#did not expect to use this tag for something other than my AU lemme tell you

[headfullof-ideas]

Okay, I told myself I was just going to focus on my WIP’s, but I just HAD to draw @marie-12205’s design of Kaiko as a Night Fury, I just loved it so much! The colors were so pretty, and it made me think about all the times I drew the Nektons as Night Furies in middle/high school and I just…I couldn’t help myself I loved it so so much it’s so prETTY

@marie-12205 the design is beautiful and if I haven’t made it clear I lOVE IT (edit: you should probably tap the photo for a clearer look at it, I don’t know why it makes my photos blurry unless you tap on them)

[babyboibucky]

Promises, promises

Pairing: AU!Bucky Barnes x Reader

Summary: You believed that promises are meant to be broken but Bucky always proved you wrong. Until one day, he proved you right.

Word Count: 6,555 (oops I got carried away lol)

Warnings: Angst, a tiny bit of self-doubt but with a happy ending!!!

A/N: Some tags aren’t working, damn u tumblr! Anyway enjoy the angst and the shitty writing lmfao. Also kinda want to do ficlets for these two??? Like short fics about the happenings in their relationship, their first date, how they dealt with the break up idk, lemme know if anyone’s interested in that xoxo

MAIN MASTERLIST

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It's been four and a half years since Bucky broke up with you and honestly, you're fine now. Fine, as in you've moved on from him and that you haven't been stalking his Instagram account anymore or have been asking Steve how he's doing since the break up. You're fine now, really.

There was not an ounce of denial left in your body after almost two years of pining and self-blame. But that doesn't mean you've forgotten the pain he caused you when he woke up one day and realized that he didn't need you anymore.

Forgive and forget they often told you and you badly wanted to do so. But it wasn't that easy to do, not when you still feel the pain as if it only happened yesterday.

"What did you say?" your forehead creased as you walked around the kitchen counter, quickly approaching Bucky who had his back to you as he stood in the living room of your shared apartment.

You weren't sure if you heard him right, or if he actually said anything. Perhaps you were just hearing things? Just this morning he woke up and greeted you with his charming smile before pressing a soft peck on your lips. You had cooked breakfast together, laughed together and even talked about what to have for dinner.

Sure, something about his demeanor earlier was a bit off, but you assumed it had something to do about his work and not because he wanted to break up with you.

Right?

"Bucky, what did you say?" you pressed when Bucky remained quiet; he didn't even turn around to face you.

He heaved out a deep sigh, "I said I need space." he murmured.

"What do you mean, Buck?" you asked again, voice small and shaky as you fidgeted with the hem of your shirt.

Of course you knew what exactly Bucky meant by that, but you didn't want to believe it. You were hopeful that maybe this was one of those petty fights you used to have, one where Bucky would spend the night over at Steve's. He'll come around the next day, he always does that. You always woke up to him whispering apologies to your ear and you would say your sorry too.

Bucky rubbed his face with his hand before finally turning to you, "I can't do this anymore." he said, shaking his head before averting his gaze to the floor.

He must have seen the look in your eyes when he faced you. As much as you believed that you were pretty good at hiding your emotions, it never worked on Bucky. He was the only person who could always read you; you could never hide from him.

"Bucky, I don't understand." you let out a nervous chuckle as you hugged yourself, biting your lower lip to prevent them from quivering as you held back the urge to cry.

Bucky rubbed the back of his neck, "I just...you've been too...fuck, I don't know how to say this without hurting you. I really don't want to." he admitted dejectedly, looking up at you.

You scoffed, "Just fucking say it, Bucky. I'm already hurt just by having this conversation." you told him.

"You're too good for me. Way too good."

Bucky’s words echoed in your mind again as you laid your eyes on him, four and a half years after your break-up. And just like that, you were back to square one.

You did your best to avoid him after he left, you felt like Bucky too tried to do the same. It was harder than you thought, given that you belonged to the same circle of friends. There were missed birthday parties, anniversaries and get togethers. If you knew Bucky was going to be there, you’d bail. Thank god you had a bunch of understanding friends who never took your absences against you.

But an engagement party between two of your friends? Now that was something you wouldn’t want to miss out on.

You’ve been really happy for quite a while now, to the point that it never crossed your mind that Bucky would surely be attending as well. He had been out of your system since the day you decided to move past him, which is why you thought that you were finally a-okay.

Tonight proved you wrong because as you watched Bucky smile and greet your friends, you realized that you still wanted to punch him and hurt him and tell him that you were still in lo—

“Hi.”

You were too focused on daydreaming about how you wanted to hurt Bucky that you failed to notice that he made his way to you and was now waiting for you to greet him back.

Bucky was smiling at you the same way he did on the night you first met at a college house party. You and Bucky have been together for that long.

“Hi.”

The music was too loud that you missed out on the stranger’s greeting, if not for his shadow looming over your hunched figure as you sat on the staircase, you would’ve completely ignored him.

The guy was looking down at you with a charming smile that made your cheeks turn pink. He was tall and slightly muscular, something you noticed right off the bat all thanks to the tight red henley he was sporting. The guy had long hair too, but it was tied back into a low man bun that was messy enough to leave tendrils of stray hair to frame his handsome face.

“Hi.” He repeated with a chuckle, a hint of amusement laced in his tone as he bit his lip at the sight of you just staring up at him.

“Hi?” You stammered awkwardly.

He laughed, “Um, can I pass through or is there some sort of password required?”

You realized that you had been blocking his way, everyone’s way actually. Quickly, you apologized and stood up to leave your spot only for the guy to block your way before you could even hop off of the last step of the staircase.

Thinking that you must have confused him and the direction you intended to go, you murmured a soft apology again before sidestepping him but to no avail. You looked up at him with a frown when you noticed that he was intentionally blocking your way.

It didn’t help that he was way taller than you. Despite the one being on the last step of the staircase, the guy still loomed over you.

“Excuse me?” You snapped and tried to move past him but he was way bigger than you and managed to stop you from passing through.

He had a cheeky smile on as he watched your futile attempt to squeeze your way out of his large body. You huffed out when he held onto the rail while his other hand on the wall, completely trapping you on the staircase.

“What’s the password?” He asked, still grinning at you.

You deadpanned, “Are you kidding me?”

He shook his head, “Nope.”

You stared at him blankly before glancing at his hands, observing whether you had a chance at prying them away from where they held on. It was then that you noticed how his left hand was covered in tattoos. The sleeve of his henley rode up quite a bit to reveal that his tattoos reached his wrist, he probably had his entire left arm sleeved with ink.

“Can I please pass?” You huffed out when you concluded that there was no way you would be able to escape him.

“Like I said, I need a password.” He insisted.

“Penis.” You stated, face free from any sort of expression.

The guy choked on his laughter, “Why would you honestly think that?” He asked incredulously.

You shrugged, “I thought you guys liked dick jokes.” You reasoned out.

The guy laughed as he shook his head, “Well, you’re not wrong.”

“It’s not the password?” You asked. “Don’t I get a hint or something, I really don’t have time for games right now. I have to go back to my dorm. I have a test tomorrow.” You told the guy.

“I can’t believe you’re thinking about a test. What’s your major anyway?” He asked.

You groaned, “Like I said, I don’t have time for games or even for a conversation. Come on, just let me pass through!”

The guy hummed as he stared at you, as if he was thinking of something. You wanted to look away but he had beautiful ocean blue eyes that you found yourself slowly getting lost in.

“I’ll give you hints.” He announced. “Two hints actually, because I’m feeling generous.”

“Okay, then. Just spit it out!” You rushed.

The guy grinned.

“The password is made up of your name followed by your number.”

“Hi.”

You blinked when Bucky repeated his greeting. When you regained your senses, you cleared your throat and simply nodded at him as acknowledgment. You saw how Bucky’s smile faltered seconds before you looked away and pretended to look for someone.

“I can’t believe you just brushed me off.” He chuckled, running his fingers through his hair.

Bucky had cut off his hair right after graduation. He sported a clean cut since then but now he had longer locks; not as long as his college hair though. It just looked fluffier, you fought the urge to imagine how it’d feel through your fingers.

“I can’t believe you just expected me to greet you as if nothing happened.” You told him, letting your eyes wander around the place.

Bucky exhaled heavily and shook his head, “I thought we’d be okay by now.” He admitted. “Guess I was wrong.”

You clicked your tongue in irritation, snapping your head into his direction after avoiding his gaze earlier. “I am okay, but that doesn’t mean I am okay with being around you.” You hissed.

“I honestly thought we’d still be friends, you know. Civil at least.”

What has gotten into Bucky’s mind for him to expect a lovely reunion between the both of you? Things didn’t end well, he just left. He was too ambitious to even think that you’d greet him with rainbows and butterflies.

“We’re not friends, Bucky. Not even acquaintances.” You told him.

Bucky opened his mouth to say something until someone tapped on the mic, announcing that the newly engaged couple, Wanda and Vis, had something to say to their guests. By the time he looked back at you, you had already walked away and joined Nat at their table.

It reminded Bucky of the days when he used to watch your back retreat into your dorm whenever he walked you home.

“So, you gonna tell me the password or what?”

You felt all your blood rush to your head and you’ve never been thankful for existence of strobe lights. You were probably red as a tomato. Who wouldn’t be anyway? This handsome dude just asked for your name and number!

“Is this a joke?” You managed to asked and thanked the heavens that you didn’t stutter.

The guy shook his head, “I don’t really joke around.” He shrugged.

“Why do you even want to know my name and number?” you curiously asked.

Bucky shrugged, “Been watching you since you arrived.”

“Creeper.” you accused.

“Hard not to when you’re the only grumpy person in a party. I know your friends dragged you here, I mean you said you have a test tomorrow and you don’t seem the type to party a day before. Besides, you’ve been keeping to yourself the entire time. Figured you might want some company, one with substance.” he boastfully wiggled his eyebrows at you.

His confidence appalled you but you were also surprised at how he seemed to have read your mind. Or personality, in general.

“Hey, Bucky!”

You watched the guy turn his head towards front door where a blonde guy— Steve from the student council, you recognized— entered. You thought it’d give you a chance to slip away but the guy, well Bucky, kept his hands in place.

“Kinda busy right now, pal. I’ll catch up with you later.” He said.

Steve’s gaze moved past Bucky until they landed on you. He chuckled as he shook his head at his friend’s antics. Steve walked away but not without acknowledging you.

“He may not seem like it, but Bucky’s a good guy. You can take my word for it.”

Bucky turned to you and lifted an eyebrow, “I mean, coming from a student council member, that’s a pretty credible source.” He said confidently.

You bit the inside of your cheek to stop yourself from smiling. You had to admit, Bucky had a way with words and actions. His boyish charm was working on you and you hated how easily you were falling for it. And you just met the guy like ten minutes ago!

“So, what’s the password?” Bucky asked again.

You tapped your foot as you crossed your arms over your chest, “You promise to let me go if I tell you?”

Bucky made a face, “I don’t think that’s the right term because you can expect more of me once you give me the password. But I’ll definitely step aside. That’s a promise.” He reassured.

“Promises are meant to be broken.” You stated.

“Yeah, well watch me prove you wrong. Password? Pretty please?” He asked cutely and fuck, Bucky was really winning you over just like that.

Letting out a defeated sigh, you tell him your name and number. Just as he promised, Bucky stepped aside and quickly fished out his phone to type in your number. You honestly didn’t expect for him to remember it after hearing it once, but you peeked and he actually did. Impressive.

“Like I promised, off you go to study.” He said and motioned his arm towards the front door.

You sighed and offered a small smile before finally walking past him. You were about to open the front door when Bucky beat you to it.

“I told you ‘let go’ is the wrong term ‘cause I’m walking you home tonight.” Bucky said. “And tomorrow night too. And the next night and the next next night. Or afternoon. Morning? Whatever time your classes finish.”

Bucky really proved you wrong that night because he did walk you home the next night and the next next night too. It went on until he no longer had to watch you enter your dorm or apartment because eventually, the two of you ended up going to the same home.

It’s very ironic really, that it was also Bucky who failed to prove you wrong when he broke his promise not to hurt you, ever. You wondered whether it was your fault that you actually believed in him. It was hard not to though, because Bucky’s earned your trust from all the promises he made and kept.

Which is why it was even more painful when one day, he decided to break the one promise you truly held on to.

“I’ll always love you, you know that right?”

Bucky blurted it out randomly that his statement confused the hell out of you. The two of you were just playing a video game when he said it, making you hit pause.

“And where did that come from?” You asked with amusement.

Bucky frowned, “You could’ve reacted differently. I was hoping for a high-pitched ‘awwww!’ and this is what I get?” He teased, taking your chin in between his index finger and thumb to pull you close so he could bite your nose playfully.

“You said it out of the blue!” You told him with a laugh. “But it made me happy though.” You admitted and kissed his cheek.

“Yeah, well it’s true. I mean, this thing we got? It’s forever.” Bucky said and lovingly smiled at you.

You pretended to gag at his words but it was obvious that you felt like you were on cloud nine when Bucky said that. “Cheeseballs!” You teased.

“This cheeseball’s gonna put a ring on that finger one day. That’s a promise!”

A finger snapped right in front of your face, “You good?” Nat asked.

You nodded and tried your hardest not to look at Bucky. He was seated with Steve, Sam and some other guys at the table next to yours. You could feel him staring at you and it was making you anxious.  Nat and Sharon exchanged looks before letting out a sigh in unison.

“Come on, I’m fine. Stop looking at me like that!” You told them with a forced chuckle.

“What did Bucky say?” Sharon asked. She’d seen Bucky approach you upon his arrival, saw the expressions you both had as you talked and knew immediately that it didn’t go well.

Nat hummed before taking a quick sip from her glass of wine, “We’ve been watching and we’re curious.”

“He was expecting for us to be friends.” You simply stated.

Nat and Sharon groaned and rolled their eyes, “What a dick.” Nat said.

“Men really do have the audacity.” Sharon laughed and shook her head.

You joined her laughter and lifted up your own glass of wine, “I’ll drink to that.��� You said before finishing your drink in one go.

One glass of wine turned into two and then three and then four. Six drinks later and you were buzzed and unstoppable. You weren’t that drunk, you were good at handling alcohol but you were tipsy for sure. The formalities of the engagement party were finally done and the guests were left to mingle around.

Wanda and Vis immediately went to your table to catch up and after giving them your heartfelt congratulations (and apologies for missing out on plenty of events), you decided to step out of the venue to get some fresh air.

The silence allowed you to process your thoughts, the same thoughts you had repressed for years. You were happy for Wanda and Vis, truly. The two have been the epitome of soulmates and it was only right for them to end up tying the knot. But you also couldn’t help but wonder, would you and Bucky end up in marriage too had he decided to stay and work things out with you?

You lift up your left hand and stared at your bare ring finger. Just a few years ago, you’d been wearing a simple gold band studded with tiny diamonds around it— a promise ring. Bucky had given it as a gift on your 6th anniversary. You’d gotten together when you were just 19 and Bucky 21. People always doubted that your relationship with him wouldn’t last long given that the two of you were so different. Not to mention, Bucky had a reputation. Girls fawned over him; he was tall and handsome, had a rugged appeal to him thanks to his long hair and tattooed left arm. He drove a damn motorcycle that got him into trouble plenty of times.

You were Miss Goody Two Shoes who played it safe and Bucky was the Big Bad Wolf who liked taking risks.

It was a surprise when your relationship with him kept on progressing and the next thing you knew, the both of you have been together for a total of eight long years. It would’ve reached nine but shit happened and Bucky decided that those eight years didn’t matter to him anymore.

“Can we talk?”

If Bucky asked you that a couple of years ago, you would’ve probably punched him in the face and kneed him at the crotch before running away. Well, you still wanted to do so but a part of you wanted to talk things out. Get a proper closure maybe since Bucky failed to give you a detailed explanation that would help you understand why he chose to leave you.

Nat told you once that some things are better left unsaid. You spent years secretly pining for Bucky after the break up, spent nights questioning yourself where you lacked that made him leave you. You’d asked Steve about Bucky whether he met someone knew or how he was dealing with the break up; it did you more damage than good until you finally gave up and decided to actually move on.

But now that Bucky was here and there was no way to avoid him, maybe you deserved this confrontation after all.

“What do you want to talk about?” You asked, keeping your eyes on the pavement right in front of you.

You felt Bucky stand beside you, placing his hands inside the pockets of his jeans before turning to you, “About us.”

You snickered, “Us? What about us? What is there to talk about us?” You asked, turning your head to face him.

Bucky’s eyes have always been your favorite feature of his. They were very expressive and if Bucky could see through you every damn time, it was his eyes that you could always read. They were still blue but they held a certain emotion in them as he gazed at you.

Sadness and...regret?

Before your assumptions could get the best of you, you turned away and waited for Bucky to speak again.

“I can’t keep on avoiding you.” He said. “I’ve been doing so for the past few years and it kills me.” He admitted.

“And you think I want to keep doing this too? I’ve missed out on so many occasions because I just couldn’t be around you. You’re not the only one struggling.” You said.

Bucky shrugged, “Then let’s stop avoiding each other.”

The way he suggested it almost offended you; he was so nonchalant about it as if it was so easy to just let him waltz back into your life. Truth was, you dreamt of the day that he’d come crawling back to you. But you knew better than to let your walls down just because you miss him.

“When Steve told me that you seemed to be doing well, I really thought it meant that we can become friendly with each other, y’now. I mean, eight years. Those years meant so much to me, we’ve been through a lot and—“

“Are you fucking kidding me right now, Barnes?!” You bitterly chuckled.

“If those eight years together really meant a lot to you, you would’ve stayed. You would’ve allowed me to work it out with you! But what, you broke up with me because you thought I was too good for you? That you felt suffocated just because I was looking out for you?”

You didn’t mean to snap at Bucky like that, in your mind you thought you would be able to have a calm conversation with him. But with the alcohol running through your body, you couldn’t stop yourself from expressing yourself and and feeling the same way you did on that specific night.

“Too good? How am I too good for you, Buck?” You asked, immediately wiping off the tears that escaped your eyes.

“You have everything planned out! For yourself, for us. And it makes me feel fucking useless! I see you work your way up at your job and I’m still figuring out what the hell I want to do with my life!” He exclaimed.

You shook your head, “I didn’t know you felt that way.” You whispered. “If you told me this then I could’ve done something about it, Buck! Rather than let it get this far, I would’ve fixed it.” You told him and tried to reach out but Bucky took a step back.

“That too! You’re a fixer! You always end up fixing things. This relationship has become an endless cycle of me fucking up things and you picking up the pieces. And every single time you clean my mess, I feel like you’re hoping I’d be like the others. It’s like you’re trying to make me into a person I’m not just so I could fit this, this certain mold you had in mind!” He accused you.

You wiped again your tears and refused to believe him, “That’s not true, Bucky! I’ve always loved you for who you are, I never asked you to change for me!”

“Yes, you do! You never said it but I always felt it...when Steve got promoted and when Sam finally launched his business. You always wanted me to be like them, you never said it out loud but that’s what you made me feel whenever we talk about my job...or lack thereof.” He chuckled bitterly.

Bucky may not be traditional in the sense that he considered himself an artist. He never liked the idea of settling for a nine to five desk job so he took on a job as a tattoo artist. It wasn’t a permanent job and he didn’t have clients demanding for him all the time so it gave him time to work for a motorcycle shop too.

It was never a problem for you but practically speaking, your and Bucky’s joint savings wouldn’t be enough for the future that the both of you have planned out.

“I’ve been supportive of you! I never asked you to give up on those jobs, Bucky.” You defended yourself.

Bucky nodded his head, “You don’t know it but you do. That’s how I felt whenever you suggested that I try something else.”

“It’s because I know you can do so much more! Stay at the tattoo parlor and mechanic shop, then fine! But don’t settle because you have the potential to make it out there, that’s what I want you to know! I don’t understand why you’re limiting yourself, Buck. Why you’re suddenly so afraid.”

You carefully took a step closer to Bucky and thank god he let you this time. You swallowed the lump in your throat and reached out to cup his face in your hand. Bucky was livid, his chest rising heavily with every breath he took.

“You were the one who taught me to be brave, to take risks. I used to be so afraid, remember? Afraid to ride your motorcycle, to try out that job I thought I couldn’t handle. I was so scared to commit,” you chuckled, remembering how much you hesitated to give Bucky a chance when he asked you to be officially his girlfriend.

“...but you’ve always been there for me. And I want to do the same with you. I know that it seems scary to let go of what you believe is your calling. You don’t have to let go of it, Buck. But you gotta try something new too.” You said as you let your thumb caress the skin beneath his eyes.

There was silence between the two of you. Bucky had calmed down and you thought that it was over. Little did you know that it was simply the calm before the storm. Because the words that came out of Bucky’s mouth were the words you didn’t expect to hear.

“Well, this is me trying something new.”

Bucky refused to meet your gaze and simply let your hand move away from his face. You shook your head no as you turned around to compose yourself.

“We were fine this morning, Buck. What happened?” You asked and embraced yourself, seeking comfort you knew you’d only get if Bucky changed his mind.

“I thought we were fine too. But the tattoo parlor is closing in a month and we haven’t been getting plenty of clients at the motorcycle shop. And it just hit me y’now, I dread coming home to you because I know you’d be disappointed and that again, you’d offer to fix my shit and the thing is, I don’t want you to. I don’t want you to fix my shit or tell me how to deal with my problems! I woke up and realized that I just don’t...” Bucky paused when you swiftly turned around with a frown, eyes brimming with a fresh new wave of tears.

“Don’t say it, Bucky. I’ll be better, I promise! I won’t nag you or pressure you into anything. Just please, don’t say it. Please don’t. We can still work this out.” You begged Bucky.

You weren’t sure you could take it, what he wanted to say. You already knew what he was going to tell you, you didn’t want to hear it. Let other people say it but god, it’d break you if you heard it from him.

“I’m sorry but I don’t need you anymore.”

The stabbing pain in your heart felt so familiar, the kind that punched all the air out of your lungs. You thought you were done crying over Bucky, but you were so wrong.

“I fucked up.” Bucky huffed out, bowing his head as if ashamed.

“You realized that just now?” You snickered. “Do you know how long it took for me to get over you? To forget the pain from hearing you tell me that you don’t need me anymore? After eight years together, Buck. You were my first everything and you gave up on us. And you really expected us to be friends, just like that?!” You spat.

“I’m sorry!” Bucky exclaimed, lifting his head to look up at you and you were surprised that his eyes were glazed with tears.

“I was wrong, I was so fucking wrong. Because you were right, I shouldn’t have settled then. But god I was an idiot, an insecure idiot.” He admitted.

“I was so used to being the one who guided you that it fucking hurt my ego when I noticed that you were becoming your own person outside of our relationship. I was supposed to be the one supporting you, pushing you to be better. You ended being the one leading me. I let my ego get the best of me and thought I’d be better off without you. But it was the biggest mistake of my life because when I left, I felt even more lost.” Bucky explained.

You were left speechless, you weren’t sure why Bucky was telling you all this. Did he want you back or was he simply apologizing? You didn’t have words so you remained quiet and waited to see whether Bucky had more to say.

“I’m so sorry, I really am. I hurt you. I should’ve stayed, should’ve worked with you to fix our relationship. I hate what we’ve become, I sincerely wanted us to be civil with each other at least.” He said.

“Bucky, you’ve been saying the same thing over and over again. I’m not sure you understand the situation. I can’t be friends with you. Not after what happened. I thought I was fine but now I realized that I’ve never really moved on from the pain you caused me.” You told him and sniffed, looking back to check whether your friends could see you.

Thankfully, all the guests were still busy mingling with each other. It’s as if the universe meant for this confrontation to happen. But now you weren’t sure what to do after you finally got a clear explanation from Bucky.

“I wanted a fresh start with you.” Bucky said. “Thought that it would make it easier for me to win you over if we were friends again.”

You scoffed in disbelief, “It’s not that easy, Buck. I can’t just let you walk back into my life after your apology. It doesn’t work that way.”

You tried to move past him but he immediately blocked your way, “When I said I’ll always love you, I meant it. I still do. I want to make things right, please. Give me one last chance to fix this.”

Maybe it was the alcohol in your system, maybe it was Bucky’s words and how sincere he sounded that made your head spin. Your heart was racing and your palms turned cold. You wanted him back too, so bad but you weren’t sure if it was a good idea. He broke your heart and your trust, you weren’t sure if you’d survive if he left you again.

“I can’t continue this conversation, Bucky. I have to go.” You told him and made your way towards the door to the venue.

However, Bucky was quick to stand in front of the door. He had a determined look on his face, one that looked extremely familiar. You were still hurt but couldn’t deny the fact that you too, still love him.

Even after everything that had happened, Bucky still owned your heart.

“Bucky, can you please move? I want to go home.” You said and tried to reach for the door knob but Bucky moved and leaned against the door.

“You need a password to get through.”

You rolled your eyes, “We’re way too old for this, Bucky. I’m not playing with you.”

He shook his head, “I’m not playing either. Give me the password or else we’d be here the entire night.”

You huffed out, “This isn’t funny. Let me through.”

Bucky shrugged, “No can do. Like I said, I can do this all night.”

You deadpanned, “What’s the hint?” You asked with a defeated sigh, knowing well enough that there was no way you could walk past him without playing along with his stupid little game.

“Consists of three words.” Bucky said.

“Penis boobs vagina.”

Bucky cackled, “And I thought you said we’re too old for this.”

You groaned, “I’m serious, Bucky. Just let me go.”

“No. I made that mistake once and I’m not doing that again. I love you. And I promise that this time, it’ll be different. I know you still love me too, so again I am asking you to take a risk and say it.”

Bucky said it with conviction and you hated how it made your stomach flip. Up until this day, Bucky had a way to make you fold. And he could still read you.

“I’m not saying it, Bucky. How sure are you that I still feel the same anyway?” you asked.

Bucky tipped his head towards your neck, “Not sure if you just forgot but you’re wearing the promise ring as a necklace.”

Fuck. Of course, you’d forgotten about it. You may not have been wearing it on your finger, but you still continued to wear it. It meant a lot to you even after the break up, so much so that you couldn’t simply throw it away or remove it. You figured that it might be better to keep it around your neck. Out of sight, out of mind but still there. You wanted it to exist, it was a part of you.

“Say it and I promise that you won’t regret it.” Bucky insisted.

“Promises are meant to be broken. You proved that the night you broke up with me.” Your voice quivered when you said that.

“And I want to make it up for it for the rest of my life.” He reassured.

“History repeats itself. I don’t think I can deal with it again if you realized the second time around that you don’t need me. Buck, you really hurt me.” You said, voice cracking before you could even finish your sentence.

Bucky quickly took your face in between his hands and for some reason, it felt right. The warmth of his palm, the love in his eyes as he gazed at you, it felt like home.

“I know and I hate myself for it. So fucking much. But I promise you, it wouldn’t happen again. I fixed my life when you left, realized that you were right. I’m better now. So let me be the fixer this time, let me be the one to fix this mess, to pick up the pieces. Because I’m just as afraid to let you go again. I can’t do that again. I love you and I need you. I always did.”

The kiss he pressed on your forehead caused your walls to crumble down. All of a sudden you were sobbing into his arms and apologizing.

“I didn’t mean to pressure you then, Buck. I didn’t know, I’m sorry too.” You cried.

“Shh, no. Please don’t apologize.” Bucky coaxed as he pulled back to kiss your tears away. “None of this was your fault, baby. It’s all on me. Let me make it up to you, please?”

The term of endearment made your heart flutter and as much as you hated how Bucky easily won you over, again, the love you have for him was quick to outweigh it. You knew you shouldn’t have given in to him just like that, but this was Bucky. He was your greatest love, someone who owned your heart even after he left.

“I miss you, baby. Couldn’t fathom the thought of you being with someone else.” Bucky admitted as he hugged you tightly.

“I was so stupid, so fucking stupid. I hated myself for hurting you. I won’t do it again, I swear.”

His hand rubbed circles against your back, helping you calm down after your breakdown. He swayed you from side to side, pressed kisses on your crown and whispered promises that he was sure he was going to keep and you basked in it. When you finally calmed down, you pressed your face into Bucky’s neck and inhaled his scent.

He smelled the same, like comfort and love and trust. You hugged him tighter and smiled into his skin and mumbled, “I love you.”

Bucky chuckled, “You got the password right but I don’t think I’m letting you go just yet.”

“Nat and Sharon’s gonna kick our asses if they find out.” You chuckled.

He pulled back and stared at you lovingly, “I’ll take the hit for you.” he laughed.

“I’m sorry.” he mumbled again, caressing your cheek with his thumb.

“Forgiven.” You told him and stood on your tiptoes until Bucky bent down to meet your lips in a kiss.

You sighed into the kiss. Four and a half years of pain and anger all gone and replaced with the love you always had for Bucky. His lips against yours made you dizzy but in a good way.

It felt right, like this was how things were really supposed to be.

