#but tonight. Ugh. note to self remember to never ask her for anything again. as is what ive said for years..

[xxplastic-cubexx]

🧙‍♀️🐈‍⬛

[tojiscumdumpster]

⠀ ⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀ i. suguru

⠀ ⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀ ⠀⭑๋࣭ summary page

please refresh your memory of the content warnings that's mentioned on the summary page. this chapter will include s*xual activites.

Ah, fuck, baby. Just like that.”

 No. I lied. Not just like that. 

 I’ve been in the bathroom for twenty minutes with some chick, whose name I can’t remember, getting probably the worst head I’ve ever had in my life. I’m pretty sure I’m still soft, but her self-esteem won’t allow her pride to be tarnished by the lack of abilities she has to make me come. 

 She approached me while I was having drinks with Satoru, Shoko, and Nanami. Well, really Shoko and Nanami because Satoru just keeps getting sugary milkshakes. Anyways, that’s not the point. She approached me. I thought she had nice lips, which I thought could be utilized to please me, but instead, she couldn’t stop talking.

 “Do you like that, baby?” she asked, for maybe the tenth time. 

 I groaned. Though, not in the way that she thinks. I couldn’t do this anymore, and I knew her knees were hurting. “No. Look, Akane,” I sigh, pulling her off me and lifting her to meet my face. “I don’t—”

 “Ayame,” she interrupted. I gave her a confused look. “My name is Ayame. Not, Akane.”

 My right eye twitched. “Okay, Ayame . Look,” I began, adjusting myself back in my pants. “I don’t like it. It’s okay, though. Maybe it’s not you. Maybe I’m just tired. But hey, I’ll get your number and we can try this some other time. Okay?”

 “Ugh, whatever.” 

 I eventually got her number before we made our way out of the bathroom. I’m not going to text her. I was just trying to make her feel better.

 My plans were never to hook up with anyone tonight, let alone leave my apartment. But Satoru insisted I needed to come out of my shell more. 

 I’m pretty sure that was code for, you need to get laid.

 I argued with him that I don’t need anything. It wasn’t hard for me to find someone to have sex with. I’ve just been on a break because I haven’t found anyone who matches my libido or someone I actually enjoyed.

 Don’t get me wrong—most of the women I’ve been with are beautiful. Physically, my type. However, they’re just too boring. Too prissy. It’s like they’re trying to prove something to me when I fuck them. 

 The unnecessary loud moaning.

 The unnatural facial expressions when they come.

 Not wanting to be kissed after I eat their pussy, which I find strange because why wouldn’t you want to taste yourself? Questionable .

 Anyways. This is the last time I’m allowing Satoru to drag me out of my apar—

 My thoughts were interrupted by someone running into me. 

 “Oh! I’m sorry.”

 That. . . That voice. Sultry. Raspy. All I heard were three words and I felt at ease. Her scent was alluring. Sweet. Delicate. I’m picking up notes of warm berries, creamy vanilla. Maybe cacao? She smells so fucking good. But when I looked at her? I’m convinced she’s the most beautiful woman I’ve ever fucking laid eyes on.

 Her complexion reminded me of autumn. Deep and warm. Those chestnut-colored doe eyes I knew I would become lost in if I didn’t look away. It didn’t take long before I took notice of the fullness of her lips. They were two different colors. Brown on top and pink on bottom, coated with a clear gloss.  Gosh, I want to suck them. I want to suck them so fucking badly until she becomes whiny. My cock is getting hard just thinking—

 “Hello?” she spoke again. 

  Suguru, what the fuck?

 I looked down and noticed my fingers were still caged around her soft flesh. I immediately pulled away. “S-Sorry,” I stammered. Why am I so damn nervous?

 She looked at me through narrow eyes with a hint of playfulness. “It’s okay. . . Well, enjoy your night.” 

 “Wait!” Before she turned away from me, I impulsively reached for her wrist to prevent her from leaving.

 Those brown hues that were amorous turned dark, daggers that penetrated my head. They were a warning to let her go. They make me want to be submit. So I didn’t let go.

 “What’s your name?”

 I still see the daggers in her eyes, however, she slightly raised her brows while tilting her head out of confusion— boldness —of my decision to not let go of her wrist. My expression is deadpan, but I feel heat rushing to my body, to my cock.

 She drags her eyes up my frame, stopping at the front of my pants that caused my dick to twitch in response. She chuckled, snatched her wrist, and walked away from me. 

 I stood where she left me, lust filled and wishful thinking about how desperately I want her. No, need her. And by the end of the night, I'll know how she feels around me.

Later that night. . .

 I sit at the booth, dividing my attention between the conversation being held at the table and the bar, where the woman I ran into earlier sits. I can’t stop thinking about fucking her. The image of her thick curves plays in my mind. She’s so sexy. That backless dress that clung to her hips drove me insane. I was craving those love handles. I wanted to hold them, bite them to leave territorial marks.  

 What the fuck is wrong with me? This instant lust was foreign to me. I don’t remember the last time my cock was this eager. Maybe never.

But it's just something about her that has arousal fucking burn through my veins.

 “Suguru!” Satoru’s voice tore me away from my perverted thoughts. 

 “Huh?” I answered, but my attention was still on the bar.

 He pouted. “Are you even listening to me?”

 “Uhm, yeah. You were talking about throwing a surprise party for Utahime.” I'm hoping I'm right because the last thing I need is to hear a speech about how I always ignore him.

 “No. That was thirty minutes ago.”

 “Okay, sorry. Repeat what you said.” 

 He sighed. “There’s no point. You’re not even looking at me. What are you even looking at over. . . Ohhh, I see.” I knew Satoru would begin mocking me based on his voice and how he slurped the remnants of probably his fourth milkshake tonight. “Aren’t you glad I dragged you out tonight? If I didn’t, you wouldn’t have seen her,” he says, scooting closer to nudge me. “She’s gorgeous.”

  I snapped my attention back to Satoru, glowering him.

 Why? She wasn't my girlfriend. I don’t even know her name, but she was off-limits. 

 I know she’s gorgeous. He didn’t have to fucking tell me that. 

 I decided not to play into his obvious game. My time can be used elsewhere, like sitting next to that beautiful woman. I’ve been watching her for the past three hours, seeing how several men, at least ten or more approached her with their advances. 

 She declined every single last one. But I didn’t care. Seeing her reject a couple of men would never hurt my ego. . . especially since I knew she’d be mine.

 I had nothing to worry about.

 I left the table for the second time tonight and this time, I’m not planning on returning. 

 Every step I took brought me closer to the woman of my dreams. Her rich scent starts to fill my senses and I'm almost positive I've developed a smell kink because of her.

 Shit, if she smells like that, I could only image how her pussy is. I'd do anything to run my nose between her folds.

  Focus, Suguru. You can’t go over there hard. 

 Yes, I can, and I will. 

 I was close enough to be in the shot of her peripheral, making her notice me. She sized me up before giving her attention back to the large televisions surrounding the bar.

 I smirked. She’s enticing. She may or may not make me work for pussy, but I don’t mind at all. 

 Of course, I’m a gentleman, so I asked if the seat next to her was taken. I’m sure the other guys asked her this same question. I saw her reject them. She didn’t say yes or no to me, so naturally I took it as a yes. 

 I nod at the bartender. “Open a tab for me. Double Hibiki on the rocks, and add this lovely lady’s tab onto mine,” I told him. 

 “I can pay for my tab,” she says, eyes remaining on the TV. 

 “I don’t remember saying that you couldn’t. Now did I?” I saw her roll her eyes, which made me chuckle. Fuck, I like her even more. “Are you going to tell me your name now?”

 She lightly scoffs. “Why are you being so clingy over a name? And common courtesy, you introduce yourself before asking for someone’s name. Do you lack mannerisms?” 

 Twenty-four words.

 That’s how many words she spoke to me, and I watched her plush lips pronounce every last syllable. 

 She speaks to me with such spice, but I know she’d sound so sweet while my cock is deep inside of her. 

 “You’re right. Maybe you can forgive my lack of mannerisms ,” I say, teasingly. “My name is Geto Suguru.”

 She finally gives me her attention, scanning my arms that are painted with tattoos before actually looking at my face, leisurely. But says nothing and returns to watch whatever is on TV. 

 I continued, “I didn’t get your name?” The bartender placed my whiskey in front of me and I gave him my gratitude while waiting for her name. 

 “Because I didn’t give it. What do you want anyways? Placed a bet with your friends to see if you could get an older woman’s number? Hm?”

 I threw my hands up in surrender, chucking. “No, and older? We’re probably the same age. I can even argue that you’re younger than me.”

 “Ha, I doubt it.”

 “Twenty-seven.”

 “Me or you?” she asks.

 “Me.” I take another sip of my drink. “You?”

 “Damn, you want my name and age? Should I give you my ID number, too?” 

  She’s such a fucking tease. 

 “I’ll settle for your name and age.” For now. 

 Her lips part into a smile that pulls strings inside my chest. “Settle?”

 I smirk. “I just want to make sure I can be in this territory.”

 We lock eyes. Hers shines curiosity and mine shines intent. I want her to understand that I’m not going anywhere unless it’s with her. For a moment, I allowed my eyes to fall on her gloss-coated lips, then the rest of her body to make my message clear. Something in me wanted the boldness to leak and tell her how badly I wanted her to fuck her, but I chose to play it safe. 

 “Thirty-five.”

 “Me or you?” I teased, earning another eye roll from her. 

 “And for your information,”—she raises her left hand—“territory off limits. I have a husband.”

 Oh, so she is married. 

 Funny she thinks that’s going to stop me. Like I’m supposed to give a fuck. 

 “Well, I think it’s silly that your husband is allowing such a beautiful woman such as yourself”—my eyes roam along her curves—“to come out alone and potentially have other men make a move on her. No?”

 She narrowed her eyes. “What are you trying to say, Geto? Just spit it out.”

  Say my fucking name like that again. 

 I got up from my seat, invading her personal space to ghost my lips along her ear, making it clear, “I want to fuck you. . . so badly. ” The last words came out as a faint whisper. 

 I stood there for a moment so my clear message could linger. If I didn’t know any better, her breathing quickened for a moment. I sat back in my seat and watched her attentively to see if I could catch a reaction. Her face showed none, but the subtle uncrossing and crossing of her legs told me everything I needed to know. 

 She’s aroused.

  Wet .

 Dripping. 

 But she didn’t say anything. Only cleared her throat and sipped on her near-empty glass of wine. 

 We sat in silence for at least ten minutes, and just when I was about to call the bartender for another round for the both of us, she stood up. She started walking away, and rather than reaching for her wrist like I did the last time, I watched her sway her full hips in the direction of the restrooms. She has been drinking, so of course she probably needs to go clear her system. However, the small look over her shoulders in my direction said otherwise. 

 I chugged the rest of my whiskey, pulled out cash, leaving more than needed, and followed her. 

Our lips collided, kissing recklessly like two horny college kids at a frat party. I felt myself becoming greedy and eager to have my hands run along her curves. Her tits, waist, neck—I didn't know which part of her body to focus on because having under the touch of my hands feels so fucking good. 

 And it didn't help hearing those faint whimpers every grip and nip on her flesh I left. 

 Maybe my movements are fervent, but I don't give a fuck. Sucking on soft lips to taste those sweet sounds is all I've thought about since I laid my eyes on her. Kissing her alone could make me come in my pants. 

 My cock is screaming for a release, being uncomfortable due to the restraint of my pants that keeps its hardness from fully erecting. I’m in between wanting to take my time with her and being eager to fuck her, so I choose the latter.

 I lifted her with ease onto the sink and break out kiss to drag my lips across her flesh. I suck, nip, and lick that sweet neck of hers. Her whimpers turn into soft moans, and I couldn’t get enough of how sexy she fucking sounds. Not forced. Not trying to impress me. Just pure bliss. 

 I found my way between her breasts to leave open mouthed kisses while pinching her nipples through the sheer material of her dress. She reacts by lacing her fingers through my hair and pull me closer until I've suffocating against her chest.

 Fucking hell. She's needy, too?

 “Geto,” she moans. 

 “Hm? What’s wrong, pretty girl?”

 “ I need more. ”

 “You need more, what?” I ask, pulling down her straps to expose her breasts. 

 They’re so full. I’m met with the prettiest tits I've ever seen. Naturally saggy. Slight stretch marks. Dark brown peaks.

 They’re fucking perfect. 

 I continue, “Use your words. I don’t know what you need if you don’t tell me.” Then start sucking on her nipples. 

 Her gasps fill the bathroom, and while I’m showing love to her breasts, she begins hiking up her dress and spreads her legs. 

 I smell her. 

 How wet she is. 

 Her scent is telling me that she’s dying to cream on my cock. But I need to hear it. 

 “Geto. . . I need you to fuck me, ” she purrs.

 I stopped sucking her breasts to level with her face. Both of our hues are darkening with an appetite for each other. Lust. Hunger. A need for a release. I pulled out a condom from my pocket and held it in my mouth. Without breaking our contact, I unbuckle my pants to push down, along with my briefs, in one motion to free my dick. She looked down and sucked in a sharp breath before bringing her eyes back up to me. 

 She’s probably thinking that she can’t take me. But she will. That’s what I’m here for. To help her and make sure she does. 

 I ripped the wrapper with my teeth to roll on my cock, still not taking my eyes off her. I will never stop watching her. I need to see her reaction to everything I do.

 When I finish pushing her dress up to her waist.

 When her brows draw together when I pull her panties to the side and run my fingers along her puffy folds to rub her clit. 

 She looks so damn pretty when she’s pleased. I’m anticipating her face when I’m finally inside her. 

 I pull her to the edge of the sink, lining myself up to her entrance to push in. Though, I was met with an intrusion. My head was barely in.

 When was the last time she got fucked? 

 “Hm, stubborn we’re being. Aren’t we?” I taunt. 

 “It’s been a minute,” she teases back. 

 That’s fine. We’ll fix that.

 I bring my fingers back to her pussy to warm up her walls. The moment I slipped inside, she immediately clenched around my fingers. I only had two in and I felt like I was being pushed out again. I’m not going anywhere, though.

 I pump my digits in and out of her, pulling the most obnoxious and pornographic sounds of wetness. It’s like music to my ears. My only intent was to open her up a bit, but I could tell she was dying to come. 

 She looks at me through lidded eyes, softly panting and holding my wrist. I pick up my speed while now rubbing her clit with my thumb. Her pussy was squeezing the feeling out of my fingers, indicating she was about to come. So she held my hand in place to ride out her orgasm. 

 “ F-Fuck . . . Geto. I’m coming.” Earlier she was spicy to me, but now she cries and sounds so sweet dripping on my fingers.  

 She’s open and ready to come for me again. 

 I grabbed my cock to slam myself inside of her in one motion, which gifted me with a sharp cry I’m sure anyone outside could hear. She slapped her hand over her mouth to muffle the sounds of pleasure, but I shook my head and removed her hand. 

 “When I’m inside of you” —I pulled back— “When I’m making you cum.” —I pushed in— “You call me Suguru. Okay?” She nodded, placing her hand below my abdomen to hold my shirt up to prepare for my thrusts. “Good girl.”

 I didn’t let her adjust to my size. She could take it. I know she can. I start fucking her with hunger while keeping her legs apart. Gosh, she’s so fucking tight. So wet and warm. I doubt her husband knows what to do with her pussy because she wouldn’t be here crying on my cock. 

 I stuff every inch of me in her depths to pull out her moans. To watch how gorgeous she looks while being fucked. I want to ask her if can I feel her raw because this fucking rubber is preventing me from feeling her a hundred percent. But I don’t want to show my greed

 Not yet, at least. 

 I’ve never had pussy this good before. Pussy that’s leaking and creaming all over me. No one else deserves this but me. Fucking pussy this good is pure luck, and I feel like the luckiest man alive. 

 “You’re doing so good, Suguru. This feels so fucking good,” she cries. “Fuck me harder.”

 Her praise makes my dick twitch. Imagine being praised by someone with pussy as good as hers. 

  I’m so lucky. 

 However, her need for more makes me possessive. I ripped her away from the sink to place her back against the door and fucked her against it. The door jiggles from our intense fucking and it only jumps more the harder I fuck her. 

 “W-Wait. S-Suguru, it’s too. . . it’s too much, ” she stammered through breathy moans. "You’re too big."

 I clicked my tongue. “You begged me to fuck you harder and now it’s too much?” I shook my head. “Take this cock like a good girl because I know you can. I know you can. Just take it for me. Okay? Hm? Will you do that for me? I just want to make you come one more time. Is that okay?”

 Every word I spoke to her I felt her squeezing my cock. I can feel her coming again soon. She just needed reassurance. 

 “. . . Okay. I’ll take it, Suguru. I’ll take it .”

 I repeatedly pecked her lips. “Fuck. Thank you, angel. Thank you for giving me this good pussy. This fat wet pussy. Do you realize how good you feel?”

 I continued pounding into her pussy and noticed her tits falling out of her dress with every thrust I made. Her chestnut-colored hues glossed with pleasure and tears began pricking the corner of her eyes. 

 She's high off my fucking. Not her pathetic ass husband. I don't even know the guy, but how much of a dickhead you have to be to not worship as mesmerizing as she is?

 I think I’m infatuated. 

 No, I think I love her. She needs to be mine, and mine only.

 I’m the only motherfucker that needs to fuck her like this. I'm not letting this just be a one night stand. I’m going to make her come again tonight. Tomorrow. The day after. The weekend. All day, every day. Only me. 

  Suguru, relax.

 I’m so lost in my thoughts, but her heightened moans brought me back. She doesn’t care about being loud anymore. Yes. Cry my name loud enough so the whole restaurant knows who’s making you come like a slut in the bathroom. 

 “Yes. Oh, fuck, yes! Give it to me, Suguru. Give it,” she begs while rubbing her clit. “I’m about to come again.”

 I push past my thrusts, digging my fingers into her flesh to keep her in place. “Look at my pretty girl taking this fucking cock.” I fuck her with the energy of a lion chasing its prey. “Like this?”

  She nods, desperately. "Yes. Yes, like that, Sugu. I'm coming. I'm fucking coming."

 I’m indecisive about letting her moans roam freely or devouring them with a kiss. And she looks so pretty. That fucking smile while libido pumps through her veins has my cock jumping inside of her unruly. I’m doing my best to hold back my release, but the feel of her pussy is not making it easy. 

 I look down between us and fucking groan from seeing the creamy mess she’s making. My cock down to my balls. The hem of my shirt. Her thighs. Even after she orgasmed, her pussy grips me. How could I not be greedy?

 “One more?” I panted, smirking. 

 Her eyes blew wide. “S-Suguru, no. I don’t think I can.”

 “So why is your fucking pussy still squeezing me?” I was left with nothing but a whimper. “Exactly. Keep rubbing your clit until you come again and squirt all over me.”

 I remove her from the door to hook my arms under her thighs to have her meet with my intense thrusts. She hooks one of her hands around my neck while the other is being used to play with herself. I feel my balls growing heavy and slapping against her sex.

 I was recklessly fucking her pussy like I have no home training. I moan for her. Call for her despite me not knowing her name. I’m lucky. I’m so, so lucky. Fuck her husband. This pussy is mine. I don’t care if this is our first encounter. I’ll kill over pussy like this. 

 “Ahh, fuck!” I growled. My release crept up to the tip of my cock and sprayed the inside of the condom while I fucked her through both of our orgasms. She came between us, drenching my cock, shirt, and pants with her squirt. 

 I hope she doesn’t think this is the last time we’ll see each other.

 I rest my face on the side of her cheek, breaking heavily from that intense orgasm. I know the condom is filled to the stop. I had years worth of come built inside of me, and I still feel like I have more to give. 

 She looks at me, eyes still filled with lust and smirks. “Not too bad, Geto.”

 “I thought I told you to call me Suguru,” I say, leaving kisses on her neck.

 “You said only when I’m coming on your dick.”

 She listens.

 “I did say that. Didn’t I?” I let out an airy chuckle. “Still call me Suguru.”

 “Okay, Suguru .” It rolls off her tongue perfectly even when she’s not moaning. “I enjoyed myself.”

 I nipped on her jawline before meeting her lips with a sensual kiss. “I did too. I want to do it again.”

 “You got three nuts out of me. How needy can you be?” she teases.

 If only she knew.

 “No. Not tonight. I mean, I wouldn’t mind, but not tonight. Another time.”

 She looks at me in confusion. “One night stands aren’t your cup of tea?” She taps my shoulders to let her down so she can start fixing herself. We shared a final moan when I removed my cock from her pussy. The lost contact makes me want her more. 

 “Yeah, they are, " I answered. "But I don’t think there’s anything wrong with enjoying each other’s company. No?”

 “No, but”–she pulls down her dress—“you’re forgetting that I’m married.”

 I arched my brow, teasingly. “Did I forget or did you?”

 She glares at me. “Seems like I have a thing for jackasses with good dick.”

 There goes that spice again.

 “Look. That’s not what I meant and you know that.”

 “Ha. Oh, do I?” 

 I watched her finish adjusting herself in the mirror, grabbing her purse, and heading for the door. The moment her hand lands on the handle, I put my hand on top of hers to keep the knob from turning. By all means, she’s not a short woman. Maybe five-foot-seven at most. But even with heels, I tower her. 

 Wrapping my free arm around her waist, I push myself against her so she can feel my erection against her ass. My lips meet with her ear, and I know she’s affected by my actions because I heard the moment her breath hitched.

 “It’s just. . . you’re so damn beautiful. You can’t give me that good pussy and expect me to only want it once,” I whisper. “I haven’t even tasted you yet.”

 “ Suguru . . .” Her voice was soft, barely above a hushed tone.

 “Hm?”

 She turns around. Our eyes lock once more. Her plush lips ghost over mines, nearly kissing me, but says, “Go fuck yourself,” and walks out the door. 

 Yeah. I think I love her. 

 I follow behind her like a lost puppy. “Wait!” She stops in the hallway near the bathrooms. “You still didn’t give me your name.”

 Smirking over her shoulder, she left me there with a semi-hard cock and her name.

 “Y/N.”

  Y/N. . . Perfect.

 I hope she doesn’t think this will be the last time I see her.

 It’s not. 

  Far from it.

next chapter

[aprillikesthings]

Can I squeeze in one more tonight let's find out

(and then it's time for an edible, a shower, and the last chapter of that kinky Adora/Huntara fic that I mentioned in this post)

s3 ep3 Once Upon a Time in the Waste

First, Catra's little self-indulgent pity party for herself at Scorpia

angy kitty!!

But yeah Catra's acting all nihilist as fuck in this episode just all "I don't give a shit about anything" in that way that makes it painfully obvious she in fact gives many shits about many things and is trying to convince herself as much as anyone else

Anyway at the end of the bar Huntara's previous friend are like UGH THAT SHE-RA BITCH and Catra literally says, "Are you kidding me?"

"not that like, I care, or anything, but where'd they go"

Scorpia: uhhhh why are we asking about them when that's not what we're here for???

to be fair to Catra this is in fact correct

her little emo speech here is so cringey

that said I am in fact amused that they did a close up on her butt

(lol I was LITERALLY just talking to @corpseauthority about the scene in Steven Universe where Peridot pulls the little alien shorts over her butt while giggling, and I found the post I made about it at the time)

Adora, Huntara, Bow, and Glimmer are poking around Mara's abandoned old ship, which has had most of its guts stolen for parts, but you can still hear Mara's voice saying "She-Ra. Etheria. Gone." It's spooky

every time Catra gets a new jacket I get gayer

Scorpia: this is fun :) Catra: ha ha yeah

And then they get ambushed

Meanwhile they find Mara! or a hologram of her anyway. It is unfortunately just a recording on a loop.

Adora has another understandable breakdown of sorts, and bangs on a dead console, and voila:

"Oh I have one of those, I guess I just stick it in"

-and another recording starts up

"if you're seeing this, it means you wield the sword. You're the new She-Ra. It means I failed. I was supposed to be the last. And I am so, so sorry."

Back to Catra etc., and both me and Catra laughed the first time someone said Tung Lashor

(I assume this is a character name they were stuck with from the original series, and I've noticed they mostly avoid lampshading the goofy names but sometimes you just have to)

CLAW HIS FACE

(she throws sand in his eyes instead, and then falls into the quicksand, and she takes the whip)

fangie!!! I was just thinking about how it's been a while lol. Anyway now all the random fighters in the Crimson Waste are chanting her name.

AAAAAND back to Mara

Side note: Mara definitely looks older than Adora

"We were the first ones to settle Etheria, to really study this planet's magic. How could it go so wrong?"

but then it starts breaking up--

"Light Hope use the --can't--weapon--the weapon--weapon"

"I opened a portal to a completely empty dimension and pulled Etheria in. I hid us from the rest of the universe to keep everyone safe. This is the one place they'll never find us. I saw what they would do. The deaths that would follow. I couldn't stop them before but I can now. Hiding is our only option. Maybe it's been a week. Maybe it's been thousands of years. I never wanted to be a hero. I won't be remembered as one.

"With it, you can activate a portal. So I'm begging you. Don't do it. Leave us here. If you open a portal death and destruction will follow.

"If not, everyone will--"

and the message cuts out and the room goes dark again.

AND THEN, TRANQ DARTS but we know who has those now don't we

But also bc of that kinky fic I'm reading this screenshot is v entertaining

I will never stop screenshotting the way their expressions change when they unexpectedly hear the other's voice

Catra's "hey Adora" is one of the better ones ngl

the minions take down Huntara (with two blowdarts), Adora grabs the sword, Catra grabs that with the whip, Scorpia has Adora held in a pose that is Not Suggestive At All, Actually

Huntara gets up, grabs Bow and Glimmer and runs, and Scorpia knocks out Catra with her tail venom

whomever storyboarded this episode draws unreasonably sexy Catras.

Anyway Catra gives a toast to Scorpia which is very nice of her but to be fair she is an excellent mood. We get to hear Catra's genuine happy laugh for the first time in like a whole fucking SEASON

poor Scorpia. Catra is only encouraging her :(

"Hey, this is fun, and it's called a 'party!'"

Catra gives a little speech about how YAY SHE HAS THE SWORD it's the key to the whole PLANET and NOW Hordak will have to respect her!!!

Scorpia: orrrr since you literally hate your life back there, we could just stay here?

the way she's hugging the sword tho

Me: I'm reading too much into things Scorpia: pssht forget Adora Catra: *ears visibly droop* Scorpia: anyway let's rule the Crimson Waste!!! Catra: uhhhh, I'm gonna go check on Ad--uh our prisoner Scorpia: *saddest face ever*

🎵more cartoon bondage🎶

whyyyyy is she so hot

Adora: did u know Hordak is trying to open a portal that allows a huge Horde army from space to find Etheria and murder us all Catra: duh I'm in the Horde I'm cool with that >:3 Adora: did I mention the part where they MURDER ALL OF US, THAT INCLUDES YOU

Adora's face tho

Catra: also pfft how do you know Hordak's plans anyway Adora: oh our evil mom Shadow Weaver told me, did I not mention she's at my place Catra: UGGGH

(now hate-fuck!)

Catra: so you're saying the reason Shadow Weaver ran off from the Fright Zone and got my ass sentenced to death in the Crimson Waste is because she wanted to hang out with you instead???? this is ALL YOUR FAULT??

(yeah this would in fact hit all of Catra's angriest/saddest buttons, and yeah of course she'd blame Adora and not Shadow Weaver)

Catra is lookin' a little deranged at this information but also

ahahaha

but yeah the party was still going on

The list of people that consistently make Catra visibly cry: Adora Shadow Weaver

"We are going to open a portal. And we are going to crush them all."

EPISODE OVER and in retrospect I should've given up and posted it and reblogged it bc I had to delete like ten images so I could post some really good ones near the end there

and this episode only took *checks clock* forty minutes longer than I was hoping. sigh.

[egg-on-the-run]

I got my first proper request and I literally accidentally deleted it. Am I stupid? Yes. Did I immediately panic? Yes. Do I remember what was on it?........ mostly.

Haha anon I hope you see this I'm so sorry but ily.

The turtles s/o who's usually very calm but just bursts into anger.

Notes: swearing :) I think it's funny

Leonardo:

He's used to a very calm s/o, you like to meditate together, he's always been good with helping you with breathing exercises.

You both like to keep arguments to a minimum, and even when fights do take place there isn't a lot of yelling

But when your mother came to visit :) that was just :) a lot of pressure :)

And she stayed in your apartment :) for a week :) everything was fine :)

Leonardo hadn't seen you for an entire week, not an overly long time, but certainly not pleasant. And he knew that you got stressed when you couldn't see him often. So as soon as you texted saying you had dropped your mother off at the airport, he immediately came round.

You were already screaming the moment you walked in the door.

"Oh she has some nerve! Some nerve! Speaking to me like that!"

"I'm guessing you're car ride went smoothly."

"She's been bugging me all week! When are you getting married? When are you have kids? I want some grand babies before I die! Ugh! She's obsessed with maintaining this perfect image all because her friend's kids are married and making babies like rabbits!"

He stayed quiet, not exactly sure how to comfort you. It wasn't like he could provide you with these things, and by the sounds of it, your mother would never approve of your huge turtle boyfriend.

"She just can't get that I'm happy! I have my own life and it's perfect the way I want it to be! I have a perfect boyfriend! You're a fucking delight! She–she's just so obsessed with her image that she'd never get that!"

"You... You think so?"

"I know so! She's too stubborn and she'll never get how fucking great you are and it just— UGH! It fries my brain."

"Even though I... I can't give you all those things... I can't legally marry you, we can't have kids."

"Even if you could give me a mansion and a diamond ring, or if all you could give me was a-a fucking walnut! I love you Leonardo, not that prim and proper white satin wedding she's made a thousand Pinterest boards for. I love you, I just wish she would get it."

Leonardo leaned down and kissed your cheek

"I love you too."

He believed in dealing with anger appropriately, but seeing you defend him with such passion made him feel so much more secure.

Raphael:

He's seen you angry before, he encouraged it. He's all about helping you with your confidence, teaching you to not be afraid to take up space and stand up for yourself.

But holy cow. You were mad that night.

He'd warned you not to take the trash out at night, wait to the morning — or better yet, he'll take it out for you when he came to visit after patrol.

But you are Raphael's girl. You are stubborn.

So you take the trash out, and some absolute creep decides that "flirting" in a dark alleyway in the key to a girl's heart.

Raphael swooped in, told the man to scram. But bold and drunk, the man spits back with a "Oh yeah? And would she want anything to do with a freak like you? What are you gonna do? Hit me? Aw, big angry turtle, you're gonna scare your girlfriend away."

It was two of his biggest insecurities. His appearance and his rage, especially in regards to scaring you away. It was a low blow, Raphael should have known to just walk away.

But he clammed up, he'd never admit when his anxiety got the best of him and you don't blame him.

"Oh go fuck yourself. If a vile man like you doesn't scare me, why the hell do you think a good man like him would?"

"A good man? He's not a fucking man! He's some freaky turtle thing, a pretty little thing like you deserves a real man."

"And are you a real man?"

"More real than your little pet."

The next thing you knew, the man was on the ground. You assumed Raphael knocked him out, but Raph's standing behind you and you're the one with your hand in a fist.

"Oh my god. Oh–Oh Raphie I knocked him out! O-Oh my god!"

"Holy shit Y/N! You probably broke his nose!" Raphael is grinning, shaking your shoulders.

"I didn't mean to hurt him."

"He deserves a broken nose at the least for messing with you! He was an asshole and he needed someone like you to set him straight!"

"I, um, well, I suppose he did! Saying such horrible things about you, I-I guess he did need someone to put him in his place."

Raphael ruffled your hair, "Thank you, my knight in shining armour."

"That make you my Prince?"

"Your Prince who was right about not taking the trash out at night."

"You've got to be fucking kidding me."

He appreciated you standing up for him more than you could imagine. And he found it mighty hot how hard you hit that guy. Seriously! He must be a good self defence teacher.

Donatello:

Donatello loves you so much, loves holding you and hugging you whenever he can. He adores it when you sit on his lap while he works.

But do you like to cuddle when you sleep? Tough luck. Getting him to bed is like trying to lick your own elbow: near impossible.

Regardless, you try. Because every once in a while Donatello is too tired to fight and he will go to bed.

Tonight is not one of those nights.

"Baby, please, just come to bed. Everyone's already asleep."

"I'll be there in a minute, just go on without me."

You sigh, not really seeing the point in fighting. Instead you return to his bed, trying to keep yourself awake playing games on your phone. When half an hour passes, you go back and try again.

"Donnie come on, aren't you tired? I just want to cuddle."

"I just need to put some stuff on a hard drive, April's writing a new article, she needs it for tomorrow."

You sigh once more, "Promise you'll come to bed right after?"

"I promise."

Donatello's bed is comfortable, but it's more comfortable with him in. You force yourself to stay awake; despite your exhaustion you're determined to cuddle tonight. It's all you want.

But it did not take an hour to put some documents onto a hard drive. And he's being awfully loud for just typing away on a computer.

"Are you fucking joking right now?!"

He jumps, almost dropping the box of beakers in his arms, "Hey love... Can't sleep?"

"You're rearranging your lab?! Why are you—since when do you rearrange things, huh? What the hell?!"

"I just y'know, thought things needed a change..?"

"Oh, and now is the time to change things, really? Of all the times to move your fucking beakers you decide to do it in the middle of the night after I specifically asked you to come to bed? Seriously?"

He gives a nervous grin, the kind that usually made you smile in return. But it was late — rather it was early at this point — and you were cranky.

"You can sleep without me, you're a big girl." He teased.

"I want to sleep with my boyfriend! I want to cuddle! Is that so much to ask for?!"

Donatello blinked, "You're right, I'm sorry, but I swear, I promise, I'll be ten minutes, honest."

"You can finish this tomorrow. If you're not in bed in the next ten seconds, I am going to scream and wake everyone else up."

"Don't be ridiculous—"

"Ten."

Donatello jumped, quickly moving to shove supplies in cupboards a little recklessly. You continued to count down from ten, storming off back to his bed for hopefully the finally time this night.

