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corner-stories · 1 year ago

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a new york state of mind

Bart Allen. Jesse Chambers. Grant Emerson. Lower Manhattan. New Beginnings. Winged Helms. 3358 words. (ao3.)

With only a duffle bag and a backpack on his person, Bart Allen tried not to look like a tourist as he navigated the streets of Lower Manhattan.

It was overwhelming to be around so many new things. Nearly every store or cafe he saw was unfamiliar, yet intriguing, like every door could lead to something new.

It seemed that every person he walked past was just looking for a place to be. On one street corner Bart passed a woman talking on her phone in the thickest Brooklyn accent he had ever heard, and on another was a jazz band unloading an ungodly amount of instrument cases from a single yellow taxi.

And to Bart’s surprise, he had only been in New York for a few minutes and not yet did someone act like spending three thousand dollars on rent counted as a personality trait.

The hustle and bustle of the city made both Keystone and Central look boringly tame, but in his twenty odd years of life he was used to this kind of chaos. As he walked forward he could feel a sense of anticipation building in his gut, something that would either fade away or remain with him during his tenure in the city.

After a few moments of walking, Bart arrived at his location with his luggage in hand. In contrast to all the movies he had seen about a young person moving to New York, the anticipated place was not a theatre on Broadway, an esteemed private university, or even some shitty shoebox apartment in the East Village.

Instead, Bart stood in front of the brownstone belonging to the Justice Society of America, a place that was several stories high and undoubtedly bigger on the inside. As the sounds of Lower Manhattan filled his ears, the feeling of anticipation in his gut got stronger and stronger. Suddenly, his grip around his duffle bag tightened.

Before Bart’s mind could wander in a million different directions, the door of the brownstone burst open and out came one of the more… energetic supporters of his current career choice.

Jesse Chambers was smiling from ear to ear as she skipped down the steps, then dashed over to approach the gangly, mopheaded Speedster on the street.

“You made it!” Jesse cheered in a tone so bubbly that it caught Bart off guard.

Who was she and what had she done with Jesse Chambers?

The blonde even hugged him, something that made Bart wonder if he had truly entered the Twilight Zone.

“Whoa! Whoa! Nice to see you too, Jess!” he said, awkwardly hugging her back and patting her on the shoulder.

Having a smiling Jesse hug him so hard that she lifted him off the ground was certainly a change of pace. He had heard that Jesse became as giddy as a schoolgirl when it came to matters of the Justice Society, but Bart didn’t think she got that giddy over it.

After a few seconds of utter glee, Jesse put him down and the expectant knot in Bart’s stomach had yet to go away.

“How was the trip here? You all good? Got everything you need?” Jesse asked all at once. The fact that she wasn’t speaking at super speed was absolutely astounding.

“Uh… yes, yes, and yes!” answered Bart, happily patting the duffle bag in his grasp. He gave her a smile and did his best to not act like he had only remembered to pack last night. “Got two weeks worth of shit all here.”

There was a beat, then Bart refocused his gaze on the brownstone once more. Standing this close to the place reminded Bart that the choice he made was very tangible and real — no longer a mere idea he had kept in the back of his head for god knows how long.

Bart sucked in a few uneasy breaths, then looked towards Jesse. The smile on her face had yet to fade away.

“I guess we should just head in then, huh?” he asked, realizing that he could no longer prolong the inevitable.

Jesse gave him a nod. “You ready?”

For once in his life, Bart realized what it was like to look before one leapt. He took in one more slow breath, then said —

“...let’s fucking do this.”

Before he could take a single step, Jesse reached over and snagged both Bart’s duffle bag and backpack.

“Too slow!” she teased, and to that Bart could only roll his eyes.

Entering the building reminded Bart of a day two years ago, a day where his choice to pursue higher education had led him far from the midwest. The halls of the brownstone were certainly less chaotic than a public university’s freshman dormitory, but they were no less capable of filling Bart with a sense of unease.

But the good kind, the kind of discomfort associated with growth and new experiences. If he was on edge then so be it, because it signaled the start of something new.

“I’m glad you’re doing this,” said Jesse as she led Bart through the main foyer.

In his peripherals Bart caught sight of an ominous, unfamiliar shadow on a wall. It turned out that knowing of Todd Rice’s status as the JSA’s security system did not make the eldritch blob on the wall any less startling.

“Oh really?” replied Bart, keeping his eye on the dark splotch for a few seconds. “I couldn’t tell.”

Jesse guided Bart up a short flight of stairs. “No, I mean it — most college guys go to Daytona Beach or Cabo for spring break, but you’re here.” She turned back and gave him a grin that was just a bit softer than the ones before. “I’m proud of you.”

Bart briefly avoided her gaze as they walked across the carpeted floor. “Well… it’s just for two weeks,” he decided to say, figuring that it was better than anything else inside of his head. “And it’s better than an unpaid internship.”

Jesse rolled her eyes as Bart followed her. Truthfully, he was quite grateful that the JSA would compensate him for his time. The stipend may have been chump change in New York, but combined with the free accommodations and food it was absolutely plentiful.

As Jesse guided Bart through the hallways he would call home for the next two weeks, he got a glance of the world he was just dipping his toes into.

A handful of JSAers were present in the halls as the pair of Speedsters walked. Bart only knew them by their codenames and not their given ones, but hopefully he would learn them at one point.

Through a slightly ajar door he saw the ‘other other Wildcat’ unabashedly vaping in the privacy of his own room. Judging by the scent, Bart was immediately aware of what exact substance he was partaking in. Truth be told, he didn’t take the Pretty Boy Wildcat for the stoner type, but one learned something new every day.

Also walking down the aisle was Doctor Mid-Nite in his signature costume, albeit with the cowl pulled down and a pair of dark glasses over his eyes. Unsurprisingly, the world’s greatest physician was holding two bagels and a mug of coffee in his hands. He proceeded to shuffle down the hallway with all the grace of a soggy wet owl. The Good Doctor was at least polite enough to mumble something that sounded like a greeting as he passed by the Speedsters.

Through a doorway leading to a living area, Bart caught a glimpse of a handful of JSAers simply joking around. The one he recognized as Citizen Steel was napping on a metal sheet on the floor (for some reason) and the unholy trinity that was Stargirl, Cyclone, and Lightning were in a competition to see how many objects they could stack onto their teammate. Judging by the impressive Jenga Tower on Citizen Steel’s forehead, it was fair to say that Cyclone was in the lead.

After a few more moments of walking, Jesse finally brought Bart to a room at the end of the hall.

She opened a door to bring him into a space only slightly bigger than his room at uni — somehow, it was just a little more welcoming. Instead of plain white, the walls were painted a dark brown. The one window was wide and the single bed in the corner was adorned with clean, freshly-pressed sheets — akin to what one would see in a hotel. There was even a desk and a fan in the corner.

“It’s not our biggest room, but it does have a nice view,” Jesse explained as she placed Bart’s luggage on the bed.

“It’s perfect,” the younger Speedster said, and he meant it in every way. He had only been in the room for a minute and he already decided that he would enjoy the next two weeks.

Jesse gave him a softer smile, then went over to pull the curtains back. True to her word, the view outside was resplendent. From where they were they could see above the trees of Battery Park and all the way to the Statue of Liberty.

It was certainly a better sight than what he had back at university, which included some trees and approximately one third of a building.

As Bart took in the view of the partly cloudy day, Jesse pulled her phone out of her pocket and checked the screen.

“Okay, so dinner’s served at seven-thirty, so you got some time to yourself,” she explained quickly. “Other than that, training with Wildcat starts tomorrow morning, so you should be good for today.”

Bart looked back to her and nodded his head. “Alright, thanks.”

At this point of time he was still taking everything in, whether it be the unfamiliar scents or the sound of New York seeping in through the walls. He knew that eventually the noise of the streets would become so cordial that it could lull him to sleep, but for now he would need to get used to it.

After stepping towards his bags on the bed, Bart began unpacking his things. Before Jesse could come over and help him, the pair of Speedsters heard a knock on the door.

Glancing over at the doorway, Bart and Jesse witnessed one of the JSAers gently pushing the door open, the one with S-Tier “himbo energy” and a pair of warm, kindly puppy-dog eyes.

“Hey, Jess?” asked Rick. With one arm he opened the door and with the other he held onto a restless toddler.

Little Johnny Tyler was rather perturbed as his father carried him into the room. His youthful face, while usually adorable, was twisted into a look of unease and wariness. Fortunately, the two-year-old was smart enough to recognize his mother standing close by and raised his arms up to reach for her.

Fortunately, Rick was ever the doting father and carried his son over right away.

“Hey, Bart,” said Rick to the younger Speedster, to which he received an awkward wave in return. The Man of the Hour then focused on his wife. “Sorry, Babe, he’s not going to sleep… again.”

Amused, Jesse rolled her eyes. “And in other news water makes things wet, come here.”

Carefully, Jesse took her son from her husband. Little Johnny looked a bit more comfortable once he was in his mother’s arms, but only slightly.

“Hey, Mister Grumpy Pants, are you giving Daddy a hard time?” Jesse asked as she began bobbing up and down to comfort her son.

Johnny babbled in response, which in Bart’s babysitting experience could either mean so much or nothing at all. As the little one began chewing on the sleeve of his Wonder Woman onesie, Jesse gave Bart an apologetic look.

“Hey, you good here?” she asked. “Need anything else?”

Bart nodded quickly. “Don’t worry about it. Go on, take care of the little poop rocket, I’ll be fine!”

As per usual, Jesse looked the slightest bit annoyed at Bart’s nickname for her flesh and blood, whereas Rick looked amused.

“Okay,” Jesse said, reaching over to squeeze Bart’s shoulder. “See you at dinner.”

With her slightly less grouchy son in her arms, Jesse exited the room. Before Rick followed, he gave Bart a polite nod and then closed the door behind him.

Once Bart was alone there was not much to do but unpack.

Unsurprisingly, the Speedster emptied his bag in a flash. In less than a second he placed everything where they needed to be, putting the clothes in the closet and his electronics on the desk. He even set up his gaming laptop and made sure that his mouse was properly plugged in. Afterall, he couldn’t possibly imagine two weeks without being yelled at by thirteen-year-olds in a game of Call of Duty.

At the end of it all, Bart stood in the middle of the space and took everything in. The little room in New York instilled an unfamiliar sensation inside of him, one that left him with more questions than answers.

Bart thought about what would happen during the next two weeks. Having spent the last two years as a full-time university student, his hero time was strictly limited to weekends and very rarely on weekdays. Even the Fastest Electrical Engineering Major Alive couldn’t be in two places at once, especially when Jesse was covering most of his tuition.

As his train of thought began to flow, Bart also wondered just how long he could keep wearing his current colors.

Despite managing to remain rather babyfaced in his early adulthood, Bart wasn’t sure if continuing to call himself ‘Kid Flash’ was the best idea. His growth spurt didn’t help either, as the former baby of the Flash Family had grown at least six inches during the summer between high school and university.

On the bright side, he was close to overtaking Wally in terms of height. But on the not so bright side, it was becoming very difficult for Bart to keep imagining himself as ‘Kid Flash.’

Sometimes looking at himself reminded Bart just how much things had changed, that he was no longer the youthful boy who daydreamed during history class and always wished he could be somewhere else.

Nowadays, he spent more time focusing on school and trying to be Bart Allen, something he had initially done on his family’s request. Unsurprisingly, he grew rather fond of modern education once he was studying something he was actually interested in.

The next two weeks were his opportunity to put on a mask and be a speedster again. To what end he wasn’t entirely sure, but he was sure that he would find out eventually.

With most of his things placed where they needed to be, Bart went to his duffle bag on the bed and rummaged around for anything he may have forgotten.

Then at the bottom of his bag he found it.

Sitting at the bottom was a helmet made of several metals. The main part of the contraption consisted of a circular dome, but on the sides were gold-colored wings welded firmly into place.

He had made the helm a while ago with nothing particular in mind, a project that had come to fruition due to too many hours spent in the workshop of Titans Compound. He had begun tinkering with the scraps and junk he found lying around, most of it consisting of material S.T.A.R. Labs didn’t need anymore and dumped on the Titans.

Nonetheless, after playing around with the 3D-printer and a highly experimental nth metal titanium alloy someone just threw in the trash, Bart — in his own words — created a thing.

He wasn’t entirely sure why he bothered to bring the helm with him, but there was something about the way it felt on his head that Bart couldn’t deny.

He couldn’t exactly describe it — perhaps… a fullness, a completeness, a feeling that such a winged helm on his head practically felt like a crown. Plus, busting out his half-assed Hermes cosplay was fun sometimes.

Nonetheless, Bart hoped that Jay wouldn’t mind seeing a similar helmet across the JSA meeting table.

Bart walked to the mirror on the room’s walls and placed his helmet on his head. It sat upon his reddish-brown curls like it was meant to be there all along. When he saw his reflection he couldn’t help but smile — perhaps he could craft himself a traveler’s cloak and caduceus to complete the look.

As Bart removed his helmet and placed it into his closet, he heard the sound of the door creaking. When he looked over he expected to see Jesse, Jay, or maybe ever Courtney.

But to his surprise Bart was greeted with the presence of a person he had not seen in a long long time.

Grant Emerson had a mask covering his entire face, but judging by the way he weakly crossed his arms Bart guessed that his old friend was nervous to see him.

“Uh… hey?” The unease in Grant’s voice was unmistakable.

Bart smiled brightly, both surprised and charmed. “Hey, it’s you!”

Grant nodded and awkwardly cleared his throat. “Yeah, it’s me.”

As cheery as could be, Bart walked over to his old friend. He was quick to notice that Grant was no longer a whole head taller than him, another allusion to just how much time had passed. Literally being able to look Grant eye-to-eye was certainly something Bart would need to get used to.

“Long time no see, huh?” asked the Speedster, smiling as cheerily as ever.

Grant nodded again, then scratched the back of his neck. “Uh… that’s one way to put it.”

“Cool mask, Dude,” Bart was quick to say. “Makes ya look tough.”

Grant let out what sounded like a cross between an awkward chuckle and a grunt. “That’s the idea, it gets kinda itchy though.”

There was another beat as the two young heroes stood in the room.

Bart could sense that Grant had many things to say, but for the life of him just couldn’t say it. He knew that his old friend had become more withdrawn over the last few years for a multitude of reasons.

But through the mask Bart could see the familiar pair of brown eyes he had spent time with on the Titans Base at Liberty Island, and once he got a good look at them suddenly many things came back to him, things he had thought to be forgotten and lost.

At the end of the day perhaps fewer things had changed than Bart had initially thought.

“It’s good to see you, Dude,” he soon decided to say, knowing that breaking the ice a little more could do wonders in making Grant less nervous.

“Yeah, you too.” The walking nuclear reactor then let out another grumble, though one more akin to a verbal tic as opposed to an expression of discomfort.

Once more, Grant reached up to scratch the back of his neck. “So uh… some of us are gonna pop in a movie before dinner, you wanna join?”

Bart shrugged. “Depends, what were you guys thinking?”

“Well, Tommy suggested Paul Blart: Mall Cop 2, but that’s only because he’s stoned,” Grant said a little too casually. “So I’m gonna try to turn on Slumber Party Massacre when he’s not looking.”

There was a beat, then Bart burst out laughing. He took a step forward and placed a friendly hand on Grant’s shoulder.

“That sounds absolutely fucking sick, let’s do it.”

From the way Grant’s mask moved, Bart could swear that his old friend was smiling.

“Alright, cool,” said Grant casually before walking out of the room.

Bart followed him with a grin and made sure to close the door. As he walked down the hallways he caught another glimpse of the city outside of the windows. More and more he was getting used to the sound of the street or the various buildings crowding the view of the sky.

As every moment passed, it was getting a lot easier for Bart to embrace a New York state of mind.

#Bart Allen #Jesse Chambers #Grant Emerson #Pieter Cross #Tom Bronson #Courtney Whitmore #Maxine Hunkel #Jennifer Pierce #Nate Heywood #DC #JSA #Rick Tyler #Johnny Tyler #Bart joins Team Nepo Baby!!!

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kpopimagi · 1 year ago

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A Flower Under The Rain [Part 5]

Characters: Baekhyun, Kyungsoo and Kang Gyuri (OC) Genre: Angst, Romance Au: Hanahaki!Au Type: Series Word count: 10, 205

It all began with a cough and then, a subtle sting in her chest. Kang Gyuri cried, knowing that in a matter of months, she would be another figure in the death toll of the most dangerous and cruelest outbreak in human history.

Everything was overwhelming.

Still, too out of it, Gyuri simply limited herself to letting Kyungsoo take her away from the coffee shop. As soon as she felt remotely better, he stopped a taxi before the police and agents from the National Health Service could take anyone into custody for questioning. They always did when someone died of the Hanahaki disease in a public space. Luckily, he managed to close the taxi’s door just in time the first ambulance arrived at the site.

After a silent ride with Kyungsoo, she arrived home, but the moment she closed the front door behind her and saw her parents watching television in the living room, Gyuri felt a lot better and grounded in a reality she knew was safe and secure. However, drained to even talk, let alone try to pretend she was all fine, she excused herself, saying she needed to lay down for a bit.

Although she felt like she hadn’t slept for days, something was bothering her, and taking the watch off her wrist. Gyuri realized how heavy it felt and the longer she looked at it, the more she noticed how refined and expensive it actually was. Kyungsoo must be a careful person, Gyuri decided, considering how well taken care of it was.

She flipped the watch around, and for a second, she thought her eyes were deceiving her. As exhausted as she was, her mind must’ve been playing tricks on her heart and her faith because the name she saw engraved in the back of the watch couldn't be true. That name wasn’t even real. It was only a pen name, and it was a legend. A mystery no one knew the face of. A tear fell down her cheek as her finger traced the capital that held so many of her hopes. A capital D and a capital O.

Gyuri wanted to laugh. Suddenly, his reply of being unemployed by choice seemed like the funniest yet unintentionally sarcastic joke ever. Because one of the reasons that made D.O. so mysteriously fascinating to the entire world was the fact that he never wrote a second book. That brought many to think it was all a scam, and the writer died like everyone else with the curse did.

Opening her laptop to do some research, Gyuri wondered how on earth she was supposed to start. She wouldn't be the first to try to find out his identity, but the cold watch on her hand reminded her that she had a clue that no one else might have. Gyuri simply typed D.O. watch on the search engine and hoped for the best. She could’ve never imagined getting thousands of results, and she just stared at the articles, utterly stunned. She even found the official website of the Swiss watchmaking manufacturer that made the watch that happened to be a special edition gift given to the writer as a token of their appreciation. That book was, after all, the greatest source of hope in the middle of such worldwide dispair.

Clicking faster than ever, Gyuri navigated through the website. She read the articles and then compared the watch in her hand with the one in the pictures. Her breath trembled, and her heart dropped to the floor when she saw the estimated price of the watch. She had been carrying almost 4 million dollars on her wrist, and she wasn't even aware.

Her cell phone buzzing somewhere in her room stopped her anxious train of thoughts, and when she found it, she wished she could ignore the texts on the screen but knew better than to ignore Baekhyun. Staring at the device for a while, Gyuri tried not to read too much between the lines.

Most times, Baekhyun would pick her up whenever they hung out, except for very few times when he had previous commitments before seeing her. He always made an effort. Her best friend tried to work his activities around to spend quality time with her. It was an engraved part of him and their relationship.

However, when he set a time for them to see each other at some random park, she couldn’t stop herself and feared the worst. Luckily or not so, her answer came a few seconds later in a whole minute and a half audio message, and she wasn’t entirely surprised when she listened to it.

“I was wondering if Mina can tag along tomorrow if that’s alright with you?” His voice asked with genuine and nervous hesitation. “If you don’t feel comfortable about it, don’t worry.”

Gyuri knew that the last part of his message was also honest. If she wasn’t comfortable yet, he wouldn’t force it. However, something did not feel entirely alright. Not trusting her voice enough to reply with an audio message, she replied with a simple text that she wouldn’t mind.

Taking the watch with her for safekeeping, Gyuri laid down in her bed, aware of how tired she was but at the same time, afraid of even closing her eyes. She debated if she should reach out for that one person that became a kind of a lifeline. It felt selfish of her to even bother him any further when he had done so much already, but she couldn’t help it.

Gyuri stared at his phone number, deciding if she could call him instead of sending a text. Because truth to be told, his replies so far had been extremely short. Closing her eyes, she made up her mind and pressed the button. Surprisingly, he answered the call almost right away, and greeted by his low and monotonous voice, she couldn’t bring herself to speak.

“Is everything alright?” He asked after a few seconds of silence.

“Are you free tomorrow?” She cut to the chase and facepalmed herself in embarrassment. “I’m seeing Baekhyun tomorrow and he wants to bring his girlfriend along.”

“He’s bringing her along?” He asked as if making sure he understood the situation. “Do you want me to go with you?”

“I’m so sorry,” She blabbered, suddenly mortified, “now that I think about it, it’s very silly.”

“I’ll go.”

Gyuri closed her eyes, smiling to herself at the amount of relief his short reply infused into her whole body. She had to remind her giddy mind to calm down.

“Can we see each other first?” She asked, begging the watch in her hands for him to accept.

Kyungsoo merely hummed in agreement, and somehow that simple answer made her body finally relax. Gyuri curled up in her bed, and too tired to change her clothes, she pulled the covers over herself. Once she settled between the bedsheets with the watch in one hand and her phone in the other, she couldn’t think of anything else to add to end the call.

“You must be tired.” He added after a long while as if he could read her silence, and suddenly aware of the exhaustion, she nodded even if he couldn’t see her. “Is it because of what we saw today?”

His voice was as soft as a whisper and stripped from any judgment. Although it was more than obvious he already knew the answer, Gyuri still replied with the smallest voice she could muster.

“I’m still scared.”

Kyungsoo hummed, and somehow, Gyuri didn't need more. Just by knowing that someone knew her struggle was more than enough. However, from all the responses she could expect from a conversation of that type, a sudden chuckle wasn’t one of them. Especially not from someone like him.

“I’m not good at these kinds of things,” Kyungsoo eventually said, more to himself.

Gyuri chuckled as well. It was amusing to her that he said that while he also happened to be the man that spoke to the entire world about hope. He didn’t even have to say anything comforting when she found his silence strangely reassuring.

“What do you like to do in your spare time?” She asked in a way to ease his awkwardness.

“I like to cook and watch movies.” He replied, quite animatedly, although his tone was still soft.

“What do you like to cook the most?”

Gyuri wanted to know out of genuine curiosity but it was as if that simple question turned on a chat mode on him, and she closed her eyes and smiled to herself as she basked in his voice. Especially when she asked how he prepared a particular dish and he would talk about that and all the different Korean dishes he liked. From time to time, Kyungsoo would ask if he should stop and let her sleep, but Gyuri would let out a soft sound every time to show him she was still listening, and he would start again. Eventually, his voice mellowed more and more until she couldn’t hear him anymore and fell into a peaceful slumber.

***

The dreadful day finally arrived, and there was no way Gyuri could skip it. The more she tried to come up with an excuse to cancel her weekly hangout with Baekhyun, the worse the sting in her chest got, and she realized she couldn't just lie to him without her heart twisting in response.

