#but it literally just occurred to me that i could just go out to bars in costume. Hooooly fuckkk

[aretarers]

Holy fuck. I just realized i can go to bars on halloween Oh my god

[parfaitblogs]

false god ❀ s. reid x reader

in which spencer (literally) cannot wait to show you how pretty he thinks you are tonight. 

pairing: spencer reid x fem!reader genre: smut (18+ mdni) tags: established relationship. public stuff. fingering. the team is there. readers wearing a skirt. he looooves you. they're at a bar. kinda soft dom!spence but like only if you squint. i have never posted smut before if im missing tags tell meee word count: 1.9k a/n: biting the bullet. posting smut (shudders). i have a singular roman empire and it is spencer reid plus fingering. i think about it sooo often. i do not think he would be the type to actually do this in public so yes it is self indulgent yes u can all call me crazy!! idgaf!!! i feel like the pacing in this is kinda weird pls forgive i never write smut :< if it's bad don't tell me let me be blissfully ignorant thank YEW!!

You were pretty sure there was something wrong with him (Spencer Reid). Something fundamentally broken in his brain, because he had not said a word to you that made sense from the second he picked you up from your apartment that evening. 

A lot of 'mhm's' and 'yeah's', which from maybe any other man would be normal, was not from him. He didn't speak incredibly eloquently, per se. But he did always respond to you in sentences. He liked to talk, so this lack of it was concerning you. 

He was seated next to you, in the booth Penelope Garcia had scouted out the second she stepped foot into the bar you were all meeting at. It was supposed to be a simple evening. Some drinks, some talking, winding down after the awful case you had just come back from. Spencer's lack of talking had you feeling anything but (simple). 

"Are you okay?" you had asked him when half the team stood up to go purchase the second round of drinks for everyone, and he wordlessly nodded his head, staring at the glass of water on the table in front of him, condensation sweating down to the wood. 

He wasn't. But there was only so much you could do for him when he was shutting down, especially in a public setting, so you nodded your own head, and settled into conversation with JJ instead. 

His hand found your thigh at some point during the conversation, and while you had flinched at its first contact, you didn't think much of it — he was never one for huge displays of affection, but he loved having his hands on you. An act as simple as a hand on your back had you swooning now, because you knew in his mind, he was thinking everything there was to possibly think about you. 

What you did think much of, was the way it crept higher as the team returned with drinks, and the noise from your booth got louder as conversations clashed with each other. 

Your head turned to the side, eyebrows furrowing, but he was still staring at his half-drank glass of water, with no real expression on his face. Frustratingly so.

He was never cruel, you learned. It was why his next action didn't occur until you had finished your sentence to JJ, as if to prevent what would've been your vocal chords tightening and lifting the octave of your voice as you spoke. 

It was such a featherlike touch it was hardly there, and you probably wouldn't have noticed it if he didn't do it again. And again. And again. One of his fingers brushing delicately over the centre of your underwear in a quick swiping motion, that had your head snapping to the side, meeting his jawline and his unwavering gaze with his glass of water. 

"Spencer," you muttered, and it was only then did he tilt his head down to look at you, raising an eyebrow. "What are you doing?"

His hand wrapped around the side of your inner thigh and tugged you across the seat, closer to him, his head ducking down to speak. 

"You're really pretty," he murmured, and your eyebrows only furrowed further at that.

"Thank you," you decided to say. "But what are you doing?"

"I just wanna touch you. Is that okay?"

You were silent for a moment. Maybe a moment too long, because he was already pulling his hand off your thigh, nodding his head.

"I mean, yes," you quickly say, catching his wrist before it could stray too far. "I was just confused where this was coming from."

"I really like the skirt," he explained, and your lips parted and an amused huff of air left them. Of course.

"Me too."

"Need you to wear it more often," he then said, his hand finding its way back between your thighs. "Please?"

"Maybe," you said, because it was all you could say, considering he was moving things along a little bit faster now that you had consented (not that you think you would've denied it). 

His ministrations were small enough that you could keep your voice steady as you kept conversation going with JJ, but firm enough that you squirmed every thirty seconds. He, on the other hand, was acting as though he was doing nothing to you, engaged in a conversation about the origins of pasta, with David Rossi. 

"I mean, in Greek mythology, it suggests that the Greek god Vulcan invented a device that made strings of dough. Which could be classified as the first spaghetti," he said, and at the same time, his fingers slipped beneath your underwear, brushing over your embarrassingly wet folds. 

You watched him stiffen, only because you had killed your conversation with JJ with one too many 'uh-huh's', and his jaw locked.

You were merely observant as he circled your clit a few times, until you were picking up your drink and forcing yourself to sip on it in order to keep your mouth busy — instead of releasing a moan that you really didn't want the team to hear. 

His gaze flicked to you for only half a second, and you met his eyes with an embarrassingly desperate look, and he laughed, oh so quietly, before a finger slipped into you. 

It was so gentle you thought you would go insane, and he rested the finger there for a few seconds as he responded to an argument Rossi had made about the Italian's inventing bolognese or whatever. You weren't really listening. 

The internal war you were dealing with; a pool of fiery butterflies in your stomach and the constant screaming to stay quiet in your brain was a stark contrast to Spencer's relaxed state. Because he had lazily began to move his finger like it was Sunday morning and he was easing you awake, and not in the middle of a Virginia bar with conversations amongst the team happening around you. 

You hated him for that.

Your hips squirmed when he crooked his finger, and your free hand bolted to his wrist, holding his hand still just before he could do it again, and elicit a sound from you.

The second Rossi had become immersed in something Morgan had said, Spencer's gaze was returning to you, an amused smile stretched across his lips. 

"You okay, honey?" he murmured, ducking his face down to kiss your cheek, heat blossoming on the spot. 

"I am trying so hard not to make a noise," you said, and he smiled, and you could feel it against your skin, wonderfully so.

"And you're doing an excellent job of it."

"You know, if you just took me to the bathroom..." you trailed off, eyes flickering up to him. 

"Not happening. Do you know how many germs are in public bathrooms?"

"Probably as many as the seat you're currently fingering me on," you hissed, voice hushed. 

At that, he pushed the heel of his hand against your clit, and you choked out a mewl. 

"I can stop," he said, though it didn't come out as a warning. You knew he only offered it because he would get the reaction of you violently shaking your head. "Right. No bathroom."

"No bathroom," you agreed with a flip of your stomach. 

His attention was captured by a conversation again, and with it, his finger began moving again. He was moving it with such an expertise that if this was any other situation you'd be impressed. Unfortunately, you were a little preoccupied with trying not to make a sound to appreciate how well he knew your body. 

Lazy pumps of his finger had you reeling and he was hardly doing anything, which was definitely going to be embarrassing to think about later on when he brings this up. Like you knew he would. 

Your A+ streak of making no noise was interrupted — quite rudely — by him slipping another finger in, the uncomfortable stretch that only lasted a second eliciting a whimper you couldn't keep to yourself. His eyebrows shot up and you were thankful Rossi had not been looking at him when his gaze rested on you again, and that the music in the bar was loud enough to drown out the sound to anyone who wasn't listening for it. 

"Too much?" he asked, but the second you felt him slowly pulling that second finger back, you were shaking your head, nails digging into the wrist that you still had captured. 

"No. It's not. Promise."

He smiled, and wordlessly nodded his head as he allowed the finger to straighten inside of you. Then, he moved them in and out of you a few times, achingly slowly. 

"Spencer," you breathed out, frustrated. 

"Yes, angel?"

"Can you please... just... go faster," you bit out, heat flushing your cheeks. Again.

"That would make it obvious," he answered, and you let out a huff of air. You knew he was right. "But," he added, upon detecting your annoyance. "I can do this."

He was once again proving how well he knew your body, because his thumb so easily found your clit, and circled it in a way that shot sparks up through your body.

"Yes you can," you agreed, nodding your head eagerly, and he breathed out a chuckle.

It seemed to be a lot easier to do that fast enough and hide what he was doing to you at the same time, because his fingers bent upwards at the same time he flicked his thumb over your clit, and whatever self-control you thought you had was swindled.

Your teeth bit down on the disintegrating paper straw, just to stop the moan that caught in the base of your throat from leaving it, and at that, he did it again. 

Spencer Reid was good at a lot of things. Making you come from the lightest of touches seemed to be joining that long list. Your head buried itself into the forearm of the hand that was touching you, at the same time he used it to push your hips back into the seat when they had begun to lift upwards. 

"You're making it obvious," he said to you, and what you're sure would've been a wonderfully eloquent argument died in your throat when he flicked your clit again. 

"I can't," you managed to get out, shaking your head as your fingers dug perhaps a little too hard into his wrist. 

"No?" he mused, though didn't stop his movements. You shook your head. He smiled. "So you want me to stop?"

"No."

"Mm, you're conflicting yourself, angel," he said, and you groaned for more than just how he was making you feel because you knew that. 

You bit down on his arm through his shirt to silence another moan when he pushed his fingers in a little harder than before, and if it hurt, he didn't say anything. You decided it must not have, because he repeated that movement. 

You were fighting against the need to squirm as your stomach tightened. And he must've figured out what was happening, because he masked your incandescent need to moan by using his opposite hand to entangle within your hair, bringing your face into his chest, acting as a hug to anyone who could see you. 

"There you go," he murmured, awfully gently, in your ear, as your walls fluttered around his fingers. 

You weren't sure if you were imagining your hips jerking until he was slipping his fingers out of you and pushing them down into the seat again.

He wiped his fingers against his pants, and your lips parted, eyes staring at him, dumbfounded. 

"What?" 

You shook your head, regaining a little self control as you settled down. "Nothing. I'm wearing this skirt again, though."

"Good."

your reblogs and replies are always appreciated dearly ♡

[willowsnook]

Devils Bachelor

Heyyy can I get roast beef and thousand island on sourdough? from @wusyanamegirlfriend

luke hughes x childhoodbsf!reader

I wanted it to be you

It was a warm late-spring day as you walked back from the grocery store, a quick stop after work to pick up ingredients for your usual Tuesday night with Luke. Tonight’s menu was a salmon Cobb salad you’d perfected last week. These evenings were the highlight of your week, and the fact that Luke always made time for you, despite his busy schedule, meant more than you could say.

You’d been best friends since childhood, but you assumed that life — especially his NHL career — might eventually pull you in different directions. Yet a year after he was drafted, he’d practically begged you to find work in New Jersey. You’d landed a position in a biology lab, and the rest was history.

Letting yourself in, you found Luke and his brother, Jack, locked in a chaotic video game match. Luke glanced over and flashed you his usual sweet smile.

“Staying for dinner, Jack?” you asked, unloading the groceries.

“If you’ll have me. Don’t want to intrude on date night,” he teased, laughing as Luke shoved him back onto the couch.

If only, you thought wistfully.

Dinner was filled with laughter and chatter about work, the boys listening intently as you shared your day.

“Has Luke told you about his new media obligation?” Jack asked, smirking.

“No, what is it?”

“They want me to be the ‘Devils Bachelor,’” Luke explained casually, rolling his eyes. “Basically, they’ll set me up with influencers and other women until I find ‘the one.’”

You froze, unable to keep the irritation from your voice. “Is that so?”

Jack snickered, but Luke, oblivious as always, simply nodded. “Yeah, actually. Do you think you could help me pick something to wear?” At this, Jack burst out laughing, and Luke shot him a confused look, “What?”

“Nothing, man,” Jack said, slapping him on the back and shooting you a wink.

Jack left after dinner, and you sat on the couch, half paying attention to the movie Luke had put on, swirling your wine in the glass mindlessly. 

“You okay?” Luke asked, watching you closely.

Forcing a smile, you nodded. “Just tired. I think I’ll head home.”

He frowned; you never left early on Tuesdays. Walking you to the door, he pulled you into a hug, his arms warm and familiar.

“See you later, yeah? I’ll have to tell you how the dates go.” Your heart ached, but you pushed it aside, knowing he truly was clueless.

“Great,” you mumbled, stepping away. You wished you could be brave enough to tell him how you felt — but vulnerability was hard.

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

You tried to busy yourself the next day to avoid thinking about Luke going out with other girls, but it was hard. It had never really occurred to you that he goes on dates, as he hadn’t since he had lived here. The two of you were so domestic together that it literally felt like he was cheating on you even though he really wasn’t. 

Lost in thought, you nearly bumped into Jack, who was waiting outside of your building.

“Jack! What are you doing here?”

“Thought you could use a drink,” he said, giving you a warm grin. You appreciated his care and agreed, following him to a quiet bar nearby.

Settling into a booth, you sipped your drink as Jack spoke. “I told him not to tell you about the dates,” he said, looking you in the eye.

You groaned. “He’s going to think something’s up!”

“Y/N, he already thinks something’s up,” Jack deadpanned, explaining that Luke was worried you were mad at him. “I told him it was ‘complicated,’” Jack added with a smirk.

“Jack…” you groaned, putting your head in your hands.

“Speak of the devil, he just texted me about the date.”

Your head snapped up, “what did he say?” 

“He said it went alright, but he was annoyed that the girl didn’t want to order two entrees and share both,” he read off, and you laughed. Luke always insisted that you do that when the two of you ate somewhere, but you didn’t mind. 

Jack smirked at you before typing something quickly. 

“What’d you say?”

“I said, ‘you mean like y/n does?’”

“Jack!” You hissed. Jack put his phone down and looked at you. 

“Why are we doing this y/n?” Why won’t you just tell him? He’s in love with you even if he doesn’t realize it,” Jack said softly and you sighed, looking away. 

“That’s the thing, even if it’s true and he doesn’t realize it, what would happen if I confessed?” 

“Maybe it would be the push he needs,” Jack countered and you smiled sadly. 

“I can’t risk our friendship on a maybe.” 

Luke’s POV

“What’s with you today?” Jack asked, watching Luke take a break from his set. They were at the training facility to get a workout in, but Luke had been off all morning.

“Y/N’s been avoiding me since last week,” he muttered. “She just won’t talk to me.”

Jack gave him an amused look, thinking about how literally anyone could put two and two together. Maybe he just needed a little push. 

“How are the dates going?” he asked, changing the subject.

Luke shrugged. “A waste of time, honestly. None of them are really meshing.” To Jack's clear amusement, he went on about one who didn’t like sports and another who had never heard of Happy Gilmore.

“So let me get this straight,” Jack said, barely holding back a laugh. “The reasons none of them worked were… they wouldn’t split food with you, didn’t like sports, or hadn’t seen Happy Gilmore? Unlike Y/N, who does all that?”

Luke’s brows knit together. “Huh… that is kinda weird.”

Jack threw his hands up. “I love you, man, but sometimes you are so clueless.”

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

After you had destroyed the Taco Bell you had ordered, you were just about to settle in and keep watching Drive to Survive when you heard banging on your door. You debated not answering, as it was 9pm and you were wearing sweats and just a sports bra, but this person persisted, so you got up. 

You sighed and opened it, expecting a neighbor. Instead, Luke stood there in a suit, looking a little disheveled.

“Can I come in?” he asked, and you stepped aside, letting him through.

He paced in your living room, running a hand through his curls. “You know where I’m supposed to be right now?” he asked, and you shook your head.

“I was supposed to be at that Italian place by the water. The big finale date for the whole ‘Bachelor’ thing.” He stopped, his gaze intense.

“Why aren’t you there?” you asked softly.

“I got there… and saw her waiting… and all I could think was how badly I wanted it to be you. I wanted to have dinner with you by the water, order shrimp scampi and lasagna, split both dishes. I wanted you there, telling me about some crazy future you put on the college football championship. I wanted you because you’re the one who gets me. I just… I just wanted it to be you.”

Luke’s breathing was heavy as he finished, and you stood there, speechless.

For a moment, you just stared at him, your heart pounding in your chest. All the little moments between you two flashed through your mind—every Tuesday night dinner, every laugh, every secret look you’d tried to brush aside. You’d waited so long to hear these words, but now that they were out in the open, you felt almost paralyzed by the intensity of it.

Luke took a step closer, his eyes searching yours. “I know I’m slow, okay? I know I’ve probably missed a thousand signs and chances. But standing there tonight… all I wanted was you.”

The vulnerability in his gaze melted any hesitation you still had. Gathering your courage, you took a breath and whispered, “It’s always been you, Luke. I just… I didn’t want to risk losing you if you didn’t feel the same.”

He reached out, brushing a stray hair behind your ear, his hand lingering at your cheek. “I’d never let that happen. You’re my best friend. But more than that…” He trailed off, his thumb grazing your cheek. “You’re everything.”

With his face inches from yours, you could barely breathe, but your heart answered for you. You leaned up and closed the gap, feeling his lips meet yours in a soft, unhurried kiss that spoke of all the moments you’d both been too afraid to admit. It was warm, familiar, and electric all at once, as though something that had been waiting years to begin had finally, perfectly, fallen into place.

When you pulled back, he kept his forehead resting against yours, eyes closed as he took a steadying breath. A small, slightly nervous smile crept onto his face. “Guess we’re going to have to relabel Tuesday as the official date night, huh?”

[parkersbliss]

omg can i request 141 (separately ofc) with a reader that can sing? like they come home to the reader lost in the song and they're just standing there like 🫨 literally blown away lol

omg yeah of course you can!! this is so domestic and cutesy thank you 🤲🩷

pairing: task force 141 (ghost, gaz, price, soap) x female reader 

warnings: none pure fluff!! soap being like in love ? that should be a warning cause he’s so damn cute thanks xxx

a/n: the songs I put in here and definitely the ones that came on while I was writing LOL. is it obvious who’s my favorite? I feel like it is 😔

Masterlist | Taglist | Prompt List

—

Price: 

Price can hear the music outside your house as he stops at the door. He shakes his head, hoping the neighbors couldn’t hear it at least. He unlocks the door and is hit with something he never expected: you singing. 

“Every time he smiles I let him again!” You sang. Price stands there, dumbfounded as you sing along with Bridget Mendler. He’s starstruck, lips parted and hand stroking his beard as he watches you. Your voice fluctuates with each note, pitching high or low with the song. He never knew you could sing. He’d been out to karaoke bars with you, but you always denied going up. He can’t understand how when you sound like this. 

“Everything is fine when… JESUS!” You scream at the sight of your boyfriend just staring at you. 

“When Jesus?” Price chuckled.

You have a hand over your heart. “Don’t sneak up on me like that.” 

