#dark wood bar cart
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mary1in · 1 year ago
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Home Bar Single Wall Example of a small classic single-wall wet bar design with dark wood cabinets, wood countertops and mirror backsplash
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crappyassdrawings · 1 year ago
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Contemporary Home Office - Freestanding
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Study room - large contemporary freestanding desk dark wood floor study room idea with white walls
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pisabookintown · 1 year ago
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Midcentury Dining Room - Enclosed Mid-sized enclosed dining area with white walls and a medium tone wood floor from the mid-century modern era.
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jacob-allan · 1 year ago
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Home Office Built-In Cleveland Mid-sized transitional built-in desk dark wood floor and brown floor study room photo with white walls and no fireplace
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warriorocteivia · 1 year ago
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Hall Dallas Ideas for a large transitional entryway remodel with a light wood floor, white walls, and a dark wood front door
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leoppii · 1 year ago
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Dining Room - Great Room Example of a huge farmhouse white floor and painted wood floor great room design with white walls, a standard fireplace and a wood fireplace surround
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justinrodgers · 2 years ago
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Chicago Transitional Dining Room
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Enclosed dining room idea in a mid-sized transitional style with a medium tone wood floor and a brown floor, gray walls, and no fireplace
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tolookbeyondtheglory · 2 years ago
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Los Angeles Enclosed Dining Room Mid-sized enclosed dining area with white walls and a medium tone wood floor from the mid-century modern era.
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pixelatedsnuggles · 2 years ago
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Midcentury Dining Room - Enclosed Mid-sized enclosed dining area with white walls and a medium tone wood floor from the mid-century modern era.
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buckets-and-trees · 3 months ago
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Between the Lines
Characters/Pairings: Ransom Drysdale x curvy female!Reader Word Count: 4.4k Summary: When presented with a deal you can't resist, you agree to to create an illusion so you can achieve your actual dreams.
Content/Warnings: masturbation, slow burn, forced proximity, fake engagement, annoyed/disgusted to lovers
Notes: This takes place after the events of Knives Out. Yes, all of the movie. No exclusions. Dividers by @vesearartistry and @saradika. My humble offering for week seven of my Countdown to Chris-mas. Thank you @stargazingfangirl18 and @biteofcherry for both indulging some of my plot-talking for this fic!
↠ Main Masterlist | Aspen's Ask Box | Field Guide to the Forest
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You sat nervously in the lobby of Blood Like Wine Publishing watching the gears behind the glass display on the elegant clock above the reception desk.
Up until the death of Harlan Thrombey, the publishing house had published his works exclusively with a new murder mystery being produced and translated into dozens of languages each year like clockwork, the gears and cogs a well-tested as the antique clock on display.
With no Harlan, the publishing house had opened to submissions and you and your agent had made it through the initial rounds of querying and contract negotiations.
But now, only a year and a half after the prolific genius’s death and transfer of ownership to his nurse and friend Marta Cabrera, Marta had sold to a new owner - yet to go public in name, and they had asked for a meeting before finalizing the contract.
You tried not to fidget as you gripped the leather armrests of the chair, willing the minutes to pass faster. The lobby was eerily quiet, save for the soft ticking of the clock and the occasional rustle of papers and the soft clacking of the keyboard from the receptionist's desk. The walls were adorned with framed book covers, each one a testament to Harlan Thrombey's literary legacy. You couldn't help but wonder if your own work would ever grace these halls.
As you waited, your mind raced with possibilities. Who was this mysterious new owner? What did they want? Your agent had assured you that this was just a formality, but the knot in your stomach suggested otherwise. You found yourself studying the intricate patterns in the marble floor, tracing the veins of gold and silver that snaked through the stone like the plot twists in one of Thrombey's novels.
Just as the clock struck ten, the elevator dinged, and a tall woman with perfectly coiffed short white hair strode out, her heels clicking authoritatively on the polished marble floor. She paused at the receptionist's desk, speaking in hushed tones before turning her piercing gaze towards you.
"I assume you’re my ten o’clock?" she questioned, her voice sharp and commanding.
You suppressed a gasp and abruptly stood, smoothing your clothes nervously as you approached none other than Linda Drysdale - the legendary daughter of Harlan.
"Yes, that's me.”
She gave you a once-over, then nodded. “Come with me.”
You followed Linda into the elevator, your heart pounding in your chest. The mirrored walls reflected your nervous expression back at you, and you tried to school your features into something more confident. Linda stood beside you, her posture perfect. In contrast to you, she seemed entirely at ease, tapping away at her phone with manicured nails.
When the doors opened, you stepped out into a hallway lined with dark wood paneling and more framed book covers. Linda's office was at the end, a massive space with floor-to-ceiling windows offering a breathtaking view of the city skyline. The room was dominated by an imposing desk made of rich mahogany, its surface neat and organized.
"Please, sit," Linda said, gesturing to one of the leather chairs in front of her desk. As you settled in, she moved to a small bar cart in the corner. "Can I offer you a drink? Perhaps some whiskey? A gin and tonic? Coffee? Tea?"
You shook your head, politely declining. "No, thank you. I'm fine."
Linda shrugged, pouring herself a generous measure of amber liquid into a crystal tumbler. "Suit yourself," she said, returning to her desk and settling into her high-backed leather chair. She took a sip, savoring the whiskey before fixing you with her piercing gaze once more.
"I've read your manuscript," she began, her fingers drumming lightly on the desk's polished surface. "It's intriguing. You have potential, there's no denying that."
Your heart swelled with pride at her words, but you remained silent, sensing there was more to come.
Linda leaned forward, her eyes never leaving yours. "I'm prepared to offer you a book deal. A three-book contract, to be precise. The advance is generous, and the royalties - well, let's just say they're enough to make even my father's ghost smile."
You felt a surge of excitement, but something in Linda's tone made you hesitate. There was a glint in her eye, a slight curl to her lip that suggested there was more to this offer than met the eye.
"However," she continued, swirling the whiskey in her glass, "there is one small condition."
The word hung in the air between you, heavy with implication. You swallowed hard, your mouth suddenly dry. "What kind of condition?" you managed to ask, your voice barely above a whisper.
Linda smiled, but it didn't reach her eyes. "You see, my father liked to play games. In his will, he left us with one final trick. I don’t know how much of this you heard or followed in the news, but he left us nothing - his cash and assets, our home, and this publishing house all went to Marta Cabrera, his nurse at the time of his death.”
You would have been hard-pressed to have missed the news because it had spilled over into scandal.
“I don’t expect to see the sixty million, and that’s tough, but I can live with that - I’ve made my own fortune, and neither Walt and his family nor my sister-in-law and her daughter need to continue suckling off the teat of dad’s treasury. The house still hurts, but I’ll get it back - I can bide my time. But this? It only took me eighteen months of patience and strategy, working through subsidiaries and intermediaries, to close the deal on getting Blood Like Wine back in the family where it belongs.”
“I will go public with my ownership by the end of the week,” she continued, “but for better and for worse, the acquisition has ended up coinciding with my son’s pending release from prison.”
“Ransom?”
Linda nodded, a flicker of emotion crossing her face before disappearing behind her composed facade. "Yes, Ransom. As you can imagine, his... indiscretions have caused quite a stir in our family and social circles."
You shifted uncomfortably in your seat, unsure where this was leading.
"My son made mistakes, grievous ones. But he's served enough time, and now he needs a chance to redeem himself. That's where you come in."
Your brow furrowed in confusion. "I'm not sure I understand, Mrs. Drysdale. What does this have to do with my book deal?"
"The condition," she explained, her voice taking on a steely edge, "is that you convincingly pose as his sweet-as-a-peach fiancé for two years.”
Your mouth fell open in shock. Ransom Drysdale, the man who had attempted to murder Marta Cabrera and frame her for Harlan's death, and she expected you to agree to this? You stared at Linda in disbelief, and the silence stretched between you, broken only by the soft ticking of an antique clock on the bookshelf behind her.
"I... I don't know what to say," you finally managed, voice a little weak in your shock.
Linda leaned back in her chair, taking another sip of whiskey. "It's quite simple, really. You play the role of Ransom's devoted fiancée, help rehabilitate his image, and in return, you get your book deal. Three books, a substantial advance, and the backing of one of the most prestigious publishing houses in the industry.”
"But... Ransom... he tried to kill someone. He went to prison. How could I possibly-"
"Details," Linda waved her hand dismissively. "The public has a short memory. With the right narrative, we can reshape Ransom's image. A reformed bad boy, humbled by his time in prison, now devoted to his charming fiancée and ready to contribute positively to society. We both know the power of a well-crafted story. People will believe anything."
You felt your head spinning. This was so far beyond what you had expected when you'd nervously entered the building this morning. "And what does Ransom think about this plan?" you asked, grasping for any semblance of normalcy in this surreal situation.
Linda's lips curved into a tight smile. "Ransom will do as he's told if he wants to maintain his lifestyle and eventually inherit his share of the family fortune. He knows the stakes."
You sat there, stunned. The offer was tempting - a three-book deal with Blood Like Wine Publishing was beyond your wildest dreams. But to fake an engagement with a convicted criminal? It seemed insane.
"I understand your hesitation," Linda said, her voice softening slightly. "But consider this: you'd have unprecedented access to our family. Think of the material for your future novels. The inside scoop on one of America's most infamous families. Isn't that what every mystery writer dreams of?"
You had to admit, she had a point. The Thrombey-Drysdale saga was the stuff of legend in literary circles. To be on the inside, to see how they really lived and interacted? That alone could draw readers in if they thought there was any chance you’d pull threads and weave it into your future novels.
And besides, this was your dream: a multi-book deal with a prestigious publisher, the chance to see your work in print, and to potentially become not only a published author but one who with Blood Like Wine’s name and marketing department could be a truly successful author. How could you pass it all up?
“What would you say to four books?”
You blinked, taken aback by Linda's sudden offer. "Four books?" you repeated, your voice barely above a whisper.
Linda nodded, a sly smile playing at the corners of her mouth. "Four books. And we'll double the advance. Consider it... hazard pay." She chuckled softly at her own joke.
Your breath caught in your throat. Four books? The offer was even more tempting now, dangling before you like a golden carrot. You found yourself leaning in, drawn into Linda's web despite your better judgment.
"I... I don't know," you stammered, your mind racing. "This is all so sudden. What exactly would be expected of me?"
Linda's smile widened, sensing your wavering resolve. "Nothing too taxing, I assure you. Attend some charity galas, be seen at upscale restaurants, perhaps a carefully orchestrated paparazzi shot or two. We'll craft a beautiful love story for the press - how Ransom found redemption through your unwavering support and love."
You nodded slowly, uncertainty swirling more strongly, gut churning because you were actually considering this. You could do public appearances…
“A year and a half,” you countered.
Linda shook her head firmly. “No, I won’t budge on the time commitment. Two years is a bankable amount of time to make sure we turn enough pages to fully close this chapter. But I’ll give you six books.”
Your heart leapt at that, and even though your gut was uneasy, your brain was shouting that this kind of deal was something you could not refuse. “Six books, and the first two released before the engagement period is over.”
“Deal,” Linda agreed.
You took a deep breath, your mind reeling from the enormity of what you had just agreed to. Six books. A multi-million dollar deal. And all you had to do was pretend to be engaged to a convicted criminal for two years. It seemed surreal, like something out of one of - well not one of Harlan's novels, but whatever romance author was currently trending.
"I think I will have that drink now," you said, your voice sounding distant to your own ears.
Linda's smile widened, a predatory gleam in her eyes. "I find a good whiskey helps smooth over even the most unusual of business deals."
You nodded, watching as she selected a crystal decanter filled with amber liquid. The soft clink of glass on glass filled the room as she poured a generous measure into a tumbler. The rich, peaty aroma of the whiskey wafted towards you, promising warmth and liquid courage.
Linda returned, extending the glass to you. Your fingers wrapped around the cool crystal and your eyes met Linda's. There was a moment of silent understanding between you - a recognition of the Faustian bargain you had just crafted and agreed to.
As you raised the glass to your lips, Linda's voice cut through the silence. "One more thing," she said, her tone casual but her gaze intense. "I'll up the advance to five million if you agree to move in with Ransom."
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Your GPS led you to the top of a cul-de-sac in the Brown’s Wood neighborhood of Lincoln, Massachusetts. Beautiful trees and a typical New England landscape ushered you up the drive to the midcentury modern home owned by Hugh Ransom Drysdale. It didn’t scream home, but there was no denying it was a stunning feat of architecture - white walls and black roofing framing a structure of mostly floor-to-ceiling windows.
You sat in your car for a moment, gathering your courage. The enormity of what you had agreed to in Linda’s office had been sinking in all week, but this was it. Five million dollars. Six books. And two years of your life pretending to be engaged to - and now living with - a man who had attempted murder.
