#finished everything i need to do for that today

[writinginatree]

Attention

Relationship(s): Xaden Riorson/Garrick Tavis/Reader

Summary: You're on your period and desperately want cuddles, but both of your boyfriends are too busy with paperwork to notice, so threats have to be made.

Warnings: Swearing, mentions of the torture that is menstruation, established polyamorous relationship (idk if that's a warning but I feel like I should put it somewhere lol), reader has a period but no pronouns mentioned. Set during Fourth Wing.

Today sucks, you decide.

As if getting your period wasn't bad enough, the marked first-years you're responsible for training had acted especially clumsy and overall insufferable during today's practice session, and now, to top it all off, your boyfriends are too busy to pay attention to you. They barely glanced up from their work to greet you when you came to Xaden's room earlier — a quick kiss from each of them was all you got before they returned to their papers.

At first, that had been fine. You had enough homework to occupy yourself with, even if your period cramps made it hard to focus.

But now, almost an hour after you finished everything you had to do, Xaden and Garrick are still huddled over the former's desk and paying zero attention to you, and it's really starting to bother you. Not their fault, you know. It's your period that makes you so irritable, but that doesn't stop you from cursing the fact that it's today of all days that they have to be so busy.

Despite the multiple attempts to get their attention you've made already, they remain so focused on their work they haven't even noticed how miserable your mood has gotten over the span of the last two hours.

No, this really isn't your day — usually, they're much more observant than this.

Even though you know interrupting them won't make their work get done any faster, you can't stop yourself from once again asking, "Are you almost done?"

"Soon," Xaden says without looking up, but that's what he'd said half an hour ago, too.

"How soon?" you insist.

"Soon," he repeats, pushing the paper in front of him to Garrick to point something out. A heated discussion ensues, and you're forgotten again.

You sigh into Xaden's pillow. What's the point of having two boyfriends if neither of them has time to cuddle with you?

While them being wingleader and section leader has a lot of perks — bigger rooms, more control over their — and your — schedule, and the authority to punish anyone giving you shit for the rebellion relic on your arm, to only name a few — this is the downside. Loads and loads of extra work. They've been sitting at Xaden's desk brooding over gods know what for hours now, the only sounds in the room the rustling of paper and the occasional muttered question.

Usually, you don't mind keeping them company while each of you does their own thing — it's a peaceful kind of quiet, something so rare in this godsforsaken place. You like to silently sit with them while you study, despite how tempting it is to let yourself get distracted by them. Since they always tend to have more work than you thanks to their leadership duties, you're always done before them, anyway. And it's nice to just curl up on the bed and watch them while you wait for them to finish their work too — just not today. Staying patient is hard when it feels like your lower body is being stabbed with burning knives, and all you want is to be held. With every passing minute, it gets harder to sit and wait.

You could break their concentration. You know if you asked outright, they'd put everything aside and come cuddle you in a heartbeat. But as tempting as that is, you also know how important it is that they get their work done. Being marked, they had to work harder for their leadership positions than anyone else, and need to be better than everyone else to be treated with even a fraction of the respect they deserve. If they mess up, the consequences will be worse than they'd be for anyone else. They can't afford to get sloppy with their duties.

You know how Xaden would argue against that reasoning: That you are more important than any of that, that they can still get the work done later tonight, when you are asleep. But Xaden already doesn't get enough sleep as it is; you refuse to be the reason for making it worse.

And yet, it only takes a few more minutes for your resolve to crumble. Unable to take this any longer, you tell yourself you won't keep them from working for long. A few minutes of their attention, that's all you want. Surely, a small break like that can't hurt.

"If neither of you comes cuddle me in the next five minutes I'm going to fucking riot," you declare into the quiet. "And by riot I mean I'll go get cuddles from Imogen."

Now that gets their attention more effectively than anything else could have. Finally looking up from their paperwork, your boyfriends share a confused look and turn to frown at you.

"What?" Xaden asks, and Garrick adds, "Why the fuck would you do that?"

"Because I've been trying to get your attention for like an hour and you just keep on ignoring me," you whine. "I. Want. Cuddles. And I'll get them, one way or another."

You don't actually mean to make true on your threat, even in the unlikely case that they insist on finishing their work first. There's no way you're getting up now that you finally found a position that makes your cramps at least kind of bearable. Your best friend isn't much for physical affection, anyway. And while she might make an exception for you, it just wouldn't be the same as getting held by your boyfriends.

Luckily, the threat does the trick, even though the both of them are certainly aware of how empty it is.

"You didn't say that you want to cuddle," Xaden scolds, gathering up a few papers before rising from his chair to join you on the bed. "I thought you were just bored. Are you okay?"

The question comes as no surprise — it's very unlike you to interrupt them like this, even more so in such an agitated manner.

"Yeah," you mumble, a little ashamed of being so needy. "Sorry. 's just that I got my period, and it feels like you guys are taking forever today."

"Nothing to apologize for," Xaden assures you, pressing a kiss to your temple.

Garrick explains, "It's taking so long because of that leadership meeting we have tomorrow morning to sort some stuff out before Threshing. Lots of shit to plan, but we can just as well do that in bed with you."

"Right, you mentioned that... Forgot it's tomorrow. Does that mean I have to sleep in my own room?"

More often than not, Fourth Wing's leadership meetings take place in Xaden's room.

Xaden shakes his head. "You can sleep wherever you want. If you want to sleep here, we'll just have to be quiet. I'm not letting anyone disturb your sleep."

He's completely serious, you know. You can imagine it all too well, Xaden waiting for the squad- and section-leaders at the door and instructing them to keep their voices down as they enter the room, his shadows engulfing you like a cocoon so no undeserving eye will catch sight of your sleeping form. Xaden just is dramatic like that.

"Makes it kinda hard to hold a meeting when no one is allowed to speak," you chuckle.

"Oh, I don't know," Garrick jokes as he settles at the head of the bed, letting you and Xaden rest your heads on his lap. "It actually would be kind of nice if the other idiots had to keep their mouths shut and just listen for a change."

Xaden hums in agreement. He has made himself comfortable behind you, one arm slid beneath you, the other thrown over your waist, holding his papers in front of you both so he can finish his work while he holds you. His legs tangle with yours, head resting in the crook of your neck. The hand not holding the papers slips under your shirt, resting warm and comforting on your aching lower abdomen.

With a content sigh, you close your eyes, finally relaxing as Xaden's body heat seeps into you. You swear just being near him is enough to release the tension from your muscles.

"Did you take something against the pain yet?" Xaden asks after a minute.

When you shake your head, Garrick immediately moves to get up, ready to disappear and get the medicine for you in a blink. Before he can, you explain, "I was too nauseous to eat, so I can't take anything."

You'd made the mistake of taking painkillers on an empty stomach once, and spent hours throwing up bile as a result. After that, it had taken you months to work up the courage to try taking them again at all, even though logically you knew you'd be fine as long as you ate something first. You would much rather endure the pain than make that same mistake again.

"Damn, that sucks. I'm sorry, baby."

You shrug, opening your eyes and angling your head back to smile up at Garrick. "I'll survive. I'm just glad we're not scheduled for flight lessons until the end of the week."

Garrick nods, but observes, "This is worse than usual. Maybe you should see a healer, don't you think?"

"No. They have enough patients with real problems."

"Being in so much pain from your period that you can't eat or sleep through the night is a real problem," he insists.

"Ehh, I'm used to it. There's nothing they can do, anyway. And besides, this isn't even that bad. One time my period was so bad I actually fainted after getting up a bit too fast."

Xaden tenses, pushing up on his elbow to lean over you so he can look at your face. "Why don't I know about that?"

"I guess it just never came up? I dunno." You shrug. "It's not that big of a deal, Xaden. That was before I came to Basgiath."

"You should have warned us in case it happens again. It's fucking dangerous. What if you faint during a challenge or while flying?"

"If I felt like fainting I'd let you know, I promise. It's not like it's a frequent occurrence, and I'm pretty sure that one time it did happen was mostly due to low blood pressure."

You lift your hand to cup Xaden's cheek as you speak, rubbing your thumb back and forth along his cheek bone to soothe him. He's adorable when he gets all worried and protective, but you know better than to tell him that right now.

"Still," he grumbles. "Maybe you should stay in bed until your period is over. You shouldn't have to go to class and fight while dealing with this torture. We can cover for you. No one would doubt it if we say you're sick, and you can easily catch up on the stuff you miss."

"Tempting," you admit, "but I think we both know that's not actually an option."

With a sigh, Xaden lies back down and buries his face in your shoulder. "I know."

"Is there anything we can do to make you feel better?" Garrick asks, setting his stack of papers aside in favor of lying down on your other side.

"Just cuddles," you mumble, the words barely intelligible as you bury your face in the soft fabric of his shirt. "Think I'll try to nap for a bit."

"Alright, love." Xaden kisses your head, then you feel him half sit up again. "Here, drink some water first, hm? You've got to stay hydrated, or you'll feel even worse."

Since you know he's right, you force yourself to sit up and accept the water he hands you, draining half the glass before settling down once more.

Xaden and Garrick wrap you in their arms, making you feel safe and warm despite the pain, and soon you fall asleep to the sound of rustling paper. Before you drift off, you remind yourself you'll have to return to your or Garrick's room later, before actually going to bed for the day. If you don't, Xaden really will prioritize your rest over his meeting, and you can't have that.

[honeytonedhottie]

how to curate ur own skincare routine (a guide)⋆.ೃ࿔*:･🛁💕

welcome to honey's beauty school where we'll learn about how to take care of and beautify ourselves 💖, today's topic SKINCARE. this is going to be structured as an informative post and after you read this you'll be ready to build a skincare routine thats gonna give you fabulous results...💬🎀

KNOW YOUR SKIN TYPE ;

literally the most important aspect of skincare and if u have never gotten into skincare before, THIS is where you start. knowing ur skin type is the foundation on which u can start building a routine and learning about whats best for your skin.

theres oily, combination, dry, sensitive and normal skin types. another thing that is crucial to know before building a skincare routine is skin conditions. (eg. pimples, rashes, inflammatory etc) if ur unsure about any of these things consult a dermatologist or conduct some of ur own research and determine both ur skin type and any skin conditions before we go any further.

SKINCARE ORDER ;

oil cleanser -> reg cleanser -> exfoliator -> toner -> serum -> moisturizer -> SPF. of course you don't have to do ALL of these every single day, but if you have everything in this line-up you should be good. im a firm believer in minimalistic skincare because thats what gave me the best results. simplicity is the highest form of luxury.

but yeah as long as u have everything mentioned here you should be good, just use it as needed. but the order in which u apply ur skincare is SO so important. because products have different molecular sizes that penetrate at different depths in the skin. some little things that can help ur products soak into ur skin better can include ->

waiting 45 seconds between steps so that the product u just applied can soak into ur skin

SPF daily (non-negotiable)

morning routine (simple and gentle preferably) evening routine (stronger and more repair focused)

in regards to the last bullet point, im going to explain why i think of morning and evening skincare routines in the way that i do. first of all, its just not practical to be putting on lots of skincare in the morning. like theres no reason you should be oil cleansing in the morning unless u slept with makeup on your face which you should NOT be doing anyways.

second of all, using stronger more repair focused skincare in the evening means that those products can soak into your skin overnight and you'll wake up all glowy and pretty. plus walking around all day with a face that feels heavy and greasy from skincare products just doesn't sound pleasant whatsoever.

also if u use an exfoliant during your morning skincare and then you go out into the sun, thats just a wicked combo and your gonna be all irritated and in pain and its just not hot...💬🎀

DOUBLE CLEANSING ;

double cleansing is the proper way to wash ur face. oil cleanser breaks down the dirt and oils from the day and regular cleansers clean you off after and give u that squeaky clean finish. it's literally just (oil cleanser -> reg cleanser -> clean face)

when it comes to oil cleansing, you have plenty of options. micellar water, oil cleanser, cleansing balm. for regular cleansers theres gel cleansers, hydrating/exfoliating cleansers and everything in between. for the second cleanse, go with whatever option is suited to your specific needs.

AS A COMBINATION SKIN GIRLIE...

as a combination skin girly i tend to go for oil cleansers thats very light like the CENTELLA light cleansing oil. then i'll use a very mild cleanser...💬🎀

like the heartleaf anua cleanser or the ceraVe facial foaming cleanser depending on what my skin needs that day. its all about balance when you have combination skin because u dont wanna over-strip the dry parts of your skin or leave the oily zones greasy. i rly love hydrating toners and a lightweight serum in a rotation, like yess ma'am.

(hyaluronic acid, niacinimade etc) nothing too much just products that are there to maintain my skin barrier and keep my skin healthy and happy. and when it comes to moisturizing i love water based moisturizers (i use the tatcha water cream oil-free pore minimizing refillable moisturizer). its so lightweight but gives me such a JUICY and glassy finish. and for sunscreen i use the beauty of joseon rice sunscreen because it doesn't leave a white cast and it has enough SPF in it.

FINAL THOUGHTS ;

skincare doesn't have be twelve steps long to be effective. to do skincare properly is to know what your skin needs and to be consistent. its actually really easy once you have those two things. take your time, learn ur skin and treat it with love. stay glowy, xoxo, beauty professor honey 🍯

[urcoolgf]

WHAT’S YOUR DEAL? PT. 8

pairing. childhood bsf¡rafe && childhood bsf¡reader

content. fluff. language.

summary. after your dad’s ‘family plans’ are over, you can no longer put off talking to enzo about what happened between you and rafe, and where you’ll go from here

SERIES MASTERLIST

your dad had taken rafe, sarah, wheezie, and you on a little fishing trip yesterday—he had always loved fishing, so you were happy to do this for him. you had to throw back everything you caught, but your dad was just happy to hang out with you guys, doing something he found fun.

rafe and you agreed it was best to keep your little relationship quiet just to keep the dynamic chill for the boating yesterday—but that didn’t stop rafe from sneaking little kisses when no one was looking.

but, now that you were back, you couldn’t ignore enzo any longer. you hated yourself for what you had to tell him later today, but it wasn’t fair to lead him on any longer. he was an amazing guy, and he deserved someone who was 100% in.

y/n: hey! i’m back from our fishing trip, wanna meet up in like an hour?

enzo: Sounds good :) meet at our restaurant?

y/n: see you then

—

you were nervous… to say the least.

enzo was an amazing guy, and you felt shitty for blowing him off, but it was pointless when he would never be rafe. he wasn’t there for you in the most trivial points in your life—he wasn’t there when your first boyfriend broke up with you, or when your mom died. he would never know you how rafe knew you, and somehow that doomed you guys from the start.

you made sure to get there early because showing up late and dumping him seemed like salt in the wound… he quickly found you sat at a table, the smile that spread across his face once he saw you made your heart ache.

you were such an asshole.

“hey, pretty girl… i missed you,” he greeted you warmly, giving you a side hug before sitting across from you.

again; such. an. asshole.

“so… what’s new? how was your fishing trip? you catch anything?,” he was so nice, and he was killing you.

“my dad and rafe caught a few. we threw everything back though,” you smiled uncomfortably. you spoke low like you felt guilty for talking about yourself—for talking about rafe—knowing what you were about to do.

“everything alright?,” the concern on his face was so genuine, and you really didn’t want to say what you had to say.

“enzo… listen, i really like you… like a lot. you’re an amazing guy–,” you started, looking him in the eye. it was harder that way, which is why it needed to be like that. his eyes were gentle—understanding—like he already knew what was coming.

“but…,” he drew it out like he already knew where this was going. “you’re in love with rafe… right?,” he said it softly, with a small smile.

“wha– how did you–?”

“i saw the way he looked at you on the beach… i figured you couldn’t ignore it forever,” he didn’t even look mad—upset, sure—but that little genuine smile stayed plastered to his face.

“you’re not mad?,” you questioned, almost in disbelief—like how he was reacting was too good to be true.

“upset? sure. mad? never,” his smile widened just a bit as he moved to hold your hand—not in a way that was begging you to stay, more as a comfort. you didn’t pull away—didn’t flinch—just let him do it.

“i would never be mad at you for falling in love, y/n… i know it happens when you least expect it,” he nodded his head slightly, like he wasn’t just trying to convince you, but convince himself, too.

“thanks, enzo. hey, it would mean a lot to me if we could stay friends? that might be a big ask, but–,” he didn’t even let you finish, cutting you off with a loving look in his eyes.

“of course,” you couldn’t tell if he genuinely wanted that, or not, but you chose to believe he did—chose to believe it didn’t bother him.

"rafe better know how lucky he is… and if he ever tries to break your heart—i’m here– like in a ‘i-would-set-him-straight’ way. i think you guys are gonna go far, honestly. seems like he’s got a lot of love for ya,” you felt stupid for even being worried… enzo was already a gentleman, of course he was going to take this splendidly.

“i really appreciate it. seriously, i was all worried coming into this. i know it’s not like we were exclusive, or like ‘til-death-do-us-part’ type, but you mean a lot to me,” it was true. you hadn’t met that long ago, but you had gotten close, and you never wanted to hurt him.

“you mean a lot to me too, y/n. don’t worry about me,” he gave your hand a gentle squeeze before retracting his hand. “i’ll see you around then?”

“yeah, see ya around,” you gave him one last smile before he stood from his seat, leaving you alone with your thoughts and the lingering warmth of his hand on yours.

—

you walked back into the house, attempting to find rafe and tell him how it went, but he wasn’t anywhere to be found… well, until you took two steps outside, and found him sitting in one of the lounge chairs by the pool.

“hey,” you said, flopping into the empty chair next to him. he turned his head to see you, squinting to keep the sun out of his eyes.

“oh, hey baby,” it rolled off his tongue so naturally, like he was made to call you that—made to be yours. you tried hard to ignore the way sweat glistened over his abs, and his swim shorts hung just low enough for your mind to run wild. “how’d it go?”

“good… actually,” you still looked a little puzzled from your interaction with enzo, and rafe noticed it immediately. he also noticed the way you were looking at him, but he wasn’t one to complain.

he quickly noticed your outfit—kind of nice considering you went to break it off with this dude. he minded a bit, but once his eyes raked down your body, enzo didn’t seem that important anymore. you were his. you had just broken up with a supposedly ‘perfect guy’—whatever—from him. he was on top of the world right now, but that didn’t stop him from addressing your tone and slight confusion.

“what d’ya mean actually? somethin’ happen?,” he sat up a bit, propping himself on his elbows, looking at you more directly since he thought he was going to have to beat this man.

“no. he was– he was surprisingly chill…,” well, shit. that was actually more worrying to rafe.

“really?,” he almost scoffed like he didn’t believe it—like he thought enzo might be playing at something. he rested his head back against the chair, turning straightforward and closing his eyes again.

“yeah, i don’t know… it wasn’t even weird. he said it was fine—that he knew you were in love with me,” that caught his attention.

“he knew?!,” he laughed—a dry, humorless laugh. “yeah, right.”

"well, either way… that’s over. i feel better,” you relaxed, laying back against the chair, mimicking rafe. you enjoyed the sun, and the silence… for a whole three seconds.

you sat back up, turning completely toward rafe ”that was like shockingly easy… right?,” you weren’t sure why you wanted it to be harder, or more painful, but the fact it wasn’t was almost just as worrying. you couldn’t shake the feeling that something was off.

"don’t worry about it baby. it’s done,” rafe responded, not even turning toward you, knowing damn well he was just as concerned as you. it still left him wondering; what was enzo up to? surely he wasn’t just going to let you go that easy…? or, maybe rafe was just being insane, and you were being paranoid.

it didn’t matter. it was bothering you, which meant it was bothering rafe, and he was going to take care of it—take care of you. no matter what.

an: ooh this is short. . . i’m SO sorry it took this long to get another part out. i was struggling so hard with how this ‘chapter’ was gonna go. i’m probably gonna wrap this up soon because i’m running out of ideas :’)

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[batsandbirdbrains]

Listen I had some more ideas for shenanigans they can get up to while de-aged that would give the other JL & YJ team members whiplash so just bear w me pls

Just the fact that Batman decides to wear a domino mask for most of the time and therefore they can see how young he is, that alone freaks everyone out. What do you mean Batman looks like he’s 22? He hasn’t been like 35 the entire time? Did Batman just say the word “bro” when Robin vaulted off his shoulder unexpectedly? Flash’s head is spinning, and he speeds off to report what he just witnessed to the others. They’re keeping a log of everything that makes them question everything they know about Batman and Robin.

Someone peeks around the corner and sees Batman lounging on a couch, sinking into the cushion. Robin is sitting in his lap, his hands squishing Batman’s cheeks together as he says in a dramatically deep voice, “I’m a butthead. I’m going to get Robin more ice cream. I have a crush on Catwoman.”

Batman grunts at the last point. Robin grins at him. He brings his hands up and pinches Robin’s sides, and Robin squeaks out a laugh before squishing Batman’s cheeks together even tighter.

“Knock it off,” Batman says, his voice muffled through his forcefully shut mouth.

Robin leans in closer, going back to using his Batman-impression voice, “I’m big and boring.”

Batman moves his hands up to similarly squish Robin’s cheeks and say, “I’m a goober.”

“I know you are but what am I?” Robin mocks.

The next thing they know, Batman is standing up and has Robin flung over his shoulder. Robin is laughing loudly, kicking his feet and punching Batman’s back.

Batman swings him around a bit before saying in an announcer’s voice, “Finish him!” And he (gently) body slams Robin back into the couch and holds Robin down.

Another time, Green Arrow sees the two of them hanging out in what was supposed to be a locked meeting room. Batman has an ice cream bar. Robin has two, and there’s two more on the table between them. Robin’s face is smeared in chocolate.

“Your security sucks,” is all Batman says, taking a dramatic lick of ice cream. Robin nods his head enthusiastically.

“Wait, are those-“

“From the locked fridge in the locked kitchen? Yes, yes they are,” Batman tells him.

“How-“

“Robin needed a new training exercise.”

“Kinda embarrassing for you guys, really,” Robin says through a mouthful of ice cream. “Outsmarted by a little kid.”

“Very embarrassing,” Batman correct.

“Very,” Robin agrees. Then he looks back to Green Arrow and asks, “Do you guys have sprinkles?”

Green Arrow doesn’t know how to respond.

The yj team, who refuse to be kept off the Watchtower while all this is happening, see them training in the gym together. Batman spots Robin anytime he does gymnastics moves. They race each other while walking on their hands. Robin taunts Batman by saying he can’t do a specific move, and Batman gets annoyed and goes to do the move just to prove Robin wrong. Batman has Robin spar him, and then has dramatic reactions anytime Robin lands a hit, and lets Robin knock him down.

“You did way better today,” Batman says, pulling Robin down with him. Robin is grinning. “You’re getting so good. You’re gonna be so good at kicking the shit out of some goons next time we patrol.”

Batman has supervised the team’s training sessions before, but they’ve never seen him so animated. Ever. In a way, it’s almost frightening to see him having an emotion, let alone a positive one.

At one point, Robin runs up from behind where Batman is spread out on a couch and lands right on his stomach.

“Oh, bitch,” Batman gasps, coughing once. Then he chokes out, “What was that for?”

“You fell asleep! You have to stay vigilant!” Robin says. Then he pressed his nose to Batman’s and says in a snotty voice, “I’m gonna tell Agent A you said bitch at me.”

“It wasn’t at you!” Batman argues, pressing a pointer finger into Robin’s cheek. “It was an involuntary response to having the wind knocked outta me, you little gremlin!”

“I am not a gremlin!”

