#dear god. I can not just wander around like a lost puppy whenever I have nothing to do. unacceptable

[twilightarcade]

beginning to think that making friends or at least decent acquaintances at The Social Event is essential to surviving The Social Event

[weeb-writor]

Meeting Shouta’s parents on Christmas

Hello all you beautiful people! So here is the last part in the Aizawa mini series. I fell in love with all these Characters and this head cannon so I will probably revisit them! As usually the reader is neutral in every since of the word! I hope you guys enjoyed this series. 

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Aizawa Shouta x Reader

After a month of preparation you meet Aizawa’s Parent over the course of a week

Words: 3,098

Part One  Part Two  Part Three  Part Four  Part Five

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“Ooh my goodness what are we gonna do!?” You said pacing around your living room. Shouta looked at you and chuckled at your frazzled state.

“We get in my car and drive to my family house as planned, pretend to enjoy ourselves so we can come home and cuddle with my fat cats.” He said, pulling you into a hug. 

“You want me to show up to meet your parents without the gift I ordered for you dad? Shouta are you outta your mind.” You said to him with a pout.

“Well that's debatable but I do know my parents and they aren't even expecting anything so it's fine. You can just tell them we’ll get it to him when we get it. Now let's go!” He said trying to drag you to the car.

“Aizawa Shouta! I am not going anywhere unless it's to a store to buy your Dad a gift.” You said giving him a glare. He stared back as if to question if you were being serious. You cocked an eyebrow at him, challenging him to disagree.

“Were gonna be late to get there, do you want that?”

“Better to be late than to show empty handed especially when everyone else has gifts.” You said with a shrug. Aizawa laughed but nodded as you both went to the store. You wandered around the place for an hour before you found something you actually liked. Now you were in the car messily wrapping in as you pulled into the driveway of your destination.

“Okay goodness gracious we barely made it but we're here and I have gifts for all your siblings and their lovers and their kids! Didn't think I would pull it off but here we are in one piece.” You said mostly to yourself.

“Kitty Cat you start talking to yourself and I might leave you to enter the den of wolves by yourself.” Aizawa said as you both got out of the car. You let him take in your overnight bags and get help for the millions of presents somehow packed into your small car you didn't wait long as you felt as presence behind you.

“Hello you, perfect example of a gorgeous human being!” The voice said from behind you.

“Shinji, how nice to see you.” You said with a sigh.

“You know if you’re tired of sighing that way… I have a better way to make you sigh.” He said winking at you. You had to push back all the thoughts of murdering him and just smiled but before you could say anything another voice interjected.

“See I told you we had to come out here! Shinji stop hitting on y/n their dating our little brother you snake.” Saika said, hitting him over the head.

“Can't help it, sis!” He said with a laugh.

“Well for this week you absolutely will have better control overself or so help me God Shinji! Anyway y/n you’ve got me, Shinji and sora at your beck and call, what do you need help with?” Saika said with her graceful smile.

“Oh just this.” You said pointing to the car packed with presents. Sora seemed to choke on air at the amount of gifts.

“God, didn't Shouta tell you didn't have to buy everyone a gift, you poor thing!” Saika said hugging you.

“Well he did but I just really like you guys and loved getting to know you this past month so I wanted to.” You said waving her off.

“More like you wanted to impress our parents, huh cutie?” Shinji said teasing you before he started to grab presents as to avoid his sister wacks.

“Ignore him! My mom is dying to meet you, Shouta’s never brought anyone home.” She said as her and Sora grabbed some more presents. As they went in you pulled out the last two rounds of presents and waited for Aizawa who wasn't far behind.

“Hey love are you ready?” Aizawa said, picking up the presents you set out.

“I am totally not!! I barely remember everyone's name! We should just slip away right now!” You said beginning to pace some more.

“Babe i'm gonna go inside and wait on you, come in whenever you want but remember we are late.” He said with a light chuckle.

“Sho!! don't you go into your house without me!” You said picking up the gifts and following him like a lost puppy. That was that and soon you were inside the house with a lot of eyes on you. You followed aizawa while bowing and placed the toys underneath the huge tree.

“Alright now that that’s done let me meet the one whose stolen my baby’s heart so effortlessly!” A woman said coming over to you. You bowed deeply to her and she let out a melodious laugh.

“How cute, no need to bow so deep! I should be bowing to you, you who is able to make my stoic Shouta blush, giggle and pout!” She says grabbing your face and pulling it around as if to inspect it.

“Oh Honey, you stop it! They are just being polite, you know like Japanese culture requires them to be.” A tall man said coming over to you.

“I'm just saying! Anyway you can call me Mina and this is my parasite of 41 years Hirohito! Nice to meet you!” She said hugging you, you were a bit surprised by how informal and kind they were.

“Excuse my parents, they were born and raised in America! No less Japanese but they are a bit more informal and that does shock a lot of people.” Shojiro said scratching his neck. 

“Oh hush boy! Don’t put a warning label on me and your mom as if we are damaged goods.” Hirohito said, knocking him over the head.

“Now it’s getting later we should all wash up and get ready to eat! I made something special for you all. And Sho I put a king size bed in your room since you’ve finally brought someone home. If you want to take advantage of that and make me some grandchildren then don’t worry we will hold up dinner for you!” His mom said kissing his cheek. He groaned and grabbed your hand and pulled you away and soon you were in his room.

“See, was that so hard?” Aizawa said with a flushed face.

“Ehh you look like it was, tomato paste! But I think it went okay! I can do this!!” You said hyping yourself up.

“Yes you can, kitty cat. After dinner only 6 more days to go.”

“WHY do you guys do Christmas gatherings for a week!” You whisper yelled at him.

“Because we have a doting mother who wants to smother us every chance she gets and a father who would do anything for her.” He said serious, you laughed and got ready for dinner. When you and Aizawa made it to the dining room, you were met with three huge dining tables. Almost every seat filled.

“Sweetheart, you and y/n come sit right here! I’ve got so many things to ask you!” His mom said waving you over.

“Thank you… Mina. Your way to kind!” You said with another bow. Dinner was pretty quiet at first but how quiet can you be with like 30 people in one room.

“Saika, dear, you were in charge of the schedule this year can you read it off for everyone.” Mina said.

“Of course! So on the 20th aka tomorrow it’s all about decorations and the tree! 21st is all about taking the kids to see Santa! 22nd is Family photo day! 23 is the gingerbread houses contest and reindeer games! 24th is sugar cookie making and movies! 25th is a grand breakfast and present opening! Bring forth the cup of straws!” Saika said giggling. Sora rolled his eyes but got the cup and passed it around, everyone taking a straw. 

“Okay now blow into if red dust comes out you’re in charge of taking the kids to see Santa!” She announced and everyone did. Of fucking course red dust billowed from you straw. You looked at Shouta and he shook his head at you and your heart dropped.

“So then it’s me and you, how fortunate!” Shinji said waving at you. You couldn’t control yourself and your head dropped onto the table dramatically.

“Haha, Shinji y/n already knows what a pain in the ass you are! you must be losing your style dear! Not to worry y/n, Shinji will be on his best behavior won’t you?” Mina said as an ominous silence fell over the room. Shinji didn’t hesitate to nod.

“Okay then! Y/n, welcome to the Aizawa family. I hope you enjoy your first Christmas with us! With that let us begin the 6 days of chaos!” Mina said laughing lifting her glass, everyone joined laughing. Okay maybe this won’t be so bad you thought for a brief second.

20th - 5 Days till Christmas

“Dad I understand you like to hang lights up dangerously but do you have to drag y/n into it.” Aizawa said as he watched you nervously. You were on the roof helping his dad put up a few decorations and lights.

“Of course I did, if they’re gonna be an Aizawa one day they gotta learn all our trade secrets.” He retorted as if it was common knowledge.

“I’ve never seen my little Sho so worried. I can’t figure out if it’s because your kind and you love him so much or if you’ve got him by the balls or maybe even both.” Mina said with a slight chuckle. This made you warm in embarrassment and you lost your footing and began to fall, of course taking the old man with you.

“Shit!” Aizawa said as he quickly used his capture weapon to grab both you and stop your impact from being damaging.

“Yeah alright, me and y/n are opting out of decorations this year.” He said dragging you who was still in his captured weapon toward the door.

“Oh honey calm down it would have just been a small bump and maybe a sprain. Would you at least help Shinji and Sora with the kids, decorating the tree?” She said with a kind yet manipulative smile. Before either of you could respond yelling was heard from inside

“Damn it, Yukio stop breaking the glass ornaments and Maki stop recording and help me!” Shinji yelled. 

21st- 4 Days till Christmas 

“Shinji what the hell do we do!” You said pacing.

“Hold on stop talking I’m thinking.”

“Like hell I’m trusting your brain! We just have to ask them to let us take pictures anyway.” You said with determination. You see everything was going well until and elf said something to Haru that Jun took as bullying. A fire light in that boy like you had never seen he was on top of the elf giving him the business in seconds. After he just mumbled things like ‘Bakugou said you can’t let people bully you.’ And ‘gotta put bullies in their place.’. Then when you tried to get him to apologize he glared and said ‘no, I can’t let that bully win’ and just like that y’all were kicked out.

“No look let’s just disguise them! Tetsuya and Haru stitch clothing and Haru and Umi switch! Then Maki will take them and her pictures with them.

“What about Maki though they saw her!” You said not believing you were actually going along with his crazy plan.

“Oh I have a change of clothes, gotta be prepared when you’re going out with uncle Shinji!”  She said cheerfully.

“That’s my girl! Now go do this thing!” He said giving her and high five. Someone how Shinji’s ridiculous plan worked and the parents didn’t even notice, they were all too drunk or tired. 

22nd - 3 Days until Christmas 

“There is no way I'm taking pictures wearing this.” Sora said as he pulled the clothes from the box.

“Yeah mom, why did you make Sho pick clothes this year you know he cant even dress himself! It’s because you babied him so much, you know.” Shojiro said, looking as equally as disgusted at the clothing.

“Hey now! I put my baby in charge of the clothing and you all are gonna wear it, end of discussion. Also if anyone babied him it was all of you so blame yourself.” Mina said, ending the discussion as Shouta wore a crazed grin.

“I like the clothes Uncle sho’ta.” Nozomi said rocking on her heels.

“They are pretty cute huh?” He said ruffing her hair.

“Ah ah ah! Don't you go infecting my kids with your bad fashion sense!.” Saika said, covering Nozomi's ears. At this you all broke out into laughs before heading to put on the outfits and prepare for maybe the most embarrassing photos known to man.

23rd - 2 days till Christmas

You were not an artist by any means but when you heard the winner got the honor of passing out presents you were purposely trying to lose. You knew them apart mostly but if they were all wearing the same pajamas with their hair tied back it was going to be a stuttering mess. However your plan of making a 3 out of 10 gingerbread house was foiled quickly. Aizawa wasn't really a competitive man or so you thought but when you to were paired against Shinji and Shojiro he went berserk! You looked at the gingerbread MANSION with a sigh.

“Shouta i’ve never seen you so invested! It's amazing.” Said Shizumi the resident artist in the house.

“Yeah uncle Shouta and L/N! You definitely got my vote!” Daisuke said smiling at you, you smiled back at him warily. The family all wrote down the people of their choosing and put it into the Santa hat. Now as names were being drawn you were biting your nails.

“Shouta and Y/n will be our Clauses this year.” Hirohito said with a small smile.

“Yay y/n wins.” Haru and Jun danced around you. You giggled before glaring at Aizawa in a way that said when we get home your sleeping on the couch, he just kissed you sweetly.

24th - 1 Day till Christmas

“Uncle Shouta stopped making so many cat cookies! Santa wants other shapes too!” Tetsuya said, hitting Shouta repeatedly on his legs. You laughed evilly as you formed another cat cookie and wrote Shouta’s name on the corner.

