#frozen smut: royalty

[leaves-of-laurelin]

Make Me Forget

a kristanna modern royal au

Link to AO3

Anna needs a distraction, Kristoff is ready to give her anything she needs.

@kristanna-days

[heesdreamer]

skin on skin

PAIRING ➩ jake x reader

GENRE ➩ religious corruption au, church boy jake au, evil reader

WARNINGS ➩ heavy criticism of religion in an extreme exaggerated manner, manipulation, multiple smut scenes, the mc is straight up mean and evil and says mean things all the time lol. parental and spousal abuse… think that’s it maybe lol it’s an intense read

WC ➩ 20.4k (😵‍💫)

AUTHORS NOTE ➩ the spacing is a bit weird because apparently this exceeded the length amount in tumblr… i don’t care about your think pieces on religion or the way it’s discussed in this so please don’t try to educate me on the actual ways of christianity! it’s a story! that being said this is in no way making a mockery of jake and his religion. this is my favorite story ive ever done and i had a good time writing it which is rare lately so i really hope you enjoy it and if you make it to the end let me know what you think! hope you like it as much as i do

It wasn’t like you came out of the womb with horns and a little forked tail.

The nurses didn’t scream in terror and your mother didn’t faint at the sight of you, it wasn’t some grand discovery that anybody could see or anybody could plan for.

You made it through your formative years relatively normal, or at least as normal as you could be considering who your father was. But it wasn’t until middle school when you realized how different kids would treat you because of this.

Those were your favorite years you could remember. The half decade before anybody cared, or knew enough to care, what it meant for you to be who you were. Then you were old enough to have consciousness and design your own set of morals, something all the parents in your town dreaded.

Your town was barely that, more so a few neighborhoods sprawled across barren lands with more fields and trees than concrete and signs of the modern world that had seemingly developed everywhere, except for where you’d been born.

Sometimes you wondered if you’d been cursed to stay here forever. It seemed like everybody who was born here, died here, but unlike you they all seemed pretty content with this fact. Proud even, the elders stating the amount of years and generations they’d own their rusty old homes like it didn’t create a nasty pit in your stomach.

Time was frozen and the world had moved on, leaving all 2,000 of you behind to die and birth and die again until eventually the last generation killed themselves off in an act of sympathy, a mercy slaughter.

It was probably immoral to be thinking about your entire town dying whilst in church. But you didn’t think much about the implication of having sinful thoughts anywhere, regardless of how many crosses were currently burning stares into your back.

More than 70% of your life was spent inside these four walls, on this exact weathered seat on this same old pew.

See, when turned 12 years old and the kids at school made you aware of the fact your dad was the lead preacher at the only church in town, you figured this made you some sort of royalty.

Not once did you feel the overwhelming holy presence of god that everybody else seemed to be experiencing everyday after school and work when you all settled in together to listen to your fathers teachings.

You’d sit with a scowl on your face, turning around in the front row pew reserved for the preachers family and you’d observe the people around you. You knew everybody in your town, some more than others, but you always thought people looked different when they prayed.

The nice man who worked at the grocery store looked far more guilty and weathered with his eyes closed and the angry woman two blocks away who yelled at the kids riding their bikes too close to her sprinklers, looked peaceful like she was talking to an old friend.

Your mother would hiss under her breath in an attempt to catch your attention, sending soft pinches to your thighs until you’d begrudgingly turn back in your seat and plop down in your puffy dress, tuning out the sound of your fathers loud voice.

Looking back on it now, your mother seemed to notice the dark parts of you brewing before you even did. The two of you never saw eye to eye and despite the fact you were her only child, much to her dismay considering they tried for years after your birth to have another but to no avail, she never treated you with any sort of motherly warmth or kindness.

She’d glare at you from across the dinner table while her and your father conjoined hands and thanked the lord for the meal that your mother had cooked. You’d started to sit on your hands at dinner when you were 7 years old and what once was a cute misbehaving habit quickly became the warning sign of your future endeavors.

Still, part of being the preachers family was playing an act. So you’d all get up early in the mornings and wordlessly move around the house like the backstage of a play, dressing the part and giving bright smiles to each family that walked through the doorway on Sunday morning.

Your mother would stand behind you with a long stretched out smile, hands on your thin shoulders as she dug her nails down every time she felt you tense up at a greeting.

Then you were 16 and for the first time in your life, you heard her voice the thing you’d always assumed she believed. You stood in the hallway in your nightgown, standing stiff as a board to avoid the creaking wood of your old house, peering around a dimly lit corner to hear your parents conversation more clearly.

“She hasn’t done anything wrong Mary.” Your fathers rough low voice was flowing in your direction, sounding tired and agitated. You could vaguely hear the sounds of his rough hands rubbing over his unshaven scruff in frustration.

“She will.” Your mother sounded panicked and alert, desperate for him to understand her case. “I can’t explain it but she has this darkness in her, I’ve felt it ever since I was pregnant.”

Your breath caught in your throat as they spoke, understanding now they were referring to you. You were only slightly surprised, no grand feelings of fear or betrayal arising.

That nights conversation had ended with your mother in a fit of tears and your father uttering words of reassurance in an attempt to calm her down as you used the sounds of her loud sobs to sneak back to your room, getting under the covers and blowing out the candles by the time your father was opening your door to insure you were in bed.

He’d stood there for a few minutes, the door cracked with his hand on the knob. Do this day you wondered what he was waiting for. Maybe he was expecting you to talk in your sleep or he was trying to get some sense of the evil your mother was spewing about, but eventually you heard his tired sigh and the door shutting.

It’d been three years now since that conversation and you still hadn’t fully understood the evil your mother was referring to. You didn’t believe in god, that much had been clear to you from a very early age but you didn’t believe in the devil either.

You didn’t feel things maybe you should be feeling, sadness when an elder passed away unexpectedly or happiness when a new baby was born into the community. You didn’t feel pain when your mother shot you looks of disgust and you only felt slight jolts of satisfaction when she leapt in fear every time you entered a quiet room.

The seed of evil that was apparently inside of you never bloomed, no matter how much you waited for its arrival.

Until the day the Sim’s arrived to town.

It was extremely rare for somebody to move out of your hometown, and you’d been instructed to never speak about the families that left, to let yourself forget their names and faces. Forget any interaction you’d had with them now that they were gone.

But you’d never once contemplated the fact that it was possible to move here willingly. It hadn’t occurred to you that somebody would choose this place to live and that they’d be allowed to stay peacefully, and especially not given a grand welcome.

So you felt yourself uncharacteristically thrown off guard as you found yourself at church on a Saturday, typically your only day you weren’t required to be here. You’d spend these days down by the creek or riding around the abandoned section of town on your bike, trying to find something interesting to see.

As you stood near the stage, where your fathers podium was perfectly centered and polished, greeting the usual faces with a forced smile, your eyes landed on the most interesting sight you’d ever seen.

The Sim’s were a direct mirror of your family as they stood in front of you. Only three of them, a tall man giving your father a sturdy handshake and laughing like old friends and a small meek woman who was holding your mothers hand in both of hers, a thankful smile on her face.

Placed directly in front of you was a boy, seemingly your age, shifting back and forth on his feet as he waited for you to initiate any form of greeting.

There was people your age in town, your graduating class held 25 kids and over half of them were girls, daughters that were considered blessings for their special ability to continue on your towns population. You’d met boys, few handsome but handsome none the less but nobody who looked like the one standing in front of you.

He was taller than you, peering down at you from behind thin framed glasses and about double your width. You imagined you were hidden behind his shoulders to the view of the people stood in line behind him, waiting to greet your family.

His skin was tanned, something that you imagined wouldn’t last long considering you weren’t sure your town was blessed by the sun at all, almost constantly grey and dreary looking even in the peak of summer.

You took your time observing the boy, not feeling any sense of urgency at the knowledge people were watching and waiting, not even at the fact your mother was stood directly next to you and you could feel her stare on the side of your face. Her loss of attention seemed to make the boys mother nervous and she placed her hands on his shoulders.

“And this is our son, Jake.” She was chirping out and you almost wanted to laugh at how desperate she seemed to impress your family. The boy, Jake, was looking at you still for a second before his eyes shot to your mother and he gave her a nervous smile. “He’s shy at first but he’s a very good boy.”

His eyes flicked back over to yours as she spoke and your mouth quirked up in a small smile, finally sticking out your hand in offering to him.

You felt a strange feeling build up inside you, splattering against your ribs and painting your insides with something deep and powerful. As you held his hand in yours, your eyes caught onto your mothers and you could see the fear crossing over her expression at her own realization.

“Hi Jake.”

And the seed bloomed.

——

It wasn’t more than 30 seconds after your father finished his last word, the remains of it still echoing throughout the room underneath the chorus of ‘amen’s, that your mother was gripping your arm and dragging you back into his office space.

She closed the door swiftly and you yanked your arm out of her grip with a scowl, staring at her for an explanation about her sudden behavior despite having a slight inkling of what she was about to say to you.

“You can’t.” She spoke vaguely, an angry desperation in her voice like you were a feral dog with a hungry look in its eye.

“What are you talking about?” You lowered your agitation, doing your best impression of a confused and fearful daughter. She scoffed at your expression and held a hand to her mouth like she was genuinely amazed at your audacity.

“You leave that boy alone Y/N, or so help me God.” She was shaking her head at you and you felt a surge of annoyance at her tone, her voice shaky and weak.

You thought she was slightly pathetic. She’d spent her entire life treating you like the devil, implying your evil and avoiding you at all cost but the second you finally start to understand her concern and she’s immediately turned to pleading and bargaining. There was no fun in this for you.

Soft knocks against the door caught her attention and she looked over your shoulder, trying to ignore the fact you were still staring at her and not bothering to turn and face whoever had entered.

“Go home and get dinner started.” Your fathers voice was entering the room now in a hushed whisper, like somebody was still outside behind him. “We are going to have a welcome meal with the new residents.”

Your mothers eyes shot back in your direction at his words, like she was begging you to remember her previous warning and you offered her a small smirk before turning to face your father with a toothy grin, expression changing now.

“Of course father, whatever you need.”

——

You’d ignored your mothers glare the entire time you worked on dinner together, setting the table casually and changing into a less formal dress that gained a thumbs up of approval from your father.

When the Sim’s arrived, you greeted them similarly to how you did at church except your mother made sure to shake Jake’s hand for a prolonged amount of time so you couldn’t, only breaking apart when your father cleared his throat and ushered you all towards the polished dining room.

He took his seat at the head of the table and you briefly wondered what type of man Jake’s father was. He was larger than your dad, much larger and you noticed a hint of irritation in his face when he took a seat on the side. You imagined he sat similarly to your father at his own house and didn’t find great pleasure in the new arrangement.

There was three seats on each side and your mother had rushed to take a middle seat next to you, attempting to block anybody else from being seated beside you.

However your father cleared his throat subtly and sent the both of you a small glare, confused at the fact she hadn’t adorned her usual seat next to him. You were sure he realized it would be strange for her to sit a seat away from him, making them look distant or troubled.

She sent you a small angry look but shifted over a space so she was now sat in her usual place, leaning an empty chair between the two of you.

An empty chair that was soon taken by Jake, his mother sending him an encouraging smile and giving him a slight nudge in your direction. You remembered what she said about him being shy, not hiding the fact she was trying to create a friendship between the two of you.

His mothers face angered you more than your own. She was small and weak looking, constantly smiling with wide eyes like she was waiting to drop into a conversation at any time to force a connection, yet she rarely did throughout dinner. For the most part she stayed silent, nodding along obediently every time her husband spoke.

So you kept your attention on the boy for the most part, figuring the adults were too busy kissing eachothers ass’s to care about what the two silent teenagers were doing at the end of the table.

You knew he could feel the way you were watching him, sending you small glances out of the side of his eye and shifting uncomfortably in his seat every time he realized you were still looking.

He really was handsome you were deciding. You’d never really paid attention to boys before, understanding the difference between being attractive and not but it didn’t have any affect on you. You liked the slope of his nose and the way his throat bobbed with every nervous gulp he took.

Your father was seemingly noticing your mutual disinterest in the conversation, you watching Jake and him watching his empty plate. “Y/N honey, why don’t you take Jake to your room and show him some of your notes on our latest teachings.”

Both of your heads turned towards him as he said this, your eyes lighting up with excitement and Jake’s widening slightly.

“Oh..” His mother was starting and you resisted the urge to glare in her direction. “Jake isn’t… he’s never..”

Jake’s father sent her a sharp look and she snapped her mouth shut immediately, looking away from him. Your excitement only doubled as you realized she wasn’t comfortable leaving her son alone with a girl, leading you to believe he never had been before.

“Of course father.” You smiled at him softly, standing and flattening out your dress in a prudish manner. Jake glanced in your direction as you stood, clumsily rising out of his own chair as you headed up the stairs and down the hall to your room.

He followed wordlessly behind, still not speaking even when you stood in the doorway and let him awkwardly squeeze past you so he was stood stiffly in the center of your room. You closed the door behind you and he froze, eyes widening again.

“What are you doing?” His voice was high with worry and you realized it was your first time hearing him speak.

“What are you talking about?” You played dumb as you observed him, walking backwards until your legs hit your bed and you could sit carefully. He stayed standing as he watched you with confusion and worry.

“Mother says not to close doors.” He was shaking his head and it looked like he wanted to go and open it himself. He didn’t move however and you leaned back to rest on your hand, cocking your head in his direction.

“Do you always do what mommy says?” You questioned.

His eyebrows furrowed slightly at your condescending tone. You’d seemed nice enough at church and dinner, not speaking much but polite to your parents whenever you did. He was suddenly worried he had angered you.

“I guess she did say you were a good boy.” You quoted what his mother had said when she introduced him, voice carrying a faint mocking tone as you spoke.

He didn’t say anything after you said that, just standing there looking at you like you were some form of animal he’d never seen before. And maybe he hadn’t you were beginning to think, his speech was structured and tight like he was reciting lines and you were curious if he’d ever had a conversation with somebody his own age.

Your hand reached over to pat the bed next to you, raising an eyebrow at him and urging him to sit.

He watched you with that same look for a few seconds before looking back at the door like he was contemplating how fast he’d have to bolt out of it before you could sink your claws into him. He seemed to decide it wasn’t worth it, crossing the room and sitting down as far away from you as he could possibly get.

“Where’d you come from?” You didn’t plan to say that but the curiosity was driving you crazy, not quite understanding how he could be so sheltered.

“A village not far from here.” He was eventually answering with a soft shrug. He was sat perfectly straight on your bed, posture making him look even taller than he already was considering you were still leaned back on your palm.

You should’ve figured he was from a village, suddenly understanding why his mother was practically a house wife from the 1800’s and his dad looked relatively similar to a lumberjack.

“No girls at your village?” You were watching the side of his face as you questioned him, growing slightly agitated that he wasn’t looking at you. “Jake.”

He turned his face towards you when you addressed him, eyes widening like he was worried you were going to scold him from the sound of your stern call.

“I asked you a question.” When he didn’t immediately answer you assumed he hadn’t heard you, repeating yourself. “Was there no girls where you’re from?”

He was shaking his head swiftly, looking at his hands and then back towards you. “None like..”

“None like me?” You interrupted him as he started to trail off and your lips quirked into a smile. “So no pretty girls then.”

He frowned as you hummed and nodded your head like you’d made sense of what he was trying to say. He didn’t look like even he understood what the things you were saying meant and you almost pitied him as you slowly unlocked the full extent of his naivety.

“You’ve probably never even held hands with a girl right?” You kept your tone sweet despite your intentions.

He looked like he only slightly relaxed at your change of tone, glancing at you as he shook his head as a way to answer your question. He didn’t understand why you wanted to know this.

You were sitting back up straight, off your hands, and leaning sideways to get closer to him. He watched you with panicked eyes as you reached down near his lap and took his hand in yours, similarly to how you shook it at the church but the tension in the room was a direct opposite.

He made a strange noise when you touched him, a semi squeak at the suddenness of your contact and you smiled at him, scooting closer so you weren’t awkwardly stretching your arm in his direction.

“How does it feel?” You murmured, fighting the urge to lean against him and whisper in his ear. You didn’t want to scare him off just yet.

“I don’t think I should be in here.” He was shaking his head as he spoke and staring down at your conjoined hands or maybe the floor past them. They were resting in his lap, the back of your hand on his right thigh.

You frowned softly although he wasn’t looking at you, trying to keep up with your act. He seemed to be more pliant earlier when he thought he had upset you. “Jake.”

He glanced at you as you said his name, just like he had before, and his gaze looked guilty when he noticed the frown on your face. You squeezed his hand to try to bring his attention back to the fact you were touching him but he shook his head again.

“I really need to go Y/N.” He was still trying to sound polite despite his obvious discomfort and you almost smiled at the innocence of that.

“You don’t want me to touch you?” You let a small whine sink into your tone, really trying to drive home the idea that he was upsetting you and you felt him squeeze your hand absentmindedly.

He didn’t reply after you said that and the room fell into a strange silence. Then he was sending a heavy glance in your direction and your mouth parted in realization, understanding his inner monologue by the thick amount of guilt in his expression.

“You do want me to touch you.” You let your smile show now, not finding any reason to hide it now that he clearly took your bait. He squeezed his eyes shut as you said this and shook his head again, his hair messy now and falling into his face.

“What’s wrong Jake?” You were almost cooing at him, your hand sliding out of his and up his wrist, in result the back of your hand going further up his thigh. You kneaded at his wrist bone and he grunted at the almost painful sensation. “It’s just skin.”

He looked at you with a frustrated expression, holding eye contact for a few seconds much to your surprise. You were almost worried he was going to cry. You didn’t mind it personally, if anything you were thinking about how pretty he’d look with watery eyes and a red nose, but you imagined it would cause some level of concern with the parents.

So you released your grip on his wrist, taking your hand back and placing it on your own lap. You were still sitting far too close to him but he visibly relaxed at the lack of touch, however slightly confused why you had backed off.

Almost like the world had been paused for the entirety of your conversation and now played again, a soft knock on your door caused you to leap away from him and grab the bible your father insisted was kept on your nightstand at all times.

You were relieved to see his face when the door opened, knowing your mother would have most likely immediately sniff out what you’d been doing. Or at least attempting to do.

Your father looked between the two of you and the large space, nodding in approval when you flashed him a smile and opened to a random page in the book. He didn’t seem to notice how tense Jake was or the fact your door had been closed in the first place.

“Your parents are leaving Jake. You can stay a bit longer if you two are having fun.” Your father was saying in a welcoming voice but Jake was hopping off your bed before he even had a chance to finish.

“No, sir. Thank you but I really should get home and finish unpacking.” He was stumbling over his words and awkwardly shifting in place, waiting for your dad to move out of the doorway so he could make his escape.

Your dad shot you a confused look over Jake’s shoulder and you gave him a small shrug, fighting the urge to smile.

——

Guilt was eating Jake alive the entire ride home. He wasn’t quite sure what he had necessarily done wrong, what level of sin he had just committed, but his mother kept shooting him disappointed looks in the mirror.

“Will you stop looking at the boy like that.” His fathers gruff voice was mumbling from the drivers seat and his mom snapped her eyes back to the front window obediently. “It’ll be good for him to make a friend.”

“What type of girl leads a boy to her bedroom?” He was surprised his mother had spoken again, especially in the harsh tone she was using. She must’ve been angry enough at you and your behavior to forget the fear she held for Jake’s father.

He felt a bit strange as she said that. You were definitely weird and had made Jake feel something he’d never experienced, and he positively wanted to leave your room as quick as possible but he didn’t think you deserved such a mean comment.

He continued to feel strange for the rest of the night.

Jake laid in bed, hours past his usual bed time, and replayed your interaction in his head. Every time he got to the part where you grabbed his wrist in your tight hold, he squeezed his eyes shut and asked god to forgive him.

He could feel his stomach light up when he thought about your hand on his pants and he wanted to dig his nails into the skin as a self punishment for the thoughts brewing in his head, thoughts he had never had before and didn’t understand.

Rolling over in his bed, stomach to the mattress, he stuffed his face into his pillow and cried softly until he eventually fell asleep.

——

You felt giddy in the church pew the next morning after seeing Jake walk in with his parents. You immediately knew your plan had worked judging by his puffy face and swollen eyes. He’d clearly gotten no sleep and you could take a strong guess at the reason why.

A sick part of you was ecstatic at the fact you had something to do, something that actually managed to catch your interest.

If all it took to keep Jake up all night was you touching his hand, than you were preparing for more fun than you originally thought.

The morning had gone routinely as you remained in your seat for the entire sermon, not spinning around to try to catch a look at the boy despite the urge constantly in the back of your mind. You didn’t focus for a second but you did a solid job pretending until you heard a hushed voice behind you excusing themself.

You snuck a glance back to see Jake passing through his pew with muttered apologies and thanks to the people he was passing, smiling softly at them.

You watched him exit the pew and make his way down the main aisle, no doubt heading towards the bathroom hall since it was the only other part of the building outside of your fathers head office. You let him disappear from your sight and counted to 30 before abruptly standing and following his path before your mother could grab your hand in denial.

By the time you made it to the hall, Jake was exiting the bathroom with damp hands and a few wet strands of hair like he had splashed his face in an attempt to wake up.

His eyes widened when he saw you approaching and he glanced behind him like he was considering disappearing back into the bathroom so you couldn’t say anything to him. You smiled at this but didn’t move closer to him, leaning against the wall.

“What are you doing?” He watched you with careful eyes, not quite sure what you wanted.

You shrugged and furrowed your eyebrows. “What are you doing? You look tired, did you not get any sleep?”

He didn’t say anything as he looked at you, eyes heavy and guilty again like he was afraid you could read his mind. Unlucky for him, you didn’t have to read his mind to know what was happening in it.

“Were you thinking about me?” You pushed forward on his suspicions when he didn’t respond to you, tilting your head as you looked at him.

He didn’t respond again, letting out a small tired exhale before leaning against the wall opposite of you. The hallway was tensioned despite not being close enough to touch even if you stretched your arm out.

“I was thinking about you.” You suddenly confessed in an attempt to catch his interest or potentially get him to lower his walls enough for a solid conversation. It seemed to work considering his head was snapping up and he was looking at you with wide questioning eyes. “Is thinking a sin?”

He watched you for a few seconds, slightly embarrassed that you had somehow realized what his inner dilemma lead back to.

“Yes.” He answered matter of factly and you let out a small laugh.

You observed the way his lips awkwardly quirked up, like he was pleased he made you laugh despite being dead serious in his answer. His smile pulled at his cheeks for a second and you liked the way he nervously wiped his sweaty hands on his pants.

“What… what were you thinking about?” He squeezed the words out like they were painful after a silence fell between the two of you. You felt a bud of satisfaction at the fact he’d been curious enough to ask.

“Touching you.” You shrugged like it was a casual thing to say, watching his shoulders tense and his mouth part slightly in shock and disapproval.

“My hand?” You were a bit surprised that he asked a follow up question, voice dropping into a scared whisper like he was worried somebody was eavesdropping, maybe he was worried god could hear him.

You were watching him for a few uncomfortable beats, liking the way his cheeks turned red and he kept looking away from your gaze anxiously. Then you were shaking your head to answer his question, taking a step closer to his side of the hall.

His breath hitched as you kept taking small strides in his direction, taking your time with a loose smile on your face like you were out for a casual walk. You stopped next to him, turning and pressing your back against the wall he was leaned on so your shoulders were pressing together.

You wondered if he was planning to hold his breath the entire time you were touching him this time around, his face reddening even though your skin was separated by multiple pieces of thick fabric.

“Would you let me touch you again?” You leaned over slightly so you were closer to his ear, your chin hovering over his shoulder.

“You can’t.” He was immediately denying your request, stiff and agitated sounding. His voice was tight as he spoke like he was having to force the words out. “Please don’t do this.”

“Because you’re a good boy right?” You were even closer now, your lips touching the shell of his ear and he was shuddering against you, a frustrated whine in his throat.

He sent a sharp glare in your direction, at least as sharp as his features could get. You thought he looked cute when he was mad at you, eyes brows furrowed and his glasses sliding to the tip of his nose. Despite the way he was looking at you, he made no attempt to push you away or step apart himself.

“I want you to come to my house after church.” You whispered to him and he didn’t say anything, for once not shaking his head and just looking at you as you spoke your cruel demands. “I’ll tell my dad to talk to your parents about helping you catch up on his teachings.”

He looked amazed at your audacity, to not only lie to your parents but to lie about the lord and the Bible made his stomach turn in disgust.

Still, he almost couldn’t help but to lean his shoulder closer to yours and watch you with wide eyes and a parted mouth. He felt almost transfixed by you and your newness, the unique energy you gave off that made his head spin. He nodded his head slowly and watched you smile.

——

You’d waited for your mother to leave the house, a very rare occurrence for her outside of her weekly bingo nights at the recreational center in town, before you poked your head into your fathers office to request he calls the Sim’s.

You felt strangely jittery as you waited for them to send Jake over. Surprisingly, the Sim’s hadn’t moved into a house that far from you and you imagined he could probably ride a bike to your house in less than twenty minutes if the weather ever allowed it, rainy days an almost constant feature around this time of year.

It was only around half an hour before you heard knocks on the front door, followed by the low tone of your fathers voice and eventually the creaking of the steps as somebody made their way up to your bedroom.

Jake seemed thrown off when he saw you, dressed in far more casual clothes than he’d seen you in so far. He also looked momentarily relieved at the fact your door was wide open and you didn’t make any move to shut it as he crossed into the threshold of your room.

“Hi.” He politely addressed you with a slight bow and wave, avoiding looking at you fully where you sat on the bed. You gave him an incredulous look and sighed before patting the spot next to you.

He looked like he was dreading this but expecting it, only taking a few seconds of hesitation before he was shuffling over and sitting slowly down on your soft bed. You immediately scooted closer to him and grabbed his hand in yours.

His reaction wasn’t as intense as last time although he did immediately stiffen and his eyes snapped wide open, but he didn’t let out a small shriek at the feeling of your touch like he did yesterday.

“Are you going to let me touch you today?” You kept your voice low and he was suddenly very aware of the fact your door was completely open and your father was just a few feet away downstairs.

He slowly looked over at you, peering up from behind his long eyelashes and you wanted to grab his face with your nails. He looked like a puppy who had just done something naughty, big eyes unmoving from nerves as they darted around your face so he could avoid holding your strong gaze.

“This isn’t right.” He whispered back, eyes pleading as they finally locked onto yours. You almost felt sorry for him as he spoke, obviously so desperate to set you back on the right path in life. “Mother said I shouldn’t lay a hand on anybody, not even myself.”

You almost smiled as he said this, pleased at the new information he was unknowingly providing you with.

“It’s just skin.” You were reminding him again, slowly leaning against him so your chest was pressed against the side of his arm. His breath hitched at this and he glanced down at your upper body for a second. “You’ve never touched yourself?”

He shook his head immediately, face annoyed like he was offended you’d even suggest he would do such a thing. You liked that even though he was uncomfortable and denying his thoughts towards you, he still wasn’t seemingly capable of pushing you away. He’d still shown up to your house.

“I touch myself.” You were leaning forward more so you could talk into his ear again. A soft whimper left his throat when your lips grazed his skin again but he didn’t say anything, like he was waiting for you to continue. “On this bed, I touch myself every night.”

It was a slight exaggeration. You hadn’t really felt a strong need to touch yourself ever, never having a subject of attraction that left you longing enough that you’d roll around in bed late at night thinking about it, squeezing your thighs together in frustration.

But you were transfixed by the way he immediately tensed again, glancing back behind you towards where your pillows were and then immediately shooting forward and falling to the cross hanging on the wall in front of you both.

“It’s just skin.” You repeated to him again and he sucked in a shaky breath as you said it, bringing his guilty pained eyes back to you. You almost cooed at him, clicking your tongue and holding his chin softly. He leaned into the touch like he wasn’t meaning to and you wondered how touch starved he must be.

Your hand that wasn’t holding his face fell down to his lap, laying flat and still on his thigh as you let him process what you were doing.

He stiffened again and let out a low troubled groan, shaking his head again at himself. You wondered what he was thinking right now, if he was convinced he was heading straight for hell because of his thoughts alone so maybe it didn’t matter if he let you touch him. Or maybe he was seconds away from bolting downstairs and telling your father about what you’d been attempting to do.

“This isn’t right.” He was whispering and still trying to shake his head the best he could with your grip on his face. His repetition was starting to bug you, suddenly feeling impatient as he still hadn’t taken the bait fully.

“But it feels so good.” You purred into his ear, turning his head back to look at the cross and scooting closer so you were pressed tightly against his side. The sensation of this mixed with your hand on his leg was overwhelming and he felt slightly suffocated. “I want to show you Jake, let me show you how good it feels.”

He didn’t say anything for a few seconds and you considered letting him go, wanting to have him completely might mean waiting some time so you didn’t scare him off.

Then he was surprising you and looking back in your direction, your hand falling to his collarbones instead so he could decide what to do with his head. He gave you a soft nod, looking like he immediately regretted it when you wasted no time, pushing your hand forward onto the center of his pants.

He immediately lurched forward with a loud groan at the feeling of your hand on him and you shushed him softly, using the hand on his face to bring him back up to a sitting position and pet his face lovingly.

“You have to be quiet Jake.” You whispered in his ear and nodded towards your open door. He looked at you with a desperate glance, like he was pleading for you to close it despite his upset at that yesterday. You shook your head softly. “Can you be a good boy Jake?”

You started to slowly knead your hand against him, wanting to smile at the fact he was already hard before you had touched him. Light teasing and your soft hand on his thigh already had him bothered.

He was making small noises and you kept his face turned in your direction with your hold back on his jaw. You were sitting up straighter than him so he was a bit below you, having to look up through his eyelashes as he surprisingly held eye contact with you.

“Doesn’t it feel good?” You murmured excitedly, eyes wild and eager. He didn’t reply verbally, another small whine slipping from his throat and you pressed down hard on his cock through his pants. “I asked a question.”

Now he was nodding desperately, hands reaching out to grip your wrist in an attempt to lessen the pressure you were applying to him. “Good- feels good.”

His voice was strained and raspy like it was crawling its way out of his throat and you smiled with sick satisfaction, leaning forward so you were closer to his face. Your nose pressed against his and you thought about kissing him for just a few seconds, eventually deciding against it.

Jake was writhing on the bed now, desperately moving into your hand with small groans and whines, his hips lifting off the blanket in an attempt to chase your touch every time you removed it. He didn’t even seem to realize he was doing it, a dazed expression on his face.

He seemed out of it until your hand was leaving his face and sliding down his sweater covered chest. He didn’t seem to realize you were doing it until your hand was pressing on his stomach slightly, fidgeting with the singular button on his jeans and tugging on the zipper impatiently.

“No, no.” He was whining, grabbing your wrist to stop you from snaking your hand down his pants, touching him without any layers between. “You can’t do that.”

“Why?” You asked incredulously, leaning forward so you were hovering over him slightly. He leaned back on his hand a bit to avoid bumping into your face and you were a few inches from laying on top of him. “I promise it’ll feel so good Jake.”

The usage of his name made him wince, realizing he liked it far too much when you said it. He’d never really considered his name before, completely indifferent to it until he heard the way it rolled off your snake like tongue.

“You aren’t supposed to do that.” He practically spat the words at you but his tone lacked any anger instead sounding fearful and pained. “You can’t touch me there, you just can’t.”

You felt slightly sorry for him as he hiccuped, his voice breaking around the words as you watched tears collect in his pretty eyelashes. His eyes kept darting to the cross on the wall with a guilty expression.

You took your hands off of his lap, listening to his sigh of longing at the loss of contact. You weren’t quite sure what to do in this situation despite seeing it coming, eventually opting for sitting up further on the bed and pulling him into your neck, wrapping your arms around his shaking body in a hug.

He leaned into it and hesitantly wrapped himself around you, tucking his face into your warm neck and letting out a few sobs, tugging you forward slightly by your lower back.

You let him cry for a while, hushing him softly every few minutes just in case, although you were in a less compromising position now, you still didn’t think your father would be thrilled to find you half in the lap of a sniffling boy who was still hard against you.

“Jake.” You were eventually murmuring into his hair once his hiccups subsided slightly, he nuzzled into your neck further at the sound of your soft tone. “What if I didn’t use my hands?”

He picked his head up at this and furrowed his eyebrows at you, his eyes puffy and red with wet streaks still going down his face.

“I don’t understand.” He looked more puppy like than normal as he said this in a soft breathy voice, voice hoarse from crying and his lip almost jutting out into a confused frown.

“Can I show you?” You kept your voice soft as you spoke to him and he immediately nodded his head. He clearly had found some sort of comfort in your embrace, a connection being made enough for him to fall into this state of vulnerability, willingly to accept what you were wanting to give him now.

You felt a sick rush of adrenaline at his lowered walls, the sudden dumb eagerness in his eyes as he seemed to seek out any sign of contact from you.

You imagined it was a flood of emotions, a confusion and tiring feeling to suddenly be presented with a situation that went against everything your life had been carefully crafted around. Not to mention how addicting it must feel to suddenly learn what was on the other side and how good it felt, having unbothered access to it as the two of you sat huddled on your bed.

Kissing his cheek softly, you slowly slid off the bed onto the floor, suddenly thankful you had a thick rug on your bed side. He watched you in confusion, looking like he wanted to grab you and help you up before you shot him a stern look.

Your hands were back on his jeans now that you were fully situated and he looked like he wanted to object for just a second before lifting his hips off the bed so you could pull them down to pool around his ankles.

You took just a second to admire him, his pretty tanned skin overwhelming you a bit in its sheer amount. His legs were surprisingly thick, muscular like an athlete and you briefly remembered you didn’t know much about him at all.

That didn’t bother you at all, if anything it made you want him more when you looked up at him to see his nervous eyes staring down at you in concern. He looked humiliated and you imagined it had something to do with the fact he was still extremely hard, even after crying for so long.

If he was more stable in his emotions, less flighty, you would’ve made fun of him. You would’ve called him names and made him cry all over again and then taken his innocence without a second thought.

Instead you carried on the kindness act, leaning forward and pressing a kiss against his length through his underwear.

He immediately hissed and shot forward, not realizing what you were planning to do and not understanding why you were doing this. He started to stammer out in confusion and you shushed him again, sending a sharp glare towards the open door in warning.

“What are you doing?” He sounded absolutely blown away now, even more than he did earlier and it settled in your mind that he clearly had absolute no sexual knowledge, including blowjobs. “That’s dirty, you can’t do that.”

“Why not?” You were mock frowning up at him. “Did mommy say so?”

He knew you were making fun of him but he still nodded in response, not liking the sudden return of your mean tone. He forgot all about it when you were leaning forward again, this time touching your lips to him longer and sucking softly through the fabric.

“Mommy’s not here.” You were breathing out when you pulled away from him again, much to his dismay considering he immediately lifted his hips back in your direction. “And doesn’t it feel nice?”

He was nodding his head dumbly in agreement, feeling dizzy from the foreign emotions. He still didn’t understand what you were doing but it felt too good to keep questioning, forgetting momentarily about sin and how much punishment was going to come his way after this.

You were sliding your hands up his thighs slowly, stopping at the waistband of his boxers and glancing up at him for any sign of refusal. You didn’t care much for his discomfort but you weren’t going to force him to do anything, despite how much fun you were having with him.

He didn’t make any move to stop you, not even seeming to notice or understand what you were planning to do until you pulled on the elastic swiftly.

Then he was shooting back up from where he’d been leaning back, shaking his head again and covering himself with his hands. You smiled at him from your place on the floor and he looked at you like you were crazy.

You were getting slightly frustrated despite your pleased expression, wanting him to quickly understand what you were planning on doing. You gripped his wrist tightly and pulled them away from his lap

“What are you doing?” He was whispering in a panicked tone, his hands hovering above your head like he was debating pulling you away from him. He let out a yelp when you leaned forward and took the head of his cock into your mouth, watching him with hooded eyes. “T-that’s dirty, stop it.”

You wanted to laugh at his wording choices, sounding like he was a worried mother scolding their child for playing in mud.

“It’s dirty?” You frowned at him when you pulled back for a moment, his wide eyes falling on your wet lips. They squeezed shut just for a moment when you were licking up his full length slowly, humming at the taste of him and his weight on your tongue. “I should probably stop then right?”

He let out a panicked cry and ran a hand over his face in frustration. He wanted you to stop or at least he knew he should want you to stop. His mother had been right and you were not a nice girl, not the type of girl he should be around and he felt his stomach turn at the knowledge he was committing a very large sin by finding pleasure in your lust.

But the pleasure was prominent and overwhelming him to the point he couldn’t think straight.

He understood what sex was and his father had taught him about boyish lust, the kind that wakes you up from your sleep needing to change into a new pair of pajamas but he’d been warned from an early age to simply ignore the occurring urge.

He could still hear his mothers shrieks and cries when she caught him with a pillow between his legs in high school, could feel the welts on the back of his hands from the ruler his father had punished him with. Jake sometimes wondered if other people experienced this urge, this call to sin, as much as he did or if he was rotten inside.

But for the first time in his entire life, Jake couldn’t find it in himself to think about the consequences to falling victim to it. Not when you were touching him in ways not even his dreams could think to imagine.

When he didn’t answer you’d taken him back in your mouth, slightly impressed by how thick he was. He bucked forward his hips instinctively, pushing himself deeper into your mouth and you pinched his thigh roughly in warning.

You heard him cry out in a sob, his hands gripping the blankets so hard they were turning white and shaking at an almost alarming rate.

“Please.” He was begging and you weren’t sure he even knew what for, his voice coming out desperate and needy. “Please i-it feels really weird.”

You hummed around his cock in understanding, your hand petting his thigh and pushing his shirt up on his stomach so you could feel more of him. He didn’t even seem to register you touching him, the sounds of his soft cries and pleads distracting you slightly.

You tapped his hip bone a few times and he seemed to somehow understand the message, pushing his cock deeper into your mouth at a slower pace this time. You let him do what he wanted despite the urge to take control of the situation, knowing there wasn’t any chance he was lasting more than 30 seconds anyways.

He was slightly surprising you already, truthfully you’d expected him to cum before you even got his boxers off his thighs.

You imagined his inner monologue was causing him some issue as you listened to him cry softly from pleasure, little overwhelmed gasps and hiccups as one of his hands grabbed onto the one you were running across his stomach and squeezed it tightly.

“You need to just let it go baby.” You were whispering to him as you pulled off for a second when his hips started to twitch awkwardly, overwhelmed and not understanding what the feeling building up deep in his gut was. “Don’t worry about making a mess.”

The second you took him back in your lips he was following your instructions with a loud moan, completely forgetting you were meant to keep quiet as he came inside your warm mouth.

You winced slightly at the unexpectedness of it, leaning backwards on your knees as you waited for his hips to stop jerking forward.

He was shaking his head at you, eyes teary and his face red as he squinted his eyes in confusion. “What w-was -“

“You came.” You said matter of factly, standing up with a groan from your uncomfortable kneeling position and sitting next to him on the bed again. He leaned sideways into you, much to your surprise, and you resisted the urge to push him off you.

“Was I supposed to?” He whispered in embarrassment and pushed his face into your neck again. You were slightly uncomfortable at his clinginess but you let him do it, knowing he must be feeling a lot.

“Yes Jake. Maybe not all over my face though.” You were trying to joke with him to lighten the atmosphere but you sighed as you heard him let out a little cry into your neck, clearly upset and humiliated.

He was mumbling against your skin, repeated mantras that you couldn’t quite understood through his sobs but had a good guess in what they contained. You imagined reality was coming back to him now and he was processing what he’d just done without the hazy cloud of need cursing his judgement.

“Jake, you need to stop crying.” You were sighing and bringing your hand up to his hair, petting it softly to try to calm him down.

“Did I do a bad thing?” He pulled off your neck to look you in the eyes, his wide and desperate like he was fishing for any bit of reassurance that what you’d just done was okay, that he hadn’t just committed a sin so unholy. You could tell by his expression he was asking just to hear it reaffirmed, for you to tell him again it was just skin.

“My poor baby.” You were cooing at him, lips jutted out in a pout as your hands came up to hold his face, cupping it softly and wiping his teary cheeks with your thumbs. “Of course you did a bad thing.”

He froze completely in your hold and you felt a laugh bubble into your throat, holding it down with all your might so you could get the full extent of his reaction. He sat up slightly, attempting to pull out of your hands before realizing you were holding his face too tight. He gave you a confused and hurt look.

“What?” He was stammering out and his face was curling back into another sob.

“How could you let me do that?” You were tsking at him as you spoke, eyebrows furrowed like he had genuinely offended you. He watched you as panic settled into his eyes at the sound of you kissing your teeth and shaking your head softly. “We were supposed to be studying.”

“B-but.” He was shaking his head and holding onto your wrist, eyes filling with tears. “But you said that..”

He trailed off and you watched him with a raised eyebrow, waiting for him to pass the blame off onto you. Of course he didn’t, his expression hardening although you knew he hadn’t quite realized your motive. He was too innocent to believe you’d deceive him, too stupid to understand every action you did was a carefully crafted lie.

“Maybe it’s time you go Jakey.” You were nodding as you spoke, petting his hair and pushing it back out of his eyes.

He didn’t say anything else, his expression dazed out as he came out of such a vulnerable compliant headspace with a jolt. You watched him in silence as he gathered himself enough to get dressed awkwardly and walk out of your room, loose and tilting like he had just woken up.

You waited for him to be completely out of sight, the sound of the front door closing, before falling back on your bed with a big smile.

——

You’d fallen asleep soon after that without much thought on the situation, feeling only a deep satisfaction at the progress you’d made with Jake and a slight tinge of excitement for the next time you got to see him.

By the time you’d woken up, your mother was already in your room and standing staring down at you. You barely reacted to her presence although you were slightly unnerved and curious just how long she’d been watching you sleep.

“Can I help you?” Your voice was groggy as you sat up and pushed your bedridden hair out of your face.

Any other mother might have found your tired movements cute, maybe they’d give you an endeared smile and reminisce on when you were a baby waking up from naps.

However you were born with a very specific type of mother, maybe one of her kind. She was watching you with a nasty scowl, a knowing look in her eye as she did a slow pan around your room. “Your father said the boy was here yesterday.”

You hummed in agreement, tilting your head softly to try and get a further reaction from her.

“His mother called and said he won’t be at church this morning.” She spat the words at you, accusatory and nasty. “He’s sick.”

You could tell by the way she said that she knew it was a lie, wether Jake was the one telling it or his mother. At first you were slightly shocked he’d lie about being sick but you figured he might just be feeling so, driven by the extreme emotions he’d been feeling.

“What a shame. He seemed more than fine yesterday.” You put in a pity filled voice, shaking your head as you let the innuendo sink in for her, watching the way her face curled with disgust.

“Almost ready?” You father was suddenly in your doorway, observing the scene with a raised eyebrow as he buttoned the cuff of his sleeve.

“Father, would it be okay if I stopped by the Sim’s before heading to service? I’d like to bring Jake some soup for his cold.” Your voice was dripping with sweetness and you vaguely saw your mothers jaw tick with irritation.

“I can do it.” She was rushing to say.

Your father shook his head immediately and held a hand up to silence the both of you from speaking again. He finished buttoning his sleeve and cleared his throat before speaking. “You agreed to meet with the Lee’s today Mary. I think it’d be a good idea for Y/N to go, since they’re friends.”

You smiled appreciatively at him and he gave you a small nod before leaving the room. You glanced at your mother to see her stony expression but surprisingly she didn’t say anything, simply shaking her head in disapproval and following behind him.

It was strange to not leave for church with them, to stand in the window with the curtain pulled back as you smiled and waved watching the car drive off.

You dropped the grin the second they turned the street corner and hurried out the door to get on your bike and head over to the Sim’s house.

You hadn’t been there before despite your father pointing it out on your way home yesterday but it looked pretty much the exact same as the other houses in the neighborhood. It was large and eerie, the rainy atmosphere not helping it.

The door was opening before you could even dismount your bike let alone knock and you saw Jake’s mom standing in the archway with a small frown.

“What are you doing here?” Her tone was harsh and for a second you wondered if he had told her about what happened, confessed his sins in a fit of guilt.

You were so thrown off that you didn’t immediately respond, suddenly aware of the fact you didn’t bring any sort of soup or medicine like you had originally planned, too eager to get out the door to remember your cover story.

Lucky for you, Jake’s father was coming into sight now and a small grunt from him sent the rude woman cowering away.