“Can’t let anyone feed you after midnight,” Batman grumbles.

In response, Robin licks Batman’s nose. Batman recoils immediately.

“Oh, ew!”

Robin cackles as Batman rubs a hand over his nose, wiping away the spit.

“Booger,” Batman grunts.

“Butthead!”

“You already used that one today, you goblin.”

Robin just sticks his tongue out at him. Batman returns the gesture.

“Remind me again what their relationship is?” Green Lantern asks quietly as he tries to make sense of what he’s witnessing.

“I really couldn’t even guess,” Flash mumbles.

The Batman they’re used to is always so professional. The Robin they’re used to is - well actually very similar to how he is now, but he doesn’t usually banter with Batman so much.

They almost forget how the two of them are acting like such menaces when they find Batman sitting against a pillar in the observation deck, Robin snuggled up against his chest. Batman’s chin is resting on Robin’s head. They’re both dozing off. Robin is drooling on Batman’s shirt. It would be cute if everyone who stumbled across the scene wasn’t afraid it was a trap of some sort, waiting for Robin to launch himself at them in some sort of sneak attack while Batman says it’s a training exercise.

Pls just imagine how dramatic a young justice fic would be if it was like

The one where Batman and Robin are magically de-aged to when they first started working together

So now you’ve got a very paranoid and over protective Batman who hasn’t actually met any of the other justice league members yet and an itsy bitsy Robin who looks like he’ll tear someone’s head off. The Justice League has them quarantined in the Watchtower, they’re not letting them go home to the batcave or anything, and Batman is arguing with Green Arrow while holding a flailing Robin by the scruff of his neck. He looks like a feral kitten.

Now keep in mind, no one in this scenario knows Batman and Robin’s secret identities. They’re not even really sure if they’re father and son, brothers, uncle and nephew, or maybe strange mentor and protege picked off the streets, they’ve no clue. So seeing what is now clearly a young twenty-something Batman trying to wrangle in a wriggling eight year old is both highly entertaining and totally baffling. Where the hell did these two even come from. And how has that tiny kid been around longer than some actual adult heroes.

“He bit me!” Kid Flash cries, running away from a glowering Robin.

“Don’t try to touch me next time, asshole!”

“Hey!” Batman barks, holding Robin up by an arm and dangling him in front of him. “We don’t bite super-powered strangers. Who knows what kind of radioactive germs they might have.”

“But B!” Robin’s voice is so high and whiny, Conner is starting to feel dizzy. “He tried to pick me up! He called me cute! I’m not cute I’m terrifying.”

And the two just keep bickering back and forth, Robin eventually hanging with his ankles and hands hooked around Batman’s arm. Batman is trying to shake him off like a bug. They are both still arguing with each other as this happens.

“Did Batman just accuse me of having radioactive germs?” Wally is gaping at the scene in front of him.

As is everyone else. This is a total mindfuck. Who let Batman be in charge of a kid.

The two of them do eventually, reluctantly, start to trust the league. And they’ve been told they have to stay on the Watchtower until their magic expert gets back from a mission. Four days from now.

There’s one point when most others stationed on the Watchtower are sleeping or taking a break, and Batman is holding a drowsy Robin close to his chest and looking out the windows of the observation deck. Someone brought them some casual clothes to wear during their downtime, but they both have domino masks over their eyes. Those who see them like that can’t quite comprehend just how young Batman looks without the cowl.

“The moon looks so big,” a sleepy Robin mumbles, his cheek squished against Batman’s shoulder.

“That’s ‘cause it’s so much closer here,” Batman tells him, his voice incredibly soft. “Can you see where Gotham would be?”

Robin’s head turns just slightly, looking toward the Earth, and he hums, a fist moving up to scrub at his eye.

“S’over there,” he points. “With all the clouds ‘n stuff.”

“Looks tiny from up here, huh?”

“Yeah.”

Robin mouth opens in a comically wide yawn, then he shoves his face in Batman’s neck.

“S’not gonna fall from the sky, is it?”

“Nah.” Batman shifts his arms, holding Robin a little tighter. “This place is in orbit, kinda like how the moon is. It’s not gonna fall.”

“Would you catch it if it did?”

“I’d steal us a ship from here so fast, I wouldn’t need to catch it.”

“Kay.”

Batman presses his cheek to the top of Robin’s head, stray curls tickling his nose.

“Do you wanna practice your flips and shit in the morning? I’ll spot you.”

“Yeah,” Robin mumbles, “And I wanna scare Green Lantern by poppin’ outta the vent again. He screamed like a little girl when I landed on the table.”

“Do a flip when you do it and I’ll smuggle you an ice cream bar from their kitchen.”

“Deal.”

Batman has to twist his left arm funny so he can shake Robin’s hand, his right arm occupied by holding Robin up, and they shake on it.

Batman lets out a snort of a laugh, looking at Robin with an incredibly fond look on his face.

For everyone else, it’s a very long four days of them being menaces and encouraging each other to do more and more odd shit.

When they get turned back, they act like nothing was out of the ordinary. They’re not even phased when they’re reminded of some of the things they got into.

[alotofpockets]

Long distance date night | Mary Earps x ManUnited!Reader

5k celebration prompt: "I was having a bad day until I heard your voice."

Woso masterlist | Words: 1k

-----

Four goal opportunities. Four chances you missed. When the final whistle blew you looked around the pitch for your girlfriend, like you had always done, but she wasn’t there. It hit a little harder today, your girlfriend no longer stood between the goalposts at United. 

Maya was by your side first, noticing the way you were staring at the goal where Fallon was sitting. She wrapped her arms around you in quiet understanding. You let her hold you for a moment. “Sorry I messed up,” you say barely above a whisper.

Your captain leans back out of the hug and puts her hands on your shoulders. “You didn’t mess up, you were one of our best players today. Don’t be too hard on yourself.” You wanted to believe her, but if you had just finished one of the goal opportunities you would have been able to at least tie the game.

She noticed that you weren’t fully believing her words, so she tried a different route. Looking back at your goal where your eyes had gone to again. “I know she is proud of your performance. I’m sure Mary was watching along and cheering you on every step of the way.”

You give her a small smile, “Thank you.” She nodded and patted your shoulders before moving on to the next teammate who looked like they could use a pep talk. She was good at the whole captain thing. 

While you still weren’t happy with your own performance and beating yourself up over the missed opportunities and the loss, you walked around the pitch to thank the fans for their support.

There was only one thing you were looking forward to though. Date night with Mary. Date nights had become a little different now that you were doing your relationship long distance, but you made it work. Tonight’s plan was to call and cook dinner together, the same meal so it really felt like you were having a dinner date.

On the way home from the match, you picked up all the ingredients that you would need for the recipe that you had picked out together. You weren’t totally present on the trip, your mind still a bit clouded with thoughts and replays of the match, but you managed to get everything on your list.

After a quick shower you put your laptop on the counter and got the video call with Mary ready. The moment you saw her, your face lit up. “Hi baby.” She smiled back, “Hi love. How was your day?”

“I was having a bad day until I heard your voice." Mary smiled softly. “Do you want to talk about it?” With a shake of your head you say, “Just the match, nothing to worry about.”

Mary didn’t just want to leave it at that. “Love, I watched your match start to finish. You played incredibly, player of the match for me for sure.” You roll your eyes at her jokingly, “You’re just saying that because you’re biased.”

Your girlfriend shakes your head, “I might be biased, but I think everyone would agree with me in saying you were the team’s best player today. What did Maya say to you after the game? I’m sure she agreed with me.” Of course she stayed to watch the post-match coverage as well. You sigh deeply, “That I was one of the best players, and shouldn’t be so hard on myself.” You look up at the screen again, “And that you would be proud of me if you were watching.”

Her smile grew, “See, not biased, just speaking facts.” She got you laughing again. “Okay, enough about me now. How was your day?” She talked about her day while you both started chopping your vegetables, and soon the distance didn’t seem to be so much. 

With all the veggies chopped, showing Mary you cut them just the way she liked it, it was time to put them into the pan and really start cooking. You felt Mary’s eyes on you as you transferred the veggies from the cutting board into the pan. “What?”

“I wish I could hug you right now. You look like you need it.” Mary’s words hit a little harder than usual after the day you’ve had, and her words bring tears to your eyes. “Oh, baby, I’m sorry. I wasn’t trying to make you cry.” You smile through the tears, “I know you didn’t. I just miss you so much. I looked back at the goal today, you know like I always used to do, but you weren’t there. I know we’ve got this whole long distance thing down, but in moments like that it just hits a little harder that you’re no longer right there.”

Mary nodded, she knew moving away was going to be hard, and moments like this were going to be tough. You had built up a routine together, a different one for whichever way a match would go, and now she wasn’t there to do that with you. 

Your girlfriend being her usual self, thought it was best to lighten the mood with a joke. “Make sure your tears don’t end up in the pan, we don’t want the food getting too salty.” You look at the screen with a blank expression before busting out laughing. “Good one.” You comment as you wipe away your tears. 

With dinner now simmering, you feel into deeper conversations again. You loved how just being on a video call could make it feel like she was right there beside you. Eating together was such a nice way to connect with each other, especially on days where you felt like she was worlds away.

Long distance was new for the both of you, but you were making it work. At the end of the day, Mary would always be one call away. And as you both raised your glasses to the screen, a makeshift toast that was entirely unnecessary but brought a smile to both your faces, it felt like she was home.

-----

💗 If you enjoyed this fic, please consider liking, commenting, and reblogging! You can also support me by leaving a tip 💗

[ur-fav-slushy]

!boyfriendhamzah headcannons

just some thoughts i have about hamzah if he was your fine shyt🤪

•hamzah drives. license or not he is your CHAUFFEUR. he likes to pretend to complain when you ask him to pick you up from work(like boy do your job!) but ofc he’s sitting there right when he needs to be because even tho he is CHRONICALLY LATE to everything he loves seeing your smiley face when you see his car.

“thought you said you weren’t gonna pick me up today?” you tease him while putting your seatbelt on. “i don’t recall ever saying that.” “you said it right after i told you i didn’t have time to shower with you this morning.” “nah i think that must’ve been your other boyfriend.”

•pda isn’t really his thing but when yall are alone? trust his hands are glued to some part of your body. elevator rides = drive by make out sessions like AS SOON as any door closes and yall are left to yourselves his face is an inch away from yours.

you both enter the elevator of your apartment building while talking about your days to each other. “-and then he didn’t even say thank you?! like who the hell shit in his cereal, anyways i jus-” just as the doors close hamzah puts his hand on your face and leans in to mold your lips against his. the kiss progresses further while you move between floors to the point where your both gripping on to each other when suddenly: ding! he pulls away when the doors open and just starts strolling away to his car. mf doesn’t even let you finish your story.

•he says he’s not jealous of the attention you give red and blue but as soon as he sees you chilling with red in your lap on the couch he’s gettting all up in your space wanting to know where his hug at🙄🙄

“what are you watching?” he asks from the kitchen while you sit on his couch with red purring against your hand as you pet him. “love on the spectrum! are you gonna come watch with us?” “us?” he asks as he rounds the corner and sees exactly who else your talking about. “red. go find blue.” he tries to shoo red when you stop him “no. he can sit here with us.” “he can sit next to us.” he reaches for red AGAIN when you swat him away and tell him he’s jealous to which he denies the claim and pouts as he sits next to you.

…somehow throughout watching the episode you guys end up with you spooning him as he cuddles red.(i am firm believer in big boys getting their fair share of little spoon time😤)

•he gets SO distracted when you come to the office, especially when it’s time for him record a podcast or some other form of content. in the podcast videos if you’re really paying attention enough you can see him look off to the same direction over and over again that the fans are starting to suspect he might be looking at SOMEONE instead of just something.

you can overhear martin telling a really funny story from where your sitting and when you look up from your phone to see what hamzahs reaction was to the story you find him already staring in your direction. you lock eyes and he smiles, you gesture for him to listen to martin and hamzah brings his focus back to the podcast but he can’t help but think about how gorgeous you look just sitting all pretty. just for him.

thank you for reading! this was my first time writing for hamzah and if you like what you read PLZ LET ME KNOW BECAUSE I HAVE SO MANY MORE HEADCANNONS FOR HIM!!!! ANYWAYS LOVE YOU FELLOW SLUSHIES MWAH😚💋

[angel-writes-here]

Covenant

Choi Seunghyun x AFAB! Reader x G-Dragon Synopsis: As Seunghyun goes to reveal his secret, tragic news comes out. What happens when Jiyong's own secret is revealed? Warnings: Angst, grief, mentions of a dead body. A/N: Part 6 is here! Thank you for all your support on this story! Please comment if you'd like to be tagged in future updates! Part 5

You watch as he knocks on the door, his posture straight, the bedside lamp the only faint light in the room.

You watch it open, everything feeling like it’s moving in slow motion.

“Can I talk to you, privately?” Seunghyun mumbles. Jiyong’s eyes faintly flit to you, if you hadn’t been watching you never would’ve caught it.

“Yeah,” he says and Seunghyun disappears behind the door.

Your phone rings and you see it’s the hospital.

“Hello?”

-

On the other side of the door Seunghyun patiently waits as Jiyong’s guest is kicked out of the room. Once the door shuts behind her, Jiyong stares at his friend, waiting for him to speak.

“There’s something I need to tell you.” Seunghyun starts.

“Oh fuck, you know,” Jiyong mumbles.

“Huh? Know what?” Seunghyun looks at his friend who is now visibly panicking.

“Don’t you?” He asks confused as to why Seunghyun isn’t more upset.

“I don’t know, you won’t tell me what I know.” Seunghyun says.

“Fuck,” he curses under his breath.

“You know about me and y/n,” he sighs and Seunghyun purses his lips.

“I do,” Jiyong interrupts his friend.

“Hyung, listen, I’m sorry, it’s my fault, things were bad between you two, I seen the situation I took advantage,” Jiyong rambles before Seunghyun can stop him.

“Bro, I’m not mad,” he laughs and Jiyong tilts his head in confusion.

“What?”

“Y/n and I,” he sighs, "It's complicated, we aren't,” before he can finish the door busts open, you’re in tears and your body shakes.

“I need to go home,” you sob. You break down, your body falls to the floor before both the boys rush over to your side.

“Wait, baby, what happened?” You cling to Jiyong despite Seunghyun’s presence.

“The hos-hospital called, it’s my sister,” you sob into his shirt and Jiyong looks at Seunghyun unsure of what he should do.

“Y/n,” he says as he hesitantly puts an arm around you, “What did they say?”

 You look into his eyes, nothing but care and concern are present in them.

“She-she’s gone,” you sob. Jiyong’s face turns guilty and Seunghyun’s brow quirks at his friend.

“That makes no sense,” Jiyong mumbles to himself.

“Huh?” What do you mean?” You sniffle as you peer up at him.

Jiyong realizes you heard him and his eyes grow wide as he stiffens. You sit up off him.

“I’m going to let the guys know.” Seunghyun goes to get up. You nod at him as he leaves the two of you alone.

“What makes no sense, Ji,” your eyes are red and puffy, but your voice is steady as an ox.

“Well, you’re mom called me earlier today, she said your sister was doing better and,” your eyes are now growing wide as you shrink away from him.

“You fucking knew something was wrong?” your voice raises a few octaves.

“Y/n, please, she asked me not to tell you, she didn’t want you to worry,” he tries to keep you calm.

“That doesn’t fucking matter Jiyong! You knew she was getting worse?” You shout at him.

“She said there would be no reason to tell you because she was doing better, I was just trying to listen to her,” his defense is useless.

“By keeping me in the fucking dark?! Are you fucking kidding me?” you stand up and what Jiyong see’s pulls goosebumps to the surface of his skin. He’s never seen so much anger and down right hatred in someone’s eyes.

“Y/n, I’m sorry.”

“Sorry aint fucking good enough,” your eyes are now watering once more.

“What the hell’s going on?” Seunghyun walks back in, Taeyang and Daesung in tow.

Seunghyun wraps an arm around you as he see’s the disgusted look on your face.

“You’re a piece of fucking shit,” you mutter as you storm out of the room back into your own. Anger bubbles within you, he was a good friend to you and your family, but could he not tell you about your own sister? That this had all happened in the span of a few short days.

Seunghyun enters the room, see's you packing your things furiously and grabs his own suit case. He starts putting away shirts and you stop him.

“No, you have shows to do. Just let me go alone.”

“There’s no way in hell that’s happening.” He states.

“Seung, please I don’t want shows canceled.”

“They won’t be,”

“You’re part of Big Bang, please just stay,” your voice cracks. He looks at you, tears silently sliding down your cheeks.

“I’m your husband. I wasn’t there for you the first time, I’m not making that same mistake again.” He says as he embraces you. Your arms envelope his waist, finally allowing yourself to cry and shake violently in his arms. Your chest heaves, air feels like it’s not enough, and the hurt in your heart from Jiyong is overwhelming.

“I feel like I’m going to pass out,” you say just before you start gasping for air as your body shakes.

“Come here,” he pulls you to the edge of the bed.

“Put your head between your knees.” He guides you and helps you breathe. What neither of you see, is the way Jiyong silently checks on you. The way he peeks his head into the room hearing the chaos. Jiyong feels a hand on his shoulder.

Taeyang.

“She’ll be ok, hyung.” He tries to reassure his friend, but its no use.

He watches as you pick your head up, your eyes meet for a split second before you look away, still too hurt to look at him. He knows he was wrong, but he also didn’t want to burden you for something that he was told the doctors said was fine.

Seunghyun helps you stand up, your breath evening out. The door to your room is shut, the two of you left alone.

“How could he not tell me?” you scoff as you resume packing your things.

“He might have thought he was doing the right thing.”

“He fucking didn’t. Because now, thanks to him, I didn’t even get to say goodbye!” You start to sob again and once again Seunghyun’s arms envelope you in a hug.

“Baby, you may not have gotten that chance anyway. There’s no guarantee you would’ve made it.” He mumbles into your hair.

“I could’ve at least tried!” you pull back from him, not wanting to hear logic and reason. Seunghyun sighs and nods his head.

-

You arrive in Seoul, a car picking you up to take you to the hospital. A few fans showed up but nothing crazy. Seunghyun threatened anyone who told the media would be fired immediately. You meet your mother at the facility; Seunghyun by your side. He hugs your mother and rubs your back soothingly as you step into the room. You’re still able to view her body, and your own starts to shake as you take her cold, lifeless hand.

“I’m so sorry I wasn’t here,” you whisper, “I’m so sorry.” You sob once more and Seunghyun holds your shoulders and kisses the crown of your head. You drop her hand and turn into him, his chest feeling like the only safe haven you have at the moment. Your hands fist his shirt and tears soak into it.

“Why the hell didn’t you call me? Why did you call Jiyong!” you shout at your mom and your husband does his best to keep you calm.

“I didn’t want you to worry, she wasn’t feeling well yesterday, doctors said it was a result of the chemo and this morning she was better,” she tries to explain with tears in her eyes.

“Baby I never expected this to happen,” she lets a few tears slip but you’re too upset to care.

“So everyone got to know but me. Great.” You scoff in disbelief.

“She knew you loved her,” she says desperately as you grab your bag.

“She should’ve heard it from me,” you bite as you go to the front desk to ask about making preparations.

The nurse fills you in on the details, they’ll have the body frozen and sent to whatever funeral home you choose.

“Honey I can do this,” your mother pipes up.

“NO,” you shout gaining stares from the hospital staff.

“I will do it.” You say quietly.

“Jagi, whatever you want or whatever she wanted, I’ll pay for it, ok? Just do whatever would’ve made her happy.” He whispers to you as you get some paper work from the nurse. You nod and he presses a kiss to your temple.

-

You get to your home that night, walking in you see Hae sitting on the couch. Your body slumps.

“Seunghyun!” She sings, “I missed you, baby.” She throws you a nasty look as she breezes past you to hug him.

You roll your eyes, frustration with him slightly rising within you. He seriously couldn't tell his girlfriend not to come over for one stupid night?

“I’m going to bed,” you mumble as you race up the steps. The door slams behind you as you fall onto your bed, allowing all the emotions to come up. Screams, tears, body shakes and all. You beat your fist against the mattress as you scream into it.

-

Downstairs Hae is already pulling Seunghyun to the bedroom.

“Stop, Hae.” He pulls against her, earning a look of confusion.

“Not tonight,” he sighs. He knew this was coming, he just wasn’t sure how he wanted to deal with it.

“How did you find out I was even home?” He asks as he takes off his jacket.

“I called your team because you weren’t answering your phone and they said you were on a flight back.” She shrugs.

“So I used my key to get in and wait for you. After being with y/n I was sure you missed me.”

“She’s the reason I’m home,” he tries to explain to her.

“Figures, selfish bitch,” she spouts off, “can’t even think of your career,” she mumbles.

“Hey, watch your mouth! That’s my wife and you will not disrespect her!” He shouts. Hae takes a step back.

“She’s your FAKE wife!” she yells.

-

Upstairs you can hear the heated discussion and you step out onto the top of the steps, just out of sight. At least someone else was having problems now.

“Or do you not remember complaining to me night after night about how awful she is. How she’s so boring and annoying and you'd rather be dead than do this any longer?” Your heart aches in your chest at her words.

“How you hated her, hated her presence around you, how she was just a stuck up bitch who wanted you for your money. The endless times you’d come crawling to me to work out your frustrations.” She steps closer to him, laying her hand on his chest.

“She doesn’t love you, Seunghyun. She’s in a contract with you. There’s a difference.” Seunghyun, despite his best efforts, starts to question her words.

“I said all that before this happened,” he weakly defends.

“You still said it, and after one night with me, you’ll remember why.” Her smile is devious and calculated.

She leans up to whisper in his ear, “And if you don’t, then I’ll make sure the whole world knows your little secret.” She pulls him off to the direction of the downstairs bedroom and the door shuts.

Your heart shatters into pieces as you walk back to your bedroom. You let out an ear-piercing scream into your pillow.

No Jiyong.

No Seunghyun.

You’re on your own. Your body shakes, and you feel as though you could collapse in on yourself.

So much for trying in your relationship.

You need Seunghyun but he isn’t there. You need someone, but you’re too mad at Jiyong to even call him, despite all the times he tried calling you. You spend the night alone, your tears making a wet spot on the sheets. Your body weak and exhausted.

The darkness swallows you whole that night, you toss and turn unable to sleep. You slip on our slippers and pad down to the kitchen, who says you can’t drink at 1 in the morning?

You pour yourself a glass of wine, the house still.

“Wow, a dead sister and a drinking problem, huh?” you hear a snarky voice suddenly speak. You jump at the sudden intrusion before rolling your eyes.

“Fuck off, Hae.” You raise the glass to your lips, tasing the sweetly bitter beverage.

“Fuck you, bitch, I’ll do what I want in my house,” she folds her arms and smirks.

“This isn’t your house, but whatever.”

“Oh, sweetie, it is. My name’s on the deed.” Your heart skips a beat.

“What?”

She chuckles to herself.

“Yeah, well, mine and Seunghyun’s anyway, and that’s my wine you’re drinking so you can replace it when your through.” She smirks.

You smirk back at her as you take the rest of the wine and pour it back in the bottle. Backwash and all.

“No need, keep it.” She makes a disgusted face.

“God, how he could ever even pretend to love a girl like you.” You stare at her. Disbelief running through your veins. He never told you Hae’s name was on the deed, he never said this was her house.