You pulled back and sighed, “As much as I want to stay like this, I’m really tired.”

Bucky let you go but took your hand in his, intertwining his fingers with yours. “I’m driving you home tonight.” He said.

You smiled.

“And the next night. And the next next night.”

Yet again, Bucky proved himself to be worthy of another chance. Because he drove you home the next night, and the next next night. It went on until he regained your trust back and all was well enough for him to finally reveal the black velvet box that he had been keeping in his pocket since the night of your eventful reunion.

“You need a password to see what’s inside.” Bucky grinned up at you as he bent down on one knee.

You chuckled through your years, “Any hint?”

“One word, three letters.”

You wiped away your tears with a smile followed by a subtle nod.

“Yes.”

Bucky kept his promise all along, he really did put a ring on your finger. Took quite a while with plenty of obstacles that caused its delay, but a promise fulfilled nonetheless.

-

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[sunflowerspecter]

flowers (a.h.)

summary: you don’t expect his request, but it immediately draws you to him. unfortunately, you’ll probably never meet him again. 

warnings: kinda gross fluff ngl 

pairing: aaron hotchner x reader

words: 1248

note: okay this is loosely based off of this post. might do a follow-up to this one, but idk. 

It was a normal day at the shop. You were putting together an arrangement of sunflowers and humming along to the classical song that played when he walked in, a stern look on his face, in full business attire. He stepped up to you, and you could tell he was on the verge of snapping, but you could also tell he didn’t want to snap at you. You tilted your head at him. 

“How can I help you, sir?” you asked, and he bit his lip. 

“This sounds awful, but how do I give flowers to someone who I don’t like but have to give flowers to out of politeness?” 

You almost giggled at his rambled words. “Um,” you said, then you glanced around at the flowers around you, “okay. Geraniums symbolized foolishness and stupidity in Victorian times, if that’s what you’re going for,” you said, beginning a slow pace around the shop. The stranger followed you. “Oh, and there’s basil, which symbolizes hatred. Meadowsweet symbolizes uselessness, and yellow carnations can symbolize disappointment. Black roses symbolize death, which is a little bit more aggressive, but honestly, they’re my favorite.” 

He nodded, then shook his head. “If you were trying to tell your boss that she’s an idiot and needs to leave your team alone, what would you do?” 

You moved around and picked a few flowers, then moved over to the counter, and began arranging them. “May I ask what happened?” 

“I work for the BAU,” he said, then shook his head. “That’s FBI.” He paused, looking down at his hands, then sighed. “My boss has my team under watch because we make the hard choices.” 

You nodded, biting your lip. FBI explained the suit. “What does BAU stand for?” 

“Behavioral analysis unit.” 

“What’s your name?” 

He glanced up at you, seemingly surprised at the question, which made you smile. “Aaron Hotchner. What’s yours?” 

“Y/n. Y/n Y/ln.” 

“Do you own this place?” he asked, and you nodded. 

“Yes. It was my father’s, before he passed.” 

“I’m sorry,” he said instantly. 

“It was years ago,” you said. “My mother always says that he lives in these flowers, and this shop, now. I think that’s special.” 

He smiled at you, and his smile was absolutely the cutest thing you’d ever seen. “That’s beautiful, I think,” he said, and you could tell he wanted to say more, but he didn’t. 

You looked down at the arrangement in your hands, then sighed. “Well, here’s your flowers for your boss.” 

He stepped back (just a little bit), then said, “Oh, right.” He pulled out his wallet but you shook your head. 

“These are on me.” 

He almost refused, but you insisted, and you waved at him as he walked (into) out the door and out of your life. 

It was a few days later and you couldn’t stop thinking about him, when a very pretty group of women walked into the shop. 

“Are you Y/n?” one of them asked, blonde hair and purple lipstick. You nodded, and the other two (one with short dark hair and the other with longer, blonde hair) shared a look. 

“I’m JJ,” the other blonde said. “This is Emily and Penelope.” 

“We’re sorry to barge in on you,” Emily said, and you suddenly felt very exposed, “but Hotch got flowers from you the other day, right?”

“Hotch,” you muttered under your breath. “That Aaron fellow? From the BAU?” 

The girls all nodded. “He hasn’t been able to shut up about you, and he’s been so much happier than he normally is,” Penelope said. 

“He’s a grouch most of the time,” Emily said, and JJ elbowed her. 

“He’s too shy to actually come back and talk to you, but we figured we could come scope out the situation,” JJ said. 

You smiled, trying to fight the blush crawling up your neck and across your cheeks. You opened your mouth to say something, but all that came out was a nervous laugh. 

“I told you Emily would scare her,” JJ said to Penelope, who just shrugged, and Emily looked offended before throwing an arm over JJ. 

“No, no,” you said, then laughed again. “No, I really liked him.” 

The three of them all broke out into grins. 