You observed this with a curious expression and tried not to frown. Maybe Jake wasn’t as innocent and pure as he seemed considering he apparently had some familial issues, obvious in the way his mother showed a fearful obedience to the large man in front of you.

“You here for my boy?” His voice was low and gruff and it was a bit remarkable how different Jake was than his father.

You opted for a small nod, only slightly playing a part considering he actually did a good job at intimidating you. He let out a hum of approval and stepped aside so you could enter the house, not asking anymore questions.

“It’s good you two get along.” You were taking in the main living space as you entered, his voice picking up a conversational tone that sounded slightly unnatural. “I was beginning to think he’d never talk to someone his own age, let alone a girl.”

He had a typical mannish tone, one you’d heard in movies or from the gross men who sat outside the town bar in a drunken haze as they catcalled and talked at a volume far too loud for your small town. It lacked the usual religious hold you were more used to, he almost sounded pleased at the idea of his son being with a girl.

You glanced at him and held his stare. You wondered for a second if he was testing you now, waiting for you to reveal any sinful intentions you had so he could run back to your father and earn some brownie points for catching your sickness in the act.

He raised an eyebrow at you as you cocked your head, willing him to talk further and continue in his attempt at baiting you.

“Upstairs on the right.” He eventually said, your stare unrelenting. You unfroze your stony expression and gave him a small smile, knowing you probably looked crazy with how fast your face changed.

You were walking away from him before he could say anything else or before Jake’s mother could return, skipping a step at a time in your haste to get upstairs.

Without knocking, you pushed open his door and barged in.

He was sat up in bed, lower half under the covers, and he let out a small shriek of surprise at your sudden intrusion, furthered by a quick inhale when he realized who it was that had just walked in.

“W-what are you doing here?” He was rushing out as he watched you close the door behind you and sit down on the end of his bed.

“I came to check on you.” You said it like it was obvious, a soft shrug of your shoulders. “Since you’re sick.”

His mouth parted in confusion for a second before he seemingly remembered he was meant to be ill, looking awkward and guilty at the reminder he had lied.

You didn’t address his obvious reaction, telling you what you already assumed, and instead climbed up further on his bed. He made a strange noise when you got closer to him, pulling back the blankets and getting underneath them with him. You briefly caught sight of his plaid pajama pants before you covered the both of you up.

“M-my parents.” He was shaking his head and anxiously looking at the door like he was waiting for his mom to walk in any second. You watched his distress, wondering if he was possibly hoping for that to happen, before you heard the sound of the front door slamming.

A look of fear passed over his face at the realization his parents had just left him alone with you. You were a bit surprised yourself but you kept your face neutral, watching him to drink up his reaction.

“I came all this way and you can’t even say thank you.” You tsked and relaxed against his pillows with an annoyed expression. “Especially after what you did yesterday.”

He looked upset at the reminder and he was sitting up more now, the blanket pulling forward around his thighs and he practically kneeled and titled forward in your direction. He wasn’t touching you but his hands were clasped together as he practically did a full bow on his bed.

“I’m so sorry.” He started to say the words but his voice broke around them and he rocked slightly back and forth. You almost laughed at the fact he was already about to cry and it’d only been about five minutes alone with you. “Thank you for coming.”

You imagined he’d been doing a lot of crying since you saw him last, staying up all night running your words on loop in his mind. The sincerity in your voice when you told him he committed a disgusting sin.

“Get back under the covers.” You spoke in a calm voice and he picked his head up to look at you in confusion, face red and eyes teary. He looked surprised you weren’t scolding him, having seemingly forgotten you were the one who practically forced him to let you touch him.

He stayed frozen like that for a few seconds before snapping back to reality and nodding appreciatively, getting back under the blankets and pulling them up again so you were covered. He seemed to only now realize you were laying back against the pillows and he mirrored you, laying on his side so he could face you.

“I won’t tell anybody what you did.” You whispered to him now that his attention was fully on you. Your hand came up to hold his face and he tensed for a second at the contact. “Or maybe I will… I haven’t decided.”

He shook his head hastily, scooting closer to your body and grabbing ahold of your hand that was on his face, wrapping both of his around your wrist and squeezing it softly in desperation.

“Y-you can’t.” He urged and you felt his hands shaking around yours. “I mean you can b-but I’m really so sorry and my dad, he’d kill me.”

You shushed him as he started to ramble, petting his cheek and frowning deeply at what he had said. You figured Jake’s dad hurt his mother but you hadn’t considered it extending to his child as well. A strange surge of anger ran through you despite your own twisted intentions.

Scooting down a bit more so you were completely laid down, you put a hand on his back and pulled him towards you until he got the hint and curled into your side with a soft cry. He was stuffing his face back into your neck like he did yesterday and you rubbed his back softly.

You vaguely acknowledged the fact he was completely pressed against your side now, almost laying half on top of you in his emotional state.

“I won’t tell.” You whispered, his soft and messy hair tickling your face as you spoke. In his desperation for comfort he seemed to forget about not touching you, his arm coming up to wrap around your stomach, tugging you closer in a rush of thankfulness and your eyebrows raised in surprise. “But only if you answer my questions.”

He nodded immediately and picked his head up off your neck so he could look at you more clearly. He looked particularly cute like this you decided, his hair unstyled and still sticking up from where he’d slept on it and his soft pajamas that were rubbing against your legs.

“Did you touch yourself last night.” You held his chin as you spoke so he was looking up at you, his head almost resting against your chest as he peered with big wet eyes.

He was shaking his head as much as he could and furrowing his eyebrows like he did the last time you asked him. “I don’t- I wouldn’t. I don’t know how even.”

This fascinated you slightly. You figured he didn’t understand masturbating or its purpose outside of it being sinful but the fact he’d never once curiously touched himself was interesting. You wondered how many nights he laid in bed crying with confusion at the dull ache between his legs.

“Did you like being in my mouth?” Your voice dropped lower for the second question and an automatic whine slipped out from his lips, his face immediately flushing with embarrassment as he seemed to replay the memory.

He was nodding hesitantly much to your annoyance, you wanted to hear him say it but you figured you could take it easy on him today.

Maybe easy wasn’t the best way to describe your current plan for him considering the way you were suddenly pressing your thigh in between his legs, smiling at him when he groaned loudly and tightened his grip on you.

Your side burned slightly from the force in which he curled his hands up at the sudden contact.

“You’re hard.” You said matter of factly, telling the truth and not just teasing him. He was solid against your thigh now and you heard him whimper when you shifted slightly so his tight grip on you was more comfortable. “I barely said anything and you’re hard.”

He shook his head in disagreement but his hips twitched forward, rubbing his erection against you and making a low drawn out sound at the feeling.

“Did I say you could do that?” Your tone was harsh again and he immediately froze, groaning softly and tucking his head forward onto your chest. You let your hand go back to this hair, petting him for a second before gripping it tightly and tugging his head back up to look at you.

He winced at the pain, face contorted as he tried to scoot away from you. However he still didn’t remove his arm from around your stomach so he wasn’t able to go far, his hand still kneading against your side like he didn’t realize he was even moving it.

“Ask me.” You instructed him, still holding his hair in a tight fist. “Clear words, no crying bullshit.”

He looked momentarily taken back by you swearing and being so harsh but then he had a look of guilt like he was remembering the other day and he was attempting to nod in head in agreement.

“Please I want… I want you to touch me.” He settled on, not sure how to word what he needed. You smiled softly at him for his attempt but you weren’t convinced, deciding on helping him ask you properly.

“Tell me you’re disgusting.” You whispered, leaning your face forward so your nose was touching his again, like it did momentarily yesterday. “Say you want to hump my leg like a dog.”

He looked confused and overwhelmed at your words, shaking his head in refusal until you moved your leg again. It rubbed against him and you almost laughed at the fact he was almost harder now even after your tone changed. His hips chased the feeling and you tugged his hair again in warning, listening to his soft groan of frustration.

“I want..” He hiccuped softly and shook his head, trying to force the strange words from his mouth. “I want to hump your leg please please.”

You let go of his hair and his head fell back down onto your chest. He hadn’t completely fulfilled your request but it was good enough for now.

“Alright baby.” You didn’t need to say anything else for him to understand, immediately pulling you closer again and rocking against your side.

You listened to his soft little whines as he humped against you desperately, moving in messy motions as he tried to chase after the feeling he recognized from yesterday.

The feeling of his hand gripping your side was making your head spin a bit much to your irritation and you gripped it tightly, moving it off your waist. He seemed to misunderstand and instead placed it directly over your belly button where your sweater had ridden up, pushing down softly as he rubbed the soft skin of your stomach.

You let out a small groan and this seemed to ignite something in him because he let out a little cry and nuzzled further into you as he dragged his clothed cock over your hip harder.

“Tell me it feels good.” You instructed him and you felt more annoyance at the fact your voice came out breathy, not liking the effect he was having on you.

“S-so good.” He immediately responded and you felt his leg wrap around yours, trying to get closer to you despite it being impossible. “Going to die it’s good, it’s good.”

You laughed softly at his dramatic wording and pet his hair again, trying to get his attention. He slowed down the grinding of his hips to look at you and you nearly cooed at his hooded wet eyes, trying to focus on your face but struggling.

You were originally planning on teasing him some more, attempting to get him to repeat the words you wanted to hear earlier, but at the sight of his pretty overwhelmed face you couldn’t help yourself from leaning in and kissing him softly.

He yelped at the feeling, tensing up for a few seconds before closing his eyes and trying to kiss you back, failing miserably.

You laughed against his lips and you could feel him frowning, face getting red with embarrassment as he uncomfortably shifted against you.

“Come here.” You tapped his back softly and nudged him so he was fully on top of you, squishing you under him but making it so you could reach his mouth better. “Rub your cock on me while we kiss.”

He whined softly, nodding his head despite the flush on his face and you waited while he slowly experimented with the new position, practically in missionary now. When he started to move his hips again, his hard cock was now rubbing directly against your core and he faltered at the feeling, nearly collapsing on top of you.

You smiled at his reaction. You had full doubt that he knew what sex was or the fact he was basically imitating it but you imagine he could get the gist that what you were doing was wrong.

You leaned your head forward to kiss him again, easier now that he was on top of you and seemingly more eager to get it right this time. He was still sloppy, not really understanding how to move his mouth or when but you took over, moving your lips against his slowly.

He seemed to get the hang of it eventually and you could feel his thrust getting more desperate as the kiss got deeper and faster.

Your tongue was in his mouth before he even realized and he made a small startled sound, hips stopping against yours at the new feeling. He was letting out high pitched whines and moans as you licked into his mouth, him drooling slightly and desperately trying to keep your tongue where it was.

You could feel him sucking on it, twisting his head to try to get it deeper in his mouth and he instinctively gave a particularly hard thrust, causing you to moan into him.

This seemed to startle him, pulling back off your face with a wet chin and hooded eyes, looking down at you in amazement.

He did it again experimentally and you could feel the hard print of his cock directly against you, your back arching as your hand came up to grip his hair and stop him from doing it again. You were reminding yourself this wasn’t about your pleasure, you wanted to ruin him and nothing else.

But you couldn’t deny your attraction to him, almost the perfect boy for you if there was to ever be one.

It didn’t help he happened to have an impressive size on him, although you doubted he even realized he was bigger than usual or would know what to do if given that information.

You wrapped a leg around his side and he sucked in a breath, having better access now. He kept rolling his hips sloppily into you and moaning loudly, forgetting who he was or where he was currently at.

“What would mommy think if she saw you like this?” You took it upon yourself to remind him, whispering into his mouth with a pant and almost laughing at the way he immediately tensed and stopped humping against you. “If she walked it to see her son so desperate to sin.”

He was shaking his head and lifting it slightly to be able to look at you better, eyes welling up with tears as he glanced back over his shoulder at the closed door. You hadn’t been there long and you imagined church still had a few hours before it’d be over and they’d be heading back but he seemed to forget all this at the mention of his parents.

“I’m not.” His hair was messy in his face, bangs slightly damp from sweating and his previous tears. “I don’t want to sin, I don’t want to be bad. Please.”

You hummed softly at him, lips forming a mocking pout as you looked at him with gentle eyes. You stroked his cheek and he closed his eyes, leaning against your hand like a puppy.

“My poor baby.” You cooed and kissed him again briefly, he immediately chased after it when you pulled away and you tapped your finger on his cheek to stop him. “You have no idea what I’m going to do to you.”

He seemed confused at what you meant but too drunk on the feeling of your touch and lips, chasing after them again in a messy kiss that was mostly just him trying to get his tongue back against yours.

You indulged him and let him lick into it, letting out soft desperate moans and you were suddenly realizing how much you were aching for him despite managing to keep a cool demeanor on the outside.

You shifted your leg that was wrapped around his middle and he seemed to remember that he was currently on top of you and he went back to writhing against your body, his hard on rubbing against you an almost painful amount now that you were granting him more access with the switched position.

He wasn’t able to hold himself up, curling up on your chest while he moved his lower body with sobs of pain and need.

“God, I thought it’d take longer to break you.” You were trying to make fun of him but your voice broke in a moan at the feeling of him pushing himself against your sensitive clit. “You’re so fucking nasty, look at yourself.”

He was shaking his head and crying fully now, chasing after a high he didn’t even understand and you were almost feeling dizzy from the pace he was going.

“I’m good.” He was blabbering out and looking at you again, trying to lean forward for a kiss but letting out a sharp cry midway and falling back down with his head on your chest.

“You’re a good boy Jake.” You cooed at him, nodding even though he couldn’t see you and he felt sick at the constant changing of your tones. “My good boy right?”

He was suddenly sitting up again, pulling himself against you so he could look at you directly in the eye, if he could see through his tears. He was nodding his head in earnest and you felt your lip quirk up in a smile.

“I’m yours. I want to be yours.” He was rushing out, hands leaving your stomach to balance on either side of you. His tone was pleading and you wondered if he even knew what he was asking for or if he was just repeating what you’d said dumbly.

You kissed him softly and he let out a shaky breath of relief against your lips. However he started to frown when you were suddenly pushing him off of you and patting the empty space on the bed right beside where you were laying. He looked confused and hurt but he didn’t ask any questions, simply rolling over and waiting to see what you were attempting to do.

You watched him for a few seconds, taking in the change of appearance in such a short amount of time.

He was laid back fully on the bed, eyes hooded and cloudy. His mouth was parted slightly as he panted, his chest rising and falling at a fast speed as his arm reached up to try and push his messy hair out of his face. You liked the way he looked like this, especially the way his shirt was ridden up on his stomach, a sliver of skin showing.

He started making small impatient whines and groans so you took mercy on him, flipping yourself over slightly so you could situate yourself on his lap.

You sucked in a breath the second you did, quickly shutting your lips tight after so he didn’t catch sight of the display of pleasure. He was hard underneath and pressed tightly against your core as you sat on him.

“Oh my god.” He was crying out and his hands jutted forward like he was going to grab your sides, stopping midway and flailing around as he didn’t know what he was meant to do with them.

“Touch me.” You spat at him, reaching down to grab his wrist and put his hands on your ass as you leaned forward so you were in a similar position to his a few minutes ago, laying on top of him.

He froze as he touched you and you almost scolded him for acting so prudish with touching you like he wasn’t just trying to fuck you through his cute little pajamas. However you figured it was harder for him to deliberately do something versus acting purely on the overwhelming lust he was feeling.

You gripped his jaw harshly in your hand, your nails digging into his skin slightly as you used your thumb to pull his mouth open and hummed with satisfaction.

“Say you want me inside you.” You whispered, leaning down to talk into his open mouth. You watched his eyes widen in confusion but you rubbed your hips against him as motivation and he immediately complied.

“Want you inside me.” He moaned out, big fat tears sliding down his face. “Y/N please I need it please.”

He didn’t even know what he was asking for but he was overwhelmed and sinking back down into that fuzzy headspace, willing to do anything to get pleasure from you.

You kept his mouth open after he was done speaking and he opened it wider for you, although not understanding where you were heading with this action. He watched with wide confused eyes as you leaned over him and slowly spit into his open mouth.

He cried out, hips bucking up instinctively at the sensation of your spit on his tongue so directly and you almost fell forward from the roughness in which he fucked himself up into you. You smacked his cheek lightly and he snapped his mouth shut with another moan, eyes shut in euphoria.

You hummed at him in approval, leaning back down to kiss him again and lick into his mouth, letting him turn his head sideways in an attempt to get your tongue as deep as possible. You wondered if he was purposely imitating the blowjob you’d given him or if he was just that desperate to be consumed.

“I’m going to take you to hell with me.” You whispered, pulling out of the kiss and petting his hair softly. He shook his head and let out a small sob, this time not from pleasure.

“Do you want to cum?” You didn’t address his denial or tease him further for now, knowing now you had him completely hooked. He was addicted to you and the feelings you gave him and no mean words would be able to keep him away from you.

He seemed hesitant in his nod, now once again thinking about the sins he was committing and the fact he was skipping church to touch a girl inappropriately. But he did eventually nod his head, eyes still watering.

“Then fuck me baby.” You rolled back over as you spoke, flopping onto your back and rubbing his chest through his shirt, slightly surprised by the thick build he had. He was immediately on top of you again and you almost laughed at his haste.

You didn’t mean it literally and you didn’t fear him taking it as such considering he didn’t even know what it meant, he just knew you were cursing and being dirty.

You wondered if he even knew what you had inside your pants, scrapping that idea for another time instead so you didn’t get yourself too worked up thinking about how much it would ruin him to feel you.

He didn’t last long once he was back on top of you, only a few seconds passed before he was letting out a loud cry and hiccuping, his hips jutting against you a few more times in aftershock before he was collapsing on top of you.

“I’m sorry, I’m so sorry.” He was sobbing into your neck and you wrapped your arms around his back, rubbing it slowly with an eye roll. “I’m sorry, God please forgive me.”

——

Jake had fallen asleep on top of you shortly after that, exhausted from everything you’d been putting him through both mentally and physically.

You let him lay there on top of you surprisingly despite how uncomfortable it was and how much you kept readying yourself to shove him off of you and leave him without any comfort, you simply couldn’t.

You weren’t quite sure why, it wasn’t like being mean to him was going to ruin your plan and make him not want to talk to you anymore. He was trapped now with you.

Yet you found yourself staying and not only staying but watching him as he slept. He looked younger like this, despite always being very puppy like and boyish you couldn’t deny that Jake was a man and he could be an intimidating one if it wasn’t for his personality. His eyelashes were long and fluttering like he was having a vigorous dream and his back would rise and fall with every deep inhale he took.

By the time he woke up you’d been laying there for probably an hour or two staring at him or looking around his room with curiosity, you felt him shifting against you and almost pretended you were asleep before deciding against it.

He froze his movements when he realized where he was exactly, or at least who it was underneath him. Then he was rolling off of you onto his back with a groan and you were suddenly feeling very cold without his weight and body warmth.

“Did my parents come home?” His voice was low and groggy from sleep and crying and you turned your head to look at him now that you were laying side by side.

“Are you kidding? Like your mother isn’t going to run in here the first second the car parks and hose you down.”

He laughed softly at your words, almost a scoff and your lip quirked up in a smile at his casual reaction, knowing his guard must be down since he was still so tired.

“She wouldn’t do that.” He eventually whispered and you could feel his shoulder pressing against yours. “At least the hose part.”

“Is she as bad as mine?” You weren’t sure what prompted you to ask him something so personal or why you were even making conversation with him in the first place but you were suddenly curious.

“Not sure.” He was looking at you, you could feel it on the side of your head. “My dad is though.”

You hummed as a response, already figuring that from the times you’d interacted with him and the way Jake talked about him earlier. You felt a sudden wave of discomfort at your current situation and fidgeted in your spot on the bed.

“Are you going to leave?” His voice was a whisper still and he wasn’t looking at you anymore from what you could tell. He sounded slightly upset like the thought of you leaving wasn’t pleasant.

“You wanted me to earlier.” You scoffed softly but it was humorless, for some reason feeling offended at the reminder despite knowingly doing everything in your power to make him uncomfortable for your own satisfaction.

He didn’t say anything for a while and you listened to him breathing softly, wondering if he caught on to the hint of insecurity you were accidentally showcasing.

“Well… I guess I’ll see you tomorrow then.” He eventually said and you barely heard him considering how low his voice had gotten.

“See you tomorrow Jake.”

——

Tuesday’s were another day that your schedule was slightly shifted after church service. You had always been instructed to some form of community service on that day of the week, wether is be picking up trash or teaching a small class to the elders and children.

You didn’t mind this despite your distaste for religion. You got some sick satisfaction from watching religious people interact, like babies excitedly chatting about fairy tails and wishing for a big grand gesture to fix their own shitty lives.

Plus it got you out of your house and kept you slightly on the good side of your mother typically although you doubt with your recent actions you’d ever be on that side of the fence again.

So it was particularly annoying when you were tasked to clean the church basement, an area usually unseen by anybody in the town including yourself.

It was a mess of overfilled shelves and baskets stacked to the brim with old holiday decorations or donations from past families that were never put to use.

You’d been hesitant to agree, having to try ten times harder than usual to apply your usual fake smile towards your father when you graciously nodded and accepted the task. Luckily a handful of other volunteers had also followed you down the creaky stairs, one of them being Jake.

Not on his own volition considering the way his eyes bulged out of his head when his father roughly nudged him as you stood at the center of the stage requesting helping hands. He hesitantly held his in the air and avoided making eye contact with you as you smiled happily.

The same smile you held now as you stood side by side with him, taking things off the shelves and throwing them into a trash pile. He looked more anxious than usual, like he was genuinely worried you’d try to do something to him while people were watching.

“Miss Y/N?” One of the older women who had volunteered was approaching the two of you, holding a small basket of, what looked like, old arts and crafts. “I found this and was wondering if you thought your father might want to hang them up in the youth study room?”

“I think that’s a wonderful idea ma’am.” You were smiling widely at her, eyes soft and full of light. “You should bring them up to him.”

She was smiling appreciatively at you before turning and heading back up the stairs, missing the way your smile immediately dropped back into a blank expression.

Jake however, didn’t miss it and you heard him scoff from next to you as he observed the interaction. You glanced at him with a raised eyebrow and he shrugged.

“Don’t you get tired of doing that all the time?” He questioned and you faltered slightly. You hadn’t ever really considered it as something you were doing necessarily so his statement threw you off.

“I don’t know… I do it with everybody. I just do it.” You shrugged and awkwardly looked away from him, feeling confronted.

“You don’t do it with me.” He suddenly declared and you were reminded that you didn’t actually know Jake or his personality that well, completely caught off guard by his bluntness.

“Maybe because I knew you were just as bad as me.” You dropped your voice into a small whisper, leaning closer to him slightly as he glanced around to see which volunteers were over in your side of the basement.

He picked up an old toy and tossed it off in the distance, shaking his head in denial. “That’s not true at all.”

“Why isn’t it?” You cocked your head at him and stopped rummaging through the shelf, more interested in what he was saying. You turned your body so you were facing him and could lean against the wood.

“I believe in this.” He looked around the room as if to emphasize what he was referring to. “I love god.”

“Do you? Or have you just been told to?” You were already sure of the answer but you were curious what he would say about that, if he’s ever sat and thought that over or if his faith was really that unwavering.

“I never questioned it before.” He confirmed with a stern voice, sending you a sharp look so you would understand he was serious. “Not once in my life until we moved here. Not once until..”

He trailed off but the implication was heavy and he looked away with a bright flush on his face. He was obviously referring to you and you felt a small spark of satisfaction at the fact he was implying you were the first thing to ever make him doubt, implying that he was doubting at all.

He scowled slightly when he noticed the bright smile that was on your face, one you didn’t even realize you had.

“I’m serious Y/N. If anyone ever found out I…” He didn’t finish his sentence again but you could get the gist of what he was implying, your smile dropping into a frown.

“You think I don’t know that? The stakes are way higher on my side of things incase you forgot.” Your tone was harsher now but you were taking a step closer to him, not bothering to check if anybody was watching. “But you’re mine right? Like you said?”

He didn’t say anything for a minute, turning to face you and taking a big gulp when he realized you were practically close enough to kiss now. You waited for him to say something against your claim, to tell you he had been lust drunk or he didn’t mean it.

Instead he slowly nodded, eyes shooting down awkwardly to your feet. His shy expression was one you were more familiar seeing him with and your smile returned.

“Can you come over today?” You whispered and he looked back at you with a shocked expression, clearly not expecting you to say that. “I have something to show you.”

He was nodding again, not trusting himself to speak without stuttering and you grinned, turning back to the shelf and continuing with your sorting.

——

By the time church was over and Jake got to your house, you were already sat outside on the porch in a big sweater and a scarf wrapped around your neck.

“Are we not.. going in?” He was standing at the end of your driveway, putting his bikes kickstand down and watching you with a confused expression.

“I said I had to show you something didn’t I?” He watched you as you stood from the cement slab, grabbing your own bike from off the side of your house and walking it down towards him with a half smile.

He didn’t say anything as you both got on your bikes, following behind you as you rode off the curb and down the street.

The ride was long and cold, the sky grey as you passed by old houses and empty shops that’d been abandoned as the owners aged. Jake found the town sad a bit but he was curious what you were leading him too and slightly excited that you wanted to spend time with him in a different way than normal.

Eventually you were crossing the threshold of the city limit, a big sign with chipping paint that was welcoming you in or wishing you safe travels out.

After that it wasn’t long before you were slowing to a stop, surrounded by trees and a large field. Jake watched you get off your bike with a raised eyebrow, waiting until you looked back at him with a beckoning hand.

“It’s this way.” You urged and he hopped off, pushing the bikes alongside each other until you were on the other side of the muddy field, approaching a large river. The sound of it was loud as it rushed but not loud enough to block out the noise of the highway across from it, just off in the distance.

Jake watched it as you unpacked your backpack that he didn’t even realize you’d been wearing until now, unfolding a thick blanket and laying it down on the wet grass.

“They can’t build houses over here because the river always overflows.” You started to explain, pulling out a thermos and something wrapped in paper towel as you talked. “The water levels higher than usual because all the rain we get.”

“Sometimes I wonder if they even know we are over here.” You continued with a scoff, sitting criss cross on the blanket now and looking over at Jake who was dropping his bike.

He sat down too, carefully keeping his wet and muddy shoes off of the fabric.

“Do you come here a lot?” He was muttering what felt like his first words of the day, looking around the area and seeing virtually no signs of civilization other than the highway. He wondered for a second if you had even been able to hear him over the sound of it.

“I guess. There isn’t much else to do if you haven’t noticed by now.” You were shrugging as you spoke, you stuck one of your legs out so it nudged against his.

“I’ve been pretty occupied since I’ve gotten here so I guess I didn’t.” His words made you laugh although he was being serious, only having gone from home to church to your room.

He didn’t say anything as you laughed and he still didn’t when you were suddenly moving out of your sitting position, crawling towards him on all fours until you could press yourself against him.

Every part of you was touching as you sat side by side, both facing the rushing river and trying to not focus on how cold it was outside, the sky slowly darkening now since it was around dinner time. That reminded you that you had packed sandwiches and you were leaning forward slightly to reach them, handing him one and watching him unwrap the paper towel in confusion.

His cheeks turned red when he saw what it was, glancing at you and nodding softly in appreciation before taking a bite.

“Why are we here?” He was breaking the silence the two of you had fallen into as you ate and passed the warm thermos back and forth, watching the highway and the building traffic.

“I don’t know.” You felt strangely vulnerable at this question, not really knowing yourself why you’d taken him to such a private place. “Don’t think too deeply about it.”

Your sudden change of tone made him frown and tense against you, a harshness seeping into your words as you reminded him what type of relationship you had going here.

To further prove your point that this wasn’t anything being sin and attraction, you were quickly turning your upper body so you could face him before leaning forward and pressing into a kiss. He froze completely for a few seconds, brain short circuiting at the sudden contact.

Then he was closing his eyes slowly and kissing you back, a low him of appreciation slipping through your lips and vibrating against his.

You turned your body more so you could climb over his legs, straddling him and making a small noise of surprise when his hands were immediately on your lower back, tugging you in tighter against him.

The two of you kissed like that for a while, you sitting comfortably in his lap and feeling him grow hard underneath you embarrassingly quick. He felt strong and sturdy under you but he was letting out little whines and whimpers and he kept trying to pull you in closer, almost like he was trying to merge the two of you together.

Then you were sitting up on your knees and tugging your long skirt up so it was bunched around your hips, mouth parting slightly at the feeling of the cold air nipping at your bare skin. He watched you with confusion, eyes darting around your legs so fast he felt dizzy.

You sat back down on his hard on, now only separated by his jeans and your underwear and he let out a low moan, shooting forward and ducking his head forward into your neck.

“Y/N.” He whined out and you shushed him, petting his hair and rocking your hips slowly against him, liking the way his mouth parted against your skin as he took deep shuddering breaths.

“I want you to feel me.” You were whispering into his hair and he picked his up in alarm, shaking his head and glancing down at your exposed lap.

“I- I don’t know how.” He was rushing out and you laughed softly, reaching down to grab his wrist off the blanket and pick his hand up.

You placed it against your stomach like it was the other day when he was pressing on it absentmindedly, letting him feel the smooth skin above your underwear line for a while before pushing his hand down slightly past the elastic and listening to his gasp.

You were still rocking against him but slower now, letting him feel you for the first time at his own pace and trying not to overwhelm him.

His hand was shaking fast, from the cold and nerves. You imagined he could feel his own hand pressing against his cock as he kept moving it down, trapping it between the both of you. You dipped down again when he hesitatingly stopped moving it once he was fully in your underwear and he let out a cry at the feeling of your wetness against his skin.

“W-what?” He was crying out in concern, eyes shooting up to look at yours. “Are you okay? Are you bleeding?”

“I’m wet.” You explained to him with a breathy voice despite the fact you knew he didn’t understand what that would mean or if it was good or bad. “Means I feel good, you make me feel good.”

That seemed to alarm him more than the idea of you bleeding, his hand instinctively twitching and pressing against you. You leaned down to kiss him again and he reciprocated, forgetting his hand was on you for a few seconds before you were lowering your hips again.

He wasn’t doing anything but just the feeling of his large hands cupping you was making you feel dizzy, rocking against him again despite the strange noise he let out.

“Touch me baby c’mon.” He looked up at you at the sound of your urging, eyes big and wet. He looked nervous but he hesitatingly moved his fingers, curling slightly and pressing against your clit. You let out a cry and he immediately froze, mistaking it for pain. “No Jake, it’s okay do it again.”

He didn’t look sure but he followed your instructions anyways, curling his hand up and being amazed by the way you threw your head back in a small cry.

The two of you seemed to forget about your surroundings, about the rushing lake or the freezing air that was only making the cold grass more bitter to sit in. You almost forgot who you were or the fact you were only a few minutes outside of town, practically riding Jake in a field visible to anyone who cared.

“You’re so pretty.” You remarked and he frowned at your gentle word causing you to lean forward and kiss him softly. “I want to keep you forever.”

You were too lust drunk to think about the heavy implication of your words or the fact saying them went against everything you’d previously been attempting. The whole reason you’d even started touching him today was to distract him from the fact you’d taken him to a place personal to you, to make him forget your act of kindness.

“You can keep me.” He was stuttering out in a high voice, not really sure if you meant what you were saying considering how confusing he found you, how strange this whole situation was.

Jake had accepted at some point that his life was changing now and for some reason, god had put you in his path. At first he figured you were some type of test of faith, if he could just ignore you and your evil nature then he’d be able to prove he was a good man, a holy man. But he began to wonder eventually if you were truly as terrible as he originally thought, as his mother kept remarking every time his father wasn’t in the room.

You made him cry and you occasionally would say terrible things to him. And it was no doubt you had a habit of sinning and making him sin, even when he didn’t want to.

But he thought you were kind at other times and he could tell by the way you zoned out in church during service and were nice to the young residents or helpful to the old, that you didn’t have no emotion. Maybe you were right, although you had a twisted way of teaching him about it.

You were leaning down to kiss him again and he was taking his hand out of your underwear, wiping it on his pants briefly before cupping your face in both his palms and keeping you there.

“Did I ruin you?” You were muttering against his panting mouth with a small smile, hands petting his hair affectionately.

“Almost.” He answered with a slight laugh, kissing you again.

——

By the time you and Jake had left the field, giggling together while you stuffed the wet blanket back into your backpack and jumped over mud puddles, the sun was set and gone.

You followed the streetlights home, walking the bikes side by side the entire time so the 20 minute ride turned into an hour walk.

You went a few streets without talking for a while, listening to the sounds of your tires rolling over gravel or the music nature provided from the surrounding woods just off in the distance. By the time you were crossing back into city limits and setting your sights on the abandoned buildings on the outskirts of town, your curiosity was weighing on you.

“Why did you move here anyways?” You were mumbling on accident so you weren’t sure he had heard you until he cleared his throat.

“A council member caught dad hitting mom.” He said it casually and you wondered if he was used to it or it was a practiced tone. “I guess they thought it’d look bad to punish him there so they sent us away.”

“Does he hit you too?” You weren’t sure why you asked that considering you were already pretty positive of the answer.

“Yeah sometimes.” He shrugged and tried not to fidget at the feeling of you watching him, kicking at a loose rock in the gravel road. “I think he’s mad I’m not very manly.”

“I think you’re manly.” You were frowning and furrowing your eyebrows, only deepening when you heard him let out a disbelieving scoff. “I’m serious.”

And you were. Despite Jake’s outwardly timid personality and the way he basically turned into a nervous obedient puppy everytime you got your hands on him, he was clearly a man. Both in his broad athletic build and in his day to day actions and personality. He was blunt and honest, telling you what he felt even if he thought it might anger you.

“Yeah, whatever.” He was whispering, still not trusting what you were saying and you froze in your tracks, stood directly under a streetlight. He slowed to a stop when he realized you were walking anymore and looked back at you in confusion.

“You wouldn’t have picked on me if I was manly.” He was explaining once he caught sight of your frustrated expression. “You probably wouldn’t have even noticed me.”

“You think I’m picking on you?” You ignored his second statement for now, eyes darkening at the implication of the first.

You weren’t sure why it struck a nerve within you considering he wasn’t half wrong. You had originally sought him out as a victim for you, an experiment or a game. Maybe even a way to further upset your mother, but you didn’t think he thought you were picking on him entirely.

“I don’t know what to think.” He was shaking his head and his eyes looked sad. He started to push his bike again and you rushed to catch up with him. “This is just confusing.”

“Well I’m not.” You kept your voice firm in an attempt to assure him and he didn’t say anything else, sparing you a long glance before looking back forward so he didn’t accidentally hit a pothole.

The two of you didn’t talk anymore after that, walking in a comfortable silence as you slowly got to a more familiar area for him and he realized you were slowly approaching his neighborhood. You must be planning on dropping him off before making you own way home he decided.

Those plans were quickly halted when you turned the corner of his street and saw your own parents car in his driveway, right next to the Sim’s. You both froze in place and stared in front of you in horror.

“Maybe it’s a coincidence.” He whispered and you jumped at the sudden sound of his voice, the words shaking slightly. “We can tell them we got caught up studying at the park.”

“If they’re here they already know.” You immediately stated in a flat voice, having a sick gut feeling as you looked at the two cars. The lights were on in Jake’s living room and you could vaguely make out multiple shadows walking around inside. “I don’t understand.”

“Maybe your dad heard something the other day.” He was rushing out in a hush, looking at you and your uncharacteristically frozen figure. He’d never seen you scared before and it made his skin crawl. “Or that lady in the basement.”

“No that’s not possible, I was-“ Your words faltered and you sucked in a panicked breath, trying to recall the two incidents he was talking about. You had been so caught up in your giddiness to talk to him that you hadn’t paid attention to your surroundings this morning at all, saying damning idiotic things to him in the church of all places.

His hand was coming up and brushing against your arm that was covered in goosebumps. “Go home. I’ll think of a cover for you, I’ll handle it.”

You looked at him with big eyes, suddenly overwhelmed by his presence and the fact he was willingly to lie for you so easily, willing to sin to both his parents and yours so you could be spared from punishment.

“I can’t leave you with them.” You were shaking your head in earnest and he deflated, understanding immediately there was no way of talking you out of it.

You both stood there for a few more beats, staring at each other under the street light and you briefly wondered if you’d see him again after this. You weren’t sure what your parents knew or if they were just following a strong hunch but you knew it didn’t matter. The second they suspected anything, atleast the men, you wouldn’t be allowed to see Jake anymore.

Eventually he took the first step, setting his bike down at the corner of the street and nudging for you to follow suit although you gave him a confused glance.

Following closely behind him, you tried to match his slow casual pace approaching the door and almost felt like you were going to throw up on the porch when he pushed it open without knocking, deciding to not give them any warning you were approaching.

The sight was just as dreadful as you imagined it would be, your parents sat on the Sim’s old couch while his were standing at attention and listening to whatever it was your father had been saying before your arrival.

All heads turned in your direction when you entered, half looking surprised you were together and the others showing no reaction. Your mother was immediately leaping up from the couch and approaching you with a scowl.

You felt her hand hitting your cheek before you even processed she was crossing the room, your head shooting sideways as your own palms came up to grasp your face in shock. Despite your differences, your mother had never directly struck you.

“You’re a disgrace.” She spat, literally, in your direction and you vaguely saw Jake flinch in your direction like he wanted to grab you. “No more games little girl, they finally see what I have all these years.”

One glance in your fathers direction told you she was telling the truth. He’d never been a good father but he wasn’t cruel, choosing religion over warmth and parenting. So upon seeing his cold stare you automatically knew things were too far gone.

“And you.” She was turning to sneer in Jake’s direction now and you were slightly surprised to see him square back his shoulders, jaw clenching. “How can you be so stupid?”

“Mary, please advise yourself on how you speak to my son.” Jake’s mother was piling up from the couch “I thought we agreed that your daughter is the one at fault here.”

“What?” Jake was spitting out and your eyes widened, wanting to tell him to shut up and let it run its course. “It was as much me as it was her.”

“No it wasn’t.” You were shaking your head at lightning speed, taking a step forward but rocking back again when your mother shot a glare in your direction. “It was all me.”

Jake was glaring at you but you knew he held no anger, only frustration that you were attempting to take the punishment for this. He was crazy to think you wouldn’t considering it was all your doing in the first place.

“It doesn’t matter.” Your fathers cool and calm voice was ringing out and everybody turned to look at him. “Tomorrow morning Y/N will be sent to a correctional school. I should’ve listened to your mother when she begged me to send you years ago.”

Your eyes were watering as you looked at him with pure betrayal. Despite your hatred for your town, for your longing to leave and never return you felt an overwhelming sense of panic at the thought of being sent away. You looked over at Jake to find him already watching you with the same panic in his eyes.

Then he was turning back towards your father with a shake of his head and a stony expression. “I won’t let you do that.”

Jake’s father scoffed, making his first noise of the night and you glanced over at his large frame. He was watching Jake with disgust and amusement but you saw a faint hint of a challenge in his eyes.

“And what will you do son?” He was approaching Jake with a sneer, looking down at him. Jake raised his chin to meet his stare, his hands shaking against his sides. “You can’t even protect your own mother.”

It was said in a whisper so only Jake could hear it but you were standing close enough to faintly catch it, mouth parting in shock at his blunt admission before opening further when Jake was suddenly moving faster than you could even pinpoint when he had started.

Jake was on his father before he even had a chance to prepare for it and you could hear the shrieks of the women, your own fathers grunts as he jumped off the couch to try and control the situation. You were standing on the side, hands out and trying to grip a hold of Jake’s jacket to tug him back when he glanced back at your hurriedly while his dad was disoriented.

“Go.” He mouthed the word at you and you felt your heart shatter slightly, shaking your head in denial before he gave you a firm nod and a soft smile.

You could do nothing but watch in horror as his dad took advantage of him being distracted, slamming Jake onto the ground, nearly blocking the front door. You took your chance to run before somebody realized you were going to and stopped you, sparing Jake one last look before heading out the door.

You aggressively wiped your tears as you ran down the street, sobbing as you could still hear the screams and grunts of pain from Jake coming from the door you’d left open. Your cheek was stinging still but you powered through it, letting the cold numb you as you hopped on your bike you’d abandoned under the light and started peddling so hard your thighs burned.

The wind was howling as you sped past your own neighborhood and the church, the empty buildings a blur through your teary eyes and you fell off your bike once you finally approached the field you’d been in earlier that day, landing in the mud with a cry.

You left your bike near the entrance, wobbling closer to the river with harsh sobs ripping through you, your knees and skirt dripping in mud.

For a moment you wondered if this was it. If you’d been wrong your entire life about religion and sin and this was god letting you know he was here and he was furious with you for the evil you let harvest.

If taking Jake and hurting him was all because you had done bad things and harmed the people around you. You let out a scream of frustration and looked up at the dark grey, wanting to tell him you didn’t care if he was watching and it wasn’t fair.

Instead you let yourself fall against the wet grass, curling into a ball and hugging your knees to your chest as you listened to the rushing river and the honks of traffic. You briefly remembered you were still wearing your backpack and it contained a blanket you could cover up with but you had no energy left to reach back to get it.

You weren’t sure how long you laid there crying, the sky getting darker and darker as you sat and waited.

You weren’t positive what you were even waiting for. Maybe for your parents to come searching for you so they could drag you away to some far away place or maybe the more hopeful part of you was waiting for Jake to come, to tell you he was okay.

The thought of him made you cry harder when you remembered the sounds he was making as you ran out and how furious his father looked about being struck. A man with an ego was dangerous especially when it got wounded.

Waves of guilt were rushing over you for dragging Jake into your twisted fantasies, for wanting to keep him even after you’d gotten what you wanted. For liking him despite not knowing you were capable of that until he arrived. You wished the river would fill up and swallow you inside it.

Over all the combined sounds you barely registered a few being added.

You didn’t hear the sound of the bike tires approaching, or the splashing of the mud puddles underneath hurried feet. You didn’t hear his worried pants or the desperate call of your name in the distance.

It wasn’t until he was there did you feel him, it wasn’t until he was reaching down to grab your arm.

Not until it was skin on skin.

[idyllic-ghost]

Title: The Royal Gambit

Pairing: prince!Joshua x princess!reader

Warnings: smut, head (f and m receiving), exhibitionism, corruption kink, degradation, praise, impreg kink, p in v action, general filthiness. angst, arguments

Genre: angst, fluff, smut, royalty au, romance

Synopsis: Marriage should be a beautiful union between two lovers, but you did not love Prince Hong and he clearly did not love you. Everything you did, you did for your kingdoms - except when you started meeting him in quiet corners of the castle to take out your frustrations on each other. However, would this relationship be enough to hold together a marriage which your countries depended on?

Rating: 18+

A/N: idk why but all of my royalty au's turn out being super long! i really loved writing this, so i hope it'll be appreciated. also!!! i would be lying if i said i wasn't very influenced and inspired by @heartkyeom 's "be sweet", so please go read that and give it some love (it's an amazingly good hoshi fic!!!!) and thank you to @strawberryya for reading through my drafts and making sure everything made sense!

Word count: 17.7k

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A gasp escaped your lips as you stumbled forward on the slippery floor. Heat spread across your cheeks as you stared down at the black-and-white checkered ground. Everyone’s eyes were on you, and it was most certainly not because of your beautiful dress. You weren’t sure how you ended up tripping, but you had managed to fall over thin air onto the dance floor. You kept your gaze down, not wanting to look at anyone else, and unsure of what to do you decided to stand frozen. Behind you was a wall of people, towering over you like some sort of evil entity. You surely couldn’t push yourself through them to hide - that’d be even more embarrassing. In front of you was a large open floor, couples standing evenly spread out and moving across the black-and-white marble floor like perfect chess pieces. They knew exactly where to go, and exactly what to do. You weren’t good at dancing and, more importantly, you didn’t have a partner. Tears started burning in your eyes, to think that the first ball you go to in this new place would go so horribly. Your nails dug into the palms of your hand through the thin fabric of your gloves. Not a second later, someone grabbed your arm and led you further out on the dance floor.

“There you are. Sorry, I’m late.” The man spoke loud enough for others to hear and led you toward the center of the floor.

You stared at him with wide eyes, unsure of how to act. He was gorgeous; a warm smile, with equally warm brown eyes, and broad shoulders - where one of your hands now laid upon.

“Act natural, okay?” he whispered.

One of his hands was on your waist, high enough to be tasteful, and his other hand held yours. The music reached your ears, as you were finally calm enough to register it. A waltz. Surely you knew how to waltz. Still, you found yourself praying that your legs wouldn’t betray you. Your knees were already shaky, and your feet were tired from standing all evening. The dark-haired stranger moved you across the floor, while you were looking at your feet and counting your steps. His hand moved to your chin and angled your face toward him. 