Despite everything, Gyuri was unexpectedly excited and even dressed up a little bit more than usual. She wore the expensive watch on her wrist and spent most of her bus ride constantly pulling the sleeve of her jacket down to cover it and overall thinking that someone was watching her and planning a whole heist to cut her arm off and steal the small fortune dangling in her tiny wrist.

Without any incidents other than her nervousness, Gyuri arrived at the coffee shop. She spotted Kyungsoo from a distance, already waiting for her, sitting at a table by the window. Ignoring the rush of giddiness and excitement she felt, she hurried inside.

As soon as she crossed the entrance, as if getting hit by a truck, Gyuri suddenly realized who she was about to meet and felt utterly unprepared. She even regretted having the book in her purse, naively thinking she could get his autograph or something of that sort. Pretending she hadn’t seen him yet, Gyuri made a beeline to the counter to order a drink.

Amid a mess of thoughts and self-awareness, she only asked for a water bottle, and her voice was caught up in a squeak when Kyungsoo himself showed up by her side. Unable to fully look at him as a sense of starstruck admiration paralyzed her body when she suddenly noticed his smart and expensive looks, the feeling of his heavy watch on her wrist, and his attentiveness even in the smallest of things. Gyuri didn’t even have the time to react when he pulled his wallet out to pay for her drink, and all the giddiness was soon replaced by remorse.

Once seated by the same window he had been waiting, she looked around, wary of everything and everyone in their near vicinity. As unsuspiciously as she could under the table, Gyuri took his watch off and slipped it across the table.

“Are you crazy?” She said, leaning over so she wouldn’t raise her voice that much, “How can you give me that so easily?”

“I get nagged if I don’t wear it often.” Kyungsoo replied with a small and amused smile as he grabbed the watch and observed it as if it was made of plastic, “I don’t really like it.”

“Still, what if I’d lost it or got it stolen?” She whispered out loud, feeling a weight over her shoulders being lifted as he put the watch on with a smirk.

The sudden confidence exuding off him caught Gyuri off guard, and she just stared at him, admiring him in a different light. For a split second, he seemed to glow in a very healthy and lively way that made her start to wonder a million things. Like, for starters, how manly and classy he actually looked without his glasses and how effortlessly handsome he was.

Gyuri also wondered how on earth she managed to become friends with one of the most famous personalities in the modern world. She even shared a freaking slice of cheesecake with him. She carried around his four million-dollar watch and was now sitting in front of him once again. Kyungsoo happened to be the only survivor of the outbreak. He was like an undefeated hero, and unable to believe her luck, she found herself speechless.

“You are him, aren’t you?” She whispered, stunned and scared and excited by his reply, “You are The Love Survivor.”

Kyungsoo lowered his head, but Gyuri didn’t miss the tiny twitch in his brows and the pout on his lips at the nickname some people had for the writer. However, and against all of her expectations, he nodded. It was a subtle nod, and in what looked like a nervous fidget, he scratched the back of his neck.

“I just wrote it down,” He said, his voice monotone as if he was talking about the forecast, “I wrote my pain and frustration down.”

Gyuri leaned back on her chair, mind blown at the confirmation, and the noise of awe and wonder that came out of her, made him look up and smile. It was such a tender and childlike expression that somehow felt like he threw a wrench into the works of her mind. He just seemed to find her reaction to the whole revelation somehow comical.

“Do you want to hear the story?” He asked as if the story of his journey to write one of the most successful books in the last decade was not that interesting.

“If you feel comfortable telling me, I would love to.” Gyuri said, trying not to sound that eager, “It’s not like we have anywhere else to go.”

Kyungsoo chuckled again, which Gyuri started to realize fit his face and tone very well. She looked at him, taking his time as he chewed on his lower lip, deep in thought.

“A friend of mine kept a close eye on me when I contracted the disease. He wanted to know how I was coping with it and I showed my diary to him.” He started, a bit too straight to her liking, “Back then, he was starting his career as an editor.”

Gyuri perked up. She instantly knew who he was talking about. The entire world knew about D.O.’s infamous editor slash manager. Some people were convinced he was the author in disguise but in every single interview, Kim Minseok was calm and collected and all dandy to deny any rumors. He was the public face of the book, and he knew how to capitalize on it with his charms and good looks.

The man was one hell of a charmer, and if she wasn’t mistaken, he was considered one of the most wanted bachelors in Seoul. Gyuri couldn’t argue with the masses; the man was genuinely pretty. He was also cute in a particular way but sweepingly and disarmingly handsome to everyone, men and women alike.

“He didn’t say anything but his eyes sparkled,” Kyungsoo kept on with his story, almost fondly at the memory. “He denies it to this day but he saw the potential.”

“That’s it?” Gyuri thought out loud before she could stop her mouth, but the twitch on the corners of Kyungsoo’s lips let her know he wasn’t offended.

“One day, I had a bad episode.” He said, crossing his arms over his chest and fixing his attention to something in the table between them. “It was so bad that it almost finished me. I was ready to give up when he just pitched me the idea of leaving a legacy behind.”

Gyuri felt small. She felt herself shrinking in her seat, and when Kyungsoo finally lifted his eyes to meet hers, she felt utterly exposed before him.

“I was running out of time,” he explained, “I knew the next coughing fit would be my last. I felt it ready to burst out of my skin so I did it. I amused him on his plan to publish my diary.”

“Is that why you don’t like it?” Gyuri wondered out loud. “Because it is your diary?”

“I never meant to stay alive and see it published.” He said, glaring at one bookshelf near them, and amongst all the books, she could see the spine of a copy of his book, “It’s my heart opened to the world.”

“If it counts,” she said, realizing she had to forget about the book in her purse for good, “I believe it’s terrific.”

“Why do you like it?” He asked instead, leaning closer to the table as if he was genuinely curious to know.

Gyuri didn’t need some time to think about it. She knew the answer just as well as she knew the story and what it made her feel. It was a no-brainer for her.

“I love,” She started, thinking of the best way to word it, “I really love the spark of hope at the end, even if it’s not clear if it is real or not.”

For a second, nothing around them mattered. All Gyuri was aware were Kyungsoo’s eyes on her. If he wanted to say anything about what she just said, he didn’t elaborate. He just stared at her face, and when such attention felt quite unbearable, and almost as if she was getting saved by the bell, she heard the soft buzz of her cell phone in her purse.

To her annoyance, they left the coffee shop to meet Baekhyun and his girlfriend in the specified place, although Gyuri felt like ditching them. Kyungsoo was far better company than them, but the sudden halt on the writer's strides made her almost bump into him. She chuckled at first, but the amusement wore off immediately when she found him facing her. Kyungsoo scratched the back of his head with one hand. His eyes fixed at some point away from her and his lips pursed in a wry face.

“About the book,” He said, his shoulders dropping, “don’t tell anyone about it.”

Kyungsoo gave her a wan smile that Gyuri didn't particularly like and then simply walked away. However, whether or not she could keep his secret safe, the thought alone of him asking for her discretion made her feel sick to her stomach. The sensation she had been pushing back since that long phone call the night before became too strong to ignore.

“I’m so sorry.” She said loud enough for the people walking around them to look at her.

Suddenly aware of the unwanted and judgy stares, Gyuri just ran up to Kyungsoo, who was looking at her, taken aback. Once she caught up with him, she recognized the uncomfortable heaviness of her actions.

“I’m sorry for taking advantage of you.” She apologized, closing her eyes in the hopes of the earth under her feet opening and swallowing her whole, “That has never been my intention.”

Gyuri heard the sound that came from him but other than that, he remained silent. When she opened one eye to see what she thought would be an upset glare, all Gyuri found was him just staring at her, and she was determined to make things right as the guilt continued to weigh her down.

“Back then, when we first met, you literally saved my life and I am grateful to the bottom of my heart.” She confessed, “But I feel like I keep taking advantage of your generosity.”

“You’re not.”

That ripped her eyes off from the round and lustrous tips of her favorite shoes. All she could see were those dark and round eyes in front of her. She kept looking at them but found nothing but understanding and an unmatched lack of prejudice in them.

“You have no obligation whatsoever to do any of this.” She added, looking around the buzzing crowd around them.

Kyungsoo opened his mouth, but that one voice that made her heart soar and ached at the same time called her name. Gyuri’s entire body snapped back to the only reality it seemed to know and that was completely and unquestionably ruled by Byun Baekhyun and his incomparable need of attention.

She turned around and cursed under her breath when she finally saw him approaching, all dressed up. Gyuri knew him well enough to know that he’d put effort into his clothes as she just gaped at him, at the well-fitted jeans, the belt, the tucked-in shirt, and the dark overcoat. This date must’ve been a special occasion for him, considering that he was even wearing dress shoes. Baekhyun didn’t do that. She could count on the fingers of one hand the number of times he wore something different than sweatpants and his ugly white shoes.

Baekhyun called her again, greeting her from afar, already raising his arms. However, his smile faltered when he saw Kyungsoo by her side just as much as her heart twisted when she saw Mina walking right behind her best friend and flashing a huge smile at her.

The sting in the middle of her chest was suddenly back. The thought alone of having Baekhyun touching her in any way made her skin crawl in anticipation but not in a good way. As if her body not only longed for him, it also reminded her of the pain and the agony, and she felt forced to step aside. Gyuri stood slightly closer to Kyungsoo to protect herself from the pain and the motion was almost unperceivable, but Baekhyun still noticed it. Gyuri couldn’t be sure what hurt her more if the frown on his handsome face or the yearning burning in her heart. Forcing a smile, she ignored it all to embrace the horrific and painful certainty that the closer she stayed to Kyungsoo, the further she kept Baekhyun away.

The introductions were brief, or at least that was how it felt to Gyuri. Like it happened when they first met at the restaurant, she barely managed to even look at Mina. She was just too pretty and too perfect, with her big eyes, perfect smile, and perfect skin that was soft and white as milk. It made sense that Baekhyun liked her. He would be an idiot if he didn’t.

“Why are there so many people?” Kyungsoo wondered out loud.

Gyuri had been so out of herself, trying her best to mute Mina’s perfect and melodic voice that she hadn’t realized that they were surrounded by people. Lots of people. She looked around, getting lost at the sea of faces passing by so fast and so unbothered that she felt the anxiousness taking over. Gyuri latched onto the closest thing she could reach, which happened to be Kyungsoo’s arm, and when she peeped at him, he looked just as clueless as she was.

“Crowds,” Gyuri said under her breath, trying her best to stay calm. “I hate crowds.”

She soon found the only logical explanation for the chattering and menacing crowd moving in every direction hanging from a tubular structure. Gyuri just couldn't believe how ridiculous the entire situation was.

“World Human Statue Festival” Gyuri read the colorful banner that welcomed them and wished she had ditched them as she wanted in the beginning. “Who thought this was a good idea?”

"I've been wanting to come," Mina added, excitedly pulling Baekhyun by the arm, "I bet you will love it!"

With a fond chuckle, Baekhyun smiled at her and complied, letting her guide him through the crowd, leaving Gyuri and Kyungsoo behind as if they didn’t even exist.

“Does it make me a mean person if I don’t want to talk to them?” Gyuri asked as she stared at her friend’s figure disappear.

A part of her strongly wanted to run after him, to keep an eye on him and make herself noticed to him. Thinking in that way was a ridiculous idea, and attempting to contain her heart, she looked at Kyungsoo, who simply shook his head in agreement to her question. Letting out a relieved sigh, she made a beeline to the entrance line for the event.

“Do you want to go somewhere else?” Kyungsoo asked, standing next to her as someone pressed a stamp on the back of their hands.

“He won’t let us,” She retorted in annoyance when they found Baekhyun laughing at something his girlfriend was telling him. “Trust me. He is that annoying.”

Although he didn’t seem to be as bothered as she felt, Kyungsoo nodded and walked silently by her side. They wandered around the park in awkward silence, following the couple that seemingly hung out as if they were alone.

Baekhyun was so absorbed by his perfect girlfriend that he didn’t notice when Gyuri and the writer fell behind and took a different path. It was only then that she started to enjoy the event. She had to swallow her pride and accept that just like Mina said, she was kind of liking the festival despite the overwhelming amount of people around them.

Every track of the park was flanked by human statues standing on wooden platforms. For the first couple of minutes, Kyungsoo and her, just admired them in silence until a random kid ran from somewhere behind them. They watched him drop a few coins in a plastic cup placed in front of the platform of one of the statues. As if it was a machine, the statue moved, and Gyuri felt Kyungsoo jolting in surprise by her side as the person in costume high-fived the kid. When she looked at the writer, his eyes were wide in awe, as a big and nice smile spread across his face.

“Do you have change?” She asked, realizing every statue had a cup for coins near their platforms and got suddenly excited to see them all move.

“We should buy something.” He suggested, already bringing a few checks out of his wallet.

“This is so exciting.” Gyuri giggled to herself when Kyungsoo strode away to the nearest food stall.

Gyuri felt her legs slowly come to a halt and her smile disappear when they found Baekhyun standing in front of a statue that twirled and motioned him to do the same. He did as told, and the statue clapped, delighted but only to show him how to twirl the girl next to him. If it was her, Gyuri would’ve stepped back almost immediately and hid behind someone. Of course, Baekhyun chose someone that played along. Mina laughed, letting Baekhyun twirl her around just like the statue wanted.

“You don’t have to torture yourself,” Kyungsoo whispered as they watched the couple smile at each other.

“It isn’t that it’s not me, don’t believe me that shallow.” She explained, trying to rub the pain off her chest as she followed Kyungsoo away from the impromptu dancing show. “I've just never seen him like this and that hurts.”

Kyungsoo simply gave her a look that felt full of empathy that managed to comfort her before he told her to wait for him on the nearest bench. Not wanting to think about anything, Gyuri followed the instructions and waited for him, fixating her eyes on the tips of her shoes.

Minutes later, Kyungsoo was back and holding a huge strawberry milkshake in his hands and Gyuri’s first reaction was to wince just to imagine the amount of sugar that thing had. She could feel her tastebuds protesting even before actually taking a sip. However, not wanting to be rude, she grabbed the drink, thanked him but hesitated for a second.

“Don’t think about it.” He said, leveling to her eye level and gently nudging the drink towards her, “You need sugar."

Unsure, Gyuri did it, bracing herself for the sugar rush to punch her in the face, but it never came. The strawberry milkshake was as bland and tasteless as water, and the more she sipped and drank, the hardest it was to believe that she couldn't taste the slightest bit of sweetness.

"It happens when you feel uncomfortable," Kyungsoo explained.

“It's like the candies," She made the observation, grasping the calmness and sense of security in his voice and knowledge.

Kyungsoo nodded, giving her a small smile but their little moment was interrupted by Mina’s voice demanding a strawberry milkshake as well as she remarked, with a sting of jealousy, of how much of a thoughtful date Kyungsoo was. Gyuri didn’t care in the slightest about Mina’s rambling. All Gyuri was aware of was Baekhyun's scowl as his eyes went from her to Kyungsoo and the fact that he was still in front of her with one knee on the ground.

Like it happened on that first time they met at the restaurant, Kyungsoo ignored the glares and without explaining himself to anyone, he held her hand securely in his and helped her up. Gyuri heard him say something, she saw his lips move and gesture somewhere but every single cell in her only registered the sound of Baekhyun’s voice, the evident pout in his face, and the confusion taking over his expression.

“...But you don’t like strawberries, Gyuri.” Her friend mumbled as they walked past them and left him at the mercy of his demanding girlfriend.

That was partially true. Gyuri didn’t eat strawberries at any given chance as they weren’t her favorite fruit, which altogether was far from her not liking them. However, Baekhyun decided that she hated them just because he had never seen her eat one. Gyuri thought about that logic and found it so dumb that her grasp around the milkshake cup tightened in a wave of annoyance she didn't know where it came from.

“We have change now.” Kyungsoo interrupted her internal rambling and showed her a handful of coins.

Forgetting about the turmoil inside her, Gyuri found herself smiling only because Kyungsoo seemed beyond excited. His big and brown eyes were wide in wonder and eagerness, and the excitement in him was so contagious that she wasn't planning on spoiling the experience for him.

“This one is from Mexico.” Gyuri read out loud as Kyungsoo admired the mariachi painted in dusted black and gold.

She dropped a few coins on the cup, except the statue didn’t move immediately as some others did. Gyuri just stared at it, hopeful that it would do something at some point, but nothing happened. Disappointed, they were about to leave when a Mexican tune started, and the statue lowered his sombrero to salute her. Then it took a proud stance, and to her absolute delight, it started dancing. She heard Kyungsoo by her side gasped in awe as the guy danced in perfect balance on such a small surface.

A couple of minutes later, the statue ended the dance with a bow and flashed a dashing smile back to Gyuri. The writer was the first to start clapping, and she followed right away, just as amazed. The mariachi winked at her, and Gyuri immediately felt her cheeks flare but not before she did the same back at him. The statue chuckled, flashing a huge, unbelievable white smile at her.

“Kyungsoo, take me away,” Gyuri mumbled, pulling his arm, “take me away before I spend all of your money on him.”

Laughing, Kyungsoo dragged her away while still slightly in a daze by the flirty mariachi and as soon as she was out of danger of falling for a stranger, he left her behind in the search for the next statue.

Still giggling to herself, Gyuri finished her milkshake and caught up with the writer, who was standing still in front of a statue. She joined him and almost let out a sound of amazement. The next statue was an old man in what looked like a wool blazer, standing next to an old accordion-style camera on a tripod. Gyuri was sure the camera was obscenely and comically huge.

Kyungsoo was the one that dropped the coins into the cup, and as expected, the statue started moving. The cameraman gushed over the writer as if he had found the most handsome man ever. Gyuri couldn’t help but giggle at the embarrassment in his face, but that only caught the statue's eyes. She instantly froze under the sudden attention and felt her heart skip a beat when the cameraman made dramatic hand movements for her to move closer to Kyungsoo.

Gyuri could feel him stand next to her, and she was too startled to do anything else but watch the statue going behind the camera and make a face at them. Kyungsoo chuckled when the cameraman made movements more vehemently for them to stand closer to each other. Between the soft chuckle that came out of Kyungsoo and the sudden chain of events, she felt her cheeks heat up when he took her hand and drew it through his arm, placing his hand on top of hers.

The statue clapped, delighted, and ran back behind the camera. Before the picture was snapped, Gyuri dared herself to look up at Kyungsoo. She found him softly smiling at the camera, and his head tilted closer to hers in a stance that felt way too intimate for the kind of relationship they had.

Ignoring the sudden thrill and warmth feeling spreading through her skin, she looked forward to the camera and smiled. She never expected a flash coming out of the camera and even less to see the statue coming over to them, handing them an actual instant picture of them together.

Kyungsoo let her keep the picture, and awkwardly, they wandered off in different directions though they kept on finding each other in the crowd. Acting as if nothing had happened, they just smiled at each other before resuming their way to admire the rest of the statues.

Eventually, Gyuri heard Kyungsoo calling her name. His voice was unexpectedly loud, and he was smiling brightly as if he had just discovered the coolest thing ever. She joined him, infected by his excitement, and once by his side, she found the statue was just as amazing as his expression. A man was riding a bicycle with a leather bag hanging crossbody over a vest, a postman worn-out hat on his head, and an envelope in his hand. Gyuri immediately knew what he was portraying.

“You should see this one,” Kyungsoo mumbled as he slipped a few coins into her hand.

With an excited nod, Gyuri dropped the coins in the cup by the wooden box, and flashing a huge smile, the statue started pedaling, reciting what sounded like a poem in a foreign language. Once done, the statue blew a whistle. To her surprise, it jumped off the bicycle to give the envelope to her as it showed a gentle smile. Kyungsoo nudged her forward, and she mirrored the smile the mailman gave her and even more when it bowed in a very theatrical manner. After that, the mailman went back to his bike, brought out another envelope of his leather bag, and froze again.

“That was so cool.” She mumbled, slightly in a daze.

“Is there anything in the envelope?” Kyungsoo asked as they walked away to another statue.

“Of course there isn’t,” Gyuri snorted, “Can you imagine how many letters he must have printed if he’s just giving them out every time someone gives him a coin?”

“It's not empty.” Kyungsoo pointed out, and Gyuri had to concede that the envelope felt thicker.

They just stood there, in the middle of the square, as Gyuri opened the envelope to find a folded piece of paper inside and her heart softened at the words written. It happened to be one of her favorite excerpts of D.O.'s book, and she couldn't help but feel strangely comforted. However, the moment Baekhyun and Mina found them, the sting in her chest twisted uncomfortably.

Gyuri shut her mouth tightly, exasperated. Not entirely sure if it was at Mina’s antics or the effects she had on Baekhyun and subsequently what his reactions did to her heart. She firmly believed Mina wasn’t ill-intended but just as smitten with Baekhyun as Baekhyun seemed to be with her, and there wasn’t much Gyuri could do about that.

As if the curse was alive and aware of her mind, something twisted in her chest when she caught Baekhyun beaming a smile at his girlfriend, completely captivated. Gyuri had to force her body to look elsewhere and walk away even if she could feel something creeping under her skin.

With tears threatening to fall, she rummaged through her purse, searching for the candies tin can and focusing on her breathing as she practically ran away from the pain. By the time she managed to get some candies into her mouth, she was coming into a pop-up gift shop and was closely followed by Kyungsoo.

She halted for a second, aware that she ran away, leaving the rest behind and that that could have made Baekhyun grow suspicious of her. Mortified of her cowardice, she evaded Kyungsoo’s eyes when he stood before her. He just observed her in silence, and without saying anything, he went further into the shop, pulling her softly by the arm.

Gyuri let the trinkets distract her, and his steady presence by her side calmed her down and gave her something to hold onto. Without realizing it, the squirming inside her heart stopped, and she found herself smiling at an absentminded Kyungsoo grabbing some cutesy turtle toys. She just observed him bringing the small toy closer to his face and glaring at the turtle as if he was in a staring contest against it. Then he placed it back on the shelf and moved on.

“For being such a best seller worldwide known author,” Gyuri pointed out, and he looked at her taken aback, “you don’t talk much.”

The reaction was immediate. Gyuri saw his cheeks rising as his ears got red, and his eyes avoided looking at her. As if wanting to hide his embarrassment from her, Kyungsoo covered his mouth, but not before Gyuri heard his muffled laugh and saw his smile.

“Cute.” She observed.

She felt unexpectedly proud of herself for bringing such a riveting expression out of him that she had to look away to calm her nerves down. Thankfully, something in the corner of her eyes caught her attention.

“I’m not cute.” He insisted, and she could see how hard he was trying to placate his smile.

“I beg to differ.” Gyuri added, “We have to commemorate this moment.”

She grabbed him by his sleeve and pulled him towards the stall that caught her attention and where a photo booth was installed. Gyuri felt his resistance almost immediately as soon as he realized where she was taking him. She kind of had to give it to him that he tried really hard to stop her. Kyungsoo came to a stop, planting his feet to the ground so that she had to grab his arm and pull him into the booth.

“Why are you making me do this?” He asked as she handed him some random props for the pictures.

“It’s fun.”

“Stop.” He insisted, grabbing her arms when she tried to put some kitty ears in his head.

“Amuse me,” She persisted, not really expecting him to cave in so easily.

Kyungsoo actually did it. He caved in, dropping his hands in defeat. He kept the kitty's ears on and faced the camera, looking positively mortified. In a blink of an eye, the machine started snapping pictures, and it was a silent shoot as they stood in different poses while the lights flashed in front of them.

