#car parking area tiles

[coff33andb00ks]

where i come from - LS

pairing: logan sargeant x fem!reader (lilli. it's lilli) summary: hitch a ride to the end of the highway where the neons turn to wood word count: 1.2k a.n.: the first of three small fics for my beloved Lilli @maxlarens Happy birthday my darling!! I hope you enjoy this little love letter to you (and to american road trips). inspo: all the road trip songs my family blasted during my childhood, compiled here warnings: it's not a waffle house it's a waffle home, author is in love with american south almost as much as Lilli's in love with Logan

"Logan, you can't be serious."

He laughs, parking the car next to a slightly bent light pole. "What? You want to see America, right?"

You press your lips together, staring at the small, flat building that looks as though it's been in that spot since the 1960s and hasn't been refurbished once. "This is America?"

"One of the best parts," he promises, climbing out. The balmy air of Florida immediately makes the car's cold air disappear and you sigh, unbuckling your seatbelt as he walks around to open the door for you.

"A Waffle House is America?"

"Trust me," he says. "You'll understand."

You do trust him, so you let him take your hand, sweat beading before you've taken two steps across the parking lot. There's a crowd of people near the door and you feel their eyes on you and Logan as you approach, the air thick with humidity and weed and tobacco smoke.

The interior is worse than the exterior. Your sandals slide with each step on the ancient tile floor and you can feel the grease in the restaurant. A bored server is leaning against a booth and hands you and Logan menus as you walk by, telling you to sit wherever. You want to turn around and go sit in the car, but…

Logan looks so fucking happy.

So you sit in a booth with him, ignoring the sticky spot on the bench that catches the material of your shorts. You ignore the faint aroma of tobacco smoke that lingers in the dining area. You ignore the yelling from the kitchen staff and the argument starting up between a couple at the counter.

The food is pure American stereotype. Sweet, greasy, and the portions enormous. But your first bite of the burger has you smiling. Because—

"Oh my god," you practically moan.

Across from you, Logan's grinning.

The server is pure southern charm as soon as she hears your accent, and you relax as you enjoy a meal big enough to last you an entire day. It's not great but it's good, and the atmosphere seems to shift.

He buys you a mug, telling you under his breath about a time his brother stole one because apparently everyone does that. Once outside in the sweltering heat, he pulls you in and kisses the top of your head. "Welcome to America."

The road trip was his idea. It's the best way to see this land he loves so much and because you love him so much you agreed, and after a week with his family you're driving out of the Florida panhandle, the windows down and the music blasting, both of you singing Sweet Home Alabama at the top of your lungs.

He takes an exit off the interstate and you're already lost but he's content, speeding along unmarked country roads, past lush forests and rolling fields. He has to slow to a crawl for tractors, and every time a car passes he waves like the other person is an old friend.

Left or right? at every stop sign. No map, no GPS, just a whim.

A tiny shop – gas station, babe, not a shop – in the middle of nowhere is selling fresh peaches and the woman is so sweet and talkative you want to stay and talk all day. Her great aunt makes those crochet blankets you're admiring and before you know it you've got three draped over your arms.

"Where y'all headed?" she's asking as Logan pays.

He shrugs, smiling that bashful smile that made you fall in love with him. "Nowhere, really."

She gives the vaguest yet most detailed directions to a motel – you're gonna wanna drive thataway til you see the old rusted school bus? Then take a left and keep driving til you pass the turnoff for the highway. It's down on the right. If you get to the stoplight you done went too far – and Logan gives you a look as you bite into a fresh Georgia peach.

You smile.

More rolling fields and woods. Farms and family homes and kids on swings. He gets to the stoplight and you both laugh all the way back to the motel.

It's tiny and has almost zero amenities but it's clean and the window overlooks a small field of wildflowers. You take a shower and when you come out there's a jar with a bunch of wildflowers in it and you smile at him. You've been smiling so much the past couple days that your cheeks ache.

He finds a place to get dinner and you feast on what he says is pretty okay bbq but you think is the best you've ever tasted.

The next day you're better prepared, and you fully enjoy the rambling tour of the countryside, relaxing with each passing mile. Feet on the dash, singing along to Fleetwood Mac and Tom Petty and Creedence Clearwater Revival. Songs that are familiar and songs that he knows every word to and you are still learning.

Lunch is a picnic, thrown together with gas station sandwiches and bags of chips, sitting on one of the blankets you bought yesterday by a river. You want to enjoy the scenery, because it is as beautiful as he always told you it was, but all you can focus on is him.

He looks so happy. You've seen him happy, of course, but lately he's been downtrodden. Anxious. And you sit there, watching him as he talks about maybe making it up into North Carolina by sundown, seeing how relaxed he is.

And you fall a little in love with this spot of the world that heals him.

"You love it here," you say softly after a bit of silence.

Logan nods, looking out to the river where it disappears into the trees. "I do."

"I'm—"

"I love sharing it with you more."

Oh. Oh. Your eyes are burning and it's not fair that he can drop the sweetest lines when you least expect them even though by now you should expect them because he always does and—

"Lilli?"

You blink and he's moved to sit right in front of you. "Logan?"

Why does he look worried? Your mind scrambles, thinking something must be wrong. He feels ill, or he just spotted some venomous snake slithering nearby or—

He shifts and you glance down, seeing the ring sparkling in his hand.

Later you'll remember every word he says. How his hand shakes and his voice wavers while he tells you how much he loves you and how happy you make him. But for now all you hear is the river splashing over rocks and birds twittering and the breeze ruffling the leaves of the oak tree. And all you can see his eyes, shining and bright and beautiful.

There's hot sauce on his fingers and yours are gritty with salt. His lips taste of salt and vinegar and there's an ant crawling on your leg, and he's apologizing for not giving you some grand proposal, but you don't care. You're glad he asked you here.

"I love you," he whispers, forehead resting against yours and you feel the sigh that exhales his worries.

He worried that you'd say no. As if yes wasn't on your lips before he said the words.

"I love you, Logie."

[maggstar]

𝐔𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐥 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐃𝐚𝐲 𝐈 𝐃𝐢𝐞

───────────────────⊹⊱✫⊰⊹────────────────────

𝐖𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠: 18+, mni DNI!

𝐒𝐮𝐦𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐲: 365 days since the incident, in which Heeseung's life turned upside down, is today. Will he be able to save her this time?

𝐆𝐞𝐧𝐫𝐞: smut, hard angst, veryyy emotional, trauma bonding/coping, cop!Hee (injured reader, guns, shooting, kidnapping, violence, death) kissing, biting, marking, handjob, oral (f. receiving) , fingering, vanilla, very intimiate and loving unprotected s3x, missionary, spooning, lotus.

!!!TW: ED, suicidal thoughts, mentioned attempts, s3lf harm (both characters)

𝐖𝐂: 21k+ (ehm..., yea)

𝐀/𝐍: Finally. It is here. this one is for ♡ anon. ily. I want to say I loved writing this whole fic even though it was emotionally difficult. I wrote about heavy topics, so please be aware before reading as this might not be everyone's cup of tea! Both characters are in pretty messed up mental states, but their love to each other is what keeps them going. I hope you guys enjoy this fic as I never put this much effort into any fic before.

Please leave any sort of feedback: reblogging and commenting is the best for me, so let me know!! ───────────────────⊹⊱✫⊰⊹────────────────────

As Heeseung approached the town, he immediately recognized the steep, rocky road that led to the street of his most ominous memories. Despite the passing of a year, everything remained the same. The familiar layout felt like coming home after years of being abroad. In a way, he had been. 

He found it amusing how visiting his past brought such mixed feelings. Given how messed up things were before his departure, he was afraid to face all the negative emotions. Merely thinking about the events crawled an uncanny sensation. 

Yet, here he was, letting the comforting sentimentality alight on his heart and beam at the faint breeze entering through his window as he soaked up the evocative atmosphere. It had a hint of gloom as the rain amplified with his reappearance, making the ominous night colder than usual. Goosebumps took over his body, observing the surroundings while the car shifted its gear to neutral. 

The park was abandoned at this time, reminiscing on the children's laughter in the evenings, playing for hours without a care. He liked to come there after work, sit for a few minutes, and listen to them. They still had the monkey bars and pirate-themed wooden ship in the middle of the playground, which he helped paint. 

He examined the residences next to his old one, all appearing the same. Looking at the colorful houses with picturesque gardens pierced an arduous nostalgia. A few had undergone reconstructions as the previous owners seemed to have parted. 

Some even had new furniture or repainting, their garages containing bigger and more luxurious vehicles. New additions like swings or slides for children were also notable. A small number of areas were also seemingly building new homes for the future, expanding the population in the tainted town.

With a glance beside, he examined the house he spent his student years in. 

"Would you look at that," he scoffed, studying the untouched exterior, still covered in that sensational buttermilk paint. 

Even the pecan concrete tiles on the roof were there, with additional solar panels. The current owners also installed a masonry chimney to the side - something he had always wished for but couldn't afford. 

They were definitely more knowledgeable in Botanics than he was. The garden looked completely different. The condition Heeseung left it in was atrocious, with dead flowers and dried weeds scattering the place. Zora Neale Hurston once quoted: "Trees and plants always look like the people they live with." He didn't know if this disclosure was comical or tragic, heavily soughing instead. 

Currently, the place had more of a Japanese style: a little lake in the middle underneath beautiful white lotuses. Oak and cherry trees surrounded the layout, whereas perfectly cut bonsai trees greeted passers-by in the front. The family likely had their roots there because it was uncommon to opt for this type in this area. Yet again, he was inexperienced in this topic, so who was he to say anything? 

He sighed, lowering his head to take a deep breath to process all the garnering memories reaching the surface from the seabed. It was bound to happen, and he still didn't manage to prepare for it. 

Back then, there was too much weight on his shoulders. From college to his family, there was only so much a teenager could handle. 90% of his memories were the ones he sincerely wished to omit evermore. He didn't want to rub salt into his wounds by reliving them, aiming to concentrate on the better side.

After all, it was this place he achieved and lost everything at once. The city that welcomed the lost pup with open arms after the death of his parents, soothing with empty promises and fraudulent head pats. 

Back then, he was too naive to differentiate malicious intentions, foolishly jumping onto every proposition. He thought people wanted to help and not take advantage of his incapacity, that they would aid the broken one with the loving words he needed. 

Fundamentally, he was an emotional wreck, emptiness and numbness following him all day. 

There wasn't anyone left in his life, just miscellaneous pictures gathered in a photo album and recollections of happy moments in carton boxes. Going through their belongings hurt more than anything, smudging their smiles with tears and repeated callouts to which no one could respond anymore. 

In other words, it was the worst period of his life.

His nights were established on puffy eyes, a terrible headache, and a stuffy nose, suffering in silence for months. The money he was supposed to spend on food went to tissues, trashing the whole place. Getting up in the mornings was incredibly demanding, failing often at convincing himself. Staying in and laying in his PJs permanently tolled more promising.

No one seemed to care about his late arrival to classes anyway. The teachers were the exclusive individuals, questioning his defect of attendance and interest. They often came to various false conclusions. They didn't consider asking for the real reason behind his struggles at handing in assignments and essays on time without lying to dodge admonitions. 

In the same way, no one doubted the sunglasses he wore every day. They assumed it was part of a fashion trend when, in reality, it was an excuse to hide the redness and semicircle exhaustion. 

The clothes that fit him weeks ago began loosening, appearing enormous on his underweight body. When his friends pointed out his lack of appetite during lunch, he put it behind him and led the conversation in another direction. That way, he felt he had control over reality. 

In reality, he knew it was avoidance. He wasn't ready to concede he was struggling. Something wasn't alright, and he deteriorated with each passing day. 

Reminiscing on the past, optimistic Heeseung wearing a warming smile mirrored the numb motionlessness, not containing enough confidence to face the drastic and tragic change.

The only courageous people were the Choi family. 

He turned his head to the left, catching a glimpse of the elderly couple sitting at the table inside their closed terrace. They were laughing and enjoying dinner, accompanied by two other people, handing out the freshly grilled food on their plates. A little boy was attending the meal as well, gesturing widely. He leaned forward to examine the guests, scanning their faces. For some reason, they were so familiar...

"No way," a gasp forsake, realizing that turn of events. 

The handsome, tall young man with an athletic build was no other than Choi Hyun-woo, the son of the married pair. Heeseung facepalmed himself for taking so long to figure out his identity, doubting his dexterities.

His parents had introduced the two after a few weeks of Heeseung visiting. Around that time, he was in a custody battle with his dangerous wife. That adjective was an understatement when considering her malicious threats. They were predominantly about hurting their son if he didn't leave her alone or running away with him.

That wasn't the only crazy part. The more unsettling information he learned, the more he feared for the safety of the small boy. Besides being mentally unstable, she also struggled with psychosis. The doctors warned her countless times, but she didn't reflect on any of their words when entering a new relationship. If anyone was the victim in this situation, it was Hyun-woo. 

Seeing them reunited was all he could have ever wished for them, smiling at the cheerful sight. 

"Thank you for being here for us, Heeseung. We just want you to know we're also here for you," he could hear the oldster sighing while patting his back, sensing the weariness from the mere flicker.

"We're all humans in the end. Even the strongest ones cannot lift the weight the world pushes on us." The stogie burned further whenever he would take a whiff, passing it on for a moment of peace.

"Life hasn't been easy on you, has it?" the bearded man turned to face the youngster, quietly sitting and observing the night sky. 

"No, sir, it hasn't," he took the long roll of tobacco to try it out, analyzing its shape and thickness.

"Pretending to be happy when you're in pain is an example of how strong you are as a person, Lee."

"Never doubt your strength, you hear me?" he repeatedly swung his index finger to reprimand him. 

"Yessir," Heeseung nodded before inhaling the cigar, not foreseeing its power. On the other hand, the veteran couldn't help but enjoy the outcome, laughing as he expectorated. 

"How can you smoke this?" he punched his chest numerous times to get the bubble of smoke out of his system. 

"Times were different back in my days. We had nothing else."

"Still..."

"Do one thing for me," the senior flipped the page, taking another load and slowly exhaling a white cloud into the cold fall night. Heeseung faced him after successfully getting rid of the awful irritation in his throat. He sat there, waiting for another round of sagacious words from the wise man. 

"Don't give up. Whatever it takes, don't give up, son. Even when you feel like there's no purpose, don't because nothing lasts forever. It will get better."

It was those words that made Heeseung push through the days. It was almost unbelievable how much of an impact it had on him. Never in a million years would he have thought a motivational speech could get him back on his feet. Then again, he never gave anyone a chance to see behind his facade.

Although they were the ones who required assistance, Heeseung ended up receiving all of the help. 

"Have you eaten? No? That's unacceptable! Come over as soon as you're done with school!"

Mrs. Choi's disappointment still rang through his ears, envisioning her in her French kitchen with a spatula in her hand. It was a vista he missed, alongside the delectable smell of her exceptional cooking.

She constantly checked on him, calling once his school was over and asking if he needed anything. Cooking him meals became a habit whenever he stopped by to help in the garden, practically shoving packets of food into his chest. She knew it wasn't much, but for Heeseung, it meant the world. Knowing that someone actually appreciated his company and cared about his well-being without solely thinking about theirs was unknown. 

So unknown that in the beginning, he assumed the lunch boxes in his backpack ended up by accident and that Mrs. Choi had mixed it up. 

That's how messed up people have been to him that his mind found it unbelievable. Every bit of aid had to have a twisted meaning behind it because why would anyone care about him? No one was there when he was bereaved. No one came to say their condolences or ask if he was alright. It was just him in the columbarium as he placed the ceramic pot with the last remains of his loved ones into the repository. The sole visitor on his free days, leaving the deceased ones' favorite snacks underneath their memorial. He was the boy the guard always had to wake up and send home. 

"It's just thee, thy, and thou, huh?"

"Yes, Mr. Choi."

It is how he achieved his dream and became a successful officer and the person he is now. 

All the hardships and woes he underwent in his early adulthood built up the future he worked for without resting. The mornings and nights would meld into one, struggling to distinguish AM from PM. Around that time, his coffee intake started slipping out, and he tried out every possibility to stay awake and finish everything. 

So much he had to do in such little time. Heeseung didn't understand how he finished it, but his body did. It was giving up, slowly but gradually, because he wouldn't stop pushing the limits. He thought he could do more each time, twisting the meaning of "just a bit more."

One day, the strings finally tore off, and his body had enough. 

Without looking back, it gave in. It handed in the shattered pieces of his soul to the unknown, streaming down like a feather. Nothing had left within, no recollections to reflect on his actions. All his hopes had dashed, molding his fears into a vase of entrapment. The more he tried to climb out of the well, the deeper he fell back, the walls elevating. He screamed into the darkness, the exclamations reflecting due to the scarcity of allowance. 

The next thing you know, he woke up in an unfamiliar and cold environment, with doctors coming in and out. They kept asking various questions and filling out some forms before leaving. The 

He expected the nurses checking up on him now and then to answer the question marks in his head, watching them flush the tube in his nostrils.

It was when he opened his mouth to ask about it that one of the nurses responded, explaining its essential purpose.

She called it "Nasogastric tube feeding". A line delivering nutrients directly into his stomach through his nose. Heeseung kept listening while the woman cleaned the skin around his nose with a warm washcloth, describing his situation. 

Apparently, he had been in the ICU for a few days, and the doctors ran various tests to unravel his deficiencies. The stats showed the deceleration of cardiac activity, leading to low heart rate and blood pressure. They also mentioned low body temperature, which Heeseung had been battling for centuries. It exemplified why he felt faint and weak all the time. Maybe it even answered his apathy toward life.

The results of his BMI indicated severe underweight, whereas the blood test showcased micronutrient imbalances. Heeseung couldn't fathom all of the details his doctor kept streaming, closing his eyes in a vain attempt to ignore the consequences of his stubbornness and lack of eating. 

Not only did he have to wear a plastic tube, but he also had to talk with dietologists and healthcare professionals to make changes in his life.  

Heeseung loathed it and didn't listen to anything they had to offer because, in his mind, he had already decided what was best for him. Suggestions like attending occupational therapy gave him a laugh, not comprehending the reason for such an absurd and useless alternative. There was still a belief that everything was alright, and the situation was being blown out of proportion. 

Even after all that information, he refused to accept reality. If he did, he would have to reconcile with his aggravating condition and shape. He would have to acknowledge how bad the situation was. That if he didn't take action now, it could end terribly. 

And Heeseung wasn't prepared to admit it aloud. Admit he had been suffering for so long that he lost track of days because they began blending into one endless loop where he couldn't live in peace. Confess the terrible feelings of hopelessness, loneliness, and emptiness. The feeling that he woke up to bypass that motivating bright sun hiding behind those dark, self-destructive clouds. The ones which slowly perished his soul.

Disclose the deep yearning for love, tenderness, and affection lingering in his sore throat. Reveal the hope to knit his tattered heart, wrapping around his neck so delicately that he didn't want it to stop. Divulge the need to end everything trussing in the back of his head, increasing whenever an obstacle occurred, doubting everything about himself. Concede the crossing between life and death, questioning the meaning of existence. 

Relent that the word suicide kept repeating in his mind like an old cassette player, seeing the curse inscribed over everything. Allow the guilt to take over and condemn him for leaning towards the balcony whenever it whispered the word "jump". It conveyed it so alluringly that it made him go crazy, holding onto the railings in pure despair. 

Describe how sharp blades appeared veracious. Explain why he deleted the Google search history to hide the questions on overdoes. 

He wasn't ready, but he had to be. Otherwise, he would ultimately lose himself in the hollowness and disperse forever. 

So, he decided to bite the bullet and push through by turning the page.

Thanks to his determination, he could now sit in a police car and help those in need. Do a job where he could be the person he needed others to be at his lowest. 

There had been one. However, Heeseung was forbidden from ever thinking about that person. 

Why? Because he made the biggest mistake of his life, which he atoned for till today.

A beautiful mistake that he deeply missed every hour, every minute, every second.

"Dispatch to Patrol One," the sudden statistic transmitted through the two-way radio, pulling back the officer from daydreaming. 

"10-04," he quickly responded, grabbing the transmitter and acknowledging the callsign. 

"Are you alright, sir?" the worry conveyed, belonging to none other than Seo-Jun. 

"Yes," He sighed, resting his head on the steering wheel. 

"Sir, pardon me, but you don't sound like it," the young officer evoked, tentative about probing her senior. 

She could hear him repeat the proverb: "Curiosity killed the cat." It wasn't her best trait, and she knew it. It was always these times she couldn't help but push it forward and let concern get the better of her. 

After all, it was Lee Heeseung, the guy who managed to turn her life over. 

If he hadn't helped her escape from her toxic ex-boyfriend last summer, she wouldn't be sitting in the obsolete office now. She was lucky to dial 112 in time and come out alive. If he had been a few minutes late, she could have suffered to death from the undying abuse. The memory was deeply engraved in the depth of her heart, recalling him standing by her side during the hospital procedures. He never wanted to admit it, but he was the town's hero for saving the mayor's daughter. 

Therefore, her gratitude towards him was prodigious. And for the same reason, she wanted to be there for him during tough times. No matter how hard she tried, her approach would emerge unsuited and unfit each time. People told her to get ahold of her steps countless times, and she still made the same slips every time. Nevertheless, she didn't give up and reached out to dial the official. 

"Seo-Jun, I-"

"My apologies, sir. I've crossed my line," she hastily tried to cover up her actions, slapping her forehead for being nosy and pushy. 

"I'm not okay," the voice on the other side emitted into the discomfiting silence, a heavy sigh following the statement. Seo-Jun opened her eyes to perceive the sentence, staring at the floor beneath her as the declaration reiterated in her brain. She widened her pupils when she finally realized what he had uttered, almost falling off her chair after swiftly turning and grabbing back the radio. 

"Sir, is this about the note you've received?"

"What note?" he frowned, backing up. 

"Well, you've got a message on your account, and you know it goes through me first, so I might have accidentally read what was on it-"

"What note are you talking about?" The stern change in speech startled her, contemplating if it was due to her admitting her horrible demeanor or the want of information. 

"The one that states: Broadway 123, 11:30 PM," she reread the email, stuffing her mouth with another strawberry-flavored lollipop. At this point, it was a miracle her teeth hadn't fallen out yet. 

"Any signatures?"

"Just two initials: K.J."

Heeseung's stomach dropped at the revelation, which only confirmed his prior thoughts. It was the 13th of March, after all. What was he thinking?

He looked at the time on the display, typing in the coordinates to the navigation. It showed an estimated arrival in 15 minutes. His jaw clenched, attempting to pulverize the inexhaustible alarm ringing in his skull.

"Fuck, why didn't you tell me earlier?" his panic disseminated into anger, hastily starting up the car. He grabbed the gearstick, his leg pressing the accelerator. 

"I'm sorry, sir. I thought you knew about it."

"You know goddamn well I never check my email," he shifted to 3rd gear already, turning on the emergency lights on the car. They switched from one color to the other, the sound of sirens following right after every blick. 

"I'm really sorry, sir, but what does it even tell? It sounds dangerous."

"Cause it is," Heeseung cut her off, "and that's why you should have told me earlier." 

Seo-jun's voice went quiet, the time on the call prolonging without either side speaking. 

She had nothing to say, as she realized the severity of her actions. 

Frankly, she had difficulty understanding the whole situation and why it aggravated Heeseung this much. She stared at the email, trying to find a hidden clue or something that would cure her curiosity. 

Despite her attempts, she ended with disappointment, leaning back on the chair with a loud sigh. 

She turned her head to the side while Heeseung turned his back on the road, which was moderately clean, with no traffic jams preventing him from reaching his destination. Most cars quickly reacted to the situation and pulled to the side of the road. 

He looked in the rear mirror, seeing a silhouette sitting in the backseat with blood all over her face, a faded smile visible. 

"Help her, I beg you," The voice echoed in his ears as he made a left, entering the mentioned street. 

He fought the unwanted shakiness in his body, the sentence replaying like a broken cassette, causing him to break down the walls he had built in the past months.

He had to be more collected. His duty was to stay calm under pressure and not to invoke panic, but here he was, gripping the wheel too much. His nails began to hurt from the prolonged force, eyes ungluing from the road for a split second. He looked at his image in the mirror, sensing a faint taste of blood. There, he could see the deep cut on his lip, his teeth responsible for choosing the wrong coping mechanism. 

He could also see the same hopeless look as the one on that day, anger building up from within to curse him for being a wreck in such a crucial situation again. The consequences of it taunted him, internally punching him for his incompetence. An officer who couldn't control his emotions was the same one trying to rescue someone. He couldn't even stop himself from deteriorating, and here he was, seeking to thwart others.

It was all foolish, just like he was at this moment. 

What a fool he was for wanting a chance to right the wrongs. 

Without a second thought, Heeseung immediately parked near the reported location, practically jumping out of the car. He checked if his gun was locked and loaded again before heading out. 

He looked around, eyes looking for potential gang associates in the surroundings. He expected at least some bodyguards or watchdogs near the building, but no one was around. Grabbing his flashlight, he took an overhand grip, shortening the distance to the building with each cautious but fast step. 

The residence was outdated, definitely abandoned by the looks of its upkeep. What seemed like a factory was now an empty, deserted residence. No one had visited this place for a long time. 

He approached the door, reaching the porch to see if anything was happening inside. 

The front door was locked from the other side, the darkness concealing the image inside. Heeseung had to go through the back to enter, listening for any noise on his way. It was too quiet for his liking, not a single peep emanating from the residence. He climbed over the wire fence, sucking up the pain the metal left after puncturing his skin. 

Nothing was more important than reaching inside.

He did suspect the message, wondering if it was another prank pulled by the bored teenagers. Sadly, it happened quite too often, with them lining up the emergency number and creating false stories to bring out the hirelings for their entertainment.

Still, none of them knew about his past, so the chances were nearly impossible. Not even his colleagues knew why he decided to take a day off today. They had zero keen on why this day was so important for him. They had no idea it was this day that turned his life around.

He took a position behind the wall as he glanced for the back door, peeking out carefully. To his surprise, it was wide open, bestowing him an entrance. 

He approached it slowly, looking out for a possible intruder since the unusual stillness wasn't preventing the tension in his muscles from stiffening. When he met no obstacles, he determined it was clear to proceed, stepping inside.

The uneven concrete underneath welcomed him back, permitting a path towards the middle. Just like last time, he thought to himself, before approaching the cursed center. 

Here.

It all happened here.

It was where he found Seo-Jun. Right here. 

He could see the silhouette in the wooden chair, bound by duct tape. He could still feel the hopelessness and helplessness.

A supposed rescue mission turned into a shootout, in which he had zero back-ups to overcome the opponents. 6v1, and Heeseung barely came out alive, with one bullet shot in his right arm. The female he was supposed to save bled out on the spot because of fatal injuries, and there was nothing he could do to help her. He tried so hard to stop the bleeding and apply as much pressure as he could in his injured condition. All just to witness her slowly part away in his arms with a painful "thank you".

Heeseung blamed himself for her death till today. After all, he was the one to blame for it. That's what her parents kept repeating.

"Murderer! It was your job to protect her!"

"She's dead because of you!"

"It should have been you who died, not her!"

They were right. 

He agreed with everything they said. It was the truth. He had failed, and there was nothing he could do to bring her back. 

Nightmares of the terror night practically became the fairytale of his sleep. He would wake up drenched in sweat, pushing himself to successfully save her in his dreams. He was so close but so far away at the same time. 

It was all humorous. How returning to this unfortunate place stirred the wrong memories. How it managed to discern the familiar gut-wrenching feeling in his system. The one he had to take medication for every day to keep his head clear. To stop seeing the silhouettes of her everywhere. 

"Seo-Jun, don't do this to me," his head dropped to his feet, refusing to reexperience his trauma. 

"You're not here anymore," he bit down on his lip, gulping down the ascending guilt.

"But it's not me, Heeseung." 

His eyes rose, staring at the silhouette. They struggled to decipher the person in front of them, barely having the energy to stay open. 

He stepped closer, his heavy steps echoing through the enormous vacant room. He was expecting it to disappear as it was a part of his imagination. However, it stayed there, clear as a day.  

It was her.

Not her her, but her.

The voice that haunted him every night in his nightmares. The one that begged him to save her sister from those psychopaths, putting the last bits of hope into him. The screams replayed in his nightmares when he had come out with her sister in his arms, barely holding the victim as he was close to passing out himself. They soon turned into weeps, coughing up the pain in her system, unable to stop her body from shaking at the sight of her sibling in agonizing pain. 

He remembered the way she looked up at him while the paramedics carried her inside the ambulance, face covered in shock and desperation. 

It was as if both knew the outcome awaiting them in the hospital, not prepared to admit the painful reality. They wanted to pretend like they didn't know, even if it was only for a minute. 

He recalled her running after the car, legs giving out in the middle, getting up over and over again without thinking twice about the damage on her knees. 

The same pain he felt back then kicked in right now, pounding into his stomach because despite disappointing her, she was the one who checked up on him in the ER. She was the only person who turned up. The only one worried about his condition, holding in the tears.

"I know my sister was glad someone tried. That someone cared and wanted to save her."

"I'm happy to know that the last face she saw was yours and not those bastards'."

"Mr. Lee, thank you. Thank you for everything."

Despite everything, she said those words to him, managing to smile at him before leaving. He felt her release the painful ache through the door, mourning for the lost one as the hospital tiles created a path stained with sorrow. 

"It's your chance, Heeseung."

"To do what you couldn't with me."

He looked around to glimpse a ghost of Seo-Jun, to believe it was all real and not a part of his disturbed imagination. 

But she was nowhere to be found. 

It was Y/N instead, encircled by the cause of her sister's death.

The same person he stopped visiting every day after the incident, too thoughtless to leave her all alone in that big city while the perpetrators roamed around freely. 

He thought it would have been for the better to give her space to grieve properly, without him appearing at the door to remind her of the incident. 

She never complained, though, but rather showed her gratitude for the concern, not managing to function alone with her parents passing on their sadness to her. 

It was a difficult time for her to be in, especially alone. That's why Heeseung's presence brought her the peace and comfort she needed. He helped her move out her sister's furniture, going as far as to seclude a deal to sell the apartment so the family could have a proper funeral, which he ended up attending himself. 

Her parents weren't exactly hiding their anger at his presence at such a personal event, holding him accountable for the happening of the ceremony. 

However, she was the one who had invited him. She chewed their disapproval and asked him to stay beside her. She needed someone to hold on during the event, both mentally and physically, thankful for his hand lingering on hers as she watched her other half disappear into the ground. 

He stayed with her for a long time after that, coming every morning to help her get out of bed and get ready for the day, becoming her caregiver for the following weeks. 

She was suffering inside, and he could tell by her blankly staring into the walls, movements so slow it looked like it hurt. It was difficult to convince her to eat, noticing the loss in appetite she kept ignoring, blaming it on her stomach troubles. 

Nonetheless, she never protested when he wanted to feed her, always cooking or ordering something from outside. She felt like a baby in those moments, with him practically begging her to open her mouth, putting a smile on her face instead. 

They talked a lot over those weeks, with Heeseung opening up about his past and traumatic childhood, sharing the fragments of his parent's death and how it has affected him. He talked about the car accident, the one he was also in. He was the sole survivor, the sole person to exit the hospital and not be transferred into the morgue.

