#ch: payback

[randomprose]

i love a petty man

[lovevalley45]

i'm trying to be conscious of trigger warnings as i edit each chap of SftS before i post it n sometimes i see smth like. i feel like this warrants a trigger warning. but for the strong implications alone

[imblocking-you]

I was trying to maybe ignore how depressing Song Yoonhan's life actually is pero umiyak na si President so bumuhos na 'yung luha LMAO

[r0-boat]

Whb Kings Do NNN Challenge

With a magic cock ring the Kings are (totally not forced) to do a 30-day challenge where they are forbidden from orgasming for the entire month of November let's see how they're faring!

If they win the challenge they get to have you for a week straight doing whatever they want to you.

Satan

Satan was extremely confident that he could do this challenge no problem. Human struggle to do this challenge and he's a king so obviously he would have a better chance.

After the first week he was whining and growling threatening you that as soon as this thing comes off He's going to fuck you and pump all his seed inside you. And you're not going to cum not even once as payback with the suffering you put him through.

Everything irritation because all he could feel is the throbbing between his legs tearing and ripping apart every stress ball in his hand as he tries so hard to stop him from knocking out anyone that mildly inconveniences him.

Mammon

He kind of likes the feeling of being pent up and needy for you. Mammon becomes more and more touchy as time goes on. He'll kiss you and touch you and before you know it he'll be spreading your legs to have more.

Just because he can't cum doesn't mean he can't fuck you, Don't let him do this! Because then he'll go on for hours and hours seemingly without end. Fucking you harder and harder, The sensation in his full balls burns so good.

He cannot wait for when this ring is off him and he gets to give you all of his cum.

Leviathan

Levi's lasts longer than you think, He has a high tolerance for pain like this so it looks like it's hardly affecting him.

In reality, He is in shambles. He can't think and it's driving him crazy He's even resorted to pumping his cock underneath his desk or anywhere where no one can see him. Moaning and gasping your name as tears and drool fall from his face.

He wants to cum, He needs to cum, but he doesn't want to lose this silly little challenge His pride depends on it.

Beelzebub

It's like he's being starved. Please please he's begging you he'll do anything! Let him cum.

He's made the grave mistake of fucking you and hopes he could perhaps try to convince you. But the pain just keeps getting worse and all he wants to do is finish inside you over and over.

He doesn't care about the challenge anymore He just wants to cum. When he pins you down he growls and moans like a feral animal rutting and bucking his hips to no avail. Muttering that he's starving and he needs to cum. The only thing to quench his hunger is feeling your core on his tongue.

Belphegor

How annoying... How very annoying... He thought he could just do this challenge get it over with and have you all to himself for a week as part of the deal. But it turns out he bit off more than he could chew. He thought he could just sleep through it and be done but no.

Wet dreams constantly wake him up and He wakes up with in all too familiar ache and stiffness. He wants to touch himself but he knows from experience it will just get worse.

He doesn't want to lose the challenge now because then it will make him seem weak. But he can't let this go unpunish. He might just give you to Beleth he'll know what to do to punish you.

Lucifer

Child's Play. He's done this his whole life it'll be easy for a month. In fact he's so confident that instead of a cock ring he goes a step further. A chastity belt.

That is what he initially thought, turns out since becomtemptations, it's a lot harder to resist such temptations. Now that he's accepted his pride is on the line and he will not lose.

Lucifer looks like he's unaffected; but believe me he wants you so bad And he will absolutely tell you how he's feeling if you ask. Perhaps he'll even try to convince you with his silver tongue to take off the belt so he could fuck you.

He kind of regrets the chastity belt now because all he wants to do is make you sit on his lap and grinding against you.

The demon of lust was never one to hold back. So when you put up a challenge he was vaguely familiar with he laughed and automatically refused but then you put up an offer he simply too tempting for him not to at least try... Having you for an entire week... Even if it's just for a week The fact that you'll be doing whatever he desires was what sealed the deal.

Asmodeus

He never thought being so pent up would feel so good. He hates it but at the same time the burn of not getting something he usually has a luxury too is addicting.

Only you turn him into a feral beast. And it gets worse This is mind betrays him showing him delicious images of flooding your insides with all that cum his balls is making. He can't help but taunt you and see the uneasiness and fear in your eyes as he's lasting longer than you expected.

[eureka-its-zico]

Chaos in Their Bones Ch. 3

Ongoing Series

Synopsis: All your life you’d listened to your friend, Usopp spin wild tales about pirates and adventure. Pirates weren’t a thing that came often to Syrup Village, but one straw hat pirate and his crew changed all that the day they arrived. Now, you aren’t so sure if your sleepy little village was always pirate-free or if no one had been paying attention.  

Pairing: Roronoa Zoro x Reader

Genre: friends to lovers, frenemies to lovers, slow burn (I hope y’all like aching) eventual smut

Words: 12.6+

A/N: Guys. Idk where to start, but this chapter needs a warning because it is big and beefy. I didn’t want the 1.03-1.04 story arc to be dragged out further into 4 chapters and, because of that, this chapter exists. I truly hope it is one that you enjoy. It took a lot of time and love. So please, get out some 🍿 cause it’s going to be a ride. P.S. To everyone who has liked, commented, reblogged, and sent me messages about Chaos in Their Bones: thank you. You have all made this such a wonderful experience and a fun one. I hope it continues to be one you enjoy 🖤 Much Love, Jenn

Chapter 1 Previous Next

So far Operation Petty was getting off to a rough start. 

Your original plan of stealing every glass of wine Zoro poured seemed like a good one. Golf claps for everyone. Except, that good idea slowly began to disappear five glasses ago. 

Unfortunately for you, and to the dismay of the entire table, you were a giggling mess. 

After the sixth glass you were lucky you could even see straight. It wasn’t until after Zoro poured the next glass and slid it over to you the wheels in your head finally added all the small clues you’d missed. Zoro had let you think you’d stolen glass after glass of his wine. When in reality, he’d just been trying to get you drunk. 

Zoro was already on his fourth bottle of wine and still seemed able to function like a person. 

You leaned, not so gracefully, over to his side of the table. A “Psst,” hiccuping out of you to garner his attention. You knew you had it. He was just hiding a majority of his face inside the glass. 

Just to make sure though - “Psst!” 

“Ugh, Doc, we can all hear you,” Usopp said somewhere behind you. 

You waved him off. Your eyes honed in on both Zoro’s. 

“What do you want?” He hummed. 

“Hey, Mosshead,” you snapped. That got his head to swivel an inch away from the safety of the glass. “You did this on purpose.”

You were leaning so far forward your cheek was almost flush with your arm. Your fingers wiggled near him and you watched as his eyes darted down to watch them before side-eyeing you. 

“Yup,” he answered, sharply pronouncing the p. “You want to steal my wine as payback, well I can drink you under the table.” You weren’t expecting him to drop the glass and move towards you. The movement wasn’t huge, but he was closer than you anticipated and it made you scared to blink. “I can be petty too.” 

Fuck. 

He was so close - almost kissably close and - No! Why are you thinking of kissing at a time like this? When Zoro’s close enough you could see the sun kissed freckles that dusted over the top of his cheeks and nose. The playful glint in his eyes that brightened them to shine like mini constellations. 

With a devious smirk sliding across his lips, Zoro regarded you one last time before he straightened up. His hand reaching out to take back the glass he’d previously sat down and brought it back up to his lips. 

“You are diabolical,” you huffed. 

When you went to straighten up, you felt your world tilt. You were going to need - “Can I get some water, please?” 

You needed to sober up and fast. Inwardly, you could already hear your inner monologue being set up to chastise your childish behavior. You were so worried about Zoro and annoying him that it was all you focused on. 

I’m not here for him. 

You’d come with Usopp with the goal in mind to help Kaya. That was who you’d come here for and who you still had every intention to help. The plan to do so was still there, but somehow within the last few hours you’d allowed yourself to be distracted by a pretty face. 

A soft cough from Kaya’s direction was all the clarity necessary to get your head back on straight. Or as straight as it could be in your current state. No more Zoro. No more looking at him, talking to him, looking at him-

You could sense him moving off to your right, but you were not going to look. Nope. Most definitely not going to look, but was your head tilting? 

Drunk you seriously needed to work on some self-control. 

You were heavily lost in your head again. So lost that you weren’t sure how many times Luffy or anyone else attempted to bring you into a conversation. It wasn’t until a gentle hand on your shoulder jolted you back into the present. 

Looking to your left, you saw Usopp waiting for you to answer him. His concern etched into every scrunch of his face. 

“Luffy asked how long you’ve been a doctor,” he offered slowly, as if he spoke too fast he’d lose you again. 

“Well, technically, I’m a doctor-in-training.”

“So, not a real doctor.”

Of course, Zoro just had to butt in. You still weren’t going to look at him. 

“I am a doctor. Naan has taught me over the years how to handle every illness and broken bone that has come through this village. I think one of the biggest things she’s taught me is that sometimes kindness can be the strongest medicine and other times defending those who can’t defend themselves is a bigger responsibility.” 

“Wow,” Luffy smiled in response. “You must have helped a lot of people. Your grandma must be really proud of you.” 

Luffy looked so…genuine. The very thought of you going out of your way to help others seemed to make him regard you differently. While the smile on his face wasn’t expansive and filled with its usual childlike mischief, it held one of praise. As if it was a rare thing for someone to have the drive to help another person. Maybe over the last decade or so that might have been true, but Naan didn’t raise you to turn a blind eye to those in need. 

You couldn’t help but respond to Luffy’s smile with one of your own. Although, you hoped it didn’t wilt as you prepared yourself with your reply. 

“She’s an orphan,” Sham interjected as she set down a dinner plate that was intricately decorated with fish and vegetables. “Usopp too. Isn’t that right?” 

Not true. Orphan meant that there had been no one there for you. No family to help take care of you when you needed protection, and while Naan wasn’t your real grandma she was family because she chose to be. 

You dropped your hands down into your lap and could feel your fingers curl into your palms. 

“What does it matter if they’re orphans or not?” Your eyes narrowed in on Nami. She sat beside Luffy, opposite of Usopp, and her cool gaze was trained on Sham. She watched closely while Sham placed the next plate hastily down in front of Usopp. “I’m curious to hear your answer.” 

“Forgive my staff, Miss,” Klahadore stepped in. “Sham spoke out of turn when it was not her place.” 

“I’m sure she meant no harm, Klahadore.”

Kaya smiled up at him and he responded with a smile of his own. You hated how Kaya was always apologizing for everyone around her, especially for those who didn’t deserve it. 

“I don’t think that’s true,” Nami continued. “If she didn’t mean to say it she would’ve kept her mouth shut.” 

“It’s not that big of a deal, guys,” Usopp offered. 

You weren’t surprised to see him looking at Kaya. The two of them shared a small smile between them and it took everything in you not to lightly smack him on the arm. If Kaya wanted to be peacemaker, Usopp would do everything in his power to play along. Anything Kaya wanted Usopp would make sure he did everything in his power to make sure it happened. 

What felt worse was that Sham’s attempt at an insult did bother you. It was meant to remind you that they considered you nothing, which was odd coming from waitstaff and a butler. 

A doctor to pirates was about as valuable as gold. 

“Yeah, not a big deal,” you mumbled. Your fingers riddled with your fork; debating if eating Buchi’s food was worth the risk. With your luck they probably poisoned it. “I do hope I make her proud someday, Luffy. I still have a lot to learn.”

Luffy was already a mouthful deep into his plate and wasn’t showing any reservation in taking another hardy bite. Thank god he waited to swallow first before he replied, “The fact you came here to help Kaya tells me all I need to know. You’re a good person, Doc.”

“That’s very kind of you, Luffy. Thank you.”

God, I will not cry right now. 

Why did random words of kindness - from a stranger - matter so much? Luffy didn’t owe you any act of kindness or to bother being so nice to you or Usopp. Yet, here he was being an actual ball of sunshine. You knew dozens of people in this town who disregarded Usopp and his stories. Who grumbled and complained when he started talking. Luffy had only treated him with respect: he listened to his stories no matter how bat shit crazy they must have sounded. 

You knew Luffy and his friends would eventually leave but for the time they were here (besides Zoro) you were grateful. 

“It says a lot about who you are. You’re a good person.” 

You felt your smile wilt a little as you watched a few flecks of food fall out of his mouth as he spoke. Flying food aside, you were really starting to count yourself lucky that Luffy and his friends ended up in your sleepy little village. 

Sham was still depositing plates of tonight’s only special when you heard Kaya ask if she could try some. She’d barely finished asking before Klahadore was there beside her. 

“I’m sorry that won’t be possible, Miss Kaya. You know how certain foods affect your constitution. Here,” he waved his hand free from his chest ushering in Buchi. “Buchi has prepared your special soup.”

“Why is it blue?” You blanched. 

When all eyes turned to regard you, you realized you hadn’t said that in your head. The wine was seriously starting to make your body too comfortable. 

“It’s made with a special fruit,” Buchi growled back. 

“What’s the name of the fruit? I’ve skowered this entire island top to bottom with Naan and have never seen a fruit that color here.” 

“It’s imported.”

“From where-“

“It’s not important where her food comes from,” Klahadore interrupted. Each word was more forced than the last. “All that matters is it helps Miss Kaya.” 

“If that was true then why is she still sick?”

Klahadore’s eyes were practically shooting daggers into your skull. You were willing to bet a million berry’s that if he got you alone in a room, you wouldn’t be making it out. That thought only seemed to ignite something inside you that you’d been pushing down for months.

You rolled your tongue along your bottom teeth as you struggled to reign in your temper. The wine made your blood warm and fuzzy, but now you felt as if you were boiling alive. Your legs were bouncing uncontrollably underneath the table and your hands were curling into fists-

Suddenly a hiccup of a gasp lodged itself in your throat. The tip of a shoe was pressed gently against your ankle and the tip of said shoe belonged to the very moss-headed oaf who’d been plaguing your every waking minute. Yes, you said you weren’t going to look at him, but you didn’t expect him to touch you. Even just this small amount. 

When you did glance at him, Zoro didn’t return your stare. His eyes were trained solely on Klahadore with a slight draw of his brow confirming your suspicions. Zoro was starting to notice something was off with Klahadore too and was warning you. 

“Kaya it’s your birthday. You should be able to eat whatever you want.” 

Nami’s soft voice cut through the tension and brought Klahadore back to the present. His eyes glazed back with mock servitude, but you’d seen it. Maybe now so had Zoro. Your eyes were only for Klahadore as you watched the exchange between him and Nami. You loved the way she was sticking up for Kaya and the challenge in her eyes as she stared him down-

“You need to relax.” 

Fuck. 

You struggled to keep a shudder from making its way down your spine but you weren’t so lucky in keeping the soft gasp from trickling out from your lips. The husk of his voice was unnecessarily sexy. 

Slowly, you turned to look to your right and found Zoro casually sitting back in his seat. His eyes trained forward and his hands took his silverware as if he hadn’t just whispered across your skin like sin. 

You couldn’t think past what had just happened. It didn’t matter how much you tried to formulate a sentence. Your brain was just not having it. You could do this. You were an intelligent woman who was not easily swayed. 

“What?” 

A masterful reply. 

Zoro looked at you from his peripherals before placing the napkin down into his lap. 

“I would stop antagonizing him before he kicks you out.”

And here you thought he was just worried about you. 

“I’m a doctor and Kaya needs me.” 

“Has she told you that? Has she physically looked at you and specifically asked for you to save her or do you just need to feel important?”

“Why are you such an asshole?!”

You spoke every word through gritted teeth. The anger that Zoro erased by killing your brain cells, which now felt like an insult to yourself, was stoked back to life. Your body singed with the need to get a hold of him because - who the fuck talked to people like this? 

What you hadn’t expected was for that anger - god, that hurt - to soak deeply into your words. Each one raised and sharp with the intention he knew you meant it. 

Zoro didn’t respond. He just started eating his fish. You suddenly didn’t feel hungry. 

“Are you okay?”

You didn’t want to look at Usopp. Not when he sounded like that. What would happen if you did? Would you cry or scream that you weren’t? The panic you’d been shoving down the last few hours was beginning to weasel its way to the surface. You were running out of options and ideas on how you could help. What if Zoro was right? What if Kaya didn’t need you and you’d allowed yourself to be dragged into a story that wasn’t real?

The thought alone was enough to make you look at your best friend and the panic was replaced with guilt. The shame was enough to make the first sharp prick of tears threaten to spill free from your eyes. Usopp didn’t deserve your anger or your doubt. He may have told a lot of stories, but he was good. His heart was pure. You weren’t worried about whether or not you smiled at him if he could tell you were lying. You knew somehow Usopp would understand your frustration. 

“Yeah, Usopp everything is alright.” 

He side-eyed Zoro over your shoulder before he brought his attention back to the room. Clearing his throat, he looked over at Luffy and asked, “Luffy, isn’t there something you wanted to talk to Kaya about?”

“Ah, yes. Usopp tells me that you own the whole shipyard.” 

Kaya smiled gracefully in reply, before she looked away. A sadness creeping into her voice. 

“Well, actually, my parents founded the shipyard, and Merry’s been running the business since…well since they passed.” You watched as Luffy followed her words and glanced over to the man sitting at the table. A courtesy raise of his glass to salute the dead. For a split second, all the joy in Luffy was replaced by something that didn’t seem to fit. A melancholy that didn’t belong. “But all that’s about to change. At midnight tonight I will become sole owner.” 

“Ah well, that’s great because we want to buy a ship from you.”

Now this was the Luffy you’d grown to know. All smiles and cheerfulness like a rainbow as he lifted his champagne glass and took a sip. 

“I see,” Kaya responded in kind. “Usopp mentioned that you were sailors.” 

“Nope, not sailors. Pirates.” 

Your head spun sharply back in his direction. He seemed so happy about what he just said. Like it wasn’t the worst kind of omission that could get you all killed or arrested by the local Marines. Usopp definitely had a reason to be choking on his own drink. 

You glanced at Nami and back at Zoro and both of them, respectfully, looked worried as shit. 

“Pirates?”

“Yep. We haven’t sailed together for very long, but we have already defeated an evil clown, raided a marine base, and taken down a Marine captain with an axe for a hand!”

“Usopp, what is he talking about?” You whispered sharply over to him. 

Usopp was still covered in his own spit as he furiously tried to wipe it off. The worry evident in the fine creases in his forehead as he glanced around the room. 

“I don’t-“

“These sound a lot like your adventures, Usopp,” Kaya mentioned lovingly. 

“Yeah. It’s crazy.”

Kaya thought that Luffy was joking! While you were sure Luffy meant what he was saying you were also incredibly confused. Pirates weren’t nice. The ones you’d met a few times had forced Naan to help them. They’d been rough, mean, and downright nasty. Luffy was none of that. 

“Oh yeah, and we are just getting started!” Unexpectedly, Luffy stood up in his chair and began to stand on the table. 

“What are you doing?” Klahadore snapped as he came forth from the shadows. “Get down from there this instant!”

“Being a pirate has been my dream for as long as I can remember and I’m finally going to make it a reality. We are heading off to the grand line where even more adventures await us.” With an eager smile gracing his lips, drink in hand, Luffy began to walk his way down to where Kaya sat. “At the end of the journey I’m gonna find the ultimate treasure, the One Piece and become King of The Pirates.”

When he got to Kaya Luffy stopped and took one last sip of his drink before handing it off to Klahadore. You would honestly pay to have this moment replay in a time loop, it was so damn good. Besides the fact that, you know, they were pirates. 

“Kaya, you have a beautiful ship out there. A caravel with a sheep figurehead. It spoke to me. That is the ship we need to follow our dreams. I promise we will take care of it. Maintain it. Because a ship isn’t just a vessel; it’s also a home.” 

It felt like such a genuine moment. Luffy didn’t appear to be like every pirate you’ve ever met. They were usually selfish, ugly, and cruel men who found pleasure in others misfortunes or creating them themselves. Even now, after his confession, it wasn’t the vibe you got from Luffy, and that’s what made it all the more confusing. 

“That will be quite enough!” Your body gave a jump in surprise as Klahadore screamed. His body thundering over to stand next to Kaya. “I should’ve known Usopp would bring rift raft to our doorstep.”

