded me of you."

Your hands falter for a brief moment as the nib of your pen is met by the flower. You use your other hand to move the flower out of your way.

Jimin huffs. He is starting to get annoyed and there's this sense of unsettlement in his veins but he tries to look amused. If there's one thing that bothered you to no end, it was when he found your anger as a source of his amusement. 

"Awww," he coos with an underlying tone of mockery. "Are you angry at me?" 

You don't react. Jimin is neither surprised nor flattered. 

"It's so cute though," he comments, and only if you were looking at him would you have known it's only his voice that gives the faux impression of him being amused. His eyes, his frown even the curve of his lips don't hide the fact that he is anything but not amused. 

Jimin feels a mix of frustration and desperation, which makes him snatch the pen away from your hand.

You seem startled by his actions but instead of arguing with him for being such a pain in the ass, your hand makes its way to your pencil pouch. However, before you can take another pen out, Jimin is taking that away from you as well. 

"You aren't getting these back until you talk to me," he declares, as he hugs the pouch and your pen close to his chest as if shielding them away from you.

You sigh, not out of agitation or anger. You seem bored. Something that scares and hurts Jimin, at the same time.

"What do you want?" You query, finally talking to him directly. After four days.

"What do you mean by what do you want?" He scoffs, making air quotes to mock your question. "You aren't talking to me and have blocked me on socials. What do you think I want?"

You sigh, once again and once again you look bored. As if you'd prefer to be anywhere but here. "I thought you had a reputation for being a fuckboy or something."

Jimin's brow furrow in confusion. "What does that have anything to do with this?"

"As a fuckboy whose commitment lasts for only one night, you must have faced many instances where you just wanted the girl to just take the hint," you state, speaking in a tone that's so calm that it makes Jimin squirm in discomfort. "Wonder why then, do you not know when to take the hint yourself."

His eyes fall and suddenly all traces of anger and frustration is gone and is replaced by sadness. Jimin looks a like sad kid who has just been told Santa isn't real. 

The look in Jimin's eyes catches you by surprise. He is an expert at making sad eyes to lure someone in. You know that because you have been a victim of it. But Jimin's eyes always had that little spark in them. Something that gave away his act and highlighted the mischief brewing within them. Something that let you on the fact that he's only pretending to be sad. 

However, now that you look into his eyes, they just seem dull. Making it seem like Jimin is sad, maybe for real this time.

You ignore the urge you feel to comfort him and maintain a blank face. Why should you even feel bad for choosing yourself? How many times has he thought or cared about his words and how they have made you feel? How many times was he there to wipe the tears that he made you cry?

Not even once. 

You may be someone who's tough and headstrong but you're also just as soft and loving on the inside. If you give in now and comfort him just to see him happy, you know you will be repeating the same cycle with yourself. And it would be so damn toxic.  

"Are you really not going to talk to me?" He whispers, in a soft voice. 

"I don't want to, trust me." This time your voice is not cold. This time you sound like you. The you, Jimin is familiar with. You don't even seem mad. And that's exactly how Jimin knows that you mean what you're saying.

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

Jimin has had a tough week. 

Nothing out of the ordinary, perse. He has been going to parties, has been getting drunk and has been the same him. But maybe that's exactly why he is having a tough time. Because despite doing regular 'Jimin' things, he hasn't been feeling like himself. 

He doesn't even know what's wrong. Or maybe he does, he just wants to ignore it and pretend that everything is fine. That he's fine. 

He does his classes and tries his best to focus on the material that's being taught but somehow or the other, he zones out. 

But it's not like it's a big deal. It's normal and all cool. He's fine. 

During football practice, he misses the opportunities that present themselves to him as if he's a blind man. 

But again, that's normal, right? Even the best of players make mistakes. Who's Jimin to not make one? It's fine. He's fine. 

During lunch, he accidentally puts pepper instead of salt in his food. But that's also normal! Nothing out of the ordinary. 

He's fine. 

He repeats these two words in his mind as he makes his way to the next class. However, he is met by a sight that has his steps halting.

It's you. 

You have your head thrown back and you're laughing at something your friend said.

The scene causes a stir of emotions inside him. 

One of the first things he feels is longing. Any other time he would deny it with everything in his being but now that you're in front of him like this, he simply can't. He misses you. He misses talking to you. He misses teasing you. He misses how your nose would scrunch up in annoyance. He misses the way you would chew on your lower lip to hold back from smiling. 

He misses everything about you.

The next emotion that hits him is anger. Here he is, feeling like he can't act and function normally without you, and there you are totally unbothered. 

The thought also scares him. What if, what if you just don't care about him anymore?

If that so happens to be the case, Jimin at least needs to know for sure. He can't be going around like this with a hole in his chest and having unanswered questions in his mind regarding what exactly happened for you to suddenly cut him off like this.

So, the next thing he knows, he's walking towards you. Ignoring the surprised look on your face, he grabs the courage to speak. 

"Can I talk to you for two minutes?"

You look at your watch simply because you need to make an excuse as to why you can't give him the two minutes. "Sorry, I have to head for my class."

Jimin nods, having expected something like that. "We can talk while walking. I'll drop you to your class."

"You don't need to–"

"I want to," he cuts you off with a determined look on his face, not willing to take no for an answer.

Truth be told, you have no intention of talking to him. But somewhere, at the back of your mind, you're curious as to what he might have to say. After all, after one whole week of Jimin not trying to bug you, you had honestly assumed that that was the end of whatever friendship (if you can even call it that) you two had. 

Jimin takes note of the indecisive look on your face and before you can come to a negative decision, he takes hold of your hand and gently tugs you to a side. 

"What–"

"I am sorry but I had to," he says with a tone that conveys nothing but sincerity. 

You're half pissed at Jimin's behaviour but you ignore it nevertheless, thinking that whatever it is that he has to say, it must be serious. Because you have never seen Jimin being like this before. 

"Whatever you want to say, make it quick," you say with a sigh. 

"Why are you cutting me off like this?" Jimin's words are out of his mouth the moment he knows that you're ready to listen to him. It's like he has been waiting for ages to ask you this particular question. 

Your brows furrow for a split second before you scoff. "Is that what this is all about?"

He is confused as to why you're looking at him as if he has asked a really stupid question.

"Yes?" He responds hesitantly. 

You sigh once again, this time much louder and in disbelief. "Oh my gosh, I can't believe this," you mutter to yourself before looking at Jimin and he does not miss the gleam in your eyes. 

"Let me spell it out for you, you were an asshole to me," you state, your voice having a certain hint of anger to them. 

"A-Asshole? How?" He stutters, looking even more confused than before. 

"You knew I had feelings for you, but you couldn't give two shits about it. I had no issues with you not liking me back, but rubbing all your sexual escapades on my face, and flirting with me is a total disregard and disrespect to how I feel."

"I didn't–"

"It doesn't take much for someone to realise that. Anyone with the minimum common sense can figure that out for themselves. But just because your feelings have always been shallow does not mean that the people around you are shallow as well."

There are a lot of responses that come to Jimin's mind but he knows none of those are good enough.

"Do you know how much of a fool I felt when you were being ignorant of the fact that I am a person who feels? I felt so stupid to be hanging out with you when you couldn't even pause and give me the minimum respect I deserve."

Each word of yours hits him like a bullet but he thinks this has been a long time coming. He is willing to take as many hits as it requires, but he just hopes this is not the end. That somehow he gets to redeem himself. No matter how difficult it is. 

"But at some point, you realise that you shouldn't put up with someone who doesn't appreciate you. I know how I deserve to be treated and it's obvious that you don't know how to treat a woman with respect. Hence, I'm afraid we can't be….friends anymore." 

You paused briefly before using the word friends as if you were not even sure if that's what you two were. And it sure as hell, makes Jimin feel shittier than he did moments ago. 

Oh my goodness, he really has messed this up, hasn't he? 

When you turn around to leave, Jimin doesn't stop you, knowing very well there's nothing much he can say to prove that you mean much more to him than what he has made you believe. 

So he lets you go. 

But only with the intention of earning your forgiveness.

Kim Taehyung

February

Tae 🐻:  did you reach home?

You: yes, just did!