By the time you got to the very firm "Three... Two... One..." Donatello was racing to bed, dived in beside you, crashing and knocking your heads together.

He'd never tell you, for fear you'd let it get to your head, but he kind of liked it when you got bossy.

Michelangelo:

Anger and Michelangelo just don't mix. They just don't. He's the king of communication, he's tries his hardest to avoid fights at any and all costs. You've always appreciated his determination to talk things out with you.

But with his brothers? He shuts down, he goes quiet and just accepts whatever blame they put on him: he knows they don't mean it, they only say mean things when they're angry.

But it hurts, hearing his big brothers tell him he's stupid, that he's childish, that he's lackadaisical.

"What kind of word even is that?! I swear Donnie must read a thesaurus as a bedtime story.."

So he's allowed to complain, and you let him ramble when he comes to visit. He sits on your bed and the words just tumble out of his mouth, lets you move around the room tidying up while he rants.

"I just—Raph keeps calling me stupid. And I just—I-I just—You know, sometimes I believe it."

You freeze, sweater only half folded and turn to him, "But you're not stupid. Just because you're not some brainiac like Donatello doesn't make you stupid. If that was the case, then I'm stupid, Raph's stupid, April, Leo, Splinter is stupid. Do you think we're all stupid?"

"Well—no, but—"

"But what?"

"But I... I am a little stupid."

"No you're not! Mikey, how many times has you out of the box thinking saved the day? Y-You were the one who suggested playing friggen buck-buck to take down Shredder! Y-Your skateboarding—hoverboarding skills saved the world. You think your brothers could do that?"

Mikey scrunched his nose up, "That's not smart though. They're right. My-my focus is all over the place, I-I could never come up with a plan like Leo, I could never have half the brains Donnie has, and Raph just—he gets things that I don't and I-I am stupid!"

"I need to have a word with your brothers—"

"And that's another thing! Everyone still treats me like I'm some kid! I don't need you to have a word with them! You're not my mom."

"Then you have a word with them! But sitting here and complaining about things that just aren't true isn't going to change anything!"

He's taken aback. Much like himself, you hardly ever yell, never ever raise your voice at him.

"I am not going to stand here and let them insult you day in and day out! Either you do something about it, or I will!"

He blinks at you, you're aggressively folding the sweater in your arms and grumbling about how you could definitely take Raphael in a fist fight if need be. You mumble something about how nobody gets to speak to your boyfriend like that, and it finally clicks with Mikey.

"Alright. I'm going to talk to them," He's mostly talking to himself, "I'm going to show them that I'm not some stupid, ditzy, lackadaisical kid anymore. I'm your boyfriend, and nobody gets to speak with me that way!"

You beam at him, anger disappearing within the second with his newfound confidence, "Hell yeah! Nobody insults my boyfriend!"

"Your boyfriend!"

"My boyfriend!"

"Your boyfriend!"

His brothers' version of a wake up call is to point out his weaknesses, tell him what needs to be corrected. But you much prefer to build him up, point out his strengths.

But jeez, he does not like your angry face.

[fandomtookoverlife]

Friday night

Pairing: Hotch x reader

Gn!reader (if I missed anything please lmk) 

summary: you are a part of the bau and dating Aaron Hotchner, after a long week you go to the bar with the “children” of the bau. 

Note: italics are readers thoughts 

Warning: drinking, mention of guns, swearing 

Words: 2200

Category: fluff

A/N: idk what this is 😂😂 a short little cute thing about a night with the team and being loved by Hotch, what more could anyone want 😂 I hope you enjoy 

Don’t mind the fact that I am horrible with names when I say this is the only name I could come up with I’m not joking, I couldn’t for the life of me even think of another name. 

Other blog: @mac99martin

Masterlist

---

You looked over at the clock- 8:30. “Fucking shit.” 

Derek chuckled beside at his desk beside you, “you just realise the time sweetheart?” not even looking up from his report. 

You scoffed at his mocking tone, “whatever” bitterly you shot him a glare and stood up. ugh god, you haven’t stood up like 3 hours, internally whining you get up to get even more coffee.

“Oh! Hello, there my beauty!” the one and only, sunflower of a woman; Penelope Garcia, with a bright smile on her face despite being still being here at 8:30. She wrapped her arm around you into a tight side-hug as the two of you walked into the break room, smiling, because how could you not smile with someone like Penelope around. You rest your head on her shoulder letting yourself relax into her warm hug.

“Pennnny, why is there so much work?” you look up at her from your spot on her shoulder and give her your puppy dog face.

“Oh baby, I don’t know” she smooths down your hair, something you absolutely adore. Unsatisfied with her answer you sigh and fill your cup to the brim and take a very long sip. “Ooo! I know” you raise your eyebrows amused at her sudden outburst, “we are going drinking tonight!” 

You considered it a moment, it was Friday, you did just get back from a case yesterday, and you have been doing paperwork-all day… “Okay! I’m in!”

“Eeeeek! Okay, let’s go tell every else their Friday night plans!” 

You grab her hand and run out to the bullpen, yes your team was the only one left in the building-Again. No! No bad thoughts, only thoughts of drinking! “Alright, everyone!” you and Pen glance at each other smirking before turning back to the team whose attention you have now grabbed. “Penelope and I have decided what we are all doing tonight,” you say playfully but firmly.

“And what’s that sweetheart?” 

You direct your attention to Morgan as Rossi comes out of his office, “We are going drinking.”  

Derek smirks “Hell. Yes.” 

Penelope claps her hands and squeals  “Yes! Okay who else is in?” excitedly you both look around the room. 

“Well, I sure as hell am.” 

“Yay! Okay, we got Derek, Emily, who else, JJ?”

She considered it for a second while you started at her with an eyebrow cocked. “Okay okay, I’ll come.” 

Doing a 180 looking above the bullpen at Rossi, “how about you? And before you answer just know, there are no adults allowed.”

“Ya only stressed out sexy workaholic FBI agents that are going to act like teenagers all night”

Laughing you look back at Rossi, “Sorry kiddos, not tonight.”

“What? You’re seriously not coming?” Penny said in the saddest voice 

“Dave, come on, I was just kidding, pleassse.” you give another puppy face. 

“Sorry Bella, not tonight” sending you a smile before going back to his office.

Shaking it off you look at Spencer who is the last to answer in the vicinity, “and you?”

“Umm….I-” he looks like he’s about to say no when Derek claps his shoulder,

“Pretty boy’s in!” 

Spencer looked around at the team, “um, okay I guess I’ll come.”

“Okay everyone finish your last report and then we gettin our party on!”

“Alright, will do babygirl.”

Everyone turned back to their work while you climbed the stairs, knocking on the door and opening it, “Hey!” Aaron smiled at you and stood up as you closed the door behind you, and with the blinds already closed you put your arms around your boyfriend’s neck and pulls him in for a kiss, 

“hmmm” comes from both of you as you pull apart smiling. The team definitely knew about your relationship with your boss to some degree but the two of you hadn’t slipped up so no one has caught you-yet. Some of the team, more confrontational than others will give you looks, snide comments, but they don’t know anything. And you guys aren’t keeping it from the team, you’re just, riding the wave while it lasts. “So did you hear the plan?” playing with his hair at the base of his head. 

“Plan?” 

“mhmm, we’re all going for drinks,- minus Rossi.” he gave you a pointed look at that last part. 

“Is that why I heard Emily yell something about ‘sexy workaholic FBI agents’” 

You drop your head on his shoulder, shake your head and laugh, “Um...yes?” 

“Ya, I think I’ll pass.”

“Babe, come on, it’ll be fuunnnn.” 

“Mhmm, no”  

You went on your tippy-toes, moving closer and closer to his lips, whispering, “pretty please” 

He closed the gap between your lips softly, but deeply “no.” 

You dropped down and gave him a slight glare, which he smiled at. He kissed you again and went back to his desk, “if you’re not coming, you’re definitely not staying here all night.”

Sitting down at his desk, “I’m not, I’m simply waiting on the last of the reports, if a certain agent would hurry up and finish hers…” 

“Alright alright, I’m going,” walking over to his chair, “seriously don’t stay too late alright?” 

“Alright.” kissing him one last time, “I’ll see you tomorrow?”

“Of course.” smiling before making your way to the door, 

“Hey,” you turn towards him at the loving sound of his voice, “be safe?” 

“I will. I love you”

“I love you too” 

-

You return to your desk hoping you can finish your last report quickly and get out of here, “Hey, sweetheart,” 

“Yes Morgan?” replying sightly animated.

“Anything fun happen in there?” 

“No.” you glare, “I asked him if he was coming; he’s not.”

“Mhmm, sure.” turning back to his work and you do the same. 

-

“We got shots!” 

“Hell ya!” 

“Gimme gimme gimmie!” 

“Patience babygirl” 

“No.” penny grabs a shot and take it while the rest of you laugh, “woo!” 

“Alright our turn!” 

You all let loose enjoying some fun and each other’s company. Your look at the people around you, yesterday you had guns and people’s lives in your hands, right now, you were all smiling, enjoying yourselves and life to the fullest, you couldn’t ask for better people to do it with. 

-

It’s so loud in the bar and you’re all laughing so much you barely hear your phone ring, seeing it’s Aaron calling you is a little worrying, “Sorry, I’ll be back in a sec.” everyone looked around suspiciously but didn’t say anything. “Aaron?” walking outside,

“Hi Y/N!” 

A little taken back, especially with the alcohol in your system, “Jack?” 

“Hiiiiiii Y/NNNNNN” 

“What are you still doing up mister?” 

“Well daddy said since it’s Friday I can stay up so we watched a movie”

“Oh ya what movie did you watch?” 

“Well first we watched frozen and then we watched spiderman!” 

You laughed, you’ve watched each of those movies with him at least three times yourself, “that sounds fun, did you have popcorn?” 

“YA!” 

Oh my god isn’t he just the cutest fucking thing? you think your heart actually melts at his cuteness “So where’s your dad now?” remembering he’s calling from his dad’s phone, 

“Ummmmmmm….” 

“Jack?” 

Jack whispering, as if he wasn’t just yelling a few seconds ago, “he said its bedtime,” even quieter, “so I’m hiding”

You cover your mouth with your hand trying your very best not to laugh, composing your self, “well Jack that’s not very good of you” 

“Ya… but I don’t wanna go to bed” 

At that, you let a little laugh, “I know buddy… but what made you took your dad’s phone?” 

“I wanted to call you” 

You paused you were a little taken back, “and why is that?” 

“I don’t know, I like you, and my daddy likes you too!” 

That makes you smile, “well, I’m glad you both like me-” you were cut off by a gasp from Jack “Jack, you okay?” 

He whispered into the phone, “he found me.” and yet again having to put your hand over your mouth to stop from laughing, “I have to go” in a very rushed voice, “I love you.”

Your mind went blank for a split second, he had never actually said that to you, “I love you too” 

“Jack who are you-”

“Goodnight-” and the line cut off

Sitting down, your minds a little fuzzy and it’s not from the alcohol. A minute or two later your phone starts ringing again, “hey Aar,” you said, still smiling, you also expected this call. 

“Hey baby, sorry about that, um, what exactly was that?” 

You both laugh a little, “well apparently daddy was making him go to bed, so naturally he stole your phone, hid and called me.” 

“Naturally, sorry about that I know you’re out.”

“Oh don’t be he’s cute... he said he loved me”

“I know”

“I like that”

“Me too”

You both sat there smiling for a few seconds, what did you do to get such a perfect life? “alright I got to go, have fun, be safe, call me when you get home?”

“I will, love you.”

“Love you” 

-

“Hey sorry” you came back to the table smiling, which everyone was suspicious of but oh well, what are you going to do, I came here for a good time and I’m going to have one! 

“Who was that?” 

“Oh no one, what are we talking about?” picking up your drink.

“Actually we were just talking about how 27% of women in the US have slept with their boss.” immediately you choked on your drink and quickly trying to recover, but the damage was done

God fucking damn it Reid! Seriously you just had to throw me under the bus like that? 

You shot him a nasty glare, “ that was not what you were talking about.” 

“Nope, you’re right it wasn’t.”

That bastard is smiling 

Everyone is killing themselves, and you? You just down your drink, “Anyone want another?” 

Leaning against the bar you shake your head, out of all the people I did not expect REID to call me out. 

“Hey, sweet thang” you drop your head, 

“Derek.” you acknowledge him

“I gotta say I’m surprised, I really am, I didn’t expect Reid to be the one to call you out.”

You laugh, “Ya, Neither Did I.”  

“Soooo, you admit it?” Derek said, very amused 

“I have said nothing.” 

“Come onnnn, say it.”

“We should really get back to the table,” already halfway there.

“Oh come it’s not going to be better over there!” he’s not wrong 

“Y/N!”

“Oh, my sweet Penelope how are you?”

“NoNoNo you’re not getting out of this!” grabbing your arm

“Pen that’s my arm!”

“Y/N you have to tell us!”

“Emily’s right”

“Come on JJ you too, can’t someone be on my side.” 

“Absolutely not!”

“Soooo how long have you been together?”

Shit you look at the people around you, there’s no way out of this, “fine!” a stream of yeses and shrieks courtesy of Penny, “we’ve-” SHIT “we’ve been together, 6 months”

“6 months!”

“No fucking way!”

“Oh my god! How couldn’t have you told us!”

“Were you just on the phone with him?”

“Do you guys sneak into each other’s hotel rooms?”

You were doing so much drinking tonight. 

-

Somehow you made it home safely, but you were pretty drunk, I mean what did you expect 

When you woke up you saw 3 missed calls from Aaron and 3 text messages, ya you were a little drunk last night. After you’ve been awake for a whole 45 seconds you call Aaron, “Hey! Are you okay? you never called me back last night”

“Ugh” 

“Baby?”

“Shhhhhhh” 

“Alright I get it, I’ll be at your place in 30, with coffee” 

“Yessssss”  

-

And a half an hour later he showed up, with coffee as promised, using the key you gave him to let himself in, as you were not getting out of bed. “Hey,” in a hushed tone. 

“Hi” you smiled at him, you were still a little sleepy and probably hungover, he put the drinks on the table and you pulled him into your bed, he chuckled but laid down and you put your head on his chest, “mhmm” he’s so warm 

“Tired?” 

“Ya” 

“How late did you stay out?”

“I don’t know”

“You don’t know?”

You shock your head into his chest “uh-uh.” you laid there comfortably for a few minutes, you immensely enjoying the warmth and happiness that your boyfriend brings you, “soooo I got cornered last night”

“Cornered?” 

“Mhmm, about us, after our call I went back to the table and they called me out.”

“Oh really?” he was chuckling not only that it had happened but in the cute, sleepy manner of which you mentioned it, “actually, I didn’t think they would, figured they were just waiting for us to slip.”

You scoffed, “ya so did I. you’ll never guess who called me on it tho.”

“Oh?”

“Reid.”

“Seriously,” see it’s not just me that didn’t expect it to be Reid of all people, “I mean I thought Morgan or Prentiss but Reid?”

“Ya, I got caught a little off guard.” Aaron laughed “Hey!” you swatted his arm “don’t laugh! It’s not funny!” 

“Never.” he kissed the top of your head and started playing with your hair, you spent the next few hours lying, sitting, drinking, talking, the perfect morning, after a perfect night, with the perfect man, and the best friends anyone could ask for.

---

@spencers-renaissance

[yourlocalhazbintrash]

Today was the worst day of Anthony Ragno’s entire life, and that was no exaggeration. Sure, he’s been beaten, he’s been mugged, he’s been insulted, but nothing compares to what was happening right now.

“It’s almost nine thirty and he still hasn’t said anything!” Angel slammed his head on the kitchen table, where everyone but Alastor had gathered. Believe it or not, they were all just as shocked by the news, but not really all that surprised. “How could he forget somethin’ like that?!”

“It’s Alastor, kid.” Husk muttered. “He’s a genius when it comes to hunting and deals, but an absolute dumbass when it comes to important dates... don’t tell him I said that.”

“We’ll use it as blackmail.” Vaggie chuckled. Her normally serious demeanor had been pushed aside so that she could comfort Angel to the best of her ability. Which wasn’t very good, considering her mistrust and general hatred for Alastor. “He probably thinks this is some sort of game. Most likely using you so that he can see you cry your eyes out before pretending to care about you.”

“Vaggie! Don’t say that!” Charlie huffed. “Angel, don’t pay them any attention. Alastor loves you, and I’m sure he has something wonderful planned for... tonight...?”

“That was a question, Charles.” Angel grumbled. “Just forget it, guys. He forgot, and I might as well accept that.”

“Maybe you should remind him!” Niffty chirped. “It’ll be funny to watch boss freak out!”

“I shouldn’t HAVE TO REMIND HIM!” Angel screamed, making everyone take a step back. “Ugh! Look, I’m sorry for losin’ my cool, I just... I can’t right now.”

“Can’t what?” Charlie asked nervously.

“Can’t anything, Charlie.” Angel sighed. “I’m too tired to worry about this anymore. Tell Al if ya want, it’s not like he would care.” Angel stood up and started to walk out of the room. “I’m goin’ to bed early.”

Once Angel was gone, Vaggie sneered. “I’m gonna kill that deer.”

“Vaggie, no.” Charlie sighed, hugging her girlfriend. “The last thing Angel needs right now is the knowledge that his husband is hurt or killed.”

Vaggie growled, but agreed. She nodded before scowling as Alastor walked into the room, whistling happily. He didn’t seem to be worried about anything, if anything, he seemed like his normal, chipper self.

“Why hello my dear friends! What brings us to have such a late congregation?” Alastor inquired. He got nothing but pissed off looks in response. There was no sign of concern in his face as a response. “Oh dear, have I done something worse than usual?”

“Do you know what today is?” Vaggie asked, arms crossed.

“Hmm... Sunday.” Alastor replied, still happy as ever. “Just a normal day of the week.”

Vaggie scoffed, throwing her arms in the air and giving a disbelieving look. “It’s not just Sunday! How are you this st-”

“Alastor, when did you and Angel get married?” Charlie asked, her tone serious and commanding.

“Hmm... we’ve been together for quite some time, but I remember our wedding as if it were yesterday.” Alastor reminisced fondly. “But, to answer your question, February twenty eighth! Why do you ask?”

“What’s today’s date?” Husk asked in response.

“Well, Friday was the twenty sixth, yesterday was the twenty seventh, making today...” Alastor froze, his smile growing smaller at the realization. “TODAY IS OUR ANNIVERSARY!”

“Yeah, no SHIT, Al!” Husk scoffed, pointing a claw in the direction that Angel left. “Your husband just went upstairs as pissed as Vaggie.”

Alastor worried his lip for a moment before his smile grew again and he gave a grand hand gesture. “There’s a simple fix to this! All I need to do is go up there and apologize! Then he’ll forgive me and this whole mess will be put behind us! As easy as that!”

And, of course, it wasn’t as easy as that.

“Darling, please, I-”

“I don’t want your fake ass apologies! You fucked up! Just accept that and go away!” Angel shouted from the other side of the door to their shared bedroom. “I’m not in the mood to talk to you right now!”

“Angel... Anthony, please! I forgot, I own up to that, but at least tell me how I can make this up to you!” Alastor got closer to the door, waiting there like a desperate puppy. “I don’t like seeing you upset! You know that!”

“I wouldn’t be upset if you had remembered one of the most important dates of our lives!” Angel hissed. “Did our wedding really mean that little to you?!”

“No! Of course not! Marrying you was the best decision I’ve ever made in my life!” Alastor leaned against the door. “I would trade anything to stay your husband!”

A silence reigned for a second or so. “Even your power?”

“Even my power.” Alastor confirmed.

“Even your title?”

“Even my title.”

“Even your cute little tail?”

“Anthony...” Alastor sighed. He never liked when his husband brought up the wretched little thing, but he couldn’t bring himself to be upset this go ‘round. “Even my cute little tail.”

Angel opened the door just a smidge, looking down at Alastor with mascara running down his eyes. Fat Nuggets tried nudging the door open even more, but Angel was stronger.

“Well even still, you owe me.” Angel huffed. “Ya better make it worthwhile, too.”

Alastor chuckled. “I can think of a few things. Most of which can’t happen if you leave me out here by myself.”

Angel giggled, opening the door and quickly pulling Alastor in. They shared an intimate kiss before falling onto the bed. Angel looked at Alastor with glee.

“I love you, mon amour.” Alastor whispered.

“I love you too, mio amore.” Angel replied. “But next time, don’t forget. I’m not afraid to make you sleep on the couch.”

“Duly noted.” Alastor chuckled, kissing Angel’s neck sweetly. “Now, about that favor~”

[a-n-conrad]

Bad at Secrets (PS4 Spider-man x Reader)

[Summary: For as long as you’ve known Peter Parker, he has been pretty bad at keeping secrets. Lucky for him, you’re much better at it. At least, until you end up drunk at his house after a party.

Warning and Notes: Drinking, Drunk Reader, Awkward convos, PS4 game spoilers, swearing, May didn’t die because I refuse, gender-neutral reader]

Peter Parker was never very at keeping secrets from you. He was clumsy and always managed to leave something obvious out in the open. You were surprised that the entire city of New York hadn’t figured it out yet. Perhaps it was because you were helping him constantly. Whether it was casually introducing him to voice modifying technology, or helping him set up his phone to have two different numbers, you know, for “business”. 

You still couldn’t help but wonder why he hadn’t told you yet. You knew MJ knew. Did he just trust her more? Maybe you were just jealous. They had dated, so it probably came up then. And to be honest, you had to admit you had a crush on him. But you knew that wasn’t going to go anywhere. You and Peter had been friends for so long, that if anything was going to happen, it would have by now. So you’d be his friend. And you wouldn’t push him to tell you anything he didn’t want to.

- - - - -

It had been a couple of months since the city went to shit. Peter’s mentor, Otto Octavius was imprisoned at The Raft, Feast was now being run by May after Martin Li was arrested, and it took a whole month to get all of the run-aways from Rykers off the street. Everyone was stressed and tired, and you really needed a second to de-stress. So when you got an invitation to a party at one of your old college friend’s houses, you really couldn’t turn down the offer.

Maybe you went a little crazy. You didn’t have the highest alcohol tolerance, and before you knew it, you were starting to get a little wobbly on your feet. Definitely a bit too wobbly to be walking home through the streets of New York City. So without thinking, you picked up your phone to call a friend of yours.

You knew he’d be busy, but Peter was really the only one you trusted to walk you home. I mean, who better than Spider-man. You were surprised when it only rang twice before he picked up, “(Y/n)? I thought you were at a party tonight, is everything ok?”

You giggled a little at the concerned tone in his voice. He overthought a lot, and it was honestly kind of endearing, “Yeah, Pete, I’m fine. I was just wondering if you’re free to walk me home.”

“You didn’t bring anyone with you to walk with?” He asked, “Isn’t that a little dangerous?”

“Mhm,” You hummed, grabbing another can for something. You weren’t sure exactly what you were drinking anymore, but it was fine. Honestly, as much as you’d normally worry about the dangers of a situation like this, it was a lot harder to worry about stuff like that when you had just almost died from a supervillain attack, “That’s why I’m calling you. If you’re busy, though, I’ll figure something else out.”

“No, no,” You heard some noise in the background. He was definitely busy, but knowing him, he wasn’t about to let you walk home yourself, “I’ll be there, just hang tight for another fifteen minutes or something.”

“Sure,” You took another drink, “I’ll see you soon.”

- - - - -

By the time he got there, you had gone through another four cans of, well, you still couldn’t remember. Either way, you were pretty drunk. When Peter got there, he had found you dancing on a table, your hair extra messy and a little bit of your drink spilled on the front of your outfit. You looked like you were having so much fun, he couldn’t help but smile.

“Come on, (Y/n), let’s get you home,” He said, walking up to where you were. You smiled down at him before jumping down from the table.

“Pete!” You exclaimed, grinning at him, “I missed you.”

“I missed you too, (Y/n),” He chuckled, “But we should get you home. You need some sleep.”

“But I don’t wanna go home,” You whined, “It’s boring. There’s nothing to do. Can we go to your place instead? I wanna watch movies.”

“Sure,” He sighed. He could tell you were a lot drunker than you were when you called him. It had been a while since he had to babysit you while you were drunk, but he honestly didn’t mind. You were always fun when you were drunk.

- - - - -

Peter’s house wasn’t too far away from the party, but it was a long enough walk that the two of you had to talk about something. And eventually, you ran out of your normal things to drunkenly ramble about. So things started to get a little more interesting.

“Do you think Peter trusts me?” You asked out of nowhere. It caught Peter a little off-guard. 

“I think so,” He said. You obviously didn’t know you were talking to him. He wondered if he should tell you, but honestly, he was a little interested in what you’d say.

“Then why doesn’t he tell me anything?”

“What do you mean he doesn’t tell you anything.” You were always so confident that you knew everything. And Peter tried his best not to keep too many secrets from you. There were just two, so which one had you started to pick up on.

“He has a secret that he’s had for years that he won’t tell me,” you pouted at him.

“Do you know what it is?”

“Yeah, Pete isn’t very good at keeping secrets,” Shit.

“What is it?”

“I can’t tell you,” You replied, crossing his arms, “It’s Peter’s secret.”

He couldn’t help but laugh a little bit. You were so sweet and protective. He should’ve known better than to think you’d rat him out to someone you thought was a stranger. He’d just have to ask again when you were sober. 

Eventually, the two of you made it to his apartment. He had gotten a new one a while ago after he got evicted from his. Aunt May was helping him out until he got a new job, and he was working pretty hard on finding something just as fulfilling as his work with Otto. 

“What movie do you wanna watch?”

“Mmmmm, Superhero movie.”

“I didn’t know you were a fan of superheroes, (Y/n),” He chuckled.

“Mhm, I love Spider-man.”

He laughed a bit, causing you to pout, “I didn’t know you were a Spider-man fan.”

“No, I love Spider-man. I love him. He’s so smart and funny and caring.”

Peter couldn’t help that blush that coated his cheeks. He hoped maybe you were too drunk to notice. And lucky for him, you were. In fact, you had fallen asleep on his couch before he could even get the movie he had picked out started.

He smiled at you. You were kind of cute when you slept. You looked so calm. He had missed seeing you calm and happy. So much had happened, he was just glad you were ok. And alive. 

He carefully picked you up, he could pull buses and helicopters, lifting you up was really no problem. He decided that you could take the bed tonight. What kind of hero would he be if he made his friend sleep on the couch? He set you down carefully, tucking you in to the covers, before heading over to the ouch and making a little bed for himself. This might actually be the first night he had gotten a decent amount fo sleep in a couple of months. 

- - - - -

Waking up with a pounding headache should have been expected. Waking up in Peter’s bed with a glass of water a couple of painkillers next to you, however, wasn’t. And what was even more unexpected was the sounds of someone cooking breakfast coming from the other room. Did Peter even eat breakfast?

After taking the painkillers and drinking the water as quickly as possible, you wandered into the kitchen, your hair a complete mess and the clothes you were wearing to the party last night crumpled from being slept in. Standing over the stove, watching the food intently to avoid his habit of getting distracted and burning his cooking, you found Peter.

“Morning, Pete,” You yawn, sitting down at the table.

He turned towards you with a smile, “Morning, (Y/n). Are you feeling alright?’

“Mm, my head still hurts, but I’m sure that’ll go away. Thanks for letting me stay here. I hope I wasn’t too much of a bother.”

“Do you remember anything you told me last night?”

“Ugh, not really,” You shook your head, “The last thing I remember was calling you, honestly. I hope I didn’t say anything too stupid.”

“No, it’s not that,” He said, quickly getting distracted from your conversation, by the toast popping out of the toaster.

- - - - -

Eventually, he sat down at the table with you, placing a plate in front of you and another plate in front of himself. You really hadn’t realized how hungry you were until the food was right in front of you. And to be honest, Peter was getting pretty good at cooking.

“So what exactly did I say last night?” you asked, shoving food into your mouth. Did you eat last night? You couldn’t remember.

“Well, that you were in love with Spider-man,” Peter chuckled, but you knew that wasn’t really what he wanted to talk about. He was just trying to lighten the mood first. You still couldn’t help but blush. You supposed it was true, “But also that you knew that I was keeping a secret from you.”

“Oh.

“You still wouldn’t tell me what, though. I don’t think you knew you were talking to me. I appreciate the loyalty, but I’m wondering what secret I’m keeping from you.”

“Is there more than one, Pete?”

He froze.

“I know that you’re Spider-man, Pete. You really suck at keeping secrets. You think I can’t figure it out when you leave drawings for all your gadgets out all the time?”

“How long have you known?”

“A year or so? Maybe more?”

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

“I was going to ask you the same thing.”

“I just didn’t want to get you swept up in anything. You know, with the villains I have to fight, Spider-man ends up with a lot of enemies. I just wanted to keep you away from that.” He sighed. He looked like he was trying to think of something to say until a realization crept its way onto his face, “In love with Spider-man, huh?”

You choke a bit on your food, causing Peter to laugh a bit, “No, we’re not changing the topic. You’re a superhero.”

“And you’re in love with my superhero self,” He laughs before it seems like his brain clicks again, “Wait if you already knew...”

“Um…”

“(Y/n)?”

“Um, hey, Just let me finish breakfast and I’ll head out. Really don’t worry about it, Pete,” You scrambled. You had avoided that conversation for years. You had sate through him dating MJ, through him risking his life over and over, through him crying to you over and over about everything in his life going wrong without saying anything. You really didn’t want this to be the point where you lose him.

“Woah, wait, no,” He looked panicked, “Why are you running away?”

“Look, Pete, I’ve avoided this conversation forever, I don’t want things to be awkward, or to make you feel like we can’t just hang out. I just don’t want you to stop being my friend,” You rambled, only cut off when Peter grabbed your hand, a grin on his face.

“Ask me again if there’s more than one secret.”

“What?”

“Ask.”

“Do you have more than one secret, Pete?” You were still pretty nervous, and you had no idea where he was going with this, but you trusted him. And you were pretty sure that he wasn’t going to make fun of you.

“Yeah. I’ve been keeping two secrets from you,” He said, “The first is that I’m Spider-man. And the second is that I’ve been in love with you for months.”

“What?”

“Yeah,” He said, “Remember a month or two after MJ and I broke up? When we went to the park in the middle of the night because neither of us could sleep? And we just talked for hours about life and our goals and everything? The next day I realized I was in love with you.”

“I guess you’re better at keeping secrets than I thought you were,” you laughed.

“I guess so,” he laughed, “But I don’t plan on keeping anymore.”

(A/N: This might be trash, but my Spider-man hyper fixation from when I was a kid is back full swing.)

[yoonsshadow]

BLIZZARD BLUES ⎯ myg

⇰ summary ; There’s a storm coming. Literally. And some idiot is standing outside singing Christmas carols.

⇰ pairing ; yoongi x fem!reader

⇰ genres ; strangers to friends to lovers[?], snowstorm!au, romance, fast burn [?]

⇰ themes ; fluff, a bit of crack

⇰ warnings ; talk of a natural disaster [blizzard], lots of banter, brief talk of male genitalia [balls lol], a bunch of sweetness

⇰ word count ; 1.8k

⇰ note ; Happy holidays everybody!! I hope that you all have a safe and happy day, no matter what you are celebrating. [Also this is largely unedited.] xx

It doesn’t always snow on Christmas Eve. Sometimes, when the sky feels selfish, it will open its clouds and welcome through the sunlight, especially harsh against the previous snowfall that is melting on the ground. What was once a white wonderland, snowflakes clustered together in a fine powder, becomes a muddy expanse of grass, dampened by the flowing tears of the melted icicles.

The magic of Christmas, so often associated with the pure white sheen of snowfall, is gone within hours of a clear sky.

But not today.

Today, the sky is selfish in a very distinctly opposite way.

“Temperatures will be reaching a record-low tonight, and snowfall is expected to only get heavier. With the possibility of a blizzard on the way, citizens are urged to stay indoors tonight.”

“Aish.” Licking droplets of mulled wine from your lips, you sigh at the latest news update. Just yesterday, you had been complaining of the warmth in the air, expecting yet another disappointment out of Christmas Eve. The universe seems to have answered your pessimism with a natural disaster.

Thankfully, you are one of the many lucky ones with a roof over your head tonight. The townhouse is small by standard means, but it feels so big to you. Though it may be cosy, it holds everything that is important to you, every memory that you have collected over your life, every momentum that has ever brought you joy. It is an extension of yourself, of your innermost being, and now it even protects you from the howling wind that you can hear picking up outside.

As you sit in front of your roaring fireplace, wrapped in blankets and listening to the Michael Bublé christmas album play on your scratchy record player, you think that maybe this is serenity; this feeling of calm, of contentment, when chaos surrounds you.

A harsh knock at your front door breaks through the sound of the wind.

At first, you think that maybe it was a trick of the mind, or perhaps a branch hitting a window, but the rapid knock-knock-knock against the wood is far too deliberate to be a mistake. Plus, when it’s followed by several more⎯⎯less patient⎯⎯knocks, you know that someone is here. At your house. At ten o’clock at night, as a blizzard is brewing.

It takes a moment to detangle yourself from your comfortable cocoon of blankets, but you eventually shuffle to the door as quickly as your cold toes [the things just never seem to be warm] will allow. You’re expecting an emergency official telling you to evacuate, or a neighbour asking to borrow supplies.

You don’t expect a shivering, disgruntled man reluctantly singing ‘Oh Christmas Tree’.

“Your boughs so green in summertime...stay bravely green in wintertime...O tannenbaum, O Christmas Tree...How lovely are thy branches…”

“Are you seriously carolling right now?”

The man stops his ‘singing’ to glare at you, as if you’ve just interrupted the most important performance of his life. “Hey, either let me finish the song or let me move on. It’s fucking cold out here.”

“No, but like, why are you singing at all? Didn’t you see the news?” The chill of the wind is biting at you even through all of your layers, so you don’t know how he’s surviving right now.