Maybe approaching all of this as if it was one big plot so of course it had to all work out was a ridiculous coping strategy, but it’s the one you had adopted.
But when the seven-figure advance had appeared in your bank account, giving you more money than you had earned in your entire life, you didn’t have it in you to back out.
If he murdered you, at least you would have paid off your student loans, credit card debts, provided for your parents’ retirement, and put away enough money in a trust for your nephew’s college fund.
The house loomed before you, a monument to wealth and taste that felt utterly alien. With a deep breath, you grabbed your bags from the passenger seat and made your way to the front door.
Before you could even ring the bell, the door swung open, revealing Ransom Drysdale himself.
He was taller than you expected, his presence filling the doorway. His piercing blue eyes scanned you from head to toe, a smirk playing at the corners of his mouth. "So, you're the lucky lady my mother's picked out for me," he drawled, his voice dripping with sarcasm.
You bristled at his tone but forced a smile. "And you must be the charming ex-convict I've agreed to shackle myself to," you replied, matching his sarcasm with your own. "Can we consider the awkward introductions done now?"
Ransom's smirk widened into a grin, a glint of amusement in his eyes. "Oh, I like you already. Come on in, darling," he said, stepping aside to let you in. "Welcome to Hill House Drysdale. Try not to get too attached - I hear it's only a two-year lease."
You stepped into the house, immediately struck by the minimalist decor and open floor plan. The entire back wall was glass, offering a stunning view of the surrounding woods. It was beautiful, but cold - much like its owner, you mused.
The house was a stark contrast to the warmth of the Thrombey mansion you'd seen in news reports. This place was all clean lines, minimalist furniture, and an abundance of glass and steel.
"Nice place," you commented, setting your bags down. "I half expected to see crime scene tape and chalk outlines."
Ransom's laugh was sharp and humorless. "Sorry to disappoint. I save all my murdering for the family estate. This is my sanctuary."
You couldn't help but chuckle bitterly at his dark humor. At least he wasn't trying to pretend this was anything other than what it was - a business arrangement.
"So, where should I put my things?" you asked, gesturing to your bags. Some of your things had been sent off to a storage unit, but the things a moving consultant had determined would come here with you had been packed up and moved earlier in the day.
"The master suite is upstairs," Ransom said, closing the door behind you. "Stay out unless you’re embarking on a conjugal visit.”
You scoffed. “Charming.”
He winked at you, then began to take you through the house. “Other than that, you’re free to roam the house, and I’ll stay out of your space. Living room here,” he gestured around, then walked to the right, and you followed him into a sleek, modern kitchen. “Two Bosch ovens, a six-burner range, your choice of pretty much any appliance in one of these cupboards.”
“You cook?”
It was his turn to scoff. “God, no.”
He walked you through the length of it, coming out on the other end of the living room, and then walking through a dining room with a long black table and another two walls of floor-to-ceiling windows.
Ransom didn’t strike you as one for entertaining dinner parties, making this more of a feature room than anything else.
At the other end, you came to a new wing of the house.
“This is you,” he said simply. “First door office, second is your bedroom and bathroom.”
You hesitated at the transition point from the dining room to the other side of the house.
“What is it?” Ransom asked, turning and putting his hands on his hips impatiently.
“Linda said a contractor would be brought in to install a door and security system.”
“She said could, and you’ve got locks installed, but I own this house, installing a wall and door here is more invasive than I was willing to agree to, and since she’s a real estate mogul she conceded it would altar the property value.”
“I…”
“You can relax. I’m not likely to try to murder you - the memory of the inconvenience of being incarcerated will probably last for twenty-four to thirty-six months, putting you in the clear.”
You frowned.
“They’re nice rooms, state of the art locks, you’ll be fine,” he reiterated, rolling his eyes. “Digital reinforced with an analog component that you’ll have the only keys to.”
He tossed you a keychain with three keys, which you were quick to catch.
“Downstairs there’s another living room that’ll be for you exclusively and a laundry room.”
“So, you’ll be coming through here to do laundry then?” you asked.
“Cute of you to think I do my own laundry.”
Now it was you who had an eye roll to give.
"Speaking of, all your stuff was delivered safe and sound, but I took the liberty of having some clothes delivered for you. Can't have my fiancée looking like a struggling writer when we're out in public."
You bristled at his comment. "What's wrong with my clothes?"
Ransom's eyes raked over you, his gaze lingering a bit too long for comfort. "Let's just say they don't exactly scream 'trophy wife of a reformed bad boy billionaire.'"
You gritted your teeth, reminding yourself of the substantial paycheck waiting for you at the end of this charade. "Fine. When is the first public outing?"
Ransom checked his watch, a sleek, expensive-looking timepiece that probably cost more than your entire wardrobe. "We have a charity gala tomorrow night. My dear mother thought it would be the perfect opportunity to debut our 'relationship' to society."
Your stomach twisted with anxiety. Tomorrow night? That was so soon. You weren't prepared for this.
“Last thing,” he said, reaching into his pocket. “Here’s your ring.”
Ransom reached into his pocket and pulled out a small, black velvet box. As he opened it, your breath caught in your throat. Nestled inside was a ring that could only be described as breathtaking.
The center stone was a flawless oval-cut diamond, easily 3 carats, that seemed to capture and refract every bit of light in the room. It was held in place by a delicate setting adorned with two smaller diamonds on either side. Each facet of the ring sparkled with an intensity that was almost hypnotic.
"This," Ransom said, his voice uncharacteristically warm, "is a family heirloom. It belonged to my great-grandmother, passed down through the generations. My mother insisted I give it to you."
He carefully removed the ring from its velvet nest and held it out.
You reached for it, holding it delicately and studying it more closely.
“And I am going to insist that you wear it continually,” he added, tone back to its normal bite, “none of this on and off business. We’re engaged and there’s no reason to risk a slip up forgetting to put it on before you leave the house.”
The weight of it in your hand felt significant, both physically and metaphorically. This wasn't just any engagement ring - it was a piece of Thrombey family history.
"It's... stunning," you managed, your voice barely above a whisper.
Ransom's expression softened for a moment, a flicker of something - pride? nostalgia? - passing across his face. "It is, isn't it?" he said, his sarcastic tone momentarily abandoned again. "My great-grandfather proposed with that ring after returning from the war. It's seen its fair share of family drama."
You couldn't help but chuckle at that. "I bet it has."
Ransom cleared his throat, his mask of indifference sliding back into place. "Well, go on then. Put it on.”
"Are you sure about this?" you asked cautiously. "Shouldn't a family heirloom go to someone real?"
Ransom's expression hardened slightly. "I’m hardly that sentimental. This arrangement is real enough for my mother, and it's real enough for me. Besides," he added with a sardonic smile, "you're as close to family as I'm likely to get these days."
With a deep breath, you slipped it onto your left ring finger. The final symbol of the elaborate charade you had chosen to undertake.
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It was near midnight, and you were worn out and nearly ready to collapse into your bed. The movers had done most of the work, but you still had had some unpacking to take care of and moved the furniture around in your bedroom and the room that would be your office. After giving you the engagement ring, Ransom had left you alone the rest of the day.
You padded quietly through the dining room that connected the two halves of the house to the kitchen to fill up your water bottle before bed.
The house was eerily quiet as you made your way through the darkened rooms. Moonlight filtered through the expansive windows, casting long shadows across the polished floors. You tried to move silently, not wanting to disturb the stillness of the night or alert Ransom to your presence.
As you entered the kitchen, the cool tile against your bare feet sent a small shiver up your spine. You fumbled for a moment, searching for the light switch, but decided against it. Your eyes had adjusted to the darkness, and the soft glow from the windows was enough to navigate by.
You had just placed your water bottle under the refrigerator's filtered, letting the cool water splash into your bottle, when another sound caught your attention.
At first, it was barely perceptible - a faint, rhythmic creaking from upstairs. You froze, straining your ears. The sound grew clearer: a low, guttural groan, followed by the unmistakable sound of skin moving over skin.
Frozen in place, your cheeks flushed hot as realization dawned. Ransom was fisting his cock and unabashedly enjoying it.
Part of you wanted to flee back to your room immediately, but you were paralyzed, afraid any sound of movement might alert him to your presence.
Your breath caught in your throat as Ransom's moans intensified, echoing through the quiet house. The rhythmic creaking of his bed frame quickened, punctuated by deep, guttural groans that sent shivers down your spine. You stood frozen in the kitchen, your water bottle forgotten as you listened, captivated against your will.
Your body betrayed you, responding to the primal sounds drifting down from above. Heat bloomed in your core, your skin tingling with unwanted arousal. You could almost picture him - his muscular body taut with tension, head thrown back in ecstasy, those piercing blue eyes half-lidded with pleasure. Your imagination filled in the details - the flex of his biceps as he stroked himself, the sheen of sweat on his chest, the way his abs would clench with each thrust into his fist.
You pressed your thighs together, trying to quell the ache building between them.
"Fuck," Ransom's voice drifted down, rough with need.
The raw intensity in his voice sent a jolt through you. Your breath quickened, matching the frantic pace of his movements above. You knew you should leave, retreat to the safety of your room, but your feet remained rooted to the spot.
The sounds grew more urgent, building to a crescendo. Ransom's groans became deeper, more primal. You could hear the desperation in his voice, the need for release. Your own body thrummed with sympathetic tension, your nipples hardening beneath your thin sleep shirt.
Suddenly, Ransom let out a long, guttural moan. The sound of it vibrated through you, igniting every nerve ending. You imagined him arching off the bed, his body taut as a bowstring as he found his release.
The house fell silent once more, save for the pounding of your heart in your ears.
Realizing you were still clutching your water bottle, you turned and tip-toed back to your room as quickly as possible.
You slipped quietly back into your room, closing and locking the door behind you with trembling hands. Your heart was still racing, your body flushed with unwanted arousal. You leaned against the door, trying to steady your breathing.
What had just happened? You'd come to get water and ended up an unwitting eavesdropper to your fake fiancé's private moment. The memory of Ransom's deep groans echoed in your mind, sending another shiver through you.
You shook your head, trying to clear the vivid mental images. This was ridiculous. Ransom was arrogant, infuriating, and had literally tried to murder someone. You shouldn't be affected by him like this.
And yet, the memory of his moans lingered, making your skin tingle and your core ache with need.
When you crawled into bed, you brought a book with you instead of your vibrator, refusing to sate the lust that had been kindled because you didn’t want to risk thinking of him. If you couldn’t resist him the first night living under the same roof, there would be no hope for you to make it two years.
And so you read until your eyes drooped and you were finally succumbed to sleep.
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HAPPY KNIVES OUT NOVEMBER! It seemed like an appropriate point during the Countdown to Chris-mas to finally buckle down and write my first Ransom fic!
↠ Main Masterlist | Aspen's Ask Box | Field Guide to the Forest
I do not do tag lists, but FOLLOW @buckets-and-stories and TURN ON NOTIFICATIONS to be updated any time I publish a new work!
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heartofbusan · 8 days ago
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One day, I hope we get a bangtan bomb of Jimin sitting in a little production office with a laptop in front of him, sorting through cute overniggt stays with the production crew for his little getaways with Jungkook
Most people might not realize it, but Jimin played an integral part in planning these trips. He ensured they had great restaurants to visit, arranging for a motorcycle, being able to go on adventures, a yacht, and selecting fun activities like kayaking and indoor rock climbing and karting. He had the time to do all this while Jungkook was busy being lived by his schedule. Furthermore, Jimin has the intrinsic need to take care of Jungkook's mental health by making sure he takes time off to unwind.
The whole of AYS?! contained all of the things Jimin knew Jungkook wouldn't personally have made time for, even though he loves them while he's doing them.
Like Namjoon and Seokjin discussed, Jimin is the one to take Jungkook on adventures, to open up his world to experience something other than being a homebody. If that isn't the perfect combination of two personalities, then I don't know what is.
Let's break it down. Cutely.