“Klahadore it’s okay-“ 

Kaya tried to defend them, but a violent coughing fit cut her short. Usopp edged toward the end of his seat noticeably wanting to get up and go to her. The both of you knew if he made any moves right now, unfortunately, who knew what this butler would do. 

“Now look at what you’ve done. You’ve all upset Miss Kaya. I want you all out of here, at once!”

“No,” Kaya interjected. “Let them stay the night.” 

“Very well, Miss Kaya. But they are out of here first thing in the morning.” 

Stay the night? 

“Fuck,” you huffed under your breathe. 

You had no intention of staying in this manor with any of them. You turned to tell Usopp you should both head back and noticed the way his puppy dog eyes followed Kaya as Klahadore led her away. He wasn’t going to leave her and maybe that meant you shouldn’t either. 

“Well, that went well.”

Luffy really needed to learn to read the room. 

You waited for Buchi and Sham to follow after their master before you pushed back your chair and did your best not to trip on any of the tulle at your feet. You needed to get out of this dress immediately. It wasn’t because you were much of a fighter. No, that wasn’t you. However, you did enjoy running from danger and this dress made it damn near impossible. 

“Where are you going?” 

Luffy and his kaleidoscope of happiness. You wondered what it was like to always be so optimistic. 

“I am going back to my room and probably leaving.” 

“What?” Usopp turned to look at you. “Why are you leaving.”

“Yeah. What was all that holier than thou talk about helping her,” Zoro cut in. 

“Oh, what the hell does it matter to you, anyways?” You snapped. “First, you insult me for trying to help and now you insult me, again, for leaving.”

“Cowards give up when it gets hard.”

Was it physically possible to blow smoke out of your nose? It felt like it as your eyes narrowed in on him. He didn’t even have the decency to look at you. 

“Zoro, you got a real stick up your ass,” Nami huffed as she grabbed her glass and took a drink. 

“That’s not the real reason she wants to leave” he shot back, eyes on Nami. “Is it? It’s because she heard the word, “Pirates.” 

“That’s crazy,” Luffy laughed around the words. “We’re good guys.” 

“Pirates are not good guys,” you snapped at him. It was your turn to feel like an asshole as you looked between them. Luffy noticeably hurt. “I have met plenty of pirates when they came looking for Naan and her services. She hid me every single time, because she was scared of what they might do. If they would take me. Doctors are more valuable to pirates than gold. That was the lesson she taught me and I learned it well.”

“Pirates have been to Syrup Village?” 

Usopp didn’t seem to grasp the fact that they hadn’t come raiding and he’d have to ring the bell for real. No one knew how close pirates really were to Syrup Village. It was one of the reasons why Naan’s home was hidden so deep within the bamboo forest. 

“Yes, Usopp.”

You needed to get away. You were tired - drained - from feeling like you needed to apologize to them. You didn’t know what's real anymore and maybe you were being a coward. Maybe you were just tired of being wrong. 

With one last tug on the tulle, you moved away from the table and gave them one quick glance before you headed out towards the dining room doors. 

————————————-

It’d been over an hour since you’d made your less than graceful exit from the dining room. Even after getting back into the comfort of your own clothes, it didn’t keep the nagging feeling that you’d been an asshole from clawing its way to the surface. 

You had been an asshole. 

You’d been pacing the confines of your suite chewing on your nails until you were positive you must have gnawed them into dust. There was no denying Kaya’s home was beautiful. It was everything you could imagine money could buy in the form of creature comforts, but there was no happiness within its walls. 

The room you’d been given was more than what you and Naan lived in now. When you’d first been shown inside, you’d felt silly having all this space and having no idea what to do with it. It was all lovely. From the four poster bed with intricate wooden detailing to the velvet curtains that ran the length of the wall that held a window overlooking the garden. The wallpaper, you were positive, held gold within its designs. 

It wasn’t the fanciest, but you would take your small home with Naan then stay in a place like this. Speaking of home…

It would be so easy for you to turn tail and run. To go out the front door and never come back but what would you tell Naan? That you never got to see Kaya? That you were unnecessarily rude to a group of people who’d been nothing but friendly (except one) all because their captain called them pirates? 

Coward. That’s what Zoro called you. The worst part was maybe he wasn’t wrong. So, ninety-five percent of your plan had gone to shit. You at least still had five percent of it. 

Neither Luffy, Nami, or Zoro did anything that warranted your hasty judgment, and nothing they did reflected what you’d been exposed to all your life. What you hated the most was that you could feel the need for an apology brewing in your gut, and if you didn’t do it you would never get any sleep. 

After you’d gotten dressed and strapped on much more comfortable shoes, you made your way out of your room and back inside the maze of hallways. You were closing in on the main corridor when the sound of a door opening made you stop in your tracks. 

What if it was Sham? You prepared yourself to see her unpleasant face when orange hair wrapped in an orange designed bandanna crept out into the hall. 

“Nami?”

She startled as you called her name and turned to face you. The sound of clanking caught your attention and your eyes followed the sound to a very filled pillowcase in her right hand. 

You quirked an eyebrow as you asked, “Doing some spring cleaning?”

You watched as her usual friendly demeanor changed into squared shoulders and eyes filled with defiance. It made you feel like you were about to embark on a fight you didn’t realize you were having. 

“You want to hurl some more generic insults my way? Tell me how much of a bad person I am-“

Now you were raising your hands up but not in surrender. It was an attempt to quiet her down. You’d already been berating yourself about words, and the power they held to equally heal or destroy someone. How many times had Naan chastised you about being reckless with your words? Reminding you that the things spoken can be enough to heal or mend hearts and bodies, but can also easily break them. 

“A healer is more than just someone mending a body, girl. Sometimes we heal by listening. Giving dying men the forgiveness they seek.” 

And here you were slinging verbal canon balls at these people. 

I’m such an asshole

“Nami! Nami! While I hundred percent deserve that, it’s not what I was going to do.” She didn’t seem like she believed you in the slightest. That was fair. “I was actually on my way to try and find you guys.”

“Why? So, you could tell us some more about how you hate pirates?”

“Okay. That’s fair.”

“Oh, I think that’s more than fair. You are not the only one who hates pirates or holds the lottery for the shittest interactions with them.”

Again, your hands were up. Why did this have to feel like you were with a lion inside of a cage? One wrong move and you were sure she was going to bite your head off. 

“I never said that, ok? Did I have a shit reaction to finding out that you were pirates? Yes. That’s why I’m here. I came to apologize to all of you. You defended me tonight at dinner. You didn’t have to do that.”

All the anger that swirled in the gray of her irises began to soften. Good. At least she was no longer looking ready to turn you into literal sashimi. 

“Yeah, we’ll, she was acting like a real bitch.”

“Agreed,” you hummed, “but that’s beside the point. You didn’t have to say anything but you did and how did I repay that? By being an asshole so on that note: Nami, I’m sorry.”

Why was she just staring? You thought your heart was going to explode out of your chest at any minute. Nami wasn’t smiling or appeared angry or upset. She was completely stone faced and you were desperately trying not to fidget. 

“I think that’s the first time anyone’s apologized to me before.” 

“That sucks.”

God, you really did have a way with words. Nami was equally as shocked at your bluntness, but in a way that sent a warm smile to lift the edges of your lips. Nami sputtered out a laugh as she placed her hands on her hips. The motion and sound of clinking whatever was in there reminding you both that she was currently doing something illegal. 

“Are you going to say anything? Report me to Klahadore?” 

Even just the sound of his name was enough to drop the smile from your face. A sneer replacing it as you replied, “God no. I’d rather just let you steal than say anything to that jackal.”

“You and the waitstaff seem to be big fans of each other,” Nami teased. 

It earned her a laugh as you looked down the hallway. Just to be safe since you were both equally unwanted in the manor and, well, Nami had a pillowcase full of the house goodies. 

“I suppose you could say that.”

You stuck your hand between you both and waited patiently for her to take it. Nami regarded your hand like it belonged to a sea monster. 

“Friends?”

“I don’t have any friends.”

Her words were soft and direct. As if she’d come to terms with being alone for a while now. You didn’t pull your hand away and let it fall back to your side. You kept it suspended between the two of you, and patiently waited for her to feel comfortable enough to take it. 

“Well, at least now you’ll know you have one in Syrup village.” 

A spark of something ignited in her eyes and whatever it was your words made her think of, it wasn’t something happy. When a small smile curled her lips it didn’t reach her eyes. They stayed distant; mourning something you may never be made aware of. 

You felt your breath catch in your throat as Nami reached out her hand and gently grabbed yours. You waited to secure your fingers around her hand, just in case she had second thoughts. When she didn’t pull away you allowed yourself to fully smile at her, which earned you one back. 

“Where were you headed to, anyways?”

You both released each other, and you started slowly moving around her to get to the corridor. 

“I was going to look around for Luffy. I need to apologize to him too.”

“Check the kitchen. If you’re going to find him anywhere it’s going to be in there.”

“Thank you. You just saved me some time. See you later, Nami.”

You were a few feet away when she called your name. You turned halfway to see her still standing in the same spot you’d left her. 

“Are you going to apologize to Zoro?”

“I’m still debating,” you answered truthfully.

You aren’t sure what Nami expected you to say, but apparently that hadn’t been it. She immediately erupted into laughter as she turned and headed to the next room. 

You really hoped she wasn’t going to get caught by Klahadore or anyone else. You were positive it would get him all riled up and send him screeching for the marines to come. Maybe even throw in some insults, because that was just the kind of man he was. 

It took you longer than you wanted to locate the kitchen and you were considering bringing it up to Kaya about putting signs up around the manor. Ones that let you know with arrows which way to go. Why was it so easy to get lost in such a big house? You were still trying to come up with a way to bring up that little suggestion when you heard Usopp’s voice coming from the kitchen. Usopp was there too? Your curiosity spurred you forward - almost at a sprint - until you heard another voice grumble from the kitchen. 

“You don’t think she like - like likes me, do you?”

What kind of conversation were you walking into? You rounded the corner to find Usopp and Zoro staring at one another. Usopp looked hopeful while Zoro regarded him with as much emotion as a rock. 

“You’re asking the wrong guy.”

“I would second that, Usopp.”

At the sound of your voice all eyes turned to you. 

“Doc! Hey! What brings you to the kitchen?” 

Luffy sounded like his usual happy-go-lucky self. He didn’t seem to be holding a grudge or feelings about what had happened only an hour ago between you. All Luffy seemed to care about was the leftover appetizers and being amongst friends. 

How could you ever think he was anything like other pirates? 

His cheerfulness was contagious and soon you found yourself making your way around to the stairs. Luffy waves you down to join him with an appetizer in hand. 

“You didn’t seem to eat at the dinner. You should try some of these. They’re delicious!”

“Are you sure there is any left?”

“Oh, I have some in my pockets if you want those.” 

He really was digging through his pocket to pull out some appetizers. You didn’t know why it surprised you so much but you couldn’t keep your laughter from bubbling to the surface. 

“It’s okay, Luffy. I appreciate your willingness to share, but I’ll pass for now.” 

“You sure? These are really good!” 

Just to prove his point, Luffy popped whatever he pulled from his pocket into his mouth. His fingers noticeably tinted with a pink hue from it melting. 

“Pretty sure.” 

You snagged a stool on the opposite side of Luffy, which unfortunately kept you on the same side as Zoro. Who was actively staring daggers into your skull. 

“I actually came to find you so I could apologize.” 

“Apologize?”

“For how I acted at dinner.”

“Where’s my apology?” 

Zoro’s husky voice cut through your good mood and instantly made you bitter. You turned in your seat to look at him, who was opening and closing drawers every two seconds. 

“I’m still debating on if you deserve one.” 

Zoro had been opening his next set of cupboard doors when he stopped short. His head tilting the slightest to glance at you over your shoulder. You waited for him to make another smart ass comment and when it didn’t come, well, color you surprised. All you got was a tick of his jaw before he turned back to opening and shutting doors. 

“What is he doing?” You asked Usopp. 

“He’s looking for something to drink,” Luffy offered up in between his next bite.

Where the hell did he find a chicken leg? You fixed yourself to sit more comfortably on the stool and placed your satchel on the table. You looked between the three men again and remembered what it was they’d been talking about before. 

“So, what were you guys talking about?” 

Usopp scratched the back of his neck and looked anywhere but at you. What was making him so nervous? You’d been friends since you were kids. There literally couldn’t be anything that embarrassing-

“Usopp is in love with Kaya and wanted to know if we think she’s in love with him too.”

Luffy happily continued to eat the chicken that you still couldn’t figure out where it came from. Usopp, on the other hand, looked like his soul was about to leave his body. 

“Sounds about right.”

Your response must have been a shock to Usopp because that’s exactly how he looked. His hand was still nervously fidgeting with his bandana. 

“You know?”

You rolled your eyes as you looked around the kitchen island. Maybe you were starting to feel a little bit hungry.

“Usopp, even Naan knows how you feel about Kaya. She called it like two years ago.” 

You were still looking for something to eat when Luffy slid a plate with chicken thighs and legs between you. They smelled wonderful and the skin was perfectly crisp. It was garnished with what might have been green onion or chive. 

“If you guys are going to talk about feelings I’m seriously going to need a drink.”

“Shocker.”

The few steps Zoro took came to an abrupt end just a few feet from you. You had a piece of chicken thigh between your lips as you made eye contact with his award-winning brooding face. There was a millisecond, as you both looked at each other, that you wondered if he would’ve replied. 

“There’s a wine cellar down in the basement.” 

“Why didn’t you mention that before?”

Usopp opened and closed his mouth. While he was unsure of what to say, you felt like you had plenty. Usopp didn’t waste another second as he grabbed his satchel off the island and started leading Zoro up the stairs. 

“Luffy, you coming?” 

“No, you go ahead. I’m going to sit with Doc for a while.” 

They were walking on the opposite walkway, high up enough to look down at both of you. Zoro glanced over his shoulder at the both of you and it took every last ounce of control on your body not to stick your tongue out at him. 

How odd it was that you felt like you could actually breathe now that he was gone. Sure, you knew you should say sorry to him and, realistically, him calling you a coward was part of the reason you’d stayed. Did you ever want to share that information with him? Hell no. 

The man was already insufferable enough. You didn’t need to add to it. 

The sound of Luffy’s chair scraping against the floor brought you back to where your attention was needed: Luffy. Not Zoro’s retreating back. 

Why did he have to look good from both sides?

Shaking your head to bring you back to why you came there in the first place, you watched as Luffy went back to walking around the kitchen. He kept searching until he came across a bronze pot that was left on the stove. When he lifted the lid you could see the neon blue hue of Kaya’s soup from where you sat. 

“What are you doing?”

Luffy turned with the large pot in hand and walked back over to the table. He looked like a child who’d gotten lost in a chocolate factory. 

“Eating.” 

You felt your brows enter your hairline and possibly the ceiling as you watched Luffy bring the pot to his lips, and begin to gulp the contents down. 

“Are you seriously going to eat all of that?”

He took a few rather large gulps before he set the pot down to look at you. A blue mustache formed on his upper lip. 

“Soup isn’t my usual choice, but it’s not half bad.”

You tried to shake the smile off your face but failed miserably. 

“You know, you don’t need to apologize. I understand being protective of the people you care about.”

The change in topics was giving you mental whiplash. Luffy regarded you with a softness you hadn’t expected. Underneath was that playfulness you’d grown accustomed to, but it was submerged under something serious. Or as serious as Luffy could be. It was the softness you hadn’t expected, however, and you quickly looked down at your hands. 

“Naan raised me to admit when I’m wrong, and I was wrong, Luffy.”

“You talk about your Naan a lot.”

“I have a lot of respect for her. She didn’t have to take me in, teach me what she knows, but she did. I’m not sure I’ll ever be able to repay her.” 

Luffy regarded you coolly as he picked up the pot and took another giant gulp. His mouth was getting bluer by the minute.

“I’m sure she appreciates you helping her, but I don’t think she’d want to keep you from your dream.”

“I don’t have a dream.”

“Everybody has a dream. Mine is to be King of the pirates. Now you say yours.” 

Luffy was right. Everyone has a dream. Just not all of them were attainable. There were realistic dreams and unrealistic ones and yours had to be classified under the latter. Luffy’s too. 

But who was to say dreams weren’t attainable if you weren’t willing to strive for them? 

You inhaled sharply, your words exhaling in rush. 

“I want to be one of the world’s greatest doctors. I want to help people. Not just humans, but fishmen and people who have eaten Devil fruits. Their physiology is so changed that no one knows what happens when they get certain wounds.” 

“That’s great because I ate the gum gum fruit.”

How could anyone just casually chug an entire pot of soup? Or openly share that kind of information. 

“I’m sorry, what was that? Did you just say you ate a Devil fruit?”

“Yup. It turned my body into rubber.”

“I have so many questions.”

“It’s a long story.”

His words came out slurred; as if they sat heavy on his tongue and made it impossible to speak. You watched as he blinked slowly to try and clear his vision and when that didn’t work he went to stand and immediately stumbled backwards. 

“Luffy!”

Your body immediately launched itself over the table. You didn’t care that your clothes were covered in a rainbow assortment of food. By the time you’d already made it to his side of the table, Luffy fell back against a cabinet. His body sliding limp to the floor. 

“Luffy! What's wrong? Can you tell me what you’re feeling?”

He was obviously lethargic. His pupils blown wide and unable to focus. It sounded like he was trying to answer your previous question, but his tongue had swollen up making none of it audible. You barely reached him before he completely crumbled to the floor. Your hands dove underneath his arms until you pulled him into a bear hug. 

Luffy was too damn heavy. If you kept holding him you would end up in a heap together on the floor. With as much strength as you could muster you tried to hoist him onto the table. 

“Zoro! Usopp!”

As you pulled him up onto the table, you heard countless silverware and plates crashing to the floor. There was so much commotion surely someone would have to come investigate. You didn’t have time to wait to see if anyone did. After you had him laid out as good as you were going to get him, you rushed over to his head. You pulled up his eyelid and watched as his eye rolled up inside his head. 

“Damn it! Zoro! Usopp! Where the fuck are you guys!”

The panic in your voice was tittering on hysteria. You wanted to scream. You definitely were going to start crying if your brain didn’t get it together. Luffy needed you. 

You placed two fingers on the artery in his neck. His pulse fluttered against your fingertips and with each beat felt slower than the last. Drawing your hands back you noticed the slight foam that was forming at the corners of his mouth and - “Poison.” 

Your eyes zoned in on the now empty pot. Luffy had eaten all of it and whatever was inside was enough to make its effects be instantaneous. It was the same soup they’d given to Kaya. The same color as her tea. 

“Son of a bitch!” 

They’d been poisoning her this whole time. The only reason she didn’t drop dead in front of them was because she’d never even taken a bite. Every time Usopp told you stories about Klahadore, Buchi, and Sham it always felt off. None of it ever added up and now, now you know why. 

Those bastards had been trying to kill her this whole time. 

A soft groan huffed from Luffy bringing you back to the very important present. Why hadn’t anyone answered you? It didn’t matter. You needed to help Luffy - Kaya - before it was too late. 

“Luffy, I have to go back to Naan’s. I can’t carry you out of here or we won’t make it. I promise I’ll be back. I’m going to save you. I’m going to save Kaya.” 

With one last look at Luffy, you tightened the strap on your satchel and bolted for the nearest exit. 

——————————

Your lungs were screaming with every breath you took and your muscles burning, threatening to collapse, as you pushed forward. You couldn’t afford to stop running. Not since you left the front door of Kaya’s house. The last time you saw Luffy glued itself to your retinas and refused to let go. A constant reminder that no matter how much your body wanted to give up, you couldn’t let it. 

Luffy and Kaya were counting on you. 

By the time you passed through the town and started up the hill behind the tree line to Naan’s you were running on fumes. It was probably the reason why you not so gracefully barreled through the front door. Your legs wobble to a shaky halt as you attempt to walk them over to the cupboard that held every tonic known to man.  

“Naan! Naan, I need help, please!” 

