#but i like how he looks so he shall be kept in my folder anyway

[akuma-tenshi]

there's this one artist on twitter who i really like how they draw dragon hunter so i'm just going through their entire account just downloading every single image that includes dragon hunter in it. i promise i am normal about that skin

[staysuki]

ᴘᴇɴɪs ʜᴇᴀʀᴛ™️ | lee felix fic (i'm sorry)

pairing: famous billionaire that's too good to be true, owner of a very successful company!lee felix x personal assistant!reader

genre: crack, a TINY bit of romance, satire, semi-fifty shades parody (barely)

warnings: this entire fic is one whole dick joke. don't read if you're easily put-off by childish and immature dick jokes. 18+ ??????? (there's no smut though, it's just full-on crack but centered around a penis theme).

word count: 1.5k

synopsis: you find yourself working at the very famous company named "penis heart"— your first mistake? not knowing that fact.

a/n: this is a writing practice joke inspired by a very productive conversation between BS anon and i (see #ash's pp hair tag for more context— and no, not in that way). this is also a testament on how i practice writing fics in my spare time (there's so many random drabbles like this in my secret folder).

networks: @ficscafe (i'm sorry)

"mr. lee will see you now."

your heart sped up in anxiousness as you walked through the refined double doors, a well-kept concierge gently opening the door for your entry revealing a spacious office lined with floor to ceiling glass windows. a single desk perched in front of a lavish white couch occupied by none other than president of the company, lee felix, himself.

most sought out eligible bachelor, award-winning, young and established entrepreneur, lee felix, who had successfully started his own company that had amassed billions of income.

what he does? you don't know. you've actually never heard of this man until earlier today when your friend had hooked you up a job in his company. thank god for ryujin, but also, you were soon about to realize that maybe, perhaps, you should've done your due research before coming in here so you wouldn't have to go through the embarrassment of choking on your coffee when the front desk lady greeted you with "welcome to penis heart enterprise."

nonetheless, you were here for a job interview and you were too afraid to ask what the company is about and why in the world it's called like that. and also as to why the president of the company himself asked to see you personally for an entry-level job.

you see him gesture in the seat in front of him, urging you to sit so you complied, taking in his features up close. despite knowing the fact that he's a young businessman, you didn't expect for him to look this young. probably just the same age as you. he was wearing a crisp fine suit, his blonde hair styled in a formal way, making him look somewhat mature but you can see the boyish glint in his eyes, his adorable pouty lips, and the way freckles adorned his cheeks like stars. the initial nervousness you had seemed to wash away as he offered you a kind smile.

"good day, miss y/n, pleasure to meet you!"

"uh you too," you answered by instinct but immediately corrected the casual tone, "ah, i mean—it's a pleasure to meet you too, sir, i've heard great things."

"ah please, drop the formal tone. you can call me felix!"

you nodded, adhering to his words, though you did find it quite odd that you were being treated in such a manner. as if you were meeting as friends and not as future boss and employee.

"anyways, i suppose i shall start with the interview now, if you don't mind. i like to keep things casual so don't stress about it too much. why don't we start by you asking some questions for me instead?" he said, putting down your files on the coffee table.

"oh," taken aback by the unconventional interview method, you wracked your brain for vague questions but your curiosity got ahead of you. "if you don't mind me asking.... why penis heart? and what even—"

it was his turn to be taken aback by you, perhaps not expecting an applicant to not know what they're getting themselves into, "oh, i assumed you would've known."

you shook your head so he continued.

"well, we make penises." he said with a straight face that you would've assumed was a prank if not for the fact that he seemed deadly serious.

"come again?" you couldn't fully believe it but as you think back on the earlier walk towards his office, you recall the phallic and suggestive decor littered around the place, which checks out.

"penis hearts, we call em."

"so... you make... dildos." you emphasized.

"please, miss y/n, penis hearts."

"dildos."

"penis hearts."

you eyed him dubiously, "you make sex toys."

"..." he bit his lip, a bit stupored but nonetheless, replied once more, "yes."

“but not just that, we make other penis themed items too— like stationary!” he clarified.

you nodded once again. you weren't one to judge, you weren't the one swimming in money for making cocks out of eco-friendly materials (felix specified this bit clearly).

"so why is it called penis heart?"

you can tell that he was now much more delighted to answer this particular question, fully prepared to give you background story on the lore of the company, "well, you see, when i started out this company— or business idea— it wasn't supposed to be... mature. you know? like, my first product ideas weren't sex toys. it was to market phallic objects to inspire the inner child within all of us. like how even at age 32, one would still laugh at a 69 joke or draw penises on random platforms— hence, penis heart. we all have a heart for penises. but of course, we try to be inclusive here so it's not just dicks or whatnot."

"so what was your first product?"

"dick tape."

"come again?"

"you see, it's like duct tape, but dick."

curious, you were so curious. but you didn't feel like asking any further, so you didn't. at this point, you were too afraid to ask for anything more but you continued.

"then why the sex toys?"

"well, with a name like penis heart, it was inevitable to be misunderstood as a sex company so i just went with whatever the consumers demanded. the money is in the dildos."

it has been a few months since you started working for pp heart (as everyone else liked to call it) and honestly, you surprisingly enjoy it. sure, you have bad work days but that's normal. all in all, the whole workplace environment wasn't toxic and even your fellow co-workers seemed "alive" despite working a 9-5 office job. perhaps it was one of the perks of having a young boss that has an odd way of thinking. or at least, perhaps it's that "childlike" innocence that he so adhered to that spread all throughout the building. either way, you were happy to be here.

although you were hired by felix to be his assistant (his previous one got fired because she was divulging company secrets) you weren't positioned within his office. instead you were sharing a room with the other higher ups in different cells, with your own desk moreso perched outside for felix's easier access.

you've gotten to know everyone but so far, the closest one you've gotten to know is seo changbin, the head of the board of directors. an amicable, no bullshit, kinda guy who seems to have a mindset of "here for work and work only." but despite that, you can see that he does his best on whatever is tasked, no matter the ludicrousness.

you two would even share coffee breaks together, alongside felix who insists on hanging out with his employees to boost morale. you would be lying if you say it didn't work especially since the man seemed to be a walking ball of sunshine. with the way he carries himself outside his prim office, you wouldn't think that he owns a conglomerate.

today is one of those days that felix weren't joining you and changbin in the breakroom as you shared a pleasant conversation with each other.

"so.. stocks and whatnot."

"ah yes, we are talking about business numbers and product descriptions."

"yes this is how normal people talk in office jobs."

the conversation carried from productivity to simple day-to-day banter. although you've gotten close, none of you have ever really decided to take a step further into a friendlier relationship (at least promoting "work friends" to "outside of work friends") until today, that changbin had finally decided to brave that next step.

"so... y/n.."

"yeah?" you inquired, sipping on your coffee as you munched on a chocolate muffin.

"you see, i was wondering if you had anything to do today after work.. since it's friday and all."

you pondered on it for a bit, thinking whether you have anything to do but you shook your head, not recalling anything. you can see joy spread in his face as you said so.

"that's great! cuz you see, i was wondering if— oh, you have something over here—" changbin went to reach for your face but was stopped by a hand grabbing his wrist.

you both look up to see a smiling felix, though his eyes held a bit of mischief. "sorry, i wanted to see y/n in my office for a bit." he greeted, placing changbin's hand down on the table. "is that okay? am i disturbing anything."

as you started to stand up , looking curiously at felix, wondering what he needed, your peripheral caught the view of changbin sighing in disappointment as he looked away, "you're the boss." he replied with an unusual snark but felix's smile just grew wider, urging you to follow him.

he closed the door behind the two of you as you entered his office, you hear him mutter saying something about how maybe he should get your desk positioned inside his office instead.

"what was it that you needed from me?" you asked, breaking the silence.

felix just turns, his demeanor now much more serious, intimidating almost as he stepped closely in front of you, making you corner yourself on the door behind you.

he immediately reached for your face, wiping some chocolate from the corner of your lips, licking his finger clean afterwards. the sight probably making you cream your underpants in that instant.

"nothing, i just don't like anyone touching what's mine."

[lovelywingsart]

Metallic (18+)

-- Karl Heisenberg X OC (AFAB, She/They) --

Oh lord here we go- Ok, first off, y'all get a small paragraph beforehand, please forgive me. :'D I've... never posted smut THIS PUBLICLY before. This is admittedly incredibly nerve-wracking and I'm hella nervous because I feel like I write... 'conservatively'? You'll see what I mean. So... Please go easy on me for this one...? I'm great for sweet stuff and angst, but smut is a whole other beast despite NSFW being one of my favorite art forms when drawing. I mean, I've already made a few *spicy* art pieces for them, but just... Writing is difficult. I mean, I really hope you guys like it anyway!! But fair warning. THIS is new for me. QuQ I do have a few more smut pieces in the works, but this was the first one written.

So uh... on to the story, I guess...!

**Small reminder that I have a small 'Masterlist' for these!**

-------

*Warning?: Hella smut, lots of biting, choking and kisses, some blood from said biting, just rough sex in general? Normal, to rough, to fluff. not entirely sure what else to add?? :'D It's all consensual, no worries.

Summary: With some high tensions, a smart mouth, and some unfortunate forgetfulness, Emelia gets herself into a bit of... 'trouble' with the notorious Metal Man. But maybe this time she bit off a bit more than she could chew... Not that she really ends up minding.

A pair of footsteps echoed through the underground tunnels of the factory, almost mimicking the constant sounds of pickaxes being dug into the stone. The walking man looked around every once in a while, seemingly proud of whatever progress had been made.

"All is going well. Good, good." He said proudly, puffing on the cigar he held between his fingers. The woman next to him rolled her eye. The small lights of the tunnels glinted in the glasses he wore as he turned his head to glance at her. "Is there a problem?" He chuckled.

"If by 'well' you mean 'excruciatingly slow by dimwitted slaves', then yes."

"Would you like to join them then, Emmy?"

"Bloody hell, no. I'm still sore from lugging those damned carts around..." Emelia mumbled, reaching to rub behind her neck. The man next to her chuckled again, handing over his cigar. He stepped forward slightly as she took it, holding out his free arm.

"And yet you're still walking!" He chimed, looking back at her as she puffed on the cigar, herself. "We'll change that soon enough."

"I'm not working myself to death, Heisenberg." She huffed, picking up speed and shoving the cigar back into his face. "While factory productions are important to me too, perhaps learn the definition of a 'break', and not as in 'break my back'."

Karl took the cigar with amusement as she walked forward ahead, clearly heading back to the main building.

"First you tell me to work harder, then you say not at all." He mused, following closely. "Has it ever occurred to you that maybe I can do what I want?"

"And yet, what you want is what affects YOUR factory in the long run... Timing, Karl."

"You act as if you know more about MY factory than I do."

"And what do you know?"

"Everything."

"Good, then you know I'm heading upstairs to rest for a moment."

"I assumed so."

~

The two wandered along the corridors to a hall with stairs leading to a metal door, sharing the cigar before she went forward and kicked the door open, snorting as she heard an irritated grunt behind her.

"If you break that, you're fixing it." He muttered, setting his hammer down to the side as he took the cigar from her. She snorted, tossing her own weapon to the side, watching it land on a pile of fabrics used for either covering machinery or covering herself when she slept, whichever happened to come first.

"You say that as if it would be difficult." She retorted, taking her hair out of the tie it was in and running her hand through it before stretching slightly as he walked past her to sit in a chair next to a desk in the room they were in. It was similar to a bedroom, but not quite. 'More like an office with a small bed' , she always said, occasionally taking residence on said 'bed' when she was tired. She felt Heisenbergs eyes on her as her muscles stretched and popped, and she let out a satisfied groan.

"It wouldn't be, but you'll have to make a new one from scratch." He said, arching a brow as he leaned back in the chair. She rolled her eye, moving to stretch her arms in front of her.

"Again, not hard." She shrugged, finally moving towards the desk he was next to. "Making a door takes less brains than you already have."

"Are you calling me an idiot?"

"I'm not calling you a genius."

She almost laughed as she saw him pause before taking a long drag on the cigar.

"I'm going to pretend I didn't just hear you say that." He sighed. She shrugged, leaning over the table and looking over the papers that had been laying on it.

"It's a joke, Heisenberg. I'll admit you're more intelligent than you let on." She said, moving the papers and other objects slightly while looking at them. She then paused as she held them, her eye going over the plans, x-rays, and sketches. "Did you leave out the other Soldat plans?"

"They're in with the cadou notes. I thought you would have seen them." He said simply, reaching for a manila folder on the corner of the table. He put the cigar in his mouth as he opened it and flipped through with a huff. "The new ones haven't been functioning properly, damn things... I'm thinking of rewiring the circuits to the brain.".

"Wouldn't that cause more damage than good?"

"Not if it's done properly." He chewed on the cigar for a moment before flipping over one of the papers. "The worst that could happen is the head exploding from the current. In that case-"

"Lycan food?" She suggested. He nodded in agreement.

"Lycan food. They're mostly useless to me otherwise..."

"As are most things..." she muttered, earning a glance. She looked back at him. "What? Am I wrong?"

"Not necessarily. Others do still have use."

"How?" She asked, turning to face him. "No head means no use."

He shrugged, tossing the folder back onto the table before leaning back in the chair.

"Replace certain muscle tissue and bones with pneumatic or hydraulic systems, whichever proves to be less of a pain in the ass that day, hot wire circuits to the remaining muscle structures, add an engine system into the chest with a strong battery..." he tilted his head slightly, almost as if he were picturing the plans in his head, thinking of more details as he went along. "They would quite literally be mindless, but a few shocks and currents would make them go just fine."

"Sounds a bit like you..." Emelia snorted, turning back to the table to organize the papers as he glared at her. "Shall I pick a few poor sods from the village to test this?"

"Or I could just use you..." he muttered.

"You wouldn't dare."

"Keep making your ass-backwards comments and see what happens." He shot back, finally pushing himself up to stand. "Yes, I'd like you to do that. Fresh bodies work best for the experiments. I'll send out the Lycans as well, given they don't tear them apart."

"That wouldn't matter anyway, Karl. You'll just stitch them back up like you always do."

"I could, couldn't I?" He started, taking a step closer to stand next to her with a sinister smile. "Or I could make YOU do it. You seem to have fun with tearing things apart and putting them back together-"

"I'm NOT sewing your bloody creations together." She interrupted. "I'll kill them and I'll tear them to shreds, or I'll assist with the inner workings of the mechanics. I don't sew."

"You'll learn."

"Like hell I will."

"I'll make you."

"Bullocks."

"Keep talking, Emelia." He dared, his voice lowering in a threatening manor. "I'm not in the mood."

"You were before we got here." She challenged. She only held her breath as he suddenly snuffed out the cigar on the table itself while his eyes seemed to stare directly through her.

"That's what happens when you keep insulting me, Emmy. I start to get angry. You know that."

She felt a chill down her spine at his voice. It was different from any other time she had aggravated him... It was as if she were in actual danger. His face was only inches away from hers, and he smirked once he noticed her hesitation.

"Scared, Emelia?"

She kept her eye on him, watching his movements carefully. No, No she wasn't in danger... Maybe.

"No." She replied, lifting her chin slightly as he arched a brow.

"Oh?"

"What is it you say to me...? I'm 'in a mood'...? Because I believe you're currently in one, yourself." She asked, finally moving forward and brushing past him in a nonchalant manor despite being somewhat stiff in her movements. "Drink some coffee and throw a few things around with that power of yours, you'll be fine."

She felt his eyes on her as she neared a cushioned chair against the wall.

"I'll throw YOU around..." He growled, taking amusement in her body slowing down as he spoke. He walked towards her as she turned to face him. "See how that pretty mouth works after your head goes through a wall."

"You forget I've stopped your hammer with my arm." She huffed, crossing her arms over her chest before smirking. "You smashing my head through a wall would be as effective as Sturm trying to hold something with his nubs."

"You don't seem to understand what I can do to you, Emelia."

"And you don't seem to understand the amount of fucks I don't give, Karl."

His arm twitched slightly, and she glanced over as metal pieces on the floor began to shake just slightly. She just hoped he wouldn't direct his power towards her...

"If you would like to play, I'll GLADLY entertain you."

She suddenly got in his face, a mischievous, antagonistic spark in the gold of her eye.

"Entertain me HOW? Throw me to the Lycans? The Varcolacs? Hell, let Urias get ahold of me, see what happens."

He bared his teeth in a snarl, though the corners of his mouth stayed in a malicious grin.

"I'll turn YOU into a goddamn Soldat, you'll be so full of metal you won't be able to FUNCTION without me-"

"I'm more afraid of your SISTER than I am you!"

Her smirk widened as she saw a sudden spark of anger in his face, his smile faltering.

"Don't you dare attempt to bring that bitch into this, I'll put my hammer straight into your skull-"

"TRY ME, THEN-" She started, only to give a yelping gasp in surprise as Heisenberg slammed her against the wall by her throat.

"Shut your damn hole!!!-" He snarled. His grip was tight, but he seemed to stop once he glanced at her open mouth. All of a sudden the air around them changed, and she stared at him with confusion in her one golden eye. "Oh, Emmy, you didn't tell me!" He said with a sudden cheerful tone, moving his hand from her throat to her jaw. He switched so quickly...

"Wh-" she began, only to stop as her jaw was yanked open. She was confused until she saw the reflection of her tongue piercing in his glasses.

Shit.

"Well well, I guess you've got some metal in you after all. I won't have to try as hard..." He chuckled, tilting his head as she stared at her own reflection. "What else are you hiding from me, Emmy?"

Her eye was wide in simultaneous fear and curiosity. She knew she couldn't have hidden the piercings forever, but certainly longer than this. She usually at least took the one out of her mouth when around him given how often they talked for this reason... But even then, he had never noticed it before. Why now?! She kicked herself for forgetting. She wanted to shove him away... Shove him and run. Would he chase her? He was most definitely trying to scare her, she knew that much... But she also wanted to know how far he would actually go if she did nothing. Would he rip them out if he found the others? Use them as control like he mentioned? Or would he leave her alone? Something told her the latter was out of the question as he showed growing interest in her silence.

"N-.... Nothing..." she managed, nudging her jaw out of his grip. "I just-"

"You're a liar, Emelia." He said, his grin growing wider. She gave a huff and shook her head.

"I am not, you ridiculous-"

She was stopped with a startled gasp as a gloved thumb was shoved between her jaws, nearly propping her mouth open.

"Now now, this'll go far easier if you do it my way. Now open up."

He lifted his other hand to his face, taking a finger of the glove between his teeth and sliding it off. The glove fell to the ground between them, and she watched as he reached for her face with his bare hand. She flinched slightly as his fingers pressed against her lower jaw, though admittedly relaxed as his thumb drifted over her bottom lip. The skin was expectantly rough, she found, calloused and covered in smaller scars. She closed her eye as it drifted over her sharp lower teeth before thrusting over her tongue, pushing it back and causing a small gaging reflex. It tasted... metallic... Metallic with hints of other things. Not quite metal, not quite blood... Maybe residual oil? Maybe a hint of the cigars. She couldn't tell exactly what it was, but the mixture wasn't bad... She really didn't mind much. She could almost feel the interested look on his face as she relaxed, though she attempted to hide it. Oh god, was she enjoying this...? She only flinched as he pressed his thumb against the muscle, pushing it out of her mouth somewhat to see the piercing fully.

"Let's see how much you're hiding from me, shall we?" He grinned.

There was a moment of confused silence before she felt his thumb press against the metal rod, her eye snapping open with a gasping yelp as what felt like electric sparks and currents traveled through that piercing, as well as the others.

All the others.

The sparks lasted only a second, but a second was all that was needed as her back arched slightly away from the wall. Heisenberg took a step back in surprise as Emelia suddenly collapsed to her knees, shaking and panting ever so slightly out of shock and... something else. She doubled over with a wide eye, an arm covering her chest and the other pressed against her abdomen and ever tightening thighs. What the hell WAS that...?! What the fuck did he do?!

"W-.... Wh-...." she tried, trying to voice her thoughts. But alas, despite the tingling feeling up her spine disappearing, she couldn't. She couldn't even move as she heard movement directly in front of her, the shock of the feeling only allowing her to look up as he grabbed her chin and lifted her face to meet his. She watched as he kneeled, only to look up and see the most smug grin she had ever seen.

"Liar liar, Emmy... You know how I hate liars." He chimed, adding to the smug aura he held. It pissed her off, but she couldn't do much about it now... She then grew nervous as he tilted his head, taking in her reaction fully as she stared at him with an ever-deepening red blush on her cheeks. "If I was more foolish, I'd say you enjoyed that."

"I-I... D-did NOT...!!" She snapped, stopping with a small squeak as he shoved his thumb back into her mouth to silence her.

He was met with another squealing whine as he pressed against the piercing once more, gleefully sending more currents through the metal pieces in her body. Emelia reached up to shakily grab his arm as the piercing was left alone once more, though the residual shock still remained. She wanted to say something... Say ANYTHING... but the feeling in her face, chest and thighs was so odd and... and good... It kept her silent, and Heisenberg took interest.

"Lycan got your tongue?" He joked, chuckling as she let out a growl. He found it amusing, of course. She only frowned as he tilted his head with the ever present smirk, his sharp teeth glinting in the dim light of the room. "You know, Emmy..." he started, yanking her forward by the jaw slightly as she kept her hold on his arm. "I can't help but wonder how it tastes."

She felt another shiver down her spine at the sickeningly curious tone in his voice. Taste... Taste?? She stared at him as he removed his thumb from her mouth, though nearly started to form words immediately in stupid curiosity. The answer came to her quickly, however, in the form of a hand around her neck, a mouth to hers, and being shoved against the wall once more. She made an almost strangled noise as her back hit the concrete, her mind attempting to play catch-up as she felt something being shoved into her mouth. More sparks traveled along the piercings as his tongue slid over hers, and she let out a whining growl in response.

The taste of metal and the slightest bit of sweetness filled her mouth, along with the taste of the cigar they had shared only minutes prior. But... Why did it taste so good? Why wasn't she fighting him? She found herself frozen for a few moments as the realization set in that she... truly enjoyed this. He couldn't have known, could he? There was no WAY he could have known... Oh god, what was wrong with her? She generally wanted to strangle the man, but now...

She allowed the frustration from earlier to bubble in her chest, giving her control of her limbs for a few moments. Heisenberg began to back off, thoroughly satisfied in her reactions and his 'taste test' before she suddenly grabbed the front of his jacket and yanked him back against her, giving a quiet grunt as her back was forced against the wall again with his weight. He was brought to his knees at the force of the tug, and it was her turn to feel satisfaction as a startled grunt left this throat.

Emelia returned the forceful kiss with all her strength, her back arching somewhat with the now consistent current from the piercings. Her legs shook slightly as she felt a warm feeling in her thighs from the current, unintentionally letting out quiet whimpers and heavy breaths into the kiss. His hand stayed pressed to her throat before he moved it to the side of her neck and shoved her head upwards with his thumb. He tore himself away to attack her neck immediately, licking along the skin before closing his jaws around it. She gasped as he moved along her neck, leaving bloody bites and bruises while using his free hand to nearly rip at her shirt. The fabric was pulled it from its tucked position, his grip tearing a few holes in the worn fabric as he held it taught away from her skin. She couldn't help it as her heavy breaths turned into pants, and she gripped his arm tighter as she felt the fabric continue to tear from a mixture of his grip and her squirming from the feeling between her legs. She shuddered as he finally pulled away from her now very bruised neck, his lips hovering right against her ear.

"Let me taste all of them, then." He growled, returning his hand to around her neck and squeezing along the bottom of her jaw.

Her squirming paused in his grip. 'Please, oh PLEASE-' she thought, secretly wishing to rip the shirt off, herself. But he couldn't know that... If he did, she knew he'd taunt her mercilessly. Not that he wasn't doing the same now... Instead she shook her head just slightly, trying to even out her breathing.

"W-Wait-" she started quietly, only to gasp once more as he finally tore the front of the shirt clean off from the seams. He tossed the fabric to the side as her back arched to meet the new air her front was exposed to, the newly revealed silver nipple piercings glinting as her body moved.

"Too late." He chuckled deeply, grabbing her by the side and bringing her chest forward as if he were claiming a prize.

He leaned down slightly, his arm wrapping around her as his mouth returned to her skin. He kissed and nipped to her shoulders and collarbone until his lips met the tip of the large scar that rested between her breasts. She swore she could almost see something flicker in his shade-covered eyes as he seemed to study it before nipping at it carefully. The nips were... oddly careful. It was as if he knew what it was... She managed to compose herself enough to speak, one of her hands moving to nudge his shoulder. She couldn't help but give a nervous gulp as he looked up at her, his eyes burning as if her touch had fueled the fire.

"N-... N-Not... um..." she tried, her voice oddly timid. She knew what was happening, though the idea made her nervous... "N-Not... here..."

"Hm?" He tilted his head slightly, loosening his grip on her neck. He then followed her gaze to the small 'bed' in the corner of the room- though it was more like a single mattress over a solid 'frame' with random odd pillows along the wall and multiple covers lumped on top. It was how she liked it.

"Th-There... uh..." she looked away for a moment, heavily aware her burning cheeks. "P-... P-Please..."

She could nearly feel his smile against her skin as he chuckled, though he didn't reply. It was then that she was suddenly picked up with a surprised yelp and tossed over his shoulder, her knees pressing against his sides to balance herself. She managed to hold on long enough before he walked to the 'bed', landing roughly onto it as she was tossed. She nearly scrambled to sit up until she looked up at him, watching him quickly close the space between them, removing his thick jacket and single remaining glove.

"Stay still, Emmy. The show is just getting started." He taunted, unbuttoning the long sleeve shirt he wore before kneeling onto the cushion and looming over her. She couldn't help as her vision traveled down what she could see of his chest, seeing similar scars along his skin.

She opened her mouth to speak, giving a quiet yelp as she was shoved into the sheets by her neck, her legs now situated around his waist. Her back arched as he leaned over, biting at her shoulder and collarbone once more before around one breast and onto the other. She gave a whining gasp as he reached the peak, his tongue swirling around the sensitive skin and the small bar of metal pierced through it, his teeth grazing the it ever so slightly. He used his other hand to trail along the scar on her chest and down to her pierced belly, his rough fingers caressing the skin until they pushed underneath the tied overalls. Her legs twitched as his fingers reached the piercing between them, feeling as it was surrounded by a moist warmth. He smirked.

"I knew it." He said, rubbing against the piercing and bundle of nerves with another jolt of electricity before removing his hand. She couldn't help the whine that left her throat as her hips bucked lightly from the feeling, and he chuckled. "Easy..." he muttered, returning the palm of his hand to her stomach and shoving her down.

He dug his fingers into the skin around the belly piercing as she glanced down, and she made another strangled noise as he sent another wide current through her piercings. Her back arched as he pressed harder to keep her down, though she was startled as he suddenly crushed his mouth against hers once more. The small currents pulsed in a slow rhythm as she returned the kiss, her legs shaking and tightening against his hips. She let out a soft cry against his lips as the pulses increased, her grip on his arm tightening and even pulling him closer as the waves of a small orgasm rushed through her in spasms. The feeling was strengthened with the addition of... something pressed to her thighs underneath their clothing. But the waves... The small spasms that affected the muscles of her back and legs... While it hadn't been something she had felt even when human, and while she knew what it was, all she knew was that it felt good. REALLY good...

She could have sworn up and down she hated the man at any point before this, but as he broke the kiss and pulled away to look at her, she couldn't help but feel... want? Desire? Whatever it was, she knew she didn't want it to stop at the moment, and that's all that mattered to her. She still didn't want to give in so easily... But god damn was this feeling hard to fight off.

"D-... D-Damn you..." she nearly whispered, her voice wavering slightly. She was met with an amused chuckle as he removed his glasses and lightly sent them to the table they had been at before.

"Just what I like to hear..." He taunted, removing his hand from her throat. "Tell me, Emmy... Do you want more? Feel free to say nothing if you do."

She stared at him as he gave another sly grin, opening her mouth as if to protest... But she couldn't. Instead, she remained silent, though gave an irritated, embarrassed huff as she glanced off to the side. Her lip curled into a silent snarl as he gave another chuckle.

"I thought as much." He replied, leaning up. His fingers were dragged along her skin as he moved, trailing along other scars that littered her skin.

She glanced down to follow his hands, watching as they trailed over her hips and around to her front where the knot in the tied mechanic suit she wore. With one quick movement it was untied and loosened, and she jumped as everything was suddenly pulled away and off of her hips, sliding down her thighs. She froze at the new rush of cool air surrounding the warmth between her thighs, and suddenly the entirety of the clothing was removed as he seamlessly pulled it away from her legs. Now she was completely bare in front of him... Exposed.