Price ignores what you said, more focused on what he just witnessed. “Can’t believe you’ve been hiding this from me.” 

“Hiding what?” 

“Your voice. You ‘ought to be on stage, love.” You feel heat rush to your cheeks at the comment. He takes a seat on the couch, grabbing your hand. “C’mon, don’t stop on the account of me. I want to hear more since you won’t sing at karaoke. Humble of you to not embarrass everyone else.” He kisses your knuckles, gazing into your eyes.

You laugh at him, grabbing the TV remote. That was totally the reason you didn’t sing at the karaoke bars. You flip through the videos, humming. “Got any song suggestions?”

Price smiles. “Plenty for you.” 

Ghost: 

Ghost sighs, dropping his bags outside your doorstep. His hand fidgets in his pocket, searching for the house key. He was eager to get back to you, having been away for what felt like years (it was only a few months). Honestly, he was always eager to come home now, knowing you were waiting with a warm hug and his favorite food. 

He fishes the key from his pocket, unlocks the door, and grabs his bag. The scent of your home floods him, vanilla candles and freshly baked bread. For a second, he just breathes in the familiar air of his flat and then there’s you. 

He blinks, watching you completely unaware of his arrival. You’re in the kitchen, one of his old shirts and a whisk in hand singing. 

It suddenly occurs to Ghost, that he’s never heard you sing. He loves you in all ways, so normally he’d say he’s biased but by god, are you an angel? 

Your voice is melodic, matching the pitch with the singer perfectly and carrying like it was effortless. You should be on Broadway, hell you should be on a tour! How could you have kept this from him? 

You finally turn around, singing into your whisk, and jump when you see him. “Simon!” 

His mouth opened and closed, balaclava discarded as soon as he was home. “You can sing?” He asked stupidly. 

You drop the whisk into the bowl, fighting the heat in your cheeks as you step towards your beloved boyfriend. “Yeah.” 

He embraces you, swaying side to side. “How come I was unaware of this?” 

You shrug, looking at him. “You never took me to karaoke night.” 

He laughs, a sound you missed for months. “Oh, love, I will be taking you to all karaoke nights from now on. You have the voice of an angel.”

You beam at him. “You think so?” 

Simon kisses your forehead. “I know so.” 

Gaz: 

Gaz fidgets with the lock pad on your door, carrying your takeout order in one hand as he presses the code in. He’s expecting the sound of your dog barking to greet him, but his met with something even better — your voice. He drops the takeout on the kitchen table, listening to you. He’s not sure where you are, maybe the bedroom but he doesn’t want to interrupt you. 

You're belting out Honeymoon Avenue by Ariana Grande, and he swears you might be her. Your voice blends together, you don’t miss a note and you hit the vibratos with an impeccable ease. 

He shakes his head, smiling to himself. How was it that someone like him landed someone with a voice like that? Gaz thinks he might just sit in the kitchen listening to you sing forever. He could die standing here with you in his ear and he would die a happy man, for sure. Your voice gets louder and you round the corner. 

He just smiles at you, watching your eyebrows furrow in shock but continuing to finish out the song. 

“Coasting like crazy, can we get back to the way it was!” You sing, watching Gaz’s starstruck gaze. “When we were on honeymoon avenue.” You grab his hands, jumping and singing somehow still not faltering and making him dance with you. 

“You like that?” You giggled, as the song closed out. 

“I didn’t know you could sing.” 

“I think we ALL sing,” You joke, watching Gaz roll his eyes at your reference. 

“Darling, how did I get someone so perfect as you?” He asked, wrapping you in his arms.

You look past him at the takeout bag. “By fetching me food that’s how.” 

“If I keep doing so will you keep singing for me?” 

You kiss him softly. “Oh, baby I will always sing for you.”

Soap: 

Soap is a man in love. He knows this, you know this, the 141 knows this. Anyone with a pair of eyes would know this. He can’t help it, you’re literally just the light out of his life. His eyes spark to life and his smile nearly doubles in size when he sees you. 

Everything about you is perfect. You could do no wrong to him. In fact, you could run him over with your car and he would profusely apologize to you for even being in the way.

He’s that whipped for you. And the man knows everything about you. He’s got a list on his phone with your go-to order from every restaurant, your favorite color, ice cream flavors, all of it! Nothing gets past him. 

Except this. 

Soap is stood in the middle of your entryway, grocery bags in hand, and jaw on the floor. Here you were, his love, wrapping in one of his blankets, with a TV remote and karaoke. The thing was, he couldn’t tell it was karaoke. You were flawless in the delivery of the song, your pronunciations clear, every high and low note flowing through you like it was nothing. 

Again, he already thought you were perfect but his was a whole new level. Your voice was silky smoothing, making him weak in the knees. You couldn’t get more perfect, but here you are. 

“Baby,” He said. “You didn’t tell me you were a singer.” 

You turn around to face him, a bit startled. “You’re back!”

“And you sing!” 

You pause the karaoke. “Surprise?”

He sets the groceries on the floor, walking over to you. “You’re so perfect, you know? And you keep getting better and better.”

“Babe,” You whine at his words. He had a way of making you feel so loved with just that. 

He grabs the remote from you. “Wanna do a duet?” 

You grin and wrap your blanket around you both. “The day I say no to that is the day I’m dead.” 

[differentpostrebel]

Lost and Found: A Pirates Promise

Chapter 50: Not Enough

This part when he finds out about pudding and the truth makes me so sad, like I just want to hold him.

A/N:  And we are back at it again with another chapter! This is the most gut wrenching chapter I have written by far, as temptation and weakness occurred. This will quite literally shape the whole dynamic, remember that pudding is 21 for this fanfiction. And when I tell you shit is hitting fans as we speak! we got a bunch of POVs, Sanji, Y/N, Nami, and Ichiji. Thank you guys so much for following, reading, commenting, liking and reblogging this fic! I love writing it so i'm glad you guys are enjoying it too! Now without further ado let the adventure begin! 

Sanji x Reader, One Piece X Reader, Sanji X Y/N

Nami POV… 

“Let me go! You bastard!” Luffy gritted his teeth, struggling against the bindings that kept him trapped. The frustration in his voice was palpable. “Hey, warty head! Let me out! I gotta go save Y/N and wait for Sanji!” He kept biting at the bars of the cell, his desperation only fueling my own.

“Oh, fancy seeing you here! What’s the occasion, Pudding?” said one of the guards, sneering as he looked at her.

“Pudding?” I repeated, my heart racing. “Good, now get us out of here! He’s making me mad!”  urged Luffy, glancing at me, who was still trying to shake free.

“Could you open the book? I need to say something to Luffy and Nami before the wedding,” she said, making her way inside.

“Pudding…” I began, but her sad demeanor halted my words.

“This has gone all wrong,” she said, her voice tinged with sorrow.

“Hey, what gives? We went to the coast just like you said! And in turn, Y/N got taken!” Luffy’s frustration boiled over.

“Shhh, Luffy,” I hushed him, trying to keep the situation under control. “Pudding, just tell us what’s going on.”

“My brothers and sisters… they’ve done terrible things to you,” she continued, her tone heavy with regret. “I’m sorry… I’m sorry I couldn’t make it to the coast like I promised…”

“We don’t blame you; just pick your head up,” I said, though doubts crept into my mind. Y/N always thought something was off about Pudding. She wasn't even mean, was she?

“There’s something I need to tell you… the truth is… I met with Sanji, and he proposed to me…” Her confession hit us like a thunderclap, leaving us all in shock.

“He made me so happy…” Pudding continued, but her smile looked forced, as if she were trying to convince herself. “But still, I know Sanji said that to be nice to me, and I’m not the only one he truly wants… he wants that prin—”

She hesitated, her expression shifting. “He wants Y/N,” she finished, her smile still plastered on her face, but there was something unsettling about it.

“That’s odd,” I thought, glancing at Luffy, who looked just as confused.

“But you don’t have to worry. I’m not going to marry him… listen… I plan… to kill Sanji and Y/N…” Her words sliced through the air, and I felt my heart drop. Tears brimmed my eyes as the weight of her revelation sank in.

“What…” I whispered, disbelief coursing through me.

“So Y/N was right about you…” I murmured again, my voice barely audible.

“Pudding, wait!” Luffy shouted, trying to make sense of it all, but it was too late.

“Well, goodbye,” she said coldly, turning on her heel and walking away from the cell, leaving us in a cloud of confusion and dread.

Ichiji POV…

"I can't believe you, idiot!" I growled, glaring at Yonji, who had once again disrupted my evening with Y/N. The frustration was palpable as we made our way to our room on the 6th floor. "This is like the third time you've interrupted!" I said, still fuming.

Yonji just laughed it off. "Relax, besides, after the wedding, you'll have plenty of time to enjoy yourselves," he said with a smirk. "Now comes the important matter—your bachelor party." He raised an eyebrow, clearly enjoying his role as the instigator.

"Has anyone seen Reiju?" Yonji asked, glancing around.

"No clue," I muttered, still annoyed. "Guess she had something to take care of."

"Black tea or green tea! Choose, please!" sang the animated teapots, bustling about.

"I'd rather have some booze, really," said Niji, sitting down in one of the chairs, causing the teas to freeze in shock.

"But like if you had to choose..." they asked hesitantly.

"Black," Niji answered, and the black tea cheered. 

"Anyway, here's the real question: Where are Sanji and his nutty wife going to live after their wedding?" Yonji asked, mischief twinkling in his eyes. "And on top of that, where are you and your wife going to live, Ichiji?"

"Sanji and Pudding will live in Germa, of course. And as for me and Y/N, we'll also live in Germa," I said confidently, knowing my place in the family’s grand scheme.

"Good. That'll give me plenty of time for payback when it comes to Sanji," Yonji said, laughing as if already plotting his revenge.

"Sanji's wife is collateral," Father added, stepping into the conversation. "We'll keep her as a hostage, just in case our demands aren't met. After all, we are dealing with pirates."

"Ichiji's wife-to-be is also a pirate, Dad," Niji chimed in, leaning back with an amused grin.

"She's... a different element," Father replied, his tone more measured. "She's far too valuable to us."

"Nice, you're really on top of things," Yonji said, smirking as he exchanged a glance with Niji.

"What if Big Mom wants to keep Sanji as her hostage?" Niji asked, throwing the question out casually.

"What the hell are you saying, Niji? Sanji is useless as a hostage. Even if Big Mom were to take him, no one would give a damn," I said firmly, annoyed at the thought.

Yonji burst into laughter. "It’s going to be fun… having our little brother around," he said, grinning from ear to ear.

Niji smirked, leaning forward. "Speaking of which, Ichiji, are you going to finally claim your wife-to-be?"

I shot Niji a sharp glare, but this time, a smirk played on my lips. The challenge was there, lingering between us, but I wasn't about to let anyone push me into anything, especially not when it came to Y/N. The thought of her kept my mind sharp and my control intact. I was about to retort when there was a knock at the door.

"That's probably Ichiji's fiancée," Yonji teased, his smirk widening. "'Don’t keep her waiting,' remember?" he added.

I straightened up, casting a sideways glance at him. "Maybe it is her," I said coolly, though my pulse quickened. "We were rudely interrupted, after all."

I opened the door, expecting Y/N—perhaps ready to finish what we started—but instead, a group of women stood there. Their faces were painted with flirtatious smiles, and one of them purred, "We're the barmaids, here for the bachelor party."

"Yonji!" I growled, realizing his plan. He clearly had this all set up.

Yonji grinned widely, leaning back in his chair. "Relax, Ichiji. Let loose for once. Besides, have some fun." He waved the women inside, and they wasted no time entering the room, their voices giggling as they settled in.

"You know I don’t have time for this," I muttered, glancing at Niji and our father, who were already eyeing the drinks being poured by the barmaids. The room filled with laughter and the clink of glasses as the drinks began to flow. Soon another set of barmaids walked in. 

"Loosen up," Niji chimed in, swirling his glass. "It’s a bachelor party, not a funeral. Y/N will still be there after this."

I sat down reluctantly, my mind still on Y/N. The drinks came around, and despite my initial irritation, I took one. I wasn’t about to let them think I couldn’t handle myself, but I also had no intention of fully indulging.

"Besides," Yonji continued, smirking as a barmaid flirted with him, "you might as well enjoy this while you can. After the wedding, things will change, won’t they, Ichiji?"

I raised an eyebrow, taking a sip of my drink. "I’m more than capable of handling whatever comes after the wedding," I said, my tone calm but laced with warning. "Including her."

"That’s the spirit!" Niji laughed, raising his glass in a mock toast.

The night carried on, filled with laughter and teasing, but through it all, my thoughts never strayed far from Y/N. No matter how many drinks they pushed my way or how many barmaids tried to capture my attention, my mind kept circling back to her. The night may have been for celebrating, but I knew my real focus lay elsewhere.

As Yonji, Niji, and even Father indulged more, I maintained my distance, never allowing myself to be fully caught up in the revelry. I watched, calculated, and waited. The drinks may have flowed, but my control remained unshaken. This was just another part of the game, and I always played to win.

Soon enough, I’d make my way back to her. And when I did, it would be on my terms.

Y/N POV… 

The silence of my room felt unnerving. As I stared up at the ceiling, the storm outside seemed to mirror the turbulence in my chest. I was about to hit the shower when a knock echoed through the quiet. "That’s probably Reiju," I muttered to myself, heading toward the door. But as I opened it, there was no one there.

"Strange..." I murmured, closing the door and locking it, trying to shake off the unease crawling up my spine. The storm outside crackled with lightning, the flashes illuminating the room briefly, casting long, eerie shadows. "Damn storm," I whispered, feeling the unsettling weight of being alone pressing in on me. As I started to remove my dress, another knock came.

This time, irritation boiled in my chest. "I swear if this is a prank..." I thought, frustration evident in my steps as I opened the door again. Still, no one was there. I glanced to my left, then to my right, noticing Sanji’s room door slightly ajar.

Sanji… He had been avoiding me since that night, the night we were intimate. I thought back to the moments we shared, moments that felt raw and real. But he had vanished afterward, leaving me wondering what went wrong. My heart sank with the weight of those unanswered questions.

I made my way toward his room, each step heavy with dread and a stubborn flicker of hope that maybe—just maybe—I’d find solace, reassurance. But as I pushed the door open and stepped inside, my heart plummeted.

There, under the soft glow of the dim light, was Sanji. But he wasn’t alone. Pudding was there, entangled with him, her arms wrapped around his neck, her lips pressed against his in a way that shattered everything I held dear. My world tilted, and every ounce of trust and warmth I had for him crumbled.

Her voice, soft and breathy, broke the silence as she moaned his name, “Sanji…” Her tone was filled with a smugness that felt like a dagger to my heart. 

My breath caught, my entire body numb with the mix of emotions tearing through me—rage, betrayal, heartbreak—all crashing over me like a violent storm. My legs trembled, threatening to give way beneath me, but I forced myself to stand firm, even as my heart bled. I backed away, my foot catching on something, and the quiet sound echoed in the stillness of the room.

Pudding’s eyes flicked toward me, and to my horror, a smug smile crept onto her lips, as if she’d been waiting for this moment, relishing in my devastation. But Sanji… His face was a mask of horror, his eyes wide and stricken as they locked onto mine, pleading in a way that made my anger burn even hotter.

“Y/N… it’s… it’s not what it looks like,” he stammered, his voice shaking as he scrambled up, fumbling to button his black slacks, his hands unsteady as though he were desperate to undo this nightmare. His mouth opened and closed, at a loss for words that might somehow salvage what was already broken.

My hand moved instinctively to the blade on my thigh, my fingers gripping the hilt tightly as my heart twisted with a fury so intense it hurt. The blade responded, glowing faintly with a green hue—just like when Sabo and I last spoke back in Dressrosa. It was as if the weapon knew my pain, shared in it, amplified the strength I needed to stand my ground.

Sanji took a step toward me, his face wracked with anguish, his hand reaching out. “Princess…” he whispered, his tone soft, broken, as if he could mend me with that single word.

But the sound of it only made the hurt sharper, cutting into me like glass. I slapped him before I even registered the movement, my palm connecting with his cheek in a burst of pent-up pain and fury.

“Don’t call me that!” I spat, my voice razor-sharp, laced with venom.

Sanji staggered, his face a mix of shock and shame, his eyes wide as he held a hand to his cheek where my slap had landed. His mouth opened, his voice faltering. “Y/N, please… let me explain. It’s not… I—”

I didn’t want to hear his excuses. The ache in my chest had become a burning pit of anger. “I hope it was worth it, Sanji. I trusted you. I loved you,” I choked out, each word searing with betrayal. “But clearly, I was never enough. Was I?”

“No, it’s not like that!” His voice was desperate, pleading, but I was past caring. His explanations, his apologies—they meant nothing now.I stormed out of his room, my hands trembling as I made my way back to mine. But Sanji was right behind me, hot on my trail, refusing to let me walk away.

Just as I was about to close my door, he barged in, locking it behind him. "Get out!" I yelled, not wanting to be near him.

"Not until you hear me out!" he pleaded, his voice a mixture of desperation and frustration.

"Fine, then I'll leave," I spat, turning toward the balcony. The rain was pouring heavily now, the storm at its peak. I stepped outside, feeling the cold rain drench me immediately, but it was nothing compared to the storm raging inside me.

"Y/N, what are you doing?" Sanji called after me, his voice cracking with panic.

But I didn’t respond. My left hand clenched tightly, my body vibrating with energy and fury, and without thinking, I leaped into the air, landing firmly on the soaked ground below. The rain fell in sheets, quickly soaking me to the bone, but I didn’t care. I turned back, my chest heaving with hurt and anger, the cold rain mixing with the hot tears that had finally spilled over.

"Y/N!" Sanji’s voice echoed as he leaped down after me, his figure drenched in the downpour.

I turned and ran, not knowing where, but knowing I needed to get away. Away from him, away from the pain. Away from everything.

As I ran, my heart raced with a mix of emotions. The cold rain slapped against my skin, but it couldn’t wash away the betrayal I felt. Just as I rounded a corner, I felt a hand grip my arm, yanking me back with force. I stumbled, turning to find Sanji’s intense gaze locked onto mine.

“Y/N!” he gasped, breathless. “Please, just listen to me.”