The man sighs, the air fogging in front of his face. “Look, lady, I lost a bet, okay? I gotta sing these carols, and I’m not backing out just because it feels like my internal organs are shutting down. So, what’ll it be? I can take song requests, if you’re feeling spicy.”

It takes you barely a moment to make your decision. “Option C. Come here.”

And you all but drag him into your house.

“Y’know, this could be considered kidnapping,” the stranger says as he slides out of his soaked jacket and toes off his boots. Despite his words, he doesn’t seem at all reluctant to be within your warm abode. “You could at least take me to dinner before inviting me in.’

His voice sounds harsh, mean even, but for some reason you aren’t intimidated by him. Maybe it’s the way his nose shines pink from the cold.

“Well,” you say, already gathering some towels for him, “it seems as though you haven’t watched the news in the last three hours. There’s a blizzard on the way, buddy, and you looked about halfway to frozen already. I thought that I would save the neighbours the trauma of digging your body out of the snow.”

“How considerate.”

“What’s your name, by the way? Since I’m extending my home and hospitality to you. I’m Y/N.”

“Yoongi. Also, you barely extended anything. More like forced. But, I’m a kind man, so I’ll let you believe that you’re being selfless. It is Christmas, after all.”

“And a merry Christmas to you too, mister Yoongi.”

“Ugh. Don’t call me mister.”

“Whatever. You should go take a shower to warm up, I should have some of my dad’s clothes for you to wear. I also have a shit-tonne of blankets and a big pot of mulled wine, so whenever you’re done just come downstairs and sit by the fire. And don’t steal anything. Or piss on the carpets.”

“Oddly specific, but okay. Thanks, generous kidnapper.”

Yoongi takes nearly an hour before he re-emerges from upstairs, to the point where you wonder if he’s actually pissing in your carpets. He looks clean, though, and flushed with warmth. And absolutely adorable in the ugly, oversized Christmas sweater that you laid out for him.

“This is fucking horrendous.”

A snort escapes you at his blunt statement, watching as he sinks into an armchair opposite you. His hair is sticking out from where he’s hastily dried it. “Thank you. My dad is the reigning champion in his workplace ugly sweater competition. He takes immense pride in inducing nausea. Want some wine?”

“Absolutely.”

When you pass him a mug, the liquid steaming and aromatic, he seems to pause, hesitation in the grip of his fingers. You give him the time he needs to arrange his words.

“I guess, um...thank you. For bringing me inside.” Yoongi isn’t meeting your eyes, but the tips of his ears are turning pink. “I was probably too stubborn to realise how bad it was and...I don’t know, it could’ve ended up really bad. So. Thanks.”

“Hey.” His eyes flicker up, briefly, but enough to see the bashfulness hiding behind all that sarcasm. “It’s seriously fine, but you’ve got to make a habit out of taking care of yourself. I’ve known you for two hours and even I can tell that you don’t take yourself very seriously. Hell, I could’ve been a serial killer, and you still just walked into my house.”

“I could’ve been a serial killer as well, hypocrite.”

“Killer Caroller does have a certain ring to it,” you admit. He’s deflecting, but you accept the divergence easily. “So, mister serial killer-”

“Don’t call me mister.”

“-Why don’t you tell me about yourself? There’s a chance that you’ll be here for a little while, so we may as well become acquainted.”

Taking a lingering sip from his mug, Yoongi keeps his eyes trained on the fire before him. “My name is Yoongi, I’m a Pisces, and I enjoy long walks on the beach.”

“Romantic.”

“I was born in Daegu.”

“Makes sense.”

“I’m a music producer.”

“Impressive.”

Yoongi rolls his eyes, though they hold more mirth than annoyance. “Oh, and what about you, miss charity? Tell me about yourself.”

Biting back a chuckle, you reposition yourself in the armchair to face him better. “Well, my name is Y/N, and I have never been to a beach.”

“That’s sad.”

“I take self-defense classes.”

“Convenient.”

“And I’m a social worker.”

“Very fitting.”

The quick banter between the two of you pulls a smile across your face before you can tamp it down, but it seems like Yoongi is fighting one of his own.

Somehow, you have both converged to your larger couch, huddled together in a wine-drunk, giggly mess.

“No, I seriously would’ve won! But then he totally caught me off guard. I was sabotaged.”

Yoongi’s recounting of the story of how he lost his bet is nothing short of hysterical. “This Jeongguk guy sounds like a menace,” you say, throwing your legs over his lap. “I mean, who swings their balls in a friend’s face just to distract them? That’s just low.”

“Right?!” His voice is so loud, but your little bubble is barely disturbed. “And they were all hairy, too. I swear that I found a pube in my hoodie.”

This sets you off, for some reason, and your chest erupts in light giggles. Yoongi has only told you a few stories about his six male friends, and it has filled you with a kind of joy that you don’t remember ever feeling.

“It’s just...I bet that women aren’t this immature with each other. Am I right?”

You hum. “Sort of, but also not really. A friend of mine once stole my diva cup just because she was mad at me for using her hair brush. I tried to explain that it was an accident, but man was she pissed.”

Yoongi pauses. “What’s a diva cup?”

Blinking at the man that you’re draped across, you bring a hand up to pat his soft cheek. “Oh, honey,” you whisper, offering a small smile.

Slowly but suddenly, his hand comes up to cover yours, keeping it on his face. Your heart skips a beat, but you don’t notice.

“You’re really nice,” he says. His pupils are blown from drinking, and maybe from your faces being so close. Your cheeks are flushed for the same reasons. “And totally not a serial killer.”

“I’m still undecided about you,” you joke, breathing out a laugh. “But I do know that you’re pretty nice, too. And not as bad of a guest as I thought you might be.”

“Is it-” Yoongi cuts himself off, takes a slow breath as he closes his eyes. When he opens them again, he seems determined, if a little nervous. “Is it weird if I say that I enjoy spending time with you? And would, maybe, want to spend more time with you in the future?”

A lazy grin stretches your cheeks as you tuck yourself a little closer to him. It’s peculiar, maybe, that you’ve just met a man that you feel you’ve known your whole life. Curious, perhaps, that conversation with him feels more natural than with most people you know.

But weird?

No, you don’t think so.

“No. Not weird.” You lean forward a bit, shyly; wait for him to maybe do the same. “You do owe me the rest of a Christmas carol, after all.

He does lean forward, just a bit, and just as shy.

[ve1vetyoongi]

take a sip | jjk

summary: Your best friends engagement party was a dreadful reminder of your painfully barren dating life. That is until you laid eyes on the tattooed waiter who can’t stop staring - after all, the wine tastes sweet but he tastes sweeter.

pairing: jungkook x reader

genre: smut, fluff

au: countryclub!au, waiter!jungkook, rich!reader

word count: 9.4k

warnings: oral (f receiving), unprotected penetrative sex, fingering, multiple orgasms, some dirty talk, (very) soft dom!jungkook, bratty tease oc.

a/n: ITS MY MUHFUCKIN BABY’S BIRTHDAY so i decided to write a lil something to celebrate because i love him with my whole heart shh who said that <3 (p.s this is largely unedited rip excuse any mistakes)

You fell asleep last night so I saw myself out. Thanks for the drinks! — Jungkook.

You crumpled up the note you found folded neatly on your nightstand and dropped it into the trash with a groan.

Another failed attempt at dating. God, you were such an idiot.

Your temples throbbed with the tell tale signs of a hangover, courtesy of a night of reckless drinking at some scummy club that played Top 40 EDM tracks like they were actually good — the drinks were cheap, though, so you put up with the hearing loss more often than you cared to admit.

The words on the note echoed in your head. Last night?

Hazy drunken memories slowly began to piece together, making you wince when you remembered the way you'd clung onto the arm of a dark haired boy in skinny jeans on the dance floor the night before.

How you had shamelessly grinded against him, probably whispering something unnecessarily filthy in his ear.

And even worse, how he had followed your stumbling form out onto the sidewalk, refusing to let you walk through the streets cloaked in night time alone.

"I can call you a cab?" A voice filled with concern.

"My place...'s not far from here..." You had slurred.

What happened next?

He'd insisted on escorting you home, you knew that much. You remembered the way his eyes widened when you stumbled into the lobby of Paradise resort -- the elite residential area your father paid ungodly amounts of money to be a member of -- instructing Jungkook to rummage in your bag for the key card that would let you inside.

"You live here?" He had asked, straightening his simple white T-shirt when he took in the grand chandelier and the classical music humming overhead which boasted the highbrow nature of Paradise, a juxtaposition to the casual setting in which you'd met. You noticed the way he'd ogled your red bottomed shoes, probably putting two and two together now.

"Mmf," you had mumbled into the crook of his neck as he helped you climb the stairs to your suite. "Parents are rich."

You remembered asking him if he wanted a drink and then watching his own hands pour a shot of whisky when yours proved too shaky to get any of the liquid in the glass.

You remembered the tattoo which started at the base of his neck beneath rosy stains from your lipstick, the design curving down his arm and ending in a rose on the back of his hand.

You remembered how said hand felt warm when it cupped your cheek and how his lips were sticky with the sour taste of alcohol when they touched yours in a way that set your body on fire with a craving to never stop.

You remembered how he carried you to your bedroom, face scanning yours with something that looked like concern when the alcohol in your blood stream had you slurring your words. How he laid down next to you, body heat comforting as your eyes fluttered closed.

And you remembered how you fell asleep like that, wrapped up in a near strangers arms before you'd even asked his name.

Jungkook. That must have been it.

He didn't leave his number. Were you even surprised?

Ugh. What did it matter anyway? It wasn't like you were ever going to see the dude again.

While you were popping a painkiller out of the blister packet, swilling your dry tongue with water to get rid of the lingering flavour of vodka that made you want to blanch, you heard your phone buzz nearby.

2:45, Somin: — Are you up? Don't forget my get together tonight. — I can't wait to show you the Pinterest board I made with wedding ideas!!!!

And there it was. The literal headache of your life that no amount of painkillers could soothe.

Your best friend Somin was getting married.

And you were happy for her, you would swear it to your grave...

Another buzz.

2:47, Somin: — P.S. Namjoon will be there 😜 I have a feeling you'll get along great.

You just didn't see why she felt the need to pressure you into following in her footsteps.

"We're getting married!" She had announced one afternoon while you sipped Chardonnay on the sun deck just in time to gaze at the resorts badminton team taking the field for a game from a nearby balcony. She had been hanging off Hoseok's arm all day, a sparkling diamond on her left hand nearly as big as the mushy grin on his face. "Can you believe it?"

"No." You had answered, voice tight and a little too high to give off the I'm-happy-for-you vibes you had hoped for. "I can't believe it."

It was true; Hoseok had been a member at Paradise for as long as you could remember and last time you checked Somin wasn't in any hurry to get married.

Until she learned of Hoseok's six figure income. Eye roll.

After that it was all wedding this and wedding that and when are you getting hitched because it's suddenly socially unacceptable for me to be friends with someone not in a financially convenient marriage.

So that's why you almost said no when Somin had booked you in for a wine tasting session at the resort's most luxurious bar in celebration of the engagement. Sure, you liked drinking the stuff as much as the next person but Somin's mindless gloating about her dashingly handsome CEO boyfriend-turned-fiancé couldn't be drowned out by even the strongest of liqueurs.

Neither could her fruitless attempts at setting you up with Kim Namjoon, Hoseok's rich best friend.

Sure, she liked to think that her intentions were generous, but deep down you knew it was because there was one thing Somin couldn't stand: a smudge on her perfect reputation. And right now, you were the dirty mark she just couldn't clean.

But you promised. To be happy for her and to actually turn up. So you found yourself choking back an excuse invovling your self inflicted headache and dragging yourself to her engagement party despite your reservations.

You could see the distaste on her face when you arrived at the bar ten minutes late, black cocktail dress and fur jacket a far cry from the pretty pink number she'd picked out for you to wear to "impress Namjoon."

Her face darkened even more when you strutted straight past the place marker labelled with your name in her delicate scrawl atop of the seat next to Namjoon himself in favour of slumping down into one of the empty seats beside her at the head of the table.

The truth was you didn't want to date a Namjoon or a Hoseok or any of the other guys swirling aged alcohol in their glasses at the party. You didn't want to be one of the wives hanging off their arms and smiling pretty when they gloated about their business promotions.

Was it too much to want some passion? Something more than a social statement? Maybe you were living in a fairytale you just didn't want to wake up from.

Instead you popped a grape from the intricate table piece displaying a range of wines into your mouth, gathered a deep determined breath and willed the alcohol you were about to pour down your throat to make the night go by faster. Because each time you caught a glimpse of Namjoon your mind drifted back to the pretty boy with tattoos. The one who had held you in his arms and made sure you got home safe and kissed you with a passion unlike anything you'd felt ever before—

"Ma'am? Can I get you anything else?" A formal voice shook you from your thoughts. A voice that sounded strangely familiar.

"Huh?" You started rummaging through your bag, retrieving a cherry red lipstick and a pocket mirror, the tell tale marks on the rim of your glass a sign you needed to touch up.

"I asked if I could get you anything?"

You could see the torso of a young man in the distinct Paradise uniform in your peripheral, barely even glancing in his direction before you were waving him off.

"Im fine, thank you uh, Jeon...Jungkook?"

Your lips curled around the name on his name tag before you could stop yourself.

The lipstick in your fingers clattered to the ground.

It all hit you too quickly, like the breath was sucked out of your lungs. The tattooed forearm that peeked out from beneath the black shirt stretched across his torso, the slightly chapped lips that formed a small 'o' when you locked eyes for the second night in a row.

Except this time you weren't giving him bedroom eyes from across the dance floor and he wasn't ogling your bare legs in the cocktail dress you were wearing because this time it was his hands that shook as he poured wine into your glass and you were expected to tip him generously. Because he was your waiter.

A heat flushed your cheeks and you scrambled to pick up your lipstick but Jungkook was quicker, his hand brushing yours. The contact was brief but you shivered when he pressed the container into your palm.

Jungkook cleared his throat, wiping the shocked expression from his features while you stared at your hand, still processing.

"Better be more careful, ma'am." His voice was formal again, serious. Exactly how a waiter should speak to a customer.

"Y/N." You stammered, daring to look him straight in the eyes for the first time. "My name is Y/N."

Jungkook seemed taken aback, swallowing hard when his gaze dropped to your lips before he was averting his gaze bashfully and pinching the inside of his hand, as if to chastise himself.

Cute.

No! You were not about to admit that he was cute or that were regretting falling asleep last night because goddamn how can one guy have dimples and thighs that look so good in those pants? You resisted throwing your head in your hands and diverted your gaze from his hot cheeks to the tattooed hands which fidgeted at his sides instead.

"What are you doing here?" Your voice was but a whisper, hoping to avoid funny looks from Somin although she seemed engaged in a particularly enthusiastic debate about wedding cake toppers luckily for you.

He started at your voice, seemingly too invested in letting his eyes run over the cleavage which peeked out of the top of your dress to hear you. Huh.

His professional resolve seemed to break. Did he remember last night? He was sober enough surely... "I-I..."

"Excuse me, sir? Do you have any more of that Chateau Margaux? I'd like to taste it again."

The bubble around you and Jungkook popped. His head jerked, attention drawn back to his job and before you could prod him further he was straightening his tie and scurrying across the room in search of some expensive brand of wine.

You took a glug of the liquid in your own glass. Maybe he didn't remember you after all...

You thought back to the way he'd practically done a double take when he saw you. No. He definitely remembered. You could tell by the way he kept glancing up at you from beneath the choppy bangs that covered his eyes, fiddling nervously with the row of black studs littering his ears whenever he thought you weren't looking in his direction.

Everyone around you was engaged in mindless chatter but you were no longer interested, choosing instead to stare over the rim of your glass at the tattooed boy across the room. The Paradise uniform he donned was a far cry from the skin tight leather you'd seen him in last night but you had to admit he still managed to make the black get up look hot.

Maybe he was clumsy or maybe he could feel your eyes on him, a light blush creeping onto his cheeks as he very nearly dropped a crystal wine glass and you had to stifle a giggle, drawing funny looks from the people beside you. You saw a smirk appear on his own lips when he saw how you awkwardly covered the slip with a cough.

The night seemed to drag on as you tried to make small talk with the other guests, desperately trying to ignore the way the waiter's eyes burned into your back. Every moment felt like a fight to focus on Somin's lips as she drawled something about the wine being very dry and you found yourself just nodding where appropriate, too busy remembering how good Jungkook's lips had felt pressed to yours last night.

That's when the idea struck you. It wouldn't be so bad to make it up to him, right? Show him what he missed out on, per se, now that you were marginally more sober. And there was no time like the present...

Perhaps the alcohol had gone to your head. That would be a reasonable explanation for why your head span dizzy with a rush of excitement. For the first time that night you felt something other than utter dread. Something was drawing you to him - something you knew you should just ignore and focus into one of the other more...suitable suitors sitting across from you.

But you couldn't get Jungkook out of your head, especially now he was stood dangerously close to you yet somehow so far away at the same time.

Would it hurt to finish what you'd started the night before?

Oh god, you thought to yourself as you retrieved a pen from your purse, uncapped it and scribbled a note onto a serviette next to the signature Paradise logo. This is a bad idea. The disapproving voice in your head was not enough to stop you from handing the folded napkin to another waiter, a hushed whisper in his ear sending him on his way to the tattooed boy wiping down a table across the room.

You cleared your throat. "I'm going to use the ladies room."

Getting to your feet, the chair scraped across the tile a little too abruptly, drawing everybody at the table from their conversations. The way you folded your napkin was too careful, a ploy to avoid their gazes in fear of giving away your true intentions.

"Wait! I'll come with you." Somin announced, throwing back the red liquid which sloshed at the bottom of her crystal glass. She started to fiddle with the strap of her bag, nearly already on her feet before you were shutting her down hurriedly.  Shit!

"No!" You started, Somin's eyes widening as you waved your hands wildly in a gesture for her to sit back down. "I mean, no! You're the host, you can't leave the guests alone at your own party."

"Oh." Somin fell back into her wicker chair, eyebrows still furrowed at your fervent outburst. She looked a tad hurt at your rejection of her company to powder your noses or whatever she assumed you were slipping away to do (the thought of you getting it on with the waiter of all people probably too unimaginable to even cross her mind) but you didn't have time to feel bad about it - besides, she'd probably forget once one of the blonde girls beside her asked whether she planned on honeymooning in Paris or Prague - as Jungkook was unfolding your note, glancing over your scrawl before scanning the room with wide eyes for the sender - you.

"Hello, earth to Y/N?" Somin's voice snapped you out of your vacant stare, momentarily drawn away from checking out Jungkook's ass to stare down at her. "Will you be okay?"

"What? Oh yeah, I'll be fine." You managed to pull your crimson lips into a tight smile, the action appeasing Somin a little when she settled back into her chair, crossing her bare legs under the table. You were in the clear - now you had to make your escape. "The bathroom is just over there." You said simply, considering but resisting an I'll be back before you know it knowing you would probably be a while.

With that you pulled the strap of your designer bag tightly around your shoulder, excusing yourself with a reassuring smile.

Your red bottoms clicked against the tiles in time with your pulse which only quickened when your hand reached the exit, evening air caressing your face as you slipped through - but not before throwing your hair across your bare shoulders, eyes immediately landing on Jungkook as he fidgeted with the napkin between his fingers. The wink you sent him caused a hot flush to creep up his neck, visible even from where you stood and you ensured to sway your hips a little more than usual while his eyes burned into your back.

A few minutes later and you were stood with your knees knocking on the balcony, the door flying open and sending a slightly sweaty, panting Jungkook tumbling straight into you full force. His eyes widened comically, staggering to a stop but not before his arm was curling around the small of your back instinctively to ensure your balance.

His chest ended up flush to yours, palm a little too close to your ass and he looked nearly as shocked as you did, lip pulled between his teeth as he jerked away from you, as if suddenly remembering something. Probably the fact that you had the power to get him fired for touching you indecently without permission - not that you minded, in this instance.

"Ma'am I'm so sorry-"

"Please call me Y/N." You corrected him quickly. "And it's fine. Not as if I've got anywhere better to be."

He looked down at his feet, swallowing thickly as another blush carressed his cheeks. God he was so cute. "I, uh, had to get someone else to run the tables...can I ask you something?"

"If it's about last night then I wanted to talk about it too." You butt in before he can finish.

You practically heard him gulp at that, looking past you as if meeting your gaze might turn him to dust or something. "Why do you even want to talk to me now you know that I — you know — work here?"

A flirty smile tugged at your lips, your arm brushing against his a little. "I think you know why I want to talk to you."

He coughed anxiously in response, tugging his arm away to interlock it with his other behind his back like they tell the workers here to do, scuffing his black shoes in the gravel.

"Did I..did I do something wrong?" He looked startled." I really need this job so if there's anything I can do to make it up to you.."

You cut him off. "No! Of course not-" You tilted your head, thinking your next words through carefully. "Honestly? I'm the one who should be saying sorry for last night."

His head tilted, confused. "Why? You didn't know who I was so I'm the one in the wrong-"

"It's not that!" He twisted the rings on his fingers, still not soothed. "I'm embarrassed because I had way too much to drink and you were still nice enough to take me home."

"Oh." He scratched his neck, shaking his head with a smile. "Don't be embarrassed, it's the least I could do."

"Well I am," You persisted. "And I wanted to say sorry..."

"Not necessary," He insisted. "I had a good time with you, actually."

"You know, I wanted to kiss you goodnight. Before I fell asleep, like an idiot..." You began to close the space between you. Here goes.

"What?" He smirked cheekily. He seemed to be getting a little more comfortable, the small talk making him forget your social differences. "Are you gonna show me what I missed out on?

"Precisely."

"Wha-"

And with that you placed both hands on his shoulders, no time to acknowledge how broad and strong they felt beneath your touch before your lips were pressing tentatively against his own. You felt him tense beneath you, breath hitching as your teeth grazed his bottom lip.

His reaction was not what you were expecting — his arms pressed to his sides firmly, eyes wide and stiff as his lips stayed still against your advance. You pulled away quickly.

Jungkook's fingertips grazed his lips and you took a step back, allowing a little more breathing space. You turned sheepish. "Sorry, I probably shouldn't have done that."

A few beats of silence followed and it was as if all the confidence you possessed previously melted away into a pitiful puddle beneath your heels. God this was so embarrassing.

Not only had you kissed one of the waiters but he didn't even want to kiss you back.

You fiddled with the fur around your shoulders, desperate to hide your shame. Jungkook was still stood like a statue, mouth open in a small 'o' as he gawked at you.

Clearly you read the signs wrong and he wasn't interested. Idiot.

"I'll be going now." You spun on your heels, tears threatening to prick your eyes with sheer embarrassment at your misjudgement.

"N-no!" Jungkook rushed forward, taking hold of your elbow, forcing you to meet his gaze. "It's not that I don't want to..."

Your interest perked up at this. "Then what?"

"It's just...why do you want to? You know.."

"What?"

"K-kiss me." A small smile graced your lips when he stuttered over the word. Anybody would think he'd never kissed somebody before. "I-I mean, you're you and I'm...me." He looked clueless as if the idea of you wanting him was completely off the cards batshit crazy. It was, in some ways, you supposed.

"You didn't mind last night." You mumbled.

"That was before you knew who I was."

"And you think I would have asked you to come back here if I cared about that?" You studied his face properly for the first time. The quirk of his brow at your question, the way the corners of his mouth twitched cutely and his eyes, staring at you firmly for the first time then.

"I guess not..." He swallowed before squaring his shoulders. As if he was telling himself a mantra. Be confident. "Can you kiss me again?"

You took a step forward again, enjoying the way he shivered lightly when your hand traced up his arm.

Jungkook's lips were parted now, his tongue snaking out to wet their chapped surface. His hands twitched, desperate to reach out and touch you but never quite gathering the confidence to do so; you admired his self control - you weren't sure you would be able to stop yourself from touching him everywhere now he said you could.

With a deep breath you stood on your tiptoes. He was a few foot taller than you, his lips a fair distance from your own until your were closing the gap, his eyelashes fluttering closed against your cheeks this time as you pressed your mouth flush to his in a kiss rougher than the last.

Jungkook's lips moved against yours immediately this time, slotting the damp flesh of his bottom lip between yours. You couldn't help but tug on it a little with your teeth, enjoying the way he sighed into your mouth when you did so.

He was still being careful, treating you as though you were a piece of the fine china he polished eight times a day upstairs. You grabbed both of his hands, placing them firmly at the small of your back and letting out a breathy laugh when he immediately began to rub circles with his thumbs into the flesh of your hips. He was just waiting for the opportunity, willing to give the attention you craved if you allowed him to.

Your own hand had snaked up the back of his neck, tentatively tangling in the hair at the nape and angling his head to crash against yours harder than before.

You could feel yourself getting lost in the heady aroma of his woody cologne, a warmth you recognised as lust pooling in your stomach when he drew you flush against his chest.

His warm skin scorched yours, sticky lips sliding against yours a little too lewdly for the public setting - despite your current predicament you weren't one for PDA - and you found it hard to pull back for air, his forehead coming to rest against yours, panting as you admired his reddened, swollen lips.

"Is there anywhere we can go that's more private?" You managed to get out between laboured breaths, hand coming to cup his cheek gently as he nodded a little too eagerly, knocking your heads together. He bowed his head, apologising bashfully as he removed himself from your hold.

"Y-yeah." He stammered, making you giggle at his awkwardness. "I think I know a place."

His eyes dropped to your hand, as if debating whether he had the balls to take it and before long he was nodding decisively and lacing his fingers with your own firmly. His palm was clammy, testament of your effect on him but he squeezed tightly anyway, dragging you behind him around the back of a bar and into a little back room labelled VIP’S ONLY.

The room was cool enough to have the hairs raising on your arms, glass cases filled with rows of chilled wine bottles lining the walls. You realized this must be one of the private rooms which country club members booked out if they wanted to share a few drinks with a little more privacy.

"Nobody comes down here unless we get a special request." Jungkook asserted as he fiddled with the light.

The place was plush, typical of Paradise - a faux fur rug on the ground, even its own chandelier - and of course, two chairs around a table, already set up with matching glasses, as if someone had been expecting you to wander in here with a good looking waiter. Perfect.

You discarded your jacket and reached for a bottle of red on the middle shelf, the glass cold to the touch. It looked expensive. You would have to add it to the bill upstairs. "Care for a drink-"

You were expecting an answer but Jungkook wasn't listening, his hands wrapping around your wrists and pressing you against the shelves with an audible thump, the bottles rattling precariously but you were too focused on the way Jungkook scanned your face hungrily to care.

It was as if he couldn't wait any longer, the grip keeping your arms suspended enough to bruise; his broad chest wracked with his laboured breath, your own body squirming beneath him as he hovered over you and effortlessly made your legs turn to jelly.

Then his lips were on you; everywhere and anywhere they could find an expanse of skin, mouthing harshly at your exposed collar bones and then your neck before nibbling gently at your jaw and drawing a breathless whine from your lips when his tongue slipped out to sooth the grazes left by his teeth.

You couldn't take the teasing any longer, tilting your head so his lips were in line with yours and he wasted no time in connecting them.

Unlike before he took control, crushing your lips with desperation. When you felt his hot tongue slip into your mouth you practically melted against him, a damp throb appearing between your legs. He tasted of whisky and grape and you already found yourself addicted.

Jungkook was already out of breath, panting lightly into your mouth when he let go of your hands in favour of allowing them to curl around his neck, crushing his chest against yours close enough to feel the way your heart was hammering.

Jungkook let his hands trail down your sides, touch firm as they edged closer and closer to the curve of your ass. The action had you writhing, willing him to just hurry up and touch you like you could tell he wanted to but he hesitated when you let out a frustrated moan into his mouth, clearly mistaking it for discomfort.

"Sorry," He ripped his hands away, resting them more modestly on your waist. He was blinking at you now, somewhat shy again, the way he drank your bare legs in hungrily the only evidence of the rougher Jungkook from before. "Got carried away. 's cause you look so pretty."

You practically flushed at this. His choppy fringe was covering his eyes, but the dark arousal was still evident in them, even if his lidded gaze was cautious. His lips were smudged with your red lipstick and you imagined yours were not in any better condition.

"I liked it." You assured him, trying your best to calm the waver in your voice by biting your lip as seductively as humanly possible when your head was spinning with the scent of his woody cologne and lust, tracing your hands down his arms encouragingly and removing them from your hips to guide them beneath the hem of your skin tight dress to cup the flesh of your ass directly this time.

His hands were burning hot against your bare skin, a delicious contrast to the cold wine cooler against your back. Jungkook shuddered above you, letting out a groan - an actual one, not like the choked ones he'd been suppressing until now - unable to stop his swollen lips from bumping against yours again and you smirked into the kiss mischievously knowing you had found a chip in his resolve. "You're not too bad yourself, by you way."

"Shit." Jungkook gasped, hot breath mingling with yours, torso shifting uncomfortably. Although he seemed desperate to hide the growing arousal in his pants, the noises that left his mouth weren't doing much to conceal it — and as soon as you rolled your hips up to brush your own crotch against his momentarily he was falling apart, knuckles turning white as he staggered to grip the shelf above you like his life depended on it. "Ah s-shit!"

You rolled your hips again, enjoying the way his head fell into the crook of your neck. He hissed into your hair every time his bulge brushed against the cotton of your panties, his length rock hard in his pants to the point you considered it may be painful.

"You're already this hard?" You managed to get out between a small moan of your own as his hips stuttered into action, meeting your thrusts in a way that put pressure directly on your clit which was pulsating by now.

"Can't help it." he admitted, squeezing his eyes shut and focusing on the feeling of his cock circling your clothed heat, desperate to get any relief.

He was lost to the feeling and you took advantage of his lowered guard by flipping him over and slotting yourself between his legs, pulse racing when you caught the look of surprise on his face. Never allowing your body to stop moving you were diving for his neck with an instinct nearly primal, leaving open mouthed kisses down the centre. His adam's apple bobbed as he swallowed hard, choking back a strangled moan when you found his sweet spot - just behind his ear - and began sucking at it teasingly.

So he was a sucker for neck kisses, huh? Interesting.

You couldn't help but feel proud that you managed to get him to practically melt beneath you, his hands grabbing at your dress in any attempt to pull you closer to his body, as if you weren't already grinding on his hard cock with your mouth latched onto his neck intent on leaving a mark. Your heart swelled every time he let out a little gasp, pleased it was you making him fall apart so easily.

You removed yourself from his neck, looking up at him through your lashes as you let your fingers trail down his stomach, the ache in your heat intensifying when you felt the toned muscles of his abs beneath his shirt. Your fingers found the button of his pants, fiddling with it until the warmth of his big palms covered yours, grip firm enough to stop your ministrations entirely. You furrowed your eyebrows, confused. "You don't want me to?"

"God no, fuck I do," Jungkook managed to stammer. His voice was thick with lust, the huskiness making your core throb for attention. "Jus' wanna make sure you do, that's all."

You smiled at the way his lips parted cutely, scanning your face for any sign of hesitation. You pushed his hands away, palming him through his trousers and returning to your previous ministrations by making quick work of his pants button. "Believe me I want to." You confirmed before untucking his shirt, allowing your hands to roam beneath it. His breath hitched when your fingers explored his bare skin for the first time, smirking at the way he tensed beneath your touch.

Jungkook licked his lips in anticipation, eyes trained to the hand slipping beneath the waistband of his boxers. The whine that left his lips when your hand finally wrapped around his cock had you rubbing your legs together, panties sticky against your sensitive folds. Jungkook's head lolled back against the shelf, eyes squeezed shut as you ran your hand up his length once and then twice. His pants were pulled down enough to expose the reddened head of his cock, clit pulsing as it twitched when your palm smeared the wetness that gathered there down his shaft.

"F-fuck," Jungkook got out between gritted teeth. "Feels so good."

Your core was practically dripping by this point, desperate for any relief, hole clenching around nothing when your hips tried to grind against something, anything to no avail.

Jungkook must have noticed the way your bit your lip in frustration, wasting no time trying to offer you some much needed relief by hooking a hand beneath your knee, encouraging your leg to wrap around his waist and sending you straight on to his semi-clothed cock.

You both let out a groan when your panty clad core began to move in circles against his nearly bare length, your sensitive clit finally getting some attention.

You reached between your bodies to wrap your hand around his length again, using the palm of your hand to massage the swollen head in time with the roll of your hips. Jungkook's face fell into your shoulder, muffling a strangled moan next to your ear. "I'll c-cum if you keep this up, fuck."

His words went straight to your heat, eyes fluttering shut and pace turning sloppy as you lost yourself to the feeling of his length slipping up and down your sopping slit, the blunt end of his cock so close to your needy hole that he could fill you right up if you just moved your panties to the side, a visible wet patch appearing on the cotton as the action made the fabric cling to your folds.

"I want you so bad," Your words slurred, brain completely clouded by arousal and everything Jungkook - the way his hands gripped your hips firmly, guiding you through the motions, the way his lips let out hot gasps of air against your neck with every twist of your hand, the way his cock was already leaking needily against your palm. "Fuck."

"P-please," Jungkook muttered huskily, nibbling in the lobe of your ear. "I can't — please just let me..." His sentence drew out into a low moan when you squeezed his cock, halting your movements in favour of looking up at his fucked out expression.

"What?" You were curious now. His cheeks were rosy, breath quickening when you pulled back and allowed him to look between you at where your hand was wrapped around his shaft, then back up to your expression which you were aware was probably just as fucked out as his. Truth be told you would let him do literally anything he wanted to right now, let him have you in any way but you needed to hear him say it first. "Let you what?

Jungkook licked his lips, hips bucking up lightly into your hand that still didn't budge. Cute. "Let me taste you — fuck please."

The words alone nearly sent you over the edge, clit throbbing at the thought of feeling his lips around it, mouth forming a small 'o' as Jungkook finally let go of all his shyness. "O-oh — fuck okay."

