#drew her just because I saw these stupid ass shoes and immediately thought of her

[renrib]

Miku getting ready to kidnap another mentally ill teenager into her pocket dimension ✨

[emilyshotchniss]

What, Are You Like In Love With Me Or Something?

Summary: After crushing on each other for years, you and Emily finally pull your shit together:)

Pairing : Emily Prentiss x Fem Reader

Warnings: Minimal swearing

Word Count : 1675

4:27am. Are you fucking kidding me.

You reluctantly rolled out of bed and dragged yourself to the bathroom, turning the shower on. You love your job, but getting called in at four in the morning was a fucking pain in the ass. After standing under the hot water for a considerable length of time, you got out and chose your outfit. Once you were ready, you repacked your go bag, and dropped your cat Willow off at your neighbours apartment, before heading to the office.

When you arrived, it was 5:02am, and you were pretty sure that in your current mood, if you didn't get some coffee soon, you were going to go full on unsub on someone. That mood was suddenly lifted as soon as you entered the bullpen - you ducked out of view and watched as your best friend Emily walked silently through the nearly empty office, and placed a mug of coffee on your desk. She gently sat it on your favourite coaster, then tiptoed back over to her desk, grabbing a small bag and sitting it next to the mug on your desk. She adjusted everything until it was the way she wanted it, and smiled to herself before sitting back at her desk. You also smiled to yourself, before walking in fully, pretending you didn't just spend three minutes hidden behind a wall watching her.

"Morning, Em!" You smiled.

"Oh hey!" She replied, clearly trying to act chill as if she hadn't just spent five minutes fixing you breakfast.

"What's this?" You asked, opening the small bag she left you.

"Oh, uh, I, I picked you up a croissant from the Starbucks downtown on my way in," She said, smiling sheepishly.

Your heart nearly burst, and you felt an overwhelming rush of butterflies in your stomach. The gesture was lovely, but wasn't helping you get over the huge crush you'd been harbouring for a while now. You pushed your feelings into a tiny little box in the back of your mind, because there was no way she felt the same - she was just being a good friend.

"Thank you," You smiled, before taking a bite of the croissant. "For this, and the coffee. Lunch is on me,"

She smiled back, but you couldn't help but notice how her eyes lingered a little longer than they were supposed to. Your "moment" was interrupted by Morgan and Garcia barging through the doors, shortly followed by JJ, Rossi and Reid, prompting Hotch to call you all into the conference room. You took a quick sip of your coffee and one last mouthful of your croissant, before following the team upstairs.

***************************************

It was around 1:49pm when you walked back into the local PD, carrying two bags. You opened each door with your foot, and made your way to the conference room, finding Emily sitting alone with a file. The rest of the team were still away getting lunch.

"Hey, aren't you getting hungry?" You asked her.

"Uh, I'm fine, I'm nearly done with this-" She stopped rambling when she saw the bags of food. "You shouldn't have,"

"I told you, lunch was on me today. That coffee and croissant saved me from murdering someone this morning. I owe you," You said, earning a laugh from Emily. You felt a blush creep up your neck and across your cheeks, and you could've sworn you saw Emily's cheeks turn a faint pink - but it was probably nothing.

"What did you get?" She asked, as you continued to unpack.

"An italian BMT for the lady," You said, handing her her sandwich. "And a roast chicken sub for myself."

"Ugh, you're amazing," She said between mouthfuls.

You felt that same rush of heat in your cheeks again, and immediately got up to put the empty bags in the trash in a desperate attempt to hide your face.

"Seriously... thank you. I really needed this today..." She said, trailing off into a whisper almost. Her face had changed, and you could sense something was bothering her.

"Em, you okay?" You asked, concern lacing your tone.

"Oh, uh, yeah, yeah I'm good..." She lied.

"Don't lie to me. What's going on?" You said, matching your tone with hers.

"This doesn't leave this room-" She warned, your nerves making an appearance.

"This case- it, it's getting to me more than I care to admit..." She began shakily.

"In what way?" You asked.

"Regina- she said something to me, and it's kinda sticking with me," Emily said, taking a deep breath. You've known her long enough to know that that's her tell.

"She said that I have no idea what it's like when the monster from your nightmares comes back for you - that mine is dead, yet she still has to live with hers... it's stupid I know-" You cut her off.

"It's not stupid Emily. You went through a massive trauma, nobody expects you to magically be okay now that he's dead. You're still processing everything - that takes time, and we're all here to support you through it - I'm here to support you through it..." You told her, making sure she heard exactly what you were saying.

She let go of that breath, feeling a little calmer. "I have no idea what I'd do if you weren't my best friend..." She laughed nervously. Friend. That stung way more than it should've - but you put these feelings away in that little box at the back of your mind, attempting to compartmentalise it all.

"Seriously - thank you," She told you, grabbing your hand briefly, before getting up to put her napkins and stuff in the trash. Just at that, the rest of the team piled back into the station, ready to tie up the loose ends of the case before flying back that evening. You shook your head, laughing at your stupidity for falling for your best friend, before joining the rest of the team.

***********************

Back at Quantico, the team dragged themselves into the office to finish reports and grab their stuff before heading home for the night. Before you knew it, you looked up from your desk to find that most of the team had left, you Emily and Hotch being the only three remaining. You checked your watch, and decided that the reports could be finished in the morning. Throwing on your coat, you turned to look at Emily, still working away.

"Hey Em, we can finish those tomorrow, come on," You told her. She looked up at you anxiously, before reluctantly closing the file and grabbing her things. You both walked in silence to the elevator, but you could feel her eyes burning into your skull as you waited. After the silence had become just a little too uncomfortable, you turned to meet her, as she quickly diverted her gaze.

"What..." You asked with a smile.

"No, nothing- its nothing." She replied.

"You were staring at me- what, are you like in love with me or something?" You joked, not thinking anything of it - then your stomach suddenly dropped as her face turned a deep red - it was clear you'd correctly guessed her thoughts.

"Em-" You said, barely above a whisper. "Is that true?"

"I- uh- I um..." She began, her face turning a deeper red with each stutter.

"Emily look at me-" You told her, grabbing her wrists. She met your gaze, her eyes glassy.

"I love you too... I always have," You trembled, a single tear rolling down her face now.

"You have?" She cried ever so softly, her vulnerability catching you by surprise.

"Always... I- I never knew it was mutual," You smiled.

"I- I was going to tell you, but-"

"But then everything went to shit," You said, finishing her sentence.

"Yeah," She chuckled, sniffing back tears.

The elevator doors slid open and you squeezed in, taking her hand in yours as they closed behind you.

"Have you been sleeping?" You asked, not turning to face her, already knowing the answer.

"No..." She replied, barely loud enough to her - she was ashamed of being traumatised. You squeezed her hand tighter, before turning to face her.

"Come stay at my place tonight- we'll watch a movie, have hot chocolate, and maybe then you might be able to rest." You offered.

"Okay.." She smiled. "Thank you."

"Not necessary." You told her, interlacing your fingers with hers.

******************

As soon as you got home, you kicked off your shoes and headed straight to your bedroom, grabbing clothes for both yourself and Emily. After you both got comfy, you made two rather large mugs of hot chocolate, finishing them quicker than either of you would care to admit.

"Hey it's late, you coming?" You asked Emily, nodding towards your bedroom.

"Sure," She smiled, letting you lead the way. You pulled back the covers, letting Em slide in first as you followed. Lying in the darkness, your arms wrapped around her body, pulling her closer to you. As she met your eyes, no words had to be spoken- you leaned in to give her a gentle kiss that said everything you wanted to say, her returning it with equal passion. She stroked your cheekbone with her thumb, before speaking up.

"I love you - I wish I'd told you sooner." She whispered.

"I do too - but we're here now - that's all that matters." You replied.

She hummed in response, before tucking her head into your shoulder. You drew tiny shapes on her back until you heard soft snores coming from underneath your ear. It was in that moment that you realised you'd never felt love like this before - a love that consumed you. You kissed her forehead before succumbing to the slumber along with her, wondering just how you got so lucky.

[tangtownie]

Ranny Daddy - Reader Insert x Ransom Drysdale (College AU)

Author’s Note: Okay, so this was supposed to be a quick re-write of an old story of mine but it kinda got away from me. This was originally about John Murphy from The 100, so if any of you want to thirst over him with me, drop into my inbox! ❤️

Anyway, College AU because the potential is just too damn great. An enemies to lovers kinda vibe, although they’re just FWB.

Also, the song inspo was one of my best friends that read this, and then told me that she’d found the perfect track to match it. So I listened to it, and agreed, and also realized that this story was really supposed to be about Ransom all along. So thank you, my darling! ❤️

About the title, I just… I don’t know. Before I started the re-write I had to name the document something, and when I was done, I kinda loved the title.

As always, dividers by the brilliant @firefly-graphics​ 

Warnings: So… A lot of fucking cursing, smut, smut and smut, both reader and Ransom are kinda toxic bitches that are only soft for each other, kinda dub-con as reader is drunk when they get nasty, but she initiates it, Daddy kink, possessiveness and jealousy, unprotected sex. Ransom kinda switches between Dom!Daddy mode and soft!Daddy mode.

Song Inspiration: Violent Minds by VUKOVI 

Word count: 4.283 

The sound of his laugh was all it took. My stomach flipped and I could barely keep from jumping his bones right then and there. He had this douchy laugh, and it was just one of the things that I hated about him. He was crude, disrespectful and completely manipulative. He would always treat me like a plaything; grabbing my ass whenever he wanted, calling me every single pet name he could think of and of course, threatening to beat up any guy that got too close. It was honestly just so offensive and belittling and so damn sexy.

The scowl that always rested on his face, his rough hands that were always toying with me. God, how could someone so stupid be so damn intoxicating? I was not even sure how it all started, just that ever since I first slept with him, my body had been craving his like he was a damn drug. We had absolutely nothing in common and my friends all hated him, just as his friends all hated me. Another loud and obnoxious laugh drew my attention back to his group and I couldn’t help but roll my eyes at those idiots. Ransom actually had quite the following and of course, they were all morons.

“Ugh, could you imagine actually dating one of those guys?” My friend Katy’s voice was the first thing in a while to pull my attention from Ransom. I was pretty jealous of that skank sitting in his lap and flipping her hair around like it was nobody’s business, not that I would ever tell him or anyone that. “Ugh, tell me about it.” I decided to turn my back on the scene, knowing that if I did not I would keep staring at them and probably see something that I did not want to see. Katy quickly sat down next to me and started going on about some rapport that was due in a few weeks. It was a typical day for us, meeting in the cafeteria for coffee and gossip in between lectures.

I leaned my back against the table and tried not to cringe at the excited squeal coming from the girl in Ransom’s lap. “God, what about having some self respect?” Katy questioned and I shot her a confused look. “That girl in Drysdale’s lap? I mean it’s not like there aren’t any chairs available. And those constant hair flips? Like “Oh my god, my hair is so fake but if I just keep flipping it around, maybe no one will know.”” I could not help the loud laugh falling from my lips as Katy finished talking.

She laughed happily with me and I pretended not to notice Ransom staring daggers at me, as him and his little posy had clearly heard everything Katy said. “Fucking sorority girls.” I was still laughing, a little louder than usual just to make sure Ransom heard. “Anyway, babe, I have to get to class. But swing by my place later, alright?” I quickly gathered my things, before pecking Katy’s cheek. “Of course! Bye babe.” She gave my ass a little slap as I walked away and I couldn’t help the smile on my lips, already feeling my mood improving.

Finally making my way across campus, I slipped into my usual spot next to Eric just before class started. I pulled out my books and laptop. “I swear to god this class is going to be the end of me!” Eric sighed dramatically. “Hon, you say that about all of them.” I couldn’t help but laugh at the offended face he shot me. “I’m serious. College is just too damn hard.” I huffed slightly as I nodded in agreement.

“You got that right.” College was hard, but I had also never felt as at home as I did here. I had my own little apartment just off of campus and it was a crapbox, but it was my crapbox. I had made some great new friends that were just as sarcastic and bitchy as me. And I was finally studying psychology. I did not really know what I wanted to use it for, but I also did not care. As cliché as it sounded, I was having the time of my life.

As per usual, Eric and I were the last to leave class, taking much too long to pack up our things and laughing as we did. Making our way back to the main building, my phone buzzed and I reached into my pocket to check it. As I saw whom the text was from and what it said, my breath hitched in my throat.

RD: “Your tits look great in that top 😜”

My eyes quickly scanned the vicinity, searching for him. Before I found him, my phone buzzed again.

RD: “Why are you wasting your time on that loser when you know how good I make you feel?”

I did not realise that I had stopped walking until Eric’s hand was on my arm. “Hon, are you okay?” His warm green eyes peered into mine curiously. “Yeah.” I quickly cleared my throat and shook my head trying to rid it off the flashes of my latest adventure with Ransom. “Yeah, I’m great. I just thought I dropped something.” I could not tell if he really believed me or not, so instead I started talking again.

“Anyway, Katy’s coming over, so I should run. But I’ll see you soon, okay?” He nodded quickly and waved at me as I started walking backwards, away from him. Once he started walking as well, I turned around to see where I was going and almost immediately crashed into someone. “Oh my god! I’m so sorry!” I exclaimed. I dropped to the ground to help pick up the things that I had so rudely pushed from their arms.

“Well, how could I complain when you just dropped to your knees in front of me?” Ransom’s smug voice made the hairs on my arm stand up and I slowly got back up. “Hmm… Well, don’t get used to it, baby.” I smirked at him before offering his notes back to him. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have a date with someone I actually want to see.” As I pushed past Ransom and his friends, a quiet gasp went through the group and I knew I would pay for that one soon enough.

When I made it home, I was greeted by what looked like a bomb crater and I was reminded of my stressful morning and the fact that I needed some new batteries for my alarm. I went into my bedroom to put my bag down and change into something comfier. I reached for my black cotton pencil skirt and tossed my jeans over the chair. I decided to take my top off as well, wearing only the skirt and my cropped flannel.

Katy was supposed to be here soon, so I ducked back out to living room and started cleaning up. I had managed to get the worst of it, just as there was a knock on my door. “Come in.” Katy quickly poked her head through the door opening, a smile covering her entire face. “Ugh, babe, you will not believe what happened today!” I could not help but mirror her smile as I looked at her. “Why? What happened?”

She put her bag down next to the door before riding herself of her coat and shoes. “I got the job!” She squealed and started jumping up and down. “What? Oh my god! That is amazing!” I squealed right back at her and ran towards her to jump around with her. “I know! They called me just as I was getting out of Brit Lit. Oh, I just can not believe that I will be working at a real publishing house!” Her squealing was reaching dangerous heights and I almost could not make out what she said, but that did not stop me from continuing to jump around squealing with her.

After hours of dishing, drinking and celebrating, Katy finally had to go home. Pouting, I followed her out to the front door, watching her quietly as she put her coat and shoes on. “Text me, when you’re home safe, okay?” I asked. She shot me a quick smile. “Of course, babe. I always do.” She gave me a quick hug and then made her way out the door. I wandered back into the living room again and started cleaning up, again. Suddenly, there was a knock at the door. Confused I made my way back to the door. “Babe? Did you forget something?” I asked, pulling the door open. The face that greeted me however was not Katy’s.

“Hugh?” The surprise was as evident in my voice as it probably was on my face. He was leaning against the doorframe smirking down at me. “God, I thought she would never leave.” He practically growled as he pushed his way past me. “No, please. Come on in.” The sarcasm was dripping from my voice, as I closed the door after him. When I came back into the living room, he was smirking again. “Looks like you girls had fun.” He looked sceptically at the empty bottles of wine and then back to me.

He smiled slightly as he noticed, that I was swaying a little. “Yeah, well, we did. Why are you here, Hugh?” I said, stumbling a little as I reached for my wine glass. “Oh no, I think you’ve had plenty.” Ransom quickly snatched it from my hand before I could empty it. I pouted again, trying to take it back from him. In my drunken struggle for my own damn drink, I did not even notice the breath hitching in Ransom’s throat as the buttons of my flannel had come undone and my chest pressed against his or the way he tensed slightly, as I whined in his ear, before giving up and resting my head on his shoulder.

“You smelly really good.” I mumbled as I nuzzled my face in his shoulder, slowly wrapping my arms around him. He laughed quietly before resting a hand on my lower back. “You’re so drunk.” His tone was almost gentle. A giddy smile broke out on my lips, as I looked back up at him. “You’re being nice to me.” I said quietly before continuing. “Don’t get me wrong, your douchy holier-than-thou attitude is sexy as hell, but I don’t think you have ever been nice to me before.” His eyes sparkled at me and that signature smirk crept over his lips again.

