#could those appointments have been emails

[lustspren]

D.A | NEW MAGIC WAND

Male reader x Sohyun

word count: 5.2k

tags: the wolf ears are still on, i couldn't find a decent picture of her with that outfit so there's a gif, she's lowkey upset

🔙 Previous update | 📄 NEW MAGIC WAND

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"Rory, honey, I've told you a thousand times that you can't come with me to Italy," you told your cat, who was lying inside your empty suitcase, staring at you. "You have to stay here taking care of Helios. And Sohyun will take care of both of you."

Of course, the rebellious kitten didn't listen to you. You didn't blame her. Whenever you were going to be away from home for a while, she sensed it and acted that way, as if trying to convince you to either stay or take her with you. A touch of yours under her chin made her rub her head against your hand. She was too cute to scold.

"Okay, you can stay there for a bit," you relented, standing up. "But only until I finish folding my clothes."

You were inside your walking closet, packing all the clothes you were going to take on your three-week trip to Europe. It wasn't a vacation, by any means; your plans included some IRL streams, and you'd also contacted one of your friends in Milan to buy you a computer so you could settle in comfortably and do your usual streams.

But the reason was that, for the first time, you were traveling to your hometown for business, as the new official ambassador for Prada, no less.

When the offer arrived in your email last month, you couldn't believe it. A streamer being an ambassador for an Italian haute couture brand? It sounded ridiculous. Unnatural. People in your profession didn't usually venture into that world; it was like water and oil. But when you thought about it with a cool head and looking back, it made perfect sense.

For starters, you were Italian. It might not seem like it, but it was a plus. Second, you were at the peak of your popularity and constantly on the rise (you had recently reached 10 million followers on Instagram and had close to 2 million followers on Twitch), with an audience that, while mostly casual, you knew many appreciated your tastes as much as you did. Third, your Instagram was like that of a model, since you loved fashion and your photos were perfect. And fourth, but not least, you were devoted to art. In general. You constantly talked about music, literature, films, and even painting. Besides, you already had successful collaborations in that field, such as your speaker line with Sony or your recent commercials with Sennheiser and Samsung.

So yes, you had earned that with blood, sweat, and tears. You deserved it more than anyone. Maybe your profession and the way you constantly made a fool of yourself in front of a camera didn't make much sense with that direction of your life. But the real you certainly did. The man with dreams and aspirations.

On the other hand, that trip also meant you'd see and be with the two women who ruled your world. Rina was also attending Milan Fashion Week as a Prada ambassador, and Wony was attending Paris Fashion Week as a Miu Miu ambassador. You, now a Prada ambassador, had also been appointed as a friend of the house, so you were invited to attend as well. 

However, before going to Milan, you had to make a little ‘touristy’ stop in Florence, the birthplace of the Renaissance. At first it wasn't in your plans, but a certain Aussie girl with the same taste as you for art and fashion had told you she wanted to go there to have a little fun and get to know the city. And in her words, who better than you to be her tour guide? You had done the same thing last year, when in a fit of extravagance, you, her, Hanni, and Minji went to Rome. The thing is, of course, those two nights had been... eventful, to say the least.

Dani was scheduled to arrive a day after you, which was perfect, as it gave you time to book a nice place for the two of you and make a little itinerary to offer her when she arrived. Your flight was in two days, and there you were, deciding what the hell to pack from all the clothes in your closet, which wasn't exactly a small amount. In fact, you had a feeling you were going to need an extra suitcase. What a pain in the ass.

The sound of a call on your phone made you shift your attention away from your clothes for a moment. When you took it out of your pocket, you saw it was Sohyun. You answered it and brought the phone to your ear.

"Hi Nup..."

"Are you home?!" Sohyun said on the other end of the line. She sounded upset.

"Uhm... are you okay?"

"Are you home or not?!" she insisted. You rarely heard her like that. It sounded like she was talking through gritted teeth.

"Y-yeah, but I'm a little..." you looked down at your folded clothes.

"I don't care! I'm on my way!"

Then she hung up on you. You stared blankly, still holding the phone to your ear, not understanding what the hell had just happened. Sohyun had a fansign today, from what you understood. Had she already left? Was she mad at you? It wouldn't be the first time; sometimes she behaved like your mother, and loved to scold you for every little thing. But no, you had the feeling it was something else. The approach wasn't the same. A theory circulated in your mind based on past experiences, but you hoped you were wrong.

While waiting for Sohyun to arrive, you continued pulling clothes out of your closet: trousers, t-shirts, coats, and just about anything else you liked. It was a selective and meticulous process, since you liked almost everything, and it was like choosing between all your children at once. In the end, you thought you'd made a good selection, but the process of starting to put things in the suitcase was interrupted by the ringing of your apartment doorbell.

Praying to all the apostles, you went outside and then to the door. As you opened it, a pair of berry balm-flavored lips crashed against yours before you could say anything. Sohyun had your face cradled in her hands and forced you back inside. You instinctively grabbed her waist, exposed that day by the outfit she was wearing. She closed the door behind her with her foot and pulled away to look you in the eyes.

"I hate that damn bitch! Ugh!" Sohyun growled, and without giving you a chance to speak, she kissed you again fiercely, using her tongue to attack yours.

The theory circulating in your mind, unfortunately, turned out to be true. ‘That damn bitch’ was Xinyu. Who knows what the hell she's done now?

Sohyun stumbled forward with you, causing your lower back to hit the edge of your kitchen island. You wrapped your arms around her waist, pressing her firmly against you. Her big tits pressed against your chest. She was breathing hard and deep, either very horny or very angry. Maybe both.

"Nupy, what the fuck is going on...?" you managed to mutter, but Sohyun didn't respond. Instead, she lowered one hand to your cock and gave it a firm squeeze through your fleece shorts before massaging it, knowing you'd get hard in no time. In response, you lowered both hands to her cute, firm ass and squeezed it. Those jeans definitely did justice to that beautiful piece of cake.

When Sohyun felt the outline of your hard cock beneath her hand, she pulled away and took your hand, pulling you with her across the apartment, toward the living room, taking brisk, swift strides.

"Sohyun-ah..." you looked at her from behind, sensing that she was about to explode with anger. No answers again. She was so angry that she didn't even take off her wolf ears. They looked so damn hot on her, though.

As you arrived in front of the main couch, Sohyun sat right in the middle and pulled you down by your hoodie. She didn't move you, but from the way she glared at you, you knew she wanted you to kneel. You did, and while you opened your knees slightly to lower yourself further, Sohyun quickly worked on her jeans, pulling them and her panties off her legs after taking off her shoes. Then she spread her legs, sat further on the edge of the couch, grabbed your hair, and pulled you straight towards her pretty, freshly shaved, and noticeably wet pussy.

"Mmgh..." Sohyun groaned as you stuck out your tongue and began to eat that silky, tender flesh, delicious to your taste buds.

It was strange that Sohyun would grab your hair like that. Her fingers were tangled and gripped in strands of your hair, at scalp level to make it tight. She wasn't going to let you catch a break. She didn't seem to care. When you looked up seconds later, you noticed her eyes closed, stifling moans against her puckered lips. Chances were she was sexually frustrated by something the Chinese princess had done. Poor thing.

But if your best friend needed relief, you were happy to give it to her. Especially when her pussy was so delicious, and her thighs so soft and creamy, and her face so stupidly sexy when she was horny. Hell, even those damn wolf ears were a gigantic plus that were turning you on just as much as she was.

Knowing that doing a good job would be rewarded, you put your subby skills to the test and let Sohyun do whatever she wanted with you while you ate her out. Did she pull you too hard? It was nothing. Pale, fleshy thighs now squishing into your head on both sides, making you question how much oxygen you really needed to live? You were thrilled by it.

Sohyun moaned louder, still with her eyes closed, constantly pulling you against her pussy. Her thighs had you deafened, both pressing hard, and her hips bucked up and down, grinding against your mouth and nose as you moved your tongue in ways you didn't even know you were capable of. Seconds later, her moans grew higher and longer. Until, suddenly, she lifted her hips and exploded into your mouth.

"Mmmgh, yes!" Sohyun whimpered, trembling. Her thighs were about to crush your head like a soft watermelon. "Fuck yesss!!"

Her pussy dripped with those delicious juices that your tongue collected, while you felt your scalp teetering on the fine line between staying in place and being ripped off. You were gripping her thighs, which were tense and trembling until the moment they released your head.

As soon as you moved away from her pussy, Sohyun grabbed the collar of your hoodie and pulled it up.

"Come here," Sohyun urged, her cheeks flushed and her mouth slightly ajar.

You stood up and sat on the couch, sinking as deep into the seat as possible. At the same time, Sohyun stood between your knees, yanking your fleece shorts and boxers off in one fell swoop. Then she straddled you, planted her feet on the couch, and grabbed your throbbing cock to slowly impale herself on it.

"Oh fuck..." Sohyun groaned, her hands on your abdomen beneath your hoodie as she took every inch of your cock inside her. "Just what I needed."

When she completely lowered herself and your shaft disappeared inside her pussy, you both moaned, you a little louder than her, perhaps. Her walls felt soft and overwhelmingly warm, hugging your cock from every direction and driving you crazy with the sensation. You placed your hands under her thighs, and Sohyun moved her hands up to clasp her ten fingers around your neck and begin moving them up and down.

"Do you like how that feels?" Sohyun asked through gritted teeth, squeezing her fingers in a way that was uncharacteristic of hers. She was usually quite dominant when you two fucked, but not like that. It didn't bother you either. "Do you like it, bitch?"

What the fuck. Never in your entire friendship had she ever called you that, not even when she was mad at you. It was almost as if she were talking to...

Jesus Christ. What did Xinyu do?

"Y-yes," you managed with a nod, even though Sohyun was squeezing hard enough that your words didn't come out so easily. "I fucking love it."

"Oh yeah? What if I go harder?" Sohyun did, making the acoustic space of the apartment fill with clapping sounds as she bounced faster on your cock. "What if I leave you with pelvic pain? Wouldn't that bother you?"

You wanted to say no in the slightest, but you couldn't speak. Sohyun had you pinned, silent, and giving you a ride that was leaving you breathless. You didn't even remember that you were supposed to be able to use your hands, and that you had them still under her thighs. So you raised them a bit and gripped those firm buttocks as they slammed into you.

"God, this cock feels so good," Sohyun groaned, dropping her head back. She let go of your neck to place her hands on your chest. "So good!!"

Sohyun gave a sudden downward thrust and ground against you the moment she came, in a series of violent tremors in her lower body that made you think she was going to disassemble like a LEGO brick. Her squeals echoed through the quiet living room, delighting your ears.

"Fuck," Sohyun moaned, and leaned forward to cup your face in her hands and kiss you. "Give me more, give me more!" she whimpered against your lips.

No visible exhaustion from her recent orgasm, Sohyun continued bouncing on your cock, somehow going even harder now and making you think that leaving you with pelvic pain wasn't even a joke. You moved your hands to her waist, moaning against her lips between deep breaths, trying not to run out of air with each slam of her ass against you.

Sohyun came again not long after, sinking her teeth into your lower lip as she bounced slowly but strongly. She held your face firmly, holding it still so she could kiss you comfortably and muffle her moans against your lips. When her orgasm passed, she straightened, got off you, and knelt beside you to take your cock in her hand and begin to stroke it rapidly.

"Cum, you little whore," Sohyun hissed, staring into your eyes with fire behind her gaze.

"S-Sohyun?" You frowned, confused, but strangely too horny to give it much thought.

"Didn't you hear me or something?" Sohyun raised an eyebrow, jerking you off furiously. "I said cum."

Like a submissive little bitch, you started to moan, clenching your buttocks and lifting your hips slightly. Sohyun wouldn't let you take your eyes off her, and you didn't even dare try to infuriate her more than she already was. So, with your eyes on hers, it took you a little less than a minute to cum all over her hand. But she kept going.

"S-Sohyun!" You writhed desperately as Sohyun overstimulated you, making your cock hurt like hell itself. "Stop! P-Please! Sohyun-ah!!"

Sohyun abruptly released your cock, and you were finally able to relax your hips and buttocks. Her hand was covered in your cum, and the rest had fallen on your lower abdomen and pubic area. A mess she took care of by bending forward to clean every wet area with her tongue, collecting your load in her mouth. You wanted her to suck your cock, but she ignored it and sat back on her heels, now licking her hand, an image that, combined with those damn wolf ears, drove you crazy.

You jumped up and pushed Sohyun back. She fell back across the couch, and you quickly got on top of her. Sohyun frowned and tried to wriggle away, but you grabbed her hands and pulled them above her head. After a little struggle, she stayed still. She was looking at you like she wanted to kill you, but still.

"Calm the fuck down, Park Sohyun," you said, looking into her eyes. Your crotches were touching, but that wasn't the point. "I'm serious."

"Don't tell me to...!" Sohyun tried to protest, but you leaned a little closer to glare at her. "Ugh!!" she growled, frustrated, and finally looked away.

"Are you going to tell me what's wrong or what?" You raised an eyebrow.

Sohyun's gaze blazed again, perhaps having remembered why she was there in the first place. But she wasn't looking at you like you were the scapegoat anymore.

"It's just that bitch crossed the damn line this time!" Sohyun squealed. You were supposed to take her seriously, but now those wolf ears were melting your heart. "You know how she is. One day she says she loves me, the next day she barely seems to care about me, it's so fucking confusing!"

"So...?" You urged her to continue, slowly letting go of her wrists since you knew she had calmed down.

"This morning she promised me we'd spend time together. In private. And she teased me like only she knows how all day long. All for what? So she could act distant right after the fan meeting, as if I had to beg on my knees for her damn attention!"

"And you did it, didn't you?"

"Of course I did! You know I'm weak for her."

"Aha."

"When I finally got her damn attention, we kissed," Sohyun continued, while you fixed her wolf ears on her head and smoothed down her hair. "And that bitch turned me on in less than ten seconds with her damn groping!"

"And she walked away, saying it wasn't the time and she had to do something?"

"Exactly fucking that! Ugh!"

Sohyun slammed her hand on the couch, and suddenly her eyes filled with tears. A drop fell down her cheek as her pouting lips trembled.

"No, silly, please don't cry," You cupped her cheek with your hand and wiped her tears away with your thumb. "Hey, do you want me to make you something delicious to eat? Whatever you want."

"No..." Sohyun gently shook her head. "Just cuddle me, okay?"

"Aight. Shall I get you your pants? Or do you want some of my shorts?"

"Just cuddle me like this, Ezio."

Sohyun shifted onto her side, leaving you a space between her and the back of the couch you took. You slipped your right arm under her head and wrapped your other arm around her voluptuous body to snuggle her back against your chest. Her ass was pressed against your cock, which, against your will, became rock hard again within a few minutes. Rather than being annoyed, Sohyun enjoyed it and pushed her hips back to make the contact even tighter.

"Hey, I'm just supposed to cuddle you," you said softly, your face buried in the back of her neck. "What are you doing?"

"Letting you cuddle me," Sohyun replied. "But I never said you couldn't fuck me while cuddling me."

"Do you want to...?"

"We're already naked from the waist down. We have nothing to lose."

Perfect, then. There was no way you could deny your baby wolf what she wanted, especially when what she needed was your cuddles and affection. So, after grabbing your cock, you guided it between her buttocks and rubbed it against her folds a few times before taking every inch inside her, in a single smooth motion that made her moan and grip your right forearm.

Sohyun twisted her hips slightly, making sure you were as deep inside her as possible. Her warm pussy made you moan again. You moved your left hand from her waist to one of her breasts, squeezing it over her long-sleeved crop top as you began to slowly pump your hips.

"Time to take this off, huh?" you asked in her ear, referring to her top. "It's already bothering me."

"Help me then," Sohyun gasped, and propped herself up on one elbow as you lifted the long-sleeved top over her body and off her arms. Underneath, she was still wearing a tight tank top, which you also removed, leaving her in a beige bra that was the last piece to fall to the floor before revealing those soft, perfect tits.

With Sohyun now completely naked—except for her wolf ears. They were essential—you took off the scarlet hoodie you were wearing to be on equal terms with her. Then you buried your face in the side of her neck, peppering it with wet, sensual kisses complemented by equally sensual hip movements that drove every inch of your shaft in and out of her pussy.

Sohyun took your hand and brought it to her breast for you to squeeze and massage. With your right arm, you held her close to you, gradually building up to a rhythm that wasn't too strong, but fast enough to make her body jiggle with each pump. She turned her head in search of your lips, and when they met, you kissed again.

After a few seconds, you couldn't help but go faster and faster, your left hand on Sohyun's waist and your right hand across her collarbone, squeezing both of her tits. Sohyun muffled moans against your lips, holding onto your wrist and the back of your neck until she thrust her hips back and came, fucking herself against your cock as her muscles contracted and trembled. You held her close the whole time, holding her against you to feel the warmth of each other's bodies as much as possible.

"Enough cuddling, you'll do it later," Sohyun moaned into the kiss. "Fuck me from behind."

You pulled out of her and knelt as she positioned herself on her hands and knees. From behind, the view of her with those wolf ears was even better than you'd thought. Sohyun parted her knees and arched her back, stretching her arms out in front of her head to look at you over her shoulder. She bit her lip and frowned as you thrust back into her pussy.

Holding onto her waist with both hands, you continued to move your hips at a strong, steady pace. Sohyun grabbed a pillow and hugged it beneath her head, moaning against it. You squeezed both of her buttocks and moved your hands up her back to rest on the nape of her neck, leaning forward to press her head against the pillow. Inevitably, she ended up lowering her hips, remaining in a prone bone position until she came again.

As her thighs trembled and she moaned against the pillow, you lowered yourself toward her and covered her with your upper body, then grabbed her chin and made her look at you.

"Feeling better?" you asked, looking into her teary eyes.

"Not until you cum too," Sohyun replied.

"Why?"

"Because it makes me feel good that you feel good too," her expression changed. "Wait a minute, have you had dinner?"

You chuckled and kissed her forehead.

"No, I haven't had dinner, Nupy," you shook your head. "After this we can order food if you want. I don't feel like cooking right now."

"Sounds good to me," she nodded.

That matter settled, you pulled out of her and had her lie on her back to continue fucking her pussy, with her left thigh pressed against her body with your hand and her other leg resting against the back of the couch. Now you were making her tits bounce. Sohyun took the pillow from under her head and placed it over her mouth to bite it, watching you pound her. You leaned forward again, your hands on either side of her head and your body holding her thigh in position.

Sohyun came one last time, but as you too felt yourself on the verge of climax, you continued fucking her through her orgasm. Seconds later, you quickly pulled out of her, straddled her body, and grabbed the back of her head to press the tip of your cock against her tongue, masturbating until you exploded inside her mouth.

Sohyun closed her lips around your cock as you unloaded inside her, your hands on either side of her head, careful not to knock her wolf ears off. She took every drop, and you watched as her throat forced each spurt down until there was nothing left in your balls.

After your climax had passed, you pulled out of her mouth and gently grabbed her chin.

"And now?" you gasped. "Better?"

Sohyun wiped her mouth with the back of her hand and leaned her head back onto the pillow. She crossed her hands over her chest.

"Much better," she nodded and looked up at the ceiling. "I still don't want to see her damn face, but I guess that won't go away for a while."

"I don't blame you." You reached to your left and took your phone out of your shorts pocket on the floor, then lay down next to Sohyun. She shifted onto her side to curl up against you with her arms in front of her. "What do you want to eat?"

"Hmmm," Sohyun looked at the contents of Baemin's app, where you always ordered food. "Fried chicken?"

"Aight."

You placed the order with her in less than two minutes: half-and-half fried chicken (half crispy, half with sweet and spicy sauce), garlic fries with cheese, fried rice cakes, four cans of beer, and for dessert, vanilla ice cream with honey and cornflakes. While you waited, you lay still naked on the couch playing Balatro until you received the call.

"Are you going or am I?" Sohyun asked. "Well, we both better go."

Sohyun made a move to get up, but you stopped her and shook your head.

"You stay here, silly," you said, sitting up and leaving her your phone with Balatro open. "I'll go. If you get Hanging Chad, take it without hesitation."

"And if The Wall shows up?"

"We're screwed."

You quickly dressed and went to the door to pick up what the delivery guy had brought. After thanking him, you went back inside with Sohyun, who had put on her panties and bra.

"Oh, I'll get you a sweater," you said, leaving all the bags on the coffee table for her to unpack.

Sohyun nodded and sat up, focused on your phone screen. You quickly went to your room, grabbed one of the sweaters you weren't going to bring on the trip, and handed it to her. Then, you sat down to eat while chatting about anything that came to mind. An hour later, when you'd finished everything you'd ordered, you were stuffed. The only thing left half-eaten was the ice cream, which you'd decided to save for later.

"Do you want a ride?" you asked, slumped on the couch with your hoodie up and your fingers interlaced over your stomach.

Sohyun was lying on your right, her feet up on your lap. She grimaced.

"Well, I was going to ask if I could stay here from today on," she said. "I know I was supposed to come stay in two days, but I really don't want to go to the dorm and see her."

"No, no, it's fine," you patted her calf and left your hand there. "I don't mind."

"Are you sure?"

"When have I ever said no to you?"

"I don't know, you're such a sourpuss sometimes."

"I have no idea what you're talking about."

"I'm sure not. Anyway, I think the only problem is that I didn't bring any clothes."

"I can lend you money to buy things, if you want."

"Don't even think about it," Sohyun glared at you. "I'll have Yooyeon bring me my things."

"Whatever you want," you shrugged. "Hey, will you help me pack?"

"Yeah, but let me rest the food. I feel like I'm going to explode."

Sohyun and you rested on the couch, each doing your own things but enjoying each other's company. About ten minutes later, you went to your room and into the dressing room to pack your clothes with the help of your bestie. Between all the things you had to do, it took you about two hours to finish, and when you did, you took turns taking a shower and then going to bed.

The next day, you didn't get to spend as much time with her as you would have liked since you had to stream for about seven hours and she had a busy schedule, so you didn't see each other until 9 PM. That night, you made dinner together and watched a movie before going to sleep right away since your flight left early in the morning.

The next morning, Sohyun accompanied you to the Incheon Airport, wearing a loose-fitting outfit, a face mask, and a cap, just as a precaution. She carried the extra suitcase you'd ended up needing, and you carried your backpack, your main suitcase in one hand and your grained black leather Tom Ford briefcase, where you kept your personal belongings, in the other. It was 6am. Your flight was leaving at 9am.

"Remind me again how often your cats eat?" Sohyun asked as you were about to go to the counter to check in.

"Uhm..." You scratched your temple. "When they get unbearable and demand food until they're exhausted. I've spoiled them."

"Yeah, it shows," Sohyun extended her palm toward you. You looked at her.

"What?"

"Am I going to walk to Seoul or something? The car remote, idiot."

"Ah. Sorry, just habit."

Without realizing it, you'd put the car remote in your hoodie pocket. You took it out and placed it in her palm. It was painful to entrust your Purosangue to someone else, but if there was anyone you'd trust with it with your eyes closed and the certainty that they wouldn't crash it into some random streetlight, it was her.

"Please take care of yourself," Sohyun said, grabbing your wrist. "Don't skip meals, and please get a good night's sleep. Oh, and send me pictures."

"I will, thanks, Nupy," you pulled her towards you, into a warm hug that gave you all the strength you needed to face the day. "And you take some time and cut off contact with Xinyu. You need it."

"I'll try, but you know how she is," she replied, her chin resting on your shoulder. "Can I use your computer?"

"As long as you don't do anything stupid, yes," you said, moving away from her. "The camera lens is covered anyway."

"Aight. See you later, Leone," Sohyun handed you the suitcase.

"See you later, Nupy."

You blew her a kiss, took your suitcases in each hand, and went straight to check-in, leaving her behind. After presenting your passport, grabbing your boarding pass, and handing over your luggage, you went to security to have your backpack and briefcase checked, then went to immigration to have your passport stamped. After that, there was nothing left for you to do but go to the boarding area to wait.

A couple of hours later, you had boarded and were on your way to Florence.

[greenwitchfromthewoods]

a beautiful little lie. [chapter 3] l Harry Castillo

Summary:  you are the personal assistant of Harry Castillo, a wealthy entrepreneur who asks you to go with him to his friend's wedding. there you meet your ex-boyfriend and things get out of hand

Warnings: fluff, a little bit of angst, friends to lovers (maybe?), some wine, mentioning ex-boyfriend,

A/N: my head has been having bad days lately. it took me a long time to start this chapter and I had moments of doubt whether it makes sense at all. but here it is and although it's not perfect I'm giving it to you. I hope that at least a few people will like it. thank you for reading my scribbles.

your feedback is very important to me and I want to thank you for all the reblogs, comments and likes. I secretly hope you like this story.🖤 sorry for all the mistakes

[my masterlist] [Harry Castillo masterlist] [a beautiful little lie- series masterlist]

Harry Castillo: Is everything okay between us?

