#even at the risk of being called cute or getting picked up and getting unwanted affection

[smalltimidbean]

The opposite to giant and monstrous Chase Pep and Hangry Fiend - Sopping Wet Creature Pep and Beanlette Fiend!

Idk what Fiend is hissing at, but it is probably something that is upsetting to (or will potentially further upset) Pep

Or someone called them cute, who knows

[leighsartworks216]

Ominiscience

Sylus x gn!Reader

I just love when Sylus gets to protect MC from others

Warnings: unwanted advances, alcohol mention, protective Sylus, Mephisto keeping an eye on you, pet names, swearing, established relationship

Word Count: 1,009

Main Masterlist

Love and Deepspace Masterlist

AO3

Tag List Form

Wish you could’ve come with me. It’s boring here without you :(

You sigh as you send the text, leg bouncing as you thank the bartender for your drink. There’s no alcoholic sting when you take a sip, but you don’t expect there to be. You do have to drive back home, after all. Or maybe you’d risk the drive to the N109 Zone, just to see Sylus.

Tara invited you out to a bar to celebrate a mission success. And despite helping you in that success, you didn’t want to risk the leader of Onychinus being in Linkon around other Hunters. But you also didn’t want to disappoint Tara, especially when you’d been spending so much time in the N109 Zone when you aren’t working. You didn’t want her to think you didn’t enjoy her company or value her friendship.

Except, she got swept up by a cute guy five minutes after sitting down. They smiled together and laughed as they danced to the music, holding hands and swaying close like they’d known each other for years. And you were left at the bar to nurse virgin mocktails and cling to every message he sends you.

Awe, poor kitten. Shall I send Mephisto to keep you company?

You can’t help grinning.

For company, or for target practice?

“Hey, gorgeous.” You startle and turn toward the voice. A man gestures to the stool beside you with a smirk that makes your skin crawl. He looked completely normal, even a little handsome, but something about the way his eyes looked at you had your senses on high alert. “This seat taken?”

You glance down the row of seats. There are quite a few open, further away and a safe distance from you. “No, but neither are any of those.”

He laughs at your comment and sits down, leaning his elbow on the counter and barely glancing at the bartender when he orders. You shift your drink closer.

“I like a seat with a view.”

Your phone buzzes again. You start to pick it up so you can answer the new message, hoping your clear lack of interest will get this stranger to leave you alone, but another hand grabs it and slams it back onto the bar, trapping your hand with it. His grip is relentless, squeezing your fingers together uncomfortably as he leans closer. You smell the alcohol from his drink on his breath.

“It’s rude to ignore someone, sweetheart,” he chastises. “What’s the matter, you got a boyfriend?”

“Yes.”

He chuckles. “I don’t believe you.”

Your phone begins ringing, vibrating against your crushed hand while it plays a silly tune, one you’d picked out just to annoy Sylus. The man snickers. “What kind of ringtone is that? Is your friend calling? She must be cute, too, huh?”

“You can answer it if you want,” you say, taking on an air of confidence. “Maybe she’ll think you sound pretty cute, too.”

He grins, eyes studying your hand beneath his as he considers the offer. Your heart is leaden in your chest. If he doesn’t answer and Sylus doesn’t threaten him into the next lifetime, you don’t know what else to do. The bartender’s back is to you as he talks with another customer, and Tara is probably too engrossed in her new admirer to notice your struggle.

“Alright,” he finally agrees. You try not to breathe a sigh of relief just yet as he releases you and you hand over the device. The idiot doesn’t even bother checking the call photo background, a stolen snapshot of Sylus with snow in his hair and fireworks lighting up his face. He just accepts and brings it right up to his ear, smiling at you confidently. “Hey, cutie.”

You bite your lip to fight a growing laugh from bubbling up as you watch in real time as his face changes through several different emotions.

At first, he’s just confused when a man’s voice answers the call. Then pissed. He’s glaring at you when he starts to hang up, but stops and listens again. The anger flickers into worry for a second. A split second. Enough time for his mind to try to rationalize that the words, the threats, coming in from the receiver aren’t real and can’t possibly happen to him. And then it settles. Color drains from his face. His eyes are wide, glancing from you to the people around him helplessly, clutching the phone with both hands. You can’t hear Sylus’s voice, but you wonder if he’s using Mephisto to relay the man’s movements.

It’s only been a couple minutes when the man slowly pulls the phone from his ear and holds it out to you, cradling it in both hands like a highly reactive bomb. He stammers until he finally whimpers out, “It’s- It’s for you. S-Sorry.”

You take the phone and he trips over himself trying to get away, frantically searching the crowd for the mysterious stranger that threatened his life seconds ago.

You hold it up to your ear. “Thank you for that.” You take a relaxed sip of your drink.

Sylus chuckles. “Did you enjoy the show?”

“Mhm.” You glance over your shoulder. “Where’s Mephisto hiding?”

“Outside. Up a little, look to your right… There you are, sweetie,” he purrs. Mephisto’s red eyes shine like rubies through the glass of a high-set window. You can’t see his body, only the movement of his eyes as he jerks his head around. “As I was saying, have you had dinner yet?”

“Not yet.”

“Good. Name anything you want. The chef will have it ready by the time you get here.”

You turn away and smile, trying to hide just how dopey it looks from him. “Do you have any work to do tonight?”

From the smile in his own voice, you’re sure he saw it anyway. “Just say the word and my schedule is cleared.”

“Which word?”

There’s an anticipatory pause. You can imagine the feel of his breath on your ear as he whispers into the microphone. “Please.”

[dark-fics-4-you]

Number One Fan ch. IV

Dark!stepbro!Rafe Cameron x f!Reader (with a side of JJ Maybank x f!Reader)

Warnings: noncon (aka rape), incest (step siblings), forced sex, mentions of past noncon, loss of virginity, unprotected sex, unwanted creampie, violence, abduction, gaslighting, m!receiving masturbation, reader has some ptsd like symptoms from past noncon

Previous Chapter

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Sarah had been the first to call out the fact that you were acting differently. After all, the entire family was staying together over winter break and with no classes or extracurricular activities to take up anyone’s time, your absence was noticeable.

Despite all of your reassurances that you were okay, Sarah would not stop pressing you.

“It’s just that you’re holed up in your room basically 24/7, Y/N. I’m starting to get a little worried. All of us are actually, at dinner last night Rafe could not shut up about you.”

At the mention of your step brother’s name your stomach flipped, nerves flaring as you thought about him.

The party had happened a couple weeks ago, but that night had been heavy in your mind ever since. After Rafe confirmed that he hadn’t been in your room that night, you had tried to write it all off as some twisted dream, but the shadowy memories that had been coming back to you since were eating you alive.

Everything about it had felt so real. Each time you looked back on it, you seemed to remember another detail, another reason to question yourself and your step-brother.

Rafe had told you he hadn’t came into your room the next morning when you asked him about it, but the details weren’t adding up.

The entire situation didn’t sit right with you.

You wanted so badly to brush it all of, to assume it was just a bad dream, but you also didn’t want to think that your brain was capable of conjuring up a situation as nightmarish and nauseating as your step brother sneaking into your room and eating you out.

Another thing that you couldn’t get out of your mind was how drunk Rafe had been trying to get you that night. Not only that, but he had given you some coke, which was a rare occurrence. Any other time you had asked to try it, your older brother declined, telling you that he cared about you too much to risk you getting addicted.

The few times he had ever let you do a line was in the house, on a night no one was throwing a party, where you both knew it would be a safe environment. He had never let you do coke a party, much less offered it to you.

You hadn’t even thought to question it at the time, too intoxicated to think twice, but now you felt suspicious.

For the first time in your life, you were incredibly uncomfortable being around your older step brother.

Tannyhill was huge, but Rafe’s looming presence made it feel small.

Leaving your room became an anxiety inducing ordeal, you were never sure if you would bump into him and have to pretend like you weren’t reliving the sensation of his lips sliding over yours, the way his mouth felt wrapped around your clit, the feeling of his fingers pumping inside of your slick cunt, or how good it felt to come undone onto his fingers and tongue.

The worst was how much every one of his touches now set your skin on fire. Whereas before the party, you had never been one to shy away from displaying physical affection with your older brother, now the thought of it made a pit of dread grow in your stomach.

You were even more ashamed of the fact that you had even noticed yourself growing wet when Rafe was around.

Once, after his low voice reached your ears from behind and he wrapped his arms around waist, picking you up and spinning you around before setting you back down, your cheeks warmed and you squeezed your thighs together when you felt a hot warmth between your legs, quietly mumbling an excuse before running to your room, where you stayed the rest of the night in ashamed confusion.

Another time, after Rafe had noticed you watching TV on the living room couch, wearing one of your cute, little tennis dresses (that he had bought for you), he sat next to you and asked you to cuddle up to him, like you had so many times before. This time, when you climbed into his lap, you couldn’t focus on the show at all, instead praying that your step brother couldn’t feel your panties growing damp from the close proximity to him.

What you didn’t know was that Rafe had a good idea of why you were acting differently. He knew that you must have some memory of that night, and he had been getting immense enjoyment from your discomfort and squirming.

Although he did wish that you had remembered less so you would go on being the oblivious, sweet little sister he had gotten used to. Rafe didn’t like that you had withdrawn yourself from him so much.

Sarah cleared her throat in front of you with a nervous laugh, and you realized you had zoned out right in front of her for several seconds longer than was normal.

“I’m just still feeling really tired from the last semester still,” you lied, nervously looking down as you played with a strand of your hair.

Sarah raised an eyebrow doubtfully, before shaking her head and taking a step closer to you before wrapping her arms around you in a hug.

“I’m here for you, Y/N.” She whispered into your hair as she squeezed you a little tighter. “You know you can always talk to me about anything.”

Her words were kind, and you felt guilty for ignoring her for the past few weeks and thankful that she was offering some friendship.

“And Rafe too.” Sarah added as she stepped away from the hug, and your blood ran cold.

“I know he may act distant at times but he really loves you, Y/N.” She continued, unaware of the nausea growing in your gut. “He can’t shut up about how weird it is that you’ve been ignoring all of us. I think he misses you but doesn’t know how to tell you.”

“Um, yeah,” you managed. Your mouth felt so dry and you could feel your heartbeat picking up. Your ears felt like they were stuffed with cotton, but there was a high pitched ringing that was still forcing it’s way to the middle of your forehead.

“Anyways me, John B, and the rest of the Pogues were gonna go to the Wreck in half an hour, would you want to come along?” Sarah smiled at you and you felt excited about something for the first time in a while.

You hadn’t seen JJ since the party and you had been ignoring all of his calls, upset that he had skipped out on the party without saying anything to you.

Maybe if you met up with him and talked one-on-one, you could finally put this behind you and get back to the good relationship you had with JJ before.

You told Sarah yes and she lit up before telling you to get ready and going back into her room to pick her outfit out.

You turned away from her to walk back to own room when a noise from just down the hall caught your attention.

Your head swiveled to Rafe’s closed door and you heard a sound that sounded like your name from the inside.

Concerned for your brother, you walked to the door and knocked twice.

“Rafe? Are you okay?” You called out from the other side of the closed door and you heard a muffled, “fuck!” come from inside.

“Rafe?” You asked again, now somewhat more concerned.

“One second!” His voice sounded strained and you waited for several moments before he finally cracked his door. He was shirtless and only wearing boxers and you nervously averted your eyes away from his body.

“What, Y/N/N?”

“Oh, I thought I heard you say my name, I’m sorry.”

“Well I didn’t.”

You silently swallowed, nervous because Rafe was standing so close and towering over you.

“Um, Sarah and I are gonna go to the Wreck with the other Pogues soon, just thought I’d let you know.”

“Cool.” His blue eyes didn’t reveal anything, and you almost missed the way they flicked down and then up your body quickly. “Don’t have too much fun.”

You nervously laughed, assuming your older brother would join in, but he didn’t even crack a smile before he quickly shut his door in front of you.

Weird, you thought to yourself before turning back to walk to your room, trying not to dwell on it too much.

You picked out a simple, but cute dress. It was white with a mid thigh length skirt and a light green floral pattern. The thin straps revealed your shoulders and the cut was very flattering. You were sure Sarah and Kie would love it.

On the other side of Rafe’s door, he sat on his bed again, freeing his erection from the tight fabric of his boxers and grabbing his phone. He opened up the pic of you passed out at the party with your slick cunt on display for him, before wrapping his hand around his cock and finishing what you had just unknowingly interrupted.

When you arrived at the Wreck with Sarah, the Pogues were quick to rush out and hug you, happily filling you in on all the things you had missed. Although, you noticed that JJ had hung back and he was nervously looking at you from a safe distance. You also couldn’t help but spot the faded scar above his eye that you hadn’t seen before.

You were still upset with him, but it also hurt to see him looking so upset, knowing that it was only because you had been ignoring him.

Kie and John B were telling you an insane story about being chased by an alligator after the Twinkie got stuck in a swamp as you all walked inside and sat down at a table.

You were happily surprised when JJ sat across from you, shooting you a small smile, which you returned.

Your orders were taken pretty quickly, and you were happy that it felt like the group dynamics hadn’t faded at all in your absence, and they hadn’t changed now that you had returned.

Kie, John B, Sarah, and Pope had all gotten sucked into an argument over whether hot dogs were sandwiches or not, and you met JJ’s eyes for real for the first time since the party.

“So.. what happened?”

“That’s what I’ve been trying to explain to you, Y/N, but you’ve been dodging all my calls.” JJ said exasperatedly, but not loudly enough to pull the other Pogues away from their riveting hot dog discourse.

You sighed, looking away before mumbling, “I was just really upset that you bailed on me. A-and I’ve been dealing with some other shit too.”

“I’m sorry,” JJ apologized empathetically. “It was never my intention to hurt you. I was at the party.”

At this admission, your eyebrows rose in surprise, “you were?”

“Yeah, and your brother’s meathead football teammates wouldn’t let me inside. Gave me this as a party favor,” he gestured to the small scar above his brow and you now noticed the mostly faded bruising on his eyelid.

“What the hell?” You asked in disbelief. “Why would they do that?”

“I dunno,” he shook his head. “They told me Rafe said no Pogues allowed, and they didn’t like it when I tried to sneak past them.”

JJ laughed, but you were frowning now.

Why would Rafe have gotten his friends to stop JJ from coming in after he had promised you that you could throw your own party that night?

“I tried to call you to explain, but you never picked up…” JJ sadly finished, trailing off as he twisted one of his rings.

“Shit JJ, I’m sorry. I was so angry with you, I just assumed that you hadn’t come to the party at all.”

A french fry flew across the air and lightly wacked into your face, surprising you and causing the other side of the table to burst into laughter before you and JJ joined as well.

“Are you two lovebirds gonna talk to us at all?” Kie laughed, and you and JJ both blushed and exchanged grins before turning your attention back to the group.

The rest of the night went well. The awkwardness between you and JJ had mostly faded, and was now replaced with a new excitement at the idea that perhaps you and JJ could still continue your relationship.

After paying the bill, you all walked out into the parking lot, still laughing and joking around.

You began your goodbyes, hugging all of your friends before getting to JJ last. Sarah got the hint from your pointed glance that you’d prefer if she stayed in the car for a second so you could talk to JJ.

As the rest of your friends got in their cars and drove off, the two of you smiled at each other before embracing and you laughed when JJ picked you up and spun you around.

He had pulled you in to hug you again after setting you on your feet when all of the sudden, he was violently ripped away from you, causing you to almost lose your balance.

You heard the gasp from JJ as you lurched forward and your eyes widened at the sight of Rafe releasing JJ before punching him across the jaw, and knocking him to the ground.

“Rafe!” You screamed at him in terror and confusion, but he just ignored you.

“Are you trying to fuck my little sister? Huh, Maybank?” Rafe screamed at JJ, and you couldn’t stop the tears that were streaming down your face as you watched him punch JJ again.

Your pulse was racing in your ears as you helplessly watched, too shocked and frozen in place to intervene.

At this point, Sarah had noticed what was happening and ran from her car, yelling at Rafe to stop. When she rushed over to them, desperately trying to pull Rafe off of JJ, Rafe roughly shoved her to the ground.

“Stay the fuck out of it, Sarah!” He spat at her angrily.

While he was momentarily distracted with Sarah, JJ swung at him, his fist connecting with Rafe’s cheek this time.

“Don’t push her like that!” JJ yelled as you rushed over to Sarah to help her off of the ground.

“Are you okay?!”

“Yeah, I’ll be fine,” she gasped as you pulled her to her feet and stepped away from Rafe and JJ, watching as the two stared each other down with hate filled eyes.

JJ faked left before going right, but Rafe quickly ran at him, tackling the other blond to the ground and landing multiple blows on his face.

You and Sarah were screaming again, and this time, you were the one to try to pull Rafe away.

With all of your strength, you ran at Rafe, knocking him off of JJ and onto his side beneath you, but he recovered faster than you, and you whimpered when his hand closed tightly around your wrist and you were pulled to your feet.

Rafe had given up on attacking JJ now; his only objective was to get you away from Sarah and that Pogue scum.

“What are you doing, Rafe??” Sarah yelled at him as she rushed over to JJ to check on him, torn between staying by his side and running over to help you.

“Sarah!” You yelped as he tugged you further away from her and towards his parked truck.

“We’re gonna go for a little drive. We’ll be back later.” Rafe yelled over his shoulder at Sarah before he opened his car door and shoved you inside, quickly locking the door before you could escape and walking to the driver’s side door.

He unlocked it, climbing inside and relocking the doors quicker than you could open yours and you slammed on the window in frustration before glaring at him.

As he sped out of the parking lot, you looked back to see Sarah kneeling over JJ in tears.

“Where the fuck are you taking me?” You demanded, anger evident in your voice.

Rafe was silent, his blue eyes locked on the road as he tore through the back

“Turn the fuck around and take me back now! What is wrong with you?!” You hissed, wiping away more tears that wouldn’t stop falling.

“No.” He responded, irritation growing on his face.

Frustration and anger festered inside of you as you glared at your step brother before turning your head to watch the trees fly past you as Rafe accelerated.

“You missed the turn for our house, idiot.”

“We’re not going back to the house until you calm down,” his tone was hard and demeaning, like he was talking down to a child.

“You’re the one who needs to calm down, Rafe!” You snapped at him and he rolled his eyes. “You could have killed him!”

Rafe laughed at that, but it completely lacked humor, “JJ’s been getting too close to you recently, Y/N. I told you he’s not good enough for you.”

“So that warranted you beating his face in?!”

Rafe made a sharp turn, driving towards the docks and parking the truck without a word.

The sky had begun growing dark, the last rays of crimson still stained the horizon as the sun dipped below the ocean waves.

The docks were quiet and, unusually, there seemed to be no one walking around this night.

You defiantly sat in place as Rafe opened his door and got out, coming over to your side and opening the door expectantly.

When you made no moves to exit, Rafe grabbed you, pulling you out of the car before he threw you over his shoulder, slammed the door and started walking to the docks.

At first you were too stunned to fight back, but as he continued carrying you, you began yelling at him again and beating on his back with your fists.

“Let go of me!! Put me down, Rafe! Stop it!!”

Your screams fell on deaf ears, and if there was anyone on the docks hearing the commotion, they had chosen to mind their own business and not get involved.

You couldn’t squirm out of his grasp no matter how hard you tried, and your eyes widened when his yacht finally came into view.

All of your arguing and squirming was ignored as he climbed aboard, carrying you with him.

Rafe brought you to the room below deck, throwing you onto the bed and then quickly leaving, locking the door from the outside behind him.

You helplessly grabbed at the doorknob, twisting it to no avail as you banged on the door with your fist.

“Let me out!!!” You screamed at him, straining your vocal chords in your anger.

“Rafe!!”

You heard the sound of the boat engine turn on and a chill ran down your spine as you realized the boat was moving away from the docks.

“What are you doing Rafe?!?!”

You got no response for five minutes despite your continued yelling, the entire time the boat was heading god knows where.

Just when you had given up hope that he was coming back and beginning to believe that Rafe was planning on taking you for an extended boat ride, you were surprised when you heard the motor stop and felt the anchor go down.

You heard Rafe’s footsteps on the stairs and you angrily glared at him as he walked into the room and then locked the door behind him.

“What in the world do you think you’re doing? What is wrong with you??” You shouted at your older step brother.

“JJ told me that you had your friends jump him when he tried to come to the party!” You revealed. “Is that true!”

“Yeah it is,” Rafe responded nonchalantly. “I don’t like you hanging out with scum like him. I’m just looking out for you.”

“You never butt into Sarah’s relationship with John B, he’s a Pogue too!”

“That’s different.”

“How?”

“It just is, Y/N! I don’t particularly like that Sarah’s dating John B, but I know that JJ is a bad guy! He’s gonna get you roped into bad shit, and mess up the future that you have ahead of you!”

Rafe’s words were only pissing you off more and the horrible nagging feeling that you had at the back of your brain made you say something you immediately wished you could take back.

“Did you come into my room the night of the party, Rafe?!”

“Yes!” He shouted, and you felt all of the oxygen leave the room.

The silence lingered for several moments and you could hear your blood rushing in your ears. You were so shocked you could only stare at him in disbelief.

“I came into your room that night, and that wasn’t even the first time.” Rafe’s lips curled into a sickeningly smug grin as he took in the shocked expression written all over your face.

A horrible wave of nausea passed over you as you realized the implications of his words.

Your step brother had just admitted to not only fingering you and eating you out at the party, but also to touching you other times you couldn’t even remember.

Your ears were ringing as you looked at him in shock and disgust, tunnel vision blocking out the rest of the room as you numbly watched his lips moving soundlessly.

Rafe reached for your hand and you jerked away from him, panic beginning to set in as you failed to catch your breath.

Your entire view of your step brother was being shattered as you tried to come to terms with the impossible facts that were literally staring you right in front of your face.

“I love you so much, Y/N. Everything I do has always been for you, please you have to believe me.”

You tried to stand up and get past him, desperate to leave the cramped space of the cabin, but Rafe easily grabbed you and threw you back onto the bed, climbing on top of you as you struggled beneath him.

“Get the fuck off of me, Rafe!! Please!” You screamed, begging him as he roughly grabbed your wrist and pinned it to the bed.

You had never been more terrified of your brother than in this moment. His horrible confession had changed everything.

You always knew that Rafe was strong. How could you not? He was always bragging about how much he could lift at the gym to you and bringing you along to show off. It was impossible to miss his muscles straining the fabric of his shirts when you had seen him lifting things around the house or working on his truck.

But you had never been at the mercy of Rafe’s strength until now.

You whined when he painfully twisted your wrist, and he shifted on top of you, nudging your legs apart with his knee and grinding his now obvious hard on against your clothed pussy.

A shameful, disgust settled within you when you could feel your panties growing damp with unwanted arousal.

You squirmed in his grasp, back arching as you tried to pull away. Fear gripped your throat as you looked up at Rafe in heartbroken confusion, your eyes growing blurry with tears.

“You’ve always been such a good little sister, Y/N/N.” Rafe whispered, and you let out a gasp when he shifted his hips, his clothed tip pressed to your clit, making you squeeze your eyes shut.

“Don’t you remember how good I made you feel at the party?” He groaned and you shook your head in denial.

“No, Rafe-”

“I could make you feel even better than that, Y/N.” You felt him shift again, and you tilted your head to watch him begin unzipping his shorts and removing them.

Again you felt horror and nausea rise inside of you as you saw what was coming towards you, and you were utterly powerless to stop it.

“Rafe!” You sobbed pathetically, grabbing at the hand that was clamped around your other wrist and scratching at him. “Please don’t do this. I’m sorry! I’m sorry!”

You didn’t even see his hand fly out, but you heard the slap before you felt it. Your head whipped to the side and the ringing in your ears returned as your fight was quickly sapped from your body. Your cheek felt like it was on fire from the strength behind his ringed hand.

“I really wanted to make this special for you, Y/N.” Rafe managed between gritted teeth, his grip around your wrist tightening. “But you’re making that really difficult for me when you’re acting like such a fucking brat.”

You were still too stunned to react, your eyes squeezed shut in pain as you lay limply on the bed.

The feeling of Rafe’s hand trailing beneath your dress and between your legs set a blaze across your skin. His fingertips ghosted over the edges of your pretty, lacy panties, making you shiver.

When Rafe grabbed them and started tugging them down your legs, you snapped your legs shut in an attempt to stop him, but when he glared at you and quickly reared his arm back as if he was going to slap you again, you quickly opened them to allow him to slide your panties off.

“Take this off.” He ordered you, gesturing to your dress and you swallowed dryly, knowing that there was no way to avoid doing exactly what he wanted.

Rafe let go of your bruised wrist to allow you to remove the last barrier of clothing you had on.

His eyes hungrily raked over your now completely exposed body. He had seen you naked before the other times when he had snuck into your room, but the anticipation of what was to come made you seem even more gorgeous than before, if that was even possible.

“You’re so fucking perfect,” he whispered breathlessly, but his compliment only made you feel more disgusted.

He pulled his boxers off and you looked away, too embarrassed to look at your step brother naked.

A hand clamped on your chin, turning your head and forcing you too look at him.

His cock was long and thick, and when your eyes widened at the size, Rafe chuckled.

“I’ll make it fit, Y/N/N,” he drawled, climbing between your legs again and positioning himself between them.

You tensed when you felt him rub his tip up and down your soaked slit, teasing your clit a bit and you squirmed beneath him.

Rafe looked between your legs as he slowly began sliding the tip of his cock inside of you.

“Wait, Rafe!” You whined, you hands grabbing at his shoulders to push him off.

He wordlessly grabbed your wrists, easily pinning them to the bed and using the new position to push himself deeper, stretching your cunt out more with each inch.

“Fuck,” he groaned as your tight, warm pussy squeezed around his cock.

Tears were streaming down your cheeks now as your older step brother pinned you to the bed and slowly forced himself deeper inside you.

The pressure between your legs was immense, and you had never felt so full in your life.

He bottomed out, the tip of his dick kissing your cervix, and his arms trembled slightly above you as he sucked in a shaky breath.

“God, I’m so fucking lucky my lil sis saved herself for me.”

Rafe’s words made your stomach churn, but before you could linger on them long, his lips smothered yours, and sickeningly, you realized that you recognized the feeling from the night of the party when you thought you had been kissing JJ.

You turned your head away from him to break the kiss, but his firm hand brought you back and held you in place as his lips slid over yours.

When he tilted his hips back and then slowly started push his cock back into you, you gasped into the kiss, letting his tongue to push its way into your mouth.

Rafe thrusted into you faster, picking up his pace as he finally broke the kiss and allowed you to gasp for air.

Your trembling legs wrapped around his back as you tried to steady yourself from the rocking of the bed and the feel of his length dragging along your walls.

To your embarrassment, you could feel his cock begin to slide into you easier as you grew slicker around him, but that didn’t alleviate how much he was stretching you out.

“JJ could never make you feel this good, Y/N. He doesn’t know you like I do, doesn’t know your body like I do.”

At the mention of JJ, you cried harder, tensing around him and squeezing his cock so hard he groaned.

Rafe’s lips captured yours again, hungrily kissing you as he plunged himself into you harder now.

When he pulled away, he stared into your eyes for several moments, watching your eyelids fluttering shut as you tried to keep your focus on your older step brother as his thrusts rocked your body again and again.

“Tell me you love me.”

Your cunt squeezed around him at his words, a horrible mixture of emotions flooding your body. He was one of your best friends, your older brother. You had loved him for so many years, and horribly, you still loved him right now, even as he betrayed your trust in the most violent way imaginable.

You felt so confused, not just about his actions, but now also about your body’s reaction to him forcing himself onto you.

“Y/N,” Rafe warned, his punishing thrusts bringing you back to the present. “Tell me you love me.”

“I-” you were cut off by a moan when Rafe’s fingers circled your tender clit. It was nearly impossible to think straight right now, much less form a sentence.

You swallowed, before quietly whimpering, “I love you.”

His fingers twitched against your clit, his cock was repeatedly hitting a spot that was making your head swim and vision blur. Each masterful motion of his fingers was building inside of you, pulling you closer to the brink, even though you were trying to fight the inevitable.

“I can’t fucking hear you,” Rafe growled, his pace growing downright punishing.

You were pushed over the edge suddenly, and you closed your eyes and loudly whined as you came around him. “I love you, Rafe!”

You could practically see his cocky grin as you gave him exactly what he wanted, even though your eyes were still squeezed shut as he fucked you through your orgasm.

“Fuck, baby. So tight,” Rafe groaned, still drilling into you. “Been waiting so long for this and you feel even better than I could’ve dreamed.”

Rafe’s pace stuttered and he pushed himself deep inside you, his fingertips gripping into your thighs tightly as he came, spilling his sticky cum deep inside you as you squirmed beneath him, begging him to pull out through tears.