The desire to cover herself was overwhelming as she met his eyes, seeing the smugness and sense of possession he gave as he took in every visible inch of her skin. Her arms and legs twitched in an attempt to cover any vulnerable areas, but she suddenly found her arms pinned next to her head and his hips against the backs of her thighs to keep them open.

"Don't you dare." He grumbled, a smirk still on his face as he glanced down slightly before looking back up at her face. "I haven't tasted everything yet."

"Wh-..." she tried, her legs twitching again.

She was met with another kiss as he leaned down, though it didn't last long. She let out quiet pants as his lips and teeth moved along her jaw to her neck, leaving more bites and bruises among the ones that already stained the skin. Her arms twitched as he reached her breasts again, hit tongue repeating the same actions as before on both piercings before finally returning to the large scar running down her sternum. He planted light kisses and nips along it, earning her confusion as he continuously moved lower. She watched as he nipped along the skin of her stomach, the corner of her mouth twitching as he seemingly, almost playfully, gently bit the piercing in her belly and glanced up at her. She rolled her eye for a moment before he sent another current through the metals, and she let out a soft whimper. It wasn't until he let go and moved to kiss and bite around her hips and thighs that she realized, her head shooting up with slight panic as she felt his lips against the inside of her thigh.

"H-Hey-"

"Quiet Emmy." He purred, the tone of his voice making her freeze. She watched as he kissed the inside of her thigh once more, her head landing back against the cushion with a shuddering gasp as he bit along the sensitive skin. Her hand flew over her mouth as he moved closer to her core, whimpering as she felt his tongue gliding along the skin.

"K-Karl, wait-" she whimpered through her fingers, only to take in a sharp, gasping breath as she finally felt his tongue against her, moving slowly as if savoring her reactions.

She tried closing her legs, though found it nearly impossible due to his hands forcing them to stay where they were. She could almost feel the bruises form where his fingers pressed against the skin, though that feeling was second in her mind compared to the pleasured sparks up her spine with each movement of his tongue. She couldn't help as her hand left the sheets, finding its way to his head as he played with the small piercing through the bundle of nerves, sending small electric pulses through her body once more. She felt the vibration as he chuckled against her, gripping his hair with small gasps and whimpers as his tongue delved into the warmth. Her back arched slightly with each movement, her thighs shaking from the new sensations. Why did it feel so good...?! She let out a long whine as the electric pulses continued, eventually biting down on her hand as to attempt to prevent any further noises. She could feel the tightness return as his teeth grazed against the piercing, and suddenly her hand was gripping his hair in a fist as she came again, a multitude of muffled whines and mutterings of his name escaping her mouth while her back arched. She barely heard the grunt he gave as he was pressed against her, not even realizing as he was able to pull himself away.

She flinched as Heisenberg reached up to grab her wrist, her body shaking slightly as he managed to nudge her hand away. He ran a hand through his hair to smooth it out, rising to loom over her once more as he licked his lips. Where the actual FUCK did he learn that?!

"That hurt, Emmy." He purred, keeping his grip on her wrist as she finally looked at him. Her face was red as she panted, her legs trembling as they rested against his hips once more. "Good girl."

He smirked as she stared up at him, his tongue swiping over his teeth before he leaned over and yanked her other wrist from her mouth, pinning both of them to the cushion beside her head. Her breath caught in her throat at the sudden movement, her eye widening as it met his. There was a moment of silence as they held a stare down, only ending as he shifted her wrists into one hand and used the other to undo the belt and button of his own pants in one swift motion. It took her a moment to register the movement, keeping eye contact once the full realization of just how far- and how fast- this was about to go hit her. She squirmed slightly in his grip as she glanced down, nearly breaking said grip, only to get caught in yet another rough kiss as she felt something warm press against her thighs. She could taste herself on his tongue, and somehow it made her arousal worse...

She let out a whining groan as she was rubbed against, her back arching once more at the new feeling, only to give a surprised and somewhat pained cry against his lips as she felt him enter her quickly and fully with a grunt. She gasped into the kiss as he returned his hand to her neck, her back arching into his chest and her thighs once again tightening around his waist. More of the pleasurable feeling shot up her spine as he moved a few times, pressing against her roughly as she gave small whimpers and whines. It felt... good... so good. Why did it feel good? Why did all of this just feel GOOD? What the hell was she missing from her old life that didn't include THIS?? She couldn't help the small moan she gave as the kiss was broken, and he shoved his hips against hers. He tightened his fingers around the sides of her neck with a sly smirk as he stayed where he was. Although the glint in his eyes may have looked malicious, his actions proved otherwise as he allowed her a few seconds to relax.

"Am I being too rough with you, Emmy?" He asked, his smirk widening into a grin as she mindlessly shook her head, though it was more like a few twitches.

"N-... No... N-Not rough enough..." she growled with a challenging tone, though her voice was still light. She was met with a dangerous chuckle.

"Good."

Emelia glared up at him with a somewhat clouded eye, her breaths coming in light pants that turned into gasps and moans as his movements continued, growing faster and harder with each passing second. She struggled to keep her voice down despite the feeling of each thrust sending sparks into her chest. The sounds of his low grunts and deep breathing weren't helping, she found, and it made it much more difficult to control her own pleasured noises. She was then aware of a low laugh from him.

"Ah... I didn't think... you could sound like THIS, Emmy...~" He purred, his grip on her neck tightening. She opened her mouth, nearly flinching as she let out more soft moans.

"S-... S-Shut...." she tried, though was unable to finish any thought with her gasps and whines.

Her arms struggled in his grip, shaking with each thrust, only to suddenly be freed as he let go in order to take ahold one of her hips. She mindlessly reached for him almost immediately, gripping the edge of his shirt with one hand and grabbing the necklaces around his neck with the other in order to yank him down. She was rewarded with another rough kiss, her head being jerked up as he kept a hand around her throat. She let go of the necklaces, instead reaching under his shirt, her fingers trailing over his own scars until her nails dug into his back. There was an internal satisfaction as she heard Heisenberg give a surprised grunt, only to give a yelping cry as he suddenly pulled away to replace his hand around her neck with his teeth.

Small sparks of pain made their way through her shoulder as his teeth broke the skin, though they seemed to amplify the feeling as the thrusts became rough and quick. She finally reached her other hand around and under the shirt he wore, her nails dragging down the skin of his back as her moans and whines grew louder.

"F-... FuCK...! K-Karl...!!" She said suddenly, her voice cracking somewhat as she was met with a possessive growl and the slight smell of fresh blood as he let go of her neck. She couldn't help but gasp as she felt his cheek against hers, his beard scratching against her skin as his lips nearly against her ear.

"You're MINE, Emelia..." He growled.

Emelia felt as more pulsing currents were sent through her piercings, and she couldn't help but cry out as the pulses caught her by surprise. Her muscles tensed, her nails tearing at Heisenbergs back as she felt the waves of a strong orgasm, making her body shake and her legs flex around his waist. Her thighs tightened at his hips, halting him enough to keep him where he was as she came, but not long enough to stop him entirely. He let out a low growl as he kept up his movements until he slammed against her hard enough to move her up a few inches. She gave a gasping moan as could feel his muscles shudder and a strange warmth in the pit of her stomach as he filled her, and her back arched against his chest as she nearly hugged him to her for dear life.

There was small silence as their movement ceased, each breathing heavily. Emelia held onto the man over her as if it meant life or death, momentarily forgetting her irritation around him in the first place as there was a sudden feel of lips along her neck in a multitude of small kisses. They were gentle against her bruised skin... The odd tickle of the facial hair made the corner of her mouth twitch as she panted, unintentionally laying her head to the side for him as she very slowly but surely relaxed. Her irritation only slightly returned as she heard a chuckle from her neck, and she glanced down.

"Th' bloody hell is so funny...?" She muttered, unable to keep the lightness from her voice. She watched as he looked up from her neck, a sly smile across his still bloody lips.

"You're adorable, Emmy." He said simply, making her groan and start to push him away.

"Piss off...!!" She growled, only to gasp as he suddenly leaned over her with a chuckle, nearly being pushed into the mattress again as he finally slipped off the button-up shirt.

"Precious little doll, you didn't seem to hear what I said."

'Doll' ...? Emelia stared at him, now also shirtless, taking in the rest of the scars she had never seen. She could feel her face heat up more as he leaned over her, holding himself up with his hands on either side of her shoulders.

"Wha-" she started, only to let out a gasping yelp as he gave a single hard thrust to silence her.

"I told you, Emelia. You're mine. In more ways than one, it seems." He nearly purred, leaning down to press his nose to hers.

Her single eye widened as he grinned, only to be met with a quick, relatively gentle kiss. It took a moment for her to calm down before she returned it, staying where she was and secretly holding herself to that proclamation. She didn't want to admit it... She never would. But somehow, despite how he could be, this made her feel... wanted. It was an odd feeling, and one she knew she would be hesitant on getting used to. But she still hated him... Right?

She gave a soft whine as he pulled away, physically removing himself from her with a shuddering breath. She let out a whimper as she relaxed back against the covers, feeling an odd coldness and even a slight sense of loneliness as his weight left the mattress. She opened her eye with confusion and watched as his pants were fixed before her vision trailed up his back to see the bloody scratches she had left.

"Whoops..." she muttered, earning a chuckle and a glance back.

"I'll let you relax for now, Emmy. I don't wanna break you just yet..." He joked, nodding to the shirt he had left. "Use that for now, we'll get you another shirt later."

She couldn't help but smirk, her face red.

"Done already...?" She asked, her smirk faltering heavily as he glanced back with an odd mischievous glint in his eyes.

"Never said I was, Doll. This is for your sake."

Emelia watched as he began to walk to the jacket he had left, but she felt... sad. Not because he had stopped. Not even because she almost wished they would keep going immediately... No, it was another reason she couldn't quite place with every step away he took. She carefully pushed herself to sit up, wincing at the tenderness that settled between her legs before reaching for her discarded jumpsuit. But she only grabbed the simple boxers she had, managing to slip them on with minimal issue. She saw him slow his movements as she managed to stand, her knees just the slightest bit weak. Holding on to a support beam on the wall, she shakily made her way over to him as he glanced at her with an odd curiosity. She didn't care if she was entirely naked save for underwear, simply covering her chest with her arm as she reached for him. She stumbled into his back, feeling his muscles tense as her arms slowly wrapped around his torso, her fingers lightly drifting along the hair and scars on his chest.

"Don't you dare leave me like this, Heisenberg..." she muttered, pressing the scarred half of her face against his back. She knew he could feel her trembling as her legs threatened to collapse on her.

There was a moment of silence before she heard and felt him chuckle.

"You really are an odd one, Emmy..." He chuckled, turning his head to glance at her over his shoulder before giving a dramatic sigh. "Have it your way, then."

Emelia jumped as he suddenly turned in her arms, her cheeks going red as his face was suddenly mere inches away from hers. What was she DOING? Why she acting this way? She didn't know... But she was pleasantly stunned as she felt his hand raise and nudge her chin gently. However, instead of it going around her neck again as she expected, he simply caressed her cheek, avoiding the scars around her missing eye; Even he knew she hated them being touched, and now didn't seem like the best time to annoy her. In fact, he almost enjoyed her more when she was calm like this... She couldn't help but feel relaxed as the rough pad of his thumb brushed over her skin. Relaxed enough to settle her cheek into his hand fully, ever so slightly trying to remind herself that this wasn't who he was all the time. This was temporary... But she could do temporary.

"... Don't tell anyone..." She muttered suddenly, keeping her hold on him as he leaned back against the shelving next to them to stay comfy. He chuckled once more.

"Who do I have to tell, Emmy?" He chimed. She stared at him for a moment before shrugging, laying her head against his chest.

It was a moment of domesticity that she vaguely remembered wanting as human... Something about someone being close physically always seemed tantalizing, yet there was no way to achieve it here... Or so she thought. If she could just have more time like this... Though she knew it wasn't meant to last, especially not with him... But for now, she appreciated it. It wasn't until her senses focused on the machinery noises outside of the room that she gave a sigh, reluctantly pulling away from him.

"I should get back to work, then..." she mumbled, taking a few steps away, her fingers dragging along his chest before she turned, not seeing Heisenbergs face as he watched her walk away and run a hand through her hair to push it out of her face.

She made her way over back to the bed-like cushion, absent-mindedly picking the button-up shirt he had been wearing and slipping it on, herself. She'd take it since he offered, and because she didn't necessarily feel like hunting down new clothing. It was only slightly loose over her frame, being only slightly smaller than him in stature, and she felt his eyes burrow into her back as she buttoned it up. Quiet footsteps approached her from behind, causing her to jump with a small gasp as arms surrounded her while the shirt was only halfway buttoned. Heisenberg pulled her back against his chest, one hand on her hip and the other around the front of her waist.

"What are you-" she started, only to stop as the arm around her waist raised to nudge the collar of the shirt off her shoulder, placing gentle bites and kisses along the skin as soon as it was shown. Small shivers went up her spine with the movements, and she let out a wavering breath in attempts to not laugh from the tickling of his beard. "K-Karl, stop-"

"I never told you to get back to work..." He said simply, his now semi-serious tone interrupting he train of thought and causing any hint of laughter to disappear. He trailed kisses and bites to her jaw and her ear once more. "Indulge me then, Emmy, and I'll let you go. Let me have my fill."

Her face fell slightly. His fill... Did he mean...?

"W-What, be your toy until you're done?" She huffed, turning her head slightly to face him. Though he was on her blind side, she could almost feel the grin.

"Well, when you put it that way..." he started, letting his hands wander. One trailed under the shirt slightly, his fingers drifting below her belly, while the other found and gave a gentle squeeze to a now exposed breast from the shirt being moved before resting over the large scar. "Yes. But don't worry. I take care of my toys... I said I wouldn't break you so soon. And besides..." he pressed another gentle kiss behind her ear, "You seem like you want more. Am I wrong?"

Emelia took a shaky breath as she felt the odd sensations once more, reaching to hold onto his forearms as his hands moved. Well, of COURSE he was right... She knew there wasn't much else she would have to do around the factory today anyway. She worked constantly, and the factory ran relatively smoothly without her. She even came here for a break, anyway... And, despite her feelings about him, what the man had just shown her was... Well, her legs still held a slight wobble. To say she wanted more was an understatement. And so, she have a small huff and looked forward, tilting her head to allow him at her neck.

"... Go ahead..." she muttered, her voice an embarrassed tone. She felt his grin against her neck taking a breath as he gave a small, rough bite.

"You won't regret it, Emmy."

She gave a small, joking snort.

"I'll believe you if you can prove it, Karl..."

"Oh, even after what I've just shown you?" He played, his lips pressing to her neck once more. She said nothing, only somewhat easing against his chest with a huff. She rolled her eye as he chuckled, though her breath caught in her chest as his hand left the scar, letting his fingers trail up and along her throat. "I didn't think I would have to prove anything."

"You never do..." she muttered suddenly, only to close her mouth as she felt him freeze behind her. Where the hell did that come from...??

"Oh?"

She was silent for a moment before clearing her throat.

"Th-That, ah..." she started, only stopping as he grabbed her throat and pulled her to him roughly.

"What?" He growled, ever so slightly moving them forward. She took shaky steps, following his direction.

"N-Not... what I... mean..." she finally managed, glancing down with a quick breath as she felt the edge of the work table against the front of her thighs.

"Hm. What did you mean then, Emmy?"

"I..." she tried, though was unable to find her voice. What was this rush of excitement...?? The tone of his voice sent chills down her spine as he nibbled at her shoulder while awaiting a response. She then decided to just speak. What could go wrong?

"I-I mean...." she managed, gaining a smirk and holding onto his arm. She could feel as he tilted his head in curiosity. "You haven't quite done so thus far, how am I to believe you could...?" she continued, feeling his grip tighten. Good. She pulled away from him slightly to aggravate him. "You always need to prove yourself Karl, you won't get far without it-"

She was stopped with a surprised grunt as she was suddenly shoved down against the table, giving a surprised grunt of pain as her chin hitting it with a light *thunk* . He kept his hand between her shoulders, using his weight to keep her down as she moved to rub her jaw. Her hand was then suddenly yanked away as he twisted her arm behind her back, earning an uncomfortable grunt.

"Bloody hell- H-hey-!"

"I don't give proof, huh?" He growled suddenly, leaning down over her to talk into her ear. "I assure you, Emelia, I have all the proof you need."

She opened her mouth to speak, only to shut it with a surprised noise as he suddenly bit down on her neck and yanked her towards him. The backs of her thighs hit his hips, and she let out a small, surprised whimper. He slipped his fingers under the waistline of her underwear with his free hand, taunting her by slowly dragging them down. There was a sudden spark at her piercings once more while her lower half squirmed, and she couldn't help but give a small, moaning whine as she felt the sparks increase. Waves of pleasure traveled up her spine, causing her back to arch into the table somewhat and nearly bite her bottom lip until it bled. Small goosebumps covered her skin as she felt her underwear finally fall to her ankles. It wasn't until she felt him adjust himself behind her that she attempted to look to the side, only to be met with a growl and his teeth digging into the skin more.

She could smell the blood as it began to seep from between her skin and his teeth... It made her head swim as she finally felt him rub against her roughly, the small sparks of pain from his teeth adding to the odd pleasure she was feeling. He removed his teeth from her neck for a moment to speak into her ear, sending more shivers down her spine.

"I've got your 'proof' right here." He purred, his smirk nearly audible. He shoved her down again once more. "HERE!!"

He gave a rough thrust forward as he spoke, filling her quickly once again and earning a yelping moan; but this time, he didn't stop. A mixture of pain and pleasure racked her body as he kept up the rough thrusts, simultaneously twisting her arm more behind her back to hold her there. She couldn't stop the now loud moans and whines she gave as she panted, nearly digging her nails into the metal table supporting her. She could feel the pulses of her muscles threatening to tighten and mutate as she was slammed into nearly mercilessly, her fingers creating small dents in the material as she forced her mutation back once she felt a familiar flutter in her chest. He seemed to notice, letting out a low chuckle through his own grunts and growls.

It wasn't long before she felt the sudden waves of an orgasm, making her give a loud cry as she shifted under him, pressing back against him for a moment. She reached forward quickly and gripped the edge of the table, easily denting and nearly crushing it in her grip with light cries as he continued his thrusts through the tightening spasms. Her body shook while he didn't slow down. Instead, he increased his movements, and she almost felt tears come to her eye with the overwhelming sensation.

Her other arm was suddenly freed as he moved to grip both of her hips, leaning down to bite at her shoulder once more with low grunts and growls. He kept going... Oh god, he kept going. She couldn't speak, the only noises leaving her throat being whines and cries. She couldn't help but lean into his jaw, almost begging him for more despite the overstimulation. Her neck was bitten multiple times as if she were being marked, each bite breaking the skin with ease. Beads of blood slowly dripped from the wounds and over her skin every time he let go, only to feel his teeth elsewhere. She felt tightness below her belly once more as she let out a wavering cry of his name, only to be met with slower thrusts and a growl at her ear.

"What do you want, Emelia?" He growled, his voice low and strained. She couldn't help but squirm and push back against him with whining whimpers as he slowed more, quickly becoming frustrated and seemingly desperate. No... No, why was he stopping... Why was he slowing down?!

"N-.. N-No...!! D-Don't- fuck- D-Don't slow-...!!" She managed, earning a dangerous chuckle.

"Tell me Emelia, or I swear to God I'll stop right NOW." He played. She could hear the smirk in his voice as he spoke. She knew this was amusing to him... It was payback for her insults. Her body shook out of desperation and anger as the thrusts slowed considerably, and she put her forehead against the table with a growling whine. He held her hips in place against the table to prevent her from moving against him. She couldn't take it anymore... She wouldn't even try to fight it. It was as if she were being denied a prize, and she hated it already.

"F-Fuck- I-" she started, barely able to get words out, "Y-YOU Heisenberg, you bloody idiot!!! I want YOU!!!" She finally yelled, her voice cracking somewhat. "J-Just... D-Don't... Don't FUCKING stop!!! Fuck- PLEASE!!"

She could almost feel the pride-filled smirk he gave in knowing he had won, but she didn’t care... Her little outburst gave her slight confidence as he chuckled, his last breath coming as a low growl.. She jumped as she suddenly felt an arm around her waist, roughly pulling her back towards him as his other hand reached to pin and hold hers as if keeping her in place. A wavering whine left her lips as he gave a possessive growl, looming over her with obvious intent.

"Good girl." He grumbled, only giving her a chance to inhale before returning to the powerful, near brutal thrusts from before, pulling her to him with each movement.

She didn't even attempt to hide her voice again, her cries and moans growing louder with each passing second. She almost didn't want the feeling to end, allowing herself to melt into him as her back arched into his chest.

"D-Don't... D-Don't stop... F-FUCK- Don't stop...!!!" She repeated, her voice wavering with uneven pants and gasps.

"You. Are. MINE." He suddenly growled in her ear, not letting her respond before biting into her shoulder once more.

More electric pulses were sent through her piercings, nearly making her scream while gripping the hand over hers. The orgasm she felt then was strong, traveling through her body in waves and overstimulation as the pulses continued. The feeling was amplified as he kept moving for a few seconds, finally pressing her roughly against the table with a loud, wavering growl and swear as he came as well. She let out another gasping moan as she felt him twitch inside of her, shuddering with the light warmth she felt at the pit of her stomach.

The room was filled with the sound of their panting and deep breaths as their rode their highs, and Emelia finally relaxed against the table with a shaky, satisfied sigh while still panting. She felt... good. Great, actually... Very sore now, as well as numb, but good nonetheless. It was as if any frustration she felt had melted away with the thin layer of sweat on her body. She gave a quiet whimper as she felt Heisenberg shift somewhat. He removed his jaws from her shoulder, nudging her head and pressing his cheek against hers as his grip on her loosened to allow her to relax more.

"Are you alright, Emmy?" He asked quietly, his voice low and catching her off guard enough to flinch. She only made a small, confused noise as she glanced over. He chuckled, catching a glimpse of the residual pleasured tears that stained her cheek. He reached over, dragging his thumb over her skin to wipe them away. "Is that a yes?"

She kept her eye on him for a moment before giving a small nod and setting her head back on the table. She attempted to shift, but found her body was... unable to move. The numbness had begun to turn into the feeling of being a puddle, she found. Her muscles shook as she tried to push herself up, and she almost collapsed under him. He nearly laughed while kept his grip on her waist, keeping her upright while he watched in interest.

"Would you like some help?"

"N... N-No, I..." she tried, her voice quiet. There was silence for a moment before she gave a shaky sigh, putting her head down once more in defeat. "... y-yes..."

"I thought so." He chuckled, finally pulling himself away with a quiet grunt. She could hear the amusement in his voice. "Alright. Keep steady, now."

Emelia glanced back as he partially adjusted himself, not bothering to fully fix his pants before he let go of her waist. A small panic entered her chest as her legs began to collapse under her, barely able to use the table to keep herself up before she felt him at her side. Her body shook as she tried to lean up once more, reaching to hold on to Heisenbergs arm as he draped it across her shoulders. He didn't even flinch as she leaned her full weight on him, and he chuckled.

"Come on, then." He said, suddenly leaning down once she was fully off the table. She let out a surprised yelp as he swept his other arm behind her knees, bringing her up into a cradling position against his chest as she held onto him tightly. She tightened her grip more as he started to walk, her face red. "Something wrong?" He asked, amusement thick in his voice. She watched his movements, only somewhat relaxing as they neared the bed.

"N-No..." she replied quietly, slowly easing herself in a sitting position the tattered covers as he set her down, wincing again at the soreness she felt. While the fabrics weren't always the best for relaxing, right now they were comforting, and a godsend for her shaking muscles. She then jumped as he sat down himself before he laid beside her with a huff. She stared at him for a moment as he held his arm out for her. What was he doing...?

"Well?" He asked expectantly, raising a brow as she looked confused.

"... what?"

He rolled his eyes.

"You're wearing my shirt Emmy, the least you could do is lay down."

"What-" she started, only to look down. "O-Oh... um..." She had admittedly forgotten what she had been wearing, and sheepishly pulled the shirt over her now throbbing shoulders and neck. She then adjusted herself on the mattress with a quiet grunt. "Ok..."

"NOW you're embarrassed??" He asked, nudging her arm slightly. "Should I describe, in detail, what I just did to you?"

She glared at him and gave a small huff as she managed to lay down.

"Shut up..." she mumbled, somewhat begrudgingly cuddling onto his chest as he smirked.

"It was an honest question."

Emelia only grumbled in response, though relaxed as she felt his arm go around her. She adjusted her head on his chest, pausing as she felt a heartbeat. It was slow and rhythmic, lulling her into a relaxed breathing pattern. He glanced at her as her arm wrapped over his chest as well, though he froze as she mindlessly began to trace over some of the smaller scars over his skin. She watched her own fingers move, an amused smile creeping on her face as she felt him tense and relax at her touch. She tilted her head slightly as she heard a light grumbling from his chest, her fingers pausing. He shifted under her, and she looked up to meet his eyes.

"What...?" She asked, resuming the movements. She watched as his eyes traveled between her and her fingers multiple times, his breathing easy with small grumbles in each inhale.

"Nothing." He replied simply, only to lift his chin slightly in confusion as she moved her hand to the scar across his neck. She felt his breath hitch as she traced it, and he looked at her again. "What are you doing, Emmy?"

"Nothing." She copied, almost laughing as he rolled his eyes.

"Don't get soft on me now Emelia, just earlier you were threatening me." He snorted.

"I still can if you would rather that."

"Hm. No, I'd rather fuck you again."

She went silent for a moment, her face heating up once more with embarrassment. "You said you wouldn't break me." She huffed.

Heisenberg gave a chuckle before turning to face her, gaining a smirk when she looked at him in surprise.

"I won't. I can't, actually." He said matter-of-factly, suddenly pushing her shoulder to have her lay on her back. She jumped, staring up at him in a stunned silence. "That doesn't mean I can't try. I haven't had that much fun in years, and I know you're durable. So am I."

"I-I can tell..." Emelia managed, clearing her throat slightly. Well, she knew he had a point... Despite being sore, she still felt oddly energized... Sure, the light exhaustion was there, but she knew she would have gone back to work immediately if she were physically able to. And she had to admit... She enjoyed this. It felt... normal. Almost.

She kept her eye on him for a moment before taking a breath. Was she really debating on this? The reality of the current situation hit her full force like Sturm on a rampage. She was silent for another moment before gulping slightly.

"What... What is... 'this' , exactly...?" she asked, her voice quiet. Karl drew back slightly, caught off guard by the question.

"Excuse me...??"

"I... You... You piss me off, Heisenberg..." she started, her arms resting at the sides of her head. Each movement of her shoulders resulted in a dull pain from his teeth, and his mouth twitched as he realized. She paused as she saw the smallest... tiniest twinge of regret in his eyes. But she shook her head, looking down at herself.

"I don't... I've been here for... only a short time compared to you, Karl... And now I... We do... THIS..." she continued, looking back up at him as he held his place over her. "What are we doing...?"

It was his turn to stay silent, obviously contemplating his answer. She had seen the same look on his face when discussing important factory matters... It almost made her feel better.

"What do you want from it?" He asked finally, tilting his head with a light shrug. She blinked.

"... What?"

He rolled his eyes, giving a small smirk.

"Ah, who's asking the hard questions now?" He played, chuckling as she glared at him. "I don't quite care what this leads to, I know what my goals are." He explained. "What are yours? What do YOU want out of it?"

"I..." she started, looking to the side. "... I don't know."

"Then don't worry about it!"

"But I-"

"Look, Emelia. If you can't figure it out, then focus on something else. Is it really worth wasting the energy if you don't know right away?" He asked.

She was silent. He... He was right.

"That... That's the most intelligent thing I've ever heard you say."

She nearly laughed at his insulted expression.

"Hey-"

"I'm joking, Metalhead..." She sighed with a small smile. There was silence for a moment before she finally gave a huff. "Just... For now just..."

"Come on, we don't have all day." Heisenberg joked, smirking as she glared at him.

"... Shut up you daft idiot." She growled finally, reaching to yank him down by his necklaces.

The movement startled him, but he seemed to know exactly what to do as his lips met hers with a light chuckle. The kiss was... gentle, oddly enough, but she relaxed once more under him. Light shivers traveled up her spine as she felt his fingers travel along her skin. The shirt was fully unbuttoned once again and nudged to her sides, and she took a deep breath as she felt the air on her chest. She only whined as her legs were moved, making him pause. There was a soreness between them from his roughness beforehand, sending small waves of a low, pulsing pain through her body. He gave a questioning hum against her lips, and she spoke against his.