“Look at me,” he said and repeated, “Make it seem natural.”

His hand returned to your waist. Without him holding your shin in place, it was hard to not let it drop again. Staring into his eyes felt like torture - a wave of overwhelming emotions hit you, the biggest one being embarrassment but confusion was a close second.

“Why are you helping me?” you whispered.

“I can’t simply leave a lady in distress to her own defenses.” He flashed a smile. 

You didn’t like the way he talked about you, but you couldn’t complain when he had just helped you escape from utter embarrassment. Besides, a handsome man sweet-talking you was an ideal way to spend your night. It wasn’t as if you were going to spend more time with him after this.

“Well, thank you,” you murmured.

The two of you kept conversing in this modest manner; about the art on the walls, and the sound of the music. Futile things. Small talk. You never even learned his name, but it didn’t matter to you. When you said goodbye, he bowed down to you before escaping into the crowd. You were sure you were never going to see him again.

⋅•⋅⊰∙∘☽༓☾∘∙⊱⋅•⋅

You found yourself in the neighboring kingdom Ceadrotia to be sold off. At least, that’s how you saw it. The lands here were prosperous, the soil was perfect, and their harvest was always impressive. However, they lacked in their economic department. You can only win so much from a good harvest, especially when your financial system is practically nonexistent. That’s why you found yourself within Ceadrotia’s palace walls. You were the Princess of the Xaevia kingdom, sworn off to the Prince of the neighboring lands. It was a decision made to get more allies and to support Ceadrotia in their time of need. Your kingdom would give them economic growth and stability. In return, you would get better harvests and the safety of one of the biggest armies on the continent. Nothing could you do to stop this arrangement, and neither could the Prince. His Majesty Prince Hong was known to be a gentleman, but would often play this act in order to win something for himself. He was an altruistic man with egotistical goals. It wasn’t necessarily women that he wanted, for he always treated them with respect, but you had heard tales of the many mistakes no ordinary man could get out of. He was sly, and proud of it too. 

After the ball last night, a supposed welcoming ball in your kingdom’s honor, you had made your mind up about him. For Prince Hong had never shown up. He hadn’t greeted you like he was supposed to, which gave you no chance to meet the man before the engagement was to be finalized. Now you’re sitting in the drawing room with the Prince’s mother, discussing meaningless matters over tea, while waiting for your father to finish talking with King Hong. So when your father entered the room with a much younger man behind his trail, you were surprised. If this were to be the King, then how young was the Prince?

“Ah, good! You’re already settled,” your father exclaimed, “Y/N, dearest, I’d like you to meet Prince Hong.”

The young man stepped into the light, and you saw that it was the man from the night before. He looked just as sharp as last night, although now his hair was hanging in front of his face instead of being slicked back. He recognized you, you could see it in his eyes, but he said nothing.

“I thought you were doing business with the King,” you said, without greeting or so much as looking at the Prince.

“Y/N-”

“My father can’t exactly sign any binding documents when he is lying on his deathbed, can he?” the Prince snapped back in a calm manner.

He was ice cold, but he kept up a professional mask.

“Joshua, honey, she couldn’t possibly know,” the Queen said before giving you an apologetic look.

“I apologize if I may have caused any offense,” you said in an irritated tone, “But your Highness must understand that I take the matter of my own marriage quite seriously, and I want it to be handled correctly.”

Prince Hong looked at you with disdain, unlike the way he had looked at you last night during the ball. However, you didn’t move your gaze from his no matter the glimmer of hate in his eyes. He clearly didn’t wish for this marriage either. 

“There will be an official engagement in front of the public,” your father interrupted, “It will be held in a week, meaning that you’ll spend this time working on your… attitudes towards each other.”

“And I’ll get you a chambermaid, Princess, as we have discussed,” your future mother-in-law added.

In all of this chaos, it was nice to know that at least your mother-in-law would be pleasant company. The honeymoon days would certainly be a pain since you wouldn’t be able to have her, or anyone else to talk to, around. You thanked her with a warm smile, but it fell as soon as Prince Hong started talking again.

“We will make arrangements for you to get a new dress for the official engagement,” he said nonchalantly, “And I’ll need your finger measurements for the jeweler.”

“For a man who can’t even show up to greet your future wife properly, you sure do make a lot of demands.” You stand up. “I shall take a tour of the palace. I assume you’re too busy to make time for me, so I’ll take a maid.”

Prince Hong was visually taken aback by your blunt nature. He was clearly not prepared for this sort of conversation. Perhaps he was too used to everyone agreeing with him. You were certainly not going to be one of those people - you were set on hating Prince Hong.

Nevertheless, Prince Hong showed you around the castle despite your assumptions about him. Never-ending hallways, with tall ceilings, and the most sublime architecture. You could stare at it for hours if it wasn’t for Prince Hong who insisted on hastily making his way through each room. When he reached the library you had to practically beg him to stop. Large wooden shelves reached all the way up the walls. 

“How do you ever leave this room?” you asked.

“When you have other duties it’s easy to forget these things.” He kept on walking, although a little slower than before.

You walk past a set-up chessboard, which seems to be doing nothing but gathering dust. Ignoring his comment and his seeming need to get out of the library, you stopped and sat down.

“Do you play, Your Highness?”

The maid who was chaperoning the two of you hid her giggle behind her hand. Joshua looked at you, somewhat amused but still clearly annoyed. Prince Hong sat down in front of you.

“I was taught the art of a good chess match at a very young age,” he bragged, “I had a chess master for a teacher, and my classes only ended once I could manage to win against him.”

“You talk big, Your Highness-”

“Would you stop it with the formalities?”

“Just play, Prince Hong.” You move your first piece. “Knight to F3. Your turn.”

The prince moves his knight to F6, mirroring your movements. You end up taking out his queen far too early on, with your bishop out of all pieces. He was clearly rusty, and you found it hard to not chuckle at him. When you finally got his king into a corner, you couldn’t hold back your victorious laugh at his disappointed expression.

“Seems you’re rusty, Your Highness,” you teased.

He stood up and smoothed out his suit, then held out his hand to you. Even though the gesture was kind, the bitter look on his face said otherwise. However, you stood up and shook his hand.

“We’ll have to schedule a rematch.” He cleared his throat.

“We shall.” You smiled. “I’d like to see the garden now.”

You took the lead and started walking out of the library, your hands locked behind you and your chin lifted high with pride.

Toward the end of the day, when the sun was closing in on the horizon, dinner was served in the grand dining hall. After the chess game, you hadn’t spoken much to Joshua at all. You had followed him around and ogled at the architecture of the palace, but he hadn’t spoken another word to you. Dinner was no different. Joshua barely acknowledged you, which you were pleased with. If he was half the man he was during the other evening, you wouldn’t mind marrying him. However, his attitude towards this arrangement was clear - and it was not a positive one. 

⋅•⋅⊰∙∘☽༓☾∘∙⊱⋅•⋅

It hadn’t fully settled in that you would be marrying this man - this stranger. That realization came later during the night. While it had been fun to put this man in his place, it was not something you wished to do for the rest of your life. Together with a man who had no feelings for you whatsoever, and who you didn’t care for at all either. Your bed was large and cold. Lonely. You were beginning to feel homesick and you felt so incredibly small in this huge room. Tears began flooding in your eyes as you thought back to your childhood room, the one that you shared with your siblings. It was always filled with warmth and quiet giggles, as well as hushed, silly arguments. You used to be annoyed with your family at times, but now there were no other people that you wanted by your side. The first night of your stay in your future home, you cried yourself to sleep.

That night you dreamt of walking along a corridor in the castle, slowly being chased by people you knew - your family, servants, and, worst of all, Prince Hong. The marble floors seemed to move under you because you could never get to the door at the end of the hall. Behind you, the people pursuing you were shouting. They were shouting at you to come back, to stop - any commands they could think of, really. You could hear Prince Hong mocking you, and it was tempting to turn back to slap him. However, you couldn’t - you had to get to that door. In hindsight, it wasn’t a truly terrifying dream - but it had you waking up in a sweat. You rang the bell by your bed and asked for a cold bath, anything to wake you up. 

Your bathroom, which was connected to your room with only a door between, was decorated with gold from the ceiling down to the floor. There was no time for you to appreciate it the night before, but now you were gawking at all of the details. A maid helped you undress and held a towel for you while you stepped into your bath. It was cold, as you had ordered, but you didn’t realize how cold that would be. You almost bit your tongue from just dipping your toe into it, but you still sat down. With a shaky breath in, you dipped your head under the water. You sat there for a few seconds and breathed out bubbles in the water. As soon as your head appeared again, the maid held up the towel for you. You stepped out of the tub and let her wrap you up in the fluffy towel. After thanking her, she left you to your own devices - saying something about breakfast almost being ready, and that she’d get you a proper dress for it. You walked over to the vanity mirror and sat down in front of it. There were a number of delicate boxes on the table for you to use, none of which you were very familiar with. You picked up a lotion and turned it around in your hand.

“Interesting,” you hummed as you opened the lid.

The lotion was velvety to the touch, rich in feeling but had no smell. It was important to not wear anything too fragrant, as your mother had told you before you went on this journey. If a woman were to wear too much perfume, she’d be classified as a harlot. You were unsure of why it was so bad to be a prostitute, as whenever you brought up the subject you’d be rejected immediately. You had the answer to pretty much anything you wanted, but anything sensual in nature was dismissed. It was for your future husband to teach you. Your thoughts were brought back to the task at hand, as you smeared the lotion across your face. Not too much, never too much, as your mother had also taught you. Once the lotion was applied you picked up a hairbrush. You would wait for your maid to help you put it up, but you could brush it yourself. The door opened.

“I have a dress for you, your highness,” your maid said.

“Thank you. I shall put it on now,” you said while looking at her through the mirror. “Would you help me with my hair?”

The maid helped you get ready for your breakfast. You were nervous. It was common for the Queen to eat breakfast in bed, as any married woman would, and neither your father nor the King of Ceadrotia would be present. All of this meant that you’d be alone with the Prince. If he showed up at all.

“May I put rouge on your cheeks, Miss?” your maid asked.

“Rouge?”

“It’s a mixture of strawberries and herbs, used on the cheeks for an innocent glow,” she explained. “I’m sure that the Prince would adore it.”

You scoffed, but let her proceed with putting the product on the apples of your cheeks. You felt slightly ridiculous. Before this, you hadn’t been out in society yet. This meant that you never had to worry about these treatments, and now they were all being thrown at you at once.

“I put some perfume on the sleeves of your dress as well, Miss,” the maid said when she finished your hair, “Violets, it’s a favorite amongst the women of the court.”

You only hummed. Preparing yourself for this might take more than you expected.

You walked down the hall, your heels clicking against the hard floors. Your maid followed closely behind, showing you which way to go. When the doors to the dining room opened, you were met with lonely chairs. This was worse than having the Prince here, you thought as you sat down.

“Has no one called upon the Prince?” your maid hissed at one of the servants behind you.

“He wasn’t in bed this morning,” he responded in a hushed tone.

“Leave him be,” you said loudly, “I’m sure he had better things to do than to have breakfast with his future wife.”

As you ate alone, you thought about your future here. You looked around at the decorating. Would you be in charge of such things? Despite how much your mother had explained to you, you were unsure of certain details of your role as the Prince’s wife and Lady of the castle. Someone prepared a plate for you. Was this hospitality or was it the way things worked in Ceadrotia? Would you never have a say in any decisions? You thought back to your father, who would always ask his eldest daughter for advice on his decisions - until it came to your hand in marriage. He hadn’t been able to look you in the eye, and his expression exuded shame. But it had to be done. An alliance through marriage is an alliance that’ll last forever. You stabbed the cut-up fruit with your small two-pronged fork. The memory of your father giving you the news of your arranged marriage, as if there was nothing you could do to stop it, filled you with a fit of familiar anger. Breakfast that morning was finished in haste, and you left as fast as you could.

You wandered around the castle, the passing staff watching you closely. You were trying to find the library again but had managed to get lost. There was not a world where you would think to ask for help. So you wandered, pretending you knew exactly where you were going. As you approached a pair of doors, two servants immediately opened them for you. It was a room that you had yet seen. Prince Hong had seemingly forgotten. Inside this room, light-flooded freely. The windows were large, and the curtains were open. The walls were filled with paintings, and across the floor, there were statues of the finest marble. Exquisite forms, perfectly posed in front of you. Naked bodies are exposed for you to gaze upon. You wonder if this is what Prince Hong looked like underneath his robes, although you quickly shook this thought away. As you wandered around the room you came upon a door, which a servant stopped you from opening.

“This is the Prince’s office,” he said.

“... is he in there now?” you asked.

“He is, but-”

“Let me in.”

The servant reluctantly opened the door for you, and you stepped inside. Prince Hong yelled something about being occupied. You fidgeted with your gloves, but kept walking into the room. 

“I said-” Prince Hong stopped speaking when he saw you. “You.”

“Me,” you said.

“Why are you here? I’ve told everyone to keep you out of this room.” The Prince spoke as if you could not hear him, as if he had no care for what you thought of him.

“Do you really despise me that much?”

“No-,” he blubbered, “I don’t-... this is my sanctuary. I’m alone here.”

“You don’t despise me?”

“Why should I? You have given me no reason to.” He stood up from his chair and walked over to you. “I just don’t want to marry you.”

“And yet you signed the papers,” you huffed.

He was close to you now. It had been fine when he had sat behind his mahogany desk, but when he towered over you it made you feel nervous. 

“I signed the papers, not because I am madly in love with you,” he said sternly, “But because my kingdom is in need. My father is ill, I must bring hope back to my people somehow. An alliance with the Xaevia kingdom is what they need, and it is what I will give them.”

You stared at the necklace, the Ceadrotian emblem lying against his chest. A raven with an arrow in its claws. The Prince cleared his throat, and you looked back up to his eyes. He was smiling, proud of making you tremble.

“I want some ground rules,” you said suddenly.

“Rules?”

“Yes, rules.” You took a deep breath. “I want you to have breakfast with me in the mornings.”

“Can’t do,” he said, “I go on my morning rides when you have breakfast.”

“You will have breakfast with me, and we’ll socialize together. If I’m going to marry, then we’ll have to be on speaking terms,” you explained, “I am not asking you to love me, or even like me, but you should at least speak with me.”

“I’ll speak with you.” He said, but when he saw your face he quickly added, “And have breakfast with you.”

“Good.”

“Great.”

He smiled again, and you swore you could hear a faint chuckle.

“Why are you so different?” you asked quietly.

“Different from what?”

“From when we danced,” you said, “You were so… kind.”

“Because you needed it,” he said.

You were taken aback by his words. Needed him? You scoffed in his face and turned your back to him, walking towards the door.

“Get this through your head,” you said as you stopped by his door, “I don’t need you. You need me, your kingdom needs me.”

Prince Hong said nothing as you slammed the door behind you.

⋅•⋅⊰∙∘☽༓☾∘∙⊱⋅•⋅

The days went on. You and the Prince spoke on civil terms, but never alone. Someone was always there, which kept the hatred at bay. You learned that the Prince enjoyed art, as well as a good sport and that he tended to keep to himself in his office or in his chambers. His mother seemed delighted that you had brought him out of his shell a bit more. Apparently, the Prince only went out if there was a party he could attend. Your welcoming ball must have not been good enough for him to make an official appearance. Despite your complaints about the Prince, he was starting to grow on you. It was refreshing to talk to him, especially when you got to win your small arguments. Breakfast had turned into frequent debates.

“Why shouldn’t I call you that? It’s your title!” you exclaimed.

The two of you had begun talking over breakfast when he suddenly got tired of being called by his title. You saw an opportunity to tease him and you took it.

“I don’t think it's suitable that you call me Prince when we’re going to get married,” he said.

“Ah, but we’re not married yet.” You grinned, “So, therefore, I should continue calling you Prince Hong.”

“What would it take for you to just call me Joshua?” The Prince sighed.

You picked around your plate with your fork, humming to yourself as you thought. Prince Hong was staring at you intently, his gaze practically burning through you.

“A miracle,” you proposed, looking back down at your plate.

“Then that’s going to have to be another rule,” he said.

“Oh, no, no, no…” You shook your head. “That only benefits you. The rules have to be for the both of us.”

Ever since your first rule, the two of you had started making more. There was your rule of socializing. Then, he decided to make a rule that you had to go with him to look over the horses. You agreed to this, it fits with your socialization rule. This back and forth went on, but you only agreed to rules that would do something for the both of you.

“In the end, it would benefit you too, no?” he asked. “Being seen calling me by my name would fall in line with your social thing.”

“Well… sure,” you said, “But you’re doing this to tease me with it later.”

Prince Hong rolled his eyes and sat back in his chair. You enjoyed this kind of banter, it made you forget about all of the rude comments he’d throw your way. It made it all seem okay, even though you were about to marry a man who you didn’t care for one bit.

⋅•⋅⊰∙∘☽༓☾∘∙⊱⋅•⋅

Your nightmares had continued, each night was the same. You woke up in a cold sweat and had to take a bath in the morning. However, you learned from your mistakes. Now, you asked them to make your water lukewarm instead of ice cold. Your stress was never-ending, and the closer you got to this engagement to be official the more your stress grew. This wasn’t what you wanted, but what could you do?

A few days before the engagement was to be announced, you woke up once again. This time, it was still dark outside. You didn’t want to call for a maid, it seemed rude to wake them from their sleep yet another night. Instead, you decided to take a walk in the garden for some fresh air. You got out of bed and put on a pair of shoes. Your nightgown was made of thin material, and you decided to wrap yourself up in a scarf before you sneaked out.

The air was thick tonight, warm and humid. It was probably going to rain soon, but you’d just be a minute. You looked past each corner before walking through the halls. It wasn’t difficult to sneak around the shadows of the castle late at night. There were a few guards around, but it just meant that you had to take a longer route. Somehow, you made it out to the garden. Feeling the fresh air against your skin, not just from an open window, was relieving. Maybe you should’ve done this earlier, maybe it can cure your nightmares. It certainly felt like it could. You took off your shoes and put your feet in the grass. It tickled, but it made you feel grounded. You went over to the fountain and shook off your scarf to sit on it. Feeling the cool water grace your fingertips made you smile. This was exactly what you needed. Which is why you weren’t upset when it started raining. You welcomed it with open arms and laughed out loud for the first time in days when the thunder sounded over the skies. 

“What are you doing out here?” Prince Hong’s voice echoed out over the garden.

He didn’t startle you. In fact, his presence only made you feel more joyful - someone else could share your happiness for the simple things.

“Planning my escape!” you said with a laugh.

You didn’t have to look at him to tell that he was amused by your delightful mood. However, when you did turn to him he didn’t meet your gaze. Maybe it was a trick of the light, but you thought you could see his ears burn red. You looked down to see your nightgown completely drenched, the thin fabric having become sheer. The dress clung to your form, leaving nothing to the imagination of the man standing in front of you; the curve of your hips, the mound of your breast - everything was on display. You gasped and tried to cover yourself up with your scarf, but the thunder and lightning started you and you dropped the fabric in the fountain.

“Please, have my coat”, Prince Hong said.

You watched him shrug off his coat. His eyes were still not meeting yours, they were pointed straight to the ground. Be that as it may, you were staring right at him. Wearing nothing but an undershirt, you watched as his skin peeked through wherever the raindrops hit the white fabric. Something bubbled up in your stomach when you watched him as he put his coat around your shoulders.

“Thank you,” you said with a shaky breath.

You were staring at that pendant hanging on his chest again. The raven with the arrow in its claw. It glimmered as the lightning struck again. For some reason, the thunder and lightning that you had embraced before, now startled you. You threw yourself towards the Prince, pushing your hands against his chest. Prince Hong put his hands on your waist, keeping you in place. The two of you stood there for a moment, not moving an inch. When the lightning struck again, you let go of each other. The Prince grabbed your hand and started leading you inside.

Prince Hong led you into the parlor, there was a fire lit, and chairs pulled up around it. He sat you down in front of the fire and then got on his knees to feed more wood to the flames. You watched his drenched back work as he moved his upper body. His body wasn’t far from what the sculptures outside his office looked like. When he stood up you shifted your gaze to your hands. Your bare hands. He had held your hands without any gloves. From the new knowledge, your hands started burning and you felt your face go warm as well. Prince Hong picked up a blanket and put it in your lap, then grabbed another one to wrap around his shoulders - much to your disappointment.

“Thank you,” you murmured.

He brushed it off, settling down in his own chair. You wondered if he must have sat here before. The many books and papers littered across the table beside him told you that he had attempted to move his office here. You hid your naked hands under the blanket, suddenly feeling insecure. The Prince was watching you.

“Why were you out there?” he asked.

“Nightmares,” you said quietly, “I thought that if I couldn’t sleep, I could take a walk.”

“In the rain?”

“It wasn’t raining when I went out.” You sighed. “Besides, you’re one to talk. Why have you decided to move your entire office into the parlor?”

“Late night work, there’s a lot of paperwork I had to take over when my father fell ill,” he said, “Which is truly none of your business.”

“As your future wife I am-”

“But you’re not my wife yet,” he said with a smug look on his face, referring to your argument about his title a few days ago.

You sighed and leaned back, having nothing else to say to him. When you looked around, your eyes met a wooden checkered box. In between plush pillows and beautiful, carefully crafted, decorations, you found a wooden box that caught your attention. 

“Do you want a rematch, your highness?”

The two of you were giggling, spilling your drinks on the wood while you played. The Prince had stored away a bottle of liquor and, despite your years of training to be a proper lady, you were drinking out of the bottle.

“Are you too drunk to see what a giant mistake you just made?” You giggled as you took the Prince’s bishop.

“Maybe I just wanted to be nice to you,” he said as he took the bottle from your hand.

His hand brushed against yours and you felt a giggle bubble up your throat, which you hid with a cough.

“You? Nice?” You scoffed and tried to brush off how good his touch made you feel.

Prince Hong put his lips to the bottle and drank the last of it, which you loudly protested. He only laughed it off, and seeing him chortle made you burst out as well. After he moved another piece, you put the man in check mate. You looked at him with a suspicious glance.

“You let me win,” you mumbled.

“What if I did?” He wore a beautiful loopy smile.

“Did you let me win the other time too?”

“Sadly, no.” The Prince sighed. “But I couldn’t resist this time… you get a sparkle in your eye when you win something. It’s endearing.”

Endearing. Your voice failed you when you tried to open your mouth to speak. You shut your mouth and looked down at your hands for another time. He was being genuinely nice to you. Or was this like the time at the ball? Was he just pretending to keep up an image? Except there weren’t any people here to see him. Just you. All alone with him. No chaperone, no one around for miles it seemed like; no one had come to check on the noise you were making, no one had seen you in the garden, and there was no one to disturb this moment. It all hit you at once. Looking at the Prince, he seemed to have realized as well.

“Are you feeling alright?” he asked. “You look a bit cold.”

Prince Hong made his way around the small table and kneeled down in front of you. His hand pushed against your forehead as he looked up at you. His pupils were dilated, his lips slightly parted- they were flushed red and shimmering from a residue of alcohol.

“Prince H-”

“Please, my Princess…” he begged in a sinful whisper.

“... Joshua.” You took his hand in yours and brought it down from your forehead. “I’m alright.”

You held his hand in yours and pressed it against your cheek. Joshua’s other hand fell on your knee - it made you shiver. Suddenly he looked so desperate. Your eyebrows pinched and you looked down, right where his tongue darted out to wet his lips. His hand inched closer up your thigh, making your breath hitch in your throat. Every touch made something ignite in you, but you couldn’t put it into words. You had never felt this before.

“We shouldn’t…” You brought your hands to his face.

“I don’t know what you mean, Princess.” He moved closer to you. “Am I doing something wrong?”

“... I don’t know,” you whispered.

His lips were inches from yours, and you were the one to close the distance. Your eyes fluttered shut as you felt his soft lips against yours. As you leaned toward him, his arms wrapped around your waist and pulled you towards him. Joshua moved back as you moved down from the couch and onto his lap, your legs on either side of his hips. The kiss deepended, his tongue swiping against your bottom lip. You had no idea what you were doing, you just followed his lead. His calloused hands gripped your hips. Over the material of your thin nightgown, you could feel the roughness of his palms. And when his hands lightly encouraged your hips to move over his, you did. It was unlike anything you had ever felt before. The rough fabric of his pants against your core had you moaning against his lips. You pulled away from him, surprised with yourself, but you didn’t stop moving.

“Joshua…” you panted, “Why does this feel so good?”

Joshua stopped dead in his tracks. He looked at you with wide eyes, as if he had been caught doing something he shouldn’t be. With his strong hands, he stopped you from moving. You whined and protested, but you couldn’t move.

“You’ve never-” He cleared his throat. “Y/N, I don’t think we should be doing this. Not now.”

“No, please, it was good-”

“That doesn’t matter, dearest.” He brushed his thumb against your cheek. “If you’ve never done this before, I don’t want this to be the first time.”

“Please, Joshua,” you begged and clawed at his shirt, “I’ve never felt like this before.”

“Then you can wait for me, can’t you sweetheart?” he hummed, “I’m going to make you feel like this again, I promise. Just as long as you keep saying my name like that.”

You’d repeat his name over and over again if it meant that he’d continue whatever it was that he was doing to you. However, you could tell he was being serious. He helped you back up and wrapped you up in his coat again.

“I’ll make sure that no one’s outside, wait here for me.”

“Okay,” you murmured.

“Good girl,” he said and left your side.

That morning you woke up sweaty again - this time, however, it was not from a nightmare. You dreamt about the Prince touching you like he had the night before, and you felt something wet pooling between your legs. It was not time for your monthly bleeding yet, so the sensation confused you. You reached down under the covers and cupped your heat over your underwear, trying to remake what he had done to you the night before. It didn’t feel as good as his hips had, but the friction did help to dull the racing thoughts in your head. Moving your hand became difficult, so you began moving your hips over your palm instead. As you began humping your hand, the doors swung open.

“Good morning, Princess!” your chambermaid said happily.

You swore under your breath before greeting her, your secret act quickly hidden away but never forgotten.

Prince Hong did not show up for breakfast. You were furious, to say the least. After asking one of the servants, you found out that your future husband was in his office. So that’s where you went next. Your heels clicked against the floor as you strutted impatiently toward his office. Walking into the art room was way more flustering than it was before. Every statue of a male figure reminded you of Joshua’s wet shirt and his hands against your hips and on your thighs. You turned around to your servants with a flustered face.

“Leave us!”

They all left the room, and you stormed into the Prince’s office. He looked up from his papers, shocked by your sudden entrance. You walked up to your desk and slammed your hand onto the wood.

“What did you do to me?” you hissed.

“Sorry?” The Prince grinned, and you wanted to slap that smile right off his face.

“It feels like my entire body is on fire, you did something to me last night,” you huffed. “What did you do?”

“I apologize, but I-”

“I need you to do it again, Joshua,” you pleaded.

When he heard his name, Prince Hong’s eyes lit up. He stood up from his chair and walked over to the door, looking back at you from time to time. Your breath hitched in your throat as you heard him turn the key in the lock. In a matter of seconds, he was in front of you again. His hands hovered over your hips and, despite towering over you, you weren’t intimidated.

“Do you realize what it would mean?” he asked. “This is something that you’d do with your husband.”

“You are my husband-”

“Future husband.” He interrupted you. “This can be very sacred for a woman like you, I want you to be sure of your actions.”

“Do you not want this, your highness?” You looked down at his lips, and looked back up to his eyes.

“I’ve been wanting to ravage you since I saw you in that ballroom,” he admitted. “Containing my desire has been torture. You have no idea what you have done to me, and you have no idea how much of my energy it takes to loathe you.”

“Let me relieve you, then.” You put your hands on his chest. “I need you to show me how to get rid of this feeling. I don’t care about rules right now. Please.”

Joshua pushed you up on his desk, helping you pull up your dress in the process. You were glad that you weren’t wearing heavy fabrics or many layers today. If you had, you wouldn’t have felt his rough hands travel up your thighs or the cold feeling of the wooden table against your skin. Something that felt so good couldn’t be wrong - and his lips on yours was the most angelic sensation you had ever gotten the pleasure of experiencing. Joshua’s hands urged your legs to wrap around his waist. When you did, he lifted you up and carried you over to a chaise lounge in the corner of the room. He sat down and made you straddle him, just like you had last night. As you began grinding on his lap, Joshua smiled against your lips and wrapped his arms around you.

“You’re so eager,” he said with a chuckle. “Don’t you want to slow down?”

“I don’t think you understand how bad I need this. I’m putting aside my pride for this, your highness.” You grinned as you ran your hands across his chest. “I just need you to do whatever you did before.”

“But there’s better things to do-”

You put your pointer finger on his lips and hushed him, making him smile. A part of you still wanted control, even though he was clearly the one with the most knowledge. So you decided what you’d do and when you’d do it, he just had to show you how.

“Show me later, okay?”

He nodded before connecting his lips to yours again. Joshua’s hands gripped your hips, just as he had the night before, and he started moving you over his crotch. You moaned into the kiss. Finally getting what you had been needing the past few hours, you let go of all of your tension. Without you noticing, Joshua had removed his hands and your hips were now moving on your own. 

“Such a good girl, aren’t you Princess? Moving all on your own.” His hands gently grabbed at the delicate fabric of your dress. “What a fast learner, I bet I can teach you to do things you can’t even imagine right now.”

You moaned at his words and the feeling of something hardening in his trousers. If you had been in the right state of mind you would’ve died from embarrassment, but something about this made your brain foggy and you couldn’t care less about consequences right now. He began kissing down your jaw, leaving sloppy marks on your skin. 

“You like feeling dirty, baby?” He grinned against your skin. “If I knew you’d be like this, I would’ve tried something sooner.”

Your movements grew sloppy, and Joshua put his hands back on your hips. Both of your noises bounced around his office, and the lewd scene of it all made your head spin. Joshua gripped you harder, his fingertips surely leaving marks on your skin. When your head fell onto his shoulder, he chuckled and loosened his grip ever so slightly.

“Tired already, honey?”

“I feel like I’m going to explode…” you stuttered out.

“Good, baby. Means you’re about to cum,” he panted, “You can cum for me, right? It’ll make you feel so good, Princess.”

“Yeah.” You gripped at his shoulders and nodded. “Gonna cum, ‘Shua…”

“Just let go for me, let it wash over you…” He began kissing your neck again.

Something snapped in your lower stomach, and you felt what you could only describe as fireworks going off inside you. Joshua kept moving his hips back and forth until he grunted and stuttered his hips. His arms wrapped around your waist, holding you close while you came down from your high.

“Are you alright, Princess?” Joshua’s hand was stroking your back in a calming manner.

You could only hum in response, your entire body had gone numb and you couldn’t find it in you to reply properly. His laugh rumbled through his chest, and you nuzzled your face closer to him at the feeling. Even though a part of you was screaming at yourself to get out now that the act was done, you couldn’t bring yourself to leave. Joshua shifted, letting you lay down with your back on the chaise lounge. He sat up, you whined from the loss of contact, and he helped you fix your dress to cover your legs again. When he sat beside you again, he had a strange look in his eyes.

“What?” You smiled and sat up.

“I didn’t think this could ever happen with someone like you,” he admitted.

“Someone like me?”

“You’re usually a lot more high strung,” he teased.

“Excuse you,” you scoffed. “I’m fun to be around- and you can’t deny that!”

“I’m not trying to say anything, Princess-”

“Don’t ‘Princess’ me! You know what?” You stood up from the couch, “This is the last time I’ll do anything like this with you.”

It was not the last time. Prince Hong taught you things about your own body that you didn’t know that you could do. The first time he ate you out, in a secluded corner of the library, you almost passed out from the sensation. Your hand had been clamped over your mouth, your legs shaking around his shoulders as he held you in place when he drew orgasm after orgasm from you. His hand appeared from under your skirt after what felt like hours, your juices dripping from his chin, and he had proudly commented on how “he won” your bet after looking at his watch.

Leading up to the announcement of your engagement, Prince Hong had taught you how to be, what he called, a good slut - a term which you both loved and hated. The day of the engagement announcement you were in his office again, this time under his desk. Your knees were probably bruised, but you didn’t care. 

“You’re taking my cock so well, sweetheart,” Joshua hissed. “Who taught you to suck cock like a good little slut, hm?”

Your mouth let go of his cock with a pop, and you continued stroking it. In any other state of mind, you wouldn’t dignify him with a response, but you couldn’t help yourself when your brain was in a fog.

“You did, your Highness,” you moaned.

“Good girl.” Joshua ran his fingers through your hair and made you look him in the eye, instead of staring down his reddened cock. “Are you gonna let me cum in that pretty mouth of yours?”

You nodded excitedly and took his cock in your mouth again, trying to take it deeper and choking on his length. The bit that you couldn’t take with your mouth, you pumped with your fist. The Prince had yet to fuck you, and every day that passed made you wonder if you could actually take him. He was big and even though you hadn’t seen a cock before, it seemed like it wasn’t supposed to be this huge - especially considering how much just two of his fingers filled you up. Much to your dismay, there was a sudden knock at the door. Joshua pushed you under the desk which, thankfully, had a back to it so that the person walking through the door would be unaware of your presence.

“Come in,” the Prince said, making your eyes widen in horror.

You tap his knee, trying to get his attention, and tell him to not let another person in the room. Joshua completely ignored you, and only moved closer to the desk. The person came in and started discussing the engagement announcement with the Prince. You didn’t listen very intently, you were far too busy staring at Joshua’s, still hard, cock. His hands were on the table, unable to reach down and stop you without arousing suspicion. You took the chance at hand and wrapped your hand around his cock again. Joshua cleared his throat to cover a gasp. He kept on talking, so you took his head into your mouth again. Your tongue swirled around his tip before you started sucking him off again.

“Are you alright, sir?” the man on the other side of the desk asked.

“I’m just fine. I suppose it’s nerves.” The Prince managed to joke his suspicious behavior away, but he couldn’t continue like that forever.

You took his shaft as deep in your mouth as you could without making a sound. One of your hands stayed on his cock, but the other started massaging his balls. His cock twitched inside your mouth, and you knew he was close. The Prince cleared his throat again and asked abruptly to be left alone. When you heard the door open and, finally, close you let go of his cock again. 

“Fucking slut,” he sighed and looked down to you. “Can’t keep off of my cock, can you?”

“You know I need my mouth filled if you want me to shut up, sir,” you responded with a sudden confidence.

Prince Hong was caught by surprise by your forwardness. A mixture of pride and fear swirled in his eyes as he looked upon his horny creation. You grabbed his shaft again and pumped it slowly, all while you were staring up at him with a smile.

“You can’t be mad at me for doing what I was taught, Prince Hong,” you said, “Especially not when I had such an eager teacher.”

Joshua swore under his breath as he watched you sucking him off. You kept eye contact, urging him to cum whenever he wanted - you would take it all for him. When he came, with a string of moans followed by dirty words, you didn’t swallow his seed immediately. Instead, you waited for him to look at you, and opened your mouth for him to see you before you swallowed. He reached out to touch you and graced his thumb across your cheek and you leaned into his touch.

“Fucking perfect,” he murmured.

“I win,” you whispered.

Joshua chuckled but didn’t try to deny it as he usually did. He didn’t even try to do anything to “discipline” you like he had tried before. He looked at you with a warm gaze, almost lovingly. Your victory, in making him cum, was trumped by his nearly romantic actions. What this meant was unknown to you.

Later that afternoon, you were preparing yourself for the announcement. You would stand in front of a crowd, beside your future husband while he held a short speech about the future alliance. Then you would speak to the people, talking about how welcomed you felt and how this would be an alliance to last. Your engagement was a symbol of hope, everything had to be perfect.

You were dressed in a traditional gown of your kingdom. It was blue, representing the oceans that surrounded your land and the peace that this alliance would bring. The Prince would, in a similar fashion, be wearing green - representing his kingdom’s many fields and forests. When you saw yourself in the mirror, you wondered if your parents would be proud of your sacrifice. 

“Miss, are you ready for the ring?” your chambermaid asked.

You merely nodded and turned to her. The ring had a jewel the size of a pea, which matched the jewels in your crown. A part of you wished that Prince Hong could have given this to you himself. Would it be so horrible if he had just given the ring to you himself? He didn’t have to get down on one knee, but he could have made this more personal.

“You look beautiful,” the maid said.

“Thank you.” You gave her a kind smile, then turned back to the mirror.

There was no getting out of this now, this was the end of the road for your freedom. You told yourself you would learn to love the Prince, it wasn’t as if you didn’t enjoy his company from time to time. You put the ring on your gloved finger, the metal clashing against the white fabric of the glove.

Standing in front of hundreds of people, who were all there to see you, felt less nerve-wracking than you thought it would. You were standing on a stage beside the Prince. Your hands were strategically placed in front of you, one over the other, and making sure that the ring would show. A smile was plastered on your face as you listened to him talk. Your father and your future mother-in-law were standing behind you, also listening and smiling. 

“And I can’t wait to spend the rest of my life with this beautiful woman.” Joshua gestured to you with a charming smile. “She is truly a symbol of hope for this land, and she shall be cherished as one.”

The last comment made your smile falter slightly, but only for a second. That word, “symbol”, sat with you in a weird way. Nevertheless, your mind is filled with scenarios of what his cherishing would entail. The Prince continued talking, even though you could barely listen anymore. When it was your turn to speak, your hands were trembling. Prince Hong must have noticed this because his hand soon appeared on the small of your back in a comforting manner. You barely remember what you said, your mind was elsewhere while you were speaking. By the look on your father’s face, however, it seemed like you said the right things. When applause reached your ears, and Joshua’s gentle hand began pushing you, you knew to go back inside the castle.

“Good girl,” Joshua whispered in your ear, only loud enough for you to hear.

You felt your knees wobble and a warm feeling spreading in your lower stomach. His hand on your back was burning through the fabric of your dress, but you never wanted him to remove it.

⋅•⋅⊰∙∘☽༓☾∘∙⊱⋅•⋅

“Fuck, why did you have to do that to me when we’re in public?” you hissed as he pushed you against the wall of a closet.

His leg was shoved between yours, rubbing against your cunt. You were struggling with the fabric of your dress, pulling it up to give him more access.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about, Princess.” Joshua grinned.

When he began kissing down your neck, you wrapped your arms around his shoulders. Your hips were moving on their own across his thigh, while he kissed as far down your chest as your dress would let him. He had yet to see you completely naked yet, the closest he had gotten was seeing you in your nightgown.

“Why haven’t you fucked me properly yet?” The words came out of your mouth without warning.

“I have to save something for the honeymoon, dearest,” he joked and kneeled down in front of you, “Be grateful I’m giving you anything at all right now.”

“Screw you,” you gasped as he ripped off your underwear.

You watched with a slack jaw as he put your ripped panties in his pocket. Joshua kissed up your thigh, taking it and moving it to sit atop his shoulder. One of your hands rested in his hair, while the other tried to find a surface that you could stabilize yourself on. As he delved into your heat, you accidentally knocked something off a shelf but at least you found something to hold onto. 

“You’re a piece of shit sometimes,” you breathed out.

“Careful, honey,” he tutted and began rubbing your clit with his fingers. “You’re forgetting who’s in charge of your orgasm.”

“I could do this myself, you know,” you huffed.

“Oh really?” Joshua sat back. “Why don’t you make yourself cum for me then? Prove me wrong.”

You ripped off one of your gloves, the one without the ring on, and slid down the wall to sit down. Suddenly aware of Joshua looking at you, your face flushed.

“Are you going to watch me?” you asked.

“What? It’s not like I haven’t seen you like this before.”

He had. Nevertheless, you felt that all of your time spent together had gone to waste. The time that you were supposed to practice for public appearances was spent with way more private situations in mind. Was this really what you wanted?

“Prince H-”

“Joshua.”

“Joshua,” you said and closed your legs, “I don’t mind this relationship- I prefer it… but shouldn’t we try to work on our public relationship?”

He paused and then shuffled to sit up straighter. As soon as you had said it, you regretted even opening your mouth. Joshua’s expression broke you. The sudden cold and analytical eyes were a harsh replacement for his previously mischievous but warm look.

“What do you want me to do?” he asked defensively.

“We’re officially engaged,” you stated, feeling like it was obvious enough to explain your needs.

“What did you think was going to change? That we’re magically going to fall in love because you wear a ring on your left hand?”

His words cut you deeper than you expected his words ever could. It was partly his tone, suddenly changed from his teasing and flirting to the person you met after the ball. You hated this side of him. However, his words hurt because they were somewhat true. You had started thinking that this new side of him was all there was to him, now that you had gotten to know him a little better. That was your first mistake. You stood up, wanting to put space in between you but you were stuck between him and the wall. He stood up as well.

“Is it wrong for me to want love?” You started feeling stinging in your eyes. “I never wanted you. Do you know what I wanted? I wanted to love and be loved in the comfort of my own kingdom. I’m only here for you, and you can’t even bring yourself to like me when you’re not fucking me!”

“I didn’t make this choice either!” he exclaimed, “You’re not here for me, you’re here for my kingdom-”

“I am not a ‘symbol of hope’!” you interrupted. “I’m not a symbol at all, I’m human- why do you never treat me like a person, Prince Hong?”

“As if you don’t do the same to me! Why can’t you see me past my title?”

“Fuck you!” you said, as you fell short on a reply to his counter argument.

The two of you stare at each other, chests heaving. Prince Hong suddenly lept toward you, taking your face in his hands and pressing his lips against yours. The kiss was rough and sloppy. A tear fell down your cheek, and you gave in for a second. For a second he was the man you loved, kissing you for no other reason than the fact that he was in love with you too. You quickly snapped out of that state of mind, pushing the Prince away from you and into the shelves beside you.

“I’m going back home!” you cried, “I’ll plan this stupid wedding from there- but you have to leave me alone until then!”

Prince Hong doesn’t say a thing as you leave.

The carriage that would take you to the nearest coast, where you would take a boat back to your kingdom, was ready for you about an hour after you requested it. It only took half an hour to pack your necessary things and tell your father of your sudden departure. He took it as you expected, with grace, and told you that he’d handle wedding things in Ceadrotia before joining you for a while. The wedding wouldn’t happen for a month, so you had time to relax at home before moving your entire life to another kingdom. 

A bumpy carriage ride was not what you needed right now. The over one-hour-long ride was hell, but you’d rather be in hell than stay another minute in the castle of Ceadrotia. You didn’t want to face Prince Hong for a while - what he had said to you hurt, but a part of you also knew that you were in the wrong. A combination of anger and embarrassment flooded your chest and tears flooded your eyes.

Arriving at the coast was relieving, it was a promise of finally coming home. Xaevia was surrounded by the ocean, and water was of high cultural importance. Almost every home had its own big bath, and those who didn’t could go to the many public baths around the kingdom. Water is life, and in Xaevia it was taken very seriously. So your stay in Ceadrotia had been unusual from your normal life. It hadn’t necessarily been bad, but it had only made your homesickness worse.

As you watched your things get loaded onto the boat that would carry you home, you thought you heard someone calling your name. You looked towards the boat, thinking that maybe someone wanted to ask you something about where your luggage should be, but everyone was busy and not even looking your way. 

“Princess!”

Both of your guards prepared themselves but quickly went back to their natural position when they saw who it was. Prince Hong was riding toward you, having followed you on horseback. You take your time processing his presence, which is enough time for him to jump off his horse and walk up to you. He was breathing heavily, and his eyes were determined.

“We should have the wedding in Xaevia,” he said abruptly, then paused as if he had forgotten all of his words. “And I’m sorry I didn’t realize your sacrifice for me sooner... if you’ll let me, I want to come with you to Xaevia and help you make the wedding that you desire.”

There was complete silence between you. If it weren’t for the ocean waves or the grunting of the men loading the luggage onto the boat, you could have heard a pin drop. The Prince looked to you for an answer, but you were unsure if you could give him a proper one. A wedding in your home country was what you wanted, but you weren’t sure if you were ready to forgive him just because of his sudden declaration. Joshua reached up and pressed his hand to his chest, right over his heart.

“I have promised my country a sufficient ruler.” He gripped the fabric of his shirt in desperation. “However, my affection and my devotion will always be with you first. I need you, Princess, and I apologize for hiding behind such a sorry excuse as I did. There is no one else that I could consider being my Queen. I need you there with me Y/N.”