You: Sure! Don't worry.

He stared at those three words with childish hope, even though his insides were full of fears and worries. You were his assistant, his friend, and he really cared about you. The situation that had arisen that evening was a bit awkward, and Harry was even ready to apologize to you for it. But maybe he shouldn't have mentioned it at all?

He breathed a sigh of relief when the door opened at the appointed time and you stepped out. The dress you were wearing beautifully accentuated your figure, which moved gracefully as you walked to the car.

“Stay.” Harry said quickly to the driver and got out of the car, then went to open the door for you. “Hi. You look stunning.”

A shy smile appeared on your lips. "Thank you. You don't look too bad either." You replied.

A few seconds later, you were both sitting on the leather couch in the back of a limo as the driver drove you through the crowded city. The silence between you wasn't unbearable, but it certainly wasn't natural. You could feel Harry's quick glances at you, but it took you a few minutes to decide to say something.

"Mrs. Kruger-Waltz should be here after the weekend. I got an email this morning."

Speaking of work, a safe topic. Harry cleared his throat. “Good. Sorry you had to deal with that today, you probably had a lot of work to prepare for.”

"Not really. I just put on what was hanging somewhere in the back of my closet. You should be glad it's not my prom dress."

You both chuckled and the tense atmosphere seemed to ease a little.

"I wanted to apologize." This time, Harry spoke up. "I made you feel awkward yesterday. That could have been very uncomfortable for you." 

“It’s fine, really.” You replied, looking at him as if you were waiting for him to finally end this conversation. “We know perfectly well that nothing will happen. You and I, we only work together.”

"Right. But either way... I'm sorry."

You instinctively reached out and lightly squeezed his forearm. "It's fine."

You exchanged uncertain smiles. In reality, you had all night to think about everything that had happened. The conclusion was simple - you had both succumbed to the moment, but luckily your brain reacted at the last moment before it became a disaster. It was comforting, because you really liked Harry and you didn't want something like this - stupid? irrelevant? pointless? - to ruin a really great relationship. Besides, Castillo was your boss, and no normal person kisses their boss, even if he looked like...

You quickly glanced at Harry sitting next to you. He looked really good in that suit that was tailored to his order. No matter if you saw him in a formal or casual version, the man always looked good, even though he put in minimal effort. How on earth had no woman ever kept him around for longer? It was a mystery to you.

"Get ready." He said as the car pulled up in front of the building. Brown eyes looked at you and after a moment he added. "If you want to leave, just say so. There's nothing keeping us here."

You nodded, feeling your stomach twist into knots.

Even though you and Harry had been to a few of these types of parties, you hadn't learned to behave yourself around the distinguished guests alone. Suddenly, the dress you were wearing looked cheap and boring, and you certainly weren't as pretty as most of the women there.

But Harry was always there, making sure you didn't get lost among the people and every now and then throwing in some funny remarks that relieved some of the stress.

“You have to come visit us sometime, Harry. L.A. will give you everything you want.” Mr. Murphy, the older man Castillo was talking to, patted him on the shoulder paternally. “And bring your lovely companion. Have you ever been to the City of Angels, young lady?”

You smiled at him over your glass of champagne. “I haven’t had the chance.” Harry shot you a quick, furtive glance. “But I trust your word, it’s certainly stunning.”

"Not like you, not like you!" Murphy laughed "I have to apologize now. I see Mr. Donovan is heading our way, and I need to talk to him."

You said your goodbyes and were alone again for a while. The party really wasn't that bad, except for a few boring speeches and weak toasts. Harry was often approached by guests, and you politely stepped aside, trying not to bother them. However, when another businessman approached him, you quickly signaled to him that you were going to the toilet and disappeared among the crowd.

The clock in the lobby showed that it was slowly approaching 11pm as you passed more and more people. You enjoyed watching them. Perfect looking, dressed in expensive clothes, adorned with jewelry straight from the best jewelers, smelling of the most exclusive perfumes. It was Harry Castillo who gave you the opportunity to see this part of the world, and you still felt like a tourist there.

"We've been running into each other a lot lately, don't you think?"

You turned around and spotted him immediately. Daniel was smiling as he walked over to you. The knot you had in your stomach the entire party tightened even more.

"Daniel!" you plastered a smile on your face, "It's nice to see you again."

The man looked around, then leaned in slightly towards you. "You're not alone here, are you?"

"No. I'm here with Ca... With Harry." At the last moment, you bit your tongue, and warmth crept up to your chest. You didn't want to continue with this lie, but the situation demanded it. "And you? Is Beth here too?"

He shook his head. "She wasn't feeling well today. It would have been better to stay home."

"Right."

You looked at each other for a moment until Daniel finally offered to walk you to the hall where the guests were gathered and where you had left Harry. You were going through all the possible sentences you could say to get rid of Daniel when someone gently took your arm.

You turned to see Mr. Murphy, who was smiling politely at you. “Sweetheart, please tell Mr. Castillo I’ll call him next week. Of course, my offer still stands—I think your boss should take you to Los Angeles with him. We’d love to have you over for dinner.”

"Of course, Mr. Murphy. I'll tell him everything. Are you leaving now?"

"Yeah, yeah. I've got an early flight and I'd like to catch a nap. These parties..." he looked around the room and laughed, "they're all for the young. Take care of yourself, darling."

He bowed once more and quickly walked away towards the exit. Only when he disappeared from your sight did you realize that Daniel had been listening to you the whole time, and now he was watching you closely.

"Are you Castillo's assistant?" he asked.

"Yeah, I am. We work together." you replied, feeling a cold shiver run down your spine. "Is something wrong?"

"No." Daniel shook his head and smiled uncertainly. "I just thought that you and him... I thought that you..."

"Oh! I finally found you."

You felt a familiar scent and a strong arm wrap around your waist. Harry. You didn't know he had been watching you since you entered the room, and Daniel's presence next to you intrigued him a little. He decided to appear next to you the moment he noticed your figure becoming more tense. He knew your body language very well.

"Mr. Castillo." Daniel nodded, greeting the man. "Again, I met your lovely companion first."

"Careful, I'm starting to suspect you want to steal her from me." Harry joked, his fingers lightly squeezing your side to signal 'I'm here with you'.

Daniel smiled again, his eyes darting between you as if he wanted to catch any little gesture or grimace that might tell him something more. “Don’t worry, I already have my own assistant. Although I assure you, yours is just as good.”

“She's the best, right, honey?”

You were so surprised by what Daniel had said that it took a split second for you to realize Harry had leaned down and brushed his lips against your temple. It was barely noticeable, but it achieved its purpose because something in Daniel's gaze changed. You could almost see his brain working overtime.

You didn't know what to do, how to escape this place. But Harry was by your side, which was a small relief. You weren't alone. The lie continued.

“Forgive us, Daniel.” Castillo spoke again. “We wanted to go home. It’s been a long day.”

"Of course. It was very nice to see you again, Mr. Castillo."

They nodded at each other, and then you felt Harry steer you toward the exit. Your legs struggled to carry you down the hallway. The knot in your stomach was so bad you were sure you were going to throw up. If bad things came in pairs, that was likely.

"He's watching."

Harry's quiet voice echoed by your ear. You turned your head slightly and looked at him in surprise. "Who?"

"Daniel." Harry replied. "He's watching us. I think he's starting to suspect something."

You blinked quickly, taking a deep breath. “Does it still matter? Murphy told him I was your assistant.”

"That doesn't have to change anything."

You stopped at the door to let a larger group of guests pass. You didn't dare look at Daniel, you couldn't. But you saw Harry's face and there was something indescribable in it. A mixture of concern, support for you, kindness.

"Do you want him to think you're just an assistant?" he asked. "Of course, you're more than that, but he doesn't know that."

"He thinks we're together." you mumbled, looking down. "Just take me home, Harry. I feel bad enough for tonight."

When he took your chin between his thumb and forefinger, you didn't even flinch. Harry gently tilted your face up to look at him, it seemed so natural that you didn't know what to say or how to react.

"You don't owe him anything." he said, his voice quiet and warm, soothing. "And you can definitely give him something to think about."

"You think so?" your voice was close to a whisper.

"Yes. That's a brilliant idea."

Harry leaned in, your lips inches apart, until you finally felt his warm breath. You didn't resist, you didn't run away. It was so intoxicating that you even waited for it. When your lips touched, you felt something incredible happen. A soft and tender kiss, just a brush of lips. Nothing that would make you uncomfortable, but it was hard not to sink into it completely.

When Harry pulled away a quiet sigh escaped your chest.

"Come on, I'll take you home."

You didn't know why you cared that Daniel Stevens, your ex-boyfriend who broke your heart, thought you and your boss, Harry Castillo, were together. It didn't make any sense at all. But lately, fate really hadn't been on your side, and every time you'd met up, you felt like you were sinking deeper into a senseless lie.

God! It wasn't even a lie at first. Just an understatement. Now everything was changing faster and faster. You were losing control of everything.

That kiss, it shouldn't have happened at all. Harry was your boss and you really liked him, but it wasn't right. But when you got in the car, neither of you said a word. The emotions and thoughts were so intense inside you that you preferred to keep your mouth shut before something you might regret later slipped out.

The car drove you home, Castillo opened the door for you again, and you said goodbye. No more words, no sign that he was thinking the same thing. Lying in bed, you almost envied him—your head felt like an amusement park in the height of the season, and he was probably already asleep.

"Please, hold the elevator!"

At the last moment, a hand held the door open, allowing you to slip inside. You gasped, “Thank you,” leaning against the cold metal wall as someone next to you shifted, then said your name.

“If I didn’t know you worked for Castillo, I’d think you were stalking me.” Daniel stood next to you, smiling nonchalantly as if this meeting was the most normal thing in the world. 

“Sorry, I didn’t see you.” You replied, embarrassed, straightening up. “At this hour, I’m a bit…”

"Yeah, I know." He finished for you.

The elevator slowly began to rise, and you were silent for a few more floors. Finally, you spoke up. Maybe too nervously, but you had to ask. “I’ve never seen you in this building before. Do you have a meeting here?”

"Yes!" Daniel smiled and lifted his briefcase. "My client is already here."

"Oh. That's good."

But when the elevator stopped on your floor and you got off, you realized that Daniel was next to you again. The anxiety in your heart grew with each step, and when you reached your desk, you heard Daniel talking to Susan.

"I got a message that Mrs. Kruger-Waltz is already here. She's waiting for me."

"Yes, please hold on a moment." Susan reached for the receiver and dialed Castillo's internal number. Soon her voice filled the room again. "Mr. Stevens is here... Yes, she's already here too... Of course. Thank you."

With a soft click, the receiver returned to its place. “Mr. Stevens, you may come in.” And then your name was called. “Mr. Castillo is expecting you as well.”

Susan smiled politely, not even realizing that you felt like she was inviting you to the gallows. But you couldn’t refuse, so you grabbed the bare necessities and headed for the glass doors, trying to remember to breathe.

The office was brightly lit, and you immediately noticed Harry, who was sitting in a comfortable chair by the coffee table. He smiled when he saw you, then nodded towards the woman sitting on the couch. She was beautiful. Long blonde curls fell over her shoulders, and ruby ​​lipstick adorned her lips. She looked like a classic beauty, dressed in a well-fitted dress.

“This is Mrs. Diane Kruger-Waltz,” Harry said, and the woman nodded politely. “And I think we already know each other?”

Only then did you remember that Daniel had come in with you.

“Yes! Good morning, Mr. Castillo.” They shook hands, and the man moved toward Kruger-Waltz to sit some distance away from her. “I hope I didn’t miss anything.”

“Easy, Daniel.” The woman laughed lightly, showing white teeth. “It was just a very nice chat for now. You didn’t tell me that Mr. Castillo was such a charming man.”

"I asked you to call me Harry." Your boss reminded her, and then he showed you the other chair.

You sat up, feeling like you had “liar” written all over your forehead, and you hadn’t even done anything wrong. But you couldn’t let anything show. As conversation filled the office again, you took a deep breath and opened your notebook, ready to write down everything that was said there.

You were an assistant after all. Castillo was your boss. And this was your job.

Shit.

☆☆☆☆

Thank you for your time.

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[toomanystoriessolittletime]

Lights, Camera, Colombia

💫  Chapter One 💫 

Summary: Ten years after he quit the DEA Javi gets approached by a production company, asking if he would like to be involved in the production of a documentary about Pablo Escobar and the drug war. When he agrees, he meets you, one of the producers of the documentary and the woman who he will spend the next months working with on the documentary and travel back to Colombia, the woman who will get to know about the side of him that he never wants anyone to see, the woman he wants to spend the rest of his life with.

Chapter Summary: Javi and you finally meet when you pick him up at the airport in Colombia and you get to know each other. And oh boy you just know the next couple of weeks are gonna be trouble....

Pairing: Javier Peña x fem. reader

Wordcount: 7.4k

Rating: T (for some flirting)

Warnings: angst, fluff, a look into Javi’s head, Javi's anxiety, food mentions, flirting so much flirting

A/N: I am so excited to finally get the first full chapter out! I tried to do as much research as possible but we all know this is fictional so just roll with it lol

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Full Masterlist // Javier Peña Masterlist // Lights, Camera, Colombia Masterlist

Flying was not something Javier particularly enjoyed. 

It wasn’t even the flying part about it, but all the rest. And most of it, the waiting. He hated to sit around and just do…. Nothing. Hell, he even brought a book with him that he attempted to read on the layover in Houston. Instead he went to the bar to have a beer.

He had been okay in the planing of this trip to Colombia. He had checked in with you, made a couple of suggestions, even though what you had planned out was already close to perfect. 

The two of you had talked quite a lot through email and through phone to get to know each other a little before spending so much time one on one. 

He knew a little about your family and that you had been working with TC production for a little over five years now. The last documentary you had worked on had won a couple of awards and after finding out about that Javier had asked you to send a copy of it to him so he could watch it. 

And you did. 

It was a documentary about how the drug war affected the whole of the United States.

And Javi had loved the way it was put together. He could only hope that this one would be just as good. 

He knew that you already had been in Colombia for the last couple of days to prepare. It was quite the schedule you worked out, but you always left enough time to relax for a day or two before moving on to the next location to shoot. 

Only last week you had gotten the confirmation that you’d be able to shoot in what was left of La Cathedral, which apparently had been bought by a benedictine order to be turned into an actual cathedral with time. And you’d also be going to Hacienda Napoles. Something he found himself excited about, since he didn’t have the chance to go there back then. 

Yet overall what he felt about going back to Colombia was anxiety. 

In the week leading up to his flight even his nightmares returned. He had to schedule an extra appointment with Margery and she taught him some breathing exercises to calm himself down. Sure, he could have taken anxiety meds, but there were better times to start looking into that then when he was about to leave the country for six weeks. 

And so he took those breathing exercises and a big glass of whiskey instead of anxiety meds. A combination that would hopefully get him over the next couple of weeks. 

His CIA contact had informed him that he indeed was still on some kill lists in Colombia. But he was told not to be too concerned, the cartels had other issues to figure out at the moment. That, and he was traveling under a wrong name. 

Also set up by his CIA contact. 

Maybe if he hadn’t been a mess back then (well… he is still kind of a mess) things with Heather, the CIA contact, could have worked out. She was pretty, super intelligent and had a killer smile. They had met shortly after he came back from Colombia and had to get to one last DEA hearing where she was sitting in. 

It was a short but intense fling they had. And thankfully they parted ways as friends which was why he could reach out to her for a favour like this. 

She also took care of the gun permit for the journey for both him and you. 

„Flight 405 to Bogota, Colombia is now ready for boarding. Please proceed to your gate“

He took a deep breath before he emptied his glass of beer. Closing his eyes he counted down from ten as he took some deep breaths, before he grabbed his backpack and walked out of the airport bar and towards his gate. 

He gave the flight attendant a small smile, her cheeks flushing as she handed him back his boarding pass before he proceeded down towards the plane, pleasantly surprised that he would fly first class. 

Not that he had much from it. 

He was asleep before the plane was even up in the air. 

Maybe the next time you were considering a new project it should be somewhere more up north. Like…. Canada or…. The north pole. 

You had been in Colombia for four days and even though people around you were telling you that this weather was completely normal and actually quite cold for the season, you were sweating like crazy from the moment you got out of bed. The humidity was not something you were used to or fond of. 

You were more of a rainy day under a blanket type of girl.

Though you could admit that there were worse ways to spend a sunset than on a hotel balcony facing the ocean with a glass of white wine while only wearing your underwear. 

You had spend the day meeting up with the film crew who would already be busy tomorrow with scenery footage and interviewing some of the locals while you would go to the airport to pick up Javier. He had told you he could rent a car but you had waved him off, telling him that you had to get used to driving in this city anyway. 

If you were honest with yourself, you were excited to meet him. 

You had talked quite a lot in the last weeks and you got to know him a little. He had opened up a little about how Colombia had changed him and that while part of him was looking forward to see how the country changed, there was also the lingering anxiety about what had went down there all those years ago. 

You were pretty sure that only a fraction of the things that happened while they were working in Colombia had been made available to the rest of the world and you hoped that you would learn a little more. Sure, there would be things he could not talk about but the journalist in you wanted to at least try to get something new out of him. 

And, of course, you knew that he was an attractive man. 

Even if he aged very poorly, which you don’t think he did, you did see the ID of his DEA badge and ID that he sent to you via mail, he would still be just your type. 

Something you hoped would not disturb your work. 

Then again, a little flirting never hurt nobody, right?

But you were going to far ahead. You hadn’t even met in person yet and here you were already flirting with him in your mind. 

You sighed, watching the sun disappear into the ocean. 

In four days you would take him to the old search bloc building and after that to one of the drug labs that he had taken down that was now a restaurant. 

You had high hopes for the next weeks and you were excited to start working. 

His plane had touched down almost 45 minutes ago and you were growing a little anxious. You hoped that there were no issues with him traveling under a cover name or with his gun. 

You were pleasantly surprised that the permits had been dealt with so quickly. 

Just as surprised as when you learned that he was still on four kill lists from new cartels that had formed in the wake of Escobars death and the downfall of the Cali cartel. 

You hadn’t told Javier yet that depending on how good this documentary did, you might get the chance to do one on the Cali cartel too. 

But that was not something you were concerning yourself about now. 

There would be a time for that in the future. 

Now, you were excited and a little anxious  as you waited for Javier to walk out of baggage claim. 

And you didn’t have to wait for that much longer, the doors opening and there he was in the flesh. 

Carrying a big brown suitcase in his left hand, his eyes hidden behind some dark sunglasses as he walked out. Since he didn’t know what you looked like, it gave you some time to take him in. He was the definition of tall, dark and handsome and if you thought yesterday that he could become a problem, you were now downright fucked. 

There was the hint of grey in his otherwise dark brown temples, his moustache trimmed to perfection. Dark, full brown hair that looked perfectly messy, as if he walked right out of a photoshoot. His pants were tight, his baby blue dress shirt, the first couple buttons open and revelling his chest, tucked into his jeans, a leather jacket covering his broad shoulders. 

If he was only half as a flirt now as he was back when he was working here, things were going to be interesting in the next couple weeks. He came to a stop, taking his glasses of and let his gaze wander through the crowd, most likely trying to find you. 

You took a deep breath, suddenly not the humidity being at fault for making you sweaty. 

„Javier?“ You asked as you walked towards him, his head turning as he heard you, a small smile sneaking to his lips as he said your name. 

„Yeah, that’s me,“ you couldn’t help but grin, stopping when you were in front of him, holding your hand out for him to shake. 

He took it, his hand enveloping yours completely as he shook it and you gulped. 

„It’s so nice to finally meet you in person,“ you said.

Going through security was surprisingly easy considering he was traveling under a false name. They checked the documents, asked what he was doing here and how long he would be staying and if he had a ticket for his return flight. 

The long part was waiting for his suitcase. It gave him time to get to the restroom to pee and then throw some cold water into his face after he looked at himself in the mirror. 

He really was back in Colombia. 

Giving himself twenty seconds to freak out about it, he threw another hand of cold water into his face before he used a shitty paper towel to dry himself up. Walking out to the baggage carousel the suitcases were finally getting thrown out, yet it took another ten minutes for his to make an appearance. 

With his backpack over his shoulder and his suitcase in his hand he finally made his way out onto Colombian ground. The airport looked a little different from how it did the last time he was here. 

Apparently Starbucks had also finally made its way to Colombia. Something he found quite weird with how good the local coffee was. 

He was still wondering about that, when he took his sunglasses off to let his gaze wander over the people who were waiting. He never saw a picture of you so he had no idea what you looked like. 

Yet for some reason pretty came to his mind when he thought of you. Even though he only knew your voice. 

He heard his name being called from his left side and he turned his head just in time to see a woman approach him. 

You. 

He said your name and you smiled and fuck if he thought you were pretty, actually seeing you with his own eyes and seeing how pretty you were? Well, fuck. 

He took your hand, shaking it once, seeing your smile light up your whole face. 

„It’s so nice to finally meet you in person!“ You said and he nodded. 

„Likewise,“ he said, cringing internally. Likewise? Really Javier?

„Was your flight okay? I had the worst turbulences on my way here. Almost kissed the ground when I made it out of the plane,“ you joked and he smiled. 

„I slept all the way through. I think the realisation that this was really happening caught up with me there,“ he said, nervously rubbing his hand over his neck. 

„I can’t even imagine how you must be feeling. Only reading about everything that happened and knowing that you were there for almost everything? Unbelievable,“ you said in awe and he was sure he was blushing. 

„Yeah. The last time I’ve been to this airport I had just been fired,“ he snorted and you huffed a laugh, starring at him. 

„Are you ready to get to the hotel?“ You asked him and he found himself nodding. 

„Follow me,“ you said and turned around and Javier found himself falling into step next to you as you led him out of the airport. 

„The car rental gave me a super tiny car but I am supposed to get a new one tomorrow. So…. I hope you fit into the seat,“ you joked and he found himself grinning. 

„I am sure I’ll make it,“ he said, winking at you as you looked up at him. 

He caught himself looking over his shoulder, seizing up every person around him, looking for a potential threat. He felt his hands getting sweaty and he reached for his sunglasses, putting them back on his nose while he took a calming breath. 

For the first time in a long time he felt the need for a cigarette.

The humidity outside was like running against a wall as they made it out of the airport building. You slowed your steps, noticing Javier was looking around, his sunglasses back on his nose. 

„It looks different,“ he said after a moment, looking back at you. 

„Yeah?“ You asked and he nodded.

„Also feels fucking different,“ he chuckled a little uneasy, trying to work through his anxiety. It had been a long time since he felt like this. You gave him a small smile, fighting down the urge to take his hand or touch him, feeling like you wanted to comfort him. 

„We’re almost there. I hope you like the hotel. It just opened this year,“ you said as you stepped inside the car park, leaving Javier to feel like he could finally take a breather, a lot less people now around him. 

„I’m sure it will be fine. As long as I get a bed and a beer I am happy,“ he said, adding „I think I underestimated how being back here would have me on edge.“

You stopped walking and looked at him.

„If at any point it gets to much, please tell me. I know you said you’d be fine, but being back here must be a lot for you. I’d never judge you if you ask for a break or even stopping this whole thing. I don’t want this documentary and being back here to be a reason that you end up hurt in any way, okay?“ You asked. 

He took a deep breath after he listened to you, exhaling with a sigh. 

„I’ll be fine,“ he said and you narrowed your eyes and he found himself smiling. 

„I’ll tell you if anything gets too much, I promise,“ he added and your eyes softened, before you nodded and turned away from him to continue to lead him to the rental car. 

And if Javier found himself checking out how great your ass looked in the jeans shorts you were wearing? Well he had to get the thoughts in his head to focus on something else than being back in Colombia now, right?

The drive towards the hotel was quiet. 

Javier was busy looking around and noticing all the changes in the city and you were busy, well, driving. 

It’s not like you can’t drive. But with living in New York City you don’t get to do it much and definitely not with being yelled at in a language you understand but never felt really confident to speak. 

Javier on the other hand was surprised how much he recognised as you drove. Then again he did spend many years driving these streets. There was something different though. There were a lot more people out on the street. No buildings were damaged from gun holes or explosions. 

It seemed…. Happier. Brighter. 

„The hotel is actually on the ground where the old embassy building was,“ he heard you say and was reminded that he wasn’t alone. He had completely zoned out. 

He looked at you, seeing how you were gripping the steering wheel tightly, muscle tensed. There was sweat running down your temples even though the A/C of the car was running on full speed. 