“Rafe, please, I’m not on any birth control,” you sobbed.

He cupped your chin, roughly tugging you in to a messy kiss as he ignored your pleading.

When he finally pulled away he looked down at you dreamily, a smirk tugging at the corner of his lips.

“I really do have the best sister ever, huh?”

[aayakashii]

Can I please get a 29❤️ and 33❤️ fluffy for Haku please?

29❤️ A kiss to the back of the hand

33❤️ A kiss to a scar, birthmark, injury, or other marking

I got to use the cute gif I wanted!! >:D *rubs hands together*

Urgent!!

I am being stalked!

??????

What?? Are you okay, Haku???

Who's stalking you??

Come meet me at the courtyard and I'll show you

... you'll show me? Your stalker?

Yes

Save me please?

... okay...? I'm going

My hero <3

As you hurriedly walk towards the courtyard, your head turn left and right, looking for Haku. The heavy bag on your back slams against you as you jog back and forth, frantically searching for Hotarubi's vice-captain. After all, even though his messages had been a little weird, you didn't want to risk not taking something as dangerous as a possible stalker seriously.

You stop in your tracks once you hear a nearby voice call out your name, and, quickly turning around on your feet, you manage to see Haku's yellow eyes peeking from behind a tree.

Maybe he was trying to hide from someone, you thought.

Swallowing hard, you try to walk quietly towards him in order to avoid any unwanted attention.

"Thank you for coming to save me" Haku say nonchalantly, smiling at you from his seat on the ground and against the tall tree.

You look left and right and wipe the sweat off your forehead, your eyes wide and alert.

“Where are they? Your stalker?” you whisper anxiously while you sit beside him, and Haku’s lips form an ‘o’ before he chuckles as if he had just remembered a hilarious joke.

“Right, the stalker. There it is” he points to the space in front of him.

“What? Where?” you crane your neck, trying to look at whatever was in the distance.

“No, no” he taps your shoulder “It isn't far away. It's really right there. There. Look.” he wiggles his finger, as if it would make you see better.

You squint, looking at the grass. That was all that was in front of him at that moment. Until you see a flash of dark brown jump up and down on the spot, and finally you manage to make out the so-called ‘stalker.’

“That's... a tanuki?” you widen your eyes in surprise after you manage to properly make out the silhouette of the little animal that rolled around between the blades of grass, almost unnoticeable with a little leaf on its head. 

It is a tiny little thing. And very round too. Is every cute anomaly round like that?, you think. But then you turn around to face Haku and raise one eyebrow, looking at him in disbelief. 

“THAT'S your stalker?”

Haku shrugs.

“It's been following me everywhere the past few days, you know? It’s even trying to sleep on my pillow at night and now I have to be careful not to roll around so I won’t smush it to death. It’s a serious problem, believe it or not.”

You roll your eyes at how Haku smirks while he explains his ‘terrible’ predicament to you.

“Well, why don't you take it to Jabberwock?” you ask. He hisses, as if you had just asked a hard question, and bashfully scratches his cheek

“It wasn’t a lack of trying” Haku then shows you the back of his left hand, where you could see a long and nasty red cut opening the skin. You gasp loudly.

“That tiny thing did this?!”

Haku sighs, nodding as if he also didn’t believe what had happened to him.

“It's a feisty little guy.”

“I can definitely see that” you gaze at the small tanuki with a bit more caution, brows scrunched up in surprise. “Well, first let’s take care of this awful wound and then we think of the rest. Can’t have you dying of tetanus because of a 10cm tall tanuki.” you say, opening your backpack and pulling out a medkit from its confines.

Haku whistles.

“You always carry that with you?”

“Of course. Have you ever spent more than a minute with the other ghouls? I literally need to be prepared for anything.”

This time, Haku laughs genuinely.

“Fair enough.”

You take your time to carefully disinfect his cut, apply one of the many anomalous anointments you had picked up at the general store and then you wait for it to dry before bandaging his hand.

After a few moments of silence, with Haku most definitely basking in the feeling of your hands cradling his, you can't control your curiosity anymore.

“Okay but uh…” you stutter, lightly touching the ointment and then grabbing a clean bandage once you noticed it was dry. “Why did you ask me for my help? I’m just a human.”

Haku looks up, in thought.

“Well, I know you have a way with these little guys. Peekaboo loves you, doesn’t he?”

You hum, not fully convinced.

“But what if it scratches me too?” 

Haku leans towards you, suddenly looking serious.

“Then I'll kill it” he murmurs, with a tinge of darkness in his voice.

You gasp loudly, startling the tanuki that had began to take a nap under the sun and in front of you.

“No!!!! Dont!!! It's cute!! Don't kill it!!!” you almost yell, clutching Haku’s hand tightly while you stare at him, eyes wide as saucers.

“Pffftt! Hahaha! It's okay, I was joking. I won't kill it.” he laughs, leaning back against the tree.

You scrunch your brows, looking at him with suspicion, not completely sure that he was just joking right there. You then tap his now bandaged hand lightly and sigh.

“Okay, it's done.”

Haku tilts his head to the side and pouts.

“Aw. Can’t I have a little kiss on my wound to make it better?”

You glare at him for a moment, before pulling his hand towards your lips and kissing his fingers, avoiding the bandage for safety.

You turn your head away quickly so he wouldn’t see you flustered by your own actions. You end up missing the way his jaw hangs low, completely taken aback by you. 

Haku clears his throat and scratches his cheek again, embarrassed.

“Well, now I really can't kill it. It got me a kiss. Maybe it's my new lucky charm.”

“Stop it.” you gently slap his shoulder. "Okay now... The anomaly." you mutter, more to yourself than to him.

You shift your position, sitting on your feet while you lean towards the lazy tanuki in front of you. The little thing was having the time of its life, warming his round belly under one of the sun rays that peeked through the large tree’s foliage. You stretch your arm towards it, the palm of your hand facing up so it’d climb on its own. You were just guessing what would be the right way to deal with that anomaly, but, much to your surprise, it slowly got up on its stubby little legs and walked towards you, quickly plopping on your hand and resuming its nap.

You get up from your seat carefully, mouth open wide in pure awe while you frantically motion for Haku to get up too. He snorts at the sight of your enthusiasm, also getting up.

“Let's take this guy to a place where he'll be safe.” you murmur, staring at the anomaly that was fully relaxed in your hands.

“Oh, it's okay, no need to take me anywhere. I'm safe with you” Haku said, smirking. 

You finally snapped your head towards the man beside you, feeling your cheeks tingle at his teasing.

“Haku!”

“Hahahaha! Sorry.” he chuckles, raising his arms in defeat. “Yes, let's give it a place to live.”

As you two make your way to Jabberwock, Haku suddenly pouts, feigning hurt while he looks at the creature you were so carefully holding.

“I can’t believe a tanuki managed to take a nap on you before me. You really have a way with conquering us, monsters.” 

You sigh. There was absolutely no end to this man's teasing and his flirting, you think.

“Yeah, yeah, whatever you say” you mumble, exasperated. He just laughs, pleased at your reactions.

I tried to make parallels between the smol tanuki and Haku, basically like: they're both lazy and they both quickly like you ;w; I hope it was easy to notice that lmao

[slightlyconceited]

@pandaameii (continued from here)

As she found her cheeks heating up at the comment, Mei couldn’t help but shift her gaze away from him at the same time. Wow. He actually called her cute, and she almost didn’t want to believe it. As if having him hold her hand earlier wasn’t enough, now he doubled down and complimented her appearance? This should be a big deal for Mei, and in a way it still was. After all, it wasn’t everyday for her to have the guy she's been crushing on for a good while now, and who she thought would never actually get to know her existence because why would he when he’s life is so much cooler when compared to Mei’s, go up to her and call her cute! Really, a part of her wanted to stutter out a "thank you” while her heart most likely would’ve been beating so rapidly to the point where the only thing she would’ve then worried about was the risk of transforming in front of all these people. And honestly, that is what would’ve most likely happened— if she hadn’t witnessed Slightly serenading someone else and then watching him run after her.

Really, if anything it makes complete and total sense that he was already into someone else. Why wouldn’t he be? In Mei’s eyes, Slightly was practically a rockstar! Someone who can have whoever he wanted and who probably already had so many girls and guys lining up just to be with him. She was just one of many within the bunch, and as much as the redhead was into him— it was just a crush. A measly tiny little crush that would go away at some point one day…. is what she always told herself. “Thanks…” She finally spoke with a small smile, pushing a few random strands of her hair behind her ear as she still didn’t look at him.. Calling her cute aside, she also couldn’t help but wonder why he even was here talking to her in the first place? Calling her cute in the first place? Shouldn’t he be with that other girl? Then with a shake of her head, Mei concluded that it wasn’t any of her business.

But as she finally looked back up at him, that was when the redhead noticed the obvious glazed look within his eyes as a sign that he must’ve been drinking white a lot this entire time. Her smile became a more faced. Oh— now it made sense to why he said that to her. The realization didn’t sit well with her, but instead of commenting on his current state, the redhead instead chose to try and turn this situation into a lighter one. “Think I’m cute now? You should see me in the panda suit I have to wear whenever I’m a work! You’ll think I’m adorable then!” She joked. Know what? Getting drunk herself didn’t sound so bad now that she thought about it.

     So much had happened in the span of a few hours—this party felt like a truly endless night, for better or for worse. Probably for worse, because while he had started on a high note, doing a karaoke duet with one of his favorite singers, having a dance-off with a new friend and then kissing a cute guy for the first time, things had steadily and increasingly gone sour…as if the universe was righting itself, balancing out his good fortune with a turn of bad luck. He got into an unwanted fight with a dear friend over that very boy he had just happily been involved with, he picked another one after seeing his ex here uninvited, and then went ahead and humiliated himself singing a pathetic love song for another ex (after drinking too much to drown his sorrows over the first two unpleasant conversations.) He was losing his grip tonight, only being stuck together and held afloat by the kind gestures of friends who kept gently removing him from the party atmosphere and talking him down. Just before this, Nibs had taken him out for a walk—and before that, before the aforementioned humiliating karaoke session that is, it had been Fawn taking him for a turn around the block.

     But if he wasn’t inside right now then he wouldn’t have run into Mei again, which would have been a shame because she was so cute, just the sight of her could cheer him up! Who needed stupid love drama or even relationships at all, when one had good friends around? All you had to do—what he apparently failed to do with Tink—was let them know how much you cared about them, and you could just keep them forever. Unlike girlfriends. Or possible not-yet boyfriends. Screw ‘em. They could stay friends with no benefits. Who needed benefits? Not him. He had friends who were nice and cute, which was more than enough.

     Slightly looked at Mei, faintly smiling as he waited for her response to his compliment…Was it taking a little long for her to react or was his sense of time just dilated due to his blood’s alcohol content? But eventually she answered her thanks, eventually she looked at him and he brightened, shining a full grin at her. The revelation that she wore a panda costume to work did wonders in his current state. His jaw dropped and he only managed to pick it up to beg, “I have to see this. Do you have pictures? I wanna see right now. A panda suit? Like a—a panda? Can I come see you at work? Can I try it on? Oh, no—don’t want you to get in trouble…But can I see it? Please, show me!”

[casspurrjoybell-24]

My Unwanted Mate - Chapter 1 - Part 2

*Warning Adult Content*

Calvin Frey

The Pack House was busy with others getting ready for school, work and parents dropping off their pups for pack daycare.

It's also been more crowded than usual with new members staying here until their homes are ready.

Torin spent most of his time with the pups or purposely annoying Robby.

So after discovering that he wasn't in any of the colorful and already loud playrooms, I decided to check Robby's office.

Pack Mates greeted me and I murmured quiet hellos or nodded my head in acknowledgment.

They were use to my silence.

The office door was open so I stepped in only to turn back out.

Seeing my best friend making out with my little brother was a sight I'd like to never see.

Sadly, it was something pretty much everyone had witnessed by now. Even our poor mother.

"Calvin," Robby called and I risked peaking in.

Seeing that they were done eating each other's faces, I stepped back into the room.

My pup wiggled until I put him down so he could run to his uncles.

Torin was still sitting in Robby's lap and picked Benjamin up so they could both smother him with affection.

It surprises me that they still haven't had any pups of their own.

They'd make great parents.

"Have you finally come to your senses and are here to accept your place as my Beta?" Robby asked, looking up at me with a smirk.

I chuckled and shook my head.

"I told you to find someone else."

He'd asked me to be his Beta years ago when we were teenagers.

Then, I had gratefully accepted.

Hell, a couple of years ago I was ready to take on the task but after what happened I knew I couldn't devote myself to it.

I had Benjamin now and as his sole parent, he needed all of my attention.

"I'll get you to cave, eventually," Robby sounded determined and I didn't doubt he'd continue to try.

Not that I'd accept any time soon.

"I should get to work," I sighed, sitting the backpack filled with anything Benjamin could possibly need in the chair in front of the desk.

"Wait, I say bye papa," Benjamin yelled, rushing from around the desk to me.

I crouched down so he could hug me.

"Bye papa," he said cutely, kissing my cheek.

I made sure to give him a loud smooch on the cheek that made him giggle happily.

"Be good for your uncles."

"Otay."

It was always a struggling parting from him.

If I could, I'd carry my pup around with me everywhere.

There was always the fear that I'd miss some important or big moment.

Luckily I'd been there for his first words and first steps.

I hope I had the same luck for his first shift.

That could happen any day, it all depended on the pup.

It could be today or in five years.

My feet felt heavy as I forced myself to leave Benjamin behind.

If I kept this us, I was going to get fired for being regularly late to work.

Huffing, I stomped my way through the pack house.

I've used some of my vacation time to get a few days off to spend with my pup next week.

We both needed it.

Rounding the corner, I was hit in the face with a scent that made my breath catch and my knees grow weak.

It took a few seconds for my brain to catch up with my rapidly beating heart.

No... this couldn't be happening.

********

Drumming my fingers over the steering wheel nervously and staring up at the pack house, I imagined every possible way I could avoid going in.

My mind had been distracted since this morning.

Even working had been difficult.

The guys eventually got fed up with my mistakes that caused them to do more work.

After having been cursed out numerous times, I figured it was best that I left early.

Now I was faced with a new dilemma.

How to get my pup.

Torin wouldn't agree to bring Benjamin to the truck and no one in the pack house would go against their Luna.

He'll want me to stay for dinner too. I had no choice but to go in.

Running my fingers through my messy hair, I got out of the truck.

It's best to just get things over with and out of the way.

Maybe I can get Benjamin and sneak out.

I'll have to deal with Torin later but it was better than running into whoever it was that smelt like ripe peaches.

It was a nice day, not too cold but not yet warm enough to be considered spring.

I could hear that a lot of the Werewolves were in the back, enjoying the weather.

From the sound of their playful growls and howling, I knew most of them were in their furs.

I found my brother there amongst them all.

His copper toned pelt was easy to spot, along with the fact that he was the smallest wolf besides the young pups.

Torin and I never spent much time together in our furs or ever really.

I was always scared I'd hurt him, especially when we were younger and his wolf was no bigger than a small lap dog.

Robby didn't seem to have the same fear.

He chased after my brother and pounced on him, making my heart pause before spotting Torin wiggle free unharmed.

My pup didn't yet have his fur yet but it didn't stop him from playing along, imitating their growls and jumping on the large black wolf.

I knew if it were any other Alpha, they would have growled at the pup to teach him his place.

Benjamin waddled around in his puffy jacket, his little legs only allowing him to move but so fast.

His cheeks and nose were red from the cold, his little teeth on full display from the large smile.

He's my life now.

Everything I do is to make sure he's happy and comfortable.

I couldn't risk anything getting in the way of it.

Or anyone.

No one would pull me away from my pup.

No one would make me feel ashamed for having him.

His giggling pulled me closer and I picked him up, making him squeal before he noticed it was me.

"Papa."

"Having fun?" I chuckled, ruffling his hair.

Just being around him lifted my mood, taking my mind off everything worrisome.

"I'm a wolf," he gave a mock growl, his teeth snapping.

Torin appeared beside us, having quickly dressed because his shirt was on backwards.

I didn't mention it to him, he'll eventually figure it out.

"You're not suppose to be here for another two hours. You can't take him yet," Torin argued, looking devastated that he couldn't spend more time with my pup.

Benjamin reached out for his uncle who quickly snatched him from my arms and ran away inside to hold him hostage.

Robby chuckled, having not cared to get dressed besides pulling on a pair of jeans.

"Looks like you're stuck here for the rest of the day," Robby pointed out.

"Why don't you knock him up already," I growled irritably and Robby's smile turned smug.

I was distracted by a scent that I had ran from this morning.

I could do so again. Come back later and pick Benjamin up, when everyone's retiring to their rooms and there's no risk of running into anyone.

Unable to help myself, I took in a deep breath.

If there was ever a Utopia, it would be in that scent... such a subtle sweetness.

I wanted to roll around in it... cover it with my own scent.

Growling, my jaw clenched.

There was no running... I'd have to face them.

The quicker it's done, the faster I can go on about my life.

I couldn't run away every time I picked up that scent.

They'll eventually pick up mine, if they haven't already.

[sly-merlin]

KILLING ME- 14

pairing : law student!reader + yuta

genre : (fluff)  angst , mafia au/ arranged marriage au.

warnings of this chapter : cursing, mention of drugs, character death.

words : ~4k

summary :

“life’s never fair y/n. realise it as soon as you can . it is the only secret for living a regretless life.”                                  

or            

“ curiousity got the cat hitched”

K.M masterlist

K.M 13

TAGLIST : @kpop-choco @moon-yuta @kawaiiayasan @btm-taeyong @exfolitae @lanadreamie @cheersskznct ​​ @hyuckiesgf ​​ @theworld-accordingtocasey ​​@simplybree

@yiyi4657 @sorrywonwoo @sillywinnergladiator   @minejungwoo @leesalts @mal-nakamoto23 @ro2424 @itlittlefangirl @nctzens-world @bl–ankhaeji @jeaneteflo @nuoyii @bralessmermaid @minhoseyeliner @tyongpoetry @swimmingkpopblog @jkjkseo @orphicmoon @floralescapes

A/N : this chapter marks the celebration of this blog surpassing 600 followers! thank you so much for all the support! also for minor readers, the sfw versions of nsfw chapters are given at the end of the masterlist so check those properly before reading.

•••••••••••••

y/n! Are you sleeping?”

Registering his words, you replied in a groggy voice,“What the fuck do you want?”

“Your phone. I left mine in the medical room. I need to call Mark right now.” with some authority, he spoke.

Whining loudly, you fell back on the bed. It was only due but flailing your arms and legs like a kid in a toy store, you let out a screech full of annoyance, cursing your fate.

Were you really going to babysit him now?

"Have you suddenly lost your hearing? Stop with this sick attitude and open the door."

A puff of air left your nose, your chest moved rhythmically with your stomach and you relaxed your arms beneath your head, eyes fixed at the fan above and ears ringing with his voice. He kept calling you and after a number of shouts, you started humming to distract yourself, afraid that you'd end up helping him otherwise. That was something, naturally, you were not interested in. Last time he had ignored your voice and now nature had presented you with an opportunity to return the favour. Just with a bit less flavour.

"Are you dead?"

"Hmmm. To you, yes I am." Mumbling, you yawned and pushed yourself up to reach your side table and fishing out your earphones from the bottom drawer, you untangled them and fixed them comfortably in your ear, hiding yourself underneath the sheets.

Sonata no.14 instantly transported you away from the noise and the stress that was your unwanted husband, yuta. The smile playing on your lips widened as you realised that you were his only mode of communication at the moment.

But You were going for a nap. Until then, he could wait. And thrash. And cry. Or die.

Rubbing the sleep out of your eyes, you rotated the handle of the door to walk outside but your little trip was interrupted when your body collided straight into a wall. No. The obstruction was too soft for a wall.

Opening your eyes properly, you saw yuta standing stiff. Surprised at the sudden appearance, you immediately stumbled back and in hurry, hit your spine on the wooden door. The glare of his eyes, that always spoke more than you could comprehend, coupled with a clenched jaw, was not a very pleasant sight for sure yet you found it harder to dart your own eyes away from him.

"Your phone" he seethed, breathing deeply.

"Huh?" You croaked out.

He raised his brow and in an instant, the previous scenario played like a short movie in your head. Snapping your head down, you regarded his leg with pity. He obviously noticed it immediately but seemed to ignore it and refrained from saying anything. Good for you, you thought.

"Are you deaf?"

Your furrowed brows met his eyes and with a roll of his own, he picked up his finger to force his demand but you managed to walk back inside your room before he could've done that.

Your back faced him as you contemplated your options while slowly stretching your arm to reach for your phone on the other side of the bed.

should you even be giving him your phone?

You had more trust in Taeyong than the man you shared a roof with so there was no way you were doing that.

Unbeknownst to you, yuta was watching your movements intently and the way you bobbed your head, he knew you were scheming something so he decided to be polite for a moment. Only until you were needed. Or your phone was needed.

Once the phone was in your hand, another thought crossed your mind.

"Wait. Where is the house phone?" Crossing your arms, you asked him slyly, already knowing the answer

"You fucking never got it installed. It's still in its stupid package" he seemed rather impatient.

"And you could've called reception through the door telecom. He would have phoned Mark for you. These rich apartments certainly have more hospitality tha-

"I CAN'T GO AROUND DISTRIBUTING AN UNDERGROUND CRIMINAL'S CONTACT NUMBER TO EVERYONE"

He inhaled and exhaled and you just watched until he opened his eyes again, hand reaching out to you.

"Chill. I've every right to be sceptic especially when you are the one asking for it."

Finding Mark's number on your phone, you called him.

Yuta's hand threaded through his rough hair as he noticed what you were trying to do.

"Hey mark!" Your chirpy voice resounded in the room and yuta was sure this was some different spirit speaking. You sounded too bubbly for the way you were investigating him just a second ago.

"Yes yes. His phone exactly.i don't trust him enough to hand over my phone so that's why I'm calling you myself. Just hurry up if you can or you might have to clean up a dead body in the next few hours."

With that you cut the phone. Without meeting yuta's gaze and resting your hand on the handle, you mumbled,

"He'll be here in an hour."

You were about to close the door when he stopped it with the palm of his hand, alerting you with the force.

"Tell him to get some food too."

And limping, he retired back, to the couches.

Sighing, you messaged mark. Had it been for something else, you'd have ignored but your own stomach had signalled you that it needed some good food so you chose not to fight against your own body.

Now, only the taste of the food could decide how many days you were going to tolerate that barbaric human.

"Are you still going to that stupid internship?" Johnny hesitantly murmured from your desk chair while taking big bites from the plate.

"It's not stupid please! I’m just waiting for them to actually pay attention to my awesome capabilities so they can transfer me to the main branch. This is not bad either but”, you stopped to lick your forefinger and tasting the sauce, continued, “but I really wanna go into the criminal unit. That’s where the actual fun is. As long as i’m being paid decently, i’ll suffer with the stupid research work here.”

“With the tongue as sharp as yours, I think you should be getting ready for a demotion instead” he laughed, showing you his fake bunny teeth in the most annoying and childish way.

“Ha ha ha ha. Some well wisher you are! Thank you so much for looking out for me but I'll be fine. Who knows the gatekeeper’s pay package is more than me. So it’d be a win-win in that case too I guess?” when you did a drum roll with your chopsticks to stress upon your point, he laughed harder.

"So being broke is the new black?" Rolling his eyes, he dragged out, "I swear you kids don't know how this world works."

"And you, grandpa of the century, knows?"

"I'm aware of what I need for my survival and from what I've learnt, you can either take risks or look for job security. In your case, " he fake coughed, "where the proportions of risk taking have already exceeded the acceptable limit, a job security is the best and safest option to choose."

"And that would justify my greed and desire to work for the biggest company of this city."

"Kun. The security you need and the independence you seek would be given by kun. Chois are hmm how to say? Cheap? Yeh cheap. They have no work ethics. "

"Have you worked with them, johnny?"

"No. I'm ju-

"Then was your ex a choi?" You saw his eyes comically and cutely widening at your remark.

"No. My ex wasn't a choi and that's not what I'm saying and you know that."

"Oh. So your ex wasn't a choi. Then a lee? Kim? Im? Oh my god! Look at your cheeks seo!" You dragged out. He shook his head as you kept wiggling your brows at him.

"She was a kim but that doesn't mean I would hate all kims dude. That's baseless and stop ignoring the topic. I want you to apply in Kuns. It's the best option. Do it as soon as you-

"Yeah yeah we'll see about that. First take that bitch back. I can't even nap in his presence. "

"Umm. Yeah. You gotta tolerate him. And besides he's injured. Injured yuta is like a gun without a bullet. He's gonna shout for a day or two and then peace out. He'll be sleeping and reading in his room and you won't even know if he's alive or not."

"Now that's bullshit. What is he going to do here anyway? I hope he can hop himself on one leg because even if the sun rises from the north, I am not going to do a single task for him. He can die hungry , for all I care.”

“Do you think you can endure him for some tasty dinners?”

Clicking your tongue, you quipped, “Do you really think you can buy me with a few homemade meals?”

Day 1

Yes. you were sold. The moment the tasty noodles had melted in your mouth, you knew you had no dignity. And you were indeed ashamed of yourself.

Earlier, Renjun had called you to inform you that he had delivered the food and medicines for yuta and had left your dinner box but he had failed to mention the special and endearing note that was pasted on the glass box. In the curvy letters, it read bitchy piglet and you swore the only person you’d be killing before yuta would be jaehyun. But you were going to use jaehyun to build up your tolerance instead.

When you went out to clean your dishes, he was playing some game on his phone, excitement evident from the way he was laughing every other second. Maybe if he remained occupied, he would not be so insufferable.

Day 3

"Oyii! Oyii!"

No. You were wrong. He was very very much insufferable.

At midnight, his voice echoed, disturbing your sleep. You cursed at the cool atmosphere that had prevented you from using the air con which otherwise would have blocked his annoying screeches. But it seemed like bad luck wanted to change its name to y/n instead. With your name being called like a broken record, it was a fight between you and him that you were not going to lose. Shuffling to your side, you covered your ears with the other pillow and tried to drown out the annoyingly demanding and hoarse voice. There was no way you were giving him the satisfaction of having any power over you. He could cry for all he liked!

“What the fuck do you want at this hour?”

Attempting a glare at him through sleepy lids, you spewed with irritation. Unlike you, he was very much awake, breathing with the sole purpose of making you question your whole existence.

“Pillow” scratching his non-existent beard, he mumbled.

Your nostrils flared and jaw clenched at such inconvenient command.

“You summoned me for a pillow? A pillow that can normally be found on a person’s bed? Can you please rectify your demand or did I just simply hear something wrong?”

The opened curtains and the moonlight that drenched the room was the only source that illuminated his face for you and even with drooping eyes, you could see how serious he was and yet you couldn't hold your tongue back because he simply deserved every shit you bestowed him with.

“Turn the lights on and count the pillows on my bed! And when you are done, get me some pillows from your room.” he simply stated.

“Why should i give you my pillow? I need them!”

“Because I don't use a pillow and I need it asap!”

“Then why do you suddenly need one? To disturb my sleep? Oh that makes sense.” and suddenly, your eyes had synced with your body to side with your fight mode.

“I need them for elevating my leg. The bandage is too tight and it’s not comfortable.”

“Then why don't you walk out of the room and get some cushions for yourself!” you raised your volume.

“Because my leg is in pain and i’m unable to get up? What makes you think I'm dying to see your ugly face at this time of the night. I dont wanna have nightmares of you as well but i can't help it ok!”

“you should have kept them near you. And who are you calling ugly hmm? You poop fac-

“Okay scream for all you want! But get me a pillow when your battery dies down!”

“What the fuck d- are you covering your ears? Wow ways to be generous!”

Stomping your foot, you left the room to get the hardest cushion on the couch.

“Here! Next time call Mark if you want anything. Don’t raise your voice ever again to call me because unlike you, i have work in the morning and hence I need some sleep..”

Just when you were about to leave after shoving the cushion in his hand, he spoke up again,

“This is damn hard! I asked for your pillow specifically and not th- AHH!”

A scream left him as you harshly removed the support , leaving his leg to painfully meet the mattress.

“How about you fix your attitude before fixing your leg?” suggesting, you dropped the cushion on the floor and left.

He didn't call you after that. Nor that you cared. However, the sleep in your eyes somehow vanished. Dancing on your sides didn’t help. Neither did drinking a glass of water. So, with a groan, you listened to your conscience and picked up your extra pillow that was sadly too perfect for your enemy.

Padding to his room, you tried your best to scrutinise and hearing his heavy snores, you placed the pillow right under his thigh and the cushion under his calf. Scoffing at his sleeping figure, you internally groaned to remind yourself that you hadn't done it for him. It was just a debt. For the blanket he had once covered you with. Nothing more and nothing less.