“Baby, trust one thing, once Seunghyun’s done with this funeral business, he won’t need you. So you may as well keep your shit packed.”

“How do you know?” Your voice waivers but you can’t help it.

“Because what’s better for his image than a doting husband being there for his wife. Then due to tragedy his wife leaves because she just can’t handle the life anymore. Or they could say you had an affair because of your grief or something. Either way, this is the perfect excuse for him to get out of this stupid ordeal. So, I guess I have your sister to thank for dying. She’s giving me my man back.” Her smile is evil and she chuckles as she walks back down the hall to the bedroom.

-

You and Seunghyun walk into the funeral home, the air between you ice cold.

The funeral director starts showing you plans, but you’re barely there. Your mind is running a million miles a minute. Thoughts of Jiyong come to mind, thoughts of what Seunghyun and Hae did and talked about come to mind, thoughts of your mother who hasn’t bothered to call or check in, thoughts of how you sister must have felt when you weren’t there and she couldn’t hold out any longer. Tears brim your eyes but Seunghyun’s hand on your thigh pulls you out of your head.

“Baby?” He asks with a questioning look.

“Huh, oh right,” you wipe the few escaping tears from your cheeks.

“I guess, I uh, gosh I don’t know,” you try to think back to what your sister wanted.

“I think her wish was to be buried.” You nod your head and the funeral director goes into the process, explaining everything that will happen, but once again, it’s muffled as you return to your head.

-

Back in the car, you both sit there silently.

“Do you want to talk or,” Seunghyun asks breaking the silence as he starts the car.

“Just take me to the Crown Park Hotel,” you mumble as you look out the window.

“Wait, what? You have a room at the house-,”

“I want to stay in the hotel!” Your voice snaps and Seunghyun’s lips part slightly as his brows shoot up on his face.

“The room is paid for so just take me there,” you cross your arms over your chest. Seunghyun pulls over and turns to look at you.

“Not without you talking to me,” he says. You scoff with a bitter laugh.

“Why the hell do you care. As soon as the ordeal is over you can be free. I’ll take the fucking blame, just get me to the damn hotel and get the hell away from me.” You shoot daggers at him.

“Woah, what are you talking about? I thought we were working on this,” he motions between you.

“So did I,” you say weakly.

“If you don’t drive me to the damn hotel, I’ll get out and walk.”

“Y/n, no,”

“No? Ha,” you laugh defiantly. You open the door and slam it behind you. Seunghyun watches as you round the car. He opens his door when he see’s you start to walk toward the busy street. He jogs up to you, taking you by the arm.

“Don’t fucking touch me!” you yank your arm from him, tears sliding down your cheeks.

“I’ll drive you to the hotel, ok?” You walk back past him and get back in the car.

Seunghyun drops you off at the hotel, he doesn’t come in, he just watches you disappear inside. The place is nice, red carpeting, golden fixtures, very high end.

You’re sitting in the hotel room, the tv is on for background noise, staring at the ceiling.

You pick up the phone, seeing yet another three missed calls from Jiyong. You tap on the icon, briefly considering calling him. But there’s a knock on your door before you can do so.

You get up with a huff and slowly pad across the hardwood floor.

You open the door, your eyes growing wide at the face before you.

Jiyong.

Tags: @breakmeoff @ilovethe141 @tom-hollands-blog @tabibabib @gdgirl21 @thelovelybireader @hyunjifilm @bcfcpsh @patheticgirl127 @1950schick

Please do not repost my work

Covenant Masterlist

Love notes, comments and requests are appreciated!

[mysteriousxgirls]

Luna couldn’t speak. The words—any words—had withered somewhere deep inside her where even grief was too tired to scream anymore. She just stared at him. Her fingers still curled around his wrist, her body trembling, the warmth of the bath doing nothing to soften the cold inside her. She watched as he crouched down to meet her, watched how carefully he took her hand in both of his, like it might break if he held too tight. And then his lips—those lips—brushed against her knuckles. A kiss so tender, so reverent, it felt like a wound reopening. It broke her. Silently. Slowly. Because in that moment, she knew. He could hurt her again and again, and she’d let him. She’d let him. Let him carve through her with absence, with silence, with that haunted look in his eyes that said he’d never belong to anyone—not fully. And still, her heart would crawl back to him like it had nowhere else to go. He didn’t even need to apologize. And whatever this was he did give didn’t soothe anything. It didn't stitch her back together or promise he wouldn't walk away again. It didn’t change the weight in her chest or undo the nights she’d spent wide-eyed in the dark, waiting to hear footsteps that never came. But he was here now.

And for some reason, that mattered more than it should have. Her voice barely rose above the hush of water, too soft, too broken to carry the storm inside her: “You should have…” But she couldn’t finish. Her throat ached from holding too much back, her body sagged with exhaustion, not just from today—but from everything. The waiting. The pretending. The hoping. The charity event was tomorrow, she’d worked herself into the ground preparing for it, she hadn’t eaten, hadn’t slept. And now her heart felt like it was caving in from the weight of him—of this. She let go. Her fingers slipped from his, and with a slow, aching grace, she rose from the bath. Water ran down her legs, dripping onto the floor. She reached for the towel with shaking hands, wrapped it around herself like armor that did nothing to protect her, then stepped out, careful and quiet. “If…” she started, voice almost gone, “if I did something wrong the other day… I’m sorry.” Her eyes didn’t meet his. “I’m not… I won’t do it again. Don’t worry.” She didn’t wait for his response. She just walked past him, out of the bathroom and down the hallway, each step weighted with things she didn’t have the strength to say. Into the sanctuary of her bedroom where the walls knew her ache better than he ever had.

His jaw locked tight, muscles ticking as his eyes traced the shape of her frustration. It was written across her face — in the press of her lips, the flicker of her gaze when it refused to meet his. And he understood. God, he understood. But it wasn’t as if she hadn’t been warned. He wasn’t the man you made space for in the morning. He wasn’t warmth beneath the covers or peace over coffee. He was the ghost at the threshold, the ache in the ribs when sleep never came. And still, she’d chosen him. Chased the shadow of him between disappearances, waited out his silences with hope like it was currency. She wanted the man who came and went like a tide, who showed up with split knuckles and fresh bruises painting his skin like warnings. The man who would crawl into bed at 3am, smelling of blood that wasn’t his, and pain that was. She’d wanted that. Wanted him. And what could he say that he hadn’t already tried to say in absence, in silence, in the distance he kept like armour? He was broken — not poetically, not tragically — just wreckage worn into the shape of a man. No glue in the world could hold what had already turned to dust. Vulnerability wasn’t catharsis; it was a knife turned inward. Commitment was distraction, and distraction was fatal. The only place he ever dared to feel anything real was behind his own locked door — not hers. Not with her. Not where it could matter.

But then her fingers caught his wrist, halting his retreat. He frowned, not in irritation, but in confusion — her touch contradicted the words she’d thrown at him only moments ago. The body often betrayed what the mouth tried to command, and hers was trembling with a different kind of ache. With a sigh, he crouched to her level, both hands gently cupping the one she’d extended, as if it might vanish if he wasn’t careful. He pressed a slow, reverent kiss to her knuckles — a quiet thing, soft as breath. When he pulled back, it wasn’t with hope, but with caution. He studied her face like a man expecting a storm. He didn’t apologise. Couldn’t. His world was built on betrayal, silence, survival. In that world, sorry was a currency spent too easily — a thing people said when they wanted to be forgiven without deserving it. He carried his guilt like a wound stitched too tight into his ribs. It showed not in speech, but in silence — in the hesitation before he reached for her, in the way his gaze searched her for signs of pain like he was the cause and the cure both. If she needed acknowledgment, this was all he could offer, “You didn’t deserve that. His voice was low, not pleading — just true. “I should’ve handled it differently.” He respected her too much to grovel. And he punished himself too much to ever expect redemption.

[blade-dressed-in-red]

» [FUCK, I’M LONELY] «

0:00 〇────── 1:22

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paring: noah sebastian x f!reader

content warnings: MDNI, oral sex (male receiving), protected sex (don't be a fool, wrap your tool). if you believe i missed anything please let me know! i never want to make anyone uncomfortable :)

word count: 6.1k

Disclaimer: This is a work of fiction. While inspired by real individuals, the characters and events depicted are entirely fictional and should not be considered as factual representations of any real persons. This story is solely for entertainment purposes only and is not intended to be taken as truth or to cause any harm or offense.

A/N: fluffier chapter, hope you enjoy :) also this is my first time writing actual smut so apologize in advance if it sucks lmao

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Reader’s POV

▶︎ •၊၊||၊|။||||။‌‌‌‌‌၊| But I still think about you all the time

When Tessa and I returned to my apartment the night of Ian’s party, I relayed the time I spent with Noah to her, including the dance floor incident which resulted in her almost yelling “You did what?” in response. Noah and I had kept in contact since that night a couple weeks ago, but both of us had been too busy to actually meet up until today. We actually texted quite frequently, him giving me his number the morning after Ian’s party. We had finally found a good day and time to see each other again, our schedules starting to clear up a bit. I made my way into my apartment after a meeting with a newly recruited band at the record label. I debated on grabbing a snack, but didn’t want to ruin my appetite for the “date” with Noah later. We thought about going back to Ernie’s, but we decided on grabbing some food and coffee, neither of us really being in the mood for getting drinks. I mentioned to him there was a cute cafe down the road from my apartment, so we settled on meeting there at three o’clock. 

I started getting ready for the outing, stepping into the shower to wash the work day off of me. Deciding on an “everything shower” to look and feel my best. I washed my hair with a shampoo that I was less than comfortable admitting the price of, only using it for special occasions (this counts, right?). After applying a hair mask and throwing my hair in a claw clip and exfoliating my whole body, I shaved my legs, underarms, and bikini line. After rinsing out the hair mask, I finished off by cleansing my whole body with some vanilla scented body wash, which lingered on my skin as I stepped out of the shower. I started my elaborate after-shower routine, applying vanilla body lotion to my whole body, focusing on the areas that tended to get a little drier than the rest. I did my skincare, making sure to fully moisturize my face so my makeup could apply as best as it could. Finishing off by rolling on some deodorant and spritzing the same vanilla perfume as that night onto my pulse points. 

As I made my way out of the bathroom to my vanity to start doing my makeup, I glanced at my phone to check the time, 2:13pm. I also noticed Noah has texted me..

“I’m about to head out, can’t wait to see you :)”

The message caused nervous butterflies to flutter in my stomach. I’ve gone on numerous dates with other attractive men, I even enjoyed their company, but something about each one of them made me question the possibility of a second date, whether it be how they didn’t understand my jokes or the way they would stare at me as if I was a piece of meat and they were a starved wolf. The memories made me cringe as I sat down to get started on my makeup. There was something about Noah that made me feel completely different to his company than anyone I had ever met. Ever since Ian’s party, I craved to be back in his embrace. I spent the rest of my time getting ready with an excited nervousness slowly building up in my body. Once finishing my makeup, I checked the time again, 2:39pm. Shit, I need to leave soon. It takes about fifteen minutes to walk over there, and driving there would be almost pointless for the distance. I quickly got dressed. My outfit consisting of a cropped black tank top, black jeans that had rips in the knees, a black and white flannel, and my Docs. I put in some small hoop earrings and adorned my neck with the same chunky silver chain from that night. I grabbed my bag, headed out the door, locking it behind me and made my down my apartment’s stairwell onto the sidewalk. 

▶︎ •၊၊||၊|။||||။‌‌‌‌‌၊| I don’t know how I’m gonna make it out

The bell over my head rang as I entered the cafe. I immediately noticed Noah sitting at a table with two chairs as he was scrolling on his phone. I checked the time on my phone to see if I was late, it read 2:57pm. Not only was I on time, Noah was early, seeing as he already had a drink of sorts for himself. He was wearing black joggers and a black hoodie with various red and orange designs on it, realizing it was one of his band’s merch pieces as I approached, I noticed I could still only see the same tattoos as last time. As I reached the table to meet him, his eyes immediately averted from his phone onto me, making the butterflies in my stomach start swarming around even quicker.

“Hey! Long time no see, huh?” I half-jokingly greeted while setting my bag on the back of the chair while Noah stood up to give me a small hug. God, I didn’t even realize how much I missed his scent until now. 

“Yeah, it’s been a minute. I’m sorry about that, the band and I have just been so busy these past couple weeks.” He promptly responded before continuing,

“But how have you been?”

“I’ve been pretty good, it hasn’t only been you that’s been busy.” I said with a light laugh,

“Ephemera just signed a new band, so I've been spending a lot of time in meetings and helping organize their recruitment to make it as seamless as possible.” He nodded while giving a small smile in response. Fuck, he’s so pretty. His eyes quickly lit up in realization,

“Did you wanna go order something?” he asked while shifting in his seat to lean his elbows on the table.

“I mean, that’s why we’re here isn’t it?” I quipped while grabbing my purse to head over to the register, him following behind me. I didn’t question it, assuming he was going to order some food for himself since he already had a drink. 

When it was my turn to order, the cashier greeting me as I approached, Noah following behind me.

“Hi, I’ll have a medium dirty chai latte please. Could I get that with vanilla syrup as well?” The cashier confirmed my choice before I continued ordering,

“I’ll also have a caprese panini please.” The cashier typed my order into the register, Noah joined in on ordering which confused me, and also slightly annoyed me. I had no problem paying for him since he covered my bar tab, but he could’ve at least asked first. 

“I’ll just have a garden salad please.” 

The cashier relayed the order to us, confirming it. As I was about to pay with my card, Noah pushed my hand out of the way while handing over his card instead. I tried protesting since he already paid for my bar tab, but he insisted and I didn’t want to cause a scene in the cafe over a bill. I was quickly handed over my drink before Noah and I made our way back over to our table. We made small talk about what we’ve been up to, I told him a little bit about the band we had just signed, he talked about the production of some of the songs he’s been working on with the guys. Our food arrived soon after, us still making idle chatter while eating. Once we finished, he took our plates to the shelf above the trash for the workers to clean up later. When he came back, he began questioning me,

“So.. I heard you met Folio after we.. hung out at Ian’s party.” He smirked at me, with a glint of something in his eyes I couldn’t quite place. 

“Oh yeah, he’s super cool. When I introduced myself to him he kissed my hand as if I were a princess. Oh and when we were doing final shots with Ian he downed his whole glass of whiskey,” I recalled while letting out a small giggle at the memory. 

“Yep, that’s Folio for you,” he replied matter of factly while pressing his lips together. I decided to tempt fate to see how he’d react,

“Kind of unfortunate I met you first, I could’ve totally seen myself being on the dance floor with him that night.” I humorously stated, I knew I was lying. Sure, Folio was pretty attractive, super funny, and a sweetheart, but I knew the second Noah sat next to me that night, I was done for. Something within Noah’s eyes shifted at my remark, something darker, but he tried hiding it with a dry laugh. 

“Well I guess it’s fortunate for me I got to you first, huh?” he quipped, his eyes still hiding something behind them. This was exactly the sign I needed from him. I brushed off his reaction and decided to talk about the other guys I met that night. I found out Matt is obsessed with raccoons and one time Folio had to play a show with food poisoning while on a boat, I almost heaved at the thought. I also learned a bit more about their bassist, Nick. He was a tattoo artist and lived with the rest of the guys. The conversation between us flowed freely, as if we’d known each other for years. 

It was nearing five o’clock, the time the cafe was supposed to close. Noah and I didn’t even realize we were sitting in there for almost two hours until a worker flipped the open sign to close, which we took at our cue to leave the establishment. As we headed out, my heart sank at our time together coming to an end. Before I could wallow in it longer, Noah spoke,

“I have to meet the guys for something in a bit. Let me walk you to your car.” I could tell he wanted to stick around longer, but his work came first and I wasn’t going to be put in the way of that.

“Oh I actually walked here, my apartment is just around the corner.” He looked surprised for some reason, probably taken aback I chose to walk in a city that prioritized transportation via car. 

“Well in that case let me give you a ride home.” He had the same look in his eyes that he had when offering to order me a drink at the bar; hope. But I knew he had somewhere to be soon and didn’t want to impose.

“It’s no big deal really, it’s just around the corner.” I tried assuring him.

“Even more of a reason for me to drive you, come on let’s go.” He grabbed my hand to walk me to his car, the warmth enveloping my permanently cold hand. Once we got to his car, he walked me over to the passenger side and opened the door for me.

“Wow, what a gentleman.” I joked to him, Noah went along with the bit by bowing like a prince before shutting the car door, making me giggle more. Once he got into the driver's seat, I directed him to my apartment’s parking lot, telling him to turn at a corner store to get to my street. He pulled up to the curb, put his hazards on and quickly got out of the car and ran over to the passenger side, determined to open my door for me. As he opened it, he bowed once again while gesturing with his hand,

“M’lady,” resulting in me going into a fit of laughter. If there’s one thing Noah is, it’s preservant. He grabbed my hand as I stepped out and he closed the car door behind me. We stood in front of each other for a few beats in a comfortable silence, just staring into each other's eyes. Wow, his irises looked like tapioca pearls. He softly raised his hand up to the side of my face, grazing his thumb over my cheekbone. The butterflies immediately came back, fluttering faster than ever. I could tell what he was about to ask, but I felt his nerves course through his veins through his hand on my cheek. I decided to take the words out of his mouth,

“Can I kiss you?” I asked, my voice barely above a whisper. His eyes widened at my proposal, eagerly nodding his head once the words sank in. I grabbed the front of his hoodie and pulled him down for our lips to meet, his other hand going up to hold my face. The kiss was soft and tender, nothing like the kisses he planted on my throat the night we met. He held me as if I was the most precious object he’s ever found and if he held me too tight, I’d break under his touch. The kiss slowly came to an end, our foreheads pressed together. Noah broke the comfortable silence first,

“I had a really nice time with you today,” he said while staring into my eyes.

“Me too, we should do it again sometime,” I responded while planting a kiss on his cheek. We stayed in each other's embrace for a few moments longer, neither of us wanting to pull away but we knew we had to. Finally, I got the courage to let him leave and join the guys for whatever they needed to do. I gave him one last peck to his lips, said my goodbyes, and made my way up the stairwell as Noah leaned against his car and watched me get inside safely.

▶︎ •၊၊||၊|။||||။‌‌‌‌‌၊| Fuck, I’m lonely. Fuck, come hold me

It’s been a week since Noah and I went to the cafe. I didn’t want to be too overbearing, but the second I stepped foot back into my apartment it took everything inside of me to not ask him to come back whenever he was done with his obligation with the guys. I tried keeping myself busy with work to get my mind off of him, but anytime I received a text from him my heart soared in my chest. I couldn’t wait to see him again. 

He brought up the idea of getting dinner together, nothing too fancy. We settled on going to a small Italian restaurant about a twenty minute drive from my place. I debated on driving there myself, but the thought of possibly dealing with traffic on top of the anxiety of seeing Noah again didn’t sound too fun, so I ordered an uber. Since it wasn’t anything fancy, I wore casual clothes. I settled on a black knit sweater, loose-fitting blue jeans, and my Docs (of course). I got the notification that the uber would be arriving soon, so I quickly left my apartment. I made my way to the curb and waited for the uber, which didn’t take too long. After confirming with the driver, I got inside and let Noah know I was on my way. The ride was mostly silent, which I wasn’t sure if I was thankful for or not. The nervousness was slowly building up in my stomach, so I just scrolled on my phone as a distraction until I arrived at the restaurant. 

Noah let me know he had arrived about five minutes before I got there, keeping up with his punctual track record. I quickly found my way to the booth he was sitting at, water and bread already at the table. He was wearing a plain white t-shirt, black slacks, and his usual white slip on Vans. He stood up as I approached the table, engulfing me in a hug as he mumbled “I missed you” into my hair. I could feel my face heat up at the sudden display and words of affection, his face matching my own. We made ourselves comfortable in the booth, asking each other how our week has been since we last saw each other. I gave him updates on the band we had signed the week prior, the production side of things working on a new single. He told me a story of him and Jesse, one of his housemates, attempting to clean their pool which resulted in Noah falling in when he lost his footing on the edge. The idea made me tear up in laughter. Soon, we ordered our food, both of us deciding to stick to water for the night. I ordered chicken alfredo and Noah got toscana soup. We continued talking over dinner, making jokes to one another. At one point, I thought it’d be funny to play footsie with him under the table, at first he paused all movements but quickly leaned into the bit, gently kicking my leg in response as a blush creeped onto his face. Eventually, we finished our dinner, the waiter offering us dessert options we politely declined to. As the waiter came with our check, I quickly handed him my card so I could pay this time since Noah paid twice now, and I was determined to make it up to him. As the waiter walked away, Noah spoke, a surge of random confidence entering his voice,

“You know, I told you you could make it up to me in other ways.” Which I playfully rolled my eyes at, the waiter coming back with my copy of the receipt. Noah and I got up to leave, and as I was about to place the order for my uber, an idea came to mind. As we exited the restaurant, I asked,

“Would you like to come over?” As the words left my mouth, I knew he knew what I was probably insinuating. The memory of him making me climax with just his hand on the dance floor flooded my head, causing my face to heat up. He blinked down at me a few times with a slightly shocked expression written on his face.

“I.. I’d love to,” he said with a soft smile.

▶︎ •၊၊||၊|။||||။‌‌‌‌‌၊| Spent all night just trying to get closer

We repeated the actions from the previous week, him opening the passenger door for me, then darting over to the driver’s side to join me in the car. I instructed him on how to get to my apartment complex from where we were at, but he remembered most of the way once we were in my neighborhood. 

“Turn at the corner store,” I directed him.

“I remember, Y/N.” He said sardonically. 

As we arrived at my complex, I pointed to where the visitor parking was and he pulled into a spot, turning off the ignition. We sat in a comfortable silence for a few moments, just softly staring at each other and enjoying each other’s presence. Figuring if we stayed there a little longer it’d turn awkward, I swiftly got out of the car and inhaled a deep breath to try and steady myself. Noah followed suit, meeting me behind his car in front of my building. He looked at me for further instruction, I grabbed his warm hand and made our way up the stairwell to outside my apartment. 

“Well, this is me.” I stated as I unlocked the door. 

My apartment wasn’t too big, but I made it cozy and comfortable for myself. The entryway flowed directly into the living room where I had a black couch with various pillows and blankets I got from Homegoods during Halloween time, with a black coffee table littered with remotes, an empty mug I forgot to put in the sink before leaving, and some random papers from work I hadn’t found a place for yet. The TV stand was on the opposite wall of the couch, adorned with various DVDs (physical media isn’t dead) and movie memorabilia. I had fairy lights surrounding the room to give off some ambience in the later hours of the day. My walls were covered with various movie and music posters, and even a couple vinyl records displayed above my record player between the living room and kitchen. As Noah entered, his expression softened, like he realized that welcoming him into my home was far more intimate than he originally thought it would be. I put my bag on the hook near the door and quickly untied my boots and took them off. Noah noticed my action and repeated it by kicking off his Vans. 

I walked over to the couch, Noah trailing behind me as I made myself comfortable in my corner. He sat a bit rigid, resting his hands on his knees while he looked over at me. 

“So.. Did you wanna watch something or are you just gonna stare at me the whole time?” I teased him. He quickly looked away as a blush crept onto his cheeks, not realizing he was staring. 

“Sure,” he quietly stated. Anxiety and awkwardness started seeping into me, so I handed him the remote as I got up.