He got the impression that driving was not your most favourite and he made a mental note to ask and offer to drive himself later on. 

„They relocated the embassy?“ He asked and you nodded, changing the lane, blinker set to drive to the right. 

„They didn’t need a big building like that anymore and they wanted higher security, so they moved to a new build building around twenty minutes from here,“ you explained, releasing a sigh of relief as you finally saw the hotel right at the end of the street. 

Javi on the other hand was impressed by the big building in front of him that had no resemblance to the office building he had spend countless hours chasing after cartels and making numerous, oftentimes questionable decisions. 

The whole area around where he used to spend his everyday life for years was completely transformed, nothing reminding him of the familiarity he felt walking these streets everyday. The café he used to get his coffee from was gone, replaced by a flower shop. The little empanada shop he used to get 80% of his dinners from gone, the whole building transformed into what looked like apartments. 

There were big trees lining up the street. 

If Javier didn’t know that he had been driving this street daily for two years he would never think this was the same place. 

You drove around the hotel and down the street until the car stopped in front of the entrance. You turned of the engine and let your head fall back against the headrest, closing your eyes as you released a long breath. 

„Not the biggest fan of driving?“ Javier asked softly. You shook your head. 

„Not the biggest fan of driving,“ you said, before you looked at him with an exhausted smile. 

„I’m sure you want to freshen up and relax. I made a reservation at the hotel restaurant for later today so we can talk through some of the things I have planned for this week. But we only start the day after tomorrow, so… there’s no rush, okay?“ You said and he nodded at you. 

„Great,“ you nodded back before you took a deep breath and got out of the car. Javier did the same, walking towards the trunk to retrieve his suitcase and backpack. Before that though, he took his leather jacket off, the heat outside being really unbearable. 

Was this the climate change bullshit he had read about? He didn’t remember it being that fucking hot in this country apart from the time he was forced to spend time with Stechner in the jungle. 

You on the other hand schooled your face into what hoped look like expressionless once he was out of his jacket. It definitely wasn’t the jacket that made him broader, it was just… him. 

You turned towards the hotel and the valet who thankfully would park the car for you before Javier could catch you starring. You were still mezermermised by the foyer of the hotel, a chandelier that was bigger as the car that you had just driven hanging over the desk, hundreds of lightbulbs artfully arranged. 

You smiled at the woman behind the desk, having talked to her for a while the day before to get some recommendations for restaurants and bars in the closer area. You more felt that saw Javier as he followed you, a shiver running up your spine, the hairs on your neck standing up. 

It was like you could feel his eyes on you and you fought the urge to turn around to confirm it for yourself. 

In broken Spanish you asked for the keys to yours and Javier’s room and she gave them to you with a kind smile. Turning around you indeed caught Javier starring at you, sunglasses back in his chest pocket, eyes snapping up from what you were sure was your ass as he looked at you. 

„You got the room next to mine. Both are facing towards the ocean more or less,“ you said, handing him the key to his room and he nodded. 

The elevator ride up to your floor was a quiet one, both of you in your thoughts, the ding of the elevator arriving making you jump. You glanced up at him, finding him already looking at him before he stepped out and walked down the floor, you following him. 

„I made the reservation for 7pm, is that okay?“ You asked. 

„Perfect. I hope they got some good tamales. Otherwise we have to check if the place Steve and I used to get ours is still there in the next days,“ he said and you smiled a little, nodding. 

„I would love that,“ you said, stopping front of your room. 

„I’ll see you later?“ You asked, Javier nodded. 

„If you need anything, just call or knock. I’ll be researching for another project, so I’ll be awake,“ you said, opening your hotel door and looking at him. 

He just nodded again, giving you a small smile as he walked past your room and towards his own. You took a step inside, letting your head rest against the door as you heard a click when his door closed. 

Yeah. 

You were in trouble now. 

Even though he had slept through the flight, the moment he got out of the shower in his hotel room he fell asleep again. And surprisingly he hadn’t dreamed of anything. It was just a blissful two hour long nap he woke up from once he got cold, having fallen asleep with just a towel around his hips. 

With a groan he turned on his back, staring at the ceiling. 

If he felt anxiety about being here when he first got here this morning, his feelings now where…. Different. He just didn’t know how exactly yet. 

Then again he didn’t know how he felt most days. Now only the added confusion about being back in a place that plagued his nightmares came on top of it. 

And then there was you. 

When he talked to you on the phone leading up to this stay in Colombia he felt himself more and more looking forward to talking to you. The phone calls to you being the highlight of his day. He found himself thinking about what you were doing through certain times in the day and he questioned if he could be attracted to someone he had never met before. 

But then today you had met and fuck if Javier thought he was in trouble on the phone with you, right now, knowing you were just on the other side of the wall of his hotel room was a whole different story. 

You were beautiful. 

In every single way possible and he had only spend an hour with you. Part of him was scared to find out what would happened once you spend every single day with each other, but there was also a part of him, a part he forgot existed, that was excited. 

Excited to get to experience this new version of Colombia with you. 

Excited to get to know you.

He took a look at the clock on his bedside table, realising it was later than he thought. And maybe he spent a little more time getting ready, before he made his way towards your room to pick you up for dinner. 

You on the other hand did everything but research the project you had planned. Almost immediately after you took your shower you had called your friend in the states who knew about the documentary and about how much you already had started to like Javier during your phone calls. 

But now?

Holy crap this would either be a very long and exhausting six weeks or this would be the best six weeks of your life. And you needed to let all these thoughts out before you were going out with Javier to dinner. 

No. Not going out. 

This was just a work dinner. 

A meeting. 

Going out sounded too much like a date, which it definitely wasn’t. 

Which is why you did not wear the little black dress that had somehow made its way into your suitcase. You chose the light green summer dress that made your ass look great instead. 

And if you spent more time on your make up and hair?

Well you were going out to a four star restaurant. That’s why you did it.

And you really didn’t do it for the look in Javier’s eyes as you opened the door, ready to join him for dinner. 

You sat outside in the lush parklike garden of the hotel, enjoying the last hues of the sun warming your skin. All the way from your hotel room, throughout the lobby and into the restaurant you could feel Javier’s warmth next to you. 

You didn’t know his hand had been hovering behind you all the way, 

Now you were sitting across from each other, both trying desperately not to ogle each other while waiting for the drinks you had ordered and reading through the menu. 

You had ordered a glass of white wine and Javier a glass of whiskey. 

„The menu sounds good,“ he said finally and you looked up at him, his eyes still reading the menu. 

„Yeah? I don’t think I ever had any of this except the salad,“ you said, pursing your lips. 

„Really?“ He asked and you nodded. 

„Even though I travel a lot for work I keep eating what I know like a true American tourist,“ you cringed and he chuckled. 

„I could order for you? I know my way around the local cuisine. Or at least I did,“ he offered and you set the menu down with a smile. 

„I would love that,“ you said, leaning back in your chair. He gave you a small smile before he continued to read through the menu. 

„Any allergies?“ he asked. 

„None that I know of,“ you said and he nodded. 

You used the time the waiter took to get your drinks to look around the beautiful property, your eyes seemingly always landing back on Javier as he still read through the menu. 

He had changed into a simple white polo shirt and some black jeans. You knew he must have showered, his aftershave filling the whole elevator cabin, making you positively dizzy. He smelled like he looked, sexy and a little dangerous. 

„You sure?“ He asked once the waiter brought your drinks and you just nodded, listening to him as he ordered for the both of you. 

Waiting until the waiter had everything written down and taken the menu’s back with him you reached for your glass of wine, bringing it up to smell it, closing your eyes. 

You may not know your way around food, but wine? Yeah. You knew enough. 

„Can’t believe what this place turned into,“ Javier said after a while and you looked at him as he looked around. 

„In my research I learned that the old building had so much asbestos in the basement, that the renovation would have cost more than just to tore it down. That’s probably why the hotel chain got the property pretty cheap. And the location is really great. I walked toward the presidential palace earlier this week, it was so close,“ you smiled, finally taking the first sip of your wine. 

„I had a lot of meetings in there,“ he sighed and you tilted your head in interest. 

„What if I said we’re going in there next week?“ You pursed your lips and he raised both eyebrows.

„Really?“ He asked and you nodded. 

„I haven’t told you yet but I do have some meet ups arranged throughout our time with people you have worked together. And from what I gathered from talking to them before hand you were all friendly with each other,“ you explained and he narrowed his eyes. 

„I didn’t make any friends here,“ he said slowly. 

„Now I know that that isn’t true. Steve Murphy and you seemed like friends,“ you said and he rolled his eyes, picking up his drink.

„He’s a fucking pain in my ass, that’s what he is,“ he snorted before he drank from his glass. 

You chuckled. 

„I bet the two of you were nothing but trouble working together. From what I gathered from our phone calls….“ 

„Honestly, and don’t tell him that. He was the best partner I could wish for out here. We went through a lot of shit out here. But he always had my back, even when I fucked up. And I really fucked up,“ he sighed.

„What did you do?“ You whispered and he looked at you, setting his glass down. 

„I’m afraid, that’s classified,“ he winked and you laughed. 

„Of course it is. I hope I can get some insider scoop out of your on our little journey through the drug history of this country,“ you said and he hummed, lips twitching into a grin. 

„Guess you have to find a way to get your inside scoop out of me,“ he winked. 

„Oh I have my ways, Agent Peña, don’t you worry,“ you winked back before you both laughed. 

„We’re gonna start with you showing me your favourite places, or what’s left of them,“ you explained after you had the best empanadas you ever tasted as a first course. Javier, or Javi as he told you repeatedly to call him, told you a little about the work he was doing now, working as a consultant for the DEA in San Antonio.

He also told you he kind of hated his job, but had been doing it all his life and didn’t really know what else he could be doing instead. 

„I’ve been working on movies all my life really,“ you said with a shrug after he asked how you got into your job. 

„Really?“ He asked with a grin, you nodded. 

„First movie I made was to blackmail my sister after I found her kissing Jimmy Miller in our garden when our mom was getting groceries,“ you said proudly and Javier laughed with a shake of his head. 

„Remind me to never get on your bad side,“ he chuckled.

„It was her fault really, she broke my favourite toy,“ you chuckled too. 

„God, sometimes I’m really glad I don’t have any terrorising little siblings,“ he sighs, still smiling. 

„None?“ You asked, and he shook his head. 

„I was a miracle baby more or less. Mama tried for a while to get pregnant and once the doctors said it was better to stop, boom, I happened. But she was already in her mid thirties which back then was… ancient to become a mother so both her and papa decided I was enough,“ he explained. 

„Well, you haven’t missed anything without siblings. They’re kind of annoying, honestly,“ you say. 

„You and your sister not on the best terms?“ He asked and you sighed. 

„I wouldn’t say we’re on bad terms but… she’s the poster child. She went to college, married her high school love and had a baby. And because of all of that she sometimes does this thing where she tries to  tell me how my life should be going. Because that’s what’s expected, right? You get married, you have the child, or children, and you life happily ever after while your husband brings home the money so you can have your picture perfect life, right?“

„If that makes someone happy, sure,“ Javi shrugged. 

„Exactly. If that makes someone happy, they should do it. But I am not like that. I love my job. And if I end up falling in love and having kids, that man would have to deal with that. Cause I can’t see myself quitting my job go become a housewife,“ 

„I think I could become a stay at home man,“ Javi mused and you were so stunned after your little rant you could do nothing but laugh, enjoying the way the corners of his eyes crinkled as he smiled at you. 

„What? Don’t I seem like the type to stay at home, take care of the house, maybe the kids? All of that of course only after I trick someone into marrying me,“ he joked and you smiled softly. 

„I think you’d make a great stay at home husband for a very lucky lady some day. Or man. Whatever you’re into,“ you added quickly and he laughed. 

„Woman. Just women,“ he clarified quickly and you raised one eyebrow. 

„Really?“ You asked and his eyes narrowed. 

„What’s that tone supposed to mean?“ He wanted to know and you just hummed. 

„Nothing… Just…. Surprising. I would have bet you’re into men too,“ you shrugged, and he pursed his lips, bringing one of his hands up, his fingers rubbing over his perfectly groomed moustache. 

„Are you?“ He asked.

„Into men? Oh yeah,“ you winked and he huffed a laugh before he shook his head. 

„Into women,“ he clarified. 

„I think so. Like, I’ve never been with one, but if I end up meeting a woman and fall in love with her? Who am I to run away from that?“ You asked and he hummed. 

The waiter came and took your empty dishes, informing you that the main course would be served in a couple of minutes. 

„Do you…. Do you have someone at home waiting for you?“ Javier asked and you couldn’t help but smile. 

„I do,“ you said seriously and you might have imagined it, but Javier’s face fell for a moment. 

„His name is King George and he’s currently staying with my best friend,“ you said, his face changing into confusion. 

„He’s my cat,“ you clarified and Javier released a breath he was holding in a chuckle. 

„So no. No one waiting for me at home Javi,“ you smiled, „What about you?“

„No,“ he shook his head, „I think I have some issues letting people in,“ he confessed, eyes widening as the words tumbled out of his mouth. 

„But that’s not something I should talk about with anyone else than my therapist or my fictional future wife with,“ he added and you smiled softly. 

„It’s okay. I have the same problem. When you’ve been on your own for so long, it’s hard to do this step of letting someone in. Not just in your head and heart. But in all your routines, your house, your life, your  family. It’s….. The person has to be worth it,“ you said and he nodded. 

„Yeah, It’s…. It’s sometimes easier being alone than opening up to someone only to get hurt in the long run, a sentence no one at home would believe I just said,“ he chuckled to himself, picking up his drink. 

„Well I get what you mean. I rather be happy alone, than miserable in a relationship. Though I have to admit there are some things I miss about it,“ you hummed, resting your arm on the table.

„Like what?“ Javi asks, interested.

You hummed. 

„I miss cooking for someone. Which sounds dumb, but cooking for yourself feels like a chore. If I get to do it for someone else? Well that’s something else entirely,“ you said and Javier smiled a little. 

„Yeah. I hate eating fucking microwave dinners on the couch by myself,“ he said and you chuckled. 

„Exactly. Like…. I am good most times, I am happy with how my life is. I just ask myself sometimes if there’s more? Like am I going to stay alone until the day I die or is someone out there who can handle my crazy ass?“ You asked and he hummed. 

„You don’t seem so crazy to me,“ he said with a small grin and you raised one of your eyebrows, challenging. 

„You’ve meet me what? Six hours ago? Give it time,“ you nodded with confidence. 

„I’ve known you for a couple of weeks and from what I know? I think you’re an intelligent woman that loves her job and is good at it. You’re funny and between us, you’re fucking sexy as hell,“ he said like it was the most obvious think while your eyes widened, warmth spreading over your cheeks. 

You were trying to come up with a response to his words when the waiter approached, serving the main courses. Javier winked at you and you suddenly felt so hot, you were sure he could see it. 

You took a deep breath, reaching for your glass of water to take some sips. 

„This looks good,“ you finally said, picking up your fork. 

„Yeah,“ Javi said, eyes still on you with a look you couldn’t quite place. 

„Shall we eat?“ You asked and he nodded before he picked up his fork too. 

You continued to talk all throughout your dinner, though you made an effort to talk more about the trip and less about your personal lives. You were not sure why, but you felt way to comfortable with Javi and opening up to him about your life. 

Not that this was bad, you just didn’t want to dump everything on him. This was a job and once this was finished you would most likely never see him again. You would move on to other projects while he moved on doing god knows what. 

Sighing you picked up you new drink, looking up into the by now dark night sky, Javier having left to look for the restroom some time ago. 

Why were you freaking out right now?

This was a dinner. Technically a dinner with a client. 

A very attractive client who kept looking at you with his big brown eyes that seemed to hold so much longing and hurt in them that you felt like you wanted to hug him and never let go of him. 

There was so much more to Javier Peña that you thought in the beginning. From interviewing people in preparation for the documentary the people seem to respect him for the work he had done and was still doing, but were judging him harshly for everything else he did. Be it how he got the work done or how he spent his private life. 

More than once you had heard the word manwhore when talking about him and frankly?

If you would look like him, you would be one too. 

„Penny for your thoughts,“ you jumped when you heard his voice behind you, a plate of what looked like cake in his hand that he set down in front of you. 

„What’s that?“ You chose to ignore his questions as he sat down across from you. 

„This is Postre de natas. It’s a kind of milk pudding and it’s maybe my most favourite dessert on this planet,“ he said and you nodded.

„Where is yours then?“ You picked up your spoon.

„It was the last one, you should have it," he said with a warm smile and you found yourself smiling back. 

„That’s… That’s very sweet Javi," you said softly before you brought the spoon to your lips, eyes widened when the sweetness exploded in your mouth. 

„Oh this is fucking delicious,“ you hummed happily, loving the was Javi’s eyes lit up as he smiled at you. You ate almost half of it, before you sat your spoon down and pushed the plate towards him. 

„You take the rest, or I will have a sugar shock that won’t let me sleep,“ you joked and he laughed quietly before he started to eat, a long moan escaping his lips as he tasted the first spoon. 

He closed his eyes in complete bliss while you schooled your whole demeanour to not react to how watching Javier eat his dessert felt like watching porn. 

He licked his lips, humming to himself, sighing at every taste. 

„I feel like I should give you two some privacy,“ you finally found the words to tease him and his eyes dropped open, looking at you before you saw his cheeks flush a little. 

„I would say I’m sorry, but I’m really not. This might be the closest I got to having sex in a long time,“ he said, chuckling and your eyes widened, before you laughed. 

„Guess I gotta find myself a desert that’s that good, huh?“ You joked and he licked his lips, having finished the dessert. 

„Or someone to have sex with,“ he shrugged and you rolled your eyes. 

"Like it’s that easy,“ you said and he pursed his lips, eyes playful.

„The guy at the bar has been eyefucking you all night,“ he said and you were about to turn your head to look when he stopped you. 

„Don’t look. He’s not worth your time,“ he said and you titled your head. 

„And how do you know that?“ You asked and he smirked. 

„Saw his dick in the bathroom, he was next to me. Trust me, he is not worth it,“ he said seriously and your lips parted in shock before you giggled. 

„Oh my god,“ you shook your head and he grinned. 

„This is the weirdest business dinner I’ve ever had in my life,“ you still laughed, tears gathering in the corners of your eyes. 

„Well this has been the best dinner I’ve had since I can remember, so thank you for that,“ he said and your smile at him softened. 

The waiter approached, asking if you wanted to order anything else but you shook your head, much like Javi before you asked him to bill the dinner to your room. 

Both Javi and you emptied your drinks before you both decided it was time to head back to your rooms. 

You walked through the restaurant back towards the elevators, walking close by each other. You couldn’t help sucking your lip in to hide your laughter when you past the man Javi had talked about sitting at the bar, nodding at you with a grin. 

Even if he was attractive, all you could think about was what Javier had said about him and you had a hard time not bursting out in giggles all the way to the elevators. When you risked a glance at Javier he was grinning too and you both chuckled as the elevator door opened. He waited for you to step in, following you, standing beside you as you pressed the button to the floor. 

You didn’t know if it was seeing the guy, being so close to Javi or the three drinks you had but you found yourself asking „So if he’s not worth my time, how do you compare to him?“ 

You saw him suck his bottom lip between his teeth, before his tongue dared out to lick over his bottom lip. 

He was about to answer when the elevator doors opened, having reached your floor. This time he put his hand on your lower back as he led you out of the elevator, slowly walking up the hallway towards your room. 

You were already fiddling with your key when he stopped in front of your hotel room door. 

„I’e be definitely worth your time,“ he finally said and you looked up at him. 

„Yeah?“ You asked, voice just above a whisper. He nodded. 

„And not just because my dick is bigger than his,“ he said, before he slowly leaned down to kiss your forehead. Your eyes widened, processing his words as he reached for your room key, unlocking the door for you. 

„I’ll see you at breakfast?“ He asked and you dumbly nodded, before you slowly walked into your room. 

„Sweet dreams," he winked as he pulled your door closed and only then did you realise that you had held your breath. 

„I am in so much fucking trouble,“ you mumbled to yourself with disbelieving laugh, looking forward to what the next few weeks would bring. 

next chapter

Taglist (please send me an ask if you want to be added to the LCC Taglist, I only have a taglist for this series, not for all of my works)

@pasc4lfuzz// @kirsteng42 // @imdreaminghere // @greenwitchfromthewoods // @theorganasolo // @inept-the-magnificent // @maried01 // @nationallampoonlemmings // @sunnytuliptime// @desuidesu // @galway-girlatwork // @missladym1981 // @bergamote-catsandbooks

[xtruss]

Who Is Helping DOGE? List of Staff Revealed

- Feb 14, 2025 | Newsweek | By James Bickerton, US News Reporter

DOGE head Elon Musk speaks in the Oval Office at the White House on February 11, 2025. Andrew Harnik/Getty

list of 30 employees and alleged allies of Elon Musk's newly created Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has been published by ProPublica, an investigative news outlet.

Newsweek reached out to Musk for comment via emails to the Tesla and SpaceX press offices.

DOGE, a U.S. government organization which, despite its name, doesn't have full department status, was created by President Trump via an executive order on January 20 with the aim of cutting what the new administration regards as wasteful spending. Musk, a close Trump ally, heads the body and has been given special government employee status.

Musk has called for sweeping cuts to federal spending, suggesting it could be reduced by up to $2 trillion per year out of a 2024 total of $6.75 trillion, according to U.S. Treasury figures.

This ties in with Trump's pledge to "drain the swamp," a term his supporters use for what they believe is a permanent left-leaning bureaucracy that holds massive power regardless of who is in the White House.

DOGE has already recommended that the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) be closed down, with its functions transferred to the State Department. In a recent interview, Trump said he wants DOGE to go through spending at the Departments of Education and Defense.

On February 8, a federal judge imposed a temporary restraining order blocking DOGE employees from accessing the Treasury Department's payment system, resulting in Musk calling for him to be impeached.

A White House spokesperson told ProPublica: "Those leading this mission with Elon Musk are doing so in full compliance with federal law, appropriate security clearances, and as employees of the relevant agencies, not as outside advisors or entities."

The 30 DOGE employees and associates reported by ProPublica, which labeled them Musk's "demolition crew," are listed below.

Not Even DOGE Employees Know Who’s Legally Running DOGE! Despite all appearances, the White House insists that Elon Musk is not in charge of DOGE. US DOGE Service employees can’t get a straight answer about who is. Photograph: Kena Betancur/Getty Images

DOGE Employees And Associates

Christopher Stanley, 33: Stanley was part of the team Musk used to take over Twitter, now X, according to his LinkedIn profile, serving as senior director for security engineering for the company. The New York Times reports he now works for Musk at DOGE.

Brad Smith, 42: According to The New York Times, Smith, a friend of Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner, was one of the first people appointed to help lead DOGE. He also served with the first Trump administration and was involved with Operation Warp Speed, the federal government's coronavirus vaccine development program.

Thomas Shedd, 28: Shedd serves as director of the Technology Transformation Services, a government body created to assist federal agencies with IT, and previously worked as a software engineer at Tesla.

Amanda Scales, 34: According to ProPublica, Scales is chief of staff at the Office of Personnel Management, a government agency that helps manage civil service. She previously worked for Musk's artificial intelligence company Xai.

Michael Russo, 67: Russo is a senior figure at the Social Security Administration, a government agency that administers the American Social Security program. According to his LinkedIn page, Russo previously worked for Shift4 Payments, a payment processing company that has invested in Musk's company SpaceX.

Rachel Riley, 33: Riley works in the Department of Health & Human Services as a senior adviser in the secretary's office. ProPublica reports she has been "working closely" with Brad Smith, who led DOGE during the transition period.

Nikhil Rajpal, 30: According to Wired, Rajpal, who in 2018 worked as an engineer at Twitter, is part of the DOGE team. He formally works as part of the Office of Personnel Management.

Justin Monroe, 36: According to ProPublica, Monroe is working as an adviser in the FBI director's office, having previously been senior director for security at SpaceX.

Katie Miller, 33: Miller is a spokesperson for DOGE. Trump announced her involvement with the new body in December. She served as Vice President Mike Pence's press secretary during Trump's first term.

Tom Krause, 47: Krause is a Treasury Department employee who is also affiliated with DOGE, according to The New York Times. Krause was involved in the DOGE team's bid to gain access to the Treasury Department's payments system.

Gavin Kliger, 25: Kliger, a senior adviser at the Office of Personnel Management, is reportedly closely linked to Musk's team. On his personal Substack blog, he wrote a post titled "Why I gave up a seven-figure salary to save America."