I pulled my arm away, my heart pounding in my chest. “What more could you possibly say, Sanji?” I snapped, my voice trembling with the weight of my hurt. “You just... you just betrayed me!”

“I know,” he replied, his voice a mix of desperation and pain. “It was a moment of weakness. I didn’t mean for it to happen. Please, I’m begging you… just forgive me.”

“Forgive you?” I scoffed, anger flaring inside me like a wildfire. “After what I saw? You think I can just forget about it?”

The rain continued to pour around us, lightning flashing above, casting a fleeting purple hue across his face. I could see the devastation etched into his features, a broken man standing before me, vulnerable and remorseful. The sight was painful, almost enough to soften my heart, but I couldn’t let it.

“And on top of that,” I began, my voice breaking slightly, “you left me alone that night… after we were intimate.” I swallowed hard, my mind piecing together the puzzle. “Oh god, you were with her that night too, weren’t you? You left me, and you never came back. So everything you told me… everything we had, was a lie…” I whispered, the realization hitting me harder than I expected. “Zoro was right…” The words slipped from my mouth, barely audible, but Sanji caught wind of it immediately.

“Zoro?” he repeated, his tone shifting, but I could see the hurt in his eyes at hearing that name. The tension between them had always been palpable, but now, in the midst of this storm, it felt like another wedge driven between us.

“I just need time,” I admitted, feeling exhaustion weighing heavily on my shoulders. “I just want to be alone.”

Sanji shook his head, his expression resolute, even amidst the chaos of the storm. “I’m not leaving you,” he stated firmly, stepping closer until the space between us was almost nonexistent.

“Sanji, I—”

“You can hit me, yell at me, scream at me,” he interrupted, his voice raw, “but I will not lose you. I made a mistake, and if I could take it back, hell, I would.”

His words struck a chord within me, a mixture of sorrow and anger swirling in my chest. I could feel my resolve beginning to waver, the rage battling against the flicker of hope that maybe, just maybe, he truly understood the gravity of what he’d done.

“Do you even realize how much you’ve hurt me?” I shot back, my voice thick with emotion. “You don’t just get to ask for forgiveness like that!”

“I know,” he said softly, his eyes searching mine. “And I’m prepared to face the consequences. Just… give me a chance. I’ll do anything to make it right.”

My heart raced as I searched his gaze, searching for a hint of insincerity but finding none. I could see the sincerity in his eyes, the pain he felt mirrored in my own.

As the rain continued to drench us, I took a shaky breath, forcing myself to remain steady amidst the storm of emotions. “I can’t just forgive you, Sanji. Not right now. I need time to process this.”

He nodded, accepting my words, but there was a flicker of hope in his expression. “I’ll wait. I’ll give you all the time you need. Just… please don’t shut me out completely.”

I looked away, the weight of his words heavy on my heart. “I can’t make any promises right now. I just feel so lost.”

“I’ll be here, Y/N,” he said softly, pulling me in closer, wrapping his arms around me in a protective embrace. The warmth of his body contrasted with the cold rain pouring down, but I felt torn—safe in his arms yet utterly betrayed.

As we stood together, wrapped in a storm of our own making, I felt a flicker of hope amid the devastation. Maybe in time, we could find our way back to each other. But for now, I needed space to breathe and heal, and he seemed willing to let me find my own path, even if it meant stepping back from what we had.

The rain continued to pour around us, washing away the remnants of that night, but I knew the scars would linger.

“Let’s head back; we wouldn’t want to catch a cold,” Sanji said, trying to lighten the mood with a soft smile, but it didn’t quite reach my heart.

I nodded, preparing to leap back to my room and create some distance between us. However, before I could take off, Sanji grabbed my wrist and, in an instant, used his Sky Walk ability to carry us back to my room. The sensation was familiar, yet this time, it felt heavy with unspoken words.

As we landed, he quickly closed the balcony window, shutting out the storm and the chaos from outside. I turned away, my heart still racing—not from the thrill of his ability, but from the turmoil inside me. The cold water from the rain had seeped through my clothes, and now the chill in my room wrapped around me like a heavy blanket, amplifying my discomfort.

Sanji handed me a towel, and I took it with trembling hands, drying off as best I could. “Sanji, I would like for you to give me space for tonight...” I said, my voice barely above a whisper as I felt the weight of my emotions crashing down.

“Y/N…” he started, but I cut him off.

“Please…” I murmured, my eyes pleading for him to understand.

He hesitated, the conflict evident in his expression. Finally, he nodded, but there was a sorrowful look in his eyes that made my heart ache. Then, he leaned in and kissed my forehead, a gentle gesture filled with warmth. It would have been enough to soften my resolve in any other moment, but right now, it only deepened the emptiness I felt inside.

“Goodnight,” he whispered, his voice thick with emotion.

As he stepped back, I felt an overwhelming wave of longing wash over me. My heart yearned for the affection he had always shown, but the betrayal still stung like a fresh wound. I watched as he lingered at the door, his back turned to me, almost as if he wanted to say more but was holding back.

“Sanji…” I started, but the words caught in my throat. What was there to say? I felt so lost, teetering on the edge of forgiveness and fury.

He finally walked out, closing the door gently behind him, leaving me alone with my thoughts. The silence in the room was deafening, and the weight of my heartache settled in the pit of my stomach. I wrapped the towel around myself, feeling the damp fabric cling to my skin.

As I stood there, staring at the closed door, I realized how much I wanted to forgive him, how desperately I wanted to go back to the way things were before. But trust, once broken, was not so easily mended. I sank onto the edge of my bed, feeling utterly empty and exhausted, both physically and emotionally.

After a moment of quiet reflection, I changed out of my wet clothes into a fitted vest crop top and a khaki skirt. The cool fabric felt like a relief against my damp skin, yet it couldn’t fully shake off the chill of what had just happened.

"Maybe I can talk to Reiju about all this," I thought, a small flicker of hope igniting in my chest. Although I didn’t know her for long, I felt a sense that I could trust her. She did buy me time to find where Luffy and Nami were, and I found my blade, too.

With that thought in mind, I got up from my bed and began to search for Reiju in each hall of the mansion. As I walked, the echo of my footsteps reverberated through the empty corridors, heightening my sense of unease. Suddenly, I spotted a familiar figure with pink hair, walking with a slight limp, almost as if she was injured.

“Re…” I started to call out, but I quickly hid behind a corner as I noticed Pudding approaching her, a sly smile on her face. My heart raced as I watched the scene unfold, tension tightening my chest. Pudding took Reiju’s arm and guided her toward her room, her expression dripping with an unsettling mixture of concern and mischief.

Something’s off around here... and I’m going to find out what, I thought, determination surging through me. I carefully peeked around the corner, eyeing which room Pudding was leading Reiju into. It was crucial that I made my next move count.

Sanji POV.. 

I have no words to describe what I just did, let alone the enormity of my actions. It all happened so fast. One minute, Pudding was in my room, and the next, we were tangled in each other’s arms, sharing a moment of pure intimacy. Sure, she is going to be my soon-to-be wife, but still... I fell into a moment of pure weakness.

To make matters worse, Y/N walked in on us. I’ll never forget the look of pain and hurt I caused her. It wasn’t like the time I told her she meant nothing to me when Ichiji took her. No, this was pure and utter heartbreak. It was as if her whole being shattered in an instant.

How can I live with myself knowing I committed this?

Now, here I am, alone in my room, staring at the walls that suddenly feel like they’re closing in on me. Pudding must have left, frightened by the idea of someone walking in on us—especially Y/N. What was I thinking? I should go find Pudding and at least offer her an apology too, I thought, pacing back and forth, my third cigarette hanging between my fingers.

Maybe I can cook her a meal too... But no amount of anything could ease the pain and unworthiness of what I had done, how I had shattered Y/N.

My princess...

Suddenly, a knock on the door broke through my thoughts. My heart raced. Could it be Y/N? Maybe she had some time to think and came to say she forgives me? I opened the door, my breath hitching in anticipation, only to be met by a chess piece soldier.

"I have some news," he said, stepping into the room.

My heart sank as he continued, "Strawhat and the cat burglar have been caught, and the Jaguar and Soul King have been causing chaos."

Shock washed over me. This can't be happening. Big Mom gave me her word to let them go if the wedding goes smoothly. How could it be falling apart already?

The soldier's expression hardened, and he added, "Also, some of the soldiers and guards have been electrocuted, and the ties lead up to your crewmate, Princess Y/N."

The mention of her name caused my heart to flicker, a painful reminder of the chaos that surrounded us. But I stayed quiet, my thoughts racing with dread.

"That's enough..." I muttered, slamming the door in the soldier's face. I couldn't let this news shake me any further. Y/N needed me, whether she knew it or not.

I turned to the kitchen, my sanctuary, and tried to focus. Cooking always helps me think. I quickly gathered the ingredients, my hands moving instinctively. I had to make something special for Pudding—something that would show her I still cared, despite everything that had happened. But deep down, my thoughts were consumed with Y/N and the danger she might be in.

As I chopped vegetables and seasoned the meat, my mind drifted back to the sight of Y/N standing in my doorway, the heartbreak etched on her face. How could I have let it come to this? Each slice of the knife felt like a reminder of my betrayal, the weight of it heavy on my shoulders.

Nami POV…

"Luffy, stop! You can't keep this up!" I shouted, desperation creeping into my voice. My heart raced as I watched him struggle against the restraints, his determination unwavering despite the dire situation we found ourselves in.

"We'll sit here and suffer until Big Mom does what she wants with us! I refuse to die like that!" Luffy retorted, his eyes blazing with defiance. I knew that fire in him; it was the same spirit that drove him to fight against the odds time and time again. But this was different.

"I don't want to see you tear your own hands off!" I yelled, tears streaming down my face. The thought of him hurting himself—of losing him—was unbearable.

"Then let me do this my way! I refuse to die!" Luffy insisted, his voice filled with anger and frustration.

"No!!" I cried, my heart breaking as I pleaded for a miracle. I couldn't stand to watch him put himself in danger like this, especially after everything we had been through. The weight of our predicament pressed down on me, the walls of our confinement closing in.

Sanji POV… 

I looked at the bento box I created in shock. "Shoot, I carried away and made way too much," I muttered, taking in the colorful array of dishes I had prepared. "I don’t think Pudding’s appetite is this big… oh well, if she can’t finish it, maybe I can help." I began to place the wine, tangerines, and chocolate in the basket, imagining how the conversation would go. This meal was my chance to apologize, to make things right between us.

With the basket in hand, I walked out and made my way toward Pudding's room. As I approached the door, I could feel my heart race, anxiety mixing with hope.

"And just what do you want, lover boy?" came the sarcastic voice of the chocolate door.

"I came to see Pudding," I said, trying to sound casual despite the tension.

"Permission denied," she shot back.

"Please… you let me in earlier?" I asked, confusion creeping into my tone.

"No means no. Lady Pudding would like her privacy." The door sounded stubborn, and I felt my patience wearing thin.

Feeling defeated, I turned around and leaned against the wall, pulling out a cigarette to calm my nerves. "Wait a minute… I think there’s a balcony outside her room…" I thought, a flicker of determination igniting within me.

With the rain falling gently around me, I made my way toward Pudding’s window, hoping for a glimpse inside. I could hear her laughter float through the air, a sound that momentarily eased my anxiety. "Good, she must be in a good mood then," I mused.

But then something startled me. "Reiju? What’s she doing here…?" I muttered as I continued to look through the window into Pudding’s room.

Pudding’s voice rose, filled with frustration. "You cannot honestly believe I would marry that lowlife pirate?! You must be out of your freaking mind!" Her third eye peeked out, revealing the truth beneath her confident facade.

I felt my heart sink at her words. It was as if each syllable sliced through me, revealing her true intentions. I leaned in closer, listening intently.

Y/N POV… 

I couldn’t believe this asshole. Peeking once more at Pudding’s door, I spotted Sanji bringing her a basket of food. “So he brings her food, while I get left with a heartbreak!” The jealousy and frustration bubbled within me, but I shook my head, forcing myself to refocus. “No time to be mad now.”

I slowly peeked again, and to my surprise, Sanji walked in a different direction. “Great, now it’s my turn.” I thought, feeling the determination surge through me. Grabbing my blade, I noticed a new color begin to form—Violet. “Hmm, this is new.” It pulsed with energy as I emerged from my hiding spot, heading straight for the chocolate door.

“What do you want?” the door asked, its voice dripping with sarcasm.

With a swift slash, I sliced through the chocolate, removing the homie’s face. “Now, to listen behind the door,” I muttered to myself. “Don’t worry, Reiju…”

I leaned closer, hearing Pudding’s voice through the door. “You cannot honestly believe I would marry that lowlife pirate?!”

“She was talking about Sanji,” I thought, a surge of protective rage coursing through me. “Not a chance in hell!” she continued. 

“I’m one of Mama’s favorites, you know, because of my acting,” Pudding continued, her voice filled with arrogance.

“I knew this bitch was hiding something.” Rage ignited within me, but alongside it was a twisted sense of satisfaction. “I was right.”

“It was almost too easy tricking those Straw Hats! All except for one, that is... that bitch Y/N,” she said, laughter dripping from her words.

I chuckled lowly, “Just wait until I get my hands on you. It’s one thing to mess with me, but with my crew!”

“And Germa 66 is supposed to be an evil army! Keep living in your fantasy world! Mama only wants two things from you: your clone soldiers and your vast scientific technology,” Pudding said, her voice oozing condescension.

“Damn, so even they fell for the trap too, huh?”

“Do you always listen to Mommy, Pudding?” Reiju shot back defiantly.

I smirked at her bravery. “That is exactly why we don’t need you. You took the bait just like Mama planned. At the wedding tomorrow, the entire Vinsmoke family, which includes that princess,” she spat, “will be eliminated.”

“She’s planning to kill all of us?!” My heart raced. “I knew this bitch was evil.”

“I can’t wait to kill Y/N,” Pudding laughed, pulling out a gun. The shot rang out, narrowly missing me. “This gun is designed to hit the toughest armor and shields. Your technology, along with the princess’s weapons, are no match for it.”

“I heard what she did back at the library, and I also heard of her little ‘accident.’”

“I knew she was behind all that!” I muttered, fury boiling within me. It was time to make my entrance and save Reiju.

I placed my blade back in its thigh halter, clenching my left hand as I felt the violet flames course through me. Swinging my left arm back, I punched the door, shattering it into pieces.

“My, what a lovely party you’ve got here, Pudding. Looks to me it’s missing its star player,” I said with a smirk.

I noticed Reiju’s injury as she looked at me, and I felt a surge of protectiveness. “Don’t worry, sister-in-law; this fight has been a long time coming.”

“Princess Y/N, my, my, you really are as dumb as you look,” Pudding sneered, her eyes glinting with malice.

“Reckless maybe, but never dumb. God bless my crewmates, as they saw some good in you, but as for me, well, call it a woman’s intuition,” I shot back, my resolve hardening.

“You must be still hurt after finding out what Sanji and I have been doing. And let me just say, he loved every second of it,” Pudding laughed, her words laced with cruelty. 

I clenched my fists, both electricity and flames flickering around me, crackling with raw energy. "Are we going to talk or are we going to fight?" I growled, my eyes narrowing as I braced myself.

Raiban, the carpet, was first to attack, lunging straight at me. Without a second thought, I grabbed it mid-air and shocked it, sending powerful volts coursing through its fabric. Raiban crumpled to the floor. “Who’s next?” I challenged, glaring at Pudding.

Without hesitation, she lunged at me, and we crashed to the ground, grappling fiercely. Both of us fought with everything we had, but I managed to land a solid headbutt to her skull, rendering her semi-conscious. She slumped to the floor, and I stood up, catching my breath. My eyes quickly darted to Reiju.

“Reiju, don’t worry,” I reassured her as I rushed over, noticing her wound. “Once we get out of here, we’ll get that treated.”

Reiju blinked, her expression filled with confusion. “Why would you…?” she asked weakly.

I smiled at her, trying to lighten the mood despite the situation. “You covered for me when I needed it. You even helped me. It's the least I can do.”

I carefully lifted her, preparing to make our escape. But as I turned to head toward the window, a sharp, searing pain shot through my side. I winced and let out a pained yell, my body instinctively dropping Reiju.

“Y/N! What’s wrong?” Reiju’s voice was filled with concern as she looked at me.

I clutched my side, blood seeping through my fingers. “Damn… bitch got me,” I muttered through gritted teeth, my vision blurring slightly.

Pudding stood now, her face twisted in a cruel smile as she cocked her gun. “You’re not going anywhere,” she sneered, walking over to me. “I could kill you now, but that would ruin Mama’s plan. So, it’ll have to wait until tomorrow.” She pressed her heel into my wound, twisting it, sending waves of pain crashing through me.

“Agh!” I screamed, still clutching my side as I struggled to keep from collapsing.

“Raiban, grab her,” Pudding ordered, and the carpet quickly complied, wrapping itself around me and lifting me onto a chair. Reiju was tied up once again, helpless.

I fought against the binds, desperate to break free. Pudding’s voice cut through the room, dripping with mockery. “Why do you want to save them? Why do you care about the failure, Sanji?” She laughed, her words stinging.

“It’s almost pathetic.”

I met her gaze, unflinching despite the agony coursing through me. “You don’t get it, Pudding,” I spat, rage boiling inside me. “Sanji may be a lot of things. Sure, he’s said hurtful things, and sure, he’s done things that have caused me heartache and pain…” My voice wavered for a moment, but I held firm.

“But I won’t let the bad things he’s done to me affect what I feel. And I won’t stand by while you continue to hurt him.” I glared at her, my voice rising with conviction. “I said it before: I’d rather die than let anyone hurt the people I love and my crew!”

Pudding’s laughter faded slightly as I continued, my voice unwavering. “Sanji isn’t a failure. He’s the kindest person there is. That’s what makes him so special. And even after everything he’s done, I… I still love him, and I still care about him!” A single tear escaped, rolling down my cheek. “No matter how many times you try to hurt me or kill me, I won’t hold a grudge against him. I smiled through the pain, feeling the truth of my words settle in.

Pudding’s face twisted in fury. “What do you know?!” she yelled, her eyes wide with rage.

I smirked, despite everything. “Because, Pudding, that man happens to be my fiancé.”

Her eyes widened in disbelief. My words seemed to pierce through her cruelty, momentarily throwing her off. But the moment of shock faded as quickly as it came. “Sad and pathetic,” she muttered bitterly.