There was no other sound, they had all been drowned out by your beating heart. You stared into Joshua’s desperate eyes. He longed for you, or at least he was willing to act like he did. A part of you still thought of him as deceitful, a devil with many tricks, but you set it aside for now. You took a deep breath and looked over to the ship. They were almost finished packing.

“We’re leaving now.” You looked back at him. “If you truly wish to come with me, you’ll have to leave with only the clothes on your back.”

“I don’t desire anything else than to stay by your side, Princess.”

“Good.”

The boat ride would take a day to complete and, since you had left so late in the day, you’d be arriving in the midst of the night. You were standing by the bow, looking towards where you were sailing. It was already dark, so there was not much to see, but you enjoyed the feeling of standing at the front of the ship. It wasn’t just the view; it was the feeling of the salty air, the sound of the ship plowing through the waves, and the slight rocking underneath your feet. Everything felt so natural to you.

“It’ll get cold soon, Princess.” You heard Joshua call out to you.

His footsteps echoed towards you, each step graceful as if in a waltz. He was a good dancer afterall. You felt the heavy fabric of a wool blanket wrap around your shoulders. One of his hands lingered there, and you put your hand on top of his before you turned to look at him.

“Thank you,” you murmured, “For everything.”

“It’s nothing. I want you to be happy,” he admitted. “Even if this isn’t exactly what you had in mind.”

“It’s certainly not,” you chuckled and turned back to look at the sea.

In the far distance, you could see lights, meaning that you were closing in on land. You let go of the Prince’s hand, which led him to let his hand slip off your shoulder.

“It’s enough,” you added. “This is enough for me.”

Prince Hong now stood beside you, looking toward the lights as well. When you looked at him, he reminded you of the many stories of beautiful mermaids and mermen you had been told as a child. Beautiful but devious, although helpful and even generous at times. His emblem of the raven gleamed in the moonlight.

“What does the raven mean? Is your kingdom not known for its soil?” you asked.

Joshua looked down at the emblem and held it in his hand. He inspected it as if it would give him the secrets to its definition, but it didn’t take him long before he answered.

“Many people see the raven as an evil omen. It means death in certain cultures. We associate it with its insight and wisdom. The raven is always there, watching over.” He turned the jewelry in his hand. “They’re said to travel between the world of the living and the dead- they’re our connection to the ones before us. Yes, we’re known for our crops- but I suppose this is our way of honoring our ancestors, of having them with us. We come from the soil, and we’ll go back to the soil when we die- it’s the raven’s job to tell our story.”

He looked at you with an embarrassed smile, clearly feeling like he had talked too much. His hands were perched on the railing of the ship, so you placed yours beside his.

“I think it’s a good way to honor tradition,” you said, “And maybe learn from past mistakes.”

He seemed more relieved now that you had shown your interest. His hand inched closer to yours. You looked up at him. This is the first conversation you had together without throwing petty insults or interrupting each other by pressing one’s lips onto the other’s.

“I hope to show you these kinds of things in my kingdom as well, if you’re up to it,” you said.

“I’d love to,” he smiled.

This was what it was like to try, and you wished you would’ve done it sooner. 

The arrival was a blur of happy shouts from your family and many hugs. Prince Hong was slightly left behind, except for a simple “hello” and “welcome”. You were finally home again, and you couldn’t think of anything else. That night you slept well in your old bed, with no nightmares in sight.

As soon as it slipped that the wedding would be held in Xaevia and not in Ceadrotia, your entire family erupted in happy shouts and screeches. The planning began almost immediately, and word was sent out to the people of both kingdoms quicker than you could have imagined. The people of Xaevia cheered for the sudden change and, while there were people who were happy for you in Ceadrotia, not everyone took it as well in the Prince’s home country. It was to be expected, and you didn’t let that slow your wedding plans down. 

The wedding was to be held in Xaevia’s royal palace, and your honeymoon would be spent in a castle on one of the islands surrounding the kingdom. With everything surrounding preparations for the wedding, and finally getting to be with your family again, you didn’t have much time to spend with the Prince. You saw him whenever you were working on the wedding together; you picked out the colors together, the flowers, et cetera - all of which surprised you as he didn’t seem like the type who would do this sort of thing. Nevertheless, he was surprisingly good at it.

As you were looking at the different flowers together, you finally got a moment alone. There were guards and servants around, but it was the most alone you had been together since you had gotten to Xaevia.

“You’re not too bad at this, your highness,” you said with a small smile.

“I enjoy beautiful things.” He had a flirty tone, and the look in his eye confirmed it. “You should know that by now.”

You chuckled but didn’t delve into that sort of conversation any further. You had made a conscious effort to not indulge yourself in flirtatious conversations with the Prince because of your earlier sexual pursuits. Even though you wouldn’t mind falling into the same routine, you didn’t want to risk an argument like you had before.

“I suggest the peonies- they’re supposed to mean romance and prosperity,” you said, avoiding the topic that the Prince had tried to bring up.

“Sure, but I-”

“Red roses are beautiful but seem a little cliché, and they’re difficult to take care of.”

“Yes, Princess, but I’d really like to talk about-”

“But I don’t,” you interrupted him again, “If we talk, we fight. So let’s not talk, Prince Hong. Just tell me what flowers you think we should have at our wedding.”

“... Hoary stock,” he pointed to the pink and long flowers, “Beauty that doesn’t fade with age.”

His tone was cold again, but not as cold as it had been during your argument in the closet. It was more of a disappointed tone than anything else. Nevertheless, he was right. The hoary stock would be nice, and you were sure that you could figure out a good bouquet to decorate the halls. The woman taking care of the flower arrangement came back, and you motioned to the peonies and the hoary stock. Now that you were finished you walked out of the room with Prince Hong, but you turned away from each other as soon as you got into the hallway.

The day of the wedding had arrived, and you were shaking from the nerves. That morning had been spent scrubbing you clean and pampering you to get ready for your big day. Maids had helped you put on your white dress and fix your hair. Everything had to be perfect, and you weren’t allowed to lift a finger. When you got out of your bathroom, you were met with a surprise. Your room had been filled with flowers, a supposed gift from the Prince. You were a white dot in the middle of a sea of red. Roses gave the room a pleasant smell, but sitting there alone with them made you feel lonely. The grand gestures were nice, and you were sure that the Prince would continue giving them - but that wasn’t enough for you. It was a marvelous act, but it only showed that he had the resources to do these kinds of things for you - not that he had put any feelings behind them. You felt selfish, but you tried to shake it off.

Since the wedding wasn’t being held in Ceadrotia, and the King was still alive, you wouldn’t be crowned Queen or sworn into your future kingdom. This ceremony was only meant to celebrate the alliance of two kingdoms and the marriage of two people. Still, it was to be held in Xaevia’s throne hall. It was a long, oval-shaped room that could fit around a hundred people - which would all be seated in rows in two lines, with the aisle in the middle of the two. At the end of the room were two thrones, both decorated with white gold and blue, and above them sat Xaevia’s emblem; two seahorses with their backs facing each other, and a sword between them.

“No peeking, Princess!” One of the maids giggled and pulled you back from the curtain.

People had settled in the throne room and, if you looked out to the window on the other side of this small room, the people outside were all waiting for an appearance from the newlywed. After the ceremony, you and the Prince would walk out onto a balcony and greet the people of Xaevia, as well as the people of Ceadrotia who had arrived for this special occasion.

“I’m sorry,” you said, “I’m just nervous.”

“It’s completely natural for you to be nervous.” Your mother walked into the room.

With a big smile, you lifted up your dress slightly and sprinted over to her the best you could. The two of you embraced, and she kissed your cheek. You felt yourself finally relax.

“You’re going to shine out there, darling,” she said as she let go of you.

“Thank you.” You smiled. “I’m just happy it could be held here.”

“Well, that Prince of yours is certainly generous. It’s more than anyone else would have done, especially with the backlash he might get from his own people,” she muttered. “But! Not for you to worry about now, darling!”

Your mother didn’t have the best way with words, but you decided to try to forget about the comment. Such things could be taken care of after this wedding.

“The Prince is about to walk down the aisle,” a maid said.

“Then that’s my cue to leave,” your mother said, “I’ll see you out there, darling.”

When your mother left your side, you prepared yourself by the curtains. Your father soon joined you, and you held his arm. The music started, and the Prince walked in. You could picture his charming smile and suave walk, and you shut your eyes tight at the thought of having to look at him while slowly walking down the aisle. When the curtains finally opened, and your flower girl had taken a few steps, you started walking arm-in-arm with your father. Your eyes were on the floor, but you knew it wasn’t proper so you forced yourself to look at your future husband. He was smiling. His formal suit was blue, which you thought was a nice touch, and he wore a crown in a similar fashion to yours. The most important thing to you, however, was the idyllic look in his eyes as he intently watched you walk down the aisle. Maybe it was your imagination, but you thought you saw tears in his eyes. 

The song ended and you were standing in front of him. He held out his hands to you, and you placed your hands in his. They were still shaking, but when he started stroking his thumb over the back of your hand you calmed down a little.

“Dearly beloved.”

And the ceremony started.

⋅•⋅⊰∙∘☽༓☾∘∙⊱⋅•⋅

After the ceremony, greeting the people, and a short celebration, you and Joshua took a boat to the island where you’d spend your one-week honeymoon. It was where you spent a lot of your summers as a child. Stepping foot on the island again, seeing that it hadn’t really changed, was comforting. 

“It’s beautiful,” Prince Hong commented.

“Just as I remember it,” you added.

He looked at you with a warm smile, which he had been wearing all day. The Prince seemed to be genuinely happy, and it calmed you down. Your shoulders relaxed, and you took a moment to breathe in the fresh air. As you walked up the stone steps to the castle, he held your hand to keep you steady. 

The castle was up on a hill, looking over the ocean. It wasn’t far from the coast of Xaevia, and you could see the royal palace from the beach of the island. Even though the castle wasn’t very big, and the towers weren’t very tall, it was certainly enough for the two of you. The humble stone castle gave you a warm welcome, along with its staff. They congratulated you as soon as you made it through the door. You were lucky that you had changed into a simpler dress before stepping foot on the island, walking up so many steps in a big wedding gown would have been hell - and as you entered the castle, you saw even more steps.

“Where do you want to go, my Princess?” he asked, and now it was really true - you were his Princess.

“The sun’s about to set,” you said, “Maybe we could get settled and then I can finally get to show you one of the many baths in Xaevia.”

“Sounds like a plan to me.”

He lifted you off your feet in one swoop and began carrying you up the stairs. A squeak escaped your lips, followed by quiet giggles and snorts. Your hands gripped onto Joshua’s shoulders and you pressed yourself against him. You had no doubt that this man was strong and stable enough to carry you, but it was still nerve-wracking. 

“... where are we going?” he whispered once he reached the top of the stairs.

“Over there,” you whispered back and pointed to where he should walk.

Joshua carried you like this all the way to your shared bedroom, with the help of your directions, and both of you giggled the entire way. It felt ridiculous to act like a married couple without having had a proper courting season, but both of you leaned into the absurdity of it. 

Once Joshua had managed to open the door to the bedroom and walked in, he carefully threw you on the bed. You looked around and saw that your things had already been carried up to the room. The staff works fast. The rustling of Joshua taking off his coat brought your attention back to him. Before you could process anything, he was on top of you and pressing a soft kiss on your lips.

“Hi,” you said.

“Hi? Is that all you have to say to your husband?” he joked.

“Shouldn’t we go to the bath? The sun is about to set, I want you to see it with a view.”

“You’re all the view I need.” Joshua kissed you again, but you quickly pulled away.

“I’m serious, Joshua,” you chuckled.

You were bothered that he could so easily float into the role of your husband, as if you hadn’t argued and as if you hadn’t had the relationship you had. He couldn’t even acknowledge it, there was no time to just talk about what you had been through together or what the future might hold.

“Okay, let’s go to the bathtub.” He huffed.

“It’s not a tub-”

The two of you arrived at the large pool of water, surrounded by pillars that supported a roof. It had three walls, to protect it from wind, and one side was an open view of the ocean. You had made it just in time to see the sunset, painting both the ocean and the water of the bath in beautiful hues of lilac and red.

“See? Not a tub.” You smiled at him

“It’s gorgeous,” he said, “Did you want to go for a swim?”

Joshua began unraveling his shirt in front of you. You widened your eyes in shock and looked around, but there was no one to be seen here. You were all alone again. He kept taking off his shirt and threw it to the ground.

“Should I help you?”, he asked as he saw that you hadn’t moved an inch.

“... I don’t know.” Was all you could say.

“Sweetheart, are you alright?” His voice was sweet and laced with worry.

“Don’t-...” You sighed. “I don’t want to fight with you.”

Joshua took a step towards you, holding out his hands to you like he had during the wedding. You remembered how comforting he had been, and you took his hands. His thumb began gently rubbing the back of your hand again, and you took a deep breath.

“Who says we’re in a fight?” he asked.

“... when we were in Ceadrotia, we ended up fighting during…” You stopped yourself. “I’m sorry, this is stupid. Maybe we should just-”

“No, it’s not stupid,” he assured you. “We fought, yes. What does that have to do with now?”

“I’m scared,” you admitted, “What if all that we can do is fight and… fool around?”

He chuckled at your choice of words but brought you slightly closer to him by pulling at your hands. You took a deep breath and finally looked him in the eye. His kind brown eyes calmed you down.

“You’re my wife now, Y/N,” he said softly, “I’m going to do everything in my power to make sure you live a good life with me. That isn’t to say we won’t fight, we might, but we can handle it together. I’m sure we can. Okay?”

“Okay.” You nodded.

Joshua pulled you even further towards him. One of his hands hugged your lower back, while the other held your hand. With a knowing smile, you put your hand on his bare shoulder. He slowly started swaying from side to side.

“There’s no music,” you whispered.

“Does it matter?” he asked.

You put your head on his chest, and his hand that was previously holding yours now met the other one on your back. He hugged you, still swaying slightly, and kissed the top of your head. There was no time present in this moment, Joshua had taken up your entire universe. The feeling of his skin under your hands, his smell, his soft breaths against the top of your head - the only thing that existed was Prince Hong.

“Would you help me take this off?” You pulled away to look at him. “I think I want to go for a swim anyway.”

Joshua smiled and nodded softly. He took one of your arms, running his hand across it until he reached your glove. His fingers gently pulled one of the gloves of your hands, his lips kissing every inch of skin that he revealed. When he finally removed the piece of fabric completely he threw it to the side, looked you in the eye, and kissed the back of your hand. You let out a soft laugh as he did the same with the other glove.

“Turn around for me, my love.”

You did as he said, and turned your back to him. As he began unbuttoning the back of your dress, you realized that he had never seen you without clothes on. Joshua pressed a kiss to your upper back, comforting you without saying a word. You pulled the sleeves off and let the gown fall to the floor. You were left in your corset and underwear. His expert hands worked magic on your corset, and soon enough Joshua had taken it off. With an anxious feeling spreading in your chest, you turned around to face him, your hands covering your chest.

“Nervous?” he asked.

“It would be better if I weren’t the only one naked,” you suggested.

While Joshua pulled off the rest of his clothes, you took off the last you had on and started walking down the stairs of the pool. The water was still warm, and you quickly dove in. When you came to the surface again, you wiped the water from your face and looked behind you. Joshua was waist-deep in the water, looking out towards the view. You watched him without saying anything, taking in his appearance as if it were the last time you would see him. His body looked like it was sculpted by the gods. Broad shoulders, a soft curve from his chest to the lower abdomen, and his muscles being more pronounced with the shadows created by the sunsets - your eyes had been blessed. Joshua met your eyes, and you had to stop drooling over him. Having never seen him naked before, it was difficult to not stare and you had to look away to force yourself to stop.

“You can stare as much as you want, sweetheart.” He walked further into the pool. “I’m all yours now.”

Your body sank down in the water, hiding everything except from your eyes and nose. Joshua swam towards you. Seeing you flustered over his frame clearly made him proud because he had a big grin on his face, showing off his perfect teeth. Was everything about this man perfect? How had you not seen this before?

“Can I hold you?” he asked.

You let the rest of your head peek up from the surface of the water, nodding yes to his questions. Joshua’s strong arms wrapped around you. His smooth skin under the water felt like laying down in a bed of silk.

“I’m happy that it’s you that I get to spend the rest of my life with,” he murmurs into your ear.

You’re unsure of when and why Joshua had turned so soft, but you weren’t going to complain about it. Moving your hands up his body, feeling every curve and crevice, you cupped his face in the palms of your hands. His eyebrows raised slightly in surprise, not thinking you’d be so forward. You leaned in and pressed your lips to his, leaving him wanting more when you pulled away.

“Are you going to prove it to me, your highness?” you said with a grin, making Joshua scoff.

“Maybe I should just leave you here, hm?”

“Don’t,” you warned. “What do you want me to call you then?”

“Joshua,” you moaned out as your back hit your bed again.

The flimsy towel wrapped around your body had been pulled off as soon as you entered your room, and thrown into a corner. Joshua’s hands held onto your waist while he kissed down your jaw to your chest. Your hands tangled in his hair, and you felt him smile against your skin. 

“Tell me what you want,” he murmured.

“I want you to fuck me,” you breathed out, “Please.”

“I’ll do more than that, my love.” Joshua crawled back up to press a chaste kiss on your lips. “I want to take care of you, make love to you.”

Instead of answering, you kissed him again. Hands cupping his face, while he pressed his body against yours. Feeling his skin on yours, his hard cock against your lower abdomen, without any fabric coming in between you felt like heaven. His slow, deep kisses suddenly turned into pecks all across your face and you giggled at the feeling. Joshua was so different from the other times, it put butterflies in your stomach.

“What are you doing?” you asked.

“Loving you,” he answered. “I want this time to be different. Special.”

“It is, I promise you.”

“Good.” He smiled and gave you another peck. “Is it okay if I do this?”

Joshua brought his hand down to your lower stomach, and you nodded. His fingers did quick work at spreading your wetness around and rubbing your clit before he went lower to insert a finger in you. The sensation was familiar to you, and you didn’t show a very big reaction - you were far too busy with your lips on his. However, when he pushed in another digit, scissoring them and stretching you out, you started whining. 

“Think you’re ready for me?” he asked, leaning his forehead against yours

“Yeah,” you hummed.

Cumming around his fingers wasn’t new for you, but somehow he made it feel even better this time. Maybe it was the feeling of complete relaxation that you finally got around him. Joshua began rubbing his tip against your soaked cunt, making you squirm. 

“... Shua,” you whined.

“God, I love it when you use my name,” he huffed out and kissed your temple.

He finally pushed inside you, slowly to make sure you got used to the different size. You gripped his shoulders and let out a quiet gasp. The quiet whimpers coming from you urged Joshua to keep going until he bottomed out, and then he stayed there. You felt completely full and unable to move.

“Are you alright, my love?” he asked, voice slightly strained.

“Mhm…” You nodded. “Are you okay, Shua?”

“I’m fine, don’t worry about me.” He chuckled.

Joshua shifted slightly, getting more comfortable, but the movement made you whine. The sheer size of his cock was enough to make you tremble. He looked at you to check in with you, and you answered with a tired smile.

“You can move,” you murmured, “I’ll be okay.”

He answered by slowly pulling out until his tip was almost out of you, the two of you groaned and whimpered at the sight, and then plunged in you again. Joshua’s lips captured yours in a kiss again as he began moving his hips. The tip of his cock hit a spot inside you that made you see stars every time he thrusted into you. Your kiss grew needy and sloppy as your bodies moved against each other. It was impossible to ignore the growing tension in your lower stomach, and Joshua’s hands wandering across your body only egged you on more. 

“You’re taking me so well, sweetheart,” Joshua mumbled against your lips.

“It’s good…” Was all you could muster to say, your mind too far gone to think.

“Adorable.”

The two of you giggled, you more so because of the rousing feeling in your stomach. It was a familiar feeling, but somehow different this time. Joshua’s bare skin was hot against yours. All of these sensations became too much; his touch, his kiss, his soft moans… it all fired you up until you couldn’t take it anymore. You warned him with one final cry of pleasure, and he came soon after you.

Joshua fell on top of you with a grunt, his cock still deeply buried inside you. You put your arms around him, one of your hands playing with the hair by the nape of his neck. He hummed happily at the feeling, placing soft kisses in the crook of your neck. Adoration filled your heart as he looked up at you again, his big doe eyes sparkling like they held every star of the universe. Over a month ago you despised the man, but now you never wanted to leave his side. 

“We should go to bed,” you murmured as you played with his hair.

“Stay still, I’ll help you.”

He pulled out of you, letting out a soft groan. For once you had no trouble doing what he told you to, so you laid still on the bed. While he got the bed ready for the two of you, you just watched him. While he certainly knew that you were watching him, evident by his proud smile, he didn’t look back at you. Not until he decided to move you to lay under the covers. You winced and he cooed at you, tucking you in gently before getting under the covers himself. The bed was big but unlike your bed in Ceadrotia, you didn’t feel lonely or cold - how could it be with Joshua there with you?

“Do you think we made an heir?” you asked in a giddy tone while he cuddled closer to you.

“We’ll have to wait and see,” he hummed, “If not, we can always try again.”

“Then I hope that we didn’t.”

You laid on top of him, your head right above his chest. The two of you stayed quiet, the only sound being the wind blowing outside. Joshua’s fingers drew circles on your bare back under the covers. Everything felt so perfect.

“What would you name them?” he suddenly asked, “Our heir, that is.”

“I think I’d wait until I saw them,” you thought out loud, “Holding them in my arms for the very first time, I think it’d make me come up with a name on the spot.”

Joshua let out a soft laugh. You leaned on your elbows to get a better look at him, wondering if he was teasing you. His eyes were closed, ready for sleep. Brushing out the black strands of hair that had fallen in his face got his attention back to you. His eyes fluttered open and looked at you.

“What?” he asked.

“Are you teasing me?” you mumbled.

“I’m not, I think it’s sweet,” he said, “Just like you.”

Satisfied with his answer, you put your head back on his chest. The two of you talked a bit further, saying sweet nothings to each other before falling asleep for the first time as a married couple.

The honeymoon week was spent staying close together. You didn’t just stay in the bedroom, you ended up getting creative with your sex life again - this time without having to sneak around. Going for a swim? Sex by the pool. Have a cute picnic in the castle garden? Fucking on the picnic blanket. Suddenly horny during breakfast? Tell the staff to leave the room because you’re about to fuck on the table. You couldn’t keep your hands off each other.

However, you didn’t just fuck around for the entire week. You started talking, exploring each other’s interests and minds - instead of just bodies as you had before. Through your talks, you got to know Joshua as he was when there was no pressure for him to behave in a certain way. He was a naturally flirty and charming person, but he was also gentle and truly kind - and you experienced that kindness time and time again.

Good things always come to an end. When you got back to Xaevia, you were met with saddened faces - your parents and siblings wearing black. The King of Ceadrotia had passed away. Everything happened so fast, that you were unsure of what to do yourself. Joshua went back to his kingdom right away, leaving you behind. You were left to prepare for your permanent move to Ceadrotia in the midst of mourning. The wedding was only a week ago, but two entire countries are already clouded with sorrow. You wondered what you could’ve possibly done to deserve it - but shook it off as a selfish thought.

Arriving in Ceadrotia after the death of the King was contrasting from the first time you arrived. No one was smiling, everyone wore black, and the streets were practically silent. Although you had never met the King, you knew of his importance to the people. No, the country wasn’t thriving - but the people still loved their King. Seeing everyone in mourning, feeling their pain, made it difficult for you to understand how to approach the situation.

The worst part of all was seeing Joshua cry. He was sealed away in his office, which is why it was the first room in the castle you visited. Opening the door, you heard quick shuffling and sniffling. You saw Joshua wipe away his tears with a paper towel before turning to you.

“Shua…”

“Please, don’t pity me.” Joshua sighed and ran his hands through his hair. “I’ll be fine. Everything’s fine.”

“How can everything be fine, Joshua? Your father-”

“Everything has to be fine,” he snapped, “I have things I need to do, Y/N. Please leave.”

“But you’re in mourning!” you said as if stating the obvious, “You have to spend time with yourself and loved ones to get over this-”

“Leave, Y/N. I don’t have time for this.”

This was not the Joshua you had just spent an entire week with, nor was it the Joshua you had met when you first got here. In a matter of days he had built up a wall around himself, and you didn’t know how to connect with him. You left the room without a fight - you didn’t have it in you to fight with him when he was like this. However, seeing who Joshua could be when it was just the two of you, made you want to try to help.

For the next few days, you didn’t see Joshua. He was working, eating, and sleeping in his office. Every day was spent with worry and sorrow settling deep in your bones. Worry for your husband’s well-being and health. Sorrow for his loss, which was in turn your loss. You never spoke with the late King, but you had only heard good things of him. Seeing the grief of not only your husband but the people of Ceadrotia as well was enough to understand what a loss it had been. However, this didn’t mean that Joshua had to put his health at risk. As his wife, you felt that it was your duty to take care of him - even with his many servants and maids. Only you could take care of his mind.

Seeing the Prince in the dining room was an unusual sight. He was disheveled - his hanging eyelids and puffy eyes were evidence of his lack of sleep, and his unkempt clothing proved that he had stopped caring about his appearance. He sat down in front of you, on the other end of the table, but refused to look at you. Instead, he stared at his empty plate, not even bothering to put breakfast on it.

“Joshua…”

He looked up and met your eyes.

“I’m tired.” 

You stood up from your chair and walked around to be by his side. Kneeling down by his chair, you looked up at him. His eyes were teary and lacking in luster. Although you were unsure if he would let you touch him, you reached up your hands to cup his face. To your surprise, he gladly leaned into your palms.

“I know, my dear,” you hummed. “You know that I can help. All you have to do is ask.”

“... will you help me, my love?” Joshua put his hand on top of yours.

“Always.”

While Joshua rested and spent time with his mother, you went on to plan for the funeral. With his guidelines, it was impossible to not do what Joshua had planned all along. The grand hall was prepared with flowers and the magnificent things that the King loved dearly. But it was to be kept simple and elegant. As you planned the funeral, you also began setting up for the coronation. The throne room was prepared for your introduction to the Ceadrotian family, and Joshua’s introduction to his new role.

The funeral went on as it ought to, but even with its success it brought you no satisfaction. It was to be expected, but the layer of despair hanging over all of you laid especially heavy on your shoulders. After the funeral, you went to your room with Joshua. He said that he needed to lay down and rest, and you could only follow. When you watched him sit down on the bed, watched as his entire frame shrank in defeat, you wanted nothing more than to comfort him. But comfort like this could not be spoken with words, it had to be spoken directly from the heart. You sat down next to him, placing a kiss on his cheek and putting a hand on his back.

“I’m sorry, my love, but I can’t do that right now,” Joshua murmured.

“Do what?”

Joshua looked up with you, his eyes speaking for him.

“No, of course not, darling. I don’t want that either.” You took his hand in yours. “Not everything that I do with you is about sex, you know?”

“... now I feel foolish.” Joshua put his head in the crook of your neck in an attempt to hide his reddened face.

“Don’t,” you warned. “I don’t blame you. It’s all we’ve known, but I don’t want it to be like that in the future.”

“I haven’t even thought about our future…” He put his head in his hands, removing himself from you completely. “I feel like I have already managed to fail as a husband… I knew my father was ill, I knew it all this time. And it still managed to shake me to my core. I crumbled so easily under pressure, I completely forgot about… well, everything else.”

You stood up and walked over to the head of the bed and pushed the sheets aside. It got Joshua’s attention.

“I haven’t changed.”

“Just take off your overcoat and shoes. You need to lay down.”

Without question, Joshua did as you said. Once he had gotten in bed, you got in next to him. The two of you were facing each other, and you did your best to smile when he couldn’t.

“Now what?” Joshua asked.

“Well… do you want me to tell you of my plans?” you asked, and Joshua nodded. “Okay, let’s see… I’ve pictured us a lot in Xaevia. Going on visits, especially to the countryside. I know you’d adore it and… well, the children would as well.”

“Children? Are you-”

“No, no… not yet.” You grinned. “But our potential children would love it. And then I’ve also spent some time thinking about our life here. About you and I spending our evenings here together, about me beating you at chess every now and then.”

“You haven’t beaten me that many times.”

“Enough times,” you said sternly. “We would, of course, take care of the horses together.”

“I miss that,” Joshua hummed.

“Then we can go for a morning ride tomorrow.”

“Good.” Joshua cupped your cheek in his palm. “Thank you, my love. You’ve successfully cheered me up.”

“I’m glad.”

“Would you mind telling me more about our children?” he asked.

You let out a small laugh before you began telling him about your future plans.

⋅•⋅⊰∙∘☽YEARS LATER☾∘∙⊱⋅•⋅

“Joshua? Could you come here, darling?” 

Giggles and eager footsteps echoed through the grand halls of the castle of Ceadrotia, just on the other side of the bedroom door. Joshua took his attention away from putting on clothes to look at you. He had just gotten back from a bath, his hair wet and slicked back. A smile played on his lips as he walked up to the side of the bed.

“Good morning, my love.” He leaned down next to you, his wet hair dripping over the sheets.

“I don’t know about good morning, since you let me wake up alone.” You held his face in your hands. “But I think you should know that there are a few people who are very eager to see you just outside the door. They told me you need to hurry, they’re very impatient little creatures.”

“Ah well, if they’re so very impatient.”

With long strides, Joshua walked up to the door. The giggles persisted - grew louder, even. Joshua opened the door in a haste. Roaring shrieks sounded across the room, followed by loud laughter. Your husband kneeled down and caught the children in his arms. 

“You’re all awfully carefree today,” Joshua said as he gave the two children a morning kiss on each of their foreheads. “And how did you come up with this ambush?”

“Mother helped us plan it!” Your oldest daughter grinned proudly.

“Your mother helped, huh?” Joshua looked back at you. “Always the mastermind behind these schemes.”

You smiled from your place in the bed, waiting for them to attack you as well. As you expected, the two children ran to you as soon as their father let them go. Joshua closed the door behind him, following the kids to your bed. They climbed up and laid down next to you, your son having a bit of trouble getting up.

“I feel bad that our sister can’t join,” your son said.

“She can’t walk yet,” Joshua answered, “But we can go see her in the nursery right after this.”

“Only if she’s awake,” you warned.

“Of course, my love,” Joshua said with a smile. “We don’t want to wake our sleeping beauty.”

“Don’t try to smooth over you leaving me to my lonesome this morning.” 

“I wouldn’t dream of it.” He tried to charm you with another loving smile, but you turned to your children instead.

You could feel his eyes on you, as you intently listened to your children ramble on. They always said just what they were thinking, and it was adorable to witness. But even with this sight, you could not ignore your husband for very long. Sometimes it seemed like your husband needed even more attention than your children. At some point, the nanny came into the room and took away the children - finally letting your husband have all of your attention.

“What is it?” you asked.

“I don’t know what you mean.”

“You’ve been staring at me for the past five minutes, so what is it?” You shuffled closer to him.

“Am I not to stare at my beautiful wife?” He huffed. “All I want to do is stare at you.”

You let out a short laugh and tried to get up but you were stopped by Joshua, who held your wrist to keep you in bed.

“Stay. We have nothing planned for the day.”

“But the children-”

“Can wait,” he finished your sentence. “Let’s just have a moment to ourselves.”

Joshua leaned up to you, and you met his lips halfway. It was a short kiss, but tender. It left space for the possibility of something more, it lingered in the room.

“Did you mark the calendar for when my bedrest after the baby would end?” you quipped with a quirk of your brow.

“So you are off bedrest?”

“As of two days ago.”

He leaned in for another kiss, this time more passionate, and took the opportunity to crawl on top of you.

“May I?” Joshua played with the neckline of your dress. “I’ll be gentle with you, my Queen.”

“I can’t say the same for me, my King.” You grinned, pouncing on the man on top of you.

[thevelvetvampyre]

The screening // cillian murphy x reader:

Summary: Your uncle Chris sets up a private first screening of Oppenheimer as a surprise after being gone for months filming. Cillian Murphy was also invited, much to your surprise. A few glasses of red wine later and a shared blanket leads to the actor getting handsy and needy for your touch.

Pairing: Cillian Murphy x Fem!reader

Warnings: Age gap, smut, pure fantasy (not connected to real life Cillian), pro-longed teasing, fingering, dry humping, Blowjob, he’s a little pervy (BIG love), unsuspecting reader but all consensual (for the most part), pure smut + little to no plot / context

——————————————————————

“Uncle Chris!” You screamed with your hands reaching outwards, your legs moving as fast as they could through the white corridors to run into your uncle’s arms. It had been only a couple months since you’d last seen him but he’s just the absolute rock in your life, you wouldn’t know what to do without him.

“Hi Angel!” Your uncle knelt down onto one knee with open arms for you to run into. You did as such and soon you were being lifted off the ground in the biggest bear hug you had ever received. After spinning you around a couple of times he plopped you down and held your shoulders with a wide grin on his face.

“How are you my dear, are you excited to watch the film tonight?” He was so humble for all he had accomplished and he had never left you behind. Being your fathers brother was already exceptionally cool, nevermind having him adore you and treat you as his very own.

“I’m alright, and obviously I am! I’ve missed you so much” You pulled him into another hug and he let out a small chuckle. Looking up at him through your squinted eyes with a smile frozen on your face, you noticed his face had fallen into one of a curious nature.

“What is it?” You questioned, your brows furrowing.

“Now before I say this, I need you to promise me you won’t be upset my love” Letting go of the hug you took a step back and felt your heart thump a little harder.

“Well, it depends what is it” You crossed your arms and your eyebrows knitted tighter together.

“I also promised a certain someone that I’d show him the film before it got out to the public too. I understand you may be uncomfortable but I can assure you he’s a lovely man and won’t be any trouble for our family time” Uncle Nolan’s hands came up in defence, he knew how important this was for you to spend some alone time with your Uncle as you hadn’t seen him in so long.

“Who?” A million names flashed through your mind wondering who the mystery man could be. Your arms dropped to your side as you put your defence down.

“Right… well, it’s Cillian. Cillian Murphy. I just… I figured it would be fun and even exciting for you to see it with the man himself. I promised him and I could only get one copy. So why not just have a movie night together? Hm, what’d you say?” His face had fallen to one of a sympathetic and cautious look towards you. Of course, this wasn’t a big deal. But having the Cillian Murphy round for dinner and a movie was a massive deal. This wasn’t just an average man who knew your uncle.

Your heart stopped in place and you could’ve sworn your cheeks heated up. Your mind raced back to the first and only time you’d met the actor so far. Oppenheimer was on it’s first day of being filmed and your uncle shockingly invited you down for a couple of hours before the shooting began. You remember meeting all the incredible actors and having them shake your hand, treating you as royalty as you were the same flesh and blood as Nolan himself. All of them were sweet, treated you a little childish but sweet nonetheless. Small talk was being made when Cillian came over himself to talk to your uncle. As soon as his eyes met you, he continued his conversation as you continued yours but he had his attention glued onto you. His eyes trailed up and down your body as he licked his lips in between words and practically eye-fucked you right there in front of the whole crew. Now, you may be 28 years younger than the man but my god, did this cause a primal reaction within you. Your uncle noticed the staring between the pair of you and introduced you to each other, suspecting it was nothing more than curiosity of who the other was. His eyes glimmered as he traced your face and firmly gripped your much softer hand within his. While still gripping yours, he introduced himself as you did too. As soon as it had started, the moment stopped and your hand was empty of his. Remembering the scent of him, using that same hand to curl within you to hit your sweet spot and wishing it was him would be your fate for the months to come. But now, the man would be coming to your uncles house for the night, with you there. A sense of dread, nerves and excitement had filled you.

“Oh… um. Yeah, that’s fine” You said breathlessly.

Nolan had seemingly breathed a large sigh of relief. “Oh good. I’ll get dinner prepared.”

Your uncle smiled and walked over before quickly rubbing your arm and planting a kiss on your cheek, swiftly leaving the room and turned a corner to not be seen for the next few hours. Tonight would be one hell of an interesting one.

————————————

Sitting on the kitchen counter, legs swinging and one hand on the phone scrolling thorough one app or the other, your social media spree was violently stopped when the doorbell had gone off.

“Ah, here he is!” Uncle Nolan moved swiftly to the door and out of sight. The only thing you could hear was the door unlocking and the familiar thick Irish accent you had been craving to hear groan for the past couple of months.

“Cillian! I’m thrilled you could make it” Your uncle’s enthusiasm towards the man was unmistakable.

“Of course, wouldn’t miss it for the world” Cillian had chuckled.

The two voices started to get louder and louder as they made their way down the hall and came to a sudden stop once they had entered the kitchen. You slowly look up off your phone and make eye contact with the Irishman and saw a dark look painted on his face.

“Hi Mr. Murphy” you practically whispered. You couldn’t even fake a smile your stomach was in such a tight knot.

“Hi…” His voice trailed up as he smirked a guilty grin to your uncle.

“Oh come on Cillian, it’s only been a couple of months” He said in shock.

“Y/N” you giggled.

“Ah, right. Sorry. Days are too long it’s felt like years” He gave you a sincere smile. “Hello Y/N”. You were a tad disappointed he’d forgotten your name but the way it rolled off his lips a few moments after made up for the whole mishap. An awkward silence filled the room and the air got thick with tension.

“Right! Dinners ready, so please, if you’d like to sit down”. Your uncle broke the tension.

———

During dinner you could feel Cillian’s eyes burning into your forehead, not use to the attention and unsure of what to do to avoid the awkwardness you didn’t dare look up to the man opposite you.

Suddenly, the metal knife had clacked onto the floor.

“Fuck, I’m sorry.” Cillian ducked beneath the table to retrieve his knife. After about 6 seconds of him underneath you crossed your legs in insecurity to the fact you wore a skirt, now exceptionally short as you sat down.

“You alright there?” Uncle Chris asked.

“Yep” Cillian said breathlessly. “Got it”. His face slightly red coming out from the table.

“Darling, would you be so kind to fetch our guest another knife please” Your uncle said to you pointing the fork full of food in your direction.

“Sure” you said and stood up, patting down your skirt as you made your way to the kitchen.

As you reached the cabinet you huffed as you grabbed a knife and slowly closed it as you turned around. As you turned, you squealed as Cillian was standing a near few feet away from you.

“God- you made me jump” you said holding one hand to your chest.

“Sorry” He chuckled and crossed his arms as he lent on the counter.

“Can I help with something?” You said in an attempt to break the thick tension your eye contact was creating.

“Your uncle” He pronounced each word slowly and deliberately “asked me to fetch a bottle red wine for us.”

“Ah, well it’ll be here” You turned around and tip toed as you reached upward to pick up the wine off the shelf above. After 10 seconds of struggling to reach it, hoping the man would help you, you suddenly felt a cold breeze under your skirt and heard Cillian groan. Finally reaching the bottle you turned around and found him staring at your legs.

“You know… you should really buy longer skirts.” He said getting up off the counter and closing the distance between you. “I could see the black lace you’re wearing when I went under the table. It’s incredibly inappropriate to be wearing close to nothing when you’ve got guests over” He reached his hand out and grabbed the red wine between you, placing his hand over yours on the bottle and pausing to stare down into your eyes.

You gulped at the contact and how he said the words in such a threatening tone.

“Um… sorry Mr.Murphy” You whispered.

He chuckled at your easy compliance. “Darling please, call me Cillian” He snatched the wine and made his way back out the kitchen. You stood there in shock, frozen, watching as he left to the dining table and feeling a pulse in your panties at the nickname he just called you.

—————

Finally, dinner was over and the small talk was done. The glances you and Cillian kept snatching at each other was starting to build a warmth in your stomach and cause a heat on your cheeks. You walked around the table picking up each plate and bringing it to the kitchen sink before placing the dishes down and starting the water. A couple minutes later, a large set of hands found themselves snaked around your waist, a hot breath fanning on your neck and causing to the stop moving in shock.

“Such a good girl, cleaning the dishes” You heard Cillian groan into your ear. His breath smelled like wine and you could tell he was a little tipsy from the slight slur of his words. His chest was breathing heavily and you felt him press himself harder against your back.

“Why’d you stop? The faster you get these dishes done the faster we can start the movie”. His words sent shivers down your spine, you hesitantly started scrubbing again and the force of you moving caused him to groan under his breath. He pressed himself further against you and you tried your best to keep scrubbing and ignoring the heat building between your thighs. Just then, his hips twitched and you could feel a hard prod in your back, his hands gripping further into your side. His boner was painfully obvious now, you could practically feel his entire length on your back and he felt so big, it caused you to squirm as you continued your chore.

“Mhm, you feel that?” His lips were now pressed against your neck, his breathing tickling your skin. “How old are you baby?” His hips pushed hard enough for your hips to bang into the counter, causing you to welp.

“I um- I’m 20” You said slightly turning your face to look into his eyes.

“Such a young thing” His hand tucked the hair behind your ear. “I told you this skirt was too short. M’ thinking about the way you’d look bent over this counter” Naturally, he started slightly grinding against you now, bending his knees down to get a feel for your ass on his erection. “You always look this sexy?” He said, moving his head backwards while still keeping his hands on your hips to see how he looked rubbing against you. “You always dress so slutty for men twice your age?” You lowered your chest a little to give him more room, snapping your neck back to look at him as seductively as you could.

“No, sir” You said placing the last dish down, reaching your hand up to turn off the tap. He caught sight of this and brought his chest up to your back, pressing his hard on even harsher into your rear end. You whimpered at the harshness of his movement and he groaned again at the fast friction.

“No, no. We wouldn’t want Uncle Chris hearing now would we?” You removed your hand off the tap and stayed still as he had you pressed over the counter. He lent back again and glued his eyes onto your ass, swirling his hips on your skirt and having his mouth fall open agape, eyebrows furrowed, as he grind on your ass. Suddenly, he pulled your hips back which caused you to be bent over even more. He harshly placed his boner onto the back of your folds as you felt his cock press into your mound.

“I bet this pussy would feel so good around my cock” He thought out loud, causing you to moan at the sudden friction on your clit. His pace was still agonisingly slow, yet still being able to flood your underwear with desire.

“Cillian! Y/N! You guys ready? I’m about to start the screening!” Your uncles voice didn’t make Cillian stop moving. In fact, he still continued to grind on you and even grabbed your ass and swung his head back.

“Yes, Chris! I’m coming” Cillian chuckled with his eyes squeezed shut, forcing one more hump into you before pulling back and grabbing his clothed erection. Hearing your uncles voice scared you, threw you back into the reality of the situation you were in. You swung yourself around and pressed your back against the counter as you pulled your skirt down.

“Don’t look so embarrassed sweetheart, I’m sure your uncle is used to all the Hollywood whores” He tucked his boner up into his waistband and covered his shirt over the top, chuckling as he turned and walked out the kitchen. Again, there you stood in the kitchen frozen as to what just happened.

———

In the living room, a second bottle of wine was opened and had 3 glasses on the coffee table waiting to be drunk from. Neither your uncle or Cillian had sat down yet, as they stood next to each other figuring out the TV screen. Your uncle’s voice was slurring and his ability to stand straight was weakening. Finally, he plopped himself down on one of the sofas as you sat on the one next to it, grabbing the fur blanket and placing it over you. As you sat closer to the end than the middle, Cillian placed himself in the small opening next to you on your right and the end of the sofa, your uncle too drunk to notice Cillian’s seating choice he pressed play and the film began.

“M’ a bit cold love, you mind sharing that?” Cillian said grabbing the blanket and sliding it over himself. Now with his crotch and hands covered, you sat anxiously next to him as the film began. This was of course too close for comfort considering what just happened in the kitchen and you felt almost intimidated by his presence, still feeling the warmth of his body next to you and having that scent you’ve been craving go up your nose you figured the situation could be a lot worse.

15 minutes into the film, you felt a strong warm grip snake around your thigh, you jumping up and squealing in surprise. Before Cillian could say anything, your uncle slowly turned around and looked at you.

“Whats that M’love? You okay?” He gave you a sincere smile.

“Uh, yes Uncle Chris. I’m okay” You tried to sincerely smile back. “Mhm, good” He turned his focus back onto the screen.

“Good girl” Cillian whispered in your direction, now having his body slightly turned to face you with his right hand on your thigh. Considering how loud the speakers were in the at home cinema, it didn’t surprise you that your uncle didn’t hear his comment.

His hand would occasionally grip your thigh at different strengths for the next few minutes, slowly moving more and more up in anticipation and desperation. Each time he would squeeze, you would slightly whimper at the contact and hear him groan at your reaction to his touch.