Just like it happened with the first picture, they remained awkwardly quiet as they returned the props to their place. When they stepped out of the booth, it was to find Baekhyun right outside, reaching out for the pictures that slipped out of the machine. In a blast of sheer instinct, Gyuri slapped his hand away.

“They are mine.” She said.

Not strong enough to see the hurt in his eyes, she just grabbed the pictures and walked to Kyungsoo. She gave him a look to let him do the rest of the evasive maneuvers, but it didn’t exactly work as Gyuri wanted. Minutes later, they were all seated at a small table. They ordered drinks and snacks as if they all got along as the best friends Mina and Baekhyun pretended they were.

“So, what do you do?” She heard Baekhyun ask as soon as he was settled in front of him.

Gyuri went stiff in the wake of the question. She never thought about that as she was mindful of keeping the secret to herself. However, it never crossed her mind the possibility of Baekhyun asking such questions. It was harmless curiosity and normal considering the setting, but Gyuri felt uneasy nonetheless.

“Accounting,” Kyungsoo replied nonchalantly, almost ignoring Baekhyun as he busied himself with the snacks.

Gyuri stared at Kyungsoo, taken aback by his lack of excitement in his reply. She wasn’t the only one that noticed it because Baekhyun simply waited for him to say more but after a long and painful silence, an annoyed scowl deepened on his pretty face.

“That’s it?” He pressed, unconvinced.

Kyungsoo nodded and, feeling her jaw drop, Gyuri kept staring at him, shocked. He was too modest. Kyungsoo wasn’t just the best-selling author in Korea. He was still on the New York Times Best Sellers list and had been granted countless awards. There was even a heated debate on whether or not he applied to win a Pulitzer as his nationality was still unknown and some thought he was probably American due to the fighting nature of the book's protagonist. Gyuri found that rumor ridiculous but not as absurd as the one that claimed he was a runner-up for the Nobel Prize in literature. That last one sounded too crazy for her and yet, Kyungsoo showed himself a bit too modest.

With a nod, Baekhyun changed the topic. He wasn’t interested whatsoever in whatever Kyungsoo could add about the subject and shifted his attention to his girlfriend. Other than the music playing around the dining area, the silence at the table felt heavy to Gyuri until a tune she knew picked her ears.

It was one of those catchy songs that could be heard everywhere she went, and the lyrics came to her mind. She started mumbling them, swaying from one side to another as her body relaxed at the melody, and she caught herself right on time. Baekhyun was singing the lyrics to himself too, and she found herself bobbing her head along with his voice. Suddenly aware of what she was absently doing, she noticed the stillness next to her.

“I like the song.” She muttered when she found Kyungsoo staring at her.

Feeling her cheeks burning with the embarrassment of getting caught doing something so silly, Gyuri snatched a corndog from Kyungsoo's plate and stuffed her mouth with it. Baekhyun, on the other hand, pulled his phone out to shazam the song, but the music was too faint and the sound of the crowd around them too loud to get the name of it.

Silently, Kyungsoo grabbed the phone from Baekhyun's hand and walked away. He would have stood up like a sprint and gone after the writer if they weren't all so stunned to watch Kyungsoo climbing up on one of the benches. They saw him raise his arm towards the speaker, placing the phone right in front of it.

Seconds later, he was back with the artist’s album on the screen of the phone. Feeling fuzzy inside, Gyuri grabbed the device and meant to look for the song on her phone, but when she pulled it out of her pocket, she found the pictures with Kyungsoo as well.

“Thank you.” She smiled at him.

With the song completely forgotten and careful to not crumble and damage any of them, Gyuri placed both pictures over the table and the fuzziness in her chest got stronger and more pleasant.

“Can I keep one?” He asked, looking at the pictures with renewed interest.

Gyuri observed them for a split second before deciding that she wanted to keep both pictures. She had a nice couple-like snap of Kyungsoo looking like a dashing boyfriend and an overly cutesy image of the writer with cat ears and a filter of rosy cheeks, red lips, and sparkling eyes. She couldn’t get rid of any of those pictures.

Shaking her head, she grabbed both pictures and pressed them against her chest. It never crossed her mind how strange it could be to have his attention on that particular part of her body. Gyuri tried to convince herself that Kyungsoo was simply staring at the pictures in her hands. Her hands were just conveniently pressed against her chest, but nothing beyond that.

“Give them back.” He said in a serious tone that made her reconsider her decision.

“She said she will keep them,” Baekhyun added although his words were barely registered either by Kyungsoo and Gyuri as they kept glaring at each other.

“Why do you want them so much?” Gyuri asked, curious to know.

“You look pretty on them.”

Kyungsoo spoke in such an unceremonious manner that the silence that came after his answer was deafening. The fuzziness was too much to handle that Gyuri couldn't help but smile. She felt a tingle on her skin in a sensation she had never felt before. The sting in her chest shifted somehow as if it retracted and cowered at his words, and she kind of wanted to do the same out of pure giddiness.

“That was so smooth.” Mina mumbled to herself, and somehow, that managed to bring Gyuri back to her senses.

“So do you.” She retorted back, ignoring the heat she felt on her cheeks, and lifted her arm, holding the pictures far from his reach. “I’m keeping them.”

The quick motion made her gasp, and she could feel her face burning because she couldn't tell what actually startled her. She wasn't sure if it was Kyungsoo's suddenly leaning over her to grab the pictures or the hand clasped around his arm, preventing him from getting any closer. Gyuri couldn't really tell. What she could grasp was the uncomfortable silence that came afterward when they all looked at Baekhyun. They were all surprised not only at the sudden action but at the visible irritation on his face, and the tension became unbearable when Kyungsoo stared back at him, unfazed.

“Baek, I want coffee,” Mina chirped over animatedly.

If Gyuri hadn't been aware of the murderous glint in her friend's eyes, she would've found Mina's tone annoying. However, she was only trying to distract her boyfriend. Gyuri had to admire her composure because she managed to make him let the writer's arm go.

“These waffles go so well with coffee.” Mina pressed, smiling at him.

“She doesn’t like having people touching her,” Baekhyun muttered in a huff as he stood up and walked away.

Mortified, Mina apologized, forcing a smile before leaving the table as well to follow her boyfriend into the crowd and leaving Gyuri behind fully made into a nervous wreck. The silly excitement and giddiness of everything Kyungsoo did was nothing compared to what a single display of emotion from Baekhyun could do to her heart.

The sensation of the pain crept through her flesh. The pressure on her chest, and the realization that no matter how much she tried to engage with anyone else other than Baekhyun was hopeless, made it impossible for her to stay still. Just like she'd been doing lately, Gyuri ran away.

She bumped into numerous people as she tried to get some air into her lungs. Her body felt like it was about to collapse just at the memory of his angry eyes and furrowed brows, and what she needed was an isolated place to hide. She needed to find a safe place even if everything around her seemed to spin out of control.

Somehow, she found a small and dark gap between some booths, and Gyuri didn't even care to check what they were selling on each of them. She just hid there and let the darkness engulf her, but she didn't even succeed to calm down in that small hiding spot when she heard someone whine.

“Back off…” The girl warned, and as if in a sudden overdrive of adrenaline, Gyuri was ready to come out of the shadows, “You seriously need to back off. She’s clearly uncomfortable.”

The last sentence made her stop. To Gyuri's annoyance, she recognized that voice that she had to lean closer to the wall until she finally heard Baekhyun retort.

“How would you know?”

“You’re making it weird not just for her," Mina pointed out in a more mellowed tone, "but for everyone else too.”

“Are you jealous?” He asked, and Gyuri could sense the disbelief in his voice.

“Baekhyun, sweetheart, she is just as nice and adorable as you described her.” Mina explained with a soft and caring tone that made Gyuri wonder if they were talking about her. “And I’m not jealous of your friendship with her but you might be ruining her chances with your attitude.”

“What attitude?" Baekhyun shot back, confirming what she thought, "She’s the one that's acting all weird.”

Gyuri winced in pain. It wasn't even the sweet and condescending tone in Mina's voice but the fact that Baekhyun was talking about her behind her back.

"That dude is getting all handsy with her and she's letting him, and..." Baekhyun argued, his voice rising in frustration, "And she never does her nails.”

"They're dating, why wouldn't she want to look pretty?" Mina asked, and even from a distance, Gyuri could hear the amusement in her voice. “Sometimes, something as small as getting our nails done can make us feel prettier.”

“She’s already pretty.” Baekhyun retorted, and whatever Mina’s reaction was, it made her friend chuckle.

Gyuri thought she heard Baekhyun whisper something that had his girlfriend giggling in response, and she knew that was her cue to leave. She stepped out to the light, and afraid to even look around and find him doing something that might hurt her more, she went back to the food court where Kyungsoo was patiently waiting for her.

“What happened?” The writer asked.

“I heard them.” She gasped, collapsing in the chair next to him and realizing until then that she was on the brink of hyperventilating.

“Breathe.” He whispered, his hand softly rubbing slow and soothing circles against her back. “Focus on opening your lungs.”

She had been too upset and shaken to even think to try. However, her body seemed to listen to Kyungsoo well and without any resistance. Gyuri managed to calm down with the help of his gentle hands, his soft voice reminding her to breathe, and his overall, soothing presence. In a matter of minutes, she could finally take a deep breath that filled her lungs with something close to relief.

Her efforts were in vain though. Baekhyun and Mina were back, both of them looking at her and Kyungsoo as if they had grown a second head. Mina with curiosity and a hint of mischief, and Baekhyun, well, he was just bluntly glaring at the writer.

After that, everything went downhill for Gyuri. Mina insisted on walking down a trail of lights and flowers that apparently, was the must-look spot to get beautiful couple pictures to post on social media. All Gyuri wanted was to stay away from Baekhyun. She desperately wanted to alleviate the sting deep in her chest and breathe normally but she found herself witnessing the owner of her heart holding someone else's hand.

"Kyungsoo, I can't do this," was all Gyuri could mumble before the ground under her feet moved, "I can't breathe."

Something was bubbling up in her chest, coming slowly up her throat. Terrified to start throwing up flower petals in public and especially in front of Baekhyun, Gyuri turned around and got away from there with Kyungsoo's help.

“Where’s your watch?” He asked as soon as they found refuge on a nearby bench.

Gyuri desperately fumbled through her purse, but her hands were shaking too much. She could barely keep the watch in her hands without it slipping through her fingers that Kyungsoo had to help her put it on as fast as possible.

“You have tools,” He said, firmly, looking straight into her eyes and squeezing the hand she had over her watch, “and you know how to yield it, remember that.”

It was harder said than done. Gyuri understood what Kyungsoo said, and she meant to do as told but whatever was boiling inside her body had utter control of her. In a blink of an eye, some overpowering predilection compelled her to do the opposite. She looked aside to see where Baekhyun was and what he was doing, but Kyungsoo was fast enough to stop her. His hand cupped her face and, as gently as ever, turned it back to him.

"I can't hold it anymore, Kyungsoo," Gyuri stuttered, feeling her eyes watering because of the familiar itchiness in the back of her throat. "He will see it."

“You can cry if you need it.” He added, quite tenderly, and Gyuri almost fell for that.

“No, he will notice it.” She begged. ”I can’t let him see it.”

“I won’t let him see you like that," Kyungsoo reassured her, bringing her closer to hide her face from Baekhyun, “I promise.”

Shaking her head and refusing to let her body take over, Gyuri sat up straight, swallowing the pain down. If she let it happen, even if it was just tearing up, she would never stop. She couldn’t let Baekhyun see her struggling. One single tear would send him fussing over her, thinking that Kyungsoo did something to hurt her.

Gyuri opened her hand, and Kyungsoo poured a handful of candies, which she instantly threw into her mouth. Just like that, with the faint relief those candies brought, she focused everything on her to calm down until Baekhyun and Mina found them. Unable to look at her best friend, Gyuri stared at Mina instead, only to notice that she was possessively holding onto his arm.

“Are you alright?” The girl asked, genuinely concerned.

“I’m just tired.” She replied, trying her hardest to smile.

“I think we’re calling it a night,” Kyungsoo added, standing up.

Just then, Gyuri felt his absence. She stared at his back, realizing how close he had been. How firm his arm had been around her shoulders. She was so immersed in her breathing, commanding her mind to take charge and numb her heart that she hadn’t realized that Kyungsoo never let her go. It was then that she missed the warmth of his hand on her cheeks and the safety of his caring presence so overwhelmingly close to her.

Embarrassed in a way, although Gyuri couldn’t tell why, but she avoided her friend and followed Kyungsoo down the path to the exit. As she left the couple behind, she suddenly heard Baekhyun come to life, whining. Mina told him to calm down and knowing that whatever expression he had on his face would destroy all the self-control she had so hard to get, Gyuri covered her ears and caught up with the writer.

“I want to go home.” She mumbled, throwing the last couple of candies left on the tin can. “I’m losing it.”

Kyungsoo only nodded and kept walking, pointing to somewhere far away from where they were, but once again, Gyuri heard Baekhyun behind her, calling her. She had to close her eyes at the sound of his voice saying her name with such urgency. However, her good manners got the best of her, and they had to stop their escape.

“We were thinking about getting something to eat after this,” Mina said, smiling through and through, seemingly excited. “Like a true double date.”

“Gyuri needs to be home,” Kyungsoo explained, as calm and polite as possible.

“Did something happen?” Baekhyun asked directly to her, and the only thing Gyuri could do was to shake her head. “We can drop you off.”

“I’m taking her back home,” Kyungsoo added, and the surprised gasp Baekhyun let out finally made her look at him.

The itchiness came back in a rush, although her heart swooned at the severity of his expression. He didn’t look that happy. While Baekhyun could lose his temper easily in a childish way, sometimes, he knew how to control himself. She could see the genuine annoyance in the tiny yet unmistakable frown on his face as his eyes glared at the man standing next to her but whatever he was thinking, he let it slide.

“Hey, are you sure about this?” He asked her, once again as if he was giving her another chance to make the right choice. “Your house is on my way.”

“It’s fine.”

That was all Gyuri could say before her throat closed up. She forced a small smile through the pain and waved a hand to Mina, just to not come off as rude even if she didn't want to, and then followed Kyungsoo down the street.

Still in a daze, coughing and feeling lightheaded, Gyuri came to her senses once inside Kyungsoo’s car. For how long did they walk? She didn’t know. Gyuri couldn’t even tell how she got inside the car or how long Kyungsoo had been driving in silence. It took her a couple of seconds to gather her bearings and recognize where they were at that moment. As if knowing her surroundings was some sort of relief, the coughing fit was over, and she felt her windpipe open. Finally able to let out a big sigh, she closed her eyes, exhausted.

“That was taxing, even for me.” Kyungsoo added after a while and rubbed his hands over his eyes as they waited during a red light, “Are you alright?”

“I’m sorry.” She pouted, finally having a clear mind to think, “You know, Baekhyun isn’t that much of an asshole, normally or like, most of the time and...”

“Don’t...” Kyungsoo interrupted her, his voice still leveled and relaxed, “It is not you who has to apologize.”

“But you don’t know him.” Gyuri defended her friend.

Uncomfortable with the way the writer could disregard what she had to say, Gyuri couldn't stop the harsh tone in her words. The annoyance bubbled inside her just to look at his stupid, calmed face and his unfazed attitude, and she was ready to throw hands at him, figurately. The writer beat her on that.

“No matter how much you love him.” Kyungsoo replied, “But Your unconditional affection for him doesn’t give him any right for you to apologize for his faults.”

Gyuri felt her face burning and her blood boiling. She wanted to curse at him. She needed to raise her voice and prove why he was wrong in his assumptions. She desperately wanted to say so many things, and yet, her eyes stung with tears. Just as fast as her anger flared, she recognized that that kind of feeling scared her. It annoyed her that she could get bothered by something so little and insignificant. Annoyed with herself, she just crossed her arms and looked out of the window, ignoring his annoying and calm poise until they arrived at her place.

Silently and still upset, Gyuri meant to get out of the car as fast as she could but when she was about to open the door, Kyungsoo called her with the softest and most tender voice she’d ever heard.

“Just cry it out.” He said, looking at her, and she noticed that despite the stuffing silence that almost drowned her, the look in his eyes was still gentle.

“Why do you always tell me to let it go and cry?” She asked, halting for a moment, “I’d assume that fighting back a disease meant, well, fight it back.”

Gyuri saw the change in his features. The gentleness faded away, and his face gave her nothing. He just stared at her. He blinked a couple of times but other than that, he was just so hard to read that she had to wait for him to explain himself.

“Resisting only makes the roots find a weaker spot,” He explained, after a while, “It will kill you faster.”

The last sentence was merely a whisper, and Gyuri couldn’t help it. The anger was all gone and forgotten and replaced by the very same fear that had been haunting her since the day she found out she contracted the curse. She wanted to cry and bawl her eyes out so she could just get rid of the horror once and for all.

“Yeah, that makes sense." Gyuri hesitated to say before opening the door, and moved by a sudden wave of regret, she brought the pictures out of her pocket and left them in the cupholder between them, "Good night."

#EXO #AFUTR #Baekhyun #Kyungsoo #EXO Fanfic #EXO Fanfiction #Hanahaki #Hanahaki Disease #Angst #Romance #Fanfic #Fanfiction

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laxu00 · 4 months ago

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The charismatic Charles Wade Read full novel here

Chapter 1

The luxurious Willson family villa is brightly lit.

Tonight is the birthday banquet of the seventy-year-old Mrs. Willson, the head of the Willson family.

Many grandchildren, granddaughters, and grandsons-in-law gave gifts.

“Grandma, I heard that you love tea. This century-old Pu’er tea brick is worth 500,000 and is a birthday gift for you.”

“Grandma, I heard that you believe in Buddha. This jade Buddha is carved from Hetian jade and is worth 700,000.”

Old Mrs. Willson looked at the various gifts and laughed, making the whole family happy.

At this moment, Mrs. Willson’s eldest grandson-in-law, Charlie, suddenly said: “Grandma, can you lend me a million? Aunt Lena from the orphanage has uremia and needs money for treatment.”

The entire Willson family was shocked.

Everyone looked at Charlie with incredible eyes.

This live-in son-in-law is too courageous, right? The Lady Willson was over her birthday. Not only did he not prepare any gifts, he even dared to open his mouth and ask the Lady Willson to borrow one million?

Three years ago, the surviving Mr. Willson, don’t know from where found Charlie, and insisted on marrying his eldest granddaughter Claire Willson to him. At that time, Charlie was penniless, just like a beggar, same as now.

After the two got married, the Old Master passed away. Since then, the Willson family has been deliberately trying to drive him away.

It’s just that Charlie is indifferent, and is not moved by other people’s insults, so he has always been a live-in son-in-law in the Willson family.

It is also helpless to ask the Lady Willson to borrow money today.

Aunt Lena from the orphanage where he was taken in and saved, had uremia. Dialysis and kidney transplantation required at least one million. He really had no choice but to speak to the Lady Willson.

He felt that today is the Lady Willson’s birthday, and then she may be kind and willing to help when she is happy.

Unexpectedly, the Old Mrs. Willson was still laughing for a second, and she immediately pulled her face down this second.

She threw the teacup in her hand to the ground and shouted angrily: “b*start thing, you are here to celebrate my birthday or to borrow money?”

Charlie’s wife, Claire, hurried forward and explained to the Lady Willson: “Grandma, Charlie is ignorant, don’t be surprised.”

With that said, she was about to pull Charlie aside.

At this time, Claire’s cousin, Wendy, sneered and said, “Sister, look at what kind of rubbish your marriage is! Gerald and I were just engaged and not yet married, so Gerald gave grandma a Hetian Jade Buddha, it’s good for your husband, he didn’t bring any gifts, and he still have the face to ask grandma to borrow money!”

“That’s right, Brother Charlie, we are both grandsons-in-law of the Willson family. You, as the eldest grandson-in-law, are really a failure!”

The man who spoke was Wendy’s fiance, Gerald, the young master of a large local family.

Although Gerald was about to marry Wendy, in his mind, Wendy’s appearance was a thousand miles away from Charlie’s wife Claire.

Claire was a well-known goddess in Aurous Hill, but seeing the goddess marrying this worthless man and a waste of money, Gerald was also very upset.

“This kind of garbage, it’s best to get him out of our Willson family as soon as possible!”

“Yes! The Willson family’s face has completely lost this guy!”

“I think it is fake that he borrowed money, and his interest in deliberately sweeping the birthday feast of the Lady Willson is true!”

Charlie couldn’t help clenching his fists when he saw that the entire Willson family was targeting and insulting him.

Had it not been for the medical expenses of the savior, he would have turned around and left this place of fake extravaganza and pomp.

However, thinking of his father’s teachings to him since he was a child, letting his kindness of dripping water and retribution to the spring, he tried to suppress the humiliation in his heart, and said to the Old Mrs. Willson: “Grandma, saving a life is better than building a seventh-level Buddha. Please be merciful”

Someone snorted coldly and cursed: “Wade, you don’t want to give grandma ecstasy here. If you want to have someone, you can find a way by yourself and don’t let your grandma pay to help you save people. What are you?”

It was Wendy’s brother, Harold.

The brothers and sisters have always had great opinions on Claire, who is superior to them in all aspects, so they like to seize the opportunity to mock Charlie the most.

Claire on the side looked a little embarrassed and said, “Grandma, Charlie lost his father when he was eight years old. Aunt Lena from the orphanage brought him up. He wanted to repay his gratitude because of a grateful heart. Please help him”

Old Mrs. Willson said with a dark face: “Let me help him? Okay, unless you divorce him and then marry Mr. Jones, if you do, I will immediately give him one million!”

The Lady Willson was talking about Wendell, who had been pursuing Claire. The Jones family was an upper-class family in Aurous Hill, much more powerful than the Willson family, and the Lady Willson always wanted to curry favor.

At this time, the housekeeper ran in and said loudly: “Mr. Jones sent someone with a birthday gift! A carved jade amulet from Laokeng is worth three million!”

Mrs. Willson was overjoyed and blurted out: “Bring it quickly, let me see!”

The butler immediately handed over an emerald green jade amulet, and everyone present let out a breath of surprise.

This jade amulet is emerald green, crystal clear, without a trace of impurities, and looks like a first-class genuine product.

Gerald, who had sent the Hetian Jade Buddha, saw this jade amulet, and his face was a little bit awkward. Unexpectedly, Wendell had nothing to do with the Willson family, and his shot was so generous!

Old Mrs. Willson happily played with jade amulets and said merrily: “Oh, Mr. Jones is really interested! Only if he could be my grandson-in-law, I would really wake up in my dreams!”

After that, she looked up at Claire: “How about my condition, would you like to consider it?”

Claire shook her head: “Grandma, I will not divorce Charlie.”

Mrs. Willson’s expression instantly turned into a haze, and she angrily cursed: “Don’t give me your face! You must hang on this rubbish! Let this rubbish get out of my face! My birthday banquet, he is not allowed to participate!”

Charlie was completely disappointed, and he had no face to stay in the Willson family at this time, so he said to Claire, “Claire, I will go to the hospital to see Aunt Lena.”

Claire hurriedly said, “Then I will be with you.”

Old Mrs. Willson cursed at this moment: “If you leave too, I won’t have you as granddaughter in the future! You take your parents and your mother, and get out of Willson’s house with this waste!”

Claire looked startled, and she didn’t expect the Lady Willson to say such harsh words.