Tae 🐻: i see

Tae 🐻: take rest and sleep well

Tae 🐻: also, i got a little something for you 

Tae 🐻: *image attached*

On clicking the picture, you're greeted with a small little teddy bear that looks adorable in every way possible.

It brings a smile to your face and there's a part of you that knows that it's his way of apologising for the dimmed smile you had throughout the day. His words may have been upsetting but at least he knows the effect they have had on you. And you know he's sorry for it. Mayhaps, that makes it a bit easier for you.

You: it's cute 

Tae 🐻: i know 

Tae 🐻: that's exactly why it reminded me of you 

You chuckle and shake your head softly.

He never leaves a chance to flirt.

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

April

You: you won't believe what happened

Tae 🐻: what

Tae 🐻: What

Tae 🐻: WHAAATTTT

You: a cat just snuggled against me.

You: CAN YOU BELIEVE IT???

You: like i used to be so scared of them 

You: but now i think they are just soft little balls of fur

You: now i want a cat for myself

Tae 🐻: this is so cute for some reason

Tae 🐻: i can just imagine your bright excited smile *sighs*

Tae 🐻: I'm glad you are not scared of cats anymore 👍😌

Tae 🐻: but but but 

Tae 🐻: idk how to feel about you getting a cat

Tae 🐻: what if you get one and then your whole attention is on them and then you forget about me 👉👈

You: 🙄

You: is this supposed to be a joke?

You: can i not have a bear and a cat at the same time???? 😒

You: also, don't worry i doubt the cat can ever get as annoying as you're 

You: so in a way, you'll always be special 😌

Tae 🐻: uhh thank you

Tae 🐻: that's very reassuring 🤗💖

You: well why, you're welcome 🤗

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

July

Your phone rings making you alert of an incoming call. Checking the screen you realise that it's Tae. 

"Hello?" You greet in a sing-song voice, your mood suddenly turning bright.

"Hello, my lady," he greets back in a British accent. "How have you been?"

"Same old, mate, same old," you sigh, mimicking his accent. "Work has been hectic."

"It's even worse that I haven't seen you for so many days" he huffs, his accent gone and voice sounding whiny and complaining. Something that makes you think he has a cute adorable pout on his face.

"I know, work decided to be the biggest bitch ever," which is why you and Taehyung have not been able to find free time to spend with each other. 

The lunchtime for his department changed, making it impossible to have lunch together. Your department has way more workload than his does and as a result of which, you always have to stay back at least an hour to complete your share of work.

Taehyung doesn't wait for you or for your work to get done. And in a way, you're glad. You can't imagine how tiring it can be to wait a whole hour after a full day of work when you know you have the option to just go home and lay in bed and do nothing. 

Everyone deserves good rest and sleep after spending a whole day in front of a computer and that includes Taehyung. You'd never expect him to wait for you or do anything that would be at the cost of his discomfort.

Anyways, it's not like you and him have been out of touch. You text him about every silly little thing that would occur throughout your day. It could be a lizard staring at you intensely as if judging the way you're brushing your teeth, and Taehyung will be the first person to know about it. Hence, yes you do miss his presence physically but your days have been filled with him. 

You both have chatted for hours on end, sometimes via text, other times on a call.

This time is no different. You two end up talking for a whole hour before, he says something that ends with your heart skipping a few too many beats.

"Hey man, I won't say I love you on the phone," he jokes, but there's just something in those words that tells you he knows this isn't just a joke. "That's not fair to the both of us."

It is said out of nowhere, yet it fits the context of the conversation as well as of the situation you both are in. 

"Umm, w-well, say it in person I guess." Your cheeks warm up, a bashful smile that is so incredibly shy at the same time, adorning your lips.

"So I will," he whispers as if even though you two are only connected via call, he knows how gentle this moment is and what it means to you.

And then, the conversation is loud again. You with your silliness and him playing along with it and laughing loudly at your antiques.

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

September

"Why do you look down?" You query as you munch on popcorn.

Taehyung shakes his head, denying anything's wrong. "Nothing, I just feel tired, I guess."

Bullshit. You know Taehyung well enough to know when he's lying. His eyes just twinkle in a certain way as if on alert about being caught. 

"Do you want to leave?" You whisper, paying mind to the people around you. The last thing you want is the people in the movie hall shushing you or glaring at you.

He shakes his head, again. This time more vehemently. "No, I want to watch this movie with you."

You sigh but then speak in a gentle tone. "You know you can tell me right? Anything that's bothering you, you can tell me."

Taehyung looks at you and there's that certain look of vulnerability as if he's scared and worried. But whatever it was that he was looking for, he finds it in your eyes. It makes him decide that yes, he can be honest with you.

"Remember Kira? I saw her today and I guess it just triggered something within me."

Kira. 

How can you forget that name? 

Two months in your friendship and the both of you had discussed your lists of shitty exes and Kira was a topic discussed in detail.

Kira was his first and only girlfriend whom he loved a lot. Their relationship was filled with ups and downs but he never let it come in the way. He was there for her in ways you only see in movies and shows. But alas, things did come to an end. 

What hurt Taehyung more than the relationship coming to an end were the comments made by Kira. She didn't stutter while saying that he's just not the kind of guy she's into. He isn't bulky or muscular. He laughs too much and smiles easily. He isn't intimidating and is very gullible and naive. 

That...that was what broke him.

You remember the day he told you about Kira. It had made you so angry. How could anyone ever say something like that about a person? If you're not interested you're most welcome to leave but why go an extra step to be an asshole and scar someone? 

What was worse was the fact that you could tell Taehyung believed in those words. He thought they were a down point to his character and that it made him unlovable. 

It's also since that day, that you have developed this protectiveness over him. He may not see it but he deserves the absolute best. He deserves to know that it isn't difficult to love him at all, in fact, it might just be the easiest thing in the world. 

But right now, you know that her words from the past are probably being repeated in his mind over and over again. Hence, it becomes your goal to make him see that those words are not true. 

"I understand why it may have been triggering for you," you comment taking hold of his hands and playing with his fingers. "But I assure you, she was only being a bitch because she knew she losing a gem."

Taehyung smiles a smile that does not reach his ears. "Thank you."

"Don't thank me. I'm not done yet."

For the first time this evening, the briefest spark of amusement enters his gaze. 

"I know she hurt you, but if you need a reminder that what she said to you was total bullshit, I'll serve as one."

Your voice comes out firm but there's that tone of love and affection to it, that is simply unmissable.

"People say and do mean things and they hurt us. But their choice of actions and words define them, not us. At some point, you have got to stop and realise that you can't keep hurting yourself because of what someone has said. It's difficult to do that, I know but that difficulty is worth it. You are worth it."

A small, tiny smile appears on Taehyung's lips at your words. Before he can get the words out to express his gratitude, you're speaking again.

"Also, all those things that she made you feel were unlovable about you, make you just that much more lovable. Because that's what makes you, you."

Once you're done, you feel the insecurity hit you that you may have been a little too passionate or that you went overboard. But Taehyung resting his head on your shoulder and muttering the softest of thank you's makes you relax. 

And that's how you watch the rest of the movie. With his head on your shoulders and him constantly wanting some part of his body to be in touch with yours.

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

December

You were promoted. 

You won't say it was out of the blue, you had seen it coming. Despite that, being recognised and awarded for your hard work, felt nice. 

But your promotion also meant you were now working in a different branch of your office. Same city, a different building. This also meant the chances of you and Taehyung meeting in between work had slimmed down to zero.

But again, it didn't seem to affect the bond you two shared. You two chatted with each other about your day almost regularly. It just didn't feel right, without telling him about the itsy bitsy details of your day-to-day life. 

It was your second week in the new building and by now you had become comfortable enough with the group of fellow employees you were mingling with, for them to ask the very important question. "Do you have someone special in your life?"

The question was asked in good spirits, with raised eyebrows, teasing smiles and mayhaps with an underlying hope that the answer to the question would be 'no' so that they can set you up with the company sweetheart Jeon Jungkook, who you have a hunch, has a crush on you.

Nevertheless, the question makes you stutter. 

It's not a difficult question to answer if the answer is a simple yes or no. But in your case, it's not so simple. It's complicated. 