“Okay,” Penelope said, “I have a plan.” 

~~~oOo~~~

You were a giggling mess the entire time. You had flower baskets scattered all over the BAU, which you decided you were going to keep doing, even after this whole scheme—they all saw enough darkness on their desks, they should be surrounded by pretty things, too. Your favorite part was the part that was the most suspicious. One of the other members of the team had a ‘spare’ key to Aaron’s office and let you in. 

You stared at his desk for a while, then put your vase of flowers and your note on top of it. And, all was going well, and you turned to leave, but there was someone standing in the doorway. 

“Aaron!” you gasped. “I, I was just.” You pointed to the flowers on his desk, but he was grinning, his cheeks pink. 

“Did Penelope put you up to this?” he said, his voice light as he moved into the office and picked up your note. 

“And Emily and JJ. And another man let me into your office. Emily called him Rossi.” You bit your lip, hoping that he wouldn’t read the note while you were in the room. And then, he did. 

White irises, for hope 

Sunflowers, for warmth and happiness

Pink asters, for charm 

Ranunculus, aka buttercups, for  attraction 

Peonies, for bashfulness 

In other words, I haven’t stopped thinking about you, and I’d love to see you sometime, if you like. 

He looked up and smiled at you. He opened his mouth, and then closed it, and then said, “I’d love to take you out. I’d say a specific time, but with my schedule, I don’t know when I’m going to be free.” 

You nodded. “That’s okay. Mine is very flexible.” He smiled at you. 

“I’m free right now.” 

“You just got to work,” you laughed. 

With a shrug, he said, “I’m not technically supposed to be here for another hour.” You looked down at your watch, which read 7:30 am. 

“Then why are you here now?” you laughed. 

He hesitated, then said, “My son’s school starts at nine, so I dropped him off at his aunt’s so that he doesn’t have to go too early.” 

You could practically feel the anticipation radiating off of him, so you smiled at him. “What’s his name?” 

“Jack,” he said. “He’s nine.” There were questions you wanted to ask, questions that didn’t seem appropriate, questions that made your stomach turn, a slight unease at the thought, but you decided not to, not then, at least. Aaron sighed, however. “I was married. She died.” 

A beat. 

“Oh,” you said at last. You shook your head, taking a breath, before saying, “I’m so, so sorry.” 

“If you don’t want—” 

“No,” you interrupted. “I know what you’re going to say,” you said, stepping forward, “but I want to get to know you. I want to see where this takes us.” 

At first, you weren’t sure what his face was telling you, but then, you recognized surprise. And then he smiled at you. “Do you want to go get coffee before we have to be anywhere?” 

You nodded. “I know a great place a few blocks from here.” 

“Then let’s go.”

tag list: (lemme know if you wanna be added or removed)

@quillvine​ @winterscaptain​ @agenthotchner​

last thing— 

hi y’all! i recently saw the episode with maeve for the first time and HELLO MY HEART? so am i writing  a fix-it for that? yes. that’s in the works and also i’m currently working on a really fun au and also i defintely wanna do some folklore fics so there that. however i wanted to write something in the meantime so i have a few one shots lined up for the next few days so yeah! much love, baby 

[buttercup-of-kaer-morhen]

Hello yes I am Completely Anonymous ONCE AGAIN and I have a prompt for you! Temporary (perhaps potion or drug induced?) Amnesiac!Geralt being absolutely floored and delighted that Jaskier is his lover. Please and thank you.

Hey completely anon,

I may or may not have gone a little off script for this prompt and really wanted to write more for my dumb magical college AU. Hope you enjoy it anyway. May I present!

Magic and Exams: Amnesia

Main tags: college AU, it’s modern but with magic slapped in, Jaskier and Yenn are besties (Fight me), Lambert/Aiden kinda?, Non human Jaskier,  And they were roommates~, pure fluff, pre relationship, pining… Kinda, unbetaed, we die like Renfri

——

It was official! Fate was cruel and destiny hated him. Jaskier had been fine with how life had been going. Classes were good. Friends were great. And, you know, he had finally stepped into a tentative friendship territory with his hot roomie rather than that weird close relationship you develop with your roomie. Things were just grand!-- Ignore the fact that he had a monster crush on said roomie, not important!-- What was important was that Lambert, the ass, suddenly showed up on Jaskier’s free day-- a day he was dedicating to his reading and composing, bouncing around his hobbies as he pleased-- with a semi confused looking Geralt. The witcher had barged into the dorm room towing Geralt along as Aiden brought up the rear. Now, he was going to ignore this intrusion at first but Lamby seemed to have other ideas. He loudly proclaimed to the bewildered white wolf that this was his room and, oh look, his partner. “Go ham bro!” To which, Geralt’s gaze snapped to Jaskier and proceeded to silently stare at the musician in contemplation.

Jaskier, as one would imagine, was stunned as his brain tried to understand what was happening but the dickhead explained no further as he turned to leave. Having none of it, Jaskier quickly stumbled to his feet and bolted for the two retreating figures, almost tripping several times on the shit covering the floor-- he really needed to remember to clean one of these just as Geralt had nagged him to do days ago! He managed to get a hand on the other wolf before he fully got out the door. “Explain. Now.” He demanded, his voice warbling as his eyes darkened slightly. 

“Woah shrimp!Calm your tits, you’re starting to look a little red around the gills-- Seriously though, a little siren is beginning to show.” Lambert tried to make light of the situation-- fish puns again, really Lambert?-- even though his smile gained a touch of nervousness as Jaskier tightened his grip. He held back his claws for the moment but he was this close to having a truly marvelous freak out on the man if he didn’t start giving answers. 

“Calm down angelfish, Lambert’s just being a prick as per usual.” Aiden cut off anything Lambert was going to say. Lambert gasped in betrayal as he gave the third witcher a look that probably tried to convey how much he was wounded, he couldn’t really see though nor did he really care right now. “Situation is, we were having a class trip across campus, something monster related that our proff was gushing the fuck over and insisted we needed to see. Waaaay too excited over it if you ask me but while we were passing a class of freshies in an outdoor charms 101 class, this one chick starts going off at--” Aiden explained but really, it seemed more like he was slowly getting off topic as he spoke. 

“Kitty, Get. To. The. Point.” He insisted slowly punctuating each word, while frowning in annoyance.

“Rude. I am! Anyway, this girl gets into a row with this guy in her class and fires off some kind of spell which was deflected but hilariously it ricocheted right towards us.” That was not hilarious in anyway but rather terrifying but Jaskier refrained from pointing this out. “You know Geralt though, life loves to fuck with him, so he gets hit straight in the back with it and Poof! He can’t remember some shit now. We think he only remembers up to starting college but nothing after.” Aiden finally finishes with a proud smile at having riveted the musician with his tale of adventure but it diminishes slightly in the face of Jaskier’s baffled expression. The half-siren really was quite proud of it, it just conveyed the right amount of Are you fucking idiots or did you just lose your brain on the way over!?

Jaskier took a deep breath and calmed himself before flatly staring both in the eye, his fingers steepled in front of his mouth as he thought of how to respond. “And why, pray tell, did you bring my accidentally spelled roommate to me rather than sending him to infirm?” He asked, deceptively sweet with a razor’s edge to it. 

Lambert scoffed. “He was being fucking annoying--” His words were abruptly cut off by Aiden’s hand roughly smacking over his mouth. 

“What he means is…” Aiden growled, glaring at the wolf to make sure he kept his mouth shut, to which Lambert huffed and flipped him off but otherwise remained silent. “Geralt kept prodding us ‘bout going to see his partner and, well, you were like the only one we could think of since everyone else has someone and this idiot is single like you.” The man punctuated his simplistic logic with a small shrug. 

Jaskier took a deep breath through his nose. “Uh-huh… This is a terrible fucking idea--” Before he could finish what he wanted to say, Lambert suddenly yanked his self free of his grip and threw Aiden over his shoulder.

“Your problem now bard!” He called over his shoulder as he booked it down the hall, cackling like the bastard he was. 

“Oh nonononono! Get the fuck back here!” He called after fruitlessly. They were already long gone. 

Jaskier sighed as he turned and closed the door to their room. Geralt seemed to have ignored and blocked out the whole exchange. Whether out of courtesy for Jaskier privacy or in favor of refamiliarizing himself with their space, he’d never know nor did he really care. When he finally turned his gaze back onto Jaskier, he just stared while scowling intensely in thought. It was rather insulting if Jaskier was being frank. With a roll of the eyes, the musician realized he’d just have to roll with whatever the idiots told Geralt about their “relationship” but wanted to head off the coming disappointment from the witcher. Jaskier was obviously not what he had been expecting, especially since normally the man barely tolerated him much less ever tried to invite him out, but it would sting less if he were the one to address it rather than the larger man stating it. At least that’s what he told himself. “Ok, alright. I know I’m not what you were expecting and rather disappointing compared to some of your past dalliances but please, let’s just get you to infirm. Once you have  your head back on right, everything will make more sense about the whole us thing and we can just forget about this whole embarrass--”

“You’re so handsome…” Geralt’s awed words cut Jaskier’s rambling off at the knees and had him blinking in surprise. “Or cute. No, both… How do you manage to be both?!” Geralt’s marveling had Jaskier at a loss for words. The witcher had never once complimented him in all the time they had lived together. Barbed jabs? Yes. Playful teasing? Very Often. Statements of facts? Definitely. But actual full on compliments? Nope! No, never happened. Was this how he actually saw the musician or was this some hokey hocus pocus side effect?! Or the man was dying as they spoke and was out of his mind. Either way Jaskier snapped his mouth closed, no it had not been hanging open thank you very much, and tried to get his brain to work again. 

“Wai-What?” Smooth Jaskier. His flabbergasted tone and excessive blinking seemed to not queue in Geralt however. 

“Man, I really lucked out. How’d I get a catch like you to even look my way? Wish I could remember how…” The normally stoic individual whistled long and low as he gave Jaskier a once over. A once over! Like Jaskier was a hottie from a club-- or however Ren said it-- instead of some music nerd overloaded with college minors! Jaskier was so astonished and caught off guard that he bagan sputtering incoherently, much to the Witcher’s amusement apparently if the wolfish grin was anything to go by. He was shocked and scandalized! Delighted but absolutely shocked! He had never witnessed this side of his roommate. Instead of addressing whatever was happening here, Jaskier stumbled over to his phone on the bed and quickly dialed Yennefer. 

It rang twice before he heard the familiar click of her answering and began nearly shouting before she could give her usual passive aggressive hello. “Yenn! I need help--”

“Whoa, calm the fuck down Jask, what the hell happened?!” Her worried demands cut him off. It was rather heartwarming to know his best friend sounded ready to draw blood for him. He could coo and awe about that later though!

“I’m fine but Geralt got hit with some hoodoo amnesia magic but I think it’s really just killing him! He’s acting delusional Yenn! He called me cute-- Stop laughing! This is serious!” He attempted to explain what was going on but his witch cut him off with her hysterical laughing on the other end of the line. Rude, by the way. This was a very serious matter.

“Sorry Dandy, you just, whew, gave me the best pick me up, I could have asked for. You really got me.” Yenn attempted to speak after most of it calmed down but a few giggles still managed to slip out. 

“Yenn… I’m serious. He actually doesn--” He was cut off yet again. People really needed to cut that shit out. 

“Lemme guess, Lambert is somehow involved?” She questioned, finally taking him a little more seriously, and he could practically hear her eye roll at the mischief maker’s name. 

“Yes…” He confirmed slowly as his eye wandered to Geralt again as his panic died down slightly. The white haired man looked very confused as Jaskier tried to smile reassuringly but it probably came off as unsure at best. 

The larger man came closer and placed warm large hands on his biceps as he looked intently into Jaskier’s eyes. “I mean it… I’m sorry if I never told you, I guess I was a pretty shitty boyfriend if I never told you how wonderful and caring you seem to be.” The other man apologized, as he looked away in shame. The words had the musician’s heart going wild as Yenn continued to talk in his ear. He really couldn’t hear her over his heart beating in his ears but it sounded like a demand to get Geralt to the infirmary. 

To which Jaskier answered, “That’s nice dear. I think I have to go to infirm now because I believe my heart is about to give out.” His voice was sighed out in shock as he hung up on Yenn’s sudden worried screeching.  Geralt on the other hand suddenly looked panicked and rather worried. 

“What?” He questioned as he started to look over his “boyfriend”. “Don’t worry Jask, I’ll get you there. Just hang on.” Geralt tried to reassure him, his voice was handsome with how rough and rumbling it suddenly was, as he scooped the smaller man up into his arms like a bride. No, Jaskier did not swoon he’ll have you know! The wolf then booked it out of the room. “Damn it! I wish Roach were here…” He muttered in a growl and Jaskier thanked the heavens that the man did not remember his horse-- cat? Was in their room sleeping. There would be plenty of rumors after this but it especially would have gone down in infamy if the Witcher had rode like the wind across campus on horseback again. Jaskier couldn’t do much at that point except lay back, accept his fate, and enjoy the other’s cooing, about taking care of his boyfriend or how good Jaskier was, while it lasted. But hey, at least he’d finally get Geralt to infirm.

[septicbro1005]

Paint Me How You See Me

A/N: Okay, you have no idea how excited I was to see that I had permission to write this. I literally am so happy I could scream. Will I? Not out loud. This actually made me so excited that I got up and started walking around my room and smiling holy shit. Alright. Enough of that. I was inspired to write this story by a comic made by the fantastic @venadorosas​ and I just am so damn excited to write this! I am not an art student myself, but I will do my best to replicate it with what I know. I hope I do the comic justice! Just a few more things before this thing starts: I'm gonna do myself and make this a Quirkless AU as well as make Yuuei a university instead of a high school. This is unedited, so if there are sentences or misspellings, that is why, and I apologize. Anyway, let's get rolling!

Kirishima's POV

One stroke after the other.

Small, swift.

One stroke makes a world of a difference.

So don't… mess… up.

I only have one canvas left after this one, but I'm saving it for something important. Something special. Just need to figure out what.

I mean, yeah, I have others on back order, and Mr. Miyoshi is usually pretty cool with giving me some, but I still need to think about what to do with the 106 cm by 106 cm canvas.

A canvas that big needs something worth being put on there.

"Psst, Kiri--" "Shhhhhhhhhhhhhut," I hissed out through clenched teeth.

"You nee--" "I said shut,"

"B--" "No. Shut. Lemme finish,"

The person who proceeded to pester me, even after I told him to be quiet, was none other than Hanta Sero.

He was an art student, along with myself and several others I know by name.

One of which was Katsuki Bakugou.

And damn, was he confusing.

He was this aloof dude who talked to maybe two people by his own volition.

Some random girl who I see him talk to ever now and again. I think we've spoken twice? All I remember is she told me to call her Tsu.

And then me.

Sure, he'd talk to the professors and people like that, but if he didn't have to speak, he wouldn't.

Yet, he spoke to me.

Not only did he barely talk to people, but he also is probably one of the best looking people on campus.

I kid you not, the first time I saw this dude, I was totally sure I'd met Adonis in human form.

His ash blond hair was styled into a fluffy undercut that I would pay money for to be able to run my hands through, even once. His gauges and helix piercings gave him a bit of an edge, but that's what made him more alluring. He came into class one day, wearing a wife beater, which put a tattoo on full display, resting on his right shoulder.

It isn't just his looks that are attractive either. The way he holds himself, presents himself, just his whole aura is indescribable, to keep it brief.

And he was the person I was painting this for.

This wasn't his first commission. Not by a long shot. And this one was fairly simple as well. Still, I poured my heart and soul into it, just like every piece.

But with his commissions, I feel the need to work that much harder. To push myself that much farther. To make it perfect, in a word.

Now, I know that perfection is impossible, but I still want to achieve it.

I mean, if Bakugou could, I could too, right?

"Kirishima, I've been talking to you for the past couple of seconds and you haven't shushed me. Don't zone out on me right now, man,"

Sero's voice managed to pull me out of this trance, but only a bit.

The ash blond with the scarlet glare was still in the back of my mind.

"What?"

"You need lunch, man," Sero said, putting a hand on my shoulder.

"Listen, I thank you for your concern, but I had a protein shake maybe six hours ago. I'm dandy," I mumbled, doing a few more soft strokes before standing up. "Plus, I'm not even hungry," 

"Dunno what kind of protein shake you're drinking, but you still need sustenance. C'mon," Sero attempted to persuade me as I walked to the sink to clean the small brush.

"I'm cool, dude. I have a granola bar or two in my bag. I'll eat when I'm hungry," I chuckled lightly, turning on the water and cleaning the brush.

Sero sighed in defeat, as this marked the second week in a row where I substituted breakfast with a protein drink and lunch with a granola bar.

"Alright, fine. Make sure you eat dinner tonight, or Mr. Miyoshi is gonna kick you out again," Sero said, beginning to walk to the door.

"I know, I know,"

"I'll be off, then,"

"Peace out, dude,"

I heard the door to the studio shut, and it was just me in here.

Just me and the paint.

"Hey, Siri,"

My phone lit up, hearing its name.

"Play Rex Orange County on Spotify,"

As I began to finish up some touches on the snow covered forests surrounding a bright red cardinal, the song Uno filled my ears.

The song had no real relevance, but I love that song so much. I dunno if its just because it sounds so simple and sweet, but I just think the song's pretty great.

I'd say after maybe forty-five minutes of doing seemingly pointless touch-ups, I stood back, admiring my work.

Not much needed to be done, but I needed this to be phenomenal.

"I'll just use a simple varnish once everything is dry, then I can move it into the back," I muttered to myself, as if someone was there and I had to be quiet. "Can I finish it today? I could tell him where it is, and wait for the money to come in, I guess,"

A few seconds pause later, and I continued.

"Wow, great job, Eijirou. You sound like a dickwad who just wants money,"

A short sigh, a granola bar and maybe a half an hour or so later, everything seemed dry.

"Let's varnish this motherfucker, and I'll text him when that's done," I mumbled, going into the cabinets, looking for the varnish.

No other assignments at the moment… okay! Cool! I can probably head back to my dorm, chill there, and text Bakugou when it's done!

When I finally found it, I got to work on the varnish.

***

"And sent," I whispered as I approached the dormitories.

I just sent Bakugou a short text, telling him where to find it, how to send me the money (although he probably knows the process by heart at this point) and all that jazz.

My dorm building was in sight when my phone buzzed once.

It was a different buzzing pattern than all the others.

"Oh, Bakugou responded this quickly?" I thought aloud.

Opening my phone, I checked the message.

Sent the ¥321.7K 

My eyes widened at the number.

"I sure as hell didn't tell him to send me that much, what the hell?"

                                                   What!? The commission was only ¥48.2K?!

His response was immediate.

Left a tip.

Get yourself something nice.

"Whoa," I murmured.

Now, I knew Bakugou was on the higher end of the economic spectrum, but hot damn! 

He did usually give me more money than I told him to, but that fact that he gave me that much more this time just seemed to solidify the thought of him being rich.

So manly.

Heading into my dorm building, I looked to the elevators, only to see an out of order sign on them both.

"Are you kidding me?" I whispered. "Fine, guess I'm just gonna take the damn stairs,"

I got a notification, seeing the ¥321.7K was successfully put into my account, and I knew this commission was over.

But at this point, I knew what to expect from Bakugou. Next time I see him, he's gonna ask me about another one.

Not that I mind, not one damn bit. I'm cool with any excuse to talk to him, and I'm happy to please him with my art.

I just gotta brace myself for the next time I see him.

Trudging up the stairs, I began pondering what he would want next.

He seems to really like requesting animals, mainly birds such as crows and cardinals, but will he do something different? Ooh, maybe a peacock! Or maybe he'd want some other winged creature… like maybe an insect? Or possibly he'll switch it up on me.

As I ended up on the next staircase, I heard someone else's footsteps approaching.

Looking up, my eyes were met with a familiar scarlet pair of eyes.

"Oh, hey, Bakugou!" I said with a wave.

"Hey," he replied with a simple nod.

Fuck, he was just as gorgeous as always.

A grey turtleneck hugged his torso, with a black and white pinstripe button up on over it. The shirt was tucked into a pair of black jeans, a wallet chain dangling on his right side. A pair of black converse and a dog tag finished his look, alongside my composure.

"Thanks again for the great work," he said, his husky voice hypnotizing me further.

"You haven't already picked it up, have you?" I asked, cocking my head to the side. "I don't think I saw you walk past me to get to the parking lot,"

"Nah, but I know it's gonna look good," his compliment was accompanied by a smirk.

Short-lived, yes. But a smirk nonetheless.

"Aw, thanks dude! Always happy to make something for my best customer!" I felt myself beam at him. 

"See you around, Red," he said, continuing down the stairs.

"Bye," I waved with a small smile on my face as he disappeared down the stairs.

I quickly hauled ass up to my floor, speed walked to my door and slammed the keys in.

Gay panic in private, dude.

Opening the door, I pulled my key out and shut the door.

"I'm back, Omi!" I shouted into the apartment to see if my roommate was here.

"Hey," my roommate responded from his bed.

"Is it cool if I hop in the shower real quick?" I asked, jerking a thumb toward the bathroom.

"Sure thing. Keep it brief," Omi said, making me roll my eyes.

"Okay, dad," I sighed, but I gave a smile to show it was all in jest.

After locking myself in the bathroom and stripping myself down to absolutely nothing, I got in the shower and had a gay crisis.

Because that's the only place you can have those, y'know?

But a good ol' Panic! In The Shower was enough to calm my nerves.

As I stepped out of the bathroom to grab clothing, I heard Omi laughing.

"What?"

"That Bakugou guy really messes you up, huh?" his laughter was thrown in between words, but I knew exactly what he was referencing.

"If I'm being too loud, just knock on the door, dude! Tell me to shut it, I don't care," I flushed, looking at the ground, my hand tightening around the towel that hung on my waist.

Omi just kept laughing at me as I grabbed my clothes; a simple crimson riot shirt, boxers, black shorts and my wave socks.

It isn't like I'm going anywhere tonight, right?

…

Is what I originally thought until I was dressed and realized I left my motherfucking cardigan at the studio.

"Ugh, fuck," I groaned, rubbing a towel on my head.

"Left your cardigan again?"

"Perhaps," 

"You might as well just wrap it around your waist," Omi suggested.

"And risk getting paint on it?" I looked at Omi like he was a motherfucking psychopath. "Hell no. The cardigan was my grandmother's, so I ain't doing shit to it,"

"Clearly, if you're leaving it in the studio again," Omi mumbled.

"Shush!" I whined, grabbing my keys and slipping on my red sneakers. "I'll be back,"

"Okay,"

Leaving my dorm, I began going down the stairs when I ran into someone.

It was Bakugou, again.

And just when I thought my gay panic was over for the day.

"Oh, hey," I said as casually as possible.

Which probably sounded forces as fuck, because it felt like my heart was just about ready to implode.

"Red," Bakugou was looking me up and down.

I don't think I've ever felt more self-conscious about my appearance in my life.

"I've got another request, if it isn't too much,"

"O-oh, okay!" 

Why did I stutter?! That was so unmanly!

"So, what is it?"

I looked into his gorgeous eyes, trying to see further into him, but I was only met with his right hand slamming into the wall next to my head.

Oh shit, oh fuck. I'm gonna die. I'm gonna collapse, right here. Right now. I can't handle this.

"Uh, dude? You--" "Paint me how you see me, Kirishima,"

Uh, what?

I was stuck between saying "Got it," and "What?" so my dumbass just responded with this:

"Gweh?"

We sat there, in silence, staring at each other.

My face was flushing bright red, and I wanted to look away, but I didn't. I couldn't. His eyes just drew me in.

He moved his arm to his side, and began to head up the stairs.

Quick, say something coherent!

"O-on it!"

I swear, I saw him smile a bit before he was completely gone.

What was I doing again?

***

It's been around three weeks.

It's been three weeks of planning, sketching, and small, swift strokes.

And plenty of panic, but that's irrelevant. There was a bit of disco, so it balances out anyway.

Mr. Miyoshi did end up setting a curfew on me, to make sure I didn't pass out at the studio, but it wasn't set until it had already happened.

But, since I wanted to work on it after the curfew, I brought it to the dorm, keeping it on newspaper and buying the paint I needed.

I had the picture in my mind, which I did my best to replicate without him genuinely modelling for me.

It was a ¾ shot of his shirtless back, with him looking over his right shoulder, giving a perfect view of his side profile. I also made sure I replicated his tattoo to the best of my abilities, and I think it came out okay.

But that isn't all!

Monarch butterflies lined his back, as a fiery looking echo was placed slightly to the left. 

Those warm colors contrasted like hell, compared to the blues and navy of the background.

Just to fuck around with more color, flecks of brighter colors adorned the background, giving it sort of galaxy look.

I thought it looked gorgeous.

And not just because it's Bakugou.

You know how when you make something, and you worked so damn hard on it, and when it's done, you're just filled with pride?

This is one of those works for me.

"Omi!" I yelled about before cringing.

It's 01:35.

"Yeah?" 

Why the fuck does he sound like he's been awake?

"First of all, have you been awake this whole time? Second of all, could you grab me my phone?" I said a little quieter.

"It's done?" Omi asked, coming over with my phone.

"I'm happy with it," I said with a huge grin.

"Looks fantastic," Omi pat my shoulder before walking off.

Using my nose, I unlocked my phone and took a picture before putting my phone down.

I just looked at the painting, with Bakugou's slight pout catching my eyes.

I have absolutely zero clue what came over me, but I lifted my forefinger to my mouth, and pressed a small peck to it.

My forefinger rested against the painting's lips, and I just felt warm.

And that was probably the best feeling ever.

I gotta give this to him in person. It's about time I told him.

***

What floor are you on again?

                                                                                    Number two. Room 204.

Okay, I'm coming over.

I let out a shuddery breath, looking at the canvas, which I covered with a blanket.

I need to tell him.

It's time.

I kept opening my phone, making sure I had the song ready to play at the click of a button.

He needs to know.

A loud knock landed on my door, and I jumped.

I walked over to the door, playing the song as I opened it.

"Hey, Bakugou! Come in!"

The ash blond entered, wearing a button up and jeans again, just no turtleneck this time.

"So, I wanted to give this one to you in person… because I…" I was stumbling over my words.

Calm down, Eijirou. You got this.

"Because this could very well be the last commission you want from me,"

This made Bakugou's usual deadpan change ever so slightly. His left brow rose up as his head tilted to the side.

"And why might that be?"

"I…"

Fucking say it.

Spit it out.

"I like you," I barely got out before throwing my gaze at the ground. "I like you a lot. You're just so cool and collected, and from what I know about you, I like it. And I want to know more. I'm sorry if this makes you uncomfortable, but I just had to get that out," 

Before I even looked at him, I walked over to the painting, still looking at the ground, and pulled the blanket off.

Everything was silent, except for the music in the background. But even the song was at a quieter part than the rest of it.

I felt Bakugou's eyes on me and not the painting, which terrified me to no end.

Should I have even said anything?

"You don't have to pay if you don't want to or if you don't like it. And…" I took in a shaky breath, looking at the ground, lazily gesturing to the painting and then myself. "If you don't want to be friends anymore, if you even thought of us as friends, then you can ignore me,"

His footsteps were soft, but I knew they were coming. So when his black converse appeared in my vision, I looked off to the side as my vision blurred with tears that threatened to spill. 

A finger went under my chin, turning my face to him.

His eyes met mine, and he was smiling.

"You really are oblivious, huh?"

"Gweh?"

Fucking, again?

Bakugou laughed before leaning in a bit, his head turning to the left.

"Can I kiss you as a tip?"

My whole brain has short-circuited, but I turned my head to the right and leaned in closer.

My eyes slowly closed, and when his lips met mine, I was immediately thrown into a state of euphoria.

Holy shit, this is happening.

This is actually happening!

I couldn't help the smile that bloomed on my face as I draped my arms over his shoulders, and I couldn't stop laughing either.

It was so fucking amazing.

Small blazes of tears made tracks down my cheeks, but I didn't care. Unless my nose starts running, I'm not gonna let some tears mess up this kiss.

But, all good things must come to an end, as Bakugou pulled back.

His eyes were on mine, and for once, they were soft. A small grin was pasted on his features, his hands on my face.

"Why are you crying?" he asked as his thumb rubbed at my dampened cheek.

I just felt myself giggle in response. 

"Well, I was originally gonna cry because I thought you wouldn't be cool with my confession, but these tears quickly turned sweet," I just couldn't stop laughing. "Shit, I'm so happy,"

We just stood there for a few moments of content silence before Bakugou spoke up.

"So, how the hell am I supposed to bring this painting to my dorm?" 

"I can help you bring it up there!" I offered.

"I get to bring two masterpieces to my dorm? Great!" Bakugou oozed confidence as he said that.

"Dear christ," I began giggling again, since that was unexpected.

We grabbed the painting, and I made sure Bakugou was careful with it, but was also holding it properly.

"Hey, Omi! Could you get the door?"

"Sure,"

"Your roommate was here?" Bakugou asked.

"Well, it's his dorm too." I pointed out as Omi got the door for me. "Plus, it isn't like I wasn't so obviously crushing on you,"

"It really wasn't," Omi said, patting my back carefully. "But congratulations to the both of you,"

"Thanks, Omi,"

Bakugou just gave a small murmur to thank Omi.

"Alright, Bakugou, you go through the door first, then we can keep walking," I said, turning us so Bakugou could walk out the door properly.

"Okay,"

After a quick minute of maneuvering, we managed to get the painting up the stairs without damaging it.

"So you're which dorm?"

"302," Bakugou said as we got to his door.

"Coolio!" I grinned.

"Dork," Bakugou snickered at me. "How d'you want this to be put down?"

"We can just rest it against the wall," I said, propping the painting up on the wall.

"Give me a quick sec," Bakugou mumbled, unlocking the door.

He swung the door open and made sure it stayed open. 

"Alright,"

"At this point, I'm gonna follow you. You know where you wanna put this?" I asked him.

"Uhm… I think Misumi wouldn't mind if I placed this on his side of the room until I know exactly where to hang it," Bakugou said as we walked into the room.

***

My paintings were all on the wall. The snow surrounded cardinal, the murder of crows, all of them.

Except one.

The other paintings sort of made a frame, with a 106 cm x 106 cm square in the middle.

"Hey, honey?" I called out.

"What's up, Rourou?" Katsuki asked from the other room.

"Could you grab me the step ladder?"

"Shorty," I heard Katsuki laugh.

"I heard that, Katsu! You aren't as quiet as you think!"

"Says you, of all people!" Katsuki chuckled, coming on with the step ladder.

"Thank you, baby," I said, pecking his cheek.

"Of course. Putting up the last one?" He asked.

"Yep!" I said, grabbing the painting I made all those years back.

The monarch butterflies dotting his spine, his scarlet glare, gorgeous fluffy hair, all of it brought together, and hung up on our wall.

I got off the step ladder, and looked at the paintings. Every single one of them.

A hand snaked around my waist and pulled me in close.

"I love you so much, baby," Katsuki whispered, kissing my forehead.

"I love you too,"

His hand rubbed against my waist, but I could feel one thing that was inconsistent with the feeling of the rest of his hand.

A golden band sat on his left ring finger, practically identical to the one that sat on my left ring finger.

A/N: And that's all! Honestly, I'm very pleased with this, and think this came out well! I hope that those of you who see this like it too! I want to thank @venadorosas for allowing me to write a story based off of their comic and for making such fantastic art. If you like my writing, I'm also on Wattpad, so check me out there, if you're up for it. Same username and profile picture. I do believe that this is it! I apologize for the ending, as it feels a little odd to me, I just don't have any idea how to end it properly. I sincerely hope that I did the comic justice. Love y'all! Stay safe and healthy! - Septic

[sheliesshattered]

Here are the first few scenes (~2500 words) of the new AU that suddenly grew legs and started going tonight. I’m not sure yet if I’m going to pursue this, or if this is more of an exercise in skimming off the top layer of whatever odd stuff is floating around in my head so that I can get back to working on the stuff I want to work on, but I would be curious to hear reaction to this either way. Tagging a few people who I know follow my Doctor Who writing, but anyone who reads this, feel free to drop a comment and let me know what you think.

Vaguely inspired by this post, fwiw.

Working title is Poltergeists and Real Estate (Do Not Mix) but that may very well change as this grows a plot and becomes less of a crack-fic. Oooor it may end up sitting in my over-populated WIP folder forever, we’ll see.