Gautier "Cole" Killian, 24: Killian is an Environmental Protection Agency employee who researched blockchain at McGill University. Killian is also a member of the DOGE team, according to Wired.

Stephanie Holmes, 43: ProPublica reports that Holmes runs human resources at DOGE, having previously managed her own HR consulting company, BrighterSideHR.

Luke Farritor, 23: Farritor works as an executive engineer at the Department of Health and previously interned at SpaceX, according to his LinkedIn account. He won a $100,000 fellowship from billionaire tech entrepreneur Peter Thiel in March 2024.

Marko Elez, 25: Elez is a Treasury Department staffer who worked as an engineer at X for one year and at SpaceX for around three years. The Wall Street Journal reported that Elez was linked to a social media account that had made racist remarks, but Musk stood by him after he initially resigned.

Steve Davis, 45: Davis is a longtime Musk associate who previously worked for the tech billionaire at SpaceX, the Boring Company and X. According to The New York Times, Davis was one of the first people involved in setting up DOGE with Musk and has been involved in staff recruitment.

Edward Coristine, 19: Coristine is a Northeastern University graduate who was detailed to the Office of Personnel Management and is affiliated with DOGE. He previously interned at Neuralink, a Musk company that works on brain-computer interfaces.

Nate Cavanaugh, 28: Cavanaugh is an entrepreneur who interviewed staffers at the General Services Administration as part of the DOGE team, according to ProPublica.

Unmasked: Musk’s Secret DOGE Goon Squad—Who Are All Under 26! The world’s richest man doesn’t want anyone knowing his right-hand people who are disrupting government. — Josh Fiallo, Breaking News Reporter, Daily Beast, February 3, 2025

Akash Bobba, 21: A recent graduate from the University of California, Berkeley, Bobba works as an "expert" at the Office of Personnel Management and was identified by Wired as part of Musk's DOGE team.

Brian Bjelde, 44: A 20-year SpaceX veteran, Bjelde now works as a senior adviser at the Office of Personnel Management, where he wants to cut 70 percent of the workforce, according to CNN.

Riccardo Biasini, 39: Biasini is an engineer who now works as a senior adviser to the director at the Office of Personnel Management. He previously worked for two Musk companies, Tesla and the Boring Company.

Anthony Armstrong, 57: Another senior adviser to the director at the Office of Personnel Management Armstrong previously worked as a banked with Morgan Stanley, and was involved in Musk's 2022 purchase of Twitter.

Keenan D. Kmiec, 45: Kmiec is a lawyer who works as part of the Executive Office of the President. He previously clerked on the Supreme Court for Chief Justice John Roberts.

James Burnham, 41: Burnham is a general counsel at DOGE whose involvement with the Musk-led body was first reported by The New York Times in January. He previously worked as a clerk for Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch.

Jacob Altik, 32: A lawyer affiliated with the Executive Office of the President, Altik previously clerked for D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals Judge Neomi Rao, whom Trump appointed during his first term.

Jordan M. Wick, 28: Wick is an official member of DOGE and previously worked as a software engineer for the self-driving car company Waymo.

Ethan Shaotran, 22: Shaotran is a former Harvard student who Wired listed as one of several young software engineers working to analyze internal government data at DOGE.

Kyle Schutt, 37: Schutt is a software engineer affiliated with DOGE and worked at the General Services Administration. He was involved in the launch of WinRed, a Republican fundraising platform that helped raise $1.8 billion ahead of the November 2024 elections.

Ryan Riedel, 37: Riedel is the chief information officer at the Department of Energy and a former SpaceX employee.

Adam Ramada, 35: Ramada is an official DOGE member, according to federal records seen by ProPublica. Ramada previously worked for venture capital company Spring Tide Capital. E&E News reported he had been seen at the Energy Department and the General Services Administration.

Kendell M. Lindemann, 24: Lindemann is an official member of the DOGE team who previously worked for health care company Russell Street Ventures, founded by fellow DOGE associate Brad Smith, and as a business analyst for McKinsey & Company.

Nicole Hollander, 42: Hollander works at the General Services Administration. She was previously employed by X, where she was involved with the company's real estate portfolio.

Alexandra T. Beynon, 36: Beynon is listed as an official member of DOGE, according to documents seen by ProPublica. She previously worked for therapy startup Mindbloom and banking firm Goldman Sachs.

Jennifer Balajadia, 36: Balajadia is a member of the DOGE team who previously worked for the Boring Company for seven years. According to The New York Times, she is a close Musk confidant and assists with his scheduling.

[jessthebaker]

By the Gods

This is for the gorgeous @beefrobeefcal 's Half Bricked, Wrong Time February Prompt Challenge!

I've never written for Oberyn before, this is barely titled, no beta, minimal editing, I don't know if it's crack or serious or both, but I'm yeeting this out into the world and running away again. Enjoy!

word count 1.6k

rating: Mature (duh, it's Oberyn)

“Oh, Seven, not again.” Oberyn mutters as he opens his email and sees a message from HR waiting for him. It’s right at the very top, with the little red exclamation marks to denote High Importance. Oberyn hates those exclamation marks. They only seem to turn up when he’s done something that he deems (personally) perfectly appropriate. But HR never seems to think so.

The head of HR is a man Oberyn loathes but can’t seem to get away from. Oberyn doesn’t hate his job, rather he quite likes it. He likes what he does and he’s good at it. But dealing with HR is another story.

The HR manager, Ty Lane, is an older man with a bad case of resting grump face. He constantly looked as if, if he wore glasses, he’d be glaring at you over the top of them. Quietly, Oberyn thinks Ty looks like an angry, elderly lion.

Oberyn sighs as he skims over the details of Ty’s email. Date, time, place, all the usual. Current infraction: ‘Inappropriate workplace relations’. What else was new? Oberyn has a feeling he knows which particular circumstance this one was referencing.

Last week he had been daydreaming at his desk when he noticed you walking past his cubicle. Of course he noticed you. He found you incredibly attractive; the way you walked, the confidence with which you moved, the defiance in your eyes that said “I’m here and if you don’t like it, fuck off.” Oberyn appreciated confidence.

You were fairly new in the office. He hadn’t seen you around before about last month, yet you had already made a name for yourself though with the quality of the work you turned in. The management were impressed with your quiet efficiency and the way you didn’t overtly call attention to yourself. But somehow you demanded respect and by the gods, you got it.

On this particular occasion, he couldn’t take his eyes off your ass. You’d caught him staring, given him a wink and a little extra swish of your hips as you passed.

So how could anybody reasonably blame Oberyn for admiring such a perfect specimen of a human ass? Yours was perfect. He had to get a better look. You had practically told him to look.

And yet, apparently someone blamed him for looking. Because now he has that damned email from Ty Lane sitting in his inbox, waiting for that Read Receipt, confirming his appearance at the next mandatory workplace training.

He clicks Accept with another sigh. Then he gathers his thoughts for the rest of his workday.

At the appointed day and time, Oberyn finds himself sitting in a half-circle made of uncomfortably straight-backed chairs with a few other co-workers who, he supposed, had been dobbed in for similar infractions as he was. And...you. Why in the Mother’s name were YOU in here too? Oberyn’s mind wandered as he let himself imagine the myriad reasons you might have been called into this awful torture session.

Mr Lane was droning through his PowerPoint presentation detailing all those things you were and weren’t supposed to do in the workplace. And all the things you were and weren’t supposed to do with your coworkers. And...was that...was that? Celine Dion’s voice singing as background music?

Where does my heart beat now? Where is the sound That only echoes through the night?

Oberyn is trying to pay attention, he really is. His mind wanders again. To you. You’re just so...sexy. Confident. So perfect. So sultry as you just go about your day. The unwitting reason he’s in this room in the first place. He tries to keep his eyes to himself, but he can’t resist glancing over at you for a peek. Fuck. You’re openly watching him, not even trying to be subtle. You give Oberyn a wink and flick your eyes forward again. Pretending to pay attention to Ty’s boring slideshow.

Next time Oberyn looks over to you, he’s ready. You’re looking at him again and this time, he drops you a wink of his own. He sees your cheeks darken slightly and your eyes flash momentarily.

Where does my heart beat now? I can't live without, without feeling it inside I've need someone to give my heart to

Oberyn’s imagination strolls off again at what you might be thinking about. He only comes back to himself as he hears someone saying his name. Mr Lane. It sounds as if it’s not the first time he’s said it. Shit.

Oberyn senses a dreadful feeling of his pants growing tight. And he feels the unmistakeable tingling of his cock making itself known.

I feel it getting stronger and stronger and stronger, yeah And I feel inside Hearts are made to last till the end of time

His cock is definitely growing harder and he can feel it pulsing to the beat of Celine’s song. Shit.

Ty is speaking now. “Mr Martell, would you join us to role-play out the scenario we’ve been discussing. Please come up to the front. Your partner will be --” and he said the worst possible choice for partner: your name.

Oberyn’s brain stops briefly. His cock is at full mast and he knows it’ll be visible through the soft linen pants he prefers to wear. There’s no way he should be standing up right now, in front of a room full of people at a fucking sexual harassment meeting of all times. With YOU.

He puts on his most sincere face and attempts sanity. “Mr Lane, I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

Ty’s eyes narrow. “Oberyn, you are here and participation is mandatory. Get up here.”

“Mr Lane….being reasonable, this isn’t something you really want me to do right now.”

“Martell. NOW.”

Oberyn sighs. “Alright. Just remember, this is what you wanted.”

He stands and walks to the space at the front of the room. Ty’s attention has turned to you now as you walk up to join Oberyn, so he misses seeing the obvious tent in Oberyn’s pants. As you and Oberyn reach the front together and turn to face your audience, a gasp breaks the silence and a few snorts erupt from those watching. Oberyn’s mouth half-lifts up in a smirk.

Ty is not having it.

“People, we are all adults and we are here for a reason. Settle down, please. You two,” He gestures to the two of you with an exasperated wave of his hand. “continue. Now.”

In the scenario you and Oberyn are attempting to recreate, one employee is making unwanted advances toward the co-worker. The other is supposed to be shutting it down and ending the interaction before reporting it to HR. Oberyn expected he would be taking the role of the unwanted aggressor, given his reputation, but you surprise him by immediately starting with that role. Forcing him to take the receiving role.

“Well, hell-oooo gorgeous, how have I never seen YOU around here before? Where have you been hiding this incredible body?” You step closer and riffle the collar of his shirt, which (as usual) was barely hanging on to his shoulders due to its missing top three buttons.

He’s stunned. He can’t tell if you’re just a very good actor, or if you’re being serious. He hopes it’s the latter. His cock desperately adds its vote for the latter too.

Ty is silently shooting daggers at Oberyn as he tries to catch up and deliver his expected lines. “uh, why, hello, I don’t really -”

You continue as if he hadn’t said a word, and take another step closer. “You know, it’s really a shame we don’t work in the same department. We could be spending a lot - more - time - together,” as your first two fingers walk down the front of his buttonband and pause just above his waistband.

Oberyn didn’t think it was possible but his cock is growing even harder. You’re up close in his space, he can smell the scent of your hair, and the gleam in your eyes is practically shouting at him to bed you. He’s so hard it aches. He can’t think straight. What have you done to him? He’s supposed to be the office rogue, but here you are practically fucking him with your eyes in front of a room full of people.

He takes a breath. Finds his control. Takes a step back and grasps your hand and gently moves it back down to your side.

He says the lines expected of him, “This is neither the time nor the place, and I’m afraid you are making me uncomfortable. Please stop.” His voice is serious, but his eyes are locked with yours in flirtatious challenge. His hand is still holding yours and he’s making no effort to let go now that the act is over.

You’ve both fallen silent, standing stock-still, your eyes are still locked onto each other. A frission passes between you and suddenly the tension ebbs as Ty’s voice floats out as if from a distance. “Finally, thank you. You may sit down now.”

You and Oberyn startle back to your senses with Ty’s voice. Your glance flickers down at Oberyn’s crotch and his cock jumps in response. Oberyn squeezes your hand with another smirk. You take the obvious invitation and practically drag Oberyn out the door by the hand. You’ve both bolted so quickly that the door slams and bangs back open, swaying with the breeze of your passing.

Ty stares after you, dumbfounded, while the remaining participants in the room are giggling and whispering amongst themselves.

Poor Mr Lane. He can’t decide whether to follow you both and start proceedings now, or let you get it out of your systems first. He shakes his head and shuffles his paperwork before sighing to himself, “fucking Martells.”

[tojisth3rdwife]

⚠️nsfw/mdni⚠️

Kento sucks toes.

He is a certified ✨TOE SUCKER✨. Not just for any woman though. That service is reserved only for his beautiful, sexy, and irresistible wife. He loves your feet. And your fingers. And your hands..Especially if you have a fresh mani/pedi??????????????

Seeing as how he literally worships the ground you walk on as much as he can, it makes sense.

He’ll just be at his desk texting you. Having casual conversation about work and what would be for dinner that night. When he remembers that you had a nail appointment today, he’ll ask you to send him pictures of your manicured nails and freshly painted toes, almond skin glistening from the massage you just got. His bottom lip always finds its way between his teeth as he tilted his head, narrowing his hazel gaze on his phone.

Your skin is flawless, almost holding a golden luster in the light when you moved. Your pretty hands shifting between the back of it to your palm as you showcased the nude pink medium length coffin shaped nails with wispy white designs on your ring finger, accenting the glittering diamond nestled a centimeters below. The elegantly painted cursive ‘K’ on that nail does not go unnoticed and suddenly his slacks feel too tight against hls crotch and he leans back in his rotating chair. His palm resting over the swelling bulge at just the thought of twirling his tongue over each digit to taste your pussy after he told you to play with it while you gave him head.

Then he swipes over to the next set of photos showcasing your toes. Perfectly shaped and delicate looking, your nude pink/ french tipped toenails sparked all kinds of ideas in his mind.

Fuck, your feet were so beautiful. Maybe it just because they were attached to you that he found them so attractive but...

He wanted to see them pressed against his dick in his slacks while he kneeled before you. You’d be seated at the edge of the bed and Kento’s lips would be busy peppering kisses down your smooth legs. His gentle fingers would skim down with him, leaving goosebumps in their wake as he arrived at your ankles. He would always look up at you with that dark gling in his eyes before lifting your dainty foot from his lap to his mouth. Sucking each toe and telling you in his chocolate coated voice how pretty they are and how good they feel in his mouth.

He wanted to drizzle dessert toppings over your entire foot and run his tongure over it until your skin was clean.

And that was just the beginning.

A swift knock on his office door has his far away gaze lifting to the face of his colleague, who just had to ask him something that could have been sent in an email or a teams message. But Kento was slightly grateful for the distraction.

His dick was HARD, he had a toi much work to do and you were too far away to take care of him. So with great effort, he stows those thoughts in a place he could reaivit later. When he could have you all to himself to do whatever came to mind.

Do with that what you will....😌✨

a/n: the way id let this man suck whatever part me of me tho.......

[chososwifey24-7]

Handsy

Synopsis: You wanted to go get a fun little skull tattoo to have fun for the spooky season. When you walk into the tattoo parlor, the last thing you expect to see is a sexy man. And he doesn't expect to see such a pretty girl.

Cw: nsfw, mdni, needles (tattoo gun), smut, public sex, fingering, fondling, nipple sucking, cum eating , slight aftercare.

You'd always wanted a tattoo. You have piercings so a little needle and ink wasn't anything to fear right?

You'd looked and looked at designs and one stood out to you. Not only because it was close to halloween, but it looked esthetically pleasing. Just a small little cartoon skull.

It looked like something you'd doodle on your calculus papers in college. Just about the size of a quarter, slightly bigger. It wouldn't take terribly long, and it was cute.

Calling the tattoo parlor and setting up the appointment was the easy part. It couldn't be much harder to walk in and get that tatto done, right?

At least that's what you told yourself as you entered the tattoo parlor the day of your appointment.

You looked around the shop, everything from pictures that people made to bug cases filled with all kinds of jewelry. From earrings to nose ring to belly button rings to nipple piercing. Any piercing you could imagine was there.

All the equipment, all of the jewelry, all of the showcasing of things they had really made the place look cozy.

You could hear the faintest sound of music from possibly a room in the back. It sounded like rock music, but you could only pick out the guitar, so you weren't one hundred percent sure.

That's when you heard the footsteps approaching, and a boy with salmon her walked out behind the counter along with another salmon haired male.

One was much taller and more muscular, with tattoos lining every inch of his upper body. The other boy looked smaller, still muscular, but more bright.

"Heya! Welcome in. How can we help ya?"

They younger, smaller, boy said with big shiny eyes. He looked sweet. The guy behind him looked through some of the stuff upfront before quickly leaving back to the back.

"Oh, I had a tattoo appointment scheduled today. It's with Choso? I believe that was his name."

The boys' face lit up immediately, and he waved you into the back.

You followed him and eyed all of the displays on the walls, looking at some of the designs and some of the different art pieces. Not all drawing, but crafted by hand. It was esthetically pleasing to look at .

As you made it to the back, there was a man sanitizing a table and pulling out different items. Two, almost, buns sat atop his head. Hair was sticking out, and honestly, it pulled together his style.

He had a tattoo running over the bridge of his nose and sleep deprived eyes. Everything about him just screamed hot and emo.

Not that it was bad, but rather sexy and alluring.

The young boy with pink hair called out to the man in front of you.

"Yo! Choso, your appointment is here! Thought I'd bring her back for ya."

He said with a chipper tone and a happy attitude. His smile truly was quite bright. You wondered what a kid like him was doing in a shop like this.

"Oh, thanks, Yuji."

His baritone voice struck your ears like his voice was a call. It was almost like a call just for you, but that had to be crazy right?

When he looked at you, you watched the way his pupils dilated. His mouth was hung open slightly, and he just looked you up and down.

His gaze made you feel hot, but you soon shoved those feelings away. He was just your tattoo artist for christ sake.

He patted the seat you'd be in and gave you a gentle smile, and you hadn't even noticed you'd been standing there for a hot minute. Yuji was gone and Choso was worried he had frightened you.

"Come on over, I don't bite, I promise."

He said with an ever so gentle chuckle. You gave him back a small smile and went to go sit down.

"So you emailed me what you'd like as your tattoo, but you never actually told me where you'd like it."

"Well, you see, I wasn't sure, but I'd think it'd be super cute if it was just right on my ribs, maybe up closer to my right side of my... chest."

You hesitated slightly, saying chest, and he gave you another small laugh.

"No need to be shy. I've given some people a tattoo right above their ass before. Saying 'boob' won't kill me."

You nod again and bite your lip gently. Before taking a deep breath.

"Well then, I'd like to have the tattoo on my ribs just to the side of my right boob, so not on it."

He nodded and got to work, getting some of the ink and sanitizing stuff.

"Alright, that makes more sense. But for that, I'll need you to remove your shirt and your bra, please. I'll go close the door so we have privacy, and don't worry, everyone around here knows to knock."

You nod, and as you face him, you notice maybe you're not the only one embarrassed. A light pink dusted Chosos cheeks, and he tried to hide it by turning away.

Taking off your shirt and slowly unclasping your bra, you finally got everything off. You laid down on your side and waited for choso to come back.

As he approached the chair, he slightly leaned back to the top half so that you could fully lay down on your side. His face still dusted pink, and his eyes respectably looking at the ground.

He put on his gloves and put some numbing ointment over the area of wear the tattoo would go. After that, he waited for it to dry before he sat down.

"You'll feel my hand on your hip when I rest it. Besides that, my other hand will be on the tattoo gun, and we'll get this done soon. Of course if you're alright with that?"

He says, his sweet voice hitting your ears once more. You simply nod and he chuckles.

"I need words."

This felt more intimate than it needed to be. Maybe this wasn't the right call? Maybe you were just overthinking, but this man was just so fine. You couldn't help but take in a shaky breath before exhaling and answer.

"Um, yes, yes, that's alright with me."

You stuttered out, and he gave you a gentle pat to your hip. Before starting up the tattoo gun and getting to work.

The tattoo hadn't taken more than about thirty minutes for how small and simply it was. Choso just wanted to get all of the details correctly. He sighed as he finished and put over a protective cover.

You had turned over after he finished trying to readjust without even thinking or remembering that you hadn't had a shirt on this entire time.

Choso flushed red as he cleared his throat and looked away.

"Damn."

He muttered under his breath, but you had heard, and you looked at him surprised. Before that face had turned to a sly smirk.

"Do you find me attractive choso?"

You said with almost a haughty tone. He looked at you and nodded.

"Words, choso."

He licked his lips, eyeing you up and down. Seeing you like this made him hard just thinking about the things he'd do to you.

"Yeah, I find you sexy, not just hot."

You hum in approval at his words and eye him to and down too to gauge his reaction to your body language. You may have just met the man, but holy did he look like a satisfying fuck. Looked like he could please you good and well.

"And if you'd allow me permission, I'd love to show you just how sexy I find you."

You nodded, and with that, he was on your lips.kissing them like a mad man, and his hands reached down and fonfled your breasts, gently on the right because of your newly placed tattoo, but he still gave you the attention you deserved.

His lips soon found your neck and your collar bone and soon your breasts.

"Oh fuck,"

He spoke in-between kisses to the valley of your breasts.

"Ever since you walked in here, you caught my eyes, and damn baby, I needed you like this."

Those are the words that left his lips before they were attached to your left nipple. His mouth sucking like he hadn't had a taste in years. Your back arched, and he grinned against your nipple.

One of his hands gently snakes down to the heat between your legs. Your cunt throbbing for more and you moaned for more. Craved his touch.

"Choso please."

You begged. You needed not beg anymore because choso delivered in an instant.

Undoing the sweats you were in, he snaked his hand into your underwear and began to messily rub against your soaked clit before traveling his hand down to your sopping hole.

Two fingers entered you and began to thrust into you violently. His mouth now moved over to your right nipple sucking and looking up at you.

You moaned, almost a little too loud, so choso ever so gently placed a hand over your mouth as you both continued.

Choso had begun to rut his hard on against the chair, and he moaned whilst giving you the attention you craved.

But when his fingers had curled just right and hit your G-spot, you almost came undone right there, the knot that had been building in your stomach so close tosnapping.

No, that's not what did you in. It's when choso began to whisper dirty thing into your ear while his palm grinder right against your clit and his finger hit your spot just right that you came undone on his fingers.

You moaned into his palms while he dang praises of good girl, andsweetheart, into your ear with that deep voice. He wiped the tears from your eyes with his thumb and gave you a gentle kiss on your cheek.

Removing his hand, he placed his fingers onto his tongue and groaned with satisfaction. Tasting your essence and your cum was just wonderful. Euphoric even.

He had grabbed a few worm paper towels and wiped you down gently before helping you get back into your bra and into your shirt.

"What about you? Don't you need to get off?"

You ask gingerly almost concerned that he wouldn't be able to get off on his own.

"Don't you worry, the sight of your face and the taste of you will linger long enough for me to take care of this problem."

He leaned in close to your ear and whispered what he was going to say next.

"Next time, I'll have you on your knees to assist me."

"Next time?"

You ask with a burning hot face. He just nodded and handed you a slip of paper.

As you walked out of his tattoo room, he gave you a gentle slap on the ass and blew you a kiss. You reached the front desk and were met with Yuji's bright smile.

"So how was everything?"

He asks with that happy go lucky tone, and you just give a smile and tell him it was great.

The tip you left was enough to show. And the number you left with. Was even greater.

[am-i-the-asshole-official]

AITA for going off on a tattoo artist for giving me the wrong mandarin letters?

Context matters a lot here. I (23ftm) recently lost my partner to cancer. They were the love of my life and I dropped everything for them- I moved states away from my family so that they could be more comfortable in a dryer climate, I made sure to be there for them through thick and thin- the works. My family, though sad, were okay with it since I had never been so passionate about anything before I met them. Losing them has been nothing short of miserable.

They were Chinese and had a very strong connection to their language and culture, so I wanted to get a tattoo that translated to "My angel, my love" with "my angel" being on the top and "my love" being on the bottom onto my arm. I wasn't able to learn any dialects from them while they were alive since things had been so busy, but I thought maybe at least I could start with this.

So, I went to a local tattoo parlor that had a Chinese tattoo artist (I hope it isn't racist to assume, I've heard him speaking in Mandarin on the phone) and asked to get the translation tattooed. He seemed genuine and we got to work with choosing a font, the right location, and scheduling an appointment. It was very professional and I was really glad that it had gone smoothly since if it hadn't, I'd probably just give up entirely.

A week passes and I get my tattoo. A bit after as we're talking about it, I mention that I got it to commemorate my late partner, whom like I said I consider to be the light of my life. When I mentioned that, he sort of paused and had this look on his face, like when you realize you forgot something really important. He shook it off though and we got back to talking, but things seemed obviously more awkward now.