But how do you explain it to them? 

You don't even know where you and Taehyung lie. You both have never directly addressed the feelings except once or twice. But what does that mean now? Do you two fall under the category of "more than friends, less than lovers"? 

You don't know.

You don't know if he still has feelings for you. What if it was just a phase and now all that you two are is just good friends? What if you're the only one who keeps thinking of the time you had confessed and what if you're the only one to whom the moments spent with the other, mean something special? 

But what if the opposite is true? What if he still has feelings for you, what if it wasn't just a phase? What if the moments spent with you, mean something to him as well?

Gosh, this indeed is complicated.

You take a deep breath and conclude that irrespective of whatever his feelings for you may be. You're someone who cares for him. A lot. 

You don't want to be someone who hurts him, ever. Knowing of the few instances that he has been hurt and the way he has been hurt, you never want to make him feel like he failed at love again. Or that, he isn't worthy of love. 

You don't want to assume that Taehyung has feelings for you. At the same time, you don't want to assume that he doesn't. Because you know, if you assume that he doesn't have feelings for you and act accordingly, and then it turns out that he still did, he will feel crushed.

"Let's just say, I do have a certain someone," you answer with a shy smile.

Your new coworkers look disappointed for a brief second, most likely because now they won't be able to play matchmakers but the disappointment is soon replaced by excitement. 

Multiple questions are thrown your way to know about this special person and you spend the rest of lunch trying to answer them as swiftly as possible.

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

February

You: why the 🙄 next to her name?

You ask in reference to him re-posting a status update of a co-worker on Whatsapp. Something about company lunch.

Tae 🐻: cause she's annoying! 

You: lmao why so 😂

Tae 🐻: oh boy she has no respect for boundaries 

Tae 🐻: her jokes are in such poor taste and inappropriate

Tae 🐻: it's just annoying and hence would explain the emoji choice

You: damn 

You: that's harsh 

You: but I'll trust your judgement

Tae 🐻: as you should, yes 😒

You: but this has me curious, if you were to put an emoji next to my name, what would it be? 👀

Tae 🐻: damn that's a good question

Tae 🐻: let me think

Tae 🐻: How about this one? ✨

You: huh? 

You: that's kind of unique 

You: why that one though?

Tae 🐻: because you shine, duh

Tae 🐻: and you light up every room you walk into 

Tae 🐻: and this ✨ just suits you 

Yet again, you feel the familiar warmth in your chest that at this point is just very common every time you talk to him.

But that doesn't make these little moments any less special for you.

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

March.

Work was extra tiring today. You couldn't catch a breather. Couldn't even go to lunch. Stayed back after work till eleven.

And now here you're, finally home.

While having your ramen, you decide to respond to texts that you haven't and so open WhatsApp. 

Once done, you check through the status updates of people. It's always nice to know what fun people have been up to while you were being drained of all energy.

However, you frown when Taehyung's status appears on your screen. There are a few paragraphs written about love and how it can change the way you view life. When the next slide appears, it's a picture of him with a girl. He has his arm casually on the girl's shoulder as they smile at the camera. That added with the heart emoji as the caption causes a weird nervous sensation in your stomach. 

You type out a question as a reply to his status.

You: what is all this about? 😂

You add a laughing emoji next to it just to make sure you sound casual and curious.

Taehyung so happens to be online and his response comes quickly.

Tae 🐻: did you not see my status updates? 😂

Tae 🐻: I'm in a relationship ☺️

And just like that, your hands start shaking and the food in front of you gets forgotten.

Jeon Jungkook

It's been almost a month since you confessed to Jungkook. 

During the first week, you tried to reach out to him because you were so angsty to just get some sort of response. You didn't care if it was in the negative or was harsh. Anything was better than this. Anything was better than him just straight out ignoring your presence as if you never existed. 

You just couldn't understand. Did the friendship you two had mean nothing to him? Did you ever mean anything to him? If you did, how could he possibly treat you this way? Did you not deserve at least a proper explanation as to why he was doing what he was doing?

But after a week, you gave up. Your hurt turned into anger. You didn't care what his possible explanation could be. You did deserve better than this. So you ultimately stopped trying to reach out to him.

It's not like it doesn't bother you. Sometimes, it still does. But the difference is, you have stopped expecting anything from him. And that admittedly, makes it a little easier for you.

"What are we doing today?" Namjoon asks with a bright dimpled smile as he took his seat on the chair. 

"Four short interviews and then a late-night show," you reply, quickly opening your pouches to get out the brushes. 

He sighs. "Another round of answering what our love life looks like."

You snicker, finding it hilarious how done he looks. "Another round of you answering on behalf of the team that you all are a little too busy to find time for dating."

Namjoon shakes his head. "Sometimes I wish I didn't know English." 

The thought makes you laugh with your head thrown back.

"Well I can't imagine anyone else being the spokesperson, it would be damn funny."

You really do think that would be the case. Each of the members has a very distinct personality and just imagining what they would be like, is nothing short of amusing to you. 

Your amusement, however, dwindles when your mind comes up with the question about what Jungkook would be like if he were the one translating other members' words into English. But then your mind leads you to imagine how cute his English is, despite being broken. And then your heart ultimately shrank and you had to remind yourself to not think of him.

Namjoon seems to notice your distress and quickly changea the conversation to something else. 

Thankfully, it works. There are no other sad moments where your mind goes to Jungkook and you find yourself enjoying your conversation with Namjoon and that was more than enough. 

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

It's three in the afternoon, you conclude after checking your watch. Which means another interview left and after that the boys can rest, until the late-night show of course. This also, means that there's another hour for you to just relax in the AC room. After that, you will have to get to work to remove Namjoon's makeup.

You lay down on the sofa and scroll through Instagram. What's better entertainment than this? 

Your fingers get to work and start scrolling, one meme after the other. Some you find hilarious, some you need to read twice to get and some you simply roll your eyes at. But you guess, that's just how memes are.

However, it's after a few more posts that you find one which simply makes you blink in disbelief. 

It's a picture from the news outlet dispatch. The picture in question is of Jungkook's with his arms around a woman. On reading the caption you realise that the said woman is, Niki from the girl group JION. And to no one's surprise, the photo has caused a stir on the internet and apparently, everyone's talking about it. 

You exit Instagram and open Google. You search for Jungkook and Niki are immediately met with a bunch of articles. Each of them discusses their possible relationship and whether or not they are dating. 

When you feel like you have had enough of the sick churning of your stomach, you close all apps and just shut your phone. 

Wow. 

This is something.

It leaves you perplexed and with a bunch of emotions, you have no idea how to deal with. 

Was he already seeing the woman when you left that note? Gosh, if that's the case, it would be so embarrassing. 

Is that why he thought it would be best to just get rid of you? Was that why he made that sudden move out of nowhere? Couldn't he just tell you that he is dating someone else? Learning this from a news outlet, for every reason, feels painful.

It's not even the fact that he is dating someone. It's just the fact that you both have become such strangers that he feels like a distant person you once used to know. All because you decided to trust him with your feelings.

But most likely it didn't matter. Your feelings didn't matter. You're someone who's always behind the scenes, someone who no one knows. But him? He is the world-renowned artist. He is the one who earns in millions and has an army of fangirls, quite literally. Why should he waste his time caring about how you feel? More importantly, why did you expect him to? 

It was undoubtedly a mistake on your part to have trusted him. As they say, expectations lead to heartbreaks and maybe you had to learn it the hard way. 

But that doesn't mean the pain is anywhere near acceptable. You needed a way to vent your anger, so you do the only thing that comes to your mind.

You block him on all social media sites.

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

Two weeks since the rumour about Jungkook and Niki dating begun and it's still all over the net. Why, you ask? Because the two people involved in the matter aren't helping their case at all. 

They have been spotted several times together and thus have been fuelling the rumours further. 

It angered you. Weren't idols supposed to be very careful about their relationships? Why were then, these two, flaunting their relationship for the world to see?

You're aware you sound bitter and ridiculous because no one should have to hide if they are dating someone but you just can't help yourself. No matter how hard you try, news about Jungkook and Niki would somehow or the other appear on your feed, be it on insta or Google. It just became unavoidable as these two were everywhere.