“I like your cat cookies.” Nozomi said, playing with her hair. Aizawa picked her up and spun her around.

“Okay, yep that's weird Baby brother! Why is Nozomi clinging to you? What did you do?” Shiori said looking back and forth from you and Shouta.

“Nothing.” Shouta said with a smirk. The family then looked at you hopeful.

“Well would you look at that! It's about time to watch the Grinch isn't it, Rei?” You asked the young boy. He eagerly nodded wanting to escape the situation. 

“You got Rei too? What is happening!” Saika said as she grabbed Rei bringing him to her chest.

“Huh where is your DVD player? I got to put the disk in.” You said completely ignoring her.

25th - Christmas Day

The gift giving had been going pretty successfully. You only Stuttered a few times but you hadn't given anyone the wrong present and let Shouta take the ones with Nicknames you didn't know. But this right here was the moment of truth, the moment you had been preparing for. In your right hand you had a gift for Shizumi and in your left one for Saika. You looked at the two twin like sisters and handed the gifts to each respectful sister hoping you were right. They opened the gifts and smiled so you guessed you were correct had everyone's eyes not been on you, you would have done a happy dance.

“Alright last gift before Mom and Dads are for Miss Nozomi!” Shouta said signaling you to get the present you and him picked out for the young girl.

“Alright this is from me and Uncle Shouta!” You said to the girl handing her the blue box. She said a quiet thank you before tearing into the box. Inside the box was a note which she took out.

“Look at your favorite uncle.” She said before looking straight at Shouta making all the other brothers gasp. In Shouta’s arm was a cute 3 legged kitten which had the girl darting toward him but slowed when she got to him so as not to scare the cat.

“Thank you!” The girl said, rubbing at her teary eyes. You and Aizawa had been teaching her how to care for cats knowing she wanted one. In all honesty she knew she was getting a cat she just didn't know when. You had asked her parents as well but didn't tell then when either so as to have a bigger reaction from the family.

“No need to thank me! Just promise me to take care of him real well.” Aizawa thumbed away the last of her tears. She nodded rapidly before snuggling the kitten who seemed to enjoy the attention. The last arc of gift giving went well as did the extravagant breakfast you had all prepared together. Now you were all saying goodbye.

“Y/n dear I do have one last parting gift for you.” Mina said as you rounded the corner with your bags. You placed down your bags and went to her side.

“I know you and Shouta haven't been together too long but I want to thank you. He acts tougher than he is. He would rather bear all the responsibility and pain and suffer alone. Not to mention the way he puts himself in danger rather than ask for help. With you he seems different, and you put him in his place. You’ve made me feel at ease for the first time since he entered UA as a student. So welcome to the family, we're so glad to have you.” She said putting something into your hands. You bowed at her and opened your palm to see a key to this house and a few pictures taken over the course of the week. You waved goodbye to them all and got your bags and made the short trip to your car where Shouta was waiting.

“Why do you look like you're going to cry.” He said worried.

“Because there are 365 days till next Christmas.” You said to him smiling.

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MHA Masterlist

[smutfornerds]

Sucker // Ralph x Reader

A/N: Yay finally got this one done! No lies I only think of Ralph when I hear this damn song now so I had to write this to get it outta my brain. It was taking up too much space lol. Hope you enjoy my dears!!

—

The shuffle button had earned it’s way into your good graces this morning. Your favorites new and old blasted through the speakers of your house while you heated the water for yourself and prepped your counter with a towel. Just as you pulled the shower curtain back you heard the lock of your front door click and the door creak open after it. Before you could even think otherwise Ralph’s voice boomed through your apartment. “Just me! Key fingers and all.” Hearing the smile in his tone you chuckled to yourself thinking of him shimmying his elastic hand into your door every time he came over. “Gimme twenty!” You hollered over your music. The speaker was just outside the bathroom but you’d left the door open as you were home alone. Well, until now. Taking note of the running water Ralph kept himself preoccupied and busy in the living room and flipped through the stack of miscellaneous books you had piled on the table.

Your music lulled over the water as you stepped past the curtain and the steam filled your lungs. A soft hum drifted along with it into the air as you scrubbed yourself clean. As the songs changed you started mumbling to the tunes. A few times you caught yourself singing along a bit too loud when you’d catch Ralph snickering or chuckling from the living room. “Don’t judge me Dibny!” You called to him, giggling to yourself afterwards letting water drip down your shoulders as you rinsed your hair. “Wouldn’t dream of it.” He’d poked his head into the steam filled room to not have to yell anymore but the closeness of his voice startled a small squeal out of you as your eyes had been closed. Again you heard him huff an amused breath at you before his footsteps retreated. A silent sigh left your lungs out your nose and you shook your head rapidly to exit any all taboo thoughts from your head. It was bad enough you’d had such a puppy dog crush on Ralph when he worked at CCPD, but these last few months fighting metas you two had become the closest friends can get without becoming anything more than just that - friends. It didn’t matter what any of the others tried to tell you, the only way you’d believe he felt the same way was if he made a move. He claims to be such a stud with the ladies so it’d be easy for him, right? But here you were, just a few feet from him with a thin sheet of plastic between you, and he walked away. That was answer enough to you that he wasn’t interested but Caitlin and Cecile tried to vehemently convince you otherwise. Even having a telepath tell you he radiates love and adoration whenever you’re near him wasn’t enough to convince you, you retorted with some made up logic about him just really caring about you because you’re so close. Truthfully you weren’t even sure you bought it but it’s all you could come up with when they had you so flustered and cornered.

“Hey-“ There was Ralph’s voice at the doorframe again. You jumped this time but no noise, too lost in thought to respond before he continued on his own. “I’m gonna order food, anything specific you want or can I just get your usual from wherever?” His voice hovered through the steam to you and you pondered for a second, nibbling your lip before peeking your head and shoulder out from the confides of the shower. “What’d you have in mind?” As you spoke your hair slipped off your shoulder and you watched as Ralph’s eyes followed a singular droplet of water trickle down your neck to your chest before he cleared his throat. He hadn’t been expecting to see you, wet and dripping and naked just barely past that damned curtain— and it wiped his mind of any thoughts let alone food. “Uh- I uh, I figured ask you to see if you w-wanted anything before I just..” He trailed off again as his eyes wandered to your exposed skin. The way his gaze lingered on you made your heart flutter in your chest. “Okay well lemme rinse myself off a little more and we can work it out yeah?” Of course you realized the hint of suggestion in your words but part of you wanted to see what he would do if you took your playful banter up a notch to playful flirting. Only one way to find out. His eyes snapped back up to your face when you spoke and he nodded, curtly at first but when he realized the tenseness of his shoulders he relaxed them and nodded slower. “Yeah, yeah that’s fine, you finish.” He froze for a moment and blinked his eyes tightly closed, mouth gaping as he tried to recover from that one. You let a bit of a sultry giggle float over to him and he opened his eyes just to see the shower curtain sliding closed again fully.

“Funny, I’m actually used to guys leaving so I can do that.” You teased back at him, and a laugh finally forced its way past his still open lips. Nibbling at your own you silently wished you could see his reaction but settled for starting to rinse off a final time. Ralph cleared his throat but you’d yet to hear his footsteps leave. “Wait- for real? Or was that just a joke?” His tone had shifted now and he seemed a genuine cross between shocked and concerned. For a second you stood and thought about it, how to answer it. Sighing and shrugging to yourself you brought your hands up to your hair to comb through it a bit as the conditioner rinsed out. “I mean, I guess I was only half joking.” You paused to let water flow over your face and rubbed at your skin a bit before wiping the water from your eyes. Beside you, Ralph scoffed and you could hear that he’d come fully into the room now. Whether he was leaning against the counter or had planted himself on the toilet seat you weren’t sure of. “So you’ve been with a bunch of fucking losers that don’t know how to get- Uh,” he stumbled a bit, his imagination getting the better of him as the words he was trying to say played themselves out in his mind’s eye first. You simply figured he was fumbling for how to phrase it so you took over for him. “How to get me off?” Your tone came out softer than you’d meant it to so you swallowed thickly, tilting your head forward so the water rushed down your back and heated the chills that were threatening to rise on your skin. Ralph recovered quickly now, forcing a nervous laugh past his lips to give you any kind of verbal reaction. “Uh huh, that.” He shuffled around and you heard him clear his throat again once you shut the water off. You twisted and rung your hair as you responded. “Not every time, but I’d say probably over half.” Admitting that didn’t seem to phase you but on the other side of the curtain Ralph let out a scoff that almost sounded choked.

Again you peeled the thin vinyl back and raised a brow at him, standing against the counter with his hands shoved deep in the pockets of his jeans. He was dressed so casually today, stark contrast from his work week attire of blazers and slacks. As dapper as he looked in those outfits, you loved getting to see him dawn an oversized flannel and bum around the house with you. Simple little things like that were what made up the list of reasons you laid awake at night. Finally catching your gaze Ralph shrugged with a grin on his face that edged just shy of smug. “I guess I’m just.. surprised by that. And I gotta say I’ve never had that problem in all my rendezvous with women.” He placed his hand on his chest to feign a humble gesture and you didn’t even bother fighting the breathy chuckle that left you. “Yeah yeah, you talk the talk but can you walk the walk?” Posing the question you tilted your head towards the towel that sat to the left of him on the edge of counter. Before he could even form a response you cut into his thoughts as you spoke up again. “And can you walk yourself over here to hand me that?” You flashed him a small smirk and he stumbled for words but moved for the towel. Before he took the step to hand it to you he averted his eyes to the floor as to not glance at anything. Taking the towel you draped it around your frame tucking it securely under your arm before pulling the curtain fully open. The music was softer now and you realized he’d turned the volume down while you were talking. Hearing the lyrics ring through the room made a hint of pink hit your cheeks and a smile grace your lips. A small giggle escaped you hearing I’m a sucker for you so clearly as you stepped out of the bathtub and laid your eyes on him again. From the first moment you’d first heard the song Ralph was the only one you’d though of. Taking in the words himself, Ralph’s lips curled up just as he turned on the ball of his heels and strolled from the room with a nonchalant whistle along to the tune that played over your lowered speakers.

“Let me get ready and we can figure out food okay?” You called to him after a moment and he grunted back lazily in response, and you peeked out to find him scrolling through TV stations with his tongue poked out from the corner of his mouth. You couldn’t help but giggle again and thus snagged his attention to you, where you leaned against the door frame with your damp hair leaving droplets over your shoulders. His eyes followed a small line of water just for it and his gaze to collide with the towel that was still at your chest. Ralph blinked and shook his head hastily to snap himself back to the conversation. “Right yeah, food later, first get dressed.” He turned to the tv again before mumbling what he thought was to himself, “For the love of god please go get dressed..” With his eyes away from you he couldn’t see the wide and playful smirk that covered your face as you turned towards your bedroom. Shimmying your way into a pair of tight yoga shorts, you pulled a lacy bralette on with a loose off shoulder sleep shirt over. It hung low to one side, exposing more than enough lace to insight a reaction from the already flustered male on your couch. You kept your hair tousled in damp waves to dry on its own, running your fingers through it slowly as you returned to the living room having filled his prayer to dress yourself. “Okay, so, food?” Instead of strolling to him you made your way to the kitchen as you spoke, never once meeting his eyes when he turned to you but catching his double take and his brows raise out of your peripheral. “Uh-huh.” Was his only response as he shifted to look you over, now facing you but sitting backwards on the couch. Opening the fridge you pursed your lips to the side in false thought. Squinting quizzically you leaned into the door, purposefully arching your back and making sure the shorts hugged you as you bent in Ralph’s direction. “Couldn’t find anything here you wanna eat, hmm?” You pretended to shift a few things around on one of the shelves just to lean further in, and Ralph all but groaned at the way the shorts tugged between your legs to just about expose you fully to him. He felt his pants tighten and cleared his throat rather heavily before standing. “I mean, maybe, but I uh..” He gave a shrug and eyed your figure with a lick of his lips while you were still preoccupied. “I just figured we could order in.” He finished as he made his way around the side table and into the kitchen. His words made a comeback pop into your brain and you fought a smile. You let out a dramatic sigh and stood again, letting the cold door finally close before you hopped onto the counter beside it. “What, didn’t want to eat out tonight?” As you spoke you swung your legs in a mindless fashion, knowing all too well that your words and the subtle direction where to look would get his blood pumping.