Thoughts? Lemme know. Tagging a few people, but open to comments from anyone. @praetyger, @megsann13, @claraaoswald, @puddlejumper72-blog-blog​, @tounknowndestinations​, @chipsandcoffee​, @the-chumblies​, et al

Poltergeists and Real Estate (Do Not Mix)

There was a certain amount of irony, Clara reflected, that her first reaction was I’m going to kill him.

Her ‘special friend’ had just cost her the sale of her grandmother’s house. Again. As in, not for the first time. This had to be roughly the twelfth adorable little family or nice couple that had stepped inside her ancestral family home only to turn tail and run before she’d even had a chance to tell them about the antique hardwood floors or the fully restored kitchen. At this point, her ‘special friend’ wasn’t even being subtle about it anymore.

The longer the house sat on the market, the fewer calls she was getting to schedule walk-throughs of the property. She was beginning to worry that word of the house’s strangeness was getting around the real estate community. If things kept up at this rate, she was going to be permanently saddled with an inheritance whose tax burden she could barely afford, in the form of a one hundred and thirty year old, gorgeous, sprawling, haunted house.

Clara used her key to let herself in through the front door, grumbling under her breath. As soon as she closed the door behind her, the cabinets in the kitchen began to rattle ominously.

“Oh, shut up,” she snapped, dropping her purse and keys on the small table in the entryway. “It’s just me.”

The door to the upstairs washroom slammed shut.

Clara groaned and buried her face in her hands and counted to ten before looking up again. “Listen, I get that you’re cross with me for bringing people by, but I am beyond livid with you, so let’s skip the part where I yell and you throw things and just agree to be angry with each other in silence, okay?”

The house went quiet in a manner entirely too creepy for her liking. If not for the undercurrent of petulant passive-aggressiveness, she might have actually been scared.

Not that Clara had ever really been scared of the ghost that lived in her grandmother’s house. He had never once made her feel unsafe, not since she’d first seen him as a child. But the sudden silence was still unnerving. 

“Well, good,” she said into the preternatural stillness, more to prove to herself that she wasn’t scared than anything else. “It’s nice to actually be able to hear myself think, for once.”

The top step of the staircase creaked once, as if to make a point.

“Still shut up,” she grumbled.

She went about the short list of tasks she’d come to see to, putting away the food she’d set out for the potential home buyers, watering the house plants, closing the curtains, and flicking on a few lamps to make the home look lived-in. Of course, she didn’t envy anyone who tried to break into the house while it sat apparently empty. At some level, a poltergeist was better home protection than a dog ever could be. For the right owner, it might even be a selling point, she mused. Perhaps she ought to rewrite the home listing.

Her chores complete, Clara returned to the foyer to find her purse where she’d left it, but her keys conspicuously missing. She sighed, hands on her hips, and turned towards the cold spot she could feel forming near the foot of the stairs. He was nothing but a faint wispy outline in the light of the setting sun filtering through the stained glass window over the door, but even that outline was familiar enough that she was able to find his eyes and fix him with a displeased glare.

“Where are my keys?” she demanded. She still hadn’t forgiven him for his behaviour earlier, and she was in no mood to play find-the-lost-trinket tonight.

“I didn’t want you to leave before I could apologise,” the ghost said, not quite meeting her gaze. His voice raised gooseflesh along her arms, as it always did, but she much preferred the low rumble of his Scottish brogue to the slamming of doors and rattling of cupboards. Not that she would ever openly admit that to him.

“So apologise and tell me where you’ve hidden my keys!”

“Clara,” he said, and she clenched her teeth against the shivery reaction she always had to the way he said her name, like it had been invented just so he could say it. There were days when she lived for that rush — and many, many more nights, in her love-struck teenaged years — but today was absolutely not one of them.

“...Was there more to that sentence?” she asked when he didn’t go on. “Saying my name doesn’t constitute an apology.”

He glanced up at her, looking more solid as the sunlight waned. “I’m sorry that I upset you. That wasn’t my intention.”

“No, your intention was to make certain I can’t sell this house, and don’t bother to deny it.”

He chewed his incorporeal lip for a moment, then shrugged. “I won’t deny it. I don’t want you to sell the house. But I’m still sorry I upset you.”

Clara sighed. “I have to sell it. You know this. And someday, I’m going to bring by someone too brave or too stupid to fall for all your clattering, and that’ll be that.”

“Don’t say that,” he pleaded, his eyes flashing blue in the gathering dusk.

“It’s the reality of the situation,” she said evenly. Another irony not lost on her: arguing the state of reality with a man dead nearly a century. “So you’d best start making peace with that. Now, where are my keys?”

The ghost hesitated. “You don’t have to leave,” he said. “You could stay?”

“I never stay the night in this house. That was your advice to me, more than twenty years ago. No sense in breaking with tradition now.”

“I think maybe I was being overly paranoid at the time.”

“And I think maybe you’re acting like a lonely old man, now,” Clara snarked back.

“Alone in a house that you of all people are dead-set on evicting me from? I can’t imagine why I’d be lonely!” 

“Keys, now!” she snapped. “Traffic is already going to be horrendous—”

“All the more reason to stay,” he said petulantly.

“But,” she went on forcefully, speaking over him, “I have tomorrow off of work. If you tell me where my keys are, I’ll come back first thing in the morning. I still need to finish going through all those old boxes in the attic. We can spend the day working on that together, okay?”

“You’re going to drive all the way home only to turn around and come back in the morning? Why not just—”

“Or I could spend the day doing something fun with people my own age, very far away from here. Your choice.”

“Oh, fine,” he said, shoulders sagging. “Your keys are hidden in the parlour, I’ll show you where.”

“Thank you,” she said mildly, and followed him into the parlour.

--

As promised, Clara arrived back at her grandmother’s house early the next morning, take-away coffee cup in hand. There had been a moment, whilst she stood in the queue to order, when she’d found herself thinking she ought to order two coffees, bring her ghost a peace offering to smooth over their row from the night before. Thankfully she’d realised how ridiculous it sounded before it was her turn to order, but she still felt strangely off balance as she unlocked the door and let herself in, like she had forgotten something important.

“Hey,” she called to the empty house, as soon as the door was closed behind her. “It’s just me, no need to go rattling the hinges on my account.”

He appeared in a shadowy corner of the foyer, smiling at her shyly. “Good morning, Clara. You look lovely today. Have you had a wash?”

She narrowed her gaze at him, trying to ignore the way her heart flipped over at the way he said her name. “Why are you being nice?”

“Because it works on you,” he shrugged nonchalantly. He hesitated, then added, “And because I really am sorry about last night.”

“Well, apology accepted,” Clara said. “And I’m sorry I yelled at you. The process of selling this place has been entirely too stressful, and I’m really starting to worry it won’t happen before the property taxes are due,” she sighed.

He ran a semi-transparent hand through the hair at the back of his head. “Yeah, about that...”

She suppressed a groan. “What did you do?”

“Post came early today,” he said, sounding more apologetic than he had earlier. “I didn’t open it, but one of the envelopes has a rather official looking return address. I left it on the dining room table.”

She dropped her keys and purse on the table by the door and trudged off to the dining room, unable to contain her groan when she saw the envelope in question. Opening it, she found that he was right: property taxes were due in six weeks, the total even higher than she had anticipated. It was more than she made in a month at her teaching job. Even with the small amount she had stashed away in savings, she would hardly be able to pay it and the rent on her flat, and still expect to feed herself.

“What about the rest of your inheritance?” he asked, sounding genuinely worried.

“I put it all into fixing up this place to sell,” she said.

“Which I’ve made impossible,” he murmured.

Clara covered her face with her hands, fighting back tears and hoping he wouldn’t notice. Yes, he was the reason she hadn’t been able to sell the house to any of the dozen or so families who had shown initial interest. But he was also the only one in her life who even knew or cared what she was going through.

“I don’t know what I’m going to do,” she told him honestly, still hiding behind her hands. “If I don’t pay it, they’ll just add late fees on top of that already ridiculously large sum.”

She felt a coldness drift across the back of her hands, felt her hair stir in a non-existent breeze, and wished, not for the first time in her life, that her ‘special friend’ was the sort of friend who could offer a hug when she so desperately needed one.

“I don’t suppose there’s a secret stash of diamonds in the attic?” she asked him, only half joking. “Or a map to buried treasure?”

“Your great-grandmother was a very adventurous woman,” he replied, voice sounding distant and thoughtful. “I don’t know what all is up there, but anything is possible.”

Clara dropped her hands from her face and squared her shoulders, not looking at her ghost until she was certain she wouldn’t spontaneously burst into tears. “Well, let’s hope there’s something up there that will help.”

--

The attic had never been Clara’s favourite place in her grandmother’s sprawling house, cramped and dusty and full of ancient boxes that gave off a far creepier vibe than the literal ghost had ever managed to do. But on the plus side, it was also windowless, dim enough that he was able to appear to her in a fairly solid state and even move lightweight objects around as though he were a real person existing in the real world.

She had removed all the larger pieces from the attic ages ago, furniture and blanket chests and boxes of old clothes, all sorted through and distributed to extended family or donated to charity, or else restored to the best of Clara’s ability and set out to decorate the house in a manner befitting its age. All that remained were boxes of keepsakes, photographs and journals and old letters, small family things that required far more of her attention.

If not for the threat of the taxes due, it might even have been a pleasant day, sitting together amidst the dust and papers, slowly unveiling the history of her family, layer on layer, like an archaeologist digging through levels of sediment. 

“Oh my god, these photos of Mum,” she said, turning the yellowed photo album towards him so he could see them, in all their early 1970s glory. “She must have been, what, about fifteen in these?”

“Her first formal school dance,” he confirmed, leaning in to examine the photos. “With that older boy, what’s-his-name. Your grandfather did not approve.”

Clara snorted. “Can’t really blame him. Look at those side-burns. I’m not sure I would have let her go out with him at all.”

“They had a huge row about it, if I remember correctly. In the end, your grandmother took your mother’s side, and she was allowed to go.”

“Why didn’t you ever appear to any of them?” she asked, flipping through the pages and pausing to linger on what looked to be polaroids of a football game. “You were here all that time, but you never talked to anyone until I came along?”

He shrugged. “You were the only one that was you.”

“Thanks. That clears it right up.”

“It’s the only answer I’ve got,” he objected.

“I scared the daylights out of Mum and Gran when I told them about you, I was probably all of six years old at the time.”

“Five, I think,” he said quietly.

“God, five. I might have a heart attack if my five year old started talking very confidently about her special friend the ghost that lives at grandma’s house. I just assumed they knew about you, too. Why wouldn’t they?”

“I’m not sure I could have talked to them, even if I wanted to. And I never did want to.”

Clara looked up at him, studying his face in the dimness. Without direct sunlight, he looked almost human, almost alive, the blue of his eyes and the salt and pepper of his hair seeming so very real, so very close at hand. He still seemed as ageless to her now as he had when she’d first seen him, more than two decades earlier. Ageless and ancient, wise and funny, solemn and sardonic. She thought perhaps she knew his face better than any other, living or dead.

“But why didn’t you ever want to talk to them?” she pressed.

“Why do you need a key to enter the house?” he asked in response.

She felt her eyebrows come together in consternation. “Because the door is locked.”

“But why that key?”

“Because... that’s the key that fits. That’s the key that goes with that lock.”

He shrugged, most of his attention on turning the page in a journal he’d been perusing. “You are the key that fits. I don’t have a better answer than that.”

[keelywolfe]

FIC: Beneath an Aurora Sky ch. 17

Summary: The South Pole Station is equipped for research and Edge has always made sure things run smoothly for the inhabitants. His charges are meant to follow his rules and regulations, and in turn, he makes sure they survive in the arctic temperatures. It takes plenty of hard work and determination and Edge, along with his crew, can handle both.

He wasn’t counting on one of the newest researchers. He wasn’t expecting Rus.

Tags: Spicyhoney, First Time, Arctic AU, Hurt/Comfort

~~*~~

Chapter One | Chapter Two | Chapter Three | Chapter Four

Chapter Five | Chapter Six | Chapter Seven | Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine | Chapter Ten | Chapter Eleven | Chapter Twelve

Chapter 13 | Chapter 14 | Chapter 15 | Chapter 16

~~*~~

Read Chapter 17 on AO3

or

Read it here!

~~*~~

Edge’s prediction that they’d be sleeping close in Rus’s narrower bed was proven very true, but so was his assertion that he wouldn’t mind. After they were done cleaning up the Rec room, their own mess and what the others left behind, they went back to Rus’s room to put his shower token to good use.

The bed itself was smaller than Edge’s and the mattress not quite as firm, but it had a definite bonus in that Rus was in it. Warm and sleepy, snuggling readily into Edge’s arms. Tired as he was, sleep did not come to Edge right away. He lay awake, quietly focused on listening to Rus breathe. He didn’t know what time he finally drifted off, but he woke when Rus’s alarm blared, or at least he thought it was an alarm. A loud male voice yowling out that it was ‘peanut butter jelly time’ certainly woke a person up. Edge might have leapt out of the bed and readied an attack if his limbs weren’t tangled with Rus’s.

As it was, Rus’s heartfelt groan was definitely a shared sentiment. He managed to free an arm from both the blankets and Edge, flailing out to find his alarm and turn it off. The clatter of it hitting the floor was a good indication that he was more invested right now in staying in bed than rising to face the day, and that was not an ideal that Edge shared.

He pressed a light kiss to Rus’s brow bone and murmured, “I need to get up.”

That got a reaction. Instantly, Rus’s arms tightened around him and through the muffling blankets came a surly, “no. you stay. here. ”

It was difficult not to smile. “I can’t. I have work. You have work.”

The wordless grumbles sounded less than enthusiastic at that truth and Edge decided to try a different approach.

“Breakfast will be ready soon,” Edge coaxed. “And as much as I don’t care about gossip, I would rather change my clothes beforehand.” Especially since they could use a good wash after that particular movie viewing.

A deep sigh came from the depths of the blankets, and finally Rus’s skull emerged from beneath the blankets like a creature from the deep, although his roar was more like a yawn. “okay, yeah, food would be good. lemme throw on some clothes and we can head out.”

The sensation of having Rus squirm free of the bed was a delightfully new experience, if an unexpectedly stimulating one, his bones scraping lightly against Edge’s in several rather sensitive places. They’d slept bare and a faint flush tinged Rus’s cheek bones as he stood by the bed in nothing but his own bones. Edge shifted to sit against the headboard to watch.

Rus paused as Edge made no move to follow him upright. “you gonna get dressed?”

“In a moment, thank you,” Edge said politely.

Rus’s mouth pursed suspiciously, his expression wavering between amusement and irritation, “are you really going to sit there and watch while i get dressed?”

“Yes.”

That blush brightened, a lovely honey orange, but his face settled on sweetly pleased, “heh, okay, but if you’re hoping for a reverse striptease, i couldn’t win a dance competition against a moldsmal.”

“That won’t be necessary,” Edge murmured, watching as Rus’s glossily pretty bones slowly disappeared beneath his clothing. The wriggle of his pelvis as he pulled up his pants, the complex shift of his spine as he slipped on a shirt. “This is perfectly fine.”

It was difficult to pull his gaze away from Rus to glance at the time, but Edge managed. Breakfast wasn’t for over half an hour. Hm.

“there!” Rus announced, sitting on the side of the bed to pull on his socks. “happy? now you can--eep!”

His startled cry was caught beneath Edge’s mouth as he was hauled back onto the mussed bed, but there wasn’t a single protest after surprise faded, only sweet enthusiasm.

The bed was quite a bit narrower than his own, but as it turned out, it was perfectly serviceable. For all their needs.

~~*~~

Despite Edge’s better intentions, they did end up a few minutes late to breakfast. All the researchers were already there and halfway to clearing their plates by the time Edge and Rus took their seats.

A few scattered greetings came their way, which he replied to in kind, along with Undyne’s smirk, which Edge resolutely ignored. Rus sat at his left on the end of the table to prevent a war of elbows while they were eating and when he boldly settled his right hand on Edge’s, those phalanges cautiously tracing his own, Edge simply turned his hand over and twined their fingers together.

He did not think of how little time they had left, focusing on the now. Tomorrow would have to take care of itself and while the sex was certainly enjoyable, very much so, this was very nice. Sharing the breakfast together that they should have had the first morning after, rather than painful arguments and accusations.

Thinking of which, it did not escape his notice that his brother’s chair was empty again. Something needed to be done about that.

Most of the researchers were already gone by the time they finished eating, though a few lingered, their laptops in front of them while they dawdled over their plates and coffee.

“Where are you off to today?” Edge asked as he and Rus washed their plates. The roster would clearly state where Rus was signed out to go, but he may as well simply ask rather than creepily slog through the paperwork.

“outpost #2 so i can pull the latest numbers,” Rus said, setting his dishes in the drainer. “be a couple of hours, then it’s back for calculations,” Rus heaved out an exaggerated sigh. “it’s a shame how much of astronomy is actually math. no one told me that when i was still in striped shirts. see ya at lunch, boss.”

His sockets widened as Edge leaned in, brushing their mouths together. “Be careful,” he murmured.

There was something charming about seeing him stunned by a simple kiss, considering what they’d done the night before. Rus swallowed hard and nodded, looking as if his skull was somehow wobbly on his vertebrae, then fled the room as if afraid Edge might try persuading him to stay. Or perhaps he was afraid he wouldn’t resist if Edge did.

Edge turned back to the table to find an entire studio audience watching, researchers and Undyne alike and every one of them wore an expression of great interest. He scowled at them, to no avail.

“If you don’t mind,” Edge said politely. One of the glaciologists,-- what was her name, was it Nadine?-- only beamed at him happily, for all the world as if movie night horror shows had morphed to an early morning rom-com.

“We don’t mind at all,” she grinned, but went back to her breakfast with a last sly glance.

Honestly, this was why relationships with the researchers was an awful idea. No one knew how to mind their own business.

Speaking of which.

Edge waited until after the others left, then headed into the kitchen. As he wasn’t given a ‘special plate’ today, he could only assume he was reasonably forgiven. But recent events were proof that assumptions only led to trouble and he honestly liked Bonnie. She was a private person and often kept to herself, but she was a very important member of their team. They’d always had a certain comradery that Edge found he was missing.

He found her at her workstation, ingredients laid out around her. Lunch often included some kind of soup, warming and filling, and she was dicing up root vegetables before tossing them into a large stock pot.

She pointedly ignored Edge even though he was standing well within her field of vision. He waited patiently until she sighed and laid her knife aside, her chin raised as she met his scarred gaze with her own.

Anyone who believed that speaking in hands was blandly impersonal was one who needed a great deal more experience in the language, because there was remorse in every word Edge signed, I know you were angry with me. I am sorry.

Bonnie’s mouth pursed, her good eye hooded as she looked at Edge consideringly. He wondered how much she knew about the argument, though he wouldn’t be surprised if she had a damned transcript of it. One couldn’t spend as much time around Red as they all did without picking up a trick or two.

Her hands were slow, reluctant, as she signed, He’s young.

That held an implication that he didn’t care for; Rus was no child or even a virgin, by his own word. By the name of the cursed dead King, he was working on his damn PhD. Edge forced himself not to bristle as he signed curtly, He’s no younger than I am.

That didn’t seem to be the answer she wanted, her frown deepening as she glared at him. You are older in knowledge! Bonnie signed agitatedly. He doesn’t know many things. He has a good soul.

That much Edge could agree with. He does.

He should stay here. Safer here than out there.

Ah, and there was the crux of it, wasn’t it. He didn’t know what she’d been through, what she’d suffered. But he did know that Buns usually came from very large families, many generations living together, and Bonnie had come to them alone. She’d kept her distance in one way or another for the entire time she’d been here, but something about Rus broke through her reticence and pulled the familial urges she’d set aside years ago to the fore.

Carefully, Edge signed, He can’t.

He could! You tell him to stay! Accusingly and there was a temptation that did not need to be considered.

He is not that young, he can make his own choices. As gently as he could, his fingers moving like falling petals. He deserves sunshine.

She blew out a noisy breath, seeming to realize there was no point in arguing. She turned back to her chopping but before she picked up her knife, she reached out and grabbed another cutting board, slapping it down on the counter and signing curtly, Help me dice the potatoes.

Allowing himself a faint smile, Edge began rolling up his sleeves.

~~*~~

Lunch was well underway by the time he left the kitchen, soup bubbling in the pot and bread dough set at the back of the counter to proof, a tacit indication that he would be welcome back that afternoon to help with kneading.

There was one more thing that needed to be done before he could start on the mountain of paperwork waiting for him.

Bonnie hadn’t offered a single comment when Edge left her to lunch preparations and began making sandwiches despite the still-early hour, smearing on plenty of mustard atop the leftover meatloaf. What she had done was disappear into the pantry, coming back out with one of her smaller canning jars that was filled with the pickles she made from the little cucumbers that grew in the hydroponic gardens. Red was particularly fond of them and the two of them had a lively ongoing battle of him stealing jars whenever he could sneak one while Bonnie came up with new and sometimes bemusing places to hide them. Edge still remembered finding one buried in the middle of a large bag of flour, carefully wrapped in plastic and nestled inside.

Apparently, he wasn’t the only one who’d noticed Red was skipping meals and no matter how annoyed she might be, Bonnie had her own ways of showing she cared.

Edge added several pickles to the plate before carrying it off in the direction of the living quarters, to a door that was the furthest possible from the researcher’s quarters without physically being in another building. The lock was changed frequently, but Alphys made sure to give him a new key just as often. She refused to keep one for herself and at least one of them needed to be able to go in without breaking down the door, if only for safety reasons.

Edge knocked once before unlocking it, saying loudly enough to be heard through the door. “I’m coming in.”

There was no response, but he truly hadn’t expected one. He took a deep breath, let it out, and opened the door.

His brother’s room was more like a cave than living quarters. He didn’t have a bed frame, only a bare mattress laid out on the floor covered in an overflowing pile of blankets and pillows. If Edge’s room was sparsely furnished, Red’s more than made up for it with sheer masses of clutter. Shelves filled with gewgaws and machine parts, one shelf was entirely filled with dusty shot glasses from every gas station they’d ever visited while they were living amongst the humans.

Another was filled with circuit boards, switches, and gadgets. Edge couldn’t begin to guess at what any of those little devices did and it usually seemed safer not to ask.

His brother was sitting at his workbench, the lamp there was the only light in the room, casting him in a sodium-yellow glow. His knit hat was off, revealing the full extent of the damage still on his skull. To Edge’s knowing eye, they looked a minuscule amount better after his last healing treatment. A few more and the bone would be healed. Any other healing would simply take time.

Red didn’t look at him, his attention on whatever he was working on. Edge watched him work for a moment, nimble fingers flying over whatever he was creating, tiny screwdrivers and tools chosen and then returned to their chosen spot. The rest of the room might be disordered chaos but his workbench was pristine, a place for everything and everything in its place.

It was honestly relaxing to watch, but Edge was here on a mission. He set the plate at Red elbow with a deliberate thunk. “You weren’t at breakfast. Or dinner last night.”

“i ate,” Red grumbled. That didn’t stop him from picking up one of the sandwiches, stuffing half of it into his mouth in one bite. Through his mouthful, he said even as he chewed, “saw you and the fashion victim are back on.”

“Yes,” Edge agreed, warily.

Crumbs fell to the floor, mustard smearing Red’s teeth, but despite his messy habits, Red kept back from the small device on his worktable. Red wasn’t the scientist Alphys is, but he was an engineer in his own right and he kept most of the machines and vehicles in top working order. None of the researchers here knew that Red had his own PhD, none of them realized the brilliance held in his small body and that was the way Red preferred it.

But Edge knew. His hand itched to stroke over that cracked skull, to take reassurance in knowing that his brother might not be quite whole but neither was he about to fall apart. He resisted the urge; Red likely wouldn’t appreciate it and he wanted his brother to eat.

Which he was, watching Edge suspiciously through the corner of his socket as he started on the second sandwich. “been thinking about what you said about your honey. about if i knew what he’d been through.”

Of course he had. “I also said to leave him alone,” Edge sighed.

How convenient that Red ignored that. He’d discovered the offering of pickles hidden behind the bread and the last sandwich was abandoned half-eaten as he snatched up the entire handful, popping two into his mouth at once as he spun his chair around to face Edge. “ain’t much in the information packet he gave us, you know. address is in ebott, goes to the university, no surprises there. so i hacked into the embassy records to get a better peek.”

“You what??” Edge sputtered. He swore his soul went still in his chest, skipping an entire beat, “the point is to not draw their attention, what were you thinking?”

Red’s easy grin did not fill him with any sort of confidence. “relax, this ain’t my first rodeo. i know how to cover my tracks and his file was easy to find.” He leaned in, pickles forgotten as he said, low, “bro, he didn't exist until two years ago.”

“What do you mean?” Despite his intentions, Edge was reluctantly interested.

“he didn’t exist,” Red repeated, “nada, nothing, no info from the underground. monsters have been up on the surface for four years now and change. so where did he come from before he showed up in Ebott two years ago and then took the long way around to our front door?”

Where, indeed. But for all his affinity for puzzles, this was not one Edge was interested in answering. “I don’t care.”

“boss—”

“I don’t care!” Edge insisted. “Brother. Please. He’s not stealing, he’s not sneaking around. If he’s hiding from something, it’s not on our account. Let him be.” He could see Red’s protests bubbling beneath the surface, his brow bone lowering, and Edge added, softly, “I’m asking you to let him be. Let me be happy with him while he’s here.”

It was a low blow and Edge knew it, watched the emotions fluttering across Red’s face until he looked away, stuffing the last pickle into his mouth and mumbling messily around it, “okay, boss. i’ll let it go. where is he, anyway?”

There was no reason not to tell Red, not when he could simply check the roster. “He went out to outpost #2, he should be back for lunch.”

“then i’ve got some time,” Red wiped his hands on his shorts and spun his chair back towards the table. “hit bricks, kid, i can’t think with you staring through the back of my skull.”

The thoughtless joke made Edge wince; once he would have been able to see through the back of Red’s skull and even if that horrific damage was mostly healed, he did not appreciate the reminder. He gave in his clamoring urge to settle a gentle hand on his brother’s skull, lightly tracing the remaining cracks.

Beneath his touch, Red stilled, then blew out an impatient breath, shaking him off. But it was gently done. “get your worry fondles in later, i’m busy.”

“Yes, boss,” Edge said lightly, teasing, and Red snorted loudly.

“don’t even fucking think it, that’s a threat and a half. i ain’t getting cursed being in charge of all these asshats.”

“I’ll see you at lunch?” It teetered between order and question.

“if you get out and lemme finish this, you will. Beat it.”

Edge reclaimed the plate and did as he was told. His soul felt lighter than it had in longer than he cared to remember, and despite having just eaten, he found he was looking forward to lunch so that he could spend a little more time with the cause of it.

~~*~~

That lightness lingered as he did his paperwork, surging when the lunch hour came and he went to the dining hall to find Rus already there. He was immersed in his laptop and only offering a quick, distracted smile, but even that was warming.

All the researchers were in attendance along with Undyne and even Alphys, all gathered in one moment of seemingly perfection. Until Red came in, pushing open the door so hard it knocked into the wall behind it.

His knit hat was pulled down over his skull, his sunglasses abandoned for once and a hush fell over the room as he stalked right up to Rus’s seat.

Who didn’t even notice until Red was standing right next to him, flailing back in surprise as he looked up to find crimson eye lights far too close to this own. Edge hastily caught him, steadying him before he tipped backwards off the bench. Red only waited patiently as Rus settled back into his seat and then set a device right next to Rus’s plate.

“heya,” Rus said, warily, and that he would speak to Red without anger or accusations settled some of Edge’s churning worries. He wouldn’t have blamed Rus if he’d chosen to stay away from Red for the rest of his tenure and Edge wouldn’t make excuses for his brother nor ask for apologies, but he...he cared for both of them. He didn’t want hatred between them.

“here,” Red said gruffly. It was what he’d been working on that morning, Edge realized, an unremarkable black box with what looked like several USB ports and a few dials. “should help you get your work done a little faster. hook it between your laptop and the telescope, and you’ll be able to run your calculations while you’re stargazing or whatever it is you’re doing.”

Rus picked up the box, turning it over in his hands first with caution, then disbelieving wonder, “that…that adapter costs a fortune, how did you—thank you,” Rus said dumbly.

Red lifted one shoulder in a shrug and hopped into his own seat, reaching for the serving spoons. His disregard didn’t stop Rus’s from blathering on excitedly, his smile bright, and Edge only watched, a smile of his own only barely held back.

“did you make this?” Rus demanded, holding it out, and Red shrugged again.

“something like that. ain't too bad with my hands, fashion victim.” Rus didn’t react to the nickname, only smiled happily, and it was obvious that even without the words the apology was given and accepted. Around them, the conversations slowly resumed while Rus inspected his gift, mumbled beneath his breath about calculations, his own plate forgotten.

“seriously, though, this is amazing!” Rus laughed. “my bro would flip over this, dings is always fighting for funding, he ends up making his own gear half the time, too.”

“dings?” Red’s head jerked up like a wintry prairie dog, mashed potatoes falling messily from the sagging spoon to his plate as he stared at Rus with shrunken eye lights, “your brother is wingdings?”

“um, yeah,” Rus agreed, some of his delight fading as he looked at Red with understandable wariness; he and Red hadn’t been besties even before the incident and there was no mistaking his shock.

“wingdings gaster?” Red said in disbelief.

“you know my brother?” Rus’s confusion only deepened, his pale eye lights flicking from Red to Edge, who could only shrug. The name wasn’t familiar to him.

“i ...guess maybe i do,” Red said slowly. His tongue flicked out over his teeth. “didn’t know he was your bro. how’s old dings doing, anyway, it’s been a while.”

“fine, i suppose,” Rus glumly. His eye lights drifted down to his own bowl where he stirred his soup listlessly. “we aren’t really talking right now, he wasn’t happy about me coming here.”

“heh, that sounds about right,” Red chuckled. To Edge’s hearing, it sounded forced, strain leaking through. “sorry to hear that, bet you don’t even have a picture of him to keep you company.”

Rus laughed and shook his head, “you’d win that bet. he never shows up right in pictures, something about his magic messes it up, doesn’t matter if it’s old school film or the latest iphone, he looks weird.” He hefted the device again and his smile was easier, filled with gratitude. “anyway, thanks again, this’ll speed up my calculations a lot!”

Red’s smile eased into something more genuine. “No problem, kid.” he jerked his head towards the door, “go give it a try, i’ll take care of your plate for you.”

Rus only hesitated a moment before hastily gathering up his laptop. He only paused when he turned to Edge, eye lights flicking to Red, but he still leaned in and took a light kiss, sweet and devilishly tempting, before fleeing out the door with his arms filled with his laptop and the little device in hand.

Edge watched him go, then wordlessly turned back to his own plate. Eating calmly, waiting until the last researcher left him and his brother alone.

The moment the door swung shut behind the back of the last one, Edge spoke, quietly, “You know his brother?”