The comments didn't help either. People adored them. 

Apparently, these two were the perfect match for each other. Both maknaes of their individual groups and both fan favourites. 

It made it suck all the more for you. 

Argh. 

"Have you seen my chapstick?" Namjoon asks as soon as he enters the room. "Hobi just lectured me about how I should always keep my lips moisturised." 

"It should be in the drawer," you reply and get up to look for the chapstick. "Let me check once."

As it turns out, it indeed was in the drawer. You hand the small tube to him and as soon as you take a seat again, the door swings open to reveal someone you would have never imagined seeing. 

Niki.

"Namjoon oppa," she smiled, putting her dimples on display. "I was looking for you."

Namjoon turned around at the sound of his name. His expression too turns into that of surprise when he realises who it is. "Niki! I didn't know you'd be coming."

Huh, makes the two of us. 

The two idols chit chat and you ignore all of it. Simply, because they seem to get along really well and if there's one thing you know about Namjoon it's how protective he is of all the members. But if he likes and approves of Niki, well you guess she and Jungkook might just be the perfect match. 

It's not like Niki totally ignores your presence. She shoots you a smile that's sweet and warm, and you smile at her right back. Your's looking a tad bit less sincere.

Thankfully, whatever conversation the two of them were having soon comes to an end and Niki leaves the room. 

As soon as it is just you and Namjoon, you blurt out the question you have been wanting to ask for a long time. 

"Are they really dating?" 

Namjoon doesn't seem too surprised by your question, if anything he looks like he expected it. However, he does look hesitant to answer. "Umm, yes they are."

Shit. 

You don't know why you had to ask the question but you did, and now you got your pretty little confirmation and now you're hurting again. 

Well, shit, indeed.

But but but, why was Namjoon hesitant to answer? Was he perhaps aware you had feelings for Jungkook? Had Jungkook told him the reason of requesting a change? 

Fuck, you should really have kept your curiosity to yourself because now your mind is running wild and it's not helping you at all. 

"But, I don't think it's anything serious," Namjoon adds after a beat of silence then nods as if reassuring himself that it was the right thing to say.

It makes you even more paranoid that Namjoon knows about your little more than crush on Jungkook and it makes you want to flee from the spot. 

"Uhmmm, I need to pee," you squeak out and immediately shut your eyes because gosh that was stupid. 

"Uhh, okay." Thankfully, Namjoon isn't weirded out by your silly choice of words. Instead, he looks amused and there might have been something else in his gaze but you are too embarrassed to take notice.

You quickly leave the room and rush your way to the washroom. As soon as you're in, you splash your face with water.

What the fuck? Does Namjoon know? Does it mean that the other members know too? How are you ever going to face them again? 

Shit. Shit. Shit.

This is no good. You should have never confessed. You should never have listened to those excited beats of your heart and to those fluttering butterflies. Look where it got you.

"Don't worry about it, babe. It's all cool, it's all under control now." A voice reaches your ears from one of the stalls in the washroom. 

You assume the woman must be talking on the phone and you ignore it.

"Yes, I know how you feel about it but trust me this whole thing with Jungkook should be over in like a few weeks."

Now, that has your ears all perked up in attention. 

"You know, I don't even like him like that."

What. The. Fuck. 

"I'm not mad at you for it, relax babe, I love you."

And just like that, you hear the toilet flush and the doorknob jiggling followed by Niki stepping out. 

You pour the liquid soap on your hand and wash your hands with them just to look like you weren't eavesdropping on her conversation with her babe. 

Although, could it really be called eavesdropping when she was speaking so loudly? 

Thankfully, Niki doesn't find your behaviour suspicious and leaves the washroom with a small smile lingering on her lips. 

Uhh okay then. 

This is something. 

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

As soon as the shock dials down and you could think, you knew you had to tell someone. 

You don't know what and how to say, though. You can't just claim that Niki is cheating on Jungkook, despite your initial assumption being that. Because people call their siblings babe too right? Or their best friends? Yes, you can't just assume that she's having an affair behind everyone's back. 

But what you're plenty sure of and have heard Niki admitting is that she does not have feelings for Jungkook. What the heck is going on then? 

Before your mind can start running in circles, the door swings open announcing someone's arrival. Much to your relief, it's Namjoon, someone you can be honest with, without worrying about the technicalities. 

"Listen, I need to talk to you about something," you say, your voice coming out nervous yet firm.

Namjoon takes notice of your nervousness and smiles at you warmly, hoping to put you at ease. "Sure, go ahead."

"I went to the washroom and uhm, I heard Niki talking on the phone about something and I think you should know about it."

A small frown appears on Namjoon's face because of all things, he did not expect that what you had to say was anything related to Niki. He, however, keeps quiet and gives you an encouraging hum to go on. 

"I–She told someone over the phone that she doesn't really have feelings for Jungkook."

Namjoon looks as shocked as you had been but his shock wears off much much quicker than yours did. 

For the first time, he looks a little awkward having this conversation. Scratching the back of his neck, he gives you a small awkward chuckle. "I see what you're saying."

Your first thought to this reaction is that he does not believe you. It would make sense for that to be the case if Jungkook really had told Namjoon about the note. But that does not mean you don't feel incredibly offended and hurt right now. Just because you liked Jungkook does not mean you'd be lying. Is that how much faith Namjoon had in you?

"I'm not lying!" Your voice doesn't hide the emotions you're feeling, not that you were trying to hide them anyway. 

Namjoon's eyes widen and he immediately shakes his head. "No, no, no. That's not what I meant."

You cross your arms and look at him with a scowl, refusing to believe his words. "What did you mean then?" 

He yet, again looks a little sheepish as he answers, "It's just that I don't know what to say."

"You don't have to say anything to me," you reply without missing a beat. "This has nothing to do with me. It has to do with Jungkook. Tell him that this girl probably has some ulterior motives or something. Save him from the heartbreak he will inevitably go through when he comes to that realisation himself."

"You're right, that's exactly what I should do." Something in Namjoon seems to click and he nods. "Wait, I'll be right back."

Just like that, he's walking out in a hurry leaving you all alone in the room. 

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

It's been fifteen minutes since Namjoon left. 

At first, you were walking with hurried steps from one end of the room to the other but then your anxiety got too much for you and you decided to sort out the skincare items and put them in place. 

Productivity is better than burning calories by walking in circles in a room. Right?

You were only putting the new moisturizer in the drawer when someone clears their throat to announce their presence. 

It rightfully startles you and you let out a small yelp. 

However, when you realise who the person standing in front of you is, it makes your stomach sink. 

Jungkook. 

The same Jungkook you have been avoiding for weeks. Not that it was difficult though, he had never really made any effort to reach out to you. But whatever. 

You swiftly look away from him and get back to work, not wanting to pay him any attention. Why should you? You're not his makeup artist anymore, he does not have any business to be here. 

"Umm, I need to talk to you about Niki." 

You don't respond.

Your silence is met with a sigh from Jungkook. 

"Hyung told me what you heard Niki say. Ummm can you please not share it with anyone else?" 

Maybe it was something about the way the words were phrased but they did not sit well with you.

Your hands pause and a scoff of disbelief makes its way past your lips. Is...is that what he wanted to talk to you about? 

That too, of all things to ask you to not tell others about it? As if you had told Namjoon about it to spread some sort of gossip. The only reason you bothered with it was because....well, you were worried for Jungkook. 

But imagine caring about someone despite being treated the way Jungkook treated you and then that person coming to talk to you for the first time in weeks only to tell you not to get involved. As if it was by choice. 

One thing was for sure, you were this close to letting out the words you have been holding in for a long long time. Your position as a makeup artist be damned. 

"It's just that if word gets out she will be framed as the wrong guy."

She....she will be the one framed as the wrong guy? And you being the one who could potentially do it, doesn't make you sound like the villain? What he's saying is you could do something that could end up making Niki the victim.

That's it. You have had enough. 

"Do you even know what you're saying?"  You speak the words out with your tone laced with every bit of anger you have been keeping in for weeks. 