Your voice cracked and melted into the old boards of the house. You were still struggling to catch a breath as you opened the doors to the cupboard. Everything about you felt unstable. Your hands shook as they moved around the bottles, almost toppling them over and threatening to make a bigger mess of your night. 

“What in the hell is going on down here?”

Naan’s voice crocked with sleep but her words were full of fire. She was pissed you woke her up, but it was all for a damn good reason. The dim light from her candle grew brighter as she advanced down the stairs. 

“Naan, I’m down here. Please, I need your help.”

You rushed to the stars to wait to help her down the rest of the way. The minute she grabbed your hands to help her down, you moved to take her toward the cabinet but she held on tight. She wasn’t budging until you looked at her. She called your name repeatedly to get you to look at her. Why wouldn’t you look at her? 

The overwhelming feeling of failure was crashing in on you. You’d known. You knew, in the pit of your stomach, that something wasn’t right with them. You should have fought harder. You could’ve done more and now, now Luffy was dying of a poison Kaya ingested for years and Nami, Usopp, and even Zoro were in danger. 

A sob tore its way out from your throat, through your lips, and ended in a guttural scream. 

“What in the hell is happening, child?”

“Naan,” you sobbed. “Naan, Luffy has been poisoned-“

“Poisoned?”

“With the same stuff they’ve been giving Kaya for years. Kaya has slowly been poisoned and she’s going to die. We need to help her. I need to help them Naan, please.”

You weren’t sure when it happened. When you were no longer supporting Naan but she was supporting you. Her paper thin hands held your face gently as her thumbs smoothed your tears down. She made you follow her breathing until your breaths were even and slow. Only then did she begin to talk to you. 

“Do you know what kind he ingested?” 

Fuck. 

“No, I-“

Naan held her hand up to stop you. With one hand still supporting her weight on your arm, she came off the last step and moved towards the cabinet you’d massacred. You knew Naan had noticed it too when a displeased click of her tongue filled the silence in the room. 

“If you don’t know what it is, it could be tricky. I can give you what I have, but you are going to need to examine them both before you give them anything. Give them the wrong one, and it will kill them as quickly as the poison will.”

Naan calmly went through each bottle. She knew by heart where everything would be. Just like she could blindly feel through ingredients or measure it without actually measuring it. She turned around with five bottles clutched in her hands and shuffled her way back over to you. She motioned for you to open your satchel and placed them one-by-one carefully inside. 

“I don’t know if you should be doing this.” 

For the first time, you heard the waiver in her voice. She watched as you secure your satchel closed; her eyes trained to the worn leather before she looked back at you. You weren’t expecting her to look so scared. It was your turn to place your hands on her shoulders and give them a soft squeeze. 

“You’ve always taught me there is no greater service in life than to serve others. I can’t let them die, Naan.” 

“I know,” she smiled sadly. The worry made the wrinkles more severe than before. “It’s just…be careful. Please.”

With another squeeze you did your best to smile at her, to reassure her, before you stepped back. 

“I’ll be back, Naan. Don’t you worry.” 

You didn’t know that for sure. There was a chance Klahadore or Buchi would spot you before you made it back to Luffy. Who knew what they were doing to everyone while you were here. 

With that uncertainty of what could happen stewing in your chest, you leaned forward quickly and planted a kiss on Naan’s cheek before you bolted out the door. This time, your body was prepared for the brutal run back to the manor. You were almost to the edge of town when the bell rang out in warning and moments later the sound of Usopp’s, “The pirates are here!” Ringing out. 

At the sound of his voice, you allowed yourself a moment to thank the universe that he was okay. You wanted to stop and turn back to the village. To find Usopp and ask him just to come back with you and the two of you would figure it out together. 

Luffy didn’t have that kind of time. 

With that truth taking over your thought, you began to pick up the pace. You had a captain to save. 

—————————-

The front of the manor was beginning to be covered in the fog that was rolling in from the ocean. This was hands down the creepiest you had ever seen the Manor. It was giving definite horror vibes. The worst part? Even from this far you could see the damn pirate shutters were enabled. 

“Fuck!” You screamed. 

How in the hell were you going to get inside to help them? Those things were heavy and meant to be impenetrable. There was no way you were going to be able to break it down with a few kicks. 

“Think,” you huffed, as your hand slid across your face. 

What options did you have? You could go back to find Usopp, but there was a high chance you’d only end up missing each other in passing. You couldn’t just go up to the front door and knock. Not unless, you know, you wanted to die. 

You were pacing back and forth when a very loud grunt echoed from the well. 

You hadn’t read many horror novels, but the ones you had read, well, this was giving haunted zombie island vibes. You wish you could claim to be unafraid, but when the grunt came again, this time closer and louder than the last, you knew you’d be lying. 

So, why were you ever so slowly edging your way towards the well? Curiosity did always kill the cat. Right when you finally got to the edge of the stone, you exhaled to prepare yourself to look over. 

Who knows, maybe it was just your imagination overreacting. Right when you went to glance over the side, a hand smacked its way over the top and you felt your soul evacuate your body. A few seconds later, green hair popped over the top that sat on top of a familiar face, but your brain was stuck in fear mode, so when Zoro asked, “Doc?” The only response he’d gotten was your fist connecting with his face. 

“What the fuck!”

His scream echoed into the well. You could hear him slipping and knew it was because you’d shoved your knuckles into his cheekbone. Just as he was about to slip, you launched yourself over the side to grab a hold of his arm. 

“What the fuck!” Zoro shouted up at you. 

“I’m sorry, okay! I thought you were a zombie and oh my god is that a fucking body?!”

You almost let Zoro go as your eyes focused on what looked like very real feet attached to very real legs. 

“Yeah. It’s that Merry, guy.”

Zoro grunted as he tried to find purchase for the foot that had slipped. You were struggling to hold him up and each time his foot slipped it seemed to tug you down with him. 

“For fuck’s sake, what are you made of bricks?”

“Oh, I’m sorry, is my weight inconveniencing you? If it wasn’t for you I would be out already,” Zoro  growled out each word.

“I said I was sorry, okay! What more do you want?”

You move your hand further down until you reach his elbow. At first, it seemed like a solid plan. Strategically, it was a better option to give you more leverage in helping pull him up. The reality of it was Zoro was sweaty - very sweaty - from climbing about twenty-feet up the inside of a well. The minute your hand clamped down on the lubricated skin, it slipped free. 

When he started to come loose from your hands you expected him to scream. All you saw was a grimace as his back slammed into the wall of the well and a glare that could give death a run for his money. 

“Just pull me up already and stop screwing around.” 

“I am trying but you are a hefty, hefty man,” you stated with each word strained. 

Okay. You needed to get serious. You’d allowed his weight to lift your feet off the ground. You swung them back until you could get your toes pressed against the River rock of the well. Your heels were still slightly lifted in the air, but you knew this could work in your favor. You took in a deep breath and began to lean back as hard as you could. It may not have been super comfortable, but it was pulling him up enough that you could hear his boot finally find the footing it needed. 

“Okay, you can let go now. I said you can let go-!”

You fully intended to let go. Whatever Zoro had done to help launch himself out, mixed with your pulling, sent you falling backwards. 

With Zoro landing directly on top of you. 

His weight mixed in with the fall knocked your breath clean out of your lungs. You were trying to get your lungs to expand by letting your body relax so you attempted to think of soothing things. The night sky and her stars were looking incredible tonight. It was the clearest you’d seen them in a while. Too bad it was on a night like tonight. 

Zoro slowly lifted his head up from your shoulder, his arms on either side of you, until you were both face-to-face. Suddenly, it felt like the air was knocked out of you all over again. 

His skin still held a sheen from his previous excretion of climbing. The edges of his hair was damp with sweat giving him a look that reminded you of when you’d run into him earlier wet from his shower. It shouldn’t have made him look this damn good. 

You were painfully aware that he was still between your legs. Zoro was close enough you could feel his stomach extend with each heavy breath he took. Could easily count the freckles that endless days in the sun had kissed on his skin. His lips were parted, eyes scanning your face, and for one devious miscalculation of judgment, you wanted to fist your fingers in his shirt and pull him towards you to see if his lips were as soft as you imagined. 

Nope. Nooooope!

That moment was enough to bring you crashing back to reality. Plus, Luffy. Kaya. 

You smack his chest for good measure. Just to let him know you meant it when you said, “Are you trying to crush me to death? Get off me!” 

“Don’t gotta tell me twice,” he grunted. 

Once he was up, you expected him to stick his hand out to help you up. Instead, he was already walking in the opposite direction of what appeared to be away from the house. 

“Hey! Where are you going?”

You scrambled up from your spot and hurried to try and catch up with him. Your hands rearranging your satchel to make sure your bottles weren’t crushed. 

“I’m going back to the house.”

“Yeah, so am I but the house is back this way.”

Zoro stopped for a split second to look behind you before deciding what you offered was wrong. 

“How about we split up and figure out who was right?”

“Fat chance, Mosshead.”

You fell into step beside him and you were positive if Zoro could’ve, he would’ve thrown you down the well. Just to make sure you stayed away from him. If this was a different time, one where you didn’t just pull him from a well where a dead body was, Luffy wasn’t poisoned, and Kaya and Nami were in danger you would have steered clear of him. So, unlucky for you both, you were newfound partners in unfortunate crime. 

Neither of you spoke a word as you continued to walk down the path. You were pretty sure that Zoro was sending you the wrong way. You were two seconds away from telling him he was most definitely wrong, and you’d been most definitely right, until you both observed something up ahead. 

Was that marines? And were they carrying- “Luffy,” you said in a hush tone. 

Zoro saw it too. Two marines were carrying his limp body between them until he launched himself forward and began vomiting in the trees. It shouldn’t be possible. Poison when ingested - by anyone - was fatal. Even with as much vomiting he was doing it shouldn’t be possible. And yet, you saw it happening. 

It has to be the Devil fruit…

Zoro waved for you to hide inside the bamboo but you brushed him off. As quietly as you could, you reached down and grabbed a fallen bamboo branch. You made sure you had a good grip on the bottom as you made your way quietly forward. 

They were arguing between themselves. One of them with an extremely terrible haircut was holding a gun to the other with glasses and back to Luffy. The two spare marines were just standing watching and-

With as much force as you could muster, you smacked the one on the left on the side of his head. Zoro just used his fist for the other one. At the sound of their bodies falling, bad haircut turned around and when he saw Zoro walking towards him he turned sheet white. 

“Zoro!” Luffy called happily as he got to his feet. “And Doc?” 

You scratched the back of your head as you watched Zoro knock out bad haircut in one punch. 

“Yeah. I came back to rescue you. Surprise,” you joked, throwing your hands up in mock celebration. 

“Thanks. Come on. We need to get back to the house.”

Without another word, Luffy pressed between you and started making his way back towards the house. You side-eyed Zoro to see if he was paying attention, because Luffy had just proven you were right. You opened your mouth to tease him when a soft shout of Luffy’s name sent you all turning to see who it was.

They stood in front of you - pale as moonlight - and a little frightened with black rimmed circle glasses and pink hued hair. You weren’t sure who they were but all you needed to know was that they knew Luffy by name. 

“Koby, I know you got a job to do. But I’m going to go back and help my friends. Don’t try and stop me.” 

Yup. Luffy was officially the most polite pirate you’d ever met. 

Koby gave Luffy the smallest of nods. A silent affirmation that he wouldn’t be following suit. You had so many questions about what happened between everyone tonight and would make sure to ask later. If given the chance. 

Adjusting his hat back on his head, Luffy turned and started sprinting down the path. Zoro gave you one last look before he ran after him with his hands securely holding onto his swords. A soft groan left you as your feet padded along like the little engine that could. 

“Ugh, why are we doing more running? I hate running.” 

No one answered you and that was fine. You were going to need as much air as you could trying to keep up with the two of them. 

——————————-

Zoro and Luffy were at the door when you came up. The two of them looked at the giant metal shudder. You were ready to tell them there wasn’t going to be any other way inside the house when Zoro bent down on one knee and worked his fingers underneath. 

“That’s not going to work.”

Luffy turned to you with a wide smile. 

“You don’t know Zoro.”

As if on queue, Zoro let out a grunt and began to push the shudder up. No way. It shouldn’t have been possible for him to even remotely lift it an inch. Usopp told you hundreds of times that pirate shudders were over six-hundred pounds of metal. They were meant to withstand canon balls and here Zoro was lifting it to his waist. 

Luffy grabbed a statue and placed it underneath the shudder allowing Zoro to let go, and kick the double doors open. Luffy wasted no time in bending down and looking inside to make sure they could enter without interruption. When he was sure it was clear, he moved inside and Zoro shortly followed. Luffy went to shut the doors when you quickly moved inside. 

“Doc, I think you should wait outside.”

“Fuck that,” you seethed. “These are my friends too, Luffy. I’m not leaving until I know they’re safe.”

Why was he smiling? 

“Alright, but we split up. Cover more ground that way.”

Neither of them wasted any time taking off in their respective directions. It wasn’t until they were gone that you realized you didn’t have a clue where to go and what were you supposed to do if you found them.

You let out a huff of air that ended in a raspberry as you decided to go down the opposite side of the corridor than Zoro. You may not have any abilities from eating Devil fruit or be insanely good with swords, but you did have your wits. Yeah. That’s what was going to save you. Wits. 

Maybe you could just go back to the kitchen and see if the pot was still there. If it was, you’d have a chance to  get samples of what Buchi had laced inside the soup. In Kaya’s tea. God, just thinking about it pissed you off all over again. 

If the house felt eerily quiet before, it felt even worse now. All signs of life were completely drained from the halls to the point your own breathing felt too loud in the large space. You were tempted to make noise, to call out for Zoro like playing a game of Marco Polo. Probably wouldn’t have been one of your best ideas in a house full of homicidal waitstaff. 

When you got to the kitchen you made a quick note that the bronze pot in question was missing. Of course they wouldn’t have kept it. It was evidence of a plot they’d spent three years perfecting, but you just needed to search to be sure. 

Quickly, you made your way around to the stairs and into the step down of the kitchen. Someone had done the dishes. It was all gone. You tried not to allow the bitterness of that thought to settle, but damn if it wasn’t hard. How were you going to be able to know what treatment to start giving Kaya if you didn’t have anything to base it off? 

You looked around the kitchen one last time when the sounds of fighting erupted somewhere in the distance. It could be Luffy or Zoro. Hell, it could be one of the other three too. Either way, it didn’t matter who it was. You were going to help them. 

First things first…

You looked quickly around the kitchen. There wasn’t much in the way of weapons that were going to strike fear in the hearts of anyone. You saw a tiny pot that was sitting on the sink counter and rushed forward to grab it by the handle. As soon as you knew you had it, you bolted back up the stairs and towards the main lobby. 

The closer you got the more intense the fighting became. Swords. Those definitely sounded like swords, which meant it was Zoro fighting, but also someone else with swords. And here you were bringing a pot to a sword fight.

You weren’t given a chance to backtrack on your choice of weapon. The minute you came out from the French double doors that lead back into the foray of the house, you watched as Zoro fought off Buchi and Sham. 

You never saw a real swordsman or met one for that matter. It wasn’t like Syrup village was brimming with up and coming anything, really, but as you watched Zoro effortlessly move between blocking and attacking you were willing to bet no one compared to him. 

You were so caught up in gawking that you weren’t aware that Buchi and Sham were made aware of your presence until they hissed at you. Hissing? Really? You could feel a smart ass comment brewing, but now didn’t seem like the appropriate time to say it. Buchi was who turned on you first with Sham still attacking Zoro. She had her back to you, and when she came up from a missed swing you rushed forward and launched the small pot at the back of her head. 

The sound of it connecting with its intended target resonated through the room. Sham’s head was as hollow as you thought. 

Everything slowed down for a second as you all waited to see what would happen. Luckily for you, the result was Sham falling face first into the hardwood completely passed out. 

“Holy shit. It worked! Zoro, did you see that!” 

“You little bitch!” 

How the hell did you forget about Buchi? He came stomping towards you causing the floor to shake as he did. You were getting ready to bolt in the opposite direction when Zoro jumped in the way. You took that as your queue to move. 

You dashed toward where Sham’s body had fallen and kicked away her sword and - wait, was that a broom handle? You no longer felt embarrassed about using a pot. 

Taking hold of the unconscious Sham, you began to move her more towards the front door. Zoro finished with Buchi with ease and knocked him unconscious. It didn’t dawn on you that something was different about him until he dragged Buchi over to where you’d placed Sham. Zoro was wearing a black bandana. And no, you did not notice how the veins in his arms were very much showing. 

“We should get some rope to tie them up.”

“Good idea.” 

By the time everyone made it down, Buchi and Sham had regained consciousness and you and Zoro were sitting far apart. 

There was no denying when you saw them all come down the stairs, a relief so intense flooded your veins and soaked into your bones. When Usopp hugged you, you allowed yourself to hug him back just a little bit tighter. 

A part of you knew that the adventures of yesterday would come to an end back in the shipyard. It would end with Kaya giving Luffy that ship he’d so lovingly given his speech for, and more so knew Luffy would ask Usopp to go with him. 

It was Usopp’s dream - his real dream. Part of that dream was experiencing the freedom that the sea offered, just like his dad did. How could you ever ask someone you considered your friend - your best friend - to stay just because you weren’t ready to part with them? No. Usopp deserved adventures as grand as his stories.

While he’d been talking to Kaya you’d taken the opportunity to slip away. It’s not that you weren’t happy for him, because you were. The idea of not having him around anymore, however, began to dig a hole in your soul. So, you went to the one place that always mended it. 

You were sitting with Naan at the kitchen table folding linens with water boiling on the stove and ingredients beside it. You were still waiting for Kaya to come by so you could perform an assessment. Before you could treat her, you would have to find out how extensive the damage was, and what would be the best form of treatment. 

“So, Usopp’s going to be going, then?” 

You didn’t expect Naan to sound sad. While she wasn’t mean like the rest of the village, she most definitely was not a fan of rising early just to hear the bell and the yelling. 

“Yeah. They should already be out to sea.” 

You were folding your next set of linens when Naan reached out and gently took your hand in hers. The act stops you from finishing the next fold. 

“It’s all going to work out the way that it should, child.”

“I know, Naan.”

A knock on the door rescued you from having to continue whatever talk was brewing in Naan. It saved you from more than likely crying like a baby on her shoulder too. You got up from your chair and made your way over to the door when another knock came seconds before you reached it. 

“Kaya, I’m coming! God, are rich people always so impatient?”

When you swung the door open, you hadn’t expected to find Luffy there smiling or the rest of the crew waiting behind him. Kaya was plainly missing from the group. 

“Who is it, child?” 

You felt too dumbfounded to speak. Why were they here? 

“It’s alright, Naan,” you called over your shoulder, eyes still glued to Luffy. “It’s just Luffy.”

“Luffy?”

“Straw hat.”

The sound of her chair sliding back against the wood was what tore your gaze away. You looked back to find Naan struggling to get to her cane with her left hand holding her weight up by the table. You moved back from the entrance, waving him in as you rushed over to grab her cane and hand it to her. 

“What are you guys doing here? I thought you’d be gone by now.”

“We were about to head out when the strangest thing happened.” You crossed your arms as you listened to Luffy. The cliff hanger his words left you on threatened to drop fresh anxiety into your gut. “I turned to get my crew onboard and realized my doctor was missing.” 

“What?” You breathed. 

“That’s you.”

You closed your eyes for a split second as you tried to collect your thoughts. 

“Luffy, I wouldn’t make a good pirate.”

“You don’t have to be. Just like with Usopp, I saw what you did. The way you fought to protect people. I need you in my crew.” 

You dropped your arms as you turned to regard Naan. The way her body leaned heavily on the cane. Her once strong body was becoming more frail by the day. You couldn’t leave her. 

You swallowed hard before you replied, “Luffy, that is a splendid offer. One I don’t think anyone could pass up but I can’t leave.”

“Why the hell not?” Naan fired off. 

“Naan-“

“And if you say it’s because of me, just remember you aren’t too old for me to throttle you with my cane.” 

She finally pushed her hip from the side of the table and waddled over to the rack that held your satchel. Naan reached up and pulled it down, turning slowly until you came back into view, and tossed the satchel in your direction. 