“Mmm, so soft. You like me touching your thigh?” He purred into your ear. You shot him a look with wide eyes at his louder comment and gulped a response. All you could do was shake your head yes.

“Lemme feel more” he grunted as he quickly shifted his hands up to your groin, his index finger resting above your folds. Of course, because the skirt was so short it had ridden up by now.

“So dirty, wearing practically nothing for me.” Cillian had fully shifted now and was facing you, pressing his finger harder onto your clit and slowly started to rub delicate circles.

“Fuck, already so wet” Your hips twitched up in response as you laid further back into the sofa, giving him more access, wanting him to touch more. His pace stayed steady under the blanket with a delicate touch as he twirled circles with the tip of his finger, watching your every reaction to his movements. Your brows furrowed and your breathing was inconsistent, persuading him to start to pick up his pace to watch you come undone.

“Are you already gonna cum? Here? In front of your uncle?” Shame had filled you from his actions and how well you were responding to them, feeling embarrassed from your arousal and eagerness to cum on his fingers right there.

“You two enjoying the film?” Your uncle said, not bothering to turn back as his eyes were slowly closing. Cillian continuing to rub on your soft spot as your uncle spoke, never diverting his attention off of you.

“I-uhm-yes” You choked on your words. The heat in between your thighs was growing unbearable, wanting to undo right then and there. It had been so long since you had any sexual encounter, so you were extra sensitive to this mans experienced touch.

“Mhm” Is all Cillian could say, his eyes still glued on you, fastening his pace.

He pulled his fingers back and you could feel your stomach drop, squirming on the sofa wanting to be touched again. Just then, he swiftly shifted your panties to the side as you laid further back.

“Spread your knees for me love” He grunted under his breath. Of course, you did as you were told.

His middle finger circled outside your opening, slightly dipping in to pick up some of your arousal before feeling the full length of your folds. He did this a few times before circling once or twice on your clit. As you sat in anticipation, twitching at each slight touch he was giving you, he would differentiate the pressure he was applying onto your sensitive parts causing you to whimper and grow frustrated. Your eyes started to tear at the lack of and pressure of contact you were receiving. If your uncle were to look over now it’d be beyond obvious what was happening but luckily, he was drifting off to sleep due to his consumption of the wine. You glanced at Cillian as his eyes were stuck on you, his finger slowly breaching your entrance and your eyebrows furrowing in reaction. He slowly pushed his finger all the way to his knuckle and in response your head fell back and hips twitched up.

“Did you really think I forgot that gorgeous name of yours?” He spoke as he pulled his finger out again.

“I haven’t been able to forget your face since I saw you” He grunted as he shoved his finger back into you, causing a slight whimper on your part. You held his hand that was quickening up it’s pace as it fucked you, curling his fingers to prod your sweet spot.

“So tight, honey. Have you never been touched like this before?” He was breathlessly whispering as his finger fucked at a turbo speed into you and curling his knuckle to make you squirm and moan under your breath. You couldn’t speak from the friction, if you did you’d wake your uncle up from how loud you’d scream. He pulled out and gently pushed in another finger, causing your head to turn away and cover your mouth from making any sounds.

“I wanna hear you baby, moan for me” He said, finding that pace again that had you building up a knot in your stomach. “C’mon, look at me. I’ve been wanting to hear that sweet voice of yours for months” He taunted you as his fingers stopped moving and focused on aggressively curling them into you. All you could do was look at him for a split second before your eyes rolled back and you let out a small squeak, scared to even breath from how loud you wanted to scream around him.

“Mhm, that’s it” Your walls started to clench around him as you felt yourself building up. “You look so sexy like this” he praised.

“Cill-oh fuck- I’m cumming” You mustered. You said this possibly too loud while shifting aggressively in your seat and you couldn’t keep still, Cillian strong enough to keep you grounded with his fingers inside you and his face following your movements.

“Such a good girl. Cum for me” He praised you. Removing the blanket to see the damage he was doing, but still blocking your parts from your uncles view, he groaned at the sight of his fingers attacking your pussy, watching as you squirted slightly around his knuckles. Grunting at the sight beneath him, he fastened his pace and even moaned himself at the pleasure he was giving you. One of your hands was fisted into the pillow next to you and the other was around your mouth, muffling your sounds. The room filled with wet noises, which you hadn’t noticed in the state of your orgasm. Cillian grunted at himself as he felt you squeeze around him and squirt onto the sofa and blanket, not slowing down his pace as he shifted closer to you.

“Oh fuck- yes- just like that” Cillian whispered as he peered his head down to watch your pussy as you came.

Your head flung back and your eyes squeezed, shaking violently as the rush came over you. You felt a wave of cool fall from your head to your stomach as you finished right there and then, in front of your sleeping uncle, onto Cillian’s hand. He continued pumping in and out of you till you rode out your high, slowing down to give you time to recover. He pulled his fingers out and laid back to look at you with his fingers in the air.

“Suck” he commanded. You shifted carefully, still in a state of euphoria, and grabbed his hands and placed the two fingers in your mouth. You sucked them as seductively as you could as your tongue twirled around them. You’d never tasted yourself before, it was an odd taste as you weren’t use to it but still sucked his fingers clean of any of your liquid. As you pulled his fingers out of your mouth, you glanced down and saw a tent in his pants pointing directly at you. He chuckled as he looked down at his erection through his pants and grabbed it.

“Would you like to see it?” He asked, watching you carefully as he began to palm himself through his pants. All you could do was nod your head yes.

“Say it- I need to hear you say it” He was already breathless as he started picking up the pace that he was palming himself at.

“I want to see it” You said quietly. He nodded at you in encouragement.

“I want to see your cock” the words felt filthy but completely right.

Cillian moaned deeply as his head swung back, still grabbing at himself through his pants. Without looking back up, he grabbed your much smaller hand and placed it onto his boner and pressed your hand down in a signal to start petting him too. You watched in awe as your hand wrapped around his size, slowing moving your hand up and down as you watched his reaction to your touch.

“Take it out-I-I need to feel you” He said, eyes still shut as he struggled to get his words out through his breaths.

You did as you were told and unzipped his pants, he raised his hips to help you push his pants to his thighs and he raised his jumper higher onto his stomach, giving you a view of his cock through his underwear. After groping his size through the thin material a few times, his head swung down to look at your actions as his eyebrows were knitted together and his mouth open ajar. He gave a loud huff and groaned back at his impatience and you saw his adams apples bob as he swallowed.

“You’re so big Mr.Murphy” You whispered.

“Fuck- don’t call me that” He said in a grunt.

“Why? Does it turn you on?” You felt his cock twitch in your hand at your comment. He gave a fake cry and shifted his hips up in anticipation. “Y/N, please. Touch my cock” His eyes teary as they looked at you. Before continuing, you gazed back at your asleep uncle, making sure he was still out cold before continuing.

You pulled his cock out of his underwear and it sprung out onto his stomach. Lifting his jumper even higher to make sure it didn’t touch his tip, he watched as you grabbed him again in your hand and slowing started to pump at his tip. His head was already red and leaking precum down the sides of his shaft and twitched at any small friction you gave him. He groaned slightly at your touch and you began to pump faster, spreading the bead of white across his top with your thumb, causing his hips to twitch and he moaned at the touch.

“Does it feel good Mr.Murphy?” You asked innocently.

“Fuck-y/n” he said breathlessly through his teeth as he gripped your arm. “Use your mouth”

You stopped moving your wrist and looked at him through your swollen eyes, watching him lay next to you in vulnerability and desperate for more.

“Ask me properly” You grinned, his eyes now full of lust.

He reached up and grabbed your throat and gripped it till his knuckles turned white “I said, use your mouth” Although his grip was tight around your neck, you still smiled in pleasure and even felt yourself pulse at the sensation. He let go and you laid on your stomach next to him, still holding his length in your hand. Slowly, your mouth reached over and sucked his tip slightly, twirling your tongue around his head as you tasted the slightly salty substance spread on your palette. He groaned at the sensation and his head fell back. His hand left the side of the sofa and found it’s way intertwined through your hair, gripping tightly at your scalp as you began to take him in further down your throat.

“Oh fuck- just like that” he breathlessly said, snapping his head up to watch as you bopped your head around him. You looked at him through your damp lashes as you struggled to reach his base, beginning to gag as your nose tickled on his public hair. His expressions were encouraging you to go further as his eyes squeezed and he groaned through the small opening of his mouth, twitching his hips up and forcibly pulling your head further into him. Using your hand to wrap around the part you couldn’t fit into your mouth, his eyes fell open and looked to down at you in a face of exhaustion and desperation, his eyes seemingly heavy and dazed.

“Such a good girl, taking me so well” He praised. You could only muffle out sounds as his shaft filled your throat.

You pulled him out and moved your tongue onto his balls, twirling and sucking them while stroking his cock with your hand. The sudden movement caused him to twitch in your hand as his legs started to tremble.

“Oh my god-yes” He moaned out, gripping onto your hair tighter as his head sunk further down into the couch and his back started to arch.

Once you’d given his balls the attention they deserved, you moved your mouth back onto his length and starting bobbing your head at a fast pace, hollowing out your mouth and filling the room with suction noise.

“Fuck-keep going, I’m about to cum” He edged you on. Suddenly the point of being quiet was out the window, the walls had echoed his violent moans as they bounced throughout the house and he held your throat in place as the warm liquid shot down your throat. His head had pulled back and his hips had lifted off the couch, his grip was rough in your hair and his groans were deafening. He snapped his neck up and watched as the black mascara smudged down your crying eyes and drool had formed at the sides of your mouth, feeling the heat of him coat the walls in your throat.

After the moans had subsided and his grip lessened on your hair, you began to slowly bob your head around him again, watching as he winced in sensitivity from his orgasm. He pulled your head up and chuckled at the mess you had become. Suddenly, he pushed your head towards his and placed a wet, open mouth kiss onto yours, shoving his tongue in and twirling it against yours.

You sat back and for the first time in 40 minutes actually paid attention to the screen. He laid there with the softening cock out as he panted and caught his breath, occasionally looking over at you and petting your hair.

“I should come round more often” he said sincerely as he twirled your hair in between his fingers.

“I’d like that” You blushed.

“Next time I’ll have you cumming around my cock instead” for the words he was speaking, he did look incredibly sweet doing so.

A cough from your uncle had disrupted the moment, Cillian quickly pulling his pants up and getting under the blanket as he did before. Your uncle rubbed his eyes and sat up, turning towards the pair of you.

“Sorry, I dozed off there- hope I didn’t miss much” He said groggily.

“Nope, not too much. The film is fantastic” Cillian said earnestly. God, he was such a good actor.

“You two haven’t drank your wine! Come on, finish up” Your uncle laughed.

The pair of you lent forward and picked up your glasses, the three of you cheering to the movie night in.

[pinkslipxox]

hey babe, how you've been?

i'd really wanted to see something about billie and reader's wedding 😭

and oh my i'm so obsessed with your billie mama stories 😭 honestly, they're so good! i love reading smut storied but those fluff give me life 💚

hey my love! I’ve been doing good, and yourself? Ahhh yes ofc, hope you enjoy! And thank you so much, you’re always so kind and supportive ❤️🥰

——————————————————————————

The soft glow of fairy lights twinkled above the dance floor, casting a warm, golden hue on the couple. As the music played a tender melody, Billie held her beloved wife, Y/N, close. The world around them faded as they swayed gently to the rhythm, lost in their own universe.

Billie's ocean blue eyes sparkled with happiness, her heart racing with love as she looked down at Y/N. With a tender smile, she brushed a loose strand of hair behind Y/N's ear, her fingers grazing her cheek. "I love you so much, mama," she whispered softly, her voice a soothing melody amidst the festivities. "You’re my everything."

Y/N felt a flutter in her chest, warmth spreading through her as Billie’s words wrapped around her like a soft embrace. Billie drew her in closer, their bodies swaying in perfect harmony. "I’ve never felt happier, pretty girl," Billie continued, the words tumbling from her lips effortlessly, each word laced with affection. "I can’t believe I get to call you my wife. You make me feel like the luckiest person in the world."

As they danced, the world outside melted away, leaving just the two of them suspended in bliss. Billie’s gentle, loving touches sent butterflies racing through Y/N’s stomach. Every kiss, every whisper was a promise of endless devotion. “You deserve the world, my princess. I’ll always treat you like the royalty you are.”

Y/N melted into Billie’s embrace, her heart swelling as those sweet nothings filled her ears. Billie’s kisses were light and playful but carried depths of passion and commitment. Each peck on her cheek felt like a thousand promises, a reminder of everything they had shared and everything still to come.

With each twirl they took, Billie could hardly contain her joy. She wanted the world to see how much she adored Y/N, how every laugh and smile could turn her grayest days to color.

“You’re mine,” Billie murmured, kissing Y/N’s forehead gently. “Now and forever.”

As they spun beneath the dim lights, surrounded by loved ones, Y/N could see the future in Billie’s eyes—filled with laughter, music, and all the love in the universe. In that moment, she knew they would navigate life together, hand in hand. The song played on, but it felt like time had frozen just for them.

As the last note lingered in the air, Billie pulled back, her gaze locked with Y/N’s. “I love you more than words can say,” she promised, sincerity ringing in her voice. And Y/N could only smile, her heart full, knowing that every moment shared with Billie was the beginning of forever.

[lanaslovelyletters]

𝑫𝒆𝒔𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒆𝒅 ²

𝐇𝐢𝐬 𝐕𝐨𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧...

Anakin x Princess!Reader

Part 2

Previous chapter: Part 1

Overall series warning: 18+ content (smut), mature themes, swearing

Warnings: none

Last chapter recap: “Then what is it you want?” Your confused little doll's face made him want to laugh. It was cute just how clueless and pathetic you were in this situation. You were a princess, were you not? With power in the back of her hand? A slight smirk smeared across his face before he leaned closer. His breath hit your ear and your neck as he spoke, “I want you.” The tone fell octaves deep, cold, and dull. Who the hell was this man?

Summary: You were thrown into a foreign room with nothing to do but wait for the inevitable… the Sith Lord with that smooth voice.

Word Count: 1.3K+

Author’s note: Thank you all so much for the support so far, I didn’t think this would latch on so quickly. I’m so grateful to all of you<3

Taglist: @blackthorngirl @formula1mount @bby-imasociopath @anakinsbaee @darthgloris

Your lips parted in slight shock. This cold and heartless monster of a man… wanted you? Was being a Sith Lord not enough for him? Your body was frozen, but your mind was racing as if it was in a pod race. The same ones you used to attend on Tatooine when you were younger.

“You mean to tell me you want… me?” You tried not to sound scared and weak, though you knew you weren't really in any position to act all high and mighty. He didn’t reply. He simply pulled away, but as he was about to walk out of the cell, you grabbed him. It was a split-second, possibly dangerously dumb idea, but it happened.

“You’re brave, princess.” He turned around with a scowl smeared across his face.

“I want answers.” You crossed your hands across your chest. It was easy to figure out by now, that he wouldn’t necessarily kill you under any circumstances. Not if he needed you. He could be inclined to hurt you, but that was a different deal entirely.

“—and I want you to remember me, but we can’t all have what we want.” His eyes were fixated on you. They peered deep into your own. It was as if he was searching for something in that little soul of yours.

“Seems we’ve gotten ourselves stuck in a paradox.” You said and had your lips form a straight line before speaking again,

“You see, I won’t remember you until you give me answers, but you refuse to give me any, so how am I supposed to know who you really are… besides a ruthless Sith Lord, whose only purpose in life is slaving around for the dark side.” You retorted with a scoff. It was bold. Too bold, it seemed, as he immediately grabbed you by your throat and pinned you against the cold and unforgiving wall.

“You test my patience, your highness.” He whispered close to your face, his breath; hot on your skin.

“You realize you have zero control here, right? You are completely at my mercy.” He stared you down with flared nostrils and heavy breathing before pulling away and walking out the door. Shortly after, two troopers locked their arms around the set of yours and dragged you.

“Let go of me.” You spat and struggled against their grasp,

“I can walk for myself!”

“You can also escape, your highness.” Said one of them. His voice was gruff and it felt like a snake was coiling up your spine.

They managed to drag you all the way to a plush room with a proper bed and even a desk with a small lamp. It was a simple layout, far inferior to your own bedroom, but it was better than having your back give out prematurely from a rock-hard block.

“Lord Vader will be back soon.” They threw you on the floor with no regard for your safety, waltzed out, and locked the door. You got up with a groan and dusted off your dress.

The dark side was clearly not messing around. Even with a royal status, nobody cared. Not that they had any reason to, anyway. They served the galactic empire. Bowing down to royalty wasn’t exactly on their bingo card.

You’d been left alone to wither and gather dust. Was this their shtick? Leaving their captives to sit and stare into a blank wall for hours on end? It took several before you finally heard the sounds of footsteps approaching the door to the room. You quickly collected and readied for what was to come.

The door clicked and in he walked. His stride was fierce and confident, and every bit cold. Maker, he was mesmerizing. It wasn’t just the face of a fallen angel, it was the face of something so familiar. It drove you insane to not recognize it.

“You will stay in this room and you will not leave, understood?” His brows were furrowed and his lips were pursed.

“If I leave?” You raised an eyebrow, challenging him. That clearly set him off. You watched as his eyes turned a bright yellow for a second, before going back to their usual velvety blue. 

“You are frankly starting to test my patience, princess.” He grabbed your forearm roughly and pulled you close to him. Something within you clenched. It was your heart. The fear engulfed it like a vice, squeezing every beat into a suffocating silence.

“You won’t kill me.” Your voice was hushed and shaky, but you tried not to make the dread apparent.

“I can certainly hurt you. It is my vocation.” You were supposed to be intimidated by him, but my, his voice was to die for. You refreshed your mind with a quick reality check. He was handsome. But not handsome enough to sway your mind. You wanted answers.

“Why do you need me anyway?”

“You don’t need to know.”

“Well, I certainly do if I’m required to remember your face.” You scrunched your nose at him and pulled away. He squinted his eyes in frustration as he let out an exasperated sigh.

He seemed conflicted. As if he wanted to tell you, but couldn’t bring himself to do so.

“Just… don’t even try to escape. You’re stranded on this space station either way. You have no means of doing so.” He stepped back and walked to the desk in the corner of the room.

“Can’t you just tell me the truth? You’re the reason we keep going in circles. If you just—“ He didn’t turn around, he just interrupted you abruptly,

“Ever attended a pod race?” Pod race… memories of your father screaming at the big screens and having bets with Jabba doused your mind. You used to hang around a boy back then. Every year. Without fail. He was a sweet boy. Anakin was his name. Anakin Skywalker. He always stood by your side, as your father would push you off to the side to mingle amongst the elites.

“I have… quite a few, actually…. Why?” Your head was tilted to the side as you slowly made your way towards him. When you got close enough, he turned around to face you,

“Just out of curiosity, sweetheart.” You frowned at the nickname.

“I stopped going after a while. My father still went every year though. As king, he’s got a lot of connections… so…”

“Yeah, I remember your father. Arrogant fellow.” He scoffed and carefully tucked a strand of hair behind your ear. You’d be lying if you said your heart didn’t keel over at the gesture, but it still felt repulsive. He was a Sith Lord. Stone-cold and ruthless.

“You know my father personally?” You slapped his hand away from your face and took a step back. He squeezed his eyes shut and sighed deeply,

“I killed him. He’s dead.” Threateningly, he moved towards you with heavy steps. Your eyes darted up and down his form, as he backed you up against the wall behind you.

His hands trapped you, touching down on the wall on either side of your head. His jaw was clenched and his eyes had turned that same yellow it had earlier. He was… frightening.

“It’s been my personal goal to wipe out your family for a while now, Princess. Now that it’s finally done, I would like it if you didn’t ask so many questions.” His breaths were hot and heavy, but it smelled amazing. Mint fresh. No, it didn’t. It was disgusting. He was a Sith.

“My handmaidens… what became of them?” You finally succumbed to your ancestors' conditioning to recognize dangerous situations and fear them. Your body trembled as your voice tried its best to sound solid.

The dark lord completely ignored your question, letting himself calm down before backing off and walking towards the door. Before he left, he got a final word in,

“We’re to wed in a week. You’ll stay here until then.” What..? 

To be continued…

Next part here

Please DM, comment, or ask to be added on the taglist<3

Here’s the masterlist<3

[aclowntiny]

hiiii, can we get some headcannons on the ateez members (and/or svt👁️) on how they do aftercare please!! congrats on 800🎉🎉🎉

Of course babe ☺️ I can sure try though I have no experience in this area 😂😘 warnings: suggestive after the cut obviously 😆 but this is going to be nothing explicit because no full smut hehe this is just a mess of thoughts omg sorry in advance

Ateez + Aftercare

Hongjoong

♡ “That was amazing. You did great, my love.” Now that you’re a blushing mess, get ready to get pulled into his chest for an embrace

♡ You can hear his heartbeat, feel his exhale of comfort as he holds you close, pressing a kiss to the top of your head. “Let’s get in the shower before we get too comfortable, yeah?” Chuckles at the feeling of your nod against him contrasting with the way you snuggle in, teasingly pulling you up with him.

♡ Just...grins at you giddily as you step in together, almost frozen for a moment as he takes you in, eyes trailing up and down before he kisses you

♡ Almost reverent in his care as his hands brush your skin and he asks if anything he's doing hurts, so careful and yet he can't help the teasing giggles that escape him at the question, his head falling against your shoulder

♡ He has the softest clothes all ready for you, just say the word

♡ Will not go a single night like this without telling you that you're his and he's grateful for that forever (call him yours right back and he melts)

Seonghwa

♡ Oh it is bath time for sure

♡ We all know this man likes to keep clean but also??? Taking a bath together like that is so romantic to him omg. Candles and extra scents for the water are a must. Flower petals optional depending on how much prior planning time Seonghwa had

♡ Carries you bridal style to the tub every time

♡ Once you’ve sunk into the warm water, he also gives you a massage in case you’re sore anywhere, pressing light kisses to your cheek and neck as his hands work gently

♡ Just like during…er, before 🫣🤭…Seonghwa checks up on you a lot, his voice in your ear softly asking if you feel ok, if you want anything

♡ Because honestly? At this point he’d probably lasso down the moon for you 🤷🏻‍♀️ but even if you say you’re good, he’s so caring he’ll probably try to feed you anyway, like “but we should probably eat something, it’ll be good for our strength you know”. Just makes him happy to see you go along with it, so he cheers for you eating well 👏🏻

Yunho

♡ Step one: grabbing you and pressing tons of kisses to your face the moment y’all are done

♡ Step two: he’s flexible, so Yunho straight-up asks what you want and need, like if you want to stay there, shower, etc. He’ll do whatever you wanna do :)

♡ A shower fan though tbh. Because then he can stand behind you as the water warms, holding you close with his arms around your waist and swaying lightly

♡ Full shower too! You’ll get the whole spa experience while he’s feeling so clingy too, like his hands so perfectly lathering your hair and massaging your scalp before moving down to body wash, going soft and slow like you’re royalty

♡ Lays you back down before going to get you water and any snacks you request too!!! The mix of tenderness and almost wicked pride in his look as he drapes your body back onto the bed is enough to have you blushing

♡ When you sit up, habit has you pulling the sheets up around you, but Yunho chuckles and slides them back down. “There’s no need to feel like hiding anymore, remember?” His words have you blushing again, like how does he balance the sweet and cocky like that it’s truly a mystery

Yeosang

♡ "Here, let's get you cleaned off." *opens nightstand drawer and inexplicably produces a washcloth*

♡ Heart eyes melt into laughter when you in your amusement tease him, asking him what else is in there as he so gently gets you sorted out

♡ Soon you’re both laying side by side just lazily chatting and laughing, both of your heads turned upon the pillows to look each other in the eyes and Yeosang’s hand joined with yours between you two

♡ “So, uh, I don’t think we’ll fall asleep soon…wanna watch some cartoons for a bit?”

♡ You guys cuddle and watch something cute and fluffy 🥹 but Yeosang’s such a tease even during that he’s like “wow, crazy to think in a moment like this what we were just doing huh 😏”

♡ But all in all he stays soft, hand creeping back to yours and eyes barely leaving you even with the show on. When your lashes start to flutter sleepily, he smiles and sings you a lullaby

San

♡ Sorry, you’re probably not leaving the bed with this one at least not if he gets his way

♡ San personifies the phrase ‘stuck like glue’ after a night like you guys just had, his body pressed as close as he can get as his hands gently caress your sides

♡ Such naturally melts into a massage, his hands digging in a little tighter to relieve any tension you might have left

♡ Every word that falls from his lips is praise, praise for your beauty, how you make him feel, endless ways to tell you he loves you

♡ If you really want to wash up, he’ll pout and whine only to totally give in like he was planning to all along. Another member of the bath squad though it's way more intimate and romantic so bath >>> shower in San's eyes

♡ If you go to the Choi San school of aftercare otherwise if you stay laying in bed, he’ll just tuck you in and cozy up, down to doze off together or stay up and chat for hours, listening with his head propped up on his hand and stars in his eyes.

Mingi

♡ Smirks until he rolls over and sees the loving eyes you’re giving him, then immediately falls into a blushing mess

♡ Tells you how beautiful you are again and again, probably punctuating each statement with a kiss to some part of your body

♡ Is not going to be in the mood to get up and shower or anything unless you realllly want to, otherwise prepare to be bedbound! He lowkey forgets to do any care right away because he's so wrapped up in just looking at you like you're the biggest jackpot he's ever won

♡ Then suddenly you see his eyes widen as he remembers all the stuff he got, like this really relaxing massage oil that’s supposed to make your muscles feel great after use and y’all got in some use. “Mingi, are you trying to go for round two?” “Maaaybeeee…” You smack his shoulder lightly at the teasing expression, shaking your head and giggling. “Ow! I was just kidding! 🥺”

♡ His other favorite thing to do is after that, grabbing you something fresh to throw on from the nearby dresser AKA one of his shirts. Always.

♡ Sorry, when you cozy back up Mingi WILL be big spoon. Fight him if you must, but you will likely lose 🤷🏻‍♀️

Wooyoung

♡ Did somebody say pillow talk??? Because I did

♡ Literally you guys could be as spent as anything and this man will still be a chatterbox after, his hand drawing circles on your arms or chest as he goes on about how he likes that new jacket of yours or if aliens exist or what color your walls should be if you guys bought a house together

♡ After a while he’s sort of like oh shit wait do you want to shower or anything??? And you’re just like yeah sure

♡ So he leads you by the hand into the shower, feeling the water with his hand first to make sure it’s exactly how you like it 🥺

♡ Incredibly touchy-feely in the shower, but this time very softly, turning you around as if twirling you in a dance and admiring you as he lathers you up super gently

♡ You want a snack later? MAKES YOU SOMETHING BY HAND. King behavior for sure

Jongho

♡ After such times, this is when Jongho really likes to hold you close. For him, such a bond as you've shared takes trust, love, and he’s honored you both feel ready to share all of each other like that

♡ Likes to just stay like that for some time, just breathing in the closeness as his hand runs up and down your back

♡ You whisper sweet nothings to each other, things Jongho doesn't usually speak, things maybe you don't say often as you could, as you lay on his chest. Feeling extra soft, he likes to close the little gap between you two, gently rubbing his nose against yours

♡ One of you ends up dropping some dumb joke you guys share and then you're giggling again, Jongho wrapping his arm all the way around you to keep you from falling off him

♡ "Let me know when you're ready to shower," he tells you after you guys calm down. "We have to shower?" You whine. "Of course we do. Proper hygiene." He presses a kiss to your lips. "Come on."

♡ The other one who physically carries you into the shower especially if you keep whining about it because nope, you're not getting away with it even if you are that cute. His words, not yours. Shakes his head at you with exasperation if you kick up a fuss, just sets you down with more giggles if you don't. Either way, though, he's so giving he starts showering both of you and you're like oh no you don't and that's how you end up pampering him back 🩷

[azsazz]

Creep

Kinktober Day 14: Aidas x Reader [Stalking]

Summary: Anon Req: CC men, do adias lurking on reader in cat form and when she attempts to shoo it away in the rain, he appears in front of her (they're at her apartment door) and brushes muddied water from himself "is that really how you treat a guest? Not to mention royalty?"

I kinda veered from the og request but I tried to get most of it down.

Warnings: Smut, oral (F receiving)

Word Count: 3,520

_________________________________________

The streets are cold but you look warm.

All bundled up in your winter gear; the fur-lined hood of your coat pulled high over your head. The thick, knit cap settled upon your head and the scarf wrapped tightly around your neck, the bottom of your face huddled inside of it to keep the wind from brushing across your face. The only skin exposed are those piercing eyes of yours, accentuated by the rose of your cheeks.

It might very well be his presence that makes the alley grow cold. It is, but Aidas likes to think that the darkened, damp passageways hold an other-worldly sort of chill. It doesn’t feel like a cold he’s known before, it is one he isn’t used to in the existence of this plane.

He can see the way it overcomes your body. Aidas wishes the iciness in the air felt like more of a caress, a brush of snowflakes across pink cheeks instead of frozen claws dragging down your spine, but he doesn’t know how to wield his power for anything other than destruction. 

He could crumble the brick walls in the alley but he finds himself wanting to break yours down one by one. He knows you’re hiding something, the way your pretty eyes keep flickering up and down the alley. It’s dark, and if he were a stupider male he’d think it was an anxious movement, checking your surroundings to make sure you’re not being trailed by the drunkards crowding the streets. But he prides himself in being intelligent. And handsome, but that’s besides the point.

You don’t notice the glowing iciness of his feline eyes, so pale they nearly glow in the darkness. His white fur reflects off of the moon, but you don’t notice that either, from the way that he’s tucked himself beneath the cold metal of the dumpster. It’s leaking something in the corner that he’s stayed far away from…after he’d stepped in the sickly green puddle. 

Gross.

Aidas doesn’t know why you’re here, what has summoned him to the very spot you’re occupying, when it doesn’t seem like you yourself know how you’ve ended up here. The suspicious looks you’re throwing around are enough for him to creep from his spot, pad after you with that preternatural silence he only feels in his feline form. 

You don’t notice. Not right away. He’s good at staying hidden, even more so at blending in, though his arrogance doesn’t allow him to keep concealed for long. As you walk down the long streets, he finds himself wanting those jewel-like eyes on him, not on the passerby and the avenue ahead.

He licks his jowls before mewling. It’s an innocent sort of noise, a beg nearly, and it tastes sour in his mouth. He’s never begged for anything in his life. People beg him, to allow them softer sentences for their crimes, the abhorrent things they’ve done to be sent to his plane of Hel. And not once has he ever given in to any of those pleas.

Your steps falter, halting. The ground is cold, slick with snow that has melted against it. Aidas can feel it in his paws, the ice pricking through his pads. He doesn’t care, it doesn’t affect him, as the cold is wafting from his presence. 

Your breath puffs white clouds into the chill as you turn. He sits, straightens his spine and lifts his chin. It might look like he’s preening to you, but to him, he’s showing off, showing you his confidence, the little white kitten sitting so harmless before you.

Aidas really does feel like preening when you turn those gorgeous eyes on him. You’re suspicious, brows furrowed as you scan the alley, before resting on him. He watches the frown melt from your face into one of awe, and you’re approaching him with a newfound sort of confidence, no longer is the caution draping your shoulders down.

“Hello there, little kitty,” you coo, crouching before him. You stick your hand out for the white animal to sniff, so it doesn’t think that you’re anything dangerous. “What are you doing out here all alone? It’s pretty cold.”

As you say it, Aidas watches the plumes of breath puff from your lips. He could shift right now, tell you that it’s his presence that’s making the streets this cold, but just as you think he doesn’t trust you yet, you also wouldn’t trust him. 

He needs to wait you out, play into your little game.

So, Aidas mews in response, creeping forward to nudge his head against your hand. You’re awfully warm, hands shoved deeply into the pockets of your coat have kept the warmth underneath your skin. The way you turn your hand to scratch behind his ears feels good, and his back arches in pleasure.

Before he can realize what’s going on, you’re lifting him into your arms, a soft smile on your face. He blinks up at you with crystalline blue eyes, head tilting as if in confusion, before the cat rests in the crook of your arms, seemingly wanting to come home with you as badly as you want him to.

“Yeah, you want to come home with me, little guy? Alright, let’s go.” 

Little guy? Aidas would hiss, but he doesn’t like to lean into his cat-like tendencies when he’s in this form. Despite the fact that he finds himself purring into your chest. He stops when he realizes.

The warmth of your body is comforting against the chill of the outdoors. So comfortable that he shuts his eyes and revels in it, allowing you to take him back to your apartment.

He doesn’t realize he’d fallen asleep until you’re placing him down to shuck off your winter gear. He mewls tiredly, already missing the loss of your warmth. He blinks, looking around, tail flicking somewhat impatiently when you don’t acknowledge his mew, instead heading into your kitchen to wash up and fetch a damp towel to clean his paw off with.

Your touch is gentle against his paw. He wonders if he shifted right here, right now, if you would let him bend you over your couch and claim you like the primal part of him wants to. But Aidas doesn’t change, he doesn’t want to scare you away.

Not yet.

You carry him into your room, placing him on the bed where he curls into a tiny ball. You coo at him and it should annoy him, how you’re coddling him, a demon for Solas’ sake, but he enjoys it, because when he switches forms, you won’t be looking at him like that.

He doesn’t follow you into the bathroom like he wants, and you come back changed into a comfortable shirt but no pants. It makes his back curl, and he squeezes his eyes shut, willing the heat creeping towards his cock away.

“Okay, kitty. Time for cuddles,” you coo, scooping him from his spot as you shuffle under the covers. You place the white cat across your stomach, and he scooches up, resting his head between the valley of your breasts. 

He purrs loudly when you begin to stroke his white fur. He’s soft and loving, and the noises he’s making helps take your mind off of the weariness you’ve been feeling lately, when you go out and feel eyes following your every move.

The kitten’s rhythmic purring and its warmth against your chest sends you into a peaceful slumber.

⋅•⋅⊰∙∘☽༓☾∘∙⊱⋅•⋅

Iciness wakes you.

You blink, the room still filled with darkness, letting you know that it is not yet morning and still have time to sleep. 

It’s freezing in the room, but the fireplace is still raging with flames in the corner of the room. Your nose is cold, and the covers are tucked all the way up to your chin, but you’re still shivering.

The heat at your back doesn’t help much either.

And something doesn’t feel right. Where there was a warmth across your chest of a cat you’d fallen asleep with, it’s no longer there. 

“Aidas,” you whisper, rolling over as you seek him out. He could be pressed against your back instead, so you’re careful as you do so, but your tiredness leaves your body in a rush as you’re met with those bright blue eyes of the kitten you found, only in the form of a fae now.

You screech, trying to shove yourself away from him. If you scream loud enough perhaps your neighbor will call the Aux. Maybe they’ll even make it to your place before the male in your bed kills you.

Aidas has no intentions of doing that, though. He rolls, pinning you to the bed with his hands around your wrists and his hips planted firmly against yours. Your gasp gets stuck in your throat at the feeling of his full cock heavy against your cunt. The only thing stopping him from entering you is the thin fabric of your panties, but as you struggle against his iron grip, the feeling of the crown on his cock pressing into you has you nearly biting through your lip.

“Who are you? Where did you come from?” You whimper, forcing your body still. The air in the room had plummeted, but his body is hot against yours. The pale blue of his eyes nearly glows in the dark, and whispers of his bright blond hair tickle your cheeks as he leans in further.

“Is that really how you treat a guest?” He says, and the liquidity of his voice sounds just like that of a purring cat. His chest rumbles with it, sending shockwaves down your body, collecting between the apex of your legs. The muscles of your thighs jump and Aidas sinks further, a rolling tease that forces the whimper from your mouth. “Not to mention royalty?”

“It is when I don’t know who the fuck you are or how you’ve gotten in my room,” you retort harshly, but the feeling of his taut body against yours attempts to negate the threat lining your voice. He’s much too handsome to be here for anything less than sex. Will he take what he wants from you and more? Why does the thought of him taking exactly what he wants from you causing your cunt to tremble?

The stranger on top of you stares you down, and while it should make you uneasy, it makes you flush. Those piercing eyes remind you of something so familiar, kind of like the kitten you’d rescued from the frozen streets.

Your kitten. Where the fuck is your kitten? Anger lances your body and you buck, struggling anew, but your strength seems to be no match for the male bolting you to the bed with his own body.

“Where is my cat?”

The corner of his mouth quirks at the corner and the beauty of it stuns you for a moment, body falling lax. “You mean you don’t recognize your little kitten?” he all but purrs, leaning down to lap at the sensitive spot of your throat much like how the kitten had lapped with scratchy tongue there. It feels much more sensual now, and your chin tucks away as your eyes flutter shut, giving the stranger more room to work. “I am him, kit.”

“How—” you struggle for breath, “How is that possible?”

Kitten licking across your jaw, Aidas continues. “The first rule about Lunathion, kitten, is not to allow anything inside of your home. Especially, a Prince of Hel.”

Your body fights a shiver creeping up your spine. A Prince of Hel? This male on top of you is one of the Princes of Hel?

All of the warmth leaves your body, replaced by an ice cold dread only he can conjure. But still, your fingers curl into the skin of his tight hips, keeping him pressed firmly into you.

You’ve heard of the Princes of Hel, all seven of them, but you hadn’t known how often they had wandered this plane of existence, nor that they were capable of shifting into animals, let alone such a pristine, innocent looking one much like this one can.

“Which one are you?” You breathe. It’s shallow, as if you might be scared taking too deeply of an inhale of his exquisite scent might drive the last of your self-control from your body. The hot press of his cock at your slick entrance is a jarring reminder that he may be here to hurt you, but there will be pleasure involved first.

Your question seems to strike him, though, confusion crossing his features for a flicker of a second before they’re turning feline again, smile pulling high at the corners and his blue eyes gleaming. You’re not afraid of him, not as much as you should be for a female in front of a Prince. He can smell the sweetness in the air, of your arousal cut with the sharper scent of your fear, and it is utterly delectable. 

“Aidas,” he offers with a roll of his hips. “Prince of the Chasm.”

“Aidas,” you echo, but it’s more of a moan. Your fingers glide across his smooth skin of their own violation, tracing the hills and grooves of muscle packing his lithe body. 

He growls at your name on his lips. Never has it sounded so perfect, so powerful, than it is now, a plea for more on your tongue. 

Aidas’ mouth is hot and claiming as he crawls down your body, removing the shirt you’re wearing as he goes. The fabric reveals the curve of your breasts, which he takes in hand, brushing over your pert nipple with a flick of his tongue while he massages the other, drawing a sharp inhale from you. He’s never tasted anything so euphoric, so addicting. Lust roils through his body as if he’s been hit over the head with it, his light touches turning more forceful, teeth nipping, pulling at the bud of your nipple as he leans back, taking it with him.

You cry out, hips lifting off of the bed to follow him. Your fingers find his silky locks, fisting them as he manhandles you, does so as he pleases with your pliant body. It feels like roles are being reversed, like he’s going to be worshiping you instead of how you should be worshiping the Prince of Hel trailing down your body.

His fingers hook around the waistband of your panties, tugging them down your legs with an ease that threatens to snap your thighs shut. Before you can, he’s shoving his shoulders between them, draping your legs over his shoulders as he settles between your legs, taking in the sight of your perfectly pink cunt, fluttering for him. The wetness glimmers in the moonlight streaming through the window, and he licks his lips at the sight.

Goosebumps break out across your skin, the iciness of the room attempting to cool your smoldering body. You want to whimper, cry out for him to put his mouth on your cunt because you can feel each exhale of his breath against your keening cunt yet he doesn’t make a move to devour you.

“Say my name again,” he commands, and you don’t hesitate.

“Aidas!” You cry as he dives forward, slick tongue slipping between your folds. 

It’s as if he knows exactly what to do with it, drawing a stripe up with the tip of his nose leading the exploration, the flat of his tongue following. He eats you out like a man starved, swirling his tongue around your clit in a way that makes you see stars. When he breaches your cunt with the tip of his tongue, fucking it in and out of you, a noise you’ve never made before escapes between your lips, and it spurs Aidas on. 

“Please,” you beg, your nails scratching against his scalp as you grab his hair for something to hold onto. Your thighs squeeze but it doesn’t deter him, burying his face so deeply into your cunt that he can hardly breathe. It makes your back bow from the bed, legs wrapping around his neck to keep him pinned as you grind your cunt against his face, chasing the heat coiling your gut. “Aidas, please. Mph, I need to cum!”

He doesn’t pull away from your clit to respond, instead, he suckles harsher, thumbs digging into the meat of your thighs for a delicious bite. The temperature in the room plummets until it’s hard to breathe, your chest splintering with ice as you struggle. Not even the heat eclipsing your body can help, until he pulls back on his power and you’re cumming with a shattering cry.

Waves of pleasure roll from you. Aidas allows you to grind against his face as he works you through your orgasm, until you’re nothing but a panting, whimpering mess because even though you’ve come down from the best high of your life, Aidas isn’t done yet. 

He’s pressing up onto his knees, stroking the head of his cock through your orgasm that drips down your thighs. He doesn’t give you a second to breathe or prepare, shoving his cock into you with a guttural moan until his hips meet yours.

You hiss at the stretch, hands planted at his hips as you writhe, struggling against the press of his girth. He feels incredible, stretching you wide for his taking, but you’d been unprepared, the surprise and stealth of his probing a shock to your system.

His hand finds your throat, curling around it with intention, though there isn’t a forceful pressure behind it. Aidas is showing you what he could do, if he so pleases, and the feeling of his large hand wrapped around your throat and his cock teasing your cunt in long strokes has your eyes rolling into the back of your head, a desperate mewl escaping your lips.

“That’s it, kitten. Take my cock like the good girl you are.”

Your response is so pretty, the noises you make and the wildness lacing them. The way your nails claw into his skin, raking red marks down his chest and back, the ice of his power leaking into the hot wounds.

Hooking his hands beneath your knees and lifting them to your chest, he pistons his hips deeper, harder as he finds that spot that has you going wild. 

You curse, grappling for him, trying to hook your hands around his neck. “Kiss me, Aidas, please.”

His hips falter. He hadn’t been expecting you to want to kiss a demon. He’s afraid that if he gives into the urge to lie down and fucking claim your lips, the last part of him he hasn’t allowed himself to take, he’s afraid he might never leave, might never leave this little apartment that in no way compares to his palace in Hel, might never leave the warmth of your bed, of your cunt.

“I—” Fuck it. He just needs a taste, swooping down to capture your mouth against his.

The feeling explodes in his head, drifting throughout his body like lightning. The feeling of you, your mouth against his, sharing your breaths with him, sharing your body with him. He can feel it in every push of his hips, how accepting you are of him, of the demon who’d lied to you, who’d been trailing you, pretending to be the kitten he doesn’t often take the form of.

He feels your cunt constricting around his cock, holding on tight as you cum. You must be feeling what he is because the softness of your lips and the taste of your moans has him slipping over the edge as well, his orgasm wracking his body almost violently.

“Well, that—” you wince as he slips from you, mourning the loss already. Warmth trickles down your legs but Aidas doesn’t care, doesn’t want you clean from his cum because he’s pulling you close and tucking you into his side. “I’ve never had sex with a demon before.”

Aidas’ raucous laughter startles you. His fingers tighten around you and you’re breaking out into a grin, admiring the beauty of the male beside you. 

“You could have referred to me as a Prince of Hel or even a cat, kitten, but you chose a demon?” He presses a kiss into your dewey brow, enjoying the way you nuzzle your hot cheeks into his chest.

You shrug, bashful. “It seemed like the right thing to say, especially with that tortuous tongue of yours.”

“Not my cock?” He questions playfully, and you hadn’t expected a Prince of Hel to have this sort of humor, to be this…well, soft. His hand trails down between your thighs, running through the mess of cum. It makes your breath catch in your throat and your breasts push against his skin. You’re not quite ready for round two, but you want it more than anything.

“Your cock,” you whisper lowly, batting your eyelashes. The gleam of your eyes has his throat working around a swallow, and you like that. A lot. “Is so much better than that.”

⋅•⋅⊰∙∘☽༓☾∘∙⊱⋅•

Kinktober Taglist:@bunnymallowo@jeannineee@icey–stars@hannzoaks@harrystylesfan2686@azriels-shadowsinger @alysena2 @dream-alittlebiggerdarling @impossibelle @glitterypirateduck @reading-moongirl

[daechwitatamic]

Of Ruin: Chapter 7

(banner by @/itaeewon)

Of Ruin (Masterpost)

Rating: NSFW - minors dni Genre: vampire!au magic!au royalty!au, s2l, slow burn, eventual smut, angst and fluff

Summary: Taehyung of House Rune, Prince of Infracticus has been cursed. You’re the human world’s leading curse-breaker. It should be simple. But unraveling the curse becomes the least of your problems in the face of a world on the brink of civil war… and the love you start to feel for the prince.