"Sore..." she admitted quietly, feeling his amused smile.

"Good." He replied simply, adjusting himself and his pants to rest between her thighs. Emelia let out a quiet whimper as she was rubbed against, her legs shaking against his hips and her arms reaching out to his onto and wrap around his shoulders.

The dull throbbing sensation continued as he pushed into her once more, earning a somewhat pained whine as her back arched. It hurt... But the feeling lessened to a light sting after a few seconds, and she took lighter breaths. She couldn't help but wonder as he stayed still, his words and question playing in her mind as he returned to his position of leaning on his forearms over her. What DID she want from this...? Did she truly wish for any sort of stability from this? Or just survival? Maybe this was the first and last time she'd experience this, or maybe it would be regular. Did she WANT it to be regular, though? She didn't know... All she knew was that his touch swung wildly between rough and gentle every time he touched her, even before this. He always switched between harsher interactions and kind ones, making her angry and thankful at the same time. And yet, when he touched her NOW... Even while over the table, it was almost careful, hesitant to push her too far even while leaving bruises in her skin. Somehow, while sharing this intimacy, he was a perfect mix of the two. And somehow, it calmed her and even gave a small hope in the back of her mind.

Her thoughts stopped, letting out a breathy moan into the kiss as he started moving, this time at a slow pace. This time she kept her arms around him, hugging him close enough for their bare chests to press against each other. Her breaths and moans came from a different sort of pleasure, almost willing to believe that sharing this with him would allow some sort of normalcy. Her nails dug into his shoulders as he set a careful, hard rhythm, one of his arms moving down to press his hand against her stomach.

A single second passed before Heisenberg sent a low pulse of electricity through her body and piercings, causing her back to arch as she pulled away from the kiss with a gasping whine. She felt as he lowered his head with a low groan, starting to kiss and nibble along her jaw. Her nails dug into his back as his movements increased somewhat, creating more scratches to match the ones he already had. Her voice came out in quiet whines and moans into his ear as she clung to him. Sure this was making the soreness worse, but she almost couldn't tell between the low pulses and thrusts coming from the man. Her body shook while simultaneously encouraging more. She WANTED more... She already admitted as much to herself. Another whine escaped her lips as he nibbled just below her ear.

"Fuck, Emmy...~" he nearly purred into her ear, lifting her hips slightly and switching to smaller quick thrusts.

"K-... K-Karl-! F-FUCK-" she managed, her voice breaking somewhat as she allowed her legs to loosen at his sides to bring him closer. She whimpered as he suddenly leaned up, her nails digging and sliding down to his biceps before gripping them as she felt a familiar tightness below her belly; he could feel it, too.

Emelia suddenly held her breath in a surprised, wavering gasp as he slid his hand up her body from the belly piercing, his fingers dragging along the large scar on her chest before lingering and pressing against the sides of her neck. Her whines and moans continued, even as his hand moved higher to her jaw. She then jumped as his thumb pushed past her parted lips, resting on her tongue. She attempted to look up at him, but found it difficult to even keep her eye open... Heisenberg gave a low chuckle at the sight, pushing on her jaw slightly. He didn't even have to say a word as her mouth nearly closed around his thumb. Her whines and whimpers grew louder and her grip on him tightened, and she could only gasp as he pulled his thumb from her mouth and replaced it with his own.

The kiss was returned instantaneously, followed by her wavering, now muffled cry as she finally came once more. He grunted into the kiss as she tightened around him, her legs wrapping around his waist once more while her back arched. She wrapped her arms fully around his shoulders with overstimulated whines as his pace quickened before he finally let out his own wavering moan against her lips. She joined him with her own moan as he shoved his hips against hers, feeling the warmth enter her as he rode out his own orgasm with shaking muscles. God, it felt... It felt good... The warmth and twitching from him kept her whines going as they panted, her body shaking under him.

Both were silent for several moments, the kiss lessening to gentle movements before breaking.

"D-... D-Damn..." Emelia nearly squeaked, her head rolling to the side as her jaw was nuzzled.

"Hm. Are you alright?" Heisenberg asked, earning a small nod.

"... gonna be sore..." she replied quietly, relaxing somewhat as he kept his face against hers. He chuckled.

"You wanted it."

"Shush..." she huffed. Her breathing eased, feeling his smile against her skin. This was... Nice, she had to admit... An uncomfortable whine left her lips as he began to push himself up and away, only pausing as her legs twitched around him to keep him there. "N-No... stay..." she whined, watching as he raised a brow. "... P-Please..."

"I've never heard you say 'please' this much." He joked, earning a light glare. But he simply returned to his place over her with an amused chuckle, nearly laying on her.

She was relaxed despite nearly his entire weight on her torso, though she had no issues. He was really warm... She could almost purr with the warmth both on top of and inside her, the feeling relaxing her to the point of her limbs going lax around him. She felt him chuckle against her skin, taking a breath as his lips found her bruised neck. But her mind wandered elsewhere, and she found herself pressing her cheek to his.

"Can we... Not talk about this...?" She asked quietly, earning a confused hum as he glanced at her.

"Oh? What do you mean?"

"J-Just... Um..." she tried, turning her head to look at him. "M-Maybe this could be... just... stress relief...?"

She jumped as Heisenberg shifted, his face now hovering over hers with their noses together.

"Just stress relief?" He asked, amusement dancing in his eyes as her face reddened. "Is that what you want?"

She simply nodded, her fingers traveling over small scars that covered his upper back and shoulders. 'For now...' she thought. Wait, 'for now'...?? Did she really mean that...? She was pulled out of her thoughts as he pressed a quick kiss to her forehead.

"Then so be it." Heisenberg said simply, meeting her gaze. She stared up at him before nodding and taking a breath. But he moved before she had a chance to even think, wrapping his arm around her waist. "Hold on."

"What-" she tried, only to cling to him with a surprised yelp as he pushed against the mattress to lean up with her against his chest. She let out a light whine as she was shifted on him, small sparks shooting up her spine as she was settled against his hips while he sat and leaned back against the wall. He couldn't help but smirk as she let out a whimper, her legs twitching. "Better?"

"I..." she tried, though couldn't manage words as she felt him shift against her to make himself comfortable. So she simply nodded before leaning against his chest.

It was his turn to freeze as she nuzzled to his neck, giving a pleased sigh as his arms hesitantly went around her waist. She relaxed against him, enjoying the warmth he gave and the feeling of his arms around her.

"... You're warm..." she said quietly, earning a surprised chuckle.

"I would almost hope so." He replied, reaching up and under the shirt she still wore to drag his fingers along small scars on her back. He smiled as she relaxed. "I'm going to assume you're not moving any time soon?"

He nearly laughed as she nodded against his shoulder.

"Fair assumption..." she mumbled, closing her eye.

While she wasn't necessarily tired, there was a sliver of exhaustion in her chest. She had to admit, there was still pain from the bite marks that now covered her neck and shoulders, and the soreness of her legs came as a dull throbbing. But she oddly didn't mind... She held her breath as she realized her enjoyment of this. The touches, the intimacy... Even the dull pains she felt. Maybe she didn't even mind HIM...

No, no... She DID mind him. Did she...? She still found him infuriating... But the way he held her now was... Well, it made her question quite a bit.

She finally sighed, relaxing fully against him. She focused on his touches against her back instead of the thoughts in her mind, willfully ignoring them for once. She'd enjoy what she had for now... Her attention went to the sounds of his heart and distant machinery, letting them lull her into a light sleep. She didn't NEED she sleep at the moment, but to her, it was almost perfect.

She only hoped it would stay that way.

[bokutosworld]

the ending scene | kuroo t.

pairing: kuroo tetsurou x f!reader word count, genre: 2.3k words, angst. kenma makes a cameo and offers support as the good friend that he is.  summary: in which kuroo realizes that his relationship is edging closer to its end, and it’s up to him to cut the ties. 

“Did you really love me?” His question takes you by surprise, your words getting stuck in your throat. “I want to know,” his voice breaks. “In the years that we were together, did you ever truly love me?” 

How do you look at the person you love and tell yourself that it is time to walk away? 

It’s a thought that has been sitting in Kuroo’s mind for a while now. And as he’s standing outside the library, the glass windows giving him unobstructed view of you, it seems to him that he’s much closer to the answer more than he thought. 

You weren’t alone. He recognizes the person you were with and his heart clenches at the sight. 

Yanagi was their name, and he remembers meeting him during a college party. His mind plays back that moment when you happily introduced them to each other. They were the two most important men in your life as you declared. It had only been a few weeks since you two started dating, but he was genuinely touched that you’d already considered him a special person in your life. 

But looking at the two of you from his current spot, he wonders if he still holds that position. Right now, anyone could easily mistake you and Yanagi for a couple. For a study session, the two of you seemed too close for comfort, and any other day, he wouldn’t think anything of it. He knows that Yanagi has been your best friend for years. The pair of you go way back, even before Kuroo had entered your lives. 

And he respects that. It wasn’t in Kuroo’s personality to ever be possessive to the point that he’d stop you from being friends with others. In fact, he’s the one who’s always pushing you to be more social and hang out with your friends. Just because he was dating you doesn’t mean he wants to monopolize you. 

But he has his moments when he wonders if he has ever made you smile the way you were smiling in Yanagi’s presence right now. He ponders if you’d ever laughed so hard with him, tears of joy spilling from the corners of your eyes, the way Yanagi was making you right now. You seem so free, so comfortable with Yanagi, and he couldn’t help but wish that it was him instead who was by your side. 

Kuroo has half a mind to turn around and leave you be, knowing that Yanagi would bring you home safely anyway. But your eyes catch his, and suddenly he feels frozen in his spot. 

You wave, the smile that he’s fallen in love with paints your face as you call him over. His resolve to go home and talk to Kenma about his worries dissipates the instant you beckon for him. 

“I was wondering when you’d arrive,” you stand and kiss him on the cheek the moment he reaches your table. “I’m getting hungry. It’s about time we go for dinner, don’t you think?” 

He reaches to carry your laptop, helping you fix your things. “Is Yanagi joining us?” He watches you, anxious as he waits for your answer. You take a second to think it over, but he doesn’t miss how your face lightens up at his suggestion. He watches you excitedly turn to your friend, inviting him to go. And it was when Yanagi agrees that Kuroo realizes his mistake. 

—

“Why are you here, Kuroo?” Kenma drops his bag at the side of his bed where the boy currently in question was lounging. “I know I gave you access to my flat, but that doesn’t mean you can just barge in here without a warning.” 

Kuroo grumbles, tossing and turning in his friend’s bed before he sits up with a scowl on his face. He exhales loudly, his hands flying to his hair to ruffle them in his confusion. “I don’t know what to do.” 

“What do you mean?” Kenma drags his gaming chair and takes a seat across Kuroo. He already has a hunch about his friend’s problem, but he didn’t want to assume and get ahead of himself. In times like these, he’d known that it was better for Kuroo to open up and talk about it by himself.

Kuroo opens his mouth and closes them again. He hesitates. As if the moment he starts talking about it would mean that he’s already admitted his defeat, already accepted the dreadful fate that awaits his relationship. 

“Is it her?” 

“Yeah.” 

“What is it this time?” Kenma wasn’t a stranger to his friend’s overthinking, the way he would come up with a hundred different scenarios that was not helping with the waging war in his mind. 

“I’m not sure if I’m still the right person for her,” he confesses. “Yesterday, I went to pick her up at the library and I wasn’t expecting anything, but it still didn’t feel right to see her with him. You know Yanagi.” 

Kenma nods, the name ringing a bell in his mind as it had already come up in previous conversations with him. His friend continues, “I know that she’s been nothing but good to me. She’s the best partner that I could ever ask for. I’m happy. We are happy, but yesterday, I saw it in her eyes. 

The way she looked at him. I don’t think she’s ever looked at me like that. Not a moment when she smiled or laughed with me the way she did with him.”  

He’s never seen Kuroo conflicted like this. Sure, this wasn’t the first time that his former captain came to him for relationship advice. But this was the first that Kuroo’s seemed so desperate, so dejected that the only thing that he was considering was letting go. 

“They… have a lot of history together, huh?” 

Kuroo chuckles dryly at the remark. “Yeah, and I don’t think I can ever compete with that.”

“But you were together for three years. Wouldn’t it be a complete waste just to give up and throw it all away because, I’m sorry for the word, you were insecure?” 

Kenma was right. It’s not that he didn’t trust you; he was insecure, and his doubts were eating him up from the inside. It doesn’t help that there were people around you and him that kept talking about Yanagi, complimenting their easy and comfortable friendship – how they seem like the bestest of friends, like they were soulmates.  

“I don’t think I can ever compete with what they have.” Kuroo plops back down on the bed, his voice muffled when he says, “Our three years seem nothing compared to the decades that they have spent together.” 

“So,” Kenma sits up and grabs a bottle of beer, one for him and one for Kuroo. “What are you going to do?”   

He sees the drink in Kenma’s hand and grabs it. Sitting up, he pops open the cold beverage and takes a sip before asking, “How do you look at the one you love and tell yourself that it is time to walk away? 

Sympathizing with his friend, Kenma thinks over his reply, “You don’t want to carry this burden forever. You should already know what to do before it all becomes too much, and you can’t recover.” 

—

After meeting with Kenma, Kuroo spent the rest of his evening productive, doing his homework and writing papers to keep his mind from steering to thoughts of you.   

The answer was already staring him in the face. But it was still so hard for him to come to terms with it. You were the best thing to happen to him, and he vividly remembers the time when he was so mesmerized when he saw you. People say it doesn’t happen in real life, but Kuroo swears he fell in love at first sight. 

He reminisces on your many firsts together. The second-hand embarrassment lingering when he remembers the sleepless nights he spent practicing how he would say those three words to you. But you were a force to be reckoned with. 

The words I love you catching him by surprise when they slip out of your mouth one afternoon while you were cuddling in his apartment. He wishes he could turn back time, prays that he could experience it all over again so he could press capture and keep it in his memory.  

But he couldn’t, and the reality pains him more than he ever thought it could. 

Kuroo spent the whole weekend holed up in his room. Not bothering to check his phone for messages and calls, missing how you left so many texts and voicemails on the device. The sudden silent treatment was worrying you, but you gave up, deciding that you’d talk to him at campus.   

However, once the new school week started, Kuroo was nowhere to be seen. He was still not answering any messages, and the rare times that you’d catch him, he’d have an excuse that he had somewhere urgent to go to. But a person could only be busy for so many times. 

Besides, you knew his schedule like the back of your hand. And it was becoming clear to you that he was ignoring you. But for why? You sadly didn’t know. 

—

Kuroo felt bad. He was already experiencing the effects of withdrawal from distancing himself from you. He’s been so used to you being part of his every day that it was making him feel empty without you.

But this was what he had to do, and ignoring you was his way of slowly preparing himself, and you, for the inevitable. 

And the inevitable happens right after your last class on a Friday. A whole week passed by in a blink of an eye, and you were getting hopeless over no interaction with Kuroo. Yanagi had suggested for you to check up on him at his apartment, but you knew that maybe Kuroo needed the time alone. 

So when you found him waiting for you outside the classroom, you ran and tackled him with a hug. “You dummy, I missed you. How could you be so cold to me this past week?” 

He laughs, but it didn’t sound like him. “I’m sorry, I got busy with my majors.” He takes your pile of folders and carries it. “Shall we head to our usual place for some snacks?” 

You agree, but there was a nagging voice in your head telling you to prepare for things to be never be the same again.  

The after-school date was decent. You and Kuroo caught up with your activities, exchanging stories that you’d been wanting to tell him for the past week. You notice him nodding to your words, but you avoid commenting on his disinterest and the way he seemed so occupied. 

It was when the pair of you were walking home that you finally brought it up. “Okay, something is clearly bothering you. What’s wrong?” 

His head remains downcast, the hold on your hand tightening, “We need to talk.”

He makes a stop to the playground near your home. He lets go of your hand, walking to the bench and takes a seat. You reluctantly follow suit. Without any minute to spare, Kuroo takes a deep breath and lays it down. “We should break up.” 

You wondered if you heard him right, frantically searching his face for any indication that he was joking. That he was pulling a prank despite April Fool’s Day being months away from now. “What did you just say?” 

He’s avoiding your look, “We should end this.” 

“Is that why you’ve been ignoring me?” You lash out, getting to your feet and standing in front of him. “Don’t think that I haven’t noticed. You’ve been so indifferent, so absent, and even today, you weren’t the Kuroo that I am in love with.”

He snaps, finally looking at you. “Did you really love me?” His question takes you by surprise, your words getting stuck in your throat. “I want to know,” his voice breaks. “In the years that we were together, did you ever truly love me?” 

“Where is this coming from?” You were shaking. “What ar-”

But he was relentless, “What do you think of Yanagi?” That question seemed to hit the nail on the head as you stood still, dumbfounded, shoulders sagging because for once, you didn’t know how to answer. 

“You love them, don’t you?” He smiles sadly. “And not just as a friend.” 

It’s like a cold wave washes over you, and the tension was getting too much. You take a seat beside him and Kuroo pats your head in understanding. “I see it. How you’re falling in love with him right in front of my eyes, and how he is being the same.” He drops his hand. “But I can’t blame you. I know he’s been there for you longer than I have, and there’s clearly chemistry between you two.”

You didn’t know when you started crying, but your face was becoming wet with tears every second that passes by. “I didn’t… I wasn’t lying all those times that I told you I loved you.” 

“I know.” You just love him more, he figures. 

“I’m sorry.” The instant you said those words, Kuroo feels his heart split in two. He never wanted to make you cry like this, let alone make you say those words. But this was it, the ending of his love.  

“I should be saying that.” He knows you were hurting too, but he also knows that by doing this, you could finally have the chance to be truly happy even if it weren’t by his side anymore. 

“I’m sorry for taking you from them. For robbing you of precious time you could’ve spent with them.” He kneels down, taking your face in his hands and wiping the tears. “But thank you for letting me experience what it’s like to be loved by you for the past three years.” 

One last kiss on your forehead. 

“I’ll always be rooting for your happiness.”

And with one last searing kiss on the lips as goodbye, Kuroo makes his exit from your life and draws the curtain down on his chapter with you.    

[biscuit-buddy]

kuzumochi. (18+)

Endeavor x Reader (Smut, Birthday Fic, 3.1k)

A/N: holy shit guys this got so much longer than expected i’m sorry if it drags at all i just had so much i wanted to get out! Also its 11:22pm so its technically still his birthday. ha. 

What do you get for the man who could already have whatever he wanted at the snap of his fingers? Being the number one pro hero meant that Enji already received truckloads of expensive things, tickets to exclusive events, and the newest technologies simply because of his status. You knew this because everything he received went through you after being thoroughly checked at security. Eight months as his personal secretary offered you a glimpse into his extravagant world and honestly left you with a small bite of bitter jealousy. Some of the things that passed over your desk could pay the rent in your measly apartment for the next year, and you were sure he never gave most of it more than a second glance. 

Your pen tapped lightly against your bottom lip as you stared at the pad of sticky notes on your desk, nothing more than illegible lines, dots, and scribbles covered the top one. With a sigh of frustration, you detach it from the stack, crumple it and toss it in the trash. Today was the first day of August, and the mental countdown to your boss’ birthday plagued your thoughts. While your job was comfortable as is, the cold treatment from the man you worked for grated on your every nerve. You’d think after nearly a year in his employment he’d begin to warm up to you, maybe even bother to remember your name. This was your chance to finally stand out to him if only you could think of something that the hero could possibly want for his birthday. 

As much as he’d probably like a break or a vacation, you were in no position to provide that for him. He obviously didn’t want for anything material either. Does he even have a sweet tooth? You wondered silently as the tapping of your pen resumed against your face. I can’t even imagine a guy like him eating a cupcake. You know what? Actually I can and it’s hilarious. I bet his mustache would burn the frosting and-

“Ahem” Well, speak - or think- of the devil and he shall appear. Endeavor himself stood at your desk with an impatient look on his stern face. The goofy smile you’d been developing at the thought of the massive man eating sweets was quickly wiped off and your back straightened at an uncomfortable pace. 

“Daydreaming on the job?” he asked, but you got the feeling he didn’t really want an answer, so you just bow your head in apology. In an embarrassed mumble, you replied, “Sorry sir, won’t happen again” and he gave a huff in response, not unlike that of a great dragon. You held back another smile at the fleeting thought of smoke puffing out of his nose in discontent, as he handed you a manila envelope stuffed to the brim with some kind of paperwork. 

“I need this hand-delivered to the Hawks Hero Office immediately. This is sensitive information I’m trusting you with.” You gingerly accepted the packet, but couldn’t avoid the brief touch of his massive hand sliding past yours. You noted briefly just how warm they were, though you shouldn’t really be surprised. Courier work isn’t exactly in your job description but lately, you’ve been desperate to suck up anyways, plus some fresh air couldn’t hurt. You stood and gave one more quick bow, “of course sir, I’d be happy to deliver it” He seemed content with your answer and turned to walk through the frosted glass double doors that led into his office without so much as another word. 

Honestly, that had gone better than most of your interactions in the past. Pleased with the slight development in your relationship you gatherers your purse and the envelope and headed for the elevator. Floors passed monotonously as you continued to float gift ideas around in your head, this was looking to be harder than you initially thought. 

Once the lift reached the lobby you made your exit, pushing past a crowd of workers who seemed to just be returning from lunch. They laughed boisterously and made no notice of you squeezing around them. Finally, you made it to the front door of the Endeavor Agency and swiped your employee ID  badge on the terminal next to the front door alerting the system that you had left the building. Fresh warm air tickled your skin as you made your way onto the sidewalk and began the trek to Hawks’ Agency. It wasn’t particularly far, only a few blocks away and the route was dotted with storefronts boasting all kinds of wares from cake to clothes to flowers.

In theory, one of the displays you passed should have given you an idea but once more you found yourself coming up blank as you approached your destination. The young man at the front desk smiled politely when you entered  “Hi there, do you have an appointment?” his eyes flickered between you and the computer screen in front of him. 

“Actually I’m here on delivery for Endeavor” you waved the yellow folder a bit to accentuate your statement “something about sensitive information?” This really wasn’t part of the job you signed up for. Face to face interactions with strangers is so damn awkward. Luckily the receptionist probably dealt with people like you all day and didn’t bat an eye before saying

“Of course, his office is on floor 22 but if he’s not in there, try the roof. I’ll let security know you’re heading up” and he began tapping at the keyboard with one hand while making a ‘go on’ gesture toward the elevator with the other. You thought about boarding but instead made your way to the staircase. I already walked this far, might as well make it a cardio day, and give myself a good excuse to order takeout for dinner. You were truly a genius, maybe it was time to apply at NASA instead of working your ass off for Mr. Hothead. 

Twenty-two floors was a bit more of a workout than you thought it would be, and when you finally arrived at the top you were mildly sweaty cheeks ruddy and more out of breath than you’d like to admit so you take a moment to calm down before opening the doors and walking past the security guard. He gave you a sideways glance but kept his mouth shut as you knocked twice on the office doors. 

The lack of a verbal response clued you into the fact that he was likely on the roof just as the receptionist had said, so you hung a left and let yourself sprint up one more flight of stairs. Once you made it through the door marked ‘rooftop’ you spotted the winged hero perched near the railing. You announced yourself so as not to startle him,

“Excuse me, Mr. Hawks? I’m here on behalf of Endeavor, he asked me to deliver this to you as soon as possible”

He wheeled around at the sound of your voice, and his eyes lit up with amusement at your disheveled appearance. “Hey, thanks! I was kind of expecting the big man himself but you’re certainly a nice surprise” he winked and took the folder from your hands “Nobody told me Endeavor hired such a cutie to be his secretary, ya think I have any chance of poaching you from him?” Despite your earlier thoughts about NASA, you had no intention of leaving your current position so you just laughed. 

“I’m flattered but unfortunately I’ve got some oddly placed sense of loyalty for him” 

“Oh I get it” he cocked an eyebrow “I would too if I was you, the guy’s a size queen’s dream after all. Gotta love the whole naughty secretary dynamic too”

You sputtered at his bluntness “Oh god no nothing like that I-”

“Aw, I’m just teasing kid, how couldn’t I when you come up here looking like that” He gestured to your flustered appearance and you immediately regretting taking the stairs moments ago “Besides, I’d be surprised if you got him to warm up to you enough to remember your name let alone bend you over his desk” He was spot on, you had to sigh at that. 

“You’re right there, I’m pretty sure he wouldn’t even notice if there was an entirely different person sitting at my desk tomorrow” 

“Heh, yeah, sounds like him. But you know, his birthday is coming up maybe a gift will put you in his good graces” another effortless wink was shot your way and despite him being the one with wings, the attention really ruffled your feathers. It’s like he had a secret mind-reading quirk or something. 

“I thought of that, but I have no clue what a guy like him would even want. It’s not like shopping for your mom, where you can just give her a picture frame that says ‘Live Laugh Love’ and she cherishes it forever ya know?” Hawks snorts in amusement at your comparison. You’re right and you’ll defend that if he asks, but he doesn’t. 

“In that case, I’d be willing to let you in on a little secret, some little known Endeavor lore, a true exclusive if you ask me”

“I’m not a tabloid Hawks, just tell me already” this guy messes around a lot for being the number two hero, its an incredibly stark contrast from his only superior.

“Okay, okay, you gotta lean in though, he’d kill me if I leaked something so personal” you lean in closer as instructed and he whispers into your ear, “his favorite food... is kuzumochi” You pull back in visible disappointment. 

“That’s it?”

“Yeah, he goes crazy for the stuff. Honest to god I’ve seen him inhale an entire batch in like five minutes. You want him to notice you? Then this is the best possible way, trust me.” and for some crazy reason you do. This could actually work, if it’s really as much of a secret as the blonde claims, you’d certainly stand out among the other gifts he’s sure to get. 

You thank Hawks and turn to leave with a newfound confidence in this new plan, but not before he makes you promise to tell him how it goes after the big day. As you exit the winged hero’s agency building the work phone you were assigned chimes with a new email letting you know that you can go straight home after the drop-off, and your grin widens. Even better, now you have time to stop at the grocery store on the way home, the decision already made to go big or go home. You were bound and determined to make the kuzumochi from scratch, and it was gonna be the best damn thing your boss had ever tasted. 

*******************************

The rest of the week dragged on in a painfully average way, the only thing keeping your mood afloat was the surprise dish you had been working on every night. You’d gone through multiple test batches, determined to get the flavor and consistency just right. The work paid off on the night of the 7th, just in time when you completed your best batch yet. With a content sigh, you washed your hands and packaged up the kuzumochi like a damn professional. Finally, you were able to take a long hot shower and climb into bed early with the anticipation of tomorrow bubbling in your chest.

Morning came quickly and your daily routine was done with care, then you grabbed the gift and began the short commute to work. Brain on autopilot, it seemed like no time at all until you were seated at your desk and logging in to the company’s computer system. The pristinely packaged gift was nestled into the corner of your desk, waiting for the perfect moment. 

This moment came just before lunch when a mildly scuffed up Endeavor breezed past you in a huff and headed straight into his office. This is it you thought Sure, he’s a little pissy at the moment but this’ll cheer him right up. And with that, you knocked once on the office door and peeked in. The sight of him slumped in the leather office chair in front of the massive floor to ceiling window, eyebrow cocked at your intrusion made your heart jump just a little. How can one man be so damn intimidating? You cleared your throat and began to speak with entirely false confidence.

“Sorry for barging in sir, I just wanted to give you a birthday gift. It’s not much, but I hope you’ll accept it” the whole situation reminded you of confessing to your crush with a box of chocolates in middle school, and it’s funny how some things never truly change. You presented the box to him and to your surprise he actually reached out to take it. 

His scrutinizing glare never let up as he untied the silky ribbon and lifted the lid, but once he recognized the contents his expression shifted quickly to one of surprise. 

“Is this... kuzumochi?” His gaze fell on you and it had nearly physical weight.

“Yes sir, I have it on uhm, good authority that it’s one of your favorites” should you admit that Hawks told you this bit of information? 

“Why?” 

“I’m sorry? Its… well, it’s your birthday, right? I wanted to get you something that would stand out.” It felt silly to admit to his face. 

