#even that pig's got a body count

[evilkitten3]

the thing is that whenever someone talks about a character in naruto who should be in prison or whatever i kinda gotta laugh cuz like. bro they are all serial killers and mass murderers. in the naruto universe you can either commit homicide, hire people to commit homicide, or sell ramen and. well it's not a coincidence that teuchi has zero competition

[sordidmusings]

!!!OP MANGA SPOILERS DUDE!!!

I can’t stop thinking about Shanks and Shamrock stealing you from each other.

Summary: First is Shamrock, seeing Shanks’ happiness from having you and both wanting to have that for himself and also simply wanting to keep it from the other. Second is Shanks, saving you from being Shamrock’s plaything and inadvertently gaining the same obsession for you. Both must have made the other think you were dead to keep you, because there’s no way they wouldn’t raze the world to get you back if they knew you were out there.

Word Count: 2.5k

Warnings: NSFW themes but no explicit descriptions of sex - more dances around it and focuses more on the acts around it and the implications of those, gn reader

Very yandere style, especially on Shamrock’s part. There’s a place where Shanks could be doing it for the right reasons - maybe on that trip back to Mariejois, he spied on his relatives and saw your mistreatment and just had to save you. Saving you and keeping you just blurred into the same thing because, after all, where are you safer than at the side of the great Emperor?

~ ~ ~ ••• ✦✦✦ ••• ~ ~ ~

Shamrock doesn’t need to delude himself into feeling like the Good Guy. If he wants something, he takes it. Who’s gonna stop him? It’s his right to have whatever he wants. He’ll just add you to the collection of people he keeps to worship him - and worship him they do. He’s a god amongst men, power and divinity made flesh, a walking idol and altar.

But you don’t. Yes, you wake him before the sun, wash his body with reverence, groom and clothe him, bring him his food and press it to his lips, follow him more dutifully than his shadow, allow him rights to your body night and day, but he can see the rebellion you have stored away deep, where you can wrap your soul in it thick enough to keep even him out. You never truly fought him more strongly than hesitation on orders, but his sight is as strong as Shanks'. He knows you give your love to the little cockroaches causing chaos in the world, praying to them in your heart even when your lips move to speak devotion to him. He wonders how often you pray for Shanks and it makes him angry enough to think of cracking the world open.

He tried breaking you. Shamrock had been raised to meet love with cruelty from his first breath, so it was quite easy. He berated you, isolated you, ran you ragged, but you’d just meet him with outward obedience. He watched as your internal and external worlds grew more dissonant and you got even farther from him. His anger grew such that he didn’t notice the empty pit beneath it.

How did Shanks get your love? He was a jovial fool so he likely showered you in sweet things and affection. He could try that.

But Shamrock wasn’t built for affection. It rang hollow, forced and insincere. Now even that pissed him off. He can do anything, why not this? Why was it so easy for Shanks? He doesn’t care if it was something he looked down on, he needed to be better than everyone at everything. The fear that failing at perfection set in him was something he never wanted to address. He shouldn’t need to; he was born of god’s blood and gods. don’t. fail.

You were more gracious than Shamrock deserved through his attempts. Trinkets were accepted and kept with the utmost care, even when you wanted to smash them beneath your feet. Fingers running over your scalp, a bit too rough to be calming (unlike the ones you missed so so dearly), were accepted placidly even when you wanted to turn and bite at them until you felt crunching bone. Lavish clothes were worn for all to see then later stripped before his eyes. Each time, the urge to scream would lessen as you simply lived somewhere inside of you where this felt Nice. Where you didn’t feel like a fattened pig getting patronizing pets and farcical adoration, all given not for what you are now but for the bacon they’d one day be chewing.

Shamrock got more desperate the more he tried affection. You leaned into his advances with more habit and ease and he found he loved it. He didn’t know if it was because of the novelty of getting closer to his goal of completely owning you or if he genuinely enjoyed the softness. He didn’t care. Either way, he was closer to invading that little place in you kept for yourself, right beyond the love you kept for Shanks. Once he was there, he didn’t care if your devotion was from obligation or love, so long as it all belonged to him.

Or so he thought.

One night, when he was getting his fill of you, it was different. You were different. You didn’t just let him do as he pleased and follow orders; you met him with your own wants and actions. Your hands weren’t just docile, they were seeking. Your breath wasn’t placid, it was canting. Your lips weren’t soothing, they were ravenous. And your voice - your voice. It held him captive in its tones, each one full of praise and pleasure and need. He’d never felt the bloom and rush of adrenaline come to life in his chest like it did when you kissed your way to his ear to rest your temples together and sing your praises right against the shell.

It hit Shamrock that this is what wanted all along - adoration given willingly, not dredged out through fear and necessity. He’d had it offered to him by hundreds and thousands, but none felt as good as earning it from you. Your loving touch had washed the anger straight out of him, exposing the yawning maw of that empty pit in his being. He shook in its presence but then you held him tighter, kissed him warmer, and it began filling drop by drop. He set a promise in his soul to do whatever he could to keep you treating him like this - no matter the cost, no matter the action, no matter the brutality, no matter the humiliation.

What Shamrock didn’t know, was that he didn’t destroy that stronghold in you; you simply enfolded him in it for a short while. You wanted to pretend. You wanted to live in love again, even if just for a bit, even if it wasn’t real.

But you had to be careful.

If you sighed Shanks’ name, you’re sure he’d kill you.

~ ~ ~ ••• ✦✦✦ ••• ~ ~ ~

While Shamrock’s story was of breaking your will, Shanks' story is of breaking your fear.

Your whole life is built around it. Fear is your drive, fear is every interaction. Fear both steals and drives your breath, fear steals and shapes your every dream. Most of all, fear is home and fear is safety.

Shanks' heart aches at what Shamrock made of you. Is there a person in there beyond the wounded animal? Or are they so far beyond reach they may as well be dead?

Seeing you, a ball of survival instinct made at once of tempered obedience and frantic reactivity, has him even more sure of all his choices to stay far away from the life his blood could afford him. Sure, the world is cruel and has broken many a man in their search for goods and glory and freedom, but not like this. This could only be achieved by a conscious effort hell bent on complete domination, knowledgeable in cruelty and uncaring for suffering.

Shanks is sure that freedom would save you, but freedom doesn't sit so well on you. Freedom is dangerous, freedom is unpredictable. Freedom sets a panic in you just as deep as Shamrock’s cruelty. What if you do something wrong? What if Shanks is testing you? What if you get punished? What if you make it worse?

Despite all of his patience and coaxing, you cling tightly to the devil you know, sinking your fingers in deep enough to bruise you both.

Shanks isn't one to give up though. Especially because instead of annoying him like you both thought this inevitably would, it gives him a new sense of purpose. He's no stranger to being a guardian - if anything it's a role he ends up inhabiting naturally in the majority of his relationships. It's just cranked up to eleven with you.

Shanks lets his crew (and just about only his crew) embrace you in their presence and cheer, loving that it helps some smiles shine more honestly on you. You were taken in readily and easily; Shanks’ crew is well attuned to him and follow his feelings for things like it's second nature. The times they disagree do exist but are few and far between. As Shanks orbited closer and closer to you, one of those cropped up.

Beckman had concerns for your purpose there, your safety, your future. Concerns about Shanks' intent. They only grew when Shanks shut down any discussion on the matter. At first it was waving Beckman off with his easy smiles and promises that he's just keeping you safe and enjoys having you around. That's no crime right? When Beckman presses him to be serious, he sees a crackle of energy in Shanks' eyes that’s saved for their worst enemies.

Beckman backs off. While he still worries for his friend and captain (somethings not right about that unexplainable fervor-), you are not worth making an enemy of him.

Shanks doesn't see the obsession with which he treats you. He doesn't see how not only his habits and his life begin to revolve around you but his heart and mind too. You're his first concern when he wakes and his last wish before he sleeps. You're the rudder steering his decisions, your comfort and well being influencing everything. What influences him most though is the possibility of earning your love and devotion. The idea alone that you could one day turn to him and tell him that he makes you feel safe drives Shanks forward like a wolf snapping at the ankles of a sprinting elk.

Where before he would give you space to learn autonomy, Shanks saves you from that fearful task by always holding you close. You know what you're supposed to do if he has an arm around your shoulder or plops you in his lap; you follow him, you melt into him, you keep him smiling and laughing and happy. It's much nicer than the way Shamrock would hold and direct you - there's never any pain or punishment and there is always reward.

While Shanks doesn't decorate himself in riches, he has more than most lifetimes could accrue. He passes them to you readily, finding a deep-seated pleasure in seeing you dressed in treasures he gave you. While he's happy to see you in anything of his (his heart nearly stopped then burst whenever he managed to convince you to wear his shirts or cloak), the pricy and rare objects being something only he could give you sates him. It shuts up a tiny panicked voice saying that you might leave, that Shamrock may come back and scoop you up and actually win your love this time.

He knows how ridiculous the idea is; your fear for Shamrock is so great he doesn't even know if you have room for hate beside it. But Shanks doesn't care. The idea of you just being gone puts a vice in his chest and a whirlwind in his head and he forgets how to breathe and how to think. It sets a tremble through his bones that reminds him of his worst days - pain and loss and death - and he thinks it's a curse that you both must live with panic beside each other. Now, if you were to live with each other, then surely all you would both know is happiness.

Shanks has won over countless women (and men and otherwise for that matter) so he simply starts using what he's learned to win you too.

Shanks tells you such nice things. He tells you how beautiful you are, how resilient you are, how lucky he is to have gotten you. You don’t believe a word of it even though you can tell he means it. But it’s still nice to hear. Each time you do, it gets a touch easier to pretend he’s not lying. If there’s one thing you’ve learned about Figarlands, though, it's that they’ll chase what they want with all that they have, no matter the cost or consequences. For some reason, he has decided that you are what he wants, so you’ll make it easy and skip all the drastic measures.

Shanks lasts as long as he could stand before he tries getting under your clothes. By the time he folds to his wants, they've grown into a great beast always clawing at his back, weighing him down, making him ache. He'd begun gritting his teeth every time he saw you, flinching at your touch before settling to it, looking away before taking you in, pinching his lips before forcing a smile. It had you terrified.

What did you do wrong? Did he find out how worthless you are? Was he forcing the whole time? Does he hate you now? Is he going to get rid of you? You need to fix it.

Shanks last bit of resolve breaks when he sees you approaching him, shaking in your boots but trying to keep a brave face, and the first bit of determination he's seen in you twists your face in a frown. He's seen the starting pieces of a personality come back to you - intelligence when you help problem solve around the ship, playfulness when you're loose from a night of drinking with the crew, compassion when you sit with anyone who's hurting - but this is your first time taking initiative for a want. And that want has to do with him. Just as it should.

You barely get out a question before he's whisking you away to "talk privately". You barely get through the door to his cabin before his lips are on yours. You barely make it out of your clothes before falling in his bed.

Touch is something you hated for a long time. Touch meant pain and panic. Shanks teaches you that touch means so much more. It started with the casual touch and little shows of affection, but none of that compared to this. Shanks touches every piece of you he can find and finds every way to make it feel good. He's greedy for your body but he's also greedy for your pleasure, gorging himself on it yet never finding his fill. He's domineering in how he moves and bends you to find it, in how he directs you to his whims. It's softened by whispers of love and devotion, sweetened by his flushed face and sweet kisses and shining eyes. It sets your chest on fire, especially when he seeks your praise. He ties his mind to it as a tether to make it through the calamity shredding through him.

You don't care what he asks of you. You don't care what restrictions he sets. You don't care what choices he takes from you. You think this must be what love is supposed to feel like. It wrings tight around you and infects you and helps you forget yourself. Despite the squeeze, there's no pain. There's no fear. Shanks can take care of that for you.

Shanks' fate is set as surely as yours when you admit to him, "I've never felt safe before." Before. He never thought he'd care so much for the word but right now it's everything. It's your first proclamation of love, first admission that you need him.

As much as he'd trap you to his side, you have Shanks bound to yours. He'll bend his future, his needs, his morals for you. He'll worship you like a dying man begging forgiveness before his judgment. Ask anything you want of him and it's yours. Just don't ever ask to leave.

~ ~ ~ ••• ✦✦✦ ••• ~ ~ ~

Thank you for reading the rambles my sweets!! I’m taken enough with the idea that I may have to write some scenes from each of these plot lines. Maybe also reaction for when they find out that the other had taken you. Please let me know if you’re interested as it will make that more likely!

Tag list: @uh-hah @schoute @hannahbarberra162 @feral-artistry @mytanuki-kun

Again, I am redoing my tag list so please tell me explicitly that you’d like to be added if you would! Assumptions make me feel like I am Bothering 🧍‍♀️

Masterlist

[melminli]

BANG BANG BANG lll

summery - thanos was always just such an easy person to argue with. you really hated the guy and that was something that was never going to change, even if your life was on the line and it fucking was.

pairing: (thanos) choi su-bong x fem. reader

word count: 2.8k

contains: violence, drug use and addiction, dark content - just usual squid game stuff really

a/n: many wished for a part 3, so here you go!

prev. | masterlist.

Money, money, money - must be funny, in the rich man's world? And you know what, it probably was. Though, it wasn't as if a single fucking person in this room would know that. Otherwise, you all wouldn't be here in the first place, would you now?

There were a few among you who couldn't shake off the desire to understand those lyrics, even if it meant risking your lives for it. Well, and by a few you meant more than half of the people around here. You would bet that they would put even more on the line if they had anything else, but no - your own life was all you had and maybe well, the life of the others around you.

All it took was stuffing a few banknotes into a golden piggy to make all the other pigs hope that it could be them up there - that they could be the lucky person that got the money. It seemed to be true, you could take people's lives but not their stupid hope. The one thing that would still be the demise of many, it had to. The prize money wouldn't increase without their sacrifice, after all.

Everyone knows how stories like that ended. You know, the ones where desperate people fight against each other for a chance? Watching all the glowing faces when the prize money was announced after the first game ended, was like watching a beaten-up dog that someone put outside - only to lure it back into the house with a bowl of food. It was just sick. Well, at least it made you sick.

Your lower lip wouldn't stop quivering and you tried to stop it by biting it, but to no avail. You were sweating while still freezing simultaneously and you were very much familiar with the signals your body was trying to send you. However, you tried to ignore them as best as you could, just like you did with everything else right now.

“Hey, you're really not going to talk to me? What if I die in the next game and the last thing you did was ignoring me?” Thanos' incredibly annoying voice spouted some bullshit again as he leaned against your bed while standing up. He had been trying to get your attention for a while now but you were stubborn and continued to show him your back. He raised an eyebrow questioningly as he nudged you with his hand. “Do you really want this on your conscience? Hey, are you serious? I thought that -”

Thanos stopped what he was saying when you turned aggressively to face him with a rather angry look on your face. He slowly brought his hand back to him as your eyes continued to glance at him with that look. “No, you don't think and that's the problem.” you spat out the words full of venom and tried to control yourself when your eyes shifted to the blue label with the circle on his chest. “Why should I care if you die in the next game, huh? You obviously want to keep playing, you -” and you searched for a word to curse him out, but there just wasn't one that could wrap up your feelings at this moment.

It happened again - he took another chance away from you to just live your life. Maybe it wasn't entirely fair of you to blame him when it was a whole group of people who had voted to stay here, but you stopped caring about what was fair a long time ago. “Whatever, nothing matters anymore anyway.” you laughed out in exasperation as you ran your shaky hand over your face. “I'm going to die next round anyway, but I guess that suits you pretty well, huh? You know, since that means that another 100 million won goes into your pretty piggy bank?”

It was a large sum of money, no question, but - was your life really only worth that much?

Thanos grabbed your arm in annoyance as he shook his head in disbelief at what you were saying. You weren't just a sum of money to him and he didn't understand why you would think that. Yes, he admitted that he fucked up all the time and he had never been the best friend to you, but - if there was one thing, one person that he could care about - that would be you, no questions asked. He still did after all these years, even if he didn't say it, even if he did it in his own twisted way. “Are you crazy? Stop talking stupid shit, you're not going to die!” He exclaimed angrily, not even considering that as an option. “If you'd just stop being so fucking stubborn and join my team, you'd know that too.”

You laughed. “What team? You and your little boyfriend back there?” you asked him as you looked at the guy a little further behind you. He seemed like a good tag-along waiting for his boss. How cute, you were about to throw up. “I doubt you two idiots are going to increase my chances of staying alive.”

Thanos looked at you offensively. “Nam-su is not my boyfriend, okay? And we may still be few, but that will change soon. Can't you just - please trust me? Please?” he just straight up started begging and to be honest, you didn't have much energy left for any arguing at this point.

You wish you had the privilege of being able to say that everything was easier back when you two were kids, but your life was exhausting even then. Your mother had too many children with a deadbeat man like your father and after you were born, they put all their hope in you for some reason - to get them out of their miserable poor lives. You weren't some hero, not then and not now. “Do you know why I have so much debt?” you finally asked Thanos tiredly and he just looked at you silently before shaking his head.

You nodded. Of course, he didn't know, you had never told him since you preferred to cut him off. “Because I lost my scholarship at university after they found out I was a fucking crackhead,” you answered him with a depressed smile. “And it doesn't really help much to be smart or anything if you don't have any money. That was my only chance to pay my way through to not end up like this but now I have to figure out how to pay for all that without working myself to death at a fucking minimum wage job,” you told him.

You thought you could finally get rid of some of the stress - try again with the money you would earn here. Simply giving up your studies wasn't an option, since that would mean that you had to work shitty jobs which didn't pay much for your entire life and not just while studying. You refused to face the same fate as your mother - dropping out after she found out that she was pregnant with you was the first mistake that led to many more.

But of course, you would never complain ever again - hell, you would much rather prefer working every night shift in the world if that would mean that you could get out of here. “And you know what I've been thinking ever since? That if I had never asked you as a stupid kid if I could play with your Iron Man figure, none of this would have ever happened to me.”

This is just fucking great. Fucking bullshit. Thanos angrily smacked himself on the head, knowing he deserved all of this. Yeah, you probably even made the right decision by cutting him out of your life back then, but he still couldn't help but continue to be selfish and want you. He wanted you in his life even if he was the worst thing that ever happened to you because you know what? It didn't change the fact that you were still the best thing that would ever happen to him.

He had been a selfish asshole his whole life and that wouldn't change now, so he couldn't just let you go. “Look, it's just one more game. The money we would have gotten if we quit wouldn't even be enough to buy a Lamborghini and I have to afford at least…” he had to strain his head a little and count with his fingers. “…four of them to pay off my debts. Hell, maybe enough people will die in the next round and there'll be even some left over. I'll also give you back all the money I owe you, I promise! And I'll give you even more if you need it. I want to help you, I really do,” he tried to explain, knowing that he would have more than enough once he took Myung-gi's share too.

He just doesn't understand. You sighed tiredly. “Whatever, I don't really care anymore,” you said and finally gave in. “Okay, sure, I'll join your stupid loser team. Just stop bugging me.”

Thanos smiled broadly and didn't stop himself from pulling you into a weird hug. “You won't regret this! I'll take care of you, okay?” he clarified, and even though he claimed the opposite, you couldn't help but feel like you'd regret it - you always did. “We're going to get out of here and everything will go back to the way it was before, okay?”

You just looked at him and said nothing more as Thanos continued to hold you, finally noticing your slightly poor physical condition. He knew how to solve the problem as well as you did, but even in his current befuddled state, he wasn't sure if he should offer you a pill. “Oh, um - I know this probably isn't the right time for this, but it still feels like I should ask…” he spoke up, looking down at his cross necklace.

You tried to hold back. At least for now. “Ehm, no, I'm fine -” you declined with a slight shake and nodded. “Yes, I'm fine, I'll just go to sleep - exactly.”

You could already tell that this night wasn't going to be an easy one, but as you watched Thanos and that Nam-su guy shoo a few other people out of their beds around your area, so that they could take their place, you knew for sure. How embarrassing, you thought to yourself as you pulled the blanket over your body and hoped that the lights would go out soon.

“Welcome to your second game. We will begin shortly, and this game will be played in teams. Please divide into teams of five in the next ten minutes. Let me repeat -”

I guess we won't be playing Dalgona, after all. You didn't really blame the previous winner of the games, too much. After all, he was in the same shoes as all of you.

“So, we need two more people,” Nam-gyu stated correctly as Thanos confidently slapped him on the back, not doubting picking the best from the pool of players. “Yeah, let's see who we can find. Preferably someone with a lot of muscle and strength,” he said, although you weren't sure what the point of that was since you would be playing children's games. Although, on second thought, the strong kids always managed to win the easiest back then, too…

Thanos looked at you as he pointed his index finger at the ground. “You, wait here. We won't take long,” he commanded you as if you were his pet and you felt your eyebrows twitch slightly at the audacity while you silently watched the two guys go away.

Of course, you didn't listen to what he said and just looked around the crowd yourself when you saw how most of the players had already formed groups. I don't want to be in a team with four idiots, you thought to yourself as you saw two people who seemed to be talking to each other. They seemed to be around your age which made you a bit more comfortable when approaching them. “Excuse me…” you said shyly when you met them because talking to strangers still was something that made you a little nervous. “Would you mind if I joined you?”

The players with the numbers 380 and 125 on their chests looked slightly surprised in your direction. The woman looked at your figure briefly before crossing her arms in front of her. “We are only two, so far.” she clarified before your own number seemed to catch her attention. “Hey, aren't you the one who's always hanging out with that crazy purple-haired guy? I would have expected you to be on a team with him?”

You stroked your hair, slightly uncomfortable. "Did you really notice that? Shit, now everyone probably thinks I'm friends with this guy, how embarrassing,” you mumbled to yourself, and the girl just grinned slightly at your appearance while the shy boy looked at you in confusion. “He's like an annoying tick. He just won't leave me alone. Otherwise, I really wouldn't bother with him! You have to trust me!” you begged her, trying to salvage whatever was left of your image.

And speaking of the devil, it didn't take much longer for Thanos to shout out your name after you said that. “Hey! I told you to stay there, what's so fucking hard to understand?!” he spits out annoyed as he grabs you by the shoulders to shake your body before you can even think of hiding from him. Finally, he noticed the other two next to you. “Who are they?” he asked you as you pushed his hands away.

“I want to be on their team,” you announced.

He looked unbelieving and betrayed. “But you promised me you'd be on Team Thanos!”

“Well, I was clearly lying. So, you'd stop bugging me.”

Thanos looked at you with narrowed eyes before glancing at the two other guys he had recruited along with Nam-guy. “You two - go find another team. Now,” he said simply as he copied your posture and made a counter announcement. “Because we're going to unite our teams. You can't get rid of me so easily, you're staying with me.”

Of course. The player with the number 380 on her chest threw an arm around your shoulder as she looked challengingly at your annoying friend. “And who says that we would want to do that?” she posed the question.

Nam-gyu already knew he didn't like this one. “Hey, who do you think you're talking to -” he started to threaten her, but Thanos put his arm out in front of him before he could go after her.

There was a brief, strange silence as the rapper shifted his gaze between you and the other girl next to you. This girl doesn't look straight, is she interested in…?

Thanos narrowed his eyes as his gaze met yours again and he could feel his muscles tense at the things that were running through his head right now. Number 380 was provoking him with her actions. This shit makes me fucking angry, man. But it only took him maybe a few seconds of imagining the whole thing between you two a bit further to change his mind. Never mind, that's actually pretty hot.

“You're safe as long as the great Thanos protects you, eh? Besides, I doubt you'll find anyone better, there are only two minutes left.” he suddenly spoke out and none of you wanted to know what went on in his head in the short time that he was silent. “Come on, this is going to be fun! Who's the little guy behind you?” he asked and you and number 380 looked at each other reluctantly for a moment before revealing your hidden member.

Nam-guy let out a heavy sigh as his eyes met the loser in front of him but Thanos didn't seem to care much about that. “What's your name?” he asked, watching as the guy looked up at him a little anxiously. “Oh, my name is Min-su…”

Even his name sounds pathetic, Nam-gyu thought to himself and couldn't stop himself from voicing his dissatisfaction. “This guy honestly gives me mad loser vibes, dude…” he complained, but Thanos paid him no mind as he walked towards the member. “Nah, this is perfect - we're the perfect team! Right Nim-su?” he asked the little guy while hugging him more tightly from the side and laughing when he saw his shy reaction. “I like you, you're cute.”

Seeing the two of them together was a really weird view, you honestly felt sorry for Min-su. “I'm sorry about that…” you whispered a little awkwardly to player 380 but she just patted you on the shoulder reassuringly. “Don't worry, how those two behave is not your responsibility. I suppose we're in this thing together now.” she laughed, not sure exactly what to make of this all herself.

You smiled at her before your eyes went to the watch on the wall which showed that you all only had half a minute left before the next game would start. “I mean, I guess so…”

taglist:

@innies-goth-gf @so-dramatic1 @fiicalapsiholoaga @h3artz4soph @luhvaryan @blackcatl0ver @hollxe1 @vixionix @barrythestrawberry041 @hashekyu @daphne00daiz @jayyzki @nikoeatschemicals @noharaaa @llynx7 @diaryofapsycho @nosla65 @tsuniio @gaabyzz @nejilost @homeless-clown @fr3akyyg1rll @ametheslime @chrypir @dior-heartsforever17

[lucid-loves]

simon slowly falling in love with reader after hating her for a long time⁉️

Sorry this took so long! I hope you enjoy it! ❤

Nuclear Date Night

Pairing: Ghost x 141!reader (fem!reader, weaponsengineer!reader, codename: Byte)

Word Count: 12.8k, One-Shot

CW: strong language, mention of violence, hate to love relationship, rivals, competitive, competence, realized feelings, smut, body praise, deep kissing, licking, fingering, biting, p in v

Let me know if I missed any CWs.

Story Synopsis: Ghost hates your guts. Even since you joined the team as their new weapons engineer two years ago, he’s hated you with his whole chest. With your high and mighty attitude, bewildering intellect, and unwavering confidence, he can’t stand you. You hate him too with his unreadable face, demeaning protection, and lack of grace. When an undercover mission requires the two of you to get closer, though, the both of you realize your hate for one another has turned into something else entirely. 

You ignored the icy cold glare the lieutenant kept on your figure as you explained how the new sniper-focus worked. Your comrades stared at your invention in wonderment, once again reminded just why you were part of the team. Thanks to your countless all-nighters and delicate hands, you managed to invent a focus that can attach to any sniper, calculate notches and wind speed, recommend the gun-adjust accordingly, and hit a target perfectly with over 98% accuracy. No matter the distance, no matter the weather, your focus powered with A.I. calculated assistance can kill any target. 

Everyone was impressed. Save for Ghost. 

“Aim at the target, give it a second to calculate, and then listen to the adjustment with the earpiece. After that, just adjust the aim and fire. Pretty simple stuff, really.” You demonstrated, large sniper in hand. 

The wind blew through your hair, dust coating your strands like moth to a flame. From a distance, a whipping dust devil was forming across the golden sands of the desert. It was dry, it was hot, and it was windy as hell. It was the perfect place to demonstrate your brilliance. 

When you joined the team two years ago, you knew that you had to put your heart and soul into this job in order to be taken seriously. You weren’t especially muscular or tall. As a soldier, you did train for instances of defense in case it was needed, but your true power relied on your smarts. A rather overlooked sign of an excellent soldier that often invited ridicule from the more traditional soldier. 

That’s exactly what Ghost did when he first met you. 

“You sure this shrimp can handle herself? Be one of us? She looks like she can barely lift a spoon without straining her wrist.”

You bit the inside of your cheek at the memory, muscles tensing as if you were in that moment once again. The memory of your response quickly took over. 

“Are you sure this meat-head can handle my science? He looks like he can barely use a blender without getting confused by all the buttons.”

You both left a bitter taste in each other’s mouths that day. The taste has lingered ever since, tainting nearly every interaction you had. It was a wonder how you haven’t killed each other yet. 

Setting up the sniper, you prepped for the real demonstration. While you did final adjustments to the focus, you called over your rival. “Ghost, test this for us.”

“Why do I have to be the guinea pig? I don’t need a fucking robot to focus my aim anyway.” He protested, every cold tone in his words deliberate. 

The team shifted uncomfortably, even after all this time still not used to the spats the two of you got into. Attempts to resolve the bad blood have always failed. It was easier to just let the two of you spit your fire until you ran out of fuel. 

“Alright then, tough guy, you can aim without it. Go ahead, hit the target.” You nonchalantly agreed, confident that things were going to go your way this round. Ghost noticed that easy acceptance you gave, his eyes narrowing at you as he tried to figure you out. What was your game this time?

Not one to back down, he approached the sniper and aimed it normally, your focus set to default. No robots, no artificial intelligence. Just plain-Jane markers for distance. Looking through the scope, Ghost looked for the little red flag that indicates the location of the fake target used for practice. After a while of looking at nothing but sand, he spotted the target just past the dust devil. 

He would have to account for that. You planned for this. No wonder you insisted on dragging them all out to this dry wasteland. He clenched his teeth, blood simmering as you tried to make him look like a fool in front of his team. Backing away, though, would make him lose this game. Shooting and missing would also give you the victory point. Either way, both scenarios made him look incompetent.

God, he fucking hated you. 

Suppressing a malicious smile, you antagonize him. The feeling of beating him made your heart race in excitement. “Any day now, Ghost.”

He hated the way you drew his name out like that. The way you so easily said it like it was nothing but air to you. Like bubblegum being blown and popped at your will. His name should’ve struck fear and intimidation. Instead, you chewed on it. Popped bubbles with it. 

Aiming the scope, he lined up his shot, and fired. Watching the bullet carefully, he saw it shoot forth with speed right on the dead center of the target, whip back from the dust devil, and hit sand with an explosion of grain. 

It took everything in him not to fucking leave right then and there. 

“Good shot if you planned on missing. Now, use my focus.” You continued to tease, twisting the knife further into his already wounded pride. There was little snickering coming from his men, Gaz and Soap not being able to contain themselves. They would admit that sometimes your fights were funny. It was a way to cope with the discomfort it brought. 

Silently, Ghost switched on your focus. Out of the side, a small earpiece ejected out. He took it and fitted it into his ear under the mask. Of course, you programmed the artificial instruction with your own voice. Serious, stoic, and purposeful. “Awaiting aim to calculate.”

He aimed once more at the metal target using the scope, the dust devil blowing the sand around violently to protect it at all costs. The scope projected its calculations as if he was staring at a screen. Within a few seconds, it completed its estimations. A green dot appeared way over to the left and bottom of the notches, marking the shooting point. Your voice rang in his ears. “Target confirmed. Aim and fire.”

This seemed way off. There was no way this could be right. Was he really meant to aim so far off? The green dot stayed perfectly in place as he adjusted the aim, his center notch in line with your tech’s mark. He hoped that it would miss.

He fired and watched the bullet sail through the air, ride with the dust devil like a wave, and hit the target with perfection. He became slack-jawed bewildered at the precision. The fact that it could calculate aim with even an extreme factor such as swirling winds was undoubtedly impressive. 

This was your clear victory. And he hated it. 

You relished in his fiery disdain of your genius. A small smirk played at your lips as you saw just how the rage froze his muscles. He looked like he wanted to punch something. 

“God damn, Byte! That was phenomenal!” Soap loudly praised, his eyes wide in true marvel. The others agreed, all wanted a turn to use that focus of yours like it was a new toy. Every invention that you gave them has felt like a new toy. It made those days feel like Christmas morning. You were great at your job and they couldn’t be happier to have you on the team. 

Of course, except for Ghost. Even if your engineering prowess was the best in the world. 

“Really great work, Byte! Are the blueprints all ready to copy?” Kate smiled appreciatively while tapping on her smartpad.

“All ready for production.” You simply answered, proud of the work that you had accomplished. Another one for the books. 

While the boys played with their new toy, Ghost stepped back and crossed his arms angrily. 

He hated everything about you. Your unmatched intellect, your confident plays, your arrogant personality. He hated that his team was wasting money on technology for weapons when a true soldier shouldn’t need the handicap. Real skill was earned by yourself. Not with the assistance of technology. It should be a tool, not a crutch. 

Ghost believed that people who couldn’t aim a sniper on their own and hit a target didn’t deserve to be snipers. And you just made him unworthy of being a sniper when against your tech. 

You looked up at him, taking note of how hard he threw daggers at you. You made him look stupid, and that was your goal. It felt like you had the world in your palm when you did. Someone as respectable as Ghost being bested by a brainiac was always the best. You proved that you didn’t need muscles or height or even intimidation to be better. You just needed your smarts. 

A huff of a laugh escaped you as you turned away from him, knowing that that would just make him even more angry at you. Good. 

You hated everything about him too. 

~

“What you do really is modern magic. Seriously, Byte, how does your brain come up with such things?” Gaz inquired, raising a bottle of beer to his lips. The team decided to celebrate your new invention at the usual bar. Of course, your drinks were on them as a reward. They knew that you put a lot of work into what you did. The least they could do was pay for your rum and cokes. 