Your mouth was dry, legs putty under his lustful stare. Permission was all it took for him to snap, sweeping you up of the ground with his palms under your ass, legs naturally curling around his waist. He grunted when your fingers tangled in his hair, tilting his head back to connect your lips in a heated kiss while he stumbled to throw you down roughly on the table.

"You're driving me crazy, you know that?" Jungkook never left your lips as he hovered over your body, encouraging you to lay flat against the surface beneath you. His arms slid up your waist to find your arms, pinning them next to your head harshly. "Leave 'em there."

You did as he said, enjoying this bossy side of Jungkook. Before he was cautious, eager to please you but careful not to scare you away; now he was too far gone to care, desperate to get you out of your clothes and wreck you as quickly as he could, all worries dissipating when his hands roamed across the swell of your breasts.

His large palms cupped your tits through your dress, though the low cut didn't leave much to the imagination, your hardened nipples visible through the fabric. The way you bit back a moan as his fingers brushed the hardened buds made the corners of his lips turn up slightly though it was quickly replaced by an open mouthed gawk when he got the spaghetti straps down your shoulders and pulled down the front of your dress.

"No bra?" He spluttered, wide eyed.

"N-nope." The hitch in your voice as he cupped your breasts skin-on-skin was unmistakable.

"F-fuck." He whispered, taking in the way you squirmed beneath him every time his thumb stroked your hardened nipple. He looked almost amazed at the effect he was having on you. "You're so hot shit." That came as more of an unconscious after thought, his mouth already latched onto your nipple and flicking it sinfully with his tongue before you could respond.

His hand snaked between your legs, dragging up and down your inner thighs a few times before finally settling on your core. His thumb slipped beneath your panties, finding your clit immediately making you keen at the sudden contact. He rubbed firm circles into the swollen bud, getting you to squirm as you finally found some relief from the needy pulse in your core.

Jungkook's finger gingerly teased your swollen entrance, feeling the way it clenched in anticipation as you panted, desperate to be filled in any way. "Please, Jungkook." His eyes met yours and you could tell he didn't have the strength to tease, your begging enough to have him pushing one of his digits inside you to the knuckle, almost as if he couldn't resist it any longer himself.

"Oh," You couldn't help but whimper when he curled his finger inside you, dragging agonisingly slowly against your velvety walls. "So good - more p-please."

Before you could adjust to the feeling, Jungkook was circling a second finger at your entrance. The slow slide inside had you panting, both digits stretching you open a little more as Jungkook upped his pace so that the lewd sounds of your wetness echoed throughout the vault.

It wasn't long before you felt Jungkook's hot breath against your thigh, his free hand spreading your legs as far as he could. He wasn't on his knees for a near second before his fingers were leaving you despite your whine of protest when your core was once again left with the feeling of emptiness.

Jungkook encouraged you to lift up your ass so he could pool your dress at your waist, now allowing him full access to the place you needed him most. His fingers gently toyed with the waistband of your panties, eyes darting across your nearly bare core like a man starved although he needed reassuring before he could see you completely. "Fuck, just take them off already."

"O-okay." Jungkook sped into action, dragging the cotton down to your ankles and finally taking in your bare heat, letting out a whimper when you gasped at the cold air against your swollen clit.

"Fuck you're so wet." There he was, wide eyed Jungkook back again as he drank in the sight of your dripping heat but you didn't have time to think about how goddamn cute he was before he was lapping a flat stripe up your slit, head falling back against the table with a whine instead. "Mmf tastes so good."

"It's y-you who got me like this." You managed to stammer between laboured breaths when his pointed tongue began to target your clit, the sensation almost too much to handle, your legs determined to close around his head if it weren't for his fierce grip around your thighs keeping them open.

"Me?" Jungkook sounded breathless, hot breath ghosting across your dripping folds and making you shiver. "God I want to see you cum on my tongue."

The hot throb between your legs only intensified hearing Jungkook speak with a new found confidence, the glint in his darkened eyes conveying his determination to make you come undone with just his mouth. And judging by the way your breath hitched every time he teasingly grazed his teeth across your needy clit it wouldn't take much. "I'll come just listening to you talk if you don't — oh."

Jungkook didn't wait for you to beg even though you would have if he'd asked you to, instead throwing your legs over his shoulders, pads of his fingers attacking your clit and prodding against your clenching entrance with his tongue. You were writhing again as soon as you felt him push inside, unable to keep your hands pressed to the table any longer and instead finding your fingers twisting into his curls to encourage him to keep going.

"Fuck right there," you panted when he pushed a finger into your heat, the way it curled against your sweet spot combined with the feeling of his tongue lapping noisily at your clit enough to have you tugging his roots mercilessly. " 'm gonna cum—"

The coil in your stomach was tightening rapidly and you could feel your high approaching, a few more flicks of his tongue all it would take to have you coming undone, you were sure of it.

Jungkook's hand slid up your body to fondle your breasts greedily, his fingers twisting your nipples painfully slow in comparison to the way his mouth devoured your slit. The sudden pleasure made you writhe and he had to use his other hand to hold you against his tongue, snorting when you whined a little louder than you wanted to.

"Want you to cum for me so bad," he coaxed, tongue getting sloppy now as he opted to pull your clit between his lips instead, sucking obscenely, the motion enough to tip you over the edge with a cry. Your power of your high had tears spilling down your cheeks, thoughts wiped of anything other than the way your legs shook with your release and Jungkook's thumb stroking your hip encouragingly. "That's it, let me see you cum."

Your hands pressed him against your folds firmly and he moaned into your mound - at your neediness or at your hole clenching deliciously around the fingers that still pumped into you throughout your high you couldn't tell - but the vibrations were almost too much against your sensitive clit.

"Fuck Jungkook, I can't ugh." Your fingers found the collar of his shirt, pulling him upwards until he was face to face with you again. The sight of his lips glistening with your arousal was enough to kick start another bout of lust pooling in your stomach, the way his tongue cheekily swiped as much of it from around his lips making you dizzy with want for him - all of him.

"You're pretty when you cum." He spoke softly, still trying to regain his breath as he hovered over you. You must have appeared as speechless as you felt - a testament to his ability to give earth shattering orgasms with just his tongue - and it made him furrow his brow, eyes darting away from yours bashfully. "W-was that good for you?"

You connected your lips to his in a reassuring peck, the tang of your own arousal mixing with the wine which still lingered on your tongue from earlier. "Fucking incredible."

A smile spread across his features at your confirmation, knuckle wiping away the tear of pleasure that streaked your cheeks. You couldn't help but return his grin, slowly dragging your hands down his chest until they reached the hem of his shirt.

"Wait!" Jungkook tensed. "W-we can stop now if you don't wanna..."

"But I do want to," Nipping at his neck had him shuddering in your grasp. "Need to. So bad." You got out between kisses across his cheek, getting ever closer to his sticky lips.

"Sure?" Jungkook's hands came to cover yours, gently guiding you to raise his shirt like you were itching to do. Anything to see him. "I'm happy to just get you off."

"Fuck, why are you always the one being nice to me?"

His shirt was around his neck by now, muffling his breathy laugh as he shook the garment off. "I think I'm the real winner here after that."

You leaned back onto your elbows in an effort to drink him in - the real him, not the him covered by a baggy uniform - his broad shoulders, the tattoo that curved across his shoulder, tiny waist dipping into a perfect V at the hem of his pants. "I'm definitely sure."

If you didn't know better he was unsure of your prolonged stare, almost looking as if he wanted to wrap his arms around his chest to hide from your gaze. In all truth you were just glad to not be the only one who was exposed, reminded all too suddenly that you were semi naked, core on display for him.

He seemed to remember too, zoning in on your tits and groaning when you pressed your hardened nipples to his chest skin on skin. "I can't believe how hot you are." His warm hands cupped your chin. "Can't believe you're letting me see you like this."

"Me neither," You breathed, Jungkook's eyes widening. "How hot you are I mean."

His adam's apple bobbed when you managed to shimmy his trousers down his thighs, pupils dilated with anticipation or need you couldn't tell.

"Let me suck you?" You had to resist licking your lips, mouth nearly drooling at the thought of returning the favour and wrapping your mouth around his hard length. He had felt heavy and long in your palm earlier and you had to swallow thickly to ignore the way your core throbbed at the thought of his hot cock fucking your mouth mercilessly.

"I-I don't think I'll last if I feel your mouth." Jungkook's hand cupped his bulge through the fabric of his boxers, hissing at the contact.

"Are you sure?" Your fingers clasped his wrist, bringing his hand to your lips and fluttering your lashes at him innocently when you wrapped your tongue around two of his digits. They still tasted of you and the thought alone had a moan caught in his throat and you knew you had broken him when he pushed his throbbing length against your leg, desperate for some relief.

"Shit, that's so hot." Voice barely a whisper, mouth agape as he studied the way you guided his fingers in and out of your mouth messily. "But I nearly came just from eating you out so —"

You sighed with mock exasperation. "Then just fuck me."

"F-fuck you? Now?" The surprise in his tone at your request was almost comical. As if he hadn't just eaten you out on this very table and fucking you was somehow crazy in comparison.

You traced the head of his cock through his boxers with your fingertip teasingly, holding back a moan at the wet patch which appeared on the front of the fabric. His breathing was almost as ragged as yours, hips lightly bucking into the contact. "I wanna cum with you inside me."

Jungkook's eyes bulged, a groan leaving his throat. "I-I can do that."

"Good." You let your lips connect, biting down on his lower one cheekily. "Be a good boy, hm?"

Jungkook's eyes squeezed shut and he let out a shaky breath when he covered your hand with his larger one, guiding it under the waistband of his boxers which quickly joined his trousers around his ankles. He hissed when you smacked his hand away, finally able to stroke his length properly.

"Fuck I need to be inside you right now." He stammered, palm squeezing your shoulder tightly as he tried to control his breathing when you twisted your palm around the sensitive tip of his cock. "I won't last otherwise."

You let up your unrelenting pace on his length and he let out a sigh of relief. He must have been really holding back huh? You bit your lip when you felt him pulse in your palm, your entrance clenching in anticipation for what was to come. He felt girthy and you nearly whined at the thought of how good he would stretch you out. How good it would feel to finally have him filling you up like you wanted.

"Please." You felt him spread your legs as far as he could, his hand replacing yours at the base of his cock. He stroked himself a few times as he drank in the way you shuddered beneath him, core soaking and completely on display for him.

"Look at you," He murmured huskily. "All pretty and spread out for me."

"F-fuck Jungkook, what are you-"

Jungkook ran the head of his cock up and down your slit agonisingly slow, a gasp leaving you when the action provided some much needed relief to your pulsing clit before he was circling your entrance teasingly. "Want me to be a good boy huh?"

His eyes were darker than ever before, utterly consumed by lust and the way they bore into yours made you writhe. "Please I need to feel you, ugh."

Jungkook put pressure on your clit again, leaving your hole feeling emptier than ever. "Would a good boy do this hm? Tease you like you tease me?"

"No - ah!"  The head of his cock slipped into your entrance, arousal dripping down your ass now in anticipation for the full thing. As much as you tried to push back onto him, slide down his shaft and feel him fill you completely, he was unrelenting. You had to admire his self control considering the way his cock twitched against your heat gave away just how close he was.

"Y-you never even looked at me before today," Jungkook breathed, hips stuttering with a desparation to sink into your velvet heat. You tried to reach between your legs in an attempt to relieve the ache in your clit but Jungkook was too quick, pinning your wrist to the table. "But now look at you, about to cum around my cock yeah?"

"Mmf, please Jungkook I need you." You gave in, begging now. "Need you so bad oh my god—"

"That's more like it." And then he was sinking into you, slow enough to feel every ridge of him drag against your velvety walls. Once he bottomed out he let his face fall into the crook of your neck, completely lost to the feeling of you clenching around him. "So tight, fuck."

"Move!" You pleaded, scratching at his bare back. He obliged, hips snapping back until he was almost falling out of you before he was sliding back in again, both grunting at the feeling of him finally stuffing you full.

Hearing the way he slid in and out of you so easily, the squelching sound audible over his thighs slapping against your ass every time he bottomed out made you even more eager to take as much of him as you could, twisting your hips to meet his thrusts and making him groan when he saw the way your face twisted with a desperate pleasure.

"Want me that bad baby?" The pet name made your heat pulse. Jungkook hooked his arm beneath your knees, pulling your legs together above him, the action making your entrance even tighter than before and allowing him to hit deeper than ever, the head of his cock brushing your sweet spot with every stroke. "S-so fucking close." He stuttered.

You managed to open your eyes, taking in the way his long hair stuck to his forehead, beads of sweat glistening across his tattooed chest as he focused all his attention on ramming himself inside your pussy with a roughness you didn't think he was capable of. You weren't sure you'd be able to walk once he was done with you but it felt too good to beg him to stop.

Jungkook felt the way you clenched around his rock hard member, confirming you were just as close to a second high. He began to roll his hips upwards, his pubic bone grinding against your clit with every thrust of his cock and by that point you were lost to the pressure building in the pit of your stomach.

"Gonna cum again for me?" Junkook's lips brushed against your ear lobe, hot breath making you shudder. "G-going to fill you up so good, fuck." He was just muttering to himself now, earlier shyness lost to the feeling, filthy words turning you on even more knowing the fact.

"Mmf gonna c-cum." You managed to stammer between thumps of your heart.

"What will your friends think when they see you've been fucked out nice and good?" A strangled moan left him at the mere thought. "My cum dripping down your legs? Ah!"

That was all it took to have you cumming around his length, vision turning black as you felt the tension in your core finally release, his hips stuttering as he found his own release deep inside your pussy, the feeling of him filling you up making you whimper with oversensitivity.

Jungkook's pants were hot against your neck and you pulled him to your face by the collar, smirking when he struggled to move his lips against your own, still completely lost to the blissful feeling of his cock softening inside you.

"T-too sensitive." You mumbled against the corner of his mouth when he wriggled his hips, his eyes snapping open and scanning your face for discomfort before he was slipping out of you with a small gasp.

He took your face into his palms, planting one last kiss to your swollen lips before he was giving you a bashful lopsided smile. "Sorry I uh, got a little carried away."

The way he scratched the back of his neck awkwardly made your brain scream cute, cute, cute, before you were returning his grin. "I liked it."

He seemed surprised. "Y-you did?"

"Mmm." You shimmied your dress back down around the curve of your ass, shamelessly ogling Jungkook's naked torso as he buttoned his trousers back around his waist. "Couldn't you tell how hard I came?"

"Not as hard as I did!" The words sounded a little too eager and Jungkook sucked in a breath, dropping his shirt before it could even make it around his shoulders and making his red cheeks burn harder. "I've kinda uh...noticed you for a while now. Like before we met at the club..." He admitted.

Cute but the implications of his words made you wince. Why did you only just notice me?

You were eager to put him at ease. "Well, you definitely made a good first impression." That made him smile a little. "How about a sorry gift? For keeping you waiting?"

"What?" He asked cheekily. "You gonna give me a tip or something?"

"I didn't think of that," You mused. Instead you picked up your soiled panties, slipping them into the back pocket of his trousers with a flirty smile. "Maybe next time."

"N-next time?"

[thescatterbrainedwriter]

Unexpected Karaoke

Word count: ~4,000

Warnings: none

Pairings: Oc x Cannon (lite)

Flash fanfic

**Note: at this point in time, none of team Flash know what Estrata’s real name is. Estrata = Emily. Also, Emily is my personal character. I just like to stick her in places 😅 Enjoy!! 🥔 🎨

——

Two weeks, only about two weeks had passed since the enlightenment was halted and Harrison was given his basic mind back. While he wasn’t the easiest person to deal with he cared deeply for the Team Flash of Earth 1, it just happened to be buried under layers of grump and grief and worry. It was so buried in fact, Emily couldn’t really believe she had taken a liking to him. Everyone was devastated when they heard what was happening to his mind because of the thinking cap, and everyone was equally ecstatic when Marlize was able to restore it, but Emily underestimated how much it affected her. Which is probably how she found herself in this predicament.

The last time Jessie had payed Earth 1 a visit, Emily gave her a subspace communication relay in order to contact the Lab on Earth 1 easier. It was able to link up to the coms to both her personal headset and the coms in the cortex, something she discovered was possible by accident when Thawn was masquerading as Dr. Wells. With this new avenue opened, they were able to keep tabs on the reconstruction of Earth 2 after Zoom and Jessie could ask Barry questions if needed without breaching. It also meant Emily could call Jessie and vice versa whenever the opportunity struck them, and the opportunity that presented itself to Emily had her debating wether or not to call.

Secluding herself in her accommodation room, she paced around. The constant mental back and forth had caused her heart rate to increase due to self imposed stress and indecision. It would be totally understandable to call and ask how he’s doing, given what he went through recently, she told herself. Besides, I’m sure the rest of the team would like a status update. We all got attached to him after all, I could even ask how the reconstruction was going, or how Jessie is doing. I’m sure it’s been hard on her too. She paused, turned on her heels, and reversed the circle she was walking in. No, no, I don’t want to bother her. I’m sure she’s busy with her own responsibilities. I don’t want to come off as clingy either, she contradicted herself. But I’m sure he’ll appreciate the fact we’re all thinking about him and checking in to see how he’s doing, she said reversing the circle again. Ugh, but what if.....what if the constant checks are irritating to him? It’s only been 11 days and he’s gotten 5 check in calls already. Then again, some of those check ins were about the reconstruction and Jessie, he just happened to be in the background. She smiled remembering one call where he managed to push Jessie out of frame a took it over, and another where he claimed to have borrowed the relay just to say hi. I’ll have to build him his own, that way Jessie won’t have to share, or at the very least have it stolen again. Yes, I think I’ll do that.

Having made up her mind and deciding not to call, she headed toward Cisco’s lab to see if she could find equivalent parts to the relay she already made for Jessie. She hadn’t even made it two steps toward the door when her earpiece chimed. Calling up the accompanying hud screen she was surprised to see Jessie calling. “Oh, Jessie hey! Believe it or not I was debating on if I should call you or not. What a coincidence.”

“Yeah, how ‘bout that,” Jessie replied with a smile. “I was just calling to see how things were going there. Anything exciting?”

“No, not really. Just, you know, meeting Barry and Iris’ daughter. Their future daughter.”

“Wait, what??” Jessie near yelled. “Future daughter? How??”

“Turns out she’s a little speedster herself,” Emily replied with a shrug.

“Wha— well actually that doesn’t surprise me, honestly.” They both laughed in unison before Emily paused. “Well, since you’re already on call,” she started, “how’s your dad? Is he still improving?”

“Uhhh, yeah,” Jessie replied looking around what looked like the living room behind her. “Yeah, he’s starting to be his old brainy self again.”

“Jessie? Is that you? Who are you talking to?” Emily heard a voice echo from somewhere behind the girl. “Yeah, it’s just me,” Jessie responded yelling off screen. “It’s Estrata, she was wondering how you were doing.”

“Estrata?” Harry repeated now sounding closer. “Hey, hey!” Harry greeted barging his way into frame. “Hi, what’s up?” Emily chuckled as Jessie groaned in protest at the intrusion. “Dad, c’mon really?”

“Harry, really. Give her some space, you’re practically melding your face into hers.”

“Oh come one, she loves this,” he teased rubbing his cheek against hers. “See?”

“Uuuugh, dad! Stop that!” Jessie complained pushing him away. “Honestly, I don’t know which version of you is more annoying.”

“Aww, he just loves you is all,” Emily teased with a chuckle.

“Oh not you too!” She whined with a laugh.

“So, you calling to check on me again?” Harry asked with a smile.

“Oh no, actually I was the one who called her,” Jessie replied. “Figured I’d be the one to check in for a change.”

“Oh, I see,” Harry said a little sad.

“She was debating on calling though,” she added with a smirk. Harry looked at her, then Emily. “Oh? You were? Why didn’t you?”

“I....didn’t want to seem like I was bothering you,” she explained. “It’s only been about 2 weeks and you’ve had so many calls already and—“

“Estrata,” he interjected, “it’s ok. Really. You guys are like family, and family makes sure everyone’s ok.”

*Yeah, family...* Emily thought to herself. *We’re family, not more.* “Well, since you seem to be well on your way to mending, and Jessie, you seem to be holding up pretty well along with Earth 2, I’m gonna go. I have a project planned and have yet to start.”

“Oh hey, wait!” Harry cut in nearly shoving Jessie out if the way again as he leaned over the back of the couch. “You had, wanted to, uh, see Earth 2 right?”

“Uh, yeah? Why?”

“Well, reconstruction is, as you said, going well, and while it may not look like— much like how it was before, it uh, it would be. Well it would be a good opportunity to come and, uh, see things. If-if you still wanted to, that is. I could even show you around, if yooouuu wanted.”

Emily paused with a small smile as he rambled and was amused with how he seemed to get flustered by the end of it. The pause seemed to make him more nervous as he darted his eyes toward Jessie. “Jessie could come too, if you wanted. You’re ok with that right?”

“Uh yeah, yeah sure. I, would actually love that.”

“See, she would love it. So, what do you think?” Harry asked with a hint of excitement.

“Ok, alright. You’ve convinced me,” Emily chuckled. “When would be a good day?”

Harry froze clearly not having thought this far, maybe not even thinking this conversation would even happen in the first place. “Toooooomorrow would probably be a good fit,” Jessie offered noting his brain freeze. “I can get the night off from being Jessie Quick, Dad’s taking fewer hours at the lab and by the sounds of things, you have one extra hand to help with whatever meta comes up. You should be able to get away for a night, right.”

Harry watched the screen in anticipation as Emily considered the points. “Yeah, ok.” She finally said with a smile. “I’ll tell them I’ll be gone tomorrow night. What time did you want to start the tour?”

“6:30?” Harry postulated looking at Jessie for confirmation. “That works for me,” she confirmed. “Hmmmm, yeah I think I can swing that,” Emily confirmed as well. “Please keep in mind though, it’s possible I’ll be late. We’re trying to find a particularly difficult meta, one that’s killing other metas. So it might get, well, a little dicey. I’ll call if I have to cancel, alright?” Harry and Jessie both stared at her with blank expressions. “You, uh, failed to mention that point of excitement,” Jessie said.

“Oh, I did?” Emily asked obliviously.

“Uh huh, yeah. You did. You only mentioned Barry and Iris’ daughter, by the way what was her name?”

“Wait, they have a daughter?” Harry asked with the news. “Future daughter,” Jessie answered. Harry sighed bowing his head. “Of course there’s time travel involved.....”

“Nora,” Emily answered. “Nora West-Alan after Barry’s mom. She also decided to follow in Barry’s footsteps by becoming a CSI.”

“I don’t think I could expect anything less,” Harry commented.

“Alright, so we’ll expect you by 6:30 but will plan for delays. Sound cool?” Jessie said getting the conversation back on track. Harry and Emily nodded in agreement. “Yes, that sounds like a plan,” Emily confirmed.

“Alright, I’ll— we’ll, see you tomorrow,” Harry said with an awkward smile. “Oh and, please. Be careful, with the, the murder, meta.” Emily smiled back with a wide grin. “I’m always careful, don’t you worry,” she said waving goodbye before Jessie ended the call. She stood dwelling on the conversation for a while before she continued toward Cisco’s lab, what better opportunity to deliver him his own relay than when she went to visit.

——

Shortly after Weather Witch was apprehended and her weather vein turned in, Emily hung around the cortex and waited for team to come back thinking of how to say what she needed to say. Once everyone was present she decided to just go for it. “Hey, guys?” They paused turning their attention to her. “I’m uh, I’m not gonna be available, tonight. I have plans.”

“What kind of plans?” Barry asked curiously. She never had plans and usually hung around the lab all the time. “I uhm, I am going to Earth 2.” Emily replied.

“Is everything ok over there?” Barry asked somewhat concerned.

“Oh yeah yeah,” Emily assured. “I was just invited to a tour around.”

“Really? A tour?” Barry asked sadly. Emily giggled. “Yeah, I had mentioned in passing that I wanted to see Earth 2 seeing as it’s so different and Harry said it was a pretty good time to see it since everything is relatively quiet now.”

“Harry invited you?” Cisco asked raising an eyebrow.

“Him and Jessie. She actually set up the time.” Cisco smiled. “Oh ok. She was the one who set up the time.”

Emily squinted at him. “....yes....? Anyway, I won’t be able to help with Cicada, but with Nora here I doubt you’ll miss me much.”

“You gonna need me to open a breach?” Cisco asked.

“No, Harry has that covered. Thanks though.” Cisco pouted having wanted to witness the potential awkwardness. “Alright, well, I’m gonna go get ready to leave. Behave and, don’t hurt yourselves too badly, alright?”

“Can’t promise you anything,” Barry said with a smile.

“We’ll make sure he’s safe. For the most part anyway,” Cisco adds. Emily smiles with a nod before exiting to start preparations to travel to Earth 2. As she was leaving Cisco’s lab having picked up some spare parts for Harry to repair his relay if needed, Nora came across her. “Oh, hey Estrata! What cha doin?”

“Oh, Nora!” she said in surprise. “Hey! I uh, I’m just. Uhhh.....” Emily paused trying to think of how to put it. “I’m going to Earth 2 for a tour with Harry and Jessie.”

“Like a date?” Nora asked.

“Erm, n-no. Not a date,” Emily stuttered suddenly nervous about such prospect. “No, with the reconstruction after Zoom well on its way, and I think near completion at this point, Harry said it was a good opportunity for me to get a good look around. I’ve wanted to see things since my first accidental visit.”

“Accidental visit?” Nora said quizzically. “What do you mean by accidental?”

“Well, you see, I’m able to make personalized wormholes to get to and from different points faster. Usually I’m able to use them without issue but, recently I’ve been ‘Earth hopping’ and somehow managing to travel to Earths in different multiverses. In this case I managed to stay in this particular one.” Nora stared at her trying to compute what she was just told. “Soooo, kinda like how my dad uses the speed force to go to other Earths?” Emily paused to consider the comparison. “Yeah, kinda. Just, with more room for unforeseen world travel. The way I do it can be wildly inaccurate.”

“Sounds pretty scary,” Nora commented.

Emily shrugged. “I was terrified the first time it happened, but now I’m pretty used to it, if not a little annoyed,” she sighed with a smile. “I’m ready to go home, but the places I’ve landed and people I’ve met have made me less homesick.”

“Hope I’m one of those people,” Nora smiled.

“Yes, yes you are,” Emily confirmed making her smile wider. “I can confidently say I’ve not met anyone like you in all my travels.”

“So how many other Earths have you gone to?”

Emily paused to think. “Hmmm, looks like......7 at the very least. Not including multiverse Earths.” Nora’s eyes grew wide in awe at the number. “Wow....” she whispered making Emily chuckle. “Ok, well, I have to finish getting ready. Could you try helping Cisco keep your father safe while I’m gone for the night?”

“Oh? All night?” Nora asked mischievously. Emily’s face dropped unenthusiastically and gave her a look. “No,” she said plainly. “Not for that.” Nora just smiled. “Ok, whatever you say.” Emily huffed before heading off to change. She wanted to see if she could blend in and not stand out so much and decided on straight brown pants, a green blouse, and some flats. She stood looking in the mirror wondering if this was too much before taking a breath deciding to forget thinking about it too deeply and left for the breach room.

On her way down one of her drones who were free roaming followed her whirring in curiosity asking what she was doing. “Oh, hey GP. Where? I’m going to Earth 2.” The drone whirred again in concern. “I’ll be ok. I promise. It’ll just be for a few hours,” she said only managing a few steps before the drone was in her face again rambling on about its concerns. She chuckled grabbing it gently with both hands, similar to cupping someone’s face, and smiled softly. “Is this your way of saying you wanna come too?” It made what sounded like a sheepish admittance sound making her giggle. “Ok, fine. You can come too. But we have to hurry, it’s almost time to go.” Just as she entered the breach room a connection forms and Harry appears. Emily smiled and waved, Harry returning the gesture with an awkward smile. “Ready?” He asked. Emily nodded enthusiastically. “Yes!”

He extended a hand toward the breach ushering her in first, Emily bowed with a smile before jumping through with Harry right behind. Jessie greeted them on the other side with a smile. “Hey Es!” She said with a wave. “Welcome back to Earth 2!”

“Hey Jessie!” Emily replied. “Long time no see! In person anyway.” Jessie laughed in agreement as Harry popped back through and the breach closed once again. “Alright, lets get going,” Harry said ushering them both out. “I suppose we’ll start with the Lab, it’s been refurbished since you last crashed in.”

“Alright,” Emily agreed. She had only seen the lobby last time and, while she didn’t expect many differences, she still wanted to see the rest of it. Since they were on one of the lowest levels, they stopped at the pipeline first. It wasn’t quite as repaired as on Earth 1, this Earth didn’t have an Eobard to repair it for his personal use, but it was a bit more than just run down. Walking onto the gangway inside, Emily was still filled with awe at the large structure even if it looked mostly like the one she was well aware of. “Can I take a look all the way around?” Emily asked already floating a few inches off the ground. Harry sighed recognizing she was asking out of courtesy and would investigate one way or another and nodded with a smile. “Sure, have at it.”

“I’ll race ya!” Jessie exclaimed before taking off. “No, wait, Jes—“ Harry began before cutting off his sentence as Emily took off after her. Jessie makes it back first with Emily close behind, the latter crashing into the former sending them to the bottom of the pipeline a few feet below. They erupt into laughter with Harry trying not to loose his cool resorting to just looking over the edge. “Are you two ok? Are you done?” He called down. Emily pops back up, Jessie in tow, with both confirming they were fine. Placing Jessie back onto the gangplank, Emily makes her way back around, albeit slower this time, and takes her time looking at the construction. It took 20 minutes but she eventually came back around, floating parallel to the ground facing the ceiling.

“Satisfied?” Harry asked when she stopped above the gangplank again. Still upside down, Emily looked over with a smile and nodded. “Yes, I think my curiosity is sated for now.” Harry’s heart fluttered for a moment at her smile and he couldn’t help mirroring it before reaching out a hand to her to escort her back in. Flipping around Emily landed and took his hand, Jessie watching the exchange with amused curiosity and following silently behind with a smirk playing at her lips.

Labs, offices, even just hallways, Emily looked over them all with wide hungry eyes. Harry didn’t understand but found it amusing how inquisitive she became. “This your office?” She asked after a while pointing into a relatively large room with a desk, chairs, coffee table and a medium sized couch. “Uh, yeah. Yeah that’s mine,” Harry responded as she wandered in. “Hmmm, you know. Come to think of it....” Emily said looking around. “I’m not sure Harrison Wells of Earth 1 had an office. None that I remember seeing anyway.” She paused. “Unless you count the time vault, but it looked like a futuristic closet more than an office. But who knows, maybe that’s how future offices look....” She turns and smiles wide. “I like the aesthetic of your office much better.”

“Aannnd what about it do you like?” He asked following her in. She shrugs looking around again. “I dunno, just pleasing to the eye.” Harry’s gaze lingered on her as she continued looking around before he realized what he was doing and snapped himself back. “Ahem, shall we see the rest of the city now then?” He asked trying to distract himself. “Yeah sure!” Emily says with a smile. Harry’s heart skipped but he kept his composure enough to turn around and lead her and Jessie out of the Lab. Jessie continued to watch amused, even more so at the fact Emily seemed oblivious. She trailed behind them as they continued walking around the city, watching in amusement at their interactions. Emily would pay close attention to what Harry was saying or point out, Harry seemed to get more expressive as he got more comfortable, they even seemed to walk closer to each other becoming more comfortable with each other’s presence.

“So, what do you think so far?” She asked Emily linking her arm around hers. Surprised, Emily paused before smiling at her and placing her free hand on Jessie’s. “This is amazing!”

“Yeah, my dad is pretty great huh?” Jessie asks with a grin. Emily trips having been caught off guard by the unexpected implication of the question. “I... wha...” She glances over at Harry, who had shot a look over at Jessie, and tries not to blush as she searches for what to say. “Well, I mean.... least he’s not grumpy anymore.” Jessie giggles and Harry huffs. “And he does know how to be very detailed,” she continued. “I’m honestly surprised how emotive he became explaining everything.”

“I can be enthusiastic,” Harry near pouted.

“Everyone *can* be enthusiastic, it’s just surprising *you* managed it. Given your past interactions, can you blame me for not believing?” Emily asked. Harry paused before shrugging. “Alright, I’ll give you that one,” he relented. Emily smiled before looking down at her feet while they walked, Harry doing the same, and they continued in awkward silence until Jessie spotted Jitters near by. How fortunate they were walking by at that moment, and it seemed they had a new venue featured. “Hey,” Jessie piped up, “why don’t we stop into Jitters for a bit? I could use a coffee or something.”

Harry looked over at the newly repaired bistro and nodded. “Yeah, that sounds like a good idea. What do you think Estrata?” Emily noticed the ad for the featured venue and pursed her lips with a pause. She had a tingling that Jessie was trying to fenangle something sneaky but nodded in agreement anyway. “Yeah, sure. Good idea, Jessie,” she said emphasizing the name with a suspicious squint her way. Jessie just smiled and pulled her along with Harry following close behind. “Oh? Open mic?” Harry observed quickly reading the sign. “That’s different.”

“Yeah....” Emily said eyeing Jessie again. “Quite the coincidence we happened to walk by as they were featuring such a thing. Huh, Jessie?”

“Yeah, I mean what are the odds?” Jessie tried to dismiss. “Hey, didn’t you say you like to sing in your free time? You should sing something!” Emily crossed her arms looking unamused. “Subtle....”

“Hey yeah,” Harry agreed. “Yeah, that’s a good idea Jessie,” he grinned at her, Jessie doing the same. “I’ll go get some coffee,” she said briskly walking to the counter. “He—wha—“ Emily stuttered trying to counter. “Ok, c’mon,” Harry said ushering Emily toward the back of the shoppe to sign her up. “Wai— n— “ Emily protests trying to switch gears. “Harry, no, please, I don’t— I don’t sing in public. Harry no, do—“ she cut her protests short in an effort to act natural when they met with the open mic organizer. “Hey,” Harry said with a smile. “Hi,” Emily added trying to compose herself. “Hey folks,” the man said with a smile. “Can I help you with sumt’n?”