Charlie said hurriedly: “You stay, don’t worry about me.”

With that said, before Claire recovered, he turned around and walked out.

Harold laughed behind him, “Oh my good brother-in-law, you left hungry and won’t go to the streets to beg for dinner? In that case, our Willson family’s face will not let you lose all of it? I still have it. For a coin, you can buy a steamed bun to eat!”

Harold said, took out a coin and threw it at Charlie’s feet.

The entire Willson family burst into laughter.

Charlie gritted his teeth and left the Willson family without looking back.

When he rushed to the hospital, Charlie immediately went to the payment office, wanting to communicate with the hospital, and to inform them that the medical expenses would be delayed for another two days.

However, when he asked the nurse, he was suddenly told that Aunt Lena had been sent to the best Hospital in Eastcliff overnight.

Charlie was shocked, and hurriedly asked her: “How much does it cost? I’ll find a way!”

The other party said: “A total of three million is needed. One million has been paid, and there is still a gap of two million. It will be paid in a week.”

“Who paid this million?”

The other party shook her head: “I don’t know either.”

Charlie was surprised and was about to figure it out. When he turned his head, a man in a black suit with gray hair, about fifty years old, was standing behind him.

With eyes facing each other, the man bowed to him and said, “Young master, you have suffered for so many years!”

Charlie frowned, as if his temperament had changed, and asked coldly: “Are you Stephen Thompson?”

The other party said in surprise: “Mr. Wade, you still remember me!”

Charlie’s expression froze, and he murmured: “Of course I remember! I remember every one of you! Back then, you forced my parents to take me out of Eastcliff and escape all the way. During this time, my parents died unexpectedly. I have also become an orphan, so why are you looking for me now!”

Stephen Thompson said very painfully: “Young Master, when your father passed away, Old Master Wade was also extremely sad. He has been looking for you for so many years. Now that it is all right, he wants you to come back to him with me!”

Charlie said coldly: “You can go, I will never see him in my life.”

Stephen Thompson said, “Young Master, do you still blame Master Wade?”

“Of course.” Charlie said word by word: “I will never forgive him in my life!”

“Hey” Stephen Thompson sighed and said: “Before I came, Master Wade said you might not forgive him.”

“That means he has self-knowledge!”

Stephen Thompson said: “Old Mr Wade. knows that you have suffered over the years, he wants to compensate you a little. If you don’t want to go back, he will buy the largest company in Aurous Hill and give it to you. In addition, he has asked me to give you this card. The password is your birthday.”

With that, Stephen Thompson handed over a Citibank premium card.

“Mr. Wade, there are only five such cards in the country.”

Charlie shook his head and said, “Take it away, I don’t want it.”

Stephen Thompson said: “Mr. Wade, for your savior, you still have a shortfall of 2 million in medical expenses. If you fail to pay, her life may be in danger.”

Charlie frowned: “You deliberately fix me?”

Stephen Thompson hurriedly said, “I don’t dare to! If you accept this card, it will be enough to pay the money.”

Charlie asked, “How much money is in this card?”

“Mr. said, this card is for you as a little pocket money, not much, a total of 10 billion!”

chapter 2

Ten billion? !

Charlie was stunned.

He knew that his grandfather’s family was rich, but at that time he was young and had no idea about money. He only knew that the Wade family was one of the top families in Eastcliff and in the country.

But he didn’t know exactly how much money it had.

But at this moment, he knew it.

Ten billion is just pocket money, and when it is about the entire Wade family, he is afraid it will be more than one trillion!

To be honest, at this moment, he was deeply moved in his heart.

But thinking of the death of his parents, Grandpa couldn’t shirk the blame, and he couldn’t forgive him.

Stephen Thompson saw his entanglement and hurriedly said, “Master, you are the heir of Wade family. You deserve this money, and strictly speaking, it belongs to your father.”

“Master said, if you are willing to go back, you will inherit the trillions of family properties. If you don’t want to go back, this money will be given as your living expenses.”

“Oh yes, Aurous Hill’s largest enterprise, the Emgrand Group with a market value of 100 billion, was wholly-owned by Yejia yesterday. Now all the shares are in your name, you can go to Emgrand Group for the hand over by tomorrow!”

Charlie was a little unbelievable.

Wade Family’s investment is too big for him to handle, right?

Ten billion premium cards, one hundred billion Emgrand Group!

Although Aurous Hill hides the dragon and crouching tiger, the only true god is the Emgrand Group. Any family must bow to their knees in front of the Emgrand Group. It is the emperor of Aurous Hill’s business field!

Even the Willson family and White family who humiliated him today, as well as the Jones family who pursue Claire, are all small in front of the Emgrand Group!

Unexpectedly, it turns out to be his own now?

At this time, Stephen Thompson handed him a business card and said, “Mr. Wade, you may need to calm down and think about it. I won’t bother you anymore. This is my phone number. Please tell me if you have anything to do!”

After speaking, Stephen Thompson turned and left.

After he left, Charlie was still in a daze.

He didn’t know whether he should accept Wade Family’s compensation.

But, thinking about it carefully, the humiliation that he has experienced over the past ten years, and the humiliation he has been given in the Willson family, these are the compensations given to him by the Wade family, why doesn’t he take it?

Moreover, Aunt Lena’s medical expenses still need two million, and it is urgent.

Thinking of this, he gritted his teeth and immediately turned back to the toll office: “Hello, I want to deposit the two million.”

Swipe the card, enter the password, the transaction is successful.

Two million was easily credited to the hospital’s account.

Charlie felt like the whole person was in the mist.

Has he become a billionaire?

Going home in a muddled manner.

The family had fallen out at this time.

Claire and her parents did not live in Willson’s villa, but a very ordinary building.

They have been driven out since Claire married him and Old Mr. Willson died.

His mother-in-law was yelling at home: “Charlie that rubbish! Let us lose face today! If you don’t divorce him, your grandmother will drive you out of the Willson Group!”

Claire said, “I’ll find another job when I get out.”

“You” said mother-in-law angrily: “What’s so good about that rubbish? Why can’t you divorce him and then marry Wendell? If you marry Wendell, our family can be proud!”

The father-in-law also said to the side: “Yes! Marry Wendell, our family will become a treasure immediately in front of your grandma, and your grandma will rush to curry favor with you every day.”

Claire said: “Don’t say anything, I won’t divorce Charlie.”

“You kid!”

The two had to persuade Charlie to push in.

When they saw him, his father-in-law and mother-in-law didn’t look good.

The mother-in-law snorted coldly: “A rubbish, and a face to bear it all!”

Charlie sighed inwardly. His mother-in-law has always looked down upon him, but if he were to let her know that he is now the boss of the Emgrand Group and has 10 billion in cash, what would she be like?

However, Charlie is not yet ready to let people know his identity.

He has been away from the Wade family for many years, who knows what the Wade family is now? What if someone in the Wade family is unfavorable to him if he exposes himself?

Therefore, it is better to keep a low profile first.

So he lowered his head and said apologetically: “Mom, I’m sorry, I caused you trouble today.”

The mother-in-law scolded: “You are more than trouble, you are killing our family of three! You can’t be a little self-aware, and get out of our house?”

Claire hurriedly said: “Mom, how do you talk, Charlie is your son-in-law!”

“bulls*it!” Mother-in-law said bitterly: “I don’t have such a waste son-in-law! The farther you go, the better!”

Claire pushed Charlie: “Hurry go to the room.”

Charlie nodded gratefully and fled back to the room.

He and Claire had been married for three years, but they had never been married for three years in the strict sense. Claire slept on the bed and he slept on the floor next to her.

This night, Charlie couldn’t sleep for a long time.

What happened today is really shocking, he will not be able to digest it for a while.

Before going to bed, Claire said to him, “How is Aunt Lena? I still have more than 100,000 private money. You can take it to her tomorrow.”

Charlie said: “No, someone has already paid Aunt Lena and sent her to Eastcliff for treatment.”

“Really?” Claire said in surprise, “Aunt Lena is saved?”

“Yes.” Charlie said: “Aunt Lena has done good and accumulated virtue throughout her life and helped so many people. Now someone has finally repaid her.”

“That’s good.” Claire nodded and said to Charlie: “You can breathe a sigh of relief.”

“Yes.”

Claire said: “I have to go to sleep. Recently, the company has a lot of things and I’m so tired.”

Charlie asked: “What happened to the company?”

Claire said: “The business is not very good. Grandma has always wanted to cooperate with a large company like the Emgrand Group, but the strength of the Willson family is still much weaker and people look down on it.”

Charlie suddenly thought of the Emgrand Group and asked her: “The Willson family has no cooperation with the Emgrand Group?”

Claire laughed at him and said: “How can the Emgrand Group look at the Willson family! Even Wendy’s fiancé and Gerald’s family are barely able to catch up with the Emgrand Group. Grandma counts on them after they get married. The White family can help the Willson family connect with the Emgrand Group.”

Charlie nodded.

It turned out that the Willson family had sharpened their heads and wanted to cooperate with the Emgrand Group.

However, Mrs. Willson was afraid of dreaming and could not think of it, Emgrand Group is now his own.

Thinking of this, Charlie decided to take over the Emgrand Group first, and then give Claire a little help through the Emgrand Group. She was too bullied in the Willson family. As her husband, he had the responsibility to help her improve her status in the family.

At first, Your husband is different from today!

I will never let anyone look down on you again!

I will make the entire Willson family bow to you!

Chapter 3

Early the next morning.

After Charlie finished cooking, he rode his little ebike to the Emgrand Group.

He parked the little ebike next to the parking lot of the Emgrand Group. As soon as the bike was locked, a black Bentley car slowly parked in a parking space opposite.

Charlie looked up inadvertently and saw a pair of young man and woman walking down the car.

The man is dressed in high-end suits, they look very stylish, and the women are coquettish. Although a bit gaudy, they are also rare beauties.

It turned out to be Claire’s cousin Wendy, and her about to be engaged fiance, Gerald, the eldest of the White family.

Charlie didn’t know what Wendy and Gerald were doing in the Emgrand Group, but in order to avoid trouble, he still prepared to hideaway.

Unexpectedly, things are hiding more and more.

The sharp-eyed Wendy immediately saw him and shouted loudly: “Oh, brother-in-law!”

Wendy’s brother-in-law yelled extremely cordially, but Charlie couldn’t help but he strode faster after hearing it.

Out of courtesy, he could only stop, and when the two approached, he smiled and said, “Wendy, why are you here?”

Wendy giggled: “I and Gerald came over to meet with Doris, the vice chairman of Emgrand Group!”

After that, she looked at Gerald with admiration and said, “Gerald’s family has a lot of cooperation with the Emgrand Group. In the future, not only will it help the White family, but also our Willson family.”

Charlie didn’t know that the White family had a cooperation with the Emgrand Group. After all, the Emgrand Group had just become his industry and had not had time to understand it.

But he didn’t show it, just smiled and said: “The Prince has an extraordinary temperament and a good strength. You are really talented and beautiful!”

Gerald White looked at Charlie contemptuously, and couldn’t help feeling injustice in his heart.

This stinky rug was scolded by Mrs. Willson yesterday as a dog, and today he has a hippy smile like a okay person.

Why would a stunning beauty like Claire marry such a useless waste?

If it weren’t for this useless man, he would definitely pursue Claire desperately, and how could he be engaged to this inferior Wendy in every respect?

Thinking of this, Gerald was upset, and deliberately asked, “What did brother-in-law come to the Emgrand Group for?”

Charlie said casually: “I’m looking for a job.”

“Looking for a job?” He sneered and said, “Why do you want to find a job in the Emgrand Group?”

Charlie frowned: “What does my job search have to do with you?”

Wendy called Charlie to stop, just trying to sarcastically sarcasm him. Seeing that Gerald had started first, she immediately sneered: “Why, is Gerald wrong?”

“For academic qualifications, do you have a diploma?”

“If you want a job, do you have any achievements apart from your uselessness?”

“If you come to the Emgrand Group to apply for a security guard, They will not want a waste like you. If you are a little self-knowing, you might as well go picking up rubbish on the street. You can earn two or three thousand at least a month!”

After speaking, she threw the drink bottle in her hand at Charlie’s feet and hummed: “Hey, don’t say I don’t take care about you, pick up this empty bottle and sell it for money!”

Gerald smiled and said: “Although you are rubbish, since you are a relative, then I have to take care of you as much as possible. It just so happens that I have some friendship with the vice chairman of the Emgrand Group. Why don’t I help you with two good things and let her arrange it for you? A job cleaning the toilet?”

Charlie smiled coldly and said: “The kind of job I am looking for, you don’t need to worry about it. You should worry about yourself. Emgrand Group is a large enterprise. I believe they will not cooperate with you with such low-quality garbage.”

Gerald suddenly got furious: “Who do you say is rubbish!”

Charlie said disdainfully: “You are rubbish!”

After speaking, he was too lazy to talk to Gerald, and walked into the Emgrand Group Building.

“Drafting it, stop for me!” Gerald quickly followed, and caught up with Charlie at the elevator entrance.

He wanted to teach Charlie a good lesson, but at least slapped him twice to let him know the fate of people offending him.

But when he saw that he was already inside the Emgrand Group Building, he was worried that doing something here would anger his partners, so he had to temporarily dismiss the idea of teaching him.

he gritted his teeth and said, “I will let you go for a while today, and you won’t have such good luck next time!”

Charlie snorted coldly, stepped into the elevator, and said to him: “Gerald, do you think you are a powerful? Believe me, you will soon know the cost of arrogance!”

“f*ck you” Gerald stepped into the elevator.

Wendy gave him a hand and said in a contemptuous tone: “Gerald, don’t take the same elevator with this kind of rubbish, lest you get smoked by the stench on his body.”

Gerald nodded, knowing that he couldn’t do something with him here, so he said coldly: “Letting you go, I want you to look good next time!”

Charlie took the elevator directly to the top floor where the chairman’s office was.

On the side of the Emgrand Group, Stephen Thompson had already arranged it for him, and the person in charge of docking with him was a woman named Doris Yong.

Doris is well-known in Aurous Hill, and she is the most famous career oriented woman in Aurous Hill. Not only is she beautiful, but she is also very capable of working. She has been promoted to the vice chairman of Emgrand Group at a young age. She has contributed to Emgrand Group’s existence today.

Now that the Emgrand Group has been acquired by the Wade Family, the original chairman has abdicated, and Doris stayed and prepared to assist the new chairman.

When she saw Charlie, Doris was shocked. She didn’t expect that Charlie would be so young and handsome!

After that, she did not dare to delay, and immediately said respectfully: “Mr. Wade, please come to my office.”

Chapter 4

Charlie also saw Doris for the first time.

I have to say that Doris looks really beautiful!

At the age of twenty-seven or eighteen, she has a slender and plump figure, an alluring beauty and a noble and capable temperament.

Charlie sat down at Doris’s desk and said: “I won’t come to the Emgrand Group often in the future, so the Emgrand Group wants you to preside over the overall situation, and don’t reveal my identity.”

Doris knew that the Charlie family in front of her was extraordinary, and an emgrand group was nothing short of drizzle to his family, and it was normal to not want to manage it himself.

So she hurriedly said: “Mr. Wade, if you have anything in the future, you can just tell me.”

At this time, a female secretary knocked on the door and came in and said, “Miss Doris, there is a man named Gerald who has brought his fiancée to visit you.”

Doris immediately said: “I’m seeing the distinguished guests, let them wait first.”

Charlie asked her: “Do you know this Gerald?”

Doris hurriedly said: “His family is a partner under us, and their main business is dependent on us. Their family has always said that they will come to visit, and they have been here several times.”

Charlie said coldly: “From now on, the Emgrand Group will no longer have any business dealings with the White Family. All ongoing and preparatory cooperation will be suspended. If the White Family can still earn a cent from the Emgrand Group, you deputy Chairman, will have to pack your things!”

When Doris heard this, her expression suddenly frightened. She didn’t need to ask to know that someone from the White family must have offended the young master.

So she nodded immediately and said: “Mr.Wade, don’t worry, I will order now to terminate all cooperation with the White family!”

Charlie snorted and said, “Tell them that Emgrand Group will not cooperate with low-quality garbage, and then let the security guards drive them out.”

Outside, Gerald and Wendy were waiting excitedly.

The White family has always wanted to become a strategic partner of the Emgrand Group, so they especially hope to get closer to Doris.

But unexpectedly, Doris’s secretary came with several security guards.

Gerald couldn’t help asking her: “Hello, will Miss Doris have time to see us?”

The secretary looked at him and said coldly: “I’m sorry, our Deputy Doris said, Emgrand Group will not cooperate with people of low quality like you, from now on, we are canceling all cooperation with your family!”

“what did you say?!”

Gerald was stunned for a moment, and was astonished. Why is this sentence so familiar?

Oh, right! When he was in the parking lot just now, Charlie also said exactly the same thing!

What does Miss Doris mean? Why should they stop cooperating with the White family?

Gerald felt his brain congested.

what happened?

Terminate all cooperation?

More than half of White’s profits are made by the Emgrand Group!

If the cooperation is terminated, wouldn’t the family strength be cut by half immediately? !

He could not accept this reality and shouted: “I want to see Miss Doris! I want to ask Miss Doris face to face!”

The secretary said coldly: “I’m sorry, our Deputy Doris won’t see you, and you won’t be allowed to step into the Emgrand Group in the future!”

Gerald scolded angrily: “Did you deliberately play with me? We are a long-term partner of the Emgrand Group. How can we terminate cooperation like this!”

The secretary ignored him and said directly to the security guards around him: “Take them out!”

The security captain rushed forward, grabbed Gerald’s wrist, and then twisted it behind him.

Gerald yelled in pain, and the guard yelled coldly: “Get out! If you dare to make trouble in the Emgrand Group, be careful that I dispose of you!”

“You are a security captain, dare to yell at me, do you know who I am?”

As soon as Gerald’s voice fell, Captain slapped him and cursed, “In front of the Emgrand Group, what are you?”

Gerald was slapped with a fierce pain on his face. When he was about to get angry, the phone rang suddenly.

The call turned out to be from his father.

When the phone was connected, an angry roar came from the other side: “Gerald, what did you do? Now that Emgrand Group wants to cancel all cooperation with us, who did you offend?”

Gerald said aggrievedly: “Dad, I have not offended anyone. I just came to visit Miss Doris, but I haven’t even seen Miss Doris’s face.”

On the other end of the phone, Gerald’s father yelled, “The people of the Emgrand Group said that the reason they discontinued their cooperation with the White family is all because you are an unqualified rubbish! Now the family has suffered heavy losses because of you, so you hurry back to me and personally Explain to your grandpa!”

Gerald was driven out of the gate of Emgrand Group by security all the way, holding the phone with a surprised expression.

He suddenly thought of Charlie, and couldn’t help asking Wendy: “Wendy, is it because of your rubbish brother-in-law? Has he have anything to do with the Emgrand Group?”

“Huh?” Wendy was taken aback by Gerald’s words, thinking about it carefully, it might indeed be related to her rubbish brother-in-law.

However, he is obviously a waste!

Thinking of this, she shook her head flatly and said: “How could he have something to do with the Emgrand Group? He is not qualified to come to the Emgrand Group to clean the toilet!”

“That’s right.” Gerald nodded, thinking of his furious father, he said sullenly: “No, I have to go home quickly.”

The news that the White family was terminated by the Emgrand Group immediately spread throughout Aurous Hill.

Although it is not known why the Emgrand Group wants to block the White Family, everyone knows that the White Family must have offended the Emgrand Group.

At this time, the White family was over.

The White family’s strength has plummeted by more than half. It was already close to the standard of the first-tier family, but now it has fallen directly into the tail of the second-tier family.

When the Old Mrs. Willson heard the news, she was shaking with anger.

She wanted to annul the marriage contract between Wendy and Gerald, but thought that the White family was thinner and camel was bigger than the horse, and the Willson family could not afford to offend, so she could only give this thought up temporarily.

At this time, in Doris’s office.

Charlie learned the whole process just now and admired her style very much.

Charlie said with satisfaction: “Doris, what you did just now is very good. Starting today, your salary will be double.”

Doris was surprised and delighted, and hurriedly stood up and bowed to Charlie, “Thank you Mr. Wade!”

Charlie nodded and said, “Also, I want you to announce two things.”

“Mr. Wade, say it, and it will be done.”

“The first thing is to announce the change of ownership of Emgrand Group and the appointment of the new chairman, but do not reveal the identity of the new chairman, only the last name is Wade, that is what people need to know.”

“The second thing is to announce that Emgrand Group will invest 2 billion in Aurous Hill to build a six-star hotel. At the same time, it will launch a partner bidding. Construction and decoration companies in the city can participate in the bidding!”

The main business of the Willson Group is decoration. The Lady Willson dreams of going to the big ship of Emgrand Group. Whoever can win the cooperation of the Emgrand Group will definitely become the red man of the Willson Group.

Now the Emgrand Group is his own, and of course he has to give his wife some benefits.

Chapter 5

The two news released by the Emgrand Group completely detonated the entire Aurous Hill.

Hearing that the Emgrand Group has changed hands, the Willson family wanted to understand why the White Family was kicked out by the Emgrand Group.

It seems that the new owner of the Emgrand Group still looks down on families likes of the White Family.

But who is Mr. Wade? Is this person too good? The Emgrand Group, which has hundreds of billions, buys and buys, and the richest man in Aurous Hill is not as big as his!

For a time, countless families were ready to move. On the one hand, they were eager to have a relationship with this mysterious Mr. Wade, and on the other hand, they also longed for their daughter to marry Mr. Wade.

In addition, the Emgrand Group wants to invest in a hotel project of 2 billion, which also makes the entire Aurous Hill construction and decoration industry tremble!

Two billion!

Just get a little leftover material, and you can make a lot of money!

Countless companies want to get a share of it.

This naturally also includes the Old Mrs. Willson who is addicted to money!

Mrs. Willson was very excited at this time. This is a great opportunity for a two billion project!

If the Willson family can get a contract from it, it will really be ascended to heaven!

So she immediately ordered a family meeting to be held at home tonight to discuss how to make a breakthrough in the new project of the Emgrand Group. Everyone must attend!

That night, Willson’s villa.

Because the Lady Willson asked everyone to be there, Charlie followed.

He knew that the Lady Willson was going to a meeting to discuss how to get a share of the Emgrand Group’s big project.

Therefore, he wanted to take this opportunity to help his wife Claire grow her face!

When he arrived at the Willson family villa, Claire’s cousin Harold immediately sneered when he saw him: “f*ck, Charlie, you have such a thick skin, and you have the face to see grandma again!”

Claire said with a cold face: “Don’t talk nonsense. Grandma asked everyone in the Willson family to come. Charlie is my husband, and naturally also from the Willson family!”

Harold laughed and said, “He is though considered a half Willson family! But just a live-in son-in-law!”

Charlie touched his nose and said to Claire, “Forget about him my wife, don’t be familiar with him, go in quickly, save grandma waiting.”

Claire nodded, and owed Harold a good face, and walked in with Charlie.

Seeing this, Harold’s expression also became cold, waiting for them to look good.

After entering the conference hall, Charlie and Claire found a place in the corner to sit down.

Soon, Mrs. Willson stepped forward and the family meeting officially began.

