#but i had so much work to occupy me and right now I'm struggling to even have motivation to knit

[rival-the-rose]

My partner upon hearing what a hard time I had yesterday has really gone all out... Made me dinner played board games with me, today they've called me on every break and every time they're walking a (low acuity) patient and they just came home to see me on their lunch break. They hate having to leave me to go to work, it's just bad luck this week that there's no one to hang out with me. They've talked about trying to get state leave to take care of me but idk if it'll work since I'm much more able to take care of myself now. Honestly I've been really lucky that I've had two friends who are available to sit on a couch with me Monday thru Wednesdays, it's hard to even call it bad luck that both of them are traveling most of November. But the mental effects of being alone+not being able to do anything are really adding up.

[jinnie-ret]

cover me

poly!stray kids x fem reader

genre: angst, fluff at the end

content warnings: stress from uni/work

word count: 1.5k

summary: money, work, school. it was only a matter of time before the boys would see her crumble, and be there to pick up the pieces

requested: @straykidsnerd255

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Every time she tried to take one step forward, something would ultimately knock her back twice as far. Finally having a very generously paid job as an intern at a big company was serving her well, yet with the return of going back to university, finding a work-school balance was becoming difficult.

Truly, that was the hardest thing. She had great people around her, those being her uni friends or her loving boyfriends, the renowned Kpop band, Stray Kids. The way they cared for her and each other with such strong morals and support meant that surely it would be easy to confide in them.

Not always, especially in this case.

Other times she would be thankful for the fact that her partners all had a longer practice at the company, not to their own detriment of course, but because it gave her more time to get herself together and paint on a calm picture of 'I'm definitely not struggling right now and on the brink of my second breakdown of the day'.

However, this time she really needed them. The stress had amounted to such a level that she felt it right through to her bones, and so she found herself crying over the smallest things, which in turn let out the release of her biggest pain.

"Stupid shoes, why aren't they organised, there's too many," she sniffled, sat on her knees by the front door as she began to cry at shoes. Yes, shoes. Her boyfriends' shoes to be specific. She would have thought at least Seungmin would have berated the others for their lack of organisation at this point but even his were out of place.

"They didn't even match them back up," she cried, and more tears spilled out, "oh, why am I even crying right now?"

Sometimes being in such a state meant that it was hard to understand your own feelings, your thoughts far too occupied with the wants of other people to be able to manage the basic needs of your own.

Eventually she gave up on the shoes and wiped her tears, walking slowly over to the sofa and letting her body fall into it with a soft thump. She tugged a soft velvety blanket over herself, one that Felix probably picked out due to it's plush exterior, and instinctively cocooned herself. Her heart felt heavy, her eyes hot and burning as the tears kept falling. All it took was a reminder on her phone for a work assignment, and a uni assignment, to trigger a sob to catch her throat.

"Too much," she sobbed to herself, trying to muffle the sounds even though there was no one else to hear them, "it's too much."

She was wrong. Not about her feelings, gosh, no, but the fact that she thought she was alone.

"Hey, hey, what's going on?" Hyunjin was crouched down right in front of her trembling form, almost hidden if it wasn't for the blanketed lump that had been shaking so much it couldn't have been natural.

His hand brushed her hair back and his thumb rubbed under her eyes, catching the tears that seemed to keep appearing. Hyunjin watched on in deep concern, just like their other boyfriends did the more they realised something was wrong.

"What? When, when did you get back?" she gulped down her sobs, or attempted to, even though her words still came out messily. She sat up, the blanket falling off her shoulders and resting around her hips.

"Don't worry about that, love. Just tell us what's going on, yeah? What's wrong?" Chan held her against him immediately, taking a seat ñext to her. The only time his arm that was wrapped around her moved away, was to let Jeongin lift the blanket back up to keep her warm.

"I don't know," she sniffed indignantly, coughing lightly through her cries when she tried to clear her throat. Her arm pressed against the lower half of her face.

"You're getting yourself in a state now, come on, move your arm, you know you don't have to hold back in front of us," Seungmin sighed sadly, seeing his girlfriend so stressed. He pulled her arm towards her lap which he was sat in front of, holding her hand with one of his own and the other rubbing her knee.

"Thanks," she said sarcastically at first, until hearing the rest of what he had to say and tilting her head up to the ceiling to blink away the rest of her tears.

Chan pressed a kiss against her forehead, and everyone was around her to offer comfort, Felix and Changbin in particular wanting to jump out of their seats on the adjacent sofa to take all the pain away.

"What's got you to upset, jagi?" Jisung pouted, his own eyes glistening as he saw how upset you were.

"It's stupid, really," she began, rubbing at her eyes roughly, Hyunjin subsequently tutting at her and pulling her other hand away that Seungmin wasn't occupying.

"We're not doing that, jagi," Minho shook his head, brows furrowed, looking down at the floor with his hands folded together, "if it's upset you, it's not stupid."

"Exactly, please just tell us, you know we just want to help, that's all," Felix quickly pitched in, face crumpled sadly much like your own.

"There's just too much going on really. You know? Like, oh-" she had to cut herself off when her voice cracked with emotion again.

"You're ok, take your time," Jeongin gave a small smile and nod to reassure her.

"We're listening, baby," Changbin's raspy voice rung out.

"I've got a good job right? Like, it pays so well, but now with going back to uni it's just like I don't have time for anything. I-i'm having to squeeze in hours where I don't have them because my boss won't help me work around my timetable," she explained, the clashing of two parts of her life and time issues being what was clearly causing so much turmoil.

"I'm sorry, darling," Chan tugged her closer to him, a frown on his face.

"Don't be sorry, not your fault, is it? I'm just so tired, I'm exhausted," she admitted, pressing her lips together and taking a deep breath in order to not cry again.

"We'll help you figure this out, ok?" Hyunjin leant his head against her shoulder.

"Ok, ok," she let out a deep breath and nodded.

"I think you need to focus on uni, love. If work can't meet you in the middle then, it's hard," Seungmin trailed off, not wanting to fully leave her in the dark but not wanting to be too blunt.

"What do you think, jagi?" Jisung wondered, curled up against Minho, one leg hanging over the older's lap.

"I don't know. I don't even wanna make any decisions right now," she shook her head tiredly, blinking a couple times.

"That's understandable, baby, how about we just relax for now, ok?" Changbin suggested.

"And if anything else is upsetting you, please tell us," Chan huffed with a knowing smile.

"Ok, promise," she grinned.

₊˚⊹♡

She must have fallen asleep without realising, as she found herself waking up to Jeongin and Felix giggling over something on the latter's phone.

"What's going on?" she murmured tiredly, pressing her face deeper into... Jisung's chest, it took one whiff of his cologne to be able to tell it was him.

"Had a good sleep then, hmm?" Minho poked her forehead, slow blinking at her.

"Mm, yeah," she nodded, "Lixie, Innie, what's funny?"

The two froze, looking at her a bit guiltily.

"Well, umm, you know we have that camera in the hallway, just in case for security, like if someone broke in or-" Jeongin began to ramble awkwardly,

"I know, yeah," she nods, adjusting her head against Jisung's chest as he loosely keeps an arm around her, securing her to him.

"We're actually sorry for laughing, babe, it's just... You were crying over our shoes earlier?" Felix can't even keep eye contact as he explains.

Jisung stifles a laugh and so she slaps his chest playfully through her mild embarrassment, making him yell out dramatically.

"What's Sungie done now?" Hyunjin asks as he flops onto the sofa, entering the room again after leaving Chan, Seungmin and Changbin to managing the cooking.

"It's more about what our jagi did," Minho teases, looking at her with a smug grin.

"Guys, I was stressed, leave me aloneeee," she huffed, but it didn't stop the light laughter that filled the room knowing that she wasn't completely upset about it.

"Sorry, but..." Jeongin chuckles again, "the way you throw the shoes away from you is so funny!"

"What did our shoes do to you?!" Felix laughed again as he watched the video on replay.

"They smelt bad," she grinned happily, teasing them back as revenge, "specifically Ji's."

"Yah!"

Jisung gave her a noogie, keeping her trapped in his arms. He couldn't let her discredit him like that.

"Sorry! Sorry! Hahaha!"

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listeners: @skz-streamer @kiraisastay @kpopmenace143 @haodore @arloo00 @dunno-wut-to-do @splat00z @his-angell @2minstan @skzoologist @lovingchan @atinyniki @writingforstraykids @minholing @lilmisssona @astraysimp @lixie-phoria @theo4eve @linoalwaysknows @royal-shinigami @jolly04 @turtledove824 @yangbbokari @thisrandomgoofy15 @lieslab @hannamoon143 @arumlilyeclipse

[hitomisuzuya]

hhhhi suzu!!!! how are you!?!!??

i put a lot of thought into this trust…

could you do a tutor!scara x reader? where scara rewards reader for getting stuff correct by absolute demolishing their insides? LOVE YOU HAVE AN AWESOME DAY!!! 🫶🫶🫶

- 🎧

Tutor!Scaramouche x fem!reader. Smut. Fingering. Degradation. Praise. Creampie. Cum used as a reward. Smut written massively stoned. Dyscalculia gang unite!

Hello dear❤️ I have had a rough couple weeks honestly. It's been one thing after another and I am tired😭 I hope you are doing well.

Scaramouche has a unique way of tutoring you: putting you naked on your back on his bed, your legs spread wide for him while he played with and fingered your pussy as he asked you questions pertaining to an upcoming test. He figured if he melted your poor little brain down, teasing your pussy, making you so flustered and wet with need that you would force yourself to think and come up with the right answers.

His cock was straining watching you squirm and struggle to think. "Come on kitten, think," He cooed almost condescendingly, "I know you know the answer," He teased his fingers at your drooling, clenching hole before sweeping his fingers up to rub your clit.

Your legs shook from how much your clit was throbbing. The longer you took to answer, the more he worked your swollen pussy over teasingly. You want to cum so badly that it was torture.

But you knew the rules.

Get it right, and you got to cum. You could barely even think as pleasure coiled through you. "Sc-Scara, I don't..I don't.." You trailed off, your words breaking apart into moans as he abruptly pushed two fingers inside of you, "I don't think I know the answer."

"Yes, you do," Scaramouche quickly hooked his fingers into your sweet spot, smirking as he watched your face contort with pleasure as you grinded up into his fingers. "You want me to cum inside of you, don't you?"

Your eyes nearly rolled into the back of your head, his fingers playing your sweet spot like a musical instrument. Building your orgasm up just barely out of reach, like he was dangling it in front of your face. "I do! I do! More than anything!" You cry out in desperation, your body twitching as you struggled to chase the high he wasn't going to let you have yet.

Scaramouche withdrew his fingers to idly play with your clit, raising an eyebrow as he waited for you to muster up everything you had in your hunger for him to find the right answer.

"Fine! Fine, I'm pretty sure," You let a shaky moan as he pinched your clit, effectively cutting you off because you sounded unsure. "No, I know..I know it's.." You stumbled over your words, your heart pounding and your body trembling, "..15!"

Scaramouche would've clapped had one of his hands not been occupying your puffy pussy. "My cock drunk slut is such a good girl," He took his fingers off your cunt and put them to your lips, "You got the right answer."

Your eyes light up hearing his degradating praise. Your walls clenched around nothing, your tongue sweeping out to curl around his fingers. He saw the look in your eyes, you were stunned you'd gotten it right. Your brain was broken at birth and incapable of doing a lot of Math. "You are going to cum inside of me now," You moaned excitedly, taking his fingers into your mouth to suck on.

Scaramouche chuckled. Maybe he broke you a little more than he thought he did. No matter, all the better for him. It would make this a even more effective teaching tool next time. Your half lidded eyes were trained on him as he moved between your legs, draping them over his shoulders. "Yes, my pretty slut always gets a reward," He caressed your cheek, his cock pulsing as you turned your cheek into his hand.

You moan loud in bliss feeling his thick cock finally between your creamy folds. You immediately rock your hips up feeling the head push inside of you, quaking in pleasure as he stretched you apart. He groans as he bottoms out, letting his cock throb against your sweet spot before he started thrusting.

His eyes drank in your expressions, watching you fall even dumber on his cock. You look so cute all cock drunk and desperate for him. You deserved nothing less than being reduced to dumb and drooling mess for doing so well for him.

Your hands clung to his shoulders and arms, your fingernails frantically scratching them. "Was I a good girl today? Was I? Was I?" You babbled, mewling and moaning loud in pleasure as his cock kissed into your sweet spot.

"Yes, kitten, you are the goodest girl," Scaramouche groaned, his hips snapping harsher into yours, frantically chasing own high. You always clutch so tight on his cock when he praised you. His fingers wagged and rubbed on your clit before he pushing down on the buldge that poked up in your stomach.

You gasped in pleasure, seeing stars as you finally orgasmed. Scaramouche let out an aroused chuckle. "Look at you shake," He moaned, hissing as his cock throbbed harder inside of you. "Fuck, I'm cumming now."

Your teary eyes lit up hearing his words. You feel his cock ribbon bursts of cum inside of you, drooling as you whimpered in bliss. It seeped out onto your cunt.

The highest reward for proving you smarter than you thought.

[estcaligo]

Ace's Jealousy

*Ace x Reader but with subtle Sebek x Reader I love Ace - Reader - Sebek dynamic :) * a short drabble. Open ending. *cw: swearing

"Well, that should be it for today." you sighed, gathering your notes and papers from across the table.

"That's it? You're done already? What about the Magic Analysis project? You always struggle with that, and you haven't even opened it today."

A slight autumn breeze swirled leaves outside the library window as you and Ace occupied a table, working through your homework. Without Deuce around, it was just the two of you. These study sessions were always half work, half chat. Ace never seemed too interested in studying, but he never missed your time together. You understood why, and you found it cute in a way. No matter how much Ace joked around, sometimes his interest in you was a little too obvious.

Lately, though, your sessions had been growing shorter. Mostly because of you.

"Ah, it's okay. I asked Sebek to help me with the project, so…"

"Sebek? Why? Magic Analysis is literally my best subject. And I'm right here" irritation creeping into his tone.

You smiled apologetically. "I know, I know. But… Seb and I already arranged to meet…"

Ace's expression soured. "Right… speaking of meetings, we're still on for this weekend, yeah?"

"Ah, about that…" You bit your lip, hesitating. "I'm really sorry. I was just about to tell you…"

"Tell me what?"

Ace's frustration was now plain on his face.

"Um… Sebek mentioned there's a book fair in town. So… I won't make it this weekend."

"You're kidding me." His voice turned cold, and even Ace seemed surprised by it.

"I'm really sorry. It's just that Sebek-"

"Sebek this, Sebek that." Ace spat the words out harshly, gathering his things with sharp movements. "Whatever. Do what you want."

"Ace, come on, don't be like that."

"Like what?" His eyes flashed. "Don't you like it harsh? Or should I yell too, like your precious Sebek?"

Your stomach twisted from where this conversation was going.

"What's gotten into you? Are… are you jealous?"

Ace scoffed, but the edge of his voice gave him away. "Yeah, so what if I am? That's something Sebek will never feel for you."

"Excuse me?" Your voice cracked. "That's too far, even for you."

"Too far?" Ace leaned forward, his voice rising. "He doesn't even want you! All he thinks about is his YoUnG LoRd and you know it!"

This sudden outburst made your eyes sting. "You're such an asshole, Ace."

"If you think I'm the asshole, then you're just dumb" he got only stingier. "The way he treats you - do you really not see it?"

"It's none of your business! Why do you even care?"

"Why?!" Ace's voice broke. "You know why! Or should I say it? Do you want me to say it?!"

You were silent, doing your best not to burst into tears. You liked Ace, really, but as a friend. You never wanted to have this conversation.

"I'm the one who's always there for you" Ace continued, his voice trembling with anger and hurt. "I'm the one who saves your ass all the time. I went into damn caves, I crossed a fucking desert, I fought the Charons to protect you - I lose my mind every time I don't know where you are because I think you might be in danger! Me! Not Sebek!"

The air between you both crackled with tension. You couldn't even look at him because you knew everything he said was true.

"Whatever." His voice had dropped to a quiet rasp. "I'm done with this. Just don't come running to me when he leaves you behind."

The howling outside intensified. It had gotten dark by this moment, and a cold evening wrapped the library in gloomy shadows.

"…you know I will anyway" you whispered, your voice broken, tears already spilling over.

Ace exhaled sharply. "Shit, I hate you."

[fuckyeahdindjarin]

Hallow'seams

A Seams Halloween special oneshot

{ Part IV: Notch | Series Masterlist | Main Masterlist }

Rating: A spicy T

Summary: Joel proves to you that he can be adventurous if he wants to be.

Warnings: Joel wears a slutty Halloween costume, fluff, mentions of drinking, spicy thoughts but nothing explicit, no use of Y/N

Word count: 1.7k

Notes: I was so looking forward to writing this Seams Halloween special that I floated back in the summer. Unfortunately, life™ happened - I've had a very rough month and honestly I didn't think I had it in me to do any writing for the rest of this year, but then this happened! I woke up thinking about Joel wearing a Gladiator costume and couldn't put it down. It's not as long or intricate as my original idea, but I hope you enjoy this anyway. I've missed these two so much!

Thank you for sticking with me and giving me so much love, I really don't deserve you all 🧡 Happy Halloween!

Joel pushes open the door to the High Street Outfitters, one booted foot steps over the threshold -

And he stops and stares.

Pumpkins of all sizes, some more crudely carved than others, seem to occupy every conceivable surface. Black cat and broomstick decals adorn the worn wooden walls, while hand-pulled cotton cobweb the ceilings.

When his feet unstick and move into the empty shop, he nearly topples a huge cauldron of what looks like homemade candy. Steadying it with his hands, he mutters under his breath. 'What the f-'

He would never admit it, but he nearly jumps out of his skin when you emerge from the studio with a dramatic flutter of the curtain divider. 'Oh hey, you're here!'

Stepping towards you, he presses a kiss to the corner of your mouth in a hello, and gestures. 'You really went all out, hmm?'

Your grin brims with pride, and he feels his lips stretch into an answering smile as you straighten up some of the costumes on a nearby rack.

'We found a Halloween shop nearby a few years back,' you explain. 'All their stock was still in boxes in the store room, so we took everything and ran with it. It's a lot of work every year, but the kids have so much fun with it, it's definitely worth it.'

Joel hums skeptically. 'Not just the kids have fun, from what I heard.'

You cross your arms and play coy. 'What have you heard?'

'That my brother hosts the rowdiest Halloween party in town for the adults every year, and tonight is their last hurrah before the baby comes.'

You chuckle. 'And I'm guessing you fought the costume and lost?'

'There’s no winnin’ when your sister-in-law plays the pregnancy card,' he grumbles with poorly concealed fondness.

You walk him towards the racks near the cashier. 'Here are the men's costumes. We run a pay what you want system for Halloween rentals, just pop your contribution into that pumpkin on the counter. You better hurry though, things start kicking off around seven tonight.'

Joel combs through the outfits half-heartedly, when a standalone clothes rack on the other side of the room, covered with a black sheet, catches his eye. 'And what's that?'

You hesitate, and stutter, 'Oh, um - you won’t like those.'

Arching an eyebrow, he stares down at you. 'Why is that, sweetheart?'