Day 5

You just wanted him out of your hair. He was just being a load on your head. At first, only the work was kicking your ass, then jungwoo was kicking you like a punching bag for an hour straight and adding to your distress was yuta.

"I'm not your maid! Stop piling up the dishes for me. I've had enough mercy on you. From today onwards, get a cleaner for yourself or buy disposable cutlery. I'm not going to clean after you!"

With a roll of his eyes, he had ignored you.

And so did you. Pasting a warning note on the sink tap, you had left for the library with a dying hope that maybe the kitchen would be spotless on your arrival or you'd be dialing some numbers in the evening.

For someone who despised the solemn atmosphere of libraries, you had successfully spent 11 hours in the said hellish room. It was 11 p.m and you wanted to sleep, more than anything but here you were, waiting for yugyeom so he'd just pick you up for a good drinking session that you were dying to have.

Fortunately, you weren't the only one who had missed living these past days. Everyone, for different reasons, was suffering so you felt a little less bad for yourself even though you knew your troubles were far more grave than their academic burdens.

"Wake up shorts" someone whispered in your ear. Squirming on your seat, you whipped your head in your sleepy state and found jungkook caressing your head, goofily smiling at you.

"I thought you wanted to hang out till the next morning" air quoting the last words, he picked up your bag.

"Yeah. Let's go. I'm all ready for a night full of vodkas." You yawned out.

"Definitely. No. You are going home. We can have a small get together me and yuggy are done with our final project." He dragged you out into the parking lot.

" I feel like it's been years since we got drunk together. You are never here anymore!" You whined at him, complaining your heart out.

"I will be. Soon. Then we can celebrate your little choi job as well."

"Oh please. Don't even mention it. If I had penny for every time they rolled their eyes at me, I'd be richer than your parents kook." You huffed out and as his gentle laugh surrounded you, you closed your eyes resting your back against the seat, expecting to be up by the time he'd park.

But the next day, you woke up tangled in the sheets of your bed, unaware of the events of the previous night.

When you had warned yuta about the dirty dishes, you hadn't expected him to fill the corners of the kitchen with disposable containers. It looked like you had missed a whole drama while sleeping in the library. The kitchen was shining except for the new utensils. But as long as you were not babysitting him, you were fine with anything. You didn't want to jinx your relief, however, you were glad you would be able to get some work done. finally.

You had spoken too early for your own good. Just when you sat down to write your paper, passionate and enthusiastic howls of that man pierced through your earphones and once again, you opened the window and hopped outside, in the balcony, ready to drown him out. Sipping on your lemonade, you gaped at the scenery the not so distant traffic provided you with and somehow, your thoughts wandered to the only person these horns reminded you of. Johnny.

What are you doing? Your fingers hovered over the text but once again, you deleted the message, declaring it to be too childish for someone as mature as him. Maybe you were just being silly. Maybe you were not. But who was going to put a stamp on your maybe?

Tears pricked your eyes as the harsh words of your senior thundered in the room. He kept shouting and you had no option than to consume each and every word he directed at you. Even if you were being insulted in front of your twenty other co-workers, staying quiet was the best option, you ascertained. so along with your saliva, you gulped your explanations down your throat.

Howsoever unconscious, you were still in the wrong. There was no excuse as to why you had mailed the wrong bills, apart from the headache that was caused by the person possibly lying on the sofa and watching t.v back home. No matter how much you tried to run away from his existence, he had somehow managed to let himself inside your head.

Glaring at the kid who asked for his turn on the park swing, you pushed yourself a little higher, letting the wind greet your stinging eyes as it hit your face in waves. Your phone buzzed in your pocket and you chose to ignore jungwoo for a day as it was the time, you decided, to let all the lessons that the past few months had taught you sink into your mind, to bleed into your soul so you won’t ever be able to deviate from them. Ever.

Only if that was so easy. You knew blaming others for your problems was no solution but trivialising them by not paying heed wasn't a smart move either.

When you reached home, your frustrations had died down. So when yuta simpered and pointed towards your empty container, telling you how he had already finished your supposed dinner, you simply rolled your eyes at him, robbing him of whatever he wanted to achieve by riling you up. Heating up the water, you were about to open the noodles packet when yeong called you.

You stared at the shattered phone screen in disbelief as the endless tears ran down your cheeks. As you verbalised the words to yourself again, your body met the floor with a thud.

Jungkook. Drugs. No more.

Three words had silenced the screeches in your head and your mind busied itself in rejecting what you had heard for it had to be a lie. But what how were you going to ignore the heart wrenching screams that yeong had let out. How were you going to dismiss the truth.

How were you all going to accept it?

••••••••••••••••

next update: Some day between 5-7 June.

[manifestoonmoralmanlove]

What will be in my bag? Pre-ordered Manga. Straight and Lez edition.

Here’s a list of English-released manga I’ve currently got on pre-order, and manga series I ordered before but won’t be continuing with the series.

As a note: Some of these titles have been released but I have not received them yet due to a issues with covid backlog effected how things are released.  I personally find that if you pre-order it tends to get you manga quicker.  It seems there is more pressure to keep up with the new release schedule than chip away at the backlog.

I’m starting with the stuff I’ve already read some of and confirmed enjoyment, then stuff I’m shooting in the dark for, and finally series I have tried recently and have discontinued.

Heteros

My Androgynous Boyfriend

Story & Art by: Tamekou      Publisher: Seven Seas

It is rare for straight shit to end up in my library but My Androgynous boyfriend is an exception that will surprise no-one since it’s pretty queer adjacent.  This story is mostly a couple being lovey-dovey between jokes about sexuality and gender but (so far) isn’t problematic at all.  The female lead is quite enjoyable as she’s well-balanced and has agency throughout. There’s even ace representation! It’s very low-stakes, wholesome, and sweet so far. (Volume 3 is set to release in November.)

My Excitement Level: The gentle about to sink into a bubble bath variety

Yuri/Lesbian

Even Though We’re Adults

Story & Art by: Takako Shimura  Publisher: Seven Seas

Takako is also the creator of Sweet Blue Flowers and Wandering son.  I have dipped by toe in to both those series.  I overall find their writing kinda meandering and tepid (might just be me) but technically pretty solid.  I am hopeful for this series since it features adults....if the title didn’t make it obvious.  I was intrigued by the one character being married but the man finding out about the affair quickly and reacting more realistically and interestingly than the average male love interest in a Yuri.  I also found myself relating at bit to Akari’s angst about being unlucky with relationships with women.  I also do enjoy the artwork! This one is the most likely of my followed series to be dropped at some point. (Volume 2 of this manga was set to release in June this year.)

My Excitement Level: Cautious Optimism

For more click the jump!

Kase-san and Yamada

Story & Art by: Hiromi Takashima  Publisher: Seven Seas

This is a series I keep going back to.  While it is the very typical low-stakes bubbly, cutesy School age Yuri...it is a very good version of that.  Just warm bubble bath vibes. (Volume 7 is set to release in February of next year.  I think it was originally supposed to be released this May but was bumped back.)

My Excitement Level: The gentle about to sink into a bubble bath variety

NOW ONTO THE SERIES I HAVEN’T READ BUT I’M TAKING A CHANCE ON!

Adachi and Shimaura

Art: Moke Yuzuhara Story: Hitoma Iruma  Publisher: Yen Press

This, as I understand it, is a slow-burn romance about two delinquent girls.  I have heard good things about the novel and the anime series!  However I prefer manga to novels and don’t have a funimation account so I went to snag it in manga form. (Volume 1 was set to release in February this year and 2 in September)

My Excitement Level: Cautious Optimism

The Girl I want is so handsome!

Story & Art by:Yuama     Publisher: Seven Seas

The premise is a young lady has a crush on a handsome older girl who’s oblivious to her advances.  When she tries to confess she instead gets roped into being the club manager of the basketball team that her crush is a part of.  So it feels like it may end up cycling through 2 jokes and be so deep in the stereotypical manga bullshit you can easily-predict its beats volumes in advance. HOWEVER that is also a premise that is similar to Monthly Girls' Nozaki-kun which is legitimately a hilarious series. Also I fucking love butch/stud/masc-presenting women/AFAB people.  So I’m willing to risk “The same Anime bullshit” for good jokes and a cute lezzy romance with a beautiful butch.  (Volume 1 is set to release of December of this year.)

My Excitement Level: Pretty nervous actually.  I hope it works out!

Monologue Woven for You

Story & Art by: Syu Yasaka     Publisher: Seven Seas

A woman gives up on a career in theater gets tangled in a relationship with a woman passionately pursuing theater.  Since it is set between college age women, and appears to be about more personal and mature themes I am interested. (Volume 1 I BELIEVE is supposed to be released in February of next year.)

My Excitement Level: Cautious Optimism

Mizuno and Chayama (No page yet so far as I can tell.)

Story & Art by: Yuhta Nishio     Publisher: Yen Press

Two daughters of feuding families meet in secret.  This is by the same author of After Hours.  I read a bit of After Hours and found it fine but boring since it seemed without conflict.  Conflict doesn’t seem to be in short supply with a story like this!  While I enjoy the sugary-sweet high school lesbian romances...those are not in short-supply. So I am always hungry for something darker, meatier, more mature. (Volume 1 is set to release next February) 

My Excitement Level: Cautious Optimism

5 Seconds Before The Witch Falls In Love

Story & Art by:  Zeniko Sumiya     Publisher: Seven Seas

It appears to be a playful fantasy about a Witch and Witch-hunter who’s antagonism turns romantic.  This may end up one note and stupid...but I’m always hear for queer romances set in high-fantasy and I haven’t read a Yuri where rivals turns to lovers. (Volume 1 is set to release next February)  

My Excitement Level: Low-key

Catch These Hands! (No page yet so far as I can tell.)

Story & Art by: Murata     Publisher: Yen Press 

A former delinquent runs into her high school rival.  After losing a fight to her she agrees to her terms...her terms being to go out on a date with her.  I mean the title alone makes me want to pick it up!  It may run afoul of bad anime humor, but I’m hoping with the fact that it’s full of gay adult delinquents that it’ll be a little different.  (Volume 1 is set to release next February)  

My Excitement Level: Medium-key

Series I have discontinued:

I’m in love with the Villainess

Art by: Aonoshimo  Story by:  Inori   Publisher: Seven Seas

A woman gets reborn into her favorite Otome game but she wants to romance the villiain!  I had heard a ton of great things about the novel but I picked up the manga version. (If the novel is totally different I can’t speak to it.)  For me, the writing is ham-handed, the jokes flop 90% of the time, and the fact the lead’s only personality trait seems to be ~obsessed with a bully~ really dampens this title.  Her advances are so aggressive and unwanted I honestly started feeling bad for a spoiled rich bully.  I will say it’s saving grace is the fact that the lead is masochistically into the villainess’ tsundere abusiveness. For me I hate tsundere romances if framed like, “I like you DESPITE your insults.” It is only tolerable if it’s instead, “I like you cause you tell it like it is. I’m a dirty little pig. Please step on this bad little piggy!”

Our Teachers are Dating

Story & Art by: Pikachi Ohi      Publisher: Seven Seas

Well one reason I stopped the series is that cover you see up there.  The sex in this series is fade to black but FOR SOME REASON the 3rd cover has them both butt naked.  But on a less superficial note, the story is about two teachers who start dating.  And while cute at points, I was just underwhelmed.  I think a part of it, is the fact that this behaves like a stereotypical high school romance...and while set in a high school...these are grown ass women not 15 year olds.  So I have less patience with the, “Gosh when will I get to kiss my girlfriend?” bullshit.  I mean, I would hesitate to call it bad...but it’s just not a good version of it’s brand of bullshit.

Breath of Flowers

Story & Art by: Caly                       Publisher: Tokyopop

Absolute train-wreck, this is hands down the worst Yuri I have ever bought.  The story is nonsensical and all over the place.  There is a love rival who’s trying to break the two of them up so she can get with Gwyn...but then switches mid-gear to put in a lot of effort to bring them together intentionally...but she also still wants to hook up with Gwyn...it’s very ????????????  The main conflict of Gwyn is hiding their gender so they can play basketball on the boy’s team (not well explained) is built up hugely and resolved with a hand flick.  There is a melodramatic moment where a school nurse says more or less, “GIVE IT UP YOU’LL NEVER BE A BOY!” And it’s like “OH SHIT! The fact that Gwyn is on the basketball team is cause he’s a transboy trying to live life as a boy! Oh gosh it makes so much more sense now!”  But the author seems to not even know that trans people exist cause the story bumbles along as if that scene never happened.  The closest we get is at the end Gwyn is like, “Look I’m learning to do make-up on myself to make you happy lawl!” Which is I GUESS supposed to be, “NO NO DON’T WORRY ALL OF GWYN’S GENDER STUFF WAS JUST THERE TO MAKE THE MAIN CHARACTER SEXUALLY CONFUSED WHEN SHE DISCOVERS GWYN’S TRUE GENDER!  HER TRUE GENDER IS 100% CIS WOMAN CAUSE SHE DID MAKE-UP ONCE! IT’S FIIIIIIIIIIIIIIINE!” Like whaaaaaaaaat?  And it ends on a very random scene which doesn’t really fit in with the rest of the story.  Ugh just very bad do not interact!

A White Rose in Bloom

Story & Art by: Asumiko Nakamura    Publisher: Seven Seas

At an all girls catholic school a young woman falls for a mysterious foreign student.  I grabbed this cause it’s gay and I overall like Asumiko Nakamura’s work (she also does Doukyusei, double mints, and others.)  However I was just not grabbed with this title.  I just felt like I wasn’t getting what was making the MC pants on head obsessed with Steph.  Also the lead’s mother tells her that she’s getting divorced and therefore will no longer have money to pay for the university and she’s framed like a super bad person for this.  Like I get why the MC (a teenager) would think that something like that is THE END OF THE WORLD! But I remember them really framing the mom like a selfish bitch for this...when like...it’s well established that her mom and dad’s relationship has been toxic for YEARS and that they TRIED SO HARD to fix it.  OH WELL!  This might be good but it just didn’t grab me in the 1st volume.

I’ll make a post on the BL titles later! Take care and Stay Rotten!

[chimmyrockbison]

MASTERLIST Updated 03/20/2021

COMPLETED AO3 FICS [Kim Taehyung/Park Jimin]

1. The Sound of Your Heart

Summary: There was something so easy about it, it was almost scary. Taehyung didn’t want to feel this way, didn’t want to feel this overwhelming fondness; but not unlike his head, his heart was hard to persuade once it had decided a path. And Taehyung was scared that it had decided on the mute new boy with pretty features and a warm smile.

Words: 144,014

2. All the King's Men

Summary: Castle servants Jimin and Taehyung find themselves involved in a game with the Crown Prince.

Words: 52,531

3. golden haze

Summary: Taehyung watches Jimin’s mouth twist into a pout, forming the word ‘fucking’ with his thick lips before he’s whipping out his translation device again. Taehyung doesn’t have time to stop him when various pornographic images pop up on his holographic screen, Jimin’s eyes widening with intrigue, his mouth falling open at the suggestive images in front of him.

(or: lonely college student taehyung harbors an alien fugitive in his apartment. nothing goes as planned.)

Words: 34,850

4. Drag'on Together (Love Is Its Own Magic)

Summary: “I swear to God, Taehyung if you stop to pick up one more rock because you think it might be some sort of rare stone, I’m leaving you here,” Jimin huffs as he tries to sound intimidating.

“Jiminnie, we both know you wouldn’t survive a minute without me, so stop with the empty threats, okay?” Taehyung replies, happily ignoring his dark-haired friend.

Jimin would argue, he would, if it wasn’t for the fact that Taehyung was right.

or

The time Taehyung and Jimin finds a blue rock and it turns out to be so much more.

Words: 30,554

5. even the weariest river

Summary: It's moments like this that make Taehyung panic. The open derision on each courtier's face, the scorn of his brother as he turns from his prey. The slit of Park Jimin's eyes, just barely open and dark and hateful, as Taehyung swallows and squares his shoulders and says—

"I want to claim him."

The tides of war change, and sweep Taehyung and Jimin along with them.

Words: 152,979

6. i fell in love with the pizza delivery guy (and then i blew him in the bathroom)

Summary: Send your best delivery guy. Preferably cute, preferably packing.

“You're the one who ordered me,” Taehyung says. Not exactly a question; more of a statement.

“Well, I ordered pizza; you just happen to be a delightful bonus,” Jimin clarifies, lips drawn up in a smirk that sets Taehuyung’s blood on fire in a most delectable way. “Although, had I known a pretty face like yours was working there...maybe I would have been more specific with my instructions. At least I know for next time.”

(or, Jimin orders pizza and a little something extra, and Taehyung delivers without really knowing what he's signing up for)

Words: 18,438

7. Grand Jeté

Summary: Refusing to spend another night alone, Taehyung surprises his perfectionist of a boyfriend Jimin at his dance studio with the intent of dragging him home. But their pent-up emotions from spending time apart has the visit ending with a lot of kissing and a little experimenting.

Words: 8,200

8. Already Midnight

Summary: On New Year's Eve, Taehyung is drunk. So drunk that he doesn't recognize Jimin as his boyfriend. When Jimin kisses him at midnight, Taehyung threatens to call his man- aka Jimin.

Words: 3,951

9. Worth The Risk

Summary: The rules are simple: no kissing on the lips, no petnames, no cuddling after sex, no sleepovers, no labels, and no catching feelings.

It should be simple. In fact, it would be simple, if it weren’t for one tiny thing...Taehyung is pretty sure he’s in love with Jimin. And that’s absolutely against the rules.

Words: 23,645

10. Common Ground

Summary: Taehyung is rich, a little bit bratty, a lot a bit spoiled, and failing calculus. Jimin works full time, tutors, and is a straight-A student. There's a rulebook somewhere that states very clearly that people like Jimin should never associate with people like Taehyung. But rules are meant to be broken. And opposites always, always attract.

Words: 44,136

11. This is not a dream

Summary: He would think they were ships in the night if not for the fact that every night, Jimin lays his head in Taehyung’s lap and Taehyung runs fingers without nerve endings through his hair. If they didn't have this false, teasing closeness long enough to learn every detail of each other's lives, long enough that Jimin is the person Taehyung spends the most time with by a mile.

(Jimin leaves. Two months later, he falls in love with Taehyung.)

Words: 12,370

12. Shooting Stars and Silver Moons

Summary: Yoongi and Jimin make a bet, Taehyung makes bad decisions.

(Or: "I'm kind of pissed you didn't choose me to fake date, I'm your best friend")

Words: 20,206

13. the whole world is blue

Summary: Taehyung is not going to confess. That kind of thing never ends well. The movies are wrong. It doesn't always turn out to be mutual. Real life isn't so romantic like that.

Words: 10,829

14. Swipe Right

Summary: As a best friend, Jimin will do anything for Taehyung. This includes being his fake boyfriend to ward off the unwanted attention Taehyung is receiving after using a dating app and agreeing to meet someone.

Words: 26,085

15. Define Me in Terms of You

Summary: This is either Taehyung's greatest idea, or his worst.

“So, let me get this straight. You want me to teach you how to play guitar, join a fake band and enter a competition just so that you can impress a guy you like?"

Words: 9,808

16. i just adore you asking for more

Summary: Taehyung is a successful model looking for a discreet release. Jimin is a professional dom who won’t judge his browsing history.

Words: 90,201

17. Sirius

Summary: "Dude, our entire relationship could be an Ed Sheeran album."

Words: 16,955

18. it's your heart i wanna live (& sleep) in

Summary: The first time Jimin sleeps over at Taehyung's, it's an emergency. The other times after? That's a different story.

Words: 22,658

19. kissing up on fences (and up on walls, i don't want to fall)

Summary: They’ve always been close, Taehyung and Jimin. Where one went, it would be rare to see them without the other. This is a fact Namjoon knows better than most, having coexisted with them in close quarters for such a long time.

Namjoon had not, however, for all his proclaimed wisdom and prudence, had the foresight to see that they’d become this close.

(or: the five times the other members thought they were dating, and the one time jimin starts to wonder if they really are)

Words: 8,738

20. The Usual

Summary: Alternatively titled: The Regular

Jimin will date anyone, except for boys who serve coffee.

Words: 27,935

21. i'm so sorry but it's fake love (tbh, not really)

Summary: when chaebol/commitment anti-fan park jimin learns he's being married off, he does the smartest thing in the world: hire a fake boyfriend he found on the internet (aka Craigslist's personal ads)

all he needs is just three months with said fake boyfriend to convince his parents to leave him alone. after that, he'll get back to his regular programming.

except, not really.

Words: 209,565

22. Gravity//Oxygen

Summary: He already lost his parents.

He'll be damned if he loses Jimin's smile too.

We stay together.

Always.

Taehyung is out for revenge. And he'll do anything to get it.

Words: 180,321

23. A Screenshot of Youth

Summary: There’s a sharp intake of breath, Taehyung’s grip tightening over Jimin’s with a gentle squeeze. “Jimin,” his voice is serious, and Jimin watches him, strangely endeared. “Let’s be friends.”

And it’s like this, that they begin as friends in the heat of a sweltering summer, twelve years old and too young to think much of it, hands twined together under the blanket of a setting sun.

(In which Jimin and Taehyung grow up together.)

Words: 18,496

24. i'll take the desert, you take the coast

Summary: “Everyone I know is a candlestick nearing its demise. They’re afraid of bringing meaning into their lives, of cultivating that glow. But you, prince Park Jimin, you are different. You glow with the passion of more than a thousand suns.”

Words: 30,973

25. just to get a taste

Summary: The one where Jeongguk dares Jimin and Taehyung to kiss and it unravels a lot of feelings. But mostly more kisses.

Or the one where Jimin's heart is stupid and Jimin's best friend is actually irresistible. Who'd've thunk, huh?

Words: 24,375

26. tell them it's the end

Summary: Five months after Taehyung suddenly walked out on him, Jimin finds out that Taehyung has yet to inform his family, who absolutely loved Jimin, about their split.

Jimin tries to swallow his feelings as he once again “dates” Taehyung.

Words: 13,802

27. stay with you

Summary: Taehyung wondered why he always see this blonde man, getting wasted every night. Its such a shame seeing his pretty face wasting every single night of his life in this bar.

Until he saw his eyes, and he understood why.

(Or Jimin is broken and he wanted his happiness back.)

Words: 12,875

28. ring the changes

Summary: That's the nature of one-sided confessions. Things change.

Words: 45,248

29. summer, winter, spring (i'm falling for you)

Summary: The school starts to take notice of Jimin.

Taehyung has always noticed.

Words: 41,786

30. Make Me-al

Summary: In which Jimin starts to work at Jin's restaurant and there he meets Taehyung, the new rookie waiter that kinda gets him off his nerves (the feeling is mutual). Yet, the tension between them is hotter than the ovens from the kitchen...

Words: 26,886

31. such stuff as dreams are made on

Summary: "sir no one, may i have this dance?"

or: kim taehyung, a kitchen boy, sneaks into a royal masquerade. park jimin is the prince he never expected.

Words: 38,753

[turinn]

Naive

Ray Blackwell x M!Reader

Summary: An invitation at a party reveals that Luka had no idea you’re gay, and brings up a concern you hadn’t had before. Tags: Crack, fluff, secret relationship, mention of homophobia, alcohol consumption A/N: This is based on a dream I had where Luka and I had this exact conversation and when I woke up and remembered it I nearly threw up laughing. I did actual research for the girls outfit and hair bc im a fashion history nerd. the pocket watch i just thought was cute. Fenrir calls the reader fruity but its okay bc hes gay too god bless Word Count: 1.5k

The party was the usual affair expected of the Godspeed's, an air of elegance- present but not too overbearing- hanging over the large hall. Music drifted gently to your ears as you took everything in, a small smile settling on your face.

You couldn't help but feel a little underdressed. The officers had, of course, kept their uniforms on, but everyone else present was dressed to the nines. You'd thought the suit you wore was lovely when you and Seth had seen it last week, dark blue with a white trim, paired with a pale cyan tie and pocket square. The gold watch that settled comfortably in your pocket had been a gift from Blanc, supposedly made by Oliver to look similar to his own, to commemorate your decision to stay in Cradle. Compared to everyone else, it felt rather simple now, but you pushed the thought aside. Nobody was judging what you were wearing, they were here to enjoy themselves same as you.

"Would you like a drink?" Ray asked, voice soft enough not to startle you too much. This wasn't too effective, as you'd gotten lost in your thoughts, and sort of forgotten there were people around you, but it was kind of him to try. "Oh, yes, please." You smiled at him and a moment later he'd walked off, talking to Sirius about something, leaving you alone with Luka. Fenrir had disappeared to greet his family when you'd first arrived, and Seth was who knows where, but you didn't mind it being just the two of you. Luka rarely came to these, in fact this was the first he'd been to since you'd arrived in Cradle, despite it being your fifth, and you decided someone should stick with him so he didn't feel quite as nervous.

As you turned to say something to him, you noticed a lady making her way over to the both of you, looking rather flustered. Her fists were clenched at her sides, and she seemed to be muttering something to herself, but it was clear she had intent to speak to one of you. Perhaps she wanted to talk to Luka? He was cute, it wouldn't surprise you. What did surprise you, however, was when she walked up to you instead.

"Um, excuse me if this is far too forward, but... would you be interested in dancing with me?" She sounded so nervous, and you almost wanted to say yes. Any other man would have been lucky to get such an invitation- she looked stunning. She wore her hair in curls, gathered at the back of her neck, with a hairpiece of pale blue flowers was pinned at the front, a necklace donning the same type of flower hanging just above the neckline of her gown. The gown in question matched the colour of the flowers well, though the width of the crinoline supported skirt would have made you concerned about the logistics of dancing with her- if you'd had any intention of saying yes. Her cheeks were tinted pink as she chewed her bottom lip and waited for your answer, avoiding your gaze. A hand on your chest and a sincerely apologetic look on your face, you began to respond. "Oh dear. I'm terribly sorry, but you seem to have gotten the wrong end of the stick. You're a very attractive young lady but I'm afraid... how should I put this," You glanced at Luka for help, but he seemed to have no idea what you were trying to tell her, "I'm afraid I don't tend to set my eye on the ladies, so to speak." "You're... gay?" A sympathetic nod. "That's the ticket. Sorry, love." "Oh, it's not a problem! I'm really sorry to have bothered you!" She suddenly looked much less nervous, though a little embarrassed, and scurried off. You sighed. "I feel a little bad. I really hope she finds someone to dance with." Luka looked at you quizzically. "Why did you lie to her?" A confused laugh escaped you. "I'm sorry?" "You told her you were into guys. Why lie?" As he said this, Seth and Fenrir came up behind him, and hearing his question their eyebrows shot up. So did yours. Was he kidding? "Luka, sweetie, you have got to tell me what part of my personality made you think I was heterosexual, so I can set about changing it immediately." Seth choked on his drink, and though you flashed him a grin, you weren't entirely kidding. Going from Victorian London to a world where being gay was perfectly acceptable had been quite the change, but you'd been certain all of your friends had known. It's not like you were quiet about it, and sure, Luka was naive but... come on, now. "Wait are you... you were being honest?" "Yes?" "Luka," Fenrir began, stepping next to you and resting an elbow on your shoulder, "How have you seriously not noticed that he's gay yet?" "Well- there was no reason for me to assume!" "You watched me drunk make out with at least 2 different Black Army soldiers in my first month here!" Luka looked flustered, and utterly dumbfounded. The expression was one he wore often, usually when people insinuated that someone was in love- but somehow about five times more confused. He was unfortunate enough that Ray and Sirius returned at this moment, just in time to hear both your last remark, and his next one.

"I thought that was just something you did when you were drunk?" In another moment you were on your knees, legs shaking so much from laughter that you couldn't hold yourself up any longer. Fenrir was right there beside you, practically convulsing. Everyone else was laughing too- except poor Luka. You felt a little bad, truly you did, but this had to be the funniest thing you had ever heard. "He's completely straight, but watch out! Get a couple drinks in him and he turns fruity!" Fenrir managed to get out between cackles, and Ray was glad to have put your drinks down when Luka had last spoken, because he too nearly fell to the ground at this.

"Luka- Luka I'm sorry." You pulled yourself to your feet, wrapping an arm around his shoulders. "We aren't laughing at you." Another fit of giggles overcame you. "Okay we kind of are, but it's not malicious or anything. That was just... hands down the funniest thing you've ever said." It took most of you 5 or so minutes to fully calm down from what he'd said, and anything that jogged your memories of it would bring you back to a state of uncontrollable laughter for the rest of the night. Luka came round to it being pretty funny after you talked him through the dozens of times you'd mentioned your sexuality to him since you'd met- every one of which had gone over his head.