He had never told anyone before, and conveying the lingering heartache was such a relief that he couldn't stop talking, gathering up every detail he had in his memories. 

In a way, it connected the two more, having gone through the tragedy of losing a loved one. Y/N couldn't help but notice the feeling of safety in his company. The more he transmitted, the closer she felt, like she could trust him with her whole life.

While she was fully aware of the effects he was having on her, Heeseung was too busy focusing on her condition to catch the sparkles of joy. 

Whenever she opened the door to him, he couldn't help but beam. His heart would fill up with contentment, dopamine levels increasing at the brief touches they shared, hiding the butterflies amassing inside. It was wrong for him to catch feelings after everything he caused her, and the guilt expanded in his chest at the realization.

Unfortunately, he wasn't the only one who had caught up on the situation. Soon enough, her parents personally contacted him and asked to meet without their daughter's knowledge. They were the real reason for his departure, the why for abandoning her when she needed him the most. 

He never had the opportunity to tell her the truth, to tell her he didn't go on his will but was forced into that decision. He wished he could have told her he was threatened with being sued and losing his career forever due to their belief about his negligence on the mission. Either that or he had to leave her alone and go as far away as possible if he didn't want his life to be over. 

That is what he meant when he said he was a coward: a coward who couldn't even tell the truth. It followed him wherever he went, the mere image of her constantly transmitting in his thoughts.  

And now, the image was trapped in another nightmare with little time, falling into his hands yet again. 

This wasn't how he wanted to meet up, but fate had its way of managing things. The only thing Heeseung knew was that he couldn't let her down again. 

She had to come out of here alive.

No matter what it would take.

"You came," a raspy voice loomed from the darkness, causing Heeseung to hastily stand up and point his gun at its origin. 

His stomach dropped when he locked gazes with the criminal. 

"Kang Joon-Woo."

"It is I indeed," he fixed his tie covered in a fleur de lis pattern, showing off his wealth in the black tuxedo. His auburn slick hair drew attention to his green eyes, which turned stone cold once his gaze landed on the officer in front. They were empty, vacant, without any emotion. It was like staring into a deep well at night, manifesting fright and unpleasantness. 

"It's a pleasure to meet you again, Mr. Lee." his silver crown shone as the moonlight sheathed his face, lowering his head before looking back at him again. He exuded the same stare that day, slicing through deeply and threatening with its lethal power. 

Kang Joon-Woo, one of the lead rings of the cooperation of Kang Holding, was the chairman and the mastermind of the whole operation a year ago. Kang Jun-Seo was his right hand, more like a lap dog. 

They were both known criminals in the district he used to work in, successful businessmen who led one of the most influential companies in the city. They ran many hotels scattered over the country, using them as a front to conceal their actual intents by managing and commencing new deals. 

Beneath the surface, they hid several classified secrets, ordering various exchanges between dangerous parties. Some reports revealed drug usage and distribution, contacts with the black market, and even active participation on the deep web.

However, their main focus was on sex trafficking, exploiting young women for their income. It has been going on for many years, with the two predators selling out females to different countries, motivated by the big numbers on the cheque. They were both aware of how these girls would end up, forced to become objects for whoever had bought them. That was the twisted part in itself. The fact that the two went off to doing this.

He found out himself when he got ordered to take over one of these cases since the department had a lead and had a high chance of uncovering the trafficker's location, hopeful about the retrieval. So was Heeseung, especially after the Chief of Police had picked him out personally for the case along with two other ambitious corporals as the sergeant was sick that week, unable to operate. It was his biggest chance to prove himself and stand out amongst his coworkers. 

"Months of searching, and now I have you both at my feet," the snarky laugh punctured through.

"What have you done to her?" Heeseung looked back at Y/N from the corner of his eye, unable to bypass her drugged state. He knew he had to act before it was too late, struggling to piece a plan together at the revelation. 

"I just gave her some candy. You know the ones that bring you to another dimension?" he pulled out a pack of Arrirangs from his pockets, finding the whole situation hilarious. It was uproarious to watch the terror in Heeseung's eyes, darting from the girl back to him. 

"You fucker," Heeseung quickly hovered over her, checking her pulse and breathing. 

"Calm down," he scoffed in amusement, taking a whiff of the toxic elements his body lacked. "I need her to be alive as well." 

"What do you want?"

"Come on, Heeseung. You're smart enough to know," a sigh parted in the heavy ambiance, playing with the cigar between his fingers.

"You know goddamn well someone has to pay for the losses you caused on that day."

"Leave her out of it. She has done nothing."

"Who called you on us?"

"She did the right thing. They just chose the wrong officer."

"Fucking pathetic indeed. You couldn't even save her in the end, could you?" the man burst into laughter, brushing back his hair. He was loving every second of this.

"Since you failed to save her. Now, we need someone to replace her place."

"Jun-Seo was thinking about this beauty right here, but I told him it was too dangerous. Didn't I, brother?"

Heeseung froze at the callout, feeling the mentioned one's presence behind him. He also felt the weapon pointed at his head, threatening to be blasted at a slight movement. Every possible curse flashed in his mind, all pointing towards him.

He was screwed.

"Drop it," the baritone ordered. 

Before he could even look at the famous criminal, the man punched him in his back, amplifying his directive. Heeseung had no other option but to comply, slowly placing his gun on the floor. The guy immediately kicked away the weapon, far away from their reach. He stood there with his hands aloft, looking back at the man ahead.

"And what did I also say?" his tongue clicked, putting on a pair of black leather gloves.

"To have her, we must get rid of the cop."

"That's right." He snickered, approaching the injured girl. 

"Poor girl, she has no idea what's happening," his fingers wrapped around her neck, snickering at the beauty. He turned her face to the side, his filthy eyes scanning her features.

"Don't touch her!" Heeseung shouted, attempting to step closer.

"You better calm down." 

"Or do you want my brother to pull the trigger already?" her hair twirled around his finger, "I want her to see it first." He quickly pulled onto it, causing her head to fall with the snatch.

"No, she has nothing to do with this. I killed your men, not her. Let her go, now!" 

"I'm afraid I cannot do that, Heeseung. My client wants a replacement for his previous loss."

"And we decided to give him the other sister," the twin snickered, licking his lips. 

"You're fucking sick." Heeseung looked at the man above Y/N, passing on a distrustful smile. 

"I think we have waited far too long for this one," The snarky laugh punctured through, running his hands on her exposed thighs. 

"I said don't fucking touch her!" 

The delinquent just laughed and took a knife, putting it under her neck. He played with her hair, leaning closer to her ear, whispering something, and smirking right after. Whatever it was, Heeseung was sure it was appalling and lewd. 

"So," the edge of the weapon traveled down her T-shirt, "I'm going to have my fun." He sneered as its sharpness cut the clothing in two, exposing her body to the filthy losers. 

"And you're going to watch."

"You fucking piece of shit!" he jumped the guy, not thinking twice about it. They both rolled down the floor, one trying to keep the weapon, whereas the other risked to grab it. 

"I'll kill you. Right here, right now," Heeseung hissed, head-bumping him as soon as he had the opportunity. 

"You fucker," Joon-woo immediately covered his nose, staining his hand with his very own blood. He was sure it was broken, but it wasn't enough to stop him from returning the favor. 

Heeseung looked back at the other brother, who attempted to shoot the man in black, raising his arm to carry out the movement. 

However, Heeseung was quicker, avoiding the fatal hit by rolling over in time. He still had Joon-woo on his back, getting on his hands to perform a leg sweep. With that, he fell on his back, pushing all the air out of his lungs with a curse.

"You are dead meat, Mr. Lee," the man coughed out, barely having the energy to properly look him in the eye.

Heeseung knew he was minutes away from another blast from Jun-Seo's gun. Without wasting time, he quickly stood up and ran into the other perpetrator with full force. He successfully knocked both of them over, the firearm vanishing in the far distance. The stunt in the movement allowed him to yank and throw the firearm into the far distance. 

"Get him!" the other twin ordered, quickly taking out his Glock 19 to point it at Heeseung. Jun-Seo got on his feet again, shooting a death glare. Despite not having anything to defend himself with, he relied on his strength, rushing to him. His arm extended toward Heeseung's direction, and a sudden hand appeared in front of his face. 

"I should have killed both of you when I had the chance," Heeseung panted, evading each punch like a pro. It was too easy to fight with such an incompetent loser like him, managing to switch positions in the meantime. 

"We should have gotten rid of you two sooner," Joon-woo yelled, shooting into the brawl. He only didn't predict Heeseung doing the unthinkable by pushing the brother in front of him. The bullet entered the wrong body, disappearing in Jun-Seo's chest with a loud gasp. 

"No!" The shooter yelled at the turn of events, watching his twin fall to the ground right next to his feet. He panted in pain and brought his hands to the wound his sibling unintentionally caused, his eyelids losing their tension as his pupils dilated. 

"You piece of shit!" The scourge unleashed from between his lips, a pair of heartless eyes darting back. He looked back to see the cop with his gun right back where it belonged, pointed at him, the main suspect.

"You did all of this just for this stupid bitch!" He raised his arm, turning in the direction of the abducted innocence. 

"Step away from her," Heeseung yelled, blood rushing through his veins.

It was a relief to have taken down one of the obstacles in his way without getting his hands dirty. Nevertheless, there was still the main problem standing in front of him, aiming to assassinate his victim. 

He knew the sicko could pull off a dangerous stunt since his actions were unpredictable, scanning the expressions on his face. He was expecting furrowed brows, hands clenched into fists, or a death glare at least. 

All he got was a loud sigh, followed by a prolongated laughter. The kind of laughter you would hear The Joker do in a quarrel with Batman whenever the two would argue. It was almost as if he was amused or pleased with the outcome, even though his brother was lying inches away in a puddle of blood, practically minutes away from dying.

"You really are a jokester, Mr. Lee," he lowered his gun, ignoring the confusion on the cop's face.

He just passed on a stare and a scowl, fidgeting with the weapon in his hand like it was a toy with no bullets in it. His behavior was so bizarre that Heeseung couldn't help but stare at him in confusion. 

The thing was, the stare he carried didn't belong to someone who had just given up. It wasn't of someone who just surrendered and accepted his fucked-up fate. 

It was the complete opposite of what it was supposed to be -malicious, daring to some degree as if he was taunting him with his capability. He challenged him with a gradually growing smirk. 

At that moment, Heeseung realized it wasn't a renunciation but a part of the plan. The plan that had been constructed from the beginning. Composed to every little point to lure out the enemy. She was his weakness, and they damn well knew about it. They were cruel enough to use it against him. 

With another look, he noticed the turnabout in Joon-Woo's glare, the shade of wrath igniting. 

"For thinking I would let her off so easily," the loud bang emitted through the silence, a sharp "pop" following right after. The noise yielded Heeseung to register the situation, his eyes widening as they quickly scanned for the landing. His gaze landed on the girl in the chair, uncovering a bullet point of entrance on her chest. 

Heeseung's heart dropped as he looked over to the side. 

His eyes widened in horror, staring blankly at the injured girl.

His body went numb, but he still tried to remain as stoic as possible.

All he could do was stare, frozen in fear, as the girl's white shirt slowly turned red.

Heeseung knew he couldn't repeat the same mistake, not hesitating to respond as he pointed his gun directly at the shooter. It was what had to be done. Jun-Seo was going to die today, next to his brother.

His heart skipped a beat as the adrenaline rush towards his veins intensified. He pressed the trigger, watching the evil twin staring back at him in shock, falling back. 

The loud thud confirmed the man was no longer alive, the bullet in his head adding to reason. 

Heeseung slowly approached the corpse, looking at him one last time to ensure himself. 

At that moment, he indeed felt the unbearable weight on his shoulders falling off, all of it evaporating in the air. 

Heeseung finally exhales, dropping his gun to the floor. His heart rate slows down, but the poundage in his body becomes heavier, almost as if the world was collapsing in on him.

"Where-" he quickly turned around at the origin of the sound, his eyes meeting the girl's.

Heeseung instantly rushed to her side, trying to assess the damage.

Her blood flowed onto his hand as he pressed it on the entrance wound, attempting to stop the bleeding.

"I'm going to save you, just hang on..." he whispered, applying pressure after dialing his collegaue. 

As she struggled to remain conscious, her eyes locked into his.

She was unable to express her gratitude with words, so she gave his hand a light squeeze, letting him know that she understood his intentions.

She trusted the man for some reason, even though she couldn't see his face. Everything was pitch dark.

She hoped for the misery to end soon, letting her eyelids rest.

She only waited for the moment to end, for the afterlife to welcome her.

Heeseung was overwhelmed with worry and fear. He knew how close she was to dying, watching her breath grow shallower and more shallow after each passing moment.

He saw her eyes flickering in and out of consciousness, but all he could do was gently stroke her hair away from her face, hoping and wishing for a miracule. 

His hand rested on her chest, feeling her heartbeat. He desperately implored it to keep going, pleading with the higher powers, begging them not to let her slip through his fingers.

"Don't leave me, please," he whispered, kissing her hand.

Heeseung noticed her breathing pattern becoming erratic, her pulse slowly becoming weak, indicating that she was losing the battle for her life.

"Don't go," he whispered, placing his face closer to hers, willing her not to leave. The tears rolled down his cheeks, shaking his head in denial. He desperately tried to keep them from falling again.

"Please stay with me," he beged, unable to handle the thought of her dying in his arms. He continued to caress her cheeks, his voice muffled as his face grew redder and redder.

"Please..."

He recalled all the memories they encountered, the bad and the good, and burst into tears again. He didn't even try to stop them, unable to hold it in any longer.

"I don't know what I'm going to do without you..."

Heeseung's voice filled with anguish, and ha piece of his heart ripped out of his chest. 

His desperation grew as her heartbeat grew weaker and weaker. Her chest rose and fell, labored. 

Each breath was battle for her life, and her body was not winning the fight. It started to grow cold, and her heartbeat became even fainter, as if it was trying to slip through his grasp.

"I'm so sorry." 

"I should have protected you," he cried, pressing into her chest. 

"I love you, Y/N."

Her hand rested on his, a faint smile spreading across her face. 

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

"Y/N," 

"You-"

"It's you?" her brain refused to believe the alternative, pacing back and forth, forth and back, like a spectator at a tennis match. 

Lee Heeseung? 

Her Lee Heeseung?

No, that's impossible.

She foolishly wanted to hold onto the strand of hope even though it was perilous. She knew it would relish on painting her walls within in qualm, scribbling various disquietude lines, and doodling frightening visions.

It appeared so compulsive, eyelids concealing the water amassing beside. The droplets traced her rubicund cold cheeks, reaching the corners of her quivering mouth. She tasted the woeful hopelessness accumulated over the past months. 

How hopelessly she wished for it to be real.

For him to be with her. 

If there was one thing she had been yearning for, it was his return. 

Somewhere deep down in her shattered soul, she dreamed of a reunion. A reconvene in which she could hold onto him without fear. Without having to worry about him letting go once she would look away. Without being afraid of falling asleep because he wouldn't be there in the morning. 

It was the only thing she had been longing for. 

"No. You're not here. I'm seeing things again, right?" She looked around, laughing while groping the mattress. Doing so, she failed to detect the unknown material, repeating the same motion. It wasn't the same at home. It wasn't the latex filling she was used to. 

She swiftly looked around, eyes darting around the unknown layout. They glanced over its walls sheathed in snow without a single trace of a painting, the dim lamp gleaming in the corner. It smothered the gloominess in a soothing tint of beige, strangely comforting. 

It was so familiar, yet so unknown. 

Was it because this wasn't her first time being in this room?

"Why am I here?" Her rapid breathing complicated the question's delivery, hands clutching onto the duvet to prevent them from shaking even more. 

You fool.

She looked down, studying the IV line inserted in her vein. Her eyes popped out of their sockets, desperately trying to recall what had happened to put her in this situation in the first place. 

"Calm down," the man beside appeased, holding her hand. 

Compared to her ice skin, he was a burning flame. 

He wanted to believe it was because of his anticipation and not because of her declining health. 

He didn't want to be attentive to her paper skin or her bones visibly sticking out. Oh, how much he wanted to believe her knuckles weren't poking out next to his hand. 

However, he couldn't. He couldn't bring himself to denial when these were all the signs he harbored before. 

The last time he saw her, his thumb couldn't reach his pinky finger. When he wrapped them around her tender wrist now, they managed to join. 

All of these signals were so familiar that he couldn't ignore them. They weren't normal and he knew from experience what effects it could have if not properly treated. Consulting with the doctor during her sleep was a necessary procedure, but he couldn't tell her everything now. 

For God's sake, she couldn't even acknowledge it was him caressing her hand. 

He felt like a stranger sitting there, with a worried expression and no response. He didn't know what to do. The only thing he wanted was to hold her and tell her everything was over. That he had finally accomplished what he should have done a year ago. Something he owed her from the day they met.

Where was the feeling of joy he was supposed to encounter? First and foremost, he executed an outstanding performance on the job tonight. Thanks to him, the case that was open for years had finally come to an end. It was due to his commission the two criminals now lingered behind bars.

"Is this one of those dreams again?" she suddenly grasped his shirt, unable to distinguish fantasy from reality. She held on to the cotton fabric with dear life, knuckles beginning to hurt as the grip amplified. The oaky fragrance disbanded into the air, entering through her nostrils to allow a segment of remembrance. 

Her fingers slid against the black clothing, studying the outlines of it, tracing down and up again. His chest rose with each unanticipated touch, brows sliding upwards to inscribe a few lines. Worry was written all over them when she gaped at him in confusion, refusing to accept his existence.

"Where I hopelessly look for you and never manage to find you?"

The headache was overlapping her brain in confusion, and she struggled to fathom her surroundings. She didn't comprehend the quick change of emotions on his face, looking at her as if she had announced the death of a close relative. In the end, she went through these nightmares almost every night. So, it wasn't abnormal to her. Yet, his stare was intense and frightened, screaming in concern, the complete opposite of her disclosure.

It wasn't.

It couldn't be after all.

He left a long time ago.

"I'm tired of those dreams," her voice broke down, replacing it with a weep, "because I never manage to find you." She broke down, releasing the suppressed pain gathered in her system. 

The mere thought of them ran shivers down her spine, completely despising the state they left her in. The number of times she woke up crying, desperately trying to hold onto the comfort beside was too much to count. The way she would open her eyelids only to realize there was nothing but a cold and untouched bedside. 

She would always look at the empty spot with hope. 

Hope he would come into the room with that dazzling look and hop back in the bed to hold her tight in his embrace. She wanted him to say everything would be okay, just like he used to. She wanted to hear his smile again, see his laughter, and feel his love in her hands. 

Was it that selfish to ask for the undoable? 

It was.

After all, he had always been a far stretch - an unreachable beauty, like a star in the sky she could only admire from afar. Too unreal to be authentic. Too perfect to exist. Too good to be true. Just like their relationship. 

Even stars die eventually and gradually start fading away. It was simply natural for them to end as well. 

So why was it so hard to say goodbye?

Over 365 days have passed since the day, and Y/N still stood at the beginning of the road. It was as if her feet were glued to the floor, trapping her in the moment she desperately tried to eradicate. 

If a samurai's katana could slice through her stomach now, it wouldn't manage to do more damage. Nor his bow stricken to embed in her lungs. It would simply sting for a second before disappearing into the mist, just like everything else in her life. It would form a pool of blood beneath, assembling a shattered reflection. A reflection she would reach for and fall into its never-ending well of hatred and pangs of conscience.

"I did something wrong, right? That's why you left. I was so annoying with my constant mood swings, wasn't I?" 

Heeseung closed his eyelids to prevent the accumulated sadness from firing, trying to stay collected so as not to evoke more sorrow. 

His hands turned into fists, aching to swing on the coward's head.

What a selfish idiot he was. 

He was going to cry? Him? When he was the reason they were both in this room right now?

It was his decision that caused all of this. He wouldn't be right back at the start if he hadn't given her up for his stupid career. If only he had just listened to his inner heart, things could have been different, better.

It was like someone was ripping him open, cutting and slicing with the sharpest blade, puncturing endless rebukes. Not only was he screaming from the pain, but also from witnessing Y/N uncontrollably crying in front of him. 

Her petite hands held onto her hospital gown, slanting over to let out all the misery he had caused her. She couldn't stop herself from wailing in agony and torment, feeling so hopeless and confused with him reappearing in her life. It was a hard pill to swallow. The kind that gets stuck in your throat, and water cannot drown it. 

"I'm so sorry I couldn't control it," she sniveled, clutching her hair tightly and pulling it to inflict more pain on herself. 

"I'm so sorry," she screamed into the duvet, countlessly snuffling. Her cries were muffled, the airways between her lungs and nose becoming tighter with each one. She was practically yelping for air, hyperventilating. 

"I love you, Lee Heeseung. I love you so much that it hurts," her trembling index pointed towards her heart, repeatedly tapping her chest.

At this point, she was out of breath, wailing and gripping her clothes as if they could release the painful embrace around her chest. She lifted her gaze to meet the apples of his eyes. They were glutted with sorrow and guilt, heartbreak and commiseration. They were merely reflecting his feelings - complete hopelessness. 

"I can't live without you, Heeseung. I can't-" Her sob got cut off by his sudden maneuver, palms gently cupping her cheeks before drawing her face closer to him. Now, he stared into her chocolate eyes, gazing at his hickory ones with surprise. 

"I love you more, Y/N." His nose rubbed against hers, foreheads aligning with one another to create an intimate moment between the lovers. They used to do this often, almost every morning, just holding each other and laughing in joy. It was like a routine, something mandatory before getting out of bed.

"More than anything else in this world," his tears caressed hers, tracing them upwards with his lips. He replaced the traces of sorrow with caring pecks, making sure to collect every drop. 

"Heeseung," her hand clutched his shirt, trying to stay sane even though, deep down, she was melting in his touch. 

He lightly tilted her head back, gaining access to her quivering mouth. She had it slightly ajar, huffing the compressed air through the small gap. Waves of electricity were dashing down her cells, causing an upheaval of homeostasis. The more he looked at her, the harder it got to breathe without a strain on her lungs. She had no choice but to say, "Please, just kiss me."

There was no time for that request to have been adequately thought through, as the circumstances deemed the opposite effect. For once, Y/N didn't want to think over her decisions. She wanted them to happen and worry about the consequences later. 

"Can I really?" his hand slid back, holding her head to grant her maximum relaxation. 

"You fool, I just told you to do it."

"I only want to make sure," he murmured, his lips automatically attracting with hers, like two magnets of opposite poles. 

Perhaps it was a lofty comparison, but the way neither side hesitated before carrying out the deed proved otherwise. They have been yearning for this moment ever since they have parted ways. 

Hell, they spent all of their time convincing themselves they weren't a match made to last for centuries when they were. Their love was so powerful that the glue in their bond never dried out. 

Even though they were two completely different people, it was their love that brought them together. No one could change that.

"No one."

"Not ever," he whispered while he damped her lips with his wet and warm tongue, panting with each smacking sound.

It was like entering heaven. 

He could almost feel the bright rays of happiness encircling them with its mighty power, not to mention Y/N's whimpers, which were like music to his ears.

Or maybe it was his poetic description of this incredible ecstasy that made it appear so illusory. 

He felt like a teenage boy again. His hormones were all over the place, and his heartbeat was agitated with an uncomfortable tension in his boxers.

God was cruel for putting his body into this state, especially in this situation. However, he couldn't control it. A whole year without Y/N meant a year full of bottled-up pain and tension. He never went out and slept with someone else because he knew too well no one could compare to her. 

Fuck, no one could be her, so there was no point in doing anything reckless. Plus, his heart wouldn't be able to do something so dishonest. It was loyal, unlike him, and it never erased nor forgot the name of his soulmate.

"I missed you so much," she cried, her grip around him tightening, so afraid he would let go and the feeling of safety would disappear with him.

"I know, Y/N. I missed you, too." Heeseung's hand slid up her arm, then her neck, until his hands rested on her cheeks, and he gently pulled her closer.

"But I'm here now," he continued, his voice filled with tenderness and affection. "And I don't plan on leaving your side ever again."

She looked up with red eyes, swollen and aching from the pang inside her heart. "You promise?" she asked innocently, not ready to receive a no for an answer. 

"I promise." His voice was firm, his words soothing. 

He kissed the top of her head, feeling her grip tightening around him while tears still ran down her wet, rosy cheeks. He wrapped his arms tightly around her, refusing to let go. 

"I'm not going anywhere. Not this time."

As if by instinct, she buried her face in his chest yet again, breathing in his scent and feeling his warmth as he enveloped her petite body in his warm embrace. 

Y/N felt her heart beating faster, the rush of emotions overwhelming and confusing her in the process. God, how much she has missed this. Being held, taken care of, and loved. For the first time, she allowed herself to feel vulnerable and let out a pained sob. She had held it for so long.

"Breathe," he whispered in her ear, noticing her shallow breath in a poor attempt at composure.

Her body couldn't stop shaking in his arms, the waves of emotions and shock deluging her.

"I'm here." The man of her dreams whispered, his words soothing out the bump of worries in her head. He stroked her lusciously dark hair once again, caressing her cheek as she leaned her head on the crook of his neck.

"I've got you."

That was all she needed to hear. 

They both remained in each other's arms, the silence broken only by their heavy breathing. At the same time, Y/N leaned in for his hands, holding them in hers. They were big and mighty next to her small and delicate ones, swallowing them in his palms. She played with his fingers, wrapping her digits around each one like an adorable baby. 

She has done this so many times before. It felt so natural each time as if their hands were sculpted to fit between the gaps of their fingers. Every insertion and removal was smooth like butter. She repeated it over and over because she couldn't get enough of it.

It was his hand she was holding and her hand he was kissing.

"Is this alright?" he asked foolishly.

She replied with a passionate kiss instead, wrapping her arms around his neck and pulling the strong man as close as possible. Her body pressed against his, so gentle with each movement that it made him shiver. He leaned into the squeeze, letting go of his worries once and for all, only focusing on her warmth blending with his. His eyes rolled to the back of his head, the heat of her against his own sparking lascivious ideas. 

Her lips pressed softly against his skin, enticingly murmuring her name as a result. 

"Y/N..."

"I missed hearing you saying my name," she whispered into his ear before gently biting onto its helix.

Heeseung closed his eyes and exhaled a deep and long breath. He leaned closer and caressed her chin, tilting it upwards so he could meet her eyes again.

"I want to be with you forever," he said softly, hand gently caressing her hip.

"I want to wake up next to you every morning and sleep with you by my side."

"I want to hold your face and feel your lips on mine every chance. To feel our love growing more and more each day."

"I want to spend my life with you. To know you're my home, my heart."

She gaped at him in shock, not expecting to hear such a meaningful trail of confession after everything. It contradicted his ambiguously lengthy absence in which Y/N went through hell thinking about what she had done wrong. 

Now, he sat before her, eyes full of ardor and sincerity, brushing his devotion on her like a naked canvas. 

"I've made the mistake of letting you go once," he held her hand, placing it on his chest. She felt his rhythmic heartbeat gradually increasing with each prolonged second of his speech. 

"I won't make the same mistake twice, Y/N." 

Heeseung's voice is filled with sincerity and truth, determined to finally carry through his feelings to her like he should have done. 

"I can't promise I will always be perfect," he expressed, his hand intertwining with hers. "But I promise, I won't let anyone tear us apart again."

He squeezed her even tighter as if she was the only thing holding him together.

"What do you mean? Who tore us apart?" her face changed instantly, confusedly staring into his apprehensive eyes. The cat was out of the bag, and Heeseung finally had to face the harsh side of reality.

Instead of answering, however, his gaze drifted away. 

His expression became darker, pupils dilating from the rise of anger within. It wasn't directed towards the reason, but himself. He was furious for preserving this crucial information from her for so long.

He looked away, his hand still over hers as he tried to find the words. He took it and brought it to his lips, gently kissing it as he spoke.

"Your parents..." Heeseung said quietly.

"They never approved of us, and I knew."

Heeseung paused, unsure of how to proceed or what to say next. He didn't want to ruin her relationship with her parents or affect their reunion. Telling the truth was the best choice, but he wondered if she would forgive either side.

"They threatened to sue me and ruin my career. They said I was negligent on the mission. That I wasn't a good enough person to be with you."

He stared at her, doubtful of how much information to share. 

"They didn't want me to talk to you ever again," he disclosed, his tone guarded. "They told me either I stayed away from you or they would ruin my life."

He sighed and looked down at the ground, a slight sense of shame on his face. 

"It was their disapproval, combined with the threat of losing everything, that forced me to leave."

"So you chose your career over our love?" she scoffed, pushing his arms away.

"Your career was more important than our relationship?"

She shook her head in disappointment. 

"No..." Heeseung quickly replied, stunned and hurt by her sudden change of attitude. "You know I'm not like that."

The truth was that he completely understood her reaction. He responded to his terrible decision the same way, turning against himself for being such a selfish prick. 

Nevertheless, so much was at stake that he couldn't have done it differently. That's what he wanted to explain. To make her see his point of view and hopefully make her understand. 

"You're the only person who knows what I had to go through to become an officer, Y/N. You know what kind of future I envisioned for myself, for us."

He wavered, rethinking his wording so as not to make it sound wrong. His voice slightly trembled, incredibly scared of what might come after all of this. "It would have been my entire future they would have destroyed."

She shook her head in denial, not wanting to believe her bloodline would stand in the way of her happiness. She couldn't believe her mother and father put her into that misery and pretended to be clueless. 

They blamed him for everything, constantly pointing out how right they were about him from the beginning of their relationship. They kept telling her that he would eventually leave and never look back when, in reality, they were the ones who would cause it to happen. They were pulling the strings behind her back. 

This whole time, while she deteriorated from the uncontrollable pain all alone, they were the culprits of her suffering. 

"I," she covered her mouth, the urge to vomit intensifying at the repulsive revelation. 

"Why," she looked up at him, anger and resentment burning in her eyes. 

"Why didn't you tell me right away?" she whispered, her voice hingeing from the lack of power.

Heeseung shut his eyelids, unable to speak at first due to the words choking him up. He couldn't even look his love in the eyes as he lowered his face in remorse.

"I thought you wouldn't believe me," he replied calmly, his voice full of emotion. "They are your parents, after all."

Heeseung searched for the correct words to express what he felt in those moments right before he took the decision to leave her for good. 

"I thought me leaving would be the least painful, the least harmful choice. I didn't want to ruin your family for one incompetent coward like me."

"Bullshit!" she yelled, throwing all of his attempts away. She was so angry at him and her parents all at once that it molded into one tangled wool of wrath that gushed obstreperous amounts of ire. 

"I would have believed you, Heeseung. These are all just excuses-"

"How can you say these are just excuses," Heeseung oppugned, his voice breaking at the end of the sentence.

"You think I liked being forced to make that decision? You think I liked seeing you in pain because of me?"

He sharply inhaled, almost hissing when exhaling. The words were pouring out of him as fast as a waterfall, and no one could stop him from speaking his mind now.

"Don't you think I regret all of it? Don't you think that I wished every single day that I had just told you the damn truth?" he snapped back, his tone rising at each word. 

"Do you have any idea what I went through this last year?" she shut him down, firmly pushing him away.