The Old Mrs. Willson sat in the main seat, knocked on the table, and said vigorously: “The Willson family has been waiting for an opportunity in the past few years, an opportunity that can make us one of the richest in Aurous Hill! Now, this opportunity has finally come!”

Mrs. Willson said loudly: “This time the Emgrand Group has thrown out a two-billion-dollar project. Whoever can get a cooperation contract from it will definitely benefit a lot!”

“Moreover, this is the first major project of the Emgrand Group after the change of ownership. For the Willson family, it is a great opportunity!”

“If we can cooperate with the Emgrand Group and leave a good impression on the new owner of the Emgrand Group, then the future of the Willson family will be limitless!”

Although the Lady Willson was very energetic, the people below seemed a little unmoved.

In fact, it is not a day or two for the Willson family to cooperate with the Emgrand Group. For such a long time, the Emgrand Group has ignored the Willson family. The Lady Willson now wants to take a share of the new project of the Emgrand Group. How can it be possible?

Seeing that all the people present were silent, Mrs. Willson immediately questioned in annoyance: “What? Are all dumb? Don’t you have the confidence to take a little leftover from the 2 billion project?”

Everyone looks at her and each other, but they dare not talk to each other.

The Lady Willson was even more angry, and gritted her teeth and said: “I will put the words here today, who can talk about the 30 million cooperation share from Emgrand Group, who is the director of the group!”

As soon as this remark came out, everyone sitting was taken aback.

The Lady Willson has always been arbitrary, so she has never appointed a director in the group. After all, the director has a lot of power, and it is almost the successor of the future group that is qualified to hold this position.

The Lady Willson is now using this position as a reward. She definitely hopes that there will be a brave competition for the reward. It can be seen that she is extremely eager for the Emgrand Group project.

However, although the position of the director is good, it is not so easy to take.

In the eyes of the Willson family, if you want to reach a cooperation with Emgrand, you have to get a contract of 30 million? Don’t be kidding, even if Mrs. Willson goes out in person, the executives of the Emgrand Group will not see her, let alone talk about cooperation.

There was silence in the family meeting hall.

Seeing this, the Old Mrs. Willson asked angrily: “You are descendants of the Willson family, don’t you want to share the worries for the Willson family?”

After that, the Old Mrs. Willson looked directly at Harold: “Harold, leave this to you!”

Harold laughed a few times and quickly said: “Grandma, even Gerald’s house has been cleared by the Emgrand Group now. Our strength is worse than the Whites. How can we get the Emgrand Group contract?”

Mrs. Willson suddenly cursed: “rubbish! Deny yourself if you haven’t tried it. You are more rubbish than Charlie!”

In fact, Mrs. Willson didn’t know her heart, but she didn’t want to be the helm of a second-and third-rate clan forever. She dreamed and longed for the Willson family to rise to the next level.

And this Emgrand Group project is the only opportunity.

Therefore, no matter how difficult it is, she would not give up.

She thought that Harold, as the eldest grandson, would be able to take over the task happily, but she did not expect that he would withdraw at this time!

Harold was also very depressed, who would take on such an impossible task? He was afraid that he will be kicked out before entering the gate of the Emgrand Group.

At that time, not only did things fail, but they were also ridiculed and laughed at by others, so he decided not to agree in any way.

After cursing Harold, the Old Mrs. Willson shouted and asked: “Where are the others? Don’t you dare to take this task?”

Charlie lightly touched Claire with his elbow at this time, and whispered: “Wife, you take this task!”

Claire hurriedly said: “It’s crazy! It’s impossible for the Emgrand Group to cooperate with a small company like the Willson family!”

Charlie smiled slightly and said confidently: “Don’t worry, you can definitely talk about this cooperation!”

Claire asked in surprise, “Really?”

Charlie said confidently: “Of course! I don’t think you have a problem at all! Seize this opportunity, and your future status in the Willson family will Hangingrocket!”

Claire didn’t know why. At this moment, she believed Charlie’s words in a bewildered manner.

She stood up subconsciously and said to the Old Mrs. Willson: “Grandma, I’m willing to try.”

Chapter 6

Claire’s statement made the entire Willson family stunned!

Everyone felt that Claire must be crazy!

Don’t divide the time to show off! At this moment of being in the limelight, what can be the result besides death?

The Emgrand Group is the largest company in Aurous Hill. How can people look at the Willson family? Whoever talks about it will never succeed!

Harold couldn’t help but sarcastically said: “Claire, do you think you can get the contract from the Emgrand Group?”

Harold’s own sister and Claire’s cousin, Wendy, also sneered at this moment: “Sister Claire, what is your identity, and what is the identity of the Emgrand Group? You go to talk so rashly, don’t shame our Willson family. !”

Someone agreed: “That is, if she is driven out by the Emgrand Group by then, our Willson family will definitely become a laughing stock in Aurous Hill!”

When Claire heard the sound, her cheeks were extremely red, feeling very embarrassed.

Since marrying Charlie, her status in the family has plummeted, becoming less and less important, and almost squeezed out, and even her parents have been ridiculed.

She felt that if she could talk about this project with the Emgrand Group, her position in the family would definitely be consolidated.

The most important thing is that parents can also stand upright.

But at this moment, being ridiculed by so many people, she couldn’t help but retreat.

She gave Charlie a depressed look. Why did she listen to his bewitching words? Won’t get up for this if she knew it

Old Mrs. Willson was very angry when she heard what everyone said.

After asking this question several times, no one dared to take this task. Now Claire took the initiative to stand up, and the group of people began to pour cold water again!

Although the Old Mrs. Willson had always disliked Claire, at this time, she felt that Claire was at least willing to share her worries, unlike other people who only knew to hide in their shells at this moment!

Especially Harold, her beloved grandson, really disappointed her, too much!

Because of this, Mrs. Willson’s attitude towards Claire also changed a lot.

So she immediately said: “Since others dare not agree, don’t talk nonsense! This time we cooperate with Emgrand Group on the project, let Claire talk about it!”

Claire could only bite the bullet and replied, “Don’t worry, grandma, I will definitely go all out.”

At this time, Harold sneered coldly from his nose and said, “What’s the use of going all out? It’s not a shame for the family to fail in the end!”

Charlie asked with a sneer, “Harold, what is your purpose in singing badly? Don’t you think the Willson family is qualified to cooperate with Emgrand Group?”

Harold didn’t expect that Charlie would dare to speak at the family meeting, and he would wear a high hat on himself.

Seeing that Mrs. Willson’s expression was also a little sulky, he immediately explained: “I don’t mean that, I just think it is impossible for Claire to discuss this cooperation!”

Charlie smiled and asked him: “Then what if she can talk about cooperation at first? Shall we make a bet?”

Harold sneered: “Come on, just gamble, I will be afraid of you? Tell me, what are you betting on?”

Charlie said: “If she start to negotiate a contract, you kneel down and knock me three heads in front of the whole family and say you are wrong. If she can’t negotiate at first, I will knock three heads for you and say aloud that I was wrong, what do you think?”

“Hahahaha!” Harold immediately laughed wildly: “You rubbish are really looking for death! Okay, I’ll bet with you!”

Charlie nodded in satisfaction and said: “The whole family is here to witness that if anyone goes back, it will be equivalent to wishing death for father, mother, grandpa, grandma!”

Charlie deliberately said the three words “dead grandma” very seriously, because he was afraid that Harold would back out it when he loses.

As soon as these words came out, Harold never dared to go back, because in that way, wouldn’t it be cursing his grandma, that is, Old Mrs. Willson to die? When the time comes, Mrs. Willson will not let him go!

“Okay!” Harold didn’t know that Charlie had dug a hole for him, but instead felt that it was impossible for him to lose.

So, he laughed and said: “The whole family witnesses, I am waiting for you to kowtow to me!”

Claire was startled, and kept winking at him, but she didn’t expect him to completely ignore it.

Old Mrs. Willson didn’t care about this kind of gambling. Her only concern was whether she could enter the Emgrand Group’s cooperation list this time. If she could, don’t say let Harold kneel to Charlie, even if Harold called Charlie his father, she didn’t care either.

So she said: “Today’s meeting ends here. Claire, you have three days to win the contract and the meeting ends!”

Back home, the father-in-law and mother-in-law immediately attacked Charlie and Claire.

The mother-in-law Elaine was anxiously worried, and blurted out: “Claire, you are crazy, how can you listen to Charlie’s rubbish words, so confused and promised this job!”

Father-in-law Jacob Willson also scolded Charlie and said, “Charlie, Charlie, you rubbish, you have killed my girl!”

Then, his father-in-law said angrily: “If you can’t talk about the Emgrand Group’s cooperation in the first place, you will definitely be squeezed out by the family. You, this rubbish, will also kneel and kowtow to Harold in front of the whole family. Don’t let you lose it?”

Charlie said seriously: “Dad and Mom, as long as the contract can be negotiated at first, everything will be solved?”

“Talk, talk, talk! Talk all bullsh*t!”

The father-in-law scolded: “Do you know how strong the Emgrand Group is? How can they look at the Willson family!”

Charlie smiled and said, “Maybe people can see it? I think it must be fine at first, and she can definitely get the contract down.”

The mother-in-law sneered at the side: “Do you think? Think you are the boss of the Emgrand Group? A rubbish, do you use any a**brain of yours? You are still talking here!”

#gangster #boss #billionaire #novel #charliewade #amazingson-in-law #Heroofhearts

#novel #sexy chick #so hot and sexy #writing #novel writing #webnovel #webcomic #light novel #romance #gangster #gangster love #billionaire #amazing son-in-law #hero of hearts

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stevedeschaines · 5 months ago

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The Democratic Party’s downfall is deeper than Harris or Biden

The storm on the Democratic Party’s electoral horizon was never limited to President Biden staying in the race. Biden’s mental infirmity and the concerted denial surrounding it, while governmentally dangerous, were merely amplifying the severity of the party’s imminent political reckoning.

Vice President Kamala Harris has now officially replaced Biden as the Democratic presidential nominee. But this succession does little to address the underlying challenges facing the political viability of the party.

Democrats have lost their 5-point lead in national voter identification over the last three years, which was already a smaller margin than it had been at the beginning of the Obama era. The Democratic Party dipped to lower favorability than the Republican Party even before the full revelation of Biden’s mental condition to the public.

Although we still have a dearth of up-to-date polling since Biden suddenly withdrew, swing-state margins have only shrunk by about 1 percentage point since Harris became the nominee. As the Harris candidacy’s honeymoon phase ends, the polling will increasingly reflect that she is unlikely to defeat former President Donald Trump.

Harris’s chances to win have little to do with her personal merits or lack thereof. The looming partisan realignment is instead primarily caused by unfavorable Democratic policies and the party’s refusal to amend or engage with dissent against those positions.

An insecure national border, inflationary deficit spending, unaddressed homelessness, anti-Israel pandering and the funding of an intractable, existentially dangerous proxy war against Russia: These policies comprise the fundamental atmospheric instability causing the Democrats’ political storm.

Democrats are now forced to toss Harris into the eye of that storm. The likely reality that the Democratic presidential nominee will lose is not a result of any particular personal animus toward Harris or Biden. But the dynamic of the post-primary replacement presents Harris with unique challenges.

Harris will not have the standard party stamp of approval as a presidential nominee. She was not elected by millions of primary voters, but rather by a few thousand convention delegates. Moreover, those convention delegates were left with little choice after Biden dropped out. The primary elections had already concluded. Harris will therefore enter the general election campaign as a nominee without any direct voter engagement from her party.

Harris will therefore also be an entirely untested candidate in the general election, having skipped the primary process entirely. The lack of testing of Biden in 2024 (he was permitted to avoid any true primary competition) allowed for the not-so-shocking revelation of his true condition during the first presidential debate against Trump.

Unlike Biden, Harris was not even fully electorally tested in the 2020 primaries. She dropped out before the first state voted and earned zero Democratic delegates. That was also before three-and-a-half years of her presiding as vice president in a historically unpopular administration.

Harris will also be unable to distinguish her own policy platform meaningfully from that of the Biden administration. If she tries to, she will be admitting that she has not been a meaningful factor in the administration.

But being vice president is Harris’s claim to the nomination. She was otherwise unequivocally rejected by Democratic voters in the 2020 primary based on her record up until that point. Moreover, Harris was prominently put in charge of the illegal immigration crisis.

Candidate Harris will therefore represent the Biden administration’s record, despite recent media attempts to walk back her informal title of “border czar.”

But the Democrats’ political dilemma is no more limited to Harris than it was to Biden. Even the strongest Democratic alternatives to Harris still lose against Trump in polling. That is better than Biden was doing, with the double-digit deficits against Trump in those same states that cropped up after his June 27 debate performance, but it is far from successful.

Meanwhile, independent-thinking officials have begun leaving the Democratic Party in droves. The growing list includes West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin, Arizona Sen. Kirsten Sinema, 2020 presidential candidate and former Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson, 2020 presidential candidate Andrew Yang and Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

As the party has come to be solidly controlled by an Obama-era alliance of Clinton neoliberals and Bernie Sanders democratic socialists (demonstrated in the simultaneous endorsements of Harris by the New Democrat and Progressive congressional caucuses), many non-ideological pragmatists have found themselves displaced.

The Democrats’ impending political disaster is reminiscent of that of the Republican Party in 2008. The political toxicity of then-President George W. Bush fully extended to the successive Republican nominee. Americans at that time found their country trapped in two new wars of occupation, causing the deaths of thousands of American soldiers and contractors and Iraqi and Afghan civilians, and returning to trillions in national deficit spending on those wars, all while the bubble of our domestic economy headed toward its burst.

The fact that the late Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) was not Bush did not save him or many down-ballot Republicans in the 2008 election. Republicans only became electorally viable again at the national level in 2016, after admitting error and changing many of their economic and foreign policy positions under Trump’s reformational leadership.

The former president has now been made the Republican nominee for the third time in a row. The Republican platform has been updated, signaling an official shift away from neoconservative leadership.

The Democratic Party requires a reformation of its own leadership and policy positions if it wants to survive politically. Otherwise, it will go the way of the Whigs.

https://thehill.com/opinion/4814721-democratic-party-election-storm/

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anshelsgendercrisis · 8 months ago

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i’m not shutting the fuck up about this!!!!!!!!!! you CANNOT claim to be fighting for justice and real change if you refuse to acknowledge reality. you cannot make real change until you acknowledge why things got this bad. if those million jews hadn’t been cleansed from their home countries and fled to israel, i don’t think israeli politics would be as extremist as they are today.

because you understand, right, the fact that palestinians’ collective trauma and oppression pushes them towards extremism. i have been hearing people say “october 7th was an act of resistance, when a people are oppressed for this long of course they’ll lash out!” from y’all for MONTHS so clearly you understand that trauma and persecution makes people desperate. it’s human nature. we don’t want to die! we don’t want to be persecuted! you will never ever see me saying october 7th was “resistance”, but i absolutely do understand why so many palestinian civilians in both palestine and israel are resorting to increasingly desperate measures to try to gain their freedom, and that this often pushes people into extremism.

so put yourself in the shoes of the jews who have just been violently ethnically cleansed from arab countries. your parents and grandparents had talked about the unequal treatment they’d faced, some had even been through pogroms, but generally jewish life in these countries had been fairly comfortable. as you hear the news coming out of europe in the 30’s, and restrictions from colonial powers like the vichy and italian regimes start to make life increasingly more dangerous, you start to get nervous. suddenly, you can’t work or attend school alongside your non jewish neighbors anymore. some of your neighbors are indignant on your behalf. some start to say it’s good. some even start to get violent. suddenly, troops start shipping you and your community off to labor camps. you watch as your friends and family and children starve, suffer, and die of sickness.

when you’re finally release, you return to find your synagogue burned down. soon after, your non jewish neighbors start passing around pamphlets full of antisemitic propaganda. one day, a group of people starts looting jewish businesses. your shop is destroyed, your possessions smashed, and your home is ransacked. you and thousands of others are left homeless and without prospects. there are whispers among the community about escape. you’re devastated at the thought of leaving the land your ancestors have lived for three thousand years. this is your home. you were best friends with the little muslim girl who grew up just down the street. you don’t want to leave. but after a crowd storms the jewish quarter, killing dozens of your community members, it’s clear you have no choice. you have to flee. if you’re still lucky enough to have possessions or money, the government seizes that. and the only place willing to take you that you can afford to get to is the country your non jewish neighbors and government have been accusing you of being more loyal to.

you arrive in The Promised Land, the land that promised to save you, exhausted and traumatized. there are tens of thousands of others like you, arriving in the place named in your prayers, written in millennia old manuscripts and prayer books. and yet the land that was supposed to save you is now under attack by the very people you were supposed to be saved from. you get used to ducking into bomb shelters, hearing about another group of civilians killed in a terror attack, and you wonder when will it end? when will they finally just let us live in peace?

you become bitter and jaded. the memories of the people who had been your neighbors for hundreds of years, who you talked with at the shops and sold rugs to, who brought bread to your home after passover to celebrate with you, fade and are replaced with memories of labor camps, pogroms, expulsions, and bombs.

white people halfway across the world living in countries whose wartime regimes placed you or your parents in labor camps to die of starvation or disease just a few decades ago tell you that you have no right to live in the land in which you are a refugee, they tell you to go back to poland — a country you or anyone in your family or community have ever been to, but the mention of which sends your ashkenazi neighbor into panic attacks as they remember hundreds of their community being beaten or stabbed to death and more hundreds being locked in a barn and burned alive by their polish gentile neighbors — they tell you that the violence you and your community experienced and are experiencing is deserved.

your world is nothing but death and bombs and violence and you cry out to god for salvation, and he sends you benjamin fucking netanyahu, who promised to avenge the pain and suffering and trauma that consumes you. you believe him. you don’t care who gets hurt, because no one ever seemed to give a fuck when it was you and your community who was hurting. people say “never again” and you don’t believe them.

this is the pain and trauma that has radicalized many israeli jews. this is the story you need to understand if you want to have ANY hope of peace, because you cannot approach a traumatized population with “who fucking cares also it was israel’s fault anyway just go back to your own countries and stop being evil genocidal maniacs” and expect to get anything but a massive fuck you. and frankly it’s fucking ridiculous that a lot of you can’t seem to understand that.

always throwing the "million jews who were violently ethnically cleansed from arab countries only a couple decades ago" argument but funny how you never mention it was because of israeli colonialism. guess what that would never have happenend if israelis didnt decide to start an apartheid racist fascist state

u can’t make this shit up y’all. apparently collective punishment is fine as long as it’s jews!

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french-vanilla-in-the-clouds · 3 years ago

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𝐅𝐫𝐚𝐠𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐏𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬

Sherlock x Reader

Summary: When Eurus entangles Y/N in her violent game of intellect, Sherlock must sacrifice something he never expected to care for. As he looks back upon what he will lose, he sees only the fragments of his shattered heart...

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Sherrinford, High Security Prison

“If you want her out of the game, you’ll have to burn her out of it.”

“Sister, please. I beg of you... don’t.”

Sherlock Holmes stood hunched before the monitor, his tone bleeding with desperation.

“I’m afraid this is non negotiable. It’s either her heart or her life. Choose one or I’ll have no choice but to take both. Of course, the bit about her heart won’t be in the metaphorical sense, you understand.”

A red light blared throughout the room and Jim Moriarty’s jives echoed off the walls. Sherlock’s fists clenched as he looked up at Eurus’ sickly smile of triumph.

“I can’t... I won’t destroy everything we’ve built...” he whispered to himself. “Not like this.”

Doctor Watson placed a hand on his friend’s shoulder. “Your sister is insatiable and that makes her dangerous,” he said in a low voice. “There’s more at stake here than just your pride. Soldiers, remember? Maybe you should-”

“Not now John! Don’t you see? I love her!”

Sherlock blanched at his own admission. Y/N was the light of his life and he couldn’t let Euros jeopardize that.

John’s jaw clenched as he stared back with a look of sorrow. “That’s exactly why you need to do it. You need to break her heart to save her life.”

Sherlock looked down at the mobile phone in his hand. As the seconds ticked by, his beloved Y/N came closer to her demise. Eurus had set an assassin after her and unless he complied with his sister’s task, Y/N would face a swift death.

He felt a million passions ricocheting in his heart. There were no more tricks up his sleeve. Sherlock had to submit to his sister’s will or face the consequences.

“I won’t lose her...” he whispered. Taking a deep breath, Sherlock turned to John and nodded steadily. “Soldiers.”

With shaky hands, he dialled Y/N’s number and listened to the timbre of the rings.

He closed his eyes as the world spun around him, and his mind raced in reminiscence. Sherlock could suddenly see thousands of snapshots of the beautiful life which he was about to destroy...

***

“John, I’ve told you before, I haven’t the time for your little friend. I’m not sure if you’ve noticed, but I have a case to solve!”

The doctor sighed and rubbed at his throbbing temple. “If you would just hear her out-”

Sherlock stepped over the coffee table and walked to the door. He made a point to swing it open with great emphasis. “Forgive me,” he said to the girl with a smile that was anything but polite. “But I am very busy. If you would kindly take your leave before-“

“It was the perfume, Mr Holmes.”

Sherlock paused at the girl’s quiet declaration. “Come again?” he asked, eyes narrowed.

Y/N cleared her throat. “The perfume,” she repeated. “The victim smelled of perfume the day her body was found.”

“I’m aware. Did you have a point?”

Y/N rolled her eyes. “Mrs Thewlis was allergic to Ethanol, the prime ingredient in perfume. She wouldn’t be wearing it unless someone forced her to.”

She crossed her arms as she continued on. “I asked Molly to run a toxicology test and the report came back positive. Traces of poison were found in Thewlis’ bloodstream, seemingly absorbed through her skin.”

She paused for effect. “My theory, Mr Holmes is that somebody sprayed the victim with a sort of chemical infused mist and that there was no murder weapon at the crime scene because the victim was wearing it the entire time!”

Sherlock said nothing. He simply observed the girl in curious silence before closing the door and walking towards her.

“You’re saying that somebody doused her perfume with poison?”

“Yes, Mr Holmes.”

“What’s your name?” he asked, cocking his head to the side.

“Y/N.”

“Y/N,” he repeated to himself. “Well Y/N, congratulations on cracking your first case.”

Sherlock couldn’t wrap his head around it. How could this girl have possibly picked up on something that he had missed? Normally he’d have felt a wounded pride, a violent jealousy at her intellect, but strangely enough, he felt nothing. On the contrary, Sherlock was intrigued by her sharpness. He suddenly felt a burning desire to know more about her.

Sherlock was snapped back to attention by the sound of her voice. “I’m glad that I could be of assistance. Good day, Mr Holmes.” Y/N gave a curt nod as a means of farewell and was just about to leave the flat when she felt a hand on her wrist.

She turned around and saw the consulting detective. “Please,” he said, extending a gloved hand. “Call me Sherlock. Will you stay for tea?”

***

A soft amber light streamed in through the gossamer curtains of 221B Baker Street. The delicate London breeze danced in through the window, making the thin veils flutter.

Y/N hummed softly as the quaint disturbance roused her from her sleep. She tilted her head to the side and caught a glimpse of the time. 5:45 on a Friday morning. She felt movement to her right, and was suddenly exposed to the morning chill as her blanket was yanked away.

Turning on her side, Y/N was met by Sherlock’s sleeping frame. She gave a shiver and was just about to reprimand him for hoarding the covers when something struck her.