Jungkook loves adventure. Jimin loves Jungkook to go on adventures. Jungkook loves eating. Jimin loves Jungkook to eat well. Jungkook loves to ride motorcycles. Jimin wants him to do it safely. Jungkook loves nature. Jimin is a wood fairy. Jungkook doesn’t like to embarrass himself. Jimin will laugh at him because making mistakes is human and a good way to remind him to stay humble. Jungkook loves to cuddle. Jimin loves to keep him warm, even if it is through a stomach bug induced fever. Jungkook loves boxing. Jimin's nose would like a word. Jungkook loves to feel unburdened and normal. Jimin will take him to sea to live out his Jack Dawson fantasies. Jungkook loves snowboarding. Jimin wants to excel in that which he sets his mind to and isn't afraid of switching mediums to still feel accomplished. Jungkook loves to soak. Jimin loves to soak. Being dressed for it was sadly mandatory. Jungkook loves to cook for Jimin. Jimin loves to eat what Jungkook serves him. And well. Jungkook loves to drink but will refrain when it isn't convenient. Jimin loves soju but isn't opposed to beer and whiskey because that's what Jungkook loves. Jungkook loves to pretend he's a stranger being flirted with. Jimin loves to approach a dark and handsome boy to talk him up, be it in a bar, or a (little) boat. The authorities are a different kink altogether. Jungkook needs to put on sunscreen. Jimin too, but on Jungkook. Jungkook loves to shop. Jimin loves to make him laugh by being silly in a store. Jungkook loves snacks. Jimin loves to push around a shopping cart until the man finds his holy grail, but he will complain while doing it. Jungkook loves to tease Jimin. Jimin loves the attention, but he will complain while getting it. Jungkook loves to take care of camera angles and audio equipment. Jimin has accepted the presence of a tiny camera in his personal space. Jungkook loves to watch Jimin being silly or sleepy or confident. Jimin loves to be unapologetically himself and is happy he can whenever he is around Jungkook. Jungkook loves smooth legs. Jimin arrives prepped and ready to roll. 💜 💛
Jungkook loves Jimin.
Jimin loves Jungkook.
And being together is more important than choosing a less difficult hardship. Being able to speak without words, just by a look, a touch, a gesture, is more valuable than anything else they have to endure.
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insomniac-dot-ink · 4 months ago
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I can’t go home. There are only a few places open this late and I am walking. I leave a trail of footprints in the powdery snow. The music hall in the middle of town is playing a local band no one has heard of and a single popup store sits outside. I go to the window. The clerk is on her phone in the small cramped cart. Her screen goes dark and she looks up. Her hair is deep brown and tied back so neat and boxy you’d think it was a nun’s habit.
“Hot chocolate,” I say.
The clerk is nonplussed. She takes my money. Her habit-like-hair is stiff and doesn’t shift as she nods and counts my ones. She moves from one end of the little cart to the other with a Styrofoam cup. 
She carries the sugar-thick hot chocolate in one hand and it lets out a thick steam. I am sure she made it too hot. She stops. Her gaze draws up and over my shoulder. Her pupils expand and shoulders rise almost to her ears.
She glances at my face and then away again. Her lips are thin and uncolored. She mouths the words like an unskilled ventriloquist, “do you need me to call someone?”
I shake my head and take the cup and the texture is squeaky and flakes off in my grip. I walk. My footprints mark the powder-white snow and my city only has a few places open at this time of night. My legs are numb with cold and my eyes ache from lack of sleep. I am grateful for the street lights which are all a pale blue color that is supposed to help the birds. I am a bird person, I think, if I was going to be anything.
Cars pass and I am grateful for those too. I reach the street of little cramped stores, one after the next. A fabric store. A second-hand book store. Florists and boutique shoe shops. All too charming to be supportive. The Walmart is just outside our small town limits and I can’t go home.
Across the street, the pub has lowlights on and voices rumble like a thunderstorm from within. I don’t think the rest of the town likes the pub. The bar has one long window made up of colored glass in muted reds and blues and yellows. It reminds me of church windows and leaves the impression of making up for it. Making up for being what it is.
I square my shoulders and push my way in. The air is warm and floor a good type of dark wood. The tables are full enough to be considered a party–or, what I imagine a party to be like. I hadn’t noticed the dusting of snow on my hoodie, and shook it off like dandruff.
The man behind the counter gives me a cursory look. He is a big man with a large mouth and wears frowns like he’s making up for something too. “Mark isn’t here,” he says in a further cursory manner. I shake my head and make my way to the counter. I hadn’t finished my hot chocolate and clutch the Styrofoam cup in both hands.
“Warm up?” I ask but Steven Plyer, the barkeep, is looking over my shoulder. He mouths to himself silently like he’s working out a math problem under his breath.
Two men, big and strapping, move away from the bar’s church-like window. They take seats at the end of the bar and Steven Plyer, the barkeep, leans over the counter. His pupils are ink-dipped coins. I fiddle with the ends of my sleeves. He looks over my shoulder just as I push my hot chocolate closer over the counter.
“There’s a whole world out there,” he says.
I close my eyes. “I know.”
“You don’t have to go.”
I shake my head and Steven Plyer takes my hot chocolate and disappears behind the swinging doors to the back. The rest of the men have moved away from the window and sit on either side of me. They murmur in voices too low to hear.
The oldest of them, a man that smells like leather, stands. His voice has a vibrating quality, unsmooth, dragging out the “a’s” like a regal sheep. “Do your parents know?”
Steven Plyer returns with my hot chocolate steaming and passes it to me with both hands. I get up because the old man needs my seat, I think. The first two men huddle by the front door, coats on and heads bent together like prayer, and I leave without them. The snow is no longer powder but inch-thick fluff. I kick up the fluff with each step and the silver hangs about me like fairy lights, I imagine. I take a sip of hot chocolate and it is too hot and too sweet and you can be grateful for that too.
The sidewalk ends and I walk alongside the side of the road just on the edge of the white line. I think I can see the lights of the Walmart beyond the lights of the city. Trees gather on either side and I miss the blue glow of the street lights and the concerned gaze of the clerk in her tiny cart. I wish she had come with me. I wish Steven Plyer had called me by name.
A solitary car passes and its stark white headlights blare against the night, more violent than kind, and I have to shield my eyes. The car is red and large and pulls to stop on the other side of the road. The window rolls down and a curly-haired woman sticks her head out. Her face is small and elfish and mouth pinches together at the corners. She wears a tight shirt buttoned up all the way to her throat like it might hold her in.
The head beams glow perpendicular to me and I regard the woman as she regards me. She is slow to speak. Slower than the men at the bar had been.
“Get in,” she says, buttoned-up to the throat and with eyes more tired than sad.
“No,” I say and take a sip from the hot chocolate. It’s cold.
Her windshields wipe away the snow and she looks over her dashboard. Her voice is breathy in the way of a Hollywood actress from a bygone era. “I’m worried.”
I nod. They all are. “That can be enough.”
Her mouth zips together into an angry line. She sticks her head out the window, close to a snarl, looking past me, and honks her horn in one long blast. I shy away from the noise and the too-brightness of her head beams. She drives with her head out the window, honking her horn over and over again as loud as she can.
I walk and there are no more cars. The snow settles over my shoulders and I don’t bother to dust off my hood or warm my hands. I leave the white line and walk in the middle of the road. The lights of the Walmart warm the night just outside of town and I can make out the outline of parked cars in the distance. They’re aren’t that many places open this late at night. 
I slow to a stop and sway a bit, like I'm drunk, I think, if this is what that's like. A second pair of footprints mark the snow in front of me. When had that happened? I tilt my head all the way back. The clouds are bright like daylight and snow growing heavy. I think it will all be glittering when the morning comes.
FIN
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xveenusx · 2 years ago
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Hate
Paring(s): Rafe Cameron x fem!reader
Summary: Two people hate how much they love each other
Authors note: get ready for some filty smut and toxic relationship Rafe
Rating: smut, 18+, mdni
Warnings: explicit mature themes, choking, spitting, hitting, dirty talk, etc.
Part 2: Love
_________________
“Oh I hate that man. I hate that man. But oh, cara Mia, how I love him.”
This can’t be happening.
Was the mantra that played in my head on a constant loop as I stared at the red dress that hung neatly in the closet.
Pougelandia seemed like a dream at this point. A beautiful dream that’s been shattered by the ever waking nightmare I’m currently in.
My heart lurched in my chest as I thought about my friends. I should have listened when John B and Pope told me to leave the pilot but I couldn’t. I couldn’t let that be another thing that happened to me.
Reaching my hand out, I let my fingers graze the fabric of the dress. It slipped through my fingers easily, the fabric clearly being the most expensive thing I’ve ever worn.
A shudder ran through me as I tugged the dress off the hanger and slipped it on. Pushing the hair out of my face, I let out a shaky breath and forced myself out of the room.
I wiped my hands nervously on the gorgeous ruby dress, swallowing down the hysterical need to cry.
My eyes danced along the gorgeous house that was my prison. Wood stained columns decorated each room with what I assumed were valuable artifacts on display. The wooden arch entry way had stained glass windows that caused hundreds of colored reflections to sparkle along each and every room.
Sliding my hand along the wooden railing on the stairs, I slowly made my descent, hoping that the knocking of my knees wasn’t noticeable. A maid greeted me at the bottom of the stairs, her smile soft as she held out her hand in the direction she wanted me to go.
“This way, miss.”
I tried to send a smile back but I’m sure it came off as more of a grimace.
“Would you like a drink?” She asked, stopping at a small bar cart to the right of an open door.
“Yes, thank you.” I cleared out, stumbling over my words.
I needed several drinks just to get through this.
The maid said nothing and simply placed a glass tumbler in my hand filled with dark liquor. I brought it to my lips and took a huge gulp, relishing in the burning sensation that wrapped around me like a warm blanket.
It seemed to take the edge off and made the next few steps easier.
She motions for me to enter the room beside the bar cart and so I do, my fingers tightening on the glass.
Stepping in, I hovered by the door, taking in the room in front of me, and saw no one. Taking another drink from my glass, I shuffled further in at the sound of movement coming from the other side that was obstructed by the door.
A towering figure stood on the other side of the room, his back facing me as he made himself a drink.
My stomach tightened for some reason.
I took stock of just how well dressed this man was. His navy blue suit seemed to be tailored to fit his tall build and reeked of wealth. He was at least six foot and had an air of superiority around him. His presence almost seemed overpowering simply due to his height.
Tingles shot up my spine as something felt familiar about him.
Only one person has ever made me feel this way.
Pushing back the thought, I cleared my throat. “Um, excuse me?”
The figure turns around and our eyes connect instantly causing all air to leave my body.
His ice blue eyes widen for a fraction of a second before settling on my face. A soul penetrating stare that shook me to the core.
My grip on the glass loosened causing it to fall and shatter into thousands of pieces. Similar to how he left my heart.
Rafe Cameron.
He looked the same yet different. The eyes that I used to stare in night after night were intense and brilliant. They held hope for the future and were ironically innocent.
The man in front of me was different. His gaze had now hardened as though he experienced something dark. Those Arctic blue orbs were enigmatic and cold, no sign of innocence or hope.
The dark dirty blonde strands I once threaded my fingers in as an anchor while he kneeled in between my legs and drove me to ecstasy were gone. His hair was nearly buzzed down to the scalp giving him the appearance of a hard and refined grown man.
The once party hungry frat boy was gone, replaced by something much darker. Much colder.
The air around us was electrifying, almost to the point of suffocation.
Rafe stared down at me, his piercing blue eyes never leaving mine, not one word being said.
But I knew exactly what he was thinking, because I was thinking it too.
Memory after memory played in my head causing my cheeks to turn hot. Him taking me on the counter with my legs thrown over his shoulder. Me bent over his bike as he ruthlessly pounds into me from behind, my long hair wrapped around his hand. Rafe pinning me down by the throat as he fucks me savagely on the top deck of the yacht.
I was practically vibrating at this point, a flash of heat hitting my center, throbbing and aching for relief.
I dragged my eyes away, needing to break the connection, ignoring the familiar rush of those intoxicatingly intense feelings that always came attached to Rafe Cameron.
A gold glint catches my eyes and for the second time today, I’m rendered motionless. Speechless.
On his wrist, familiar gold cuff links decorated the sleeved cuff on his shirt.
One’s that had my initials.
I couldn’t hide the pained look I knew painted my face. Of course, he would be behind this. There was no line he wouldn’t cross in order to get what he wanted.
I learned that the hard way. The only thing that mattered to Rafe was the gold and the approval of his psychotic father. That fact was just as painful to swallow as the first time.
Months later and he still managed to thoroughly destroy whatever pieces of me exist.
I hate this man. I hate this man.
My feet moved on their own accord stopping only when we’re less than a foot apart.
My hands clenched into fists and something inside of me snapped. Slamming them down on his chest, I let out a shout and shoved him as hard as I could.
I barreled into Rafe again, my hands hitting his chest as hard as I can but he doesn’t move an inch. His tall frame remained in place no matter how hard I tried to shove and hit him.
Frustrated, angry tears gathered in my eyes as I let out a distressed noise. “I knew you and Ward were behind this shit.”
Something flickered in his eyes, but it disappeared just as quickly and was replaced by a cold dark look.
“Be fucking serious. Are you trying to weasel in on my deal right now? Is that what’s going on?” He spat, his eyes narrowed as he bent down to my height until his face filled my vision.
An empty laugh escaped my lips as I shook my head at him with disgust,” Yes, I decided to fly to Barbados to come and ruin your deal because the entire world revolves around you.”
Rafe let out a harsh breath that made me close my eyes tightly. His entire smell engulfed my senses.