Do you have any idea what I was thinking this entire time?" she panted, the wrath inside her escalating through the roof.

"I thought I wasn't good enough for you, that I couldn't even make you happy, that you left because I only rubbed off my bad mental state, and you couldn't handle it anymore. This entire time, I thought it was MY fault you were gone, and I wanted to die." The curses escaped her chapped lips, fists hitting the mattress out of frustration and lack of control over her emotions. Her eyes burned with ire and disarray, quivering from undergoing sudden shock.

"Every day, I dreamt about dying. Every night, I hoped I wouldn't wake up the next day and that I would just die." She shouted into his face, her yells soon enough turning into painful sobs. 

"After you left, Hee, there was no point for me to live anymore."

Heeseung stared at her, totally awed and stunned by her words. He was blind this whole time, ignorant about what was happening behind the curtains.

He couldn't form a sentence, experiencing such strong and intense emotions that he couldn't even find the words to describe them.

"I tried to end my life so many times," she cried, covering her face with trembling hands, entirely losing control of her body.

Chills ran down his spine at the weight of the last sentence, which unraveled the extent of her suffering. 

His worst fear became true: she was hurting because of him. 

From the start, he tried to do what was best for her future. Yet, he only made it all worse. He ruined her and became the cause of her nightmares, of every second of her affliction.

His heart broke into a million pieces. The amount of guilt he had never experienced before struck him intensely, leaving him breathless.

Tears slowly rolled down his cheeks as he realized he had worsened her depression. 

First, he took away the person who loved her the most and then disposed of the one she loved the most. All at the same time, because of him. 

He wanted to shout, to kick himself for being so oblivious. He wanted to hug her and hold her, cry with her, and beg for forgiveness.

But all he could do at that moment was stand like a deer caught in the headlights, completely speechless.

"I'm so sorry," he murmured.

"I never wanted to cause you... pain." His voice broke as he said those words, the guilt eating him alive.

"I-I should have been there for you, I-" Another sigh parted away.

"I failed to protect you."

"Yea, you fucked up. Now, go," her tone drastically changed, sitting up as she crossed her arms, head turning towards the window.

The world outside seemed so much calmer than the one in the room, the tension sticking on the walls.

Heeseung didn't know what to say. He tried to protest, to say something, to do anything to fix things, but after your dismissal, he knew he had to accept the fact that he had messed up beyond all reasoning.

He walked towards the door, waiting for her to change her mind and ask him to stay. 

However, his wish was replaced by a soft "go."

No other words were necessary for this goodbye.

He turned to face her one final time, his eyes full of regret and misery. They couldn't even match hers for more than two seconds before a tear rolled down his cheek.

He had to look away, refusing to see the pain in her eyes and her trembling face.

"No," he said, turning around.

Heeseung was frustrated and felt misunderstood, lost in the words of frustration and anger thrown his way. 

It broke his heart to hear her say these things. Although he expected the worst possible scenario, he couldn't come to terms with this alternative. There was no way he would let her go again. 

He paused, taking a deep breath to process what he was hearing.

"I failed you as a lover and a friend," he whispered, the tone in his voice filled with sorrow and disappointment. 

"I should have been there for you, I should have stayed and fought."

Her stare was still focused outside, refusing to communicate with him further. There was a lot of bitterness and pain inside her to pursue a polite conversation. Any minute, she would go off like a bomb. He was pushing the time until detonation.

Heeseung took a deep breath yet again, looking around the room in disbelief.

He had never seen her so angry before — not even when she was angry with her parents. This was a whole new level of anger.

He couldn't bear the thought of leaving in such a condition while being furious and hurt. Even if he thought she no longer wanted him around, he needed to prove that was not true. He wanted to prove to her his love was real and was not as shallow as she thought.

"Don't make me call the staff and get you kicked out," the threat set a foot on the floor, directly aiming at him.

She finally made eye contact, handing a cold glare, her brows furrowed and her nostrils flared.

For a few seconds, Heeseung was utterly stunned by her sudden threat and the intensity of the stare. Once she made eye contact, he saw deep down the pain and hurt that she was frantically trying to mask.

"I just want to say one more thing before I leave," he whispered, his tone gentle and apologetic. He looked away, unsure if he was doing the right thing.

"I don't want to hear anything from you," she sat up and got her slippers, aiming to stand up and walk him out.

However, a sharp groan escaped instead, her hand automatically positioning on the ache in her chest. His heart sank once again as he noticed the sudden wince in her facial expression.

"Are you okay?" he asked, his voice full of worry and concern.

He wanted to reach out but knew he did not deserve to comfort you in such a critical moment. It was all his fault.

Therefore, he remained standing, but only a meter away, as his worries grew over.

"I just need you to leave me alone." her expression changed nattily, practically hissing out the sentence.

He remained silent, not saying a word.He could hear her breathing and the slight wheezing with each inhale. Other than that, there was only the silence of the room.He couldn't find any words to say in such a situation, not when her voice bore hatred and disdain.

Slowly, he backed away from her, his feet making light sounds on the floor, almost unable to hear them. She winced when attempting to slightly move, each muscle in her body tensing at the unexpected action.

Tears summon in her eyes, crawling back from the overlapping ache and sorrow combined into a deadly mixture. Heeseung noticed how her body reacted, recalling the doctor's orders. He couldn't hold back anymore. He couldn't stand idle.

"Wait," he said quickly, his tone filled with worry and panic. He rushed to her side, putting a hand on her shoulder to prevent her from getting up.

"God, you're such a-" Her whine swallows the curse word, shutting her eyelids due to the ascending pain.

"You can hate me as much as you want, but you must lay down this instance," Heeseung sighed, noticing her effort at resisting his actions even if it was all for her safety. He tried to lay her down slowly but firmly, making sure he didn't hurt her any further.

He gently pushed her backward on the bed, hoping the pain from the movement didn't worsen.

"You're a pain in the ass," she coughed, eyes still closed to avoid any form of direct eye contact. His presence beside was enough to rile her up and clench her fists.

He had to hide his smile as her attempts to push him away and the occasional bursts of insults were adorable. She might have been furious at the moment, but her actions gave away the small hint of weakness underneath.

It made him want to apologize for coming back at the wrong time, but he remained silent and waited by her side for the pain to subside.

He sat on the edge of the bed, looking out of the window with a heavy pang in his heart. He stayed silent for a while, content with sitting in silence, even if she was still furious at him.

He occasionally glanced at her with a sorrowful look, as if he was sorry for causing you so much pain and distress.

Slowly, he turned his head back towards the window and exhaled, the only noise he made for the following minutes.

"I should be furious and mad at you for everything," she whispered, "Yet, I can't because it hurts even more."

Heeseung's eyes widened once she spoke up. She might have not looked at him, but he heard her perfectly.

She still sounded angry, but it sounded more like regret than anything else. It was the first time he saw her defenses crack, and he was starting to wonder how long until she completely broke down.

"I prayed every night to see you again, to be held in your arms," she paused, suppressing the wave of tears from flushing down her face.

"I-" she put her arm over her face, fighting herself from speaking up further.

He remained silent, watching her struggle with her emotions. He couldn't help but feel a pang in his heart seeing her trying so hard not to break down in front of him.

With a light, tender gesture, he wiped the tears away from her cheeks and put his hand over her fist, trying to hold her fingers while remaining careful about the injuries.

"I hate you," she whimpered.

"I hate how much I love you after everything."

Those words hit him like a knife to the heart.

Hearing her confess her love and hatred towards him was a bittersweet feeling. Although her words still harbored anger, there was no denying his heart was aching for her.

He looked at her, not saying anything, just staring, his eyebrows furrowing, waiting to hear what else she had to say.

"You broke me, and somehow-" she lingered on her words, snuffling, "you're the only thing I think about."

Heeseung's heart ached with each word she spoke, hearing the emotional confession.

He didn't quite know what to say. Her love for him seemed just as conflicting as her rage and hatred as if both were trying to take the throne as the primary emotion in her heart.

Her tearful, trembling voice made him feel vulnerable too, his entire being consumed by the emotions that made him want to hug her so tightly, wanting so desperately to make everything better.

"You turned me into a mess," she covered her face with her palms, refusing to be seen this vulnerable and weak again.

He couldn't even argue with that statement because, at that moment, he knew she was right. He had turned her into a mess. He had left her without a single thought about if she would be alright, what it would do to her given her psychological condition. 

He had forgotten how much she loved and needed him and how his sudden disappearance would affect her. He was unable to stand her vulnerable state any longer.

He grabbed both her wrists, pulling them away from her face, letting his eyes meet hers.

"Look at me," he said in the softest way possible.

He was doing exactly what she didn't want him to do.

She was concealing her reckless emotions from him, forbidding him to see her like this any longer.

At his words, she reluctantly let go of and slowly lifted her face. She didn't want him here, but she did. She craved, no, needed him.

She looked directly into his eyes, feeling her heart ache, not wanting this moment to end but also wanting to escape it. His orbs had the most solemn expression, looking at her with sorrow and empathy.

He couldn't help but feel how her emotions were constantly switching between rage and sadness, and although she didn't say the words, his heart was still willing to believe that she still loved him.

Because she truly did.

And that's why she hated herself so much.

Heeseung's heart couldn't take it anymore.

When she looked away from his eyes, he saw how much she was still struggling to keep her emotions from breaking down completely. He wanted to help her, he wanted to make everything better, but he didn't know how.

With a light tug, he pulled her close and tightly hugged her. The warmth from his body spread to her, the smell of his cologne filling her nostrils.

As if the whole world had turned upside down, she had officially reached her limits. There were no barriers in her way anymore and she let her emotions burst out.

At last, she allowed herself to cry in front of someone again. In front of him. In his arms, in his embrace, in his chest.

With the sound of her trembling breaths, Heeseung could feel how real this moment was. Every tear falling from her cheeks, every sniffle, and every sob.

He didn't mind one bit. He didn't care how vulnerable she was right now or how weak this moment made her look. To him, her hugging hugging him back and feeling her body pressed against his was all that mattered right now.

She was finally home.

She was finally safe again.

She was where she was supposed to be all along.

With her lover, her soulmate, her other part.

She could finally smile again.

Heeseung tightened the grip on her body, wanting to bring her as close as possible to fill the space of loneliness in her heart.

The feeling of her warm body against his was all he needed to feel complete again. It was like he found the last missing piece of the puzzle. With it, the picture was complete. His heart was finally beating again. 

He kept his arms around her, not letting go of her for a single second. He hoped that this was just the beginning of their second chance.

Her hands rested on his chest as she lifted her head, inches away from his lips.

He brought her closer, making the space between their faces even shorter. He slowly lowered his head to meet her lips, his breath slightly trembling as his heart pumped rapidly in his chest.

She moaned into the kiss, closing her eyes and letting him take control. She was so tired, both mentally and physically, but craved him intensely.

Their tongues collided against each other leisurely and intensely at the same time, desperate to have one another as close as possible. 

The kiss was hungry, both despairing for each other that they were practically devouring each other rather than just simply enjoying the moment.

Heeseung's arms tightly wrapped around her, holding her firmly against his body, his lips moving with a steady pace alongside hers. There was no need for any words, as their entire bodies had already expressed everything they needed to.

His hands ran under her hospital gown, sliding upwards on her back. She arched her back at the contact, moaning and lightly biting onto his lip.

Heeseung couldn't help but moan at her reaction. The feeling of his hands on her skin sent shivers down her spine, his fingers feeling like little sparks of joy spreading through.

He moaned against her lips again, wanting this moment to last even longer.

She was all his, and he was all hers.

There was nothing that could stop them from being so intimate and together right now. All the anger and hatred that lingered inside was washed away by the sheer joy of being reunited.

He began tracing her spine with delicate, light touches, sending a chill down her back despite the warm sensations that the gesture caused.

When his hands moved further up, her back began to arch involuntarily, breathing becoming heavier.

His fingers found themselves tangled in her hair, pulling back as the kisses became even more passionate.

"Someone could come in any moment," she panted as he pulled away for a minute, gripping his shirt for stability since she was in a daze. Any hospital staff could barge in, and she certainly didn't want anyone to catch her engaging in lewd activities...

Heeseung let out a chuckle at her reminder, still feeling his heart pump and his lips vibrating with a warm, fuzzy feeling.

"I don't mind," he whispered, his lips hovering near hers again, teasing.

At that moment, the kiss felt so perfect for him, so right that he didn't care if anyone saw them in such a vulnerable state. He looked around the room and back at her, a small, mischievous grin appearing on his face.

"You're crazy!" she wanted to protest, but he kissed her again, sliding his hand behind her neck so she could fully transfer her weight onto his hand.

"Don't worry," he said, getting up and heading towards the door, getting a "do not disturb" sign out of the shelf and putting it on the door's front handle before locking themselves in.

He was glad he had decided to take her to a private hospital, not only because the surgery was done quickly, but he could also stay the night with her.

She couldn't help but feel a little bit of relief wash over, knowing that they wouldn't be interrupted by anybody walking by. The two of you could finally have some privacy to let the passion and desire run free.

With the heat between both of them building up, Heeseung returned to the bed, this time straddling on top of her.

"Oh," she gaped at him from below, her hands holding onto his arms next to her.

Her gaze landed underneath his shirt as he hovered over her, allowing her to fully see his abs. They were still as sculpted and defined as she remembered, perhaps even more visible now. Her mouth slightly hung loose, biting her lip to conceal her arousal.

He looked down at her, seeing the intent stare at his abs as her finger lightly trailed towards the edge of his shirt.

With a soft smirk, he lifted his arms, letting her expose his entire upper body, the abs, and pecs flexing slightly as he moved. He let her admire and touch every inch of his muscle, even letting her trace the veins on his arms.

For some reason, seeing him suddenly topless caused a couple of fireworks to set off in her stomach, immediately looking away to hide the wave of heat mantling her cheeks.

Heeseung couldn't help but giggle softly at her shyness, finding it utterly appealing. He still got butterflies each time she blushed like this, finding it to be one of her most endearing characteristics.

He leaned closer, lifting her hands off her face and caressing it with his own hands.

"So beautiful," he whispered, pressing his forehead against hers.

"Don't be shy. You can touch any part of me you want."

"Hee," she panted, feeling breathless from the lewdness of his words.

He chuckled, noticing how overwhelmed she got.

"I can't believe how easily flustered you get."

He paused for a few seconds before placing one of his hands on her pink cheek.

"It's okay to be touched like this, you know," he whispered into her ear.

"You've touched my heart so many times already, you can touch me as much as you like."

"If you keep talking like that, I'll melt," she sighed, placing her hand on his face as his gaze only evoked more attraction.

Heeseung laughed, finding her response to his comments sweet. He could see her already trying not to blush and feeling quite embarrassed, which made him want to tease her even further.

"Is that so?" he inquired, looking at her with a teasing smile on his lips.

"Well, maybe it would be better to see you in liquid form. Then I could at least drink in your beauty all at once."

"What are you even saying!" She widened her eyes, slapping his arm and covering her mouth out of embarrassment.

Heeseung smiled and played with a strand of her hair.

"Am I making you upset?" he teased, "and there I was, planning on making you melt all over me so I could lick it all up." With a smirk, he brought his face closer to hers, letting her feel his breath against her lips.

"You're such a pervert," her head turned to the side on the pillow, closing her eyes as the tip of her ears began to redden.

"You like it, though," his voice was tinged with a teasing undertone, almost daring her to deny it.

"Is this making you nervous?" he asked lusciously, "maybe I should keep kissing your neck until you can't take it anymore."

She moaned and grabbed his back the moment his lips brushed against her neck, breathing heavier than before.

He knew damn well how sensitive her neck was, and he always used that against her. He smirked at her reaction to his kiss, noticing how her body tensed up.

As he continued kissing her neck and leaving hickeys all across it, he could hear how she was trying to repress her moans.He didn't plan on going too far with this, but he was incredibly tempted to make you her out with his touch.

She pushed him away for a minute, her whole body practically shaking from the stimulation.

Heeseung smirked, knowing he had pushed her limits with the kiss.

Still, he didn't hesitate one second to get close to her again and place light kisses across her face.

"Is that too much?" he asked, his voice still maintaining that teasing tone, "I could do even more you know. We have a whole night ahead of us."

"I hate you so much," she grunted, letting him peck her face with smooches.

"Such harsh words coming from such a cute mouth." Heeseung laughed as she kept resisting his kisses, only making him want to tease her more.

"You can hate me all you want, but you can't escape my charm," he grinned at her, kissing her forehead and letting his fingers trail downwards.

"You could have gotten me naked instead of blabbering on."

Heeseung raised his eyebrows and smirked at the straightforwardness of her comment.

"Is that an invitation?" he inquired, "cause if it is, then I accept it completely." He brought her close to his body again, still keeping a firm grasp around her waist.

"Let me make your desire come true."

"Be careful, it hurts," she sat up, holding onto him.

Heeseung smiled softly at her actions, letting her sit up and gently lifting her onto his lap. He saw how tired she was, the exhaustion of the surgery still weighing in on her.

"Are you sure you want to do this right now?" he inquired in a concerned tone, "we don't have to do anything, and still…"

He wavered for a moment, leaning her body against him.

"I still want to be near you."

She nodded, running her hands on his bare chest before giving it soft and tender pecks.

He let out a soft groan as his chest was bombarded with so many kisses, his body feeling warm at the spot her lips placed on. He let her body lean on him, enjoying the softness of her skin on his own. He couldn't stop but smile at how soft and gentle her every gesture was, making him feel the need to protect her.

She traced upwards, bringing her lips to his neck. She soaked up the smell of his scent, letting her lips slowly brush against his honey skin, licking and biting occasionally.

After kissing his cheek, she let her face rest on his shoulder, sighing at the warmth they were passing onto each other.

Heeseung cuddled her, running his hands through her silky hair as he enjoyed the closeness of her presence. They were both lying in silence for a couple of minutes, letting the quietness of the moment envelope them both. He felt content, and so did she. She floundered to explain it, but being in his arms made her feel safe and protected as if she was in a cocoon away from the outside world.

"Help me take this off, please," she pointed at her gown, slowly kissing him one more time.

"You don't have to say it twice."

He paused for a moment, feeling her tongue gently slide across his lips. It was as if she couldn't wait to feel his warmth all over her body. The thought made him eager to get rid of the clothing, so he began pulling the strings to the side, slowly untying them before she could slip the dress over her shoulders.

She looked down to see her chest wrapped with bandages from the surgery, sighing at the sight. Her eyes darted away, slanting a bit.

Heeseung's eyes followed her gaze, realizing how uncomfortable and self-conscious she must have felt about it. Wanting to ease her tension, he smiled and placed his hands on her shoulders before whispering next to her ear.

"You don't have to feel embarrassed or uncomfortable. I am your lover, and nothing you show me will make me love you any less."

With those words, Heeseung's voice was tinged with kindness, as he wanted to make her feel at ease and wanted.

"I'm sorry for looking like this," she lowered your head, trying to hide her chest.

Heeseung gently caressed her face, lifting it so he could stare directly into her eyes.

"Never be sorry for something you have zero control over." He lifted his hand and placed it on top of her chest, his thumb running across the bandages.

"I was here to support you during the surgery, and I'm still here now to support you through your recovery, and no matter what, I will always love you."

She felt her eyes watering, sobbing as his kind words caressed her soul with love.

He didn't hesitate to pull her in a tight hug, soothing her as he cradled her in his arms.

The comfort of his touch was evident, not only from how her body quivered from the sudden embrace but also from her sobbing. It was clear as a day that she was going through a lot, but the thought of being in his arms was enough to calm her nerves and soothe her soul.

"I love you," she whispered, looking for his lips with hers.

"I love you more, Y/N."

Heeseung brought their bodies closer. It was a tender moment, full of affection and love, as they shared a deep kiss full of care and adoration.

"So you still want me? Even though I look like this," she foolishly asked, worried he could be less attracted to her after the surgery. Not only that, but she had lost a lot of weight, and she wasn't comfortable in her skin.

Heeseung was instantly alarmed at the comment, well aware of her insecurities. The way she was concerned was the last thing he needed to see right now.

"Don't ever think like that again," he placed his forehead against hers, wanting her to understand how he felt.

"Nothing will ever make me love you less. You've been through this surgery and lost some weight, but have I ever told you how beautiful you still look? How much I still want you?"

"Please tell me," she hiccuped, getting goosebumps when he cupped her cheeks and softly caressed them in his big hands.

Heeseung smirked softly before leaning down to kiss her forehead.

"You are incredible to me. Nothing has changed how I feel about you. In fact, I feel that my love for you has multiplied, and I want you more than ever."

He waited for a minute, letting his words sink into her heart.

"You've gone through so much today, and all I want to do is take care of you and help you recover fully..."

She wrapped her arms around his neck, sobbing from receiving so much care and affection. She had gotten used to being alone and not having anyone for so long that she forgot how it felt to be loved.

Heeseung saw how his behavior was having a huge impact on her, and although he was touched by seeing her reaction, he also felt a certain joy in it, since it meant she was letting him into her life. The more she let him in, the more he felt satisfied, seeing how she accepted his protection. 

"Let me cuddle you again," he smiled, caressing her hair as he pulled her closer to his body.

"No, make love to me, please," she leaned back, letting him gently hold her close.

"I want you so badly."

Heeseung was a bit taken aback by the suddenness of her demand, but the tone of her voice was tempting and irresistible.

He let his hands crawl down her body until they ended up resting on her hips and butt.

"Are you sure you're feeling good enough to do something like this?" he whispered into her ear, not wanting to do anything that could potentially hurt her.

"As long as you're gentle," she smiled, caressing his face in her palm.

Heeseung let out a low growl as she touched his face, delicate yet sensual, enough to make him harder. The more she touched him, the more he felt his heart racing and his breath speeding up.

He moved in closer, their bodies touching from head to toe as her breath hitched.

"I'm all yours," she whispered.

Heeseung was speechless the moment he heard those words leave her mouth. 

It was the most beautiful thing he could ever imagine. 

Someone who truly loves him and wants to be with him.

He looked down at her, letting his orbs get lost in hers.

"Do you mean those words?"

She nodded, pressing herself onto his erection.

"My heart only beats for you and you only," she smiled, intertwining her hands with his.

He let out a low gasp upon seeing her take control, feeling some blood hastily flowing to his lower regions.

Her words were like music to his ears, and he kept grinning like an idiot. He was so happy she felt this way about him. He lowered his head, kissing the small space between her shoulder and neck.

"Take off your pants, Hee," she grabbed his belt, trying to take it off.

Her command had him on edge. He was so eager to obey that he didn't waste a second and quickly complied, undoing his leather belt and taking off his trousers as he sat on the edge of the bed.

Seeing him completely naked in front of her made her nervous, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear while looking over to the side.

Why did he have to look so ethereal and luscious?

The moment she averted her gaze to another direction and started playing with her hair, urging him to be even closer. He let out a slow breath and took in her appearance from head to toe.

She always had a way of looking vulnerable yet seductive that made his heart flutter with every heartbeat.

He leaned over, gently laying her back on the bed, getting on top. 

She gasped quietly, having him this close making her feel some type of way. Her hand wandered on his neck, pulling him lower to get a taste of his luscious lips one more time.

Heeseung moaned as she tugged him downwards and let her explore his body. It was a feeling that left him with no words.

He let his body rest on hers, making sure she was in a comfortable position as his hands roamed around her flawless body, trailing upwards until they ended up on her breasts.

She hitched once his warm palms held them, cautiously caressing them. Her hands rested upon his, guiding them to cup her breasts a bit more.

His touch was tender and careful, making sure not to hurt her while molding his hands to fit her curves. Her hands encouraged and guided him more, immediately tightening. Nevertheless, he made sure to keep the pressure at a minimum.

The feeling of the heat between their bodies, the sensation of their fingers running over each others' bodies, and the delicate kissing was enough to make his breath pick up pace as he groaned softly.

"You're so beautiful," she breathed out, every bit of oxygen getting cut off in her system whenever he looked at her with that dazzling gaze.

He sensed a deep level of contentment, letting his lips brush against hers. They were warm, and the feeling of her soft body under him left him feeling so excited that his heart would burst.

The fact she even wanted to be with him in that moment made the experience more fulfilling to him, the love only growing with each passing second.

He guided his mouth lower, from her neck to her collarbones, until he had reached her petite breasts, rubbing his face against them. He couldn't get enough of her scent and warmth, kissing and licking her nipples.

The tingling sensation of his tongue made her body shiver, bringing a rush of excitement. Her hands moved upwards to his hair, letting her fingers run through it. She failed to hide her moans, a few escaping, causing a surge of ecstasy to run to her toes, which curled in response. It was quite difficult to maintain her composure.

Her whimpers drove him crazy, glazing her teats tenderly like they were his favorite type of ice cream he couldn't get enough of.

She looked down at Heeseung's erection, grabbing it in her hand. Her fingers wrapped around it gradually, her heart rate racing, mind all over the place. She was lost in passion and had a hard time believing this was happening.

He leaned to her ear, his breath brushing over her after whispering her name. Her touch sent shivers down his spine, but he was also excited at the same time. It's been a while since the last time he had felt the sensation of a woman's touch on him, and he liked it.

She kept guiding her hand, traveling up and down his shaft. He continued twitching in her hand, overstimulated by her touch and existence. She struggled to properly inhale, the intensity of their activities sucking in all the clear oxygen roaming around the room.

Heeseung was going crazy. He was shivering and jolting, all his sensations heightening, and his body was becoming a little sensitive. She didn't have to touch his sensitive area to make him squirm. The way she used her hand to stroke him made any self-control he had left fly out of the window. The pleasure of her touch was overbearing.

"I missed you so much," she confessed, her thumb pressing on the head of his member, causing him to hiss in pleasure.

"I missed you too, Y/N," he whispered, letting a low moan slip out of his lips. She had his full attention. Not even his breath would slip away.

The way she took pride in making him squirm and moan, the way she traced him like a paintbrush across a canvas, made his heart skip a beat, wanting more of her.

He slowly thrust his member into her hand, practically using her to ease his arousal. She guided her palm gently down his shaft, letting him pleasure himself using her body. She kissed his neck, gently biting it. It was fun to care for the dominant one in the relationship.

Heeseung groaned as her lips kissed and nibbled on his neck. The feeling of the kisses left the blood running hot through his veins, sending a rush of heat through, slightly spasming below.

His hands moved down her body, one of them grasping her hips. She groaned as he felt his fingers circling her sacred part, spitting down for easy access inside.

"You shouldn't be doing this," he panted, his index playing with her clit.

"I should be the one pleasuring you," he stopped her from doing anything more, not wanting her to feel as though she needed to compensate him in any way.

His hand moved down to her body, skimming over her skin and body before settling down between her legs. His fingers caressed her folds, sending shivers.

"But I want to," she pouted, attempting to close her legs when his face was inches away from her exposed lower part.

"I know you do, but it's time that I got to return the favor to you," he cupped her thighs, squeezing them gently as he lifted her legs over his shoulders.

She covered her mouth, closing her eyes the minute his tongue brushed over her woman parts, causing her to throw her head back from euphoria.

Heeseung's touch was gentle but firm. He wasn't being forceful, he wasn't being rough, he was merely enjoying the moment of watching her body shake and tremble.

His hand moved lower and lower, his finger tracing your entrance.

His spit slipped inside, alongside his fingers, moving them in and out with ease while licking her clit. He pushed his fingers in more, curling them upwards to hit that sweet spot that would make her moan and groan in pleasure.

"Hee," she panted, drooling over how good she was feeling, tugging his hair since she needed to hold onto something. After all, she was going through cloud nine.

His touch left her gasping for air like a dying woman. She had no choice but to squirm and moan, letting a wave of ecstasy take over. It felt like she was in another world, the feeling extremely intense.

Heeseung's fingers circled and moved inside her, causing her to dissolve. She gritted her teeth, hands forming into fists as the pleasure overstimulated her.

His were moving slowly and methodically, focused on her that the world around him almost didn’t exist anymore.

It was as if the both of them were in their little worlds, enjoying the feeling of being together, their breathings syncing, bodies blending into one blossom. His hands slowly picked up the pace, going slightly quicker while remaining gentle.

"Hee," she called out softly, fighting to contain her lewd sounds, legs shaking slightly as the stimulations were overlapping. She felt like she was going to explode any second.

He knew what you were going through because he could see her expressions rapidly changing with each lick and curl. She was reaching that point where she couldn't hold it in anymore. It made him happy since this was proof that he was capable of pleasuring her to such an extent.

"I love you," she cried from the pleasure, arms crossing over her face to hold it all in. His fingers were quickly moving deeper and faster. He wanted her to experience as much as she could right now.

The words of affection got Heeseung feeling all mushy inside. He wanted to please her, to make her experience everything he could give.

"I-" her mind went blank, turning your head from one side to the other, feeling her climax building up inside. She was so close, and she couldn't hold on anymore. Her hand immediately grabbed his free one, tightly gripping it.

Heeseung didn't stop, speeding up to drive her over that edge.

"Hee-" she called desperately, legs shaking as he kept licking and moving his fingers quicker.

"Relax… Just relax, Y/N… Let go, let go for me," he said, his voice soft but commanding.

Without another minute, her nails dug deeper, her body shaking and tugging rapidly as she reached her climax, completely covering his fingers in her arousal. Heeseung smiled, licking all of her cum from his fingers and entrance, edging her with his kitten licks.

"Fuck," she cursed, overstimulated by everything.

She felt like all the tension had left her body - as if gravity had let go, and she was floating in the air. Her mind was blank, body trembling, breath quick and shaky as the feeling of pleasure was running all through your system.

"Heeseung," she whispered, pulling him closer.

He smiled a little as he moved his hand up to her cheek.

She wrapped her arms and legs around his body, kissing his neck over and over again.

"Please, put it in," she begged, resting in his embrace.

The moment she spoke was almost like music to his ears, and Heeseung knew exactly what you were asking for.

He gently pushed her down onto her back, leaning over with his hand trailing down her shoulder and chest to her neck. He let his other hand move lower slowly to touch her properly.

"Are you ready?", he whispered.

She kissed him, letting her actions speak. Her tongue immediately slid inside, breathing and moaning into his mouth.

He matched her energy, his tongue fighting with hers. He wasn't being gentle, neither was he being a beast. He was allowing the moment to unfold, not rushing it. The wet kisses were leaving them yearning for more.

"I don't want to wait anymore, Hee," she conveyed, wholly resting her body on the bed. Her legs were still wrapped around his waist, putting her arms above her head.

It was her way of letting him know that she was ready. That she needed him, now.

Those words sent his blood boiling, causing his member to twitch and jolt from the feeling of wanting her so badly.

He looked down at her marvelous body, noticing the position she had placed herself in for him - the invitation he saw in her eyes made him go wild.

He leaned down to her, his breath handling her with every word that came out of his mouth.

"Are you sure you can handle me?" he whispered, his voice a little low and husky from the intense moment.

"Stop talking and just do it already," her patience was getting thin, rubbing her lower part against his.

He grinned, unable to hold back the smile on his face after she snapped at him. With his body resting over hers, his hands went to the back of her legs, squeezing them slightly.

He looked into her eyes once more before pushing his body forward, aligning his shaft at her entrance. It wouldn't have been Heeseung if he hadn't teased first, rubbing his member against her slickness. He enjoyed watching her whimper in agony and frustration.