“What are you doing?”

“What does it look like? You know, for being smart you sure can be dumb sometimes.” 

Your eyes looked down at the satchel in your hands. You rubbed the worn leather with your thumbs as you remembered her giving you this very bag on your thirteenth birthday. The pricks of tears came unannounced and most definitely unwanted a few moments later. It made you terrified to look up. For her to see that saying goodbye might kill a piece of you, you’d never get back. 

You’d never get her back either. 

“Naan-“ You tried to speak but your voice cracked around her name. “Who is going to take care of you if I’m gone?”

A tsk of disbelief shot from her lips. Both her hands now came to rest on top of the cane as she regarded you coolly. 

“I’ve been an old woman for a long time now. I think I can manage without you.”

“See - it’s settled,” Luffy began. “You are welcome to join our crew and that way you don’t have to give up on your dream.”

He remembered? 

How silly that question was. He was Monkey D. Luffy. Of course, he was going to remember. Glancing down at the satchel in your hands once more you allowed yourself to debate one last time before you grabbed the strap and placed it over your shoulder. 

Before you took that first step towards the door, you turned one last time to Naan and took one of her hands in yours. You tried to tell yourself you wouldn’t cry. You never cried, but the first tear slid down your face and called you a liar.

“Please, take care Naan. You’ve done so much for me, my whole life. If it wasn’t for you I don’t know where I would be.” 

“Dead,” she stated matter-of-factly. 

It was so blunt. So incredibly Naan that you couldn’t stop the sharp bark of laughter that came from you. The soft feather of her hand reached up to cup your face and forced you to look at her. A long silence pulled between you, and you wondered if she was going to say anything at all when a soft smile cracked her thin lips. 

“Go, child. Be great.”

Shaking your head in agreement, the both of you broke free and you followed Luffy out of the house. You spared one last glance at Naan’s home - your home - and found her at the door seeing you off. You raised your hand in one last goodbye and watched as she did it too. 

Maybe Luffy was right. It was time to go on your own adventure and you had no doubt Luffy and his crew were going to give it to you. 

________

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[ythankucaptainmccoy]

The Cowgirl and The Aviator Ch.1

I keep seeing all the City Girl Reader x Jake stories, but no cowgirl reader x Jake. So I decided to take the liberty of writing one myself. Hope y'all enjoy it!

This was the first time you were going to see Bradley “Rooster” Bradshaw. You had both crossed paths in college becoming close friends, and when he heard that you were trying to get away from a stalker ex boyfriend he had suggested you come stay with him. He had just gotten back from a big mission, but couldn’t tell you the specifics other than he had a near death experience. The skyline was beautiful as you drove towards Bradley’s apartment.

When you pulled up the apartment was close to the beach. You walked up to the second floor finding his apartment number and knocked on the door. It only took a few minutes when the door swung open to reveal Bradley in shorts a white tank and ugly Hawaiian shirt. “You still wear those Hawaiian shirts”, you laughed. “Of course, and you're still wearing jeans, cowboy boots and that ratty old ball cap. You’re in California now might as well go for some shorts”, he laughed back.

“No way”, you said. Bradley swooped you up squeezing the life out of you. “It’s so good to see you,” he stated. “Same here Rooster same here”, you smiled. He set you back down and offered to help you bring your stuff in. “You still drive this old truck”, he said. “Yeah I can’t let this baby go. Great gas mileage and as Joe Diffie says an 8 foot bed that never has to be made. Not to mention the bench seat”, you giggle as Bradley’s face goes red.

“I swear your mind is always in the gutter”, Bradley jested. “Well I grew up on a farm with brothers what did you expect”, you huffed dramatically. Bradley helped you get your measly duffle bag into the apartment. “Holy shit Roo this is an apartment? More like a small house”, you say more to yourself than Bradley. “Well I’m a tall guy I gotta have room”, he joked. He showed you to the guest room, and left you alone to unpack.

It took you all of ten minutes to unpack your things, and when you walked out to the main living area Bradley was hanging up his cellphone. “Hey want to go down to the Hard Deck with me?”, he asked. “If it’s a bar ya’ know I’m in” you respond eagerly. “You want to change?”, he questioned. “No I’m in comfortable clothes”, you replied. Once the apartment was all locked up you went straight for the Bronco. It was the same as you remembered it back in college no changes had been made.

The drive to the bar was filled with remembering old stories. When he pulled into a parking spot at the bar he got that serious look on his face. “Listen, some of the guys I fly with will be here, but there is one in particular you should stay away from”, he all but growls. “His callsign is Hangman and he is the type you don’t want to get mixed up with”, he tells you. “Noted”, you fake salute as you both make your way into the bar.��

It was lively for a Thursday afternoon as you followed Rooster to a pool table where two guys and a woman were playing. “Rooster, good to see you man and you brought a date”, one of the guys said. “Oh no we aren’t dating. This is the friend I told you about (Y/N)”, Bradley stated. “You’re right there is no way you could have snagged her, she's too hot for you”, the woman laughed. “Phoenix but you can call me Nat”, she said, extending her hand.  

You shook her hand as she introduced Payback and Fanboy. You sat back as they continued their game. Bradley had sneaked off to get another round of beers. When he came back he handed everyone their beers as the next round of pool started. You declined to play as Bradley joined this game. Half way through you were out of beer. “I’m going to the bar if anybody needs anything”, you announced. Everyone saying they were alright for now you headed towards the bar. 

Low and behold there was Pete. He had come to some of the college baseball games when Bradley played and Bradley had introduced you. You said hello as a woman stepped up to ask what you would like. “What bourbons do you have?”, you questioned. The woman listed them and you made your choice. “I’ll take the Jack n’ Coke and make it a double please”, you answered. 

As she made your drink Pete introduced you to her. She was the bar owner, Penny, who he was currently dating. You congratulated them and turned to find Bradley had taken to the piano and the pool table was free. You quickly made your way there and picked up a pool stick. You were down to the last couple of shots when you swore you felt someone was staring at you.

Jake had just walked in and was ordering a beer scoffing when he heard the familiar tune Rooster was playing on the piano. Then movement at the pool table caught his eye. A woman that definitely didn’t fit this type of bar scene was bent over the pool table lining up a shot. He couldn’t help but stare at her ass and the way those jeans hugged it. Once Penny handed him his beer he started making his way to the pool table.

“Uh oh looks like Hangman has his sights set”, Penny said. Maverick looked and started to laugh, “Oh don’t worry she can handle herself trust me”. Penny gave him a questioning look, but proceeded to watch what was about to happen. Jake had just made it to the pool table when you sank another shot. “I don’t mean to be rude darlin’, but it doesn’t look like you’re from around here”, he stated smiling. 

“As a matter o’ fact I’m not”, you replied. “Well with that accent I’d say the south”, he guessed. “And with that accent and cocky attitude I’m guessing Texan and an aviator”, you said, sinking another shot while looking him in the eye. “Well you’d be right. Mind if I join ya I promise I’ll go easy on ya. Names Jake by the way”, he cockily replied. “I guess, but it’ll be a cold day in hell before I go easy on ya. Mines (Y/N)”, you smugly replied.

Jake liked this one already, feisty, and willing to dish it back at him. Usually women would already be giggling and batting their lashes at him. “I would say gentleman first, but you don’t look much like a gentleman”, you scoffed. “Ouch. I would say ladies first, but you look more like a hellcat. Tell me how sharp are your claws”, he said wiggling his eyebrows at you. “You’ll never find out”, you replied. “How about a bet”, he said. “Alright I’m listening”, you responded. 

“I’ll give you a hundred dollars if you win”, he states. “What if you win?”, you inquired. “If I win you go out on a date with me, and maybe if I like you we can go back to my apartment”, he added. You seemed to think it over as the smile stayed on his smug face. Who did this guy think he was for one and for two you weren’t one for one night stands, but a hundred dollars was a hundred dollars. “Alright you're on, but when you lose don’t throw a tantrum like a child”, you told him.

He let you go first which was his first mistake. You shot and the balls scattered and the solid red seven went in. The next shot you lined up and the yellow one ball went in. You were lining up and about to shoot when the man you were playing against brushed up against you to whisper in your ear. “Ya know, ya look good bent over this pool table wonder what else you would look good bent over”, he declared.

You knew he was trying to throw you off, and you glanced over your shoulder at him giving a sultry look. Then you sank your shot standing to line up your next shot. “Honey just quit while you’re ahead”, you smirked. You missed the next shot and he took his turn and sank one of his shots. Jake was lining up his next shot when he looked up, only for you to be right across from him leaning on a table with your ass jutted out talking with none other than Bob. 

No you weren’t talking you were flirting how could you flirt with Bob and not him. He was tall, handsome and could show you a much better time he was sure of it. When his shot missed you quickly turned to look at him with a shit eating grin. “Looks like it’s my turn”, you declared. You sank a shot, but then you felt him behind you and he leaned over you almost caging you in. “You sure that's a good angle?”, he examined. “Oh I think I’ll do just fine”, you retorted then brought the pool stick back tapping him below the belt.

He groaned and backed up enough for you to sink your shot. You sank another shot, but missed the next one. As he bent over the pool table to line up his shot you took your chance. You walked up and whispered in his ear, “How many rounds do you think I could ride before fallin’ off”. Then for good measure you turned letting him watch your ass sway as you walked to get your drink. He was imagining all the ways he could have you whimpering and calling his name.

He lined up his shot and it was slightly off making him frown. You were starting to get to him and you both carried on like that until there were only a couple shots left. You were winning and to be honest Jake couldn’t even be upset. Just being around you and flirting, if one could call it that, was entertaining and he wondered even if he lost if you would give him a chance to take you out on a date. You asked for a break to go to the bar and get another drink.

“I’ll get it, what're you havin’?”, Jake asked, accent thick. “Thanks but I can get my own drinks. Bob make sure he doesn’t cheat”, you smiled. Bob nodded and Jake watched as you made your way to the bar putting a little more sway in your hips than normal. When you made it to the bar Penny waited on you again. “You know you should be careful with that one”, Penny told you, referring to Jake. “Why’s that?”, you implored. 

“He is a one night stand kind of guy”, she mentioned. “It’s alright Penny I’ve dealt with his kind before”, you smirked. Pete shook his head as he continued to drink his beer. You made it back just in time for Rooster and his friends to come back over to the pool table. Rooster grabbed your elbow asking, “What did you bet?”. “Calm down Roo he bet that if I win he gives me a hundred bucks and if he wins I go on a date with him”, you huffed. “Seriously, why the hell would you do that?”, Bradley grits out. “Because it seemed like fun and a hundred dollars is a hundred dollars”, you respond.

“Bradshaw as I live and breathe”, Jake states. “Hangman”, Bradley spits back. Now it made sense this was the guy that Bradley had warned you about. “Bradley it’s okay I only have two more shots to sink to win”, you told him. You grabbed your pool stick and lined up your shot and sank it without problem. The last one you had to sink and you looked up to see Bradley gripping his beer bottle so tightly his knuckles were turning white.

Then you looked at Jake seeing him smirking at Bradley before saying, “Ya know I was wondering if inviting her to my house for dinner would be a good first date. I make a damn good steak”. Bradley looked like he could punch him any moment so you took your shot making them both whip their heads to the table. The last ball smacked the side and right into the corner pocket. “Alright Hangman pay up”, you smirked.

His smile stayed on his face as he pulled a hundred out of his wallet handing it over to you. “I was expecting you to choke”, he said. “I bet you thought I’d be choking on you after the imaginary date too huh”, you laughed. Nat’s eyes widened and she tried to contain her laughter as Jake’s smile faltered a little. He couldn’t respond. You had actually left him speechless and the image burned itself into his brain as the others started to dog him and make jokes at his expense.

Jake watched as you high fived Rooster and finished your drink. He watched as you made your way back to the bar to order another drink. On your way back a guy cut you off from continuing to the rest of the group. You obviously turned him down as he watched this man call you a bitch. You said something back as you walked around the man and he started to get up to intervene. The nerve of this guy that had just asked you if you would like to go back to his place for some fun; then got angry and called you a bitch when you refused.

He grabbed your arm and spun you around making you spill your drink. The man was obviously drunk and you were now pissed that your drink was all over the floor. “Look I’m not going to go home with you asshole. Now let me go ya’ fucker”, you seethed. “I don’t think you know who I am bitch”, he stated, and that's when his hand came up and slapped you. It stung and knocked you back a couple steps as your brain registered what happened. You had long dropped your drink and balled your hand into a fist and let it fly.

It hit the man right in his nose as blood gushed from it. “You whore”, the man spit. He was about to charge at you when two people got in between the fight. The first you noticed was Bradley and the other was Jake. “You need to apologize and get the fuck out of this bar”, Jake said. “I’m not apologizing to that whore”, the man responded. The bell rang out as everyone started shouting overboard. You had no clue what was happening.

Rooster and Hangman nodded to each other and grabbed the guy by the arms as Payback came over to grab the man's legs. They carried him to the back deck and threw him out onto the sandy beach. “If you come back you mess with all of us”, Hangman shouted. All of the people in the bar shouted in agreement as Penny and Pete were checking you over. “Your cheek is already swelling”, Penny said as she went to get a bag of ice. 

While you were waiting on Penny, Pete helped you onto a bar stool looking at the red hand print on your cheek. “Are you alright, darlin?”, Jake asked as he came up to you and Pete. “Yeah nothing I ain’t used to”, you respond. Jake smiles but you can tell it doesn’t meet his eyes. “I’m fine I swear’, you state. When Penny gets back with a bag of ice wrapped in a small hand towel you thank her and ask for another drink. Jake watches as Penny makes your drink and he smiles genuinely then.

“Should have known you would like a strong drink”, Jake says. Bradley finally makes his way to you to make sure you are okay. “We should go after you're finished with that drink”, Bradley states. “Oh come on it was a slap not a punch”, you huffed. “Yeah and how long were you on the road for before you got here?”, Bradley questioned. “Look I slept in my truck till noon and hit the road then. I got a full eight hour sleep. I am not leaving yet”, you replied stubbornly. “You slept in your truck?! Do you know how dangerous that is?!”, Bradley shouted. 

“Hey ease up Rooster she obviously can handle herself”, Jake jumped in. “Stay out of this Hangman”, Roster seethed. “Look, I'm a big girl and can make my own decisions. I’m not your girl and I swear if you say we need to go I’ll just get a ride from Jake here. I’m sure he wouldn’t mind”, you stated. That seemed to have Rooster backing down as Jake grinned. “I wouldn’t mind taking you anywhere you needed to go darlin”, he replied. 

“No he will not”, Bradley huffed. “Then it looks like we’re staying a little longer”, you said. You grabbed your drink and made your way back to Roosters friends who had once again taken over the pool table. “She’s a pistol”, Jake said aloud. “You don’t know the half of it.  Do me a favor and stay away from her. She doesn’t need anymore heartbreak than she's already had”, Rooster grumbled. “Not making any promises”, Jake responded. 

You watched as Bradley and Jake spoke to each other then started making their way to the pool table. “Rooster, how about you take my spot!”, Fanboy yelled. Rooster agreed, taking Fanboy’s spot and now that he was distracted you made your way out to the deck of the bar. The smell of the ocean and the slight breeze helped you to relax. Jake came to stand beside you leaning over the rail. “So you and Rooster huh?”, he inquired. 

“No nothing like that. He sees me more as a sister”, you replied. “So what really brings you out here?”, he pried. “I thought Rooster would have told you all, but I was being stalked by an ex boyfriend and when I told Roo he told me to come out here”, you explained. “My sister dealt with an ex boyfriend like that, but in Texas we take care of our own. Why didn’t you go stay with your family?”, he asked. 

“I would if there were any alive to talk to. The only family I have is a brother and he doesn’t want to have anything to do with me”, you explained. “Damn well if you ever need the dagger squad we’ll be there for ya’ unless we are out on missions”, Jake responds. “Thanks”, you responded. “If I would have won would you have gone on a date with me?”, he questions. “See we were having a nice conversation and you ruined it”, you laughed. 

Jake frowned until you looked him in the eyes and said, “I would have if you had won”. His smile returned as you finished the rest of your drink, and dismissed yourself back to the pool table where Bradley had just finished up. Jake couldn’t help but watch as you walked out the door with Rooster thinking of how to get you to go out with him.

[nuemanfilms]

Supe reunion (ch.1)

C.w - short chapter (sorry), angst, mention of payback, fem!reader calls Ben ‘Sir’, not much really, multiple parts to this, 500 words. No italics this chapter!!

Summary - Ben and Fem!reader finally reunite after 40 years of torture from the russians.

Ch. 2

You thought he would hate you. But here he was, in front of you, with no intention of hurting you. He was just, staring.

As soon as The Boys found out you were alive with Ben. Butcher figured why not just let you both out, you’d both suffered already. You also overheard Butcher and Hughie talking about Ben’s plan. He wanted to kill the rest of Payback.

Payback, that fucking team betrayed Ben, or also known as Soldier Boy. Sent him to the Russians for termination. You? You were his loyal fucking side kick. You obeyed him, you never even bothered to judge him for his humor, his personality. You saw who he was underneath that damn helmet, and you never judged him. You were like an anchor to him, you guided him to a greater light. And sure, his fuckin’ teammates were traitors. But you? He knew. He remembered your screams.

He didn't dare make a sound. He just stood there.

After a few moments of silence, you spoke up, “Sir, I didn’t- I didn’t want this to happen. God, i’m so stupid, I didn’t want this to happen to you-“ You were on the verge of tears, and he could tell. He cut you off.

“I know you didn’t, Doll.” He said simply, as if he was fighting back emotions from showing. But he knew you could see what was beneath his facade.

“C’mere,”

You didn’t hesitate in leaning forward into his arms, you tried to hold back your tears to not dampen his jersey shirt, but he let you cry. Your sobs echoed in the empty Motel room.

Hughie and Butcher were out, trying to find the rest of Ben’s team. But at that moment, it didn’t matter. All it mattered was you were in the arms of the man you so badly needed.

Ben’s coos, they helped you calm down, they always did.

Of course, you loved Ben. Well, you still love him. But that was what you never dared to say to his face.

Crimson Countess, that was who the media partnered him with. The constant flirting between the two, and the bickering always had you feeling like you were never enough. You were obedient, you were always so perfect to Ben. You always were there for Ben.

So why didn’t he notice you?

Those feelings resurfaced, but now, you didn’t know what to think. Here he was, holding you in his arms, letting you dampen his clothing.

After a moment of silence, you pulled back. Looking up at him with those same doe eyes you did forty years ago. The eyes that always left Ben in a spell.

You looked at each other for a minute. Just admiring the fact that you both were actually here, standing in front of eachother.

Ben finally spoke up, “Since we’re together.. why don’t we have a joint?” You let out a soft laugh.

“Then can we kill the stupid dicks?” You said with a smile. Ben grinned, “Hell yeah!” He said loudly.

[violetlunette]

Twst spoilers for the Halloween event!

(Disclaimer: The BG ain't mine)

Wow, everyone is really fast with their fanart. I had to go to a vector base I made for inktober to make this, lol.

Anyway, super excited for the Halloween event but also I’m trying to keep my expectations low after some of the previous Halloween events disappointed me. I just really, REALLY hope they focus on just the Halloween aspects and ignore the x-mas stuff. I like x-mas but ever since The Nightmare before Christmas came out it’s been infringing on other holidays. (I hate the x-mas in July thing. >:( ) But I digress.

Halloween town is so cool that I want to focus on that stuff. And if Oogie’s here, I hope he’s actual villain. I know that goes against what TWST is about, but I wanna see how the boys act against an actual baddie. (No, Henrick doesn’t count!) Look, just say that he has blue and orange mentality, meaning he’s unaware when he crosses the line. That way, we get a “non-villain” and a villain at the same time!

Speaking of the boys, my dream cast for this is as follows;

Silver: Because A) he’s my fave and I want him in everything. (And I have a feeling when ch 7, he’ll be pushed to the side.) Plus, I can see him in Sally’s role where everyone is having fun but he knows something’s wrong. However, he hesitates to say anything because he doesn’t want to ruin everyone’s fun.