“And why would you need to stand out, Y/N?” You had to keep your jaw from hitting the floor when he so casually dropped your name, the name you were sure he hadn’t even known. He decided to let you mull over the question as he took a bite of your carefully crafted treat, you could hear a small satisfied hum in his throat and it gave you chills. He beckoned you closer, “it’s delicious, would you like a taste?” when you hesitated he added, “it would be awfully rude to refuse your boss on his birthday, especially after all the trouble you’ve gone to making these”

A heavy step carries you over to his desk, like lead weights attached to your ankles. As you approach he rises out of the chair, a new unreadable look replaced the one of irritation you had been so used to all these months. “Come closer,” he said when you stopped just short of the desk. He’d never spoken to you like this before, and it sent chills down your spine. A few more steps took you around the desk to where he stood, and you barely flinched when he placed a large palm on the side of your jaw, the other held a piece of kuzumochi near your mouth. His intent was clear, he was going to feed it to you by hand. “Open” he commanded softly and you couldn’t deny him if you wanted to, so you complied.

The sweetness melted over your tongue, you truly had outdone yourself here. And once the piece was securely in your mouth, a warm thumb brushed over your bottom lip where his eyes also happened to be resting, completely content in watching you chew and swallow. The intimacy of the situation wasn’t lost on you. You recalled something that Hawks had said about a ‘sexy secretary dynamic’ and once again he was right. When the taste had completely faded from your senses, you looked up to finally meet your boss’ eye. The intensity in them shook you to your very core.

“I’ll ask you again, why do you think you need to stand out?” at this, his hand dropped from your lip down to your waist “Were you hoping for some kind of special attention?” the depth of his voice made your thighs clench, knowing full well where this conversation was heading. He noticed the action and quirked his lips into the faintest smile, one full of mischievous intent. One large step forward for him pushed you back onto the sturdy wooden desk. “I can’t possibly disappoint my favorite little employee then, can I?”

You barely had time to brace your arms behind you before his hand moved over again to res on the top of your thigh, and the one that remained on your jaw guided you into a kiss. It began soft, Endeavor was no fool. He tested the waters, your willingness, before jumping right in. The second you started to kiss back it was full speed ahead. The man was experienced for sure, he knew exactly how to coax your mouth into a dance with his own. Once his tongue pushed into your mouth it was all over for you, you’ve become a slave to the feeling.

All too quickly he broke the kiss, and you had half a mind to whine at the loss of contact. When you opened your eyes you noticed he was leaned over towards the box of kuzumochi that started everything. Odd time for a snack but okay. And when he returned to face you he did have another piece in his mouth, as well as the red ribbon you used to tie it in his hands. Your mouths met once again, this time he pushed the food into yours with his tongue. While you’re distracted with the odd sensation of kissing and eating at the same time you hardly notice the way he pushed both your arms up above your head and deftly tied your wrists together with the ribbon. When he was sure they were secure he let them drop and find a home around the back of his neck.   

You swallow the kuzumochi just as he turns up the intensity, completely claiming your mouth with his own. This time, he pushes you even further back until you’re laid completely flat on the desk. His fingers rake up and down your sides while his hips press against yours. You can feel his growing excitement pushed up against you and the feeling has you nearly moaning. Nearly isn’t good enough got the number one though, and he starts trailing kisses down your jaw and further until he reaches the junction of your neck where he bites and sucks like his life depends on it. This finally brings forth the noise he was chasing, and when you go to cover your mouth from embarrassment is when you finally realize that your wrists are bound. 

Your boss’ attention is directed elsewhere though, as he reaches a hand under your skirt, past you panties, and begins to stroke your folds. You both realized how wet you’ve become at the same time, and now it’s his turn to moan. One large digit enters you as his mouth travels further south, now nipping at your collarbones and chest. Your wrists slip from around his neck and his free hand strokes upwards from your side to push your arms up over your head. Completely exposed to him he continues to ravish your skin and curl his finger in and out of your cunt. Quickly you come undone around his finger and he removes his mouth from you long enough to drag the digit along his own tongue. 

“You’re even sweeter than the kuzumochi, here” he pushes the finger into your mouth and you diligently suck the rest of your juices from it. “Good girl.” The praise itself makes you moan once again. When he’s satisfied with your work he begins to remove his pants and you finally get a glimpse of what you’re working with. You nearly get up and walk out right then, because the man is massive.

“Just relax, I’ll start slow” he reassures and stays true to his word. After a long moment of adjusting he’s fully sheathed inside you and you swear this is what heaven feels like. The moment he begins to move you know you were wrong. If that was heaven you must have finally ascended even further, to wherever gods go when they die. Endeavor fucks you hard and slow against his desk until your eyes are rolling back in your head and you can see every constellation on your eyelids. And when it’s over, you’re shaking like a leaf.

He pulls out, not giving a second glance to the fluids leaking out of you and onto the floor, and begins to untie your wrists. Both of them are red and raw from the friction of the ribbon, and he places a tender kiss on each of the marks. One more kiss on the bruised patch he left on your neck, then he’s hoisting you upwards in a sitting position. Still unsteady but slowly coming back down to earth, you feel a soft tissue wipe at the mess between your legs while a strong hand continues to keep you upright rests at your side. 

When you look up to meet his gaze, your confidence is no longer an act. “Happy birthday,” you say and for once he breaks out a genuine smile that makes him look ten years younger.

As he rests his forehead against yours he replies, “It’s not over yet” but before you can question his meaning the intercom system next to his computer rings and a voice announces “Mr. Hawks is on his way up, sir” and you choke. You did promise you’d tell him how things went. 

[lizardrosen]

National Theater Live King Lear

Hello, here is a ridiculously long review of this production! I just had a lot of feelings and thoughts!

Setting/Staging/Mood

I really loved the sound design for this one. It’s hard to describe, but the chords gave it a real presence and sense of motion. It was vaguely reminiscent of horror movie music in the way the chords lingered and didn’t blend in seamlessly, but I wouldn’t call it horror music exactly. The BELL tolling while Lear zips up his folder was such a good first image and bit of sound. And there were drinking songs, which I always love to see in a play. Put that Epic Theater technique straight in my mouth!

The circle in the middle that’s red in the first half and white in the second was a really creative detail, and the actors used that space effectively, especially with overlapping exits and entrances to make it feel that scenes happened in different locations while still being thematically connected.

The opulence and ceremony of the  first scene gradually gives way to the more sparse and modern staging of act five — formal military dress to fatigues

I love how Lear raises his hand in prayer and command, compelling everyone else to follow suit to show their devotion and allegiance (and is there a difference between their king and their gods in this world?) even when they’re unsure about whether he’s right to be so cruel to Cordelia.

The recurring imagery of money changing hands really fits in well with the theme of love as currency that’s already in the text!

The single tree in the background of act five gave me Waiting For Godot vibes, which works SO WELL with the absurdism and nihilism of Lear.

Thoughts about specific characters under the cut!

Edgar! My SON!!

Luke Thompson is the reason I’ve wanted so badly to watch this production; ever since I saw his standout performance as Laertes in the 2017 Almeida Theater production, and found out he’s also played Orestes and Edgar, I’ve just been rabid about it!

It’s neat to see him actually at the ceremony of the first scene, with Edmund already Literally in his shadow.

He’s a little less hapless and distracted than most of the Edgars I’ve seen, a little more watchful. In 1.2 he’s actually pushing back against Edmund’s insistence that he’s in danger, and then in 2.1 there’s a long moment of just Looking at Edmund’s knife before he flees.

Similarly, his decision to become Poor Tom felt a bit more calculated. It’s not that he isn’t scared and lost and desperate, because he definitely is, but the plan itself doesn’t seem to grow out of that feeling as much as he (sort of) calmly looked at his options.

Of course, he doesn’t stay calm; that agonized scream when he actually cuts himself, and later on when he sees his father blinded and screams “World, world, o world!” really feels like he’s letting something out, and more than usual he seems to have been holding this part of himself back for a long time.

The counterpart to that is the self that does the watching — it’s a part of all Edgars that makes him a really compelling character, with his self-aware asides, but it’s particularly pronounced here — there’s a moment where he says “Bless thy five wits!” in his normal voice, and then catches himself and has to reassert the role he’s playing for his own safety.

At times he’s very impatient and frustrated while leading Gloucester, but he also cares about him a lot and is so terrified that he’s actually died when he “fell” from the cliff, this poor boy’s entire body is trembling!

He instinctively moves to protect Gloucester from Lear when he gets more violent and unpredictable with “find these son-in-laws and KILL KILL KILL” and it was a good moment

Gives into his own viciousness in the fight with Oswald, and then, Hamlet-like, lugs the guts into the neighbor room.

Edgar doesn’t seem to know if he wants his dad to recognize him or not — he puts Gloucester’s hand on his face, but then as soon as he seems about to realize who he is he very quickly takes it away again and gets them moving

He’s even more desperate and reckless than Edmund in their duel, but then once Edmund is fatally injured, he’s right by his side, holding his hand, helping him through it!

He needs Lear to recognize Kent, he needs Lear to not be dying, he’s so sincere, but then he decides if he can’t save anyone here he can at least help Albany to help the country heal and pledges himself to the future.

Lear

Awful but also very pitiable, more like a human losing his grip and knowing it, than just a Vessel for themes that are echoed in other characters.

Lashes out at himself more than at other people, but he definitely still does both.

“But they shall be the terrors of the earth” is just a man who’s terrified to be losing his words.

He has bad knees and everyone knows it but he keeps trying to kneel, and sometimes it feels like he’s mocking his daughters — look how much I’m suffering for you even though you’re ungrateful — and sometimes it feels like he’s forgotten his own body’s limitations.

Spends a lot of time offering physical comfort to other characters, since he can’t be a dad for his real daughters.

His flower crown scene was Just ophelia, and I think that’s beautiful.

aaaaa, his helpless grief for Cordelia! He moves the noose from her neck to his!! and then he takes out a handgun and threatens everyone away from him, but he’s just so helpless and sad!

Edmund! my other son!

I was a little surprised to see that this actor is James Corrigan, because I recognized him as Roderigo in the RSC Othello, and he’s sort of the anti-Edmund, so I was excited to see the contrast, but honestly there wasn’t as much of a contrast as I expected. He had many of the same cringing appeasing mannerisms, but in a way that makes it clear that he’s aware of his unfair situation in a way his Roderigo really isn’t. Despite being a bastard he has a lot more social power and mobility than Roderigo so he doesn’t seem nearly as pathetic.

Other Edmunds are composed and precise in their soliloquies because this is the one place no one will see them planning things out, and this Edmund is babbling and overwhelmed because this is the one place no one will see him feeling things, because feeling things is dangerous.

He’s so! scared! of his dad! It’s painful to watch, and it’s almost as painful to watch how he’s still looking for approval and respect from Gloucester. Someone save this boy!

He gets in WAY over his head, and it feels like he’s scrambling at every turn, but then at some point he just levels up and strides with confidence, and it’s really good to see.

oh my god, oh my god, he saw everything that happened with Gloucester! After everyone else leaves he comes out from his hiding place looking just devastated. He hated his dad, but he never hated him that much, and by the time he couldn’t stomach it any longer there was no way for him to escape, and then he’s still processing it when he sees that the Fool was also there, and he has to kill him because no one can know he was there. I SCREAMED when this moment happened, it was so good!

WOW, he’s so smooth, it’s no wonder both the sisters want a piece of that! It’s more of a power play with Regan, and a little more courtly with Goneril, and he just knows what each of them want and need from him.

When Lear and Cordelia are captured, Lear says “As if we were God’s spies” and he’s still kingly enough that the soldiers drop to their knees and lift their hands in allegiance, and Edmund has to rush in to make one of them stand up while saying “Take them away” sort of impatiently, and then he immediately checks the order he’s written for their deaths, because he’s just seen how dangerous it is for these two to be kept alive. aaaaa, and then when the captain hesitates, he holds a gun to his temple on “Either say thou’lt do’t, or thrive by other means” !! I love that line and I love the sheer range of deliveries I’ve seen for it!

The wonder in his voice at “Yet Edmund was beloved.” is really good! He’s so desperate to do some good by the end, and I love! Edmund of Gloucester!

Kent

Having Kent played by a woman does some really neat things to the character, not least of which is crossdressing Caius! She sort of feels like she overperforms toxic masculinity to fit into the culture of Lear’s retinue. Other Kents seem to be allowing their latent desires and bluntness to emerge with this role, but this Kent isn’t suited to it, and sometimes she gets a little carried away or makes missteps like beating up Oswald, but she has to see it through, for Lear’s sake.

Kent also doesn’t feel Big In Love with Lear, but she’s definitely devoted to him — and even more than that, she’s devoted to the image of loyalty itself.

Her genuine affection for Cordelia, and pride to see how she’s doing as a queen, is really sweet and good!

After she’s been banished, she rushes out of the throne room as Burgundy and France enter, covering her face like she’s desperately trying to hold back her tears.

She’s with the French soldiers looking for Lear, and is the one who tells him “You shall have anything!”

At the end she’s not exactly surprised that Lear doesn’t connect her with Caius, and she’s not upset (about that part of it anyway, plenty of things in this scene are upsetting), but she’s definitely feeling something.

ahhhh, she picks up Lear’s handgun and sort of cradles it to her side when she prepares for her final journey! sweetheart!

Gloucester

he’s just! a terrible father!! simply the worst!

A lot of the time Gloucester isn’t a very good dad just because he’s friendly and careless and just not paying attention to how he’s treating his sons; this one is actively awful and I actively hate him!!

From the very first scene he’s so scornful and dismissive of Edmund and hitting him for no reason, and then turns around to show off photos of Edgar, and that doesn’t even really benefit Edgar either, because he’s held to an unfair standard he can never live up to.

It really shows in how both of them are touch starved but also extremely cautious about being touched. Someone save them!!

(In fact, in the serial killer Claudius AU, a certain Earl does get himself murdered when Edmund is sixteen)

Not a Bad Dad thing, but not really showing Gloucester in a good light: he does think Lear’s age and reverence should be respected, but his motivation seems to be a lot more based in his indignation that Regan and Cornwall have taken over his home and order him around. For this Gloucester it seemed to be less about feeling sorry for Lear, and more about reasserting his sovereignty.

But because this is Lear I don’t just hate him, and he’s not just a bad father, you also feel for him a lot after he’s been blinded and his legs are just trembling and he’s so scared and lost.

Even after he’s blinded he keeps turning to his photos of Edgar in his wallet, and it’s sad and regretful instead of showing off.

He had a really good cliff fall! He goes up to what he thinks is the edge, and then turns around and braces himself to fall backwards, and then Edgar has to rush to catch him, and lay him gently on the ground, and panic that maybe he’s actually died.

Lear Sisters

No one was prepared for Lear’s announcement and the way each of them responds informs so much of how they act through the rest of the play!

Goneril is startled and unsure and fumbling, and I really felt for her and her “hateful life”, and the way she’s stunned in the wake of Lear’s abuse, but then needs to pull herself together again when he returns. For so much of this play she feels small and adrift, but then she’s so happy for once whenever she’s with Edmund. Albany really does seem to care about her and he’s trying to be good for her, so he takes it when she yells at him, and then stays behind to pray for a bit. He’s a little less nice later on but to be fair she is cheating on him and not bothering to hide it very well.

Regan! With her fake tears and her constant flirtiness, and the way she’s always twirling and showing off! She is a hot mess, and she only gets hotter and messier as the play goes on, but she and Cornwall love each other a lot, and she wants to be suited to torture the way her husband is, but she gets into it by the end of that scene. And then!! her hand on Edmund’s throat! W o w

Cordelia is calm and sure and knows exactly what her sisters are, and in that first scene she comes so close to reaching her father and getting him to change his mind about disowning her. And that carries through to the rest of her performance — she’s competent and precise and loving, and France is smitten with her and listens to her and respects her. When she’s reunited with Lear she wants him to wake up, but also isn’t prepared for it to actually happen, and then she’s so surprised when they say she should be the one to address him first.

Cornwall

I first saw Daniel Rabin as Reynaldo in the Almeida Theater Hamlet (ask me about how Reynaldo and Laertes are half-dating whenever he follows Laertes to France, because I have Opinions), and his Cornwall is SO different

He’s not just manipulative, but violent and enjoying his violence, but he’s also sexy and possessive and commanding, and it’s no wonder Edmund falls for him as hard as he does!

TYING HIS SCARF around Edmund’s hand after he wounds himself for love and validation!? The soft tender look of surprise that Edmund gives him in response!? wow! wow, what a MOMENT!

And then he shoves Edmund into the room after he’s been shown Gloucester’s letter, he has to punish the messenger and assert his position. And after “Thou shalt find a dearer father in my love” Edmund HUGS him, and he’s startled at first but half-returns it (and probably thinking about how he can Use this) (and then cornwall/edmund/regan happens, shhh)

Like Daniel Rabin’s Reynaldo, his Cornwall is very Watchful, just stepping back to observe what’s going on, and then quietly making his judgment before he says anything — and when he does speak he absolutely has the other person’s number.

Good commanding headtilts!

Oh, the laugh right before he uses the hook from the slaughterhouse on Gloucester is just terrifying and compelling, and he’s so turned on by this. Good for him because then he gets to die, and he’s so disgusted and vicious when saying the first servant should be thrown onto the dunghill.

Miscellaneous Moments

Lear puts his jacket on Edgar, and Kent puts her jacket on Lear, and then he immediately takes it off and puts it around Edgar’s shoulders and ties the arms together, but while he’s trying to take off his shirt too, Edgar’s already getting on the ground and letting the jackets fall off of him. Just! Jackets and touch as a form of affection!!

When Gloucester comes out to find Lear, he and Edgar see each other, and there’s just a moment where they’re frozen, Edgar terrified that his father will recognize him, and Gloucester perhaps feeling there’s something familiar about this madman but having no idea what.

While Gloucester is telling Kent about how he had a son he loved who betrayed him, Lear and Edgar are in the background sharing a long hug that almost feels like a beautiful dance! It was such a striking moment, I loved it sooo much.

the HUG with Edmund and Cornwall!! Not over it, never over it.

when Cornwall tells Edmund to leave with Goneril, he gives Goneril his jacket and she’s just quietly surprised and pleased, and it’s cute, and I want her to be happy!!

[hairup-squareup]

Cupid’s Kiss| Chapter 1: A French Phenomenon

Title: Cupid’s Kiss

Summary: True love is something hard to find. That’s why at Cupid’s Kiss Matchmaking they strive to find you your soulmate and get you your happily ever after, no matter the cost is.

Word count: ~3.3k (this chapter)/~3.3k the whole book

Ships: HallDoll (Jaida Essence Hall/Nicky Doll), Gottlux (GottMik/Olivia Lux), CrystalAvalon (Symone/Gigi Goode/Crystal Methyd), Jankie (Jackie Cox/Jan sport), Rosenali (Rose/ Denali Foxx)

Tw: mentions of death, divorce and rehab

  “Welcome to New York City, The current time is 1:32 am, and the temperature is 19 degrees Celsius for my Europeans on the flight and 66 Fahrenheit for my Americans. Maybe one day you’ll smarten up and use Celsius like the rest of the world.” This sarcastic response from the pilot brought a chuckle and smile to Nicky’s face, as she packed up her sketchbook into her carry-on. With a sigh, she sat back waiting for the rest of the plane to disembark.

  “Is she ever going to get off the fucking plane!” Mik rested his head on the handrail, pouting like some little kid. He kept watching as person after person left the arrivals gate and reconnected with their people. WHY WAS NICKY TAKING FOREVER?!

  “Well so you don’t die of boredom Mik, She just arrived at security.” Brooke looked up from her phone at the young boy sitting in front of her on the ground. She let out a soft laugh before sitting down beside him, “ Raja and Liv are probably on their way back with coffees.” Brooke smiled as she spun the young boy’s hair in her fingers. 

  “Why did I have to come again? I am an adult.” Mik huffed as he looked the Canadian in the eyes. Brooke gave him a slight shove before standing up and going back to the bench she was on, Mik following a few steps behind.

  “Because last time Raja and I went to go pick up an associate, We came back to the office a wreck and you and Olivia half-naked.” Brooke didn’t look up from the email she was writing. Mik opened his mouth to go say something but closed it realizing that Brooke had a point. Though he did love his girlfriend a lot, the two just had miraculous bad timing. 

  And Speaking of said girlfriend coming around the corner emerged the perky auburn-haired girl Brooke had mentioned, along with Brooke’s tired silver-haired business partner. Raja smirked handing Brooke one of the two coffees in her hand. “Remind me not to let you bring people in from out of the country again.”

  “Didn’t you tell Manila that when she put my name on the table?”

  “Yes, But you weren’t over seven hours away. Plus I brought you on as a replacement when Manila left anyways.” Raja smirked looking at Brooke, who was still focused on her phone. “As well as the fact you are so much better at the finance stuff than me.”

  This caused Brooke to look up from her phone, kind of puzzled. “That’s because I am one of the few people you’ve hired that can actually do fucking math. If you didn’t have me you would probably be running around hooking people up for fucking free Raja.” She smacked the older woman’s chest as she let out a chuckle.

  “I’ve offered to hook you up multiple times.” Raja smiled as she took a sip of her coffee “I have a 100% success rate, and I can find you the perfect girl. I mean look at the two down here.” She motioned to the two making out in front of them. Brooke broke out laughing at the two younger adults in front of her hitting Mik on the back of the head. This didn’t stop the two from making out, it just caused Mik to flip off Brooke.

  “Madame Hytes?” a voice came from the entrance of arrivals causing all four to turn their heads to face the arrival’s gate. Standing there was a blonde thin girl with a bright red shoulder bag tossed over her shoulder. Brooke smiled as she went over to her friend and smiled as she wrapped her arms around the French girl in front of her.

  “Mlle Nicky Doll, je suis content que votre vol se soit bien passé. (Ms. Nicky doll, I am happy your flight was safe.)” Brooke smiled as she took her friend’s hand. The two exchanged a laugh before Nicky handed her suitcase to Brooke.

  “Brooke, dois-je parler la langue de merde (Brooke, do I need to speak the shit language)” Nicky stopped before turning to her friend, who was currently trying to stop herself from laughing too much. She just kept looking at all the people passing her as Brooke was leaning on the suitcase. “Brooke?”

  “Yes. Yes. Nicky, you’ll need to speak English. I am the only one who knows french.” Brooke barely got out before taking a few moments to regain her breath. She adjusted herself turning to Nicky giving her the nod that she was all good to go, linking hands with the French model. Nicky nodded kinda shy to meet the other three at the bench, but willing to follow her friend’s lead. Brooke leaned over right before they reached the trio at the bench and whispered “The younger ones have a lot of energy I’d like to warn you on that.”

  Nicky nodded in response as both Mik and Olivia rushed u like eager puppies to her, they both seemed speechless. “You look amazing!” Olivia’s eyes were like stars at the sight of Nicky, who just smiled and nodded, giving awkward glances back at Brooke.

  “Guys, This is my friend Nicky Doll from Paris. She’s going to be here to help you all out with the love scene.” Brooke smiled at the trio as she stepped aside to showcase her friend.

  “Bonjour. Thank you all for having me, I’ll be happy to work with you all.” Nicky smiled at the group. Raja stepped out from the group to stand in front of Nicky and taking a look at her new hire up and down.

  “Well, Ms. Doll. We are happy to have you join the cupid’s kiss matchmaking family” Raja smiled as she opened her arms to the French model in front of her. A genuine smile appeared on Nicky’s face as she hugged the older woman tight. For once she felt like she belonged.

=============================================================

  The next morning came like a bullet train. No one in the office was prepared to come into work. “Man people are getting desperate, how can we find matches for some of these?” Gigi entered the office looking at a folder in her hands before sitting down at her desk, sprawling the open folder across her keyboard. “I mean Symone, come take a look at this one.” She motioned for Symone to come and join her at her desk.

  Symone pulled her coffee mug out from under the machine and took her time heading to her childhood best friend’s desk. “Crystal Methyd, what kinda name is that?” Symone chuckled as she rested her chin on Gigi’s head. She flipped through the folder or at least tried to, stumbling on a photo of this said culprit. “No!” Her hand flew to cover her mouth at the sight before her.

  “SHE HAS A MULLET!” Gigi’s jaw was touching the floor at this sight of an androgynous being with a full El DeBarge still mullet giving a quirky smile. Gigi looked the photo up and down. “ I mean they are kinda cute.”

  Symone stopped for a second before looking at her friend, trying to comprehend what she just said, “Gi, you are not falling for the person with the mullet. Are you?”

  “No! I just said they were cute! It’s like the comment you made about Joey last month!”

  “Everyone thought that twink was cute! Well everyone except you, but that’s ‘cause you’re a femme who’s not attracted to other twinks.”

  With that comment, Gigi took the folder and whacked her friend in the stomach. Causing Symone to laugh as she walked away back to the staff room.

  Jaida looked at the other girl as she entered the staff room. “Gigi simping for a client?” She chuckled, handing Symone a sugar packet.  Symone gave a slight sigh before pouring said sugar packet into her coffee.

  “It was going to happen to the best of us. It always does” She smiled looking at the young girl at the desk through the giant glass window. Gigi was still going through the file and seeing if she could find anything on Crystal Methyd. This caused the two in the staff room to simultaneously take sips of their coffee, with soft smiles emerging. “Speaking of love, how are you and-”

  “Rock? Didn’t work out. She moved back to San Francisco for work and we both agreed a long-distance relationship wouldn’t be the best for our mental health.  We both agreed to stay friends though!” Jaida smiled at her friend who put a hand on her shoulder.

  “Shall I start adopting you a cat? So you can start your long life as a crazy cat lady?” this exact comment is what made Jaida leave the staff room and go start heading to work.

  Symone chugged the last of her coffee before sitting down at her desk and logging in on her computer. As much as she loved working at a matchmaking office, helping people get their happily ever after, it kinda made her see how lonely she truly is.  Maybe she should put her application in to find someone, that could easily be a solution.

  “Head in the clouds hun?” The sweet voice of Olivia Lux whistled through Symone’s ears breaking her trance. She turned to face her coworker, a smirk on her face as she was met with a naïve joyful smile. “Mik and I picked up donuts before work and I just wanted to offer you one.” Olivia stuck the pink box in her hand out to Symone. 

  Maybe a donut will help clear her head, She smiled as she grabbed a Boston crème out of the box. “Thanks, Liv, I don’t know how you can stay so happy all the time.” Symone chuckled as she took a bite of the donut, turning her focus back up to the girl in front of her.

  “Well I know it’s the fact we’ve got someone new joining the team today.” This exact comment is what caused Symone to almost choke on her donut, as well as catching the attention of the whole office. Everyone flocked to Symone’s desk like a bunch of seagulls around a piece of bread.

  “Someone new?” Jackie emerged from her executive office, approaching the small group that’s now crowded around Symone’s desk “Raja didn’t say anything about someone new.”

  “Well, Raja, Mik, Brooke, and I picked her up from the airport last night or this morning. Time is very confusing.”  Olivia looked around at everyone surrounding her. “Donut?” She lifted the box, offering it to those around her.

  Everyone started whispering about the new hire; it was rare to get a new hire at Cupid’s Kiss, so everyone was naturally curious. Olivia turned to Mik, who gave her an encouraging thumbs-up. “All I know is her name is Nicky and she’s from France.” 

  “She’s like a model, some friend of Brooke,” Mik spoke up to be the focus off of his girlfriend. 

  “Who’s a model? Cause I don’t remember paying you all to stand around to chat about some model” A voice came from the back of the group causing almost everyone to jump facing the owner of Cupid’s Kiss, Raja Gemini. “Come on guys, we’ve got happily ever after's to make.” She laughed as everyone dispersed from Symone’s desk to their desks or the staff room.

=============================================================

  “Nicky, we’ll be late.” Brooke reapplied her red lip as she watched the other girl stumble out of the other bathroom in her apartment. She sighed before adjusting Nicky’s cardigan. “I told you that you didn’t have to dress fancy.” 

  “Yes, you did. But I want to make a good impression.” She looked up at the Canadian before reaching over her grabbing the car keys from behind Brooke. Nicky quickly spun around as she left the apartment “come on, I’m driving.”

  “In hell, you aren’t!” Brooke chased after her friend. “You don’t even have your American driver’s license. I’m driving Salope.” She laughed as she motioned for her friend to drop her keys in her hands.

  Reluctantly Nicky hands the jeep’s keys back to Brooke. “I’m surprised you have yours, Chienne.” She huffed as the two entered the elevator.

  “I came here after we graduated from Visages. Worked with the New York City Ballet for three years, that’s where I met Sahara. Then we had an accident in the theatre, which crushed my ankle. And then Sahara’s ex-fiancé got me this job.” Brooke’s tone was kinda embarrassed and serious. She never really felt comfortable talking about ballet with anyone except Nicky, who noticed the posture shift. “ A lot of people died…. I got out lucky. I miss Sahara, I miss Kennedy, I miss all the girls.” 