She drew a breath at the sight of him lying next to her. His tousled hair was pressed against the pillow, soft and unruly. His bare chest heaved in slow breaths, moving up and down steadily. His face was unmarred by the stress of his waking moments. Sherlock looked comfortable and at ease.

Though she had been waking up to this same sight every morning for the past few years, Y/N felt as though she were seeing him for the very first time whenever she caught him in these quiet moments of dawn.

She reached out to touch him just to prove to herself that he was more than a perfect illusion. Her hand lingered mere inches away when Sherlock spoke, his voice heavy with sleep. “You’re awake.”

“Yes, a chill woke me. Somebody was greedy with the covers...”

He opened his eyes and grinned. “How tragic.”

With a soft groan he shifted and pulled Y/N closer, wrapping an arm around her so that she lay with her head in the crook of his arm. She sighed contentedly and grazed his skin with her fingertips. Resting her palm against his chest, she felt the steady beat of his heart.

“What are you thinking?”

Y/N paused for a moment. “I’m thinking that this might be too good to be true.”

“You’re right,” Sherlock said, propping himself up on an elbow. He looked down at Y/N and smiled. “This is much too good to be true, but I would be a fool to question it.” With his free hand, Sherlock cupped the back of Y/N’s neck and brought her close to his upturned lips. “I’ll be damned if I let anything come between us. I swear to you, I’m not going anywhere.”

Sherlock finally kissed her. As the morning rays shone through the airy curtains, Y/N took comfort in the thought that their love was infinite.

***

Gone was the music.

A familiar burning sensation prickled at the back of her eyes, but still, Y/N denied herself the tears.

She sat quietly in Sherlock’s old armchair, staring at the bullet ridden wall.

“Yoo-hoo,” called a voice from the doorway. Y/N hardly stirred as Mrs Hudson came bustling in with a tray of tea and biscuits.

“Morning’ dearie, I brought you a cuppa’! I thought you might fancy a treat,” the kindly landlady said, forcing a cheery tone.

She took a look around the room and frowned at the gathering dust and drawn curtains. “It’s a bit gloomy in here, isn’t it?”

Grief had taken its toll since Sherlock’s fall, and Y/N was a transparent reflection of it. Her eyes were bloodshot and held an emptiness to them as she reflected within the abandoned flat, lost in her memories.

“It’s fine, really,” Y/N said a weakly.

Mrs Hudson’s gaze shifted. Y/N was wearing Sherlock’s old coat. A mahogany patch stained the collar. A reminder.

“It’s been two years, love. It’s time to let go.”

A glossy trail streamed down Y/N’s cheek, but still she smiled. “He’ll be back,” she said, her voice cracking. “He promised me that he wasn’t going anywhere. If I just wait here, I’m sure-”

“He’s not coming back,” Mrs Hudson said gently.

Y/N turned away. “I told him it was too good to be true.”

Mrs Hudson smiled sympathetically. “I’ll be downstairs, love.”

Y/N grabbed hold of her chair’s armrests and squeezed. She winced as a hot trail of tears slicked her cheeks.

It wasn’t supposed to be this way. Sherlock wasn’t supposed to have been on that rooftop. He wasn’t meant to leave her grieving.

He wasn’t supposed to be gone.

Perhaps Mrs Hudson was right. Maybe it was time to move on like John had. Y/N ran a hand through her hair and let out a shaky breath. She was just about to reach for her tea when she heard a loud crash and a scream come from downstairs.

“Mrs Hudson?” Y/N stood up in a panic and rushed downstairs, heart racing.

“Mrs Hudson!” she cried out.

Y/N found her landlady in the kitchen, shattered porcelain on the floor. “Are you alright?” she asked warily.

“I’m sure she’ll be fine. It was simply a mild shock.”

A chill ran up Y/N’s spine at the sound of that distantly familiar voice. It can’t be... she thought incredulously. Carefully, she turned her gaze upwards and noticed for the first time the man standing at the doorway.

“Hello,” he waved awkwardly.

Standing at the other end of the room was Sherlock Holmes.

Y/N stared as he shifted uncomfortably under her critical gaze. Dressed in his signature trench coat and dress pants, he looked the same as the day she had lost him.

“New coat?” she asked, stunned.

Sherlock cleared his throat. “Yes, actually. Unlike yours, I suppose. I see you held onto the old one...” He looked to the floor. “it... well, it suits you, mind the gore.”

Y/N ignored his attempt at humour. “You’re back,” she whispered.

When he looked back at her, his eyes glistened. “How could you expect me to stay away?”

***

“You can’t be serious!”

“I swear it’s true!”

Y/N listened carefully from the hall as John, Mary, and Greg conferred in 221B. From what she could hear, they were talking about her and Sherlock. Though it had been months since they had reunited, the pangs of lost love still inflamed their passions.

“He actually said that to you? Those exact words?”

Y/N frowned at the excitement in Mary’s tone as she grilled John on something that Sherlock had allegedly told him. John laughed and Y/N peeked through the crack in the door to catch him kiss his wife lightly on the nose.

“Those exact words,” he affirmed softly. “Sherlock is thinking of proposing marriage to Y/N.”

Y/N let out a small gasp and clamped a hand over her mouth to muffle the sound of her surprise. She blinked as a wave of emotions crossed through her. Marriage? Sherlock? These two words were foreign in the same sentence and she had to take a breath to contain herself.

“Bloody hell...” she heard Lestrade mutter from the flat. “Our boy’s found it,” he said softly. “He’s found his heart.”

“Keep your voice down!” John whispered sharply. “Y/N will be here any minute, and she can’t know!”

Y/N stepped back and leaned against the wall, closing her eyes. She felt her heart race and couldn’t stop smiling. Sherlock Holmes, the man that she adored more than she ever imagined she could, was on the verge of proposing to her.

“Sneaking about, are we?"

Y/N gave a start when she opened her eyes and saw Sherlock standing before her, brow upturned.

She straightened herself and smiled nervously. “I was just about to head inside.”

“Is that why you’re lurking just outside the flat, plastered against the wall?” Sherlock asked sarcastically.

Y/N shrugged, not knowing what to say. Just at that moment though, Greg opened the door to meet them.

“Oi, we could hear you gabbing out here. Are you coming in or what? We’ve been expecting you.”

Sherlock peered past the Detective Inspector’s shoulder and found John and Mary grinning guiltily inside. His lips twitched in a hidden smile as he deduced what exactly was happening. “Yes,” he said slowly. “We’ll be right there.”

When Greg stepped back inside, Sherlock turned to Y/N. “You haven’t been eavesdropping on others’ conversations, have you?” he asked sweetly.

She looked at at him in feigned shock. “I would never!”

Sherlock studied her, his smile growing as he regarded the charming glint in her eyes. In that moment, he caught flashes of a future with her. Since they had met, Sherlock had reimagined his previous notions of the dullness of domesticity. Though marriage had once seemed a burden to him, Y/N had changed that, and Sherlock knew that nothing would be grander than a quaint life by her side.

“What have I done to deserve you?” he asked softly. Y/N watched as Sherlock pressed her gently against the wall, and wrapped his arms around her. He kissed the crown of her head before leaning forwards and grazing the shell of her ear. “I love you,” he whispered delicately. Sherlock closed his eyes and whispered again, “I love you.”

***

Sherrinford, High Security Prison

“Hello?”

Sherlock’s eyes snapped open. He scanned the room, disoriented. He had felt safe for a moment, caught in remembrance, but the sterility of Sherrinford’s cell had cut through the dream.

He caught a flash of Eurus frowning from the monitor and looked back to find John standing solemnly behind him. Y/N's voice blared from hidden speakers. Nothing had changed.

“Hello?”

Sherlock drew a breath at the familiarity of the voice on the other end of the line. His task became clear once more. He pinched the bridge of his nose and gulped.

“Hello love,” he said, his tone strained.

Red lights flashed in warning and Sherlock looked up. “This isn’t a social call,” Eurus said icily. “Don’t try and mitigate the blow with pet names. It’s her heart or her life Sherlock, I think I’ve made that clear.”

A pang of alarm shot through him. There was no way out.

“Sherlock, is that you?” Y/N asked from the other end of the line. “Are you alright?”

Sherlock walked to one of the cell’s walls and leaned an arm against it, seeking purchase. He thought of Eurus’ hire, trigger finger itching for a clean shot.

“Sherlock?” she called again. “Can you hear me?”

Sherlock needed to burn her out of his story. "I pray you'll forgive me..." he whispered to himself. Standing tall, he straightened his collar and detached himself from the warmth that Y/N had inspired in him throughout all their years. Sherlock Holmes became ice.

“Y/N?” he said. “I need you to listen to me.”

"I'm listening," she said uncertainly.

Red lights flashed and Moriarity’s malarkey reigned.

"About us," Sherlock continued, "We've come far."

Y/N laughed. "You called to talk about us? What’s this-”

"Don't interrupt," he said curtly. "I need to fix this."

There was a moment of silence before Y/N responded. "What are you saying?” she asked slowly.

"I mean to say that I'm ending this. Our experiment."

"Experiment?” she scoffed.

Sherlock's voice was brisk and steady, devoid of feeling. "Indeed. You see, our relationship was was only ever a simulation of sentiment. A psychological examination. A game of science."

He could hear Y/N’s breath hitch and he clenched his fist in guilt. He was slowly approaching the end.

“It’s all been a rouse,” he said tensely. “ A clever experiment to test the naivety of the human mind, and you Y/N, were the ideal subject. Insecure, wide-eyed, and unduly retentive; you were foolishly loyal to a man that never cared, and it has proved your undoing.”

Sherlock waited for Y/N to hang up the phone. To curse him or yell obscenities from the receiver. He waited for her anger, silently praying she would cut him off. It was the only way Eurus would spare her, and Y/N’s acrimony against him was well worth her life.

She said nothing.

Subconscious sirens hammered in his mind. Sherlock couldn’t know for sure if she had believed him. He had to push harder. “ You’re nothing more than a failed enterprise,” he said sharply. He heard his voice rise until he was sure he sounded manic. “ You have nothing left to offer, so I implore you to leave me be!”

Silence dragged on until Sherlock finally heard Y/N sniff. She let out a shaky breath and spoke. “Sherlock,” she began softly. “I’m not sure what you’ve gotten yourself into, but you can’t expect me to believe a word of what you just said.”

no. no. no. no. no...

Sherlock shook his head furiously. She wasn’t supposed to be kind. She was meant to be hurt.

Y/N gave an unsettled laugh before continuing. “I love you, Sherlock,” she whispered. “I love---”

Shattered glass and silence.

Sherlock collapsed to his knees. “Y/N?” he asked gently. A shiver ran up his spine at the blackout stillness. “Y/N!” he cried out. His hands trembled in horror and bile rose in his throat. It isn’t so... he thought. it can’t be so...

“I’m afraid you’re out of luck, brother.” Eurus said softly.

Sherlock looked up at his sister, his eyes bloodshot.

She cocked her head to the side, feigning sympathy. “You failed,” she said simply. “Let’s move on, shall we?” The screen went dark and the cell lit up with crimson light.

Sherlock stayed abased, kneeling on the cold flooring. A damp heat trailed down his cheeks, but he made no move to wipe it away. He thought of Y/N. He thought of her smile. Her laugh. Her silence.

He thought of their thousands of moments past and the finality of her fall.

He kneeled in sterile reminiscence.

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*psssst!* try reading Corpses and Roses!!!

I FINISHED IT! I FINALLY FINISHED IT! THIS CURSED FIC HAD BEEN TRAPPED IN MY NOTES SINCE THE SUMMER BUT I FINALLY FINISHED IT!!!!

Hey you guys!!! What’s going on??? This fic is very heavy on the whole Molly x Sherlock ordeal back in Sherrinford, so I hope that’s something you’re into! I just thought it would be cool to write about snapshots from Sherlock and Y/N’s relationship, soooo yeah! Thanks for reading!!!!

If you’d like to be tagged in any future Sherlock fics, just tell me in the comments! (and if you’d rather not be tagged in ALL Sherlock fics, please specify; EX: Reader x Sherlock, Reader x John Watson...)

oh yeah, and visit my multi fandom taglist!!!

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HAVE A BRILLIANT DAY!!!

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farfromstrange · 2 years ago

Text

Foreigner's God: Chapter 22

Main Masterlist

Pairing: Matt Murdock x OFC

Summary: The only coping mechanisms she knows are self-destructive, and the world is slowly spiraling out of control. Matt offers himself to take the edge off. He is her personal drug, one she doesn't have to feel guilty about taking. In the wake of intimacy, moments of vulnerability are meant to ensue.

Warnings: SMUT, unprotected p in v sex, oral (m and f receiving), mutual masturbation, face-sitting, switch!Matt, praise, pain kink, degradation, (one) face slap™️, angst, hurt/comfort, Matt is a bit sad in this one

Word Count: 12.2k

A/n: Matt Murdock cries before and after sex, but never during sex. During sex, he has a fucking job to do. That’s the mantra I kept telling myself while writing this... ALSO 53 FOLLOWERS WTF?!?!?! THANK YOU GUYS?! This is crazy thank you so much!

Read Chapter 22: mirrorball Here on AO3!

The faceless man bumped his shoulder into hers. She stared after him, but he had no eyes, he was empty, and the people around them were wearing masks that could have easily been found at a Mardi Gras parade. They inched in on her, forcing her into a circle. She couldn’t escape. They were after her. And suddenly, he had a face. The familiar face came straight from the paper file, and it made sense. The familiar voice, the eyes, the lips. The puzzle clicked into place. She caught sight of the finished picture covering the ground like a carpet, though upon further inspection, she found the face once again blurred out. The ground shook, the pieces fell out of place and she stood there, ankle-deep in the shards of her twisted memory.

Eliza woke up in a sweat. Her heart pounded. The wheel in her brain kept on turning at a speed too fast to have been human. The arm he had draped over her frame didn’t move. Matt’s face nuzzled into her neck. His soft snores filled her ears. He was out cold. Other nights, he would have woken up if she had just breathed funnily, but not this time. He made a subconscious noise of disapproval when he lost the comfort and warmth of her body. She tucked the covers under his chin, feeling the goosebumps beginning to form, and she slipped out as quietly as she could.

She wouldn’t be able to fall asleep again. Her heart kept pounding. She went into the bathroom, splashing her face with cold water, and she hoped it would somehow fix the burning in her chest. It didn’t. She tried coffee, but that also didn’t work, it made the spike in her blood pressure only worse. The last choice was her least favorite - she reached into Matt’s liquor cabinet and pulled out the bottle of Scotch. She poured herself half a glass. The liquor tasted bitter on her lips, burning her tastebuds. It felt so good, too good. She wasn’t supposed to do this. Eliza had great sex with the most handsome man on earth, she wasn’t supposed to crave alcohol after that. Yet, she did, and she went with the harsh voice in her head that wanted more than Scotch but was satisfied with the drunken high anyway.

She opened the scanned blueprint on her laptop. Legs pulled up to her chest, fuzzy socks on her feet, and the glass of Scotch in her hand - she realized, a glass was stupid, so she picked up the used coffee cup and poured the liquor into it. Coffee Scotch. That was disgusting but got the job done.

Eliza sat there and analyzed the blueprint, googling building structures in all fifty States. She cross-referenced every little piece of information she could find. The files weren’t of much help and retracing Pfeiffer’s steps led her to a thousand dead ends. She had millions of pictures in her mind, neither connected by the same red thread they had found in the storage unit. All the while the face of her father lay next to her laptop.

The whole apartment was covered in pictures and post-it notes, her desperate attempts to make sense of the countless possibilities, ideas, and thoughts rushing through her mind like cars on a highway in the middle of the night. The lights blinded her, causing her head to implode.

The same outline as the old White Room, similar to the architecture of Robert Pfeiffer’s lab, but the blueprint was still unique in itself. Hydra had made progress, great progress even. There was so little yet so much embedded in that blue piece of paper. She hated that she was no further than she had been three hours ago when she started.

The floorboard creaked.

“Sweetheart, what are you doing?” Matt stood in the doorway, rubbing his tired eyes with the back of his hand. “It’s, like, four in the morning.”

“Three-forty-eight. And I’m working,” she said, unbothered.

“Are you drunk?”

“Slightly buzzed.”

He sighed.

“I know what you’re gonna say. Save it. You can go back to sleep. I’ll wake you when I’ve found something.”

Matt lowered himself to the armrest of the couch with a sigh. “Talk to me,” he said.

“What?”

“Tell me what you‘ve got by now. If you’re gonna do this, at least let us do it together.”

Eliza shook her head. “I can do this alone, thank you.”

“Yeah, but you won’t. You’re not gonna do this alone.”

“I appreciate your enthusiasm, but this is not something you can help with.”

“Why?”

“Because…” she was at a loss for words. There were reasons, had to be, but she couldn’t voice them.

He cocked an eyebrow. “I’m listening.”

“You weren’t there, Matt. You wouldn’t understand.”

“Well, I’m not going anywhere until you tell me, so you either talk or you don’t, either way, I’m gonna stay right here.”

She placed her hands down on the blueprint, holding the edges flat against the wooden surface. Her head made a silent motion to come here.

Matt stood behind her, one hand hovering above her back, the other finding itself guided to the paper. There was no Braille, no ragged edges, just paper. Still, she took the time to move his fingers along with her words, helping him to draw a mental picture.

“It’s like four boxes placed offset,” she stated. She drew four squares with his index finger, attached by the corners but not on the same level as the other. “No layers, just one ground floor stretching over several buildings laid out like a maze. High walls, broad hallways, no windows with a big area of nothing around the whole construct, most likely protected by some sort of metal cage that functions as security.” At last, she drew an even bigger square around the outlay. At each point of security, she pressed the calloused tip of his finger down.

His breathing came shallow and flat, her proximity clogging his mind. “Why four?” he questioned.

“Medical facilities,” – she guided his hand to the first square – “Dormitories, playgrounds here,” – she moved on to the next – “Teaching grounds right here,” – she landed on the last building – “And personnel only. It’s where the technical stuff happens,” she said. “You start at the medical facility and eventually graduate to building number four. That is if you survive.” His finger traveled the mentioned distance.

“How do you know?”

“I traveled the same distance once when I was a kid. I don’t remember much, but I’ve seen enough pictures after I got out to have every last room memorized.”

“And where is it?”

“That’s what I’m trying to figure out.”

“No coordinates?”

She shook her head. “Only measurements.”

“Okay,” Matt nodded, “Explain to me what you have so far.”

“Matt, I-“

He grasped her chin between two fingers. “You don’t have to do this alone,” he said.

“Maybe I want to,” she breathed.

“Do you?” Her heart skipped a beat. “‘Cause I can tell you’re lying to me. I just want to understand why.”

Eliza’s eyes flickered between the picture of her father, Viktor Volkov, Ivan, Robert, the Hydra symbol, and the blueprint. Viktor could be found at the top, but Hydra was the center of it all. Somehow her father played into it, she had dreamt about him, but none of the crumbs made any sense whatsoever, and the clues didn’t connect either.

“There is no why. I’m not lying to you.”

“I think you’re wrong.”

“I’m just…”

“Scared?”

She shuddered. Her physical response was his answer, even though she shook her head.

“You don’t have to be, not with me, you know that.”

She turned out of his grasp, only for him to reach for both of her cheeks next and pull him flush into his chest.

Eliza choked up. “Matt, please, don’t,” she said.

“Hey,” he breathed gently, touching his forehead against hers, “If you don’t want to tell me, that’s fine. I just want you to be okay, and I can tell that something happened, so I want to help you. Don’t push me away, baby.”

“I can’t…”

“Whatever you need to get the edge off, I’m here. I’ll give it to you, but I’m not gonna watch you hurt yourself.”

“I just…” she wondered how he knew. It had to have been her heartbeat. She couldn’t bear his touch, so she stepped away, stumbling back into the back of the couch. “I had a dream- I had a dream and it freaked me out.”

“Okay. Do you want to talk about it?”

“No. I don’t even- I don’t remember. I know what I saw but it doesn’t make sense, and all of this doesn’t make any sense either. I thought it would help, but it only makes everything so much worse. I’m so confused, Matt,” Eliza caved into herself. She landed on the floor, knees pulled up to her chest, and the world spun out of control. “My head is spinning and I feel like the whole world is collapsing around me and I just can’t… I can’t stop it. The spiral just keeps going and going and going and-”

He knelt in front of her, taking her hands in his.

“No, I’m not… I need to… I can’t do this, Matt. You can’t just touch me like that and think it’s gonna fix anything. It fixes nothing, it just makes everything worse because you confuse me, too.”

“I confuse you?” he asked.

“Not you! This. You and me. It is so confusing. I thought it’d help me get my mind off of things, but now I can’t stop thinking about us while everything else is turning to shit and I’m starting to wonder, what if we collapse? I can’t control this. I can’t. And I know that if I lose the only thing keeping me sane right now, I’ll die.”

She didn’t fight when he hugged her. She clung to the back of his shirt like a scared child and he cradled her head like the protector he was.

Her breath shuddered. “You should go back to bed,” she cried.

“No.”

“Yes.”

“If you won’t go to bed, I won’t go to bed, that’s the deal. You need me, so I’m not going anywhere.”

“But you need sleep.”

“You need sleep too, and I don’t see you jumping on the mattress anytime soon.” Matt moved her head so he could hold her only a few inches away. She wouldn’t dare to look at him. “I’m here,” he said. “Not going anywhere, you hear me?”

She nodded slowly.

“Tell you what, I will make us some tea and then we’ll stare at the wall until you know what it is that you want. Okay?”

“Okay,” she whispered.

“C’mon.”

He sat her up on the counter, realizing she wasn’t willing to speak yet, but at least she stopped crying. She watched him move carefully, feel the labels on the box where he kept the tea, touching along the marble to find the kettle. He moved so effortlessly yet carefully. His sightless eyes moved all over the place. When he realized she was watching him, he smiled softly.

“What?” he asked. “You okay?”

She shrugged, hands rubbing against each other. When did the weather change so drastically? And didn’t he own a heater? It surely felt like he didn’t.

“You’re just too good to me, is all.”

“No, I’m not.”

“Yes, you are.”

“No.” He slipped between her thighs, taking her hands. “Oh, you’re freezing. Here.” He slipped out of his sweater, revealing the white shirt underneath. “Raise your arms.”

She snuggled into the soft fabric, enjoying the way it felt against her skin. The sweater smelled like him. Her hands disappeared in the sleeves.

“Thanks,” she muttered.

“Now, do you want honey or sugar?”

“Honey. One tablespoon, and some milk, if that’s okay.”

“Yeah, of course. You don’t have to ask.” He stirred the tea with the ingredients she mentioned, handing the beverage over to her. The mug was warm, helping her freezing hands regain feeling.

She eyed him. “Aren’t you cold?”

“No.”

“I don’t know why I asked. You’re a human radiator.”

Matt laughed. “You want me to warm you up?”

“No, your sweater’s fine,” Eliza said. “Thank you.”

“Alright.”

She played with the hem of his sweater absentmindedly as she sipped her tea. He leaned against the counter next to her, his hand scratching her back. He meant it when he said they would stare at the wall until she was ready. The silence was comfortable.

Her head dropped to his shoulder. Almost on command, he pressed his lips to the crown of her head, rubbing his nose into her hair.

“Can we move to the couch?” she asked then. “My ass still kind of hurts.”