Peppermint, apples and expensive cologne whirl through my nose as my defective and traitorous heart pounds loudly in my chest.
“I wondered if your little reunion would cause sparks, you know.” A voice from the connected room mused.
At the sight of an unfamiliar figure, Rafe moved in front of me quickly blocking my view of the man. He made a noise and tucked me behind him.
Butterflies erupt at the move, pounding away at the wall I built around my heart. I peaked under his arm and saw a short man in a suit. His olive tone skin complementing his dark hair and groomed beard that decorated his face.
“Who are you?” Rafe asked, his stance never wavering.
I dug my nails into his suit jacket as I waited for a response.
“My name is Carlos Singh. It’s a pleasure to meet you both.” He answered, buttoning the front of his jacket.
“I apologize for the rough tactics in bringing you here. Please come, I don’t bite.” Singh gestured to the seating area, an insincere smile on his face.
Stepping around Rafe, I cautiously look around the room before turning my gaze to him.
He subtly shook his head but I chose to ignore it and settle myself on the couch.
He didn’t get to tell me what to do.
Rafe’s eyes darkend as he muttered something harshly under his breath. Rubbing his head, he moves to where I sat angling his body slightly in between Singh and I.
“Rough tactics? What about me?”
“Ah, yes Mr. Cameron. False pretenses.”
Singh goes on a tangent describing some sort of treasure that I have no interest in and by the blank look on Rafe’s face I can see he feels the same.
“I didn’t listen to a word you said, okay? How much longer you gonna keep philosophizing?”
His words were oozing with boredom as he took a seat next to me. The warmth of his body near me made me jolt.
Clearing my throat, I stood up and took a seat in a single chair, ignoring the chuckle from Singh and the glare from Rafe.
“You’re rather direct, aren’t you Mr. Cameron?” The look on Singh’s face was threatening.
My stomach dipped with nerves at the unspoken threat in his words. I opened my mouth, hoping to distract Singh,” What do you want with me and my friends?”
“There’s a diary. The diary of Denmark Tanny. It leads to the cross of Santa Domingo and since you and your friends had the cross, you must have the diary.”
That’s what this was about?
I could already see the question in Rafe’s eyes as he zeroed in on my face. I kept my face blank, knowing despite my desire to, I couldn't tell him anything.
Tearing my gaze away from his, I told Singh,” We don’t have the diary. I dont know where it is.”
Rafe’s face hardened. His jaw clenched in anger as he looked away from me. It was unsettling.
Singh was clearly displeased as he called out for guards, tsking under his breath. Two armed guards come into the room and stall in my direction making me fumble backwards.
Rafe shielded me immediately holding up his hand,” Don’t touch her. We’re cooperating.”
The men gesture the desired direction with their guns causing Rafe’s hand to tighten its grip on mine. Singh follows closely behind clicking his tongue against his teeth.
We’re forced into a bedroom. A bedroom only sporting one bed.
No. No. No.
“Please enjoy your stay. I suggest you convince her to tell you where the diary is. You should know that I am not so forgiving nor am I patient.”
The click of a lock had me turning around in panic. Rafe moved instantly, tugging the handle harshly but it didn’t give. He hit the door in frustration letting out a curse.
I was wrong. This was the worse thing to ever happen. Rafe and I being locked together, in a room, alone.
“Try again.” I demanded, my voice raising in hysteria.
“I already did. It’s locked from the outside.”
Pushing him out of the way, I called out while banging on the door. My grip tightly on the handle as I tried to pull it open.
My calls came unanswered. Despair filled every cell in body as I took in the reality of the situation. Resting my head on the cool surface of the door, I breathed in deeply willing myself to calm down.
Warmth appeared behind me. “Are you okay-“
I pushed myself off the door and walked around him, ignoring his words entirely. I could do this. My friends will be here soon and I just had to last until then.
I couldn’t let Rafe Cameron break me for the fourth time. Not when I’ve finally glued all the pieces back together.
At the sound of a vehicle approaching and shouts of terror, I moved to the window pulling the curtains back. Rafe appeared next to me as we both peered outside through the glass.
One man in a beige bullet proof vest is dragging a man against his will while another strapped with a gun followed close behind.
“Who the hell is that guy?”
Recognition filled me as I stare at the guy being dragged away. “I know him. It’s Jimmy Portis.”
At my words, Rafe’s face turned to mine. I could feel him staring at me, wanting to know more but I couldn’t pull away from the scene in front of me.
“He was trying to help us.”
Seconds later, Singh appeared with a smug smile and a wave. Reaching behind his waist, he pulled out a gun.
My fingers tightened on the curtain.
“Whoa, whoa, whoa.” Rafe said, his palm landing on my stomach and pushed me back gently, away from the window.
“Rafe-“ My words are cut off.
“No.” His tone left no room for negotiation as he placed himself in front of me, as though he was attempting to shield me from what happened next.
A gun shot goes off.
A shriek passes my lips as I bring my shaky hands to my mouth. Rafe didn’t even flinch. Instead, he licked his lips and turned to me.
“This diary. Hey, no bullshit,” He warns, “Dont bullshit me, Okay? Do you have it?”
His dark eyes searched mine and I fought the urge to give in. He was like a tsunami that constantly threatened to drag me under. Every sense filled with him.
I used to give him everything. Until, he couldn’t do that same. I knew, I knew I couldn’t tell him the truth.
“No.”
“Your lying.” Yes.
“Let’s both stop pretending that you know everything about me.” I deflected, as I pushed him away from me.
Distance, I repeated in my head. Get some distance.
“Baby, we both know I do. The only one pretending here is you,” his lips widened in a harsh smile, one that threatened to eat me alive, “Now, tell me about the diary.”
“We don’t have it. Do I have to add deaf to the list along with psychotic and delusional?”
Rafe takes a threatening step forward causing me to take a step back. “I’m gonna ignore that comment.”
“Still doesn’t change the fact that we don’t have it.”
His eyes twinkled with amusement. “Your lying right now. You want to know how I know?”
Shoving his hands in his pants pockets, Rafe steps in front of me swarming me from all sides. “You pick at the skin on your nails.”
Closing my eyes briefly, my stomach sinks because he was right.
I hated it him. I hated how he knew every little thing about me. I hated how he weaponized my reaction towards him again and again.
“Step. Back.”
“No, your useless friends put you in this situation. I’m trying to get us out. Where’s the diary?”
At the mention of my friends, a fire of anger ignited inside me. “Don’t talk about them like that. At least, I have them. Who do you have? Barry?”
“Have them? Where were they when you got taken? Look where we fucking are.”
“They didn’t have a choice. It was my fault anyway.”
“Why are you defending them?” Rafe asked me, staring at me with such exasperation. “Because of them, you’ve been in so much shit. Look where you are right now. They’re low lives. Stop being delusional.“
“And what,” My voice shook with anger, “be with you instead? You think your such an upgrade? Last time I checked you’re a frat boy with a coke addiction riddled with daddy issues. How could you be any better than them?”
I hated the person he turned me into. I never liked hurting anyone and here I was hurling every insult I could at him. I was consumed with the need to hurt him just as bad as he hurt me.
“Is this some knew kind of foreplay? Because, if it is, it’s working.”
“That’s what you got from that?”
He sends me a bored look. “What else could it mean?”
“Um, exactly what I said.”
“I don’t get it.” Rafe had the audacity to actually look confused.
“You’re crazy. You have to be.”
He nodded his head like this mad perfect sense. “Well, yeah. For you. I thought I made that clear.”
“When? You were too busy lying to me.”
“This again?”
“Just sit down and shut up.” I snapped, crossing my arms over my chest. “You’re already giving me a migraine.”
“I knew I still had an effect on you.”
“Not a good one.”
“I’ll take what I can get.”
Ignoring his pretty words and charm was the only way I could survive this.
“Rafe, just stay on the side of the room and I’ll stay on mine. My friends are going to come so until then just keep to your damn side.”
He clenched and unclenched his hands as he regarded me. “And if they don’t come?”
“They will.” God, I hope so.
“So much faith in them.” Rafe said quietly, shaking his head in my direction before looking away. “Where’s your faith in me?”
“Gone. Kind of like your soul.”
I felt my pulse in my throat. His eyes turned brutal as he slowly traced his thumb along his bottom lip, almost assessing what he was going to do next.
He looked like he was going to eat me alive.
The ache in between my legs ignited again, the pulse almost unbearable.
“I can protect you.”
“Protect me? All you’ve ever done is hurt me.”
Rafe stared at me with humor as his eyebrows raised expectantly, “The only time I ever hurt you, is when you asked for it.”
Heat flashed into my cheeks. Flashbacks of my pleas for him to choke me and punish me hit me like a truck.
A frustrated noise left my lips as I grabbed a book from the dresser and threw it in his direction. “I hate you.”
No I don’t.
The humor left his blue eyes instantly as he clenched his jaw. “Watch it.”
“No. You think you can protect me?” I asked incredulously, my hands finding a remote next and I throw it at his head. “We’re in the same fucking room, Rafe.”
He side stepped the remote I threw at him easily, shaking his head. He begins to unbutton his suit jacket, his piercing blue eyes brewing a storm.
“I -“ I was momentarily distracted by him removing clothes. “Stop taking off your clothes.”
“You don’t hate me.”
He was insane. That’s what he chose to focus on?
“I do. I hate you. How many times do I have to say it for you to get it through your thick skull?”
The tension between us was stifling almost as thought there wasn’t enough oxygen in the room.
“Stop fucking saying that.” Rafe barked, his words rough dropping with a warning.
He undid his cuff links slowly, almost threateningly, like it was a count down for what’s to come.
My eyes narrowed at his threat. Anger and lust consumed me as I tried to fight off the urge to kiss him. Resentment wrapped around my throat.
He takes a step forward.
“Or what?” Gulping, I took a step back. My eyes looking around for something else to throw at his gorgeous face. “Are you gonna tell me you love me? And you think I’ll believe you?”
“I never lied about that.” His tone was almost condescending as he took another steps towards me.
My heart dipped as my blood ran hot and cold. Indecision filled me. This is what he does. He surrounded me, confused me, cornered me until all I could see was him.
“Stop trying to confuse me.” Another step back.
The way he looked at me sucked all the air out of my lungs. His eyes regarded me with such desire it burned me alive. I couldn’t look away.
“You know me. Look at me and tell me I’m lying.” Rafe’s words demanding yet soft.
Blue. His eyes fucking haunted me. I felt myself slowly giving way to the enigma that was Rafe Cameron.
Forcing my eyes away, I spotted a clock on the nightstand by the bed. I reached for it just as he moved towards me.
I pegged it at him. We both watched as the clock hit his chest with a thud and fell onto the floor with a plop.
“I know you enough to know that what you say doesn’t matter.”
He looked like he wanted to kiss me or strangle me. Probably the latter since he was a psychopath.
“This monologue is getting a bit repetitive, don’t you think?”
My gut twisted. “I hate you.”
I did sound like a broken record, but it was the only phrase that seemed to get a reaction out of him.
It was the only weapon I had as every other resolve I had was slowly deteriorating before me.
“Watch your mouth,” Rafe’s jaw tightened. “Don’t say it again.”
A distressed breathe left my lips. I wasn’t winning this deadly game of tug of war.
“Why?” I wanted to break him. I wanted him us to have matching scars. His soul didn’t get to be left unscathed while mine was covered in wounds that didn’t heal.
He was closing in on me at this point. His sleeves now rolled up to his elbows and the first few buttons undone revealing the gold necklace I gave him.
Why was he doing this to me?
My fingers grasp the decorative pillow from the bed as I target his head. “Because you know it’s true. At least the people in my life love me. They didn’t pretend to love me to find the gold. They didn’t leave me repeatedly.”
Slapping the pillow out of the way, he stood two feet away from me. “Leave you? You left me.” The words held no emotion, just cold hard facts.
I bring my hand to the side of my face as I shake my head at him in disbelief.
“You chose the gold. Not once, not twice, but three fucking times. You chose to lie to me. Again and again. So I may have left, but the minute you chose the gold over me was the moment you decided I was worth losing.”
I remember the last time I saw him clear as day. The cross was being pulled up by Pope on the crane when I saw a figure with a gun take off running in his direction.
My whole body froze as I took in the person behind the gun. We both regarded each other with shock. I felt my heart break for a second time as I realized how he got the cross.
His guilt ridden eyes stared at me as I realized just how stupid I had been. I begged him to come with us. To leave the cross that was about to fall off the boat and come with me. Tears were streaming down my face as I screamed for him to leave.
To finally choose me. To love me the way I loved him.
It felt like hours when he finally made his decision. And, it wasn’t me. Rafe took off running towards the chain that was tied to the cross as he screamed for help from the crew.
My heart broke for the third and final time. I don’t think I could survive a fourth.