Sure enough his mouth faltered for words and his eyes even fell to your freshly shaved and lotion covered legs. Again the giggle that fell from you brought a grin to Ralph’s handsome face, and he narrowed his eyes at you briefly. “I’m always down for eating out.” He stated plainly, but the inflection to his voice and the glint to his eyes made you think your little game had been figured out. Instead of folding however you pushed the envelope further. “Yeah? Why don’t we tonight then?” You tilted your head innocently and tried best you could to fight the corners of your lips twitching but Ralph caught a glimpse of it. That’s all the confirmation he needed that this little conversation of yours wasn’t one sided with intentional innuendo. He took slow steps over to you, all the while his eyes narrowing more and a slow hum coming from him. “Hmm.. I think I’d much rather stay here.” Ralph reached a hand out to you and you took it a bit too quickly, but he didn’t notice or mind, he was trained on your eyes. “Right here sounds perfect to me.” You quipped back, giving his hand a gentle squeeze that made his smile grow to fully show his teeth. A huff of a laugh left him and he purses his lips afterwards. “Actually, I think there’s somewhere I’d rather be..” Before any kind of negative connotation could come of it, he slid between your legs to settle there with his free palm against your thigh. “Mm, yeah that’s much better..” he murmured, nuzzling his face closer to yours. Once he brushed his nose to yours you lost all self control, hastily closing the minimal space and bringing your hand up to cradle the back of his neck and keep him pressed to you. As if it was a reflex he snaked his arms around your waist to pull your bodies flush together, simultaneously deepening the kiss while his tongue curled against yours. Your arms moved to wrap around his neck and Ralph let out an audible sigh at the action, gripping his hands to your backside tightly and lifting you from the countertop. He didn’t walk just yet, letting you get your legs secure around his waist and even more so not wanting to stop kissing you.

The moment he’d began stepping back there was an abrupt rat-a-tat at your front door, the familiar pattern of knocking making both of you groan in protest as you reluctantly broke apart. “I’m gonna kill Cisco. Wrap around him like a boa constrictor and—“ Ralph began moving for the door with you still in his arms and you gasped, smacking his shoulder. “Ow! I’m not actually gonna—“ To shut him up, and truthfully because you just wanted one more, you pecked his lips briefly. “Shut up and put me down before you open the door and we have to explain.. this.” You gave a small bounce and his jaw dropped open, his grip tightening sharply to lift you from his waist. “Ooh you’re gonna have to do that a lot more later, but for now, yeah, good call..” he rambled as he placed you on the edge of the couch, just as Cisco beat a fist to the door. “Both of your locations are on, I know you’re in there!” He hollered and you both chuckled as Ralph jogged to the door and opened it. “Hi to you too, little buddy.” Ralph moved to ruffle Cisco’s hair and he smacked his hand, gaining a puppy dog pout from the taller male. Making his way inside Cisco removed his jacket and slung it over the back of the couch. “So what’re we watching?” He nabbed the remote and you watched Ralph’s shoulders square up a bit before he spoke. “You literally just came over to hang out? There’s no meta emergency or family meeting or something?” The impatience and annoyance prevalent in his tone made you have to fight an amused chuckle. Cisco made a confused and equally annoyed expression, scoffing at his friend’s assumptions.

“Nah dude you would’ve gotten an alert on your phone not me just showing up. Why so pissy? Not like I’m interrupting anything.” For a second your eyes widened and you felt your face heat up, so you swallowed thickly before moving to the kitchen for a drink. A stiff one would’ve been preferred but you opted for a cold glass of water. Ralph glared at Cisco and raised his brows, tilting his head towards you and motioning his eyes from Cisco to the door. Finally catching on after the third rather aggressive nod in your direction, the seated male grinned ear to ear with bright eyes, clattering the remote to the coffee table and standing with jacket in hand. “Ya know what, I think I’m gonna go see what Caitlin’s up to instead.” Ralph nodded vigorously to Cisco’s words and even brought a hand to his shoulder to hurry him out the door. “Tell her to call me later!” You called to him and he managed a wave from outside the door before Ralph closed and latched it. “Now..” He started before he turned sharply towards you with a wide smirk. “Where were we?” You fell into a fit of giggling, practically skipping back over to him and wrapping your arms tightly around his torso. Immediately his hands cupped your face and he crashed his lips back to yours, and the blissful noise between a sigh and a moan that you released lit Ralph’s stomach on fire.

Before you could take a breath he lifted you and dropped you gingerly onto the couch. Without missing a beat both of you started stripping, your shorts being the only fabric you had on your bottom half and once he realized that he was stripping in double time. You peeled the tee shirt off and before your hands could fall to reach the lace Ralph was pulling it up over your shoulders following close after your shirt. With both of you now bare he settled back between your legs, much like he had in the kitchen but now he hovered over you and he brought his lips to your skin to cover you in loving and hungry kisses. Letting your head rest against the cushions your eyes fluttered closed. All your mind could focus on was how delicious each and every kiss was, how hot every inch of your body felt pressed up against him like this. You could almost feel the months of tension melting off of you with every reconnection of his lips to your skin. Involuntarily a blissful sigh parted your lips and Ralph released a long breath of his own. Feeling his hands snake up your legs you opened your eyes just as his touch settled at the bend of your waist. You were met by the thin ring of hazel still left behind his blown out pupils. The dopey smile that adorned his face was full of love and adoration, the very same way he radiates it around you was clear to you now. Without a thought you stole his lips again. He didn’t mind one bit, letting one hand roam up to warm your side and back as he positioned himself better between your legs. Bringing your arms round his broad shoulders you pulled him down to you, latching your legs tightly around his waist in the process. Ralph’s length slicked up against your folds and he let out a strained groan feeling your wetness that was just waiting for him - but not for much longer. He lined himself up to your entrance with ease and slid into you, never once disconnecting your lips. A whimpering moan slipped into the kiss and he kept his movements slow at first as to warm you up to his girth. He was bigger than you were used to and the way he stretched you without even trying made a gasp fill your lungs.

Finally he broke from you to read your face, but seeing the way you went straight to chewing at your lip was all the answer he needed. Keeping his body pressed close to yours he rocked his hips back and into you again with more force, this time gaining a breathy whine to leave you. Ralph kept this motion for a few thrusts, taking his time just to watch every little change in your expressions. One particular movement made you clench around him and that was when he knew he was down for. The arm around your back tightened to your waist, and he began flicking his hips up into you with every buck of them. This newfound angle hit you perfectly, lighting the nerves inside you to make your back arch up off the couch and press your bare chest to his. Another grainy moan escaped his parted lips and he brought them down to your neck, this time sucking gently at the skin as he continued his rhythm. Every grip you had around him tightened, your legs clenched at his waist just as your arms clung to his neck. The hand he’d kept on your hip slid between you now, and he slipped his fingers to where your bodies met and slicked them into your wetness. The move surprised you and you couldn’t help the dainty gasp you made, and you felt the way Ralph’s lips twitched against your skin at the sound. Quickly he found your aching bundle of nerves, causing your legs to twitch at the contact. A much needier whine left you now and the raspy sigh Ralph let out was nearly a growl. Hearing your pleading and desperate little noises flipped a switch in his brain, and he began rolling his hips in tighter and faster swivels. Your jaw dropped open just for him to start rubbing firm circles against your clit. A gaudy moan erupted from you that made your eyes screw shut.

Ralph hovered above you now as he worked you closer and closer to the edge. One of your hands held a tight grip to his shoulder while the other braced his free arm. Every few thrusts he would pick up the pace, along with that of his fingers. With the added motivation of your symphony of pleasured noises, soon Ralph was railing into you with such vigor it was scooting the couch back. His fingers flicked relentlessly at your nub and you felt the way your vocal chords screeched out a final moan before you released around his length. The sudden flush of euphoria was met with a guttural groan from the man above you, and he panted a bit as he tried to hold off. Catching your breath finally you brought a shaky hand up to push his hair back and gain his attention. The moment your eyes locked you nodded hastily up at him to signal the green light. Almost like he’d been waiting for approval he released a hard sigh and his hips jerked out of time to erupt himself into his orgasm. The warmth of him filling you made an involuntary sigh push past your lips, and that only caused Ralph to shutter as he all but collapsed onto you. His arms rested on either side of you to brace himself but he laid pressed tightly to you as he panted his way back to steady breathing. Both your chests were still pounding against each other when your eyes finally met again, and all the two of you could do was laugh together. You brought your hands up to your face and hid it, giggling into your palms as he nuzzled himself back into the crook of your neck to pepper playful kisses all over your skin. In between every little attack of affection he’d mutter sweet nothings to you. “I knew you were beautiful but I never knew you were this beautiful.. You’re amazing you know that?” He placed an especially tender and slow kiss on the mark he’d left on your skin, and you chucked a bit before turning to peck his cheek. “If anyone here is amazing it’s definitely you.” Now that he’d turned to face you, you stole another chaste kiss before he could give a rebuttal.

Ralph grinned lazily but peeled himself up from you and the couch. “Alright, we still need to figure out food.” He stretched as he stood, and you unabashedly stared at every rippling muscle. Admittedly it felt nice to do it without being afraid of getting caught. Now, you smiled proudly when his eyes landed on you and yours were still gazing at his arms. The smirk that spread over his features was to die for. “As much as I’d rather just eat what’s here,” he shot you a wink before continuing. “I think I might pass out from lack of calories. And cheese.” He quirked a brow and moved about the room gathering his clothes. Before he was even dressed you were dialing the number for delivery. “Hey Gina, Ralph’s usual for two?” The words brought another grin to Ralph’s lips and he flopped over the back of the couch to wrap himself around you. Playfully he coiled his arms over and over and over until you were covered by his outstretched limbs. You scoffed teasingly and tried to wiggle out of his grip but he only tightened it. “Like a boa.” He beamed cheekily as he retracted his arms back to normal, but keeping them just as tight around your still naked frame - which is how you stayed even when the delivery guy came with your massively stacked nachos. Ralph made sure to throw a blanket over you when he answered the door, and he gave the guy a generous tip for keeping his eyes to himself in the few seconds he was there. Just as you leaned to grab a chip the blanket fell from your chest and simultaneously you saw a camera flash pop off. “Ralph! Really!?” You squealed as you tried and failed to scramble for his phone. He held the device extra high to the ceiling to avoid losing this battle. “Nope, sorry I’m gonna need that photo as physical evidence.” He wore a smug and flat-lipped expression but his eyes sparkled mischievous. Narrowing your own at him you wrapped the blanket back up around you as you took a bite. Not bothering to fully finish you chewed between words. “Evidence?” A chomp and a half swallow as you arch a brow up at him. “Of what exactly?” Swallowing fully you sat back awaiting his explanation. His lips curled up ever so slightly as he slid his phone into his back pocket. “Physical evidence dollface.” He flopped next to you and planted a slow, sensual and enticing kind of kiss to your lips before so rudely pulling away. “Evidence that we’ve been physical.” His coy smile was full on now, and his chest puffed with silent chuckling as he watched you roll your eyes. Grabbing him by the collar of his shirt you pulled him to you, nose to nose, your eyes narrowed to slants but looking into his. “Well that’s private evidence. That only you have the security clearance to look over. Right?” He caught your tone and scoffed, pushing you back down with his lips on yours to shut you up, giving you all the answer you needed.