You raised the cold glass to your lips, the sweet and spicy cocktail hitting your tastebuds. “The pros of being a genius. Thank you for the praise. It feels nice to be appreciated for my work around here.”

That last past was said a little louder, loud enough to make sure that Ghost could hear it on the other side of the bar. He bit his tongue and rolled his eyes at you, not willing to open himself to any more of your antagonizing today.

The victory was as sweet as the drink you were nursing. Addictive too. You couldn’t get enough of the feeling of success. When you finished an invention, when you helped your team complete a mission, or when you bested Ghost, they all gave you that sweet sense of accomplishment. 

Soap slung his arm around your shoulder, nearly causing you to spill. He was already a couple drinks in. “Yeah yeah yeah, good work! But all we ever talk about is work. Been two years, Byte. Tell us what that genius does outside of work, huh?”

You shifted in your seat, becoming a little uncomfortable with the sudden questions about your personal life. They knew tidbits here and there about you. Some failed relationships, favorite songs, distaste for certain foods. But your answer to all of that was usually straight-forward. “We broke up.” “I like this song.” “I’m not going to eat that.”

Something that the team noticed early on was that you were a workaholic. You hung out with them on rare occasions, you were usually confined working in your lab while they had offices, and you usually departed events early to be in said lab. Besides minor details, they really didn’t know much about you outside of your work personality. They have been trying to pull you more out of your shell over time, but it was a slow process. 

Gaz frowned at Soap’s bluntness. “Come on, Johnny, leave her alone tonight.”

“It’s fine, Gaz.” You put your glass down roughly, the clink of the glass on polished wood sobering Soap up pretty quick. It made Gaz look away in shame. That was at least one thing they knew about you most intimately. You hated being treated like you can’t take care of yourself. When they stepped in on your behalf, answering a question that was meant for you, it made you want to hit them. You knew they only did it to protect you. That you were one of them and this is how they treated one of them, but you could never let it be. 

You didn’t need anybody to stand up for you. You will make that a point for forever if you had to. 

The air grew thick with tension as you silently scolded them for hitting one of your pet peeves. With a sigh, you caved in, wanting to restore some of that fun from before. “What do you wanna know? Anything is on the table.”

Soap’s face lit up like a match to a gas station. “Seriously?! Anything?”

You gave a little nod and braced yourself for the worse. Soap’s lack of personal boundaries was quite well known. It was coming from a place of genuine curiosity and ease, never ill-intent. It was just one of the quirks of Soap that you were still coming to terms with even after all this time. 

“Well. . . what’s your sex life like?” 

Gaz began to choke, coughing on beer stuck in his throat. Price tapped his back to help him out, his sharp gaze falling on Soap for such a personal question. Yet, he didn’t say anything. He knew that if he did, you would get angry at him. He has been pretty good about avoiding your pet peeve and he didn’t want to break his streak.

Clearing your throat, you composed yourself. You weren’t expecting such a blatant question either, despite inviting this kind of open question. It didn’t mean that you weren’t going to be honest, though. That just wasn’t the kind of person you were. You never stepped away from a challenge. “You’re going to have to be more specific.”

Soap grinned widely, happy to talk with you finally like you were just like one of the guys. “Body count? Preferences? All of it. I wanna know what a genius views sex as.”

Slowly, you drank the rest of your rum and coke before signaling for another one. While you hailed the bartender, you noticed that Ghost was staring intensely at you. He hated you, but even he was curious on how anyone could tolerate you enough to sleep with you. 

Once you were halfway through your second drink for some liquid courage, you began to talk about one of the most personal details of your life. “Body count of five. All men. Most were one-night stands or sex-friends.”

You liked sex. There was no question about it. At least, you were interested in it. Despite the amount of people you’ve been with, they always left you wanting more. It was always a little unsatisfying when they were finished. It always felt like there was a black hole inside of you that needed the right meal to be satisfied. 

The exact reason why was no mystery either. Unless you were masturbating alone, you never came. No matter how much time and effort went into foreplay, none of your partners have ever made you orgasm. 

Just because your sex life was active didn’t mean it was great. 

“Wow, that’s a little surprising.” Gaz admitted, finally over his coughing fit. Price shook his head, a little embarrassed to hear about his men talking about sex so freely with you. As a captain to a group of mostly boys, he has shared details with them to bring the group together. It felt a little strange to have you participate in this. Even Kate wasn’t pressured into sharing such details. 

“Our little genius gets some then! How is it? Any experience noteworthy?” Soap persisted as he ordered another round.

“Not especially? Average, I suppose.” You shrugged, answering the questions becoming much easier the more you poured rum and coke into your system. Warmth crept along your cheeks, blossomed in your ribs. You felt yourself opening up like a dormant flower. 

You ordered another drink. Soap continued to pry. “Average? What does that even mean?”

“I never came before.” You suddenly blurted out, the blending of your naturally blunt personality and alcohol turning into a pretty dangerous combination. It seemed like the rum in you was getting to your brain faster than you thought. 

This time, it was Soap’s turn to choke. Gaz was torn between wanting to laugh and wanting to comfort your plight. Ghost just stared as if he was watching the news. However, his mind was thinking all sorts of things. He wanted to mock you. Say that that was what you deserved for being so arrogant about your intelligence. He felt the instinct to trash talk you to recover some of the pride he lost today. 

Yet, he couldn’t. In fact, he began to feel a foreign pity for you. If you knew that he was pitying you over something like this, you would absolutely rip him a new one. That didn’t stop his eyes from softening for just a moment, though. A moment that you noticed with those sharp eyes of yours. 

Finishing your drink, you slammed the glass on the counter, nearly shattering it. How dare Ghost look at you like some tragic whore! So what you never orgasmed from sex! You were doing just fine when it came to solo-sex escapades. You didn’t need anyone to satisfy you. You only needed yourself. “I do perfectly fine when I masturbate. Don’t get it twisted. Other people just don’t satisfy me. It’s whatever.”

In a simmering fire, you got up from your chair and left the bar for the night, leaving your teammates wondering what the hell got you so worked up all of a sudden. 

Only Ghost knew the answer to that. 

~

Arriving back on base on your motorcycle, you headed straight to your lab. It was quiet. The dead of night. Everyone else was either back home, sleeping in the barracks, or partying it up downtown. You had an apartment to go back to, but you always found yourself coming here instead. 

Settling your helmet and jacket on the coat-rack, you made yourself at home. Dim-emergency lights softly illuminated unfinished projects on tables. Pieces of wires, circuits, and bolts littered every corner of the room. The place looked small and cramped during the day, scientists and engineers squished together in a lab that was second priority compared to the more athletic-based facilities. In the night when no one was here, the place looked like a tech graveyard. Vast, dark, and cold. 

You headed towards your usual workstation, a large workshop desk that was overflowing with unfinished blueprints of inventions that haven’t panned out just yet. A lot of the struggle came from lack of funding. Some of it came from unrealistic expectations. Science was an investment, something that most military dogs failed to realize. It’s why you always pushed yourself to work constantly and prove what the proper time and resources could bring. 

You were essentially killing yourself in order to make them see the worth of your department. 

Looking through the blueprints, you settled on one that was worth revisiting. A Russian Doll bullet that would save ammunition and materials to build said ammunition. The idea was to invent a bullet that would be compatible with most firearms, shoot an outer layer of bullet without shooting out the inner layer, and repeat until the last of the bullet is gone only to be replaced by another Russian Doll bullet. 

It would effectively turn a six-shooter into a twenty-four. It would save so much ammo and save many soldiers the reload time. 

The only problem you haven’t solved yet was the instability of gunpowder. 

That’s what you decided to work on tonight. Taking a seat in your worn out swivel chair, you opened your drawers and pulled out your materials. Bringing a magnifying glass close to you, you began to disassemble a few bullets. It was always a good idea to build things by first taking things apart. 

As you worked, you heard the sound of the lab door open. It was still much too early for the morning crew to come in, so you wondered who it could’ve been. Maybe Price had come to lecture you about how you left things at the bar. It wouldn’t be the first time he had to talk to you about your temper. 

Turning around, you were surprised to meet your rival, peering over all of the electronic corpses on the tables. He didn’t come here very often. You were always here after all. He knew you were always here. He shivered, noticing just how chilly it was inside the lab. The air conditioning was running on full blast. “Feels like a meat-locker in here. How can you work like this?”

“What do you want?” You sharply retorted, nerves already on edge at his presence. The lab was supposed to be your refuge. Your paradise. And here came the snake. 

“Relax. I’m not here to fight. I just wanted to talk to you about the focus.” He treaded carefully, his own instincts waiting to fire off like they were used to when he was with you. A lightbulb in his head just went off just then. He realized just how bad the relationship between the two of you was since his first real instinct was to yell at you. Ghost knew you felt it too. 

He was supposed to be the 141’s Lieutenant. He was supposed to bring the team together for his captain. And here he has been for two years, trying to push you out. 

Ghost has never even approached you without the intention to fight or yell or demand since the first day he met you.

Christ, was there any recovery from this? Ghost took a deep breath, trying to choose his words carefully for once. “The focus is great. You did a good job.”

“Don’t fucking pity me.” You snapped, turning back to your desk and igniting sparks as you bonded metal with heat. A hurricane brewed in your chest. Did he seriously come all this way to pity you? The gaze in his eyes should have been enough. It made you leave the bar!

Ghost felt that fire rising in his throat, wanting to say something back that would hurt you. Old habits die hard. It was a tough pill to swallow. “I’m not trying to pity you. The focus is going to help a lot of soldiers. It’s going to save a lot of people.”

You paused, unsure if his words were genuine or misleading. You’ve fallen into that trap before, hearing what seemed like a compliment only for it to be backhanded. It was unfortunate that you didn’t trust a word that came out of his mouth. “Why did you look at me like that at the bar?”

He knew exactly what you were talking about, but he wished he didn’t. He didn’t really want to talk about your sex life when it was just the two of you. Especially not when the two of you haven’t even had one decent interaction with each other. Goosebumps prickled all of his skin, his teeth nearly chattering. How could you keep it so fucking cold in here?

“I felt sorry for you.” He admitted, finding himself unable to lie to you or change topics. At least from the beginning, he has always been honest with you. 

As you heard the words you loathed to hear, you put down your tools, hands becoming too shaky to handle them with all the rage storming inside you. “I-”

“I felt sorry that no one has liked you enough to satisfy you.” 

Well, that didn’t exactly sound right.

Your mouth opened in shock at his dig. His eyes widened as he heard the words coming out of his mouth, realizing that it sounded completely fucking wrong. He held his hands up in defense, scrambling to explain himself before it was too late. 

The hurricane was in full swing, though. But instead of bringing thunder, it only brought rain. The corners of your eyes prickled with tears before streaming down your flushed cheeks. A lump choked in your throat choked the air out of you. You thought you could say something hurtful back. You always did before. But this time, his words cut a little too deep.

None of your relationships have lasted long. Not even with people you agreed to just be sex-friends with. They always ended up leaving. Whenever you asked what went wrong, they always blamed it on your demeanor. Your personality was too particular. Your interests were too complex. Your high expectations were too much. 

It was one of the reasons you kept a distance from the 141. They loved your company as far as you knew. But only in small doses. Who knew what would happen if they really spent time with you? They would probably get sick of you over time too. Ghost hated you since day one after all. 

No one liked you. You thought that you were fine with that at this point, but clearly you weren’t.

Ghost stood frozen in time, completely taken aback by your sudden tears. He expected screaming. He expected hitting. He expected icy retorts. That’s all he has ever known you as. He never in a million years expected tears. 

It made him feel like he was the biggest piece of shit on the planet. And the worst part was that he didn’t even know what to do about it. 

All of his years of hatred for you melted away as he watched you crumble, your distrust for him putting up more walls between the two of you. Jesus, how does he fix this now?!

“Byte, I-”

“Don’t you think I already know that no one likes me? You think you’re the first person to hate my guts?!” You spat, some of the lightning finally coming out. The tears kept coming, but it was somehow better for Ghost. He felt more used to that dangerous spark you had. It made you easier to approach now. 

“I didn’t mean it like that. Poor choice of words. Honest. I just meant that. . . I . . . Everyone deserves to be loved enough to the point of satisfaction. You work hard and give us countless advancements to use. You deserved to be satisfied. You deserve to have someone that will put the work into you too.” He finally managed to find the right words, nearly running out of breath with all the effort he had to find them. He was never really good at heart-to-hearts. 

You looked at him in shock once more as he attempted to salvage the hurt he caused you. This was beyond confusing for you. Your brain that worked so hard everyday, that could think up a million things at any given time, was at a loss for words. 

In your uncertainty, you followed your instincts. And that was to turn back around to your desk, wipe your eyes, and get back to work. It was the only constant in your life that you could rely on. The best way to think. 

Ghost didn’t blame you for returning to work. He probably wouldn’t know what to say either if it was him. Instead of pushing it any further, he decided that it was probably best to leave. Before he headed out of the lab, he turned back and looked at you. 

You did the same, the moment of work gracing your senses. In the end, he did try to pay you a genuine compliment. You were always the type to reciprocate fairly. “Thanks, Ghost.”

There was a certain way you said your thanks that made Ghost’s heart skip a beat. A sense of gentleness that he’s never heard from you before. The way your eyes shone bright from leftover tears had him stunned. Were your eyes always that pretty?

He turned quickly and left, the back of his neck heating from the intrusive thought he just had. As he walked back to the barracks, he sighed. The air outside was much warmer than the environment of your lab. So much easier to breathe. It felt suffocating being in there. Out here, he could let his mind relax.

And yet, he couldn’t stop thinking of you. 

~

The two of you didn’t fight as much anymore. Sharp words slipped out every now and then, but neither of you kept feeding the fire once they were said. Most of the time, you two were just back to avoiding each other. Though, the both of you had your own reasons. 

You found yourself just at a loss of words when he was civil. It was that distrust that still lingered that made it hard for you to interact with him. It was especially difficult to be around him when he was actively being polite. Praises for your work, helping you carry heavy boxes across base, or prioritizing processing your submitted paperwork was always done either curtly or in silence. It was foreign to you.

And the energy you saved now that it wasn’t spent on fighting was now put to use by noticing him a little more. You always couldn’t help but stop and stare as he helped carry equipment with you from the lab to the armory. The way his biceps flexed with ease at the heavier load. The way his eyes remained stoic even as he embraced your inventions. Ghost was now more on your mind than ever, and you didn’t know how to feel about it. 

Ghost, on the other hand, was now always thinking about you. He felt the urge to get closer to you. To get to know you better. To help you out in a way that didn’t look down on you like he’s always done. He couldn’t stop thinking about your eyes too. How bright they were under the sun or moon. How they watched him under such careful supervision, trying to decipher if his good will was real or not. 

Even in moments where he didn’t want to think about you, he found his mind wandering anyway. Ever since that night in the lab, he felt his feelings change. Two years of anger and resentment for you have nearly melted all away only to be replaced by something else. And he didn’t know how to explain it. 

All he could do was try to keep cool. Remain civil. Avoid too close of interactions with you. 

It was working for the both of you for months until you were assigned to a mission together.

The team had noticed that the both of you were getting along in the loosest sense of the term. They wondered what caused such a shift, but they never asked out of fear of resetting the apparent progress. Instead, Price tried to push more progress by assigning the both of you to work an undercover mission. 

A wealthy investor of nuclear weaponry was suddenly pouring a lot more money than usual into a country with a rising dictator. The investments coincided with less threatening ideas such as climate change prevention and DNA study in order to balance out interest. The goal was to detain this investor, question him about his relationship with this dictator, and then hopefully stop a dangerous man from getting his hands on advanced nuclear power. 

The way in was at a formal event promoted by the science community. Conservationists, biologists, engineers, and more were going to be present to try to win over some other wealthy investors that would be there including celebrities, CEOs, and politicians. It was a high brow event which made the need for scientific knowledge apparent. 

And who knew more about such science than you?

Intimidation invitations in hand, Ghost waited in a hotel lobby, a crisp, black tuxedo hugging his form as if tailored to him. The skull balaclava was swapped with a simple black face mask, covering enough of his identity which made him feel better about all of this. Looking at a nearby mirror, he checked his blonde hair. He’s never dressed so formally in his life. 

He suddenly wondered if you would like it. 

You still need a moment to get ready, always one to check twice to make sure you had everything you need. Your heart raced in your chest, your nerves tingling with adrenaline as you prepared to see this mission through. You’ve been on the field a couple of times. Never under-cover. The fact that you would probably have to do most of the talking made you nervous. 

People didn’t like you. That weakness of yours was clouding your confidence. Being a woman in science was already a tough world. Would you be able to keep your personality in check if you faced such a conflict?

Nervously, you headed down to the lobby, adjusting every dress each step of the way down. When you spotted Ghost from a distance, you froze. You have never seen him so cleaned up before. When you were coming down, you half expected him to appear like he always has. Military uniform, skull mask, strapped with obvious weapons. 

You didn’t know that his hair was so. . . 

Finding yourself at a loss for words again, you steeled yourself. As you got closer, you realized that your heart was racing for an entirely new reason. Your lieutenant was much more attractive than you thought. 

And he was technically your date for tonight.

Ghost caught your figuring in the corner of the mirror, making him turn around. Time stood still for you once again as you appeared before him looking like someone straight out of a romance movie. Your dress hugged your curves in all the right places, every strand of hair was styled beautifully to frame your face, makeup only highlighted just how beautiful you naturally were. 

How could he never see just how beautiful you were before?

You walked closer and cleared your throat, that voice he thought was so annoying before now sounding like the sweetest violin. “Lieutenant, you look good this evening.”

This was the first compliment he’s ever received from you. It made his stomach do flips. What was happening to him? Pull it together!

“Thanks. You look great tonight. Ready?” He offered his arm, waiting for you to take it. 

Your heart could barely take it as you looped your arm around his, touching him so intimately for the first time. Heat radiated from his body. The biceps you found yourself staring at before felt solid under your touch. You looked up into his eyes, the glacier blues melting into a deep ocean. Looking away suddenly, you attempted to hide your blush. He was looking at you so intensely that it startled you.

“Do you have to stare?” You questioned a little too sharply than you intended. You braced yourself for him to say something equally sharp, something Ghost felt in your arm that was hooked around his. 

He averted his gaze, now conscious of the way his eyes naturally followed you. His mind searched for an explanation for his lack of discretion. The unexplainable pull that you had on him. Jesus, it was like he was. . . 

Oh. Oh no.

“Sorry.” He mumbled, trying to keep his feelings in check. How could he spend two years praying for your downfall to all of a sudden being-

He didn’t want to think about it. Didn’t even want to entertain the likely possibility. Even if he wanted to act on his feelings, did he really deserve to after all the fighting for two years? You would probably never truly accept him after all the things he’s said and done. You weren’t completely innocent either, but Ghost had to face the fact that he was the one that started it all. Before even knowing your name, he insulted you, unable to keep his opinion on tech in weapons in check. A matter that wasn’t even your fault to begin with. 

What the hell was wrong with him back then? What the hell is even wrong with him now?

“Hey, Earth to Ghost. You okay?” You asked, noticing how he seemed to be just staring into space as they waited for the car to pick them up. There was a brightness in the night, a rain having just finished its pour. Puddles on the ground reflected the city’s lampposts, cars flashed their lights, and much to Ghost’s dismay and pleasure, your eyes shined replaced the stars. 

His voice was deep and agitated, more so upset with himself than with you. “I’m fine. Just nerves.”

At that you smirked that devilish smile that he hasn’t seen in a while. It pissed him off to no end before, but now it made his heart flutter. “Wow. The great Lieutenant Ghost has nerves. Never thought I’d hear that. Makes me feel a lot better, though.”

“And why is that?” He inquired carefully, almost afraid to hear the answer. 

You shrugged, actually starting to feel at ease for the first time in his presence. The butterflies were still there. They were just much more manageable now. “I am nervous as well.”

Before he could question you further, the designated car pulled up in front of the hotel. Gaz, parading as the chauffeur for tonight, got out of the car and held open the passenger door for the both of you to get in. Soap wanted to do this job, but Price refused. He knew that he wouldn’t be able to shut his mouth if he saw the two of you together like this. Gaz at least had a filter.

He played the role to a tee, onlookers staring as he took off his hat and bowed. “Good evening. You both look dashing tonight. Especially our lady.”

The cover was working smoothly. Together, they really looked like A-list people. The civilians would have never guessed that they were all just soldiers. Drinking in their looks, you let it replenish your confidence. You got into the car followed by Ghost, Gaz shutting the door once everyone was settled. As he drove to the venue, he went over the mission details. 

“We’ll be keeping an eye on you the entire time. We have access to all the venue’s cameras and we have mics hidden throughout the building. Some security is our own too to keep an eye on things. This place will be packed full of civilians, so violence must be kept to a minimum. Non-existent preferably. If anything does go wrong that we don’t notice, use the codeword.”

You nodded at all of the information that will keep you safe, reading the mission file to brush up on before the big show started. Ghost looked over your shoulder, also reading the file once again. Mostly though, he noticed how intensely you studied. You didn’t want to be the reason why this mission failed. You couldn’t afford that. 

When the car slowed in front of the venue, you looked out. At least a hundred people were outside, dressed to the nines, ready to spend their money or ask for money. Your blood suddenly became cold as you looked at all the people. There must have been hundreds more inside.

Gaz parked the car and stepped out, getting ready to open the door for you. However, you were a statue. Unmoving. There was panic in your eyes. You looked the part for this. Could you talk the part too?

A warm, large hand landed on your shoulder, gaining your attention. Ghost looked at you with steady eyes, his tone slow and soft as honey. “You got this, Byte. You’re probably smarter than everyone here. I’m right by your side too.”

It was relieving hearing those words come from him. He was encouraging you like he was your lieutenant. Like you were part of his team. Your heart swelled as you looked into the eyes you’ve been trying to avoid. It looked like he was finally seeing you after all this time. 

With a deep breath and a new steely expression, you nodded to Gaz through the window. He opened the door and Ghost stepped out first. You took the hand he offered you and came out, the buzz of intellectual conversation in the air. 

Gaz drove off, leaving the mission to the two of you. Ghost led the way up, your arm in his like it was always meant to be there. Miraculously, the two of you looked like the ideal date. It made getting into the venue easy as Ghost handed over the invitations to the guard at the entrance. “Welcome, Mr. and Mrs. Riley. Have a fun night!”

The both of you couldn’t help but blush at the shared name. To be referred to as Mrs. Riley gave you ideas that you never thought you would think about. It strangely had a nice ring to it that made your senses prick up. 

Ghost thought the same thing as he guided you in. Tonight, you were Mrs. Riley, his beautiful and intelligent wife. 

The two years of hating each other seemed to feel farther away as the night stretched on. 

The marble floors were packed with esteemed guests. Large, crystal chandeliers reflected off gold jewelry and champagne glasses. A live orchestra played with precise rhythm. Everyone mingled, trying to see where the best place to put their money was. Likewise, scientists tried to advocate for their foundations. All of the talk made Ghost’s head swirl. He was used to undercover missions, however, this was truly out of his realm. 

You were better at picking up the jargon. They spoke a language you understood. The language that only the people in the lab on base understood. It was like hearing your native tongue after years of speaking foreignly. Military culture and science culture was so different, that you often missed this. 

A couple approached the two of you, led by a middle-aged woman with a large, diamond necklace and fake lilies in her hair. “Aren’t you two the most adorable couple! I must compliment you on your gown too!”

This was it. This was their test to look like a real couple out as each other’s dates. You put on a fake smile and held out your hand. “Thank you for the compliment. I’m Mrs. (Y/n) Riley. This is my husband.”

The name slid easily off your tongue, yet it sent electricity through you. There was no way you were going to get used to that name tonight. It made you feel lightheaded when you said it. How could you get so embarrassed by a fake name?

Ghost was having trouble getting used to it too, a part of him wishing that the name was real against his will. Clenching his jaw, he looked out at the crowd, trying to spot the target. His large height helped, but there were too many people around. They all crowded around each other. Talking, laughing, flaunting. A slight tug on his arm brought his attention back to you. You were just sending the lady on her way after a simple, pleasant conversation. Through that, you were able to figure out if the target has shown up yet. 

“Let’s go to the main ballroom. According to the recent intel, our target would be there if he’s shown up. Something about him not being able to resist a shrimp cocktail.” You directed, your confidence becoming stronger as you weaved through the crowd. Ghost couldn’t help but take in your courage, finding it hard to believe that you were once nervous. Then again, this was your crowd.

The ballroom floor was also filled with people, but also now with clear advertisements from scientists. Small signs indicated programs with their representatives, helping investors find the right place to put their money in. You read the signs carefully, recognizing a few of them along with who was supposed to be running it. At some of the names, you grimaced. 

“You alright?” Ghost asked, trying to keep his own expression solid as if he was playing poker. He found himself worrying about you now that you looked so pained. 

You shook your head, trying to clear unpleasant memories as best as you can. “I’m fine. I just. . . I hope I don’t run into any ex-colleagues.”

As if the devil was listening himself, you heard your name being called from afar, a surprised tone countering the determined piano filling the room. “Y/n? Is that really you?!”

Putting on your game face, you smiled and turned towards your former colleague and, unfortunately, ex-lover. Of course, this was going to happen. Almost always one thing goes wrong during a mission. A part of you wished you didn’t accept this mission now that you were face-to-face with someone you tried to leave in the past. 

“Dr. Emmanuel. It has been a long time.” You greeted politely, taking extra time to keep your tone in check. The last time you spoke to him was during the breakup. He dumped you after a quarrel about a missing blueprint. You were working on a project together when you were both interns at a scientific space-engineering facility. The blueprint was supposed to help the both of you land permanent positions, but it was made clear that there was only room for one. 

When you heard the news, you both agreed that neither of you would take credit until you talked to the head of the facility. That was, until the blueprint went missing. From there, you fought and accused him of taking the blueprint for himself to get the job. Your hunch was right when you saw the new employee ID card he hid in his wallet. 

You called him a traitor. He called you deplorable. You claimed that most of the blueprint was your design. He reasoned that if you had the job, you would neglect him anyways with your workaholic nature. He then dropped the bomb that he hated working with you, that you made him feel insecure in bed with your inability to orgasm with him, and that you were just becoming into someone he loathed with your particular personality. He accused you of not loving him enough.

So he took the credit and ran, leaving you to figure out what the hell you were going to do about a job. That’s when you decided to join the military as a weapons engineer. Some time after, you joined the 141. 

“It has been some time, hasn’t it? I’m surprised to see you here? Are you here as a scientist or an investor?” Your ex inquired, sizing you up as someone to take advantage of or as competition for investors. You knew his game and you knew it well. You only had to learn the hard way once before you learned your lesson. You never made the same mistake twice. 

Ghost noticed how your expression hardened, yet you maintained that fake, pearly smile. What was this man to you? How did you know each other? 

Why did he care so much?

“He is the investor and I am the scientist. This is my husband, Mr. Riley.” You announced, now saying the word “husband” with your full chest. Your ex’s eyes widened briefly before twisting into a smile that showed hints of disgust. 

Nonetheless, he held out his hand for a handshake. “Pleasure to meet you, Mr. Riley. It is an honor meeting a man that could tame such a work-driven woman.”

Before you could shoot back some venomous words that were bubbling up on your tongue, Ghost took his hand and gripped it tight with that soldier strength of his. Your ex seemed distraught as pain shot through his hand that was being crushed. Ghost didn’t let up. “I’d prefer it if you didn’t look down at my wife, doctor. I love her just the way she is. I’m sure she has accomplished much more than you as well.”

“Now, if you will excuse us, we have better things to talk about with other people.” Ghost finally let go, bruises already starting to form on the crushed hand of your ex. While you normally would pop off at him for standing up for you when you could’ve done so yourself, you were too busy thinking about his words. The L-bomb he dropped seemed to flow so naturally from him. It made you feel flustered. 

As Ghost led you away, he leaned down to whisper in your ear. He took your flustered expression as you being upset. He wouldn’t be surprised if you were upset with him or your ex-colleague. He knew he triggered your pet-peeve and he wanted to apologize. For now, though, he had to settle with a raincheck. “We’ll talk about that later. Do you see our target yet?”

You snapped back into action, being reminded that you have a mission to accomplish above all else. Looking around, you tried to spot the target. As predicted, there he was, gorging himself on shrimp and champagne. “10 o’clock.”

He looked over and confirmed. “Target spotted. Good eye. Ready?”

Taking a few deep breaths to reset your brain, you nodded. Swiftly, the both of you approach the target just as he was taking another flute from a silver tray. You changed your serious demeanor into a more graceful one. Someone worth giving money to. Someone that the target will like. “Mr. Marston. I was hoping to finally meet you tonight. I am Y/n Riley. This is my husband. You are such an inspiration to both scientists and investors.”

“Ha! A couple of fans with good taste! A pleasure to meet such a handsome couple! I’ve been in the business for a long time though, so I know you must want something. Can’t pull the wool over these eyes, even if they are old.” He laughed cheerfully as he raised more alcohol to his lips. 

It seemed that this would be easier than you thought. People like Mr. Marston made you sick. People with way too much time and money on their hands to shape the world as they saw fit, regardless of the good of the people. Nuclear war would be a disaster. And yet, this man treated it as lightly as the glass in his hand. Careless. Spilling over with each movement. Such a fragile thing away from one wrong move before shattering into a hundred pieces. 

“With age comes experience and wisdom. I am a scientist looking for an investor. Though my studies tend to be a little. . . unconventional.” You buttered him up before casting your line. All he had to do was take the bait.

And that he did. His eyebrows rose with interest at your choice of words. He felt his wallet burning a hole in his pocket. “Unconventional, you say? Well, I am all for out-of-the-box solutions to our world’s problems. Care to elaborate on your odd studies?”

You looked up at Ghost, awaiting some sort of signal that you may proceed with luring the target to where you needed him to be. He gave a single nod, disguising it as full support for his lovely wife. You were handling this much better than he expected. Or perhaps, this is how you always were under pressure. His judgment was always just too clouded with contempt to see it. 

“We would love to talk about our project, but such a thing is rather sensitive in nature. I would hate to upset some over-hearers. Perhaps we shall meet later once the formal is over?” You played cautiously, not yet reeling in such a loose bite. 

“Oh my, now you really have my interest! There are a few study spaces at this venue reserved for investors and scientist contract negotiations. I haven’t committed to any facility yet, so why don’t I start with reviewing you? What do you say?”

Hook, line, and sinker. “That would be most ideal, Mr. Marston. Just lead the way.”

Grabbing a few shrimps to go, the target led the way to a more private area of the venue. Everything was smooth, all according to plan. The crowd parted away for the richest investor here, making the exit quite swift. Once the three of you separated from the main event down to a much quieter room, Ghost detained him with cuffs. A button on his watch was pressed, signaling to the team that the target was in custody. 

“Wh-What?! What is all this now?!” Mr. Marston protested, hoping that someone would come to his rescue. 

“Lieutenant Ghost and Sargent Byte. You are being taken into military custody for involvement with nuclear investments. We just need to ask you some questions.” You explained carefully, trying to keep the target calm so you didn’t attract unwanted attention. Cool, calm, and collected. Ghost thought it was a good look on you. You weren’t normally involved like this, so he couldn’t help but think so. 

He had it worse than he thought. Seriously, what was with him?

While Ghost took his hands off the target for a moment to reach for his phone, feeling an incoming message, the target swirled around and tried to bolt. Not in the direction of an exit, though. Instead, he was running straight to you, binded fists raised to strike you. Thanks to your self-defense classes through the military, you acted on pure instinct. You dodged his fists and struck his jugular with a sharp strike of the side of your hand. He gasped for air and collapsed, tears streaming down his face as if he would die from the loss of oxygen. 

Ghost’s attraction to you increased tenfold as you nonchalantly fixed your dress like a meager wind just caused only slight agitation. He forgot just how capable you could be physically, not just intellectually.

Right on time, Price waltzed in wearing his common military uniform. He didn’t even bat an eye at the struggling target. “Transportation is outside. Well done, you two! It was about time you worked together on something. I hope to see more of this in the future!” 

You made some distance between you and Ghost, not wanting anyone to get the wrong idea. For some reason, it pained Ghost to see you put up that wall again so soon after the mission. Was this the first and last time you would get along so well with him?

No, he decided. He told you that he would speak to you later about the interaction with Emmanuel. Then, he would knock your walls down. Finally get to know the real you.

From there, we can really determine if his feelings were just a fluke or not. 

~

You were back at the hotel, wiping your makeup off and stripping yourself out of the formal dress. Your muscles ache at the new freedom, having been fed up with such a fitted dress and heels. After showering and putting on some pajamas, you got into bed and began to read. You were rewarded for your work with a one-night’s stay at the luxury hotel, and you were taking full advantage of it. 

After reading, you were going to order hotel service and then go to bed. The life of luxury that was more than enough for you. As you began reading the next chapter of your book, you heard a knock at the door. Sighing, you bookmarked your page, and answered it. You were surprised to see Ghost standing there, smelling like fresh maplewood and citrus soap. A plain shirt clung to his torso and pajama pants made him look like a new man altogether. He had his black facemask on still, but once he let himself in, he took it off. 