“Sexy as hell, huh? And here I was starting to think that you were getting tired of me.” Shocked, I quickly shook my head no but had to stop as I stumbled slightly again. Ransom’s arms locked around me and held me tight against his chest. “I could never get sick of you, Hugh. I mean, you’re not a very nice person and I don’t actually think we have anything in common, but fuck… I cannot get you of my mind and I am not even sure why. It can’t just be the sex, even though the sex is pretty damn great.”

I let my head fall onto his chest again and sighed deeply. “Stay with me.” His hands squeezed my hips in response. “Sure, babygirl. I’ll stay.” A shiver made it’s way down my spine at the pet name. “Fuck, I love that.” I mumbled before pressing a hard kiss to his lips. Ransom’s grip on my hips tightened and I lingered there for a while, loving the feeling of his hands on my hips and the warm feeling of his skin against mine. Slowly pulling away for air, I took his hand in mine and lead him to my bedroom.

As we reached my bedroom Ransom’s hand fell from mine. I wandered over to the chair and softly tugged my skirt off, before turning to face him. “What are you waiting for? Strip.” My words seemed to pull him from his thoughts as his eyes went from scanning me all over to looking straight in my eyes. “What?” He sounded like he was choking on the word. I walked over to him, closing the distance between us again. My hands quickly grabbed the edge of his shirt and started pushing it up his chest.

“Strip.” I raked my nails carefully over his nipples and a light moan escaped his lips, before he helped me pull his shirt all the way off. Our eyes met again and for a few seconds we just stared at each other. He gently reached out and started unbuttoning the few remaining buttons on my flannel. As he did the last one, his hand moved up to my shoulder and slowly pulled it off. I let my fingers wonder about his chest again, tracing invisible patterns.

An impatient huff left his lips before he roughly grabbed my neck and crashed his lips onto mine. Almost instantly, I kissed him back. I let my arms settle around his neck and pulled myself even closer to him. Our teeth clanged together, as he greedily tried to swallow every breath of mine. His other arm snaked around my waist as he started guiding me back to my bed. Suddenly, he shoved me onto the bed and he smiled as my boobs bounced from the contact with the bed. I let myself get comfortable, knowing that Ransom liked to watch me. I let one hand twirl around some hair while the other rested comfortably on my bare stomach. My eyes locked with his again, as I patiently waited for him to join me.

Too much time had passed and I was starting to get cold and frankly also a little annoyed with him. “Come on, Hugh, just-“ His sharp voice interrupted me. “No.” There was a playful light behind his glaring eyes. “No?” I questioned, as I sat up. “Exactly, babygirl, you know that’s not my name.” A shiver travelled down my spine again at the pet name and Ransom noticed it, smirking from ear to ear. “What are you talking about, Hugh? Of course, that’s your name.” He shook his head, still glaring at me, before leaning down to whisper in my ear.

“You know it’s not. And if you keep calling me that I might just have to punish you, babygirl.” My breath hitched in my throat as his scent took over my senses. He was so close; he smelled divine and damn it, if I hadn’t been thinking about this all day. I had to close my eyes to keep from pouncing on him. As everything I had been fantasising about all day started flooding through my mind, I remembered the last time Ransom and I had been here and a smile curled around my lips, before I opened my eyes and spoke.

“Oh, so Daddy wants to play, huh?” My tone was low and breathy. A strangled gasp escaped his lips at the pet name. “It must be my lucky day then, because I’ve just spend all damn day thinking about Daddy’s rough hands pinning me down while his big beautiful cock pounds into me.” I barely got the last word out before Ransom was all over me, pinning me to the bed with a ravenous growl. His entire body pressing against mine, as he kissed me like it might be the last thing he ever did.

My hands quickly tangled themselves in his hair and I arched my hips up to meet his. Ransom‘s teeth sank into my bottom lip and he tugged harshly on it. I couldn’t help the loud moan falling from my lips or my hands tugging harshly on his hair. His hands roughly grabbed my hips, his fingers digging into the skin as he pushed me upwards. A whimper escaped my lips when I couldn’t reach his any longer and I could feel him smirk against my throat. He slowly made his way down my body, sucking and licking all over, leaving a trail of hickeys over my neck, chest and stomach.

He stopped just as he reached my thong and I almost could not bear to look at him; so sinfully gorgeous, his hair falling into his beautiful blue eyes and his thin pretty lips already swollen and red. One of his hands moved to my thong, hooking his fingers inside of it and slowly pulling it down. I squirmed impatiently and he laughed at me. He casually flung it over his shoulder, before suddenly plunging two of his fingers deep inside of me.

I gasped loudly, surprised by his rough actions and clenched around his fingers. My eyes fell shut as he build up a steady rhythm and I relaxed again, relishing in having him so close to me. “No, no, babygirl, got to keep your eyes on me.” A strangled moan escaped my lips, as I struggled to focus on him. Our eyes locked and I watched him closely, as his gaze never fell from my face despite his fingers being buried knuckles deep inside of me and him placing shallow kisses on my lower stomach. He smirked at me again. “You’re such a good little girl, aren’t you? So eager to please Daddy.”

His deep voice rumbled against my skin and my hands forcefully grabbed the sheets to keep from pulling on his hair. “Look, how responsive you are, babygirl. You fucking love this, don’t you?” He curled his fingers inside of me and I panted loudly as he brushed against my g-spot. I could feel the pleasure building and knew that I wouldn’t be able to hold it in much longer. As Ransom mercilessly poked at my most sensitive spot, I could not help but lift my hips up, trying desperately to create some friction. He chuckled deeply before pinning my hips to the mattress. “Easy, babygirl. We’re almost there. Just relax.” His hand slowly crept across my stomach, until it reached my waist. Before I registered what had happened, Ransom had pulled his fingers from me and quickly turned me, so that I was on my stomach.

Surprised and confused, I let out a huff of air. “Hugh, what the-“ A high-pitched moan interrupted my sentence as he smacked my ass. I panted harshly, both from surprise and pleasure. At first it stung, but I couldn’t even pretend not to like it. His hands settled on my hips again, before he pulled me to him. My ass was flush against the front of his jeans as I was supporting my weight on my arms. “I told you, that’s not my name.” His deep voice made the goose bumps rise on my skin and a low moan escaped my lips.

He was so damn hot like this, all rough and angry and dominating. “You better play nice, if you don’t want me to stop.”  He hummed slowly as his hand caressed the spot that he had just slapped and I grinded my ass against him.  His erection was pressing tightly against me and all I could think of was having him inside of me again. “Daddy, please.” I impatiently begged for him and relished in the moan he tried to suppress. Another slap was delivered to my ass and this time I did nothing to hide how much I loved it.

A pornstar-like moan fell from my lips as I threw my head back and grinded against him again. His hands fell from me but before I could complain, I heard the sound of his pants being unzipped and seconds later they were thrown to the floor next to my bed along with his boxers. Ransom roughly slid his fingers through my folds, collecting my wetness and I arched my back at his touch. A sinful slurping sound filled the room as Ransom sucked my wetness from his fingers. “You taste so damn good, babygirl.” He hummed softly, as I moaned back, loving his filthy words.

His hands wrapped around my hips again and he pulled me harshly against him. His hard dick was rubbing all over me and I was loosing my damn mind from all of his teasing. I opened my mouth, completely ready and willing to beg for him again, just before he slid into me. A high-pitched whimper fell from my lips as he bottomed out and I relished in the feeling of being full of him.

Too quickly he pulled out, before slamming back into me. “Fuck.” Ransom grunted from behind me, building a fast and hard rhythm. His fingers were digging into my hips, trying to pull me as close as physically possible. I arched my back up and was met with his warm chest against my back. His hot, laboured breath was falling down my neck and only drove me closer to the edge. One of my hands tangled themselves in his hair and the other desperately grabbed his arm, digging my nails into his skin.

“You take me so well, babygirl. Letting my cock pound into you while you moan like a damn pornstar. You’re so fucking hot, baby.” Ransom’s voice was raspy against my neck and I almost lost my mind, when he intertwined our fingers and wrapped our arms around my waist. My legs started to shake beneath me and I let my head fall on his shoulder as he continued pounding into me. I moaned loudly as he pressed against my g-spot. “Just like that, baby. Take it. You’re mine.” Ransom practically growled in my ear, as he sped up.

He led me back down on the bed, pressing his lips to my neck and shoulders. His hand resting next to my head as he continued fucking me from behind. His other arm was still wrapped together with mine and around my waist, lifting my ass up slightly to meet him. Every time he thrusted into me, I moaned loudly, trying desperately not to fall over the edge just yet. My walls clenched around him and all I could see, hear or feel was Ransom.

“Mine.” He grunted harshly. “All mine.” My hand desperately reached for something to grab, but only found my sheets. “Yours.” I was surprised by my own voice, but it was like I had lost all control of it. “I’m yours, Ransom, any time, any day. All yours.” His head rested in the crook of my neck and he slowed down his thrusts. Slowly dragging himself out, before slowly pushing himself back in but never missing my most sensitive spot. “Ranny, Daddy, please. Please let me come.”

The desperate plea also left my lips without me controlling it. His hand flew to my clit and rubbed fast circles on it. A loud moan fell from my lips and my knuckles were turning white from grasping at the sheets. “Just let go, babygirl. I’ve got you.” I could feel the vibrations of Ransom’s voice through his chest and with a loud whine I finally let go. My eyes rolled back into my head as I clenched and unclenched repeatedly around him. My arms gave in and my pillow muffled the moans and profanities mixed in with his name.

He continued thrusting into me, riding out my high until he stilled. He was deep inside of me as I felt him release inside me. His loud groaning of my name, eliciting even more clenching on my behalf while his hips continued grinding into mine. My loud whimper mixed in with his panting as he slowly pulled out of me. He collapsed beside me on the bed and suddenly grabbed my face, slamming his lips back onto mine. His tongue eagerly met mine and I hurriedly wrapped my legs around his hips, trapping him there.

As I broke away for air, Ransom kissed his way down my neck and I could not stop the question falling from my lips. “Did you mean what you said?” He hummed softly against my neck, before biting down on one of the hickeys he had left there earlier. “Well,” he said as he broke away from my neck to look me in the eyes. “The sex is pretty damn great and I can’t seem to stop thinking about you.” He brushed a few wayward strands of my hair away gently. “Not even when you’re completely ignoring me or making fun of my friends or pretending that you aren’t jealous of the girl sitting in my lap.”

A blush quickly spread across my cheeks at his last comment. “I didn’t think you noticed.” I said while running my fingers over his chest. “Oh, baby, I always notice you. Besides, it’s not like you could hide anything from me any more. I know all your tells.” His signature smirk was plastered on his lips again. “So the skank from today?” I couldn’t help but ask. A small laugh left Ransom’s lips. “Was just a skank that means nothing to me, yeah. Now, what about that boy-toy of yours?” Ransom narrowed his eyes at me in suspicion. “My boy-toy is named Eric and is actually gay.” I said and smirked at him.

“What?” The surprise was evident in his voice. “Yeah. I actually think that you know his boyfriend Liam. Apparently, he’s in a lot of your classes.” I shrugged as I finished talking. Ransom wrapped one of his arms around my waist and pulled me closer. “Jesus, how the hell did I not know that? I’m a damn idiot.” I rested my head on his chest, before speaking. “Yeah, but I guess you’re my idiot now.”

[p---ink]

Stark Contrasts Chapter Five

Author’s Note: This is the last installment, in my Tony Stark Fan-fiction. I loved writing this, but I am also happy to see it come to an end. Please, tell me what you think of this. I can only get better. It means the world to me when I get comments, so let me know how this makes you feel. Also, to my artists out there...I promise I don’t know jackshit about art, so please dont come for my throat. Everything is purely fictional. German speakers, I used google translate, please tell me if anything is off. I love you guys! Thanks for reading!

Summary: Y/N tries to adjust to her life away from Tony. 

Warnings: Angst, Fluff, Smut. In that order. 

Song: I had the song I saw you in a dream by the Japanese House, in mind while writing this. 

Word Count: 11.2k

Parts: one | two | three | four | five 

Chapter Title: The Ends of the Universe

Disclaimer: Picture is not mine. 

Berlin, Germany. Pepper Potts sent you to Berlin. Fucking. Germany. While Berlin was breathtakingly beautiful, and to your surprise very diverse, you knew nothing about it. Nothing about the way of life there. Nothing about the people. To say you were nervous would be an understatement. Scared, would still not do your emotions justice. You were in a place you had made no preparations for, as well as no thoughts of ever visiting. But you guessed that was the point. 

Tony would never look for you here. 

Six months. That’s how long you would be here. Pepper had taken care of everything. The rest of the semester and classes that you were enrolled in before you left, were now moved online. It was that or completing them the next semester. Usually, your university required students complete all prerequisite courses before they took on any internships within their respected fields. So how Ms. Potts got your Dean to agree to such an outlandish change of pace for one of her students, you would never know. What she achieved was unprecedented. That was when you learned quickly to never underestimate her. 

Six months. That’s how long you would be away from Tony. Well actually, the idea, as Pepper calls it, is that you two will have moved on from each other by the end of it all. You weren’t even supposed to contact him when your time was up here. In fact, as long as you were in Germany, you were not to contact anyone you knew. 

Pepper had assured your family and friends of your well-being ahead of time. No they could not know of your location, nor contact you, but they were ensured that you were safe. It took some heavy convincing on her part to get your family to agree, but ultimately they did. In their eyes, they were supporting what was best for you. 

Nao, on the other hand, was not keen on just letting you leave the country. Though your friendship had less than a few days to develop, she became very protective over you. She felt that your leaving was downright bullshit as well as unfair. “Why should Edward fucking Stark, get his happy ending?” She spat. She was also not as willing to trust Pepper as you were. But because you had already made your decision to leave, you entrusted her with the secret of your hidden twitter account. No one, save yourself, knew about it. You agreed that you would regularly tweet from it, as your way of letting her know you were okay. That was the only reason, she didn’t blow the whistle to Tony right away.

Unlike Nao, you had faith in Pepper. You two weren’t the closest, but you had an unspoken respect and trust for one another. Pepper, despite every reason you gave her, did not behave in the way that any other woman in her shoes would have. You had broken her son’s heart by sleeping with his dad, her now ex-husband. Yet here she was, going through all of these hoops for you, just to make sure you didn’t ruin yourself. Of course you trusted her. 

There was one thing she was not truthful to you about however. When she told you the internship was all-expense paid, what she really meant was that she was covering all of it. Your school fees, apartment, food, and any and all luxury items, Pepper would be dishing out the money to take care of it all. While you felt you had no control over everything else, you drew the line there. Though you sort of resented her for her speediness to remove you from States, you refused to let her pay for your mistakes. She had already done so much. 

Your entire time living with Tony, he never let you pay for anything. This of course meant, you had money saved up from your previous employments. Enough to live comfortably until you could find a job. While Pepper was more understanding than her ex, she still insisted on covering your school fees as well as the first two months on your apartment so that you could focus on school before money became an issue. She even set you up with some extra spending money to get started. “To have a job, on top of an internship, as well as a full course-load, is too much for any student to bear.” She told you. “I will not set you up for failure, just to prove your smug ass Dean right.” 

Once you were settled in, and she felt confident enough to depart, Pepper left you and Germany, wishing you the best of luck. She was in a hurry to get back home before Tony could catch a whiff of where you were, and where she had been. 

So there you were. In Berlin. All alone, far from home, with no one but yourself to console. That was when the waterworks began. Between Nao’s place and the plane ride here, you didn’t have time to process your emotions. Your life, though not the most morally ideal, went to absolute shit in less than seventy-two hours. You didn’t care who was looking from the outside in calling you ungrateful. You got to experience the world, and your experiences with Tony alone should have satisfied you. 

Still, you didn’t ask for any of this. He was all you wanted. You would give up all the luxury in the world, if it meant just being with him. But alas, you did not have that choice, so you decided to cry. 

And cried you did. Your first three nights consisted of tears, and headaches. You barely even ate. It didn’t help that Tony’s face was plastered every where. He was famous, so what did you expect? “How the fuck am I supposed to get over him, when I can’t even escape him?” In fairness, you also didn’t make it easy on yourself. A t-shirt of his that you stole, covered your pillowcase. You were scared of the day it’s scent would leave. The new phone that Pepper purchased for you, had his wallpaper on the cover. Of course you later willed yourself to change it, but it took time. You even bought books that he begged you to read for months, just because they reminded you of him. Your entire time in Germany, you were a woman of your word to Nao. You tweeted about him constantly your first three nights, just  to feel like your old self again. It was small things that made you feel closer. But small things turned into big ones. You were practically torturing yourself. 

Where nights ended in crying, mornings began with half-hearted reassurements. “This is what’s good for me.” You would chant, to yourself in the mirror. “This is what’s good for Tony.” It was now the weekend, and come Monday you would be starting your internship. “The sooner I get this over with, the sooner I can go home.”