The endearing way you wring your hands and worry your bottom lip brings him right back to when he first met you. Your shyness has always provoked a reaction from him - an understanding at first, from the introvert in him. Then protectiveness, when he started spending time with you.

And now, knowing you the way he does, with you opening up to him over the past few months, he lets his mouth relax into a half-smirk, one hand curling around your waist to pull you into his side as he teases, 'Use your words, Pin.'

You huff, recognising the playfulness in his body language, but you still struggle to get the words out. 'They’re - um, damnit - they're adventurous.'

He sets his face in a mock stern expression. 'And what, I’m too borin' for them?'

Narrowing your eyes at him, which makes him grin, you deadpan, 'It's just - they're not your thing, ok? They're of the -' you pause, and gesture in air quotes. 'Occupational variety.'

Comprehension dawns on him, and he drawls, 'Ah, you mean slutty costumes.'

He can feel your skin heat at his words as you duck your head, and he teases, voice low and gruff by your ear. 'And will you be wearin' somethin' slutty for me tonight, sweetheart?'

Your breath hitches and your lips part, eyes glassy at the turn of the mood. 'Joel -'

He isn't a particularly spiritual man, but the longer he lives, the more he’s convinced that some people are put on earth for a reason.

And Lucy's raison d'etre is to cockblock him at every turn.

The door bursts open with a brash energy that is uniquely hers (with an uncanny resemblance to Ellie's), and your best friend doesn't skip a beat at the sight of the pair of you canoodling. 'Save the making out for later, Miller. We gotta go get ready Pin, c’mon!'

You hastily press a kiss to his whiskered cheek. 'Pick your costume and lock up behind you, ok? I'll see you in a bit.'

Lucy all buts hauls you out of the shop, throwing over her shoulder. 'See ya later, Miller! You better show up half naked!'

Curiosity getting the better of him, Joel pulls back the sheet from the clothes rack, and his eyebrows reach for his softly graying hairline. Leafing through the options, he pauses somewhere in the middle, and smiles to himself.

He’ll show you adventurous.

Maria and Tommy's Halloween party is easily the most anticipated event in the Jackson social calendar. Illicit incentives often swap hands for a RSVP, with those unfortunate enough to be assigned patrol duties on the night willing to pay handsomely for a swap in shifts.

While the kids are knocked out at home from eating their body weight in sugar, the Tipsy Bison is teeming with townsfolk. The normally dark interiors are decked out floor to ceiling in garish black and orange, as if people wouldn't get the memo.

Joel was apprehensive on his arrival, pausing for a moment outside the double doors of the establishment to steel himself. But as soon as he crosses the threshold into the warm and boisterous bar, so loud that his right ear rings, he realises that his worries are completely unwarranted.

No one even bats an eyelid as he wades through the throngs of partygoers, nodding politely at acquaintances who drunkenly shout his name and raise a pitcher in greeting.

It's pure madness - Halloween stopped existing for him twenty years ago. The last time he went to a Halloween party was their neighbour's barbeque. He still remembers the Gryffindor costume he bought Sarah, and how big she smiled swishing around in her robe, casting gibberish spells on her friends all night.

This, however, is a distinctly grownup affair.

When he put on his costume and stood in front of the mirror an hour ago, he could barely look at his own reflection. But now, compared to others in the room, turns out his choice is almost demure.

He only saw Gladiator once when it came out a couple of years before the outbreak, but he liked it, and when he saw the costume on the rack, he picked it out straight away.

The dark red cape sits on his shoulders and drapes across half of his torso - shirtless, of course - baring his right arm. He's a bit self-conscious about the skirt (he's sure there's a name for it but the packaging didn't shed light on this), which sits mid-thigh, fastened by a belt around his waist. He's even wearing the Roman sandals and leather bracelet, and a plastic sword hangs from his belt - the full monty.

The vain side in him thinks he can pull it off, but more importantly -

He wore it for you.

But you're nowhere to be seen, even after he grabs a beer from the counter, having circled the bar twice. Spotting a lone empty chair at a high table, he decides to perch (pulling down his skirt so his boxers don't show) while he has a drink and looks for you.

His keen eyes scan the room methodically. Sexy witches, slutty lumberjacks, misbehaving firemen, naughty nurses - together with the noise, everyone and everything seems to blur into one, and he almost gives up when something familiar crosses his line of sight.

Joel frowns.

Hold up. That toolbelt looks familiar. His eyes narrow as he squints at the worn faded leather.

It is his toolbelt. The toolbelt that disappeared from his garage workshop a couple of days ago that Ellie swears she knows nothing about. That little shit.

Then his gaze pulls back, like a camera zooming out, and he finds that the toolbelt is sitting on the soft swell of a pair of hips, over short denim cut-offs that he's sure he's seen before, and below a red flannel. His red flannel, knotted at the waist, that he knows you sleep in every night.

His chest rumbles with something primal, and he downs the rest of his beer in one big gulp before slamming the empty pint glass on the table and getting onto his feet.

You don’t see him coming, but you know without turning around the moment a pair of strong hands close over your hips in a possessive grip, pulling you towards the bathroom in the back of the bar.

He knocks a breathless laugh out of you when he pushes you up the closed door, the noise of the party muted by the thick timber as you grin up at him, preening at the way his dark gaze rakes over your costume.

A shiver runs down your spine as your own undoubtedly dilated eyes follow the solid outline of his right arm, which flexes as he rests his palm on the door behind you, then down his broad chest and the soft belly he’s so nonchalantly putting on display.

It’s absurd, you know - it’s just a tacky Halloween costume, but the seams of your eyes prickle as you muse how comfortable he is in his own skin.

'And what exactly are you dressed up as?' he asks, sliding his free hand under the toolbelt to squeeze your ass.

'A slutty contractor,' you answer boldly, dragging your index finger down his bare chest. 'Isn't it obvious?'

'And you thought stealin' my toolbelt for your little costume was a good idea?' he growls.

'Well, I didn't know you'd turn up as a gladiator of all things,' you tease, wrapping your fingers around the hilt of his plastic sword.

It should not make his pulse spike like this.

'Not only that, sweetheart. I'm a slutty gladiator, thank you very much,' he retorts, walking into you to slot his hips flush against yours.

You shoot him a loaded smirk that instantly has his boxers shrink by two sizes. Ripping his cape off his shoulders, you ask cheekily, ‘And what does my champion demand as punishment -'

Joel doesn't let you finish your sentence, swallowing the rest of it with a kiss so deep that it steals your voice and takes out your knees in one fell swoop.

Grinning at the way you're already bonelessly slumped against him, he winks, nose brushing yours. 'I can think of a few things, sweetheart.'

Note: Thank you for reading! I had so much fun dipping my toe back into the Seams universe, I hope you did too. This is me warming up with a view of returning to writing for the series proper, fingers crossed sometime soon! Comments/reblogs/asks are very much appreciated as always 🧡

Thank you @firefly-graphics for the adorably spooky dividers!

[nocturnalrat]

Hear me out…

1610! Miles comforting reader after she get jealous because of how much he’s been around Gwen and he’s just touching and kissing her in all the right places and makes sure that reader knows that he loves her and only her 🙈💕

Thank you for the great prompt! I had lots of fun writing this. :p <3

---

It was truly infuriating.

You hadn’t seen each other in a week due to school work keeping you busy, and there had been a surge of criminal activities in New York, which is why Miles had been occupied most of the time as well.

And now, when the two of you were finally able to hang out again, he kept talking about someone else entirely.

You were lying on the bunk bed in his dorm room, listening to him ramble on about the adventures he had lived through last week.  

“You should have been there, the way Gwen incapacitated the guy was like something out of a movie.” He gesticulated frantically with his hands as he vividly described last night’s care chase.

"That sounds really fascinating," you grumbled.

After hearing your unfazed (and slightly sarcastic) tone, he looked up from his chair. "You don't sound very impressed, though."

How could you have told him that his constant stories and songs of praise about Gwen were starting to annoy the heck out of you?

Jealousy was an ugly emotion. To confess to it was shameful, exposing; you wanted to be the easy-going, cool and confident kind of girlfriend, but Miles was making it really hard for you to not seethe with anger and discontent.

"Everything okay?" he asked, and you avoided his gaze. Lying was easier when you didn’t look him into his eyes. They always were too honest and seemed to notice too much.

"Sure," you said.

He saw through your charade immediately, and climbed onto the bunk bed to be closer to you.  "There's something bothering you. I can tell."

"You can't tell shit," you said before you could stop yourself. There was anger in the pits of your stomach threatening to take over.

"Did I say something wrong?"

Yes.

"No."

"Then why are you frowning like that? It looks like you’re ready to kill someone. It better not be me."

Fuck. Were you really scowling that obviously?

"You and Gwen get along great, huh?”

"We certainly do." He tilted his head. You recognized that look on his face – it was the same one he had when struggling to solve complicated math problems. "Why’d you bring her up?"

"Why do you keep bringing her up?" you snarled. "We weren’t able to have a single conversation in the last few weeks without you mentioning her a dozen times. Not to mention the fact that you spend way more time with her than you do with your actual girlfriend.”

Shoot. Now you had done it; you had shown weakness.

Miles stared at you incredulously. "Wait a minute - are you jealous?"

You crossed your arms and looked pointedly at the ceiling.

"Absolutely not."

"Nuh-huh. That's why you're pouting." He grinned, and his lighthearted reaction only intensified the nauseating feeling of jealousy. "You know, part of me wishes you could come with us when we're patrolling, just so you could witness how much I talk about you when I'm with Gwen. But the other part of me is terrified of you being with us, as it would be incredibly dangerous for a civilian.”

"Yeah." Biting sarcasm. "I'm sure that's what you talk to her about."

"It is!" He scrambled over to you and leaned in close. "You don't have the faintest idea how important you are to me, do you?

"Can’t be that important, judging by your behavior.”

"Not that important!" he repeated indignantly. "I think about you all the time. How you're doing, what you're doing, if you need anything - always. You're the first thing I think about when I wake up, and the last thing when I go to sleep!"

"Well, you sure as hell don’t act like it,” you mumbled.

“What do I have to do to make you believe me?” He brushed an unruly strand of hair from your forehead, and the gentleness of his touch loosened the knot in your stomach the jealousy had caused. You had only recently started dating, so every little touch of his felt all the more exciting.  

You looked at him, and his wide eyes were filled with worry.

“Do you guys have to hang out so much?” you asked reluctantly. “How would you feel if I suddenly spent all of my time with an attractive guy who was single?”

He furrowed his brows. “Well, I wouldn’t be thrilled,” he began slowly. Then he shook his head. “Okay, scratch that, I’d be really pissed.”

You almost laughed. He was just like you.

“Then you know exactly how I feel.”

He kissed the corner of your mouth. "You really have no idea, do you?"

The almost-kiss had distracted you, and it took a moment for you to reply. “No idea about what?” you asked, a little breathless.

"About the things I'd do to make you happy." With a tender gesture, he took your face in his hand and caressed your cheek. "I love you more than anything in this world." The kiss that followed made any doubt you had disappear in an instant. He was telling the truth, that much was evident. “Next time, you can just straight up tell me what’s bothering you. Although I have to say, I kind of like it when you’re acting all jealous and cute.”

“Fuck off,” you said, but it was with a smile. You playfully tried to push him off of you, but he buried his face in your neck.

He was stronger than you, and his weight was pressing against you in a way that made it impossible for you to escape. Not that you wanted to - not when his lips had found your neck and left a sensation so new and good that you couldn't help but let out a sigh of contentment.

“I love you,” he said, His voice was so full of affection that it warmed your heart. “Only you. Always you. I won’t be patrolling with her as much in the future, I promise.”

At times, you wondered how someone as great as him had ended up with someone like you. The room was bathed in the warm glow of the afternoon sun. His eyes shimmered with an amber-like hue; the smile that graced his face was a breathtaking image.

He appeared radiant in the sunlight, and in his presence, you felt a profound sense of peace and trust overcome you.

[hobiebrownbrowser]

Constant Arguments

I know there is a lot of angst like this going on but for some odd reason it just feels right to make. I feel as if 42 Miles won't be as affectionate then others make him appear to be. NO HATE ON THEM. I love reading them.

I feel like he'll still have a somewhat cold demeanor. I haven't seen many where Y/N doesn't really care that Miles is The Prowler. Just needing him by her side more than anything was a blessing in her honor.

Earth 42 Miles Morales x FEM!Reader

Context: Angst, fluff, sadness, Mild cussing, happy ending

Translations: 'blame google if they aren't correct' 💀

"¿Por qué no puedes decírmelo? = "Why can't you tell me?"

Necesitamos hablar mami. = We need to talk mommy.

"Quítate de mi camino Miles." = Get out of my way Miles.

summary: Y/N doesn't give a shit if Miles is The Prowler.

"¿Por qué no puedes decírmelo? You avoid my calls, my texts, everytime I try to talk to you! You act like I'm not even 'ere!" It felt like a train hit her when Miles didn't respond, Breaking the eye contact they held for so long. Y/N just rolled her eyes, fed up with a relationship that clearly wasn't working.

"When you wanna talk, hit me up Hombre, other than that you can leave." Y/N shook her head, grabbing her book bag off the floor and walking towards their shared room.

She was acting like this because he wanted to disappear for more than a whole ass week. Ignoring her, leaving his own girlfriend on read when she was worried sick for him. Only think he had to say was "he was busy." Apparently it was more important than she'll ever be.

Slamming the door once she got inside just to feel tears swell in her eyes. Everything was frustrating her, constant arguments, school. The girl was overstimulated to say the least. Her back pushed up against the wall as she attempts to calm herself down with shallow deep breaths.

It felt like everything she worked for was against her. The man she loves not giving her the care she needs to pull through with all of this shit. Her family pressuring her to do a good job in school.

She just wanted to settle down on a peaceful path, but that seemed to redeem to much in her life. Having to work two jobs day and night was a struggle and Miles knew that. Yet he still did what he said he wasn't going to do.

Leaving her when she was the most vulnerable. She felt as if she wasn't valuable in his life at all. Wanting to cut off the one thing that used to make her life better.

But oh how she loves Miles. At the same time she wanted to apologize, pull him in a strong embrace. But she knew in the end he'd do the same thing. Disappear on her for decades on end.

The last string she held onto snapping just from his cold words. The silence was preposterous yet it kept her in a safe haven, able to run away from her problems just like now.

Taking a few more deep breaths and finally getting up off the dirty floor. She needed something to occupy her mind with, scrolling through her phone just to look at good memories.

She needed to wind down, Wanting to just drop out of school and cut off anyone she thought she knew well. She needed to breathe in this already suffocating air. The man on the other side probably long gone and out the door.

She was right, his figure not on the couch any longer than it should be. She wiped her face before stepping out. Going into the kitchen and grabbing a tub of ice cream before heading back into her confined space.

"Princesa." She cursed under her breath. Hearing his soft genuine sweet voice call her by her nickname. The real question was why was he still here. Turning around to be met with dead eyes. It was funny. They'd been together for a year, yet he looks at her the same way he looked at others.

She simply ignored him. Grabbing a spoon from a drawer and trying to push past the firm man.

"quítate de mi camino Miles." He didn't budge, doing the complete opposite infact. Blocking the exit with his body, She threatened to climb over the table if he didn't.

"Necesitamos hablar mami." He simply just tilted his head, A serious look plastered on his face.

"Oh now you wanna talk, ain't your job more important than me?" She got him right there. Miles eyes avoiding her's before looking back up, his chest withhelding big sigh. He wasn't gonna lie because he knew it was. She wasn't in his shoes. She wasn't constantly having to kill people for money.

No. He wanted her to sit still and be the most cherishing thing he had left besides his madre and his uncle. He was in a stressful predicament. How the hell was he supposed to tell his future wife that he was 'The Prowler'?

Miles was stomped, Looking the love of his life in her eyes before wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her close. The look of confusion on her face as he told her.

Miles watched as she rubbed her temples, her eyes narrowing down to nothing but disappointment. It all made sense now. Why she'd wake up to an empty bed in the middle of the night. The window sometimes left open on countless nights.

He'd even shown her the exact suit he'd killed in, leading her to a small hidden room she didn't even know they had in the first place. She poked her head in which Miles found a bit cute, Taking it out and putting it on like it was nothing but clothing.

You let out a deep sigh before saying what was on your own mind.

"Miles I don't give a shit that you're The Prowler. I just wanted you to tell me." A sigh of relief left Mile's throat. Apologizing to his chica before pulling her into a tight hug and kissing her soft plump lips.

"I'm sorry for not tellin' you sooner Hermosa."

Part 2 here 💜

[wileys-russo]

Thinking about golden retriever girlfriend lessi and how she would forever attack your neck from behind when you’re trying to study because she’s bored and needy and can’t sit still

book worm II a.russo

you exhaled heavily as your fingers mashed furiously against your keyboard, eyes trained with laser focus to the laptop screen in front of you, though struggling to stay open as your unfinished thesis glared back mockingly at you.

"baby, are you nearly done?" your gaze flickered upwards to the blonde looking down at you, toned arms folded over her chest and a slight pout on her lips as she stood in front of you with a frown, the sleeves of her training top rolled up having had to train in a harsh summer heat.

you forced your eyes away, knowing if you focused too much on her exposed muscles she would catch on and you'd shortly pay for it.

"no less i'm not, i told you this already...when you asked me five minutes ago." you couldn't help but roll your eyes at your girlfriends impatience, not having gotten more than ten minutes of uninterrupted silence since she'd returned from afternoon training, blowing off her team mates plans and making a beeline straight for your room.

you'd tried your best to convince the taller girl to return to her own dorm for even a few hours so you could concentrate, but with a false promise that she would use the time to work on her own papers, and a very convincing argument that you'd hardly know she was here, here she was....doing the complete opposite.

you loved her very very dearly, but she had the attention span of a fly and sometimes you felt more like her babysitter than her girlfriend, forever dragged away from whatever you were doing with requests that she needed you to entertain her.

which most of the time simply meant making out for hours on end, which was probably the only activity she could do for so long without growing restless and needing to move onto something else, her hands always occupied and roaming every inch of your skin she could pinch or bite at.

"but i'm bored!" the striker whined, collapsing backwards onto your bed with a dramatic groan. "then go hang out with your friends! i told you i needed to study, i have until the end of the week to finish this thesis." you sighed, not missing how the blonde perked up at your words, quick to sit up and give you a grin.

"alessia, no." you warned firmly, unsure what she would do next but knowing the cheeky twinkle in her eyes well enough to know it would not be to leave you alone in peace to do your work.

"so really then since you have another....four days. you don't have to do your work right now?" your girlfriend smiled teasingly, standing up from the bed and slowly making her way over to where you sat at your desk.

"no, that is not what i meant!" you huffed defensively, attempting to shake her off as her arms wrapped around you from behind. "but...it's true, no?" her hand darted around to shut the screen of your laptop as your head thumped down onto the desk with a long sigh.

"lessi-" you started, ready to practically beg for her to just leave you alone for an hour so your stress could ease. "mm?" the striker hummed, her lips pressing feather light kisses to your neck as your eyes fluttered close.

though as you felt her quickly bite at her favorite spot of your tanned skin, running her tongue over the red mark before placing a gentle kiss over the fast forming hickey, hands wandering a little lower, your brain began to go foggy.