Hours after the party had worn down and you'd all made your way home, you lay in bed, your head pressed against a familiar chest, and sighed. "What's up?" "I just... D'you think anyone else just hasn't realised?" Ray cocked his head, confused. "I'm gonna need a little more info than that, kitten." "I suppose I just... Back in London, it's not even legal to be gay, and I don't know if it ever will be. When I first came out to Fen, he told me that it was fine here, accepted and even celebrated. So, I guess I just thought that people wouldn't make the automatic assumption that I'm straight, y'know? I mean I talk about it a lot among you guys but- when I’m out and about... where do people think my final destination is? When I pick up a silly cat themed gift for you does the shopkeep think I’m buying it for my wife? It shouldn't be a big deal, I guess, but I'd never been able to be myself until I came here, and now it's like I can be me but... people will still only see who I am if I tell them. It's just weird is all. I dunno. Maybe I'm drunk." "You're not drunk. It's an understandable concern. I guess I've never thought about it, because whether or not people would accept that part of me has never been an issue, but the fact that you've had to hide it for so long and now that you're able to be open people still aren't seeing it must be hard. If you want we could... come out, so to speak?" Your eyebrows raised, and you moved back, propping yourself up on your arm so you could look your partner in the eyes.

It had been decided at the very start of your relationship, which had officially begun a few months after you'd made the choice to stay in Cradle, that the two of you would keep it under wraps for a while. Being from the Land of Reason was more than enough reason for people to take an unwanted interest in you, and you didn't need the extra attention being the King of Spades' partner would garner. Plus, anyone with a grudge against Ray would see you as a target the second you announced it. It had been a sensible suggestion on his part, one you hadn't hesitated to agree to, and as far as you knew only Sirius and Fenrir knew about your relationship. Fenrir because he had walked in on you sitting in Ray's lap while he worked late one night, and Sirius because- well, can anything get past that guy? And now, Ray was offering to tell the entirety of Cradle you were his, just so that you didn't feel like you were hiding your identity anymore? You could feel your eyes starting to burn, and you cursed the late hour and the alcohol in your system for making you cry so easily, but... "I don't think we need to be that drastic. You were right when you said it would keep me safe for us to not be in the public eye, at least for now. I'm sure Seth can come up with some better way for me to tell the whole world I'm gay." "I don't doubt that at all." Ray grinned, placing a gentle kiss on first your forehead, then your nose, and finally on your lips. "Tomorrow, though. You need your beauty sleep." "Ah, yeah, can't risk getting ugly. My boyfriend might not want me anymore." You quipped. "Exactly." He smirked at you, turning out the light and pulling you into his arms.

[ikeromantic]

Kitsune Haunting

A Mitsuhide Akechi fanfic, approx 2500 words, silliness and sort of scares? 

First: Mitsuhide and the Maiden

Previous:  A Fun Lesson

This fic is a little longer than most of my posts. This one was inspired by one little line in the game . . .When Mitsuhide and MC reach the Chugoku province, the chatelaine reflects on their trip (which we didn’t get to see!) - she mentions that one night, Mitsuhide ‘haunted’ her. If you like it, I might post a part 2 with additional shenanigans.

Mitsuhide listened to the whispers of the bamboo forest. He found it soothing. The music of wind and branch was so different from the hum of Azuchi. There were no human voices to interrupt his thoughts. No politics here, or plots. Only the endless sea of green, and the long shadows cast by the setting sun. 

His little mouse did not look to be enjoying the ride as much as he. She kept turning her head at each clack and clatter. Her shoulders were tense too. Perhaps she feared bandits, he thought. Or something worse? His lips curled into a small, wicked smile. 

“We’ll camp here,” he called to her when they reached a small clearing. The bamboo grew far enough apart to place their bedrolls, and to dig a small fire pit for cooking. But the leaves covered the red and gold of the sunset with their greenery, sliding slowly to black as the light left. 

“Can’t we keep going? I thought we would be out of the forest before dark.” She hunched her shoulders and squinted at the dim-lit path ahead. “It’s probably not much further, right?”

Mitsuhide kept a straight face. “Perhaps, but I do not want to risk the horses. They could trip on a dark path, and we would be delayed.” 

She sighed and nodded. “I didn’t think about that.” Then she dismounted stiffly. The chatelaine was unused to long rides, or riding in general. Though she didn’t complain, her discomfort showed in every stilted movement as she unbuckled her pack and began to unload the horse.

“I can do that,” Mitsuhide told her after a moment of watching this awkward dance. “You go stretch, try to get comfortable.”

His little one gave a grateful smile. “If you insist.” She stepped away from her horse and stretched her arms over her head. “I feel like my spine is half fire. If fire was steel. Bending it hurts.”

“Riding all day is hard at first,” he agreed as he removed the packs and saddles, and began to rub down the mounts. “You do get used to it eventually.”

“You must do this a lot.” She sounded a little jealous. “How long does it take to - to not feel like you were beaten with hammers at the end of the day?”

Mitsuhide shrugged. “I don’t remember when I stopped being bothered.” He glanced at her over his shoulder and grinned. “Maybe you can tell me the exact moment riding becomes comfortable?”

She frowned at him. 

After the gear was unpacked and the horses cared for and fed, Mitsuhide dug a small fire pit and got out their rations. Onigiri tightly wrapped in a bamboo sheath. The rice was flecked with black sesame and filled with pickled plum. He handed her the travel food, knowing she would eat it even if she wished for something sweet. 

“Thanks,” she said, resting back on the bedroll Mitsuhide laid out for her. “These aren’t bad. Did Masamune make them?”

“Yes.” He did not tell her Masamune tried to send them off with all sorts of experimental recipes for traveling. He’d turned them all down, opting for something quick and easy to eat, simple to pack. Besides, more elaborate food might break their cover if they were searched. 

“His food is always so good,” she sighed. Her eyes were focused up, on the little glimpses of starry night sky. 

Mitsuhide felt a stab of jealousy. He did his best to ignore it. His little mouse could taste things, so of course she preferred Masamune’s cooking. It meant nothing. 

A loud crack interrupted the quiet. It sounded close. The chatelaine squeaked and reached for her pack, where she kept a small knife. 

“Frightened?” It was normal to hear snapping branches at night, as animals prowled the forest. Sometimes it was just a stalk too old to stand against the wind. Whatever the cause, it wasn’t a human sound and so he was not worried.

His little mouse shook her head, chin jutting out defiantly. “No. But it could be a monkey or - or a bandit.”

He laughed softly, which did nothing to calm her down. “What if I told you I was sure it is neither of those things?”

“Why should I believe you?” Her temper was still hot.

“Mmm, because I have traveled this forest several times. And I can tell you for certain that no bandit would prowl here at night. Even the monkeys are wise enough to stay away.” An idea took form right then, a little piece of fun.

The red in her cheeks drained away as he spoke, leaving her pale. “W-what do you mean?”

Mitsuhide gave his crescent moon grin, all wickedness and sharp edges. “Because, little one, this place is haunted.”

“Heh, y-yeah. Now you’re trying to scare me on purpose! Stop teasing.”

“Oh? Then I won’t tell you why travelers avoid this place.” He finished his meal and stood.

The chatelaine watched him, her whole body tense despite her defiant attitude. “Where are you going?”

“I will check around the camp, and the path ahead. I want to keep you safe, even if you don’t believe there is danger.” He stepped silently outside the small circle of firelight. She watched him go without saying anything else. But she did pull the knife from her pack, setting it, still sheathed, beside her.

Her determination to be brave was adorable, but it made him want to tease her more. As he walked the perimeter of their tiny camp, he picked up bits of dead, dry bamboo stalks. He put a few holes in them, and with a bit of thread, hung them high in the branches. They began to catch the breeze almost immediately, adding a soft, low warble to the rustling leaves.

Then he went a bit further afield to a nearby pond - it was easy to find by the night sounds of the forest toads. He scooped up a large male and laughed softly as it wriggled in his hand. “Don’t worry. I am not going to eat you, gama. We are going to help each other tonight. I just need you to sing.” 

The toad let out a long, rasping cry in response. Perfect. He loosed it a few feet from the chatelaine’s bedroll, where she sat staring at the fire, oblivious to his presence. 

When he came back to camp, announcing his arrival with a purposefully loud step, she stood to greet him. “Oh! You- you were gone awhile. Everything ok?”

“I found nothing . . . unexpected.” He looked at her solemnly. “But I think we should both stay here, near the fire, until dawn.”

“You - you’re just taunting me. Is there anything out there or not?”

Mitsuhide sat down on his bedroll and stretched out his legs. From the darkness on her side of the camp, came a harsh croaking. It was loud and held for several heartbeats. 

“Ah! What is that?” She spun to stare at the bamboo thicket.

“I was going to tell you but . . . you said to stop.” Mitsuhide shrugged. “Do you want to know or not?”

“I - yes. Please tell me.”

He regarded her with narrowed eyes. He could tell her heartbeat was fast, her eyes were wide. She pulled her mat closer to the fire pit. 

“You must promise not to interrupt.”

His little mouse nodded.

“Good. Then I will tell you why wise travelers avoid this forest, especially at night. It was before I was born, when my parents were young. There was a Chugoku princess known through the nearby provinces for her extraordinary beauty and her cunning. Her father refused to marry her off to the many suitors that came to their castle, because he cherished her. His youngest child and only daughter. And he relied on her wise advice.”

The chatelaine opened her mouth to ask a question, but caught herself. He could tell she was trying very hard to abide by his request. She was so cute, holding her curiosity in, that he almost gave her a chance to speak.

“Eventually, of course, a young warrior came to court her. He was very handsome, and wealthy. The princess was quite taken with him, as were most of the women in the castle. From the princess’ maid, to her elder mother.”

“This sounds like a fairy tale,” his little mouse said.

Mitsuhide raised an eyebrow in disapproval.   

She clamped a hand over her mouth.

“I will pretend you said nothing. As to the truth of this story, you may ask some of the older servants at the castle - they will tell you the truth of it. Some still live that knew the princess, her maid, and the young warrior.”

The chatelaine’s eyes grew wider, and as if planned, a gust of wind made the improvised bamboo pipes give a fluting wail. 

“Now, as I said. All the women in the castle were taken with the young warrior, but none so much as the princess and her maid.” Mitsuhide looked out into the dark forest and gave a heavy sigh. 

“The maid was as ugly as the princess was beautiful. A girl disfigured by a terrible burn. Her face was twisted into a grimace that marked her out from even the plain women of Chugoku. The princess was the only one to look past her scarring and see the intelligent, kind woman behind it. The two were inseparable, until that charming warrior came.” 

His little mouse nodded, her hand still covering her mouth as if she was afraid she would speak again. 

“Though no one knew it then, it was the maid that gave the wise advice everyone sought from the princess. She spent her time reading and watching, listening to people. She knew the town’s most closely held secrets. The princess relied on her knowledge and her spying. And so, when the maid fell in love with the warrior, she begged the princess to let her try and win his affection. She thought she was owed at least the chance to find love. The princess only laughed.”

Mitsuhide did his best to imitate a woman’s voice. “No one would love a girl as ugly as you. Now get to your room and stop asking me for the impossible! I will marry that warrior, and you will always be just an ugly, unwanted maid.” 

His little mouse looked appropriately horrified by that cruelty.

“The maid told her, ‘If you don’t at least let me try to win his heart, I will tell everyone the true source of your wisdom. They will know you are nothing but an empty-headed doll. Pretty but stupid.’ Enraged, the princess beat her, and drove the maid from the castle.”

“And she came to this forest to live?” The chatelaine asked, unable to help herself.

Mitsuhide shook his head. “If only she had. No. After the maid left, the princess began to worry that the maid would tell everyone the truth. She devised a plan to stop her. The princess called the warrior to her room and began to weep. She claimed that the maid threatened to curse her. She said the burned girl was a witch, and that she was afraid for her life. The warrior was uncertain, but he wanted to win the heart of the beautiful princess. After drying her tears, he agreed to find the maid and take her to the forest, where he would slay her and bury her bones far from the castle. Then the princess could be safe. And in return, she would marry him.”

The forest toad rasped another desperate cry. His little mouse jumped at the sound, her head whipping around to look back at the bamboo grove. “C-can I come sit with you? While you finish the story?”

Mitsuhide nodded. He made a space for her beside him where she sat, her leg brushing against his.

“Now, the maid was no fool. She feared the princess would lie about her, but she could not believe the warrior would harm her. Especially when he came to her hovel and asked if she would walk with him, and talk. He seemed so sincere. She wanted to believe he came because he worried for her. The maid told him that it was her wisdom on the princess’ lips that made the beautiful girl famous.” 

He slipped an arm around his little mouse, and remarkably, she only settled against him without a single word of protest.

“The warrior believed her. After all, witches have great wisdom. Knowing this did not change his plan. He brought the maid here, to this forest. The whole way, he listened to her talk about her life. Her dreams. She opened up her heart to him, believing he cared. It was only when the warrior told her to kneel before him that the maid realized what he intended to do. She begged for her life. She promised him anything he wanted, if only he would let her live. The maid told him that she loved him. Her words fell on deaf ears. The warrior saw only the princess’ beauty and wanted nothing to do with the wise but ugly maid.”

“Men are so stupid,” the chatelaine murmured.

“Sometimes,” Mitsuhide agreed, thinking of how he had been so easily ensnared by a pretty girl. “Stupid or not, the warrior cut off her head. Then he carried her body away from the well traveled path, and buried her in an unmarked grave. The princess waited for him, but when she felt it was taking too long, she slipped away from the castle and walked the forest path, looking for her love.”

“Oh no.” His little mouse breathed the words into his chest, her eyes half-closed.

The warlord smiled down at her. “You are right to worry. The princess met her warrior on his way back from burying the poor maid. He swept her into his arms, smearing her with blood and grave dirt. He told her it was done, and she was so excited that he had done her bidding, that she kissed him. And then the warrior laid her on the forest floor and made love to her.”

Mitsuhide shifted, definitely not thinking about taking his little one here, in this clearing. Not thinking about that at all. 

“The maid’s spirit could not rest, not with such a violent death at the hands of the man she loved. And not after witnessing this final betrayal. She appeared before them, holding her head in her hands. She threw it at the princess, gnashing her teeth and wailing. The princess caught it, and died right there from fright. The warrior should have died then too, but the maid could not kill him. She still loved him. Instead, she cursed the warrior to a life of loneliness.”

“That is . . . so sad,” the chatelaine murmured. Her eyes were closed now, almost asleep.

“It is. The warrior returned to the castle, and found that all had turned against him. They say he died some years later, a lonely and bitter man whose heart was stone. The princess’ body was retrieved from the forest, but the servants that brought it back swore they heard weeping and gnashing teeth. And after that, many beautiful maidens disappeared in this place. The men that travel these roads say they hear the maid, still crying. Her teeth clacking together.”

Another gust of wind rattled the branches and sent low tones skirling into the night air. 

His little mouse shivered. “N-none of that is true. It’s just a - a story.” Her sleepy voice sent a happy chill through Mitsuhide. He imagined she would sound like that early in the morning, waking before dawn to make love and then fall asleep again.

“Ah, it was told to me as a true story. But I have never feared these woods. Even if they are haunted by a maid that curses men to loneliness. I am already cursed.” 

“Mmm, yeah,” the chatelaine agreed, “but I’m not. Can I . . . sleep next to you?” Her eyes opened a fraction.

“Of course. I would not want to lose you to a vengeful spirit.” Or anything else. He laid her down on his mat, and watched as she drifted off to sleep. Such folktales had their uses, he thought. Like frightening silly, sweet girls.

Next: Kitsune Dawn

[flightfoot]

Hi! I was wondering, what are your favorite ML episodes? Like which do you think are best in plot/character development/fun stuff in general?

I’m gonna just cut out the season finales and the special from this, since it feels like cheating to include them.

This isn’t an objective list, but it’s not fully subjective either. It’s very much a list where the lower sections at least would change based on my mood at the time, though the top two are set in stone.

10. Feast 

I appreciated finding out Fu’s backstory (even if it didn’t quite jive with some of the earlier implications of him having chosen the wrong people before, back in Origins.) It fleshed Fu out as a character, and revealed that while he’s trying as best he can, he wasn’t chosen because he was some all-knowing, all-wise person who’s always right that the main characters need to listen to; even HE admits that he messed up in this episode. He’s considered a person, not some fount of incontrovertible wisdom.

I’ll still take him to task for some of his poorer decisions, but I appreciate that he WASN’T treated as infallible, and that we really get to see that play out here.

Plus Biker Bug and Banana Noir, Banana Noir automatically recognizing his buginette immediately even though she looks different, Chat’s face when he figures out Ladybug’s plan... it’s just fun.

Also I’m a sucker for lore, and we found out a decent amount of it here.

9. Zombizou

This was a really fun episode, with the party slowly dwindling down as zombies picked everyone off, one-by-one. 

It showcased some of the characters really well. Like with Chloe, it showed how she’ll lash out, be a brat and try to hurt people when she feels like she hasn’t done enough, or whenever something pokes at her own feelings of inferiority, of uselessness. But that she also DOES care for other people and is willing to sacrifice herself, even if only temporarily, to protect others.

It also showed the first time that someone puts up a good fight against akumatization, what sort of mindset is needed for that.

The class as a whole really shown this episode. Even though they were all pissed off at Chloe (for VERY good reason) and she was being a pain throughout it, they still refused to leave her at Zombizou’s mercy, protecting her even though it was hard, even though they didn’t want to, even though it put them at risk. Protecting her not because she “deserved” it, but because it was the right thing to do - not that they weren’t TEMPTED to leave her, they’re only human. 

Some great couple moments as well, with Rose and Juleka turning together, and who can forget Nino refusing to leave Alya, even though he’s dooming himself to becoming a zombie as well?

Just all and all, a great episode.

8. Miraculer

Another great character development episode, again, mostly for Chloe. She even successfully fights off an akuma, the only character to do so to date. We also get to see what an effective fighter she is, how much she looks up to and respects Ladybug, wants her to see her as being necessary - probably because of how she’s felt so useless and unwanted before, like she said in Malediktator.

But it also shows how self-centered she is. How little she cares for those who get hurt along the way, like Sabrina. How little she considers more overarching reasons for why she can’t be allowed what she wants, even when demonstrated right in front of her, with being denied the Bee because Mayura and Hawkmoth could easily steal it from her. Even when it’s nothing to do with her personally (beyond her decision to reveal her identity that is) she just can’t let it go.

We also get to Alya and Nino being AWESOME (seriously what WAS that parkour?) and just how stubbornly Adrien will keep trekking on, keep fighting, even when he can barely move because of the pain.

7. Syren

Yes, seriously.

This one.

The one that’s had to be defended to death.

It was actually the second episode of Miraculous Ladybug I watched, and the one that convinced me that the first one’s greatness wasn’t a fluke.

And the reason why I love it is also the reason a lot of people hate it.

We get to see Adrien be angry, frustrated, feel useless. See how the secrets are impacting him, how being left out of the loop and not even getting to know why HURTS. And how if he feels unnecessary, unwanted, that his presence, his fighting doesn’t help protect Ladybug or the city more generally, and also like he’s not being respected, that he’d be willing to give it up. That there’s only so much he can take. 

(And no I don’t feel like debating this, I’ve already done that MANY MANY TIMES. Give it a rest.)

6. Sapotis

Alya and Marinette hanging out and having fun? Marinette getting to choose Alya as the first temporary wielder? Her infectious joy as she runs around Paris and banters with Ladybug and Chat Noir?

And her hesitation, her reluctance to hand it back over, wanting desperately to continue, but ultimately doing the right thing, even though it was hard? 

It was a nice introduction for Rena Rouge.

(Also I’m a big Alya stan and I love her as a superhero so. You know.)

5. Startrain

When it came out, and even now, it was hailed as one of the best just regular episodes of Miraculous Ladybug, and for good reason. There’s some QUALITY Adrienette, Alya helping to set it up, and the whole class shipping the two of them together, wanting them to be happy.

The action was great and the whole class just got to have fun. What more is there to say?

4. Anansi

Carapace’s introduction knocked it out of the park!

 The way he tried to fight Anansi, even without any powers? He raced back to Alya even after being thrown, because he wanted to save her so badly? How he actually SUCCEEDED in fending off Anansi for several minutes without powers and with little experience, and just... never gave up fighting?

PEAK Nino Lahiffe.

Like, to the point that Alya even managed to figure out his identity. Hard to hide that Nino is Nino.

(Also Ladybug giving that little extra reassurance to Chat Noir, that he’s irreplaceable, fills my heart every time.)

3. Glaciator.

The episode that made Marichat fans swoon. The one where Marinette finally found out that Chat Noir is truly, sincerely in love with her, that it’s not just part of his persona. 

Adrien’s frustration and sadness with his father’s standing him up, even while preventing him from seeing his friends helped flesh out his circumstances, his feelings, the way Gabriel’s neglect hurts him, and how it affects him more broadly, with feeling frustrated and upset when Ladybug didn’t show up to dinner either - though in her case with good reason. 

We got to see Chat Noir calmer, not trying to put on a show, not his usual jaunty self, but acting more akin to how he does when he’s Adrien - a shift that’s abrupt enough to take Tikki and Marinette by surprise, despite knowing him so well.

Plus Ladybug and Chat Noir got to have a much needed heartfelt talk, with her letting him know how much she cares for him, values him, but that her heart belongs to another, and Chat Noir affirming how valuable her friendship is to him.

----

Now, most of these first eight could be swapped out with other episodes, and there are others I’m beginning to think should’ve been on the list, but the top 2 EARNED their place, and it’ll take a lot to dislodge them.

---

2. Chat Blanc

This episode was a treasure trove of character development, showing a “What if?” scenario. It affirmed just how quickly Adrien would leap to Ladybug being Marinette (which we caught a glimpse of in Kwamibuster) if given half the chance, and how much he absolutely adores the idea, melting into a love puddle at the thought and being certain that it’s true.

We see that they CAN be happy together, that they would be ecstatic and brimming with love.

How broken up both Adrien and Marinette would be at the unbearable thought of being separated.

And what Adrien’s reaction would be to finding out his mother’s status and that his father’s the supervillain they’ve been fighting this whole time.

Also what an absolute BASTARD of a shitstain of a human being Gabriel is.

Gave Ladybug an added incentive not to fall for Chat Noir, left a lasting impact in that way, as well as adding to the pressure to not make even the slightest mistake, that ended up descending on her in the season finale.

And we got to see Ladybug hugging Chat Noir after purifying him, her determination to ALWAYS consider him Chat Noir, that he IS Chat Noir, that he couldn’t be poisoned so much that he wasn’t still her kitty. She even called her timeline’s version over afterwards, just because she wanted that added reassurance that he was fine. She cares for him so much!

1. Oblivio

This is it. The holy grail. The episode that got me into the show. The one that showed that these two would fall for each other quickly, if certain pesky barriers weren’t in the way. That the “True Selves” narrative is false, that these two are themselves regardless of the costume they wear, just having certain sides of themselves accentuated.

He falls for her because of her wits, her bravery, her cuteness. 

She falls for him because of his kindness, his sincerity, the way he stares at her with those lovesick kitty eyes-

I’m love square trash, so sue me. 

Plus it shakes up their roles a little, evens them out. Both of them are involved with planning, with figuring things out. Both of them get to have fun, and Ladybug in particular seems like she has less pressure on her shoulders.

Also they kiss.

That is important.

[dammitadolfnomorecake]

Once Bitten, Twice Stupid prt 114 prt 2

Lance bit down a laugh, relieved to know they didn’t suspect macaroon was a baby and not a dessert snack

“That’s right. You were in hospital. Hunk said it was an accident. Are you okay?”

Why was Shay bringing that up now?

“Yeah. I had a stomach bug and fainted. A whole lot of worry for nothing”

“Plus he’s been working in Platt...”

Hunk was trying to help, but how was he supposed to explain that? Especially when Shay looked so interested

“You’re a lawyer, right?”

“Yep. Family law. It always gets busy towards Christmas”

“Don’t let them lie to you, Shay. He and Keith have totally shacked up. We’ve been abandoned”

Shay giggled as she bumped Pidge with her shoulder

“They are kind of cute together”

“If by cute you mean “totally gross”, then sure”

Shiro finally decided to “Dad” up

“Now, now. They’re happy. That’s the main thing. So what do we want to do now?”

“I could totally go for a nap right here... the fire feels so nice. Kosmo’s got the right idea, totally digging out and letting the fire warm his balls”

Lance wished he had something to throw at Matt, instead Rieva proved to be on his side

“Mmm... that’d be nice. I left my book in our cabin. I could go for dogging out too”

Werewolves. You couldn’t take them anywhere. Curtis seemed to be on team “lounge about” too. Lance had kind of thought the weather would be clearer and they’d be able to explore the area more

“We could do presents? It’d be an excellent way to warm up again”

“Yes! Okay, let me get mine for Keith!”

“And I’ll get ours!”

Hunk seemed enthused

“Matt’s going to brave the snow and get ours, the fire’s too nice to leave”

“Baaaabe”

“Awww, do you need me to hold your hand”

“Yes”

Rieva shoved Matt in the shoulder

“Go get ours before I throw you into the snow. And be nice. Go grab Lance’s present and his heat packs. He’s making me cold looking at him”

Matt dragged himself up

“Yes, boss. Do you two want anything else from your cabin?”

Lance knew it was horrible, yet he was struck with the strong feeling of not wanting Matt in his and Keith’s space. He knew it had to be his ego being stupid, but the feeling was uncomfortable and unwanted. When he didn’t answer, Keith answered for him

“Nah, thanks for asking, man”

“Okay... I guess I’ll be back soon. No stealing my spot while I’m gone. I farted on it”

Pidge wrinkled her nose

“Are you sure you don’t just stink all the time?”

“Not funny, Katie”

“Come over here and say that. I’ll bite you”

“And risk my ankles? I think not”

Pidge glared at Matt who darted out the living area. Stupid werewolves and their high body heat, and stupid feelings. He’d nearly growled at Matt as he’d passed Keith. This was beyond ridiculous. How the fuck was he supposed to keep his secret for the whole weekend, let alone until the next scan? Maybe he should just take his bad mood back to the cabin after the presents. It was Keith’s birthday. He shouldn’t be acting pissy at their friend for absolutely no reason.

*

Shiro’s gift wasn’t funny. His brother was an arsehole. He’d taken a photo of him sleeping, mouth open and all, then had it printed on a blanket, with matching socks. Shiro laughing far too hard at the look on Keith’s face. He’d wanted to open Lance’s first, but Lance seemed nervous for some strange reason, so Keith was now saving his for last. He knew whatever his boyfriend gave him, it had to be better than Shiro’s.

From Curtis he received a bat. A soft toy, but none the less it was bat. Poor Shay didn’t get the joke, Lance explaining Keith was totally terrified of them. Keith defending himself over the incident in the mine, though it was pretty good coverup story if he thought about it. He liked bats a little more, though only when they were Lance and not flying past his head like some great doom cloud. Curtis producing a second present that was heavily influenced by Shiro, because it was a damn bobble head of a bat. But of them sucked... not that he’d admit it, and not that they really did... Okay, Shiro did, but he already knew how lame his brother was. At least it wasn’t more sex toys. He hadn’t even told Lance he’d brought a few things with him.

Hunk’s gift was more practical. Seeing Keith’s bike still wasn’t on the road it was a voucher for his dad’s garage. At $250 it was far too much, despite Hunk insisting he’d be doing most of the work and Keith could help if he wanted too.

Shay’s gift was a fuel card for Balmera, to go with his bike once it was up and going, and stern lecture about visiting more because they missed him. It was nice... but still, he felt like it was too much. He didn’t need $100 voucher on top of Hunk’s, though Shay said she used her staff discount it was still... a lot.

Pidge was a gremlin. She’d always be a gremlin. She’d brought him a hard book map of Platt, laughing about his terrible sense of direction, and GPS tracker that kind of looked like the ones worn when under house arrest. She laughed at the confused look on her face, explaining it was for Lance so he wouldn’t lose his boyfriend when they were out. If anyone needed a GPS it was Matt. Especially after he and Rieva had “relocated” a cow for Lance’s birthday.

From Kosmo he was gifted a bag of treats and new harness seeing the old one was snug with how much his dog had grown. Shiro had picked it out... it was red with little bones on it... definitely more his brother’s taste.

Matt had gifted him a voucher for a bike shop. Keith wondering if he really seemed the voucher type. He was under orders to get a new helmet. He hadn’t thought about it, but all his friends had been pretty worried after his accident. It felt nice to be cared about... too cared about. This wasn’t like his birthday’s in the past. No Adam with his practical gifts... Or smell of burnt cake in the air.