Lilia: Partly because we haven’t had an event with him and Silver together. Also, I think this event, if the writers choose to, can explore how he can be too carefree or over confident, which gets him and others in trouble.

Jamil: This mainly is for the lols as all the creepy crawlies will have him burn everything down. But also, the mind game of him and Oogie would be fun. (And some JamSil moments?)

Ace, Ortho, and Epel: Not gonna lie I wanna see the trio go against the Trick or Treaters. At first they laugh off the tricks, until they start getting hurt and humiliated and they decided it’s payback time!

Jade: I just think he’d have fun joining Jamil in turning Oogie’s tricks against him.

[cyberneticfallout]

Chapter Five: Super Duper Mart

Ch 1 - Ch 2 - Ch 3 - Ch 4 - Ch 5 - Ch 6 - Ch 7 - Ch 8 - Ch 9 - Ch 10 - More Coming Soon

Pairing: Cooper Howard/The Ghoul x Fem!Reader Summary: At the Super Duper Mart, The Ghoul goes on a chem bender after the vault dweller gives him anti-feral meds. You begin to piece together his true identity which leads to a briefly romantic moment between the two of you. Tags: Slow burn (and I mean SLOWWW), angst, eventual smut, language, canon-typical violence, chem/alcohol use, more tags will be added Posted on AO3: Smoothie and The Ghoul Word Count: 1.6k

As you approach the Super Duper Mart, you see the ghoul and vault dweller standing outside. His words are indiscernible, but the vault dweller eventually limps through the front doors. Shortly after, he collapses to the ground. He must’ve ran out of vials, you think.

Casually, you approach the collapsed ghoul, squatting down to meet his gaze with a friendly smile. "Hey there," you greet him. His eyes meet yours, and he emits a faint, incomprehensible noise. There are no signs of him turning feral but it's clear he's not in great shape either.

"Seems like you're having a rough time," you frown. "I'd lend a hand but a big ass gulper swallowed me whole - along with the vials I had. It would've been nice if you had helped me. There might have been a slim chance that sweet anti-feral juice would've been okay." You tilt your head and fix him with a stern gaze.

"You..." he strains to speak, "still blabberin’?"

"Of course. I’m not just gonna leave you here to rot," you declare, raising his chin to meet your gaze. The vulnerability reflected in his eyes, combined with the rough texture of his skin, sends a ripple of goosebumps across your body. Despite his harsh exterior, there's an unexpected allure in his eyes that kindles a warm feeling within you. As you gently trace your thumb across his lower lip, a blush begins to creep upon your cheeks. This growing feeling makes you withdraw your hand abruptly, causing his head to slump back onto the ground. "But I’m not gonna help you either. Consider it payback for leaving me to be someone’s dinner. Maybe next time you’ll think twice before running off without me."

With a final smirk, you rise to your feet and give the ghoul one last look before heading towards the nearby wall of the mart. You take a seat on the ground, curious about how the vault dweller will fare inside there. Rumor has it this particular mart is notorious for trading people for chems - organ harvesting business.

Hours ticked by in eerie silence, leaving you to wonder if the vault dweller’s organs have been collected yet. As you glance over at the motionless ghoul on the ground, you can’t help but approach and kneel down for a closer look. Surprisingly, he is still breathing, although utterly useless.

"Tell me your name and I’ll go in to check the status of your trade," you propose.

"Fuck you," he croaks.

"Fine then. I suppose we'll be known in the wasteland as… Smoothie and The Ghoul.” You outstretch your hands as if you were revealing a movie title. “Get it? Like a bizarre twist on that book Beauty and the Beast. But I ain’t the wasteland beauty and you, my friend, are more of a… dehydrated, hairless beast - being a ghoul and all."

“The hell do you know about Beau-“

Just then, a small group of ghouls emerge from the building, causing both of you to shift your focus towards them. Among the chaos, one of them proclaim that a woman rescued them, followed by the ominous sound of gunfire. Looks like that little vault dweller has some guts after all.

Stepping out of the mart, the weary vault dweller emerges, now adorned in armor she didn't have before, with a weapon gripped firmly in her hand. Her gaze falls upon you, a faint look of surprise on her blood covered face, considering the last time she saw you, you were being devoured by a gulper.

"Hey, little vault dweller," you wave. "Good job in there."

"The name's Lucy," she responds. “You made it out of that creature?”

“Eh, ain’t a normal day in the wasteland if you don’t get gulped up by some sort of monster.”

“Props to you, ma’am. I was certain he’d help you but he decided these drugs are more important.” Lucy breathlessly replies, turning her attention to the ghoul still lying on the ground. With a couple of vials in her hand, she places them in front of him. “You don’t get these, you turn into one of those? That how it works? I may end up looking like you... but I'll never be like you. Golden Rule, motherfucker.”

“Golden Rule, eh? What the hell did you do to her?” You inquire The Ghoul as Lucy sets off on her own into the wasteland. Presumably to find the head you knew those Brotherhood idiots have.

The Ghoul's gaze hardens as he reaches for the vials in front of him, a sinister glint in his eyes. “She’s too soft… and I taught her a lesson,” he responds with a low voice.

“Seems like she might have taught you a lesson,” you retort, a sharp edge to your words as you observe him downing one of the vials.

He groans in satisfaction as the chem hits his system, prompting him to stand up and walk into the mart. You follow closely behind, collecting any valuable provisions and hastily stuffing them into your bag. Out of the corner of your eye, you see him having a field day with a massive pile of vials on a table, filling his cowboy hat full of them. It’s the first time you’ve seen him without his hat and you're struck by the sight of his bald head. Not everyone can carry off the hairless look with ease, but he manages to pull it off effortlessly and there’s a rugged charm to his appearance.

Without hesitation, he starts consuming every chem and liquor bottle in sight, a reckless abandon in his actions. The breaking of glass and the sharp smell of alcohol fill the air as you slowly make your way towards his self-destructive behavior. The Ghoul seems to stumble upon an old holotape in front of a working television set and begins playing it as he settles down on a dilapidated pair of seats nearby. You take a seat beside him, pop a couple of mentats found on the table in front of you, and grab the bottle of liquor from him, chugging it down in one go.

An old western film begins to play, featuring an actor named Cooper Howard. You can't help but notice that the severely worn shirt under The Ghoul’s duster closely resembles what the actor is wearing in the film. Subtly, you shift your gaze back and forth between the man on screen and the one next to you. Could it be him?

As you study The Ghoul’s features, you notice a remarkable similarity in his bone structure to that of the actor. The contours of his face, the shape of his jawline, and even the way his cheekbones are structured all seem to echo those of the Cooper Howard. Despite the weariness evident in his eyes, there is a subtle glint that mirrors the spark found in the eyes of this actor in the old western films.

Realization dawns on you that this ghoul is none other than Cooper Howard. After over 200 years in the wasteland presumably as a ghoul, it's no surprise he's become the pessimistic asshole he is now. No wonder he refuses to tell you his name or anything about himself. "That man is quite handsome,” the words slip from your lips, revealing a hint of admiration and perhaps even a touch of flirtation.

The Ghoul chuckles, unaware that you have connected the dots and learned his true identity. His laughter fades as he turns his head towards you, the distance between you suddenly shrinking. His eyes lock onto yours, then flicker down to your lips. A sense of anticipation fills the air as you feel the warmth of his breath on your face, tainted with the unmistakable scent of alcohol.

A moment of tense silence hangs between you, the only sound being the faint hum of the flickering overhead lights. Unsure of what to do or say, you hesitate, opening your mouth to speak but closing it without a word. In the dimly lit surroundings of the rundown mart, he leans in closer, his face mere inches from yours, his lips almost brushing against yours.

In an instant, the effects of all the chems and alcohol he consumed hit him like a ton of bricks. His movements slow to a crawl, his eyelids droop heavily, and before you can even process what's happening, he slumps over, unconscious. You sit there in disbelief, watching as The Ghoul soundly sleeps before you, wondering what could have happened if he hadn't passed out.

The gentle rise and fall of his chest, the soft snores escaping his lips, all evoke a sense of warmth and familiarity. A wave of nostalgia washes over you, reminding you of the love you once shared with a ghoul in the past. You recall the tender moments, the deep connection, and the unspoken understanding that bounded you together. Despite the challenges and prejudices you faced, your love blossomed into something truly special. You can't help but feel a hint of longing for that lost love.

Lost in a whirlwind of thoughts, you seek distraction by glancing down at his hand resting near your thigh and you notice that one of his fingers is missing. What the fuck happened while I was gone? Turning your attention to the half-empty bottle of whiskey on the table, you take a final swig, the burning liquid warming your insides. Feeling a mix of emotions swirling within you, you lean in and rest your head on his shoulder. The scent of his unique musk mingles with the lingering aroma of whiskey. Eyes drifting shut, you welcome the embrace of sleep, letting the darkness envelop you alongside The Ghoul.

Tag List: @fallout-girl219 @ellabellabunny123 @sunnexaltation @coolrobloxkid28

[writing-until-i-drop]

Wildflowers For A Hangman Ch. 18

Summary:

Daisy, a career novelist, moves in with her college best friend Phoenix who has been permanently assigned to Top Gun with Dagger Squad. She finds herself instantly connected with a cocky pilot who's soft only for her and Jake can't help but want to know everything about her. When the past comes knocking at both of their doors, will they stand together or fall apart?

Or: The Dagger Squad can't cook and Jake falls in love with a woman who makes a mean lasagna while they work their personal trauma.

Jake "Hangman" Seresin x writer!femOC | 18+ (eventually) minors dni. Fluff, smut (eventual), idiots in love, past trauma.

A/N: The Daggers agree it’s time for Phoenix and Coyote to get their shit together

AO3 Link

Previous Chapter

a/n: sorry it's late!!!!

“We need to do something about all of that,” Rooster waved his hand towards Javy and Tasha, who were pointedly not touching even though there was barely an inch of space between them. I nodded, sipping the drink Jake had gotten me before he had gone to play darts with Payback.

“On a scale of one to sitcom, how creative are we going to get trying to get them together?” 

“Sitcom, definitely. Should we lock them in a closet?” 

“Or maybe we can handcuff them together?” I suggested, thinking over just how to get the two pilots to finally take that last step together. “This is why I don’t write romance, do you think Fanboy would have ideas?” Rooster nodded, motioning for Fanboy to join us and he was infinitely more helpful. Pretty soon, we were taking notes on a napkin and trying to make sure Tasha and Javy didn’t get suspicious. 

“What are you three doing?” Jake asked, kissing my temple as he came up beside me. 

“Keep it down, dude,” Rooster shushed him, looking around to make sure our cover wasn’t blown. “We’ve almost got it.” 

“Got what?” Payback rolled his eyes, Jake leaned closer, taking in all of the scribbled notes scattered between five or six napkins.

“Operation Phoe-oyote?” 

“Actually, it’s Operation Sitcom now,” Fanboy points to the circled name, “It’s less obvious.” 

“We’re debating whether or not Phoenix remembers how to pick handcuffs,” Rooster narrowed his eyes pointing at Daisy, “Because apparently someone taught her how.” I groaned, running a hand over my face.

“I mean I remember how but I also practice, I don’t know if she would remember. Maybe we can just hide all her bobby pins and paper clips?” 

“Wait, you know how to pick handcuffs?” Jake asked, surprised. I giggled, cheeks burning. “And you practice?”

“It’s for my books, I had to learn how it worked,” I explained but Jake’s eyebrows didn’t descend,

“That explains once, Wildflower. Not practicing,”

“Well, sometimes I have them handcuffed in weird positions and I need to know if they can get themselves out, so I handcuff myself like that and then try it for myself.” 

“So you spend a lot of time in handcuffs?” Rooster asked, wiggling his eyebrows. “Kinky.”

“Shut up,” I threw one of the napkins at him. “I think we should nix the handcuffs.” 

“Handcuffs?” Tasha’s voice scared me, we had all been too distracted to notice her and Javy approaching the table. The three of us co-conspirators quickly grabbed all of the napkins, shoving them into our pockets. Tasha raised her brow at us but didn’t mention it. “Do you think I can still pick them faster than you?”

“Probably,” I laughed, getting up from the table, “Anyways, I think I’m done for the night. Jake?”

“Right behind you, my little locksmith.” I rolled my eyes, grabbing his hand and leading him out of the bar. 

Jake took me back to his apartment, carrying me inside despite my protests. I knew he had no problem lifting me but I still wasn’t the biggest fan of it, even though I had to admit it was hot knowing just how strong he was. 

“You know, I do have two feet that work, right?” I teased him as he fumbled with the keys, refusing to put me down while he unlocked the door.

“But if I’m not carrying you, I can’t do this,” Jake’s head dipped down, nuzzling my breasts and I shook with laughter.

“You’re ridiculous!” 

“You love me,” Jake laughed, carrying me the rest of the way to his bedroom. It looked a lot better than the first time I had stayed over, Jake had let me have my way with it, adding decorations and a new comforter, making it feel homier and less spartan. 

“Yeah, I kinda do.” Jake set me on my feet and kissed me. I sighed against his lips, relaxing into him with my hands on his chest, feeling the strong muscles beneath his plain tee shirt. 

“Are you ready for bed or do you have some more scheming to do?” Jake asked, gently pressing kisses all over my face. I giggled, letting him carry on until he stopped, waiting for an answer.

“I can scheme while we cuddle if you turn on the fan.” He chuckled, giving me one more kiss before going to turn on the fan while I stripped down, pulling on one of his tee shirts to sleep in. 

“Love seeing you in my clothes,” Jake mumbled, face buried in my hair as we cuddled in bed. “What would you think if I left some at your place so you can wear them all the time?” I kissed his chest, thinking it over, my heart beating like crazy. It was just a little thing, having his clothes in my dresser, it wasn’t a big deal. I mean, he already had a toothbrush in my bathroom but that was a necessity, unlike his shirts. “Baby?” 

“Yeah, okay,” I whispered softly, kissing his chest again. “I’ll make space for them tomorrow.”

X

“Do they really think we can’t see them?” Javy asked, foot brushing against mine under the table. The squad had planned a dinner out at a fancy restaurant in town but when I had gotten there and given Rooster’s name, the waitress had led me to a table for two and I knew what was happening. 

“They really think they’re slick,” I tried to hide my smile, sipping a glass of wine. It was obvious what they were doing, trying to force Javy and I into taking a new step in our friendship, relationship, whatever it was. 

We had slept together once on deployment a long time ago and had been circling each other for years, somewhere between friends and strangers, until the uranium mission had brought us together for good. I mean, he was a genuine good guy, caring, handsome, and had a sense of humor that had me tearing up at times. What if talking about it, acknowledging whatever this was between us, ruined what we already had?

“Are we going to talk about it?” Javy asked, reaching across the table, tracing my knuckles with his finger. I took another sip of wine, “We don’t have to if you’re not ready.” Javy’s puppy dog eyes made my heart melt, “I’ll wait.” 

“I think we’ve waited long enough, don’t you?” I shifted my hand so that he could hold it properly. It was the first time we had actually held hands and it felt so good. “Oh my god,” I groaned, eyes shutting in embarrassment. “Rooster is taking our damn picture.” 

“Let him,” Javy chuckled and when I opened my eyes, he was leaning across the table, “But let’s give him something better to take a picture of.” I rolled my eyes but closed the distance between us, kissing him for the first time in forever. There were a few cheers of excitement but I could barely hear them, tasting the whiskey on Javy’s soft lips. 

“Maybe we can skip dessert and go to my place?” 

“How about we get dessert to go that way we have something to eat between rounds?” Javy kissed me again,

“You were worth waiting every second, Natasha Trace.” 

Taglist: @dizzybee03 @littlezee80 @nervousenemyduck @carolina-on-my-mind03 @mizzzpink @beltzboys2015-blog @writingrose @hookslove1592 @closetspngirl @samanddeaninatrenchcoat @closetspngirl @shanimallina87 @owenniasstars @cevansbaby-dove @caitsymichelle13 @bigstrongblackheart @mrsevans90

Next Chapter

[goodlucksnez]

After the dub of ch/erry magic I had to do something! I love theses two and I need more snz content, the fact both do it in the manga and show i mean come on snzblur get on it! lol

so enjoy the two disaster loves

❗ PLEASE NO REBLOGGING TO NON-KINK BLOGS ❗

script:

Adachi guess who? *covering his eyes from behind*

 Rokkaku

You wound me. And after so much work, I went into making this date the best it can be.

I really don't have anything to compare it to.

Well then I think you'll like the surprise.

If it is like our first one I'm not super thrilled.

Oh, I promise no heights this time, *in his head* even though he was so cute.

I planned a nice romantic walk

Just a walk that is unlike you, Kurosawa.

Well, I wanted to do something a little different.

In his head *He knows how uncomfortable I am in public. He took that into consideration. * All right, let's go.

*walking*

This way. I have never been down this way before.

No wonder this place has been deserted for forever, but it's a good place to hang without anyone looking.

As long as we're not breaking and entering

it's public property, we can go anywhere we wish. Although I think this is the best spot.

*whole picnic laid out*

Did you do all of this?

It was nothing.

Nothing. You set up a whole picnic. And you call that nothing.

I just wanted to see the look on your face. In his head *He's so cute. I don't know much more My heart can take. *

 OK. OK. Well. Since you put in so much work, I guess I can humor you.

Perfect. My king. *bows as if he is royal*

Do you have to be that cheesy?

I guess not.  Come on. This is just one of the surprises.

There's going to be more?

lots more. Since the first one didn't go great, I wanted to pull out all the stops this time. You're getting the royal treatment.

Why am I afraid of that?

Close your eyes.

What?

Come on, close them.

Kurosawa

You know what I want.

Fine.*closes his eyes* But I swear, if you… if you. *snez*

Oh, bless you.

Can I open my eyes now?

You can.

*sees a bouquet of flowers with every kind of different flower you can think off*

 Don't you think this is a bit much?

 Well, I didn't know which kind were your favorite, so how about I get one of each.

Still I must have cost you a fortune.

It was nothing. This is all the payback I need.

I love them,but-*hitching*

are you?

Snez x 3

Bless you. Bless you. Bless you, adachi. Are you OK? Did you catch a cold?

 No, no, no, no. I *snez*

Bless you

have allergies.

Allergies? To flowers?

Yeah. Oh, come on it not that uncommon!

No it just…. Our first date. You didn't have a problem when we went then. I had a bouquet  

well were outside a lot. And I did them in a bag, but

snez* 3

bless you. Bless you. Bless you.

You don't have to bless me after each one. I don't think I'm going to be done for a while.

Oh, adachi. This is all my fault. I'm sorry. I didn't even consider the Possibility you would have allergies. Hmm. I guess that's why in spring you do bring eye drops, don't you?

One of The reasons.*trying to throw the flowers away*  Don’t throw them away,

But you're obviously suffering.

kurosawa I can deal with it. Just like any day in spring,

 I don't want you to suffer. None of this should be bad. It should be magical Your first should be magical.

We already went out our first.

Snez x 3

Bless you , you never seem satisfied with one, do you?

I'm sorry to ask, but do you? *looking for a tissue*

Oh, yeah, um here.

*hands him tissue*

 Thank you.

*blows nose*

 Feel better?

 *in his head* how could I not know he has allergies. Oh, I'm going to be kicking myself in the butt for weeks about this. Oh, look how flushed he is. Still hanging strong for me. My knight in shining armor.

kurosawa, your staring at me?

You're right, you're right. It's just. You're so beautiful.

Even feel like this?

especially like this.

I don't know what you see.

Allow me.

*Kurosawa wiping his nose with a tissue*

*in his head*  Hey, is this OK? He is wiping my nose for me I mean, people aren't around but still, is it too much?

*in kuro head* Ohh he Looks so cute. The way his eyes are watering his nose, all turning all red. So cute. I'm gonna die.

*in ad head*Of course he likes this….*hitching  I mean. Wait, wait.

*snez against the tissue kuro is holding*

Bless you.

Is that all you can say? I just sneezed on your hand. Aren't you mad?

Well, technically you sneezed into a tissue that was in my hand. How could have been mad at you? I'm the one who's causing you to suffer. I'm the idiot boyfriend who bought you flowers.