[kiruuuuu]

Making out like a Bandit Part 3/3

Here we go, entirely too many words of entirely too self-indulgent younger Bandit/Jäger porn. (Rating E, seriously, this is nothing but endearingly sweet sex, ~4.6k words)

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It’s too much to handle. Knowing that Dom was interested in him even before today robs him of all coherent speech and thought, so he resorts to kisses that turn filthy fast. The whole thing is a dream come true – how did it even happen that he suddenly has this compassionate man in his arms, playing with his tongue and slowly driving him insane? Dom is showing remarkable restraint, seems happy with making out like a fiend for now, so it falls to Marius to take them a step further which he gladly does. He pulls Dom’s lower half against his own and grinds into it amidst their fervent snogging, rubbing the bulge in his boxer briefs on the one visible in Dom’s jeans and both of them gasp. The friction is delicious, too intense to give up on it, therefore he continues with it, holds on to Dom’s narrow hips and strains against them.

With a last gentle bite into Marius’ lower lip, Dom interrupts their sensual kissing spree and switches to attacking Marius’ neck, immediately homing in on that spot below his ear that weakens his knees and makes him shiver in delight. He’s now chewing on his own lip to try and hold back the noises aching to be set free, brows drawn together in concentration yet Dom is merciless. He nibbles at the nape of his neck, exactly where his hand did so much damage earlier and Marius decides he needs a distraction. He pushes the shirt off of Dom’s shoulders, lets it fall into a heap by their feet and starts exploring his chest with his hands. Hard muscles work under the smooth skin, his abs are tangible bumps and ridges under Marius’ digits and his broad back is perfect to dig his fingernails into. When Dom starts sucking a bruise onto his skin, making him squirm and stretch towards him, he retaliates by brushing his thumbs over Dom’s nipples. He doesn’t expect the instant response, isn’t prepared for Dom bucking his hips and groaning before he can help himself.

Interesting. Marius lightly pinches one between his fingers, causing Dom to produce a strangled sound that goes straight to Marius’ erection. “Don’t”, Dom whispers with urgency in his voice, “my nipples are wired directly to my cock, and if you don’t want me to come in my pants -”

“You’re remorselessly exploiting my weak spot too”, Marius objects with a grin, “try to keep quiet.” He leans down a little and catches one of the erect buds between his lips, touches his tongue to it just as Dom slaps a hand over his own mouth. His reactions are extremely satisfying, the way his muscles tense whenever Marius laps at him is an acceptable pay-off for how he suffered during the football match. While Dom whimpers into his palm, Marius begins undoing his jeans, wrestles them down his hips and over his hard thighs to run his fingertips teasingly over the perfectly outlined dick that immediately jumps at his touch. Without interrupting his ministrations even as Dom steps out of his trousers, he peeks down: it looks to be just the right size, large but not obscenely big, and his mouth waters at the prospect of being able to do what he wants with it.

He takes pity on Dom who by now is shooting him imploring looks that he can’t support with words, unwilling to use his voice for fear of being too loud, and plants a few kisses on his well-sculpted chest instead of continuing the teasing. As soon as he stops, a hand wanders to his crotch, grinds its heel against his head and has him buck into it, so he returns the favour. For a while, they simply stand there, leaning into each other and groping each other’s dicks through their underwear, feeling out the sensitive head, cupping the testicles, massaging the shaft, both of them breathing heavy and lost in the welcome stimulation. They’re taking their time and Marius appreciates it, it’s not just a blur of passion that’s over entirely too soon, it’s not something out of their control, it’s slow and deliberate. They both want this but they both want to enjoy it fully, too.

“What do you want to do?”, he murmurs and wonders what it is he’d like to do. Pretty much anything from jerking each other off to proper sex sounds enticing so he lets Dom decide.

“Can I top?” Even before he gets the chance to agree, Dom adds: “I’d love to have you inside me but I’d definitely end up being too loud.”

Marius snorts. “Really? That’s your excuse?”

“Trust me, I’m not joking. I’d be louder than a fucking cat in heat.”

Oh. His amusement gives way to an almost carnal want upon imagining it, picturing Dom writhing and moaning under him, unable to hold back, moving against him and dear God. Dom would let him do it, too, he’s convinced, would allow him to take him apart, reduce him to a mewling mess despite the fact he could do so to Marius just as well. But Dom doesn’t have anything to prove. “That’s really hot”, he tells Dom who seems pleased with this answer, “but I don’t want to keep my uncle up.”

“Thought so. Want me to finger or tongue you open? Which do you prefer?” His mind blanks for a second, making him stare at Dom in open disbelief because what. Just the thought of it is - “Have you not – has no one ever done that to you?” He shakes his head mutely but instead of reacting with outrage, Dom seems to sense his hesitation and merely nods. “Alright. Maybe next time, you’ll probably moan like a whore if it’s the first time.”

Marius’ thoughts are still attempting to catch up with everything spilling from Dom’s mouth and failing horribly. Next time, he said, the two words the only ones clearly resonating in his head. Speechless, he only watches as Dom picks up his jeans again, rummages around in his wallet until he pulls out a packet of lube and a condom, then turns to him questioningly. “We can move to the bed but this room is facing away from your uncle’s, so I suggest we stay here.”

“You’re like a wet dream come true”, he blurts out without meaning to but refuses to regret being so blunt when Dom’s devastating smile returns, wide and flattered. He sets the two crinkling objects aside and snuggles up to him once more like an oversized puppy, slotting their lips together and initiating another toe-curling make out session during which Marius voluntarily discards his t-shirt so that Dom can get a handful of his muscles as well. He might not be nearly as buff as the beefcake in front of him but he’s nothing to scoff at, either. While he’s busy sucking on Dom’s tongue, nimble fingers slip under the waistband of his underwear and pull it down, wrap around his erection as soon as it bobs free and give it a few shallow tugs that Marius answers with a content hum. His cock is leaking already, almost dripping with how much he wants this.

Curiosity gets the better of him and he breaks free from Dom’s dirty kisses to undress him as well and watch while doing so. His entire body is flawless, golden hairs covering his shapely legs, barely any scars, skin smooth and taut over his muscles, his sizeable cock darker than the rest of him and heavy in Marius’ hand, a solid weight, piping hot and silky. He’s by far the most handsome guy Marius has ever laid his hands on, not to mention he’s positively lovely on top. Impatiently, he shoos Dom’s hand away from his own dick, steps a little closer and grabs both of their shafts together, pressing them against each other which results in a wonderful sensation made even better when Dom’s twitches. They’re similar in size though Marius’ hair is darker, both uncircumcised, the foreskin already peeled back, both tips glistening. Experimentally, he rolls his hips forwards a little, sliding along Dom and making them both gasp.

“Keep doing that, but stay slow”, he whispers and reaches around Marius to fetch the lube. He complies, moves a tad, then gingerly massages their heads. It’s so much better than just doing any of this on his own, the fact alone that he can smell Dom, rest his forehead on his shoulder and examine how magnificent their lengths look together increases the lust coursing through his body manifold. He listens to every hitch in Dom’s breath, every controlled exhale, every sharp inhale as he continues to tease them both, answering them with gasps of his own. Arms move around him and a hand gropes his backside, digging into the flesh and he understands it’s a wordless question. He nods and feels a second hand, a slick finger rubbing over his entrance and it’s electrifying.

He realises with sudden clarify that they’re really doing this, that Dom is going to fuck him in his old room that was the centre of most of his childhood, that he’ll have to keep quiet during all of it. A tiny moan escapes him as soon as the finger breaches him cautiously and he starts sucking on Dom’s shoulder in an attempt to silence himself. The familiar feeling rushes through him, fills him with anticipation and makes him forget about everything around them for a while, concentrating merely on the knuckles pushing in and out of him. It’s always a little odd but he knows the pay-off is going to be staggering, so he makes a conscious effort to relax, accept the digit into himself.

When a second finger brushes over his hole, full of promise, he involuntarily thrusts forwards, is abruptly reminded of the fact that he’s got a penis as well, and hears Dom suck in air sharply through his teeth. He repeats the motion, now slower yet more deliberately, and when he lifts his head, Dom returns his mischievous gaze almost helplessly. “Please. I don’t want to – Marius!” Grinning, he grinds against Dom’s rock hard shaft once more and simultaneously flicks one of his nipples but he stops grinning almost immediately when the second finger is shoved inside him all the way, stretching him and giving him that unparalleled feeling of being full that he’s come to crave now and then. And even though it’s nothing short of fantastic, Dom instantly looks guilty. “Are you – did I hurt you?”

“Fuck no”, he replies as emphatically as possible when all they allow themselves to do is whisper, “keep going, it’s great.” As if to prove his point, he pushes back against the slippery fingers before rolling his hips into his fist again, building up a steady rhythm that’s heavenly and seems to be doing it for Dom as well, judging by his throbbing erection that strains against Marius’. He’s being worked open carefully now and thoroughly glad for Dom’s other arm holding him upright as fiery pleasure mixes with the comfortable feeling in his belly that manifested when they embraced earlier and has yet to vanish.

The third finger does him in. If he continued the languid slide of dick on dick, he wouldn’t last long and thus he takes Dom’s face in both hands and kisses him sloppily, notices his lips curving into a smile as he prepares Marius so thoroughly it’s almost ridiculous but who is he to complain – the feeling of clever fingers moving inside of him is addicting already, fuelling his need for release and making his eyelids flutter in bliss. When he breaks the kiss, both their mouths are wet with spit yet Dom doesn’t seem to mind in the slightest. He’s breathing hard as well now, fixing Marius with a smouldering gaze and caressing his arse with his free hand. “Ready?”

“Almost.” Blindly, he reaches behind him and grabs the condom, grins when Dom interprets this as a prompt to brush over his prostate, causing waves of warmth to course through him. He does his best to ignore them even as they’re getting stronger, rips open the wrapper with slightly shaking fingers and rolls it over Dom’s cock – he has to take a break halfway through because the pleasure is blotting out all feeling in his limbs but he counters it by threatening to attack one of Dom’s nipples again, after which the distractions cease. At least enough for him to finish his task.

“Turn around.” His voice is soft, beckoning, a stark contrast to the uncomfortable empty feeling after his fingers have withdrawn and still, Marius has never been more turned on than right now. He’s simultaneously astonished and not at all surprised to find that he trusts Dom with every fibre of his being. Obligingly, he does as he’s told, props himself up on the shelf and catches Dom’s eye in the large mirror that only now fully registers – if they’re going to do it like this, it means - “I’ll go slow. I want to enjoy this.” They’re still looking at each other while Dom lines up his dick, starts pushing in and they can pinpoint the exact moment his head slides inside on each of their faces, both slipping slightly into elation and disbelief at once. He’s large, even after three fingers, indescribably hot and pushes all the air out of Marius’ lungs with every centimetre more that enters him.

They’re becoming one and he can watch it, examine his own expression as well as Dom’s, and it’s embarrassing in a way though not shameful. He’s not ashamed of what they’re doing, just self-conscious about doing it this purposefully, about letting too much show. Dom is looking at him intently, searching for every swallowed moan, every tensing of muscles, every interrupted in- or exhale and it’s strangely arousing. Marius feels the urge to close his eyes, reduce some of the intensity of it yet decides against it; he only allows himself to look away once Dom has bottomed out, is catching his breath, puts his hands on Marius’ hips and kisses the top of his spine in a gesture so loving it makes a smile appear on Marius’ lips.