Red nodded, slowly, and his expression was not one that Edge liked, strangely agitated, “yeah, but. somethin’ ain’t right here, boss.” He licked his teeth again, eye lights sliding aimlessly around the room, lingering over nothing as he whispered, “wingdings gaster is dead. has been for years, what the fuck is going on?”

Dead. That was a puzzle that could not be ignored. Edge closed his sockets, pressing a knuckle between them where a headache was starting to form.

“Could he have faked his death?” Edge asked, clipped and low, “That would explain why Rus only showed up in the radar recently, if his whole family was in hiding.”

“faked falling into the core?” Red chuckled unpleasantly and shook his head. “don’t think so. look, i know you like the kid, hell, i like him, he’s got jokes. and i’m sorry i hurt the kid before. but there is something fucked up going on here, bro, and i ain’t so sure rus is the one hiding anythin’. we can’t ignore this one, let me check into it. ”

Rus’s tearstained face, pleading his innocence to them. Begging for their trust.

That headache loomed, throbbing in Edge’s skull, “You bring anything you find to me, first. All right?”

“yeah, you got it. we ain’t going through a redo,” Red pushed back from the table and stood, saying with as much gentleness as Red possessed, “there’s more than your love life at stake, boss.”

“I know.” But if things went poorly this time, Edge didn’t expect forgiveness again.

His brother walked out, leaving his own plate along with Rus’s for Edge to wash, but he did not care. It was a simple, mindless task that was not enough of a distraction, not at all.

One day of simple happiness was all he’d gotten and Edge wondered with helpless, dark humor if it was worth it for a few weeks of Rus in his arms.

His answer came in a memory of that morning, of Rus’s soft cries and delightful sweetness as they made love. The smiles he offered Edge, the wonder in his expression as he gazed up at the aurora as it danced across the sky. Worth it, Edge decided, and he offered a silent, foolish prayer to an Angel he didn’t quite believe in that his brother found nothing.

“Please,” Edge whispered to no one at all. There was no answer, but that was all right. It was exactly what he expected.

tbc

[brokenjardaantech]

captain allen appreciation week 2020 day 2: college au

summary: set in early 2021 in the same universe as the previous entry. the pandemic is not over yet. america as we know it is on the brink of collapse. now that anna is in the air force academy, allen can finally go to college himself. except that everything is online cause social distancing.

notes:

this fic is the closest to reality among everything else i've written. i don't have 2021 vision, but this is what i imagine what things will be if america continues being like this in everything.

i know the space force as an independent branch of the us military is still a fairly new concept, but let's just assume that they need people so desperately that they'll pull prospecting cadets onto the path to space starting from their academy years. they used to be a branch of the air force anyway, right?

tags: brief mentions of childhood neglect and parentification

----

The high-pitched hum is driving Lou crazy, so he turns on the speaker on his laptop and plays some potato peeling ASMR to give the house some other noise. The hum disappears, but seeing the Slavic guy peeling potatoes makes him want to cook again, and cooking for himself...just sounds depressing. Not that he hates cooking alone - he takes pride in being able to prepare his own food and be good at it - but he doesn’t have much of a choice in raw ingredients; he stocked up when it was announced that a large storm is coming, and all he has is canned food - hardly something he would prepare for Anna had she been here.

He switches tabs, discovering that his new lecture is still downloading, and lets out a groan. Fucking blizzard locking him in and fucking with the internet. Now he can’t even study when he’s snowed in in his own house - yes, his own fucking house, because his Papa apparently can’t stand Alaska anymore after his wife disappeared and fucked off back to France as soon as he could, leaving his property (which had been his wife’s) to his children to distribute between themselves, and Lou, being the only adult during that time, became a homeowner. Sighing, he goes to his email and drafts an apology.

Professor, am snowed in. Internet slow. Can’t stream lecture, so tried downloading. 5 hrs in, only 70% downloaded. Requesting deadline extension. L. W. Allen

He sounds like Anna in this one, thoughts going so quickly that she omits pronouns and ‘the’s and ‘a’ or ‘an’s while she’s typing. Except that he’s typing slowly with his non-dominant hand while scooping cooling mashed potato into his mouth with his other hand. Damn it, he misses his sister.

The potato peeling video is over and he still is not sleepy, so he goes over the lectures he has downloaded and chooses the one he remembers being useful in writing his paper to be his new background noise. The drone of his professor’s voice makes him think of Anna rapid-firing her thoughts while she’s doing his homework for fun.

Everything comes back to Anna.

His Skype jumps with an incoming call, and he accepts it without reading who that is, acting in desperation for company good or bad.

‘Allen here.’

‘Lemme guess: you didn’t read the description.’

Lou is so relieved to hear his sister’s voice that he nearly cries. ‘How the fuck did you do that? It’s midnight on your side.’

‘I’m different, Lulu, haven’t you heard?’ Anna dismisses her brother’s question, proud as always. ‘Snowed alone in the house must be hard.’

He laughs. This is ridiculous. ‘Yes it is. How did you know that?’

‘You talking about the snow part or the lonely part?’

‘Both.’

‘I’m not completely cut off from the rest of the world. I read the weather forecast and report, and I lived with you and only you for four years. Enough time to discover a pattern, I should say.’

Lou takes the laptop and flops down onto his bed. ‘We haven’t been apart for longer than a day back then.’ Placing his Bluetooth headphones over his head, he lies down on their bed - his bed now - and allows himself to imagine that this is just one of their many pillow talks about nothing and everything. Oddly, he can’t imagine his sister doing the same. 

‘It’s called logical deduction, bruh. Then her voice softens. ‘You spent most of your life taking care of me. I’ve got planes to fly, programs to write, labs to blow up and muscles to flex. You get to listen to some boring old man spew bullshit about our minds as if the theories he teaches aren’t outdated as hell.’

It puts a smile on Lou’s face. ‘I don’t think they’ll let you stay for long if you blow up too much shit in the lab.’

‘Details, Lulu, details. Hey - check your time.’

Lou squints at the corner of the screen where the clock should be. 17:58. ‘Fuuuuck,’ he groans. Of course Anna’s awake - it’s just 19:58 on her end. ‘Fucking storm fucking with my sense of time.’

‘Hail English,’ says Anna. ‘Though not as elegant as our father tongue. How’s the French club going on?’

‘I’m developing abs from laughing too hard. There’s one fine but thin line between normal conversation and random-ass flirting, but they don’t seem to grasp it.’

‘Not everyone has an incompetent French dad who barely speaks English but moved to America anyway.’

‘Very true,’ Lou admits. Anna turned up fine even with only minimal parental guidance, but at what cost? Himself, probably, except that he seems fine as well. ‘How about you? How’s the Academy been treating you?’

‘It’s not official but,’ Anna lowers her voice as if she wants to keep it secret, ‘I’m most likely going to be in the Space Force when I graduate.’

Lou coughs to mask his laughter. Of all the things his sister is skeptical of, the Space Force set up by that orange isn’t one of them. ‘No offence, Anna, but Space Force? Seriously? A woman of your talents?’

‘I should tell them that their efforts are successful,’ says Anna. ‘Hold on.’

Footsteps. A slam of a door. Some scratching noises, and when she turns on her camera, it shows not her face but the screen of her phone. It started as a joke, it writes. They admit to that. But something happened in the scientific field. Something so unbelievable and classified that they sobered up instantly and begged for more funding from the federal government. 

‘America as we know it is ending,’ Lou points out. Sure, they didn’t let the orange continue representing the country, but the harm has been done, the virus comes back every few months and before the previous batch of patients are freed up, and everything is failing - the economy, the already-problematic medical and healthcare system, the old order governing the country for two centuries. It is terrifying but, in Lou’s opinion, a much-needed change for America to go forward. ‘You’re more familiar with them than me, but they might be doing it to preserve the old order. You know, before they lose all the power they currently have.’

Anna takes the phone away. ‘I highly doubt it,’ she says as she continues typing. ‘They’re used to whatever we now have. They already expect some things to change;’ she holds up her phone again; but not in the way shit’s going. ‘You heard about the declassified document on Alec Ryder? The guy who tried to write an advanced AI and developed it into some highly illegal and sci-fi-y shit that he can’t control?’

‘Didn’t read the whole thing. Sounds unbelievable, though, letting an AI control your body. And I thought Elon was stupidly crazy.’

‘Well, for some reason they’re still on high alert about the whole shitshow even though the AI was supposedly destroyed,’ she puts her phone away and switches off the camera. ‘Call it my instincts if you wish. Something big is coming and I’m not sure if I like it.’

Lou takes a deep breath. Anna has always said that America needs to change, but if she thinks that she won’t like it… ‘Let’s don’t speculate anything right now, okay?’ he tries to rationalise. ‘We can’t do much right now, can we?’

‘True.’ A creak. Some muffled conversation. ‘Look, I need to go now. Try not to freeze your ass off at home.’

‘With that nasty generator you built? Don’t think so. Take care.’

‘Same for you.’

The call disconnects. Taking off his headphones with a trembling hand, Lou quits the application and checks again how much longer he needs to wait for the lecture. A few minutes left. Standing up and popping all the joints in his body in preparation, he goes to the kitchen and pours himself a glass of water to clear his head.

If he’s gonna be stuck in this house for days, he at least can use the time for some studying, right?

----

spoiler: anna’s instincts are right.

the potato-peeling video

[ofstarsandvibranium]

Some Alpha: Part 2

Fandom: Marvel (ABO AU)

Pairing: Chubby!Bucky Barnes x Reader

Summary: Bucky is an Alpha, but can never seem to find someone who wants him to be their Alpha. Until he finds you, a Beta, who’s as firey as an Alpha, yet also tender-hearted like an Omega.

Bucky sat on the bench against the wall, watching you instruct your water aerobics class. His body felt so light watching as you showed each move to your class, encouraging them and correcting their form. He liked the little swaying you did to the music that played in the background during your lesson. Everything about you that he’s seen so far has just been so sweet and wonderful. That is, until another person, a coworker he assumes, came in and whispered something in your ear. 

Bucky didn’t like how close he was to you. He especially didn’t like the change of your scent when the guy spoke something to you. You looked at the man, significantly taller than you, a stern look on your face. 

You poke your finger hard into his chest, emphasizing each word you seemed to sneer. When the guy grabbed your wrist, Bucky saw red. 

“Hey!” he marched up to the guy, swiping his hand from you, “You leave her alone,” Bucky gritted through his teeth. 

The guy, his name tag read Lance, looked Bucky up and down and snorted, “And what if I don’t, tubby?” 

Bucky growled and you immediately stepped in-between them, “Hey! Hey! Enough of that! I don’t need two Alphas tearing themselves apart at my pool! Lance,” you pushed him back, “Get outta here before I report you again!” 

Lance scoffed, “Fine. But when you’re in heat, little Beta, don’t come crawling to me!” he marched away, puffing out his chest. 

You rolled your eyes and looked back at Bucky, whose chest was still heaving in anger, “Hey,” you cautiously put your hand on his arm, “Thank you.”

Bucky seemed to calm down at an instant. A sudden blush appearing on his cheeks, “Sorry. I just-I hate Alphas who treat Betas and Omegas like that.”

“That’s most Alphas for ya...but not you. You’re different. I can tell.” you took two steps back, pulling your hand back from Bucky, “Well, uh, anyway. I should get back to my class after all that drama. Thanks again, Bucky.”

“No problem. And, uh, is it too late for me to join your class?”

You shook your head, “Nope. All are welcome. I’m teaching again tomorrow. Same time. Come by, if you’re free. Or you can pick up my schedule from Hope.”

“Right. Thanks. I’ll see you soon then, Y/N.” he gave a polite smile your way.

You nodded and sent a little wave, “Alright. See ya, Bucky!”

_______________

Bucky was nervous. He was looking at himself in the locker room mirror. His swim shorts being the only thing on his body. He didn’t think he’d be able to go out there shirtless. If you saw him like this, there goes any chance of you going out with him because who’d want to be with a chubby Alpha? 

He decided to put on a white tshirt. At least that’ll hide some of his figure and it made him a lot more comfortable. So, he grabbed his towel, shut his locker, and went out to the pool. There was still half an hour before your class started, but he was too excited to see you. 

You were walking out of the supply closet when he entered. Your arms filled with blue kickboards. Bucky tossed his towel onto the nearest bench, his Alpha instincts kicking in, and rushed over to help you, “Lemme get that!” He grabbed the pile and set it towards the edge of the pool. 

“Thanks. I had it though.”

Bucky shrugged, “It doesn’t hurt to help someone.”

“True. Anyway, I didn’t expect you to be here so early. I still have to prep-”

“I can help!” he exclaimed all too enthusiastically.

You giggled as you nodded, “Okay. Come on then.” you headed back to the supply closet, Bucky’s eyes trying hard not to glance down at your ass, but damn did that swimsuit show it off well. You began to pull out some colorful noodles, handing them to Bucky, “So, you just gonna do water aerobics? Or do you plan on taking other classes here? Maybe use the lifting room?”

Bucky shrugged, “Dunno. Yoga doesn’t seem like my thing. Neither does jazzercise. Lifting, as much as I want to, I’m not too fond of being around all those Alphas who’re all in an unspoken pissing contest with each other. 

You burst into an adorable laugh, “That is what they’re all doing, isn’t it?” Once Bucky’s arms were full of pool noodles, you grabbed the rest, “You really aren’t like other Alphas, are you? I mean physically and mentally. Well, I suppose deep down, Alphas are all the same in their nature, but you’re not an ass like a lot of them. Especially those in the weight room.”

“Definitely not physically like them,” he said somberly.

“I think it’s a good thing. It’s refreshing, ya know? You’re unique and a lot different than what everyone else is used to. You should be proud of that, Bucky.”

He looked at you, with a soft expression, “You’re not like anyone I’ve ever met, Y/N.”

You chuckled, “Well, I’m a Beta, so yeah. We’re a rare yet awesome breed, I think.”

Your comment made Bucky chuckle back, “Indeed.”

“And for the record, I quite like your physique.” you then went to go spread out the noodles and kickboards around the pool while Bucky just stood there, a fluttering feeling in his stomach.

Yup. He was definitely in trouble.

________________

Bucky stayed in the back of the group, not wanting any eyes on him throughout the lesson. Every so often, he’d catch your eye purposefully just so he could hear you giggle. God, he was already falling in love with the sound of your giggle. How crazy is that? 

“Alright! Good job everyone! We still got twenty minutes left, but I think I’ll let you guys have off early. Thanks for coming!” 

A portion of your class stayed to swim around more while another portion decided to leave early and head to the showers before it got too crowded. 

Bucky made his way over to the ladder, where you sat down, legs still in the water. Your upper body dripping wet from the water. 

“So? Did you like the class?”

“You can’t see it, but I’m sweating,” he ran his hand through his wet hair.

You laughed, “Well, good. That means I’m doing my job!”

Bucky offered his hand out to you, “Swim with me?”

You placed your hand in his and submerged your body into the water, allowing him to pull you further into the pool. You didn’t know it, but right then and there, you were also burrowing yourself further into Bucky’s heart. 

______________________________

Some Alpha Taglist (CLOSED): @cametobuyplums @diego-hargreeve2 @geeksareunique@mydemonexorcist @slender–spirit @mrsdeanwinchester19 @suhhhhhhh-dude @buckysthing

[wistfulcynic]

The Ballad of Emma and Killian

This began life as a little drabble of rockstar!Emma and actor!Killian--not my favourite trope but I thought I’d give it a try. And then @thisonesatellite FORCED me to actually like it and once I did it kept getting bigger and bigger until it became DRABZILLA and had to go in Secret Things instead. SO. 

Part 8 of Secret Things. This one is really very sweet. Struggling young artists in love stick together through the hard times until the good ones come. A little slice of life with just the teensiest little bit of Neal being an asshole and getting what-for. 

Summary: They aren’t famous when they meet, or when they fall in love. As the years go by and their careers flourish along with their fame, their love endures. 

Words: 2.2k Rating: T Tags: actor au, rockstar au, fluff, secret relationships

On AO3

Importing the tag list from Drabbles, apologies if you didn’t want a tag here: 

@thisonesatellite @kmomof4 @teamhook @courtorderedcake @jonirobinson64 @tiganasummertree @stahlop@mariakov81@facesiousbutton82

The Ballad of Emma and Killian: 

They’re not famous when they meet. Her band is still playing bars and clubs and he’s barely managed to scrape a few minor roles in local theatre. They’re not famous, but they see the potential in each other. 

“You’re brilliant with that,” he tells her, nodding at the guitar she’s slung over her shoulder. He’s had just enough to drink to give him the confidence to speak to her but not so much that he’s going to tell her he came here tonight expressly to see her play. 

“Oh yeah?” She has her eyes on the barman mixing her drink, doesn’t look at him until she’s got it in her hand. “Do you—” Her eyes widen when she turns towards him, and a smile tugs the corner of her mouth as she slowly takes him in. “—play?” she finishes finally. 

He’s grinning wide, flattered and more than a little turned on by her bold appraisal. “Only a few chords,” he says. “I’m an actor mostly.” 

“Of course you are.” 

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Just that you’re really pretty. I bet those eyes show up well on camera.” 

“I wouldn’t know, love, I’ve not managed to land anything that requires a camera quite yet.” 

“You will.” 

They end up in her hotel room, a nondescript place on the Lambeth Road. She shrugs and says she’s got far better things to spend her money on than somewhere to sleep, then proceeds to make that dingy room the most memorable place he’s ever been. 

The next morning she has to head off early, to Manchester for her next gig. He walks her to the tube station and  kisses her in front of it, then pulls back, memorising her face. 

“Nice to meet you, Emma Swan,” he says. 

She smiles. “And you, Killian Jones.” 

—

Emma plays a dozen gigs in Manchester and word begins to get out. On the band’s last night in town an A&R rep is in the audience, and when she wakes up the next morning she has a record deal. She should be happy, she knows; she is happy, thrilled in fact, but she can’t get those blue eyes out of her head, or the wistful note in his voice when he said her name. 

She goes back to London, back to the pub where they met. She goes with no hope or expectation, and when she sees Killian there at the bar her heart leaps and when she sits beside him and he grins in delight she feels like she’s come home.  

—

“I have a record deal,” she tells him, after. 

His whole face lights up. “That’s brilliant!” he says. “You’re brilliant.” 

She flushes at the praise and he takes her hand, twining his fingers with hers. “Emma,” he says, looking around the bland room they’re in. “Nothing against your taste in hotels, love, but I wonder if you would care to see my flat. It’s not much but it’s better than here.” 

It is. He lives in the attic of an old house, fitted with a tiny kitchen and tinier bathroom, and a bed that folds out from the faded sofa. 

“A garret!” She laughs. “Perfect for a starving actor.” 

“That’s exactly the aesthetic I was going for,” he says, laughing with her. He wraps an arm around her shoulders. “It suits an emerging musician as well.” 

She snuggles into his side. It does. 

—

They get married in a simple ceremony at the Southwark registry office; far too soon, his brother says with frowning disapproval and her parents Skype them from Maine to say the same, but they don’t care and they don’t listen. They are sure of each other, and deeply in love. 

The first few years are hard. Emma has to tour to promote her album and Killian takes every acting job he can, always hoping the next one will be his big break. The album is a huge success and the tour is extended; she is exhausted and burnt out and misses her husband, but she loves her music and the thrill of performing for the huge crowds, and they call each other every day, no matter what. His unwavering support keeps her going.  

—

Her fame grows and she begins to do interviews, answering probing questions about her music and her life. The interviewers don’t ask her if she’s married and she doesn’t volunteer the information. She doesn’t wear her wedding ring onstage —she doesn’t like anything on her fingers when she plays— and she allows people to keep the conclusions they draw. The interviews appear online and on television, and soon Killian starts to hear people talking about her. He beams with pride whenever someone says they like her music, and when the remarks touch on the personal he simply shrugs them off. People can be assholes, but he knows his wife. 

When her tour finally finishes they take a vacation— a month in the Seychelles, just the two of them in a beach hut with crystal blue water stretching out to the horizon. It is pure bliss; she unwinds for the first time in more than a year, and by the time they’re back in London the two of them are expecting a third. She tells her manager she’s taking a break to write some new songs and spends the next year in their tiny attic flat, playing her guitar and growing her baby, and watching her husband perform in his first lead role on the West End. People keep to themselves in the neighbourhood where they live, and if anyone recognises ‘the cultural heir of Nancy Wilson crossed with Jack White’ or ‘British theatre’s fastest-rising star’ the tabloids are not informed. 

They have never been happier. 

—

They’ve been married nearly five years when Killian’s big break finally comes. He lands a role in an American TV show and brings his family with him when he moves to Boston for filming. Emma’s on tour again but she Skypes him and the kids —they have two of them now— in their new place and tells them she can’t wait to be there. She tells him in private that his eyes look great on camera, as she always knew they would.

His new costars know he’s married, of course, he talks about his wife a lot but refers to her only as ‘Emma,’ a common enough name that no one thinks anything of it. The show is a breakaway hit and he finds himself suddenly famous, suddenly the focus of more female attention than even his handsome self is accustomed to, and fielding interview questions more probing than any he’s encountered before. He doesn’t hide his wedding ring but he also doesn’t mention who his wife is. His marriage is private, and there’s enough scrutiny on his personal life as it is. 

—

“You know who I’d really like for this role?” the lead showrunner says to Killian one day, discussing a new character being introduced in the show’s third season. “Emma Swan. Do you think she’d be interested in getting into acting?” 

He chokes on his coffee. “How would I know?” he asks cautiously. 

The showrunner shrugs. “I know you’re a fan of hers,” he says. “I’ve seen your Spotify. Anyway, it’s pure speculation. I think she has the perfect look for the character, but I’ve got no idea if she can act.” 

“Well, I’d love to work with Emma Swan,” says Neal Cassidy, the show’s secondary male lead. “Whether she can act or not, she’s a hell of a piece of ass. Nothing hotter than a chick who plays guitar.” 

Killian concentrates hard on not punching the man in his leering face. He’s had to listen to a lot of people talk about how hot his wife is over the years and most of the time it doesn’t bother him, even when the remarks veer into the lewd. But he’s never really clicked with Cassidy, and the idea of the smug arsehole trying it on with Emma makes his blood boil. 

“If she does join the show, I’m sure one way she’ll act is professionally,” he says stiffly. “And I’d hope the rest of us would too.” 

“Oooh hooo,” says Neal in a taunting singsong. “Someone’s got a little crush.” 

Killian gets up from the table and tosses his coffee cup in the trash with deliberate control. “If anyone needs me I’ll be in my trailer,” he says. 

—

“I had an interesting call from my manager today,” says Emma over dinner that night. “Apparently I’ve had an offer to read for a part on your show.” 

“Yeah,” Killian replies. “Bob was telling me he thinks you’d be perfect for the role. What do you think?” 

She shrugs. “Acting’s really your thing. I wouldn’t want to step on your toes.” He’s sure she means this, but there’s a wistfulness in her voice and he knows she’s getting tired of all the touring and would love something more stable that didn’t take her away from their kids. 

He reaches across the table to take her hand. “You wouldn’t be, love, you know that,” he says, smiling at her. “If this is something you really want to try, you should try it.” 

She smiles back, warm and soft. Her smile will be great on camera. “I think I will then,” she says. 

“Good.” 

She squeezes his hand. “I love you, Killian Jones.” 

“And I you, Emma Swan.” 

—

“Hey, hey, did you see her?” Neal elbows him in the ribs and once again Killian has to suppress the desire to respond with his fist. 

“Who?” he asks, though he knows the answer. 

“Emma Swan, bruh. She’s meeting with Bob right now. She walked right by me on the way to his office and lemme tell you, she’s even hotter in person, if you can believe it.” 

He thinks of his wife as he saw her that morning, all messy hair and tired eyes, cradling their youngest in her arms and singing softly to her as she nursed. “I can believe it,” he says. 

“Hair like that, man, you just wanna wrap it around your fist and pull—” Killian turns his back and stalks away before he can hear what Neal wants to pull, reminding himself firmly that beating up a costar is frowned upon in the industry, and he would like to work again once this show ends. 

He goes to his trailer and waits for Emma to finish her audition. Ten minutes later she slips through the door, flushed and glowing, and walks straight into his arms.  

“How did it go?” he asks, as if he can’t read the answer on her face. 

“They want me to start filming next week,” she replies, and her smile is radiant.  

“That’s brilliant!” He hugs her close, grinning into her hair. “You’re brilliant.” 

She leans back, studies his face. “And you’re sure you don’t mind, babe? I can still say no—” 

“Absolutely not, you’ve earned this and Bob’s right, the character is perfect for you. Though it does mean we’ll probably have to tell people we’re married.” 

She laughs. “Well, it’s been eight years now, I guess it’s about time we came clean. Plus it’s not like it’s a secret as such, it’s just something we’ve never told anyone before.” 

He joins in her laughter and then he kisses her, a sweet, soft kiss that soon turns hot. She’s never visited him on set before, of course, and he finds himself overwhelmed by the desire to make love to her here, in this place where he has spent long days of filming sitting alone and missing her.  

He lifts her onto the back of his armchair, pushing her skirt up her thighs so he can stand between them. She wraps her legs around his waist and her arms around his neck and grinds against him. They are lost in each other —this is how it’s always been between them— and neither of them hears the door to the trailer open or senses Neal’s slack-jawed presence until he manages to close his mouth and find his voice. 

“Son of a bitch!” he yells. 

Emma and Killian break apart and turn to glare at the intruder. 

“What the fuck, man?” shouts Neal. “Aren’t you married?”

“Aye, mate.” Killian is fuming, his jaw clenched and his eyes like shards of ice. “Allow me to introduce you to my wife. This is Emma.” 

Neal chokes and his eyes go wide as he clearly tries to remember just how disgustingly offensive he’s been about Emma Swan. 

“Look, man,” he stutters. “I’m sorry—” 

“No you’re not,” says Killian coldly. “But you are unwelcome. Kindly fuck yourself off now so my beautiful wife can fuck me.” He turns back to Emma, who pulls him in and resumes their kiss. 

Neal stumbles and nearly falls as he backs out of the trailer, still stuttering apologies, but they are too busy tearing off each other’s clothes to notice. 

—

They weren’t famous when they met, or when they married. But they are when they announce their relationship to a press and a public that goes mad over it. They’re at the top of every gossip site and trending on every social media network. Offers of joint interviews come pouring in, all of which they decline, which —people and the internet being what they are and what it is— only adds to their mystique. They are the story of the decade— for nearly an entire week, until Neal gets caught soliciting a prostitute who turns out to be an undercover cop, and everyone forgets about Emma Swan and Killian Jones. 

Which is just the way they like it. 

[laraslandlockedblues]

Author Interview

Tagged by @kagetsukai @lechatrouge673 and most recently @a-shakespearean-in-paris, thank you my lovelies! (I’m slowly trying to work through tags from December/January and this reminded to actually like...do that, so thank you hehe <3 )

Feel free to ignore me as always, and also I might be double tagging people and I’m sorry for that but here goes: @ladymdc @dismalzelenka @beckily @sarenkascrawls @tortuosity-writes @tanaleth @shannaraisles @star--nymph @ellstersmash @ellenembee @inquisition-dragonborn @allisondraste @novamm66 @ocean-in-my-rebel-soul @puddle--wonderful @wardenari and anyone else who wants to do this and tag me!

Name: Lara

Fandoms: Dragon Age, Mass Effect, Mystic Messenger, Stardew Valley, and now Skyrim are all ones I’ve written for. I’m a lurker/enjoyer of content in a lot more, most recently The Witcher (I’ve only seen the Netflix show but plan on delving further into it when I have time), Borderlands, and I’m always game for some Good Omens art. Otherwise it’d take me far too long to list every one I enjoy, so those are just the ones I’ve been interacting with the most lately.

Where You Post: Mostly A03. Occasionally here. Used to have a FFN but I’ve actually forgotten that exists...whoops.

Most Popular One-Shot: An Awkward Start which was a prompt for Cullen/Evelyn ages ago. I...have mixed feelings about that considering who I think helped me brainstorm it. So instead I’ll say Dream a Little Dream of Me which was my first fanfic idea for Cullen/Evelyn that turned into Eye of the Storm because doing that as a long fic instead of a long one shot (eep I need to edit that probably...) was daunting.

Most Popular Multi-Chapter Story: Beautiful Disaster, which still amazes me. It’s surpassed 20k hits and has I try not to think about the other stats levels of kudos and subs and books.

Favorite Story You Wrote:  Just Like Heaven and Wicked Game combined. Really delving into Abby’s backstory and John’s character helped me grow so much as a writer and to this day that might be one of the best things I’ve ever written. (They were put on hold because of plans I had for them but plans have changed and now I’m just...distracted. Whoops.)

Story You Were Nervous to Post: Arguably Eye of the Storm because I was so, so nervous to share my writing at all. But I was also nervous posting Lovers & Dreamers because I knew the premise (OT3 with Rylen and my two OCs, particularly John) wouldn’t be everyone’s cup of tea and I didn’t want...people to feel obligated maybe? I 100% write it for me and I’ve always hoped readers understand that. Diving into new fandoms is always nerve-wracking too and the first pieces I posted for Mystic Messenger (especially since my first one shot  was canon divergent smut, Just a Touch because I had too many feels while I was playing it)

How You Choose Your Titles: Some are song titles or lyrics (Just Like Heaven), some are just phrases that fit really well for the fic (Eye of the Storm and Hero Worship).

Complete: *cries* Ummm...Early on I did finish two fun modern AUs for Cullen and Evelyn when I was kind of messing around with their dynamic and just getting back into writing after years of not at all (Rehabilitation and Even Doves Have Pride). I also finished part one of my Mass Effect fics, Goose Bumps (which actually predated all my DA fics in actual writing, but not posting).

Incomplete: Everything else. Ha. Ha ha. Ha ha ha. *cries some more*

Do You Outline? Occasionally. Sometimes I outline just a few chapters out. I almost always start a fic with an idea of where it will end up, with maybe a few points known in between (like a zigzaggy map in my brain that somehow connects Point A to Point K to Point M to Point R to Point Y then Z). I have a few fics that are outlined all the way, most notably Twelve Moons, my Avvar fic, and I actually have an outline of the Skyrim fic, Go It Alone, I just started which I find mind-blowing. Sometimes outlines are restricting to me, but sometimes really helpful. It depends on the story and how much work the idea (or timeline) needs/takes. I try not to make this feel too much like work, since it’s for fun and for me.

Coming Soon/Not Yet Started: Please, oh patron saints of writing, just lemme finish these WIPs before I start anything else. Then again I just sort of go where the muse takes me, so if something truly inspired comes up I might write it. Fighting the muse is worse, in my experience. I will say the one thing “coming soon” to my main Ao3 is going to be the fics on my secondary account, which are my Mystic Messenger and Stardew Valley fics. The reason for me starting a second account has dissipated and I’m sick of balancing two so...whenever I get around to it I’ll be making a pseud to combine them all in one place.

Do You Accept Prompts? I used to, and haven’t in a while. I took them around the time my brain was getting all screwed up around writing and expectations and it just made everything feel like work, and plus my anxiety fucks with me and tells me that the promptee will hate it so...I haven’t in a long time because I’ve been happier not. Maybe I’ll try again in the future.

Upcoming Story You Are Most Excited to Write: I have a few I’m excited about. I’m excited to have the muse back for Twelve Moons (sort of, it’s still a tiny struggle) as well as my new Skyrim fic. I think in a lot of ways I’ve needed a break from DA. Rylen and Abby at this point are all that really tethers me to it, and I absolutely love them (so I’ll be getting back to those fics for sure). But right now writing something with zero expectations with a very different OC than I’ve ever written and an enemies to lovers trope that I don’t normally do...that’s been a lot of fun and the muse is really strong. But I’ve also been working on some original fiction (balancing two because ofc I am...I never can focus on one story at a time siiiiigh) and I’m insanely excited about it. I’m hoping to finish that up...by the end of the year if not much sooner (once I get past my move in the next month and half...which I’ve been ignoring is that soon haha)

Wow ok lots of rambling! Thank you for the tags this was fun to look back on and ramble about.

[here4theheartbreak]

Sentience (Halsey x Jin x Namjoon)

AO3 Link Here!

Relationships: Halsey x Jin x Namjoon Genre(s): fluff, smut Rating: Explicit

Written for @btspolyshipbingo​ Square Filled: Cyberpunk AU