A/N: Thank you endlessly to @/sailoryooons for betaing!!! 💕

//

Section Warnings: vampire attack, depictions of a panic attack, language, angst wc: 5k

Morning brings no word from the royal family. You stay shut in your bedroom, finally thumbing through the magical theory book you’d smuggled in there, practicing little spells. You turn your lights on and off, light and extinguish candles, send your hairbrush floating to the window and back. It comes easily, naturally, as long as you have the book in front of you; you’re shit at memorization, and remembering the incantations will be the toughest part. 

Midmorning, you find yourself so frustrated that you repeat slamming your bathroom door over and over again until Namjoon shouts at you to knock it off. 

When Satuel brings your lunch, you beg to go to the turret library. You don’t even need a book, you just need to walk. 

“You coming?” you ask Namjoon.

“I guess so,” he sighs.

Time crawls even from the turret. You’re bored, restless, anxious knowing you’re wasting time. You need the prince to agree to the ritual; it’s the only way to move forward.

“Can we head back?” Namjoon asks after a few hours, startling you from your reverie as you stare out the turret windows over the landscape below. 

“Do we have to?” you ask absently. This is better than your rooms, in your opinion. At least here there’s a window. 

“I have to pee,” he says flatly. 

You sigh. “Go with Satuel,” you whine. “I’m fine here, you’ll only be gone a minute. Ask her. I don’t want to leave.”

You know you’re being petulant and you can’t seem to stop. He frowns at you, not liking the idea. 

“It’s fine,” you insist. 

Namjoon makes his way to the stairs, and you wait to see if he’ll come back to tell you that Satuel refused to take only him. It’s the reaction you expect. Instead, the minutes tick by, and no Namjoon.

Then, you hear movement on the stairs and you sigh. “Alright,” you say, rising, “I knew it was a long-shot. I’m coming.”

You turn, and find the doorway filled with the Infracti man who’d cornered you on your first night.

In the light of day, with the light from the window streaming through, he seems even more frightening; you can see the hatred etched clearly on his face. Your throat tightens and your pulse quickens. You stare at him, frozen, as if he might not see you if you don’t move.

“You made a lot of trouble for me, morsel,” he says, low, stepping closer. 

Fury races through you, so quickly it’s like being engulfed in flames. Last time, you’d been a scared little human. It’s been less than a week, but you have more to your name this time. You won’t forget what you are.

Maybe your mortal body can’t match his inhuman one, but you’ve got more than your fists to fight with.

“Call me morsel one more time,” you growl, starting to call up magic even as you speak, “and you’ll never eat again.”

He laughs at this, throwing his head back, and you take the opportunity to strike. The spell you’d used to slam your bathroom door pops into your head and you shout it, throwing your hands towards him as forcefully as you can.

He flies backwards, hitting the stone wall with a sickening crunch. You move quickly, putting the library’s heavy wooden table between you and widening your stance, ready to go again. 

He rises slowly, not laughing now. His eyes swirl with fury and he openly bares his fangs, his stance hunched and animalistic. He moves lightning quick - almost too quick for your mostly-human eyes - and you panic, shouting the same spell and throwing your hands towards the floor around you. 

You don’t know what you were hoping for - a shield, maybe, or for a hole to open up and drop him down to the turret’s bottom. You’re too new to this, too sloppy, too desperate. Instead of any of those things, the stone floor around you crumbles and jumps, large chunks flying up into the air before dropping all around you, like an earthquake surrounding you in a perfect circle.

It wasn’t what you intended, but it works. As he zips towards you, nearly invisible, he’s caught by the chunks of stone, knocking him off his feet. You take advantage of the opportunity and toss him again, more cleanly this time, throwing him forcefully into the wall a second time, much of the rubble going with him.

His furious gaze finds yours as you stand over him, heart pounding. “Little witch,” he hisses. “You’ll regret that.”

You don’t wait to find out - you run down the spiral stairs so fast that you can’t believe you don’t miss one. You’re almost at the bottom when you can hear him behind you, in close pursuit. 

You face him again in the hallway below, wishing desperately you had something besides slam the door in your magical arsenal. Your chest heaves as you pant against both exertion and terror. 

He stalks closer, normal speed, and you try the spell again, but it does nothing - you’ve missed, or you’ve misspoken the incantation, or you’re just out of juice. 

“I’ll never eat again?” he mocks your earlier words as he crowds you towards the wall behind you. “I might eat right now. Maybe I’ll take you with me and make you my new favorite meal. Maybe I’ll bleed you dry. Maybe I’ll make you a snack that lasts.”

He’s close enough that you can see your panicked reflection in the whorl of his black eyes, can see the wetness clinging to his bared fangs, can see the unnatural sharpness of his fingernails that more resemble claws. 

There’s a shout, and you both turn. Dansoo comes out of nowhere, and behind him you can see Satuel take off in the opposite direction at a sprint. In the time it took you to glance in Satuel’s direction, Dansoo has put himself between you and the monster. 

Dansoo is one of the monsters too. You can’t seem to forget that, even as he pushes the Infracti back. 

“You dishonor your house,” Dansoo growls. “You dishonor the Guard. That is a guest of the royal family, and you’ve threatened her life twice this week.”

“Move, Dansoo,” the beast bites back, batting his hands away, his eyes on his prey, focused. He’s engaged in a hunt, and there will be no snapping him out of it. Dansoo grunts as he pushes back against the monster’s assault. 

You press yourself against the wall, the fury and power you’d felt upstairs leaking away from you as you watch the monsters grapple with each other. You feel cold and detached, even as you consider that if Dansoo makes one misstep you might both die. 

Reinforcements arrive quicker than you expect, led by Satuel, and three of them take the offender by the arms and pull him away from Dansoo, who’s managed to hold him in place, at least. You don’t relax, you feel no relief. You’re still surrounded by them, outnumbered by them. 

You don’t know where Namjoon is. You don’t know if he’s okay. 

Then, Prince Taehyung stalks up the corridor, radiating fury, brows scrunched and fists tight. His mouth pushes together making a line so thin it’s barely there.

Relief courses through you, the tension melting from your body. It is the first moment that you think you might survive.

“Take him to my father,” he orders, as soon as he’s close enough. “I’ll be there soon.”

He pauses by Dansoo, who nods at him, breathing heavily, indicating that he’s alright. 

The prince reaches you, stops before you, scanning you with wide eyes. His hands skim along your arms as if checking for wounds. “We were in time?” he asks. “You’re not harmed?”

“No,” you say hollowly, your voice echoing in the corridor. You still feel out of your body, out of your mind, like someone else is speaking, the words coming from within you without any of your mental facilities checking in. You’re not even answering the question he asked as you babble, “No, I can’t do this, I can’t stay here -” 

His eyes widen further, and you realize you’re sobbing as you answer. You can’t care, you don’t have enough left in you to care. Your knees give and he moves with you, hands on your elbows, as you sink to a crouch, still crying.

“I dreamed of this place,” you cry, pressing the heels of your hands to your eyes, as if you can staunch the flow. “I studied it and learned about it and dreamed of it, how magical and amazing it would be. And now I’m here and everyone wants to hurt me - you, the Queen, even the other human -”

You know you aren’t making sense; Namjoon hasn’t hurt you, though his doubt in you has hurt at times. You can’t stop yourself, and Prince Taehyung just listens as you cry, pretty mouth turned into a frown. “I want to go home. I want to leave Infracticus. It’s not worth it, none of this is worth it! Fuck the curse, I don’t care if you sleep! I don’t care if you kill! It’s not worth it!”

You’re screaming this last part, one hand pushing uselessly at him, uncaring about the prince’s secret or your own safety; you have no control over your mouth, no control over your tears, no control over the way your entire body shakes hard enough that it hurts when your knees knock together. 

When it’s clear you’re done screaming, words giving way to broken sobs alone, Prince Taehyung rubs his thumbs along your shoulders, where his hands came to rest after helping you down.

He says your name quietly, but you can’t stop crying. 

“Where’s Namjoon?” you manage through shuddering gasps.

“He’s back at your rooms,” the prince says quietly. “Satuel got him to safety.”

This calms you just enough that you manage one deep breath. You hold it, lungs spasming, then let it out slowly, tears still leaking down your cheeks, unfettered.

Prince Taehyung says your name again, then asks gently, “Can I take you somewhere? Away from here? Do you trust me?”

You try another breath, trying desperately to get ahold of yourself, but it rips out of you in a fracturing exhale as you fail to hold it. 

“Yes,” you gasp, wiping at your eyes, each breath shuddering and messy. Somehow, despite all of this, you do. 

More than Satuel. More than Namjoon. 

If anyone here wants you alive, you know it’s the prince. 

–

He doesn’t speak to you as he leads you through the palace, nor when you get outside. It’s still light out, and you recognize the way to the stable. You’ve never come here while it’s light, and you’re able to make it down the steps without his help. 

The sky has been beautiful at night when you’ve come here, but the sight of the rolling ocean calms your spirit. You breathe in time with the sound of waves as you follow the prince to the stables, and by the time you arrive, you’ve stopped shaking. 

“Saddle her,” Prince Taehyung tells the guards, and you look at him sharply. 

The look he gives you is understanding, affectionate.

“Still trust me?” he asks. 

You nod, mute. Your body has stopped trembling, but you feel weak and shaken, like just existing now requires more energy than you have left.

The guards lead Potato out, fitted with a strange saddle and bridle. Prince Taehyung takes the lead and the guard steps away. 

“You’ll sit in front,” he tells you softly. “The idea is to put your foot in the stirrup -” he points, “and swing your other leg over. Can you do that?”

“Probably,” you answer, eyeing Potato warily. She tosses her mane, paws at the sand. You turn to the prince. “Are we going… underwater?”

He smiles, shakes his head. “Only your legs will get wet. Do you want to leave your shoes here?”

Several minutes later, you do as the prince suggested, stepping into the stirrup and throwing your other leg over Potato’s back, settling into the saddle. Potato shifts beneath you and you cling to her mane, sure you’ll fall. 

But Prince Taehyung is right behind you, wrapping an arm around your stomach and pulling you tight against his front. It’s comforting, somehow, and you fight the urge to relax back against him; you aren’t sure how he’d react if you did - probably, it would be weird.

He leans forward to speak close to your ear. “It’s going to feel strange,” he advises. “You aren’t used to an amarisca’s gait. Trust me - trust that if I’m not frightened, you don’t need to be. You hold her mane, and I’ll hold you. Squeeze your legs on the saddle and try not to fight the motion.”

“That’s a lot of directions to follow,” you say. The attack at the palace looms in your mind, trying to poke into your conscious thought even as you try to allow yourself to be distracted, and the adrenaline in your system hasn’t died all the way down. It thrums through your body, making you feel half-delirious. You aren’t entirely sure this isn’t a dream. You still feel a little floaty and out-of-body from what happened inside.

The first few steps into the ocean are fine - no different from riding a horse, which you’ve done once or twice in your life. But once the amarisca can swim, the motion changes entirely. You gasp, and Prince Taehyung pulls you back tightly again, his chest solid and unmoving behind you.

The galloping motion is more like a dive, like the animal is diving into each wave as her powerful front legs tread through the water, her fish’s tail undulating behind you. Prince Taehyung’s arm holds you against him, his grip unwavering, as he steers with his free hand. 

“Don’t fight it,” he repeats, close to your ear. You shudder, and you know he can feel it, as tightly as you’re pressed together. You hope he’ll chalk it up to the cold of the sea, not his lips near your neck, his hand splayed on your stomach. “When she dives, lean into it a little.”

You try to follow his directions, following Potato’s rocking motion through the water, trying to ignore how cold your legs are, how loud the wind is, how Prince Taehyung’s hand is gripping your middle tightly to hold you against him, how much you like it.

A particularly big wave rocks over your thighs, and you scream once, startled more than anything.

He chuckles behind you. “We’re fine,” he assures you, loud enough to be heard over the roar of the sea and the wind. The water is up to your thighs and it’s freezing. The prince’s Infracti body offers you no warmth. But at least it doesn’t let you fall off.

You’re not sure how long you ride; long enough that your legs go numb to the ocean’s temperature, long enough that you start to get concerned about it. 

That’s when the prince points ahead, and you squint. Sure enough, you can see a pocket of trees ahead, seeming to rise out of the water. But as Potato brings you closer, you can see that there’s a tiny island here. 

It’s a bit rocky - no pun intended - when Potato switches from swimming to walking on the pebbled shore, but you hang on tight, and Prince Taehyung doesn’t let you fall. He halts Potato once she’s solidly on dry land, and hops down behind you.

You want to sink into the dirt when the prince helps you down, relieved to be back on something solid, but you stand, swaying a bit. You still feel like you’re in a dream. Above you, the sky is cloudy, but no rain falls. It’s grey in every direction - even the dark ocean water seems to melt into grey at the horizon, as if there’s no real line between sea and sky. You can’t see the palace from here; you could be back in the human world - there’s nothing here indicating that you aren’t.

This calms you more than you’d like to admit.  

“I have to tie her up,” he tells you. “Stay here.”

As if you could go anywhere. You look around instead; the trees you saw from further out are some kind of conifer, grouped together just off-center of the island. The shore is rocky - it’s mostly packed dirt where Potato landed, but most of the rest of the island’s edges are jagged rock.

You feel better, so far from the palace that it’s not even visible over the horizon. With nothing around you but ocean, you feel truly safe for the first time since you arrived. No one can get to you here. No one knows you’re even here except Prince Taehyung, and he won’t hurt you unless you’re here after midnight. Your heartbeat begins to settle down, your breathing evens. 

When he returns, Prince Taehyung plops unceremoniously into the dirt.

“Join me,” he jokes.

“I’ll get my pants dirty,” you object. After everything that’s happened in the last two hours, you can’t believe you care. 

“Who are you trying to impress?” he asks easily, like it’s a big joke.

You arch an eyebrow at him. 

“Me?” He laughs. In spite of everything that just happened, the sound is lovely, deep and musical and welcome. “My pants are muddy already.”

This is true. So you do as he asks, delicately sitting next to him, curling up and hugging your knees.

You like this version of him, outside the palace walls - quick to smile, oddly funny. Of course, a tiny part of you likes the quiet, reserved version of him you get when he’s inside, too.

You sit in silence for a few minutes, watching the waves crash on the island’s beach. 

Finally getting serious, he speaks. “I’ve been alive a long time,” he says, slowly and seriously. “I’ve been very angry before, too. I’ve been very scared before. I have felt, like you, desperately alone.”

He waits for a second, eyes still on the ocean. From where she’s tied to a tree trunk, you can hear Potato snort.

“I always felt better here,” he tells you. “It feels kind of like leaving, doesn’t it?”

You nod. “It does,” you say. “The problem is, eventually I have to go back.”

“I’m sorry we’ve failed you so badly,” he says mournfully. “I promised you that you’re safe here, and you’ve experienced the opposite. That never should have happened - the first time, or this time.”

“Yes, great protector, won’t let anything happen to his venefici,” you mutter.

He visibly flinches when you say the word.

“And I’m sorry,” he says slowly, “for saying that to you. I… was not dealing well with the lack of sleep, or my own feelings regarding… well, that’s besides the point. Sleeping well was very helpful. I feel much better now, and I have you to thank.”

“Don’t thank me until I break the curse,” you say, kicking at the dirt. 

“If you’ll stay,” he ventures, “if you’ll keep trying… I promise to keep you safe. I know we said that from the beginning, but I’ll do better.”

“It’s not a promise you can keep,” you mutter. 

He looks at you, sideways. “I can,” he says. “I underestimated how much work it would be, but I can.”

You don’t believe him, so you change the subject. “You shouldn’t even be out here with me,” you grouse. “You should be sleeping, while you have the chance. You need to rest.”

“I can’t,” he asserts, whining a little. “I struggle to fall asleep, and then when I do - I wake up quickly. I dream about - that night.”

You think about this, think about what he’s really telling you. “That’s a problem that won’t be solved by the countercurse,” you point out. 

“I know,” Prince Taehyung admits, meeting your gaze. “But one thing at a time, right?” He leans back, eyes the heavy clouds above you, then adds, “I think I’d like to give their families something - for the humans I… attacked. You can’t put a price on a life, of course, but… wouldn’t it be right? To give them something for their loss?”

He looks at you openly, as if he desperately needs someone to answer this for him.

“Why don’t you?” you ask. It seems like a fair question.

The prince shakes his head. “Our people have already covered our tracks - erased memories, expunged documents. Made it like they didn’t exist. To ensure that my image goes untainted. To make sure they can’t try me, put my case before a judge. I can’t apologize for killing someone who never existed.”

Your stomach churns. “That’s illegal,” you say darkly. 

Prince Taehyung inclines his head. “I don’t condone it,” he promises. “It was done without my consent. I should be tried. I should stand trial. I know that.”

“But you can’t,” you say slowly, understanding dawning over you. “Not without exposing your parents for the cover-up.”

“And what about the one who lived?” he asks, looking up at you plaintively. “They told me she won’t remember it happening… but isn’t that worse? To have all the fear the trauma brought, but to not know why?”

You look at him, seeing something new in him - again. “I don’t know,” you admit. “I don’t know what’s worse. I’m not sure either option is worse.”

He shakes his head, rubbing a hand along his forehead. “It is too much to carry,” he whispers, and you’re not sure he’s even talking to you.

“No one is going to forgive you,” you say, and his head snaps up, eyes wide. You continue, choosing your words carefully. “They can’t, their families can’t. You can’t undo what happened. All you can do is take steps to make sure it doesn’t happen again. Help me end the curse, and work on forgiving yourself.”

He takes this in silently, and you wait him out. 

“And you?” he says finally, looking up at you through his dark curls that hang over his eyes. “Will you be working on forgiving yourself?”

You bristle. “For what?”

He cocks his head, like he’s surprised that you don’t know. “For not being human,” he says softly, as if it’s obvious. 

You look away. 

“We should both rest,” he says finally. “I want you to know… the man who came after you today will be dealt with - he won’t be in the palace. He’ll be gone already by the time we get back. And I’m adding extra bodies to your personal guard - it won’t just be Satuel and Dansoo anymore.”

You look at him, afraid to voice what’s in your head - that he’s promising to protect you from monsters by giving you more monsters. 

But Dansoo had fought to protect you, today. And Satuel had run for the prince, for more guards, had gotten Namjoon to safety. 

“Okay,” you whisper, because it’s better than admitting that you don’t feel any safer. That you’re sure you’ll be plagued with nightmares tonight. That you still want nothing more than to solve the curse, and go back to your old life - as quickly as possible. 

Even if, in your old life, you didn’t get to ride amarisca into the sea.

“Do you feel better?” he asks you, and there’s something earnest in it. Hopeful, maybe. Like he really hopes he helped.

Better, you think. “Better than I was,” you allow. Not better better. You won’t feel better until you’re home again. Maybe not even then. You might always see swirling black eyes, whenever the lights get dim.

“Let’s do the ritual in the morning,” the prince suggests, looking over at you openly. 

“Okay,” you agree. Because you want to go home. “Let’s do that.”

–

Prince Taehyung brings you back to your rooms. You’re painfully aware of the dirt on your ass, the way the legs of your trousers cling to your calves, still damp from ocean water, as you make your way through the palace. But you pass no one but the royal family’s guards, and they remain impassive.

You’re sure they’re curious. Maybe it’s normal for the prince to traipse about the palace covered in mud and sea salt, but not with a human in tow. 

If they even see you as human. The Infracti who’d attacked you had called you little witch. Perhaps they all know what you really are. 

He stops in front of your doors, looks at his feet for a second. Dansoo and Satuel are in place, and you notice with a guilty sinking in your stomach that Dansoo sports a scrape across one cheekbone, the wound clearly fresh. 

“So…” the prince says, looking up at you through his lashes. “Do you think you’ll stay?”

The question surprises you so much that your brain goes a bit empty. You blink at him, taking ages to catch up. 

“Do I… do I really have a choice?” you ask finally, voice hushed. Dansoo and Satuel stare straight ahead, pretending not to listen.

The prince flinches, like he’s hurt by this question. “Of course you do,” he says firmly. “That’s why I took you - I was - this was my attempt at convincing you to stay. But the choice is yours.”

You want to leave. But not as badly as you want to end the prince’s curse. 

“I’m going to see this through,” you say, determination winning the shoving contest with your fear. “Even if I die trying, apparently.”

The look he gives you is rueful. “I think you’re braver than me,” he says quietly. And then, all business, “I’ll send for you in the morning. For the ritual. We’ll conduct it in my rooms.”

“Okay.” You turn to enter your rooms, but you pause and bow to your guards. “Thank you for… earlier.” You rise, eyeing the scrape on Dansoo’s face. “I’m sorry you were hurt.”

“Our orders are to keep you from harm,” Dansoo says stiffly. Satuel says nothing, just gives you a tight nod. 

You try not to let this response sting. You let yourself inside. 

Namjoon jumps to his feet and you both blurt, “Are you okay?”

“Where did you go?” you ask, rushing forward. You have the urge to hug him, you’re so relieved to find him unharmed, but you’ve only known him a week and you’re not sure it would be appropriate. Instead, you hover just outside his personal bubble, hands raised like you’re going to scan him for wounds.

“Where did I go?” he echoes. “Where did you go? One second, there were literally vampires fighting over you in the corridor, and then everyone was gone. All Satuel would tell me was that you were with the prince!”

You sink onto the couch. You’re half tempted to send for a stiff drink; you’ve never wanted one so badly in your life. 

“That Infracti…” you explain, “He found me the first night. When I… went out, when I shouldn’t have.” 

Namjoon’s eyes narrow, and you wonder if you imagine the flicker of protectiveness you think you see. 

“The Prince found us, luckily, and also luckily didn’t send me packing,” you admit. “But I guess that guy felt like he had a score to settle or something. I shouldn’t have sent Satuel away. I should have gone with you.”

Namjoon sits too, begins to fill in his side of the story. “We were in the corridor when he went up,” he explains. “She got another guard and, like, threw us into a nearby room and then went running to get help. By the time I got back to the hallway, you were gone. But she took me back up to get my papers I’d left on the table and the floor is all fucked up.”

He looks at you quizzically. “Did you do that?”

You fiddle with your fingers, embarrassed. “I was just trying to keep him away from me.”

Namjoon lets out a disbelieving breath. “I can’t believe you fought off a hunting Infracti without any magical training,” he says. 

“I didn’t do a very good job,” you mutter quietly. “Hence the hole in the floor. That’s not what I was trying to do.”

“You got away,” he points out.

“Only because of Dansoo and Satuel,” you argue. “If they hadn’t been in the corridor, I was done.”

It feels strange to say it so casually, when it’s so true, and so nearly came to pass.

“Anyway,” you say, clearing your throat. “I kind of freaked out. Prince Taehyung took me somewhere quiet, away from the palace, so I could calm down.”

He looks you over, clearly seeing the mud on your damp pants.

You give him a sheepish look. “It may have involved riding an amarisca. In the ocean.”

He laughs a little. “I guess that’s one way to distract you,” he says. “He knew what he was doing.”

“He agreed to try the ritual,” you say, suddenly remembering. “He said he’ll send someone for me in the morning. Will you join us?”

Namjoon looks surprised - over the Prince agreeing or your invitation, you’re not sure. “I thought you didn’t want my energy getting mixed in?”

“Sorry,” you mumble, chagrined. “No, it’ll be fine if you’re there - you just have to stand far enough away once we start.”

“O-kay,” he says slowly. “Then, yes, I’d like to be there. Wake me when they come to get you? I’ll leave my door unlocked.”

“Sure,” you agree. 

You both stand there awkwardly. It occurs to you that you may both be considering the ways you’ve been unfair to each other. 

“I’m glad you weren’t hurt today,” you say quietly, unable to look at him. “And if I haven’t made it clear… I’m glad to have you here. I’m glad to have someone…”

“Human?” he laughs.

You smile. “I was going to say on my side, but yeah. That, too.”

He softens. “I’m glad you’re okay, too,” he says. “And if I haven’t made it clear… I trust your decisions. My grandfather set you as the case lead for a reason. Even if I don’t always act like it.”

“Thanks,” you say awkwardly, after a minute of shifting from foot to foot. “Okay… I’m going to go to bed. I’ll wake you in the morning.”

You can’t sleep. Swirling black eyes rise in your vision every time your eyes close. After nearly an hour of trying, you give up. You turn on your lamp and pull out the spellbook. You search the index for something that looks defensive, and you practice it again, and again, and again.

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we're back!!! thanks for reading!!!

chapter 8 will go up next friday as scheduled!

[lycheedr3ams]

Death's Angel

Part 1: Looking Death in the Eye

royal!fem!reader x executioner!konig

Summary: It's 1554. You're one of the eight daughters of the Austrian royal family, and your parents do everything they can to ensure their kingdom is prosperous and peaceful. No royal court is complete without their hand-picked executioner, one who stands out against the sea of black, faceless bodies that make up the profession. It just so happens that your family's new executioner, one who has made a name for himself far and wide for his skill with the axe, has caught your eye and ruined you for good.

Warnings: MDNI! eventual filthy smut, mutual pining, forbidden love, death (konig is an executioner duh), mean sisters, mentions of medieval-type violence, overbearing parents, konig is brooding, maybe dark themes bc reader likes seeing him kill people?

Part 2

.......

series inspired by the art below!

If there was anything your parents taught you, it was to never mix with the lower, working classes. You were royalty: there was never any need for you to lift a finger, let alone even ask for anything. Everything will be served to you on a silver platter. The heads of your enemies were no exception.

You grew up watching executions like it was a normal family affair, like it was the same as lazily observing geese land in the pond behind your castle as you sat with your chin in your hand. It was always the same. Your family's star executioner, up until now, would force the victim on stage and enact whatever cruel punishment your king and queen parents decided. It was a routine. There was no malice or passion behind it, it was just a job. Chopping heads off blocks was the same as completing a to-do list for most executioners, and you grew accustomed to seeing bloodied heads rolling over cobblestone.

But your family's loyal executioner died suddenly. The peasantry said he was possessed, that the devil had finally taken the man's soul for all the heinous acts he committed. Whatever the case, your family needed a new executioner, fast. It wouldn't be long before people committed more crime, knowing the axe of judgement was temporarily frozen above their heads. you could hear your parents frantically whispering in the dead of night over which executioner to choose. there were so many contenders for the spot. you couldn't have cared less who the new executioner would be. executioners, though their jobs were necessary for functioning society, were spurned and looked down on. a necessary evil, as some may say. your parents taught you to never speak to the executioner, much less even look his way. not out of respect, but rather to keep your eyes clean from the monstrosity of whatever man could live with cutting off heads each day.

the day eventually came when your parents decided on a new executioner. they seemed pretty excited about it, and decided to get right to the "festivities" to commemorate the occasion. the new executioner would, the moment he reached the royal ground, execute the line of prisoners whose deaths had been delayed since the passing of your previous executioner. You strode elegantly, as you were taught, to your seat on the elevated surface as the victims were lined up on the lower stage. the crowd watched anxiously. there was a different feeling in the air. everyone seemed even more scared than normal. the blood-stained oak chopping block had never seemed more foreboding.

and then you saw him. out of your family's royal carriage - the oldest and dingiest one, mind you - this giant of a man stepped out and scanned the crowd. everyone went silent. not even the birds dared to sing as he walked across the stage silently, his axe slung over his shoulder, the wooden boards underneath his jagged leather boots creaking loudly. he was nothing short of a giant. his shoulders were broad, and even though his chest was clothed with black cloth, you knew he was toned. he carried that monstrous axe like it was nothing but a butter knife. the only thing that reminded you that he was, in fact, human was the faint reflection of the sunlight in his eyes from deep within his black hood.

your breath caught in your chest as you observed him. he stood still by the chopping block, so naturally that you felt your spine tingle. your father bellowed out the reason for the execution spree - something about celebration - but your mind was completely fogged, filled with nothing but morbid curiosity for this new death-bringer who would be living in your castle. the executioner was then commanded to turn towards your family and bow before the executions began. this grim reaper turned his broad back and faced your family. his eyes scanned each one of you, but they lingered on you the longest. you felt like a gust of ice wind had just raced up from his gaze alone, manifested somehow by whatever mental prowess he seemed to possess. He bowed lowly to you and your family before standing, glancing at you once more, and then facing the crowd.

your father yelled out with raised arms, "my kingdom! this is your new judge, your executioner! the one who will bring you to justice from here forth is Konig!"

king. His name means king, you thought. how ironic. that a man with such a name - likely an alias - would be performing the work that no one dared do.

for the first time in your life, you watched avidly as this new executioner, as konig, swiftly cut each victims' head off like he was slicing butter. konig commanded respect. even the crowd was silent as he worked, his grunts and the dull sound of the axe meeting wood and bone were the only things to be heard as he performed his duty. it should have scared you. he should have scared you. and when the last victim's head rolled off the block and konig rested against his up-turned axe, you released a breath that you didn't know you had been holding.

hope you enjoyed! this will likely be multiple parts, and a slow burn. i just love this so much

[loveneversleepss]

TROPE SERIES: Bang Chan

Mama's boy/royalty pt.3

Pairing: childhood friend!Chan x female reader (reader has assigned name). 

Trope: second chance, childhood love

Warnings: cursing, jealousy, slight angst, bullying, smut duh, unprotected sex (srry), oral sex, nicknames, blood and death. 

w.c: 10 k

Has anyone told you to not trust boys? You learned that the hard way. You fell in love with one.

It didn’t happen all at once. It was all so innocent, simply a friendship in the beginning. That’s where you made the mistake, becoming friends with him. 

~~~~

It was the first day of kindergarten, everything felt so new. You stood at the front of the gates, hand in hand with your father. You turned to him nervously, biting the inner corner of your cheek. He smiled reassuringly at you and squeezed your little hand. “It will be alright, you got this. Keep your head up.” He handed you your lunch pail and pinched your cheek teasingly, it hurt but in a way it helped you. Helped you to muster up the courage to march into the gates and begin a new start. 

But as soon as you stepped near your class, you were pushed over. Your hands scraped across the pavement and you scrunched up your nose in pain. “Oops.” you turned your head to see the culprit, a boy laughing with his group of friends. He reached out his hand for you to grab and you hesitated. “Not gonna take it? Fine.” He kicked your lunch pail away, the food trampling out. He tugged on your pigtail, hard and pushed you over on your back. “From now on, I will make your life a living hell.” He licked the palm of his hand and smeared it across your face. You laid frozen as he walked away, tears flowing in your eyes. 

“Are you okay?” A brown haired boy came running to you, he kneeled down next to you. He stuck out his hand, but you didn’t hesitate to take it. “Don’t cry,” he wiped a tear off your cheek. You stared at his reassuring look, his soft dimples really popped out to you. “Come on, let’s tell the teacher.” He held you the whole way, spoke for you about what happened when you couldn’t speak up. But what they said next, ruined you.

“Oh, he’s just a boy.” you were stunned. It felt wrong. Why would they dismiss it just like that? Just because he’s a boy? Because you did something to make him do it? No, you didn’t do anything wrong. You didn’t do anything for him to do that, for him to touch you in that way. He practically walked away with a slap on the wrist. 

“I'm sorry about that,” the boy apologized to you. He held out a piece of licorice to see if it would make you feel better. “Why are you sorry? You weren’t the one who hurt me,” you took it and snapped off a piece with your mouth. He sighed heavily, “I just wish I could’ve done more to help.” You patted his back, “you did help, you saved me.” He smiled brightly at you, which made you smile. “Anyways, I’m Chan.” you cleared your throat, “I’m Vanessa.” He frowned and tilted his head, “I think I’ll call you Nessa instead.” You giggled, no one’s ever called you that before. He wrapped his pinky around his, “as long as I’m here, no one can hurt you.” you wanted to believe it, so you did.

Although it didn’t get better. You dreaded each day of elementary school, you were constantly bullied by that boy. Theo was his name. Chan tried his best to save you. You appreciated him so much. He was the light at the end of the cold, dark tunnel. But remember that teacher? You found out that was his mother. She always seemed to have something against you. Even though they lived next door, you weren't allowed over. But he always came to yours.

Chan had invited you over for a playdate once for the first time. Which ended up being your last. You were eating cookies on his bedroom floor when she stormed in. She snatched the cookie from your hand and demanded you go home. She said, “you’re damaged goods.” Which at the time you didn’t know what she meant. But now you realized she was talking about that incident. But, there was a time where Chan and you didn’t talk.

~~

“Chan!” You ran over to him, your backpack flinging side to side with your movements. “Look what I got you~” You said in a singsong voice and pulled out a cup that had Spider-Man on it. You expected him to be beaming with joy, but he wasn’t. He stared at it with no expression and then changed his gaze to the side. “I can’t talk to you anymore.” Your hands dropped to your side, cup in hand and your face frowned. “Why?” His eyes flickered behind you, and you turned to see his mom standing with her arms crossed, glaring at you. You turned back around to look at him, he couldn’t look you in the eyes. “I’m sorry Nessa.” He walked to his mom and she patted his head and pushed him in front of her, leaving you alone with the cup.

After that, everything got worse. You were bullied even worse, and you still held onto hope that one day, Chan would come to your rescue. But it faded as you were kicked and slapped by those boys. Your worst nightmare, provided by Theo, came true. “You’re pathetic!” Kick. “No one wants to be your friend.” Spit. “Not even Chan. Your true love!” He laughed and mocked you. You guess you blacked out once you felt a blow to your head. You felt yourself wake up, but your eyes did not open, but you were aware of your body. “Please be okay,” you heard a sob and recognized the voice. Chan. His arms were around yours, holding you tight. 

“Will she be okay?” you heard a male voice and didn’t recognize it. “Move aside, let me help her.” He let go of you and your eyes fluttered open. You gasped hard at the stranger in front of you. You screamed, “stay away!” You crawled away and cradled yourself . “Nessa, it’s okay. It’s just your dad.” you stared at him in disbelief. “What do you want?” His dad sighed and approached cautiously, “we’re just gonna dress your wounds.” 

~

He walked you home after, holding you up. How the heck are you gonna explain what happened to your parents? “What am I gonna say to them?” Chan shook his head, he had no idea either. “I had no idea what to do earlier. your dad is a doctor and I didn’t know who else to call for help.” You broke away from his hold. “You don’t have to tell me anything.” You began to walk on your own up the driveway when he stopped you. “I still wanna be friends with you.” you stopped in your tracks and looked at him with disgust. “Why now?” He rocked himself back and forth while keeping his head down, “I didn’t know what to do. I always listen to your mom.” you rolled your eyes and scoffed, and was about to say a smart remark but he beat you to it. “But I don’t want to anymore. All you want, more than anything, is to be your friend.” 

He picked up his head and his pinky rose. “I swear to be your friend, now and forever.” It was cheesy and made you cringe, but also made you smile. You walked over and entangled yours with his. “Friends.” You felt a sudden urge to kiss his cheek, so you leaned forward and tried to peck his cheek. But he turned suddenly and your lips pushed into his. Your first kiss. You jumped back and then you heard the door open, your parents gasp. Right. Now to explain the cuts. They ran to you and cautiously examined me. You simply told them, “I had a little spar with a girl.” They stared at each other and chose to believe you. They led you back inside and before you entered your house, you made sure to wake Chan goodbye. He waved back with a silly grin and you knew everything would go back to normal. 

~~

But it didn’t, after a short 6 years. He moved away to Korea, and the only life you knew was gone. “I don’t want you to go!” You cried in his arms, begging him. You were shaking and holding onto him with the hope of convincing him. “I have to Nessa,” you shook your head no and sobbed. “My mom insists I have to go. Please understand,” he holds onto you equally hard as you. You look up at him, his dimples as prominent as ever. “I’ll be back by the time we go to highschool, I promise.” He held his pinky out to me, and you tied yours around his. “You better.”

You had a very hard time during those years. The bullying didn’t stop until something happened. Surprisingly Theo left you alone. His goons didn’t but he didn’t engage in any action towards you. But you remember a day, you had come home with bruises from them. It was your 7th grade year. He had watched and stood away from engaging. After they were done with you, he stayed standing above you. You were crying and holding your wounds, you glared at him. “What did you ever do to you?!” You trembled as he stepped towards you. “Why do I deserve this?” He tried to reach out for you but you backed away in fear. “I’m sorry, we’ll leave you alone.” He kept his word, he left you alone and so did his friends from ever uttering your name again. 

When you came home, your parents were furious. They had a huge fight, saying things like, “this is all your fault our daughter is like this!” “You don’t know what I’ve been doing for her!” You walked away and waited outside for the arguing to stop. You sat on the grass and watched the sunset, your favorite thing to do since you were a child with Chan. But he’s gone now. Because of his mom. You checked your messages, and he texted you a few minutes ago. 

Me                  2:05pm

Have you made friends yet?

Channie<3            2:36pm

Yeah, I have

There’s this one girl who sat by me in class today. 

She's really nice and gave you half of her lunch since I love triangle kimbap :)

She asked me to hangout after school tmrw

You stared at the message and had this terrible feeling grow in your heart. You felt as if you were going to throw up. You clocked your phone off and clenched it, a girl huh? Will she be your replacement? You can’t think like that. You’ll answer him later. 

“Nessa!” you shuddered at the name. No one’s called you that since he did. You turned to see Chan’s mom, Celeste, calling you over. Your heart dropped and your fists clenched as you faked a smile. She took it as an invitation to come over to you. “Oh my! What happened to you!” You have no idea how much you hate this woman. She sighed heavily, “I wanted to apologize for your past mistakes..” you stood confused, she wants to apologize? “I never should’ve treated you that way and you want to make it up to you.” you sighed, listening to her. Her head tilts to the side and she looks around, “Why don’t you come inside?” That was the last place you wanted to be. You hear a glass shatter from inside your house and close your eyes at the thought. But you needed someone. You needed to be anyplace that could get your mind off things. You nod your head and follow her.

~

She motions for you to sit at the chair in front of her. You sit reluctantly and she sits across from you. “Are you having problems at school, Nessa?” You rolled your eyes, “are you trying to play the concerned neighbor? What exactly do you want?” She laughed to herself and set her cupped hands on the table. “You’re smart, you knew I had a motive.” You nod your head and shoot her a glare saying ‘get on with it.’ “I have this side gig now, it will train you physically to be a so-called bounty hunter. It pays good money and I think it would help with your situation.” You bit your bottom lip, this would lead you to beat people up and one day. Have to kill someone for money. She reaches for your hand on the table, “you don’t have to make a decision now. I’m asking for a lot.” You clench your hand under hers. “Will you promise not to force you to do anything you won’t want to?” She sits back and thinks for a while, then she says, “deal. I won’t force anything on you.” 

I paused, “I don’t think it would be good for me.” she frowned and clicked her tongue. “I know Chan would’ve liked that we get along. This could’ve been our chance..” she sighed and sat back in her chair. You fidgeted and thought, then came to a conclusion. “Fine, I’ll do it.” She gave you the details, you would meet up at her house after school and she would take you to a training place. You described it to your parents as tutoring since she was a teacher and you needed extra help. It was all a lie. You tried to keep in contact with Chan afterwards. But after you found out news about the new girl, you didn’t want to talk to him. 

Me                      6:56pm

Ugh I’m so tired from today.

Channie                9:17pm

Were you working out?

Me                      9:20pm

Something like that

How’s Korea going?

Channie                9:24pm

Omg I totally forgot to tell you!

Me                      9:27pm

Tell me

??

Channie                9:33

I started dating that girl, yk the one who shared her lunch with me

Anyways you found out we have a lot in common

Her name’s soojin 

Read

You decided not to answer him. The news shattered me. You cried for days in secret. You trained at your hardest and used that pain to get you through everything. Fuck him. 

The training was extreme; One day, you felt your emotions really hard. “Harder!” She yelled and you kicked with force. “Harder!” you kicked one again with more force. “Harder Nessa!” you kicked your hardest and began panting. She got in your face and started to scream, “that’s what you call a kick? How pathetic, you’re better than this!”

“I’m trying ma’am.” She scoffed and laughed as if you told a hilarious joke. “You’re not trying hard enough.. you’re weak! An embarrassment if you ever think that’ll be good enough!” You took the words to heart. You shook your head as tears began to pile up. “I am good enough-“ She pushed you back a little, “no you’re not!” your anxiety and fear turned into anger. It began to build. “My son would never want anyone like you!” You screamed and kicked with full force, the bag broke off the hook and landed on the floor. The spot where you kicked, broken in and fabric falling out. 

You breathed heavily and she applauded, “see what happens when you use your emotions? You get better. No need to be afraid of them.” That was the first lesson she taught me. The next training for years was learning to fight, flexibility training, weapons mastery, and horrible endurance training. Putting you under water for minutes to build up your breath-holding skills, running in rain and heat, learning to take hits, and the most important lesson. Loyalty training which had you under torturing mechanisms.

The training definitely helped you defend yourself better. It also grew your confidence and helped you establish yourself. You were a high performing student, having the best grades and always having an honor roll. You grew into your looks and explored styles and makeup. Perfecting it during those three years. You realized you had truly evolved at one of your training sessions. 

Chan’s mom, Celeste always admired you after you excelled. “Perfect, Nessa. You’ve really turned into a prodigy.” And always after that, she would slither off into meetings. You felt real progress and extreme satisfaction with yourself. You had grown really close to Celeste as after training she would take you out. You were the daughter she never had. At dinner you had asked her about Chan. She frowned, “I can’t say anything about his situation since he’s in Korea but.. You can say you don’t approve of this supposed relationship of his.” You choked on your soda. You cleared your throat and smiled, “you know about it?” She crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow, “of course I do. You know everything. But when he comes back and still with said girlfriend. It won’t last, trust me.” 

You giggled, knowing that she doesn’t approve. Because you know she’ll do everything in her power to ensure it. He’s a mama's boy, he’ll do anything she says. You were assigned your first job, in eighth grade. To find and capture a man, no one would suspect a child like you to do it. But you successfully did, and you became one of the best bounty hunters she had. And the youngest. your jobs would be easy, you would always get them done like nothing. But you realized outside of doing this job. You had nobody. You expressed your feelings to Celeste. She understood you and never made you feel that you didn’t matter. The next day, you came to find a boy standing in your training spot. You recognized him, he was Chan’s friend when you weren’t talking. The ray of sunshine. What would he be doing here?

Celeste called you to her and the boy turned to you, “Felix this is Nessa. Your mentor.” you looked at her in disbelief. Mentor? He smiled brightly at you, practically blinding you. “Hi,” he said and you smiled back at him awkwardly. You nodded your head and Celeste grinned, “you will be working together from now on. So, best get to know each other.” You bit the inside of your cheek, looks like she intended for him to be with you, so you’re no longer lonely. She walked away and patted your back. He smiled awaiting your attention. “First thing, you’re gonna have to get rid of that smile.” He frowned immediately, “wouldn’t it be more convincing that I was good?” You shook your head, “you’re trying to go unnoticed, not show off your charisma.” 

“So you think I have charisma?” You ignored him and led him to the mat. “Come on, show you what you got.” He stood confused and uncomfortable. “You want me to fight you? But you’re a girl.” You smirked and charged at him, dropping down and sliding against the floor, hooking his leg and down he went. He slammed against the mat with a groan and gripped his shoulder. “First lesson, it doesn’t matter who your target is. You get the job done.” He jumped up and assumed a fighting stance. You adjusted his arms, “sloppy.” You brought them up and gave it a stern shake, “this needs to be strong. The basics need to be laid down correctly or you will practice it wrong.” 

He looked fondly into your eyes, which made you freeze. “Chan was an idiot to leave you.” you dropped down again and swiped his leg. But this time he didn’t budge and dodged you. He smirked and brought you up by your chin, “I won’t make the same mistake.” you shoved him off, “No more talking from you.” He sighed and crossed his arms, trying to flex them. “You know, I do taekwondo.” you tilted your head and scoffed, “but still you got dropped down by me.” His tongue rolled between his bottom teeth and lips then it grew into a smile. This was the beginning of a great friendship. 

~~

Once highschool came around, you were no longer that shaken little girl. You knew exactly who you were and no one could stop you. You got up that morning with a pep in your step which sounds corny, you know. But you were truly happy with yourself . You curled your hair, put on a full face of makeup and a streetwear fit. You kissed your mom good-bye as your dad wanted to drive you to school. It’s his own tradition to drive you on your first-days. “Looks like someone is moving in next door.” You looked over at what was Chan’s house. You saw a moving van outside and shrugged it off, not thinking about it again on the way to school. Once you pulled up, he gave you that reassuring pinch on your cheek and told me, “keep your head up sweetie.”

And you did, until you saw him. 

He was facing away from you, chatting to a group of people whose faces were full of amazement. Figures. He was always the joy of the group. You didn’t recognize him at first, until he turned his head slightly. Those soft dimples you know out of anywhere. You froze in your spot as you stared at him. But you were interrupted when you noticed stares at you. Whispering and pointing at me. “Who’s she?” “She’s gorgeous?” “Is she new?” You realized, they weren’t judging you. They were admiring you. 

“Vanessa?” Your name was called from the group talking to Chan. He turned and his mouth dropped in shock. You realized who called your name was Theo, seriously? You decided maybe you should say hi to Chan, as you were walking. You were blocked by a tall boy. “Excuse me, you think you’re really pretty. Could you have your number?” you laughed slightly in shock and looked at his phone. “I don’t have a phone.” He smiled at you awkwardly and walked away. Barf. You looked back at Chan who had a look you’ve never seen on his face before. 

He looks so different. His hair is dyed blond and his skin is so white now. Nothing like the younger him you knew. Then again, you don’t look the same either. You see Felix waving to you in the distance and you brighten up. You begin walking to him, Theo tries to walk up to you but you walk the opposite direction and flip him off. The group laughs as he stands stunned, watching you walk away. You walked to Felix and he put his arm around you. You looked back at Chan, who was glaring, not at you but Felix. 

~

The rest of the day was boring, zero classes with Felix or Chan. First days are always filled with introduction games or dumb lectures. You sat waiting by a tree, a bench was next to it. Painted by the equality for all club with a rainbow. But you stood standing as you scrolled on your phone, waiting for your dad to pick you up. You texted Felix but he had already gone home and you sat unsatisfied. Just then your dad texted you to walk home due to him being stuck at work. It’s only 2 miles. You heard a bunch of cheering and screaming from a car, a white convertible car with the girl you fought with in middle school. She claimed you wanted her man. 

“Why don’t we like them?” You jumped and turned to see Chan standing next to you. You looked around and stood cautiously away from him. “You were kinda glaring at them,” he took a step forward out of the tree’s shadow, the sun hitting his eyes. Your heart began to speed up, your words were taken away. “It’s just some middle school stuff,” you worded simply and adjusted your bag. He nodded his head and bit the inside of his cheek, “I guess I missed a lot. Didn't I?” You sighed heavily, “you did.” His lips moved to the side and you watched his eyes scan you, head to toe. “Well, I kept my promise. I came back.” You shook your head and bit your bottom lip, “you just came too late. I’d forgotten all about you.” You saw him practically crumble from your words, but you couldn’t care less and tried to leave him there. You had more important things. But he stopped you.

“I know about your relationship with my mom.” You stopped in your tracks and slowly turned to him. “I know you’re working for her… really, Nessa?” You sighed heavily and tried to calm your building anger, “you have no right to judge me. You have no idea what I’ve been through. I did what I did to keep me sane.” You continued to walk and he followed close behind. He didn’t say anything and just followed you. Until you got to the front door of your house. 

Maybe you were too harsh. But what did he expect? That you’d welcome him with open arms and you’d pretend those three long years never happened? No way. Your head wasn't in the right space. “Hey,” you turned around to him standing nearby. “Can I speak my mind and bother you for a second?” You sighed, “you always bother me but go ahead.” He smiled and his hands cupped nervously in his lap. “I felt like our conversation earlier ended badly.” You raised an eyebrow at him, and shook your head. He followed you home for this?

“What did you expect Chan? That I would come back running to you?” He turned his body fully to you, “yes I actually did. I thought we had something.” You stood up fully and your voice was getting louder, “we had a friendship which ended the day your mommy told you to leave.” He scoffed, “I tried to stay connected with you. I called and texted you but you never answered.” You walked away from the porch and vented out to him, “I didn’t want to affect your perfect life over there. I thought you would be better off without me which actually was the truth. I couldn’t tell you anything I was going through because you wouldn’t understand from a thousand miles away! You weren’t here for me! I was alone!”

Tears filled up in your eyes and you tried to blink them away. But they poured down your cheeks. He was about to speak when a voice came from behind you. “Nes?” you turned to see Felix coming out of your house. “Baby, what’s wrong?” One thing, you forgot to mention. 