Her mind went blank the more he teased, swept away from his touch. There wasn't one single thought in her mind, merely focusing on this moment.

Her hands gripped his muscular arms, moans getting louder with each moment he rubbed against her beautiful body.

Heeseung's mind was on nothing but giving her satisfaction. Her legs gripped his back, voice becoming more breathy and soft as she wanted him to ease her arousal.

He smiled, and without a warning, he put himself in, his dick sliding inside her smoothly, causing both of them to moan loudly.

Her slippery and hot walls trapped him inside, trying to soothe his tugging and jerking shaft. He groaned, his abdomen drawing in at every push, shaking his head from the vigor of pleasure. She was unreal, her beauty, her body, just all of her.

Heeseung opened his eyes after calming down, his breathing deepening. His lips agonized for hers, huffing his compressed desire and longing into a powerful and passionate kiss. It was the longest one of today, sucking her lips in his mouth, his tongue grazing over, between, or under them continuously. He couldn't get enough, cursing at how unbelievable this was.

Her heart was beating so fast she could feel it in her ears, not believing that this was happening to her right now.

"H-Hees…" she could barely say his name as her voice quivered. He was using one hand to hold her against him, his other moving down to her hand.

"Y/N…" He breathed out, his voice husky and shaky. His thumb rubbed her hand, squeezing it gently to the point she could feel his touch.

The feeling of him being inside was a mix of many things, but the main factor was that it felt right. His body fit like a puzzle inside, like two pieces finally joining together.

She had used this expression before, but there was no better way of describing this bliss. It was too perfect to be true.

She was losing her mind, forgetting to breathe.

“Take a deep breath,” he whispered, the words barely audible from being so lost in the moment.

His hips slowly moved alongside her, their bodies now both thrusting together, absolutely lost in the moment.

All of his thoughts disappeared, the rush for pleasure consuming him. His lips met her shoulder between kisses, his tongue licking along it.

She did as he said, inhaling and exhaling filthy noises, turning him on even more. Her eyes were teary, not because it hurt, but because it felt too good.

“Good girl,” he whispered, caressing her hair.

His hips kept moving, taking longer, his back arching as he did. It took everything in him not to lose himself in the pleasure, to hold back and make sure that this was a long and enjoyable experience for both sides.

"Don't ever leave me again, please," she pleaded, realizing how emotional she was getting with each thrust. The fear inside was climbing over her walls, ready to ambush.

"Never," he vowed, kissing her with such desperation that he couldn't control himself any longer. It was like he was craving more of her.

Her hands held onto his hips, nails digging into his skin for support. Her legs were starting to give up, shaking from the intensity and ecstasy of their lovemaking.

Heeseung noticed her legs, moving his hand down to grip her thigh and hold it up slightly. He knew that he had to make adjustments to take it slower and not wear her out so quickly.

“Heeseung,” she breathed out, watching their bodies moving together with every single thrust. How he slid inside her and pulled away, completely disappearing inside her while hitting her hallowed spot. She threw her back, the image sending goosebumps all over.

He watched her body twitch and shiver, nails digging into his back. His breath was growing shaky, incapable of thinking about anything but being inside of her, enjoying the moment when the two of them were connected completely.

She looked at him through her droopy eyelids, toiling to look straight as he kept pushing himself deeper. Her mouth was drooling slightly, a light string of saliva tracing down her neck. This had to be what they meant by being fucked until your brain was empty.

"I love you," he moaned, his voice shaking and his breath increasing in speed. He could barely keep himself from falling in that moment; he was trying his best to keep a steady rhythm.

Her eyes rolled back, completely deteriorating in his thrusts. The deeper he fucked her, the more her insides quivered.

Heeseung pushed even deeper, his mouth open and his breaths coming out in small puffs of white air.

Her nails left long scratches on his back, losing control over herself.

"I'm here," he whispered against her neck. "I'm not going anywhere." Every word he said had a sense of urgency and determination to it. He was there, in her arms and he wasn't leaving her.

"I love you so much, Hee," she sobbed, hiding her face in the crook of his neck. Her moans occasionally slipped out due to his magical thrusts, becoming one with him.

"I love you too," he said quietly as he raised his other hand to her forehead and gently ran his fingers through her bangs. His hand came down to caress her cheek and he looked directly into her eyes. The passion he felt for her was overwhelming, and he couldn't think of anything at this moment but her and the wonderful moment they were sharing.

Heeseung moved his mouth back to her neck, kissing and nibbling softly. This feeling of belonging and unity between the two of them was just incredible.

His thrusts were longer but at the same time slower, his hand moving down her thigh and moving her legs down to his, he needed more grip for the both of their pleasure.

She bit her lips, eyes shutting at the phenomenal experience, throwing her head back and slightly arching. Her chest started hurting a bit, as their intercourse was getting a bit intense.

"Hey," he breathed, pulling himself out for a moment from your body. "Are you okay?"

It seemed that he caught on to the fact that she was beginning to feel some pain. He moved to the side and looked down at her, his face concerned.

"Sorry, it just," she pointed to the wound, exhaling loudly.

He realized that he made her discomforted. He couldn't stop himself from frowning, his face looking concerned.

"Don't apologize," he said, his voice a little low. "Just tell me what I can do to help relieve the pain, alright?"

"Maybe if we lay on our sides," she proposed, struggling to make herself turn

"That's a good idea," he helped her turn, leaning behind her and putting his arms around to help her stay in that position. His body eased into that position, laying his head behind her, arms holding her, and his chest touching her back.

"That's better," she smiled, breathing a bit easier now.

"I'm sorry for hurting you. I was enjoying the moment so much that I got a little carried away…"

"No, it's ok, I was enjoying it as much as you," she turned her head back a bit, grabbing his hands and putting it on her stomach.

Heeseung's body relaxed after her reassurance, leaning in more to wrap himself around her, the top half of his body covering her while the lower half pushed deeper into her.

She whimpered when he slid back in, squeezing his hands with a resonant sigh. This time, he was slower and more gentle, kissing from her nape all down her spine, leaving a lengthy trace of ardor. His mouth traced slowly down her back, turning his adoration into a sensational experience.

It was different this time because his concerns about her comfort were clambering. He never wanted to hurt her, only aiming to give her pleasure. Hence, he grabbed her leg, putting it over his so he had more space to enter deeper, to hit that spot that sent her through the roof.

As expected, she let out a deep gasp, the sound escaping from her almost involuntarily. Heeseung's tongue traced another slow line down her spine and back up again, savoring her taste.

He caressed her inner thigh, moving his hand back to her chest to play with her teats. His thumb and index grabbed them, twisting them around. He loved her appearance, but her breasts were the real treasure he never got enough of.

Words weren't able to describe how incredible this moment was, how their bodies connected and merged into one blossom of fervor.

His hands trailed up and down, drafting her marvelous curves. His touch felt light and gentle, yet there was still a sense of urgency and power behind it.

"You're so fucking beautiful, it's driving me crazy," he cursed, squeezing her breast.

"You're… you're so perfect," he spat out in between kisses, his body getting comfortable and used to this position. He bit down more forcefully on her neck, his kisses leaving more and more red marks.

"Hold me close, please," she whimpered, looking for his hands on her body.

"I got you," he said, body shifting to fully align with hers, arms gripping her from behind to tighten. He brought his face into her neck, his breathing speeding up with each kiss he gave her.

"Never let go," she sobbed, squeezing his hands with her trembling ones.

"Never, I promise," he pledged, holding her close to his chest.

She could feel his heart beating in time with hers, both sounding like they were about to explode.

"Never," she repeated, praying it was going to become true.

Heeseung kissed her deeply and passionately, pressing his body up against hers.

He was aware of her intonation, the worries raking in her head. Every kiss was stronger, more intense, and hotter than the last as he had to destroy all of them, one by one. His lips moved along her neck, tongue encircling on her neck, licking along it as he left no spot untouched.

She sat up, pushing him back on the bed. Heeseung's eyes widened, his reflexes quickly grabbing her wrists to prevent her from falling back.

She slightly groaned, lowering her head a little to catch her breath.

"Can you also sit up?" she proposed, wanting the two of you to make love while hugging each other.

He did as she asked, lifting himself a bit, leaning his back against the bed as he sat up with his legs spread. His hands held her back, one of his hands moving down to hold her leg as the other rested back on his. His mouth met hers, giving her a long kiss, not letting go of her in any way.

"I wanted to look at you," she voiced as she guided his shaft back inside her, scrunching her face.

"That's fine," he breathed out, his voice hoarse from being in her again, the constant switching driving his member to aggravate.

His eyes looked at her while her body trembled and twitched, his body feeling incredible. It was almost like being high, heavenly, and divine.

"I can feel your heart beating against mine," she smiled, her chest brushing against his, her perky nipples stimulating themselves.

Heeseung's heart beat faster every time she did that, her soft hands tenderly caressing his body, as if it would break in her delicate touch. She went over the muscles of his leg, his stomach, his chest, and eventually his arms. Her touch sent shivers down his spine and made him moan and sigh, realizing just how much she was driving him crazy.

"I missed you so much," she chuckled, masking the pain in her voice by cupping his cheeks.

"I missed you too," he breathed out, his lips locking with yours, making sure to kiss her deeply to show how much she meant to him.

Every kiss and bite seemed to drive a feeling of euphoria through his body, like every time he kissed her, a wave of happiness and satisfaction coursed through.

She closed her eyes when he caressed her back, circling it with a tender push. He made her feel so comfortable and safe, all with just one look, one touch, one kiss.

His kiss was the sweetest thing, his hands and lips exploring every inch of her. He wanted to feel all of her curves and touch every inch of her skin.

Her fingers wandered into his hair as the kiss deepened, huffing into his mouth while gently moving up and down, making both of them feel the most wonderful fractions inside.

He pulled her closer, their bodies wrapped around each other, unable to let go of one another. Their hands rested along each other's sides and their legs slightly entwined underneath.

Heeseung's tongue slid in and out of her mouth, exploring all of the areas he had already tasted before. He licked her upper lip after moving his hands down her hips.

He firmly gripped them, guiding her up and down his cock while he sucked on her neck, leaving trails of hickeys.

His breath warmed her icy skin and his lips kissed and nibbled along. Her body was starting to tremble and shake, his tongue returning to her lips. His kisses were extremely passionate, the ones where she forgot to breathe or think.

She pulled away, staring into his eyes through her lax gaze, mouth slightly agape, lips covered in their saliva. Her brain was empty, not thinking about anything but his presence and being inside her.

It felt like a deer caught in the headlights, clueless and innocent.

Heeseung smirked, watching her stare back but not knowing what to say. She appeared so pure it made him want to kiss her over and over again, fully swallow her in smooches and happiness.

He ran his fingers through her hair and pulled her face towards him again, this time gently kissing her neck.

Her wet lips brushed against his neck, quietly puffing and huffing. Her saliva was pooling on his shoulder since she rested her face on it, unintentionally drooling from the sensation.

Neither of them had any intention of stopping, wanting this moment to be eternal. When he saw how much she was enjoying herself, when he felt how aroused she was and how much he was giving her pleasure his lips curled into a satisfied smile.

His hands moved back from her cheeks to her hips again, squeezing her waist. His kisses still moved along her neck, his tongue occasionally nibbling at her collarbone and leaving it slightly red from the small love bites. 

She was drunk-dazed from his love and affection, from his kisses and touch, from his presence. One man was enough to wreck your entire world over and gather it up back, and that was Lee Heeseung. 

"I love you," he muttered. 

Nothing else was on his mind other than how gorgeous she looked, how incredible she felt, and how good it was to see every expression on her face from pleasure to satisfaction.

"Say it again," she murmured into his ear, wrapping her arms around his neck.

"You want me to.. say it again?" he asked, his voice a bit playful, yet his smile warm and genuine.

He moved his tongue to the side of her neck, running it from her ear to her collarbone, kissing it softly.

"I love you."

"Again," she smiled, closing her eyes from the exhaustion.

Heeseung chuckled, caressing her cheeks and running his fingers through her hair.

"Hmm, should I?" He teased, his voice mischievous.

"Should I say it again?" His breath and hand fondled her neck with marks.

"Mhm," she nodded, lazily dragging her lips on his neck.

"I love you..." he breathed out, moving his lips down until they reached hers.

"How many times do you want me to say it?"

"Until the day I die," she mumbled, eyelids shut and mouth still drooling, body completely relaxed and leaning against his.

"I love you," he repeated, giving you a light kiss.

"I love you." Another kiss

"I love you." Another one.

"I love you." The last one, slightly rougher than the rest. 

"How much, though?" her eyelids open a little, giving him a tired, but extremely seductive look, the one he lost himself in each time. 

"Hmm.. let me think," he chuckled, feeling the hotness mounting in himself from her look alone.

"If I could, I would take all of your pain away and replace it with the happiness you deserve. I would give you the whole world just to see you smile in my arms every day. I would give my life to make yours wonderful. I would sacrifice anything just so you can feel safe and loved. "

She whimpered at his words, eyes watering and insides rolling over. Her nails dug into his back again, hiding her flushed, red face in his shoulder.

"I would fight for you and protect you with my life, not allow anyone to hurt you ever again. I would fondle you in love and affection, from the moment you open your eyes till you close them," Heeseung breathed out, her scent intoxicating him.

"S-stop," she whinced in pleasure, eyes rolling back. The more he spoke, the closer she was to cumming, his words messing up her insides.

"You're my world, my life, my home, my reason to breathe every day. I want to take care of you and protect you, make you happy, and keep you warm every single time you feel cold or sad," his breathing shallowed as he spoke, feeling incredibly turned on by her reaction.

"E-enough," she pulled back, throwing her head back. He grabbed her wrists, not allowing her to escape his love.

"Never," he responded, pulling her back into his arms.

"I want to be with you all the time, I want to feel your body against mine, I want to make you feel loved, I want you to be mine and me to be yours until we die."

"S-shut u-up," she stuttered out, knowing she was minutes away from her orgasm.

"Why would I stop? " he asked, moving his thumb over her shoulder, circling and brushing her skin with the slight graze of a nail, leaving little marks on her skin.

He was also close to his climax, so he was more determined to finish the job than ever. His body tightened around her and his kissing became more profound and stronger.

"You need to hear the truth," he hissed in her ear, clasping her buttocks in his hands, pushing her onto his dick. 

"H-Heseung, I'm gonna-" she trembled, biting onto his shoulder to keep her loud moans in.

"Don't hold it in," his mouth ran along her shoulder and her arm, the marks getting darker with every kiss.

"Cum with me, please," she pleaded urgently as if her life mattered to it. 

"I will, don't worry," he kissed her cheek, caressing her head. 

Without another minute, her nails dug deeper, her pussy trapping his shaft in her fully. Her walls spasmed in a periodic pattern, sucking him in. Her clear cum glistened his shaft, wrapping him in its warmth and comfort. 

"Good girl," he whispered, his jaw twitching slightly. He wrapped both of his arms tighter and pulled her into a messy kiss.

His release followed up right after, managing to pull out just in time to cover her abdomen in his crystal white load. He panted as his fingers traced his cum on her stomach, spreading it all across her. 

His other hand gently laid her down, licking all of his mess off of her, the same way he did with her own. 

Perhaps it was the overstimulation he loved to observe on her or the fact that she clung to him more after cumming. Either way, he didn't stop rolling his wet tongue along her body. 

"My good girl," Heeseung whispered into her slick hole, pushing his tongue inside to slurp up all of her cum like it was a treat. 

Did he love her? Yes.

However, was he a bit of a sadist? Yes.

A low moan escaped his lips as he felt his mouth filled with her cum, his free hand gripping hers tightly. 

"H-hee."

He lifted his stare, landing on her adorable one, beseeching him to hug her. 

"You look so cute when you’re all tired like this, Y/N," he smirked, a faint peck landing on her cheek. His hand intertwined with her, the other playing with her hair. 

Sometimes, the amount of love he harvested for her managed to surprise him, finding himself falling apart in her touch and gaze. 

"H-hee," she whispered, closing her eyes. She tried to fight her exhaustion, but it was starting to get to her.

He saw how drowsy she looked, so he pulled her tighter to his body. 

"Go to sleep. I'll be right here when you wake up," he kissed her, his voice very relaxed and comforting.

"You promise?" she murmured, half asleep on his chest. 

"I promise," he assured, kissing her forehead and tucking her against him, pressing her body against his.

His hands stayed on her side, keeping her safely in his warm embrace.

"Until the day I die."

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Taglist: @end-hyphen, @hee-pster, @jakeswifeyy, @gegeetime, @heerated, @jayked, @forjongseong, @enhastolemyheart

𝐏𝐞𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐭𝐚𝐠𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭 𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐧! ^^

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@maggstar

[archermind]

seen your post abt suggestions for a spencer reid fic, this has been marinating in my brain so pls bare with me. <3

spencer reid x aarons daughter! reader

maybe he forgets his lunch, and his daughter brings it in? or something along the lines of needing a tutor? ill take ANYTHING. bonus points if its fluffy and smutty

feel free to change anything!!!

-🃏

Arousal Theory

Spencer Reid x Aarons daughter!reader

Description: You are Aaron Hotchner’s only daughter. It is safe to say he is a little over protective of you. You have never been able to bring a guy friend home without your dad profiling them and scaring them away. The one guy he never thought to profile was his own co-worker, Spencer Reid. 

Word count: 2,500 approx.

Content Warning: fluff and light smut, light choking, hair pulling, fingering, small age gap.

y/n/n = your nickname

Author note: omgomg! I'm so glad someone sent this request in! Don't worry anonymous, I too have had this scenario brewing in my head. I loved your suggestion, thank you for submitting it! I hope i have done your idea justice <3

You hated your dads job. Mainly because he was too good at it. Every boy you were ever remotely friends with, you weren't anymore. All because of Aaron Hotchner. Each time you invited a guy to your house, your dad kicked into his professional shoes and took it upon himself to profile the poor boy. No guy was ever good enough for you or some of their characteristics unnerved Hotch.

This was the reason why at 22 years old, you still had never had any romantic relationship. The most romance you received lately was with a $20 lovehoney sex toy you bought in a valentines sale. Now that is romance. Your days were spent scrolling through tumblr, ao3 and erotic ebooks - yet every time after finishing the romance novel that piqued your current interest, you felt like sleeping on the highway. You couldn't help but think… ‘If this is my life at 22, I'm going to be the lonely old cat lady by the age of 25’.

It was a casual Saturday, you stood within the kitchen as your cat purred lapping in and out of your legs as you prepared her food. You weren’t really a sociable person. You mainly spent your days studying, preparing late dinners for your dad and caring for your cat - cookie. It was the main reason you didn't stay in dorms for college, you couldn't stand others. Other people your age were out drinking or hooking up. You just simply didn’t have the energy to go out to a party every week. 

Your feet padded along the tiled floor as you made your way to the fridge. Opening the door, you let out a gasp. Your dad had forgotten his lunch. The BAU day can get pretty long and you know your dad often gets so caught up in a case he forgets to eat. You grabbed the tub, a basic lunch packed inside of it. You lightly stifled a laugh, seeing your fathers poor excuse of a ‘nutritious’ lunch. Opening the tub you pulled out an apple, some crackers and cheese, along with a small sandwich. Enough to fill a five year old… not a hardworking, criminal catching 43 year old man. 

Luckily, you had cooked too much cheesy spinach pasta for lunch. You packed Hotch a generous amount. Before putting it into a lunch bag, grabbing your keys and heading out of the door. After two tries of twisting the ignition key for your car, it suddenly kicked into motion. With winter approaching, your old beat up car was struggling. The drive wasn’t too long fortunately. Getting a space in the small Quantico parking lot was your greatest problem.

You made your way through the reception area of the building, confidently walking towards the elevator. However, you were abruptly stopped in your tracks after seeing the ‘out of order’ sign. You sighed making your way over to the stairwell. You saw someone entering through the stairwell door and realized the doors to the stairs were key card accessed.

“HOLD THE DOOR PLEASE!” you yelled, running towards the boy who held the door. 

“Sorry, but you have to have an access card to be allowed through” the boy spoke, gesturing to his key card. 

You squint your eyes to read his name before responding with a coy smile. 

“Well actually… spencer.” you smiled at him, “i have to just quickly drop off my dads lunch, so could you be a sweetheart and just let me through?”

He shifted anxiously as you battered your eyelashes at him, trying your hardest to persuade the older boy. 

“I guess so..” he responded, looking your impatient demeanor up and down “what floor are you heading to?” 

“Floor four” you stated quickly as you rushed toward the steps, spencer hot on your trail

“That's good because I actually am too!” Spencer gleefully responded as you hummed in surprise. 

You were slightly short of breath by the time you reached the fourth floor. Spencer however was still just as energetic as before. All throughout the walk up the stairs, he rambled about which tourist attraction has the most steps in the U.S after you made a single complaint about the elevator being out of order. 

“Here we are,” spencer opened the door “who is your da-”

“Y/N/N?” Hotch exclaimed, coming up to you with his eyebrows furrowed in confusion. 

“Hey dad, I came here to bring you lunch… you forgot yours” you pointed out with a laugh

“Oh? I didn't realize” he gratefully took the tub from your grasp, “i see you have met Dr. Spencer Reid” 

You and Spencer both looked toward each other. You gave him a polite smile and then nodded sweetly to your dad. 

“I was just talking to Spencer this morning about how you could use his extensive knowledge to support you in your studies” he spoke confidently, yet.. You found yourself on the verge of protesting. As you opened your mouth, Hotch began again…

“He already said yes.”

Great.

You anxiously bit your nails and paced just behind the front door, awaiting the moment Spencer would knock. From the moment you both met, you thought he was handsome. The way his brown soft looking curls were all laid messy. The way his honey brown eyes stared focused on every point of your face, as you spoke. It made you want to know him more. Everything about Dr Spencer Reid intrigued you. 

A knock broke your train of thought- or more like your fantasy imagination about your dads Co-worker. It sent a shock through you. You shook your arms attempting to get rid of your nerves. It is just a 26 year old man coming to help you study. Nothing else… nothing more. You gave yourself one last look in the mirror to check if you looked good - to study of course

You death gripped the handle of the front door and pulled it open to see Spencer stood there. He wore a hat, gloves and scarf to help protect him from the cold brittle air. It made you feel terrible for leaving him that extra few minutes in the cold. You smiled at him, motioning him to come into your home. 

“Hotch told me you were studying psychology” he questioned, walking into the dining room. 

“Uh… yea i am” you followed him through to the dining room, “would you like a hot chocolate?” you questioned him.

“I actually don't like hot chocolate” Spencer stated, giving a soft smile to lessen the harsh deny of your polite gesture.

“Neither do i…” you bit your bottom lip as you looked at him blushing. “Coffee?”

“Please,” Spencer smiled. 

As you added the sugars into the coffees, you heard cookie meowing from the dining room. You grasped the coffees, making your way back to spencer. To your surprise Cookie had jumped onto Spencer's knee and began kneading his leg, purring. You placed the coffees down and laughed at her kitten-like attitude for Spencer, a random stranger. Until you saw how uncomfortable Reid was. You quickly shoo’d her off of him. 

Time passed, the studying was long and quite boring . Spencer helped you create numerous flash cards to help you study and you both went through them. While studying, small talk was going on - you enjoyed getting to know Spencer. He was such an interesting person that you wished to know him more and more, deeper and deeper. 

“I have an idea, for each question on these cards i guess right you get to ask me a question?” spencer suggested

You smirked in response, it was a good trade. He got to tutor me and I got to question him.

“Okay” you grinned

The questions were basic. ‘What is your favorite part of your job?’, ‘Who is your favorite co-worker?’, ‘what is your favorite book?’. You were actually making an effort in answering these silly little cards. However, you were never asking the questions you really wanted to ask… more about his personal life. 

“What is the arousal theory?” Reid asked

“to be the physiological state of being aware, alert, awake or attentive” you spoke confidently

“Correct!” he shouted

“Okay…” you spoke slowly and playfully

you thought long and hard about what you wanted to know about Spencer, your mind immediately going to the one and only thing you were desperate to know. Although it was wildly inappropriate to ask your dad’s co-worker, you just couldn't help yourself.

“Do you have a girlfriend?” you spoke mumbled and shy. 

“No.” he answered sharply, “do you- uh… have a boyfriend?” he blushed.

It was new year's eve and you were currently dressed in a silver satin dress. You felt confident but nervous as you stood beside your dad, hugging a tub of home baked cookies on the doorstep of Rossi’s house. He had invited hotch and you over to his annual new year party. You knew Spencer was going to be there hence why you dressed at your best.

Little to your fathers knowledge, you and Spence had grown closer and closer. Although you both were nothing serious. You could feel the tension between you both with every brush of your hands, sip of coffee and longing stare. You couldn't be more grateful for your weekly study sessions, you were gaining more marks on each essay and exam - all thanks to spencer. 

Walking into the party, you were engulfed in hugs from Hotch’s co-workers. Everyone was so kind. You listened to the group of friends laugh and joke. Yet, you couldn’t help but notice Spencer was missing from the large tight-knit group. You glanced around the room, in search of the man you were obsessed with. You couldn’t help but worry that he wasn't here at all. 

“I'm going to go grab a drink” you informed hotch before rushing off into the crowd. You were in search of a beverage and a smartass man who took up every inch of your thoughts. You pushed past small crowds making your way to the drinks table. Your eyes scanned the room, still no sign of Reid.

“You look beautiful Y/N” a voice whispered in your ear.

You jumped slightly at the hot breath on your neck sending shivers down your spine. You smiled instantly knowing exactly who it was behind you. You quickly spun around and threw your arms around his neck, giving him the tightest hug. He smelled good and you found yourself sinking further into his arms for longer. 

“Should we get away from the crowds” you asked him, looking up at him, remembering a discussion you had about his hate for big crowds during a study session. 

He nodded and swiftly guided you through Rossi’s home and up the stairs to a bathroom. You giggled as he closed and locked the door. You loved sneaking around to have some privacy for whatever it was going on between you both. It made you feel special and giddy for the tall boy who you had grown so close to. Spencer now towered over you as he stepped closer, placing his hands on your waist and lifting you onto the giant bathroom counter. 

The room was silent but the tension was thick. You licked your lips as they went dry from anticipation for anything to happen. You stared up at him as Spencer tucked a stray strand of hair that fell in front of your face behind your ear. You have never wanted a man more and it was a lot for you to admit. You felt vulnerable under his touch and gaze. You and Spencer searched in eachothers eyes, looking for any indication in each other's stare if you both felt the same way. 

You found yourself leaning into the temptation and to him. Spencer was quick to close the gap. You both kissed passionately and slowly, enjoying the moment that had been a long time coming. You smiled as he pulled away.

“I’ve wanted to do that for so long Y/N” he blushed at his confession

“I wish you didn’t wait so long Spence”

You kissed him again and felt his hand go to your neck, applying light pressure. You moaned at the contact. Slowly Spencer began to pepper kisses along your jawline. You hummed at his actions. You felt yourself grow with more need for him. Both of your breathing became heavy as your lust and want for each other grew stronger. You felt Spencer's hand trail up your thigh as his tongue played with yours in a heated make out. You pulled away and looked down as his hand grazed your clothed pussy. You were soaked for him and ready for his touch but so hesitant. You didn’t want this to be a one time thing, no matter how much you wanted this. 

“Is this okay Y/N?” Spencer questioned you concerned for the worried look you held in your expression.

“Yes Spencer p-please” you whined needy, pushing the negative thoughts away. 

Quickly Spencer pushed your panties aside, you gasped at the sudden touch of his cold fingers against your heat. He began stroking small circles on your clit causing your head to fall back from the pleasure. He bit back a smirk at the reaction you had for his touch. You whined as you felt a finger brush near your entrance.

“You have to be quiet baby” he spoke gently, shushing you before plunging his fingers into you.

You moaned in response and then Spencer clasped his spare hand over your mouth to try and muffle the reaction coming from you, not wanting your father and his boss to know what you both were getting up to in his co-workers bathroom. He kept the pumping of his fingers at a steady rhythm as his thumb massaged circles on your clit. Spencer's hot mouth went to your neck biting and sucking at the skin. It seemed your entire body was sensitive for him. Every touch, kiss, and word from him caused an elicit reaction. 

You began to ride his hand and fingers faster as you grew closer to your finish. While he sped up the thrusts of his fingers, you could hear the countdown to new year about to start. Spencer knew you were about to cum and instantly knew what he wanted from you.

“You only cum when i want you to” spencer growled his order into your ear 

 your legs and body began to shake from the overwhelming knot of pleasure in your stomach. Your body writhed and wriggled against the counter as his thumb applied pressure to your sensitive overstimulated clit. You were a mess, dripping with arousal. 

10… 9… 8… 7… 6… 5… 4… 3…

“Hold it Y/N!” Spencer grunted

2..

“Look at you such a good girl Y/N” he praised, stroking your hair out of your face but grabbing a fistful and pulling your head back to look at him….

1…

“Cum for me!” Spencer begged as he watched you come undone from his touch.

You whined from your climax. Trying your hardest to gain the full ability of your mind as it was going wild from your overstimulation. Spencer kissed your forehead as your chest heaved up and down. You smiled letting out a light laugh.

“Happy new year Spence” you smiled into his kiss

“What a way to come into the new year Y/N”

[hometoursandotherstuff]

What a bargain! 1990 castle house in Charlestown, IN with a moat and built entirely of decorative stone. 5bds, 3ba, $425K.

Weird entrance.

So, there's a little railing w/a few stairs that lead to a long hall with closets and mirrored doors, plus a narrow coffered ceiling.

Where the hell am I? This is so confusing- are all these little mirrors? Look at the little fake wood curtains on the window, though.

I don't see any living room, it goes right into the kitchen. There's a built-in cabinet and another coffered ceiling.

Off to the right of the kitchen is the only sitting room they show. This kitchen is really spread out - look at where the stove is in comparison to the fridge and sink.

This looks like the only living room. No fireplace or anything, so it's pretty plain for a castle.

It does have cool unicorn curtain rod brackets, though.

A couple of wood chandeliers.

Whoever took these pictures focused on the doors, so I don't know what this room is, but it has a piano.

The primary bedroom has a built-in bed thing with a sort of canopy and closets.

Secondary bedroom.

Large woodworking shop above the garage with lots of built-in cabinetry. The owner, a master woodworker, built this house.

One of the baths is not too regal looking. No tile or anything.

I don't know what this is. A bar? Model train track? Bee hive models? Aztec village model? I'm so confused.

Bath #2 has a retro art deco style shower.

Outside the moat (trench?) continues under a footbridge.

The back of the house looks pretty ordinary.

There's a 2 car garage on the side with a large parking area.

This looks like a cool outbuilding. They don't mention it in the description, but they say there's a charming woodshop, so maybe this is another one.

Cute little planting shed. Property is 1.25 acres.

I guess there were no takers.

[thedroneranger]

Pages In-between

Jake "Hangman" Seresin

Synopsis: Mrs. Seresin is a hard person to surprise. However, stealing a page from her book, Jake may have managed to catch his wife off guard.

Notes: Here is entry one of two for @roosterforme's '80s Rocktober challenge! The song is Centerfold by J. Geils Band. Part of the To-do List collection.

Warnings: 18+ only; smut.

Word count: 3.8k.