Usually, it takes him a while to get accustomed to the curious feeling of being penetrated but right now, relaxing into it is second nature somehow, easy and effortless, probably because he wants this so much his teeth hurt. He pushes against Dom in a signal for him to move which he obeys without protest, withdrawing a little and pushing back in, repeating the motion a few times before he switches to slow, long thrusts that barely deserve the name – it’s a languorous slide but after no more than thirty seconds, Marius is trembling. There’s something he didn’t know or rather forgot, he hasn’t had sex standing up a lot, often favours a bed: in this position, Dom rubs over his sweet spot every time. It’s not enough to make him come, at least not in less than half an hour, but it’s earth-shattering regardless. Especially because he needs to bite back every sound trying to claw its way out of his throat.

It doesn’t help that Dom is going so slow – if anything, it makes it worse, amplifies the blinding pleasure immensely. His knuckles are turning white where he’s desperately holding on to the edge of the wooden shelf trying not to let his legs give in, he’s clenching his jaw and sucking air in every time Dom pushes back inside. He stops, suddenly, and Marius is about to yell at him when he notices he’s on the verge of hyperventilating. That’d be a first, he’s not passed out during sex before but he’s also not had a hunk like this slowly fuck every shred of common sense out of him. Dom is doing his best to calm him down, melts against his beck, nuzzles his shoulder, strokes his chest reassuringly. “Alright?” Marius nods weakly and leans back into him, thankful for the solid, warm weight of the body behind him. “Look at me. I want to see what I do to you.”

He glances up and feels a little better when he sees Dom’s brows furrowed in concentration – it’s visibly costing him a lot of willpower to keep up this gruelling tempo. “You’re right there”, he tries to explain huskily, “don’t change anything.”

“The angle?”, Dom clarifies and Marius just nods again, unable to respond as another spark blackens his vision for a split second. “You’re so tight and so sensitive. I can feel you clenching around me. You feel amazing.” His lips latch onto the nape of Marius’ neck again, his weakspot, making him wobble unsteadily and, together with the stimulation deep inside him, it’s too much, too intense, he wants to curl in on himself but a hand on his chin keeps him upright and is that face staring back at him from the mirror really him? He looks so lost and yet so ecstatic, as if he never wants to be found again.

Too much and not enough at the same time. Because as extreme as the pleasure is, as all-encompassing, it’s too stretched out; a full-body sensation that lulls him into a state of powerless joy yet denies him all hope for release. His legs are twitching from the fluctuating feeling, he’s keenly aware of Dom’s thighs pushing against his, of the tongue behind his ear, the one hand holding on to his hip bone and the other caressing his jaw, just as sharply as he feels the hot shaft entering him over and over again, creating a tide that never stops and never rises high enough. Dom is watching him, unchanged, even as he sucks temporary markings into his skin, he drinks in all of Marius’ gasps and squirms and his eyes are so full of affection that it causes Marius’ heart to pump twice as fast.

Just when he’s started to accept his fate, when he made peace with forever floating in limbo, with never reaching his goal, fingers encircle his erection and begin stroking it – in the same torturous tempo as the deep thrusts. They glide over his head, gather the copious amounts of precum there and use them to ease the slide, clouding Marius’ mind even further, causing his eyes to roll back into his skull when they sync up with the deep-seated stimulation. He can’t imagine how disciplined Dom must be, how composed he has to be to keep this up, to stay mostly mute except for his laboured breathing and the occasional gasp – he only knows that he doesn’t share his resolve.

“Dom”, he begs ardently and is proud of being able to keep his voice low, “Dom, please. Go faster.” A simple shake of the head crushes all hope for a swift release, it’s accompanied by a smirk and a twinkle in Dom’s eyes but even then it’s obvious he’s holding himself back with effort. There are teeth on Marius’ neck now and he’s already trembling, his insides hungrily gripping Dom’s dick but even then he refuses to try and increase the speed, refrains from thrusting back because while it’s nothing but torture, it’s sweet, divine, stunning. He closes his eyes and focuses on the teasing touches, the hand stroking him, on the incredible feeling of Dom’s head rubbing right over his prostate, unfailingly every time he pushes in. Reality ceases to make sense to him and it helps, he can feel his climax approaching but as if Dom could sense it, he slows down even further, despite how his own cock is throbbing deep inside Marius – and he’s never been able to feel it this intensely, the shaft inside him pulsing with need. “I need to come”, he whines and barely stops himself from bucking into that excruciatingly light grip, “Dom, let me come.”

“Open your eyes. Look at me.” Something in Dom’s voice has changed, it’s thick now but also sounds like he made a decision, so Marius wastes no time in obeying, meets his gaze in the mirror again and that’s when the grip tightens. A low moan escapes him to which Dom reacts by holding his mouth shut, the gesture dominant yet meant helpfully: they both know Marius would regret it if he lost control now. He’s getting serious, his hand is speeding up, pulling Marius ever closer, and still he’s observing him raptly, his chin on Marius’ shoulder. There’s a twist to his wrist, his fingers tightening around the sensitive tip, digits brushing over that certain spot on the underside of the head and it’s almost – he’s almost there – he just needs -

Dom bites into his earlobe and he’s gone, shoved over the edge, tumbling down in free fall. Right as he passes the point of no return, Marius fills his lungs with air, arches his back dramatically, is only connected to Dom where his hand is on his mouth and their hips flush, and then he comes. It’s violent, the contractions in his lower body so extreme it’s almost painful, his legs are hurting and his arms about to give in and yet everything is eclipsed by the elating feeling of release; sweet relief is rushing through his veins as he grinds against Dom, seeking to maximise his pleasure while he’s being milked, mercilessly stroked through the entirety of his orgasm. He’s moaning into Dom’s hand – quietly but moaning nonetheless – helpless, shivering, clamping down on the cock impaling him that’s twitching hard, hitting all the right spots and it’s never been this fierce, he’s never felt a climax this sharp and satisfying.

Even as he’s coming down, there’s the occasional pleasurable twitch and as soon as Dom removes his hand, he greedily gulps in air and inspects the damage. He managed to shoot his sperm even halfway up the mirror, which is impressive, exhaustion is settling in his bones now and he can’t really see straight but apart from that he feels brilliant. Instead of sobering up, there’s an unfamiliar warmth inside that probably stems from the fact that Dom is wrapped around him, unchanged, and looking at him like he hung the stars. “That was absolutely beautiful”, he whispers and Marius replies with a short, embarrassed laugh.

“You’ve not come yet?” Dom shakes his head again. “Then do. I want to feel it.” They exchange a smile that’s so pure, so full of adoration and mutual affection that it refuses to leave Marius’ lips even as Dom grabs his hipbones and pulls him back onto his cock. He’s faster now, careful not to let the sound of skin on skin become too loud but thrusts deep regardless, the feeling not even uncomfortable. Marius basks in it, relishing the knowledge that he can now help with Dom’s pleasure, focus entirely on him; he meets his thrusts, adapts to his movements, contracts his muscles around him and squeezes breathless gasps out of him. He can finally give something back to Dom.

When he comes, Marius makes sure to allow him as deep as possible, endeavours to prolong his orgasm with small motions and doesn’t complain when fingernails bite into his skin. Dom looks blissful, his head thrown back and his throat exposed, his features gone slack in pleasure and his erection pulsing with every spurt. It’s everything, it’s hot and exquisite and lovely and now Marius understands what he meant because he, too, looks absolutely beautiful.

He rests his forehead on Marius’ shoulder for a bit as they’re both catching their breath, then he gingerly withdraws, extracts himself from Marius’ body, leaves him slightly cold without the comforting warmth at his back. “You ruined the mirror”, he says quietly while removing and tying off the condom.

“Wouldn’t be the first time”, Marius shrugs, making Dom snort. They busy themselves with cleaning up, him taking care of the mirror and the washbasin and the shelf (he really came everywhere, it seems), and Dom collecting and even folding their clothes, putting them on a chair in Marius’ room. “You know, we could’ve shut the door.”

“Ah, but where would be the fun in that?” Chuckling, they both crawl under the sheets once they’re done, intertwine their limbs and bathe in each other’s body heat, gentle hands stroking through short hair and over soft skin, lips touching now and then, noses brushing.

A thought occurs to Marius. “We might not even have to lie to my uncle tomorrow, you know.” As soon as the words have left his mouth, he wants to slap himself because none of this makes them boyfriends, neither of them have raised the topic before and he shouldn’t assume so much. He wants it, though, he realises there’s a longing in his chest to make Dom a part of his life, to keep him. There’s something there, it’s undeniable, they’re compatible and they like each other.

Dom hesitates but as it turns out for a different reason than unwillingness: “I’ve got to go back to Berlin tomorrow afternoon. I’m not – I want to. But it’d be long distance and I’m shit with that.”

That’s right, he’s only here temporarily. Marius knows this but happened to forget. “Me too”, he murmurs and it’s the sad truth. He gets lonely, especially on weekdays when there’s no one with whom to spend the evening, he understands if Dom feels the same way. Keeping him from potentially finding someone else with whom he could be happier is unnecessarily cruel. Right now though, he doesn’t have the energy to be bitter about it, and besides, Dom is still here, right beside him and naked and eye candy. “Can I wake you up at night for another round?”

He gives a startled laugh, obviously not having expected the question. “Sure. But the lube’s gone, so we’d have to settle for hand jobs.”

“Why not blow jobs?”

“I can blow you until you pass out, if you like, but I can’t come from it. Never have.”

Marius’ interest is piqued. “Not even if I play with your nipples?”

“We’d wake up your uncle. Believe me, I’d moan like a bitch but I wouldn’t finish.”

“Sounds hot.”

Dom laughs once more and pulls him on top of himself, kisses him lovingly and Marius curses everything and everyone for the fact that Cedrick is somehow stationed here but Dom isn’t. They just cuddle for a while, slowly drifting away until Marius climbs off again, turns around and shuts off the bedside lamp only to feel Dom scoot up to him and spoon him. It’s as if he can read Marius’ mind since this is his favourite position, cosy and safe and he relaxes into it. He’s half asleep when Dom mumbles: “If you give me your number, we can at least phone now and then. Have freaky phone sex. Or… or just talk.”

For some reason, the second option sounds more intimate than the first, more of a concession. He pictures it, a lazy Saturday, him in his pyjamas and Dom’s voice by his ear, memories surrounding them, the feeling of a solid body at his back. “Yeah”, he agrees with a smile so open that he’s glad Dom can’t see it. “Yeah, let’s do that. I’d like that.” There’s a kiss pressed against the back of his neck and he still feels it when he falls asleep.

[shewhowantsmouseears]

Love Like Lava, 7

Notes: As always, big thanks to my wonderful editors, Drucilla and BlueShifted!

See the light where the sky meets the sea, it calls me~ Hahaha, yeah, I'm amused that I chose a story that's deeply connected to the sea while Moana is a smash hit. But just how connected is Minnie and the others to the sea? You'll just have to see how far I'll go ;)

I'd like to thank some extra people for this chapter - my pals known as Zumi, Greta, LoneWolfPrincess, and Tsa. These duck fanatics really encouraged me to make this feathery chapter.

Summary: Legend says that Hades kidnapped Persephone to be his bride. But now Minnie will learn the truth from the victim's own mouth - if she is a victim at all.

As much as Minnie wanted to devote every single second she had to learning about Mickey, she didn't want to neglect time with her dear friends. So on this crisp windy day as Daisy encouraged Minnie to follow her, holding her hand as they moved around thin trees and ignored wildlife. Of course, that didn't stop Minnie from speaking of Mickey, Mickey, Mickey - amazing Mickey, handsome Mickey, Mickey who loved his family and protected them with his words. Daisy could barely get a word in otherwise, but she found the puppy-love charming. Besides, Minnie was still new to many ways of the world, including the emotion she was supposedly in charge of. Maybe she'd calm down once she was used to it, so Daisy told herself.

