#but trust that it comes from my heart and horn still

[dark-moonlust]

Cοckwarming Minοtaur PART 1: Office

I’m turning this imagine into a series!!!!

Pairing: Minotaur x f!human reader

Summary: your Minotaur boyfriend Balen is madly in love with you. And he has a wicked little obsession with cockwarming. He always finds excuses to have you sit on his lap. Even when you are at work.

Warnings: minors don't interact, 18+!!!!, monster smut, semi-public workplace smut, Minotaur huge🍆, cοckwarming, lots of come. Don’t like, don’t read please.

This is a series and you can find more here and on Patreon.

You loved your Minotaur boyfriend, Balen.

The two of you had met three years ago at a workplace friendly to both monsters and humans. Balen was your superior, and you had just started working as his secretary. From the very first meeting, you had felt something deep and strong connecting him to you. You were attracted to him, incredibly aroused and in need of him. Balen had explained that it was the mating bond, a sacred bond that tied his heart to yours. Since then, you’d decided to give your relationship a chance and be together.

Your relationship was based on mutual trust and security, a connection deeper and stronger than you’d ever experienced.

Fast forward to the present, you still loved him like crazy, your relationship never better.

Balen was a fascinating presence in your life. Despite his towering and unusual appearance, your Minotaur was tender and sweet. You saw past his different appearance and found something deep and poignant with him. He cared for you better than any human boyfriend would — and fucked you with a passion that left you breathless.

Balen was madly in love with you. And he had a wicked little obsession with cockwarming. He was obsessed with the feel of you, the security of holding you in his arms while his cock pulsed inside you. And he always found excuses to have you sit on his lap, his cock thrust up your depths as he resumed his day as if nothing was out of the ordinary.

During shopping? During work? During lunch, dinner or any time of the day. Yes to all. Balen somehow made it work.

At work, he was particularly demanding when cockwarming him. Coworkers might enter his office, but he kept you there, your neat dress hiding your flushed face and betraying your state. Sometimes he played with your clit and made you cum, other times, he just stayed inside you and made work calls and reviewed business files. And when he finally pulled out of you, it was always with the promise to find a way to be close to you later.

That morning, you were in your office working on a presentation for an important project. You’d finished it with ease and were eager to share your ideas with your boss and colleagues. As you sat at your desk, typing away at your computer, the phone rang.

Called ID: Mr. Balen - Office.

You had an idea of what this call was about.

“Hello,” you answered casually.

“Come to my office,” your boyfriend said, his voice deep and throaty. “I need to check the progress of your presentation.”

“Yes, Sir.”

You complied, standing up and making your way to his spacious office. You knocked and entered discretely.

And there he was.

Seated at his magnificent mahogany desk, the sheer size of him dwarfed the surrounding furniture. Balen’s hulking form filled the room, his presence overwhelming. He was wearing a charcoal gray suit, the clothing tailored to fit his immense size. He was at least three times bigger than you, his body chiseled with muscles and silky fur. His head was crowned with a pair of curved horns, his face a captivating combination of beast and man. Upon seeing you, his dark eyes lit up and he let out a deep rumble, vibrating from his chest.

“Come here,” he said, his voice casual but demanding.

“I’ve brought my presentation,” you said but as soon as you were inches from him, he pulled you to him, his hands lifting your dress and guiding you to sit on his lap.

“Balen,” you whined as he quickly tugged away your panties, a finger finding its way inside you. You were drenched, wet from the earlier fuck he’d given you during the car ride to work. You clutched his broad shoulders, burying your face in his chest and biting your lips as that wickedly perfect digit stretched your walls, preparing you for his cock.

Soon, you felt him shift, unzipping his trousers and freezing his monstrous cock. Your Minotaur sported a dick unlike any other. It was long and curved, thick and surrounded by protruding veins. The head was broad and leaking pre-cum, his balls round and swollen, the poor babies squeezed between his legs.

Strong hands cupped your ass, positioning you over his raging girth. The cockhead nudged your entrance, coaxing your pussy lips apart and slowly invading your depths. With a slow, deliberate upward thrust, he buried himself inside you, a low groan of satisfaction rumbling from his chest. Your belly bulged from the sheer girth of him inside you. You moaned lewdly but quickly muffled your cries by biting his shoulder. He loved it when you did that.

“So good for me. Just for a little bit, baby, okay?” he murmured, his hands resting possessively on your hips. “I need this.”

You nodded, trying to control your breathing as you adjusted to the invasion and stretch. Balen resumed his work, one large hand rubbing your ass from under your dress while the other resumed his work, moving expertly over his keyboard as if nothing was out of the ordinary. He even studied your presentation while you struggled to focus with the constant feel of his cock stretching your pussy.

“Excellent work with your presentation,” he praised, “you covered every important point.”

“Th…thank you,” you murmured, running your fingers through the exposed fur at his neck.

You wiggled a little, desperate for release and rubbed your clit against him. His hand on your ass pressed you closer against him, thrusting just barely inside you. He did it again and again, rewarding you for taking his dick so well. A few minutes later, the friction against your clit was perfect and you came, your walls contracting hard around his cock. You bit his shoulder to muffle your cries and Balen followed, releasing pump after pump of his load inside you. He was surprisingly quiet and reserved, but you knew his passion was great; his heartbeat was erratic.

“Good girl,” he whispered in your ear, his breath warm against you.

It was at that moment, that a coworker knocked on the door. You clutched your boyfriend, your heart racing. Balen remained calm, his hands steady as he continued to work and bid the coworker to enter. The coworker, a male werewolf, entered, used to the sight of you hugging your boyfriend and what was happening beneath your neat clothing. Everyone in the office knew of your relationship and the demands of your minotaur boyfriend. Balen had made it so everyone respected you no matter what.

Balen and the werewolf discussed business as usual, while your face flushed with the effort of maintaining composure. Balen’s cock was throbbing inside you, his seed overflowing even if he was buried balls deep inside you. Once the coworker left, Balen kissed you, his tongue brushing against your lips before thrusting into your mouth. He tasted every crevice of your mouth and then drew back, a hint of a grin on his bull face.

“You did well,” he drawled, his voice thick with pride.

“Don’t I always?” you teased sweetly.

“Always.” He pressed you closed against him, his cock kissing so deep inside you that you groaned. “I love you mate. Love your beautiful smile, your lovely heart and your pretty little pussy.”

You smiled. “I love you, too, my horny minotaur.”

“Hmmm…” he growled. “You are my everything, little mate and it seems I can’t function without you.”

“Balen…” you trailed off, winching as more of his seed tricked down your thighs. “We made a mess. Shouldn’t we—”

“It’s alright, my love,” he said. “There are clothes in the cabinet. I always keep spares for both.”

Did you enjoy? Follow for more!

[downbad4sylus]

“This mark is different”

(part 3 to “I killed you”)

synopsis: You and Sylus return to the base from the field of flowers where he shows you his horns.

content: NSFW; 18+ MDNI; smut with some plot; sylus x afab!reader; reader is MC; use of Y/N; soft!sylus; virgin!sylus (i am of the opinion that sylus wouldn’t so much as breathe near another woman who isn’t MC); virgin!reader; kissing; oral (fem receiving); p in v; soft sex; slightly rough sex; no protection (wrap it up kids); multiple orgasms; idk if this counts as monster fucking but sylus has horns and a tail; mostly proofread

word count: ~3.5k

tags: @travelerth; @midiplier; @satansdaughter123; @bookfreakk

a/n: massive thank you once again to everyone who’s read, liked, and reblogged parts 1 and 2, i genuinely can’t express how happy it makes me that so many of you have enjoyed these little stories :’) anywaayyy, in honor of the new banner and all the new spicy content (bless our game developer overlords) here is part 3 where things between you and Sylus get a little spiicccyyyy

Okay, so when Sylus asked if you wanted to go back to the base and see his horns, you might have taken him a little too literally.

What you thought was him innocently taking you to his bedroom—warning the twins on your way that he still didn’t want to be bothered—turned out to be far from that.

Which was how you found yourself currently pinned beneath him on his bed, tongues tangling and lungs screaming for air, no horns in sight. Or tail. Or wings.

You lightly pounded a fist against his chest. “Sylus…I need…to breathe…”

Sylus was loath to part from you, but did so regardless, taking the opportunity to marvel at the sight of you before him. Flushed cheeks, swollen lips, chest heaving. You were beautiful, perfect, and his.

“Do you want to stop?” he asked, making sure he had your consent before he continued.

You bit your lip, and he nearly lost control then and there. How many times did he have to tell you to stop doing that?

“How far are we going?” you asked softly.

“As far as you want, sweetie,” Sylus assured. “I won’t do anything you don’t want me to.”

“I, um, haven’t really done anything before,” you confessed, turning your face away so you didn’t have to look at him.

Sure, you had a few boyfriends throughout the years but you’d never had more than a heated makeout session, it was usually the reason why those relationships ended. You weren’t a prude or anything, you were just saving yourself for when someone really special came along. Or maybe you’d unknowingly been waiting for Sylus to come along.

Sylus pinched your chin and forced your eyes back to his. “Me neither.”

Your eyes nearly popped out of your head. “Really?”

He nodded. “I’d never give myself to anyone but you.” He released your chin in favor of dragging a finger down your neck before wrapping his hand around it, careful not to choke you. “I do, however, have a very good memory.”

Your heart thundered in your chest. You wanted him. You needed him. And most importantly, you trusted him.

“Okay,” you breathed.

“Okay what, sweetie? I need you to tell me exactly what you want,” Sylus said, his thumb rubbing soothingly along the length of your neck.

“I want you, Sylus, all of you,” you said. “I want you to make me feel good.”

“Oh, Y/N, I’ll do so much better than that.”

He released your neck, trailing his large hand over your chest and down your stomach until his fingers teased the hem of your shirt.

“May I?” he asked.

You nodded. “But I get to take off yours next.”

Sylus chuckled. “Are you trying to make a deal with me right now?”

You nodded again, smiling. “For every one thing you strip off of me, I get to strip something off of you.”

His ruby-red eyes sparkled. “And those are your terms?”

“Those are my terms.”

“Then it’s a deal.”

You eagerly sat up and held your arms above your head. Sylus huffed, clearly amused by your enthusiasm, and gripped the bottom of your shirt in both his hands. In one smooth motion, he removed it, tossing it aside as his gaze roved hungrily over your now-bare skin.

When you reached for his shirt, intent on running your hands all over his delicious abs, you suddenly found yourself back against the mattress, wrists pinned to the pillows.

You blinked to find Sylus hovering above you sporting a positively wicked smile.

“Sylus! What are you doing?” you exclaimed, fighting to free your wrists.

He cocked his head. “You never said when you got to rid me of my clothes,” he drawled in that infuriatingly smug tone of his. “You need to be more specific when setting your terms, sweetie.”

Your mouth popped open. This was what you got for trying to make a deal with the King of Deals himself.

“Now, let’s get rid of this next,” he mused, trailing his fingertips along the underwire of your bra.

“How are you—“

Black-red mist enveloped your bra, tickling the skin underneath. It took only a moment for Sylus’s Evol to make quick work of it, the undergarment reduced to black and red specks of dust, leaving your upper half fully exposed.

Sylus’s pupils dilated as his hand gently cupped your breast, and you whimpered when his thumb brushed over your nipple.

“So beautiful,” he murmured, rolling your nipple between his thumb and forefinger. “And all mine.”

He was barely touching you yet your core had already gone molten and was beginning to throb with need. You needed more of him, his hands, his lips, his tongue, his co—

A jolt of pleasure shot straight to your core, tearing a loud moan from your lips as Sylus closed his own over your neglected nipple. He continued, tongue laving and teeth biting until he switched to your other breast, giving it an equal amount of attention.

You were panting by the time he lifted his head with a quiet smack of his lips.

But Sylus was far from finished.

He kissed his way up to your neck, where he licked and sucked at your sensitive skin. You wanted to touch him, thread your fingers through his hair but he still had your wrists pinned firmly above your head with seemingly no intention of releasing them.

You cried out, your back arching as Sylus sunk his teeth into your neck.

“This mark is different,” he breathed, lapping his tongue over it to soothe the sting. “This time, I want to count how many times I can make you come before it fades.”

“Fuck Sy,” you groaned.

He trailed down again until he reached the waistband of your pants. He looked at you, one brow raised, silently asking for your consent. You nodded, straining against his hold on your wrists, desperate to bury your hands in his hair.

You nearly cried with relief when he finally removed his hand, only to have your wrists bound by his Evol instead.

“Sylus,” you whined.

He chuckled. “Be a good girl and let me have my fun first,” he said. “You’re the one who asked me to make you feel good.”

“Then stop teasing me already!”

“Mmm, very well.”

Sylus yanked off your pants, leaving you in just your underwear, which were soaked through by this point. He made quick work taking them off as well, groaning at the sight of you finally naked before him.

“So, so beautiful,” he murmured reverently as he reached out, brushing his thumb over your clit. Your hips bucked at the contact, and it was all the reaction Sylus needed before descending on you like a man starved.

Spreading your legs wide, Sylus licked your slick entrance, moaning at the taste of you on his tongue. Your back bowed off the bed, crying out in pleasure as he focused his efforts on your throbbing clit. He slung an arm across your waist and pushed you back down, keeping you locked in place, unable to escape the pleasure he was so eager to give you.

His unoccupied hand ghosted along your inner thigh, growing closer and closer to where his mouth was, until he reached your entrance and slipped a finger inside.

You moaned. “Please Sy,” you begged him. “Please let me touch you.”

Without parting from your core, Sylus’s Evol dissipated from your wrists, freeing you at last. Your hands immediately went to his head, burying your fingers in his hair.

Release tingled down your spine, the tension poised to snap. When Sylus added a second finger he nearly undid you then and there.

You grip his hair harder, moving your hips as much as his iron grip would allow, riding his face.

“Sylus,” you panted. “Sylus I’m gonna—ah.”

“Go ahead, sweetie,” Sylus said gruffly. “Come for me.”

And you did, the tension exploding as you came all over his mouth and fingers. He continued to lick and suck, his fingers pumping in and out while you rode out your high, stopping only when your body went limp beneath him.

“That’s one,” Sylus said proudly, straightening as he wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.

You stared at the slick covering his fingers, transfixed by the way it shined in the light. Sylus noticed.

“Want a taste for yourself?” he asked.

Heat flooded your cheeks but when your eyes met his, you nodded.

“Open,” he commanded. You obeyed and Sylus slid his fingers inside your mouth. When you closed your lips around them he said, “Now suck.”

You couldn’t feel any embarrassment you were so turned on, tasting yourself as you licked and sucked Sylus’s fingers clean.

“Good girl,” Sylus purred as his withdrew his fingers. “Would you like to uphold your end of our deal now?”

You pounced on him, almost knocking you both off the bed. You tore at Sylus’s shirt, bunching it up over his torso before ripping it off his head. Without stopping to admire his physique, you rose on your knees, positioned on either side of his legs, and unbuckled his belt. The bulge in his pants made your mouth water and you wanted nothing more than to wrap your hands around his cock and wring as much pleasure out from him as he did you.

“Lift your hips,” you told Sylus.

He raised them, his chest heaving with anticipation as he watched you. You hurriedly popped the button and pulled the zipper down, then with all your might, grabbed the waistband of his pants and underwear and yanked.

Sylus’s hard cock slapped against his abdomen and you nearly abandoned undressing him at the sight of it. He was long and thick, precum leaking from his slit and onto his stomach. You wanted to touch it, taste it, feel it inside of you.

“Don’t stop now, kitten,” Sylus encouraged, his voice breathless. “You can’t leave my pants like this.”

You blinked, realizing you’d be staring at his cock, hands still gripped tight on his pants, which were only halfway down his thighs. You mumbled an apology and managed to finish stripping him, tossing his clothes aside onto the floor somewhere.

Sylus groaned as your hand wrapped around the base of his cock. “Kitten,” he panted. You dragged your hand up his length, gathering the precum at the tip before running it back down. “Hah—ah, that feels so good.”

But Sylus grabbed your wrist, stopping you.

You pouted. “I want to make you feel good too.”

He smirked. “You can do that some other time, right now, I need to be inside you.”

Sylus sat up, putting you at eye level.

Your breath caught. He was so beautiful, with his sharp, chiseled features, but what really took your breath away was the look in his eyes. He looked at you like you held his entire world in your hands. Like you were the only light shining in a life otherwise shrouded in darkness. You loved this man, and it was so heart achingly clear he loved you too.

Sylus cupped your cheek and ran his thumb over your bottom lip. “You’re sure you want to do this?”

“I’ve never been so sure about anything before,” you answered him with a smile. “I love you, Sylus.”

He smiled too, a real smile, not anything like his smug ones. “I love you too, Y/N.”

He kissed you, lips pressing softly on yours. It was slow and unhurried, like you had all the time in the world to just enjoy each other. Even when your tongues met, you didn’t rush, Sylus gently pushing you down onto the mattress.

He drew back when his cock teased your entrance. “I’m going to go slow, okay? If it hurts or you need me to stop, just let me know.”

Your hands flew up to his face. “Sylus wait.”

He didn’t move a muscle.

“You said I could see your horns.”

Sylus faltered. “Sweetie, I’m not sure that’s a good idea.”

You shook your head. “No, I want to see them, Sy, and your wings and tail. I said I wanted all of you and I meant all of you.”

Sylus’s heart thundered in his chest, unsure whether to give in to your demands. He was sure if he protested further, he’d be able to convince you to drop it for now. In truth, though, he was nervous. Yes you had remembered your past together but you’d never seen him in his dragon form in this life. The last thing he wanted to do was scare you. He’d never recover if you saw him as the monster he truly was, you were the only one who loved him despite that very fact.

“Sylus.”

Hearing his own name tore him from his thoughts, his gaze fixing on your face.

“I love you now just as much as I did then, dragon and all,” you said firmly. “Please, I want you to be able to be yourself with me.”

Sylus hung his head and sighed, resigning to your demands. “Fine, but no wings, they’re too big for the bed.”

“Okay, I can live with that.”

Sylus huffed and brought his lips back to yours. As you kissed, black-red mist swirled at the top of Sylus’s head and at the base of his spine, revealing his scaled, black horns and tail.

He held his breath as he parted from you, bracing himself for your reaction. But when you opened your eyes, they were not filled with fear. They were filled with awe.

You lifted a hand and brushed the bottom of one of Sylus’s horns. He shivered at your touch, his tail swishing back and forth behind him.

“Are they sensitive?” you asked, ghosting your fingers up the length.

“Yes,” Sylus breathed.

You hummed thoughtfully as you angled your head, peering at his tail, then looking back at him. “You really are beautiful, Sy.”

He swallowed against the lump in his throat, moved far more than he could ever express with words that you found him beautiful, even like this.

“May I continue now?” he asked, deflecting with his usual arrogance.

You laughed and wrapped your arms around his neck. “Please.”

Sylus almost lost his self control at the relief that flooded through him. His cock was throbbing so hard it was painful, and the only way he could soothe it was to be buried deep inside your cunt.

Tail thrashing wildly, Sylus repositioned the head of his cock at your entrance, somehow even more soaked now than before. Coating himself first, he then began pushing past your folds.

You inhaled sharply at the burn as your walls stretched to accommodate his size.

“Relax, my love,” Sylus soothed, one hand trailing down toward your core. He gently circled your clit, encouraging your body to relax.

You whimpered, clenching around the head of his cock, desperate for him to fill you more despite the pain.