"no! less you always do this." you snapped out of it, pushing your chair back slightly as the blonde stumbled away.

"do what exactly?" alessia accused with a frown as you spun around in your chair to face her properly. "kiss my neck and get all handsy when i'm trying to study and you want attention, it's not fair because you know i have a sensative neck." you glared at her as an amused smirk tugged at her lips.

"you're insufferable russo!" you groaned, spinning back around and thumping your head down against the desk again with a deep sigh.

"excuse me moody, your loving adoring girlfriend is trying to kiss you here if you don't mind?" alessia sung out in your ear, body pressed against your back and poking and prodding at your sides as you shoved her away and stood up quickly from your chair.

"and where are you going?" alessia crossed her arms and puffed out her chest, standing toe to toe with you as you stared her down.

"to the library, where i can study in peace!" "may i ask you a question before you leave?" "fine." "do you just not love me?"

"oh not this again!" you groaned loudly, throwing your head back. "because if you loved me, you wouldn't leave me right now when i'm simply bored and wanting to spend time with my girlfriend. just trying to be a good partner and make her feel good, just simply doing my best to love her as she deserves!" alessia threw her hands up with an overdramatic sigh, and you struggled not to break out into a smile at her antics.

"has anyone ever told you that you're a child?" "just this super attractive but really mean girl i'm seeing." "you should listen to her, she sounds smart." "she tries, really she's just a massive teachers pet with a big mouth."

the blonde grinned at the obvious offence on your face, quick to grab you by the hips and tackle you down onto your bed, crawling on top of you.

"now shut up and kiss me, book worm."

[axie-lot]

Time is the best healer

Characters: Morax (zhongli)

Warning: Male characters,Spoiler,mention of death,Discussion. It's the first time I'm writing romance.

Theme: angst with a happy ending

This work was originally written by me in Portuguese, and I translated it using Google Translator, so I apologize for any translation errors

Summary:Long before Liyue became the thriving city it is today, there existed two lovers whose bond seemed unbreakable until a terrible incident tore them apart.

[Masterlist]

The old times… That time that never returns… Where only memories of what happened and those who were present remain…

For those who live for centuries, good memories will be their best comfort… Many years ago, when the seven Archons were still established, during the time of the great war, when it was being decided who would occupy one of the seven seats that Celestia had established. In a region near the sea, located to the east of Teyvat, lived a small nation that was beginning to prosper, the people of Guili, who would later become known as the people of Liyue, even in that cruel time of war. This nation was blessed with the protection of Morax, a god known for his feats of power during this war, and his followers, who made contracts with him and swore loyalty. These followers are known as the Adepti. Well, these same protectors finally had a moment of rest during this violent and bloody war, and so some of them decided to have some fun and distract themselves a little. At the top of the great Mount Aocang, three Adepti were gathered. Among them was a woman known as Cloud Retainer, a tall woman with long hair, who seemed to be in the middle of a friendly argument with a shorter woman known as Guizhong. Between them was a man laughing at this small argument, a man with some features resembling a white tiger, known by the name [name]. And a little further back, almost unnoticed, observing everything that was happening, was the famous Morax, who allowed himself to rest with his companions. He couldn't help but have a slight smile at the corner of his mouth as he observed everything unfolding.

"This Adeptus is certain she created the best invention! Hmm!" — said the taller woman while crossing her arms — "Well, my dear friend, even though I think your creation is good, mine is better, just look at how perfectly it works." — The shorter one said with a smile on her face — "Well, this one does not accept that, so this one thinks we should ask for the opinion of a third party." — Cloud Retainer said while looking at her invention — "Very well, let it be done!" — Guizhong looked to the side until her gaze stopped on the beast-man sitting on a rock watching and laughing — "Very well, [name], you will be the judge!" [name] almost fell off the rock, so surprised to be dragged into the conversation out of nowhere. He stared wide-eyed, pointing to himself with one hand. "ME??!!…why me????" — The man with tiger-like features complained — "You were chosen by this one and by Guizhong, now make your decision!" The two women stared at [name] while he struggled to respond. His eyes darted around, searching for a way to escape this situation, until they landed on a figure who had been watching the scene. He immediately saw his way out.

"Well, I'm not a good judge, but you know who could answer this? Morax himself! That's right, he's much better for this!" "Morax!!! Please help this poor little tiger and be the judge!! I'll do anything!"

[name] ran towards the man who had been observing everything from a distance. The man sighed and said,

"Very well, I will be the judge, but before we make a decision, let's just sit at the table and enjoy the view of Mount Aocang, and also the company of us all gathered together."

Everyone agreed to do what Morax had said, as it wasn’t every day they could gather to enjoy the moment. So they all went to sit at the table, except for [name], since there were only three seats at the table. But he didn't mind, as his favorite spot was sitting by the tree near the table. The four friends stayed there talking, enjoying the break from the ongoing war. They chatted away, the conversation was so good that the two women forgot about the competition, and they were so engrossed in the conversation that they didn't even notice the time passing, as night began to fall. But as the darkness of night started to settle in, the friends began to say their goodbyes, as they all had things to do. [name], already tired, started on his way home, but on the way, Morax decided to accompany the beast-man. The journey was in complete silence; neither of them said a word. They were just enjoying the comfortable silence between them. They walked until they reached a mountain, a mountain they frequented often, as it offered the perfect view of Liyue, a city that was still beginning to prosper. [name] was the first to sit on the edge of the mountain, and soon after, the amber-eyed man sat beside him, pulling the smaller one closer. The two of them stayed there for a while, watching the still small city they protected, until the silence was broken.

"The city looks so beautiful at night… I never get tired of this view. I'm very excited to see what it will look like in the future."

"I'm sure the city will prosper in the future. Well, I'll do my best since it's under my protection and that of the Adepti." [name] let out a small laugh and rested his head on the taller man's shoulder.

"Of course! Since it's under the protection of the great and powerful Rex Lapis!!" — [name] said enthusiastically, but then let out a sigh and spoke again —

"You know, Morax… I love when we have days like these, where we don't have to fight… we can just enjoy the day." — [name] said, letting out a small yawn —

"It's on days like these that I can spend hours talking to Guizhong!! She always shows me her new inventions! We spend time wandering through the lands of Liyue! And she also helps me escape when I play pranks on others!" — [Name] said, struggling to maintain his cheerful tone, despite being exhausted.

"Believe me, my little tiger, I enjoy days like these too." — Morax paused as he spoke, glancing at the smaller figure resting on his shoulder.

"But I will make you a promise, my little tiger, once I secure my position among the Seven, I promise we won't have to worry about fighting anymore." "Do you promise?" — [Name] asked in a sleepy voice. "I promise you."

[Name] finally gave in to sleep, resting on the taller man's shoulder, his tail curled around Morax. Morax smiled at the sight, gently brushing his hand through [Name]'s ears and hair, then kissed his forehead.

"I promise you, my dear little tiger."

War is a tragedy... War always brings suffering and pain... War brings death...

Guizhong was dead.

Guizhong had lost her life in a fierce battle on the Guili Plains, defending her people. [Name]'s best friend was dead! The one with whom he shared everything, the one who always gave advice. [Name] felt a whirlwind of emotions: sadness, guilt for not being there to help her, but above all, anger. His anger was directed at the people of Guili, for Guizhong had died defending them. But why? Why would an immortal give her life to protect creatures with such short lives? Why protect them? They didn’t deserve such protection.

As time passed, [Name]'s anger only grew. He began to despise the beings called humans. In his grief, he distanced himself from the other Adepti, spending more time in his domain. The cheerful demeanor he once had disappeared entirely, leaving behind only a person consumed by rage. His companions grew worried about this strange behavior, attempting to visit [Name], but he always declined, claiming he was busy with work. Over time, their visits became less frequent, as they too were preoccupied with their own grief for those lost in the Archon War. Morax, who had now claimed a position among the Seven and become the Geo Archon, leader of the people of Liyue, who were once the people of Guili, grew increasingly concerned about [Name]'s behavior and the constant refusal to accept visitors. Feeling worried and missing his companion, he decided to intervene.

Morax entered [Name]'s domain, ignoring his warnings that he was too busy, and after a long time, they finally stood face to face. [Name] was completely different from how Morax remembered him—his once lively, joyful eyes were now hollow. They stared at each other in silence, but unlike before, when the silence between them was comfortable, this silence brought discomfort to both. After several minutes, [Name] finally spoke. "Leave, Morax. I don't have time to talk, I'm busy." — [Name] spoke coldly, locking eyes with the taller man. Unfazed by [Name]'s tone, Morax approached him, placing a hand on his cheek. "[Name], tell me what's happening. You haven't left your domain in a long time..." — the dragon-man asked calmly, trying to understand. [Name] pulled away from the touch, which was unusual since he would normally seek it out.

"Nothing's happening, I'm just busy."

"[Name], don't lie to me. Tell me the truth. You haven't even seen how Liyue has grown... the city is magnificent, you should see it. You would love it." — Morax said, more firmly this time.

That was the moment when [Name] finally let everything out. It was the moment he exploded, unable to contain his feelings any longer. It was the moment he couldn't bear the hatred he harbored for mortals anymore. All the rage he had carried alone for centuries—the hatred of the mortals who caused the death of his best friend. "Why should I care about anything those pathetic mortals create?! They're so weak they can't even defend themselves!! Let them die, no one would care, because our sacrifice to protect them isn't worth it! It only brings death to us! And it's all their fault!" As [Name] spoke with fury in his voice, his power, driven by his anger, began to affect the environment around him. The air in his domain grew colder, and the ground beneath his feet started to freeze, with spikes of ice emerging around him.

For a moment, Morax was surprised,not by [Name]'s power, but by his words. He hadn't expected this deep hatred for mortals. But recognizing the gravity of the situation, Morax quickly regained his composure, knowing that calmness was the best way to handle it.

He tried to approach the younger one again, ignoring the environment that had been affected by [name]'s power.

"[Name]…" – he attempted to speak, but was quickly interrupted.

"Shut up, Morax!" – [name] shouted.

With years of accumulated anger, [name] was blinded by it. He did something he had never thought of doing consciously.

"It was all your fault!! You made us Adepti protect those pests! It was all your fault! All the deaths of our kind!! Her death was your fault!"

In a moment of fury, [name] charged at Morax with all his strength, but before attacking him, he stopped. A glimmer of consciousness held him back, for he knew that if he attacked Morax, he would break the contract between them, and breaking the contract meant that [name] would have to pay a price. He knew this would be a bad idea, and another reason that stopped him was knowing he would lose the fight.

[Name] stood still for a moment before taking the opportunity to flee, as he didn’t want to face the taller man. He had many reasons for this,one of them being his hatred for Morax wanting to protect the humans, but also, deep down, because he was ashamed of losing control and nearly attacking him.

Morax, still standing in his place, didn't seem too affected by [name]'s outburst of rage, though his gaze showed a hint of concern. When he saw [name] disappear before him, he didn’t follow. With his years of experience, Morax knew that both he and [name] needed this space, that [name] needed time to clear his mind, and that time was the best remedy for the hatred he was feeling.

Years… Or rather, centuries passed… It has been a long time since [name] set foot in Liyue…

During that time, Morax regularly visited [name]’s dwelling, ensuring it was always in good condition. For the first centuries, [name] traveled between nations, without a fixed place to stay. He would linger in one nation for a while and then move to another, but [name] always avoided contact with mortals, as he still harbored anger toward them.

However, that anger gradually lessened over the centuries. [Name]'s view of mortals began to change when he met one by chance—a mortal who saved his life after he had gotten into a fight and was defeated. [Name] had been gravely injured and was certain he would die. Due to the blood loss, he passed out, but when he woke up, he was lying in a comfortable bed, with one of the "pests" tending to him. He tried to resist, refusing the help, but his body was too weakened by his defeat, so he reluctantly accepted the mortal’s aid, though not without first threatening to kill him if he tried anything and promising to leave once fully healed.

But the irony of fate is truly a divine comedy…

[Name] grew attached to the mortal as the latter helped him recover. He learned that the mortal was a renowned doctor from Fontaine named Lucien. And in the end, [name] didn’t leave after recovering.

A beautiful friendship blossomed

A friendship between a mortal and an immortal who once claimed to hate humans.

"The pest" taught [name] the importance of mortal life.

As the years passed with Lucien, [name]'s hatred toward mortals diminished. He began to understand the significance of mortal life. Unlike immortals who had centuries of life, mortals had a short time to live, and they had to make the most of that small window.

[Name] realized that the strong must protect those who cannot defend themselves.

So, [name] spent years by the mortal's side, protecting him. He watched Lucien find love and have children with her. Love was something [name] had only felt once in his life, and it had been for the very man he decided to leave behind.

When [name] saw Lucien interacting with his beloved, he couldn’t help but think of Morax.

[Name] missed Morax.

But [name] was still too proud to go back.

He stayed with Lucien until death parted them. He saw the man age over time, and [name] witnessed the death of the same man who had made him care about mortals again.

[Name] ensured the mortal had a proper burial, laying him to rest in the backyard of the house they had shared. That day was a sad one for [name], as he was truly shaken by the loss. But unlike when he grieved for Guizhong, this time he didn’t let anger consume him or blame anyone or anything. He simply accepted Lucien’s death.

It was also on that day, after many years, that [name] finally came to terms with Guizhong’s death. He realized that he shouldn’t have blamed anyone for her death, not the mortals nor Morax, because Guizhong had chosen to protect the mortals, knowing the dangers involved. It was her choice…

And so, the years passed. [Name] decided to remain in the region where he and Lucien had lived, helping the people who resided there.

After everything [Name] had been through, he finally gathered the courage to face the past and return to Liyue. The hatred he once held for mortals had long faded, and he realized it was time to look back. He set aside his pride because, deep down, he knew he had been the one in the wrong in this story. He decided it was time to put an end to it.

But there was another reason he missed his old friends.

He missed Morax.

And so, [Name] returned to Liyue. He was amazed at how much the people had evolved. He remembered how they used to be, a small group living in the region. As he wandered through the city, his eyes scanned every detail, his tail swaying in excitement as he explored.

He got lost in the crowds of people coming and going through the city streets. After some time of wandering, he remembered the reason he had come back to Liyue in the first place: to learn more about the supposed death of the Geo Archon. Based on [Name]’s logic, the best place to find information was a crowded spot. He quickly glanced around and spotted a teahouse where a few people were gathered around tables, listening to a man speaking. [Name] made his way over and sat at one of the tables. The first thing he noticed was that the man speaking was a storyteller, recounting the adventures of the Adepti. [Name] smiled at the memories this brought back.

He became distracted, lost in the memories of those times. He had planned to ask the storyteller about the Geo Archon’s death, but suddenly he felt someone sit in the chair next to him. Out of instinct, he looked to see who it was, and when he saw, he froze.

“My little tiger, it’s been a while,” the man with brown hair said, a slight smile on his face.

“Morax...” [Name] whispered in surprise. He hadn’t expected to see him so soon.

“Well, that is my name, but I ask that you call me Zhongli from now on, my dear friend. How’s life? It’s been centuries,” Zhongli said as he began sipping his tea.

“It’s been so long... I wanted to apologize for disappearing...” The younger one spoke in a soft voice.

“Don’t worry, my little tiger. You needed your time.”

The two men continued their conversation, and it seemed as though the centuries of separation had no effect on them. They spoke as if they had never been apart, and over time, [Name] began to relax more and more in Zhongli’s presence. After a while, they left the teahouse,or rather, they left Liyue Harbor altogether,to continue their conversation in peace. As they talked, they caught up on everything they had missed about each other. [Name] told Zhongli about his life over the centuries and how his hatred for mortals had slowly faded. Zhongli, in turn, shared how Liyue had changed during that time.

Finally, their walk led them to the top of a mountain, offering a perfect view of Liyue Harbor. They both sat down on the edge of the mountain, enjoying the view.

“This scene brings back memories,” [Name] said with a small smile.

“Well, my friend, we used to do this regularly, centuries ago,” Zhongli said, gazing at the harbor below.

“Even though I tried to ignore it, I missed this. I missed you. I really missed you,” the young tiger boy said, looking at the other man, his ears lowered.

The man with amber eyes looked at the tiger boy for a moment, then gently held the younger one’s chin. After a brief pause, he pulled [Name] into a kiss. It was a soft, tender kiss, filled with the longing they both felt. During the kiss, Zhongli felt [Name]’s tail curl around his torso, pulling them even closer together. After a long, heartfelt kiss, they finally parted, and Zhongli spoke.

“My little tiger, believe me, I missed you too.”

[bosbas]

Alternate Ending: I knew you'd haunt all of my what-ifs

series masterlist original ending || next part

pairing: benedict bridgerton x best friend!fem!reader, anthony bridgerton x wife!reader WC: 5.2k words (whoops I got carried away)

Warnings: period-typical gender roles, idiots in love being idiots in love, benedict being so down bad for this woman, unrequited love, pregnancy and discussions around pregnancy/birth

Summary: You and Benedict have been best friends since childhood, but things change dramatically once you come out in society. You’re struggling to find someone you’re as compatible with and who knows you as well as Benedict, all while trying to quell your ever-growing feelings for him. Shenanigans ensue.

A/N: The timeline for this ending diverges after chapter 12!! This is how life would look like if Chapter 13 and onward didn't happen.

March 3, 1820 - B, 

I apologize for my delayed response – I’m sure you’ll understand that I was a tad occupied giving birth. But she’s finally here! It was easier than the other three, so I'm personally delighted, though Anthony seemed just as stressed as usual. And, as usual, he'll most likely be resting for the next five days. If he ever stops looking at her in awe, that is. It would be quite adorable if I didn't need to wrestle her away from him to nurse her every few hours! 

Although, I will say that Anthony being taken with her has worked out quite well for me. I was able to finish my novel and get a full night's sleep last night. I'd love to see you soon if you're up for it. You can meet her and we can discuss your latest painting, which I heard was absolutely breathtaking. Anthony and I will both be home for the next week at least, so feel free to pop by any time.

Yours, Y/I

You finished addressing the envelope to Benedict right as Anthony walked into your bedroom holding the tiny form of your newborn daughter. Twisting in your seat to face them, you cooed when you saw her fast asleep in his arms. She was wrapped in a soft pink blanket, and you couldn’t help but marvel at her tiny fists opening and closing absentmindedly as she slept. She looked so peaceful in Anthony’s arms, and it was terrifying to think that a human being this small would grow up to be an adult and that you would have to guide her through it. Well, she would have Anthony too, you thought. And the thought did a lot to quell your fears.

For as long as you had known him, Anthony had been a steadfast figure in your life. He’d been the eldest of the Beaumont-Bridgertons, and he certainly acted like it, too. The responsibility he felt for his family was evident in everything he did, and it was one of the qualities you admired most about him. Now, seeing Anthony cradle your newborn daughter with such gentleness and awe only solidified your feelings for him.

You had decidedly not been in love when you had married him, but one couldn’t simply have four children with someone and not develop at least a little affection for them. The two of you had been wonderful friends even before you were married, and you still were, but along the way, it seemed that you had learned to love each other in your own funny sort of way. It wasn’t the sort of all-consuming love you had for Benedict all those years ago, and that perhaps you had still in a corner of your heart. But it was comforting and safe and built upon a deep respect for one another, and your life was all the better for it. 