Mrs. Seresin did a little happy dance as she stuck the key in the lock and opened the door of her PO box. This was the last time she would have to stop by the post office to pick up her business mail. A smile pulled her lips as she cradled all the mail in one hand and locked the box with the other.

She was also delighted by the thought of all her sample books and design digests moving to her new studio. Now, she and Jake had more room for collector edition novels and travel tchotchkes in their home office. Jake was returning tonight from a week-long training and had promised to help pack. He might’ve been more excited than her that she was finally getting a studio. 

Jake never stood in the way of her career, but he did voice his opinion about her need for more separation between work and home. Yes, she had an office—they technically shared the space—but sometimes work spilled into other areas of the house. And Jake knew she was overworking when he was away.

Today’s mail drop was sizable and included a few new sample books. A couple of her monthly subscriptions also arrived. She’d have time to thoroughly sort when she got home. Jake wasn’t due back until later.

Once home, she parked in the garage and was greeted by Ruck when she entered the house. She spent a few minutes loving him before going upstairs to change. Ruck on her heels, she returned to the garage to get the mountain of mail. Back inside, she stood at the kitchen island and sorted.

A sample book for a new tile company’s latest collection. The wallpaper samples a client requested. Pantone’s interiors collection for the new year. New editions of Dwell and Architectural Digest. The last piece of mail was wrapped in an opaque poly plastic bag. Going for ease, she fished scissors out of the drawer beside her and sliced off the crimp.

“You’ve got to be kidding me,” she said aloud as she pulled a glossy magazine out of the wrapper. Staring back at her was a shirtless Jake, wearing Wranglers with his thumbs hooked in the belt loops. He donned his favorite Stetson and had a toothpick dangling from his lips. The title Flyboy was printed above his head in a font that mimicked the infamous Playboy.

A smile plastered on her face, she sighed as she flipped it open. As tempted as she was to immediately look at the centerfold, she browsed the articles and features first. Jake put a lot of thought into Flyboy—from the photos to the articles and down to the barcode, which included their wedding date.

Now she understood why she’d been banned from his calendar photoshoot.

Every year, the Lemoore-based strike fighter squadrons competed to raise money for charity. By New Year’s Eve each year, the squadrons were expected to present a check for at least $12,000 to the charity of their choice. The three years previous, Jake’s squadron, the VFA-151 Vigilantes, had at least doubled the minimum expected donation. The squadron’s creative approaches to raising funds not only brought in a lot of money but made them the reigning champions. 

Over the years, the Seresin became a staple in the competition. Year 1, Mrs. Seresin pitched the Commander to allow the Vigilantes to participate in a date auction. The night was memorable not only because the squadron raised $64,000, but also because Mrs. Seresin got into a bidding war with the Commander’s ex-wife over Jake. The victor, she got kudos from the Commander for putting his pain-in-the-ass ex in her place.

The following year, Jake suggested weekend car washes from Memorial Day to Labor Day. The weekends he and Mrs. Seresin volunteered were always the highest grossing. When Mrs. Seresin couldn’t join him, he was sure to send her pictures of him and the rest of the squad posing in black triangle bikini tops.

For Year 3, the squadron was cleared to host an air show. It got so much publicity that the Navy decided its official demo squadron, the Blue Angels, would participate. Obsessed with the Blue Angels as a child, Jake nearly blacked out when he was presented with an honorary patch for flying alongside them.

No one thought the Vigilantes would be able to top the air show for Year 4. However, inspired by an anniversary gift from his wife, Jake proposed a calendar. Twelve months, 12 pilots. After the initial laughter, everyone was sold.

When Jake told his Mrs. Seresin, she immediately sprung into action to assist. By the time Jake left for work the next morning, she had secured a pro bono photographer and had plans to dress the sets and pilots. Jake knew his wife was a force, but she never ceased to amaze him. She had to shoo him out of the house before he was late for work, because he was showering her in physical gratitude. 

Mrs. Seresin couldn’t help but smile as she thought about all the late nights and takeout. Ann, her long-time friend, agreed to be the photographer and de facto assistant art director. Mrs. Seresin and Ann had staged and shot so many home and business interiors together, they lost count. They were excited to tackle a new frontier.

However, Mrs. Seresin did not get to conquer the frontier that was Jake in front of the camera. When he asked her to not attend his shoot because he wanted to surprise her, she choked down her disappointment and respected his wishes. 

However, her disappointment was in the rearview mirror the minute she saw Jake’s photo at the reveal party. Clad in just his dress whites pants, Jake’s megawatt smile lit the image while he kneeled alongside Ruck. Tongue lolling out of his mouth, Ruck was also smiling at the camera. 

To top it off, Jake was the pilot for December, Mrs. Seresin’s birthday month. “An early birthday gift,” Jake called it as he hugged her to his side and kissed her temple. 

That night was for Jake and the rest of the squad, but Mrs. Seresin felt like the real winner.

After its release, the Vigilante calendar took social media by storm. It was easily their most successful campaign, raking in over six figures. And of course, Jake and Ruck became everyone’s favorite duo. 

Although Jake wasn’t on social media, and Mrs. Seresin kept her social footprint strictly business, the internet sleuths still found them. Fortunately, they were respectful of their boundaries. Even more surprising, learning Jake was married and that Ruck was Mrs. Seresin’s dog just made folks swoon harder.

An hour after opening the mail, Mrs. Seresin was tucked on the couch, wine in hand, and reading Flyboy cover to cover. Ruck laid at her feet and lifted his head every now and then to confirm her noises weren’t duress.

Mrs. Seresin held the magazine sideways to take in the centerfold in all its glory. Jake was standing naked in the foreground of a hangar with his helmet perfectly positioned to keep the photo modest and have his call sign on full display. His signature smile, sandwiched between deep dimples, added to the cheekiness of the missing vowels on his helmet. She couldn’t help but smile.

Jake knew the magazine arrived today. His grip on the steering wheel tightened as he thought about her reading it. It wasn’t the pictures he was nervous about, it was the pages in between. 

Curating Flyboy was a trip down memory lane for Jake. He spent time scrolling through their shared memories and writing his perspective of their adventures. It was fun, and he even decided to start a journal.

Jake was confident the magazine caught her off guard. His birthday plan was unfolding perfectly. He was hoping his outfit, his flight suit, was the second punch of a one-two celebration combination. The cherry on top was riding shotgun: a half dozen her favorite donuts. 

Since her birthday was two days after Christmas, Jake vowed to keep her birthday separate from the holidays. To honor that, he always celebrated with her in early December. More used to having her birthday swept under the rug, it was the first time in their relationship Jake was able to surprise her.

The truck headlights lit the closed garage door as Jake pulled into the driveway. Once parked, he slipped out of the vehicle and prepared for Mrs. Seresin’s three-legged protector, Ruck, to greet him. Inside, while Jake shed his things at the door, Ruck nosed the donut box. Jake had bought a doggie donut so Ruck could celebrate, too. Package inspected and approved, Ruck led the way to the living room. 

Mrs. Seresin was flipping through what Jake assumed was his magazine. She glanced up to find him swaggering over in his flight suit—the top tied around his waist—and a black t-shirt, holding a box. “Hey, flyboy.” Her voice was sultry. “Or should I say coverboy.” Jake couldn’t help but smile, and she mirrored his expression. 

“Happy birthday, baby.” He flipped open the box. Her face lit up as she stood to get a donut. Jake watched as she selected her favorite and happily took a huge bite. While she chewed it, she turned the pastry to feed Jake. He obliged. 

She tucked a couple fingers in the waist of his flight suit and led him to the couch. Jake placed the donuts on the coffee table and traded her donut for Ruck’s treat. She smiled and fed it to him. Jake’s heart swelled at how gentle Ruck was with her. She finished her donut nestled under Jake’s arm with Ruck’s head in her lap. She fed Jake the last bite. After swallowing, he leaned in to plant a sugary kiss on her lips and murmur one more “happy birthday”.

“Can I unwrap my present?” She smirked at him.

Jake grinned. “You already did.” He tipped his head toward the magazine on the table. Mrs. Seresin leaned forward to grab the magazine, and then returned to her spot under Jake’s arm. Casually, she flipped the pages. “Do you like it?” Jake questioned.

“Love it,” she quickly answered. She looked at him with the biggest smile. He leaned down again and pressed his lips to hers. “So thoughtful. So personal. So hot,” she said between kisses. “But you really didn’t drive home in your suit flight for me?” Her lips pulled into a pout. “I know this is a clean suit. You don’t reek of jet fuel.” Jake wordlessly responded, his bottom lip disappeared behind his teeth as he smiled.

“What was your favorite article?” Jake asked, unfazed.

“Ruck’s, of course.” Jake scrunched his nose at her. She chuckled and returned to lazily flipping the pages. “I also liked reminiscing about our honeymoon. You picked some exclusive photos.” Jake flashed a toothy grin as she looked back at him. He had included some photos he took of Mrs. Seresin on the private yacht they stayed on for their French Riviera honeymoon.

His personal favorite was her draped nude on a deck lounge chair with her legs butterflied while she pleasured herself—her hand tastefully covered her core. “I’d love to recreate some of those by the pool,” he responded. 

“Mhmm,” Mrs. Seresin replied, still flipping through the magazine. “Or on another yacht. We do have a milestone anniversary coming up,” she reminded him. Jake responded by placing a kiss to her temple.

“Your photos were nice, too,” she added, making eye contact with him and sticking her tongue out. He squeezed her closer and tried to playfully catch her tongue but captured her bottom lip instead. She leaned into the kiss, bringing a hand to the side of his face. Carefully, Jake removed the periodical from her lap as she slid onto his. 

Straddling him, she cradled his face in her hands as she deepened the kiss. Magazine safely on the coffee table, Jake slipped his hands under her shirt—one of his Academy shirts—and his thumbs dipped into the waistband of her bike shorts to rub the soft skin of her lower belly. His thumbs circled lower and confirmed his suspicion—no panties. 

She rolled her pelvis into his as she kissed him harder. He moaned, and Mrs. Seresin thought she might come right then. She pulled away, mouth agape, and sat back on his lap. “Get this off.” She demanded as she helped strip him of his t-shirt. “Just like the magazine.” She referred to the picture of Jake shirtless with his flight suit tied around his waist. In the photo his suit was so dangerously low that, with his thumb hooked in the roll, you could see his tiny “Bite me” tattoo. 

She rubbed herself all over Jake as they continued to make out. Jake’s hands alternated between squeezing her ass and wandering up her shirt. He quickly learned she wasn’t wearing a bra and was doing his best to coax her out of her top. 

She whined and tangled her fingers in his locks, pulling his head back and breaking their kiss. “I want to feel more of your skin.” Jake punctuated his statement by palming her ass.

“It’s not your birthday, you don’t get to make demands.” She ground herself more in his lap, making him groan.

“Not a demand, just a suggestion,” Jake responded. She loosened her grip on him, allowing him to dip his head toward her chest. She watched as he found one of her taut nipples through the fabric. Gently, he tugged it with his teeth. She bit her bottom lip as she enjoyed the sensation. 

“Jake.” She drew out his name as her head tipped back. He switched to the other nipple. “Fuck.” She quickly ripped her shirt overhead, and he gladly mouthed her bare chest. As he licked and sucked and massaged, she found a rhythm rolling her pelvis against his.

Mrs. Seresin slowly halted her hips and curled her fingers back into Jake’s hair to pull him away from her chest. Jake looked up at her—lips puffy and cheeks a little flush. He whined when she wiggled out of his lap. 

She stood and slowly began to slide off her bike shorts as she sauntered out of his reach. She even turned so he could see her tattoo appear on the swell of her backside as she slowly slid the fabric down. Once her shorts were around her ankles, she stepped out of them. 

“C’mon, coverboy.” Back still to Jake, she come-hithered him over her shoulder as she strutted away. Jake immediately knew where she was leading him. He practically jumped off the couch and ran after her. She squealed when his arm snaked around her middle, and he carried her sideways into their office. 

There were boxes—half full, empty, flat packed—strewn around the room. Otherwise, the office was in its usual decadence. The floor-to-ceiling windows, looking out to the secluded backyard, letting the moonlight flood the space.

Jake marched past their desk, over to the windows and set Mrs. Seresin on her feet. He soaked in her naked form as he held her until she was steady. Jake was distracted by her curves illuminated in the night light. She got his attention back by tugging on his arm as she turned to face him. Jake made eye contact with her as his hands continued to traverse her body. He could feel the incremental movements of her muscles. 

“You ok?” She asked as she wrapped her arms around his neck and moved a stray lock of hair away from his face. 

Jake engulfed her in his arms and pulled her into his chest. Her head was tipped completely back. “Never better.” His voice was heavy with lust. She smiled as his lips met hers for a lingering kiss. “Is it my birthday or yours?” he asked as they separated. 

She smirked and nipped his lip. “It’s definitely mine.” She slipped out of his arms. He watched as she pressed her back flush to the cool windows. “Your flight suit looks good on, but take it off for me, coverboy,” she said.

Even in the low light, Jake’s smile was beaming. Jake’s movements were antagonistically slow as he loosened the fabric and pushed it down his body. She couldn’t help but smile as he mimicked her earlier motions, slowly revealing his tattoo. 

Flight suit abandoned, he stalked toward her, holding eye contact. His cock bounced against his abdomen with each step. Back and palms still flush to the glass, she craned her head back to maintain eye contact as Jake approached. He leaned down for a kiss. A large hand softly cupped the column of her throat. Jake had her pinned between him and the window with his length resting against her belly. She squeezed her thighs together as their make out intensified.

He couldn’t wait any longer. Jake pulled back. “Turn.” His voice was deep. She obeyed and supported herself with her forearms against the glass as she bent and arched her back.

Mrs. Seresin closed her eyes and remembered to breathe as Jake easily slid to the hilt. “You’re so wet,” Jake praised as he began a slow pace. One hand returning to her throat. “Did you work yourself up looking at my photos, thinking about what’s behind that helmet?” Jake rhetorically asked as he gently squeezed her neck. He snapped his hips, making her whimper. He smiled, feeling the hum against his fingers.

For leverage, Jake placed a hand beside hers on the window, and slipped the other around her front between her legs. She moaned and squeezed her eyes closed as his calloused fingers drew tight circles on her clit. Jake smiled into her shoulder as he felt her push onto her toes to chase the friction of his fingers.

Together they found a perfect rhythm. Jake continued to pepper her with praise and move with her. Eventually, Mrs. Seresin had her cheek and chest pressed against the window. She moaned with each thrust. Jake knew if they kept this positioned he’d come before her. 

She gasped but stayed pressed to the window as Jake dropped to his knees. Spreading her with his thumbs, he lapped her from behind. She keened as she arched her back more to give him better access. Jake shifted slightly so his tongue dipped into her.

That was all Mrs. Seresin needed. Jake stilled and let her bounce up and down on his tongue. Mrs. Seresin grew louder with each bob. Palms pressed to the glass, she rested her chin on it as she quickened her pace. Finally, her hips stuttered and she slowed her motions as waves of pleasure rolled through her. 

Jake popped to his feet and quickly slipped his cock into her throbbing heat. “Yes,” he hissed as her walls squeezed him. A few thrusts and he pumped her full of cum.

He groaned as his body eclipsed hers against the glass. After he caught his breath, he kissed her shoulders. She groaned, lifting her head off the window to look over her shoulder. 

“Happy birthday,” Jake said before he pressed his lips to hers. 

“A happy birthday, indeed.” She returned to her position against the window. 

Quickly, Jake slipped out of her and scooped into her his arms to avoid dripping any cum on the floor. She relaxed into him as he carried her to their bedroom. He deposited her on the bed before getting a washcloth to clean her up. 

Cleaned up, he tossed her favorite of his shirts at her before disappearing back into the bathroom. When he returned she was already curled under the blankets. Jake tossed on a shirt and shorts and headed downstairs to let Ruck out. 

While Ruck was in the yard, Jake went to the garage and unloaded the last of Mrs. Seresin’s gifts. He set them in the office out of the way. She could open them in the morning. 

Their little secret, Jake treated Ruck to one more donut before they headed back to the bedroom. Ruck tucked himself in his bed on Mrs. Seresin’s side of the bed as Jake slipped under the covers and spooned his wife. 

She turned to face him. “Thank you.” She gave him a quick kiss before flipping back over to tuck herself against him. 

“You’re welcome.” Jake pressed one more kiss to her temple, and then listened to her breathing as he fell asleep. 

The next morning, Jake still asleep, she wandered downstairs to make coffee. While she waited for his pour-over, she picked up the remnants of last night. Retracing their steps, she picked up clothes and folded them. As she entered the office, she kept her sights on Jake’s crumpled flight suit. She folded it, a smile tugging her lips as she thought about last night. Her smile became a full fledged smirk as she noticed all the body part prints on the glass.

As she turned to leave, something leaning against the bookshelves caught her eye. Those were not there last night. Two very large packages. She walked over with a hand extended, fingers ready to graze the paper, when she heard, “Go ahead, open them.” 

Startled, she jumped back, clapped a hand over her heart and turned to find Jake. His grin outdoing the Cheshire Cat, he leaned against the door frame with a mug in each hand. She caught her breath as Jake sauntered over. He handed her a mug and pressed his lips to her forehead. 

“These are your last gifts,” Jake said. She threw him a look as she walked back toward the packages. Perching her cup on a shelf, she dipped her fingers behind one of the folds and tore the wrapping. She couldn’t help but laugh as she caught sight of her own face staring at her. 

Quickly, she tore through the paper to reveal framed prints of her draped naked across the hood of Jake’s vintage Mustang and him naked, holding his helmet and smirking. Their centerfolds.

“Where were you thinking we would hang these?” She gathered her coffee and stepped back beside Jake so they could view their photos together.

He shrugged. They looked at each other. “You’re the designer, and it’s your birthday, so you get to pick.”

“I’ll think about it.” They both smiled as she bounced onto her toes to give him a quick peck. 

“One more thing,” he said as they parted. She waited for him to continue. “You can’t hang yours in the garage.” She arched an eyebrow. “I don’t want the neighbor boys trying to sneak a peek when the garage opens and closes.” She burst into laughter. 

“I love you,” she replied. Jake feigned confusion as she kissed his cheek. Together, they sipped their coffees and chatted about where to hang the photos. 

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[dirtybitfic]

POWERS OUT

Matt and Chris x y/n

Y/n p.o.v-

Me , Matt and Chris were taking a small 4 night vacation to Vermont , while Nick spends a week with Maddison on tour .

We just got off our plane and stepped into the freezing breeze , its winter right now making the scenery even more beautiful. I grew up on a part of the east cost that never really gets snow so this is a very exciting moment for me . We go to the rental car pick up area getting the keys for a large truck , Matt was nervous to drive it so I offered, the only reason we rented a truck is because of the snow and our air bnb is up further in the mountains and we wanted to make sure we had a car that was equipped for this weather.

We all throw our luggage into the bed and pull the cover over it . We hop in and start our drive . I get a little stressed on the up mountain windy roads especially being in such a big car. Matt seems to notice as he turned down the music Chris had playing and rested his hand on my leg giving comforting soft caress . We finally get to the long windy driveway to the house . It's truly so beautiful , snow and icicles cover the trees lining the driveway. I sigh as we pull up to the house and park .

I know the guys said I would love the house and that it was big but HOLY FUCK big is an understatement . The house is massive , Its truly breathtaking.

" You like it?" matt asks and I slowly nod as my mouth slightly hangs open . " Its... beautiful but this must have cost a fortune to rent" I say as I look at him still in shock of the sheer size of it. " It actually wasn't too bad and with us booking kind of last minute we didn't have too many options" I nod as he explains . " Well lets get inside before we freeze" Chris says as he hops out and gets our bags out of the trunk.

Matt goes up to stairs and gets the keys from the lock box and then puts in the code for the front door . Me and Chris bring in our bags along with matts , we walk into a huge foyer . " wow" I say as Chris nods and smiles. " yeah ... this place is huge bro" " I know right... where the fuck did Matt go?" I ask as I look around for any sign of him. I set our bags down and start walking around "MATT ?" I yell and I hear him in the distance " IN THE KITCHEN" he yells back and I follow his voice down a long dimly lit hallways with large windows on each side giving a view of the beautiful scenery with every step I take. Reaching the end it leads into a beautiful kitchen . " The guy we rented from shopped for groceries for us since he said the storm might get bad and we could possibly be snowed in by tonight" Matt inform us as he goes to the walk in pantry grabbing some snacks.

"Lets go and check out the rest of the house and pick our rooms " Chris says as he starts walking to a staircase in the kitchen that leads upstairs . We walk down a long hallway reaching 3 doors . I open one that leads into a bathroom . " Ooh I like the green tile" I say and Chris pops his head in to look " oh yeah that shits sick " he says as he starts walking to open one of the other doors. " DAMN this room is huge" He says as he walks in and stands at the window looking at the snowy view. " damn it is so nice in here" I say as I look around the dark more masculine designed room . " I think ima take this room . you chill with that?" he asks and I nod " all yours" I say smiling . His eyes narrow as he smirks but looks back out of the window . His reaction to my words was ... a bit odd but whatever. I decide to go and check what's behind the next door . I open it to see its a large library room with a gorgeous view . I will definitely be spending time reading my dark romance books I brought with me in here .

I walk back out passing chris's door seeing he already unpacking " Im gonna go look around some more and find a room , see you in a bit?" I say and he smiles and nods " Yeah just text me when you've settled in and we can all watch a move and maybe make a fire" he says and I nod waving as I walk away to another staircase leading down stairs . It leads into a dimly lit long hallway i'm guessing leading to the west wing of the house . I make my way down randomly looking over my shoulder since I keep scaring myself into feeling like somethings behind me . I find another staircase leading upstairs . I meet another long hallway seeing 4 doors spaced out . I open the first one seeing its an art room . I open the next one , its a nice sitting room with a fire place and large windows. The views are amazing in this house , I could and stair for hours ,especially with the snow falling outside beautifully . I reach the third door opening it to see a huge walk in closet . I reach the final room at the end of the hall and open it a huge bedroom . " oh yeah this is my fucking room for sure" I say to myself as I run and flop onto the bed rolling over to look out of the window , the snow is starting to fall a lot faster adding more inches to the already thick layer that covers the ground, the trees are swaying and shimmering with the icicles and snow that have glazed them . Its so beautiful , more beautiful than I had imagined . I always say i'm a beach girl at heart but this view might just change that .

I decide to call Matt and see if he can bring my bag up since I don't feel like trying to find my way back down to the entry way where I left it .

*Phone call

Matt- hey ! you find a room yet ?

Y/n -Yeah this house is huge though i'm on the complete other side than chris but I was wondering if you would so kindly bring my bag up to me ? I don't want to get lost trying to get all the way back down stairs right now .

Matt- Yeah sure . Drop your pin and ill try and find you that way

Y/n- I don't know if that will work but alright . Don't get lost

Matt - ill try my best

*phone call ends

I lay in bed after dropping my exact pin to matt . I don't really think its gonna help him find me but you know i'll let him work that out. After maybe 8 minutes I get a little worried he's not gonna find me . " Y/N?" I hear matt yell from somewhere up here . " LAST ROOM DOWN THE HALL" I yell back . I hear rusting and then my door opening and matt walks in breathing heavily as he drops my duffle bag to the floor . " I really didn't think it through renting this house ... there are so many stares and long... hallways " he says as he bends over catching his breathe " also wtf did you pack to make that shit so heavy" he says making me laugh " sorryyy i'm an over packer " I say laughing as I get up and grab it setting it on my bed and start sorting though trying to find my comfy loungewear and shower stuff. " Thanks for bringing my bag to me " I say and he smiles nodding " No problem , ima go back to my room and shower i'm on the down stairs level if you need anything" he says and I nod " okay sounds good see you in a bit" I say as he walks out.

I gather all the things I need and make my way to the bathroom connected to my room. Its huge like no one needs that much space in a bathroom. I grab a towel setting it on the tub next to the shower and set all my product in the shower before stripping and stepping in. It take me a good 10 minutes to figure out how to work the shower but after finally getting it on I relax into the hot water . As I wash my hair my mind slowly drifts back to the car ride . The way matts hand felt on my thigh , I know he was doing it to comfort me but... the way he caressed it made me feel some type of way . Matt and Chris have been some of the best friends I could ever ask for so it feels wrong ever having dirty thought about them . The way Chris narrowed his eyes and smirked at me earlier in his room also had me thrown for a loop. I cant deny that are both absolutely beautiful , their sharp cut jawlines and hallow cheeks, dead eyes, long slender veiny hands , bright blue eyes I mean Jesus its like they were sculpted by the gods.

I shake away the thoughts as I finish my shower and turn the water off stepping out and wrapping the towel around myself. I do my skin care then use my vanilla body oil and lotion . I throw on my over sized fuzzy hoodie and knee high socks and make my way back out into my room throwing on some deodorant before starting to fully unpack everything into the smaller walk in closet connected to my room. Once im finished I shoot Chris a text that I was heading back down stairs .

I make my way down trying my best to not get lost and actually end up where I want to be. After two staircases and 3 long hallways I end up in the living room . I sit on the couch shooting Matt and Chris a text that i'm in the living room. I grab the remote for the tv and start searching for a movie to put on . As I settle on slender man I hear foot falls coming closer, I turn to see Matt making his way into the room and over to the fireplace . " it's kind of cold in here right ?" he asks as he stacks a couple logs in the fire place . " Yeah honestly this house is so big I feel like its hard to have the heat go to every room" I say and he nods as he gets the fire started. I hear heavy footsteps coming and turn to see Chris coming in hot . He plops down right next to me cozying into my side making me giggle " what its chilly" he says in that voice him and Matt do making me laugh harder . " so what are we watching? " matt asks as he grabs a big blanket and sits on my opposite side throwing it over the three of us. " slender man" I say smirking knowing neither of them are the biggest fans of scary movies. " oh lovely" matt quips as I click play.

I glance at both of them throughout the movie smiling to myself at how scared they get at specific scenes . There's a jump-scare that just so happens to get all of us as we practically float off of the couch from jumping so hard, we all laugh it off . I lay my head on matts lap as I drape my legs over chris's lap getting comfortable . As the movie goes on matts hands softly run through my hair and Chris hands softly caress my legs , its a sweet gesture on both of their parts but I cant help the dirty thoughts that cross my mind. Having both of their hands on me is making me feel hot and needy but I push my thoughts aside after reminding myself that they are my best friends and its wrong to think of them in that way.

The movie ends and we all decide to go to the kitchen and find something to cook up for dinner since we haven't eaten since this morning. We settle on pasta . I sit back as they whip it up and plate it . We all eat and talk about random shit just laughing and having a good time . As I was cleaning the dishes I got an incoming FaceTime call from nick .

*face time *

Nick- Heyyy what are you up to ? He asks in an excited happy tone

Y/n- Nothing just cleaning the dishes . what about you?

Nick- well I was calling because i was bored and missing you guys

Y/n- aww I miss you too . Is Maddison on stage right now?

Nick- Yeah . Im chilling in the green room until the show ends .... where are matt and chris?

y/n- living room last time I checked .want me to call em over ?

nick nods and I yell for matt and Chris telling them nick is on the phone . They both come barreling in making me laugh

Chris- NIIIICK I MISS YOU

Nick - I miss you guys too , is it snowing a lot there ?

Matt- Yeah its coming down pretty hard now , here ill show you

he says as he takes my phone and goes to one of the large windows showing nick the scenery

Nick - Ugh its so prettyyyy kinda wish I was there to see it in real life

Matt- we wish you were here too, but how's it going with being on tour with Maddison ?

Nick- Its so fun honestly im having the most fun i've had in a while

matt - im glad your having fun dude you deserve it

Y/n - nick you better send me some vids of Madison performing

Nick - oh trust I will she says hi by the way , she was hoping id call you later when we were back on the bus but the time difference would have made it difficult

Y/n - aww well ill try and stay up later Tommorrow and maybe you can call then?

Nick - yeah absolutely shed love that

Chris - well I love you but i'm going to bed i'm exhausted

Matt- yeah im probably going to head to bed too , miss you and love you

He waves goodnight and heads off in the direction of his room

Y/n - im keeping you on the phone until I get to my room , this house is so big im kinda scared to walk to my room alone

nick- fine by me , how big is the house ?

Y/n- dude .. its massive like so big that me matt and chris are all on complete opposite side of the house

Nick- god damn yeah now I get why you don't want to walk alone

Y/n- yeah its so quiet too .... but look at this hallways it has windows lining it so I can see the snow my whole walk

Nick- wow ... thats a lot of snow coming down

Y/n- I know and the owner said we could be snowed in by tonight , when we got here there was already 6 inches of snow

Nick- oh shit well now im kind of happy im not there

Y/n - yeah tell me about it , its pretty but kinda sucks we won't be able to leave

nick- ohhhh stuck in a house with matt and chris with no escape , im praying for you

we both laugh as I finally reach my room and run to flop on the bed.

Nick- well ill let you get to sleep but ill call you tomorrow night , I love you

Y/n -I love you too . I say before ending the call

I take my socks off before grabbing a book and deciding to go to the sitting room and start a fire and read a little before I go to bed.

I get the fire started and sit on the velvet love seat by the window. The book im reading is about a stalker who watches a girl in her old victorian home and honestly with the room i'm currently in I feel like the main character of the book , she reads her great grandmothers journals in the same chair she sat in when she also had a stalker . I reach a chapter that is filled with spicy and dirty scenes and I cant help but feel a little turned on as I read line by line .

Im fully immersed in the book when the light flicker and go out . I heart drops to my ass as I quickly stand up completely flipping my shit . Im terribly afraid of the dark and with this house being so big its making my fear worse. I snatch my phone up off the love seat and turn on the flashlight as I slowly make my way to the door . I open it to complete darkness and silence . Chills run up my spine as I shine it down the dark long hallway . I decide that i'm going to make a run for it and go to matts room cause there is no way i'm going back in my room and falling asleep . I start running slightly hyperventilating as I keep looking behind me feeling like something is behind me .

I reach the stairs and run down almost falling on my ass but manage not to . I run into the living room then go in the direction I saw Matt go earlier . I reach a door at the end of a long hall praying to god its his room and swing the door open . Im breathing so hard i've started to wheeze . Matt looks at me with terror crossing his face . He immediately gets up running to me . " Hey hey it's okay what's wrong?" he asks in a panicked and confused tone. " T-the power went out and I g-got scared ... I ran all the way d-down here" I say as i'm gasping for air , I don't think i've ever moved that fast in my life. " Well your here now its all okay , come on come sit with me " he says as he pulls me over to a small couch he has in his room in front of a fire place. I wish my room had a fire place in it . He sits down and pats the spot next to him , I sit down and he pulls me into his side holding me gently running his hand up and down my arm thats covered in goose bumps. I melt into him as the fire warms me and I feel nothing but comfort .

We sit in silence until I hear running coming from down the hall startling me . Chris comes running in Looking exactly how I did just moments before . " Guys... my fire went out and it went pitch black ... swear to god I started hearing whispering " he says and me and Matt both laugh. " Why you laughing you came in here cause you were scared to " he says smacking me shoulder playfully . " You got me there" I say smiling . " God its gonna be freezing in here by tomorrow if the power doesn't come back on" matt says and I nod agreeing . " Well have to call the owners Tommorrow if it doesn't ... giving its not looking like anyone is gonna be able to get up here anytime soon" chris says as he looks out the window seeing how much more snow has stuck . Probably a another good 5 inches has fallen since we've been here . Chris comes and sits next to me cuddling in letting the fire and my body heat warm him . Its comforting to know that they are here with me and aren't judging me for getting scared . I honestly felt like a little girl running to go tell her daddy there is monsters in her closet with the way I Usain bolted down here .