This was the first time you have ever seen his full face uncovered. You noticed the small scar on his upper lip that matched the one on his right brow. His jaw was strong as if chiseled from marble. You couldn’t deny it. Ghost was a very attractive man.

“Sorry to barge in like this. I said we were going to talk, so here I am.” He explained, taking a seat on the edge of your king bed. He was drinking you in too. The pajama shorts that showed off your thighs, the cami that exposed your delicate shoulders. Your hair was still damp and scented with lavender and vanilla. His heart picked up speed as he felt a pull of attraction to you. 

How could he have ever hated a beautiful thing like you?

You found it a little rude that he just barged in, but you let it slide for once. From his tone, he didn’t seem like he wanted to fight. Besides, those deep blues were starting to melt your icy heart little by little. Just for tonight.

You took a seat on the bed next to him and looked up. “What is there to talk about? He’s just a man from my past.”

At that, he felt his muscles tense. He knew that there was more to the story. Ghost detected your evasion of the subject as clear as day. It was something he experienced nearly every day before this. He knew your tell. “I know it wasn’t just that. What he said, how you looked. What happened?”

Out of all people, you least expected Ghost to hound you about this. He has never been interested in your personal life before. Then again, your relationship has changed dramatically since the night in the lab. Before you knew it, you started to feel yourself open up to him a little. 

You stared down into your lap. “He’s an ex. We were interns together, he took all the credit for a project we did, he got a job, and I didn’t. He insulted me, dumped me, and then left. I left to work in the military. That’s really all there is to it.”

While your tone tried to keep it casual, Ghost knew it was really a tragedy. No wonder you didn’t trust easily. Now he wished he broke that guy’s hand when he had the chance. 

Did he really have room to talk though? He made you distrust people even more easily when he first met you. It was about time he apologized for it all. “Listen, Y/n. I’m sorry. About everything. For the two years of fighting. All the insults, all the exclusion. Everything. I should have been a better teammate, lieutenant, and even friend to you. I’m sorry.”

You didn’t know what to say, a new trick of his that seemed to have worked time and time again. The tick of a classic clock filled the silence as you thought about his apology. The sound of him using your real name echoed in your ears. You blamed him for everything that transpired. And now he was sorry about it. Yet, the way he looked at you didn’t indicate the need for forgiveness. He wasn’t entitled to it, and he knew that. Instead, his gaze was filled with certainty. The certainty to do much better by you from now on. 

Two years to lead up to this moment. You never thought you would live to see the day. Just like him, you slowly found your rage for him melt down to almost nothing, instead to be replaced by something soft, warm, and electric. 

You gave an awkward laugh. “I’m sorry too. I know I can be pretty unlikable.”

“You’re not unlikable.” He reassured, his hand naturally taking your cheek like he’s been doing it all his life. Ghost didn’t even realize that he did it at first. And before he knew it, he was going in for a kiss, unable to resist those pretty lips of yours for a moment longer. 

Your cheeks began to burn as he kissed you so suddenly, yet you didn’t fight it. You couldn’t. Something was pulling you deeper into him. A passion that was always there from the beginning. Hate or love, you have always been passionate about Ghost. Maybe that was why you truly hated him in the first place. 

Ghost couldn’t stop himself, deepening the kiss with each second that passed, reveling in how sweet you tasted on his lips. He’s been obsessed with you since the beginning. A fire within him had always burned for you. He just wished he realized that it was actually love much sooner. Perhaps if he did, you really would’ve been Mrs. Riley tonight. 

All the things he hated about you before were things he loved about you now. Your soft lips, your silky hair, your amazing intellect. All of the things that he could never match. You were better than him. However, he didn’t care anymore. He actually appreciated it now. 

“I’m sorry, Y/n. I really am.” He whispered as he pulled you closer, wrapping you in his embrace. You felt his firm muscles against you so much better now than before, the shirt he was wearing leaving little to the imagination with how fitted it was. 

It honestly turned you on. 

You took the initiative to reconnect your lips, your mouth opening to invite his tongue. Nerves fired off in every inch of your skin as his slick tongue met yours. Your toes curled as he felt you up, groping your thighs and waist like they would disappear any moment. His hands felt so good on you that you shivered, yearning for more. 

Things were getting out of control, but Ghost didn’t care. Tonight, he wanted you more than he has ever wanted anything from you. To appreciate all the things he was too stupid to notice before. You were sexy beyond belief. Always have been. When you were working over your desk with such a focused look, when you were gloating about your new invention, when you demonstrated a new gun so naturally in perfect stance. 

His pants tightened as his erection grew strong with each taste of your tongue. His hands roamed into your hair, gripping slightly to pull you closer. The both of you moaned when you ended up grinding against his hard cock. Once you got a taste for that, you couldn’t stop. Your hips grinded into his, sending earthquakes of pleasure through you. You could feel your panties get damper each minute as the makeout became even hotter and heavier. It wasn’t helping that it has been a while since the last time you had sex. It made you feel more sensitive than usual.

Finally, Ghost flipped you around and settled you back on the bed. He has never been so turned on in his life and you were the one doing this to him. 

There was something he needed to make clear first, though.

“I’m going to make you cum.” He promised, flashing you a determined look that had you weak. 

You blushed and averted your gaze, your voice low. “You shouldn’t get your hopes up.”

“I’ll do it. No matter how long it takes. I’m going to be the first man to make you cum tonight.” He reassured, gladly ignoring your warnings as he leaned down to kiss your lips again. As he took control of your tongue, his hands began to explore your skin under the shirt. You were unbelievably soft under his fingertips, delicate from your lack of experience on a battlefield. He now loved that about you. You didn’t need to be in the throws of battle to be part of the team. 

“You’re so soft, you know that?” He praised, deep rumbles of his voice making your brain turn into mush as it entered your ears. His kisses traveled to them, making you shiver uncontrollably as he softly bit down. 

He chuckled, a sound that was once always reserved for his male teammates unless he was making fun of you. Now, they teased you so pleasantly that your breath hitched. “Someone’s ears are sensitive. You like having them played with?”

Just as you were about to answer, he slid his hand up to touch your breasts, pinching your nipples and making you jump. “Ahh~! Ghost!”

“Call me Simon.” He demanded, yearning for the sound of his real name coming from you. It would be the first time you would call him by his real name. 

You played with it in your head, noting how foreign it felt just sitting on your tongue. Nonetheless, you gave him what he wanted. “S-Simon. . .”

“Again.” He encouraged, suppressing a shiver that traveled down his spine. It was like getting a dose of the sweetest drug. Fireworks exploding in his chest. He loved how his name sounded on your lips. 

“Simon. . .” You sighed as he peppered kisses all over your neck. Your cami was now raised up to reveal your chest, kisses traveling further and further down to taste all of you. As much as Simon wanted to fuck you already right then and there, he had a promise to keep. He had to take it slow and let it build up. He had to make you cum first.

He took a stiff nipple into his mouth, his tongue swirling around before taking it between his teeth in a gentle bite. His other hand twisted your other nub between his fingers. The way he tweaked them hard sent waves of pleasure through you, all the way down to your cunt that was still soaking your panties. It felt so good to have him touch you like this. You wanted more. 

Arching your back, you took your top off completely. Simon followed suit, stripping off his shirt and trailing his kisses down your stomach. As he felt your stomach on his lips, he buried his face deep into it. To think that he could’ve had this so much sooner if he was just nice to you from the beginning. “So soft. . .”

You squirmed a little under his slow, deep kisses to your body. No one has ever taken this much time on you before. All foreplay was pretty exclusive to your breasts or cunt with your previous partners. Simon was taking the time to appreciate your whole body. It felt so intimate. “Simon. . ?”

God, he loved it when you said his name. “Y/n?”

You were starting to like the sound of your name coming from him too. A blush swept across your cheeks. “You can be a little rougher.”

He smirked, this time making you tremble in excitement rather than rage. “Is that what you like? You like it a little rough?”

“I like the firmer sensation. Nothing too crazy.” You elaborated, always one to speak your mind even in a moment like this. If you were going to have sex with Simon Riley, if he wanted to make you cum, information like this was important.

Simon hummed against your skin, his hands working to pull off your pants. The vibrations made you sigh. Once your shorts and panties were off, he settled himself between your legs. Your dripping cunt was such a pretty sight. Pink, wet, and sweet. He bit the inside of your thigh, making you gasp in pleasure. “Like that? Is this what your previous partners did to you?” 

“N-No. . .” You admitted. Your previous partners never really listened to what you liked even if you told them straight-forwardly. At least not enough to get you to tremble like Simon did. It seemed like the man you hated before was really the best so far in bed. 

“Good. Their loss.” He murmured, biting down on your thighs soon after and leaving a deep love-bite. You bit your lower lip and whimpered, the sensation sending shockwaves. Simon kept going further and further down on you, relishing each time you moaned and quivered. He wanted more. He wanted to make you scream.

His lips latched onto your swollen clit, biting it between his teeth and flicking it with his tongue. He tasted your nectar on his tongue, a taste that instantly made him addicted to it. You arched your back and grabbed his hair suddenly, silky soft strands feeling nice between your fingers. 

Just like he wanted, you moaned his name over and over again. His tongue kept lathering your clit firmly and with even strokes. Fingers prodded at your opening, spreading your wetness all over you until he was able to put two of his fingers inside. God, you were tight. 

“Ahh~! Right there, Simon!” You encouraged, your ability to speak your mind unwavering. Simone found that insanely attractive as he pushed his fingers in further and curled right at that spongy spot that was driving you crazy. His teeth pulled at your folds before being soothed with his tongue. Your clit twitched as he pressed his tongue up against it once more, all the while pumping his fingers into your soaked pussy. 

Your grip on his hair got tighter as he kept pushing you to the edge. The sensation made his own cock twitch under his clothes, making him press it up against the mattress to grind into. He wished it was your pussy he was grinding into already, but you were so close. He could feel it. You could feel it. 

He didn’t stop his pace. Strong, even, and slow. You tightened around his fingers each second, feeling the wave approach closer and closer. You could already tell that this was going to be a big one. Your first orgasm with a partner ever. 

Tilting your head back, you moaned louder and louder. You begged for more and more, praying to a god that Simon wasn’t just going to leave you hanging. Now that would be pure evil. The worst thing he could ever do to you. But he didn’t. He just kept nipping, sucking, biting, and licking to the point that your head was spinning. 

Before you could warn him, your vision saw white and you screamed. Simon could feel you suck in his fingers so tight that he smiled as he still landed kisses on your clit. Your legs trembled, aching to close or kick out the electricity that coarse through you. Your cum was spilling everywhere. All over his fingers down to his wrist, coating your thighs in a sweet glaze. 

While you tried to catch your breath, Simon licked up every drop. “How was that? Everything you thought it would be?

You looked down to see his eyes ablaze with victory and a sexy smirk on his lips. You sighed and nodded. “Credit where credit is due. That was really good.”

“Good. Because you’re not done yet.” He decided, already stripping off his pajama pants to reveal his rock hard erection. He was bigger than you expected, all that shit talk for two years making you believe that he was making up for something. But he was blessed with the girth, the length, and the look that you knew would be amazing.

He positioned himself between your legs, coating his length with your slick. Shivers started again as the tip rubbed against your clit. The both of you sighed, enjoying each other’s bodies to the fullest extent.

Suddenly, Simon pushed all of his cock into you, bottoming out within a second. You gripped the sheets tight in your fist as you cried out. He stretched you out so pleasurably, so fully. You’ve never felt so full in your sex life. 

Simon hissed as you clenched around him. “Fucking hell, you’re so tight. . .”

Slowly, he began to move. Long even strokes that rubbed every inch of you and him. As he looked down at you, face twisting into such a pleasurable expression, eyes only on him, he heard his heart beat in his ears. God damn, you were gorgeous. 

Your eyes widened as he came down for a kiss, his tongue taking full control while his hips remained steady. The sudden rush of the kiss and his cock reaching deeper made you scratch at his shoulders. He was eating up all of your moans like candy. 

“F-Fuck~! Simon, wait!” You begged, the sensation getting overwhelming with each deep thrust. He could feel you getting tighter. Wetter. He knew that you were getting close to another orgasm, and he wasn’t going to stop for a second.

He sat up and pushed your legs down by your thighs, spreading you wide open and making you take all of him as deep as you can. You clawed his hands as your climax approached even faster, Simon ignoring all of your cries for him to wait. The sounds of your wet sex echoed in the room along with your sensual moans, causing you to get even more aroused. Christ, his cock was so good!

You were plunged into an orgasm, your whole body quaking as you arched and screamed it out. Simon felt your pussy wrap tightly around him, trying to take everything from him before he was ready. It was dizzying how good your insides felt coiling around him. He loved how you soaked his dick and crotch full with your hot cum. 

Simon grabbed your thighs tight, squeezing hard and clenching his teeth while he tried to stop himself from climaxing too soon. He wanted to stretch this night out for as long as he could.

While you settled down from your second orgasm, you gazed up at Simon who was struggling to keep himself together. You lifted your arms and touched his strong, muscular chest that was shimmering in sweat. You could feel how hard his heart was beating under your fingertips. You could feel him twitch hard inside you, aching to fuck you again. Your body was weak, though. You didn’t know if you could last for much longer. Every nerve in your body felt like it was melting. “Si-”

“I know. Your body won’t stop shaking. Just until I cum, yeah?” He observed, fingers tracing your trembling curves.

At the idea of Simon cumming, your body regained new energy that you didn’t know you had. You wanted to see it. Feel it. You wanted to see your lieutenant crumble from the power of your body. “Fuck me then, Simon.”

He didn’t have to be told twice. His hips went into overdrive, thrusting in and out of you with ease from all of your slick. You felt him hit that wonderful spot of yours that made you see stars over and over again, your body already on the edge once again. 

Simon picked you up off the bed and turned, settling you on his lap while he laid back. He didn’t relinquish any control, however. He just wanted to grope your delicious ass while he thrusted up inside you, hitting nice and deep. With the new view and new places to touch, he was losing his mind. 

You weren’t expecting this new position, but you didn’t reject it either. In fact, it felt heavenly. He hit that g-spot at just the right angle and you loved how he manhandled your butt so roughly. You liked how his eyes never looked away from your body, drinking it all in like the finest wine. From this position, you could feel his solid cock twitch inside of you.

Struggling yourself up, limbs feeling like jelly, you fell onto his chest, your tits pressing firmly into him. That sent him over the edge, his grip on your ass making his nails dig into your skin. Once you felt that first rope of cum enter you, you came for the last time.

Hot cum mixed together, making a mess out of the both of you. His chest fell and rose with heavy breaths, groans coming out with each rope he couldn’t hold back. Your tightening pussy wasn’t helping, milking him of everything to the point where he even felt tingles travel through him. Once he was finally done, he felt exhausted. 

You were exhausted too, your lungs struggling to regulate air flow. Your heart was beating so loud that it drained all other noises. Your body felt slightly numb from it all, your head getting fuzzy with each second. Simon wrapped his arms around you, holding you close to his chest as you both calmed yourselves. 

“That was. . .” He began, losing the right words to describe just how amazing that was. He’s had his fair share of sexual encounters, but never like this. No one could quite compare to you.

“Yeah. . .” You agreed, your eyes closing as you felt the afterglow take over. You felt the covers pull up over you, Simon still holding you on top of him, not willing to let go just yet. 

He could never imagine letting you go now. 

[devotedfem]

→ The wolf and the lamb

Synopsis: You went to the countryside to visit your aunt, a place with old churches, traditional people throwing you nasty looks, rural houses, and a murderer slashing people. The fact that the sheriffs do nothing doesn’t worry you as much as the heavy gaze you feel on you from your aunt’s barn. Someone was preying on you, and you were scared of being eaten by a wolf, one with a bloodied ax.

J. Jungkook x f. reader.

Genre: Slasher au | Southern horror | yandere.

2.1K words.

Tags: Slasher Jungkook, rural america, naive reader, murder, serial killer, psychological terror, yander-ish, infatuated Jungkook, threats, farms, Dubious consent, very dubious so read with caution, fear kink, overstimulation, drachyphilia, crying during sex, Jk's a bit of sadist.

“Aunty!” you called at the front porch of your aunt’s old house.

You had to come to her farm because she got severely ill and you were her only family.

“My y/n,” she greets you with a warm hug and a sweet smile, you missed her so much.

You spent your holidays in your aunt’s farm when you were a little kid, but then you never came back after your mother passed away, because this place brings you memories you weren’t ready to bear.

The town frightened you now that you’re an adult, when you were a child you never got out of the farm, and you feel grateful for that. The country was a bit depressing, and there’s a serial killer slashing people and the cops still haven’t catch him. You tried to convince your aunt to go to your house in the city instead, but she refused, she’s too attached to the farm.

On the way here, an old couple watched you with suspicion and outrage, first because they were very wary of new people thanks to the murderer’s situation, and second, because you dressed different from them. People here are very traditional, you counted six old churches on your way to your aunt’s farm.

“Dear why don’t you help me with the animals in the barn?” You nodded at her. After all she was too weak to keep doing her duties in the farm.

But while you were feeding the animals and cleaning the barn, you felt a heavy gaze on your back. You frowned confused as why your aunt is out there when she should rest.

You didn’t tear your gaze from the animals though, but your worry growth when you listened to slow and large steps behind you.

“Aunty go back to rest. Don’t you trust me with your babies?” You teased a little, knowing how protective she is with her animals.

But you didn’t receive a response, not even a chuckle from your aunt. You felt a presence on your back, a piercing stare all over your body. It was a bit unnerving the silence between you both, it never happened before, and you were too occupied feeding the pigs, until you stopped at hearing steps coming closer to you, heavy and slow steps, too large to be from your aunt.

Your heart fell to your stomach at the realization, who was behind you? And why didn’t they say something?

A hot breath brushed the back of your neck, and you gasped, ready to turn around and insult whoever invaded your personal space but big hands grabbed your waist to stop your movements.

“Still.” He warned you with a low and hoarse voice, with his hot breath brushing your ear. And you did stay still, freeze by fear with your heart beating wildly against your ribcage.

A hand climbed slowly to your body, exploring the skin of your belly under your shirt. And you felt frightened, angry and violated.

“Don’t touch me! HELP!” You screamed at the top of your lungs, but a large hand covering your mouth stopped your screams and sobs. The man behind you hissed with anger.

“Fucking scream like that again and I’ll choke you and your aunt to death,” he snarled in your ear, making you tremble and cry harder. You nod quickly, trying to swallow your sobs.

But he didn’t move his hand away from your mouth, he brushed your bottom lip with his thumb instead. His hand was big and veiny, and the skin felt rough telling you he labors with them.

“I’ll visit you tonight again, just to talk,” he said mouthing your neck very slowly, awaking chills on you, “and you better not tell a soul about it, because then I won’t be nice to you. So be good, and wait for me, city girl.” The mock went disregarded when you felt his tongue lapping your neck and jaw like a starving dog. Bill rose to your throat at the feeling.

But before you throw out, he disappears from your back. Leaving you alone and with weak knees, frightened by his dark promise of coming back for you. What the fuck will you do now?

|||||||||||||||||||

You were sitting on the bed in front of the window, watching the dark barn from afar and how the trees dance with the wind in the darkness of the night.

It was so dark outside that you could only discern lines and forms, making everything more terrifying to you. But despite that, you can’t break your gaze from the window and the damn barn. You just couldn’t.

Your childhood bedroom, where you spent your holidays as a kid, was barely illuminated by the bedside lamp. Everything in the room was pink, your sheets, closet, frames, walls and the dresses of your dolls. A lump was deep in your throat, you’re trying not to break down in tears, not because you were scared of the psycho that touched you today, but because you’re back again in the bedroom your mom decorated for you.

You remember those days where you two laughed painting the walls pink, and how she would stain the tip of your nose with paint. That memory was enough to wreck you.

You wanted to run away from this farm for many reasons, but your aunt was getting worse, you could tell by her endless and bloodied coughs. You were worry sick for her, so you have no other choice but to stay here with her.

You sighed deep, closing your eyes and stroking your temples. Even if you glued your eyeballs to the window, you couldn’t stop that psycho from coming for you, so you better try to rest at least. As long as he doesn’t try to hurt your aunt, you didn’t really care.

You turned off your bedside lamp and throw yourself to the childish bed. Your eyes fluttered with sleep.

You only remember moving around a lot on the bed, with nightmares after nightmares, with your locks sticking to your forehead by sweat.

Until you felt him.

His fingers put away some of your locks from your forehead, feeling the sweat of your skin.

Your heart stopped beating by primal fear, you kept your eyes closed, scared of making a movement that could disturb the beast above you.

His fingers roam down to your neck, wrapping it softly with his hand, making your heart beat wild against your pulse. And he felt it, because you heard a dark chuckle from above.

“Stop pretending, silly girl.” His husky voice felt lightheartedly to you, and that fact woke chills in your body. Was he amused by the fact of terrifying you?

You blinked your eyes open slowly, gulping your fears down.

And you regretted it immediately.

He was wearing an overall with stains of blood all over it. And he was grinning down at you wide, with his lip piercings shinning by the moonlight coming from the window.

Your eyes tear up, expecting the worst. He came here to kill you.

“Please,” you choked out, not knowing of what you’re begging for.

He shushed you gently, rubbing your cheek and then your bottom lip, he seemed to like that part of your face.

“Don’t worry, I promise it won’t hurt.” The last word only made you whimper by fear, swallowing your tears away.

“No no, don’t kill me please.” Your strangled plea made him stop quickly.

He tilted his head to the side, watching you with curiosity and amusement.

“I don’t like to break my toys, even less killing them,” he said with a straight face and matter-of-fact. As if you’re being the unreasonable one.

You wanted to laugh with bitterness and tell him that you’re not a fucking toy, but you bit your tongue.

He broke his piercing gaze from you to watch his surroundings.

“Aren’t you a little big for a room like this?” He asked frowning with genuine confusion, and this time you couldn’t help to laugh at him. He turned his eyes quickly towards you, returning your smile.

“This was… my childhood bedroom,” you whispered, not sure if it was okay to share such an intimate information to a stranger that is a killer, but at this point it doesn’t matter.

He only hummed, stroking your hair again, with his gaze fixed on your lips. Your stomach sank with dread, thinking in any excuse to distract him from touching you.

“You’re being gentler than this afternoon,” you said carefully, watching how his gaze broke from your lips to your eyes.

“I was busy,” his voice turned cold, and his eyes lost the spark from seconds ago.

You fucked it up, didn’t you? But you chose his colder shoulder rather than his touch on your body.

“Right,” you said back, averting your eyes to the open window.

He follows your gaze.

“Don’t even think about it,” he warned darkly, his low voice dropping an octave, making chills running your body. You didn’t dare to meet his eyes.

You watched the clouds hiding the moon outside your window, until a hand turned your chin roughly towards the man above you.

“Look at me!” his strident voice and crazed eyes startled you. He didn’t like to be ignored.

“Sorry,” you murmured between teeth trying to sound apologetic, but the flames of anger were rising to your chest. You wanted to punch him to death.

His sharpened expression softens quickly. He has pretty doe eyes that hold some kind of innocence, he would’ve fool you if it weren’t for his bloodied clothes.

His hands started to roam your body from your neck to your chest, without breaking his piercing gaze from your own. Your stomach turned sick at his heavy touch on your body, he was feeling your curves, stroking softly the fabric that covers your breasts, making your breath hitch. Something heavy and dark clouded his eyes at your breathy sounds, wrapping your small breasts between his palms and rubbing your perky nipples with his fingers.

Your breath turned erratic, you were fighting your own biological reactions towards a murderer’s touch, and it was hard to swallow your sounds, to pretend you didn’t like it. You hated feeling like this, betrayed by your own body. Tears bundle at the corner of your eyes, feeling sick with yourself.

But you have to survive, and if that means you have to endure his touch so it be.

He draws near your body, grabbing both of your wrist above your head with one hand. His nose roam under your jaw to your neck, lapping the skin with his tongue like a thirsty dog. He liked to do that, you noticed with dread.

You closed your eyes and evened your breath, your belly turns hot with knots by his tongue tasting your skin, but your stomach turns with disgust. The confusing feelings fucking your mind up.

His breath turned shallow and heavy on your neck, wrapping it like a second skin. He was more affected than you.

And then, he left your skin abruptly, getting away from your body and making you blink and frown with disorientation.

You met his darkened and heavy gaze before he undressed you roughly and desperately, making you let out a high-pitched sound of surprise.

His nostril flared by the sight of your nude body, making you feel self-conscious. You tried to cover your breasts but his rough hands stopped you, he frowned almost looking angry at you. And then he undressed himself quickly, his bloodied overall falling to the floor. You were in a daze looking at his muscles until he grabbed you behind the knees, resting your legs on his shoulders and opening you completely before him.

Your face flushed and your throat lump. This was happening way too fast for your liking.

You whimpered loudly when you felt his tip opening your entrance, your eyes tearing up by pain. He didn’t prep you and he was big.

He stroked softly your cheeks, soothing you. He left pepper kisses on your nose and lips, distracting you before bottoming you, making you gasp and whine with pain and pleasure. Your tears stream down your eyes, and he licked them groaning.

His thrusts were way too rough, making you bounce up and down on the mattress. You were like a rag doll under him, his perfect toy. You wrapped your arms around his neck, feeling his sweaty chest against yours.

You only closed your eyes waiting for this to end and be free from his grasp and heavy eyes.

His moans sounded guttural, and his breaths were shallow against your ear. You came first, sobbing and whining on his ear, and he came after you.

Your limbs dropped dead on the mattress, your gaze was empty and fixed on the ceiling of your room, waiting for him to go and leave you there, processing what just happened. But his face appeared above your face, making himself the center of your attention.

And in that moment, you realized with deep and frightening dread, that you have no escape from him. You were trapped, figuratively and literally.

[midnite-c6]

ICKY RLS NAMGYU ARGUMENT HATEFUCK PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE

< icky namgyu icky namgyu icky namgyu 3 roh jae wons new photos r making me ovulate (respectfully) byeeee �� I MISS NAMGYU sorry this fic is 4 the ppl who mstch my freak only 💔

icky!nam-gyu x reader || warnings: DARK content, 18+, hate sex, hair pulling, nam-gyu's an incel & a mysoginist here 💔 (toxic boyfie), dubcon, degradation

◍⁠✧⁠*⁠。for some reason, you stay, despite his CLEAR red flags, despite how he treats you, you stay. maybe because there are some sweet moments (if you squint), maybe because he gives the best dick, but it doesn't outweigh how filthy he is to you, and it doesn't change how he makes your face wet from tears more than your pussy :(, poor little thing.

so it really took all your courage to kindly ask him to clean a lil' bit, since your small shared apartment was disgusting, dishes uncleaned, clothes all over the place, used tissues beside his desk because he just loves to jerk off infront of his computer, even when your laying in your shared bed, he knows it makes you jealous everytime he plays a video of "a girl who's much prettier than you"

"please atleast learn to throw used cups and tissues inside the garbage bag, nam-gyu, can you even smell the place? clean up, right now." the concerned girlfriend you are reasonably argued, walking right behind his office chair, yet, he brushed you off with a laugh and a dramatic groan. he was not one to take you seriously. "really? why make me a sandwich first, dummy." he says, as a joke, of course. after so many jokes just like that one, it can't help but piss you off. like it was your last straw. "please! just clean up after yourself you... pig." he was silenced, turning his face with a look far from amused, "you're serious, cunt?" that name rolled so easily on his tongue, "i'm just telling you to be a grown up-" his hand cuts you off by tugging on the ends of your hair, making you get on his level since he was sitting down, he was furious you'd have to tell him this, "wowwww... you... tryna' teach me how to be an adult?" you can't help but be quieter in these moments.

he stands up, still having a tight hold on your hair. "dumb bitch, you've got no right to tell me shit." he drags you as he walks near your shared bed together, "...you fucking horny jerk- all you think about is sex-!" he throws you easily onto the mattress as he shoves your face into a pillow, cutting you off- again, straddling behind you. "dammit, shut up! you're annoying mouth needs to be quieter, god." your complaints were no muffled. "your thoughtless mind's got no right to tell me anything. got that?" he pushes your head harder onto the pillows, making sure you understand what he's saying. you shake your head in spite, wiggling your body, not wanting to be dominated by him, again.

he groans, "so damn stubborn," pulling your shorts down until its fully off, like it was second nature he does this everytime the two of you fight, already revealing your flushed pussy since he oh-so "politely" asks you to not wear any panties anymore since it's quote-on-quote lets it breathe & makes it healthier. you agree upon than request since he's ripped too many too count, he doesn't care, he doesn't contribute any money to anything you own anyway. "you better say you're sorry, or i'll force you to apologize dumbfuck." his hand releases your hair for you to respond, and snakes to your folds instead. "you're fucking sick... i'm only asking for y... you to be a ..decent human being..."

"that's not an apology." he flips you over, turning you to face him, his hands wrapping on the back of your knees, folding you in half, just to slam his already-hard dick inside, he barely gives you any prep which backfires on him aswell. your tight cunny makes him groan from the sting. "shit- you should be used to this by now, haven't i fucked this pussy enough?" you sob, how were you supposed to defend yourself now?

he starts to effortlessly roll his hips grinding his dick inside you, you can't help but make even more noises, stringing out phrases less meaningful than the last. "y-you sick fuck..hnmh..!" you weren't saying stop, which surprised him for the most part, you were just so overstimulated by the pain he was giving.

"i'm a sick fuck? i'm a sick fuck? maybe the true sick fuck is how easily you suck me in."

"or how your cunt tightens everytime i insult you."

this earned more sobs from you, and he can't help but be proud of himself. he just wants to insult you over and over again. "fucking hell. you're a dissapointment compared to the amateur girls i find on the internet." that always gets you the most, tears building up on the corners of your eyes, of course you can't compare to them.

"look. you're crying." he leans in to lick the tear running past your cheek. also effectively pulling out to slap his dick against your folds, your conflicted in whether to cry at his mean words or cry because he's teasing you. your reaction just makes him chuckle! thankfully he shoves himself back in, "just for you." you know he's only ramming his cock to hit your cervix over and over again so you'll forget about that stupid argument that you he started. "you clean my dick dry, can't you clean the place too?" oh how rewarding would it be to slap that sadistic grin off his face, but unfortunately, you showed him how much of a moaning mess you are... just for him.

and when he folds you further, your legs on either sides of your face, as he cums warm, thick ropes of his seed inside you, making your face contort into an image so lewd, with your eyes rolled to the back of your head and your tongue sticking it out, he sighs. "ah, atta' girl, that's the face i stayed for." he never compliments you so now you and him knows full well how that comment would secure your place as his "lover" cocksleeve for the rest of your life. (⁠灬⁠º⁠‿⁠º⁠灬⁠)⁠♡

guys the chokehold of the mating press on me these past few days. ALSO size difference ughhhhhhhh. i havent checked squid game tag in ahwule i hope the world needs another namgyu hatefuck💓

[myvoiddreams]

Fragments of Starlight (2)

Pairing: Azriel x Reader

Summary: After being left behind, the reader is on their own trying to find a way out before it’s too late. The reader grapples with unspoken affection for Azriel.

Word Count: 3,695

Warnings: ANGST, violence, torture, dark themes

A/N: I am so excited with all the positive feedback from Part 1. Seriously, thank you all! I really wanted to focus on building a relationship between Azriel and the reader in this part. That way we can get into the reader’s mind a little bit and justify (if that’s the right word?) some actions between the two of them. Again, I am super new to this and would love feedback on anything! My messages are always open.

Part 1, Part 3

---

Before

I raised my hands ready to strike. Sweat was running down my forehead as the morning sun was already shining hot. I looked at Azriel, shirtless, toned, and glistening in the early morning heat.

Distracting, but honestly, I wasn’t going to complain.

I brought my head down and went in for the strike. My muscles ached as I punched to the right. Azriel made quick work of my hit, dodging to the left. As he went left, I kicked left, bringing my arm closer to my body to maintain some balance. What I didn’t see coming was Azriel’s gasp on my leg pulling my body to the earth.

My back hit the ground with a thump, and the air inside of my lungs escaped me. I could feel the dirt sticking to my damp shirt. Azriel crossed his arms and looked down at me with a smirk on his face.

Oh fuck this.

With a grunt, I twisted my body toward his legs and yanked while he wasn’t expecting it. This movement pulled his body to the earth alongside mine. In one fluid motion I pinned one of his wrists to the ground with my foot. Having to use two of my hands to pin his remaining one next to his head. I also straddled in waist, leaning over him with a smirk of my own.

We were both panting at this point as I stared down into his hazel eyes. Those damn eyes.

“It’s going to take more than making me fall on the ground to actually take me down, you know?” I smirked down at him as I brought my face closer to his, still breathing heavily.