Jungkook winces. "I do–"

"Let me finish. I have no business telling people what I heard Niki speak on the phone with lord knows who. Heck, if I was selfish I would have just stayed out of it because who's gonna believe my words against those millions of articles and fans shipping you two? But the only reason I thought you should know about it is because what if you really loved her or something? Knowing it later when you're much more invested would be way more painful and crushing." 

Something enters in his gaze but you're too furious to notice or to even pause to give him the time to form a response.

"Not to mention that you treated me like trash. Didn't bother talking to me. Changed your staff without giving a proper reason. Heck, I might just be a make-up artist and you might be a world-renowned artist but I thought we were more than that," for the first time since you started speaking, your voice goes quiet. "To me, you were more than the idol everyone sees. Maybe that's why I assumed I was also someone more than just a make-up artist to you."

"But I guess I was wrong," your voice cracks and as soon as the sound of your wavering voice reaches your ears, you know it's time to shut up. Because no way in hell are you going to cry in front of Jungkook. 

But somehow that single voice crack says a lot.

You have seen Jungkook cry in pain and frustration. You have seen him laugh until his stomach started to hurt. You have seen him drink until he's all giggles and smiles. Those moments had led you to believe that you two were friends, at least. But then if you two ever were friends, he has disrespected that friendship way too much for you to be calm about it.

Jungkook looks at the ground as if it would magically give him the answer to the question of what he should do now. When it doesn't, Jungkook battles himself and ultimately decides that it's best for him to simply say the truth.

He has complicated things enough.

"Niki and I aren't dating." 

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

Permanant Taglist:

@bloodline1632 @embrace-themagic @jeonsorchid @fragmentof-indiffernce @royallyjjk @jeonninja @variety-is-the-joy-of-life @blairscott @jungkookslittlebun @hunbun07 @chimchimmarie

Fic Taglist:

@coffeedepressionsoup @perfectlyfangirling @armydgirl

[echoingbirdsofprey]

Lightning On My Lips (Every Time You Kiss Me)

18 - Here We Are, We've Just Begun

Pairing: Tyler Owens x OFC Georgia Tennley

Rating: Explicit (MDNI!)

Warnings: just swearing as usual

A/N: Grits is the real star of the show, honestly.

Playlist

“Gee...” She heard the softness in Tyler's voice as he walked up to the pasture fence that she was leaning against. His hand met the small of her back and his lips touched her temple. “Whatcha doin’ out here?”

“Starin’ at the mares...I feel bad...” She said and he wrapped his arms around her from behind, drawing her close. He kissed the top of her head and she melted into him. His touch was the most comforting thing in the world, no ifs, ands, or buts about that. 

“Why?” He asked, nuzzling her cheek with his freshly shaven stubble. He shaved every few days and she always loved when he was at that fresh, prickly hair length. It gave her goosebumps in a very good way.

“I should ride them...or work them...” Georgia’s tone was laced with guilt. She trusted those two mares, but she also didn’t want to do anything tio dangerous with a baby on the way, Sure it was very early, and she hadn’t even made any doctor’s appointments yet, but she didn’t want to risk anything, and she knew Tyler didn’t either. 

“So do it.” He said. She shot him a smirk. Clearly he felt working the mares wasn’t all that unsafe, even though they were high strung in nature and they hadn’t been sat on in over a year each. 

‘The ring is all overgrown. Hasn't been dragged in God knows how long...” She said, making excuses to see what his next move would be.

“Well...I'll fix it for ya. What else do I have to do but take care of you and this ranch, huh?” Tyler grinned and Georgia hadn’t expected that. He said the second part almost reverently, as if he could do nothing else but provide for her. He wanted nothing else but that, and she knew it, in the bottom of her heart, ust like she would do damn near anything for him, he would absolutely do the same.

“I thought you had to meet Kate and Javi about the grant? They got it right?” Georgia inquired, remembering he’d said he received some texts about Kate coming back out here and maybe even staying permanently. Georgia would like it if that happened, because even though she loved Tyler to pieces and wanted to spend every waking moment with him, it would be nice to have a girl who was a friend to talk to about girl things. Although, she was pretty sure Tyler would talk about girl things with her too.

“They did. They can come here. You ain't leavin’ my sight, baby. Especially while we got a little ‘un on the way.” He said, stepping away from her, but grabbing her hand so she’d come along with him. 

“Well, I could just come with you too.” Georgia followed Tyler into the shed, and he looked over the tractor.

“Should work. Might give a lil fight to start, but should be fine. I'll go start rippin’ up that arena.” He turned to press a kiss to her forehead. “This place is almost ours. I want them to come see it. And I want the least amount of stress for you as possible.” He explained and Georgia shook her head in agreement. She headed out of the shed to get the puppies. Not five minutes later, Tyler had the tractor started and was rolling out to the old arena. The dirt hadn't been worked in over five years so Tyler had set the teeth on the drag to the deepest depth he could. The mower implement was by the side of the ring and had been used recently by Mattias to cut the grass around the farm to keep everything looking nice. Tyler swapped out the drag for the mower, figuring he should get the grass down to a manageable length before trying to rip it all up. Georgia figured he'd be down there for a while so she headed into the barn with the puppies. 

The barn had in and out stalls for the mares, so they never had to worry about them having shelter. They could choose where they wanted to be. Everything in the barn was dusty and had cobwebs on it so Georgia figured it best to start there. While Tyler cleaned up the riding ring, Georgia would do the barn. She had previously begun working on it, but she was feeling a little better now. The puppies played in the barn aisle and hung out for a while with Georgia before she glanced down and noticed there were only two. The blue puppies were there but the red one was gone.

“Shit.” She murmured and walked out of the barn. “Grits! Here, puppy, puppy!”

She looked all around the barn, around the porch of the house and under it, around the back of the house, all the while Pancake and Waffles followed her but she couldn't for the life of her, find Grits. She headed back out toward the riding ring and Tyler had finished mowing and he had just climbed back in the cab of the tractor to start tearing up the sand.

“Hey Ty, I can't find...oh...you lil shit!” She exclaimed, seeing the little red puppy sitting in Tyler's lap in the tractor. Georgia laughed and reached up to pat Grits. The little puppy rolled over in Tyler’s lap  and showed his belly and then sat up tall and looked up at his human dad. 

“Lookin’ for my lil buddy, huh?” He came runnin’ over here like he was late for work. I tell ya what, I like this lil guy.” Tyler said as he rubbed the little red puppy's head. “Guess this one's mine then.”

“Guess he is. And I've got the ladies. I started cleanin’ in the barn.” She said, and Tyler nodded and smiled. 

“You keep doin’ that and I'll getchur office out here fixed up. It'll be right as rain just in time for you to use it this afternoon.” Tyler went back to dragging the ring, Grits in the cab with him and Georgia walked back toward the barn, when she saw a truck pulling up. It was a white Dodge Ram and out of the driver’s side, stepped Javi. Kate stepped out of the passenger side and she nearly ran to Georgia. 

“I’m so happy to see you! How are you doin’? She asked, as they hugged briefly before breaking their embrace. Georgia smiles and didn’t say much of anything, but Kate seemed to know just from her expression. “Everythin’ good?” She asked.

“Yeah, really good. Tyler will be done soon. He’s just fixin’ my ridin’ arena.” Georgia said, and Kate noticed how tired her friend looked. Javi came over and hugged Georgia gently, asking how she was. Kate then took a hold of one of Georgia’s hands. “Show us around?”

“Sure.” Georgia said, just as the blue puppies came running over to greet their guests. Javi picked one up and so did Kate and they all headed toward the arena where Tyler was just finishing up. He waved and pointed to Grits and then drove the tractor back to the shed. He left the door to the shed open so thst it could air out and he picked up his puppy and greeted his friends. After pleasantries were exchanged, they all put the puppies down so they could follow them around the barn, the pasture, the riding arena, and then they all headed up to the house.

“This place is gorgeous. You buy it already?” Javi asked and Tyler nodded. 

“Just have to finalize the paperwork and it'll be ours.” He said as he led everyone to the kitchen table. Georgia and the puppies went to the fridge, grabbing a pitcher of sweet tea that she'd made the evening before, and cups for everyone. Javi and Kate sat next to each other and Tyler sat with Georgia. There were six seats in total but they could certainly add more as their little family grew, or as their circle of friends needed a place to stay. 