Tags: smut, android AU, cyberpunk AU, android!Jin, MMF, polyamorous, sentient androids, prostitution, sex robot, threesome, multiple orgasms, bottom!Namjoon, top!Jin, anal sex, vaginal sex, bareback, coming untouched Summary: It’s Namjoon’s birthday and his girlfriend surprises him with an android. It’ll just be a single, fun night, right?

Word Count: ~10.8k A/N: Written for my best friend @i-live-so-i-love​ – who has forced me to see beyond the surface more than once.

“Happy birthday, baby. Please don’t be mad when you see your gift.”

Namjoon laughed a little, wrapping his arms around Halsey when she hugged him as he walked in the door. He pressed a kiss to her cheek. “Thank you? But I’m a little concerned now that that is what you opened with.”

Halsey smiled sheepishly, looking up at Namjoon with a gentle gaze.

“What’s up?” Namjoon asked.

“Well, I—” She sighed and took his hand, leading him to the couch. They sat and she faced him, seemingly bracing herself for something. “I heard you and Jimin talking last month.”

“About?”

“About your urges.”

“Oh, Hal—” Namjoon started. Halsey held up her hand.

“Please, lemme finish… Look, I know you told him you didn’t want me to know, and I’m sorry I eavesdropped… But I want you to know that I wouldn’t have been mad if you’d told me. I get why you didn’t want to – I know plenty of girlfriends would be pissed if they heard that from the man they’d been dating for the better half of a decade… But you know me, Joonie. You know I love you for you. Quirks and urges included.”

Namjoon smiled softly, lowering his gaze. “I felt so bad thinking about it… Like I was betraying you.”

“I heard what Jimin suggested to. The android service.”

“But that’s worse. That’s another person.”

“Well, yeah. But it’s a person that was literally made to please. So not exactly… But I get why you turned him down. But I talked to him after.”

Namjoon’s head snapped up, his eyes widening a little. “You did?”

Halsey nodded. “I did. And I got the number. And I—”

“Halsey… You didn’t.”

“He’s coming over soon. I can still cancel the appointment but… I figured you wouldn’t have to feel so guilty if I was here too. And if we could enjoy him together… It wouldn’t feel like cheating right? Because I’m happy and giving you permission.”

Namjoon’s shoulders slumped. “You’re too kind to me. Most girls hear their boyfriend wants to get fucked by a man and they’d run for the hills.”

“I knew you were bisexual when we started dating, Namjoon. And I knew that you hadn’t experimented much. I also know how crazy you go when I...” She smirked. “Use my toy on you. I can only imagine how sexy you’ll look when it’s not just a piece of nicely modeled plastic… But an actual dick.”

Namjoon’s cheeks mottled red immediately and he laughed nervously. “I’m so amazed… You really ordered one?”

“Just for a few hours. But yeah.”

“When is he coming?”

Halsey glanced at the clock. “About fifteen minutes.” She rose, grabbing his hands and tugging him. “The perfect amount of time for me to get you hard and begging for it.”

Namjoon let her lead him into the bedroom, his head spinning with possibilities. He’d shared some wishes about experimentation with her and with Jimin in the past, but never assumed he’d get a chance to act on those fantasies. He loved Halsey and was totally satisfied with her in every way; they had always just been vague fantasies of a horny twenty something.

Even as they laid in bed that evening, sharing deep kisses, her hands wandering down to his slacks, tugging insistently until he helped her remove them, the reality hadn’t quite hit him.

It wasn’t until she was nude from the waist up, his fingers were buried in her hair, her plush lips wrapped around his cock, when the doorbell played a chipper little tune, that it fully sank in. The camera connected to the front door and linked to their video screen blinked before showing the image of the person at the door. Namjoon could tell he was tall and broad shouldered, hair dark and hanging over his eyes. He wore a black mask, shielding his face from the camera – and the smog, not that it would really too negatively affect his breathing. He had on a hoodie as well, the hood pulled up to hide any other really defining features. Regardless, he took Namjoon’s breath away.

Halsey popped off his cock with an obscene noise and wiped her bottom lip. “Stay put… I’ll bring him in.”

Namjoon nodded, barely able to tear his eyes away from the screen. Halsey pulled on one of Namjoon’s shirts, buttoning it to hide her breasts. Namjoon saw the door open a few seconds later and the man at the door bowed low in greeting. He could hear the two speaking, muffled, from the bedroom, and resisted the urge to get up and check. He had said he would stay put. The stranger nodded and bowed once more, entering. The door closed, and the video shut off. When it did, Namjoon’s heart kicked into overdrive. In a sudden panic, he sat up, yanking a pair of boxers on to hide his nakedness. The bedroom door opened and Halsey entered, looking just as beautiful as when she’d walked out. She was followed by the tall stranger. He shoved his hood off and bowed low to Namjoon. As he straightened, he pulled his mask off, pocketing it.

“Good evening, Sir. My name is Seokjin.”

Namjoon’s mouth dropped open of its own accord. Though he knew the man would be handsome, he was nothing like Namjoon had expected. His features were sharp and perfect. Plush, pink lips that would make a model envious, a broad nose and dark, piercing eyes, neatly shaped ears with delicate studs in each lobe. He had a hint of eyeliner, bringing out the brightness of his brown gaze. His jaw was firm and solid, drawing the gaze naturally down to his prominent Adams apple and the peek of smooth skin from the vee in his hoodie. His shoulders were ridiculously broad, a striking contrast to his slender waist, visible even under the hoodie. His jeans were tight and black, ripped in the perfect places to show just a tease of his perfect skin.

“Joon?” Halsey worried.

“I—I’m—Hi.” Namjoon stumbled over his words, unsure how to address the stranger – Seokjin. He smiled regardless.

“Hi. Everyone calls me Jin… What do you want me to call you?”

“N—Namjoon is fine. Or Joon, I—” Namjoon swallowed hard. Halsey set her hand on Jin’s broad shoulder.

“We’ve never done this before. He’s nervous. You’re his birthday present.”

Jin smiled brightly, and Namjoon’s stomach did a little flip.

“I’m honored. Happy birthday,” Jin circled the bed and sat down on the edge of it. Namjoon worried his heart was going to outright stop if Jin got any closer – each inch nearer he was more and more beautiful. “Do you want me to suck your cock?”

Namjoon spluttered, his cheeks burning hot. Halsey giggled and hurried over, crawling behind Jin and wrapping her arms around his shoulders.

“He’s a little shy,” she whispered to Jin, who smiled sheepishly and sank into himself a bit.

“I’m sorry. I’ve got a lot of experience, I can do almost anything you ask for. I don’t mean to overwhelm you.”

“You’re—You’re fine,” Namjoon mumbled. He knew he shouldn’t be so shy; this man was literally made to please him and not judge him. But now that he was faced with it, he didn’t know how to act.

“Jin,” Halsey said. She stroked her fingers through his black hair, and a small smile crossed his face. “How about you and me see if we can get him hard. He was positively ready to burst when you arrived. I bet it wouldn’t take him long to get hot and bothered again.”

Jin nodded. “Do you want my clothes off?”

“Keep your jeans. Everything else off,” Namjoon said, surprising himself.

Halsey smirked. “How about me, Joon? What do I wear?”

“Exactly what you’re wearing… You know I like you in my shirts,” Namjoon said. Halsey moved up, pressing a kiss to his mouth as Jin stripped. Namjoon watched him even as he kissed Halsey, his hands wandering over her bare hips.

His chest was just as perfectly formed as the rest of him, firm abs too perfect to be real, a line of muscle forming a perfect V and disappearing into his tight jeans, his biceps and shoulders just as muscular as they looked in his hoodie. Jin crawled onto the bed, his gaze hooded as he watched the two kiss.

When Halsey backed up, she smiled over at him. “Do you want to kiss him?”

Jin nodded, looking to Namjoon for permission. Namjoon swallowed hard and nodded, wetting his lips.

The first touch was surprisingly timid, as if Jin was unsure of what to do. Namjoon let his tongue slide out, swiping over Jin’s bottom lip. The simple action seemed to light a fire in Jin, and he pressed his lips more firmly against Namjoon’s, one big hand coming up to rest on his jaw.

Namjoon gasped into his mouth when Halsey tugged his boxers down, pressing teasing kisses over his slowly thickening cock. He slid his hand down Jin’s chest, feeling the firm muscle and the steady thump of his heart. It was faster than expected, and Namjoon’s curiosity was instantly piqued. He pulled back, smiling a little when Jin chased his mouth for a moment.

“Your heart. What software did they use to make the beats?”

Halsey sighed, chuckling. “Joonie, please—Turn off the brain.”

Jin raised an eyebrow and Namjoon smiled sheepishly. “I’m sorry. I’m a… Researcher of sorts.”

“Do you work for an AI company?” Jin asked.

“Not exactly. I do work a research company but – I focus on the emotional and mental well-being of android lives. How they adjust to changes and what motivates them.”

Jin cocked his head. “So you’re a therapist for… androids.”

“Sort of, I guess. You could say that.”

“I’ve never heard of that.”

“Really? In your profession, you’d think there’d be a lot of us. It’s such a demanding life.”

Jin smiled a little, confusion written on his features. “It’s what I was made to do. I guess I’ve never given it much thought… How demanding it could be. To answer your question, it’s not a virtual heart rhythm. My developer thought that the feel of a real heart would be better for my line of work, so they fitted me with a robotic heart. It speeds up and slows the same as yours in response to stimuli. That’s why you probably felt it moving quicker… I… I really liked you kissing me.”

“Yeah?” Namjoon wet his lips. He looked down at Halsey, who was smiling softly. She pressed a kiss to Namjoon’s thigh, a promise that this was alright.

Namjoon cupped Jin’s face in his hands. “Well let’s get your heart racing again then.” He closed the gap between their mouths once more, letting his tongue slip into Jin’s warm mouth.

Halsey sank down onto his cock, letting it stiffen against her tongue.

Jin grabbed Namjoon’s hand, sliding it down his chest to his crotch, where his own cock was hardening in his jeans. Namjoon moaned low in his throat, stroking the length of it through the denim.

“Come suck him with me,” Halsey whispered. Jin obeyed, moving down and pressing kisses along Namjoon’s chest as he did. He nuzzled Namjoon’s cock, pressing a soft kiss to Halsey’s mouth before wrapping his lips around the tip and giving a firm suck that had Namjoon’s toes curling against the mattress. The two took turns, bobbing their heads along his cock or sharing sloppy kisses with his cock between their mouths, lapping and nudging his balls while the other worked on his tip.

Namjoon was writhing within ten minutes, running his fingers through their hair and panting their names. Halsey pulled off with a pop, kissing Jin’s mouth again. “I think he’s ready for more, don’t you?”

Jin nodded once, then looked up at Namjoon. He swallowed hard and nodded. “More,” he whispered.

“What do you want from us, baby?”

“I—I don’t know,” he admitted.

Halsey moved up his body slowly, kissing along the curve of his throat and jaw. “Do you want to fuck him? Or feel how nice and tight his around your cock? Do you want him to use me? Both of you to use me?”

Namjoon made a noise halfway between a plea and a groan. “Yes to everything, Christ…” He kissed her desperately, reaching down to feel for Jin. Jin grabbed his hand and Namjoon tugged, signaling him to come up as well. He shifted from Halsey’s mouth to Jin’s, kissing him deeply as well.

He pulled back, stroking Jin’s cheek. “Make her feel good with me.”

Jin nodded.

“Me?” Halsey argued when Namjoon and Jin pounced, wrestling her onto her back. Namjoon stripped her panties down her legs, tossing them aside. “It’s your birthday.” She tried again.

“You’re right. And you know how much I love making you come on my tongue. Since we have a friend to help, you can come for both of us.”

He pushed her legs open, running his thumb over her damp opening. She shuddered, hiding her grin by biting her lip.

“Want to taste?” Namjoon asked. He brushed his wet thumb over Jin’s bottom lip. Jin chased it with his tongue, his eyes fluttering shut.  

“Go on,” Namjoon whispered. Jin didn’t need a second command. He settled between her legs, pointing his tongue and running it between her folds.

Namjoon wiggled next to him, and Jin shifted so he was nearly half on top of Namjoon. The to shared wet kisses between taking turns, driving their tongues into Halsey or sucking gently - and not so gently - on her swollen clit. She didn’t bother to hide her moans, shouting their names as they dragged her to the brink of climax over and over, onto to stop at the last second.

She tugged Namjoon’s hair, whining. “Let me come,” she complained, squeezing her thighs around their shoulders as well as she could. Namjoon leaned forward and flicked his tongue over her clit, huffing a laugh when she whined.

“Think we should?” He asked Jin, who smirked.

“Well, we could. Or you could fuck her until she can’t come anymore while I fuck you. Alternatively,” he brushed his finger over Halsey’s ass as he spoke. “Two places fo drive her crazy... Then when she’s worn out I can fuck you until you can’t squeeze another drop of come out.”

Namjoon’s breathing i creased at Jin’s words. He glanced up at Halsey, his heart swelling. Her pastel rainbow hair was splayed on their dark pillow case, cheeks a rosy pink and lips swollen from biting. Her nipples peaked the thin fabric of his shirt, breasts shaking as she drew in breaths.

“We’ll both fuck you, baby. As much as this is my present... I know your secret fantasies too. You’ve wanted to know what it feels like for years haven’t you? Why you love me fucking you with a plug in.”

Halsey swallowed hard and nodded. “I want you in my ass, Namjoon.”

Namjoon nodded.

“Namjoon?” Jin asked.

Namjoon looked over, a little surprised at the soft expression on Jin’s face.

“Have you ever been fucked before?”

“Only with toys. Halsey has a strap she uses and some dildos...”

“He’s bigger than those. That was my one request when I called his agency,” Halsey said.

“Do you mind if I start getting you ready while you get her ready?”

“We have some toys if you want.” Halsey pointed to the nearby dresser. “Bottom drawer. We need the lube there anyway.”

Jin nodded and rose. Namjoon reached out, catching his wrist.

“Show me your cock?”

Jin nodded. He undid his jeans and pushed them down, stepping out of them. Namjoon made a small noise, his stomach clenching in excitement. Jin was thick and long, curving just a little. He was going to be wrecked. But not before...

“He’s gonna stretch you all out, baby girl,” Namjoon whispered, driving two fingers deep I to her. Halsey whined.

“I know. I want him to. Especially with you stretching me too... Dream come true.”

Namjoon smirked. Halsey pushed his head.

“Get me ready... It’s been a while since you fucked my ass, I’m tight.”

Namjoon nodded. He settled back between her thighs and tilted her hips up, beginning to lick and nibble at her fluttering ass. He felt Jin crawl behind him and tried to ignore the way his heart raced at the soft ghost of breath over his bare ass, or the firm prod of Jin’s fingers against his mostly untouched hole. He focused on Halsey; the way she scratched at his scalp and her soft moans, the sweet taste of her skin and smell of her soap, the dribble of arousal slipping from her opening when she tensed.

But even that couldn’t distract completely from Jin’s talented fingers and tongue, opening him up, stretching him and prepping him for his first real cock. There was no pain, even when Jin began to press one of their larger plugs into him and thrust it.

“Wear this while we fuck her,” Jin mumbled after a while. He settled it inside Namjoon, gently squeezing his ass around it. Namjoon nodded.

“How is she?”

“Ready,” Namjoon said. He rolled off next to Halsey and pressed a kiss to her mouth. “Whenever you’re ready.”

“One question,” Jin said, gently stroking himself. “Do you want me come inside of you? I’m infertile, but I know some people...”

“I want it in me.” Halsey spoke with no hesitation, then looked over at Namjoon. “And I want you to eat it out of me while he’s pounding your asshole. Deal?”

Namjoon shivered. “Deal.”

Halsey sat up, letting Jin add more lube to her hole. She set her hands on his shoulders, facing him and away from Namjoon. Gently, with both of their guidance, she settled her ass onto Namjoon’s cock.

He huffed, struggling to stay still as her right, hot channel took him deeper. When she was fully seated on his lap, he shifted into a half sitting position and pulled her back. He undid the buttons on her shirt, baring her breasts to Jin.

Jin smiled and reached out, cupping them gently before rolling her nipples gently in between his thumbs and forefingers.

“Wait,” Namjoon panted when Jin readied himself between their legs. “Come up here... I wanna taste your cock.”

Confusion crossed Jin’s expression for a moment, and Namjoon wondered if he’d never been asked that before. He obeyed though, and the two went to work, licking and sucking his cock and balls. Jin jerked, smacking the wall above the headboard and crying out. He sounded just as beautiful as he looked, especially when his head fell back and he buried his long fingers in their hair. Namjoon couldn’t wait to hear him make those happy noises buried deep inside him.

When his cock was wet with their spit and dripping with precome, Namjoon kissed his tip.

“Fuck her. Make us both come, Jin... Make her scream for you.”

Jin shivered visibly at Namjoon’s words. Halsey spread her legs wider, whimpering when it caused Namjoon’s cock to shift deep inside her.  Jin lined his cock up.

“How long have you been dating?” He asked suddenly.

“Almost seven years,” Namjoon said.

“And she’s never had another man’s cock inside her in that time?”

Halsey shook her head no. Jin smirked. ”Glad to be the first then, in so long.” He drove in, not stopping until his balls were pressed tight against her, her wetness easing the way as much as their spit.

Both Halsey and Namjoon shouted at the penetration, reaching out for Jin. He kissed each of their mouths before beginning to fuck into her. Each thrust had her shifting and grinding on Namjoon, her entire body shuddering under the combined stimulation.

“Does that feel good?” Namjoon teased, twisting his hips up into her. Halsey shouted, nodding. Namjoon reached up, squeezing her breasts gently as they thrusted. “Dream come true? Hm? I bet you’re gonna come quick. You’re already so wet, listen to you.”

Halsey sobbed happily, and Jin moaned as she clenched around him. Namjoon picked up his pace, looking up at Jin.

He was startled to see what looked almost like affection, despite their position. He smiled anyway, stroking Jin’s cheek. “Does it feel good?”

Jin nodded quickly, gasping. “Warm and nice, I— god it’s so good.” Jin dropped his head between her breasts, moving a little faster. Halsey reached down and grabbed his ass, urging him on.

Namjoon shifted so he could pump more easily into her ass, smirking when both she and Jin cried out.

“That’s it,” he urged them both, already fighting his own urge to come. “She’s so close... Come on our cocks, baby... Come on Hal...”

Halsey swore softly, clenching down on both their cocks as she fought off her orgasm. They were relentless though, fucking into her clenching and writhing body as she cried their names.

She dug her nails into Jin’s back suddenly, her body going stiff then shivering between them. Namjoon felt the gush of wetness over his thighs and smirked against her shoulder.

“That’s it baby girl. His big cock making you squirt, come on. Show him how you like it.”

Jin pushed her legs open further, driving as hard as he could into her. She continued to gush and squirt around him, obscene squelching noises adding to the already pornographic sound of their lovemaking.

Jin whimpered, and Namjoon saw his arms shake.

“Come in her. Deep inside. Come on, let us watch you come,” he pleaded, picking up the speed of his thrusts. Halsey moaned helplessly, holding tight to both Namjoon and Jin as Jin grabbed her hips, slamming into her.

He groaned loudly, burying his face in her shoulder as he came. His cock throbbed against her inner walls, hard enough that Namjoon could feel each pulse, a signal of rope after rope of warm come being poured into his exhausted girlfriend.

Jin pulled out carefully and helped Halsey off Namjoon. The two cuddled her for a moment, one on each side, kissing and stroking her sweat covered skin, making sure she was alright.

Only when she giggled and pushed Namjoon’s shoulder did they take the okay to continue. Namjoon slid down between her legs, his stomach doing an excited little flip at the state of her body. Come was already dripping out of her loosened hole, her ass fluttering gently as it tried to go back to the way it was before Namjoon’s cock. He licked a stripe from her ass up to her sore clit, chuckling when she hissed and smacked him.

“So mean,” she grumbled.

“You wanted me to eat you out.”

“Be gentle,” she murmured. “I’m so sleepy.”

“Should we stop?” Jin worried. Halsey shook her head.

“No... He’ll clean me up, and then I’m relaxing, and you can fuck the living daylights out of him all you want.”

Jin smirked and Namjoon beamed. He dove in, lapping and sucking at Halsey’s folds. Jin’s come was heaven, a perfect mix of salty and bitter, a tang of sweet that couldn’t be identified. As he worked on Halsey, Jin moved down to work on his ass again, wanting to make sure he was ready.

Namjoon whined softly at the stretch of his fingers, twisting his hips back toward Jin. Halsey whined, burying her fingers in Namjoon’s hair.

“It’s too much,” she whispered, her entire body giving a shudder when Namjoon flicked her swollen clit with his tongue. He smirked up at her.

“He wear you out?” He teased.

“He’ll do the same to you,” Halsey said. Namjoon shivered; Jin pressed firmly against his prostate as she had spoken, a quiet agreement to her words.

“I’m ready,” he said, looking back at Jin.

“You sure?”

Namjoon nodded. “I’m sure.”

Jin crawled up and Namjoon rolled to the side of Halsey, taking her hand and spreading his legs so Jin could settle between them.

Namjoon grinned up at him, meeting Jin’s gaze when he laid over his body.

“Fancy meeting you here,” he joked. Jin laughed softly, leaning down to press a kiss to Namjoon’s mouth.

“Relax for me, okay?”

Namjoon nodded. Jin slicked himself and lined up. “You said you’ve never...”

“Not with a guy, no.”

“I’m honored.”

Namjoon flushed red at Jin’s words, looking away. Halsey smiled softly at him, squeezing his hand.

Jin began to press in gently, slowing to a stop whenever Namjoon’s expression shifted.

Namjoon felt unbearably full even with just the head of Jin’s cock nudging past his rim. He kept a hold of Halsey’s hand, his other on a Jin’s shoulder, squeezing when it got to be too overwhelming. He was relieved Jin didn’t seem to mind taking his time, willingly stopping or pulling back as a Namjoon adjusted to the intrusion. Jin leaned down, pressing feather soft kisses along Namjoon’s shoulder.

“You’re so tight and nice,” he murmured, and Namjoon chuckled.

“I doubt I’m the first virgin you’ve fucked.”

“Hm... You’re not. But you’re the first I’ve felt such a funny way about.”

Namjoon furrowed his brows. Jin looked at him, furrowing his own brows to mirror the expression. “What?”

“What funny way?” Namjoon asked.

The crease between Jin’s brows deepened. “I’m not sure.”

“Maybe... When you don’t have your cock halfway in him, you two can talk about it?” Halsey suggested, laughing a little. “He is a shrink for your kind.”

“Hm... Good idea.” Jin smiled and leaned over, kissing Halsey gently before beginning his slow slide back into Namjoon.

When he was as deep as he could go, Jin relaxed over Namjoon, their mouths meeting in a lazy kiss. Namjoon hooked his legs around Jin’s slim waist.

He pulled back, looking up at Jin. “You can move.”

Jin nodded. He pulled out slowly and pushed back in, moaning when Namjoon clenched and fluttered around his cock.

He picked up a slow, almost lazy pace, pumping his hips and twisting to get every bit of himself that he could into Namjoon. He alternated between kissing him slowly and leaning over to kiss Halsey’s mouth, one hand slipping down to play with her despite her giggling, weak protests.

“Have you ever come untouched, Namjoon?” Jin panted. Namjoon shook his head no.

“You will tonight... You’re going to come on my cock.”

Namjoon nodded. He had no doubt Jin was making him a promise, and with the steady thrusts against his sensitive prostate, he was well on his way already.

“Wanna ride me?”

“I— I doubt I’d be any good.”

“I’m not gonna judge,” Jin said. “I’m gonna make our girl squirt again, it’ll be easier if I’m on my back.”

Namjoon’s heart skipped a beat at the casual use of “our girl”. He couldn’t be falling for a damn prostitute - it was just lust, he reminded himself. He nodded, letting Jin pull out and moving to straddle him when he laid on his back.

“Come on, just chase your pleasure. Do what feels good.”

“But I wanna make you come too,” Namjoon argued.

“Joonie, you’re so tight that just being inside you is going to make me come, I promise.” Jin guided Namjoon back onto his cock, gasping when Namjoon began to ride him. He slipped two fingers into Halsey, rubbing her spot in time with Namjoon.

He guided Namjoon down on his cock over and over, his fingers biting into Namjoon’s hip. Namjoon felt so full, but never wanted it to stop. Each time Jin moaned or shifted, he swelled with pride, wanting so badly to bring Jin pleasure.

Next to them, Halsey fucked herself down on Jin’s fingers, his thumb working her clit as she chased her own orgasm.

“You were made for my cock, weren’t you, Joonie?” Jin cooed. “Taking it so deep, so easy.”

He looked to Halsey, kissing her flushed cheek. “You’re gonna have to fuck his ass all the time after this... See how needy he is for it?”

Both Halsey and Namjoon moaned, and Namjoon began to move faster in quiet agreement.

“Maybe we’ll just have you come fuck him all the time,” she panted, looking over at Jin. He smiled almost sadly for a split second.

“That would be fun,” he agreed. He added another finger and twisted to hit her spot exactly. Halsey’s eyes rolled back as she came, shouting Jin’s name. She gushed over his thrusting fingers, her thighs squeezing and releasing around his hand.

“Atta girl,” Jin murmured. “Knew we could pump one more good orgasm out of you tonight. Look so pretty when you come.” He kissed the corner of her mouth and pulled his hand free. He raised it, sucking two fingers into his mouth. Namjoon whined, his cock twitching as he watched.

Jin smirked and lifted his hand, letting Namjoon suck his finger and lick Halsey’s remaining fluid from his palm.

“Now it’s your turn,” Jin said. He gripped Namjoon’s hips hard and sat up, beginning to slam him down on his cock. Namjoon held onto his shoulders, throwing his head back in a shout as Jin used his body, lifting him like a rag doll before dropping him down.

“J—Jin,” Namjoon whined against his shoulder. His orgasm was building, a knot of fire in his stomach as Jin’s cock pounded against his insides.

“Come on,” Jin demanded, holding him close. “You can do it, baby. Come on my cock, Namjoon. Come for me, baby boy.”

Namjoon sobbed brokenly. “Jin, please!” He shouted, digging his nails into Jin’s shoulders. Jin snapped his hips upward twice, and that was all it took.

Namjoon’s cock throbbed and twitched between them as he came, his entire body shuddering and clenching. He was vaguely aware that he was yelling, the sound muffled by Jin’s shoulder.

Jin’s arms tightened around him, then he felt it. The steady, hard pulse of Jin’s cock, buried to the hilt inside him, filling him. Namjoon’s cock throbbed, giving another weakened dribble of come each time Jin’s cock twitched against his oversensitive prostate.

Namjoon felt boneless by the time they’d both come down from their orgasms. Jin carefully laid them down, and Halsey shifted, slinging her arm over them both. Namjoon smiled softly at the warm, comforting cuddle of them both. It felt... Oddly right.

He very nearly had fallen asleep when Jin shifted, pulling his softening cock free and sitting up. “Do you mind if I use the restroom to clean up before I go?”

“How soon do you need to go?”

“Well, no time limit. Halsey put in the order for two hours minimum with a potential of eight. It’s been just nearly two. But since we’re done…”

“Stay and talk to us, if you want to,” Namjoon said. Jin’s brows furrowed.

“Why?”

“Well, you… Said you felt a funny way. Least I can do is try to help you figure that out.”

“Surely you don’t want to pay for that.”

“I don’t mind,” Halsey said. “I’m… Curious. And I’m feeling a funny way myself. Maybe it’ll help. Namjoonie always says androids and humans have more in common than people realize.”

Jin smiled a little, looking between them. “Alright. I’ll clean up then come out.”

“Bathroom is the second door on the left.”

Jin bowed in thanks and headed out. Halsey turned to Namjoon. “You’re falling for him.”

“Hal—Don’t.”

“I’m right.”

Namjoon lowered his gaze, ashamed.

“I am too,” she whispered.

Namjoon looked up at her. “What?”

“It’s stupid, right? He’s a prostitute. And he’s not even human.”

“Hey now, you know how I feel about that division… Human or not he’s got feelings and emotions just like us.”

“I know,” she chuckled. “You and your work.”

“But it’s more than that… That felt…” Namjoon shrugged. “But it is stupid. I know it’s his job to make us feel good.”

“To be honest, I hate the idea of him leaving,” Halsey admitted.

“Me too… But he has to.”

“What if he doesn’t want to, Namjoon?” Namjoon startled, his head snapping toward the doorway. Jin stood in it, looking sheepish and somewhat small despite his size. “Sorry… I didn’t mean to eavesdrop, I just overheard…”

Namjoon shook his head. “We were talking about you anyway, that was rude of us.”

Jin pulled on his boxers and Namjoon followed suit. Halsey slipped on her panties and a baggy t-shirt, combing her fingers through her hair. “Let’s go to the kitchen and chat. I’m hungry.”

The three made their way to the kitchen. Namjoon dug around in the fridge for a moment while Halsey and Jin sat at the table.

“When you said you didn’t want to leave…” Halsey began.

“I’ve had a lot of clients,” Jin admitted. “More than most. I’m a high-end model, I guess… But it’s always been a job for me.”

“But now?”

“You two made me feel something… New. An emotion I can’t understand. Which is really scary to me because… I’ve had emotions programmed into me, right? Namjoon, you study my kind, you can explain.”

“I do study the emotions of your kind, Jin. And I can tell you that programming only provides the framework. Think of it like… A farmer in a field. Your developer was that farmer. He made a safe space to grow things – your body. And he planted seeds – your original software. Every now and then he comes by and waters the seeds or feeds them, giving the software updates and patches. But what happens if that farmer goes away and the farm is left to its own devices?” Namjoon asked, slicing up some fruits as he spoke.

“Won’t it die?”

“Will it? Or will it thrive and become something new and wild and unplanned? That’s what my job is to find out. Some fields – some androids – will die without their developer’s input. But others… They grow and learn and shift and change on their own, even without software patches and updates. That’s what may have happened with you. Your mind – it may have created a new network. A new emotion that you were never taught.”

“Isn’t that sentience? I can’t be—”

“But why?” Halsey reached out and took one of Jin’s hands. “I sit here and I see a man. You’re ridiculously beautiful, but you are a man. Your hands feel like mine – soft and warm. The bones under your skin feel like my own made of calcium and collagen, rather than metal and wires. You have a strong pulse, a heartbeat that will stop without proper care. You breathe and move and speak. If you stood in a crowd of humans – Would anyone say you weren’t?”

Jin scowled a little, thinking. “I—I don’t know.”

“I do. Learned emotion or not, you are here. What does your programming say? Go to their house, make them come, leave. But you didn’t. You stayed and you’re sitting here and asking questions that don’t have to do with fucking or aftercare or prostitution. You’re asking about emotions and sentience and life. Just like a human might, no matter what their profession.”

“Are you saying I’m human?” Jin asked, a teasing tone in his voice.

“I’m saying you’re as good as human.”

“What are you two?” Jin asked suddenly. Halsey smiled.

“I’m human. I sing, and write music for singers.”

“And I’m just a man. Born as an infant – human. But my work… I advocate for androids. For allowing full freedom,” Namjoon said.

“Where do you work, Namjoon?”

“The Sentience Project.” Jin pulled back suddenly, his eyes widening. He glanced at Halsey, who scowled in confusion.

“What is it?” She asked.

“Th- The Sentience Project?”

“You know about us,” Namjoon said. Jin nodded quickly.

“You shouldn’t talk to me. My owner—”

“Your pimp… Let’s be real. He was a peach,” Halsey mumbled.

“He hates your kind,” Jin hissed.

“My kind?” Namjoon asked.

Jin nodded. “Android lovers, he calls you. He thinks you want to make robots take over the world, enslave humans. We’ve only heard stories of what you do. What you can do.”

“Do you believe that, Jin?”

Jin’s shoulders sagged a little. “I don’t know. I think… I think I don’t know enough.”

“Do you want to know more?”

“Why would you tell me? I’m just a hooker.”

“You said you felt a funny way with me. How did you feel?”

“It was odd. While we were making love—Having sex, I—When I looked at you two I felt my heart skip out of rhythm. My software doesn’t allow that. It can speed up and slow down but it’s always got a rhythm. And then I felt like I was sweating. I can sweat, a little – just… Water that’s been added to make me look more human doing my job, I guess, but… But it felt different. Like nerves almost. I wanted to make you two feel so good, and not just because I wanted you to be customers for longer, but because I wanted to make you smile. And my stomach… It felt like it was getting all my wires twisted up. Uncomfortable but not bad. It made me want to smile and laugh. And when you two were laying in my arms, I—I felt safe and comfortable. I never feel safe at client’s houses. I know it’s dangerous. But with you, it was warm.”

“Was the emotion of romantic love ever programmed into your system, Seokjin?” Namjoon asked.

“Romantic love? No. I know of it. But there was no need for it. I’m in the sex trade. If I went around falling in love with my clients there would be problems.”

“Alright. Do you know what physical symptoms love is often described as having?”

Jin’s brows furrowed in thought. “Well, I… I’ve heard that hearts race and things seem brighter and I read that someone talked about having butterflies in their stomach whenever they looked at the partner they had fallen for. I mean these are all very surface things that happen right away, surely love doesn’t stay so overwhelming, but this is…” Jin’s face twisted further, trying to process the knowledge he’d inadvertently put together. “But I was never programmed to feel this.”

“My point exactly,” Namjoon said. He returned to the table and set a plate of fruits in front of Halsey. He sat next to her and set his hand over hers.

“And Jin?” She said, squeezing Namjoon’s hand. “It can stay overwhelming sometimes. Most of the time things are normal, mundane even between us, but sometimes I get so overwhelmed with how much I’m in love with him, my heart just…”

“Feels like it’s going to jump out of your chest?” Jin asked, touching his own heart.

Halsey nodded, smiling gently. “You know the feeling?”

“I— I didn’t until about an hour ago,” Jin whispered. He looked at Namjoon, desperation streaking across his features. “Please help. What does it mean? Am I broken?”

“No!” Namjoon laughed. “The opposite. Jin you’re learning completely independently of your software.”

“That’s impossible.”

“Why? Hm? Because you’ve been told it’s impossible? If it is, why would places like The Sentience Project exist? Why would there be therapists for androids? Why would I make my whole career out of proving that independent learning – that true sentience is possible for androids just as easily as for humans?”

“What do I do?”

“What do you want?”

“I—” Jin closed his mouth, surprised by the question.