A touch to my face pulled me out of the painful memory. Rafe’s in front of me now, towering above my dainty figure, his fingers grazing my cheek.
“Can you please just let me explain?”
Jerking back, I slapped his hand away from my face.
His eyes flashed,”What? Now I can’t even touch you.”
“I loved you.” I whispered the words causing him to tense. “But, I’m done. I’m so completely and utterly done with you.”
Anger radiated off him in waves and the sudden urge to step back overcame me. Only, when I did the back of my thighs hit the bed.
He’d cornered me into the direction of the bed.
“Loved?” He murmured, almost to himself.
Rafe runs his hand across his jaw, analyzing me slowly. Seeming to have made up his mind, he envelops my very space with his hand threading itself tightly within the roots of my hair at the nape of my neck.
Bending down to my height, his breath fans along my lips causing heat to surge through out my body. He was addictive.
“Just to be crystal fucking clear. You won’t ever be over me. This will never be over.”
Dread sat in my stomach like lead at the truth in his words. He knew it, I knew it. .
My eyes burned. My heart ached. All I knew, in that very moment, was I hated how much I loved him.
He was inevitable. The way we consumed each other was nothing short of catastrophic. We shined too bright that we burned each other.
“Don’t do this to me. Don’t you dare do this to me again.” I pleaded tearfully, begging for him to show an ounce of mercy.
Holding on to us was cruel. Rafe wasn’t going to change for me. He loved in his own way, but it was brutal, obsessive and mad. It was also intoxicating, intense, and painfully beautiful. It was too much.
I used to think I could handle it, because being with him was the only thing that made sense. He made me feel the sweetest high that sent me into a euphoric oblivion.
I thought my love was enough for him. Call me naive, but I wholeheartedly believed that I could help those broken parts of him heal. But Rafe was too broken. All the pieces of him I tried to carry in my arms only cut me in the process as I slowly bled out.
He had taken every piece of me with him. It was hard to tell where I ended and he began.
“Why are you wearing that necklace?” I asked him, the backs of my eyes burning. I needed him to say it. I needed him to tell me and actually mean it.
Rafe shook his head, his blue eyes were soul-wrenching. “You know why.”
My hands trembled as they connect with his shirt, griping the crisp material in desperation.
“Why are you wearing those cuff links?”
Why couldn’t he just say it?
When he didn’t respond to me, I felt the last bit of glue give way and my heart got devoured by grief.
I let go of his shirt. “You’re a coward. You’ve always been a coward.”
His eyes flickered with hurt but I didn’t care. Blind rage filled me and I pushed him. When he didn’t react, I did it again and again screaming out every morsel of pain that threatened to kill me.
It only lasted seconds. Rafe had enough and quickly caught both my wrists in his hands. His face was cruelly beautiful.
It mocked me.
“Calm down.” He ordered, his face a mask of cruel indifference. But, I knew him.
His eyes were filled with cold fury and by the slightly tremble from his body, I knew he was close to losing control.
“I fucking hate you.” I spat the words out vehemently. I watched as the words hit him square in the chest.
He sent me a wolffish grin. “I warned you.”
Rafe shoves me onto the bed trying to pin my squirming body down but I refuse to comply. I try to leverage my legs to buck his heavy body off of me but he only smacks my thigh causing me to suck in a breath.
“Let me go.” The heat of his body seared into me. He smelled like sin and regret.
“Stop fucking fighting me,” Rafe responded with a grunt.
I could feel light coat of sweat start to cover my body, the silk of the dress rubbed against my skin only making the throbbing worse. I kicked my leg out but my dress only slipped further up my body, my thigh now fully exposed.
Rafe’s eyes clocked the newly exposed skin. His distraction bought me enough time shove his shoulders back causing him to stagger.
Pulling my body up, I tried to crawl off the bed but shriek when familiar hands clamped onto my ankles and dragged me back down the bed.
“God, you asshole.”
He ignored me and straddled my hips, his legs pinning me in place. My heart pulsed against my rib cage.
“I’m the asshole? You’ve been throwing shit at me for the past ten minutes.”
Glaring at him, I jerk my arm free with the full intention of slapping him when Rafe catches my hand.
“Stop trying to hit me.” He growled, his patience gone. With rough hands, he grabbed both my wrists and pinned them above my head in one hand. The other gripped my chin tightly, forcing my eyes to his volatile memorizing blues.
“Now that I have your attention. Take it back.” Rafe breathed out harshly.
He waited for me to answer but the words never left my lips. Instead, my entire focus was on the rigid mass of muscles that were pressed against my body.
My dress had entirely pooled at my waist, the lace black thong I wore peaked out from under.
Rafe leaned down and moved his grip on my chin up slightly so my lips pursed out in a pout.
His swipe his tongue against my pouty lips before placing a soft kiss along them. “Take it back.”
The small act made my body feel like it was on fire and the desire to arch my back and beg for more was overwhelming.
The evidence of our struggle was resting hard against my stomach. Desire filled my mouth but I couldn’t let him see that. I tried to jerk my head out of his grasp but he tsked.
Maneuvering his body slightly, he rested himself in between my legs. Slowly reaching in between us, the tough calloused hand I loved having around my throat trailed along my thigh, curling around my knee and hooking it across his waist.
“Oh god…” I couldnt control the whimper that escaped me. My body was wired tight with anticipation at the familiar rush of want threatened to drown me.
His hand trailed back, the bits of his nails scraping along my naked thighs. They catch the waistband of my thong where he teasingly slips a finger underneath.
“I can feel how hot your pussy is.” The words were rough against my lips. “We’re so good together. All you have to do, is take it back.”
“No.” Yes.
His chuckle was throaty almost hoarse as he trembled with barely there restraint. “That fucking mouth.”
Rafe allowed his open palm to travel up my navel, the roughness of his hand contradicting the silk of the dress.
“Please.” I was weak, I was so incredibly weak. I was a trembling mass of limbs under him just at his touch.
The palm of his hand finally trails up between the valley of breasts before curling around my throat tightening possessively.
“Take. It. Fucking. Back.” He emphasized each word with a hot kiss to my lips.
I clamped my eyes shut willing for him to disappear. What do you do when your worst nightmare is also the love of your life?
I felt his forehead rest against mine, his breath heavy against my own. “Don’t say that to me. Say whatever the hell you want, but not that. Never that.”
I slowly opened my eyes. Deep pools of glacial blue stare back at me overwhelmingly beautiful and gloriously mad.
“I didn’t mean it.” The words were spoken softly, barley above a whisper.
Rafe closed his eyes briefly in relief. “You drive me insane.”
A giggle erupted from my chest at the irony of his words because I’m almost certain he’s clinically psychotic. At the sound of my laughter, he opens his eyes and sends me a soft smile that relaxed all the harsh lines in his face.
Lifting a hand to his face, my finger tips slowly smooth out the stressed lines along his eyes.
“My head.”
“What?” I asked letting my hand finally run through the buzzed hair on his scalp, goosebumps erupt on my skin at the thought of it in between my legs.
“It’s finally quiet.”
My hand froze at his honesty and my heart ached for him. The same heart that has now decided to throw all reason outside the window.
I just wanted this pain to go away even for a few moments. He always had the ability to take it away even if he was the one causing it.
I tugged him down gently and he followed me with ease. “Rafe?”
“Yeah, baby?” His eyes darted to my lips.
“Did you miss me?”
A rumble left his chest. “Fuck, I missed you.”
My heart soared at his confession. I dragged the tips of my nails down the curve of his jaw and trail down his throat making him freeze.
At the sight of the familiar gold chain that decorated his neck, my legs clenched around him.
Even apart, he always kept me with him.
Not bothering to look up, I leaned forward with one finger grasping the chain that hit my chest while my lips placed an open mouth kiss along the curve of his neck.
I caught the chain between my lips humming to myself, completely entranced by him. Rafe balled the sheet in his grip by my head but it wasn’t enough. I needed to get it out of him.
Running my nose along the side of his neck inhaling deeply, my tongue slips out gently applying pressure as I drag it up his neck slowly.
Reaching the curve of his jaw, I peppered open mouth kisses like I would his lips. My blood drummed through my ears and need entered my bloodstream.
“Will you fucking kiss me already?” Rafe said gruffly, nipping at my lip.
He stared at me with half lidded eyes, his pupils blown out wide in arousal. “What do I get if I do?”
The filthy smile he shot me was filled with sin.
“I’ll fuck you dumb. Just how you like it.” He put his lips to my ear, the promise in his voice had me shivering in anticipation.
Tilting my head up, I smashed my lips to his causing him to let out a groan of relief. Our kiss was messy and desperate after so much time apart, our teeth clashed as we fought for dominance.
Rafe took over the kiss practically inhaling my very breath as his tongue brushed against mine. His fingers biting into the tops of my thighs as I tilted my hips up against his, desperate for friction.
Pulling back slightly, Rafe’s hand grips my chin roughly forcing my lips into a pout. Breathing harshly, he leaned forward and licked my pursed lips before kissing me again.
Capturing my tongue between his lips, he sucks on the muscle causing me to let out a soft whimper. We separated, our eyes lock on each other filled with lust, both of us breathing hard and accepting our fate.
“You gonna be good for me?”
The ache between my legs was almost painful as I nodded my head at him, begging with my eyes.
Rafe’s hands moved to my waist in seconds has he gathered the scrunched fabric and ripped over my head, leaving me in my black lace thong and nothing else.
His eyes darkened with each passing second as he stared at my body. I leaned back on the palms of my hands and arched my back in invitation.
Rafe traced the curves of my body with his fingers leaving goosebumps in their wake. His eyes never left my body as he took in every detail.
He looked starved.
Impatiently, I tugged at his shirt and started fumbling with the buttons. Finally the shirt gave way as I pushed it off his shoulders, my hands coming in contact with his built chest, smooth and firm.
His muscles flexed under my touch as I became mesmerized by his body. He had gotten bigger than before, his arms now bulging with muscles.
My fingers trailed down his tight pecs to his abdomen where I let one finger trail along each chiseled ab, my mouth salivating at the thought of tasting each bit of skin.
My breath started coming out in pants. Those blue eyes gleamed at my obvious attraction and the smirk on his lips said enough. His cheeks dusted slightly with pink at my burning undivided attention.
My hand dipped between us to the tent in his slacks and I slowly pressed my palm against the hard bulge. Rafe let out a relieved sigh as his hips pushed against my hand for more pressure.
“Rafe..” I let out a needy whine. The only coherent thought I could form was that I need him inside me.
“Hmm?”
“I want it now.”
He chuckled at my words, licking his lips slowly as he trailed his open palm up my abdomen towards my breasts. Cupping my breast in his hand, he gave it a squeeze before flicking the nub.
My eyes closed tightly, relishing at how his large hands gripped me. His mouth latched onto the hard nub forcing a gasp from me as he sucks and teasingly swipes his tongue around in circles.
He switches his attention to the other causing me to throw my head back in appreciation. My hands held on his head as I pulled him closer to my chest.
Brining his lips back to mine, Rafe nips at my jaw before dragging soft kisses down the size of my neck. I could feel my core start to clench on nothingness due to the level of sensitivity my body was wired on.
His lips latch onto my neck, as he pulled my skin into his mouth, sucking harshly. His hands kneaded into the globes of my ass as he left his mark on my body.
Examining his handy work, Rafe placed small kisses on the several hickeys I knew he left on my neck.
Nothing he did was ever on accident. This I knew he did for a reason, to prove the one point I tried to deny.
We were so good together.
“I’m going to eat you fucking alive.” Harsh words were rasped against my lips as his fingers dipped to my waist, curling around the ribbon of my thong before tugging roughly. The straps gave way as he tore my panties off, quickly tucking them into his pocket.
Now completely bare, Rafe’s fingers dancing across my smooth mound. Unconsciously, my legs opened further at the feeling of his cold rings against my pulsating pussy.
Fuck, those rings.
He glided a single digit along the slit dipping it in between when a low pained moan left his lips.
“You’re dripping on the mattress.”
I didn’t give myself the chance to be embarrassed at his words because the way he was looking at me had me breathless. My brain was blank. Not one explanation came to mind other than him.
He did this to me.
Rafe slips another finger in, the evidence of my arousal being used as lubricant against my clit.
Cursing, he moves off the bed and grabs my hips, tugging me to the edge of the bed where he kneels. Forcing my legs open further, his breathe hits my lips and I can’t hide the tremble in my legs.
His thick ring covered fingers slowly rub my lips before dipping in, separating them slowly in the shape of a ‘V’ opening me up completely under his greedy gaze.
Rafe pushes a finger in, meeting no resistance, and I can feel myself immediately clench around him.
A moan slipped out as he slowly began to thrust in and out while his thumb ghosted along my clit. Slipping another finger in, he begins to pick up his pace, the only sounds to be heard are the squelching of my juices and his hard grunts.