Taking his time, Sylus rocked his hips slowly, easing into you inch by inch all while rubbing your clit to keep you loose. By the time he bottomed out, the pain you’d felt had been long replaced by the pure pleasure of being filled with his cock.

Sylus trembled with the restraint it took to not start pounding into you, wanting your first time to be more loving and tender. There was plenty of time to take you hard and rough.

“I’m going to move now, okay?” he warned, breathing heavily.

“Yes, please,” you begged, wrapping your legs around his waist.

He groaned and rocked his hips until just his tip was left inside you, before sliding back in. You both moaned as Sylus began thrusting in earnest, his pace slow and steady.

“You feel so good, Y/N,” Sylus panted. “Just like I remember.”

You were unable to respond, too consumed by the way he moved inside you, his cock hitting you in all the right places.

As though it had a mind of its own, Sylus’s tail snaked around one of your legs, keeping it locked to his waist.

Tension building already, your nails dug into Sylus’s back as each thrust brought you closer and closer to the edge. Sylus could fell your walls fluttering around his cock, and while he wanted nothing more than to lose himself right along with you, he was determined to rip as many orgasms out of you as he could.

He picked up the pace slightly and you responded in kind, tightening your grip on him as you cried out.

“Sylus, oh fuck, don’t stop, please please please don’t stop.”

He chuckled. “Wouldn’t dream of it.”

He captured your lips in an impassioned kiss, sweeping his tongue into your mouth as you moaned. One hand cupped a breast, his fingers teasing your nipple before moving on the other.

His touch, his kiss, his cock, it was all too much.

Your back arched as you came, waves of pleasure washing over your body again and again with seemingly no end. Sylus kept moving through it, pausing when you finally slumped into the bed.

“That’s two, but we’re not finished yet, kitten,” Sylus growled.

You hardly registered his words before he was flipping you onto your stomach, a shocked oof breezing past your parted lips. He dragged your hips up so your ass was in the air, sliding his cock back into your cunt with ease. His tail slid along your ribs, then across your breasts, the hard scales rubbing on your sensitive nipples, and it pulled you flush to Sylus’s chest. On instinct, you reached back and grabbed onto both of his horns. The groan he let out was purely animalistic.

“You better hold on tight,” he whispered in your ear, the only warning you got before his cock started slamming into you.

You moaned at the delicious new angle, your body already working toward another orgasm. Admittedly, you’d been a bit nervous that Sylus was relying solely on memory from another lifetime in order to please you, and truly you would’ve been happy with whatever he’d be able to give you. But this? This was not at all what you expected.

“I won’t last much longer, kitten,” Sylus warned, his thrusts growing sloppy, “and I fully intend on bringing you with me.”

His hand slid down your abdomen, two fingers finding your clit and rubbing in quick, tight circles.

Your cunt clenched hard around his cock as you pulled on his horns, your mouth popping open in a silent cry. Sylus groaned, doubling his efforts both with his cock and his fingers.

“Sylus!” you yelled, body tensing. “Sylus, oh please.”

“Give me one more, Y/N,” he muttered. “Be a good girl and give me one more.”

Your climax slammed into you, your vision going white as the pleasure rocked your body harder than the last two. It drove Sylus straight off the cliff edge, chasing his high right alongside you, filling your cunt to the brim.

When you were both spent, Sylus collapsed on top of you, but you were too fucked out of your mind to care about his weight crushing you.

He didn’t linger on you too long though, rolling over onto his side, taking you with him as his tail was still wound around your breasts. He peppered kisses on your neck and shoulder, making you smile.

You twisted in his hold to face him, placing a chaste kiss of your own right on his lips. “I love you, Sy,” you murmured.

“I love you too, sweetie,” he replied quietly.

“Does this mean you’re my boyfriend now?” you asked, the picture of innocence.

Sylus scoffed. “I was under the impression I was much more than just your boyfriend.”

“You are, but I can’t introduce you to people as my soul-bound lover,” you protested. “We need a socially acceptable label, Sy.”

“You want to introduce me to all your little Hunter friends?”

“Yeah, as my small-business-owner-slash-fruit-stall-vendor boyfriend, Skye!”

He gave you an incredulous look, as if he couldn’t believe you were having this conversation right now. But, he’d never deny you anything. “Fine, I’ll be your boyfriend as long as you get to be my girlfriend.”

“You have to ask me first.”

He blinked. “What?”

“You have to ask me to be your girlfriend first.”

Sylus pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed. “Y/N, my love, will you do me the honor of being my girlfriend?”

You grinned and smacked your lips against his. “I thought you’d never ask.”

Little did you know that Sylus had much bigger plans in mind than you being just his girlfriend. Fiancé was good, but wife was even better. You know, for the sake of socially acceptable labels, of course.

[fanficwritinggirl]

But daddy I love him (Ryan, Yellowstone)

“Come on, it’ll only be for a few hours. I can get you back before you dad even knows that you left,” his lips peppering her neck, making her head roll back and moan. “Please baby, I just want a few hours with you,” she scrunches her face up and she sighs at his pleas.

“I wish I could, you know I do. But you know what he is like.” Adeline Dutton loved her father, she really did; but if he were to find out that she was dating one of the ranch hands, he would lose his shit. Being the youngest had its perk, she always got what she wanted, always had her dad full attention, which was more than what she could say for her 4 other siblings. But as she got older, she wanted to do what every other teenager and young adult was doing, partying, drinking, sleeping around, dating; the attention she once ate up as a child was now a pain in her ass.

“Would it be the worst thing in the world if he found out,” his eyes now met her and her heart broke a little bit. Growing up, Adeline only really had one rule, do not ever be anything more than professional with the ranch hands or anyone who works with the Yellowstone. It had been easy enough for a long time, most of the ranch hands were old timers, like Lloyd or young assholes who knew nothing about how to be a cowboy. But let’s just say when Ryan showed up on the ranch just over a year ago, she said fuck you to that rule. For months they would look at each other from afar, never daring to do anything. It became a boring dance very quickly, so Adeline took the bull by the horns and took what she wanted, which was him. Ryan didn’t put up much of an argument, sick of the same old song and dance, so being the new guy on the ranch he took the late shift, putting tack away in the stables, which Adeline helped with so that they could spend more time together, stealing moments when they could. It was enough at the start, sleeping together in the small room in the stables, but as the months went by and their relationship progressed and intensified, they were now wanting more, especially Ryan who now wanted to show off his woman.

“Ryan, you know that he would kick you off of the ranch and then what,” he leans back on he knees giving her room to sit up and lean back on her elbows. Ryan shrugs, his gaze looking at his hands which were rubbing her legs.

“You could come with me,” his gaze meets hers and god those eyes did things to her. She hated this.

“Ryan,” she sat up fully, coming to her knees and taking his head in her hands, rubbing her petite fingers over his stubbled cheeks. “I love you, and you know what I would go anywhere with you, but what about my dad, he doesn’t have anyone, not really. Lee’s gone, his relationship with Kayce is still rocky, Beth is away doing whatever the fuck she does and let’s be honest Jamie is a massive pain in the ass. Without me he doesn’t really have anyone, and god I can’t stand the thought of him having this entire place and all these people but still being truly alone. It scares the shit out of me, Ryan. Really scares the shit out of me,” her voice breaks and Ryan shakes his head whiping the tears coming down her face.

“Hey baby, shh. It’s okay. I get it, it’s fine. I have you and as long as you love me, you have me, and I’ll do whatever you need me to do,” he lifts her head so he can look into her eyes. “You have me baby, in so many ways,” Adeline nods, wiping a tear away.

“God I feel like you are giving everything and I’m giving nothing in this relationship,” Ryan shakes his head, a smile painting his face.

“Trust me you give me enough, just in a different way,” Adeline gasps and shoves her hands into his chest pushing him back as he laughs.

“You are such a pig,” a smirk now playing on her lips as she looks at him. Grabbing her hand, she laughs as Ryan pulls her to him, her knees bending on either side of his thighs, sitting in his lap. She leans forwards, their noses meeting each other, her arms wrapping around his neck.

“I love you,” Ryan smiles.

“I love you too,” Adeline smirks at this, her hands running down his body finding the buckle on his trousers. She leans down to whisper in his ear.

“Let me show you how much I love you,” Ryan groans as she pushes him on his back and pulls her top over her head.

“ADELINE!,” her eyes shoot open, her mind groggy from a lack of sleep. Ryan moans next to her, a hand running over his eyes.

“ADELINE, ARE YOU IN HERE?” her eyes widen as realises the voice, her dad and Rip.

“Shit,” she shoot’s up grabbing some clothes.

“She’s not in here sir,” she hears Rip tell her dad.

“Well where else could she be,” her dad stresses, her heartbreaks a little. Ryan stumbles as he puts on his pants causing a noise. Adeline and Ryan look at each other, fear in both of their eyes.

“What was that?” A voice asks, Lloyd.

“Addie,” her dad voice is closer this time, footsteps coming closer to them. The door flies open revealing the two of them, thank god both of them had some clothing on, Ryan in his boxers, jeans on but not closed and she had Ryan’s shirt on and her panties.

Her dad face goes from shock to anger real quick.

“WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU ARE DOING WITH MY DAUGHTER!,” her dad grabs Ryan and shoves him into the wall.

“DAD!”

“JOHN!”

“SIR,” Rip and Lloyd move into the small room pulling at the older man away.

“DAD!” this time Adeline moves and pushes at her dad.

“John calm down,” Lloyd tells her father. Her hands move and takes Ryan’s face in her hands, looking him over.

“Are you okay,” she asks him, assessing him with her eyes.

“I’m fine baby,” he assures her, her relief is short lived when she hears Lloyd and Rip struggling to pull her dad back.

“YOU KEEP AWAY FROM MY DAUGHTER, YOU HEAR. YOU ARE DONE, YOU HEAR, DONE.”

“Dad no.”

“Sir why don’t we all calm down,” Rip reasons.

“CALM DOWN, CALM DOWN. HOW AM I MEANT TO CALM DOWN WHEN MY DAUGHTER IS SLEEPING WITH ONE OF MY WORKERS,” Adeline shakes her head, stepping forward.

“Dad listen to me. I know you have always told me to keep it professional, to never do anything with the ranch hands but,” she looks over at Ryan who is looking at her with intrigue.

“This is more than just sleeping together and having some fun… I love him,” she looks at Ryan and smiles, he walks towards her and takes her hand.

“And I love her, Mr Dutton,” Rip and Lloyd drop their holds on him and watch the man carefully, not knowing what he was going to do next. John looks at the pair and sighs running his hand over his face.

“How much do you love her,” his gaze lands on Ryan, looking for an answer.

“More than anything.”

“And this is serious, you’re not doing this so you can say you have been with the bosses daughter,” Ryan shakes his head.

“No… I love her, I’ll love her till the day that I die,” Adeline looks at him with tears in her eyes, Ryan rubs his finger over her hand, smiling at her.

“And I promise that I will spend the rest of my life proving that I am good enough for her,” Adeline shakes her head and moves towards him taking his face in her hands.

“You are good enough for me,” she whispers before resting her head in the crook of his neck, causing Ryan to kiss her forehead.

John stares at the pair all not knowing what to say. Lloyd stand behind him a small smile on his lips as he looks at them, young love. Rip just looks at John not being able to anticipate what he was going to do next. Shaking his head John lets out a sigh.

“Well alright then,” before walking out the door. Adeline and Ryan look at Rip and Lloyd who were both shocked.

Untangling herself from Ryan she runs after her dad.

“Dad,” she comes to stand behind him just outside of the stable doors. Her dad stops, his back still to her.

“What does this mean?” John turns to her and looks at his baby, god when had she become so grown up.

“He’s a good man,” Adeline scoffs.

“Really, he’s a good man. 5 minutes ago you had him pinned up against a wall,” John nods, his head turned downwards.

“Yeah not my proudest moment, I will admit honey,” Adeline’s heart melts as the nickname, regret fills her.

“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you about him. But I knew how you were going to react and I just… really wanted you to like him,” John nods.

“I do like him honey. He’s good for you,” John stands closer to her and puts his hands on her arms. “It’s just hard for me sometimes, to admit that you are grown up. But, he loves you, I can see that now and I just want you to be happy,” Adeline smiles at her dad.

“He makes me very happy,” John smiles at that.

“Then that’s all I could ask for,” Adeline pulls her dad into a hug, resting her head in his chest. John smiles, resting his cheek on the top of her head, just like he did when she was a little girl.

“Thank you dad,” pulling back John looks at her and nods.

Walking around the corner Colby and Jimmy stop as they take in the sight, the bosses daughter standing in nothing but panties and a shirt.

“Oh shit,” jimmy exclaims, causing colby to hit him in the arm. Adeline tenses realising what she was wearing. John shakes his head taking off him coat and wrapping it around his daughter.

“Go and put some clothes on, alright,” Adeline nods running back into the barn. Colby and Jimmy look at John, both shitting themselves.

“Morning, Mr Dutton,” Colby says awkwardly, his gaze on the floor as he lifts his hand towards his boss.

“You saw nothing, ya hear,” Colby and Jimmy nod.

“Saw absolutely nothing sir,” Jimmy tells him, his gaze off towards the mountains. John simply nods at the pair before walking off causing the men to let out a sigh of relief.

“What the hell was that?” Jimmy looks towards Colby who just raises his eyebrows and shakes his head.

“Absolutely, no idea.”

Jogging back into the stables, Adeline pulls her dad’s coat tighter, she was really starting to feel the cold. Lloyd, Rip and Ryan gaze turns to her as she walks towards them, Ryan immediately moving towards her, grabbing her and pulling her towards him. Adeline sighs, wrapping her arms around his neck and cozying her face into the crook.

“Are you okay?” He mutters into the side of her head as he pulls back to look at her. Adeline’s lips lift up as she nods.

“Yeah, I’m fine. A little cold though,” ryan chuckles taking in her attire.

“Well besides the coat, I think your outfit is perfect,” Adeline’s head falls back as she laughs.

“Well of course you would,” Ryan smirks pulling her closer again.

“Would someone please tell me, what the fuck is going on?” Rip explains from behind them causing the couple to turn and look at the two men. Lloyd smirks putting his hand of the younger man’s shoulder and looks towards Ryan and Adeline.

“Well you see Rip, it appears that these two love birds have been keeping their relationship a secret,” Rip shakes his head.

“I got that much Lloyd but I mean how long has this been going on for?” Adeline shrugs.

“A couple of months give or take, probably would have been longer if someone would have just made a move,” Ryan scoffs.

“I was trying to figure out how you felt, and hey I have no complaints about you pouncing on me,” Adeline raises her eyebrows.

“I did not pounce of you,” Ryan laughs.

“I vividly remember that it was you who pushed me against the wall,” Lloyd burst out laughing walking towards Adeline giving her a pat on the shoulder.

“Good woman, showing these boys up,” Adeline giggles putting her head on Ryan’s shoulder who is just shaking his head. The couples gaze falls to rip who is just staring at them. Adeline sighs.

“Rip, are you going to say anything?” A few moments pass before Rip simply walks fowards.

“Ryan I want you ready for work in 5 minutes, you’re already late. Adeline, please put some clothes on I don’t want any of them ranch hands looking at you, your father might actually murder someone today,” Adeline just shakes her head, silently laughing at Rip just being Rip.

“And Ryan,” the couple turn and look at him.

“Don’t break her heart, because it won’t be only her dad that would kill you,” and then he is gone. Ryan groans and his head falls back.

“I second that,” Adeline smiles at the older man who puts his hands on her shoulders and kiss her cheek.

“You really know how to bring some entertainment to this place, darling,” Adeline giggles, a smile on her face. Lloyd puts his hand on Ryan’s shoulder and just smirks.

“Good luck,” before walking out.

Letting out a massive sigh, Ryan yanks Adeline to himself, wrapping his arms around her, placing his head into her shoulder. Giggling, Adeline places her hand on his head and kisses it.

“You were shitting it, weren’t you,” Ryan groans.

“You have no idea, I actually thought your dad was going to kill me. My life flashed before my eyes,” Adeline cackles, kissing his shoulder.

“Well I think that you are off of my dad’s radar. I’m pretty sure you have won him over as well,” Ryan removes his head off of her shoulder and looks her in the eyes.

“Really?” She laughs at him, nodding and taking his face in her hands.

“He sees how much you love me, and how happy you make me. And that… that is all that he has ever wanted for me,” Ryan nods, leaning his forehead against hers.

“I promise Addie, that I am going to love you till the day that I die,” she smirks.

“That sound like something you would have in your vows,” Ryan laughs.

“Well someday I am going to make you my wife, but doesn’t mean that I can’t start making those promises now,” Adeline feels tears burning her eyes, one falling down her cheek. Ryan wipes the tears off of her cheeks and smiles at her.

“I love you,” smirking, ryan leans forward and gives her a peck on the lips .

“I love you too,” the two wrap their arms around each other and their lips meet. Ryan’s rough hands move down her body, running over her ass and to her thighs, hoisting her up into his arms, her legs wrapping around his waist as he pushed them again the wall causing them to both moan. Adeline wraps her fingers into his hair, giving them a slight tug causing him to groan, his head falling back.

“What the hell,” Adeline’s head snaps towards the doors of the stables seeing Colby and Jimmy now standing there.

“Oh for god sakes,” let’s just say, that this was just the start.

[annwrites]

⸻ the last unicorn ; part one ⸻

❝love is slowing you down, my lady. i will catch you at last, if you love much more.❞ — peter s. beagle

· pairing: aemond targaryen x unicorn!reader · type: mini-series · summary: aemond finds the most magnificent creature he's ever laid eyes upon in the kingswood. and when he returns in the evening to gaze upon you one last time, he finds himself further left for breath at the unexpected discovery before him. and rather than part with you, he contacts a witch to give him what he desires most...for forever. · tags: love at first sight, innocence, covetousness, angst · word count: 2,935

You are the loveliest mare he has ever set eyes upon.

Your coat is as white as the driven snow—untouched and gleaming. And your mane is long and smooth, and glimmers in the dappled sunlight that shines down upon you between swaying green leaves which comprise the canopy above.

You drink quietly from a babbling brook, wholly unaware of the gaze focused on you from a distance.

He takes a step forward—not measured enough, as he’s entirely enraptured by your beauty—and a twig snaps underfoot, causing your head to jerk up and in his direction.

He stills, as do you. But for him, it is not from wariness or fear, but wonder and disbelief.

“It can’t be,” he whispers. “For none now live.”

Your tail sways behind you and you crook your head.

He grins at the sight while taking another step forward, desperate to place even just one lone hand upon you. It is only through the act of doing so that he will believe that his remaining eye is indeed not deceiving him.

You take a step back and he shakes his head while extending a palm, shooshing you, hoping to calm you.

“It’s alright,” he states—gently. “I don’t want to harm you.”

You exhale and your ears twitch as you listen to words you do not understand.

“You’re quite lovely. Very much so. You are the last of your kind. Do you know that?”

His eyes travel along the polished opalescent horn that juts from the middle of your forehead before looking back into your own.

“It must be a terrible thing to be all alone in the world. I can only imagine such a fate.”

You step back again and he pauses—for he is nearly there, and to lose you when he has only just found you…he cannot bear it.

But to see you alone is a gift from the Seven.

“My name is Aemond,” he tells you with a kind smile. “Targaryen. You should know you are not the first mystical creature I have come across. I rode one once, you know. Not a unicorn, of course, but a dragon.”

He swallows thickly, ignoring the stinging of his eye. “She’s gone now. Lost during the war. To my uncle—my foe. But I repaid the favor by driving my sword through his heart.”