We all sit close to each other watching the fire dance , my eyes start to grow heavy and my head keeps falling onto matts shoulder . " Tired?" he asks and I nod looking up at him with half open eyes. " Go lay down i'll be there in a second" he says and I get up going over to the bed getting under the warm heavy comforter and snuggling into the silky sheets. " You sleeping in here tonight too?" he asks Chris and chris says yes because and I quote " if I leave the demons are gonna get me" which makes me laugh to myself . I feel matts weight on the bed as he settles into the other side of the bed , chris decides to take the couch .

I slowly start to fall asleep until I feel an arm wrap around me and pull me into them hardly making me gasp . I look to see Matt’s eyes closed but a small smirk on his face. I put my head back down and snuggle into his warm embrace . I’m again almost asleep when he grinds into me I’m guessing trying to get comfortable but… I think i feel his dick that im ALMosT positive is rock hard . I hold back the whimper that so badly wants to escape in as he settles .

I jolt back into consciousness when I hear a voice in my ear. “Y/n” it a low gravely voice but I slowly turn to face him , my eyes still closed because i genuinely can’t open them right now from how tired and half a sleep I am. “ you move so much in your sleep y-you were pressing against me “ he says and I pop my eyes open. “ I’m sorry I didn’t mean to” I say as I try and focus my eyes on his face. “ it’s okay I just … I know we’re best friends and I’d never want to ruin that but … fuck you got me hard y/n” he says in a gravely low tone . “ oh well… wanna do something about it?” I ask my tone laced with lust. I want him so badly it’s not even funny. “ what do you mean?” He asks confused and slowly moving back to try and see my face in the dark room. “ do you wanna fuck me matt” I ask in a teasing but serious tone. I hear him gulp and his breath stutter “ yeah I do “ he says sounding confident. “ then do it “ I whisper back as I grab his neck and pull him into a deep kiss. He climbs over me placing a hand around my throat deepening the kiss while his other hand slides into my underwear making me gasp . It’s get harder to stay quiet when his fingers slip into me and he curls them to hit the perfect spot.

“M-Matt” I whisper moan as he starts kissing and sucking on my neck. His fingers are still pumping into me perfectly as squelching sounds fill the quiet space. I whimper when he bites down on my shoulder causing delicious pain to spread through me and my orgasm approaches faster. " You gonna cum for me?" he whispers in my ear . I nod as I try and keep my noises quiet and controlled . " Come on be a good girl and cum all over my fingers" he whispers and i'm sent over the edge as a loud squeak escapes my mouth . I come down slowly as Matt removes his fingers putting them in his mouth sucking off my juices with a groan " fuck ... taste so sweet " . I blush as I look over in the direction of the couch making sure Chris didn't wake up . I see no sign of movement or noise so I return my gaze to Matt.

He undresses then helps me get fully undressed . I look down not being able to see very well in the dark room but the fire gives enough light to see the outline of his hard dick in his hand and fuck me its big . " You gonna be a good girl and take it?" he asks with a smirk , I nod "Yes sir" I say smiling waiting to see his reaction to the nick name. "Fuck " he groans obviously liking me calling him that. He slaps his dick on my clit making me whimper . He lines his tip to my entrance and slowly slides in making me groan at the sheer stretch of his size. " fuck you're so tight" Matt groans as I whimper and grab his bicep " M-matt shit " I whine as my grip on his arm tightens. He slowly works into me as I adjust to his size. " Doing so good for me" he whispers and I blush " you're so b-big " I whine as he slowly starts pumping in and out of me. He starts to speed up and his thrusts get rougher. I try so hard to hold in my moans as he pounds into me but slowly fail as they spill out of my mouth. " taking me so well " he praises and I moan loudly . " m-matt feels so good" I moan and he smirks " yeah how about you let chris hear how good it feels " he says in a rough voice and puts my legs over his shoulders pounding into me so hard I scream . 'MATT" I yell out as he hits so deep inside of me that I cant even try and be quiet anymore. " Yeah feel how deep I am" he groans as he looks down at my bulging stomach . " H-holy fUCK" I cry out as my legs start to shake .

I hear movement from where Chris was and look over to see him sitting up watching me over the back of the couch. I gasp as Matt grabs my chin making me look back at him . "Come on Chris Im sure shed love for you to join ... wouldn't you ?" He says smiling in a way that has chills running up my spine . " I - mmm" I don't know what to say to his question , I mean obviously I want Chris too but I feel like there is a right answer to his question . "wouldn't you?" he asks in a demanding tone as he lightly smacks me across the face. " y-yes" I gasp out as I feel my orgasm approaching and my legs start to tremble more. I look back over in Chris's direction to see he's started walking over to us , a smirk forming on his lips . " don't even think about cumming until you're gagging on Chris's dick " Matt growls as he feels me pulsing around him. I look at him nodding in understanding then look back over to see Chris standing right next to my head. He smiles down at me as he runs his hand softly over my cheek and grabs a hold off my hair pulling my head closer to him. He uses his other hand to pull his shorts and boxers down enough or his dick to pop out , I look at it as my eyes widen . He's probably 2 inches longer than Matt making me nervous . " Open up " he demands and I do . He shoves himself into my mouth forcing me to deep throat him making me gag . I cry around him as the pain of holding back my orgasm becomes too much . Matts hand moves to my clit rubbing circles making me buck off the bed and moan loudly around Chris as he abuses my throat with every thrust of his hips. " Be a good girl and cum for me" Matt says as he adds more pressure on my clit , with a muffled scream around Chris my orgasm hits me like train and my entire body spasms .

" Fucking shit , swallowing my dick so good" Chris groans as i'm coming down from my high , tears are streaming down my face as I look up at Chris with blurry eyes. " Fuck you look so good with my dick down your throat" He groans as he lets go of my hair and places his hand on my throat feeling himself as he thrusts in and out. I moan as Matt drops my legs from his shoulders and leans down placing kisses on my chest as he still pounds into me . Chris pulls out of my mouth as i'm gasping for air . Matts thrusts stop and he pulls out " All fours now" he orders and I quickly move onto my hands and wobbly legs . Chris gets onto the bed laying down right under me , his dick inches from my mouth. I take Chris back into my mouth as Matt slides back into me making me moan around Chris . " Fuck" Chris rasps out as he takes a hold of my hair . He uses my hair to bob my head up and down at the pace he wants and also pushes me down as far as he likes . Im gagging and moaning as Matt pounds into me from the back. “ fuck such a good little slut deep throating me like this “ Chris groans as he shoves me down further. Matt’s hand comes down harshly in my ass making me moan around Chris dick . Drool is dripping down my chin and face as in gagging an couching feeling another orgasm approaching. I have a feeling this one is going to absolutely ruin me . My legs start to shake and I hear Matt chuckle darkly behind me before smacking my ass . “ gonna cum for us again” he tuts as his hand comes down on my ass , I cry out as I try and nod my head . “ come on give it to me show me how good I Fuck you” Matt groans and his words immediately send me over the edge . I’m shaking back into Matt I accidentally open my throat so much that I fully take Chris’s length down my throat and my nose reaches his pelvis. He groans loudly as his dick twitches and he fills my throat . “ Jesus fuck “ he gasps as I come off of his coughing trying to regain my breathe. I rest my head on Chris’s thigh as Matt still mercilessly ponds into me from the back. “ fuck I love this ass” he says as he slaps it a couple times making me moan loudly . I look up at Chris who’s already looking at me with admiration in his eyes. He runs his thumb over my bottom lip I slowly open my mouth for him to slip it in . I suck his thumb as Matt’s pace starts to falter and his breathing gets louder. “ fuck gonna let me fill you up ?” He asks and I nod “ y-yes please” I whine as I grip Chris’s thigh . Matt’s hands grip my hair harshly pulling my head off of Chris’s lap as he thrusts hard and deep a couple times before filling me up . He lets out a whimper as he pulls out .

I immediately drop down onto the bed as I rest my upper half on chris's torso . " Jesus Christ" I mutter as I try to catch my breathe. Ive never felt this satisfied in my life , I cant help the smile that spreads across my face. " what you smiling about?" chris asks with a satisfied smirk on his lips . " How fucking good I feel " I answer back making them both laugh. " Yeah honestly best head i've ever had in my life" chris says while he strokes my hair. " Best pussy i've had in my life" Matt says as he lays down next to us . " Im exhausted " I say as my eyes close no longer being able to keep them open . " Shower in the morning?" Chris asks . " Yeah" Matt and i both say as we all fall asleep

[melanieph321]

Ruben Dias x Reader - The Birthday Gift

This fic was requested by one of my lovely wattpad readers for her birthday on July 14th. Happy birthday to her!!🥳

Enjoy!

How sad it was having to work on your birthday. Luckily your boyfriend, Ruben, came to pick you up once your shift ended.

"So what do you want to do?" He asked. You had already celbreated a little bit before you left for work this morning. Ruben made you breakfast in bed this and let you open his present, a charm braclet with a golden key as it's first charm.

"Well they made me this at worked." You showed him the bag of pastries you got from your colleagues. They made a wide selection of pastries for you to enjoy on your birthday. "Maybe we could find a nice place to enjoy them, just the two of us?"

"Sure. I know a place we can go."

You weren't too keen on parties where you were supposed to be the center of attention. Ruben was the same. He enjoyed peace and quiet and you two often spend your days together snuggled up on the couch, watching a marathon of movies. It wasn't much, but it was how you liked it. Just you and Ruben, in your own little bubble.

"What's this place?"

He had driven a bit outside of the city, to a little town with a big lake in the middle of it.

"I come here sometimes to relax." He said, parking the car on a hill that overlooked the small houses and the lake that sparkled in the sun.

"Hmm. A bit random don't you think?" You brought out the bag of pastries and picked the one you wanted to eat first. Ruben was a bit more hesitant, perhaps not wanting to make such a mess in his car.

"You don't like it?"

"The view?"

"No, the town." He said, with a strange look on his face.

"I dunno? What so special about it?"

To you it looked like a typical english town with houses covered in red tile rooftops, a town center, a local school and plenty of green agriculture surrounding the area.

"I thought it'd be a great place to live someday."

"You want to live here?" You chuckled.

"Yeah, what's so funny about that?" He sounded a bit offended by your reaction.

"Nothing baby, but you of all people rather live here than in Manchester or Portugal of all places?"

"Yes. It's a great place for us to live. It's close to Manchester and..."

"Us?" You stopped him there, unsure if you heard him right.

Ruben looked to bite his tongue.

"You said us, right? Or was I mistaken?"

He turned to you with a serious expression on his face.

"Ruben, what's the matter?"

His eyes searched your face, perhaps unsure if he should tell you or not.

"Ruben please, you're kind of freaking me out." You chuckled.

"Promise not to do that."

"Do what?" You had to tilt your head as his eyes had diverged from yours. "Ruben please tell me what's going on?" You had never seen him like this, so anxious and easily agitated.

"What I'm about to show you..." He said. "Just promise me that you won't freak out."

"I won't. I promise."

He sighed and turned the keys to start the car. You were off for a silent drive through the little town, not stopping until you arrived at a small community of houses.

"We have to walk from here." He said, silencing the engine, unbuckling his belt. You did the same and followed him.

He held your hand leading you through the lovely neighborhood with a beautiful set up of houses. However there was this particular house that still looked like it was under construction. To your surprise Ruben stopped just in front of that one, searching his pocket for a key which he handed to you.

"Happy Birthday." He said, but not with as much energy as this morning.

"You bought me a house?"

"Yes. I bought you a house." He said, stuffing his hands in his pockets.

"Ruben, but why?" You turned to look at him, unsure of what to say. You had so not expected this.

"I dunno." He shrugged. "Because I love you."

You leap forwards, hugging him. "I love you too, but I could never afford to buy you a house. It's too much Ruben." Tears had begun to flow, but mostly because anyone surprising you with such a gift would make you emotional.

"Do you want to take a look inside?" Ruben looked down on you, smiling.

You perked up to kiss his lips. "Yes, let's go inside."

It was a castle compared to any place you've lived in before. There was a giant porch with an equally giant backyard. Ruben even showed you a blueprint of the plans to build a pool out there.

"Ruben, this house is too big for just the two of us." This is what he had meant by "us." The house would be a home for the two of you to share.

"I know." He said. "But by the time the house is done maybe it won't be just the two of us anymore?"

You froze, a ray of butterflies entering your stomach. "You mean...?"

Ruben shrugged. You two stood in the middle of what would be the living room and it was almost impossible not to imagine little feet running across the wooden floors, making a mess of things as children often did.

"You want to have children with me?" You failed to hold in another flood of tears. Ruben closed the distance between you, grabbing your hand and kneeling down before you. "It would be your choice of course. Just like it is my choice to ask you to marry me."

"Ruben."

You watched him pull out the little black jewelry box out of his back pocket. He pulled the diamond ring out of the box, ready to dress it on your finger, but first he needed to hear the words that would allow him to do so.

You nodded your head and weeped. "Yes Ruben. Of course I will marry you!"

He put the ring on your finger, rose to his feet and picked you up, twirling you around in his arms. Your eyes were filled with tears and it felt like you could go on crying forever. He set your feet back down to look at you. "I love you." He said, in the same way he always did, but this time it was like he spoke directly to your heart, your heart that belonged to him now.

"I love you too." You cried. "...and this gift, the best birthday gift I could have ever received."

[dollygirl808]

Ch. 4 of A Helping Paw

Obsessive! Werewolf/Weredog 141(+extra) x Chubby! OC Freya

Masterlist

The drive into town didn't take long, and when she parked just a little ways away from the front door, she could spot the dark outline of a dog laying off in a corner, likely chewing on something. He was too far away to really get a good look at him, but she'd get to meet him soon enough.

Soap behaved well enough as she clipped his leash on, getting her things as she stepped out of the car, the brown fluffy dog following after her, nose twitching as he scented the air.

"Is that your friend?" She asked, smiling when his tail started wagging faster, likely smelling someone familiar.

The doorbell jingled as she approached, Nikolai standing just inside his shop and holding the door for her, thick, hairy arms on display as he wore just a dark t-shirt that clung to his form, his soft stomach and pronounced pecs.

"Come in," He ushered, hand low against her back as he guided her past him into the shop, the bell chiming as it closed. She let go of Soap's leash, and he wasted no time racing over to the pretty, black gray and brown dog laying in the corner, barreling into him and making him yelp in surprise.

"Soap, be gentle!" Freya chastised, although it was no use right now.

Gaz, an absolutely stunning black gray and brown dog that sort of resembled a doberman to her, didn't seem to mind the roughhousing much, rolling over onto his feet and popping up on his paws in a play bow, the bone forgotten.

The two hopped back and forth for a second, then Soap enticed a game of play by dashing away, headed directly for her.

"Ah- no!" She yelled when Soap bumped into her leg, then Gaz ran underfoot just a few seconds later. Luckily, Nikolai caught her as they circled around the pair then ran back to the other side of the shop, Gaz tackling the fluffier dog where they then engaged in a fun game of bitey face on the floor, sharp canines on display as they rumbled and huffed at each other playfully.

"Thanks," She said, looking up into Nikolai's eyes as he looked down at her, thick fingers splayed over her waist.

"Of course, detka," He told her smoothly, lifting her back up to stand up straight. How embarrassing! Knocked over by a dog into the Russians thick, strong arms. If she didn't know any better she'd almost think that the dogs did it on purpose. When she realized she was still holding onto his plush bicep, she hastily let go and took a half-step out of his personal space, face feeling heated.

They both stood there for a moment, watching the two dogs play together. They're both very happy to be reunited, even though it's only presumably been a few days.

Soap play growled at the other dog, nipping at his triangular cropped ear, hopping over him from one side to the other, and Gaz opened his muzzle, chasing him with his teeth. Before he can get in a nip, Soap runs away and he gives chase.

The two zip around the open floor space, staying in the front area of the shop. At one point, Soap attempted to barrel into him again, but Gaz darted out of the way and the brown dog ran face-first into a shelf instead, knocking a heavy looking metal pan off, and getting hit in the head with it.

Nikolai clicked his tongue to his teeth and sighed out, shaking his head. "All brawn and no brains, that one," He told her.

Soap let out a small yelp and pinned his ears, nails skittering across the tile floor as he ran away from the shelf and back to her, nearly knocking her over with how he bullied his way between her thighs.

Gaz did a thorough shake off on the other side of the shop before padding his way over to the three just as Nikolai headed to pick the pan pack up.

"D'aww, poor baby, did you get bonked good?" Freya cooed out in a slightly teasing tone, scritching his flank.

In response, Soap whined in a drawn out, complaining 'aarrraruu!' At her backside, long muzzle tilted upwards against her ass. She chuckled, giving his fluffy butt a little dad pat before walking forward so he was no longer between her legs.

"He will live, I'm sure," Nikolai mused, watching from next to the shelf.

Gaz took this time to properly introduce himself, pushing into her space, chest and neck pressed against her thigh as he looked up at her, beautiful hazel brown eyes staring into her soul.

She scritched between his ears, "Why hello handsome, aren't you a pretty boy?"

Suddenly, Soap gave the other dog a not-so friendly growl, body language tense and mouth closed. She retracted her hand, taking a sideways step away from both dogs.

Gaz mimicked the other, posturing with his chest out and tail high, a deeper growl ruminating in his throat. The two had a tense stare down until Nikolai spoke up, accent thick with his annoyance as he called out, "Boys!" That made Soap finally give in, pinning his ears and ducking his head with a low whine, looking down as he flicked his tongue in an appeasing gesture.

Proudly, the beauceron trotted over to her, tail giving big, sweeping happy wags side to side as he pressed close for pets. Apprehensively, she scratched under his chin while throwing sideways glances at the shepherd who just sat off to the side, watching with big, begging puppy eyes.

"Sorry about them. Soap gets jealous easily and forgets that he is under Gaz in the pack, even if only by a little."

Freya nodded, still petting Gaz as she looked up at him. She isn't entirely sure what he meant by the pack, but he knew these dogs for longer than her, so surely he must know what he's talking about.

"If you agree to watch them both, they'll behave better, promise." He said suddenly, walking closer with cash folded between his fingers as he held it out.

"Oh, no- I couldn't," She shook her head, intending to push his offering hand away, but he just pushed it further into her palm.

"John insists. It was payment for the sitter, and they've now bailed, and you're watching Soap already. If you don't want to take Gaz too, you can take half and I will watch him." Gaz whined at that, like he knew he was about to be left behind by the pretty lady that scratched just right against his skin with her nails, and poked her in the stomach with his nose.

"I- " She looked down at the pup licking at her wrist, pretty hazel brown eyes flicking back and forth between her and Nikolai standing over him, "Ok, I'll watch Gaz too. And accept the money, even though I don't need it." She conceded not too long after, taking the cash from his hand and quickly tucking it away in her wallet.

Gaz let out a happy yip, play bowing at her before turning and initiating a much lower energy, friendly play fight with Soap, who happily engaged with the other.

"I will put his food in your trunk, watch them for me, detka?" He told her, even though it was posed as a question as he quickly disappointed behind a doorway, only to quickly re-appear and walk out the door, heavy red cooler held in one hand.

She watched from behind the glass door as he loaded the cooler into her trunk, and the dogs danced around her, actually being careful to not knock her over now, only bumping her with their tails occasionally.

After he came back inside, Freya called the dogs to her and leashed up Soap, then stood up and looked down at Gaz, not sure what to do.

"Well.. I have to go get another set of bowls anyways, so I guess I'll leave one of you in the car while I buy another leash," She told the dogs, mostly just speaking her thoughts out loud.

"Ah, don't be silly kukolka, here," Nikolai walked around the counter and grabbed something from underneath, and held out a nice, brown and gray biothane leash with a gold clasp, "For Gaz," He told her, and she took the leash. He then bent down and picked up two stainless steel bowls, setting them on the counter.

"Those are his as well. Take them for now," he told her, nudging them closer to the edge. She nodded, and hooked Gaz's leash to him before grabbing their bowls.

"Ok, well I guess I'll see you in a few days. By Nikolai!" He held the door for her, and the two dogs walked outside first as she followed, waving bye to him as the bell chimed a second time when it closed.

They both hopped into the passenger seat, Gaz sitting half on top of Soap and half on the seat as the brown dog lay partially in her lap. Gaz seemed really interested in the view outside the window as they drove back to her house, so she rolled it down and let him stick his head out. He really enjoyed it, as evident by his black-spotted tongue lolling out to the side.

By the time they got back, it was 2pm and her car, and her boyfriend by association, were finally back, parked somewhat hastily in the gravel parking space despite not having anything to rush to.

After pulling up to the side of her car farthest from the house, she tied both dogs to the passenger seat headrest so they couldn't escape and possibly maul Jake, then left the car running as she stepped out and locked it.

She forgot to ask how Gaz was with men and strangers.. she'll have to call Nikolai back and ask.

"Hey babe," Freya smiled at the man as he got out of her silver car. He only frowned at her, crossing his arms.

"I've been waiting in the car for the past thirty minutes," Jake told her in a condescending tone, staring down his nose at her despite only being a few inches taller than her.

"Well, if you had been here at 10 like you said, you wouldn't have had to wait," She told him, barely restraining herself from rolling her eyes.

"Well, I overslept!" He huffed, getting unusually defensive.

"Do you expect me to wait for you all day? I had things to do," She told him, motioning to her car where both dogs were staring intently at them, "If you had bothered to check your phone you would have seen that I found a dog and he'll be staying with us until we leave."

The man looked over at the dogs, one of them already mean-mugging him through the windows of both cars, and the other just tilting his head as he watched them curiously.

"That's two dogs," Jake pointed out unhelpfully, narrowing his eyes at her.

"Yes... congratulations you can count," Freya deadpanned, putting her hand on her hip and cocking it to the side.

He scoffed and rolled his eyes, throwing his hands up as he went to storm off. "Wait! Wait, I'm sorry. I just got annoyed with you for being late. Will you get the cooler in the trunk and put it in the big box freezer for me?" She asked with a sigh, motioning to the car.

"Yeah, sure," He agreed, not particularly happy but still doing it. As he got closer to the red truck, Soap started barking at him, brown paws up on the center console as he growled, making Jake hesitate for more than just a few moments at the truck bed covering before rolling it back and picking up the cooler.

While he was putting that away, she got the two out of her dad's car and let them sniff and smell her boyfriend's scent by her car. Gaz stuck his nose to the gravel driveway, and Soap peed on the front tire.

Just as he was coming back outside, Soap found something interesting and hot pink stuck in the driver's side door and began tugging at it with his front teeth. Gaz became curious and started sniffing at the thin lacy fabric as well.

"What the fuck?" She spat out indignantly, snatching up the fabric from the door, only tearing them a little as she held them up to the sun.

Jake's face went white as he saw what she was holding, a hot pink, lacey pair of crotchless panties that clearly didn't belong to his girlfriend, considering they were way too small to fit over her ass or even on her thighs. "I-I can explain!" He stuttered out quickly, stumbling down the stairs in his rush to get to her.

Freya threw the offending fabric down on the gravel, and before it hit the ground Gaz snapped it up in his maw and gave it an aggressive shake, whipping it back and forth. Soap sank his fangs into the panties as well, snarling as they quickly ripped it into lacy pieces.

"Babe, wait, look- she was flirting with me, like she was a total whore and-"

"And- and- do you ever shut up?" She snapped, mocking him, "And if she was a whore what does that make you, hm? Just get the fuck out of my face. I'm breaking up with you." She sighed, her anger dissipating almost immediately as she realized.. she really wasn't in love with him. And this vacation had really proved to her what kind of person he was.

"Babe please, we can still make this work, yeah? Where- where would I even go?" He asked in a pathetic voice.

"Just- take my car and get a hotel for all I care. Or drive back to our apartment. I don't care, but you can't stay here. Go pack your stuff, Jake."

Thankfully, the man conceded without much more fanfare, solemnly packing up all his clothes and hauling his suitcase to her silver car. The three of them watched as he drove away, the only evidence of his cheating laying in tatters in the gravel.

Freya didn't even cry as she picked up the hot pink scraps, only throwing them away in the trash with a heavy sigh. Soap and Gaz hovered around her the entire time as she absent-mindedly cut up their lunch and served it to them, curling up on the couch with a bowl of cereal when she was done.

(Break)

Gaz approached her slowly, still licking the up juices from his maw as he stepped forward. He stared at her with his pretty hazel eyes as he set his head on the edge of the couch, tail giving full, slow wags side to side.

"Hi pretty boy," She reached out from her spot lying on her side, petting between his ears, "Do you wanna join me on the couch?"

Carefully, he climbed onto the couch next to her and curled up, just barely fitting all of him onto the space left between her torso and the edge of the couch, brown paws tucked between his body and her soft tummy. His gray-tipped black tail thumped calmly against the couch cushion next to them

"Your fur pattern is beautiful," She thought aloud, smoothing her palm over his side, and the pretty mix of black and gray, the short coat like pebbled stone against a black silky void. He had two brown dotted rottweiler eyebrows and the upper half of his top jaw and his wet nose are black, but the lower half of his top jaw, along with his bottom jaw is brown, outlined by black down the side of his neck.

Her fingers brushed over his ear, causing it to flick. The inside is completely brown while the edge and outside is black. There are a couple of gray spots above his left eyebrow, but other than that his forehead is mostly black.

Soap whined, fluffy ears lowered slightly as he begged to be let up on the couch too, with his striking blue eyes.

"Ok, c'mere you big baby," She called, patting the cushion next to her legs.

He hopped up, letting out a happy little vocalization as he did so, turning in tight circles between the back of the couch and her bent calves before settling with his chin resting over her plush hip. The slightly smaller dog let out a long, exasperated sigh from his nose as if the other's presence was a massive inconvenience for him, but settled his head over the armrest nonetheless, like he was settling in for a nap.

Soap huffed, tucking his front paws tighter against the back of her thighs as his eyes closed. Apparently, she was now having dog-mandated group cuddles and nap time.

---

Taglist: @cringeycookies @sleepydang

[babydollmarauders]

BACK TO DECEMBER — MARK ESTAPA

mark estapa x fem!reader

part of the Speak Now Fic List

summary: in which y/n sees Mark for the first time since their breakup last december and struggles being around him while still being hopelessly in love.

warnings: just lots of angst. no happy ending.

notes: so many “specific lyrics” that i couldn’t even write them all, so this one is pretty much just the song as a whole.

another note: FIRST TIME WRITING FOR STOP SIGN! WHOOP WHOOP! i’m sorry for this.

not my gif

my heart aches, hand shaking as i pull open the door of the diner. stepping into the mostly empty restaurant, my eyes sweep the expanse of the eatery, in search of the boy i’m meeting. but showing up twenty minutes early has assured me that’s he’s yet to show.

putting my free time to use, i make my way to the restroom, pushing the door open and attempting a deep inhale as i stop in front of the mirror.

my eyes bore into the reflection in front of me, criticizing myself. my purple sundress feels too tight with my anxiety squeezing my diaphragm, making it hard for me to suck in a full breath.

i stare straight ahead, looking into my own eyes as i shake my arms out, trying to rid myself of any awkward feelings or stiffness.

“you can do this.” my whisper echoes off the tiled walls of the diner bathroom as a toilet flushes and a girl steps out of a stall.

i step out of her way as she walks over to a sink, washing her hands. she looks towards me as i attempt another deep breath.

“i don’t know what your doing, but i agree; you can do this.” she tells me, a small smile on her lips as she dries her hands with paper towel.

“oh- thank you.” i send a weak smile in return and she winks as she steps out of the bathroom and back into the seating area.

i follow her lead, fully planning on finding a table, but within two steps, my eyes land on the head of blond hair that i had been searching for when i first arrived.

he sits in a booth at the side of the diner, his back towards me, and i’m immediately transported back to that fateful night one year ago.

**DECEMBER 29TH. 1 YEAR AGO**

“Mark.” my voice cuts through the white noise of the radio and my boyfriend turns it off, silence falling over the car.

he turns his head to look at me, a grin on his lips, before turning back to look at the road.

“what’s up, babygirl?” my heart clenches at the pet name and my eyes drop to the red roses in my lap, my fingers pick lightly at the petals; not tearing them off, but fluffing them to make the flowers seem fuller.

“i-” my voice shakes and tears sting at my eyes as i gather my courage. “i think we should break up.”

Mark’s hand drops mine on the center console, our fingers unlacing as he puts the car into park as we pull up in front of my house.

“what?” he’s hurt, i can hear it in his tone, and it makes this all so much harder. i didn’t want to hurt him. “what are you talking about? is it the date? i thought you were having fun, but you could’ve told me if you didn’t wanna go bowling.”

“it’s not the bowling, Mark.” i throw my head back, staring up at the roof of the car to try and delay my tears.

“then what’s wrong? because i thought we were doing great!” his words are urgent, defensive. “we just started saying ‘i love you’ like two months ago, y/n. what could’ve changed in these past couple months?”

“i know! i just-” i’m cut off by Mark.

“at least look at me if you’re gonna break up with me.” i avert my gaze, finally looking towards him, but i regret it instantly. his eyes are red, i’m not the only one holding back tears.

“i just- i took my gap year, but i started school this semester and my sister’s gotten in my head that, ya know, college is about freedom and not being tied down. doing new things and figuring out who you are. and maybe she’s right.”

“so i’m tying you down?” his face contorts in offense as he shakes his head in disbelief. “i’m holding you back from feeling free?”

“no! i- that’s not what i meant!” i shake my head, letting out a sigh of frustration. i can’t seem to say the right words. “i’m just saying that i think i need to try being single in college, ya know? you got a whole year of that. you were single all of your freshman year. but this is my time to try that.”

i’ve said the wrong thing. i know it because i can see the walls building up behind his eyes. his face turns blank, stony as he just nods, turning to look back out the front windshield.

“right.” the one word is harsher than i ever though it could possibly be. “i think you should just go, y/n.”

“Mark, i wanna talk about this.” i plead as i unbuckle my seatbelt, turning fully in my seat to face him.

“i think we’ve talked enough. you wanna break up. it’s whatever, now i want you to get out of my car.” he tells me as he presses the unlock button, motioning his head towards my door.

i nod, opening the car door and stepping out into the cold, winter, Michigan air. i set the roses down on my seat, not wanting a reminder of this night, of this fight.

“goodbye.” i tell him, an icy tear rolling down my cheek as i shut the passenger door and step back. i walk up to my porch, listening to Mark’s engine start back up, gravel crunching as he peels out of my driveway.

i can’t help but turn and watch him leave, his car disappearing down the street.

**PRESENT DAY**

i steel myself, shaking my head to get rid of the awful memory before i walk over, stopping in front of the table.

Mark is sitting on his phone, typing out a text, but as he looks up at me, he locks it, placing it screen down on the table.

“hey.” he exhales, a small smile rests on his lips, confusing me but also relaxing me.

he doesn’t seem to be mad anymore.