Perhaps you and Ben had never been destined for a life like this, you thought. Your childhood intention to wed Benedict had been just that: a naïve plan. That night in the studio with Benedict, after he had found out in the most unfortunate manner that you and Anthony were courting, you had needed something safe and constant. And Benedict had given you the complete opposite. For so many years, he had been your anchor, but that night you felt like the ground had fallen away below your feet and you were in free fall. You had so much love for Benedict that you didn’t even know where to put it. You could feel it from your heart to your fingertips, and it was terrifying. You thought about Violet and Edmund in that moment, and how destroyed Violet had been when Edmund passed. The thought of that happening to you and Benedict made you sick. The thought of taking the risk and putting your heart in his hands only for it to crumble. 

Maybe running away from Benedict at that moment was the cowardly thing to do. Maybe you should have faced your fears and given in to the overpowering love. Maybe you should have kissed your best friend and dealt with the consequences later, holding his hand the whole way through. But you hadn’t. You had sought out safety instead, running up the stairs to Anthony’s room and knocking incessantly until he opened the door, eyes startled and hand holding a handkerchief to his cut lip.

“We’re getting married,” you had declared, breathing ragged and arms crossed tightly over your chest. 

“Who’s ‘we’?” he asked, hoping you meant you and Benedict but suspecting otherwise given that you were currently at his door looking furious. 

“You and me. And we’re going to do it as soon as possible.”

Anthony uttered a soft, “Oh.” He didn’t know what else to say. “And Benedict…” he added in a questioning tone.

“No,” you said firmly. “No Benedict.”

He had expected you to say more, but you just stood in front of him, unmoving. 

“I suppose I can start the arrangements,” Anthony said finally. “If you’re sure this is what you want.”

“I am sure.” 

God, Benedict must have truly done something stupid, he thought. “Very well, then.”

“Good night, Anthony. We can inform our families of our engagement tomorrow morning.”

He just nodded in response, still too stunned to fully process your words.

You cleared your throat and your stoic façade faded slightly. “And thank you, Anthony. For everything,” you said, suddenly very aware of what being married to Anthony might mean.

He shook his head. “No, no. It was nothing. You are family.”

A month later, you were married at the church near Aubrey Hall. Benedict barely stayed long enough to see the two of you say your vows, citing an urgent problem with his cottage in the countryside. His family was kind enough not to question his obviously fabricated excuse, but he couldn’t miss the endless looks of pity sent his way. He had been hurt. Well, you had hurt him. You hurt him when you walked away from him, and you hurt him when you announced your engagement to your family without telling him first, but most of all, you hurt him when you chose Anthony even after two decades of history with Benedict. 

Maybe none of your fears would have come true, and you and Ben would have been happy. Maybe he would have treated your heart with the same love and care with which he always treated you. But it didn’t do to dwell on what could have been. Your marriage with Anthony was real. It was concrete and it was grounding, and you couldn’t imagine a more stable presence in your life.

Bringing you out of your musings, you felt Anthony kiss your cheek in greeting and ask, “Do you want to take her?”

You nodded eagerly, setting down the letter in your hand so you could hold your daughter. “I’m surprised you’re willingly letting me have her,” you teased, laughing as Anthony all but collapsed onto the loveseat across from you, clearly exhausted.

He had been an awfully attentive father the past few days, ecstatic to finally have a girl after three boys. Though she had brought out a heightened sense of protectiveness he couldn’t seem to shake. It was rather endearing to see him so frazzled over a baby that weighed less than eight pounds, but you suspected there might be something more to it.

“She’s so tiny!” he defended, gaze fixed on her admittedly minuscule form in your arms. “I can’t help it…” He trailed off, deep in thought. You glanced up at him, noticing the change in his tone and his hunched posture. After five years of marriage, you had him memorized, and reading him came as naturally as reading a book. 

“Is anything the matter?” you asked gently, already having a general idea about what was plaguing him.

But he shook his head, murmuring a soft no and focusing on the writing desk behind you instead. “Is that for Benedict?” he inquired, nodding in the direction of the letter.

“Yes, I’m just telling him that she’s here and asking him to come visit,” you answered, still eyeing him carefully.

“So, he’s coming to visit, then?” pressed Anthony, eyes back on your daughter, who was currently sleeping soundly in your arms.

“Well, I don’t see why he wouldn’t. Why do you ask?” You changed tactics, trying to seem nonchalant about your concern. 

“Alright. That’s good. Yes, that’s good,” he muttered, seemingly satisfied with your answer but his mind was obviously miles away. 

Growing increasingly worried, you stood up and carefully laid your daughter in her crib, ensuring she remained undisturbed. With her settled, you approached Anthony, who hadn't shifted his gaze from where you had been sitting. Kneeling beside him, you reached out and gingerly placed your hand on his. The touch seemed to quiet his restless thoughts, and he turned to meet your eyes, acknowledging the weight of his anxiety.

Anthony spoke softly, carefully. “I just want to make sure that you and the children are taken care of. In case something happens to me. I want you to have someone.”

You should have known that this was what plagued him. During the first year of your marriage, you settled into a comfortable dynamic with Anthony. It was not quite love, but something like it had blossomed between the two of you. However, it was after the birth of your first son, Arthur, that Anthony reached a breaking point. He realized that his grand plan to marry someone he didn’t love to avoid any undue heartbreak was not, in fact, foolproof. Even if there hadn’t been growing affection between you, Anthony completely fell in love with Arthur from the moment he was born. It was like nothing he’d experienced before; beyond anything he could have imagined. And it was terribly frightening. 

He had shared his fears with you–he’d had no choice in the matter when you were as stubborn and insistent as you were–and you had shared that you, too, were scared. But you trusted one another, and so the two of you navigated parenthood in tandem and Anthony’s fears subsided. Regardless, you could understand that the birth of your daughter brought back this fear in full force, and he felt a greater need to protect her from danger than he would with his sons.

“Anthony, I won’t need someone. You’re right here, and you always will be.”

He shook his head, looking at you with desperation in his eyes. “How can you know that?”

You pursed your lips, brows furrowing. “Even if you aren’t, it won’t be your fault. You’re a wonderful father. And a wonderful husband.” 

With a deep sigh, he clasped your hand and stood up, bringing you with him. “Just promise me you’ll ask Benedict to take care of you if I go?”

Your heart softened. Knowing he needed to hear you say it out loud, you nodded, “I promise.”

---

 March 5, 1820 – Y/I,

One would think Anthony had been the one to give birth instead of you! I’ll pop by today to give him a talking-to. And to meet my lovely niece, of course.

Yours, B

You found yourself in the nursery this afternoon, your three boys gathered around you and your daughter fast asleep in her crib. It was a lovely day out; sunny but not too hot, but the boys hardly noticed. Instead, they sat still, completely enthralled as you read from your current novel. Though you adored reading to your children, you found children’s books rather boring and repetitive. Thus, you had shifted to reading them excerpts from your own reading material. It made the endeavor much more interesting, and the boys seemed to love it too, evident as they hung on your every word.

“‘Listen to me, Frankenstein. You accuse me of murder,’” you read, and your sons gasped, not quite understanding the meaning of the word but easily catching onto your surprised reaction. You continued, “‘and yet you would, with a satisfied conscience, destroy your own creature. Oh, praise the eternal justice of man! Yet I ask-’”

“Surely I’ve heard wrong and you’re not reading to your children about murder!” came Benedict’s voice from the doorway. 

Immediately, three voices squealed in delight and Frankenstein was completely forgotten as your sons rushed over to their uncle. Charles was only one year old, but his brothers’ excitement only fueled his clumsy crawl toward Benedict’s waiting arms.

“They don’t exactly know what it means, Ben,” you laughed. “Besides, it’s wonderful literature. And it keeps them entertained.”

He picked up Charles in one arm and Arthur in the other, making his way over to you as Bernard clung to his leg. “Well, I’m sure you know better than me, darling,” he commented and kissed you sweetly on the top of your head. 

“Isn’t that usually the case?” you teased, standing up to properly greet your best friend. Though you hadn’t joined the welcome committee, you were positively glowing now that Ben had arrived. It had been over a week since you had seen him, and you had missed him terribly. You smiled brightly, instantly at ease in his presence.

Eyebrows raised and eyes shining with mirth, he teased back, “You forget I have three very bloodthirsty boys on my side who have just learned what murder is.”

You looked at Arthur, who was completely focused on attempting to undo Benedict’s cravat, and Charles, who had two fingers in his mouth and was unsuccessfully attempting to put in a third, then glanced back at Benedict. 

“Quite bloodthirsty, aren’t they?” you deadpanned as you gently pried Charles’ hand from his mouth. 

Ben couldn’t help the waves of laughter rolling off him as he observed your sons. “It seems they still have a way to go before they get there.” 

Then, spotting the pink crib across the room, he gasped and set down Arthur and Charles and somewhat successfully shook Bernard off his leg. Walking over to the crib, he stared at her, completely awestruck.

"She’s so tiny!” he exclaimed, careful to keep his voice down so as not to wake her.

You giggled, making your way over. “That’s exactly what Anthony said,” you smiled at him. 

But your smile did nothing to soothe the dull ache that had blossomed in his chest as he remembered all the things he could have had with you. The pain was not as unbearable now as it had been five years ago, but he was inclined to think that it would be there for the rest of his life. In the back of his mind, Benedict wondered if he would have been as good of a father as Anthony. He supposed he would never know, having devoted himself completely to his art and extinguishing any lingering hopes Violet had that her second son would ever marry. But you seemed happy, and that was truly all that mattered. 

Ignoring the pain in his chest, he smiled sweetly back down at you. “What’s her name? Something starting with a D, I’m sure. Otherwise, Anthony will have lost his mind.”

“Yes, naturally,” you giggled. You tugged on Ben’s sleeve to bring him closer to the crib. “Benedict, meet Diana Bridgerton.”

“Pleasure to make your acquaintance, Miss Bridgerton,” he murmured, intently observing your daughter as she slowly blinked her eyes open. 

“Quite eager to meet her uncle,” you observed, but Benedict was too mesmerized by her to respond properly.

“She’s got your eyes,” he whispered after a few seconds, turning back to you and placing an arm around you. Your arm snaked around his back, and you drew him in a little closer.

Leaning down to place his cheek on your head and hugging you tighter, he spoke softly, “I thought you might name her Daisy. Flower names and all that. Besides, it starts with a D.”

Benedict didn’t quite know where the comment had come from. You hadn’t mentioned flower names in years, but the thought had suddenly popped into his brain quite unexpectedly and he had been unable to stop the words coming out of his mouth. He knew he was so incredibly lucky to know you and to love you and to have a friendship with you, but it was at times like these when he wished he didn’t know you quite so well. At times when knowing you was only a reminder of what he lost.

In that moment, you were thankful to be facing Diana’s crib instead of Benedict, because you could feel the tears prickling at your eyes. The flower names. Of course Benedict would have remembered. You had never truly regretted marrying Anthony, but what you had with Ben transcended anything you could ever have with anyone else, and sometimes it was hard to come to terms with the fact that he wasn’t your person anymore.

Shaking your head to will the tears away, you responded, “No. No, I could never.”

“What? You always said you wanted to name your children flower names.”

“No, Benedict. I wanted to name our children flower names.”

He felt all the air in his lungs escaping all at once. It felt as if someone had reached deep inside of him, taken hold of every organ inside his body, and squeezed very tightly. Wanted to name our children. Our children. Our. Just a simple word, three letters in total, had managed to leave him completely disarmed. 

It was silly, really. You were married and had four children with his brother, of all people. And Benedict was still completely and irrevocably in love with you. He rather thought that he would always love you, in some form or another. Benedict suspected that Anthony knew this too, though his older brother was far too tactful to ever broach the subject. 

Seemingly unaware of Ben's internal turmoil as he tried to reduce his feelings to their usual dormant state, you grabbed hold of his hand and led him away from Diana toward the door. “Nurse Edwards can watch the children while we go downstairs to have some tea. I must hear about your painting displayed at the National Gallery! I wish I hadn’t been about two days from bursting so I could have gone to see the unveiling.”

---

November 17, 1820 – Benedict,

Y/N has fallen ill, and I am away on business unable to tend to her. Go to Aubrey Hall as soon as possible and make sure she’s alright.

Please.

Anthony

Benedict could barely hear the rain pouring down outside his carriage over his racing heartbeat. Anthony’s frantic note had left Ben in a state of panic. He had left for Aubrey Hall immediately upon receiving the note, but he still worried that he might be too late. What on earth had frightened his older brother to the point of asking Benedict for help? A million possibilities, each one as devastating as the other, raced through his mind. 

The sight of your home interrupted his catastrophizing, and he swung the door open and ran toward the entrance before the carriage could come to a complete stop. Benedict was somewhat aware that he was getting completely drenched in the rain, but his mind was far too focused on getting to you to care. 

The front door was already open when he reached it, and Benedict burst through, barely hearing the butler’s, “Upstairs in her bedchamber, Mr Bridgerton,” before he was frantically climbing the stairs to get to you. 

Once he reached your door, Ben stopped quite suddenly. He didn’t want to startle you by bursting in unannounced, so he waited a few seconds to catch his breath. Finally, he turned the doorknob slowly, hands shaking nervously as he entered your bedroom. 

In between shockingly vivid dreams and a splitting headache, you vaguely registered what looked to be Benedict’s tall frame standing in your room. You shook your head, confused by his presence and not quite trusting your own eyes, but the effort left you breathless and you coughed violently. 

“It’s alright, darling. You just rest,” he shushed you, shrugging off his drenched coat before he came to your side. 

It killed him to see you like this, pale and sweaty as shivers wracked through your tired body. He had never seen you look so ill, not even when you came down with influenza when you were ten years old, and he was trying his hardest to hold himself together.

“Have you called for a medic?” his voice came out a bit strangled as he asked your lady’s maid, Rose, who had been nervously fidgeting off to the side. 

"Yes, Mr Bridgerton. It's pneumonia," she said softly, her voice filled with concern. "The best we can do is keep her comfortable and give her fluids until her fever breaks."

He nodded, running his hands through his hair in an attempt to calm down. But you had drifted into fitful sleep, and your shallow, ragged breathing was only making him more worried. 

Nevertheless, he had to think clearly. Anthony was away, meaning that Benedict was now entirely responsible for you. The realization steeled his nerves, so he straightened his waistcoat and released a controlled breath, ready to face whatever came his way.

“Where are the children? I trust Nurse Edwards is with them now,” he said firmly.

Rose nodded. “They’re asleep now, but she is there in case they need anything. They’re taken care of,” she reassured.

“Very well. Please let me know if I can be of any assistance to them.” Then, clearing his throat, “Ring for tea, please,” he instructed. “And bring me towels and a bowl of lukewarm water.” 

She nodded, hurrying out of the room. Benedict moved closer to your bedside, his heart twisting at the sight of you in distress. He didn't hesitate, pulling a chair close to the bed and sitting down beside you. Gently, he reached out to feel your burning forehead, but you immediately flinched, the pain evident in your eyes as they shot open.

“Too cold,” you rasped. “Please don’t.”

He cursed under his breath, heart cracking slightly at your reaction. But he withdrew his hand immediately, settling instead for sitting on a chair next to your bed, watching you intently for any signs that your condition was worsening.

You looked awfully pale, paler than he’d ever seen you, and your lips had turned a concerning shade of purple. Though even when you were drenched in sweat and shivering, you still were the most beautiful thing he’d ever seen, he thought. Even now, years after you had married another man, you remained his muse. The heartbreak he experienced that summer had been an admittedly excellent source of inspiration, and his new works helped propel him forward in the art world. It had served as a distraction, proving especially useful when Ben heard the news that you were pregnant for the first time so soon after the wedding. But now he supposed that art was no longer a distraction, and had instead become his life. 

Maybe it was better this way, he sometimes thought. Maybe fate had never intended for him to be with you, though he couldn't fathom why the universe seemed so cruel. But the conclusion that he most often came to is that this was some sort of punishment. And he supposed he rather deserved it. He had continuously run away from the person he loved most, his best friend, the love of his life, time and again while you had only waited patiently for him to love you back. 

Looking down at you now, he still felt the need to take care of you. The instinct would never go away. But it was a shame that the only reason he was allowed to do it now was because your husband had asked him to.

Your lady’s maid cleared her throat, standing at the doorway with the items Benedict had requested. He waved her in and had her place the tea on your bedside table, but he took hold of the towels himself and dipped one of them in the bowl of water.

“How long have you been here?” Ben asked Rose, taking in her exhausted appearance.

“Since midmorning, Mr Bridgerton,” she responded, stifling a yawn. "But I'm happy to do it. Lady Bridgerton seems to need it, too."

“Well, I think you ought to go to bed now, Rose,” he responded, gently placing the damp towel on your forehead. You let out a soft sigh of relief, and the tightness in Benedict’s heart loosened the tiniest bit. 

Hearing his words, Rose could have collapsed right then and there. “Thank you, Mr Bridgerton. Please call for one of the servants if you need anything,” she said gratefully. And then, before he could change his mind, she hurried out of your bedroom. 

The towel had seemed to rouse you from your sleep, and you sat up weakly so you could take in your surroundings.

You opened your eyes, happy to find Benedict still in your room. “Hello, there,” you croaked, but he shushed you, immediately holding a teacup to your lips. You took a hesitant sip, but the warm liquid ran down your throat so soothingly that you grasped the cup with your own hands and drank the entire thing. 

Ben laughed softly, delicately taking the teacup from you so as not to touch you, not having forgotten your earlier protests when he placed a hand on your forehead.

“How long have you been here?” you asked Benedict, a particularly strong shiver making your teeth chatter. Noting his look of concern, you rushed to reassure him, “I’m fine, Ben. Promise.” However, you didn’t know how convincing you had sounded, given that you started violently coughing immediately after the words left your lips. 

“I can see that. You look great,” teased Benedict. 

“I bet,” you shot back, and he was unable to keep the fond smile off his face. “I’m–” you started, but another coughing fit prevented you from continuing. He looked at you, eyes overflowing with worry, and exchanged the towel on your forehead for a fresh one, hoping it would provide at least some relief.

Once your coughing fit subsided, you were overtaken by a wave of exhaustion. Sliding back down into bed, you turned to Benedict. “I think I need to sleep if that’s alright,” you said softly, eyes already drooping shut.

“Mmm, I think so, too,” he agreed.

You reached out and grabbed his hand, intertwining your fingers with his and bringing your joined hands to your chest. “Please stay, Ben,” you said, eyes already closed. 

His heart nearly skipped a beat, having completely forgotten just how right your hand felt in his. “Always,” he murmured, reaching over to kiss you on the forehead. Benedict settled into the chair beside your bed, carefully watching you to make sure your breathing remained even. 

An hour later, a particularly intense shiver ran through you and you woke up to find that you were still clutching Benedict’s hand. He was staring at you intently, and you felt an overwhelming sense of tenderness for him. Even though you had married Anthony, he was still here by your side, ensuring that you were safe. Even though you probably looked about two minutes away from death, and even though he probably had much more interesting things to do, he was here.

“I’m sorry, you know,” you whispered, not quite sure you wanted him to hear but needing to say it anyway.