When Daisy noticed Minnie pausing in her words, trying to exactly describe the adorable way Mickey's tongue stuck out when he worked on something that required delicate patience, she seized the chance to speak. “Today's going to be a special day for you and I.”

It did the trick and Minnie was instantly distracted, blinking rapidly to remind herself that, oh yeah, they were walking towards something instead of aimlessly wandering. “Huh? Why is that?”

“One way or another, you've become my friend, so you're going to have a privilege very few gods or goddesses know of.” Her beak tilted upwards, pride shown in boastful sunflowers trailing through her hair. “I know I can trust you not to tell anyone else, without my explicit permission.” She had a feeling that Minnie would try to get said permission to tell Mickey.

“What is it, what is it?” Minnie inched up closer to her friend, holding her entire arm in anticipation. “I won't tell a single soul, I promise!” A pause as Daisy awaited the expected. “Unless you'd say it's okay to tell Mickey. But I won't even tell him if you say no.”

“Good girl,” Daisy chuckled, a little embarrassed at how easily Minnie could push a smile onto Daisy's face. Daisy had distrusted others for so long that to have someone so casually take up a spot in her heart was confusing. She wanted to believe it was Minnie's sunny personality that won her over, but there was always that nagging worry far in the back of her mind – that perhaps Minnie was so beautiful, or that just by being the goddess of love, you had no choice except to love her. That worrisome thought was a smidgen louder today, in that only one other person knew of what she would show Minnie. “Watch your step, the shore is pretty steep here.”

“Shore?” Minnie slowed down their walk as their feet hit the sand. Daisy had said time and time again that coincidences didn't truly exist, and now Minnie was starting to believe it. Over and over Minnie found herself back at the sea – it was where she had emerged, where Goofy had lost his lady fair, where she learned of Mickey's existence and soon after discovered Mickey herself. Was there a deeper connection hiding in the waves? She almost didn't hear Daisy call after her – the demi-goddess of plants had let go of her hand to heartily run towards the water, and there was the special surprise.

Minnie was expecting something a bit more grand than a weathered old sailboat that sat halfway in the sand. There wasn't even a port for it to dock, and it lay wedged into the sand.Age hadn't been kind to this boat, with worn out sides and chipped white paint. The sails had been ripped and sewn back together more times than anyone could count, with different colors showing that the original cloth was long since gone. Yet Daisy raced toward it as if it was a beautiful treasure, running her hands along the bow as a noble woman would touch fine silk. “This is my most prized possession,” Daisy declared, turning around with her hands on her hips. “Mine and Donald's! And only you get to see it.”

“It's...got a lot of history.” It was the only compliment Minnie could conceive at the moment. If it was owned by divine beings, why was it in such shoddy shape? She knocked a tiny fist against the hull. “Which one of you made it?”

“Neither of us did,” Daisy said as she took Minnie by the shoulders and pushed her up the tiny ladder on the back. “This is a mortal-made ship. Donald bought it long ago under the guise of a mortal. He leaves it here for me so I can go sailing whenever I want. Now, sit there and wait!”

“Wait for what?” Minnie didn't get an answer as Daisy began to push and shove the boat – inch by inch, it began to retreat back into the water. Once it was submerged, Daisy jumped onto the ladder, and once she was inside her hands worked on pulleys and ropes to make the different parts of the boat move to her command. Minnie's skepticism vanished and was replaced by the awe of the boat's mechanisms and Daisy's mastery of the sails. The wind blew into the cloth, and the boat slowly began to move off into the distance, leaving a gradual wake behind. “We're moving!” Minnie squealed with delight, moving to dip her hands in the cold water as they continued to sail on.

The boat was very small, and probably wouldn't have been able to handle another two on its deck. It clearly wasn't meant for great voyages and heroic trips with adventure. It simply moved from one place to the next, but that was all the girls could ever want. Soon the sandy shore was but a glimpse on the horizon, and they were alone on the water, the wind in their hair. Daisy inhaled deeply, the salty scent of the sea finer than any fragrance. “The ocean is never the same each time you come to it,” she said, slowing down her furious activity now that the boat was capable of going ahead on its own. “And that's what we love about it. On Mount Olympus, things are never changing, and as gods, sometimes we don't change for centuries. But each time we wade into the water, there is something new to see. The fish will always move to a different place, and the sun will greet you in a different direction. Do you understand?”

Minnie did, or at last she thought she did. What she understood most of all was that Daisy deeply and truly loved her friend – this wasn't a rehearsed speech, but one made of passion, where she wanted Minnie involved her world. Minnie couldn't stop smiling, resisting the urge to hug her companion – she feared doing so would send them both into the water. “You know, I heard a man named Poseidon is in charge of the sea,” she brought up. “With the way you and Donald love it, maybe he should've been in charge instead.”

Daisy had her back to Minnie, but her shoulders lowered, and muscles began to clench up. “Yeah...if all was right and fair in the world, Donald would be the god of the ocean. That was all he wanted when they were playing for their roles.” Daisy knew Minnie would ask, and Minnie knew Daisy knew, so she didn't even bother asking and merely waited for the answer. “Centuries ago, Zeus, Poseidon, and Donald took down their tyrant of a father in order to free the world. Funny enough, he'd done the same to his father. I bet Zeus crosses his fingers every day hoping it won't be his turn next.” She shook her head to return to the subject at hand. “With him gone, there were three important roles to fill -  ruler of the sea, ruler of the dead, and ruler of the gods. They didn't want to fight over it, so they left it to a game of dice.” A bitter chuckle. “To this day, I still believe they rigged it so Donald would have the one position the other two didn't want.”

Daisy began to turn around, and for once she seemed to be her true age, a worn down woman of decades long since past. “We all have our place in this world, but it shouldn't be decided for us. I worry about you a lot, Minnie. You had your titles thrust upon you, and you still don't even know where you came from, do you?”

Minnie slowly shook her head no. “The first memory I have is stepping out of that sea shell. There's nothing else.” By now she'd understood it made no sense, and that everyone came from somewhere. Yet she never bothered asking anyone upon Mount Olympus for answers, knowing that would be a fruitless endeavor.

“And you have those weeds-for-brains up on the mountain thinking you're everyone's girlfriend.” Daisy snorted, pacing up and down the ship's center. “You've been the biggest change they've had in years, and I fear for your future because of that.” She stopped, arms crossed, looking out on the still water. “I want to tell you a story, Minnie. You've probably already heard their version of it – how 'Hades' kidnapped me and now forces me to stay with him for half a year. I imagine to them it makes perfect sense. But that's not even remotely what happened.”

~*~

I guess the easiest place to begin this with would be about my mother, Demeter. She's the official goddess of plants, and you should see her work. Compared to her towering forests, I'm like a dandelion seed. She was one of the most beautiful and powerful goddesses on Mount Olympus, and all the men wanted a chance with her, Zeus included, and she let herself have some fun flings. But when she did fall in love, it was with a mortal man.

Now, it's not forbidden for gods and mortals to, well, enjoy each other's company. Zeus does it almost every day. But it's pretty much a bad idea to actually fall in love with one of them. Their life spans are incredibly small, especially compared to people like us who never age or die. Mother said she could handle it when he inevitably passed. Spoiler – she didn't. And it didn't help that he didn't even die of old age. A bunch of robbers broke into his place and killed him. Don't bother looking for tears on me, Minnie, I was still in the womb when this happened. I never knew the man.

Anyway, with him dead, Mother went nuts. First she blamed Donald, accusing him of taking away her husband on purpose because he was jealous of her happiness. Let me tell you right now, not only would Donald never kill anyone, he can't. He doesn't actually control death, he just keeps things organized in the Underworld. Every now and then he can try to bargain with the Sisters of Fate to keep someone alive longer, but it's always a risky gamble and never a guarantee. Not to mention Donald rarely visited the mountain in the first place. Not only does his work keep him busy, but they all treat him like a pariah. They assumed that because of his role, he must be gloomy and scary and depressing. They still assume that today.

Moving on. Out I came, and Mother went into full panic mode. She was afraid of losing me too, and never let me out of her sight. When I say never, Minnie, I mean never. For years I was forbidden to leave Mount Olympus, and I was like you for a while. I didn't know anything and no one bothered to tell me anything except what they thought was important. That's when I first learned about “Hades”, and all the stories about him. Like how he “laughed like a madman” when the dice rolled his way, and how he “stalks the souls of the living”, eager to have them die. I believed it all. Why wouldn't I, when no one would tell me different?

You know how dull Mount Olympus is. I was bored to tears, but I couldn't leave my mother's side. She decided what I ate, what I wore, even how I was supposed to sit on my throne. Then one day, she got this crazy notion that if I married one of the gods up there, I'd always be safe even when we wouldn't be together. I hated the idea, but my opinion meant squat. It was also a blessing in disguise, though, because while she was interviewing other gods to see who was worthy enough for my hand, it meant a chance to escape. So I headed right for the mortal plane, and just like you, I went wherever I felt like, learning everything I could.

Eventually I found that exact same shore you and I were just on. I saw this boat and thought it was absolute junk. I would have moved on, but that's when I saw a good looking guy – who I thought was a mortal - wrestling with the sailing rope, unable to undo a knot. Being the generous soul that I am, I offered to help him.

~*~

“HAHAHAHAHA! WHAT KIND OF MORON DOESN'T KNOW HOW TO UNDO A KNOT?!” Daisy “forgot” to mention that being under Demeter's demented eye left her a tad spoiled. So her snotty superior attitude had her howling in laughter at Donald's failed attempt, and doubly so when Donald was so startled he fell into the water.

If he wasn't flapping around in the water, Donald would have unwillingly poofed into his smoky form, but for now his temper wasn't as hot as it could have been. “Who're you calling a moron! I bet you don't know anything about sailing!”

“I'm pretty sure the first rule is not to go into the water!” Daisy cackled, holding her stomach due to how hard she was laughing.

“Why you doggone stubborn little...” Donald marched out of the water, squeezing what he could out of his robes. “I only have so much free time today, and I ain't gunna waste it listening to you giggling like a hyena! Sailing comes with all kinds of different knots! Why, I bet you don't even know what that is!” He indignantly pointed at what Daisy thought was just the boat itself.

“It's a boat, duh,” Daisy snorted as she tried to catch her breath.

“Name that part of the boat,” Donald demanded, still pointing, water dripping from his beak. For the record, it was the rudder.

“It's...the...boat part.” Oh, what did she care what some foolish mortal thought of her? She was born better than him anyway. “Whatever it is! It's a hideous thing anyway.”

“HEY! Nobody insults my baby and gets away with it!” “I JUST DID!”

“YOU THINK YOU'RE SO SMART?!” He was seconds away from poofing at this point, but a wicked idea saved him from unknowingly revealing himself. Donald was also under the impression that this was a mortal woman, and while he didn't care about the rules of superiority and inferiority, he did care when people of any race dared to abuse his pride and joy. He suddenly scooped Daisy up into his arms – ignoring her shrieks and kicks – and tossed her onto the boat. “There, let's see you sail!”

Daisy was on her feet in seconds, snapping Venus fly traps curling in her hair. Donald might've taken notice if he wasn't so pleased by her furious reply. “How dare you – do you have any idea who I am?!”

“Nope! Couldn't care less!” Donald grinned devilishly as he began to push the boat onto the water. “Go ahead, toots, try and make me pay for it – if you can get back here!”