Rieva had gifted him books... Vampire romance books... that he wasn’t sure how to accept. He only wanted to be intimate with one vampire, so possibly Lance would have a laugh out of them later. Shiro’s gift was bad but this wasn’t that great... Did Rieva always... Surely she didn’t just read porn... Rieva was smart, highly educated, and confident in herself... but even she couldn’t ignore pop culture making things seem like everything was possible when you were a vampire... Maybe she thought he could use a laugh?

Lance’s gift was finally the last. By now Keith really didn’t want to open up another voucher. He already had anxiety thinking about going shopping. Naturally he wanted to take Lance, but that was now even more dangerous. They hadn’t even had like a real date. They’d missed their reservation and opera with Lotor and Allura didn’t count. Lance‘a gift wasn’t that big... it felt like it was maybe two thing in there... and something kind of solid...

“Open it already!”

Trust Pidge to want to rush him. She probably wanted to know what vampires thought an acceptable gift when dating a hunter. Careful with the tag, he placed it aside. Yeah. No one else got that treatment, but then again, no one else had bothered putting a tag on it. The gift wrapped in red ribbon, Lance knowing he loved the colour red... the paper was plain white, not giving him any clues to the contents.

Unwrapping Lance’s present, he was actually really thrilled. It wasn’t a voucher. It wasn’t something to do with his bike, that he now felt a little self conscious about. He loved his bike and missed the feel of straddling her... not that Lance knew he called her a “her”. There was a small butterfly knife, not great in a real fight but a handy thing to have in a human fight. His collection of them was somewhere in the boxes from the move. The second knife was a proper good quality hunting knife, his name engraved on the hilt. This... this was definitely making onto his work belt

“I know you don’t like big expensive gifts. And I wanted to give you something useful. Just don’t go stabbing me with it”

Lance nuzzled into him, Keith kind of in shock. Like... he knew Lance paid close attention to the things he liked, and he felt like after Lance admitted he didn’t know much about cameras that it was Lance’s was of confessing he didn’t know much about him. He’d been totally wrong

“I won’t... babe... it’s perfect”

Keith hadn’t realised Shiro was actually recording the whole present opening thing. His brother chuckling

“I guess we know who’s gift he likes the most”

It was when he flipped his brother off that he noticed. It was probably bad that he wanted to start training with it...

“I love it...”

“We can tell. Happy birthday, kiddo”

Keith’s feelings flooded through him. The amount of love he felt for the group of people surrounding him was too much. He didn’t... he couldn’t thank them enough. Wrapping his arms around him, Keith hid his face against Lance’s cheek completely limp in Lance’s hold

“Happy birthday, samurai”

“I...”

“It’s okay... you’re allowed to be happy. You’re allowed to be scared too... Pidge is pretty scary”

“Fuck you. I’m a nice person when I want to be”

Lance chuckled

“See. She’s a terror. Okay, now that presents are done, I’m totally going for a nap... Take care of Keith for me”

He didn’t get to come? Shiro chuckled at the pair of them

“Don’t worry about that. He’s got his blades to play with. We’ll keep an eye on him”

“I’d prefer you kept both on him, or he’s likely to lose one of his own, and I’m afraid I can’t let him. I love his eyes too much”

*

When Lance left for his nap, Keith felt kind of lost. He couldn’t help but worry if his boyfriend made it back to the cabin and if he was okay. Still overwhelmed, he found himself sitting on the veranda of the cabin, playing with his camera because Shay would probably freak out if he played with his knife. Inside the others had figured out how to hook Pidge’s laptop up, playing some interactive game with their phones, which Hunk didn’t seem to be doing well at. Hearing the sliding door open, he knew it’d be Shiro coming to check on him.

Sitting down beside him, his brother looped his arm over Keith’s shoulders

“How you doing?”

“Okay... I... don’t really know”

“It’s definitely different to birthdays back in Rome”

“Yeah... louder... with more people and presents. It’s kind of weird”

“Really? I think it’s nice”

Keith looked up to Shiro who smiled down at him

“That’s because you’re weird”

“Nah. My baby brother is having the best birthday of his life. What more could I hope for?”

“Not to be surrounded by weirdos?”

“Nah. They’re fine. Is Lance okay?”

“He doesn’t like the cold...”

“I gathered that by how high the aircon’s been in the apartment. I also heard you kept a couple of wolves up last night”

Keith blushed. He loved the sounds Lance made and hadn’t thought about his voice carrying

“Yeah... I know it’s sex... but with him...”

“It feels special”

Special didn’t come close

“Yeah. We hadn’t done anything since the accident...”

“I understand that. As long as you two are okay, that’s all that matters”

“Are you okay? Is Curtis?”

“Yep. He’s worried about Lance but knows Lance will talk to him properly when he’s ready. He’s missed having him back at the house”

Keith groaned. He didn’t want Lance going back

“Kiddo?”

“I... it’s not fair but I... I get stuck thinking about what if he falls down the stairs again. We were so lucky the first time”

“I’m sure he’ll be fine. I’m sure everything will be fine”

“The word for that is “macaroon””

“Let me guess, Lance decided?”

“Nope. We couldn’t decide what an “idiot crumpet” made when combined with an “anger loaf””

Shiro snorted with laughter

“He’s a bit strange with the bread analogies”

“He’s fine. I think you’re a croissant but it really depends on his mood”

“Because I’m delicious and a killer on the hips?”

Keith wrinkled his nose. His brother was too into this

“I don’t want to think about that. That can stay between you and Curtis”

“In that case let’s just say Curtis really likes croissants”

Thank god he didn’t say he liked buttered croissants or croissants with cream

“Ew... I’ve seen too much as it is. Is everyone else having fun?”

“Yeah. They get it. They don’t expect you to have to hide away what you’re feeling”

“Even when I don’t feel like I deserved everything they gave me. Them being here was enough”

“They chose gifts thinking of you. I gotta say, that GPS on your ankle would save me hours of worry”

“If you like it that much you should wear it”

“Where’s the fun in that?”

A comfortable silence fell between the two brothers. Shiro had done so much for him. Keith wished he knew how to pay him back for everything. He’d given him first happy birthday memories that he could remember. The door behind the slid open, then closed, again, Curtis coming out to join them. Sitting down on Keith’s other side, he was squashed in an idiot sandwich

“Pidge is ruthless. She and Shay have broken Hunk and Matt”

That sounded about normal for them, Keith asking

“And you?”

“Came to see what was taking you two so long. I was sure you’d be with Lance”

“He wanted to take a nap”

“I’ve noticed the change in his energy levels. Don’t tell me. He will when he’s ready. I do worry about him in the cold... It won’t kill him, but he may become aggressive if his body temperature drops too low”

Shiro sighed at Curtis

“Don’t stress Keith out. I’m sure Lance is fine”

Or he could be huddled up freezing his arse off

“Nope. I’m stressed now. I’m going to check on him. Shiro, take care of my camera for me, I’ll be back soon”

As Keith left the two idiots behind, he could hear Shiro scolding his boyfriend, Curtis protesting awkwardly. Their friends were so damn weird.

[thepilotanon]

a happily married man.

I wanted to expand a little bit more of Flip being married, and how he would behave as a husband around his wife. Since, in this short, Ron would have already known of Flip’s wife, I thought it would be fun for him to try and get some stories (advice, hint-hint) from our favorite Detective and have a trip down memory lane! I also tried to look up and imagine what a high schooler/young adult Flip Zimmerman would be like, looking up 50s/60s fashion and...I went to town. Please let me know if you enjoyed, and thank you for reading!

warning: old school standards, religious discrimination, my choppy-ass attempt to write german.

Flip caught the phone ringing while buttoning his flannel, picking up the line and cradling it between his cheek and shoulder while fixing his sleeves properly. It was only ten to six in the morning, and he was on his way out the door to head down to the precinct for another regular day at the office - although, he wasn’t expecting any calls to come right before he would head off to work.

“Zimmerman house,” he spoke, still a bit tired, checking his pockets for his keys. “This is Flip speaking.”

“Philip, what have I said about speaking so grouchy on the phone? You’re going to scare anyone away who tries to call you!” This voice, for Flip, was all too familiar. Scrunching his face in displeasure, he silently panicked before standing straight with a quiet sigh. “Is that any way to speak to your mother when she calls her only child?”

“No, Ma, it’s not,” Flip answered accordingly, running his hand down his mouth. “I’m sorry, I’m just trying to head out the door for work. Why are you callin’ so early in the morning? Figured you would call sometime this weekend, or after dinner.”

“What’s wrong with me calling? I’m trying to get ahold of Alice,” his mother explained plain as day, and Flip raised a curious brow at this new discovery. 

“Why do you want to talk to Alice?” Flip narrowed his eyes, turning to see his lovely wife scuffle out to the kitchen. Seeing her yawning and wrap her robe tighter around herself, Alice blinked sleepily as she came closer to her husband, into his waiting arm. Once she rest her head on his shoulder, Flip held her close and gave her a quick good-morning kiss to the top of her head, making her hum softly.

Flip’s mother huffed, and he could resist the quick, naughty grin to flash on his face when Alice looked up to him with a curious stare. “What does it matter to you, junior? I can’t talk to my daughter in-law every once in a while for simple lady-talk? It’s been a while since that sweetheart and I had time to ourselves. I have so much to talk to her, about that recipe she told me about, and that dress we picked out together the last time we went out to town - you know the one, it’s green with -!”

“Yeah, I’m just gonna hand you to her, alright?” Flip quickly stopped his mother when he stole a look to the clock hanging over the oven. Pulling the phone away from his ear, Flip was quick to wrap his arm around Alice’s waist and practically lifted her up a bit to seal her lips in a deep kiss, making her squeak cutely as he gently demanded her attention.

Alice managed herself to smile into the kiss and held his face with both of her soft hands, kissing him back as he gently settled her back to her feet. Fixing his collar properly, along with the gold chain of his most treasured accessory (not counting his wedding band) of the Star of David, Flip then gave her lips another kiss, then her cheek, and then her forehead before handing her the phone.

“She’s your problem now, baby doll,” Flip teased with a wink as she rolled her eyes. “I love you.”

“I love you, too,” Alice laughed softly, and he kissed her head just once more time. She made a face at him, making him pinch her nose before taking off to the door. Waving to him with her fingers, Alice brought the phone to her ear and kept her smile on her face as she spoke with more energy to the older woman waiting on the other line. “Good morning, Mom, it’s Alice. How are you doing this morning? I - yes, I miss you, too.”

Hearing his mother exclaim happily on the other line, Flip knew he was safe to leave his home and make it to work on time, all thanks to his lovely wife’s assistance. He will have to thank her in his special way when he gets home tonight. As much as he loved his mom with all of his heart, he couldn’t risk getting into trouble for being a few minutes late with Chief Bridges again. It happens every time either his mom or dad call or see him and Alice in person; always wanting to spare a few more minutes to be with their beloved son and daughter in-law. As much as Flip has tried for so long to get his father to retire and find more time to tend to some hobbies with his mom, Flip knew he inherited his stubbornness from somewhere.

Not to mention both of his parents just really, really love and adore his little wife and like to hog all her attention from him.

To him, Flip always enjoyed seeing Alice interact with his parents, ever since they were dating in high school. Seeing his dad laugh over a story of Flip falling asleep during history, or even during study hall with Alice trying to tutor him with the response ‘that’s my boy’ echoing throughout the house. Or, how his mother would scold Flip while giving Alice all her attention when she asked for an honest “report” of how his test scores have been, and then praising the young woman for doing extra credit, despite already being the best in class. His parents made Alice feel at home, and it felt important to him to have someone so special in his life (and someone he wanted to marry someday, at the time) to feel accepted by his family...

Rather, in comparison to how Alice’s parents reacted to meeting Flip.

It was when they both graduated high school together, a month after the ceremony, in fact, and it was surprisingly hot that sunny Saturday in the venue center. It was in a different side of town Flip wasn’t completely well-known with, with too many people in fancy outfits and shiny cars. The venue was huge: a properly kept and cleaned venue with patios and gazebos with white-clothed tables and pretty glasses; waiters and staff working around before the final moments before they open up the lines to their financially successful visitors. The sky is blue and really, really hot -!

“Flip?”

Spinning around from behind the neatly-trimmed hedge he was (not hiding) by, he took a deep breath when he saw his sweet, sweet Alice in her pretty baby-blue sundress with her hair done in soft curls with her ribbon tied perfectly. His beautiful baby doll was never too fond of using hairsprays and using a teasing comb to create unwanted knots, unlike the big fashion fads and popular girls back at school try to replicate. Seeing her just as she is, looking up to him with her bright eyes made his heart do funny things in his chest.

God, he was so in love with her.

“Are you alright, hot shot? Everyone is going in and getting ready to be seated,” she informed him, obviously leaving out another addition of the obvious for his own sake.

“Yeah, yeah. I’m fine,” Flip shrugged, clapping his hand and rubbing his palms together for no reason.

She didn’t believe him, her smile perking more on her lips. “Do you need a smoke? I’m sure I can ask for a lighter -?”

“No!” he yelped, suddenly feeling his ears burn. Approaching her and taking her hands with both of his, kissing her knuckles quickly, he tried to play it off with a shrug. “No, m’not gonna go in with a cigarette dangling from my mouth, no! Why would I need to smoke, anyway?”

“Because you’re nervous.”

“I’m not nervous.” Flip broke eye contact with her, knowing he was caught red handed. “I’m not going smoke before going in, okay? I don’t want you feelin’ dizzy when I hold your hand.” 

A soft chuckle slipped from her as she pulled her hands out of his sweaty palms, only to hook her fingers through his belt loops and get on her toes to press a kiss to his freshly shaved jaw. “I know smoking helps you calm down, Flip, and I doubt we’re going to be cuddling during a brunch for me to inhale smoke. Don’t try to act like you’re not nervous about meeting my parents,” she told him sweetly, resting her cheek against his shoulder. “If you want to be a detective, you need to work a little bit more on your acting skills. You’re going to be under a lot of pressure, you know.”

Sighing, Flip dropped his shoulders and rest his hands on her back, hugging her close to him. “Yeah, under lots of pressure…”

“I know, I know.” Patting his chest, Alice propped her chin to look at him with a sort of sad gaze. “Dating for most of high school, and now you’re finally meeting my mom and dad - it’s ridiculous how long we’ve put this off.”

“Well, more like they’ve put this off from us for a long time,” he gruffed under his breath, which caused her to sigh, slow and long. “Hey, I’m sorry, but you and I know it’s been us who put more effort into trying to make it happen for the past few years, baby doll.”

“I’m not arguing, I completely agree. My dad has never really been social for anyone outside of his family or close friends.”

“Oh, that’s great.”

Humming her laugh, Alice got on her toes while tugging on the collar of his shirt for his attention. Flip willingly brought his head back and kissed her lightly, making her not to ruin her soft colored lips. “They will love you, Flip. You’re charming and wonderful, not to mention smart and the man of my dreams,” she listed off with a sweet smile, looking at him with pure joy. Being complimented by someone who had him wrapped around her little finger, he couldn’t hold back his own bashful smile back to her, his cheeks burning. “They will have to love you, anyway. If your folks can love me and want to see us happy, mine should be able to see all the things that’s wonderful about you, too.”

Pressing a soft kiss to her hair, he took a deep breath before nodding. “You know what’s amazing about you? You make everything so much less scary. I don’t know what I would do without you.”

“You would be hiding by a bush, pacing back and forth until someone starts to think you’re doing something suspicious,” she told him, making him snort again and earn another kiss to her head. “Come on, you know I don’t like having you with an empty stomach. They make really good French toast and ham that I think you’ll like.”

“Doubt anything can ever beat you or my ma’s cooking, but I’ll believe you.”

Flip knew from the first day that his girlfriend, Alice von Schonburg, came from a very upper-class family. Her father owned a private candy company that distributes between the US and Canada, as well as working to have business across the sea. He also co-owned some grocery stores around Colorado, thus making a very profitable income and a well-known aristocratic member to Colorado Spring’s high society. While Flip knew of his girlfriend’s rather expensive lifestyle and upbringing, she was much more soft and kind to anyone she meets and caught hearts of everyone around her.

Her father was not the same.

He was definitely a hard man; steely, bright eyes in the same color as his daughter, but held no friendly sparkle. His stares were more cold and unsettling, even when he was having “friendly” conversation with another group of people. He was taller than his wife, dressed in a finely pressed suit and a tie that matched his daughter’s ribbon and his wife’s sundress (as did other parents with their young adult children), and had a cane to support the left side of his weight. He had graying hairs and a thick mustache that could easily hide any sort of scowl or smile...if he ever did. Even seeing him across the back patio of the venue made Flip feel like he was choking on the collar of the button up dress shirt he borrowed from his father.

Even so, Alice held on to his sweaty hand and guided him through the small crowd of people - most of who also swam in their riches, paying the two no mind.

“Father! Mother!” Alice called out, catching both their attention, as well as the two other adults they were conversing with. Bringing her boyfriend over, Alice gave them all a bright, sunny smile underneath the canopy next to the tables filled with assorted glass drinks. “Excuse me, I’m so sorry to interrupt.”

“Alice, looking lovely as ever!” The other man with blond hair and thick glasses offered them both a smile, raising his drinking glass in a greeting to her. “Good to see you, sweetie. I should leave you to your table, hm? Gotta get myself a good spot with Nancy. Good to see you, Al. Elsa, good luck on your next project with Susie.”

“Do not mention any’ting about Nancy’s gloves, Bruce,” the other man, around the same age as Alice’s parents, with a slight accent. “She does not want to think about how her nails habe been ruined from habing to do housevork.”

The man, Bruce, gave off a cheeky smile before taking off. Alice clears her throat once more as she smiled to the remaining three. 

“Mother, Father, I want to introduce you to Philip Zimmerman, my boyfriend,” she introduced proudly, making Flip’s heart sputter from her voice. She looked and sound so happy to finally introduce him to her family. “And, Flip, my mother, Elsa, and my father, Alphonse,” she told him with gentle eyes to him, her hands holding his arm with comfort. “And, this is also Otto - he’s like my uncle. He and Father have known each other since they were very young.”

“It’s absolutely vonderful to finally meet Alice’s dear Süsser,” Otto said with a big grin, reaching a hand out for Flip to shake. The young graduate jumped and was quick to take Otto’s hand, shaking strongly, just like he practiced with his dad for hours last night. It seemed to work, since Otto chuckled when they broke the greeting. “Knew Mäuschen liked de tall ones, too. Very tall.”

“Onkel Otto,” Alice scolded under her breath, her cheeks immediately going bright when the man chuckled again.

Seeing how her parents didn’t verbally respond, Flip swallowed as he nervously smiled and dipped his head in greeting. “It’s nice to finally meet you,” he said quickly, seeing how her mother, Elsa, gave him a painted smile. When she held out her gloved hand, Flip was extra careful to cradle her fingers within his palm and bow. “Alice always tells me amazing stories about you two, and all you do in Colorado Springs. She was telling me about this charity event you’re planning in the fall.”

“Yes, I’m working with my ladies group to help raise money for a Christmas event for the children’s hospital. We want to make a big dinner and give grand presents, so the parents don’t need to worry as much,” Elsa answered brightly, seeming to like how Flip took note of her hobbies. Flip noticed that she didn’t have such a strong accent like Otto, but there was a little bit of a German touch when it came to her “v”s sounding like “f”s. “It’s lovely to meet you, Philip.” 

“Yes, ma’am,” he blurted, unexpectedly. Attempting to fix his little mistake, Flip straightened his spine and held his hand out to Alice’s father, offering him a smile. “And it’s great to finally meet you, sir - Mr. Alphonse, or, uhm…”

Flip watched, in what felt like slow-motion, as Alphonse von Schonburg looked at his offered hand with a sort of disturbed twitch in his bright eye. Then, just like seeing a fly in his line of sight, the older man shifted his weight with his cane and looked elsewhere, seeming to look at his daughter. “Prefer Herr von Schonburg.”

Dropping his hand back down, wiping his sweaty palm on his dress pants, Flip did his best to keep his cool as Alice have his other arm a reassuring squeeze. Stealing a glance, Flip could see how she was trying to tell him with her eyes that this was normal of her dad’s behavior. Elsa didn’t seem to do anything about her husband’s remark, but Otto didn’t hesitate to sent his old friend a short glare before looking to the two young adults with a big smile.

“Shall ve take a seat, und get our trinkts, ja?” Otto suggested, reaching to pat Flip on the back with an encouraging laugh. “Philip, you und Alice both still too young for mimosa or vine, but ve make it dry! Alice, dis boy likes ham?”

“Flip likes ham.” Alice brought back her sparkling smile towards her uncle, letting her boyfriend escort and guide her to where Otto had reserved their seats at a covered table on a wooden patio deck. “I made him the ham sandwiches you liked so much, from the picnic, and there wasn’t any left for him to take home. I was telling him about how they have good ham here, before we came in.”

The table was arranged in the shade and was decorated with white tablecloth; shiny silverware and numerous plates, napkins folded into what Flip thought were boats at each placement of the rectangular-shaped table. It looked like it could have fit an easy amount of almost ten people, but there were exactly five chairs and five arrangements. Flip thought it was very fancy, similar to his family’s Thanksgiving dinners at his grandmother’s house...

“Ah-ha!” Otto gave a loud, belly laugh, seeming to not care when some of the attendees look in their direction. Elsa tittered to herself by Otto’s gesture, allowing her husband to escort her to the other end of the long table. “Though, I must ask, vhere de name...Flip, not Philip?”

Flip first held Alice’s hand in one while the other pulled out a chair in the corner, letting her sit down first and pushing her in. “It’s - uh, it’s a nickname I’ve had since I was little, and it just stuck to everyone I went to school with,” he answered honestly, making sure his girlfriend was comfortable first before going to the seat right next to her - until Otto caught his arm.

“No nonsense, young man, you are a guest und shall sit at the other head of the table. Come here, still next to Mäuschen!” Otto commanded, dragging Flip to sit directly across from Alice’s father, who took his seat and watched with unreadable eyes. “Perfekt! Und I sit here, then ve vill habe better conversation. Tell me more of de nickname.”

Flip felt a little too warm from the seating arrangement and being put on the spotlight, but seeing how Elsa and Otto genuinely seemed to be interested in it, he took a deep breath. Feeling Alice’s Mary Jane press against his large foot, he felt a little bit more confident. “My folks sent me to summer camps, especially when I was in the scouts, and I had a habit of flipping off the docks into the lakes. My cabin buddies started calling me Flip, and then, by dinner, the whole camp was calling me that. A lot of the guys I went to camp with went to our school, so I guess they made sure it’d spread.”

Otto chuckled warmly at the story. “Of course, vhat kind of friends vould they be if they habe not reminded people of your big talent,” he commented, glancing to Elsa and Alphonse with a cheeky smile. “Vonderful to know that camp traditions of nicknames still exist.”

“Well, Philip, perhaps someday we will see your amazing flips into a lake or pool,” Elsa offered before Otto opened a can of worms that wasn’t appropriate quite yet. “So, please, tell us: what are your parents like? Surely, they’re wonderful people, if they allow such a polite boy in scouts and camps.”

“My father is a mechanic. He’s very proud whenever he works with cars or machinery,” Flip said fondly.

“Zimmerman...as in Ackerman and Zimmerman Auto Shop?” Alphonse, surprisingly, spoke up.

Flip was quick to nod. “Yeah, yeah, It’s been a sort of family business with the Ackermans,” he answered eagerly. “My father and a close friend of his started it way before I was born.”

“How wonderful.” Elsa was giving an honest smile, which was surprising to Flip, never thinking such a laboring, dirt job like working under and inside cars would be appealing. Then, he thought, of how it was in the family and it was obvious that there was a profitable income. He didn’t take it to heart. “And, your mother? Does she work, too, or is she a housewife?”

“She’s a nurse at the local hospital. Maybe, if you’re interested, Mrs. von Schonburg, she would like to volunteer for your charity plan? I’m sure her and other nurses would like to help with the children’s hospital…”

“Oh, that would be wonderful! And, please, dear, call me Elsa,” she responded joyously, making Flip smile back to her.

“Ackerman und Zimmerman are strong names,” Alphonse suddenly spoke up, interrupting whatever else his wife was going to say next. Flip saw from the corner of his eye how Alice’s lips fell to a hard line and looked her father’s way. He couldn’t see her expression, but her shoulders were tense. “Common Deutsch names. Say, vhich church do you attend vith your family?”

“Father!” Alice suddenly leaned in, her voice thick and testy. “Das ist -!”

“Schatzchen,” Alphonse grounded back, his eyes piercing at Alice. Flip managed to slip his hand under the tablecloth and tugged on her fingers, letting her hold his hand back with a tight grip. “Do not interrupt, it is unbecoming.”

Alice eventually leaned back, keeping her gaze down and her hold on his hand tightened even more. Flip brushed his thumb over her knuckles. He wanted to hold her in his arms and kiss her head, like he always did, but he knew he couldn’t…

“I don’t attend a church with my family,” he answered, strong and brave in his tone. “My family and I attend the big synagogue that’s near the city hall and community college.”

There was an uncomfortable silence at the table, even when the waiter came to deliver glasses of iced water, even though Alice mouthed a ‘thank you’ to him. Alphonse stared with a stoic expression at Flip, and Flip himself couldn’t stop from staring back. Yes, he was scared and ready to shit his pants, but he wasn’t going to let go of something - someone he really loved, all because of his family’s belief. Even Alice told him that she wanted him to always take a stand to anyone who would try and see his religion as a negative, when it wasn’t. Alice adored that about Flip and his family, always grateful to be accepted into the Zimmerman household and being taught of their customs and traditions, and it made Flip grateful…

Although, now, Flip was feeling negative with just the look on Alphonse von Schonburg’s face.

“Ein Juden,” he said slowly, making Alice give her father a hard look.

“Yes, sir,” Flip stood straighter, trying to feel tall and confident in himself, “I’m Jewish.”

Flip swore he was watching the man’s nose grow red, but he didn’t say anything more as the trolley of the brunch arrived to their spot, the waiter smiling and unknown to what was going on. He began serving the dishes, and Alphonse simply took his folded napkin and snapped it open a little bit too hard. Elsa was a lot more gentle, but still uncomfortably silent all the while their plates were served first. Flip was grateful that Alice refused to let go of his hand from underneath the table, and was surprised with Otto leaned back, unceremoniously, on his chair.

Smiling.

“I’ve only seen your synagogue from the outside, yet the arrangement of de stained glass is very, very detailed,” Otto said, taking his napkin and ready to tuck it into his shirt. “Be vonderful to see de sun shine inside. Und de gardens outside is alvays lovely to smell on valks in de spring. You go often, Philip?”

“My mother tries to get me to go once a week, although it is a little bit harder now that I’m going to the police academy. She tries to go for every service, or she helps bring them to the hospital, for her patients.”

“How vonderful. My mutter vas de same vith her church,” Otto responded affectionately. “Mittwoch, Samtag und Sonntag, every veek. Soon as I got old enough, I did vhatever I could do to not vear de church pants - terrible stitch dat rode up my -!”

“Otto!” Elsa bursted into a genuine laugh. “Mind your manners, you old hound!”

Otto gave her a cheeky laugh and then reached over to pat Flip on the back, as if they shared a secret joke that no one knew about. Once the plates have been served and the waiter reminded the table to call for anything else, everyone seemed to try and begin eating with ease.

“Thought Juden do not eat pork,” Alphonse blurted out casually, causing both Elsa and Alice to freeze their utensils.

Flip, at this point, didn’t hesitate to use his knife to cut his piece of ham into smaller bits. “Some Jewish people don’t eat pork, and some do, depending who it is. My parents allow us to eat pork, unless it’s for a specific holiday, then we do our best to respect Kashrut.” It wasn’t necessary, but Flip took a generous piece of ham and ate it, swallowing and then wiped his mouth with his napkin. “Again, it’s different for everyone within the community. It’s a lot more complexed, but I won’t bore you with them, sir.”

“But you had Alice’s sandwiches before,” Otto questioned. He grinned when Flip nodded with some sort of enthusiasm, despite having his mouth full. “Mäuschen is blessed in the kitchen, I say. Been to New York, Chicago, Italy, France und all, but never had the best ham sandwich until Alice made me hers.”

“Alice makes the best sweets, too,” Flip willingly added in, looking to his girlfriend and squeezing her hand. Seeing her roll her eyes slightly and try to hide her embarrassed smile with her fork, Flip snickered. “Whenever she helped with our school events, all her stuff is always sold out. I think she has Betty Crocker running for her money.”

“And you say you’re in the police academy, Philip?” Elsa asked after sipping from her glass. “What made you want to go for the police force?”