His brow furrowed, not quite sure why you were apologizing. “It’s quite alright.”

“No, I am. I’m so sorry,” you said, barely registering the tears running down your face and mixing with your sweat. 

Ben wiped away your tears with one hand, the other still holding yours. “There’s nothing to be sorry for,” he whispered.

You shook your head and the towel fell from your forehead once again, which he immediately replaced with a new one. “I don’t regret marrying him, but I regret hurting you,” you choked back a sob. “It was cowardly of me, and I’m sorry.”

Benedict was at a loss, your confession bringing his complicated feelings to the surface. But before he could find the right words, you had fallen asleep once again, eyes closed peacefully and your breathing even. He sat back in shock, attempting to process the meaning behind your words while still being careful not to move his hand too much so you could sleep peacefully. 

Benedict sat there for what felt like hours, his mind in a whirlwind of emotions. Guilt weighed heavily on his heart as he watched you sleep, your hand still clasped in his. Surely you were at least a little delirious, he reasoned. How could you apologize for something he had caused?

Hours later, the morning sun filtered through your curtains and you stirred awake. You blinked your eyes open, a bit disoriented as you took in your surroundings. You glanced down, seeing Ben sitting in a chair next to your bed, fast asleep in what looked to be an incredibly uncomfortable position. Your hand was still clasped in Benedict’s, his thumb absently stroking the back of your hand. You felt a pang of guilt at the sight and cringed slightly as you remembered your tearful apology the previous night.

Sensing that you were awake, Benedict stirred, half opening his eyes to make sure you were alright. Wincing as his neck cracked, he sat up and asked groggily, “How’re you feeling this morning, darling?” 

“Much better, actually,” you responded.

A sudden wave of panic washed over you. “Who’s with the children?”

“Don’t worry! They’re alright. Nurse Edwards is with them,” he assured you. “Perhaps it’s for the best; they might get to engage with some books actually meant for children.” He kept his tone light and teasing, not entirely sure if you remembered your apology and not wanting to open up the conversation if you didn’t.

“Oh, thank you,” you sighed in relief, relaxing against your pillows once again. Then, swatting his arm, you scolded, “And they enjoy the literature, mind you!”

“I suppose you are feeling better if you had the strength to hit me,” he remarked amusedly.

You rolled your eyes. “I could have hit you last night. Easily.” But your expression turned sincere. “Thank you for coming. I didn’t mean to be a burden; I know you’re working on a new piece.”

“It’s nothing,” he waved his hand. “You could never be a burden.”

You cleared your throat awkwardly, suddenly looking anywhere but at him. “And I meant what I said last night. It was ill-timed, I know, but I am truly sorry.”

“Nonsense,” he shook his head. “There is nothing to apologize for. I didn’t treat you the way I should have and I was the one who hurt you. I’m just glad I can still have you as a best friend.”

You smiled at him, pulling him into a hug. “We seem to be quite good at that, don’t you think? Being best friends.”

“Oh, the best,” he smiled at you, adoration clear in his eyes.

—

orginal ending || next part || buy me a ko-fi!

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[clarisse0o]

Camp Wiegman- Part 41

Lucy Bronze x Ona Batlle

Alternative Universe : Military School

Words : 5k

Masterlist

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Wednesday, January 27; 4:30 PM - Ona and Alexia's Room.

If someone had told me that one day my room would become a place where we gather to study, I wouldn't have believed it. Just a few days after starting in my new class, and I already feel completely lost. How did I choose this option? I never thought I'd say this, but... My mom was right about one thing: I’m not cut out for math at all.

"Hey, are you paying attention?" someone reminds me.

I sigh, rubbing my arm where Alessia just hit me. How can I concentrate with these subjects? There are way too many numbers!

"Can we take a break?"

"We just took one, you’re exaggerating."

I turn to smile at Alba, who chuckles behind me. She’s sitting on the floor against her sister’s bed since the two beds are taken by Alexia herself and Leah. As for Alessia and me, she insisted we sit in front of my desk to work under the best conditions. I sigh to show my discontent.

"Can we stop then? I’m starting to get fed up."

She studies me for a moment, probably wondering if I’m joking. No, I’m not. I really can’t take it anymore. My head is about to explode with the migraine that's starting to hit.

"Well... I can’t force you after all."

Her decision makes me smile, just like the other relieved groans. It was as if that was the only thing they had been waiting for since we got here. I’m just as happy as they are that Alessia is letting me off the hook. Lucy would never have let me off so easily, but I really can't continue like this. I don’t have the focus to study. My mind has been way too disturbed these past few days. The silence that had settled in the room is broken by Leah’s grunts as he stretches.

"It was about time, damn it!" Leah swears. "Anyway, I'm sick of working my ass off only to get crappy grades. I’m going to clear my head in the common room. Who's coming with me?"

"Great idea," Alba quickly replies. "I thought no one would ever suggest it."

I smile as I watch them pack up their things as quickly as lightning. Unlike them, I take my time. I’m not in as much of a rush to get out of here. The girls seem to agree. Well, Alessia is taking her time too, and Alexia doesn’t even seem to notice what’s happening with her phone in front of her and her headphones in her ears. The girls seem to understand our lack of motivation because they leave, saying we’ll meet up later. Now, it’s just Alessia and me. I turn towards Ale, who hasn’t changed her position, before turning back to Alessia again. She looks at me curiously before giving me a timid smile.

"Is everything okay?"

"If you say so..."

"You’ve been less cheerful these past few days. Is it because of classes? Or maybe it’s because of Korbin?"

I sigh and shrug. So many things have gone wrong in just one week that I don’t even know why I’m not okay anymore. The upside of all this is that I’m discovering, albeit late, the amazing people around me. I’ve always had Alexia and Leah, who continue to be sweet to me, but now they’re not the only ones. There’s Alessia, Alba, and all the others. I’m not doing well, that’s no secret anymore. I’ve tried to hide my emotions, but it’s become difficult, especially with all the sleepless nights I’ve been having.

"In a way... Listen, Alessia, I want to take advantage of the fact that we’re alone for once," I began, glancing at Alexia, who still seemed occupied.

"A problem...?"

"Oh no. Quite the opposite. I wanted to apologize."

She struggles to hide her surprise. She opens her mouth to speak, but I beat her to it.

"I misjudged you. We started off well, but I took your reaction to my orientation before Christmas break the wrong way, and it put me off."

"I noticed," she smiles sadly. "It’s okay, don’t worry. It’s more me who should apologize. It’s just that I’ve accepted myself for a long time, so I was surprised by your cold responses on the subject. But I completely understand your position."

"You have nothing to apologize for," I chuckled. "I shouldn’t have gotten upset that day. I don’t want you to think I hold a grudge against you, or worse, that I don’t like you."

"That’s not the case, I assure you," she smiles. "You didn’t have to apologize."

"It’s the least I could do. You’re still helping me with classes and all that. It’s really cool of you. I’m glad I ended up in your class," I said honestly.

Our relationship has evolved a lot over the past few weeks. The fact that we’re in the same class helps a lot. Alessia, who’s also an art fan, has the same ambitions as I do. Not only do we have a lot to talk about, but she also gives me the motivation to keep going. Without her, I would’ve probably given up on my studies. She’s far from being as good at explaining things and her methods aren’t as great as Lucy’s, but I appreciate her efforts to help me. What she offers is better than nothing.

"I’m happy to do it. I enjoy spending time with you."

"Oh, and also... I wanted to apologize for Mapi’s behavior on New Year’s. I asked her to stop, but she did whatever she wanted anyway," I laughed.

"What do you mean...?"

"Well... Mapi purposely stuck to me all evening. She wanted-"

I pause, searching for my words. I hesitate to be blunt. I sigh and shake my head. The answer should be obvious. If I want a healthy foundation with her, I need to stop avoiding things and be honest.

"She wanted to make you jealous," I finally said. "She thought you were interested in me and she wanted to have some fun. Once she gets an idea in her head, there’s no stopping her."

"She might not have been wrong," she laughs. "So she and you..."

"There’s nothing going on anymore," I quickly replied. "We’re just friends now."

"Oh... But you’re interested in someone, right? I’m sorry... but you and Ale talk a lot in code at the table, and that’s what I gathered... I thought you were talking about her."

I smile, sensing her discomfort. I had realized that she was paying attention to our private conversations. As much as Alexia tries to make sure our friends are occupied before she starts, she can’t stop mentioning Lucy at every opportunity. I really need to tell her to stop doing that at the table or any other place where we might be surrounded by people. It’s a subject that could put Lucy in danger, even if we never mention her by name. That’s not what I want, no matter how much I hate her right now. Alessia nervously runs a hand through her hair, giving me an awkward smile. She must sense it’s a sensitive topic. It is. Especially since my own friends don’t agree with my decision. Only Mapi and Alexia know, and they’ve clearly teamed up to disagree with my choice to distance myself. According to them, I’m intentionally hurting myself by doing this. They’re probably right, but what they don’t understand is that it would be worse to keep talking to her. I can’t keep developing feelings for her, and that’s what would happen if we picked up our relationship where it left off. I’ve had enough sleepless nights to be sure of my decision. Plus, my pride won’t let me forgive her so easily. Doing so would mean accepting our situation, and I don’t. Lucy needs to understand that. I sigh, running my hand through my hair. My eyes settle on Alessia, and I speak honestly.

"I... Yeah. I’m interested in someone, but it’s not Mapi, and it’s complicated."

"I could tell... I guess that’s one of your problems right now?"

I sigh and nod.

"Yeah, you could say that... One of many..."

Even with all the problems around me, this is definitely the hardest one to deal with. I simply can’t stop thinking about Lucy. I wish I could forgive her, but I can’t. I mean, what’s the point? If I did, it would mean she got what she wanted, and that’s out of the question. My pride couldn’t handle it, nor could my feelings for her. Despite everything I’ve been through, deep down, I’m completely broken. I just don’t understand her choice. I spend my time avoiding her, but I’ve ended up studying her from afar whenever we cross paths. I need to know if she’s at least a little affected by this situation. It’s hard to read her. Lucy is a very closed-off person here, in her work. She’s been even more so since our fight. I didn’t know what to think. I felt like I was seeing it because I wanted to believe it. It was my friends who made me realize it was true. They started asking me questions about her. According to them, something was wrong with Lucy, and they wondered if I knew anything. Of course, I didn’t say anything, but it made me question things again. I concluded that our fight really did affect her. I know she cares about me. It’s obvious, and she’s made it clear to me many times... Even now, she forbids me from going back home to Barcelona, thinking it’s too risky. But in what way does she care about me exactly? Did she really only expect friendship? Her decision should tell me yes, but her actions scream the opposite. There are so many reasons why she might not want to take our relationship further that I’ve stopped thinking about it. Now, I’ve reached the point where I can no longer deny that I miss her. Every day, I wish I could tell her about my day or just talk to her. However, I don’t have the courage to do it, even with all of Alexia’s encouragement and support. I know I’d crack, and that would ruin all my efforts to ignore her. Lucy is just waiting for me to give her an opening, but I won’t do it

"Otherwise…" Alessia pulls me out of my thoughts with slight hesitation. "Why don’t you talk to Bronze about Korbin and her friends? I’m sure she’d react if she knew they were persecuting you at every opportunity," she adds, making me narrow my eyes.

"I’m not going to tell her. I can handle it just fine without her," I replied, feeling defensive.

"The reason I’m saying this is because Lucy is known for being fair. She’d definitely defend you if she knew you were in this situation."

"I don’t care."

"Besides, you two seem close… I imagine she’d want to know."

"Alessia, that’s enough," I said sharply. "I’m not going to change my mind."

Groaning interrupts our conversation, which was on the verge of taking a bad turn. We turn to look at Alexia, who’s now sitting up and staring at us. I had completely forgotten about her for a moment. She removes her headphones and starts speaking.

"What? Do I have something on my face that makes you stare at me like that?"

"No," I giggled.

"I’m going to join the others downstairs," Alessia announces, standing up. "I suppose we’ll meet at the dining hall?"

I nod gently, glancing at Alexia, who doesn’t seem eager to leave either. There’s a heavy silence when the door slams shut behind Alessia. I sigh, relieved to finally be able to occupy myself freely. I stand up to get my drawing supplies and then settle on my bed. It’s the best place to immerse myself in my new drawing, which I’ve just started.

"You know, I heard what you said to Alessia."

"Oh yeah?" I said, not taking my eyes off my drawing.

"Yeah. What exactly are you trying to do? Replace Lucy with Alessia?"

"Excuse me?" I frowned.

"Alessia will never measure up to Lucy. I hope you realize that."

I raise an eyebrow, trying to see if she’s really serious about what she’s saying. It seems like she is, as she doesn’t even blink.

"You should be the first to know that I’m not trying to replace her, just forget her. Besides, Alessia is really cool. She’s been helping me a lot even though I behaved badly towards her. The least I could do was apologize and be honest with her."

Her features soften at my response. She seems to realize that she got worked up for nothing. I’m indeed starting to appreciate Alessia, but certainly not in the way she thinks. Even though Alessia may have said she likes me, it doesn’t change the fact that she’s not the one I’m interested in. Ever since I’ve known Lucy, she’s given me the impression that she’s the only one who can truly fulfill me. She understands me like no one ever has, and she’s always been able to meet my expectations. The fact that Alexia thought I was using Alessia irritates me a bit. I’m not that kind of person. It’s even more surprising that she keeps defending my supervisor. It’s not like she adores her—in fact, quite the opposite. Things were always tense between them.

"I’m sorry," she sighs. "It’s just that I don’t understand you. I’ve never seen you this down, and it annoys me that you keep ignoring Lucy. It’s good that you apologized to Alessia, but we both know that neither she, nor I, nor anyone else can be there for you like Lucy is, and we can’t help you the way she does."

"You really need to stop talking to Mapi," I raised an eyebrow.

"I’m not talking to her…"

I challenge her to contradict me again, but she just rolls her eyes in response.

"Okay, fine. Maybe I do talk to her, but I can’t help it. She asks me to take care of you since she’s not around to do it," she defends herself. "You have no idea how crazy she drives me because she’s convinced you’re not telling her everything."

It’s my turn to roll my eyes, recognizing my best friend in that behavior. When she realizes she won’t get anything more out of me, she turns to others, thinking she’ll get more information from them. Unfortunately for her, I anticipated her reaction. I knew she and Alexia would team up against me. They had already started by insisting separately to get more details on how I’m feeling. As a result, I simply reduced what I say, making sure to reassure them while not saying exactly the same thing to each of them, so they’d have something to discuss together. They don’t seem to understand that I’m grown up enough to take care of myself.

"Talking to me constantly about Lucy isn’t going to make me feel better, you know. You can pass that message along to Mapi. She keeps talking to me about it too."

"And you think drawing her is going to help you, maybe?" she teases.

My hand freezes over the sheet where I’ve indeed drawn my supervisor while she was Sleeping. I sigh, running my hand through my hair. Well, it looks like she’s got a point. I can’t help it if I’m still having sleepless nights. It was one night when I still couldn’t fall asleep, and unlike usual, she had ended up sleeping on her back. She looked so peaceful, and I found her so beautiful that I couldn’t resist grabbing a sheet of paper and a pencil from my school supplies. It was the first night I was able to fall asleep because drawing her had calmed me down.

"I… No. It’s personal torture, I suppose."

I glance at Alexia, who grimaces at my response. What else could it mean, after all? She groans in frustration before getting up from her bed.

"Come on, move over and get that drawing out of my sight."

I shift over to make room for her and take the opportunity to place my drawing materials on the floor. I barely have time to sit back up when Alexia opens her arm to me. I groan, knowing exactly how this is going to end if I get into this position.

"No," I replied.

"That wasn’t a question. Come here."

I sigh as I settle into her arms. Surprisingly, she doesn’t speak. Usually, she pushes me to my limits and lectures me until I pour my heart out. I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve had to cry in front of her this week. I often end up with puffy eyes that I have to hide in the shower when I get back so that Lucy doesn’t notice. So far, my plan has always worked. Maybe she does notice and chooses not to say anything, fearing it might lead to an argument. It wouldn’t be the first time that’s happened. Today, however, it’s different. Alexia simply hugs me, resting her head against mine. I take advantage of this embrace, which is rarely this calm. We stay in that position for a long time without speaking, as she gently strokes my hair. Exhaustion overwhelms me, and before I can react, my eyes close.

Wednesday, January 27; 7:30 PM - Dining Hall.

We’ve just joined our friends in the dining hall. We arrived later than usual because of me. Alexia’s cuddles did me in, which is quite surprising. I still find it hard to believe, knowing how little can actually get me to sleep these days. Her intention was for me to rest, and I have to say she succeeded. I slept for two long hours, during which she took the opportunity to tidy up all my stuff. No one but her realized how much I needed it. Our friends were already at the table and had eaten without us, but they were kind enough to wait. I half-heartedly start on my meal once we’re seated. I’ve lost my appetite, and I know that’s not good. I don’t know how many pounds I’ve lost since I’ve been at this school, but definitely more than I needed to lose.

"Hey, aren’t you eating?" Alba asks me.

"I am, I am…" I say, bringing a forkful of mashed carrots to my mouth.

Tonight’s meal isn’t anything special. They’ve made better meals before, and certainly more appetizing ones. I scan the room, not paying attention to the conversations happening around the table. I think they’re talking about classes, but I’m not sure. My first reflex is to look across the room, where Lucy and Ingrid are sitting. I’m surprised to catch her staring at me, but I quickly avert my eyes to the rest of the room. Some students are still present, but others have already left the dining hall to go about their evening activities.

I focus on the second person in the room who’s staring at me: Korbin. That girl has a serious problem. She and her friends have targeted me for some unknown reason. For now, I’m only dealing with a few snide remarks when I cross paths with them, but they’re getting nastier. I still don’t understand what she has against me. The worst part is that she’s started to drag her friends into it. I’m really glad I have my own friends to defend me when they’re around. Especially Alba. I’ve never seen her so attentive since she found out

what was happening. According to my sources, which is none other than her sister, Leah told her after figuring out what was going on from the increasing number of snide remarks in class.

I sigh as I take another bite. I really have no luck in life. On top of that, there’s everything else happening at the same time—it’s crazy. I glance back at Lucy’s table. I’m surprised to see it empty so quickly, without having noticed anything. Usually, I always notice when she leaves the dining hall. I sigh, lowering my head. At least that saves me from stealing any more glances at her during my meal. I was about to start a conversation with Alexia, but a hand on my shoulder interrupts me.

I’m surprised to find Lucy standing behind me when I turn to see who it was. Her expression is unreadable. She’s gone back to being very detached, and I don’t particularly like it. It’s as if we’ve gone back to our early days, where only the rules mattered to her. Well, I’ve been asking for her to behave this way towards me. I’ve been ignoring her since we had our talk in the restroom. Our eyes meet, but she doesn’t react. Her hand on my shoulder hasn’t moved either.

“Is there a problem?” I ask.

“Go straight to your room after dinner.”

I narrow my eyes, understanding what she means by that. She wants me to meet her as soon as I get out of here. I close my eyes for a moment before reopening them, anchoring my gaze in hers.

“Why would I do that?”

“Because you’re exhausted.”

“And why is that any of your business?” I say through clenched teeth. “I don’t need you to manage my sleep schedule.”