He’s standing before you now, and you have, most surprisingly, not fled.

Painstakingly slowly, he raises a hand and holds his breath as he settles it on your neck.

You blink lazily at him while swishing your tail curiously.

He smiles while shaking his head. “You’re far too trusting. No one has ever hunted you before, have they, sweetling?”

Your eyes move downward, toward his pack.

“You’re quite fortunate in that. Next time someone comes through these woods, you need to run. Hide. If you must, drive your horn through them. Show them no mercy, for the wrong sort of ilk will not show any to you.”

You nudge your nose against his chest and he chuckles while scratching behind your ears. “You’re too gentle for such an act, though, aren’t you?”

He slips his fingers into your mane. “I am not a gentle man myself by nature. Not usually. But for you, I think I can make an exception. I’ve a reputation to maintain, but unicorns sing no songs, so I believe it safe to assume that my secret will be kept.”

You move your snout lower and nuzzle against his bag, sniffing.

And then he snorts. “Ah, I see. It is not me you want, but instead the treats I have to offer.”

He reaches into his brown leather satchel and retrieves a shiny red apple, which he offers to you.

You eat directly from his palm and his lip twitches at the ticklish feel.

“Gods, you are truly a sight to behold. It has been believed for some time by scholars from the Citadel and otherwise that you had all gone extinct. Have you always been here, in the Kingswood? Where do you hide yourself away, I wonder?”

You nudge his pack, wanting for more.

He promptly obliges your request.

He continues to speak while you snack. “It is written that you all are immortal. Rather—you are. And the most innocent and pure of creatures. I would not doubt it now after our chance meeting. I’ve also read…you come only to virgins.”

He grins. “I am certainly not that. So, I suppose the old adage is indeed true: not to believe all you read, or hear.”

You raise your head and stare at him dumbly.

His words sound like no more than a garbled mess to you. Human voices are so unpleasant to the ears. What are they in comparison to the wind, the birds, the rustle of leaves, and the things nature has to tell, which is far more important?

You turn away from him then, suddenly disinterested.

He cocks a brow, following along beside you, so you shake out your mane and hold your head high, wanting for solitude amongst your forest friends.

Men merely think themselves welcome here due to their own hubris. They believe all the earth is theirs for the taking because they consider themselves more intelligent and higher beings.

They forget that other things existed long before they, and will continue to remain longer after their bones blow like dandelion seeds in the wind. They know only of survival. It is what they do to the land: survive off of it. Instead, you live with it as one.

He does gain your interest once more, however, by offering you another apple.

He slides his hand down your back, smoothing your fur. “What might the people think of me if I were to return to the Red Keep atop the back of a unicorn, I wonder? The last remaining one in all the world. Presumably, that is.”

He steps around to the front of you and scratches beneath your chin. “Brief it may’ve been, but the Conqueror’s crown indeed suited me far better than it ever did my fool brother. I was more suited to the role as a whole. Yet, here I am now. In the middle of the Kingswood, passing my afternoon speaking to a horse.”

He could swear that you snort quietly in response, but knows he merely imagined it.

He glances back to his own mount across the way and sighs. “It will be dark soon enough; another day gone. I suppose I should be getting back to the Keep.”

He offers you one final apple, which you relieve him of immediately, and he presses a soft kiss to your mane—a most unexpected gesture—before reluctantly bidding you goodbye.

You do not watch as he goes.

During the night, sleep eludes Aemond and finds him entirely restless. He tosses and turns upon a featherbed which provides little comfort from the incessant thoughts of you which gather like a tempest within his mind.

He is quite tired, yes, but he knows that unless he journeys once more into the Kingswood to chance at having one final look upon you, he will find no peace. So he rises.

He knew it would be a wasted journey. Especially at this hour.

You are nowhere to be seen. A fact which he’s both disappointed, and gladdened by. Gladdened that perhaps some small part of you understood the warnings he spoke to you that afternoon: to run and hide if a man came calling upon the woods you call home.

He shakes his head, deigning himself foolish for even thinking to return here during the hour of the wolf. Since when does Aemond Targaryen, previous Prince Regent and Protector of the Realm, find himself preoccupied by a thing of fairytales?

Ridiculous.

Aemond makes to turn, until he hears the quiet rustle of leaves and he catches a glimmer of light reflecting off a pond across the way. A glimmer of light which grows and grows in fervor—entirely encapsulating you.

It nearly blinds him, and forces him to cover his eyes with his forearm to shield his vision.

In a moment, the spectacle is over and the night returns to darkness. The only illumination provided now being that of the silvery-blue moon in the sky which twinkling stars surround as they wink and kiss the inky black vision above.

Slowly, he drags his gaze upwards once more, squinting to see.

And then his breath lodges in his throat, choking him.

“How in Seven Hells…” He whispers in disbelief, for he does not believe his eye.

Not this time.

For he is surely sleepwalking. Trapped within a dream.

But if such a fact is so, he will kill any man who attempts to wake him.

You rise slowly on trembling legs—only two—and long silvery waves curtain your slim, naked form. You grip the bark of a tree to steady yourself as your body shakes against the cool night air.

His eyes trail along your pale skin—so pale, in fact, that it practically glows. Or perhaps it is just the moon casting you in its light that offers such an illusion.

And soft silver waves slip over your shoulders and shimmer in the light.

Your breasts are small and soft—proportionate to your body—with delicate pink nipples. You’ve womanly curves; the planes of which blend perfectly from your stomach and into your thighs like you are the finest sculpture he has ever lain his eye upon. Crafted by the hands of the Gods themselves you are. Created by the Maiden, for you are indeed her image made flesh.

He steps forward—wanting for answers, for explanation, no matter how impossible it might be—then pauses when you jerk your head in his direction.

You stare at him with wide, lilac eyes, and he shakes his head, sure he is trapped within a delusion of his own making.

He must touch you once more to assure himself otherwise.

“This is madness,” he says quietly, taking another step forward.

You bristle, and he raises a hand slowly, shooshing you—repeating his actions from some hours ago, in hopes of comforting you to his presence. “It’s alright, sweetling. We’ve met. Just today. Don’t you remember me?”

You blink dumbly at him.

“I brought you apples. You liked them.”

Your eyes flit to the pack at his side and he fills with relief.

You recall him indeed.

“I’m not here to harm you. I merely came to see you one last time. But I had certainly not expected this.”

He has nearly made his way around the pond, and you, quite fortunately, have not fled from him in fear.

“Can you change at-will, then? Or is it only the night which brings about this other form?” He asks curiously.

You merely stare at him, remaining unresponsive.

“Can’t you speak?” He asks with a furrowed brow.

You softly cock your head to the side, and silver strands slip over your shoulders, exposing your pert breasts to him, and he takes note of your pebbled nipples.

You’re cold.

Cautiously, he removes the cloak he has wrapped round his own shoulders, then holds it out toward you.

You take a tiny step back, but he still steps forward, fans it out behind you, then clasps it just below your neck.

And then he cups your chilled cheek in his palm.

“I thought you a vision,” he mutters, brushing his thumb along the apple of your cheek. “A creature come straight to me from my most impossible dreams.”

Your eyes flit between his while your lips remain silent.

“You don’t understand a thing I’m saying, do you, sweetling?”

You stare at him in response.

His lip twitches.

How entirely innocent and ignorant you are.

Perfect to mold, he thinks.

Until sunrise, that is.

He assumes, that, come the morn, you most likely return to your equestrian form.

But why? Has it always been this way for you? Are you not immortal, then, like he previously believed? Is this some sort of wretched curse bestowed upon you by a sorceress, warlock, moonsinger, or otherwise? Why punish such a beautifully quiet thing such as yourself? What could you have possibly done to deserve this?

To always be walking between two worlds, but belonging in neither—forever alone… What a horrid thing to be forced upon something as sweet and docile as you.

Quite boldly of you, you reach toward his pack, but he shoves it away on instinct.

You frown slightly, and then he smiles. “Forgive me, my sweet.”

He retrieves for you another apple and settles it into your expectant palm.

You promptly take a bite out of the crisp piece of fruit and lick your lips where sweet juice quickly gathers.

He groans lowly in the back of his throat at the sight, and does his utmost to ignore the slight swelling of his cock beneath his trousers.

He cups your other cheek then, holding you still and close as you take bite after bite while staring up and into his eye as he studies you.

Your long, silver strands slip easily between his fingers as he cups the back of your head affectionately. “If I did not know any better, I would think you are one of us: a true Targaryen. Or a Valyrian, forged in the fires of the Freehold.”

You lean slightly into his touch, merely liking the warmth his body has to offer and provide against the chill of this late hour, but he translates the simple gesture to have a far different meaning: that already you can feel it as well—this invisible ribbon which binds the two of you into one. It wraps your destinies together into a singularly divine fate.

Once you’ve finished with your treat, you lower your arm to your side and drop it. It softly thuds against the forest floor, then rolls down the embankment and into the pond at your side.

You hear a quite splash, and you smile slightly, knowing its remaining core is now feeding one of your friends.

You look at the strange man with one eye again, and your brows furrow in confusion as he closes it and begins to lean forward while slipping an arm beneath the cloak he wrapped around you to combat the chill.

He slides his hand along your waist before settling his palm against the small of your back so you might remain close to him.

And then he presses his lips to yours.

Your body stiffens and your eyes grow wide.

What is he doing? Is this a sort of odd greeting humans give each other, then? A strange form of communication, perhaps?

You blink, then try to swallow, but it’s precisely when your lips part that he slips his tongue into your mouth.

That is when you jerk away.

Aemond chuckles from amusement, then presses a firm, tender kiss to your forehead before leaning forward and resting his own against it.

“My sweet girl,” he whispers. “The Gods blessed me by putting you in my path.”

He pulls back slightly while tucking silver locks behind your ear. “You must be terribly lonely here. Are you not?”

You glance toward the pond, then back to him, wishing he’d let you go so you might stretch your legs for awhile.

“I could change that,” he says—his voice a whisper upon the wind. “At the very least, I can bring someone here who could. Who could keep you in this preferable form…for forever.”

You glance behind him and watch as a doe trots along with her little fawn close to her side.

“I could make you a princess,” he states, earning your attentions once more. “A wife, a mother. You could have fine things and live in a grand castle. Resplendent gowns, jewels, and servants at your beck and call would be yours for the taking. If you wish it—whatever you do—I will make it so. My jester of a brother is not long for this world. And once the Gods have come to call him home, I will ascend his throne.”

His grows quite serious then. “And you might be my bride, if you so covet a crown for yourself as I do. It will be just as lovely as you, I swear it.”

He slides his hand along the soft curve of your waist, then settles it just above the swell of your rear.

“We could make perfect little heirs. Silver hair, violet eyes, and pale skin. The very image of descendants of Old Valyria. None would question their parentage for a moment as they did my dead half-sister’s. Not that I would ever indulge myself by bringing bastards into this world. I would sooner put such abominations to the sword.”

You try to take a step back, unsettled by the wild look in his eye…but he holds firm.

“I want you,” he states lowly. “And I will have it so.”

He smiles, then brushes a kiss along your cheek. “You’ll be pleased with what I next intend to do, sweetling. I swear it. And once you are mine, I will have the finest septas teach and tutor you in how to be a proper princess and wife. You will learn to speak as I do. And I will treasure the moment when you finally utter the words of your undying love, stemming from thankfulness toward me, from having given you the gift of our blessed union.”

He pulls you into his chest and holds you in his arms, knowing it is exactly where you belong. “You’ve no idea the life that awaits you at my side.”

[halloweennymph]

love story

unicorn x f! reader

Summary: maybe getting married to the lonely unicorn isn’t as bad as you think…

Warnings: arranged marriage, blood/scars, blowjob.

A/N: this is just a little fic that’s been hidden in my drafts for a while, hope you like it, if this gets a lot of notes then i’ll write more!! <3

This happens every year. When spring comes, the lonely unicorn who roams the dangerous woods and protects your village from the werewolves, always asks for something in return. It used to be fresh fruits, furs for the winter or gold.

But this year he wants something different. A beautiful virgin to keep him company.

Of course, you are the one who gets chosen. Your family prepares you, dressing you with a flimsy dress that barely covers your fragile figure, and adding some gold necklaces and a flower crown on your head. Then, the whole village takes you to the woods and leave you there, alone, praying that the heartless beast takes it easy on you.

A few minutes go by, and then you see him. The unicorn stands there, just a couple of feet away, and fear rushes through your veins. He’s big, bigger that the horses that you used to see on the village, his horn looks extremely lethal and horrible scars ruin his shiny white fur.

When he comes near to you, you don’t say a thing, just drop to you knees before him, expecting to be treated like nothing but a cheap whore.

But, to your surprise, he’s not violent or ruthless like all those stories that you’ve heard since you were a little girl. Instead, he’s kind, and talks to you in a sweet tone, letting you know that you’re now safe with him, as his wife.

Still, you are pretty nervous about it. Your hands shake and you heart beats fast, but you dare to touch him, caressing his soft nose.

After that, he lets you ride him, and then starts galloping with you on his back, taking you to your new home in the deepest part of the woods. It’s a cozy hut built with rocks and wood, spacious for the both of you, and incredibly warm inside thanks to the hay and furs that he keeps there.

And such a drastic change in your life is nothing easy, actually it’s a little bit awkward for both of you at the start. But soon you get used to each other, gaining trust and catching some… feelings.

You start learning his habits, gathering his favorite berries and tending his wounds every time he comes home after a bloody fight against the werewolves. The first time in his life where he feels how it is to be cared for. And in return, he protects you -in a possessive way- and gives you everything you may want and need, even making a deal with the fairies so they create the most beautiful dresses and tiaras just for you.

It’s not a bad life after all. What else could you ask for if he already spoils you and treats you better than any human man?

One day, he takes you to the nearest river for a much needed bath, and guards you from the shore. He stays under a tree, and you carefully get into the crystal water, enjoying the cool of it as you rinse your hair and body.

You didn’t think much of it, completely forgetting about the effects that you may cause on your now husband. So, when you look back to see if he’s still there, you immediately notice something different, something that makes you feel a tingle between your legs.

He is still standing under the tree, with his cock out and fully hard, making it bounce against his belly to create just a slight friction, clearly enjoying the sight of your naked body.

And you can’t leave him there to deal with something that you caused.

Getting out of the river, you approach him, caressing the soft fur of his neck as if you were asking for permission. Then, you crawl under him, using a finger to trace the prominent vein on his pink velvety cock.

“You don’t need to do it” he says in a low tone, not really wanting to taint your purity so soon. “I can take care of it myself”.

“But i want to” you answer eagerly. “Please let me make you feel good”.

Without exchanging any other word, you take his enormous length with both of your hands, pumping it slowly, just trying to figure it out and do your best to pleasure him.

And he twitches at the feeling of your delicate hands around him, dripping precum out of his slit, but you know that he needs more stimulation if you want him to finish. So, even though you can’t fit him into your mouth, you kiss and lick the flared tip of his cock, tasting the sweet droplets of arousal.

It’s a filthy act, so much that if the fairies saw just a glimpse of it they would cover their eyes out of pure shame, but none of you care, specially not him.

He’s getting close, you can feel it it the way he throbs and his muscles tense. So you keep going, all sloppy and messy, until he gets to his powerful orgasm, spurting ropes of hot cum all over your mouth and chest.

It’s thick and sticky, with a beautiful pearl color that almost looks glittery, and for a second you think how pretty it would look on your skin if you rubbed it like moisturizing cream.

But, for now, you let go of his softening cock and get out under him, making your way to the river again, this time inviting him to join you in the water instead of just watching from afar…

[0ccuria]

Wanted to do Halsin as a young cub coming into his Druidry, with a familiar friend to wish him well. (not to worry, the face tat is just paint here)

also wrote a little blurb (791 words) to accompany it under the cut!

“Alright. You can do this – relentless studies do not fail me now.” A young Halsin told himself, alone within a small grotto. It was time for him to prove his knowledge to his elder peers. He had been preparing for months, nights after long nights of arduous studying of old tomes and hours long meditations. His hands buzzed with a cocktail of anxiety and excitement as he quietly rehearsed his teachings.

He pressed a loosely closed fist to his chest and bowed his head, “Oak Father, grant me courage to excel through the trials this Circle has bestowed upon me. I trust no other counsel but yours.”

A moment passed as he reflected on his prayer, but was soon interrupted by a magical disturbance in the air. A faint golden light flashed behind Halsin that grabbed his attention. Suddenly, an apparition of a young boy with a familiar pair of horns materialized before him.

“No other’s, hm?” It said, hands on its hips.

Halsin’s eyes widened at the sight, “...Thaniel?!” He shouted in shock.

His best and only friend to ever grace his company stood there in front of his very eyes. When was the last time he had been so lucky? The teachings and training of the Circle had regrettably pulled Halsin away from seeking out Thaniel’s connection for some time. Immediately, Halsin set his hands upon the boy’s shoulders, lightly gripping them.

“It’s really you! Why are you...” he shook his head, “I’m so sorry, I have neglected you for too long. I hope you can forgive me.” He pleaded.

“But, why?” Thaniel replied, perplexed. “Don’t apologize for following the path that nature has set before you.” An assuring smile stretched his cheeks.

Halsin bit his lower lip to quell his heart from welling up over the sudden mixture of emotions. He then nodded and retrieved his hands. “Yes, you’re right.” He sighed, “I only wish I could have you at my side, always. It has become rather lonely on walks without your little shadow trailing behind me.”

Thaniel skipped over to a moss covered slab and sat upon it, crossing his legs and holding onto his ankles. He swayed back and forth, unable to keep still. “As do I, but we all must fall into the whirlwind of change at some point in our lives, and like the branch of a tree, there will be many more paths that you will have to decide to take for yourself. Nature is not-”

“Stationary.” Finished Halsin.

The two smiled at each other before sharing a giggle, still able to finish each other’s sentences. The young Druid then joined Thaniel for a seat, leaning forward with his hands clasped between his knees. Thaniel then set his head against Halsin’s shoulder, which had certainly grew in size the last he had seen him.

“Don’t fret, Hal, I have been trailing behind – I always will be. Wherever there is a breeze in the air, you will be content to know that it’s me checking in on you.” The boy said. “I know you will become a great Druid – I could see no other better to protect nature. You got this.”

Halsin’s lip quivered, breaking loose to the tears that rolled down his cheeks. He sniffled and wiped his eyes as he let the wave pass through, “Heh. Oh, how I have missed your kind words, thank you, truly. I will take that to heart as long as I live.”

He wrapped his arm around the boy, pulling him into a tighter hug before releasing him. “...Will you sit with me for a moment longer before I have to go? I think there is still time.” He asked.

With a sudden puff of glittery mist that startled Halsin, Thaniel teleported to the other side of the grotto that lead outside and stood there with his arms crossed, “I have a better idea…” a smirk crossed his lips.

Halsin knew of what he spoke of; a game of chase they had always enjoyed. “Are you sure?” He daringly asked. “I’ve become quite fast these days!” He continued, accepting the challenge. He then got up into a half crouched stance, holding his hands out beside him to pull nature's blessing from the soil below to conjure himself into the wildshape of a wolf. Once on all fours, he vigorously shook as if he were wet in order to acclimate himself to the form. Thaniel stood ready to run, awaiting Halsin to come after him.

“Let me be the judge of that!” The boy shouted, tauntingly.

With an elated howl, Halsin charged towards Thaniel, who swiftly darted away as the unmistakable shrill of a child’s laughter and the clacking of claws on stone faded into the distance.