“Yes! Yes, you can,” Harry quickly answers cutting Emily off before she could try weaseling out. The man raised an eyebrow suspiciously noting Emily’s nervous face and Harry’s overzealous behavior. “And in what way?” He asked cautiously.

“She would..... like to.... to.... sign up for the op—en mic. Thing....” Harry said amid Emily trying to cover his face with her hand as he spoke. The man still didn’t look convinced and darted a look between them. “She sings,” Harry assured. “I sing as a hobby,” Emily clarified. “And not in front of people!”

“Well lucky for you we’re open to all skill levels,” the man said with a smile. “And it looks like you’re the only one who was interested so far. I’ll put you at the top of the list, I just need a name.” Emily gave a long sigh and stared at Harry, who just smiled tilting his head encouragingly at the man, before begrudgingly answering. “You can put down Estrata.”

“Ah, what a unique name,” he commented scribbling it down. “We’ll be calling you up momentarily. We’re just waiting to see if anyone else is interested, but it’s looking like you’re the only one. For now anyway.” Harry smiled at Emily who just resorted to glare at him. “Hey have fun,” Harry said turning and briskly walking away and toward Jessie. “I don’t like you anymore,” Emily teased. “You’ll do great,” Harry assured with a wink causing Emily to just roll her eyes. All she could do was watch as Harry met back up with Jessie and they both took a seat to wait for things to start. They both grinned over at her and Emily just half smiled and chuckled shaking her head. “Walking migraines, both of them,” she muttered.

After a few more minutes of anxious waiting, the man greeted Emily again. “Looks like it’s your lucky night,” he said cheerfully. “No one else has signed up so you get the floor all to yourself.” Emily puffed her cheeks and sighed. “Well, maybe after I sing once, someone else will come up,” she wondered aloud. “May well be the case,” the man agreed before walking over to the mic. “Ladies and gentlemen, thank y’all for coming out to C. C. Jitters. Tonight, we’re gonna be trying something a little different, just to see what y’all think.” He smiled waving his hand toward Emily who stiffened out of anxiety. “We have a lovely young lady by the name of Estrata who has graciously agreed to sing for y’all tonight to get this open mic going. So please, don’t leave her all alone up here. If you like what you hear and want to join in and try your hand at it, feel free to step on up.” The man turned and smiled at Emily motioning toward the mic indicating she was free to start. “Just so you’re aware, I’m not a lounge singer in any capacity.” Emily warned. The man just smiled figuring she was trying to find an excuse to leave. “Give ‘em whatever it is you’ve got.”

Emily gave a nervous smile and cautiously made her way to the mic, it had been quite a while since she had done something like this so she was worried she would mess up somehow. “Aaaand I’ve suddenly forgotten every song I ever knew....” she muttered to herself. She looked around in a mild panic before realizing no one was really paying her much mind, Harry and Jessie excluded. “Right, right, lounge singers were somewhat like background singers.” GP popped up next to her and buzzed quizzically. “I dunno what to sing,” Emily hoarsely whispered covering the mic. GP buzzed again with a suggestion and Emily smiled. “Ah, how could I forget that one?”

“Aww, she’s nervous,” Jessie smiled observing Emily standing awkwardly. “She always seems so care free, this is actually really..... adorable.”

“Yeah....” Harry agreed absentmindedly with a smile. Jessie raised an eyebrow peeking over at him. “What was that?” Harry paused before burying his face into his coffee and mumbled something trying to dismiss her inquiry. She just smirked going back to sipping her own coffee and turned her attention back to Emily.

Emily took a deep breath and looked into the audience. Most were still not paying attention but she didn’t care, she’d sing one song and go. Just one. “I.... apologize in advance,” she said to the handful of people watching. “I’m a little rusty, and not a lounge singer so, here goes nothing....” she nodded to GP who started playing the music part of the song and she tentatively started.

* You light the skies, up above me*

*A star, so bright, you blind me, yeah*

*Don't close your eyes*

*Don't fade away, don't fade away, oh*

*Yeah, you and me, we can ride on a star*

*If you stay with me, girl*

*We can rule the world*

*Yeah, you and me, we can light up the sky*

*If you stay by my side*

*We can rule the world*

Her voice cracked and wavered every now and then and her posture was stiff. She felt the same as when she sang at her high school talent show and kept her eyes closed to stave off the panic seeded in the pit of her stomach.

*If walls break down, I will comfort you*

*If angels cry, oh I'll be there for you*

*You've saved my soul*

*Don't leave me now, don't leave me now, oh*

*Yeah, you and me, we can ride on a star*

*If you stay with me, girl*

*We can rule the world*

*Yeah, you and me, we can light up the sky*

*If you stay by my side*

*We can rule the world*

*Oh, all the stars are coming out tonight*

*They're lighting up the sky tonight*

*For you, for you*

*All the stars are coming out tonight*

*They're lighting up the sky tonight*

*For you, for you, oh*

She was still stiff but Harry could tell she was getting more comfortable. He saw her becoming more emotive, even just a little, and started putting some emotion into the lyrics. He smiled nearly forgetting about his coffee, Jessie smirked over at him and continued to sip her coffee acting as though she didn’t see.

* Yeah, you and me, we can ride on a star*

*If you stay with me, girl*

*We can rule the world*

*Yeah, you and me, we can light up the sky*

*If you stay by my side*

*We can rule the world*

*All the stars are coming out tonight*

*They're lighting up the sky tonight*

*For you, for you*

Getting a bit braver, Emily opened her eyes and smiled awkwardly as the new number of people watching, her ears got red when she realized Harry was watching quite close making her voice crack again. She griped the microphone pole tight to ground her so she wouldn’t loose composure as she closed out the song.

*All the stars are coming out tonight*

*They're lighting up the sky tonight*

*For you, for you*

*All the stars are coming out tonight*

*They're lighting up the sky tonight*

*For you, for you*

*All the stars are coming out tonight*

*They're lighting up the sky tonight*

*For you, for you*

Emily let out a breath she didn’t realize she was holding and bowed her head a little to signal the end of the song. A few people in the crowd clapped and praised her singing making her smile wide. “Oh, thank you!” she said bowing again. “I’m glad you liked it!”

“Sing another one!” Jessie yelled from the back.

“What?” Emily asked mildly panicking. It grew into a flush when she heard a few other people ask for another as well. “I.... uh...... hmmm....”

“C’mon, that was great! Pleeeease?” Jessie pleaded. Emily glanced over at Harry who had averted his gaze to closely examine a near by wall as he sipped his coffee that was somehow not yet empty. Emily sighed and rolled her head. “Ok, alright. Fine, one more. I’ll give you one more.”

“So, what would you little maniacs like to do first?” She asked after a pause to no one in particular placing her hands on her hips and wiggling her eyebrows as she started again. GP happily started the music moving in what could be interpreted as amusement.

*Watching through my fingers, watching through my fingers*

*Shut my eyes and count to ten*

*It goes in one ear out the other, one ear out the other*

*Burning bright right till the end*

*Now you'll be missing from the photographs, missing from the photographs*

* Watching through my fingers, watching through my fingers*

*In my thoughts you're far away*

*And you are whistling the melody, whistling the melody*

*Crystallizing clear as day*

*Oh, I can picture you so easily, picture you so easily*

*What’s gonna be left of the world if you’re not in it*

*What's gonna be left of the world, oh*

Feeling far more comfortable than before, she began acting out some of the lyrics and danced a bit in place. Harry even noticed she was smiling more, mainly at GP as he flew around her.

*Every minute and every hour*

*I miss you, I miss you, I miss you more*

*Every stumble and each misfire*

*I miss you, I miss you, I miss you more*

*Watching through my fingers, watching through my fingers*

*Caught off guard by your favourite song*

*I'll be dancing at a funeral, dancing at a funeral*

*Sleeping in the clothes you love*

*It's such a shame we had to see them burn, shame we had to see them burn*

*What's gonna be left of the world if you're not in it*

*What's gonna be left of the world, oh*

*Every minute and every hour*

*I miss you, I miss you, I miss you more*

*Every stumble and each misfire*

*I miss you, I miss you, I miss you more*

Emily paused and changed her posture to be a bit more composed. "If you want to be a party animal, you have to learn to live in the jungle. Now stop worrying and go get dressed,” she spoke, though somewhat exaggerated, before continuing singing.

*You might have to excuse me*

*I've lost control of all my senses*

*And you might have to excuse me*

*I've lost control of all my words*

*So get drunk, call me a fool*

*Put me in my place, put me in my place*

*Pick me up, up off the floor*

*Put me in my place, put me in my place*

A sudden small jolt of confidence and mischief prompted Emily to grip the mic and look into the crowd with a challenging look, amusement pulled at her lips every time she sang ‘put me in my place’ and her gaze swept the room ending in a wink.

*Every minute and every hour*

*I miss you, I miss you, I miss you more*

*Every stumble and each misfire*

*I miss you, I miss you, I miss you more*

*Watching through my fingers, watching through my fingers*

*'Cause every minute and every hour*

*I miss you, I miss you, I miss you more*

She smiled and giggled when the song ended, she had the attention of most of the room now and the applause was much louder this time around. She bowed again and attempted to leave when the crowd protested again. “No no,” Emily dismissed. “No, I’m— I was in the middle of.... something. I should get back to that. The.... thing....”

“Oh c’mon,” Harry called out. “You can do one more.” Jessie’s eyes grew wide in surprise as she looked over at her dad, his arms were crossed over his chest and he had a sly smirk threatening to spread over his face. She smiled and giggled turning to look at Emily, who was just as surprised, before chiming in. “Yeah, one more! Please?”

“Yeah, please?” a young woman called from another near by table. Emily recognized her and her two friends as the ones who hung around her table whenever she visited the shoppe on her accidental trip a while ago. She smiled awkwardly and chuckled nervously as her face became rather rosy. “Alright, alright. One more, but this is the last one!” The room cheered and clapped as they waited in anticipation. She gave a long sigh into the mic and gave a stern look at Harry. “You see, Harry, this is why I don’t sing in public,” she said with her mouth close to the mic. Harry just grinned with a chuckle. Emily sighed with a growl preparing for what she hoped to be her last number.

* Sometimes you need a reason*

*A little love you can't believe in*

*A little hug, a little day dreaming*

*Apparently there's some correlation*

*Between hearts and outer space*

*All I'm really trying to say is*

*That I'm just a Sagittarius and we're kind of spontaneous*

*So let's fly out to Vegas and find an Elvis to marry us*

*Don't try to argue with the moon*

*We can blame it on the stars*

*Oh, come on let your heart just breathe*

*Stars, oh, come one let your guard down*

*And we can blame it on the stars*

Having accepted the fact she wasn’t going anywhere any time soon, Emily decided to dance along while she sang as GP flew around adding to the up beat mood. Harry watched happily as she slid back into her carefree personality, Jessie also amused by the shift in behavior so quickly although more so with her father encouraging the events and enjoying himself.