Suddenly, I felt her hands on my head, and everything went dark.

Sanji POV… 

As I continued to listen to Pudding’s true intentions and her cruel words about me, it felt like I was punched in the face. “I really hurt Y/N... my love, my princess... for someone like Pudding,” I thought, my heart sinking deeper with every word. “But... she seemed so nice…” I murmured under the falling rain, my emotions swirling like a storm inside of me.

My mind raced with regret, replaying every moment I had hurt Y/N, pushed her away, all for the sake of this lie... for a woman who had nothing but malice in her heart.

Suddenly, a loud crash broke through the sound of the pouring rain, snapping me back to reality. I peeked out from the shadows, my breath catching in my throat as I saw her—Y/N.

She stepped into the room with a confidence that made my heart skip a beat. “My, what a lovely party you’ve got here, Pudding,” Y/N smirked, her voice laced with sarcasm. “Looks to me like it’s missing its star player.”

I couldn’t help but swoon, my eyes glued to her as I took in the outfit she was wearing. Despite the dire situation, all I could think was, “Ohhh my beloved! I was a fool.” I whispered, trying to keep my voice down so they wouldn’t hear me. “Y/N... you look like a goddess.”

Pudding’s sneer cut through the air, her hatred towards Y/N obvious. “Princess Y/N, my, my… you really are as dumb as you look,” she spat, her voice dripping with venom.

But Y/N didn’t even flinch. She stood tall, her head held high as she replied, her tone calm yet filled with fire. “Reckless, maybe... but never dumb.” Her eyes gleamed as she added, “God bless my crewmates for seeing some good in you. But me? Well, call it a woman’s intuition.”

Hearing her stand up so boldly, knowing the danger she was in, stirred something in me. My chest tightened as guilt and admiration mixed within me. “She’s risking everything... again.” All for me, for the crew, for the people she loves.

I had been such a fool to hurt her, to let her think that I didn’t care. Seeing her now, standing fearless in the face of Pudding’s malice, I felt that undeniable pull in my heart. Y/N was everything I didn’t deserve but everything I could ever want.

Then, Pudding began to taunt Y/N with memories of what we had done, and I winced, bracing myself as I saw Y/N shift from confidence to a seething rage. “Are we going to talk or are we going to fight?” she growled, and I could practically feel the electricity in the air as she faced off against Raiban and Pudding. I watched, mesmerized, as she headbutted Pudding, sending the woman staggering back. “She’s been itching to fight,” I thought, my heart racing at her boldness.

Soon, Y/N made her way to Reiju. “Reiju, don’t worry. Once we get out of here, we’ll get that treated,” she said, her voice filled with concern, even in such a dire situation.

“Why would you...?” Reiju started, confusion written all over her face.

Y/N smiled that same smile I loved, one filled with warmth and kindness. “You covered for me when I needed it, you also helped me, it’s the least I can do.” Her heart was ever so big, radiating compassion even when she was in danger.

I felt a surge of admiration as Y/N carefully lifted Reiju, preparing to jump out the window. But then a gunshot rang out, and I felt my heart drop.

“Crap!” My eyes widened as I saw Y/N fall to the floor, blood seeping from her side. “Damn bitch got me…” she muttered through gritted teeth.

“You’re not going anywhere,” Pudding sneered, her gun cocked and aimed at Y/N. “I could kill you now, but that would ruin Mama’s plan, so it’ll have to wait for tomorrow.”

“Y/N!” I whispered, helplessness flooding through me as Raiban dragged her back to where Reiju sat, tied up once more. Pudding continued her assault, her words sharp and taunting. “Why do you want to save them? Why do you care about that failure, Sanji?” she spat, laughing cruelly as her words stung me deeply. I had always been the family failure, never measuring up, especially without Germa tech.

But then I heard Y/N’s voice rise above it all. “Sanji may be a lot of things. Sure, he’s said hurtful things, and he’s done things that have caused me heartache and pain…” she said, her voice unwavering despite the pain she was in. “But I won’t let the bad things he’s done to me affect what I feel. And I won’t stand by while you continue to hurt him.”

“I said it before: I’d rather die than let anyone hurt the people I love and my crew!”

“She’d rather die…” I echoed her words, my heart swelling with admiration and something else—something deeper.

“Sanji isn’t a failure. He’s the kindest person there is. And that's what makes him so special. And even after everything he’s done, I… I still love him, and I still care about him!”

My eyes widened in shock at the revelation. “Wait?!” I thought, disbelief mixing with elation. “She loves me! She really loves me!”

“No matter how much you try to hurt me, Pudding, I won’t turn against him. I won’t hold a grudge. Because that’s not who I am.”

Y/N’s words were a powerful declaration, echoing with strength despite the pain radiating through her body. I watched as Pudding’s face twisted in rage.

“What do you know?!” she screamed, losing her composure, and I felt a surge of pride for Y/N.

Y/N smirked, a fierce determination lighting her eyes. “Because, Pudding… that man happens to be my fiancé.”

My eyes widened, and I swooned once more, my heart racing at her confession. “I know my beloved said that to have everyone back off, but now it’s meant to be!” I thought, flailing my arms in silent celebration. “She acknowledges me!”

But I quickly reminded myself to stay hidden; I couldn't afford to get caught.

“Sad. Pathetic,” Pudding hissed through clenched teeth, her anger boiling over.

Then, without warning, her hand shot toward Y/N’s head. I felt my heart drop as Y/N collapsed, unconscious. “The power of the Memo-Memo Fruit,” Pudding said with a twisted grin. “I can erase and edit memories in an instant.”

I could only watch in horror as she pulled at Y/N's memories, beginning to edit them like they were mere stories on a page. She erased the memory of our time together in the rain, the intimate moments we had shared, leaving nothing but a void in their place.

“You bitch, you slept with my fiancé!” Pudding spat, sneering as she cut away pieces of our history together.

“I’ll just take this out, place it here, and leave when you caught Sanji and I. That way your rage is still palpable, and I’ll even erase when you and Sanji were outside when it was raining after finding out. ” she laughed, a cold, malicious sound that echoed through the room.

“Now, I’ll make it seem like a soldier shot you on the side when you were fighting a few days ago. And another memory here, have you in your room alone And there,” Pudding finished with a flourish, leaving Y/N to fall back into unconsciousness once more.

I felt my heart shatter as Pudding turned her attention to Reiju. “Don’t worry, Reiju, I’m not done with you either.” With that, she used the side of her gun to strike Y/N in the head, causing blood to spill.

“Throw her somewhere,” Pudding commanded, and Raiban complied, carelessly tossing Y/N toward the wall. Her body hit with a sickening thud, but her blade remained intact, casting a soft white hue even in the darkness of the moment.

“Y/N…” I whispered, emotion choking me as I felt helpless in the face of this cruelty. Tears pricked my eyes as I fought against the urge to rush out and protect her, knowing I couldn’t expose myself just yet.

As Pudding continued her twisted monologue, I felt the weight of every word she spoke sink deeper into my chest. "Can you make it a point not to make too much blood when you all die? If that wedding cake gets one splat of blood, Mama will be mad," she said with a sickening smirk. "She'd tear the place down out of fury." Her laughter rang in my ears, each word mocking me and everything I had ever stood for.

My grip on the lighter tightened, flicking it absentmindedly even as my hands trembled. The flame refused to light, a cruel reminder of the mess I had created. "Can you imagine? Sanji, trusted me, even shared an intimate moment with me, and now I point a gun at him. He doesn’t suspect a thing!" Pudding laughed gleefully, the sound making my stomach turn. She continued taunting and ridiculing me, bragging to Reiju about the way I had proposed, how easily she had manipulated me.

Tears began to well up in my eyes again, despite my attempts to keep them at bay. "In that moment of vulnerability, all I had to do was act, shed some tears, and he became putty in my hands." Pudding’s words cut deeper than any blade. My lighter flicked, over and over, but still no flame appeared.

"Oh, what a riot!" Pudding exclaimed. "The nerve of you, trying to pass him off as some kind of prince. At least give me a proper one, like Ichiji!" Her laughter rang in my ears, mocking me. I felt like the biggest fool in the world.

"I really made a mess of things, huh?" I thought, as the flicker of the lighter mirrored the flicker of hope inside me. Y/N's face flashed in my mind—her smile, her laugh, her fierce determination. She had risked everything for me, and I had hurt her over and over again.

Yet despite everything, she still chose to stand by me. "Pudding is a fraud. My friends…" My thoughts were a jumble of guilt, anger, and shame. "I’ve failed them, all of them. And her…" I couldn’t help the tears that continued to fall. "I messed up with Y/N. I did all this, and she still chose to risk everything… again."

Pudding’s cruel voice snapped me back to reality. "It must be embarrassing to have such a dim-witted brother," she sneered. Rabian and Nitro chimed in, pointing out that Reiju and Y/N were losing too much blood. "Yeah, this one’s barely conscious," they commented, and my heart clenched at the thought of Y/N lying there, vulnerable and hurt.

"Neither of them can die yet," Pudding said, cold and calculating. "The whole world needs a front-row seat to the Vinsmoke family execution."

I winced, my fists clenched tightly around the basket. Every word out of her mouth made me feel more powerless, more trapped in this nightmare.

"Listen closely, dear sister-in-law," Pudding said, her voice dripping with malice. "I won’t risk you revealing anything." With that, she used the same tactic she had on Y/N, erasing Reiju’s memories of the meeting and her attack.

I felt my heart pounding in my chest as I realized what I had just witnessed. My family, my friends—they were all in danger, and I had been blind to the truth.

I grabbed my basket and left Pudding’s window, my head spinning with everything I had just heard. I needed a moment to clear my mind, to breathe. "What have I done?" I thought, the guilt weighing down on me like never before. "I’ve got to fix this… somehow."

Nami POV…

"No! Please, no more!" I yelled, tears streaming down my face as I watched Luffy struggle. He was relentlessly trying to break free, pulling at his arms with reckless determination. "Luffy, I'm begging you! Stop! That's enough already! You're destroying your arms!" My heart pounded in fear. He was hurting himself, and I couldn’t bear to see it.

But Luffy wasn’t listening. His eyes were filled with fury and desperation. "You think I care?" he shouted back, still straining against his restraints. "I have to warn Sanji and Y/N! Y/N was right about her intuition about Pudding! She’s evil!" His voice was filled with anguish as he kept trying to free himself, his determination unwavering. "Almost there," he grunted through clenched teeth.

My heart ached. I wanted to stop him, but nothing I said would get through. He was willing to tear his own body apart to save our friends.

Suddenly, one of the guards, covered in cream, approached me. "Alright, girl, time for you to talk," he sneered, his voice dripping with malice. I turned to face him, my body tense with fear. "Huh?" I muttered.

"Mama’s instructions were clear," he continued, his eyes narrowing. "You need to tell us where Lola is."

"I won’t tell! I’d never betray my friends!" I yelled, my voice shaking but defiant. I refused to let them break me.

His lips curled into a wicked grin. "Very well, guess you want to be tortured then. I’m going to shoot you every five seconds."

My blood ran cold. "Don’t make it sound so casual!" I yelled back in horror, my voice trembling. He pulled out an arrow, the tip gleaming dangerously in the dim light. "That could kill me!" I gasped.

Suddenly, I noticed a faint violet hue glowing from the satchel I carried. My eyes widened, unsure of what was happening. But before I could process it, Luffy’s voice snapped me back.

"Hey, warty! You’ll have to get through me first! Screw you!" Luffy snarled at the guard, his fierce determination shining through despite his pain. "Don’t worry, Nami. I’m almost done breaking my arms."

"I don’t want that either!" I yelled through my tears, feeling utterly helpless. "Please, Luffy, stop!"

Suddenly, the door creaked open, and both Luffy and I froze, stunned. Who was it? Was this another enemy? My heart raced.

"Woah! I thought you were forbidden to enter!" the cream-covered guard exclaimed, just as shocked as we were. Suddenly he was knocked out in a blink of an eye. 

Luffy and I turned to see the silhouette of someone stepping into the room. Our eyes widened in disbelief.

"Jinbei!" we shouted in unison, both of us filled with a sudden rush of hope.

"Oh, Luffy, Nami," Jinbei said, his deep voice calm and reassuring.

Luffy's eyes lit up. "Great timing! Why are you here?" he asked, sounding relieved but confused.

Jinbei walked over to us, his presence steady and strong. "We have some catching up to do, but right now, you must escape," he said, his voice firm yet kind.

Relief flooded through me, and I could barely hold back my tears. "Thank you!" we both yelled in unison, feeling the weight of despair lift just a little.

Sanji POV…

I made my way quietly to the medical ward where both Reiju and Y/N were being treated. The air felt heavy with tension, and I couldn't shake the anxiety building up inside me. "Notify the Vinsmokes, they'll probably be worried," I overheard the doctor saying. "Reiju should be well after a good night's rest, and the same goes for the princess. Although her skin isn't like Germa's technology, it seems her wound is healing fast." His voice was calm but professional.

I knew I had to act quickly. I couldn't let them inform my so-called "family." I knocked out the soldier standing guard, tying him up swiftly and making sure no alarm would be raised. "You won’t be telling them anything," I thought to myself as I locked the door behind me.

My heart sank as I turned to see them—Reiju, lying on her bed, looking battered but stable, and Y/N, bandaged and motionless. Her head was wrapped in bandages, and a thick one covered her side where she had been wounded. I approached her bed slowly, my heart aching. "Y/N..." I whispered, brushing a strand of hair gently from her face. My chest tightened at the sight of her like this.

Suddenly, I heard Reiju groan softly. "Where am I...?" she muttered, slowly regaining consciousness. She blinked a few times before her eyes widened. "Sanji!" she gasped, trying to sit up but wincing in pain as she moved.

I glanced at her but didn’t leave Y/N’s side. "I... I hurt my leg," Reiju said, pulling back the blanket to reveal a bandage on her leg. Then her eyes shifted to Y/N, and the concern on her face deepened. "Y/N!" she yelled, panic filling her voice as she took in the sight of her friend’s injuries. "What happened to her?"

I stayed silent for a moment, lighting my cigarette, trying to gather my thoughts. I knew what I had to say, but it wasn’t going to be easy. "Do you recall how you got hurt or what happened?" I asked her calmly, trying to ease into the conversation.

Reiju frowned, struggling to piece things together. "I remember shouting... soldiers saying something about an intruder... and then..." Her voice trailed off, her face clouded with confusion. "I must have gotten involved," she muttered, rubbing her temple.

I stepped closer, taking a deep breath as I exhaled the smoke. "Reiju, think hard," I said, my tone serious. "Your memories… they were overwritten."

Her eyes widened in shock as she stared at me. "What do you mean?"

I met her gaze, knowing what I was about to say would shake her. "I’ll fill you in, but let me warn you... the truth is damn ugly."

Her expression hardened as she nodded, bracing herself for whatever dark truth was about to come. I looked at Y/N one last time before turning back to Reiju, preparing to reveal the twisted reality that had been hidden from her.

[suzukiblu]

Day thirteen of fic NaNoWriMo; obligatory sugar daddy Tim/sugar baby Kon AU.

Tim gets to the Gotham mall Tim Drake is meeting Superboy at fifteen minutes early because on-time is late, and is entirely unsurprised to have to wait twenty minutes for Kon to show up. Actually, if anything he’s surprised to only have to wait twenty minutes for Kon to show up. 

“Sorry I’m late. You will not believe this, but there was literally a cat stuck in a tree,” Kon says with a sheepish, guilty grin as he lands right next to him in full costume like that’s a perfectly normal thing to do, especially in Gotham. Tim is very glad he decided to wait in one of the security cameras’ more out-of-the-way blind spots. 

“I’m surprised the cat let you save it,” he says, raising an eyebrow at him. It is Gotham, after all. 

“He did not,” Kon says, making a face. “He tried to claw my eyes out and then jumped off my head and down into his owner’s arms, who proceeded to ask me why I thought I was too good to wear body armor.” 

“Well, why do you?” Tim asks, feeling a bit of quiet pride on behalf of his city. Gothamites have priorities. 

“Because anything that could hit me hard enough that I’d need body armor for it would trash the body armor anyway,” Kon replies matter-of-factly, gesturing illustratively at himself. “TTK only works on skintight clothes. Like, I did not go for Spandex as a fashion choice, it’s because anything else would shred right off me in an actual fight.” 

Tim feels his own eyes glaze over. 

“Uh-huh,” he manages vaguely. 

“Also I don’t know where I’d get body armor stronger than I already am anyway,” Kon says. “Cadmus doesn’t have any and that’s pretty much my whole supply chain, you know?” 

“Uh-huh,” Tim manages again, still attempting to reboot his brain. “Shred right off, huh?” 

“Yeah,” Kon says with a shrug. “It’s not exactly dignified, fighting crime naked.” 

“. . . uh-huh.” 

Tim blinks a few times. Blinks again. Then he shakes his head and forces the mental reboot. 

“First things first, are you hungry?” he asks. “There’s a pretzel place and a smoothie shop right over there, or we could just hit the food court.” 

“I could eat,” Kon says with another shrug. “I mean, who doesn’t appreciate a good smoothie?” 

“Well, don’t get your hopes up, Gotham smoothies are fine but unfortunately use a lot more frozen fruit than Metropolis ones,” Tim says, which is the one and only thing he will ever hear said against Gotham. 

“Isn’t frozen better anyway?” Kon asks, wrinkling his nose. “Fresh fruit makes it kinda watery sometimes. Frozen it comes out thicker and stuff.” 

Okay, well, Tim is apparently talking to someone who knows a lot more about smoothie-making than he does. Note to self. Also, what an incredibly weird thing for Kon to know. Like, even weirder than the caffeine. 

“Does it?” he says. “I just always hear fresh is better than frozen.” 

“From pretentious snobs who can grocery shop every day, I bet,” Kon snorts, rolling his eyes. Which . . . is a fair and accurate assessment, admittedly. “And it’s a smoothie, not a juice bar. They’re supposed to be frozen, yeah?” 

“Okay, well, in that case, guess we’re getting better-quality smoothies than I’d assumed,” Tim says. 

“Spoiling me, huh, pretty boy?” Kon says with a smirk. Tim experiences every possible flavor of mortification under the sun and smirks back. 

“If I wanted to spoil you, we’d be getting smoothies in California right now,” he says. 