“I – I will! And you'll be sorry!” Logically she could have teleported to his side and given him the walloping of a lifetime, but her dignity would be gone forever. How hard could sailing be? But now she was in the boat and actually looking at all the handles and pulleys and ropes, it was like staring into the jaws of a wild animal. She stuttered at a loss, aimlessly trying everything and getting nowhere fast. She wound up smacking herself with the boom, and getting tangled in the sails. “Get over here and help meee!” she whined, flailing her arms in a pathetic motion to free herself.

“Apologize to my baby and I'll help you!”

“I AM NOT APOLOGIZING TO YOUR CRUDDY UGLY BOAT!”

“THEN STAY THERE FOREVER, SEE IF I CARE!”

~*~

We didn't get off to a great start.

I got fed up and vanished back onto Mount Olympus, which was probably Donald's first clue that I wasn't mortal either. I told myself that being bored there was far better than dealing with a cranky, violent mortal. Mother hadn't noticed I was gone, though her candidates for marriage had narrowed down. As I stayed there, stewing over what had happened, I told myself that I could learn more about boats and prove myself better than that silly man with a weird voice. That was about the time I borrowed Mother's Viewing Mirror, and she never bothered to ask why I even wanted it. I had to admit, mortals could be really interesting. I told myself I was only looking to upset that man, and once I had accomplished my task, I'd never look again. But let's face it, compared to the same old parties up there, the eternally changing mortal plane was a book you could never put down.

The next time around I pushed my mother to distraction, asking her to make positively sure that Apollo was a worthy man for me. She was so delighted by me faking interest that she didn't even question it. So I headed back down to the same shore, but while the boat was there, he wasn't. Donald can't come up whenever he feels like it, he has to schedule time in advance. While I waited for him to make an appearance, I tried to test my newfound knowledge on his boat. But seeing someone else do it is worlds different than trying it for myself, and I wound up a mess all over again, tied up in ropes and sails without the boat ever leaving the sand. Even worse, he never showed up that day.

Day after day I waited for him, telling Mother about different gods that could be good protectors, even demi-gods from below or children Zeus had fathered. It was weeks before I finally saw him again, and I thought I was ready to show off my new skills.

~*~

“You didn't attach the tack to its shackle.”

“SHUT UP! I KNOW WHAT I'M DOING!”

“Well, whenever you get done with that, you have to pull the outhaul-”

“I'LL GET TO IT WHEN I GET TO IT!”

“I'M TRYING TO HELP YOU!”

“WHO ASKED FOR YOUR HELP!?”

~*~

By then we were kinda sure each other was a god and goddess, otherwise we wouldn't have survived the bruising we gave one another. It made me feel a touch better knowing that I wasn't losing to a mortal, but it still stung all the same. I wanted him to know how great I was, to acknowledge me as his better. Each time I would return to Mount Olympus, I would get praised on how pretty I was, but it felt...hollow. Like I hadn't done anything worthy of their compliments except exist. They couldn't praise my powers, since they were obviously weaker than my mother's, so my looks were all I had. Yeah, you know how that feels, don't you, Minnie?

But I wasn't totally hopeless, and I did manage to get better.

~*~

“Watch your telltales. You're wasting energy like this, just let out the sail.”

“But if I do that, I'll have to let go, and you said to keep my hand steady!”

“I know what I said! Just – here, let me show you.”

“No! No! I can do it! I know I can do it.”

~*~

We wouldn't try to go anywhere in particular. Sometimes we'd just drift out onto the ocean and see the sun set. Other times we'd pass by mortal villages and watch fishermen take in their haul. Donald knew a lot of them by name, mostly because he knew their dead relatives, but I still didn't know “who” he was. It didn't really seem to matter. But in his head, he had his reasons not to tell me. If I'd known on day one that he was Hades, I would have run away screaming and never turned back. I told him easily enough that I was Persephone, that I was Daisy, that I was a useless daughter with no ambition save for a wedding ring.

~*~

After he heard that, Donald had taken her hand and turned the palm up. “It's a shame about the ambrosia,” he said, tsking. “Heals all of our wounds instantly, so you can't have the tough callouses the mortals have. They'd be proof enough that you've got more ambition than any of those lazy vagabonds up on the mountain.”

“Does that include all the bumps on my head I should've gotten every time the boom hit me? At that rate, I should've been the demi-goddess of concussions.” A tiny chuckle.

“C'mon, I mean it. There's nothing wrong with not having an exact goal right now.” The boat was smoothly passing between two cliffs, a creaky bridge far above them. The night was approaching and glitters of stars dotted the sky. The wind was dying down for now, and they felt safe enough to sit. “One man might think he'll grow up to be a farmer, and becomes a soldier instead. Even gods and goddess should have the opportunity to at least look for what they want.”

Opportunity – what a foreign word. Daisy had thought that because she had the blood of a goddess flowing through her, that this was enough to justify her existence. But now she wasn't sure of a lot of things. She wanted worth in a different form, she wanted equality, and so many other things she never even knew existed before meeting Donald. She was quiet for a while. “I don't want to be like my mother, deciding things for someone else and being afraid of things we can't control.”

“Then don't be like her. Be yourself. It's not as hard as you think it is. If nobody else likes you as yourself, it doesn't matter as long as you like yourself.”

She glanced up at that. “Do you like yourself?”

“You're darn right I do.” He grinned in that egotistical way she'd come to find entertaining. “I do my job and I do it well, and I'm the best sailor in the whole wide world. And if someone doesn't like me, then they're not worth my time. It takes effort to know people, and laziness just to guess and dislike without a chance. And you, little lady, are not lazy.”

“... Donald?”

“Yeah?”

“You're still holding my hand.”

So he was. “Uh.” So he was still was. “Uhhh.” Still holding it. “I was – just – um – I was going to – to help you practice rigging the preventer!” This involved nearly squishing Daisy's hand to the boom and tying yet another intricate knot. As the blushing ducks debated whether to speak of whatever happened between them, peeking at each other and then pretending they hadn't, Donald made a deep decision. How was she to like him if he didn't tell her who he was? “Daisy, I'm not sure how to put this.”

“Hm.” Daisy was no longer naive about the world, including the many interests of men, and she wasn't exactly objecting to the idea of being Donald's interest. With the knot completed, she rolled her shoulders, coyly fluttering her eyelashes. “I'm listening.” As she began to twirl hair around her finger, a red rose dropping petals tangled in her hands, she expected a confession of how jaw-droppingly gorgeous he found her and he needed her every night and day. She was still a bit spoiled.

But instead of satiating Daisy's fantastic ego, Donald rubbed his knuckles, avoiding her intense gaze. “What do you know about the god Hades?”

Daisy blinked slowly, the candle of lust promptly snuffed out. How disappointing. “That he's some creep who rules the Underworld and kills little children because their mother's cry is music to his ears?”

“Oh, come on.” Donald slapped an open hand to his face, pulling it down hard.

“So what?” Daisy was about to drop her sleeve in an attempt for Donald to focus on something far more gratifying. “What does that monster have to do with you and me right now? It's got nothing to - ” But for all of Daisy's faults, and there were a great number of them, stupidity wasn't among them. Her hand froze as she understood exactly why he asked, and why he now looked so crestfallen, his entire body sagging. In that moment Daisy recalled every horrifying story she'd ever been told about Hades, most of them by her devastated mother. A beast, a merciless creature, a demon who relished in pain and suffering.

But a demon who relished in pain and suffering wouldn't have held her hand so tenderly.

“I don't – I don't care,” she blurted out, rising to her feet so fast that the boat began to wobble.

“Daisy, be careful!” “I don't care!” she shouted louder this time, hands rolled into fists, her eyes feeling hot. “I don't care what they say about you on Mount Olympus, because – because it can't be true, none of it's true! I know who you are, they don't!”

Color flooded Donald's white cheeks, but he tried to hold off her compassion, his hands out and ready to steady her if she tipped over. “It's more than that, Daisy! Once your mother and everyone finds out I've been spending time with you, they'll treat you like dirt too!”

“I don't care!”

“They'll say bad things about you too, and they'll trample all over you!”

“I don't care!”

“Daisy, you don't understand, they-”

“I SAID I DON'T CARE, YOU MORON, ARE YOU LISTENING TO ME?!”

“I'M TRYING TO HELP YOU OUT, YOU OBNOXIOUS BRAT!”

~*~

And that was the first time we made out. It was totally worth falling off of the boat. Anyway, it was obvious to me that once Donald took up ruling the Underworld, his family abandoned him. Despite all he'd done to help overthrow his father, they treated Donald like he was unworthy just because of a pair of dice. Yet despite all that, he was kind and caring and he helped me. How could you not fall in love with someone who wouldn't let centuries of hate and gossip destroy his good heart?

But I was spending so much time with Donald that I had long since stopped paying attention to what was happening on Mount Olympus. If you'll remember, I said that Mother was trying to get me hitched and I had pretended to be interested. I thought maybe she'd be so picky and fearful that she'd never settle on whoever would be my husband, and boy was I wrong. Not too long after Donald and I told each other how we felt, Mother dropped the bombshell – she approved of Apollo, and we were to be married.

Gladstone, right? I don't have to tell you that guy's annoying with a big fat UGH. Of course I said no, and I followed it up with that I didn't want to marry anyone. Mother said that it was for my own good, and that I couldn't possibly know what I wanted, that she knew me better than I knew myself. This from a woman who didn't realize her daughter was gone for weeks! It turned into a screaming match the likes of Mount Olympus had never heard before. The complaints poured in, and all the other gods and goddesses couldn't understand “what the big deal was”. Why not just marry Apollo and sit prettily by his side for the rest of eternity? No one was my ally, and surrounded by all sides by people who didn't care what I said to say, I knew I'd be forced into marriage. No amount of begging, pleading, or crying would get them to change their minds. So I did the only thing I could think of – I ran back to the mortal plane.

With all those eyes looking for me, I knew it wouldn't be long before I was found and forcibly dragged back. I ran to the only place I knew I could be comforted – Donald's shore, and mercifully there he was. I told him what was happening, and as far as I knew this was going to be goodbye. I'm amazed he understood a word I was saying through all of my sobbing. There was nowhere on the mortal plane I could hide that Mother wouldn't be able to find me, now that she was actually trying. I didn't want to let go of Donald, and he didn't want to let go of me. I guess that's what gave him the idea, though he told me after that it was a spur of the moment deal.

When I opened my eyes, the two of us were in the Underworld.

Is it dank and dreary? Kind of, yeah. It's an endless cavern lit by candles that never go out, and a green river flows through it, carrying floating islands filled with the dead. But they're actually really cheerful down there, reunited with their friends and family, getting to be whatever age they please at that moment. They share stories of their lives, and await those they miss most. But back to me. Donald instantly began apologizing, saying this was the only place he could think of to buy me some time while I thought of what to do. You have to give him credit – it was exactly the one place no one thought to look.

I was shocked at first, but compared to what was about to happen to me up above? This was paradise. Maybe if I stayed down here long enough, Mother would cancel the marriage and I could return to the surface and sail with Donald. Until then, I didn't mind staying there. It's really quite cozy once you get used to the place. He's got this adorable three-headed dog who is the sweetest thing, just expect three times the slobber when he licks you. The Sisters of Fate aren't exactly pleasant company, but they do know how to weave a good story. The dead were always delighted to have more company, and I got to see Donald at the role that “destiny” supposedly gave him.

And he does a dang good job. He makes sure no spirits escape, even if he has to grab them himself and yank them down. He helps the lost lovers find one another, and has even conducted a few marriages where everyone is invited. When little children who come there far too early have to wait for their parents, he plays with them and keeps them from crying. He told me he'd like little ones of his own someday – he has no confidence about himself as a father, but maybe as an uncle, with a gang of nephews to call his own.