It was obscene how loud the wet noises were but he was eating it up.
Flicking my nub with his thumb, he curled his fingers making me cry out in pleasure. Pulling them out, Rafe finally leans down and drags his tongue from ass to clit.
Prying my lips open, Rafe sticks his tongue indices of me, thrusting in and out. He hummed against my clit, pulling them between his lips and sucking harshly.
“Fuck you for leaving me. I could have had this every day but you took it away from me.” To anyone else, I knew that came off as mean and probably extremely aggressive. But, I knew what he actually meant.
That translated to, I missed you.
My legs were wrapped around his head with my back arched as I rutted my hips against his face. His fingers, which were drenched in my slick, trailed up my stomach and onto my breasts covering me in my juices.
It only made me burn more.
I began to convulse under his brutal assault of my pussy and my nerves were shot. “Oh god, oh god.” I gasped as my fingers dragged along his scalp.
He hand successfully pinned me down by his forearms as he continued to lap at my lips. Rafe circled my clit with his tongue, prodding at it again and again in a relentless assault. Not giving me a moment to breath, he softly bits on the nub at the same time he slams to fingers into me.
A wave of pleasure hits my body and my toes curl in ecstasy with my eyes slammed shut. I could feel myself gushing onto his face as his name comes out in loud chants.
A warm flush passes through my body as I slump against the bed, exhausted. A languid sigh leaves my mouth as I try to catch my breath.
Rafe presses one long kiss against my pussy, his fingers forming a ‘v’ once more to watch as I dripped onto the mattress. I could feel the wetness under my ass but didn’t dare move.
“So fucking pretty.”
Rafe stood up from between my legs and towered over me with dark eyes.
Holy fuck.
Spit and my arousal dripped from chin, his entire mouth and nose glistening from my juices.
His eyes never moved from mine as he lazily began to undo his belt with one hand. Tugging it off his waist, he tossed it to the ground before he began to unzip his pants.
Rafe stepped out of his pants and underwear leaving him completely naked. I had remind myself to properly breathe.
His dark hooded eyes gleamed with satisfaction.
He gripped his hard and heavy cock in one hand letting out a groan. Tilting his head back slightly, he lazily tugged at his cock making my pussy pound with need.
He looked like a Greek god with his head thrown back like that in pleasure.
“Are you fucking me or what?” There was a bite to my words.
Rafe narrowed his eyes at me before languidly stroking his cock a few more times. “Don’t get pissy.”
I opened my mouth to argue then shut it closed as he came into the bed, spreading my legs wide open.
“Look at me.”
My eyes darted up and connected with his darkened blue orbs. Without breaking eye contact, Rafe gathered saliva in his mouth and spits directly onto my pussy while his hands pinned me open.
My chest heaved up on down at the action, making me feel so filthy. He brings the tip to my slit and slaps it gently against my sensitive engorged lips.
A pained whine escaped me at his teasing.
“Someone’s needy.” He mused.
Leaning forward, he slowly pushed in cursing under his breath. My legs were shaking as I furrowed my eyes brows at the intrusion.
I felt full as my eyes glossed over the more he pushed his hips in. I didn’t remember him stretching and making me feel this full.
“Rafe, I dont think-“
“I used to fuck you in the shower, the car, in the fucking boat. You can take me, baby.” He murmured against my lips, taking my bottom lip in between his teeth and tugged gently. “You used to sit on my cock and keep me warm.”
He slides another inch, my cunt sucking him in. I could feel every ridge of his thick hard cock against my quivering walls.
“That’s it. Fuck, you’re taking me so good.” Rafe praised, his hands dancing along my thighs in a loving caress.
I felt myself clench at his words and a wave a clinginess hit me. Mewling for contact, Rafe reads my face with satisfaction as leans over me, giving me the closeness I needed.
My nails dig into his shoulders as he sinks into me further, causing my mouth to open and close like a fish out of water.
I momentarily forgot how to breathe. He completely bottoms out inside me drawing a loud moan from my lips.
“Such a good girl for me,” Rafe muttered, pressing soft kisses along my face. “Your pussy remembers exactly who owns it.”
He let out a deep groan in my ear causing goosebumps to appear. He was so fucking vocal, he knew how to kill me.
“I’m the only one that fucks you the way you need to be fucked, right?”
I ignored the questions, instead focusing my attention on the feel of his cock twitching inside me.
Rafe pulls out before slamming back into me, a scream leaving my lips as my back arched in pleasure.
“Fucking answer me.”
I could barely hear him over the pounding of my ears.
He begins to rut into me, each thrust echoing with sopping wet sounds. My walls quivered and pulsated around his dick.
Slowing down his pace, he pushes my thighs up, folding me in half before slamming into me again. The tip of his dick brushes my cervix making my eyes roll to the back of my head as I gasped for breath.
Rafe’s pace is brutal as he savagely fucks me into the mattress. A choked sob left my mouth as I dug my nails deeper into his skin.
The sound is skin hitting skin echos in the room making me clench even harder. My upper thighs were soaked with my slick and his spit, making the noise all the more dirty.
“Tell me I’m the only one that fucks you like this.”
A gargled noise left my lips as my brain began to short circuit. He only pounded into me harder at my lack of response.
I could only focus on the ceiling as I gasped for my breath.
“You think JJ can get you to forget how fucking breathe?”
Oh god. Oh god. Oh god.
My eyes were blown wide and my mind completely blank as I mumbled incoherently under him.
“How about Pope? Does he know how to get you break?”
He harshly spat the words, punctuating each sentence with a pistoled thrust. I was a mindless mess under him. My eyes rolled to the back of my head with my mouth dropped open.
“You’re a fucking freak. They don’t know how to handle you. But, I do.”
He needed to stop talking before I blacked out.
Letting go of my legs he tried to move back, but I immediately wrapped them around his waist, wanting to be as close as two people could.
I was a desperate whining mess as I begged him for more.
Roughly grabbing my chin in between his two fingers, his eyes laced with heat. “Open your mouth.”
With wide eyes, my mouth slowly opens and my tongue slides out. Rafe places his mouth over mine before spitting directly onto my tongue all the while slowly thrusting in and out of my gummy walls.
Moving back, he stared at me through half lidded eyes. “Swallow it.”
My brain had turned to mush at this point. I blinked at him before I swallowed his spit, humming under his heated gaze.
“Missed that pretty mouth.”
I clamped down on him at his words. I blushed under his gaze. Rafe dipped his head, connecting our lips, licking his way into my mouth.
Suddenly, I feel him pull out of me causing me to whine in protest at the loss. His hands grabbed my hips in a brutal grip before turning me over onto my stomach.
He tried lifting my hips into position but they were shaking so intensely that I couldn’t hold them up.
“My legs-“ I gasped out gulps of air with my face resting onto the sheets, my hands gripping the sheets into tight balls.
“Come on, baby. Don’t you want to be good for me? Hold up your legs.” He cooed in my ear.
At his demand, I somehow found the strength to push myself up, arching my back as far as I could with my legs shaking.
A guttural groan erupts from his chest as I feel him separate my ass cheeks. Sinking back into me, Rafe begins to truly fuck me into oblivion.
His pace is animalistic, not stopping once. “I’m in your fucking stomach.” He spoke through gritted teeth, his grunts filling the room.
One of his hands trailed up my spine before wrapping itself around the nape of my neck, threading his fingers into my hair and pinned me down.
My cries were muffled into the sheets as he’s grip on my neck tightened possessively.
“Had-Harder, Rafe. Please, please please.” I was babbling on and on with pleads.
He was fucking me so hard I’m almost certain he left an imprint. My eyes began to water from overstimulation as he kept bottoming out against my cervix.
I could slowly start to feel myself spasming against his dick, with each glide and thrust. His hands now holding my hips in a punish grip, sure to leave bruises.
It was too much. I kept forgetting how to breathe and found myself slowly becoming light headed from the pleasure.
Tears began to fall and soak the sheets bellow me as I cried out with whimpers. Choked sobs loudly leave my mouth at him roughly pulling back before grinding back into me.
“You’re so pretty when you cry.”
I went stupid.
He fucked me relentlessly, his palms messaging the fat of my ass before slapping it. Reaching between us, his fingers circle my clit, causing sharp hiss to leave me.
My legs gave out beneath me as tears continued to leak. Rafe didn’t care, instead he continued to piston into me muttering words of praise.
The tightness in my stomach began to build, my toes curling in anticipation. “Oh god. I’m-“
I couldn’t finish my words as my mind went compelled numb, a hot flash a white bursting behind my eye lids. A wave I’ve pleasure snapped as I wailed out his name.
I withered underneath him before my body went completely limp, warm with satisfaction.
He never slowed down. Rafe continued to fuck me through my orgasm as I whined and incoherently begged for more.
I gushed all over his legs, half dazed and mindless.
“W-wanna see your face.” I begged him numbly, needing to see his face when he finished.
“Whatever you want.” Rafe flipped me onto my back before pushing into me once more.
The intrusion has me throwing my head back where he grunted as he dragged his tongue along the side of my exposed neck.
I sobbed to myself. I could taste the salt on my lips and I knew my mascara was running down my cheeks.
My head lolled to the side, my eyes half shut as I stared at him. His neck was tight, and his body tense as him pace began to pick up speed. A new sense of vigour filled him as he rutted into me.
“Rafe, I-I want it.” The words were reckless, but he fucked all my braincells gone.
He was hitting me so deeply, you could see the bulge slightly through my stomach.
A groan ripped out of his mouth, his eyes finding mine. He looked drunk. Drunk off of me.
“You want my cum, baby?”
I nodded stupidly.
“I knew you could take it. Such a good fucking girl for me. So good to me.”
Rafe leaned down and hungrily kissed me, our lips clashing against each other. I panted into his mouth as he rocked into me again and again.
He pulled out before slamming himself back in again and again, grunting and moaning as he fucked the life out of me.
“I’m gonna come inside this pretty pussy.” He grunted against my lips, “I’m gonna fill you up.”
My arms wrapped themselves around his head, forcing his forehead against mine. My eyes stayed on his as I slowly lifted my hips and rocked them against his.
His thrusts begin to stutter as I whispered dirty little nothings to him. I couldn’t control the desire that had me pressing open mouth kisses along his face.
I licked and lapped at his mouth, kissing him roughly.
Rafe began to moan loudly, sweat dripped down the side of his face but I caught it with my tongue.
“Fucking brat.” He cursed out, pinning me down by my throat, the cool metal of his rings soothing my burning skin.
My hand held onto his that was on my throat to serve as some sort of anchor. He took his other hand and wiped my tears across my face, making more of a mess.
“I knew you’d cry for me.”
Rafe clenched his jaw in pleasure before throwing his head back and letting out a loud moan.
Planting himself deeply inside me, I gasped and clamped down on him and in seconds he filled me with his cum.
My body was exhausted as I lazily stared up at him, a small smile of satisfaction decorating my lips.
Wincing as he slowly pulled out of me, I could feel his seed slowly leak out of me and onto the bed.
Rafe caught the slick arousal with his finger and slowly dipped it back inside of me causing me to hiss due to the over-sensitivity.
I watched him through tired eyes, catching his hand into mine and brought it to my face.
His hand curled along my jaw as he wiped the remaining tears away with his thumb. Rafe stared at me with open infatuation as he traced my eyes, then my nose, and finally my lips with his fingers.
“You’ll never be over me.”
At his words, I felt a pang hit my chest that painfully curled around my heart.
His words were cruel, but true.
He wasn’t good for me. In fact, he was my own personal demon that caused all sort of pain in my life time and time again.
Rafe brought me to life. A spark inside me, that I didn’t know existed, ignited. I ached for his attentions and became quickly addicted. His charm and smile lured me into his web of lies and manipulation, and never let me out.
Instead, I threw myself deeper into his web and wrapped myself around his bed of lies. His darkness became my darkness and I accepted every ugly piece of him.
His presence was overwhelming that at times I found it hard to breathe and hard to think. He made me loose my sanity. My very existence had circled around one thing: Rafe.
I would never get over him because he was in my fucking bloodstream.
“I hate you.” My words were weak at best, softly spoken. I stared at him openly hurt, my face shattered as the reality of our situation sets in.
Rafe mirrors my expression, “No, you don’t.”
So I ask you again, what do you do when the monster from your nightmares is also the love of your life?
——————————
Side note: they are fucking F-R-E-A-K-S. He’s so hot I cant even. This is going to be part one of a two part series!!! Please let me know what you think:)
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princesssmars · 2 years ago
Text
season of the witch
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a trephacard x witch reader
wc : 3.644
the saviors of wallachia are tasked with the removal of a dark entity plaguing a town, just to meet a new acquaintance instead.
contains: mentions of murder and violence, cursing, mentions of nsfw bc trevor belmont is a Bastard. fluff. me losing my sanity i need them so bad.
a/n : i miss them so badly god please.