He choked on his tea. “Yeah, we can do that,” he said.

The leather felt much better on the bruised skin than the sturdy surface of the kitchen counter. Matt patted his lap. “C’mere.”

She sighed and laid down, head in his lap and arms crossed to keep the warm inside of the sweater pressed to her cold skin. He tangled a hand in her hair, stroking her like a little cat. She resembled one, purring contently as he moved his fingers along her scalp.

Eliza watched him. It was creepy, she had to admit, but the man was mesmerizing. When the world went quiet and he was lying there, relaxed with a steady heartbeat and breathing pattern. She ran a hand through his messy brown hair, over his face, and back down over his neck.

“I can feel you staring, you know,” he said.

She traced a finger over his eyebrow. “Really, what’s it like?” she said.

“Very distracting.”

She smiled at him. Her finger kept drawing shapes all over his face. “You have freckles,” she pointed out. “I counted them. You have at least twenty on your nose.”

“Do I?”

“Yeah. And there is a slight crook in your nose, it’s perfect. Your eyes, they’re a mix of brown and green. In the sun, it’s like honey, a lighter shade of brown. When you’re angry, they remind me of hazelnuts. Other times walnuts. But when the light is right, I can see the green specks in your irises.”

He chuckled softly. “How long have you been watching me, exactly?”

“Some time,” she admitted. “There is just a lot about you that amazes me.”

“Yeah, what else? Describe it to me.”

“Well, your lips for example. They’re soft, both equally as plump and they curl into that little smirk that I like so much. You should use chapstick more often though ‘cause sometimes they look cracked.” She touched his lips. “And you have these little wrinkles at the corner of your eyes-” she moved on, “from smiling, even though you don’t smile a lot, which makes me think you used to smile and laugh way more often.” His eyes fluttered shut. “There are also two perfectly good dimples that show best when you fully laugh at something, it’s like the sun comes out whenever you do.”

Eliza noticed the lines on his forehead, deeper than usual. “Have I mentioned your hair?” she moved her hand to the said part of him. “It’s brown with some tints of red in there, but it’s mostly dark, like the rest of your body hair.” Once again, she imagined him with chest hair and her mind went blank. “You know, on your arm, there is this one vein, which travels from your shoulder, down your bicep, and over your forearm,” she said, tracing that particular blood vessel with her finger. “They even bulge on the back of your hands. It’s honestly quite distracting, especially when you clench your fist around your cane,” and she took his hand. She knew the next words were going to make him feel vulnerable. “Oh, I almost forget your scars. I think they’re the most beautiful part of you. Your scars tell the story of so many saved lives and… it shows that you’re human, like everyone else. When I run my finger over them-” so she did; though covered by the fabric of his shirt, she knew exactly where they were. “I can see what you did to get them and I have the utmost respect for you, Matthew, for all the things you did just to protect Hell’s Kitchen.”

By the time she finished, he was crying. Her face fell. “Hey,” she propped herself up on her elbow on his thigh. “I’m sorry. Did I say something wrong?”

He shook his head, “No.”

“Then what is it?”

She tasted his tears when he kissed her. It was a loving kiss. He poured all of his emotions into her mouth, moving them slowly against hers. His hands traveled over her sides, holding her face. She wrapped her hands around his neck.

Matt reached under the hem of her shirt. She sat up in an instant, throwing her leg over his lap. He continued slowly making out with her as his gentle touch moved over every inch of skin he could find.

Something about her appreciating and seeing everything, all of him, made him feel too much at once.

“I can feel that you’re conflicted,” she breathed into his mouth. “But I don’t know what’s wrong.”

He chased her lips. “Nothing’s wrong.” He kissed her.

Her hand landed on his chest. The warmth filled his veins. He opened his heart and soul to her and she reached for it, analyzing the whirlwind displayed in his obvious body language. She sighed at the amount of adoration for her that filled him, sucked in by her powers, and transferred to her brain, releasing several kinds of endorphins.

The pair was lulled into a faint, red silhouette. Bright light surrounded them. It wasn’t the billboard, unlike many other times. That night, it displayed mostly purple rays of artificial light. What consumed them was the raw amalgamation of emotions seeping out of her in a charge of power. As he kissed her, his emotions mixed with hers, creating a blanket over their heads. A protective shield only meant for them. He couldn’t see it, but the warmth caressed his veins. The comfort made his skin tingle as her magic ran over the small hairs on the back of his arms. He felt the sudden urge to be even closer to her, have her swallow him, and carry him around with her everywhere she went.

The apartment around them disappeared. Eliza had no control over what happened. The curtain closed over the furniture and instead, the universe looked back at them. Stars, planets, and the night sky. It was almost like a Diashow made out of the personification of emotions and unspoken feelings. So many different colors exploded, painting the world in the entire color wheel. They erupted around them as if the light just broke through church windows.

She realized his veins were glowing underneath her hand where they lay against his cheek. His eyes had the same color, hooded and ready for more. He was mesmerized, the world appearing ephemeral. She stared through the window of his soul and his soul stared back into hers. Her reflection danced off the red in his usually so brown eyes. She had connected them in some way, a way she couldn’t quite understand, and now the world was crumbling around them as reality changed to fit what they needed. He was her world and she was his. They craved serenity, the world disappeared only for a bit, sometimes in which they didn’t have to think about anything but themselves, so she simply made the world disappear.

He groaned. She wasn’t sure if it was pain or pleasure but considering he bore half of the energy emerging from her veins and his senses were heightened, making the experience stronger beyond compare, she went with the former option.

She gasped. “I’m so sorry.” She released his face, instantly removing herself from his lap, and plopped down on the couch beside him. The world snapped back to normal. The universe disappeared. “I don’t know what happened, I lost control, and I… God, this shouldn’t have happened.”

Matt blinked to get rid of the fog in his brain. “What’re you talking about?” he asked. His hand searched for her.

“No, I hurt you.”

“No,” he shook his head, “far from it.” He pulled her back into his lap.

“But you groaned, I…”

He chuckled softly, nodding down to his lap. “I want more.”

Her mouth formed the shape of an ‘o’ as she stared at the obvious bulge in his sweatpants. Sweat coated his forehead. She hadn’t realized how strong the connection was. They were dependent on each other’s touch. She took off the sweater she wore, suddenly too hot in his presence. The light of the billboard reflected off the sweat on her forehead and the swollen skin of her bottom lip.

“I need to get the edge off,” she said.

Matt hummed, slipping his hand into her pants (his boxers), but she stopped him. She fell on her knees between his spread thighs. He shifted, hair a mess and cheeks flushed, frowning a little at the change of scenery.

“What are you-“

“Trust me, as much as this looks like I’m doing it for you, I most certainly am not.”

Words weren’t needed as she kissed along the outline of his sweatpants before pulling them down, followed by a silent demand to take his shirt off. He complied. He let her have her way. This wasn’t about him, she was right, even though it excited him that this was something she would choose to take care of herself.

He threw his head back into the cushions, bucking his hips against her face. The gentle kissing along the clothed outline of his cock sent shockwaves through his body. Her nails dug into his thighs. He whined. She continued agonizingly slow until she finally undressed him completely and sucked his hard cock into her mouth. She started with the head, and she chose to stay that way, suckling on his weeping tip.

He searched for support on the armrest. She didn’t warn him, she just moaned before sinking completely. He choked on nothing.

“Fucking- God!” His eyes rolled into the back of his head.

She sighed at the soft tune of his voice in her ear. Still, she didn’t pick up the pace.

“This is torture. Please, do something. Fuck! I can’t… I can’t take this.”

She pulled off. “Too fucking bad, Matthew. I need to be in control right now so be a good boy and do as you’re told.”

“You have no idea what you’re asking of me.”

“Oh, I think I do.” She blew cold air over his cock.

He hissed. “Ah!” One of his hands reached for her hair, but she slapped it away.

“No touching.”

“But-”

“No.”

Matt’s lips parted in a pathetic whimper, throwing his head back into the back of the couch as her mouth opened and she took his entire cock back into the tight confines of her throat. Much to her surprise, he kept his hands to himself, and the sounds that came out of him sounded like an angel’s choir to her ears. She figured he had a submissive bone in his body, catholic guilt and all, but this was something she hadn’t seen coming. Him surrendering himself completely, following her demands without a second thought, and she surprised herself at just how much it turned her on.

He rested heavily on her tongue. Her mouth was full, incredibly so, and he tasted like the most sinful heaven. The noises he made distracted her from the whirlwind of thoughts in her head. She was high off of him. So beautiful, she thought, looking up at him through hooded eyelashes to find his head thrown back, lips slightly parted and his bicep straining with the hold he had on the leather couch. The vein she had mentioned before stood at full attention, a delicious swollen part of him, but nothing like what she had in her mouth. She felt him twitch in the back of her throat and she stilled, pulling off. She returned to pressing small kisses to the head of his cock, dragging her tongue through the slit and down his shaft, paying close attention to the bulging veins.

He whimpered. His nails dug into the couch. His thigh shot up. He was trying so hard to control himself, but it was hard, harder than him. Nails raked over his sensitive skin, up his chest, and over his nipples. She gave them a harsh tug, causing him to cry out at the overstimulation, the mix of pain and pleasure that went straight to his cock.

Every time he walked the edge, she pulled away. She kissed his thighs, waiting for his breath to calm, then sank back down on him. He felt the stars erupt behind his sightless eyes, the fog in his brain threatening to render him completely useless.

Matt tried his hardest to be good, and he did, but as soon as her hand started jerking him off as her mouth dropped lower to funnel with his balls, he was done for. He lost hold of the leather and grabbed a fistful of her hair, which caused a surprised yelp out of her mouth, and he pushed her all the way down on his cock.

He shouldn’t have done that. Eliza was strong, she just hardly showed it. She bucked against his hand, moving away completely. She stood several feet away from him now, his chest heaving with the loss of her warmth, cheeks flushed and he knew he had messed up.

“What did I tell you?” she asked, the scent of him filled his sensitive nose, and he could taste her saliva mixed with his pre-cum on his tongue. He licked his lips. The air was thick with the scent of both of them. “Matthew, what did I tell you?” her voice dropped an octave.

“To- to keep my hands to myself. I’m sorry, I couldn’t help it. Your mouth… God, you feel so good. Please, come back. Come back here, right now!”

“You’re not in the position to make demands.”

“Sweetheart…”

“Don’t sweetheart me.”

“I’m sorry. I’ll be good, I promise.” Just like that, he fell to his aching knees. “I will do anything. Just please, let me touch you.”

Her breath shuddered. Damn. Seeing him so desperate was something else. She reveled in the power, the feeling of absolute control over the usually so dominant man before her. It was the one thing she could control, his pleasure and her own. He gave her the reins, willingly submitting himself to her. He wouldn’t have done this for just anyone. Just like her, he liked to be in control, and he did so often. The things he couldn’t control, he made up by controlling everything else. He knew what the feeling was like and it was hot, to experience her like this. Nothing could match up to having her writhe underneath him, but she had rendered him mindless already, and he hadn’t even come yet.

Eliza contemplated, then took his hands to guide them to her torso. “Only above the waist,” she told him.

He sighed. Tears pooled in his eyes, tears of relief. “Thank you!” His desperate fingers traced every sliver of skin he could find.

“Take my shirt off,” - he scrambled to get to his feet, but she pushed him back down - “No, stay. Gotta make sure you don’t get the idea to touch me anywhere else by overpowering me.”

“I would never.”

“Yes, you would.”

Yes, he would.

Once her shirt was off, he grabbed her hips, moving on to her tits, cupping and squeezing him until she was panting. His lips traced around her belly button, nibbling at the skin. Every time his hands threatened to slip slower, she pulled at his hair and he stilled his movement.

The wetness pooled inside the boxers she had borrowed from him. He paid such close attention, she was beyond turned on. For a second, she considered caving in and asking him to take her to bed, fuck the living shit out of her until she couldn’t think anymore, and then give her another four orgasms just for the thrill of it because that man knew how to work in bed. She didn’t though. She pulled his face away from her skin, staring into his hooded eyes, those beautiful brown eyes that made her heart swell, and she leaned down to kiss him.

“Would you mind taking my pants off, Matty?” she asked sweetly, though her tone made him whine.

He nodded eagerly. Without a sound, he pulled off his boxers. Her scent hit his nose full on, her crotch right in front of him. He couldn’t help it, he moaned in the back of his throat, touching his lips as her taste overwhelmed his senses. He could taste her wetness on his tongue.

She ran a hand through his hair. “You look so beautiful like this, you know that?”

“Mh-hm.”

“You want to taste me so desperately right now, don’t you?”

He nodded again.

“Ask for it.”

“I…” he whimpered, “May I taste you, sweetheart? Please!”

“Mhhh,” she thought about it, “No.”

“What?”

Eliza shoved him to the ground, sitting up against the couch. He gasped. The leather squished with her wetness as she lowered herself down, thighs on either side of his head, eyes pointing up. He couldn’t see it, but he could hear, smell and taste it and not being able to touch her was absolute torture.

“You stay down.”

“Baby, please, no.”

Her finger started to play with her clit. He whined.

“Touch yourself,” she said. “Do what I’m doing, let me watch you touch that pretty cock of yours. But you have to wait for me to give you permission to cum, can you do that?”

He could have burst right then and there, so when he nodded and agreed, he knew the probability of him failing her simple demand was high.

“Good boy.”

He threw his head back in a wanton moan. “Sweetheart…” he removed his underwear completely, spitting into his hand and starting a slow, agonizing pace along his cock.

“What is it, Matty?” she cooed.

“I want to taste you. I need to.”

“You can’t come like this, is that it?”

“No, I need you.”

“I’m here. You can smell me, can’t you? You can hear me touch my clit, and taste just how wet I am without even touching me. You know what you’re doing to me, what watching you do that does to me, so what else could you possibly need from me when I’m already so merciful?”

“I need to taste you, really taste you. Please, sweetheart. I’ve been so good.” His hand sped up, fisting his cock hard, rubbing his thumb over the weeping tip. He paused his begging to cry out. “I want to make you feel good. Want to be the one touching you. Need you to drown me in you. Just please, use me, sweetheart. Use me, make me suffer, anything but what you’re doing right now.”

“Wouldn’t that be a reward? Do you deserve to be rewarded?”

“Yes!”

She moaned at the sight of his abs flexing with the impending orgasm. He was jerking himself off so fast, she knew he wasn’t going to last long. The sound of her voice drove him into ecstasy.

“You have been a good boy, haven’t you?” A hand started stroking his cheek. “So good you didn’t even realize how close you are just from begging me.”

“Oh, God.”

“What was that? Was that a plea? Or was it just blasphemy?”

“Please, sweetheart. Can I…? Just a taste. Please.”

“Mh-hm. I suppose you can.”

She pushed his lip down, sliding her finger into his mouth. Her taste exploded on his tongue. His back arched as his cum shot all over his bare stomach, white streams of thick liquid painting his skin. She swallowed his moan with her mouth, kissing him, stroking his hair. Replacing his hand with hers, she kept pumping his oversensitive cock. The orgasm dragged on for what felt like an eternity. The strokes began to grow painful. Tears coated his sweaty cheeks.

He hissed. “Too much.”

“I know.” She didn’t stop. “But isn’t that what you do to me over and over and over again, until I’m crying for you to have mercy on me?”

He was already crying, but as long as he didn’t use the safe word (which was meant for the both of them) she wouldn’t stop. Her hand kept moving in painfully slow strokes, thumb rubbing the cum over his tip – he didn’t even have time to breathe, his cock remaining hard. He could already feel the second orgasm building up, draining him of energy.

Eliza kissed his neck softly. “You can give me another one,” she didn’t ask, she stated. “And maybe then you can touch me.”

He took a deep breath. His ears were ringing, nose full of her and him, and he could feel even the last fiber of the ground under his clenched fists. Even the temperature of the couch seeped detailed into his burning skin.

“Fuck.” She kissed him, at least some mercy in the wake of overstimulation. Though the gentle touches made it even worse.

“I’m gonna use you as I see fit, Matthew,” she purred. Her hand suddenly disappeared. Slipping from the couch, she sank to her knees, situated between his spread thighs.

He whined again, “Please.” Now that his body was ready, he couldn’t hold off, it was physically impossible.

She licked the cum off his stomach first. A lewd moan left her plump lips. “Wanna taste?”

“Yes,” he said. She kissed him, mixing their arousal with her tongue. He moaned, in need of more.

She resumed the movements of her hand only momentarily before she licked a long stripe up the outline of his cock. He whimpered, wondering when this torture was going to end. The attention to the most sensitive part of him, fondling his balls. He wanted to die. He was sure he died. Her thumb traced over the protruding veins, tongue dragging through the slit. She felt him twitch. He was holding on desperately, trying not to come too soon. Remarkable, she thought. Though he had suffered enough.

She sucked him into her hot mouth. He hit the back of her throat. His nails clawed into the leather, breaking it. Not a metaphor, he broke the material. One of her hands traveled up his chest, landing around his throat. He swallowed. No one had ever dared to do that before, even though he had hinted at the Mutual liking for choking before. No woman or man had ever tried to give it back to him, mostly because he often fell back into dominant patterns, eager to please not to be pleased.

“Fuck, sweetie!” he choked out. “That’s so good, fuck! Doing so well.”

Screw him and his silver tongue. She squeezed her hand around his throat, blocking his vocal cords. The demand she uttered next was simple. “Cum,” she as much as growled, allowing him to release all over her bare chest. She coaxed him through it.

“You okay?” She removed her hands slowly.

“I'm fine, yeah.”

She dragged a finger through his cum and stuffed it into her mouth. Her cheeks hollowed around the digit. He grunted. She took his hand to do the same to his fingers, cum smeared all over them mixed with his saliva. She licked his palm slowly, cleaning every last inch with the tip of her tongue. “Hmm, you taste so good.”

Matt opened his mouth eagerly. “Fuck!”

“Yes, fuck indeed. And you know what? You’re free to do whatever you want with me now, as long as you remember you’re not the one in control.” He looked so good, her eyes rolled into the back of her head.

He didn’t have to be told twice. She landed on the couch with a loud thud. He reached for her thighs, pulling her further to the edge where his head was resting. He leaned further back. “Sit on my face,” he said.

“What?”

“I want you to sit on my face. I’m gonna make you feel so good, I promise.”

Her cheeks flushed a deep red. “I’m not… what if I’m too heavy?”

“Too heavy?” he laughed out. “You could never be too heavy.”

“I could suffocate you.”

“That would be an incredible way to go, but you won’t. If you haven’t by now, it probably won’t happen.”

“Matt, I don’t know if I can do it.”

“I can always grind you down on me and then it’s my turn to ruin you.”

She smacked his cheek. “No.”

“Ow!” He loved it. “Sweetie, please. Ride my face. Use me.”

She flipped around, knees on either side of his face. The position was vulnerable, knowing he could smell everything, feel everything and hear everything. She braced herself on the backrest. His hands splayed out on her hips, stroking over her waist.

“I said sit,” he grumbled, “not hover. Do you need a dictionary?”

“Matthew,” she warned.

“Frankly, I don’t care. You can punish me later. Sit. Down.”

She gasped loudly when he pulled her down on his face, tongue parting her folds while his nose nudged her clit. He dove right in, not giving her a moment to prepare. He fucked his tongue into her, moving his face back and forth, side to side, causing delicious friction to travel from her thighs to her cunt.

“Jesus fuck!” One hand stayed on the back of her couch, and the other grabbed his hair, pulling him closer. Her cheeks were red, stomach heavy. She sat on his face, naked. She had never done this before.

He moaned. “You’re thinking too hard. Take what you need,” he said. His breath was hot against her clit. “I want all of you. Please, give it to me.”

She nodded. Slowly, she began to rock her hips against his face. His eyes rolled back, nails digging into her hips. He guided her movements only slightly, feeding her confidence. His lips suctioned around her clitoris, applying sweet, torturous pressure on the sensitive nerve bundle. She should have made him suffer for mouthing off on her before, but she couldn’t think. He ate her out like a starved man. She was his last meal on death row and he wanted to make it worth her while. He didn’t stall, he just kept licking and sucking and licking and sucking while her hips followed the thrusts of his tongue, the friction of his beard and his nose against her clit, and just like that the orgasm built up at high speed.

Her forehead pressed against the leather, lewd sounds escaping her lips. A hand traveled to her breasts, playing with her nipple, the other disappeared from her hot hip and slid down his body. He grabbed his cock, already hard again, and started stroking himself in time with the back and forth of her hips. His lips and tongue moved faster, feeling her muscles tense, her voice cracking and the wetness stream faster out of her and onto his tongue. He was in heaven, eyes rolled back so far, he could have sworn he reached his brain.

She cried out when his hand found her throat, not entirely wrapped around her pulse point, but enough to squeeze tightly, hoisting her up so her back was straight and he could feel and listen to her accelerated heartbeat as he worked her closer to the edge.

“Matt, I’m close,” she whined. “Don’t stop, fuck!”

He wasn’t planning on it.

She ground harder on his face, the knot growing tighter and tighter and tighter until it suddenly snapped, causing her body to release an obscene amount of wetness and sounds as she came all over his face. He moaned against her, trapped against her cunt with her hand in his hair, thighs clenching around his head. The air was knocked out of his lungs, yet he kept sucking on her clit like a desperate bastard.

She cried into the leather, chest heaving with breaths that wouldn’t quite come out. He flinched at the hand slapping his forehead, forcing him to let go. His eyes fluttered open.

“Stop touching yourself.”

He only hesitantly let go of his cock.

“Get up here.”

She moved off his face, allowing him to stumble on the couch, falling into the cushions. She was on his lap just as fast, engulfing him in a searing kiss. “I want you to fill me up, not that pretty little hand of yours,” she told him.

Matt moaned at her sinful words. She lined his cock up with her entrance and sank completely, gasping. Her walls stretched. Somehow he fit better than in the beginning. She was starting to get used to him, although she stopped as soon as he was deep inside of her, catching her lost breath. His arm wrapped around her waist to hold her closer.

“If, at any point, you feel the need to fuck me, do it.”

“Yes, ma’am.” That was something he could do.

She smashed her lips against his, starting to rock her hips in a steady rhythm. She pulled off ever so slightly before bottoming out. He met her hips with soft thrusts, allowing her to circle her hips while also reaching the deepest, darkest parts of her tight walls. Neither of them was going to last long. The kisses were slow, sloppy, and messy at that, his thrusts uneven and her hips desperate in their motion.

In one swift motion, he flipped her over. The sweat made her skin stick to the leather, but she couldn’t have cared less about the new angle he found. The couch was small and for a second she was scared he might send them flying to the floor. He set a slow pace, but his thrusts were deep. His cock managed to brush spots he hadn’t pushed into before and she slowly lost her mind. She held onto the armrest behind her head, hoping to find some leverage, while the other tangled in his hair where his head dropped into the crook of her neck.

He panted into her skin, kissing and biting over her pulse point. He sucked hard, feeling the blood pool underneath the assaulted spot, turning purple. He did the same to her jaw, though he tried not to leave any marks on her face, which was hard considering she pressed her lips so hard to his, their lips might as well have split open. She bit his bottom lip, earning a groan. She tucked at his hair. The volume multiplied.

Matt most definitely had a pain kink.