  The rest of the elevator ride was dead silent. Nicky didn’t know how to respond, she just put a hand on Brooke’s shoulder. “But you’ve got me. And that’s not changing, I promise.” Brooke gave a soft smile to her friend, Nicky surprisingly knew what to say to make her feel better.

  She chuckled as Nicky squeezed her hand letting her know it was okay. “That comment isn’t going to get me to allow you to drive my car.” She laughed as they entered the parkade 

  “Va te faire foutre, connasse (Fuck you, bitch)” Nicky smiled as she flipped Brooke off, chasing her to the jeep.

  “You know you Europeans drive on the wrong side of the road!”

  “And? You Americans use the wrong temperature.”

  “I’m Canadian!”

  “You are living in America, so you are American.” Nicky laughed as she watched Brooke start to drive the jeep out of the parkade. She hadn’t felt this relaxed in years, her best friend made her feel like that. 

  The car ride was interesting, definitely not like Paris. Very much a slower and angrier drive, Brooke cursed the taxis around them at least ten times in the first five minutes they were on the road. When Nicky said the car ride was slower than Paris, she meant as slow as a snail in molasses in -40 degrees temperatures. 

  So when traffic came to the 4th stall in ten minutes, she thought it would be a good spot to ask Brooke something. And to possibly stop Brooke from ramming the taxi in front of them. “Brooke?”

  Trying to hide her obvious road rage, Brooke slapped a smile on before turning to her friend in the passenger seat. “Yes, my dear?” Her tone was though still sweet, was still filled with anger.

  “Do you think the others will like me?” This question almost made her laugh. Was Nicky serious? Of course, the others would like her, this group was the most accepting group Brooke knew. She knew for certain they’d like her.

  “Ms. Nicolette Doll,” Nicky cringed at the use of her full first name. Brooke knew only to use it when she was either mad at Nicky or teasing Nicky. “You are a gorgeous French model with a heart of fucking gold. you wish for everyone you meet to succeed, even if you have a fucking hard shell. Trust me, they’ll love you.” She smiled as she cupped Nicky’s face “I mean look at Liv and Mik, they adored you when they first saw you. Hell Raja even let me fly you in just so you could work with us. So if anyone has an issue with you, they can suck my ice-cold Canadian ass.”

  Nicky was almost brought to tears, with how protective her friend was. The words of confidence resonated with her, as a soft smile fell on her face. She was kind of a loss of words so she just squeezed Brooke’s hand, letting her know thank you. Brooke understood the sign and gave a soft squeeze back, “now I gotta make a call, looks like we’re going to be running late because SOMEONE DRIVES SLOWER THAN A MOOSE IN -40 DEGREES IN NUNAVUT!” And with that Brooke went back to cursing out traffic.

=============================================================

  “Look if we can get the mom in rehab before the trial next month it’ll look like she’s willing to fix herself without any court-mandated therapy.” Lagoona huffed as she tossed two files on her legal partners’ desks. Jan stopped spinning in her to get a look at the papers, she looked up at Lagoona slightly confused.

  “You think she’ll willingly do that?” Jan asked as she flipped through the file, she was meant with a shrug in return. Lagoona was about to open her mouth before she was cut off.

  “It’s the only way she’ll get any form of  fucking custody over the kids.” Rosé said as she entered the main office three coffees in hand, passing them out to the other two girls before sitting down at her desk. “Jan, you’re still in contact with Brita?” She asked with a tone as if she already knew the answer. The brunette nodded still slightly confused, looking between the blonde and redhead.

  “Good, give her a call. I’m sure she and Ms. Widow should be able to take the mom.” Lagoona nodded before starting to type a number in her desk phone as well, “I’ll call the mom. See if she can come down so we can explain the situation. Rosie-“ 

  “I’ll get the paperwork done as usual.” Rosé smiled as she cut her friend off giving a small salute to her friend across the room. The three shared a nod before splitting up to do their separate tasks. 

  Rosé knew the routine, get the paperwork ready for when the client agreed. She had it down to a science at this point, she could almost get it done in 2 minutes, depending on if the printer wanted to jam or not. She quickly logged into the computer and had the file selected ready to click print till her phone scared the shit out of her “Fuck!” She watched as the file started to duplicate and duplicate and duplicate. 

  Begrudgingly she grabbed the phone off the desk placing it on her shoulder and under one ear. So she could fight the computer while taking the phone call. “Bloo Sport and McCorkell family law. Hope to bring a voice to the voiceless, I’m Rosé how can I help you….Brooke, please tell me you didn’t total another taxi….Because it’s happened at least seven times now… don’t you have your boss’s phone number so you can call her yourself?… there’s something called voice mail… NO, I AM NOT GOING OVER TO YOUR SCAM AGENCY!… it is and you know it… throw in an actual picture of a fucking moose this time AND NOT one you found online, then I’ll do it… you owe me Hytes. Bye.” Rosé huffed as she hung up the phone turning to the other two, both very confused by the conversation. 

  “Rosie, everything okay?” Jan tilted her as she approached her friend. She grabbed the chocolates on her desk and placed them on Rosé’s desk before backing away cautiously, almost like she had just placed food in front of a dangerous animal.

  Rosé pulled her head out of her hands locking eyes with Jan, whose smile turned to fear. “Jan, you wanna go across the hall and let them know Brooke and Nicky got stuck in traffic?” Rosé watched as her friend nodded excitedly already writing down what Rosé had said getting ready to leave the office. “I’ll take that as a yes.”

  And within seconds Jan was out of the office. Lagoona placed an arm on Rosé’s monitor as they watched the door swing, “you know she just wants an excuse to see the cute girls.” She looked down at the now smirking Rosé.

  “Exactly that’s why I sent her.” She let out a soft laugh before turning back to the blonde beside her. “I’ll get you that paperwork in just a sec”

[flutteringphalanges]

                                   Caught in a Riptide

Summary: After the infamous Count Dracula is discovered and taken into custody by the Jonathan Harker Foundation, former nun and now guardian to her young niece, Zoe, Agatha Van Helsing is tasked with keeping tabs on the vampire after a mishap leads to his release into modern day society. Can Agatha remain levelheaded, or will fate turn her onto a new path?

Pairing: Dracula/Agatha Van Helsing

Rated: M

Read on FFN and AO3

A/N: I’m back!! Finally, after dealing with some health issues I managed to get a chapter out! I hope you enjoy! Feedback/Reblogs/Likes are greatly loved and appreciated! -Jen

                                              Chapter Seven

It's funny how just a few seconds can seem like an entire lifetime. At least, in Agatha's case, that's how she felt. Her eyes flickered between the two men, mind reeling as she tried to come to some set conclusion as to why both were present. Or if she should go into the defensive or offensive mode-not that she had much of a weapon on her besides her silly, cheap cross. It took Dracula calmly clearing his throat to snap her back into her senses.

"You look rather alarmed, Agatha." Dracula stated with a smile. "Like you've seen a ghost-or," his smile widened to a grin. "Are witnessing someone committing the act of murder."

She watched with bated breath as he moved to the table. From where she stood, Agatha could just make out a small, square object that rested on the surface. The vampire picked it up and examined it carefully before pulling out a few crisp dollar bills. A wallet. He looked from the still stunned woman to his other guest.

"Jimmy was just here dropping off my meal. Weren't you, Jimmy?" The vampire held out the money towards the young man. "I invited him in seeing as I didn't have the cash on me. I didn't want to be rude." Dracula let out a long exhale. "Keep the change. I know your profession doesn't pay you fairly. It is the least I can do," he paused. "All things considered." And once again that familiar flicker of mischievousness glimmered in his eyes. "If you'd leave now, I'd much appreciate it. I've kept Ms. Van Helsing waiting long enough."

The man-or "Jimmy" as he was so called, managed to stutter out a thank you. He gave Agatha a nod before pushing past her to escape out the door. Whether he knew of Dracula's true origin was unclear, but it was evident enough the vampire gave him some form of uneasy. Though it held no weight, the cross felt oddly heavy in her back pocket as the man motioned for her to step forward.

"I assure you I am very well aware of the terms and conditions involving my freedom." He commented, pulling out a chair for her to sit in. "And while I do have my urges, the idea of not being locked in a cage and used for experimental purposes quells those...desires."

Reluctantly, Agatha took a seat ignoring the Count's smile. She knew he was watching her, observing her every move externally and perhaps even internally. The woman knew she needed to keep her heartbeat steady, pulse regular. Any sign that could be regarded as fear would only play to his amusement. Keeping her guard down, especially now, was the utmost of importance.

"If you don't mind, I'm going to pour myself a drink." Dracula said, grabbing the paper bag and pulling out its contents. A wine bottle shaped flask filled with a dark liquid. Agatha knew what it was, but she didn't like to think about it. After filling his cup, he set it down.

"So," he continued. "Can I get you anything?"

"I'm fine." Agatha said currently, trying to keep her voice level. "I'm not thirsty."

"I thought you'd say that." The vampire exhaled, shaking his head. "But I thought I'd ask to be polite." He took a small sip, the contents lightly sloshing as he did. "I want to apologize about the night before. I acted like…"

"A monster?" The former nun said curtly with a frown. "A mad man?"

Dracule smirked, chuckling at her remarks. "I was going to say rash, but I suppose those would fall under the same category." He left her side once again to retrieve what appeared to be a file folder resting neatly on the table. "Anyway, I'd like to move past it. Put it behind us. Even beasts make mistakes."

"You could've killed me," Agatha replied, eyes following his every move. "Why didn't you?"

"You're right," the Count nodded. "I very well could've. Even with that ridiculously cheap excuse of a cross you have in your pocket." Her eyebrows raised in surprise as he continued. "But having you dead would've served no use to me. I'm a calculated man, Agatha. While your blood is very, very tempting, getting it from a slip up like that would be...undesirable." The Count smiled as he finally took a seat across from her. "And again, we have that contract to think about."

Before she could comment, the vampire slid the collection of papers over to her. Meeting his stare, Agatha hesitantly took the folder and opened it. Though she didn't exactly want to break eye contact, the woman glanced down at the sheets below. Photos. A birth certificate. License. An entire history made up of a made up person-sort of. His new background. A perfect gateway into modern society that was virtually untraceable to who he really was. Renfield had done well.

"Vlad Balaur," she mumbled.

"Dracula seemed to be a stretch unfortunately, so this was the second choice." The Count replied simply. "Do you like it?"

"26 May 1967." Agatha continued, ignoring his question. After a moment, she looked up. "You're lucky you can pull off looking 53 and not 530." Exhaling, Agatha pushed the pile back over to the man. "Your lawyer did well. I certainly hope you are paying him for all of this work."

Dracula merely chuckled as he took the thick folder. "I'm not an unreasonable man. I pay Frank accordingly. Based, of course, on the service he provides." He lifted his glass of blood, the rim stained with dark crimson from where he sipped. "I can have copies for you made, if you so desire. I know how important it is for your precious Foundation to know about my whereabouts." For a brief moment, his dark eyes flickered playfully. "For you to know."

The woman's stomach churned as the vampire took a large swig of his drink. Why did he have to feed in front of her? Probably because he knew it made her squirm. When he set the cup down, he smiled widely, teeth seeming sharper than a moment before. She prayed it was merely a trick of her imagination.

"What are your plans now that you are free to roam around England on your own accord?" Agatha inquired, straightening in her chair. "Surely you must have something in mind?"

"Believe it or not, after being asleep for over a hundred years, there is quite a lot to take in." Dracula nudged his now empty glass aside. "So many advances in technology. Science. History. I've done quite a lot of reading myself, but the modern world is very enriched. However," he held up his index finger. "It's quite hard when you're only limited to the night hours. My body doesn't exactly fair well in the sun. Call it an extreme allergy if you will."

"As I am very well aware," Agatha huffed. "But that doesn't exactly answer my question. What are your plans, Count Dracula?"

"I think you mean our plans," the vampire smirked. The look on the woman's face said it all and his smile only widened. "You honestly didn't think our interactions would just be the two of us discussing our adventures over tea did you?" His fingers laced together, tips ending in sharp, talon line nails. "You, Agatha Van Helsing, are going to be my escort. And what an honor, I might add, that is."

Agatha's jaw dropped. "Your...your what?!"

"Escort, tour guide, chaperone...whatever you wish to call it." He dismissively waved his hand. "In other words, you and I will be spending a lot of nights together under the starry skies of England. Or cloudy? I have reason to believe it rains a lot, or am I mistaken?"

"The only thing you're mistaken of is the preposterous idea of me ever agreeing to this!" The woman snapped. "My understanding was that we would meet face to face occasionally at your flat! Not that I'd spend quality time with you out and about!"

"Well if that's the case, it would seem that our two overseers have decided our fates without consulting us." Dracula smirked as he met Agatha's cold stare. "Both Mr. Renfield and Dr. Bloxham have come to the conclusion that this seems like a fair and fit decision and who am I to argue?"

She'd committed. Told Bloxham she'd do whatever the scientist wanted. But this...this wasn't what she had in mind. Agatha silently cursed at herself, mentally berated her brain for being so stupid. Of course these interactions wouldn't be just mere meetings. No...no the Harker Foundation wanted more than that. Immersing herself was one thing. This was the equivalent of being tied to a stone and thrown into a river like a woman during a witch trial. Count Dracula was to be a part of her life no matter how hard she kicked and screamed to swim back to the surface.

""I will completely and utterly immerse myself into Count Dracula's life…"

Agatha's own words replayed in her mind like a broken record as she sat there grinding her teeth. She could feel the vampire watching her expectantly, waiting to hear what she had to say. He seemed cool. Collected. Of all people, shouldn't he be against the idea of being watched like a hawk? But there he sat seemingly without a care in the world. Secretly, she was sure, reveling in her misfortune.

"I'd say you're rather exhausted, Agatha." Dracula exclaimed, breaking the silence. "Perhaps you should go home and rest. I'd offer up my flat, but I think that little Zoe would worry."

"Don't say her name," the woman muttered. "You don't get to say her name."

The vampire gave a half smile. "Get some rest, Ms. Van Helsing. I have quite the itinerary planned for tomorrow." His movements almost gave off the impression of gliding as he corked the bottle of blood he'd been consuming and strode over to the refrigerator. "Shall I walk you to your car or-"

But Agatha had already snatched up her keys and stormed towards the door before he could finish. Dracula snorted softly, shaking his head. She was certainly turning out to be much more interesting than he had initially suspected. Perhaps whatever the Foundation had planned for him would be more in his favor than they'd ever begin to realize. Games were always more enticing when both sides were competitive. And Agatha Van Helsing was the perfect prize.

                                                           XXX

Agatha didn't even acknowledge the box of biscuits that fell onto the floor as Jack jumped in surprise as she swung the front door wide open. Flinging her semi closed purse onto the counter, she stormed over to the couch and collapsed. She was tired, but not exhausted enough to feel furious.

"How did it go?" There was hesitation in Jack's voice as he asked. A sense of fear that one gets when staring at a poisonous viper head on. "Did he have anything important to say?"

"Did Zoe behave for you?" Agatha replied in a monotone, eyes fixed on the television screen. Some adult cartoon was on that she vaguely recognized but didn't care enough to remember the name. "I hope she didn't give you a hard time."

"She caused absolutely no issues," the doctor assured her. "It was like she wasn't even there. Well," he paused. "I did read her two bedtime stories-her request, but other than that, she went to bed without a fuss. She did want to hang out though so maybe the three of us could go out to do something together sometime to distract your mind from…"

"They have me babysitting him!" The woman declared sharply, finally turning to face her friend. "He's talking like we're going on some date tomorrow. Bloxham has me taking him around wherever he wants to go as it is a part of this bloody contract I didn't read the fine print of!" Agatha groaned, massaging her temples. "When I started...I didn't think…Honestly, I don't know what I thought."

She chewed absentmindedly on her bottom lip as Jack sat beside her. He stared at her with those big blue eyes of his. It was a familiar look. Innocent. Sheltered. The young man had witnessed much in his short life and yet there was an aura of goodness to him. Loyalty. Something Agatha personality believed she didn't deserve. A friend whose companionship she'd never be able to match.

"I don't think any of us knew what to expect when we found him." Jack commented, resting a hand on her knee. "Especially you given your family's...history." He paused only to reach the clicker to turn off the show. "If I'm to be honest, Agatha, at first, I didn't actually think he existed. Maybe some part of me did-I worked at the bloody Harker Foundation. But when he actually showed up...I guess what I'm trying to say is Bloxham has no right to do what she's doing."

"Right or not, I don't exactly have a choice in the matter," Agatha frowned. "When I wanted to study him, learn about who he was and what he was, I didn't exactly think that meant I was going to be forced to spend every waking minute with him-well, every his waking minute. But I have to do this for my sake and Zoe's."

Jack cocked a brow in confusion. "What does this have to do with Zoe?"

"I made a commitment." She admitted, running a hand through her hair. "...Moreso Bloxham has me backed into a corner. If I don't go through with this, then she can make my life a living Hell." Agatha held up her hand as the man tried to interject. "If I could get out of this, I already would've, but I don't have a choice, Jack. It'll be like that movie Interview with a Vampire, but instead of an eager biographer wanting to learn Louis de Pointe du Lac's story, I'm forced to take my vampire on a railway trip."

Jack started to chuckle into his hand earning him a curious look from Agatha. A small smile graced his features as he straightened up, clearing his throat before speaking.

"Sorry," he grinned. "Didn't take you for a movie buff."

"I suppose I can sometimes be unpredictable." Agatha admitted with a small smile. "Anyway, the fact of the matter is, I wanted to learn about Dracula on my terms, not someone else's. Especially since he's a bigger prick than I imagined."

"He murdered people," the man stated. "How big of an ass were you expecting?!"

"Someone whose ego wasn't so large it'd overtake all of Europe and then some." She said folding her arms over her chest. "He's unbearable, Jack, and he knows it. Relishes in it. And I'm stuck with him like gum on the bottom of a shoe." Agatha let out a long exhale. "Curiosity killed the cat, and I already feel like I'm on my eighth life. Why of all things did I have to be a Van Helsing? Smith is a nice last name. Or Wilson. I'd go as far as Bigglesworth."

"You are not a Bigglesworth," Jack laughed. "Besides, Van Helsing is pretty bad ass. It has its perks."

Agatha let out a soft chuckled before her mouth curved into a genuine smile. Gently she rested her head on Jack's shoulder, her eyes fixed on the blank screen of the television.

"What am I going to do, Jack?" She mumbled.

"What you always do," he replied softly. "Take what's thrown at you into your own hands and make it work. At least, that's what the Agatha I know would do."

"I'm taking the window seat," Agatha yawned, closing her eyes.

"The window seat?" The doctor inquired, his brows knitting in confusion. "What window seat?"

"The window seat," she repeated. "If I'm taking that beast on a train, I'm taking the window seat."

Jack grinned over at the former nun as she began to nod off. "Agatha Van Helsing, you never cease to amaze me."

"Good," she answered. "I plan to keep it that way."

And without another word, she drifted off into the dark world of unconsciousness. Far, far away from her worries and troubles that would live to see another day.

[myheartrevealedocs]

Untouchable Ch 13- Home, Again

Warnings: swearing, mentions of torture and injuries, family drama and stuff? (if there’s something in this chapter that you want me to tag, let me know, I’m just not sure what to classify some of this stuff as)

Ch 12 | Ch 14

~ ~ ~

Beck threw herself into her sister’s arms as Lydia entered the waiting room.

“Thank god. Lydia, I’m so sorry, but I’m so scared. Watching her fall apart like that, then start seizing- What would we do if we lost her? What would I do? The system will take in Katie and Adam, but I… I’d be alone.”

Lydia pulled away to look into her sister’s cloudy eyes. “You will never be alone. If something actually happened to Sonia, you could come to DC with me in a heartbeat. Please don’t ever think I’d leave you alone.”

“You hate me,” Beck claimed. Her face was a blotchy mess and she didn’t make it any better be rubbing her hands over it frustratedly. She’d recently cut her hair short, which was perhaps the only thing stopping her from ripping it out. “I’ve been such an ass. I wouldn’t blame you if you left me here and went back to Virginia. I don’t have a job, I don’t have a college degree, I don’t even know how to drive a car! I’m useless!”

“You aren’t useless,” Lydia insisted, then leaned forward and kissed her forehead. “You’re stubborn. You were angry. But you know who knows even more about anger than you?”

She rolled her eyes. “I’m guessing you, you menace?”

They both giggled, Rebecca hiccuping slightly through more tears.

“So, you won’t leave me to be a homeless prostitute?”

“Not this month,” Lydia joked. “What have you heard? Did they dissolve the blood clot?”

Beck nodded. “It’s gone. Now the only concern is figuring out how much damage it did.”

“Okay. Well then, one of us should stay here and wait for news and the other has to take Katie and Adam home and get them to bed. I really think you could use the rest, but I’m okay with either.”

The two twins were seated in the corner of the room. Katie was asleep across the armrest between her and her brother’s chair. Adam looked bored out of his mind, picking at his fingernails.

Beck looked back at them, then bit down on her bottom lip. “I need to make sure she’s okay. I don’t think I could fall asleep if I went home anyway.”

Lydia could understand that. She gave her sister a nod, before stepping around her and approaching the kids. “Hey Adam. Long time, no see!”

He pushed himself out of his chair quickly and wrapped his arms around Lydia’s waist. “Hi Lydie! Why didn’t you come home for Christmas this year?”

“I had to work,” she admitted, feigning disgust.

“You have to see the Legos that Becky got me! I already built them all!”

“That’s so cool! You’ll have to show me once we get home.”

He bounced excitedly, turning around to wake up his sister. “Katie! Lydie’s here!”

The girl blinked, rubbing her face where it was previously squished against her arm. “Adam,” she grumbled. “What do you want?”

Lydia knelt down next to her seat. “Hey Katie,” she said, softly. “I’m here to take you two hooligans home.”

Katie blinked, recognizing Lydia’s voice and her silly nickname for the twins. “Lydie? Mommy didn’t say you were coming home.”

Lydia didn’t want to freak them out by making them think the stroke was a big deal, so she held up a finger to her lips and said, “Sonia doesn’t know yet. It’s a surprise.”

“Is mommy sick?” Adam asked. “Becky said she was hurt, but when I hurt my arm, I didn’t have to stay at the doctor’s this long.”

“Mommy did get hurt,” Lydia admitted. “But she’s super strong. Right now, you two have to get some sleep. In your own beds. Okay?”

They nodded and followed her out, saying their goodbyes to Rebecca as they passed. Lydia called a cab to meet them outside and take them back to Sonia’s house.

As they were packing in, her phone rang. Spencer. Shit…

“Spence, hey…” she began, but couldn’t for the life of her come up with anything else to say.

“Lydia? Hotch told us that you had a family emergency, what happened?? Are you okay? Did you get home?”

She sighed, relieved he wasn’t angry about her sudden disappearance. They’d just been talking face to face and then she was on her way to the airport. “Can we start with one questions at a time? I’m so tired.”

“Yeah, yeah,” he agreed, quickly. “Where are you right now?”

“I’m leaving a hospital in Oakland, California, on my way to my foster mom, Sonia’s, house.”

“Why were you at the hospital?”

“Sonia had a stroke.”

“That’s awful. I’m sorry. What kind of stroke?”

“Uh… I’m not sure? I didn’t speak to any of the doctors directly.”

“Do you know if she had a hemorrhage or-?”

“No. No, it was a blot clot.”

“That’s good!” he said immediately. “The chances of surviving a ischemic stroke are higher than a hemorrhagic stroke. There’s also a higher likelihood of a full recovery.”

She smiled. “Thanks, Spence. How did the case go?”

“We found and recovered all the kids, but Jane and Frank disappeared.”

“Oh no…” she fretted. “I’m so sorry.”

“What are you talking about? You weren’t even in Nevada when it happened.”

���But I was… I told him we could negotiate for Jane and-”

“You saw her,” Spencer reasoned. “She was throwing herself at him. Frank would have gotten away either way and Jane would have followed him. You helped us get those kids back.”

“When did you become so good at cheering me up?” she teased. He didn’t reply, so she kept going. “Spencer, I should go. I’m almost at Sonia's house. Talk to you tomorrow, okay?”

“Yeah, of course. Tomorrow.”

~ ~ ~

“Lydia? What are you doing here?” Sonia demanded as Lydia walked into her room the next morning.

“What are you doing in a hospital bed?” she fired back. “You went and scared the hell out of us!”

“Honey, I’m old. It happens.”

Lydia rolled her eyes. “Not old enough. You’re like… one of the least likely people to get a stroke. You’re 50, you’re a woman, you’re Asain… do you have any blood pressure problems I don’t know about?”

“Apparently I have blood pressure problems that I don’t even know about,” she chuckled, trying not to focus on how bad that could be. “Since when do you know so much about stroke statistics?”

Lydia was perfectly ready to tell her that she’d done a bunch of research at the airport, but it was a lie. Spencer had been sending her little tidbits of information all day. Some to try to cheer her up, others to help prepare her for how Sonia’s recovery might go. As she thought about those texts, a smile pulled at her lips and Sonia was on her in an instant.

“What’s that? That smile. You just got all blushy on me, what happened?”

“I work with profilers and somehow you’re already onto my little secret, hm?” She rubbed her forehead. “You should probably go work for my team if you’re going to be so observational.”

“You should probably stop being so obvious,” she argued. “You’ve got a crush written all over you. Did he tell you about the stroke statistics?”

“His name is Spencer, he texted them to me to make me feel better, and I’m not crushing on him.”

“Oh please!” she cried. “Your cheeks are bright red! I know a crush when I see one. Tell me about this Spencer. Where did you meet him?”

“We work together. And I’m not lying, I’m not crushing on Spencer… because we’ve been dating for almost a year now.”

“You what?!” she exclaimed. “Lydia, you have to tell me these things! Almost a year?”

“Yeah. It started last year in April.”

“Why would you hide this from me? Look at you! You’re so happy!”

Lydia bit her tongue in contemplation. Why hadn’t she told her family? “Because I’ve been keeping it a secret anyway. None of the team knows we’re together. We never agreed that we wouldn’t tell our families, but… I don’t know, I guess I got so caught up in the lie that I didn’t even think about telling you guys.”

“Why are you hiding?” Sonia asked.

“Our work.” Lydia shrugged. “When we went on our first date, we didn’t want the whole team to be invested in a relationship that might not last. We didn’t want things to get weird. But now, it feels wrong, you know? Our boss wouldn’t be happy if he found out that we’ve been lying to him all this time. Spencer’s an agent, so in-office relationships are frowned upon for him.”

Lydia’s phone buzzed in her hand and instinctively, she looked down at it.

“Did he just text you?” Sonia teased.

Lydia glared back. “Fucking profilers.”

~ ~ ~

“Katie! Adam!” Lydia called as she shuffled upstairs.

“Hold on!” Katie’s muffled squealing came from the twin’s room.

Lydia smiled at what she could only imagine to be wild shenanigans going on behind that door. But, she turned and walked farther down the hall, opening up the door to Sonia’s room.

She’d been let go from the hospital after about a week, and had been recovering quickly. Lydia was glad to see her sitting up in bed stretching her arms out in front of her. Her left arm was weak and shook dramatically, but it was an improvement.

“Good morning, Sonia,” she greeted, walking over to the side of her bed. “Make sure to do your leg stretches as well today. I know they’re uncomfortable, but if you don’t build up that strength again, you’re going to end up with only one working leg. I want you to think about how frustrating that would be.”

She dropped her head back. “You’re right. That would be awful. Then I’d look like you.”

“Very funny,” Lydia deadpanned. “But my leg works fine, thank you. At this point, I’d say better than yours. But nevermind that, I won’t be here and neither will the car. If something happens, Beck will handle it and I’ll be back before your physical therapy appointment, okay?”

Lydia leaned down and gave her foster mother a kiss on the cheek.

“I’m ready, Lydie!” Adam shouted as he burst into the room. His backpack hung loosely from his shoulders, seeing as there probably wasn’t more in it than a folder.

“Is Katie ready?” she asked.

“No. Katie’s tying her shoes.”

“Oh, well then she’s almost ready. Let’s start heading down, shall we?”

He nodded, eagerly. “Bye, Mommy!” he said, before scurrying downstairs.

“Bye, Sonia,” Lydia followed suit, closing the door behind her as she left. “Beck?”

Her sister popped her head out of the bathroom, only half her makeup done, looking thoroughly unamused. “Must you be so loud?”

“Make sure Sonia gets up soon,” she ordered. “I won’t have my phone with me, so if something happens, call the doctor.”

“Won’t have your phone…?” She raised an eyebrow. “Are you not coming back after dropping the twin’s off?”

“No. I thought Sonia told you.”