Tyler wanted this place to not only be their home but a temporary home for his crew if they needed it. He wanted to be able to offer a place to stay if someone needed it for the night while chasing or if they needed a pit stop on the way through. The house itself was huge, having something like six or eight bedrooms or extra rooms scattered throughout. There was also a huge basement with the storm cellar. The family room that connected to the kitchen took up most of the downstairs area, and then there was what used to be Georgia and Emmaleigh’s playroom, which had been turned into a storage room essentially. Once Emmaleigh and Mattias things got moved out Tyler and Georgia would be free to redecorate.

“How is everything else going?” Kate asked, a sly little smirk on her lips as she glanced between Tyler and Georgia. 

“Well, we have some other good news.” Georgia said, looking to Tyler for reassurance that it was okay to tell them. He nodded as he sat down, placing a hand on her thigh and squeezing. Georgia smiled and locked eyes with Kate. “Tyler and I are having a baby.”

“Fuck yes, I knew it! Shit. Scott owes me two hundred bucks.” Javi exclaimed and Kate whacked him on the shoulder. 

“Javi!” She laughed and it made Tyler and Georgia laugh too.

“Ah, don’t worry. That money is gonna go straight to a present for the littlest Tornado Wrangler.” Javi said and Georgia smirked and glanced at Tyler. He seemed so at ease with everything as it came about. It was as if Tyler had begged God to bestow all these things upon him and they were all aligning one by one. The love of his life coming back to him, a kid, a house, and his friends all surrounding them, being super supportive. Tyler couldn’t possibly ask for anything else.

“So Scott?” Georgia asked, glancing at Javi. He dropped his gaze and chuckled slightly.

“Yeah. I was gonna ask you guys if it was okay if maybe he tagged along here and there? We had a chat after that last big tornado and worked through our shit. He wanted to apologize to you, Tyler. He already apologized to Kate.” Javi explained and Tyler pursed his lips. 

“Well, as long as he apologized to Kate, and you guys worked out yur shit, I’m good with him.” Tyler murmured, taking a sip of his tea. Georgia smiled in his direction, as he rubbed his hand up and down her thigh under the table. She didn’t know if he was trying to get her excited, but he was successfully doing so, and right in front of their new colleagues.

“Any luck on the new truck?” Javi asked, sipping his tea too. Georgia’s finger brushed against Tyler’s forearm and he glanced down, the whites of his eyes slightly panicked. She smirked and took a peek over at Kate, who had leaned down to grab a puppy, Waffles to be exact. Neither had noticed the subtle flirty advances Tyler and Georgia were making at each other, so they kept it going. 

“Boone texted me. Said he’s gonna go get Lily, spend a few days with just her, and then head this way.” Tyler glanced over at Georgia, who pumped a fist in the air.

“I fuckin’ knew it.” She said and Kate laughed out loud, which got Waffles excited, inciting the puppy to climb up and lick Kate’s face. Tyler happened to notice Javi’s expression softened as he watched Kate with the puppy. He felt like maybe there were feelings there, but at the same time, maybe Kate just needed to get through her past trauma before she headed into that type of relationship with anyone again. She did, after all, lose her boyfriend of four years that day. He didn’t know what Javi had going on, but he bet there wasn’t much more on his mind than Kate. 

The conversation dove towards discussion of the grant money and how they would proceed from there. Tyler had been looking at getting a second truck even before all of this happened, and he could figure out another trailer for Boone’s truck for more barrels and equipment. Javi would still provide his truck and that could tow a trailer with his radars. Without the funding from Riggs, Javi was in a bit of a predicament, but the grant money would certainly help. It wouldn’t fix everything, but it was enough to get them going. Tyler suggested they start their own channel, and he could help them get started, piggybacking off his channel’s success to get them going. 

Georgia felt out of the loop, but listened anyway. She just took pictures. She of course knew enough about tornados to know what they were talking about, but some of the more complicated material like the physics involved, were just out of her range of expertise. It was Kate and Tyler who had the Meteorology degrees anyway. She decided to get up and begin making dinner as it was getting later into the afternoon. She kissed Tyler’s cheek and rubbed his shoulder. She enjoyed watching him discuss his profession with other people who were well versed in it. She knew that was something he needed. Now it was up to her to find out what she needed, because there was no way she’d be able to tag along on chases when they had this baby. 

🌪️⛈️🌪️

Javi and Kate had stayed for dinner and Georgia had offered them each a room. There were a couple beside the master bedroom, like Emmaleigh’s old room and Georgia’s as well as the guest room upstairs that her mother always kept set up just incase the girls had friends stay over. They gladly accepted and after Tyler helped Georgia clean up the table, he followed her out to the barn so that they could feed her mares and Javi and Kate could have some time alone, whether that was together or apart. Tyler kind of hoped it was together though.

The mares trotted up into the barn as Georgia flicked on the light. It was starting to get darker earlier as the summer was coming to an end. Georgia grabbed the grain for the mares, giving Wilene, the older mare hers first, and then Twist. Tyler leaned against Twist’s stall door, watching the mare scarf down her grain like she’d never eaten before, but that was just her. Tyler remembered her always being like that. Georgia threw them some hay as well and then leaned against the door next to Tyler.

The puppies had followed them out to the barn and after a long day, they collapsed at the feet of their humans, just joyful to be in the presence of them. Especially little Grits, who leaned against Tyler’s leg as he stared up and yawned. The little red puppy had decided of his own volition that Tyler was his and he was Tyler’s. 

“You were quiet in there.” He murmured, gently moving a piece of hair that had fallen across her eyes to behind her ear. She gave him a short smile and put her arms on the stall door, looking at the old black mare.

“Just trying to figure some stuff out in my head.” She said and Tyler placed a hand on her back, rubbing soft circles and stepping closer.

“Like what? Talk to me.” He asked and she sighed heavily. She turned slightly toward him and shot him a weak smile.

“After we have this baby...and you go back to storm chasin'...what am I gonna do?” She asked and Tyler leaned over to kiss her forehead.

“Gee...I’m gonna tell you right now...in fact, I’m gonna promise you right now...I’m not gonna be gone for weeks on end like I was before. That’s why I wanted Boone to get his own truck, then I can send him and Lily out on further chases. I don’t wanna be away from you and our kid. I don’t miss them growin’ up. And I don’t wanna miss any more time with you.” Tyler assured her, and then he spoke again. “If I’m bein’ honest...I think you should try trainin’ some horses again, and teachin’. You were always great at it.”

“The ladies are retired...” She scoffed and Tyler put his hand on her upper arms and rubbed up and down, while whispering in her ear.

“Then I’ll buy you a couple new ones. Hell, get myself one too. I ain’t never gon ride a bull again, but I’ll hop on a horse and chase some cows like we used to.” Tyler mused and Georgia turned to face him, her nose touching his.

“You really think I should go back to it?” She asked and he nodded.

“You don’t have to rodeo. Just do what you can from home. Gee, I don’t give a damn if you make a cent from it, if that’s what you’re worried about. All I care about is that you’re happy.” He said and Georgia stretched up to kiss him fervently. When they parted he smoothed his hand over her hair and kissed the top of her head, pulling her close for a hug. “Seein’ you happy , Peach ...that’ll make me happier than any man alive.” 

[silvershadow1711]

Inking is done. I cannot draw intricate patterns- I try, but my brain rejects math on all levels. I spent hours erasing and redrawing that main cable pattern before saying "fuck it- we'll do it live" and just drawing it with ink (you can see where I messed up, but that can be fixed with more ink). I got so angry at that sweater, but every time I saw Toshi's smile, it was like a balm for my soul. Man's so pure he's got me forgetting that I'm the one who drew him.

(Also, this isn't a pet peeve or anything but something I noticed- he looks... young in a lot of fanart? Correct me if I'm wrong, but this man is like, in his mid 50s during the series, right? Certified silver fox. I would think that a war-torn, overworked, chronically ill middle-aged man would show his age a bit more. Give him wrinkles; it's not gonna make him less hot, I promise. If anything, it'll make him hotter-- that's not the old man fucker in me talking, I swear...!)