“Put on anything you’d like. I’ll be right back, I’m gonna use the restroom.” I’m not sure why I was getting nervous, his fingers have literally been inside me. The memory of him licking his fingers replayed in my head on a loop, making my body heat up at the thought. When I stepped into the bathroom, I ran my hands under cool water, hoping it could literally and figuratively cool me down. After drying my hands, I gave myself a once-over in the mirror and fixed my hair. I realized I was a bit warmer than I preferred, so I stopped into my bedroom to switch into a black tank top and grey sweats. As I returned to the living room, I noticed Noah got himself more comfortable on the couch, removing his hoodie while I was out of the room. He had turned on an anime I hadn’t seen yet which piqued my interest. I realized just how heavily inked he was, tattoos littered up and down his arms and further down his chest from what I could see near the hem of his t-shirt. 

“I see you’ve made yourself at home.” I stated while sitting back in my spot on the couch.

“Well, I found a good show to watch and figured I might as well get as comfortable as possible.” He responded while nuzzling into a blanket he was using as a pillow. We sat in a comfortable silence for a few minutes, just watching the characters on the screen. After a bit, I felt his eyes on me again, which I looked over at him and met his gaze. 

“Come here,” I requested, wanting to be closer to him. He sat up from his spot, leaning closer into me. I placed my hand onto his cheek, admiring the pretty boy sat in front of me. I could feel how warm his face was becoming, his blush returning to his cheeks. He placed his hand on my thigh, longing to have any physical contact with me but not wanting to cross boundaries.

“I really wanna kiss you,” he whispered to me, his eyes flickering between my eyes and my lips.

“Then kiss me, idiot,” I grinned at him. He swiftly leaned down and our lips connected. It started off soft and tender, but quickly heated up. It was evident both of us were yearning to be in each other’s space again. Without breaking the kiss, I sat up and threw my leg over his thighs so I was straddling him. I felt his cock quickly growing through his sweats beneath me, making me let out a small moan against his mouth. His hands were placed on my hips, slightly rocking me back and forth against him. I broke from our kiss to trail kisses and bites down his neck, similar to what he did to me that night at the bar. I rested one of my hands against his arm and tangled the other in his hair. He was breathing heavily and let out small whimpers and groans whenever I sunk my teeth into his neck. I spent much of my time on one area between his neck and collarbone that seemed to be his sweet spot. I returned to his lips, the kiss was a mess of spit and teeth. I put my hands under his shirt, hinting at wanting it to be removed. He got the signal, and quickly took it off. I sat in awe at all the ink displayed over his chest and tummy. I traced my fingers over the various designs, but he quickly put one of his hands behind my head to bring our lips together again. Our tongues fought for dominance, a dance that went on for a few moments as I kept grinding against him, both of us letting out small whimpers into each other’s mouths. I finally pulled away to ask him.

“Did you wanna move this to the bedroom?” to which he nodded while putting my arms around his neck to secure me against him as he sat up to carry me into my bedroom. The action made me giggle, feeling like I was climbing on him like a tree. There weren’t many other rooms in my apartment so he quickly found my bedroom in the small hallway from the door being open with purple fairy lights on to brighten the room. He delicately placed me on my bed as he stood at the foot of it, admiring my bedroom. It was decorated similarly to the rest of my apartment with a few more personal touches added. I hooked my leg around his to pull him towards me, bringing his attention back to me. He leaned down between my legs and caged my head between his arms. We continued our kiss as I ran my hands up and down his lean arms up into his hair. He pulled away, leaning up a bit to bring his hands down to the hem of my shirt,

“Can I take this off?” He politely asked me, I quickly nodded, wanting to feel his skin against my own. I sat up a bit to assist him in removing the fabric, he threw it somewhere on the floor behind him. His eyes trailed all over my bare chest, making me feel both nervous but turned me on even more. I grabbed him by his arm to pull him down, to feel him against me. He rocked his hips into me as his hand ran up and down my torso, exploring the curvature of my body with a delicate touch. He grabbed one of my boobs in his hand, rubbing his thumb softly over my nipple. His other arm was next to my head to give him stability. I decided he had already tasted me, so now it was my turn. I quickly flipped us over so I could be on top of him again, bringing my lips to his neck, continuing to kiss and bite all over. I slowly made my way down, trailing wet kisses and soft bites down his chest and tummy. As I reached the top of his sweats, I looked at him through my lashes,

“May I?” I breathed out as I curled my fingers around the waistband. He eagerly nodded as he bucked his hips up, giving me access to remove his sweats and boxers, throwing them somewhere behind me on the floor with my shirt. His cock slapped against his stomach as I removed them, my eyes widening at how big he was. I knew he was going to have a big dick, but jesus christ. Before I could think anymore, I brought my hand around the base of his cock, licking a stripe from the bottom to the tip, slowly licking his head with my tongue. My teases resulted in low groans and whimpers from Noah’s throat. I looked up at the boy I wanted to unravel, seeing I was close to being halfway there already. His brows were furrowed together, his lips swollen from our kisses, and his hazy eyes were half-lidded while meeting my gaze. While maintaining eye contact, I put him in my mouth, watching as he threw his head back against the pillow from the action. “Fuck,” he muttered, grabbing my hair in his hand but didn’t push, it being more of an attempt to ground himself. I started working my tongue around him, bobbing my head up and down as he let out the most beautiful noises I’ve ever heard from a man. The size of him resulted in me producing a lot more saliva from my attempts to take in all of him. I had never really ever been that into giving head, but I had a change of heart this time around. I continued working him until he softly pulled my head back. “If you keep going, I’ll cum..” He practically gasped out as I sat back on my heels, wiping away the mess of saliva and precum from my lips.

“Well, we can’t have that now, can we?” I retorted, raising an eyebrow. I quickly got up and grabbed a condom from my dresser drawer. I returned to my spot by his legs.

“Can I put this on?” I asked while holding up the condom, his eyes slightly widening at the request, but accepted it by a nod. I took the condom out of the wrapper and rolled it onto him. I quickly removed my own sweats and panties in one go. He sat up and quickly grabbed me to turn us back over so he was above me again. He kissed me deeply, pulling away and looking me in my eyes. 

“Are you sure you want this?” he asked softly.

“I’m one hundred percent positive.” I responded, smiling at him as I pulled him down to kiss him again. He leaned back onto his heels, staring at my pussy. He spat on his fingers, bringing it down to lubricate me a little with his saliva. The contact made my hips buck against his hand as he trailed his fingers over my clit and entrance. He bent down to hover over me again, giving me a peck to my lips before he looked down to guide himself into me. His eyes flicked up to me as he was about to enter,

“If you need to stop at any time, please tell me.” He politely told me.

“I will Noah.” I assured him. I felt him slowly slip inside me, I gasped at the pressure. His strokes started small, almost teasingly. He gave me time to adjust to his size, at first it hurt a little bit, but was quickly replaced with pleasure. I grabbed his head to bring him down to kiss me as he finally fully slipped inside of me.

“Noah..” I breathed out, his thrusts started off slow so he didn’t possibly hurt me. I bucked my hips against him to signal to move faster, which he followed up on. I could already feel my orgasm building inside of me.

“Fuck, Noah.” I whimpered out. 

“I know, baby. God, you feel so good.” He grunted. He placed all his weight onto his elbow as his other hand made its way between our bodies. I felt his thumb start tracing circles on my clit, making me let out a whine as my eyes practically rolled to the back of my head. The contact is exactly what I needed to come undone underneath him. I felt my walls tightening around him, and I could tell he was fighting off his own release by his growling and whispering swears into my ear while his thrusts were becoming sloppier and harder. He started slowing down.

“I’m not cumming until you have at least one more.” He quipped, grabbing my leg to rest it over his shoulder, making his cock sink further into me. His thumb was still tracing messy circles over my clit, determined to draw another orgasm out of me, which I felt quickly approaching. The stimulation of the new angle, driving himself deeper into me, feeling all of him, made my head fuzzy. After a few strokes, my second orgasm hit me, this one more intense than the last. I felt my vision start to blur at the edges, making me shut my eyes as his hips continued snapping into me. I felt myself still pulsing around him as he removed my leg from his shoulder, craving to be closer to my body, his head settled in the cook of my neck. 

“Fuck, Y/N.” He breathed out while haphazardly thrusting into me, making me clench around him more, which was all he needed to finish. I felt his cock twitch inside of me before slipping out as he relaxed his body over my own. This would usually feel overwhelming from the size of this man, but something about it made me feel safe, like he was a security blanket. He raised his head, grabbing my chin with his fingers and kissed me. The kiss felt deep and meaningful, like he was saying everything he wanted to express without speaking a word. He eventually pulled away but continued gazing into my eyes, his own still had a slight haze over them with his swollen lips curved into a soft smile.

“That was..” He started but trailed off at a loss for words. I giggled before responding,

“I won’t speak for you, but that was amazing.” I softly stated, him nodding in agreement before resting his head on my chest. 

We stayed in bed for a few minutes as I played with his hair and rubbed his scalp. We were both coming down from our highs and just enjoyed the feeling of the other’s skin pressed into our own. Noah eventually got off of me and out of the bed to discard the condom. He found his underwear in the pile of clothes we left on the floor and put them on while throwing my shirt and panties over to me. Before he had the chance to further dress himself, I asked,

“Do you wanna spend the night?” Shit, was that too much to ask? I started rambling to cover for myself, not wanting to seem too needy. 

“It’s fine if you don’t.. I.. uh.. just figured it probably already kind of late so I thought I’d ask. B-but it’s completely fine i-” He cut me off by bending down and kissing me.

“I’d love to spend the night, Y/N.” He stated as he pulled away, giving me a grin which I matched. 

Noah returned to the bed and I rested my head against his chest, listening to his heartbeat as he lazily played with my hair. We stayed like this for a while before I realized I should shower before I fell asleep. I perked my head up, resting my chin against him as I looked up at him, his eyes were barely open but widened to meet my gaze. 

“I’m gonna go shower, would you care to join me?” I asked him lightheartedly as I sat up. He quirked a brow before answering,

“It would be my pleasure,” he replied with a smirk. 

The shower with Noah wasn’t sexual in nature, but sensual. While we both ran our gazes over each other's bodies numerous times, it felt like it was out of adoration rather than ogling. We shampooed each other's hair, him needing to bend down in order for me to lather his hair up properly. After thoroughly rinsing conditioner out from our hair, we washed the other’s body. I took my time while scrubbing the loofah over him as I admired the various ink adorning his skin. While all of them painted stories that I wasn’t aware of and didn’t feel the need to question him about them in the moment, the one that really caught my eye were the lines across his chest that went over his nipple. I had a couple smaller tattoos so I knew the pain associated with getting one, and the thought of a needle going over my own nipple various times made me cringe on the inside.

“So, how bad did that hurt?” I asked as I wiped away the soap from his chest. He looked down to see which ink I was referring to. 

“Like a bitch, but thankfully didn’t last long.” He stated. 

After our shower, I made sure to do my usual skin and body care routine and managed to find a spare toothbrush for Noah to use for the night. Once I was done, I came back into my bedroom to find Noah already tucked into the bed scrolling on his phone but quickly averted his eyes up to me.

“Hi.” He stated while giving me a toothy grin.

“Hi.” I replied as I made my way over to join him in bed. I was quickly engulfed by his large arms. The fairy lights were still on, engulfing his face in a purple glow that somehow made him look even more ethereal. 

“I had a good time today.” He softly spoke.

“I did too.” I responded. We stayed like that for a bit, just admiring each other until exhaustion from the day caught up to us. I remained in his arms, the feeling his breath against my neck lulling me to sleep. 

▶︎ •၊၊||၊|။||||။‌‌‌‌‌၊| i don’t want to get over you

» [FUCK, I’M LONELY] «

0:00 ──────〇 3:37

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tag list: @xmads-omensx @alwaysfightforwhoyouare @lil-garbitch @fadingangelwisp @dontwantthemoney @heyyoplayer @death-ofpeace-ofmind @thatchickwiththecamera @shayeanna-ashlie @supersquirrel1996 @overmydeadbodysblog @lacy1986 @renegadebirch @bloody-spades @pipidoll @follow-me-down-to-wonderland @chey-h

[kaysdelights]

alien himbo: constellations |

🔞

words: 11042 fem reader x male main character w / au's: alien!au, himbo alien, arranged marriage, anxiety/panic attack, dry humping, a/n: part two to the alien himbo au! here's part one !

You wake up the next morning with his rock hard cock pressed right against your bare ass. You aren’t sure at what point during the night your pajamas came off, but your eyes pop awake when you realize what’s happening. His hand is on your hip, holding your body close as he rolls his lower half against you. 

As soon as the events of the night before come back to you, you melt into his big alien body, feeling so safe and secure in his embrace. He groans a raspy breath in your ear, his fingers digging into your skin as he thrusts against your ass. You don’t know what’s gotten into him. Maybe getting off in front of him the night before has him worked up and dreaming something naughty, but you can’t complain. Your body begins to heat up from his motions. An ache settles between your legs and you wouldn’t mind getting off again. 

It doesn’t help when his arm wraps around your body to slip his palm up your stomach and over your breast. He cups you gently in his sleep, pushing his hips into you from behind and you can’t help the soft whimper that spills out. His touch is so warm and cautious even when he’s dreaming, you don’t dare push him away.

Unfortunately for you, he’s suddenly aware of the situation while beginning to awaken. He jumps up from the bed with a gasp after a second, naked and fully erect. You whimper at the loss of warmth, turning to look at him reaching for his pajama pants to cover himself. 

“What’s wrong?” you ask him with a pout. “It was starting to feel good.” 

“I, uh, I have to get ready for work.” He starts shuffling toward the door, trying not to flash you with his naked body behind his pajamas. “We’re beginning to train recruits today. Long, busy day.” He’s mumbling half-awake and not making eye contact before he rushes out of the bedroom, leaving you naked and wanting him beneath the sheets. 

Clearly he’s too shy for his own good, but you’re in no rush to move things along if he’s not comfortable. If this is your life now, you have nothing but time. 

Sighing, you climb out of bed after he’s dressed in his uniform and left for the day. If it’s a long day for him, it’s probably going to be even longer for you. You have nothing to do on this alien spaceship. You don’t even know how to call your best friend back on earth, but it’s something you would like to learn soon. You have so much to tell her already.

After contemplation, you slip out of the bed to see how much of your morning routine you can accomplish with all the alien gadgetry. Brushing your teeth went smooth enough since you have your own toothbrush and toothpaste. Showering, on the other hand, took a minute because you needed to figure out how to turn the hot water on. After much struggle and fifteen minutes of your morning wasted turning this knob and that, you finally step into the shower with the hot water blasting your skin. 

Other than that, everything was organized in neat little dispensers inside the shower, with a fresh cloth prepared. You washed up while taking your time to enjoy the hi-tech, alien bathroom. When you finished, hidden vents inside the steamy shower blew soft, warm air to dry you off. How convenient, less laundry! You dressed quickly in sweats and a t-shirt and spent the rest of the morning getting Jellybean situated and attempting to cook breakfast.

Jellybean took exactly an hour of your attention to make up for being teleported to an alien spaceship. Eventually he calmed down enough to play with a few of his toys and then prepare for napping for the rest of the day after you fed him his breakfast. Your own breakfast didn’t go so well, however, looking in the fridge in the kitchen to see ingredients you have no name for. You realize they must be from your alien husband’s home planet. So much for preparing yourself a meal.

Around noon you grow too hungry, but you have no way to contact your husband to feed you this time. So, you do the next best thing and try to remember how to make your way back to the bustling center of the ship with all the food stands. Not like you have money to pay, but maybe they’ll do some sort of credit. You wonder what kind of currency these aliens take, but you don’t think it over too much as you make your way through the sliding door and into the hallway. 

You try following the hallway to the right, but that leads you down two more hallways until you’re in a room with a huge, thick glass window. Just outside is a view of earth spinning and numerous shining dots of all the other galaxies behind it. You stop to admire the sight, letting reality sink in just how far you are from home and how insignificant you feel.

Then your stomach growls and you’re back on the hunt for food.  You make it down two more hallways before you start following a sign that looks like a bowl with steam hovering above. Slipping past two sliding doors, you step into a room of glistening glass panels leading to an arched doorway that steam billows through. Your best guess is some kind of locker room and sauna, so you quickly turn for the exit before you see sights you aren’t prepared for.

However, upon doing so, you smack right into a hard, large alien body. With his bare chest on display thanks to only wearing a fuzzy, brown towel-looking thing around his waist, he towers over you as you take a step back to meet his gaze. 

“So sorry!” You hold your hands up in an apology, laughing a nervous sound that looks like it goes in one alien ear and out the other. “I’ll just… be… on… my way…”

An attempt to slip past him proves unsuccessful when he holds a large hand out, blocking you. “Why the hurry? Don’t you want to play with the recruits?” His question has your eyes growing wide. “Why else would a pretty little thing like you be doing in our sauna?” The alien wraps his hand around your arm, keeping you still. Your heart races, looking around for an exit, but coming up blank. 

“Sorry, I think you’re mistaken.” You attempt to tug your arm back, but he’s too strong and his grip is too tight. Your stomach twists, gulping as the urgency takes over. “I shouldn’t have come in here. I didn’t mean to.”

“You’re right you shouldn’t,” he laughs, tugging on your arm to inch you closer to him. “But we can still play.” 

“No, you should let go.” You narrow your eyes at him. “Or my big hot alien husband is going to kick your ass!” There, that should scare him. While your alien husband definitely gives golden retriever vibes, you have no doubt he could actually hurt someone if he needed to. And this alien creep in front of you definitely needed it. How were you going to actually summon him here? You have no idea, but he doesn’t know that. 

“Husband, huh?” The alien grips your wrists tighter, causing you to wince as he brings your arm to his nose, inhaling a deep breath. “You don’t smell mated.” 

“Okay, ew.” You poke his chest with your bare hand, which loosens his grip on you and allows you to free yourself from him. You take a few steps back and one to the right. “What is it with this alpha mates bullshit? Y’all should really get over yourselves! Stay there or my strong, scary husband will deal with you.” Inching your way toward those sliding doors, you try to distract him enough to make your escape. 

“I don’t see a husband here.” His wicked grin sends off the warning signals as you back toward those sliding doors.

Unfortunately for him, your alien husband does show up in all of his possessive, jealous rage, wasting no time lunging toward the alien creep and pinning him against one of the glass panels. You hear the crack of glass as the white crystal shatters behind the two alien soldiers. You gasp and stumble away, watching as your husband wraps one strong hand around the other alien’s throat, making sure he stays put. 

“Don’t ever touch my wife again or I will send you to meet the sun.” Okay, what the hell? That was one of the hottest things you’ve ever seen. You have to stop yourself from pouncing your husband before he turns to you after releasing the alien. “Let’s go.” He pulls you with force out of the sauna to begin leading you down the confusing hallways.

“Do you really do that?” you question, looking up at him and bobbling along as you try to keep up with his pace. His expression is cold, like stone. He looks straight ahead with a tense jaw and wrinkled brow. “Send people to the sun?” The thought makes your stomach churn. Or, maybe it’s the gnawing hunger, you aren’t sure. 

“Yes,” is his brusque reply before suddenly pulling you into a little alcove resting in the midst of the hallway. He pulls you close, staring down at you with fire in his eyes. “What were you doing out?” Was he upset at you? The sharpness in his tone would indicate he was, but you aren’t sure what you did wrong. 

“I got hungry,” you pout, suddenly not so sure your alien husband is so excited to see you. 

“You shouldn’t have left!” You jump at the harshness in his tone. Your eyes widen, gasping with an attempt to pull yourself from his grasp.  

“You just left this morning and left me with no food and nothing to do!” Tears begin to well behind your lids, that unfamiliar yet knowing tug that threatens to snap the line of keeping it all together. “I didn’t mean to get lost, but I was hungry! I can’t read a lot of these signs here and I got turned around, and then that big alien just grabbed me and wanted to play, apparently, ew, and now you’re yelling at me and I don’t know what I did wrong!” His expression that was once like steel softens into confusion. His eyes bounce around your face, taking in the tears and your trembling bottom lip. He bites his own bottom lip as he exhales a heavy breath.

“I’m so sorry, sweetheart.” His eyes glass over, pressing a hand to the side of your face so his thumb can wipe your tears. You can’t help yourself when you press your face into his touch. He’s so warm and you’ve had a terrible day. “I didn’t mean to blame you. That was wrong of me and as your husband I should have taken better care of you.” He pulls his cap from his head to run fingers through his hair, blowing out a breath. “I got so scared someone was trying to hurt you, I couldn’t think straight. Please, forgive me.” 

Without warning, he grabs you by the wrist to pull you into him. His arms wrap around your body, holding against his own in the warmest, most comforting hug you’ve ever felt. Now your entire being melts into him, feeling so safe and protected and… what were you even crying about again? 

“You don’t have to forgive me, then, but at least let me get you some food,” he suddenly says in your silence. You almost didn’t hear him. Is it possible to drift off to sleep while standing in someone’s embrace? You’re confident it is. 

“I forgive you,” you whisper into his chest before inhaling the deepest breath you can manage. He smells so perfect, like clean linens on a sunny day. Rich, hot fudge with a scoop of ice cream. The fresh rainfall dripping from the leaves and onto your face as you run out to play as a little kid. All the things that remind you of home, and safety, and comfort flood your entire body with that breath. 

“Good,” he pulls away, grinning with relief evident in his face. Suddenly, your mind comes to and you’re no longer considering running away with him to become space pirates in a far away galaxy. What the hell? You know he’d look amazing commanding a spaceship but your hot golden retriever alien husband would never. He’s too sweet.

You don’t know what came over you, but it’s still hard to stay upset with him. Why does he have to be so cute and hot and made of husband material? No one would stand a chance.

“Please, let me get you some food, and we can sit in the park and I can show you more of the ship. This is totally my fault. I want to make it up to you.”

So, if he’s willing to beg for your forgiveness, you’re not above letting him suffer for a bit. Hot alien husbands have to pay for their crimes, too. Who can blame you? You muster up your best puppy-eyed, pouty lip expression and nod at his words.

“Okay.” The word is quiet on your tongue, but he wraps an arm around you to pull you against his side, leading you out of the alcove and down a few more hallways with sliding doors until you’re stepping into the busy living area. He keeps you close to him as he walks the two of you through the crowds. Now that you’re accompanied with his guidance, you take in the area which can only be described now as a spaceship market. 

There’s shops with clothes, and books, and gadgets lining the walls of the large, open space. Every other corner has either a butcher’s store, bakery, or fruits and vegetables stand. In the dead center is the grassy area you walked through before with the benches, ponds with the fish, and the artificial sun overhead. 

The aromas of the food stands hit your nose to have your stomach groaning in hunger. He takes you through the living market until you spot one food stand with, surprisingly, earth food. At least, the names of the foods written on the board sound familiar enough. You settle for a simple sushi dish as he does the same, and the two of you take a seat at the iron table and chairs located in the seating area near the stands.

For a few moments, the two of you sit and try your food in silence. No doubt there’s tension in the air. You’re still making him suffer by saying nothing and only watching the people pass. You look upon the happy human-alien couples sitting and talking, walking around with their shopping bags. You wonder if that could ever be you. Of course, you have no problem with your husband, even if he did get scared enough over your safety he took that worry out on you. No, you only wonder if you could ever get used to this spaceship with all its confusing hallways and spontaneous sauna rooms. Could you actually fit in so far away from earth?