“I mean, we could,” Kon says with a snicker, tucking his hands into his jacket pockets. 

“I appreciate the offer but that seems like a lot of travel time just for smoothies,” Tim says wryly. “Did you bring a change of clothes?” 

“No, why?” Kon says, looking puzzled. 

“. . . so we can hang out without anyone bothering you,” Tim says, wondering how that could've possibly not occurred to Kon. “Or interrupting the conversation every five minutes.” 

Kon looks–odd, briefly. Tim isn't sure why. 

“Hate to break it to you but I'm not exactly a scintillating conversationalist,” Kon says with a quick, forced smile. “You might want the interruptions.”

Tim thinks there might be a few more people to add to his supervillain vengeance hit list. Like, just possibly. Maybe. 

“What's your size?” he asks.

“Beats me,” Kon says, looking a little odd again. “I don't wear civilian clothes like . . . ever, really. Like, swimsuits at the beach, sure, but that's about it.” 

“What, never?” Tim asks, a little incredulous. Fucking–what is wrong with literally everyone Kon has ever known, for fuck's sake? 

“I mean, I have,” Kon says with an awkward little shrug, keeping his hands in his pockets. “Just not all that often, so I dunno what my size or whatever is.” 

“Okay,” Tim says, internally seething. Fucking Cadmus. Fucking Superman. Nobody ever even taught Kon how to fucking dress himself? How is that even a thing, for fuck's sake?! How is he supposed to ever get even five fucking minutes of being a normal person if he doesn't even own a goddamn pair of jeans?! 

Maybe Tim could do the supervillain thing a little bit earlier than planned. Like. Possibly. As long as he keeps the majority of his villain-ing outside of Gotham, anyway. That'd work, right? 

“Give me five minutes,” he says. “I'll be right back, just try to . . . uh, be . . . subtle, I guess.” 

Kon looks at him. Looks down at his bright costume and striking leather jacket. 

Tim despairs of his own capacity to do, like . . . anything. Ever. 

“Just wait right here, okay?” he says. 

“Okay?” Kon says skeptically. Tim takes the better part of valor and flees the scene. Four minutes and fifty-nine seconds later, he's back with a bag full of clothes that he eyeballed the sizes of that Kon hopefully won't hate, and that he also-hopefully eyeballed correctly enough. He's been learning how to do that more accurately, because you never know when you'll need to immediately get someone in new clothes in this line of work, but it's still a learning process. 

Kon takes out the dark wash skinny jeans and bulky forest green turtleneck sweater that should cover his suit effectively enough, as long as he takes off his gloves and jacket and maybe a belt or two, and the outfit's maybe a little heavy for the weather, especially layered with his suit, but it is Gotham and their chances of getting randomly rained on are higher than zero, put it that way. 

“You can get changed over there,” Tim says, pointing towards the nearest men's room. 

“What is this?” Kon asks, puzzledly rubbing the sleeve of the sweater between his fingers. 

“Cashmere,” Tim says, because obviously he sprung for cashmere. Kon wrinkles his nose, still looking puzzled. 

“It’s really . . . soft,” he says, almost hesitant. 

Tim doesn’t say “to be honest, I’ve always kind of assumed you’d appreciate nice textures more than most people, given the ‘tactle’ part of your telekinesis” and just shrugs. 

“I’ll get you something else if you don’t like it,” he says, and Kon bites his lip. “Or if it doesn’t fit.” 

“I mean–it’s just gonna get wrecked anyway. Like, I have a very developed history of wrecking things. Especially clothes,” he mutters, not looking up from the sweater. Which is, Tim cannot help but notice, not an “I don’t like it”. Actually, it’s just about the opposite of that, he can’t help but suspect. 

“Then I’ll get you another one,” he says with a shrug. “It’s just a sweater. I’ll buy you as many as you want.” 

“That’s very weird of you, man,” Kon says, rubbing the cashmere between his fingers again. “Like, you’re aware that buying superheroes sweaters is not a normal pastime, right?” 

“I wasn’t really concerned with being not weird,” Tim replies reasonably. 

“Uh,” Kon says, glancing at his face for a moment and then . . . pausing, briefly, before zipping off without actually saying whatever he was about to say. 

Well, alright then. 

Tim has several very weird reactions to the idea of Kon putting on clothes he picked out for him and immediately beats them all down because it is really not the time. Not even slightly is it the time. 

But Kon is also currently putting on clothes he picked out for him. 

Tim has possibly made a mistake or two here. 

Or definitely. Definitely Tim has made a mistake here, now that he’s considering how soft and pettable that cashmere actually was and the fact that Kon is about to be wearing it and therefore also going to be very soft and pettable and–

Tim has made so many mistakes here.

[bobby-r2d2-floyd]

The Nanny part 2

note: here's part two to the nanny! i'm hopefully going to try and start to get longer pieces out soon, i'm still trying to get back into the swing of writing fics again.

warnings: mentioned of parental death

trigger warning: one sentence in the fourth paragraph that talks about school shooting, but no violence actually occurs.

word count: 1.6k (sorry it's short, between yesterday and today i've had a headache that wouldn't go away :( )

no beta again, we die like men

inspired by: @roosterforme

previous part | next part

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You just moved to California, wanting a change from the cold Vermont air and where better to stay than with your aunt, Penny Benjamin. Penny was your mom’s sister, an unfortunate accident in 1999 took your mother and your father, you were 10 years old. Penny was more than willing to take in her only niece, even if it meant having you relocate to Virginia with her. 

Years had passed and Penny had done all but adopt you, she called you her daughter when people asked, made all your appointments for you until you were old enough to make your own, she helped you with boys, and then girls, when you came out to her. She held you while you cried over your first real heartbreak, she taught you all about your period and safe sex. She made you feel comfortable, like you could go to her with any problem that you had, and she would fix it for you.

Maybe it also helped that your grandfather was an admiral in the United States Navy, but that’s beside the point, Penny Benjamin took care of you when you had no one once, and she was more than happy to do it again. 

Being a teacher, especially in today’s world, is hard. You had to worry about whether or not your school was going to fall victim to the next mass shooting, if you could keep your kids safe in an environment where the legislators didn’t care. It was a hard choice to make, leaving the school system, because you knew that they were already understaffed, and that there were no qualified substitute teachers available to take over your position… but between the abuse from your principal, the students, and the entitled parents? You were done.

You at least waited until the end of the school year before packing it all up and moving west. It was a sad goodbye with all the students you had loved but for your sanity, it was what you needed to do.

Penny had an open bedroom, and Amelia was thrilled to be living with you again, mainly so you can help her on her homework, and of course you were happy to see Penny and Pete back together. You always loved having him around when you were a kid, and it really did feel like your relationship with him never waivered, even though you only texted each other for holidays and birthdays after the last time he and Penny “broke up”. 

You were laying on the couch scrolling through your phone, not paying attention to whatever it was Amelia had put on the tv when Penny walked in after her short shift at the bar; it was a slow weekend and Jimmy had it plenty under control.

“Hey, so I might have told one of the guys Pete works with that you’d be willing to nanny for him.” Penny says as soon as she walks in.

“Are you talking to me?” Amelia asks, not looking away from the tv and Penny laughs.

“No, your sister.” 

That catches your attention and you groan.

“I don’t want to nanny some old admiral’s bratty kids.” you say as you sit up and Penny sits next to you.

“He isn’t an old admiral with bratty kids, he’s 35, the same age as Bradley, and he literally just had an infant dropped off on his front porch today.” she tells you and you look over at her. “He needs a lot of help, and you would be perfect for the job. Aside from working at the bar you’re never doing anything.” she shrugs and steals some of the popcorn that was on the table and you look at her with your mouth open.

“Okay, first off. Rude. Secondly, I do plenty of stuff!”

“Oh yeah? Like what?”

“Uh, I help Amelia with her homework.”

“And you can help her while also helping Jake out with his daughter.” Penny says and you sigh.

“Fine.” you grumble and head into the kitchen, “do you eat yet, Pen?”

“Yeah, Pete brought me food to the bar.”

“Don’t you… serve food at the bar too?” 

“Not sushi.” 

You spend the next three weeks waiting to meet this Jake guy. Sure you knew of him, but you didn’t want to be persuaded by the ‘Hangman’ persona that he had before becoming a dad. Sure people don’t just change overnight, so you’re sure he still has quite the mouth and attitude, especially if this baby is keeping him up at night. 

You opened the bar early and the members of the Dagger Squad slowly filtered in. Bob was sitting at the bar with you while you were getting bottles ready, he was telling you a story from when he was a kid on his family’s farm and he was chasing down pigs and slipped and fell in the mud when the bell above the door rang. 

Looking over, you see a man you don’t recognize carrying a little baby in the cutest little dress you’ve ever seen, a diaper bag slung over his other shoulder. You shoot him a smile as he walks up to the bar.

“Hi! I’m Y/N Benjamin, but you can call me Saturn.” you say as you wipe a rag over the bar top, cleaning up some of the iced tea that Bob spilled. “You must be Jake?” 

This new man smiles at you and nods, “Yes ma’am.” he says, setting the diaper bag on a barstool. 

You watch his muscles flex as he shifts his daughter from one side to the other to give his arm a break and he catches you staring at her. “This is Avery.” he turns so you can see the little girl’s face and you let out a gentle little coo.

“Oh look at you! Aren’t you just the cutest little girl.” you say, talking in a voice that has her laughing and reaching out for you. You take her from Jake without even hesitating and she plays with the fingerprint pendants of your parents that you have hanging around your neck. 

Since the bar is still technically closed for another hour and a half, you make your way out from behind the bar and take a seat on the stool next to Bob who smiles at the little girl, pulling away as she tries to reach for his glasses but isn’t quick enough as she rubs her chubby fingers over his lenses. 

You and Jake just laugh at her antics and at poor Bob who is left with baby drool covered glasses for the time being, but even he can’t stay mad at little Avery. She looks up at you, blue-green eyes bright as she smiles her little gummy smile and laughs along with the two of you. 

Jake can’t believe how comfortable Avery already is with you, it took days for her to warm up to anyone aside from Penny; she still doesn’t like Rooster but Jake believes it's a hundred percent because of his mustache. Normally he’s nervous when she’s around strangers of any kind, even her own doctor when she first saw the woman, but with you he’s oddly… comfortable. 

Begrudgingly you hand Avery back to Jake, you have to open the bar in 20 minutes and you’re already way behind but thankfully Bradley volunteers to help you get ready. You’re standing next to him slicing limes as he cuts up some oranges.

“You know, she’s never taken to someone that fast before.” he says, making sure the slices are relatively uniform.

“It’s because I’m a woman.” you tease and he rolls his eyes.

“No, seriously. Penny was a given because she’s just the best, but Phoenix? Bob? She only just started to get along with them, and those two are the best people in this entire squad. It even took her a bit to warm up to Hangman and he’s her dad.” Rooster says, stealing an orange slice that he cut too thin before taking a beer from the fridge under the counter and walking away.” 

“You have to pay for that!” 

“Put it on my tab, Rings!” he calls out, throwing a wink over his shoulder and you roll your eyes, opening a tab for him before going over to the window and flipping the ‘open’ sign on.

You’re about halfway through your shift when Jake walks up to you, Avery sleeping against him despite the volume of the bar. 

“Hey, headed home?” you ask, taking the top off of a few beers before handing them to the patron that was waiting. 

“Yeah, figured she would prefer to sleep in her bed tonight than on the pool table.” he jokes and you give a gentle laugh.

“Yeah, probably.”

“I wanted to ask if you wanted to go out this weekend? Talk about what Pen offered? If-if you still think you can help me out?” he chews his lip a little, nervous for you to say you’re not interested.

“Yeah! Definitely, uh… here,” you grab a napkin and write your number down with a little cartoon drawing of a circle with a ring around it, how you always signed your nickname. “I’m off on Saturday and Penny isn’t opening on Sunday since it’s going to be such a hot night, she wants us to be off so I’ll be free whenever on both days.” you tell him and he tucks the napkin in his pocket with his phone.

“I’ll text you on Saturday? I can pick you up? Or I mean-” you cut him off with a laugh.

“You can pick me up, I assume you know where Penny lives?” he nods and smiles.

“Yeah, yeah I do.”

“Great, see you on Saturday, Dad-man.” you give him a wink before turning away to go help Jimmy out with the patrons that have gathered around the bar. Jake laughs and turns around to head out, Dad-man?

-----------

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[sentientgolfball]

hello beloved who has it out for me specifically. could i req a follow up to the swissdew dress fuckery 🫶 i need to know what he and rain get up to <3

I just really like possessive/jealous Rainy. I hope you enjoy this beloved <3

Also there's like a squint of feminization in here

The pack didn’t stay out much longer once Dew and Swiss left that bathroom. Even through the glamours their senses picked up on it. Mountain’s pupil had dilated to the point you could barely see the green. He pulled Swiss into him and tried to growl every time he tried to move. Rain was even worse. His eyes had darkened immediately when he smelled Swiss and Dew’s combined scents. He had stormed out of the bar knowing Dew would follow. The rest of the ghouls joined them soon after, all of them piling into cars to head back to the Ministry before a situation occurred. 

Now Dew sits on Rain’s bed, still in that fucking dress, while Rain leans against his door with his arms crossed. Staring. Dew doesn’t know if it’s better or worse that he’s looking at him with boredom rather than intensity. He smiles, tossing his hair over his shoulder to show off the marks on his neck. 

“Well Rainy don’t you have some promises to keep?” 

He cocks his head, raising an eyebrow “Don’t you have a multi-ghoul to go fuck?” 

Dew huffs a laugh “Are you seriously that jealous?” 

Rain narrows his eyes and pushes off the door. He stalks over to Dew, bending slightly to meet his gaze. He traces lightly over the marks on Dew’s neck before wrapping a hand around his throat. 

“I don’t like it when my things are touched.” 

Rain digs his fingers in just under Dew’s ears until his jaw falls open. He spits into his mouth and Dew’s eyes flutter. 

“Swallow.” 

He does so immediately. Rain pats him on the cheek. 

“Good girl.” 

Rain doesn’t miss the flash in his eyes or the way he can literally see his cock kick where it’s straining against the fabric of the dress. Still he has the gall to open his mouth. 

“Who said you could call me that?” 

“If you don’t want to be treated like a bitch then don’t act like one” Rain sneers, dropping his hand just a bit lower. 

He squeezes the sides of his neck. When Dew gasps, Rain rushes forward, locking him in a kiss that’s all teeth and tongue. Dew’s legs spread and Rain is quick to invade. The force knocks them off balance. When Dew’s back hits the bed his legs instinctively wrap around Rain’s hips to pull him closer. He nips at Rain’s lip and the water ghoul responds by tightening his grip around his neck, a warning. 

Rain pulls away so suddenly Dew can’t help but let out a confused chirp. He leans down to sucks a trail of bruises from his jaw to his exposed collar bone. Dew writhes under him, gasping with a laugh when he feels Rain bite over the marks Swiss had left. He slides lower, kissing and sucking over Dew’s chest as he shoves his dress up, making it bunch over the fire ghoul’s hips. 

Dew sighs when he feels Rain wrap a cool hand around his cock. He squeezes him a bit too tight to be considered pleasurable before dropping him, letting him sit hard against his thigh. Rain probes a finger against his hole, hissing when he feels how easy it slips in. 

“Did you seriously let him fuck you in the bathroom?” 

“That’s rich coming from you of all people Rainy” Dew laughs “and for your information no I didn’t. I just let him finger me until I came all over the front of his shirt.” 

Rain growls and shoves two of his fingers into Dew with no preamble. He groans, legs tightening around Rain trying to pull him closer. He curls his fingers, steadily thrusting them in and out of Dew’s ass until beads of pre begin dripping from the tip of his dick. He pulls his fingers out, wiping the small amount of slick onto Dew’s thigh. He sits up the best he can with the hold the fire ghoul has on him. Rain undoes his belt, pulling his pants down just enough to get his cock out. He strokes himself a few times before leaning back down to loom over Dew, positioning his dick to bump against his hole. 

“Gonna fuck me Rainy?” Dew teases. 

Rain leans down, biting his ear “Until you remember who you belong to.” 

He slams into him, giving him no time to adjust before setting a feverish pace. His claws dimple his thighs as he practically pulls Dew flush against him, keeping him as close as he physically can. Dew looks up at him with half lidded eyes, mouth hanging open and moaning with each thrust inside of him. 

“You’re so fucking pretty like this. Stupid and pliant all cause you have a dick in you.”

“Who said shit who said I was pliant” Dew sneers. 

Rain growls, surging forward and sinking his fangs into his neck with the next thrust. Dew clenches around him and Rain grunts against his skin. 

“Touch yourself” Rain growls. 

And who’s Dew to deny him? 

He reaches between the little space left between them, wrapping his hand around his cock. He strokes himself in quick little tugs. 

“Good fucking girl. Wanna see you cum for me. You always look so pretty when you cum for me.” 

[tonkatsubowl]

oh my god oh my god i love your yandere reader stuff so so much can you pretty pretty please do one for welt and gallagher OR OR like expand on the dan heng one like how the express would handle the reader OHHH MY GOD im obsessed w your stuff xoxo

hii! i actually made one for welt, dan heng and blade a while back. here you go!

omg i lied to u i didn't write one for welt... i'll write one soon

i'll write gallagher for you ❤️

for the longest time, gallagher had to hide you away from the public due to your obsessive behavior.

the man was a busy working dog. he was constantly out doing his security duties, and on his free time, he'd pay a visit to some bars, get drunk and wander off to his home. however, when you came long, he got to know you, insistent that you were a good person at heart... until you fell in love with him.

you became obsessive, possessive, and you even stalked him constantly. there were several murders that occurred on the streets of penacony, but gallagher didn't have the heart to make an arrest on you. he knew it was out of jealousy and for your love for him, but you were insane. out of control, and extremely dangerous. the family wanted to use you as their advantage as their little guard dog, but they misunderstood how dangerous you can be. not towards just yourself, but to the family, and to everyone else around gallagher.

so he decided to keep you on a leash and collar, metaphorically. he doesn't trust you to be by yourself. who knew who's life would be on the line? his could be there, too, if he wasn't careful enough.

there could be times where you actually did do well. you wouldn't try to bring out your weapon for every time someone had looked at gallagher a flirtatious way, or if some random penconian prostitute tried to persuade him to bed her for some change in exchange.

so, the one day you did well, he decided to take you out to a bar.

from there, he ordered you something nice to drink, and nothing intoxicated just in case. he sat next to you, drinking his own, conversing with the bartender. he would glance at you several times to see your facial expression or body language to read you... and so far, everything was well. you didn't display any form of jealousy, and you were well. he internally sighed with relief, grateful that he could rely on you behaving for once.

but he clearly underestimated you.

you were seething with jealousy, and rage. you hated how the bartender was a bit flirtatious towards gallagher. so, you decided to excuse yourself.