~~~

It was last month, during the summer. Felix and you were training together, a secret one. It was late at night and no one else was there. We were wrestling and trying moves on each other. A certain move would accidentally drop us both to the ground. We laid laughing as we stayed on the floor. We both grew quiet as we stared into each other's eyes. Our breathing was heavy, chest rising and falling and it seemed time had stopped. your heart was beginning to race, not because of the training, but because of how you felt for him. “I wanna take you out on a date.”He snapped you back into reality and you sat up quickly. 

“What?” you mumbled and he sat up cautiously. He softly took your hand in his, “I really like you Nes.” Nes was the nickname he decided was fit for you. You didn’t mind it. “I want to be with you, if you want that too.” He had grown too as you did. He dyed his hair blond and his skin had lightened but still a perfect tan. His freckles popped out extremely like stars. You looked at your hands, his entangled with mine.. “no.” You declined him because you still had feelings for Chan and you explained that to him. He respected it but started calling you a new nickname, cry baby. For your unrequited love for Chan.

~~~

He looked at Chan then you, he immediately eloped you in his arms to protect you. Which you gladly sobbed into. “I think you need to go, Chan.” But Chan didn’t, he glared at him. “I’m not the problem here.” You tightly gripped Felix’s shirt to not engage. Which he didn’t but Chan continued, “so I go away for a while and you jump onto your best friend? How desperate are you?” You felt Felix’s chest begin to puff up with rage. “You were the idiot to leave her in the first place. I would never treat her the way you did.” Chan stepped closer which caused you to push him back, “back off. You don’t get to do this.” you grabbed Felix’s hand and pushed him inside. 

You turned to Chan. “I can’t believe you..” He muttered and you nearly spat your words at him. “I don’t even know why you're mad. Felix is just my best friend and he’s been here for me. Why can’t you just respect that?” The look in his eyes has returned, hope. But you didn’t stay around to see it. You went inside. You went into your bedroom where you told Felix how you felt about Chan currently, you hate him. He understood you. There was no judgment from him. He trusted you and reminded you that he’s here for you. It made you feel better, your phone began to ring and you saw it was Celeste. “Nessa!” She snapped as you answered the phone. Right, your job. 

She explained exactly what you needed to do and who your target was. But, to do it alone. You hadn’t done one by yourself in a long time, Felix is your partner. You explain to Felix you need to do the job and you leave. Your head wasn’t in the right space. You made a big mistake and you paid the price.

Your target was prepared but you managed to get him trapped on the rooftop. He did not go down without a fight. He was aggressive and knocked you down multiple times. We were near the ledge and you messed up. You kicked him too hard, which he went toppling over the ledge. You had killed the person you were after. The one thing you promised yourself you wouldn’t do. You had no choice but to run to Celeste. It was pouring but it didn’t bother you. You knocked impatiently at her door. Only for it to be opened by Chan.

“Nessa? What are you doing here?” You pushed past him and yelled out, “Celeste!” She came from the kitchen and you ran to her, hugging her tightly. “I messed up. I messed up really bad!” She ordered Chan upstairs as you cried into her chest. But he wouldn’t budge as you sobbed out what happened to her. “I messed up really bad, I killed him. I don’t ever want to do this again, I’m done with bounty hunting.” You felt her head move towards Chan, she forced you to look up at her. “I’ll take care of it, I’ll protect you. I promise.” She broke the hold to call someone. “Chan, stay with her.” She walked into the other room and you heard hushed yelling from her. 

The feeling began to seep in. “I need to go home,” you spoke aloud. “Yeah, I’ll take you. Come on,” he laid a sweater around your shoulders. He led you by your hand and walked you over to your house. You stopped at your door and reached for the handle. But you paused before opening. “Chan?” He jumped eagerly in your direction, “yes?” You sighed softly, “do you wanna come inside? I don’t wanna be alone.” He stepped closer and smiled softly, “I would love to, whatever you need.”

You led him inside and saw your parents cuddling on the couch. “Hey Chan, it’s been a while!” He smiled and said hello. “We’re just gonna be in my room.” They looked at each other and smirked, “just like old times. Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do!” Your dad teased you and you smiled awkwardly. Chan laughed softly to himself as you led him upstairs. You opened the door to your room and left it open. He walked in cautiously, analyzing every part. “It looks the same but so different,” he mumbled to himself. You sat on the edge of your bed and grabbed your computer. “I just have to send something. Sit anywhere you’d like.” You were typing what happened to Felix on an undetectable site and glanced up at Chan. 

He hasn’t sat down but keeps circling the room. He stopped at your photo wall. Partially at photos of you and Felix. You sent the message and closed the app. “The memories, right?” You got up and joined his side. You pointed out a photo of you and him, “we were so tiny.” He smiled and took the pin off, he held the photo close to his face. “This is the only picture you have of us on the wall.” You were silent. It seems he took it to heart about all the pictures of you and Felix. It was nothing personal. He walked over to your desk and sat in your chair. He laid the photo in his lap, “I’m sorry about earlier. You just-“ He sighed heavily, not having the words. So you filled it in for him, “you just thought you would stay by myself. Be lonely for those three years of suffering?.. I had to do something Chan.” 

He got up softly and gently spoke to you, as if you could break at any second. “Why didn’t you tell me? I would’ve come back sooner.” You couldn’t speak, you were choked up on your words, surprised as tears built up in your eyes. His face is distraught and his eyes are so compelling, so pitiful. “Why?” He cupped your face with his hands, holding you tight. “Why? I would’ve come back if you just said the words.” You let the tears drip in his hands and looked at him, “I couldn’t…” His eyes scanned your face, awaiting words of relief. “I know you didn’t love me the way I did.” Your words were broken and he shook his head, tears filling up in his eyes. He didn’t respond, just let tears flow down. “I loved you all those years, you couldn’t understand but I did. Truly.” You didn’t give him a chance to speak or respond. You pushed his hands on your face and he tried to get ahold of you again. “Just don’t.” 

He gave up and you turned away, facing your bed. “I think you should go, Chan.” He shook his head, “you said you didn’t want to be alone.” You felt his presence get closer. “I’m okay,” you said unconvincingly. “No, you’re not. Don’t lie to me.” He laid his hand on your shoulder but you shrugged him off. He backed off finally and you reached for your phone. You turned slightly to see him just standing there as you dialed Felix’s number. You brought the phone up to your ear and he answered, “can you come over? I need you.” Once Chan heard those words, his face winced and he walked out. The memories of you saying those words to him once, now turned into you saying it to Felix broke him. Felix showed up 15 minutes later, he held you to sleep with no questions asked. He just did what you needed. 

~~

You went to school the next day reluctantly. You put on your poker face and tried to seem normal. You ran into the boy from the other day. “Hey, you just wanted to let you know there’s a party tomorrow to celebrate the first week of school.” It was already Thursday. You nodded your head in response and he moved on after that. You felt so drained, you don’t think you’ve felt like this in forever. Felix stayed by your side all day but it didn’t make you feel better. You went home feeling so tired. All you wanted was your bed. Until that plan was interrupted. You were laying under the sheets when a hand caressed your arm. “Nessa,” she softly spoke to you. “It’s Celeste. You need to get out of bed sweetie.” You shook your head and stayed under. 

You heard footsteps and assumed she left. But you felt your legs get grabbed and you were pulled off the bed. You launched to the ground with a loud thud and you groaned. “Really, Celeste?” You grumpily got up from the pile of sheets that fell with you and threw it back on your bed. “I tried the nice way but you asked for it.” You stood with your arms crossed. She walked forward and wrapped her arms around you. “I took care of it. Don’t worry about it, mistakes happen.” You took your head off her chest and looked up at her. “I don’t want to be a bounty hunter anymore.” Her expression was emotionless, “I cleaned up your mess but you will not make it again. Understood?” She ignored you once again. You nodded your head in fear. She sighed and sat on your bed. “Maybe all this boy drama is making you hazy. We best take care of that, maybe Felix has to go.” Go? Like, kill him? you know she’s capable of it. 

“What if I stopped being his partner or his friend?” She jittered her bottom jaw and nodded her head, “maybe.” You don’t want to. You don’t want him to get hurt. But you have to do what’s best for him. Because you love him. You called him with the news and tried to be as blunt as possible. He begged and begged you but all you could say was no. You told him one day you would come back to him, but just not now. “Please just wait for me.” You nearly sobbed out loud to him, he was crying his heart out. You had to break away and leave him like that. That was the hardest thing you’ve ever done. He was taken out of being your bounty hunter partner. You were back to being lonely. 

~~

“Hey,” Celeste came up to you the next day after school. When you were reading on the porch. “Why don’t you come to mine for a bit. We should talk.” Your legs moved on their own even though your head was screaming not to go. She sat you down on the kitchen island and dragged a mug of hot chocolate for you. “I’m sorry that stuff ended with Felix but it had to be that way.” You heard a creak from around the corner and looked, nothing… You focused back on her. “We should talk about our work.” There’s absolutely nothing to talk about, you’ve made up your mind and won’t tolerate it anymore. “I meant what I said, I’m done with bounty hunting.” Her phone began to ring and she hurriedly rose, “imma take this in the office, I’ll be back.” Her shoes clicked against the marble floor and you heard the door shut. 

“Nessa,” you jumped in your seat and turned quickly. “Chan, you scared me.” He walked to you and sipped on your hot chocolate which made you frown. “So,” he licked off the frosting from his upper lip. “You and my mom are close, huh?” Luckily, you were prepared for this question. “She just helped me through a hard time, your parents were fighting a lot during middle school. She was my escape.” He sighed, “I really do wish I was there for you.” you laid your hand on his, “don't worry about it.” You tried to give him a reassuring smile which he took. “About what you said, about loving me… just know I loved you too.” Your heart skipped a beat, your childhood love telling you he loved me. 

“And…” His eyes scanned your face for disgust or discomfort but there wasn’t. “I think I'm still in love with you.” He snapped you back into this reality. You can’t believe everything he says. It’s too soon. “Don’t be.” You sighed out loud and got up. “Tell Celeste thanks for coco, imma go home.” You opened his front door but he called out for me. He held out his phone, “I didn’t know if you changed your number or not.” you stared at it, “I didn’t. You made sure I didn’t change it, for you.” His eyebrows lifted up and his mouth moved to speak but you left before he could stop you again. He texted you an hour later.

Chan                6:37pm

Hey

Me                    6:45pm

Hi

Chan                6:48pm

You really didn’t change your number..

Me                    6:52pm

I didn’t 

Chan                6:55pm

I want things to be like they used to be

Me                    6:59pm

Maybe one day 

Read

I decided not to show up at school the next day. Celeste spotted you at home and called you. “And why aren’t you at school?” You sighed heavily and rubbed your forehead. “I didn’t feel like it.” She tsked her tongue and mentions, “Chan keeps mentioning about a big party tonight. You should go. Make friends and try to have fun.” You checked the time, 5:00. Party’s at 8. “Why not?” 

You got ready but decided to style yourself differently. Revealing outfit, short skirt. Host half and down with curls. And jewels highlighting your eyes and some on your skin. Your skin was smooth and you felt beautiful, which you were. It was 7:30 and you put on your heels as the finishing touch. You called an Uber and snuck out. You were about to enter the Uber when you heard your name called, “Nessa!” Chan. Looking handsome as ever. Dressed in all black, his physique showing through a sheer shirt. You nearly fainted at the sight.

His eyes scanned you from head to toe. “Where have you been?” He walked over to you. You had to make an excuse more reasonable than that you weren’t feeling it. “At the doctors.” His eyebrows furrowed and he looked worried, “When? Why?” You sighed, “don’t worry I’m all good. As you can see,” you twirled around for him and he smiled. “I’m going to this party your mom told me about, and said she heard about it from you.” He nodded and licked his lips, “why don’t we go together?” You rocked on it and looked back at the Uber. “Sure.”

You slid all the way to the door and he pulled in next to you. The Uber began to drive since you had given the address prior. Chan peered out the window and would occasionally glance at you, which you caught every time. You felt bold, you laid your legs onto his lap softly. He smiled over to you slightly and laid his hand on your legs. The warmth of his hand was driving you crazy, you wanted him to move his hand lower and lower but he wouldn’t budge. “Do you know anyone going to the party?” You asked and he nodded, “some of my buddies.” You sighed heavily and bit your bottom lip, “I don’t. Felix would go to these things with me but I stopped being friends with him.” 

“Is that so?” There was a glint in his eyes and he tried to cover his rising smile. You knew it made him happy to think Felix wasn’t in the picture but you were still sore from it. You shortly arrived and immediately started to think about why the hell you came. You both exited and his friends came running to him. Patting his back and asking if he wants something to drink. Then they all turned to you. “Chan, who’s this?” One of the boys asked. Chan stuttered to say who you were and answered for him annoyed, “I just gave him a ride. Imma go.” His face dropped slightly as you walked away. You suddenly needed a drink.

The music was loud and deafening. But you searched endlessly for a drink. Finding one in the kitchen. “Uh, I wouldn’t drink that.” A familiar voice said and you looked over your shoulder to see Felix. “Here, let me.” You started relentlessly as he poured you a drink. He handed it to you with a smile. You felt immediately worse and stared at your drink. “What’s wrong?” He pushed your hair back from your face and you sucked in a breath. “Why are you being so nice to me?” He looked hurt that you would even ask that, “because in my heart, you’re still my best friend Nes.” Those words shattered your mind. 

“Do you wanna go talk somewhere private?” He nodded his head yes and you led him away from the crowds. But you had no idea where to go and he pulled you into a room and closed the door. It was definitely more quiet there. You chugged down the drink he gave you and tried to form the words to explain what happened. “I know, Celeste put you up to it.” But he understood without you even saying anything, by simply looking into your eyes. You melted in his sight. “And it’s okay, I forgive you.” You pulled him into a hug and tried to memorize this embrace. To never forget it. “I swear, Lix. I’ll make it up to you.” Your phone began to ring and you pulled away from Felix slightly. 

You looked down to see Chan calling you. You reluctantly answered and sat down on the bed as Felix stayed in the same spot. “Hey I’m kinda busy right now.” He was silent for a few seconds and questioned, “are you with Felix?” You laughed softly as you stared at Felix across from you. “Maybe… I’m having a great time with him. He’s practically begging me to strip.” You joked and Felix laughed softly. His voice turned aggressive and dark, “Don’t piss me off.” You were taken aback by this new version of him. You laughed practically in his face. “Where the fuck are you?” You bit back a laugh, “why don’t you come find me?” 

You hung up and knew it made him angry. But you enjoyed the rush from it, it made you feel powerful that you had this much power over him. But you felt tired. “God these heels are killing me.” You reached to take them off but Felix beat you to it. “Let me,” he kneeled on the ground and took off one shoe. Immediate relief and you threw your head back with a sigh. And then the other came off. Sigh. Bang. Chan. He stormed into the room and pushed Felix to the side. “What the hell, Chan?” Felix said as he got up from the floor. “What the fuck are you doing?” He pulled you off the bed and held you close, by your waist. He stroked your face and cupped your cheeks as he stared at you. 

“You’re okay? You’re okay right?” He whispered so softly to you, you almost didn’t hear it. “I’m fine Chan, let me go.” You pulled away from him and grabbed your shoes. “God, must you be so jealous? I was just taking off her shoes,” Felix explained. “I’m not jealous. I just was making sure no one was taking advantage of her while she’s drunk.” You put your shoes on as they continued to argue. You were getting tired of this whole situation. “Okay, enough!  Nothing happened… I would like to go home now.” “I’ll take you,” they said in unison. You rolled your eyes and pushed past them both. They called your name out but you needed to get away. Away from them and their jealousy with each other. 

You ran out to the front of the party and saw a man smoking near his car, Theo. You were desperate and a little drunk, you needed to escape. You ran to him, “is this your car?” He blew out a puff and nodded his head, “what’s it to you?” The familiar attitude and tone screeched in your ears, he will never change. You heard your name being called once again, “let’s get out of here.” He smirked and threw his cigarette on the floor, crushing the fire out. You ran over to the passenger side and entered inside, once he entered he turned on the engine and drove away. You looked out the window as Chan and Felix stood watching you leave.

“So, where to?” You sighed heavily and crossed your ankles. “My house, it's on-” He cut you off mid sentence, “yeah, I know where your house is, I toilet-papered it a couple times.” You got enraged as you realized. During the first year of middle school, every month on the 1st, toilet paper would appear thrown around your yard and house. You didn’t assume it was him when you should’ve. “OMG, THAT WAS YOU?!” You yelled and sat back angrily in your chair and he laughed, a genuine laugh. “My bad, I didn’t realize how much of an asshole I was to you back then.” At least he got that right. “It’s in the past, forget it.” 

He rolled up shortly after that and put the car in park. He looked over at you as you stared through the front window. “I really am sorry you know, for everything.” You chewed on the inside of your cheek and sighed, “I know. I forgive you.” You opened the car door, “thanks for the ride,” and left. You walked slowly to your room to not wake your parents up. You went into your room and threw off your heels, flopping on your bed. “Nessa,” you jumped up and grabbed your secret knife under your pillow, and held it up to the person. “Chill, it’s just me,” he threw his hands up. “God, Chan. What are you doing here?” You sat up in the bed and he cautiously sat at the edge. “I came to check up on you, make sure we’re okay.” You laid the knife on your bedside table. “Yeah, um, I just needed to get away from all that drama.” 

He laid his hands in his lap neatly, “I'm not proud about all of that. I’m sorry. Give me a second chance to prove myself.” When will you ever stop apologizing to each other? “Don’t apologize just- come here.” You crawled over to him and pulled him down onto his back. He laid still as you laid onto his shoulder and circled his chest. Just like you used to. You felt so warm and safe in his arms, you suddenly remember why you fell for him. And you know you never want to lose him. “Chan?” You whispered softly and he responded, “Hmm?” You love him, you realized. You still do want to be with him. You remember what he said, that he loved you too, and all the nervous butterflies and aching stomach faded. “I love you.” You felt the rise and fall of his chest stop and he froze. He sat up and you were forced to as well.

“You’re still not drunk right?” You laughed and shook your head, “no.-” He pressed his lips against yours suddenly, but you weren’t complaining. His lips were soft against yours and he tasted like pure bliss. He devoured you whole like he was starved. His tongue slipped in and he groaned in content, finally gaining something he craved for so long. He pulled away from you reluctantly, and the way he looked at you, is the way every girl wants to be looked at. “Do you really love me?” You straddled into his lap, his arms were by his side while you adjusted yourself. You wrapped your arms around his shoulders and leaned in close to his ear. “Without a doubt,” you began to rock your hips against his length. 

A string of curses left his mouth. His hands stayed by his side, reluctant to touch you without permission. “Say you love me back, Channie.” You slid off of him teasingly. “I love you.” You slid down a strap. “I love you.” Off the shirt went. “I love you.” Off your skirt went. “I love you.” And back onto him you went. His cheeks began to redden. You led his hands onto your body, placing them on your breasts. “You want to fuck me Channie?” He sighed heavily as you rocked your hips again. “Please? Please, please. I promise I’ll be so good to you, baby.” 

You smirked and laughed softly in delight. “I’m all yours baby.” He flipped you on your back. He stepped back to pull his shirt over his head. You admired him, he’s beautiful. A perfect physique and he’s all yours. He yanked at his waist band and you sucked in a breath. You teasingly spread your legs open as you sat on your elbows. “Come on Channie. You’re taking too long.” You licked your fingers and softly stroked against your panties. His eyes turned lustful and full of desire. He pulled his pants down and you saw his bulge peeking through his underwear. He slowly walked over to you and pulled your legs down to the edge of the bed. 

“Let me see your pretty face, hm?” He pushed your hair behind your ears which made you flustered. He hooked a finger into your panties, and pulled it all the way off. You shut your legs and it angered him, “don’t you dare.” He reopened your legs harshly and you have to admit, you like being manhandled. “Take this off, princess.” He motioned to your bra. The nickname sent a wave of emotions over you, easily becoming your favorite thing to be called. You pulled off your bra and threw off the side of the bed. He pushed you down softly and you laid down. He slowly got down to his knees, making eye contact with you the whole time. He stuck out his tongue and licked a stripe up your core.

It instantly hit you, the pleasure of it all and you moaned. He set your legs onto his shoulders and you bit on your bottom lip to stay quiet, after all it is late. He was an expert, skills so advanced you were practically crumbling in his touch. He played with your clit while he stuck his tongue in you all while reaching up to play with your breasts, triple threat. “You’re driving me crazy, so wet.” He mumbled as he got up to kiss your lips. You could taste yourself on his lips. You have to admit you weren’t prepared for what you saw next. He pulled down his underwear and revealed his long length. 

It was hard and wet with precum. And most of all, big. You looked into his eyes with worry and he reassured you, “don’t worry. I won’t hurt you, baby.” He kissed your cheek and lingered near your head as he slid himself into you. He gripped heavily into the pillows above your head and you winced in pain. “Just try to relax, okay?” You nodded and tried your best to relax your muscles and enjoy. He pushed higher inside of you and you felt almost a cramp in your abdomen. He watched your face intently to see if you weren’t comfortable with him to keep going. 

You wanted to keep going and had to show him. You wrapped your legs around his waist and your arms around his neck. “Come on, weren’t you begging for it?” His eyes turned dark, like he was being challenged and you just gave him the green light. He slid out of you abruptly and tossed you onto your stomach. He positioned you with a pillow and arched your back. “Don’t move, princess,” he whispered into your ear as you felt a sharp pressure fall into you. This position is definitely his favorite as he kneads his palms into your butt. He grunts as he snaps into you, your whimpers drooling into the sheets. Everytime he snaps into you, pleasure erupts across your body and your mind becomes even foggier. 

You nearly got away from him as you crawled forward when he started to go faster, but he held you in place. Pinning your arms behind your back now, your head on the side and you can see out of the corner of your eye on how much he’s enjoying himself. Head thrown back and mouth agape, dangerous sweat beads falling down from his hair and into his neck. Skin glistening and he looks positively in heaven. Your hips push forward as you try to break free of his hold, you feel a tightening in your stomach and your legs begin to shake. “Fuck, fuck,” he said through his teeth as you tightened around him unmercifully. Your body tensed and then released, you finally relaxed and moaned out into the sheets. He pulled out of you and you felt a warm ooze onto your back and you froze.

“Brat!” You said in a hushed tone, “you better clean my back.” He laughed softly to himself and went over to your desk, grabbing a few tissues from a box and coming to clean your back. “Don’t worry, I got you.”

~~~

 

You heard a knocking in your window and you walked over to it. It’s been two weeks since you and Chan got together and he always finds new ways to surprise you. You looked down to see Chan standing below, a couple pebbles in his hands. You opened your window and smiled down at him. “Watch out, imma come up.” You took a step back but watched him still. He climbed and leaped up into the window with a form and technique you’ve seen before. The way he swung and jumped was exactly what you were taught. He sat on the sill and hopped inside as you walked away, unable to look at him. “Are you okay?” 

You were processing everything, you hadn’t responded to Celeste’s call and texted, avoiding her constantly. Felix had come to you with a solution, to stop her, to stop it all. You were working together to unravel her web, not knowing she had a secret spider creating a trap for you. “You’re working for your mom, aren’t you?” He made no noise or any movement. You turned to him, frozen and staring intently at you. “Did she send you to keep an eye on me? Is that the reason why you came back, or why you were so persistent in being around me?” He made no effort to explain or excuse himself, and you were getting tired of awaiting his response.

“Answer me, Chris.” His name. The name you’ll only say when you’re truly angry at him, and he knows that. He sucks in a breath heavily and admits, “yes. That’s why I came back.” Your eyes threatened to prick tears, “everything was fake.” He rushed over to you and tried to take your hands into his but you snatched yourself away. “No, no. It wasn’t, I truly do love you, Nessa.” You raise your voice at him, “it was fake! I gave you a second chance and this is how you treat me?” He just shakes his head no. “Get out of here, before I take you out myself.” He reluctantly walked back and out the window.

~~~

“You’re certain that they’re next target is them?” You say to Felix. “Yes, we know it for sure. Are you sure you want to do this alone? I can go with you.” You shake your head no and hug him. “I’ll be back soon okay?” You left in a hurry and went to the location of the next bounty Celeste selected. You both were successful in the past and took down many of her hunters without her finding out who you were. You were disguised in all back, weapons at your side and a mask concealing your whole head. You peeked around the corner to no one in the alley. How weird. This was the correct point. 

Pain. A sharp blow to your head and you fall to the floor in pain. You looked up to a man standing above you. “Got you,” he said and the voice was muffled, but you recognized who it was anyways. Chan. You were ambushed. He held a gun to your chest but you kicked at his legs which he didn’t expect. This was the time to make no mistakes, it’s life or death. He fought aggressively against you, anticipating your every move and tossing you around. You disarmed him at every chance. You were in a headlock with him until you realized. You reached for your gun in your pocket, to discover it missing and he laughed. One blow. One bullet. You flew back into the ground.

You clutched at your chest, your heart. Trying to stop the bleeding. He held the gun up to you still, “who are you.” You were defeated, and of course it was him who succeeded, he was always your weak spot. Might as well make a show of this. You didn’t budge and he shot again at your shoulder. You screamed and fell onto your knees, he slightly dropped his hold when he heard your screams. You lifted your bloody hand and pulled your mask off. You looked at him with such hatred, such disgust. The irony. Working for his mom, obedient as ever, like he was as a child. You scoffed, “you were always a mama’s boy. Weren’t you?” You smiled as his arms dropped, eyes pooling up with tears. 

“Nothing’s new about that.” Your hand dropped to the floor, carrying your almost failing body. “Why don’t you go ahead and finish the job.” You were already dying, you knew it. You felt nearly seconds away from death. “I’m so sorry, Nessa.” Coward. You fell to the floor and slowly slipped away. 

And this was all because you liked the wrong boy. 

~~~~

The funeral was horrible, everyone dressed in black and words of meaningless comfort. “I’m sorry Felix, we know you loved her.” It wasn’t an open casket, they say her face was cut up and covered in bruises. The shot in her heart and shoulder couldn’t be covered in the dress her mom wanted for her. So they decided to have it closed. To say goodbye to a coffin instead of her. I didn’t stay there long after the casket was put into the ground and buried. I went home. I entered the room, and sat on the bed. Then a shadow emerged in front of the door and a smile came onto my face. I looked up and there she was. My Nes… alive and healthy.

You didn’t think I would let her die again.. Did you? She vowed to be with me again, in another life. Yuna. My Yuna. We’ve reunited again and now no one will harm us. This is our second chance and I wouldn’t let her die again. And Chan? He got what was coming for him…

A/n: happy Mother’s Day 💐

[channieskies]

𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐕: 𝐆𝐡𝐨𝐬𝐭𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐏𝐚𝐬𝐭

Pairing: Prince Hyunjin x Reader (AFAB)

Genre: Historical|Au, Fantasy|Au, Strangers to Lovers, Royalty|Au, Angst, Smut (Eventual), NSFW tags are under the cut.

Synopsis: The kingdom of Volantis is in disarray; the monarch rules with an iron fist. The times of hope, harmony, and kindness were buried with the queen who passed many years ago. The people are praying for a savior, but who will be their light at the end of this dark tunnel?

Authors Note: Please reblog or leave a comment to let me know how you feel. I'd love a little feedback. Thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoyed it.

Word Count: 2329 [Reading Time: 10 Mins]

Disclaimer: This story does not reflect the real lives or personalities of Stray Kids. I do not know them personally. This is purely a work of fiction.

Looking for another chapter? Click here: 🇸‌🇹‌🇴‌🇷‌🇾‌ 🇮‌🇳‌🇩‌🇪‌🇽‌

Warning: This chapter contains, blood, and violence, minor character death, mentions of death. Reader discretion is advised.

Minho couldn’t seem to put his finger on it, but something about that encounter with the body in the road just didn’t sit right with him. Bandits were never ones to just sit by idly and let an opportunity pass them by and what could have been a bigger opportunity than a fancy carriage that was clearly owned by high born citizens? You sat stiffly at his side, fists balled and tugging at the fabric of your trousers. Minho wasn’t alone in his feelings, you’d felt like you were being watched for miles now; being followed. Training for encounters such as this and actually going through with your training were two totally separate things. Minho got your attention and motioned for you to keep a lookout at your surroundings. Your eyes had been combing through the woods as if your life depended on it, because it very well might, especially if your gut feeling was right. 

The ride was tense as you entered under the canopy of trees that lined the entrance to this side of the forest. You felt even more uneasy as your carriage moved deeper into the darkness of it. Though the trees were leaf and fruitless, it didn’t stop their branches from intertwining with one another as if holding hands. This place was devoid of life, no birds chirped, no wind brushed through the trees. No light seemed to shine here either, the thick crowns of the barren tree stands blocked out almost every speck that tried to poke through its undergrowth. You grabbed the hilt of your sword, keeping it sheathed, but ready just in case. The metal felt heavy in your hands, almost too heavy for you to wield. 

You’d been tasked with the burden of carrying your family on your shoulders, even though you were a woman. Societal norms would have dictated that you stay home and take care of your family; be the high born caregiver you were bred to be. At your age, you should have been looking for a husband, if not married already. But you’d taken on the role that your brother was no longer able to fill as the family's protector and the high sense of moral duty that came with it.  Meaning, you’d have to put on your big girl pants and step up to the plate if you wanted your family to survive this.

You knew the consequences of failure. You knew that if the King was to become aware that  anyone was moving the prince from the frozen Isle of Arcta, that there might very well be retribution. You knew that the king had killed countless of his subjects that he thought were trying to usurp the throne, even the ones who were proven not to be guilty of such. King Seojoon’s mind had turned to madness ever since the death of his first wife; she was the only one able to quell his blood thirsty compulsions . 

Not that his second wife had the will to even try. She thought she was set for life after bringing his daughters into the world. All she needed to do to make sure her life was secure, was to have a boy. But she’d failed to produce. Now more than ever, the kingdom needed its prince to be by his father's side. But bringing the prince from where he had been exiled was a risky move; but with the condition the King was in at the moment, there was no other choice. The kingdom would fall and every eye for the throne would take the opportunity to sit on it. 

Your father had been in correspondence with the woman who had been caring for the prince this past eleven years, Venia.  He knew of the young man like he had been there first hand to watch him grow up. You’d been there to listen to every one of her letters, so in a way, it was like you knew him too. You’d met him once, a very long time ago. You were too young to remember much, but something that stayed with you was the sad look of longing in his eyes. How he gazed from his throne to the children who laughed and played at this event. How, even if he didn’t say it, he wished to be carefree like them. 

Even in recent years with his paintings that your family had received as gifts, you could still feel that sense of longing. You hoped that his longing for a sense of normalcy meant that he would fight for the common people and their right to leading a normal life. One free of tyranny and oppression like most of them were suffering under his father's rule. That's what the vast Kingdom of Volantis needed; a figure of hope and a chance for prosperity.

The forest gave off an eerie feeling. It almost felt like it had popped off the pages of a dark fairytale, one that you and Minho were now the unwilling protagonists of. Every hair on your body stood on edge as you traversed through the gloomy woodland. A twig snapped in the distance, forcing you to jerk your head in its direction. Your heart started to quicken in its pace as the fear started to creep onto your body like the winding vines that hugged the trees. You could make out what looked like a figure in the distance, but you surely didn’t want to stay in the woods and find out if your eyes were deceiving you or not. You kept your eyes in the direction of the sound as you reached to touch Minho. “Quickly. I think I see something.”

The horses moved from a casual trot to that of a gallop. You unsheathed your sword, drawing the blade. Chills went up your spine as multiple sources of maniacal laughter echoed through the forest. Your grip on the hilt tightened as you readied yourself for whatever was coming. The hit was sudden to the left side of your coach, so hard it almost tipped the carriage. That's when you saw it, the most terrifying thing you’ve ever seen in your life. You hoped it was a man, but with how it looked, you were afraid it was one of the four horsemen of the apocalypse. Dressed in all black, the wispy ends of its tattered clothing floated around it like smoke. His horse was as black as night with a long, loose mane. A beautiful Friesian horse. Normally, you would take the time to admire such a beautiful steed, but the horse was almost as terrifying as its master as it plowed its way towards you with determination.

The face of the hoydenish figure is what terrified you the most. It was skin that covered its face, but it wasn’t its own. It looked like it had been peeled off other people and sewn together to fit whomever or whatever was underneath it. Your body shook with trepidation. Fear taking over and activating your fight or flight. Everything in you, telling you to run and don’t look back. It lunged at you, its horse keeping pace with the pair of yours. You dodged, bumping into Minho, alerting him to what was taking place on your side of the drivers box, even though he was dealing with his own problems on the right. Fear was something he normally didn’t feel since he vowed to never be helpless again, but this unforeseen situation and the proximity of the creature filled him with dread. Not to mention the manned carriage that gave chase that he caught a glimpse of in his peripheral.

He pushed forward, making the horses speed up even more. Once again the creature lunged at you, narrowly missing your throat as the pace of your carriage out maneuvered his lone horse. It’s long talon like nails grabbed at your arm, shredding a small section as its fingers dug into your skin and jaggedly tugged down, successfully pulling half your body out of the box and injuring your arm greatly. You pushed and it pulled, throwing the both of you off balance. You fell forward, your face now dangerously close to the speeding spoke. Minho grabbed the back of your trousers, pulling you back before you met your end at the wheels of your own carriage. You’d unwittingly giving the pursuer time to catch up, his horse now moving toe to toe with your own. He reached for the box. Dirt and blood were caked all over his hands as he gripped the seat irons.

Your fight instincts took over, forcing you to swing your sword at it. It didn’t dodge, nor did it make a sound as your blade sliced into its arm. It moved forward, unphased by your attack. You came face to face with the terrifying creature as it pulled itself up, planting a foot on the futchell of your coach. Determined to not let your fear control you, you fought, but the thing stayed unphased, as if your blows felt like the wind against a mountain. It took each blow as if you weren't causing it any harm at all. It grabbed you, once again trying it’s best to drag you from the box by your neck. You struggled, your free hand clawing at its forearm for your life. It lifted you high, your feet dangled, the tips of your shoes were barely touching the footboard. Your dominant hand gripped your blade and swung wildly at the beast of a man. The flourishes of your sword were erratic, like you were trying to chop wood without knowing how.

With one swift movement of your sword, you swung at its neck. The feeling of the blade slicing through its skin made you sick to your stomach. It stopped a little ways in, your blade stuck. Its grip tightened around your neck, nails digging into your flesh once again. You shrieked, the pain felt as if your neck was burning, like his fingers were on fire as they dug into your skin. You needed to get away, you couldn’t breathe and this was the most pain you’d ever been in. With another wild swing at its neck, it landed in the same spot with scary accuracy. It pushed in even further this time, your blade even closer to its spinal cord. You moved to do it again, yanking your sword out of the abrasion.

You felt the warmth of its blood as it spewed from its wound.  It ceased all movements, mumbled words were the only things you’d heard from it that made you believe it was remotely human. “Death.. To.. Volantians…” Its fingers finally loosened enough for you to stumble back into your coach. Its limp body fell from your carriage, just to be trampled by its own horse. You fell back into your seat, your sword clanking to the floor as it plummeted from your hand. The darkness of the forest was starting to lift, the end of the gloomy path was finally coming to an end. But you now had to live with the darkness of having taken someone's life, just to save your own. Just one more thing adding to the burden of carrying your family on your shoulders.

But you knew that this was only the beginning of your fight. You still had pursuers hot on your trail. The carriage that followed didn’t waste a second on its fallen comrade, choosing instead to speed up, catching up to your coach in no time. “Oh, come on!” You were drained, blood was trickling down your arm and neck and you had bruises everywhere. Minho could sense that you were tired, he also knew you were injured, that spot on your neck was still bleeding. He handed you the reins. “You sure?” Though he hadn’t seen this battle, due to the beast being on your side of the drivers box, you still wanted him to be sure before engaging with the rest of the scoundrels that attacked your carriage.

He nodded. His determined eyes said, “I got this, trust me.” He jumped from the drivers box into their carriage, surprising you. He hated exerting too much extra effort unless it was necessary. You guessed it was necessary. Two men climbed from the back to fight, but Minho was more than capable of handling himself. He'd trained alongside you and your sister growing up and with him being only a few years older than you, that made him the perfect sparring partner, even if most of the time he took it easy on you. A sharp pain went through your arm, the puncture wound felt as if it was throbbing. You reached to touch it and it was hot to the touch. But you didn't have time to dwell on that with the emanate danger you were in. 

Minho made quick work of the thugs in the carriage and jumped back into your coach with a handful of tattered womens clothes. Your eyes widened, they looked familiar. But why? Then it dawned on you, “The person from the road? So they were bandits? I didn’t see a tattoo on the guy I fought. Did yours have any?” He nodded, tossing the clothes out. They quickly caught in the wind and flew in the same direction as the bandits coach as it crashed into a formation of rocks near the river bank. Bandits usually had tattoos to signify which group or town they were from. The ones that killed Minho’s mother were a part of Balarabe the Viper’s crew. They could be found closer to Solaris, the kingdom's main castle town. That was where you would be taking the prince. You still had a few more weeks of travel until your journey would be complete, so you knew this probably wouldn't be the last time you'd run into trouble. And more than likely that trouble would be The Viper.

A.N: Please reblog or leave a comment to let me know how you feel. I'd love a little feedback. Thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoyed it.

[Rewrites, Reposts, and Translations are Prohibited]

[kristanna-days]

Frozen Smut Week

March 25 - 31, 2023

One week of themed days dedicated to Frozen smut!

There's just a few things to keep in mind as you start thinking about your fan works for Frozen Smut Week 2023.

All works should include at least one Frozen character. 

There are 7 themes days in March listed below.  Each theme is broad enough to have the potential for anything from cutesy to sweet to erotic.  We've given some examples below, but there are endless possibilities.

All ratings are acceptable, but please tag and trigger warn appropriately, and adhere to Tumblr's terms of service. *Anything in violation of Tumblr's ToS will not be reblogged from the Kristanna Days account.*

All fan works (fanfic, fan art, mood boards, meta analysis, fan edits, fan mixes, podfics, etc.) are allowed.

Tag #frozen smut week, and @kristanna-days so your post can be reblogged from the Kristanna Days account.   We’ve also set up an AO3 collection called “Frozen Smut Week 2023,” and participants are encouraged to add their works to the collection.

Be respectful and courteous.

Have fun and do the magic!

Follow @kristanna-days for more information and announcements.

Feed my ask box or DM me with any questions.

25 - Emerald: green, jealousy, new beginnings, nature, outdoors kink

26 - Ruby: red, anger, blood, enemies-to-lovers, pain play

27 - Pearl: black & white, cultured, virtuous, 1st time, underwater

28 - Amethyst: purple, intoxication, healing, royalty, sex pollen

29 - Sapphire: blue, sadness, teardrops, hurt/comfort, blindfolds

30 - Diamond: clarity, stability, established couple, candlelight

31 - Opal: iridescent, instability, fire, deception, costumes & role play

*The themes are open to interpretation - these are just examples. There are so many more possibilities!

**This blog is a ship and let ship, don't like, don't read blog.**

[thecassadilla]

Retrouvaille

Pairing: Kristanna

Word Count: 2,422

Summary: She left Arendelle a princess, and came home a queen.

She left Arendelle with a boyfriend, and came home with a fiancé.

With the crown heavy on her head, and the ring heavy on her finger, Anna wants nothing more than to reconnect with the man she loves.

Author's Note: Hi everyone!! This is my submission to @kristanna-days for Day 4 of Frozen Smut Week - Amethyst, using the prompts healing and royalty. It's a post-Frozen 2 fic where Anna and Kristoff reconnect and discuss the events of the Enchanted Forest. I really hope you enjoy it!!! <33333

Anna stared at her reflection in the mirror, ruminating over the events of the Enchanted Forest. 

Read Retrouvaille on AO3

[springfallendeer]

Gerudo Sun x (M) Reader

A slightly edited version of the commission I finished yesterday, featuring Gerudo Sun. Idk.

This isn't smut. But there's some suggestive stuff in here for reasons. More romance comedy than anything else.