* We'd like to think that we're waiting*

*On a previous reservation*

*It's all written in the constellations*

*Now I don't know, but neither do you*

*Truth is, it's a good excuse*

*For both our hearts to let loose*

*And I know that you're a Cancer*

*Which means you like holding hands*

*So show me how to do this dance*

*And spin me like a ceiling fan, oh*

*Don't try to argue with the moon*

*We can blame it on the stars*

*Oh, come on let your heart just breathe*

*Stars, oh come one let your guard down*

*And we can blame it on the stars*

* I read your horoscope*

*And baby you should know*

*Just what your future holds*

*Let your hips move*

*Let my fingers find you*

*Wrap my arms around you, here we go*

*Stars, oh, come on let your heart just breathe*

*Stars, the stars, stars*

*We can blame it on the stars*

*Oh, come on let your heart just breathe*

*Stars, oh, come one let your guard down*

And we can blame it on the stars*

*We can blame it on the stars*

*We can blame it on the stars*

~~~~

So I miss judged the length of this one and had to break it up. It’s juuuuust over the post limit. Stay tuned for part twwoooo 🥔🎨

[whatareyousearchingfordean]

Happiness Begins

Part 13

Summary: Jensen and the reader find time in their busy schedules to go out on a second date. 

Word Count: 4.9K+

Warnings: Language, a brief discussion of emotional abuse, protected sexual intercourse, oral sex (male receiving) 18+ only

Author’s Note: I just want to start off by thanking everyone for their patience with this one. Things have been hectic in my life and my anxiety has been on high, which for me means I shut down anything that requires more than 10% of my attention. Anyway, I hope this makes up for it. As always, I love to hear what you think, so don’t be shy!

Catch up with the series masterlist and check out Alexandra’s Library for more works by yours truly!

The apartment was still dark when Y/n unlocked the door upon her return. She could tell Jared had yet to return, as he usually leaves a trail of evidence when he does. He would have left out something he pulled from the kitchen to munch on, or more likely, he would have left a light on. It was a bad habit of his, not turning off the lights, which drove her insane. 

She sighed with relief realizing he had yet to return. As she made her way to her room, she hung up her coat on its hook. She didn’t turn on a light until she was in her room. It took her no time at all to strip out of her clothes and into some warm pajamas. As she moved across the hall to the bathroom to remove her makeup and wash her face, she realized that she couldn’t stop smiling. It was a small smirk that refused to leave her lips. She bit her bottom lip, trying to will it away, but that only seemed to make it grow. And it was all Jensen’s fault.

It had been longer than she cared to admit since she had been on a first date that was as amazing and theirs. Her first dates usually consisted of bad small talk and not enough alcohol. Granted, they also tended to be the only dates she would embark on. Her mother wasn’t lying when she said it had been a long time since she had a serious relationship. Since Alec, she had only ever ventured towards friends with benefits relationships. Their breakup had broken her, for a long time. It took her years to gain back the self-love and confidence that she possessed today. And that still was nothing compared to what she once was. The emotional abuse she experienced at his hand made it nearly impossible to trust any guy enough to let him close to her. But with Jensen, she didn’t need to let him in. He had somehow found his own way in without her even knowing. He didn’t know everything, but she couldn’t find it in herself to care if he found out. The truth behind her break up was one that she didn’t even tell her family. Her mother couldn’t understand why she hadn’t had a boyfriend since, and Y/n couldn’t blame her for that. No, it was Y/n’s fault for not telling her. But Jensen… Jensen was safe and calming, and she found she would tell him anything he wanted to know. They had a lot to learn about each other, but she had never been more excited about it. 

Her phone screen was lit when she came back into her room. She shut off the lights and crawled into bed with it. There were a few messages from Jensen.

I had a good time tonight, regardless.

Did you decide if I can take you out again?

She chuckled to herself as she read. He was the softest guy she had met. But she couldn’t let him get off that easily.

I had a nice time too. And I decided that you cannot take me out.

She watched as the bubbles popped up immediately, indicating he was curating his reply. 

It was the baseball analogy wasn’t it?

A snort fell from her. He would bring that up.

Yeah, and well, I figured that I should repay the favor this time. Let me take you out. A girl’s gotta woo her man too. 

His reply came quickly again.

Oh, so I’m your man now? 

Don’t get ahead of yourself Ackles, it’s a figure of speech. 

Ouch... that hurt, Padalecki. 

Somehow, I think you’ll forgive me. 

Always. Now get some sleep, I’ll talk to you tomorrow, and you can tell me all about this date you have planned.

She didn’t want to admit the clutch that his reply had on her heart. Jensen always somehow knew exactly what to say, even if she didn’t know it was what she needed. She bid him goodnight before plugging her phone into its charger and snuggling into bed, her grin even wider than before. 

****

Commotion in the kitchen jolted her into consciousness the next morning. She could hear voices talking, their timbre low. Curiosity got the better of her, and she climbed out of bed to see what the ruckus was. She wiped the sleep from her eyes as the sunlight from the common room of the apartment hit her when she opened her bedroom door. 

“Ah, look who decided to grace us with her presence.” From her angle in the hallway, she could see Jared pouring out a shake from his blender into a cup. He had on his workout out gear, likely ready to head out to the gym.

“Us?” Her voice was timid as she made her way into the kitchen. As she made her way down the hallway, she could see the ‘us’ in which Jared was referring to. 

“Yeah, us.” Jensen spoke up from his seat at the island bar top. He was also clad in workout clothes, a water bottle sitting on the counter in front of him.

“Well, I would still be sleeping if you two weren’t making the most noise you possibly could out here.” She growled at her brother as she made her way over to the coffee maker. She could feel Jensen’s eyes on her as she poured some coffee into a mug. His gaze was making her feel self conscious in her state of undress. Granted, he had seen her naked, but that was a far cry from the dried drool in the corner of her mouth, and the rats nest that was currently her hair.

“It’s almost eight o’clock. This is sleeping in for us.” Jared pointed out as he turned to her. 

“Ugh, you and your facts.” She grumbled and took a sip of her coffee. The liquid warmed her body on its way down, and she had to fight the clichéd sigh. Jensen chuckled from his place at the counter and her eyes flickered to his for the first time. She glared at him, having hoped to hide pre-coffee Y/n from him for a little longer than this. There was no going back now, she supposed.

“Please tell me you two are going to the gym to leave me in some peace and quiet.” 

“We were just heading out, your majesty.” Jared bowed in front of her. “I just have to grab my jacket.” He skirted off down the hall and into his room. His absence left her a small window of opportunity to mess with Jensen a little. Sure, she respected his wishes, but that didn’t mean it wasn’t frustrating. How could you not look at the man and be frustrated? She was a warm blooded American woman after all. Two could play at this game. 

Y/n made her way around the island and stopped to lean an elbow on the counter, putting her right in Jensen’s line of sight.

“You know, if you wanted to see me again so soon, you could’ve just asked.” She kept her voice low, as Jared had left his door open behind him. 

“I did, and you said no remember?”

“No, I said you don’t get to take me out. There is a distinct difference there.” Jensen narrowed his eyes, trying to pick up on what she meant. “Chew on that a bit.” With that she pushed off the counter and headed back for her room. Jensen was a smart guy, and she knew he would catch up with her at some point. 

As she passed the desk in her room, she picked up her laptop and climbed into her bed. Today was her day to catch up on things for her business. She had a photo shoot that was coming up soon that she needed to finalize details for and book a plane ticket to New York. They had a lot to get done before Ashley went on maternity leave, and she was determined to do it. That had been their compromise after the whole debacle. They were to shoot everything they needed now, and it will be strategically posted to both of their social media profiles later when the collection launches. They were exceedingly lucky that their schedules lined up perfectly. She had a long weekend off from filming soon, and she needed to take advantage of every opportunity that she could.

Once she settled all that, she would dive into planning something special for Jensen. Who says that a guy has to do all the romantic stuff in a relationship? Equality and stuff, right? She was determined to figure something out, and she liked to think that she knew him well enough to make it a night to remember. 

The task was harder than she anticipated. Jensen just wasn’t a gooey guy. He was a Texan boy and though that meant he was a gentleman, it also meant that getting him back for making her cry was damn near impossible. Not to mention, as much as she hates to admit it, he knew a lot more about her than she knew about him. 

Eventually she gave in, deciding that she would go with the humor approach. She was going to make him laugh until his ribs ached and ply him full of alcohol. They will have a damn good time if it killed her. The place she had found to take him to was a dive to say the least. Definitely a place the Winchester brothers would find themselves on a crack hunt. But that was part of the charm of the evening. As well, it meant it would be less likely someone would spot them. All she needed was to wait until Jared was out of the way. 

****

It was a quiet day on set. They were working on a few scenes on the bunker stages, which meant no fun work for her. She was mostly present to make sure the guys didn’t get too shiny. Hell, even Trish had the day off. That’s how little her services were needed. 

She sat in one of the uncomfortable cast chairs, her one leg crossed over the other, bouncing mindlessly as she scrolled through social media. The director called cut and she hopped up from her spot to run and check on Jared and Jensen. 

Jared sat down on the map table so she could reach him. “I wish you could come home this week with me.”

She smiled at her brother with a slight roll of her eyes. “You’re just saying that so I can babysit for free while you and Gen do things I want to know nothing about.” 

“Hey, the kids miss you.” Jared acted offended by her words.

“Wow, you aren’t even denying it.” Jensen piped up from where he stood next to them. He crossed his arms over his chest with a smirk. 

With an exaggerated gasp, she pointed the brush in her hand at Jensen. “Yes! Thank you. Just hire a babysitter like normal people and leave me out of it.” 

“Whatever, smalls. You’ll understand one day when you have kids. And I won’t be there to bail you out when you and your baby daddy want some alone time.” Jared stood as she indicated she was done with him. Her nose wrinkled at his choice of words. Out of all the terms he could have used, he went with ‘baby daddy’? 

“Fine by me, wanna know why? Cause I’ll have hired a babysitter.” She shoved his shoulder when he rolled his eyes at her. Jared’s action only served to fuel her annoyance with him, her  jaw setting while she thought of some retort, but Jared was too quick for her. 

“You know you seem a little cranky. When was the last time you ate?” She frowned, knowing it would prompt him to run off to the food table and get him off her back. “I’ll go grab a snack really quick. Jensen?” Jared raised his eyebrows as he turned his attention to Jensen. Jensen just shook his head as she glared at her brother. Jared disappeared from the set, leaving the two of them forgotten as the crew worked to set up the next scene. 

“You know, you and Jared’s bitch faces are disturbingly similar.” Jensen said as she indicated for him to sit as well. As she tucked away Jared’s makeup and swapped it for Jensen’s, she stuck her tongue out at him.

“Probably the dimples.” 

“That’s exactly what I was thinking!” He grinned as he looked up at her. Her heart stuttered in her chest from his gaze. Every time he looked at her like that, it seemed to take her breath away. It was hard to describe, but the simple adoration and the way his skin crinkled at the corner of his eyes just did something to her. 

“So, Jared leaves first thing tomorrow morning, and I was thinking, if you were interested, we could go on that second date.” Her voice lowered as she finished her sentence. Both of them glanced around their immediate area for any prying ears on the set. 

“I would love that.” Being next to her was growing increasingly difficult. Jensen was fighting every instinct inside him that wanted to reach out and touch her. Especially considering they hadn’t had a moment alone since their first date, and that was two weeks ago. There wasn’t even a small chance to sneak a quick peck to her lips. He was seriously reconsidering his adamance about keeping sex out of the equation. And she wasn’t helping the situation, either. She was antagonizing him, that he knew for sure. Women did it all the time around him. Swaying their hips and ensuring that their breasts were the best accessory to whatever outfit they chose to wear. He refused to play her game though. Taking things slow was the hardest decision he had ever made, but his previous relationship patterns were consistent. Each one started out hot and heavy, and each one burned out before they even had the chance to see the light. Even though whatever it was they had going between them was new, he knew that he did not want this to turn out like all the others. Something in his gut was telling him this could be different, and he was determined to keep them from fizzling out. 

“Good, I’ll text you.” Her voice brought him back to the moment. He had to remind himself to just take it day by day. To take in each moment as it comes. He was committed to remembering the little things about their time together. Like the way the tip of her tongue was now fixed in the corner of her mouth as she concentrated on her work. Or the obvious excitement in her voice at the prospect of setting up their next date. 

“So banana or apple?” Jared appeared next to them, popping the bubble they had unintentionally disappeared into. Y/n snapped closed the powdered foundation in her hand and kept her gaze on Jensen. 

“Oh, banana for sure.” 

****

“I’m kind of regretting keeping you in the dark for our first date right now.” 

“Stop worrying, you’ll have fun.” She whined for the third time that evening. She had only given him as much to go on as he had given her for their last date, and it turned out that Jensen was an even bigger baby about surprises than she was. 

“I’m sure, but I’m just curious as to why you insisted that I wear jeans and cowboy boots.” Jensen fiddled with his legs, looking down at his weathered leather boots on his feet. 

“Ah, but it’s all part of the fun. Besides, the wait is over, we’re here.” Y/n pointed out the windshield as their uber turned into the gravel parking lot. The building that they had pulled up to was, for the most part, nondescript. The only hint as to what was inside came from the various neon signs that indicated the brands of beer they sold. 

The deep bass of the music playing inside could be heard as the two exited the car. Jensen still had a skeptical look on his face as she came around and grabbed his hand to drag him inside. The chaos that reigned behind the door hit them in the face as they entered the bar. The long bar on the south side of the building was the main focal point as they made their way inside. It sat directly across the way from a stage where a live band was currently playing something neither of them recognized. The theme inside was anything but subtle, and he immediately recognized where they were. 

“Really? A honky tonk bar?” Jensen had a wide grin on his face as she turned back to him. 

“Well, you can take the girl out of Texas…” She trailed off, not needing to finish her idiom. Her lips were pursed as she tried to fight her smile. “You like?”

“You know, I think I do. This is honestly the last place I ever expected, but man I do miss home sometimes.” Jensen continued to follow her to a few open seats at the bar. He slipped his arms around her waist as she flagged down the bartender and ordered two beers and four shots. 

She slid two shots to Jensen and kept two for herself when they arrived. “Here’s to Texas.” She held up the shot and Jensen tapped his own against it.

“God bless Texas.” He agreed before the both of them downed the amber liquid. Y/n immediately picked up her second shot and threw it back with a hiss. She shook out her head as she fought against the burn in her throat. 

“Come on Ackles, keep up.” She picked up the large pint of beer and disappeared into the crowd of people dancing. Jensen smirked to himself before throwing back his second shot and setting off after her, his own beer in hand. 

****

The front door to Jared’s apartment flew open, bouncing off of the small decorative table that had the unfortunate incidence of being placed where it was. The small potted plant that sat atop it shook in its place from the force. 

Jensen and Y/n were attached at the lips as they stumbled inside. His hands fumbled to find the handle to close the door behind them as he refused to separate from her. A giggle fell from her lips as he growled in frustration and finally relented. He fastened the deadbolt before turning back to her. With a breath, he allowed himself a second to take in her flushed cheeks and kiss swollen lips. Even after a night of dancing, drinking, and yes, bull riding, she looked as beautiful as ever. It was corny as shit, but there was nothing he didn’t love when he looked at her. And right now, he felt like the luckiest guy in the world.

“What?” Her self-consciousness picked up under his intense stare. She couldn’t help but wonder if she had something on her face.

“Nothing, just admiring the view.” He answered honestly. An eye roll was her only response. Jensen always said sappy shit like that, but she would be lying if she said that she didn’t love it. Frankly, his open affection was uncharted territory for her. Sure, she had slept with her share of willing men, but both of them were just looking to get off. Niceties were not on anyone’s minds. With Jensen, it was different. She could actually feel the admiration, and to describe the way it made her feel would be impossible. Words cannot express that warmth. 

“You’re not half bad yourself, Ackles.” She purred as she took his hand and pulled him down the hall. He followed happily, allowing her to drag him through the door and push him down onto the edge of the bed. She snuck her way between his thighs, hovering over him. His heavy eyes flitted up to hers as he drew his neck back to look up. 

“This view looks familiar.” She cocked her head before catching his lips in hers again. The high of feeling his barely chapped yet still pillow soft lips against her was one she would chase over and over. It radiated heat throughout her, only to be intensified where his wide palms rose to rest against her hips. 

“Y/n-”

“Shhh,” Now was not the time for talking. No, she just wanted to feel him, to be able to commit these moments to memory. Including his heaving chest and lust blown eyes. And Jensen didn’t have any will to object to it either, not when her fingers were tugging on the soft hairs on the base of his skull, the action getting him more and more excited. 

He chased after her lips as she sank down to her knees in front of him. He lifted his feet at her insistence, allowing her to pull off his boots and socks. Both of her hands pulled back her hair to toss it over one of her shoulders before she raised back up off of her calves. Heavy breathes fell from Jensen as he leaned back and supported his weight with his arms behind him and watched her reach for his belt. The metal jingled as she pulled it open, not once taking her eyes off of the half wrecked man in front of her. There was a smug satisfaction at knowing how undone he had come already, and she hadn’t even touched him yet. 

A hum of contentment left her lips as she continued to take off Jensen's jeans and briefs while he took care of his shirts. “Did I mention how lucky I am?” She asked him as she lazily stroked his half hard erection.

“Jesus,” He groaned and ran his hand over her head and through the locks along her shoulder. “You have my cock in your hand and you’re the lucky one?” Her only reply was a gentle nod of her head before she wrapped her lips around his reddened tip. Jensen sucked in a breath at her sudden warmth before letting it out in a low moan. 

It was like a symphony to her ears, the noise jolting her core with arousal. “Mm, lucky.” She asserted as she coated him in her saliva and took as much of him in her mouth as she could. Jensen was making delicious noises as she worked him over, sucking him for all he was worth. In no time, his thighs were clenching against her sides and she could tell he was close. With a soft pop, she took her mouth from his throbbing cock. Jensen whimpered, fully frustrated by her removal before he fell back on the bed in a heap. 

“Oh my…” He watched her as she shed her own clothes and went in search of a condom. She motioned for him to move up the bed and tossed him the small packet she had secured. 

“You can call me Y/n.” She drawled in a bad southern accent. The bed bounced as she playfully jumped onto it. The movement gave Jensen temporary issues as he worked to secure the condom on himself. Once it was finally on, he moved to sit up, but she stopped him, pushing him back against the comforter. His rough hands found her waist as she straddled his hips. She bucked forward, rubbing her dripping pussy against his cock, causing both of them to hiss. 

“How’s about I call you amazing?” He smiled up at her as her right hand fell onto the bed next to his head. She kissed him deep and swift, savoring the taste of his tongue in her mouth and his breaths mixing with her own. 

“That works too.” She supposed, lining him up with her entrance and sinking down. Her chin fell to her chest as he stretched her, cascading her hair into a curtain around their faces. The tip of her tongue was turning white where she had it clenched between her teeth as she tried not to cry out. Her memory of that first night had not done either of them justice. It was hazier than she had thought, because she was sure she would have accurately remembered this feeling. Frankly, she was kind of pissed that she hadn’t gotten the clear picture. Sure, she had felt it in the morning, but that was nothing compared to the fullness she was experiencing now. 

“You good?” Jensen had his knowing smirk on as he repeated the phrase she had chastised him for that first night. Without a word, she fixed her hair back over one shoulder before she raised her hips up and lowered them back down in a slow, calculated movement. Jensen grunted, his fingers digging into the soft curve of her hips.

“Are you good?” Jensen laughed at her quick retort. That was a fair response, he assumed, as she repeated her movement. Quickly, she had to adjust her support, moving her hand higher near his head and bracing her left hand against his chest near the base of his throat, before she could set a pace with her hips.

The room quickly filled with the sound of her skin against skin mixing with her deep moans and Jensen’s heavy breaths. He had planted his feet, meeting her thrust for thrust, his hands helping to bring her back down to him. Jensen took over every sense she had, and she wanted nothing more than to freeze this moment right here and hold onto it for as long as she could. Fire was now burning through her veins as the coil tightened in her belly. She wasn’t sure how much longer she was going to last, her body racing to the edge. 

“Y/n,” he warned her through gritted teeth, not needing to say anything else. A loud moan that emanated from the back of her throat was all she could offer him in confirmation that she was right there with him. “You’re doing so good baby, riding my cock. Come for me, Y/n.” 

She captured his lips again as she finally fell over the edge, her pussy clenching tight around him. Their mouths met in heated tongue and teeth as Jensen gave her another few good thrusts before following her off the cliff and emptying himself into the condom. Under trembling legs, she forced herself off of him and dropped in a sweaty heap on his right. Her hands searched him out as she worked to slow her breathing, her fingers eventually making their way through the longer locks on the crown of his head. Her gaze fixed on the paint lines across the ceiling as she allowed herself to come down.

“You know, I thought you were going to fight me on this.” She mused as Jensen rolled over her, his arm folded against her stomach to support his head just below her ribs. 

“What do you mean?” He asked as he kissed her sternum, just below her breasts.

“The whole, ‘let’s not make this just about sex’ thing. I just thought you wanted to wait.”

“We did wait… for the second date.” He joked before turning serious again. “Besides, it’s harder to argue when you don’t believe your own words?” He had a content smile still on his face as she played with his hair. She searched his face for any hint he may be lying to her, but she couldn’t find anything hidden there. 

“Okay, I just didn’t want you to feel pressured. I didn’t pressure you, did I?” 

“No, no pressure.” He promised with another kiss against her sweaty and flushed skin. Jensen laid his cheek against her belly, her fingers still in his hair. The two remained that way in silence for a moment or two before Jensen spoke up again.

“What did you mean earlier, when you said you were lucky?” His brow furrowed as he adjusted himself to get a better look at her face. 

“Hmmm, well, I was referring to the fact that millions of girls would pay out the ass to be on their knees in front of you, and I got to do it for free.” She had to cut the moment with an ounce of humor. Jensen pinched her side as he frowned at her. She yelped before squirming out from underneath him. “I’m serious, if this acting thing doesn’t pan out, you could make a killing.” 

“You’re not funny you know that?” He tried to chase after her, but she was out of the bed before he could blink. He threw one of her pillows across the room at her. She caught it with a huge smile and headed back to the edge of the bed. 

“I’m hilarious.” She countered and tossed the pillow back to him before jumping back onto the bed. “For real though, I don’t think I could even express to you just yet how lucky I feel right now.” 

Jensen accepted her answer, inviting her back to his side. The two of them snuggled back into each other, content to just listen to the sound of their own breathing. That was until something hit him. 

“We really need to stop fucking in Jared’s homes.” He wrinkled his nose and she fell into another fit of laughter.

“Could be worse, it could have been his bed.” She got out in between breaths. 

“Yeah, well, I like my head attached to my body.”

A/N 2: I struggled with whether or not I want to make the reader’s previous relationship abusive, because I don’t like the idea that she needed something horrific to happen to her to push my plot agenda. Eventually though, I came to the unfortunate conclusion that the fact remains that it is an unfortunate reality for a lot of women, and that I can make it about more than just a plot device. 

If you or someone you know is suffering abuse at the hand of a domestic partner, I want you to know that there is help. Visit https://www.thehotline.org/help/ for more information.

Part 14

Forevers: @spn-impala @22sarah08 @turtlepad @callmekda @chaldei @hobby27 @casualfestivaltrashpainter @cowboysnwinchesters @tranquility-or-chaos @pikabootoyouchu @dawnie1988 @grease222 @frackinawesomeninja @awesome-badass-cafeteria-sauce @polina-93 @clarinette07 @moonlight-babeh @suckerforfanfic @witandnargles @sleepylunarwolf @stiles-stilinski-24-dylan @geeksareunique

Et Cetera: @jbbarnesgirl @hillface89 @arses21434 @thevelvetseries @sslater34 @mrsirishboru @smoothdogsgirl @spnfamily-j2 @encounterthepast @facadeformyrealblog  @supernatural-bellawinchester @screechingartisancashbailiff @rebeccathefangirl @squirrelnotsam @heartinmyhead1 @1d-killed-me @samsgirl93 @deans-baby-momma @deanmonandnegansbitch @woodworthti666 @supraveng @onethirstyunicorn @heartsaved @know2grow @littlewhiterose @surprisinglysarah @stoneyggirl @carryon-doctor-lock @thebookisbtr @youaremyfiveever

[bts-fantasy]

Hangover

Pairing: Jimin x Reader

Word count: 3K

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

„Y/N, how many times are you gonna change your outfit today?“ Your best friend rolled her eyes looking at her phone disinterestedly. You walked out of your wardrobe to present your last and final outfit for the night: a red silk dress. Something you‘d put in the farthest corner of your closet thinking you‘d never bring up enough courage to actually wear it for a night out. Your daring outfit finally caught the attention of your best friend making her jaw drop along with her phone she‘d been holding. Giggling you twirled on your spot to show her the dress.

„What do you thi-“

Before you could even finish your sentence your best friend had already jumped on you screeching at the top of her lungs almost ripping your eardrums apart.

„If Jimin isn‘t all over you tonight, he‘s an idiot!“

You both laughed at her remark but she didn‘t know how your heart jumped at the mere mention of his name. It wasn‘t just a silly crush for you even if you tried to make it look like that. It was way easier to brush it off than to tell her how much you actually liked him.

You both finished getting ready for the party chatting excitedly about the plans for the night. Your best friend had her eyes on someone as well and being the extroverted self she was, you had no doubt that she‘d be able to get what she wanted in no time. You, on the other hand, didn‘t know how to do small talk even if your life depended on it. After so many months since you‘d started to take interest in Jimin, you‘d never been able to get past a „Hi, how are you? I‘m fine, as well, thank you“.

It was just frustrating.

„I wanna get drunk.“

You blurted out once you were on your way to the party. Your best friend‘s mouth fell open once again as she looked over to you. Luckily, the taxi driver wasn‘t able to hear you through the glass window that separated the front seats from the backseat. She put her hand on your bare knee and with a serious expression on her face she turned to face you.

„Are you sure about that? You‘re not really the type to-“ You cut her off by nodding your head with a smile determinedly. You wanted to try it at least once thinking maybe it could help you to let loose and be more talkative. She let it go even though the concern was written all over her face. As long as she was by your side you knew she wouldn‘t let it end in a disaster.

Oh, how wrong you were.

The party was already in full swing by the time you arrived. Music blasting out of the speakers, people dancing, catching up, and just having a great time.

Without putting much thought into it you took the first cup you got offered and downed it in one go.

„Oh my god, Y/N! Are you crazy?!“ You heard your best friend cry out next to you but you were preoccupied with the burning sensation in your chest. It was unfamiliar and didn’t even taste that good yet it left you wanting more just to feel that sensation again.

„You can‘t just down it like it‘s water, Y/N!“ You couldn‘t help but giggle at the incredulous look on her face as you took another cup from the table next to you and repeated the action before she could stop you.

„Geez, what am I gonna do with you?“ She shook her head in disbelief while the liquor started to get to you. You felt incredible as the burning feeling faded away and your heart rate increased.

Looking around the room you finally spotted Jimin standing in a corner with his friends fully immersed in a conversation and you took a deep breath before heading in his direction.

„Y/N, wait-“

Your best friend‘s voice got drowned by the loud music as you confidently strode towards the guy you liked. His bright red shirt and jet black hair were impossible to miss in the crowd and you felt your heartbeat increase rapidly with each step you got closer to him.

It felt like an eternity until you finally caught his attention and he looked over to you as you moved closer to him. His eyes scanned you from head to toe a sly smirk appearing on his lips before he excused himself and left his group to get to you.

„Wow, Y/N... you look incredible.“

His low voice was loud enough for you to hear over the noise. He stopped right in front of you looking down at you with a smile. You could only see the lights dancing in his beautiful eyes while he ran his hand through his hair. Now that you were in front of him you somehow didn‘t know what you‘d had in mind this whole time.

What did you want exactly?

However, before you could say anything Jimin offered you a hand much to your surprise.

„You wanna dance?“

He took your perplexed look as approval and confidently pulled you towards the center of the dancefloor.

Dancing with Jimin felt like a fairytale. It was magical how smoothly he moved you across the dance floor as if you were floating in the air. It felt surreal to be so close to him with his cologne clouding your mind more than the liquor that you‘d drank just a few minutes ago. It was intoxicating your senses completely pulling you into his spell. He didn’t say a word but had his eyes on you the whole time, smiling playfully hands firmly placed on your waist and the other one occasionally pushing a strand of your hair away from your face or softly running along your bare arms. You couldn‘t believe it. You couldn‘t believe how good it felt to be in his arms.

The music, his arms around you, and his smile. Nothing else existed in your world for a while as you moved to the beat.

„Do you want a drink?“ Jimin leaned down so you could hear him clearly and you felt a shiver run down your spine when you felt his soft lips brush your ear. You nodded without hesitation and let him guide you towards the bar fighting your way through the crowd. He handed you the cup and you took a sip almost spitting it out again taken aback by the strong liquor. Jimin only laughed watching your reaction and leaned down to you again with a smirk.

„It‘s my favorite.“ He winked urging you to finish up your cup and you did as you were told because who would be able to say ‚no‘ to those eyes?

„I‘ll be right back, Y/N. Wait here.“ You looked up at him as he stared into the crowd and walked away leaving you behind.

It didn‘t take long for you to realize that you‘d overestimated yourself regarding your tolerance level. As you tried to find the exit to get some fresh air you felt the whole room spin and shake around you causing you to stumble over your own two feet. However, before you could lose your balance and fall on your face you felt a firm grip around your waist.

„Thanks... Jimin.“ You slurred trying to focus on him but you could only make out the fine outlines of his handsome face. He led you outside without saying another word and you were grateful because who knows what nonsense you‘d babble in the state you were in. The cold air outside was a blessing on your hot skin and you felt like you were finally able to breathe properly. Looking up at Jimin one last time you smiled before it all turned pitch black.

You woke up the next day in your bed with a heavy headache and a nasty stomachache. You had no idea how you got home and into your bed. Looking down at yourself you realized that you were still wearing the red silk dress from the night before and that‘s when it hit you. Jimin‘s blurry face and how he helped you outside. He must‘ve gotten you back home safely even though you didn‘t remember ever telling him your exact address. Without losing another second you reached out to your nightstand where you usually put your phone and almost knocked over the glass of water standing there. That‘s when your eyes finally landed on the little pill and the handwritten note stuck underneath the glass.

Take this to get rid of your hangover.

The note instantly made you feel warm inside as your mind wandered back to the previous night and his arms around you. With a smile, you picked up your phone ready to text him when the second realization of the day hit you.

You forgot to ask for his number.

You facepalmed yourself unlocking your phone only to find several missed calls and messages from your best friend. You‘d completely forgotten that she probably had no idea where you‘d been the whole night so you decided to call her back bracing yourself to get a lecture from her.

„Hey...“ You spoke hesitantly once you heard your best friend on the other line.

„I hope you slept well, Y/N. How‘s the hangover?“

„Ugh... don‘t even start. I‘m so sorry that I left without telling you. You must‘ve been so worried.“

„Oh no, it‘s fine. Taehyung informed me that you got home safely.“

You knew that Taehyung was Jimin‘s best friend but you couldn‘t remember ever seeing him at the party last night. Either way, you were just relieved that your best friend had been informed about your whereabouts and didn‘t have to worry about you.

You ended the call trying to figure out a way to contact Jimin so you could thank him for his help.

After a while, you figured the best way to see him was to attend your college’s football game later that day. He was the captain of the team after all so you knew he‘d definitely be there.

You entered the sports ground in the evening looking around for Jimin in the crowd. The arena was packed with students making it hard for you to get past them to the field. Finally, you spotted a black-haired guy on the side of the field with his back facing you and you picked up your pace to get to him before the game started. Once you reached him you tapped on his shoulder to get his attention heart beating fast in your chest as he turned around and smiled at you.

„Hey!“ His smile widened turning his eyes into little crescents giving you a hard time concentrating on what you were there for.

„Uhm... I just wanted to thank you for taking care of me yesterday.“

Jimin stopped for a moment looking at you in confusion.

„Oh... uhm... you‘re welcome.“ His hesitation only made him look even more adorable to you and you suppressed the urge to lean forward and peck his cheek.

„Jimin! What are you doing over there?“ His teammates called for him so you quickly wished him good luck on the game before you walked back to the stands.

„Y/N, wait!“ You heard him shout from behind stopping in front of you when you turned around. „You wanna hang out after the game?“ Your heart nearly jumped out of your throat as he waited for your response with his teammates still yelling his name behind him. You nodded smiling up at him which he returned and quickly jogged back to his team.

Throughout the entire game, you weren‘t able to focus as your mind kept wandering back to Jimin‘s words and you waited with anticipation nervously tapping your fingers on your knees. However, your eyes automatically followed Jimin running across the field the whole time cheering loudly every time they scored. It was clear as day that Jimin‘s team would win and when they finally picked up the trophy everyone cheered as loud as they could.

Little by little the stands emptied themselves and you were soon strolling around the playfield on your own waiting for Jimin. It was already dark so you decided to head towards the locker room to look for him. You could hear the boys talking loudly in the changing room which made you stop at the door to wait for him outside.

„You killed it tonight, Jimin!“ You could hear one guy shout drowning out the other voices. He was indeed a good player, you thought to yourself. He definitely earned his position on the football team. „Who was that chick you were talking to before the game?“ Another guy spoke piquing your interest automatically pulling you closer to the door. „Is she your trophy for tonight‘s win? You were awfully confident about winning tonight. You usually ask them after the game.“

„She’s hot. I didn’t want to miss the chance if you know what I mean.“ You heard Jimin answer and the boys broke out in laughter but you on the other hand were left confused standing outside by yourself.

What did they mean? Trophy for tonight‘s win?

You knew how it sounded but you weren‘t ready to believe it. It was Jimin. The guy who took you home and even wrote a little note for you with a cure to help with your hangover. He was thoughtful, sweet, and whenever he smiled it just made you forget the whole world. He was a good guy.

Wasn‘t he?

Your heart was beating fast as your mind was racing back and forth with all kinds of accusations and excuses. You were so immersed in your own thoughts that you literally jumped when the door slammed shut right behind you. Turning around you saw an enraged Taehyung clutching onto his sports bag so tightly that his knuckles turned white, water still dripping down from his hair strands. His eyes got wide when he spotted you but they softened just as fast as he approached you slowly.

„What are you doing here?“

He asked softly as if he was afraid he might scare you away. You were lost not knowing what to answer or what to do next. You didn‘t know if you should wait for Jimin or go back home by yourself.

Taehyung seemed to understand what happened an apologetic smile tugging at his lips before he shot a glare back to the closed door where the noises of the boys could still be heard.

„Come on. I don‘t think you should wait for him.“

You sighed deeply but you had to admit that he was right. There were no excuses because you knew exactly what you‘d heard. Jimin only saw you as a trophy to celebrate his victory probably just waiting for you to undress. The thought alone made you sick to your stomach. Letting your head hang low you followed Taehyung and walked beside him quietly.

The walk was silent while you kept going back to the moment with Jimin on the dancefloor where he‘d smiled so innocently. You wondered how you‘d let yourself be deceived like that.

„Did you sleep well?“ Taehyung finally broke the silence and interrupted your never-ending train of thoughts.

„Oh yes, I did. Thank you for informing my best friend that I‘d gotten home safely.“

He smiled again looking down at you. You couldn‘t remember ever talking to him but he seemed really nice. He radiated calm energy which made you feel at peace even in the midst of chaos.

„Of course.“

Silence engulfed you once again but before you could come up with a new topic you‘d already reached your destination: your apartment block. You had been so up in your head that you hadn‘t even realized how he‘d walked you all the way to your apartment.

„Do you live here as well?“ You asked raising your brows to which Taehyung only laughed shaking his head. His deep voice sounded soothing, especially in the quiet night hours.

„Then how did you know where I lived?“ The look on his face suddenly turned serious while he stared right into your eyes as if he was searching for something. Your breath hitched in your throat by the sudden intensity but you remained calm trying to figure it out.

„You really think it was him, don‘t you?“

„Huh?“ You were genuinely confused but Taehyung cut you off again.

„Forget it. It‘s late and I have to go back to get my car, I‘ll see you around Y/N.“

You were too perplexed to even say a word as he rummaged around in his bag to get a little piece of paper and scribbled something down.

„Here‘s my number. Text me when you got to your apartment safely.“

He just handed you the little note and walked away after wishing you a good night. You watched him disappear before looking down at the note in your hand and the number written on it. His name was written right underneath but before you could put in your pocket you stopped taking a closer look at his name. At that moment the realization hit you like a truck.

It was the same handwriting as the note on your nightstand and now you understood how he knew your address, he must‘ve gotten the information from your best friend when you passed out at the party. Before you could think about how stupid you‘d been this whole time thinking it was Jimin who took care of you, you ran after him.

„Taehyung! Wait!“

You screamed at the top of your lungs not caring about the sleeping neighbors around you. Finally and out of breath, you reached Taehyung who had a concerned look on his face as you hugged him tightly.

„I‘m so sorry, I should‘ve known it was you but I was convinced it was Jimin this whole time but it wasn‘t and I know that‘s very stupid of me because I can‘t even remember what happened last night and-“

Before you could continue making a complete fool out of yourself Taehyung pulled you into a tight hug resting his chin on top of your head.

„Took you long enough, Y/N. Yes, I was the one who took you home yesterday.“ He laughed stroking your hair with one hand. The silence returned and you both stood there for a while relishing the strangely beautiful moment. When he finally pulled back there was a new glow in his eyes which made him appear even more handsome than he already was. Taehyung took his time to look into your eyes and you couldn‘t help the way your heart jumped inside of your chest. You couldn‘t believe how fixated you‘d been on Jimin to the point where it had completely clouded your mind but you were relieved that you found out the truth in the end. And he was standing right in front of you.

„Thank you, Taehyung. I owe you one.“ You grinned looking up at him standing underneath the street lamp with his damp hair shimmering in the light. A fond smile spread on his face before he calmly replied.

„Then let me ask you out on a coffee date.“

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A/N: Thank you so much for reading! It took me a while to finish this but I was really excited to post this. I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I did while writing it!✨💜

Masterlist

[quickspinner]

Finding Harmony - Ch 6 Resolution

Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3 | Chapter 4 | Chapter 5 | Chapter 6 | Chapter 7 

Resolution in western tonal music theory is the move of a note or chord from dissonance (an unstable sound) to a consonance (a more final or stable sounding one).

“I’m sorry, could you say that again?” Luka pressed his phone tighter to his ear. 

“Um...Jagged’s sending a limo to take us to the awards gala? And apparently there’s going to be a red carpet and everything.”

“Marinette, how well do you know Jagged Stone? I know you’ve done work for him but this is—“

“Excessive?”

“I mean, kind of? Not that I don’t think you deserve limos and red carpets but—“ Luka put his hand over his face. “Man, I just can’t figure Jagged out.”

“He’s impulsive,” Marinette said sympathetically. “He makes a lot more sense if you pretend he’s permanently twelve.” Luka chuckled. “I don’t know why he’s taken such a shine to me—“

“Well, that part’s easy,” he snorted. “Because you’re amazing, and Maman says that if there’s one thing that never fails Jagged, it’s his ability to recognize other people’s talent and profit from it.” 

“I could believe that, actually,” Marinette replied thoughtfully. “He hired Penny, after all. Luka, are you sure you’re okay with coming? It’s not too late to back out if you think you’ll be uncomfortable. There’s not really any avoiding him, he probably will at least come over and talk to us.”

“No, I...I kind of want to meet him myself?” Luka paced the deck slowly, thinking over his words. “I feel like maybe I’d understand better if I could really talk to him, even if it’s just for a few minutes.” 

“Okay,” Marinette said sympathetically. “I think I understand. If you’re sure.”