“Told me what?”

“I’m ready!” Katie cried, rushing down the stairs to meet her brother.

“Head out to the car, little hooligans!” Lydia instructed. “I’ll be out in a second.”

“Where are you going?” Beck tried again.

Lydia sighed. “I’m visiting Dad today.”

~ ~ ~

Not that visiting a prison was ever a pleasant experience, but Lydia was comforted to find the place exactly the same. She had enough anxiety going in as is, but trying to navigate new rules or requirements would have made it ten times worse. Her dad didn’t even seem to notice her walk into the room, sitting alone at a table, staring intently at a wall.

Lydia cleared her throat. “Um, hey Dad.”

He blinked at her for a moment, before pulling her into a hug. “Lydia! Look at you! You’ve changed so much, sweetheart!”

She shrunk away from him, slightly as he spoke, both because the guards would yell at them if they were in contact for too long and because it had been so long. It was just weird.

“Yeah,” she sighed. “It’s been a crazy two years.”

“I hear,” he said, the two of them sitting across from one another. “Rebecca tells me that you work for the FBI full-time now.”

“Not exactly. I’m contracted out by one of their teams. Sometimes I’m home for a few weeks, other times we solve one case and fly straight to the next. It isn’t exactly 9 to 5.”

“I’m really proud of you.” He smiled and Lydia’s lip twitched as well. “I was shocked to hear you were coming. Rebecca says you very rarely visit.”

“I’m not in California for a visit,” she admitted. “Sonia had a stroke, so I’ve taken some time off work to look out for her and the other kids in her care.”

Her dad had warmed up to Sonia over the years, seeing as she had to escort Lydia and Beck to the prison when they were still minors. He looked genuinely sad to hear the news. “That’s terrible. Tell her I hope she gets well soon.”

“I will. It was pretty mild it seems. She’s regaining strength quickly.”

They didn’t have the time for this small talk. Her father knew that. But Lydia almost hoped that they could keep the conversation going. As if he wasn’t an inmate in a prison. As if they weren’t being watched carefully. As if she didn’t have mixed feelings about speaking to him.

“So, Lydia, why did you come?”

Lydia blinked, pushing up her glasses habitually. “What do you mean? I haven’t seen you for two years…”

“I know,” he chuckled. “But if you wanted to come say hi to me, you’d do it when you were visiting home. Not when you’re busy taking care of a whole family.”

“Well… your sentence is almost done. Seven years… And I was talking to Sonia about it and she asked when the last time I saw you was… I felt bad.” She waited for him to say something, but he didn’t. Because he knew that wasn’t it. “I haven’t really… told anyone in DC that my dad’s in prison. And with this new job, I talk to serial killers. I learn a lot about them, get into their heads. And in the end, we always put them away. And now I see prison in this whole different light and I think I needed to prove to myself that you… you aren’t one of the bad guys.”

“Okay, so… how do I prove I’m not a bad guy?” he asked.

“You don’t. You just-” Lydia’s eyes started to burn and she stopped herself from getting emotional. “I wanted to see you. That’s all. Recently, it feels like I can’t remember much about anyone in the family.”

“Is this about your mom?”

“I don’t know what this is about,” she rambled. “I just… I was finally starting to be okay in college and then, the whole Jenna thing happened and I was an angry monster again. And when I realized I had settled down, I was a different person. I worked for the FBI for crying out loud! And I’m looking at the people around me, and they look different, too, but I can’t figure out if it’s them who’ve changed or just my view of them. And I’ve always-”

She was tearing up again. Lydia gritted her teeth, feeling frustrated. She came here to check up on him, not have a meltdown. But if she shut down, he would keep bugging her about it, so might as well keep going.

“I’ve always been so mad at you,” she said, gnashing her teeth like an animal. “And then I’m looking through a serial killer's house and all I can think is, ‘At least my dad didn’t become this’. And I feel guilty that I’ve been so hard on you for seven years. So, I came here because I needed to prove to myself that this face belongs to my dad and not a bad guy.”

“Could it be both?”

Lydia glared at him, but didn’t have anything to say. She didn’t need the ambiguous question right now.

“Lydia, I know what I did was stupid and it hurt people. And all the excuses I made for it at the time don’t justify my actions. I wasn’t wrongfully accused and I’m not trying to pretend I was.”

“I don’t want to have an argument with you,” she grumbled. “I want to look at you with my new profiling eyes and determine whether it’s worth rebuilding a relationship with you when you get out.”

That shut him up. Lydia’s face burned in shame, but there was no taking it back. They sat there in silence for what felt like years. She didn’t know what there was to say. It had been on her mind for months now that his release was approaching. She’d considered Beck to be her only family for almost 7 years. Her father was a distant memory. But maybe when his time was up… maybe it’d be nice to have a dad again. But she had sworn at 16 never to forgive him.

“Did you decide?” he asked, his voice grim.

Why did she have to decide? Why couldn’t someone tell her that she was going to have to learn to live with or without him and be done with it? Why did it have to be her to walk away or make the effort. Shouldn’t family come naturally?

But for now, at least, she knew what she wanted.

“I want my family back. I don’t want to leave California one day and never have a reason to come back… I want to know my mom… And maybe, just maybe, I want to remember my dad, too. Because somewhere in the far recesses of my mind, he was a cool dude.”

“I’m sorry that I ever left you,” he said.

Finally, Lydia felt a sense of relief. She stood up. “I need to go, Dad. Luckily, the next time I see you, you probably won’t be behind bars.” And then, she opened up her arms, welcoming him in for a hug.

For the past seven years, she’d never been the one to initiate a hug with her father, but it felt like it was time. Her stubbornness had kept her from too much. She’d missed out on so many opportunities to be happy all because she was hinged on being in complete control of the image of herself that other’s saw. And she hadn’t felt like she’d had a parental figure in a long time.

He accepted quickly. “Go be an amazing bad-guy-catcher,” he teased.

“I will,” she replied with a smile. “Keep being a neutral guy, alright?”

As she headed for the door, he said, “Lydia? One more thing…”

She raised an eyebrow in his direction.

“Happy birthday.”

He remembered. She didn’t expect him to, for some reason. She didn’t really expect him to know the exact date.

“I love you,” she told him, but didn’t wait around to hear his response. She didn’t plan on spilling any tears today.

~ ~ ~

“You’re hunched over your computer like Quasimodo,” Rebecca joked as she dropped a bowl of ice cream next to her sister.

Poor Lydia was so wrapped up in her paper, she didn’t even notice the gift, ignoring the dessert completely. “I need Spencer,” she admitted. “He’d be able to give me more accurate information than these pathetic websites.”

“Why don’t you call him?” Sonia offered from across the table.

“He told me this morning that he was leaving for a case. Really bad one, too. He doesn’t need the distraction.”

Beck rolled her eyes. “I can’t believe you’re actually going to get a PhD for this guy.”

“I’m not getting this for Spencer,” she tried to argue. “But I mean, look at me! I’m set to graduate in the spring. Have you ever seen someone get a doctorate in 2 years? Spencer did that for me. I could become a college professor in about a year, all thanks to him. At 23 years old.”

“Don’t act like you’re not a genius all by yourself,” Beck grumbled. “Just because he’s super charismatic-” Lydia laughed out loud when she said that “-does not mean that he got you your PhD.”

“I’m not saying that!” she tried to argue. “Think about how much money I’ve saved! I mean, I was terrified when I took that internship at the BAU that once it was up, I’d be stuck. With this, I have so many options open that I-”

She paused, noticing her phone screen light up with Hotch’s name. Rebecca and Sonia gave her funny looks, but she held up a finger.

“My boss is calling me. Strange.”

“If he says you have to go back to Virginia, do it. You’ve taken enough to time off as it is,” Sonia instructed, but Lydia just rolled her eyes.

“Hey, Hotch,” she answered. “What’s up?”

“Lydia, I’m going to need your help with something…”

“That’s fine. Is it case related?”

“No it’s…” He sounded exhausted and Lydia wondered where he could be. It was 9 in California, so unless he was on the west coast, it was late. “Lydia, Reid has been taken captive by an unsub.”

Her heart stopped. Seeing her family's confused faces across from her, she jumped up from the table and rushed out of the room.

“What? I- What are you… How bad of an unsub?” she sputtered.

“He’s sending us a live feed of it. As of right now, Reid’s forehead has a large gash in it and one of his feet is mangled. We’re doing everything we can to find him.”

“Is there something I can do?” Her breathing was labored and her chest, constricting. This was all wrong. Spencer had to be okay. He needed to be…

“Lydia, Spencer’s strong. He’ll keep fighting until we can get to him. But I have a feeling when he gets out, he’s going to want to see your face.”

She was far too stressed to even consider what he was implying. “You want me to- I’m not sure if I can-”

“Two days. That’s all. I’ll get you a ticket to Georgia as soon as possible. He’ll need your support. Can you be here?”

Leaving suddenly, once again. But Spencer might need her. Hotch was certain he would. And after news like that… she’d need to see him for herself to even imagine that he was going to be okay.

“I’ll pack my things now. Send me that plane ticket and the case file. I need to know what to expect when I get there.”

“I’ll let you know if anything changes,” he assured her. “Thank you.”

She heard him hang up the phone, but didn’t move it away from her ear. All she could hear was her heartbeat in her ears, as if it was trying to break out. She blinked a couple of times and turned to see that her sister had followed her into the next room, eyes wide.

A tear slipped down her cheek, which she quickly wiped away. “I need to go,” she told Beck and ran to her room to gather some things.

Tag List: @kris-stuff​, @wooya1224, @spencerelds​

[2018shawn]

prohibited | th x oc

If you grab a dictionary and look up the word ‘inconvenience’,

you’ll find Tom Holland’s name printed in huge, bold letters.

a/n: I would like to start by saying tysm to @hollandstom​ for the first amazing most lovely feedback on the intro but ty all SO much for the love 🥰 I hope this lives up to expectations and it’s a bit EHH until we get into it but yoooo let’s enjoy the calm before the storm shall we ..... also on another note, I obviously do not know how contracts work although I do know they can be hella intense and I'm only using Sony as a fictional base for this fic. nothing I say resembles real life oK fanFICTION

warnings: possibly some swearing????

word count: 3.7k

previous: read the intro here

⌜one⌟

Evie stood behind her desk, hands on hips in the most defeated manner, asking herself mentally where she should begin. As quick as things came to her mind, they went again, leaving her to do nothing but sigh and slump into her leather, office chair. Pull yourself together, Evie Jones, she thought to herself and she wasn’t actually entire sure she hadn't said it aloud. Her mind wandered back to ten minutes earlier, and how she felt like she had a pair of eyes burning into her at all times. It made her shift awkwardly in her converse, mumbling some stupid excuse to be able to leave the room and come back to the safety of her own office. 

The excuse was not a lie, Evie thought, because she really did have to get this contract in full swing - if she had learnt who Spiderman was, the whole world would soon know. Of course they wouldn't know through her - she was pretty sure she’d get eliminated of the face of the earth if she shard half the stuff she’d ever learnt whilst working at SPE. In reality, she was a model employee; she gave her life to the company, she’d lost relationships over the company, she’d even lost friends over the company but now she looks back at it, if they didn’t understand then they didn't really count. Ironically, in Evie’s own contract of work, she is not to discuss any internal information with anyone outside of the company. She wasn’t even really supposed to discuss internal information with anyone inside the company if she could help it. Especially not to Lindsay on 6th floor.

She pulled up her draft contracts folder on her huge Mac screen, her finger tapping away on the mouse like she was a robot on steroids, because she could find her files in her sleep. She could see the usual workers passing by her office through the large glass wall that overlooked the main floor, although she tried not to distract herself from the task she’d set out to do. She imagined that Paris was still in the conference room, spilling her usual word vomit with Miles laughing along beside her like the dangerous duo they were. She felt bad for leaving, really, even Michael insisted she stay and celebrate the exciting news, telling her that the contract stuff would still be there in the morning. Evie knew, of course, that if the contract stuff wasn't on his desk by 9am sharpish, she’d have the day from hell and he’d be nagging at her all day long. She would also officially kiss goodbye to her weekend. 

A tap on her door prised her eyes away from her screen, her pen dangling from her mouth like it always would be. She froze when she looked through the clear glass wall, instantly recognising the navy blue shirt and the body that it adorned. “is he lost? what did I do? what has Paris said now?” were just some of the brief thoughts that flowed through her mind as she wheeled back in her chair, preparing herself to stand. Her fingers smoothed over her pastel yellow outfit as she walked over to the door, putting on her best business smile in an attempt to try cover her nerves. 

Tom had forgotten in ten minutes just how incredibly beautiful she was. He noticed how she had a pen hanging from her mouth like she had done in the conference room. It also made him notice how perfectly white her teeth were and he questioned if she was the movie star. “Mr Holland, how can I help?” She spoke more confidently than she felt, that was for sure. He wouldn’t have ever guessed that she had butterflies in her stomach, times one thousand, and was only holding onto the door because her legs felt like jelly. 

“You, uh, disappeared, just wanted to make sure you was okay?” In all honesty, he had no idea what he was going to say until he opened his mouth. He'd muttered to himself the whole journey from the conference room, repeating all the different ways you can say hello, but when he starting saying hola and bonjour to himself, he called it quits and decided to just go with whatever fell from his mouth - which for Tom, was always a risky move. 

If Evie didn’t think her heart could beat any faster, she was wrong. “That’s so kind thank you,” play it cool, Evie, play. it. cool. “I’m so fine though, thank you, I just have to get started on some stuff.”

Toms lips formed into the shape of an ‘o’ and he wondered if he looked like a 100% certified loser, or just 75% loser and 25% nice guy. Evie thought he was 200% adorable. “Oh okay, great. I mean not great about the work, but, great that you’re okay.” He shuffled awkwardly, squinting his eyes shut and correcting himself throughout the sentence. 

Evie giggled innocently and he didn’t doubt for one second that it was the nicest sound he’d ever heard. “Yeah, apparently some big ass movie star needs some very important contracts drafting up.” 

He scoffed, “God, those movie stars sure do sound awful.” She loved how his cheeks grew as he smiled, flashing what she thought to be a perfect smile. They’d have to battle it out for that crown at a later date. “Let me know if there's anything you need, anything at all.” 

“Thank you, Mr Holland. I’m sure we’ll be contacting you through the company more than enough times.” She didn’t know if she should invite him into her office, but she decided against it; she couldn’t have speculations about Tom Holland coming into her office just like Tom Hardy followed Lindsay into the ladies toilets. 

“Please, just call me Tom. Mr Holland sounds so...” He pulled his lips to the side as he thought of a description, “dad.”

His ears filled yet again with the sound of her contagious laugh, making his heart beat in a way he’d never experienced before. He wanted her to invite him in, but after already hunting down her office - he swears he just so happened to walk past - he didn't want to come of a total creep. “Okay, Tom. I’ll be sure to get in contact with your team if I need anything.” 

“Do you have a pen and paper?” He didn’t even think as the words came out his mouth, they just came. 

“Uh...” She was confused, sure, but who was she to reject someones orders? I mean, technically she kinda works for him too now. “Sure, come in.” She opened the door wider before turning to return to her desk, leaving Tom in the doorway, awkwardly following her in like he was entering his first ever girlfriend’s bedroom. Oh how he wishes it was her bedroom. 

Evie grabbed the note block she kept next to her office phone, mentally reminding herself to get a new one from the supply cupboard because she was almost out of pages, and pushed it towards Tom. She also grabbed a pen from the pot, making sure to pick one she hadn’t almost chewed the end off because that would just be pure embarrassment. She tried not to stare at him, biting the inside of her cheek as she tried focusing on her computer screen instead. All she was met with was his name typed up in bold letters anyway - which is just how far she’d got with the contract, so she wasn’t escaping him even if she tried. 

Tom stuck his tongue out in habit as he scribbled onto the pad, finally ripping off the top page and returning the ink pen back to the pen pot. “Let’s not bother going through my team, I live with my assistant so it’s probably just as easy to call me” he began, handing over the small, square piece of paper and she took it, eyes furrowing as her eyes wandered over his scribbled writing, a line of numbers joining together.

“Mr- Tom. Tom.” She repeated, fumbling her words and palms getting sweaty. “This is a lovely thought, but I can’t give my number away to clients, it’s a breach of-”

“There's our movie star!” Michael’s voice boomed through the entire floor, both Evie and Tom’s heads turning to face where he was walking up to Evie’s office and she thought she might as well pack her belongings now. 

Tom turned back to Evie before Michael could enter the room, lowering his tone and volume  of voice as he spoke again. “You’re not giving me your number, I'm giving you mine.” Evie shoved the paper into her desk drawer as Michael got closer, knowing she’d be straight out the door if there was any suspicion of inappropriate behaviour between her and said client. Tom turned back towards her boss flashing an innocent smile that everyone knew could get him out of anything, “I was just asking Evie for directions to the bathroom. That champagne...” he laughed, waving his hand from his chest and flicking it down to his legs to signal it had gone straight through him. Damn, he is a good actor, she thought. Before he fully left the room, he rolled his eyes at Michael, which only made Evie laugh under her breath knowing first hand how much her boss could over do his conversations. She returned to her buttoned leather chair, pulling herself back up to the desk and mentally preparing herself to write more official documentation. Tom turned to her one last time before leaving the room, stopping at the doorway for a brief moment allowing Michael to go storming ahead of him. As they met eye contact for the final time that day, she smiled and he returned the expression, letting his eye drop into a smooth wink before vanishing from her view and if there was a brown paper bag in her desk drawer she’d be using it right now to try and help her from hyperventilating.

Friday, 9AM, the pre-contract contract was on Michael Stud’s desk and Evie hoped her tired eyes didn’t give away the fact that she’d worked hard all night trying to piece it together. She says she was working hard, but in reality, she couldn’t help but google the handsome man she was actually writing about. When she found herself scrolling through his brothers’ instagram pages, only clicking on the pictures where Tom could be seen, she decided she needed to snap herself out of it and threw her phone across her bed, trying to resist the urge to pick it up for the rest of the night. 

Friday, 9AM, across London City, Tom was just awaking in his own home, trudging downstairs and finding Harrison sat at the table with a bowl of coco pops and a warm cup of coffee. His mind was running with thoughts and he’d be lying if he said he hasn’t been checking his phone more than normal to see if Evie had taken up his offer of getting in contact. He hopes he wasn’t too pushy but he also hopes he wasn’t too formal, because he sucked ass at letting girls know he’s into them. He knew, of course, it was a cheeky move of him to slide her his number, but in the 2 minutes he'd spent talking to her in that conference room, he already trusted her more that most business persons he’d ever met. And that meant a lot to him. 

He poured himself a tea, coffee not really his first choice of hot drink, because the brit in him screamed out treason. His phone lay face down on the table, opposite from where Harrison sat, scrolling though his own device, most probably checking what’s new on instagram. Tom’s phone pinged with a message tone and before Harrison could even raise his eyes, Tom was pacing over and picking up the cell, sighing and throwing it back down again when it wasn't an unknown number and just another one of his brothers pestering him about going golfing. “Jheeeez,” Harrison exhaled, “I know you’re a big superhero now an’ all that but we can’t be buying you new phones every time some girl hasn’t text you.”

Tom rolled his eyes, slumping into his seat and letting his head fall onto his knuckles, face squishing up in annoyance. “Shut up bro.”

“It’s been less that 24 hours, you’re being a lil’ bitch, I'm just saying.” Harrison held his hands up in defence before returning to his food and social media scrolling and Tom hated how he was right. 

The other side of Town, Evie was taking notes from her boss of all the details she needed to change in the agreement. She wasn’t perfect at her job, but she was a perfectionist. She welcomed any form of criticism to do whatever it took to make her work better, and Michael knew that, which is one of the first things he loved about having her as an employee. “And finally, section 2... 4.2.” He let Evie catch up, flicking through her stapled document until she found the relevant page. Section 2.4 was one of the sections she hated writing most about because it felt intrusive and a breach of personal knowledge, but in this industry - and like Michael says, if you want something to be successful - it has to be done. “Client shall not appear personally involved with immediate Sony Picture Entertainment staff... scrap that and change it to any staff under the Sony Umbrella.” Evie shot him a look and gulped hard. They really upping the stakes here, huh she thought to herself, trying to hide her expression as she scribbled it out on her copy, scrawling a bunch of words to remind her to replace it. 

Evie left the office at 11.58am, just in time for dinner but when she went back to her desk and saw the flood of emails in her inbox, she sighed, waving goodbye to any dinner she may have potentially had. Thank god - otherwise known as Maria - for the extra piece of bacon in this morning. 

The hours blended into one until the lights in the office started dimming, as Evie continued to tap away at her keyboard, only stopping to fill her coffee mug back up, which she almost managed to spill all over the cleaner when she failed to see the hoover cord trailing across the office floor. Michael had made it very clear that this contract needed to be finished and signed with immediate effect. Tom was proving to be quite the asset to SPE already and now Marvel had leaked the news sooner than estimated, she could only imagine the stress that the bosses were under.

She let out a long yawn, covering her mouth with the back of her hand before she brought her coffee mug up to her lips, wincing at the burning liquid hitting her tongue. “How are we getting along, Miss Jones?” Michael appeared in the doorway, and she knew he was stressed, just because of the fact he was here at 7pm on a Friday evening. 

“It’s getting there, Sir. Just a few final tweaks and it shall be done. Is Donna doing the contract exchange as per normal?” She asked, switching her eyes between her boss and the computer screen throughout the conversation. 

“About that...” he walked further into the room and she noticed it was one of the only times she’d seen him without a suit jacket, only a crisp white shirt tucked into his tailored trousers. “Evie, you know you’re an amazing employee.” Evie laughed as Michaels playful side came out, only rarely making an appearance when it was absolutely necessary.

“I try my best, sir.” She was modest, but honest. 

“Donna has had to go out of London with a family emergency and although the timing isn’t great, her family is priority right now.” Evie nodded, biting the inside of her cheek as Michael got to the details. “So, Tom and his team spoke highly of you after yesterday’s meeting and I really think you’d be a good substitute for Donna. Whatever you did to him yesterday, keep doing because they couldn’t help but sing your praises.”

Evie’s hands expanded with sweat, heart beating at the mention of Tom, even though she’d been writing about him all evening, after sorting through the mile long list of emails this afternoon. “Thats very kind. But I was just simply me, Mr Stud. I’m glad I represented well.”

“I know this is a big ask, and is slightly below your pay grade, but would you be interested in carrying out the exchange?” He asked. “I can make it worth your while and consider your birthday week off fully paid...”

She thought to herself; the thought of seeing Tom again made her feel like a giddy school girl, but at the same time, even though it was way below her pay grade, it showed extra willing and dedication to progression within the business in the future. She felt nervous at the thought, she’d carried out a few contract signings in the past, but none of this scale with such pressure riding on her shoulders. “Of course, anything to help.”

Michael looked relieved with her reply, which only helped to make her feel that she’d made the right decision. “I have another favour to add to the request...” He trailed off, squinting his face up as he felt like he was pushing his look, even if he did run the place. Evie smiled and nodded, not really sure what to expect, but whatever it was, she definitely did not expect what did come out of his mouth. 

“I need the papers signing tonight.”

With a final copy of the contract in hand, Michael having signed it before he managed to escape the SPE building for the weekend, Evie was left tucked in her office. He'd left her with the relevant numbers and information and by the time he’d finally left her office, it was almost 7.30, which was most definitely not a business hour but needs, must. She sent the relevant email to the relevant people, informing them the contract signing needed to take place, and to pass the information onto the client if at all possible. She knew she was basically stabbing in the dark, because normal people didn’t work at this hour, but this was by far a normal industry. 

A long 20 minutes passed, not one email ping filling the sound of her dreadfully quiet room. In the meantime, she triple checked her contract, tried freshening up her appearance and drank an extra cup of coffee. Evie’s eyes scanned over the list of relevant contacts that her boss had left her with, her name focusing in on Harrison Osterfield. She was sure he was the assistant that Tom lived with, and after some (very professional) social media research, her theory was confirmed. She toyed with the idea of sending an email, but given her recent luck with that, she opted for a phone call, even though she got severe anxiety over speaking on the phone. 

Hi, Mr. Osterfield, it’s Evie Jones from Sony. I’m extremely sorry to bother you at this hour but my boss has requested an exchange of contracts to go ahead, especially with Marvel releasing the news so soon. It would be very much appreciated if you could give me a call back on this number and hopefully we can arrange a suitable meeting, thank you. Hopefully speak soon. 

Her tone was cheery, and Tom smiled as the voicemail played aloud in their living room. Harrison rolled his eyes at his best friend as he picked up the work phone, ending the call screen that illuminated the device. “Mate, you have to ignore it!” Tom exclaimed, throwing his hands up theatrically as he paced around the room. 

“Oh yeah, that will go down like a sack of shit! I'm your assistant as well as your best friend, Tom. I can’t ignore work calls!” Tom had already made him let the phone continuously ring, letting it go to voicemail in order to see who it was. 

“But if you ignore it... she’ll definitely remember I gave her my number and...” Tom twiddled his fingers with one another, before letting them disperse like an erupt volcano. “BOOM.”

“Are you trying to get the poor girl sacked?” Harrison laughed, continuing on his phone regardless of Tom’s request. Tom gave up, defeated and acting very much like a child who didn’t get his own way. He slumped into the sofa, picking up the playstation controller to resume his game, all of course after taking a much needed gulp of beer. “I’ve been on the toilet. Haven’t seen my phone. And I'm back in the room in 10 minutes.” Harrison agreed, only wanting his best friends’ pining to come to a stop and if that meant giving the girl 10 minutes to hopefully drop him a message, then so be it. Tom laughed successfully as Harrison joined him on the sofa, picking up the second controller and continuing their brutal game.

Over at SPE, Evie’s fingers tapped repeatedly on her desk, adjusting the wallpaper on her Mac for the fifth time as she waited for a response. She was tempted to ring her boss, explain the lack of conversation with Tom’s team, but that means admitting she’s failed at the first hurdle. And then suddenly she remembers, Tom’s number. But she can’t, surely? If Harrison wasn’t replying then surely Tom wouldn’t either and she’d just look stupid, not to mention be at risk of losing her job. But then she’d probably lose her job if she didn’t get this stupid paperwork signed so, if there was a best option, she didn’t know which one it was. Her hand pulls open the desk drawer, seeing the crumpled up note he’d scribbled on yesterday and she toyed with the idea of picking it up, binning it, or pretending it never existed it. Unlike what normal Evie would do in a situation like this, she picked it up, and began typing the number into a blank message on her phone. If she was going to get fired, she was going to get fired for reaching out to Tom Holland and what could possibly go wrong?

[nthngbxtfanfics]

The MONSTA Office - Newbie

“Yah! Jooheon-ssi! Guess what” Minhyuk walked straight to the male with a big grin marked on his face, too excited to stand still.

“Hyung, honestly I already know that Kihyun-hyung got dumped on his last blind date! You don’t have to tell me that three times.” Jooheon whined turning to his approaching colleague. “Shh! Jooheonie-ssi, Kihyun isn’t aware that everyone knows about it and he shouldn’t, or we’ll be dead! I have something better and more interesting.” The male got more excited the closer he came to the younger man.  Jooheon raised his eyebrow, curious about the new information he’s about to get from the gossip-queen himself.  “Someone came in today for an interview. For the empty spot in our office. You remember where Junghos spot was before he left?” stated Minhyuk, his smirk not fading when Jooheon nodded in response for him to continue. “The person has applied for that spot.” “That spot? I thought we won’t take in someone new.” questioned Jooheon, the frown getting deeper as he became more curious. “ Who is applying for what spot?” asked someone from behind them. Both Minhyuk and Jooheon turned to look at the person. Wonho came back from his break with a cup of coffee in his hand. Minhyuk waved him over and explained everything to Wonho. “I haven’t seen this person yet, but I noticed that after I returned from my break, I saw Shownu coming back to his office extremely happy. A smile is literally glued on his face.” Continued Minhyuk.  Jooheon and Wonho exchanged looks and waited for Minhyuk to continue. “I tried to ask Shownu what happened, his only response was about me taking care of this new employee.”

” This person must be really interesting, since he’s been making Shownu-hyung all smiley.” He got a nod as response of the male in front of him.  “I just hope this dude is not as annoying as Kihyun.” Jooheon leaned back on his chair and turned slightly. “Poor Changkyun, has to deal with yet another new person.” Wonho was kind of amused about the thought of Changkyun constantly being annoyed by their new coworker. Since Changkyun isn’t the type to engage with new people. He only sticks with the same crowd. “But I do hope that this person can make good ramyun.” added Wonho while sipping at his coffee and gaining a side eye from Minhyuk. “Changkyun isn’t over Jungho yet and now he has to deal with a Kihyun 2.0!” Jooheon got concerned for the well-being of his best friend and maknae.