Azriel slightly lifted his mouth toward my ear, panting himself. “There she is,” Azriel purred up at me.

If that wasn’t enough to set me ablaze, I don’t know what would be. I felt a creeping blush find its way up my neck and onto my cheeks. I released him and sat in the dirt next to him.

I couldn’t help but let out a small chuckle, “You and Cassian better watch your backs. I’m getting better at this.” My hair was sticking to my face as I tried to wipe it away.

Azriel sit up, “You’ve always been good at this, Y/N.” He faced me and smiled, “Now, where is that winged bastard anyways?”

---

Now

They left me. Tears still ran down my face at the realization that I was not going to be saved. They were lucky to make it out of here with one of us, let alone two. There was simply no way that they would be able to get back into this camp after that. And that if there was anything left of me when they got here. I knew that it was only a matter of time before those males came back in here and realized that Elain was gone and wanted answers. Maybe even just to punish me for seeing it or taking part in it.

As if my mind summoned them, Hybern himself and a male drenched in all back made their way into the tent. I tried to dry up my remaining tears as fast as I could. I had to turn it off. The misery that surrounded not only my body, but my heart. I would not let them see that I was not affected by their treatment of me or my body. I would not let them earn that kind of satisfaction.

“Where is she.” The King demanded, “Where the hell is she!?”

I tried to hide my flinch as the male screamed in my face.

“She’s gone.” Is all is answered, but then, I was feeling angry. “She’s gone, and you will never get your hands on her again. You pig.” I spat. I would not let my eyes leave his.

The King wrapped his hand around my neck, closing off any air. “You’re going to regret that you were ever born, girl,” he snarled at me. My vision was fading, black dots swarmed it. Good. But, before I could find the release that death would bring, he let go. My body gasped for breath, trying to refill it’s empty and burning lungs.

That’s when I realized, the bleeding from my back and abdomen was slowing down. Was I healing? Slowly, but healing. When was the last time they used a blade on me? Half a day ago at this point.

I kept this revelation to myself as the male in all black strode forward and the King left the tent. To my luck, the male only brandished his fists, and no blades. I braced myself for the pain to come.

Relentlessly the male pummeled into me. Opening any old wounds and creating any new bruises he could. I forced myself to go somewhere else mentally. To only scream when I could not forcefully stop myself.

I wish they would have killed me. My mind chided. My mind.

If I was slowly healing, then maybe my mental shields were also coming down. The faebane that had been used on the knife was what was keeping me unable to feel Azriel, to communicate with Rhys, along with heal.

That’s when I truly let myself start screaming, projecting my mind out onto whatever would hear it. I screamed and screamed as loud as I could for anything. For help, for it to all end, for Azriel and Rhysand in any hopes that someone would hear me through my mind.

---

Before

I couldn’t sleep. The House of Wind was my only company as I strode the halls towards the library. If I couldn’t sleep, I might as well read.

That’s when I heard an almost silent gasp and struggle. My heart sunk; it was coming from Azriel’s room. I couldn’t stop myself from walking closer to his door, continuing to listen. He remained making strained noises and grunts. What truly caught my ear was a whimper.

I simply couldn’t stand by. I slowly crept to open the door to his room. Azriel was in bed, shirtless and panting. The moonlight was catching his face, and he looked to be in agony. His bed was in disarray as the sheets were everywhere. Slowly, I made my way to the side of his bed and placed my hand on his shoulder.

“Az,” I let the air catch my whisper. “Wake up,” I slowly added my other hand to his remaining shoulder and shook.

At the movement his eyes ripped open and the next thing I knew, I was pinned to the bed with his blade at my throat.

“Az, it’s just me! You were just having a bad dream. I heard and came to wake you.” I gasped out, feeling the cold bite of the metal on my neck.

As fast as I was pinned down, I was let go. The blade no longer remained at my throat.

“What are you doing in here, Y/N?” Azriel ran his hand through his hair as he placed his blade down on a wooden table next to his bed. “I could have hurt you.”

I moved to sit up on the side of his bed, and I reached for his hand. I pulled him back to the bed, where we sat next to one another. “What was it about?” I questioned him. As long as I’ve known Az, I still wasn’t sure that he would want to open up to me. “We all have bad dreams Azriel. If I can help in anyway, please let me.”

I met his eyes as he sighed. “It was about my hands.” We both looked down, I hadn’t realized that I was still holding them in my own.

“About your scars? Your brothers?” I knew of what happened to Azriel and his hands, why he hated the sight of fire.

“Yes,” he sighed. I instinctually rubbed my thumb over his hands and smiled smally.

He looked so deflated. I hated seeing him this way. Sure, I knew that I liked him, hell maybe loved him at this point, but he was my friend first and foremost. I needed to be there for him.

“Do you usually have a hard time making it to sleep at night?” I questioned him trying to make him meet my eyes again. “I sure do.”

He looked a little surprised at the statement, but at least he was looking at me again. I sighed as I pushed myself back onto his bed and leaned up against the headboard. Azriel furrowed his brows at me in confusion. I only held my arm out to him, beckoning him to lay with me.

My heart was pounding. What the hell am I even doing right now? I asked myself.

But, Azriel listened and I found him with his head in my lap, laying down. My hand found its place in his hair. I played with it, and I struggled to keep my breathing straight. My other hand found his bare back between his wings and my fingers ran along it soothingly.

His husky voice broke the silence, “Thank you, Y/N.” He almost nestled further into my lap, finding some comfort in it.

“I’d do anything for you Az, even if it’s just hold you after a hard night.” I don’t know if I was crossing a line by doing this, but I would cross any line for Azriel.

“I hope you know I would do that same for you too, Y/N.” Azriel mumbled as his breathing steadied, and he found his way to sleep.

My heart felt like it was imploding at the sight of Azriel in my lap, at his words. Then, I felt a hum in my chest that wouldn’t go away. His shadows wrapped around us as I sat there. It snapped around us, this feeling that was like no other burrowed itself into my chest and made a home there. Mate. Azriel is my mate.

---

Now

At some point I must have fallen unconscious. I opened my swollen eyes to the dark. It must have been the following night. As my senses found their place around me, I realized that there was screaming outside of my tent. The dark was slowly brightening into an orange haze. This was no orange of the sun though; it was brightening too fast.

Fire.

The camp must have been set aflame like they did ours. It was going to burn down while I was tied up inside of it. Panic flooded every ounce of me.

How the fuck do I get out of here?

I had more strength than previously, my healing finally quickening. I thrashed in my restraints, opening more cuts along my wrists and ankles. The soreness of being beaten was nothing compared to the sheer terror that had its grasp on me.

The flame struck the tent and all I could do was stare at it.

---

Before

After the Acheron sisters had joined us in the house there was something different. There was a strange atmosphere around the house. Everyone knew that something was coming.

I tried to continue to pretend like everything was normal. I did my best to try and get Cassian and Azriel in the ring with me like normal, but now, they had different obligations popping up.

Feyre and Rhys we’re busy of course with the sisters. Feyre also needed to train her abilities from all of the high lords.

Mor was gone to the Hewn City so often it was like she no longer resided in Velaris. Even Amern made herself busy.

I was struggling with my newfound mate. I wanted Azriel more than anything, but I was terrified of ruining our centuries long friendship. I also wanted to be loved first, not have love forced upon me because of being mated.

I continued my walk through the House of Wind and found myself at Azriel’s door. I came here often enough in the centuries that I might not even knock, but I found myself doing so.

There was rustling before Azriel opened the door. His hair looked disheveled, and he was sporting a look on his face that immediately made me regret coming to him.

“Hey,” I smiled up at him.

“Hey,” he smiled back down at me.

“I’m sure that you’re busy with tasks from Rhysand and all, but what do you say about blowing that off and going on a run?” I blew out. I was tense, and I needed a distraction and my friend more than all.

“Y/N, I’d love to.” He sighed, his shadows dancing nervously around him, “But, I can’t leave. I have to make sure I keep an eye on Elain.”

My heart sank. This wasn’t the first time since the Acheron sister entered the house that Azriel told me no to because of.

“Oh,” I breathed out, trying to hide any of my disappointment, “Okay, I’ll see you later then.” I smiled up at him anyways before I turned on my heel and walked towards my own room.

The bond in my chest that would usually sing in his presence dimmed as I walked away from him. It left me feeling alone.

---

Now

The fire was all around me. The heat was excruciating. There was no way out of this. The wooden support I was chained to caught; it was only a matter of time before I did too.  

I continued to thrash, to try and break free as my hands above me burned. I screamed at the agony in my hands as I forced my arms down again one more time.

The chain came free of the burnt post.

I landed nearly on my face again as I inhaled ash. I tried to catch my breath before looking down. Now just my feet. The pole continued to burn as I trashed until the chain broke around the post.

I still had chains around my wrists, but I was no longer stuck. I took stock of my surroundings. There was a plethora of knifes, swords, and shields in this tent. Surely it must have been the King’s tent before I was strung up.

I couldn’t swing a sword with my wrists tied together, and there was one way I could think of breaking them. I walked toward the flaming post I was tied to and placed the chain and my hands above the licking flames.

I bit my lip from crying out as I let the chains turn red hot. The smell of charred flesh hit my nose amidst the smoke and ash making me gag. My hands were burnt and bubbling, but I could still swing a sword, there was simply no other option. I ripped at the chains as I tore my arms apart. One of the chain-link cracked apart, freeing my hands from being tethered together.

My hands were free, I was free. I set myself into action, I needed to get out if I didn’t want to burn to death. My healing was speeding up. My injuries were still open, but not bleeding. Not tearing themselves back open at the stretching as I moved my body. Though I was still not free of the pain they had caused me.

I grabbed a sword that was next to me and ripped myself free of the tent. There was chaos around me as soldiers tried to put out the flames that were soaring through the camp. It might have been a dark night before this, but the flames were everywhere, it lit everything up.

I took off into a sprint hoping my weakened body could keep up. I prayed that the fire was going to be a good enough distraction that I could keep running until I found true freedom. I screamed in my mind again toward Rhys and Azriel. I could take off into the trees, but them how the hell would I know where to find them.

I took a quick turn to a side of the camp that was not yet lit aflame. I nearly ran into the group of males, but I was able to halt to a stop in time. Breathless, I lifted my sword. My hands were bleeding at their blistered appearance.

“Now, how’d you get out, pretty one?” One of the males snarled at me as he lifted a sword of his own. The group of five surrounded me.

If I wasn’t going to make it out of this fight, they could not have me at all.

---

Before

Azriel finally was able to spend some time with me today. I would be lying if I said that I wasn’t excited. We planned on spending it enjoying Velaris. We were going to meet at one of our favorite dining spots. I sat down at a table waiting for Azriel to come. It was strange to me how nervous I was. I tried to keep the humming in my chest to a minimum.

I opened a book from my bag and began to read as I waited. I heard footsteps behind me coming to the table and assumed it was only Azriel.

Then the smell hit my nose, mahogany and vetiver.  Asher.

Asher was an old fling. Something that had to be broken off quickly due to his attitude surrounding women and his massive ego. His hand hit my chair, and he pulled me slightly away from the table and facing him.

“Y/N, I didn’t plan on seeing you today.” He quipped, leaving his hand on my chair.

I crossed my legs and set my book on the table, “Surely I didn’t plan on seeing you for, hmm, the rest of my life.”

“Now, don’t say that” he put his face in mine close enough I could smell his breath. “I know you miss us, what we did together.” He whispered into my ear.

His voice sent shivers up my body, and not the good kind. He made me uneasy. He was a male who always got what he wanted, no matter what anyone else would say.

Before I could open my mouth to retort something back, he was ripped from my space. “I suggest you turn around and walk away.” Azriel’s voice sounded deadly as he pushed Asher away by his shirt.

Asher only brushed himself off like Azriel’s touch made him dirty and walked away without another word.

“Thank you,” I sighed out. “I usually can handle myself in these situations, I don’t know what came over me.”

Azriel only took the seat in front of me, and reached over the table to take my hand, “I know you can, but I’m glad I was here for you this time.” He smiled up at me.

---

Now

They’re coming. I heard Rhys’ voice in my head.

I was like a prayer had been answered as I faced down my opponents. In the sky there were streaks of blue and red surrounding the camp. Cass, he was okay. Relief flooded through me, even with my current predicament.

A male’s sword came down on me, I rolled avoiding the attack and sending my sword into another male’s abdomen on the way down. My wounds sung with pain as they hit the ground. The dirt stuck to my blooded injuries. I could only smell the ash surrounding the burning camp.

While I was down, another sword came at my head. This is it. So close to freedom. I covered my face with my molten hand out of instinct.

Then the sword and male were gone. A blade shoved through the male’s chest and he was strewn aside.

Cassian and Azriel hit the ground with a loud thump as Cassian threw the male aside. Their syphons glowed in night, no matter how bright the flames burned. Their faces were also made of igneous steel as they stared down the males.

A sound of relief flooded out of me as I tried to sit up. Cassian and Azriel blew through the remaining soldiers like they were nothing, until it was just my living form on the ground surrounded by the dead.

Tears welled up in my eyes, from the smoke, or the relief I wasn’t sure.

Azriel reached for my hand to yank me from the ground, but I cried out in pain. He let me go, eyes wide, as if I was a snake that just tried striking. I was shaking, my hands were in very bad shape. The skin was blistering away from the flesh, blood oozing from everywhere.

“It’s my hands.” I cried out, he reached for me again, placing a hand on my cheek, taking my elbow in his other. In one swift motion, I was cradled in his arms, and we were in the sky. My entire form was shaking as so many emotions clouded me.

He came back for me. But he also left me there, where I had to ruin my hands to get to freedom.

“Is Cassian okay?” I cried into Azriel’s chest and let him carry me far into the sky.

“You go through days of torture at Hybern’s hand and the first question you ask is if Cassian is okay?” A small smile shown through a Azriel’s face as we flew further from the burning camp. “Let that be some testament to your strength.”

I let some silence settle between us before speaking up again. “I didn’t think you were going to come back.” I almost whispered it. Tears still settled their way onto my face, leaving a trail in the ash the covered my cheeks.

“I’ll always come back for you, Y/N. I’m sorry I left you there in the first place.” He looked down at me. I saw my reflection in his eyes, broken, hurt, covered in ash. I placed my head back onto his chest and continued to let my tears fall.

I was nowhere near forgiving him. Nowhere near telling him he was my mate like I wish I had while being cut up. But there was no time for that right now. Now, I was free, and we were going to war.

---

Taglist: (sorry if I missed anyone, and please let me know if you want to be added for removed from this list).

@saltedcoffeescotch @thirstyroses-world @kingshitonly @topaz125 @spidersfrommars15 @mariahoedt @missromantasy @turkishgirlslife @melmo567 @breadsticks2004 @secret-sheee @sparksandstarss @cleverzonkwombatsludge @vhjlucky13 @kitcat912 @mummzy-chan @helo1281917 @faridathefairy @popcornlauncher

[babyscottoncandy]

Scott Street

Steve Harrington,, Stranger Things

Summary: Steve Harrington x Thought-Daughter¡Fem Reader,, childhood bestfriends turned distant when highschool hit. Steve Harrington become "King Steve," popular - a jock - and an asshole. (Y/n) was Hawkins Highschool's odd one out, a girl so sensitive the sight of a bug dying would be bound to make her cry.

TW: Angst,, Mentions o/DV,, Bullying

Based off of the song "Scott Street" by Phoebe Bridgers

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The world didn’t change overnight, but to her, it felt like it did. One day, Steve Harrington was the boy who shared his pudding cup with her at lunch, who knocked on her window when it rained so they could count thunder together. The next, he was gone—still there, in the halls of Hawkins High, but in a way that made her feel lonelier than if he’d moved away entirely.

They used to sit in the grass after school, making stories out of clouds. He’d make her laugh so hard her stomach hurt, and she’d braid wildflowers into his hair. But high school swallowed him whole.

“King Steve,” they called him. She heard it whispered down the corridors, loud and smug. He grew into broad shoulders and better hair and laughter that wasn’t hers anymore. His eyes didn’t meet hers in the hallways, even when they passed close enough for their arms to brush. Sometimes she thought they did—flickers of recognition, of old softness—but they always left too quickly.

She stayed the same. Sensitive, quiet, strange. The girl who cried when she found a crushed ladybug in her locker. The one who still hummed to herself when she was nervous and counted ceiling tiles when the class got too loud. She wasn’t cool, not in the way Steve was. Not in the way Hawkins expected her to be.

She watched him laugh with people who’d never known how he once cried when her cat died. She saw him push someone into a locker once—Steve, her Steve. Her chest tightened, and she swallowed down the ache because she didn’t know him anymore. Maybe he never really knew her either.

He still wore that stupid jean jacket she patched up when they were thirteen.

He still walked like he owned the world, but sometimes his shoulders drooped when he thought no one was looking.

And when she saw him hugging a girl by the bleachers, their bodies pressed close in a way that felt nothing like how they used to hug—fast and warm and so full of trust—it hit her.

They hug now. Not her and Steve. Just Steve and other people. And all she could think about was how loud the thunder was without him.

It was after gym class, the air still thick with sweat and tired laughter, when it happened.

(Y/n) had taken the long way to the cafeteria, hands gripping her worn notebook like it was a shield. Her cardigan sleeves swallowed her fingers. Her hair was wind-tossed, lips chapped from biting them all morning. She had that faraway look again—the one that made people whisper.

Tommy H. was the first to say something. Of course he was.

“Hey, Harrington,” he snorted, elbowing Steve in the ribs. “There’s your girlfriend. Still writing love poems to dead birds or whatever?” Laughter, sharp and mean, echoed through the hall.

Carol chimed in, voice syrupy and cruel. “Remember when she cried during that biology video last year? Literal fetal pigs and she started sobbing like it was Bambi’s mom. Freak.”

Steve chuckled under his breath. Just a little. The kind of laugh that wasn’t real but felt like betrayal anyway.

He didn’t say anything. Not please don’t, not she’s harmless, not hey, shut up. Nothing.

He stood there with his stupid good hair and his silence, not looking at her, not really.

She heard it all. Every word. She always did. Her footsteps slowed, then kept going, stiff and measured like she could out-walk the burn in her chest. Her notebook trembled in her grip, knuckles white. She didn’t cry—not this time. Not in front of them.

But Steve saw her shoulders tense. Saw the way she pulled into herself like a house during a storm.

He looked down at his shoes, then up at his friends, all still laughing like it was nothing.

And he said nothing. Again. Because silence was easier than remembering how she once sewed his Halloween costume when his mom forgot.

Because silence didn’t make him weak, didn’t make him weird, didn’t make him hers.

He told himself it didn’t matter.

But when he went to sleep that night, all he could see was the back of her cardigan vanishing down the hallway—and he hated himself for not running after her.

The sky was dipped in amber, the kind of golden-hour haze that made even Hawkins look soft. (Y/n) walked home in silence, the air cool against her cheeks, her fingers curled into the sleeves of her sweater. Her headphones dangled uselessly around her neck—no music today. Just the sound of her boots on the pavement and the echo of laughter that still rang in her ears.

Their table. Their jokes. Him.

She rounded the corner to her street, the familiar ache settling in her chest like clockwork. Home wasn’t far—just a few more steps past the crooked mailbox and the rusted bike chained to the stop sign.

Then she saw him.

Steve.

He was sitting on the edge of his driveway, back hunched, elbows on his knees, fingers running through his hair like he didn’t know what to do with them. His car sat beside him, gleaming even in the fading light, but he wasn’t looking at it. He was looking at nothing.

Or maybe everything.

She froze for a second, heart thudding louder than the traffic in the distance. He hadn’t seen her yet. His face was different now—unmasked, tired in a way she never saw at school. The fake confidence he wore like armor had slipped. He looked… like the boy who used to knock on her window with a flashlight and a smile.

She kept walking. Didn’t stop. Didn’t wave.

Her house was directly across from his, the porch light flickering as she stepped up onto it. She felt his eyes on her before she closed the door behind her.

But still—nothing. No words. No apology. No hey, remember me?

Just silence between two houses.

Just memories in the cracks of the pavement.

Just her, alone again, with the ghost of who he used to be sitting across the street.

She found him behind the school, leaning against the wall, cigarette in hand like he was in a movie. Golden light cut across his face, casting shadows under his eyes. He looked older. Tired. But not sorry.

“Can I help you?” he asked when he noticed her. His voice was flat, guarded.

(Y/n) didn’t answer right away. She just stared at him, arms crossed tight over her chest like she was holding herself together.

“I heard you laughing,” she finally said. Her voice was quiet, but it trembled with something sharp. “When they made fun of me today.”

Steve’s jaw tightened. He looked away, exhaled smoke, said nothing.

“I wasn’t even doing anything. Just… existing. And you laughed.”

“I wasn’t laughing at you,” he muttered.

“But you didn’t stop them either,” she snapped, louder now. “You just stood there. Like you always do.”

Steve’s gaze flicked back to her, annoyance flashing in his eyes. “What do you want from me, (Y/n)?”

“I want you to care.” Her voice cracked on the word. “Like you used to.”

He scoffed, running a hand through his hair. “That was a long time ago.” She blinked, like that somehow hurt more than anything else.

“So that’s it?” she asked. “You just… changed? He looked at her for a long moment, eyes unreadable. “Yeah. I did.”

She stepped forward, her voice shaking but fierce. “No. You didn’t change. You just learned how to pretend better. You turned into someone they would like. Someone who thinks silence is better than kindness.”

He flinched.

“You used to be the one who stood up for people like me,” she said, softer now, more broken. “You used to be my person.” Steve’s mouth opened like he wanted to say something, but nothing came out.

“You didn’t change,” she whispered. “You just stopped being you.”

And with that, she turned and walked away. He didn’t follow. He never did.

The hall was alive with chatter, lockers slamming shut, papers rustling, the occasional shriek of laughter echoing off the walls. Just another day in Hawkins High.

Steve was rummaging through his locker, distracted, hands moving fast as he looked for something—probably a textbook he hadn’t touched all year. And then it happened.

The photo slipped out. It had been tucked inside a forgotten notebook, yellowing at the corners, bent from too many years of being crammed into small spaces.

It fluttered to the floor like a memory falling too fast to catch.

Tommy H. got to it first. He bent down, picked it up, and let out a laugh—loud and obnoxious.

“Yo, Harrington,” he called, holding it up. “What is this?” Carol leaned over his shoulder, snorting. “No way. Is that you with Bug Girl?”

The photo was small, faded—taken sometime in middle school. Steve and (Y/n), maybe twelve years old, sitting cross-legged in a yard that used to feel like the whole world. Her face was lit up with a smile, eyes crinkled with laughter. Steve had his arm around her, his head tilted toward hers like gravity pulled them together.

There was a ladybug crawling on her hand.

“I didn’t know you were such a freak back then, Harrington,” Tommy said, waving the photo around like a trophy. “What, was this your girlfriend or your pet project?”

Someone else laughed. “She looks like she named that bug Steve Jr.” Steve snatched the photo back.

“Shut up,” he said, but it was too soft. Not angry enough. Not anything enough.

The thing about healing is that it doesn’t happen all at once.

(Y/n) didn’t wake up one day and stop flinching when people laughed too loud near her. She didn’t suddenly feel brave walking through the halls of Hawkins High. But eventually—slowly, quietly—she stopped looking for Steve in every corner.

She started smiling again. Just little ones. At first it was at books. Then the sun. Then at him.

His name was Jamie Rivers. He was a senior like her—quiet, a little awkward, the kind of guy who said “excuse me” even when someone else bumped into him. He sat behind her in English and once lent her his pen when hers ran out during a quiz. It wasn’t much. But it felt different.

He didn’t tease her. Didn’t ask why she talked to trees sometimes during lunch, or why she got misty-eyed reading poetry. He just liked her. Genuinely. For who she was, not who she was trying to be.

And she liked him back.

Their first date was to a little diner just outside of town. He picked her up in a beat-up car that smelled like pine and nervous energy. She wore her favorite sweater. He complimented it without laughing. She let him hold her hand halfway through their milkshakes.

It wasn’t loud. It wasn’t dramatic. It wasn’t like Steve.

But that was the point.

They started dating. Holding hands in the hallway. Sharing books. Laughing—real, bright, unguarded laughter.

And Steve noticed.

It started with the smallest things.

Steve didn’t even realize how much he noticed her until she wasn’t looking at him anymore.

At first, it was a glance in the hallway—her laugh echoing off the lockers, soft and unrecognizable because it wasn’t being filtered through sadness. He turned his head on instinct, expecting to find her walking alone like always, arms wrapped around herself like a shield.

But she wasn’t alone.

Jamie was there. Walking next to her, leaning just a little too close, his hands stuffed in his pockets like he was trying not to reach for her—but failing. Steve watched her bump his shoulder playfully, watched Jamie grin like he’d just won something.

And maybe he had.

That was the first time Steve felt it—the tightness in his throat. The weird mix of jealousy and guilt that tasted like copper.

Then there was the library. She used to sit alone, her hair a curtain around her notebook, scribbling stories no one else ever saw. But now she sat with Jamie, their heads close together, smiling over a shared paperback. Steve stood at the end of the aisle for too long, pretending to look for something, pretending his stomach didn’t drop when Jamie touched her hand and she didn’t pull away.

And then there was the cafeteria.

It was loud, like always. Everyone was talking over each other, jokes flying, food being swapped and stolen. But Steve wasn’t listening.

He was watching her.

She sat two tables over, knees tucked up under her on the bench, her tray barely touched. Jamie said something, and she laughed, head thrown back, eyes bright.

Not the cautious kind of laugh she used to give him—the quiet kind, like she was always waiting for it to be taken away.

This one was full. Free.

He hated how beautiful it looked on her.

He hated how he didn’t know the joke.

And he hated—really hated—how Jamie leaned in, pressed a kiss to her temple, and she just smiled, like it was the most natural thing in the world.

Steve looked away, jaw tight, fingers clenched around his soda can until it crumpled.

“Dude,” Tommy said next to him, oblivious. “What’s your deal?” Steve didn’t answer.

Because how do you explain that you let someone slip away so slowly, you didn’t even notice until she was already someone else’s reason to smile?

He used to be the sun she revolved around. Now she didn’t even glance at his orbit.

Months had passed since Steve first saw her with Jamie, but it still felt fresh. Like every time he saw them together, it was the first time, and it punched him in the gut all over again.

But that wasn’t the worst part.

No, the worst part was how he kept seeing them. Over and over, their hands intertwined, their heads close together, sharing whispers and laughs that he used to be the one to hear. Every time he thought he might be getting used to it, they appeared in the hallway, laughing over something he wasn’t a part of.

She was still the girl he remembered—the girl who loved the quiet hum of rain against windows, who would talk for hours about the stars and the way they were just like people, always disappearing only to return again. But now, she spoke about those things with Jamie. Not him.

And God, how it hurt.

Steve had changed. He had become the guy who ignored his friends’ snickers when they noticed him staring at her. He was “King Steve,” the jock with all the answers—but he wasn’t fooling anyone. He wasn’t fooling himself. He missed her more than he could admit.

The phone rang, its sharp sound cutting through the late-night quiet of Steve’s room. His heart stuttered as he glanced at the clock—past midnight. He wasn’t expecting anyone to be calling at this hour.

When he saw the name flash on the screen, he felt a sudden tightening in his chest. It was (Y/n).

He picked up the receiver quickly, his voice hoarse. “Hello?”

There was a long pause on the other end, just enough to make his nerves spike. Then, he heard her voice—familiar, but something was different. It was faint and off, like she was holding her breath.

“Steve…?” (Y/n)’s voice trembled, and he could feel the unease in every word.

“(Y/n), hey, what’s going on? Are you okay?” he asked, sitting up straighter, his heart racing. Something was wrong. He could tell from the tone.

“I… I need you to pick me up,” she said quickly, her words stumbling over each other. “I’m at a party… down by Oak Street. I… I just—I need to leave. It’s bad here, Steve.”

“Okay, okay, I’ll come get you. Where exactly are you?” His voice was urgent, the concern now clear in every syllable.

But then, she hesitated again. A long, shaky breath followed. “It’s nothing, Steve. I… I just fell. I tripped, I guess. It’s really nothing. I’m fine. I… I just want to go home. Please.”

The words hit Steve like a cold punch to the stomach. He could hear the unsteady breath in her voice, the way she was trying to cover it up. Nothing?

It didn’t sound like nothing.

“(Y/n), are you sure?” Steve pressed, his voice soft but firm. “You’re not fine. You don’t sound fine. What happened?”

There was another pause on the line. And in that silence, Steve could practically hear the panic in her trying to cover it up, to hide something she was too scared to say out loud.

“Steve, please…” She sounded almost pleading now, voice cracking at the edges. “I just want to go home. It’s not a big deal. I just… tripped. Please. Just come pick me up. I’ll be fine.”

But Steve wasn’t buying it. Not for a second. There was something wrong—something more than just a “trip.”

He ran his hand through his hair, heart hammering. “(Y/n), I’m on my way. Stay on the phone with me, okay? Don’t hang up.”

“Okay, yeah. I will. I’ll wait.” Her voice was small, far too small. The desperation beneath it was hard to ignore.

“I’m coming. Don’t hang up. I’ll be there in ten minutes.” Steve said, his voice sharp now, even as his thoughts swirled in confusion and worry. He wasn’t sure what exactly had happened, but he knew one thing: something wasn’t right.

Before she could say anything else, he hung up. His hands were already shaking as he grabbed his jacket and rushed for the door. Every instinct he had was screaming at him that there was more to the story. He couldn’t shake the feeling that Jamie—her boyfriend, the guy who always seemed to act like he owned her—had something to do with this.

He threw himself into the car, foot heavy on the gas as he sped down the dark streets. The thought of her alone, hiding something, left him cold.

The night air was cool, the faint sound of distant music still lingering as Steve pulled up to the dimly lit house by Oak Street. The party was in full swing, people spilling out onto the lawn, laughing, shouting. He felt his hands tighten around the steering wheel, anxiety twisting in his gut as he cut the engine. He knew something wasn’t right. His mind raced, replaying the conversation over and over. I just tripped.

He didn’t believe it. He couldn’t.

As he stepped out of the car, his eyes scanned the crowd, heart thudding painfully in his chest. He wasn’t sure what he was expecting, but the moment he saw her, he knew.

She was rushing toward him, practically stumbling across the gravel driveway, her breath shallow. She looked disoriented, like she had just sprinted from something. Her hair was messy, and there were visible signs of tears on her cheeks. But it was the blood that caught his attention first.

Her nose was bleeding, a dark stain dripping down her chin. Her hands were shaking as she wiped at her face, smearing the blood along her sleeve.

“(Y/n),” Steve said softly, his voice breaking through the shock in his chest as he reached out to steady her. She was too pale, her skin too flushed, and the blood on her face made his stomach turn. “What the hell happened?”

Her eyes darted away from his, unable to meet his gaze. She hesitated for a moment, like she was trying to figure out what to say, what excuse to give.

“I… I tripped,” she said, her voice small, too small. Her hand went up to her nose, trying to stop the flow of blood, but it was clear she was trembling, struggling to hold herself together. “It’s nothing, really. I just… I wasn’t paying attention.”

Steve said nothing. His gaze stayed on her, a quiet pain creeping through his chest as he silently took in her disheveled appearance. The way she couldn’t look him in the eye. The way she was covering up what was clearly more than just a simple fall.

“Let me get you in the car,” he finally said, his voice soft but firm, and he gently took her arm, guiding her toward the passenger seat. She didn’t argue.

The drive back was filled with the hum of the engine and the sound of her unsteady breathing. Neither of them said a word. The silence between them wasn’t awkward, but it was heavy—like an invisible weight pressing down on them. Steve could feel her eyes on him, but he didn’t look over, couldn’t look over. He didn’t want to see the lie in her eyes, not when he already knew the truth.

The truth was all around them.

She wasn’t telling him everything, and maybe, in some way, she never would. But Steve didn’t need her to say it. He could see it. The way her shoulders were slumped, the way she was holding herself together with a fragile, shaky resolve.

When they pulled up to her house, Steve didn’t move immediately. He just kept staring at the road, the sound of the engine slowly dying down.

“I’ll… I’ll walk you inside,” he said quietly, though his voice wavered, barely audible.

She didn’t respond at first, just sat there, staring ahead at the front door. After a long moment, she nodded, her movements stiff as she slowly unbuckled her seatbelt. Steve got out of the car and walked around to her side, but she was already halfway up the driveway, not looking back.

He watched her for a second, unsure of what to say, unsure of what he could possibly do. The tension between them hung thick in the air. She was trying so hard to pretend it was just a stupid accident.

And he was trying not to say the words that had already settled in his chest. Instead, he just followed her, walking silently behind her as she opened the door and disappeared inside.

When the door clicked shut behind her, Steve finally stood there alone in the dark, feeling the weight of everything that had gone unsaid. The truth was clear now, but some things, some feelings, couldn’t be fixed with words.

And he couldn’t fix her. Not now. So he turned and walked back to his car, the cold night air biting at his skin, but it did nothing to numb the ache inside him.