  ººººº

Starting your art internship sounded dreadful to you now. Before, you were more than excited as you planned it with Tony. Your eyes were starry when you fawned over how rich the art and culture was in France. Of course you would be excited, given that Tony had taken you to France on numerous occasions, as well as taught you some of the language. You were even comfortable enough to navigate the streets of Paris alone. That was more than you could say about Germany. 

When Monday came, and you left your apartment, you got lost almost immediately. Luckily to you, in Berlin more people spoke English than you thought. So your day was off to a bad start but you could still turn it around. That was your train of thought before it began to pour down raining. The cute, but simple little outfit that you had put together was now drenched. Not to mention your hair; tight coils retreated to your scalp, and makeup ran down your face. You had tried. You really did. You wanted the outside of your person, to deflect what you were feeling on the inside. Too bad the universe had other plans. 

You were still determined to complete your first day. So you continued on to the location that a kind stranger gave you. 

It sounded right, because soon you were standing in front of the soon-to-be art gallery that you would be interning at for the next 6 months. You were to shadow an art-curator, with the hopes of teaching it one day. Sure becoming an art professor wasn’t very fulfilling financially, but you loved art so you didn’t care. 

You walked into the magnificent glass structure, with high ceilings and tall windows. Your strides made wet squelching sound, as you stepped from the outside concrete pavement onto the wooden linoleum.

Immediately, a man who seemed to be directing others about the room, turned his attention to you. He almost dropped the clear clipboard he was holding, upon seeing the soaking wet brown girl before him. All he could think of was the damage to the floors you had probably caused. 

“Wie kann ich Dir helfen?” He asked you with a grimace painting his features.

If your confidence wasn’t shot before, it was now at a zero as you realized how stupid you must of looked. “I’m sorry I don’t speak German.” You apologized.

The man huffed as he switched languages. “I said, how can I help you?” Now you genuinely felt like an entitled American, in someone else’s country forcing them to accommodate you by speaking your native tongue. 

“I’m Y/N, and I am here for the Schmidt Internship.” You said lowly. You watched him bring his attention back to the clipboard in hand, flipping harshly through the paper. 

“You’re late. On your first day at that. How could you come in here like this?” His words were harsh, but he was right. You were late, and even if you weren’t your appearance would have sent off red flags in his head. 

You had to blink back the water that was forming in your eyes. This was something that you had become an expert at. “I apologize, but I had trouble finding my way here.”

He scoffed “So not only are you coming up with excuses already, but you’re telling me you haven’t even prepared yourself. How are you supposed to retain the necessary knowledge for this job?”

“Again, I’m sorry, but I can assure you that this won’t happen again. ”

“You’re right. So go home.” 

Your brows jumped to meet each other. “I’m sorry, what?”

“You clearly don’t have what it takes. My clients will eat you up and spit you out within seconds.” He looked you up and down before adding, “And if they don’t, I will. So go home.” He turned his back to you as if you were nothing, and began redirecting men on where to put certain paintings. Not sparing you a second glance.

Something told you that he was used to making people cry. You almost did, until you realized that you had been crying for the past week, and now you were just angry. 

“You can place that Delegado by the window.” You heard him say to two men. You walked up to them to interrupt their conversation.

“Actually place it as far away from the light as possible.” You ordered the men who were holding the piece.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” The curator asked. 

You could feel his scowl on your face so instead of spinning to address him, you furthered your explanation. “The choice of medium Delgado used is not compatible with the sun. It will certainly drain its vibrancy. But anyone who attended secondary school art would know that.” You sneered, side-eyeing him. Your insult did not fall on deaf ears. His scowl turned into an almost pained expression. You ignored it, and moved on. 

You walked around the room, as the curator silently, but obviously followed you. “I assume you intend to place a light fixture over this.” You asked him, looking over your shoulder. “If not, this is the painting you should place next to the window. It will not thrive in the shadows. The artist intended for light to cast on certain areas to reveal hidden figures.” You took your phone out to flash its light against the frame to prove your theory, and almost immediately new elements appeared in the work. 

You could almost hear the change in features on the curator’s face. Still you continued your dance around the room, explaining to him pieces of art that worked well with others, and ones that did not. 

Going up to your next piece, you inspected it closely. “When did you purchase this” You asked him.

“A few days ago. Why?” He questioned, his tone was now different, almost inviting you to say more. He was now curious about your every word. 

“Bankole, the artist this is inspired by has not sold a painting in years.” You informed him.

“I bought it from a secondhand distributor. So what’s your point?” 

“You were scammed. The original piece only has seven hooded men. A reoccurring theme in Bankole’s art. This painting only has six.”

“Well maybe Bankole miscounted.” He suggested, chuckling. It was like he was amused, and it was vastly different from his earlier cold demeanor. 

“It also has too many etchings along the border.” You continued. “And the signature is misspelled.”

He stayed silent for a minute. He was awestruck. His assistant who had been standing near him, looked up everything you said to fact check you. She whispered a “she passed, sir” in his ear, when she could validate your arguments. And that’s when you realized it was a test. 

Upon realizing the whole thing was a set up, you relaxed your bewildered eyebrows, and looked down at your feet to smile a smile that screamed ‘I’ve been tricked’. 

The curator, as if scared to take his eyes off of you leaned his head to the side to ask his assistant, “Could you please get Ms.?”

“L/N” You sheepishly smiled, bringing your eyes back up to meet his. 

“Yes, could you please get Ms. L/N something to dry off with, Hanna?” He asked the girl, returning a smile back. 

“Right away sir.” Hanna spoke, scampering away to search the building’s custodial closet. 

He offered his hand to you, and broke the silence. “I’m Finn. Finn Schmidt.”

You took his hand, and shook it gently. “Wait Schmidt? Does that mean you’re—”

“Yes, my family owns this gallery.” He replied as a matter of fact. 

You mouthed an inaudible ‘oh’, as you were now embarrassed about your secondary school comment. Thankfully Hanna was back now with a towel to distract you from your growing shame. Changing the subject you asked, “So is it a German thing to be rude and test your future interns?”

He laughed, eyes lingering on your neck as you dried your hair. “Well its a Schmidt thing to test future interns. As for the rude part, I’m sorry. I was just a bit upset about something from earlier.” He confessed. “I promise I would have called you back later to apologize.”

“It’s fine. I did show up late and track your floors with rainwater.” You glanced outside, noticing the sky was now as clear as day. Just my fucking luck, you thought. But at least the new found light gave you a chance to properly examine Finn. The events from earlier, blinded you from realizing how handsome he was. 

He was much taller than you. At least more than half a foot. Chestnut brown locks, thrown up into a messy bun, graced the top of his head. He had honey brown eyes upon first glance, but when the sunlight hit them, they were a brilliant amber. He looked to be close in age to you, but still more experienced; so maybe late 20’s early 30’s you concluded. He was built. Not too muscular, but far from skinny. His beard was immaculate. In fact it looked as if he took better care of it, than he did his hair. Both made him look majestic. He had skin of olive, and it was dewy and radiant; you just knew his skin-care routine was more rigorous than yours. When he spoke, it was gruff. His accent was thick, but he spoke English like he lived in a native-english speaking country for years. He was definitely a man who prided himself in his looks as well as his knowledge. 

“So tell me, is it an American thing to ogle at complete strangers.” He smirked at you. You immediately thanked God for blessing you with darker skin, for you felt your blood pool to the apples of your cheeks. 

“I’m sorry.” You apologized, embarrassed and suddenly intrigued by the ground.

“Don’t be. It’s definitely a Schmidt thing.” He informed you, raking his eyes down your figure. Is he flirting with me? You asked yourself. 

Now desperate for air, you took in a deep breath to overcome the fluster. “So, um. I’m sorry, just to make sure I’m not getting ahead of myself: your assistant said I passed?”

He cleared his throat, and began rapidly blinking away his daze before speaking. “Yes with flying colors.”

“Does this mean I still have the internship?”

“Yes. I’d be honored to have you. ”

You beamed a bright smile. “Great. Well I hope we enjoy working together.” You stretched your hand out again for him to shake. 

“As do I.” He said, grasping your outstretched limb, before bringing your hand to his lips. 

Oh boy. 

ººººº

It turns out, you two did enjoy working together. Finn, despite your first impression of him, was a major sweetheart, at least to you that is. You didn’t know if that reigned true in other aspects of his life, or if it was just because he wanted to sleep with you. Either way, you welcomed his charming nature.

He became your best friend whilst you were in Germany. He was proud of his country, and very eager to show you why. You were dragged from museum to museum soaking in beautiful art. Landmark to landmark, reveling in famous architecture. Restaurant to restaurant, engorging yourselves with famous German cuisines and desserts. He was elated to finally have someone to boast to about his culture. And you were happy to have someone take your mind off of Tony. Temporarily.

As months passed, you still found your mind drifting off as you wondered about him. You dreamed about him at least every other night. But you would still tell yourself,  He’s over me by now. He’s probably happy I’m gone. At least I didn’t ruin his life.

Finn could only do so much. You were close now, so you informed him of a man who had taken over your dreams. He didn’t know who your mystery man was, but he wanted to be him. He wanted to be the one who occupied your mind. He made it clear on numerous occasions too. Spouting to you German phrases that he taught you before hand, revealing his feelings. 

‘Ich steh’ auf dich’. I’m into you. ‘Ich bete dich an’, I adore you. The words were beautiful flowing from his lips. But you always feigned ignorance, acting like you forgot what they meant. He could scream his feelings to the sky in your mother tongue, and you would still say something along the lines of “Quit joking around.” Or “You’re so silly.”

You would be a liar if you said you hadn’t thought about Finn in that way. He was sexy, and more than willing to replace Tony. And Pepper, if she were there, as well as your friends and your better sense, would have begged for you to fuck him…but alas, you just couldn’t do it.

You two were currently planning the grand opening of his family’s second art gallery. It was tomorrow night, and it took all of five months, most of your internship to get the museum ready for the public. It would be a formal event, where renowned guests were invited to partake in a cultured but light-hearted social gathering. It was going to be grand, which meant Finn was bugging out. 

“Lydia, have Hanna approve the guest list for me. I need her to make sure, no strays show up.” He said to one of his staff members. He had a group of people following close beside him as he took long strides to his office. 

“Again?” She asked. 

“Yes! Again.” He shouted.

She rolled her eyes, before skittering off to find Hanna.

“Luka, have you checked with the caterers to make sure the hors d’oeuvres will arrive by 17:30?”

“Yes sir.” The boy squeaked. 

“Check again.” Finn ordered. 

“Right away sir.”

“Oliver—” Finn Started. 

“The wine has already arrived, sir.” Oliver interjected, feeling quite sure of himself. 

“So the Chambertin Grand Cru is here? Great!” Finn began smiling and relaxing a bit. 

Confusion took the place of certainty on Oliver’s face. “Actually sir, I thought you told me to get Richebourg Grand Cru.” 

“Fuck!” Finn yelled in his native tongue, about to tear a new hole in the smaller boy. That is before you stepped in. You were waiting for him by his door. 

“Your guests are coming in for the art Finn. Not the wine, nor the food.”

His expression softened when he heard your voice. “Our guests.” He corrected, smiling at you. “I feel you worked harder than me, so they are our guests.”

“Fine. Our guests do not care about the damn wine.” You smiled. 

He chuckled at your playful chide. “You know you keep me sane right? You’re my savior.” 

“I thought Jesus was your savior.”

“Well you’re a close second.” He smirked, as he let you enter the room before him. You both sat down in close seats, and ran down a list of things he needed to confirm for tomorrow nights events. 

As you two worked, he decided to start a separate conversation. “Have you decided on whether or not you’re coming yet.” His voice was hopeful.

You sighed, knowing you were about to shatter that hope. “I’ve been meaning to talk to you about that. I think I’ll pass.”

“Why?” He cried, abandoning his previous tasks. 

“I have nothing to wear.” You informed him. “Besides I’m a bit beat. I should relax before my exams come up.”

“But, it’s just one night. And anything you put on will be amazing. It’s the girl in the dress that makes it beautiful.” As he said the last part, he placed a hand on your knee and caressed it.

You stood to your feet to avoid his lingering touches as well as ignore the look of disappointment on his face. “I can’t just show up in any thing. There are way too many important people coming. I would have to make a good impression, and I’m just not up for it.” 

Finn abruptly raised now hovering over you and turning your body to face him. “What is this really about?”

“What do you mean?” You asked looking at him through an inquisitive lens. 

“We both worked so hard on this. This gallery is practically your baby, don’t you want to see other people enjoy it?” The pads of his thumbs massaged your shoulders. The act was innocent, but to you it burned to have another man touch you in the way that only Tony should. 

You shrugged your shoulders to make his arms fall and took a stroll around his desk, placing space between you. “Of course I want to see her success, Finn.”

“Then what’s stopping you?” He asked, slowly meeting you on the other side, unsure about his actions now. 

You knew what was stopping you. Finn had to practically beg you to go out with him on regular days, and you would eventually do it to rid your mind of Tony; but this was different. Attending this event reminded you of the ones you, Tony, and Edward would participate in. 

While you were Edward’s plus one on paper, it was really Tony who you would move through a room with. He would introduce you to some of his friends in high places. You two would have riveting conversations about the world and art. By the end of it all, you would ditch Edward (which wasn’t hard, because he was usually the one to ditch you guys) to sip expensive ass champagne until you passed out the next day in some hotel room you had no memory of entering. This event screamed reminders of your past life. And your past love.

“I don’t know.” You lied. But Finn knew you were lying. He also knew what, or rather who, was stopping you.

He sighed, and gazed at you before speaking again. “Is this about your ex?”

You were curious as to why he asked about Tony when the conversation had nothing to do with him. “Why do you ask me that?”

“Because it always seems to be.” He came to stand directly before you, now more sure of himself. 

You could admit your tone of voice changed as you said your next line. “Well it’s not.”

“When are you gonna get over him?” Finn asked, ignoring your words as well as ignoring the defensive tone they were laced in. 

“I am over him.” He made you feel small, so you straightened your posture to appear more intimidating, a sharp scowl now decorating your face. 

“No you’re not. You’re still depressed about him.” He sounded a bit annoyed now. 

“I wouldn’t say I’m depressed…” You cooed, trailing off a bit with your thoughts. Am I depressed? And if I am, do I really wear it for the world to see?

Worry etched itself into your expression, which made Finn say, “You’re too young for this. And you’re too beautiful. You shouldn’t be worried about a guy who isn’t even here.” Finn stated. You thought that what he was saying wasn’t fair, because he didn’t even know the full story. “I can help you get over him.”

He made you blink rapidly at his words. “Woah Finn,” Finn continued his case. 

“Just let me take your mind off of him. I promise i’ll be worth it.” he was always forward, but never this forward. 

“Finn stop.” He was now closer to you, cornering you between himself and his wall. His office felt much smaller now. 

“I like you Y/N, and not just as a friend.” He was now just a breath away, so you threw your arms in between the two of you, only for him to lightly grip your wrists. 

“Finn—” You were cut off by his lips, as they stole a soft kiss from yours. You immediately broke the connection by looking down, brushing the area he just touched with your fingertips. Finn looked at you expectantly, face flushing as he realized what he just did. He dropped his hands from their positions on your wrists and stepped back.

“Y/N, I-I’m so, sorr—”

“I’m late for my other job now. I’ll see you Monday.” You hurried out, as you circled around him to leave the room before he could say another word. 

ººººº

Your entire shift at your neighborhood cafe, felt like a blur.  You chose to work at a cafe for similar reasons to the ones at home: the rustle and bustle of the world made you feel calm, and like your problems were small. But now all you could think about was Finn.

He was right, you were still hung up on Tony. In your defense, five months didn’t seem like enough time for you to move on from a relationship that shifted your entire being. But they did say, to get over one man, you should get under another one. And Finn, was a man that you would have been attracted to under normal circumstances. 

He was handsome. Articulate. Cultured. Kind. He was the type of man, who could move a room just by walking in it. But he wasn’t Tony. That fact alone was how you knew you were beat. If you could pass up an amazing man, for one you couldn’t even have, then you were crazy. 

He smelled of ginger, and he tasted like cinnamon for those fleeting moments that he held you. You thought to yourself that you could do worse. You weren’t supposed to be with Tony anyway, so what was the harm in being with a man who was begging for you to use him?

The harm was, that you weren’t that kind of a girl. And you didn’t wanna hurt him. 

I am making this harder than it needs to be. You thought to yourself, as you walked into your apartment building. Your decision to go to the gallery’s opening became a hell of a lot easier, when your doorman greeted you with a package. You hesitantly thanked him and took the elegant box, before walking up to your flat. 

Setting it down on your counter to rid it of its satin pink bow, you freed the top cover and unraveled the tissue paper. Underneath all of the wrapping was a sparkly rose gold material. You pulled it out to reveal a ball gown, that looked as if it was made specifically with a princess in mind. The puffy skirt of the gown had a large slit in it and it was made of a sheer, almost see-through fabric. Glitter ran throughout the entire dress, but where it was most prominent was the bodice. The straps were off the shoulder, and they connected to a deep plunge a few inches below the neckline. It was beautiful.