“hi, Mark.” i smile back, already feeling so much more comfortable in his presence.

“uh, do you wanna sit?” he asks me, chuckling. i let a small huff of laughter out at my stupidity as i nod, taking a seat across from him.

“i’m so glad you made time to see me.” i confess, anxiously running my hands down the lap of my dress to smooth out any wrinkles.

“yeah, me too. i have to admit, i wasn’t sure about it at first. Ethan had to talk me into saying yes, but, now that i’m here, i’m glad i did.” he tells me, and any leftover anxious feelings disappear at his admission. we’re on the same page, happy to see each other.

a waitress comes to take our orders and just like he did all that time ago, Mark orders for me.

“i’ll have a BLT with extra bacon, and french fries with a coke. and she’ll have the strawberries and cream pancakes with turkey bacon on the side and a hot chocolate with extra whipped cream.” the waitress nods and gathers our menus before leaving to place our order.

“you remembered my order.” i laugh and he looks at me with the expression of a deer in headlights.

“oh, shit, i’m sorry. i hope that’s still you’re order. i guess it was subconscious, to order for you.” i lay a hand on his arm in reassurance.

“it’s okay. yeah, that’s still my order.” i tell him and he sighs in relief and nods.

“great.” i take my hand back and play with my fingers.

“so, how’s life?” i ask him. “tell me, how’s your family? i haven’t seen them in a while.”

“life’s good!” he smiles, nodding with a faraway look. “life’s really good. i’ve been good, but busy. we made it to the frozen four again last season. we didn’t win but, we made it, and that’s all that matters. and my family’s good! John and my parents are great.”

my smile falters at his answer. i didn’t want him to be miserable, of course not. but, i also didn’t expect him to be so happy without me in his life.

“that’s great. i’m really glad.” it’s the truth, of course i’m glad that he’s been good.

“what about you? how’s work? are you still running the media for your school’s baseball team?” the small talk continues.

“i’ve been okay. yeah, i’m still doing that. it’s been pretty good. stable, ya know?”

he nods in understanding and it’s quiet for a brief moment as we look out the diner window next to us. snow flurries down outside, thick clouds hanging in the sky.

“it’s really coming down hard out there. i’m glad we got in here before the storm started.” he chats.

“yeah, although the roads are definitely gonna be icy.” he nods at my words and i can tell by the meaningless small talk that his guard is up. i can’t blame him, the last time we saw each other was when i broke up with him, breaking both of our hearts in one night.

the conversation is tabled when our food arrives and we fall into silence as we eat, and out of a force of habit, i stick half of my turkey bacon on his plate.

halfway through our meal, it seems that Mark can no longer hold in his confusion.

“why did you ask me here?” i set my fork down at his question, preparing myself to bare my heart.

“i wanted to tell you i’m sorry for that night.” i admit. i play with my mug of hot cocoa out of nerves.

“why now?” he asks. “why a year later?”

“i haven’t been sleeping lately.” i tell him. “i’ve just been laying in bed playing back that night in my head. i have so many regrets, and my biggest one is not staying in the car with you.”

he draws in a deep breath, glancing at his phone before looking back up at me.

“ya know, i thought we could get past it? i thought it was just a bump in our relationship and you would realize that you made a mistake and everything would be okay.

“and then my birthday passed, and you never called. you didn’t even text. and that’s when i knew that you were serious. i realized that we were really broken up.”

his words bring tears to my eyes.

“i’m sorry.” my voice shakes. “i’m so sorry, Mark.”

“it’s okay, y/n.” he shakes his head. “i get it. you wanted a taste of the college freedom.”

i shake my head, a frown making itself apparent on my lips.

“it turns out freedom is nothing but missing you.” i confess. “i’ve been thinking about last summer a lot lately. when we would sneak away from our friends and go on those late night drives. i realized i liked you as more than a friend for the first time when i was watching you laugh on one of those drives.

“you were so carefree. you were the opposite of me. no worries, no stress. just living in the moment. and then we started dating and everything in the world felt… right. i felt safe with you. i felt at home. and then we both left for school and we were so far apart and i was so worried that you wouldn’t want me anymore. but then you were you. you called me every night and you sent me flowers and even from miles away, you made sure i wasn’t working myself too hard. and i fell in love with you that fall.”

i look down at my half full plate as he chews on his lip.

“but then i came home from winter break. and fear crept into my mind. my sister started telling me that you probably hated being tied down when you have so many girls that want you. she said i should be single in order to have the full college experience. she said i shouldn’t be pining over a guy that probably wished he didn’t have to call me after all of his games. that you probably hated having a girlfriend that you couldn’t even really be with. so i listened to her. i thought that she was older and wiser so she was probably right.”

i look back up at him as tears roll down my face. i held my tears in until i was out of his car last december, making this only the second time he’s ever actually seen me cry and his expression is filled with the exact same worry as it was the first time.

**SEPTEMBER 20TH, 2022**

i sit on Mark’s bed, watching as he folds clothes to put in his suitcase.

he’s leaving.

we both are.

i knew this day would come. that summer would end and we’d have to leave each other.

i knew it when we started this relationship three months ago. i just didn’t think it would hurt this bad.

my breath hitches as i watch him fold up my favorite shirt of his, sticking it in his suitcase, and i realize that for the next 3 months, i won’t see him wear it again. i won’t see him again.

“actually, babe, do you think i could keep that one?” i ask him, pulling the shirt out of the travel bag that rests beside me.

“what?” he laughs and i almost feel stupid for asking. “you wanna keep my shirt?”

“ya know what? yeah, it’s- it’s stupid. nevermind.” i place the shirt back in the suitcase, scrunching my nose up and subtly pinching my eyes closed in attempt to hold back my tears.

i look the opposite direction, blinking a few times to try to get rid of the salt water stinging my eyes.

“hey.” his voice is gentle, soft, as he crouches down to his knees in front of me. his hands rest gently on my thighs. “look at me, please.”

i gather my courage, averting my gaze to look into his eyes. his face is filled with worry, his eyebrows raised in concern. he crawls onto the bed, pulling me into his side as the tears escape my eyes.

“what’s wrong? hmm?” he caresses my cheek, tilting my head to look up at him.

“i’m gonna miss you.” i tell him. i bite my lip, holding back a sob.

“i’m gonna miss you more, sweet girl.” he whispers, planting a light kiss on the tip of my nose. “but these next few months are gonna fly by, and then we’ll see each other over winter break. and then spring break. and then finally, it’ll be summer again. and before you know it, you’ll be getting sick of me again.”

he brushes a tear away with his thumb.

“you’re gonna be telling me ‘gosh Mark, give me some space!’” he raises his pitch, mocking my voice and making me let out a watery giggle amongst my tears.

“i will not!” i smack his chest lightly.

“okay, yeah, maybe not. you’ll actually be all over me, and i’ll eat up every second of it.” he jokes.

“holding you.” he squeezes me tighter, pulling me into his lap.

“kissing you.” he cups my face, pulling my lips to his and laying a sweet kiss against them.

“touching you.” his hands slide down my body to rest on my hips.

“keep the shirt, baby.” he tells me before raising his eyebrows. “but i expect to see you wearing it on facetime. think you can do that?”

i giggle nodding my head. “yeah, i can do that.”

“good.” he reaches over, grabbing the shirt out of the suitcase. he hands it to me and i hug it to my chest. “you feeling better now, pretty girl?”

i nod, leaning forward to lay my head on his chest, and his arms snake around me, holding me to him.

“good. cause that was the first time i’ve seen you cry and i hated every second of it.”

**PRESENT DAY**

“y/n, your sister was wrong.” he tells me. his hand moves to lay atop of mine, rubbing it with his thumb to provide a sense of comfort for me as i wipe away my tears.

“i didn’t care that other girls wanted me, all i wanted was you. i loved calling you after games. i loved hearing you share in my excitement when we won, or giving me pep talks when we lost.

“did i love that i couldn’t be with you? no. but that didn’t mean i wanted to break up. i loved you.”

loved.

past tense.

my heart aches as i slide my hand out from under his, my stomach churning in discomfort.

his phone buzzes on the table and he glances at it once again before looking back at me.

“maybe this is wishful thinking; but if we loved again, i swear i’d love you right this time.” i sigh. “i just wanted you to know that. i miss you. i’m so happy you’re doing great, but i’m not. i miss your sweet smile. i miss how you looked at me like i was the only girl in the world. i miss loving you. i miss our late night talks when we should’ve been studying. i miss hearing about your games. i even miss hearing Ethan’s obnoxious teasing when we were talking way later than we should’ve been. i miss you, even as just a friend, like before we were dating. and i know it’s probably much too late, but i go back to December all the time and i just needed you to know that i’m so sorry for that night. and i’d go back in time and change it if i could, but i can’t.”

he sighs, licking his lips and looking down at his hands.

“y/n-” i cut him off.

“you don’t have to say anything, Mark. i just wanted you to know.” he nods but speaks anyways.

“i’m in a good place, y/n. i’m happy. i appreciate your apology, but it’s okay. it was probably for the best, anyways.” he shrugs.

for the best.

right.

“oh- okay.” tears escape my eyes, rolling down my cheeks again.

“i’m sorry that you’re not happy. i really am. and if there was anything else i could do to change that, i would. it hurts me to know that you’re hurting because you still hold a special place in my heart. you were my best friend for so long, and you were my first love.”

i nod in understanding, steeling myself and preparing for the meeting to end.

his phone buzzes once more and this time he picks it up. i watch his face as he looks at the notification, and my heart drops at his expression.

the way his eyes light up. the way the corners of his lips curl up just slightly, like he’s trying not to smile. the way the corners of his eyes crinkle.

i know that look.

it’s the same way that his friends said he looked at his phone when my contact would pop up.

he’s in love.

with someone who’s not me.

“who is she?” i can’t help but ask. i keep my tone light. not accusing, but genuinely curious.

he quickly puts his phone down, looking back at me with wide eyes.

“what?” he asks, feigning obliviousness.

“who is she? the girl on your phone.” i send him a watery smile, silently assuring him that it’s okay.

“her name is Anna.” he admits, his shoulders slumping in ease. “she’s my… girlfriend. we started dating in May, right before the summer. she works media for the team.”

i nod along as he speaks, a soft teary smile masking the fact that it feels like my heart is being ripped to shreds.

“i hope she makes you happy.” i tell him, and i mean it. i really want him happy. regardless of who’s causing it.

“she does.” he’s gentle with his words, obviously not wanting to hurt me. but he isn’t the one who hurt me, i did.

“did she come home with you?” i ask him, fearing that i already know the answer.

“yeah.” he tells me, biting his lip.

“go to her.” i whisper, mustering one more small smile.

“y/n, i-” he starts but i shake my head.

“go. it’s okay.” i assure him. “you heard what i wanted you to hear. now, go home to your girlfriend and your family. enjoy your break.”

he nods, fishing out his wallet and setting some cash on the table.

“it was really nice seeing you, y/n. maybe i’ll see you around.” he tells me, standing up and putting his coat back on before he braves the snowy night.

“yeah, maybe.” i smile up at him and he gives me one in return before walking away.

i look out the window beside the table as he walks out to his car. the same car that i broke both our hearts in. and i watch as he drives out of the parking lot. it reminds me eerily of that night last December.

i avert my gaze to the table top, spotting the cash he left. enough to cover both our meals. and i can’t help but cry.

i did this to myself. i let my fears get the best of me, and now he’s happy without me. and i’ll have to sit on the sidelines and watch as he spends his life with someone else. someone who can love him better than i could.

[canmom]

авантура Цанмома у Београду

avantura Canmoma u Beogradu, or, the adventure of canmom in Belgrade

it's another one of these 'travels of canmom' posts! last time we went to Gamescom in Germany. this time I went to Belgrade for a company event.

I can't actually talk that much about this one because the main thing I was doing was cooking up game pitches for what we might work on next (kind of like a game jam but just for concepts), and while that was very interesting and I learned a lot about how to get ideas across in limited time and make judgements about what videogames might sell and how long they'd take to make and such... it is however probably not something I can talk in too much detail about yet, because we might end up making these games, so I can't be like 'the theme was x and we pitched y'.

so instead I will mostly talk about Belgrade! and show some of the photos I took that don't have game developers wandering around in them.

that's Nikola Tesla airport. did you know that Nikola Tesla was from modern-day Serbia (at the time, the Austrian Empire)? I didn't but I do now!

most of the week was spent in this fancy villa...

...which is called the Villa Saga Paradiso. it must once upon a time have been some stinking rich family's holiday home, because it's a super weird building, with such features as a pool table, swimming pool, tennis court, library, and even a weird kinda stage thing on the top floor. definitely full of weirdly shaped rooms and interesting old furniture, it felt kinda like a place a moomin might hole up. so here's some pics of the place.

also the view was kinda insane...

also! here's a pic of a Serbian snail that came out rather nice:

anyway on Saturday we went into the city centre to do some more touristy shit. I went to the two places in Belgrade that presumably everyone goes, namely the Fortress and the Temple. but I also got some shots of the city centre...

(also a tram shot for the trams girls in the audience)

so as you can see, the vibes of central Belgrade are p Southern European sorta architecture, lots of pale stone walls and tiled roofs and the like. but you also have these crazy cool looking tower blocks from the communist period...

...which were unfortunately quite hard to photograph out of a moving car window.

But yeah, we were on our way to the fortress.

Belgrade Fortress has a pretty storied history. At one point it simply was Belgrade; even after that, it's been occupied by variously the Byzantines, Turks and Austrians, who all made various additions and modifications to the fortress, and sometimes accidentally blew it up. Nowadays it's become a kind of park and tourist area, surrounded by the river, and thus some pretty impressive views...

as well as various things that tourists might like to look at, like statues of dinosaurs and tanks, and people dressed Historically.

apparently you're only allowed 30 images in a post, so let me make another one for the Temple, which was the craziest building I saw, and the butt statue...

[pinkkinoko]

That one time Billy told Max he, too, had a nerd boyfriend

The sound of the front door opening and closing let Billy know that Max was back from Lucas’s house, she was holding a milkshake in one hand and had her skateboard tucked up under her other arm. She propped the skateboard up against the wall and made her way to the kitchen, flinging her backpack onto the sofa as she went.

Billy was leaning against the counter, eating a sandwich and flipping through a magazine. He was wearing his reading glasses, something nobody believed he even owned. One time, when she was late getting to the movies, Max had offhandedly explained that it was because Billy was giving her shit since he was convinced she’d touched his glasses. The truth was he just couldn’t find them because he’d left them at Eddie Munson’s house. Lucas just looked weirded out, and Mike had yelled “He reads?”

To which Dustin had replied: “It’s probably just playboy magazines…”

Billy didn’t really wear his glasses around anyone—though it looks like now he wore them around Eddie—and he was actually a pretty big reader. To be fair, she never thought Billy read anything other than the road signs—and that was just so he could do the opposite of what they said. But Billy read a lot; she noticed it a few weeks after Neil had moved in, though he didn’t read out in the open. She’d caught the scene by chance as she was skating back from the boardwalk, Billy’s car was parked in a relatively empty space, his eyes fixed on a heavy book about what she later found out was marine biology.

It was the first time she’d seen him look quiet.

Not bored, or angry, or lazy; not wound up like when he was with his friends, or dangerous like when he was at the dinner table. For once, he just looked quiet, and she thought that maybe, just for that moment, he seemed like every other dumb high school sophomore she’d ever seen.

She was surprised by the glasses, he’d always been pretty, but now he even looked somewhat boyish—if she imagined him with a different hairstyle, one less ambitious and more subtle, she could even see him as a nerdish bookworm.

Still, as she had passed quietly by his car, she could hear the faint sound of his favorite metal tracks playing from the speaker. It was like a reminder, at that time, that he was still Billy, all hard-edged and dangerous.

Things had gotten better, between them, after Neil left. So many things had happened over the summer in Hawkins, especially after Billy got fed-up with lifeguard duty—and Neil—and took a road trip back home to Cali. She’s kind of glad that Billy hadn’t been there, not just because shit had hit the fan with the whole upside-down shit-show, but because of what had happened to Heather, too.

Things between her and Billy weren’t kittens and rainbows, even if they’d gotten better, but the thought of what happened to Heather possibly happening to Billy too—

It made her feel like razors were scraping all down her back.

“Oh no way—what are you wearing?”

Max stood on the threshold, between the carpeted living room of the trailer and the tiled kitchen area, noticing for the first time the dumb shirt she’d had the bad luck of seeing everywhere lately; the glaring words “hellfire club” written in bold across the front.

“Shut up Max, it’s a lame fucking shirt, I can wear lame shit too, alright.”

Billy didn’t bother to look up from the magazine, Max had a feeling it was mostly because he knew she would give him the biggest shit-eating grin in all of Hawkins—and he wouldn’t be able to say anything back. Max thought the shirt was the stupidest thing, and so she knew Billy had to think the same. They disagreed on way too many things to keep track of, but call it a sibling-sense, she just knew he agreed with her on this.

“My boyfriend is in that dumb club and he couldn’t pay me to wear that thing, what bet did you lose?”

The magazine slapped against Billy’s thigh as he let his arm fall forward, an annoyed sigh leaving his mouth.

“Yeah, well mine’s the fucking president, Max. Don’t get used to it, same thing I told Eddie, it’s a one time thing.”

Max had seen Billy kissing Eddie once, it was late and she’d gone out to feed the dog. She saw Billy getting out of Eddie’s van and following him up the steps into his trailer. Before they’d gone inside, Eddie had turned to say something that they’d both laughed at before Billy pulled him down into a kiss.

She’d be lying if she said she wasn’t caught off guard—it made her rethink a whole feature-film’s worth of stuff in her memory—but after the initial shock wore off, she was left with mixed feelings.

She didn’t really like Munson. Sure, Lucas seemed to think he was alright, and Dustin had pretty much found a new older brother in the guy, but she still wasn’t really convinced.

Not to mention Mike liked him, which was not good advertising; the only good choice Mike had ever made was El, and he still managed to royally fuck that up.

Maybe she was worried whatever issues Billy had, they’d only get worse with Munson around. Saying Munson was a “bad influence” felt like she was pushing Billy around in a stroller; that kind of sentiment was reserved for sweet, over-protective moms who kept track of curfews and supper-times, women like Mrs. Byers.

Still, maybe because it looked like things could actually start to work between her and Billy, Max felt nervous.

Turns out she didn’t really have anything to be nervous about. If anything, Billy mellowed out after meeting Munson, she can’t say it’s not 80% weed, but even 20% feels like miles compared to before. Apparently, the guy can even get Billy to wear the dumbest shirt on the planet, so maybe he’s not that bad after all.

He can even get Billy to date.

Max didn’t even know Billy knew what that word meant, she’d only seen him switching through girls faster than he drove, but maybe she was just looking at it wrong from the start.

Either way, she was happy for him. There was still a ton of shit to work through before she could really feel herself around Billy, she’s sure it was the same for him, but the point was that they had time now.

That’s more than could be said for a lot of people after Starcourt; people like Jim Hopper.

“Well, I guess it looks alright on you.”

He raised an eyebrow at her, and there was a tiny millisecond in which Max was scared again, that maybe he’d snap at her—that maybe Neil was going to walk in the room with her mother on his arm, looking small and timid all over again. But it didn’t happen, Billy’s lips gave a little pull to the right, a smirk, and he bit back;

“Everything looks good on me, Max, even this nerd shit.”

He then went back to reading his magazine, and as she opened the fridge to grab something to snack on, she found a sandwich saran-wrapped and sitting on a plate. She knew it wasn’t her mom, not just because she wasn’t even home since this morning, but because the sticky note on top of it that read “Max” was in Billy’s handwriting.

She smiled, they’d be alright, somehow; if it was the three of them, they could do it.

Billy did, by the way, keep wearing that shirt. It was only around the house, or when he knew nobody but Max would see him in it, but she could tell he liked it.

God, her brother had horrible taste.

[theroseceleste]

Pilot Miguel - Part 1 - Pilot

You're a member of cabin crew for AracnAir, a commercial airliner and today is Miguel's first day as Captain. Will it be a soaring success? Or will it crash and burn - his first day - not the plane...

Word count - 3675

I don't think there is any potential triggering content in this chapter.

This fic will have smut, but not in this chapter. Minors DNI

Enjoy! xx

Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Part 7 Part 8 Part 9 Part 10 Part 11 Part 12 Part 13 Part 14

If you enjoy this fic, please consider liking, commenting or re-blogging. Many thanks xx

You sit in your car looking into your flip down mirror as you check your makeup. It’s immaculate - it has to be. No single strand of hair out of place, pulled into a tight, neat bun. You look perfect, just how a member of an airliner’s cabin crew should; clean, presentable and stunning. You practise a bright white smile before slamming the sun-shade back up against the ceiling of your car. Then you open your door and slide out.

As you lock your car, you spot a group of other cabin crew across the car park. They too, are wearing the same uniform. A regal purple smart jacket, with the same colour pencil skirt or trousers. They could well be on the same flight as you.

Your purple heels click across the carpark as you drag your small travel case behind you. You’ll be flying for about eight hours today to Acapulco, Mexico and you’ll be staying over for two days before flying back. This is one of the many perks of being part of a cabin crew; seeing the world and being paid for it. This job does come with its challenges however…

After signing up to join AracnAir, you underwent intense and serious training; learning every emergency procedure and then performing them under extremely realistic scenarios. You have had to put out a real fire in a training fuselage, and activate the large exit chutes that become life rafts if the plane has to ditch into water and stage an evacuation suspended over a giant swimming pool.

You don’t just fly in one type of plane either, so your training included learning the ins and outs of every model that is in the airliner’s fleet. Learning the differences isn’t enough, you’re tested, yearly. Making sure you’re up to scratch and on the ball. If you fail the test, back to training you go.

Nueva York airport is a clean but bustling, expansive building. Long queues are forming before the check-in desks, snaking their way back towards the entrance. Bright white lights shine down and reflect off of the polished tiled floor.

The group of purple jackets are still ahead of you, as you follow them to your designated check-in area. In the small queue, you hear a couple of girls in front of you gossiping excitedly. A new pilot is to be flying with AracnAir today. New to the company, but a highly experienced flyer.

“He’s due to be piloting a flight this morning, I hear he’s handsome. I hope he’s on my flight.”

You silently scoff behind them, rolling your eyes in the process. It’s funny how excited they are considering that if he was on their flight they’ll hardly see him.

The queue inches further forward at a reasonable pace. You have your passport at the ready. With no large suitcases to check-in, you go through towards security rather quickly.

This is all fairly routine stuff. You put your hand luggage into a little crate on the rollers, along with your handbag, cellphone and shoes. No alarm goes off as you step through the metal detector and you’re able to pick up your cleared luggage on the other side.

After security, you walk through the duty free section. You’re greeted with a path winding all the way around the different stalls crammed with expensive perfume and colognes, oversized chocolate bars, trinkets and souvenirs, sunglasses, hats, you name it, it’s probably there.

Before getting onto the flight, you have to meet with your assigned crew and answer a couple of questions about the plane you’ll be working on. Once arriving at the staff lounge, you discover those girls who were in front of you in the queue are not on your flight. You wonder if they have got what they wished for and have the new pilot be their captain.

Your supervisor for the flight begins her usual pre-flight spiel. Today you’re flying on a Boeing-747. Presented with a technical question, you answer it correctly proving your readiness to fly.

“Oh and the Captain and co-pilot for today’s flight are Captain O’Hara and First Officer Parker,” your supervisor mentions as two suited men enter the staff lounge.

Before seeing them, you smile as you’re fond of Peter, the First Officer. He’s been on several of your flights and is a very cheeky, spirited human being. But the name O’Hara, that’s a new one. No… is he the new Captain?

Your eyes glance up immediately at the thought, just to see if this guy really is as good looking as they say. Oh my… He’s tall - very tall, dark and certainly, incredibly handsome.

Unlike Peter, he’s wearing a stern expression on his face. Could it be first day nerves? Nah… He looks more… annoyed than nervous. Immediately you sense that both Captain O’Hara and First Officer Parker are totally on the opposite ends of the spectrum. Grumpy and serious versus light-hearted and fun.

His pilot’s hat hides most of his dark hair, but you see his stunningly tanned skin. You try not to, but it’s hard to resist dropping your jaw at the sight of his facial features. Cheekbones that could cut diamond, dark brown eyes that’ll melt anyone’s heart, and those plump lips… your mind begins to run wild at the thought of what they could do. Looking around, you see several of your crewmates doing the same. Lucky for all of you, the Captain doesn’t seem to notice.

It’s time to enter the plane and get things set up. You’re usually stationed in first class, and today is no different. After stowing your little hand luggage case and handbag away in a locker, you get to business pouring glasses of champagne and begin preparing bags of snacks and goodies for the first class passengers.

The main theme for AracnAir is purple, hence the colour of your uniform. Within the plane, there are purple curtains that separate the different classes from one another and purple cushions and blankets are laid out neatly on each seat.

You’re in the zone, you have a nice routine that you stick to at the beginning of each flight. Opening various cupboards, you check the stock of different items in the galley. Everything looks to be in order. You stand up after crouching down, looking into one of the lower cupboards. Your back bumps into something big and the sound of a grunt follows.

“Oh!” you give out a little surprised yelp before turning round to see who you just inadvertently backed into.

Dark brown eyes glare down at you, they squint slightly as if he’s trying to control his temper. A low growl rumbles from deep within the Captain’s chest. Seeing him before getting onboard you knew he was tall, but up close, it’s a wonder how he can still stand up straight in the plane. His giant-like frame looms over you.

“I- I’m s- sorry Captain…” you stutter as your face instantly heats up.

You’re not really known to stutter but his intensity in that moment made your brain short circuit, and not in a good way.

A pale hand grasps around what looks like an incredibly large bicep underneath the Captain’s jacket.

“Come on big guy,” Peter encourages Captain O’Hara to move forward.

“Don’t worry (Y/N), he’s too big for his own good,” he whispers, but still loud enough for him to hear.

An unimpressed grumble comes from the larger pilot as Peter pushes him forward. “Come on, this way to the cockpit, I’m sure you know where that is…”

You giggle at First Officer Parker’s joke as he turns his head back to you and gives you a cheeky wink.

“Not funny, Parker.”

“What? (Y/N) found it funny…”

You don’t hear the rest of the conversation, as they turn left into the narrow alley before entering the cockpit.

People are starting to come on board. You grab the first tray of champagne glasses and get ready to greet first class. It’s showtime, and you break out your trusty smile and say hello to the first passenger you see. But in the back of your mind, those dark brown eyes remain burned into your memory…

Once in the cockpit, the Captain takes his hat and jacket off and hangs them up. Then, he awkwardly situates himself in his chair on the left-hand side of the cockpit. His chair clicks into place after he pushes it as far back as he can to make room for his long, muscular legs.

Peter flumps into his seat on the right and sighs as he also re-arranges his seating position.

“Man, I gotta stop eating those burgers in the terminal,” he pauses as he pats his tummy.

“Starting to rock the ‘dad-bod’ look. Although, I hear that’s now a thing that the ladies like…”

The Captain doesn’t respond as he searches for the plane’s flight log, to check previous flights, any reported issues and its history of maintenance.

“Have you given your controls the ‘once over’ yet, Parker?” he asks in hope that’ll keep his First Officer occupied and quiet.

Peter sits up straighter in his chair and obediently does his checks. He may be a bit of a clown, but he understands that safety is important.

Leafing through the pages of the log book, the Captain seems satisfied with the plane’s history. All seems to be in good working order - it is a relatively new aircraft afterall. He puts the book down in the slot next to his chair and begins his own checks on his controls.

The silence between the two pilots makes Peter feel uncomfortable. He’s more of a chatty person and likes to joke around while he works. To fill the awkward silence, he begins talking again.

“There’s a spot on a beach with my name on it in Acap-”

“Do we have a weather report?” Captain O’Hara interrupts, his sweet moment of silence ended far too soon.

“Oh, yeah - here.”

Peter leans forward and passes a print out of today’s weather report for the flight.

Silence fills the cockpit once again as the Captain inspects the report. The forecast looks decent for smooth flying for the next seven to eight hours. He puts the A4 printout next to the log book.

“Begin pre-flight checks,” he instructs his co-pilot sternly as he places his headset on and grabs his checklist.

Peter also dons his headset and waits for Miguel to begin.

“Parking Brake…”

“Set.”

“Throttle…”

“Idle.”

“Fuel Flow…”

“Cutoff.”

The back and forth continues as the Captain ticks off the pre-flight checks until he is satisfied with the plane’s readiness.

Every first class passenger has been offered a free glass of champagne and are happily sitting comfortably in their pricey seats.

After stowing away the used glasses in the galley, you hear an announcement from the cockpit.

“All cabin crew prepare for take-off.”

That’s the Captain’s voice, it’s certainly not Peter’s. You find yourself liking the sound of him even if he is direct and to the point.

Your pre-flight preparations begin with making sure your passengers in first class are seated and have their seat belts fastened. You patrol the small section of the fuselage as your head turns left and right, eyes low, checking for buckled seat belts and that the chairs are in an upright position.

Once your passenger checks are done, you gather the flight safety demonstration equipment and stand at the front of one aisle. A screen unfolds from the ceiling and begins to play a video. Cheesy but cheerful music plays as a woman’s voice starts talking about how there should be no smoking on board and the evacuation procedure should the plane need to make an emergency landing.

Now it’s your turn. You point out the emergency exits for first class, place the life-jacket over your head and around your neck, tie it around your waist and fasten the buckle. As the demonstration takes place, the plane rumbles its way along the tarmac as it taxies to the runway. You’re so well practised at this that the soft bumps don’t bother you anymore as the aircraft navigates its way through the maze of tarmac.

The demonstration ends and you swiftly put away your safety instruction equipment before finding your jumpseat and strapping yourself in. Facing the passengers in front of you, you watch them all carefully as the plane begins its final turn before reaching the long stretch of tarmac lit up with lights.

All four engines whirr healthily away as the aircraft is about to make its final turn onto the runway.

“Set flaps to twenty,” the Captain instructs.

After Peter turns a dial, a mechanical noise vibrates through the fuselage as the flaps on the wings begin to move to their set position.

Captain O’Hara switches landing and strobe lights on and enables the autothrottle, while Peter locks in the final settings before takeoff.

Air traffic control gives the all clear to take off, and the pilots begin to push the throttles forward slowly. The aircraft starts its roll forward along the tarmac, gradually building up speed as the engines roar, increasing thrust.

The aircraft rattles and rumbles loudly as it screams down the runway. The Captain watches the equipment on his console and keeps the plane steady.

At the right time, Captain O’Hara pulls the yoke back, causing the nose of the plane to rise, its large wings catching the rushing air.

Eventually the back landing gear lifts from the ground too, making the plane totally airborne. Everyone feels the dipping sensation in their stomachs as the plane’s thrust pulls them down into their seats.

Once at a certain altitude, the Captain presses a button to bring in the landing gear, stowing the wheels into the plane’s underbelly.

“Nice one Captain,” Peter congratulates his new colleague, but he’s met with no response.

“Climb to forty thousand feet and maintain altitude in a southwesterly direction until you are advised to change,” a woman from the air traffic control tower at the airport they had just departed from speaks over the radio.