He didn’t look back.

The next day was a blur of half-hearted smiles and forced conversations. (Y/n) didn’t show up to school until just before lunch, and when she did, she was walking as if the weight of the world was on her shoulders. Her steps were slow, careful, like she was avoiding drawing attention to herself. She looked pale—too pale. Her eyes were red, like she hadn’t slept at all, and when she passed the group of students standing by the lockers, she didn’t even try to pretend she was okay. She didn’t even look at anyone.

Steve watched her from the other side of the hallway, leaning against the lockers, pretending to talk to a few of his friends, but his focus was entirely on her. She was barely interacting with anyone. She walked through the crowded halls, her gaze lowered, her face closed off.

Every so often, someone would call out to her—somebody from class, a random acquaintance—but she just kept walking. No response. Not even a glance in their direction.

Steve noticed the small things. Like the way she never once looked at him when she passed, even though she was so close. The way she kept her distance, her shoulders hunched in on themselves, her hands shoved deep into the pockets of her jacket. She was a ghost of the girl he once knew—quiet, withdrawn, isolated. It was like she was trying to disappear.

It hurt to see her like this. It hurt more than he expected.

He had told himself he’d keep his distance, that he wasn’t going to force his way into her life after everything that happened. But watching her this way, Steve couldn’t help but feel the pull to reach out, to do something. Anything.

But he stayed silent. He had to. She hadn’t said anything. She hadn’t even asked for help.

It had been a long day—one where Steve had spent more time than he liked staring across the school hallways, watching (Y/n) pull further and further into herself. He couldn’t get the image of her blood-streaked face out of his mind, nor the way she tried to hide the truth, how she downplayed it like it was no big deal.

But Steve knew better. He knew exactly what happened. And he wasn’t going to sit back anymore.

The rage that had been bubbling beneath the surface all day finally boiled over as he stepped out of the school building after the final bell rang. His heart was pounding, his hands clenched into fists. He didn’t care what anyone thought or said anymore. He was done standing by.

He knew where Jamie hung out after school.

Steve made his way to the local parking lot, where the older teens often met, some with their cars, others with their friends. His eyes scanned the area, and then he spotted him—Jamie, leaning against his car, laughing with a group of guys. He hadn’t seen Steve yet, and Steve took a deep breath as he crossed the parking lot.

His footsteps were heavy, deliberate.

“Jamie,” Steve’s voice rang out, cutting through the conversation like a knife.

The sound of his name caught Jamie’s attention. He turned, a smirk already forming on his lips, expecting the usual teasing or some snide comment, but he didn’t expect the look on Steve’s face.

Steve’s face was hard, his jaw clenched tight, eyes burning with fury. He was livid, but it was a quiet kind of anger—one that felt darker than anything Jamie had seen before.

“What the hell do you want, Harrington?” Jamie sneered, but his voice wavered just slightly.

Steve didn’t say a word. Instead, he closed the distance between them in two long strides, his fist connecting with Jamie’s jaw with a sickening crack.

The force of it knocked Jamie back against his car, and he stumbled, holding his face in shock. His friends stood still, unsure of what to do, eyes wide with surprise. Steve didn’t wait for Jamie to regain his footing. He lunged again, another punch landing right to Jamie’s stomach, knocking the wind out of him.

“Don’t you ever touch her again,” Steve growled, his voice barely controlled. “You think you can hurt her, treat her like that, and get away with it? You’re wrong.”

Jamie was gasping for air now, his hands scrambling to push Steve off him, but Steve was relentless. He grabbed him by the collar, pulling him up to his level.

“You hit her. You made her feel like this. And you don’t get to act like you’re the victim,” Steve hissed, his chest heaving with each breath.

Jamie’s eyes were wide now, fear creeping into his expression. He’d never seen Steve like this—not the “King Steve” everyone feared, but the version of him who was genuinely enraged, the version who cared about someone more than his reputation.

“You don’t get to make her cry,” Steve said, his voice lower now, full of quiet fury. “You don’t get to make her feel worthless, to make her feel like she’s alone. You’re nothing but a coward, Jamie.”

Jamie opened his mouth to retort, but before he could, Steve shoved him hard, sending him sprawling to the ground. He landed with a heavy thud, gasping and clutching at his stomach.

Steve stood over him for a moment, breathing heavily, eyes locked on Jamie’s, waiting for any sign of remorse. But Jamie’s face remained bruised and angry, his pride damaged more than anything.

“Stay away from her, or next time, I won’t stop,” Steve warned, his voice cold as ice. “You’re lucky I’m not doing more damage right now. But I swear to God, if you ever hurt her again, you won’t have a second chance.”

He turned on his heel, walking away from the scene without another word. The group of guys who had been watching stepped back, not daring to say a thing.

As Steve walked to his car, his hands still shaking with adrenaline, the anger slowly began to fade, replaced with the bitter ache of knowing he couldn’t fix everything.

The sun had barely set when Steve pulled into his driveway, the events of the afternoon still lingering in his mind. His knuckles were sore from the confrontation with Jamie, but the adrenaline had worn off, leaving him with a quiet kind of emptiness. He hadn’t expected to feel better after hitting Jamie. He hadn’t even really thought it through. It was just the anger—just the need to protect her.

He parked his car and got out, making his way toward his front door, when something caught his eye. There, on the porch, was a folded piece of paper.

It was small, the handwriting unmistakably familiar. His heart gave a painful little lurch in his chest.

It’s from her.

Without thinking, Steve walked up to the porch, kneeling down to pick up the note. He unfolded it carefully, as if handling something fragile. The words were simple, barely more than a few letters.

“Thank you.”

He stood there for a long moment, holding the note in his hands, feeling the weight of the words sink into his chest.

Thank you.

It was all she could say. It was everything she needed to say, but it didn’t fill the space he felt between them. There was still so much left unsaid, so much that he didn’t know.

But it was enough.

His fingers brushed over the paper, as if trying to absorb the depth of her gratitude, even when she didn’t say it out loud. Even though she hadn’t directly come to him, this—this small, simple note—felt like more than words. It was her way of saying that she saw him, that she understood.

It was a quiet evening when (Y/n) arrived home, her mind still buzzing from the chaos of the day. She had been trying to push away the memory of the party, the bruises she’d hidden beneath layers of makeup, the quiet conversations with friends that no longer seemed to hold the same meaning. She could feel the weight of everything pressing down on her, but she tried not to dwell on it.

As she walked up the path to her porch, something caught her eye. It was a small piece of paper, slightly crumpled, tucked under the edge of the doormat. It was out of place—she hadn’t dropped anything, and no one else ever came by this late. Curiosity piqued, she bent down to pick it up, feeling a flutter in her chest when she saw the familiar handwriting.

Steve.

Her pulse quickened, and she unfolded the note, careful not to tear it. The words were simple, short, but they carried more weight than she expected:

“If you ever need anything, I’m here. Anytime. – Steve”

Her heart skipped a beat, and for a moment, she just stood there, staring at the note in her hands. It wasn’t much, just a few words scribbled on paper, but it felt like a quiet admission of everything they never said. He hadn’t come to her with grand gestures or promises, just a reminder that, no matter what, he was there. No conditions. No expectations. Just… anytime.

Tears pricked at her eyes, but she blinked them away quickly. She was fine, or at least, she’d been telling herself that for weeks. She didn’t need him. She didn’t need anyone. But the note… it made something shift inside of her. Something she didn’t even know was still there.

She stood on her porch for a long moment, clutching the note to her chest, unsure of what to do with it. A part of her wanted to call him, to thank him for even thinking of her. But another part of her—one that had been hurt by the past, by everything left unsaid between them—wondered if it was better to leave things in the past.

In the end, she tucked the note into her pocket and stepped inside, her heart a little heavier, a little more open. She wasn’t ready to face Steve, not yet. But maybe, just maybe, the note was a sign. A sign that, even after all this time, there was still something left worth holding on to.

For now, she’d hold on to the words he’d given her, quiet and simple as they were. And maybe, when the time came, she’d take him up on it. Anytime.

The days after the note passed like molasses—slow, heavy, and strangely silent. (Y/n) didn’t respond, didn’t call, didn’t mention it. But she kept it. Folded carefully in the back of her notebook, slipped between pages of notes and half-sketched doodles, like a secret she wasn’t ready to give up.

At school, things continued on like normal—or at least, they tried to. The crowded hallways were filled with slamming lockers, shrieking laughter, the sharp perfume of hairspray and cologne lingering in the air. People still whispered, still looked at her too long when they thought she wasn’t paying attention. Jamie was nowhere to be seen. His absence made everything feel both better and worse.

And Steve…

He didn’t say anything, didn’t approach her, didn’t push. But sometimes—just sometimes—he looked.

She caught him once between classes, leaning against his locker in that effortlessly careless way he always had. His eyes met hers across the sea of students, and it was like time slowed just enough for her to see it—that flicker of something in his expression. Guilt, maybe. Worry. Or just the memory of something they both tried not to think about.

She looked away first.

But the next day, she was the one who looked.

And it kept happening. In the cafeteria, during passing periods, when he thought she wouldn’t notice—Steve would glance up, and there she’d be. Eyes soft but guarded, like she wanted to say something and couldn’t find the words. Like maybe she was remembering the kids they used to be—their laughter in the summer heat, muddy shoes on front porches, bug jars and whispered secrets after dark.

There was nothing romantic about it. Not yet. Just something old and half-forgotten blooming quietly beneath all the noise of teenage cruelty and regret.

They didn’t smile. They didn’t nod. They just looked. And somehow, that was enough.

The bell had rung hours ago. The halls of Hawkins High were long emptied, lockers echoing in the silence like distant ghosts. (Y/n) had stayed behind to finish an overdue project—something about the way her house felt too loud when she was alone lately. She packed her things slowly, the sky already beginning to dip into dusk outside the classroom window, tinged pink and a little lonely.

She didn’t expect to see Steve when she pushed open the side door near the gym.

But there he was—shoulder pressed against the brick wall, hair a little messier than usual, one strap of his backpack slipping down. He looked up at the sound of the door and blinked, clearly just as surprised to see her.

Neither of them said anything. Not at first.

She adjusted her bag on her shoulder, gave him a slight nod, and began the walk home. She didn’t expect him to follow. But after a few seconds, she heard the crunch of gravel behind her.

He caught up without a word.

The streets were quiet, scattered leaves brushing across the sidewalk in the cool wind. They walked side by side, not close enough to brush arms, but not as far as they might’ve months ago. The silence wasn’t tense, but it wasn’t entirely comfortable either—it held weight. Like something long unsaid was walking with them.

(Y/n) glanced at him once. He was staring ahead, jaw tight, like he was thinking too hard. She looked away before he noticed.

Halfway down Maple Street, she broke it. “I used to know every thought in your head,” she said softly.

Steve’s step faltered, just for a second. He didn’t look at her, but his voice came low and hoarse. “Yeah. I know.”

She didn’t know what made her say it. Maybe it was the weight of everything unsaid. Maybe it was the quiet hum of twilight that always made things feel more honest. Either way, once it left her mouth, it hung between them like a thread.

They didn’t say anything else for a while. Just the sound of their shoes on pavement, the wind tugging at her sleeves, the smell of cold earth and faraway woodsmoke.

When they reached their street—his house on one side, hers on the other—they both paused at the fork in the sidewalk.

Steve finally looked at her. “I—” he started, then stopped. Shoved his hands in his pockets. “I didn’t think you’d still… y’know. Talk to me.”

She shrugged, but there was something fragile in her smile. “You didn’t.”

And then she crossed the street, her porch light flickering on as she stepped up the stairs. She didn’t look back. But he stood there a while longer, watching the spot where she disappeared behind the front door.

And it wasn’t quite forgiveness. But it wasn’t nothing.

The classroom buzzed with the low drone of tired teenagers and a teacher who clearly wanted to be anywhere else. (Y/n) sat near the back, pen tapping quietly against her notebook, her thoughts miles away. Steve was two rows over—diagonally across—slouched in his seat like his spine had given up entirely.

It wasn’t supposed to be a memorable day. Just another long afternoon.

But then, some kid in the front—loud, attention-seeking—joked about a science experiment from last year. Something dumb involving baking soda and vinegar, and the poor janitor who slipped in the aftermath.

“Explosion of the century,” he said dramatically, “RIP to Mr. Jenkins’ shoes.”

Steve snorted before he could stop himself.

At the same time, (Y/n) groaned and muttered, “We told them not to put the cap back on the bottle.” Their voices overlapped. The words came out too quickly, too easily.

Silence fell.

A few students turned to look. The teacher paused. But Steve’s eyes had already flicked across the room to meet hers.

(Y/n)’s hand froze mid-tap. Her gaze locked with his. His lips were curled in the ghost of a smirk, like he couldn’t believe it either. The same joke. The same memory.

A shared disaster from a lifetime ago—seventh grade science club. The two of them had laughed so hard they nearly got detention. She remembered Steve doubling over, tears in his eyes, saying “Jenkins is gonna sue us.”

She remembered everything. Now it was just quiet again. A little awkward. A little warm. Steve blinked like he was about to say something, but then looked away, hiding behind his hand, suddenly very focused on the peeling edge of his desk.

(Y/n) turned back to her notebook. Her pen didn’t tap anymore. She didn’t smile. But she didn’t stop thinking about it, either.

Sixth period ended in the same slow drag it always did, chairs scraping against the floor, the clatter of notebooks and tired footsteps. Steve was one of the last to leave—he’d zoned out again halfway through, staring out the window like something out there might matter more than whatever the hell they were learning.

When he finally stood and grabbed his bag, he noticed something folded and wedged between the pages of his open notebook.

Small. Torn paper. No name.

He glanced around. Empty classroom. Just the hum of the overhead lights and the faint scent of old pencils. He unfolded it slowly, calloused fingers handling it more gently than he meant to.

There were only three words. “Still funny, Harrington.”

And next to them, a quick little doodle—a bottle mid-explosion, with a stick figure diving out of the way dramatically. A joke. A memory.

His mouth twitched.

He didn’t need a signature. He knew. The handwriting was too familiar. The humor too pointed. It was her.

Steve stood there for a second longer, staring at the paper like it had caught him off guard. Because it had.

Then, without thinking, he folded it back up and slipped it into the back pocket of his notebook. No hesitation. No smirk. Just… quiet.

He didn’t tell anyone about it. Didn’t throw it out. Didn’t forget.

It became a quiet thing. Subtle. Almost shy.

After her first note—“Still funny, Harrington”—Steve didn’t respond with words. But a few days later, she opened her locker and found a torn scrap of notebook paper taped to the inside.

A doodle. Stick figures. One labeled “YOU” running from a bottle with fizz drawn dramatically in shaky lines. She smiled all the way to English class. That’s how it started.

They didn’t talk about it. Never looked at each other when it happened. But the notes kept coming, passed in silence—hidden under desks, slipped into books, dropped into lockers like little ghosts of who they used to be.

Nothing deep. Nothing too brave.

Just; “Cafeteria pizza still a crime.” “Saw a squirrel today. It reminded me of the one that attacked us in 5th grade. You still owe me a band-aid.” “Science lab smelled like trauma today.”

Sometimes a scribble. Sometimes a single word. Once, a napkin with “emergency use only” written on it, wrapped around a grape Jolly Rancher. She didn’t eat it. She kept it in her bag like it meant something. It wasn’t like they were friends again. Not exactly.

But the notes? They felt like a secret handshake no one else remembered.

It was easier this way. Safer than eye contact. Safer than talking. Safer than the truth. Because it wasn’t about confessions. It was about remembering what it felt like when the world hadn’t gotten in the way.

Steve was driving home from work, the sun beginning to set as he cruised through the familiar streets of Hawkins. The car radio was on low, the hum of static occasionally cutting through the air. He didn’t mind the silence, especially after a long day of dealing with kids at Scoops Ahoy. It was almost peaceful.

Then, a song came on.

The familiar opening chords immediately caught his attention. He almost didn’t recognize it at first, but when the lyrics started, his chest tightened. It was their song. The one they’d blast on the way to school, windows down, singing loudly and terribly. It was one of those tracks that felt like it belonged to a different time, a different version of them. The carefree, innocent version that felt like it would never end.

He gripped the steering wheel a little tighter, his breath catching in his throat as the song played out. The memory of her laugh, of the way she used to joke around with him about the lyrics, flooded back all at once. The way they’d get caught in the song, laughing even when they didn’t know all the words. It was simple. It was easy. It was before everything changed.

The song carried on, and Steve’s heart squeezed painfully. He tried to keep his focus on the road, but the weight of it all—the distance, the time that had passed, the things that had gone unsaid—was too much to ignore. He wanted to roll the windows down, turn the volume up, and pretend like they were back there again, just the two of them, driving down this same road, carefree and without a care in the world.

But he couldn’t. He was alone now. She was gone, and all that was left were the memories. He could almost hear her voice in his head, teasing him, singing off-key, and making everything feel lighter, like it was all okay.

As the song reached its end, Steve found himself pulling over to the side of the road, his eyes suddenly wet. He didn’t even notice when the tears started to fall. He wiped his face with the back of his hand, not even sure why it was hitting him this hard. But it was.

He sat there in the stillness of the car, the sound of the song still echoing in his mind long after it had ended on the radio.

He couldn’t help but wonder what she was doing now. Was she listening to it too? Did it remind her of him the same way it reminded him of her? Or was she, like him, just trying to move on?

He didn’t know. And that uncertainty was almost harder than the sadness.

The gym was packed, the air thick with excitement, and the scent of cheap cologne and hairspray hung heavily in the atmosphere. The annual Hawkins High School dance was in full swing, the DJ’s blaring music mixing with the chaotic chatter of students, all pressing against each other on the dance floor. Lights flashed, casting streaks of color across the room, as people danced, laughed, and tried to ignore the awkwardness of high school socializing.

Steve had arrived with a group of his friends, and (Y/n) had come with a few of hers. It wasn’t a big deal—just another school event they’d both end up attending. But the noise, the flashing lights, and the way the crowd seemed to pulse with youthful energy made Steve feel distant. He was stuck between the person he used to be and the one he was trying to be now. And (Y/n)? Well, she had always been a reminder of who he used to be, too.

As the night went on, they found themselves drifting closer to each other. Neither of them had planned it. It wasn’t as if they’d meant to meet up, but somehow, in the middle of the chaos, they ended up standing side by side, just a few feet apart. The music blared louder, people crowded past them, but in that moment, the world felt quieter.

For a few seconds, it was like they were the only two people in the room.

Neither of them said anything.

The laughter, the chatter, the pounding bass of the music—they were all far away now. In the space between them, there was a stillness. Neither of them looked directly at the other, but they both knew the other was there. The distance felt like something older than time itself, something deeper than the walls they’d built between them.

The air felt heavy, thick with years of history—shared memories, unspoken words, and too many small things left unsaid. Neither of them moved, both of them unsure of what came next. They didn’t need words. The quiet exchange of notes had been enough for a while. It was their secret, their little world hidden in scribbled messages and silent understanding.

But now, in the middle of the dance, it felt like everything had shifted again.

It had been months—no, years—since they’d shared a space like this. No shouting. No awkward small talk. Just… silence. And in the silence, there was a pull. Something both familiar and foreign.

From the corner of his eye, Steve caught the glimpse of something in (Y/n)’s hand—just the slightest flicker of paper between her fingers, something she was about to tuck away.

Steve found himself walking toward her, almost on instinct, his hand already reaching into his pocket. It was just a small thing—an impulsive gesture—but something about tonight made him feel like he had to do it. He pulled out a sticky note, simple and plain, but enough to say what needed to be said.

When he reached her, he didn’t speak. He didn’t need to. He just handed it to her, his fingers brushing lightly against hers as he did. She looked down at the note, her eyes scanning it quickly.

“You still have the best smile in Hawkins.”

It was a silly thing to say, but it was their thing. Steve had always teased her about it when they were younger, and somehow, it still felt like a part of them. Her lips curved into a small, genuine smile as she read it, and for a second, the whole world seemed to quiet down.

Without a word, (Y/n) reached into her own pocket and pulled out a sticky note of her own. She handed it to him, and Steve took it with the same quiet ease. He unfolded it, reading the words written in her familiar handwriting.

“And you still think you’re funny.”

A laugh escaped him before he could stop it, a soft, genuine chuckle that felt like a weight lifting off his chest. She was right, of course. He wasn’t exactly known for his impeccable humor. But it had always been their thing—her teasing him for his attempts at jokes, him pretending to be offended.

He glanced back at her, his smile soft and real, the same as the one from years ago. No words needed to follow. Their exchange, brief as it was, felt like everything they had lost—and everything they had regained—without either of them needing to say a single thing.

For a moment, the chaos of the dance faded into the background. The notes had always been their language, the quiet bridge between them. It didn’t matter that everything around them had changed; this felt familiar, like coming home to something simple, something that hadn’t gone anywhere at all.

Steve slipped the note into his pocket, the weight of it comforting, almost grounding him in the moment. He didn’t say anything. Neither did she. And for once, neither of them felt the need to.

It was the first time in years that Steve had forgotten her birthday. He hated himself for it, but somewhere between the chaos of work, school, and everything else, the date slipped past him unnoticed. When he realized, it was too late to make it right—not that he thought he could, anyway.

But (Y/n) never said a word.

No mention of it. No subtle reminder. Nothing. She simply carried on as she always did—laughing with friends, studying quietly in the library, staying mostly to herself. The way she always did when things hurt but she didn’t want anyone to know.

He saw her, of course. It was impossible not to. But when she passed him in the hallways, there was something colder about her smile. Something… distant. She didn’t seem angry, not at him at least, but the silence between them grew heavier. Steve didn’t ask, didn’t try to explain. He just let the days go by.

Then, a week later, as the last bits of dusk fell over Hawkins, Steve found himself standing on (Y/n)’s front porch. He didn’t really know what had compelled him to do it, but he stood there, feeling the cool air nipping at his skin as he stared at the wrapped cassette in his hands.

It was an old one. He’d dug through the shelves of Melvald’s and found an old cassette tape, a relic from their childhood. He’d spent hours making a playlist. Songs they used to dance to, songs they used to sing in the car, songs that held memories of simpler times when nothing felt as complicated as it did now.

And then, he added one more. A new song. One he couldn’t explain to her in person, one that said everything he couldn’t find the words for.

With one final glance at the door, Steve left the cassette on the porch, tapping it softly against the wooden surface, just where she would find it when she came outside. He didn’t ring the doorbell or knock. He didn’t want to make a big deal out of it.

Then, he turned and walked away, his heart heavy, unsure of what to expect.

The next morning, (Y/n) stepped out onto the porch, the early sunlight casting long shadows on the ground. She had been up early, as usual. But today, there was something different. Something that had caught her attention—something small, tucked against the door.

She crouched down, her fingers brushing the edges of the wrapped cassette, a small note attached to the front.

She knew what it was before she even opened it. A gift from Steve. She hadn’t expected anything from him, but somehow, in a way, she had.

Unwrapping the cassette, she saw the familiar handwriting on the front of the tape:

“For the good old days. And the ones that might come.”

Her fingers traced over the note, and for a moment, she was back there, back to when everything felt easier. The days before the silence, before the walls between them grew so high.

She popped the cassette into her player, and as the first song began to play—one of their old favorites—a flood of memories came rushing back. Laughter. Songs they used to sing together. Quiet walks in the park.

And then the next song came on.

It was new. A song she didn’t recognize, but the lyrics hit her all the same. Every word felt like it was written just for them. The melody was soft, almost haunting, but the words were simple. And raw. Her breath caught in her throat.

She leaned back against the porch, the weight of the words settling into her chest. It was like Steve had finally found the words that had been missing all this time—the words he couldn’t say out loud. He couldn’t explain why he’d forgotten her birthday, or why things had become so complicated. But with the tape, with this song, he had somehow said it all.

She closed her eyes, letting the music fill the quiet morning.

For a moment, everything felt like it was right where it needed to be.

The night of graduation arrived, and the gymnasium was filled with the hum of laughter, music, and chatter. Balloons floated above, banners swayed from the ceiling, and everyone was celebrating the end of high school. But amidst all the noise and excitement, Steve and (Y/n) found themselves on opposite sides of the room, as if the weight of the past few years had made an invisible distance between them.

They didn’t speak much during the ceremony. There were glances exchanged, a fleeting smile here and there, but nothing that felt like it used to. It wasn’t that things were bad between them; it was just that things had changed. They had changed.

The night stretched on, the music pulsing around them as students danced, laughed, and posed for pictures. Steve leaned against the gymnasium wall, nursing a cup of punch, and watched the crowd. He wasn’t really participating, but then again, neither was (Y/n). She was standing near the edge of the dance floor, tucked away with her friends, but not quite a part of the festivities.

He caught her gaze across the room, her eyes meeting his, and for a brief second, everything else faded away. It was just the two of them again.

Without thinking, Steve pushed off the wall and started walking toward her. She didn’t move, but the corners of her mouth curled slightly when she saw him approaching.

The music blared, but in that moment, the world felt quieter, as if they were in their own little bubble. As he reached her, she raised an eyebrow, a small smirk playing at her lips.

“Hey,” she said softly, but it wasn’t the usual greeting. There was something more to it, something heavier beneath the surface.

“Hey,” Steve responded, his voice a little quieter than usual. They stood there for a beat, just taking in the moment. It was strange. He wanted to say so much, but the words didn’t come.

And then, just as the silence was beginning to stretch awkwardly, (Y/n)’s eyes flicked toward the table across the room, where the photo booth was set up.

“You know,” she started, her voice carrying the slightest hint of nostalgia, “I can’t believe we’re really done with this place.”

“Yeah,” Steve said, his hands in his pockets. “Feels like we were just freshmen.”

They both shared a small, knowing look. It wasn’t just the years that had passed—they both knew how much had changed between them over that time.

There was a slight pause before (Y/n) added, her tone soft but unmistakable, “You remember that day we skipped class to go to Melvald’s? You were convinced you could beat me at that weird game with the spinning discs.”

Steve’s lips curled into a smile, the memory hitting him like a wave. “I almost beat you,” he said with a mock defensiveness. “You just got lucky with that last turn.”

Her laugh was quiet but genuine, the sound so familiar it almost felt like a balm to the tension that had built up between them over the years. For a second, they were twelve again, sitting at Melvald’s after skipping school, arguing over a stupid arcade game. There had been no walls between them back then, no unspoken feelings, no time lost.

And then, almost like it always did, the silence crept in again, but this time it wasn’t awkward. It was comfortable, soft. As if the shared moment was enough.

Finally, after a few seconds, (Y/n) reached into her pocket and pulled out a small piece of paper—something she’d clearly scribbled on quickly earlier in the night. Without saying anything, she passed it to him.

Steve unfolded the paper and found a tiny doodle of two stick figures. One had a ridiculous amount of hair, clearly representing him, and the other had glasses and a goofy smile. Beneath it, in her messy handwriting, it simply said:

“Still better at the game than you.”

It was an inside joke. One that only the two of them could get. The same thing they used to laugh about years ago, when they were kids.

He chuckled softly, his heart a little lighter than it had been all night. Without thinking, he took out a pen from his pocket and scribbled a reply on the back of the paper.

“You wish. Still can’t beat me.”

When he handed the paper back to her, their fingers brushed, and for the briefest moment, everything felt right again.

She looked down at it, a smile tugging at her lips “I’ll take that as a challenge,” she said quietly, her voice warm.

Steve’s smile lingered, and for the first time that night, he felt like everything was exactly where it was supposed to be.

As they stood there, side by side, the noise of the party fading around them, neither of them spoke. They didn’t need to. The exchange, the small shared secret between them, said it all.

For a moment, it was just like it used to be. And maybe that was enough.

It had been a week since the last time

It had been a week since the last time Steve had seen her. The small, fleeting conversation they’d shared outside her house had left him with a strange, gnawing feeling, but he told himself it was nothing. He told himself that things would get easier, that everything was just a phase. After all, they had been friends forever, right?

But today, everything felt different. The air in Hawkins was thick with the hum of summer heat, but Steve couldn’t shake the weight that was hanging in his chest. He hadn’t seen her around. Not since the conversation outside her house. He knew she was still in town—she had to be, right? Her car was still parked in the driveway. So why hadn’t she been at school? Why hadn’t she been out for her usual walks, or in the small café down the street where they used to run into each other every other afternoon?

As he made his way down the street toward his own house, he noticed something strange. The windows to her house were dark—dark in a way they shouldn’t have been. He couldn’t see any movement inside. He glanced at the mailbox and saw it was overflowing, something that had never happened before. She was always so organized. Always so… there.

Confused, Steve made his way up the driveway, not even thinking twice as he stepped onto her porch. He knocked, but the sound felt hollow, empty.

No answer.

He hesitated, his hand hovering over the doorknob, before slowly letting it fall back to his side. A sense of dread washed over him, something he couldn’t explain. There was a faint rustling noise coming from around the side of the house, and he walked toward it, heart thudding louder with every step.

As he turned the corner, his eyes landed on a scene that made his stomach drop.

There she was—(Y/n)—moving boxes from her house into a car, her back to him. She looked smaller than usual, her movements slow, almost deliberate. She was trying to lift a heavy box and, with a frustrated sigh, she set it down again on the ground. It looked like she was trying to do everything herself.

Steve stood there for a moment, paralyzed by the sight. He should’ve called out to her, should’ve offered to help, but the words wouldn’t come. His feet were rooted to the ground as he watched her carry another box into the car.

And then it hit him.

Her car was packed—completely packed.

No. No, this couldn’t be happening. She couldn’t be leaving. Not like this. Not without a word. Not without—

His thoughts were interrupted as (Y/n) straightened up and looked over her shoulder. Their eyes met, and the realization hit both of them at once. She froze, just for a moment, as if she wasn’t sure what to do or what to say. Then, without a word, she quickly turned her attention back to the box in front of her, hiding her face.

Steve’s heart twisted in his chest.

“(Y/n)?” he asked, his voice coming out more quietly than he meant. “What’s going on?”

She didn’t look at him. She didn’t even acknowledge him at first. She just continued moving boxes, her movements quick, her hands shaking ever so slightly.

“I’m leaving, Steve,” she said finally, her voice tight, her tone flat. “I’m going to college. Out of state. You know… like we talked about.”

It felt like the world around him stopped.

He blinked, trying to understand, trying to piece it all together. But his mind wasn’t processing the words. She was leaving. She was really leaving.

“You… you didn’t say anything,” Steve said, his throat tight. It came out harsher than he intended, and he immediately regretted it. But he couldn’t help it. It felt like everything was unraveling around him.

“I didn’t think I had to,” she replied quietly, her voice barely a whisper. She didn’t even look up as she continued working, shifting things from her porch into the car. “I didn’t want to make a big deal out of it.”

A wave of frustration washed over him. “Well, you could have told me. You could’ve said something.”

She paused for a brief moment, her shoulders tensing. Then, she exhaled deeply. “I didn’t think you’d want to hear it. I didn’t think you’d care.”

The words stung. But Steve knew she was right. Somewhere along the way, they’d grown distant, and now here they were—on opposite sides of a divide he couldn’t cross.

“I always care,” he said, though the words felt like they barely scraped the surface.

She didn’t respond to that. She just moved to grab another box.

“Is it really that easy?” he asked, his voice suddenly small. “Just leaving? Just… gone?”

She didn’t look at him, but Steve saw her shoulders stiffen again. “It’s not easy, Steve. But it’s something I have to do.”

His gaze softened. The sight of her trying so hard to hide it, trying to pretend everything was okay, it broke him. He wanted to reach out, to stop her from leaving. To tell her that things didn’t have to be like this, that they could go back to how they used to be. But the words were trapped inside, tangled in the space between them.

Instead, he stood there, helpless.

“I’ll miss you,” he managed, his voice barely above a whisper.

For the first time, she stopped moving, and for a brief second, she just stood there, her head down. He could see her lips trembling as she fought back the tears she wouldn’t let fall. “I’ll miss you too,” she said softly.

As she drove away, the silence between them stretched further than the miles that now separated them, and Steve realized that some goodbyes never get the chance to be said.

────୨ৎ────────୨ৎ────────

[mtheonott]

Sabrina

-ˋˏ✄┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈

⌗ comf, stuffed toy, bf!TheodoreNott

word count: 641

note: first of all, it was a request from @annaisabookworm that I lost. Sorry for taking so long to respond! I didn't see it.… I'm a bit dumb. secondly, English is not my native language, and even though I wrote a project about American slang (I'm still writing it), I still didn't understand who fred was(pls help). Third, thank you for your kind words! Fourthly, I'm sorry that I didn't post for a long time, I was all in my studies. but I have written you two sketches, one of which is below this one. I love you!

You have no idea when exactly Theodore started noticing your affection for the stuffed pig. Probably back in your fourth year, when you used to sneak it into the library during particularly difficult exams. Or in fifth grade, when after a bad day you were hiding in an empty classroom, clutching a stuffed toy in your hands.

But in the sixth, he knew it for sure.