But still I mean.

I want to do everything with you. And if that means getting a little messy. And I don't mind.

You cant just say that

How about enjoy the rest of the picnic and promise no more flowers.

Good. Because I don’t think my nose can take much more *snez 3

Bless you forever and always.

[syrma-sensei]

Somewhere In Your Heart, Ch.6: The New Famous Couple.

Pairing: Soldier Boy x fem!reader.

Rating: Explicit.

Setting: In the early 1980s.

Warnings: smut, angst, power imbalance, misogyny, typical period attitudes.

Word Count: 3.6k.

Summary: Soldier boy lives through the ennui of his peak, but everything is about to change when he has a shift in his heart.

“Soldier Boy seems to be infatuated with you, young lady.”

That's what Stan Edgar, one of Vought's associates, tells you after you've been offered a cup of coffee by his assistant. He has you summoned after the incident with Jack days ago. He dismisses the assistant with a lenient manner. The simple act impresses you; a man in power who's nice to his employees.

You're still digesting the fact Jack was kicked out of company like a dog. You've always thought Jack is invincible. You thought he was untouchable. But here we are, they threw him out like trash. Which means, he apparently isn't. He doesn't have control over you anymore. You're another man's property now. Your body shivers at the memory of Ben telling you so.

You take a sip, casting your eyes down. For some reason, the man behind the desk is intimidating you, more than Ben does. You can fathom there's deceit behind his mask of sagacity. And it's not a good sign. You're sick of being below men as such. You want to be free. But now, you're going to act as one, you have to. Because if you don't, you'll have another leash on your neck like the one Jack had on you.

You force a flattered smile, “I’m just a girl who got lucked out, sir.”

“Indeed,” He speaks with such eloquence, “Considering your status with your previous associate, Mr. Harold.”

A bitter bile rolls up in the back of your throat. You wash it down with another sip of your bitter coffee. He has to rub it in your face. You're practically a whore. However, you hold your chin up, “I’m not ashamed of my work, Mr. Edgar.”

That's true. You're not ashamed you survive this cruel world with unseemly means. You're past that. You had to work to eat, to live after your brother died, leaving you all on your own.

“That’s good,” He nods just so, “Because what I'm going to offer you requires no coy coquetry or sleazy bashfulness,” He adds, “I understand your contract designates you to work for us, whether Mr. Harold is associated or not.”

You give him a nod. That's true; your contract with Vought was with you, not with Jack, even though he was involved before. You scoff internally; all you signed were slavery contracts, whether the one with Jack or the one with Vought. There's no way to sugar-coat this. You're their bitch now.

“I was told you were having cold feet about being Soldier Boy's new public partner.”

Your body flinches again as you recall how he told you you belonged to him now. But from what Edgar just told you, you belonged to Vought now. Neither settle well with you.

“Well, I was confused,” You answer. A lie of course, “I thought Crimson Countess was Ben's girlfriend,”

Edgar chuckles, amused, “Well, they were,” He remarks, “But their popularity as a power couple has deteriorated as of yet. People need someone to relate with, and that is going to be you…”

You take another sip of your coffee, your body fidgeting under his perceiving eyes.

Naturally, Edgar picks up on your visible hesitation. “What if I told you I could offer you payback for your brother.”

Your eyes dilate in stupor, blinking as you absorb the fact he knows about your brother. Nobody knew about him but Jack. Edgar seems to have dug after you, which makes you shift in discomfort.

You wonder how your brother will be avenged. Edgar doesn't mean killing Ben, does he? The man is nearly invincible. He's the fucking strongest man alive. So, how? But the nonchalant confidence Edgar is speaking with gives you a hint that he isn't bluffing. But why? To your understandment, Ben is their most important asset. That's why they're keeping you in the first place. For him. Your mind whirl with questions and qualms.

But the most significant one… You want your brother avenged, but do you want Ben to get killed?

Your heart wrings at the thought of a dead Ben.

But he killed your brother, you remind yourself. But you love him…

Emotions burn behind your eyes, you try to hold them back. The war between your heart and mind is an alien sensation to you. And it's burning you up.

“Please him,” Edgar enunciates, tone nothing but business, “Keep him tamed… and on his toes. And your brother will be avenged.”

“How so?” Your brow raises in inquiry. You're still finding it difficult to picture Ben being taken down.

The tip of your stomach roils at the thought of Ben taking away from you. It dreads you how much effect the man has over you. You can't pinpoint it yet, but you're sure it's nothing like what you had with Jack. The thing you have with Ben is much more… intimate… akin to mutual infatuation. You love him, your mind tells you again.

“That’s none of your current concern,” He answers in a matter-of-fact voice, “When the time comes, you'll be informed.”

Despite your bemusement and your colliding feelings, you nod. You do want retaliation for your brother, but do you want it at your heart's expense? Ben is the only one who makes you feel free, safe, protected. He promised you so. Yet, here you are… discussing betrayal with this man.

“What say you?” He presses again.

You open your mouth to answer, but your ears prick up at the sudden ruckus behind Edgar's office door which swings open, followed by a cry, “Get off me!”

You shift in your seat and you're looking at her. Crimson Countess.

Her eyes are on fire as she glowers at Edgar, then at you, “You’re replacing me with her?!” She utters in revulsion.

“Your point has significantly dropped lately, Carol,” Edgar's tone is unchanging, “And that isn't befitting of Soldier Boy's image.”

Countess snickers, “It’s all about that fucker, isn't it?”

Your eyes furrow in confusion; isn't she supposed to be his girlfriend. Oh, she's now the angry ex-girlfriend.

She lets out a sour cackle, then leers at you, “You think a little bitch like you can handle him?” She grins wickedly, “Well, good luck with that…”

You don't like her gloating expression, then your eyes flit back at Edgar. He's looking at you, studying you. He wants to see how you're going to act. Is this some kind of a test? Is he testing where your loyalty lies?

Well, you don't give a damn. All you want right now is to smack that bitch in the face. However, you deliver it in a different way.

The flashing memories of your brother give you the audacity and courage to stick up.

“I think I can handle Ben just fine. And dare I say better than you did, Carol.”

Her mouth gapes at you; she didn't expect the comeback. For all she knows you're some hooker Ben fetched from the street.

You continue, a sly grin on your lips, “Did you know he likes to go on the fifth base?” You let out a mocking snore, “I bet you didn't. But tell ya one thing… he loves it.”

Countess is taken off guard by your blatant impudence. She never had someone like you standing up for themselves against her, you guess. You don't think ruffling a supe’s feathers is a good idea, but the expression on bitch's face is worth it. You feel, for a fleeting moment, power and control flooding through your psyche, and you savour the vigourous sensation.

Countess seethes at you, then she marches in your direction.

You cower in your place, but you don't run.

“That’s enough!” Edgar's voice hauls her in her tracks.

She stops and glares at him, “You want her to take my place? Fine!” Her voice is filled with poison, “Don’t crawl back to me, begging me to keep him in place.”

With that she left.

And your sudden audacity wanes slowly away.

You look at Edgar, and you don't like the way his lips curl up one bit.

Turns out Edgar had a lot up on his sleeves for the two of you. And you guessed right. You didn't like it.

However, for the past few days you've been true to your words, playing your part perfectly as you should as Soldier Boy's new girlfriend.

You two are eyed everywhere together. On television, on the news, they all talk about Soldier Boy's new human girlfriend.

In other circumstances, you'd take this to heart and revel in the attention and the lights. Frankly, you do to a certain degree despite everything that has happened. Perhaps you are actually happy without Jack in the picture. But what dread you the truth you've been avoiding all those days. You are happy with Ben.

Despite Ben's faults and bad temper, he's been actually nice to you since that day albeit you expected the opposite. For some reason — that's baffling you, he's gentle and tender with you. You can even sense sweet affection underneath his harsh facade.

The truth appals you. You're falling deeper for your brother's murderer.

Ben keeps you under his eyes all the time. On and off set. In his shootings and breaks. He can't afford losing you now he practically owns you.

Ever since that day, you provoked something foreign in his soul. Your tears and vulnerability alerted protective instincts over you. He doesn't know how to explain it… but, the only thing he knows is that he'd kill anyone if they hurt you.

What is this you ignited within him? He's not good at those. Sentiments. Love? He scoffs, he never knew what love is. Maybe what's fucking his system up is? He doesn't know. Again, he sucks at this.

But he knows this, if that motherfucker even thought to get near you again, he'd fucking rip him apart.

Now, however, he's relishing in the moment of the flashes around you both, snapping pictures of you together on a red carpet. He gazes down at you, and his expression softens.

You muster a well-feigned smile as cameras taking pictures of you with Ben. Arm looped through his, you wave at the applauding audience behind the fence.

“Soldier Boy, this way!”

“For how long have you two been dating?”

“Is Crimson Countess still in the picture?!”

“(Y/N), what is it like to be Soldier Boy’s girl as an ordinary woman?”

And it goes on and on.

Unlike you, Ben seems to be used to the attention of the crowd. He revels in it, given how poised and well-adjusted to situations like that. You on the other hand, never had an audience as myriad as this one before. Ever since Vought dropped the song, you've been swarmed by scoops and reporters. Vought — at Soldier Boy’s order — hired two bodyguards to maintain your safety from any overly zealous new fan when you leave the tower.

In fact, you haven't left it ever since they kicked Jack's ass out. You spend your days in the tower as if it's your hermitage of abstinence. Life with Soldier Boy is anything but abstinent, though.

Even though he owns you as he claims, he never lays a finger on you. Of course, you sleep in his bed, but to your stupor, Soldier Boy hasn't solicited anything physical from you. He rather scoops you up in his arms from behind, snuggling his face into your neck. You've grown big on the intimate proximity you two share. It baffles you. He made it clear that you were his property, yet he hasn't asked you anything physical ever since.

Now, is the closest you've ever had with him since Herogasm. His arm wrapped around your waist as he flaunts you off to the press.

Tonight is a charity ball for Vought, and they decided it was a good idea to put you on show for the keen fans. Ben reluctantly agreed.

“How is it being Soldier Boy's new girl?” One of the reporters shouts.

You gaze up at Ben, his face is concealed by his mask. He's attending the party with his supe gear. Your eyes fall upon the reporter then at Ben again. A small grin forming on your lips.

They want a show? Let's give them one.

Your lips are on his.

The crowd roars in applause.

When you pull away, your eyes are half-lidded, staring straight at his.

Then he smirked, whispering in your ears, “Good girl.”

And that makes you shiver. The rasp in his voice sends small shocks of pleasure down your spine.

Ben grins at your reaction, pecking your lips again. The audience blare again in acclamation. You grin back.

Then you saunter into the hotel hall where the ball takes place. Ben's arm doesn't leave your waist as he leads you in. Despite the leering eyes looking in your way, you feel protected by Ben.

You spend most of the time at Ben's side, men and women swarm up to him, each racing to kiss his ass better than the other. Although you find it ridiculous, you maintain a polite prestige.

Ben grins at you, he's proud of you. You're handling those cocksuckers like a champ. You know when to speak and when you let out a titter, mostly at some dull joke of those men. On the other hand, he can't stand the way they're ogling you like you're a bag of flesh to prey on. He grows indignant by each passing moment, his arm pulls you closer to his body.

Ben notices they're starting to wear you out, so he decides to let you off the hook, “Could you fetch me a drink, darlin’?” He flashes you one of his giddy grins.

“Sure,” You grin back, “Bourbon with rocks?”

“Atta girl.” He subtly winks at you, making you blush.

Ben's eyes follow your back as you meander to the large bar.

His head turns back to the men around him.

“Stan was right,” One of them piped up, looking at you from his spot. Ben doesn't like how the man's eyes follow your figure with lust swirling in them. “She does fit better as your arm candy than Countess.”

Ben's jaws grate. You're nothing like that bitch. You're truly his, his pretty little treasure.

He glares at the man, his name is Robert or something… he doesn't give enough shit to remember those men's names. Because they don't matter. None of them does. But he has to keep his cool, and conceal the burning urge to gouge each one's eyes out for staring at you. He mustn't show any sign of vulnerability. Not in front of those douchebags, not in front of anybody.

But the man keeps on pushing his buttons as he says, “Legend claims that you intend to keep this one all yours, is that true?”

Rage boils inside of his body. The fucking audacity. Doesn't this man value his life? Because if he utters another word about you, Ben is going to lose it and bashes the man's head into the wall with no ounce of regret.

Ben's eyes narrow behind the mask of his helmet, then forces a grin, “Damn right he is,” He drawls, patting the man's back. He mustn't show them any weakness, because if he does, they'll be waiting to feast on him like vultures do a cadaver. Instead, Ben opts to another option. “What can I say? I'm a bit of greedy man when it comes to such a catch like her.”

He hopes the scalding glare in his eyes conveys the message.

At the other side of the hall, you're waiting for your drinks at the bar table. Sitting on the stool, you fiddle with your thumbs, until you feel someone accost you from your side. You look up and see a woman who's smiling at you.

“Hi, I'm Lana,” She says, extending her hand.

“Hi,” You say, your eyes momentarily flit at Ben who's across the hall then back at her.

Lana orders a drink and makes herself comfortable on the stool adjacent to yours.

“Here you go, ma'am,” The bartender places your drinks in front of you.

“Excuse me,” You tell Lana as you lift the martini glasses up as you're ready to get back to Ben.

“It’s nice, isn't it?” Lana tilts her head to look at you, “Being the sweetheart of America's sweetheart.” You stop in your tracks and turn to her.

“Can’t say it's not…” You answer.

Lana scoffs, “Are you aware of the man under that mask, Miss?”

Your brows furrow, you don't like the tone she's speaking with.

Lana gives her surroundings a quick scan as she leans closer to you, “A piece of advice… from a woman to woman—”

You cut her off, “I’m sorry, who are you again?”

“I’m Lana Miller of Daily Supes, and I think you can—”

Your eyebrow twitches in indignation, “How did you get in here?”

“That doesn't matter,” She replies, “What matters is that your boyfriend is responsible for carelessly murdering hundreds of people under the term “accidental casualties”...”

You feel as if an arrow of fire sears through your chest.

“You and I can hold him accountable for his crime—”

“Security!” You screech with a high-pitched voice.

The woman's eyes widen as she sees three guards manueaver their way towards her. She draws a card from her bag and swiftly puts it in your hand, “In case you change your mind.”

Then she sets off. However, the trained guards capture her and see her out of the building.

“Who the fuck was that?” You flinch a bit at Ben's voice coming from behind you.

“A nobody…” You say, balling the card up in your fist.

When you both retire back to Ben's quarters, you both are unhinged. Each for a different reason. Ben is set to prove to those pigs, and himself, that you're only his. And you want to forget about everything by getting intoxicated in sex.

Tonight was rough on you and him. You're still not accustomed to the intense attention, and neither is he to care about someone so… immensely. However, you both did your parts after Edgar had a small welcome speech dedicated to you, the new couple at the podium.

You get each other’s clothes off, and your lips are chasing for more and more kisses.

Once you and Ben are nude, he lifts you up only to throw you into the bed and crawling up your body. Panting softly, you look up at him with half-lidded eyes. There's something feracious in his green eyes.

“Mine…” He seethes, lips pressing to your neck, then trailing down the column of your throat.

You moan as he bites.

He pulls away slightly to admire the hickey he left on you.

“Say it…” He demands.

You grin up at him, “Make me.”

Ben lets out a deep grunt, “Say it, woman!”

You can't help but giggle, how can you not, when you keep the strongest man alive on edge.

“You think this is funny?” His hand reaches the back of your head, tugging your hair roughly.

You moan, hissing at him, “What if I do?”

“So you like it?” His voice is aggressive, “Getting eye-fucked by every man sees you?”

You grit your teeth, your eyebrows arching in defiant, “Isn’t that my new job?”

“Oh, no no,” He growls, “You got it all wrong… sweetheart.” You can feel his cock hard against your belly.

“Your new job is to serve me… obey me… be the good slut you are to me, and only me.”

You feel the tip of your stomach roil, and it bolts straight to your throbbing core.

“Then claim me…” You challenge, “Make me yours again…”

And he does.

Needless to say, you wake up with a sore body the next day. Seems like Ben doesn't take it too kindly when he has his buttons pushed on. Yet, you couldn't resist the temptation. You savour his aggressive passion, even if it hurts you a bit. It's worth it. He makes you feel wanted, protected, and appreciated. And even, dare you say, loved.

“Men like him do not love.”

Here it is again, the voice of consciousness reminding you of the ugly truth. You're in love with your brother's murderer.

The warmth of his chest shrouds you from behind. You shift a bit and snuggle up to his hold, resting your head on his chest. His hand strokes your hair, his chin is on your head.

You smile in complacency.

Unlike you, Ben hasn't slept a wink. After you hit the sack in his arms, his eyes were wide awake, his mind thinking about you.

You're making him weak. He hates being weak. Caring for someone makes one vulnerable, and he can't afford it. He wouldn't have it said that a woman turned Soldier Boy into a pussy.

You open your eyes when you sense him moving away from your hold. He sits up, back to you. You frown, touching his back, but one thing you're sure about is the tangible shift of his aura.

Ben glances at you over his shoulder, “Is it true,?” You blink, then he continues, “What we have?”

You flinch at his question.

“It is to me.” You reply after a pause, “Is it to you?”

He looks away. He refuses to show weakness to anyone, and especially to you.

“I’m a man of my word, and I remember making you a promise.” He answers sharply.

“That doesn't answer my question, Ben.”

“I made you a promise, and I intend to keep it.” He says, still not facing you.

“Do you love me?” You ask, voice wavering with emotions.

You notice how his body startles at your question.

Finally, he turns to face you, “Love is weakness and I'm not weak.”

You feel a painful twang in your chest, tears burn your eyes.

Ben looks away again, shuffling with his clothes, avoiding gazing upon you.

“See you later…” He says, and just like that, he leaves. Only then you let your tears stream down your cheeks.

He doesn't love you.

He's not as weak and pathetic as you are.

That pernicious voice whispers in your ear, somehow, it resembles Jack's.

You wipe your tears away, get dressed, then march out of the tower into outside. You make it to the closest telephone booth. You open up the wrinkled card, and call the number on it.

“Ms. Miller? This is (Y/N) (L/N).” You say, “You and I have work to do.”

🦅 Next Chapter: The Scandal Date.

🦅 Previous Chapter: A Man's Property.

🦅 Somewhere In Your Heart Masterlist

🦅 Soldier Boy Masterlist

Taglist: @thebiggerbear, @zepskies, @deanbrainrotwritings, @deansbbyx, @deans-spinster-witch

@venus-haze, @kaleldobrev, @k-slla, @ketchupjasmin, @demodemo909

@mystic-mara, @jqtaro, @pepsicolacoochie, @bitchykittenconnoisseur, @prurose

@leavli, @robertthehoover, @soldiergrimes, @vanessa-boo, @uddiifiigj...

[lovevalley45]

so i updated the warnings on SFTS this afternoon bc i've been going thru what i've written n was seeing if i could make the tags more accurate

and it was during that that i remembered i read a lot of horror n shit that gets gnarly n i've been like 'oh this isn't that bad' and it isn't! but i was like 'yeah okay maybe i do need graphic violence for my novel that takes place in a fighting ring'

[imblocking-you]

Payback post pt. 3

[callsign-magnolia]

Undiagnosed // Ch. 17

Mature Content 18+

Jake Seresin x Neurodivergent OC

Summary: Katie Blair grew up trying to be the perfect daughter. She always struggled to be the prim and proper little girl her parents wanted. Big personality as a kid, but now at 25, she's the shy admiral's daughter who just keeps her head down and tries to get through law school. So what happens when she's had enough and with help from a certain Lieutenant, she gets out.

Warnings: Emotional abuse, trauma response, abusive parents, smut.