When I went home I sent a picture of it to my partner's family, and immediately they picked up that something was wrong. They didn't tell me what it had actually translated to, but it was apparently very inappropriate and disrespectful.

Needless to say I was breaking down. My partner had died, I was struggling with depression and fatigue from handling a lot of the funeral procedures, and overall that had been the straw that broke the camel's back. This is where I may be the asshole. I drove back to the parlor shop and found my tattoo artist, and I didn't get physical, but I had definitely wanted to. I was yelling at him, screaming about how he was a horrible shitty person, the works. He argued back that I should have at least given him a reason for the tattoo, since he gets white people coming in all the time asking for dumb stuff, but I shot back that he could have at least told me what he had done when I did reveal why I got the tattoo.

Again, I didn't get physical, but they did threaten to call the cops on me if I didn't leave since I wss making a scene, so I left and later emailed that I had at the very least wanted a refund, since they didn't even give me the tattoo I wanted. I still haven't gotten a response yet.

My family (both biological and in-laws) are very conflicted over this. Some of them think that I could have dealt with it a lot better, while others think I should have threatened them with a lawsuit (obviously there's inbetween opinions but those are the main two extremes). I can't afford a lawsuit considering I'm already dealing with the funeral funds like I said, but I don't know. I don't even know if yelling at the guy made me feel better or worse- it was an in-the-moment response to be sure.

So, with more context, AITA for yelling at the tattoo artist who gave me an inappropriate tattoo instead of the one I really wanted?

What are these acronyms?

[missmarveledsblog]

Flumpy ( Jake seresin x Reader ) Part 12

summary : rough morning in work for our girl with an unlikely admiral coming to the rescue while the guys find a nickname for her , also starting her birthing classes in a nice of town leading her to not only see a familiar face but make a new friend and well have some fun with the other snobs of the class

warnings : none really, pregnancy and it hormones , ok well the grammatical errors and spelling mistake more of a filler part

previous part

“ you know when the words she got an animal came from your lips i didn’t think it would be followed by a pitbull named peanut , honestly I was thinking she finally stole one of those duck” rooster snorted . 

“ as much as i hate the way these words are coming from my lips right now but  i agree with bradshaw but also bob kinda told me last email he sent  little guy is only a pup and he was so skinny too “ nat  smirked only wishing she could of see jakes face when he spotted peanut first but knowing y/n she would definitely get to see it . 

“ yeah so we got a dog now and the hard decks new mascot oh  she and guys sent care packages mine will have more pictures well sonograms of the baby , she making everyone wait  til i’m home til we find out the gender , javy did say she was tired alot and sick a good bit which honestly makes me feel useless  wishing i could help and be there but he also said that everyone’s taking care of her even kyles been hanging out in the hanger any chance he gets to help out never thought i would say this considering i punched him and kicked his ass in the start but he’s a good man “ jake chuckled. 

“ yeah who would of though nat would be in love with the guy she also punched in the hard deck parking lot” rooster almost fell over laughing. 

“ yeah he was a dick at first but like all men it was a stupid front , look at us all now a year and half later , jakes engaged to y/n and she’s having his baby and they have a dog” she laughed. 

“Hey i live there too dogs mine too “ rooster said easily. 

“ he is cute he’s a little thin but she said he was worse then that” he said knowing he would of definitely would of done the same probably would of kicked the guys ass .   “ there’s still time for her to get that duck actually i better try get javy make sure we don’t come home to a zoo” jake eyes widening knowing it was now a possibility. 

 “ we both know she would just bat those pretty lashes and you would melt and be all like of course darling whatever you want baby” nat imitated his accent . 

“ she’s not wrong , my friend you are as whipped as they come” bradley chuckled . 

“ says the one what is doctor love” jake smirked as rooster fell . 

“ that was one time man i’m not getting to live that one down” he huffed as they headed off ready to get another day of training done with . 

One month and three weeks down she was getting into a small routine  , each morning she and peanut would have their breakfast ,  the two would head to doggy daycare and work  then she would do her normal routine only with the guys joining more ,  they  would cook , play games even work out a little , she still helped payback with cooking but now it was them all doing it to which she was shocked at who had skills and who didn’t by end of the first night fanboy and coyote were told they were on chopping duty while bob and payback where allowed near the stove and oven  and kyle well he was happy with being the  official taster .  then when it came to going to her appointments  her dad would collect peanut from doggy daycare to which she was suspecting the man was carrying extra treats around with him .  She was now nearly a month and half til jake got home Slightly Insecure as bump was growing more it was huge by any means But it was enough To alter her body  shape in away she wasn't used to or  Could of just been in her nead but the insecurities creeped In now she was sitting waiting before work Crying in her overalls because well they didn't fit . Just as she got herself off the ground an unlisted number rang sending her hurdling to the her phone she tied Herself as quick as she could hitting The answer. 

“ hey whats wrong” jakes brow furrowed taking in her tear filled eyes And little red nose . 

“ im fat i mean so fat i cant fit into my overalls” she cried standing up to show him turning The camera to the full length  mirror ,  only to hear him chuckle . 

“ baby you ain't fat Your beautiful  and carrying my baby those overall just make it look cuter “ he smiled. 

“ on Plus side my boobs did get a lot bigger the intern nearly fell over looking at them “ she smiled only took couple of sweet words from her man to make her feel a little better . 

“ yeah i notice that too Not Gonna lie saw It before i saw the teary … Wait what you mean men are tripping over Your or should i say my boobs” he arched His brow. 

“awh jake sweet jake they gonna be the babies boobs the Moment they're  born” she snorted just as peanut came zooming into the room . “ look who’s also getting fat “ she beamed turning The camera to show the now healthier Looking puppy at her feet tail Thudding Off the side of bed as she sat down talking away filling him in on the fun she been having with the guys but of course she was missing him more and more also made him promise to hug roo and nat for her .  getting to stage after he hung up as much as she love seeing his face it made her miss him , miss them all so much more as much as guys tried they were all starting to feel the absence and what made it worse was the stupid birth classes admiral simpson and his lovely wife have gifted her which  were starting  that afternoon .  least she wasn’t going to be alone her father was going with her ,  it was better then walking in and well looking like the loner who the teacher would have to partner up with and it wasn’t like she could be like oh can we trade partners . Her dad was so excited it was actually so cute how he wanted to help her out and how excited he was over fact he was going to be a grandfather something she would of never see coming but then again she never thought a year and a half  nearly two years after coming to san diego that she would be actually in this position. 

“ hey  bumpy “ javy called the moment she walked into the hanger. 

“ huh? Oh like flumpy but pregnant version … no “ she rolled her eyes. 

“ we’re still working on a nickname , we can’t call you pretty girl or hotstuff , phoenix and rooster already told us and well flumpy is you and jakes thing but we will get their maybe brainstorm it first” bob smiled softley . 

“ ugh your adorable “ she cooed heading over to see her intern already messing at the engine she was working on , making her almost jump out her skin to get him away .  

“ maybe we could call her grumpy “ fanboy snickered. 

“ maybe i’ll throw this wrench at your head” she called back . 

“ maybe we can brainstorm it a little longer” he winced . 

“ ugh stupid stupid … not you kid” she added starting to feel her eyes welling up. 

“ y/n are you crying?” payback called. 

“ no … my eyes are leaking” she sniffled wiping them quickly . 

“ mitchell is everything ok ?” admiral simpson asked  hearing as he passed by. 

“ i’m fat and this kid is well not the brightest blub , i miss everyone and i want a burrito “ she cried out making them all stand looking at her . “ no i look like a nutcase” she cried harder. 

“ come on mini mitchell” admiral simpson extended his arm out . “ someone get him out  away from the engine “ he whisper yelled following her out.  

She felt ridiculous  and well maybe she was losing it and didn’t help she felt both nauseous and hungry. 

“ without sound inappropriate you are not fat , you are great shape giving your condition “ beau simpson coughed out. 

“ thanks sir sorry this is totally unprofessional” she sniffled slightly waiting for him to tell her to not come back in probably send her home til she popped the kid out . 

“ burritos in the canteen if you want on i think i can persuade them to give you one earlier” he said nudging her shoulder was like a older uncle trying to be cool with the kids the way he was acting giving his usually stiff by the book approach . 

“ nah me and ed are tight he makes sure to put extra aside for me , plus  i probably wont keep it down” she sighed softly. 

“ deployment isn’t easy i can see giving the circumstance if you can get more call time “ he offered . 

“ sir think you called enough favors for me “ . 

“ well my wife is very fond of you and giving the difference with me and your dad well i still think of you as a niece of sorts “ he shrugged. 

“ nice to have some still alive” she began crying again only for her dad to walk out of his office confused. 

“ everything ok ?” he asked. 

“ my uncles keep dying” she cried out . 

“ she have a rough morning “ beau winced. 

“ i’ll take it from here .. thanks beau .. come on princess” Mav guided her back into the office. 

“ thanks admiral simpson don't die” she called out before the door closed. 

She went straight to the sofa the moment she stepped foot into the office as her dad sat on  really already done with the day that not even started fully. 

“ what’s wrong kiddo” he asked holding her to his side.

“ i miss jake , i feel fat i wanna eat but i’m gonna throw up , now i’m sad over dead people and well my overall don’t fit” she sniffled . “ probably gonna be fired for being a nut job and i called  the intern stupid and feel bad” she added. 

“  missing people deployed or well dead is normal , being pregnant and dealing with all this isn’t easy and well  i’ve seen the kid he didn’t know which wrench was which so it’s not totally uncalled for i’ll see if we can sort something out and  penny made me bring crackers to work in case your were sick so let try those bad boys first and we’ll try harder stuff later and for the overall  can be let out” he smiled rubbing her back as she settle down. 

“ penny is seriously perfect for you” she settled on sofa even more enjoying the relaxation of her father rubbing her back giving it was starting to hurt lately . 

“ speaking of penny is going to collect peanut from day care and we will get him after the classes  , last time i was at one was when you were in your moms belly and now i get to be there  for you” he smiled . 

“ stop being so cute i’ll start crying again and well my eyes hurt and i wanna nap” she sniffled. 

“ why don’t you look i got a meeting soon and it gonna be an hour rest your head and i’ll wake you we can try the day again when your awake” he said softly already seeing her eyes closing . 

“ for once i’m not going to fight against the special treatment hell call me the teachers pet “ she yawn laying down feeling something covering her not bothering to open her eyes to see the blanket . 

Pete mitchell never move So quietly Out His office ge was usually rushing to get into it only See beau simpson Standing there. 

“ she asleep?” He asked peering In. 

“ out like a light might help hormones at big high today” he grimace . 

“ honestly my wife was worse Apparently She almost traveled to the area we were stationed at , no i was gonna honestly let her use my office” he smiled . “ the dagger squad Was right she does have a way Of getting People on her side huh? “

“ she been like that since she was a kid , i mean charlies dad this guy a stone cold man who well wouldn't smile for god himself  then an afternoon with y/n mans still smiling to this day” he chuckled . 

“ she would of been a good admiral she got the head for it  and she can be a bossy as one and she’s a flare for dramatics ” beau nodded as two went down  to get  to their meeting. 

The nap done wonders  , she was a lot calmer and well more herself when she joined them for lunch even after she was more patient actually showing her intern luke how to fix the engine instead of causing more problems then she was standing in the parking lot out side some building one she know had community activity classes like yoga and stuff it was in nicer part of town too watching the women going in better dressed while she had her adam sandler fit  and sad fact most of clothes were jakes .  her dad the traitor even showed up nicely dressed making her glare at the man as he walked towards her. 

“ what i do?” 

“ i look homeless more homeless then i did when i arrived to san diego “ she huffed . 

“ hey your my kid you could were a black sack and it would look gorgeous come one i need to take notes” he said as they two entered the building the woman at the counter was more interested in her dad to even notice she was there and she could of sworn she heard someone call her a  sugarbaby passing by .  the moment she stood into the room all eyes where on her most almost sizing them up looking between her and her dad already drawing a conclusion  of the situation .  one woman had  warm smiles on  her face so she went their way  . 

“ hey first day ?” the woman asked. 

“ yeah hi i’m y/n and this is my dad  pete mitchell “ she smiled holding her hand out. 

“ lila and this is my brother in law luke”  the man turned as she was looking at the deer in the headlight reaction on her interns face. 

“ you got to be shitting me hey kiddo” she laughed . 

“  you both know him” lila asked confused. 

“ i’m interning under y/n  , so she like my temp boss, lila is married to my sister she’s currently deployed with  rest of your squad “ luke explained . 

“  well just cause were in the same group doesnt mean i’ll go easy “ y/n teased . 

“ you go easier on me being your interns been fun .. well sometimes” he chuckled . 

“Well park those butts and stick with us the other are….” lila stalled trying to be polite 

“ assholes , snobs  i mean i could go on “ luke finished .

“ ok everyone sit down and we can begin … oh two new faces hi “ the woman called walking in the door . 

“ another gold digger great” she heard one woman mumble. 

“ hi my name is y/n this is my pookie  guess you know why were here “ y/n put on fake smile and sweet voice. “I ask for prada and his ears must of been acting up giving his age ” she added as room went silent. 

“ ignore my daughter she thinks she is a comedian , i’m just standing in while her partner is deployed … oh i’m pete” he smiled awkward seeing some faces of relief , the teacher and their new friends suppressing their giggles. 

“  yeah he’s my dad not my sugar daddy that ones someone in a classified location” she sat giving luke a high five. 

“ well what an introduction , lets get ready for today’s lesson guys , my name is melanie and i’m looking forward to having you in my class” she smiled .  

“ i think you and i will get on just fine” lila whispered . 

“ hey dad look i made a new friend already” she giggled .

part 13

taglist : @harrysgothicbitch @djs8891 @darksparklesficrecs @emma8895eb @sarah-bear706318 @katiemcrae

[sxvual]

Felicity • s i x

a/n: sorry you guys didn’t get yesterdays chapter but surprise!! double update tonight because you guys are great, i love you all 🤍. sorry this one is pretty short but it’s a filler. Surprise though next chapter xx

DMs always open 💌 !

cw: none

word count: 3.3k

Late in the afternoon, Roman collapsed onto the nearest couch, freshly showered but far from rested. His mind wandered, reflecting on recent choices as he sat there, feeling the weight of them.

The tension with Tianna still lingered, but it was overshadowed by how quickly he’d managed to get her out of his life, his baby now in his arms. She’d tried to argue, but Roman shut her down swiftly, slipping a thick wad of cash into her hand. Her words died instantly. Roman knew the money was just another way to keep her quiet, another spark to fan the flames. But if it bought him a little more peace—and kept her away from Gianna for a while—it was worth it. He had his baby, and for now, that was enough.

Gianna, meanwhile, was in her room, happily setting up a grand tea party for the two of them.

But no matter how content he tried to feel, there was one thing he couldn’t shake. A single, uncontrollable night of passion—a night that should have faded with the sunrise—had turned into something more. Something that now threatened to throw his meticulously curated life off balance.

Was it naive to have thought he could just chalk it up as another conquest? A fleeting thrill to stamp out by morning? Instead, he found himself replaying the flirtatious glances, the lingering touches. His initial infatuation had grown, deepened, and before he knew it, it had transformed into an obsession—one he couldn't ignore, one he couldn’t abandon.

His phone buzzed, pulling him from his thoughts. A text from his assistant—the only one he hadn’t let go—outlined the appointments and meetings he’d canceled to spend quality time with Gianna. But even as he scanned the bullet points, his thoughts remained elsewhere.

He couldn’t help but picture Athena’s eyes. Those eyes—steady, challenging, and undeniably beautiful—had been imprinted in his mind. He remembered the way she’d barely concealed her panic after their night together, her insistence on keeping things strictly professional. And yet, that very distance only fueled his desire to prove himself to her.

He couldn’t shake the ache—part desire, part determination. Pulling his phone from his pocket, he quickly typed out a message to Athena.

“Roman here—can we schedule a brief meeting today? I’d like to discuss a few items regarding our strategy.”

He hesitated before hitting send, silently daring her to respond, to show even the smallest hint of interest beyond her professional demeanor.

Minutes later, a reply came—but not from Athena.

Roman leaned back in the chair, his fingers drumming against the armrest as he read the email from Athena’s assistant—some girl named Natalie.

“Mr. Reigns, Athena James has requested that all briefings regarding your PR strategy and media relationships be handled by me moving forward. Please expect a call at your earliest convenience to discuss next steps. Best, Natalie Reynolds, Executive Assistant, James & St. Clare Public Relations.”

Roman exhaled slowly, his irritation simmering as he smirked to himself. So, Athena was really trying to create distance. Cute.

He’d known their last encounter had shaken her, the way she’d all but kicked him out of her apartment, treating him like a regrettable one-night stand instead of the man she clearly had feelings for. But this? This was her weak attempt at permanent avoidance.

Roman’s lips curved into a wry smile. Athena was clearly trying to regain control of her professional domain, but he wasn’t going to let that stop him. He was already planning to send her a series of extravagant wildflower bouquets—flirty little reminders that he wasn’t someone she could forget that easily.

If she still tried to push him away, he was prepared to keep pursuing her until she realized that what they had was worth exploring.

At least she hadn’t completely dropped him as a client. She could’ve easily washed her hands of him, and while he’d never let her do that without a fight, he appreciated that she hadn’t tried.

But that didn’t mean he was going to let her keep him at arm’s length.

Roman exhaled through his nose, scrolling through his contacts until he found her office number—the work line, since she wasn’t answering her personal cell phone.

Athena sighed, rubbing her temples as she stared at the ridiculous number of floral arrangements taking over half of her office.

Peonies. Tiger lilies. Bellflowers. Daisies. Wildflowers in every color of the rainbow.

Her favorites.

She didn’t even need to check the card to know who had sent them.

Amina, her twin sister, stood beside her with an amused look. “So, we’re pretending your very famous, very attractive client didn’t just send you these ridiculously extravagant bouquets, huh? My clients suck,” Amina pouted playfully.

Athena exhaled sharply, plucking the small envelope from the bouquet and flipping it open.

Babygirl, thought I’d start making myself harder to ignore. Enjoy the flowers. -Roman

Athena groaned, and Amina snatched the card out of her hand. “He calls you babygirl?” she asked, her voice dripping with amusement.

“Don’t start,” Athena muttered, dropping the card on her desk and turning toward the window.

Amina smirked. “No wonder you barked at me at the gala... I thought maybe I could tap that, but my baby sister was already on it.”

Athena rolled her eyes but didn’t respond. Amina was just being Amina, but Athena should’ve known better. Roman wouldn’t take the hint.

She’d been clear about wanting space, about keeping things strictly professional. But, of course, he’d gone ahead and sent her these ridiculously expensive flowers, just to remind her of his persistence.

As if that wasn’t enough, her phone rang. She glanced at the screen. Of course, it was him.

Amina raised an eyebrow, her teasing smirk widening. “Speak of the devil… a sexy devil at that.”

Athena shot her a glare. “Shut up,” she hissed, earning a loud laugh from her sister.

She answered the call, her tone clipped. “What do you need, Roman?”

His low chuckle made her stomach flutter. “You sound stressed, babygirl.” There it was again, that nickname. She hated it. And yet, she couldn’t ignore the way her body responded to it.

There was a pause before Athena’s voice came through, tight with irritation. “Stop calling me that.”

Roman’s voice softened, teasing but genuine. “Can’t help it. It suits you.”

She rolled her eyes, though she couldn’t shake the strange warmth creeping up her neck. “Roman, what do you want?”

“I just wanted to remind you that you’re not allowed to forget about me,” he said smoothly. “I know you're busy, but I’ve been thinking about you.”

She could almost hear the grin in his voice.

Athena sighed, the silence thick between them. After a long beat, she spoke again, her tone more guarded. “We have business to handle, remember?”

Roman chuckled again, as if her resistance only fueled him. “Relax, baby girl. I haven’t forgotten. I’m calling because I have a proposition. It’s about that business.”

Before Athena could respond, a soft, tiny voice interrupted from the background.

“Daddy! You’re late for the tea party!”

Roman’s voice softened immediately, the affection clear. “Baby, I told you—give Daddy just two minutes, okay?”

Athena blinked. It was his daughter. She hadn’t even realized a smile had crept onto her face until she felt it. Roman sighed again, his voice still warm, but this time there was a tenderness in it she hadn’t heard before. “Sorry, that was Gianna.”

Athena hummed. “Gigi?”

“My baby, yeah,” Roman replied, his voice full of pride. “She’s currently very upset I’m on the phone instead of sitting down for imaginary tea and biscuits with her.”

Athena smiled. “That sounds serious. Better get her some real tea then.”

“She hates tea!” he chuckled, the sound warm and genuine.

Athena smiled to herself, feeling a strange tug in her chest. “That’s adorable.”

“Yeah, that and a handful. But I wouldn’t change a thing.”

There was a pause as they both took in the moment, a strange sense of vulnerability settling between them. Athena cleared her throat, her voice softer now.

“Look, Roman,” she began, “I know you're trying to prove something—”

He cut her off with a quiet laugh. “Athena, I get it. I know you’re trying to keep things professional. But I’m not going anywhere. I’m more determined than ever to show you that I’m worth keeping around.”

A long silence followed, heavy with unspoken thoughts. Athena finally spoke, her tone wavered between frustration and something else. “Roman, I—”

He interrupted, his voice gentler than before. “Just think about it, okay? Smackdown’s taping live in Indianapolis this Friday. I want you to come see me in action. I promise you, once you see it, you’ll understand why I’m so passionate about what I do. I want you to see what I’m building. And maybe, just maybe, you’ll see it in a different light.”

Athena’s reply was quiet, hesitant. “I don’t know... I’m not sure if that’s a good idea.”

Roman’s voice softened, the teasing edge gone. “Babygirl, I know you’re still spooked. But I’m not going anywhere. I promise this isn’t just about a one-night stand to me. I’m not some client who got lucky. I want to prove that what we had is worth another chance. Trust me, Athena, I’m worth it.”

She sighed, the weight of her words hanging in the air. “Roman. I can’t keep doing this... I have too much at stake. I can’t mess this up with you.”

Roman was quiet for a long moment, his words thick with quiet resolve. “I understand,” he said finally. “But know this—I’m not giving up. I’m going to show you that I can make this work. In the ring, on the stage, and in life. And if I have to prove myself to you at every turn, then so be it.”

Before she could respond, the sound of a child’s voice rang out in the background once more. “Alright, Gigi, Daddy’s coming. Don’t start without me!”

Athena’s chest tightened as she imagined the scene—this fierce, larger-than-life WWE star, softened by his daughter. It struck her in a way she hadn’t expected.

Roman’s voice returned, low and reassuring. “So, Athena... I’ll see you Friday in Indianapolis. I promise you won’t regret it.”

Silence lingered between them before Athena murmured, “I’ll think about it.”

And with that, the call ended. Athena moved to her office chair and plopped down, still staring blankly at the now black screen of her phone. Roman’s words echoed in her mind, the words burned into her thoughts no matter how many times she told herself she wasn’t affected. 

Friday Night Smackdown.

The nerve of him, the absolute, infuriating nerve. 

She should have just ignored him, blocked his number even and acted like he didn’t exist. But instead here she was dissecting every single world like it was some kind of coded message.

“Yes.” 

Her sister, who she forgot was even still in the room, snapped her out of her trance. 

“Amina, do not.” 

Her sister's Cheshire grin was as unmoving and fitted as her perfectly pressed navy pantsuit. 

“You’re going.” 

Athena moved to rise to her feet but her twin was quick on her heels, “Oh, don’t get up.” Amina teased, as she moved behind her easing her sister back into her seat. “I am not.” 

Athena gave her a scolding glance, but her sisters didn’t pay her any mind. 

Amina decided to pull a chair around to her sister's side of the desk, boxing Athena in so she couldn’t escape her grasp. Her head tilted, dark curls bouncing slightly as she studied her. “Natalie told me you’ve been on edge all morning. That, the flowers, and plus that call from the man himself…: 

Athena immediately tensed. “Natalie needs to learn some damn loyalty, or she won’t have a damn job..” she muttered in her usual clipping tone, bitter and hoarse. 

“She’s loyal to me, obviously,” 

“And she’s my assistant, obviously” The younger twin mimicked her sister's playful tone. 

“and we basically got the same face… so same thing.” 

Athena shook her head, while subtly attempting to back her chair away from her sister. However she couldn’t escape her sister's quick wittedness and Amina pulled her back into their little bubble with a quickness. 

“No, bitch. Twin time, but more importantly—spill. What did he want? Because I know it wasn’t about work.” 