[vigilante24ish]

🌙 Moon Phases 🌙

Agatha Harkness X Fem!Reader

Word Count: 1683

Chapter 36:

Lilia placed the card in the middle, at the space of the Traveler; the card representing her in this passage. "Impathetic, intuitive, inner voice to be trusted."

"Yes, you're a mensch, Lilia" Agatha commented, observing the sword filled ceiling that was still coming down; alas at a slower pace than before but it did not seem it would stop anytime soon. "

But let's say we place a card."

"No sword." You commented next, realizing that at least nothing was flying towards you; which never expected to count it as a relief in your prolonged life.

"If she got the card right, why doesn't the ceiling stop?" Jen questioned, her worry growing the closer the ceiling was coming down; the closer those swords were to her and the rest of you.

Lilia pulled the next card. "Three of Pentacles. Collaboration, Community, I needed you... my coven, " Immediately, she got a flash of the list she wrote for Agatha.

The names she had listed as the coven members Agatha needed.

Lilia Calderu

Jennifer Kale

Agatha Harkness

Alice Wu...

A black heart...

And no other name...

As she focused on the present, she came to realize that your name was never on the list. Before she could question it, before she could try to figure it out; her hand went for the next card.

"The Path Behind... The Knight of Wands. Full of fire. Fights bravely." She announced loudly as she placed the card down, getting momentarily flash of Alice's sacrifice in saving Agatha from the vengeful spirit of her evil mother.

Billy, the taller of the group and also the one with those huge black horns on his head; was the first who had to bend and try to avoid his impalement.

"We're running out of time." He exclaimed.

Lilia pulled the next card. "The Path Ahead...High Priestess. Immense spiritual power, unable or unwilling to use it." As she placed the card at its respective place on the spread, she got flames of her first meeting with Jen; the background of a banner the same as her card.

"Don't stop, Lilia!" Jen, the main subject of this momentarily memory, encouraged the older witch; with whom she had surprisingly bonded during their little time in the tunnels.

"Obstacles..." Lilia pulled the next card, but as she did, an extra card left the deck and slowly levitated towards the floor. She noticed, but her mind quickly focused on the card in her hands. "Three of Swords. Heartbreak, sorrow, grief." She remembered the moment Teen almost died; a devastated Agatha holding his head; three branches behind her crossing her the same way they crossed the card.

"Agatha!" You called and pulled her lower, forcing her to bend since, for a moment, had forgotten she had thay ridiculous pointy hat on top of her head.

Lilia heard the cries of worry but remained focused, close in finishing the spread. "The Windfall...Tower reversed. Disaster, destruction, sudden upheaval, but reversed, it means miraculous transformation." A quick flash of the Barmichva of Willliam and the shot of the tower reversed in her glass sphere. And with shaky hands, she pulled the last card. "And finally, the Destination..."

The sight of the card, so familiar and yet so haunting, made her gasp. She remembered the tunnels, the Ouija Board spelling a certain word... she remembered the summoning, she remembered the day she found her own maestro's body... and the figure standing behind it.

And she remembered the ways a certain Green Witch looked at you... the familiarity that seemed to exist... and the polarity represented.

"....death..." Lilia exclaimed and managed to place the card down, stopping the sword inches from harming her and her coven.

With the spread done, the ceiling started to go up again, and you could not help but chuckle faintly in relief; your hand holding Agatha's tightly for a moment longer.

"Lilia, you did it. You saved us." Jen exclaimed, almost feeling the need to hide the coocky old witch with troublesome powers.

However, it was you who had noticed that look on her face; one of shock and slight fear.

"What happened?" You asked, feeling she saw something that startled her enough and most likely concerned all of you as a group.

"Rio... she's Death." Lilia explained, still trying to process everything.

"She's what?" Jen questioned, ensuring she had heard right the first time.

"The original Green Witch."

You pressed your lips to form a thin line as the cat got out of the bag. Though in your and Rio's defence, no one ever denied that Rio was not death.

Simply, no one asked or made the connection; utill now that was.

"Is it true?" Billy asked next as everyone looked at Agatha.

"What can I say? I like the bad boys." She answered them without a moment of hesitation or shame, clearly not minding that she was romantically evolved with the Grimm Reaper.

At her words, you could not help but clear your throat and even pull your hand away from hers; clearly not liking her answer.

It was your turn to feel jealous, and you did not hide it from her or anyone. You had been very patient and understanding, but you were not going to stand around and be insulted like that.

You were before Rio. You were before anyone else...

Agatha frowned at your move, clearly not liking your response. However, she saw the way you crossed your arms halfway, fingers too close and pointing at your shoulder. She saw the look you were giving her; she could not help but roll her eyes at the unnecessary drama.

Honestly, you and Rio had that so much in common. It was becoming both tiresome and slightly worrisome.

"Fine, fine," she exclaimed. "I ike the bad boys and white witches with questionable parenthood backgrounds"

You parted our lips at her answer, clearly not approving of how openly she called you out. It definitely did not help as you could feel Jen's intense gaze on you, holding more suspicion than ever before.

Was this woman ever going to at least stop suspecting you would murder her in her sleep?

Before the topic could be changed to you and what Agatha said; Billy noticed something on the floor close to the table.

"Hey, Lilia; you missed a card," he pointed out and picked it up.

Lilia was reminded how that card was pulled along with the Three of Swords but had fallen to the side. Usually, in tarot, a card falling during shuffling was chosen, but during a spread... it depended.

She took the card from him and slowly lifted it up to her gaze, obscuring you from her vision from it.

"Two of swords..." Lilia recognised the upright card. "Stalemate, divided loyalty, caught in the middle... balance, equally matched..." she lowered the card slowly.

Exactly parallel to the figurine, you stood, and that act seemed to trigger one last memory flash to divination witch.

She remembered the meeting at Agatha's House, how you had your hands folded in a similar way as the crescent moon of a tapestry was in your background.

And here you stood now, in the exact same position. Your hands crossed, your clothes purely white, and that fancy headpiece threatening to fall forward and cover your eyes.

Lilia blinked as she recalled your name not existing on the list and your peculiar connection to both Rio and Agatha.

"Does this mean something? Flying off?" Billy asked.

Lilia kept staring at you in a way that made you feel as if she was looking through you; unfolding all of your locked secrets.

"It's a card that does and does not belong in the spread," she explained, finally adverting her gaze towards the boy. "It does and does not belong in the Obstacles, an unstable presence that can or can not affect the passage of the traveller"

"Helpful," Jen commented.

Suddenly, the grimm and spooky talk was interested by the familiar hissing sound that only Salem Seven could produce.

"We have to go, now!" You exclaimed, earning nods and huma from the others.

"Into the Iron Maiden, quickly!" Lilia instructed, only now making you realize that there were steps and a secret passage behind the now open iron Maiden.

One by one, Lilia ensured her coven went through.

First, if was Billy, and she gave him his little spellbook; which she had found in the tunnels.

Then it was Agatha, who seemed to understand why Lilia was waiting for them to enter. Yet despite everything, Lilia had one last piece of advice left; one that confused Agatha at that moment but would soon be the one thing saving her life.

You were third, Jen even pushing you to go ahead of her; something that surprised you. Jen had always been the first to leave, putting herself first and above all the others.

As you were about to enter, Lilia grabbed your hand; fingers wrapping tightly around the wrist with the moon brithmark.

"Stop holding back." she looked you dead in the eyes. "Face your fear."

Last was Jen, who got some wise words from Lilia as well; making her feel hopeful that her ending in this road would be better than her past the last 100 years.

Just like that, just like the Good Witch in the Wizard of Oz; Lilia played her part.

She gave the scarecrow the brains. She gave Dorothy advice to help finish. To the Lion, she reminded it of the bravery it always looked for... and for the tinman; she restored the missing heart.

A soft smile played on her lips, hands holding the two doors of the Iron Maiden. She looked at her coven, eyes getting misty with tears. "I loved being a witch."

And with those words, she closed the doors and locked them; leaving herself into the room, ready to face the Salem Seven and end them.

Ready to truly save her coven this time. Even at the cost of her own life. She was ready.

As the Ballad said...

I hold Death's hand in mine

Chapter 37

[pastafossa]

"A Bit Of Sunshine" (Matt Murdock x F!Reader, Fic)

And here we are on Day 2 of the Tuna-Tober prompt challenge! For Day Two, I chose the fluff prompt: Flower Crowns. You can see the rest of the prompts I've chosen here if you'd like to know what's coming this month from me. Also, if you'd like notifications when I post a new story, drabble, or chapter, you can follow my sideblog @pastaxandria and set it for notifications! And off we go!

Ship: Matt Murdock x F!Reader

Wordcount: 985

Warnings for this chapter, let's do this: none, just some sweetness

It was rare that he found time to simply relax.

And yet here he was with you. The air was pleasantly warm, a whisper against his skin from the cool breeze faintly tinged with salt from the sea, and the shade from the massive oak tree above kept the worst of the sun’s rays from reaching him. The familiar sounds of the park—squealing children, laughing couples, bees buzzing away beneath a chorus of birdsong and rustling leaves—had been a welcome respite from the blaring sirens and furious car horns, though he’d have been able to hear those, too, if he’d concentrated hard enough. But in a brief moment of peace, he’d allowed himself to reel his focus back in, his hypervigilance easing until he was just… here. 

Here, in this case, referred to the two of you together atop a blanket under a tree in the park, the chosen location of your Saturday date. You’d settled with your back against the tree, your legs stretched out easily in front of you. It hadn’t been long before the warmth and fresh air had drawn him into an unusual state of lethargic relaxation, and at your encouragement, he’d wound up sprawled out next to you, his head in your lap, his eyes closed and his hands folded on his chest. You’d seemed to recognize the moment for what it was, too. Your fingers had quickly found their way often to his hair, stroking fondly through the strands, nails against his scalp a sensation that occasionally made him purr or hum, rolling his head into your touch. He wasn’t sure how long it had been, but that didn’t seem to matter. Sometimes you both talked, and sometimes instead you lapsed into a pleasant quiet, the two of you simply enjoying the break from all the chaos and stress so common in your life together.  Though your hands had been absent from his hair for a little while now, instead working steadily away at some sort of mystery project above him. He wasn’t sure what it was. He’d have to extend his senses to find out, and for now, he was choosing to trust you while he let go of his usual control. 

Still, the repeated shift of you as you reached for something beside the blanket, the little snap as you pulled something from the grass over and over, adding it to whatever you were working on, finally stirred his curiosity.

“What are you doing?” he murmured, fighting back a yawn as he adjusted his head on your lap, tipping it towards yours. It wasn’t like he could see you, but he liked to make sure you knew he was listening.

“Making you something.” You let out a hum, something soft and light falling from whatever you held in your hands to land on his cheek. He didn’t bother to move it. It was soft enough, whatever it was, and delicately scented—faint traces of cut grass and something vaguely sweet, tinged with musk and the scent of your skin where you’d touched it. Even without his focus firmly in hand, the sensory weight of it made his nose twitch as he took it in. Fortunately, the smell wasn’t unpleasant, especially when mingled with yours around him, with the scent of grass and earth, oak leaves and sea breeze and sugary vanilla from the ice cream cart a few hundred yards away. Somehow, he had a feeling the unique mixture would stay with him, a memory shortcut back to the feeling of this moment, so he spent a long moment breathing it in, letting it imprint itself on his mind. These brief moments of joy, of perfection were something he held onto as tightly as he could, a shield for his heart when his thoughts grew dark and the world seemed intent on stripping all the good from his life like meat from the bone. 

“There,” you said happily, the shape of your smile sunlight on his skin. “All done. Hold still.”

You shifted a little above him, lifting his slack head just a touch, and a moment later you settled something onto his head, a circular loop of sensation that lightly pressed down against his hair, tickling, velvet-soft whispers of textures against his forehead. The scent of cut grass and sweetness grew stronger with its presence, and he lazily blinked his eyes open, shifting his gaze towards where he knew your face lay.  

“Oh, you need to let me get a picture before you take that off. My flower king.” You sighed, before leaning down to kiss him lightly. You lifted your head again, tilting your head in the way he’d come to learn meant you were taking him in, trying to ensure you would remember this later, just as he had a moment ago with the scents around him. “Your eyes with the yellow dandelions and your hair is just beautiful. You look happy.” 

And the truth in your heart when you said it just… 

“Maybe I am happy.” He leaned into your hand when you ran it down his cheek, scanning lovingly around the sensory shape of you, all gentle whispers of fire and soft sensation. “And what about you, sweetheart?”

“I’m with you,” you said softly, lifting up one of his scarred, battered hands. You brought it up to your mouth, letting his fingers trace your smile before you turned it and kissed the woven bands of scar tissue on his knuckles. “So yeah. I’m happy. Now sit up for me for a minute. I want to get a picture of us, flower crown included.”

That picture found its way onto his desk a few days later. 

He couldn’t see it, of course. 

But the cut dandelions you often left beside the picture were quick to bring the memory back, as did every last determined bloom he found growing up stubbornly through the cracks of his city.

[iamnotoriginalphil]

A Helping Hand (Melissa Schemmenti x f!Reader)

Synopsis: You accidentally drag Melissa into a ruse in order to stop your friends from setting you up on any more blind dates

Words: 7.2k

Warnings: some self esteem issues, mentions of an age gap

“Trust me. This time I’ve found you the perfect date,” Carter said, pulling up outside Abbott.

“Not necessary,” you replied.

The last perfect date he’d set you up on had been a disaster. Not that you’d particularly wanted to go on the date to begin with. Your friends kept trying to solve your perpetual singledom, but what you hadn’t told them was you were holding out while working up the courage to ask out the one person you really wanted to.

“Why?” he asked, turning to look at you.

“Because…” You were about to regret the words that came out of your mouth, “I’m already seeing someone.”

“Who?” he asked, leaning towards you.

A loud banging came from the window. You jumped, turning to look behind you. Red hair shone in the morning sunlight and green eyes were peering in, looking less than pleased.

“Oi, you coming? The news will be on soon,” Melissa called through the glass at you.

“Yeah, just give me a minute,” you called back.

When you turned back around, Carter’s eyes had widened, flicking from you to her back to you. You froze.

“Is that her?” he asked.

“What?” you scoffed, “no. Look, I have to go.”

His hand shot you, grabbing your wrist.

“That’s who you’re seeing?” he demanded.

“Fine. It’s her. But it’s really new so don’t… tell anyone,” you whispered, “please don’t make a big deal about this.”

“She’s hot,” he said, looking over your shoulder.

You turned too. Melissa was still there, arms crossed, scowling at the car. You sighed, turning back to Carter.

“I have to go. But don’t you dare mention this to anyone. I don’t need you lot messing this up before it’s even something,” you hissed at him.

“Sure, sure,” he said, gently ruffling your hair, “go see your girl.”

You sighed, stepping out of the car. You slammed the car door shut with a little more aggression than you usually would use but you were tired and you didn’t even realise the can of worms you’d opened with a little white lie.

“You okay?” Melissa asked, falling into step beside you.

A car horn sounded behind you. You glared over your shoulder at Carter who was grinning at you.

“Fine,” you said, “just dickhead friends.”

The news helped calm you down and by lunch you’d forgotten all about your lie to Carter. Sitting by her at lunch, you were reminded of the way she made your heart beat faster and your breath catch. Her voice was enough to steal your attention and the way she’d laugh enchanted you. You’d do anything to make her laugh like that.

“Hey, is there something wrong with your car?” she asked, leaning back to talk to you at the table next to hers.

“It’s in the shop,” you replied, “the engine was making a funky noise and it got so loud I couldn’t ignore it anymore.”

“Who was that in the car that made you so mad?” she asked.

“Just my friend Carter. Apparently I’m now a charity case that my friends have put on a roster of car pooling,” you said.

The way she looked at you had you shifting in your seat.

“What?” you asked.

“You ain’t a charity case,” she said.

“Okay.” You weren’t sure what she was trying to say.

She nodded , turning back to her lunch. Nothing had made sense, and you still had no idea what she was getting at but the conversation was closed. You nodded to yourself, biting into the leftovers you’d been eating before.

After school, a significant amount of time after the dismissal bell had rung, you stepped out into the evening air, tightening your coat around your body. Carter lent forward on the horn, grinning at you as you hurried down the steps.

“Yeah yeah,” you muttered, sliding into the car.

“Isn’t that your girlfriend?”

You blinked, trying to figure out what he was talking about. You turned, finding Melissa striding towards the car, looking ready to breathe fire. It crashed back into you, the lie you’d told and how fucked you were about to be. She tore the door open.

“Come on,” she said to you.

“What?” You were looking up at her and she was staring down at you and it was like the world was dropping out beneath you.

“Come on.”

She grabbed your arm, hauling you out of the car. You barely had time to grab your bag from the floor mat. She lent forward, looking in at Carter as if he’d done something to personally offend her. That wasn’t something anyone would dare to do at Abbott.

“She won’t be needing your charity anymore,” she said before slamming the door.

Her hand curled around your elbow, marching you off towards one of the last cars left in the lot. She wasn’t explaining anything. Carter wasn’t leaving. Nothing made sense.

“Melissa, what are you doing?” you asked as she stopped to unlock the car.

“You’re no one’s charity case,” she said, “I can give you a lift.”

“So, what? I go from being my friends’ charity case to yours? I don’t see how this changes anything,” you said.

She pulled the door open for you, waiting with an expectant eyebrow raised. You sighed, taking your spot in her passenger seat. In the reflection of her rearview mirror you saw Carter approach, groaning at whatever was about to happen. They talked, Melissa’s eyes finding yours in the mirror before saying something to Carter.

She was looking at you oddly as she slid into the driver’s seat some minutes later. You were desperate to know what had been said, knowing it wouldn’t be good for you.

“Your friend asked me to come to a barbecue this weekend,” she said, staring the car, “as your new girlfriend.”

You groaned, burying your face in your hands. She dragged one away from you, forcing you to look at her. She hadn’t pulled out of her spot, sitting there in the idling car while you tried to tamp down your embarrassment.

“I’m sorry,” you said, slightly muffled from the one hand still doing its best to hide you from view.

“You gonna tell me what’s going on?” she asked.

“I just.” You sighed, “my friends keep setting me up on blind dates and no matter how often I tell them I’m not interested they keep doing it. So when Carter suggested I go on another one I told him I couldn’t because I’m already seeing someone and then you turned up. He asked if it was you and I… figured he’d never actually meet you so it didn’t matter. I’m sorry, I’ll tell him I lied to get him off my back.”

She pulled out of the parking lot, still not looking at you. Guilt curdled in your stomach and you didn’t know what else to say. Your head hung and you weren’t sure what to do. Maybe apologise more. Grovel for forgiveness. Melissa was not a woman to be caught up in bullshit she didn’t agree to and you’d done just that.

“I said I’d bring mac and cheese,” she said.

Your head snapped up. She still wasn’t looking at you, focusing on the road ahead, which given the driving was a good thing. Her lips curled up and you felt your cheeks heat.

“You don’t have to do this,” you said, voice small, fingers twisting in your lap.

“Do you want to go on more blind dates?” she asked.

“Not even a little bit,” you replied.

Her eyes flashed over to you then back to the road.

“You better tell me your address or you’ll never get home,” she said.

You directed her to your apartment building, not sure what else to say. She pulled up to the curb, looking up at it with a small wrinkle to her nose. Her approval was clearly lacking and that made your stomach twist again.

“Seriously Melissa,” you said as the silence stretched, “you don’t have to do this. I’ll just tell him.”

“What time should I pick you up tomorrow?” she asked.