“Yah! What are you doing there? Don’t you have work to do? Minhyuk, Shownu-hyung has been searching for you!”  All three men got startled by the sudden outburst of Kihyun and went to their expected workspaces. Minhyuk’s smile becoming bigger while leaving to Shownu’s office. Kihyuns gaze followed Minhyuk, when he walked past him. Confused, Kihyun looked towards Jooheon, who avoided his gaze and pretended to work. Kihyun turned his head to Wonho who disappeared behind his desk. Standing there, the short male exhaled and walked over to his own desk, while questioning what they were talking about.

Were they talking about me? Minhyuk you are so dead!

You were excited and scared at the same time, anxiety rushed up your spine. You couldn’t imagine how your first day would be. 

Will I do something wrong? Will I break something? Will my coworkers like me? Would I make a fool of myself? Should I just quit now and search for another job? But the payment is too damn good, I can’t quit! All those thoughts were running through your mind. Lost in them, you didn’t even noticed your arrival at the entrance of the tall building. Snapping out of your thoughts and putting the best smile over your face, you walked through the giant glass doors straight to the receptionist at the counter. Your body was shaking to an extrem, that you might not be able to put even one decent sentence together. But with trembling lips and sweaty hands you managed it. “Hello, excuse me my name is Y/N Y/L/N and I’m a new employee and I was told to ask for Mr. Lee Minhyuk, he’s supposed to accompany throughout the day.” The woman at the counter opened her mouth to say something but stopped and placed a smile over her mouth when she noticed the person behind you. You followed her gaze and spotted a man with the brightest smile on his face. “So you are the new employee, my name is Lee Minhyuk I’m Mr. Sohn Hyunwoos secretary and assistant. It’s nice to meet you.” He introduced himself and held his hand in front of you, ready to be shaken. Still taken aback, you reached out to take his hand into yours. Shaking lightly, you introduced yourself to him. “Hello, my name is Y/N Y/L/N, it’s nice to meet you. I’m here to start my first day in this company.” you got addicted by his smile and couldn’t take your eyes off him. By your misfortune it did not go unnoticed by the man in front of you, a chuckle escaped his lips, he let go of your hand a gestured towards the elevators.

“Shall we go? Mr. Sohn would like to meet up with you before I show you around the office and introduce you to the coworkers.” You noticed how there was no air in your lungs as the knot in your chest got tighter and the room got hotter by the minute. Remembering your anxiety, your face started to heat up and you could swear sweat was building up on your forehead. But for some reason, you were able to move anyway and followed Minhyuk to the elevator. You were surprised by your little achievements, despite being a nervous wreck. A short minute later, you catched yourself staring holes into Minhyuks back, when both of you reached the doors of the elevators.  After the doors opened, Minhyuk gestured you to enter the elevator first, smile still plastered over his face. Inside the small space, Minhyuk punched the button of the floor you have to reach. Should I say something? How do I start? Do I look weird to him? You couldn’t tell if you should start a conversation with him or to just let the silence invade the space, being too frustrated with your own thoughts. Minhyuk actually catched onto your uneasiness and started a little conversation with you to ease your nerves. “ Mr Sohn is really happy that you applied for the job at our company.” ”Thank you Mr Lee, I really appreciate that, I’m actually kind of worried but I promise I’ll do my best.” assuring yourself rather then him. Minhyuk giggled to your response. “ You don’t have to be formal with me, call me Minhyuk and don’t worry, you’ll do great. Everyone’s nice here and no one will harm you. I’m actually pretty excited to work with you to be honest with you. You can always come up to me, if you need anything.” his assuring smile boosted your confident-level and you saw yourself smiling with your whole heart, for the first time this day. “ That’s really nice of you Minhyuk-ssi.” giving him a warm smile back and receiving an even bigger one from him.     A small signal ringed through your ears as you reached the top floor. Minhyuk stepped out the elevator first, only now you noticed, that his smile didn’t disappear not even for a single second.

He tried his best not to break out into a much bigger smile that has been plastered since the moment he spotted you in front of the counter, his excitement was too strong. He didn’t expect such a beautiful person, to be their new coworker.  Things are getting exciting!

The both of you rounded a corner towards the office space, you haven’t seen the office before, since your interview was in some kind of conference room at a different floor. Looking around, you noticed a really tall male almost falling forward. If he continues to swing his head around a little more, his head might collide with his computer screen. The imagination made you chuckle a little bit while refusing to let out a loud giggle. Minhyuk turned his head a little to have a small glance of you, a smirk replacing his smile as he turned his head back to the front. Walking past the working space, Minhyuk kept giving a few people a small nod until a pretty annoyed person approached him. “ Yah! Lee Minhyuk did you brought the folder to Shownu-hyung already? I have to redo it, since Jooheon messed it up.” The man noticed you hiding behind Minhyuks back, his facial expression changed rapidly and a greeting smile was formed with his lips. Showing a little of his bright teeth. He turned his attention to you, ignoring the person next to you completely “ Ah Kihyun-ssi, this is our new coworker Y/N Y/L/N. From bow on she’ll be working with us.” Kihyun ignored the male after he finished the introduction and gave all his attention to you. “Yoo Kihyun, it’s nice to meet you. I’ll look forward to work with you.” He held out his hand for you to shake it, without trembling hands, you were able to take it. “It’s really nice meeting you Mr Yoo.” giving him a confident smile. “Oh you can call me Kihyun, you don’t have to be formal with me. For what job did you actually applied for, if I may ask?” Kihyun tried to start a little small talk with you, but Minhyuk grew inpatient and started to tap his foot on the ground. You noticed his tense body and gave Kihyun a quick response. “I applied for the job as a programmer.” you don’t wanted to be too impolite towards him, but the feeling in you, don’t wanted to let your new boss wait for you too long. Kihyun parted his lips to say something but got interrupted by Minhyuk.

“I’m really sorry Kihyun-ssi, but we have to leave. Mr Sohn is waiting for us.” Minhyuk grabbed you by the arm and guided you to the office of Mr Sohn. Kihyun stepped aside, avoiding to collide with you.  “ Let’s talk later Y/N-ssi! Minhyuk! Don’t forget the damn folder!” Kihyun shouted towards you. You smiled at him and earned the same gesture in return.

Walking as fast as you could, you reached the doors of Mr Sohn. Minhyuk knocked on the door twice until you heard a muffled “come in”. The doors were immediately opened by the man in front of you, revealing the inside of the office. Looking around the room, you noticed the familiar man sitting in front of his desk with a folder in his hands. He laid the documents to the side, ready to give you all his attention. The moment you made eye contact, a smile appeared and his eyes disappeared into thin lines, as if they were smiling at you too. You couldn’t help but smile in return.  It’s funny how everyone around you started to smile, the moment they laid their eyes on you.  “Hello Ms Y/N Y/L/N it’s nice to see you again. I hope Mr Lee was able to show you little around on your way here.” He stood up from his desk and greeted you the same way as the last time you guys met.

“Please take a seat.” He gestured towards the chair next to you, obeying you sat down. “Hello Mr Sohn, I’m happy to be here. I did took a few glances to look around and was able to have small conversations.” You replied. 

“I’m glad, I actually wanted to go through your schedule for today. There won’t be much, since you’ll be accompanying someone, who has the same profession as you for the first few weeks.So you can get a routine for yourself.” Explained the man in front of you. You only nodded throughout his explanation not knowing what to say exactly and scared to impolitely interrupting him.

“You will work beside Lim Changkyun, I already informed him about your arrival, so he must be prepared. Mr Lee will help you if you have any other questions not related to your task or if you need anything.” continued Mr Sohn. After nodding for the final time. You and your boss stood up simultaneously, Minhyuk and you followed the man in lead towards your new working space.  As you made your way, you noticed how the people around you started to look at you. Your cheeks started to turn pink from embarrassment. Soon you stopped in front of a desk, near a giant window, with an amazing view outside. Looking towards the desk again, you noticed the top of the head from a certain person. 

That must be Lim Changykun. 

“ Changkyun-ssi, this is Y/N Y/L/N, she’ll be your new partner. Please be kind and take good care of her.” stated Mr Sohn. The male looked up, his eyes switched between you and the man beside you. He stood up and introduced himself to you.

“Hello, my name is Lim Changkyun.” he didn’t seem amused by the fact he had to deal with someone new. But you brushed it off immediately despite the quick pain in your chest. You forced a smile out and introduced yourself again for the 4th time this day. Changkyun flinched for a second after you noticed how Minhyuk glared down at him and mouthing a Be nice, you idiot or do you wanna die?

“ We’ll leave you both alone, so you can actually get to know each other.” after that the both of you stayed alone. Changkyun sat back down on his chair, continuing with his work. You stood there, not knowing what to do, until Changkyun started to speak up. 

“You don’t have to stand there and look stupid. Take that seat and sit down next to me.” You obeyed and sat down next to him, keeping a healthy personal distance.  Let the fun begin!

[omgviolette12]

After Hours- Chapter 14

Previous Chapter

Chapters: 14/?

Words: 2400+

Warnings: None

Tags:  @milkymaidme @dangertoozmanykids101@alexakeyloveloki @little-moonbeam-666  @marvel-ous-fics@clovermariear@lynnesm@bitchyikes@moon-child-of-a-poet, @allthecraftandthings@bubblegumspitt @shockwavee @blondekel77 @nerd–nirvana @valdemarismynonbinarylove@nightrose64 @pastelhexmaniac @iistormii

If you’d like to be added, let me know. I’ve also posted this on AO3

------

Evelyn barely made it halfway down the hall, before she felt Loki’s large hand engulfing her wrist.

Screw him and his long ass legs.

By now the tears had long escaped her eyes, and she’d be damned if she let him see, lest she annoyed him even more.

“Evelyn! Why in the world are you -”

“ - Can I please...just go?” Her face was stubbornly turned away from his, as she attempted to keep her voice steady. But like he so nicely said a few minutes ago, she was easy to read.

"I will not let you go, especially if you're crying like this,"

Evelyn shrugged her hand out of his grip, surprising them both, "... I'm fine! Like you said, I'm too damn expressive. I'll get over it." She said that, but her voice wavered greatly due to tears.

"Please love, follow me back inside. My words were much harsher than intended...I admit that.”

He stepped closer, but she backed away in turn.

“You..you spoke to me like I was fucking slow. Like a child. How was I supposed to know you hated your sister’s fucking guts!”

Her tears flowed freely now, and Evelyn couldn’t help but feel more ashamed. She was always more sensitive than others, so whenever she was reprimanded, yelled at, or scolded in her younger days, tears would immediately follow.

Unfortunately, those feelings had yet to change.

“Evelyn, you are far from slow, and you are not a child. I.. I am sorry. That was not what I meant to imply.”

Loki wasn’t the warmest person in the first place, so he did not know how to comfort others through regular means, not to mention apologizing.

In fact, Evelyn was probably the first person he'd properly apologized to in years.

Simply because in the past he didn't give two shits how his blunt, unfiltered words affected others. If they understood his point, that was all that mattered.

But as a consequence, he caused the woman he cared for to cry.

“You said what you said, okay?” Evelyn sniffled, wiping the tears from her eyes, “I’m...I’m just gonna go home. I’ll grade the tests there,” she made her way past him to head back to the office. Loki immediately followed, his voice revealing a hint of frustration, “Please do not be like this,”

“Like what? Childish?” She picked up her bag that was lying on the couch once she reached inside, then gathered the pile of tests neatly into her hands, “I need a folder for these, by the way.”

Loki’s face hardened, “If you’re going to leave without speaking to me properly, then yes, you’re being childish. I apologized for how I phrased my words, but my point still stands.”

“Well... I got your point. But this was what you signed up for. An immature, clumsy mess of a woman. I can't keep secrets for shit, and I'm easy as hell to read. If you thought I'd be anything else...sorry to disappoint.”

Evelyn looked at him with mustered courage, holding out her hand, “A folder, please? Then I'll leave.”

She could see the gears practically working inside his head, as he stared at her outstretched hand with narrowed eyes.

It took a moment. And without warning, he reached out to grab her by the wrist.

Since the action was sudden, the tests she held against her chest with her free arm fluttered to the floor.

Loki pulled her against him, as he stared down into her widened, startled eyes,

“Immature and clumsy, you say?”

He laughed mirthlessly, and the sound of it sent a shiver down Evelyn's spine.

"My darling girl, while I am quite infatuated with you... I will only apologize just once. If you cannot sense my sincerity, then I am at a loss."

She attempted to pull back against his grip, but his hold remained firm, "I am not a gentle man, especially when I am this peeved. So yes, I spoke as if you were incompetent. And no, I will not do so again."

Loki brought his other hand up to her cheek, staring into her tear-filled eyes, "Because seeing you cry like this is discomforting. Any other time, I would have revelled to be the cause of it."

He let her go then. Unsurprisingly, Evelyn backed away immediately. "That's... that's a weird ass way to apologize..."

"Is it really? I've brought you to tears before, but at the time we both enjoyed the reasons why."

Evelyn was still hurt and put off, but she could not help the way her face heated at his suggestive words. She cleared her throat, hoping to bring her mind out the gutter, “...Anyway, the reason you’re so pissed is because of that lady, Hela. What’s the whole deal with that?”

At the mention of his sister’s name, a scornful expression quickly appeared on his face, “Must I explain? I was actually starting to forget about that horrid encounter.”

“Considering you hurt my feelings because of her, I think that’s pretty fair.”

Loki sighed in resignation. He did feel regretful, so it was the least he could do.

“Due to past...issues between us, she despises me, and the feeling is mutual. I am not sure why she came here personally after all this time, but I could only assume it was to make my life difficult. Evidently, I was correct.”

“Oh…” Evelyn chewed at her bottom lip, now feeling worried, “ I didn’t know it was like that...she won’t cause us any trouble, right? Like tell anyone about us, or..?”

“Not necessarily. While she’s certainly curious, I doubt she cares that much at the moment to take action. However...seeing her brought back unpleasant memories, and I imparted my agitation upon you,”

Evelyn did not step away this time when he moved toward her, and allowed him to slowly pull her into an embrace, “ I was worried about what she might have done and said to you if she discovered we were together, as she is still quite vengeful. I truly did not mean to patronize you.”

She listened patiently to his reasoning. Evelyn was clueless as to what kind of history the siblings shared, but it must be particularly bad to have affected his mood this much.

“As long as you know. I’m...I’m just really sensitive, and I hate being talked to like that in general. Especially by you.”

“I know, my dear. I will mind my tone in the future,”

He tightened his hold, kissing the top of her head, “How shall I make it up to you?”

Evelyn pulled away from him slowly, putting a smile on her face as she spoke quietly, “Um, I’ll think about it. But I just need some time to myself right now…”

Her heart dropped when his face transformed into a frown. Loki probably thought she was going to stay with him, but she needed space to evaluate how she currently felt. He apologized and she acknowledged that - but a part of her couldn’t help but still feel unsettled.

Loki fixed his expression immediately, his smile mirroring hers in its falsity, “If that is how you feel, then I won’t force you to stay. I will take you home,”

“Uh...actually, I want to walk home this time. It’s a nice evening out, so…”

Evelyn didn’t feel like riding in his car at the moment, especially with the tension currently between them. Aside from that, the fresh air would do good to clear her thoughts.

However, the look Loki gave her right then almost changed her mind.

Evelyn thought he was going to chastise her once more. But instead, Loki closed his eyes as he spoke in a deceptively calm manner,

“I am not entirely comfortable with you walking by yourself… especially since it has gotten late. But so be it,”

Before Evelyn could even breathe a sigh of relief, her professor interjected once more, “ Since that is the case, I will accompany you on your walk home.”

“What?” Her voice was louder than intended, but that was the last thing she expected him to say.

“Well, I mean, don’t you have work to do? And, like, I’ve walked home alone plenty of times, you don’t need to go out of your way…”

“You are my partner now. While I acknowledge your autonomy and independence, I prioritize your safety above all else.”

She became momentarily speechless, her mouth closing and opening as she tried to gather up another excuse, “Well, I mean, we can’t be seen walking together...and stuff. That might be suspicious right? Especially considering the whole thing with your sister…”

“Walking together is not a filthy act. We will be fine,”

Loki turned around to return to his desk, picking up his jacket from the hanger right next to it. He looked at the tests still strewn about on the floor, then back to Evelyn. “We will grade these...exams another time. With much focus. ”

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

“Do you walk this distance every day?” Loki said after a while, as he walked side by side with Evelyn. Well, they were side by side - but she insisted that they remain a reasonable distance apart from each other, despite the fact that they were no longer on campus.

Evelyn blamed it mostly on paranoia, but she was actually just feeling petty. If someone wronged her in any way, she held onto that resentment for at least a day or more. Even if they apologized.

So Loki accompanied her mostly in silence, as he probably sensed she was still feeling a bit bitter. If he thought that was childish, he made no indication that he thought so.

Evelyn jumped a bit, his voice pulling her from her thoughts, “Uhm...yeah. It’s not that bad, just a half an hour walk.”

“..It is no wonder you were always late for classes. Does your sister not drive?”

“She does...but I just like the scenery. And I’m good at speed-walking.”

At her answer, Loki’s brows furrowed.

While the area where Evelyn lived wasn’t all that bad, it wasn’t good either. The streets were covered in litter, with the odd stench here and there as they passed by the shops and delis. The only good aspect he observed was the abundance of trees since there was a park in the vicinity.

Loki frankly thought it was filthy, but he kept that bit to himself.

“It is...nice. I suppose.”

Evelyn didn’t seem to notice his disdain and only smiled faintly at his answer, “I mean, it could be better. But I try to enjoy the little beauty in things, Y’know?”

Loki remained quiet as she said so, his expression thoughtful at her words.

The rest of the walk continued in silence, and Evelyn only piped up once more when she saw that they reached her apartment.

"Well, we're here…" Evelyn stopped in front of the staircase leading up to the building, turning to face him. The air between them wasn't all that pleasant still, judging from his stiff posture.

There was an awkward silence between them now as they stared at each other, neither unsure of what to do next.

Did she kiss him goodbye now? No, she still felt off. Then a small hug?

While she pondered her options, Evelyn didn't see that her sister had exited the building, humming a tune as she did so.

Candice stopped right in her tracks once she saw the pair below the stairs.

"Uhh...Eve?"

Both Loki and Evelyn’s gazes shot up towards the stairs instantly at the sound of her voice.

“Wait...is this…?” Candice’s finger pointed to Loki, as she looked down at them in astonishment.

Evelyn was frozen, whilst Loki’s expression was rather hard to decipher.

“Is this professor Laufeyson?!” Candice shot down the steps in record time, her body radiating with excitement.

“I...um, yeah..?” Evelyn replied awkwardly, still shaken by Candice’s unexpected intrusion.

Candice didn’t seem to read the awkwardness in the air though, judging by her next words, “Holy crap, so it is? Well damn, he’s even finer in person -“

Before Evelyn could reply in aghast and embarrassment at her sister’s bold words, Loki piped up with confidence, unperturbed. “Candice, correct?” Loki held out his hand for a handshake, which she stared at for a moment before taking it, “ Your sister speaks much about you.”

“Oh does she now?” She quirked a brow in question in Evelyn’s direction, before looking back to Loki, “Well, I hope it was all good! She tells me a lot about you too, Mr. Laufeyson.”

“Then I assume Evelyn informed you about us? And please, just Loki is fine.”

Evelyn stood in silence, observing the two as she marinated in nervousness. The tension between her and Loki was already off as is with what happened, and she hoped Candice didn’t worsen it with her choice of words.

“Yeah, I know y’all seeing each other. Wanna come inside actually? I just made some dinner and you can join us. I wanna know more about how y’all met-”

Evelyn’s head whipped towards Candice. What now?

She interjected immediately in alarm at her sister’s chatter, “ I - Candice, hold up would you! Loki’s busy and he has to walk back, you can’t just -“

“If you would have me, then I shall join you.”  He looked towards Evelyn, her mouth still open after stopping mid-sentence, “ That is, if Evelyn is fine with that.”

“Of course she is! Right, Evie?”

Both of them turned to look at her for a response, and she couldn’t help but feel pressured. “I - of course I don’t mind… but weren’t you just about to leave Candice? And Loki...you don’t have to feel obligated to stay or anything,”

“I was just gonna take a lil jog. But nope, changed my mind!”

“I want to stay not out of obligation but to spend more time with you. This is far from bothersome.”

They spoke one after another, backing her into a corner. She had no good reason to argue, so Evelyn couldn’t help but eventually relent.

“I...okay. If it isn’t any trouble to you…”

“Let’s head inside then! I hope you like curry chicken Loki cause that’s all I made,”

“That sounds absolutely delightful,”

And so, Evelyn followed behind them helplessly as they trudged up the steps to her apartment, uncertainty piling inside her gut.

[desiree-harding-fic]

Broken Engagement Au (Chapter 1???)

“I’m not going to write another long fic while I already have a WIP,” I say through gritted teeth. “I’m not going to do it it’s a stupid decision and I’m not going to do it.”

So @fandomsnstuff is to blame for this and I can say that because she’s an incorrigible enabler, but here’s 1500 words of broken engagement because I can’t get over it.

CREDIT: Taako’s last name has been shamelessly stolen from Bureau of Badass by Chemicallywrit and miceenscene on Ao3, and @bureauofbadass on tumblr. Because it’s been my modern au name for Taako ever since I read that fic the first time, which, if you haven’t read it, drop everything and I’ll see you in a few days. Now that’s some writing.

Check the #broken engagement au tag on my blog for more snippets!

————————

“Angus?” Taako says mildly from behind his desk.

“Hmm??” The kid hums from where he’s hanging upside down off Taako’s ratty classroom couch in the corner. His glasses are half falling off his face, but he’s got a book held up a few inches from his nose anyway. The thing is, the book is right-side up.

“Whatcha doin’ there, kiddo?” Taako asks, marking through another sentence on the paper in front of him with a frown.

“Well, sir,” Angus starts in that tone that always makes Taako bite down on a grin, “I read them too fast right side up. I think my comprehension is suffering because the words go by too fast.”

“Bullshit,” Taako says, ignoring Angus’s language, sir! “Your comprehension is fine and you know it. You’re just a show-off nerd,” he teases.

“Says the one who had a powerpoint about LGBT influences in 16th Century literature ready last week for the eventuality that someone in your class called Mercutio ‘kinda gay,’”

“Hey, that was a good lesson –” Taako starts in, but the kid sits up abruptly on the couch, putting the book down and picking up his phone. Taako can hear another buzz of a message coming in as the kid is scrolling through it.

“My dad’s here, sir,” he says, “he’s on his way to the room now.”

“About time.” Taako puts the essay back in the section folder, slips it into his bag to grade when he gets home. The grading is endless. One of his least favorite parts of the job. Who needs grades anyway? All his kids are smart. Seems dumb to hold them all to the same arbitrary standard.

“I’m sorry for keeping you, sir,” Angus says, and he’s moved over to the desk he threw his backpack down on when he came into the room almost an hour ago. He looks a little unsure, and Taako curses himself silently in his head.

“It’s ok, kid,” he says, trying to make sure he sounds like he means it so Angus won’t feel bad, “I told you, it ain’t no thing for me to stay after a bit to talk to your old man.”

Angus is… a special case. Taako’s never had anything like him in a class before. Kid’s only just turned 12 years old and he’s already starting high school. A real whiz-kid, but it’s a tough world out there, high school being full of teenagers of all shapes, sizes, and personalities, for a literal kid –

Hence Taako.

He’s been teaching at Neverwinter Academy for almost four years now, grateful every second of the time that anyone deigned to give him a job (and thank the gods for Principal Davenport), much less at a premier private school where he’s largely allowed to make his own curriculum with only a few guidelines. It’s a good job. Taako likes it. It’s stable and it’s safe and no one’s going to die from Taako’s lecturing and he actually kind of has a knack with the kids, weirdly enough.

Hence Angus and Taako.

Neverwinter Secondary Academy has a mentorship program. Kids who seem to struggle a bit academically get paired with a faculty adviser to help see them through. Well Angus is anything but struggling – he’s gotten straight As on every assignment Taako’s given thus far – but all the same, Taako was contacted at the beginning of the year about the kid. He was placed right in the program anyway, not for academic reasons for once, but for social.

You have a knack for getting close to the students, Davenport’s email had read. While I see no reason why Angus shouldn’t succeed at NSA, he might have some difficulty adjusting socially. His parent originally contacted us about the idea, and I have to say I agree that giving Angus an extra support figure can only be beneficial.

Taako had agreed, of course; how could he say no? And meeting Angus had really cinched it. Kid’s only been in Taako’s class a little over a month, but he’s already maybe one of Taako’s favorite students, like, ever. Not that Taako plays favorites. He likes all his students just the same, thank you very much.

(Angus is definitely his favorite.)

It didn’t help that the kid’s a goofball smartass nerd, either, which is the exact archetype that makes up like… 98% of Taako’s family and close friends. It doesn’t help that he’s got a single parent keeping everything together at home based on the school records and the email chain back and forth. It doesn’t help that his dad, who he mentions about as often to Taako as people talk about like… the weather, seems like a really genuine guy who’s trying really hard based on the email chain they’ve had going. Angus’s dad set up the parent/teacher conference, even, to check in on how things are going, one-on-one with Angus’s adviser. It’s almost disgustingly practical and good and loving and it seems like everything in this kid’s entire life has been engineered to make Taako fuckin’ love him.

It’s really not fair. He teaches like 90 students. He’s not supposed to have favorites.

And yet.

There’s a knock on Taako’s door and they both look up, Angus smiling immediately, which definitely isn’t cute, Taako, Christ, and Taako gets up from his desk and smooths his shirt out. He dressed normal today and everything. He knows the kids like his… eccentric style, but parents? Parents are always a different game. And knowing he was about to meet Angus’s dad today gave him pause that morning. Still. The soft blue button down and slacks are a touch rumpled from a day’s work. He could look better.

He gets up and goes to the door, Angus trailing along behind.

*****

Neverwinter Secondary Academy could be a maze for all Kravitz’s skill navigating his way to Angus’s classroom, which is of course the farthest from the front office that any in this place could be, surely, and he’s already late after being kept at work, and he’s sure that Angus’s teacher is at the very least unimpressed with him and more likely annoyed, which is just what he needed -

He finally finds his way, sees the sign reading T. Peynirci, and he takes a moment to smooth out the wrinkles in his jacket from the day (which of course does no good because it never does), before he raises his hand and knocks on Mr. Peynirci’s door.

And Taako opens it.

“Ah,” Taako says, and then nothing else, his hand hovering in midair where it was clearly extended for a handshake -

“Dad!” Angus says, “this is my adviser and English teacher, Mr. Peynirci,” and there’s a little bit of a sneer in it that Kravitz doesn’t know the context for, “Taako, this is my dad.” And it’s exactly how an introduction should go, all crossed t’s and dotted i’s -

And Kravitz’s brain is on high alert, emergency sirens blaring.

And his first thought, infuriatingly, is how good Taako looks, now, still, after all this time. Which is ridiculous because Kravitz can hardly recognize him (he’s wearing glasses, for Christ’s sake) and also because he hasn’t seen Taako in over twelve years and he’s supposed to be past those thoughts by now -

The second thought is who on Earth entrusted Taako with the care and keeping (and the education) of a bunch of impressionable teenagers, much less his son’s mental, emotional, and social well-being -

The third thought is that Angus is right there and Kravitz has been staring blankly at Taako for what is likely about to become a second too long -

“Nice to meet you, Mr. Peynirci,” he says, reaching out and shaking Taako’s hand, though he doesn’t want to touch him, does he? (He does, he does so much.) Nice to meet you, he says, and he shakes Taako’s hand, and he can feel his grip, too tight, can see, perfectly, the moment Taako’s eyes go from shocked and awed to empty, except for a spark, just a spark of malice, right there. He regrets everything.

“Likewise, Mr. McDonald,” Taako says, releasing Kravitz’s hand, and Kravitz nearly winces from it. Because it was one thing, wasn’t it, to make the decision to pretend that Taako was a stranger, but it’s another to be on the receiving end of it, to see Taako introducing himself as though he’s going to trip over Kravitz’s very name, as though he’s never had to say it out loud before this moment. As though Taako didn’t spend years falling asleep and waking up beside Kravitz, didn’t spend years going out and pressing himself against Kravitz in dim bars, tipsy and warm. As though he didn’t spend a year wearing a ring Kravitz selected for him, and sized to fit just so. As though he didn’t almost take that name and make it his own.