Your first thought was to anger. The dress looked like it cost him a fortune.  You felt obligated to thank him, but you were also mad that he spent money on you as a form of apology. You hated when people just gave you things. It instantly made you feel like a burden.

But then your second thought was one of guilt. Leaving him so quickly, must of made him feel terrible, and that fact helped you swallow your anger. He really liked you, and you could at least show up to the gallery to support him. After all, you were still friends. 

You just silently prayed you wouldn’t regret going. 

      ººººº

Cool air nipped at your bear arms and chest as you made your way through the night. The wind caused cold tears to fall from your eyes, and your fingers felt like icicles. You knew it would be cold tonight as winter transitioned into spring, but you didn’t anticipate it this much. You didn’t have a proper shawl to sit across your shoulders that matched your dress, so you sucked it up and power-walked to the gallery.  It definitely felt nice to step into the building’s warm and inviting embrace.You instantly felt your cheeks warm up as you stood in the middle of the entryway.

The event was in full swing by the time you arrived. You were instantly surrounded by laughter, and chatter, as rich people debated amongst themselves about the intent of certain pieces of art. Beautiful melodies filled the air, as classical music played softly in the background. The ambience was warm despite the cold night air peering through the high glass ceilings. You thought it was nice, how even though the building was so well lit, you could still make out the faint glow of stars above you. 

Being an observant person who could easily meld into the background, you thought the sight before you was beautiful, and you immediately felt regret grow smaller in the pit of your stomach. 

You searched the crowd, trying to seek out Finn and thank him for urging you to come, as well as for the dress. You found him at the top of a balcony, chatting up one of his guests. You swallowed your uneasiness as you made it up in your mind to confront his and your feelings. Maybe I could give him a try because he really is a nice guy. That was your train of thought as you made your way up to him. I could learn to love him. You thought. If it doesn’t work out, I still have home in just a month. 

As you got closer, and closer to him, you thought of Tony, and immediately froze in your tracks. You felt guilty for even thinking about someone else before you were over him. You were disappointed in yourself, for your readiness to use one man, in order to get over another one.

You were about to turn around and forget about the entire event, before Finn caught your gaze. He stopped his chat with the man in front of him and excused himself to walk over to you. 

You looked like a gapping fish out of water as he approached you. Finn was always so well put together. Seeing him in a tux, only made him appear more intimidating. He somehow made you, with your dress, naturally done makeup, and beautifully pinned up hair, feel small. Little did you know, he felt smaller.  

“Y/N” He started, almost at a loss for words. “You look beautiful.”

To save face you forced yourself to speak, opting for the playful banter he had come to love. “Why are you acting so surprised?”  You sheepishly smirked. 

“Well I didn’t think you were coming.” He beamed. He was relieved to know you weren’t still mad at him.

“I couldn’t just waste this.” You said referring to your dress, grabbing a fistful in each hand to lift it and emphasize your point. 

Finn bought his eyes over you, basking in your beauty. “You look darling in that. But I thought you said you didn’t have anything to wear.”

You furrowed your brows at his words, smile faltering. “I didn’t, until you—”

“Finn! Over here darling, I want you to meet someone.” His mother called to him in english, gesturing to a well-dressed attractive woman. 

“Okay.” He replied to her before bringing his attention back to you. “Stay right here. Don’t move I mean it.” He floated off, abandoning you and your confusion.

Why was he acting so oblivious? 

You felt moments pass as Finn worked himself around the room. You watched him as he drifted from person to person, seemingly forgetting about you. He was in his element, and you were happy to see him happy. 

Leaving him to do his own thing, you walked down the stairs deciding to occupy yourself by people watching. That was when your emotions began to overwhelm you again. You leaned against a wall, newfound glass of wine in hand, trying to drown out the noise around you. Everything seemed to remind you of Tony Stark. The rich men in their suits. The stimulating discussions. Even the drink between your fingers, reminded you of him. Now too encapsulated with your thoughts once again, you turned to the wall behind you, immersing yourself into the art. The sad girl in the painting, derided you, as you met her eyes. She was pretty, and like you she felt alone. At least we can be lonely together you thought, scoffing at the idea. 

“Why that frown, everyone in here knows you’re prettier than her.” Your heart sank, as you turned to the side meeting the face of the familiar voice. 

“Tony?” You exhaled, blinking rapidly as if your eyes were playing tricks on you.

“In the flesh.” He smirked down at you. You threw yourself into his open arms, as he wrapped himself around you. You felt him kiss the top of your head, then your temple, as you inhaled his scent; it had been such a long time since you had even done that. Your drink spilled on the floor behind you, and the look of shock you received from a nearby stranger made you feel deranged. It didn’t matter, how crazy you looked, Tony was here and that was all you could care about. 

Pulling back from his embrace, you felt your words form at the back of your throat unable to bring them out. “What are you doing here?” You managed to ask. 

“You know I could ask you the same. Berlin? Was all that French I taught you, for nothing?” He joked, holding you in place. 

You were becoming blurry-eyed. You terribly missed his wittiness. “How did you find me?” Though you were happy, you couldn’t help the tears that streamed down your face. 

Tony wiped them away with the pads of his thumb, “First. Dance with me.” He reached a hand between the two of you, willing you to take it. 

“This isn’t that kind of an event Tony.” You chuckled.

“Who cares? I need to hold you.” His words made you tear up again. You soon became a sobbing mess, and those around you shot him dirty looks for making you cry. 

“Princess.” Tony cooed, sending apologetic nods to random people as he tried to comfort you. “You’re making a scene.” 

You ignored him, and kept silently whimpering, gradually growing a bit louder, as your face contorted further into a frown. “You’ll ruin your makeup.” 

Still crying you began dry-heaving as you chocked between sobs. “Alles ist gut.” Tony assured strangers, informing them that all was well. 

“You know German?” You squeaked between sobs.

“When I found out you were in Germany, I learned a bit on the plane ride here.” He grabbed a napkin from a passing by waiter, as he told you this. 

“So you learned German for me?” You sobbed louder, causing more people to look over.

“Y/N, baby please stop crying.” Tony pleaded. “Please stop."

You sniffled and began wiping your eyes, smearing your mascara in the process. He used his napkin to wipe away the excess mess on your face. “Now can we please try this again?” He asked holding his hand out. You took it, and he lead you to the center of the room. 

Now the attention was as a result of the spectacle in front of them. First a girl practically pours her expensive wine on the ground. Then starts crying. And now she and her beaux are dancing in the middle of the gallery. How unhinged you must of looked in the eyes of a stranger. 

Tony couldn’t be more in love with you. He held you close, one hand clasped with yours, the other resting on your lower back as he gazed into your eyes, mesmerized by your existence. You two swayed back and forth, ignoring the judgmental stares and whispers. Eventually others gained the courage to join in, inspired by the silly Americans of the room. 

He broke the comfortable silence first. “I see you like the dress. You make it look beautiful.”

“You bought this for me?” You exclaimed smiling. It made sense now, how else would the measurements be so perfect?

“Of course I did. Who else would?” He asked with a single raised brow, his signature “you better tell me, or you’re in trouble” expression.

“Mmh, hmm, Mmh.” You mumbled shrugging your shoulders upwards. Of course that was a lie, but you would tell him later. 

He decided to address your lie later as well. He changed the subject for now. “So why Berlin? Why not London, or Italy? Italy was you second choice, you loved Italy!”  

You giggled at the amount of times he said Italy. He bathed in the sound. “Germany was the first place Pepper could arrange on such short notice. Besides, we thought you would never think of looking here.”

“I would search the ends of the universe for you.” He said, face and tone all of a sudden serious. You inspected him for a minute, heat rising to your cheeks, before you both cracked a smile. 

“You’re so fucking cheesy.” You laughed. 

“I thought you loved it when I act cheesy.” He expressed, mocking fake hurt. 

You smiled and kissed his chin, ignoring his dramatics, opting to be enveloped by the silence. You were calmed as he rocked you in his arms, pulling you as close as he could. His large warm hand on your exposed lower back felt like home. You two fit together like puzzle pieces, and you were happier now than you were the first time you kissed. Now you weren’t in secret. You were out in the open, as you experienced a new first in your relationship. 

You broke the silence this time, as you laid your head on his chest. “So how did you find me?”

“Tonysbitch99 Y/N? Come on, I’m a fucking genius, and I’m not exaggerating.  Your last tweet led me here”

Your head shot up so you could question him. “Wait. So you went out on a fucking whim?”

He laughed at your outburst. "Well actually a blue-haired girl encouraged me to check your twitter account. I found your hidden one on your old phone. That led me to your apartment.”

“Nao.” You said in a low menacing tone. You had some words for her as soon as you got back home. But when you thought of home, your mind wandered back to the obstacles in your way. Being so happy to see him, you forgot about Edward. “Tony” You sighed. “You can’t be here. Edward will find out. And you could lose everything you worked for. Your dreams have to mean something to you.”

“They do. You’re one of them Y/N.” He always had a way with words, and just as you were about to protest he cut you off. “I won’t go into details about it, but everything is fine. You can even contact both Edward and Pepper if you don’t believe me.” 

You believed him. The fact that he involved Pepper’s name encouraged you to. “Enough  about me though. You seem to have been keeping yourself busy.” He whispered against the shell of your ear.

“What do you mean?” You asked, flustered by his action. He suddenly, but slowly dipped you so that you could focus on where his line of sight was. Your eyes met Finn, who was busying himself with guests, as well as stealing glances at the two of you. As you focused on him, Tony peppered kisses along the heart of your exposed bosom. The gesture forced you to shoot up out of embarrassment. You knew he was marking his territory, but you immediately scolded him. 

“Who is he?” He asked you, ignoring your tiny hits and reprimands. Once you calmed down, you told him about Finn.  “He hasn’t taken his eyes off of us, or should I say you, since my being here.”

You averted your gaze from Tony, and he immediately knew you were hiding something from him. He pestered you, until you told him about Finn’s crush, as well as the shared kiss. By the end of it all, he was sending death glares his way.

“You should introduce us.” Tony suggested, gravitating towards Finn, before you held him taught. 

“Calm yourself.”

“What did you say his name was again? Finn?” He asked, but he already knew the answer to his own question. “Finn. Finn. Finn.” He repeats, as if the name felt like a bad aftertaste on his tongue. “You know what? I like it. No, I really do, it fits him, because he looks like a fucking fish.” He spat.

You grinned and asked, “You’re not jealous are you Tony?”

“And what would I have to be jealous of? Did you not hear me say fish?” He questioned. 

“He’s a sweetheart. Come on, let me introduce you.” You were about to take his hand to meet Finn, but were surprised to see that he was already making his way over to the two of you. 

“Y/N, who might this be?” Finn asked reaching out to shake his hand. He knew who Tony was, most people did, but this was Finn’s way of acting as if he himself was more important. 

“Tony Stark” Tony interjected, acknowledging the outreached hand, but blatantly refusing to shake it. 

  Finn dropped his hand, before speaking again, smile now twitching. “Nice to meet you Mr. Stark. I’m Finn Schmidt.”

“Well that’s rather unfortunate.” Tony mumbled, loud enough for the both of you to hear. 

“Tony!” You chided, slapping his arm. 

“What?!” Tony cried. “You heard him say his last name was Shit, right?”

“He said Schmidt.” He knew that. Tony ignored the glare on your face that demanded he apologize.

The sound of laughter rang in your ears, as you both snapped your necks towards it. Finn must of  thought he was funny. “Y/N, your grandfather is hilarious.” Finn said, now deadpanning at Tony. 

Tony looked down at his hands, then at your brown ones, then back up to question the handsome boy. “Do I look like her fuc—”

“You’re right Finn. My boyfriend is pretty funny.” You say, examining his face with a small smile. Your comment shocked both him and Tony. He was happy that you could finally call him that. 

“Now,” you continued. “I’m a bit tired from these past few weeks. I think I’m going to call it a night. Enjoy your evening Finn. I’ll see you Monday.” You smiled, as you tugged Tony away.

“Goodnight Fish Shit,” Tony smirked over his shoulder, as you dragged him towards the door.  

“It’s Finn Schmidt, you idiot.” You corrected, sending an apologetic nod back to your friend. 

“What did I say?”

ººººº

Pushing the door open to your apartment, you unstrapped your shoes to place them next to the door, urging Tony to do the same. You threw your keys in a dish, and turned to him to whisper your intentions to go and slip into something more comfortable. He stared at you with a small smile as his response, dark eyes searching yours, while his remained unreadable. The dim light from the kitchen, illuminated his face, making it look intimidatingly beautiful. Or was hauntingly the word?

You suddenly felt nervous, realizing that this was the first time in months since you had been alone together. Handing him back the coat he let you borrow for the walk here,  you cleared your throat, and averted your gaze before excusing yourself from the room. Tony relished in the fact that he had reverted you back to your first stage of innocence. 

Upon your exit, he took a slow stroll around the room. He was careful to take in all that he had missed. Curious of how much you had changed, and how much you stayed the same. 

Accents of your favorite color were spread throughout the room. You had an open kitchen, and the living room was right across from it. They were both tidied to perfection. You had sleek wooden floors, that looked like they had never been stepped on. Furniture, that looked like it had never been sat on. A stove, that looked like it had never been turned on. Your place was nice, but he could tell you were rarely home. 

The walk here, you told him of your job on top of your internship, and school.You didn’t complain about it. In fact, you appreciated the chaos, and constant busyness. But he hated that you worked like a dog just to make ends meet. There was now all this time he would have to make up for, by spoiling you. 

He bent over to examine the books on your shelves. Some were new. Some that he had suggested. But what he searched for were the ones you would spend your summers rereading, as if the words would leave the page; desperate to memorize every letter. 

He moved on, now curious about your smart TV. What new shows were you watching? Did you still love the ones he remembered to be your favorite, or did new ones take their place? 

He picked up the candle on your coffee table. The scent of honeysuckle assaulted his senses. It was much different from your usual vanilla. He sat it down to continue his journey to your kitchen. 

He raided your pantry, your cupboards, and your fridge to see if you had been taking care of yourself. The contents were scarce, and he had to remind himself to scold you later.

“Are you hungry?” You asked smiling, grasping the hallway’s entry frame. You were wearing an oversized ash gray shirt whose front was tucked into a pair of frilly pink shorts. Your previously pinned hair now fallen was framing your cheeks, as stray pieces were pushed behind your ears. You removed all of your ruined makeup, and the result left a sheen of dew on the surface of your skin. If he thought you looked surreal at the gallery, ethereal was the word he’d use now due to your natural glowing state. 

“Yes” He replied. But he was getting full off of your appearance alone. There was no need for useless human sustenance. The way you looked was enough. 

You came into full view, grabbing a glass from your cupboards to pour yourself some water. “Well I’m afraid you’re not gonna find anything here.” You took a sip, offering him some. “But it’s not too late. There are still restaurants open.”

He reached for the glass in your hand, but instead of taking it, he placed his hand over yours to make you feed him sips of water. He eyed you over the rim of the glass before setting it down to say, “I’m full now.”

You swallowed hard, walking to sit on a stool on the other side of the island. Tony fell backwards directly in front of you, letting the cabinets behind him catch him. He drank you in with his eyes, as you felt yourself shrinking under his scrutiny.

“What?” You questioned, shy from his gaze. He said nothing, and just watched you. 

After a moment of playing the staring game, you tried to break the silence again. You looked down at the shirt you were wearing to spark a conversation. “I’m sorry I stole your shirt. I needed something to remind me of you. I hope you didn’t miss it too much.”

“The only thing that I missed, was you.” He said after minutes of deafening silence. Is he mad?

Looking down out of guilt you told him, “Well I’m here now. Tell me how you’ve been.”

He felt like your question was a loaded one. Not once did he think about himself while you were gone. He was constantly thinking of you. I’ve been lost. He wanted to say. I’ve been hopeless. I felt helpless not knowing where you were. Not knowing if you were okay. So many things were on the tip of his tongue, but instead he settled for “Let’s just say, I’ve missed you.” 

“That’s not what I asked.” You were genuinely curious about how his life was without you. But Tony looked like he didn’t want to explore the subject further. 

“That’s how I feel.” He declared, drifting slowly towards you. 

You decided to continue talking in order to fill the awkwardness. “Well its obviously how I feel too, but I wanna know how you’ve been holding up.” You ignored his sudden closeness. “Could you at least tell me how every one is? You mentioned Nao had blue hair? It was pink when we met.” Tony stood silent by your side as you asked your questions. “How’s Samuel? And Pepper?”As you rambled on and on, he traveled behind your stool, placing his hands on the chairs bars. His scent began to envelope you, and thats when your rambles became incoherent. If you weren’t already nervous before, you definitely were now. 