I missed the sunshine and the sea, but I was allowed to talk to whoever I wanted and actually got full conversations back. I could go wherever I wanted on the river Styx, teach Cerberus new tricks, examine the strings that the Sisters would tangle, but I was given one rule – I couldn't eat or drink anything while I was there. I found that out after Donald slapped a pomegranate out of my hand. Turns out the food and drink keeps the spirits there, and if they left they'd just dissolve into nothing. No one knew what would happen if any god ate one, Donald had never dared, and I wasn't in a hurry to find out.

Whenever new souls found their way into the Underworld, I was with Donald, wanting to see how he reacted to new families finding one another. He's not a huge romantic, but he knew when I needed his arms, and I could erase his stress with just one kiss. We were happy, and curse whoever says otherwise!  There were days I thought I would be content never to return to the surface so long as I had my Donald.  But the longer I stayed there, the sooner we noticed that a lot more souls were coming in than usual. When I say a lot, I mean dozens at a time, then more, then hundreds. At first we thought some giant war was spreading across Greece, but the souls told us that they'd starved to death. The less I go into detail the better.

Did I mention my Mother was nuts? This was nuts into overdrive. When she searched every inch of the world and found no trace of me, she got so upset she didn't do her job – she didn't command the plants to grow. In case you didn't know, mortals really need plants in order to live. No grass, no trees, no vegetables or fruits, nothing was growing and what remained was dying. Animals starved, and it followed that mortals starved too. Zeus tried to demand Demeter to restore things, but she refused, and because he has the spine of a jellyfish, he couldn't think of anything else to do except demand things in a slightly louder voice. It's not like he could kill her. With the ambrosia that flows in Mount Olympus, all of our wounds heal instantly.

When Donald and I realized what was going on, we knew I had to return to Mother's side before everything on the mortal plane died. I cried and ranted and pulled out my hair at how unfair it all was, how everything was suffering just because I didn't want to obey her ridiculous orders. But Donald, sweet Donald, he said he wouldn't force me to go. He left it up to me. Which, in a way, was almost worse. So I asked to have some time to say goodbye to everyone before I went back.

I also did something extra, but didn't tell Donald. He'd definitely have stopped me if he found out beforehand.

~*~

Donald had gone to Olympus first to try and explain things, but the moment he said that Daisy was in the Underworld, he was blamed by every single soul. Demeter screamed that Donald had kidnapped her daughter just to see her suffer even more, and everyone agreed that this was “obviously” what had happened. When Donald ultimately lost his temper and screamed right back, it only made the gods and goddesses more sure that he was a dangerous man who would steal everyone's children for his own desires.

When Daisy joined the group, a hand on her stomach, there was silence for five extremely long seconds. Given how the men and women were surrounding Donald, she could tell right away that things had gone from bad to worse. She tried to reach for Donald's hand, but was clasped into a tight embrace by Demeter.

“Oh, my precious Persephone!” Her fingers dug into her daughter, as if her limbs would protect her from Donald. “It's all right now! I won't ever let that awful man get near you again!”

“Awful? He's awful?” Daisy grabbed a fistful of her mother's hair, yanking her down so they were on eye level. “You let thousands die – you made them die! If you think I'm going to let you badmouth him after that murder tantrum you just threw, you've lost your mind!” Demeter tried to reason that they were merely mortals, but Daisy wasn't done, pushing her aside to snap and growl at the other immortals. “And all of you just let her do this! You all think you're so much better than mortals, but you...” Her rant was postposed as a sharp pain stabbed her stomach, and she hunch over, clenching her teeth. “You...All of you...What's the point of being so powerful, if all you do is just party and...”

“Daisy?” While Donald hadn't spent a lot of time in the presence of other gods and goddesses, even he knew that such sudden pain wasn't normal. He tried to reach for her, but Demeter violently slapped him away, screeching at him that this was his fault.

“Shut up, mother!” Daisy managed to hiss out while bent over, sweat dripping down her feathers. “He does the most important job in the whole wide world, and you all treat him like garbage! You...augh...” She held herself, her vision beginning to blur, yet she refused to stop speaking, needing her opinion heard even if it went ignored. “You...You don't even try to find the truth...You're just happy with whatever is easiest for you! I won't be like you! I won't stay here and...and turn into some empty-headed pawn! I won't let you control my future! I won't let you control me! I...Only I...get to...decide that...”

Her eyes rolled back, and she collapsed onto the floor, her breath sharpening. Donald yelled her name in horror, and he knelt down to scoop her up into his arms, begging her to know what happened. Demeter burst into terrified sobs, while the other gods and goddesses didn't dare move – what if whatever Daisy “caught” touched them? As tears began to roll down Donald's cheeks, he only now saw the fruit that spilled out of Daisy's robe – a pomegranate with a fresh bite mark. “What?! This is...” He snatched it up, squeezing it in hot anger and grief. “I told you! I told you not to eat anything! Why did you...You stupid, stupid brat!”

Daisy curled up in his embrace, smiling despite the agony her insides were writhing through. “Because...I finally...found a way...to like myself...” A hard gulp of air. “Some people fight...with swords and shields...this is...how I wanted...to fight...”

But now that the source of the sickness had been revealed, all was not lost. Hera wordlessly stood up from her throne, plucking one of the flowers that grew between the throne of her and her husband. It was possible she didn't know if this would work, and equally possible that she didn't mind if Daisy died right then and there. No one dared to ask Hera how her mind worked or what her motivations were that day. She knelt down, tilting the flower toward's Daisy's open mouth, and the ambrosia poured in.

Daisy's body bucked, thrashing in quiet torment, and hundreds of vines sprouted from her body, popping off flowers of all shapes and colors that died instantaneously. The process repeated again and again, until finally the vines slipped away, and Daisy was breathing normally, the fever gone from her face. A voice dared to speak up – Gladstone's. “Is...Is she going to be all right?”

“I-I don't know,” Donald confessed, helping his beloved sit up in his arms. “The seeds of the Underworld can't be digested and they will never go away. This might work for now, but...she might have to go back to the Underworld for a bit to recover.”

“I won't let you steal her again!” Demeter found her voice and her anger again, towering over Donald as she shook with fury. “She is a bride to be, not yours to take!”

“Yeaaaah. About that.” There came Gladstone again, raising his hand upward. “I've never had bad luck happen to me before, so I'm not entirely sure if this is it, but...I'd really rather not marry anyone who's been in the Underworld. She's been around dead people. Kinda gross. No offense, Persephone dear.”

“None taken,” Daisy replied groggily.

Demeter's face fell, and with her momentum stolen, she faced the other men, trying to gain their support. “Well, she...She'd still be an excellent bride! Any one of you can have her, I trust you!”

“No thanks,” said Mortimer.

“No way,” said Pete.

“It pains me to say this, but I must pass,” said Zeus, fully aware that Hera was glaring daggers at him. It followed that every male god on the mountain, including the visiting demi-gods and all other types of creatures and beasts visiting their favorite deity, politely declined marrying used goods.

With each rejection, Demeter's body appeared to shrink a little more, and she had no weaponry left except to lash out at Donald. “You! This is your fault! You planned this!”

“First off, lady, I am not that clever,” Donald growled as he wiped the tears from his face. “Second off, as much as you'd like to believe otherwise, I don't put people in harm's way to get what I want. Unlike some people. Now I am going to take her back to the Underworld so she can rest! And if you actually care about your daughter, or about anyone other than yourself, you won't cause another apocalypse!” With one last huff, he stood on his feet, cradling Daisy close to his chest. “Anything else you want to say to 'em before we head back?”

Daisy didn't have the words, but felt a long, wet raspberry would suffice.

~*~

So it turned out that I have to stay in the Underworld for a few months every year, or I'll get super sick all over again. And when that happens, Mother throws another tantrum, but at least it's shorter this time around, and since then, the mortals kind of see it coming and know what to do. That's what you can always count on mortals to do – adapt to change. They're really amazing that way. I've also made a vow to never return to Mount Olympus. It's got nothing I want up there.

Being a goddess is a bizarre thing, Minnie. Sometimes I think the mortals don't really need us at all. They'll always find ways to move on and survive on their own. They'll make bigger ships than this, faster ones, and they'll have this entire world in their hands. Maybe one day there will come a time when they forget all about us...and that might be for the best.  We shouldn't be allowed to decide their future or shape it in any way. The same goes for you and me.

You are unique, Minnie, in so many ways. We don't know where you came from, what you can do, or how the future will turn out. But don't you ever let anyone but you decide it. Not even Mickey. Whether you find your place in the world or you never do, it doesn't matter as long as you are happy with yourself. As long as you like yourself, no one has the right to tell you where to go and what to do. And if they try? You fight it in whatever way you can. I'll be by your side all the way.

~*~

“And you can stop hugging me now.” Daisy thought that sappy speech was embarrassing enough on its own, but of course Minnie had to make it worse by holding Daisy tightly from behind and almost tipping her over. “For goodness sake. In case you hadn't noticed, I'm not dying anymore.”

“I know,” Minnie sniffled, deeply moved by the story told and the meanings behind it. “But I love you so much, my dear Daisy. I truly do. You're my best friend in the whole wide world.” She had not once believed that Donald had ever kidnapped Daisy, even long before she met the man for herself. The fact that they still perpetuated that lie angered her in a place deep within her soul, doubly so that they would never accept it even if Minnie said otherwise. It also told her that if anyone on the mountain ever found out what she was doing with Mickey, they'd twist and turn it into something disgusting and horrible to suit their own needs. They couldn't be trusted.

“Okay, but I can't steer the boat with you hugging me like this, and I have to return the boat to shore before Donald gets mad.” She reached to try and untangle Minnie's fingers from her stomach. “And I'll have to ask Donald for permission before you show the boat to Mickey.”

Minnie blinked, surprised, which allowed Daisy to safely push her off. “How did you know that's what I wanted to do next?”

“Because you're obsessed with that little weirdo, that's how.” A knowing flick to Minnie's black nose. “If my story didn't tip you off, that mouse must've never been to Mount Olympus, because he'd have drunk the ambrosia and never had his leg shaped that way. But whenever a god has a child, they're fully allowed to bring that kid to the mountain and have a drink of it. So whoever popped that kid out hasn't told a soul about him, and might not want anyone to know he exists.”

Minnie was about to ask why anyone wouldn't want to know about marvelous Mickey, but a thought changed her mind. “What if he came out of nowhere, just like me?” It would be another sign of how they were meant to be, so Minnie saw it.

“I'd normally say that's impossible, but with you, I suppose anything is now.” Daisy shrugged before heading to the bow of the ship. “A mystery falling in love with a mystery. It's very fitting.” With a roll of her shoulders, she set to steer the ship around. “Now, watch me do it. I'll teach you everything I know so you can sail away with Mickey into the sunset.”

“You can count on me, I'll have it all memorized!” Mickey matters aside, she was always eager to learn something new and Daisy was glad to teach. As they pulled ropes and measures sails, Daisy quietly hoped Donald would give them permission to show the boat to Mickey. As much as she loathed her mother's suffocating hold, there was pity to be had for Mickey, who had nothing and no one save for forgetful fish women. She hoped Minnie was right and that Mickey really did come from “nowhere”, so it meant he wasn't abandoned and forcefully forgotten.

Yet she recalled Donald's look when she first told him of Mickey, of his leg and his cave – a look of despair, of heartache and regret. She hadn't been able to needle the story out of him yet, but there definitely was a story there in the waiting. When would he speak of Mickey, and did she really want to hear it? What other disasters had those on Mount Olympus created?

Daisy's fingers found themselves on Minnie's shoulder, clenching her close in a protective hold. They would not cause Minnie pain, not if Daisy had anything to say about it. She would protect her friend.

But as they sailed around the cold waters, with Minnie's mind burning in a hundred new directions, Daisy had no idea that the one Minnie might need protection from was herself.