Athena groaned, leaning back in her chair. “He invited me to his Smackdown show on Friday,” 

The twin with the soft brown eyes, sparked with abject excitement. “I heard. And like I said, you’re going. You’ll love it, and he has a match on tv this week.”

Athena's well arched brows raised, “And you know this how?” 

The COO shifted in her seat, feigning sheepishness. “I watch WWE from time to time, they are fine girl!” 

If the younger twin's eyes rolled anymore they might get stuck. “Don’t worry I’m not talking about ya man girl.” Athena;s rebuttal was quick, “That is not my man.” But Amina remained unconvinced. 

“So you’re really not going?” she was beyond intrigued at this point. 

“Of course not.” Athena scoffed. “That would only encourage him…and this little infatuation he has.” 

Her sister locked her into a stare down before she knew it. She attempted to read her and like an open book she did. “You are so transparent.” Amina burst out laughing, unrestrained gaffs bouncing off the soundproof office walls. 

“How am I transparent?” Athena sucked her teeth in annoyance. 

Amina leaned forward, resting her elbows childishly on her sister's covered knees.

“Because if you really didn’t care, you wouldn’t even be going back and forth with me right now.” 

“I’m going back and forth with you because you’re insufferable.” 

“And you love it. And let’s be honest if that's your client, you should go. You need to understand how his world works, how he operated, what makes him the brand he is. It’s just good business.” 

Athena opened her mouth to argue, but then hesitated. Damn it. 

She hated when Amina made sense. When her older sister schooled her like the little girl she still felt like sometimes. Her unyielding smile widened, “See? You know I’m right.” 

Athena sighed deeply. “I get that, and under normal circumstances, I would attend. But this…it’s complicated.” 

Amina tapped her manicured nails against the desk, looking unbothered. “Complicated how? He likes you so what? Athena you're a hot girl, Roman’s not the first and he won’t be the last to have a little crush..” 

Athena swallowed, suddenly feeling like a scolded child about to admit to breaking rules. She always looked up to Amina—her twin, her other half, but also the one who had always just been..better. Amina was easygoing, a little more daring. This company wouldn’t be what it was without Amina. Athena sat at the helm, yes, but Amina had a certain charisma, an ability to take risks and laugh in the face of failure she could only dream of. 

And yet, Athena had no idea how she’d react to what she was about to say. 

“Immunity necklace.” And now Amina really tuned in. See, it sounded stupid but the silly phrase meant a ton to the sisters, since childhood it was how they divulge their deepest darkest secrets to one another. Some twins had secret languages; this was their version. When they were young they even went as far as swapping the necklace, a pretty, but cheap necklace that Amina had swiped out of a store when they were kids. And whoever had the necklace on could say whatever and it wouldn’t be told to anyone. Not their parents, other siblings, or even friends. 

“Bitch what did you do?” 

“I-” Athena paused, suddenly feeling incredibly vulnerable. “I…made a mistake.” 

Amina’s teasing expression softened into something more nurturing and concerned. “Athena,” she said gently, “what did you do babe?” 

Athena looked away, feeling the weight of her sister, her best friend's gaze. “I slept with him,” she admitted, her voice barely above a whisper. 

Silence. 

Athena’s heart pounded as she braced for judgement, for disapproval. Amina was the only person whose opinion mattered to her. She didn’t care about her employees who saw her as a stone cold bitch, her lack of friends, her piece of shit ex-husbands. Even her family, that saw her as an uppity diva. None of them mattered to Athena. 

But Amina. She meant the world. And if she thought she crossed a line, if she thought it was unprofessional, distasteful, or wrong. She wasn’t sure she could handle it. 

Then to her complete shock…and relief? Amina laughed. 

Not just a little chuckle. A full, genuine, amused laugh. 

Athena gawked at her. “You think this is funny?” 

Amina wiped an imaginary tear from the corner of her eye. “Oh, absolutely. I mean, out of all the men in the world—Roman Reigns? Good job baby sister. This is hilarious!” 

Athena scowled. “Amina! This is serious.” 

“So am I! That man flirts like it's his full time job, I can’t believe he got you!” Amina shot back at her, still grinning. “Athena, you have been so buttoned up your entire life. You never break rules. You never mix business with pleasure. And yet, here you are, falling into bed with a literal wrestling god. I mean, I’m just so proud of you.” 

Athena groaned in distress, burying her face in her hands. 

“This is not a joke, Amina. It’s messy. It’s unprofessional. And worse of all, he’s relentless. He keeps pushing, keeps insisting that it was more than just…I don’t even know what he thinks!” 

Sensing her sister's true distress Amina’s laughter faded into something softer, more thoughtful. “Okay, but…is he wrong?”

Athena froze. “What? I barely know that man!”

“And yet you screwed him,” she shrugged. “ Athena, I know you. You’re not the kind of woman who just sleeps around. And you definitely wouldn’t just sleep with a client…unless there was maybe something else was there.” Her look was knowing and sly. 

“So was it a mistake? Or is there more to it, like he’s so relentlessly insisting.” 

Athena bit her lip, unwilling to answer. 

Amina reached for her sister's hands, gripping them tightly in hers. The warmth of her grasp grounding Athena before she descended into another nervous panic. 

“Athena, honey,” she said gently, “you have been through so much, you work so hard, and you’ve been in control for so long. But that doesn’t mean you don’t deserve to feel something.” 

Athena looked down at her lap, conflicted. “I do feel something. Roman’s not the kind of guy you don’t feel something for..” she admitted softly, and it was like a literal weight began to ease itself off her chest. 

“But it doesn’t matter. This could ruin my professional reputation, Amina. What if people think I’m just some woman who couldn’t keep her legs closed, I can’t have that. No man is worth that.” 

Amina squeezed her hand, listening to every word, and understanding but she still found herself subtly disagreeing. “Screw what people think. I know you. You’re brilliant, disciplined, and if you feel anything for Roman, it’s because there’s a chance at something with you two. I’m not saying throw your career in the trash, you don’t have too. But I think you’re scared, and that's okay too. But don’t ignore your gut..”

Athena took a swift inhale, absorbing her sister's words. “I don’t know if I can do that.”

Amina smirked. “Then let’s compromise. You go to Smackdown. See his world for yourself. But,” she held up a finger, “if you go, you go looking like the woman who owns the damn arena.” 

Athena frowned. “Girl what the hell does that mean?” 

Amina stood up, already pulling out her phone. “It means I’m calling T.” Our stylist. “You need something sexy and professional—something that says I’m in charge while also making Roman sweat.” 

Athena rolled her eyes, but a small smile played on her lips. “You’re impossible, like actually.” 

Amina bubbled in excitement, “and you love me for it.” As Athena watched her sister start making arrangements, a strange sense of peace settled over her. She still wasn’t fully ready to confront whatever this was with Roman. But at least, for now, she wasn’t running away completely.

tags 🏷️: @trippinsorrows @southerngirl41 @lilucey @alichesmi @skyesthebomb @jazzyboo123-blog1 @reginawhorge01 @overrboarrd @heerah34 @whowrotethenote @sharmelasworld @purplementalitybluebird

lmk if you wanna be added to the tag list 💌

[morlock-holmes]

Did you know that if your insurance provides you a CPAP machine the medical supplier charges monthly payments until the machine is paid off, such that if coverage lapses before the machine is wholly paid off, the customer must make the payments?

"Hey, Coordinated Care Organization, I had a lapse in Medicaid coverage during which I had trouble paying for my CPAP machine. Since Medicaid covers the CPAP machine, can the supplier send you a bill for the back-payments for this service that you cover?"

"Nope! You can either pay out of pocket or maybe the medical supply company will take the machine back and waive payments, in which case you could get a new appointment with a new sleep specialist, who would prescribe a new machine, which we will cover."

"Hey, that sounds like a giant waste of my time and it will cost your organization like, what, ten times what my plan would?"

"Hey, you can't expect us to make sense, that's just the way it works.

"Okay, well, how would I appeal this decision"

"Well, you haven't filed a claim, so there's nothing to appeal."

^^^^100% true statement which I am not paraphrasing

Call up the Medical supply company,

"Hey, so, I had a lapse in my insurance, and I owe you some back-payments, can you submit that as a claim to my new insurance, which will definitely cover it?

"SIR," Everytime one of these people says "SIR" it is in all caps, "We can't do that, if you want to get something retroactively covered you have to call your insurance, Medicaid will sometimes backdate coverage if you would have qualified during the time you weren't covered."

"They just said literally the opposite but OK."

"Hey, CCO, I was told that sometimes you can backdate coverage in instances where a person did not have coverage but would have qualified for coverage?"

"Oh, no, We don't do that, Oregon Health Plan does."

"I thought you were Oregon Health Plan."

"No, we're the Coordinated Care Organization which Oregon Health Plan assigned you to, we don't make those decisions, but I can give you the number for OHP"

Call OHP,

"Hey, I want to do all the stuff I talked about earlier in this department,"

"Oh, sorry, we're the claims department, you want elligibility, I'll transfer you,"

"Sorry sir, Oregon Health Plan can backdate coverage, but you're on Oregon Health Plan Bridge, and you can't backdate coverage on Bridge plans."

"Okay, I am losing my patience, I need to see where it says that in writing,"

"You can just Google Oregon Health Plan and the website has lots of info,"

"I'm sure it does, but I need you to tell me the place where it has the info I asked for, your policy on backdated coverage."

"Please hold"

And some people say he is on hold to this very-

Oh shit, I typed this entire story up while I was waiting on hold and he just answered.

"I've emailed you an internal document that we've been given, but I wasn't able to find, like, the full rules that are available to the public, that would probably take another hour while I find someone who knows where to look for that."

Anyway that process took about two hours.

Weird nobody has much sympathy for that CEO that got shot.

It is frustrating that my question is, "Hey, Insurance Company, can we do this in a way that doesn't waste my time and will cost you quite a lot less money?"

and the answer is, "No, sorry I'm afraid we're highly dedicated to wasting time and money."

[yuna542]

Connected (OT8 x reader)

Part 5 <-

Part 6

Pairing: Lee Know x Reader

Genre: Smut, Fluff, Angst

Warnings: 18+, under 18 DNI!, Smut, Suggestive Themes, Swearing, Fingering, Dry humping, mentions of sex, pet names

Word Count: 3k

Note: Yea… What can I say? Lee Know was my first Kpop Crush, so I really put my soul into this. So hear me out: I thought since your feedback is incredible, I wanted to give you something back. If you want to you can write suggestions/requests in the comments or dm me about what you'd like to read in the parts. If I like it I will think of something and include it in the story! So feel free to tell me your dirty (or sweet) little fantasies xD

On your first day of your new job as the personal manager of Stray Kids, you didn't expect to be standing in front of the man you made out with last night in a club. But it soon becomes clear that the Stray Kids don't just want you as their manager.

Will this passionate arrangement end your career?

"I finally want to see you dance live!", grumbled Lee Know as you emailed him his schedule for the day in the practice room.

"Maybe someday", you muttered as you skimmed over your messages.

“Stupid JYP with those stupid rules”, he sighed and you had to grin. You'd love to dance and maybe even do a livestream with Minho but the company probably wouldn't allow it. The Stream with Hyunjin was a spontaneous idea and you were sincerely happy that yet nobody from JYP had talked about it to you. You didn’t even know if they maybe had a talk with Hyunjin and you were sure, that he definitely wouldn’t tell you to protect you.

However one of the most important meetings was scheduled for this afternoon.

A meeting with a potential new sponsor and at the same time producer for the first music video of the comeback. So one of the most important meetings ever.

The first video had to work the way the guys imagined it and it was your job to make it work. It was essential that the new sponsor was on board.

To say you're nervous would be a massive understatement.

It was the first big meeting that you would have to do alone with Chan. Seungmin would also accompany you, which took some of the pressure off your shoulders. This was one thing you just couldn't mess up.

You just wanted to send Lee Know his appointments for today and skim them quick with him. The tasks consisted the meeting with a new choreographer and then discussing with DanceRacha whether their ideas for the choreography for the big video could be done as they wanted it or if they needed to work on it even more.

Hyunjin and Felix had both already written in your group chat that they were here at any moment and Jeongin was with them. As you walked into the room, Minho seemed to have been dancing all morning.

There were fine drops of sweat on his forehead and yet his skin was just glowing with freshness. Just like perfectly worked marble.

"The choreographer's name is Chun De-Jeong. His application was the most impressive and he has very good references. He sounded nice on the phone, too. But if you don't like something about him, just let me know and we'll find someone new”, you explained expertly and he smiled slightly.

"You really are the best manager we've ever had."

"I try my best", you replied, and that's when he sat down next to you on the sofa.

With that, you finished discussing his schedule as well.

"I've never seen you in a dress like that before...", he mused aloud, and right away you were tugging at the hem of the white fabric on your thigh.

"Is it too much? Do you think it would be better if I change?"

Concerned, you stroke the fine roses printed on the fabric. Directly, Lee Know shook his head, regretting his words.

"No. It's perfect. You are... It looks very cute. You look very beautiful", he said quickly, stumbling over his own words.

Actually, he couldn't take his eyes off the thin fabric the whole time, where it perfectly hugged your curves and sat firmly against your waist. Exploring your profile, Minho noticed from the moment you came in that you seemed tense and restless today.

"Hey, is everything okay?"

Quickly nodding, you shove your Ipad into your handbag next to the sofa.

"Yeah... Everything's fine. I'm just a little nervous about the meeting today."

"With that spoiled ass sponsor?"

You nodded again, kneading your hands restlessly in your lap. Carefully he puts one hand on yours and managed to cover both of your cramped hands with his.

Instead of a joke or a mean comment that you would have expected, his voice softened and he squeezed your hands reassuringly.

"You don't have to be nervous. Business people like that are often strange and not exactly sociable. They are assholes, but you're so adorable that he surely won’t refuse any of your wishes."

A worried sigh wrings itself from your throat and you finally managed to look him in the eye. Only now did he recognize the great concern on your face and moved instantly closer to you.

"What if I don't? What if I mess up and you lose a major sponsor because of me? They will fire me..."

His chocolate brown eyes seemed protective, eyeing you with such confidence that you wanted to snuggle up to him. He placed his other hand on your thigh and gently stroked it.

"You won't mess up. And even if it won't work out, we'll find another sponsor."

A soft laugh escaped you as he quoted you, and he too smiled in relief when he saw that energetic sparkle in your eyes again.

Minho was suddenly so gentle and caring in a way you had never witnessed. In front of the others, he always tried to appear tough and untouchable, always had a cheeky comment on his lips and seemed to let nothing upset him.

But right now his other side appeared. His touches were careful on your skin, as if he feared to break you and he was full of care. It’s a side of him that he reserved just for you.

You intertwined your hand with his and squeezed it gently. As you did so, your thighs were tight against each other and he gave you endless confidence with just that. He believed in you and that alone was such a big ego boost.

Your heart began to melt and your eyes were automatically on his engaging lips.

"Thank you Lino. That really helped. I didn’t know you could be so soft.”

Suddenly his facial expression changed. He looked confused, as if he had woken up from a dream, and quickly smiled again in amusement.

"That being said, you have Chan with you. He's gotten each of us out of trouble several times."

There he was again. The tough Lee Know, and he wondered to himself why he had suddenly gone so soft. It was your mere presence that made him protective. He enjoyed feeling your warm skin and seeing the happy twinkle in your beautiful eyes.

In fact, he managed to make you laugh again and it sounded better than music to his ears.

"Don't worry too much. We definitely won't give you back, kitten."

His hand squeezed your own protectively and it touched you that he dropped his walls in front of you. Without thinking, you leaned forward and gave him a kiss on the cheek.

You just could not have expressed your gratitude with words.

However, he froze completely and before you could pull away, he grabbed your face rougher than he wanted to. Firmly, he pulled you closer and it took you a few seconds to realise that his lips were already on yours.

Overwhelmed, you clenched your hands until you could feel his pleasant grip on your hip. The other hand was on your cheek and when you finally understood, you put all the desire and concern into the kiss.

At first he was slow, savoring every second until he took your lower lip between his teeth and let his tongue brush over it. As soon as you opened your lips a little, he pushed his tongue into your mouth and deepened the kiss with his whole body.

He seemed like an addict who couldn't get enough and became more and more impetuous. He tasted like a heady mix of sweet strawberries and spicy mint.

Finally he grabbed you by the hips and pulled you onto his lap, where he didn't stop licking his tongue into your mouth. Your hands went into his hair and tugged on his strands. His hands went on a ramble, pushing your dress up until he could firmly grip your ass.

A small squeak of pain escaped you as he squeezed tightly and you felt the corners of his mouth lift at your lips despite your eyes being closed.

"You even purr like a little kitten", he growled and you were completely caught in a trance of arousal and passion as he began to spread wet kisses on your collarbone. He sucked on your skin and pushed you demanding against his lap.

The little sighs and your tensed face made the blood rush between his legs and he wanted to fuck you right there against the couch. But he also loved to tease you until you would whimper and beg him to fuck you senseless. That made the painful erection in his pants much more worth it. His hand lightly brushed your thigh dangerously close to your core.

His tongue licked along your collarbone, down to your cleavage, where he slowly pulled the fabric down and worked on your soft skin so intensely with his mouth that you feared just coming from it on his lap.

The bruises Hyunjin had sucked into your skin were almost gone and Minho wanted to make sure, to mark you again so that the other members would see it. He wanted them to know that you were already his little toy and that they had to make a great effort, to get to him.

Overwhelmed, you felt his bulge feel frighteningly large beneath you and immediately you wanted to see if it was really as immense as it felt on your covered pussy. The straps of your white dress fell off your shoulders and Minho's hands kneaded the flesh on your ass so hard that you would definitely get bruises. But that only fueled the arousal in your whole body.

"Admit it, Kitten! You only put on that cute slutty dress to drive me crazy!", he murmured against your skin, and everything about him made you dizzy. A hard hiss escaped him and he looked up at you with an exited bliss in his eyes.

“Damn didn’t thought you’re so fucking needy, Baby.”

With questioning eyes you let your fingers go trough his soft hair.

“What?”

“You’re grinding on me”, he explained and kissed the heated skin of your almost bare tits.

Suddenly, you became aware of your own body, feeling him underneath you and trying to feel as much of him as you can. You feel pleasant heat spread through your body, pooling together between your legs where you were far too effected by the feeling of his erection beneath you and somehow you still couldn’t make yourself stop, even though he looked at you with a teasing smile.

“Oh god. I’m sorry”, you murmured against his neck, but then, you felt his hands wrap around your hips further, fingers digging into the side of your ass, and you realised he’s helping you guide your hips.

He smelled so good that you just couldn’t stop rolling your hips against his.

“No need to apologise. That’s so fucking hot”, he growled and pulled your chin back, to kiss you deeply, while he pushed you even further against his hard bulge.

”That’s it, there you go“, he said softly as you moan into his mouth and started to move your hips against his length and you couldn’t stop yourself from whimpering, when the only thing between your clit and his dick was the thin fabric of your clothes.

Suddenly his voice is right by your ear and snaps you out of your aroused trance, so close it sends shivers down your spine:

”You should have told me you like dry humping my dick this much. Fuck, it makes me so hard, can you feel that, kitten?“

You could just nod and get flustered by his words.

Your behaviour was so messy and desperate, even Minho started to lose himself and he kissed you as if he’s never kissed before. It’s more tongue and teeth than needed, tasting you and moaning into your mouth when your tongue meets his. It shouldn’t feel as good as it does. Someone could come in an catch you, how you pounce on each other like heated teenagers, but the hurried kisses make your head feel like it’s spinning.

It hasn’t been long, you know that, but you’re already started to get close. Like with Hyunjin, you felt things that you never had experienced before. There was something about these boys that made you go crazy and they definitely knew what they were doing.

Even though your underwear and his sweatpants were seperating you from feeling him, there was something so intense about this and about Minho that it hardly mattered, and you knew it won’t be long until he would get you making a mess in your panties.

Unable to keep up with how good it felt, luckily Minho still had a hold on you, and when he noticed that it’s getting more difficult for you to keep composed, he gripped your flesh even harder.

Embarrassed you hid your face in the crook of his neck as he guided you by the hips harder and harder against his hard dick. With one hand he pulled you back by the nape of the neck so that you had to look at him while you dry humped him like a kitty in heat.

"No hiding! I wanna see every adorable flustered expression you make!”, he demanded with a harsh tone, both of you trying to pull the other closer for more stimulation. Your hands still groped and scratched at eachothers skin as you desperately grinded on eachother.

He slipped one hand to your throbbing cunt and started to circle your clit, while you tried to get more friction. He was so hard by now that your mere movements on his dick almost made him come. But he did force himself to calm down because he just wanted to work you to an orgasm and see your beautiful face tensed with desire just for him.

”Don’t stop!“, he ordered and his harsh tone made you whimper.

”I want you to be good and cum for me like this, okay? Can you do that, kitten?“

As soon as he hit the sensitive part of your clit directly with his fingers, a naughty moan escaped you and you started to ride your cunt so hard against his cock that you had to claw your fingernails into his back.

“Fuck… Minho”, you cried and couldn’t think of something else than your high which was announced by the tremendous heat in your lower abdomen.

"Aw, you like that, baby?", he chirped with a growl and guided your hips so that he would still hit all your sweet spots through the fabric. You nodded, unable to speak, rocking your hips even harder against him and his fingers.

He pushed his fingers against your clit and noticed how your body tensed. Directly he accelerated the intensity and held your face tightly again with one hand in front of his so he could look at your teary eyes, swollen lips and aroused expression as he worked you to your orgasm with just the snapping of his hips and his hand. You wanted him as close as possibly and somehow this, his mouth mere millimeters from yours, swallowing your breath, wasn’t enough.

“I’m gonna cum…”, you whimpered and he hold your face even rougher, digging his fingernails into your soft cheeks.

“Look how easy it is to turn you into the neediest, sluttiest mess, kitten”, he growled and pressed you firmly onto his throbbing dick. The wet spot on his pants was already as big as a hand, but he couldn’t care less.

“Oh I can’t wait to fuck that soaked little cunt till you cry my name all night!“

Your hands clawed for some type of, literally any, support on his shoulders while he grabbed your ass harsh.

„Be a good little slut and come for me!“, he demanded and his words twisted your mind.

Eventually you got so caught up in the moment you won’t even were able to stay focused on talking, and he started thrusting up, meeting your hips so you didn’t have to do any work. It’s this that finally does it for you, his hands holding you and his hips meeting yours and you automatically imagine how he would fuck you like this. You wanted more and more, caught up in his scent, his words and his body and finally your orgasm crashed over you.

He helped you to ride your high out and gently brushed his hand over your back.

"Feel better now?", he asked and kissed each corner of your mouth.

„Yes… Thank you, Minho.“

A little huff escaped your lips, while you still rubbed your overstimulated pussy against his length. The friction felt too good to stop, even though your soaked cunt was now extremely sensitive. He laughed lightly and ran his hands through your hair as you let your lips brush over his neck

„Greedy but polite. I like that“, he teased and kneaded your ass again. He couldn’t get enough of the perfect curves and the softness of your skin against his fingertips.

„I want you to fuck me, Minho“, you mumbled against his skin and kissed the sensitive spot on his neck beneath his ear. He instantly got goosebumps and in response he moved your hips again more firmly against his now painful hard length.

He would not and could not wait any longer. He longed to sink into your wet core and fuck you so hard until you begged him to stop. Therefore, he reached for his waistband and pulled it down. With a liberated gasp, his boner popped out and you had to bite your lower lip when you realized that it was even bigger than it had felt through the fabric. He would split you open, but you didn't care. Impatiently he pushed your panties aside and as he slipped into your aching core with just the tip, you already felt, how he stretched you out. Slowly you grinded your hips against his, gasping as only his tip filled you painfully good.

You were so dizzy that you almost didn't notice how the door to the practice room were opened and Hyunjin, Jeongin, and Felix walked in.

It wasn't until Minho glanced over your shoulder in annoyance. Your heart skipped a beat as you saw the boys staring at you over your shoulder.

Hyunjin looked at you with a amused, yet unsurprised grin. Felix stared open-mouthed at your naked ass with the white thong on that Minho still had a firm grip on, and Jeongin looked perplexed but definitely aroused by the way you ass was wiggling and grinding against his friends dick.

In fact, the three were more than grateful to have burst into this situation.

"Can't you knock?", Minho spat at them, leaning his forehead against the crook of your neck to breathe in your sweet scent once more. His tip was already in your cunt and he considered, if he should just don‘t give a fuck about the others and push himself all the way into you. If he did that, he'd probably fuck you in front of them too. He already had to fight against his desire but your shocked face made him weak.

Hectically, you tugged your dress back down and adjusted the straps on your shoulders, while he slowly slipped out of you and tugged his dick into his pants.