He picked up on it, like he usually does, and asked  “Am I making you uncomfortable?” in a hushed tone. You felt his breath fan the back of your neck, goosebumps formed on the little parts that were exposed. Your thighs clenched together, as you were suddenly turned on by how he made you feel both small and secure at the same time. 

He grabbed your chin, lifting your neck upwards and to the side, just before he placed a soft kiss on your lips, the first kiss since your reunion. It was so soft, you felt that he was afraid you might break; or as if you were only a part to a vivid dream. Deepening his touch, he let the fingers that were lifting your chin,  trail down the line of your neck. Soft fingertips brushed against your skin, until they collectively found a loose position around your throat. He let his thumb explore your jaw, while his tongue explored your mouth. Soft lips quickly turned into rough ones, as they fought to release every frustration and emotion he felt for the past five months.

When he pulled away, he had the nerve to place a chaste kiss on your cheek, as if he hadn’t just tongue-fucked your face a moment ago. “Sorry.” He apologized, “I’ve been wanting to do that for a while now.” He then walked back to his position by the counter, as if nothing happened, turned to you and asked “So what was your question again?” Innocence and genuine curiosity etched his features, like the lust, from a moment ago, never existed. 

Quickly overcoming your fit of fluster, you hesitantly stood to your feet. Tony never took his almond brown eyes off of you, as you seductively sauntered over to him. You had an idea. It was one you rarely thought of. One you never acted on; but if your time in Germany taught you something, it was to go for what you wanted. 

Now standing directly in front of him, doe eyes boring into his, he shut them as you placed your hands against his chest, leaning in for a kiss. Much like his, it was soft. A feather like touch against his mouth. You barely pulled back to whisper, “follow me” against his lips. His eyes fluttered open just in time to see you retreating down the hall. 

It was now his turn to become flustered, as he felt himself growing hot. He gave himself a moment to cool down, before taking his time walking down the hallway. As he poked his head in every room, just before he came to the last one, he found you sitting comfortably on your bed, stripped down to nothing but your bra and panties. Your elbows were propped up holding your weight, and your leg was crossed against your other as you patiently waited for him to enter the room. Your head was tilted as a seductive smile played on your features. 

Tony returned the expression, and he was about to dive into you, until you raised your hand to halt his actions. “Take off your shirt.” You ordered.

“Excuse me?” He asked, eyebrows furrowing in amusement. 

“You heard me.” You dared. Though your tone was soft, he knew you meant business. He searched your eyes for a moment, not finding his usual hint of submissiveness. So he decided to humor you. He leisurely unbuttoned his cuffs, glancing up at you every now and then. Then he took his time loosening his bowtie, dragging it off of his collar. He went painfully slow as he unbuttoned his bib, leering in your direction as he did so. Making you wait is what would usually break your spirit, and it was his favorite game. But you had learned patience while in Germany, so tonight was your night. You uncrossed your legs and raised to your feet, grabbing fistfuls of his shirt to roughly pull him into a kiss. This one was more feverish than the one shared in your kitchen, and it caught him by surprise since he was usually the one to take control. 

You switched your standing positions with him so that you were now the one facing the bed. As you deepened your kiss, he got pushed further back, until his knees collided with the mattress. You stood between his legs surveying his cherry swollen lips, before you reconnected your mouthes.

You laced your fingers in his hair, breaking your kiss, to harshly tug his head upwards. The guttural groan that escaped his throat, left an ache between your legs, while liquid pooled to the center of your panties. 

With the newly exposed skin of his neck, you stuck your tongue out to lick a slow stripe from his adam’s apple to his jaw, eliciting a string of curses from Tony. You then placed wet kisses down from there to his abs, kneeling to face his crotch. 

The prominent bulge, made your eyes widen with anticipation, and mouth salivate from thirst. You fell to your knees, licking your lips, fingers now fumbling with the buckle of his belt. Tony grasped your chin, lifting it to meet your eyes. “Y/N, I don’t want you to think you have to do this.”

You smiled at him, assuring him that you wanted to, kissing his fingers before going back to your previous tasks. He tensed up when you placed your hand on his thigh, just as the other worked to release his cock. The veiny appendage sprung free, and its size still intimidated you as you struggled to fit it in your tiny hands. Still, you were determined to make him feel good. 

You wrapped your hand around it, holding his drunken gaze, before stroking him up and down. You placed chaste kisses along the base, until you reached his crown. When you swirled your tongue around his head, Tony’s dick bucked in your hands, and his large palm shot up to tangle in your hair, urging you to suck. You swatted his hands away, and fixed him with a stare, silently telling him you’d stop if he didn’t let you have this. When confident that he learned his place, you wrapped your lips around his tip, lowering yourself further down his shaft, twisting the parts you couldn’t fit (which was still a lot.) He was a moaning mess, when his dick hit the back of your throat. You bobbed your head up and down his length, mewling when you made him groan. The vibrations from your moans, sent jolts of electricity up his spine, and he struggled to contain himself. 

Gagging against him, you shot back gasping for air, only a string of spit connecting you. After six more motions like that, Tony shot three thick ropes of cum down your throat. The sound he let out as he came, made the area between your thighs slick.

He usually spewed words of encouragement when you gave him head. “Just like that” or “Suck daddy’s cock” filled your ears as you worked him through his orgasm. But to see him come completely undone, unable to form a sentence, let alone control the situation, had you feeling more than satisfied. His head was thrown back surveying the ceiling before he bought his attention back to you. His face was a soft shade of pink, and sweat covered his forehead; it worked like glue, as pieces of disheveled hair stuck to it. “Who taught you how to do that?” He asked between breaths. 

“Finn.” You joked, but as soon as you said it, Tony grabbed your arm to yank you to your feet. He grabbed the nape of your neck to pull you closer to his face. 

“I know you’re just kidding sweetheart, but I don’t find that funny.” He rasped in a low tone. The grip he had on your  neck caused you to whimper, but you didn’t mind the sting. It only riled you up. 

You stepped back from his embrace, to undo your bra, just for him to yank you back in once it was off. He began kissing between your sternum, dangerously close to the mounds of your breasts. You chuckled at the feeling of his facial hair tickling your skin, but then your giggles turned into moans as his beard created delicious burns across your surface. He reached his hands down to your waist ridding you of your panties. Once you stepped out of them, you pushed him backwards on the bed, to crawl over him placing both thighs on each side of his. 

He bit his bottom lip at the sight of you, eyes burning with desire, and hands trailing from your thighs to your waist. You grabbed his dick, brushing it against your lips, before slowly guiding it to your entrance. As you sunk down on him, he sucked in air harshly, while you yourself let out a gasp of pain. 

“You still fit like a glove, baby.” He moaned out, glowered at you through hooded eyes. His hands tightened their grips around your waist to help you ease yourself onto him. 

A pained gasp erupted through your chest; the farther you sunk down on him, the further you stretched out. Pleasure began to burn in your loins when you met his end. You threw your head back and planted your palms against his chest,  rocking and grinding on his cock at a painfully slow pace. Your clit grazed his base as you did so, encouraging you to pick up your speed. His hands that were previously on your waist, crept up your front to fondle your breasts. You grabbed his wrists to help lift yourself up and down his shaft. 

The faster you bucked against him, the closer you came to meet your edge. He found his words of encouragement, when he heard your lusty pants of pleasure. “Such a pretty girl.” He praised. “Look at you go.” He whispered. He watched sweat form against your cupids bow, and your expression contort further into one of pleasure.

Your pace began to falter which is when he placed an arm around your back to sit the two of you up. Using the edge of the bed, he met your hips with his own, fucking into you at a new angle. His pace was faster, and more accurate than your own, which meant with each thrust he his your g-spot head on. His grunts and your pants echoed off of the walls as he sent you barreling towards your orgasm. You shut your eyes, letting the ecstasy hit, as you panted his name, over and over again. 

Letting the pleasure wash over you, you came to a complete stop, your moans sending vibrations through Tony’s chest. He didn’t stop though, his thrusts were relentless, as he tried his hardest to bury into you. “Keep going.” He ordered you. 

“I can’t daddy.” You whimpered, already fucked out, when you barely even started. 

“Yes you can.” He simply said, forcing you to sit up straight. You straddled his lap, met his eyes, and placed your hands on his shoulders to steady yourself, trying to will yourself up and down, but your hips just wouldn’t let you. By this time, he stopped completely as well, to catch his breath. 

You laid your head in the crook of his neck, defeated. “I’m sorry.” You exhaled into his skin. 

He lifted your head to cup your chin. When his eyes met yours, he pecked your lips before saying, “It’s okay princess. You did so well…but now it’s daddy’s turn.”

With that, he picked you up and wrapped your legs around him to place you at the top of the bed. He got rid of the rest of his clothes before he crawled back into bed, sinking into you again. You both let out groans at the feeling of his fullness.

Tony threw nice and slow out the window, and immediately began drilling into you. Your moans turned into deafening screams as his hips bruised your pelvis. He pried your legs open, placing quick kisses along your neck as he did so, knowing it would drive you up the wall as well as comfort you. He bit and sucked harshly along your collar bone, sending your mind into a blissful haze. Your hands shot up to his back, clawing at the flesh. You left blood in your wake, as you raked your hands down the skin. He let out a growl at the feeling, thrusting harder into you as a result. 

Your second orgasm arrived quicker than your first, but the feeling was more intense. He left you writhing, and shaking on him, as ripples of pleasure coursed through your body. Giving you a minute to collect yourself he flipped you over, before saying, “I’m not done with you yet, princess.” 

A look of alarm spread on your features, when you looked behind you to see him lining himself up yet again. “Tony I don’t think I can cum again.” You whimpered. 

“Awe, I thought you were a big girl.” He teased, smirking as revenge for earlier. While he loved the way you look on top, it obviously hurt his dominating spirit when you took his control. He leaned down, grabbing the side of your face to better access your ear. You felt his hot breath fan the side of your cheek as he whispered, “You’re gonna take all of me, until I fill you up with my cum.” Then he let you go, causing you to fall forward. 

You were so turned on it didn’t make sense. You just had three orgasms rip through you, yet your pussy was begging for more. 

He slammed into you for a final time, this position trumping them all. He gripped your hips, locking in on you, giving you no chance of escape. That didn’t mean you wouldn’t try. You climbed to the top of the bed, trying to put a bit of space between yourself and Tony’s strokes, but he just pulled you back in, fucking you harder than before. 

Tears welled up in your eyes. The intensity was becoming entirely too much. Your nipples brushed your bedsheets the harder he fucked you into them. His balls slapped against your clit, every time he met your hips. And his grunts of pleasure from using you, sent you toppling over the edge for a third time. The stimulation sending you into a convulsing fit. You squirted against him, covering his member with your sticky wet cream. Luckily for you, he followed shortly after, coating your walls with his thick white seed. 

When you collapsed, he rolled to the other side of you, both of you breathing heavier than before.  When he caught his breath, you turned over to drape your naked body onto his. 

“Was I too rough” He asked, suddenly feeling like he went overboard.

“Absolutely not.” You giggled. “Please do that to me all the time.”

He smiled in response burying his nose in your hair. The smell of coconut immediately comforting him. “I love you Y/N.” He cooed.

You lifted your head from his chest to kiss him sweetly. “I love you too, Tony.” That was the last thing you both said, before drifting off into a peaceful slumber. 

Whether your relationship lasted a lifetime, or ended in a year, in this moment you were happy. Happy that you no longer had to hide from the world. Happy that he was finally in your arms again. Happy to want someone, who wanted you even more. 

Happy to exist at the same time as him. 

A/N: Please do not repost my work as your own. Comments, likes, and reblogs are encouraged. I love you all, and really hope you enjoyed this! Thank you for reading :)

[justatiredghost]

January Rain by the Sea Part 5

In a life of misery, the ocean is the only place Klaus has ever felt any sense of peace or belonging. He finds himself drawn here whenever it all gets to be too much

-

Klaus was trying to be careful, not wanting to tighten the net wrapped around Dave more than it already was, but his pocket knife wasn’t particularly big or sharp, causing him to have to saw at it roughly for longer than he’d like. It was a little awkward, especially with Dave watching him with a guarded look that was nothing like how he’d looked at him earlier that evening.

“So, what’s the story, then?” Klaus asked, desperate for anything to talk about. “Do you get dressed up and go swimming after dark like this often? Or—”

He reached out, planning to snap the waistband of what had to be a fake fishtail, but he touched his hip where tiny scales began, only to find that they really were sprouting from his skin. The detail was too precise, just a scattering before they became full overlapping scales that you’d expect on a fish. He couldn’t imagine anything fake holding up against his squirming and thrashing, being dragged across the sand as well as the coarse ropes of the netting. It had even damaged the tail in some areas, and there was no faking the rope burns or the bleeding. Or the way his tail curled that legs and knees couldn’t.

“Did you really expect it to be fake?” Dave asked, trying to hide the hint of a smile despite himself.

“Huh,” Klaus said. “This isn’t how I thought it would go, but I always knew the drugs would kill me eventually. Am I having a stroke or something?”

“I don’t think that’s how strokes work.”

“So you’re not a hallucination, then?” Klaus asked, studying him through squinted eyes in mock-suspicion.

“If I say that I am, what are the odds I get out of this alive?” Dave asked, turning grim again.

“Woah, woah,” Klaus said, raising his hands. “Who said anything about dying?”

“I mean,” Dave said. “Despite how I looked earlier, I’m not exactly human. Most people would be more than happy to sell me out.”

“Fame and fortune?” Klaus asked, waving a hand dismissively as he went back to cutting through the net. “Yeah, been there already, and I’d rather never go back.”

“So, what, you’re just gonna let me go?” Dave asked skeptically.

“I mean, yeah,” Klaus said. “Kidnapping isn’t really my thing. I mean, what am I supposed to do with a whole ass human? One that’ll have to live in a bathtub too. Besides, pretty sure everyone’s just looking for an excuse to lock me up. Can you imagine what would happen if I started going around telling everyone Merfolk are real?”

“Oh,” Dave said. “Um, thanks.” It didn’t exactly look like he believed him, but there was at least enough doubt that he didn’t look so hopeless, so that was nice at least.

“Just to be clear, though,” Klaus said, hoping to get him to relax. “You are the same Dave I met earlier, right?”

“Yeah?” Dave said, looking confused by the question.

“Okay, cool,” Klaus nodded, and he finally managed to untangle his tail, which Dave stretched cautiously, either because of his injuries, or because he didn’t want to accidentally smack Klaus, which he appreciated. “You can never be sure with these kinds of things.”

“I want to ask what you mean by that, but I’m afraid to know the answer.”

“Probably for the best. I’ve lived a wild life. Now, can I—“

He gestured to the net still wrapped around his chest, trapping his hand, and Dave nodded after a moment. His eyes fell closed as Klaus drew in close, his breathing finally seeming to calm.

“So,” Klaus said, trying to keep the conversation going. “When you said you had a thing tonight, you meant a fish thing?”

“Yeah,” he hesitated, like he wasn’t sure how much he should give away, and Klaus figured he should probably change the subject to something less personal.

“What about that trap you set up for your boss? How did that go?”

“Oh, it worked,” he said, chuckling more out of surprise than anything. “Thankfully, he doesn’t know it was me, otherwise he’d have sacked me immediately. Not that it matters now.”

“Way to be cryptic,” Klaus said, finally slicing through the last of the rope and throwing it to the side. “What does that mean?”

“Just—“ Dave said, avoiding eye contact as he rubbed life back into his numb arm. “It’s probably about time I moved on.”

“Hang on,” Klaus said. “You’re not leaving because of this, are you? Because it’s really not that embarrassing. I’ve done way worse stuff, ask anyone.”

“I don’t know. I’ve done some pretty stupid things, I’m honestly surprised this is the first time someone saw me. Just, I can’t have anyone knowing who I am.”

“Well, now I feel bad,” Klaus said. “I don’t care. Can you use your Mer-powers to wipe my memory?”

“I don’t— I don’t have any mind wiping powers,” Dave said in confusion.

“Oh well, worth a shot,” Klaus shrugged. “My sister could make me forget probably, but that means telling her, so we’ll just be right back where we started with someone knowing.”

“Your sister?” Dave asked, shaking his head. “I really can’t tell when you’re joking or not.”

Usually, Klaus went out of his way to never mention his family or the Academy. Unless he thought it might get him into an exclusive club or a discount or something. But he knew Dave’s secret, and he honestly did want to reassure him, maybe share a secret of his own so he wouldn’t feel so exposed. Klaus really had no idea what had gotten into him, he wasn’t this honest with anyone. This guy just felt so familiar, so right, that he found himself not caring about his usual caution. So he decided to keep going.

“Oh, I’m not kidding at all. She’s the Rumor. She got the fun power, I just get to listen to ghosts screaming.”

“I assume that’s supposed to mean something to me, but for the life of me, I have no idea,” Dave said, just looking more and more confused.