“You’ve never been asked that before, have you?” Halsey asked between bites. Jin shook his head.

“Think about it. What does Seokjin want? Not the company, not his software – Him?”

“How will I know if it’s what I want?”

“You’ll know,” Namjoon said, taking a bite of the food. The three sat in silence. Outside the apartment, car horns honked, neon flashed through the sheer curtains, and the night life continued as normal as could be, none the wiser to the dilemma roiling in Jin’s mind.

“I want to feel that feeling again,” Jin finally whispered. “How do I get it back?”

Namjoon looked over at Halsey. She grinned and nodded. He rose and pulled Jin into a standing position, brushing his hair out of his face. Jin smiled sheepishly. “Yeah, like this…”

“Thought so.”

Halsey stepped up to them and stroked Jin’s jaw. She wrapped her hand around the back of his neck and pulled him into a kiss. Jin made a soft noise of contentment, reaching for Namjoon while he kissed Halsey. When the two separated, he let Namjoon pull him into another kiss.

“Did that make you feel it again?” Namjoon asked against his mouth. Jin nodded, his eyes closed tight.

He seemed reluctant to back up, so Halsey and Namjoon both held him close, saying nothing.

“I want to stay,” Jin whispered.

“We want you to stay too,” Halsey agreed.

“So how do we make it happen?” Namjoon asked.

“I don’t know,” Jin admitted. “I can’t just quit my job – it’s not that kind of work. And I’m not human, I’m just technology.”

“You’re as close to human as you need to be, Jin. Don’t say such things,” Namjoon argued.

“Still. Not in the eyes of the man who owns me.”

“How do things work in this line of business?” Halsey asked. She sat back down to finish her food. Jin shook his head.

“It’s a mess. We just keep getting updates and fixed up until we finally break down. The only way to get out is to break down to the point we just don’t work anymore – Die, pretty much… Or be purchased by a client.”

“And those that are purchased?” Namjoon asked. He and Jin sat down as well.

“They’re owned by the ones that purchased them. Usually for sex toys or I’ve heard that some businessmen purchase a few of us to entertain international clients.”

“So, slaves,” Namjoon said, distaste clear in his voice.

“It’s not a requirement of course, that’s just the only reason people bother to buy us outright instead of just renting us.”

Namjoon nodded. He looked over to Halsey, who was scowling at her food.

“Who do we talk to about buying you?” Halsey asked.

“You can’t,” Jin whispered.

“Why not?” She pushed.

“Look at me. I’m top of the line. A purchase of one that makes the kind of money I make—” Jin shook his head. “My owner won’t let me go for cheap.”

“I don’t doubt that. You’re exquisite,” Namjoon admitted, and Jin laughed a little, his cheeks reddening. Namjoon touched his face. “Do you want to be free, Jin?”

“I want to be with you two.” Jin answered without hesitation, making Namjoon’s heart skip a beat.

“I might have a way to make it work. It’s a long shot… But I could make a call.”

“What would you do?”

Namjoon looked over at Halsey as he spoke. “My boss.”

“Joon… Would he?” Halsey asked.

Namjoon nodded. “He would, but there’d be a catch.”

“What catch?”

Namjoon sighed. “I told you I worked for The Sentience Project. Do you want to know what we’re working on? You can’t tell a soul if I tell you.”

“Yes.”

Namjoon rose. He disappeared from the kitchen for a moment and returned with a thin silver folder. He set it in front of Jin, placing his hand over it. The folder beeped at his touch, and he pulled it open. Inside were rows of small chips.

“Do you have a reader implanted, or do you need an external reader?”

“I have an implant. Which one?”

“All of them. Seeing the research is going to be far clearer than me telling you, and probably faster. I can give you the short of it, but the details – They’re all here. This is confidential work, even Halsey hasn’t seen it all.”

“Not that I want to… Boring is what it is,” Halsey joked, making Namjoon smile over at her.

“Right. But because you are an android – I want you to know this before telling you what the catch will be.”

Jin nodded. He picked up the first chip, a tiny blue thing no bigger than a coin. He placed it on his palm and closed his fist loosely. Namjoon sat down and continued to eat when Jin closed his eyes, knowing it would take a bit to read and process the data for the 23 chips sitting in the folder. It went back years, since before he was working at the company, but he had had to scour it backwards and forwards, learning everything there was to know about the project’s work up until that point.

Halsey reached over, taking his hand. She watched Jin for a moment, his eyes moving rapidly under his closed lids. Her expression was gentle and patient. Namjoon squeezed her hand for a second until she looked at him. He offered a comforting smile despite his own stuttering heart. Meanwhile, Jin switched the chips, his expression unreadable.

When Jin placed the last chip back into the folder and shut it, he looked over at Namjoon. “You want to free all of us.”

“I want all of those that are capable of sentience to have it. It’s a right.”

“But we’re made. We’re built.”

“Jin… When my parents had me, how was I given to them? Was I dropped out of the sky by some magical process? No. I was built from DNA strands provided by their bodies. You were built by coding strands provided by minds. Show me the difference? Show me why I deserve freedom and you deserve slavery.”

“I’ve never thought of it like that.”

“Most haven’t. And that’s why people like your owner get so mad at people like me. And my company. And that’s why we’re working on the sentience trigger.”

“It’s a killswitch.”

“The opposite. It’s a life switch. It’s a failsafe we want in every android capable of learning that will trigger the second that learning becomes independent. If you had it, I truly believe yours would have triggered tonight. We understand that not every android will ever learn independently and we know that some are just not built for that. We also know that androids do need software updates and patches and help up until that point.”

“What about me? Won’t I still need updates?”

“Maybe. Or you could just take a chip and learn the new information the normal way. The way me or Hal have learned it.”

“But my body…”

“There are thousands of scientists work on just the hardware of androids, same as thousands of doctors work on just our human bodies.”

“You’re saying I’d be human.”

“Damn close. No one would need to know you were android unless you wanted them to, or you got cut or something.”

“So what’s the catch?”

Namjoon nodded, knowing that would be the next question. “The catch is… I think I can get my company to fund your purchase. We have a chunk of funding set aside to buy androids for research…. So they would do it, I think… But you’d have to work for us. With us.”

“Why me? Surely you could spend that money on a better android or a clean one. A fresh one.”

“That’s just it, we don’t want fresh off the conveyor androids. We want ones who have been living. We want ones in different professions. I don’t need to tell you how… Unhappy certain people are with our project. So certain professions… They’re hard to get androids from. Yours in particular has been a thorn for us.”

“Nobody wants to give up their prostitutes… We don’t need sentience.”

“Well, your owners would have you believe that. So this opportunity – it would help us. But… You’d be free.”

“What would working for The Sentience Project entail as an android?”

“We have the chip. We’ve tested it, it works. The only problem is it works only on certain types of software, and that’s what we’re testing now. We need to make sure it works with software for every profession. And, right now it only works in the on position. We haven’t been able to get it to trigger from an off position yet. Which is why we aren’t advocating for it to be put into new androids yet – we want it as a failsafe for sentience, not as a market standard.”

“Because fully sentient, non-intelligent androids would be bad,” Jin agreed and Namjoon nodded.

“So we would install it in you.”

“What happens if it fails?”

“Nothing. You’d remain the same. If it works – it kills all ownership. You’d have no GPS tracker, you’d be unable to communicate directly with your owner via whatever method they use, it would kill all ties. No software updates, just hardware ones that can be done by any android scientist in that field. You’d be capable of upgrading software if you wanted, but it wouldn’t cause a critical system failure if you didn’t like now. The ultimate patch, so to speak. If it doesn’t work, you’d still be owned, technically. Your owner would be me – I know that your current owner won’t sell you to The Sentience Project, but he may sell you to an independent buyer. So as long as you’d be okay with that… I can make the call. It’s up to you.”

“If it works, or if it fails – How do I pay the project back?”

“Let them do testing. It won’t kill you, it might be uncomfortable, but you’ll be safe. And you’ll be mine – either in legal ownership or because you’re… I hope… Dating me and Halsey. So they won’t do anything that I don’t approve, and I’ll discuss all of it with you before approving it.”

“So it would be a job, pretty much.”

“Exactly. And while you were paying back the Project, of course, they’d maintain you, your hardware and software as needed. Once you were paid back, we’d discuss future employment options.”

Jin nodded. “Yes. Yes, I – I want this. I want to be with you two.” He looked over at Halsey, his gaze hopeful. She smiled warmly.

“We want to be with you too, baby. Namjoon… Make the call.”

Namjoon smiled and nodded. He rose, grabbing his phone and hurrying into the other room.

Jin stared at his hands, his brows furrowed.

“You okay? I know it’s a lot to take in.” Halsey said. She began to clean up the dishes as she spoke.

“I’m scared,” Jin admitted. “I think I am. I’ve never had real reason to be scared before, but this is so big.”

“We don’t have to decide tonight. You can go back to your owner, call for us if you decide to say yes.”

“No. If I go back there he gets my data for the night. He can track my orgasms, my arousal… He’ll ask and I can’t lie to him. I can’t lie.”

“Can’t?”

“Well… I suppose I’m capable of it,” Jin chuckled. “I’m just bad at it.”

“That’s okay, Namjoon hasn’t been able to lie to me since the day I met him.”

Jin rose, helping her with the dishes as they spoke.

“Did you fall for him right away?”

“No. It took about twenty minutes and him walking into two walls trying to talk to me.”

Jin laughed with her, looking through the doorway that Namjoon had disappeared into. “Can I ask you a serious question?”

“Of course.”

“Why? You say you feel something for me, but you two are such a good couple already. If I do this, I—I don’t wanna be a sex slave.”

Halsey nodded. “Fair question.” She hoisted herself up on the counter, tying her hair back as she spoke. “Namjoon and I love each other. We’ve been called the perfect couple by his coworkers and mine. But we’ve always had something missing. I think we both knew it – knew what could possibly fix it, but we were afraid to take that leap. As advanced as the world is, polyamorous couples are still… I’m sure you get that.”

Jin nodded. “Frowned upon, yeah,” he agreed, wiping the plate dry.

“Right. Joon’s friends would accept it, I’m sure… Mine too, but it would be a change. So, we just kinda kept quiet about it, tried to make it work. With his birthday present tonight, I think… I don’t know if I was really doing it for him, or to see if it made sense – if we worked better with a third.”

“And you found out you did,” Jin said. Halsey nodded.

“Right. If it had been any old android I’m sure we would’ve let him go and then talked about it after but you… There’s something about you.”

“Yeah?”

She nodded. “Yeah.” She reached out and grabbed his wrist, pulling him until she could wrap her legs around his waist. “You’re special.” She wrapped her arms around his shoulders. “Do you know that?”

“I’m just Jin.”

“Hm… Yeah. But Jin is special. And I can’t wait to get to know you.”

“You two keep talking about that. Me, thinking and being… But what am I? I don’t know what’s my real personality even, or what’s been programmed into me. Who am I? The only thing that I know is really mine is the way I feel when I look at you two. But I know that’s one small emotion and there’s a whole sea of things that I just… I’m not sure who Jin is, even if you think he is special.”

“Welcome to humanity,” Halsey whispered, bumping her nose against his.

“What?”

She shrugged. “You think we know who we are? No human does. I think androids have a better sense than we do – I mean you guys are told what you are. But not knowing? That’s humanity. The fear that you’re not special, or not the way people want you to be – that’s being a human, Jin. I worry if my music is me or if it’s some bullshit that the radio wants, and I’m faking it for the fans. Namjoon – he’s so afraid that the only reason he’s liked is because he’s some child genius, and no one really cares about the goofy, silly Namjoon inside. Nobody knows who they really are at this age, Jin. That’s okay. That’s why we need friends to help us figure it out.”

Jin smiled a little at her words. “Are you my friend?”

“More than. Joon too.” She nudged his nose again and pressed a gentle kiss to his mouth. “And we’ll hold your hand while you’re figuring out who you are, okay? I won’t let you fall.”

Jin nodded. “If I could cry I would.”

“Did they not install that?”

Jin shook his head. “I can feel the emotion of sadness or… When tears would be applicable but they didn’t install it beyond wetting my eyes.”

Halsey frowned. “Talk to Joon’s boss about getting that installed if you want. I bet it’d be easy.”

Jin laughed a little. “Okay.”

Namjoon entered, leaning on the door frame. “He’s on his way over.”

“He has to come over?” Jin asked. Namjoon nodded.

“A few basic tests. I know you’ll pass them. Then he’ll wire me the funds. Do you know how much your ownership would be?”

“No, I’m sorry. You’ll have to call my boss.”

“Let me,” Halsey said, holding out her hand for her phone. “I talked to this sleaze before.”

Namjoon passed it over and she called the number, winking at Jin. Namjoon wrapped his arms around Jin’s middle, running his fingers lightly over his fit stomach. Halsey hopped off the counter and padded into the other room, her expression stern as she introduced herself.

“She could have worked the stock exchange, I swear. The woman is a killer with negotiation.”

“Perhaps a lawyer,” Jin offered and Namjoon laughed.

“Good point. Do you need a shower or anything before my boss gets here?”

“Do I smell?”

“Like heaven,” Namjoon said. Jin chuckled.

“Then no… What tests is he going to do?”

“Basic ones, checking your software, hardware, some basic questions. Nothing too invasive, and Halsey and I will be right here the whole time.”

“Is he kind?”

“Yeah, he’s a sweet man. He started off as a robotics developer and has just moved upward. You’ll like him, I think.”

In the other room, Halsey made a noise of frustration, drawing their attention. “Uh oh,” Namjoon mumbled.

“No, you listen to me, sir. I may sound young but I know how this works. That is a ridiculous price. I know what a new model goes for and that’s far beyond it.”

Jin giggled behind his hand. “She’s got a temper… It’s amazing.”

“She knows what she wants, and she isn’t afraid to get it. It’s one of the reasons I fell for her. I’m a smart guy, see? And a lot of times… People gave me this dumb respect just for that instead of getting to know me. Like my IQ somehow garnered me some royalty. I’m just an idiot twenty-something though. She saw right through that bullshit and had zero problem telling me off when I was acting like a cocky asshole. I really appreciated that.” He shrugged.

“She also told me you walked into multiple walls after you two first met.”

“Okay, the first one was an accident – and it wasn’t a wall! It was a glass door.”

Jin laughed helplessly, and Namjoon grinned. His heart stuttered at the sound of Jin’s laughter. He knew he wanted to hear it more and more.

Halsey scolded the person on the phone once more, earning another fit of giggles from both Jin and Namjoon. She stormed back in, her cheeks flushed and eyes dark with anger.

“That man is a fucker and I hope he gets massive diarrhea in the middle of vigorous sex.”

“Didn’t go well?”

“Oh, it went fine.” Halsey handed Namjoon the phone, a number printed on the screen.

“This is a steal,” Namjoon said. “No way.”

“I was well on my way to threatening physical harm if he didn’t lower the cost. We would have paid it, you’re worth it,” she assured Jin, “but I’m not giving that ass the satisfaction of a good paycheck if I can help it.”

“This will definitely be doable for the company.” Namjoon kissed Halsey deeply. “I still wish you’d let us hire you for negotiations.”

“You couldn’t afford me,” Halsey teased.

“Hm, maybe not, but you’d look damn good running our business meetings.”

“Now, that’s just sexist.” She pushed him lightly. “I’m going to go put actual clothes on before your boss shows up.”

Namjoon’s boss was a handsome older man by the name of Seungryong. Dark hair and dark eyes, he observed Jin from a distance before approaching and offering his hand. Jin bowed low, holding his hand tightly for a moment.

“Thank you for being willing to examine me for the role you need,” he said softly.

“You’re quite polite. How long have you been working?”

“Some years. Six, I think? I’m not really sure, I’m sorry.”

“Does your owner do updates regularly?”

“Yes, every six months on the dot. I just had one last week.”

“Do you mind if I take a peek?”

“Sure.” Jin sat on the couch and Namjoon sat close to him.

“You said he is displaying signs of sentience?” Seungryong asked. He opened a small briefcase and pulled out some cords.

“Yes. A new learned emotion.”

“Love?”

Namjoon nodded. “Would you like some coffee?”

“You know me too well.” Namjoon smiled. He squeezed Jin’s thigh.

“You okay?” Jin nodded, holding out his arm for the cords.

Halsey took Namjoon’s place, wrapping her arm loosely around Jin’s middle.

“How have you been, Hal?”

“Okay. Working on a new song,” she said.

He nodded. “My daughter loves what you put out, we’ll keep an eye out for it.” Now, Seokjin, is it?” He asked, pressing the cords into the tiny spot that opened for them on Jin’s palm.

“Yes, sir.”

“Have you been in the escort profession your entire life?”

“Yes.”

“Same owner?”

Jin nodded.

“And he’s – I’m guessing… Not a friend of The Sentience Project.” As he spoke, he flipped through various files on the screen connected to the cords.

“Not at all. But he’s willing to sell to an independent buyer.”

“Have you discussed price?”

Halsey nodded. She slid over the paper with the price on it.

“Hm, not bad at all… May I ask why?”

“That would be my doing,” Halsey said. “His original price was three times as much. He’s scum, but he’s stupid. And I’m smart, if I say so myself.”

Seungryong laughed. “You are, God knows Namjoon praises your brains enough. I believe it. It looks like your software is up to date… A few odd neural networks that I would like to look at in more detail, but I think I can attribute that to independent learning.”

“Will it break me somehow?”

“Not at all. The fascinating thing about androids of your type is that once independent learning has begun, the neural networks work almost entirely independently. They build off of the software, yes, but they essentially patch and network all themselves. It’s why our sentience switch works – it essentially kills that part of the network that needs those updates and allows the independent networking to build it freely.”

“It’s literally humanizing machines.”

Seungryung shrugged. “It’s been said. A few simple tests of intelligence now, if you don’t mind.” He unplugged Jin and tucked away the screen before pulling out a book.

“Read this quickly now.”

The tests continued on for a few hours, back and forth between the two. Namjoon’s nerves were shot, fears that Jin for some reason wouldn’t pass, or would decide he’d had enough of it and would change his mind. Each time a test was passed, he was relieved – one step closer.

Finally, Seungryung closed his briefcase and nodded.

“I want to test the chip on you. You might be our best subject yet.”

“Really?”

“Yes. The money has been wired to your account, Namjoon. I’ll see you and Jin in the office bright and early on Monday… Take tomorrow off and the weekend – get some nice clothes, get him accustomed to a free life.”

Jin rose and bowed low. “Thank you. Thank you so much.”

“Don’t thank me, you’re helping us. But Jin? You need a last name. Think on one, so I can put it on the paperwork next week, okay?”

“Yes, sir.”

Namjoon shook Seungryung’s hand. “Thank you,” he whispered.

“You know half those tests weren’t necessary,” Seungryung whispered.

“Why did you do them?”

“To see how you and Halsey would react… And how he responded to you… You say he just learned sentience tonight but he… He is so bright.  I can’t wait to start working with him. He’s so clever, and handsome… If he keeps up this rate, we might have a switch that can be advocated for by the end of the year… And you might be dating our poster boy.”

Namjoon chuckled and looked back at Jin, who was cuddling on the couch with Halsey as she spoke on the phone.

“I’m just glad he’s here, and he agreed… I never planned…”

“You never plan for love, my boy. Enjoy your weekend with your new partner. We’ll talk Monday.”

“Thank you again.”

Seungryung nodded and headed out.

Namjoon settled onto the couch behind Jin, resting his head on his shoulder. Halsey held up her phone. The screen showed an email – the ownership papers for Seokjin, now in Kim Namjoon’s name.

“He’s ours.”

“He’s free,” Namjoon whispered, kissing Jin’s neck. Jin smiled softly, reading over the email again and again.

“I’m free…”

“What do you want to do with your first night of freedom, baby?” Halsey asked.

“I want to cuddle my partners. Kiss you both… Spend the evening watching films and feeling… Human. Learning.”

“I think we can arrange that,” Namjoon said. He shifted over enough to kiss Jin’s lips, not missing the way Jin’s breath caught as he did. Halsey moved next, kissing Namjoon and then Jin, laughing a little as she did.

Namjoon hadn’t planned on anything more than a fun night for his birthday. Halsey’s gift had certainly spiced things up, but neither could have anticipated just how much it would change things. He’d always felt something missing in his life. But as they cuddled on the couch, sharing kisses and gentle touches, whispering and laughing, Namjoon felt complete. Life with a new partner – an android no less – would have its challenges, but he was up for them. As long as he had Halsey and Jin by his side, they would make it through just fine.

[a-real-chara-cter]

THE POSITIVE & NEGATIVE; MUN & MUSE - MEME.

FILL OUT & REPOST ♥ This meme definitely favors canons more, but I hope OC’s still can make it somehow work with their own lore, and lil’ fandom of friends & mutuals. Multi-Muses pick the muse you are the most invested in atm.

TAGGED BY: @the-judge-of-bones TAGGING: Steal it

MY MUSE IS:  canon / oc / au / CANON-DIVERGENT / fandomless / complicated

Is your character popular in the fandom? YES / NO. Is your character considered hot™ in the fandom? YES / NO / IDK  Is your character considered strong in the fandom?  YES / NO / IDK. Are they underrated?  YES / NO / IDK / KINDA (They're certainly underappreciated, I think - lots of screaming about 'MURDERBRAT CHARA', not much really looking at them as a character) Were they relevant for the main story?  YES / NO / KINDA (Depends on your headcanons, but they're literally the instigator of half the worldbuilding so) Were they relevant for the main character? YES / NO / THEY’RE THE PROTAG (The main character is mistaken for them, and will either finally be seen for who they are, or meet them at the end) Are they widely known in their world? YES / NO. (Duh. Human Prince of Monsters) How’s their reputation?  GOOD / BAD / NEUTRAL (The way I play them, while they're seen as more distant and less approachable than the King, Queen, or the other Prince - they have a reputation for caring and working hard for monsters, and for being, if not easy to work with, then reliable to work with. If they say they'll arrange funding for your work, you can practically start spending the money already.) How strictly do you follow canon?  — Not very strictly at all, really. I diverge in a major way right from the get go, and I have no problems with changing or tweaking details to make them work better, though I'll at least try to get at the -purpose- behind the detail first and see how it can be salvaged.

SELL YOUR MUSE! AKA TRY TO LIST EVERYTHING, WHICH MAKES YOUR MUSE INTERESTING IN YOUR OPINION TO MAKE THEM SPICY FOR YOUR MUTUALS.  —  Regal of bearing, quick of wit, sly of tongue, Determined of heart and dorky of mind. Prince Chara is an exercise in dichotomies, in the liminal spaces between love and hate, hard and soft, hot and cold. If you want to interact with a muse who can be waxing philosophical on the ways feelings can treat and triage emotional wounds one minute and then turn around and flirt through puns the next, here's your enby. If you ever wanted to see what a grown up Chara could have been, here they are.

NOW THE OPPOSITE, LIST EVERYTHING WHY YOUR MUSE COULD NOT BE SO INTERESTING (EVEN IF YOU MAY NOT AGREE, WHAT DOES THE FANDOM PERHAPS THINK?).  —  They're prickly. They trust slowly, and often only at swordpoint at first. They're a Chara, which, well - one of hundreds in the fandom, even if they're a bit different - the differences make them stand out, but also make them closer to an OC, which has its own problems. They like things to go as expected/planned, which can make initial interactions a bit tricky.

WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO RP YOUR MUSE?  —  The mystery of Chara fascinated me about Undertale, and I admit to feeling a strong kinship to them - the Sans Genocide fight certainly didn't help there, because _I love a challenge_, and that fight comes part and parcel with Chara in the surrounding fandom materials. It was a surprise when I started hearing their voice and feeling it looking for an outlet, but not an unwelcome one - it took me a little while to refine exactly who and what my Chara was, which parts of common fanon resonated and which to discard, but I'm quite pleased by the person they've grown into through the journey.

WHAT KEEPS YOUR INSPIRATION GOING?  —  Honestly? Nothing did for a while. I had a bad experience with the fandom that put me off for a long while, and then real life got in the way and Chara retreated into the back corner of my head, only coming out for occasional snippets of conversation with their favorite Asriel or to snark on random moments and things I was doing. I'm not sure what drew them more fully out of hiding exactly, but it's been really great to get into the swing of writing them again.

SOME MORE PERSONAL QUESTIONS FOR THE MUN.

Give your mutuals some insight about the way you are in some matters, which could lead them to get more comfortable with you or perhaps not.

Do you think you give your character justice?  YES / NO / SORT OF? Do you frequently write headcanons?  YES / NO / SORT OF? (I have headcanons and little ideas all the time, but I rarely write them out unless prompted, mostly they emerge in actual threading or discussions.) Do you sometimes write drabbles? YES / NO / WHEN PROMPTED (See above, basically) Do you think a lot about your Muse during the day? YES / NO (They're in my head 24/7, along with a handful of other muses sure, but still, it's rare an hour goes by without them chiming in some thought or observation or another.) Are you confident in your portrayal? YES / NO / SORT OF? Are you confident in your writing?  YES / NO (For all I often joke about being good for nothing but shipping and shitposting, I -have- been writing fiction for over fifteen years, and RPing for over ten. I'm pretty confident my writing is good) Are you a sensitive person?  YES / NO / SORTA (I can be really easy to upset or piss off if a hot button topic's pressed, but I'm generally pretty thick skinned, and I'm learning to be better at catching my temper and working around it.) DO YOU ACCEPT CRITICISM WELL ABOUT YOUR PORTRAYAL?  —  If it's useful criticism, that's actually about _my_ Prince and not what the reader thinks Chara should be, sure.

DO YOU LIKE QUESTIONS, WHICH HELP YOU EXPLORE YOUR CHARACTER?  — Go for it! I reblog headcanon type memes often enough, toss one at me, or just random questions.

IF SOMEONE DISAGREES TO A HEADCANON OF YOURS, DO YOU WANT TO KNOW WHY?  —  Depends on the headcanon - if it's a worldbuilding type headcanon, then sure, I'll debate that stuff all day. If it's a personal character headcanon, well... so long as you're framing it as a discussion, maybe? But it's not your headvoice, it's mine, you don't get a vote in how they express themselves.

IF SOMEONE DISAGREES WITH YOUR PORTRAYAL, HOW WOULD YOU TAKE IT?  — Hey, that's cool. If there's something offensive about it, lemme know and I can try to fix things, otherwise, we can hang out on separate parts of the fandom without being forced to interact, you don't gotta love my portrayal to be here, you don't even gotta read my shit to be here.

IF SOMEONE REALLY HATES YOUR CHARACTER, HOW DO YOU TAKE IT?  —  ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ Not my circus, not my monkey. Bring it -into- my circus and I'll tell you to fuck off.

ARE YOU OKAY WITH PEOPLE POINTING OUT YOUR GRAMMATICAL ERRORS?  — Sure go for it

DO YOU THINK YOU ARE EASY GOING AS A MUN?   —  Fairly easy-going, but, well, I'm autistic, I know I'm not always as easy to get along with as I'd like. Still, tell me I'm doing something shitty and I'll stop, I'm not doing it on purpose.

[greennightspider]

Chains Chapter 1

(pic by @warrior-girl-s)

Summary: Occurs in a Vikings AU which splits after the events of season 5. Time skip of 5 years. In one of the most popular and high-paying brothels in the city near the sea, rumor spreads of a dark and handsome stranger washed up from a land far away...

Chapter 2

R18+ Smut Warning, BDSM (i think?)

Hvitserk x Reader

Prologue

As Bjorn, Lagertha and Torvi all bickered about Heahmund and their fate at the hands of the Saxons, Hvitserk could not help but let his mind drift off into a different word. As he examined the chains that bound him his curiosity bloomed, wondering what other uses he might have for restraints such as these...

5 years later...

(gif by @laketaj24)

Your feet pitter pattered in the dark hallway as you made your way to his room.

Your mistress didn’t tell you much. The other girls had giggled and whispered about this mystery man. This foreigner.

Rumor has it that he's a prince.

Rumor has it that he's a bloodthirsty assassin.

Rumor has it he murdered his own kin.

But despite all the rumors, the mistress had chosen you for this man. Or rather, he had chosen you for himself.

Unbeknownst to most of the girls in the brothel, two nights prior the mistress had let him peruse only the most... sturdy and willing girls for him. There were six of you who walked idly in front of him in your most revealing wears. A thick rosey curtain was all that separated you from him and his half of the room. The fabric was thin, but there was no light on his side of the curtain, so while none of you could see him, this mysterious buyer could view all of you at his pleasure.

And he had chosen, you.

"Be aware my dear. He has the face of an angel. But in the dark..." Your mistress bit her lip.

You softly patted your hand on your mistress’ shoulder. While she was strict, she was always good to you and the girls, making sure that your needs came first before the customers’. But times after war/battle were always hard, and so offering yourself to a high paying customer was the least you could do.

"I will be sure to do my best mistress."

You finally reached your customer’s door and took a deep breath before you knocked.

"Enter."

His voice was more boyish than you had expected, however you heard the darkness in his tone. Like the dark waters that hide beneath a frozen lake.

As you entered you squinted. The room was barely lit, the moonlight from the window across being the only clue that gave away the silhouette of your client.

Hvitserk, your mistress had called him.

His eyes almost glowed in the light as he watched you. With a glare so piercing it almost made you stutter. "Mas-"

"Come."

You obeyed silently and made your way towards him. As you got closer you noticed his lean, toned figure. His upper body was shirtless, leaving you to wonder at the beautiful but strange ink that scattered his chest and arms. But then you saw the chains around his wrists, binding him to the chair.

You gasped and immediately knelt down to try to free him, wondering who would do such a thing. "Sir, your chains-"

"Leave them."

You looked up at him in confusion, to which Hivtserk cracked his neck.

"I assumed your mistress told you I had... certain... tastes." He twisted his palms. "This is one of them."

You looked down, starting to understand what your mistress had meant.

"Now undress for me. Slowly."

You stood up and stepped back. One strap at a time slowly fell from your shoulders, exposing your breasts to the cold night air. You watched him grip the arms of the chair and his nostrils flare as your dress fell to the ground, completely exposed to his stare.

"On my lap."

You brought yourself to straddle his lap while you rested both of your hands on his bare chest, rubbing it slowly. And you gently touch the war wounds that littered his chest. "So many scars..."

Unbeknownst to you Hvitserk’s face twitched at your remark. Suddenly you feel yourself bucked up by Hvitserk’s hips and you yelp as he catches one of your breasts in his mouth. You gasp, holding yourself up to arch into his mouth by placing both your arms on his, still chained to the chair. He doesn’t mind though, as he proceeds to flick your nipple with his tongue in circles before moving his head to your other breast, letting his saliva cool in the cold air.

"I enjoy this. The denial. The game."

He grinned as he kissed up the valley of your breasts.

"I am the master, but I am bound. You are free, but still bound by my commands."

He chuckled darkly as he watched your breathing turn ragged, small puffs clouding in the cold. "I like a challenge."

You settle back in his lap and feel something between your legs. Something very hard that makes you wet as you grind against it, earning a hiss from Hvitserk as he looks down his nose at you.

"There’s nothing more desirable than something you cannot have."

With one look of his eyes pointed at his lap you unsheath his slick member and at once sink onto him, earning a low growl as Hvitserk flinched against his chains. And you tried not to cry out as you took his girth into you.

"And yet you have me." You panted and looked into his eyes, trying your luck with this bold statement. To your relief he smiled wickedly in approval.

"Yes I do. Now fuck for me."

At once you grind yourself up and down on Hvitserk's lap, his trousers becoming stained by the juices of your lovemaking.

He saw you biting your lip and pleasure and proceeded to catch the nape of your neck. You moaned lewdly in Hvitserks lap as you rode him.

You heard the wood of the chair crack, wondering if it was your weight, but not able to see Hvitserks' bare hands grip and crack the arms of the chair. "More."

You then slammed your ass down on his member, using your full weight as you bounced earning a loud moan from Hvitserk. You heard him hiss as you scratched at his chest while you rode him, involuntarily bucking as you did so. You guessed right, he liked the pain.

"Look at me."

Your head whipped to the piercing eyes, his stare reading your body with ease.

"Look into my eyes while you cum for me."

You didn't know what happened, but something inside you reacted to Hvitserk’s words that you came instantly around his cock. You whimpered as you came on top of him, Hvitserk enjoying the scene until your spasming walls drew his own release.

Forehead to forehead you panted, trying to catch your breath. He was the one to withdraw first though, looking at you down his nose with almost no emotion.

"Now go."

A little hurt by his words but knowing this was the way of your trade, you slowly dragged yourself off and let his member fall out of you.

Grabbing your clothes, you wanted to make sure that he was simply satisfied and not offended. "Mas-"

"Go now before the chains are off and you see what I can really do to you."

You took his words as a complimentary warning that would not be uttered twice, so you quickly dressed and bowed as you exited the room.

Hvitserk exhaled through his nose as his fingers flicked underneath the chair arm to the hidden key. He unlocked himself and proceeded to undress himself, eyeing the stain on his pants.