"We've been knocking, calling and messaging", Felix said meekly, unable to get the image of Minho's hands all over you out of his head and immediately imagining what it would be like to have you sitting on his lap like that, riding his dick and moaning his name.

He cleared his throat and stared at the floor, trying not to get a boner in front of everyone like a needy little schoolboy.

"Yeah... but you seem to have been too busy. Obviously…”, Hyunjin said and his smile was breathtaking.

Minho let you off his lap only after a short resistance and cursed his members quietly. Jeongin was still frozen, looking at you as if you had just flown from heaven to earth.

Embarrassed, you fixed your hair, not resisting Hyunjin's intense gaze. To Felix, you almost wanted to apologize as his head glowed so much you could barely distinguish it from the red walls.

"You guys have to fuck everything up", Lee Know grumbled, leaning forward so they couldn't see the wet spot and the huge bulge in his sweatpants directly.

"We're really sorry, but we need you, Lino. We need to finally start working the choreography out."

Even though Hyunjin's eyes continued to rest on your boobs, he spoke normally to Minho. Gradually, your heartbeat calmed down and you tried to ignore what just happened. They almost caught you, fucking in the practice room. Anyone could have come in but Minho didn’t seem to care at all.

"You look stunning by the way, Jagi", Hyunjin said then and pulled you close to his chest. With his hands lingering on your back, he kissed you quickly. He just couldn’t resist you. The kiss was short but intense and you returned his smile with rosy cheeks.

"Yes. The dress is beautiful on you", Felix agreed and his cuteness sent butterflies in your stomach.

"Thank you. You guys are really sweet."

Jeongin still couldn't get a word out and shoved his hands into his pockets. Suddenly, you remembered something.

Panicking, you searched your phone in your bag and almost had a second heart attack as you read first the time and then Chan's messages where he asked when you guys are going to meet to prepare for the meeting.

"Shit!" you cursed, gathering your things. Along the way, you slipped on your Converse Chucks that you had left by the sofa.

"I have to go see Chan right now. Do you know where he is?"

Hyunjin shrugged and connected his phone to the stereo.

"He was still here this morning", Lee Know said from behind you.

Felix nodded and Hyunjin glanced over his shoulder briefly and replied:

"Yes, but left again around 10 o'clock."

Then Jeongin said:

"He was just at the dorm."

„Okay, Well shit. I'll go there then. We have the meeting in an hour. Fucking hell..."

As you storm out, a few more not so ladylike curses slipped out, due to the stress. The guys looked after you and Hyunjin sighed loudly.

"Is it just me, or is she even outrageously hot when she curses like a sailor?"

Lee Know snorted in amusement and the other two could only agree. Then Hyunjin looked back at Lee Know with a knowing grin.

Still irritated, he snapped at him:

"What?"

Hyunjin pouted his lips and shook his head defensively.

"Nothing. Just wondering why you decided to fuck her in the practice room, in the middle of the day, where anyone could have come in.“

„Thanks to you I didn't even get to fuck her yet“, he said sourly and the boys knew, that Lee Know would go hard on them today. He almost were able to fuck the hottest girl he ever met, and of course his stupid members had to screw it up.

"The choreographer is here“, Felix said, glancing at his phone.

"Do you want me to bring him in? He's been waiting for a while", Jeongin asked, to which Lee Know stood up, his hands in front of the big tent in his pants.

"Tell him he'll have to wait a few more minutes if he doesn't want to suck me off.“

Felix pressed his lips together and Jeongin looked at him in amazement, while Hyunjin laughed. As the door slammed shut behind Lee Know, Jeongin said monotonously:

"I definitely won't tell him that."

-> Part 7

——————————————————————-

© Yuna542 — 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐞𝐝.

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[1d1195]

Neighbors Extra III

Not much. But something. I have a few more things in mind for these cuties. This one is definitely all over the place but also a semi-requested kind of blurb.

You can read the rest here: Neighbors

~2.2 k words

“How come everyone stares at you?” He asked.

Harry smirked. “Some people think I sound funny,” he winked at his little best friend in the mirror. “Can y’believe that?” He chuckled. Rory, the seven-going-on-seventeen-year-old, rolled his eyes expertly having heard the story of one of the first sentences he spoke to Harry.

“Is it because you’re not really my dad?”

You’re sure you don’t mind? My sister is close enough but will still be later than you would be...

Course not, love :)

Okay...I’ll call the school and let them know...you’re totally sure and not too busy?

Just call the school, baby. Please :)

Harry smirked at the messages and rolled his eyes letting his client know that he would have to move their appointment to another day. Slipping on his trainers, he headed out the door to his car and drove to the school. He had been several times with the lovely girl that had stolen every bit of his heart. This would be the first time he would be getting Rory on his own. There was a big traffic jam—an accident that Harry was very grateful for was not her because the panic set in almost the moment she called—and she would be stuck for a lot longer. Getting Rory on time would be a challenge for her if it weren’t for Harry happily agreeing to get him.

Harry parked and exited the car heading to the playground where the kids were all milling about and where pickup was designated. He could see all the mums in Rory’s class started to whisper about his presence. Even a few of the teachers began questioning who Harry belonged to from a distance. Typically, he stayed in the car to prevent the chatter. But of course, today was different.

“Hi, m’here to pick up Rory. M’girlfriend called t’let everyone know; M’Harry. Harry Styles,” he explained with a sweet smile. The teacher in front of him had to be as old as his mum at least but she looked rattled to see Harry before her. There was something about the startling green eyes, the British accent, and those deadly dimples that could make any woman weak in the knees. You are too handsome, it’s unfair and leaves people speechless. I only pretend I’m not an absolute mess about you. She had explained to Harry before. He thought it was adorable she felt that way. Of course, he thought it was silly and unnecessary but he couldn’t help the change of his own heartbeat when he caught a glimpse of her doing the most mundane of any tasks.

“Hi Harry!” Rory cheered running up to him and throwing himself at his legs. Harry chuckled ruffling his hair.

“Hey, lad. Y’have a nice day?”

“Can I play a few more minutes?” He asked.

“Actually, I haven’t gotten confirmation just yet. I would...prefer it that way...if it’s all the same to you,” she admitted sheepishly. “We’re waiting on your license,” she explained holding her phone out to Harry so he could read the email chain between the staff and his pretty angel.

Harry’s phone was silent and so he missed the several calls from the poor girl who was probably losing her mind in traffic. Fortunately, Rory was pretty easy going. He even giggled at Harry’s misfortune. “Mumma’s gonna be all worried,” he said.

Harry rolled his eyes. “Thanks, Ror,” he sighed pressing his phone to his ear. “Hi, kitten,” Harry murmured. “M’at the school. I know I gotta send m’license t’you. I had m’phone on silent.”

“They’re making it very difficult. I’m so sorry,” she sounded so remorseful. The sigh in her voice was heavy.

“Don’t apologize,” he murmured. “Rory’s right here, he’s gonna play some more while we get this squared away...how’s the traffic?”

“Terrible,” she sighed. “I’m sorry,” she repeated. “They just have my sister on file...” she explained. “I should have updated it.”

“S’nothing, m’love,” he promised. “One second,” he pulled his wallet out and retrieved his ID. He snapped a picture of it and sent it to her so she could email it to the school. Such bureaucratic stuff. But Harry was grateful the school took safety so seriously.

While Harry chatted with his mom, Rory was pointing at the tall man that had a funny voice and his friend looked at him curiously. “That’s Harry,” Rory explained.

“You call your dad Harry?” Aiden asked.

Rory shrugged. “Yeah,” he nodded. “He’s really cool. He plays dinosaurs with me and builds really good forts,” he told him knowingly.

Harry waved at the pair of boys while he chatted quietly with the teacher explaining the whole mess of traffic and the predicament of picking him up in the first place. She said she would send a digital copy of the paperwork for them to fill out so Harry could officially be on file.

It’s all set, I think.

“M’told we’re all good t’go,” Harry smirked at the message. Eyes on the road, kitten. See you soon! Xx “Rory!” He called. “S’time t’go. Gotta grab dinner!”

Rory came hustling toward him again, his friends watching in awe as he followed Harry toward the car. Rory buckled himself into his booster seat and settled in as he looked in the rear-view catching Harry’s eyes. “Is Mumma okay?” He frowned. “She always gets me a popsicle after school on Tuesday.”

“She’s just in traffic, lad. She’ll be late. I think I can manage a popsicle,” he smirked.

Rory nodded and looked back toward the playground. “How come everyone stares at you?” He asked.

Harry smirked. “Some people think I sound funny,” he winked at his little best friend in the mirror. “Can y’believe that?” He chuckled. Rory, the seven-going-on-seventeen-year-old, rolled his eyes expertly having heard the story of one of the first sentences he spoke to Harry.

“Is it because you’re not really my dad?”

Harry frowned. Rory asked it so casually and it stabbed Harry right through the heart. He was sad Rory thought about that in any capacity. Harry wished with everything in him that he could just...be his dad. But then Rory wouldn’t be Rory. Harry would hate that. “Maybe... but...s’none of anyone’s business. But I do love you, Rory. More than anyone could love you,” he promised seriously. “You know that right?”

He nodded. “I don’t think you love me more than Mumma loves me, though,” he snickered.

Harry liked the fact that he wasn’t upset about it. The way Harry talked so highly of his mother made Harry’s heart burst with adoration for the pair. They were inseparable and perfect. “Mm...I’ll maybe let that slide. But s’close. I promise.”

*

“Hey, cutie patootie,” she sighed with a tired smile as she walked in the house. Harry gave her a wave from the kitchen and Rory came bolting from the kitchen where he was helping Harry with setting the table and threw himself into her embrace. “How was school?”

“Harry picked me up!” He said excitedly.

“Yeah?” She kissed the top of his head, and she swore was crawling taller up the length of her with every passing minute. Her little baby. She tried not to think about it too much in fear she would simply begin crying and never stop. “Was that a nice surprise?”

Harry smiled as he finished putting dinner on the table. Rory left her to get the take-home folder that he handed off to her every day. While he did, Harry wrapped his arms around her and kissed the side of her head. “Hi beautiful,” he hummed pressing his lips to her earlobe making an involuntary shiver run through her body. It seemed ridiculous that someone as perfect as Harry would call her beautiful after she worked all day and then sat in traffic for way too long.

“Hmm,” she hummed into his shirt. This felt like heaven. Being in his arms. Dinner behind him. Rory loved Harry as much as she did. (Maybe even more due to the proportionality of his little big heart.)

“Mumma, can Daddy come to career day?” He asked holding all the papers that were in his folder in his arms haphazardly leaving a trail behind them. Harry thought his heart stopped. She blinked in surprise at his simple, easy use of the name for Harry. She pulled away from his embrace where he remained stock still, completely speechless, and in disbelief.

“S-sure, love bug,” she murmured awkwardly picking up the slew of papers he left behind to show her. Sure enough, the flyer for career day was right in front of the two of them. Harry was trying (and pretty much failing) to keep his composure. Neither of them wanted to make a big deal of him using the parental term. “What happened to your folder?” She asked, trying to give Harry a moment to process the name.

“I get to introduce you and tell them what your job is...what is it again?” Rory asked, excitement laced in his voice as he looked up at Harry as if he hadn’t just completely flipped Harry’s world upside down with a little name.

After a pause, Harry was still staring in awe of the little seven-year-old that had totally boggled his mind and captured his heart in his little hands. She was crouched beside the papers, so she gently bumped her arm into his shin to garner his attention. “Harry, baby,” she murmured gently, knowing he was completely blindsided and utterly confused.

“Y-yeah, lad. M’called a psychologist. I help people when they’re nervous or scared,” he explained without any emotion in his voice.

Rory looked at Harry curiously. “Like when Mumma was scared at the hospital...or at the car wash?”

He nodded mutely. Unable to fully process how monumental this was and still maintain the conversation as if it didn’t happen at all. “Yes, baby,” she answered instead. “Can you get your folder?”

The second Rory returned to find the folder in his backpack folded over and misshapen due to shoving all his papers in without purpose, she was on her feet throwing her arms around his neck and kissing his skin as if her life depended on it.

“I love you, so much. So, so much,” she whispered.

He wrapped his arms around her just as tightly her toes brushing against the floor, and he smiled into her hair. “God, I love you so much,” he mumbled.

*

She was lying beside Rory in his little bed, and they stared up at the fake stars that made his ceiling glow. “Do you know you called Harry ‘Daddy,’ today?” She asked. The man in question was downstairs cleaning up from dinner and tending to the emergency call he got from a client.

“Am I allowed to?” He asked.

“Of course...just...that was kind of a big deal for Harry and I,” she explained. “Like taking your training wheels off,” she used as a reference of importance.

“Whoa,” he whispered.

“Whoa,” she nodded in agreement.

“Harry’s...not leaving...right?”

“No... no, he’s here to stay love bug,” she said firmly.

“So... he’s my dad now, right?”

She felt her throat tighten with so many emotions she could hardly contain it. “Yeah, baby. He is,” she whispered quietly. For so many years she tried to be every person Rory needed. A mom, a dad, a friend, a teacher, a coach, and so many other people rolled into one. Now, she could be one less person. One less role she needed to worry about.

“I like having a mom and dad,” he yawned sleepily.

“Me too, cutie pie,” she sighed, stroking his soft little face and brushing his hair behind his ear.

* Rory was bouncing with excitement of how cool it was that Harry brought Starbursts to Career Day. He introduced Harry—his dad—to his class and he told them all about emotions and how it’s cool to help people who struggle with it. He brought in a set of figurines of the emotions from Inside Out and made it accessible to the little ones.

“Think I made a few people want t’be a psychologist,” he winked at her from across the table while she went through Rory’s bag. Rory was taking a shower playing with his water toys.

“You make me want to be a psychologist,” she smirked going through the take-home folder again. Harry was working on the crossword, and he bit the inside of his lip.

“S’that because m’so hypnotizing in bed?” He winked.

She blushed and it felt like Harry had won the lottery. She ignored his comment, but Harry thought it was adorable when she was flustered. He returned to seven down, when she gasped. “Oh,” she covered her mouth and handed the paper to Harry.

Inside the box on the page showed a little figure person, dressed in black pants, a blue shirt, and a tie. The person held a messenger bag, papers and a computer spilling out of it. There were little figurines from Inside Out beside the person.

When I grow up, I want to be... was written at the top.

In Rory’s messy, seven-year-old script it read: like my dad.

Harry was certain at that moment he loved Rory more than she ever could.

But it was damn close.

--

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[sihtricfedaraaahvicius]

Note: requested by a lovely anon!

Warnings: 18+!!!! smut.

pairing: Modern!Sihtric x you (f)

summary: You finally decided to work towards your summer body goals, for next year's summer at least, and you found yourself a personal trainer, who happened to be the hottest guy you had ever seen.

wordcount: 5,5k

Masterlist

'Already complaining, doll?'

'Okay, don't be a wuss,' you muttered to yourself, looking at the gym sign in front of you, 'you got this. You want this. You want that body!'

You pushed the door open, stepped inside the large gym, and… you freaked out. It was crowded and loud, packed with hoards of gym bros, who you couldn't stand, and you envied every lady who had that killer body you longed for. It's not that you didn't look good, your body was perfectly fine, but we all have our insecurities. You had just booked a girls trip to Aruba for next year, and you wanted to be carefree in your bikini for once. Working out in a public gym freaked you out, you were too insecure, too shy and too inexperienced to be comfortable in a place like that. So after the trip was booked, you got yourself an intake with a personal trainer

You hurried past the sweaty, muscular men and women, up the stairs, where the private gyms were located. You actually had no idea who your personal trainer was, you just randomly clicked a name on the website and booked a meeting. And because your decision had been so impulsive, you didn't even know if your trainer was a man or a woman, and you panicked again as you climbed up the stairs. You walked up to the door number you had received in your confirmation email, and you desperately hoped your trainer would be a woman, or a really old guy. But the latter was wishful thinking, because why would a really old man be a personal trainer? You sat down and scrolled through your pinterest feed, looking at all those Aruba aesthetics, and you lost yourself in a daydream. 

'Miss?' a soft, low voice called out to you. 

But you were far away, dreaming of palm trees and those cocktails with the little umbrellas in it. Suddenly a pair of sneakers appeared in your view as you looked down at your phone, startling you, and you looked up.

'Miss?' the voice said again, and you locked eyes with the bearer.

You gasped softly at the insanely good looking, no, the just plain hot and sexy man who towered over you.

'Got me a little daydreamer here, huh?' the man smiled and hid one of his mismatched eyes with a quick wink.

Your cheeks heated up and you felt your limbs tremble out of nowhere, while your mouth went dry. You stared at the god-like man as if you were a deer caught in headlights, which clearly amused him as a half smile settled on his beautiful, sharp face. Beside his mismatched eyes, the man had a goatee, his shoulder length hair braided on top, tied in a small ponytail at the back, while the sides were recently shaved. He looked friendly yet dangerously attractive, with a tattoo on his neck up to the side of his head, a scar on his forehead and one on his cheek, while his arms were the perfect amount of toned, and his white shirt highlighted his muscular torso hidden underneath.

'I'm Sihtric,' he said, holding his hand out, 'I believe we have an appointment?'

You forced yourself to take his hand, and the firm handshake Sihtric gave you, while he repeated your name back to you, made you almost temporarily blind.

'I, uh,' you stammered, 'yes.'

'Come on in,' Sihtric smiled and held the door open for you.

You got up on your shaky knees, and you have no idea how you managed to walk inside the office that was part of his private gym, but you were glad you made it and sat down again. Sihtric immediately thought you were cute and had checked you out as you walked past him, before he offered you a drink. You emptied the glass of water before Sihtric could even sit down, and he raised an eyebrow when he leaned back and saw your already empty glass.

'Would you like another?' he chuckled.

'No, thank you,' you nearly wheezed.

'Okay,' Sihtric said, and he grabbed a pen to fidget with as he spoke, 'so, I need to know your goals and motives before I can decide if I will take you on as a client, or if you'd be better off with another trainer. You okay if I ask you some stuff?'

You nodded and reminded yourself to blink, before he'd notice you were straight up staring at him.

'Alright,' he smiled, licked his lips and opened his laptop. He pulled open a drawer and took out some reading glasses, which he put on while opening a document on his screen.

'So, why are you here? What is your goal?' he asked, looking at his laptop.

'Uh, well,' you swallowed hard, he looked even hotter with those glasses on, 'I… n-next year I have a trip booked, in the summer, and I just… for once, you know, want to… to look good,' you shrugged shyly.

Sihtric looked back at you, lowered his head slightly, frowned, and met your eyes as he looked over the rims of his glasses.

'Look good?' he shook his head lightly, 'lady, you're looking good as you are.'

'I- in a bikini, I mean,' you added, sweating, wishing you were in a bikini at a pool right now just so you could cool off.

His eyes quickly looked you up and down, and he tilted his head as he suddenly looked somewhat concerned.

'Tell me you are not here because your partner told you so,' he said, 'because then I'd like an appointment with whoever that is too.'

'Oh, no, no,' you said with big eyes, 'no, I'm… I'm single. I just… I'm doing this for me.'

'Okay, good,' Sihtric approved and pushed his glasses up his nose, 'then your wish is my command, lady,' he grinned, looked back at his laptop and started typing, 'so you want a so-called summer body then?'

'Yeah, I guess,' you chuckled, and Sihtric gave you a quick smile.

'So, what exactly do you want to work on? Do you just want toned arms? Or do you wish to get some abs or some serious leg muscles to show off?'

'Mainly my arms and abs, yeah,' you said.

'Mhm,' Sihtric hummed, then took off his glasses and looked at you as he leaned back in his chair, 'now, you need to understand that you can work out all you want, but it's more than that,' he said, 'it's also about your entire lifestyle. You have to eat healthy, get those proteins, you know? But also your mindset needs to be good. If you're not feeling it, your body will know. Everything is connected. You have to take good care of yourself. Eat well, sleep well, and train well. I can help you reach your goal, no problem,' he shrugged, 'but you gotta work for it. And I need to know if you're up for that. And I mean really be up for that, because if you decide after a few weeks that it's too intense, and the changes it requires in your daily life are too drastic, then please, do not waste my time. And just because you're cute,' he smirked, 'doesn't mean I'll go easy on you. In fact,' Sihtric leaned in over his desk, 'that makes me want to wear you out even more, and use up everything you got for me with each session.'

You stared at him, not remembering the last time you blinked, and you watched Sihtric lean back again.

'So, are you up for that?' he smiled.

'Yeah, I- I understand,' you said softly, 'I'm up for that.'

'Great,' Sihtric said, 'I'll need you to email me a schedule of your daily routine as soon as possible. I need to know what you eat throughout the day and how much you move around, so I can make a training schedule that fits you personally.'

'Okay.'

'I'll send you a standard list of the things I'll need to know now,' he said and clicked a few times on his mousepad, and a moment later your phone buzzed.

'Got it,' you smiled as you looked at your screen.

'Good,' Sihtric said, 'based on your reply, I'll set up the next meeting and then we can start. Any questions?'

'Eh, no,' you said, 'all clear.'

After you had finally recovered from, and accepted that, your personal trainer was a complete babe who wasn't planning on going easy on you, you replied to his email. You told him about your diet, workout history, which was basically nonexistent, and he needed to know if you had any previous injuries he had to take in consideration.

After about an hour you received a reply back, and your next appointment was already in a few days. Sihtric also included his number in the last email, and said you could text him during working hours if it was important, because he'd reply faster through texts than through email. You added his number and hesitantly texted him with your name, cursing yourself for being nervous to text a work number. But as it was already late at night, you didn't expect a reply, so you hit the send button and forgot about it. But when your phone buzzed only a minute later, your heart skipped a beat.

Sihtric: I told you to sleep well, yet here you are, saving my number late at night ;)

'Holy shit,' you mumbled, staring at your phone, 'fuck. Fuck! Why is he even answering?' You gathered all your courage and replied to him.

You: I thought you would only respond during working hours, yet here you are, also not sleeping well it seems ;)

You threw your phone on your bed and nearly screamed when it buzzed again, only seconds later.

Sihtric: fair play lady

Sihtric: just because I advise someone to sleep well, doesn't mean that I sleep well myself ;)

You: you'd sleep a whole lot better if you'd go to bed ;) 

Sihtric: oh but I am in bed already ;)

You wondered if he was trying to lure you into something here.

You: well, so am I ;)

You: but then I will no longer bother you :) sorry if I did, I thought you'd have your work phone switched off actually

Sihtric: you're not a bother, doll

Sihtric: and I don't have a work phone, this is just my private number. All my clients have it

You: I see… and here I thought I was special :(

Sihtric: if it makes you feel any better…

Sihtric: you're definitely my prettiest client :)

You: you flirt with all your clients on here???

Sihtric: oh, for sure. The retired folks who I train with are simply irresistible ;)

You: oh and you're funny too, I see…

Sihtric: very much so ;) and I'll see you in a few days, pretty lady.

You were nervous once again when you walked into Sihtric's private gym. Not just because you knew it was going to be rough, but also because Sihtric looked even hotter than last time you had seen him. His hair was braided again, he was wearing a black sleeveless shirt and red sweatpants. While you were wearing an old shirt that hung loosely around your body, covering up your sports bra, combined with black gym shorts and comfy sneakers.

Sihtric had greeted you with a warm smile and wasted no time getting to work. 

'You ever used dumbbells before?'

'No,' you smiled sheepishly, 'sorry.'

'No worries,' Sihtric said, 'here, try these.' 

He handed you one of the lighter pairs, then grabbed one dumbbell to use himself, a much heavier one, and showed you how to do a bicep curl. But you barely understood him as your eyes were fixated on his flexing muscles.

'Like that, okay? You try it,' he said, 'three sets. One set consists of fifteen repeats.'

'Wait… fifteen?' you grimaced and Sihtric stared at you. 

'Already complaining, doll?'

'N-no,' you chuckled.

'Thought so,' he smirked, resting his hands on his hips as he stood back, 'alright, entertain me now.'

You were already sweating before you even lifted one dumbbell, and you just had no idea how you were supposed to decently work out in front of Sihtric. He was way too good looking, way too sexy, and way too cheeky for his own good.

'No,' Sihtric shook his head as you tried to perform your first bicep curl, 'you're not holding it right, love,' he said and stepped closer, 'that way you're going to pull a muscle.'

He took your hand, guiding your fingers in the right position, and you swooned at the small lines tattooed on his fingers. Then he held your elbow with one hand, as he brought your hand up while holding the weight, teaching you the correct posture and movement of the exercise.

'Better that way?' he asked.

'Yeah,' you chuckled, 'thanks.'