“It sounds childish, but...I wanted to be a superhero, when I was really little. I think I’ve always just wanted to make people feel safe, save the day once in a while… I always looked to cops being the first step to becoming a superhero growing up,” he confessed with a half-smile. “I’ll say it’s a lot of work, but it’s pretty great, especially with the support I have. I know it’s going to be all worth it.”

Looking at Alice, the young couple caught their eyes and smiled warmly to each other. Flip knew he wouldn’t have gotten as far as being accepted into the academy without her help. With studying at the library and checking the public records to learn from solved cases and the manuals he was recommended to look over, Alice always made sure to quiz him, get him coffee and food and encouraging kisses. Flip’s parents were also supporting his career choice, too, but it was really Alice who was making sure that he kept his focus on his studies whenever it was necessary. She always made sure to get him back on track when he would rather throw the towel in. Alice never gave up on him.

Elsa and Otto immediately caught on and seemed to have a positive reaction to it, seeing how honest and appreciative he was for Alice and all the help she’s done for him.

“Das mag ich nicht.” 

Flip watched Alice’s face suddenly transform from happy and in love, to pure sadness, releasing a long sigh as Elsa reacted to Alphonse in shock. She was saying something to Alphonse, Flip had no idea word-for-word, but he was sure she was scolding him for what he said, igniting a quiet argument between husband and wife. Flip doesn’t speak a word of German but, thanks to Alice, he has learned bits and pieces whenever he would ask her. The many times she would mumble something under her breath, usually when she was frustrated with something and didn’t want to openly curse in front of others… But, besides that, Flip had a good idea what Alphonse was responding so negatively about.

Seeing Alice trying not to cry out of frustration towards her father, doing her best not to cause a scene, Flip completely dismissed his own brunch and focused on his girlfriend. Otto also stopped eating and looked to Alice worryingly.

“Flip Zimmerman, come back to Earth, please!”

Coming out of his trip down Memory Lane, Flip looked over to see his partner and friend, Ron Stallworth, giving him a pointed look to the two coffee mugs in each hand. Sighing, Flip kicked off his feet off his desk and thanked Ron for getting him his fourth refill. He tried his best to ignore Ron’s stare at him, watching him take a few big gulps and give his friend the stink-eye, but that only made ‘the rookie’ grin.

“What’s got Flipper’s head rolling today, huh?” Ron asked, all cheeky and teasing as usual when it was a slow day in the office. “Got your head in the clouds, probably thinking about Playmates?”

“Hardly,” Jimmy’s voice cut in from the other side of him, making Flip sigh. “The only lil bunny you’ll ever catch this man thinkin’ is his wife. Did she pack you any lunch today? I’m starving.”

“Nah, I was hoping you’d treat me to lunch down the street from the last time ya ate my food,” Flip snipped back with a friendly smirk, making Jimmy snicker.

“Anyway, as I was sayin’,” Ron broke the incoming banter that usually happened around this time between Flip and Jimmy, “I was trying to ask you how you proposed.”

“What? ‘Proposed’?” Flip’s face twisted in confusion, looking to his friend with narrowed eyes. “What, you planning on proposin’ to Patrice, after all this time?”

“I didn’t - if you were paying attention to what I was saying before, you would know I was askin’ because I was just curious!” Ron was quick to respond, making Flip slowly turn in his chair to face his partner more directly, just seeing him getting flustered. “Y’know, nothing’s going on here, so why not make small talk; always wondered how ya made the move to whisk a nice lady like Alice into marrying you, anyway.”

“I’d say it’s personal business, but -”

“Oh, this big guy did it in the most public place possible. At a big-ass dinner party her ma was hosting at some fancy as hell arts museum,” Jimmy interrupted again. “He gave her ol’ man a heart attack when she said ‘yes’!”

“What, Alice’s daddy don’t like lumberjacks?” Ron earned a playful punch to his arm from his friend, making sure not to spill his own mug of coffee.

Flip shook his head. “No, he didn’t like the fact that his little girl was marrying a Jew.” When Jimmy went quiet and Ron did a double-take, Flip shrugged his shoulders as casual as possible. “Her father was the only one from his immediate family to move from Germany, her mom was born and raised here, but her own parents were from Berlin, if I remember right.”

“So, wait a minute,” Ron stopped him and took a seat on the edge of Flip’s desk. “So, you, a Jewish man, married to Alice, who’s...not Jewish? Assuming she didn’t convert -”

“She didn’t.” Flip shrugged. “Not a big deal. It’s like I’ve said: never been really big into that part of me, being Jewish, and Alice wasn’t big on her family’s beliefs either. That also blew her parents out of the water when she said she wanted to just get a civil marriage, instead of a big church wedding.”

“But, Alice’s ol’ man ain’t a -”

“No. Just doesn’t...like my kind. The way he was brought up, I guess. I never really asked, but Alice doesn’t know much either. Never got to be in the military, or ever into politics, really, just doesn’t like me.”

There was a long period of silence between the three, allowing Flip to finish his mug of coffee before it got too cold for his liking. Not enjoying the tension that was coming from his two buddies, the tall man cleared his throat before grabbing a cigarette from the carton next to his phone. “But, yeah, like Jimmy said - I knew I wasn’t going to get any blessing, so I decided to be a cocky little shit, and propose to her in front of a lot of rich, high-and-mighty people in one of the nicest suit-and-tie junctions in Colorado Springs history.”

“Certainly made history with driving a man to curse and raise Hell at a silent auction, but alright,” Jimmy slipped in, making Flip bark out a laugh and try to force him to fall back by kicking behind Jimmy’s propped legs. “What! You know what you did was your talk of the first week ya came here.”

The rest of the day carried on like usual, Flip filling out boring paperwork and answering calls. It was only a breather for him once he punched out and stepped outside the precinct, catching Ron digging for his keys in his coat pockets. Flip startled him into a quick jump, making Flip snort a laugh.

“Don’t go sneaking on me, you damn Flipper,” Ron groaned before finally finding his keys in his breast pocket. “Did you finish the report to send upstairs yet?”

“Yeah, dropped it off on the front desk.”

“Alright. Cool, that’s good,” Ron mumbled, nodding and fumbling with his keys. Flip watched him with a knowing look, head tilting to the side as he propped his jacket over his shoulder.

“What did you want to ask, Ron…”

“What? What?” Ron stammered before meeting Flip’s stare. “I don’t…”

“Look, if you don’t ask me what you want, it’s going to bug the shit outta you, and I don’t like doing that to my friends. You know, Alice would kill me for not being open with you, when you’re not hurting anyone,” Flip told him, raising a brow. “You wanted to ask me something earlier, I’m giving you the chance now.”

Ron took a deep breath, looking around for a second before summoning the courage for himself. “It’s just - you know, you say Alice’s old man never gave you a blessing, and you didn’t convert to either religion. Well, I mean, when you said that Alice’s father is from Germany, it just -? I’m just… How do you two make it work?

“Anytime I see you and Alice together, you two just make yourself to be the happiest married couple in the whole world. Not saying you’re not, but, when you look at it in that detail,” Ron made a gesture with his hands, his keys jingling in his palm. “You came from very different backgrounds, and I guess just seeing how your lady accepts everyone, with no second thought, despite…”

Flip leaned against the chilly brick, popping a cigarette in his mouth and lighting it before he drove home. “When we were in high school, I never brought up the fact that I was Jewish when we first started dating. It wasn’t until my mom begged me to bring her home to meet the family,” he started out. “Again, my folks didn’t make it a big deal to raise me Jewish, but my mom had our house decorated; we had a mezuzah, family portraits that were taken in tradition ways back, and Star of David. I already knew of Alice’s family. People talked at our school, of who’s parents were who. Alice was that kind of popular, pretty-girl who everyone talked about and knew about.

“I didn’t want her walking into my house and - I don’t know - think how we all thought German people thought of us, or something,” he laughed at the memory, seeing it clearly as if it was yesterday when he and Alice were teenagers again.

Sitting in the library, her trying have him memorize his history notes for the upcoming test he had to retake, and he could only just stare like the lovesick boy he was. He’d tell her that his mother invited her over to join them for dinner on Friday, remembering how she brightened up and tried to contain her excitement of getting to meet his parents. She asked him what she should wear, if she should bring something for his mother to impress her - flowers, a dessert or maybe a box of candy for his mother to bring to the hospital, and another for his father to bring to the shop. Flip could see himself trying to calm her down, holding her hand…

Then, getting unsure of himself.

“Then, knowing her, she could tell that something was wrong. She always does, I don’t know how she does, but she asked me what was running through my mind. I couldn’t hide anything, so I told her.” Flip swallowed, remembering how he felt, that sort of pressure of waiting for a response from her. Alice listened to him when he said ‘I’m actually Jewish’, and blinked, seeming to process it. The next memory made him actually snicker next to Ron, who was listening almost like how Alice always did: intentive, curious and respectful. “Next thing I know, she just smiled and said ‘okay’.” Flip shrugged, his face splitting into a huge grin. “Okay? What did she think of that? Honest opinion, because I’m about ready to either crap my pants or have my head pop off. She told me that all she really cared for was me being comfortable and happy with her. You know what she thought about me being Jewish, when I asked her?”

Ron shook his head and Flip chuckled.

“When I asked her, she told me she thought it was really interesting and wanted to learn about what I knew. She just...wanted me to tell her more about myself, and didn’t judge anything that would have otherwise been weird to anyone else.” Flip shrugged again, his smile never leaving his face. “I asked her if she thought it was weird to date me, after that, and she gave me a look and snapped back with ‘why the hell would I think it’s weird? I think it’s amazing, and I want to know more!’ Something about how she snipped at me and then smiled like an angel got to me.”

“Is that when you figured you were going to marry her?” Ron asked, a knowing smirk on his face when Flip sighed, slow and long. 

“Yeah. Yeah, that’s when I knew.”

XXX.

It was dark out by the time Flip made it back home, but still earlier than usual for Flip’s rather packed to the last minutes of the days schedules. Seeing the lights on in the living room, even with the drapes closed, it felt welcoming and safe with the warm, yellow glow of the lights and the front yard light guiding him home to where he knew his beautiful, loving wife was waiting for him. Entering through the front door, announcing his arrival, Flip couldn’t help but grow still as an odd aroma overpowered his nose. He stopped immediately after taking off his shoes, taking a deep inhale through her nose and out of his mouth…

It smelled familiar, but not quite what he expected walking into his own house.

“Alice?” he called, hearing a shuffle coming from the kitchen and his wife cursing under her breath. Coming further through the living room to the wall hiding the kitchen and dining room around the corner, Flip caught Alice attempt to pluck something out of one of her little bread pans, only to drop it back with a hiss and suck her thumbs.

“Mmmm!” she whined loudly all while her thumbs in her mouth, then jumping at the sight of Flip at the corner. Popping them out, the pads of her thumbs red in irritation, Alice stared wide-eyed at him. “Flip! What are you doing home so early? You’re suppose to be still at the station!”

“I finished paperwork early, so Chief let us all go,” he explained, looking carefully between her and the little bread pans. They were the ones Alice usually made her chocolate-banana breads or little cakes in, but what they currently had cooling wasn’t anything he has seen her make before. The tops of whatever they looked braided in a way, with chunks of brown pieces of some mix spread on the top. It looked a bit too brown to be a regular cake or bread, making him wonder if Alice accidentally burned it.

Seeing him look at her baking, Alice peeped with a sliver of terror before scurrying to him, trying to push him out. “Don’t look at it! I messed up,” she rushed, unable to make the solid brick that is her husband to even budge. “You were suppose to come home later, after I clean everything up and started dinner to hide the smell -!”

He was careful to grab her wrists and bring her hands up. Holding her thumbs propped out to him, he kissed the irritated skin and then her palms, turning his head left and right each time before standing to look down to her.

“What are you trying to hide, baby doll? It’s not my birthday...is it?” Flip was terrible at remembering his own birthday, since he usually had other things in mind (but always remembered Alice’s birthday, or their wedding anniversary), but he was sure of himself that he still had some odd months until then. “You’re acting like you’re tryin’ to hide a body on me.”

Alice went red in the cheeks out of mere embarrassment, pouting so cutely at him to see her getting more bothered at being caught - with whatever she’s doing. “I was planning on surprising you with it, but now it’s all ruined. How is it that guys always walk in on surprises all the time? You know, your mother told me the story of how you always seem to ‘walk-in’ on her wrapping your birthday and holiday presents? Passover and Hanukkah, you had her routine down and -”

“You’re not answering me, honey.” Flip cupped her cheeks and squished them up, making her look like a chipmunk with too much food in its cheeks. He gave her an encouraging smirk and shook her head gently. “C’mon, what are you trying to do here?”

Alice huffed and puffed a bit, unable to meet his gaze as she caved in. “I’m trying to make your mother’s chocolate babka,” she confessed, and it all came together as he grinned.

“Is that why she called so goddamn early today?”

Nodding, Alice sunk her cheeks into his palms, seeming to try to look down. “I called her last week, asking if she would tell me her recipe, or where I can find a good one in magazines or books, for starting out,” she explained. “She said she’d call me as soon as she found hers, and we spent all morning rewriting it over the phone and double-checking. I honestly thought you would be home later, so I would have time to call her back before dinner to see what I did wrong.”

“Why’re you trying to hide it from me, Alice?”

“You mentioned a couple weeks back how you missed your mom’s chocolate babka, and I figured it was about time I tried to make something special to you, since your parents live a long ways away now,” she admitted, tugging his wrists to let go of her face and sighed. “I didn’t want to push your mother, since it always seemed so special in your family, but she was...really happy I asked. I just feel like I would have let her down by burning them, even with step-by-step instructions.”

Flip just hummed before reaching over to the still-hot pan, tearing off a decent chunk of the top. Before Alice could stop him, he shoved as much of the bread into his mouth; it was a good thing that his hands were callous enough to ignore the burn, and the fact that he always drank his coffee as hot as possible to be used to it in his mouth, and he just threw his head back and began chewing.

“Flip, you ass! Spit that out!” Alice hissed, trying to reach to the piece hanging immaturely out of his mouth, like a mother trying to take a hazard out of a toddler’s mouth...when the toddler happens to be over six feet tall. Flip was behaving like a bird trying to eat a chunk of burger whole. “I don’t want you to eat it when it’s all burned like that!”

Being able to chew and swallow the first bite and then start working on the remaining bit, making crumbs stick to his facial hair and sprinkle into the collar of his flannel. Alice tried to remain grumpy with him, but there was a smile on her face.

“You’re a jerk, you know that?” she told him with a muffled laugh in her voice, shoving her face into his shoulder when he playfully patted her ass with his clean hand. She tried to brush the crumbs from his shirt while he finished eating with a grin on his face.

Once swallowing, Flip was quick to cup her face with his clean hand, squish her cheeks to pucker her lips and gave her a deep kiss. His wife made a noise, a cute one that reminded him of whenever he would tease her to get her into the mood, and he smiled against her mouth before breaking the kiss. He snickered at the sight of her trying to wipe the dark crumbs he stuck to her face with her sleeve.

“I don’t know what you were complaining about, babydoll, but this tastes pretty damn good to me,” Flip told her confidently, licking his lips before kissing along her cheek repeatedly. Hugging her in his arms, to prevent her from escaping, he hummed a chuckle when she eventually went limp in his arms.

“You’re just saying that because you’re my husband who ruined the surprise I tried to make,” she sniffed with amusement, causing him to angle her face again to kiss her lips. Sighing against his mouth, she pulled back and he went back to nuzzling her neck with kisses and gentle touches. “I think I’m going to call Ma and ask her to show me how to do it properly. We should really have them visit for a weekend - the weather is suppose to be nice next month, and there’s going to be some community events that they would like -”

“You’re the most amazing woman in the whole damn world,” he said against her skin, squeezing her for a moment. “I love you so damn much.”

“I don’t know what you’re trying to butter me up for, but it’s not working. I’m still upset you -”

He hushed her with a deep kiss, making her whine and have it fall into giggles when he didn’t let up. Rocking them both while he just gave her kisses and making her laugh when he used his teeth on the tickle spots on her pulse, making her shiver, Flip took a deep breath and let himself just feel at home. Feeling Alice snuggle her face into his shoulder, he knew he got her right where he wanted her.

“I still want to eat the rest of it,” he told her warmly, nuzzling his large nose into her hair lovingly. “I think it tastes pretty fuckin’ great.”

“It’s burnt, and I bet it doesn’t taste anything like your m -”

“Probably burnt because I have a smokin’ hot wife, and the babka couldn’t handle it.” This made them both laugh at his unusual corniness to the point that Flip snorted, only making Alice laugh harder against him at the whole situation. “I really do like it, Alice. I’m proud of you,” he told her honestly. He knew why she wanted it to be ‘perfect’, and why she was making this a big fuss. He knew his wife, and he watched her stare into his eyes, unshedding tears welling up in hers as she sniffed and smiled.

“Thank you…”

Flip smirked adoringly and wriggled himself against her. “And, I love you very, very much,” he told her, making her smile bashfully.

“I love you, too, hot shot. Very, very much...even though you ruined the surprise.”

“I can be surprised next time,” he promised her with a cheeky grin. “So, can I have another bite, or are we going to have to tango again?”

XXX.

taglist of buds: @ayatimascd @adamsnackdriver @babbushka @formerly-anonhamster @the-wayward-rose @ben-solo (please message if you would be interested in being added to the oneshot tags!)

So, I understand German pretty well, but I can not for the life of me speak/write it properly. I want to refine my speaking ability, even though I don’t use it for anything in my everyday life...I just find it fun. I like learning languages and learning phrases!

I figured, for Flip being a Jewish man and (possibly) marrying someone who would either be a) not Jewish, or, b) from of German ancestry (especially if they were first generation), would kinda show how he personally handles his own identity with his in-laws and how is ‘affects’ his marriage. In my opinion, I think anyone who would be with Flip wouldn’t look at him as any different or anything negative than the man they love him for, but would want to still be respectful in the same while.

I hope you enjoyed and will let me know what you thought! I really do appreciate feedback and knowing what you think. Thank you again for reading!!

[misssophiachase]

For Klaroline Valentine’s Bingo - Speed Dating - After a crazy bet ten years earlier, Klaus and Caroline find themselves speed dating together. 

Secret Love Song

Klaus

He’d almost left about five times. After all, there was nothing worse than sitting by yourself in a room full of people.  

It was crazy, right? He’d told himself that so many times but yet here he was looking like a creepy desperado trying to pick up younger women in a college bar.

The Heights Harvard to be exact. The same bar he’d frequented while at law school. It had been about nine years since he’d last visited but the place still looked exactly how he remembered it. 

Klaus was currently a successful attorney in New York City, a partner at one of the top law firms. A feat unheard of for his age. His career accolades had buoyed him considerably but the continuous one night stands and the revolving door of women had left him somewhat empty. 

Just like she’d told him all those years ago in this very bar. 

He wanted to prove her wrong and not bother showing up but Klaus also knew that deep down he had an ulterior motive.  And that in itself scared the hell out of him.    

He tore at his beer label anxiously wondering if this was possibly the stupidest thing he’d ever done. Probably so if the violent swirling in his stomach was anything to go by. 

Klaus Mikaelson didn’t do nervous. 

Until right now. 

10 years earlier 

“Speed dating on Valentine’s Day, really?” Klaus wasn’t a fan of the Hallmark Holiday as it was but witnessing the room full of singles play musical chairs in the hopes of trying to find love was too much to stomach.

“If they want to speed date what business is it of yours, Mikaelson?” He knew that melodic but annoying voice without having to turn his head. 

“Who invited you, Forbes?” 

“It’s a free bar,” she shot back and Klaus could tell she was rolling those expressive but annoying blue orbs in his direction. “And it’s not my fault if my best friend, who happens to be your sister, and her boyfriend, who happens to be your best friend, invited me.”

“Lucky me,” he growled, his arm reaching for his date and pulling her towards him possessively almost as a shield against her usual animosity. “How about a drink, Chloe?”  

“My name is Amanda,” she scowled, her dark hair whipping around fiercely and grazing his cheek in the process. 

“Of course it is,” he mumbled, trying to come up with an excuse as to why he’d confused his current date with the one he’d had two days earlier. Or was it the girl from a week ago?

“I’d probably have a better chance of meeting a nice guy speed dating,” she hissed, standing up and stalking away. 

“What did you do this time, Nikalus?” Rebekah inquired, arching her left eyebrow curiously. 

“Just the usual,” Caroline chirped, obviously enjoying his frustration. “You really should come with a warning.” 

“There’s that cute banter we all love, it’s like we never left you twenty-four hours ago doing exactly the same thing,” Enzo offered, taking a seat beside Rebekah. 

“Oh please,” Klaus groaned. “Nothing stick-up-her-ass Forbes and I do is cute.”

“Yes, that would be rather difficult with man-whore Mikaelson here.” 

“It’s not cute, Lorenzo,” Rebekah agreed. “It’s outright nauseous.” 

“Here I was enjoying a date on my own and then the peanut gallery had to arrive and ruin it.”

“I think you were doing that all on your own, Niklaus,” Caroline mimicked. Klaus winced knowing she only did that to annoy him and it was working. “Why don’t you try your hand at some speed dating, it looks like it’s about to start.”

“Now that I would pay to see,” Rebekah chuckled. “Can we please get some popcorn to go with the show?” 

“Surely two minutes of Niklaus Mikaleson is enough to scare those poor, hopeful girls away.” Enzo teased, helping himself to the bowl of chips Klaus had paid for. He pulled them forcefully away from Enzo’s greedy grasp.  

“You three are bloody hilarious.” Klaus Mikaelson didn’t do relationships, let alone speed dating to eventuate in possibly being imprisoned in one. “I will never speed date as long as I live and that’s a promise. I’m not that desperate.”

“Maybe not now, but what about ten years down the track when you’re no longer mobbed by giggling, immature sycophants who don’t know any better?”

“I’ll be doing just fine, Forbes. Have you seen this face? Anyway, we can’t all be bitter shrews who haven’t been laid in forever.”

“Well, when the pool consists of asshats like you, Mikaelson, I’d take celibacy any day. In ten years' time, when I’m happily married this memory will be a blip on my college radar and you’ll still be sleeping with randoms pretending everything is fine and you’re not at all empty inside.”

“Oh really?” He asked, trying to ignore just how annoying but adorable she looked when she was being judgmental. 

“Really.”

“Fine, prove it,” he shot back, the confusion on her face evident. “We meet up here in ten years if life hasn’t turned out as perfectly as you seem to think it has.”

“For what exactly?” Klaus didn’t respond immediately, just gestured to the couples over the other side of the room.

“We speed date.”

“That’s crazy,” she replied, shaking her head in disbelief. “You’re crazy.” 

“Yeah, even I think you’ve gone a little cuckoo, Niklaus,” Enzo shared.

“Scared?”

“What are we? Ten years old?” She scowled, crossing her arms over her chest defiantly.  

“If you believe the future is going to be as rosy as you say then surely there’s nothing to be afraid of? After all, it is just a little speed dating with yours truly.” 

“Fine,” she conceded, reluctantly taking the hand he offered. Klaus didn’t miss the bolt of electricity he felt and judging by her reaction she hadn’t either. 

Present Day - Caroline 

“I’m not going in, this is nuts,” Caroline said into the phone, noticing her sentence end with barely a squeak. 

“You made this bet, Caroline,” she insisted. “The least you could do is go through with it.”

Caroline rolled her eyes wondering why she thought calling Rebekah was a great idea. She was his sister after all.

Klaus had actually made the bet but yet here she was readying herself for that sexy but annoying smirk when she walked through the door. Her mind traveled back to ten years earlier wondering why she thought putting herself through this humiliation was such a great idea. 

No, she knew exactly why.

Life hadn’t turned out at all like she’d planned.

She assumed Klaus would show, he was still a prolific womanizer by all reports and he had nothing to lose from showing up. Caroline knew the only reason he would be there was to torment her mercilessly because her unrealistic visions of a husband, two kids, a Golden Retriever, and a white picket fence had failed to materialize. 

She’d cry if it wasn’t so pathetic.

Caroline knew she was a workaholic; it was the reason she was currently a well-respected news anchor in London. After interning at the Boston Globe after college, Caroline had taken an assignment as an international correspondent covering anything from war zones to royal weddings.

Her recent promotion to news anchor of the most highly rated breakfast program in the United Kingdom was the result of hard work and long hours. The combination making it practically impossible for a personal life.

Even though every fiber in her being was telling Caroline not to meet him, there was an underlying niggling that had pushed her halfway across the world.

“I should have never come,” she murmured, forgetting that she was talking to her best friend. “You know he’ll never let me live this down.”

“You needed to find out, Care,” Rebekah replied honestly.

“That’s easy for you to say,” she grumbled.

Her best friend had a perfect life, down to the four-legged canine (just replace the Golden Retriever with a Cavoodle named Sonny). Not that she begrudged Rebekah and Enzo for being the best married couple she knew, she just associated their nuptials three years earlier with the scene of a very messy crime.

“You do realize that the best day of my life was supposed to be about me right? Not you and my idiotic brother? I’m seven months pregnant, Care, and the way I see it you have two choices. You sort this mess out now so as not to overshadow the arrival of my firstborn or you risk ruining another life-altering moment with your indecision.”

“Wow, you really have that guilt thing down. I pity your future children.”

“Thank you but stop changing the subject.” Before Caroline could deflect like she usually would, her phone beeped signaling an incoming message.

“Oh, I have a message, gotta go BFF,” she replied chirpily before disconnecting. She was expecting a lead on her latest story so assumed that would be it.

You realize I can see you pacing outside, right Forbes?

Caroline closed her eyes momentarily, although she didn’t recognize the number she knew it was him. After the wedding, Caroline had changed her number thinking it was for the best. She certainly didn’t want to rehash events again or risk repeating them.

How did you get this number?

Why don’t you just come inside and I’ll tell you ; )

You are insufferable, Mikaelson. And since when do you use emojis?

Speed dating is about to start, wouldn’t want you to miss out.

I hate you.

Oh, there’s that unapologetic venom I’ve missed. A bet’s a bet, love.

Ten minutes later...

“Feeling a little less hostile now, sweetheart?” He asked, those annoying but disarming dimples making an unwanted appearance.

“Hostility and you go hand-in-hand, Mikaelson, I thought you’d know that by now,” she shot back. “Two tequila slammers are not nearly enough to numb the hostility.”

“Well, I couldn’t have you too drunk for speed dating, I mean what if you meet the one and you’re too inebriated to notice?”

“You can’t be serious? We are not speed dating.”

“I’m deathly serious, I even registered us before you arrived.”

“There’s that smug arrogance I haven’t missed. How did you know I’d even show up?”

“Besides you pacing outside the bar for fifteen minutes?” He asked, cocking his left eyebrow teasingly. “I assumed had you met the guy to go with the picket fence scenario I would have at least scored an invite to the wedding. I mean we certainly have a good track record when it comes to those sorts of events.”

“Unbelievable,” she scoffed. “I really shouldn’t be surprised that you are exactly the same immature guy from all those years ago.”  

“And you are still the same judgmental girl, it’s like we’ve been transported back in time.”

“Um, excuse me? Speed dating is about to start,” a nervous-looking guy approached them.

“Why didn’t you say so earlier?” Caroline smiled, feeling suddenly invigorated. “I can’t wait to find a guy who is loving, kind and obedient.”

“It’s not ‘find your pet dog’ speed dating, Forbes,” Klaus growled. “Although it doesn’t surprise me that you’d like someone who’ll quietly put up with your constant attitude.”

“Says the guy who’d prefer a woman not to talk at all, wouldn’t want it to interfere with all of the meaningless sex, right?”

They were both looking at the organizer now for some sort of response. He chose that moment to scurry far away from their argument obviously hoping that they wouldn’t follow.

Ten minutes later…

“So, Chip, you like exercising?” Caroline was seated at the corner table trying to ignore Klaus making eyes at his current speed date.

“It’s, Chad,” he offered, his gaze following her distracted one. “And yes, I suppose being a personal trainer means that I enjoy exercising.”

“You don’t say, what a coincidence,” she smiled, trying to regain her composure. Klaus Mikaelson always had the annoying way of distracting her.

“I told you that when I sat down,” he reiterated. The bell sounded and he stood up, Caroline couldn’t miss the relief cross his face. Well, she didn’t like him much anyway, too many obvious muscles.

“I’m Chelsea.”

“Of course you are,” Klaus replied, trying to work out whether Caroline liked the guy with all the muscles she was currently paired with across the room. Why did he need to wear such a tight shirt anyway?

“But you called me Caroline,” she insisted. Klaus couldn’t help it. Sure she was pretty enough but he really wished it was Caroline sitting across from him, even if she was annoying.

Ten minutes later…

“I love dogs too,” Caroline cooed. “It’s great to find someone who likes the same things.”