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the heart of the forest inside of wallachia was always dark, even before dracula unleashed demons from hell onto them that bloody night. some of the trees were thin, fragile, and tall; looking over you like a shadow looming behind your back. the others were thick and rotting, full of branches hanging off of them like a monster about to strike. staying in these woods long wasn't something meant for the faint of heart.
luckily, the three heroes of wallachia (or the entire world, depending on who you asked), were anything but that. unluckily, they didn't know how to be quiet.
"there's no shame in admitting we're lost really, it happens to the best of us-" "shut your mouth.” trevor quickly cuts off alucard’s jest, trying to focus on steering the group’s cart through the rough terrain. even the horses seemed on edge.
he was too, not like he would admit it out loud. he had heard stories from his older brothers about what was in here. monsters. witches. demons. but then again, he wasn't a stubborn little child who couldn't fight his battles anymore.
he was now a stubborn adult.
“boys, be civil just for this trip, please. we need to save our energy,” syphas’ head pops out from inside the cart, looking between them like a scolding mother. “i have a weird feeling about this job, I can't describe it. but, in case it's bad, we should probably hurry.”
the “job” sypha was talking about was of course investigating the woods and the small town close to them, to the northeast of gresit. there had been reports of strange things happening in the woods-most likely night creatures that had escaped somehow. they'd go in, kill the creatures, retrieve their reward (and maybe some information and ale), then be gone. easy peasy.
“worry not, sypha, it's most likely some pissed-off night creatures that frightened a few of the townspeople. nothing we haven't dealt with before.” alucard says, moving to take her hand in his to further soothe her nerves.
“mhmm…” she hums, still staring straight ahead at the road.
they eventually arrive at the town, stopping the cart little ways out and getting out to walk the rest of the way. the informant said to meet them at the tavern, and when they step inside all eyes turn to them. there are a few seconds of tense silence before the bartender speaks up, “you the three here for the job?”
“yes, we’re here to help.” alucard steps forward with a polite look on his face.
the bar then breaks out into the usual chatter and laughter as the bartender smiles and waves them closer. the three make their way over to him and sit at the stools near the bar, with alucard sitting normally, trevor with his legs open, and sypha with hers crossed.
“can I get yall anything to drink? it's on the house, the least we could do” the bartender voices, cleaning some glasses.
“some beer would be nice, actually,” trevor says almost immediately, earning playfully annoyed looks from his lovers. “what? it's the least they could do!”
they're given their drinks and the bartender gives them some more information about the job, giving insight into how some men in the village went to hunt in the woods last week and haven't returned.
“it’d be best to head out in the morning if you ask me,” the bartender’s eyes flit around, looking almost nervous. “not to be superstitious but now is around the prime time for whatever lives in there.”
the group all share a look before trevor rests his arms on the bar. “then I guess we better get started.”
“is it just me or is there nothing in here to be worried about?” sypha whispers, narrowly avoiding tripping over a large root sticking out of the ground. they'd been walking for what felt like an hour with no sighting of any night creatures, just rarely stumbling across the normal creatures.
trevor sighs, dragging his feet behind his companions. “i knew it, probably just some scared old woman who saw a weirdly shaped tree in the dark.”
“and the men who went missing?” alucard pipes in.
“skipped town or fell in a ditch.”
sypha lets out a long sigh before stopping and turning around. “alright, this clearly isn't working. we should try something else.”
adrian hums, just as annoyed as her at this point. “i could climb the trees, try to get a better view of everything.”
the redhead lights up with a bright smile, clasping her hands together. “that's a great idea, adrian! come down and tell us if you've seen anything.”
he nods, quickly jump-teleporting up the branches of one of the taller trees. below, sypha looks up at him dreamily.
“pshh, i could climb a tree too, y’know.” trevor mumbles, crossing his arms. his face slacks when sypha kisses his cheek and says, “i know you could my love. it'd take you quite a bit, though.”
alucard glances through and above the trees that he can, able to see a good few miles out thanks to the height and his vampiric abilities. he looks around, almost giving up before he sees it: smoke.
jumping down, nearly scaring the daylights out of his partners who lightly scold him, he informs them of what he saw. glad to finally have a bit of action (even if its probably a straggler camping).
as they make their way deeper into the northern section of the woods, they start to feel…weird. like an unwelcoming energy surrounds them, urging, even begging them to leave.
trevor grunts, deciding to call out the uneasy feeling. “does anyone else feel weird or is it just me?”
“yes, there is indeed something strange in the air,” alucard nods, slowing his steps, “it feels like a protective spell, probably guarding something.”
“or someone,” sypha butts in. she's cast this kind of spell before on the castle and the hold to assure alucard they'd be safe while they traveled. it was a bit complicated, but her abilities were growing every day. but the way this spell felt, it had to have been cast by someone extremely powerful. “but we've already made it this far, we might as well see it…through…”
her voice trails off as all of their steps slow. in front of the group stands a small black cottage, the walls made of cobblestone, and the roof made with a dark wood. a path leading to the house turns into a bridge halfway through, reaching over a creek that comes from a small waterfall coming from one of the walls of rock that act as an enclosure for the abode. it was eerie yet almost comforting.
“my goodness…” sypha exclaimed, walking closer to the bridge until she felt a rough hand pulling her back. she looks up at trevor with questioning eyes while he sighs. “were you just gonna walk in and say hello?”
she scoffs, knowing that yeah, she might have. she knew she could be a little naive because of her upbringing and personality, but despite the dark exterior, this place seemed rather peaceful. almost comforting. it'd be hard to explain the connection she felt to this place already.
“if anything i would assume youd be the one to run into danger, trevor,” alucard jokes, walking past the two to analyze the house, “but he is right. we should proceed with caution.”
trevor and sypha nod their heads in agreement, following the blonde over the bridge and up to the door. sypha suggested knocking but in the middle of her sentence, trevor twists the door knob to find it open.
“wait!” she whisper yells, making the man's foot stop before it can cross the threshold. "there's another protection spell starting at the doorway, let me just..."
"i think it's a special sage, lets head in and investigate."
the redhead holds her hand up to the door, her palm brimming with her magic as it gets closer to the boundary. to her surprise, the air in the doorway seems to shimmer with energy. it slightly tickles her hand, making a slight giggle leave her lips.
the companions slowly step through the doorway into what seems like a cozy and cluttered living area. there were numerous books on the far wall, being split apart by a lit cobblestone fireplace. connected to the room is a small kitchen, with various herbs, spices, and plants lining the counters. leading from where the rooms meet is a hallway leading deeper into the cottage, with many candles on the walls being lit.
"look there," alucard tilts his head to the fireplace, noting how a small cauldron is laced on a hook over the flames, with the contents inside nearly boiling over, "whoever resides here has been in here recently."
"at least theyre a nice interior decorator. but id like to know where they're hiding because im becoming uncomfortable." trevor grunts, folding his arms over his chest.
sypha slightly chuckles, poking him in the arm. "oh don't tell me you’re scared of a little recluse, trephie."
"i told you to please stop calling me that-"
"what are you doing in my house?"
the two immediately stop their teasing, all three of the hunters still, turning slowly to face the direction the mystery voice came from.
standing in the doorway connecting the kitchen to the back portion of the yard stands a woman, wearing a casual cloth shirt and simple but slightly muddy trousers. in your arms is a bundle of vegetables and plants picked from what they assume must be a small farm. the thorns of one of the flowers pricks into the skin of your arm from your grip.
the three strangers stare at you, waiting for you to make a move of attack. when you raise your leg to take a step you see the brunette raise his hand to his hip, getting ready to grip-
"my gods, is that the morning star?" you gently exclaim, pointing to the infamous weapon attached to his whip. you'd read about it in one of your books regarding renowned weaponry and the families they were tied to. which meant... "that means you're a belmont, correct?"
as you look at your other sudden.."guests", you recognize the blonde as a vampire, given his catching eyes and pale skin, and the woman with red hair is wearing what you're pretty sure are traditional speaker robes. she’s oddly pretty for a speaker you think. the ones you've seen all seemed like they would drop dead at a gust of wind.
the woman carefully steps forward, placing her hands in front of you as the men visibly tense at her movement. she smiles at you, a really damn pretty smile, and stands up straight. "we did not mean to intrude in your home miss. well, technically we did but only because we've been sent by the people of-"
"belros." the word leaves your mouth like bile, your brows scrunching in annoyance. you sigh, moving over to the counter in the kitchen and setting down your produce before making your way around them and to your fireplace, gently removing the bubbling cauldron from over the fire.
"you’re familiar with the people in the village i assume? though i imagine you don't see them often, you're more than self-sufficient out here." alucard inquires, looking at the number of items stuffed into containers and shelves on the walls.
"im familiar with how the townspeople are a bunch of babbling idiots who would cower in fear at an eclipse," you spit, moving to turn towards the three of them, "and how they banished me from the village when i was young and frequently send people out here to rid of me in fear of what i might do to them."
"you’re telling me those people in belros kicked you put when you were what, a child? what’d you do?" trevor asks, putting his hands up when sypha fixes him with a hard glare.
"no, its fine. it’s reasonable for you to question it. do you mind if i ask your names first?" you move forward to sit on the couch, the speaker sitting on the couch with you while the belmont and dhampir sit on the identical couch across from you.
"well, my name is sypha belnades. these are my partners, trevor belmont and alucard tepes." sypha answers, pointing to each person as she says their name.
"its nice to meet you all. now if you don't mind me asking, how did a speaker, a belmont, and a vampire come to travel together?"
"well it all started with this ones batshit crazy father-"
"trevor!"
"its a bit more complicated than the nitwit makes it seem, but yes, we did come together because of my father. im sure you noticed the amount of hell he unleashed." alucard is calm when speaking, seeming used to trevors rude comments.
'they seem really close', your mind thinks. you feel yourself at ease a bit more.
“yes, it was trevor who saved me from my death, actually. after that, we found alucard and went to kill dracula. once we finished we decided to stick together.” sypha tells, her face bright as she talks about meeting her companions.
“well, I'm glad your encounters with other people these past few months have gone better than mine,” you sigh, moving to sit on one of your couches while they crowd onto the other, eager to hear your story.
you explain to them how you are a witch born with magic, coming from a fairly long line of powerful ones who worked behind the scenes so as to not scare humans with your abilities, lest they call you a demon and ostracize you or worse.
sadly, thats exactly whats happened to you. when you were but a child you had seen one of the town's hunters wounded in the woods, clearly about to die if you didnt help
when you had you found this cottage, you quickly fixed it up and moved it, putting up the protection spells in fear of being found by anything or anyone. but it was inevitable that you head out into the woods and people break through. it didn't phase you any longer to admit what you had to do to protect yourself.
their facial reactions are mixed, a variation of shock, horror, and anger. you were grateful they didn’t seem too upset about you basically confessing to murder, but you suppose they had seen and caused their fair share of death.
to your surprise sypha reaches over, taking your hands in her cold ones, trevor smirking at your visible shiver. “we are so sorry to hear that, y/n. if we had any idea of what the townspeople were like…”
“its alright, sypha. thank you for listening, let alone believing me.” you thank her, smiling at the woman.
“well what do we do now?” trevor questions, “its not like we can just go back there and say we had a nice chat with you and decided to be friendly.”
“i have an idea.” alucard says. “i will need to see what potion materials you have, may i?”
you nod and rise with him, guiding him over to your multitude of stuffed shelves in the seating area and the kitchen. while he’s searching for what he needs you cant help but admire him. ou had always read about the beauty of vampires but figured it was a farce they put on to lure in unsuspecting humans to their doom. but the man in front of you is ethereal and now staring back at you.
“my apologies, i didn't mean to stare and make you uncomfortable.” you nervously chuckle, quickly turning back to look for the ingredients you were searching for.
“its alright. im often complimented for my beauty on our travels.” he laughs, playfully flicking a lock of air behind his shoulder.
“i didn't take you for the vain one, alucard.”
“you may call me adrien, if you'd like. and I'm not really. i get most of my attributes from my mother. its…comforting, to know i look like her.” his tone of voice brings your eyes back to him, seeing the mix of fondness and grief in his eyes at the mention of is mother. you remember faintly hearing that the demons you'd encountered were brought about by draculas rage at his loss, and you couldn't fathom how he managed to process the murder of his mother, the mental collapse of his father and then having to take his life.
not knowing how else to comfort him, you decide to relate to his struggles. “when I escaped here I managed to save a few things of my parents, like my mothers’ jewelry box. it hurts a bit to look at it but it's nice knowing I have something of hers to keep with me.”
alucard watches you as you speak, smiling when our eyes meet his, saying a little “thank you.” under his breath.
trevor laughs, biting into a snack you had offered to them earlier. “another addition to the club of mommy issues. god, help us all.”
the rest of the night is spent discussing and starting alucard’s plan and getting to know more about your new friends. despite the fear of what will happen the next day, you find yourself enjoying their company more than you thought you would.