— Do you realize how ridiculous you look? — Theodore sits down on the sofa in the Slytherin living room, watching you, wrapped in a blanket, nuzzle your piggy.

You look at him with displeasure.

— I realize that it's time for you to mind your own business, Nott," you grumble, clutching the toy tighter.

It's been a long day. Transfiguration has taken all your strength, and there's still a potions exam ahead. The piggy, whose weight pleasantly presses on your body, helps you relax.

— You're not a kid, — he continues, as if it's crucial for him to be right.

— Legally, I am a kid, — you correct him, burying your face in a soft cloth.

You can hear him sigh. Then you feel movement — he settles down next to you, putting his feet up on the table.

— Does it at least help in any way?

You turn your head. There is no mockery in his voice.

—Yes, — you admit. — It's weighted. It's... soothing.

Theodore is silent, and then reaches forward and gently touches the toy with his fingers. The soft fabric feels good, forcing the phalanges of the fingers to return to this thing again.

— It's weird, but it makes sense, — he says, — Some kind of Muggle thing?

You nod.

He leans back, — Does it have a name?

You look away. It's embarrassing to show a toy, and even more so to admit that you gave it a name.

— Sabrina.

Theodore chuckles.

— You do realize that if Malfoy finds out, you'll be laughed at for the rest of the school year, right?

You just shrug your shoulders. Everyone has known for a long time that you have mumps. At first, someone really tried to make fun of you, but you didn't care. Over time, most just got used to it.

But Theo doesn't seem to be used to it. Because now he's everywhere you are, and he always notices Sabrina.

In the Spell exam, you finish your work ahead of time and, while waiting for the others, hug the toy to somehow relieve the tension. When the exam is over, you look up and meet Theodore's gaze. He grins.

— With your pig again?

You roll your eyes.

— Leave me alone.

— I'm starting to think that you love it more than you love me,— he whispers mockingly as he passes by.

You blush, but you don't say anything.

And then, a week later, you notice something strange.

Nott is sitting in the far corner of the library, poring over a textbook on Potions. And everything would be fine, but next to him, she lies completely calmly... a stuffed duck.

You stop, blinking.

— Theo…

He doesn't look up.

— Don't start.

You bite your lip, holding back a smile.

— What is it?

He sighs and still looks at you.

— It's... something that turns out to really help, — he admits reluctantly.

You sit down next to him and carefully pick up the toy. It, like Sabrina, is weighted.

— It is cute,— you say.

Theodore snorts,

— It's a duck. Ducks can't be cute.

You shake your head.

— This one can.

You're just silent for a few seconds, and then Theodore lazily remarks:

— If Malfoy finds out, he'll laugh at me for the rest of the school year.

You're laughing.

— Get used to it.

[00-jammy-00]

Yan!Worshipper HC’s

Yan!Worshipper x GN! Deity! Reader

Content warning - Yandere themes, obsession, murder, this is mostly smut, nsfw mentions, cult themes, one of my most pathetic yans, he kisses your feet, slight pet play, spanking, he has a collar and leash

A/N - I’m so sorry I’ve been gone for a while. I lost motivation for a little bit and felt ashamed with a few of my works. I’ll be working on more requests as of now <3

———————————————————————————————————

Yan!Worshipper who got a bit sloppy over time. Running a small cult was still so much work! Keeping the followers in line was the worst of it though. The disgusting rats couldn’t help but want more. Greedy pigs.

Yan!Worshipper who just had enough at one point and started killing off the ones who irritated him. One of them kept asking to see you all the time? Buried. Another would stop donating? Hung her limbs above the doorway until they rotted.

Yan!Worshipper who tried his best to keep this small secret from you. He didn’t lie to you though, he could never. So when you finally found out, he was a teensy but emotional.

Yan!Worshipper who got on his hands and knees sobbing as he pleaded for forgiveness. Snot and tears streaming down his face while he ungracefully dry heaved. “I’m sorry my light! Hic! I didn’t mean to cause you any harm! I’m so sorry! You’re my everything! Hic!”

Yan!Worshipper who followed your orders immediately when you told him he was going to be punished. He crawled up to you and kissed your ankle, whispering apologies. He slowly took your shoes off and kissed from your feet up to your thigh before looking up at you through teary lashes.

Yan!Worshipper who, in no time, was bent over your knee naked with a red ass. Despite the harsh slaps against him, his dick leaked onto the sheets below, his shaky voice counting each individual slap.

Yan!Worshipper who let out a sigh of relief when you stopped spanking him only to stiffen when you pulled out his specially made collar and leash. He whined as you pulled him by the leash across the halls fully nude on all fours. Followers knew better than to stare for too long at the sight.

Yan!Worshipper who made it up to you by pleasing you for hours, worshipping every part of your body a hundred times over while whimpering. The word ‘sorry’ didn’t even sound real as it continued to fall from his lips. Would he stop killing these ungrateful slugs after this? Of course not, why would he?

———————————————————————————————————

Likes, reblogs and comments are greatly appreciated, requests are open <3

please do not copy, repost or translate any of my works on other platforms without my permission.

[dwaekkicidal]

js had a thought of skz dom-ing usually dom!fem. reader and they fuck her so hard that she cant walk anymore n they laugh at her. please write this one 😭

-👾

First-Time-Subbing!Reader[Hyung Line]

˚ʚ♡ɞ˚ word count: 1.8k (in total)

˚ʚ♡ɞ˚ warnings are under each pic. just keep in mind its fem reader and generally rough, some of them have stuff that comes off as dubcon BUT this is in the context that they spoke about it beforehand so it's 100% consensual

˚ʚ♡ɞ˚ notes: OK first, this took me like A WEEK to post because I was trying to get all 8 of them into 1 post 😭(spoiler: i gave up. its too long) I'll post the maknae line version of this in a few days (with an extra part hehe) <3 anyways, this ask is so hot and brings out the brat in me so i got carried away

Maknae Line

𝙱𝚊𝚗𝚐 𝙲𝚑𝚊𝚗

reader was a brat about it, kinda meanie chris?, use of 'pretty girl', Daddy kink (are we surprised)

"Where did all that confidence go?" His hands hold both of yours against the small of your back, pushing you farther into the arm of the couch. You whine into the cushions where your face is smooshed, crying out into them with each cruel thrust.

"What was all that stuff you said earlier, my love? 'The day you dom me is the day pigs fly'? Hmm?" The night and day difference between the nickname and his hips has your head spinning.

"Fuck! Hold on-" His free hand wraps around the back of your neck and pushes you farther into the cushions, muffling your moans. "What's wrong, hm? Can't stand the taste of your own medicine?" You hear and feel his balls slap against your clit as he continues to use you thoroughly.

Once he feels you getting close, his thrusts slow down drastically. He lets go of your wrists and pulls you up, leaning you against his chest as he tediously rolls his hips against yours. "What do we say, pretty girl?"

Your eyes manage to crack open and you turn your head to look at him, "H-Huh?"

His chin rests on your shoulder and his eyes are lidded as they stare into yours. His heavy breath fans on your cheeks as he repeats himself, "Don't you have something to say to me? After being so rude to little ol' me earlier?"

"I-I'm sorry..?" His hands trail down your stomach, stopping at your clit and rubbing soft circles around it.

"Hmm." He smirks cockily. "Are you asking me or telling me? And I think you're missing something, don't you think?" You stare into his eyes confused, until you faintly remember the talk the two of you had about this exact dynamic.

You gulp, not at all familiar with the feeling coursing through your veins, but pushing yourself through it regardless. for him. "I'm sorry, D-Daddy.."

He smiles sweetly, placing a soft kiss on your cheek before he bends you forward again. He holds onto your elbows and uses them as leverage to fuck you, giving you no time to think as he starts another rough pace that has you seeing stars.

"Oh my G-God! Chris-"

"Atta girl. Tell the neighbors who owns this pussy."

𝙻𝚎𝚎 𝙺𝚗𝚘𝚠

reader was a brat about it, kinda mean dom min, spanking, hair pulling, edging

"Thought you said I could neeeever dom you?" The makeshift ponytail in your hair is held tightly as he holds you in place and mocks you. "Even after we talked about it and you agreed to let me dom, you still have the audacity to say all that in front of the guys?"

"M-Min! I'm sorry-"

"Mmm~ Yeah. You're gonna be sorry, kitty." His hips slam against yours even harder than before as he makes himself even angrier with the memories from the earlier events. He watches your arms wobble, struggling to hold up your body weight, and takes the chance to shove you down. Your cheek is squished against the covers and the angle causes a deeper arch in your back, allowing him to bully himself even deeper into your cunt. Pretty cries and desperate gasps continue to fall from your lips each time he pushes in and out.

Eventually, the hand in your hair is removed in favor of resting opposite of his other, caging in your torso and sinking his fists into the mattress by your waist. His chest swells with pride at the sight of you below him, at his mercy for once, and fucked completely stupid. A hand comes down on your ass cheek once before moving to your hip to hold you in place. You miss the way he licks his lips and watches you squirm below him.

Once your cries turn squeaky and your legs struggle to slam shut around his thighs, he pulls out abruptly. "Min?!? What the fuck??" You crane your neck to make a face at him but he stares down at you with a blank expression, still unmoving, so you take it upon yourself to finish yourself off. You quickly trail your hand between your legs in an attempt to rub your clit, but he catches on immediately. He uses those cat-like reflexes to roughly grab your wrists before they even get past your belly button and holds them above your head with one hand. Then his other comes down multiple times against your ass cheeks, swapping sides and never letting up.

By the time he's finished, his hands are a bright pink and burn when they squeeze and message the red flesh of your ass. Your complaints have died down alongside your disobedience, making him finally allow you a break. A very short one, however, as he slides himself through your sopping folds and pushes back in, causing you to hiss when his hips meet the abused skin of your ass.

"Bad kitties don't get to cum. Be good now and let me use you."

𝙲𝚑𝚊𝚗𝚐𝚋𝚒𝚗

reader was a brat about it, kinda bondage?, hair pulling, dubcon, overstimulation, bin puts reader in a chokehold hehe

"C'mon Binnie~ Surely you can do better than that? My baby boy needs me to take the lead, again?" You laugh as he whines and tenses up, making you bite your lip at the sight of his arms flexing. He's trying so desperately to undo the pink, silk ribbons that currently restrain him to the chair in the middle of your room.

You hop off the bed, legs slightly wobbly from the orgasm you made him sit through, and skip happily to the wide dresser. You go through the more intimate drawer to find your favorite toys when you hear the floorboards creak. You crane your neck to the side only to have your face shoved into the dresser. The things on it rattle as you're held roughly against it and your underwear is pulled to your knees.

He holds you down and pumps himself a few times, lining up with your hole and pushing in slowly. The way he slowly grinds his entire length into you gives you a false sense of comfort, it's almost as if he's trying to make love! Except he's not. The hand on your head pushes you against the flat surface of the dresser top, holding you there as you start to borderline scream loudly from his quickening thrusts.

You squeak out his name with every other thrust and he tightens his hand into your hair. The other reaches into the drawer and pulls out a vibrator, turning it on and holding it against your clit. He holds it there, almost meanly, until your walls start to constrict tightly around him. When you start to cum he slows his thrusts, giving you a moment to ride out your high against the hard silicone's vibrations. But he quickly finds his pace again when you start to twitch from overstimulation.

"B-Binnie! Fuck! Wait- gimmie a minute!"

"I don't think so, Bunny. Wanna see you come again."

"Bin- No I can't, please!" His thrusts falter for a second and the hand in your hair moves to rest his arm around your neck, putting you in a light chokehold as he pulls you backward into his chest. Your bodies are glued together as he thrusts shallowly, still stretching you out as if it were your first time. The vibrator is turned up a notch and pushed back against you. When you start to convulse in his hold, he tightens the grip on your neck and chuckles at your choked cries, watching intently as you come undone again. Your eyes drop down to the mirror, watching his smirk and the way his eyes stare into yours, narrowed and darkened.

"Again."

𝙷𝚢𝚞𝚗𝚓𝚒𝚗

reader is compliant, bondage, overstimulation, kinda dacryphilia, pretty soft sex tbh??

Your legs shake as you cum for the 3rd time that night. Hyunjin finishes right after you and pulls out, backing away from you momentarily to catch his breath. You struggle to rise to your knees, the tight ropes around your chest and arms making it almost impossible. But then you're pushed back into the mattress. "Oh, I don't think so. I'm not done with you yet. You're gonna come until I'm satisfied." Your head snaps to his face and you frown deeply at him.

He simply laughs and flops on the bed, finding a spot against the wall to rest against as he pulls you to hover over his lap. One of his big hands massages your hip as he smiles up at you teasingly. "Sounds familiar? Haha.. You don't remember what you said and did to me the other day? Hmmmmm?" You roll your head, obviously annoyed with the brattiness he's giving off even as a dom. He continues to smile, chuckling as the fingers on his free hand ghost up your body.

It starts at your thighs, then moves almost leisurely upwards. His featherlight touch slithers up your tummy, between your chest, and up your neck, where he takes a firm hold of your chin. He uses the grip to pull you closer to his face, ghosting his lips over yours. "Don't be mad, my love. It's just payback... karma even." You whine loudly and nod, finally giving in to his efforts and he rewards you by pushing his lips against yours.

His tongue pushes past your lips and you give in easily. He smiles against your lips and pulls you closer, allowing the both of you to make out with skin-to-skin contact. After a minute or so you feel his tip run through your folds and he pushes in not long after. You moan into each other's mouths as he pulls you down, slowly but surely.

He takes his time with you, no longer feeling hesitant that you are the one tied up all pretty for him. Your arms wriggle from the position you're tied in, desperate for more of him. He giggles at the sight and pulls you farther onto him, sliding in impossibly deeper as your legs spread farther. He finally disconnects his lips from yours and looks down to watch his cum get pushed out of you with each slow, meticulous thrust.

It doesn't take long for him to become desperate so he begins to thrust his hips upwards into you with more vigor, meeting you halfway as your hips descend to meet his. You moan into his neck as his hands move to your ass, squeezing your cheeks and spreading them in an attempt to go even deeper. His lips meet yours as you both finish, your bodies shaking slightly from the overstimulation. You slump against him, thinking it's over until the hands on your ass tighten their hold and lift you. He continues lifting and dropping you until your eyes prickle with tears. Tears that he kisses away only to use it as a motive to go faster.

"Haha... you don't know what you started princess."

Taglist:

@jiminssluttyminx @changisworld @juskz @linohumina @rylea08

@grandma143 @caught-in-the-afterglow @yaorzu-blog @jabmastersupriseee

[superficialdomina]

Down Under - Epilogue

Word count: 1.2k

Warnings: 18+; minors DNI. After-effects of a debaucherous night. References to past sexy activities. Mentions of medical stuff. A teeny bit of fluff.

Part 5

Series masterlist

A/N: That's it, folks! Thank you to everyone who joined me in this absolute ridiculousness - I have appreciated every one of you so much.

Epilogue

You awoke on a transport bed, surrounded by the hum and click of medical machinery. Your head was pounding like the worst hangover of your life.

Bruce was hanging a serious-looking plastic bag above your head; it was only when you traced the line that you realised it was connected to a canula in your forearm.

“Welcome back,” he said with a smile. “How’re you feeling?”

“Ugh. Awful. What’s in the bag?”

“Just fluids. Y’all had a pretty rough night.”

Rough… It all came flooding back to you. The lab. The flask. The wild, uninhibited hours spent entangled with the pale, beautiful, trickster god.

“Oh God,” you muttered, then realising how they must have found you, “oh Christ - did the Captain see me naked?” You lifted your hands to cover your face in humiliation; your entire body protested at the sudden movement, and you were abruptly aware that you were very, very sore.

Banner looked surprised, and a little horrified. “No! No, when we got there you were passed out under a blanket, and Loki was meditating on the other side of the pool.”

Loki. True to his word, his priority had been to protect you. What did he tell them?

“Is he – alright? Wait, what do you mean, “got there”? Where am I?”

You finally had the wherewithal to take in your surroundings. You were in what seemed to be a makeshift medical bay in a large canvas tent; through the open tent flaps, you could spot the finger-like protrusion of Sundial Peak pointing up into the sky. It looked like early evening.

“You’re back at the Hall’s Gap base camp. Loki’s fine. Exhausted. He – he carried you down.”

You stared at him. “Carried me… What?”

“I mean, the rest of us – me, Thor, Cap, all of us – we took turns at the other end of the stretcher. But he took the front handles the whole way down. Insisted.” He shrugged.

It was all too much to process. You swallowed, then tried a different tact.

“Am I – cured? I mean,” you shook your head to clear it and instantly regretted it. “The fungicides... It wasn’t – what was it?”

“Ah – yeah. Sorry about that. Not a fungus, it turns out – a parasite. Those meds never had a chance.”

A parasite. You shuddered. “And – what, you’ve developed a cure already?” Even for a genius being bankrolled by Tony Stark, that seemed fast.

“Oh. Ah, no. It was…”

“Oh ho, she’s awake!” Ray’s sharp accent stabbed through the peaceful evening air. “Those antimalarials work a treat, eh?”

“I don’t…”

“It was Ray’s idea, actually,” Bruce explained. “Once we figured out that it was a parasite, we broke into the village pharmacy and grabbed a few doses of chloroquine. Tony’s got a team in town now, distributing it to the residents.”

“So, what – Loki and I were the guinea pigs?”

“Ah – no,” Banner said again, shifting awkwardly and looking anywhere but Ray’s direction. “No, we… ah – we three…” He trailed off, cheeks a delightful shade of pink; you understood very clearly what he, Ray and Thor had been engaged in when you’d tried to call the previous evening.

“Best night I’ve had in twenty years,” Ray said with a grin and a wink. “The big one’s got quite the weapon on him. Anyway - you’d better go tell that brooding mate of yours that you’re back in the land of the living.”

You looked to Bruce, whose face was still bright red. “Is that alright? Can I get up?”

“Yeah, if you can keep this above your head.” He handed you the saline bag attached to your arm; you tried awkwardly to lift it above you, but everything hurt too much.

“Here,” Ray offered, “how’s this.” She wedged the plastic handle of the bag into the jagged end of her walking stick, then planted the stick in your hands. “Oughta keep ya pretty upright, anyway.”

You stood, and for the first time, you noticed you were wearing your own clothing; another one of Loki’s gifts, no doubt. You took one wobbly step, then another, until you were confident that you could move about on your own, then followed Ray out of the med bay.

You found Loki at the edge of the lake, skipping stones across the water. He looked up at the sound of your footsteps, and you both spoke at once.

“Loki, I’m so sorry—”

“Please accept my apologies—”

You looked at him quizzically. “Loki… It was all my fault. I broke the flasks. If it hadn’t been for me, we never would have…” You stopped at the look on his face.

“Actually,” he said softly, “the culture flasks were sterile. The Doctor believes it most likely that we were infected upon close proximity to the rats.”

The dead rats in the lab. Or rather, in Loki’s interdimensional pocket. Or wherever they were now.

You hadn’t been aware of the guilt you were carrying until the weight of it was lifted. Now, you felt the heady rush of relief. Sterile. Not my fault. Almost unconsciously, you sat down beside him.

“…ask again that you please accept my deepest apologies,” Loki was saying. He bowed his head and lifted his hand to his chest.  

You were quiet for a moment, then said, “Banner told me what you did. Bringing me down off the mountain. I… Thank you. And thank you for… for staying with me.”

The corner of his mouth edged up into a smirk, and he raised his eyes to yours. “If I may boast,” he said in response, “the drugs they gave us had not yet taken effect when we brought your stretcher back to camp. It was the hardest” he paused for effect, “hike of my life.”

You imagined him sporting a raging hard-on as he carried you down the mountain, and laughed.

“You know the other three…”

“Oh, I heard. Your compatriot shared extensive details. A ‘Thorgy’, I believe she termed it.”

“Oh God, please don’t say any more.” Still laughing, you gave an exaggerated shudder. Then you sobered. “Um - how are you now? Recovered?”

“What exactly are you asking, darling?”

 “What? No! I mean – I just wanted to make sure…”

He smiled. “I jest, of course. I will be fine. A little more wary of abandoned research animals in future, but that only seems prudent.” He reached out and took your hand. “And you? Are you… well?”

You stared down at your hand, clasped in his. It was ridiculous – pathetic, really – that this simple touch could elicit the flutter of nervous warmth now inching up your arm. Not after… After everything. And yet you found yourself hoping he wouldn’t let you go.

“Yeah, I’m… I’ll be OK.” You gave his hand a small squeeze. “So – so that’s it, then?”

“That is it.”

You stood, trying to pull your hand from his grasp. But Loki held tight.

“Unless…”

You swallowed. “Unless?”

“Dinner. Next Saturday evening? My apartment. As I said, lefse is only truly delicious when it is fresh off the griddle.”

Tags in comments! xx

[anonsturniolo]

behind the scenes — matt sturniolo

paring — matt sturniolo x f!reader

genre — smut, coworkers to lovers/enemies to lovers

word count — ???

You let out a slight huff, staring at your reflection intensely. It was opening night for the haunted theme park and your makeup wasn’t turning out exactly how you wanted it. Today you were dressed up as a darker clown, your long hair in high pig tails, messy clown makeup that actually took you hours to do.

And now your extra long eyelashes won’t stay on. You rip them off your eyelids, wincing slightly at the sudden pull. Setting them down on the black vanity in front of you, you’re ready to give up.

“Need some help, baby?” A seductive voice whispers into your ear, making you jump in surprise. Your eyes meet Matt’s smug ones in the mirror, and you spin in your chair to face him.

“Jesus, Matt.” You glare at him, your hand shooting out to slap his arm. He just laughs to himself as he takes a seat in the open chair next to you.

Matt had just started working with you nearly 2 weeks ago, right when the season started. The fair you worked for was typically set up for the whole month of October, giving you a break from your “normal” job.

You on one hand loved it, but anytime Matt came around? You questioned why you even liked it here. There was something about him that just got under your skin, maybe it was his cocky attitude. Or the fact he was so undeniably attractive.

Especially in his joker costume.

His makeup was always perfectly messy, his hair brushed back exposing his forehead and letting his blue eyes shine bright in contrast. He never spray painted his hair green, claiming that would just “ruin his look”, but what it really meant was he wanted to look good for the countless of girls he’d pursue.

“I can help you, forreal.” Matt muttered from beside you, and you glanced down at the eyelashes.

You turn to face him with a cocked brow, “And how do you know how to put them on?” You cryptically asked, making him roll his eyes.

“I’ve seen enough girls put them on, don’t see why I can’t figure it out.” He shrugs, before leaning forward with the eyelash in hand. You finally lower your eyes, giving him better access to apply the band as close to your lash line as he could get.

You sit there awkwardly as he fiddles with the eyelash, and although you hate him; your body flushes with heat as you can feel his warm breath fanning across your face. When Matt gently grips your cheeks, turning your head to get a better view, you nearly bite back a moan.

You couldn’t help it, you loved to be manhandled.

“There.” Matt mutters, extending to his full height and admiring his handy work. You turn to face the mirror, surprised when you take a closer look at your eyelashes. They were perfectly applied.

You fight back a frown, refusing to meet Matt’s eyes in the mirror, “Thanks, Matt.” You sigh, shuffling off of your chair now fully ready to venture around the park and get some scares in.

Matt lets out a groan as you pass him, making you turn back to give him a questioning glance, “You look so sexy tonight in that dress, can’t get over it.” He boldly tells you, to which you flip him off and add an extra sway to your hips, knowing he was watching you leave.

“Fucking Christ..”

Confidence surged through you, giggling as you popped out and startled guest after guest. A couple hours had passed, and you were now sat on a bench as you plucked at some cotton candy. You were busy watching a family from a distance as they got scared by someone jumping out of a bush to notice Matt approaching you.

“Hey.” Matt greets you, sitting down beside you and ignoring the glare you sent his way. You nearly forgot about him, and how he was making you feel earlier, but it all came crashing down on you as he placed a warm hand on your upper thigh.

You look from his eyes to his hand a few times, before you turn away from him. You know there’s a cocky smirk on his stupid face, so you know better than to look back to him.

“Just gonna ignore me now?” Matt asks, and you relish in the way he huffs when you don’t give him any attention. Just as you’re about to place another piece of the cotton candy in your mouth, it’s ripped from you grasp completely.

“What the hell!?” You cry out, your eyes finally meeting Matt’s as he throws away the sugary treat in the trash can next to him. “Matt, what the fuck is your issue?”

Matt grabbed your arm firmly, his tight grasp shocking you. He glanced back at you, his eyes flaring with anger. Wordlessly, he dragged you back to the dressing room the two of you were in hours prior.

“What is my issue? What’s your fucking issue?” Matt snarled, his voice deep with anger, “Givin’ me all this sass, ignoring me.” He kissed his teeth briefly, waiting for a response.

You crossed your arms defensively, “I don’t have an issue.” You insist, and you hate the way Matt is staring at you. As if he knew every thought you’ve ever had, like he felt how you were already dripping because of him.

A cocky smirk crosses his lips, he takes a taunting step towards you, “Y’know, I’ve always had a thing for clowns…” he trails off, raising a hand to lightly tug on one of your pigtails. Your breath hitched at his sultry voice, and how his eyes slowly traveled down your body.

“Matt.” You whisper, grabbing the hand that was ghostly tracing your waist, halting his movements, “I don’t wanna be just another girl on your list.” You explain once his eyes meets yours.

“You won’t be,” he insists, twisting his hand in your grasp to hold your hand, “I’ve wanted you for so long…” he trailed off, his eyes zoning in on your lips.

“Those other girls? Never slept with them.” Your surprised eyes meet his, the question on the tip of your tongue, “I only talked to them when you were around, thought I could make you jealous.” Instantly your lips were smashed against his, your hands threaded through his hair and tugging him closer.

Matt let out a soft grunt at the sensation, easily picking you up and placing you on the vanity behind you. The kiss deepened, the two of you hungry for each other. You could feel his erection pressing against your thigh, causing you to tug on his shirt.

“Want it off,” you mumbled against his lips, nearly whining at the loss of him as he leaned back and whipped it off. His face paint was smeared with black, due to your makeup.

His lips smashed against yours once again, his hands grabbing at the supple flesh of your thighs. Your hands have a mind of their own, trailing up and down his chest, exploring his exposed skin for the first time.

Matt finally broke the kiss, leaving trails of kisses down your neck as his hands began to bunch up the fabric of your dress. Hastily you shove his hands away, ignoring his confused stare as you slide the garment over your head. You’re left in a black lacy set, and your tights.

“Goddamn..” he muttered, his hands instantly cupping your breasts as he kisses you again. The lust between the two of you poured into the kiss, seemingly to not get enough. Matt’s skillful hands snuck around and up your back, unhooking your bra, and gently taking the straps off your shoulders.

A soft gasp left you once your nipples were exposed to the cold air, your hips slightly bucking in search of relief. You begin to fumble with Matt’s belt to speed things along, and he’s quick to undo his pants and shove them down without breaking away from your lips.

Now left in his boxers, his hands find their way to your chest, tweaking and pulling at your nipples. You moan into his mouth as the pleasure begins to wash over you, your core clenching around nothing.

“Wanna taste you,” Matt mumbles against your lips, making you pull back.

You start to pull down his boxers, “Next time, please, I need you.” You seductively whine, and Matt nearly cums at your tone and pleading expression.

He smirks down at you, his fingers finally making their way to where you need him the most, ghosting over your clit above your panties.

“Y’need me, huh?” He taunts, and you nod your head rapidly in response. With his rock hard cock exposed, you take great pleasure in wrapping your hand around his base, slowly stroking it. When your fingers make contact with his slit, his hips jerk and a moan flies past his lips.

You lean in close to him, “Sounds like you need me too.” Matt doesn’t reply, just threads his hand under the hem of your underwear and pulls, breaking the thin fabric. You were too turned on to care, and you watch as he pulls you forward slightly so he’d have better access.

He removes your hand from his cock, his eyes falling down to your wet cunt, and he begins to slowly rock his hips letting his head bump into your clit. Your head falls back against the mirror, whimpers leaving your lips.

“Please, Matt.” You pathetically whine, lifting your head to meet his eyes. He slowly begins to push inside of you both of your jaws dropping as he bottoms out. The look he gives you is possessive, and his hips start snapping into yours at an animalistic pace.

“Matt!” You cry out once he hits that special spot, so deep inside of you. Your hands dig into his shoulders, causing him to let out deep grunts when he feels your nails pierce his skin.

“Mhm, that’s right baby,” he groans, removing one hand from your hips to rub harsh circles on your clit, bringing you closer and closer to the edge. The band deep within you was forming, begging to snap.

“Feels s’good…” Matt trailed off, making you look up at him through watery eyes. His eyes were focused on where your bodies connected, relishing in the way your cunt greedily swallowed his cock.

“G-Gonna cum.” You warned, making Matt look up at you. His eyes searched yours as the end neared, his lips smashing down onto yours in a feverish manner. He wasn’t ready for this to end, but he also knew this wouldn’t be the only time it happened.

“Be a good girl and cum f’me,” he grunted softly, feeling the way your gummy walls clenched onto him, “Cum on my cock baby.” He urged, feeling his impending orgasm near the edge.

“Matt!” You pathetically cry, the band within you finally snapping once Matt placed a firm hand on your lower stomach. Pure bliss washed over you as Matt fucked you through your orgasm, sending shocks of hot pleasure through your shaking body.

“Where do you want it?” Matt groaned, his grip on your hips tightened.

“Inside.” You said whine out, your hands pawing at his shoulders as the pleasure coursed over your body for the last time.

Matt’s thrusts grew erratic and sloppy, a telltale sign he was close. You clenched down rather hard onto him as your orgasm faded, immediately you could feel his release painting your walls white as he continued to fuck into you to ride out his orgasm.

You look up to his face, finally coming back to earth, to see his eyes clenched shut and his jaw slacked as the pleasure consumed him. His hips slowed to a stop, all that could be heard was heavy breathing as you both caught your breath.

“That was…” You trailed off, wincing as Matt slowly pulled out of you. He was quick to grab a towel, gently cleaning you off.

“I’m taking you to dinner tomorrow night.” He spoke without looking up at you, sliding your underwear back on.

You cocked a brow at him, “Are you now?”

Matt stares at you blankly, “Did I not just fuck the attitude outta you? Need more?”

[ryuzakemo128]

MDNI 18+ Omegaverse Part 2

Part One

Note: Big things happens in this continuation.

word count: 1542

Omegaverse Parts: Part One + Part Two + Part Three + Part Four

Masterlist

Ghost still remembered how you were standing on top of the building when you shot the tracking bullet into his shoulder. You didn’t aim to kill, maim? Sure. You don’t take lives. You just run from others and keep them tagged for as long as possible to know where they would be. You didn’t care if they were special operatives or the Queen of fucking England. No one had the right to have you or own you. Ever. 

“I still remember how Price thought you were seeing things.” Soap snickered, “I still can’t believe it.”

“Well, whatever it is, just produced a strong smell of vinegar and my nose is hurting.” Gaz complained, whined, even. Your makeshift solution is working to your advantage. Even if it's drowning your dirty, grimy baggy clothes under hot water and white vinegar. They’ll end up trying again quite soon.

As you got changed into clean clothes, your naked body came into the view of the door window. Which to Soap? It was like he hit the fucking jackpot. Watching you pull on medical scrubs. Soap saw your back tattoo, “The gates of hell are open night and day; Smooth the descent, and easy is the way: But to return, and view the cheerful skies, In this the task and mighty labour lies.”

Soap yanked Price over to take a look at your tattoo. His hunch told him something, you weren’t just anyone, and you weren’t just a random omega the General wanted to contain. “I don’t think we know nearly as much about her as we think we do.” Soap told him, dragging him to the window and shoving the binoculars into Price’s hands. 

Gaz remembered your herbal cigarettes, the lavender burning and how Price would try to scold you for your habit. “And what? Leave you smoked up like a bastard in heat or somethin?” you told Price. Breathing lavender scented smoke into Price’s facial direction. Dodging his attempts to snatch the cigarette from you.

Price, at the time, growled, “What is with you? You’re slipperier than a greased-up pig at a county fair, and more elusive than the fucking Loch Ness monster.” The spunk you had before? Increased tenfold. 

“Look at you, tripping over yourselves still, fucking alphas who can’t track for shit huh?” you taunted with your walkie-talkie you found in the office. “Round And Round It Goes... Where It Stops, Nobody Knows. Round and round you go, when will I stop? Nobody knows.” 

You grabbed your stuff, and you left really fast, “Tell your mother I’ll fuck her soon.” you spoke into the walkie-talkie. 

“We’ve got to get to her before she’s gone. She’s a fucking ghost, we’ve been tracking her for months, and she’s always one step ahead of us. This might be our only chance before she disappears again.” Price told them. Soap was too distracted by the fact you flash banged him with your gorgeous fucking tits. 

Which Price had to admit? A smart thing to do when you’re dealing with four hungry, aroused alphas on your tail. Your tits were a flash beacon even after you headed out of the room with your gear. The limping of your leg and once soap has you in his grasp again? He wouldn’t let you go again. 