And that was the last you talked of coming clean to your friends. She picked you up for the rest of the week as you waited for your car to be fixed, and dropped you off each night. And on Saturday, the day your friend Jenny was hosting a barbecue for Jared’s birthday, she knocked on your door rather than just sending you a one word text to get your attention.

“Hi,” you breathed out, seeing her there on the other side of your door.

Her hair was tied up, jeans and a tank top encasing her body. Casual Melissa was so very delicious, and for the afternoon she was going to be yours. It made no sense. None at all.

“How long do you think this thing’s gonna be?” she asked, pushing past into your apartment.

You followed her, watching her look over the room, eyes lingering on photos and little keepsakes. She picked up one frame, a small smile curling her lips before her expression was wiped clean.

“We don’t have to stay long,” you said, “whenever you want to go feel free to.”

“I’d never leave my girl alone,” she replied, placing the frame down again.

“Right. And I am sorry about this. Really.” You hoped she could hear the earnestness in your voice.

“Stop.” She held a hand up to you, “I’m doing this, aren’t I? If you keep apologising I’m gonna think you don’t want me to.”

“You’re being very kind,” you said, “thank you.”

“Think nothing of it, hon,” she said, “you’re my good deed for the month.”

You gave a weak laugh, picking up your container of watermelon and the cake you’d spent the previous night baking. She took them from your hands before you could ask for help. Locking the door behind you, keeping your face averted, you refused to let her see the impulse to swoon. In less than a week she’d treated you better than past girlfriends ever had.

You settled in the passenger seat, the cake resting on your lap, the wrapped present at your feet. Melissa merged into traffic, taking you closer to the party. You could feel your anxiety rising, not sure how this was going to go. Your friends and Melissa together in the same room, one believing she was your new girlfriend, the other pretending in order to help you… do what? Save face? Not go on any more awful blind dates? Use as blackmail material later down the road?

“I can hear you thinking,” she said, flicking on her indicator.

“Sorry,” you said.

“I’m not gonna give the game away,” she said, “stop worrying.”

“I just… I know you won’t,” you replied.

“What’s wrong?” she asked.

“Why are you doing this? I’m not Barbra, you don’t… we’re not friends like that,” you said.

“Aren’t we?” She turned her head slightly, not quite towards you but not away from you.

“Are we?” You didn’t know that answer.

“Just accept the help, hon,” she sighed, and you didn’t know what the emotion in her voice was.

“Thanks Melissa,” you whispered.

She pulled up outside Jenny’s house, the balloons tied to the letterbox swaying in the air. You looked up at it, your anxiety spiking again. A warm hand landed on your thigh, giving a gentle squeeze.

“C’mon, hon,” Melissa said, “the sooner we go in the sooner you’ll see it’s all fine.”

“Right. Yeah. You’re right,” you said.

She didn’t hold your hand as you walked up to the door, nor did she try to touch you in any intentional way. She stood close enough for you to feel her warmth, but not so close that she was crowding you.

“Ready?” you asked.

Instead of answering, she adjusted her hold on both the mac and cheese she brought and the food you’d made and lent past you, knocking on the door. It took only a moment before the door was pulled open. Jenny was laughing at someone over her shoulder, before turning to look at you.

“Hey,” she said, pulling you into a hug.

You went, still feeling tense. Her eyes turned towards Melissa, interest entering her gaze. They swept over her before turning back to you.

“Is this her?” she asked.

“Uh, yeah. Jenny this is Melissa,” you said, turning to her, “Mel, this is my friend Jenny.”

“Lovely to meet you,” Jenny said.

“Yeah, you too. Where can I put this?” she asked, holding the food out to her.

“Oh, the kitchen is this way,” she said, turning on her heels to stride back into the house.

You shared a glance with Melissa before following Jenny inside. She helped Melissa place the containers of food down, looking out of the open door pointed at the backyard. Your friends were gathered, most already with some kind of drink in hand, Carter behind the grill, ominous smoke rising into the sky. Music was playing faintly and there were balloons all over the place.

“You work at Abbott too, right?” Jenny asked.

“Ya,” Melissa said and you realised that involving someone with severe trust issues of anyone she didn’t know was maybe not the best idea.

“She teaches second grade,” you said, “one of the best teachers we have.”

Her head snapped towards you, something unreadable crossing over her face before disappearing. Jenny was watching with interest and you knew you had to do better if you wanted your friends to think you weren’t perpetually single.

“Where’s Jared?” you asked, hoping to distract her from whatever was going on with you and Melissa.

“Outside,” she said, “so Melissa-“

You grabbed Melissa’s arm, tugging her towards the door before Jenny could say anything else. Out of her sight, you let her arm go, stepping down onto the grass. The air smelt of smoke and grass and summer, of days long since gone and days yet to come. You took a deep breath.

“Hey,” Carter said, jogging up to you.

“Hi,” you said, “I brought Melissa.”

“Great to see you again.” He was grinning at the two of you.

You rolled your eyes, shoving past him. Melissa followed you, right on the periphery of your vision, there but not close. Maybe that was a problem. If you were newly in a relationship would there be that much distance between you? Could you reach out and bridge the gap? You weren’t sure you could.

“Hey Jared, happy birthday.”

You thrust out the present in your hands to your friend. Tall and handsome, his charisma had meant he’d done well in life and love. In comparison, you were a hot mess. And yet growing up in neighbouring houses meant you had a friend for life it seemed.

“Thanks,” he said, a lazy smile spreading over his face, “is this the woman who’s finally taken you off the market?”

“This is Melissa,” you said, turning to look at her.

Her green eyes were narrowed and she’d crossed her arms, looking less than friendly. You sighed. You might have seen the softer side of Melissa Schemmenti but she was hardly showcasing it with your friends.

“Congrats on finally being good enough with this one,” he said, throwing an arm around your shoulders, “she’s a picky one.”

“Is she?” she raised an eyebrow.

“She has turned down every single person we’ve set her up with for three years,” he said.

“Has she?” She was looking at you with too much interest.

Hopefully she wasn’t putting two and two together. Three years ago you’d started working at Abbott and for three years all your dates were with people who weren’t her. You felt your cheeks heat up and you looked away.

“Glad to see someone broke the curse,” Jared laughed, letting you go, “get drinks. We have all kinds of stuff.”

You wandered off, waving to your friends, Melissa keeping step with you. The cooler was full of ice, drinks nestled inside. You reached down, passing her one of the bottles of beer before taking a soda for yourself. It shouldn’t have been hot watching her open the bottle, but it wasn’t often someone could do it without a bottle opener.

“Three years huh?” she asked after taking a drink from the bottle.

“My friends mean well but they have no idea what I’m looking for in a partner,” you replied with a small shrug.

“That’s a long time to not have one good date,” she said.

You shrugged again, not sure what to say. You weren’t about to admit the real reason was standing in front of you. You weren’t delusional enough to think she’d appreciate it or, god forbid, return your feelings. She could do better than you.

“Holy shit, y’all have to try this mac and cheese,” Henry called out, “I think I’ve died and gone to heaven.”

Melissa looked towards them. You chuckled, looking down at your feet scuffing in the grass.

“What?” she asked.

“They’re never going to want to get rid of you now,” you said, “damn you and you’re mouth watering cooking.”

“My what?”

You looked at her, raising an eyebrow. She raised her own in response, waiting for an answer.

“Oh come on. You know you’re crazy good at cooking. You brag about it at least three times a week over lunch,” you said, “modesty isn’t a good look on you.”

She laughed, the kind that you desired to hear over and over again. Head thrown back, lips curling up into a beautiful smile, you stared at her doing your best not to have your feelings show all over your face. She nudged you with her shoulder, the laughter dying but her eyes sparkling.

“Jenny said you made this.”

Henry was there, holding the plate of mac and cheese, cheeks bulging from how much he’d put in his mouth. You snorted but you knew what was coming.

“If you break up with her,” he said, turning to you, “we’re taking her side.”

You snorted, “yeah, good luck with that.”

“Seriously,” he said, turning back to Melissa, “how do you do it? This is like the perfect consistency. And the flavour profile is off the charts. Do you do catering?”

“She’s a teacher, Henry. Chill out,” you said, “and I know for a fact Caroline won’t want mac and cheese at the reception. They’re getting married next year.”

That last part was for Melissa. She was growing more incredulous as the conversation continued. She stepped just half a step closer to you, her body warmth once again brushing against you. A small sigh left your lips, shoulders relaxing just a touch more.

“You ain’t getting my secret ingredient,” Melissa said, “but I’m sure I could be convinced to make it again for youse one day.”

“Convince her,” Henry said to you.

You watched him walk away, slapping Jenny’s hand away when she tried to steal some of it.

“You don’t have to do that, you know,” you said, turning to look at her.

“Do what?” she asked.

“Pretend like you’re going to be around forever,” you replied, “you never have to come to another one of these things.”

“Hon, let me decide if I’ll be back. You just worry your pretty little head about having a fun time with your friends,” she said.

Warmth bloomed in your chest. Her hand slid into yours, palm brushing against palm until her fingers tangled with yours. Your heart skipped a beat, the touch of skin against skin making you feel breathless. Her smile softened, hand tightening.

“Go have fun, sweetheart,” she said, gently pushing you towards the group gathering close by.

You kept half an eye on her as you joined your friends, tracking her movements through the afternoon. She mostly kept close to the grill, and after a few false starts, seemed to charm your friends. Watching her, it only cemented that you’d made the right choice on having a crush on her, as if you’d have any chance not to.

“I like her,” Jenny said, “and you obviously do too.”

She nudged you and Jared laughed.

“Well, yeah, I’m dating her,” you said, doing your best not to trip on the word.

“And you look at her like she’s even better than her mac and cheese,” Jared said.

“What do you mean?” you asked.

“You’re the definition of heart eyes,” she said, “when you look at her you get all melty and soft.”

“I do not,” you protested.

“You so do,” she laughed, “you get that dopey smile whenever you look at her.”

“And you look at her a lot,” Jared said.

You didn’t know how to refute the claim without giving the whole game away. You sighed, eyes flicking up, as they had all day, to find Melissa. She was already watching you, those green eyes shining when they met yours.

“See? That’s the expression,” Jenny crowed.

“Lucky for you, short stack,” Jared said, resting his arm around your shoulders, “she seems just as besotted with you.”

Now that was going a step too far.

“I’m going to the bathroom. Be nice,” you said, ducking out from under his arm.

Inside the house, away from the prying questions and and knowing looks, you could breath easier. You locked yourself away in the bathroom, staring at yourself in the mirror over the sink. Your fingers clenched, thoughts racing. On the one hand it was good that you were selling the lie to your friends, on the other you hadn’t meant to show your actual feelings and didn’t want it getting back to Melissa. She’d know. Of course she’d know.

Cold water splashed up on your face and you put your game face back on. If you could keep it under wraps during school hours you could keep it under wraps now. You patted your face dry and slipped back into the house proper.

“So what’s your intentions with our girl?”

You paused just out of sight, listening in. Your friends, bless their hearts, were doing their whole Spanish Inquisition act and you couldn’t pretend like you weren’t interested in seeing how she smacked them down. There was no doubt in your mind she wouldn’t put up with their inane questions.

“I want to make her happy,” she replied and you could see the way she would be shooting them a look telling them how idiotic she found the question. As if her answer was obvious.

“Good answer,” Henry said.

“Could be practiced,” Jared said.

“Rehearsed even,” Carter said.

“Why her?” Jenny asked.

“What?” You could hear the offence settling into her voice.

“Why choose her?” Jenny asked, “and be careful. There is a right answer.”

You internally groaned, leaning against the wall. More than once someone had decided you weren’t worth it after going through this process. That the scrutiny wasn’t worth it. Melissa had to bring her A game if she was going to get through it.

“Why wouldn’t I choose her?” Melissa asked.

“She works too much,” Henry said.

“She eats too much sugar,” Jared said.

“She’s a mess,” Carter said.

“So why her?” Jenny asked.

“You say she works too much. I say she’s passionate. I haven’t seen such a talented young teacher in a long time. And yes, she eats like a kid with too much money let loose in a candy store. But she’ll share it with anyone she thinks needs it to the point where she’ll go without. And she’s not a mess. She’s doing the best she can and she’s doing it pretty damn well. I don’t know if youse don’t see her clearly enough but if that’s the only way you see her then it’s pathetic that youse call yourself her friends. I ain’t never seen someone who makes life brighter than she does. She is kind and talented and she cares so much it’s made her physically sick before. If youse think there is any reason I wouldn’t choose her, you’re wrong. So don’t give me stupid excuses to not want her. It won’t work. I’ve been choosing her longer than you know.”

It felt as if your knees were going to give out beneath you. You trembled, pressing back against the wall, doing your best to not slide down it. Your breathing, where you’d been holding it to listen to her, was now ragged. You had to pressed the heels of your hands to your eyes, forcing yourself to push the tears back.

No one had ever said anything like that about you before.

“You didn’t even mention how hot she is,” Jared said.

You pressed your hand to your lips to keep the wet laugh from making a sound.

“Her being hot is just an extra benefit. I’m not with her because she’s hot. I’m with her because she’s the sun,” Melissa said, scoffing at your friend.

Your mouth fell open. You had no idea Melissa could have been so poetic, especially without giving her a heads up that this might happen. Your heart was beating so hard in your chest and you had no idea how you were going to face her now. You ached, deep within you, to reach out to her, to press yourself to her, to bury your face in her neck until you weren’t sure where you ended and she began. Curling your arms around your body, you held on, desperate to keep yourself from falling apart.

“Good enough for ya?” Melissa asked into the silence left behind in the wake of her words.

There was a general grumbled agreement before footsteps began to sound again. You wiped the vulnerable skin under your eyes, brushing away the tears. You steeled yourself, straightening your spine, clenching your jaw. Taking a deep breath, you stepped into the kitchen again.

“There you are,” Jenny called, sticking candles into the cake you’d made for Jared.

Melissa was still there, looking out the door into the backyard. You sidled up to her, shoulder brushing against shoulder. She looked down at you and you couldn’t begin to unpack the expression on her face.

“You okay?” You asked, lowering your voice to keep Jenny from hearing.

“Perfect, hon,” she replied.

Her arm curled around your waist, so warm, making you only want to press yourself against her more. Your head fell on her shoulder, resting there, scared it would be too much for her and yet not able to stop yourself from seeking out her touch.

“Come on, you two,” Jenny said, “we got cake to eat.”

Melissa’s hand slid back into yours, and as you sang happy birthday to your friend, you felt your heart in your throat and your body yearning for her. As Jared lent forward to blow out the candles, she looked down at you, smiling softly, eyes sparkling down at you. You found yourself leaning towards her, drawn in by her gravity. She let your hand go, arm sliding around your waist, hand now resting on your hip, burning through the denim of your jeans. Your breath hitched and her eyes flicked down to your lips, her own pulling up in a small smirk.

You had no idea what to do with the way she was looking at you.

“Melissa,” Jenny said, stealing her attention, breaking whatever spell was woven over the two of you, “have you had any of our girl’s baking yet?”

“I made her a tiramisu for her last birthday,” you called to her.

“You made that? Shit, hon, I thought you’d bought it,” she said.

Had you revealed too much? No. No, you couldn’t have.

“Course I made it,” you replied with a small shrug, “no big deal.”

Something in her softened.

“Thank you, sweetheart.”

Her lips pressed to your temple, soft and addictive and your breath caught in your chest. Your skin tingled with electricity and if you could bottle a single moment of your life it would be that one to revisit any time you wanted. It would feed you for the rest of your life.

There was a collective aw from your friends. Your cheeks heated and you had to look away, scared they’d see too much. That Melissa would see too much. Her arm tightened around you and you didn’t know what to do with yourself.

“Do you want some cake?” Melissa asked.

“Yeah,” you replied, cheeks still hot enough to fry an egg on.

You took a slice from Jenny, waiting to see Melissa’s reaction before taking your own bite. Her eyes slid closed and she made a noise so filthy you thought you were going to have a heart attack. It sent a shot of pleasure right between your legs and you felt your eyes widened as you looked at her. Her eyes blinked open, hooded and seductive, and you had to swallow past the lump in your throat.

“I’m going to marry you just to have access to this cake for the rest of my life,” she said, voice husky.

You laughed, a little uncomfortable even while the thought was pleasant. Being Melissa Schemmenti’s wife. It was one of those fantasies you tried not to indulge in too much. You shoved a forkful of your own cake into your mouth to keep from saying anything stupid in response.

“I wanna open presents,” Jared whined, mouth half full of cake.

Jenny laughed, shoving him over to the table of nicely wrapped gifts. He tore through wrapping paper, uncaring of the mess he was making. Melissa was still holding you, but was focused on him, no longer making you feel as if you were about to faint from the pressure of her gaze. Your head lent against her shoulder again, watching Jared holding up the awful sweatshirt you’d bought him with the president’s face on it. He was grinning at you before pulling it on despite the warmth and the sun.

“I look so hot,” he said, looking down at himself.

“You look sweaty,” Harry said, shoving at him.

“Hey, it’s not my fault you wish you had this sweet piece of ass,” he replied.

“I’ll keep my own piece of ass thank you,” he said, “she at least knows how to shower.”

“How about we don’t call women pieces of ass?” Jenny suggested.

“Sorry, Jen,” he said, “but you know what I mean.”

“And I hate it,” she said.

You laughed, pressing your face into Melissa’s shoulder to muffle it. You felt her nose brush against your temple, her own chuckle soft. Warmth bloomed through your chest, embers of fire floating through your bloodstream. You pressed more to her, hoping it would stop you from doing something stupid, like press your lips to the skin under your face. Her lips brushed your temple and you felt yourself freeze.

Cold water splashed against your stomach. You shriek, flinging yourself out of Melissa’s arms. Jared had levelled a water gun at you, huge and intimidating, the box it had come from lying at his feet. He lifted it and you ran backwards, cursing at him as you took refuge in the kitchen. Melissa was following you, looking no more like she wanted to be soaked than you did. But still, you were laughing as you looked out the window at them, the shiver of your wet shirt barely noticed while you watched the boys battling it out in the grass.

“You alright, hon?” Melissa asked.

You looked over, finding her leaning against the counter, arms crossed, eyes travelling over your body. Your cheeks heated again.

“Yeah,” you replied.

“You’re going to get sick if you stay in those wet clothes,” she said and you knew she didn’t mean it to sound like such an invitation.

“I’ll be fine,” you brushed off, turning away to keep her from seeing the moment of longing on your face.

Warm hands settled on your hips, pulling you back against a soft body and all thoughts fled from your head. You lent back against her, unconscious of your actions and yet desperate for it. Her breath ghosted against the shell of your ear.

“Let me take you home to change,” she said, “Ava doesn’t have the money for a sub if you get a cold.”

Of course. Of course it was about work. Even if a shiver went down your spine and a whimper threatened fall from your lips. You’d never felt such a deep well of want for another person before.

“Okay,” you whispered.

She gave your hips a squeeze before letting you go, stepping back. Thoughts flooded back in, the throb between your legs making you feel shaky. You tottered over to the door.

“Hey, assholes, we’re heading off,” you called to the boys, Jenny standing by the door as if daring the boys to try and soak her.

The chorus of complaints made you smile, shaking your head with such fondness it almost hurt. Jenny gave you a tight hug, ignoring how wet your shirt was, leaving a wet patch on her own. Jared lifted you off your feet, swinging you in a circle. You were laughing and holding on for dear life but his strength was everything. Henry have you a one arms hug, the other holding the water pistol, trying to fight off Carter. He grabbed your face with both hands, kissing you with a loud smack on your forehead.