“I’m absolutely sure I want to go to a fancy music party with you,” Luka smiled. “The Jagged stuff, I’m less certain of, but it’ll be fine. He’s treated you well and he and Maman settled things between them. I’ll be okay unless something really crazy goes down.”

“This is Paris, Luka, something really crazy is practically guaranteed.”

“True,” Luka chuckled. “I’ll risk it.”

“Okay. Then I’ll tell Penny to have the car come pick you up first, and then come here. I’m...I’m really looking forward to it.”

“Me too,” he smiled, leaning on the rail. “It feels like I haven’t seen you in a while.” He hesitated. “Are you taking care of yourself? That sentimonster last night was really close to your house.” 

“It was, but it didn’t stay here long before Ladybug and Chat Noir lured it away. It did wake us all up, though, so I’m a little short on sleep.”

“I won’t keep you then. You get some rest, and I’ll see you this weekend. Unless you’re coming to rehearsal on Wednesday?”

Marinette sighed. “I wish I could, but I have, er...a massage appointment that afternoon.”

“Really?” Luka lifted his eyebrows at the lie. “Sounds relaxing.”

“Mm, not really, actually. It’s, um, a new thing I’m trying, a Chinese thing, actually, there’s chanting and meditation, but it doesn’t exactly come easy to me.”

“I’ll bet,” Luka chuckled. “But it’ll do you good to learn to slow your mind down a little bit when you want to.” 

“Maybe,” Marinette sighed. “Anyway, I still have to finish my dress before this weekend, so I probably won’t have much free time.”

Luka frowned. “You’re making a whole new dress? I guess I kind of figured you were just going to modify the one you made for Juleka.”

Marinette laughed in a way that told him he’d just said something stupid, and Luka couldn’t help smiling at her mirth. “I could never carry that dress the way Juleka did,” she giggled. “But don’t worry, I’ll be dressed and ready when you get here.”

“Just don’t overwork yourself, Marinette.” 

His heart skipped at the affection in her voice when she said, “I won’t, Luka. I’ll see you Friday.”

“Goodnight, Marinette,” Luka said warmly. 

“Goodnight, Luka.” 

Luka didn’t immediately move from the rail, gazing at the lights of the city over the water. The week was going to crawl by, he knew it. 

 ***

“You look pretty good, considering what you had to work with,” Juleka said, straightening his suit coat. 

“Thanks,” he chuckled. “I think Marinette gets the credit, though.”

“Hmm. It’s a nice look.” A small smile quirked her lips. “I hope you have fun tonight. Make some good memories.” She tilted her head slightly. “What’s bugging you?”

“It’s stupid,” he grumbled. 

“Obviously. What?”

“Her parents. I don’t exactly stack up against Adrien the perfect, wholesome, millionaire, model-in-a-mansion Agreste on the ‘boys approved to date my daughter’ scale.” He sighed. “Which is dumb on so many levels, starting with the fact that we’re not actually dating.”

Juleka grunted. “They’re cool. Once they see how you look at her, they won’t care about anything else.” 

Luka flushed. “Am I that obvious?”

“Sometimes. Just try not to drool when she comes down the stairs.” Juleka smirked. “If you don’t pass out on sight, you’ll be fine.” 

“You’ve seen the dress?” 

“Yep. I’ve even seen her in the dress. You’re doomed.” Luka groaned and dropped his forehead on his sister’s shoulder. “Ugh, get off, you’re heavy.” She shoved him, and then put her arms around him when he didn’t budge. “You’re about to go rub elbows with some of the biggest names in music and you’re mooning over a girl. Just go and have fun.” 

“I love you,” Luka muttered. “You know that, right? Thanks for being cool. Especially about me making such an idiot of myself over your friend.”

“It is pretty lame,” Juleka agreed. “But Marinette’s pretty awesome, so I forgive you. Just…” she sighed, but didn’t finish. 

“Luka!” Anarka roared from upstairs. “Your ride is here!” 

Luka lifted his head and kissed Juleka’s temple. “I gotta go. I’ll try not to wake you up when I get home.”

He went up the stairs and smiled at the look of pride his mother gave him. “Watch yourself tonight,” she told him. “There’ll be a lot of sharks there and anyone with half an ear will know how talented you are. Don’t get bullied into anything, and for chaos’ sake, don’t sign anything.” Luka chuckled and kissed her cheek.

“I won’t, Maman. I’ll tell you all about it tomorrow.”

Anarka brushed his hair back affectionately, and to his mild surprise, leaned forward and kissed his forehead. “I’m proud of you. Go show that girl what she’s missing.” She winked. 

Luka just smiled at her and took himself over the gangplank, trying not to gawk too obviously at the waiting limo. 

***

Marinette and her parents were actually outside the bakery when the limo pulled up, taking pictures, it appeared. She had her back to him as the car pulled up, and he saw ruffles cascading from her waist to the floor. Then she turned around and his breath caught. The ruffles were only in the back of the dress, like a train. The front was a strapless knee-length sheath, embellished with snakes and flowers along the lines of her body. There was nothing inappropriate about it, she was covered from her chest to her knees and it wasn’t obscenely tight, but her bare shoulders and arms were enough to get his heart racing. 

And she looked so happy to see him. 

Luka didn’t wait for the chauffeur, he stepped out of the car as soon as it had stopped and reached for Marinette’s hands. “Wow,” was all he said, and she giggled. She stepped back from him and did a careful turn on the toes of her kitten heel shoes. “What do you think? Rock ‘n roll enough for Jagged Stone?”

He thought he needed to remember how to breathe. His eyes were pinned to the snake at her hip, twining through her signature flowers. “Just...stunning.”

Marinette giggled. “Thanks Luka. I’m glad you like the dress, I think it turned out well.”

“I don’t mean the dress, Marinette, I mean you. The whole package. You’re not just a pretty girl in a pretty dress, you’re…” he shook his head in frustration. “I really need my guitar. Just, all that work and creativity and everything you are, and the dress is just the icing on the cake.” 

There was a squeak beyond Marinette and Luka jumped slightly, having forgotten about her parents. Crap...But when he turned, Tom and Sabine were clinging to one another and staring at Luka and Marinette with starry eyes. They made a little flapping motion with their hands - don’t mind us - and Luka turned back to Marinette. “I do have a question for you though,” he leaned in, eyes twinkling. “Where have you been keeping all that?”

“All what?” Marinette asked, tilting her head curiously. Luka stepped forward and took her hand, raising her arm so her bicep flexed, just as she’d done to him weeks ago. Marinette blushed. 

“That,” he grinned. “I can’t believe you gave me a hard time when you’ve been packing these under those cute little cardigans. What, do you deadlift flour sacks for fun?” 

Not to mention yo-yoing all over Paris, that had to be a hell of an upper body workout.

Marinette made a face at him. “Not for fun,” she protested. “Helping with the deliveries is one of my chores.” She blushed and ran her fingers along her shoulder and down her arm in a move that he knew was self-conscious but was giving him some very different feelings. “Is it weird?” 

“It’s hot,” he snorted, and then coughed, turning red. “I mean—well, no, that’s exactly what I meant, I’ll be honest.” She was lean, not bulky, but he could clearly see the well-defined muscles in her arms and shoulders, and the sight of her back made him weak in the knees for a moment before she threw a black lace shawl around her shoulders.

“Really, Marinette, you look amazing,” he said, softening his expression. “I was just teasing you, I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable. You’re gorgeous and the dress is amazing. The ruffles are really you and the details look great. And to think,” he took her hand, “Your looks are the least remarkable thing about you.” He winked as Marinette jerked her hand back, her blush extending all the way down to her shoulders as she shoved him playfully. 

“All right, kids,” Sabine called cheerfully, and Luka jumped, flushing. Still, both Sabine and Tom were still beaming at them both, so he relaxed a little. “Come let me get some pictures of you two in front of the limo and then you can go enjoy yourselves.”

“The car is insane, we could fit the whole band and Ivan’s drums in there with room to spare,” Luka commented as they arranged themselves in front of it. 

Marinette giggled as she cuddled up under his arm. “That’s Jagged for you, never do anything reasonable when you can go totally overboard.” They shared a smile before turning their faces to the camera.

***

“You know,” Luka remarked, looking out of the tinted window as they pulled up beside the red carpet. “I really thought I’d be older the first time I got to do this.” He looked back at Marinette with a grin, and she giggled. 

“It’s good practice,” Marinette told him, leaning around him to look. “Wow, that’s a lot of people,” she breathed. 

“Don’t get cold feet on me now,” Luka said, threading his fingers through hers. 

“They’ll probably figure out quickly that we aren’t very important,” she muttered to herself, and then flushed. “I mean, not that you aren’t important—“

“I know what you meant,” he cut her off gently. As cute and occasionally enlightening as her mini-meltdowns could be, now wasn’t a good time. “Take a deep breath and smile, gorgeous, we’re up.” A member of the hotel staff opened the door. Luka took a deep breath himself and slid out of the car, smiling as he turned to offer Marinette his hand. She took it and set her feet carefully on the carpet before standing up. Her eyes flicked around nervously and settled on his, and though he could see a bit of nervous tremble around her lips, her smile was genuine. She took the arm he offered and they began walking the carpet. Marinette stumbled once but Luka steadied her. After the initial barrage of flashbulbs, the reporters mostly ignored them. They were almost to the hotel door when they were stopped by a young lady with a press badge. 

“Excuse me! Excuse me, I’m Leslie Mason with Style Queen. Can I ask who you’re wearing tonight?”

Luka was surprised and Marinette was paralyzed, but his stage experience stood him in good stead as he flashed a smile and brought Marinette forward with a gentle tug.

“Maybe you’ve heard of Jagged Stone’s favorite up-and-coming designer, Marinette Dupain-Cheng. Well, this is the lady herself and we’re wearing her original designs tonight.” 

“Stunning work, Mlle Dupain-Cheng,” the reporter said admiringly. “And you design for Jagged Stone? Forgive me for saying so but you’re very young, aren’t you? I’d be interested in doing an interview with you sometime for our junior division.” 

“I’d love that,” Marinette said, slipping out one of her business cards. “Here’s my website and information.”

Leslie took the card, sticking it under a paper clip on her notebook and making a note next to it. She looked back up at Luka. 

“And you are?”

“Luka Couffaine, lead guitarist for Kitty Section. We’re here because of Marinette, though, I’m just the guy lucky enough to be her date.” He winked at Marinette. 

“Don’t let him fool you,” Marinette said, squeezing his arm. “He’s a very talented musician and you’re going to hear his name in the future.” She elbowed him and he pulled one of the cards she’d given him out of a pocket.

“Here’s the band’s Instagram and email, feel free to check us out,” he said.

“I will,” Leslie said, brightening. “Thanks for taking the time to speak to me, I know it’s a madhouse out here tonight. Have a great night!”

“Wow,” Marinette breathed as they turned away, “She was kind of young, she’s probably not one of their main writers, that’s why she was talking to us, but an interview, even a small one, for Style Teen would be huge.”

“You were right about the business cards,” Luka murmured back as they reached the doors. “You never cease to impress me.” He smiled at her as they went through the doors to the hotel, following the crowd to the elevator.

“I just thought there’s probably a lot of people from the music industry here tonight and I wanted you to be able to make connections if you want to.”

“Thanks, Marinette, really.” Luka curled his fingers around her shoulder to guide her in front of him into the elevator, careful not to step on her dress as he followed. “But honestly, I’m here to have a good time with you.” 

“I know,” she smiled at him. “But just in case. I hope we’re not going to be the only people in our age group though...I suppose Chloe will probably be here somewhere, but she probably won’t want to hang out with us anyway.”

The doormen were just opening the doors for them when there was an uproar behind them. Both of them looked back to see Adrien Agreste stepping out of a limo and waving to the crowd of reports.

“Adrien!” Marinette said in surprise. “Oh, I should have guessed he would come, he’s a fan of Jagged and his dad designs for Clara Nightingale, and I know she’s going to be here tonight.” They watched as Adrien turned and offered his hand to help Kagami out of the car. Luka glanced at Marinette but rather than looking concerned, her face lit with a smile. “Kagami! That’ll be good, then, at least we won’t be the only kids here.”

“We’d better go on inside, they’re probably going to be a few minutes,” Luka observed as Adrien posed and smiled and waved and fielded questions from the crowd. 

“Right, I’m sorry!” Marinette turned and smiled apologetically at the patiently waiting doormen.

They followed the crowd of fancy clothes to the elevators and up to the ballroom. “At least the dinner will be good,” Marinette commented. “Alya’s mom is the head chef here and she’s amazing.”

Luka’s mouth dropped open slightly as he looked around the room. “Wow, there are some crazy famous people here,” he said quietly, and felt Marinette squeeze his arm.

“You’re not going to go all music fanboy on me are you?” she teased.

“I might,” Luka replied honestly. “Some of these people are legends. If they talk to me I can’t guarantee I won’t start to foam at the mouth. Look, that’s the lead guitarist for Steel Skullz over there in the red suit, you wouldn’t believe how that guy can shred.” 

Marinette giggled and leaned into him. “I’m so glad you came with me.” 

Surprised, Luka glanced down at her and put his arm around her. “Thanks for bringing me.” He glanced around. “Was there anything you want to do?”

“I should find Jagged eventually and congratulate him,” Marinette said thoughtfully, “But I can do that any time, I’m sure we’ll hear him when he’s nearby. Let’s see, there’s the cocktail hour and then the dinner, and then the Mayor’s going to make a speech,” she rolled her eyes, “And then it’ll be the afterparty, that’ll probably be when things really get out there. It’s guaranteed to get wild with Jagged, after all. So I guess now we just kind of mingle and try some hors d'oeuvres and see who we bump into? Maybe see how many we recognize, although I think you’ll have me beat in this crowd.” She darted her eyes up at him with a shy smile. 

“That sounds great,” Luka smiled back at her. “I like your hair this way, by the way,” he reached up to touch the shiny blue-black curls hanging at the back of her head. “I didn’t get a chance to say so before.” Every time she turned her head the tips of her curls traced the line from her neck to her shoulder and he was finding it incredibly distracting. 

They drifted through the crowd, and it took effort to keep his mouth shut and not just gape at all the musical celebrities around them. There were others, too, Luka recognized some actors in the crowd. They were stopped a few times for compliments on their clothes, usually coupled with delicate questions designed to figure out who they were, and more importantly, who they knew. Marinette handed out a few more business cards.

A few of the celebrities were actually in their age bracket. They were both checked out and then chatted up by the members of a boy band that Luka vaguely recognized, though he wasn’t a fan of their sound. Luka gently deflected his admirer and watched with slightly exasperated amusement as Marinette failed to recognize the flirting that was aimed at her, too busy talking up Luka and the band to recognize she was being hit on. The boys eventually gave up and drifted off with Kitty Section cards in their pockets, and Luka teased her mercilessly after they were gone. 

She was still red-faced and spluttering when she was tapped on the shoulder by the one person least likely to improve her composure. “Adrien,” she exclaimed when she turned.

“Hi, Marinette, I should have guessed you would be here,” he said to Marinette with a smile as she exchanged cheek kisses with Kagami. “Hi, Luka,” he held his hand out. “Good to see you.”

“Adrien,” Luka took Adrien’s offered hand and pulled him in to bump shoulders. “Nice to see you.” He nodded to Kagami. “Nice to see you again too, Kagami. You look very nice.” She did, though she also looked stiff and formal in her silk kimono. 

Kagami nodded back. “Luka.”

“Wow, Marinette, did you make that dress?” Adrien asked, giving Marinette a once over. “You look amazing.”

“She did,” Luka said proudly, lifting Marinette’s hand over her head so that she spun under his arm, the ruffled train flaring to show off the embroidered snake and flowers. “Isn’t she stunning? Beauty, brains, and style in one tiny, tiny package.”

“Laying it on a little thick, Luka,” she giggled, digging an elbow in his ribs. “And I am not that tiny!”

“I mean every word.” He shot her a soft grin and she went from pink to crimson. “And you are pretty tiny.” He winced as she punched his arm. “Powerful though.”

“Well, I’m really glad you’re both here,” Adrien grinned, rubbing his neck. “Now Kagami and I have someone to hang out with.” 

“Is your mother here, Kagami?” Marinette asked.

“No, she’s not interested in these types of things,” Kagami replied, blushing slightly as she glanced at Adrien. “But when she agreed to let me go since it was with Adrien.”

“Nathalie is here somewhere,” Adrien gestured vaguely. “But I think she’s just staying long enough to greet some clients and then she’s going to take off. Clara Nightingale’s supposed to be here and my father’s been designing for her forever, and there’s a few others she wants to see. I don’t think she’s even staying for the dinner, just the cocktail hour.”

“Are you a fan of Jagged Stone, Kagami?” Marinette asked. 

“Honestly, I’m not very familiar with his music,” Kagami admitted. “I came because Adrien invited me,” she continued, slipping her hand through Adrien’s elbow. “But I’m glad you’re here, Marinette. It’s good to see a friend.” The almost shy way she said the word friend was kind of adorable. 

“Well, we’ve got an expert with us tonight,” Marinette said cheerfully, looking up at Luka in a way that brought color to his cheeks. “So if you have any questions about music, he’s the one to ask.” 

“I don’t know, Marinette, I think you’re one up on me when it comes to Jagged,” Luka said, nudging her. “I think he might be a bigger fan of you than you are of him.”

“I don’t think so,” she said, bumping him with her hip. “I bet you’d blow me away if it came to talking about his music and his career.”

“Well, between the two of you we should be pretty well covered,” Adrien laughed. Then he sighed. “Nathalie’s signaling me, I have to go be the face of the brand for a moment. Kagami, do you want to stay here with Marinette? It’ll probably be way more interesting than coming with me.” 

“I’d rather come with you Adrien,” Kagami smiled up at him, and he shrugged with a self-deprecating grin.

“Suit yourself. We’ll catch you again later Marinette, Luka.” 

“Bye Adrien!” Marinette waved as the other couple moved away. Luka looked down at her curiously. She caught him looking and blinked. “What?”

“Nothing,” he said quickly, flashing a smile. “I guess I thought you’d be depressed that they had to go.”

“They’ll be back,” Marinette shrugged. “And I’ve got you. Shall we go check out the hors—oh, brace yourself, here comes Jagged.”

“Marinette!” Jagged bellowed from halfway across the ballroom. The crowd parted for him as he made a beeline towards them. “Penny, she’s here!”

“Hi Jagged,” Marinette waved and winced slightly as the rock star crushed her into a hug. “Congratulations on your award.”

“Aw, thanks, my favorite fashion designer. The dress you made Penny is killer.” He let her go just enough to spin her around to face his agent.

“Penny!” Marinette accepted the older woman’s embrace. “You look fantastic.”

“Of course she does!” boomed Jagged as he put his arms around them both. “Penny always looks radiant, but I knew when the mayor told us about this little party that nobody could make her look as rock ‘n roll as you, Marinette! And now we have two rock ‘n roll goddesses amongst us! Love the snakes.” 

“Thanks Jagged,” Marinette squirmed herself out from under Jagged’s arm and retreated to Luka’s side. “You remember my friend Luka? Luka Couffaine.”

Jagged turned and Luka felt breathless just from the sheer force of the man’s personality. “Hope you’re taking good care of my girl tonight in this crowd. Let me guess, Marinette made this too? Killer!”

“She did,” Luka smiled at her as he took the hand Jagged offered. “Marinette’s done a lot of work for my band as well. No better designer out there.”

“Luka,” Marinette huffed. 

“Wait, I remember you,” Jagged said, still holding onto Luka’s hand. “You’re Nanarchy’s son.” Jagged’s eyes fixed on him again, searching his face in a way that made Luka tense up. “How old are you, kid?”

“I’m seventeen,” Luka answered a little stiffly. He could practically see the rock star doing the math in his head, just as Luka had when he’d seen the date on the sleeve of his mother’s old album.

“Huh,” was all Jagged said before releasing his hand. “So you play, Luka?” 

“Guitar just like my mom,” Luka replied, sticking his hands in his pockets. “I play lead in a band with some friends of mine and my sister, Juleka, plays bass.”

“He’s amazing, Jagged,” Marinette put in. “You should hear him. I mean, I know you heard him on the boat with the band for a bit, but you didn’t stay very long that day.”

“That so, eh?” Jagged gave her a sly look. “Does he play better than Aaaaadrieeeen?”

Marinette went white and then red. “Adrien’s great on the piano but Luka’s the best guitarist I’ve ever heard,” she said staunchly, and it was Luka’s turn to blush. “You kind of put me on the spot that day and I wasn’t thinking very clearly. Of course, I’m not really a musician myself so maybe my judgement isn’t the best. You’ll just have to jam with Luka yourself if you want to see how good he is. If he’s willing to play with you, that is.” She shot Luka a wink.

“If Nanarchy taught him, he’s gotta be good,” Jagged said, looking Luka over again with an expression Luka couldn’t quite read. Then Jagged frowned, looking over their heads. “Penny, sleaze alert.”

“Jagged!” cried a familiar voice that put Luka’s teeth on edge. He felt Marinette’s hand slip into his. She drew him back with her a bit so that Jagged was between them and Bob Roth when he approached. Luka locked his fingers through hers and pulled her a little behind him, and he felt her free hand on his back. 

“I’m just catching up with my favorite young fan.” Jagged swept his arm toward Marinette, and Luka’s fingers tightened around hers. Bob followed his gaze and sniffed.

“Oh, it’s you, petite. Jagged hasn’t dropped you yet?”

“Marinette did Penny’s dress for tonight,” Jagged said, waving his drink towards Penny. “Be nice, Bob, Marinette’s a great talent. She’s gonna go places.”

Bob snorted, and Luka gritted his teeth. “We’ll see,” Boh muttered, “But your boyfriend here is dead weight, petite. He’s not going anywhere in the music business after what he and the bug did to me.” 

“You’re hardly in any position to make threats, Mr. Roth,” Marinette said coldly, gripping Luka’s arm. “Everyone knows now what you tried to do.”

“Everyone knows, and no one cares,” scoffed Bob. “I told you the whole music industry is eating out of my hand. And you, kid,” he addressed Luka, “You’re going to be begging XY to do your music, because you’ll never get anyone else to give you a second listen.”

“I wouldn’t sell my toenail clippings to XY after what you pulled,” Luka bit out. 

Jagged burst out laughing and Luka jolted as the rock star flung an arm around his shoulders. “Bob, you don’t know what you’re talking about. If you’re this against him he must be good. Come on, Luka, this sounds like a story I need to hear. See you around, Bob.” And with that, Jagged Stone turned his back on Bob Roth and marched off with a bewildered Luka under his arm, Marinette trotting to catch up with them.

Luka planted his feet for a moment, refusing to go any further until Marinette’s hand was back in his. “Are you all right, Luka?” she asked worriedly. 

“I’ve been better,” he admitted, glancing at her and trying to give her a reassuring smile. “That guy pisses me off, but I don’t plan on letting him or some stupid butterfly ruin our night.” She gave him a glowing smile, and he squeezed her hand.

“That guy’s a leech,” Jagged snorted. “And he calls me a has-been. Don’t buy into his threats, he’s a bully but he’s a dinosaur and he’s on his way out.” He grinned and dropped his voice, moving between Luka and Marinette to drop his arms around their necks and pull their heads close. “I’m not allowed to say anything yet, but Penny here has plans.” He giggled, and made kissy faces at Penny, whose dark cheeks shaded pink.

Marinette giggled too. “I’m glad to hear it, Jagged.” 

“Now’s not really the place to be talking about those kinds of things,” Penny admonished. “And you have a lot of people left to meet, Jagged.” She nudged Jagged with her elbow. “And we don’t want to keep Marinette from her date.”

Luka had to bite his tongue to keep from laughing as Jagged looked at him with dawning comprehension and a sudden expression of glee. “Yes!” he crowed. “Yes, you take my Marinette and go show her a good time, she’s way too rock ‘n roll for that model kid anyhow. Holy balls, this is awesome, this is perfect, does Nanarchy know? Yes, take her, go dance. Penny! Penny, go tell ‘em to play some sappy shit for a while, okay? We’ll rock out later after the kids go home. Mood music, that’s what we need right now.”

Luka looked away and coughed, trying to cover his laughter at the look on Marinette’s face. Penny winked at them as she led Jagged away, and Marinette put her hands over her face. “I swear, he’s more embarrassing than my parents.”

“Come on,” Luka offered his arm, still chuckling. “I’d hate to disappoint him, although…” He winced at the overly formal music that began playing. “I don’t exactly know how to waltz.”

“That’s too bad, Marinette’s a great dancer,” Adrien smiled at her. 

She flushed. “Oh, no I’m not, you just made it easy to follow.”

Adrien looked eagerly at the dance floor, and turned to Kagami. “Would you like to dance, Kagami?” 

Kagami looked down at the tight lines of her kimono and out at the dance floor dubiously. “I don’t think I can.”

“That’s such a shame,” murmured Marinette at Luka’s elbow. “I wonder if I could…” she trailed off, studying Kagami’s kimono, and Luka chuckled.

“You’ve got your designing face on.” He nudged Marinette.

“Sorry,” she giggled. “I’ll stop.” 

“I’d never ask you too,” Luka assured her. “But I’m not sure even you can turn Kagami’s outfit into something fit for ballroom dances. Why don’t you and Adrien go dance?”

All three of them turned and looked at him. Luka shrugged. “Kagami can’t, and I don’t know how. You two go ahead, and Kagami and I can hang out here.”

“Do you want to, Marinette?” Adrien asked, eyes eager. “I hardly ever get to dance.”

“Ah...um, sure, okay? If Kagami doesn’t mind.” Marinette looked nervously between Kagami and Luka.

Kagami mustered a smile that was mostly genuine. “Go ahead.” 

“Great!” Adrien grabbed Marinette’s hand. 

As they passed Luka, Marinette paused to grab his arm, tugging him down so she could whisper, “She’s really super nice but she’s terrible at small talk. She’s not trying to shut you down, I promise, just keep talking. I promise she’s more interested than she sounds.”

Then she was gone, walking to the dance floor on Adrien’s arm.

“So, Kagami, what kind of music do you like?” Luka asked.

“You probably haven’t heard any of it,” Kagami replied flatly, and Luka smiled to himself. 

“I might surprise you. I prefer rock, but I listen to a lot of different kinds of music. So. Anime, J-Pop, or Japanese traditional?” He raised his eyebrows slightly. “I’m starting there because you seem very tuned in to your traditions, but if you’re really into say, Chilean folk music, you can tell me, I won’t judge. I like all kinds of music.”

Kagami cracked a small smile. “You’re correct, most of what I’ve heard is traditional Japanese music, but I’m not passionate about it. I’ve listened to Adrien perform some classical piano as well. I enjoyed some of it. I guess music just doesn’t move me the way it does you.”

“You might enjoy it more if you learned more of the traditions behind it.” Kagami tilted her head at him and Luka smiled. “Nobody experiences music the same way. Some people have an intuitive understanding or an emotional connection. Some people have to learn the language of music before they can really understand it. Just like haiku, right? A layperson may appreciate the beauty of a single haiku or find themselves moved by it. But there’s an entire tradition behind haiku poetry and the symbolism it uses, and it’s hard to fully appreciate it as an art form without delving into the tradition behind it.”

"I see. You make a solid argument,” Kagami replied. “Perhaps the next time Adrien performs I can ask him for some background on the pieces.” She looked at him. “I would not have expected you to cite haiku as an example.”

“Music and poetry are closely tied,” Luka shrugged. “I’m honestly not very good at poetry, I feel like the music itself is simpler without words and I’ve always collaborated with someone else when a song needed vocals, but it’s still worth learning about. Some of it is really beautiful.” 

“It’s admirable for you to pursue a line of study that’s difficult for you.”

“Thanks,” Luka chuckled. 

Kagami hesitated. “I’m going to ask something that may be upsetting.”

“I don’t get upset easily, but I’ll tell you if you cross a line,” Luka promised.

Kagami smiled slightly. “Thank you. Why did you send Marinette to dance with Adrien? You must know she likes him and I can see that you like her. Why would you give your opponent an advantage?”

Luka chuckled. “He’s not my opponent.”

Kagami’s eyebrows rose slightly. “You don’t consider him competition?”

“I don’t consider love a competition,” Luka corrected. “I want Marinette to be happy. If she would be happier with Adrien, what good would it do to keep them apart? It wouldn’t change how they feel.” He looked at her. “Are you upset that Adrien wanted to dance with her?”

Kagami considered that, lips pressed together. “I don’t like it,” she said at last. “But if I have to lose him to someone, it wouldn’t be so bad if it were Marinette. At least then, we could all stay friends.” She glanced at Luka and then away. “I don’t have many friends.”

“It’s quality that counts, so you’re on the right track with those two,” Luka smiled at her. “So how did you and Marinette become friends?”

Kagami gave a true smile for perhaps the first time that evening. By the time she finished telling him about friendship day, a story that had him chuckling for the sheer Marinetteness of it all, Adrien and Marinette were back, both all smiles. 

“Thanks for waiting, Kagami,” Adrien said, as he returned to her side. Kagami slipped her hand through his arm a little possessively but her smile was honest.

“I was fine. Luka is good company. He’s an interesting person.” 

Marinette beamed at him and Luka returned a smile of his own, lifting his arm slightly in invitation. Marinette leaned against him and he put his arm around her shoulders.

“Did you have fun?”

She nodded, cheeks pink. “Will you be okay if I leave you for a little bit longer?”

Luka blinked. “Sure, but where are you going?”

She winked at him with a devilish smile that made him weak. “It’s a surprise.” 

“I’ll be here,” he said, a little breathless. Marinette slipped away from him, took Kagami by the arm and whispered in her ear. Kagami looked at her curiously but didn’t object when Marinette pulled her away.

“We’re going to restroom, we’ll be back in a minute!” Marinette said cheerfully. 

“That’s interesting,” Luka observed, watching the girls make their slow way out of the ballroom. “What’s she up to now?”

“With Marinette, who knows?” Adrien said fondly. “Maybe we should get some drinks and find a table while we’re waiting.”

“You two do look really great,” Adrien said as they moved off in search of a server. “Marinette’s work is always amazing but she really outdid herself tonight.”

“You should’ve seen me when I picked her up,” Luka told Adrien with a chuckle. “I’m sure it was hilarious given I couldn’t blink for a full minute. I felt like such a cliche.”

“You’re really gone on her, aren’t you?”

“Who wouldn’t be? She’s amazing. You’d have to be an idiot to turn down a girl like that. Honestly I can’t believe she’s still single.”

Adrien chuckled. “She’s had a little bit of bad luck there. The last guy who was crushing on her could barely talk to her and ended up falling for her best friend. And the one before that was akumatized over it and I think after that he was too embarrassed to talk to her.” He snagged two glasses of water from a passing server with practiced ease and handed them to Luka. 

Meanwhile the guy she’s in love with is either willfully blind or the nicest idiot I’ve ever met. Poor Marinette.

“Well, she seems like she’s really into you too. I’m glad for you both,” Adrien continued. “Marinette’s a good friend and I’m glad you make her happy.” Adrien patted Luka’s arm.

Luka looked at him incredulously. “We’re not together. I’m not the person she wants to be with.” 

Adrien looked back at him, blinking cluelessly. “You don’t think so?”

“I know it’s not so,” Luka said firmly, as Adrien made another grab for water. Triumphant, they moved towards the tables set up around the outside of the ballroom.

“But—didn’t she ask you here? And she made your clothes.”

“That’s just Marinette being Marinette. She’s sweet and thoughtful and—” Luka sighed, placed the glasses on a table, and faced Adrien fully. “Look, I just don’t want Marinette to be hurt because you, or anyone else, got the wrong idea. I like Marinette, but she’s not my girlfriend and I don’t have any claim on her. Nobody who asks her to dance or asks her out is stepping on my toes. As much as I wish it were otherwise, it’s Marinette's decision who she wants to be with and she hasn’t picked me. I want her to be happy and if there’s someone else she’d rather be with, she should be with them.”

“I don’t understand,” Adrien shook his head. “If you love her, shouldn’t you fight for her?” He looked away, setting his own drinks down and reaching for a chair. “The girl I love has been turning me down for months,” he said morosely as he sat down. “She says she’s in love with someone else, but I don’t think I could just accept that and stop pursuing her. I can’t just let her go.”

Luka stared at him for a moment. Oh, shit, Marinette, I’m so sorry. “The words we use for this are so messed up,” he muttered, rubbing his eyes with one hand as he sat down. “Fight for her, pursue her, that’s such an aggressive way to put it.” Luka sighed. “I'm not letting her go, I’m letting her choose. All those grand romantic gestures people get so worked up about, nobody talks about it much but they put a lot of pressure on girls, and that’s just not my style.” He tapped the rhythm of the song playing on the table as he thought through his words. “The thing is, I want Marinette to trust me and to know I’ll be there for her through anything. She’s been going through a really rough time lately, and if I did things your way, I couldn’t have helped her. She never would have let her guard down with me if I was pushing her to be in a relationship all the time.” He gave a one-shouldered shrug and sat back in his chair. 

“I’m okay with the way things are,” he said after a moment. “She knows how I feel and I know she’s not ready. Maybe she never will be, maybe she’ll always be in love with someone else, or maybe I’ll meet someone else and move on. Maybe ten years from now she’ll design my fiancée's dress and I’ll play a song I wrote for her wedding. We’re still kids, man, anything could happen. No need to rush.”

“If that’s the way you feel, why did you tell her your feelings at all?” Adrien wanted to know. 

Luka shrugged. “Marinette’s an incredible person but she doesn’t realize how amazing she really is. She should know that she’s loved and admired.” He made a face. “And to tell you the truth, I’m terrible at expressing myself without my guitar, and I don’t want any misunderstandings to get between us. I find it’s best if I just say what I mean right out, even if it’s a little uncomfortable.”

“So what are you going to do?” Adrien sighed, clearly only half listening.

“Love her until I stop.” Luka shrugged. “What other choice is there?”

Adrien looked at him, coming back from his dream world. “You think you’ll stop?”

“Someday, when I put some effort into it. Love is like anything else, you have to feed it for it to grow. You can starve it out if you try hard enough. But right now? I’d rather just love her, even if it hurts.” Luka shook his head slightly. “And if you’re really dead set on loving some other girl, you better be careful with Kagami. You’re going to break her heart to bits at the rate you’re going.” If he had to play Kagami’s heart, it would be strong and soft, but thin, lacking harmonies, with notes that flowed ever onward even as they trembled. Forceful, but lonely, brittle, too easily shattered. That would be sad. 

Adrien winced. “Yeah,” he muttered.

“Ignoring someone’s feelings and hoping they go away isn’t letting them down easy, Adrien. More like death by a thousand cuts.”

Adrien’s wince became a full-on cringe. “I get it. I’ll think about it, I just…” He sighed. “I don’t even like rejecting fan girls who think they’re in love with a face they’ve only seen in the magazines. It’s worse when it’s someone I actually care about.”

“If you care about her, be honest with her,” Luka urged, a little irritated at Adrien’s misplaced kindness. “It’ll hurt, but not as much as it will if you drag it out and make her figure it out on her own.”

“Yeah,” Adrien muttered, dropping his head into his arms on the table. 

Luka clapped a hand on his shoulder. “It’s rough, being rich and good looking and still a decent person. Good luck, Agreste.”

“You too, Couffaine.” Adrien lifted his head and smiled and the two boys bumped fists. 

“Oi, Luka!” Jagged was back, pulling Luka up from the table. “‘Scuse us for a second, mate.” He pulled Luka a short distance away and then put his arm around Luka’s shoulders, putting their heads close together.

“Kid, what are you doing?” Jagged hissed. “Why was Marinette dancing with Sir Pasty? And where is she now?”

“He asked her,” Luka shrugged, pulling away slightly. “They’re friends.”

Jagged gave him a look. “Then he must be her only friend, because her room was plastered in pictures of him.”

“What’s your point?” Luka asked, sighing. Think like he’s twelve, he reminded himself.

“My point is a girl like that does not come around very often and you need to lock that shit down,” Jagged told him. “She’d be wasted on someone like him, she’s too rock ‘n roll for that.”

“That’s her choice to make,” Luka replied, sticking his hands in his pockets and trying not to show his growing annoyance. “Why do you care?”

Jagged gave him a look. “Listen, kid—Luka—I don’t know what your ma’s been telling you—I know I made some mistakes back then and I coulda been there for you more but—”

“She didn’t tell me anything and I didn’t ask,” Luka cut him off. “Look, whatever happened between you and my mom back then, that’s between you two. And whatever’s happening between Marinette and me, which, just to be clear, is a whole lot of nothing right now, that’s between me and her.” He paused, surveying the rock star, who was staring right back at him with the same measuring expression. “As for you and me,” Luka said quietly, “I’ve gone most of my life without a father figure and I did fine. I’ve got crazy respect for everything you’ve accomplished but I don’t need you. There’s nothing you can give me that I can’t get on my own with enough work. Take a good look at me, Jagged. I’m not changing who I am for you or anyone else, so think about how you want the next conversation to go. You can just shrug your shoulders and go on with your life, I won’t really care. If that’s not what you want, then fine, we can talk, but not here and not tonight. Don’t think you can barrel into my life and push me around. I don’t care about your money and I don’t want your name, and I damn well won’t be used as leverage on Marinette or my mother. I’m not rearranging my life every time you decide to pop back into town. If you can live with that, then you know where to find me. But tonight I’m not here for you, I’m here for Marinette.” He exhaled just a little shakily, looking his once-idol in the eye.

Jagged shook his head slowly. “You might have my eyes kid, but you’re just like your mother,” Jagged muttered. “So damn stubborn. All right, I get the message. But trust me, Luka, you don’t want to let a girl like Marinette get away.” He patted Luka’s shoulder and moved off.

Luka took a deep breath, let it out slowly, and then went back to the table with Adrien. He just shook his head at Adrien’s questions and drained his glass of water.

“We’re back!”

The boys stood up and turned around and both of them stared. Kagami was wearing Marinette’s dress, while Marinette was wrapped in the folds of Kahami’s kimono. “Tada!” Marientte said cheerfully, spreading her arms. “Now Kagami and Adrien can dance!” 

The dress didn’t fit Kagami as perfectly as it did Marinette, but the girls were close enough in size and build that it worked. Marinette was adorable in Kagami’s kimono, but she didn’t carry the garment with Kagami’s ease and elegance. With some amusement Luka noticed Marinette still wore her own shoes. He was a little relieved, he didn’t think Marinette would be able to stay upright on Kagami’s wooden sandals. 

Kagami was blushing, fidgeting with Marinette’s shawl where it draped around her shoulders, and couldn’t quite meet anyone’s eye. Adrien stood up. “Wow, Marinette, that’s really cool of you.” He grinned broadly and swept a bow for Kagami. Luka kind of wanted to kick him. “May I have this dance?”

“Thank you,” Kagami whispered to Marinette as she put her hand in Adrien’s and let him lead her away.

“You just made her night,” Luka said admiringly, rising to stand next to Marinette. “You’re really something else, Marinette.”

Marinette smiled, and then frowned, looking down at herself. “I’m sorry, Luka,” she said. “I’m afraid I need to sit things out while I’m in this. There really isn’t a lot of room to move and I’m terrified I’m going to fall and rip something. I’ve never worn a kimono before and Kagami said this is a family heirloom!” 

“We could go out on the balcony for a bit,” Luka suggested. He rolled his tense shoulders. “Frankly I could use some air, and there would be fewer people to watch out for.” 

“That sounds perfect,” Marinette said fervently. “Only please hold on to me in case I trip.”

Luka took her hand and drew it through his arm. “No problem. I won’t let you fall.”

She squeezed his arm and beamed up at him. “Thanks, Luka. And thanks for being so understanding about this. I’m sorry for taking you away from the party, it’s just, Kagami looked so sad and her mother is so strict, I just wanted her to be able to have fun for a little bit. We’ll switch back after a couple dances and then we can go back to the party. I don’t want to ruin your night.” 

“Honestly Marinette, I don’t care if we’re dancing or people-watching or whatever. I just like spending time with you. Nothing could ruin this night. I’m looking sharp in this custom designed suit, and I have a beautiful, generous girl on my arm. Best night ever.” He grinned at her. 

She smiled back, but her heart wasn’t in it. “Marinette, what’s wrong?” Luka asked as he opened the door to the balcony for her. It wasn’t as crowded as inside, but there were still a fair number of people milling about. They managed to find a corner partially shielded from the wind and other people thanks to a large planter.

“Nothing, I just...you shouldn’t think so highly of me, Luka. I’m not that great. I was kind of awful to Kagami the first few times we met. She seemed so perfect and so cold and she made me feel so pathetic and immature. I was jealous and I didn’t realize how lonely she was or how badly she just wanted a friend. I feel terrible for the way I treated her.” She leaned against the balcony railing and put her chin in her hand. 

“Marinette,” Luka sighed admiringly, shaking his head with a soft smile. He shrugged off his jacket and put it over her shoulders, and leaned his elbows on the railing beside her. “You have no idea how amazing you are.”

She turned to look at him with wide eyes, and blushed when he met her gaze. “You being jealous? That’s natural,” he told her. “Normal, even. Acting badly because of it, well, that’s human. But recognizing that you were wrong and not only deciding to do better, but deciding to be her friend because you could see that she was lonely? That’s what makes you amazing.”

“Isn’t that just...being a decent person?” 

“Decent people are rarer than you think, trust me. Even most decent people would just do the bare minimum. Trading outfits and giving her the dress you designed so she can dance with the guy you’re in love with? That’s way more than the minimum.”

Marinette gasped. “How did you know—argh, of course you know, ugh…” She slumped against the balcony rail. “Freaking everybody knew except Adrien,” she muttered.

“You care so much, Marinette. It’s…” He shook his head and sighed. He leaned over and kissed her temple. “It’s one of the things I really love about you.” 

Her face erupted in a fierce blush as she gasped and slapped her hands over her face.

Chuckling, Luka looked away to give her time to recover. After a moment he felt her arms circle his and her cheek pressed to his shoulder, and he smiled. They were quiet for a few minutes and suddenly Luka realized Marinette was trembling. 

“Are you cold, Marinette?”

“No,” she said quickly, and she took a deep breath. “It’s just that...well...I actually think...I’m not in love with him anymore,” she finished in a rush.

Luka couldn’t have spoken in that moment if his life depended on it. He had just enough sense left to keep his mouth from hanging open, but that was it. Marinette glanced at him, cheeks red, and then away, as she went on. “Something happened a while ago...and...I didn’t exactly tell him my feelings but...I think I still got, I don’t know, closure? He’s in love with someone else. It’s taken me a while to get there, but I’m starting to be okay with that. After all, if there’s someone else he loves, he should be with her, right? I want him to be happy, even if it hurts. That’s...kind of when I started trying to focus back on myself, trying to remember there was more to me than just...him.”

Still speechless, Luka put his arm around her and she leaned into him, cuddling close against his side, gripping his shirt. “We were getting closer, for a while,” she continued quietly. “But then...I don’t know. We just seemed to fall apart. Like we got out of sync somehow. Like two ships passing in the night, except for us it was broad daylight and when we got close enough to shout, I couldn’t say anything and he just yelled ‘You’re such a good friend, Marinette.’” Luka had to laugh at that, but there was a slightly hysterical edge to it and he stifled it quickly. Marinette took a deep breath, and he could feel the tension in her shoulders under his arm. “I feel like...whatever opportunity was there, I missed it. And I—I don’t want to miss another one.” She took another deep breath and let it out shakily. “I don’t want to miss you.”

Luka was no stranger to adrenaline. The rush of performing, the surge that came at the sight of a little black and red box, even the thumping heart and rush of heat the moment before lips touch lips, he knew them all, but he had never felt like this. He felt hot and cold at the same time, his stomach clenching up, and a blind, irrational desire to flee that he only resisted because his entire body felt paralyzed.