Word Count: 6.1k

Chapter 16 | Masterlist

I shook the entire ride to the venue. Jake held my hand in the backseat of the Bronco, calming me with his words. “I told you I wouldn’t let anything happen to you and I won’t.” He whispered into my ear before kissing my hair. “You promise?” I joked. I knew he was serious but I needed to lighten the mood, to get this weight off me. “I swear, darlin’.” His arm rested across my shoulder and held me close until we arrived. “Stay here.” He told me before him and Bradley slipped out, walking around to mine and Natasha’s side. Jake opened my door and kindly helped me out. “Careful with her, man.” Bradley said as he tossed the valet his keys before wrapping Nat’s arm around his. The hotel was a gorgeous stone structure towering over everything around it. We walked inside and all I saw were dress whites and ball gowns. “There are a lot of people here.” I said, squeezing his arm a little tighter. He just rested his free hand over mine and nodded. “There are. But it’s okay, no one here will say anything to your parents, coop or anyone else that would tell them.” I furrowed my brows as we stepped into the elevator. “How do you know?” I asked, looking up at him. “We may or may not have gone around to everyone who's attending and asked them not to say anything.” Natasha answered. I just stared at them, mouth gaping in disbelief. “You did?” I asked quietly and they all nodded. 

They all went out of their way to make sure that no one would tell my parents where I was. This is what having real friends was like. I was broken out of my thoughts as Jake tugged me from the elevator and into a grand ballroom. It was extravagant to say the least. “So what exactly is this ball for?” I asked. “The fiftieth anniversary of Top Guns' founding.” My eyebrows shot up and I stopped walking. “He’s not here. He may be Fleet Commander, but Admiral Simpson is the air boss. He runs Top Gun. Plus your dad is in a meeting back on base with the rest of the brass.” I took a deep breath just as a familiar face stepped closer. “Hey Mav.” Bradley said, pulling Maverick into a hug. Once he let go he came over to Jake and I. “Hi, Katie.” He said before pulling me into a quick hug. “Hi, Mav.” I said. “I’m glad you decided to come. Hangman here has been talking about this non stop for weeks.” He said and I raised a brow at Jake. “Oh, really now?” He nodded, a blush creeping up his neck. 

“You should’ve seen him when he came in after you said yes.” Mav laughed. “Okay, why don’t we go sit down in our seats.” Jake said, gently pulling me away. He walked us over to a table where everyone else was. “Hi guys.” I greeted. Bob quickly stood, hugging me gently before kissing my cheek. “You look beautiful.” He said and I gave him a small smile. “Thank you.” As he stepped away Payback pulled me into a hug, then Fanboy, then Coyote. “It’s good to see you. Hangman’s been hiding away with you. We haven’t seen him much outside of work.” Coyote said as Jake pulled out my chair for me. I felt my face heat up at his words. “I’m sorry.” I muttered, my fingers playing with the skirt of my dress, rubbing it between my thumb and pointer finger. The feel of the soft material was almost calming. “Eh, don’t apologize. It’s been good for him.” Fanboy said and everyone laughed as Jake waved them off. “Alright now, I haven’t changed that much!” He said. “I wonder how Katie’s class is going?” Payback asked. “I should call Katie and check in with her.” Coyote said. “I can’t wait to get home and listen to Katie do her homework. She’s so smart.” Fanboy added and I turned to Jake. 

He had his head downcast, not looking at me or anyone else as a red color climbed his neck. I smiled, grabbing his hand from his lap, intertwining our fingers. He picked his head up and I met his eyes. “You’re so sweet.” I whispered before leaning over and kissing his cheek. Everyone oohed at us and it was my turn to blush. “How is school going, Katie?” Bob asked. “Good. Midterms are creeping up fast, but Jake has been a big help with studying.” I said, my hand resting on his arm. “What? Does he give you a kiss every time you get an answer right?” Payback teased. We haven’t done that, but I can’t say I haven’t thought about it. Maybe now that the idea has been put in his head he’ll try it. “Actually he’ll quiz me while we make dinner, or while we’re cleaning.” They nodded and Jake, still holding my hand lifted it, resting our intertwined fingers on the table. 

We heard a noise behind us and turned to see Cyclone taking the stage. “Good evening.” He said, holding up what seemed to be a glass of scotch. “It’s wonderful to have you all here to celebrate the founding of the Navy Strike Fighter Tactics Instructor program, or as we all know it, Top Gun.” Everyone cheered, the noise startling me. I jumped slightly and Jake laid his hand on my back. Cyclone launched into a long speech and as soon as he was finished, food was brought out. Waiters set our food in front of us and I looked at Jake. “You didn’t tell me this was a dinner.” I said and he gave me a sheepish look. “You kind of gave me last minute notice. But I got you the chicken.” I looked down at the food in front of me, it looked good and that’s when I realized how hungry I really was. 

We ate and talked, it was just a nice evening. Not long after we finished eating, Jake got up to go speak to someone but I still kept looking over my shoulder, waiting to see my parents and Bob must have noticed. “Come on.” He said as he stood, holding out his hand. “What?” I asked and he smiled at me. “You need a distraction. So let’s dance.” I stared at his hand for a minute but slid my hand into his. He led me out onto the dance floor where the other couples were. He held my right hand in his, my left rested on his shoulder as his free hand rested on my waist. “You’re tense.” He said and I scoffed. “You would be too if you were in my position.” I said. He just chuckled and smiled at me. “I would be. But you have nothing to worry about.” I huffed. “I know you keep saying that but-” “Even if they did show up, we wouldn’t let anything happen.” I smiled at him. “That means a lot.” I said as we danced. 

Everytime the song changed I was dancing with someone new. I made it through almost the entire team when Bradley took the next dance. “I’m glad you came.” He said as he took my hand. “I’m actually glad I came too.” I told him. I was finally relaxing, not as tense as I was earlier. “Maybe soon we can take you to The Hard Deck.” I furrowed my brows. “Isn’t that the bar you guys like to go to?” I asked and he nodded. “Mav’s girlfriend Penny owns it. I actually think she’s here somewhere. I’ll have to introduce you when we see her.” I nodded in agreement. “I’d like that.” I told him. Halfway through our dance Jake came over. “Mind if I cut in?” He asked and Bradley stepped away, heading back to Natasha as Jake took my hand. “You look like you’re enjoying yourself.” He said and I nodded. “I am. Thank you for the invite.” I said and he chuckled. “Thank you for saying yes.” I smiled up at him before laying my head on his shoulder. His hand rested on my back, his thumb rubbing up and down, calming me even more. We quietly danced and when the song was over he looped my arm through his. “Let’s go get a drink.” He said and I nodded, letting him lead me towards the table full of champagne. 

“Here darlin’.” Jake said, handing me a flute. “Thank you.” He grabbed his own glass, clinking it with mine before he kissed my cheek. “Well don’t you two make a cute pair?” I froze at the voice behind me. Jake’s hand tightened around my waist. “What are you doing here, Coop?” He asked. Jake set down his glass, turning us to face him. He kept a hold of me, tucking me into his side. “What? Am I not allowed to party too? Maverick gave Richardson and I quite a bit of work specifically to keep us from attending.” He swayed slightly and he had a glassy look in his eyes. “Are you drunk?” Jake asked and he scoffed. “It’s a party! I figured I’d indulge a little.” He said as he took a step closer and I immediately gripped Jake a little tighter. 

“Your daddies been looking for you.” He said tauntingly as he pointed at me. I swallowed the fear creeping up my throat “Well he can kiss my ass for all I care. I’m never going back.” I said as I glared at him. “Ooh! You grew some nerve since you left!” He swiped a glass of champagne from the table, taking another step closer. “It’s okay. It won’t be hard to beat it out of you.” Jake attempted to move me behind him but I stopped him. “I’m done being fucking scared of you and everyone else. I’m not gonna let you do shit to me and neither is Jake!” He just laughed in my face. “You think Hangman is gonna stop anyone?” He asked loudly, drawing attention. “Kate, baby. Do you remember your very first conversation with him?” He asked and I furrowed my brows. “After Iceman’s funeral?” It took me a minute but I remembered. “I paid him a hundred bucks to talk to you.” I narrowed my eyes at him. “He wouldn’t have talked to you if I hadn’t paid him. He even came back and told us all about how he thought you were weird and he would never speak to you again for even a million bucks.” A lump formed in my throat and tears threatened to gather in my eyes. 

“Go ahead, Hangman. Tell her about it.” I whipped around to face Jake and he flinched from the angry look on my face. “Darlin’-” “Is it true?” I seethed. His face fell and he sighed. “Is. It. True?” My hands were fisted at my sides, shaking slightly. “Yes. The first part is true-” I reared my hand back before flinging it across his face. The skin on skin contact echoed across the room and people stopped to look at us. Jake’s eyes were wide and his face was turned away from me. “How fucking dare you! I just- I can’t-” I just screamed at him, not able to form words. With that I turned and stormed away from him, gripping my skirt tightly in my hands. I shoulder checked Coop as I passed him, sending him into the table. Tears streaked my face as I walked through the doors, slamming them open and storming down the hall. Once I rounded the corner I took a deep breath, a sob taking up my exhale. I leaned against the wall, my head knocking into it but I didn’t care. It’s the same. It’s always the same. 

I gave myself a minute before I took a deep breath, halting my tears. No more crying, I’m done with the tears. I stood straight, wiping beneath my eyes. “Fuck.” I muttered, turning to walk down the hallway but screamed out as someone pulled my hair. “You think you can ruin my reputation and get away with it?” My blood ran cold as my fathers voice hissed in my ear. My hands were behind my head, gripping his hands but I brought my right one down, ramming my elbow back into my ribs. It was weak but enough for him to loosen his grip. I yanked my head away from him, surely losing some hair in the process. “I’m done pretending to be your perfect daughter! Fuck off!” I yelled. His hand flew out and he grabbed my neck. My hands flew up and gripped his wrist, hoping to pry his hands off of me but it was no use. He jerked me towards him, staring into my eyes. “You think you can run from me?” He asked. I glared at him before spitting in his face. He yelled before squeezing my neck. I thought he would choke me but he threw me to the ground instead. 

I managed to catch myself, keeping my head from bouncing off the floor. “YOU WILL RESPECT ME!!” “HEY!” I looked up, seeing Bradley and Bob rushing over. I managed to stand, stopping them from attacking him. “I have no respect for you. I don’t think I ever have. You’re weak! Tossing me around like I’m some kind of ragdoll because you can’t control your own rage! I’m not the one who’s going to ruin your image, you are!” He stepped forward, reaching out again but a voice stopped him. “I wouldn’t do that if I were you.” Natasha rounded the corner, holding up her phone. “You’d lose your position if this got out.” She said, coming to stand next to me. “And if you put another hand on Katie, it will get out.” She said, smirking. “Lieutenant Trace, you delete that right now or I will have you dishonorably discharged.” She just smirked at him. “I’ll release this and you’ll be court-martialed within twenty-four hours.” With all the evidence I have against him, it could cost him his entire career. 

“So why don’t we just all walk away from this?” She asked with a smirk. I nodded. “Good idea. I'm tired.” I said, turning on my heel and walking away from them. “This isn’t over!” My father yelled and I just gave him the finger. I walked back into the ballroom and Jake rushed over. “Katie, darlin’ please. What happened?” He asked when he noticed my hair. “Just a run in with my dad.” I said and he stopped me as he gently grabbed my biceps. “Where is he?” He asked, his green eyes darkening. “Don’t worry about it. Natasha took care of it. Besides, I’m weird aren’t I? You also haven’t been paid a million bucks so why are you talking to me?�� I pushed past him and headed over to the table which had my small bag. “You okay?” Fanboy asked and I sighed. “No. I’m sure Jake will explain at work.” I said before turning and walking away. I felt bad for being rude to them but I couldn’t talk about it. “Let’s go.” I said to Jake as I walked past him. We squeezed into the elevator with Bradley and Natasha and I stood quietly not even looking at him. Once we stepped outside the cool air felt good but my rage was bubbling inside, threatening to explode out of me. 

Jake attempted to help me into the Bronco but I smacked his hand away. Opting to gather my skirt and hoist myself into the back seat. I slid clear across the seat putting space between Jake and I. "Darlin'?" I held up my hand. cutting him aff. "I'm not speaking to you until I know I won't knock your teeth in." I was so angry I probably could've broken his nose, but that wouldn't make me feel better. Or would it? I shook my head. No. It wouldn't. Bradley drove us home in a loud silence. Everyone wanted to say something, I knew it but I wasn’t up to talk to Jake or about my father. Once we arrived Bradley got out before I could and opened my door. I let him help me out and before I could walk away he pulled me into a hug. “You call me if you need anything. Okay?” Even though I was angry, his words brought tears to my eyes. “Okay.” He kissed my head before he let me go. I turned for the door which Jake had already unlocked. I stormed past him, into the house and headed for the stairs. 

“Darlin’-” “Just… Just stop.” I said, looking up at the ceiling to keep the tears at bay. “I just… I should’ve known better, you know?” I said as I took a deep breath. “It’s always the fucking same.” My head snapped to him and he looked so… sad. “Did you get off on it? Did it give you some kind of thrill to make the weird girl think you cared? Because that’s sick if that’s the case.” My voice became harsher and he physically flinched. “No! Darlin, I would never.” I glared at him. “Is that why you won’t have sex with me? You think I’m weird?” I snapped as I narrowed my eyes at him. “What? No!” He said with a confused look on his face. “Then why? I want fucking answers Jake!” I said as I slapped my hands together. “Why did you say all those things and why won’t you fuck me?! So help me god if I don’t get answers I’m packing my shit and I’m out!” “I never said those things! Coop lied! I actually enjoyed our conversation till your bitch of a mother interrupted us. You can ask Rooster, Phoenix, anyone and they’ll tell you that I came back and said how awful your mother was and that I felt bad for you. But then Coop got in my head and that’s why I was an ass!” 

“Fine. I’ll text Nat. She’ll tell me the truth.” I texted Natasha and asked her what exactly Jake said after our first conversation. “You think I’m lying?” He asked astounded. “I don’t know! I don’t know anymore, Jake! I thought I knew you but I guess not! You can’t even tell me why you won’t sleep with me! I have been trying for weeks and you just brush it off!” He groaned out, throwing his hat across the room before he rounded on me. “YOU WANNA KNOW WHY I WON’T HAVE SEX WITH YOU?!” “THAT’S WHAT I’VE BEEN ASKING ISN’T IT?!” I yelled. “I wanted your first time to be special! There! You happy? I didn’t want it to feel like a quick fuck! I’ve been trying to come up with some way that I could make your first experience special!” I furrowed my brows in confusion. “My first time?” I asked and then it clicked. “You think i’m a fucking virgin?!” I yelled and he seemed shocked. 

“You’re not?” It was a quiet question, his neck flushing pink with embarrassment. “No! It’s been over two years but I’ve had sex before! God Jake! I’m twenty-five!” He shrugged. “I didn’t know! You seemed so sheltered that I didn’t think you ever slept with anyone!” I scoffed. “Oh I did, and it was all to piss off my father!” I snapped back and it was like the tension in the room snapped. The air didn’t feel as heavy but I still felt so angry. My heart was racing and my adrenaline was pumping. I felt like the only way I was gonna calm down was to run or something. Jake’s face fell and I could tell he was sorry but I still wanted to knock him out. My phone buzzed and I looked at it seeing Nat’s response. It was my turn to feel bad. I huffed, rubbing my face with my hands, not caring if I ruined my makeup. “I’m sorry.” Jake said and it almost made me more angry. “I’m still mad at you.” I didn’t really have a reason to be now, but my anger didn’t just go away. I guess that’s where my father and I are alike. “You were right, Coop lied but I’m still angry.” I kicked off my heels and went upstairs. “Where are you going? Katie, I think we should still talk.” I scoffed. “I don’t think we should talk until I’ve calmed down because you have no idea how bad I want to fucking throttle you!” 

I stormed into my bedroom and attempted to slam the door but he stopped it. “Throttle me?” I whirled on him. “Yes! I want so badly to just hit you! I’m so damn angry I feel like I could kick holes in the walls!” I squeezed my hands, attempting to keep them by my side. “I feel like I could run a goddamn marathon!” I yelled. “Deep breath. How can I help?” “You can’t!” I yelled, jerking my harm from his grasp and turning away from him. “Just leave me alone!” It was quiet for a moment and I attempted to calm down when he suddenly turned me to face him and his lips crashed into mine. I squeaked and pushed on his chest until he released me and my hand came up, slapping him in the face for the second time tonight. “Do it again.” I furrowed my brows in confusion. “What?” “If you wanna hit me, hit me. If you want to knock my teeth out, do it. Anything that’s gonna make you feel better.” His hand came up, knuckles brushing against my cheek. “Fuck it out of me.” My chest was heaving and I was breathless. “What?” Now he was confused. “Fuck me, Jake.” He stared at me before he grabbed the back of my neck and pulled me into a heated kiss. 

My hands came up gripping the front of his dress whites a moan escaping me as he bit down on my bottom lip. “Fuck.” He backed me up until my back was pressed against the wall. ”Jake.” I whined. My hands drifted lower until my fingers brushed the button on his pants. “Uh uh.” He said, grabbing my hands and pinning them by my head. He kissed just under my jaw and my back slightly arched off of the wall. “I’m gonna take my time with you, darlin’.” My breath caught in my throat at his words. “You gonna be a good girl for me?” He asked, his hand gently gripping my throat and I grinned at him. “Why don’t you find out?” He just grinned at me before he slammed his lips into mine again. He let my hands go and I tossed them around his neck. I squealed when he smacked my ass. "Jump." I didn't hesitate before jumping and wrapping my legs around his waist. He pressed me back into the wall, causing a moan to escape me. "The bed." I whined against his lips "You want the bed?" He knew that's what I wanted, he just wanted to tease me. I nodded, lips pressing against his cheek before moving to his jaw. "Alright darlin’." He pulled me away from the wall and walked over to the bed before carefully laying me down. Like magnets our lips found each others again. I arched my back, my chest pressing into his. "My dress." I moaned, the fabric of my dress rubbing against my nipples. "Oh no. The dress is staying on." He sat up on his knees and I could tell just how hard he was. “Oh it is?" I asked, looking up at him through my lashes. He ran his hands along the sides of my thighs before gripping them and lifting. 

I bit my lip and held his gaze as he leaned down between my legs. I watched in anticipation and gasped as his nose nudged me through my panties. "You're soaked." He said as he brought his hand up, a knuckle pressing into me before he tugged the fabric to the side. "This thin little thong did nothing to hide it from me." I moaned as he ran a finger through my wetness before slowly pushing into me. I whined, hand reaching behind my head and gripping the pillow. "C'mon darlin. Tell me how it feels." I moaned, hips rolling into his hand. "Good." I gasped as he added a second finger. “Jake. Stop teasing." I begged and he chuckled. "This isn't teasing. This is foreplay. I have to get you warmed up." He sat up, leaning over me. His free hand came to rest on the side of my neck, his other hand continuously pumping in and out of me.

"You're not leaving this bed until I've pulled every orgasm I possibly can from you." His words struck something deep in my belly and I moaned, arching up into him. “You're going to cum on my fingers, my tongue and my cock. By the time I'm done with you, you won't even remember why you were mad in the first place." With that he lowered himself between my legs again, fingers still working inside me. But I cried out in shock as his tongue roughly licked my clit. His eyes met mine before he gripped my thighs, separating them until the sides of my knees pressed into the mattress. His tongue flicked my clit before he added a third finger and I whined. "Can't wait to bury my cock in you. You're so fuckin' tight darlin'.” He curled his fingers and after a few thrusts he brushed one spot inside me and everything went hazy. "Jake." I moaned out. "I know. You're so close, darlin’." He licked my clit again and my body jolted. "Cum for me, Katie." A fire started in my belly and it felt like flames erupted as Jake wrapped his lips around my clit and sucked harshly. I wanted to close my legs but he pulled his fingers from me and used both hands to pin my knees on the bed. 