“Seriously? You’ve really never heard of me?” Klaus asked. “The Seance, the sexiest and most fun member of the Umbrella Academy? Where have you been living, under a rock?

“Kinda,” Dave admitted with a chuckle. “But the Umbrella Academy does sound familiar. That was the thing with the superhero kids, right? You were one of them?”

“That’s one way to but it I guess,” Klaus grumbled. “Way to make it sound incredibly boring.”

“And you said your power was ghosts?” Dave asked.

“Yeah, but I don’t think ghosts are going to be able to help us here. Not that I could hear them right now, even if I wanted to.”

“This has been one of the most wild conversations I have ever heard, and you’re the one who just found out I’m not human. How did that happen?”

“I told you, I’ve lived a wild life,” Klaus winked.

Klaus dug around in his pockets until he found what he was looking for and held it up in victory. He’d forgotten he had a spare joint, although now it was incredibly soggy. “Aha, I do have one left! So, are you gonna chill here and smoke with me, or do you need to head out on very important Mer business?”

“You’re gonna smoke that?” Dave asked, skeptically.

“It’s only a little damp,” Klaus said. “I just gotta dry it out first.”

“Right, well, good luck with that,” Dave said, turning away towards the ocean. “And thanks. For saving me.”

“Hey, it’s whatever, am I right? Just don’t make a thing out of it,” Klaus said, flopping onto his back and staring up at the stars. “I’d offer to walk you home like a real gentleman, but I’m not a gentleman, and also I imagine there’s a bit less walking and a bit more swimming involved.”

“Goodbye, Klaus.”

Klaus waved without looking, digging his toes into the sand. He must have taken his shoes off when he jumped into the water, he needed to remember to grab those, but at least this felt nice right now. He didn’t even hear Dave splash into the water, the next time he looked up, he was just gone. For some reason, a wave of melancholy washed over him as he was left alone on the beach. What was up with him, lately? He really needed to smoke this joint.

[angelwithglasswings]

The Woman in Red

Me? Writing a gay self insert x Reader fanfiction cause of a dream?

It's more likely than you think.

Also first time writing something like this, so be warned XD

Word Count: 1826

Pairing: Carmen Sandiego x F!Reader

////////////

A sigh escaped your lips as you stared down at the sketchbook that was laying on your lap.

"Art is a pain." You thought, thoroughly unsatisfied with your drawing of that beautiful orange sunset that you were seeing. The various pieces of crayon you had used were spread across the floor, already forgotten in your frustration with this piece. Your legs were dangling off the edge of the San Diego harbor, as you had had the intention to draw the sunset here this evening, after seeing it yesterday on your little walk around the city.

You felt compelled to just rip the page out and throw it into the ocean, but then again, you didn't want to be the reason any sealife died because they choked on your disgustingly bad drawing.

With a heavy sigh you closed your sketchbook and began collecting the crayons and assembling them back in their box, when someone caught your attention.

It was a woman.

A very beautiful woman, I might add.

She was wearing a long red coat - you wondered why, as it was quite warm for an evening, but you weren't one to judge - and a matching red fedora, which sat upon luscious brown locks that cascaded down her back.

She was sitting on the roof of that old factory building, and you wondered how she got up there. You could only see her face from the side, but nonetheless, you knew that this woman was one of the most beautiful ones you had ever seen in your life. The light of the setting sun illuminated her tanned face in a way that only further convinced you that she was an angel.

You hadn't seen her around in the city, but then again - you had only just moved here, and it was quite the large city.

Both afraid and inspired, you grabbed your phone out of your bag, and snatched a quick photo of the mysterious woman - you just needed a picture of her, the motivation to try and capture her beauty in a drawing later on clear in your mind.

But of course, your dumbass forgot to turn off the sound, and your phone made that incriminating clicking sound.

Her head whipped around, alarmed, and the only thing you could think when you saw her face fully was:

"Oh holy shit, I'm gay."

And then you panicked.

You knew she had seen how you had held up your phone in her direction, so she definitely knew that you had taken a photo of her. In a hurry, you grabbed your bag, sketchbook and crayons and began running - almost tripping over your own feet as you stood up.

You ran the whole way back to your apartment, never once stopping to breathe, fearing that she might follow and confront you - and you really weren't in the mood for turning into a stuttering mess in front of that angelic queen of a woman right now.

Your hands were trembling as you fumbled with your keys, trying to get into your home as quickly as possible. You managed it, of course, and almost collapsed as you took the last steps into your apartment.

It was small, the only thing you - the broke college student that you were - could afford at this time. You supported yourself with a side job as a waitress in a Café, and well, that job didn't pay very well.

The window in your bedroom didn't close well, and it always seemed kinda cold - but, again, it was the only thing you could afford.

Sometimes you really wondered if becoming successful was really worth all this trouble.

You slipped off your shoes and your mind wandered back to that crimson wearing woman. A blush crept up your cheeks at the thought of her, and you quickly shook your head. No, no, no time thinking about hot ladies - all you needed right now was one hotass shower, and your bed.

Later, as you laid in your comfy bed, wet hair tied up in a towel, the thought of her returned - and with it, your inspiration.

"I guess that means no sleep for me." You muttered to yourself and grabbed your sketchbook and pencil off the ground. You turned on your phone and scrolled through your gallery.

As you saw the photo of her again, the blush returned full force - how could this woman be so beautiful, cute and hot at the same time?

It was unfair!

You only sighed at the world's unfairness, and began sketching the pose and face. The movements of your hand were coming to you naturally.

Let's just say, you definitely didn't get any sleep that night.

But it was one hundred percent worth it.

The next morning, you awoke to your alarm clock going off at a sound frequency that could probably wake up a deaf person.

With an exasperated groan, you sat up, almost throwing your precious sketchbook off your bed in the process. You caught it just in time - with your awesome Spidey Sense - and looked at your drawings from last night.

You realized, surprised, that they looked... awesome. You didn't hate them - of course, there were a few mistakes, but the way you drew her face could almost rival the real thing.

You shook your head. No, no more thoughts about the mysterious woman. Today was a free day, and you would spend it as you always did - taking a walk through the streets of San Diego and find some inspiration.

You slipped into your shoes and left your house, your bag hanging off your shoulder and packed with the essentials - your phone, wallet, sketchbook, a pencil and your keys.

The bus ride to downtown San Diego was boring, but at least you had your trusty music to keep you somewhat entertained as you stared out of the window from your seat.

That's when something red flashed in your vision. You sat up straight - much to the annoyance of the woman beside you, who definitely didn't expect that - and frowned.

As quick as it was there, it was gone again.

You hummed in confusion.

Was your gay ass hallucinating now?

It wasn't the last time that day that your mind was playing tricks on you.

As you walked through the crowded streets of San Diego, you saw that color flash in front of your eyes again and again. You swore you weren't hallucinating, but it was hard to deny it. There was no was you kept seeing her, you told yourself, it's just your mind being stupid.

You sighed and went to sit on a small bench in the shadows to try and relax a bit.

As you looked at the crowd in front of you, there was a rush of inspiration flowing through you and you quickly grabbed your sketchbook and pencil from your bag.

You looked ahead and your heart stopped.

There she was again. The woman. That face was undeniably her, despite the fact she wasn't wearing the red coat and fedora.

You made eye contact with her, and you could feel your cheeks warming up immediately. You looked back down onto your sketchbook, and when you look back up - she was gone without a trace.

Your face fell. You had hoped to be able to admire her a bit longer, at least from a far. Talking was out of question, no way would you be able to talk to her.

You'd be a stuttering, embarrassed mess.

And that's when you felt someone tap your shoulder.

You turned your head to look at the person, and within seconds, your face was burning in a deep red color that was definitely noticeable.

How did that woman even appear so silently next to you?

How did you not notice that!?

You took a second to look what she was wearing. A red and white t-shirt paired with a pair of jeans and red converse shows. Her hair was tied back in a ponytail, yet one strand still framed her face.

You were hyper aware of her hand that was still laying on your shoulder.

Did she know what effect she had on you?

By that smirk on her lips, she did.

"Can we talk?" She asked, and oh you melted at the sound of her voice. So smooth, it fit her perfectly.

You opened your mouth to talk, but opted to just nod instead. You weren't able to form one coherent word right now, you were sure of that.

"Good. I'm sure you remember yesterday, yes?"

You couldn't help but stare at her. Especially her lips, those beautiful, soft, full l- focus, goddamn it.

Again, you just nodded, and she continued talking.

"I'd like you to delete that."

You needed a moment to process her words, and when you did, you nodded hastily.

"Y-yeah, of course, I- Let me just, I.." While you were babbling nonsense, trying to find your phone in the depth of your bag, she was already talking again - so you quickly shut your mouth.

"I'm in a... situation where any photo of me is quite a risk. And I'm not willing to take it." She explained calmly, staring off at the crowds of people.

Again, you took a bit to respond. You had successfully deleted the photo of her, and when you glanced down to your lap, you noticed you had opened your sketchbook right at the page where you had drawn her quite a few times the night before.

You could close it, but she would notice.

"I- of course, it's gone-" You bit your lip to stop yourself from talking when you noticed her gaze on your sketchbook.

You really should've closed that.

"Let me guess. It's what you needed the photo for in the first place, right?" She asked and you took a deep breath. "You could've asked me to model for you."

You were dying.

"W-well, yeah... it's just, I just... I get so n-nervous around beautiful w-woman, and you're just-... so gorgeous and I didn't... I was scared you'd reject and-" Heat rose to your cheeks when you noticed you had been rambling, and it only worsened when you saw the amused smile on her face.

"Thank you." She took the pencil from your hand and wrote something down beneath one of your drawings.

It was a number.

"I hope I'll see you again."

She stood up, ready to leave, when you took a risk and grabbed her arm. She stopped and looked down at you.

"I... never got your name."

"I didn't get yours either. Carmen Sandiego."

"[Y/N] [L/N]."

A smile appeared on Carmen's lips and she winked at you as she turned back around.

"Don't forget to call."

And in a flash, she was gone, having disappeared in the crowd before you.

And you were utterly in love.

///////////

Hope ya liked it! ^^

Also I do not own Carmen Sandiego or the show.

[thinkyoureholy]

Soul Eater [13]

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.

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Pairing : Jung Yunho / [fem] Reader

Genre : Angst, Violence, Language, Fluff, Smut, Character Death? , Demon!AU

Words : 2.3k

Previous Chapter. - Next Chapter.

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-3rd Person P.O.V-

Wrath made his way down to hell, the other sins and Lucifer unaware of the fact that he was now in control of Y/N’s body. Wrath was sure no one would be able to see through him, Y/N’s personality easily matching with his so pretending to be her around the other demons wasn’t as difficult as he originally thought it would be. Actually, now that he thought about it, the other lowly demons seemed to be actively avoiding him the moment their eyes met his. He couldn’t help but smirk in pride, Y/N’s voice resounding in his head when he did so.

‘Why so smug?’ She asked even though she already knew the answer.

Wrath chuckled softly and shook his head, answering her under his breath, “Nothing. I just find it amusing that they’re so scared of you without even knowing who’s really in control.”

‘I was never one to let others walk all over me.” She said with a scoff, Wrath’s smile only grew wider.

“You’ll be one hell of a Wrath the moment I’m gone.” He muttered, immediately feeling her mood go sour at the mention of it so with a sigh he added, “Or not. It's your choice once Lucifer and the others are gone. I’m not only going to get rid of them for revenge but so you could be free to choose your own path without any pressure from outside sources.”

‘Now that I think about it you’re a lot more thoughtful than I imagined.’ 

Wrath let a miserable smile play on his lips, “I wasn’t always like this...it's all Artemis’ doing.”

The two went quiet after that, a dark look crossing Wrath’s face as he walked, memories of Artemis flooding his mind, Y/N reliving them with him. She saw how Artemis drew out the humanity Wrath didn’t even know he had. She made him smile and laugh in joy instead of malice. She had shown him so many new things and the one thing she had shown him that he had never gotten from anyone else is love. She loved him wholeheartedly, even after knowing what and who he was she still loved him, some might say that Artemis loved him more for it. Y/N couldn’t help but smile softly at the image of Artemis grinning widely.

‘She was a lovely woman.’ Y/N said as an afterthought, Wrath’s pitiful smile turning into a fond one.

“She was. Now that I think about it she was a lot like Yunho; bright, full of laughter, always seeing the good in everything but still knowing when to see the world for the dark place it really is, annoyingly curious and oftentimes poked her nose in places it didn’t belong. She was a pain in my ass much like Yunho is for you...but I loved her all the same.” He murmured, a lightness in his tone that was quite rare for him.

‘I’m sorry about what happened to her…’

Wrath bit down on his bottom lip harshly, taking a moment to compose himself before speaking, “Y’know...even after knowing how everything would end I think I’d still choose to love her and be by her side. I know it’s selfish for me to say but...I can’t bring myself to say I’d stay away from her.”

Like before silence fell over the two, a somber feeling weighing down heavily on their shoulders. And they didn’t utter a single word...that is until they ran into Greed. The moment Wrath laid eyes on him he felt this overwhelming anger wash over his body. He would’ve killed the bastard right then and there but Y/N had enough sense to stop him. It took everything in Wrath’s power to act normal and not lash out when Greed ran up to him. He almost recoiled at the feeling of Greed’s hand on his shoulder, Y/N doing her best to keep him calm. Y/N knew that Wrath wasn’t going to be able to keep his composure for long while having Greed so close.

‘I know I said you should let me take the reins on this but we can’t have me giving myself away before we even get to Lucifer’ Wrath all but growled in her head, letting her take center stage, ‘But make this quick, we don’t have much time to waste.’

Y/N gave a subtle nod of her head, tuning back in to listen to whatever Greed had to say to her. Even though Wrath stepped back to let Y/N handle Greed she couldn’t hide the anger she felt towards him. The last time she had seen him was just hours prior when he told Yunho about her leaving, something she wanted to tell Yunho in due time. 

“What the hell do you think you’re doing coming up to me so casually?!” She spat through her teeth, shoving his hand off her, “Did you already forget what happened mere hours ago?! I knew you were daring but this just takes it to another level.”

Greed set his jaw at her words, clenching his hands tightly at his sides, “He was bound to find out at some point. Why hide it from him?”

She scoffed, not believing her ears, “Don’t you dare try and make it seem like you did it for him. You care about no one but yourself,``she growled, shoving at his chest harshly, “You couldn’t let me have some peace for a few months!? I told you--I begged you to leave me alone and we’d discuss whatever it was you wanted to talk about when I came back down but you couldn’t even do that!? Now, he--he can’t even look at me.”

She tried so desperately to keep her emotions in check but just thinking back to what had transpired between Yunho and her just minutes before had her heart throbbing in her chest. She had the strongest urge to claw her heart out of her chest but she knew that even if she did that the pain would never stop. Greed on the other hand felt something flare up in him, he’s felt it before and not just with her either. He hated the feeling and if he could make it disappear he would but just seeing her like this over a mere human had his blood boiling.

“Good! Demons and humans should never be together! All they do is weaken us and I couldn’t stand to see that bastard weaken you further! I couldn’t stand to see you end up like the first Wrath!” He shouted, losing the composure he was trying so desperately to hold onto.

‘That son of a bitch…’ Wrath murmured under his breath, about to make his presence known but Y/N stopped him, holding him off.

‘Wait. Not yet.’

“He let a human blind him, change him in ways that I couldn’t even recognize him anymore! The problem got worse when Lucifer found out! He wanted me to kill him but I begged him to spare his life! But then the idiot comes to me with a plan to overthrow Lucifer and what the hell else was I supposed to do!?” Greed cried out, tears cascading down his cheek, his face twisted in pain, “Do you think I wanted to kill him? He was the only one I had, the only one I cherished in this world and I had to kill him because he fell in love with that bitch! If she hadn’t gotten in the way then--then…”

He trailed off, his voice failing him. Both Y/N and Wrath were appalled at what they were seeing. They couldn’t even be angry with the shock they were feeling. Here they were with Greed blabbering in front of them, tears running down his cheeks. They were too stunned to act, that is until he spoke again. 

“And I can’t bear the thought of losing you to him! Not another worthless  human! Why do you both have to choose them over me?! I loved you both and you threw me aside like some rag doll for some creatures that are nothing more than the dirt beneath our shoes!” He shouted. 

His voice sounded so broken  and if they were anybody else the two would’ve felt sympathy for him but all they felt was a rage so overwhelming they didn’t know what to do with it. Without giving it much thought, Y/N and Wrath’s minds syncing up perfectly, they reached out and grabbed Greed by the neck. Their claws digging into the soft flesh of his neck as they shoved him into the nearby wall, the concrete cracking at the sheer force the two were using to press Greed into it. 

“Those creatures are pure, loving, accepting and I would die for them ten times over if I had to,” They spoke, their voice blending in with each other’s, “For Yunho I’d start a thousand wars,” Y/N began while Wrath finished, “And for Artemis I’d burn entire countries to the ground.”