He held himself up with one arm propped up on the armrest, the other wrapping around her throat. Her tongue traced that stupid vein on his bicep, gently biting down on it, just enough to make him know that he belonged to her. It was a loving way of marking him. His arm looked way too good, denting the leather, his bicep growing at least a size with all the flexing. She clenched around him. The sight of him was entirely too much. Her back arched off the couch and without any more stimulation, just looking at him basked in the purple light of the Billboard, hair stuck to his forehead with sweat, and the hooded eyes so dark, she could see into his soul, was enough to make her come apart. Her muscles contracted around his overly sensitive cock and he moaned deeply into her collarbone.

“Fuck!”

She whined.

Only a few more thrusts and he followed behind her, too worked up to care that he made quite the mess on the black of the couch as his cum filled her up and overflowed.

He changed his stance, shifting his weight to his forearm. He copied the movement of her hand in his hair, combing his fingers through the tangled locks standing wildly off her head.

She grabbed his hips when he tried to pull out. “Stay,” she breathed.

He nodded. “Okay.”

“Just want to feel you a little longer.”

“You can have me,” Matt whispered back, matching her tone. “All of me, all the time.”

Eliza followed the dip of his skin around his spine with her middle finger, and she swallowed. “You know, there is such sad beauty in your vulnerability. Looks don’t matter, although you are by far the prettiest creature out there, your heart is set right, and that makes you so incredibly beautiful, I think a lot of people envy that.”

“Fuck,” he groaned against her neck. “Stop it! I’m gonna get hard again if you keep talking like that.”

She broke into giggles. “I’m sorry.”

“No, I love hearing it. I just have to get used to... all of that. The kind words, the loving touches, the inhuman amount of attention you are willing to give me; everything you give me is just so overwhelming, I find it hard to breathe.”

“I’m sorry.” Eliza kissed his temple, head now fully nuzzled into her neck. His weight rested on her like a blanket, but she wasn’t all too overstimulated this time, so she let him. It was his way of winding down, listening to her heart, and putting his mind at ease. “I’m sorry no one’s ever said that to you before,” she said. “‘Cause you deserve to be appreciated. You give so much, yet get nothing in return. I know your religion makes you want to put everyone before you and that’s remarkable, but who’s gonna take care of you?”

His shoulders tensed. He struggled to get a proper amount of oxygen into his lungs. With his head buried in her skin, he could hide what her words were doing to him, though as soon as the tears shot into his eyes, she knew.

“You deserve to be taken care of, Matt. It’s not your job to take care of everyone. You’ll still have meaning, a purpose, and a place in this life if you look after yourself for a change. Listen,” she grabbed his cheeks and brought him face to face with her, the tears on full display as he struggled to keep himself from sobbing, “I’m not your responsibility. You don’t have to take care of me all the time. New York can survive a few days without you. The world won’t end just because you decide not to be God’s strongest soldier for a day or two, or perhaps even forever. God will forgive you for choosing yourself. He’d encourage it. There is nothing wrong with putting yourself first. And please, if you need to cry, do it. I’m the last person to judge you for being vulnerable. You told me it’s okay to feel. Take your advice. Don’t worry about me, I’m fine. Maybe not all the time. More often than not, really, but this is hard on you too, and I’m so sorry for not realizing it sooner. You’re not okay. You can’t be. You don’t have to be. Please, let yourself feel whatever it is that you need to feel right now. I’m here for you.”

His head fell out of her hands, just below her chin, and he finally let the dam break. His sobs reminded her of the sky breaking apart. It was awful and painful to hear. Her heart shattered. She wasn’t sure how to hold him without breaking him further. She wasn’t sure what he needed. She waited patiently for him to wrap his hands around her body, melting into her, before she returned the gesture. When she told him to let it out, she had expected a lot, just not this amount of excruciating pain tearing his soul apart.

Eliza ran her hand through his hair. All she could do was repeat the same motion over and over again, followed by the softest shushes and sweet nothings into his ear.

“It’s okay,” she said. “You’re okay.” Her voice cracked, switching to a higher octave, and the tears stung in her eyes like hot chili peppers.

He wheezed, gasping for air. She turned his head a little so his nose rested in an oxygen-rich environment and not against her sweaty skin that turned even saltier in taste and smell with the ocean of his tears trickling down her chest. It wasn’t long before her own mixed with his, no longer able to stay strong. Seeing Matt cry would always break her just a little more.

“Matt, breathe, please,” she found herself saying.

He shuddered. “I can’t…”

“I know. Just try, please. For me.”

His chest heaved. Her hand on his back kept him grounded, pulling him away from the brink of insanity and into the safety of her arms. His sobs died into heavy hiccups before subsiding into hitches of breath. The tears flowed for just a little longer, pent up from all the stress and finally being able to flow freely without having to worry what others might think. It was just them. She held him through the aftershocks, until the worst was over, and even then she refused to loosen her grip, afraid he might find himself slipping away again.

After a while, she heard him chuckle against her neck.

“This is so embarrassing,” he said, voice muffled against her collarbone.

She sighed. “It’s not.”

“Crying after sex… that’s pathetic.”

“I cried after sex.”

“That’s not the same.”

“Why not?”

“Because…” he huffed.

“See? You can’t even find a good excuse for that flawed logic,” she said, hand stroking his hair back. He tilted his chin up slightly, sightless eyes moving around aimlessly, focused on a dead spot on the ceiling behind her. Eliza moved her hand from his hair to his face. She needed a better angle to kiss him, and even though his neck craned enough to pull painfully at his muscles; he let it happen. He melted into the kiss. “Your feelings are valid, too, Matthew. I’m gonna remind you of that as long as I have to for you to believe me.”

“I believe you,” he argued.

She chuckled softly. “You believe me most of the time, just not with this,” she corrected his previous statement. “These are two entirely different things.”

Matt scoffed. “Why do I always end up in this position?”

“In what position, exactly? Enlighten me.”

“A position in which you have to prove you are more emotionally mature than me. I know it’s true, but it still hurts my ego.”

“Well, I do have supernatural powers that make it possible for me to manipulate emotions, so I have a better understanding of the soul.”

“Yeah, but why do you have to be so smug about it?”

“I don’t know, maybe ‘cause I’m smarter than you.”

He laughed, tongue poking his cheek. For someone calling her smug, he sure did a good job at acting as such himself. “Smart, yes,” he said, and the second he opened his mouth she knew what came to his mind. He lifted himself to tower over her again. “Smarter? That’s to be determined.”

“Oh, really?” she cocked an eyebrow.

“Mh-hm.” His cock swelled inside of her.

She couldn’t help but giggle at his desperate attempts. “What are you-ah!” he thrust forward quickly, making her body jolt with the sudden surge of pleasure. “Matt, what is it with you and using sex as a - shit! - coping mechanism?”

“Says you,” he moaned into her ear. “I think we’re both desperate, that’s what makes this so good.”

He set a slow, steady pace. She hooked one leg around his waist, pulling him deeper into her tight cunt.

“It is good, yes.”

“Mh-hm. Why would we ever stop?”

“Don’t know and don’t want to.”

He cradled her face as he kissed her, long and hard, his hips never faltering in their maddening rhythm. She panted against his lips, though he refused to let up. He held her close to him, impossibly close, and his mouth swallowed all the little sounds of pleasure erupting from her throat. He moved on to her cheek, her neck, then back to her lips.

Matt’s voice resembled a skilled snake charmer playing his flute to manipulate the snake inside the basket to follow his every tune. He was hypnotic, to say the least. He knew how to use his words like the keys on a piano, stringing together one of the most beautiful melodies in the history of melodies. He had two sides during sex that often blurred together. He read the clues like Braille, easily figuring out which side to use in what situation. He would either completely degrade his partner until they were ashamed and crying, or he would use tons of praise to coax her into as many orgasms as he wanted. That was his goal, after all, to please his partner. The way he did it depended entirely on the mood of the situation.

The jury was still out on what compelled him to use his silver tongue in the way he did this time. “Have I ever told you how good you feel?” he said. His cock brushed her sweet spot, directing every stroke there to savor every last moan she let out. “And your sounds, baby. God, I love those little sounds you make every time I do this.”

She threw her head back.

“Yeah, that’s what I’m talking about.”

“Matthew,” she whined.

“What?”

“Fuck me.”

He chuckled breathlessly. “You are so needy.”

Though he didn’t hesitate to pull out, flip her around so she was on her stomach and thrust his cock right back between her folds and into her tight hole. Her lips parted, but the sounds got stuck in her throat. She spread her legs, tried to at least; he firmly forced them back together.

“Keep them closed.”

The position made her cunt even tighter around him. Her velvety walls felt like a tailored glove around his cock. The intrusion burned. He didn’t have much space to move, so she could feel every vein and every last twitch as he thrust into her. Finally, after what felt like an eternity, he had bottomed out. He stayed there, buried to the hilt inside of her, his lips pressing gentle kisses to her shoulder blades and spine. A hand reached around her, pushing down on her lower stomach where his cock was pretty much visible, and pushed her hips back against his. Her back arched slightly. He kept her in place with his large hand, grinding her against him.

She cursed. “God. Faster.”

“Patience, sweetheart.”

He circled his hips a couple more times, just until she had adjusted to the new position and the pain in her muscles subsided. Then, he finally picked up the pace. He picked up the speed of his thrusts, multiplying them. He guided the head of his cock against the same spot repeatedly, managing to stroke her g-spot and hit her cervix over and over again. She moaned, writhed, and cried, but it came all from a place of pleasure.

Matt was pressed tightly against her back, only one hand holding him upright as he added more pressure to his thrusts. He reached for her wrists, crossing them behind her back. She groaned, her forehead being the only thing supporting her against the leather of the couch.

“Is that what you wanted?” he asked. “For me to fuck you like this? To give back what you gave me?”

She nodded.

“Words, sweetheart. Use them.”

“Yes! I wanted you to fuck me so badly.”

“Is that so?”

“That’s all I’ve been thinking about. I need you so fucking bad, Matthew.”

“Like this?”

“Harder.”

“Harder? Wow.” He sounded almost condescending with his laugh, shifting onto his knees, and he forced her on her knees before him. Her back was still lunged forward, held up in the air by his strong arms only. Her thighs burned. Full body workout. This was familiar, she thought. Her mind flashed back to the night before.

Even though they were both kneeling, he forced her to keep her legs together. Her stomach bulged. He could feel himself moving under her skin. The overwhelming sensation of everything being so hot and tight almost made him lose it. “You are such,” he pounded into her, slapping her ass with every thrust, “a,” another one, “greedy,” another one, “Slut!”

She cried out.

“Does that turn you on? Being my little, greedy cumslut?”

“Fuck!”

“Huh, what was that?”

“Yes!”

“Yes, what?”

She wasn’t sure what he wanted to hear. “Fuck, yes, Matthew! I’m your slut. Only yours.”

“Mh-hm. Good girl.” He reached between her legs to play with her swollen clit. “I own you. All of this is mine. Your heart, your body, and this fucking pussy is mine too, understood? So you’re gonna come for me now, all over my cock, and I will give you what you want the most.”

She couldn’t speak. Her lungs caved in, eyes rolling into the back of her head. The hot pleasure shot straight to her cunt. She lost all self-control, letting go of the line that attached her to sanity. She allowed the bomb to explode and tear her whole body to shreds with one of the most intense orgasms he had ever managed to pull out of her.

“That’s it. That’s my girl. Such a good fucking girl.” With another hard slap on her ass, he collapsed on top of her. She milked him dry, the spurting cum mixing with his previous release and causing even more of a mess.

Her head was so far in the clouds, she only realized he was still circling her clit with his fingers when it started to hurt and she physically had to slap his hand away to get him to stop. He panted loudly into her ear, holding her tightly against him without placing his entire weight on her back. That hadn’t turned out so well before.

He brushed her hair back. “You okay?” he asked.

She nodded. “Definitely.”

He turned on his back with her in his arms, repositioning her so she lay on his chest. He was still breathing heavily, his heart threatening to jump through his skin.

Her cold finger traced the scars on his torso. Sweat had collected on the back of his neck, trickling down the front of his body. She caught it, already mixed with some of the leftover cum on his stomach. They needed another shower.

“Was that okay?” her voice was small when she broke the silence again.

Matt frowned. “Okay?”

“Yeah, me treating you like that. I didn’t check in with you. I just…”

“It was more than okay,” he breathed out. “In fact, it was probably one of the hottest things I’ve ever experienced you do.”

“Seriously?”

“Yeah, just… don’t tell anyone this happened.”

She giggled. “Considering I don’t have anyone to talk to, you’re good.”

“I’m joking.” His hand trailed up her spine, goosebumps following his touch. “I think you were right. I have one or two submissive bones in my body.”

“One or two?” she teased. “Felt more like a thousand.”

“I don’t even have that many bones.”

“Exactly.”

“I suppose it’s the catholic in me.”

“The Catholic in you should be celibate.”

“Yeah, he can’t do that.”

“Mh-hm, I know.”

Matt’s phone suddenly rang out. Foggy, Foggy, Foggy! He sucked in a sharp breath, reaching beside him to feel for the device on the living room table. She made a silent gesture for him to lie back.

Eliza climbed over him, grabbed the still-ringing phone, and handed it to him, lying back down on his chest to listen to his steadying heartbeat.

He answered, “Yeah.”

She could hear Foggy’s faint voice through the speaker. A strand of hair got caught on her bruised lip, which Matt quickly brushed behind her ear, along with the rest of her unruly sex-crazed hair. She sighed happily, propping her chin up on his chest to watch him. He could feel her eyes on him, the look something else, something new. Even though he couldn’t see it, he could feel how the way she looked at him shifted every time her eyes met his. Something was different, and it wasn’t the sex. It wasn’t his comfort or the realization that they were closer to finding the truth than ever - there was something else entirely in her eyes and he felt a little uneasy, not knowing what it was. He usually did, but this time, he couldn’t pinpoint what happened.

“Meet me at Josie’s in an hour,” Foggy said.

“What?” He rubbed his brows. “Why would I do that?”

“Not you, the both of you.”

“Foggy-”

“Get her a hat and a hoodie. Josie isn’t gonna care. Hell, she does illegal shit all the time, harboring a fugitive should be the least of her concerns.” He swallowed something audibly sharp. “I couldn’t sleep, so I went to have a drink, but I couldn’t stop thinking about what you told me, so I want answers. Right now. It’s almost morning anyway. I figured you’d be awake. Get your stuff and then come over! Don’t make me ask again.”

“It’s not a good idea.”

“Do you have a better idea?”

Eliza sighed. “We’re on our way,” she said.

“Do I even wanna know why she’s close enough to the phone to hear me?”

“Better not,” Matt smirked.

“Man, I’m so glad I didn’t come over.”

“Yeah, me too.”

She slapped his chest.

“I mean, we’re on our way. See you in a bit!”

Foggy didn’t say goodbye, he simply hung up with a scoff. Even several feet away from him, she could have heard.

Matt’s smirk only grew wider, realizing she blushed. “I couldn’t help myself,” he said.

“Shut up.” She got up, the leather peeling off of her like glue. “I’m going to get cleaned up.”

His laugh followed her into the bathroom. She counted the seconds after using the bathroom - in peace this time - leaning against the cold shoulder wall with her arms crossed.

“One, two…”

The door opened. Matt pulled the curtain aside, stepping in. The warm water instantly flattened his dark hair. He walked straight through the stream, engulfing her in a bone-crushing hug against his hard chest.

“That was disappointing,” she murmured.

“Why?”

“I thought it’d take you shorter than that.”

“Oh, so that one time I give you privacy, I’m taking too long?”

She playfully bit his nipple. “Don’t act as if you care about my personal space.”

“You’re right, I don’t.” He kissed her. “But you also don’t care about mine, so we’re even.”

“True,” she took the shampoo bottle from the shelf, “Now get your head under the water so I can wash your hair.”

He was more than glad about the domestic offer. The exhaustion seeped into his bones. Her fingers in his hair, massaging his scalp offered a welcomed relief to the tension in his shoulders. She made it all go away, just by taking care of him. She wasn’t big on words, but her actions spoke enough to make sense to him.

She rinsed the shampoo out as soon as she was done, moving on to soak his body in soap.

“Why are you looking at me like that?” he wondered out loud.

“Like what?” she asked, a bit taken aback by that he could tell, but this was Matt for God’s sake. It shouldn’t have surprised her that he could tell the look in someone’s eyes just by analyzing their body language and physical clues.

“Like that,” he said. “The way you are right now.”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“It’s… soft, almost.”

She stopped soaping his chest. Her eyes flicked from his face to the shower wall, but he turned her head back with a simple finger underneath her shin. “What is it, sweetheart?”

“You’re all done,” she said. “You should get out before your fingers get all wrinkly.”

“I don’t care.” He smiled softly at her. “Did I say something wrong?”

“No, it’s just… I don’t know. I have no idea how I’m looking at you ‘cause every time I do, I’m just overwhelmed by all of the feelings I… feel.”

He hummed. “And you think I’m not?”

“I don’t know, it’s stupid.”

“Except for me, it’s every time I hear your voice, smell your perfume, taste your lips, feel your skin…”

“Matt, what does that mean?” she desperately clung to his arms.

He shrugged in response. “I don’t know. I’m just as confused as you are.”

“I’m serious. I need to know.”

“I wanna try this,” he admitted quietly. The sound of the water almost tuned him out. “When this is all over, I want to try this. I know we said this is one and done, but I’m not ready to let you go. Not yet, probably not ever, but we won’t know for sure until we try, and I want to. I want to try. I have to admit, I’m a terrible boyfriend, but I’m ready to try to be better for you. You made me believe that I can be a better man.”

Run. No.

“I…” she eyed him, eyed his hands on her shoulder, the man he was. He was so beautiful, so perfectly imperfect, she never wanted anything more than someone like him. Someone who could hold her, give her advice and make her feel special. He did. He made her feel like she wasn’t broken, not anymore at least. He made her feel like she wasn’t alone, and he made her feel attractive, which meant a lot after spending years hating every little thing about herself. Not just her body but her mind, and he seemed to appreciate the latter even more. He listened, ready to hear out everything she said. He put her first and that was something she would probably never get from someone else.

Matt’s face dropped a little. He couldn’t figure out what she was thinking. His fingers felt her facial features, but even those didn’t say anything other than deafening silence.

“Eliza,” he said softly.

“I’m not used to being put first,” she blurted. “I’m not and it’s probably not gonna be easy with me. I know it’s not. When you say you’re a bad boyfriend, well, I’m worse. I don’t know how to care for someone when I’m broken, and I am. I’m so broken, I shouldn’t even have let you kiss me in the first place, but I did because I wanted to. I still want to. It’s not gonna be easy, Matt. And it’s gonna hurt you. I don’t know how to feel. I either eat everything up or I spit it all out, feeling so much at once, I destroy everything around me because I can’t deal with myself. I do it all the damn time, so I know for a fact that I’m gonna ruin you.”

“So be it! Ruin me. I don’t care.”

“You have no idea what you’re saying.”

“You say you know you’re gonna hurt me, but because you know that, I know it’s not gonna happen. And even if you do, do you think I’d care?”

“That’s the problem. I know you won’t.”

“So what are you saying? Are you dumping me?”

“No,” she sighed. She took her face in her hands, nuzzling her nose against his. “I want to try. This isn’t a one-and-done. It was never bound to be this way. If there is one thing I know I want it’s you, but I can’t promise you that it’s gonna work out the way you want it to. I might not be the person you want and when the time comes, it’s okay if you leave. I often ruin things just ‘cause I’m scared. It’s what I do. I get scared and I hurt the people around me before they can hurt me. So I mean it when I say it’s okay if you leave, I won’t hold it against you.”

“Who says I’m leaving?”

“Everyone always does.”

“Well, I’m not everyone, am I?”

She choked out a broken chuckle. “I guess not, no.”

“Besides, you’re not the only one with abandonment issues. I get scared too,” he said, his voice soft as silk. “I expect to be hurt, so I don’t put effort into relationships. I push people away to protect them and it hurts them. I’ve hurt so many people, I lost count. But you’re not gonna be one of those people, and I’m not gonna leave you either if you promise not to leave me.”

“If it gets too much and I decide to leave you, Matt, what then?”

“You won’t.” He sounded far too convinced for someone who just heard the inevitable truth. “You know why?”

“Why?” she threw back at him, exasperated.

His lips hovered above hers. “‘Cause you know me better than anyone, and you know that nothing could ever hurt me, except for you leaving. That’s the one thing I couldn’t survive. So tell me again, do you think I’d leave you when things get just a little harder than they used to be, which seems impossible considering how hard things are right now? When you turn out to be just a little more complicated, a little more messed up than you are right now? When I need to pick you up over and over again because you’re hurt, something that isn’t even your fault, even though you would do the same for me in a heartbeat? Do you think I’d just leave you when things get hard? Just ‘cause you’re not the perfect golden child everyone wants you to be? Do you think that? Is that how you think of me?”

A tear slipped from her eyes and onto the already wet shower floor. “No,” she whispered.

“We met under extraordinary circumstances. We came together during the trial of our lives - of your life. We are at war right now and still, we always find our way back to each other. I don’t know about you, but this seems like a damn good reason to stay. A chance like this doesn’t come to people like us. We’re too damaged, too broken. We usually don’t get happy endings, unless we meet a person that is just like us, and we did. I believe that. You have to believe that too. I want to try being with you and I will; no matter how hard you push me away, I will always stay right here. You won’t knock me off my feet. I won’t let you ‘cause I know you’d hold on just as strong if I ever tried to push you away for something that is just in my head. This life, it’s not in our control. Us? We can control that. It’s the only thing we have a hold over. Feel my heart,” he said, placing her hand over the left side of his chest.

“Feel that? I’m alive and you’re alive. That’s real. The monsters in our heads? Not real. You were the one who taught me that, and I believe that now. I regained a hope I thought I’d lost, and that hope now entails you, all of you, even the broken, complicated parts. Especially those. ‘Cause what is life if not complicated? What are we if not complex creatures? That’s how God intended the human race to be, after all. I don’t give a fuck if you’re not perfect! No one is. Those who say they are, are just lying to themselves. It’s not real. You are. You’re real and that makes you so much more likable ‘cause raw emotion is the most human thing to have.”

She pulled down into an emotional kiss. Where words failed, she could pour all of her feelings into a single kiss and he would always understand. She knew he would. They were the same, he was right. There could never be someone more fitting for her than him, her missing puzzle piece.

“What is more human than this?” he whispered against her lips. “What’s more human than being with someone you can be vulnerable with and they still take you for all that you are?”

“You sound like a pastor,” she said. Her nose moved in the opposite direction.

He pulled her closer by the back of her neck. “I know. I used to be one in my previous life.”

“Shut up and kiss me.”

“With pleasure.”

She giggled when his teeth dug into her shoulder, tasting the water of the shower mixed with her essence. “I said kiss not bite.”

“Just marking my territory,” he reasoned.

“Your territory, huh?” She opened her mouth, landing her teeth right on his bicep.

“Ow! I didn’t even use that many teeth.”

“Don’t be such a baby, Murdock.”

Her back hit the cold shower wall.

She gawked up at him. “I shouldn’t have said that, right?”

Sheepishly, he shook his head. His strong arms pulled her flush against his wet frame. The water came raining down on them at just the right temperature.

“No,” he murmured. “No, you shouldn’t have.”

“Well, fuck.”

She was in for a treat.

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