Crawling through the ventilator shaft, until you were dragged out by your feet by someone strong enough to get you out of there, and his deep voice hitting the base of your skull like a drum. 

Dragging you from the vent, one swift tug at a time. Before long, you were carried over to Price and Ghost. With Gaz stalking right behind him, intensely staring at you from behind Soap. He had you draped over his right shoulder and your belongings in his other hand. While Gaz carried your sniper and bone knife. 

Once Price taken a closer look at you, removing your shirt and replacing it with a clean, warm, dry shirt. As Price looked for one suitable. 

Soap’s eyes widened as he recognised the tattoo. He’s seen it once before. It’s an incredibly specific tattoo. Only one person he knew of had it. Someone who was thought to be dead. Yet here you were. Very much…..alive. Running around like a scared rabbit. Soap’s heart is racing. 

He knew you weren’t going to go with them quietly. Not with that tattoo.

“Guys, I think we might have stumbled upon someone important, she’s not what we thought she was.” Soap whispered to Ghost outside the medical examination room. 

Ghost looked at Soap sceptically, “What do you mean, Mactavish?”

Soap took a deep breath, trying to keep his voice calm, “The tattoo on her back. It’s not from a book, it’s from a person. The person who had it is... or was... a legend around these parts.” He paused, his eyes searching the room as if he could see through the walls. “Her callsign was Venom, one of the best snipers the military had, until she disappeared. She was thought to be dead after her last mission, but if this is her... she’s been hiding here all along.”

Price’s eyes narrowed as he digested the information. “Venom? That’s a name I’ve heard before. If she’s who you think she is, then she’s worth more than gold to Shepherd. We can’t let her go.” He turned to Gaz, his voice low and commanding. “Keep an eye on the exits, she’s clever. We don’t want her slipping away again.”

Still processing the information, his gaze sharp and calculating. “If that’s true, then we might have a bigger problem on our hands. Get a clearer visual, Soap, and make sure it’s her. We don’t want to spook her before we get a good look at her face and confirm her identity.”

Soap nodded, his eyes glued to the small window in the door of the medical examination room. “On it, boss.” He whispered back, his heart racing with excitement and a hint of fear. Venom was a legend, known for her sharp-shooting skills and unyielding spirit. If she had indeed survived, she would be a powerful ally or a formidable enemy.

Then she would be you, wouldn’t you? When he saw your face? Soap held the new photo with the one they have. They were a perfect match. You were indeed ‘Venom’. A legend from their annals of history straight into his sight. 

He felt his cock thicken, a growling in his chest, his animalistic instincts were now coming to the forefront.

“It’s her, boss. No doubt about it. She’s Venom. I’ve seen that tattoo before, on the back of the woman who trained me.” Soap said with a mix of awe and fear. “I don’t think anyone is crazy enough to be out here for this long. 

Price's eyebrows furrowed, “Venom… I thought she was dead. General Shepherd killed her.”

“So did everyone else,” Soap replied, “But she's very much alive, and she's in heat. We need to handle this with care. She's not going to come quietly. Or willingly for that matter.”

Price nodded in understanding, his mind racing with the implications of this revelation.“Alright, keep an eye on her. She's a ghost for a reason.” He turned to Ghost, “What do we know about her other than that she's a damn good shot?”

Ghost's eyes narrowed as he recalled the intel he had read, “Venom went dark after her last mission. Rumour has it she took out a high-value target that was off-limits. Her disappearance was sudden, and her file was sealed tighter than a drum. If she's the one in there, she's got a vendetta with someone or something, and it's not us.”

“But she's in heat,” Gaz pointed out, his voice thick with the same primal need Soap had felt earlier. “That….. That changes things completely.”

Ghost nodded, his voice a low rumble, “It does. She'll be more… vulnerable. Hesitant to trust.”

“Vulnerable or not,” Soap said, “We can't just barge in there. We need to earn her trust”

“But how? She’s not going to listen, and she’s stubborn like Price.” Gaz said, stroking his jaw, contemplating their next move.

“You’ve been out here the entire time?” Price asked you, both in awe, frustration and a little admiration in his tone. “You’ve been living out here alone all this time?”

“You make it sound far harder than it actually is. Did General Shepherd let you think that, or are you really that stupid enough to think it?” you answered. “With the right kind of knowledge, you can go far and wide. Took out the tracker from my neck, day one, surprised you pups are still working for that bitch.” 

General Shepherd. You were at odds with him from the sound of things. Whether that was a good thing or not? Another thing entirely. Another thing which now had to wait until they had you removed from this ancient building. Regardless of whether you wanted to leave it or not.

“So are you workin for him or what?” you growled. 

“That’s none of your fucken business.” Price snarled at you.

“I think it is and you’re going to tell me regardless of what you think or how you feel about it too.”

[slaytheusurper]

⭑ Heartache ⭑

Masterlist

Request: Yes, this one

A/N: Had to tweak it a teeny tiny bit but hope you like it anon!

Pairing: Aemond Targaryen x Niece!Reader

Warnings: Angst, a bit of fluff, mentions of trauma

Summary: Once best friends now turned against each other, will their betrothal mend their rift?

Word count: 5k

6 years before, early days of summer

He shouldn’t be doing this, every muscle in his body had a mind of its own. But rage and shame that moved like a storm within him drove him further. Breath caught in his throat when he heard the faint roar of a dragon down below. If he was caught he would be in so much trouble, but that wasn’t going to stop him now. If he wanted a dragon, he was going to have to work for it, that much was clear.

His feet shuffled further and further down and his thoughts wandered off, were there even any unclaimed dragons in the dragon pit? He wasn’t sure, but he couldn’t change his mind now. He was so close, what would you think? Would you treat him differently if he came back with a dragon? Maybe you would at least finally stop pitying him, your brothers would stop bullying him. Maybe Aegon would finally leave him alone. He was never going to find out though if he didn’t round this corner. 

He was at last down in the caves, hiding behind a stone wall as he listened to a dragon rustle close by. He pushed the thoughts out of his head and carefully peeked around the corner, flashes of a big blue dragon caught his eye, Dreamfyre. If he ran further down now he had a chance of not getting burned alive by his sister's dragon. So he counted down 3…2…1, go, he hastily rounded the corner but in his hastness his fabric covered shoulder got caught against the rough stone wall, making him trip and fall. 

Dreamfyre’s big eyes turned to him and she let out a piercing roar, her fire almost burning him as he quickly scrambled to his feet, almost tripping again in the sand, as he made a run for it. He thought he could get away with it and pretend it never happened, but as he ran up, back to the arena of the pit, the dragon keepers stared at him in fury. “Skorkydoso dare ao jikagon against se rules, nyke jāhor report bisa naejot se dārys!” How dare you go against the rules, I will report this to the king! Tears filled his eyes, how could he have cowarded away, he wanted to prove himself but instead all he proved was that he was weak.

‘The Pink Dread’ stared at him as he passed the pig, the dragon keeper dragging him firmly along by his arm. All he could mutter was a meek, “Iksan vaoreznuni.” I’m sorry. He knew his mother would lose her mind over this, it wasn’t the first time he was caught and it was certainly not the first time he ran away from the dragons like a coward. Once he was back in the Red Keep, he luckily didn’t run into his brother or his nephews and when he reached his mothers bedchamber door he couldn’t stop the tears rolling down his cheeks. And he was proven right, his mother was furious.

When he left his mothers chambers, his tears had dried and all that was left was fury. How could he be shamed like this, time and time again. All that consumed his thoughts was ‘What if his egg had hatched?’ ‘Would Aegon still have made fun of him?’ It was almost supper time but he still let his feet guide him to the inner courtyard. There was no one there, just like he suspected. He lowered himself to the ground and hiked his knees up to his chest, he needed silence, needed to think. The big tree looming over him.

A soft rustling of feet pulled him from his thoughts, not that he had any good ones to begin with, he didn’t know how much time had passed. Then he saw her figure in the corner of his eye, lowering herself next to him, joining him on the ground. He could feel her eyes on him, but he couldn’t look at her. If she hadn’t already heard from her brother’s, she would’ve probably heard it from the whispers around the castle. “Aegon is cruel, my brothers are young and don’t understand. I...I hope you didn’t get into too much trouble. My brothers certainly didn’t, I heard your mother is furious though, for what they did.” You noticed he didn’t really respond, which was odd. Usually he would at least talk to you about it.

You were his only friend, even though it was discouraged by his mother. Who often called even the eldest, silver haired and purple eyed daughter of Rhaenyra a bastard. He liked to pretend you weren’t, and that your Valyrian features proved it but of course he couldn’t be certain. After a few moments of you staring at him, he spoke, “I’m fine, I just needed to think. Clear my mind.” You nodded at his words but you knew that it was more than that. “You missed supper you know? No one spoke a word but I’m pretty sure everyone knew what happened.” He sighed and looked down at your words, great, he just gave his brother and nephews more material to bully him with. 

His eyes widened when he suddenly felt your small warm hand grasp his. He at last looked at you and saw your soft smile. “You’re not lesser than us just because you don’t have a dragon, yet. The day will come, I promise.” Your words usually soothed him and most of the time he genuinely believed you but something about today, made him break. “Easy for you to say, your dragon actually hatched.” He mumbled irritated, everytime you would tell him he would have a dragon, he rolled his eyes. You didn’t know what it was like, wouldn’t know what it was like. Even a bastard could have a dragon but he could not.

In the late days of summer the shocking news arrived, Laena Velaryon had died. Even though there was a rift in the family, the horrible news of the by everyone beloved Laena had brought them together. But of course tensions never left the air, even as they stood together, they were divided. Aemond saw how her lips thinned at Vaemond Velaryons words, even though he felt justified that at last someone dared to speak up, he still felt bad for her. She was the only one that didn’t deserve it, didn’t deserve the cruelty the gods had gifted her. 

The somewhat draining ceremony had concluded but there was still a remembrance feast for the lady Laena. Not that anyone was eating. They were surely drinking though, especially Aegon. He too nursed on a cup of wine as he let his eyes wander the crowd, Laenor hadn’t been seen after the ceremony, no doubt that he was destroyed by grief. His eyes finally found her dressed in black figure. His heart tensed when he saw you hug both the Velaryon girls, comforting them. You were only ten years old but you were more mature than his sixteen year old brother Aegon. 

His mind wandered as it so often did, drawing out Aegon’s nagging about Helaena. Would you comfort him like that if his mother or father died? Finally hold him as he so desired? He hoped so and wondered if he should offer some words of comfort, it would certainly please his mother. Even though he had been punished enough after that night he still felt ashamed and hurt more than ever, even you couldn’t calm the storm inside him. Vhagar’s distant roar snapped him right out of his thoughts. Seven Hells, of course, Laena is dead, the rider of Vhagar. She was free to claim, the largest dragon in the world, if that couldn’t prove how worthy of a Targaryen prince he was, nothing could. 

It would certainly impress you, wouldn’t it? You could even fly together, your dragon was big enough now and you had your first flight mere weeks ago and were now often seen in the sky alongside your mother. Warmth spread through his body at the thought, it was a dream he wanted so badly to come true, so bad he was climbing through the dunes. If he failed this time, it was over, for good. He would never recover if he did not succeed now. He was determined, no one and nothing would stop him, he would claim Vhagar. In the dark it was a bit hard to see but the moonlight then revealed her ginormous body, resting in the sand. 

His breaths came out in short pants, he had never felt this scared in his life. Everything in his body was telling him to run, that it was a mistake. But he couldn't, he wouldn't, he had to do this. And so he had reached her, his trembling hand touched her rough skin, his heart skipped a beat as her eyes snapped open, her low growling echoing through the night. Her head lifted and her giant jaws opened ready to burn him where he stood. He quickly held up his hand, “Dohaeras! Dohaeras Vhagar! Lykiri! Lykiri!” She seemed to calm somewhat at his words and at least closed her jaws. A new power and determination flowed through him as he grasped the ropes hanging from her body, making his way up to the saddle. When he sat, he loosened the reins among the horns of the saddle, “Soves!” Vhagar looked at him for a moment and he repeated, “Dohaeras Vhagar! Soves!” 

Her giant body moved, shaking the ground beneath her, finally taking to the sky. Aemond almost fell off but he held on thight and made his way back in the saddle. He was sure his screams could be heard back on Driftmark and he was right in a way. Both the girls leered out the window as Vhagar’s body rose to the sky. You were comfy in your bed, telling Luke for the tenth time to stop snoring so you could finally get some rest, but when he had at last shut up, the door opened and Baela and Rhaena entered the room. Awake already, you quickly rose at their words, someone had claimed Vhagar. You knew it was Aemond, who else could it be?

You, Jace and Luke followed the two sisters down to the caves, where Aemond had just appeared. He took note of the disappointing look on your face, something he didn’t expect. Weren’t you proud of him? He finally had a dragon, why weren’t you happy for him? “It’s you.” Baela spoke up, “Yes it’s me.” You looked down at your feet, even though you knew he had every right to claim Vhagar for himself, you couldn’t help but feel bad for Rhaena. “She was mine to claim!” Rhaena said angrily, Baela standing next to her. Next thing you knew vile insults were thrown and so were hands. You tried to stop him, you really did, but Jace bumped into you while getting pushed by Aemond and took you with him. It happened so fast, Aemond bent over in pain clasping at his wound, blood pouring in the sand. You hadn’t realised you screamed.

You hid behind your mother as the king sneered angrily, you were terrified, terrified when the maester proclaimed his eye could not be saved and even more terrified of what would happen to Luke. But the king surprisingly did not take action, Aemond seemed to accept his sacrifice for a dragon but Alicent did not. Once again screams echoed through the room and your mother held Alicent in a tight grasp. You didn’t understand how, but all of a sudden everyone stood still, silent. Then you noticed the blood dripping from your mothers arm on the floor. Even though you all got off easy for such a grave accident, the actions completely ripped the family apart, and you feared it could never be mended. 

Present time, early days of fall

Tension was high in the air as your mother told you the news. After years of leaving King’s Landing, your ‘father’ dead and Daemon now taking his place, you were to return to King’s Landing. You had mixed feelings over your betrothal to Aemond, he was once your best friend and you his. But after that night, everything changed, the two of you had not spoken after the incident and you already knew it was going to be hard seeing him again. He was now eight and ten years old, you five and ten. 

Alicent agreed to the betrothal desperately made by your mother to somewhat mend the family, it seemed like a good idea, to her. Jace would marry Baela and they would one day rule, Luke was to marry Rhaena and then rule in Driftmark. And you, well you would serve as a wife in King’s Landing, more like serve as a peacekeeper. A reminder that the family ‘was one’. The journey was not a long one since Dragon Stone and King’s Landing were fairly close and a short dragonflight away. The household would follow on ship, you, your mother and father, Jace and Luke would take to the sky. 

The day was still quite early when you all made your arrival to the Dragon Pit, a large coach already waiting to take you to the Red Keep. Once you were inside, the coach started moving and you noticed small folk scattered around in the city, cheering. Were they happy about this union? Did they even know of how divided this family was? Perhaps not, it would actually be a good thing if they thought all was well, otherwise it would create doubt and that would be bad. 

You were greeted only by lord Caswell, questioning looks being passed. Someone of your mother’s station being greeted this way was rather offensive. But you were quite happy to have this small audience, nerves were eating away at you at the thought of seeing Aemond again. But you also reeked of dragon and wanted to clean up before meeting anyone. And so you were brought to your chambers, a hot bath waiting for you. To the servants surprise you sent them away, all you wanted was to lower yourself in the hot water and relax, think and calm yourself for the supper that would occur tonight. The supper that would officiate the betrothal in front of the king, in front of the whole family. 

You hoped you wouldn’t suffer a similar fate to Helaena, for you knew how miserable her marriage to Aegon was. You could luckily only imagine what being married to a drunk like him would be like. The bath calmed you somewhat and you were nice and clean by the time servants came back to dress you in a beautiful gown. But they didn’t bring one of your own, one of the servants nervously looked at you as she clasped the green gown in her hands, two dragons seemed to be embroidered on the corset, your dragon… and Aemonds. Did Alicent do this? You hoped it wouldn’t start another fight in the family but you reluctantly let them dress you anyway. 

Supper was getting awfully close and a servant started to work on your hair, a typical Valyrian braided hairstyle, with some emerald pins keeping it in place. Even though the colour green was pretty much forbidden by your mother on Dragon Stone, it still looked beautiful on you. Your stomach started to hurt, like it usually did when you were nervous. You dreaded this entire thing, of course you wanted to see Aemond again but the way the circumstances have changed everything made it so difficult to pretend. Your feet shuffled behind your mother to the dining room, it was decorated beautifully, something you decided to focus on to keep the nerves at bay. 

Then you saw them, Otto, Alicent, your grandsire, Aegon, Helaena and Aemond. All standing to welcome you, however you felt like you were going to throw up. They did not look particularly happy, except for the king of course. He was delighted to see his daughter again, he could barely stand even with his cane but somehow still managed to hug his beloved daughter. Then the king shifted his eyes to you and then to Aemond, a bit of a forced smile now on his face. “What a joyous occasion today, joining our families as one. My son and granddaughter binding their ties. Let us celebrate, please take your seats.” He almost panted out, he could barely walk or talk anymore, everything costing too much energy. 

You let your eyes shift over Aemond’s figure, he was so much taller now. Towering over you by at least a head. His eye patch covering the dark past between you. And even you had to admit he had become a very handsome man. Aemond gestured next to him as he sat down, you didn’t even realise you were the only one still standing. You took a deep breath and made your way over to the empty seat the servant was holding back for you. And so you sat next to Otto Hightower and your betrothed. You could barely listen to the king’s speech when Aemond was so close, he smelled nice, must’ve used perfume oil in his bath. His now massive hands rested on the table. When you noticed him looking you quickly diverted your eyes. 

Supper was incredibly draining and of course ended in a fight, surprisingly Aemond pushed you out of the way to safety when things broke loose, and Otto Hightower himself put his arm in front of you, ensuring you wouldn’t go near the danger. Even though things ended somewhat amicably, you still veered towards Aemonds chamber. You still remembered the path well, the light of the moon shining through the halls of the Red Keep. You had to talk to him, really, talk to him. None of that polite and stiff small talk during supper. 

The dark wooden door seemed so much more imposing now that it was in front of you but you lifted your hand anyway and knocked three times on his door, something you used as a code when you were kids. His eyes snapped from the fireplace at the sound of the knocks. No one ever knocked three times on his door, no one but you. He swiftly rose from his seat and made his way to the door, before he opened it he took a deep breath. He couldn’t appear weak now, not after all this time, not in front of you. He opened the door and it revealed your figure. 

“I’m sorry for disturbing you.” You spoke softer than you wanted. He didn’t say anything, instead he stepped to the side and gestured for you to come inside. He was quieter now that he had grown older, something you had noticed during supper as well. You both sat down on his settee in the room. Since he kept quiet you decided to kick the dreaded conversation off. “I never… I never got the chance to talk to you… after what happened. I’m so sorry Aemond. I wish I could’ve stopped Luke, if only Jace didn’t take me with him as he fell down-” 

“Stop.” His low voice cut through the room, through your sentence. You swallowed hard, was he mad at you as well? “We don’t need to do this.” He urged. His gaze was on the fireplace again, not even looking at you. “Aem-” Aem, a nickname he hadn’t heard in years, a nickname which once brought him joy now hurt him deeply. He felt betrayed and angry, that even you left him behind. “Do you hate me now?” You asked, if he didn’t want to talk you had to force it out of him, which you could only do by being direct. 

He sighed before he spoke. “I could never hate you, I know you wish no more for this betrothal than I do.” His words cut you like a knife. Did he actually not want you? Did he also see you as a bastard now? “What? Aem-” He stood from his seat and walked to the door, opening it. “I think it’s best you leave.” You shook your head in disbelief, the Aemond you once knew was gone and this hardened, cold man replaced him. “No, you can’t just kick me out. We have to talk about this, we are getting married! Please, let’s just talk, like old times.” He looked down at the ground, still not looking at you. 

You stormed over to him and grabbed his jaw, hearing the slight gasp in his breath. “Why won’t you even look at me!” You yelled now. He couldn’t bear to look at you, he wanted to be angry, to push you away like you had him and he knew that one look at your beautiful eyes would make all that anger melt away. Reluctantly he finally let his eyes find yours, and right as he predicted, all his anger melted away. Desperation took its stead, he was desperate for you to touch his hand again, to comfort him again. 

His head then hung low and your hand let go of his jaw. He closed the door and walked back over to the settee. “You don’t have to pretend, not in front of me.” You said making your way back over to the settee, joining him again. “What do you mean by that.” He grumbled. “Oh please, you know what I mean, you used to be sweet and kind and now you’re colder than the north.” He looked at you with disdain. He couldn’t believe what you were saying, anger bubbled in his gut again. “You mean the night your bastard brother took my eye? And then not getting punished for it? Or do you mean the years of bullying I’ve endured, suffering by Aegon’s hand even after I claimed the largest dragon in the world?” He snapped. Now standing again, pacing the room in frustration. 

Seeing you and your family made it all come to the surface again, for a year or four he had some peace again, but that was all shattered when he got betrothed to you. You looked at him with confusion, had Aegon continued to bully him after you left? You stood as well and walked over to him. “It doesn’t need to be like this, we can go back to what we once had, please.” Aemond’s resolve seemed to crumble a bit, the idea was so tempting, yet he still showed some restraint. You noticed it, the battle going on inside him, so you stepped forward, closer and closer to him. You noticed his widened eyes, then you wrapped your arms around him. You hadn’t hugged him in years, the last time being the whole situation with ‘the pink dread’. He completely tensed up at first.

But as you held him longer, his arms found his way around you, hugging you close. The wall around him seemed to fall the longer you held each other. “I missed you so much Aem.” You mumbled against his chest. Tears welled up in eye as you spoke. He couldn’t believe it, he had you in his arms again and you were to be his wife. Before you left that was his dream, having a dragon and you, and now it was to become true. 

One year later, early days of summer

Vaemond Velaryon asking for a petition for Driftmark was a grave offence to your family, you had been married to Aemond for a couple of months now and finally mended the rift between the two of you. In that time, you had gotten to know him again, he still studied history and philosophy, still trained with the sword and still lacked affection. You were horrified when he finally told you of what Aegon did to him after you left. The pain you felt for him went beyond words and after that night, when he told you while laying against your chest, you went above and beyond to make him feel loved. You felt like it was the very least you could do for him and so now here you were, about four times a week Aemond would have a bath but it wasn’t the servants that washed him, it was his own lady wife. 

The water splashed softly when you dipped the sponge in again, carefully washing the dirt of skin. He felt his entire body relax under your touch, letting his head rest against the edge of the tub. His eye patch somewhere discarded in the room, he didn’t need it when he was alone with you. The realm had profited greatly from your marriage with Aemond, everyone seemed calm and happy. But you could feel the storm coming with the petition on the morrow. Your family had already arrived today and you told them how happy you were and that seemed to do well for now. 

When you finished washing his body, you kissed the top of his head before moving on to wash his long hair. He hummed softly when your fingers massaged his scalp, making sure to clean his hair thoroughly. He loved the way you cared for him, it's all he wanted his entire life. You kissed his head a few more times while washing his hair, then you helped him dry off and get back into his breeches. Making him sit down, you grabbed a comb and started to carefully comb through his silver locks, making sure to braid it before bed.

You had already prepared yourself to sleep, so now the both of you crawled in the sheets, and as he layed in your arms, falling into a deep slumber, anxiety of what could happen on the morrow clouded your mind and sleep evaded you. The morning soon came and you walked next to Aemond as you entered the throne room, Aegon and Helaena in front of you. Your family already stood to the right, the Velaryons to the left. Everything had gone so well these past few months, why did Vaemond have to ruin it?

The petition started as bad as you expected, you gave Luke and Jace soft comforting smiles through the ordeal but when your mothers turn to speak came, the giant doors opened and the king dragged himself in, stumbling to his throne. Of course you knew of the Hightowers conspiracy with Vaemond, it was quite plain to see but you held your tongue, you didn’t want to ruin the bliss you were in after all these years. But when the king had spoken, Vaemond’s sneer was a clear sign of what was to come. The horrible insults that left his lips, shattered your dream, you looked at Aemond with tears in your eyes but your stomach turned when you saw the small smirk on his lips. 

Your lips parted and gasped when Vaemond’s head was cut off by Daemon. Aemond then stepped in front of you, holding you back and protecting your eyes. But that did nothing to erase the memory of him smiling at Vaemond calling your brothers, including you, bastards. Hurt consumed you and you wanted nothing more than to take to the sky on your dragon and leave, what Aemond just did could not be easily forgiven. Supper was even worse, if the last time you all had supper was any indication this could only go wrong but you couldn’t care less, the knife in your back only seethed deeper as you saw Jace and Baela laugh, even Rhaena and Luke were having a good time. 

Aemond just had to ruin it. He tried to reach out, caress your hand on the table but you pulled back and ignored him when he gave you a questioning look. Then he noticed Luke smirking at the scene. He lost it. He raised his cup and made sure to give an even worse speech than last year. Only this time, swords were drawn, you didn’t care to see how this ended, instead you left. Your steps were hurried as you made your way back to your shared bedchamber, slamming the door behind you. Tears rolled down your cheeks as you sat on your bed, all you had was ruined. It went so well and it just had to get destroyed. You knew your marriage was fragile but you didn’t want to believe it. At last Aemond returned.

He too slammed the door behind him and stormed over to you. “Why are you acting like this? You humiliated me!” He seethed. You only looked at him with red eyes, you only now realised what a selfish person he was. Of course he went through so much but so did you and you didn’t deserve his anger. “I humiliated you? What about Vaemond humiliating me?! Insulting your own wife in front of you and you smiled! Smiled! How could you do that to me?! And that speech, just to further humiliate me!” His face fell at that, he never even realised he smiled, never realised that his wife was still Rhaenyra’s child. “My love…” He started but you didn’t want to give him the time. “I want to join my family on the journey back to Dragon Stone. I’ve barely seen them and wish to spend time with them, to think.” You stated, you left no room for argument.

You saw how his face turned to panic. “No. No no no, I’m sorry, I never realised. I never meant to hurt you my love please. Please don’t leave, I need you here.” You shook your head. “You made your bed, now lie in it.” His eye teared up, and pleaded again. “I need you, please don’t leave me, not again. I can’t go without you again. I’m begging you.” You shook your head again, “Some time apart might do us good, maybe you’ll realise how much I do for you and how little I get back.” Words couldn’t describe how his heart broke at the sight of you boarding the ship, no kiss goodbye, nothing, his life was empty yet again. He could only hope you returned soon.

[moonriseoverkyoto]

Seeing Double - Chapter 3

Pairings - Simon “Ghost” Riley x MacTavish!Reader, Platonic! John “Soap” MacTavish x MacTavish Reader, Platonic! Kyle “Gaz” Garrick x Reader

Summary - You are sent with Ghost and Soap to Mexico on your first team mission. But was it really your first?

Warnings - consumption of alcohol, mentions of past trauma, discussions of past trauma, jealousy, suggestive content, discussions of violence, adults cursing, angst but comfort I swear.

Author's Notes- Spanish is used bc reader, as a translator, is a #billingual queen but there is an immediate translation right after spanish is used and it is marked by only italicizing, if it's italicized and has 'these' then that's a direct inner thought. To my Spanish speaking readers or bilingual readers, I apologize if I fucked up anything. Im using the Spanish I learned growing up on my dad’s side of the family in Texas and almost 2.5 years of learning Spanish in highschool and college. My Spanish is more South Texas based but I still learned northern Mexican slang from my tíos. Anyways I hope you enjoy. Bear with me because some of the gender wasn’t translating pero es todo bien.

Word Count - 8k.. yeah ik. I’m shocked too.

Masterlist / Pt.1 , Pt.2 , Pt.4, pt.5

“In how long?” John spoke, briefly peeking at the mission file.

“A week. I’m giving you time to prepare Banshee for using her translating skills as you’ll be working with Los Vaqueros again.” Laswell nodded to them.

“What for?” You piped up. Everyone turned to look at you, not because you spoke out of turn but because you usually waited for someone to speak to you.

“We have intel that Hassan might be in the mountains nearby Las Almas. You’ll find out more when you arrive. ” Kate responded, respecting your piqued curiosity.

You nodded to yourself. You did need to scrub up on your Spanish even if you were fluent.

The week passed by quick as you hit the books and the range. You had taken the time to bond with Gaz as the man tried to pick up a few languages from you. Price keeps you far from the mats after your blood bath with Ghost. Speaking of him, the masked man was oddly never around. Only there for meal times and maybe a glimpse at him before bed.

You didn’t see him again until the night before you were to be sent out with them to Mexico. You had been so focused on working through your knife throwing that you didn’t realize the time had passed until it was midnight. Six hours until you were to be on an aircraft headed to Las Almas.

Dull thuds filled the room as you sunk your knife again and again into the target. A masked figure passing by the door before stopping.

“Can’t sleep?” Ghost spoke as you retrieved your knives. You nearly jumped out of your skin at his voice, noticing him in the shadows of the entryway.

“Never been able to on the night before a mission.” You omitted as you took your stance again. Anything was better than looking at him. Quiet fell over the both of you as he watched. You could feel him studying you as you ran your drills.

Eager to break the silence, you remembered from Johnny that Ghost was quite the fan of dad jokes so you decided to try them out, “Sir, Do you know what sprinters eat before their race?” You spoke.

He spoke nothing but you got the feeling he was waiting for the punchline.

“Nothing, they fast.” You spoke. He froze for a moment before a sigh of air left his mouth almost similar to a chuckle but not quite. Relief flooded your body at breaking some of the tension. What you were not expecting was for him to give you one of his own.

“What do you call a pig that practices karate?” Ghost’s voice came out low as if he too had been starving himself of sleep.

A beat passed as you gave him a hum of interest.

“Pork chop.”

Ghost froze as the sound of a giggle slipped from your lips. Your shoulders sluggish as you threw the final knife but it still fell in line with the others. You gathered your knives and put them away slowly. You turned to face him only to find the doorway empty.

You didn’t see the lieutenant again until you made your way to the tarmac early the next morning. You had all your gear on from head to toe including a new pair of black shades to cover your eyes. Your hair was pulled up as you adjusted your vest. It weighed heavy on you almost as if the weight of your last team mission was still suffocating you.

Ghost stood off to the side with Price as they spoke with your pilot and Gaz. The masked man nodded to Price, listening but his eyes traced you as you walked up to the aircraft confidently. Something Gaz nor Price failed to catch upon but dismissed it under the idea that the man didn’t trust you yet.

Johnny had already made his way onto the aircraft as he turned around to extend a hand to you. Almost as if he had sensed that you would need a helping hand. You clasped his hand tightly as he pulled you up with a grunt.

Both of you exchanged a smile as the engine of the aircraft roared to life. Wind suddenly pushing through the entryway, sending a chill down your spine.

“Just like old times aye?” Johnny said as he held up a fist bump.

“Aye, just like old times.” You replied as you knocked knuckles, ignoring the growing bubble of worry in your gut. Oh how you hoped it would be different this time. You settled in next to your brother and got ready for the ride.

Ghost noticed how you never fully relaxed even as your twin, your supposed mirror image, Soap fell dead asleep on the flight over to Mexico. You had avoided his eye contact again for the whole plane ride, letting it fall to the floor or rise to the ceiling above.

You constantly adjusted everything even as the three of you left the aircraft. Something was bothering you and your commanding officer itched to know why. What was making you twitch. He felt his curiosity blooming in his chest before letting it die as a gruff voice cut through the air.

“Alejandro!” Soap cheered, a loud clap sounded through the air as their hands met in a firm shake and a quick nod.

“Glad to see you made it over in one piece, Jabón” Alejandro said as his gaze peered over to Soap’s teammate, not failing to notice the third set of feet hidden behind the two men.

Alejandro scanned over Ghost quickly as he spoke, “Lieutenant. Laswell says they call you Ghost.”

Soap practically lunged at the opportunity to interject, “Colonel, he actually he prefers to be called-”

“That’ll do.” Ghost cut him off quickly.

“And who is this behind you?” Alejandro said as Soap and Ghost stepped aside to reveal you standing there.

“Aye this is my twin sister-” Soap stopped short as the Colonel pulled you in for a tight embrace. Silencing both the lieutenant and Sergeant completely because you didn’t frown or even flinch at the sudden invasion of your personal space, something completely out of the norm for you.

“Chiqui! Aye qué bueno verte de nuevo!” Little girl (affectionately)! How good to see you again! The spanish slipped free from his tongue as you both separated. His hands lingered on yours as you step back. A small blush on your cheeks.

“Y a ti también. Pero creo que te dije que ya no me llamaras chiqui, no?” And you as well. But I believe I told you not to call me little girl anymore, no? Your eyebrow cocked up at him. A deep rumble leaving his throat as Soap cleared his own to cut through the conversation.