Next, either the inkwash will be a success and I'll post a finished masterpiece, or my fears will come true and I'll ruin everything and walk into the ocean in shame. We'll see.

[lucagray813]

The Tang Chronicles - Chapter 1

Rating: G

Word Count: ~3,404

Characters: Tang, Pigsy, MK, Pigsy's Grandmother

Relationships: Everyone & Everyone

Summary: Tang meets MK for the first time. He's a weird kid.

Additional Tags: Slice of Life, Pre-Canon, Kid MK

CW: Swearing

Link to AO3 Version

Chapter Navigation: First | Prev | Next

----

Tang wouldn't generally consider himself to be an unobservant person but as he stood holding his throbbing nose and belatedly read the closed sign on the door to Pigsy's Noodles, he could only be grateful no-one had been around to witness his embarrassing moment, especially not the titular Pigsy.

In his defence though, never in the three years that he'd religiously been coming to Pigsy's Noodles had the restaurant ever been closed on a Saturday and definitely not because of a family emergency. The hastily scribbled sign on the door was apologetic but light on details and he found himself frowning in concern.

While he was pretty put out about his favourite restaurant being closed, he genuinely hoped nothing terrible had happened to Pigsy or his grandmother, Xiùyīng. He'd gotten to know them both pretty well over the last few years, and he'd even go as far as to call the former a friend.

He wished he had a way to contact him and check in but they'd never really had a cause to exchange phone numbers. Well, maybe he could find a way to send a message via the restaurant's social media or find a business email address or something once he'd found somewhere else to study for the day.

----

He never ended up sending that message and, due to truly unfortunate circumstances, it actually ended up being a whole week before he was able to visit the restaurant in person again. And, bar a couple of trips home to visit his mother, it was probably the longest he'd ever been forced to go without Pigsy's cooking since he'd discovered it.

He felt like he was going through withdrawal. And if he didn't get his fix today then surely he would perish.

His boyfriend, Mǐnyǒng, had all but kicked him out of the flat this morning, clearly fed up with his dramatics. But while no-one could step to his love of Pigsy's cooking, Mǐnyǒng had become rather partial to it as well and had lovingly demanded he bring back his favourite order when he eventually managed to roll his way home later.

He was ready to walk through the door to Pigsy's Noodles before it even officially opened, a privilege he'd been awarded some time ago, and, after a quick double check to make sure the door was indeed unlocked this time, he sauntered in and all but melted at the mouthwatering aromas he was met with.

Pigsy wasn't in the kitchen but chances were high he was just grabbing something from the back so he turned to say hello to Xiùyīng who was sitting in one of the booths but he tripped over his cheerful greeting as he was met with a pair of unfamiliar, unblinking eyes.

The boy was human and looked to be about five years old and he was staring him down with a rather unnerving intensity. Thankfully, Xiùyīng noticed the boy had stopped drawing and looked up to see what had caught his attention.

She smiled as she waved at him, "Oh! Mr. Tang! We were wondering where you'd disappeared to! Come and say hello to MK!"

MK? Like the oyster sauce brand? Nah, couldn't be. Must just be a coincidence. Weird name either way though.

Not wanting to cause any offense he walked closer and tried to put on a friendly smile, "Xiùyīng, I'm glad to see you're alright. I was worried when I saw that sign on the door. Uh, hi, MK?"

Xiùyīng didn't seem at all worried about the fact the boy just kept staring at him, blithely responding, "Oh, don't you worry, we're all fine. Better than fine actually! It was quite the drama though! But I'll have to fill you in when little ears aren't listening." She gently nudged the boy sitting beside her, "MK, do you want to say hello to Mr. Tang?"

MK hadn't so much as blinked since he'd got here and, to his discomfort, continued to sit and stare up at him silently. Xiùyīng didn't seem at all put off by this odd behaviour though, patting his head fondly as she explained, "You'll have to forgive him, he's a shy little thing. But take his staring as a compliment! He's normally very skittish, hiding away whenever anyone tries to get a good look at him, he must be able to tell you're a good soul."

He smiled awkwardly and tried to wave away the compliment, "Ah, you're too kind." He started to touch his face and his hair self-consciously, "I probably just have bed head or a giant spot or something."

"Yeah, and it's right in the middle of your forehead too."

He slapped both hands over his forehead as he swiveled around to see Pigsy in the kitchen. Face red, he disputed, "No, I don't!"

Pigsy just smirked tiredly, "Why you covering it up then?"

He was saved from having to retort by Xiùyīng lightly scolding, "Leave the poor boy alone. And I don't care how well you get on, don't forget he's still a customer! Mr. Tang, don't listen to him. There's nothing on your face."

Smug, he removed his hands and crossed his arms, "Yeah, Pigsy. Don't forget who's the paying customer here."

Pigsy rolled his eyes and huffed, muttering something no doubt unflattering under his breath. If it weren't for the presence of his grandmother, he wouldn't have hesitated to bicker with him but as it was he could only side eye him as he took his rightful seat at the counter.

It was as he was pulling out his laptop that Pigsy asked, "Where have you been anyway? You know you have to put in leave if you want to go on holiday. I was ready to put the job notice out and everything."

It was a long running gag that Tang unofficially worked at the restaurant and they had all sorts of inside jokes to go along with it - calling in for a delivery was him calling in sick, for example - and normally it was easy to fall into the familiar banter but he'd been waiting to complain about his week to Pigsy, well, all week!

He moaned, "Pigsy, you have no idea what kind of week I've had! Last Sunday Mǐnyǒng and I went on the date from hell!"

It was one of those days where everything that could go wrong, did go wrong - broken down cars, public transport with no AC, reservation mix ups... The list went on until eventually it culminated in the pair of them taking an unceremoniously dip in a lake.

"I don't know what was in that water but the pair of us were sick for rest of the week! And on top of that I still had to get my essay done! Pigsy, when I tell you that I suffered..."

He startled slightly as Xiùyīng commented behind him, "I swear you must have been born under an unlucky star - the amount of misfortune that befalls you..."

He had all but forgotten she and MK were there but at least when he turned around the kid's stare looked enraptured rather than unsettling. He wasn't sure how much he had understood but he knew he was quite the energetic story teller, all the hand waving and miming had probably been entertaining enough.

A little sheepishly he responded, "Actually, all my stars are pretty auspicious. My mother has been tearing her hair out over my bad luck since I was born - she's tried everything to find a way to combat it. Fortune tellers, talismans, good luck charms but nothing ever works."

Honestly, he didn't think his luck was that bad. Sure, he found himself in bizarre situations at times but for the most part he escaped unscathed. He may have been sick this last week but he was perfectly fine now and as miserable as it had been, he'd gotten to cuddle up to his boyfriend the entire time and he had a great story to tell.

Overall, it balanced itself back out. Not that he didn't like to complain at length when misfortune did strike him but sue him, he liked complaining.

Xiùyīng tutted, "That's because she'll have been going to human fortune tellers. MK, can I borrow some of your paper? Thank you, sweetheart. Here, I know an excellent divinator downtown..."

As she scribbled down the details, in crayon of all things, he cast a somewhat exasperated look at Pigsy, only to find him shooting his grandmother an annoyed look, as he often did when she felt the need to pass comments on humans and demons in front of him.

He didn't really take any offence to it and just thanked her as he walked over and took the offered piece of paper. She warned him, "I have an appointment with him next month so don't think I won't find out if you've not been to see him."

He laughed nervously, as he tried to talk his way out of this, "I don't think I'll be able to see him that soon. I have so many deadlines coming up and if he's as good as you say he is then no doubt he'll be fully booked!"

She wasn't at all deterred, "He'll want to see you straight away! You're at such a crucial stage of your education - you can't let bad luck rob you of all your hard work now! In fact, I'll call him right now for you! Where's my phone?"

He spared precious seconds glaring at Pigsy for sniggering before he very politely tried to dissuade her from booking him an appointment, "No, no! I couldn't ask you to do that! And I would need to check my schedule anyway! I promise I'll have a look at it tonight! Please don't trouble yourself!"