A simple chest made of processed palm, decorated with the royal insignia. Inside it awaits a range of potential gifts; from armor, to food, to clothes. Though the gift itself remains undiscovered by virtue of the tightly locked lid, for sake of it's protection.

None but its desired recipient are allowed to access the contents of the chest.

No one outside of the gift giver and the recipient were allowed to know the contents of the chest.

And thus it remained tightly locked until the room was empty and secure, so that no prying eyes could behold whatever it was that resided inside.

The only two to remain were the Golden Gerudo Knight and the visiting Hylian Knight. Otherwise known as the one who had given the gift, and the one who was meant to receive it.

None would dare intrude upon them now that the doors were shut. And none would be so brazen as to remain hidden in hopes of spying.

Prince Sun; the Golden Knight, might have had a gentle disposition about him, but he was not opposed to punishing those who dared to cross him.

With the room secured, the Hylian Knight set out to open his unexpectedly given gift.

For as unassuming as the chest itself was, there was no doubt something precious inside. Gifts given by royalty were rarely anything but expensive. Now it was just a matter of finding out what sort of unexpected, unsolicited luxury had been bestowed upon the visitor.

The Prince contently waits as the chest is opened. A soft, somewhat mischievous smile remains present on his features all the while.

The Hylian opens the chest.

For a moment, all seems well. He observes the item inside. Beautiful rose gold silk. The material is clearly of the highest quality and no doubt the product of a skilled seamstress.

At first, he assumes it to be traditional Voe clothing. Attire which is seldom made by virtue of the fact that male Gerudo are so rare.

If not expressly given permission by the Gerudo King, the male Hylian never would have been allowed to set foot in this place as is. So just being here is an honor in its own right.

It's only after lifting the material out of the chest to better observe it that he realizes what he's been given.

Not traditional Voe clothing at all. It's arguably not even traditional Vai clothing.

Unless Gerudo have their own traditional version of lingerie. Which this attire most definitely is.

The silken material is so sparse that it would hardly cover the better known aspects of the female anatomy, yet alone his more masculine parts.

Needless to say, the Hylian Knight finds himself frozen for a moment from the shock of it all.

He most certainly wasn't expecting this manner of gift. Especially not after having learned how infuriatingly oblivious the Prince is when it comes to flirting.

Weeks of failed flirting attempts and then this is how the Prince decides to display interest? With a gift of Gerudo lingerie to be opened in private and in front of him?

Well. Sun is nothing if not bold.

Though that revelation does not prevent the Hylian from blushing so intensely that his pale cheeks turn rosy pink.

He can't even bring himself to speak when he snaps his attention over to the Golden Knight. All that he can do is open and close his mouth repeatedly like a fish struggling to breathe.

The Prince offers a soft chuckle in response to his obviously flustered demeanor.

"So. It's come to my attention that you've been trying to seduce me for quite some time now~" Sun trills, his voice falling from his lips like sickeningly sweet honey. He then leans forward in his seat, his soft smile growing into a more obvious one as he does.

"I thought I'd make up for lost time and hand you your means of success~ As an apology for my incompetence and as an invitation to give it one more go." He adds, explaining why it is that he's up and given the other such suggestive attire.

The Hylian feels his cheeks burn brighter in response.

This was one hell of a way to confirm mutual interest.

"R-right now?!" The Hylian eventually manages to sputter out, having it just regained use of his tongue.

Sure, he wasn't against complying with this request. Some part of him was eager to try the clothes on, even if only to see what it looked like on him.

But it certainly caught him off guard to be given this request so brazenly and out of the blue.

The Prince readjusts himself in his seat so that he can rest more comfortably in it.

"Only if you're comfortable with it." He calmly replies.

"Let me make it clear. You're under no obligation. The clothes are a gift and they are yours to keep, regardless of if I ever get to see you in them. I respect you as another Knight and respect you further as a guest in my home." He explains, making it clear to the other that they were in no way being forced to go along with his request. He then shifts so that he can cross his legs.

"And I'll apologize now if I've overstepped. Moon was so kind as to point out that you've been trying to get my attention… But thinking on it now, perhaps I've been misinformed and came on too strong." He mutters, almost sounding annoyed with the idea that his brother might have given him inaccurate information.

Or perhaps he was upset with himself because he had jumped straight to such a high stakes show of infatuation in response.

When it came down to it, neither of the Princes were all that great at romance. Being Royalty in a virtually all female environment came with downsides. Among them being the inability to tell casual romantic gestures from the general care offered to them by their subjects.

They only ever noticed the more extreme of the advances, because they stood out in comparison. And as a result, Sun and Moon had likely come to believe that extravagant gifts and brazen offers were the norm.

Having finally found someone he's interested in courting in turn, he must be flustered in his own right now that he's realized that maybe he came on a little too strong.

Or much too strong.

He genuinely has no means of reference to compare to for the sake of figuring out how big of a blunder he has made.

The Hylian Knight honestly can't help but feel a little bad, given the context. Sun didn't mean any harm, he just genuinely didn't know how to be subtle when it came to romantics.

But the fact that he was reciprocating the feelings was a good enough start. And again, the Hylian had no issues with putting on the clothes.

Anything that came after would just be a bit up in the air. He genuinely wasn't sure as to how quickly he would be ready for that level of intimacy.

Sun's proposition would definitely move things along a lot faster than he was prepared for. So things were going to be a bit touch and go from this point onward.

The Hylian let out something of a shaky sigh.

"Can I… Put this on in private?" He tentatively asks.

Ultimately he wasn't even sure that he was allowed to make the request, despite what the Prince had said. He somehow felt like he was expected to disrobe and redress in front of them.

Though, that was most likely just the nervousness getting to him.

"Of course." Sun replies in kind. He then motions towards a doorway leading into another room. The doorway in question is covered by a pretty silk sheet, making it impossible to see what's on the other side.

"The washroom is through there." He states, easily explaining what the mystery room is.

That's all the Hylian needs to know to be convinced that that's where he should be if he wants to change. So he quickly but politely scurries off with his new clothes so that he can get changed.

He ducks behind the curtain, confirms that the room is empty, and then double checks to make sure that the Prince isn't spying.

Not that he thinks that they would. Sun is a very respectful man. But again, he's very nervous and out of his comfort zone so that's making him behave strangely. It's just anxiety doing what it will to make him jump to false conclusions.

With the room as secure as it's going to get, he sets out to change.

His Hylian attire definitely isn't suited for this harsh desert climate. Even with the aid of special elixirs and the shade of the building, the Gerudo environment is nearly unbearable.

But the sapphires embedded in the waistband of silken attire have a mystical cooling effect. And the rubies protect him from the heat itself.

There's even topaz to shield him from the potential shock of an invading electric monster.

If not for how little physical protection the material provides, the attire might make for excellent armor.

He might actually be tempted to wear it beneath his standard clothes, all things considered. It's such a waste for the lingerie to provide him so much elemental protection when it's supposedly only meant to be worn in the privacy of the bedroom.

There's so little cloth he'd likely be able to make it fit inside of his usual clothes without issue.

The attire slides on nice and easily.

The silk is soft and comfortable. Tightly woven and more than suitable to be used as material for crafting armor. If there was more of it. And the rose gold hue of the silk goes surprisingly well with his natural skin tones.

It is beautiful. Comfortable. Useful.

But far from practical. It covers so little that he could hardly refer to it as clothing.

The top is basically a veil that drapes over his shoulders and chest. It is so thinly woven that his chest is visible through it. The pink of his tests blends in well enough with the color of the silk that it's not overtly obvious, but the shape can still be seen if anyone bothers to look.

God forbid he got it wet. No doubt nothing would be left to the imagination.

The bottoms are basically a fancy loincloth. The material is thick enough that he cannot see through it, but there's so little that he could move in any direction and something would be put on display. If he put one leg out farther than the other his genitals would wind up in full display.

The part on the back that was meant to cover his ass only really hid the seam between his cheeks. If he sat down the material would probably get bunched up between them.

But at least that way it might be more secure and keep him better covered. The only downside was that it would look more like he was wearing a broken thong.

The saving grace was that the facial covering would at least hide his blushing cheeks. The veil worn upon his face was by far the most modest aspect of his attire, and he was surprised that it was even included.

Sun certainly had… Tastes.

They weren't bad tastes, per say. But they were definitely a bit more extreme than the Hylian would have imagined, given how polite and formal they generally are.

The Hylian needs a few minutes to steel himself once dressed.

He feels naked in these clothes and given how little they cover, he might as well be. So he needs a little while to emotionally prepare himself before he steps out into the next room.

He finds Sun waiting for him with his eyes closed and his finger tapping against the side of his seat.

It's hard to determine whether he's upset or just in deep thought. There is no doubt a lot on his mind, given the circumstances.

The Hylian awkwardly clears his throat to let the other know that he's changed and ready to be perceived.

Sun's jaw literally falls open as soon as he lays eyes on the other. He appears to be completely and utterly transfixed by what he sees.

"Oh! Uh… Wo-wow-ow~" He stammers, clearly flustered but in a positive sort of way. The sort of way that says "I like what I see very, very much".

The Hylian can't help but be a bit surprised, to say the least.

That was the first time that he's ever heard the Prince stammer. Be it from embarrassment or otherwise.

Even when cold and shivering, Sun always kept perfect control over his mouth and tongue. He never stuttered.

So that was a pretty good indication for just how enamored the Prince was seeing him all dressed up like this.

Maybe there was a benefit to wearing this Gerudo lingerie. It was certainly refreshing to see the Prince so flustered.

And it gave him a bit of a boost in confidence to see that even the mighty Golden Knight of the Gerudo desert could be flustered.

Not to mention a bit of an ego boost for being the one to successfully embarrass him.

He can't help the smile that tugs at his features.

Thankfully the veil hides it. That gives him more room to play coy.

Now,the fun part was going to be seeing how far he could push before he overstepped boundaries.

"... Does this please you, my Prince~?" He coyly asks, having spotted his opportunity to further fluster the royal.

And he clearly succeeds, as is noted by how the Golden Prince begins to awkwardly stumble over his own words when he tries to offer a response.

He opens and closes his mouth multiple times in rapid succession. Oftentimes he makes a sound, but he isn't so much speaking as he is just making a series of startled noises.

He is well and truly flustered.

"Yes." Sun eventually mutters, having finally gotten control of his tongue.

The pale patches on his cheeks allow his blush to easily stand out. So the Hylian can clearly see the rosy hue that has overtaken his face.

And it's certainly uplifting to see the other blush. The closest he's ever gotten is seeing their cheeks flush from the cold. But that is an entirely different scenario.

He almost feels bad seeing how overwhelmed the Prince has gotten. They're so inexperienced in terms of romance that now that they've seen what their dramatic show of affection leads to, they've realized how unprepared they actually are.

They were not ready to go this far. Neither of them were.

So now would be a good time to respect those freshly discovered boundaries and walk away from this with a funny, albeit awkward story to remember.

"Are you alright~?" The Hylian sweetly asks, though he can't help the soft laugh that escapes him. It's reassuring to know that he isn't the only one who's gotten flustered by the situation.

Sun hides his eyes behind his hand and turns away abruptly, further accentuating the fact that he is heavily embarrassed.

"I-I think my gift is a little, ah, too extravagant." He admits, stuttering still despite the effort that he's put into composing himself.

"You look amazing! Just to be clear. But I greatly underestimated how little that attire would cover…" He adds, further explaining the reasoning behind his flustered state.

It's not that he doesn't like what he sees. Jesse is absolutely gorgeous.

But they haven't even kissed yet and now he's realized that maybe a more subtle approach to courtship would be more desirable.

Apparently he is not as bold as he thought he was. And he's discovered this fact the hard way.

It would be a lie to say that the Hylian wasn't at least a little amused by the situation. Poor Sun just copied the dramatic displays of his more obvious female suitors by doing something dramatic for attention. And now he's realized the importance of the laid back approach that has so consistently gone over his head.

He still doesn't understand. But he knows that this is a battle that he's not prepared to take on. Not as he is now.

"Should I change clothes?" He asks, laughing a bit as he does.

Sun can only bring himself to nod in response. He doesn't trust himself to speak further at the moment.

"How about I put on my normal clothes and we go somewhere for lunch?" He suggests, making his way back to the washroom to get back into his original clothes. Though he's actually just going to put them on over his lingerie.

Because the lingerie offers protection from fire, ice, and electricity. It'll keep him at a comfortable temperature no matter where he is. There aren't any merchants available to him that would sell him such a unique, useful item. So he would be a fool not to wear it.

As is, Sun said that he could keep them so he was going too.

"... Could I trouble you to go Keese hunting with me?" He eventually manages to ask.

He wasn't so sure about the romantic aspects of courting anymore. But Keese were easy to hunt and it was a good excuse to go somewhere to spend alone time with the Hylian.

They could travel for a while. Bond. Talk. Sort themselves out in the dating department and then move on from there.

No fuss. No stress. No pressure from snooping civilians who mean well but screw everything up regardless.

It would be a good way for two warriors to bond. And it wasn't as though either of them had more pressing matters to attend too at the moment.

There follows a long pause as the Hylian ponders his response.

"Ice Keese are a rare find. And I'd like to get out of the desert for a while." The Hylian eventually replies.

He likes the idea of low-stakes monster hunting. And going to the mountains would be a good way to get some climbing in. He loved being out there in the snow.

Plus, with the right weapon, he could kill most enemies in a single hit.

"Sounds like a plan~" Sun replies in kind.

A trip to the nearby mountains did sound nice. And there were berries out in that area that he was particularly fond of.

That would be a good way to start their courting process properly.

And who knows. Maybe they could share a sleeping bag on a cold night or two. Just to get a general feel for each other.

Not in a sexual way, mind you. Just in a cuddling and quality time sort of way.

[lustastarte]

✧ ♤ ♠strawberry boy | fugonara♠ ♤ ✧

genre: angst/fluff/smut

the royal family takes in a charity case, and things don't go over so well with fugo

published: 2020

early 1900s royalty au

written by request

The Fugo Family palace was an old country mansion that had been extended over the centuries. It now had four sides centered around a quadrangle and over five hundred rooms, with a beautiful, gargantuan foliage-ruled garden. It took a small army of housemaids to upkeep such a large abode and indeed most of the rooms were never used. The monarchs dwelled in only one corner on one floor and rarely stepped foot in the rest of their dwelling. But the palace was a status symbol, it set them above the peasants and that is where they believed they needed to be, separate, apart, superior, untouchable.

The palace had architecture like no other in the district. The reigning monarchs some three centuries earlier, Prince Pannacotta’s great-great-great-great-great grandparents had shipped in an architect from an overseas district. They knew his ideas, although perhaps unspeakably common where he came from, would be sufficiently exotic in their kingdom to inspire awe in the populous, to remind their people of their power and wealth. And so instead of the peaks in the roof, they had 24k gold domed towers instead. They had an open porch at the forefront of the palace held up with most ostentatiously detailed pillars, painted in a blinding, brilliant white. Inside, there were no doors on the ground floor, only arches. The marble floor had been shipped in also and was made with a grey stone full of soft pink and gold hued striations that had never before been seen in the district. After completion, its designer had been carelessly executed to fully ensure he could never and would never make a replica.

The palace was high upon the hill overlooking the town, it's many pointed towers and golden domes giving it the look of a gracefully eccentric, somewhat phallic crown. The walls were a green-tinted white stone that glistened in the summer sun and the roof was a metallic grey slate. It was as big as twenty of the ordinary houses in the town and employed a good number of the townsfolk as housemaids. Around the palace were the horse pastures and kitchen gardens for the royal family, and around that was a iron reinforced stone wall topped with wrought iron spikes and guarded day and night, ensuring the safety of the Fugo family.

The prince had been born on a starlit night, amid the cold of late winter. Some say it became part of him, that dull light from above and frozen heart remaining from snow clouds behind and ahead. Everyone he had ever met saw that in him, always assured that there was a speck of darkness in every light, behind every sun was a void. It was as if when the warmth came he was the cold front, as if his baby skin took it all in and kept it safe. His voice had a slowness, as if he had all the time in the world to talk with people, yet his words and thoughts were smushed together in a haughty tone, seemingly repulsed by talking to someone without royal blood. Most can say that there is no person who ever held them in his gaze the way he did, even though another might need use of arms. Yet in all that cold, harsh spirit there was a kind heart, a small boy who would make any sacrifice to save others, to guard them, pay any price to protect the lives of his people.

Fugo woke to the sound of his housemaids conversing loudly in the hallway.

“I thought I told you to prepare the bedroom next to the prince’s!”

He stood and stretched, padding closer to the door.

“Are you sure the King and Queen told you to-?”

Fugo was intrigued, he had no idea what they were talking about, but if it had something to do with the room next to him, he believed he should know.

“Yes! Hurry along now, you’ve wasted enough time! You have two hours before he gets here-“

Pannacotta swung the door open. “Before who gets here?”

The two maids nearly jumped out of their skin. “Prince Fugo! G-Goodmorn-!”

His voice became much colder. “Before WHO gets here?”

“I am not sure we’re the ones to tell you that, my lord,” one of the maids said quietly, hanging her head.

“Where are my parents?”

“Having breakfast, sir.”

Fugo rolled his eyes and retreated back into his room, quickly throwing on a pressed light blue dress shirt and navy suit pants to compliment the pinstripes on his silk shirt. He slipped his small, pale feet into a pair of grey faux suede dress shoes and made his way to the breakfast room.

“Mother? Father? I would like to speak with you,” he called as he rounded the corner.

“Yes, sweetheart?”

“Why is the room next to mine being prepared for someone?”

“Oh,” his father smiled. “Your mother and I decided to take in a charity case. That way he gets a nice life and we can use him to deflect the townswomen away from you.”

“Why deflecting people...?”

“Just the women, because we have a wedding planned for you.”

“You really think I am going to just be okay with being assigned a spouse?”

His father sighed. “She is very beau-“

“I don’t care if she’s god, I will not marry someone I don’t love.”

The king took a long drink of his breakfast coffee, sighing in annoyance. “You will do whatever I say you will,” he lowly stated. “You will be marrying the princess of Spain, and you will provide me with a second heir. I want their land and money.”

“I won’t do a thing. I will marry if I so choose, and if I decide to, it will be to someone of my choosing,” the prince argued, face heating up. “Who have you let into this palace?”

His mother placed her dainty hands on her lap. “Panna, please calm down-“

“Answer my question.”

“We have taken in a peasant boy. His name is Narancia.”

The blonde prince’s face contorted, turning from white to red. “A peasant?! Did you seriously allow one of those dirty, disgusting, unwashed, inbred slugs into our palace? A perverted, coagulated bottle of expired snake oil like them? Those blasted fiends that take and take from us and never give back? A bony, blubbering buffoon who wouldn’t know a shower if it hit him dead in the face?”

“Pannacotta Fugo! You are going to be kind to him!”

Fugo rolled his eyes and laughed coldly. “He’s a peasant, mother. I don’t even have to give him a thought.”

“He belongs to one of the housemaids!”

“Okay, and?”

A small brunette housemaid scurried through the doorway. “S-Sorry to interrupt my lords, but your guest has arrived...”

“Show him to his room please, Eliza.”

“Yes, my lord!” She turned her back to them, motioning for the person behind her to follow her. The prince watched as a lean teenager followed close behind his housemaid. He couldn’t have been much older than Fugo, maybe a couple years at the most. He was beautifully feminine in the most masculine way. He was built, small, sun soaked frame, defined cherrywood muscles. Over those muscles hung ragged clothes, shredded and stained, pitifully sewn together. But his face is what captured Fugo’s attention. The virtually untouched, androgynous face the boy had, framed by short, choppy locks of purple-stained black hair. His hair was sectioned into two pieces by a cloth headband. Fugo’s eyes traveled with him as he walked timidly through the breakfast room behind the housemaid.

He stared at the arched doorway the boy slipped through for another full second.

“Panna, you ought to make friends with him. He is going to be living next to you-“

“No. I will not ‘make friends’ with him,” Fugo mocked, placing in-air quotations around some of his words. He turned his back to his parents, gliding haughtily out of the palace and into the flora-rich garden. Taking a deep breath, he sticks his hand through a section of bushes, grabbing on to a door knob. He smiled and turned it, the familiar click making his heart soar. Making sure no one was around, he fled his parent’s garden, stepping eagerly into the grandeur of his own.

The prince’s secret garden could easily be described as a formal zen escape. The bonsai trees dotted across the perfectly patterned sand in their wooden boxes. In the very centre, with large, flattened elliptical granite stepping stones leading up to and away from it, there was a two tiered freshwater pond as large as a small lake, with flowering lily pads, a trickling waterfall, and a handmade wooden bridge that crossed the middle so he could look down at the beautifully colored koi fish. The flower beds were an angry riot of vibrant spring colors, and even on close inspection, they were absolutely, undeniably weed-free, as Fugo always kept them.

The orange tree was to be the crown jewel of the prince’s secret garden. The way Fugo planned it, he would be drinking in the aromas of the late summer blooms, drowning in serene bliss, soothed by the waterfall between the two ponds and delicately preparing and sipping homemade, fresh squeezed orange juice. Leaf loam, rough bark, rich colours, iridescent blues and greens, sharp, blade-like leaves, clumps of shaggy, weeping willow trees, a miniature vegetable patch, caterpillar eaten leaves, daffodils, massive flower gardens, geraniums, fushias, heliotropes, chrysanthemums, dahlias, michaelmas daises, begonias, and lavender spotted and lined the beautiful, secret expanse of land.

Fugo came here to escape the stresses of his everyday life, to have a small moment of rest. He gazed calmly across the wind-ruffed pond surface to the lily pads in bloom, their white and magenta petals catching the breeze. The teen inhaled slowly. Peace, at last. His little piece of heaven in this gnarly, tangled royal jungle. As he laid there, basking in the golden warmth of the sun, he caught wind of the two landkeepers conversing in the palace’s garden.

“Did you hear about the charity case the King and Queen took in?”

“Yeah,” a deeper voice responded. “From what I heard through housemaid gossip, the Prince is not happy. I don’t believe they have told the Princess, however.”

“They have, she is very excited to have someone who will actually spend time with her.”

Fugo sat up, listening intently now.

“Good, the Prince is too old to spend time with h-“

“No,” said the second landkeeper. “Prince Pannacotta is not too old, merely too fond of himself to care for anyone but himself. Why hang out with Princess Trish if he could spend all day in his room, sulking and planning for his terrible reign?”

Fugo’s forehead screwed up, as he was absolutely appalled by what the landkeepers had said. He marched to the secret garden door and flung it open, slipping back into the palace garden.

“Excuse me, just what do you think gives you the right to speak of me like that?!”

The men hit the lawn, bowing to the lanky teen. “O-Oh! Prince Pannacotta! How lovely to see you!”

“Cut the act. I would suggest you pack your bags tonight, because as of tomorrow you will be banned from this palace.”

“My lord, please-!”

“Our conversation has ended,” Fugo snarled as he turned and stormed back to the palace.

The menacing click of the Prince’s shoes grew ever louder as the King attempted to enjoy his lunchtime affogato.

“Father!”

“Yes, son?” He turned in his chair.

“Have one of the housemaids find new landkeeps,” he said with a fake smile. “Preferably, they should start tomorrow.”

“What have you done?”

Fugo smiled again. “Just what should have been done,” he turned on his heel and carried himself out of the King’s office, down to his room.

A few minutes after he entered his room, he heard a knock on the door. Refusing to move from his plush, Queen size bed, he looked up from his book and said, “Come in.” His eyes traveled back to the book.

“Hello,” a soft, quiet voice spoke.

Fugo barely lifted his eyes, just enough to see the intruder’s body. The familiar small frame sported a beautifully tailored, dark orange dress shirt, stylishly unbuttoned, and black dress pants that seemed to stick to every curve of his lower body.  His shoes were of the finest leather, stained black and custom made for his feet. Fugo did not recognize him.

“Who are you?” The Prince looked up, still confused.

“I’m the um-... the head housemaid’s adopted son, Narancia?”

Fugo observed the boy, not entirely sure it was the same person. Instead of looking unkempt and dirty, he looked formally feminine. Many beautiful silver necklaces lined his chest as a black lace choker watched over them. His hair had been perfectly styled, accented with an orange headband and large, dangling silver earrings. The Prince’s eyes traveled over the boy’s face. His skin was perfect, even without the layer of powder. His cheekbones and nose shimmered with a beautiful silver tint, and his violet eyes were lightly lined with a dusty orange eyeshadow. His lips looked to be soft, pillowy gloss coating them, parting for his magnificently white teeth to appear with his sun-competitive shining smile. Fugo had to force himself to frown.

“Oh,” he mumbled, flicking Narancia a disgusted look.

Narancia picked up on the obvious hatred radiating from Fugo. “So... I was wondering if you’d like to get to know each other?”

“No. It’s late and I’m tired. I also have no reason to talk to a housemaid’s shit-for-brains adoptive son, so leave me be.”

The violet-eyed boy dropped his head. “Sorry,” he muttered, leaving the room reluctantly. Fugo scoffed in his wake and closed his book. He was asleep before his head ever hit the pillow.

The next morning, as he strolled across the dew covered palace grounds, Fugo thought about his actions the night before. He sat down on the limestone benches installed in the garden, sipping on a cup of highly sweetened blonde roast coffee. Narancia approached him, carrying him breakfast and hoping to start a conversation.

“Good morning Panna-!“

“Why are you here?”

Narancia’s face dropped. “I just wanted to talk...”

Fugo scoffed. “Talk? As if.”

“You don’t have to be so rude...”

“If you’d take the hint that I don’t talk to the lower class, I wouldn’t be.”

The sparkle from yesterday was extinguished. Narancia’s watery eyes moved slower and always more down-cast, skimming the floor, rarely raising to hip level. It was in his voice too, as he spoke. Quieter, with a scrawny meekness that wasn't usually part of his speech pattern when he apologized. Fugo’s only response was an eye roll.

          The defeated teen, with his drooping shoulders and downturned lips, turned and walked away, platter in hand. He wanted so badly to make friends with the Prince, but it seemed as if that was out of the question. Fugo watched as Narancia brokenly stepped toward the place, only having enough strength to carry the breakfast he had made for them. He brought it back inside, handing it to Trish dejectedly.

“Did he-?”

“Yeah... it’s fine, you can have it. I’m not very hungry anymore,” the violet-eyed boy assured her before returning to his room.

“Panna, why are you being such an ass to Narancia?”

“He doesn’t belong here. He’s not fit for this, Trish,”  he responded, not looking up from his coffee.

“At least give him a chance!”

“Why should I?”

“Because,” Trish sighed. “I felt the same as you before he came to get to know me. He’s a good boy, Panna. Just give him a chance.”

“What’s in it for me?”

“Maybe you can get some of the unwarranted hatred out of your heart,” Trish spat, shoving her brother.

“You’re the one to talk-“

“I’m not here to argue. Get your pompous ass inside and talk to Narancia!”

“No, I’m not starting a conversation with him.”

“Fine,” Trish huffed. “Be that way. But don’t be surprised when you have no one, asshole.” She furiously power-walked back through the garden and into the living tower.

Later that evening, Fugo sat cross-legged on his bed, eyes glued to a book. Narancia knocked and entered on command, not making eye contact with Fugo.

“I know you probably do not want to talk to me-“

“Sit down,” the Prince commanded, pointing to a brilliantly embroidered couch. Narancia nodded, quickly taking a seat and placing his hands in his lap.

“What do you want?”

The older boy stumbled over his words. “I wanted to get to know you, b-but I get it if you don’t-“

“What do you want to know?”

“Oh, um... anything you mind telling me...?”

Fugo sighed. “I’m 18. My favorite food is fresh strawberry tarts and pastry cream. I like my coffee very sweetened and full of cream, Irish, preferably. My favorite color is green,” he droned in a bored tone, still not looking up from his book.

“I like strawberries,” Narancia beamed, thankful to have found something they have in common. “Do you have any special interests?”

Fugo glanced up for a millisecond. “I like gardening.” He paused. “I have a garden here, actually. I am the only one who tends to it.”

The Prince’s eyes widened as he realized his mistake. Why did I tell him that?

“Oh, is it the one in front of the palace?”

“No... it’s secret. Mine is so much better than whatever those amateur gardeners can do,” Fugo stated snottily.

“I’m sure it is, I’d love to see it one day,” Narancia agreed.

“Sure.” Why did I say yes? I’m supposed to hate him!

The older boy grinned, blinding Fugo with his shimmering smile. “Is there anything else?”

“I like to read,” Fugo replied hesitantly. What could he be up to?

“Must be nice,” Narancia laughed.

Fugo smiled slightly. “Yeah... Yeah, it is nice. Are you going to tell me about yourself?”

“Well, um- Not if you don’t want me to...”

The guilt sat not only on Fugo’s chest but inside his brain as well. What he had done was something he could not un-do. He could attempt to make amends with Narancia in subtle ways, but a confession was out of the question, even to his personal priest. Only in his silent prayers could he speak his guilt-ridden heart to God and beg for His mercy, for forgiveness for the way he had broken the boy in front of him. He closed his book and looked up at the older boy for the first time, genuinely smiling.

“I’d like to know, yes.”

Narancia’s eyes widened, lashes flicking slightly upward in his haste. “Do you really?”

The Prince nodded. “Yes, I do.”

“Oh, alright! I’m 18 too and my favorite food is Margherita pizza. I don’t really enjoy coffee, but I do like Italian cream soda!” His eyes lit up like the stars after sunset. “My favorite color is orange, and I like admiring formal gardens.”

Fugo smiled. “Italian cream soda is extremely addictive, I do not blame you for liking it so much.”

Narancia’s heart fluttered, and he felt the heat rise to his cheeks as Fugo looked in his direction. The younger grinned and Narancia snapped his head away, knowing all too well that if he had continued to stare, he would get lost in his sharp, yet warm red eyes. He could feel his eyes still on him, heart pounding in his head. Narancia silently inhaled and exhaled, hoping that Fugo’s internal thoughts about him were good. He watched the other boy’s mouth move, but he never heard a sound through the fog in his mind.

“Are you listening to me?”

“S-Sorry!” Narancia snapped out of his haze. “I was... distracted.”

Fugo nodded and looked back to his book.

“Do you want me to- Do I need to go...?”

The Prince looked up, preparing to be a jerk once more. “Whatever you feel like doing, I honestly don’t care.”

Narancia’s face fell and he nodded, slowly raising off the couch and carrying himself out of the room. Fugo felt the harsh, familiar twang of guilt in his chest, but chose to ignore it, flinching slightly as the door slammed shut.

Narancia flopped onto his bed, body going limp. His crying was both ferocious and soft. The boy blinked briny tears from bloodshot eyes, violet coated in crimson. His long, thick lashes stuck together in clumps as if he'd been swimming with mascara on. The tears made wet tracks down his face and dripped from his wobbling chin. Clear watery snot streaked from his flaring nostrils down his red mottled skin to his open quivering lips. His hands open and closed, rhythmically clenching as if there could be some violent solution to his pain. Shoving his head into the mattress, he began to sob.

Why did he believe Fugo wanted anything to do with him? He should have known that smile was fake...

Narancia decided to leave the younger boy alone the next day, unable to take any more rejection. Without changing position or clothing, the teen cried himself to sleep, face covering a large, wet spot on the emerald duvet.

Fugo lifted his head upon hearing faint sobs. Was that Narancia? What had he done? He waited until silence had fallen, and left to check on the other boy. He opened the door to find Narancia sleeping face down in a pool of tears. Guilt hit him again, like hail hitting the ground during a tornado. Pulling back the dry side of the large comforter, Fugo gently lifted the older boy, placing him in the cleared space before removing his shoes and covering him up. He left quickly, returning to his own room, hopeful for a good night’s sleep. Yet guilt kept him up. Fugo watched the large, intricate antique clock tick, revealing hour after hour, his red eyes not missing a second. Around 6:30 a.m., the Prince got up, making his way to the palace kitchen. While waiting for his coffee to brew, he thought of what to make to apologize to Narancia.

He said he likes strawberries... and cream soda... but I can’t make him a pizza for breakfast. Fugo fills a gorgeous platter with pastries, biscuits, jellies and jams, fresh fruit, cheeses, and cold cuts. He also prepares two tall, wide glasses of strawberry Italian cream soda, and places them, along with the platter, on a small cart. He leaves his coffee, planning to grab it as he sneaks back through the kitchen and into the garden. Almost silently, he pushed the cart to Narancia’s door and knocked. Never had he rounded a corner so quickly, running at a speed which he had never seen anyone else run. Once safely through the kitchen, he traveled, coffee in hand, to the garden. Fugo enjoyed watching the town as it wakes up in the early hours of the morning, his people bustling around as if they were sugar ants.

Narancia sat up, rubbing his eyes. He looked around, wondering how his shoes neatly placed themselves back in his closet, and how he ended up on the other side of the bed, underneath the bedsheets. He shook his head. Maybe he had just had a strange dream. He changed out of yesterday’s outfit, slipped into a pair of soft house shoes, and walked to his en-suite bathroom. A knock on the door rang through the room, sending Narancia’s soul out of his body momentarily. Shakily, the black-haired boy approached the door, opening it to a small cart of food. He stuck his head out of his door, but could find no one, so he pulled the cart into his room to observe. Two cream sodas and an Italian breakfast platter was all that was there. Did Fugo do this? He furrowed his eyebrows, shuffling across the fluffy carpet to the enormous bay window, sitting on the cushion attached to the extended windowsill. He gazed down into the courtyard, spotting Fugo in a wine-colored suit, in his usual spot with coffee in hand. He turned away from the window and sat on his bed, nibbling on different items from the tray and gulping his cream soda greedily. He knows he shouldn’t take gifts from Fugo, because he only wanted to save his image, but why did he feel as though there was some sincerity in the gift? And someone had to have moved him after he fell asleep. Who else would it be, if not Fugo?

After his breakfast, Narancia decided a day dancing in the ballroom couldn’t hurt him. He did not know how to dance, and with the King and Queen’s party being held in a day, learning to ballroom dance was the only saving grace he had. As beautiful classical music played from a record player, he twirled himself and a mannequin across the floor, occasionally stumbling over his own feet. He practiced for hours before the music ended suddenly, only halfway through a song.

As he made his way up the grand palace stairs, Fugo could hear music from the ballroom. Naturally, he had the overwhelming urge to know what was happening, so he snuck in. To his amazement, he was met with a waltzing Narancia, tripping over his own shoes. Fugo glided to the record player and pulled the needle up, smiling when Narancia looked up.

“Sorry, I-“

“Do you want help?”

“Huh?”

Fugo stepped closer, pointing at the mannequin. “It isn’t very easy to learn with a fake partner, and you look like you need help. Do you want help?”

Narancia looked around awkwardly. “Y-Yeah but I don’t want to bother Trish or the housemai-“

“You won’t bother me.”

Narancia’s face flushed as he dropped the mannequin out of shock.

“Do you want my help?”

The violet-eyed boy nodded, queueing Fugo to step forward, kick the mannequin to the side, and stop a few inches from the older boy. He slipped his hand into one of Narancia’s, placing the other teen’s second hand on his waist, and his other hand on the older’s shoulder. He instructed him on how to move his feet and arms to different dances, and soon, the two were foxtrotting up and down the massive ballroom. Fugo’s determined gaze over Narancia’s shoulder quickly softened and refocused on the other’s face when the vinyl began playing a beautiful slow song, one of Fugo’s personal favorites. He smiled warmly at the older teen, who blushed heavily.

“Panna, I don’t know how to slow da-“

“Just follow me, okay?”

Narancia nodded as he returned Fugo’s deep stare, heart fluttering. Time seemed to stop, and the two had no idea how long they had danced. The slow music twirled like fine, golden thread around them. Fugo rested his head upon Narancia’s chest unexpectedly for ‘practice’ and let him sway his body around and around the polished marble floors again. The angelic voices of the violins came in, then the beautifully tenor-voiced piano, and then the slow and steady tap of a drum.

Narancia had no idea how to act. There was no way Fugo couldn’t hear the intense pounding in his chest. He was so close, and as much as the younger wanted to deny it, he did this for more than just ‘girl practice.’ Once the vinyl had finally run its course, the two decided to take a break on the plush couches lining the walls.

“Why did you leave me breakfast this morning?”

“Oh,” Fugo’s cheeks flooded with a soft pink. “I just wanted to make amends with you... I didn’t mean to make you cry last night-“

“How’d you know I cried?”

“I came to check on you and you were asleep in a puddle of tears. I hope you don’t mind that I actually put you to bed...”

“Why? Why would you do that?”

“I honestly don’t know,” Fugo glanced up. “I thought I hated you but there’s something I can’t get out of my head.”

“Which is...?”

The Prince sighed. “Just you in general. Something about you speaks to me. I need it in my life.”

“So you have a love interest...?”

The blonde’s cheeks darkened, pink to crimson in a millisecond. He looked away. “I don’t know...”

“Wanna find out?” Narancia’s eyes fluttered shut and he leaned forward, planting his soft lips on Fugo’s. Fugo, while surprised, leaned into the kiss with equal fervor.

They separated moments later.

“Did you feel it?”

Fugo nodded. “The butterflies? There were so many.”

“So you do have an interest in me! Good for me,” Narancia giggled. “Let’s keep dancing.”

The party buzzed with conversation, the faint lyrical music could be heard occasionally. Fugo looked heartbroken as he talked to the woman he was supposed to marry. She is not who he wants, but he obviously is exactly what she wants. He seemed like a puppet as he forced himself to dance with her. Thankfully, Narancia asked him to dance as a “joke,” and he gratefully obliged.  The music eagerly spun around them, instantly lifting away gravity. Narancia couldn't count how many times he had squished Fugo’s foot under his own. Still he smiled brightly as their heels clicked over the ballroom floor. Fugo watched as Narancia’s makeup glittered like a piece of platinum more and more with each move and beat. This was Narancia’s form of perfect. This was thousands of years of dancing and art coming to life. For Fugo, all that mattered was the person in front of him. A few hours later, during the prime of the party, because Fugo and Narancia had had a good amount of champagne, the blonde was now somewhat dizzily dragging the older teen to his room. Once the door had been closed and locked, he slammed his lips against the other’s in a passionate display of affection and power.

Narancia slipped a hand into Fugo’s hair as they stumbled toward the bed. The younger moaned as the other pulled on his hair and fought his tongue for dominance. In the dimly lit room, Narancia grabbed onto Fugo’s hips forcefully, carrying him toward the bed and letting him fall with a soft bounce on the mattress. The two locked nervous eyes for just a moment, just enough for them to feel safe with one another. Then Narancia became all business, undoing Fugo’s pants, greedily pulling them off, kissing from the younger’s knees upward, slowly, Narancia’s hands on his legs, always just a little higher than the kisses. Fugo feels his back arch in anticipation, knowing where Narancia’s fingers will soon reach. Eagerly, he throws off his own top. His head gracefully rocks back against the pillow as he does, the first moan escaping Fugo’s thin lips.

Narancia wraps his gloss covered lips around Fugo’s swollen head, looking up at him questioningly. The younger nodded, and Narancia continued, maneuvering his mouth so perfectly Fugo couldn’t think straight. He had never been touched by anyone but himself, it was strange, but more than enjoyable. The younger dug perfectly manicured nails into his embroidered duvet as his hips bucked up into Narancia’s mouth, twisting the tight knot in his stomach. However, it ended early when the older slipped off and undressed himself.

“Are you sure about this?”

Fugo nodded, and Narancia brought his lips to his neck, his collarbone, his chest, his stomach, and back up. He placed two fingers on Fugo’s lips, who took them in his mouth with a gentle moan. Once soaked, the older teen inserted one, then two fingers, comforting and encouraging the younger. Soon, Fugo was pushing his hips back into Narancia’s fingers, whimpering and hiding his face. The older laughed and pumped them in and out, smirking at the way the younger’s body curved in a desperate attempt to get closer.

Narancia gently kissed Fugo as he adjusted to his size, tears in his eyes.

“Are you okay?”

“Mhmm,” Fugo nodded, exhaling forcefully. Not a minute later, he commanded Narancia to move, seeing stars. He couldn’t help the loud, unfiltered raw noises escaping his body, especially not when Narancia had one hand in his hair and one gripping his hip. He moaned higher and higher pitched each time the older pulled his hair and slammed into him. Despite the fun he was having, Fugo began to panic when he heard his father’s footsteps coming down the hall.

“My- Narancia- My dad-,” he breathed, eyes half lidded. Narancia cupped a hand over his mouth and whispered in his ear.

“Shhh ragazzino , your father might hear,” the older purred, still slamming into him like before. To be a jerk, he decided to thrust into Fugo’s prostate just as the King passed his bedroom door. The Prince’s eyes rolled to the back of his head and he moaned loudly, frantically grabbing at Narancia’s arms.

He felt a heat bubbling in his abdomen, and his breathing began to falter. Narancia moved his hand and moved to kiss Fugo’s neck, still thrusting into him.

“Ah! Ahh~ Nara- Narancia~!”

He moved faster, bringing Fugo to his first sex induced orgasm. He pulled on Fugo’s hair as cum splattered across his stomach and his hole tightened around him. The older fucked into him a few more times before quickly pulling out and coming on Fugo’s stomach.

After cleaning up and getting dressed, the two went their separate ways so as to not look suspicious. Fugo returned to dancing with his assigned wife, who kept advancing on him.

“I saw you with that boy earlier,” she giggled, leaning forward. “I can do so much better than Narancia.”

“I don’t want that,” Fugo denied before being forcefully kissed. He pushed her off and went looking for Narancia, only to see him walking pitifully out of the ballroom.

Narancia heard his name from the nearby dancing Fugo’s conversation and tuned in, turning to watch.

“-Narancia.”

“I don’t want that.”

And that’s when they kissed. Narancia turned, walking sadly back to his room. The teen stained the white floor with his love. It ran from his mouth as he choked on the air and his own sobs. It bled from his ears and dripped from his chin in the form of tears. His head hung low, heavy with thoughts of Fugo. After he had given him everything, he betrayed him. It hurt Narancia, it hurt him like hell. He thought the best solution for him is to leave, so he began to grab whatever he had before he came.

The next morning, Narancia ran down the stairs, unfortunately meeting Fugo at the bottom.

“Narancia! What happened las-?”

“I don’t want to talk.”

“W-What?”

Narancia looked up, tears beginning to cloud his vision. “I heard your conversation and I watched you kiss her. I should have-... I should have known you were no better than a skank.”

Fugo let tears roll down his cheeks. “If you had heard the conversation, you’d know I didn’t want-!”

“Didn’t want me.”

“No! I want you! She told me she could do better than you and I said I didn’t want that!”

“Then why’d you kiss her?!”

“I didn’t!” Fugo threw his hands out. If you hadn’t turned when you did, you would have seen me pushing her off!”

Narancia laughed coldly. “You’ll say anything to save your own ass, won’t you?”

“If I wanted to save my ass I wouldn’t have spoken to you in the first place!”

“Oh,” Narancia nodded as he stood in the doorway. “That’s right. I forgot, I’m nothing but a dirty peasant to you.” He walked out, slamming the door.

Fugo ran after him. “Narancia! Stop! I didn’t mean it like that! If I wanted to save my ass, I’d keep pretending I’m straight! But I don’t want to!”

Narancia turned to look at him.

“I don’t care if I never have a position in the palace ever again, I’d rather have you than my family. I thought I had to hide my feelings at first, but I have had a change of heart, and now I don’t care who knows my feelings for you! I love you, Narancia... Please don’t go,” Fugo ended in barely a whisper.

Tears welled up in Narancia’s eyes. “I don’t know what to believe any more, Panna.”

“Believe me! Please!” Fugo’s face was soaked with tears. “I don’t want anyone but you, Nara! I gave you everything! My first kiss, my first time, everything!”

“Prove it to me.”

Fugo took a deep breath. “Follow me.” He walked out of the palace and through the courtyard, stopping in the garden.

“I’ve seen this before.”

“Not this,” the younger retorted before reaching a hand through the bushes and opening the door to his secret garden. Narancia looked around in awe before Fugo spoke.

“I have never let another person even know about this garden, much less let them in. Only you.”

Narancia looked at him, sad eyes brightening little by little.

“Please stay here,” Fugo begged. “Please.”

Narancia nodded, stepping forward and kissing Fugo as if it were his last day on Earth. He never thought that years later, they would get married in this same spot, hovering over the koi ponds, or that he’d ever be a prince. Yet a decade later, the two began ruling their kingdom, King and King, making the best life they could for everyone.