"excuse me." you say, nodding your head to gallagher. "i just need to use the restroom."

gallagher nods, unaware of your schemes, letting you leave.

the bartender, a moment after, decided to excuse herself as well, for she needed to use the restroom. an unfortunate action from her end, for she would quite literally... meet her end.

moments later, gallagher became dreadful, and worried. where did you go? why hasn't the bartender returned yet? that was when realization struck him through the gut.

he got up, grabbing his cigarette and popped it into his mouth before he went out on a search for you. there was nothing in the bathrooms (he even checked both restrooms), and nothing outside. but he had forgotten to check the alleyway, which he was met with a gruesome scene.

he was already used to seeing all the sights you granted him, and he was already unfazed by the bartender's frame, repeatedly struck by your weapon.

you laughed, laughed and laughed before quickly falling silent when gallagher called out to you. "(y/n)," he says, placing a hand on your shoulder, "that's enough."

you breathed, looking towards your lover, a smile innocently tugging at the corner of your lips. graciously, you moved towards him, embracing your lover with arms. as though nothing had occurred, you joyously bounced on your heels.

"gallagher! gallagher! look, look. i got rid of her for you! she was really wanting you!"

the man sighed, puffed out some smoke, and ruffled your hair. if he showed some sort of disinterest or disgust, it was his life.

"... i see."

it was all he could say.

[lawsvalentine]

Where They Take You On a Date • OP Men HC• (SFW)

Fem!reader

CW: Lots of Fluff, kissing, slightly suggestive

Characters: Luffy, Zoro, Sanji, Usopp, Law,

Cee’s Note: This literally made me so happy writing this. They are all so 😍 anyways hope y’all enjoy

Luffy

Fair Date

The island that the Sunny was currently docked at had a local fair that Luffy couldn’t wait to take you to.

Be prepared to be dragged on every single ride there. If he sees you’re nervous or scared he will hold your hand and give you his famous grin.

“Don’t be scared Y/N, I got you”

As much as he loves riding rides, he loves the fair food even more. He will literally splurge all the money on fair food shdjdj

He catches you glancing at a cute stuffed animal that was on display at one of the fair game booths. He was determined to win you that stuffed animal at all costs. When he did, he gave you it, earning him a kiss on the cheek.

The last ride you two went on was the ferris wheel. Once you guys make it to the top, you get nervous being so high up. Luffy once again comforts you only this time, he presses his lips against yours.

Your nerves vanish and all your focus was how good his lips felt on you. As the kiss deepened, you felt his hand go up your skirt. Good thing you two were so high up, where no one could see what occurred next 🤭

Zoro

Dinner/bar date

Zoro is a simple man. He usually prefers just quality time with you on the ship whether it’s training together or taking naps on the deck. However, you guys been dating for a while and he decided to take you out on a real date.

He took you to this fancy restaurant that Nami and Robin suggested when he had asked them for advice.

The menu was filled with food you two have never heard of sgdjdj

“How the hell do you even pronounce that?”

You found it sweet that Zoro was trying hard to make this date special but you could tell this was not him.

He was relieved when you suggested to leave the restaurant and go to a bar instead.

The night was filled with laughs as you both got absolutely hammered at that bar

You two may or may not have ended up making out and getting frisky in the bar’s bathroom 👀

Sanji

Picnic date

Ok let’s be real, this man already caters to your every needs on the regular. But today was a special day, it was your anniversary.

Sanji decided to convince the crew to ditch the ship for the day so that you guys would be alone.

He set up a surprise picnic date for you on the deck of the ship. Rose petals were littered all around the blanket. The spread was filled with all your favorite foods and desserts and your favorite wine.

You were in awe at the display and almost teared up at the sight. You told Sanji he didn’t have to do all this for you.

“Nothing but the best for my beautiful angel”

After you guys finished eating, he had given you a small box with a bow on top. Inside was a necklace with his name on it.

Let’s just say you decided to give him his anniversary present right there and then instead of waiting for the bedroom 😉

Usopp

Beach date

Usopp decides to take advantage of the warm sun and plan a beach day with you.

Usopp is playful so your beach day is filled with you chasing each other on the sand and splashing water at each other in the water

You thought it would be funny to bury his body in sand which resulted in him making up a bunch of lies not to do it.

“Sorry Y/N, I happen to have a condition that prevents me from being buried in sand or i’ll die. Hahaha”

He eventually gives in and lets you because you gave him a cute pout. Everything was fine until a crab crawled on top of him and he started freaking out sgdjdj

While you guys were swimming in the water, Usopp grabs you by the waist to come closer to him. You wrap your arms around his neck and wrap your legs around him. His hands hold you up by your thighs as he leans in to give you a deep kiss.

He brings one hand to your bikini bra strap and starts to slip it down. As much as he likes you in your bikini, he would rather have it off 👀

Law

Night stroll date

Like Zoro, Law is another one who enjoys the simple things and isn’t big on grand gestures.

Today you wanted to go out instead of being in his office, but Law kept shooing you away saying he was busy with work.

It was evening now and he felt guilty for ignoring you all day, so he decided to make it up to you.

“Y/N-ya, come walk with me”

The town you guys were docked at was known for having the prettiest city lights and night life.

He held your hand as you two walked through the town checking out the scenery.

While you gazed at the lights, Law couldn’t help but admire you. Yeah the lights were pretty, but he thought you were more beautiful.

His arm wrapped around your waist giving it a slight squeeze, causing you too look up at him. The look on his face you knew all too well.

Let’s just say your walk was cut short for obvious reasons 😏

[sitkowski]

hum static (twist it, grasp it) ( ryan sitkowski/justin morrow/ricky olson )

pairing: ryan sitkowski/justin morrow/ricky olson cw: 18+ MDNI ⚠️ friends with benefits, anal fingering, double anal penetration, rough sex, finger sucking, face slapping, biting, choking, justin is the meat in this sandwich and he left his last two brain cells in that bathroom in paris. word count: 3.1k author's note: my first fic for friends in sin miw kinktober is done. this one is for the prompt of 'multiple penetration'. shout out to @ao3userfeistycadavers for running this bad boy. hopefully i actually manage to get my other fics up during the month. please enjoy this! title comes from "static hum" by chelsea wolfe. divider by @saradika-graphics ✨

⇉ masterpost || taglist signups || read on ao3

Justin’s currently trapped in a real life episode of Family Feud. There’s one question on the board: name something your bandmate would ask you out of the blue. And of all the guesses Justin would make, being invited to a threesome was not one of them at all, not even a top five answer. He can literally hear the buzzer sound in his head as he stares at Ricky too long before answering his question. Both Steve Harvey and Ricky are waiting very patiently, the crowd is whispering. Justin is probably losing his mind.

“Repeat that, like I’m five.”

Ricky narrows his eyes at him. “You heard me.”

“Yeah no I did absolutely hear you. I could have sworn you asked me if I wanted to fuck around with you and Ryan. Since when do you and Ryan fuck around?”

Justin’s pretty sure his voice just reached a pitch it hasn’t since he was a teenager. Thankfully no one is around to hear him. Everyone else is dealing with the post show breakdown, and it’s just Ricky and Justin in this hallway, where Ricky dragged him to ask him this very important question.

“Oh no, I broke you.” Ricky reaches up to pat the top of Justin’s head sympathetically. He’s got to stand on his tiptoes to do it. “To answer your question, like six years now? On and off. You gonna answer my question, or are we pretending this never happened?”

The thing is Justin knows he’s in a band of objectively hot dudes. And while the revelation that Ryan and Ricky occasionally sleep together is blowing his mind almost as much as the original question Ricky asked, he’s pretty sure he’d be stupid to say no. He nods, because apparently his ability to speak has vanished as he’s now picturing whatever Ricky and Ryan have been getting up to for the past six years.

Fingers snap in front of his face, and he automatically reaches up to wipe at his mouth in case he’s doing something embarrassing like drooling.

“Uh yeah, no, I’m very much in. When?”

He starts wracking his brain for the next hotel night, and realizes that is where they’re headed after they’re done here. It also occurs to him that he and Ricky are rooming together like they always do these days.

“So I should tell Ryan you’re in for tonight? I need you to be absolutely sure, because the last thing I need is Chris butchering my ass and leaving my body parts along the highway because I fucked everything up.”

He doesn’t have the heart to tell him that Ricky could literally murder Justin and Chris would still love him. “Yeah. Tonight is good.”

Ricky just nods and wanders off to find Ryan, like he asked Justin if they were going to watch a movie when they got to the hotel or something. Justin’s still trying to process it all throughout the rest of the time at the venue. It’s not lost on him that Ryan and Ricky have planned this out, talked about him. He wishes he could have left ahead of everyone else to mentally prepare. Apparently, Ricky’s some sort of mind reader as well as a little sexual terrorist, because he pulls Ryan into the bar instead of towards the elevator when they reach the hotel.

Even though he showered at the venue, Justin showers again since things are going to be happening. It’s a miracle that he doesn’t jerk off before they get there, because he figures it’s pointless if there’s going to be someone else to touch his dick soon. By the time he emerges from the bathroom, both Ryan and Ricky are sitting at the table in the corner.

He feels caught. It’s not an entirely unpleasant feeling.

“Why does this look more like an intervention and less like a threesome?”

Ryan snorts and takes a pull from his vape, and Ricky kicks out the third chair. “Sit for a sec.”

It’s not a suggestion and Justin only hesitates for a minute before sitting down. They’re both looking at him now and he realizes that there’s about to be some sort of talk or feelings or whatever, before anything else happens.

“Is this the part where you two tell me you’re into some very freaky shit—”

“You’re into some very freaky shit. I mean, not on Rick’s level but you’ve got a big mouth. We all know it.”

“Relax,” Ricky says. “You act like I’m gonna chain you up or something.”

“Not the first time at least,” Ryan mutters, and Justin sees him jolt a little when Ricky kicks him under the table. “Have you even done anything like this before?”

Justin raises his eyebrows. “This isn’t my first threesome. Not my first time with a guy either. Two though...”

He trails off because he doesn’t need to elaborate on that. And honestly if he was going to trust anyone like this, of course it would be these two. They’re both staring at him like they’re going to eat him alive and maybe it takes him more than a minute to realize they’ve been looking at him like this for days.

“Is it your first time being fucked by two guys at once?”

“You mean like—”

Ryan makes an obscene gesture that is meant to mimic two cocks and one hole. Justin looks back and forth between the two of them. It’s not that he doesn’t think they’re serious, it’s that he thinks they’re insane. Apparently, some kind of panic shows on his face, and the two of them start having a private conversation with their eyes that makes him want to hide out on the balcony and smoke.

“Fuck, you’ve never bottomed before, have you?” Ricky asks the most obvious question. “You’re a—”

He’s never been ashamed of that, and he isn’t going to start now. “If you say it, I’m going to punch you in the dick and then only one of you will be able to fuck me instead of both.”

Ryan gives Ricky a smug look, and Justin pushes away from the table, making his way towards the bed. They’re both still sitting there, having that same conversation still, so he rolls his eyes and throws himself down on the mattress. Kicking off his shorts, he props himself up on his elbows, waiting to see which one of them is going to move first. While he waits he reaches down to wrap his fingers around the base of his cock, and they watch him before looking at each other and finally moving.

His dick jerks in his hand as they approach the bed, one on either side. Ricky reaches for him first, hand clamping down on his throat to push his head back into the pillows as his mouth comes down over Justin’s. He barely gets a chance to get too into it before Ryan wraps his hand around the edge of his jaw and turns his head so that he can kiss Justin next. Maybe he should be a little concerned with how easy it is to just kiss them both, let them pass his mouth back and forth like a blunt until his lips are swollen and he’s practically squirming into the sheets. But he’s more concerned with the fact they both still have their clothes on.

Finally they let him breathe, if only long enough for Ryan to use that hold on his jaw to make Justin look at Ricky. He absolutely does not analyze what it means that the two of them are smaller than him in some ways and he’s just letting them do whatever they want.

“You with us?” Ricky asks, and Ryan nods Justin’s head for him. “We’re gonna get you ready for us—”

“I, uh,” he knows that saying if you can’t say it, you shouldn’t be doing it is stupid, given the current situation, but he still finds himself stalling on the words in their presence. “Got ready in the shower, I’m good to go.”

Ryan laughs, a little meanly. “That’s cute. He thinks he’s ready.”

Justin absolutely does not whine at that. Except he doesn’t have any control of his mouth at this point, or his hands, which start pulling impatiently at both of them. He needs them to get with the program and get naked already. He tries to tell them that, but his words get cut off by Ricky pressing fingers into his mouth, dragging them over his tongue, pushing them back further. Justin gags, just a little, before he sinks his teeth into those fingers. He wraps his tongue around them, gets them as wet as he can. When Ricky pulls them out, he gives him a quick sharp slap to his cheek. It’s enough to pull a started moan from Justin’s throat.

“No biting,” Ricky says and then he drags his wet fingers down Justin’s chest. “You wanna turn over or you wanna stay like this?”

“You gonna take off your clothes at any point?”

Ryan’s hand comes down on his hip in a stinging slap, and Justin yelps, trying to squirm away from him. It only pushes him further into Ricky.

“Justin, hey look at me,” Ricky’s voice is suddenly deceptively soft, and he turns his head to look at him like he’s told. “You got a safeword?”

If they’re about to play good cock bad cock, Justin cannot tell which is which. They’re fucking with his head and they know it.

“Buffalo.”

It’s the first word that comes to his mind, and something he wouldn’t blurt out during sex. In normal circumstances, anyway. Ryan gets off the bed, moving around to where Ricky’s bags are piled. Ricky gives Justin’s thigh a tap and he just rolls over onto his stomach, shuffling up onto his knees. He hears the sound of shuffling fabric behind him, hears the murmur of voices as they talk behind him. He’s two seconds away from throwing himself onto his back again so he can watch when he feels Ricky’s spit slicked fingers slide into him.

As far as it goes, it doesn’t feel like much more than when he fingered himself in the shower earlier. Justin hitches out a breath and sinks further into the mattress. He feels the sharpness of teeth in his shoulder and the scrape of blunt nails down his back. Ricky’s fingers twist and spread and then there’s more. Because Ryan is edging his fingers in right alongside them. For a hot second, he tries to get away from what is essentially an entire hand in his ass, but then he moans and rocks back into it.

“You think this is enough?” Ryan asks, and Justin realizes that he’s not talking to him, he’s talking to Ricky. “I don’t think we can get any more in.”

Justin couldn’t agree more, all he can think about is how full he feels and how different it will be when they’re both fucking him. He starts to reach for his cock again, but Ryan wraps his free hand around his wrist, pinning it to the bed.

“You and I both know the second you get your hand on your dick, you’re gonna come. Be fucking patient.”

“You still good up there, big guy?” Ricky asks, and he twists his fingers just right.

Justin appreciates the check in but the fact that he’s still expected to form full sentences while they’re stretching him open is some sort of torture. He couldn’t even guess who keeps dragging their fingertips over his prostate, or what else they might be doing behind him.

“I’m gonna kill the both of you, the second we’re done here,” he moans into the sheets. Ryan laughs, and they both pull their fingers out. “Oh thank fucking god.”

His relief is short-lived, as Ryan moves up the bed and fits himself between Justin and the mattress. Justin immediately hauls him into a biting kiss, digging his fingers into his sides, trying to get some kind of control over the situation. But just because he’s under him doesn’t mean he’s got a leg to stand on. Not when he feels Ricky guiding Ryan’s cock into him. Ryan brings his hand up to Justin’s throat, pulling back to look him in the eyes.

“Well, you got one in. Good for you.”

Justin barks out a laugh, “Fuck you.”

The hand on his throat tightens, just a little. Just enough for him to feel it. Ryan gives him that mean smile again. “Yeah. You’re gonna eat those words, Morrow.”

Apparently that’s all the adjustment time he’s getting, and Ryan snaps his hips up. Justin jolts forward, catching himself with his hands on Ryan’s chest and he sucks in a shuddering breath. He lets him set the pace, and knows it’s probably easier that way. When he looks over his shoulder, he sees Ricky’s there, waiting.

“Come on,” Ryan says almost impatiently. The whole talking around Justin thing shouldn’t be doing it for him, yet it is. When Ricky crowds up behind him, fingers absently teasing over his rim where it’s stretched around Ryan’s cock, Justin doesn't think he’s going to survive this at all. Ryan stops moving. “Hold still. Trust me.”

“I do,” Justin blurts out. “I trust you both.”

Ricky braces a hand in between Justin’s shoulder blades, and Justin’s mouth falls open as he feels him sliding in alongside Ryan. It’s more than a stretch, and it’s both uncomfortable and everything he wants. Ryan keeps his hold on Justin’s throat, keeping his eyes on him, obviously checking for any signs that Justin would want to stop. But he couldn't imagine it. He’s suddenly so full that all he can do is breathe in through his nose and try not to claw his way through Ryan’s chest. It doesn’t register to him right away that one of them is talking to him, not until Ricky threads his fingers through Justin’s hair and pulls his head back.

“How does that feel?”

“It’s alotta dick.” Justin’s voice comes out high because of the angle Ricky’s holding him at. “It’s good. Great even. It would be better if you’d move.”

Ricky gives his hair another tug and Justin gasps and writhes up to try and lessen the tension, but it’s no use. Ryan’s no help either, because he wraps his hand around Justin’s cock and starts moving it slowly while both he and Ricky are just inside him, not doing anything.

“Fuck, please, okay I will beg if I have to,” Justin tries to move himself and finds that he can’t, not unless he were to really push for it, but he doesn’t have the brain capacity for it right now. “There is no way you assholes haven’t done this to someone else, fuck.”

“I don’t know about you Rick, but I think he’s ready.”

“Fuck you,” Justin says again, more breathless than the last time.