“Jake!" I squealed, but he didn't stop. He continued to suck until my hands gripped his blonde locks and my legs shook. He stopped sucking and I took a deep breath. I thought he was done, but was startled when his tongue prodded my entrance.  He slipped his tongue in, licking me as he buried his face in my pussy. I was still gripping his hair as I rolled my hips against his face, riding his tongue. After a moment he pulled away and sat up. He smiled at me as my chest heaved. He leaned over me, hands resting next to my head. His left hand moved to rest on the side of my neck. "Good girl." Those two words had me preening for him. "So good for me." He kissed my neck and I dragged my heel along the back of his calf. "You gonna take my lock like a good girl too?" I nodded. "Yes." I moaned out. I reached between us, feeling how hard he was in his dress whites. He groaned before grabbing my hand, intertwining our fingers and grinding his clothed length into my bare core. "Jake, please." He groaned and sat up. "I don't think I could ever tell you no." He went to take his jacket off but I sat up, stopping him. "If my dress stays on, so does the uniform." He stared at me for a minute before he grinned. He reached and unbuttoned his pants, I leaned back on the bed again and I couldn't help but spread my legs wider. He freed himself from the confines of his boxers and I stilled. I forgot how big he was and how heavy he felt on my tongue. He leaned in, kissing me again. I tasted myself on his tongue, a taste I never imagined I'd enjoy. My hands rested on his biceps as he lined himself up. "You sure?” I nodded, rolling my hips. "Please." I've been waiting so long, I am not above begging. He pressed his forehead to mine as he pushed in. I bit my lip, feeling the head of his cock slip past my entrance. He pushed farther in and I could feel my walls stretching to accommodate his size. "You okay?" He asked, thumb brushing my cheek. That's when I noticed the tears. 

He pushed in farther and I gasped. "Talk to me, darlin’." I struggled to find the words and when I finally did it was only two words. "So big." He chuckled before kissing his way across my jaw. "I know. I know, but you're doing so good for me." He slowly withdrew before pushing back into me. It wasn't long before he found a steady rhythm, hips rocking into mine. I gripped my thighs, pulling my legs back against. my chest. Jake leaned forward, broad shoulders keeping my legs back as he kissed me. "Gonna cum for me, darlin’? " My moans were growing louder as the trimmed hairs at the base of his cock rubbed against my clit. "Jake." I was writhing beneath him, my second orgasm coming in quick. “Fuck!” I yelled out before clinging to him. He kissed me as my orgasm washed over me, his hips not stopping as I fluttered around him. “Squeezing me so tight, darlin’.” He said, moving to kiss my neck before slowing his thrusts, eventually stopping. “You okay?” He asked and I nodded, pulling him into another kiss. “Take it off.” I said, starting to unbutton his jacket. I needed him out of his uniform, totally naked. “Woah,” He gently grabbed my hands. “We got time, darlin’.” I just leaned up, kissing him. “Sooner we strip, the more time we have.” He immediately sat up, pulling out before he stripped. He had to unzip my dress for me and he carefully pulled it off of me, laying it across the chair in the corner. He wrapped his arms around my waist, pressing kisses to my shoulder. 

“I’ve been dying to get my hands on you. Especially since you decided to lay out topless.” His hands came up, pawing at my breasts. He took one of my nipples between his fingers, rolling it harshly, making me hiss. “Mm, I did that for you.” I said breathily, pushing my ass back into him. He turned me around, picking me up again before gently laying me on the bed again. He lined himself up, slowly pushing in again. I know we just finished, but I felt the burn of the stretch all over again. “Jake.” I moaned as he bottomed out. “Look so pretty underneath me.” He muttered, lips dragging across my chest. “Jake.” He picked his head up, looking at me. I brought my hand up, cradling his face as he looked at me. “Don’t be gentle with me.” I said and he raised a brow. “You sure? Just a few minutes ago you had tears rolling down your cheeks.” He said and I nodded. “I like it. When you’re not gentle with me.” He searched my eyes for any kind of hesitation, but when he found none, he nodded. I pulled him into another kiss just as he started thrusting into me. I moaned into the kiss and was surprised when he pulled away, sitting up. His large hands held my hips, his thrusts becoming harsher. “Fuck! Jake, yes!” I moaned out, my hands reaching out, resting on his knees. “Look at you, my good girl taking my cock so well.” I never knew words could affect me this way, but all I wanted was praise from him. 

He grabbed my legs, moving them to one shoulder as he fucked me. “Ngh, Jake!” I whined. “So full.” He took up every free space inside me and I wanted him impossibly closer. I sat up, pulling him into another kiss. “Stop.” Immediately everything stopped and he looked at me with wide eyes. “You okay? Did I hurt you?” I pushed him to sit up by the head board and crawled into his lap. “Not in any way I didn’t like.” I reached behind me, lining him up before I sunk down around him. “Fuck, Katie darlin’. You’re so tight.” His head fell back against the headboard as I stilled. “I love the way you feel inside me, Jake.” I moaned in his ear, lips attaching to his neck. His hands held my waist before he gripped my ass attempting to move me. “Bounce on my cock, darlin’. Be a good girl for me.” I did as he said, slowly finding a rhythm that had us both moaning loudly. My hands rested on his shoulders, head falling back as I gasped and moaned. “I’m gonna cum.” With that he held me still, fucking up into me. “I’m not done with you yet.” He said before he lifted me off of him and laid me on my back again. 

He grabbed my ankles, pushing my knees by my head again. “You’re gonna take my cock like a good girl and you’ll cum when I tell you too.” I don’t know if I could do it. But I wanted to, I wanted to try. He entered me in one thrust and I moaned loudly, hands gripping his wrist as he held my legs back. He was brutal in his thrusts and I encouraged it. “Jake! Right there! Oh god!” I threw my head back, hardly able to form a coherent sentence. “You like that?” He leaned down closer, letting go of my legs, allowing me to wrap them around his waist. He gently cradled my neck, no pressure as he stared into my eyes. “You like taking my cock?” I moaned, tears flowing down my cheeks. “Yes! Fucking love it!” I yelled out and he smirked, leaning down and taking one of my nipples between his lips. I buried my fingers in his hair, keeping him there as he buried his cock in me. “Jake, I’m gonna cum!” I yelled out and he smirked. “Cum around my cock, darlin’. Make a mess for me.” Seconds later my back was arching off the bed, toes curling as he buried himself inside me. He pulled out and I sat up. “C’mere.” I reached for him, leaning down as I jerked him off. “Oh shit. YOu don’t have to darlin’.” I shook my head, tongue darting out to lick the tip of his cock and that’s all it took. 

Hot ropes of cum shot out of his cock and landed on my face. I closed my eyes, letting him coat my face as he threw his head back, throaty moans leaving him. Once he was done I opened my eyes and looked up at him. Our chests were heaving and I sat up. “Goddamn.” He muttered, sitting up on his knees and pulling me into a kiss, not caring that his own cum was covering my face. “Let’s get you cleaned up, darlin’.” He smiled at me, getting up and going to my bathroom and grabbing a warm wash rag before he came back, wiping my face clean before he cleaned between my legs as well. I laid back on top of the covers before Jake stood, grabbing his uniform. Panic settled in my chest as he headed for the door. “Jake?” I asked as he reached for the doorknob. He looked at me, eyebrows raised. “Will you… will you stay?” I fully expected him to say no, but relief settled in me as he smiled and walked over. “Of course. Let me put my uniform away.” I nodded and he walked out. I pulled the covers down and crawled under them, waiting. Five minutes went by before he came back, smiling at me as he crawled under the covers next to me. “How do you feel?” He asked, turning on his side and propping himself up on his elbow. “Better. A lot better. Thank you.” I said, looking at him. He leaned down, kissing me gently. “Do you regret it?” I asked and he quickly shook his head. “No. I never could.” His thumb brushed my cheek and my eyes fluttered closed. A yawn hit me and he chuckled. “Let’s get some sleep.” He said, sliding down in bed and pulling me into him. “Honestly, I could go again.” He just chuckled. “Not tonight.” He said as a yawn of his own hit him. “Trust me, this won’t be the last time.” I closed my eyes, pressing back into him. He placed a kiss on my shoulder before kissing the back of my head. “Goodnight, Jake.” I muttered. “Goodnight, darlin’.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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[enm-enthusiast]

The Exhibitionist's Club Ch. 8 - Sebastian Part 2

A Lacy Afternoon....

Sebastian

The past week has been hell.

I've been trying to stay away from the frat house as much as possible, but the time I've been spending there lately has been so humiliating. Eric's public punishment of me has been a target on my back, everyone in that house has the right to degrade and taunt me as much as they want.

A couple of times, I've been stripped completely naked as soon as I walked in the door! and always, they always tease me about the cock cage I'm still wearing. James has been helping me, thankfully, and his plan was starting to finally take shape.

All I had to do was get the campus security guards to hire me as a student worker. Apparently, it provided a lot of protection from student-run discipline, anyone caught violating this was subject to immediate expulsion from the University if found to be true...

Thus, here I stood in the campus security building, and had been forced to strip down completely naked for everyone here, as part of their famous "initiation." The security officer who hired me on, Jack Whittle had explained, in fact he just finished his by working the entire week at the office naked....

It got me incredibly aroused thinking of the muscular older man walking around the office butt naked. He blushed when talking about it and some of the other security guys teased him too, taunting him about the thickness of his cock and I salivated at getting to possibly see it for myself.

I had truthfully explained my situation to Jack, and he seemed sympathetic, and even said that Eric had been giving the University all sorts of troubled for years now but he was careful enough to not do anything that would have gotten him in real trouble.

He said that all I had to do was finish this initiation, then I could get my 'clothing privileges' back and even give Eric an official warning from the security office. That way, Jack said, he wouldn't dare touch me or anything near me, and it filled me with a sadistic delight at seeing Eric squirm in fear and fury at his revenge being undone.

The only thing that troubled me was James, he was taking an awfully big risk helping me, and if Eric found out....well, I knew first hand how vicious the little shit could be.

But I would worry about that later, first I needed to get through this, and I was embarrassed enough that all my new colleagues were already leering at me and sizing me up.

They got a weird thrill as I was slowly stripping off my clothes, some even whistled as soon as I took off my shirt. As expected, their eyes immediately locked onto my cock cage as soon as I lowered my underwear down my legs.

"Wow dude, did you lose a bet or something?" One of the campus security guards said, stifling his laughter upon seeing my cock cage, making my face turn bright red.

"How long have you been wearing that?" Jack said.

"....about....3 and a half weeks" I said, teeth grinding as my embarrassment and rage fueled me.

The guys shared looks of shock, amusement, and a few of them concerned, Jack included. I couldn't let them get involved, me and James were so close to giving Eric some long overdue payback, so I needed to bear the shame, for just a bit longer. I put on my best poker face despite that it was surely as red as a tomato at this point.

"Don't worry about it, the guys back at the Frat and me were playing around, I lost a few bets, and here we are...can we get a move one please" I said.

Most seemed to accept this, all of them, except for Jack who gave me a knowing look, but regardless he carried on.

"Well, you seem to be in excellent condition, in fact you've put in some great work in those muscles Sebastian, must get you lots of attention around this campus" Jack said. winking at that last part.

"Not a bad backside either, you got some good glutes on you" a blonde guard named Daniel said, a hungry look in his eyes. It was hard not to feel vulnerable and exposed as all of them, in one way or another, were devouring the sight of my naked body.

It was hard not to think of Thomas in that moment, who was dealing with his own problems at the moment, some classmate of his called George was giving him trouble and I wanted to find him and smash in his face for messing with Thomas, but I couldn't refuse when he begged me not to do something so foolish, and I had to admit he was right.

Speaking of, Thomas took a...interesting perspective on my cock cage, the two of us decided to make the most of it...I allowed him to shift our dynamic in bed, the first night he took control and made me get on my hands and knees and suck his cock until he flipped me onto my stomach and made me beg for him to fuck me....god if only I wasn't wearing the cage I'd have had the biggest erection in my entire life.

I only wish I could be out there helping him instead, but foolish me thought signing up as a student worker for the security office would be a great idea. Or rather, it was James' idea.

I'm still skeptical of how they told me all workers needed to take a fitness test, especially one that's entirely in the nude....

If it wasn't for the cock cage, I wouldn't feel as vulnerable and exposed around these other guys, they all seemed to take it in and good fun and none of them poked, prodded, or even made fun of me for it, unlike the frat guys who were hounding my every step and making my life hell, I just needed to get out of that house....

"So....does that mean I'm in?" I asked.

"We just need one last thing from you Sebastian, it shouldn't be a problem for a strapping young lad like you" Jack said, his tone neutral but his expression was hiding something mischievous.

"Okay...what is it?" I said.

What he said next made my jaw drop to the floor and nearly run out of the building.

"We want you to wear these as your work uniform for the first week, consider it....your training period" Jack said, grinning wide as he held up a red lacy crop top and a matching pair of silky red lace briefs, ones with design patterns that left the backside almost completely see-through!

"You gotta be kidding me!" I say, incredulous, my face already burning bright red and I felt a shocking jolt in my crotch followed by a slight ache as my cock was unable to twitch as it used to.

"I'm afraid not, hehe you see the boys here thought you'd look incredible in these, and I agree, but its up to you kid, so what's it going to be? us....or nothing" he finished, giving me another look that just between us, said:

"You either wear this for a week in the office...or you continue to be a naked frat slave with your dick shrinking inch by inch as each week passes."

It didn't seem to be a fair choice, but I knew it was my only one, and I needed this so I could start getting back at Eric, I wouldn't take it from Jaime and I'm not about to start letting some blowhard blonde do it to me either!

"Alright....fine, I'll do it" I said. Holding out my hand and Jack gave me another wide grin as he handed over the crop top and underwear to me. He merely looked down and back up once, that hungry look in his eyes again as he waited with his arms crossed.

My face was beet red I'm sure as I pulled the top over my head, I had to admit the material felt....good against me bare skin. Next was the underwear...I had to suppress a whimper as I pulled them up my legs, the material felt so nice and smooth just like the top. This only added to my rising embarrassment, I hated how it felt so good to wear these despite how slutty and exposed it made me look.

The guys jaws all dropped as I finished putting on my new 'uniform' and Jack walked over to me with a look of delighted surprise and said: "Wow...just wow, you look great in those, and I guess we got you the right size after all, those undies really make your ass look..." he trailed off, and I shuddered as he teasingly ran a hand over my right ass cheek.

I bit my lip as he did so, the contact of his hand against the material felt so good...I was really looking forward to tonight with Thomas with how horny this was making me.

I felt my submissive side take over as I wanted my man's dick inside me so bad, and I had to whip myself back to reality as I realized that I was practically drooling after what Jack did and the rest of the guys noticed. Several of them had bulges growing in their security uniform pants....

"Alright Sebastian, so far so good, you seem to really like those, so I'll tell you what...you can keep em" he said, rubbing my shoulder and giving me a look with that same look in his eyes.

At first I didn't respond, I was shocked at first but...I knew that I'd keep them, as humiliating as it was to have to wear this in front of all these guys, I had to admit they also made me feel sexy with how everyone here was reacting to me wearing them.

I decided to wear them under my clothes later...see how Thomas will react, the thought of it made me so incredibly aroused the simple contact of Jack's hand on my shoulder was making me weak at the knees. I was in disbelief at how my body was reacting, but it felt so good, too good to ignore, so I was ready to embrace it and I gave Jack a firm nod.

"In fact, since you're being so good, you work this whole afternoon in that and I'll get Eric to take that thing off you" He said.

My eyes widened in surprise, I'd have done so regardless but now I was more determined than ever.

"Good boy" he said, giving me another firm wink and gave my ass a real hard slap as he walked behind me and said "now get to work!" he said. propelling me forward toward the other guys who all took turns lightly touching and teasing my body.

They all knew how horny it made me and took delight at teasing me so tantalizingly and yet so briefly, after that, they all filed out and left one by one until was just me and Jack, who beckoned me to follow him.

The next few hours would prove to be one of the most challenging as Jack showed me around the office, while simultaneously showing me off and parading me around the entire building like I was a zoo's latest attraction. It was mostly men around the office, but a few clerical workers were women who all did a double take at seeing me like this, yet their gaze also followed me hungrily.

Some of them even snuck in some light slaps to my ass or even a caress of my muscles across my body. It took everything I had to keep concentrating on things Jack was saying, introducing me to what I would be doing in the office.

After giving me a full tour of the office, Jack led me to the student workers office, where basically I read through student complaints and calls and forwarding them to the security officers who would be sent out to respond.

Thankfully there were only two other workers, one of them a a shorter yet average Hispanic dude named Julien and a young brunette woman named Emily. Both of them were introduced to me by Jack, and surprisingly neither of them seemed shocked at my state of (un)dress. Yet, both of them had a similar look as the others, a lingering hunger that made me full that much more exposed yet it also gave me a thrill and rush of excitement.

"I'll leave you all to it, I'll come collect you in just a few hours Sebastian...good luck" he said, then left me alone with the two of them.

'So....hey" I said, trying to break the ice.

"If you're wondering at our expressions from earlier, its because its probably tame I'm in comparison to some of the other things we've seen working here, not to mention our own...initiations" Julien said, the both of them looking away from each other at that last part.

I decided to drop the subject then.

"Alright, well regardless its good to meet some fellow student workers" I said, giving them both a reassuring smile which they took to hear, returning mine.

We spent the next few hours getting me up to speed about the job, although sometimes I noticed them looking at me in a weird way. Other times, one or both them got too close to my proximity and I swore I felt a light finger touch or two, after the first hour of that I was starting to realize they weren't new at this...

The light contact was driving me crazy, being locked in this cage for so long was making me hornier than I've been since I was a teenager. But I managed to power through it, I was determined to be rid of this thing once and for all.

After my initial training shift was over, Jack appeared as expected and he smiled as soon as he saw me. "Wow, I half expected these two to have ripped those off you by now" he said, giving my fellow student workers a look that made the both of them look away from me and back towards the computers they worked at instead.

Part of me wanted to inquire further, but I decided to cast it aside for now.

I walked up to Jack and he pulled me aside and said: "I talked to my boss and he approved as well, we both personally called Eric up at the Frat...he'll unlock that thing from you first thing when you get back to the frat, and I even took care of the other part of your punishment."

"A-are you serious?" I said, ready to jump with joy.

"Deadly. But listen kid, Eric was LIVID, he kept trying to double down on 'frat autonomy' but as soon as we threatened to take it to the Dean he backed down" he said.

"Well...regardless, thank you, Jack, this means a lot, if there's any way I can repay you-" I began before Jack interrupted with:

"Any? Well....I can think of a few..." Jack said, giving me a look that said he'd have me bent over or on my knees in a heartbeat if he had it his way.

It made my face turn as red as the outfit I was still wearing. I looked down at myself and almost couldn't believe I still had to wear this for the rest of the week at the office....but a deal is a deal, and I keep my word no matter what.

"One more thing Sebastian...I know you said James helped you out, just keep an eye on him in case Eric finds out what happened, alright? he's a good kid" Jack said.

I knew exactly what he meant, Eric was vicious and petty, and would do almost anything to get back at someone for slights both real...and imagined.

"Don't worry, I will" I said and began to talk out towards the lockers where my clothes waited for me. Before I got far, Jack gave another caress of my silk-clad ass cheeks which made me whimper just loudly enough for Jack to hear, who merely smiled and shrugged his shoulders.

I practically ran back as soon as I got away, taking off the outfit and storing it in my bag for later with Thomas, then pulling out my clothes and getting dressed. I had one last thing to do before heading to Thomas' dorm, and I smiled as I couldn't wait to see Eric's face as he took the cock cage off of me.

I left the office quickly and quietly, not wanting to meet anyone's eyes knowing they'd seen me wearing that outfit, I needed to maintain my confidence to prepare myself for the confrontation that awaited me, and sure enough, as soon as I opened the door to the frat house, the tension was palpable...

Little did I know how much more things would escalate following the moment I closed the door of the house behind me, but I also wouldn't change it no matter what.

End of Chapter 8.

Author's Note: Hello everyone! I know its been such a long time since I posted, I've been going through a lot recently but I'm back and ready to give you guys more sexy naked adventures ;)

Sebastian seems to have gotten the upper hand once more, but can he protect his friends as well as himself? We'll see in the upcoming chapters.

I hope you enjoyed the different path this chapter took, sexy outfits like the one Sebastian was forced to wear this chapter have been an background idea for a while, so please tell me if you guys liked it...if you did I'll be sure to include it in later chapters more. But until then, enjoy this latest installment!