She narrows her eyes at my response, which clearly doesn’t sit well with her. Her expression grows even colder.

“There’s no room for negotiation. I’m your superior, and that’s an order. If you don’t listen, I won’t hesitate to punish you.”

Her words surprise me, though I don’t let it show. It’s the first time she’s used her status to get what she wants. She’s asked me several times to come back to her room earlier, but I’ve never listened until now. It seems she’s found another way to get her way.

“This is what you want, isn’t it?” she taunts.

This can’t be real. Where’s this sudden change in behavior coming from? I can tell her question has a double meaning. I can’t even deny it. Deep down, I’ve only been distant in hopes she’d change her mind. It seems to have had the opposite effect on her. Here she is, back to being my superior. I’m irritated that she’s toying with me like this. It just gives me more reason to distance myself from her. I sigh, forcing myself not to get any more upset than I already am.

“I’ll go to my room, Commander,” I reply coldly.

“Good. You have thirty minutes, not a minute more. If I don’t see you, I’ll come get you, and it won’t be good for you.”

“The message is clear, Bronze.”

The unsettling coldness in my voice surprises even me. Lucy nods slightly and leaves without another word. She heads toward the exit, where I notice Ingrid waiting by the door. When she sees me watching, she offers a sympathetic smile, as if she knows what just happened. I return the smile before turning my attention back to the table.

“Things don’t seem to be going well between you two,” comments Alba.

“No, they’re not,” I sigh. “You were right about one thing—she’s become a real pain.”

“You think? She seems to be worried about you,” Leah replies, raising an eyebrow.

“She’s too stubborn to realize it,” Alexia retorts.

“Are you done?” I growl, shooting a particularly sharp look at Ale.

She shrugs indifferently, as if my look doesn’t matter to her. I really feel like leaving the table and isolating myself, but that would mean going back to Lucy’s room even earlier. I don’t particularly want to give her that satisfaction, though I take her threats very seriously. She’d be capable of sending me to bed without a shower and punishing me first thing tomorrow morning. I’m exasperated just thinking about it. I force myself to finish my meal, taking my time. I’m the last to finish.

The others have taken the trouble to wait for me. Even so, they’re the first to leave the table when they see my empty plate. That works out for me, as I’d like to head straight to the educators’ dormitory. That’s exactly what I manage to do. The group has gone ahead to return to the common room. They know I’ve been ordered to go to “my” room. The only person who stays with me is Alexia, as always. She walks with me up to the door of the educators’ dormitory. We haven’t spoken since earlier, but at least it’s helped to calm our irritation with each other.

“So, does their dorm look different from ours? I think you’re the only student who’s had the chance to go in there.”

I smile softly at her sudden change of subject. At least I won’t have to deal with any more of her remarks for today.

“No. To be honest, the rooms are pretty similar. The only difference is the bathroom is more modern, and the hallways are brighter and better decorated.”

“Seriously? That’s disappointing,” she pouts.

“I figured,” I chuckle.

“Ouch... I think she’s already waiting for you,” she comments, staring behind me.

I turn around to see Lucy waiting at the bottom of the stairs with her arms crossed. Her eyebrows furrow in displeasure when our eyes meet. I sigh, turning back to Alexia. I didn’t think I was late. Alexia laughs at my expression, patting my shoulder.

“Hang in there. Have a good night,” she smiles.

“Thanks,” I breathe. “You have a good night too. We’ll meet at the entrance to the cafeteria?”

“Yeah, like always.”

She kisses my cheek and then turns away. I wait until she’s out of sight before entering the building where Lucy is still standing. I walk toward her, keeping my head held high.

“I’m not late,” I say right away.

“Upstairs.”

“Oh, so you’ve decided to just give me orders now?”

“Yes, because it’s the only way to make you listen. Go on, upstairs.”

She nods toward the stairs with an expression that gives me no choice but to move. I roll my eyes and walk ahead, unenthusiastically. She irritates me when she acts like this. I stop a few steps from her door and suddenly turn around. Lucy had time to stop, maintaining a reasonable distance between us.

“I forgot my school supplies,” I realize.

“You’ll get them tomorrow morning.”

“It’ll only take five minutes,” I try.

“The answer is no.”

“Oh come on,” I groan. “Come with me if you’re worried I won’t come back.”

“I said no. Are you going to keep defying me like this? You know it’ll end badly, and you won’t get what you want anyway.”

“You’re such a pain,” I sigh.

“Don’t start again. Go on, move. It’s already late.”

“It’s only eight-thirty.”

“And you still need to take a shower,” she says, opening her bedroom door.

I enter the room, moving forward against my will. I turn around when she closes the door.

“Really?” I raise an eyebrow. “You’re letting me shower then?”

“Of course,” she rolls her eyes. “You have half an hour. Then, you’ll sleep.”

“Yeah, if you insist.”

I mutter that as I kneel in front of my suitcase, which serves as my wardrobe. Lucy’s room is so small with an extra bed that it was impossible to add any more storage. It’s very annoying to live like this, but there’s no choice since Lucy doesn’t want to let me go. I grab a new pair of pajamas and head to the bathroom.

“Thirty minutes,” Lucy reminds me as I slam the door.

I hate when she acts like this. She knows I can’t stand to disappoint her, even in this position. She’s lucky I don’t need to wash my hair tonight, but that doesn’t stop me from taking my time under the hot water. It’s the only place where I feel at peace, especially these past few days. I cherish the moments when I’m alone because they’ve become rare. I sigh as I turn off the water. I stay there for a moment, letting the water drip off my body into the tub. I get out when the cold starts to set in. I wrap myself in a towel and undo the hair tie that kept my hair from getting wet.

I stop in front of the mirror. I sigh when I see my reflection. I understand Lexa’s decisions when I look at myself now. I look awful. I’ve lost color, and my cheeks seem hollowed out. Clearly, heartache doesn’t suit me. I quickly shake off those thoughts, drying myself off before putting on my pajamas. It’s time to go back to the bedroom.

When I come out, Lucy is reading in her bed. Surprisingly, she leaves me alone. It’s probably because I’m going to bed without making a fuss. I lean over slightly to reach her nightstand. Lucy allowed me to store my phone here, and that hasn’t changed. The comment I’ve been expecting finally comes.

“No messages tonight, Ona.”

“Just a second,” I mumble. “I just want to check it, not reply.”

She nods slightly, keeping an eye on my movements. As I said, I just check my messages. As usual, they’re all from Mapi. I take the time to read them. They’re no different from the other days. She’s just checking in on me and wondering if the situation has changed. As promised, I don’t respond. I don’t feel like it, and at least I’ll have a valid excuse tomorrow night. I put my phone down and let my eyes linger on the ring in the drawer. It’s the one Lucy gave me for Christmas. I took it off after our argument. I used to play with it a lot on my finger, but I felt compelled to remove it because of its symbolism and meaning. Lucy noticed, of course. She didn’t see me take it off. I did it during the night, but the next morning, I saw her glance at my hand.

“It’s time to sleep.”

I look up at Lucy, who doesn’t seem to have looked away. I nod and I close the drawer. Without saying another word, I make sure to turn my back to her. I’ve realized that every time we talk, we tend to be cold and tense, and that’s definitely not what I need before going to sleep. I sigh, snuggling as much as I can into my blanket. I close my eyes and try to fall asleep as best as I can, but it's going to be difficult after the nap I took earlier this afternoon.

Still, just closing my eyes helps me relax. Minutes pass, and I start to drift off. I was actually on the verge of falling asleep when I heard Lucy get up behind me. I hear her sigh heavily, and a few seconds later, I feel her lips against my forehead. I have to fight against myself not to open my eyes at that gesture. She can’t know that I’m still awake. She pulls away but lets her hand linger in my hair.

“Sorry, Princess... I hope you can have some sweet dreams, for once.”

These words are only murmurs, but I heard them clearly. It’s when I no longer feel her touch and notice that the small light has finally been turned off that I realize she’s gone to bed too. Unable to control myself, a few tears slip from my eyes. Why did she apologize? I didn’t need that right now. I clutch the blanket as tightly as I can. That night felt really strange. Without being able to explain it, I managed to fall asleep a few minutes later.

[laurfilijames]

Breathe

Part 3

Pairing: Will 'Ironhead' Miller x female reader

Words: 5.9k

Warnings: Rated E, 18+. Unprotected intercourse. Swearing. Public sex. Oral sex (M receiving). Too many mentions of his sweaty body 🫠💦 Slight dom/sub dynamics.

Summary: You're back at the gym attempting to distract yourself from thinking of Will, your conversation from the night before weighing on your mind, but it turns out Captain Miller has even less restraint when it comes to you than he thought he did.

A/N: The smut is finally here, and it's really long. That's what she said.

Part 1 Part 2

---

Coming to the gym at this time of day was bliss. Hardly anyone was ever here - having already rushed after work so they could get home to their families - leaving you without distraction to focus on your routine and enjoy this time for yourself.

It seemed like when you were here you could really shut your mind off and just be; no work, no stress, nothing filtering in or out that was worth a second thought.

Lately it had been very different, though, and today was the worst out of all of them. You still couldn't keep count of your reps to save your life, your mind completely occupied by Will. Getting through work was bad enough, every thought regarding your job followed by one of him, and now you knew it was impossible to rid him from your mind.

You did your best not to continuously glance around the gym in hopes of seeing him, but there was no use denying you were craving to lay your eyes on him again especially after last night, his powerful words playing on repeat.

“I want you.”

Regardless of wanting you, he had made it clear that he wasn't acting on it, so you needed to do your best to lay these feelings to rest and work on self-preservation.

You placed the dumbbells you had just finished using back on the rack and grabbed a disinfectant towel to wipe them down, switching out for a heavier pair in hopes that struggling through a little pain would help set you straight.

Just as you vowed to forget all the ways he made you feel, you caught in the reflection of the mirror in front of you the Miller brothers walking in through the front doors.

Blue eyes instantly locked with yours, and the slight smile tugging at his perfect lips had your heart leaping into your throat and your stomach fluttering with excitement and arousal as it always did whenever he was around.

You cursed to yourself when he started sauntering over right when you started into your first round, doing your best to focus on your form and not let his presence disturb you too much.

"Hey," he drawled, placing his hands on his hips.

"Hey," you panted, attempting to limit the amount of effort showing on your face.

"You been here long?" Will asked, looking around before peering at you from under those long, blond lashes.

"Uhh, not really, no," you huffed, dropping your weights and smoothing your hair out of your face, taking the opportunity for a rest before your next set. "I'm almost done with this and was going to do the stairmaster before doing a long stretch. I'm still sore from the other day."

You gave a small laugh, watching the side of his mouth turn upward, his eyebrows lifting in amusement.

"Maybe I'll join you for that stretch," he spoke, his voice low. "I've gotta help Benny and then he's heading out for training."

"Well, you know where to find me."

"Okay." He winked at you, sending a pulsing need straight to your core, the sight of his ass in his shorts as he walked away not helping your case.

In a fury, you picked up your dumbbells and powered through your last sets with more energy than you had ever had, putting your frustrations to good use.

The music in your ears was louder than it should be, using it to drown out all the thoughts you were having, each step on the circulating, automatic stairs working to take you to a place that maybe didn't include him. It was helpful that the cardio machines were all facing away from the weights, so even though you knew he was somewhere behind you, you had the view of the night sky and streetlights to look at instead of him and his brother lifting what always looked like more than double your bodyweight.

Punishing yourself for what crossed your mind after that, you pushed the button to increase the incline as well as the speed, needing to use this burnout to displace the buzzing in your mind.

After another five minutes you turned off the machine, feeling the effects on your legs and glutes tenfold as you lowered your feet back onto the floor, the tremble in them almost too much as you were forced to climb back up to wipe down the stairmaster.

As you walked toward the open section where you would perform your stretches, you glanced over to see the Miller's hard at work; sweat dripping off of Will's nose as he spotted Benny through a heavy set of bench presses.

"Okay, that's good, Benny," Will told his brother, helping him replace the barbell back on the rack after he completed his final rep. "You're gonna be too gassed to spar tonight."

Benny sat up and checked his watch, "Yeah, I should get over there anyway. You hanging out here for a bit?"

Will craned his neck to look over a machine, spotting you on the floor with your legs in a precarious position.

"Yeah, man, I'll see you at home," he nodded.

"I'm going for beers after, so I'll be in later," Benny explained, grabbing his ball cap out of Will's out-stretched hand to place backwards on his head, doing a poor attempt at keeping his wet, longer tresses contained.

Inhale. One, two, three. Exhale. One, two, three.

You repeated this with each movement, flowing through a relaxing vinyasa, feeling your muscles lengthen and stretch out that held onto the warmth from your workout to make it all feel that much better.

For the first time in what seemed like forever, you were only focused on your breathing, not having to consciously remind yourself to do it, your rhythm slow and controlled.

You transitioned from downward dog into chaturanga and back again, peddling out your heels alternatively to stretch your hamstrings and calves, indulging in the sensation of your tight muscles loosening up.

Continuing this a few more times, you prayed that a view of your ass sticking up in the air would draw over Will's attention, and while in your last downward dog, you glanced through your legs to find him sneaking a peek as he jogged on the treadmill.

Tucking your lip between your teeth to stave off your smile, you moved forward into a plank, holding position and breathing through for a minute before folding into child's pose, then up into table top where you slowly rotated your head from side to side. You arched your back, exhaling as you felt relief in your spine in cow, then rounded it up into cat, each exchange between the two poses putting you perfectly on display.

You wouldn't hesitate to admit you were holding your poses longer than was necessary, the wind-down from your intense workout feeling almost as rewarding as knowing there were a set of blue eyes locked on you; anything to tempt the man watching you like his prey.

Will always had a plan. Everything he did was deliberate and carefully executed, but as he slammed the stop button on the treadmill and dismounted it before it even had the chance to stop and walked over to you now, he didn't know what the fuck he was doing.

He couldn't take it any longer, seeing you bent over like that on the mat, stretching your nimble limbs that he kept imagining tossing about and manipulating into different positions; the walls of composure and collection he worked so hard to carefully build up crumbling to the ground because of you.

No one else had ever made him feel like this, making him want to lose control, and everything in him knew you would be his undoing the moment he laid eyes on you.

You had finished your show for him and were making your way toward the change rooms, making Will take a quick scan of the gym as he followed, spotting one guy who had recently come in and started his workout over on the far side, and a woman who conveniently carried all her belongings with her moving contentedly on an elliptical. There was only ever one staff member on shift at a time - tonight a teenage kid whose face was glued to the screen of his phone - and otherwise the gym was dead.

Within a few long strides, Will was behind you, his stealth catching you by surprise when he gently took hold of your elbow and made you flinch and pull it away instinctively before clasping your hand to your chest, your laugh and smile only increasing his ferocity.

Your expression quickly shifted into curiosity, tilting your head slightly as you must have registered the hormones pouring off of him, knowing he had no way of disguising the dark look in his eyes or the way his body worked to lean close to yours.

Will held his breath as he let what little patience he had left give you some grace, waiting and watching as your eyes fell from his down to his lips, your pulse quickening in your neck a cue that everything in you knew what was about to happen.

You met each other without hesitation, lips crashing against one another furiously, the first taste making you moan loudly and him growl appreciatively, taking only a couple of sloppy, hasty kisses to find a tempo that already had Will hard and you desperate for more.

He walked into you, forcing you back against the wall, the air in your lungs blowing out as you thudded against the painted concrete blocks.

His hands cupped your face and he pulled away for a moment, wanting to check that he wasn't getting carried away in everything he was wanting.

Your lips couldn't look more inviting, glistening with his saliva, already slightly puffy from his beard roughly moving against them, and the look in your eyes told him everything he needed to know; you were done waiting and were ready for him, whatever the consequences.

He narrowed his eyes, still searching yours for a firm answer, and breathlessly muttered, "Yeah?"

You nodded in return despite how firmly he was holding your face, your own 'yes' dying on your lips as you leaned forward and kissed him hard, your hands reaching up to claw at his damp t-shirt.

You knew Will would taste and smell divine, but it was impossible to fathom him being this craveable, the more your tongue probed and rolled against his, the more you knew you needed to have your mouth on every inch of him.

Your hands slid down his chest to his waistband where you slipped them up beneath the hem of his shirt, skirting them upward to feel the smooth skin covering the ripples of thick muscles and flesh. He groaned into your mouth, the rumble of his low octave reverberating through you to increase your desire to please this man even more, making the wetness between your legs match the amount of sweat that coated the rest of your body.

Your fingertips easily slid across his torso on account of his own layer of sweat, and you could taste it on his lips with each kiss; being able to experience this raw, accelerated version of each other all the more alluring and empowering.

The sound of a heavy weight clanging against metal brought you both back into awareness of your location; the hallway leading to the change rooms not the most discreet choice for your heated make-out session.

Will cast a hungry glance at you and nodded his head toward the men's change room, thinking it was more likely for a man to be less offended in walking in on anything than a woman.

Having dreamt of this for longer than you could imagine, you pushed your inhibitions aside and followed him willingly, your arousal spiking as you abandoned all modesty.

A guttural sound that you knew was meant to be a chuckle tore past his lips as he backed you up against a set of lockers, the steel against the exposed skin under your sports bra making you jolt forward into him.

"Jesus Christ, look what you're doing to me," he whispered before capturing your lips again in a needy kiss.

Your fingers danced across his torso again, under his damp shirt, following the trail of soft, golden hairs that started below his belly button and continued beneath his shorts.

Will tugged at your bottom lip roughly with his teeth as you dared to explore further, his breathing increasing with his lust, his impatience for you to take him in your hand growing along with everything else.

Continuing to kiss you like he was trying to steal your air, he hastily tore his shorts down over his ass, grabbing your hand and shoving it down the front of them where you eagerly took hold of his swollen cock and stroked it appreciatively.

A long moan that turned into a whine blew past your lips, having assumed from all the times you had stared that he would be big but didn't think he was this huge, your fingers closing around his thick girth as you moved up and down his generous length.

Your core ached and throbbed with a need to have him buried inside you and stretching you out like never before, your skin tingling with what felt like electricity at the anticipation of it.

Will knew it was risky, aware that anyone could walk in at any given moment, and even though he had done a thorough evaluation of who was currently in the gym, that someone new could show up and head right into the change room where he was about to fuck you without care of anyone seeing. It wasn't like him to be so careless, but for the first time since the Publix incident, his basic instincts were taking over, clouding his mind and betraying his control.

The way you were working his dick had him on the brink already, and in a rageful haze he shoved his fingers in the waistband of your leggings and peeled them down your thighs, doing the same with your slick-coated panties next.

The tight spandex of your leggings had your legs trapped at the knee, hardly allowing any room for you to spread your legs apart, and after swiping his long fingers through your soaked folds and up to lubricate your swollen clit, Will took hold of your ass and your hip with each of his hands and drove his cock into you.

"God, you're so fuckin' tight," he growled, pulling all the way out before slamming back in again, filling you to your deepest point where you cried out and clawed your nails into his shoulder.

He hammered you recklessly, the control he had over you and his unrelenting thrusts the only thing he did have control of, the rest of him lost and consumed by your panting, open-mouthed kisses and your wet pussy encasing him like a vice.