You turned back to wave from the door before your hand was sliding into Melissa’s again and you were being led out the front door. Settling into her car, you let out a sigh, one that spoke of happiness and contentment. You lent back in your seat, the smile on your face wide, all encompassing, until the muscles in your cheek began to hurt.

“Thank you,” you said, “that was a really good afternoon.”

“Your friends are interesting,” Melissa said, pulling out onto the road.

“They mean well,” you said, “sorry if they… I dunno. Made you uncomfortable or something.”

“They didn’t,” she assured you.

“You don’t have to lie. I heard them grilling you,” you said, not quite able to look at her. You hadn’t planned on bringing it up, but the words spilled from your lips without permission.

“I wasn’t uncomfortable, hon,” she said but her voice was tight.

You sighed, shuffling in your seat until you were looking at her. Her hands had tightened on the steering wheel, knuckles growing white. You wanted to reach out to her but didn’t know how, not without making her unhappy with you.

“You answered really well,” you said, hoping it would calm her.

Her eyes flicked to you then back to the road, hands tightening. Still she said nothing. Your fingers twisted together in your lap, anxiety building again. The nice afternoon was being washed away, the calm you’d felt as you’d climbed into the car nothing but a memory.

“Melissa,” you said, hoping the words would come as you spoke.

“We don’t have to talk about it,” she snapped before you could say anything more.

“I’m sorry if they made you uncomfortable. And I’m sorry for eavesdropping,” you said, “I shouldn’t have done that. I could have stopped them and not… heard.”

“It’s fine,” she said, grip tightening even further, “we’re going to ignore it ever happened.”

“But what you said was so nice. I know you were only saying it so they’d believe we were together but… no one’s ever said anything like that about me,” you said, disappointment making your heart sink.

“What do you mean I only said that for them?” she asked, voice tight.

“Well, you were selling it, right? Helping convince them of the stupid lie I told Carter. Weren’t you?” You didn’t know what she was getting at.

Her head turned towards you again before back to the road.

“Hon.” You’d do anything to stop her sounding that way, like she was in pain.

“I don’t understand,” you said.

“I don’t suppose you do,” she sighed.

The silence that settled over you wasn’t comfortable. It made your skin itch and you wanted to do something to fix it. To make everything better.

“You called me the sun,” you whispered.

Her foot slammed down on the break. You jerked forward, the seatbelt cutting into you. You took a sharp inhalation, hand massaging your chest. Turning towards her, you found her already staring back at you. You stopped breathing.

“Because you are the sun, hon. To me, at least. And I don’t care if you don’t want to hear it. You need to know. You light up a room when you walk in and you’re so fucking bright. Sometimes I can’t even look at you,” burst from her, “fuck, hon, when you look at me like that I can’t think.”

“What?” You couldn’t be sure you weren’t dreaming.

“I didn’t agreed to this whole stupid thing for you,” she said, “I did it because I wanted to know what it would feel like to be yours. I was being selfish.”

“Melissa,” you breathed, overcome with the strength of your emotions.

“Don’t. Don’t you fucking dare. We’re going to forget this ever happened. We’re never going to talk about it. This is done,” she said, beginning to drive again.

You sat in silence, not sure how to tell her that was the opposite of what you wanted. If you never said anything then you’d never have everything you wanted. You were watching her, taking note of the way she was pointedly not looking at you.

She pulled up outside your apartment building. She sat there, still not looking at you, while you looked to her. She glanced over to you then back out the windscreen, face stoic and unfeeling.

“Go on,” she said, “what are you waiting for? An invitation?”

You continued looking at her until she huffed and turned to look at you too.

“I’ve never gone on more than a first date with anyone in three years because three years ago I met you,” you said, ignoring the disgruntled look on her face, “and since that moment I knew.”

“Knew what?” she asked.

“There wouldn’t be anyone else for me. You were it. Everything I ever wanted.”

“Don’t you fucking make fun of me,” she spat.

“Mel…”

You final bridged the gap, reaching out to her, fingers soft as they touched her wrist. She jerked back from you and it was like having your heart torn out from your chest. You were so close to having what you wanted.

“Melissa,” you said, trying again, “I want you so much it hurts. It’s like this physical ache in my heart. I look at you and it throbs like an open wound. You might think I’m the sun, but you’re the very earth beneath my feet. Solid and grounding and life giving. You’re the air I breath. I think about you all the time. To the point where I can’t sleep at night. I’m sorry. I know I’m being really intense. But you need to know how much I’m not making fun of you. I never would. Not like this.”

You’d been watching her face so closely, desperate to know what she was thinking. From anger to disbelief into something that was almost fear. Your hand landed on her wrist again, holding on now, desperate for her not to pull away again. You needed her to listen to you, to really understand what you were saying.

“What are you saying?” she whispered.

“I am hopeless and completely in love with you, Melissa,” you said, “but I never thought you’d feel the same way.”

She let out a long shaky breath, staring at you as if trying to work out where the lie was. You tightened your grip on her wrist. Her eyes shot down to it then back to you.

“You’re in love with me? Even when I’m so much older? When I can’t offer you anything?” she demanded.

“You can offer yourself and that’s really all I want,” you replied, “it’s all I’ve wanted for three years.”

Her hand rose, hovering over your cheek, before curling around the back of your neck and pulling you in. You whimpered into her mouth, lips sliding along lips. It wasn’t elegant and it wasn’t graceful, but it made your heart pound. She sighed, kissing you harder, as if trying to chase away the voices in her own head. You were swimming in want; wanting her closer, wanting more, wanting everything. Her fingers buried themselves in your hair, holding you there as her tongue sought out yours, making your head spin.

When she drew back, you were gasping for breath. Her lips were kiss stung and her eyes were bright. You surged forward, kissing her again, uncaring of the seatbelt and the centre console and awkward angle. You needed her like you needed air. She was your air. She was your everything.

She was always going to be your everything.

“Hon,” she mumbled against your lips, “wait a moment.”

You froze before reeling back. You never wanted her to ever be uncomfortable with you. You never wanted her to feel pressure or forced into anything.

Her fingers were still buried in the hair at the nape of your neck. She tugged on it and a shudder went through your body. Her eyes were smouldering and when her tongue ran along her bottom lip you groaned, loud in the enclosed space. She chuckled, tugging on your hair again.

“Let me take you out tonight,” she said, voice husky and you could hear how she was holding herself back, “please.”

“Like on a date?” you asked, breathless and desperate, thighs pressing together as you squirmed in your seat.

“Exactly like on a date,” she replied.

“Yeah.” You nodded, “yeah I’d like that.”

“Good.”

She lent forward, lips pressing to yours again. You whined into her mouth, not able to stop yourself. You wanted her so much it was making you lose all control. She pulled back again, sitting back, removing her hands from you. You tried to pull her back but she pushed you into your seat, making you almost cry out from your need for her.

“Go make yourself pretty for me, hon,” she said, eyes darkening when they swept over your body thrumming with desire, “I’ll pick you up tonight.”

“You don’t want to come up?” you asked, knowing how desperate you sounded.

“I do, but I won’t.” Disappointment plummeted through your body, “when I have you I’m taking my time to explore every inch of your body. I want to know everything that turns you on. We don’t have time for that before our date. Go on.”

“You’ll really come pick me up?” you asked, surprised you could still form coherent sentences after her declaration.

“Nothing could stop me,” she said, smiling at you with such wickedness it had your thighs clenching again.

You stumbled from the car, looking back at her. She was watching you, not even pretending not to. You waved to her from the door of your building, heart thundering, anticipation building, desire thrumming. She raised her own hand to you and you had to clench on the door handle lest you flung yourself back into the car and into her lap.

You had a date to go get ready for.

[goosita]

no no billy taking you out on his horse and showing you the reigns but it’s a bit hard to concentrate with him and his wandering hands pushed up behind you

oh my god you don't understand this is peak romantic fantasy for me on GOD

riding around out in the fields with billy because he has a day to himself, and he wants to spend it with you.

and we all know billy loves his horse, and he's so good at riding the animal and taming it. he asks if you wanna go out with him for a ride and you're reluctant at first. of course, this is the wild west. lots of people know how to ride horses, it's a huge mode of transportation. but...you had never spent that much time around them. you lived in town and didn't tend to stray from there, and your interactions with the animals were mostly limited to carriage rides where someone else was in control.

"c'mon angel, it'll be fun. promise," he says, giving you those imploring blue eyes all round and wide. you agreed, knowing that billy would never let anything happen to you. not that you were scared. just a little uneasy, is all.

but then the afternoon comes and he's got you sat comfortably right in front of him in the saddle. his chest is warm and solid against your back, your bum is settled nicely in the cradle of his hips and his thighs, keeping you right there against him. your hands rest on the saddle horn while his arms are resting around your waist, holding the reins.

lady, his horse, wanders around where he guides her. she's a pretty horse, white with speckles and she's very calm. you can tell that her and billy have a quiet kind of trust between them.

"see?" he grins, leaning his head down to peck your cheek. "not so bad, is it?"

and it's not. it's not bad at all, really. you can tell your thighs might be a little sore later from the unconscious way you're clenching them to feel balanced, but this is actually kinda nice. the sun is perched in the middle of the sky, warming the fields and your skin. bugs and wildlife are buzzing around you as you ride, and billy seems so relaxed and content behind you.

"you wanna take the reins for a bit?" he asks, patting your thigh and giving it an affectionate squeeze. he likes to do that, give you these little pets and caresses sometimes. just because he can.

"oh...um....i don't really know-"

"nonsense, it's easy. here." he cuts you off gently, placing the leather reins in your hands. he explains to you what actions the horse will take as cues, and you don't dare do anything but encourage the animal to keep on moseying forward like she had been. billy chuckles softly at your hesitance, but he doesn't make fun. he lets you do what you're comfortable with.

you try to focus on directing lady where you want her to go, but it starts to get harder when billy's hands slide up and down your outer thighs slowly. you know he's probably not trying to distract you or rile you up, but you can't help the way your body and mind react to his touch.

billy rests his chin on your shoulder and hums, some silly little folk tune he must have stuck in his head. you can feel the vibrations of his voice against your back and it makes your tummy flutter with butterflies. no matter how long you and billy have been together, even little things like this make your heart stutter like a lovesick teen with a crush.

"you're doin' great, honey," he murmurs, and you can feel his smile against your cheek where he still rests over your shoulder. it makes you feel better, the praise. you like it when he praises you, even for little things like this.

his hands begin to wander, though, and you're not sure you can stay focused on controlling lady. billy brings his hands up to your hips, his fingers dipping into the waistband of the pants he'd loaned you to ride in. it's not inherently sexual, the way he's touching you. a little intimate to be touched out in the open like this, a little against decorum, but you're alone out here anyway. he strokes your skin softly, adoringly, like he just wants to feel you under his fingertips. as much as you like it, it's too distracting.

"here," you blurt, handing him the reins back. "can't think straight with you around." it comes out more playful than scolding, though, and billy chuckles.

"alright. whatever you want, angel," he tells you, pressing another kiss to your cheek before taking over again.

let's talk about billy, baby!

[astrcmoni]

✮⋆˙⭒NIGHTS LIKE THIS✮⋆˙⭒

CHAPTER II: UNCHARTED ROADS

pairing: street racer!reader x billie eilish

MASTERLIST

warnings: cussing, implications of death…that’s really it

wc: 3.8k on the dot

authors note: i know i’ve been gone, life’s been lifing but please take this as a peace offering and enjoy. 🙏🏾 and if you haven’t read the previous chapter, i suggest that you do.

Your heart raced painfully in your chest as you sped off into the inky blackness of the night. The world around you melded into a dizzying blur of colors and shapes as you weaved through the escaping cars. The wailing sirens faded into a distant echo, barely piercing the adrenaline-fueled haze surrounding you as you tore down the familiar streets toward home.

Images of her flooded your mind like an unrelenting tide. You could picture her standing in the chaotic aftermath, eyes wide with shock, watching you rush to leave, her gaze lingering on your car until it vanished from sight, swallowed by the darkness.

“Focus,” you muttered under your breath, hands gripping the steering wheel tighter as you veered onto a dimly lit side street, expertly dodging an oncoming vehicle. The screech of tires and blaring horns melded into a chaotic symphony, the world outside a cacophony of noise. You glanced into your rearview mirror, catching the furious expression of the driver you cut off, who promptly flashed you their middle finger. A smirk crept across your lips as you returned the gesture, your irritation boiling to the surface.

The flashing lights of the pursuing police cars flickered in your rearview mirror like erratic strobe lights, their sirens blaring through the night air. You leaned forward, adrenaline surging through your veins with every second. The pulse of the chase throbbed within you, but all you could think about was Billie.

How the streetlights cast a soft glow over her, illuminating her freckles that twinkled like stars scattered across a night sky. Her blue eyes transformed into a stormy grey as she looked at you with admiration, a smile dancing on her plump pink lips, making your heart skip.

Butterflies fluttered wildly in your stomach at the memory of her compliment. Why had you gotten so flustered when she smiled at you like that? What was it about her that sent your heart into a frenzy?

You took a deep breath, trying to regain your focus. The narrow alleyways and sharp turns of the backstreets were your territory—you knew them like the back of your hand. With a swift flick of your wrist, you downshifted and swerved around a tight corner, the wail of the sirens fading as you pulled ahead. You pressed the accelerator harder, your tires squealing in protest as you sped up, until the only thing left in the rearview was darkness.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, you pulled into a shadowy driveway, cutting the engine. Silence enveloped you like a soft cocoon, broken only by your ragged breathing. The adrenaline that had fueled you moments ago drained from your body, replaced by a bone-deep exhaustion. Leaning back in your seat, you closed your eyes, trying to steady your breath.

“Goodness gracious,” you whispered, letting the words slip into the stillness. Your hands slid down your face, trying to gather your thoughts and regain composure.

With a resigned sigh, you pulled out your phone and sent a quick text to EJ.

you: You good?

Almost immediately, your phone buzzed with a reply.

emani janae🤞🏾: Yeah, I’m straight. We’re just chilling back at my place. Come through when you’re done being all miss mysterious.

you: Trust, I’mma be there. I just need to get ready first.

emani janae🤞🏾: For?🤨

Read at 1:24 AM

You shook your head, a chuckle escaping your lips. Of course, EJ was already back home, probably making fun of you with Zoe. Your fingers hovered over the keyboard as you contemplated responding. Instead, you pulled the keys out of the ignition and walked up the driveway, the cool night air brushing against your skin.

As you entered your house, you kicked off your shoes and flicked on the lights, rushing straight to your bedroom. The scent of cashmere and vanilla enveloped the air, a comforting reminder that you had tidied up before you left. You quickly headed to the connected bathroom, turning on the shower to let the water heat up before returning to your room.

After rifling through your clothes, you settled on an old graphic tee and a pair of comfy shorts. The soft hum of music filtered through the air as you tied your hair up and hopped into the shower, slipping into your familiar routine.

The room around Zoe buzzed with fragmented flashes of color and sound—bright bursts of a game show, the low murmur of a news anchor, the explosive chaos of an action movie. None of it captivated her attention. Zoe’s thumb tapped impatiently on the remote, flicking through channels like shuffling a deck of cards. Each scene dissolved into the next before she could even focus, leaving her feeling disconnected, craving something to latch onto.

Billie lounged on the couch, limbs sprawled out as she leaned her head against Zoe’s shoulder, letting out a long sigh as she watched and waited. Her mind buzzed with boredom while she waited for you to arrive. Heart still thrumming with adrenaline from tonight’s events, she reflected on how close she had been to not coming out at all, too consumed by her work. But the moment she stepped into the crowd, all that stress faded away.

The way the cars swerved and drifted sent an electrifying thrill coursing through her veins. But when the race ended and you emerged from your vehicle, all her worries evaporated like the smoke that lingered in the air.

How the streaks of grey and purple danced across your face, a captivating sight. The streetlights illuminated your lips, gloss shimmering against your soft skin as you flashed her a sly smile.

Hi, Billie.

She remembered how your voice flowed like honey when you called out to her. She could still smell the faint remnants of weed mingling with the warm vanilla scent that radiated off you.

A smile crept across her face as she continued to reminisce about you. Coming out of her daze, her eyes roamed around the room, taking in the space. Picture frames filled the walls, frozen moments encased in glossy prints. Scattered items dotted the surface until her gaze landed on a clock.

1:43

A groan escaped her lips as she read it. Almost 2 AM, and you still weren’t here. Her lips pushed into a dramatic pout, voice rising in a soft plea. “Zoe…” she dragged out your best friend’s name, eyes pleading, teetering on the edge of desperation. Zoe cast a quick glance her way before doing a double take.

“Oh my god, no, you do it.” With a resigned sigh, Zoe decided to give in, settling on a random education channel. Images of paint and canvas flashed on the screen before panning out to a pale man with a red afro.

“Bob Ross…really?” At this, Zoe shrugged and walked to the kitchen, Billie trailing closely behind. Billie leaned against the marble island, watching as Zoe rummaged through various cabinets, seemingly on a quest for snacks.

“Can’t you at least just text her or something?” she asked, tapping her knuckles against the smooth surface, the silver rings clashing with the cold marble as Zoe turned to her, a bag of Takis in hand.

“Can’t you just text her? No, you do it; you have her number.” She tilted the bag, silently offering Billie some. Billie stepped closer, pressing her back against the island as she took a handful of chips.

“But like I’m scared… What if I seem desperate?”

“Scared of what? I promise you, your girlfriend’s not going to care; she’s chill as fuck, so just do it.” A warm flush crept up Billie’s neck, spreading across her cheeks at the name. “Shut up,” she muttered, rolling her eyes, trying hard to keep a smile from breaking through as she playfully shoved Zoe’s shoulder.

“Ohhh my god, can you just do it, please? As my best friend, I’ll love you forever.”

“You’re already supposed to do that, but whatever.” Fishing into her pocket, Zoe withdrew her phone, the screen lighting up as she unlocked it and pressed on your contact. Billie sidled up next to her, peering at the bright screen.

zoe📸: Hey, you still coming over?

Your phone buzzed in your hand as you slipped on your fuzzy slides and made your way to your car, opening it to see a new message from Zoe.

you: Yeah, omw now.

you: Why, wassup?

Billie watched as her best friend immediately started to text back, fingers tapping on the blue arrow, sending a new message before catching what it said.

Your phone buzzed once again as it sat in the cup holder. Quickly glancing down with practiced ease, you managed to catch a glimpse of the preview message on your lock screen.

zoe📸: Nothing, Billie just—

You reached for it, taking stray glances at the road ahead, unlocking your phone. But by the time you opened the chat, it had vanished, replaced with:

zoe📸 unsent a message.

Your brows furrowed in confusion as you wondered what had just been deleted. In response, you sent a final message back.

you: Huh?

you: ???

Delivered

The two friends exchanged wide-eyed glances, processing what had just transpired. Billie had panicked, snatching the phone to delete the text before you could see it.

“Dude, what the actual fuck?” Zoe let out a quiet laugh, her eyes sparkling with mischief. Billie’s gaze was glued to the phone, her heart racing as it chimed with your double texts. Fighting against her impulse to respond, she flipped the phone face down on the counter, choosing instead to breathe deeply and calm the wave of panic that was beginning to swell inside her.

“Why the fuck would you say that?” she finally managed to ask, her voice edged with disbelief.

“It’s true, is it not?” Zoe grabbed her phone from the counter and slipped it into her pocket as she headed back into the living room.