.
.
.
“ah! our saviors have returned! with good news i hope?” the bartender addresses the returning trio, the other members of the bar turning to look at them in awe and hope.
“your little problem has been taken care of. you and the people of your town will no longer have to worry about what lurks in the woods.” sypha tells, projecting her voice to alert everyone inside the room.
the room quickly erupts into cheers and shouts, the patrons of the bar rejoicing with the news that they are a little bit safer. if they had still been in the dark the three would have found comfort knowing they had helped to bring safety to more people, but after becoming aware that they are happy at the death of a woman, it leaves a bitter taste in their mouths.
“thank you, thank you! we are forever in your debt.” an older man says, his attire leading them to recognize him as the leader of the village.
“trust us, it was no problem.” trevor assures. “although, how about a round of drinks? monster hunting leaves a man thirsty, after all.”
“why stop at a drink? we will throw you a feast! you have saved our people a great deal, you deserve nothing less.”
the three share a secret look.
“that sounds wonderful.”
.
.
.
the feast is spectacular. there is a great amount of food, enough to share with everyone in the village to syphas insistence. before the drinks are served, alucard excuses himself. he returns when trevor and sypha are in a seemingly pleasant conversation with the village head. halfway through the dinner, they notice how the townspeople seem a bit lighter like a weight has been lifted off their shoulders.
once the feast is over trevor heads to the edge of the woods near the front of the town, where you wait patiently while fiddling your hands together. you have faith in alucard but if this works, if the people recognize you…
“dont worry. it anything goes wrong we’ll protect you.” trevor notices your worry and reassures you, placing a large hand on your shoulder while he guides you into the village center.
you both stop as a woman with her child does the same in front of you. you can feel the magic inside of you gearing up in the face of potential danger.
“why hell, dear. we haven't seen you in town before. are you a visitor as well?”
you let out a concealed long breath.
“yes. yes, i am.”
.
.
.
“it seems like the townspeople are rather welcoming to you. i hope this will help bring you a sense of security, y/n.” sypha hugs you close to her in front of her and her partner's wagon. after making sure the potion had been taken and the now forgetful townspeople had been alright with your presence, it was time for them to head on to their next journey.
“you have no idea what you three have done for me today, i have no idea how to repay you,” you tell them.
“well you could always come along with us and earn your keep, i suppose.” trevor jokes, shrugging his shoulders as adrien and sypha roll their eyes at him. “what? you two were thinking it as well!”
“i do agree it would be enjoyable to have you on our travels. you'd make a powerful ally to us as we continue to clean up wallachia of night creatures.” adrien agrees.
sypha nods. “and what if the potion wears off? or more people bother you because of your abilities? maybe it would be better for you to come with us. for extra protection, of course.”
you nod your head along, pretending to take in their arguments like you hadn't already made up your mind when they had risked so much to help you. you had a feeling your life was going to become a lot more exciting traveling with the heroes of wallachia.
.
.
.
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afyrian · 3 months ago
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Hii!!!! I love ur writing and little stories so much i was wondering if you could write a long cute story where kuroo wants to surprise you with a dinner date at home (makes u get all dressed up and hes cooking like hibachi and doing all the cute things w the food for u to watch + COMPLIMENTS TO THE CHEF 💕) i thought that ur writing would be so fitting for this short but longish story!!!
Thank you so much if you end up writing this!!!🫶🫶🫶
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hibachi surprise kuroo tetsuro x fem!reader (fluff) m.list | wc: 900 | synopsis: kuroo isn’t the best at surprises, but he pulls it off regardless
    "how much longer do you think it'll be?" you shout into your bedroom door, pressing your ear against the wood as you listen for his hopefully positive answer.
  the sound of crackling oil on a hot pan just barely passing through the wood. a light mix of music dances in the background and almost drowns out any chance for kuroo to hear your question. however, you can hear him set something down, yelling back to you, "just one more minute, i promise!"
  stepping back from your bedroom door, you look towards your mirror, noticing your dress that reaches to the floor. you hadn't bought it that long ago for a wedding, kuroo taking this opportunity to convince you to wear it again. the dark green color cascades from the short sleeves down to your ankles, your white socks contrasting. the overhead light shimmers off of it, appearing beautifully under the artificial light. 
  the only thing turning your attention is the sound of the doorknob creaking. turning around, you spot kuroo standing in the door, a chef's hat and apron on that you have never seen. a mischievous smile graces his face as his hand reaches for your elbow. "welcome to kuroo's hibachi, bar and grill," hooking his arm through yours, he keeps his eyes on you.
  "oh, i didn't know we could even get a reservation here," you reach your free hand up to your heart, taking in a mostly pretend dreamy breath, knowing he could always send your heart racing. 
  walking through the living room, you make your way to the kitchen. inside he has ingredients filling the kitchen’s many surfaces. from the small hibachi grill in the middle of a serving cart you bought on a whim, to the many side ingredients resting on the dining table. even a couple bottles of wine grace a small wine rack. guiding you to the table, he pulls out your seat.
  “may i interest you in a table side dinner show?” kuroo raises his eyebrows, unfurling a napkin and resting it on your thighs. 
  looking up at him, you fold your hands together on the tablecloth, giving him a short smile. “i would love to see a show, especially from my favorite cook,” you narrow your eyes, watching as he wheels the hibachi grill over to you. 
  the wood inside burns slowly, a light red color flickering inside. holding a few pieces of meat over the grill grate, letting the heat within bring it to the required temperature. grabbing a few extra ingredients for your plate, you look up at your cook, “so, chef tetsuro, when did you start working here?”
  “just a year ago, although i wanted to for a few months beforehand, told all my friends,” kuroo flips one of the pieces of beef over, grabbing a couple peppers and setting them down on the opposite end, “now, would you like stir fried rice on the stove as a side? i’ve learned from the very best.”
  you knew that he had been running by onigiri miya more often, claiming that kenma ‘fell in love’ with the place. you had never believed him, but with each passing hint and surprise, you came to expect some sort of surprise. “of course i would, chef. may i just say that you are dashingly handsome, tetsuro?” you rest your chin against your knuckle, elbow resting on the edge of the table.
  “taking compliments to the chef a little seriously, aren’t we? but i wouldn’t want to deny someone of such beauty from sending a few my way,” kuroo walks into the kitchen, messing with a wok that is already cooking up what you could only expect to be the fried rice
  watching him, you notice the way his sleeves are rolled up above his elbows. the way his eyes glance back at you because he knows you’ve always been enamored with him and his sense of humor. how he somehow always brings a smile to your face, and despite his terrible ability to keep anything a secret, he makes up for it with a grand sense of mental adventure. 
  watching as he turns back towards the table with the wok, you wait patiently for him to pour some onto your plate and one that sits across from you. returning to the hibachi, he flips the meat again, the brown coloring nearly to the perfect tone. kuroo looks back down at you in your seat, your dress that he believes you look gorgeous in, “i love you.”
  “i love you too, i hope you know that this is the best surprise anyone has ever created for me,” you take a bit of food up, nearly stuffing it into your mouth, savoring the umami flavor.
  “well maybe you could even plan this sort of thing for my birthday,” kuroo keeps his eyes on yours, holding a sarcastic smile as he thinks of all the times you nearly burnt down the kitchen.
  rolling your eyes, you finish chewing. holding out your hand to grab his, feeling the callouses on his fingers from the volleyball pick up games and the warmth of his fingers, you give him a soft smile. “i could definitely try, but for now, i’d like to thank you with something a little more personal,” guiding his head down with your free hand, you kiss his lips softly, letting him taste the fruit of his labor. 
a/n: sorry this took forever!! but i finally got some inspo + it’s kuroo’s birthday! and thank you for the kind words <33 gen. taglist (open): @eggyrocks @causenessus @applepi25 @softpia @bakery-anon
@nekozaki @nnnyxie @kameyyy
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gioboni · 3 months ago
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Whispers in the Darkness, prologue
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(Gerado por IA)
Summary: Livia wants a fresh start.
Masterlist: 01 -
[...]
The wood of the cart creaked with every movement of the wheels on the uneven ground, but now it was still, anchored in a corner of the camp. I was curled up in a corner, my knees drawn to my chest, trying to make myself small enough to disappear. My eyes peered through the rusty bars that framed my prison, but what I saw outside only made my stomach churn.
They were men. Filthy men, with stained teeth and nails caked with grime, their eyes glinting with malice. They looked at me, at us, as if we were… meat. No, worse than that. Meat has a purpose; it can be eaten, it satisfies hunger. To them, the others and I were a game. Something to be broken, molded, sold.
I wasn’t alone. Other women were in carts nearby, their faces dulled by exhaustion or fear. And then I saw her, in one of the neighboring cages, a familiar face I recognized.
Beatriz.
The best friend of my best friend. The same purple dress she had worn in the ballroom still hung crookedly on her body, now dirty and torn at the knee. The memory of the last time I saw her pierced through me like a blade. Beatriz had been pacing back and forth in the ballroom on the night of the wedding, clutching the hem of her dress as she searched for the glasses she had lost.
-- Have you seen a pair of black-rimmed glasses? I’m blind without them! -- she had asked everyone she passed. I had found it amusing at the time, watching her from a distance with a glass of wine in my hand.
To be fair, I always found everything funny, so it hadn’t been hard to laugh as I subtly helped her look for her glasses.
Now, they hung crookedly on her sleeping face. The frame was broken, and one of the lenses was cracked. She was either asleep or unconscious, I couldn’t tell. There was a cut on the side of her face, dry but still visible in the firelight. Beatriz, the woman who had always been quiet and judgmental with her glances, was finally silent — but not for a good reason.
My chest tightened. It was easier to pretend the other women were strangers, that they were all just blurred faces in a nightmare. But Beatriz was real. Beatriz had a name, a history, a life I knew. How long had it been since that wedding? A day? Two? It was almost impossible to tell. It felt like another lifetime.
What happened to us?
How could this have happened in a place where, just yesterday, we were dancing, laughing, drinking? How does this world exist side by side with that bright, happy ballroom, full of cheerful voices? It’s as if I’ve been thrown into a nightmare no one would believe is real.
I closed my eyes for a moment, but the air here was heavy, almost toxic. I tried to take a deep breath, but the smell of sweat, dried blood, and something sickly sweet — something rotten — filled my lungs. It was hard not to cough. I opened my eyes again, looking at Beatriz, trying to calculate if there was any way to reach her, to help her.
But I was trapped. Just like her. Just like all the others.
The laughter in the distance was like knives cutting through the silence. The men around the fires were playing dice, drinking, mocking one another. They were drunk, but not enough to lower their guard. From the corner of my eye, I saw one of them watching me. He did nothing, but his gaze was heavy, cruel. They didn’t need to touch me to make me feel the weight of their threat.
But they also didn’t touch us because of him.
The man in the top hat.
He wasn’t like the others. His worn vest and crooked hat tried for elegance, but his presence only made him more revolting. His eyes scanned everything around him, cold and calculating. They weren’t the eyes of a hungry predator like the others. They were the eyes of a merchant. He looked at us the way a butcher appraises a cut of meat. And his low, lethal voice had made the rule crystal clear:
-- Anyone who touches them without my permission… will pay the price with their own skin.
They believed him. That much was clear. But fear didn’t erase their stares, their twisted smiles. They were just waiting. Waiting for the right moment.
I lowered my eyes to the floor of the cart, my fingers searching once more for the sharp sliver of wood I had hidden. It was small, but it was mine. And right now, it was the only thing in the world I could call my own.
My gaze returned to Beatriz. Her chest rose and fell slowly, which meant she was still alive. But for how long? And for how long would I be?
How did I get here? That question echoed like a drum in my head. It had been so fast. Everything had been so fast. A walk, a breath, a single wrong move. I remember the hands, the force, the sweet and chemical smell of the cloth they pressed to my face. After that, darkness.
And now, this.
What kind of place is this? What kind of world is this, where women vanish in the blink of an eye, and no one finds them? No one looks for them? Did anyone at the ballroom even notice I was gone? Did they notice Beatriz was gone? Or have we already been replaced, forgotten, as if we were never there?
-- One thing at a time, Livia, -- I whispered to myself, softly, to keep from falling apart. Survive the night. Then find a crack, a mistake. Every man with power has a weakness. And the man in the top hat would be no different.
I looked at the moon high in the sky, cold and indifferent, but still a witness. It wouldn’t help me, but it could see me.
I still have a chance, I thought, gripping the shard of wood tightly, as if it were my last anchor. Small as it was, it was still a chance.
And if anyone here was going to pay the price… it wouldn’t be me.
[...]
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