“Alright, Alright. Let us join the others back at the base hermanos!” Alejandro spoke to the group as you all began walking to the vehicle. Out of the corner of the lieutenant’s eyes, he saw the way you and Soap geared up to fight for the front seat, only to be disappointed when Alejandro climbed into the shotgun.

“Welcome to the city of souls, hermanos! A Bienvenidos de nuevo, Chiqui” Welcome back, Chiqui. Alejandro cheered as you all piled into the jeep. Soap took the seat behind the driver, and you slid in the middle, leaving Ghost to take the seat behind Alejandro. For once, you didn’t bristle at being so close to the lieutenant. A soft gasp left the driver as brown eyes met your own through the mirror, even if your eyes were shielded by the dark sunglasses.

“No mames, güey.” No way, dude. The driver interjected as he peered around the seat to see you. Your soft gaze meeting his own shocked one. A gruff noise left Ghost’s mouth to interject the moment and cut it off. This whole thing was starting to get on his nerves.

“Hola Rudy” you smiled. “Lieutenant, this is Sergeant Major Roldofo, everyone calls him Rudy. Rudy, este es mi teniente. Estoy seguro de que no necesitas presentación a Jabón.” Rudy, this is my lieutenant. I am sure that you need no introduction to Soap. Your hand pointing to each man as you introduced them. Your brain easily slid into place as you slipped between the languages.

“Tengo miedo de los fantasmas” Rudy shuddered slightly. Ghost’s head barely turned towards you, waiting for the translation.

“He said he has a fear of Ghosts.” You smiled playfully, shoving Rudy to turn around as you waited for the jeep to go.

“¡Vamos hermanos!” Let’s go brothers! Alejandro said as Rudy’s foot roughly slammed into the gas pedal as the jeep took off. A smile slowly creeped onto your face as you suddenly felt the wind in your hair again. Your shades protect you from the harsh glare of the sun. Maybe it wasn’t so bad to be back.

Soap peered out the window as they made their way into Las Almas. Outskirts of the sandy town were covered in graffiti as the houses came into view. Soap suddenly gripped his rifle as Ghost tensed up, both of them spotting a vehicle in the distance and strange men in masks covering the town.

“One black vehicle, about three men armed along the entrance” Soap called forward to Alejandro and Rudy. For half a second Ghost almost cursed at your poor reaction time until he heard Alejandro interject

“Cálmate, hermano. Es todo bien.” Calm yourself brother. Everything is fine. He spoke up, and then followed up with an explanation. “Las Almas is dangerous and the cartel here plays dirty. But I promise you those who are here to ‘uphold the law’ never succeed for long. Not until Narcos slips money into their pockets and women into their laps.”

“What about the military?” Ghost spoke out. His confusion masked behind a voice of concern.

“Es lo mismo. We’re even more likely to be corrupted and turned into working for the narcos because of our combat skills.” It’s the same. Alejandro nodded to the men ahead as he spoke.

“So why haven’t you been corrupted yet?” Ghost responded almost immediately. Just because you and Soap trusted these men doesn’t mean he has to. He only trusts you through an association of Johnny.

Alejandro knew why he asked but it didn’t stop his tongue from clicking as he responded. Pride swelled in his chest as he spoke. The honesty of his voice silenced any doubt. “We grew up here. The locals call us Los Vaqueros, the cowboys, for a reason. Anyone who calls himself or herself such a name and fights beside me is willing to die for the sake of saving even an inch of this city.”

Soap could see the love the man had for his community as they passed by women and children on the street. He silently wondered why they looked so happy in such a dangerous town. Did they not know what was going on?

“Be weary of the civilians. Yes we are welcoming of strangers but just remember that anyone can be turned into a piece of intel for Narcos. They can be quite.. charismatic.” Rudy spoke to the men.

“Even the children and women?”

“Especialmente las mujeres y los niños.” Especially the women and children, Rudy responded almost immediately.

Ghost nodded as Rudy hummed in agreement as they pulled up closer to the base. You were oddly silent as you took in how the base has evolved. Rudy pulled up to the gate and only had to look at the officer before being let in. You noticed how the sun was beginning to turn the sky orange. You missed how beautiful it was here. The heat not even bothering you as the open windows of the jeep gave your baby hairs around your face a beautiful framing. For just a mere moment you could forget why you left.

The sound of a car door opening pulled you out of your thoughts as Ghost and Soap quickly exited the vehicle. Everyone grabbing their respective bags. Rudy quickly matched your pace and stood to the left of you as Soap walked on your right.

“Veo que sigues siendo la boca de tu escuadrón, Chiqui” I see you’re still the mouth of your squadron. Rudy smiled before slipping into spanglish, “Do either of los güeros speak spanish, or sola tú?” Either of the white boys (like fair-skinned) speak spanish or just you? You could tell why he wanted to know but kept your mouth shut as you nodded to your brother.

“Mi hermano puede placticar un poco, pero solo lo sabe las palabras malas.” My brother can conversate a little, but he only knows the bad words. You responded as you glanced at Johnny. Noticing how he looked a little down.

Johnny’s heart sunk a little in his chest. Just how much of your new life had he missed? How did he not know that you had already met them and formed these close ties. You pulled him out of his thoughts as you ruffled his hair.

“So Jabón, why didn’t you tell me that you were related to Chiqui here, hm?” Rudy spoke, “we could’ve traded stories about her”

“I didn’t keen ye knew ‘er like tha.” Johnny said, suddenly meeting the Sergeant Major’s eyes, “How do ye know ‘er?”

Memories flashed across your eyes as you remember how you met the Mexican task force. How you came here stumbling around like a lost child when you were first assigned. The sounds of music flooding your ears as images of you dancing with a certain brown eyed man flashed across your eyes. The late night steak outs and the embarrassing moments of learning how Spanish is truly spoken and used. The images stopped and memories turned sour as you then remembered why you left, or why you were dismissed.

“She was assigned as our translator and infiltration specialist,” Rudy nodded, then he smiled as he jested a little, “Colonel over there thought it might be hard for military men to lure secrets from men as we are not their usual type. So we decided we needed someone more.. convincing. But we couldn’t trust any woman in this country so Alejandro sent a request to the Americans, and your sister showed up.”

“They were my first team after I stopped requesting solo missions.” You added on. Soap sighed at the notion that you were used to be bait for the corrupt men of this town to slip their secrets into. A silence fell over the group until you three walked into the living quarters of the base.

“Why do you and the colonel call her Chiqui?” Soap then turned to ask. His accent loosely stumbled around the nickname even if he said it confidently but he didn’t care. His curiosity bugged him. Sure, you’d let superiors walk over you but giving you a nickname was entirely different. It was intimate. Something he didn’t know you could do with others outside of the family or your small circle of friends.

Rudy’s eyes met yours, asking for permission to tell. You blinked slowly, even unsure of the action yourself.

“She didn’t have a callsign by then and kept on speaking Spanish like a little kid. Mumbling over her words, speaking quickly, and using basic phrases, too scared to be more complex. It was cute and Chiqui is short for Chiquita. Chiquita means little girl, but it’s friendly.”

“The name stuck even after I improved my spanish during my stay here.” You added ruffling up Rudy’s hair.

“You’d always be the kid on the team, Chiqui.” Rudy smirked. “Let’s get you settled into your quarters and then maybe you three would like to join us at the bar?” He was inviting you two but specifically met your eyes first then glanced at Johnny.

Ghost had disappeared off somewhere with Alejandro, probably forming a plan for tomorrow.

“Jabón, you’ll be down the hall with El Fantasma” Ghost. Rudy said as he walked the man down to the room and Soap walked through the entrance, dropping his bags quickly.

“Johnny ye coming tonight?” You looked at him and waited for him to say something

“Ye ever known me to be a lad who turned down a good time?” Johnny shot back at you.

“Never.” You nodded

“Then ye have your answer. I’m going to shower.” He said and closed his door but not before smiling at Rudy.

Rudy nodded as the door closed and he turned to you, walked you to your room, a few doors down the hallway.

“Dormirás en esta habitación” You’ll be sleeping in this room. Rudy nodded. You sighed as you opened it and recognized it as your old room. You saw how it had been scrubbed clean and bare for newer members but you knew it was yours as Rudy’s room was just across from it. Your doors mirror each other. You turned around to meet his gaze and sighed.

“Rudy..” the low whine left your lips as you frowned at him, your eyes tightening to form a glare at the man.

“Chiquita, Te prometo que estaba fuera de mi control. El coronel insistió en que durmieras aquí.” Chiquita, I promise you that it was out of my control. The Colonel insisted you sleep here. His hands flailing to his defense even with that small, guilty smile plastered onto his lips. Your firm mask slipping at the weight of your full nickname.

“Pero Johnny-” but Johnny-

“Jabón estaré bien.” Soap will be fine. Rudy finished the sentence off. His eyes scanning yours. Your name, your real name, fell from his lips as he looked at you. You finally dropped your mask as he enveloped you in a hug.

Over the course of your two years with the team, Rudy had been your best friend, your safe haven. Even if you blurred the lines at some moments you could always count on him to be there for you. Whether that was a lover in a moment of need or a listening ear when the world weighed too heavy to bear alone. He was your best friend, no matter how blurred that line became towards the end.

His warm muscular arms dug into your sides as he held you. A moment between you passed as your arms found his neck.

“Pensé que te habías ido para siempre. El coronel pensó lo mismo. He estado tan preocupada por ti, Chiqui. Lamento no haber ido contigo ese día. Pensé que no querías estar cerca de nosotros después de lo que sucedió.” I thought you were gone forever. The colonel thought the same thing. I've been so worried about you, Chiqui. I'm sorry I didn't go with you that day. I thought you didn't want to be around us after what happened. His words came out softly, the pain evident in his voice.

You pulled back to look him in the eye, a deep sigh passing through you.

“Nunca podría odiarte, eres mi mejor amigo. Nada cambiará eso. Lo que pasó no fue tu culpa, Rudy.” I could never hate you, you are my best friend. Nothing will change that. What happened wasn't your fault, Rudy. He knew that deep down but hearing it from you helped ease some of the weight still burdening him even now.

“Do they know?” He whispered as he pulled back. The man watching you as your brows furrowed.

“About what”

“Lo que pasó, contigo, con nosotros, con esos malvados bastardos.” What happened, with you, with us, with those evil bastards. Your body froze a little at it all, the memories rushing back to your head.

“No. Se lo diré a los chicos y a Johnny cuando esté listo.” I will tell the boys and Johnny when I am ready. Rudy sighed and sat on your bed while you grabbed your bags, and then a thought crossed his mind.

“So you have a callsign?” Rudy said in English as he watched you unpack. His eyebrow quirked up at you.

“Me llaman Banshee, como la mujer” They call me Banshee, like the woman. The name made him tense up. The realization of the legend hit him, the symbolism, and his expression changed

“Hijole” Fuck/Jeez. He grumbled as the shock washed over his face. “Pinche cabrón” fucking asshole. The man didn’t have to do rocket science to know exactly who gave you that callsign.

His eyes flashed over in anger as he too remembered it all. His memories of your spine-curling screams suddenly whisper into his ear as his brain flashed the images of how scared you looked. How much fucking blood you were covered in-

“Rudy. I am fine, I actually like it, it’s..” your eyes searched for the word but he beat you to it first.

“Chingón,” he murmured as he stood up, "Badass.”

You nodded as he smiled at you, the man heading for the door. “¿Sálvame un baile, Chiquita?” Save me a dance? He questioned you with a knowing look, already predicting your answer.

You nodded as you shot back, “si el coronel no los roba todos primero” if the colonel doesn’t steal them all. You smiled knowing deep down that you’d give him a dance anyway.

“Si todavía puedes bailar, eso es, Chiqui” if you can still dance, that is. He shot back, trying to goad you like he used to do. Only to be met with your door closing in his face and a muffled giggle coming from behind it.

Rudy’s hair stood on the end of his neck, the chuckle dying in his throat, as he peered down the hall to see a certain blue-eyed Lieutenant watching him closely.

“Pinche Fantasmas” fucking ghost. The man muttering a curse under his breath as he turned in and walked into his own room.

As the sun laid low in the sky, the four men were waiting next to the jeep. Everyone was in civilian clothes to various degrees but all men were cautiously armed.

Ghost looked the most out of place out of all of them as he was in all black from his combat boots, to his pants and his top, his balaclava stuck to his face like a second skin. All of them had obvious hand guns in various places on their body.

Soap was in combat boots as well but more dressed for the sandy weather. He was in some jeans, a nice cool t-shirt, the chain of his dog tags peeking out at his neckline.

Alejandro and Rudy were both respectively dressed in a distinct style with square toed cowboy boots, and slightly baggy jeans that fluffed out at the bottom in a boot-cut manner. Their boots looked worn down over time. Both men were ready for a good time before the hell of a mission tomorrow.

“So why are ye dressed up like it’s a party tonight?” Soap questioned the two men curiously.

“Because everywhere there’s a bar, there’s music and where there’s music-” Alejandro was cut off suddenly but your voice.

“There’s dancing” you finished the sentence as you stepped into view of the four men. This was the first time Ghost had seen you in civilian clothes and he’d be lying if he said he wasn’t letting his eyes rake over you a little slower than normal. You had obviously packed with suspicion of the boys dragging you out.

You had black square toed cowgirl boots tucked underneath a beautiful pair of boot-cut blue jeans. A black belt held it up at your waist and a tight black tee pulled at your chest. Your hair was cascading down your back in it’s usual manner, you had obviously styled after your shower. You were covered in your usual assortment of jewelry, your sunglasses long gone. Glittering up at him like a jewel just barely out of his reach.

“Jeez, Sis, did ye even have a place to hide your weapons?” Johnny teased as watched his fellow men admiring you in silence.

“A woman doesn’t strap and tell” You said with a wink, your own heart pounding a little under all the attention.

“Vamos!” Let’s go! Alejandro called out as everyone got in the car. Everyone returned to the spots they took on the ride over. Rudy roared the jeep to life as he pulled out. Purposely putting a hand on the back of Alejandro’s seat to peer around to look at you and give you a grin.

Now that Ghost was closer to you, he noticed a jagged scar over your right eye, stopping just short of reaching your eyelids. It was violent and looked like it caused permanent damage and yet that only intrigued him more. He never noticed it before as he assumed you wore contact on that eye around base to hide it since sunglasses were not allowed in every room unlike Ghost’s facial coverings.

“Chiqui, blocking my view-”

“Yo sé.” I know. You clipped as you suddenly bent over. Your belt keeps your jeans down as your shirt rides up. You made your back horizontal as your hips slightly arched to make it comfortable as you completely moved out his rear window.

Ghost swears he tried to look away but his eyes were glued to your back, noticing the way your hips wiggled a little to get comfortable. Your tight black tee riding up your back as your hair fell forward a little to reveal the delicate skin underneath the cloth. Just under the hem of your tee he spotted two identical scars.

However, Rudy finally finished backing out and turning around the jeep. So your back snapped back up into place and met the back of your seat. Your shoulders gently brushing his own and Johnny’s.

.

Speaking of proximity, when Ghost took a deep breath to remind himself of his own boundary with you, the scent of your perfume invaded his senses. He swears he could smell every step of your routine from your shampoo to your lotion to that intoxicating perfume.

“Fuck yer stinking up the damn car. How am I supposed to bring home any ladies tonight if yer stink is rubbed all over me.” Soap whined softly.

“You can’t bring back women to the base anyway, Jabón.” Rudy said with a laugh at the Scotsman's dismay.

Soap was curiously looking at you for an answer so you decided to explain, “it’s the night before our mission so you shouldn’t be sleeping around, and any woman you sleep with here could be an informant for Narcos.”

A frown fell on his face as Alejandro spoke up in an attempt to console his fellow man, “You can still dance and flirt with them all you want. Just remember Jabón, anyone can work for the cartel.”

Ghost nearly rolled his eyes as he peered out the window at the setting sun in the horizon. The last thing they needed was a tipsy sergeant.

His wishes fell on deaf ears as they arrived, you and Rudy hitting the bar to order rounds. The masked giant suddenly took in the entire bar as they entered. Loud norteño music filled the air as did the laughter and the roaring conversations. People stared at him but not before failing to meet his gaze leaving him alone. He also scanned over to see the groups of men and women dancing in pairs.

The couples were so close, especially to him, embracing in a hold on their left side as their right hands interlaced and the men led their partners in dance. Chest to chest and heads right next to each other. Pairs of women being spun around in rhythm to the faster-paced music. Their legs intertwined as the knee of one man’s leg went in-between the woman’s own two. He also didn’t miss how occasionally the women were lifted up and then grinded down onto the thigh of the partner quickly before being put back down and spinning again.

“Do you know how to dance, Fantasma?” Alejandro asked the man, trying to make conversation. The three men piling into a corner booth with a full view of the dance floor.

The man shook his head as Soap answered for him.

“L.T. here has two left feet when it comes to dancing.” Johnny grinned as he said that. Johnny himself also noticed the dancing, the proximity, the rhythm.

“And what about you, Jabón?”

“I can dance but not like that.” Johnny responded, gesturing casually to the couples. Alejandro chuckled for a moment at his honesty.

“Your sister thought the same, you know, then we taught her and by the end of her stay, she would be the one dragging us to dance instead of the other way around.”

“What caused her to leave? I understand that she was pretty close with you after two years.” Johnny said curiously. Alejandro paused, trying to find a way to avoid answering, taking notice of how her own twin brother didn’t even know the circumstances.

Luckily, he didn’t have to avoid answering as you came back to the table victoriously. You and Rudy are holding ice cold bottles of beer with limes stuck in the rim to cover the opening. He also noticed the shot glasses of tequila on a platter.

You passed Ghost and Johnny each a beer, both thanking you as you handed out shots as well. Ghost gently pushed his shot back, to which you cocked an eyebrow but didn’t bother. Gleefully taking the extra shot before your brother could snag it.

“Salud!” Cheers! You, Rudy, and Alejandro said as the beer bottles held by the boys and your tequila glasses clinked together. The lieutenant’s hand shooting up to lift his mask just above his lips, the top one still slightly swollen from your move on the mat a week ago. Ghost’s eyes held your own for a mere second as he sipped his beer before you broke his gaze to take the shot. Everyone began consuming their drinks, and taking their own shot of tequila. Except for Ghost, he was watching you take his shot.

Your wet, pink tongue flickered out to wrap around the rim of the glass and lick the salt off, before shooting the clear liquor past your lips, then your glistening lips enveloped the lime and sucked out its juices. You repeated the process for the second shot as well, failing to meet his gaze. Ghost felt his pants grow just a little tighter as he watched the entire routine.

He quickly tensed up realizing what he had done before glancing to everyone around the table. The man was eternally grateful for the mask as he felt his cheeks dust. Rudy and Soap deep in conversation about different beers around the world as he breathed a short sigh of relief. Your gaze on two men arguing over something as silly as piss water.

‘Idiot. You’re lucky nobody noticed.’ The man internally chastised himself again.

Alejandro then stood up and looked at you, “quieres bailar, Chiqui?” Want to dance? Alejandro’s hand shooting out to take your own.

“Can ye manage without a translator for a while?” You said, your gaze directly pointed at Soap.

“Aye, ye have fun, sis. But not too much.” Soap said with a wink as he pushed you and subsequently Alejandro away from the table. Sure he didn’t want to see his sister grind on a comrade’s thigh or any person’s thigh for that matter but you were a grown woman, and obviously you trusted the Colonel.

“Vamos a bailar, Ale” Let’s go dance. You said as the man joined you on the floor. His strong hand embraced your own gently as you wrapped an arm around his shoulder. His arm quickly found your lower back. He smiled at you as you both began spinning. The liquor made your skin buzz just barely as the music practically thrummed through your veins. You ignored the feeling of eyes on you as you assumed it was just the locals watching you dance with an infamous vaquero. Some of the older locals recognized your face from your time here before.

However they weren’t the only pair of eyes on you as you danced. Ghost slowly sipped his beer as the sounds of your giggles cut through the crowd. Your lips moved as did Alejandro’s as you murmured to each other while dancing. The man is unable to decipher any of it due to limited vision of your lips, lack of knowledge for the language, and the distance. He couldn’t help but wish things were different.

‘What the hell were you doing to him.’ He thought as he focused on Soap and Rudy. The two grown men laughed and caused a commotion as they shifted to battle stories.

The night continued on as more beers were ordered. You finally sauntered back over with Alejandro in tow.

“Rudy, agh. Ayudame.” Help me. Alejandro groaned as he made it to the table, playfully teasing you. You held two more shots in hand as well as fresh beer for the boys.

Soap recognized the command and looked worried for a moment until your quip came back as you pushed him into the booth just as Rudy rose to the occasion.

“Me invitaste a bailar. No es mi culpa que seas un viejo.” You invited me to dance. It’s not my fault you’re an old man. You rolled your eyes before translating. “Ale here forgets that his knees are getting rusty and he wants to blame me.”

“Ale?” Soap said with an eyebrow quirk which you answered with a look alone.

“Te respado, Ale.” I got your back, Ale. Rudy said as he bumped your hips with your own. “Chiqui, tú sabes que no es agradable pegar a un viejo.” Chiqui, you know it's not nice to bully an old man.

You shot the Sergeant Major a look as Soap, Alejandro, and Ghost took the fresh beer bottles from your hand. Your cheeks thrumming with a slight flush of warmth from the liquor coursing through your body.

“You sure you don’t want to take a break?” Soap looked up with concern.

“Oh she’s just getting started unfortunately.” Alejandro chuckled at you as you shared a shot with Rudy. The two of you walked off together, laughing as you shoved each other.

Ghost was suddenly washed over a feeling of jealousy as he watched you dance with your old teammate. Your hips grinding downward onto his thigh in perfect rhythm each time he lifted you up. A laugh leaves your lips as the man whispers things in your ear, his hand resting low on your back. In truth, Rudy was just constantly pulling down the back of your shirt to avoid your scars being revealed. A warmth blooms in your chest as you recognize the habit. But Ghost didn’t see it as that, how could he?

Why was it that you were so comfortable taking the mask off with these men when he had to force it out of you in a spar. Johnny even had to take a moment with you for you to soften up with him again and he is your own family.. What was so trustworthy about these men? Sure you spent two years with these men, bled with them, drank with them, you did it all. But you were his teammate, a member of his task force, not theirs, not anymore. All of these thoughts flooded his brain as he unknowingly gripped his beer tighter, his brows furrowing. Is Rudy the reason why you looked so stressed to come here? You just couldn’t bear the idea of your new team seeing how good you had it with your old one?

Johnny knocked his shoulders against Ghost to snap him back to reality.

“So how did you two manage to get so close to my sister? I haven’t seen her this carefree in a while.” Soap questioned. He hadn’t seen you this carefree since before you started being sent on missions abroad. That’s what he meant to say, but bit his tongue carefully.

“She learned to trust us just as she did you” Alejandro answered calmly as he sipped his beer. The cold beer easing the fiery ache in the older man’s body. Alejandro’s answer irked Ghost but he didn’t show it.

That’s the problem. You didn’t trust him. Sure you trusted Johnny but that’s your family. He’s your commanding officer, your superior, you’re in his care and yet you act like he’s going to suddenly snap whenever he’s around. You can barely hold his gaze or be close to him, meanwhile you can grind on your old teammate without any care and practically share the same breaths of air like it was the only oxygen left.

“And Rudy is the same?” Soap quirked up an eyebrow. Ghost listened closely and watched the Colonel. Alejandro let out a deep chuckle at the question as if a joke was said.

“Rudy and Chiqui are different from Rudy and I. I mean they’re different. Sure, Rudy is my right hand man but Chiqui spent a lot of time with him. They always had each other's back. I mean they used to leave base just to go dance alone at the bar after every mission. He taught her everything. I used to catch them staying up late practicing her Spanish as she taught Rudy how to throw knives. Then I would have to send them to bed and make sure they didn’t follow each other back to the same room.”

“How is that different?” Soap said, “I assume you also taught her something.”

“There’s a phrase we use to describe friends like them. Un amigo es el que intenta levantarte cuando te has caído. Si no logra levantarte, se acuesta a tu lado para escucharte” Alejandro paused. He translated first, having momentarily forgotten the Mactavish twins weren’t completely the same, and then continued his train of thought.

“A friend will try to get you on your feet when you fall. If he fails, then he will lay down on your side and listen to you. Chiqui went through a lot here, especially with this being her first team. She should’ve been sent to somewhere that could ease her into the fire. Instead she was thrown in like a rag doll. Rudy helped her adjust and they became close. I can confidently say they were best friends through and through.”

“Ye dinnae ken me Colonel. I’m asking if my twin has had any history with yer man.” Soap finally said, his look getting serious. Alejandro nodded, finally understanding what the shorter man was getting at.

“Jabón. Under the hot desert sun that plagues Las Almas, even the most clearly drawn lines in the sand can become easily brushed over. Now what your hermana tells you is her business, not mine. She may not be my soldier anymore or under my care, but I will still respect her boundaries. So if you want to know so badly, ask her.” Alejandro said, a serious look appearing on his face as well. The sergeant loosened up on his questioning. Soap could understand why everyone respects the man so much. Soap let out a deep sigh as he peeked at you and Rudy still dancing together. He turned his head back to the table and took notice of the grip Ghost had on his beer. Alejandro following the Scotsman's gaze.

“Todo bien, Fantasma?” All good, Ghost? Alejandro murmured, the two men looking up at him.

“Yeah, I just need a smoke break. Johnny could you scootch-”

“Yeah I got ye.” Johnny said as he let the older man out. Even the nosy sergeant knew not to push his lieutenant when he was this bothered. As Ghost walked out, quickly popping a cigarette and a light into his hands right as he passed through the entryway, exiting into the night.

You noticed Ghost leaving and faltered a step. Rudy noticed and gave you a look. His hand momentarily tightening on your back then relaxing.

“¿Qué pasó Chiqui?” What’s wrong? He whispered into your ear before noticing the way you faltered. The man silently prayed that you were finally done, but a realization passed over his face as he noticed the absence of the lieutenant.

“No pasa nada.” Nothing You responded quickly.

“Ah. El Fantasma.” he chuckled in your ear, a knowing tone to his voice.

“Cállate Rudy. No te metas en algo que no está ahí” Shut up, Rudy. Don’t interfere in something that isn’t there.

“Pero es la problema. No?” But that’s the problem, no? He shot back.

“Rudy.” You spoke roughly, your tone clearly drawing a line.

“Bien, como dijiste que no pasó nada” Fine, just like you said nothing happened. He said, dropping the subject just as fast as it came up. “Pero siempre puedes hablar conmigo, como en los viejos tiempos” But you can always talk to me, like old times.

“Ya no podemos ser como en los viejos tiempos. Solo somos amigos. Ambos estuvimos de acuerdo con eso antes de que sucediera.” We can't be like old times anymore. We're just friends. We both agreed to that before it happened. You whispered in his ear, a saddening note was attached to how you spoke.

Suddenly the liquor turned sour into your stomach and the ache of being on your feet for so long finally got to you. You slowly pulled back from the man with a look, both of you knowing that you were done for the night.

The man nodded, immediately understanding but a part of him ached at your allusion to the incident. He knew what incident you were referring to. That incident when they let you slip through their fingers like the sand that blows through Los Almas. The one time they couldn’t fail and they did anyway.

“Chiqui, siempre estaré aquí para ti” I’ll always be here for you. He said as you both removed yourselves from each other and walked back to the table.

“Yo sé, Rudy. Y siempre estaré aquí para ti” I know, and I will always be here for you. You nodded back.

“Finally done?” Soap smiled at you, knowing that tired look you had on your face. “I hope it was worth it.” He teased you.

“Oh it was worth it.” You nodded, “¿Estamos listos para salir?” Are we ready to leave? You questioned the men with a sigh.

“Finally. I was praying you’d let up soon.” Alejandro said as you all made your way out the door. Even as the moon was high in the sky, everyone could feel the fatigue ache into their bones.

Your eyes immediately scanned for Simon. The man illuminated in the moonlight as he stood next to the jeep. His cigarette long squished out into the ground below.

The ride back to base was silent. Ghost peered down at you as you held his gaze. Neither of you spoke as you took a moment to stare into his glaring blue eyes. You couldn’t understand what ruffled the man’s feathers but you wouldn’t press him.

A soft whine escaped your lips as you walked back to your room. Johnny followed in suit as he went into the room. Ghost stood outside the door, allowing his sergeant time to change and decompress. Ghost knew that Johnny was worried about you and his conversation with Alejandro eased some of his worries while heightening others. Just as he was about to turn in, he noticed a light was on in the room across from yours. He slowly stalked over to the door, standing right beside it and focusing in on the two voices.

“Estoy preocupado por ella, Ale. Ella se niega a abrirse a su teniente. Incluso su hermano no conoce la historia completa..” I'm worried about her, Ale. She refuses to open up to her lieutenant. Even her brother doesn't know the full events.

“Lo sé, Rudy. Pero lo que ellos saben es asunto suya. Quiero decir, si estuvieras en su posición, ¿serías diferente? Le tomó semanas abrirle a ti y luego, justo cuando mejoró, le fallamos. Ella estuvo atrapada aquí durante una semana con esos malvados bastardos. ¿Sabes las cosas que le hicieron? ¿lo que la hicieron hacer?” I know, Rudy. But what they know is their business. I mean if you were in her position, would you be any different? It took her weeks to open up to you and then just when it got better, we failed her. She was stuck here for a week with those evil bastards. You know the things they did to her? What they made her do?

“Sé exactamente lo hicieron. Yo estuve allí! ¿O has olvidado quién entró primero en esa habitación? Quién escuchó su gritos durante horas hasta que nos dieron permiso para entrar? ¿Quién llevó su cuerpo ensangrentado de vuelta a la enfermería? ¿Quién se quedaba junto a su cama todas las malditas noches porque se despertaba gritando como si nunca saliera de esa habitación? ¡Lo hice! ¡Lo hice todo! Yo estaba allí para ella cuando nadie más estaba. ¡Ni siquiera podías mirarla o estar en la misma habitación que ella! Tú eres el que dejó que ese General la robara de vuelta. ¡Sabías exactamente ese General que haría con Chiqui y sin embargo dejaste que sucediera.”

I know exactly what they did to her. I was there! Or have you forgotten who entered that room first? Who listened to her screams for hours until we were given permission to enter. Who carried her bloody body back to the infirmary? Who stayed by her bed every damn night because she would wake up screaming as if she never left that room? I did it. I did it all! I was there for her when no one else was. You couldn't even look at her or be in the same room as her! You're the one who let that General steal her back. You knew exactly what that General would do with Chiqui and yet you let it happen.

“Baja el tono, sargento mayor. No me viste detenerlo. Lo intenté. Pero él fue por encima de mí, a nuestros superiores.” Lower your tone, Sergeant Major. You didn't see me stop him. I tried. But he went above me, to our superiors.

“¿y qué hubiera pasado si hubiera sido Valeria en lugar de Chiqui? ¿te habrías esforzado más?” And what if it had been Valeria instead of Chiqui? Would you have tried harder?

He recognized the voices as Rudy and Alejandro but he couldn’t decipher it. All he knew was that they were talking about you. There was a long pause, something was said lower but Ghost couldn’t pick it up.

“Su hermano me interrogó sobre ti, mientras ustedes dos bailaban.” Her brother interrogated me about you, while you two danced.

“¿Jabón? ¿Qué quería saber?” Soap? What did he want to know?

“Tú relación con su hermana.” Your relationship to his sister.

“¿qué le dijiste?” What did you tell him?

“La verdad.” The truth.

“¿Todo?” All of it?

“No todo, pero algunas cosas están muy claras.” Not all of it, but some things are very clear.

“¿Como lo que?” Like what?

“Le dije que algunas líneas se difuminaron, pero sobre todo que eras su mejor amigo. También le dije que lo preguntara a ella porque el necesitaba escucharlo de ella, no de mí.” I told him that some lines were blurred, but mostly that you were her best friend. I also told him to ask her because he needed to hear it from her, not from me.

A deep sigh was heard as Ghost got closer to the door.

“¿Es por eso que Fantasma se fue?” Is that why Ghost left? The masked lieutenant tensed up at the mention of his name in spanish.

“Sí.” Yes.

“¿Quién está siendo metiche en mi puerta?” Who is being nosy at my door? Suddenly a pair approached the door. And it swung open, but Ghost was already gone.

“Rudy?” Alejandro spoke as he walked past the shorter man, standing in front of the entryway as Rudy stepped back into his own room.

“¿Mande?” yes/come again?

“Creo que ahora tienes una razón para temer a los fantasmas” I think you have a reason to fear ghosts now.

Author’s note - The girls are fiiiighting. I know I know. Lots of questions, and all will be answered in the upcoming chapters. I’m sorry I couldn’t resist reader being close with Los Vaqueros AND me getting an excuse to practice my Spanish. As always - I hope you enjoyed it! Reblogs, comments, and likes are all welcome!

My requests are open! Feel free to drop by and ask questions!

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