She waved him away, "Oh, nonsense. It's no trouble at all but it does look like I've left that blasted phone upstairs. But don't think I won't be checking to make sure you actually made an appointment!"

There was no getting out of it. If he gave any excuse that this guy couldn't see him then she absolutely would call him personally to argue his case. He willed himself not to hang his head in defeat as he promised again that he would sort it out tonight.

He then had to endure an hour of her telling him all about this fortune teller's credentials and how he'd helped so and so with this or a friend of a friend with that. Pigsy only added fuel to the fire, reminding her of stories she'd forgotten and ensuring that he got zero work done.

MK had largely gone back to doodling with his crayons but as customers started to come in he started to push himself closer to Xiùyīng's side, eventually going as far as to hide his face against her too. Any reassurances or encouragement to look up falling on deaf ears and before long she was guiding him through the staff door and up the stairs to the apartment.

He was intensely curious as to who this kid was and why he was here but he'd have to wait until the lunch rush was over for answers unless he wanted Pigsy to bite his head off.

He did notice that on occasion though that the staff door would crack open a sliver and a pair of anxious eyes would peer out to apparently check that Pigsy was still where he was supposed to be though.

It was also hard not to notice how tired Pigsy looked.

The last time he'd seen the bags under his eyes that dark had been back when he had been studying part time to get some of the qualifications he'd missed at school, in addition to some business related courses. He genuinely wasn't sure how he'd managed to pull it off while working full time but he had and the various congratulation gifts he'd received from regulars still had a place of pride up on the shelf behind the counter.

A heavy sigh pulled his attention away from his laptop and he looked up to see Pigsy leaning against the counter, clearly taking a breather.

"You doing alright, Pigsy?"

He stood up straight with a sigh and started tidying up as he responded, "Yeah, yeah, I'm fine. Just been one hell of a week."

Concerned, he asked, "What happened? Sorry, I never even asked why you were shut last week - are you and your grandmother alright?"

Pigsy waved away his apology, "As if you had a chance with all that fortune teller BS... But yeah, we're both fine. I can't go into details but just know you'll be seeing MK around a lot for the time being. His parents are old family friends and they're really going through a tough time at the moment so we've offered to babysit short term. Speaking of which..."

He started pulling out various ingredients to make a snack for the kid and he couldn't help but envy the fact that he was going to be eating so well the entire time he was here. Obviously, that didn't make up for whatever was going on in his home life but damn, did he wish he could get some of those dumplings Pigsy was making.

He forced himself to stop looking hungrily at the food in Pigsy's hands and instead ask, "What happened?"

Pigsy shot him an annoyed look, "What part of "I can't go into detail about it" did you not get?"

Not quite having believed he wasn't actually going to divulge the details, he pouted, "Seriously? Why not? Oh, wait! Do I know them? Are they regulars? Oh! Or are they famous somehow? Is that why he's got such a weird name? To protect his identity?"

Admittedly, he was just a bit of a nosey person by nature but there must be a good reason that Pigsy couldn't share any details with him.

Bizarrely though Pigsy looked oddly embarrassed and a little defensively he bit out, "What's wrong with his name?"

A little incredulously he retorted, "You ever heard of a kid called MK before?" He then pointed at the bottle of MK brand oyster sauce behind Pigsy, "Seriously, did they just name him after the first thing they saw?"

Cheeks red, Pigsy crossed his arms and blustered, "Obviously they didn't. That's just a coincidence. His real name is just... too long and... foreign to bother with! His, er, dad, uh... studied in France! Fell in love with the place or whatever and gave his kid some fancy French name."

Doubtful, he asked, "So what's his actual name then?"

Pigsy turned away as he continued to put together a snack for "MK", "Can't pronounce it."

He crowed, "You're taking care of this kid and you can't even say his name?"

Pigsy immediately got in his face and shushed him, glancing around the restaurant at the other customers and finally at the staff door before hissing, "Keep your voice down! See, this is why I'm not telling you shit about what happened!"

He pushed Pigsy out of his face before whispering in disagreement, "Oh, come on! I wasn't that loud! And as if I would start shouting about something like that! The kid isn't going to hear us from upstairs!"

Even if he was sitting just out of sight behind the staff door, he still wouldn't hear them over the thrum of conversation that currently filled the restaurant.

Pigsy refused to see reason however, "I'm not taking that risk. Kid is traumatised enough as it is."

Well, he didn't really feel he could argue against that. The silence, the staring and the nervousness suggested, to him at least, that something really was up with the kid and he supposed he couldn't really blame Pigsy for being super wary of that. And honestly, it was almost impossible to get Pigsy to change his mind in anything - if he'd decided he wasn't going to tell him, there was no way he was going to be able to convince him.

Maybe he'd get the full story once the kid left for the day.

So, making sure his displeasure was known, he conceded, "Ugh. Fine. I guess it's none of my business anyway."

Pigsy huffed, "You should try having that attitude more often."

The conversation moved on.

He had long since secured the right to remain in the restaurant while it was closed between the lunch and dinner rushes and so he was here to witness the way MK almost immediately appeared and latched onto Pigsy as soon as the last customer disappeared out the front door.

Xiùyīng followed at a much more sedated pace but where he raised an eyebrow at the clingy behaviour, she looked incredibly fond.

Pigsy himself looked a little awkward about the whole thing but inevitably he just sighed and patted his head before grabbing the food and trying to usher him over to a booth, allowing the boy to sit close as he ate.

Pigsy asked him a range of yes and no questions about what he'd been up to and MK nodded and shook his head enthusiastically where appropriate. Xiùyīng occasionally chiming in with more detail and trying to encourage MK to speak up and do the same.

He didn't seem nearly as unsettled as he had this morning and he was quite proudly showing Pigsy the drawings he'd been working on and apparently there was an interesting addition.

Pigsy snorted and handed one of the drawings back to MK before nudging him, "You want to go show Mr. Tang what you've drawn?"

He'd really rather not be involved in this whatsoever but his desperate motions behind MK's head were ignored and he just had to accept his fate when the kid shyly made his way over and handed over the drawing for his appraisal.

It really wasn't anything impressive but he could more or less recognise what everything was supposed to be and it wasn't a stretch to believe that the man with the giant glasses and the laptop was supposed to be him.

The slightly menacing aura coming from the booth really wasn't necessary - he had nieces and nephews, he knew how to handle this situation. He made the appropriate amount of fuss and MK really seemed to brighten under the positive attention, running to grab the rest of his drawings to show him.

Xiùyīng couldn't help but marvel, "He's really taken a shine to you."

He really didn't have anything to say in response to that so he'd simply laughed awkwardly and told her about his experience with his brothers' children.

Eventually, MK and Xiùyīng went back upstairs and he couldn't help but smile as he commented, "He is a pretty cute kid."

Pigsy shrugged, "So everyone tells me."

"Can he not talk at all though?"

Pigsy hesitated for a moment, before offering, "Well, he's not spoken since he's got here but everyone seems pretty sure he will speak eventually."

Curious, he asked, "Who's everyone?"

Pigsy snorted and turned away from him, "Nice try."

He sighed and smiled ruefully, "Can't blame a guy for trying."

It wasn't unheard of for him to spend the entire day at the restaurant but after several, increasingly dramatic messages from Mǐnyǒng telling him he was close to starving to death, he decided to pack it in about dinner time.

Takeout in hand, Pigsy stopped him before he could leave pointing him towards the staff door where a nervous looking clung to Xiùyīng while sadly waving goodbye.

Jeez, this kid.

He returned the wave and then perhaps a little louder than normal thanked Pigsy for the food and told him he'd be back on Wednesday. He had no idea if MK would be here then but he seemed to look a little less distressed to hear he was coming back.

As he walked back home, it was hard not to speculate on MK's situation, it really was bizarre the more he thought about it, but he could theorise all he liked there was no way of knowing the truth. He was still holding out hope that he would find out once this whole thing blew over though.

But he wondered how long that would be - how long was "short-term"? A few days? Weeks? Surely not more than a couple of months?

He guessed he would just have to wait and see.

--Chapter End--

A/N: MK still shows up at Pigsy's door as per canon but that's on a need to know basis right now.

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