“Understood. Climbing to forty thousand feet and maintaining altitude in the southwest direction,” Captain O’Hara responds in a confident but stern tone.

The plane remains nose up for quite a while as it gradually climbs in altitude. Passing the first layer of large fluffy white clouds.

At last the aircraft has levelled out flying at roughly six hundred miles an hour. The flight path takes them over the southern parts of the USA and across Mexico to the popular holiday destination.

The seat belt signs switch off with an audible ‘bing’ and the cabin crew rise from their seats to begin their regular flight duties.

Soon, they will have to prepare lunch to be served to the passengers. But first, Duty-Free booklets and headphones are handed out for everyone to peruse or enjoy the inflight entertainment system.

In the galley, you begin organising food for first class when your supervisor pokes her head into the tiny kitchen-like area.

“Sweety, can you ask the boys what they want for lunch, then come and let me know?” she asks, jerking her head towards the cockpit when she mentioned ‘the boys’.

“Yeah, sure,” you reply.

You knock on the cockpit door and enter a security code to unlock and open it.

“Ah! (Y/N) is it lunchtime already?” First Officer Parker asks hopefully turning in his seat to see you.

You give him a sweet smile.

“Of course. What would you both like? Beef or vegetarian?”

Captain O’Hara never turns to look at who came into the room but feels two sets of eyes looking at him.

“Beef,” he manages to grunt out eventually.

Flight Officer Parker grimaces - he wants beef; but pilots can’t eat the same meals, in case there is something in it that makes them both sick.

“I guess I’m having vegetarian then,” replies Peter.

You give Peter a sympathetic smile and turn to leave the cockpit.

“So, uh, you’re a man of few words,” the First Officer comments as he keeps his gaze forward, watching the bubbly clouds pass below them.

No response, the awkwardness between the two deepens. The First Officer bites his lip and starts to ask another question.

“First day nerves?”

“Parker, I have over five thousand flight hours with this type of plane. I am not nervous. I just don’t like meaningless chit chat.”

Silence descends upon the both of them again - apart from the constant roar of engines. The lack of conversation is perfect for the Captain but absolute hell for the First Officer.

With the 747 on autopilot, the two pilots can relax a little more. They’re not due to check in with the next air traffic control tower for another thirty minutes.

The Captain occasionally casts a keen eye over the apparatus, looking at the artificial horizon, checking wind speed and altitude, everything perfectly normal.

His mind goes back to how you bumped into him earlier before takeoff. Even though he said nothing to you, he feels like perhaps he was an asshole for just glaring at you. It was an accident after all. He remembers the smell of your sweet and floral perfume filling his nostrils in the galley. He likes that smell-

A sudden shake of his head snaps him out of that mindset. He can’t be thinking like that…

The relative silence is interrupted again as you return, knocking on the door and entering.

“Here you go boys. Vegetarian for you.” You hand Peter his meal first as you watch him lick his lips - beef or no beef, he’s hungry.

“And beef for you, Captain.”

There’s that enchanting smell again. He wasn’t exactly listening to you speak when you entered, but your perfume alerts him to your presence.

Slowly he turns his head, peeling his unblinking gaze from the horizon and looking at you. Then his eyes land on the meal you are holding out for him.

“Thanks.”

His hand takes the tray gently from you but then he turns away quickly after without uttering another word.

“Mmm, this is so good…” Peter mumbles with a mouthful, taking your attention from the pensive Captain.

“Peter, I’m certain you’re the only person in the world who likes plane food,” you comment with a playful grin.

“Hey - it’s food! Course I’m gonna like it. Oh, by the way, if there’s any spare packs of biscuits, I wouldn’t mind one - or two.”

Raising an eyebrow and smirking up a storm, you produce two packets of biscuits from your jacket pocket, as if by magic.

“Ahh, you’re an angel!” he gasps in surprise.

“I knew you’d ask for one.”

Peter reaches out, his fingers try to grip both packets.

“Nah, ah… one for you.”

You hand Peter one packet.

“And one for you.”

You lean over the Captain and place the pack on his food tray. Your scent fills his nostrils more. He flinches slightly at your sudden unexpected space invasion but he soon relaxes when he sees what you’re doing.

“A peace offering for earlier.”

The stern look in his eyes wavers slightly, but unseen by you. In reality, you didn’t need to do that. It should really be him apologising, but right now he doesn’t really want to talk.

“Gracias,” (thank you) he mutters quietly.

Peter looks at you like you have betrayed him.

“But I usually get two packets!”

Honestly, it’s like dealing with a child when you’re with Peter, you roll your eyes and chuckle.

“You’ll get another one later, how’s that?” you ask.

The Flight Officer is easily swayed, especially where food is concerned. He gives a happy shrug and continues to eat his meal.

With a smile spread across your face, you leave the cockpit. The Captain’s word of thanks lingers in your mind. ‘Gracias’...

The rest of the flight is fairly uneventful; little to no turbulence, passengers are happy and not too demanding. You occasionally visit the cockpit to check on the pilots to see if they need refreshments. Whilst they both drink plenty of water, the Captain also seems to be a huge coffee fan.

Peter looks as though he’s dying of boredom. He usually enjoys talking while flying but his colleague is essentially a brick wall. Your visits to the cockpit brightens him up even if it is for a brief amount of time.

Landing is perfect and purely textbook. No hard bump as the landing gear connects with the tarmac and no ‘kangarooing’; bouncing the plane down the runway.

Now at a complete stop, parked next to the terminal, cabin crew say goodbye to disembarking passengers, wishing them a pleasant time in Acapulco, while Captain O’Hara and Flight Officer Parker finish the final checklist.

You and the rest of the cabin crew step off of the plane, greeted by the exotic mid afternoon heat as you walk through the tunnel leading into the main building. It immediately feels stuffy under your thick, shoulder-padded jacket. You can’t wait to check into your hotel and relax by the pool or on the beach.

Some of the other cabin crew members make plans for partying hard that evening as they line up in front of you at customs. You’re not really into that kind of thing, although you might enjoy the bar, just a little bit tonight. Peter will be there, he’s always good company. Then you think about the Captain. Your heart thuds slightly at the thought. You wonder what he’ll be doing…

Joining at the end of the queue at customs, Peter and Captain O’Hara arrive, dragging their own small cases behind them. They stand behind you, in silence. That is until Peter knows it’s you in front and steps forward to talk to you instead.

The sound of talking is drowned out as the Captain checks his phone. A frown grows across his face as he sees several emails come into his inbox. It seems impossible but his already crappy mood plummets even further.

I hope you enjoy the Pilot chapter of Pilot Miguel - see what I did there? Tee hee.

Next Chapter >

I have had so much fun writing this. As and when my other chapters come out from early access on Patreon, I'll upload them here. Stay tuned!

I you're interested in commissioning me, please click on the link below to find out more!

[cinewhore]

Til Death Do Us Part (2) - the newlyweds

Pairing: Dave York x fem!reader (Mr & Mrs Smith AU) Rating: General Warnings: fighting, blood, explosions. regular spy shit. Word Count: 2.5k A/N: inspired by the amazon mr. and mrs. smith series! no beta. Enjoy! Credits to the gif makers.

You really should stop wearing thongs on missions. It’s not enough that you were getting your ass kicked, you could barely concentrate with the material all bunched in your nether regions. 

All you wanted was a quiet night in, curled tight in bed with an assortment of trashy snacks and even trashier reality tv but duty calls. When the company says jump, you don’t say how high. You take the plunge and await instructions on your way down. So far they kept you from splattering all over the pavement but you caught a few branches to the face from time to time. 

You dodge a punch from a goon, your targeted guy making a run for it through the kitchens. Grabbing a spare ladle, you whip it across the face of said goon and continue your pursuit of the stout looking man, throwing any and everything he could behind him to deter you. 

You dodge just about everything except a fucking saucepan, which collides with your left knee and sends you bending over in a tiny fit of pain. This was very telling of how the rest of the mission was going to go. 

Meanwhile, back in the great ballroom of the Cécile Opera house, John carefully observes the crowd from the outskirts. His instincts went into effect as soon as his feet touched french soil, guard held higher than the Eiffel tower. He stood out to some, a handsome man dressed impeccably without a woman on his arm. Pity. A few women have tried to approach, boldly at first but with calculated risk once they spot the gleaming ring on his finger. 

Each and every one of them looked alike, same air of arrogance he was used to from the many government wives he has come in contact with. That’s half the reason he married Carol. She was unspeakable plain and average, just what he wanted. 

In other matters, none of these women were you. If he had to guess, shady business was being conducted elsewhere and wherever that was, you were sure to be. Slipping from the throng of martinis and tuxedos, John follows security into a secluded area, maintaining his stealth as he moves calmly and quietly through the many halls of the security chambers until he winds up in a room with a wall of monitors, cameras pointing in all different angles and rooms. 

That’s when he catches a glimpse of you, lunging at a man with a butter knife. He turns to head for the kitchen before he can watch you slit the man's throat. 

You managed to get the little fucker after all but not without a heft fist fight. Wasting no time, you dig through the pockets of your victim, laughing maniacally as you pull out a set of keys. You hear the brief clacking of dress shows on the tiled floor and you maneuver yourself into a crouch stance, knife pointed outwards. 

The man doesn’t flinch as you snarl at him and finally, you lower your weapon. 

“John?” 

He frowns for a split second before nodding once. “Jane.” 

The kitchen doors burst open, numerous beefy guards filing in, all screaming something incomprehensible but nonetheless not good. 

“Think that’s our cue,” you mutter as you take off towards the back doors, praying to any god that you were running in the right direction. “You know how to drive?”

The path to the parking garage was a ravenous one, a trail of bodies left in your wake. You press the key clicker numerous times until a lime green lamborghini roars to life. You pop open the trunk, sighing a breath of relief as you come face to face with a small trunk. Nothing looked amiss and that was going to have to do at this point. You’d deal with your fuck ups later. 

You toss the keys to your new husband and you both hop in quickly. John isn’t caring as he presses his foot on the gas, backing up the car into a group of guards like a life sized game of bowling. The car screeches out of the garage and down the winding driveway, bullets ricocheting off the concrete. 

As you emerge from the garage and into the flow of Paris traffic, you collide with a few pedestrian cars. 

“Watch it!” you yell, feeling around the backseat for a gun. You knew the Napoleon looking piece of shit was packing and he didn’t disappoint as your fingers came across the cool feeling of an assault rifle. You quickly check the safety and lean out the window, letting it rip. So much for being careful.

“Mind telling me where we’re going?!” John yells back, erratically swerving to avoid the oncoming traffic. 

As if the car could read his mind, the GPS pings and pulls up a set of directions for a set of coordinates. 

“Just drive, I’ll shoot.” you huff, aiming for the tires of the four black sedans that pursue you. 

After nearly 15 minutes of rapid gunfire, you succeed in shaking off your aggressors, leaving the hustle and bustle of the busy streets for more quiet backroads. You settle into your seat, trying to catch your breath. It had been awhile since you handled a gun and you made sure to keep your trembling hands away from where John could see. 

The route takes you to a small house tucked away in the French suburbs, smoke filtering out of the chimney. A light lets you know that someone was home and you weren’t sure if this was a friend or for, so you tell John to park the car a little ways back. 

Upon hearing the vehicle, a young woman and man come rushing out, nearly tripping over each other. 

John opens the trunk for you and you’re careful as you hand over the trunk to the frazzled couple, Stepping back as the woman nearly rips off her fingernails clawing at the locks. 

John braces himself as the trunk is flung open, widening his legs in a ready stance. You catch a glimpse of his arm moving in your direction, ready to throw himself in front of you at a moment's notice. 

“Oh, thank goodness!” The young woman looks up to the both of you with tears in her eyes, a tightly wrapped infant peering out from the blankets. “I can’t thank you enough.”

Her husband wraps himself around them both and you give him a nod, nudging John in the shoulder. “Come on, we’re done here.” 

You’re both quiet as you enter the half totaled car, the passenger mirror hanging on by a literal wire. You’re attempting to push the press to start button, admittedly struggling but John just sits there, eyes not leaving the young couple as he watches them wander back into their house, baby held closely in their embrace. 

He thinks of his girls, how much he missed them. Missed Carol. 

John doesn’t have long to ponder on his past life as the house emits a tiny explosion. It was big enough to rattle the car and get it started. You waste no time shifting the gears into reverse, expertly whipping the vehicle around before throwing the shift into drive. You exhale slowly as pieces of the house collide with the car, both hands gripping the steering, knuckles straining. 

A noise penetrates the silence and John feels around his suit pockets, face frowning as he pulls out a small flip phone. How did that get there? The screen alerts him to one new message. 

Congratulations, John. Welcome to the agency. 

John expects you to ask what it says but you barely spare him a glance, pulling the car into a shady gas station. A group of teen boys loiter outside, smacking each other up while passing around a poorly concealed bottle of liquor around in a paper bag. 

They grow quiet as you park the tattered lamborghini at the pump adjacent to theirs. John watches as you get out of the car with grace, hands slowly going for the gun near his waist. 

Jiggling the keys in your palm, you hold your hand out further. “Wanna trade?” 

The boys all glare at each other. 

The rank minivan trudges to a stop in the dimly lit parking lot, radio halting as you cut the engine. 

John is apprehensive as the both of you walk to the entrance and you say nothing as he holds the door open for you. “Mama’s Table” was a quaint cuban restaurant, furniture and general set up appearing as if someone plucked the decor straight from a flea market. 

You saunter up to the counter to order, an older woman plopped in a chair behind it. Her wide glasses tilt towards the bottom of her nose as she takes in your appearance. You can’t even begin to imagine how you look: ripped dress, broken heels, bloodied and battered flesh. John fared better, at least his suit was somewhat intact. 

“Uh, bonjour. Can I get two orders of empanadas, some chicharrones de cerdo and I’ll top it off with some flan.” You nudge John with your elbow. “What do you want?” 

John raises an eyebrow. “All of that is for you?” 

You shrug. John places a small order of tamales and takes a seat. You pay the ogling lady, waiting for your change. The woman tries hard not to stare at your injuries but fails miserably. She shoots John a side-eye, hands hovering over her phone. 

“Is everything ok, miss?” 

You nod sheepishly. “It’s Mrs. We’re newlyweds.” you flash your new ring and lower your voice. “He can’t keep his hands off me.” 

Shooting her a quick wink, you grab the tray of food and leave the poor woman too stunned to speak. 

Moaning audibly as the food is served, you pay no mind to the heaps of steam as you dig in, uncaring how unladylike you appear. John tries to eat his fair share of food but finds that he can barely stomach anything after the events of tonight. 

“You’re just not going to talk about it?” 

Slowing down on your chewing, you meet John’s vexing stare. “Talk about what?” 

“Anything.” 

You swallow what’s left in your mouth, dabbing a napkin across your lips. “Didn’t realize we needed to talk. You found me, we completed our mission, case closed.” 

He raises his eyebrows in disbelief, leaning back in his chair like a petulant child. You try to take pity on him. I mean, from an outsider's perspective, he’s had a pretty shitty 24 hours. There wasn’t any hand holding within your line of work, it was either get it right the first time or die trying but you figure there was no harm in throwing him a bone. 

“Ok, fine. I’ll answer your questions as long as you stop sulking. It’s making me look bad to Beatrice.” You throw your head back a little, the noisy woman blatantly staring at you both. 

John nods. “The couple?” 

You shrug. “Don’t know ‘em. That’s not our job, understanding the nitty gritty details. You do as you're told and all is well.” 

“The phone?” 

You dig around your purse until you find your own device. “It’s how The Wiz keeps in contact with us. I mean, outside of that, it’s just a phone. My number is already saved in it.” 

For the first time in a long time, John chuckles. “The Wiz?” 

You laugh a little as well. “Yeah, that’s what I call him. Or her. You never meet the person behind the curtain. It makes things more fun, I suppose. Keeps me on my toes. Just remember, big brother is always watching. Anything else?” 

John contemplates for a second before shaking his head. “Guess I’ll learn as we go.” 

Without thinking, you reach your hand across the table and place it on top of his. Squeezing it mildly, you offer a smile. “It’s scary at first but that’s why every John gets a Jane.” 

John lets you go back to eating, admiring your face. Even with the smeared makeup and caked up blood decorating nearly every surface, he found you pretty. Beautiful, even. 

Beatrice looks on from the window as you two take off in the van, leaving a smoky cloud behind you. She makes her way over to the table, thankful that at least you had manners and were neat about your trash. It wasn’t until she was dumping your food trays that she noticed it, crumbled up in a few napkins. 

A red thong.  

The flight back to New York proves to be uneventful. Most of it was spent with you writing up a mission report, John wavering in and out of sleep. Your Range Rover was still parked where you left it, an accompanying one next to it. 

“Matching cars. What’s next, tattoos?” you jest. 

John follows you to a beautiful suburban neighborhood, complete with luscious landscapes and elegant homes. His sightseeing tour was cut short as you pulled into your own driveway. Built with wheat colored bricks, adorned with cypress wooden accents, the house possessed spanish architectural influence with a modern flair. It wasn’t something he’d typically go for but it wasn’t hard on the eyes. Easy to miss which was a plus. 

You walk in first, inhaling the freshness of it all while John trails behind you. As you wander deeper into the house and into the bedrooms, you notice that your previous wardrobe had been replaced. All the new garments were neatly pressed and symmetrically folded. The bathroom was stocked with enough beauty products to fill a small drugstore. 

John knocks politely on the door. “Where’s your first aid kit? I want to patch up that little shiner on your knee, don’t like the look of it” 

You shrug. “Not sure, there’s usually a panic room with medical supplies in it.” 

John cocks his head. “You don’t know where your own panic room is?”

“New husband, new house.” 

John shifts his weight, sensing the elephant in the room he didn’t feel like acknowledging. “Gotcha.” 

“Don’t worry, I can patch myself up. You should get some shut eye, we’ve got an early start.” 

“Goodnight, Jane.” 

“Goodnight, John.” 

You shut the door to your bedroom, attempting to be quiet as you slowly turn the lock. It was silly, really. There was no reason to fear John and locking the door just seemed out right stupid given that anything could happen at any time. Whoever this man is, was, warranted some getting used to. You had been trusting before with one of your previous husbands, who suffered a mental break and nearly suffocated you in your sleep. 

John wasn’t as secretive about his own room, closing his door loudly and fumbling with the lock before securing it. 

Making himself knowledgeable about every inch of the room, a wave of chills get sent down his spine as he comes across a picture placed polishedly on the nightstand. It was of the both of you on what appears to be a wedding day. His likeness was uncanny and he swallowed down a gurgle of food threatening to crawl up his throat. Your eyes bore into his soul lovingly, body absorbed by a rather puffy wedding gown, left hand resting on his chest. 

Mr. and Mrs. Smith - Always & Forever.

[hometoursandotherstuff]

Welcome to "The Castle of Joy," built in 2004 in Murphy, NC. It has 3bds, 4ba, and a barn proven to bring people together. $1,050,000.

The main living area of the "castle" is an open concept floor plan w/a living/dining/kitchen combo.

I'm surprised that there's no formal dining room, and the kitchen is relatively small for $1+M castle.

Bedroom #1.

The en-suite is a standard 3 pc.

The primary bedroom has access to the terrace.

Surprised that the baths don't have any tile.

This bedroom also opens to the terrace.

The terrace has openings for combat just like a real castle. The wall does obscure the view, though.

Here's a nice pool room.

Small individual tables for two in the hall outside the pool room.

There's a bunk room that looks like it sleeps 6.

Iron gates open to the garden from a foyer.

This is the party barn.

It has picnic tables for guests.

Firepit in the garden.

And, a heart-shaped pool.

Hmmm.

The current owners used the barn as a venue.

The exterior lights up.

There is parking for 50 cars.

10.67 acres of land.

https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/150-Castle-Ct-Murphy-NC-28906/230500742_zpid/

[steviestits]

Siren's Call, Sailor's Fall - Part 1.2

Written for an anon prompt, which can be read in its entirety on this fic's masterpost.

Pairing: Steve Harrington/Eddie Munson Rating: T (Later parts will be E) Summary: When Steve is dragged onto a business trip with his parents, he thinks that it's going to be a lonely couple of days under the California sun, until he meets Eddie and the other members of Corroded Coffin. Eddie takes a liking to Steve and initiates him into their little group. However, Eddie's group hides a terrible secret, one that is connected to the dead bodies that kept being found along the shore and the strange transformation that Steve is undergoing. (Lost Boys Au but with mermaids instead of vampires) Eventual TW: Hypnosis, Extremely Dubious Consent, Feminization in the Clownfish type of way, Mermaid Transformation, Bad Guys Win

(Link to previous part)

“The body of a local boardwalk security guard was found washed up on the beach early this morning,” the reported on the radio said. “Severely mauled and drained of all blood, this is the seventh case like this in the area. Police are cautioning-”

Steve reached forward and flipped the channel of his car’s radio to a different station, causing “Every Breath You Take” to melodiously cut the newscaster’s report short. While it was upsetting that a man had been found dead, he didn’t need his mood brought down by events that didn’t affect him. Maybe that was callous of him, but he felt that he needed his wits about him as he was driving down this California backroad to meet his parents at their summer beach house.

Usually, his parents forced him to remain at their home in Indiana whenever they were away on a business trip, but this time they decided that Steve should come along. He was getting old enough that he’d soon be entering the company since he had recently graduate from college, so they felt he needed to learn what that entailed. Not that Steve actually was going to try to learn anything, it was just that he’d never been allowed to go on vacation before and wanted to soak up a bit of sun before he was forced to return to his dull life in the Midwest.

Though Steve didn’t think they’d notice that he was goofing off, since his parents were a bit flaky and self-centered. Like he had thought that he’d be taking the plane with them when they’d invited him along, except the day before they were meant to leave, his parents told him that they hadn’t got a ticket for him and thought it would be better if he drove to the summer house instead. Steve hadn’t started working yet, leaving him with no choice in the matter and forced him to have to obey their whims.

Steve did enjoy the drive to California, but ultimately, he was left feeling lonely. He’d been left alone with his thoughts whenever he didn’t have the radio playing to drown them out, reminding him that he didn’t have anyone. All of his friends sucked because they were more like business associates due to them being picked out by his father, and his extended family were like his parents, busy with their own lives to care about anyone else. Everyone was too caught up in themselves to give a shit about him, and Steve would be lying if he said that it didn’t hurt.

A few more minutes of self-pity passed before the beach house was in sight. It stood there in all it’s square glory, looking more like a cement parking structure than a beach house. Since the property was private, there wasn’t any other house in sight, leaving the home as a dull silhouette against a background of the vibrant blue ocean and golden sand. The long driveway was empty and so was the expansive garage when Steve parked his car in it.

Getting out of the car, Steve got his duffel bag out of the trunk and slung it over his shoulder before he walked into the unlocked house. He took in the vast living room with its white, marble tiled floor and the expansive, mauve sectional arranged around a large fireplace with a grand piano pushed into the far corner. Steve used to play when he was younger, making him almost wonder if they had put it there for him, but he knew it was more likely for show and that he would be chastised if he even so much as thought of tapping a single one of the ivory keys. There was also a bar situated in the back of the room, and strangely, his mother was slumped over it, day-drunk after enjoying a full bottle of chardonnay.

Steve walked further into the beach house until he reached the long, glass staircase and noticed a notepad with writing on it sitting next to the phone. He picked up the notepad, eyes scanning the words telling him that his parents wouldn’t be joining him as they’d decided to stay at the hotel where the business meeting was being held for convenience. It wasn’t even written by his parents as Steve recognized the writing of their shared assistant from every late birthday and Christmas card he’d received over the years.

Casual acceptance overcame Steve as he wished he could be angry or disappointed, but this was so typical of them that he was barely surprised. In fact, he felt a little foolish for not expecting to find this note from the start. His parents had always viewed him as more of a doll that they could use how they wanted than a living, breathing person, then once they were done with him, they’d discard him without a second thought.

The loneliness that he had previously been felling came back tenfold, and Steve felt that the house was too suffocating, despite its large size. He could go out to the beach to escape the feeling as his swim trunks were in the duffel bag he was carrying, but there wasn’t anyone there given that this was private property. What he wanted was noise along with the physical presence of others milling around him to fill the void temporarily inside him.

Steve’s mind went back to the news report that mentioned the boardwalk. There was no mention of the murder taking place on the boardwalk itself, only that a security guard that worked there had been killed, so he bet that it’d still be crowded with fellow tourist like himself. Also, the guy was probably eaten by a shark or something, which couldn’t walk on dry land, meaning that he’d be completely safe as long as he didn’t get in the water.

With is decision made, Steve put down his duffel bag near the base of the stairs then headed back out the door to his car. He was actually a little excited as he’d never been on an ocean boardwalk and thought it would be a fun experience. Even if it wasn’t, at least he could say that he tried it before he eventually went back to boring Indiana.

Part 1.1 ~ Masterpost ~ Part 1.3

[goldenfreddys]

september '04, cont.—hangin' with the unloved kids

When Nadia arrived, the front entrance of Freddy’s was locked, and there was still no word from Jeremy. She peered through the glass, scanning the main party room for clues. There was the movement of a door swinging shut as a figure walked into a fenced off play area at one end, though she didn’t catch a good look. She squinted, then walked back to her car.

There were no other cars in the parking lot. Nadia opened the trunk, briefly considered smashing the entrance open with her tire iron. Bad idea, given there was a camera out front and it would draw attention. Kneeling out in the open to pick the lock was out of the question, too. She grabbed her backpack and hefted it over her shoulder, then locked the trunk.

For the past few weeks, she’d been working at a hardware store in the area, processing orders and moving stock around in the warehouse. She remembered a coworker complaining about having to prepare a big order of various machinery, screws, brackets, clamps and wiring for Fazbear Ent. which were listed in very specific quantities. Naturally, this meant the building had some sort of docking area to receive the supplies.

She yawned, pulling her hood up as she made her way to the back end of the pizzeria. Her dusty converse crunched against the gravel driveway that led around to small bay door. To her relief, there was only one security camera back there, which was too caked in dirt to function. There was also a regular single-person entrance before the corner with an “authorized personal only” sign above it.

A laminated piece of hot pink paper written in comic sans read: Pinpad broken. Key in the mailbox. DO NOT misplace it. Thanks, Sean.

As promised, there was a key in the box beside the door. Nadia let herself in, then tucked it in her pocket. As expected, it led into a storage garage, which had doors into, according to the scuffed plaques, a kitchen and a parts & service room. There was a corkboard beside the kitchen door, with more printed notices from ‘Sean’ ranging from reminders that smoking must be confined to the designated area and away from view of clientele, to warnings about certain employees failing to properly record their break time, to legal disclaimers and safety procedures.

Cautiously, Nadia tried the door to the kitchen. It was definitely locked. She then moved to the parts & service entrance. The handle seized partway, but opened with a bit of applied force.

How spooky, she mused. A couple badly damaged animatronics were slumped around the room, which was cluttered with various robotic parts and costume pieces. There was a tangible sense of impending doom fluttering around in her chest. She imagined her friends at the movies, watching her as the protagonist of some annual slasher reboot, saying “Boo, bitch! Why is she doing that?”

Nadia started humming to herself, nervously, as she crept through the room.

“He was a boy, she was a girl, can I make it anymore obvious?” she sang under her breath, “He was depressed, she was insane- what more can I say?”

She reached the other side of the room without incident, eyeing the broken down robots as she slipped out. It was hard to shrug off the fear that something really bad had happened to Jeremy. She chewed on her hoodie string as she continued across the party room, towards the area she saw the figure. The checkered tile seemed familiar, somehow. Vague memories of Ms. Fitzgerald’s family photos came to mind. This was Jeremy’s hometown, he'd told her. That he always thought about maybe moving back after graduating, but never had the nerve to consider it for real.

Suddenly, a large gift box by the prize counter jostled. Nadia froze, staring at it. The lid opened, slowly, and a marionette peeked its painted face out. It stared back at her for a moment, before beckoning her over and disappearing back inside the box. She glanced around, then cautiously approached the box. The puppet emerged, again, and held out a checkered, holographic pink slap bracelet.

“For me?” Nadia asked, smiling despite herself.

The puppet nodded, carefully snapping it around her wrist. Nadia struck a goofy pose to flaunt her new accessory.

“Why, thank you. You shouldn’t have.”

The puppet turned its head to the play area. There was a small clatter from the dark, then the sound of screws rolling across the floor. Nadia walked closer to the sound, gripping the shoulder strap of her bag. There was someone in there, trying to gather the screws back up. She strained to get a better look.

The figure froze for a moment, then scrambled to their feet and whipped around. Their eyes caught the light like freshly minted dimes— Nadia was suddenly unsure if it was a person at all. She took a step back. The figure lunged forward, catching against the wall just short of where she stood. They flicked a switch.

Kid’s Cove lit up with warm, fluorescent light.

Not Jeremy, Nadia realized, but uncannily similar. She let a sharp breath out and let her shoulders fall. The girl had the same brown, freckled skin and dark curly hair, though hers was seemingly tied into a loose ponytail. She briefly imagined an underpaid cartoonist pasting big eyelashes on her boyfriend before calling it a day.

“Um, miss? We’re not open until nine.” the girl’s face was expressionless, though she was evidently startled.

Nadia decided to take things one problem at a time, admitting, “I was supposed to pick someone up, but I can’t find him, so…”

“So you… Broke in?”

“I think it’s more like spontaneous urban exploration, but yeah.”

She smiled approvingly, “Okay, metal. You can call me Chucky, I work in maintenance. Your name?”

Behind her, a tangled mess of metal limbs and animatronic pieces jostled, sending a few more screws from the spilled pile on the floor rolling away.

“Nadia… Uh, what’s over there?”

Chucky turned and walked back to the tangled animatronic heap. She swept the screws away with her hand and kneeled down next to it, “Toy Foxy, captain of Kid’s Cove.”

A fuzzy off-white snout flopped across Chucky’s lap with a creak. She gave it a pat, before turning her head to stare at Nadia.

“But her enemies call her… The Mangle.” She stated, dourly, fluttering her fingers for dramatic effect.

“... Somehow, the tots here are really good at disassembling him while we’re not looking, but my supervisor said he doesn’t want me wasting time on it, anymore. So, I like to come in early and see what I can do before opening time- just, y’know… Making sure he’s mobile and there’s no sharp edges poking out, anywhere… What was the name of the employee you're looking for?”

“Jeremy.”

“Journey Fokker, Catering…? No, that's not right… You mean Jeremiah Fitzgerald, overnight security!”

Nadia hummed in agreement.

“Right. Mike said he was giving him a ride, earlier. Had a rough shift, or something… He’s daytime security, but he's been sitting in overnight to make sure the rookie has everything down.”

“So Mike drove him home?” Nadia asked.

“Probably. He's been bitching up-and-down about the guy for days, but it's just tough love.”

Chucky got to her feet and smiled fondly, hitting Nadia with a weird sense of deja vu. Her brow furrowed as she rooted around in her head, looking for what she was reminded of. Maybe it was the angle, the lighting, or the position of the name tag on her jumpsuit.

A little tiny Ghostbuster on the front lawn, dated October ‘88. Charlotte and her brother, ready to trick-or-treat.

“This is a crazy question, but like… Did you ever have a twin brother? Maybe?”

“Yeah,” Chucky’s poker face returned, “... Why?”