“I swear you hate me,” Billie groaned under her breath, watching Zoe walk away. A rough sigh escaped her lips as she slouched against the island, silently praying you hadn’t caught the message.

The faint creak of footsteps echoed down the stairs, growing closer with each soft patter until the familiar jangle of jewelry announced EJ’s arrival. Notes of cherry and jasmine wafted through the air, catching Billie’s attention.

“Please don’t piss me off right now,” Billie heard EJ say as she stepped aside, allowing you to come into view.

“What?” Your brows arched in confusion at the girl in front of you.

“I know you weren’t just talking about some ‘oh, I gotta go home and change and blah blah blah,’ while you’re wearing the most basic fit,” EJ teased, her voice rising a few pitches as she mockingly mimicked you.

“So?” you shrugged her shoulders, kicking off your shoes and setting them by the doorway. “So? You know what…bye, ’cause I’m not even—” You watched as EJ turned her back, making a right turn and disappearing into the kitchen, frustration radiating from her retreat.

You turned to the mirror on your left, checking yourself out. You hadn’t put much effort into your outfit, not expecting to need to dress up. “What is it, bad?” you muttered softly, picking at your clothes.

“Hey!” A small gasp escaped your lips as a voice sliced through the quiet. You hadn’t even realized they were standing so close. Her voice was the one you’d been thinking about all night, and a soft laugh escaped her lips as her blue eyes met yours in the mirror. Spinning around to face her, you cracked a smile, her laughter so infectious that it was hard not to return it. “Hey” you said in response, playfully rolling your eyes at yourself.

“So…that was really something, huh?”

“What, the race?” you asked, raising an eyebrow.

She let out a soft “mhmm,” head bobbing slightly in a light nod.

“I mean, it happens…are you okay?”

“Yeah, I’m good,” she reassured you, trying to shake off the adrenaline that still coursed through her veins. “But what about you? That was…intense.”

“I’m used to it.” You shrugged, remembering the countless raids you’ve endured since you learned to race. Cops were just people you learned not to fear as long as you knew what you were doing and laid low. EJ emerged from the kitchen, stepping in between the two of you.

“Can you go get some food? I forgot to ask you to get something, and I don’t feel like going out,” she said, annoyance creeping into her voice. You smacked your lips against your teeth in irritation as you grabbed your keys and started to put your shoes back on.

“Fine, but I hope you know you’re putting gas in my tank for the next two days.” Pressing the button, you unlocked your car.

Suddenly, Billie piped up, “I’ll go with you…if you want me to, that is.”

“Kay’, I’ll be waiting, but you’re driving; I’m tired.” You tossed her the keys with a flick of your wrist and bolted toward your vehicle, the cold rain falling against the bare skin of your legs as you slid into the passenger seat. You hurried to turn on the heat, shivering slightly. Damn, I should’ve worn my pants, you thought to yourself

A low, rhythmic hum filled the car as your phone vibrated with subtle urgency in the cup holder where you’d left it. Stretching out your hand, your fingers brushed against the cool edges of the phone as you picked it up. Leaning your head against the window, rain and condensation clouded the glass, the light of your screen casting a soft glow that reflected off your face as your eyes adjusted.

4 new messages from Nia💞

Your thumb scrolled through your notifications as you immediately began to reply back.

The dull interior lights flickered on as the door opened with a chime. Glancing up from your phone, you saw a shivering Billie sitting before you, inhaling deeply through her nose as she attempted to steady her breathing. You swiftly switched off your phone and placed it back in the cup holder, your hand reaching smoothly from the passenger seat to lightly brush the console, deftly pressing for the heating. You turned her air vent closer to you, a small gesture that didn’t go unnoticed.

“Thanks,” Billie said quietly as she tied her hair up in a messy ponytail before relaxing into her seat, the heat creeping up her arms and providing her with much-needed warmth.

The melody of End by Frank Ocean flowed through the car, breaking the slight awkward tension that hung in the atmosphere. Billie quietly hummed along, finally gathering herself.

“So, where am I going?” The engine purred to life as her fingers pressed on the push-start ignition. Her calloused fingers wrapped around the wheel, the cool metal of her rings rubbing against the black leather. Her face lit up, eyes wide and lips curling into a grin as the external lavender lights illuminated the streets before her when she pressed down on the gas and revved the engine.

You couldn’t help but be in awe at the sight, the way she marveled over the car’s little decals. It was undeniably cute. “You’re gonna pull out and make a left over here.” You pointed out as she reached for the gear, shifting into drive. For what felt like the millionth time that night, your phone started going off with notifications even after you switched it to Do Not Disturb. Trying your best to ignore it, you leaned over, turning up the volume on the stereo as it transitioned into another song.

“Are you gonna get that?” Billie asked, glancing at you before returning her focus to the road.

“Nah, it’s just some…family stuff.” A rough sigh escaped your lips as you rubbed your temple, silently hoping she wouldn’t press further. You leaned back into your seat, watching raindrops race down the glass, and listened to the soft music, occasionally giving her directions until she turned into the parking lot of a diner.

Twisting in your chair, you reached for something in the backseat of your car. As your arm stretched, your shirt lifted just enough to reveal the soft curve of your waist. Black ink lined your hip, swirls of plumeria flowers and other intricate designs etched into your skin, disappearing upwards, the rest concealed by your top.

From the driver’s seat, Billie’s gaze flicked down, caught off guard by the unexpected glimpse. Her heart skipped a beat as she traced the edges of the tattoo, her mind racing to figure out what it was without seeming too obvious. She forced herself to look away, feeling her cheeks flush, but her eyes kept drifting back, lingering on the exposed skin until you finally settled back into your seat with two hoodies in hand.

“Girl, are you okay?” Genuine concern laced your voice as you noticed the blush on her cheeks.

“Yeah…yeah, thanks,” she replied, her face burning even more as she accepted the black zip-up from you. The scent that belonged to you lingered on the jacket, notes of neroli, vanilla, and amber embracing her senses as she shrugged it on while you slipped your own hoodie over your torso, pulling the hood up over your head.

Both of you climbed out of the car and dashed into the pouring rain, making a beeline for the entrance of the little diner.

It had a vintage charm, rows of worn leather booths in deep red shades, giving each table a cozy look, as if they’d held countless late-night conversations over the years. Behind the counter, the neon glow of an old sign buzzed faintly, casting a warm, comforting light across the room, though it flickered from time to time.

The diner was fairly empty, save for a few patrons scattered about—a couple at the bar nursing drinks while another sat in a booth, indulging in whatever hot meal had been placed before them.

Fluorescent overhead lights cast a soft but somewhat washed-out glow over everything, adding to the sense of isolation. The walls were lined with mirrors and framed photos, relics of nostalgia. The faint hum of the grill could be heard, alongside the clinking of dishes from behind the counter—a steady rhythm that filled the silence between conversations. The air was thick with the scents of coffee, fried food, and something sweet, reminiscent of pies baked earlier in the day.

Your feet moved under you, guiding you to the counter you’d touched countless times before. The tip of your acrylics played with the cracks and grooves embedded into the smooth mahogany wood. The cashier took your long order and informed you it would be about a forty five-minute wait. You both decided to slide into a random booth across from each other. The moonlight streamed through the large window, highlighting the droplets of rain that clung to the glass.

“So tell me…” Billie adjusted in her seat, her curiosity evident as she spoke up.

“Tell you what?” you replied, glancing at her with a hint of confusion.

“How the hell did you get involved in street racing?” Her elbows rested on the tabletop, hands folding into one another as she laid her head on top, her blue eyes watching you intently. You noticed how her gaze made your body briefly tense before you turned your head to face her.

“Really?” you asked, surprised by her interest. She nodded, her head tilting slightly, cheek resting against her cold rings.

“My older brother… he taught me everything I know.” You pulled the hood from off your head, hair framing your face, snuggling a little tighter in the jacket as the memory began to unfold. “When I was about twelve or thirteen, I caught him trying to sneak out one night. I told him I would snitch if he didn’t take me with him—” Billie watched, her eyes lighting up as you recounted the story. A small smile played on your lips at the memory, and she scooted closer, hanging on every word.

“I remember us pulling up into the lot, and there were all these different kinds of people and sporty ass cars. I thought my brother was so cool…” you breathed out, your fingertips tapping lightly against the table. “Then the race started, and he was driving at speeds I didn’t even know were possible. You never forget the feeling of your first show, and you never forget the adrenaline of your first race. It made me feel…” You bit your bottom lip in thought, trying to find the right words to convey your feelings.

“—alive. I truly had fun that night, and I wanted to keep feeling that way, so I started racing with him.”

Billie smiled to herself, imagining a younger version of you, wide-eyed and eager, learning how to drive. “He sounds cool as fuck,” she said, her admiration clear.

“Yeah, he was…”

Billie’s eyes flickered to your solemn expression, her own softening with empathy. Reaching across the table, she took your hand in her own, her touch gentle. You noticed the intricate details of the angel tattoos etched into her skin that you hadn’t seen before, and how soothing it felt when her thumb rubbed the back of your hand. That simple gesture was enough to convey her own sorrows, a silent understanding passing between you.

A waiter approached with a complimentary basket of fries, sliding it toward the two of you. You both delivered brief thanks, the scent of the golden fries wafting through the air.

“Anyways, enough of the sad stuff. There’s something I wanted to ask you,” you said, shifting the mood back to lightheartedness.

“Yeah?” Billie picked up a fry and nibbled on it slowly, her hand still holding yours, maintaining eye contact.

“Well, if you’re interested in tonight’s race, there’s a car show in a couple of weeks. I’ll be speaking, and I was hoping you could come.”

“Yeah, I’d really like that,” she replied, her enthusiasm evident.

Relief washed over you at her response, the weight lifting off your shoulders. “Okay, cool. Now enough about me, let’s talk about you.”

And for the rest of the night, you two talked for what felt like hours, conversations flowing easily as you shared stories and laughter. The atmosphere felt warm and inviting, the outside rain creating a comforting backdrop to your connection. Finally, your name was called, and you picked up your order, the heavy rain seeping through your clothes once more, chilling your skin as you headed back to your car.

As the neon lights from the diner flickered in the wet streets, you couldn’t shake the feeling that this night would etch itself into your memory, a turning point in the chaotic journey of your life.

tag list 🏷️: @dandelions4us @machetegirl109 @brat-at-the-disco @madisonbeerssecretwife @billiesrighthand @bilsdillldough @chocolatetigerpersona @hkkuugu @evermorewest @hannahluvsbillie

[aikaterini-drag]

Embrace of Two Hearts

Summary: Harald has been traveling, negotiating alliances but now that he is back, he can’t take his eyes off of his wife —as well as his hands off of her.

Pairing: King Harald Sigurdson x Queen Fem!reader

Warnings: fluff, kisses, implied smut, besotted Harald.

It had been a long time since Harald Sigurdsson had left Norway to build alliances and trading negotiations with the surrounding kingdoms. The matter had required his attention and he had been forced to leave you behind so you could take care of the kingdom in his absence. You were his Queen, the person he trusted and loved the most.

After meeting with various wealthy yarls and merchants, Harald’s plans had been prosperous; he’d stricken deals to trade goods and boost the income of his kingdom.

After almost two months at traveling, he was finally back.

Harald hadn’t blown the horns to make his arrival known.

He wanted today to be a surprise.

He wanted to see your face light up and hear your happy laughter as you reached him.

So after a light meal and a much needed bath, he headed to one of the villages where he was told you had gone shopping.

With his hood pulled low over this face, he strolled along the bustling Viking village, and when he saw you, his eyes fixed on you. You hadn’t taken notice of his presence; you were engaged in conversation with some of the women selling silks and spices. Resting his great frame on one of the stalls, he took his time and watched you for a few seconds. When waiting became too much to handle, he slipped back his hood and approached you.

A loud gasp left your lips when you finally saw him. You blinked, as in disbelief and when he smiled invitingly, all dimples and sunshine, you rushed into his arms. Your husband was back! Oh, how you’ve missed him, craved him! You’ve been exchanging letters with him during his travels but nothing compared to him holding you, touching you. And there he was, tall and handsome, wearing his marvelous regal tunic and leather pants, his fur cloak, his handsome face forming a warm smile.

“Ah, there’s my beautiful queen!” he said when you practically jumped into his waiting arms.

"Oh, Harald!" You pressed your lips against his in a long kiss. “You didn’t tell me you were coming back.”

“Surprise,” he said, his lips stretched delightfully.

“Oh, how I missed you! Is everything alright? The negotiations?”

“Everything’s perfect. I’ll tell you about my feats later.” He cupped your face, his hungry eyes taking in your beauty. “Let me look at you, have my fill of you.”

“Did you miss me so much, my lord husband?”

“Only a little, my lady wife.”

"Only a little?" You raised a brow. “Then why are you here?”

“Because I lied. I missed you. Painfully. Deeply. Hard.”

You laughed. “You debauched Viking.”

He grinned. “I've hoped to distract you from your shopping. Is it working?”

You fluttered your eyelashes. “Only if you kiss me again.”

Smiling in that stunning mischievous smile of his, he lowered his lips to yours, his tongue dancing with yours wetly. The touch was too swift for your liking but since you were still in public—and everyone was staring… you drew back softly. Harald locked your hands together and led the way back to your longhouse. You walked through the hall, with him stealing kisses and whispering sweet words to you.

When he had you in the solitude of your room, he scooped you up and dropped you onto the bed. You giggled as you bounced stop the furs and pillows. He joined you, a thick knee climbing onto the bed, the mattress dipping under his weight. And then he was all over you, his strong body draped over your slender frame. He watched you with eyes ablaze with the passion, his lips parted. He brought his hands to caress your cheek, his knuckles tracing your skin lovingly.

“What is it, King Harald? What has you so enthralled?” you teased, leaning into his touch.

“You,” he said simply. “My wife… my beautiful wife who outshines even the finest jewels.”

You kissed him lightly. “I’m not as charming as my strong and courageous husband.”

“I disagree. You are achingly beautiful and perfect. And I am not in the least charming.”

“Oh, you're charming. Impossibly charming.” You claimed his lips and he moaned. “Your charm is as sharp as your sword.”

Harald grinned. “My love, my sword only yields to you. Sharp and ready to service you.”

“You didn’t just say that!”

He kissed your forehead, however, his hands were skillfully dragging up your gown. “What are you thinking, my mischievous wife?”

“What are you thinking, my mischievous husband?”

“I’m thinking I missed the feel of you. And that I want you,” he said and rolled his hips gently, and even with the layers of clothes, his groin pressed hard against her center.

Whining softly, you slipped your hands under his tunic to feel his warm skin. “Me, too. It has been so long.”

“Hm… I have been denied your warmth but no more.”

“Make love to me?”

“All day and night, my love.”

He pulled you close and kissed you deeply and fervently, lips meeting, tongues brushing. The world around you seemed to fade away, leaving nothing but your love and passion. Clothes were tossed away, skin touched skin, sweat tricked like little diamonds and then came bliss.

[ohworm-writes]

Scenarios for Firefighter 141 x fem!reader who’s a hairdresser?

I could just see each scenario of them being supportive boyfriends just heart eyes for her in her shop while her customers are jealous.

Oh my gods you're so intelligent for saying this because, yes, all of them would be so supportive of their partner's career as a hairdresser.

First and foremost: every single person who works at the station (be it the volunteers, EMTS, paramedics, firefighters or even the Fire Chief, 141 boys or otherwise) goes to your salon to get their hair done, be it the ones at the tops of their heads or their facial hair, whether you do it or not.

It's a win win, in all honesty. Your shop gets more customers, the boys are promoting and supporting their partner's work, and you get to listen to and share stories, secrets and drama about your boyfriend with the people he works with!

PRICE gets his facial hair done by you and you alone- you're the one who encouraged it, after all, and who best to trust than with his most defining aspect than you? When time allows, he'll come into your shop, still dressed in his PPE, or, at the very least, his bunker pants, waiting with a smug grin on his face for you to tend to him, completely tuning out all of the confused or starstruck looks he's getting by the other customers inside.

(Usually, it isn't even like you're trimming it or anything, just grooming it so that it sits more cleanly on his face. Is it so bad that he wants your hands on his face? After all, you have that adorable, concentrated expression you have on as you're leaned in close to him when you work, combing and brushing strands into place with the sole focus of making him look as presentable as possible.)

He keeps trying to put his hands on your hips throughout the entire process, but it always ends with you swatting his hands away and giving him a playfully stern look, whispering to his with a warning to quit it (he never does). All of the customers in the shop are confused by the interaction, some genuinely worried for you, others utterly jealous, because why on Earth would the local firehouse's Captain be putting his hands on you?

He ignores them, their stares, and any comments or remarks they may make, giving you the most lovesick expression as you tend to him with such attentiveness, talking to him about your own day while he talks about his, mumbling away to you about the jobs he's completed thus far, how the newest fire academy graduate working at the station has been a pain in his ass, and whatever else comes to his mind.

He always suggests how you should just take the day off and ride back to the station with him while he's still off call. You never do. He pouts. You press a kiss to his forehead. It's a song an dance the two of you go through every single time he comes by, and although, he will admit, he is a little disappointed you won't take him up on his offer, he knows you take your job seriously and wouldn't ever be willing to blow it off just to spend the day with him, and he has respect it. Plus, it's a foolproof way to get a kiss from you.

If you ever do, though, he's quick to grab your things and usher you out of the door with a grin, placing his helmet onto your head with a grin, the heavy weight of the item forcing you to straighten your posture as he moves you into one of the free seats with that same smug, satisfied grin on his lips, honking the horn without shame as he drives the two of you back to the station.

GHOST always walks in to your shop as if he had just came back from a call, dressed in a mask and a hood, his helmet on, all of his equipment still on his body as he wordlessly walks over to you, choosing to stand either behind you or next to you as you work on a customer, silent most times.

It's a shame he never removes his facial coverings when he comes by, double the shame, given he doesn't let you work on his hair whatsoever. That doesn't mean he doesn't care, though. He buys half of the products you use, after all, and he listens to ever rant and story you have to share about your job with unwavering attention, memorizing some of the process and methods you've spoken of (if he tried, he could probably layer hair flawlessly just from having listened to you so intently).

The customers are usually confused or freaked the fuck out by some random fireman coming over and staring at them as they get their hair done (and, frankly, they wouldn't be wrong to, especially when he watches with an unblinking stare as your hands and fingers deftly work through the strands with an unyielding concentration; it looks like he's glaring to those who don't know better, which can be unnerving).

But when he starts to talk after a few prolonged minutes of silence, he's asking about how your day's gone so far and what exactly you're working on right now, ignoring the customer completely and staring at you through the mirror in front of the three of you, giving short responses and hums, his tense, smoke scented body relaxing minutely as you speak, a loving expression that only you can catch hidden beneath his gaze.

If you ask him about how his day went, he'll usually say something along the lines of "I'll tell you later". It's not dismissive, but rather, he just prefers to talk about his work when the two of you are alone and not in the presence of others. It's a personal thing for him, his work, given how sensitive the information can become at times, and it's not something he wants some random civilian listening to him talk about.

Usually, right before he leaves, he'll lean in close, the bottom of his mask hovering above your shoulder, right next to your ear, whispering about how you should come over and spend the night at the station with him, making the excuse that the others miss playing cards with you or something equally as lame, but truth be told, he just wants to wake up with you in his uniform.

SOAP lets you do anything you'd like to him. Facial hair? Sure, why not. He could pull off a handlebar, right? Hair? Yeah, we could do a full buzz, why not? Dye? It's... it's best you pick the color, because he'll just put a bunch of random colors on a wheel and spin it. Whatever it lands on, he'll have you do. (It landed on platinum once, and he didn't realize how many sessions he'd have to have and the fact he'd be blond for months on end before it actually matched.)