“I want to apologize again,” he suddenly says, pulling you from your worries. “When I saw someone else’s hands on you-” He rubs a hand over his face before reaching across the small to take your palm in his. “-I got so angry I couldn’t think straight for a while. It’s like I was blinded by the rage and couldn’t calm down even when it came to you. It was only your tears that cleared the haze.” 

Well, you can’t blame him. If someone were grabbing all over your hot alien husband, you would probably want to fight, too. As far as him blaming you, he did apologize and understands where he messed up. You decide it’s time to truly forgive him and let him off the hook. 

Nodding, you bite your lip and release an exhale. “How did you know where to find me?” You admit, if you developed some sort of summoning powers, it would be pretty cool. After all the excitement, you didn’t have time to think about it, but you were in such an obscure part of the ship so you wonder how he managed to know exactly where to come rescue you.

“I don’t know, I just had this feeling in my chest something was wrong, like distress, or fear, so I followed it.” He sighs a heavy breath, leaning back in his chair with his arms crossed. He looks so big and strong in his uniform, you almost get distracted, but then he continues. “That’s why I rushed out of there this morning. I woke up feeling like I was craving you. This… thing… in my chest was needing you. It’s like something awakened in me from our night together. So when you were in trouble, it sensed your emotions and led me straight to you.” 

You stare, blinking. He can’t help but grin. It’s evident in your expression how crazy it sounds. 

“So…” You nibble on your lip, thinking of your next question because you aren’t ready to tackle whatever the hell his emotions are making him feel. Today has been weird enough as it is. “You actually fling people into the sun?”

This has him laughing and you can’t help but to notice how pretty he is when he smiles. It makes you feel like you have a middle school crush. So many butterflies flutter in your stomach it almost worries you. 

“It’s a form of punishment for the harshest of sentencing, but yes, we can.” He gives your hand a squeeze, rubbing your skin with his thumb. How can all of his touches, even the most simple, make you feel so good and calm and relaxed? “Touching someone’s mate is worthy of the punishment, though.”

“He said I didn’t smell mated, though,” you tell him, watching his expression darken for a split-second, then he’s back. “Can you really tell stuff like that?” 

The big alien sighs and nods, gaze lowering. “That is also my fault. Typically we don’t wait around to claim our mates in ways that other unmated ones of our kind could detect.” He looks disappointed, but you know it’s only with himself. “Once it’s complete, you’re marked for every other male of my kind to stay away. I bet it is also linked with this… thing… inside me. I felt really strong today…”

“Huh?” Your brow wrinkles. 

“Like I could move mountains. I think it’s from you and what we shared last night.” He blushes a little at remembering the bathing pool. It makes you grin and gives you a little bit of a confidence boost you can make this big, strong alien fold. “It needs you close, and when it’s happy, I’m stronger, but I think since we didn’t complete our, uh, bond, maybe it’s kind of going crazy.”

“That is insane.” You chew on your bottom lip while thinking over what he said. It makes as much sense as everything else in your life at this point. “Well, what’s one more thing when you’re married to an alien.” You shrug and grin at him, causing him to chuckle.

“Speaking of,” he begins, cleaning up after the two of you so you can make your way back to your new home now that you’re done eating, “we need to go down to the human alien communications office and finalize our arrangement.”

You freeze for a moment before standing from your chair. “I thought we already did that?”

“No, you signed the papers to be brought aboard, but not everything.” He throws your trash in a recycle bin and then holds out his hand with a shy grin. “I can lead you there now if you would like.”

You smile, nod, and slip your palm against his, walking together while he points out this oddity and that which you might find interesting. Along the way, there’s things you find cute when you look through the glass windows down each hallway, like a daycare for giant alien babies, and a spa for human mates probably needing a break from those babies. There’s a few more lounging areas, information desks with signs in multiple languages, and some offices and apartments, too. You don’t have time to take in much of the ship considering it doesn’t take long before you’re seated in front of a futuristic cyber-tech desk with an intimidating alien woman behind it. 

Her dark hair is made up of braids lighting up with electric blues and green surging down to the end of each strand. Her lips pop with a neon pink and the glasses she wears casts holographic 3D images of the files detailing the relationship between your alien husband and you. Behind her is a glass window overlooking another bustling living market, except this one is lit up like Christmas Eve. If you’re being honest, she looks super cool and her office is the most intricate room you’ve seen so far, with lights racing up the walls and across the ceiling. Her long, glittering nails click-clack on an invisible keyboard you only see due to the letters illuminating a blue shadow over her face. 

She’s too cool to tell her how cool she is, though, so you sit in silence with your hands folded in your lap. 

“Have you completed your bonding process?” she asks, voice monotone as she types away. Her eyes remain straight ahead, zig-zagging across the 3D page in front of her. 

“Uh, not yet,” he admits to her, rubbing the back of his neck. The alien girl sighs, clearly not interested in all the personal details, only wanting to do her job. You can relate so you don’t take offense. 

“Then I imagine your bond is getting cranky, no?” There’s a hint of amusement in the question, but you have no idea what she’s talking about.

“Huh?” He blinks. You look between the two of them. There’s a smirk on her lips.

“They really don’t teach you stupid army brutes anything, do they?” She giggles, typing and typing, eyes back and forth. Then she freezes and visibly stiffens. The air grows thick in the office, making your heart race but your husband doesn’t seem to notice. “Oh, sorry…” You frown, finding it odd the girl is suddenly muttering. You lean closer, trying to look at the 3D page, realizing there’s a highlight. It’s a name, and after a few seconds of squinting, you see it’s your husband’s name with the title Prince next to it. 

Huh? You lean closer, but suddenly the 3D, glittering, glowy image is gone. Now you’re face to face with her staring straight at you. Gasping, you settle back in your seat. 

“So, as it stands, you will need to sign a few documents stating that after your trial period, you will be traveling back to your home planet Omberus to serve as Prince of the Court of the Sun, accompanied by your new bride, the newest Princess of the Sun Court.”

“Um, what?!” You nearly jump out of your seat, eyes wide and mouth slacked. “Princess? Prince? Hello? What’s going on?” You look between them both. Your alien husband looks a little uneasy, and she looks about as uninterested as when you first arrived. 

“Understood,” is all he says, nodding. 

“If your bride decides she does not wish to accompany you to your home planet after a week of the bonding ceremonies, then she is free to return to earth unclaimed. Is that clear?”

You’re hanging on to the edge of your seat at the point. Why did no one tell you any of this? And what the hell is  up with the prince and princess talk? Are you really free to leave and go home? Not that you had much of a home to begin with, but at least it’s a choice you can make on your own. At least it’s somewhere familiar, somewhere you can fit in.

You feel him staring at you as your gaze falls to the floor at your feet. You weren’t aware you had an option, and you certainly weren’t aware you would by flying even farther away from earth to live on his home planet forever. 

“Understood,” you tell her, and you can physically feel the tension in the room. He turns away from you and you finally let go of the breath you were holding. 

“If the human decides to stay, you will be free to live on your planet.” She clicks a few more times on her keyboard before a small opening on her desk exposes a finger pad lit up in green lights, looking straight out of the Matrix. “Press your index fingers here to sign.”

He goes first, placing his finger on the pad, waiting a few seconds, then pulling away. Following, you press your finger to the pad, feeling a sharp pinch before yanking your hand back.

“Ow!” You look at your husband looking unfazed. 

“You’re free to go. Remember the rules of the contract. It’s signed in blood.”

You look down at the pinpoint drop of blood on your finger before jumping up from your seat. You rush into the hallway, following the LED signs that lead you away from this resource department. You hear the heavy footsteps behind you, knowing your husband is following close behind, trying to keep up as he calls your name. 

“Wait!” Finally, a hand wrapping around your arm grabs hold of you, stalling your steps and spinning you around to face him. You’re both standing in the corner where two lonely hallways meet. There’s a large glass window to your right, earning your attention out into the wide expanse of darkness, making you feel so, so small, and helpless, and hopeless. You don’t know if you can do it anymore. It was one thing to be close to earth, hoping to maybe visit sometime. It’s another to travel to another galaxy and live on a completely different planet.

It all becomes too much. Your breath quickens, shortens, disappears inside your lungs and you find it so hard to inhale suddenly. The hallways begin to shrink, neon lights beginning to form stars in your eyes. Your vision tunnels. Your heart goes into overdrive.

“Look at me.” Two strong hands cup the sides of your face. You blink, narrowing your vision in on your husband’s face. His eyes are locked onto yours. His lips are moving, but it’s hard to hear his voice over the ringing in your ears. “Breathe in. Slowly. Inhale. That’s it. Now exhale. Slowly.” The voice guides your lungs without a thought once you can zero in on it. The air returns, the ringing quiets, your heart rate slows. Suddenly, his face becomes more clear, and you reach out, pressing your palms against his shoulders and squeezing. 

“I can’t do it,” you whisper to him, watching the confusion spread in his features. “I can’t go to your planet.” 

“What?” You see the heartbreak in his eyes. It’s evident in the way his lids lower, squinting a little with a slacked jaw and parted lips, brow wrinkled just enough to say how you caught him off guard. “Please… you don’t mean that. You can’t…” 

You don’t want to cry, but the way the words tremble off his lips have the tears swelling behind your lids. “I can’t do it, I’m sorry.” You begin shaking your head, taking a step away from him. His hands fall from your face and yours fall from his shoulders. “I can’t go to a completely different planet and live with you.” You don’t tell him you’re scared. It wouldn’t matter now that you have already broken his heart. 

“Please don’t say that…” He grabs your hands to keep you from moving any farther away. “You can’t leave me, please…” You push him away before you can feel the tremble in his hand. 

“I want to go home,” is all you can whisper, watching all hope drain from his beautiful, puppy dog eyes.

 -

Since you made your decision before the seven day trial was over, you were beamed down to earth that evening with Jellybean and your two bags of stuff. Unfortunately for you, your apartment has already been rented out since it doesn’t take long when aliens are involved, leaving you with your best friend’s place as the only option to crash. You were thankful she had no problem letting you sleep on her couch.

“Are you sure this is what you want?” she asks as she preps the couch with a pillow and fresh blankets. You filled her in on everything that has happened since getting the news, even all the juicy bits, and so far she only seems impressed with your alien husband. Maybe even a little jealous in the good way that best friends can be. “I mean, yeah, it’s like, not right down the road, but I’m sure he’ll get you there at lightspeed. They have all the cool technology. I don’t see the issue. Ooh, maybe they have an intergalactic Uber. Wouldn’t that be cool?”

You sigh and shake your head, petting Jellybean's little orange ears as he purrs in your lap. Sera’s been kind enough to not mind a little cat hair while you crash at her place. You’ll need to think of a way to replay her one of these days. 

“I just freaked out. I don’t know.” Huffing, you roll your eyes at your own decisions with a lump in your gut. “I don’t know what I want, really, but I got scared at the idea of going to a completely different planet with all the aliens and alien stuff. I wouldn’t know anyone, or anything, or what to do or how to act or what to say. Not to mention the prince aspect of it. What the hell is that about?!” You stand, pacing back and forth as you talk while Jellybean runs to hide. Sera watches with a sigh. 

“Well, sounds like you would be treated like royalty on this alien planet.” She shrugs before beginning to clean up the take-out containers on the coffee table. She continues mumbling while leaving the living room of her small apartment to dump the trash in the kitchen. “Which probably means fancy clothes, and yummy feasts, and parties, and servants, and most likely anything you could ever want because it sounds like your alien man is already obsessed with you. He’s seen you play with your pussy once and is already crying that you’re leaving.”

She returns with a grin on her face. You huff and pout at her. “When you put it like that, it makes me sound dumb to leave him!” She giggles at the way you stomp your foot. You know she’s right. How could you turn away a life of being spoiled and pampered by an alien man that would kill anyone that touched you?

Still, the fear weighs heavy on you as you attempt to fall asleep that night. You try to ignore the way you already miss how warm your husband was. His big body kept you so safe and cozy all through the night, is it possible to already become addicted? The way you toss and turn on Sera’s couch proves it to be true. You just can’t get comfortable, and all you can think about is your husband’s heartbroken face when you told him you wanted to go back to earth.

A gnawing pain chews at the inside of your chest, forming a sunken cavern of sudden longing. There’s no way you can miss him already. You don’t even know him. But you know every time you close your eyes to try to sleep, you see his face in the darkness. The heartbreak in his features sketches indentations inside your memory, never escaping the sadness of being without one another forever.

The longing becomes so intense you whisper to yourself in the darkness not to cry. The tension behind your eyes tugs on the threat, wanting to snap free every time a memory from the past two days pops into your head. You curse at yourself not to think of him, trying to count sheep and practice meditated breathing, but nothing works. Your mind goes back to him because something inside your chest calls out for him. Like a magnet, it pulls for him in every direction, image and image of the days spent together flashing through your mind. The first tear hits your cheeks when you remember the bathing pool and they begin to cascade down when thoughts of him saving you come to mind.

You need him, desperately. So urgently you feel as if your heart won’t beat if he’s not near to give you a pulse. You don’t know what’s come over you, you only feel the aching inside your chest. It burns, deep inside you red hot flames licking upon your loneliness like waves against a rocky shore.

You jump up, clutching your chest and gasping to receive enough air. Darkness clouds your vision in every direction, seeing shadows dance along the walls. Your chest feels tight and your hands begin to shake, oblivious to your surroundings or the fact that the front door is being crashed into, a large alien body forcing his way in to make his way to you.

“I’m here, sweetheart.” He cups your face, just like he did on the spaceship, informing you to breathe in and out. You follow the instructions without thinking, inhaling slow and deep, exhaling while the tension melts from your body. “I’m here, you don’t have to worry.” His thumbs brush away the tears before he leans in, pressing his lips to your forehead.

“I-I…” you begin stammering, but he silences you by gathering you up in his arms, taking a seat on the couch to hold you in his lap. Your head becomes buried in his neck as you clutch his shirt in your fists. The tears don’t stop falling as he folds you tight against him.

“I know, sweetheart,” he whispers, soothing your back with a large palm beneath your shirt as you cry against him. “I felt you call me through our bond. I came as quickly as I could. Don’t cry, I’m here now.”

“I-I can’t…” You sniffle, trying to catch your breath before speaking. “I can’t live without you. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have left. I just want to go home with you, please, say it’s not too late. I want you to be my husband again.” Tears waterfall down your cheeks as you cry and ramble and beg him. He squeezes you tighter, allowing you to melt into his big, beautiful warmth and comfort. This is what you needed all along. How could you ever be scared of anything when you have him to protect you? 

“Of course it’s not too late,” he soothes your cries with his words. “You’re mine. My human. My wife. My mate. Mine. There’s nothing I wouldn’t do in this galaxy and any other for you. I’d rearrange the cosmos if it meant keeping my mate happy, so please, say you’ll return with me?”

“Of course,” you mumble against him, sobbing into his shirt as he holds you tight, soothing all your tears away with his hands on you. You continue to straddle his lap, pressed against him and soon all your worries do fade away. That comfort and warmth you’re growing to love returns to flood you with instant relief. Like euphoria on cloud nine with your coziest childhood blanket. It engulfs you in safety, an assurance you’ll always be okay if you’re with him. “I need you.”

You feel the exhale of the breath he was holding. You pull away from him, looking into his eyes to see tears just the same. Your alien husband cried for you, so scared you wouldn’t return to him. No wonder whatever inside his chest brought him to you. Like you were created for one another as destiny would have it. You met one another at the perfect time.

“I need you to need me,” is all he says and all you can do is lean in and press your lips to his. The kiss is electric, igniting a spark of hope in one another as the softest skin and gentlest motions earn a whimper against his lips. He’s so careful as he kisses you back, like he might break you if he makes the wrong move, or ruin the moment if he isn’t perfect. But you’ve already decided your alien husband is the most perfect being in any galaxy and you’re going home with him to his planet.

Turns out, your home aboard the alien spaceship wasn’t just a home, but it was its own spacepod, capable of jumping from galaxy to galaxy at the speed of light to get to your husband’s home planet. All you had to do was pass the living room, press on a certain book on the bookshelf, and a door would open leading you to a high tech alien cockpit. The two of you wasted no more time before you departed the alien spaceship (after he stayed a while to fix the front door he slammed through), deciding if your minds are made up, there’s no point in waiting for the rest of the trial week.

He strapped you into the co-pilot’s seat with a grunt, making sure each buckle was fastened and each strap was secured. He wasn’t taking any chances with his wife. Then he settled in the pilot’s seat, and God, he looked so hot . You had to remind yourself not to drool over him as he pressed all the fancy buttons with the pretty lights and radioed in about the departure. He’s never looked more serious or sexy, seeing why his job is to train new cadets. He’s a total pro and takes his role as flight captain seriously. 

By the time you’re orbiting his home planet, it feels as if no time has passed at all. Jellybean meows in your lap, barely affected by the jump through space. Maybe he’s learning to be an alien kitty after all. You look through the screen ahead, taking in the vibrant colors of his planet, Omberus. Breathtaking hues of pinks, purples, and blue swirl into a vivid scene of life before you. Mixed between miles and miles of endless ultramarine oceans that fade into glittering, celestial waves the closer to land. Not to mention, two suns and multiple moons orbit the heavenly hued planet. The moons even have their own nightlife bustling about, you see as your ship zooms past. 

His planet is stunningly gorgeous. Your heart soars at the sight, like seeing your favorite movie for the first time, but you don’t know it’s going to be your favorite. It leaves an impact on your soul from its beauty alone, touching your heart in a way that brings you to tears.

“This is where you’re from?” you ask in a whisper, filling the otherwise silent cockpit with your voice. You turn to him as he steers the ship, his face illuminated by the lights on the dashboard. 

“This is my home planet, yes,” he says coolly, pulling the handles and pushing a few buttons as the two of you begin your descent. “Which is now your home, and the territory we’re flying to is where I grew up and where you are now the princess.”

“The Sun Court?” You remember the cool lady’s words when she mentioned the planet, though it mostly went over your head. 

“Yes,” he replies, smiling more to himself than anyone else. The sight warms your heart. He’s excited to return to his planet. While you’re scared out of your mind if you’re being honest, it makes you happy to see his shy grin as he prepares for landing. The two of you zoom into the planet’s atmosphere as he gives you a brief breakdown of things when he thinks of them. The climate is similar to earth if not cooler, with a day lasting thirty of earth’s hours, and it is constantly summertime in his territory. The ship flies through pastel colored clouds, revealing lush scenery beneath. Your jaw slacks as he circles a tower with a landing pad on it, attached to some sort of welcome center, or five-star hotel, you aren’t sure. The place is huge, however, and you can’t stop yourself from looking wide-eyed out of the screen ahead. 

The building sits nestled against the side of a mountain, intimidating walls standing high with elegant gold trim tells you this place is only for royalty. It’s straight out of a fairytale. The walls are literally glittering thanks to the two suns. The ocean crashes against the sides of the mountain, making for a breathtaking scene before you. 

He lands the ship with ease and soon the two of you are crawling out onto the roof with a pissed off Jellybean in your arms. A hoard of aliens in fancy, velvet robes and dresses come rushing over to the two of you, hearing the pitter-patter of their feet against the glass floor. Or, should you say ceiling, braving a glance down to see what looks like a spaceship garage beneath you, descending multiple floors deep into the mountain. You look straight ahead at your husband leading the way toward the group of people, making sure you don’t get sick from a fear of heights. 

“Prince! Welcome back! Princess! Welcome to our planet, we are so happy to have you here!” 

You're never going to get used to that, nor are you going to get used to these aliens bowing to the two of you and rushing to grab your items from the ship. One even takes Jellybean from you before you can protest. The one who greeted you, a shorter, older alien man with gray eyes and smile lines, motions for the two of you to follow him. He leads you away from the landing pad and through the door that materializes from crystals right before your very eyes. Once you’re through, the crystal door disappears behind you. You’re left in a long, quiet hallway, trying to take in its glass floors and lighted panels on the wall. This place is regal and futuristic, leaving your jaw hanging. 

“Preparations are already in order for you both to get settled, washed, and dressed for tonight’s feast. The rest of the court will be waiting to celebrate the Prince’s arrival and his new bride, our Princess.” 

Every time someone says it, it just sounds all the more weird. You have bruises from pinching yourself so much to see if you’re dreaming. You try to keep up with their big alien footsteps, practically running down the hall as they pay you no mind, only talking between themselves.

“I told them no celebrations.”

“They insisted.”

“We don’t need to draw attention to ourselves when you know what we’re here for.”

“I’m aware, your highness, but you know the court loves a good party…”

Suddenly, they stop walking, mutter a few things to themselves as the three of you stand at the entrance to a large foyer with grand, sparkling columns, calm waters in a circular pond in the middle, and vines of sparkling fauna wrap intricately around the room. You didn’t think this place could get any more magical.

Your alien prince turns to you, a gentle smile on his lips. “There are preparations in place for the two of us. You’ll follow Biron to your suite and he’ll introduce you to the servants to begin. I’ll see you soon.” 

And that’s that, apparently. You follow this alien Biron into the magical looking foyer with a pool and down another equally magical hallway. Lining the walls are portraits of royalty adorning crowns made of vibrant green vines and yellow flowers. Your jaw drops at the painted portraits, taking in each generation of prince and princess. Biron doesn’t say much as he escorts you, only telling you to turn here and go there. You follow him into a room with a large marble staircase, beginning to ascend the steps with glittery, glowing vines around the banisters. 

It goes like that for a few minutes. He leads you to another magical, hi-tech alien room in this ginormous castle, then down another hallway, again and again until you’re all turned around and confused. Finally, you come face to face with another crystal door that materializes before you at the end of the one the hallways. 

“Right through here. The ladies will get you taken care of and prepared for tonight’s feast, Princess. If there’s anything any of you need, please have one of them fetch me. Until then…”

He gives a polite nod. The crystal door opens, revealing another room waiting. Before you know it, you’re pushed inside and there’s a million hands on you. Alien women oohing and ahhing at the human, tugging on your clothes, combing through your hair with their fingers. You hiss and groan and resist the urge to smack one of them. You know they’re just doing their job of assisting the princess, but you begin to feel the sting of their poking and prodding. You’re not used to this, and they’re speaking in a language you don’t understand. It’s not even one you’ve heard before. It’s like words mixed with little zips and zaps.

They manage to get you naked and in a large, hot porcelain tub full of steaming water after a while. They begin scrubbing this body part and that, and honestly you let them after a while because it reminds you of that scene from Mulan . The ladies quiet into soft hums as they take care of you, cleaning you up until you smell of exotic flowers and sweet delights. 

Once you’re out of the tub and all dried off, they seat you down in front of a vanity with a towel wrapped around you and a brush already in your hair. One lady begins patting your face with creams and serums before she begins to apply make-up. Another brings dresses over to you, holding them and all their beautiful lace and frills up to your chin, picking out different colors before settling on a low cut, emerald gown with tulle and embroidered flowers to outline the bust.

When they’re done with you, you feel like a fairy. You’re shimmering and shiny, with high light in all the right places, your hair fixed with what looks like flecks of stardust, and the dress outlines the curves of your body while still feeling elegant enough. You have no complaints for the ladies. If they’re going to make you look like an actual Princess, they can poke and prod all they want. Grinning, you turn and thank them even though they probably don’t know earth languages. Your smile must tell them all they need to know. Though they look like you, their features are almost robotic in how they process and display emotion. They smile in return, waving goodbye to you before Biron leads you out of the alien spa.