The door of the locker supporting you made noise with every thrust, his force amazing you and sending you closer to your climax each time, the sensation of his long, hard cock dragging in and out tightly against your walls making you fall faster than ever.

You did your best to move along with him, cursing the restriction of your pants that trapped your legs no further than hip-distance apart, but Will made up for it with the motion of his own hips, rolling up into you so his lower abs and coarse hairs around his cock rubbed against your clit with perfect pressure and tempo.

"Fuck! Will!" you screamed, burying your face in the crook of his sweaty neck, attempting to quiet yourself as you plummeted into ecstasy.

Feeling you clench around him and soak his throbbing dick only made him work harder, fucking you violently to carry you through your orgasm, aiming to intensify and extend it as selflessly as he could.

The sounds pouring from you and the way your body shuddered and quivered in aftershocks sent him barrelling into his own orgasm, and borrowing confidence from you, he let himself give in to his release.

"Cum in me, Will, please!" you begged, holding onto his frame desperately, rocking your hips against him to aid in his pleasure.

"Fuck!" he roared, bucking into you wildly, supporting your body with only his cock and one of his hands as he slammed his other against the locker beside you, his aggression spurring you into a second climax.

His hot seed filled you and coated your overly-sensitive lips and clit perfectly, transitioning you from one orgasm that hadn't ever died down to another, even more intense one.

Will didn't stop moving in you until he knew you had ridden out every second of your high, and as you both began to quiet yourselves from your pleasure, he kissed you ardently, his hand reaching up to hold the back of your head to keep you securely against his mouth.

Despite wanting to stay buried inside you but becoming aware of your situation again, Will slipped from you and pulled his boxers and shorts back up, watching as you slid your panties over your perfect thighs to re-cover your even more perfect pussy, the way your leggings hugged your curves nearly making him hard again already as they smoothed along your gorgeous skin.

He looked from you over his shoulder and then back again, licking his lips before he spoke in a low tone.

“We’re going to my place,” he instructed, giving you no choice, “I'm not nearly done with you."

You grinned when he turned his back to you, taking your hand to lead you through the gym and out the doors quickly and efficiently, the Captain in him shining and making you burn with desire to see everything he was capable of.

His house wasn't more than two minutes away from the gym - much to your approval - even knowing he was driving his truck faster than the speed limit permitted and was likely taking the fastest route he had figured out ages ago.

You sat leaning against the passenger-side door, eating him up shamelessly as he drove, admiring the veins in his arms and hands that rippled through his tattoos, the focus straining on his still-sweaty face as he concentrated on getting you home as quickly as he could.

The traffic light ahead turned to yellow, making Will's cheeks flinch as he clenched his teeth out of frustration, his dire need to get to you again filling you with fresh want that complimented the swell of your ego.

“What happened to self-control…only doing the things you're supposed to be doing?" you asked, your voice sultry and barely recognizable to your ears.

He gave a sly, sideways glance at you, his fingers tapping the dash as his hand hung loosely over the steering wheel, his eyebrow cocked on his forehead as he caught the cheekiness in your question.

"Or not trusting yourself?" you boldly continued, his silence prompting a false confidence in you.

The light turned green and he let his foot off the brake, letting the truck roll forward before he eased on the accelerator.

He turned his head to look at you fully this time, his eyes alight with something playful that made your stomach flip.

“I never said I was good at following those rules.”

Even in his rush to get you home, Will drove with precision, only driving a little more recklessly when he turned onto his street and sped toward his driveway, pulling in and slamming his pickup in park while reaching up to hit the button to open the garage door on the visor above his head.

You made to get out, your hand pulling on the handle to open your door, only to be stopped when you felt Will's hand grip around your other wrist to pull you back, his lips crashing against yours as soon as your body twisted toward him again.

Your kiss slowly broke, his lips still brushing yours gently, his voice low when he muttered, “I still don't trust myself with you.”

His nose rubbed against yours back and forth before he pulled away a little more, a stormy colour tinting his usually lighter blue eyes.

"I told you I would be all-in, and I meant that.” He looked at you seriously, and you wondered if this was the same look he gave fellow soldiers after delegating a command. "This is your time to go if you don't want it."

You felt your voice catch in your throat, your lungs struggling to find air, but somehow managed to speak with surety, committing yourself completely.

"I'm not going anywhere, Will."

Making it inside the house was a blur and became almost impossible, the inability to keep your hands and mouths off each other making the distance from the truck to the door further than it was.

Will blindly found the door knob and twisted it, kicking it open with his foot so forcefully it thudded against the wall with a bang, the sound lost on both of you.

The smell of the house was somehow familiar, lingering with traces of the scent you now knew was his, along with a faintness of laundry detergent as well as what you only assumed was the Miller brother's dinner from last night.

As curious as you were to look around and see what the walls that made up Will’s home contained, your priority was to satisfy your curiosity in seeing the body you had imagined naked so many times in all its godly flesh.

Will hesitantly paused in kissing you when your fingers skirted along the hem of his shirt, lifting his arms up over his head to allow you to pull the drenched cotton off of him, a playful smirk tugging at his lips once he was able to see you again.

In utter amazement at his form that was the perfect combination of toned muscle and thick skin, you smoothed your hands up his stomach to his pecs before going further to the wide column of his neck where you pulled him down slightly in order to kiss him more. He hummed into your mouth, relishing in how good you tasted and felt on his tongue, his whole body still charged and buzzing from finally being able to put his lips on yours.

You felt yourself starting to become hyper-aware of every part of his body that contacted yours, and feeling his fingertips wedge under the band of your sports bra, you were ready to fall apart right then. The sweat that saturated the already tight-fitting garment made it difficult to remove, but Will made it seem effortless as his hands stretched it away from your clammy skin and peeled it over your head. A hungry growl reverberated through him as he took in the sight of your bare chest, appreciating the soft curves of each breast with his slender fingers before plucking and twisting your stiffened nipples between them.

You moaned, closing your eyes and tipping your head back, the goosebumps that poured out over every inch of your skin reaching your scalp where a shiver shot straight down your back.

"Will…" you breathed, praying he would never stop touching you.

The sound of his name coming from your lips like that made him feel feral, and there was no more time to waste in getting you fully naked so he could fuck you again and feel every part of you on him.

His lips dove to your neck, kissing you roughly while his hands traveled down your waist where his fingers took hold on the band of your leggings sitting snugly against your waist, a growl vibrating through him as he stripped them down your legs.

As gracefully as you could, you reached down to peel them away from your ankles, holding onto his broad shoulders for support as you did, the way the damp material clung to your skin not making it an easy task.

You stood in only your soiled panties, waiting for him with bated breath to rid you of those too, thankful when he made it his priority. His fingers grazed over your barely-covered pussy, and he huffed a shaky laugh in feeling how saturated the thin cotton was, his mouth covering yours in a claiming kiss as he pressed his thumb on your clit and circled it over top of the fabric.

You pressed yourself down on his hand, needing more friction, rolling your hips slightly to make the wetness lingering from the quickie in the gym spread more across your aching sex.

Will could hear his blood pounding in his ears, ready to cut loose everything he was trying to restrain, the soft moans pouring from your sweet lips making him rip your thong from you, the sight of his cum settled in the crotch of it and glistening on your pussy satisfying his most savage needs.

"God damn," he growled, seeing the mess he made of you drop to the floor heavily, your feet stepping out of them carefully before he grabbed under your bum and lifted you up, carrying you quickly to his bedroom with your legs wrapped around him.

Setting you down, he pushed the door closed so hard it slammed, returning to you in a rush to consume all of you, his tongue tangling with yours again as he held your chin to deepen your kiss.

You felt desperate to have him naked, the tease you got of him at the gym simply not enough, your want to memorize every inch of him overpowering and all-consuming. Your hands pushed against his chest, silently telling him to back away, your interruption resulting in a dark glare from him as he loomed above you. Swallowing, your mouth already watering at knowing what you were about to witness, you tugged at his shorts, the brisk motion making his hard cock spring free and bounce up and down in the most alluring way.

Tilting your head up to capture his lips again, both of your hands moved between your bodies, gripping one around his shaft and the other cupping his sack. You massaged him gently, increasing your pressure the more the movement of his lips increased in fervor with yours, his hips bucking into your hands slowly as you worked him. His skin was hot and damp, the sweaty, musky scent potent and making you drunk on him and eager to taste him.

Will still held your face, carefully prying you away from him with a sigh, his hands shifting to run over your hair to the back of your head where it all met in a ponytail, pulling at it slightly to tip your head back. His lips peppered along your throat as he slipped your hair tie down and out of your hair, letting it fall freely onto your shoulders while the elastic dropped to the floor. You whined when he raked his fingers through it, your nipples hardening even more at the sensation, unable to believe the reactions he so effortlessly brought out of you.

Stilling your strokes on his throbbing dick, you opened your eyes and kept them locked with his vibrantly blue ones, slowly dropping to your knees as you let your hands trail down his thighs, squeezing the vast muscles of his quads.

Maintaining your eye contact, you hoped you conveyed your worship of him, ready to submit to him and his every command, the flex of his cock and the appeasement on his face telling you you were.

Before you even dared to put your lips to him, you breathed in, inhaling deeply to capture as much of the smell of him that you possibly could, the intoxicating mix of his sweat and cum and your own tangy scent making you shift on your knees, trying to allay the ache between your legs.

"Don't even think about touching yourself," he barked, his hoarse voice making you hold your breath in shock that he somehow could read your mind.

You smiled slightly, looking up at him again as you brought your lips forward, teasing the tip of his cock back and forth to coat them with the precum that leaked from it. Parting them more, you let his head spread them open fully, giving little resistance as he pushed into the heat of your mouth, his legs tensing beneath your palms while you whined as you took him to the back of your throat.

He tasted better than you had imagined, the saltiness of his sweat and his cum the best thing your taste buds had ever experienced, your eagerness to keep sucking on him clear in how you expertly swirled your tongue around his length, your head moving in a precise rhythm with aim to wreck him.

Will's breathing was already ragged, feeling like he could explode at any moment, his mind split between fucking your mouth until he came down your throat and nearly choked you or prying you off of him so he could finish in that tight pussy of yours again.

"Jesus Christ, baby," he groaned, moving his hips in tempo with your head, your hands wrapping around to grab his ass to encourage him to do so.

Looking down at you, he nearly fell apart, seeing your teary eyes still locked on him faithfully, spit seeping from the corners of your mouth, turning into more of a mess with every movement along his throbbing cock.

"Up," he strangled out, his voice hoarse but still clear in his demand.

You continued as you were doing, applying more forceful sucks to his head, your selfishness outshining your obedience.

"You heard me."

His words washed over you like a drug, the look on his face tempting you to risk defying his order again, but ultimately did as you were told and released him with a crude 'pop', a sated smile dressing your lips that Will wiped clean with his thumb.

"Sorry," you cooed, still smirking at him as you stood.

"No you're not," Will half-grinned, shaking his head slightly.

He swallowed your laugh as he covered your mouth with his again, demanding full access to it with his tongue, making you feel weak in the knees, your previous cockiness vanishing in an instant.

Will walked forward, guiding you to the edge of his neatly made bed, continuing until your knees contacted the mattress and forced you to sit, moving yourself backward as he crawled on top of you.

His thigh wedged beneath yours, pushing it upward with easy force so you opened your legs wide, his dick nudging against you as he nestled himself between your welcoming spread. Rolling his hips so he slid through your slick folds, he continued kissing you fiercely, his hands smoothing up your legs and sides while pinning his full weight on you; choosing to paw at every part of you he could rather than support himself above you.

In one slow motion, he pushed into you, stretching you and filling you completely, his growl of approval drowning out your broken whine of pleasure bordering on pain. His lips abandoned yours to dig into your neck, pressing against your tender skin roughly, his beard both scratching and tickling you as he began thrusting in and out.

Each drag of his cock within your walls was hard, but deliberate, and carding your hands up and down his back, you appreciated every muscle working and straining to provide you every bit of pleasure he could.

Close to the brink, you matched his movements as best as you could, aiming to meet him each time his head blew against your g-spot, the way he found the perfect angle to ruin you making you see stars.

The way your voice sang his name and how your nails dug into his back, shoulders and ass in turn was wrecking him, breaking him down piece by piece while turning into the only sound he ever wanted to hear again.

Sensing your quickly building climax, Will pushed on, encouraged to make you fall apart as intensely as you deserved by the way you squeezed around his length in a strong, calculated pattern until you no longer could and gave into his assault.

The bedframe adopted the same motion demonstrated by your bodies, rocking steadily over the worn, hardwood floor and creaking as its limits were tested just the same as yours.

The sweet song he had been making you sing was quickly exchanged for a scream, your body taken over by that addicting, blinded ecstasy as you convulsed and tensed under his ministrations that he didn't relent on, pummeling you further into euphoria as you coaxed out his own end.

Will shoved his tongue back into your open mouth, seeking to take as much from you as he could, his hips thrusting into yours violently as he pulsed inside you to fill you once again. He gradually brought down his movements, expending every ounce of that dizzying high, effectively stealing your breath as he sought to find his own air.

Your chest heaved under his, feeling your nipples graze across his pecs with each rise and fall, his skin alight as your hands easily moved across his slippery body.

It was becoming compulsive, needing to feel and taste his sweat on your lips, tongue and skin, the scent of his exertion nearly overpowering that of your sex that filled the room, each breath you worked to take leaving you even more breathless as you desperately tried to fill your lungs with it.

There was no hurry in pulling out of you now, the need to indulge in you for as long as he could being the only thing that mattered to him. Your kisses eventually slowed, becoming lazy pecks against each other's swollen lips, cheeks and neck, your fingers raking softly through his wet, messy hair and over his forehead that dripped from his efforts.

A slight disapproving groan rumbled through him as he slipped out of you, but the smile that reached his clear, blue eyes replaced any sort of disappointment he felt as he looked down at you laying perfectly under him, and he wondered if all of this was a simple fabrication of his imagination.

You smiled back at him, continuing to smooth your finger tips along the lines that surrounded his eyes and creases that flanked the sides of his mouth, admiring every bit of emotion playing on his face as a sort of bashfulness hinted on his features brought on by your attention.

"You're incredible, Will," you praised, the desire to exalt this man as much as he deserved coursing through your veins.

He huffed a disbelieving laugh, nestling his face into your neck where he rubbed it back and forth as if he was using you to scratch his beard, prompting you to wrap your arms around his torso to keep him close to you.

"I mean it," you assured, your eyes closing at the sensation of his exhale blowing out over your dewy skin.

Will didn't dare open his mouth to speak, worrying if he did that his voice would give away everything your accolades brought out in him, the fear of falling too hard and too fast mixing in with his instinct to do exactly that.

---

Part 4

Taglist:

@sotwk @dailydragon08 @sunnys-day @thedreadandthefugitivemind @glassgulls @littlenosoul @blairsanne @glitterypirateduck @momia2910 @maggotzombie @rmwarn90 @paintlavillered

[talaok]

Hii love! How have you been? I hope you’re doing really great!

I was hoping I could request a Pedro x f!reader ooor Joel x f!reader? Reader is really drunk and so she confesses her love for him? I’m a sucker for drunk confessions hihi she’s really miserable because she loves one of them for so long but never said anything bc she’s insecure…

Oh and also, thank you so so much for your writing, it never fails to make me smile when I’m feeling down and your stories are helping me cope with stress 💕 Congratulations on your beautiful blog !!!! 😍

ok, so here's the thing, since you were so incredibly nice I decided not to choose, but instead do all the combinations, so here is: drunk confessions with Pre-outbreak!Joel, Post-outbreak!Joel, and Pedro Pascal.

pre-outbreak!Joel

"you're drunk, babygirl" he chuckled to himself as he held the bar's doors open for you.

He had offered to give you a ride home immediately after he noticed you getting a little too affectionate with everyone at the bar. 

He had originally gone out with Tommy, but as always as of lately, the thought of you had occupied his mind.

He didn't see you, he heard you first. Your beautiful laugh sounded off the walls of the dimly lit space and instantly, he (and Tommy) had known the plans for that night had changed.

" 'm not" you lied, struggling to see exactly where you were supposed to go.

"sure you aren't angel" he mocked, that smug grin still tugging at his lips as he put one of his strong arms around your back so he could guide you to the car.

The cold night air did nothing against the hot wave spreading through your body at the contact.

You wasted no time leaning into him.

He smelled of aftershave and of the hours spent working beneath the sun, and god if you didn't want to just bottle that scent up and get drunk on it every night.

"You didn't have to do this you know?" you spoke softly, your head raising to look at him better "One of my friends could have brought me home".

He laughed, his thumb unconsciously stroking your side, "I don't think any of them are in any better shape to drive than you are" he explained, lowering his head to look at you. Your pretty doe eyes made him momentarily forget what he was saying, but he quickly recovered, "Also, I don't mind"

You snorted, "You don't mind getting drunk women home? " you joked "perv"

He rolled his eyes, his mouth betraying him as it twitched into a smile "Why are you so drunk anyway?"

Your eyes briefly focused on the sky behind him before coming back to his.

"firstly," you paused for dramatic effect "I am not that drunk"

He just chuckled

"and secondly, I have some things on my mind"

"yeah, like what?" he asked, "do I have to beat someone up?"

"I wish it was that easy" you sighed, clinging to him 

He frowned "Is it a man? Did you meet someone?"

Your heart decided it would have been a good idea to pause for dramatic effect too.

"uhm- I-" Oh god you were too drunk to do this "No, it's-it's complicated"

He hummed in understanding " When is it ever not complicated?" he said "But I'm sure whatever it is it will work out, any man would be lucky to be with you angel"

And there it was, that stupid feeling in your chest whenever he said things like that.

"thank you" you murmured offering a thin smile

 __ __ __

The ride home was silent except for the soft music playing on the radio and the sound of the wind blowing through the open windows.

The air smelled of summer and cut grass, and as you soaked in the feeling, an idea arose in your mind.

A bad idea, a really bad one.

But you were drunk, and you only live once, right? He had said that any man would be lucky to be with you, so, of course, you couldn't help but wonder if he had also been included in the hypothetical, and well... now was the time to ask.

The car came to a stop right in front of your house.

You could see the lighted porch and the familiar tree in the middle of the yard, but your mind was elsewhere.

"You want me to walk you in?"

You turned to him, his big brown eyes hypnotizing.

It was now or never.

"No, I-" you stalled, knowing what you wanted to say but not knowing how to say it.

"What, angel?"

"Remember what we talked about before?" you spat out, your stomach suddenly twisted in itself 

"you mean your "complicated" situation?" he air quoted

"yeah, exactly" You nodded

"Sure, why?"

Oh god

Oh fuck

what had you done?

"Well, I-" You had to glance somewhere else, at the steering wheel, at the windshield, even at your hands, but you couldn't look at him.

"I was... I was talking about a man"

Something flashed behind his eyes but you couldn't quite put a finger on what it was.

"Do I know him?" he asked 

You could almost laugh "Well... yeah"

"Is he good to you?"

You looked at him again, just to see his complete attention directed at you, as if at that moment, only you existed.

"yes" you nodded

"Who is it?" he finally asked.

You struggled to swallow what felt like concrete in your throat.

Your palms were sweaty and your body temperature had gone up in a matter of seconds.