Ricky lets go of his hair, and pushes him forward, just a little bit more. Ryan’s hand that isn’t on his cock wraps around his jaw, and he feels the bite of his rings as he holds onto his face while Ricky pulls out slowly and shoves back in less slowly, and then Ryan rocks his hips up. All Justin can do is take it, his body pinned between them as they set a pace that makes his brain melt out of his ears. He’s as pliant as he can be, moving with each hard thrust in and slow drag out. Ryan’s let go of Justin’s cock only for him to be able to rub off against Ryan’s stomach while he presses those fingers into his mouth against Justin’s tongue.

“Is it too much?” Ricky asks as he mouths along Justin’s spine.

He can’t speak around Ryan’s fingers, so he just nods his head, pushes back into them as much as he can. It is too much, but it’s exactly what he wants. Ricky grabs onto Justin’s hips harder, yanking him into each thrust while Ryan holds him still. He keeps him grounded. Justin feels like he’s going to melt right off of this bed, off of the fucking planet. Ryan’s wet fingers drag down his face and Justin ducks down to kiss him. Sweat drips down onto Ryan’s chest, stings the little scratches that Ricky’s leaving on his hips and back. 

“You gonna come?” Ryan nips at Justin’s mouth, grins when he nods rapidly. “What about you, Rick?”

“Justin, you gotta tell us if we can come inside—”

“Way to ask now,” Justin mutters, looking over his shoulder. “It’s fine I know you’re both clean.”

Ricky groans and laughs, pressing his forehead against Justin’s back as his thrusts grow shallow and stuttered. He can’t actually feel it when Ricky comes, but he definitely feels it when he pulls out, slumping into Justin as Ryan uses the opportunity to fuck up into him roughly. It gives Justin room to be able to move now and he braces his hands on Ryan’s chest, grinding down on him with every thrust upward. Ricky’s at his side now, plastered against him and reaching between them to get his hand on Justin’s dick. His chin digs into Justin’s shoulder, and he feels his eyes burning into the side of his face.

“Hey Justin,” he says, voice casual as ever as he strokes his cock. “You’ve been so good for us.”

“The best,” Ryan groans out in agreement. He grabs onto Justin’s hips hard and holds him down on his cock, and comes inside of him. “Now you.”

It only takes a few more twists of Ricky’s hand for Justin to come all over his fist and Ryan’s stomach. He slumps forward a little, trying to catch his breath. Ricky pets his hand through his hair, and Ryan pulls him down for a slow kiss. When he turns his head, Ricky is there for kisses of his own. Finally, he’s able to lift himself up off of Ryan and fall onto the bed between the two of them.

“Now how do you feel?” Ricky asks. It’s impossible to miss the snark in his voice, and Justin tries to slap at him but it requires too much effort.

Ryan gives him another hard slap to his hip before he pushes himself out of the bed. “That wasn’t a rhetorical question.”

“I don’t have the spoons to answer your questions right now. Ask me again in an hour,” Justin somehow manages to twist himself over onto his back. He grimaces as he can feel the come dripping out of him as he moves. “Oh, I feel that.”

Ricky snorts, propping his chin up on Justin’s chest while Ryan disappears into the bathroom. “How against pictures are—”

“If you take out your camera and try to ask me for an update, you’ll never be allowed near my ass again.”

Ricky starts to say something, but Ryan tosses him a damp cloth that hits him directly in the face.

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@rumoured-whispers @dominuslunae @cookiesupplier

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[andreas-river]

Hey hello ,how are you, i hope you are well. In February, 3 major earthquakes occurred in my country on the same day and I caught it in my sleep. And besides, another big earthquake is expected in the city where I still live. That's why I can't sleep at night due to PTSD. What would TF-141 and König do with their s/o in this situation? Sorry if my English is bad, now I'm typing this with 3 hours of sleep :(

141 + König X Civilian!GN!Reader

A/N: Hello Anon! I'm really sorry for what happened, and I actually heard about it in February. I've never, never experienced something like this in real life and even the news terrifies me. I really hope you are in a safe place right now, and that this one brings you some comfort and a smile. I wish you the best!

Warnings: established relationship, no body description so gn!reader, mention and description of wounds, description of earthquakes, mention of anxiety and insomnia.

════════════════════════════

◇ Simon "Ghost" Riley

You two met in a bar in your city, long before your country was hit by powerful earthquakes. It didn't bother you that he was around the world most of the time, but when the earthquakes started, one after the other in the middle of the night, that was it.

You couldn't sleep because your mind kept going back to those moments that were literally from hell.

Everything was destroyed, buildings, people and so many lives. This reality was surreal, you never expected to witness something so painful. Simon always said you could call him if you needed to, even if you were afraid to bother him.

But news traveled fast, and as he sat in the base with the rest of the team after a long mission, the TV hanging on the wall showed the latest news from around the world, and one of them was about your country. He checked his personal phone to see if there were any calls from you, and it was only then that he noticed the notification of a missed call.

He left as quickly as he could, determined to get you away from there - he knew that, fortunately, your family lived far away from there, and he knew just what to do.

-

The scenario before his eyes was similar to that of a war - it was as if your city had been hit by a missile, except that no one had fired a missile or decided the death of thousands of people.

He walked through the few remaining open streets, his face covered by a simple black mask as he looked around, his skin under his sweater shivering incessantly.

It was even worse than what he was used to, because this time there was no one to blame, and he was not surrounded by guns or bullets that almost grazed him: there were only the grieving faces of those who had lost loved ones, and others who, despite their pain, helped the rescuers search for survivors under the rubble, hoping to find someone.

It was there that he had found you, as you helped pull out a man who was still alive but injured, while rescuers helped in turn.

The feeling of helplessness was strong, almost as heavy in his chest as all the destruction he was surrounded by.

He approached you anyway and soon managed to get your attention, almost unrecognizable without his usual mask, but you only had to look into his eyes for a moment to finally see him.

His arms held you tightly, leaving you breathless and relieved to see you alive and unharmed.

"You're coming with me." It wasn't a question, his tone firm but soft at the same time.

He probably never would have admitted out loud that he didn't want to lose you, because if anything had happened under those circumstances, the guilt would have eaten him alive forever.

◇ John "Soap" MacTavish

He was in the middle of a mission when he discovered that your city had been destroyed by a powerful earthquake: you were informing Laswell of the latest news about the mission when she informed him.

On the other side of the globe, far away from you and unable to reach you, the thought that you might be injured, or worse, kept him awake for the next few days, until the end of the mission.

He almost didn't even want to take a shower or leave all his equipment because he wanted to reach you as soon as possible, and luckily the airport of your city was mostly intact and the planes were able to land safely.

He called you as soon as he landed, hoping for an answer, and unexpectedly, he got one.

On the other hand, you did not expect to receive his call either: you knew that he was busy with dangerous missions and that he, too, risked his life every day, but hearing that familiar accent was like a ray of sunshine after days of only rain.

He managed to get to the hospital where you were immediately: you only had a sprained ankle, but he didn't even realize that he was on the verge of tears when he saw you lying on the emergency bed, so he ran straight to you. He didn't care if he almost fell on top of you, but seeing you had never made him feel so relieved in his entire life.

After you were released from the hospital, he decided to take you out of town and help you move into his house, which was even closer to the base. Knowing that you were completely safe made him feel better, but he could never forget the feeling he felt, the agony he felt in his chest that blocked his breathing, as if he was underwater and drowning, with no way to get back up.

◇ Kyle "Gaz" Garrick

While he was on a plane flying to your city, he never expected to arrive hours late, just because the airport was half destroyed by an earthquake: he landed in a city near yours and was forced to take a rental car to reach you.

Immediately he saw the amount of destruction of the buildings, completely collapsed and left only the skeletons of what used to be safe places full of life, and now there was nothing left.

He found you almost immediately and managed to reach where your house was: a four floor building, bricks and debris destroyed and scattered on the ground, the building now uninhabitable.

He ran to you, seeing you safe and sound and without injuries, and helped you with your things and the few things that weren't damaged.

The thought that you might have died like that, perhaps under the weight of the house or from a serious injury, made him feel nauseous, his stomach churning and almost making him regret his lunch.

"I found a hotel if you want to come with me," he heard you say as he put one of your bags in his car.

He nods, finally seeing a smile on his sad face. He put an arm on your shoulder and kissed your cheek gently.

"Let's go then."

◇ Captain John Price

Being a task force captain made him realize his responsibility to them, and to you, even if you've never been a soldier.

Every decision he made, every word he said and every action he took had a consequence that would fall on his shoulders if it turned out to be the wrong one.

And now he regretted that he had not been able to convince you to live in his apartment: not only to have you closer, but to have the assurance that you would always be safe.

As he drove to your city, the news on his car radio kept playing in his head: a powerful earthquake had struck your city, leaving a trail of destruction and death in its path.

He could not help but think that things could have been different, even though you had been pulled from the ruin, luckily with only a few superficial cuts and bruises. The rescue team that had pulled you out had not even had time to let you go, that another pair of arms were immediately around you, that his scent was finally surrounding you, that the smell of debris and dust was finally far away, if only for a few seconds.

"I came as fast as I could," you heard him whisper in your ear, his voice more hoarse than usual, as if he was holding back tears.

"I'm okay - now." you smile at him, pulling away from his arms and finally looking into his eyes, smiling back even though you could clearly see the terror in his eyes.

"Looks like you're going to have to live with me now," he smirks, and deep down he knows that's what you've wanted for a long time.

◇ König

Anxiety had always been a part of him, and during his life he had learned to live with it at different times. But he had never imagined that he would find himself in a situation like this, so much more terrifying than anything he had ever faced before.

There were no enemies to kill, buildings to invade, or hostages to rescue - there was only an evil that no one in the world could face, impossible to stop, and deadlier than a bullet in the head.

His heavy footsteps echoed through the half-empty corridors of the hospital, which fortunately had not been damaged too much by the earthquake since it was on the city limits.

He didn't even notice his hands trembling as he reached for the doorknob to your room and finally saw you inside, lying on the bed, one bandage on your head and another on your leg.

He was so relieved to see you alive that he almost didn't care if you were partially lifted off the mattress as he hugged you, hearing you giggling.

"It's good to see you," he said, finally letting you go as his eyes remained fixed on you. He could not know that you had really risked your life, that at that moment he could have been standing in front of a coffin - but now he was standing in front of you, smiling at him despite everything.

[imawreck]

Trap

Pairing: Bucky Barnes/Winter Soldier x Original Character

Summary: Max is forced to go on a mission with Bucky once more.

Author’s Note: Hey homies I’ve updated this story with some sort of detrimental information for the story/continuation of this. I was an idiot and forgot some information about Vision that literally affects all of the work I have done. I’ve updated the info in green. Sorry, and happy reading!

Warnings: malnutrition, description of panic attack symptoms, cursing

Word Count: 4,103

Max-

I woke the next morning from another grueling nightmare covered in sweat and gasping for air. It was 4:00 A.M., too early to be up but too late to fall back asleep. I peeled the sheets away from my body, wincing at the muscles tugging at my still-scabbed side. It was better, but it should have been healed and gone by now. Its presence was evidence enough of my malnutrition, even if I physically looked as healthy as a horse. I needed to eat.

Hopping from the bed, I meandered to the small floor kitchen and snagged the cereal box out of the cupboard and made myself a bowl. Thor would be disappointed I missed our morning breakfast together, but I couldn't wait that long. I munched on my meal, taking a seat on the counter instead of the chair. The cool marble was jarring enough to clear the stupor of my mind as I shoveled another spoonful of cereal into my mouth.

After the encounter with Bucky last night, it was difficult to fall asleep. My body had quaked, and my lungs seemed to shrink and cause my breaths to be nothing more than short puffs of air. It was ridiculous.

After I finished my breakfast, I decided to take the time to use the empty training room. Bucky had taken to training most of his free time, so the machines and weights were usually unavailable to me, the whole room more or less. I avoided him as much as I could, not even daring to be in the same room for fear of what, I didn't know. I was simply uncomfortable with being close to him anymore.

It's funny, how one person can go from your very breath to something you can hardly look at without falling apart.

I spent most of the morning training. I had lost some muscle in the recent missions and was in desperate need of some protein supplements to which I stole from Sam's stash. I spent several hours using the bars for upper body and lifting as much as my body could handle on weights. I pushed myself, taking note of the subtle changes that had occurred over the past few weeks. It wasn't much, but it was enough to cause a change in my strength. Enough to weaken me.

I cursed myself, drying my hair with a towel as I took a break three hours later, seating myself on the nearest bench. The AC felt wonderful on my neck and shoulders thanks to the tank top I was sporting. I didn't want to risk the team seeing my injury. Tony would bar me from missions if he had any inclination I wasn't mission ready.

The elevator chimed a few minutes after I had taken a seat and my whole body froze up; a recently developed instinct. Blonde hair and a dashing smile had me blowing out a breath and dropping my shoulders.

Thor sauntered his way over and plopped down on the bench beside me, "You're up awfully early, Max."

I shrugged, "I couldn't fall back asleep, so I decided this was the best thing to do to occupy my time before you lazy bums decided to get out of bed."

Thor rolled his eyes, "Getting a normal 8 hours of sleep does not make us lazy. Some of us need beauty sleep." He slung his gold tresses to the side in an obnoxious manner, pulling a smile onto my face.

"Did you just come all the way down here to talk?" I was flattered that a god showed so much interest in befriending me.

He shook his head with a smile, "No, but it is one of my favorite things to do on earth. I actually came to inform you that Tony is calling a meeting with the team, and he wants us gathered in ten."

I frowned, "You know that you don't have to come all the way down here to tell me that, right? Tony has a whole AI system to work the building."

His smile turned bashful as he shook his head, "I know. I just like to tell you myself."

My neck turned red as my lips curved upwards at his words. I shoved him with my shoulder, "Come on, Thunder Boy. I'll walk with you to the meeting."

Thor's lumbering steps eagerly followed me out of the training room as he began a tangent about the most recent events on his planet. He liked to keep me updated ever since I asked him about it. Learning about the new developments on such a different planet amazed me and hearing Thor talk about it so passionately made me happy.

The closer we got to the meeting room, the more anxious and curious I became. It had been a while since the whole team had gotten together for a joint mission. I figured Tony could sense the tension within the ranks so much that he supposed it would be better for us all to have space and time away from each other. Something big must have come up to be calling us all together.

The door chimed and the two of us strode into the level, veering between the glass doors and joining those who were already seated at the table. Natasha, Steve, and Bucky sat at their respective seats on the farther side of the table. Bucky used to occupy the seat next to me, but it now sat empty to the left of the end. Thor decided to take it with a soft smile my way. I was truly grateful for his presence.

Clint was next, stumbling in bleary eyed and groggy. "Damn these early meetings. Can't anyone get some decent sleep around here?"

I shook my head at him, watching him take the empty chair opposite to Thor. "Of course not, it's in the fine print of the job description."

Clint groaned and let his head hit the metal table. "It's miserable."

Tony was next, strolling in all prim and ready to go. He slapped the file folder in his hands against the back of Clint's head, "Wake up Barton, we have a bright shining day ahead of us."

I had to clamp a hand over my mouth to contain the laugh threatening to escape as Clint covered his head and gave an ugly look to the back of Tony's perfect hair.

Tony spun around and addressed everyone at the table with a thin smile, "I would like to inform you all that I have been working with Thor on locating a very dangerous weapon that we believe has fallen into Hydra's arsenal."

My eyes widened and snapped to Thor who simply continued to listen to Tony with a grim look on his face. "His brother, as you all know, had a scepter that was believed to have returned with him to Asgard but it seems that it was intercepted in the process. Loki hid it on earth, and as we all know, Vision now holds the original stone that was housed in the scepter. However, the scepter was stolen. Hydra operatives located it. Now they possess a very unpredictable variable, something as powerful as what created Wanda and her brother. Rumor has it that it’s now active with another power source. There is no telling what it will do or what they will use it for."

Everyone seemed to pale at the news. No one else had known about their discussions, I realized, and Thor had kept it even from me.

Tony went on, "Thor and I have been trying to locate where Hydra was moving or keeping it. We had been unsuccessful until now. The scepter gave off a power surge near the eastern sea and we believe that they are trying to move it to a more secure location to keep us from detecting it further. The window is small, and the only people available for this mission are those sitting at this table."

I noted that two of our most powerful members, Wanda and Vision, were nowhere to be found. The two were often sent to monitor other situations and I figured that they were doing so now. It would be a severe setback in our ranks, but each of those seated here had their own talents that would still benefit us greatly.

What small smile Tony had managed to keep on his face fell away before his next words, and his eyes seemed to fall on me with a sort of plead held in them. "Barnes, Max, you two will be on the front lines."

I balked at him, "You're joking."

His brows pulled together with a stiff shake of his head. Bucky glared at the table in front of him with his fists clenched. "You two are our strongest offense and your teamwork is refined even if you two are at odds right now. We need that kind of manpower to get through their defenses. I need everyone else stationed around the area to wait as backup and cover our blind spots. We can't allow them to call in for reinforcements or pull any surprises on us."

I grit my teeth and sank deeper into my seat.

"Thor, I want you to cause a storm if you can. Keep their communications down and take out any arial defense they might try to use." Thor nodded, the only response he gave Tony. The brunette's attention turned to Steve next, "I need you and Natasha to take out any scouts or watchers they might have as quietly as possible so Barnes and Max can get in and locate the scepter." Another nod from the two of them. "Barton, you'll take out anyone they might miss. That's all for now, go suit up. We will go over all the details on the Quinnjet."

With that, I stood from the table and left. Rage roiled in my veins as I stalked towards the staircase, opting to take them over the confines of the elevator that the others were bound to use. The closer I got to the launch pad, the more the anger consumed me. Why would Stark put us together when he knows that something changed between us? Everyone knew that something happened, we were never even seen on the same floor now. And then that thing with Natasha...

I felt the railing of the stairs crunch under my hand as I took the last step onto the Heli-level. The rest of the team was already bustling around, finalizing their gear and loading equipment into the hangar. I B-lined for my locker, swinging it open and snagging my suit from within. I had requested for a new one, and I was not disappointed by Tony's fulfillment of it.

Burgundy fabric, trimmed with black and silver. I was sick of the dried blood that was visible on my old suit, and the white fabric had begun to turn a sickeningly yellow orange from the layers of missions. The new suit fit much like the last, fitting my curves and hugging my skin. I zipped it up to my throat and secured it there, leaning over to lace and strap on my shoes as another body sank to the remaining bench beside me.