His mind treated him to a high speed replay of all those strangely charged moments over the last month that didn’t quite make sense before because she loved Adrien, dissonant notes that suddenly resolved now into a perfect consonant chord because—she didn’t. She didn’t love Adrien anymore. Luka had sensed it, even as his head refused to believe it. But something in him had believed it, he realized, because if he hadn’t he would never have let things go so far. He remembered the time she kissed him on her balcony the day she finished painting his guitar. He had a vivid flashback to the frustration he’d felt the day of the photo shoot when he’d kissed her even though he knew better, when he’d wondered how it could feel so right when he knew she loved somebody else.

Except...she didn’t love someone else.

“Luka?” Marinette looked up at him in alarm. He blinked and wondered how long he’d been standing there silent and rigid.

“I’m okay,” he lied. “I just...I wasn’t expecting that. I don’t—I mean I do—“ He gave up on trying to handle this at all calmly. “Okay I think I need a minute to process this.”

“Sorry,” she giggled nervously, playing with a tendril of her hair like that wasn’t distracting at all. “This really wasn’t in my plan for tonight, but it just...seemed like the best opening I was going to get. I mean...I’ve been trying for weeks to talk to you about all this but I keep second guessing. You’re my friend, more than my friend, and I don’t want to hurt you, Luka. I’m...I’m afraid, that I’m not clear enough in my own head to know what I want, and I’m scared of—of leading you on and then finding out that I can’t—“ she huffed a sigh of frustration. “But that kind of overthinking is what always got me messed up with Adrien and—I can’t say it in music like you can, but you’ve always been so brave about speaking your feelings, and I thought, maybe this is one time I could be that brave too, and then maybe I wouldn’t have to figure it all out on my own…” She bit her lip, looking up at him anxiously. 

Part of him knew he should be cautious, whispering words like rebound and second choice and...yeah, the hell with all that. 

“You don’t have to have all the answers right away,” he told her, wrapping his hands around her shoulders. “I understand why you’re worried and I’m glad you’re thinking about these things but—“ Luka moved one hand to cradle her face, brushing his thumb along her cheek. “I trust you to stay honest with me, and if it doesn’t work out—well, I can handle pain. Regrets are a lot harder to live with.”

Her lips parted and she took a shaky breath. “I...really like you, Luka. I love the way I feel when I’m with you. Will you...be my boyfriend?”

The grin that spread over his face wasn’t remotely cool or reserved. “Hell yeah.”

Marinette was blushing prettily and couldn’t quite meet his eyes. “Okay. Good. So...What now?”

“Well,” Luka glanced around at the people milling on the balcony. “I don’t think now’s really the time, but you should know I’m planning to kiss the hell out of you in the very near future.”

A satisfying shiver went through her, and his grin widened at the flush that went all the way down her neck. Then she gave him that devastating little smirk of hers and whispered back, “Well, you’d better do a good job.”

Dead. Gone. Here lies Luka Couffaine, absolutely slain by irresistible pink lips, the most creative mind he has ever known, and a pair of gorgeous blue eyes. He died hopelessly in love and fantastically happy.

And he couldn’t touch her because they were surrounded by people and she was wrapped in a borrowed family heirloom kimono. Damn it. 

Luka lifted her hand and kissed the inside of her wrist, keeping his eyes on hers. He smiled against her skin at the catch in her breath and the slight widening of her eyes. 

“So,” Luka said, slipping his arm around her waist and tugging her back against his side. “I’m kind of useless at all that ballroom stuff, but I’d still like to dance with you later. I don’t know the steps but I have excellent rhythm.”

“As long as you don’t mind my two left feet,” Marinette snuggled close and he thought if he smiled any wider his face might crack in two. 

“I love your feet,” he told her. “Almost as much as I love your hands. Which is about half as much as I love your eyes.”

“Stop,” she giggled.

“Never,” he sighed happily. “You’re just going to have to put up with hearing exactly how awesome I think you are.”

“And here I thought I was gonna be dating a cool older man,” Marinette huffed.

“I am cool, and older,” he chuckled, squeezing her lightly. “I also don’t ever want you to be confused for even one second about what I feel for you.” Her face flooded with color, and he could feel her start to fidget. “Listen, I’m not trying to pressure you,” he told her softly. “I promise I heard what you were telling me, that you’re not completely sure about us yet but you want to try. I don’t ever want you to say anything to me that isn’t completely true in your heart. I’m just telling you the things that I know are true in mine. I know you feel insecure sometimes. I know you worry that you’re not good enough. I just don’t ever want you to be worried about that with me, okay?”

Marinette didn’t answer, but he felt her relax into him, and they stood quietly together for a moment. “I love your hands too,” she murmured. “Especially this one.” She picked up his left hand and turned it over, running her fingertips over the roughened pads of his. “I know you make music with both, but…”

“I think I know what you mean,” he said, taking her right hand gently and running his thumb lightly over the callus on the side her middle finger, where her sketching pencil rested. “It’s just a little more real when you can feel it.”

“Luka! Marinette!” They turned to find Kagami and Adrien coming toward them, still arm in arm. “They’re announcing dinner soon,” Adrien explained. “We figured you’d better swap back before then.” 

“Oh, she looks so happy,” Marinette whispered, squeezing Luka’s arm, and it was true. Kagami was glowing, practically floating on air as they approached, and Luka couldn’t help smiling at the sight, though at the same time he kind of wanted to smack Adrien. He took his suit coat back from Marinette and let her go to catch hands with Kagami, and the two girls went giggling back towards the restroom as Adrien came to lean on the rail next to Luka, looking content but not nearly as radiantly happy as his date. Luka felt a pang for Kagami’s sake, but he couldn’t think of anything to say to Adrien that he hadn’t already said. 

Speaking of which...

“Hey Adrien,” Luka said softly, watching the girls slip through the door back into the ballroom. “You know all that stuff I said earlier about Marinette and me?”

“Yeah?”

Luka grinned broadly, turning back to face the Paris skyline. “I take it all back.”

***

Luka couldn’t have described a single thing they had for dinner that night. He didn’t hear a word of the mayor’s speech. He couldn’t have said when Jagged interrupted it or why Fang was suddenly on stage. He was barely aware when Adrien and Kagami said their goodbyes, having been forbidden to stay for the afterparty. He was so out of it that he was able to keep his cool and speak normally when Jagged kept dragging them over to meet various colleagues, many of whom were almost as famous as Jagged. 

It just all felt like a dream until he was on the dance floor with Marinette, until he could feel her hands behind his neck, her soft hair against his cheek, the sway of her hips under his hands as they moved in slow circles. He spared a moment to be thankful that someone with less pretension or a better sense of their audience had gotten hold of the sound system. Marinette lifted her head from his shoulder and there was a devilish tilt to her smile when she reminded him he’d promised to kiss her when they were alone. Which they weren’t, at the moment, surrounded by a fair number of other dancing couples.

He shot her a smirk of his own. “Keep looking at me like that and we might not make it that long.”

“We could leave now.”

“Yeah?”

“I don’t think we want to be here when Jagged turns this into a real party,” Marinette giggled, “And my parents were pretty generous with my curfew tonight but…”

“Right.” He forgot normal parents had things like curfew. “After this dance then?”

“Okay.” 

He pulled her closer and she laid her head on back on his shoulder with a sigh. Tomorrow there would be time to think about taking things slow and “are you sure” and all those smart things they both knew they’d have to deal with, but tonight...

Luka kissed her in the elevator the moment the doors closed, catching her face in his hands and pressing his lips to hers harder than he’d meant to at first. He recovered quickly, kissing her softly but fervently, once, twice, and a third time, pulling away only at the chime announcing the doors’ imminent opening.

Marinette kissed him in the car, shyly at first, but he was more than willing to be patient and encouraging, and her confidence grew accordingly. She left him breathless by the time the car pulled up in front of the bakery. 

They kissed and kissed and kissed in the hallway outside of her door, until her phone rang and then abruptly cut off, and her mother called through the door for her to wrap it up and come inside, amusement plain in her voice.

He didn’t take his eyes off her as she backed through the door of her home, her hair ruffled and her cheeks pink, flashing him a smile with thoroughly kissed lips and eyes dancing with laughter at his own disheveled state and lovestruck expression. 

When she was gone he straightened his jacket, tucked in his shirt, and smoothed his hair but he wore her smeared lipstick home with pride, grinning like an idiot every time he caught his reflection in the car window. 

[orangeoctopi7]

Stupid Teen Emotions

@forduary Week three is travel/trapped. In this story, Stan and Ford TRAVEL back to the past, where they become TRAPPED! It fits!

Chapter 1:  Back in My Day

They didn’t sleep well, that first night. Ford stayed up late, because of course he would have stayed up into the wee hours of the night working on his perpetual motion machine in the original timeline. But he barely touched the project. With the knowledge he had now, he could probably build the whole thing tonight, but that would, of course, be changing the timeline. A younger Ford had learned a lot, working so hard and so long on this machine, and future Ford didn’t want to deprive his past self of that important lesson. So instead, he began writing, racking his brain for anything he could remember of January, 1969.

Stan tried to sleep at first, but he just couldn't. He was too anxious and excited, all rolled into one. So he instead dug out a few of his old comic books that never got thrown away.

They both must have fallen asleep at some point, because come morning, there was a rapping at the door that woke them both with a start.

“Get up, you two! You’re gonna be late for school!” A woman with a thick Jersey accent yelled through the door.

“M-mom?” Ford’s head lifted blearily off his desk.

“Wow, you are really taking the whole ‘stick to the timeline’ thing seriously.” Stan mused from his bottom bunk.

“I didn’t mean to fall asleep at my desk…” Ford groaned.

“You never do, Sixer, you never do.”

They marched downstairs and into the kitchen, where their mother had a breakfast of hot cinnamon and apple oatmeal waiting for them. Stan was so happy to see her, he ran over and hugged her, pecking a swift kiss on her cheek.

"Aww, sweetie!" She planted a kiss on his forehead. "I'm still not paying your parking ticket." She added flatly.

"What parking ticket?" Stan asked, confused. "Oh, um, I mean, drat."

Ford was too tired to even work up the energy to be happy to see his mother. As he sat down, he automatically reached for the coffee pot. But a rolled up newspaper smacked his hand away.

“What d’you think you’re doin’?” Caryn asked, eyebrow raised.

“... getting my morning coffee?” Ford answered, addled.

“How many times do I have to tell you, honey? No coffee ‘til you’re 18. It’ll stunt your growth!”

Ford looked like he was about to have a fit.

“Wait, are we not 18?” Stan asked quickly. Luckily, his parents ignored his out-of-place comment.

“Ya don’t need coffee, ya need more sleep!” Filbrick grunted from behind his newspaper.

“You both drink ten cups a day!” Ford argued, his voice cracking again.

“That’s cuz we’re adults.” Filbrick growled, “Once you’re old an’ decrepit, you can drink all the coffee ya want.”

“Trust me, he will.” Stan said flatly.

Ford kicked him under the table. Hard. Stan cried out.

“Can it, you two!” Caryn scolded them, “You’ll wake up Shermie. I don’t wanna have to deal with three crying babies.”

The brothers finished their breakfast sullenly but quietly, and grabbed their backpacks before heading out the door.

“Think we should leave Shermie a note warning him to watch out for time travelers?” Stan asked as he fished out his keys to the STNLYMBL. “Y’know, for when he’s older?”

“Then Dipper and Mabel will be born later than 2000.” Ford reminded him irritably.

“Right.” Stan smacked himself. “Man, this sucks! Why time travel if we can’t make things better?”

Ford’s only reply was a surly sigh as he turned to the cafe next door.

“Hey, where’re you goin’?” Stan asked.

“To get some coffee!”

“Seriously, Sixer? Hot Belgian Waffles is next door, Mrs. DuBios will rat you out to Ma for sure!”

Ford heaved an even more enraged sigh that bordered on a growl, and turned on his heal to get into Stan’s car, slamming the door shut.

“Whoa, easy, we’ll just stop by the donut place on the boardwalk.” Stan reassured him as he started the car. “What’s gotten into you?”

The scientist groaned and pulled his fingers through his curly brown hair. “I don’t know! Normally it’s simple to just focus on my intellect and control my emotions, but it just isn’t working now for some reason!”

“‘Control’ your emotions, or bottle them up?” Stan muttered. Ford shot him a withering glare. “Shoot, I wasn’t supposed to say that out loud. Why do I keep doin’ that?”

“And the only reason I’m so mad in the first place is because I’m so tired!” Ford continued to rant, “I got at least four hours of sleep last night, it doesn’t make any sense!”

“Heh, guess teen Ford isn’t used to old man Ford’s space-sleep schedule. Or lack of sleep schedule, anyway.”

Ford’s face brightened into his ‘a-ha!’ expression. “Stanley, that’s it!”

“What?” 

“The reason I’m having such a hard time regulating my emotions, and the reason you can’t keep your mouth shut even more than usual! We may still have our minds from 2013, but our bodies are teenagers in the middle of puberty. Our hormone levels are magnitudes higher than what we’ve become accustomed to.”

“Great. Goin’ through puberty again. Just what everyone wants outta time travel.”

They pulled up to the donut shop on the boardwalk. Stan poked around in his seat and found a quarter, which he handed to Ford. Suddenly, his brother looked unsure.

“Stan, maybe you should hang onto this. You’re going to need all the money you can get, come summer.”

“It’s a freaking quarter, Poindexter.”

“Yeah, but a quarter is worth a lot more in 1969 than it will be in 2013! This is almost a whole gallon of gas!”

Stan pinched the bridge of his nose. “Ten minutes ago you were about to have a meltdown because you couldn't get your morning coffee, just buy it, Ford!”

“Fine, but I’ll pay for it myself.”

“With what money, genius? You didn’t have a job in high school because you were too busy with your academic science nerd stuff! Now go buy yourself a cup of coffee, or I’ll make you walk the rest of the way to school.”

Ford frowned, but took the quarter. He couldn’t help but feel guilty as he got his cup of coffee. How could he or anyone else have ever said that Stan was the lazy one, when Stan was the only one who’d ever had a ‘real’ job? Even to this day, Ford had never had what anyone would call a normal job, barring that one summer he’d been a lifeguard at a waterpark in a dolphin-dominant dimension. He’d always relied on scholarships and grants and accademia, which was hard work, in its own way, but still.  It certainly wasn’t what his father would have called a real job. While traveling across dimensions, he’d relied on trading information and knowledge, building and selling inventions, and even, occasionally, stealing.

Stan was the one who’d gotten a minimum wage, part-time job selling popsicles on the beach. Stan was the one who’d entered local semi-pro boxing matches and brought home winnings. Stan was the one who’d saved up for his own car. 

“Ar-are you crying!?” Stan exclaimed when Ford climbed back into the car, cup of coffee in hand.  Ford reached up to wipe his eyes, surprised as his brother to find tears there.

“Oh geez, Stanford, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to be so harsh, I just--” Stan began to babble.

“N-no, it’s not you.” Ford found his voice wavering as soon as he tried to speak. “It’s just-- gah, I’m so stupid! Stupid hormonal chemical imbalance!”

Ford tried to keep himself from crying anymore by taking a big gulp of coffee. It wasn’t very good, and it was just this side of warm, but it instantly improved his mood.

“Ah, there’s that good dopamine.”

“Better?”

“Much. Let’s go. I think we’re already late.”

Despite the fact that they were ten minutes late, there were still several students milling about when they arrived at the school. The twins felt like they should stick out like a sore thumb, but nobody paid them any mind. 

“Ugh, never thought I’d come back here.” Stan grumbled.

“Well, look on the bright side!” Ford reassured him, “Now that you’ve studied quantum physics and run your own business for thirty years, Math and Science classes should be a breeze!”

“Hey, yeah! I can’t wait to see the look on Mr. Grauberger’s face when I can tell him exactly how much interest $300 will accumulate over 20 years!” But he paused. “Wait, what about changin’ the timeline? Pretty sure I never answered questions in class.”

“Oh, it wouldn’t make that much of a difference.” Ford scoffed. “Even if you get 100% on every quiz while we’re here, I don’t think it’d be enough to bring your grade up past a C, and you’ll be dropping out before graduation anyway.”

“Oh yeah….” Stan’s good mood quickly washed away.

Ford rested a comforting hand on his shoulder. “We know it all works out in the end.”

“Yeah…” Stan agreed, “but there was still a lot of heartache gettin’ there.”

[nat-roman0ff]

i. tuesday

a series of blurbs // a certain time and place

 i. tuesday

the one where they eat too much pizza, and swallow their feelings.

wc: 1,893

warnings: swearing, mentions of sex, bad writing, feasting.

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

It’s quarter past seven when she finally gets to relax. It’s Tuesday, and Tuesdays at work always meant her boss screaming about something, pissy clients, and her snotty coworker making comments about whatever it goddamn was that she hated her for this week. The glimmer of Monday has worn off and it’s back to the same old, same old.

 Tuesdays weren’t always terrible, though. It’s warm and breezy today and the birds are chirping loud and high in the sky. There’s a distinct smell of summer in the air; it’s just on the cusp, as noted by the line of sweat collecting at her hairline as she tredges home. This Tuesday in particular, however, was exceptionally not terrible. Her sort of best friend, part time couch surfer (even though he had his own place), and sometimes lover, was home for a blip of time between his “rockstar” (even though he hated the word) lifestyle and normal life.

 Shawn’s an anomaly, she thinks. He’s a little bit of everything all mixed into one neurotic, passionate, sometimes self destructive mess of a boy. But whatever it is that he is to her, he’s a good one. That much she does know.

She’s practically limping by the time she reaches the front door of her apartment, cursing herself for deciding today was the day to break in new shoes. Her phone pings from her back pocket and it’s Shawn; be there in a few! He writes. She doesn’t bother to text back because if she doesn’t get these ever loving shoes off within the next five seconds, and a piece of pizza down her throat she might just burst.

 After changing from work clothes to something more comfortable, she settles on the couch with the box of pizza. She sighs a breath of relief when the first waft of pepperoni hits her nose, and grins sheepishly.

 “Honey, I’m home!” Shawn bursts through the door without so much as knocking.

 “Yo,” she deadpans, half a slice hanging out of her mouth.

 Shawn jumps over the back of the couch onto the empty cushion beside his girl, “how’s your Tuesday?”

 “Better, now that you’re here.”

 “Aw, shucks,” Shawn sighs, putting his head on her shoulder.

 She rolls her eyes, “I was talking to the pizza.”

 “In that case,” he plucks the remaining slice in her hand out and shoves it whole in his mouth, “delicious,” he mumbles through chews.

 “You’re an animal,” she mutters.

 “Only for you, baby,” he says, a string of mozzarella hanging on his chin.

 Her heart skips at the line. Baby; it quite literally means nothing in the context, but how she so fucking wished it meant more. She’s in love with him (of course). Believe it or not, the Shawn Mendes isn’t actually everyone’s cup of tea. Once you get past the great hair and sharp jawline and impossibly good smile he’s rather, well, weird. You can never really figure him out and she supposes that’s what brought the two of them together in the first place.

 When people ask how they met, neither of them can ever quite put their finger on it. She’d started seeing him at outings with friends of friends of friends. He was always there but never within reach. She knew who he was and what he did and it never really phased her, he was just always that dude she saw at the bar sometimes at whoever’s friend’s best friend’s boyfriend’s birthday party.

 It hadn’t been until a Halloween party about two years ago that left the two of them soberly stranded in a sea of plastered people in horribly unoriginal costumes. He was dressed as Julius Caesar (a giant homemade cardboard salad dressing bottle with a wreath crown on his head) and she was dressed as Cereal Killer. For all inquiring minds, yes it was just as dumb as it sounds.

 “Whatcha thinking about?” He interrupts, already finished with his second slice of pizza.

 “Nothing,” she says, shaking her head, “nothing except you better split this pizza with me evenly this time, Jackass.”

 Shawn scoffs, “I have been wasting away performing every night, I deserve at least two-thirds of this pizza.”

 He pays attention to the way she rolls her eyes at him. His chest warms; it’s such a simple, bratty, cynical act coming from her but somehow it’s theirs. He says something ridiculous and she just rolls those beautiful damn eyes and the outside world just ceases to exist for a tiny moment. Head over heels might be an understatement, and a cheesy one at that. He’s an entire goddamn mess for this girl.

 Shawn leans over and pecks a quick kiss on her cheek.

 “Ugh,” she groans, feigning disgust, “you got pizza grease on me.”

 He shrugs.

 “What was that for anyways?” She asks.

 Shawn shrugs again, “missed you, I guess. It’s been too long. Keep telling you that you need to come out on tour with me -”

 There’s a disconnect in his voice. He’s looking at her but not at her. His eyes scan every part of her face except her eyes. Shawn has issues feeling vulnerable. Which is rich coming from someone who performs in front of thousands of strangers nightly. But it’s different with her. He’s never been so terrified of a single person in his life, even after the time Eric Williams whooped his ass in the third grade.

 “Oh yes because I’m sure my boss would just love me taking off months at a time. And unpaid? What a dream! Let me send her my resignation email right now!” She quips sarcastically.

 The heat in Shawn’s chest cools a little as he settles back into reality. She’s here and you’re there and that’s the only way it’s ever going to be, he reminds himself.

 “But you hate your job!” He whines, “Just quit, we’ll find something for you to do on tour.”

 She groans, “and what am I supposed to do the rest of the time? Sit around and watch you get baked and play guitar?”

 “I can think of something,” Shawn raises an eyebrow and she knows what’s coming.

 In a swift move the pizza box is on the floor and he’s got her pinned underneath him, “Kiss me.”

 It’s barely a whisper and she knows how this ends every time. Every time they kiss or fool around or fuck or wake up in each other’s arms she hopes it’s different this time. That this time is the time he’ll feel that spark she feels every time he touches her skin.

 It’s a different feeling for him. It’s less of a spark and more of a flutter; a familiar nervousness in his belly that makes the unknown comforting, but the uncertainty of not knowing terrifying. Does that make sense? His head is such a chaotic string of everything and nothing at the same time with her and he doesn’t know what is up or down when he’s around her, all that he knows is he’s safe. The nerocies stay at bay just long enough to maybe believe she loves him back.

 “Now why would you go around wanting something like that?” She replies, cupping his cheek, running her thumb over the divet where a tiny scar etches into his skin.

 I want you, he thinks.

 “Horny, been a while,” he fumbles. It’s the same way out every time. Say something stupid but sarcastically enough that she knows you’re joking. It saves from having to admit to anything while simultaneously hinting that he wants to spend the whole night soaking her in.

 She rolls her eyes and Shawn’s chest starts to tingle, “you’re disgusting,” she grumbles, pushing on his chest, “and I have a pizza to finish.”

 “While I have total faith that you can finish that whole pizza yourself, do you remember what happened the last time you did that?” He tuts, sitting back up and letting her curl back into a ball on the other end of the couch.

 She shoves half the slice in her mouth, “you know, I was really thinking of adding additional assault to my insides by washing this down with a milkshake. You down?”

 He props his chin on his fist and tilts his head to the side, “I love when you talk bowel movements with me.”

 She boops the tip of his nose as the first drop of rain pangs against the living room window. There’s a rush of wind and then out of nowhere the sky just opens and it’s coming down in sheets onto the streets below them. The wind brings in a cool lick of humidity into the air. Shawn lets out a dramatic sigh and sprawls himself across her legs, resting his head in her lap.

 “Looks like I’m staying here tonight. I’ll probably need to borrow one of your shirts to sleep in,” he jokes, stroking her side, his fingertips grazing the hem of her tee shirt.

 “Just don’t stretch it out in the tits.”

 Shawn laughs, his face scrunched, “you’re ridiculous.”

 He mindlessly kisses her bare thigh, not realizing just how far her pajama shorts have ridden up.

 “I’m ridiculous? You own your own condo yet I can’t seem to ever get you out of my apartment. Do you ever actually sleep there?”

 “Sometimes,” he mumbles between kisses, “just prefer it here I suppose.”

 She stops chewing for a second, “it’s a 400 square foot walk up. You live in a luxury building. The roof has a damn pool for crying out loud.”

 “Don’t forget the fire pits and dog washing station,” he reminds, and she can feel his lips smirking against her skin.

 She flicks his ear, “maybe you should start spending more time in your own place.”

 Shawn pauses, “like...not together?”

 “Of course, together but...I don’t know. What do you like about here so much that you can’t get there?”

 You, he thinks.

 “I dunno,” he looks around desperate for anything to stick out. His heart races and he can feel that familiar anxious itch starting to burn his skin when he’s on the verge of saying too much.

 “This wall,” he points to the far wall across the room behind her bed, “I like the color of that wall.  Everything in my place is all white. Need some liveliness and color and whatnot.”

  She doesn’t buy it, “well Shawn, I’m really excited to introduce you to something called a Hardware Store. You can buy all the paint colors you want.”

 Shawn perks his head up, “will you help me do that?” He asks, tracing words he’ll never say out loud into her skin with the tips of his fingers.

 She swears she’s writes ‘I love you’ three times into her skin before she responds, “of course.”

 He nods and rests his head back onto her lap. Shawn’s eyes close when she threads her fingers through his hair. This is home, he thinks.

 She screams ‘I love you’ three times in her head so loudly it almost threatens to bubble out between her lips. It’s a loud thought, and she wonders if she shouts it loud enough through her head if maybe one day he’ll listen.

 She thinks someday, someday with a few hundred maybes thrown in she’ll be brave enough to say it out loud. But that day isn’t Tuesday.

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

hiiii hi hello! this is my first time writing shawn, i have about 8 years worth of terrible one direction fanfiction behind me so i thought why not start something new!

please let me know what you think! i’ve started it as sort of a blurb series with more to come, you can check all the upcoming titles on my masterlist! (linked on the sidebar).

[seb-owns-these-tatas]

Chapter 3 (Winter’s Gem) (Bucky Barnes AU)

CHAPTER 2

Characters: Bucky Barnes x You (AU)

Summary: Bucky Barnes has been scouted by your boss in Felicity Night, you were just a mere young, cleaner in Felicity night and have been living in the basement of the club for all your life. He's the most wanted Gigolo in the city, and taking him away from eager, thirsty women seemed to be impossible especially if he chose to be a Gigolo as his way of living.

Warning: Profanities. kind of suggestive matured content but they aren't doing anything? I mean, I dunno how to explain it. (HAHAHHAHA) This is an 18+ book, do I even have to warn you things? 😂 Floof? 

Words: 3,532

A/N: I hope to give justice to this Bucky Barnes series of mine. HEHEHE! TAGLISTS ARE OPEN, TATER TOTS! 

Disclaimer: PNG's, pictures and GIF's aren't mine. However, the whole series, one shots and edits are from moi. Let's add more GIFs now, Shall we? *winks*

TAGLISTS: @yn-the-reader @iwillmakeyoucraveme​ 

"You have a metal arm?!" You exclaimed all giddy and loud. Luckily, there was no people who you've caught attention. God, you were one loud, positive woman whenever he was alone with you. He thought and noted that to himself. Bucky shushed you by placing his metal finger on your lip. His gloves on the checkered, wooden table. Yet, you still eyed it in awe. The shiny metal glimmering under the dim lights. Utterly dumbstruck from his metal arm and by all the answers you've heard from him.

Y/N and Bucky were now in an mediocre type of an Italian restaurant. It was the only place opened. Add the fact that it was miles away from the sinful club that could distract them from having a peaceful night. Away from anybody who would question them why they were both eating dinner together.

Bucky have been admiring your face, the way how your lips lift up in happiness, your eyebrows softly cinched together in utter confusion when you eyed his metal hand riantly. The way you react to him, your mirthful attitude was making him awe. His head completely going elsewhere as he watched your face with a smile.

You were utterly acting different when he was alone with you. Unlike when you were in the club, you were always sad, scared and uncomfortable with the things happening around.

Yet, tonight you looked carefree and full of buoyancy.

"What happened? What made you have this metal arm?" He snapped out of his daydream, snapping out of his trance from admiring your face far too long. You stared back at him with a smile that reached your eyes.

Bucky would like to volunteer to pay a lot just to see those precious smile of yours than to see you frown.

"Accident, doll." He gruffly said. Taking a glimpse of your wondering face that was sitting in front of him. You left those questions unanswered as you curiously slipped your fingers in between the spaces of his metal hand, adoring how the plates weren't rough when it was swiping along your fingers. "Oooh! Hold my hand, Bucky!"

He lowly chuckled, completely entertained by your reaction before he softly gripped and locked your fingers with his, closing the spaces of your fingers intertwined together. Your hearts feeling all tingly and in a haywire but nobody dared to speak the feelings out. Was that a spark? "That's so coool! It doesn't feel cold or anything! How does it feel?"

Bucky licked his lips, a subtle taste of the pizza's tomato paste stuck on his taste buds. He reluctantly unclasped his hands with yours, trying to ignore the magnetic force wanting to slip his fingers with yours again. "Just like an actual arm, though a little heavier, Sugar. S'not a bother, I'm already used to it," He blinked, eyeing you chew on the ends of your soon to be finished pizza. You've had enough that could cover your week, had a little too much because it's been a long time since you had an all-meat pizza.

Besides, it feels good to chow down when it's a free treat.

"My turn," Bucky mumbled, swiping the crumbs off with the back of his metal hand. He lunged forward, elbows on the table as he set his dazzling Steele blue eyes on you. "Why do you sleep in the basement and not in your momma's room? Do you know how filthy it is down there? Rats, cockroaches and even ghosts live there,"

You hissed when you've heard the word 'ghost', they were giving you the shivers. The mere thought of it was sending you goosebumps, "I hate you, I hope the dead souls pull at your feet tonight," Y/N pouted, giving Bucky the stink eye.

God, you were so adorable. Bucky thought, chewing on his bottom lip, trying hard not to smile. It was probably the Tequila influencing his mind from thinking those types of things. "What? What did I say?"

Would you tell him? You were friends with him right now, right? As far as you remember, he had a plan to be friends with you. If Steve gets to be her friend, then I can be her friend. You remembered his words from earlier. Was he worth the trust? Yes, probably yes. "My..My mom doesn't want me with her. She hates me. All her life, all I have received from her was hatred and..and..."

Bucky knew what you were about to say next, and he didn't let you continue it because he knew how painful it was to admit that out of all the people who you could trust and love..your mother ends up hurting you the most. It was quite ironic to even think about. "Don't," He mumbled. Circling his hand in a clockwise motion, playing with the ice floating inside his glass of water as he stared at the glass at hand, looking like something was bothering him, and there was. You and your relationship with your own mother. "You don't need to continue, Doll. There's no need to hurt yourself more from the truth,"

You gave him a forced smile, leaning forward and placing your elbows on the table. Now closer to the handsome gentleman in front of you. "17th question now?" A long thread of hum left your lips as you tapped on your chin, eyeing your empty plate before lifting your gaze to see Bucky intently looking into your eyes like you're the only one that mattered in the world. Dug. Your heart tapped loudly. Dug. Dug--and again it did. "This one's kinda been in my mind since I last saw you,"

"I've been in your mind? That's probably why Steve's been looking for me the last time..he should've searched inside your head, didn't know I was worth to stay inside your interesting mind, Doll." He added cheekily, slanting his head in a very sexy manner. Luscious lips pursing together as he gave you his tantalizing smolder. Adding a wink that made your insides blow up.

Yet again, you were curling your toes inside your shoes to lessen the blush and your wild hormones wanting to react in a very bold way. Too early to jump on his lap, right? You're going to scare him away if you did.

You dramatically rolled your eyes, acting as if he was not affecting you. In reality, it was actually the opposite. "Ugh. No wonder you're a Gigolo,"

"If I was a stripper, what do you think my stage name would be?" Bucky suddenly said out of the blue, caressing his stubble and his cleft chin, appearing to find your next words interesting for him to hear.

Your face remained emotionless. "Broken white boy,"

"Do you see me broken?!"

"Ugh, can you please let me finish my question?" You groaned, face palming. He looked completely entertained by your answer, all smiles and chuckles.

"Why have you switched clubs? Gossip says--" Yet, he cut you off for the second time. He seemed to be rather hyper and too happy. The glossy look in his eyes meant he was slightly tipsy, but still sober enough to drive you both home. How can he even manage that?

Certainly years of practice. "Such the gossip girl you are, Doll. Love hearin' them from strangers. Or ya' just got pretty big ears for some hot topics?"

"--Gossip. Says." You emphasized every damn word, showing Bucky that you were serious and you wanted earnest answers. He knew damn well to zip his mouth now. "You've been recruited?"

Bucky seemed to think, before you saw him gave a weak nod. His metal fingers tapping the wooden table. "That's true."

"Why?" After that single worded question, you knew you saw his forehead twitch in the slightest. If you weren't closely staring at him, you wouldn't know.

A forced contract, a big pot of money that could keep me alive and the selfishness of one influential, filthy, manipulator. However, he didn't actually said that verbally. No, he would never bring you in such a treacherous position. Bucky doesn't want to endanger you when he was already neck deep in that deceitful agreement. "I'm the most highly requested gigolo in the city, doll. Your boss," He secretly wanted to spat that word out. It felt like he have spat out some atter. "--Noticed how I kept on bringing in the ladies in the club named 'Maximum Risk' at the west coast, then we had to talk, she offered me a much more logical compensation, a pretty humanly agreement," Kind of a lie. He so wanted to punch himself in the face. "--that I quickly agreed upon,"

You pursed your lips, nodding and trusting the words he said. "That quick?" He nodded and wiggled his fancy eyebrows. "Perks of being the best Gigolo out there, Sugar."

"So, you're kind of a lucky charm to us?"

What was making the ladies stay? What was keeping Bucky different from all the Gigolos out there in Felicity Night. There has got to be something in him that stands out. His attractive, worth-the-faint self was a plus, yet there has got to be more and you wanted to make sure of it. "What are you even famous for?"

That sparked something inside of Bucky. Oh, you were interested. Too interested in him and it was making him all giddy. "Do you really wanna know that?" He raised a brow, a cunning, lopsided smile on show that deserved the rush of tingles inside your core. Uh oh, there it was again. That stubborn, naughty urge.

"Why did I even ask that," You deadpanned and mumbled, groaning to yourself. You've intentedly jumped inside a rabbit hole even though you knew there was. "Famous for how I fuck? For the charming gentleman who could entertain everyone I escort?" He pertly answered, leaning closer with a hidden agenda to probably take advantage of your personal space as his face was closer than it was before. Your insides were jumping up and down, his voice switching a tone lower and quieter. Your eyes giving his luscious lips a once over before you hardly settled to stay looking at his hypnotizing Cerulean eyes. "For the high stamina? How I could go on and on till she's spent?"

You shifted in your seat, completely bothered by his words. Your heat was badly twitching and you wanted it to stop. You've only had that urge whenever you were watching something that could completely arouse you, so basically..This man was beginning to be an actual sex-on-legs and there was no deny that you aren't attracted to him because you are. You really are.

"Uhm," You gulped, cutting your gaze and staring at the couple who stood up from their seats. Ready to leave the restaurant. "I've asked too much, I think it was more than 20 now,"

"I got a question left," Bucky grabbed his gloves, slipping his metal hand in and you wanted nothing more than for his gloves to be off. His metal hand was doing things to you, giving yourself a very difficult time to stay still on your seat. "You and Steve..." He started, biting his bottom lip, giving you his sexy smoulder that made you tightly close your thighs together.

Bucky could see how you were holding your breath, that tiny shift in your eyes that looked like hunger and attraction. That was good, he wanted you where he wanted you to be. The feeling was completely mutual after all.

He gave you a sexy small smile, looking completely innocuous. "You both have a thing goin' on?"

"What?!" You choked on your own saliva, his question making you snort. Why would he even think that?

"The only thing going on around us is friendship. No more, no less! What made you even thought about that?!" You exclaimed, taking a gulp of your own water because the man in front of you was making you thirsty. Figuratively and literally.

Bingo. He sent a lopsided smile your way, glancing at your hand resting on top of the table in front of him and with no hesitation, he reached out to rest his hand on top of yours, making you choke on your water. "Just makin' sure, Doll." Bucky gently carressed the top of your hand that held some faded scars. Deeply staring into your eyes. You were completely shook from his boldness and words that held hidden meanings. Your heart running another mile and more.

"Wouldn't want to ruin the bro code,"

Weeks have passed after your secret dinner with Bucky. Nobody questioned why you both went home together that night. You had to make an excuse to Stan who had the guts to ask why you entered the club together. Thor saw you both leaving the club, climbing in Bucky's car and him, being the loud man he is decided that boastly telling it to Stan was a good idea.

Which the old man didn't forget to bug you with absolute, crazed questions.

"Oh, I knew you two were gonna fuck." Stan barged down the basement, having an excuse that he needed a very sturdy broom to get. You had to massage the temples of your forehead from his obscene assumptions that weren't even true.

"Did he give you the D?" His senile, shaky voice echoed around the basement. You had to cover yourself with a pillow, he was bombarding you with tons of questions that made your insides churn. Probably even hoped that his assumptions would happen soon. If that would even happen. Your heart fell after you told yourself that.

Your mother, well.. You hadn't even had to deal with her abusive hands the last few weeks which made you breath out a sigh. You didn't want to think why she was kind of in a better mood than she was before? She was being all smiley towards everyone except for you which was normal.

Though, you didn't want to jinx it soon. At least, she wasn't giving you a hard time or anything. Albeit the tiny heavy feeling inside of you is screaming to be more alert and cautious about it because she was acting too weird for your own good.

"Told you, he's gonna spark your interest one day," Stan reached for the broom beneath your single detached rusty bed. You exasperatedly groaned because of his rather factful propositions. He was basically giving you fact checks about how you were charmed by a Gigolo, a man who escorts women, a man who fucks other women in exchange for money.

You frowned thinking about what his job is, feeling your heart pricked by a big thorn from the realization that came into mind. He fucks other women in exchange for a pot of money with rich, wealthy women who wanted to have a piece of him.

Profanities came flooding over your head, you promised yourself that you weren't going to take a liking towards Gigolos. They were just going to break your heart. Your soul was already broken and frangible, why would you even risk yourself in accepting more agony when you've already had enough pain in your life?

"Sweetheart, you're a young, inconsolable woman who needs to have fun and get your heart going. If you'll stay broken and won't get yourself healed then you're forever going to feel like shit all the time. Barnes seems to like how poignant you are. Little shit probably wants some thrill in his damn life," Stan commented, wandering around your bed before stopping dead in his tracks, eyeing a handful of post it notes on top of an old bed side table. The small notes were in different colors and stacked up on top of one another.

'Please, don't starve yourself, doll. Here's a gift to make your stomach smile :)' Stan mentally read the top note, shaking his head and finding everything amusing. "Fucker's even taking care of you. He likes you a lot,"

You stared at the dusty ceiling, hearing foot steps coming from above and some dust falling on your face that made you sneeze. Stan dragged his heavy feet across your bed before propping his old ass beside you, giving you his advice. By the looks of your face, he knew you were having conflicted feelings towards Bucky. Stan knew how your mind worked and how you keep overthinking about certain things. "Bucky's a good guy, Y/N. You have nothing to worry about, he's the same as you. Broken and uncertain. You simply need each other to heal yourselves, find something good in your lives."

You could feel warmth wrap around your hand, and before you knew it. Stan was reaching out to take your hand in his, patting the top of your hand for the sympathy he felt with you. "Love takes risks. Give him a chance, not all Gigolos are the same. Steve's his best friend, you know how Steve is." He added, convincing you to give his favorite guy a chance. He knew Bucky at heart, he had bonded with the guy once he stepped foot in Felicity Night, despite of Bucky's pretty boy looks, Stan knew how big his heart was. He even knew something that was meant to be kept for the three of them. Steve, him and Bucky. Only them.

"Birds of the same feather, flock together. To make it simpler, they're both good guys, Y/N. So, cut the denial shit and get it on with that guy," Stan snickered, voice seeming to be filled with phlegm before loudly clearing his throat.

You chewed on your bottom lip apprehensively, propping your elbows behind you to give the old man a look, "We don't even love each other??"

"That's what you only got from what I've said?" He questioned skeptically before standing up from his place on your bed, brushing his hands off his pants, shaking his head and totally unconvinced from the words coming out of your mouth. "Bullshit. You're gonna love him soon,"

He doddered till he reached the door, stepping up the staircase with his feeble legs. Singing old love songs with his senile voice, chuckling after you yelled, sounding so defeated.

"Whatever, Stan!"

Your head fell on the hard pillows with a thud, hissing once you felt the painful impact. Your pillows were hard, and you completely forgot about that. You swallowed the saliva forming in your throat, trying to calm your fast beating heart. Yet, you couldn't because all you had in mind was Bucky, his letters and how he was trying to take care of you.

You breathed out a sigh, closing your eyes and let your imaginations take over. Imaginations about what could happen when you plan on finally opening your heart to a Gigolo.

It wasn't just any Gigolo, but it was a man who made a deep impression, a man who planned on connecting your heart with his. A man who planned on taking care of you, wanting to keep you away from the evil souls who dare even touch you the slightest.

Yet, he was a man who could get your heart broken with just a single snap of his fingers. Washing your heart away like dust in the skies. Why? Because your heart was already drowning with the feelings you had for him. It was too deep that you couldn't swim up to save yourself.

You were already liking him too much, and there was no escape because that's what Bucky wanted.

You and your big, delicate heart that he could fix with just a single kiss.

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