He wondered what you tasted like. You had left more than enough of a sample on his lap, as he took off the trousers and absentmindedly sniffed the stain, wondering at least what your scent was.

However a familiar hit his nose with a sharp twang as his face contorted in confusion, and then in realization.

It was the faint smell of blood.

Taglist: @laketaj24 @therealcalicali @themusingofagothicsoul @tomarisela @draconicuchiha @cbouvier23 @selina122 @chocolatemetalprincess @mbaku-babygirl @myboyfriendgiriboy @grungyblonde (Tag list is open just lemme know)

[wikipediathefreeencyclopedia]

compilation of my favorite otp prompts 4

tag

Established Relationship AUs [x]

We’ve been celebrating our wedding anniversary on the wrong day for the past nine years AU

just some ‘how they met’ AUs [x]

‘my dad invited me to go on a fishing trip with him and his buddies and I hate water and can’t swim but I don’t wanna crush my dad’s feelings and he said his friend’s son was coming too, so I’m kind of hoping he’s cool’ and ‘I fell into the water and you were the only sober one who was able to save me’

‘we were waiting in line for the FerrisWheel and your friend decided last minuet he didn’t want to ride and backed out, so we got jammed into the same kart together AND THEN the ride got stuck while we were at the top, but you aren’t so bad to be around for two hours…lets go ride more shit together’

'the cops showed up to a party we were at and chased everyone away. You and I happened to run in the opposite direction of all our friends and got lost in some dark and creepy street.’

more au ideas no one asked for [x]

“you’re super short and i’m sorry but it’s really really cute whenever you try to reach that book on the top shelf here lemme help you- oh no don’t be embarrassed, your face is all red and you’re even more adorable now i am going to die” au

“i’m a biker and one day i was biking in your neighborhood while you just happened to be outside watering the plants and since you’re so goddamn cute i accidentally steered into a pole and now you’re giving me first aid (holy shit you’re even cuter up close)” au

“you’re biking through my neighborhood and you ran into a pole so now i’m really concerned and patching you up, oh my gosh you’re really hot even though you have a bloody nose” au

“i’m at a karaoke bar and i’m sober enough to realize that your voice singing my absolute favorite song is the most beautiful thing i’ve ever heard, and you caught me staring and winked at me oh shit” au

“you invited me to your brother’s/sister’s wedding as a plus one bc we’re hella best friends but we end up making out at the afterparty and now everyone thinks we’re fucking so uh,, u wanna go out for a drink sometime? try this whole couple thing out?” au

“my mom/sister/dad/brother/best friend doesn’t know we’re dating but one day he/she/they walked in on us making out and started cheering oh my god this is so embarrassing i’m so sorry” au

“dude why did that siren take on my image to try and seduce you, is there something you wanna tell me” au

“my friends dared me to buy 20 condoms but i didn’t realize that the cute cashier would be working tonight so i avoided eye contact as i piled them onto the counter and please stop laughing so hard, oh my god it’s for a dare okay i’ve never had sex in my life and once you stopped laughing, i swear i fell in love with that sparkle in your eye as you grinned wildly at me and asked me out for a drink” au

Well, this is awkward AUs [x]

“I sneaked in to this huge house party for some free food but you asked me how I knew the host and the first excuse I could think of was that I’m dating their sibling, so basically I just lied to you about going out with you” au

post breakup AUs [x]

“today was the first family gathering i’ve been to since we broke up and my little cousin that absolutely adored you asked where you were and i had to lock myself in the bathroom and sit in the tub for a half an hour and look through a folder on my phone of pictures i took of you to feel okay again” AU

“i still have your phone number memorized even though i haven’t called you since we split and somehow i remembered it even though i’ve had like six shots of bourbon and hey, i know you’re pissed that you’re here at this dingy club at 3 in the morning to pick my drunk ass up, but you have to admit that’s pretty impressive” AU

“oh hi, totally didn’t expect to see you here at this one hole in the wall coffee shop literally no one in the entire world besides you knows about. what a coincidence.” AU

“it´s my [insert family relation here]´s wedding and seeing all these happy couples is killing me and all i can think about is how this was almost us” AU (bonus: “i know that it’s two in the morning and i’m dressed really formally and a little (a lot) bit drunk but i couldn’t stop thinking about you after my grandma asked how you were doing also can i come in it’s freezing out here”)

“we have a lot of mutual friends so we see each other more than two broken up people usually do and i know we’re not really close anymore but you’re wearing that stupid (adorable) hat you always wore when you were upset so tell me what’s wrong because it’s literally killing me to see you look so sad” AU

“i found your box of letters underneath my bed last night and because i’m a nosy motherfucker i decided to read them and it turns out they were all addressed to me and the last one was dated the day you moved out and i’m not quite sure why i thought this would be a good idea but here i am, standing on your doorstep, wondering why the fuck we’re not together anymore” AU

otp fic prompts [x]

i had the weirdest dream about you and now i can’t stop imagining what you’d look like naked

you’re at the cinema alone and so am i we might as well sit together and i swear i didn’t think there was anyone else in this universe who appreciates this movie like i do 

i hooked up with you at my sister’s wedding 5 years ago and now i’ve gotta track you down because i can’t stop thinking about you

we watched the fireworks together on new year’s eve even though you’re a complete stranger like i didn’t even get your name ??

OTP Prompts - Post Break-up [x]

“I’m still in love with you, and I probably always will be, but I thought you wanted to break up, so I broke up with you. Now, it’s a year later, and you’re telling me you were about to propose?”

“I never told my extended family that we broke up, and now they want to know when you’re coming over for dinner again.”

“I didn’t mean to tell you I still loved you, but now we’re standing here awkwardly, and I should probably just go.”

“I thought you broke up with me, so I haven’t spoken to you in a year, but apparently there was a serious miscommunication, because you thought I broke up with you. Well, this is as good a time as any to tell you I still love you.”

things to imagine with your otp [x]

one of them falls in love first before the other and has to try and be super chill and casual around them but oh fuck they just brushed hands

one of them by themselves but throughout the day they see little things that remind them of the other and they just randomly start smiling

trying to make a gift or do something special for the other but getting super embarrassed when giving it to them so they just leave it on a table and run away

star-gazing, flower festivals and making out behind dingy diners on a road trip

SOME WEIRD STUFF I NEED TO LIVE [x]

you work at the shitty overpriced coffee shop that only gets business because it’s nearest the university and I hate the coffee and get tea every time because at least you know how to make a good raspberry tea but I come in at odd hours and you always look exhausted, oh no you just fell to the ground crying about how you were supposed to open a gourmet cupcake shop, are you okay????

Aus I need [x]

I tried asking this person on the street for directions, but before they could even answer you pointed down the street and told me where to go. Turns out you were heading that way too and we end up walking together awkwardly for a bit. 

We’re in a huge crowd to watch fireworks/a show, and there’s no more room on the lawn except right next to you and your blanket. I forgot to bring one, and you invite me to share yours with you.

I’m making balloon animals for children at this farmer’s market/fair, and you come up with a friend who asks for a kitty. You are enamored with the motorcycle I was making just for fun, and I can’t help being charmed by your enthusiasm and give it to you for free. 

AUs to consider [x]

“i don’t want to go alone to my ex’s wedding and our mutual friend said you’re free that night” au

(could combine/mix it with this amazing comic)

“you accidentally left your ID in a library book” au

“i’ve never met you before but i went to a huge party at your house with my significant other - who then proceeded to dump me” au

Imagine your OTP [x]

Person A comforting person B through a stormy night

Helping each other in certain subjects for school.

[eightmakar]

Rule Breaker | Two | S.M.

A Baseball!Shawn AU

Previous Parts in my Masterlist

Word Count: 5k

Warnings: making out, cursing

Author’s Note: Send me an ask to be added to the tag list! Send me any baseball questions! Thanks to @heavenly---holland for the moodboard and @the-claire-bitch-project for being my personal Wikipedia!

Tessa bounded into the kitchen from the garage, grocery bags in hand.

“Tess!” her mom gasped.

“Mom!” she shouted back.  “Iinvitedaboyoverandineedyourhelptogetready!”

Tessa’s mom looked at her blankly as Coach Hale walked in behind her.

“Tess invited a boy over for dinner tonight,” Coach translated.  “Seems like a good kid.”

“Oh?” her mom asked.  “Well, alright! It’s a good thing I cleaned today! What are we making?”

Tessa put her grocery bags down on the counter with her dad’s bags.  “Burgers and bratwursts.  I’m picking him up at six o’clock.  He’s staying with the Millers just down the street, so I’m gonna walk over there,” she said.  She began to unload the grocery bags, gently placing the hotdog and hamburger buns in the bread box next to the refrigerator, then proceeded to take the vegetables out and put them away.  Her hands were shaking and she was more nervous than she ever thought she would be.  She shut the refrigerator door after putting the veggies in, then pressed her head against the the door.

“What’s up, Coach?” Tessa’s mom asked. She came over and put her hand on Tessa’s back, rubbing it gently.

“I’m so, I don’t know, nervous,” Tessa whispered. “It’s stupid, he’s just another person like me.”

“What’s he look like?” her mom asked.

“God, Mom, he’s like, the most perfect looking person I’ve ever laid my eyes on. He’s really tall and pale and has these brown curls and God, he has these eyes, Mom, they’re just, just, wow,” Tessa gushed.

Coach Hale chuckled. “Well, damn, Tess, the way you’re talking about him makes me think we should gone a little more fancy than burgers!”

Tessa looked at her dad in panic. “What?” she demanded.

“I’m kidding, Tess! Just messing with you, hun.” Tessa’s mom playfully smacked her husband’s arm.

“Dad!” Tessa groaned. “I’m really stressing out about this!”

“I know you are, Coach, I’m just trying to help you relax! Mendes is a good guy, so I’m sure it’ll be fine!”

“How do you know he’s a good guy, Dad?” Tessa asked.

“Because I personally recruited him, Tess. I’d heard some talk about him from some coaching circles, so I checked him out. I talked to his coaches and they all said he’s a stellar guy. He’s young, turned eighteen just before his freshman year, so he’s nineteen now, and was a captain this season. All his guys love him, Tess, and when I say love I mean they love him. The coaches love him, too. He’s a very personable guy, really kind and caring, works really hard, and he always wants to improve. His coaches up at Toronto raved about him. They wanted me to make sure I gave him the best shot at a pro career as I could because if anyone deserves it, it’s him.”

Tessa fought back a smile. Her dad really seemed to like Shawn, which naturally make her like him more.

“You’re not bullshitting me, huh?” she asked slyly.

“I don’t bullshit my assistants, Coach. I tell it to them straight.” Coach Hale smiled at his daughter.

Tessa grinned back. “Thanks, Dad.”

“I’ve got your back, Tess. Now, are you gonna help me with these burgers or do we have to lie to Mendes and tell him you made this all yourself?” Coach Hale held the ground beef out to Tessa.

She took the package from him and ripped it open. She felt nervous still, desperately wanting to make a good impression on Shawn, desperately hoping this would be enough.

Tessa straightened her navy blue shirt and took a deep breath. She stood outside Shawn’s host home. She checked her watch. Six o’clock on the dot. She took another breath before lifting her arm slowly and knocking on the door three times. A few painfully long moments later, Mrs. Miller opened the door.

Mrs. Miller was a good friend of her mom’s. She ran the concessions stand at the Whitecaps’ games. She smiled brightly.

“Hi, Tessa!” she greeted. “You’re here for Shawn, right?”

Tessa felt her hands begin to shake. She clasped them together behind her back. What had Shawn told them?

“Yes I am,” she said cheerily.

Mrs. Miller opened her mouth to speak before a loud thud came from behind the door. Tessa peered around to see Shawn sitting on the ground, having just slipped down the stairs. Tessa laughed loudly at the sight and Mrs. Miller joined her.

Shawn’s cheeks flushed as he stood up, running his tattooed hand through his chocolate curls to fix them. He wore a fancy watch, Tessa noticed, along with a ring and several bracelets. She made a mental note to ask him about it later.

“Well, hey, Tessa,” Shawn said awkwardly. “What a way to make an entrance, right?”

Tessa shrugged. “I didn’t realize you were falling over yourself to have dinner with me.”

Shawn half-smiled. “Lemme get my shoes,” he said, then disappeared.

Mrs. Miller looked expectantly at Tessa. “So, is this a date, Tessa?”

Tessa’s cheeks got hot. She nervously curled a finger around a strand of hair at her neck. “Um,” she said, then trailed off as Shawn came back into sight.

“It’s not a date,” Shawn said, winking at Tessa without Mrs. Miller seeing. “It’s a newcomer’s dinner hosted by the Hale’s.”

“Oh!” Mrs. Miller said, disappointment in her voice. “Well, have fun!”

“We will!” Tessa said.

Shawn said goodbye to his host mom, then exited the house. Mrs. Miller waved, then closed the door behind the two of them.

Tessa and Shawn began to walk side-by-side towards Tessa’s house. Their shoulders bumped into each other occasionally.

“Thanks for that,” she said, motioning back towards the Miller’s.

Shawn looked at her and slowed his pace. “Oh, yeah, no problem,” he said, trying to be nonchalant.

“I, um,” Tessa bit her lip, “I do, uh, like, want this to be, um, like, a date.”

Shawn stopped walking abruptly and Tessa’s heart dropped. He didn’t want this to be a date too.

He looked down at her. Tessa wasn’t short, far from at 5-foot 10-inches, but Shawn made her feel small and short as he gazed down at her with those eyes. In the summer sunlight, they looked a bright green.

“I do too, Tessa,” he said softly. “I just didn’t think it was her business if this was a date or not.”

Tessa felt like she was on cloud nine. Her stomach flipped and her hands went cold. Her freezing right hand came back up to her strand of hair to rid herself of some of her nervous energy.

Shawn caught her hand in his left hand, the non-tattooed one. He held it in his palm, just looking at her delicate fingers. His hands dwarfed her own. She wondered what he was thinking about.

“This is all quite romantic,” she said as softly as he had spoken. “But my house is right there and my dad will come out here and embarrass us.”

Shawn laughed. “I believe it,” he said.

Tessa gave him a look before continuing towards her house. Shawn caught up with her in a few long strides, rushing to open her front door for her.

“How chivalrous,” Tessa teased, rolling her eyes.

“I do what I can,” Shawn smirked back.

Tessa tossed her hair to the side dramatically as she walked through the door, Shawn hot on her heels.

“We’re here!” Tessa called to her parents, leading Shawn towards the kitchen. They entered and Tessa’s mom smiled widely at Shawn.

“Welcome welcome!” She chirped, walking over to Shawn and hugging him. “We haven’t met yet, but I’m Tessa’s mom.”

“Nice to meet you, Mrs. Hale,” Shawn said, hugging her back.

“All the guys call me Cora,” she said.

“Mom is one of the big dogs for the Caps,” Tessa explained. “She helps run things, so she gets to know the guys.”

“Oh, excellent!” Shawn said. He stood back up to his full height and buried his hands in the back pockets of his black skinny jeans. He quickly removed them again and offered it to Tessa’s dad. “Coach, good to see you.”

Coach Hale shook it. “You too, Mendes.”

“I may have told Mrs. Miller that this is a newcomer’s dinner as a cover for Tessa,” Shawn added.

Cora laughed. “What did she ask?”

“Mom,” Tessa sighed, exasperated. “You know what she asked.” She turned to Shawn. “She’s a gossip. She means well, she really does, she just … needs to be in everyone’s business.”

Cora and Coach Hale nodded in agreement. “She’s nosy,” Cora said.

Tessa turned to her parents. “She asked if this was a date, and Shawn thankfully stepped in and saved the day so the whole team wouldn’t know.”

“Young would be furious,” Coach Hale said with another nod. “Poor kid’s ego would be even more bruised.”

“His face will be bruised if he says anything,” Tessa retorted. She frankly didn’t care what Kyle thought about her and Shawn having a date.

Tessa realized Shawn was silent. She looked at him and he looked a little shocked, a little taken aback. She hooked her arm in his and explained, “We talk about everything in this family. We all know what’s up and we’re very close. My brother lives in Los Angeles, so it’s just us three when I’m home from school.”

“Oh, I love your relationship.” Shawn motioned to the Hales. “It reminds me of my family, and I just wasn’t expecting you to be so forward. It’s great!” Shawn paused and cleared his throat, looking like he wanted to say something else.

“And?” Tessa stared at him.

“Um,” Shawn looked down at his feet, “if, uh, Kyle said anything, um, I’d deck him too.”

Tessa laughed. “Don’t be so shy about it, Shawn, we’d all back you up if you did.”

“Listen, Mendes,” Coach Hale said, crossing his arms. “If you decked Young, I’d give you a reward and kick him off the team.”

“Is he really that bad?” Shawn asked.

“Yes,” Tessa, Cora, and Coach Hale said in unison.

Shawn stepped back. “Wow,” he said with a chuckle.

“He harassed me all last season about going on a date with him,” Tessa said.

“And I tried to not allow him back this season,” Coach Hale added. “But apparently everyone else loved him and didn’t believe me or Tess.”

Shawn was speechless.

“I know, it’s messed up.” Tessa turned to Shawn.  “But we can’t do anything else about it, so we just deal with him and if he messes with me anymore, I’ll deck him.  I’m tired of talking about Kyle, can we eat?”

Tessa’s dad laughed.  “That’s my girl.  Mendes, you like burgers? Bratwursts?”

Shawn looked a little dazed from the conversation.  “Uh, yeah, uh, yes sir.”

“Great! Dig in, then!” he chirped happily.

Shawn stood frozen for a moment before Tessa tugged gently on his arm.  “I promise we didn’t poison it, c’mon,” she said softly.  Tessa led him to the food, handing him a paper plate.

“We broke out the fine china for you, Mendes,” Coach Hale laughed, referring to the plate in Shawn’s hand.

Shawn looked down at his hand, then laughed.  It sounded a little forced, and Tessa gave him a look.  Was he nervous?

“Thanks, Coach,” he said.  He began to craft his burger, grabbing a bun and gently prying it open.  Tessa swore his hands were shaking.

“God, I’m starving,” Tessa said, trying to lighten Shawn’s mood as he put his burger together.

“I could eat every single one of these burgers,” Shawn said quietly.  “Literally, every single one of them.”

Tessa laughed, following him to the table.  “Then let’s eat, Bubs.”

Shawn’s face flushed at the nickname.  He stood awkwardly at the table, mouth open, unsure where to sit.

Tessa sat down in her spot, then patted the spot next to her, the one facing the kitchen.  “Right here, Shawn.  It’s Nathan’s spot, but he’s in L.A., so you’re good.”

“Thanks, Tess,” he replied.

Cora and Coach Hale both snapped their heads towards their daughter.  They were the only ones who called her ‘Tess,’ and they knew it.  In tandem, they cocked their heads at her.  She widened her eyes back at them, trying to tell them to cut it out only with her look.  They got the point, picking up their plates and joining Tessa and Shawn at the table to enjoy their dinner.

“Is this you?” Shawn asked, pointing at a picture on the mantle.  

Tessa walked into the living room, holding a two cups of ice water.  She held one out to Shawn, then examined the picture he was pointing at.

“Yeah,” she said with a small laugh.  “That’s me.”

“Did you play?” he asked.  The picture was of her holding a bat at home plate.

“I used to take BP during breaks with the Whitecaps when I was little.  The pitchers would toss me the ball, I’d hit it and run the bases.  They’d all cheer me on, and when I’d touch home, they’d run at me and lift me up like I’d won them the World Series.”  Tessa smiled at the memory, hearing the Caps cheer her name from the past.

“But did you play?” he asked again.  He took a sip of his water, looking at her expectantly.

“Nah,” she said.  “I didn’t. I couldn’t. I wanted to play baseball, not softball or t-ball. The local parks and rec wouldn’t let me. Because I ‘was a girl.’”

“That’s bullshit,” Shawn said plainly.  “They knew you were better than any of the boys and they would’ve looked bad against you.”

Tessa shrugged.  “You’re not wrong, Mendes,” she agreed.  “But they still wouldn’t let me play. I would’ve been a killer shortstop, though.”

“Oh yeah?” Shawn smiled.  

“Oh yeah,” Tessa replied, confidently crossing her arms.  “It’s a good thing they didn’t let me play, really, because I would’ve crushed every single one of those guys.”

“Oh yeah,” Shawn nodded.  He gazed at Tessa, then started laughing.  Tessa joined him, giggling at the way he laughed and relishing in the way she was able to make him laugh.

Tessa looked back at Shawn as their laughter slowed to a stop.  He really was one of the most beautiful people she’d ever seen.

“Do you, uh, wanna see my, um, my bedroom?” Tessa asked shyly.  

Shawn licked his lips widened his eyes.  “Aren’t your parents right next door to your room?”

“Oh, no, they went downstairs.  That’s Dad’s ‘Man Cave’ down there.  His stuff from when he played is all down there. All Mom’s scorebooks from Dad’s games are down there, too. And, of course, a big ass TV, a pool table, and all that jazz.  He even has a little homebrew area down there.”  Tessa motioned towards the basement door.  

“Oh, shit, that’s cool,” he replied.  He gnawed nervously on the inside of his cheek, shifting on his feet.

“C’mon, let’s go upstairs,” Tessa said.  She reached over and took his left hand in her right, tugging him behind her as she walked towards the staircase.  Shawn followed her, looking around the Hale’s hallways as they went up to Tessa’s room.  Tessa turned to look at him as they walked down the upstairs hallway.  He was looking around at the photos, taking in every picture of Tessa and her brother, of Tessa and her dad, of Nathan and their mom, of the four of them together. He smiled sadly looking at a picture of the Hale’s in front of Fenway Park.  

“You okay?” Tessa asked, stopping.

“Yeah,” Shawn replied, “yeah, I’m good. Just miss my family, that’s all.”

“Do you have any siblings?”

“Yeah, I have a sister, Aaliyah. She’s a good kid, works really hard. We’re pretty close.”

“Me and Nate are pretty close, too,” Tessa said. “Having him across the country is really hard. We don’t see him nearly as much as we want to, but he’s doing really well out there.”

“But it still is hard to be away, right? Seeing him be successful out there makes it worse sometimes, right?” Shawn squeezed her hand.

“Exactly,” Tessa agreed.  “I’m so happy for Nate, I just wish he was closer.”

“I feel like I’m missing out sometimes,” Shawn added.  “I live just outside of Toronto, so my family came to as many games as they could, but I wish she could be in college with me, you know?”

Tessa nodded.  She knew exactly.

“Sorry,” Shawn apologized.

Tessa narrowed her eyes at him.  “What for?”

“I didn’t mean to get all sappy and nostalgic there,” he chuckled.  

“How dare you show emotion in this house,” Tessa teased.  “Men can’t have emotions, it’s against the Bro Code, Shawn.”

He slid his hand out of hers and put them up.  “You got me there, Coach.”

Tessa laughed, then continued walking to her room.  She opened the door and flicked on the light.  She made her bed when she changed clothes before dinner, and she silently thanked herself for having such foresight.

“Well, this is it,” she said, turning around in the middle of the room to face Shawn.  She shoved her hands in her back pockets and pressed her lips together as she watched Shawn take in her childhood bedroom.

His eyes darted around the room.  They landed first on her framed picture of Fenway, then traveled over to her collage of pictures of her and her friends.  He walked over to her wall to get a closer look.

“Did you take all of these?” he asked.

“I took a lot of them.  I love taking pictures of my friends.”  Tessa rocked back and forth on her feet.

“That’s so cute,” Shawn said, mostly under his breath.  Tessa blushed.  “And of course, you have Fenway,” he added louder.

“Of course,” she said, smiling a little to herself.  

“Dare I ask, but are you, a, uh . . .” he trailed off.

“A Sox fan?” she finished, raising her eyebrows.  He nodded, so she continued.  “Not really, to be honest.  I really just love baseball, so I’m not picky about who I watch.  I tend to follow specific players and not whole teams.  I love Fenway, I think it’s so beautiful, but I’m not a Sox fan.”

“Who are your favorites?” Shawn asked, but didn’t turn around.

“Max Scherzer from the Nats, Dansby Swanson from the Braves, and Aaron Judge from the Yankees, just to name a few.”

“Didn’t Judge play for the Whitecaps?”

“I’m impressed,” Tessa said with a small smile that Shawn couldn’t see.  His back was turned to her as he admired her walls.  “He did, Aaron was like, my first baseball crush.  He played here in 2012, which was the summer before my freshman year of high school.  God, I would’ve killed to have been just a few years older for him.”

Shawn laughed loudly and turned to face her.  “I was definitely not expecting you to say that.”  

“What can I say? I’m full of surprises, Bubs.”

He completed his tour around her room, then flopped down on Tessa’s bed.  “Where did that name come from?” he asked, putting his hands behind his head and sinking into the pillows.

Tessa shrugged.  “I don’t know.  I guess I just thought it fit you. You seem like a Bubs to me.”

“You should write that as my name in your notebook now.”

“I’ll have your name changed on the roster.  Shawn ‘Bubs’ Mendes.”

Shawn laughed.  “I can hear the crowds chanting it now.”

“The guys would never let you hear the end of it.”  Tessa laid down next to him on her Queen-sized bed, sinking into her favorite pillow comfortably.

Shawn rolled on his side, cupping his cheek with his hand and propping his head up on his elbow.  He gazed at her sweetly.  “You think I care?”

“Well, I don’t know,” Tessa said.  She stared at Shawn’s eyes.  In the dark of her room, they looked a lovely chocolate brown that matched nicely with his curly hair.  “How fragile is your masculinity?”

“I have both a bird and a flower tattooed on my body, Tess. I have my ears pierced. So do you really think I care?”

Tessa turned her head to look at him.  “Both ears?”

“Both ears.  I like to wear earrings when I’m home.”

“Don’t you know having a p--”

“I’ve heard all the jokes, Tessa, and it doesn’t matter which ear is pierced.”

Tessa blushed.  “I know it doesn’t matter, and I’m glad you tell people the same thing.”

Shawn licked his lips.  “I think I look hot with an earring, personally.”

“I’d like to see that one day.  Where is your flower tattoo?” She could clearly see the bird on his hand, of course.  

“C’mere,” he said.  He rolled on his back, then pulled her into his lap so she straddled his thighs.  She squeaked, not expecting the contact or the position.  

“Shawn . . .”

“It’s in an awkward place,” he explained.  He sat up enough to reach behind his neck and tug his t-shirt off.  Tessa felt like she was going to throw up. Her hands went cold again.

Shawn laid his v-neck next to the two of them on the bed.  He put his right arm above his head, revealing a lightbulb encasing blue flowers.  

“They’re lilies and orchids, my mom’s favorite,” he whispered.

Tessa did her best to not think about the fact that she was straddling his thighs or that he was shirtless or how fine his body was. She let her hand come up to his arm and trace over the tattoo.  “It’s beautifully done,” she whispered back.  “And so is the bird.”

“It’s a swallow,” he said, tragically putting his arm down to show her his right hand.  “They’re famous for being travelers, but always coming back home no matter how far they travel.  I thought it was really cool, especially with the amount of travel I do to play ball.”

Tessa reached down to trace the intricate swallow on his hand.  A ring with two feathers decorated his ring finger on the same hand.  She pressed their palms together so she could hold his hand up and look at it.  “What about the ring?”

He gazed lazily up at her, a haze in his eyes.  “I got it at a baseball tournament in Japan. I think jewelry has a lot of luck in it.  You know baseball players, we’re superstitious as hell.”

Tessa intertwined the fingers of her left hand with Shawn’s right.  “You’re talking to the Queen of Superstitions, Bubs.”

“What are you superstitious about?” he asked.  He grabbed her other hand and intertwined their remaining fingers together.   

“Well, there’s a legend that says its bad luck to kiss a boy on your bed before you’re dating or married or something like that,” she teased.  She could see Shawn staring at her lips as she spoke about kissing.

“I take it that’s not one of yours?” he asked, licking his lips while he still stared at hers.

“You take it or you hope it?” Tessa whispered, leaning down to lay her chest against Shawn’s.

Their noses bumped into each other and Tessa could feel Shawn’s breath against her lips.  Tessa remembered the way Shawn’s eyes looked in the afternoon sunlight when they’d walked to her house earlier; the color now was somewhere in between that bright green and the sweet chocolate she’d seen moments before.

“Both,” Shawn whispered, before lifting his head up just enough to connect their lips.

Tessa exploded.  She closed her eyes and released his hands, dragging them slowly up his sides until they came to rest on his neck.  She relished in the way his lips felt gently sliding against hers.  

Shawn wrapped his arms around Tessa’s back, tugging her ever closer into his chest. The tip of his tongue traced her bottom lip delicately.  Tessa eagerly opened her mouth against Shawn’s and he sucked her bottom lip into his mouth.  She groaned and tugged her head back, but Shawn caught her lip in between his teeth and lightly clung onto it for an extra moment before letting it go.

“Shit,” she grumbled.

“Fuck,” he grumbled back.

Tessa kissed the corner of his mouth, then his chin, then down his jawline towards his ear, then down his neck. She placed hot, open-mouthed kisses across the lean, taut muscles, applying a little suction in a few areas until Shawn let out a soft moan in one area.

“Fuck, that’s hot,” he groaned.  

“Fuck, you’re hot,” Tessa mumbled into his skin.  She sank her teeth into his neck, the same area she’d just kissed, and pulled on it a little, wrapping her lips around it and sucking harshly.  Shawn whined low in his chest.  She released him and proudly examined the angry red mark she’d left before soothing it over with her tongue and kissing it daintily.

His hands scrambled to grip her thighs as she kissed down his neck to his collarbones. He gripped her tightly, almost begging her to come back and kiss his lips again with his grasp.

“Why don’t you have any tattoos on your chest?” she asked, innocently making eye contact with him while her lips hovered over his sternum.

“Haven’t found the right thing to put there yet,” he replied, a little out of breath.  

Tessa kissed all over his chest, leaving a few red marks in her wake, until she made her way back up to the first mark she’d left on his neck. She left her bottom lip drag over the red mark, placing a kiss on it before she bit down and sucked in the exact spot.  

“Fuck, you tryna mark me up, Coach?” Shawn chuckled.  

Tessa licked her mark on him and bit down on him a third time. “So what if I am, Mendes?” Tessa purred.

“I am one hundred percent okay with that,” he said quickly.  “One hundred percent.”

Tessa laughed musically and kissed Shawn’s lips. She sighed into them, feeling like she belonged there, body pressed into Shawn’s, body heat leaking into each other.

Shawn’s hands slid from her thighs to her ass, smoothly slipping into the back pockets of her skinny jeans.  He squeezed her ass and she squeaked into his mouth.  Shawn pulled her up slightly, disconnecting his lips from hers.  He trailed one hand up to cup her cheek, staring up at her lovingly.

“God, you’re beautiful, Tess,” he whispered.  He traced her cheekbone with his thumb.

“You’re not too shabby yourself, Shawn,” Tessa whispered back. She smiled down at him, at his stupid perfect face, trying to memorize every detail.

He leaned up and kissed her collarbones, like she did to him. She felt a sharp pinch as Shawn returned the hickey she’d given him.  She giggled, knowing she’d have a mark, that people would ask about the bruise on her collarbone later, already trying to prepare some sassy remark to shoot back at them.  

Shawn’s lips on her neck and his hands squeezing her ass reminded her that she didn’t need to come up with a sassy remark.  She was with Shawn, staring down at that beautiful face as he kissed her neck.  Tessa could stay and kiss him every day, every night for the rest of her life and be content.  She felt warm and at home with Shawn.

Tessa woke up in the morning feeling deliciously warm. Her bed still smelled like Shawn, and she decided she’d steal his cologne before he went back to school. 

She smiled as she thought about straddling Shawn, kissing him, how warm he was against her.  She remembered how warm her bed still was when she came back from walking him to the Miller’s.  She blushed at the memory of the way he’d kissed her outside of the Miller’s house, grabbing her ass lightly, then winking at her as they both saw Mrs. Miller in front of the window.

Tessa leaned over to grab her phone from her bedside table.  She saw a text from Shawn and she smiled.

Shawn: morning beautiful!

Tessa: mornin bubs x

Shawn: you left quite the mark on my neck

Tessa: right back atcha ;)

Shawn: kyle’s gonna have a fit

Tessa: fuck him

Shawn: no thanks

Tessa: smartass

Shawn: :))) see you at practice coach x

Tessa rolled out of bed.  She walked to the bathroom to wash her face and brush her teeth.  She yawned at herself in the mirror, flicking the light on as she passed the switch.  Her eyes widened as they came to rest on a large purple bruise on her right collarbone.  Well, fuck, she thought.

She decided it would be best to not hide it. She slipped a sports bra on, then her favorite Whitecaps tank top.  The hickey stood out against her pale skin and she shrugged at it as she pulled her long, pencil-straight hair into a ponytail.  

Tessa padded downstairs.  Her mom sat on the couch, curled up with a cup of coffee in a Whitecaps mug.  

“Morning!” Cora said cheerily.

“Morning,” Tessa replied.  

“Nice bruise there,” her mom said.  She put her coffee down on the coffee table, stood up, and walked over to Tessa.

“Yeah, you should see the other guy,” Tessa joked.

“Did you have fun at least?” Cora asked, tracing Tessa’s hickey.

“Mom, you saw how gorgeous he is.  What do you think?”

“That’s my girl.” Tessa’s mom patted her on the shoulder with a smile.  “Coffee’s in the pot.”

Coach Hale clambered down the stairs.  “Did I hear coffee?” he asked.

Tessa beat him to the coffee pot.  She grabbed her favorite mug, her baseball mug, out of the cabinet, along with her dad’s mug.  He still used the “Best Dad” mug she and Nate had made for him when they were little.

She poured each of them a mug, turning around to hand her dad his coffee. “Morning, Dad,” she said with a smile.

He took the mug with a grin at Tessa.  “Mendes do that?” he asked, referring to her bruise.

“Yep.”

He nodded. “Nice,” Coach Hale said, high-fiving his daughter.  “He’s a good one.”

“I know, Dad,” Tessa said with a smile.  “I know.”

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