You managed to get through the first set rather fine, the second set was a bit of a struggle, and when you reached the third set, you thought your arms would fall off. Sihtric stood back, clearly enjoying your struggle as he bit down on his lip with a smile. When you just barely finished the third set, Sihtric told you to put the dumbbells down on the floor.

'Feeling your arms now?'

'It fucking burns,' you laughed, painfully and out of breath.

'Good,' Sihtric grinned, 'that means we found you the right weights. The last set always needs to be a struggle, if it's too easy, you need heavier weights.' He winked and squeezed your already sore arm. 'Gotta put those muscles to work, lady,' he smiled.

After you did some more dumbbell exercises, it was time for sit ups. You were glad you could give your arms some rest and you sat down. But when Sihtric sat down in front of you, leaning in, holding your feet down to the floor as he told you to do as many sit ups as you could, you wished you were lifting weights again. He stared into your eyes each time you sat up, and each time it felt as if all the air in your lungs was punched right out at the sight of his mismatched eyes.

You had no idea how many sit ups you had done, it felt like fifty, but Sihtric said you only did fifteen.

'Come on, give me five more, doll,' he smirked, 'you gotta work for me.'

With a heavy and pathetic groan, you completed twenty sit ups, and you laid down on the floor, exhausted.

'God, I'm fucking boiling,' you huffed.

'I bet. You'd feel a whole lot better if you took off that shirt,' Sihtric said, slightly leaning over you as he still held your feet pinned to the floor.

You stared up at him, his smirk made your cheeks heat up even more, but you knew he was right. You didn't wear a sports bra for nothing, you just didn't think you'd get so warm after only two exercises. 

'Yeah, maybe,' you said, struggling to sit back up.

You tried taking off your shirt, but your arms were so sore, you hissed at the movement.

'Fuck,' you grimaced, 'nevermind. My arms hurt too much,' you chuckled.

Sihtric hummed with a smile and leaned in again. 'Need some help with that?'

'I don't know,' you said, 'I'm paying you to help me get in shape, not to help me out of my shirt,' you laughed, which was also painful, but you tried to hide it, 'and… I don't know if I'm comfortable without a shirt,' you said shyly, but desperately wanting to give your body some air to cool off.

'Oh, please,' Sihtric said, 'I don't want you to pass out here because your body gets overheated, there's nothing you have to hide from me. I've seen every body shape, we're all just human,' he said and his tattooed fingers got a hold of your shirt. He slowly pulled your shirt up, over your head, 'And besides,' he smiled, handing you your shirt, 'me taking off your shirt is included in the price, just for you though,' he winked.

You choked on your saliva and desperately reached for your water bottle as Sihtric got up.

'But if it makes you feel more comfortable,' Sihtric said as he took off his own shirt, 'I'll join you by taking something off too.'

You emptied your entire water bottle in one go at the sight of his toned chest. His abs were insane, his biceps were to die for and his whole body… the things you imagined he could do to you in bed made you feel lightheaded. In the mirror behind him you noticed he had a concerning amount of scars on his back, and you wondered what his story was. You stared at his reflection while Sihtric threw his shirt in a corner and looked down at you, eyeing you up before he crouched down next to you, when he saw you were trying to hide your body by pulling your knees up to your chest.

'Listen to me,' Sihtric spoke softly, his face so close to yours, you felt his body heat, 'you have absolutely nothing to be ashamed of, doll. Honestly, I don't even know why you're here,' he smiled softly, 'you look perfect as you are,' he stared into your eyes and shrugged, 'but, if you wish to make some changes, that's all your choice, and I'm here to help. But you should never feel like you have to hide yourself, and definitely not for a personal trainer, okay?'

You smiled shyly and nodded.

'Good. Now,' he licked his lips, 'I want you to get on your hands and knees for me.'

'E-excuse me?' you asked, wide-eyed.

'For the plank exercise?' Sihtric frowned innocently as he sat back. But the faintest hint of a smirk on his face told you he knew exactly what it had sounded like.

'O-oh,' you chuckled.

'Why? You thought I meant something else?' Sihtric played dumb.

'I… I don't know what you mean,' you lied, but your laugh betrayed you.

'Sure,' Sihtric smiled and hummed, 'bet you like it that way, huh?'

You gasped and laughed again. 'I can't believe this conversation,' you chuckled, 'but fine,' you got a rush of confidence, 'yeah, maybe I do like that.'

Sihtric laughed, throwing his head back as he did, and you didn't even realise you bit down on your lip as your eyes got stuck on his exposed neck, and then your eyes wandered down his body, taking in the spectacular sight in front of you.

'Hey,' Sihtric said, smiling as he looked back at you, 'it's a good exercise if you have someone to join you.'

'Yeah, well, unfortunately,' you chuckled as you finally brought your body into the position he had requested.

Sihtric's eyes took you in for a moment and he licked his lips again. Then he placed one hand on your arm and one on your back, gently pushing you down on your elbows into the plank position.

'If your session was over already…' he said, not finishing his sentence.

You looked at him as he took on the same position next to you, joining you for the exercise.

'Then what?' you asked, feeling your abs hurting already as you held yourself up.

Sihtric stared back into your eyes, biting his lip as he effortlessly held himself up.

'Then I would've made your entire body sore,' he smirked, and you collapsed down on the floor.

After you had done your last round of shadow boxing, you were simply worn out. You dragged your feet towards the sink to refill your water bottle, Sihtric following you to do the same, but just before you reached it, your legs gave out underneath you. Sihtric caught you in his arms and carefully seated you on a chair. You didn't faint, but you got close, and Sihtric held the back of your head as he forced you to drink some water.

'Did you eat what I put on the schedule for you?' he asked, handing you a dextro.

'Not all of it,' you confessed, hiding your face in your hands as you waited for the sugar rush to kick in.

Sihtric sighed and clicked his tongue, then he moved your hands away from your face and cupped your cheeks.

'Listen, I am not telling you what to do because I simply enjoy telling you what to do,' he chuckled lightly, 'I am telling you what to do, because this is what I wanted to avoid. I am not making shit up, you really have to be prepared for a workout. You really have to take care of yourself.'

'I know,' you mumbled, ashamed.

'Then act on it,' Sihtric smiled sweetly and squeezed your chin lightly with his hand, 'you okay, doll?'

'Yeah,' you smiled, 'thank you.'

'You better not pull this stunt next time, lady,' Sihtric said, 'or you'll be doing ten more sit ups for me.'

You felt sore for days after your first workout, and Sihtric had checked on you through texts a few times throughout the week. You were just as nervous for your second workout, but equally as excited to see Sihtric again. But as fate would have it, your work scheduled a sudden meeting, which clashed with your training. You only found out on the morning itself, and you nervously texted your personal trainer.

You: hey, I'm really sorry, my work planned a sudden meeting this afternoon. I have to cancel our appointment…

Sihtric: is this you trying to quit, lady?

You: I swear it's not

Sihtric: better not ;)

Sihtric: what time you off?

You: I should be home around 8 in the evening…

Sihtric asked you for your address, saying there was no way you were skipping a training, and he'd come over to your place, if you'd let him, to still do your workout as planned. You agreed, desperately wanting to see him again, and the entire day you couldn't pay attention to anything else, other than the image in your head of how good Sihtric looked shirtless. You made sure to eat enough during the day, not wanting to nearly pass out again, and you anxiously waited for Sihtric to ring your doorbell in the evening.

When you opened the door, you nearly went down to the floor already at the sight of his long, slightly messy hair. This was the first time you saw him without braids, and you cursed him for looking so good. You wondered if he knew how good he looked.

'Thought you could skip a workout?' Sihtric smiled as you let him in.

'Honestly, no,' you laughed, 'I really had to work. It wasn't planned.'

'Sure,' he chuckled, knowing you weren't backing out, he just liked to taunt you.

'You always do house visits in the evening?' you taunted back.

'Oh, yeah, all the time,' he joked.

'Bet your partner is not happy with this?' you pried as you walked him into your living room.

'No one's keeping me in check, lady,' Sihtric smiled softly and put his gym bag on the floor, 'only got myself to look after.'

'Oh,' you said, satisfied with the answer, 'good for you. Do you want a drink?'

'Yeah, sure, why not.'

Sihtric followed you into your kitchen, and he traced his fingers over your bare arms as you poured him a drink, your breath hitching upon his warm touch. 

'Still sore?' he smiled.

'Barely,' you said, handing him his glass.

'Hm,' Sihtric hummed and put the glass down on the kitchen counter as he stepped closer, towering over you, 'I should go a little harder on you tonight then.'

'Oh, really?' you chuckled, 'how hard?' you asked, your heart beating out of your chest.

Sihtric licked his lips and exhaled with a chuckle.

'Harder than you could possibly take, doll,' he breathed with a half smile.

'You don't know what I can take,' you said and shrugged lightly.

You bit down on your lip and Sihtric pressed his body against yours. He leaned his hands on the counter behind you and brought his lips close to your ear.

'You think you can take me?' he asked, his lips brushing against your ear as he laughed softly, 'hm?' Sihtric smiled and looked back in your eyes, 'think you can take me whole when I fuck you hard, lady?'

'You don't know what I can take,' you said again, breathier this time.

'You think you can take me when I push you down on your hands and knees?' Sihtric whispered, staring into your eyes, 'think you can take me when I pull your hair and spank your ass?' he chuckled and hummed, then bared his teeth before he smacked his lips, 'think you can take me when I show you every corner of the bed? Or when I throw your legs over my shoulders, going so… fucking… deep… into you, that it'll almost make you blackout?'

'I can take you,' you said, chest heaving up and down, just like his.

Sihtric chuckled again and brushed his lips over your neck, before leaving soft, open-mouthed kisses. You softly moaned at the feeling, allowing your head to fall back while he kissed and licked your sensitive neck in a teasing manner.

'How does that feel?' he husked, keeping you trapped with his body.

'G-good,' you smiled, and your hands moved up in his hair.

'You want more?'

'Yes,' you sighed.

'Beg pretty, doll,' Sihtric laughed softly, grinding his hips against yours, making you feel his hard cock, 'beg for more. Beg for me.'

'Fuck,' you hissed, pulling his hair, 'please… please, give me more.'

Sihtric groaned when you pulled his hair, and he wrapped his arms around you, pressing you firmly against his body. He continued his wet kisses on your neck, down to your shoulders, pulling down the strap of your sports bra with his teeth, before he ran his tongue back up to your neck, earning a desperate moan from your lips as you grabbed the collar of his shirt.

'Tell me what you want,' Sihtric whispered in your ear, and pinched your earlobe between his lips as his hand moved up to your neck, 'tell me,' he breathed, his hand wrapping pleasantly around your throat.

'Please,' you moaned, desperately, 'please, just fuck me. Fuck me anywhere you want, any way, just… please. God,' you sighed, 'I need to be fucked by you so badly.'

'I'll fuck you sore,' he rasped, 'you'll feel every single muscle when I'm done with you.  And you'll still feel me inside you for days to come. You sure you can take that?'

'Ye-yeah,' you smiled and closed your eyes as he kissed your clavicles.

He brought his lips back up to your face, and finally captured you in a heated kiss. His tongue found access into your mouth with ease, and you kissed each other until you ran out of breath.

'Where can I have my way with you?' Sihtric whispered, his heavy-lidded eyes staring down at you.

You took his hand and led him up the stairs, to your bedroom. He picked you up, threw you on your bed with ease, and climbed on top of you with a soft laugh.

'Ready to work for me?' he smiled and dragged his tongue over your neck again, before he left another bruise on your skin as he pinched your flesh between his teeth.

'Oh, fuck,' you moaned, tugging his shirt, 'please…'

'Yeah, that's it,' Sihtric husked, grabbing your chin, 'beg.'

'Please,' you whispered.

'Beg,' he said again, more firm this time.

'Please, Sihtric,' your breath hitched in your throat.

'So pretty when you beg,' he smiled and sat back, taking off his shirt, and you moaned at the sight of him.

Sihtric grabbed your ankle and pulled you to the edge of your bed, 'on the floor,' he said, and you listened.

'Give me twenty sit ups,' he said as he pinned your feet down, 'you will count, and each time you mess up, you start over, you got that?' he asked and pecked your lips.

You were as confused as you were aroused. Was he going to fuck you or was he really only here for a workout? You had no idea, but you did whatever he asked. You nodded and you started your sit ups.

'One… two…' you breathed.

'You have no idea how hard I'm going to take you tonight,' Sihtric chuckled.

'T-three… f-four…' you struggled to stay focused.

'I'm going to use you up, doll, I'm going to fuck you so good, you'll never want another cock inside you again,' he smiled as he kept his eyes locked with yours each time you sat up, and he moved one hand between your thighs, rubbing firmly against your core.

'S-ix… no, fuck,' you messed up.

'Again!' Sihtric said, and he slapped your still clothed slit hard.

'Ah, fuck!' you cried out with a smile, and you tried to collect yourself again to start over with your sit ups.

'One… two… three… four…'

'Good girl,' Sihtric chuckled as he teased you with his hand again.

'Five… six… seven…'

'Such a good girl,' he breathed, and you lost count again.

You cursed and Sihtric pulled down your shorts, along with your panties, which he flung somewhere into your room. He laid down, propped up on his elbows, and he grabbed your hips, pulling your wet pussy up to his mouth.

'Start over,' his hot breath, his facial hair and his wild, loose hair tickled you, and he held you in a firm grip as he delved his tongue between your folds.

You squirmed in his arms, desperately trying to continue another set of sit ups.

'One… two…' each count was simply a desperate moan, as his tongue and lips pleased you in a heavenly way, 'three… fuck, Sihtric, oh god, FOUR!' you screamed as you felt his heavy moan against your core. 'F-five… six…' your voice trembled as much as your entire body.

Beside being overwhelmed with pleasure, your abs were killing you. But Sihtric had warned you that he wouldn't go easy on you.

'You won't get my cock if you don't do your exercises,' he smirked and licked your juices off his lips, before he went down on you again. 

You continued your sit ups, and as tears rolled down your face, from the struggle and the intense pleasure, you finally reached twenty. Sihtric gave you one more firm lick before he moved up, and wiped his mouth.

'Fuck, you taste good,' he smiled, 'now get on your hands and knees.'

Finally, you thought, and before you turned away from him, you saw Sihtric take off his sweatpants. He kneeled down next to you and, like the first time, he pushed you down on your elbows, in the plank position. Sihtric took off his underwear and kneeled in front of you, and you were confused again. You thought he was finally going to fuck you, but he wasn't. Not the way you thought at least.

'Open,' he whispered, tracing this thumb over your lips, and you listened. He slowly brought his length inside your mouth and his hands settled in your hair. 'You know this exercise,' he smiled, 'you stay in this position for one minute. And if you fail,' he chuckled and raked his fingers through your hair, 'you'll have my cock in your mouth for as long as it takes for you to complete that minute.'

You moaned softly, desperately trying to not give in and lower your body onto the floor, while Sihtric slowly fucked your mouth. You desperately struggled the last twenty seconds, but Sihtric hummed with a satisfied smile as he pulled out. You gasped for air and chuckled.

'Good girl,' he whispered and kissed your lips.

'Told you… I… I could take you,' you grinned, out of breath.

'You think I was done?' Sihtric smiled, and he picked you up again.

He threw you on your bed again and joined you. He took your legs, throwing them over his shoulders, and pushed inside you with ease. You moaned hard at the feeling of his size, and as soon as you had adjusted, Sihtric fucked you hard and deep, just like he had promised. You screamed and cried out his name, loving every second of your workout, but you also knew he didn't lie when he said you'd feel him for days after. Which was exactly what happened. He did everything he told you he would. He took you from behind, pulling your hair and spanking your ass. He showed you every corner of your bed, as he flipped you over with ease with those strong arms. And when Sihtric came, after you were fucked sore and numb already, he held you in his arms, pressing soft kisses to your skin as you tried to recover.

'Was this… also included in your price?' you asked, tiredly, but with a grin.

'This was for free,' Sihtric chuckled, 'but you'll still have to pay for your sessions at my gym,' he said and cupped your cheek with his hand, 'but if you'd like, we could do these free workouts on a regular basis too.'

'They'll always be free?' you smirked.

'Hm,' Sihtric hummed, 'only if you'll go out with me,' he said and kissed your lips.

'Only if you promise that you don't do these kinds of workouts with anyone else,' you smiled.

'I promise,' Sihtric whispered and smiled.

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[mariacallous]

On Thursday, Stephen Ehikian, the acting administrator of the General Services Administration, hosted his first all-hands meeting with GSA staff since his appointment to the position by President Donald Trump. The auditorium was packed, with hundreds of employees attending the meeting in person and thousands more tuning in online. While the tone of the live event remained polite, the chat that accompanied the live stream was a different story.

“‘My door is always open’ but we’ve been told we can’t go to the floor you work on?” wrote one employee, according to Google Meet chat logs for the event obtained by WIRED. Employees used their real names to ask questions, but WIRED has chosen not to include those names to protect the privacy of the staffers. “We don’t want an AI demo, we want answers to what is going on with [reductions in force],” wrote another, as over 100 GSA staffers added a “thumbs up” emoji to the post.

But an AI demo is what they got. During the meeting, Ehikian and other high-ranking members of the GSA team showed off GSAi, a chatbot tool built by employees at the Technology Transformation Services. In its current form, the bot is meant to help employees with mundane tasks like writing emails. But Musk’s so-called Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has been pushing for a more complex version that could eventually tap into government databases. Roughly 1,500 people have access to GSAi today, and by tomorrow, the bot will be deployed to more than 13,000 GSA employees, WIRED has learned.

Musk associates—including Ehikian and Thomas Shedd, a former Tesla engineer who now runs the Technology Transformation Services within GSA—have put AI at the heart of their agenda. Yesterday, GSA hosted a media roundtable to show its AI tool to reporters. “All information shared during this event is on deep background—attributable to a ‘GSA official familiar with the development of the AI tool,’” an invite read. (Reporters from Bloomberg, The Atlantic, and Fox were invited. WIRED was not.)

GSA was one of the first federal agencies Musk’s allies took over in late January, WIRED reported. Ehikian, who is married to a former employee of Elon Musk’s X, works alongside Shedd and Nicole Hollander, who slept in Twitter HQ as an unofficial member of Musk’s transition team at the company. Hollander is married to Steve Davis, who has taken a leading role at DOGE. More than 1,835 GSA employees have taken a deferred resignation offer since the leadership change, as DOGE continues its push to reportedly “right-size” the federal workforce. Employees who remain have been told to return to the office five days a week. Their credit cards—used for everything from paying for software tools to buying equipment for work—have a spending limit of $1.

Employees at the all-hands meeting—anxious to hear about whether more people will lose their jobs and why they’ve lost access to critical software tools—were not pleased. "We are very busy after losing people and this is not [an] efficient use of time,” one employee wrote. “Literally who cares about this,” wrote another.

“When there are great tools out there, GSA’s job is to procure them, not make mediocre replacements,” a colleague added.

“Did you use this AI to organize the [reduction in force]?” asked another federal worker.

“When will the Adobe Pro be given back to us?” said another. “This is a critical program that we use daily. Please give this back or at least a date it will be back.”

Employees also pushed back against the return-to-office mandate. “How does [return to office] increase collaboration when none of our clients, contractors, or people on our [integrated product teams] are going to be in the same office?” a GSA worker asked. “We’ll still be conducting all work over email or Google meetings.”

One employee asked Ehikian who the DOGE team at GSA actually is. “There is no DOGE team at GSA,” Ehikian responded, according to two employees with direct knowledge of the events. Employees, many of whom have seen DOGE staff at GSA, didn’t buy it. “Like we didn’t notice a bunch of young kids working behind a secure area on the 6th floor,” one employee told WIRED. Luke Farritor, a young former SpaceX intern who has worked at DOGE since the organization’s earliest days, was seen wearing sunglasses inside the GSA office in recent weeks, as was Ethan Shaotran, another young DOGE worker who recently served as president of the Harvard mountaineering club. A GSA employee described Shaotran as “grinning in a blazer and T-shirt.”

GSA did not immediately respond to a request for comment sent by WIRED.

During the meeting, Ehikian showed off a slide detailing GSA’s goals—right-sizing, streamline operations, deregulation, and IT innovation—alongside current cost-savings. “Overall costs avoided” were listed at $1.84 billion. The number of employees using generative AI tools built by GSA was listed at 1,383. The number of hours saved from automations was said to be 178,352. Ehikian also pointed out that the agency has canceled or reduced 35,354 credit cards used by government workers and terminated 683 leases. (WIRED cannot confirm any of these statistics. DOGE has been known to share misleading and inaccurate statistics regarding its cost saving efforts.)

“Any efficiency calculation needs a denominator,” a GSA employee wrote in the chat. “Cuts can reduce expenses, but they can also reduce the value delivered to the American public. How is that captured in the scorecard?”

In a slide titled “The Road Ahead,” Ehikian laid out his vision for the future. “Optmize federal real estate portfolio,” read one pillar. “Centralize procurement,” read another. Sub categories included “reduce compliance burden to increase competition,” “centralize our data to be accessible across teams,” and “Optimize GSA’s cloud and software spending.”

Online, employees seemed leery. “So, is Stephen going to restrict himself from working on any federal contracts after his term as GSA administrator, especially with regard to AI and IT software?” asked one employee in the chat. There was no answer.

[leiawritesstories]

over my heart

@throneofglassmicrofics August prompt: "Acceptance"

word count: 700

warnings: discussions of grief, tw: tattoo needles

*monty python narrator voice* and now for something completely different...enjoy!

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

Except for the consultation, neither of them had spoken. Instead, the steady low thrum of the tattoo needle's buzzing filled the cool, dry air, covering the background hum of the shop's air conditioning. The sign in the window had been flipped to "CLOSED" hours ago, but after business hours was the only time Rowan had wanted to come in for his appointment.

It was easier if there was no one else around.

Over the phone, the tattoo artist had initially hesitated, but Rowan was a close friend and she understood his need to be alone. They had traded emails with her initial sketches based on his descriptions of what he wanted, and she'd finally refined the design to fit his vision and agreed to have him come in that quiet Thursday night. Although her shop faced one of the main streets of downtown Orynth, it was a few blocks away from the popular cluster of bars and late-night shops, so there were typically very few people who walked past the shop after dark.

His eyes were closed, and he breathed rhythmically but not too deeply as she worked, bent over his torso. It would be best if you didn't inhale too deeply, since the tattoo will be on your ribs, she'd explained. Her black-gloved hands were steady, and her bright blue eyes were focused sharply on the path of her tattoo needle as it traced precise lines into her client's skin. He'd barely moved since they finished the consultation and she prompted him to get comfortable for the tattoo, and she would have worried that he'd passed out if she didn't know Rowan Whitethorn better than that.

The man could be as impassive as granite when he wanted to be, and now was clearly one of those times. She couldn't blame him---many of her clients came to her for deeply emotional tattoos, and it had taken all of her restraint not to sob when Rowan had first reached out about this particular tattoo. After so many months of watching him draw further and further into himself, of wishing she or anyone else could reach out and pull him from the depths of his anger, his pleas, his bargaining, and his soul-cracking sorrow, it was a massive breath of relief when he'd asked her to ink him.

Lyria had cast her light over the bleakness of Rowan's past, and when that light blinked out, Aelin was afraid Rowan would never see brightness again.

Beneath her buzzing needle, his heart beat steadily, thudding a gentle counterpoint to the mechanical hum of her work. The strokes of the Old Terrasenian characters unfolded under her skilled hands, an epitaph sketched over Rowan's heart, as he'd requested. I need to carry her as close to me as possible; can you place the piece over my heart? The ink that scrolled over Aelin's own heart hummed, as if in reply, a finely spun thread of soul-deep understanding that connected her to him in his grief. She knew what it was like to lose someone who held the keys to her heart. If Rowan needed a tattoo to help him navigate the twisting path of loss (as she did), she considered it her honor to give him that piece of support.

After she set aside her tools, wiped antiseptic solution over Rowan's fresh tattoo, and carefully covered it in clear film, Aelin discarded her gloves and handed Rowan a small mirror. He angled it down so he could see the Old Terrasenian script over his heart, and the suggestion of a smile tugged at one corner of his lips as he read the words she's so carefully rendered.

Lyria, beloved light of my heart

Rowan handed Aelin the mirror and traced a fingertip lightly over the clear film protecting the fresh tattoo. Slowly, he sat up and reached for his shirt, pulling the worn cotton over his head with care. As he stood to leave, he met her eyes, and something that could have been understanding passed between them. His lips moved, the words so soft that she didn't properly hear them until after he'd left the shop and closed the bell-laden door behind him.

"Thank you."

~~~

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