“Let’s sit down, shall we?” Taako says, and he smiles without any of his teeth.

[softjeon]

namjin + secret agents

— GENRE; fluff | — PAIRING; Jin x Namjoon | — DISCLAIMER; mentioning of weapons | — Wordcount; 2k | — written with @cassiavioletblue

“So, that’s why I need you both on that case.”

Namjoon closed his eyes for a moment, trying to process the words of his superior as his brain tried to catch on. “With him?” He asked, pointing at the ‘wide-shouldered, way too good looking but hyper aware of it and so annoying’ guy next to him. “Sir, I understand your concerns, but my partner is…”

“Kim Seokjin for this case.” He lifted his hand, motioning for Namjoon to be quiet, “I need Jimin on a different case. You’ll have him back in no time, as soon as you guys figured this out.”

“But it could take months,” Namjoon mumbled, but he wasn’t heard, when his boss left them with the folders filled with everything they knew until now and keys; one for a new car and one for the apartment they were moving into. 

Seokjin just observed it all, with a smug smile on his face. This could be very interesting. He’s heard a lot of good things about the other agent - but there were also some rumours that he could get too into his head in cases and then fall over his own two feet. He was dying to find out which was true, the rumors were Kim Namjoon was basically undefeatable - or the other ones. “Guess all you can do is move in with me and hope we’ll be quick.” He answered before taking the house key out of the envelope. “What do you think our furnishing will be, honey?”

Namjoon made a gagging noise, before smiling at his partner. “Everything but pink.” He took the other stuff, before following the agent, ignoring the stares of their colleagues who probably couldn’t wait to start rumors. Namjoon let his gaze drop and only when he noticed that it stopped on a noticeable piece of ass that was swinging back and forth right before him, he straightened up again. How was he supposed to survive this?

“On top of that, I think it’s furnished already. Let’s just go through the files, okay? Just tell me all the facts, our names…what we are…if we’re students or…” He stored the box in the trunk, before opening the car door to get in. 

“Of course it is furnished. You didn’t think we would have to go shopping, did you? How many partnered missions did you do again? Or was it always Jimin taking care of everything? He is awfully sweet and caring, isn’t he.” Jin didn’t even turn towards Namjoon, just ruffled through the files. “Well… we are married, of course.” He gave Namjoon a quick once over. This detail actually wasn’t too hard to play he could imagine himself falling for someone like Namjoon easily. “We recently moved because of your job which is … a professor.” He turned around the paper. “That’s actually all there is. I bet they still haven’t decided on what’s your profession yet. Last time I didn’t get my profession for two days after the mission officially started. You would think something like this can’t happen at a job like ours.” 

“Probably something with IT, or Philosophy, Chemistry or Astrology…or maybe social studies.” Namjoon shrugged his shoulders, “I’ll manage until I know for sure.” Turning the steering wheel, Namjoon pulled them into the road, eyes widening when he saw the beautiful surroundings. A little too beautiful. Too perfect. 

Jin’s brows rose as he looked at the other questioningly. Naturally all of the agents were able to adapt quickly but playing a professor in chemistry wasn’t something you could just do without preparation. Philosophy was easier, not because the studies itself were actually easier but because most people had no idea what actual philosophy courses were about. “We’ll see then,” He murmured to himself before their arrival distracted him. “Oh, it’s really pretty!” It was a small house with pastel yellow paint on the outside and a rose arch at the front. The garden was small but well kept and there were colourful Zinnias sprinkled across the grass. 

Namjoon got around the car, eyes scanning the neighborhood quickly, “Yeah, it’s…pretty, I guess. What does the file say about you?” He opened up the trunk of their car, when a sudden voice behind them startled him.  

“Oh, are you our new neighbors?” The voice of an old lady made both of the agents turn around with perfect smiles on their faces. “I heard they finally sold the house. I am so happy to see new faces around here.” She laughed, holding her hand out for both of them to reach, when she noticed the ring on Jin’s finger. “Oh my, that’s gorgeous…and huge.” She gawked and Namjoon almost stumbled back, when he saw the monstrous thing around his fake husbands finger. How the hell did he manage to get it on so quickly? Namjoon gulped, a strained smile on his face, while he was staring at disbelief at the huge ring that was glistening in the sun. He quickly shook himself out of his stupor, when he realized that Jin was talking about him, putting his arm around his waist as he tried to keep up with all the details Jin was giving away from their fake marriage.  

“...so happy to be here and such a lovely welcome! Maybe we can do a little party to get to know all the neighbours? I’m really got at cooking, something my husband appreciates too. We’ve been together for three years now and he never complained about my cooking ever! Who can say that about their husbands!” He winked and the old lady chuckled, “Oh we should exchange recipes then! I have some old and traditional ones from my family that no one really uses anymore nowadays I’m sure you will like them!” Before Namjoon knew Jin and their neighbour were talking about cooking ingredients while Jin sprinkled some fake memories and incidents in the mix that Namjoon definitely hadn’t read about like the time that he had apparently gotten ‘food poisoning during their honeymoon‘ from eating oysters.

Namjoon’s smile turned more and more strained, nodding and laughing in a fake manner whenever Jin was telling some anecdotes. He was glad when they woman finally said goodbye, inviting them for dinner that night. “Seriously?” Namjoon asked, but didn’t really expected an answer when they returned to unpacking their stuff. 

The house was just as perfect from the inside as it looked from the outside and only one room that was still empty, gave away where they could store their guns, weapons, and cameras and everything else they needed. Namjoon eyed Jin from the corner of his eyes, while the other was getting used to around the house. He couldn’t deny that he was handsome, and his physique was definitely out of this world. Tiny waist, broad shoulders. Something that Namjoon really liked about a man. “I’m going to take a shower.” Namjoon announced, when Jin was taking out pans, seemingly wanting to prepare dinner. He wasn’t sure if he would only cook for himself or for the both of them. “Let’s get to work then, shall we?”

“Yeah, you can take a shower, then we’ll have dinner and then we can start to set up all the things we need and start working. It’s no use doing all that on an empty stomach especially as we officially start tomorrow.” Namjoon was already out the door so he wasn’t sure how much his partner had heard but he was sticking to his plan anyway. He was just tasting the vegetables when Namjoon came back out, wearing nothing but a towel. It hung so low on his hips that Jin was sure he could see the start of Namjoon’s happy trail and he froze, with the fork still in his mouth, staring and daydreaming about his partner’s dreamy body.

Namjoon was ruffling through his wet hair, when he noticed Jin’s frozen state and his eyes staring down his body. His expression turned darker, the smile forming into a smirk. He was taking slow steps, until he was right in front of Jin, taking the fork from him as he leaned over to take something to taste for himself. Namjoon made sure to keep close, blowing on to the steamy food with his gaze fixated on Jin. “Like what you see?” He chuckled low.

Jin quickly shook himself out of his stupor and answered casually, “Actually I was worried about my own safety, considering that you got three bullet wounds on you? Do you mind telling me how you got them? Or is it classified?” He had two of his own so he shouldn’t tease Namjoon like that but the other couldn’t know that and who said he was out to play fair. 

“When Jimin and I got into a tricky situation, they were threatening to shoot him. And you know him, he would have never stop whining about his wounds destroying the imagery of his flawless skin. So, I took it. Every single one of them.” Namjoon said, as he leaned in to whisper it into his ear. “Believe me, I would never let anyone hurt my husband.”

He wasn’t sure if Namjoon was telling the truth but he believed that the other would actually do such a thing, especially for Jimin. The other was just as deadly as they were but somehow with his soft looks and innocent smile he easily convinced other that he was a fragile being that needed to be protected. Not other agents though which meant if Namjoon had taken a bullet for him it had been his own decision not some kind of manipulation. “Oh? Does that include me now as I’m posing as your husband this time? I can promise you I’d whine as well if something would hurt my pretty face.” He totally meant it because having an obvious scar in your face could ruin your career as a special agent. People noticed scars which was a great disadvantage if trying to to blend in was part of your job.

Namjoon brought his hand up, lifting Jin’s face with one finger as if to examine him. “Yeah, it’s…kind of pretty, definitely.” He smiled cheekily, before turning more serious and his voice darker, making sure that Jin was following him. “No matter how much you annoy me sometimes with your dumb ass jokes. You’re my partner now and I will protect you with my life.” Namjoon didn’t even blink, “And I might like your pretty face, so…if anyone touches it, i’ll break every single bone in their body.”

That definitely wasn’t what Jin had expected so instead of some joke or witty remark there was silence for a moment. He swallowed hard, trying to get his eyes away from where they had dropped to the other’s lips (which was just a natural response if someone came that close and tipped your face up, right?) and then hurried to get the food out of the oven. “Then you can see this as payment for your protection service...” He said a little breathless before taking out a generous portion and placing it on a plate for Namjoon to eat.

Namjoon’s eyebrows cocked up cheekily, when he looked down, watching Jin bend down for the oven and coming back up again, showing up perfectly for him. “Hm, I like that food,” He hummed, while his eyes kept fixated on his bottom, not even sharing a glance to the (almost just as delicious looking food).

“You’re already totally in character, are you? With being my husband and all. Do you think we should make a little show for the neighbours? Like leaving the curtains open and just staying on the couch, watching some movie and making out?” The little tingle at the back of his spine told him that he was more excited about his suggestion than about the case itself.

“It’s our job, right?” Namjoon asked, following Jin, who was bringing the food to the living room. “We just do our job, making them believe…nothing more.” He smiled, wrapping his arms around Jin’s waist, when the other had placed everything down, leaning in to whisper into his ear. “It’s what husbands do, right?

“Actually.. I can think of a few more things that husbands do. But we can discuss them tonight ... in the bedroom if you like.” With a promising smile he leaned into Namjoons hold and gave him the first kiss of the evening.

[caddy-whump-us]

Can you imagine that someone out there might be illegally training and selling box boys? The scandal! These little custom, boutique operations should be monitored more closely… (Or maybe not.) This is a bit of “Riddle’s” backstory. More to come later.

---

“And there he is, right on schedule.”

The man in the back seat of the car leaned forward, up between the two front seats. Across the street, a clutch of students spilled down the steps of the lecture hall, laughing among themselves. 

The man in the passenger seat was shuffling through a folder of papers.

“According to the paperwork, this one doesn’t have blue eyes,” he said. “My understanding was that the client had requested blue eyes.”

“Yes,” the driver said, “but you ought to see the eyes this one has--light eyes, still. Given what I know about our client, he’ll be just as happy with this one as another. This one is a better match for other characteristics.”

“Height does look good,” the man in the backseat said. “I mean, how long does our client want to wait, really?”

“Well, then, Shall we?”

---

So maybe he was spoiled, walking back from class to his apartment like this. Not his own apartment, sure. More like one quarter his apartment, but still a decent place to be for a few years. Kind of hip and cool. More or less. No cinderblock walls, anyway. Pretty lucky for that. Sure, exposed brick and all would be better, but it’s not cinderblock. But fuck it if no one ever did the dishes--

“Hey, Gravesby, hold up.”

Simon was waving at him, trotting along the sidewalk to catch up to him.

“Seriously, why doesn’t anyone call me Oliver?” Oliver (Gravesby, whatever) said.

“Because there’s like three other Olivers in our year and it’s not that big of a school, so you’re Gravesby and fuck you I’m making it stick. You doing anything for fall break?”

They set off along the sidewalk (warped with tree roots plowing under for decades, dusted with gold slivered leaves from the willow oaks overhead).

“Yeah, like four papers. Which sucks. I’m majoring in English because I want to read shit, not write shit.”

“Wait, don’t you want a PhD eventually? You’re gonna write a lotta shit, my dude.”

“Yeah, but that’ll be shit I’m actually interested in. I really fucking hate Milton. You doing anything?”

“I think I’m sticking around here too. Wanna go for pizza or something during the break? If you can stop typing that long.”

“Sure, yeah, sounds good.”

“Cool, cool. I’m meeting someone down at the union. Catch up with you later?”

“Yeah, sure--text me or whatever.”

Simon turned and trotted off, down the hill and away. Oliver (Gravesby wasn’t so bad a nickname, was it? Kind of spooky, kind of weird.) kept on along towards the student apartments just at the edge of campus.

---

Gravesby saw but didn’t see the man getting out of the passenger side of the car parked along the main drag along the north side of campus. Looked like a townie, maybe an alum. Not old at all, but definitely not young enough to be an undergrad. Grad student? Assistant prof? Maybe--hard maybe. Shitty place to park, though. He thought no more of it or him and walked on. 

The man walked along behind him; no big deal, people walk all over this campus. But it was that speed, that irritating speed where you can tell someone is behind you and you wish they’d either slow down or just fucking pass. But, no, they’re just going to walk right there in your blind spot at the same speed as you and just a little too close. What the hell?

There was a car pulled nose-out into the alley beside the taco shop. Another shitty place to park. Gravesby passed in front of it, gave the driver a wave of thanks for not running him over, and walked on. The car pulled out just as he passed.

That guy was still walking behind him. The fuck, guy?

The next alley up was too narrow for anything beside a bicycle (maybe a moped) to get through, but down at the end, perpendicular to the alley, pulled up as close as it could be, was a car. Weird. Gravesby looked at it, turned away, looked at it again. Blue car again?

There’s lots of blue cars in this town, damn. Way to be fucking paranoid, my dude. 

Yeah, but blue with tinted windows? Taco alley car had tinted windows, like, maybe too dark to be legal. Harder to tell with this one but definitely tinted windows.

He reached for his phone.

The man behind him finally decided to pass him, thank fuck. But as he did, he slammed against Gravesby’s shoulder, knocking him off-balance, knocking his phone out of his hand, and sending him a few steps closer to the mouth of the alleyway. 

“Ooh, wow, sorry about that,” Gravesby said, holding up his hands.

The man smiled at him. “No, no, my fault entirely.”

Gravesby nodded, giving a stiff smile in return, and turned to walk away.

And at that moment, the man rushed him, pushing him back into the alleyway with the flat side of a laptop case, driving him backwards into the dark of the alley.

Someone grabbed the strap of Gravesby’s bag and pulled. He turned to see the driver of the taco alley car holding on to the strap and someone else climbing out of the car. They pushed him against the brick wall and stood around him. Murals of jungle leaves and puzzle pieces soared above them.

Gravesby held up his hands, abject surrender. “If you want money, I’ve got basically none but you can have it. Phone, laptop, whatever--you can have it. PIN number. If you want me to withdraw everything in my bank account--” He was babbling, and shaking against the wall.

The three men around him all seemed so well-dressed, so professorial with their oxford cloth shirts. One was wearing wire-rimmed glasses. Another one was wearing an honest-to-fuck necktie. They could be adjunct professors or librarians, easy. Not the sort of people you’d think would corner anyone in a dark alley (holy shit, that is exactly what happened).

The one wearing the tie pushed him back against the wall, hard. Gravesby pressed himself against the bricks, palms flat against them. 

The one wearing glasses finally spoke. “Mr. Gravesby, we need you to come with us.”

“I don’t know who you are,” Gravesby answered, barely above a whisper.

The one in front of him jammed a hand against his throat, slamming him back against the wall. His grip tightened and Gravesby began to struggle and kick in earnest. 

But as soon as he kicked out, one of them caught his leg by the ankle and hoisted him up onto the toes of his other foot. The other caught up his other foot behind the knee and took him completely off his feet. He flailed, trying to catch hold of anything, with the hand still around his throat, but all he caught hold of were the tweed lapels of one of the three men, who quickly and calmly caught Gravesby up under the arms. 

Now pulled between them, caught arm and leg, he twisted, he wriggled, more like a caught fish or a worm. He should have screamed, he knew that, but struggling took up too much energy and too much thought. They carried him between them towards the car at the end of the alley. The one who caught him by the throat (finally letting go) hurried ahead of them and opened the back door of the car. Feet first, they pulled and jammed Gravesby into the back seat.

Now--and Gravesby tried to catch hold of the car’s roof, just above the open door, to try and pull himself out, to try and pull himself free. But there was nothing to hold to there; his fingers slipped across the metal with a squeal. 

The driver was back in the front seat, starting the engine. The back seat was more confined, and Gravesby was pushing against the man who had his feet, reaching for the open door, even pushing up against the roof, anything to make himself too much trouble to keep. No good: the man who held his feet was wrapping his ankles in duct tape and the back door closed and locked.

Still: Gravesby sprawled across the lap of the man beside him, reaching for the door handle, only to be pushed back, down, and away.

The car pulled away, down a side road, and away.

Gravesby was still kicking at the man taping up his ankles and didn’t pay enough attention to the one on his other side who caught hold of his arms and twisted them up, around, and behind him. A quick pull and Gravesby shouted at the pain, and stopped struggling (for a moment). Long enough, though, to find his wrists being wrapped in zip ties. He still wriggled against them.

The man with the tape caught Gravesby by the shoulders and shook him, shoving him into the middle of the backseat and holding him there. Everything was still for a moment: Gravesby, panting with the effort of it all, stared at the man who held him by his shirt-front and face. In the meantime, the other one had taken out a pair of silver scissors and started hacking at the strap of Gravesby’s bag--which broke the stillness.

Gravesby whirled around to see the scissors working away. “Hey, don’t cut my bag--that’s my shit!”

The other one gave him a quick slap across the face--enough to surprise, not enough to hurt. 

They tossed his bag into the front seat of the car.

Nearly to the interstate now. And Gravesby finally felt adrenaline turn into fear. “What the fuck. What the fuck.” He looked down at his taped-up ankles, breathing hard, trying not to vomit. “What the fuck. What the fuck.”

One of them was rubbing the back of his neck gently. It did nothing to soothe him.

“Nothing to worry about,” the driver said. And Gravesby looked up to meet his eyes in the rearview mirror. 

“You’ve got a long road ahead of you,” he went on, “so we’re going to need you to calm down. All right?”

“Here,” the man beside him said, holding out a paper cup with a pale blue pill in the bottom and a bottle of water.

“The fuck is it?”

“Just Xanax,” he said. “Nothing to be afraid of.”

“Bull fucking shit.”

“Mr. Gravesby, it could have been Rohypnol,” the driver said. “And I’m completely prepared to prepare something that require injection if that’s what will be required.”

“Just take it, son,” the third man said.

“Fucking--no?” 

The third man shrugged, reached over and covered Gravesby’s mouth with one hand and pinched his nose shut with the other. Gravesby twisted under his hands: no air, no breath, and no chance to take a breath before he’d clamped down his hands. 

Just as his chest began to burn, the man took his hand off Gravesby’s mouth. Gravesby gasped for air, mouth wide open, and suddenly tasted something bitter and chalky--the pill; he’d thrown the pill in his mouth in that split second, followed by a fast splash of water. The hand went back over his mouth, but now, at least, he let go of Gravesby’s nose. 

“Swallow it,” he said, calm and patient, into Gravesby’s ear and Gravesby shook his head.

“Swallow it,” he said again, beginning to pull along Gravesby’s throat like he was a dog refusing to take his medicine. “Come on now. Swallow it.”

Though he fought as long as he could, he did, finally, swallow the pill and the mouthful of water.

“Thatta boy,” the man said, finally taking his hand off Gravesby’s mouth. He gave his shoulder a shake, paternal, friendly.

“Need another drink?” the man with the bottle asked, holding it in front of Gravesby’s nose.

Gravesby eyed it suspiciously: bottled water, commercial label. Fine: he leaned over and put his mouth on it, took a drink, another, a third. 

“Got enough for now?” the man asked. 

Gravesby eyed him sidelong and nodded.

“You did add the Rohypnol to the water, though, didn’t you?” the driver asked.

“Of course,” the man with the bottle answered.

Gravesby looked at each one of the three of them in turn: the man with the bottle, the man beside him, the driver. His mouth hung open; nothing to say. 

“Then we’re off,” the driver said.

And the man beside him pulled a pillowcase over Gravesby’s head. And they all three waited.

[golbrocklovely]

the chosen daughter // colby brock - chapter four

A/N: hey yall! life update: i have a job now! it’s part time, thank god, and so far i don’t completely hate it, which is good. hopefully it won’t get too hectic, but we shall see. anyway, i hope you are liking this series so far. let me know what you think about it. also lmk if you want to be added to the taglist. hope you enjoy this chapter. alrighty, i’ll see yall later :)

story description

taglist: @far-to-many-bands , @idfk-tbh-oops , @muted-mayham , @ughwhyislifesohard , @justtanerd , @ashyoungxblood ,  @cmburgos

trigger warning: cursing, being hunted??, mentions of killing/murder

word count: 1693

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

My apartment had been trashed, everything torn up and thrown all over the place. Sam stayed with me for two hours, scoping it out and making sure everything was back in its place.

Nothing of mines was taken. It just looked like someone broke in to make a mess and leave.

Sam believed it was vamp. I wasn’t sure what to think.

After barely getting any sleep, I wasn’t too excited to go to work. But at least I would be surrounded by people and not by myself, left alone to think of what could have broken in.

I filled Ronnie in on some of my crazy adventures from the past two-ish days.

“How is it you have all the fun on your days off?” Ronnie whined, cleaning a glass.

I scoffed. “I highly doubt getting almost killed by a vampire, and then having one break into my place ‘fun’, Ronnie.”

“At least it’s more interesting than me laying around and watching Real Housewives.” She joked. “So, all of these guys work at Trapp Haus and that’s how you met them?”

I nodded. “Yeah. Got my own connection which is how I was able to skip the line that usually wraps around the whole block.”

“I swear I’ve never heard of any of them before. Are they all bartenders or something?” She asked, starting a new order.

“Um, I think some of them are.” I lied. “One or two might work in the business side of the place, since they’re vamps.”

“I’ll have to go there next human night. Colby sounds pretty hot.” Ronnie smirked.

“I mean he is, but he’s kinda a dick.” I huffed.

“Well, all the hot ones are. Besides, he does have a soft side: he did save you.”

“I guess so…”

The night moved slowly, not too many patrons on a Sunday-Monday evening. I was so happy to finally have my break, being able to step outside and get some fresh air.

I took a deep breath as I looked up into the night sky.

What the fuck had my life turn into?

I shook my head, leaning my back against the brick wall of the bar. I stared into the parking lot, my eyes fixating on the dark. Through the trees that surrounded the lot, I saw the outline of a man.

I squinted my eyes, trying to see if I was seeing things. The figured disappeared as I blinked. I relaxed a little, annoyed at my own paranoia.

Maybe I am going crazy…

I stood up and went to walk back in. As I went to open the door, I heard a low growl come from behind me.

The hair on the back of my neck shot up. I could feel a presence behind me. I didn’t want to turn around, but I knew I had to. I twisted around slowly, my heartbeat speeding up faster and faster.

Nothing was behind me.

I looked around, my anxiety still at its peak. I knew I heard something; but nothing, no one, was there.

I spun back around. A man stood in front of the door. All I could see of him was his glowing red eyes and shiny fangs. He jumped forward with his hands reaching for my neck. A scream ripped from my throat.

I fell to the ground with a loud thump. He was no longer around me, I was alone once again. I scrambled back onto my feet, glancing hastily at the parking lot. I heard a dark chuckle come from the darkness. My eyes widen as I yanked the door opened and slammed it shut, locking it tight. I leaned my back against the door, trying to catch my breath.

He reminded me of someone, but I couldn’t think of who.

I ran to Roger’s office, needing an answer. There was a drawer in his desk, where all the receipts were kept from every night. Roger was very meticulous about it. I grabbed the folder from the previous night I worked. I flipped through all of them until I landed on the one I knew it had to be.

Cyrus Gladstone.

He was Blondie’s… Jasper’s… friend. He knew.

Jasper was dead. And he knew I was the one that got him killed.

Fuck.

I pulled my cell phone out of my pocket, dialing the only number I knew could help me.

“Sam… I need you again.”

~ \/ \/ ~

"How many tips did you make tonight?" I asked, counting out mine again.

Ronnie sighed. "About $20. You?"

"$35." I muttered.

"Ugh, that's not fair. I swear, your blood must smell like a fucking bakery with how many tips you get." She laughed.

"Ain't I lucky." I hissed jokingly.

The door to the bar rang open. Both Ronnie and I sighed. "Sorry, we're closed."

"I'm not here for a drink." A deep voice replied, stepping around the corner.

I turned to face the voice and realized who it was. "Colby..."

"That's Colby?" Ronnie exclaimed quietly. She leaned closer to my ear. "Holy shit he's hot."

"Shhh." I elbowed her lightly, turning back to Colby. "Uh, hey. Are you here to escort me home?"

"Actually, I'm taking you back to our place.” He informed, his hands sliding into his pockets.

I raised my eyebrows at him. "Oh? Okay."

"I'll see you later, Jade. Have fun." Ronnie mumbled, smirking at me and walking to the back to grab her stuff.

"Uh, let's head out." I nodded my head at Colby, slinging my bag over me.

As we walked into the parking lot, Colby stopped me. "Are we really gonna take your car to the club? It's only a couple blocks down."

I scoffed. "I'm sorry... what do you expect me to do? I can't leave my car here."

"Running would be faster." He stated.

"If I was also a vampire." I fumed.

Colby growled, his fangs prominent. "I could turn you into one."

"Shut up and just get in my car." I retorted.

I opened my car door and slid into the seat. Colby stood in the parking lot, glaring at me.

"Are you getting in or not?" I huffed.

He didn't respond.

Who pissed in his Cheerios today?

I rolled my eyes, driving away. "Whatever. I'll meet you back at the Trapp Haus."

I glanced at my rear view mirror, seeing Colby was already gone. I drove, the streets being close to empty since it was so late. I finally got to the Trapp Haus, pulling into the parking lot. Colby had his back rested against the entrance, scrolling through his phone.

I alarmed my car and strolled up to him. "Why exactly am I here?"

"Sam wanted to talk with me and you. That's all he's told me." He remarked. I followed him up the apartment. Walking in, Sam sat on one of the couches, looking up at us.

"Oh good, I was wondering when you were getting here." Sam spoke, smiling.

"So... what do you gotta tell us?" Colby asked.

"Well, I think we have all concluded that Cyrus is after you because of Jasper's death.” Sam admitted.

I nodded my head. “Yeah.”

“He's most likely the person that broke into your apartment. He's trying to get inside your head. Make you feel uncomfortable and nervous.” Sam responded, stepping towards us.

“So, he's playing with his food?” Colby smirked.

Sam and I both glared at him. “Colby... really?”

His lips folded into a tight line. “Sorry.”

Sam sighed. “Anyway, because of this, I want you to stay here until we can hunt him down and kill him.”

“What?” Colby questioned, his arms crossing.

“Dude, let's be honest here. She's not safe. And unless you want to stand guard at her place until he comes a-knocking, it would just be better if she was here.” Sam argued, turning to Colby.

“No, it wouldn't.” Colby grabbed Sam’s arm, pulling him away from me. “Don't you think we've done enough?”

“How?” Sam inquired.

“How are we gonna find where he is? Unless he's living in LA, which may not be the case, he could be anywhere. Are you expecting me to run around the whole fucking city looking for him?” Colby ranted, his voice deep.

Sam scoffed. “What else are we supposed to do? Leave Jade for dead?”

“Yes! We've already done enough. We’ve never gone this far for someone unless they're family. And she's not.”

My heart dropped as Colby's eyes landed on me. They were cold. Unfriendly.

“We can't leave her now. I won't leave her now.” Sam objected.

“We don't even know if he's hunting her. He could just be dicking around.” Colby hissed.

“Or he could be hunting her. We don't know Jasper and Cyrus’ relationship. If someone killed me, you would hunt them down.” Sam stated.

Colby paused for a second, rolling his eyes. “Fine. But how long is she gonna be here?”

“Until you find out where he is.” Sam smirked.

Colby groaned. “Do you wanna give me a clue as to where he could be?”

“Mike talked to a couple of his buddies on the south side. Apparently that where he likes to hang out at. So, snoop around, see what comes up.” Sam replied. He then turned to me. “Jade?”

I cleared my throat. “Yeah?”

“You're gonna sleep in my room until this is all sorted out.” He explained.

I stammered. “No. I can sleep-”

Sam cut me off. “I insist. Besides, it won't be the first time I've fallen asleep on the couch. I'm gonna go get you some clothes to change into. Tomorrow I'll head over with you to your place and we'll pick up some of your stuff.”

I smiled lightly. “Okay.”

Sam left to go into his room. I stared at Colby as he sat down on the couch, sighing deeply.

I stepped over to him, staying a few feet away.

He finally glanced up at me. "What?"

"You really hate me that much." I knew it was true.

My eyes never left his. He just looked at me with an almost sad glimmer.

"Jade?" Sam called.

"Coming." I answered, turning my head away from Colby.

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