“Because he’s the only guy in the world who likes dogs,” Klaus joked sarcastically. They were now seated at adjacent tables, only two minutes away from their very own speed date.

To say they’d both been distracted would be an understatement and everyone in the room had noticed. “Would you please mind your own business? Scott and I are trying to have an adult conversation, something you would know nothing about.”

“Excuse me? I have no interest whatsoever in your boring conversation. Hannah and I were talking about our shared love of parasailing.”

“You realize he’s scared of heights, right Hannah?” Caroline shared. “I wouldn’t want you to get your hopes up about someone who’s obviously a compulsive liar.”

“Says the woman who lives in a dream world? Scott, don’t be fooled. You might both love dogs but she wants a Golden Retriever called Brinkley after the dog in You’ve Got Mail, that’s non-negotiable. Do you really want someone making decisions from bad movies for you?”

“It seems like you two know a lot about each other,” Hannah offered. “Maybe it’s time we switched, Scott?” He nodded in agreement and before they knew it, Klaus and Caroline were seated together.

“Way to ruin my speed date, Mikaelson,” she muttered, not bothering to look at him.

“You were doing that all on your own.”

“What are we doing here?” She huffed, finally raising her eyes to meet his. “We are both successful professionals who don’t need to speed date, especially at a college bar with people ten years younger.”

“As much as I hate to admit it, you were right,” he said, his fingers tapping nervously on the table. 

“Of course I’m right, we are too old for this,” she muttered. “I think the tequila has well and truly worn off.”

“No, I meant you were right ten years ago.” Caroline raised her eyebrows curiously, not expecting him to be so candid. Klaus Mikaelson didn’t do honesty easily. “I do feel empty.”

“I probably shouldn’t have said that,” she conceded. “I always have this way of speaking before I think.”

“You don’t say?” Klaus teased. “I don’t think I realized I actually felt that way until three years ago.”

“If you’re messing with me...”

“You and I both know that I don’t do vulnerable, Forbes. But yes, you annoy me a lot but for some reason I can’t stop thinking about you, about what happened between us.”

“Way to flatter me, Mikaelson,” she chuckled, despite the relative seriousness of the subject matter. “Sorry, I joke when I’m nervous.”

“Why are you here really?” He implored, those blue eyes boring into hers earnestly, surprising her. 

“Okay everyone, switch partners.” Caroline had barely noticed the bell let alone the fact an over-eager redhead was edging her way towards Klaus. 

“He’s taken,” she said, not meaning to sound quite so possessive.  

“Easy tiger,” he smiled seductively in her direction. “Best you keep moving darling, she can’t be held responsible for her actions.”

“You’re an ass,” she scoffed, once the redhead had moved for her own safety. “But as you so eloquently put it earlier, I don’t have the life I so naively envisaged all those years ago in this very bar.”

“And apparently I have the life you predicted for me,” he murmured, placing his hand over hers. “I meant what I said and I’m not here to say I told you so and I’m definitely not here to speed date,” Klaus said, warning away Caroline’s next speed date with his eyes. 

“So, why are you here exactly?”

“Because I love you, Caroline Forbes, so much sometimes it hurts,” he admitted, a slight blush crossing his cheeks. “I think I probably always have.”

“Well,” she grinned. “You’re lucky I happen to love you too but the golden retriever is non-negotiable, Mikaelson. So is making you watch You’ve Got Mail until you love it as much as me.”

“I’m willing to put up with Tom Hanks on repeat if it makes you happy, love,” he joked, placing a kiss on her hand. “But don’t think I won’t make you do things too.”

“How about we get out of here and you tell me exactly what you want me to do to you,” she purred, placing a chaste kiss on his cheek before dragging him from the bar. 

When Caroline and Klaus announced their engagement three short months later, Enzo and Rebekah promised their speed date would get a mention in the wedding speeches. 

They didn’t mind given it was how they finally got together and lived happily ever after with their two kids and a golden retriever named Brinkley. 

[jenna-ortega]

Captured (A Jonathan Wolfe Story)

Summary: Jonathan Wolfe, a 1984 AHS inspired character, killing anyone who gets in the way of his mission. And his mission is you.

Warnings: 18+, dub-con, abuse, manipulation, and other adult contents. Plot heavy at first. Please DO NOT READ if you are triggered easily. This is incredibly dark, read at your own risk. 

Word Count: 11.5k

Authors Note: Hello lovelies, here it is. Heads up, the POV changes to third person when the hash slinging slasher does his thing. Thank you to everyone who sent in asks, i’ve used some of your ideas and words for our blessed Jonathan. 

“Mom!” you screamed from the top of the steps,

“Did you move my bags?” you rushed to find the three bags you had packed for your camping trip, packing lightly? you tried, but to no avail. Your friends parents had a cabin up in Lake George, NY. Fancy, but still woodsy. You and a group of your friends were going away as a farewell to high school. The summer right before you go away to college was promised to be a memorable one, and with this camping trip, you knew one thing for sure. You and your friends would be leaving each other, but at least you had one last time to go over all your high school endeavors.

You’d been looking forward to this camping trip all summer long, running into your room, you sat down at your vanity, thinking over all the details of the trip.

~Flashback~

“Y/n, get your ass over here!” your head swinging to the left to see your friend Ana calling you over from her locker. You rolled your eyes playfully, walking over to her calling out a low “what”,

“You’re coming to the cabin this summer right? everyones going. Even Jackie’s weird ass cousin. If you’re not coming i’ll kill you, so keep that in mind.” she shoved your shoulder slightly, smiling wide at you for your long awaited reply. She’d asked you about the cabin a few months back as well, but you still weren’t sure if that’s actually what you wanted to do. I mean, alone getting drunk and crazy with a bunch of juveniles wasn’t the scene you wanted to be in, you wanted to try and turn yourself into a responsible college kid, but…never the less,

“i’ll be there, Ana. Swear.”

“Cross your heart and hope to die swear?”

“Yesss, cross my heart and hope to die.”

~Flashback end~

Ever since then, you were held to it. You never liked flaking on plans, the pressure of fitting in constantly in your head. If you skip enough events, they’ll forget about you. If you don’t put in enough effort, they’ll leave you behind. So here you were, 3 packed bags deep and a Jeep outside filled with your friends, honking for you to come outside.

Your bedroom door creaked open, your mom standing there with your bags,

“Ready?”,

Were you ever ready? To drain your social battery with a weekend in the woods. To have to put on a false facade of confidence, to pretend like you weren’t terrified of the future and what it holds. Ready?…

“As ready as I can be.”

You walked outside, struggling with all three of your bags as every single person in the jeep watched you,

“Get in loser! we’re going camping.” Cheye screamed to you, giggling alongside your other friends. Your eyes zoomed at Jackie in the drivers seat, Ana in the passengers. Cheye, Evan, and Billy in the backseat.  

Billy reached over, hanging out the window looking you up and down,

“We’re all filled up here, looks like you’ll be sitting with our bags in the trunk, but if you’d rather sit on my lap…we can have that arranged” his voice sultry, winking back at you, bitting his bottom lip as you continued walking to the car.

“Ew! shut the fuck up billy, you’re gross” Jackie turned from the drivers seat, reaching back to pull him by the shirt back to his original spot in the car, slapping his arm for good measure,

“What?? i’m just fucking joking!!”

You could barely hear them arguing as you lost your balance, tripping on yourself, with only your bags catching your fall. “fuck” you whispered to yourself, not long after you felt yourself dragged back up, you took in a breath, surprised at the sudden help up.

Once you were back on your feet, your eyes met the gaze of his. His eyes icy blue, the waves in his dark brown hair as prominent as ever, and you could see he barely had any stubble, but it was there. You were surprised to see him, it’d been so long since the last time.

“Jonathan!” you wiped the bottom of your dress down, fixing yourself after your fall.

“Y/n, you alright?” he had you by one arm, eyebrows furrowed as he was quite obviously worried. You were staring into his eyes, not even hearing what he was saying, just flustered from his touch. Oh how reactive you were to it.

“Oh..um, yeah. Yeah im alright, thank you” you spat out, stumbling over your words as he smiled while you did so. Chuckling to himself as he noticed your anxious ways.

“Stop jerking him off and get in the car!” Ana screamed, an eruption of laughs following behind. You breathed out loudly, clearly not in the mood for the joke. Already embarrassed, you picked up one of your bags, quickly being stopped by him while you tried to go for the second one.

“I’ve got it, y/n. You know, you could ride with me? I’m driving in with my own car, and you’d have leg room. You wouldn’t have to sit with the bags…in the trunk. Or on that losers lap.” he joked, already going to lift your bags up. You were nervous to say yes, but honestly it seemed like a better deal than having to deal with billy or the trunk.

“I mean, who could say no to leg room, right?” you laughed out, walking with Jonathan to his car. Your answer eliciting a slight smirk from him, you watched as he nodded his head, “Right.”

He opened the trunk to his black Mercedes Benz, throwing your bags into it, unlocking the passengers door and opening it up for you right after. He slammed your door shut, securing you in his car as he walked up to the drivers side door of the jeep, your guess was to talk to Jackie.

“Jackie, we’ll follow your car. Send me the address too, i’ll see you there”

You heard his words faintly, watching him tap the side of the car as he walked back to his drivers side, getting in slowly. You admired his profile, he was always a looker, even when you were younger. You always thought he was cute, but he always thought of you as his cousins younger friend. You knew he was just nice. But you weren’t the only one who had thought these things.

“Damn he’s fucking fineeee” Ana drew out her words, looking over at jackie with a shit eating grin.

“Fuck off, he’s my cousin.”

“And? You can’t tell me you wouldn’t climb that man like a tree if tomorrow ancestry told you he was 3 times removed?”

“Ew Ana…shut up” jackie laughed, putting the car into drive and speeding off.

//

Just about halfway there, the car ride’s been mostly silent, with just some small talk. You didn’t really know him that well, only knew what Jackie told you. And outside of one or two personal experiences with him you couldn’t say you’d got any sort of vibe from him. Other than lowkey crazy.

~Flashback~

“So, do you think he likes you?” Ana pressures you to speak, you’d just finished explaining what went down between you and some guy you met out at a club you snuck into. He kept blowing up your phone, sending you snap after snap, even going through the lengths of calling you.

“Well, duh he likes her! the question is, does she like him?” jackie chimed in from the other side of the kitchen, you’d all been in her house for your version of taco tuesdays. A sort of tradition after awhile, it’s really just an excuse to be in the same room at the same time without having to worry about anything else.

All eyes were on you to answer the question. You’d just met him, barely even got a good look at his face, it was so dark in the club,

“I mean, i think he’s cute? i’m not sure. I don’t even know the guy. He’s been blowing up my phone, a real wierdo if you ask me. He even left me 4 voicemails!” you admitted, eyes glued to jackie as she pours a little too much taco seasoning onto the impression beef.

“Don’t you think that’s a bit much?” your head swiveling to see where the voice came from, your face already bunched up with annoyance at the opinion nobody asked for. Who does this guy think he is commenting on shit he didn’t know?

“Don’t you think that’s a bit much seasoning?” he corrected himself, staring at Jackie, “Well, maybe that’s what you need when you’re eating fake meat, but i guess that’s none of my business.” his eyebrows raised slightly, smirking at the blonde haired girl standing tall above the counter,

“Nobody asked you, Jonathan. What happened? My brother kick you out of his room? you felt the need to bless us with your unwanted presence.” she sassed, making sure to throw a sarcastic smile back at him,

“I came down here cause something smelled good. And of course i love a good gossip session. Introduce me to your friends.” you watched as he leaned against the wall, arms crossed, giving us a better view of his toned arms.

“Jonathan, this is y/n and ana, y/n and ana, this is my cousin, Jonathan. Pay no mind.”

“I’ll pay all the mind i want, hello Jonathan. What a pleasure it’s been, you want some tacos? we have options…” ana flirted, winking at him from across the table. You zoned out, turning back to face Ana, leaning on your hand. Your phone buzzing again,

“Fuck, it’s him again.”

You watched the room sigh, looking down at the 4 messages, you were just about to open them up until you felt a slight nudge of your seat, your phone pulled from your hands,

“Hey!! what the f–”

“Ah-ah-ah, i’m helping you.” you turned to see Jonathan scrolling through your messages, concentrating on reading everything this random guy sent you. He scoffed, shaking his head at your phone,

“Men like this will never learn. Fucking animals. I’ll fix this problem for you.” he played around with the phone a bit longer, finally bringing it up to his ear, and at that point you lunged for the phone,

“No!! no what are you doi-”

“Hello? Yeah. This is y/n’s boyfriend, if you contact this number again i will fucking find you and rip your limbs off piece by piece until only your dick is left, then i’ll blend it up and feed it to your family. Got it? got it.” your eyes widened, mouth hanging open as he pressed the end call button, handing you your phone back.

“Don’t let these assholes treat you like that. You deserve better.” his words kinder than you’d thought. You grabbed your phone back quickly, looking down at text thread stunned.

“Holy shit Jonathan, that was awesome…” Ana’s reaction of pure shock,

“Jonathan, you’re a psycho” Jackie turned around, pushing his shoulder so he’d lose balance slightly.

“What can I say? People like that need to be scared straight sometimes.”

~Flashback end~

You stared at Jonathan, watching him squeeze the steering wheel as your intense gaze got longer. You just couldn’t keep your eyes off of him, something about him was so…mesmerizing.

“You know staring is rude” he didn’t even have to turn his head to look at you to feel your eyes on him.

“oh god–..i’m sorry” your flustered words barely comprehensive, looking straight back to the road feeling your hands sweat from anxiety. You turned in your seat awkwardly, picking at your thumbs to do anything but look back at him.

“It’s okay doll, you don’t have to be sorry, i’m only kidding,” you felt his hand pat your thigh, causing you to jump up slightly at the sudden touch.

“Jonathan?”

“Yes y/n…”

“Where have you been? I mean…i haven’t seen you since i was like 16, i just–..sorry, sorry, i don’t know. It’s none of my business anyway.” you sighed, regretting even asking the question you’ve been wanting to ask for the whole car ride. He just virtually disappeared, after going to college you thought maybe he just deaded everyone around him.

“Don’t be sorry, y/n. I’ve been around. My-” you watched him stop his sentence, taking a deep breath in and exhaling, changing his position on the steering wheel,

“My parent’s passed away my freshman year in college, i just, kind of disappeared after that. Dropped out, had to deal with a lot of family stuff. I’ve just been reconnecting with my other family this year. I still think this was a pity invite, but i kind of needed a weekend away from everything.”

You looked him up and down, realizing how much more you regret asking him,

“Jesus, Jonathan i’m sorry. I didn’t mean to bring this up for you. Jackie didn’t even tell me, i had no clue.” you placed your hand on his shoulder, trying to comfort him in the littlest way possible.

He took your hand off his shoulder, grabbing it to his chest, holding it there for just a second before bringing it up to his lips and leaving a light kiss on the back of it.

“You’re fine, i like talking to you. You were always my favorite.” he turned to you with a smile, letting your hand go as he turned his blinker on to take the next exit.

“Almost there.”

//

All you heard was the car driving over an abundance of leaves and branches, finally looking over to see this long awaited house sitting right on the lake. Your heart rushed, excited for what’s to come.

You watched as all of your friends hoped out of their cars, still staying idle with Jonathan, waiting for him to make the first move out,

“Why don’t you go with them, i’ll get our bags and bring them inside.” Jonathan offered, leaning down to pull the latch for the trunk as you turned the knob to your door, hurrying out,

“Sounds good! i’ll see you inside,”

And with that, you ran up the stairs of the house, opening the door to find a two level cabin, at least 4 rooms on the second floor, huge living room with a fireplace, everything you could have imagined,

“Shit Ana, this is amazing” exclaiming excitedly, running towards the moose head centered right above the fire place, examining it thoroughly,

“Yeah, it’s been in my family forever. We just built up, this shit used to be a one level,” quickly cut off by Cheye, grabbing Evans hand and running straight up the stairs,

“DIBS ON THE BIGGEST BED”, she looked back, winking at the group. A flushed red color soon appeared on Evans cheeks, he could never keep up with Cheye’s sex drive.

“You kids have fun,” jackie dropped her bags off, pulling her hair up in a bun.

“Let’s explore.” billy pulled you by your arm, dragging you off towards the kitchen, having to catch your footing halfway through.

The kitchen was decently sized, a huge window above the sink outlooking the backyard, the view of trees and woods made you feel so small. Like, the whole word is back there, and we’re in this cabin. If you looked to the right, there was a small lake, a dock attached with wooden planks scattered everywhere.

You got lost looking out the window, not even noticing Billy sneak up behind you, grabbing your hips steady. Your body jumped up, pushing back as you swung around to face him,

“Dude, what are you doing” you brought your hands to his chest, pushing him away further.

“What?–” his voice raising in pitch defensively, “I’m just looking at the beautiful view, don’t you wanna go for a swim later?” his eyebrow raised, shining his pearly whites at you.

“I’ll go for a swim, but not with you.” you crossed your arms, putting all your weight onto one foot, perusing your lips as a fuck you to him.

“Awe,” Billy brings his hand to your face, rubbing your cheek in circular motions as you’re pinned to the sink, wishing you could pull back further,

“Always playing so hard to get, huh?”

Before anything else can be said, the kitchen door to the back swings open, hitting he wall with a loud “thud” that can be heard throughout the house.

You both look to the door, a tall handsome man standing, not saying a word just eyes locked to billys, the tension in the room was sharp, you could cut it with a knife.

“Who’s this guy again?” he turned to you, leaning over you as he placed both his hands on the sink on either side of you.

“I’m jackie’s cousin, Jonathan.” his voice monotoned, completely still in the same spot he’d walked in.

Billy finally relieved you by raising his posture, walking away from you and closer to Jonathan,

“Well…Jackie’s cousin,–” you watched as Billy moved closer to Jonathan, getting right in his face. Jonathan standing up straighter than before if that was possible, a slight smirk on his face that angered Billy even more.

“It’s been a pleasure.” billys sarcastic tone was accompanied by him brushing shoulders with Jonathan, pushing him back slightly as he walked out back, completely leaving you and Jonathan alone.

You let out an audible breath of relief, rolling your eyes as you turned to your side, leaning against the counter, watching Jonathan’s features lighten up as he looked at you.

“Your phone, it was on the floor of my car.” he handed you back your Iphone, smiling as he placed his hands in his back pockets.

“Thank you! i honestly thought i had it on me…but-anyway, don’t pay mind to billy. He’s an asshole.” you confessed, shrugging your shoulders casually.

“Oh trust me, i see that now.” he laughed slightly, humming at the end of his statement, walking closer to you, this time you weren’t cornering yourself, letting him walk directly face to face with you.

“Let me know if he bothers you again, y/n.” his large hand moving from his back pocket to your jawline, moving his finger along it. You felt yourself push into his touch, goosebumps rising to your skin.

You thought back to how he helped you with your problem all those years ago, wondering if he was the same old him or if his parents loss really did change him in some way. You wanted to figure out what happened, although he’s been nothing but amazing, you just, feel, something out of the ordinary. A sixth sense.

“I will, Jonathan. I’ll tell you.”

//

The slight breeze of the summer night was unlike any other. The perfect night. You and your friends circled around a fire pit, you had at least 3 s’mores by now. Laughs echo’ing through the woods as everyone had enough alcohol in their system to make them feel good.

You had a cup of some godforsaken drink Cheye had made, tasted like every alcohol on earth mixed together to create a death juice.

You had taken just a few sips, before putting it back down at your feet, you were the only sober one there, not caring to be trashed out of your mind.

“What? you don’t like my finest quality beverage?” Cheye asked, sipping her drink and leaning into Evan.

“I love it!, just, not really in the mood to drink.” you admitted, taking a bite of your s’more.

Billy moved closer to you, his hand falling on your thigh, causing you to adjust yourself, pushing him off.

“Why don’t you have fun, y/n, come on. Don’t be a buzz kill.” billy pressured, he grabbed the drink from the ground, bringing it up to your lips for you. Pouring it basically on you, forcing you to take huge sips.

“Billy, stop, if she doesn’t want to drink fuck off” Ana pulled the cup away from your face, grabbing it away from billy.

You coughed up a bit, wiping your mouth with the back of your hand,

You heard billy mumble under his breath, swore he said “losers” following it up by being more obnoxious,

“Speaking of, where’s that Josh kid?”

“Don’t be a dick. His name is Jonathan and he’s my cousin, take it easy on him. He’s had a…rough few years.” her voice lower as she spoke out the last few words.

“I saw him go up to his room before we came out, he’s not a very social person it seems.” Evan quietly added, Cheye sitting directly on his lap, hand tangled in his hair.

“But you aren’t either baby” she teased, kissing along his neck, leaving bruise like marks everywhere.

“Get a room!” Ana joked, sticking her finger in her mouth suggesting she was going to throw up.

“Well…we just might”

Cheye jumped up, jogging towards the back door, turning back to look at Evan,

“Last one there is on top!” which caused Evan to rush over, trying to beat her inside.

You smiled through the ache, feeling more lonely than ever seeing how they interacted. It’d been awhile since your last boyfriend, losing hope after every guy treated you the same. Nobody matched your love language, nobody.

“I’m gonna go too, Jackie come with I want to show you where we keep the good whiskey.”

Soon after that, it’d just be you and Billy alone, just what you needed.

You got up, ignoring him next to you, walking to the lake, finally getting to the boardwalk, lifting your jeans to leave room for your feet to dangle, getting down to feel the temperature. Ohh, cold. You still sat, your feet grazing the water, leaning back on your hands to look up at the stars. Everything would change after this summer. This was your last summer of feeling free, feeling like you had your whole life ahead of you, feeling like you actually had things figured out. Go to college, get a job, live your life. What you’d been taught since you were young. You weren’t one to ditch the status quo.

You felt yourself being nudged, almost losing your balance at the edge of this dock,

“Ugh! Chill the fuck out” you looked up at the man, short brown hair and a patchy beard,

“Let’s get in. I told you we’d swim,” he began taking his shirt off, halfway through unbuttoning his jeans, you sat up, walking back from the lake,

“Swim yourself, asshole.” you ran inside, the screen door slamming behind you, you walked in to an empty house, Cheye and Evan upstairs doing god knows what, Jackie and Ana somewhere hidden finding her parents stash of expensive stuff, and Jonathan…who was..in his room?

Sounded like a good idea to you as well, running to the empty room you had decided was yours, shutting the door behind you. You jumped on the creaky bed, getting comfortable against the headboard. Putting your beats headphones on, nothing would interrupt you and your playlist now.

//

“I FUCKING WILL THEN!” Billy replied, screaming at the girl who’d walked off from him and into the house. He still continued to rid himself of his clothes, stripping down to his boxers, “fucking stupid bitch”

He jumped in, splashing water everywhere in his path, shivering from the temperature. He dunked his head in the water, getting his face wet, soon returning to the surface, his hands wiping his eyes, snap

He turned his head to the sound, smiling thinking he’s gotten what he wants.

“So, you are gonna join me after all? I knew you’d come to your senses babe.” his smug response echo’ed as he swam to the source of the sound, just a bit further down the lake. Arriving at the land, he was just out of distance from the site of the house, nothing but trees if he walked a few feet.

“Baby?” he called out, looking around at the pitch black woods, smiling, you’re just hiding from him, he thought.

“Don’t hide baby, come to daddy–” he used his upper strength, about to hop out of the lake,

“I’m right here babe” a deep low voice coming out of the woodworks, billy’s eyes widened, looking up at the surprise, “what the f-” trying to finish his words before Jonathan’s hand pushed him back down, keeping him under the water, gripping his hair so he couldn’t swim away.

“I swear i’ve never heard you so quiet.” Jonathan laughed to himself, Billy’s thrashing under his hand, feeling the intrusion of water into his lungs, filling his body, nowhere to go but further down. Soon blacking out, his thrashing completely halted, taking his last breath, his grip on Jonathan’s hand falling, signaling his demise.

“Now what am i gonna do with you? hmm?” Jonathan’s first kill of the night such a satisfying one, but will anyone else be on his list for the night?

//

You’re in and out of consciousness as your playlist is on it’s final song, threatening to repeat for the second time that night. You could barely stay awake, yawning as you turned over on your side, facing away from your door, trying to let sleep take over. Jackie and Ana still in her parents private separated shed like house, absolutely nothing going on as far as you’re concerned.

You could barely hear anything, that included a few doors down, Cheye and Evan going at it like rabbits, fucking each others brains out. Evan was last up to the bed, unfortunate for him,

“Fuck Evan,” Cheye panted, digging her nails into his back, dragging them down as she giggled,

“Deeper” she begged, wanting to feel him fill every part of her, but instead, she sighed at the sudden feeling of emptiness, opening her eyes to see Evan being dragged off of her,

“WHAT THE FUCK MAN” Evan screamed, dropping to the floor as he tripped over the bed frame, his shaggy hair in his eyes, barely able to see his attacker,

Cheye pulled the blankets over her naked body, a sense of absolutely dread washed over her as the shine from the large knife accompanying Jonathan caught her eye.

“Wh-what are you doing man? hey, hey–” Evan’s voice cracking as Jonathan strolled over to him, evan crawling backgrounds to try and get as far away from him as possible,

“You know….” Jonathan began, leaning down to grab him by his thick curls, looking from Cheye to him, smiling at the fear stamped onto her face, making sure all eyes were on him.

He swung the knife around, so everyone was aware of it, “I really liked you two. So fun-” he adjusted the knife to sit at evan’s throat, causing him to jump, whining in fear, silent sobs and “please’s” dripping from his lips.

“Young love i suppose.” his hair falling as he looked down at evan, smirking at his next victim,

“Since i like you, i’ll make this fast” the next thing heard was Cheye’s scream, watching as Jonathan sliced evan’s neck to the bone, blood squirting out all over, staining the hardwood floor.

“PLEASE! Please you don’t have to do this Jonathan, please don’t do this, please i won’t tell anybody! let me go i won’t–” Jonathan launched at her, pulling the blanket from her body to reveal all of her. Crawling on top of her, hovering as she fell deeper into the bed, tears staining her cheeks as she turned her head away from him.

“Oh, but i do have to do this, Cheye.” his hand traveling up her leg as the other was positioned right next to her head, knife in hand. He rubbed small circles on her thigh, looked down at the masterpiece he had in front of him. His hands closing in on her heat, feeling her shaking underneath him, “please-”

His eyes snapped at her, feeling him throw daggers at her, she cried loudly,

“Just keep it down, sweetheart. I just need you to keep it down.” She listened for now, closing her eyes tight as he reached her center, slightly parting her legs so he could have a better look. “I’ll spare you if you show me what you’re all about.” but he knew he wouldn’t spare her. He just loves to see the hope in her eyes, still jumping at his every movement not knowing what he will do next.

“P-please, d-don’t hurt me” Cheye pleaded, arms at her side, still as ever, still not facing him, but opting to face to the side, getting a glimpse of the light shimmering off his blade. Sharpened just for her.

“I’m not gonna hurt you yet, darling. Do as I say and I’ll keep you alive.” He lied effortlessly, laughing at her small cries. Screaming out, she betrayed his word, knowing he warned her to be quiet.

“Didn’t I say to keep it down?” He spoke between his teeth, getting up just to grab the tape he had left at the edge of the bed, unraveling it as Cheye began screaming louder,—“PLEASE DONT DO THIS!!” the last words she got out before he placed a large strip of tape over her mouth.

Cheye’s muffled screams were now the only thing filling the room, barely anything audible due to the tape. Squirming in bed against the sheets, paralyzed with fear as she watched him grab a red marker from the counter. Her eyebrows furrowed as he walked over, straddling her once again, bringing the sharpie to her bound lips. Marking it up in the oddest way, not realizing what he could have been drawing.

A pair of red lips,—

He leaned over seconds after marking up her tape. Leaving a small peck on the grey strip.

“I had to make sure those pretty little lips weren’t hidden from me.”

Without a warning, he shoved the knife into her neck, her squirming automatically ceasing, choking on her own blood, feeling it seep from the duct tape over her lips, dripping down her chin, the last thing she felt before everything went black, the last sight of her killer burned into her head.

Jonathan’s third murder of the night. Look’s like there’s no stopping him on his road to you.

//

You’re woken up out of a dead sleep, wondering if it was the night after, feeling your head pounding, your head feeling heavy even when you look to the side to check the the time, 3 a.m. Fuck. You didn’t even know when you’d fallen asleep, all you know is your headphones are still on and your phone battery was on 5%.

You fixed your hair down, yawning as you stretched out of bed.

“Cheyeeee,” you called out, opening the door to your room to look out in the hall.

You waited a few seconds before you didn’t get an answer to walk out, looking over the banister, finding nobody in sight. Not bothering to call out her name again, you walked to her room.