"You have to promise me not to gut Barnes out there in the field for whatever happened between you two."

I turned my face to Tony, catching his arms folding in front of his chest. I let myself frown at him, "I wouldn't hurt anyone on the team."

Tony gave me a pointed look that said he knew that was not entirely true, "You broke his nose in a training session not that long ago."

I shook my head, finishing the knot on my shoe and leaning back up. "He deserved it, he cracked my ribs in that match."

A sigh forced itself out of him as he rubbed a hand over his face, "Just promise me, Max."

I shrugged, "Fine. I promise I won't kill Barnes. Happy?"

He just stared at me for a moment before nodding slowly, his shoulders dropping. "Are you ever going to tell me what happened between you two? You were so happy, then you came back from that mission, and it was like the coin flipped."

Instead of answering, I latched my sword to my back and strapped on my knives. When I couldn't find anything else to do besides answer him, I turned back towards him on the bench. "It isn't a big deal. He doesn't like me, and I don't like him. I will make sure the mission is successful just like I always do, and then he and I can go back to ignoring each other until you decide to throw us together again."

He flinched but didn't say anything else as I snatched my mask out of the bottom of the locker and slammed the door.

I marched over to the hanger to find most of the others strapping themselves into the seats. Thor gave me a smile, but I wasn't in the mood for talking. Or listening. I chose the farthest seat without a second thought and pressed the mask onto my face until the final snap of metal echoed in my ears.

I watched the team through the black eyes of my mask as Tony lifted the hangar and strode to the cockpit for takeoff. Thor had taken to frowning at the wall of the jet and flickering his gaze toward Bucky every once in a while. The latter sat with his hands clenched together between his knees and his head down. Natasha picked at her nails next to Steve who was leaned against the wall with his eyes closed. Clint and Thor were the only ones seated on the same side I sat on. None of us talked as the jet shook with turbulence.

I turned my attention to my hands, flexing my fingers and pinching my brows in focus as I forced my nails outwards. The act alone was hard, and a small sliver of worry opened up inside me. I pressed my elbow to my side as smoothly as I could to avoid drawing attention. The wound beneath my suit ached at the contact and I stifled a hiss.

I would have to be more careful to avoid any contact on that side or I'll be sidelined for sure. The team needed my skillset on this mission otherwise Tony wouldn't have dared to put Bucky and I in the same vicinity. So, I would grin and bear it until I could get back to the Tower.

I lifted my head to find a pair of eyes watching me from across the jet. Bright and blue and hard. He couldn't see the way I frowned or the pain I was sure swam in my eyes at the sight of him, not while I hid it beneath the skull and teeth. All he saw was what he had wanted to see.

A killer.

His eyes didn't stay on me long before they dropped back to his lap, and I eased into my seat. I figured it would be best if I rested for now and try to heal some more before our mission. Thor wouldn't let anything happen to me, so my nerves calmed as the ever-present exhaustion swept me away.

_____

Bucky-

I saw her flinch. A jolt of her shoulders and a sharp breath was all the indication I needed to realize something was wrong. She had made the movement nearly imperceptible, but I saw it.

I hadn't meant to look at her, to even acknowledge her until it was absolutely necessary, but my body still betrayed me whenever she was near. I still gravitated towards her, still couldn't keep myself from listening to every breath she took, every movement she made.

It was torture.

I sat there watching as her head slumped forward in her sleep. That was another thing. Max had apparently been sleeping more often. I had overheard Thor talking to Tony about it one morning before I had entered and the two of them had shut up like clams. They didn't ever talk about her near me. It was good, I didn't want to know any more about her. She was a monster, plain and simple.

Thor had taken to glaring at me any time I was around. He's been glued to her ever since they first met. It was frustrating, seeing her with him. Watching her laugh so easily and smile so much. I knew I shouldn't feel that way. I had no reason to be jealous, she was a killer and nothing more. He just didn't know her.

I tried to bide my time going over the mission details in my head and listen to the whir of the jet as we flew. Steve had fallen asleep next to me as well, his body arched over his knees with his arms resting heavily on his thighs. He has been busying himself with all kinds of paperwork I hadn't asked about. He and I might have made amends, but we still seemed to have vastly different opinions on things now. Like a switch was flipped and we just can't get back to the way we were before.

I lost myself in my thoughts somewhere along the ride and the turbulence of the landing brought me out of it and back into the situation at hand. The others had begun unbuckling and gathering up their weapons, checking ammo and packing extra cartridges where they could. I followed suit, catching Thor waking Max out of the corner of my eye.

Her body jolted at his touch and her clawed hand wrapped itself in a vise grip around the god's wrist. He held his arm up in surrender as she took in her surroundings and eased her hand away with a small drop of her shoulders. I couldn't catch what they said between each other as I stepped away, but the flash of worry across Thor's face had that rotten feeling in my chest returning. I strode over to the ammunition and slotted a few extra cartridges into my pants pockets and checked my guns. I shifted my shoulder, flexing my fingers to ensure there weren't any issues before we headed into the head of the fight. After I made sure everything was set, I joined Steve at the front of the jet.

He gave me a tight smile and clamped a hand on my shoulder. "Be careful out there Buck, we don't know what we'll be going into. Make sure you keep an eye on Max too. Don't let her stab you in the back while were out there."

All I could do was nod as I heard her subtle steps approach behind me. Her voice trickled out from behind her mask in a sickly-sweet tone that had a shiver spidering down my spine. "Luckily for you, the only people I plan on stabbing in the back today is Hydra. Maybe next time, Captain." She accented his title in heavy Russian that seemed to become more prominent on missions like this.

I turned my head just enough to view her over my shoulder as my friend turned to face her with a deep frown marking his features. In her new suit, red as blood, and that mask... She looked like the devil.

"Alright team, remember the plans and stick to your parts. We can't get the scepter without cooperation so we can fight later. Focus on the mission." Tony's suit folded itself over him as he spoke and clamped over his head as he finished his sentence.

The hanger opened and Max shot out into the tall grass, hunkering low and disappearing out of sight. I shoved myself out of the hanger and dove into the brush after her, doing my best to follow the trail of downed grass as I went. Surprisingly, her red suit was almost impossible to see against the tall shrubbery. Her form was simply too low to the ground for anyone to catch the obnoxious color.

I nearly toppled over her as I stumbled to a halt behind her in the brush. I peered over her shoulder to scan the area around us, carefully placing a foot or so between us. The silver teeth of her mask glinted in the afternoon sun, and she tucked her head lower to keep it from drawing attention.

Her face turned to me, and my stomach hollowed at the black eyes of her mask, flashes of the past threatening to take me far into my mind before she shoved my shoulder harshly. "Keep a level head. Rogers and the others are taking out the scouts and then we'll move in." I couldn't help but catch the way she practically spit his name. I could imagine clear as day the angry curl of her lip at the mention of my friend.

I shook my head to clear away the fog and focused on the shadowed figures of our team moving in on the guards against the fence line. The Hydra we had targeted set up a camp, obviously to move as easily as they could without drawing too many eyes. They were simple tents and the smoke from a few fires went up in dark tendrils into the sky. Quite a few soldiers roamed the area, but fortunately for us none of them seemed to be carrying more than a handgun or the few semi-automatics.

I watched as the guards on watch began to drop like flies, the distinct sound of Steve's shield flying through the air carried on the wind. It was nearly as imperceptible as Natasha's choke wire.

As soon as the last body dropped to the ground Max was moving, staying as low to the ground as she could. I followed her once more, easing into the gap the others had provided. It was a limited window to breach while the rest of the watch hadn't noticed their fallen comrades. Max eased around the tents, easily weaving her way through the narrow trails between them while I struggled to keep my shoulders from brushing against the sides.

Brown hair peaked over one of the tents in front of Max and her body stilled, rising ever so slowly as he rounded the corner and came face to face with her. He barely had time to open his mouth before her hands were gripping his head and twisting. The snap of his neck echoed in my ears as she eased his body to the ground and maneuvered it to appear as if he had just fallen asleep. "We can't let them know we've entered the camp. Keep your attacks as quiet as you can and limit the blood."

I kept my voice as low as I could. "We need to locate the scepter."

She shrugged, peering around another tent before heading deeper into the camp. "Feel free to take off and look for it on your own."

"We have to stay together." I followed after her, shooting a glance backwards to ensure we hadn't been noticed.

Max's voice was anything but kind as she replied, "We don't have to stay together, the mission is to find the scepter."

"As a team."

Her head snapped towards me, and her tone was biting and venomous, "And how well did that work out for us last time? As far as I'm concerned, I'm better off without you."

Her words stung, and I couldn't do much more than grit my teeth as she turned away and stalked onward. Thunder cracked above us, and the clouds began roiling in the sky. Thor must have sensed airborne enemies.

I didn't follow her. If she wanted to be alone, fine, she could be alone. I turned towards the opposite direction and began to make my way through the other side of the camp. I checked each tent, waiting outside and listening in on who was inside. If I didn't hear anyone, I ducked my head in and scanned the area for any signs of a Commander's tent. Something as precious to Hydra as the scepter wouldn't be kept very far from someone important and trusted.

I had made it around most of the eastern side of the encampment, and still there was no sign of a Commander or general. In fact, the whole camp was scarce, save for a few agents here and there. There didn't seem to be any distinct tent for the higher ups, which unsettled me greatly.

A hand on my shoulder had me reeling back my left arm to strike, only to land the punch against thin air and receive a foot to the ass. I stumbled a few steps before I whipped around with a curse. Max merely looked around for anyone close by before removing her mask. Worry swam on her features as she squatted against the side of one of the tents.

Her knuckles were white against the knife gripped in her hand. "Comms are down. We're in here blind."

I pressed my fingers to my ear to confirm her words and the crackle of static trickled into my ears. I cursed, "The others should be holding their positions. It shouldn't be that hard to find the scepter and get out of here. There aren't many guards-"

"That's the thing," she swiveled her blade around her finger, one of her nervous habits. "Why wouldn't you guard something with all the men you could spare?"

Her words sank like a rock in my head. "It isn't here, is it?"

Cold eyes met my own, glinting in that predatory way. "No, and we crawled right into their trap."

Tags<3

@imdoingathingmom / @cjand10 / @calwitch / @blackbirdwitch22 / @hzdhrtss

[ipscal]

✶ dating joel miller would include [pre-pandemic vs post-pandemic] — the last of us headcanons ◟ ༉‧₊˚

i absolutely loved this game, and the show even more <3 so here's a headcanon of how it would be like to date joel miller !

꒰ DATING JOEL MILLER PRE-PANDEMIC ! ꒱

◟where you meet ? i imagine joel would most likely bump into his potential love interest in a bar of some sorts. like, he'd be there with his brother tommy and sees you sitting at the bar by yourself, and wouldn't be able to keep his eyes off of you. but he wouldn't do anything about it, which results in tommy intervening, much to his disagreement. "hey, so my brother's been sitting over there for past thirty minutes just gawking at you. and he was wondering if he could maybe, buy you a drink?"

◟dates ? i don't see him as a 'goes-out-with-his-boo' type of guy, but more like an 'intimate-night-at-home' type of person. where you guys would have a nice candlelit dinner and after watch a movie on his dvd player. i mean it's not much, but he's a simple guy, and considering that he is quite busy all the time. even if you guys aren't at the most bougie restaurant you're together and that's enough for the both of you.

◟fight occurrences ? rare. if you guys fight, it would be because of his jealousy issues, i don't why but i feel like he'd be the jealous type. sue me. and these fights would conclude with you guys not on speaking terms, "i don't want you talking to other men." because of his stubborn ass. until he finally breaks the silence because he misses you.

꒰ DATING JOEL MILLER POST-PANDEMIC ! ꒱

◟where you meet ? well, he saved you from a zombie attack, which you were very grateful for, however, you didn't have a place to go, since the fireflies had done irreparable damage to your home, therefore you had to tag along with joel. which the last thing he wanted but he wasn't that cold-hearted so he hesitantly agreed. at first, he wouldn't talk that much preferring to be his cold and brooding self, but after a short time he warms up to you and your company is something he starts enjoying.

◟dates ? ... limited, yes. but he tries. for example, your nights would be occupied by listening to the radio, even if the songs playing would be literal messaging signals, and slow dancing in his apartment. yeah, sure the world outside may be going to shit, but when he's with you, he feels a bit of the normalcy he once had and that drives him closer to you.

◟fight occurences ? often. i assume these fights would occur mainly because he would keep secrets from you. like, the things he would partake in which he knew you would be angry or disappointed about, but keeping you in the dark only makes it even worse, so you guys argue.

[elbiotipo]

it occurs to me that in space / sci-fi settings, ftl travel, "world of hats" worldbuilding, non-toxic alien biomes and universal translators are all (in part) tools to mitigate scale. so maybe an approach is just to reduce the scale of a setting? i feel everything could work okay restricted to one planet and its satellites

A single solar system does work for this, especially if you have collections of space habitats. The thing is that it's often our own solar system, and we already know all about it, so it gets boring. Unfortuantely Mars or Venus aren't that exciting, or rather, they are, but our own Solar System is too well known to us, we learn about it as kids after all, so there's not much room for new things here. They are also places very close to us, it's very likely we will see people on Mars and maybe more in our future. So it doesn't spark the excitement it could have.

One option is to make it a new star system, let's say the first expedition (or plural, expeditions) to get there and set up habitats, explore the life. You can get a lot of detail in a single star system, but for me the problem is that you eventually run out of weird worlds.

With an interstellar setting, you can indulge into worldbuilding on its most literal sense. You can create whole new planets and systems based on physical laws (or not), you can justify a lot of crazy things as space is so big that even the most unnusual things in a hard-science setting can be found somewhere. And you kinda want those planets with weird biomes and aliens. It's the same like setting up a novel in a very specific place and never going out of it, you can have a lot and lot of detail on it, but in my opinion at least, eventually you get bored of it. But if your character are going from place to place, that's more exciting for me. You want the good old strange new worlds, new life and new civilizations.

My setting Campoestela in fact started as a reaction to the current human-centric sci-fi settings (the one that most dissapointed me lately is Starfield but there are others) with only humans or only three or five other aliens. I wanted to go back to the space opera kind of feeling of going into a space bar and finding lots of different aliens. This is more fantasy at this point in regards to modern astrobiology, but much like fantasy, I'm willing to take the premises of it (easy FTL travel, lots of space civilizations) and see where they get me. It does get you a bit wild with the scale, yes, but that's part of the fun. Writing about a single planet, as fun as it can be (I've heard there's been a very successful movie series about it lately) just makes me feel constrained.

For more realistic settings, I'm sticking to what we know about our own Solar System, because yes, realistic space exploration in our current times is also exciting. I'm doing that in my Biopunks setting (set in the 22th century) and in a retro Cold War setting with the twist that Mars and Venus are actually full of life. But you get me, I want my space aliens, I want my strange new worlds. So I don't mind expanding the setting and instead trying to play with those tools.

[rueririn]

Pirating OPLA, thoughts

Episode 1

Garp being at Roger's execution is a nice touch

Really like how full Luffy's dinghy is-- crates of fruit, a barrel of fish instead of just one barrel of apples--- all makes sense. All the tiny details removed from manga that are just added onto opla for realism-- like the way the execution stand works, too, with the people cranking the manual lift to get roger up there. It's all very cool and makes the setting feel more piraty than mangapiece.

Our beloved Zoro tried to go to Sixis on a cruise ship. This is a good way to casually mention Zoro earlier (plus that's Ace's first island so it actually lines up on the One Piece map to be around Dawn Island--)

"it's worth more than the rest of our loot put together" a nika mention that can be interpreted as just a devil fruit mention

"You should never let anyone tell you what you can't do. If I did that, I never would have left my village to go find the One Piece." Luffy referencing Garp like this is so funny to me

Unlike mangapiece, Luffy invites Coby along before knowing his dream to become a marine. This makes me sad because now I wish la coby joined the crew

opla Shanks is weirdly more serious than mangapiece Shanks. Not necessarily in a bad way, just different. That's the attitude I'm takign for most of opla anyways.

Adding the Mr 7 and Zoro fight here is actually really cool

Beta Nami outfit aaaaa they moved the pre-orange town ship-stealing scene to serve as her introduction scene and that works so well for her.

I love that they all naturally congregated in Ririka's bar. Everyone congregates and chaos occurs. Really like how they switched things up while never really taking things off course.

"PIRATES SPREAD DISEASE" poster on the wall

Coby sliding under the table once a fight breaks outajslkdjalsijdsakj i love him pls

ADORE the barfight. It's Zoro vs Baroque Works but bite-sized and with everything we love about the most consistently badass member of the crew. Thank you.

Zoro really pulled a reverse on Helmeppo lmao. "Three swords? I only need one" proceeds to get curbed by zero swords

oh! Zoro introduced himself as pirate hunter. that makes him different from mangapiece where he explicitly says at some point that he never called himself that. But it fits the opla characterisation so fair enough.

Luffy popping out of the manhole to yell 'thanks' at Zoro just sends me. Makino taught him well.

Nami being the most independent and capable girlboss up until the second Luffy literally crashes into her life and ruins her plan is actually 100% compliant with the basis of their relationship.

Oh is this the ass naked Helmeppo scene everyone's been yelling abo--- oh it is. ok.

I've never realized how badly I wanted a Nami and Luffy fighting together scene until now. I just realized how little of those we get in Mangapiece. Holy shit.

Romance Dawn trio just has this really satisfying trio cohesion that I can't describe. They're forever my favourite trio in the strawhats and opla does a magnificent job of bringing justice to what the manga couldn't give them with its chapter and page limits, since their only trio time together without being dragged around by handicaps was in the gaimon arc.

Makes me a little sad that Coby's involvement in Shells gets cut down a little, but that's fine I guess, he got plenty of touchup in his introduction scene.

Luffy holding back laughter when he sees Helmeppo's hair. Zoro chuckling because "yeah I might've done that" and Nami just being speechless. They're so stupid i love them

Garp going silent when he hears a straw-hat pirate stole the map to the grand line. I like to think this could imply Roger also stole his map once upon a time, but for now I'm just laughing at Garp internally screeching "that STUPID GRANDSON it's been ONE DAY"