The way I want to say that he'd pull up to your shop with the siren blaring so badly, but my firefighter loving heart says he'd be more responsible than that (because they're literally not supposed to have it on in case of emergency, and he won't even use the horn because he doesn't want to mess you or any of your co-workers up as you work).

However, that doesn't mean that he won't come into the shop and fling open the door with just a little too much enthusiasm, greeting all of your co-workers as he walks in. Sometimes, he'll even bring the lot of you lunch or coffee if time allows and he isn't needed immediately back at the station (and, yes, he has everyone's orders memorized, of course).

He's dressed all up in his PPE, coming up behind you as you work, pressing a kiss to the back of your head, making sure not to be too enthusiastic or harsh with his movements, not wanting to mess you up, gently grabbing your waist (his gloves press into your apron and get them dirty, but neither of you complain) and placing his chin on your shoulder, talking with you about anything and everything, staring lovestruck at you through the mirror, eyes hooded, gaze coated with love and adoration as he watches you work.

Your co-workers are used to the PDA, the customers are not. A lot of them are confused or offput by it, though, there are those select few that cast glares at either of you (because, come on now, both of you are hot! It's hard to not be jealous of one of the two of you, or even both). There's an attractiveness that comes with being a firefighter (don't we all love a man in uniform?), so more often then not, glares are cast at you.

He'll just press a kiss or two to your cheek to reassure any worries you may have, grinning madly at you as he stares at you in the mirror before pulling back, not wanting to distract you any longer, giving you one of those crappy, plastic stickers with the fire department's logo on it (he does this every single time he sees you, so you just give the stickers to any kids you do hair for), blowing you a kiss before walking out.

GAZ who swears up and down he could marry you because, when you initially asked to do his hair back when the two of you first started dating, sensing his skepticism, showed him how you had done work on a number of people who matched his hair type, and, although he didn't tell you, noted you did a better job than his current barber (and god damn did you line that boy up right).

He always comes in between calls, dressed in his bunker pants and station-issued t-shirt, tucked in, strolling in casually, waiting patiently until you're finished with your client to approach you, your favorite drink from that one spot he heard you talk about last time he came in in his hand, a smile painted across his lips as he approaches you, kissing you on the forehead without shame.

Some of the customers give you both weird looks, either uncomfortable with the PDA or confused why, first off, a firefighter was in the barbershop/salon so casually on a random Thursday afternoon, and two, why he was being so lovey-dovey with you? (They wish it were them so badly, it's pathetic, and Gaz tells you just how pathetic he finds it in private, fighting back the urge to scoff and roll his eyes whenever he catches the stares in person).

He'll sit in the seat, talking with you as you sweep the floor of hair or clean up your work station, leaning into it comfortably, slowly spinning around it as the two of you converse, asking you about how you're days going so far, stealing a sip of your drink with a cheeky grin every once in a while as he listens to you speak (he likes it especially when you whisper out complaints to him about some of the customers you've had so far, or share some of the conversations you've had or overheard with customers).

And the look in his eyes as he listens to you speak? God. The only way to describe it is enamored, completely overwhelmed with love and awe and admiration and every positive word you could find in a dictionary. You often joke with him that you can see his eyes popping out cartoonishly in the shapes of hearts as he stares at you, to which he only responds, saying "It's 'cause you look so good when you talk about doing the thing you love... can't help myself".

He'll talk about his work, a tone of boredom hinting at his tone, not as interested in talking about his own job when he could be listening to you, but if you want him to talk, who is he to deny you? (Like, he could have had the most eventful day, dealt with a goer, two Class B's, or something worse, and he'd act like it was nothing).

Presses a kiss to the back of your hand and gives your a grin as he's called back to the station, telling you to give him a call when you get off so he can come pick you up in the truck. (He always tell you that "royalty like you has got to have a proper carriage, don't you think so, love?").

[simplyholl]

The President’s Pet

Summary: Trying to survive in the Void, you find yourself in President Loki’s possession.

Pairing: President Loki x F Reader

Warnings: Smut. 18+ Only. minors DNI. CNC. Dom Loki. Rough sex. Biting.

This is darker than what I usually write.

W/C: 1.3K

A/N: This idea came from the wild WhatsApp ramblings of me and @wheredafandomat

See my Masterlist here

You run as fast as you can, Alioth was too close for comfort. You had survived two days in the Void, and you intended to make it a lot longer. “Follow me!” A tall man said, running beside you. “I’ll help you.” You look behind you, the giant cloud monster was gaining on you. You didn’t have a choice.

You follow him underground to his hideout. As soon as the entrance door shuts behind you, two other men surround you, tying you up. “She will do nicely. I heard the President is bored with his whore. She will make a great addition for him. She will ensure our protection for at least a month.”

You struggle against them, but it’s no use. The man you shouldn’t have trusted leads the pack as they carry you across the vacant land. When you reach their destination, you’re thrown to the ground in front of a man sitting on a makeshift throne. He’s wearing a suit with a tear near the shoulder, horns on his head, his dark hair frames his face so beautifully. You notice a button on his suit jacket that says “Loki for President”.

You wonder what his story was before he got pruned. He looks at you with a sinister smile. Rising to his feet, he grabs your hair at the nape of your neck lifting your face to meet his gaze. “Oh, I like her.”

With the clap of his hands, another woman is brought out. “Give her to Alioth, I’ve grown tired of her.” Your new captor continues, “Bring this one to her new room.” You’re lifted to your feet and brought to a tiny room. A bed and a cage are the only furnishings in the room.

You sit on the bed waiting for the man who now controls your fate to give you instructions. He keeps you waiting for what feels like hours, but it could be mere minutes. Time seems to move differently in the Void. He enters the small room, strutting over to you.

“I am President Loki. You belong to me now. What happens next is entirely up to you. If you sign this paper-“ A flash of green shines in his hand as a sheet of paper and a pen appear. “And you’re a good little pet, I will care for you. You will be fed, safe, and rest assured, I take care of what is mine. Any jewelry, clothes, sweets, any frivolous thing your heart desires. If my men find it out there, it will be yours. If you disobey me, you will be punished.”

He gestures to the cage. He hands you the paper. You take your time reading it carefully. Basically it says if you please him sexually, you will be safe, more importantly alive. “Apparently, you run this place. What’s with all the paperwork? You could just have your way with all the women who turn up here.” He thinks about your question for a second before answering.

“Consent is still important, even here darling. You make the choice. You can agree or be Alioth’s next meal. I need you to satisfy my needs. You need me to stay alive. We could have a mutually beneficial relationship here.”

He smiles and you see the politician in him. How he used his charisma to climb social ladders in his own timeline. You take a moment to study his face. He is the most handsome man you have ever seen. You weigh your options. It could be a lot worse. He could be hideous. This will ensure you’re alive for a little longer. You sigh, “Give me the pen.” You reach toward him as a wolfish grin appears on his face.

You hear the thud of his boots on the floor outside your door. This is the second time he’s come in to bed you. He was rough, leaving bruises scattered all over your body. You were still sore from last night, but you would be lying if you said you didn’t enjoy it.

You want to be the best he’s ever had. That way, he won’t get bored of you so easily. You quickly strip your clothes, laying on the bed spread for him like a feast. He spots you immediately, nodding his approval.

“My perfect little slut, this is how I expect to be greeted from now on, understand?” “Yes, sir.” He removes his belt from his pants, slowly pulling it from each loop. You place your hands in front of you, ready to be tied up. He did the same thing yesterday.

He fastens the belt around your wrists tightly. You watch as he undresses. He gets on the bed, presenting his fingers to you. “Suck.” You take them between your lips sucking and licking them. When he’s satisfied, he pulls them out rubbing your clit with his saliva covered fingers.

“So wet for me.” He observes. “Yes sir, only for you.” He drags his cock against your lips, and you open for him. “Let me use your pretty mouth, pet.” You take him in slowly, your wet tongue traveling his thick length.

You moan around him as his fingers explore you. He grabs your head, making you take him all the way to the back of your throat. Your nose hits his pelvis, drool drips down your chin. He watches as you struggle to take him. You choke when he thrusts forcefully.

You let your jaw go slack, letting him fuck your face. You whine when he removes his fingers from you. “You look so beautiful choking on my cock.” He tells you, his thumb caressing your full cheek. You feel his cock pulsing on your tongue. You know he’s close. You suck your cheeks in and he empties in your mouth.

You swallow most of it, leaving some in your mouth. You stick your tongue out, showing him the release you saved before swallowing. “Thank you for cumming in my mouth, sir.”

“That’s my good girl.” He praises. “Good girls get rewarded.” He pushes you against the mattress, raising your belt restrained hands above your head. He licks a stripe up your neck, rough fingers pinching your nipples. He bites down on your shoulder, you cry out reaching for him.

He slings your arms back up with force. He spreads your legs, settling between them. You gasp as he buries his face between your thighs. He tugs on your clit, you writhe underneath him, bucking your hips up into his face.

President Loki’s large arm lays against your stomach, holding you down. He dines on you like you’re the first decent meal he’s had in ages. Considering where you are, it’s probably true. His tongue lashes against you, he’s not gentle. It’s almost like he’s punishing you with the skilled muscle.

You feel your orgasm building. You look down at the beautiful man between your legs, wishing you could hold onto his horns for support. The band low in your belly snaps and you fall apart, shouting his name. He bites your inner thigh as he removes his face from your center. You shutter with anticipation as he parts your legs slowly.

He plunges inside you, bottoming out immediately. “It’s too much.” You tell him, feeling way too full. You’re still sore from last night. “You can take it.” He confirms by pulling out and thrusting back in harder this time. He lifts your leg to his broad shoulder, this new angle making him drag deliciously against the special spot inside you.

“Tell me you love taking my big cock.” He commands. You moan as he looks over your bruised covered body, appreciating his handiwork from the night before. “I love your big cock, sir. It’s all I can think about.” You stroke his ego as he sets a brutal pace. “Good fucking girl.” He growls.

“I want to see this pretty pussy dripping with my cum.” He reaches between you, pinching your sensitive clit. “Please cum inside me. I need you to fill me up, sir.” You beg him. His thrusts grow sloppy, then he spills inside you releasing with a grunt. He pulls out quickly, rough hands spreading you apart.

He collects the cum dripping out of you with his long fingers, pushing it back into you. “You were so good for me.” He coos. “Don’t clean up yet. I’ll be back to do it later.” A hot plate of food and mouth watering desserts appear with a green flourish. “Don’t tell the others I can do that.” He winks at you, magically putting his clothes back on before leaving.

Tags

@lokisgoodgirl @fictive-sl0th @lokidbadguy @ozymdias @cindylynn @cakesandtom @eleniblue @marygoddessofmischief @mochie85 @goblingirlsarah @lokisninerealms @wheredafandomat @peaches1958 @loz-3 @freegardenbanananeck @chantsdemarins @lokidokieokie @multifandom-worlds @alexakeyloveloki @ladymischief11 @kats72 @mischief2sarawr @lokischambermaid @lamentis-10 @muddyorbsblr @itsybitchylittlewitchy @anukulee @xorpsbane

[phoenixlionme]

The Deep Significance that Vaggie has in Charlie's Heart

As the title of the post suggests, I don't know if many fans understand how truly significant Vaggie was/is to Charlie. And I hope, the importance gets expanded on in Season 2. The first (and above) gif shows how the couple first met - Charlie rescuing a recently abandoned/fallen Vaggie and the latter returning a grateful and genuine smile. And despite being visibly disheveled and having a gouged out eye, Charlie can't help but be romantically flustered. And just a short moment, the duo have impacted each other before even spending time with one another.

The look on Charlie's face is probably the most scared she's looked - Yes, she's been stressed and scared; but she's always been able to bounce back, or least, need a moment to think, but those moments of fear can't compare to the ones Charlie is having right now upon learning Vaggie's secret. She's not only scared but distraught. Prior to the reveal, Charlie was nothing but energetic, defiant to the higher ups of Heaven, especially Adam and Lute; heck, she wasn't even hurt when she learned that not even the higher ups know how a soul goes to Heaven or Hell. But when Vaggie's lie/secret is revealed to her? She's shocked, scared, confused, and distraught. There's no more fight left in her; no more fight to argue for her cause, nothing. All she can think about in this moment is the secret her Vaggie has been keeping from her.

Like how Charlie's scared face differed from her previous ones, it's also the same but how her anger at Vaggie differs from her other moments of anger. She could be comically furious or genuinely enraged which came with her demon horns and fangs. And prior to confronting Vaggie here, she was emotionally incensed at Alastor's taunting. But, when she sees Vaggie here in this moment, right after learning Vaggie's lie? All of her anger becomes ice cold. There's no emotion or expression; and yet, ironically, the viewer (and Vaggie), can just feel Charlie's immense anger at her girlfriend. In the above screenshot, after Vaggie voices her surprise that Exorcist Angels can be harmed by demons, Charlie curtly remarks if Vaggie did know, would she tell her, which obviously surprise and hurts Vaggie; Charlie's remark comes from a place of hurt at Vaggie's secrecy but still that's gotta hurt Vaggie given how loyal she's been towards Charlie's dream. And the below gif has Charlie give another cold look to Vaggie while coldly asking if she was with her and Alastor. But also, before dawning the icy glare, Charlie has a brief expression of...something; I can't fully describe but I say emotion (?). Like she briefly wants to express her hurt to Vaggie but puts on the cold demeanor as they have their respective duties to do and Charlie is not ready to talk yet. Getting back to my original point, Charlie's anger at Vaggie isn't one filled with emotions, expressions, or demon powers - it's one of tranquil fury, coldness, and emotional distance.

In stark contrast to her earlier stoic fury when with Vaggie, Charlie is MUCH more open and emotional about her anger at her girlfriend's lie when talking to Alastor and Rosie. Now, remember - Charlie is dealing with Heaven not listening to her, them not even knowing how a soul goes there or Hell, Adam targeting the Hotel first, and now having to recruit extra people to fight. So, she has a LOT on her plate but what is her mind truly bothered by at this point? Having to come to grips with Vaggie's lie about her origins. She's hurt at the idea that Vaggie didn't trust her; hurt at how she shared EVERYTHING, Vaggie held back; confused and angry over why Vaggie felt she couldn't tell her. All the other hard stuff is hard to deal with, but she can deal with as long as Vaggie is by her side. And right now, Charlie is too hurt to be comforted by Vaggie.

To summarize, Vaggie's presence is DEEPLY important to Charlie. Vaggie was the first person in all of Hell to support her; before her father, before the friends they would eventually make, before Emily, before Heaven; and while realistic, Vaggie never tried to damper Charlie's optimism. This was something Charlie needed by the time they met, as she was already estranged from her father and her mother had went missing. I think this aspect may be explored in Season, or at least, hope so. I mean, look at how calm and relaxed Charlie becomes when Vaggie gently strokes her face.

In other words, Vaggie is Charlie's guardian angel.

[dubina-dawkins]

WHEN YOU CALL MY NAME, IT'S LIKE A LITTLE PRAY

~800 words

pairing: sam winchester x castiel

>Sam hasn't prayed in a long time, and it certainly is not hurting Castiel's ego at all...

warnings/notes:smut, mdni! perhaps offensive to religion? all fiction tho, fingering, sam is a whiny pup, softdom! cas, sub! sam, im really sorry f/ this one

REBLOGS WILL BE APPRECIATED

"Cas...tiel...nngh!" Sam throws his head back on the pillow, whimpering foully, so needy, like he's been alone and starving somewhere in the desert for years. It's weird, what's even happening...

Sam had prayed every day before. Woke up and put his hands together, prayed before breakfasts, lunches, dinners-while he was at Stanford, when he could eat on a schedule. Even when he started hunting with Dean again, he prayed constantly, more often than before.

Sam was a man of faith.

Until Dean died. Something in Sam lost all hope then. When prayers didn't save him or give him a shred of confidence, when nothing helped at all.

And when he first tasted Ruby's blood, sweet and sour at the same time, like a cherry, that forbidden fruit that could handle anything that prayers and faith in God and heaven could not, he began to forget the lines he had learned by heart over decades of life.

Even when he tried to cross, his fingers burned against the air and there was bitterness on his tongue. Oh, he was poisoned, he was polluted on some abstract level.

In angels he was disappointed. Heaven, God... And when even Ruby betrayed him - betrayed from the very first second! - he couldn't trust anyone. Not the feathered, not the horned, not even himself.

But God, how Sam longed to be purified. And the heat in his cheeks at the mere sight of the angel's cold blue eyes wasn't helping at all.

Cas was disappointed in Sam; hadn't even expected anything good from the beginning. Suspicious and leering, frowning, and even that disgruntled, frosty look lit a fire in Winchester so strong he could swear that if he let it out, it would burn everything around him, including himself.

"Purify me, Cas" said at the very threshold of tears, after much begging to come. Not prayers, but requests - as if Sam remembered a word of the prayers to the angels. Unless, notoriously, the words of prayers to guardian angels floated in his memory, but Cas wasn't one for him. Not to him, anyway.

The light touch of the angel's pale fingers on his cheekbone, burning his skin; just as holy water burns any evil, except in its most benign form. Castiel is silent, and still there is pity in his eyes. He is disappointed, but like any holy being he is merciful, especially to sinful mankind, according to all the precepts of the departed God.

And that purity, it hurts, and it hurts in the gut, in the bottom, because Sam likes it in the dirtiest sense of the word.

His flannel hangs neatly on a chair beside the cheap and creaky motel bed, his jeans tugged carelessly down to his ankles, his breathing ragged and rapid as he restlessly cradles the angel in his arms. How sinful was it to dirty an angel already gone from heaven?

Castiel's hand pressed gently but insistently on the hard bump in his white boxers, feeling the wet spot of precum as if he had no idea what he was doing. Oh, he knows what he's doing. He knows what he's doing, and he's doing it in a way that will drive Sam completely insane.

Angel takes his hand and brings it gently to his lips, leaving a feather-like kiss, and the brown-haired man doesn't hold back, pressing the pale palm sharply to his face, showering the cold skin with kisses. The touch of his lips is wet, sloppy, on the verge of biting - as a matter of habit.

Finally he raises his puppy dog eyes to Cas, silently asking for permission to do something, and receiving a hesitant nod, Sam pushes angel's index and middle fingers sharply into his mouth, coating them with saliva, squeezing Castiel's hand painfully hard - not in a rough way, more like needing, wanting, craving....

"Cas-"

"Pray for it."

The first word the angel says during the whole process sends a wave of goosebumps all over Sam's tanned skin, and he whimpers, arching his back like the dirtiest, cheapest whore in the world. God, he needs that sinful purity more than he needs fucking air.

"Angel of God, my Guardi- gaah..." he whimpered at the feel of wet fingers sliding over his cheekbone and jaw. Sam let out a heavy, long breath that was cut short when the fingers of Angel's dry hand lightly tugged the waistband of his white boxers. "My Guardian dear, to whom-"

Sam hissed at the sensation of cold air on his foreskin, and bent his legs at the knees as if to help Cass with the wet penetration of his fingers. His animal sounds, like a pure dog whimpering....

"Fuck..."

"...Now start again," Castiel paused.

Perhaps it wasn't purification, but the worst kind of torture.

a/n:haven't written in a while lol... but I really love sastiel and hadn't seen enough content with them on there so yk... working on coffeeshop! sastiel rn but idk if anyone will love it tho, stay checked