Greed stared at Y/N wide eyed, not believing what he just heard. There was no way, he must’ve heard wrong. He just simply couldn’t believe that he just heard Wrath’s voice coming out of Y/N’s mouth. Not only that, what was more surprising was that their voices blended together. 

“Y-Y/N why--why did I just hear Wrath’s voice just now?” Greed asked, his face having gone pale.

She simply tightened her grip but the one that spoke was Wrath, “Did you really think I’d stay gone after the shit you and that bastard Lucifer put me through?”

Greed’s blood ran cold. There was no doubt in his mind now that Wrath was in fact back. He knew that anything was possible now that he had reincarnated but he never in a million years thought that his consciousness would resurface. If he’s back then they’re all done for, he had to warn everyone. No one would be safe from Wrath’s rage. But how was he going to escape? They literally had him in their clutches, there was no way Greed was going to be able to escape with his life. Just as he thought his life was going to end Y/N loosened her grip on him, Greed falling to the ground with a thud. 

“You know, I wanted to stay hidden so I could get you all at the same time but I changed my mind,” Wrath said in a low voice, taking a step back, “It’d be no fun if I killed you without letting you fight for your life though. I want you to feel helpless as I fight you, I want you to desperately fight for your life all the while knowing that you’ll never beat me. I want you to beg me for mercy as I rip your disgusting head from your body.” Wrath said, his voice laced with the rage he was trying so hard to keep under control, “I want you to feel at least a shred of the despair that I felt when you all took Artemis away from me.”

Greed set his jaw, hating that name. Greed knew he had done things that didn’t deserve to be forgiven but just knowing that this was all because of some stupid, pathetic, worthless human. He growled low in his throat, his eyes beginning to glow as he summoned his wings, the appendages sprouted from his back. Wrath smirked at seeing him so riled up. Even in his true form Wrath was confident enough in killing him without having to shift himself. Wrath watching in silence, the look in his eyes full of disdain as Greed ran at him, giving himself a boost with his wings. This went on for awhile, Greed charging at Wrath and Wrath just moving out of the way at the last second, almost as if taunting him.

Y/N snickered as she watched, just as amused by this as Wrath was, ‘Why not let him get in at least one hit? Look at how hard he’s trying.’

Wrath sneered, dodging Greed one last time, “You’re right. It should give him enough hope to think he has a chance of winning this.”

And with that he stood completely still, gritting his teeth when Greed finally got a good hit in. With a single punch to the jaw Wrath was thrown across the hall, landing with a loud thud. Wrath cursed under his breath, a hand already rubbing away the pain in his jaw.

“Why did I think listening to you was a good idea?” Wrath groaned out, slowly rising to his feet.

“Oh quit your whining, I’m the one that’s gonna have to deal with this pain later. Besides...now it’s your turn,” She paused before repeating the same words she heard before Wrath stepped onto the playing field, ‘Show them just how devastating Wrath can truly be.’

The second he heard those words a wicked grin tugged at his lips. He discarded the cloak around his shoulders, cracking his neck as well as his fingers as he stared Greed down. Greed stood his ground but he'd be lying if he said he wasn’t absolutely terrified. Wrath was emanating an aura that revivaled Lucifer’s. Greed watched on as he changed into his true form, a form Y/N had yet to know about. Wrath sprouted horns, but not like the ones Y/N had, these were longer and came to a sharper point. The big wings that Y/N already had to begin with more than doubled in size now that Wrath was in control. Wrath flapped his wings a couple times before leaving the ground completely, hovering in place. His eyes were glowing a brilliant red, a red that burned deep with hatred and anger. The grin that Wrath had on looked sinister and full of malice. Greed thought Wrath was intimidating before but now, for the first time, Greed feared for his life.

“My turn.” 

≫ ──── ≪•◦ ❈ ◦•≫ ──── ≪

Tags : @chanyeolol​ @boredmay21​ @j-oneracha​ @choisofty​ @elenaramos1​

[magpiewords]

Code name: Timely

Title: A Punk by any Other Name

Universe: MCU

Rating: Teen, for mildly suggestive dialogue?

Word Count: 1765

A/N: This is my first time writing something Steve centric and it was super fun! He’s a ball of stubbornness and drama and I love him. Set in a MCU where Steve and Tony got married and sadness doesn’t happen.

“No no no no!” Steve rubbed his palms against closed eyes until he saw lights and colors. His vision had been bad these past few days but he still couldn’t believe the reflection he was seeing.

There last mission had put them deep within a Hydra base. There was an explosion and a heavy blue cloud had filled the room they were searching. Thor’s alien biology had kept him unaffected, Iron Man’s suit had quickly switched to an emergency air tank. Thankfully the rest of the team had been on a different floor all together. Steve had assumed the serum had protected him. Thirty-six hours later and he woke up to an empty bed, a note from Tony that he had an emergency board meeting in Hong Kong, and all the health defects Steve had enjoyed back in the 1930s.

He’d gone immediately to Doctor Banner. Bruce hardly drew two vials of blood before Steve felt dizzy, but that had been enough samples to reach a conclusion from. The gas had elements of the super soldier serum, but had acted like a virus, latching itself onto the chemicals that made Steve who he liked being.

“Fortunately, you’ll heal.” Bruce took pity on Steve after a while of giving too many technical details. The solider was always smart, but biochemistry was about as complicated as rocket science, and Steve tended to tune out Tony whenever he excitedly babbled about an upgrade to the Iron Man armor. “Erskine’s genius will never be met. The serum just needs a few days to… I suppose the best word would be to reboot itself.”

“How many days is a few days?”

Bruce scribbled a few numbers, rough calculations that Steve couldn’t see clearly with how poor his eyes were. “Closest estimate I can give you is between two and four days.”

That had been all the estimate Steve had needed. Tony’s note said he’d be back in three days and Steve’s luck with the serum had always been favorable. Everyone had seen pictures of Steve before the serum, and he was certain Tony had read the laundry list of health problems he’d faced, but it would be different to see it in real time. Logically, he knew he shouldn’t worry. His husband didn’t have an ounce of the pettiness the media portrayed him with, he wouldn’t care what Steve looked like. At least, Steve hoped so. One thing the serum had never affected was his mind. Steve had always been stubborn, determined, battle-minded, but anxiety had been his constant companion as well. A small voice of doubt seemed bigger when Steve was, well, of equal size.

It was vain, but he didn’t want Tony to see him like this. He didn’t think he could handle Tony looking down on him.

He had woken up the next two mornings disappointed, but not surprised. The days had passed slowly as he relearned his old body. Doctor Banner had supplied him with thick glasses and cocktail of medications. He had tried going on a run, which had ended with Doctor Banner intruding him to the wonders of modern inhalers. After that, he spent the endless free time drawing or playing Mario Kart against Jarvis. The game was a bit less fun without all the colors.

The third morning had come and disappointment gave way to frustration. “Doctor Banner said three days!” He lamented to the empty room.

“Actually, Doctor Banner said two to four days, which does average three but does not guarantee it.”

“Not helping, Jarvis.”

“Sir has asked me to inform you he will arrive at the tower in one hour. He would like to take you to Aretsky’s for lunch.”

“That fancy rooftop place Colonel Rhodes told him about last month? I can’t go there like this.” He glanced at his reflection once more and winced.

“Certainly not in Sir’s pajamas, no.” Jarvis sounded a touch too amused. “I have taken the liberty of fabricating a blazer that will fit your temporary size and pair well with one of Sir’s dress shirts.”

Steve had spent the last few days raiding Tony’s closet almost exclusively for sweatpants and old band t-shirts. While the genius was the second slimmest in the tower, his clothes still barely hung on to Steve’s small frame. Natasha would have been the first choice to borrow from, but her shirts would have been far too loose. Besides, Steve didn’t exactly want the team to see him like this if they didn’t have to. And he generally made a point not to go into Natasha’s room – he tried bringing her surprise pancakes after a mission once and the resulting knives thrown were a very clear message about her boundaries. With his old body, he probably wouldn’t survive the knives or the terror that came with them.

The blazer was hanging at the front of the unbelievably deep walk-in on Tony’s side of the room. It was dusky gray and did in fact go with the soft blue crew neck placed next to it. A pair of slacks next to that fit surprisingly well if Steve cuffed the bottom of the legs.

“You make one hell of a fairy godmother, Jarvis.” Steve looked between the angled mirrors, almost pleased with what he saw.

“You should see what I can do with a pumpkin.”

Steve laughed, but kept it to a lighter chuckle to prevent any wheezing.

“Captain Grumpy laughing? That is my favorite sound! Now what was this about pumpkins, pumpkin?” Tony’s dress shoes clicked on the floor, a spring in his step as he entered the bedroom.

Steve must have lost track of time, how was Tony home so soon? He startled, completely at a loss for words as he turned. His husband looked dashing as always, hair windswept perfectly, silky black suit jacket framing his body with the red button up that made Steve think of brilliant sunsets and the armor. At least he thought it was red, it could have been green for all his color blind eyes knew.

Tony had roses. Steve couldn’t really remember everything he was allergic to, but he hoped flowers weren’t on the list. Even with the colors muted, they were beautiful.

“What,” Tony said.

“What?” Steve repeated dumbly. Surely he hadn’t been this stupid when he was small the first time.

“Are you okay?”

“I don’t know, you tell me.” Steve tilted his chin just a bit higher. The stupidity of being enamored met with the stupidity of his own stubbornness.

“No of course you’re okay I just – are these going to give you hives or something?” Tony jerked the roses back and Steve lunged for them.

“No! I mean, I don’t know actually, but I don’t care. They’re beautiful and you brought them for me and you’re my husband and just because I’m a punk again doesn’t mean I’m giving that up!” He clung to the roses, burying his face in them and – oh. Yeah, he felt hives forming.

“Steven,” Tony whispered, “You don’t have to give anything up. I’ll always be yours.” He leaned over the roses and their kiss was as soft as the petals.

“Though something tells me you don’t mean ‘punk’ in the 90s grunge kind of way.” Tony pulled back, frowning slightly. “How’d this happen?”

“Looks like Hydra’s attack last week affected me after all.”

“What!? And no one thought to tell me? Jarvis, what the hell?” Tony dropped the flowers in Steve’s arms, grabbing his husband’s chin and starting to look over him.

“Tony, I’m fine.”

“Fine my ass, you’ve got hives!”

“Sir, Captain Rogers was examined by Doctor Banner. He should regain the serum’s properties within twenty-four hours. He is in fact fine.”

“Huh.” Tony removed his hands from Steve’s body, letting his eyes roam over it instead. “You can say that again.”

Serum or not, Steve’s Irish skin always had him blush deep pink from his collarbone to the tip of his ears. Tony moved in close again, pressing their bodies together as Steve held the roses off to the side. It was strange, looking up at Tony, but thrilling in a way Steve had forgotten he’d enjoyed when he was small.

“Is that my shirt? You look very fine wearing my clothes.” His mouth was against Steve’s ear, breath hot as his hands ran their way up under the borrowed shirt. “But I think I’d like to see you out of them. You’re always the one sweeping me off my feet but it sure would be fun to have my wicked way with you like this.”

“He is, however, allergic to roses.” Jarvis interrupted with timing too precise to be coincidental.

“Fuck.” Tony snatched away the bouquet and stepped back, despite Steve’s protests.

“He is also allergic to shellfish, dairy, certain strains of gluten, twelve hormones found in modern beef products, thirty-seven local pollens, two blends of nylon, strawberries, and cats.”

“Not helping, Jarvis.” Steve grumbled.

“Cheer up, babe,” Tony said, “Aretsky’s got all that organic vegan stuff that’s trending right now and strawberries aren’t in season.” He glanced at his watch. “If we leave now, we’ll still make the reservation.”

Despite the casual tone, Tony’s eyes were wide. He was asking Steve about the plans, not telling him. The reservations for a place like that must have been made at least a few days ahead of time, even with the Stark name being put on the table. Tony would drop the lunch date in a second if Steve didn’t feel comfortable. Nothing had changed between them. The relief felt like a weight lift off that Steve didn’t realize he was carrying. That or his blood pressure dropped again and Bruce was going to lecture him on not taking his pills.

“Lunch sounds good.” Steve smiled before stepping close again. He pulled at Tony’s jacket lapels to bring him face to face without having to lean up. “Only if after you make good on that promise of wicked ways.”

“Tiny and bossy, just my type.” Tony kissed him with more heat than before, but Steve could tell he was holding back. They broke apart, Steve gasping despite the relatively tame kiss. Tony looped his arm around Steve’s waist, leading them to the elevator. “Besides, the press hasn’t seen me hit the town with a cute twink in years, it’ll be a field day.” He laughed and Steve was pretty sure that was his favorite sound, even if he knew it sounded muddier than it would have with the serum.

“Is that what they call it these days?”

[ihidemycrazy]

Soulmates are BS

Read on AO3!

Clarke was honestly annoyed when her soulmate mark showed up on her eighteenth birthday.

Most people got them by the time they turned sixteen, so when Clarke’s didn’t, she thought she would be one of the lucky ones who never got their soulmark.

Clarke didn’t mean to be ungrateful or whatever, she just liked having options, okay? Having a soulmark means you get one person and that’s it. While that’s nice in theory, there’s the potential that your soulmate is a total asshole or, like, dead, so Clarke always thought it’d be better to have her pick of the non-marked people. That way, it wouldn’t be the end of the world if the relationship didn’t work out. Other fish in the sea and all that.

But if she had a soulmate, she was suddenly limited to one freaking fish. It was too much pressure.

She leaned her head on Raven’s shoulder. “Soulmates are bullshit,” she groaned. “You sure you don’t have a mark? If I have to have a soulmate, it would’ve been ideal if it was someone cool who I already knew.”

“Sorry babe, no such luck,” she patted Clarke’s head. “You know other people would be happy with this?”

“Other people aren’t pessimistic.”

“Well, that’s blatantly false, but whatever. At least your soulmark is pretty.”

Clarke watched the vines wind down her inner forearm, colorful buds blooming occasionally.

“True,” she smiled. “Monty’s pacman on his neck that runs in circles whenever he eats is pretty entertaining though.”

Raven laughed and said, “Already shitting on other peoples’ soulmarks, huh? Then you’re definitely ready to go to your party.”

Clarke groaned, “Oh no, Raven, what have you done?”

Raven grinned devilishly, “Invited all of our friends to my basement and got a fuckton of alcohol.”

Clarke pursed her lips, then nodded, “That actually sounds like exactly what I need.”

“Ha! I really am the best friend in the world,” she grinned.

Raven drove a little like a maniac back to her house because apparently Clarke’s small meltdown was not accounted for in the plan.

Once they descended into the basement, everyone popped out and yelled “Surprise!” emphasized by the crash of Jasper tripping over himself and slamming into the foosball table.

Luckily, Clarke’s laugh at Jasper covered her need to pretend to be surprised.

She made her way toward the drinks, careful to keep her long sleeves covering her new soulmark. That was a conversation she didn’t feel like having tonight.

Bellamy was pouring himself a drink when Clarke made it to the table and said, “Welcome to adulthood, princess.”

Clarke winced, “Oh, don’t remind me. The only exciting thing about eighteen is that now I can buy lotto scratchers.”

Bellamy laughed, “True, but I think you’re ready for the big bad world.”

“Thanks, Bellamy,” Clarke smiled, “That was actually nice of you.”

“Don’t expect me to keep it up,” he grinned back. “Special birthday behavior, you know.”

He tapped his cup against hers in farewell and made his way back into the bulk of the party.

Clarke caught herself watching his back a little too long, the way his shoulders swayed with his steps, the way the veins in his arms stood out, and his ass in his jeans, but she shook herself out of it. They were somewhat antagonistic friends, but she really liked Bellamy. He was a little course and never let her get away with anything, but she needed someone like that in her life. She idly wondered if he had a soulmark.

Octavia walked up then and said, “Look at you, unashamedly objectifying my brother.”

Clarke’s jaw dropped as a blush spread across her cheeks and before she could formulate any words besides a stutter, Octavia grinned and said, “It’s okay, I’ll give you a pass for your birthday. Especially if you distract him while I make a move on Lincoln.”

Clarke sighed, “Octavia, you and Lincoln have matching soulmarks. Bellamy understands. Also, I don’t think it counts as making a move when you’re already together.”

Octavia huffed, “Fine, but just know, this is your fault.”

Before Clarke got the chance to ask what was her fault, Octavia turned to the crowd and yelled, “Who wants to play spin the bottle?”

Everyone whooped, besides Murphy who mumbled, “I definitely thought we weren’t twelve anymore,” but begrudgingly sat in the circle.

Clarke drunk a lot while they played, partially because the bottle wasn’t landing on her much, and partially because when it did, most people were too drunk to be kissing properly, like Roan, who basically just licked her face.