“You look lovely, Princess,” he says with a bow when greeting you, and you nervously chuckle and bow at him because you have no idea what to do in this situation. He smirks, shaking his head and motioning for you to follow him. “Your husband is eager to see you. He’s been asking about you nonstop for an hour.”

Wow, did the ladies really keep you longer than an hour? Time flies when you’re getting The Princess Diaries Special . The thought of your alien husband, your prince, nervously waiting around for you makes your heart swell, warmth flooding your body at just the mention of him. You know you should be freaked out about all the princess stuff, but something inside your chest constantly reminds you it's all okay as long as you have him. You believe it. Your insides are buzzing with excitement to see him now. 

Biron tries to make small talk as he leads you through the royal and majestic maze that is this mansion and apparently your new home. You still haven’t processed that news yet. You want to get this welcome home party over with first. You just hope alien hubby has a map drawn out for you or something. You can’t rely on that thing in his chest to find you every day.

“How is the weather like on your planet currently?” He extends his hand as he asks, leading you onto what looks like a magical, futuristic elevator. You step onto the lift and he follows, tapping a few invisible buttons floating just below his hand. Holy crap. You hope they have sticky notes so you can practice that.

“Hot as balls,” you tell him without thinking as the lift descends.

“Oh! Um…” Biron goes speechless from shock. You bite your lip in embarrassment.

“Sorry, I know that’s not very Princess-like.”

Surprisingly, Biron chuckles. “I won’t tell if you won’t.”

Okay, Biron is a cool, old alien dude. You turn to him smiling, and he laughs some more. Since your Prince is the epitome of a golden retriever husband, it makes sense for his staff to be so laid back and cool. It must be nice working for him since they all seem satisfied and eager to fulfill his requests. 

The doors open to lead to a landing before a huge staircase. Below is what you assume to be the ballroom and the place the celebrations are happening. All you hear from behind is a “Good luck, Princess,” from Biron and suddenly you’re all alone. You take a few steps forward, heels clicking on the glass floor just a few feet from the staircase, each step illuminated by the reflections of the crystals sparkling off the natural moonlight seeping in through large, arched windows. Crystal chandeliers light up the rest of the alien ball room and it looks like a scene straight out of a fantasy novel. 

You take another step, noticing heads beginning to turn toward you, and once they do, they keep their gaze focused. Alien after alien snaps their sights at you until nearly the entire ballroom has gone quiet. All eyes on their new princes, some gaping, some dropping to the floor to bow. All of them making it hard to breathe as you try to inhale enough air to get your legs moving.  It doesn’t work, so you’re frozen at the top of the stairs like some hanging portrait at your funeral. Here lies your Princess. Died from too many people looking at once. She leaves behind one Jellybean and an impressive toy collection. 

You’re having one of those panic attacks again. The one where everything feels like a dream and you aren’t sure what’s real. You scan the room for an escape, eyes bouncing from this confused alien face to the one next him that looks hangry. Looking behind you leaves you feeling more lonely and hopeless than before, and so you’re all alone, on an alien planet and everyone is looking at you and sure, you look amazing, but now they’re whispering and beginning to smirk. You don’t think even teenage you could have dreamed up something this embarrassing.

Suddenly you’re breathing. Like, actually taking a deep breath in, then you hold it, and finally exhale. You do it again. The room becomes a little more clear. There’s a voice. Breathe in. Breathe out. You listen, you don’t think. You just do. Breathe in. Breathe out. You hear him next to you, his face coming into view a second later and you’ve never been more relieved to see your husband.

“Oh, it’s you,” you whisper, voice trembling and bottom lip quivering. “That man of my dreams.”

He quickly, but gently pulls you away from the crowd and back toward the elevator. The party continues on, a roar of gossip all at once suddenly drowning out everything else as everyone returns to what they were doing. Music begins playing, something classy and classical sounding similar to earth’s Mozart or Tchaikovsky . You try to focus on these little details to stop your mind from spinning.

“Look at me, sweetheart,” he says, face next to yours, hands cupping your jaw. You stare into his eyes, blinking a few times and taking in their worry. His brow is furrowed and you tell yourself to focus on how cute he looks when he’s worried so you don’t get wrapped up in your panic again. You guess getting married to an alien and flying off to another galaxy is a lot for a girl to handle. “Come back to me. Breathe for me. Talk to me.”

Just like that, you’re safe. You’re comfortable. Maybe that’s why you didn’t care about moving planets. When he’s this close and you need him this much to calm you, he feels like your home. What else do you need?

“That was…” You exhale a heavy breath with your eyes closed. “That was a lot of people. I just got scared…”

“It’s okay,” he tells you, smiling in reassurance. “We should not be having this party anyway with the-” His expression hardens for a second, then his smile returns. “Why don’t we just go back to our sleeping quarters, okay? We don’t have to have any celebrations right now.”

“Really?” How did you get so lucky to have such a sweet and understanding husband? Seriously, you wonder if Sera hacked some files at her job to score you the best alien husband there was. If so, you were going to send her a long distance alien care package. 

You look to your right over your shoulder at the room of people flowing about in the ballroom. The party looks so pretty and you would hate to leave it, but it is a lot to take in in one day. Hopefully the royal whoever will understand, and maybe there can be another party when you’re feeling up to it.

You agree to retiring for the evening, taking his head as he leads you back to the elevator. You ascend down to the very bottom floor, which takes a few minutes so you wonder how deep does this alien castle go down into the mountain. The doors open to lead into the largest bedroom you have ever seen. Black, titanium floors. Midnight blue walls with alien scriptures glowing in galaxy hues across its pattern. The largest, most royal looking bed with gold trim and sheets to match the walls literally floats in the middle of the room. Huge, icy windows overlook the ocean just beneath the mountain, stardust and the moon’s light brightening the night outside. 

You’re in awe. Speechless. “Is this our bedroom?”

“Do you like it?” he questions, leading you inside as the doors slide to a close behind you. As you enter the bedroom, you spot a matching bathing pool to your right past sparkling curtains fluttering in the breeze sneaking in through those large windows. It’s like your own little private sanctuary you get to share with him and only him. A bedroom fit for royalty, made for a prince and his princess. 

“I love it.” You do a full spin, noticing a large, black crystal chandelier hanging above, bringing that starlight into the bedroom as the moon’s glow casts shadows all around. It’s simply magical. “I can’t believe we live here. In this big alien castle inside an alien mountain on an alien planet.”

He chuckles, standing near the door to watch you take everything in. He looks at you with different galaxies in his eyes, like he feels nothing but inner peace. You are finally calm enough to take in his regal attire. The colors of the royal guard must be blue considering the deep hue of his jacket and matching slacks. Gold trim in blossoming spirals of flowers brings the soldier’s dress attire to life. He looks divine with his hair slicked back, clearly freshly showered, shaved, and completely irresistible.

The day has felt so long without him, and considering the drama it took to get the two of you here on his planet, it’s felt even longer without being close to him. Neither of you have had a second to stop and take in one another’s company. After all, this is the week you are supposed to be getting to know your new husband, but it’s been a rollercoaster.

“I’ve missed you,” you tell him, voice quiet as you stand in the middle of the lavish alien bedroom and fidget with your hands.

The corner of his mouth quirks in a grin. “It’s been dire without you close,” is all he says, sending your heart racing. For an alien man that’s so shy and inexperienced, he sure knows the right things to say to have you melting into a puddle. “You look simply stunning tonight, my wife.” 

Grinning, his words give you a little boost of confidence. You go to him as he lingers near the door, coming face to face with him. 

“I’ve been thinking about kissing you.” His lips part. His sharp inhale isn’t as obvious because he tries to hide the effect your words have on him. “I’ve been thinking about our first night together, too.”

“O-Oh…” He begins to mutter and shift from foot to foot, rubbing the back of his neck. You grin at him because he’s so cute. The first night together seems like centuries ago when so much has happened since then. Truth is, you could be anywhere in the universe as long as you have him. It doesn’t sound normal. Maybe something you would read in a smutty, sci-fi romance story. It feels right inside your chest, though. There’s a swirling source of energetic warmth that tells you to let your guard down and trust him, so you do. 

Now that warmth in your chest needs him close. 

“Can I kiss you?” you ask him in a whisper, knowing it’s what you both want, you feel it inside you, but there’s still a chance of rejection. You ask him softly because he’s still so uncertain, so scared to fail he’s almost not willing to try. You would wait as long as it takes for him to gain the courage, and if he can’t, you’ll coax out what was there all along. “I’ve really missed my husband. These past few days have been so… weird, but I just know I want us to be closer.”

His body softens at that. A gentle smile crosses his lips. You grin in return, trying to remain cool and lead him toward the floating bed, noticing soft clouds billowing out from beneath as you grow closer. You bite your lip in an attempt to keep from screaming over the fact that you’re about to make out with the hottest alien on the coolest looking bed. You feel like the main character in a fantasy novel.

“Will you help me with my dress?” you ask him. You’re sad to see it go, but there’s too many layers and frills and sparkles to get in the way, and you need your body pressed to his like yesterday. 

You hear him audibly gulp before he moves behind you, tugging on a zipper and a strap and suddenly the pretty fabric is circled around your feet on the floor. You didn’t mean to give your husband a spontaneous strip show, but you forgot you were wearing nothing underneath. You stand bare at the edge of the bed, stepping out of the dress and turning to face him. You don’t shy away from him. There’s no use when you’re married forever now. You watch his eyes travel up and down your body, stopping to linger on certain parts, licking his lips at others.

This hot alien wants you. Badly. He may be too shy to act on it, but the body language is telling you a story you’re about to need a sequel to, merchandise, and a three movie deal. You’ll still remain patient for it all, however. Maybe allowing him to look at your naked body, other than the killer heels you’re wearing, helps him adjust little by little. Baby steps are fine with you. The warmth in your chest tells you it’s okay to wait forever for him. 

“Sit down,” you guide him as he takes a seat on the edge of the bed, still fully clothed. You have to admit, standing naked in front of this big, strong alien while he wears his elegant, yet intimidating royal dresswear does something to your confidence and your pussy. He can’t stop looking over your breasts though he’s seen you bare the first night you were together. There’s a hunger in his eyes, and as much as you want to feed it, you only want to feel close to him tonight. You have forever to figure the rest out.

Carefully, you straddle his lap, one bare leg on either side of him until your core rests against him. There’s hard evidence of his excitement in the moment, feeling his cock press through his pants, rubbing against your bare pussy.

“You can touch me,” you tell him, voice soft as you look into his eyes. “Whatever you feel comfortable doing to me, you can do it.” A darkness takes over his eyes at the words, as if he’s imagining a million things he could do with each part of your body he wants to touch. This realization ignites a fire inside of you. You know you’re already wet for him. You’re already so hot and worked up. If you looked, you’re sure you would see yourself dripping onto him. 

After wrapping your arms around his neck, you lean in, pressing your lips to his own. Softly, gently, you test the waters until he opens up to the feeling. He presses his mouth into you just a little bit, causing you to whimper against his soft lips because he wants this just as much as you. You’re a goddess in this alien’s lap, guiding him because you have him wrapped around your finger. 

You deepen the kiss the moment you feel his hands on your hips. He’s hesitant at first, but when you nip at his bottom lip, he squeezes indentations into your skin, mood shifting into something more desperate. 

“I can feel you,” he mumbles against your lips between kisses. A groan erupts from his chest the moment your fingers slip between the strands of his hair, nails scratching his scalp as your tongue caresses his bottom lip. “You’re so hot against my cock, baby.” His hips begin to move beneath you, creating friction between your bare pussy rubbing against his pants covering the huge hard on he has for you. A moan slips out before you can stop it, heat swelling from your center at the sudden sensation. 

“Kissing you makes me hot,” you tell him, pushing down against him to roll your hips, grinding against his cock and earning another groan. “I want you so badly, my prince. I’m so hot and wet for you.”

Calling him your prince must have flipped a switch inside of him. He lets out a grunt, then groans as he pushes his hips into you, caressing your wet, aching pussy with his cock from below. The motion earns a whimper of his name. You grin against him, slipping back and forth over his pants, feeling the ridges of his cock against your soaked cunt. You dig in, wanting more pressure, more friction, riding against him as the heat of bliss begins to swell. 

“I think you might make me come,” you warn him, breathless, voice just a whisper. Your thighs begin to shake around him and your fingers tug at the strands of his hair. He keeps a tight hold on your body as you move together. “I’m… I’m coming for you, my prince,” you cry out, gasping and whimpering his name as the peak of your pleasure swells and crashes over you. He wraps his arms around your body, holding you close with a grunt and a few curses under his breath you weren’t aware he knew. You’re shaking against him, breathless, completely spent and crashing into his body once the high cools down.

You hear his heavy breaths, too. His forehead falls against your shoulder. You stay settled in his lap, hands still in his hair, scratching his head tiredly. 

“I’ve never…” His voice is quiet, so you almost miss it when he begins talking. “I’ve never been able to do that before.”

You gather the strength to pull away, looking down at him. “What? Come from dry humping? Come in your pants? Come untouched?”

“Just… come… as you put it...”

It takes a second, but the realization leaves you with parted lips and a slowly nodding head. “Oh… oh, okay.” You just gave your hot, strong, sexy alien husband, who is also a prince, his first orgasm as you sat naked on his lap. If that doesn't give a girl confidence, you aren’t sure what will.

“Did you enjoy it?” you ask, not wanting to let your own excitement get in the way. You try to keep calm about it. You don’t want him to feel anymore insecure. He grins at you, blushing.

“I think we should kiss more often.” He bites his lip, looking shy and adorable. How he goes from intimidating warrior alien to shy cutie pie should be studied in a lab somewhere. How did you get so lucky? 

You aren’t sure, but this is your life now. You might as well embrace it. The warm feeling in your chest tells you you’ll be okay as long as you have him, no matter where in the universe. 

[wens-loves-wednesday]

Note challenge because I need motivation to do stuff

(Everything in white is completed!!)

5 notes - wash the dishes (not cool 😞)

10 notes - clean my room (I had to make my cats leave the coziness of my bed to clean it all.)

15 notes - update my fanfic more regularly (updated it today 1/5/2025 d/m/yyyy)

20 - write a long one-shot (started working on it!!)

30 - draw a very detailed drawing

40 - study for my tests

50 - pay my debate club (I've been going without paying for weeks now. my bad. it's expensive.)

60 - join the sciences club

70 - upgrade my cosplays

80 - start a new fanfic

90 - finish reading Attrition

100 - look for a new therapist

200 - study more for tests and do homework

300 - read the 2 new Hunger Games books (I love the saga I'm just lazy)

Please don't make me study.

[apollabarnes]

part one // part two // part three // part four // part five // part six // part seven // part eight // part nine // part ten // part eleven // part twelve // part thirteen // part fourteen // part fifteen // part sixteen // part seventeen

"shrapnel." tommy puts his coffee down, looks across to evan. "ready?"

"are you sure? we've barely been up for half an hour."

"it's easier when i'm tired," tommy confesses, "i lied when i said i don't talk to my dad much. sort of. he's been dead since i was in the army. so i don't talk to him a lot. or at all. for obvious reasons."

evan licks his lips. "thanks for telling me, tommy."

tommy wants to shrug the thanks off, knows that they ran into issues because he treated everything like it wasn't important. he takes the thank you. "you're welcome. there's more, but — later."

"metal screws," evan offers, like he understands. "ready?"

tommy thinks about evan throwing up blood, about metal pieces packed tight against tommy's side until he can get to a surgeon. "hit me."

"my parents didn't really want another kid. there's more to it than that, but…" evan picks at the placemat in front of him, "after the hospital," he decides, getting up and heading for the door.

"yeah." tommy follows after him, misses the loft when he has to step away from evan to get in his truck. at the loft they'd have ten minutes pressed shoulder to shoulder; here they have two dozen steps. "does maddie need anything before we head over?"

"mrs. lee came by last night with some clothes." evan hops into the passenger seat, tapping his fingers against his thigh as he carefully doesn't look at tommy. tommy aches. "are you coming in or dropping me off?"

"i don't have a shift today, so that's up to you."

"come in," evan asks.

"okay."

tommy does the math, pulls into a drive-thru, and orders a dozen breakfast burritos. he pauses, adds another six to the order, and gets a dozen black coffees with cream and sugar on the side.

they're not in a rush today; tommy skips the emergency entrance and cruises through the parking garage until they find a spot close to the elevators.

"i don't think we're going to eat eighteen burritos," evan says finally.

"we'll bribe the nurses with the leftovers. not a big deal."

"i heard the total, it's kind of a big deal," evan mutters, which makes tommy laugh.

"you take the coffee," tommy reaches over to grab the bags of food from evan's lap. "i'll get the doors."

may and harry are in with athena and bobby, and denny pops his head in when he smells the food. mara follows once denny gives her the all clear. tommy's extra burritos disappear at an alarming rate, and he has to corral enough for the adults before the kids can eat them all. he looks over at evan, raising an eyebrow.

"fine, you were right," evan rolls his eyes, "don't be smug about it."

athena finishes her coffee in record time and stands up. "kids, why don't you go and take the rest of the burritos and coffee around? i'll know if you eat them instead of handing them out. that means you, mister," she eyes them sternly, pointing at harry.

"i'm going to track some decent coffee down," she tells bobby, kissing his temple. "don't let buck smother you too much."

"hey!" evan protests with a laugh. he's been sitting on the edge of bobby's bed since they got there, so athena has a point.

"come on tommy, i need someone to carry the rest of them."

tommy glances over at the other two, sees them nod in unison and shrugs. "sure."

"hey, bobby, do you know where they ran—" athena closes the door behind her and evan's voice gets cut off.

"i vote we avoid the cafeteria," tommy says slowly, holding the elevator door open for her. athena looks like she hasn't slept all night. "there's a coffee shop on the other side of the block. we could sit down for a minute."

athena rubs her forehead, glancing around the empty elevator. "bobby couldn't feel his leg for three minutes this morning."

"wait, what?"

"they're running some more tests later today. it might be nerve damage from when he got tossed around during the explosion."

"okay. it was just three minutes, right?"

"yeah, but," athena sighs, "he told me it's been tingling since we got here last night."

[billionstarsandhereweare]

a/n: hi fellow DD friends, I may or not may not have posted the first chapter of my jump into the DD fanfic world. hope you enjoy!!! also on ao3

summary: Struggling musician meets struggling-slightly-less lawyer. Inspiration is sparked. Chp 1/?

word count: 7k

pairings/notes: Matt Murdock x fem!Reader, no use of y/n though reader has a nickname, post netflix DD s3 but pre-DD:BA

“Oi! Barkeep! You in there?”

   Startled by the noise, you jolted awake. As you rubbed the sleepy haze from your eyes, the front door of the bar slowly came into focus, along with the digital clock above it. 4:10PM. Shit. How long had you dozed off?

   “Seriously girl, let me in! It’s frickin’ freezing out here!”

   You rose from the metal stool you had been resting on and made your way towards the tiny foyer. Still drowsy, you fumbled with the old brass deadlock before managing to slide it open. As you swung the door open, you were greeted by a bearded grin and wet work boots.

   “Dang Josie Jr., you’re not used to these late nights are you?”

   “Shut it, Jackson. And I told you not to call me that.”

   Jackson gave you a smirk. “Pardon me, ma’am.”

   Rolling your eyes, you shuffled your way back to your regular position behind the bar. You’d be worried that Josie would be disappointed for opening 10 minutes late, but none of the regulars were waiting, and Jackson wasn’t the type to complain. Especially since Tuesdays were usually the slowest afternoons of the week.

   Josie had been running this bar since you were a kid, and every Tuesday was the same. For most of your school years, you could be found doing homework in the back, stealing peanuts from the bar and stashing leftovers in the walk-in while your mom finished up her shift at the hospital in Uptown. Your apartment up on the fourth floor always felt too quiet, and as long as you stayed out the way, Josie didn’t mind you hanging around. The sound of beer bottles clinking, electronic dings from the dart boards, and clacking of billiard balls was better for your concentration than any white noise machine anyway. Mom had moved to Florida about ten years ago, but you stayed behind in the apartment while in college. You still studied in the back corner of Josie’s, the only change being that you added rum to your sodas. After graduation, she offered you a job to help stay afloat while you job-hunted. She was practically family and was much happier to bring on someone she already knew and trusted. You’d always had it as a fallback plan between jobs at music shops, private lessons, and your never-ending auditions for a consistent spot in an orchestra. Years had gone by since your first night there, and though your frustration grew more and more each day without a performance gig, you appreciated the steady income nonetheless.

   “How long did Josie say she’d be out?” Jackson’s voice floated out from the back room, thuds following as he grabbed cases of beer and rearranged kegs.

   “Couple of weeks, most likely. I told her to take whatever time she needed, it’s not like she’s had a vacation in the last however many years. I was starting to think she was literally chained to this place.” You really wouldn’t have been surprised if you found an actual shackle underneath the counter, with how much Josie worked.

   He chuckled as he headed your way to check the canned beer fridge under the counter. An impressed smile crossed his face once he realized that not only was that full, but so was everything on the rail and the shelves.

   “You’re making my job too easy, friend. Paula and I left everything a mess last night. What time did you even come in today to get this all taken care of?” Jackson asked.

   “Around one or so. Eastern was here for a liquor delivery, so I popped down after my lessons.” Grabbing a rag from the ‘clean’ bucket under the sink, you squeezed behind him to start wiping up the rain he tracked in. 

   “For real though, if you needed help getting things set up, you could’ve called. I’m less than half a mile from here.”

   You didn’t look up from the water on the floor you were trying to sop up. 

   “Does it look like I needed any help?”

   Jackson faltered, voice falling. “I mean, no, I just…”

   Now you glanced up at his six-foot-something frame. He seemed so much taller at this angle, yet he was almost shrinking back. It would have been almost amusing, him being afraid of you, but guilt immediately crept up in your chest instead.

   “I’m sorry, Jackson. I’m just stressed out,” you admitted, “and I do appreciate the offer. Rough auditions this week, and I’m not used to working every night at the bar. Josie might never take another vacation if she finds out I asked you to help open, though.”

   “Hah! Ain’t that the truth. Well, lemme know if anyone gives you trouble tonight, and I’m there,” clapping you on the back before he took his seat at the stool by the bar’s entrance. 

   You pulled yourself up off the floor, stretching and rolling your shoulders before tossing the wet rags into the ‘dirty’ bin. The bell on the front door jingled as the tension in your back released a little, settling into the normal weeknight routine as patrons filtered in for their usual drinks and games of pool.         

   Before you could even register time moving, nine-thirty rolled around and the bar was bustling. A couple of bikers by the pool tables loudly challenged their buddies to another round while a few others took turns at the dart boards, chatter and conversation filling the air. You were in your normal flow of handing out drinks, refilling the ice bin, and hollering at Jackson to grab yet another case of beer from the back when you heard a cheerful voice say,

   “Well, it’s certainly nice to see you back instead of our usual wicked witch of a bartender!”

   You turned around to be greeted by two men around your age, leaning on the bar. They stuck out in your memories of the usual Tuesday regulars, mainly because they were both in suits, a stark contrast to the usual biker vests and dirty canvas construction jackets usually seen. The blond one grinned at you, while his dark-haired friend had turned his head off to his left, eyes hidden behind maroon-colored lenses.

   You gave the stocky blond a bit of a glare, crossing your arms across your chest. 

   “Ah, Foggy Nelson.”

   “The one and only!”

   “Don’t think I’ve forgotten your incident with the popcorn machine last fall.”

   He threw his arms out in exasperation and sighed, “Aw come on! It was a one-time occurrence, and I promise I made it up to Josie.”