Nothing. You looked inside, just saw the sheets and blankets messed up, clothes everywhere, and not one person to answer your calls. You figured they went for a late night swim, walking into the room to look out the window, hmm, nobody outside? you thought to yourself. Thoughts swaying in your mind of where people could be. It’s so weird of everyone to just ditch you, but you remembered Jonathan being in his room. At least he still has to be here.

Wrong. Walking to his room, you were yet again let down by the silence. Shit.

“Jonathannnnn? Jackieeeee? anyoneeeee home?” you once again called out, this time over the banister, but no answer….you did however notice the front door wide open, “Was that door always open?”

//

Jackie and Ana, drunk on the floor of the shed, instead of a wall of tools, just bottles and bottles of collectable whiskeys, giggles coming from the dimly lit shack.

“Jackie, o h my god … is it hot in here?? fuck im hot. Fuck…i think we…i think we drank just a weeee bit too much” her words slurred, leaning against Jackie as she closed her eyes, the world spinning behind her lids.

“No my darling, you, drank too much. Nobody told to down 3 glasses of very politely sized Macallan 15 year.” she joked, pulling Ana back up to sit against the wall,

“That’s where you are very. very wrong.” she pointed at Jackie, or at least tried to. Pointing at the door instead,

“I definitely told myself to drink those glasses.” she winked, downing her last glass of the evening.

Jackie turned her head, eyes squinting looking out of the shed,

“What?” Ana notices her small pause,

“Did you just hear my name? I swe-” Jackie panicked, but Ana put her finger to her mouth to shush her,

“Looks like i’m not the only drunk one after allllllll” her voice higher pitched, laughing at her own comedic genius. Jackie figured she was maybe a little drunk, ignoring the clear yelp of her name.

//

You walked down the steps, careful of your every movement, constantly looking behind you, paranoid someone was just trying to prank you. You walked curiously around the steps, slowly making your way to the back door. A small light caught your eye, a door slightly cracked open in the kitchen, across the the window outlooking the backyard, and adjacent from the backdoor. You hadn’t even noticed it the first time you were in here.

You opened the door, barely able to see, the light had to be almost out, you looked down, it was the moonlight shining from a small window in what you thought was some sort of basement. “Helloooo, anyone down here??” you called out, taking it upon yourself to begin to walk down the steps, creaking each step down.

At the bottom of the stairs, you looked to your left, seeing nothing but one small window, shining light on a whole lot of nothing. Your hairs standing as you begin to feel your breathing pick up,

“This isn’t fucking funny, guys.” you crossed your arms, huffing out the statement, turning to your right to see the shine of a string attached to what looks like a bulb. You follow the string, determined to get to it, barely able to reach as you slipped back. Your elbows catching your fall…fuck, you grabbed your head, rubbing to soothe the dull ache. Bringing your hands back to the front of your face, feeling some sort of substance on them. what the fuck?

You wiped your hands on your pants, figuring it was some disgusting water. Finally reaching up,  pulling the string, immediately lighting up the room and showing you your red stained hands.

You jumped back, gasping down at your palms, only later picking up your head to noticed the three bodies laid atop each other in the corner of the basement.

Grey. Your vision going grey as your heart started to palpitate, getting out one scream, “JACKIEE–” before you felt a hand cover your mouth, grabbing your whole body against theirs. A pinch to your neck, a pull of your hair. Grey. Or was it black? You couldn’t remember. The needle you wouldn’t remember later being injected into your neck carrying a substance that’d knock a black bear out. Last thing you’d remember was leaning against a warm body, passing out as if you never even woke.

//

“Ana!!! shut up…i swear to fucking god i just heard it again.” now fixing to stand, Jackie grabs the counter to lift herself up.

“Heard whaaaa?” Ana’s eyes closing as she leans against the wall, still in the same sitting position as before.

“My name! jesus, Ana, no more drinks for you. Stay here, i’m gonna go see what’s up.”

“Stay here im gonna go see whats up” Ana mimics in a high squeaky voice, squinting her eyes and waving her hands around, “Whatever, you do that…but in horror movies you’re the one who dies…i don’t make the rules” she said nonchalantly, Jackie rolling her eyes, “ok drunkie” she mumbled under her breath, leaving her there to sober up.  

15 minutes or so goes by, what feels like an hour to Ana. Her eyes closed as shes trying to keep herself awake. She barely heard the door of the shed slam back shut as if someone entered,

“Ohhhh so i see miss sober is back and still alive…” she begins, eyes still half shut as she works to get herself up off the ground, “I guess my horror movie knowledge is shit,-” she stood facing the door now, realizing who she was looking at was definitely not “miss sober”

“Look who it is. Mr. tall and handsome. What a lovely surprise.” she sloppily walks over to Jonathan, swinging her hands around his neck, bringing him down for a kiss he didn’t pull back from.

Their lips stuck together, the taste of high end whiskey now transfer’d to his lips. Soon she’d move to kissing his jaw line, somehow both of them moving backwards. Her leather skirt rising up as her back hit the table under the whiskey shelves. Humming in approval, she pulled away from Jonathan, looking at his dark eyes,

“I guess i’m lucky tonight, baby” she went back to attaching herself to his neck, kissing and sucking at the skin, leaving all of her love bites for him, “I guess you are” he replied, watching her stop for a minute to smell him slightly,

“mm..you smell..you smell like Japanese cherry blossom…uhh..have you been fuckin Cheye too?” Ana pushed against his chest, too drunk to have any sort of filter,

“Shhhh, stop talking, i was just having fun.” he turned Ana around, pushing her head onto the table, lifting her skirt to rip off her black thong, her body shook as he did.

She shook her butt slightly, teasing him as she looked back to him. Watching him smile in victory, he begins to unzip his pants, releasing himself to line up with her core. Fucking her instantly, gripping her shoulder for leverage as he began his violent thrusts, shaking the whole table.

Her moans loud as he took what he wanted, pushing her face into the desk further, growling at the way she hugged him.

“ah fuck,–” one brutal thrust and the table shakes enough to knock over several whiskey bottles, crashing and breaking onto the table around her, one even hitting her in the head, but not hard enough to crack,–

“OOOWWW” she went to raise her hand, a bump rising faster than she could think, her wrist now gripped by Jonathan as he slams it back down,

“I got that for you, sweetheart” gripping the slender bottle, and pulling back on it, slamming it back down onto her head. Shattering it everywhere, blood pouring from her scalp as she starts to scream. Jonathan pulling out of her, tucking himself back in as he gets a handle on her. Grabbing her by the hair and pulling her up, smashing her face back onto the broken shards of glass all around the table. Multiple times, over, and over, and over, until her body fell limp in his arms, falling to the ground in a puddle of blood.

Jonathan kicked her body, making sure she was as dead as she could be, leaning down to pull her shoulder back, taking in what he’d done. Glass buried deep and contusions everywhere on her face. He was always silent when he was ready to kill, never letting people get him distracted. He picked a particularly large piece of glass from her skin, examining before flicking it to the side and bringing his eyes back to her.

“Oh…you were right. You do have shitty horror movie knowledge.”

//

Jackie walked inside, investigating the house, upstairs, in every room, but nothing. Her path the same as yours, each room, Jonathan’s room, down the stair, to the kitchen…hmm…a door? She went to reach for the handle, instantly jumping back as Jonathan opened the back door, out of breath, falling to his knees.

“WE HAVE TO GET OUT OF HERE THERE’S A KILLER, EVERYONES GONE, THEY’RE ALL DEAD, JACKIE, THEY’RE ALL DEAD,” his breathing heavy, his hand to his heart as Jackie rushes to him, kneeling on the ground with him, holding his shoulders steady,

“No…no, jonathan, what are you saying? did you smoke that sativa shit again? You know what–”

“NO I DIDN’T FUCKING SMOKE. JACKIE. PLEASE, I WAS CALLING YOU, I THOUGHT…i thought you were gone too.” he cries to her, falling into her chest as she’s still trying to put the pieces together,

“You’re joking? I know, i know it’s almost the anniversary of their death. But everything’s okay, see i’ll get Ana, we can just have a chill night, watch movies, okay?” She hugged him into her, running her fingers through his hair before he began to get back up, dragging her with him.

“I’m not fucking joking. I saw blood…i–i don’t know where anyone is,” he began as Jackie took his hand, dragging him back outside,

“Ana is drunk, Cheye and Evan are fucking somewhere, and Billy probably finally convinced y/n to sleep with him. Everything is–” she reached the shed, opening the door to see Ana laying in a puddle of blood, a scream echo’ing throughout the woods erupted from Jackie.

Jackie falling back, hands covering her mouth, crying into them, “oh my god”

“We need to get the fuck out of here,” Jackie got back up, grabbing Jonathan to run, but he stopped as they both got inside the house.

“You go. Take the keys, go. I called the police, i have to see if anyone else is alive.” Jonathan basically pushes Jackie out, dragging her to her car, a string of “no”’s as Jonathan gave her no choice when she was at her drivers side door, him unlocking it and shoving her inside, the door still open as his one hand leaned against the top of the car.

“Go. I have to stay. I’m going to be fine, like you said. You need to get out of here. I don’t know what i’d do if i lost you too. Get out.” he shut her drivers side door. She rolled the window down, tears streaming down her cheek, sobbing to him,

“I can’t leave you here” she pleaded, not yet ready to accept that this wasn’t him offering, this was a demand.

“You have to get the fuck out of here.” he grabbed her gently by the back of the neck, bringing her in as he kissed her forehead,

“Go.”

//

~1 week later~

Was it days? Months? You hadn’t been able to tell. Your wrists swollen around the handcuffs attached to a ratty pole in what looked like some sort of dungeon. This wasn’t…real? You knew you hadn’t been in the same cabin you left. Do your friends know you’re alive? is anyone looking for you? How could you be so dumb to trust–

“JONATHAN!! PLEASE, PLEASE LET ME GO” you screamed as you watched the door at the top of the stairs open. This was about the time he fed you, judging from the light outside.

Silence. He never was a man of many words. You had been down here for awhile, still in the same clothes, blood all over your pants and shirt from…wait, you thought, my friends…they’re dead.

Your red and puffy eyes looking into his baby blue’s, trying to plead your mercy, but maybe it worked? You watched as he searched for a key in his back pocket, unlocking you from the pole.

“Let’s go. We’ve gotta get you nice and clean.”

No. No. You thrashed as soon as he unlocked you, him having to stabilize you by gripping the back of your head, screaming as he ripped at your scalp.

“Don’t make me angry, y/n.”

//

He dragged you up the stairs, blind folding you first so you’d be ignorant to what the house looked like. By how long it took you to get to what was a bathroom, you knew it must have been huge. You heard the shower running, your thoughts running as you realized what he was about to do.

Ripping your blindfold off, you were standing in front of a porcelain tub. You watched him as he shut the water off, feeling the temperature for you,

“Take off your clothes.”

You shook your head violently, backing up until you hit the door, grabbing the handle from behind you,

“N-no, i don’t want to”  you stuttered. Still in shock from everything. Your brain didn’t even process that Jonathan was the one responsible for all of this. You feel like you aren’t even in your body, dazed out, looking at a man you barely know.

“That wasn’t a suggestion, y/n, but i see now you like doing things the hard way.” you squealed watching him rush towards you, grabbing your wrists and slamming you against the sink positioned next to the door. You screamed slightly, the feeling of being crushed under his weight as he began lifting your shirt up, you put your arms against his chest, pounding and screaming, but he was too strong for you.

“Stop, fucking STOP MOVING” you felt a sting on your cheek, the force of the slap flinging you to the floor, blood pouring from your lip as you looked up at Jonathan with doe like eyes,

“P-please, no, please let me go” you cried out lowly, holding your lip as blood continued to trickle down your chin, wincing while he came down to your level, hovering atop your body that was now pinned to the ground,

“It’s too late for all of that. You’re mine now. And i need to make sure you’re good as new” he ignored your silent cries as he pulled out his small pocket knife, your screaming slightly louder once your eyes met the blade. This was it. He was going to kill you. But maybe that was better than living at this point.

He put the knife under your shirt, cutting down the middle, and noting to cut the sleeves. Your shift falling off of you like butter, leaving you in only your bra up top. “please” was the only thing out of your mouth as you rocked back and forth on the ground, audibly crying out out to him. But he didn’t listen as he forcibly removed the rest of your clothes. Leaving you vulnerable on the ground under him.

He grabbed you by the hand, standing up with you,

“One leg at a time, come on.” he helped you in the tub, sitting you down as your bruised body welcomed the warm water, bringing your knees up to your chest as your eyes fell to the water. Too scared to look at him as he began using a rag to clean your body. It felt…nice, his gentle strokes on your back. Jumping whenever put the rag in the water, scared of his touch.

You finally had the courage to raise your head, making eye contact with such a beautiful villain. You both halted your movements before him brought the rag up to your lip, wiping the residue of blood of your face, smiling at you softly. Much to your dismay. Seeing that softness still in a man so cruel, you didn’t understand this. Why any of this was happening.

“J-..joathan” barley whispering to him, too frightened if you spoke up too much he’d hurt you.

“Yes, princess?” your body instantly repulsed by the nickname.

“Why are you doing this to me?” you sobbed out, hearing him sigh, you looked into his eyes. No emotion behind them, looking right through you as he smiled at you, pushing your body back against the tub to separate your chest from your knees, whimpering as he did so, you felt his hand slide down your belly, cupping your pussy in the process. You squirmed just enough to get him to hold you down by your hair, crying out at his force once again.

“Because i can, sweetheart.” the retched taste of your own bile coming up at his words, crying out as you felt his long digit enter you, your hand flying to his wrist between your legs to grab it, barely able to look down from the way he was holding your hair back against the tub,

“Shhhh, shhhh” he shushed you, pushing in and out of your cunt as he hummed in satisfaction, oh how incredible tight you were when you were resisting his attempts.

“Didn’t i tell you to be quiet? You and your friends have a serious noise issue, hm? Well darling, don’t make me have to gag you now.” he spoke all too calm, watching as your volume was brought back down, terrified of what he’d gag you with. You relaxed against the tub, letting go of his wrist as he worked you open with his fingers, giving up the protest as he curiously rubbed your spongy walls, meeting spots inside of you that made your toes curl.

His hand still parked in your hair, you looked to the side at him, resting your face on his arm,

“Please Jonathan,” you pleaded, “please just let me go!” He just shakes his head. “Why would I do that pet? You’re too valuable to get rid of,” he smiles. Twisting his fingers inside of you, triggering your legs to close around his arm, feeling yourself let go around him unknowingly. He ripped an orgasm from you, forcing you to contract around him, biting your lip to stifle the moans.

“Don’t worry, they’ll be more where that came from.”

//

He put you in a baggy T-shirt of his, you watched as he opened up a bag of underwear,

“I don’t know what size you were, so i hope these fit” throwing a pair at you to put on in front of him, doing so slowly, feeling your pelvic bone throbbing from what he’d done to you.

He put the blindfold back on you, walking you around for a bit until you heard a door slam shut behind you,

“Wh-where are we?” you asked softly, letting him take the blind fold off. You saw black noise canceling foam around the room, and just a bed in the middle of it. Nothing else. Windows boarded up, nothing but a bed.

“We are at your new room.”

He pushed you onto the bed, you fell on your side, crawling up and sitting in the middle, it was a decent sized bed, a queen you’d say. Only the light from the ceiling glowing, and the room was freezing cold. You were in nothing but a t-shirt and underwear, ready to go under the blankets to protect yourself from the cold.

“Why is it so cold,” your voice breaking as you asked. At this point you were going to ask whatever you wanted, knowing you were going to die anyway. Losing hope, nobody was looking for you.

He leaned over to you, grabbing your ankle and sliding you to the side of the bed. Your heads above your head as your heart began pounding, he was so unstable. You didn’t know his next move ever. He opened your legs, grabbing your waist to pull you slightly off the bed so his crotch was flat against yours, lifting your shirt to reveal your breasts, nipples hard and goosebumps all over them.

“I keep it cold so i can see your pretty nipples at all times,” he brought his thumb and pointer finger to your left nipple, squeezing and pulling as he smiled at your scream.

“Such a good girl.”

//

It’s been at least 2 weeks, and he seems to have gotten away with everything. He’s neglected to tell you any details of the rest of the night, nothing, you’re just gone. Captured. You don’t know what to call it. Crying to yourself in your new room. How can you get out of this? Can you manipulate him, try and run? No. You didn’t even know where you were. He’d been feeding you alright, checking in on you about once every hour. But nothing else, not since the day he bathed you. Figuring he probably had to lay low for awhile, assess all of his avenues after kidnapping a fucking human being. Not just some animal that can’t take or fend for itself, you’re a person.

The door opened up, causing you to sit up straight on the bed, he was in a black dress shirt, place jeans, taking off his pea coat and dropping it the ground.

“What a shitty fucking day.” you watch as he starts unbuttoning the shirt, pulling it from out of his pants, unbuckling his belt in the process. You took a sharp breath in, worried for what he’s going to do, confused at why he suddenly started talking to you,

“W..what happened?” you weren’t sure what to do, how do you speak to your captor,

He let no time go by, huffing out, “I went to your slut of a friends memorial service. They gave up on finding the bodies so it was an empty casket. Took them long enough to give up.”

Your heart stopped, barely able to focus, realizing how real this had become. Your friends are gone, everyone. You immediately started to cry out, a barely audible scream coming from your lips as Jonathan rushed over to you, turning you over to your face was smushed into the mattress, removing your shirt from your backside, revealing one of multiple pairs of panties he’d bought for you.

“SHUT THE FUCK UP OR I’LL KILL YOU TOO” he lashed out, ripping your underwear down as you screamed into the mattress, feeing the first of many whips, his cold leather belt hitting your skin and ripping through it multiple times. Feeling the bruises form as he went along, pushing your face further down as he decided on the last strike being the worst. Your scream muffled by the blanket, sinking your pelvis in to try and relieve some of the pain.

Your voice eventually strained as you suddenly felt pressure inside of you, all too in your own world to realize he’d released himself from his pants, lining up with your cunt and pushing in devilishly. Groaning as he bottomed out in you as you were laying on your belly,

“Hmmm…what happened?” he asked as you cried out, your pussy not as wet for him as he felt that day in the tub. You felt the burning sensation along your vulva, feeling sensitive, your cunt was throbbing around him.

“Am I not doing it for you anymore?” You winced as his hands grabbed at your hair, pushing your skull further into the mattress, moving your hair to one side as he attached himself to your neck. Licking and biting his favorite spots.

“Jonathan—please” your voice was shaky, broken, insecure, knowing his mood jumps too well by now. Nothing you said to him was safe. He’d find a way to blow up over anything, and it didn’t matter how you meant it at that point. Punishment would be looming ahead, but he just laughed at your plea. Humming along your neck as he began pumping inside of you. Your back meeting his stomach as you arched up off the bed trying to find relief from the burn.

“You’re nothing but a pussy to me. You’re lucky i didn’t kill you like the rest of them.” None of your screams being heard, echo’ing into the blanket.

He’s ruthlessly fucking you, feeling him twitch inside of you as his eyes closed, getting lost in how well you fit around him, finally warming up to him.

“I’m gonna fucking kill you when i’m done with you.” his voice a low growl, your squirming beneath him, crying loudly,

“PLEASE- NO, PLEASE DONT KILL ME,–” you managed to get out as you turned your face to the side, your cheek now smushed against the sheets.

You never stopped screaming, even after you felt him release inside of you, shaking atop you, groaning and moaning as you hugged him while he released, warm and wet all for him.

He fell on you, your cries finally subsiding, terrified of what he was going to do next, getting ready for the pain.

But suddenly, he flipped you over, placing himself between your legs as he looked in your soaked eyes, bright red, biting your lip to hold back more sobs,

“I’m sorry, y/n. I-i don’t know…i don’t know what i was saying.” he stared at you for a moment, bringing his lips down to meet yours in a kiss that was not requited.

“I’ll never hurt you. I was just..overwhelmed. Please,- i’ll make it up to you! i will, you can stay with me this weekend. So you won’t be alone.”

You breathed in multiple times, catching your cry in the back of your throat. Wondering if he really that that’d be any better than this. Too terrified to respond to him, you just nodded, closing your eyes and pretending you weren’t there.

//

He kept his promise, one night waking up in a huge master bedroom, his sheets felt softer, pillows fluffier, the light..oh god, the light. You were alone, you fell asleep in your own room, woke up in this room. You ran up, straight to the windows. Looking outside to see nothing but woods, fuck, you were at least three stories up, the house was huge. You wanted to open the widow but it looks as if they’d been nailed shut, trying to push it open, suddenly jumping at the unexpected noise from behind.

“So i see you’re enjoying yourself.” beads of water falling from his chest, his hair wet and stringy, only in a white towel tied at the waist.

You nodded fast, putting on a fake smile for him, “thank you”

It didn’t take long for you to understand lashing out every day wouldn’t help you. You needed a plan, and to play along for as long as you could until you found a way to get help for yourself. You needed to figure him out, what his deal was, why he picked you, why are you still alive?

“Put on the TV, sit, I’ll get you water.” his words sounding more stern than anything, you listened to him. Whatever he said, you listened. It felt like there was more to him, this was all..this was all so odd. How could he be so human? It’s like his emotions are fighting with themselves, if he harms you too much you see the regret in his eyes. But why? He’s a murderer. He’s the bad guy..right?

You nodded to him, sitting down on his bed, until he arrived back with a plastic cup filled with water for you. Setting it down beside you on the nightstand, walking back around the bed to lay down with the pillows piled behind his head,

He noticed you didn’t touch the remote, too scared to do anything to upset him until he decided to turn the TV on, the station tuned into FOX,

“Still no discovery of the missing teens from Long Island, NY. They took a trip to Lake George, looking to have a last hurrah before the summers end, but unfortunately, met theirs instead. If you have any information about the missing persons, Cheye Jenkins, Billy Baker, Evan Fields, and Ana Winters, please contact your local police department.”

You gasped, looking into your own lap as you pretended to ignore what you just heard, watching him from your peripheral vision have no reaction, change the channel as if he’s never even heard of them before.

“Monster.” you couldn’t hold your tongue, speaking under your breath as he continued flicking through channels,

“What’d you just call me?…” you hadn’t thought about him hearing you, too caught up in your own head to realize the consequences of your actions, but feeling stupidly bold as you always did, you puffed up your chest, turning to your side,

“You’re a monster, Jonathan. A cold blooded monster.”

A pin dropping. That’s what could be heard, the silence in the room scary enough to make you want to run. But where was there to go?

His hand around your throat, squeezing until you wheezed out for breath, pinning you under him just as he’s done over and over again, your face beginning to turn red, feeling him let up only so you’d be able to answer his question,

“HOW? how am i a monster, y/n,” he screamed louder, “HOW AM I A MONSTER?”

You began seeing stars dance along your vision, if this was it, you’d be happy. Finally able to rest, even if you were dead, you barely squeaked out,

“You’re a murderer, you killed with no reason, is Jackie even alive? you must not be above killing family since your parents are dead. They’d love to see the man you turned out to be–” you spit out, venom coming from you, you really angered him, his grip relentless as he squeezed the life out of you, shaking you and slamming you back and forth on the bed as he choked the life out of you,

“I’D NEVER HURT MY FUCKING FAMILY–” lashing out, he released his grip, instead punching you across the face, feeling your eye instantly swell, reopening the almost healed wound on your lip, you could barely feel the pain, almost passing out breathing in and out, not able to give him anymore answers.

Your eyesight in and out, not paying attention to him dragging you down the bed, handcuffing your wrists together behind your back, feeling the all familiar click of the tightening bounds,

He pulled you atop him, your clothed cunt teasingly seated on his soft dick, he’d removed his towel in the scuffle, your body flimsy not understanding what he was trying to do.

“You know what. Why don’t i prove to you Jackie’s alive and healthy, hm?”

You felt him push your underwear aside, inserting his slightly hard dick into you, the stretch almost too much for you, he seated fully inside of you as he held onto your hips, moving you back and forth a couple of times. You gave up, letting him use you, you had no more energy, you just want death at this point.

He slapped your ass, encouraging you to move up and down before he put the phone up to his ear,

“Keep my cock hard or i’ll slit your throat to the bone, y/n.” it seemed like a good way out, you were asking for death. You wanted it, but the delicious sting of his cock inside of you, taunting your body for being so wet around him, you’d get off around him one last time.

You heard ringing from his end of the phone, “if you make any noise i’ll make sure you and your family die.”

You took his threat seriously, holding as much as your breath to make sure you were quiet, hearing him at the other end.

“Jackie..hey,–”

You heard her voice on the other end, he really did make sure she was alive. He was silent for a few seconds before you heard what sounded like small cries on the other end, you watch him wink at you, thrusting up roughly causing you to whimper out, going to cover your mouth with your hands, your wrists stinging from trying to pull them apart while in handcuffs.

“I know, i can’t believe what happened. I know–i know, i miss them too. Do you think they’re dead?” his fake concerned voice as he smiles at you, running his tongue along his top lip, rolling his eyes to the back of his head with pleasure as you’re lifting yourself up and down on his cock, feeling yourself dripping down his shaft.

You want to make any noise, feeling him twitch inside of you, his fat cock stretching you and straining you until it hit your cervix, wincing at the slight dull pain, he kept thrusting up to hurt you, one hand on your hip as the other holds the phone to his ear.

“Don’t cry, it’s going to be okay. Wherever they are, alive or not, we’ll be praying for them, we’ll be praying for all of them.” a particularly hard thrust up as he spoke his last sentence caused you to groan out, crying slightly at the pain.

His hand seated now at your throat, holding it while you slid back and forth on his dick, him squeezing your voice box hard enough so even if you wanted to moan you couldn’t.

“Just know that I love you, and we have each other.” the last words you heard before you felt him coat your walls with his cum, pumping you full and to the brim, eyes squeezed shut biting his bottom lip as he ravages you, breathing as heavy as he could with someone on the other end of the phone, letting go of your throat as he rested his hand on his chest, trying to catch his breath,

“I’ve gotta go, i love you Jackie”

//

You were now permanently rooming with Jonathan, handcuffed to the bed on days he wasn’t able to really be able to keep you in check. You learned the date finally, it’s been a whole month. You were supposed to start college. Were people still looking? Were people still hopeful you were alive. You couldn’t believe he’d kept you around this long, being his fuck buddy at night, forcing his way into showers with you and taking you from behind. It’d been a journey with him, a journey you were ready to end the day he loosened your handcuffs a little too much when he decided to leave the house.

It’s your chance. Leave now or die later. What was your choice?  

Stay, you may die,

Leave now, you may die,

Death the outcome of both. So you went with the latter.

Sneaking your one wrist from the handcuff, ready to do this in just a t-shirt and underwear, someone has to find you. Someone has to be looking.

You went to open the door to his room, everything falling perfectly into place as it opened up with no trouble, no lock in sight. You took in the views, fuck his house was huge

Not paying too close attention, you walked past the few rooms on the third floor, running down the steps as fast as you could, running until you hit the bottom level, the stairs dropping you off into the kitchen…

Your eyes went straight to a long white wire, plugged into..what? your phone?

Your heart lit up, he couldn’t be so dumb? Could he? you grabbed your phone, looking up at the top right, 8%,

Fuck, you had to take it with you. This creep was going through your phone? You almost dropped it unplugging it, going to your contacts to find he’s deleted them all, your text messaged, all gone, fuck, who’s number do you know? fuck, fuck, fuck it,

You dialed out, 9-1, hearing footsteps come from behind you, your turned around, seeing Jonathan rush to you, moving out of the way, he hit into the counter, doubling over in pain which gave you enough time to run, not thinking about finishing your phone call, you went straight to the front door, opened the screen door and running out bare foot, feeling leaves crunch under your foot and rocks indent into your skin, “HELPP ME, SOMEONE HELP ME” you screamed, running straight, finding yourself continually stepping on branch after branch, looking back once you’ve found yourself a distance away.

You sat up against a tree, catching your breathe, looking back and noticing no house in the distance, you ran far enough to get his house out of distance. He lived in the middle of nowhere, scared for your own life, you picked up the phone. Clicking it open, having it automatically go dead, FUCK,

You cried to yourself, throwing it on the floor as you put your hands into your hair, sobbing as you found yourself once again lost, in pure fear, this was it. You’d die in these woods, nobody looking. Nobody caring,—

You heard leaves snapping behind you, turning to look back from the tree,…nobody there,

You decided your best bet was to continue your travels, you can’t just lay down and die now after all of this, but there were other plans for you.

Turning around, walking ahead only a half a second before you screamed, bumping chests with Jonathan. He held you to him as you hit him to get away, screaming and carrying on, fighting for you life, this time he’s going to kill you. He’s going to kill you.

“Give up, y/n. Stop fighting. You’re mine forever now.”