Finally, Clarke spun and the bottle pointed to Bellamy. Her stomach dropped when she caught his eyes from across the room. She took a deep breath and crawled to meet him in the middle of the circle.

In his eyes, there was a question, asking if it was okay without saying anything. Clarke nodded subtly and Bellamy’s mouth turned up in a small smile.

The kiss was softer than Clarke expected and she could immediately tell that Bellamy wasn’t drunk as his tongue deftly swiped at the seam of her lips. She opened her mouth for him and moved her hand up to cradle his face, getting lost in the pleasure of kissing him.

A tingle ran down her body and she pulled away with a gasp to the raucous cheers of the group. Still, she couldn’t take her eyes off Bellamy’s blown pupils, noting that he looked just as wrecked from the kiss as she was.

They both crawled back to their spots and she watched Bellamy absently scratch the back of his neck. Her forearm felt like it was buzzing, so she pulled back her sleeve and saw that all the flowers were blooming and the vines kept twirling new patterns around her arm.

She glanced back up to Bellamy and caught him watching her, but he just winked and turned his attention to Raven and Wells making out in the middle of the circle.

Soon, people began to get bored with spin the bottle and Jasper began complaining how hot it was in the basement.

“Jasper, you know you can just ask to go swimming. You don’t have to wait for me to invite you,” Raven said.

Jasper grinned with glee and immediately ran up the stairs and out of the basement, everyone following behind him at a reasonable pace.

Clarke lagged behind to grab another drink, trying to shake away the weird tingling she’d felt since she kissed Bellamy. Just because her soulmark reacted didn’t mean anything; it was new and Clarke wasn’t really sure what anything meant. Maybe it just did that because it was a good kiss and her forearm was encouraging her to get laid.

Clarke quickly finished her drink and made her way up the stairs and out to the pool, carefully stepping between discarded clothing and shoes.

She saw Octavia on Lincoln’s shoulders first, playing chicken against Raven and Luna. Clarke was mildly concerned they were too drunk for that, but then she saw that Bellamy was wading nearby, on alert if anything should happen.

She got distracted again and was appreciating the way the water dripping down his chest, when he suddenly turned and Clarke got a glimpse of his back.

Vines tangled down from the back of his neck over his shoulder blades, displaying a wide array of beautiful flowers that made Clarke’s own soulamrk tingle.

“Holy shit,” she breathed, then immediately started removing her clothes. She thanked her past self for choosing to wear cute underwear, then jumped in the pool, and headed straight for Bellamy.

As she got closer to him, she watched the vines on his back swirl to take up more space and the flower expand as if they were reaching out to her. He must have felt the tingling, because when she was about a foot away from him, he turned to face her.

“Hey, princess, having a good birthday?”

“Yeah, actually, I have to admit, it’s going way better than expected.”

Bellamy’s eyebrows drew together, “Do you just expect shitty birthdays or…?”

Clarke pulled her arm from where she had it trapped against her side and showed him the flowers and vines dancing along her forearm.

Bellamy sucked in a breath and reached out to trace the pattern with his finger.

He looked up at her and smiled, “Well, I’ll be damned.”

“So you’re okay with this?” Clarke asked, searching his face for any sign of hesitation.

Bellamy laughed, “Of course I’m okay with it. I’ve been hoping it’d be you since I got this mark two years ago.”

Clarke grinned, “Okay. Just wanted to make sure I wasn’t pressuring you or anything.”

Bellamy smiled and pressed his forehead against hers, “Having the same soulmark is just an excuse for me to admit how I’ve felt about you for a long time.”

Clarke tilted her head to kiss him and let herself fall into the joy that came with. Suddenly everything people always said about soulmates made sense. Everyone else disappeared and there was only him. She felt safe and loved like she had never felt before, and as his hands skated around her hips and waist, she felt a heat she’d never expected to feel.

Bellamy pulled away to ask, “So, speaking of not pressuring, do you want to get out of here?”

Clarke bit her lip and nodded enthusiastically, causing a grin to break out across Bellamy’s face. She intertwined their fingers and they did their best to rush out of the pool, but honestly you can only walk so fast in water and Clarke was sure that they looked pretty stupid to anyone who noticed them.

They quickly grabbed their clothes off the ground and hurried to Bellamy’s truck that was parked on the street.

Bellamy got all the way to starting his car before he said, “Dammit. I’m drunk. I can’t drive. Is it bad I forgot about that?”

Clarke laughed and said, “No worries, I forgot too. We can just hang out here. Privacy and whatever.”

Bellamy grinned and said, “So, bed of the truck?”

Clarke grabbed Bellamy’s giant blanket from the backseat and hopped into the bed of the truck she laid out the blanket. Bellamy lay down and wrapped his arm around Clarke, so she snuggled into his side.

The stars were beautiful and Clarke couldn’t help thinking that it really did turn out to be her best birthday yet. If only her soulmark could’ve gotten its shit together and shown up earlier, she could have been this happy years ago. She knows that’s not how it works and she may not have been ready then, but the thought of missing out on all that time with Bellamy was a little disappointing.

“So did you just get your mark today?” Bellamy asked.

“Yeah. I was actually pretty upset about it at first.”

Bellamy’s hand that was stroking her arm paused, but all he said was, “Oh?”

“I didn’t like the idea that this mark meant you were basically trapped with someone forever, no matter what. It’s like getting married without your consent. But honestly a lot of my problem with it was because I didn’t think you had a soulmark. I thought getting my soulmark meant I would never get the chance to be with you,” Clarke said, a little sheepishly, but he’s her soulmate so she wasn’t too embarrassed.

“I’m glad your main problem was missing out on me, but just know that you aren’t stuck with me or whatever. If you’d rather be with someone else or be alone, I’d let you go. I’d be kind of crushed, but I’d let you go.”

Clarke smiled and placed a light kiss on Bellamy’s chest. “You’re the best soulmate I’ve ever had.”

Bellamy grinned down at her, “You bet your fine ass I am.”

[dragonbagel]

Retrograde - Part 11

dang i can’t believe how long this thing is getting. thanks for all your comments and messages! [read it on ao3 here.]

“Rhys! Rhys, c’mon babe, wake up!”

Rhys groaned from where he was slumped overtop Jack on the floor, but still remained unconscious. Jack continued to shake Rhys’ shoulder, although the man showed no signs of rousing; he was bleeding from both his empty arm socket and neural port, and he looked even paler than usual.

“What do you want?” Jack growled, locking eyes with Vasquez, who now stood at the control panel with a disgustingly smug look on his face.

“How stupid do you think I am?” Vasquez asked, looking way too drunk on power.

“With a nickname like Wallethead?” Jack said, something fiery awakening inside of him. “Very.”

Vasquez glared, fiddling with a few switches on the control panel as Jack continued his futile attempt to wake Rhys.

“Honestly, Jack? I used to think of you as a genius, a hero,” Vasquez said, leering. “But now I see you’re just as pathetic as the rest of them.”

Jack didn’t respond, his body tense.

“Letting him seduce you? Really? Under all that hair gel, he’s just another useless Pandoran whore.”

“Don’t talk about him like that!” Jack snapped, curling over Rhys protectively as Rhys began muttering nonsense to himself in distress.

“Quit acting like an idiot,” Vasquez said, his tone clipped.

Jack noticed the sound of a hiss of air from a newly exposed vent, realization dawning on him as he was met with a chuckle from Vasquez.

“Come on; there’s no way I can just let my rival live! Even with a Vault, Atlas can’t rise until Hyperion’s out of the way.”

Jack felt sleep tugging at him, registering the presence of poisonous gas slowly filling the chamber. More alarmingly, he’d noticed that Rhys’ incoherent mumbling had stopped, and the man’s chest was barely rising and falling. Jack felt tears welling in the corners of his eyes. He couldn’t lose Rhys, not again.

“Rhysie,” he said softly, brushing Rhys’ hair off of his forehead, which was damp with perspiration. “I’m sorry. I’m so, so sorry.”

If he hadn’t yelled at Rhys, if he hadn’t let his jealousy and paranoia get the best of him, if he hadn’t started that stupid fucking fight that had driven Rhys away, then maybe Rhys wouldn’t be dying in his arms.

“I love you,” he said, his eyes beginning to slip closed. “I love you so much.”

When he felt unconsciousness dragging him down again, he didn’t fight it. Without Rhys, he didn’t know how he could ever continue living. He drew in what he knew would be his last breath before succumbing to the darkness.

“God, why is he so fucking heavy?”

“At least you’re not carrying Legs McGee over here.”

“Would you two quit complaining? We need to get them back to the apartment.”

Jack awoke to the familiar sound of his friends bickering, groaning as light filtered into his slowly opening eyes.

“Oh thank God, he’s awake.”

Jack had barely registered Nisha’s words when he was unceremoniously dumped onto the floor.

“The fuck?!”

“You need to lay off the pretzels, asshole,” Nisha said, scowling as she massaged her now-sore arms.

“I’ll have you know that this is pure muscle, cupcake,” Jack said, pushing himself shakily to his feet.

“Good,” Sasha said, and Jack saw that she was hunched over beneath Rhys’ weight as his arm was slung over her shoulder. “Then put those arms to work and carry your boyfriend for me.”

Jack made a face at her before shifting Rhys so that he was leaning against Jack’s own body, Sasha sighing in relief. Despite how thin Rhys looked, he was by no means light to carry without assistance.

“You know, I did just wake up too,” Jack said, huffing as he dragged Rhys along toward the elevator.

“And that means you’re capable of helping,” Tim said, his voice projecting from the speaker on Nisha’s ECHOcomm.

“Thanks for the concern,” Jack said bitterly.

“Hey, you should be thanking us for rescuing your asses,” Sasha said, pressing the button to summon the elevator.

Jack shifted in his spot, readjusting his grip on Rhys. “Oh yeah… how did you even find us?”

Sasha rolled her eyes as Nisha began to speak.

“Did you really think we were just gonna sit tight while you got to have all the fun?”

“I told Tim to have you wait for my signal,” Jack said, glancing angrily at Nisha’s phone as if Tim would be able to see his expression.

“And we told Tim no way,” Sasha said, stepping into the now open elevator.

The shuffle of fabric Jack could hear over the phone speakers told him that Tim was shrugging, and he sighed in annoyance.

“Hey man, you guys would be dead without them,” Tim said defensively.

“Yeah, okay, whatever,” Jack said, jabbing the button to take them back to his penthouse. “Let’s just get home so I can patch this kid up.”

Sasha glanced at the growing pool of blood on the elevator floor, pressing her body against the wall as to not stain her shoes. “Shouldn’t we, y’know, take him to a hospital?”

Jack shook his head, looking slightly less concerned now that he knew Rhys would be getting help soon. “It’s not safe.”

“Oh, of course,” Sasha said sarcastically. “Doctors whose job it is to save people’s lives aren’t safe.”

Nisha shrugged, apparently also on Jack’s side. “You’d be surprised.”

“Well, I hope one of you knows how to sew stitches, because he’s still bleeding,” Sasha said, her annoyance giving way to worry. She never thought she’d have to see Rhys unconscious and bleeding like that again, and it was dredging up those awful memories for the second time in a day. She really, really hoped Jack had tea at his house. And maybe some alcohol.

“Don’t worry, I know a guy,” Tim said, his voice optimistic.

“Wilhelm,” Nisha said, unamused at Tim’s attempt to be mysterious. “He means Wilhelm.”

“Why do you have to ruin everything,” Tim whined, causing both Nisha and Sasha to chuckle. Jack, however, was looking grim once again, especially as he could feel fresh blood staining his shirt from Rhys’ side.

“He used to patch us up all the time on Elpis while we were Vault hunting,” Nisha explained, as Sasha still looked confused. “Let’s just hope he still remembers his shit.”

“With how often you got injured, how could he not?” Tim piped up, his scorn clearly directed at Nisha.

The elevator doors opened with a ding, and the group exited, Rhys still a deadweight in Jack’s arms. He’d shifted to carry him bridal style, already resigning to have to burn his blood-soaked shirt. He grunted as he hoisted Rhys up further, ordering Nisha and Sasha to walk faster or he’d hit them with Rhys’ stupid stun baton.

Tim opened the door for them as they approached, bouncing nervously on the balls of his feet. He look nauseous at the sight of Rhys’ condition, and Jack realized that Tim hadn’t seen the worst of it, what with Vasquez cutting off the video feed.

Fuck. Vasquez.

“How did you guys get us away from that asshole?” Jack asked, eyes widening as another thought occurred to him. “You didn’t kill him, did you?”

“‘Course not,” Nisha said, looking as though Jack was doubting her intelligence. “Figured you’d like the honors.”

“Hell yeah I would,” Jack said, laying Rhys down carefully on Wilhelm’s makeshift operating table. Calling it an “operating table” was honestly a bit of a stretch, considering it consisted of a ratty towel draped over a coffee table that Jack would now have to replace.

“We locked Vasquez in the interrogation chamber after we knocked him out, tripped the lock so none of those Atlas assholes can break him out,” Sasha said, her gaze shifting nervously from Jack over to Rhys’ bloodied body. “God, I’m going to have so much fun torturing him.”

Jack grinned at Sasha before kneeling at Rhys’ side; he had to admit, the girl was starting to grow on him. Not that he wouldn’t be happy to never see her again once this whole mess was sorted out.

“Jack,” Wilhelm said, drawing his attention from his bittersweet opinion of Sasha. “Where are your drugs?”

“Where are my-- Are you calling me a junkie?”

Wilhelm sighed as he wiped the drying blood from Rhys’ body to take inventory of his injuries. “I mean the drugs you stole from medical.”

Jack wanted to deny the accusation but, well, Wilhelm wasn’t wrong. Besides, there was nothing wrong with taking a few free samples in case he needed to heal himself (or wanted a fun weekend).

He headed to the bathroom, unlocking the safe he kept beneath the sink. He then brought his bag of pharmaceutical goodies out to Wilhelm, who immediately began sifting through them. Jack took Rhys’ unnaturally cold hand as he waited, squeezing it lightly in hopes of letting Rhys know that he wasn’t alone.

“I’m going to need you to hold him down.”

Jack’s eyes snapped up to meet Wilhelm’s, not sure he’d understood him correctly and honestly wishing he hadn’t.

“You want him to live?” Wilhelm asked harshly, unfazed by Jack’s confused apprehension. “Then you keep him still.”

Jack nodded and quickly obeyed, lightly pressing on Rhys’ shallowly rising chest.

“What are you doing?” he asked skeptically, watching Wilhelm layer a syringe with samples from the vials of brightly colored liquids. “Those are still experimental!”

“Will you let me do my job?” Wilhelm replied, flicking the barrel of the syringe so that the medications blended together.

Jack bit back a retort about how Wilhelm should know firsthand about the dangers of mixing drugs (didn’t he remember what happened that time he’d had pills and a Moxx-tail together?), knowing it would probably be wisest to keep his mouth shut for once.

“And I said to hold him down, not caress him!”

Jack winced as he pressed down harder atop Rhys’ swirling blue tattoo, especially as Rhys whimpered in pain.

“Sorry buddy,” Wilhelm said to Rhys as he lined the needle up with Rhys’ heart. “This is gonna hurt like a bitch.”

Rhys cried out as the needle pierced his skin, his body beginning to convulse as Wilhelm pushed the plunger down. Jack tried his best to hold him still, but Rhys’ shudders were only intensifying in strength. His chest felt tight as he watched Rhys writhe, the younger man’s face contorted in pain as his labored breathing quickened. Jack could feel Rhys’ pulse thundering beneath his fingertips.

“What did you do to him?” Jack yelled, not even bothering to hide his growing panic.

“Saved his life,” Wilhelm said, his voice neutral. “His organs are currently restitching themselves. We’ll have to rewire the cybernetics later when he wakes up, but it should at least get that hallucinogen out of his system.”

Jack nodded, forcing himself to take his friend’s word for it despite his gnawing anxiety.

Rhys was still shaking, but the outward lacerations littering his… well, everything… seemed to be clotting and closing up.

“Thank you,” Jack said quietly, carding his fingers through Rhys’ hair.

“Don’t mention it,” Wilhelm said, wiping a bead of sweat off his forehead with his robotic arm. Damn, he was glad that had worked. “I’m going to look into getting him a new arm. There’s morphine on the table that I’ll pretend you just have for medical emergencies. Give it to him when he wakes up.”

Jack saluted Wilhelm with a smile as he exited, leaving Rhys and Jack alone. He figured it was best not to try to move Rhys yet, as some of his deeper wounds hadn’t yet fully healed. He took a seat on the couch behind the coffee table, turning on the TV even though he had no intention of watching it. He couldn’t tear his eyes off of Rhys and, if he was being honest, he didn’t know if he’d ever be able to.

He intertwined his fingers with Rhys’, running his thumb in a circle over Rhys’ knuckle to soothe him.

This time when he squeezed Rhys’ hand, he swore Rhys squeezed right back.