   “I don’t think calling her a wicked witch is a great way of making it up to her. Besides, I was the one sweeping up popcorn for hours, not her.”

   “Alright fine, I guess I owe you for that. Why don’t you throw a drink for you on the firm’s tab with ours, I’ll take-“

   You were already pouring a tall draft and a whiskey before he finished the sentence. 

   “Whatever beer is on special. Whiskey on the rocks for Matt,” nodding in his friend’s direction. “And no, Foggy Nelson, this is not going on your firm’s supposed tab. It’ll be $6 each.”

   “What if I wanted something different?” frowned Foggy, picking up the frosty mug you slid in front of him.

   “It may have been three months since I worked a Tuesday, but you’re pretty predictable. You only order something different if you’re trying to impress a woman and I’m pretty sure Matt’s not one,” you replied, barely managing to keep a straight face as Matt held back a chuckle.

   “That’s… creepy, but impressive. I’ll give you that one, Z.”

   Their nickname, well Foggy’s really, finally made you crack a smile. He had drunkenly bestowed it on you last summer when you and Josie were both behind the bar, as apparently “Jo and Z” was the funniest thing to him at the time.

   “Hah! I knew I could break that scowl!” he said before turning around to head to him and Matt’s usual booth in the corner, stopping between to strike up conversation with one of the bikers.

   “Truly is a golden retriever type, isn’t he?” you said, chuckling as you exchange a glass for Matt’s card.

   “The enthusiasm never ends. Been like that since I met him.” Matt replied warmly, taking a sip of his drink. “I think he’s just excited to see you’re back, you’ve always been a little easier than him on Josie.”

   “Eh, to be fair, Josie’s had to put up with him for longer.”

   “That’s true. Speaking of, I’m assuming you’re here on a Tuesday because she’s out? Everything okay?”

   You nodded and said, “Very astute of you. She’s out in Michigan for a couple of weeks, so it’s just me and Jackson running the place tonight. Finally convinced her to take a vacation.”

   Matt raised an eyebrow. “Josie? Vacation? Never thought I’d hear those words together.”

   “Trust me, it was no small feat.”

   “Well, I’m glad she’s taking the time off. I don’t think I’ve ever seen her leave the bar. Go ahead and leave the card open, we’ll be here awhile. It’s good to see you again, Z.” Matt said, emphasizing your nickname with a small, amused smile.

   “Good to see you guys too. I’ll come and check on your drinks in a bit.” He gave you a quick nod and flashed you a bigger grin, one that stopped you for just a couple seconds longer than it should. 

It took you just a beat, but you managed to snap out of it, tossed your towel over your shoulder, and got back to work. You really need to get some proper rest girlfriend, thinking to yourself while shaking your head. Banter is half of what a bartender’s job is. Can’t be letting some dark-haired regular throw you out of your groove.

   The night continued to rush by, a few rounds of draft specials for the mechanics up front, fives in exchange for quarters for the bikers at the pool table, vodka crans for the out-of-place college girls trying and failing to flirt with Jackson up front. He was effective as a bouncer, but there was something about the long, dirty blond hair tied back in a man-bun that college girls were drawn right to. They never made it far enough to realize Jackson’s type was guitar-playing hipster guys. As you started to head to Foggy and Matt’s table a little before midnight to grab their empties and hand out another round, you were still on autopilot. 

   “I’m just saying, this could bring in a lot of money. You remember what that is right? That green stuff that lets us pay rent and buy food?”

   You probably shouldn’t have listened in, but you couldn’t help but eavesdrop. Comes with the territory, you thought to yourself.

   “Foggy, I get that, but we started our firm to help people who need it. Not some sketchy guy working for a construction company that we can’t find any sort of information on.”

   “How do you know he’s sketchy? What, did you use your ESP or something?”

   “Knock it off. You know what I-” 

   Distracted, you stumbled over the uneven floor and the empty bottles in your left hand clattered to the ground in front of their booth. At least you managed to keep the tray in your right hand somewhat balanced. So much for staying in a groove.

   “Look, it’s the wicked witch’s assistant!” an inebriated Foggy exclaimed, grinning and throwing his hands out in your direction. 

   After setting their drinks down on the table behind you, you crouched down to grab the empties rolling away. “Not doing super great at that, seeing as I’m throwing empty bottles at my regulars.”

   “I think Josie would approve,” Matt said with amusement in his voice.

   “Speak for yourself Matt, but I don’t much appreciate having things thrown at me,” Foggy shot in mock offense, his nose in the air. 

   “My sincerest apologies, Mr. Nelson. I’ll make sure I only throw things at the blind man,” you fired back without thinking. Right after the words left your mouth, Foggy choked on his beer, sputtering and shaking with laughter. As you realized what you said, your cheeks immediately flushed red and you stuttered out, “God, sorry Matt, I swear it was a joke – I didn’t-“

   Matt let out a sympathetic laugh as he elbowed Foggy in the ribs, saying, “You only need to be sorry if Foggy drowns in his beer.”

   You winced. “God no, seriously, I’m so sorry, I didn’t even think about-“

   “Really, it’s fine. He makes worse jokes on an hourly basis at this point,” Matt said waving his hand, giving you a reassuring look that made the heat in your face fade just a little.

   “Well, either way, I feel bad. Either for the joke or for making Foggy inhale his beer. Next round’s on me, just don’t tell Josie,” you offered, smiling at them both before sliding their drinks over.

   Foggy flashed a smile back about as bright as a spotlight while Matt gave a thumbs-up before you walked back to the bar.

   Twelve forty-five came around as you flipped on the overhead lights.

   “Last call! Wrap it up everyone!”

   You started pulling out receipts and ringing out orders. The biker guys were finishing up their last round of pool, and Foggy and Matt still sat at their booth at the opposite end, half arguing, half laughing about something you couldn’t quite hear. As Jackson started refilling the beer fridge for the final time, you realized you forgot the key to the safe at Josie’s place after dropping off the monthly invoices earlier in the morning.

   “Hey, Jackson, can you mind the bar for five minutes? I need to run upstairs and grab the safe key.”

   “Aye aye, cap’n.”

   “Don’t be a smartass, Jacks.”

   As you walked past the walk-in fridge towards the back staircase, you heard him retort, “But that’s what I’m good at, boss!”

   “Five minutes! Don’t burn the place down!”

-

   You trotted up the four flights of stairs to the hallway connecting your side of the floor to Josie’s. After punching in the code to her apartment, you entered the dark living room, immediately seeing the safe key on the end table where you left it. Stuffing it in the pocket of your sweatshirt, you decided to pop over to your place to grab your headphones, knowing it would be a welcome distraction as you needed to deep clean the back bar later on. Just as you crossed into your bedroom to grab them off the desk, a strange sound from the bathroom reached your ears. As you padded closer to the door, you felt your stomach drop as you recognized what it was.

   Water fell in a steady stream down from a hole in the ceiling right above the showerhead, and out into the room. Your eyes darted over to the built-in armoire that held all your clothes to see that it was soaked, too. There was a single step down between the bedroom and bathroom, and as you looked down, you saw water covering every inch of the floor.

  “Fuck!”

   Racing back through the bedroom, through the living room, and into the kitchen, you reached the main water shutoff for the fourth floor in the utility closet. After grabbing and cranking it shut, you ran back to the bathroom to make sure that the water stopped, and breathed a sigh of relief when you saw it did. You fumbled for your phone, managing to dial the bar’s number with shaky hands. Pick up, pick up, pick up.

   “Hey girl, what’s the hold up?”

   Phew. “Oh thank god.”

   Jackson picked up the concern in your voice near immediately. “What’s the matter?”

   “Water line in my shower bust open. Not sure how. Gonna be cleaning this up for hours. Can you finish closing the bar down?”

   “Shit. Uh, I can, but I need your register card first. Your lawyer friends are here trying to close out, looks like you comped some of their drinks. Need your card for that. Did you leave it by the bar?”

   You frantically patted down the pockets in your jeans, felt the plastic card in your back pocket, and sighed. “No, I have it. I guess the water’s not going anywhere for right now. I’ll be down in a sec.”

   You looked around at your bathroom and took in the damage. With this amount of water, you’d be cleaning it up until the morning. It’d be a small miracle if the whole room wouldn’t need to be gutted. A sinking feeling started to fill your stomach, but before you could let it settle too far, you shook it off, heading out the door and locking it before jogging back downstairs. 

   Once behind the bar again, you let out a sigh, realizing it had been only ten minutes, though it felt like much longer than that. All of the bikers were tugging on their jackets, and a very drunk Foggy was teasing Jackson about something.

   “Sorry about the wait, guys. Apartment trouble.” 

   “It’s about time, Glinda!” Foggy slurred.

   That got a chuckle out of you. “Foggy, I’m pretty sure Glinda was the Wicked Witch’s sister, not her assistant.” You swiped your card at the register and got their final bills printed out. As you handed them the checks and a couple of pens, you hurriedly said “I have to head back upstairs, but I’m sure I’ll see you two next week.”

   “Is everything alright?” Matt inquired with furrowed brows while handing back his signed receipt and pen. 

   You ran your hands over your face, groaning. “Water line burst in my bathroom. Entire room is flooded. Gonna be in there with a shop-vac all night getting the water out.”

   He paused. “Well, if you want some help...” Matt trailed off, though the look of concern on his face held fast.

   You stopped for a second, considering. Nice of him to offer, I guess even a blind second set of hands is better than one. You scowled at yourself for that thought. Don’t be rude, you jerk. Not really in the habit of inviting men I hardly know into my apartment, but Josie has said they’re good guys, so…

   “You know what, yeah, I could use it,” you admitted to Matt with a sigh. “You sure the one-and-only Foggy Nelson is going to be much assistance, though?” you asked, thumbing over at his drunken counterpart, using Jackson as support as he tried to put on his coat.

   Matt tilted his head towards Foggy, pausing before he replied. “Hah, yeah, he definitely drank more than his fair share tonight. I’ll call him a cab and get him on his way home, and then I can help out.”

   “Thanks, I owe you one.”

   “Just helping a friend. Don’t worry about it.” He gave you that wide smile again, and you briefly forget about the mess waiting upstairs. “Do you want me to wait here in the bar until you’re finished up?”

   You nodded, and then felt heat rise to your cheeks, slightly embarrassed once you realized that wasn’t something he could notice. “Um, yes – well, Jackson’s gonna take care of closing the bar, so he can show you upstairs and through my place once you get Foggy situated. I want to get a jump on it. Just uh, knock or something when you get to my bathroom so I don’t jump out of my skin when I see you standing there.”

   Matt nodded. “Sure thing. I’ll be up soon,” he said before turning to assist a stumbling Foggy. You turned to make your way to the back stairs to start cleaning up the small pond waiting for you. Just as you passed Jackson, he grabbed your arm and in a hushed voice singsonged “Matt and Josie Jr., sittin’ in tree…”

   You punched him in the stomach with your free hand before he got much farther. “Seriously, man?”

   He let go and rubbed where you hit him, chuckling. “I’m just saying, I’ve never seen you invite a guy upstairs to your place.”

   “Ah yes, because mopping up gallons and gallons of water in a cold bathroom just screams ‘romantic.’ Don’t know why I didn’t think of this pick-up before.” 

   “Every time he smiles at you, you stop for a second. I’ve never seen someone snap you out of your rhythm like that.”

   You hated it, but he was right. Too observant for his own good sometimes. Crossing your arms, you glared at him and replied “Can you just let him in when he’s done and bring him upstairs? I’ve got a mini Hudson in my apartment and I’d really like to get started on cleaning it up.”

   “Yeah yeah yeah, I’ll escort him,” Jackson said while rolling his eyes at you. 

   “Thank you,” you replied, then softened as you continued, “And thank you for helping to close things down tonight. You can go once you get Matt upstairs, I’m sure Carter’s waiting for you. We’ll worry about deep cleaning the back bar later this week.”

   “Anytime. You know I’ve got your back.”

   You gave him a tired but thankful smile and headed upstairs.

-

   Even after cuffing your jeans to almost the knee, your legs were still soaked by the time Matt got up to your apartment. You’d managed to get the wet clothes out of the built in, wrung out, and tossed in a bag to take to the laundromat. You were just dumping the latest pass with the shop-vac down the drain of the tub when you heard a clicking in your bedroom. Wiping the sweaty strands of hair that had fallen from your braid out of your eyes, you looked up to see Matt knocking one hand against the frame of the door, cane resting in the other. 

   “Hey again. Jackson let me in. I told him I could find my way back to you,” Matt said before setting his coat and cane down to join you in the bathroom.

   You felt a pang of embarrassment in your chest. “Oh, I told him to walk you back here. Didn’t want you to have to find your way around this maze of doors alone.”

   He smiled gently at you. “It’s not a big deal, it’s pretty easy to hear where you are, what with the vacuum running and all.”

   Another pang, then you started to stutter. “Oh, I didn’t mean it like- I mean, I meant-” 

   “Hey, it’s okay, really. Don’t worry about me, I get around fine,” Matt said through a quiet laugh. “Happens all the time.”

   “What, the walking on eggshells-like attitude, or making women stutter in your presence?” Oh my god, shut up.

    “Well, the first one more than the second, usually.” Matt grinned, shrugging his shoulders. As he started rolling up his sleeves he continued, “but enough about my problems, what do you need help with?”

   Your eyes had drifted towards the now-bare skin of his forearms. He looked stronger than you expected for a lawyer, muscles flexing as the long fingers of his hand deftly cuffed his shirt at the elbow. You involuntarily licked your lips, admiring how the tendons in his broad hands rolled as he loosened the button on his other sleeve. Shaking it off, you tapped the corner of the bathroom and showed Matt where to start vacuuming up water. 

   “We can just dump the water in the tub, it’s a little over two feet to your left. Luckily none of the drains have an issue, it’s just the water line. I’m gonna go move this bag of clothes out of the way, I need to take them to the laundromat in the morning.”

   “You’re welcome to use my washer & dryer, if you want. Probably about the same distance, but I won’t charge you a week’s worth of pay.”

   Josie was right, these were good guys. “I may have to take you up on that. Don’t get too much in cash tips, mainly cards now. Even with the older biker guys, you’d be surprised at how many of them have points cards.”

   You could hear Matt laugh as you dragged your laundry bag to the front door. Cleaning this unexpected mess up was certainly a little easier with good company. You made quick work of the remaining water as you swept the water towards Matt while he held the vacuum, and once the pond was reduced to small puddles, you tasked Matt with wiping out the built-in so the water didn’t seep into the wood more than it already had. You were moving out to the hallway to grab the mop out of the utility closet when you heard Matt speak.

   “So, how do you know Josie? Other than working at the bar? I can’t imagine her hiring someone she didn’t already know.”

   You couldn’t imagine it either. “I’ve actually known her for most of my life. My mom and I moved into this apartment when I was ten. Josie actually owns the first five floors of this building.”

   Matt paused in disbelief for a moment and said, “No way, Josie, a landlord?”

   “Seriously. Apparently her family’s owned the building, including the bar, for over a century. The bar was actually a speakeasy back in the 20s.”

   A chuckle. “Just when you think you know your barkeep…”

   “Don’t tell her I said anything, we don’t want to ruin her mystique, after all.”

   “Not a word I ever would have used to describe Josie, but yes, secret is safe with me.”

   “Thanks. Anyway, yeah, she’s been my landlord for 20-something years now. My mom moved to Florida years ago, but I was still in college so I stuck around. Josie covered the rent until I graduated and got a ‘real’ job,” you continued.

   “What did you go to school for?”

   You scoffed a little, and replied, “Music performance. Piano, specifically.” Not wanting to elaborate on your distinct lack of a full-time gig, you turned the question around. “Obviously you have a degree, considering your lawyer-ing. Where’d you go?”

   “Columbia. Foggy and I both. We decided to start our own firm after working for corporations at our internship. Got sick of defending faceless businesses,” Matt frowned a little.

   “Oh so you’re standing up for the little guy? We need more of that.” 

   “I’d like to think so. Eating rice for every meal is getting a little old, though. Law isn’t all glitz.”

   You chuckled as you replied, “I feel that. The supply shop I worked for closed three months ago. Until I managed to start doing private lessons, I was pretty much eating bar peanuts and $2 frozen pizzas. Now I’ve upgraded to cheap Chinese.”

   “That’s glamorous,” Matt laughed. 

   “Very,” you confirmed as you turned back to the task at hand. “So, now that we’ve got the water mostly cleaned up, I think I’m going to cut into this drywall. Gotta see what the damage is. If you need to take off I understand,” glancing at your phone, “I imagine law starts early and it’s past two AM.”

   “I don’t mind staying and helping. I don’t sleep much anyway,” he quietly admitted as he leaned against the wall behind you.

   You pulled your utility knife from your back pocket and started cutting into the drywall two feet off the floor. Once you got to the wall shared with the bedroom, your stomach sank.

   “Shit,” you muttered. “Not what I wanted to find.”

   “Seeped through to the other walls?” 

   “Yeah. Which means the restoration process is going to be more intense than I was hoping.”

   Behind you, Matt paused, and then you heard him sniff. “Might be worse than that.” He walked up, close enough you could feel the heat of his body against your back. He gently set his hands on your shoulders, thumbs grazing the back of your neck, making you shiver just the slightest amount at the unexpected, but not unwelcome touch. He leaned over you and sniffed again. “Smells like mildew… maybe mold.”

   He must have sensed the pause before you started to speak and answered your question before it could leave your mouth. “When you can’t see, you tend to be able to hear and smell things before others. Lack of one sense heightens the others.”

   “Gotcha. Well, if it’s mold, I might be able to see it, now that the wall is open.” Grabbing your phone, you turned on the flashlight and directed it at the wall you cut open. After your eyes adjusted to the light, you could see some kind of discoloration on the inside of your bedroom wall. As you squatted down and leaned in closer to inspect it, you were suddenly hit with the musty odor that confirmed it. Definitely mold or mildew. You looked over your shoulder to see Matt’s figure back in the doorway.

   “Yeah, there’s definitely something in there. Gonna have to have the entire floor looked at, probably. So much for my plan of sleeping on Josie’s couch.”

   “I take it this isn’t your first water leak.”

   “I’ve seen enough to know how this goes. The water damage was going to put me out of a bathroom for at least a month, but mold...” You pulled your braid loose and ran your hands through your hair, unease settling in your chest like a boulder.

   Matt cleared his throat. “Do you need a place to stay?”

   Your brain short-circuited. “Wh-What?”

   He paused before he repeated the question, though out of apprehension or concern, you weren’t sure. “Do you need a place to stay? I’ve got a spare room. If that is actually mold, you probably shouldn’t be around it any more than you have to be.” You were pretty sure he could tell you were staring at him, mouth agape, as he continued, voice quieting as he softly said, “Josie acts like a real hardass, but she’s always been kind to me. I’ve known her for a long time, too. Helping you out would be helping her so…” He rubbed the back of his neck, unease in his voice as he trailed off.

   You were still staring. You swore he could hear your heart, it was beating so loud, banging against your ribcage as you tried to process what exactly he had offered. Finally managing to break your mental block and work through the situation, you stuttered out, “I uh-, I-I could use a place for tonight. I think I’ll probably end up with a hotel or rental through my insurance, but I won’t know until tomorrow.”

   He relaxed a bit, shoulders dropping. “Well, pack up what you need.” He took a few steps, closing the distance between you before reaching a hand down to help you up. Taking it, you stood and replied, “Thanks. Shouldn’t take me too long to throw together a bag.”

   “Can’t resist helping a damsel in distress,” Matt replied with a playful grin. “I have a moral code to uphold.” 

   You rolled your eyes but replied gratefully, “You’re gonna end up drinking for free with how much you’re helping me out, Mr. Murdock.”

   He just smirked and repeated your remark from the bar earlier. “Don’t tell Josie.”

   “Wouldn’t dream of it. If you wanna wait out in the living room, I shouldn’t be more than a couple of minutes.”

   Matt nodded before turning and leaving you alone in the bathroom. After taking a few deep breaths, you quickly ran through a mental checklist of what you needed to grab. Shower stuff, meds, charger, backpack... As you started opening the drawers in your vanity, you caught your reflection in the mirror above the sink. The circles under your eyes, ones that had seemingly been getting darker over the last few weeks, were accompanied by mascara smudged from sweat, your irises rimmed with red from tiredness. You hastily pulled your hair up into a bun and tried to wipe the marks under your eyes with the sleeve of your sweatshirt. A few strands of hair made their way loose, and if you weren’t so exhausted, you knew you’d be feeling self conscious about what a mess you were. 

   You made your way into the living room once you had everything packed up to see Matt waiting calmly by the front door. He lifted his head as he heard you enter the room. 

   “Have everything you need?”

   “I think so. You really okay with me using your washer? I’ve got probably half my closet stuffed into this laundry bag. May double your water bill for the month.”

   Chuckling, Matt replied, “I’m sure you’ll find a way to pay me back.”

   “You’re quickly approaching ‘free whiskey for life’ status here.”

   “Maybe that was my plan all along.”

   “Can’t believe I fell for the good Samaritan act!” you laughed as you laced up your boots. You moved past him, reaching for the front door. “Go ahead in front of me so I can lock up.”

   He stepped out into the hallway as you slipped into your jacket and tossed your backpack over your shoulder, quickly following him out the door. 

   “We’ll take the stairs over to the right, it’ll let us out the back of the building,” you said as you gathered up your laundry bag. A hand brushed against your elbow, causing you to jump a little, not expecting the gentle grip of his fingers. 

   “Sorry,” Matt said softly. “Do you mind guiding? It’s a little easier than using the cane inside.”

   “Oh, yeah - sorry, it’s not you, I just get kinda jumpy when I’m tired,” you said as you let Matt move his hand into the crook of your arm. Truthfully, you were thankful for the warm weight of his fingers as they landed on your bicep, as it helped balance out the load of laundry you carried in your other hand. As you exited the building into chilled, damp February air, you found yourself drawing closer to Matt’s side, involuntarily seeking the warmth that seemed to radiate from him. A cold breeze blew across you, carrying the faint scent of leather and wood from him to you. You turned the corner, following his directions as you made your way to his apartment, and an impulsive question tumbled from you.

   “Have you always been blind?”

   You felt Matt stiffen next to you, tension running up his broad frame. 

   “I guess you get asked that a lot. Stupid unfiltered thought, sorry.”

   “It’s a pretty common question, yeah. Not stupid though. And your answer is no, I haven’t. Happened when I was a kid,” Matt responded, though you could still feel what felt like discomfort at your questions. 

   You walked a few steps without speaking, unsure of how to continue the conversation. You finally managed to answer with, “I can’t imagine how hard it would be to adapt to that.”

   “I still struggle with it sometimes,” he admitted softly, “but there’s beauty in how I see the world now.”

   “That seems like a very healthy way to look at it. No pun intended.”

   You got a quiet chuckle from that. “Took me awhile to get there. Might be resilience, or maybe I’m just stubborn.”

   “We’ll call it resilience. Sounds better,” you smiled, nudging him. 

   “Fair enough. My turn for an invasive question,” he countered, nudging you back. “What’s a classically trained musician doing at a dive bar?”

   You groaned in response. “Guess you deserve a question since you answered mine. Currently ah, between gigs. And by between gigs I mean I haven’t gotten a call back from an audition in over four months.”

   “Wow. Competitive field?”

   “It is, but I’m not sure if I’ve hit a bad string of luck or if I’m just terrible at this point.”