"Joel..." you breathed, your chest rising and falling rhythmically as you stared deep into his eyes "Joel, it's you"

There. You'd done it.

"w-what?" It wasn't every day you heard Joel Miller stutter.

"I like you, Joel" Now that you'd said it it was impossible to stop "I have for a while now"

"you..." he looked at you incredulously, as if you'd just confessed to him of being an alien.

" It's ok if you don't feel the same, we can go back as if this never happened, I just felt like I needed to tell you"

"No" he spat "No, no, we're not going back" he spoke frantically, making you smile "I like you too, angel, a lot," he said, "Ever since you moved here- I- I- Are you sure you're not just drunk?"

Your heart was beating out of your chest.

Did he just say that?

"No, Joel, it's the truth" you grinned

"fuck" he breathed, his eyes wide "I can't believe this" he murmured, leaning closer 

"I really want to kiss you right now"

"then what are you waiting for?"

~~~ ~~~

Post-outbreak!Joel  *angst because I can't help myself but there's a happy ending*

"What were you doing there?"  

He would have sounded mad to anyone else, but you knew he was really just worried.

"what were you?" you retorted, the alcohol in your veins giving your confidence a boost.

"you shouldn't hang out at places like that, those people aren't ones you want to be around when you've had too much to drink"

you didn't miss how he had avoided your question.

"Especially the men... god, sweetheart, I saw at least six guys eyeing you the entire night" he sighed, the pet name fleeing his lips involuntarily.

"how come you can go and I can't?"

He passed a hand through his hair, clearly in distress.

You were the only one able to do that, make him anxious and scared at the possibility of anything happening to you.

"y/n you know why"

"no, I don't" 

you both stopped in the middle of the street, the faint glow of the light poles barely illuminating your faces.

You could still hear the voices from the makeshift (and illegal) bar just around the corner, but the sound of your beating heart was predominant.

"Because I'm one of them" he breathed

"and yet, here you are, walking me home"

this was the thousandth time you'd had this conversation, this endless circle of you trying to convince him he wasn't the monster he thought he was, and him not believing you.

"That doesn't matter"

"I think it does"

"it's different"

"How?"

"because it's you"

You paused a moment, not knowing what to say.

Tiny little butterflies flying in your belly once again.

"You're a good man, Joel," you said, placing a hand on his bicep "No matter how hard you try to convince yourself of the opposite"

You noticed his adam's apple bob up and down as he swallowed thickly.

"you don't know that y/n,"

"oh but I do" you murmured, absentmindedly getting closer "I can see it in everything you do" you spoke "I really do"

"Y/n-" he tried to speak but your lips were already on his.

You didn't know if it was the alcohol or the pent-up tension you had both spent years creating but for some reason, you couldn't do it anymore, you couldn't go on pretending that just the thought of him didn't make your stomach twist and turn.

His hand went to your face, holding it as if you were about to slip away, as if in a second you were gonna change your mind.

His lips moved together with yours, and for a moment, you were the only person on the planet.

That was, just for a moment of course, for the second Joel's mind started working again, he knew he couldn't do this. No, not to you.

He leaned away, dropping his hands by his side.

You immediately knew something was wrong, and as pathetic as it was, felt tears prick your eyes.

"this-this is wrong" he shook his head

"Why?" you could only ask in a shaky whisper

"You don't want this, you don't want someone like me"

You forced yourself to take a deep breath. You were not gonna give up, not now.

"but I do" 

"y/n you deserve someone better than me" he spoke softly, like his own words hurt him too.

"That's not true, Joel" You promised "and even if it was I don't care. I want you, and I'm tired of pretending I don't" 

"You don't know who I am, what I've d-"

"I do! I know exactly who you are Joel, and that's exactly why I love you" You spoke louder now, frustration and hopefulness mixing together dangerously "Just, please- tell me the truth, tell me how you feel so that I can at least go to sleep tonight knowing that I tried" you begged "it's fine if you don't feel the same, I just- I just need to know the truth"

"Y/n, you-you're drunk, you don't mean this..."

"Joel, please" you forced the tears in your eyes to stay put "You know I do, just tell me. Please"

His hazel eyes bored right into yours, and you were sure that if it wasn't for all those beers in you you wouldn't have been able to hold his glare.

"sweetheart I-" he didn't know what to say.

He couldn't tell you the truth right? he couldn't tell you that since he first saw you you'd been haunting his mind like a curse, he couldn't tell you that for the first time in years, he found himself smiling at something so small as you laughing at something he'd said, he couldn't tell you, because for as much as he had grown to love you, he knew, with a horrifying certainty, that he could never get used to being loved by you, by someone as perfect as you.

"Please Joel" you begged him once more, and as much as he fought it, he couldn't do it, he gave up the fight the moment he heard that sweet little voice of yours breaking.

He couldn't lie to you, not anymore.

And so he didn't.

"y/n" he said "Of course I love you"

~~~ ~~~

Pedro Pascal

You had no idea what the fuck you were doing.

Not one. Zero. Nada. Niente.

The cab had come to a stop and you still hadn't decided what to say.

The club you'd just spent the past few hours dancing and drinking at was much closer to his house than you had expected.

Your heart was thumping in your chest as you stepped onto his front porch.

You glanced at the taxi to make sure it was still waiting for you and found the driver looking curiously at you.

You had asked him to stay when the sober part of your brain realized this wasn't gonna end well.

You took a deep breath, purposely ignoring the fact you had noticed all the lights being off as you knocked on the door.

fuck, this was a mistake.

Everything fell silent for a few seconds, even your mind, and then, you heard the lock tick and the door opened.

Ok, you can do this

Pedro squinted, trying to get a better look at you.

He instantly noticed your outfit and the way your tight dress hugged every part of your body and he had to force his eyes to look away.

He, on the other side, was in what you could only guess were his pajamas: a Lakers shirt and boxers.

"y/n?" he asked, his voice hoarse and deep.

"I'm sorry, were you sleeping?"

He cleared his throat, passing a hand through his messy bed hair "no, don't worry I couldn't sleep"

"oh, alright" you breathed a sigh of relief.

"Did something happen?" he asked, eyeing the taxi beside you.

"N-no I just..." Was it just you or was it much harder to breathe all of a sudden? "I needed to tell you something"

"oh," what looked like fear fleshed behind his eyes "You want to come in?"

"n-no it's ok, I'm gonna be quick"

"alright" he nodded, wide awake now

"so..." you trailed off, "ok, the thing is that I-" you bit your lip, your nails picking some skin off your thumb in nervousness "I..."

"Sugar you're killing me here, what is it?"

You forced a small chuckle "I'm sorry" said, trying to calm your racing heart "fuck- ok, you know what? I'm just gonna say it" you decided, not giving yourself time to think about it before spitting out your next words.

"Pedro, I like you. Like- a lot" You tried to smile but your nerves got the best of you "And I know this isn't ideal and that I'm drunk and everything... but I just need you to know"

His eyes were blown wide "You're drunk?"

"well, kinda" you blew him off "but that's not the point, Pedro, I really really like you, like so much it hurts to fucking look at you" You laughed softly now at how crazy you must have sounded " I never told you because I know you don't like me back, and it's ok that you don't, but I just wanted you to know that I really fucking like you because it's been eating me alive for so long and I just needed to say it out loud"

Silence spread once again, his eyes were trained on you, and yours on his.

None of you moved or talked, and you took it as your cue to go.

"ok, I'm gonna go now" you spoke "I'm sorry for the inconvenience, goodnight" You turned to walk away when a hand grabbed your arm.

You turned around, finding his eyes trained on you with an expression you had never seen on him before.

"sugar..." he finally spoke

And there it was, the "it's great you feel that way but I think we should just remain friends" speech you could have felt coming from a mile away.

"y/n are you sure you want to do this now?"

"what do you mean?"

"I mean you're drunk, and maybe you'll wake up tomorrow and regret all of this"

"I don't care, I just wanted to tell you" You shrugged "and there's not really anything to do, Pedro, I know you don't like me, it's fine, I'm gonna go home now"

an unexpected laugh fled his mouth "You really believe that?"

You frowned, your breathing getting heavier again.

"sugar, do you really have no idea what you do to me? About all the nights I spend thinking of you? All the times I dreamed of doing exactly what you're doing right now?"

Your heart had decided to stop working completely, and to be honest, who could blame him?

There it was, Pedro fucking Pascal telling you all about what you do to him.

"I-" you could only stutter

"y/n, fuck- baby, I just- I always assumed you wouldn't want to be with someone like me"

"What?" 

"Well I mean, you're very much out of my league sugar"

"you're kidding me right?" you laughed "You're Pedro Pascal, what are you talking about?"

"And you're Y/n Y/l/n," he explained, a smile tugging at his lips.

Silence again, but this time lighter, it was an incredulous, happy silence filled with realization.

"So what does this mean?" you asked, breathless

He grinned "I have no idea," he said "I just-god, I wish you were sober so I could kiss you"

"You can kiss me"

"I don't want you to forget our first kiss"

"then I'll come back in the morning"

he smiled "Promise?"

"Promise"

[mllemaenad]

I mean ... sure. Why not?

Ugh. I don't know. Maybe I'm being unfair. I've got a lot of game ahead of me. It's just starting to feel like they're biting off more than they can chew, from a narrative perspective.

I really enjoyed the more grounded antagonists of the earlier games. Loghain's suspicion of Orlais and the Grey Wardens has some solid historical precedent behind it. This isn't apologia: he did some both terrible and stupid things, but up to a point you could understand why he had concerns in the first place. And there's an outcome where he can become a Grey Warden, and might (though I appreciate it is unlikely, given his age and the current timeline) still live to fight darkspawn to this day. Because however much he fucked up, having Ferelden overrun with Blight was not an acceptable outcome for him, any more than it was for anyone else.

Meredith may have been a more ... straightforwardly awful person, sure, but she was awful in a comprehensible way. She had a genuine tragedy in her childhood and she was able to use that to justify her own cruelty and ambition – both to others and to herself. It's not that she could ever reasonably be thought of as good, but rather that she always saw herself as in the right and justified in her actions. And, likewise, during the Qunari invasion she becomes your temporary ally, because she also does not want to see Kirkwall occupied by a foreign power.

Corypheus unfortunately came across as too ridiculous for me to really enjoy – which is a pity, because I was interested in what he had to say, as a solid primary source on ancient Tevinter and the First Blight. Inquisition leaned harder on its individual quests – the struggles of the mages and Templars, the tragedy of the Grey Wardens, the heartless stupidity of the Orlesian civil war.

Inquisition has been my least favourite, because it already had too much going on to do it all justice. It was packed with interesting ideas, but I didn't always like the corners they had to cut to squish it all into a single narrative. But, in fairness, it was still packed with interesting ideas.

Maybe I'm wrong. Maybe in a while I'll look back on this post and laugh, because it all came together really nicely. But at the moment I'm seeing Venatori! And Qunari! And darkspawn! Oh my! And they all serve the obviously Blighted gods.

I'm not saying you couldn't make this work. I'm saying ... I'm not confident they're going to right now.

I mean ... the First Blight was functionally what destroyed the old Tevinter empire. You'd think they'd have some feelings about darkspawn, and I don't know, maybe the conclusive evidence that they didn't create the Blight? And I get that the government of Par Vollen seems to have fallen (or is at least in disarray), but that sounds like a whole story in itself ... and well, the Qunari do not typically have gods, let alone Blighted mages as gods, so ...

Ah, well. Guess I'll see.

[mo0nfairy]

Three words: yandere Luis Sera.

tw :: re4 spoilers, yandere!luis, obsessive!luis, kidnapping, guns, drugging, noncon touching, blood, wounds, parasites, insinuations of sex, being physically restrained.

⸺ yall. this man. >>>>>>>> zoo wee mama !!! this dude literally has me full-on giggling and kicking my feet while i write about him in my diary. and his voice and dialogue !!!! can't get enough of him i stg- but let me chill out cuz i could literally talk about luis for hours. with that out of the way, i must address the elephant in the room. he survives here. period. (i'm still salty about this count your fucking days capcom).

you and luis had met while he was still working for los iluminados. his task was simple: lure victims into his laboratory what the sultry attitude of his, infect them with las plagas, and give them away to the saddler. and you were just like any other victim, lost and confused over what the fuck you had gotten yourself into. but for whatever reason, you didn't seem afraid at all. you were annoyed at the inconvenience more than anything.

he meets you at the church, where you had attempted to find help in the middle of your crisis. and he'd be a liar if he said you weren't much prettier than all his other victims. the way you look at him with that harsh gaze pulls on his heartstrings like a puppeteer. your furrowed brows and that adorable pout — oh, how badly he wishes to kiss it all away. but, he has been assigned a task. and as much as he wants to abandon it right then and there for you, he must persevere.

you point your gun in his direction. "forgive my manners. my name is luis sera, encantado." luis puts his hands in the air and surrenders with that all-too irritating look on his face.

he then puts on his best facade of the unfortunate traveler who got caught up in this mess. and you don't believe him for a second. you ignore his insinuations of you teaming up, as well as his obnoxious attempts at flirting and go your own way. correction, you try and go your own way. you now just have this yapping puppy dog at your side. and god, does it piss you off how flirtatious he attempts to be during such a time like this. holding open doors for you despite there being every kind of abomination on his tail; a shitty remark like "after you, i insist" with a smirk and a wink. your sneer afterwards drives him nuts.

for the first time in the entirety of this heartthrob's life, luis is chasing after someone. the pursued is now pursuing and it is slowly but surely driving him fucking insane. your resistance to his affections isn't the only thing that allures him to you, however. it's your ambition, your drive, your depth that truly thrusts him into the deep end. admitting he is deeply in love is nothing but a pipe dream, as he knows your inevitable rejection will shatter him, but he will show this love through flirtatious, albeit desperate, acts of affection. eyes softening whenever you're in his train of vision, the ardent kiss on your hand when you help him up from a ledge, doing the whole "hey, is this guy bothering you?" when there is a literal demon chasing you. (he is also 10000% a "where my hug at?" kind of guy. i am so sorry.)

by the time you two make it to his laboratory, luis knows in his heart there is no way he can hide it now. he is hopelessly and irrevocably devoted to you. so, he meticulously has you read through his notes regarding the amber. while you are occupied, luis approaches you from behind, locks you tight in his arms and shoves a syringe into your neck. you feel him press kisses to your temple as you struggle in his embrace; incoherent words of affection reverberating in your ears. soon, everything goes quiet and finally, you can rest.

a blinding light welcomes you once you wake. in an attempt to scrutinize your surroundings, you realize you are restrained to an examination table. ragged belts loop around your legs, your arm, your waist, god, even your neck. you can't move a single muscle, despite your efforts to do such. the squeaking of a stool's wheels sliding across the ground steals your attention. luis sera now sits beside you in all his glory, taking a puff from a cigarette while his other hand grasps hold of yours. you want so badly to slap it away from you, maybe sock him square in the face while you're at it, but you're paralyzed from head-to-toe and completely inexorable to his touch.

"i love you like this." his voice has that same sultry tone you're used to, but there is something sickeningly sweet that hangs off of his every word. “i'm certainly the luckiest bastard in the world to have you beneath me.”

you don't respond, only staring at him in sheer horror while he begins to caress the top of your head. and just when you think this nightmare couldn't get any worse, luis leans down and brings you into a fervent kiss. you can almost hear how his heart pounds like a drum in his chest, as it always does when you’re around. after your attempts at thrashing against him, you use all force within you to bite down on his lip as a last resort. he endures, this is worth any and all pain, before he finally pulls away from you. “mierda!” he exclaims. your mouth tastes of copper and smoke; your teeth are now painted red.

"okay, we'll skip the foreplay." he wipes his mouth with his sleeve, that smug grin returning to his lips. "come on. where's the love, baby?"

luis runs his tongue across the scar you left with your teeth and a shiver runs down his spine. your mark on him, it makes him dizzy with euphoria. and he knows how terrified you must be, considering your current circumstances and of what he is known to be capable of. but, maybe this can be a new chapter for him — for the both of you. you can continue being your most amazing self, all with him at your side. and he'll pursue a tender heart and romancing the love of his life, a major contrast to the all-too lonely, bloodied footprints in his path.

besides, people can change. right, y/n?

disclaimer :: reader is not infected lol.

[veryinactiveartist]

Moodboard & Fic Pitch

Pre TLOU!Joel Miller × f!Reader

The Last Of Us

Moodboard made by me

Sweetness & Lighting: Series Synopsis

It's 1993 in central Texas, and things are as well as they could be for a single father, Joel Miller. That's if you don't include his struggling financial situation and the grueling effects of his new construction job. But now it's summer, Sarah won't be occupied in a classroom setting for some time, leaving him without proper care to watch Sarah while he works.

With his new dilemma, Joel couldn't help but vent to his little brother, Tommy, who for once offered a solution; with no other choice, he figured it was worth a shot. Hire a babysitter, but she so happens to be one of Tommy's friends who's a recent graduate. Joel worried about the cost of hiring, but Tommy insisted she was a generous spirit who would gladly help with little cost. Once she knew his situation, Tommy was right. He has never been so thankful to welcome a stranger into his home, even if he still has reservations.

Little did he know, Tommy's friend had already become quite smitten with Joel the moment she first laid eyes on him but planned to keep it to herself. She's only here to do her job and it's not like Joel would like her back. But he did. It took a bit of time but once he realized it, he fell hard. He just knew he couldn't let you go once the summer was over. Why not keep her employed longer. He could admit his feelings at some point. Right?

Tags/Warnings: Idk if I can list this as a slow burn given this probably won't be more than 20 chapters. Eventual smut, masturbation >:3 but mainly plot. Minor Social commentary. Semi-frequent 80's pop culture references (mainly music). Mild cursing. Rom-Com adjacent fic(I will try). Virgin reader (Joel will be ready😏). Single dad Joel. Scenes that depict bullying. (for both the reader and Sarah). Use of original characters. The reader is 21. Joel is 25/turns 26. Sarah is roughly around 6. Lowkey Devious Sarah/Sarah shenanigans(u know how kids are). Texas geography references. Possible holiday plotlines (Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year) fic timeline spans over 7 months.

Author Notes & Rambles

Lord, I have so many fic ideas that I must write 😤. I actually shared this idea with a mutual while back, so this one is a bit more personal. This will probably be the first series I write when we get to 2025. As far as I know, this won't be anything too crazy, the outline I'm working on right now ranges from 14 - 20 chapters. I'm trying to give myself some room to stay within that frame I've given myself but we'll see what happens.

As of now, I don't wanna share too much about what I have planned,, but I also wanna share everything jdjkdjs. This will be a "slow burn" in a sense, but it'll be a short series, so idk if it fits here but oh well. However, the smutting won't happen later on in the fic as I will be focusing on Joel and the reader actually becoming friends because they deserve it

I already started making a playlist for this as inspo because I can't without listening to music tbh so that's been really fun. So I can't wait for when that comes out and it will be just music from that period and songs referenced in the fic, So all 1993 and going back a bit further to give the reader insert a bit of range. There'll be some mild pop culture references like movies but mostly music, and I will try not to be excessive as I know that can be annoying in movies these days. Bubblebee

I'd like to thank all the pictures of mid-20s Pedro Pascal before I go. I wouldn't have been here without him. 😭😭😭