   “I haven’t heard you play, but I highly doubt it’s the last one.”

   “Ever a gentleman. I’ve got a couple more lined up in the next few weeks, and at least I’ve been able to use my degree in the meantime. Got a handful of kids I teach during the day.”

   “Sounds like you might be as resilient as me,” Matt replied pointedly with a smirk on his face. 

   “Touché.”      

   The two of you walked in a comfortable silence for the remainder of the way. Once you reached his building, he unlocked the front door and held it open for you, and you entered a generic-looking lobby with beige tile floors and off-white paneled walls. Gesturing to the stairs on the left, he explained, “I’m on the sixth floor, but we can take the service elevator.”

   Just looking at the metal stairs had your legs feeling weak, the weight of your laundry bag seemingly growing heavier. “Thanks,” you replied tiredly, “not sure I’d be able to haul all this up tonight.”

   You followed Matt past the stairs down a short hallway that led to the service elevator. He entered first, hitting the ‘6’ button while you followed behind. Once inside, you leaned against the cool metal of the walls, eyes closing as your exhaustion began to settle in. You didn’t notice the elevator car opening on the sixth floor, though you did feel Matt’s hand gently press on your lower back. 

   “C’mon, let’s get you inside so you can get some actual rest,” he said. You stepped out of the elevator into a brightly lit landing, letting Matt move in front of you to unlock his front door. 

    It took a second for your eyes to adjust to the dark entryway. Compared to your apartment, which you’d always described as “cozy,” Matt’s seemed almost cavernous. It appeared to be an old warehouse that was turned into a living space, with exposed brick all the way up to the top of the easily 20 foot ceiling. Across from the entry where you were standing, there were twelve-foot tall windows that filtered the light from the street lamps outside, giving the room an eerie yellow glow. On the left, a large, frosted glass door separated what you assumed was a bedroom area from the living room. Your eyes swept over the oversized leather sofa & chairs to the right side of the space that held a simple galley-style kitchen. Dark, espresso-stained cabinetry spanned most of the length of the back wall, flanked on one side by a stainless steel fridge, and a pocket door on the other.

   You managed to pull your dropped jaw shut after muttering, “Jesus. This is your idea of law not being glitzy?”

   Matt didn’t move from the entry where he was hanging his coat. “Wait for it.”

   A flash of light lit the apartment up, startling you. You walked over towards the bank of windows, searching for the source. Peering through the fogged panes, you could make out a billboard with what looked like spotlights dancing behind it.  

   You let out a low whistle. “Good lord.”

   “Been there for years. It’s a little distracting, apparently. Got a good deal on the place though.”

   “Why on earth is that across from an apartment? That’s gotta be against… some sort of building code.”

   “This floor is all apartments now, but it was warehouse space up until five or six years ago. This is the only one that faces it, so it isn’t really an issue for anyone else. They don’t get the cheap rent, though.” Matt shrugged before walking over and to the kitchen island where he dropped his keys. He waited, tracking your footsteps as you slowly walked through the living room, taking in the space before you made your way to lean against the island. 

   “Bathroom and laundry are behind you to the left,” he said once you had settled at the island in front of him.  He motioned behind him, “Spare room is through that pocket door. There’s a murphy bed in there, just pull down on the handle on the wall and it’ll come down. Should already be made, except for the pillows. Those are in the dresser. I’ll go put your laundry in the bathroom.”

   You walked past him, inspecting your new room for the night. The ceiling was a lot lower here, and it couldn’t have been more than seven feet deep total. The wall across from the doorway you stood in housed the murphy bed Matt had mentioned, flanked on either side by tall shelves filled with books. A red metal dresser sat in the corner of the small room. 

   “All good?” Matt asked from the kitchen. 

   “Yeah. I hate to ask, but you wouldn’t happen to have a pair of sweatpants or something I could borrow would you?” you asked, picking at the damp denim against your thighs. “I think all of mine ended up getting wet.”

   “Sure, I’ll be right back.”

   As Matt left the room, you reached up for the metal handle of the bed, pulling it down smoothly away from the wall. You were fluffing the pillows from the dresser as he returned, sweatpants in hand. 

   “Here you go. Brought a shirt too, just in case. You get the bed set up alright?”

   “I did. Gotta say, it looks way more comfortable than Josie’s couch.”

   “Good. I’ll let you get some sleep then. I have to be at the office in the morning, but you can stay as long as you need to. I’ll leave a spare key on the counter.”

   “Okay. Thanks for the sweatpants. And the bed. And the help. And everything else.”

   Matt gave you a soft smile. “You can thank me by getting some rest, you need it.”

   No way you were arguing with that. “Good night, Matt.”

   “Good night,” he replied, sliding the door shut. 

   You peeled off your damp jeans and slipped into the borrowed sweats before crawling into bed. Exhaustion quickly washed over you as you pulled the sheets up and around your shoulders, inhaling the faint scent of detergent, cotton, and oak before sighing and shutting your eyes. Sleep claimed you almost immediately, your worn-out body finally at rest. 

   Somewhere above you, a door creaked open.

[angie-daydreams]

My top 5 marauders fics!!

I've seen some people do this and I believe it's time I do it too!!! (Btw, they're all wolfstar 🤷🏼)

5. Wild horses - novella_b

Okay, so this is like sooo good and perfectly written. Band AU where, basically, Marauders need a new bassist and Remus appears at the auditions. Sirius fucking Black writes the AM (Arctic Monkeys) album. Can you believe it started my Arctic monkeys obsession??

4. A black mass over highway ninety - greenvlvetcouch (roadsidehorror)

This one is really well known but... Omg, a road trip? USA? James and Lily? YES PLEASE GIVE ME A HUNDRED MORE O THIS. I feel like I don't need to explain much

3. All the young dudes - mskingbean89

Of courseee, the classics can't be missing. I just love love love love atyd and I'll be eternally grateful because it was the fic that started it all for me so... (Can you tell I wasn't able to finish the war chapters?😔)

2. All my cards are here - haey1

Band AU. Yes yes yes and just yes. The angst, the tension, the music, just everything. Sirius being in fucking denial, like, Remus, my darling, are you alright? (I've only read the first one tbh)

Okay... And finally...

1. The cadence of part-time poets - motswolo

Didn't expect it, did you? This fucking masterpiece is so perfect, it haunts my dreams. Not a day goes by that I don't think about it. It changed me, made me the person I am today. Like wdym the OCs are just perfect? The characterisation? The music? Omg the music, it has shaped my whole music taste. And the lyrics? Oh @motswolo let me tell you you are an incredible lyricist. If I remember properly at the start it said something like "I'm sorry I'm not a professional lyricist so my lyrics might not be really good". Like, are you sure? Have you checked? Because I went expecting something mid and I discovered masterpieces. Okay, I'll stop yapping now cause tbh I could talk about it all day.

Now if any of you care, I'll go reread tcoptp :)

[tinesleftnipple]

JITD Episode 21 (non-final) script synopsis

Episode 16

Episode 17

Episode 18

Episode 19

Episode 20

"Honest Exchange"

[this one is a really long read]

LWZ sitting alone in the study. He's staring at the corner of the paper hidden under the computer desk.

Pei su steps out from the dark stairway. He looks up at the warm light pouring out from LWZ's window, tightens his coat around him, and walks out. Pei su sends a text to Du jia, and sits on the edge of a flowerbed. His pants are a little short, revealing his pale ankles in the cold. On LWZ's bed lies the ugly flower pattern long underwear.

Pei su looks up at the moon. Flashback to when he was sitting here as a child. With frozen shivering fingers, young Pei su closes the lid of the shoebox with yiguo inside and hugs it close to his body. 2 boys walk past and the younger one complains about the cold. The older one stoops down and fixes his hat, then brings his hand into his own pocket. The younger boy asks the older to piggyback him and the gege does. Young Pei su watches them walk away, then looks down and hugs yiguo tighter.

Pei su blows on his hands to try to warm it, just like in the flashback. He smiles a deprecating smile. Du jia arrives and asks if Pei su got caught being a spy. A blinding light shines through the rearview mirror. Du jia steps on the brakes, and the car behind them drives past to block their way. LWZ steps out and stands there with his arms crossed.

Pei su walks up to LWZ and says coldly, "stopping your subordinate's car in the middle of the night, are you not finished with your lecture?"

Du jia gets off the car and LWZ ignores Pei su's jab and instead asks about Du jia. Du jia tells him he is like Pei su's excavator. LWZ turns to ask Pei su if this is the doraemon he was talking about. Pei su: ....

Pei su turns and looks at Du jia's little round hands, seeming to realize they do look a bit like doraemon, he lets out a small laugh. Just like that the ice between them is broken. Du jia looks around in confusion.

LWZ walks over and grabs Pei su's bag from the car, then walks back to his car. Sensing Pei su did not follow, he says without looking back, "aren't you cold, time to go home"

Pei su seems to be stunned by "home", then lightly follows behind.

In LWZ's living room. LWZ pushes a cup of hot milk in front of Pei su.

[the rest is really long dialogue because I tried to translate word for word - this is the part I cried LOL]

It is morning. SID arrive at Yufen. They take WWC and Liang youjing.

Outside in the courtyard there is an evergreen. A student receives a public message from ZYF. ZYF voiceover: I wrote this letter today to tell everyone the truth of what has been happening within these walls...

In the interrogation room, XXN, alone, stares silently at a picture of Feng bin. ZYF voiceover: I was terrified, so I covered my eyes and pretended not to see. I covered my ears and pretended not to hear...

Wang xiao is sitting on her bed, crying silently. ZYF voiceover: but now, I cannot keep covering my mouth...

ZYF is still typing. ZYF voiceover: I want to say, we were all at fault...

Feng bin's home. Shot of Feng bin's photo. ZYF voiceover: every one of us should apologize to him. Even though i know...

Black screen. ZYF voiceover: everything is too late.

At SID. Wang xiao's parents refuse to let Wang xiao come in to talk to the police. Lang qiao empathizes and understands how Wang xiao wouldn't want to speak about her experience. Pei su offers to go talk to her.

XHY waits for LWZ in his office. He wrote a repentance letter but LWZ rejects it and tells him to go home. WWC arrives at SID and Pei su take XHY out to go visit Wang xiao.

In the car, Pei su asks about Gu zhao. XHY describes the Gu zhao in his memories. XHY apologizes for what he said yesterday. Pei su understands he was trying to do something for Gu zhao. Pei su: you feel like you can't do anything. When you needed him, he stepped forward, but when he needs you, you have no power to help him. Pei su tells XHY that LWZ did not report him.

They arrive at Wang xiao's home, in a rundown neighborhood. They live a frugal life to save up to send Wang xiao to school abroad. Pei su and XHY knock at her door and tell her to call them when she's ready to talk. They wait outside where she can see them from her window.

The phone rings. Pei su asks why she decided to run away with them. Is the same conscience telling her to expose the culprits? Wang xiao breaks down and reveals she's heard of Lu guosheng. She overheard Liang youjing in the bathroom mentioning Lu guosheng at WWC's birthday party.

Pei su asks where the birthday party took place. Wang xiao doesn't know, only recalls that one of the girls mentioned the "Fo tiao qiang" dish not being authentic there. Hearing this, Pei su knows the exact restaurant.

Wang xiao says in a shaking voice that she feels useless and asks if she's better off dead. XHY says he has always had a strange personality and no friends. Even as a police he doesn't have the strength to catch a thief. But he still wants to keep trying. Maybe one day it will get better... who knows?

Wang xiao sniffles through the phone. Pei su tells her she can call this phone whenever she wants to make the bad people pay, and he will take her to SID.

[eternalstarrlight]

Unfinished

(An Elriel story idea I've had since last year.<3 I figured I'd try to finish spiffing it up and go ahead and share it for Elriel Month. It doesn't really coincide with any of the prompts, but I hope ya'll like it!)

~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~

Author's Note: Please keep comments and interactions respectful, I know there is a lot of debate of who will lead the next ACOTAR book, as well as who the couple will be. If you don't like Elriel as a ship, that is totally fine, you are entitled to your opinion, just as I, and others are. Scroll or read on, the option is yours!

Thank you for those who stay and read this lovely little thing I wrote :)

I do not own ACOTAR, nor any of it's affiliated characters, this is merely fanfiction to enjoy and gush over.<3

~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~

Birdsong floated through the open windows of the kitchens as a pair of arms slipped around Elain's waist. An answering smile bloomed across her lips, knowing full well who stood behind her. "I'm busy right now, you know," she teased playfully to her captor, even as her body relaxed into the familiar embrace.

"I can see that," a soft male voice returned, sending shivers down her spine. A pleasant hum escaped her, just as he asked, "What are you making today?"

"Fruit pastries," she supplied, lifting her hands to showcase the flour coating her palms. A faint puff of white powder clouded the air as she made a gesture to the dough waiting to be rolled out.

"Sounds delicious," he murmured into the golden waves of her half-unbound hair. "Though," a subtle growl entering his voice, "there are a few things I'd say are even more so." The words danced along her skin as he nipped her ear, nose trailing down the column of her throat.

Red stained her cheeks as she craned her head back to look at him. "Az," she softly admonished. But that beautiful face held no remorse, only a carelessly splayed grin and a mischievous twinkle that lit up those hazel eyes of his.

An unspoken promise of things to come.

Her breath caught, and she swallowed hard. "I have to finish this," her whispered words were half-hearted. She knew he knew that, heard it in her voice, as the the green hues in those hazel eyes deepened, flaring with a mixture of heat and amusement.

"By all means, finish." The words came out like a dare, a temptation... because they both knew, it wouldn't take much convincing to get her to abandon the task entirely.

Her breathing grew shallow, and his smirk stretched wider. Oh yes, he knew exactly what he was doing to her.

She couldn't seem to tear her gaze from him as he teased, leaning his head in even closer, "What are you waiting for?" His breath a caress against her cheek as her eyes drew half-mast.

"You should hurry," his voice deepening, "there's something I need to finish as well." Azriel's fingers began making small, tantalizing swirls across her stomach, and she bit her lip, not missing how his eyes lowered, drawn to—

"Elain." She heard her name as if from a great distance. Odd, she thought, confusion knitting her brow, Azriel's mouth hadn't opened.

"Elain." It came again, and she blinked hard, her surroundings slowly coming into focus, as if waking from a dream.

She was still in the kitchens, hands covered in dough and flour... but the winged male who'd stood behind her just moments ago was now nowhere to be seen.

"Are you alright?" Nuala's concerned voice drifted through the fog of Elain's thoughts. "I've been calling your name for over five minutes."

She blinked again, realization crashing over her.

Everything that'd just occurred... had only been in her mind. It wasn't real... had never been real... just a mere figment of her imagination.

Her heart squeezed painfully at the undeniable truth...

He was never here.

The sudden screaming of the kettle jolted her. "I'm sorry," Elain finally responded, finding her voice, "I guess I was lost in my thoughts."

"It's fine," her friend said, worry still written on her face, and Elain could tell that Nuala knew it was a pitiful half-truth, that there was indeed something more going on behind Elain's lack of response, her brief lapse from reality.

And of course there was. Elain had been having random daydreams like this for weeks now... Usually rare, scattered here and there, short and fractured, consisting of an image, a sound, a few seconds of dialogue. But there had been other ones recently. Longer ones, that were so immersive they seemed to pull her from reality and into the world of dreams. It'd have terrified her, if she hadn't already lived through something similar two years prior.

And yet, she struggled to figure out what it all meant. The fractured images, the waking visions... Perhaps it was her powers reawakening, forcing her to acknowledge them... or maybe she really was losing herself to madness... or maybe...

She huffed a sigh... maybe it was simply her own foolish heart stirring up those secret, tucked away desires of hers. Her mind colluding with said heart to conjure up impossible, forbidden fantasies just to plague her.

"If you need a break," Cerridwen interjected from her place at the stove, "we can finish this."

"Oh no," Elain said quickly, beginning to knead the dough again. "I can finish—"

She trailed off, mind flashing to Azriel's previous words, You should hurry, there's something I need to finish as well.

She gasped, flushing to the tips of her ears.

Elain wrenched her hands from the dough in front of her. "You're right," she consented half-breathlessly to the twins. "I think I need a break... and fresh air."

Without waiting for a response, she frantically wiped her hands on her apron, yanking it off and tossing it on the nearest counter before fleeing the room.

Before she could properly consider where to go, she found herself already making her way toward the gardens. Somehow, it always felt easier to breathe there amongst the earth and flowers.

Feet trailing the well-worn path, she decided she'd check on the new rose bushes she'd put in, if there were any new buds needing tended to.

Thankfully, the summer heat had tempered off the last few days, the evenings akin to dipping one's feet into a cool riverbed. She was especially grateful for that now, as the breeze that'd settled in felt like a much-needed balm against her overly warm skin.

The tenseness in her body loosened as she entered the color splashed greenery of the gardens. She let her fingers trail over furling leaves and various flower petals as she pivoted around meticulously trimmed hedges and made her way to where the roses were planted.

A smile claimed her lips as she rounded the last corner, eagerness to assess the flowers dousing the last remnant of her spiraling thoughts regarding the occurrence in the kitchens. But before she knew what was happening, she ran straight into something.

No... someone.

Elain gasped at the impact, head jerking up at the same time she noticed hands at her shoulders. Hands that caught her before she'd slammed fully into the person they belonged to. Hands that were adorned with faded scars... hands that she longingly wished to feel against her skin...

She'd recognize those hands anywhere.

Azriel.

She stilled at the sight of him, blinking several times, questioning if she was seeing things. She had to be, right? She knew he wasn't here, couldn't be here... he'd left two days ago on a mission and wouldn't return until tomorrow.

Irritation instantly flooded her, hand-in-hand with frustration at herself for her mind summoning him once again. She jerked back from his hold. She had to put a stop to this, had to try to grasp some semblance of reality and cling to it for as long as she could.

So, she did the only reasonable thing she could do.

"You!" She pointed a finger at him, some residue flour dusting out from her hand, "Go away." As if her command was enough to banish the apparition before her.

The male in question blinked, obviously taken aback by her display, "I'm sorry?" Confusion laced his tone, his usually absent shadows making an appearance to twirl around his towering wings.

"You should be," she scowled, not bothering to hold back her ire. "Stop following me around," the words coming out as a hiss.

His cheeks darkened with color as those mesmerizing hazel eyes grew wide, his elusive companions pausing as if to study her. "Elain," despite the apprehension she heard, the sound of her name on his lips made her heart quicken. "Are you alright?" He inquired, instinctively shifting toward her, those magnificent wings fluttering a bit.

At his question, a bewildered laugh escaped her before she threw all rationality to the wind. "Alright? Alright!?" She choked over the word, half-hysterical. "No, I'm not alright, and do you know why?" She didn't give him time to respond. "All you do is ignore me... well, the real you... it's like I don't even exist to him anymore. And now, I keep seeing you," she flung a hand over at him, "dream you, everywhere."

"Can I not have some peace?" Desperation leaking into her voice, "I know my mind's probably just over-compensating for me missing you after months of tactical evasion. But do you know how utterly torturous it is to constantly see you, only to wake and discover everything wasn't real?" Tears misted her eyes for a moment before she wiped them away.

"This has to stop," she stated firmly after taking a calming breath, "it's getting out of hand. Last week it was the library when Lucien was visiting—" Had she imagined it, or did Azriel flinch? "—then it was in town while I was shopping with Feyre, and now..." She swallowed as she remembered the ordeal in the kitchens, the other times hadn't been like that... so intimate and... a soft pink warmed her cheeks, "If you don't stop... appearing... people are going to believe I'm going mad!"

A whirlwind of emotions twisted his features, too many for her to identify them all. But she did see his concern... sadness... frustration... a flash of anger... At her? She wasn't sure. But she knew that face well enough to know that he looked tormented by what she'd said, like he was warring with himself over his next action.

Then, without a word, he took a step forward.

And for some inexplicable reason, perhaps it was sheer desperation to wash that look from his face, she threw up a hand for him to stop and blurted, "Whoa, if you think you're 'finishing' what you began in the kitchens, think again."

He froze in place, face carefully blank, staring at her. The same way she'd imagine he'd stare if she'd declared she was to marry the High Lord of Spring and she was departing this very hour.

She snorted at the thought and crossed her arms, at least that look was gone, "You know, you always disappear when—"

"What happened in the kitchen?" He abrupted asked, cutting her off.

Elain's face burned as heat suffused her cheeks. He wanted her to say it? But instead she said, "Don't you know?"

Silence was her only answer.

Her mouth dropped open with bafflement. He didn't remember. She scoffed, offended. The audacity. Her doe brown eyes narrowed, "If you've forgotten so easily, then it doesn't bear repeating... much less, doing."

She pivoted on her heel, planning to stalk away as she muttered under her breath, "I can't believe—"

"Wait!" Azriel called out, closing the distance to gingerly snatch her arm, halting her departure.

She spun around, exasperation threading her voice, "What do you want?"

His eyes searched hers, darting back and forth. His stare so deep and intense, she found it hard to breathe.

She inhaled slowly, before purposefully arching a golden-brown brow at the male. For a moment, she felt a little bit like Nesta.

"This isn't a dream," the words came out soft as he finally spoke. "I'm really here. Now. With you."

Her face contorted, perplexation pinching her forehead.

"Nonsense," she murmured, scanning him, "you're not supposed to be back yet..." She trailed off, recalling how they said you could pinch yourself to know if you were dreaming. But she knew she was dreaming, she had to be... so she tried a different approach.

Without warning, she lifted her hands, abruptly capturing Azriel's cheeks between her palms to squish his face.

Pure, undiluted shock rippled over his features, and she had the sudden urge to laugh at his expression.

And before she could restrain it, a giggle slipped out, and then another, and another. She couldn't help herself as the laughter poured out of her at how ridiculous he looked.

She was practically cackling with the delight of a madwoman when there was a loud clearing of a throat.

Synonymously, both their heads whipped toward the sound, discovering Rhysand standing a few feet away. "May I ask what exactly is going on here?" The High Lord not seeming too pleased by the scene playing out before him.

It was in that moment, Elain knew, she knew that what Azriel had said was true. This wasn't a dream, it was real, and she'd just—

She tore her hands away from Azriel's cheeks as she stuttered, "We— I—" Her gaze jerked back to the Shadowsinger's, taking in the vague handprint-shaped flour smears on either side of his face. Her own blooming bright red before draining of color, "I'm so sorry."

She retreated back a step, and then another, almost into the aster blossoms behind her.

"Elain," Azriel offered gently, almost consolingly, as he stretched a hand toward her... as if hoping to keep her there.

Her brown eyes were impossibly wide as she gave a slight shake of her head, like a deer caught before a predator.

"Well?" That commanding voice of night came again, startling her. She peeked over at Rhys nervously, having temporarily forgotten his presence, before re-meeting Azriel's gaze for a fleeting moment. Just a moment, before, just like a deer, she spun and darted off, lifting her skirts indecently high to sprint through the foliage and flowers.

"Elain, wait!" Azriel yelled after her, "We're not finished!"

Heart in her throat, her stomach flipped at the familiar words, but she didn't dare glance back over her shoulder, didn't dare cease her full-out run. But if she had, she would've seen that the tortured look had returned to Azriel's face... Would've noticed the scowl painted over Rhysand's as he stared at Azriel... noted the tattooed hand that held him back from pursuing her.

Even so, Azriel's words followed her on the wind, and she knew he was right. There was much left unfinished between them, and they could only run away from that for so long.